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Smoke billows from the site of an Israeli airstrike that targeted a neighborhood in Beirut's southern suburb early on September 28, 2024.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday commended the killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and said his death would not be enough to end the proliferating conflict in the Middle East.

"We have some great achievements, but we haven't completed the task at hand yet," Netanyahu said, according to a translation by NBC News. "The devastating blows leveled at Hezbollah by the IDF will not be enough."

Hezbollah confirmed that Nasrallah was killed on Friday in an Israeli airstrike in the Lebanese capital of Beirut.

"There is no place in Iran, nor in the Middle East, where the long arm of Israel cannot reach," Netanyahu said.

A statement from Hezbollah also on Saturday said Nasrallah "has joined his great immortal martyr comrades." The confirmation came just a few hours after the Israeli army announced the killing of Nasrallah, after carrying out a large-scale attack on Lebanon the day before.

Israel's Defense Forces (IDF) said Nasrallah, who led the Iran-backed militant group for more than three decades, was killed on Friday as fighter jets conducted what it described as a "targeted strike" on Hezbollah's headquarters in Beirut.

Among other Hezbollah commanders, the IDF said Ali Karki, the commander of Hezbollah's southern front, was also killed in the strike.
Special agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) question a man while his vehicle is searched after he was stopped heading into Mexico at the Hidalgo border crossing.

More than 13,000 immigrants convicted of homicide  either in the United States or abroad  are living freely in the U.S., outside of Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention, according to data ICE provided to Congress earlier this week.

The immigrants are part of ICE's "non-detained" docket, meaning the agency has some information on the immigrants and they have pending immigration cases in the U.S., but they are not currently in detention either because they are not prioritized for detention or because ICE cannot find them.

Acting ICE Director P.J. Lechleitner sent the data, collected as of July 21, as part of a request sent in March from Republican Congressman Tony Gonzales of Texas.

It is not clear when the first migrant of the 13,000 crossed into the U.S. Two law enforcement officials familiar with the data told NBC News many of the migrants on ICE's non-detained docket, including serious criminals, crossed into the U.S. under previous administrations, including former President Donald Trump's.

During a campaign stop in Michigan on Friday, Trump used the data to criticize Vice President Kamala Harris for current immigration policies.

"I can finally look at them and say 'I told you so,' to the fake news," Trump said. "These are hard, tough, vicious criminals that are free to roam in our country."

The White House has yet to comment on the data. One official told NBC News the release of the data came as a surprise to the White House.

The 13,099 immigrants convicted of homicide living in the U.S. may have never had contact with ICE, the two law enforcement officials said. Some may have crossed the border and then been released because Border Patrol lacks information on their criminal history. In many cases, the U.S. is not notified of someone's criminal conviction until after they cross into the country.

In other cases, migrants convicted of crimes may be released by state and local officials after they serve their time without ICE being notified, as is policy in many sanctuary cities. ICE then has to locate the convict after release in order to detain and deport them.

The two law enforcement officials said ICE prioritizes migrants who have been convicted of serious crimes, like homicide, for arrest.

But the agency's limited resources limit how many they can locate and arrest. There are currently more than 7.5 million immigrants on ICE's "non-detained" docket, meaning they have pending immigration cases but are not currently in detention.

Lechleitner told NBC News more local jurisdictions are cooperating and starting to rethink their sanctuary policies in light of increased attention on migrant crime.

NBC News joined ICE agents in Maryland earlier this year when they arrested a man convicted of murder in Colombia and a man convicted of attempted murder in El Salvador.

Agents explained that locating convicted criminals living at large takes an enormous amount of manpower, from locating them to the arrest.
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Biocon Biologics announced on Saturday, September 28, that the US Food and Drug Administration (US FDA) has completed a Current Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP) inspection of its Insulins Manufacturing Facility in Johor Bahru, Malaysia. The inspection, which took place between September 17 and September 27, 2024, covered multiple biologics manufacturing units and quality control laboratories.The scope of the inspection included one Drug Substance and one Drug Product manufacturing unit, a Medical Device Assembly unit, an Analytical Quality Control Laboratory, two Microbiological Control Laboratories, and two Warehouses.The FDA has issued a Form 483 with five observations related to the Drug Substance and Drug Product facilities, three observations for the Analytical & Microbiological Quality Control Laboratories, and none for the Medical Device Assembly and Warehouse operations. The FDA did not raise concerns regarding Data Integrity, Systemic Deficiencies, or Quality Oversight during the inspection.Biocon Biologics said it "will submit a comprehensive Corrective and Preventive Action (CAPA) plan to the agency and is confident of addressing these observations expeditiously. The company does not foresee the outcome of these inspections to impact the supply of its commercial products."
Dr. Frasier Crane may never go away. When Cheers ended in 1993, Frasier was brought back for his very own spin-off. Nearly two decades after Frasier wrapped up in 2004, the series was rebooted. And when were all dead and gone, our great-grandchildren will likely be enjoying new, fully-CGI episodes of Frasier on their cyberpunk skull implants.

Frasier has even appeared in shows other than Cheers, Frasier and Frasier Redux, such as the time he held a hacky self-help seminar on Wings. Dr. Crane also offered therapy over the phone to a character in The John Larroquette Show, thanks to re-edited stock footage of Kelsey Grammer.

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And the less said about Frasiers Dr. Pepper commercial, which the character of Frasier Crane would have no doubt loathed, the better.

Amazingly, today marks exactly 40 years since Frasier Crane first appeared on TV. On September 27, 1984, Frasier showed up in Cheers third season premiere: Rebound. Dr. Crane, Dianes new psychiatrist boyfriend, offers to help Sam, who has fallen off the wagon following his breakup with Cheers most pretentious server.

Famously, Frasier wasnt originally intended to be a recurring character on the show. The original idea was to bring him in for a few episodes in order to build up the tension between Sam and Diane. He wasnt even called Frasier Crane, at first, he was Frasier Nye until Grammer complained.

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Grammer was just 29 years old when he took on the role, and hes now pushing 70. Its amazing that this character has had so much longevity, especially considering that he began as a borderline cartoonish fuddy-duddy, the antithesis of Sam Malone.

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The fact that Frasier has existed as a character for four decades isnt just a point of curiosity, at this point its become a primary selling point. If the new Frasier works (which is debatable), it works because weve had a relationship with this character for an astonishingly long time. And so, if youre able to get over the glaring discrepancies between the original Freddy and the current iteration of the character, it is somewhat meaningful for fans to see Frasier reconnect with the son that he barely got to see when he was too busy hosting his radio show and throwing farcically doomed dinner parties. After all, as TV viewers, we were there when Frasier witnessed his sons first word.

If Grammer gets his way, Frasier will still be on TV when were celebrating the characters fiftieth anniversary. He recently told The New York Times that the current show could last another decade  at which point, Frasier may be unable to hear the blues a callin.

You (yes, you) should follow JM on Twitter (if it still exists by the time youre reading this)
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Hassan Nasrallah killed in Israeli bombing: Hezbollah

Hezbollah has confirmed its chief Hassan Nasrallah, has been killed in Israeli bombing carried out on its headquarters in Lebanese capital Beirut Friday September 27, 2024.

Saturday September 28, 2024 7:55 PM , ummid.com with inputs from Agencies

Beirut: Hezbollah has confirmed its chief Hassan Nasrallah, has been killed in Israeli bombing carried out on its headquarters in Lebanese capital Beirut Friday September 27, 2024.

Hezbollah confirmed the killing of its chief Hassan Nasrallah after Israeli military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani announced on X on Saturday, Hassan Nasrallah is dead.

While confirming his killing, Hezbollah vowed to take revenge.

The leadership of Hezbollah vows to the highest, most sacred, and dearest martyr in our journey, filled with sacrifices and martyrs, to continue its struggle against the enemy, supporting Gaza and Palestine, and defending Lebanon and its steadfast, honorable people, Hezbollah said in a statement on Saturday afternoon.

The Israeli massive airstrikes Friday levelled six apartment buildings while injuring 91 people, according to Lebanons health ministry.

Along with Nasarallah, Ali Karki, the Commander of Hezbollahs southern front, and additional Hezbollah commanders were also killed in the air strikes in Beiruts southern suburb of Dahiyeh on Friday, the Israeli military said.

Most of the senior leaders of Hezbollah have been eliminated, Shoshani said.

Hezbollah under Nasrallah

64-year-old Nasrallah, led the Iran-backed group for more than 32 years, serving as a political and spiritual leader who guided Hezbollah to a place of prominence in Lebanon.

Among his supporters, the Shia leader was lauded for standing up to Israel and defying the United States. To his enemies, he was the head of a terrorist organisation and a proxy for Iran in its tussle for influence in the Middle East.

Hezbollah's image in the Arab world - especially in Syria and Lebanon, has been greatly tarnished because of its sectarian activities during Syrian civil war that saw killing of hundreds of thousands.

Major religious leaders and activists, Sunni and Shia both, condemned Hezbollah under Nasrallah, with many former supporters of the militant outfit becoming its fervent opponents for its stance in Syria.

Among them was Shi'i Cleric Subhi al-Tufayli, the group's founder and principal architect during 1980s, who denounced Hezbollah under Nasrallah for abandoning its founding principles.

Al-Tufayli also accused Hezbollah of serving the hegemonic ambitions of Iran and Russia in the region.

Irans Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei condemned Saturday what he described as Israels short-sighted policy after strikes on Lebanon that Israel said killed Nasrallah.

The massacre of the defenseless people in Lebanon once again revealed the ferocity of the Zionist rabid dog to everyone, and proved the short-sighted and stupid policy of the leaders of the usurping regime, Khamenei said in a statement without mentioning Hassan Nasarallah.

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Sitharaman must quit: Demand after FIR against FM over poll bond extortion

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has asked Nirmala Sitharaman to resign as Union Finance Minister following the filing of an FIR against her in an alleged connection with extortion using electoral bonds

Sunday September 29, 2024 1:16 AM , ummid.com with inputs from Agencies

Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has asked Nirmala Sitharaman to resign as Union Finance Minister following the filing of an FIR against her in an alleged connection with extortion using electoral bonds.

The Karnataka Chief Minister also asked PM Modi to quit office so that impartial probe in the matter is conducted.

The Court of People's Representatives has issued an order to file an FIR against Union Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in connection with the electoral bond scam. When will the leaders protest and march for her resignation, Karnataka BJP?

If there is an impartial investigation into this case, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will also have to resign," Siddaramaiah wrote in a post on social media platform X, originally launched as Twitter.

Case against Sitharaman

Siddaramaiahs demand came after the Bengaluru police registered an FIR against Nirmala Sitharaman, unnamed Enforcement Directorate officials, national leaders of the BJP and the former state president of the BJP of being involved in extortion and criminal conspiracy through the electoral bonds scheme of the BJP government.

The FIR was filed against Sitharaman based on a private complaint filed by Adarsh R. Iyer, co-president of Janaadhikaara Sangharsha Parishath (JSP).

Iyer in his complaint alleged criminal conspiracy and extortion, adding the accused forced companies and other individuals to make donations through electoral bonds in favour of the BJP and benefited to the tune of over 8,000 crore.

He also claimed that Ms. Sitharaman used the ED to conduct raids, seizures, and arrests to compel the corporates to pay.

The Supreme Court of India had in Feburary this year struck down the Electoral Bonds Scheme as unconstitutional on the grounds that it violates the citizens' right to information.

Iyer had on March 30 this year approached the Tilak Nagar police station with a complaint, and then approached DCP, Bengaluru Southeast, in April, 2024. Since there was no action, he moved the court.

Commenting on the FIR against Sitharaman, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said the party will closely monitor the case.

"We raised the issue in Parliament that they took electoral bonds by intimidating people through ED, CBI... Someone has taken the issue to the court. We will wait and see what happens to the case," Kharge said.

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In an age dominated by drab, cliche-spouting politicians, Boris Johnsons brilliantly vivid memoir, serialised in the Mail from today, provides a much-needed tonic.

With his wry, often waspish humour and supreme command of the English language, he reminds us of brighter, optimistic days.

What a contrast there has been between the wave of positivity and good will that swept the country after his 2019 landslide and the gloomy foreboding that followed Sir Keir Starmers loveless victory.

It is a tragedy that the pandemic struck before Mr Johnson could get into his stride as PM. When that was over, we were hit with a major European war and energy crisis. And Sir Keir thinks he has problems!

This candid and vibrant testament reveals how perilously close Boris came to dying from the virus. He recounts being in intensive care, physically broken and afraid to go to sleep in case I never woke up.

Boris Johnsons brilliantly vivid memoir, serialised in the Mail from today, provides a much-needed tonic, in an age dominated by drab

Boris Johnson clapping for carers outside Downing Street in April 2020. What a contrast there has been between the wave of positivity and good will that swept the country after his landslide, and the gloomy foreboding that followed Starmer's

Among Mr Johnson's references to Sir Keir in his memoir is 'his puzzled/irritable face like a bullock unexpectedly having a thermometer shoved in its rectum

He describes his elation (kerchingeroo) at the success of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine roll-out, which would have been impossible without Brexit because of Brussels regulation.

When the EU impounded five million doses in a Dutch warehouse, he tells how he commissioned a plan for a Special Forces invasion of Holland to liberate them (later realising the idea was nuts).

There are disobliging references to Sir Keir, his puzzled/irritable face like a bullock unexpectedly having a thermometer shoved in its rectum, Michael Gove, Emmanuel Macron and others.

But at no stage does he descend into self-pity. He admits catastrophic mistakes in failing to address Partygate sooner and more fully, then allowing Labour-supporting Sue Gray to conduct her ridiculous and unfair witch-hunt.

He insists the reports of wild parties were absurdly overblown by his enemies on the Left and embittered former advisers, especially Dominic Cummings.

I was so confident of our fundamental innocence that never once did I think the story would really endanger the Government, he says. I saw no cake, I ate no blooming cake.

After the giddy heights of 2019, it is a chastened and hugely diminished Tory party that convenes in Birmingham tomorrow for its annual conference.

Having betrayed and ultimately defenestrated their most successful leader since Margaret Thatcher, their Commons presence is reduced to a rump of 121 MPs, less than a third the number won under Boris. They are fighting for relevance  maybe even survival.

Mr Johnson also insists that reports of wild parties were overblown both by Labour and his then special adviser Dominic Cummings

The Conservative will soon choose between the remaining four candidates, Robert Jenrick (top left), Kemi Badenoch (top right), James Cleverly (bottom left) and Tom Tugendhat (bottom right). A new leader will be in place in time for Budget day

The party has been written off before, however. After Tony Blairs 1997 triumph, one of his senior aides spoke of the strange death of Tory England. They pulled back from the brink then and can do so again.

A leadership race is in train and the party will soon choose between the four remaining candidates. Sensibly the contest has been curtailed by a week so the winner will be in place by Budget day.

Any sheen there may have been around this Labour government has already faded and the Budget is expected to be a major assault on the livelihoods of middle Britain.

This presents an opportunity for the new leader to remind the public there is an alternative to Labours big-state, high-tax, class-war agenda. But the prospectus has to be based on genuine Conservative values, not the sort of wishy-washy, Labour-lite drivel that put them where they are today.

This book reminds us Boris won in 2019 by convincing the electorate he was on their side. The new leader must do the same.
Mel Stride's bid to become leader of his party, and ultimately the nation, will not unduly trouble historians. But the former Work and Pensions Secretary's evanescent summer campaign did provide one significant and insightful moment.

Asked by Talk TV's Mike Graham for his prescription of the Conservatives' plight, he replied: 'What I want to see is us getting conservative values out there front and centre, and burning bright. People just don't know what we stand for anymore.'

Stride is now out of the contest. But as the remaining four candidates  Robert Jenrick, Kemi Badenoch, Tom Tugendhat and James Cleverly  arrive for their party's annual conference in Birmingham, 'Strideism' is alive and kicking.

And incredibly, given the shellacking they got at the hands of voters less than three months ago, a number of Tory MPs are arriving in Britain's second city in an upbeat mood.

'We've had a near-death experience,' one told me, 'but I'm now convinced Starmer is beatable within five years.

The four Conservatives who remain in the running ahead of the party leadership vote. Clockwise from top left, Robert Jenrick, Kemi Badenoch, Tom Tugendhat and James Cleverly

'We need to rediscover our self-confidence, and pull together. But I really think we can do it.'

This new-found belief is partly being fuelled by the Prime Minister's shambolic mismanagement of the Wardrobegate scandal and his politically toxic prison release and winter fuel policies.

But another major element is Stride's narrative  being endorsed to differing degrees by each of the final four leadership contestants  that all it requires is for the Tories to embrace and flourish their 'core beliefs' and the electorate will come flocking back.

There is just one small problem with this thesis. It is utterly, completely, fundamentally, comprehensively wrong.

What the election brutally demonstrated wasn't that the British people are confused about modern Tory values.

It's that they recognise them with crystal clarity. And want absolutely nothing to do them.

Look no further than the key mantra being trotted out by each of the pretenders to Rishi Sunak's tarnished crown. Jenrick  'the state is too big'. Badenoch  'the state should do fewer things'. Tugendhat  'we talk too much about the state'. Cleverly  'only a bold and confident Conservative Party with these values at its core can stop Labour's state creep'.

But the British people don't want the state impeded. Or shrunk. They want more of it. More doctors. More nurses. More police. More teachers. More GP appointments. More deportation flights. More trains.

More prisons. Yes, they want the state to stay in its lane and stop bugging them over when they can finish their pint, or have a smoke. But when they see another Tory banging on about 'freeing them from State control' they know what they mean. Or they think they know what they mean. Fresh cuts to important services they and their families rely on.

Take another article of faith: the love of markets. Jenrick once more  'the economy will only grow if enterprise is rewarded and the private sector does more of the work'. More of the work? Does he seriously think the voters want the private water companies taking more responsibility for cleaning up our rivers?

Former work and pensions secretary Mel Stride is now out of the Tory leadership race but 'Strideism' remains alive and kicking

The private energy companies having more responsibility for keeping pensioners' energy bills low this winter? The private rail companies charged with making the trains run on time?

The Conservative Party just fought an electoral campaign specifically designed to mitigate the split on the right of British politics by deploying a 'core vote strategy'. And where did it get them? What did the voters of Sittingbourne and Dudley and Chatham make of that opening offer  supposedly embedded in traditional conservative values  of a return to conscription?

How many were swayed by the pledge to return to old-school Thatcherite economics of cutting taxes and simultaneously clamping down on public spending?

The answer can be found in the new report 'Losing It' by Lord Ashcroft.

Unlike the leadership contenders, he doesn't indulge in the rose-tinted fantasy of an electorate yearning for the smack of old-school Tory leadership.

Instead he looks back to the time  and it was only five years ago  when a Tory leader really could capture the hearts, minds and votes of the British people. According to Ashcroft, Boris Johnson's victorious '2019 coalition included huge numbers of people, including habitual Labour voters, who would never had considered  let alone considered themselves  part of the 'right'.

He adds 'a winning Conservative Party will certainly need to encompass the traditional centre-right vote, but must also must reach into other parts of the political map'.

And to do that the Conservative Party needs to realise their task is not to seize the voter's lapels and shake them until they understand what they 'stand for'. It's to grasp they've already made up their minds about what Tories stand for  and it's currently anathema.

In 2024 people don't want the heads of the private utilities deified. They want them strung up. They don't want to be lectured about the boldness and dynamism of the wealth creators. They want them nailed to the wall till they finally pay their fair share of tax.

And yes, this may well represent a form of short-sighted economic populism from a nation jaded by austerity and a cost-of-living squeeze. But that is the prevailing political reality. So those Conservative MPs lauding this week's report, showing Labour's planned raid on non-doms could actually cost revenue, would be wise to cool their jets. Because if they again frame themselves as the foreign billionaire's friend they'll get the same response from voters they did back in July.

And they'd be wise to recognise something else. Keir Starmer is burning himself and his government over the Lord Alli cronyism debacle. But not in a way that should give any comfort to the Conservative Party.

I spent the week in Liverpool for Labour's conference, and it was clear the scandal had cut through. But the refrain I heard time and again was 'Bloody Starmer. He's no different to the Tories.'

As those Tories arrive in Birmingham, too many of their delegates are clinging to precisely the same sort of fantasy the hard-Left clung to in the Seventies and Eighties. 'All we need is the voters to wake up and recognise they love socialism after all.'

The reality is core Conservative values and those of the British people are no longer in alignment. Keir Starmer did not win a majority of 170 because people want a smaller state. Or more power handed to the corporate fat cats. Or public spending slashed to finance tax cuts. And it's not why Boris won in 2019 either.

The British people think they know only too well what a Tory looks like. The next Conservative leader's job is to make them think again.
World-renowned relationship experts have claimed an affair can save your relationship - and dismissed the idea of 'the one'.

American doctors John and Julie Gottman appeared on a recent episode of The Diary Of A CEO podcast, hosted by entrepreneur Steven Bartlett, and claimed couples can actually repair the relationship after an affair.

The duo, who have been married for 36 years and have spent the past five decades studying love and what makes it last, also revealed there is no such thing as 'the one'.

Julie claimed 75 percent of relationships can it be 'treated' and 'cured' after infidelity successfully and the experts developed a three-step model to help restore the marriage.

Julie said: 'We developed a model based on our research called atone, attune and attach. The AAA model and here's what in a nutshell it involves.

American doctors John and Julie Gottman have revealed affairs can save your relationship and have claimed there is no such thing as 'the one' on a recent episode of The Diary Of A CEO podcast

'First the person who did the betraying needs to respond totally transparently to every question the hurt partner asks them, however the hurt partner shouldn't ask about the kind of sex they had.'

The expert explained that every person who suffered through an affair has post-traumatic stress disorder from it and will suffer from 'flashbacks' and too much intimate information can 'plague her to an even greater degree'.

She said: 'So, atone is answering the questions and then saying I'm sorry a thousand times and really meaning it.'

Later the betrayed partner must express their emotion without criticism and out of contempt.

Julie, speaking as if she was a partner who had been cheated on, said: 'I feel destroyed, I feel like my world has fallen apart, I feel so empty, so abandoned, so rejected, so she has to describe or he has to describe their own feelings... so that's the atonement phase.'

In the attune phase the couple have to look at the actual marriage or relationship itself and what was wrong with it.

The expert said: 'A lot of times what you see are couples who at first might have had terrible conflict, it was so bad they started avoiding conflict, once they avoided conflict, they got more emotionally distant and the person who did the betraying got lonely.

The pair appeared on The Diary Of A CEO podcast, hosted by entrepreneur Steven Bartlett , (pictured) and claimed couple's can actually repair the relationship after an affair

'So oftentimes the affairs are not about just getting more sex, they're about loneliness and beginning to talk to somebody else about how unhappy they are.'

Julie said the third phase, which they call attach, is about recommitting to the relationship.

She said: 'In many cases, I've seen the sexual relationship doesn't resume until phase three, especially if the woman is the one who's been betrayed, but there are some where the woman will kind of throw herself at the man sexually to compete with the affair partner and be better than the affair partner, so you know it can be both.'

Steven asked if the experts had ever seen cheating help a relationship, Julie replied: 'Very often when they get help.

'If they don't get help, it's not going to, you know it's worse, but when they get help it can help them change all the patterns in the relationship and help them learn who the other person really is, what their needs really are, how they want you to turn up in the relationship that they had no idea of before, so it can create more intimacy, different kind of trust of course, but more intimacy and more connection.'

Speaking about the initial effects of an affair on a partnership, Julie said trust is eradicated.

Julie claimed looking for 'the one' is a bad idea because 'there is no perfection' and we are all flawed human beings

The experts said the stats for women having affairs has pretty much caught up to men in 2024

She said: 'What affairs do is they turn the hurt partner's world upside down, everything they believed about the partner is wrong, everything that they thought they shared in terms of values is wrong.

'So you know you can't trust the person says because they weren't staying at work late they were going to so-and-so's apartment.'

The experts said the stats for women having affairs has pretty much caught up to men in 2024.

Julie said: 'Here's why, before the '70s and the women's liberation movement, women were stuck at home they weren't out in the world working, they didn't have access to others.

'Once they entered the workforce then they had access to a whole field our potential people out there.'

Julie claimed looking for 'the one' is a bad idea because 'there is no perfection' and we are all flawed human beings.

She said: 'Inevitably they snore at night or they eat with their mouth open, something that drives you crazy. Let's see each other as human beings.

'We are all flawed, we all have cracks in us and those can be seen as beautiful too, we don't have to be perfect to be loved.

'When I have somebody coming into my office that says ''I want to find my soulmate'', it's like huh, what's a soulmate, I mean in the US we have what 350 million people there's probably 500,000 of them that you would find wonderful and attractive.'
She's a cinematic icon and an international sex symbol 70 years after she first took to the big screen - but as Brigitte Bardot turns 90, her legacy is a complicated one.

The French film star, whose career began to peak in the 1950s, was held up as a poster girl for hedonism and the sexual revolution of the Swinging Sixties with her seductive style and irresistible pout.

However, behind global fame and fawning fans, Bardot's personal life was deeply troubled. She has married four times, attempted to take her own life on at least two documented occasions, admitted to taking more than 100 lovers (both male and female) in her lifetime and has had a painfully strained relationship with her only son.

After giving up acting, modelling and singing in 1973, Bardot became better known for activism, campaigning vocally for animal rights and welfare and setting up her own charity to advance her cause.

However, the pin-ups forays into activism have evolved into engagement with far-right politics in France as she endorses The National Rally and its leader, Marine Le Pen, and has been fined six times and tens of thousands of euros for inciting racial hatred.

Brigitte Bardot celebrates her 90th birthday this weekend and, while she is still held up as a pin-up for sexual liberation and hedonism, her legacy is complicated

Bardot was born on September 28, 1934, to a wealthy family in Paris's affluent 16th arrondissement.

'Bri,' as Brigitte was called by her parents, was quickly enrolled in ballet classes by her Mama, Marie-Jeanne, 'Mijanou,' as well as modelling. She was considered the perfect height at the time, 5ft 6in.

Bri appeared on the cover of Elle magazine in May 1949 in her first modelling assignment, dressed in a younger version of what her mother's friends were wearing. Tailored jackets and full skirts were favoured at the time, as French fashion was dominated by designer Christian Dior. Hats, bags and high heels had to match.

Brigitte was born into a wealthy family in Paris and began ballet lessons from a young age after her mother enrolled her for classes

Bardot's third husband was German industrialist Gunter Sachs. The couple were married between 1966 and 1969

Pictured: Playboy Roger Vadim with Bardot on set. After meeting the model, the French film producer helped her become a star

The actress became known for her seductive style, which was pioneering for the 1950s and 60s when her career was at its peak

The actress, pictured in the early 1960s in Cannes with Kirk Douglas, didn't achieve international fame until 1956

By 1952, when she was 18 years old, her modelling style began to evolve into the 'sex kitten' image for which she'd soon be known; opting for flat ballet shoes, a thick-cut fringe, lipstick and clothes that accentuated her figure.

It was in her early modelling days that Bardot met the man who would become her first husband; Roger Vadim. Vadim was an assistant of the filmmaker Marc Allegret, who is credited with discovering the biggest stars in French cinema in the 1930s.

The pair met when Vadim went to see the then-16-year-old to scope her out for Allegret's next project and; although Bardot didn't get the role, she stole Vadim's heart from the first meeting.

Author Ginette Vincendeau has revealed Bardot once wrote of Vadim: 'He looked at me, scared me, attracted me, I didn't know where I was anymore.'

They became lovers meeting secretly and then openly against the wishes of her parents, who threatened to send their daughter away from Vadim to England. However, they eventually gave in and consented to the relationship when Bardot attempted suicide because she could not be with Vadim. Their condition was that the couple would wait until Bardot was 18 before they got married.

Eventually, the couple walked down the aisle in Paris on 21 December 1952 in a Catholic ceremony. It's considered one of the final times Bardot opted for a somewhat conservative outfit.

Bardot had little to do with her son Nicolas during his childhood after she gave Charrier custody of him when they divorced

The actress, who was born in Paris to wealthy parents in the 16th arondissement, moved to Saint Tropez in her later years

The actress starred in many titles during her decades-long career, but was better known for her beauty and seductive nature than acting skills

As Vadim introduced his wife to key figures in the film industry, Bardot began to take on small roles here and there, but was not taken seriously for her acting. Rather, she was recognised 'for her beauty and sexiness'.

However, her breakthrough role came in 1956 when she starred in Vadim's directorial debut And God Created Woman alongside Jean-Louis Trintignant. The film was hailed an international success; and while Bardot's acting career was finally taking off, she had fallen in love once again with her co-star.

Soon, she was divorced from Vadim (who had also been unfaithful) and head-over-heels for Trintignant. However, she continued to take a string of lovers throughout her life and was frequently unfaithful.

Following her split from Trintignant in 1958, she retreated to Italy, where it was reported at the time she had suffered a nervous breakdown. Reports also suggested she had made another suicide attempt, but this was denied by her team.

Weeks after the reports emerged, Bardot met and began a relationship with Jacques Charrier, a fellow French actor and producer. In 1959, she fell pregnant with their son, Nicolas-Jacques Charrier (born in January 1960) and married Jacques.

She did not want the pregnancy but Charrier's parents convinced her to carry the child. It was a difficult birth at home. She couldn't leave her house and get to the hospital in time with the number of paparazzi out front. She never bonded with her son and, in her 1997 memoir, revealed her attempts to abort him.

In a searingly painful account, Bardot's autobiography revealed how she repeatedly punched herself in the stomach and tried to convince doctors to prescribe her a lethal dose of morphine when back-room abortionists refused to operate on her.

The actress, pictured in 1961, married four times and had a son, however she has admitted she should not have been a mother

Brigitte, pictured in her younger years, began modelling before her film career took off when she met her first husband, Roger Vadim

Bardot's first wedding was to Roger Vadim in 1952 when she was 18 years old. Her parents did not initially approve of the union but agreed to her marriage after she attempted suicide

The actress added she would have preferred to 'give birth to a little dog'.

Speaking about the day she learnt she was pregnant, Bardot wrote: 'I looked at my flat, slender belly in the mirror like a dear friend upon whom I was about to close a coffin lid.'

Another passage described her son's foetus as being like a 'cancerous tumour' growing inside her.

Following the publication of the memoir, Jacques and Nicolas-Jacques Charrier successfully sued Bardot for 28,000 over the hurtful remarks she had made about them.

On her 26th birthday in 1960, when her son was nine months old, Bardot tried to take her life again, downing a bottle of sleeping pills and slitting her wrists at her villa in Nice, France.

In her later years, Bardot turned her attention and focus towards activism and spoke about animal welfare

Pictured: Brigitte with her second husband, Jacques Charrier, with whom she had a son, Nicolas

Bardot became known for her beehive hair, statement fringe - and for having a cigarette in her hand

The actress was often followed by cameras, and even had hundreds of photographers outside her home when she gave birth to her son

The actress's son with Charrier, Nicolas, was born in 1960. He had little involvement with his mother until he reached adulthood after being raised in his father's family

In 1962, after an affair with Glenn Ford, Bardot and Charrier divorced. Their son was raised in his father's family and had a distant relationship with his mother until he reached adulthood.

Later in life, Bardot reflected on her experience of motherhood, saying: 'I'm not made to be a mother. I'm not adult enough  I know it's horrible to have to admit that, but I'm not adult enough to take care of a child.

'I need someone to take care of me. I'm sad to have had that baby.'

In 1966, Bardot married German millionaire playboy Gunter Sachs. The couple were together for three years before divorcing in 1969.

Bardot exited cinema in 1973 so that, 'as she put it, the cinema would not leave her. It was very Bardot to take the initiative and move on'.

During the next three decades, Bardot had a string of lovers including artist Miroslav Brozek and French TV producer Allain Bougrain-Dubourg.

Despite appearing hedonistic and sexually liberated, Bardot later reflected in her controversial memoir that many of her lovers exploited her as a naive young woman. She alleged some had beaten and abused her.

On September 27 1983, the eve of her 49th birthday, Bardot attempted suicide before being rushed to hospital. The following year, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She refused chemotherapy and instead agreed to radiotherapy. By 1986, she had recovered.

After leaving the film industry in 1973, Bardot turned her attention to activism. She dedicated much of her time to campaigning for animal welfare; but her exploits for the cause led her towards far-right politics as she began to take aim at the religion of Islam.

A very young Bardot (pictured in 1951) began her modelling career sporting relatively conservative fashion

In her later years the actress became an activist and dedicated her work to promoting animal welfare

She turned her affection to animals and in 1986, established the Foundation Brigitte Bardot to take care of 'suffering animals'.

'I gave my youth and my beauty to men, I am now giving my wisdom and my experience, the best of myself, to animals!' Bardot wrote in 1987.

In 1992 she married Bernard d'Ormale, a former adviser to Jean-Marie Le Pen who is the former leader of the far-right Front national, currently led by Marine Le Pen. Bardot endorsed Le Pen in the 2012 and 201y French Presidential elections and has previously described her as the 'Joan of Arc of the 21st Century'.

In the 1990s she received two fines for comments she had made about 'animal-slaughtering Muslims'.

In 2004, Bardot wept in a courtroom as she was convicted of inciting racial hatred in a book she had written, titled A Cry in the Silence, which said she 'opposed the Islamisation of France'.

The court said: 'Madame Bardot presents Muslims as barbaric and cruel invaders, responsible for terrorist acts and eager to dominate the French to the extent of wanting to exterminate them.'

She claimed: 'I never knowingly wanted to hurt anybody. It is not in my character. If I did hurt someone, I'm sorry.' Bardot was fined 5,000.

Despite her apparent regret, Bardot has gone on to reoffend several times and has received a total of six fines for the offence.

Her most recent fine came in 2021, over an open letter published in 2019 in which she called residents of Reunion Island, a French colony in the Pacific Islands, 'degenerate savages'. She was ordered by a French court to pay 20,000.

As Bardot turns 90, more than 50 years after she quit acting for good, her lasting affect on the fashion and film industries lives on as her image is still held up as the ultimate sex symbol.

Pictured: The actress in 1989 on a visit to an animal rescue centre to promote pet adoption

In her later years, Bardot's efforts have focused on animal welfare after heading up a charity to further the cause

Bardot's politics have landed her in hot water in her later life and she has been fined six times for inciting racial hatred

In 1992 Bardot married her husband Bernard d'Ormale, a former adviser to Jean-Marie Le Pen of the Front National

Bardot's fourth husband was involved in far-right politics in France - and in turn her own politics have shifted to the right

Bardot now suffers from arthritis and uses a cane to walk but is said to have refused hip surgery

Despite being lauded for her natural beauty and hourglass figure, Bardot has always refused to exercise and says she has never touched cosmetic surgery.

Brigitte Bardot: The Life, The Legend, released in 2014, revealed the pin-up suffered from arthritis and used a cane, but stubbornly refused hip surgery.

She said: I can no longer walk. I can no longer swim. But Im lucky when I see how animals suffer. Suddenly, I discover that I have nothing to complain [about].

Last year, a filmmaker documenting the life of the French starlet revealed she had expressed frustration that people are still interested in her.

Speaking to the Guardian, Daniele Thompson, who wrote and directed the series Bardot, revealed the actress was unimpressed when she first contacted her to ask her permission to make the documentary.

Thompson said: '[Bardot] answered with a very long letter, saying that she was always surprised how unbelievably interested people were in her and did not quite understand why she was not left alone for good.'

Despite ultimately consenting to the project, Bardot refused to have any involvement in its production.
Not even a year has passed since the two teenagers who brutally murdered her 16-year-old daughter Brianna were jailed.

Yet, as I sit opposite Esther Ghey in her small, sun-dappled office, there is a light in her eyes one would never expect to see.

For this remarkable mother refuses to be broken by grief, channelling unthinkable tragedy into a force for good  campaigning to stop the poison so freely available on the internet and social media from damaging young minds.

And in her quest she has received support from the most unlikely source imaginable.

For, working by her side in this tiny 10ft by 8ft space for a few hours each week is her new friend and fellow campaigner, Emma Sutton, the mother of Scarlett Jenkinson, one of her daughter's killers.

That Esther has formed a bond with Emma will be incomprehensible to many.

After all, Jenkinson  just 15 at the time of the killing in February 2023  and her accomplice Eddie Ratcliffe, also 15, planned Brianna's murder in minutely chilling detail, stabbing her 28 times with a hunting knife in a Cheshire park.

The ferocity of their frenzied attack shocked even seasoned police investigators.

Yet to Esther, becoming friends with Emma was an outcome she'd hoped for after such a terrible event.

'We're just two mums who have faced, and are facing, the worst thing ever,' Esther, 38, tells me in this exclusive interview. 'What's the use in carrying hate, or wanting to be bitter? It's better to clear the air, to meet and understand you are more alike than you are different.'

Esther Ghey refuses to be broken by grief, channelling unthinkable tragedy into a force for good  campaigning to stop the poison available on the internet from damaging young minds

She shrugs her shoulders and appears bewildered when I tell her that I, and no doubt many others, find her humanity and kindness extraordinary, insisting she is simply trying to navigate her own way through the most traumatic period of her life.

'Emma didn't do it, she's not done anything wrong,' she says. 'Her child has put her in a horrific situation and she has to continue dealing with what's happened. It's not only me that lost a child that day. Emma did too. We've both lost our children.'

While theirs is a genuine friendship, it's also one with purpose.

As part of her bid to highlight the dangers for young people online, next week Esther launches a Mail podcast, along with me, called Parents vs the Internet, featuring conversations with experts, parents, teenagers and internet firms on how to better to protect children.

While Esther is the face of the campaign, Emma prefers to stay behind the scenes, working for a cause she feels equally passionate about.

For, during the trial which led to Emma's daughter, Scarlett, and Eddie Ratcliffe being imprisoned for 22 years and 20 years respectively, it was shocking how much the pair were influenced by disturbing content online.

Jenkinson  who, heartbreakingly, was considered a friend by vulnerable Brianna, who was transgender  not only binged on horror films and became obsessed with serial killers, but also was inspired by real-life murder and torture 'rooms' on the dark web.

The pair also planned the killing in chilling messages on WhatsApp and SnapChat, that caused revulsion when they were read aloud in court during the trial.

Little wonder, then, in her statement to the court, Esther condemned her daughter's killers: 'The thought of Scarlett and Eddie being released from prison absolutely horrifies me.

'I don't believe that someone who is so disturbed and obsessed with murder and torture would ever be able to be rehabilitated.

'I have moments where I feel sorry for them, because they have also ruined their own lives, but I have to remember that they felt no empathy for Brianna when they left her bleeding to death after their premeditated and vicious attack.'

But immediately after the 16 year olds were convicted, Esther spoke on the steps of Manchester Crown Court, extraordinarily, calling for 'empathy and compassion' for their parents.

She later mooted the idea of meeting Emma, 50, an ex-teacher.

Considering the strength of her statement in court, it is even more remarkable that Esther today speaks warmly about having formed such a bond with Emma.

'Meeting and working together has helped me and I think it has helped her too. You can make stories up in your head, you can think the world is against you and that people are bad, or you can face your fears head-on and see that things aren't actually how you might imagine.

'Emma's not an evil person. She was just as brave, coming here to meet me, I know she must have been absolutely terrified.

'It's made me realise and understand that she's just a normal person who's also going through an horrific time. I'm glad that I reached out and I'm glad that we've formed this friendship.'

When Esther discusses their first meeting, which took place in March, she is careful to respect Emma's privacy.

That Esther has formed a bond with Emma Sutton (pictured left), the mother of Brianna's killer Scarlett Jenkinson (right), will be incomprehensible to many

That said, she confesses that their initial meeting was 'really emotional.'

'There were tears on both sides and I could tell she was really worried about coming,' Esther says. 'We had it in this office. The fact that she managed to get through that door at all says a lot about her.'

Esther says she and Emma  who was accompanied by her brother  talked about how their lives had been affected following Brianna's murder.

She reflects: 'It was a positive and respectful meeting, which allowed us initially to get to know each other. We discussed family and the challenges of parenting.'

Indeed, immediately after Jenkinson's conviction, Emma and her wider family also made a statement in which they apologised for her actions and said their thoughts remained with Brianna and her family and friends.

The statement went on to thank Esther directly for her 'incredible selflessness and empathy towards our family her compassion is overwhelming and we are forever grateful.'

Yet for all Esther's evident grace, it's still astonishing for her to be in the same room as Emma, after what her daughter did.

'Maybe it is the mindfulness [a popular form of meditation which encourages you to focus on what you feel and are aware of in that moment] and the empathy that mindfulness gives you  the understanding that nobody's perfect,' she says.

'I'm not perfect, everyone makes mistakes. And this isn't Emma's mistake to forgive.'

Both women, head down and determined, now work together  Esther sending impassioned emails to politicians, tech firms, mobile phone companies; Emma organising events and applying for grants to help raise funds  united in their shared goals of forcing social networking sites to adopt stricter controls and improving child mental health.

'I do really feel social media is a beast that's got out of control,' Esther says. 'I've spoken to a lot of people working at tech firms over the past few months. Many of them are on the same page now. They have children of their own and are concerned for them, too.'

For Esther, then, this is her new daily reality. Every morning, she makes the five-minute walk from her Warrington home to the business park where her office is situated. Her old job as a food technologist has been abandoned.

But before she leaves the house, Esther opens Brianna's bedroom door, and takes a moment to be with her daughter.

Brianna's ashes are kept in the room, in a pink casket.

'I open the door every morning, every single day my day starts that way.

'Brianna's room is painted bright pink, so when the sun comes through her window it gives a pink glow to the rest of the house.

'She's always there, in my mind. I never stop thinking about her but I don't think about what happened to her.

'I try to think about the good times and how she was. I choose to think about those memories and push her legacy to make sure something good comes out of the most traumatic, horrible situation.

'I'm keeping her memory alive in a positive way by doing what I'm doing, that's something that I find really comforting.'

After Brianna's death, Esther discovered that her daughter had been accessing dangerous pro-anorexia and self-harm content on social media

Brianna was never more in her mind than this June, when Esther married her partner Wes Powell, 30, in a woodland ceremony, surrounded by 60 close family and friends.

Esther, and her eldest daughter, Alisha, 19, who was a bridesmaid, wore pink flowers in their hand-made flower crowns on the day, which they said was 'for Brianna'.

'It was a really lovely day,' Esther says, smiling.

'People were asking if we were going to have a picture of Brianna at the ceremony, but I couldn't have anything that was too much of a reminder that she wasn't there. I didn't want to feel that sadness on the day.'

Indeed, she admits that, in the run-up to the event, she felt 'really low'.

'I wasn't looking forward to it because Brianna loved weddings. I was dreading walking down the aisle and her not being there.

'But then, on the actual day everybody was so happy it took that dread away.

'I did get upset, there were a few tears when we said our vows, but then it was a lovely, lovely day.'

Throughout the troughs of her emotions, especially the dark days immediately after her daughter's death, Esther says she's relied on mindfulness to console her. It had already been a beneficial habit of hers for some eight years before Brianna's murder.

That understanding, and the crippling anxiety suffered by Brianna  who, although very popular online, struggled to leave her bedroom and socialise in the real world following the Covid pandemic  led to Esther's decision to fundraise for the Mindfulness in Schools Project (MiSP).

Key to her campaigning work is Peace & Mind UK, a community interest company (a limited entity that acts for the benefit of the community, rather than private shareholders) she set up. It has raised almost 90,000 and funded training for more than 100 mindfulness teachers in schools in her home town of Warrington alone.

Around four of those are staff members at Brianna and Scarlett Jenkinson's former school, Birchwood High.

Esther, now an ambassador for MiSP, has seen mindfulness sessions in action at Birchwood High, really believes they can make a difference.

'I struggled with my mental health when I was in my 20s after I'd had the kids,' she confesses.

While she prefers not to go into detail, she says: 'At that time, I dealt with it in a very different way, in a way that wasn't helpful to me or anybody else.

'But I wasn't taught what was going on in my mind or how to deal with it. I think if we get mindfulness into schools, maybe kids would learn how to regulate their emotions at a younger age.

'It makes you more sensitive or aware of the way things are impacting on you negatively.

'It made me much more patient with the kids, and more understanding and empathetic.'

When Jenkinson (pictured) was convicted, Emma and her wider family made a statement in which they apologised for her actions and said their thoughts remained with Brianna

Meanwhile, more than 121,000 people have now signed Esther's petition calling for a change in the law to force mobile phone firms and social media giants to better protect children from harmful content online.

She and Brianna had running battles over her daughter's 'addiction' to her mobile phone and the risks Esther thought she was taking by talking to strangers on the internet.

After Brianna's death, Esther also discovered that her daughter, who was hospitalised with an eating disorder, had been accessing dangerous pro-anorexia and self-harm content on social media.

Our conversation is a timely one  we speak on the day Instagram announces plans to move tens of millions of 13 to 17-year-olds onto special 'teen accounts' with inbuilt content and messaging restrictions, ahead of stricter controls to be imposed on all social media firms when the new Online Safety Act comes into force in spring.

Esther says: 'For the first time they are admitting there is a problem, so it is welcome.

'But my understanding is children will still be able to accept their own followers on these accounts.

'From my experience, and from speaking to other parents, children want to look like they have got lots of followers so they will accept strangers. That responsibility shouldn't lie on their shoulders.'

Esther's determination to channel her grief into a positive experience has led to her meeting Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and other senior politicians, the bosses of internet regulator, Ofcom, and senior executives at mobile phone firms.

She is full of ideas and tells me her next project is finding someone to research exactly what age is appropriate for children to start looking at social media. There are so few studies on the subject and so many older teenagers have told her they were exposed to it too young, she says.

Although she is busier than ever before, her marriage has given her much-needed emotional grounding. After their nuptials, she and Wes  who supports his wife's zeal to change lives  had a brief honeymoon 'in Scotland with the dogs'. But the break didn't last long and she was back to work straight afterwards.

I wonder whether the campaigning has become something of a crutch. Being so busy, surely, must make it easier to cope with her sense of loss?

'I have good days and bad days,' Esther says. 'Focusing on these positive things I'm doing, and keeping myself busy, it really does genuinely help.

'I can understand now why so many people go on to set up a charity when they lose someone. It keeps their memory alive. It helps.'
Princess Theodora of Greece and her LA-based lawyer husband Matthew Kumar, finally sealed their marriage vows with a kiss after two attempts and a four-year delay.

The 41-year-old actress, who was born in London and played secretary Alison Montgomery in The Bold and the Beautiful, looked every inch the perfect bride as she arrived at the Metropolitan Cathedral in Athens.

Wearing a bespoke off-the-shoulder wedding gown from Greek designer Celia Kritharioti, the bride put on a dazzling display in the Cartier-made Khedive of Egypt Tiara, which has long been worn by women in Theodora's family on their big days.

Mr Kumar and his glowing bride shared a loving kiss as they stood at the steps of the Athens Cathedral, solidifying their matrimonial vows whilst proving third times a charm after their nuptials were postponed in 2020 and 2023.

The loving couple were in wedding bliss, with the groom kissing Princess Theodora's hand as well as her cheek as she mesmerised the crowd with a euphoric smile.

Princess Theodora and Mathew Kumar lovingly share a smooch as they leave the Cathedral

The newlyweds look lovingly into each others eyes as they begin their lives as husband and wife

The happy groom planted a smooch on the cheek of his beautiful bride as they greeted crowds outside the Cathedral

The blushing bride and her dashing groom wave to the hoards of supporters outside the cathedral

The gleaming newlyweds walk behind cathedral officials as they prepare to greet the public

Ex-Queen Anne-Marie adjust her daughter Princess Theodora's dress as they stand on the steps of the cathedral

Princess Theodora of Greece and American lawyer Matthew Kumar, along with their relatives following the lavish ceremony

The glowing newlyweds waved with glee to the reams of supporters waiting outside the stunning cathedral as they began their lives as husband and wife.

Their lavish wedding ceremony comes shortly after their initial wedding was scheduled to be held on the Greek island of Spetses in 2020, but had to be put on hold because of the Covid pandemic.

A second attempt was postponed after the death of Theodora's father King Constantine II of Greece in 2023.

As the daughter of the late Greek King and his wife Queen Anne-Marie, the bride - who was also the late Queen Elizabeth II's goddaughter - is related to a host of glam European royals - many of whom attended her big day, including Queen Sofia of Spain and model Princess Olympia of Greece.

Although Theodora did not have her father to walk her down the aisle as she showcased her stunning wedding dress for the first time, her oldest brother Crown Prince Pavlos performed the role of 'giving away' his younger sister.

Both were seen walking from a car towards the Cathedral, with Pavlos supporting his younger sister while she made her way up the stairs, before her niece Olympia helped sort out her beautiful gown.

Sporting a traditional white frock, Theodora's strapless dress featured a fold-over neckline, an A-line shaped skirt and a fabric covered in shimmering white beads.

The bride's dress - which she picked out ahead of the original wedding date in 2020 - was created by Celia Kritharioti.

Celia is Greece's foremost fashion designer, whose elegant creations are worn by the likes of Beyonce, Nicole Kidman, Gwyneth Paltrow and Taylor Swift.

She is the owner of the oldest Greek fashion house, which was established in Athens in 1906, and features at Paris Fashion Week Haute Couture and at London's Harrods.

Princess Theodora of Greece pictured arriving at her wedding to LA-based lawyer Matthew Kumar. She stands next to her older brother Crown Prince Pavlos

Although Theodora did not have her father to walk her down the aisle as she showcased her stunning wedding dress for the first time, her oldest brother Crown Prince Pavlos performed the role of 'giving away' his younger sister

Wearing a bespoke off-the-shoulder wedding gown from Greek designer Celia Kritharioti, the bride put on a dazzling display in the Cartier-made Khedive of Egypt Tiara, which has long been worn by women in Theodora's family on their big days

Meanwhile, the Khedive of Egypt Tiara has long been worn by women in Theodora's family on their wedding days, including by her mother Queen Anne-Marie of Greece, and her aunts Queen Margrethe II of Denmark and Princess Benedikte of Denmark.

It was given to Princess Margaret of Connaught - who married the future King of Sweden, Gustaf VI Adolf - as a wedding present in 1905 by the Khedive, reported Royal Central.

The tiara was created by Cartier and features a laurel wreath-inspired design, which includes diamonds and platinum.

Princess Margaret often wore the tiara before her death in 1920. The tiara then left Sweden when her daughter Princess Ingrid, married Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark.

The bride and groom's wedding date on Saturday was said to be picked due to it being close to the wedding anniversary of Theodora's parents, King Constantine and Queen Anne-Marie, who were married on September 18, 1964, in Athens.

Initially, Princess Theodora and her fiance, who announced their engagement in November 2018 after two years of dating, were scheduled to wed on the Greek island of Spetses in 2020.

But the couple were forced to put the May 26 event on hold because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Despite not walking down the aisle on the day, Theodora still celebrated with her husband-to-be and she shared a snap of herself with Matthew on Instagram as they dined on Greek salad, olives, bread and cheese and shared a tipple.

The wedding was initially scheduled to be held on the Greek island of Spetses in 2020, but had to be put on hold because of the Covid pandemic. A second attempt was postponed after the death of Theodora's father King Constantine II of Greece in 2023

Princess Theodora of Greece stands at the foot of the cathedral as her dress is delicately repositioned

Sporting a traditional white frock, Theodora's strapless dress featured a fold-over neckline, an A-line shaped skirt and a fabric covered in shimmering white beads

Crown Prince Pavlos and Crown Princess Theodora prepare to head into the church as she stuns with a stunning floral wedding gown and an equally gorgeous smile

The bride's dress - which she picked out ahead of the original wedding date in 2020 - was created by Celia Kritharioti

Love is in the air as Princess Theodora arrives to the cathedral in a land rover flooded with a gorgeous floral display

Pavlos supported his younger sister while she made her way up the stairs, before her niece Olympia (pictured right) helped sort out the bride's beautiful gown

Queen Anne-Marie of Greece (pictured right) was accompanied to her daughter's wedding by her son Prince Nikolaos (pictured left)

For her daughter's big day, Queen Anne-Marie sported a striking blue striped gown and matching accessories

Bridesmaids Arrietta Morales y de Grecia and Princess Olympia pose for a photo before the wedding begins

The bridesmaids sported elegant blue silk numbers for the bride's big day in the Greek capital

Arrietta Morales y de Grecia and Princess Maria-Olympia stun in their silk blue gowns as they prepare to enter the church

Queen Sofia of Spain attends the wedding of her niece in Athens, sporting a glamorous red frock for the glitzy occasion

Marie-Chantal, Crown Princess of Greece, is joined by her sons for the wedding, whilst their father walked the bride down the aisle

Anna-Maria Morales y de Grecia, Carlos Morales y de Grecia, Amelia Morales y de Grecia, Princess Alexia, Carlos Morales at the weeding of Princess Theodora of Greece

Thomas Flohr, Prince Philippos, Princess Nina, Wedding of Princess Theodora of Greece and Matthew Kumar at the Cathedral of the Annunciation in Athens

Anna-Maria Morales y de Grecia, Carlos Morales y de Grecia, Amelia Morales y de Grecia and Princess Alexia, Carlos Morale

Crown Prince Alexander of Serbia and Princess Catherine of Serbia arrive at the wedding putting on a glamorous display donning different shades of blue

Crown Prince Alexander of Serbia waves to the crowd whilst donning a a dark navy suit

As she posted the photo, the Princess wrote: 'On what should have been our wedding weekend - the love and support from friends and family have been so appreciated. We cant wait to celebrate with all of you in Greece once its safe.'

When the pandemic finally came to an end, Theodora and Matthew set another wedding date - 'early summer' in 2023, in Porto Heli, Greece.

However, just a month after the Greek Royal Household announced the second wedding date, actress Theodora's father, King Constantine of Greece, passed away.

King Constantine, the last King of Greece who was exiled in 1973 when the monarchy was abolished, had five children; Crown Prince Pavlos, Prince Philippos, Princess Alexia, Princess Theodora and Prince Nikolaos.

The exiled king died at the age of 82 in January 2023. As Theodora mourned her father, she postponed her wedding to Matthew for the second time.

The bride and groom were spotted side-by-side at the memorial service for King Constantine at St George's Chapel in Windsor in February 2024, which saw royals from across Europe in attendance including Queen Camilla, King Felipe of Spain and Queen Letizia.

Two months after her father's death, the princess posted a tribute to him on Instagram which read: 'Its been two months since you left us. Miss you everyday Papa. Love you.'

The beautiful bride enjoys close ties to both the British, Danish and Spanish royal families.

Princess Benedikte and Princess Alexandra at the wedding strike a pose as they prepare to attend the wedding

Count Michael Ahlefeldt-Laurvig-Bille, Princess Benedikte and Princess Alexandra at the wedding

Irene Urdanagarin, Infanta Elena and Infanta Cristina arrive at the Cathedral of the Annunciation of St. Mary

Alexia of Greece arrives at the Annunciation Cathedral of St. Mary to attend the wedding of Theodora of Greece

Marie-Chantal, Crown Princess of Greece, opted for a stylish cream frock, featuring cinched waist detailing and a statement neckline

The bride's maternal aunt Princess Benedikte of Denmark stunned in a red and pink gown

Thomas Flohr, Prince Philippos and Princess Nina posed for a photo before attending the wedding

The three were all smiles before they headed into the lavish royal wedding

Matthew Kumar and his wedding party at the wedding of Mathew Kumar and Theodora of Greece

A wider view of the Cathedral of the Annunciation in Athens, Greece

Her father King Constantine - who retained his royal title after the abolition of the Greek monarchy in 1973 - was a second cousin of King Charles, and Prince Williams godfather.

Meanwhile, her mother, Queen Anne-Marie is the younger sister of Denmark's Queen Margrethe, making King Frederik her first cousin.

Elsewhere, Theodora's paternal aunt is Queen Sofia, who was Queen of Spain from 1975 to 2014 as the wife of King Juan Carlos I.

King Constantine's son Crown Prince Pavlos and the Greek Royal Family have no official remit, but are still active participants in royal life around Europe.

At the time of her engagement, Theodora announced the happy news on Instagram, saying: 'Words can't express our happiness and excitement. I can't wait to marry this wonderful man. I love you, Matt.'

On Friday night, Theodora proved to be the epitome of a beautiful bride-to-be as she stepped out for her pre-wedding dinner on Friday night.

The 41-year-old appeared radiant in a white midi dress from Celia Kritharioti as she hosted an array of royals from the Greek, Spanish and Danish households in Athens - with glitzy guests including her glamorous model niece Princess Olympia, 28.

As every bride should, Theodora commanded attention in her chic backless dress, which featured a stylish square neckline with thick straps, a billowing skirt, cinched waist detailing and a statement bow.

Looking effortlessly elegant, the bride teamed her dress with a pair of matching white heels and the $373 Elos Box Clutch in Pearl from Los-Angeles based brand Cult Gaia.

She couldn't keep the smile from her face as she stepped out at the glamorous occasion with her husband-to-be Matthew, who looked equally smart in a navy blazer teamed with black trousers and a white shirt.

Princess Theodora of Greece (pictured left, with her husband-to-be) proved to be the epitome of a beautiful bride-to-be as she stepped out for her pre-wedding dinner on Friday night

The 41-year-old actress, who was born in London and played secretary Alison Montgomery in The Bold and the Beautiful, appeared radiant in a white midi dress from Greek designer Celia Kritharioti, who is also creating her wedding gown

The bride and groom hosted an array of royals from the Greek, Spanish and Danish households at their pre-wedding dinner in the capital - with glitzy guests including her glamorous model niece Princess Olympia (pictured left), 28, and Queen Sofia of Spain (pictured right)

Marie-Chantal, Crown Princess of Greece, and Theodora's brother Pavlos, Crown Prince of Greece, at the pre-wedding dinner

Guests at the event, held at the Byzantine and Christian Museum, included Theodora's paternal aunt is Queen Sofia, as well as the bride's maternal aunt Princess Benedikte of Denmark.

They were joined by members of the Greek Royal Family, including Marie-Chantal, Crown Princess of Greece, who is wed to Theodora's brother Pavlos, Crown Prince of Greece, Queen Anne-Marie and Olympia.

Olympia was dressed to impress in a strappy silver dress, featuring a pleated skirt and teamed with metallic accessories.

Her mother, Marie-Chantal, looked just as stunning in a navy frock, paired with golden heels and a matching clutch bag.

Earlier on Friday, the bride and groom visited the Metropolitan Cathedral in Athens, with preparations in the works ahead of today's nuptials.

Theodora paid a nod to her upcoming bridal weekend with a white linen dress from ALEMAIS, retailing online for 405. The summery design featured quirky illustrations of fish, flowers and palm trees and was teamed with chic sliders.

She wore her platinum blonde tresses down in relaxed waves and sported a natural, dewy make-up look as she walked hand-in-hand with Matthew and held onto a bouquet of flowers.

The groom-to-be, meanwhile, looked dapper in a striped shirt which he wore with a smart black blazer and navy trousers.

Also present at the Cathedral was Theodora's mother, Queen Anna Maria of Greece, 78, who grinned as she chatted with others in a green linen summer dress.

Her siblings, Nikolaos, 54, and Alexia, 59, of Greece, were also seen at the event. Alexia was effortlessly elegant in a white and navy frock, accessorised with a pair of sunglasses and a matching blue handbag.

She channelled glamour as she styled her brunette tresses in relaxed waves. Nikolaos appeared to be in good spirits as he donned a navy suit and chatted with his mother.
Queen Camilla paid homage to Scottish culture with Queen Mary's glittering brooch as she joined King Charles at the Scottish Parliament's 25th anniversary celebration today.

King Charles, 75, and Queen Camilla, 77, have travelled up to Edinburgh to celebrate the milestone in true Celtic style, and Camilla borrowed a poignant piece of jewellery from her late mother-in-law's collection for occasion.

The Diamond Thistle Brooch initially belonged to Queen Mary - the wife of King George V - and was passed down to her granddaughter the late Queen Elizabeth II upon her death.

It is now in the hands of Queen Camilla, who often chooses to show off the piece while north of the English border - as it has imagery relating clearly to Scotland.

Camilla wore the piece, which is in the shape of a thistle, on the front of her duck egg blue overcoat, which had a tartan collar to match the King's traditional sporran.

Queen Camilla paid homage to Scottish culture in Queen Mary's glittering brooch as she joined King Charles at the Scottish Parliament's 25th anniversary celebration today

The Diamond Thistle Brooch initially belonged to Queen Mary - the wife of King George V - and was passed down to her granddaughter the late Queen Elizabeth II upon her death

The thistle is widely-regarded as the national emblem of Scotland, after author Sir Walter Scott chose it as a sigil for the visit of King George IV to the country in 1882.

The Queen has worn the brooch on previous visits to Scotland, and the late Queen Elizabeth II was spotted with the jewellery on countless occasions.

In Edinburgh today, the King and Queen were met by presiding officer Alison Johnstone and deputy presiding officers Liam McArthur and Annabelle Ewing.

The royal couple then greeted Holyrood's party leaders: First Minister and head of the SNP John Swinney, Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay, Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar, Scottish Green co-leader Lorna Slater and Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton.

Addressing a host of familiar faces including Nicola Sturgeon and Humza Yousaf, King Charles called the opening of the Scottish Parliament in 1999 a 'new dawn' for the country.

'This place has not just thrived' His Majesty said. 'But in doing so has borne witness to the enduring relationship between Parliament, the Crown and the people of Scotland.'

The King also praised Scotland's 'extraordinary diversity' and spoke of how the country has always had a 'uniquely special place in the hearts of my family and myself'.

The late Queen Elizabeth II wears the Diamond Thistle Brooch in Scotland in September 2017

The brooch is now in the hands of Queen Camilla, who often chooses to show off the piece while north of the English border - as it has imagery relating clearly to Scotland

The thistle is widely-regarded as the national emblem of Scotland, after author Sir Walter Scott chose it as a sigil for the visit of King George IV to the country in 1882

Indeed, his grandmother was Scottish and his mother, the late Queen, chose to spend her final days chose to spend her final days at her beloved Balmoral Castle.

'Who could fail to be moved by this complex, Caledonian kaleidoscope?' he declared.

Pointing to his Scottish roots, King Charles wore a bespoke tartan designed just last year by The Scottish Tartans Authority to the anniversary celebration.

With light green, navy blue and pale red running through the wool, the kilt was specially designed to mark one year since his coronation and is simply called 'The King Charles III tartan'.

Its striking design is based on the Balmoral tartan which dates back to 1850 and is woven entirely from Scottish wool in Selkirk.

His Majesty's tartan is restricted to exclusive use by members of the royal family and can only be woven under explicit written permission from the Scottish Tartans Authority under instruction from the Royal Household.

In Edinburgh today, the King and Queen were met by presiding officer Alison Johnstone and deputy presiding officers Liam McArthur and Annabelle Ewing

Addressing a host of familiar faces including Nicola Sturgeon and Humza Yousaf, King Charles called the opening of the Scottish Parliament in 1999 a 'new dawn' for the country

King Charles and Queen Camilla sign the visitors book following an event at the Scottish Parliament at Holyrood in Edinburgh

Queen Camilla also dressed to impress at Holyrood today.

Her Majesty's brooch took the shape of a thistle and the feathers in her hat were reminiscent of a salmon fly fishing knot known as The Lang Syne.

Queen Camilla was seen clapping politely throughout the celebration, while King Charles seemed to enjoy various performances of Scottish music, song and poetry.

After speeches from all sides of the political spectrum came to an end, Ms Johnstone, the Presiding Officer, closed the ceremony by thanking the royal couple for attending.

She said: 'Thank you your Majesties for sharing this significant milestone with us. Thank you to our fantastic musicians and peformers.'

The King and The Queen left the chamber to the sounds of Scottish Parliament Piper Stuart McMillian MSP who played Auchmountains Bonnie Glen.

This afternoon Their Majesties will meet with groups of local heroes nominated by their MSPs for extraordinary contribution to their communities in the main hall of the Scottish Parliament.

One such hero is Michael Coutts who has spearheaded the Dogs Against Drugs charity in Shetland for two decades.

The King has warned of the dangers of climate change as he marked the 'important' 25th anniversary of the Scottish Parliament.

The King also praised Scotland's 'extraordinary diversity' and spoke of how the country has always had a 'uniquely special place in the hearts of my family and myself'

The King has warned of the dangers of climate change as he marked the 'important' 25th anniversary of the Scottish Parliament.

Charles addressed the chamber during a visit to Holyrood with the Queen on Saturday, saying the parliament can 'touch and improve the lives of so many individuals'.

He also mentioned that Scotland has a 'uniquely special place' in the hearts of his family, saying Queen Elizabeth II 'treasured the time spent at Balmoral'.

The King said the opening of the Scottish Parliament 25 years ago was 'a turning point' and that Saturdays anniversary 'is an important milestone'.

He went on: 'As we look ahead to the next quarter of a century and beyond, there remains much more to be done for Scotland, for the United Kingdom, and equally, in addressing the challenges we all share as inhabitants of a planet whose climate is changing dangerously, and whose biodiversity is being seriously depleted.

'Let this moment therefore be the beginning of the next chapter.

Her Majesty's brooch took the shape of a thistle and the feathers in her hat were reminiscent of a salmon fly fishing knot known as The Lang Syne

Charles addressed the chamber during a visit to Holyrood with the Queen on Saturday, saying the parliament can 'touch and improve the lives of so many individuals'

'The achievement of the past and the commitment shown in the present give us the soundest basis for confidence in the future.'

Charles said the parliament has 'thrived' and referred to the ceremonial mace, saying it has qualities such as 'wisdom, justice, compassion and integrity' engraved on it.

He went on: 'We are often told that we live in an era of polarisation and division. If that is so, then it is perhaps even more important, not less, that in the vital areas of representation, of political debate, of policy making and of discourse, these values, together with hope, civility and generosity of spirit, are never far from the heart of even the most difficult of issues.

Charles said the parliament has 'thrived' and referred to the ceremonial mace, saying it has qualities such as 'wisdom, justice, compassion and integrity' engraved on it

The King also hailed Scotlands 'natural beauty' and 'strength of character'

'It seems to me that such an approach is why this parliament has grown in its experience, in its ability to touch and to improve the lives of so many individuals and communities throughout this great land.'

The King also hailed Scotlands 'natural beauty' and 'strength of character'.

He added: 'From the central belt to the north Highlands, across the islands, in Ayrshire, in the Borders, the cities, towns and villages, all the coastal communities, who I wonder, could not fail to be moved by this complex Caledonian kaleidoscope?

'Speaking from a personal perspective, Scotland has always had a uniquely special place in the hearts of my family and myself.

'My beloved grandmother was proudly Scottish, my late mother especially treasured the time spent at Balmoral, and it was there in the most beloved of places, where she chose to spend her final days.'
Sarah Ferguson has praised King Charles and the Princess of Wales for revealing their respective cancer diagnoses.

The 64-year-old former wife of Prince Andrew, 64, has been treated for two forms of cancer - undergoing a single mastectomy for breast cancer in 2023. In 2024, she announced she'd been diagnosed with malignant melanoma, a form of skin cancer.

Mother-of-two Fergie underwent further surgery, around the edges of the site of the mole and lymph nodes, later announcing that luckily, the cancer had not spread.

The Duchess of York spoke about her admiration for King Charles, 75, and Kate Middleton, 42 during an interview with People magazine while attending the launch of the Youth Council at New York Climate Week with her daughter Princess Beatrice - she also spoke about the video the princess recently released announcing that she had completed her chemotherapy treatment.

She said: 'I think they are an example to all families going through their own journeys of health. I think both the King and the Princess of Wales have spoken openly about their journey, and I love that the Princess says, "I'm always there for you". I love that video. It was a beautiful video with beautiful words.'

Sarah Ferguson (pictured attending the Perfect World Foundation's Honorary Conservation Award in Sweden in September) has praised King Charles and the Princess of Wales for revealing their respective cancer diagnoses

Fergie also spoke about a visit the king made to the Macmillan Cancer Centre at the University College Hospital in London in April - his first public engagement following the news of his cancer diagnosis.

She said: 'That was very brave too, very courageous, and [he] spoke openly, which was very important to help people and give hope.'

Last week, Sarah and Princess Beatrice, 36, took part in a 'truly inspiring' panel on climate solidarity in the Commonwealth while attending the climate event in New York.

Sarah and her daughter were both spotted at events for the annual gathering in the US, which highlights environmental work and initiatives.

The 64-year-old royal and author attended a discussion for Global Citizen NOW: Health and Climate Financing Sessions - The Urgent Need for Action at Guastavino's, and was later joined by Beatrice for a Youth Impact Council Launch in Manhattan.

Sarah took to Instagram to praise the 'fantastic second day' she had at this year's New York Climate Week.

Other attendees included Idris Elba's wife Sabrina and presenter and activist Suluafi Brianna Fruean.

Kate Middleton's video that Sarah referenced during her interview was the emotional three-minute clip which was posted on September 9. During the video, the Princess of Wales spoke about her 'renewed sense of hope and appreciation of life' after completing chemotherapy following her difficult health crisis this year.

The video featured footage of the princess with her husband Prince William and their children (Princess Charlotte pictured)

Footage showed Kate and her husband Prince William celebrating the Princess's recovery alongside their three children - Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.

While Kate's message to the nation was filled with hope and celebration, she warned that 'doing what I can to stay cancer free is now my focus' and admitted the last nine months have been a 'scary and unpredictable' time for her family.

The Princess said the experience has reminded her and her husband to 'reflect and be grateful for the simple yet important things in life, which so many of us often take for granted. Of simply loving and being loved.'

The three-minute long video was filmed in Norfolk last month and is accompanied by a backdrop of stunning nature.

It shows the family playing happily on the beach and in the woods, William and Catherine laying entwined on a blanket, hugging their children  and kissing.

The princess' parents, Carole and Michael Middleton, also featured in the emotional video announcing the end of Kate's chemotherapy treatment.

Kensington Palace has not confirmed whether the princess - seen with William - expects to return to a full programme of duties next year. It is understood that decisions about 2025 will be taken in line with medical advice

Kate Middleton's parents Carole and Michael (pictured) also featured in the emotional three-minute video

In her message the princess said: 'As the summer comes to an end, I cannot tell you what a relief it is to have finally completed my chemotherapy treatment. The last nine months have been incredibly tough for us as a family. Life as you know it can change in an instant and we have had to find a way to navigate the stormy waters and road unknown.

'The cancer journey is complex, scary and unpredictable for everyone, especially those closest to you.

'With humility, it also brings you face to face with your own vulnerabilities in a way you have never considered before, and with that, a new perspective on everything.

'This time has above all reminded William and me to reflect and be grateful for the simple yet important things in life, which so many of us often take for granted - of simply loving and being loved.

'Doing what I can to stay cancer free is now my focus. Although I have finished chemotherapy, my path to healing and full recovery is long and I must continue to take each day as it comes.

'I am however looking forward to being back at work and undertaking a few more public engagements in the coming months when I can.

'Despite all that has gone before, I enter this new phase of recovery with a renewed sense of hope and appreciation of life. William and I are so grateful for the support we have received and have drawn great strength from all those who are helping us at this time.

'Everyone's kindness, empathy and compassion has been truly humbling. To all those who are continuing their own cancer journey  I remain with you, side by side, hand in hand. Out of darkness, can come light, so let that light shine bright.'

In another scene from the video, Kate and William were seen hugging each other on a picnic blanket

The princess' personal message to the nation released earlier this month was accompanied by a three-minute long video showing her and William in Norfolk with their three children

Speaking at the time of the video's release, a palace source emphasised that while the princess is looking forward to undertaking a 'handful' of public engagements over the coming months, her focus is on being 'cancer free' and her journey to full recovery 'is long'.

Her programme of engagements will be 'light' but is likely, as previously revealed by the Daily Mail, to including Remembrance Sunday at the Cenotaph and other events around it.

She will not accompany Prince William to his Earthshot Prize awards in Cape Town in November, emphasising she wanted to remain in the UK to support her young family for whom the year has been difficult too.

She has already started to work from home on 'passion projects' such as her early childhood programme and will continue to do so for the rest of the year.

A source stressed that the entire Wales family are 'immensely grateful for the kind and thoughtful wishes they have received over the past nine months' and are grateful to the media for its cooperation in affording her space and privacy.
Shirley Cherry will never forget the moment she watched her husband gasping for air before being dragged underwater by a 1.4-ton hippo.

Moments earlier, she and Roland, both 63, had been enjoying a peaceful meander in a canoe down the Kafue River in Zambia.

The day was bright and warm and, just after 8am, their group  comprising eight tourists and two guides on a safari tour  had set off on the scenic African waterway, heading for an island 15km downstream where they planned to spend the night.

Shirley and Roland were experienced canoeists, so were looking forward to taking in the birdsong and hoping to see elephants, antelopes and buffalo grazing on the riverbanks.

'We were all in a line, about three metres apart, and Roland and I were in the second canoe,' recalls Shirley, from Tysoe in Warwickshire. 'We'd only been going about five minutes when one of the guides, who was in the canoe in front, turned and said: 'Hippo on the right, you need to keep to the left.'

'The next minute there was an almighty bang from underneath; it was like a car crash.'

Given that a hippo is a similar weight to a family car, it's an appropriately terrifying comparison.

Shirley and Roland Cherry were experienced canoeists, so were looking forward to taking in the birdsong and hoping to see elephants during a meander down the Kafue River in Zambia

Shirley will never forget the moment she watched her husband gasping for air before being dragged underwater by a 1.4-ton hippo (File image)

'The canoe tipped up and, the next thing I knew, we were in the water,' Shirley says. 'People around me were shouting, 'Swim!', so I managed to get myself to the bank. It was only when I got there that I realised Roland was nowhere to be seen.'

Shivering on the shore, her heart pounding, Shirley frantically searched the water for signs of life. Two other canoeists, who'd also been capsized, stood in front of her with their paddles aloft  she now realises they were shielding her from seeing the worst.

Somewhere nearby, one of the guides shouted the unimaginable words, 'He's dead.'

Miraculously, they spoke too soon. Seconds later, Roland appeared in the middle of the river, choking, spluttering and struggling for breath.

'I can't explain the relief I felt when I saw him come to the surface,' Shirley says. 'He took a big gulp of air, but then he was dragged down again by the hippo. I thought: 'This is it. There's no way he can survive that.'

What happened next is a blur. One of the other tourists recalls the animal surfacing one final time with Roland lying limp in its jaws, before tossing him towards the riverbank 'like a matchstick'.

Another witness described it as being like 'a great white shark tossing a seal'.

Mercifully, Shirley has blocked these images out.

'It's the body's coping mechanism, I suppose,' she says.

What she knows now is that the hippo, apparently a female protecting her calf, flung Roland two metres into the air. He landed in shallow water close to the shore and, still conscious, managed to crawl to the edge, where he was dragged to safety.

Disorientated, bleeding profusely and so severely injured it wasn't clear if he was going to make it, he was  somehow  still alive.

Shirley ran to him, shouting his name over and over. Neither of them could quite believe it was true.

Three months have passed since that awful day, and Roland is still here, though the scars of what happened run deep.

Today, back home in the quiet rural spot where the couple have lived for 33 years, 5,000 miles from the Kafue River, he admits it all feels 'quite surreal'.

The wounds on both his legs  where the hippo's tusks scraped so aggressively that the flesh was ripped to the bone  are healing nicely, as is the 10-inch gash on his abdomen.

There's still some bruising from the bite mark on his left bicep, but he's regained movement in his dislocated right shoulder, after months of intensive physiotherapy.

It took seven operations and a two-and-a-half-week stint in hospital to get him here, and he's painfully aware how close he came to losing his life.

'The surgeon who operated on me in South Africa said I was extremely lucky,' says Roland, who worked as a company director but is  after everything he's been through  now seriously considering retirement.

The hippo, apparently a female protecting her calf, flung Roland two metres into the air. He is pictured being rushed to a nearby hospital

'She was incredulous. She said: 'You are my first. I've never met a hippo attack victim before because they normally go straight to the morgue.'

'If the wounds in my legs had been one or two millimetres deeper, they could have snapped off. If the wound in my abdomen had gone into my gut, I would have bled to death.'

It sounds horrific but Roland has, somehow, maintained his sense of humour throughout, crediting Shirley and their two children, as well as the doctors involved in Zambia and South Africa, for keeping his spirits up.

There are, he laughs, some 'fairly gruesome photographs' of his injuries 'that aren't for family viewing'.

It's certainly not the experience  nor the holiday snaps  that Roland and Shirley expected to bring back from their big African adventure.

The couple, who met at Leeds University, aged 19, and have been married for 38 years, had become later-life travellers after their children, Ben and Tara, both in their 30s, left home.

'We've been to Iran, Ecuador, Peru, Patagonia,' says Roland. 'Earlier this year we did a tour of Turkey.

'Last year we were in Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand. We also did an Indian safari, and we'd done an African safari before to the Okavango Delta in Botswana.

'I read geography and archeology at university, so I'm a geographer at heart. I love big mountains, big waterfalls, big valleys; that's what floats my boat.

'It's me who has the real wanderlust. Shirley is very polite and turns up with her passport and asks me where we're going this time.'

Having read travel articles about the South Luangwa National Park in Zambia, Roland longed to visit, so this trip  a five-week camping expedition through Botswana, then exploring Zambia, Malawi and down the Mozambique coast to Kruger National Park  had been long in the planning.

Though not risk-takers, Roland and Shirley were all too aware of the dangers of the wildlife in these far-flung places  and insist it never put them off.

'You need to have an understanding that these are seriously wild animals and they can, in the worst circumstances, kill you,' says Shirley.

'Our son is a wildlife photographer and we are wildlife enthusiasts, but you see pictures of them looking cute and cuddly  even the hippos look benign  and that's far from the truth.

'I remember once, when we were on a walking safari in Africa, we were brought to a sudden halt by our guide and told to stay very, very quiet.

'Out of the bushes, this troupe of elephants appeared, just 10 metres away. They're huge beasts but they move silently  they could have knocked us over and killed us.

'It's all about being sensible, doing what you're told and never taking any chances.'

Having completed the first leg of their tour, from Johannesburg in South Africa to the majestic Victoria Falls, they were excited for the two weeks of adventuring they had left.

Four days into their itinerary, the group  Ronald and Shirley, four Australians, a Swiss man and a German woman  camped overnight on the banks of the Kafue River, a tributary of the Zambezi.

The hippo's tusks scraped Roland's legs so aggressively that the flesh was ripped to the bone

Shirley remembers waking on June 25 to a 'cursory' safety briefing, after which life jackets were handed out. Having canoed several times in the past, both at home and abroad, she had no concerns about being in the water.

'I did latch on to one thing the guides said: 'Avoid the hippos and hope the crocs don't get you,' she recalls. 'You hear these things, but you put your faith in the locals, and you never think it'll happen to you.'

Roland's memories of the hippo attack are hazy. Astonishingly, he never actually saw the animal itself: his experience was mostly of the pain and being pulled with vicious force under the river.

His shoulder was dislocated by the force of hitting the water after the canoe was struck and he remembers it 'really smarting'.

'Shirley did what we had been told to do in the case of falling in: swim like crazy for the bank,' he recalls.

'But I couldn't swim because I only had one arm working. I tried by best to do a one-handed breast-stroke, but minutes later I felt this thing come up and grab me.

'I remember thinking: 'This is it. This is me. This isn't how I planned to go.' I was thinking, 'No, I'm not ready to die. I still have things I want to do.'

'It took me to the bottom and then it let me go, and my life vest started taking me up towards the surface. I remember counting to ten as I went up, and realising how deep I was.

'When I reached the surface, I took a great gulp of air and then it came for me again and grabbed me and pulled me under.'

Roland doesn't remember being submerged again, nor the hippo  whose bite is so powerful it can snap a human in half  tossing him in the air.

'My body had gone into shutdown-mode through sheer trauma,' he says. 'The next thing I remember was sitting in shallow water looking at my knees, which were a bloody mess. There were bits of flesh sticking out from my torn shorts and blood all over my left thigh. I couldn't see the rest of it, but I was in a lot of pain.'

A motorboat took Roland to the jetty, where he was lain across three seats in a minibus which drove him to Mtendere Mission Hospital is nearby Chirundu.

Here, he received life-saving care: within two hours, they'd given him a general anaesthetic, cleaned his wounds and sewed them up sufficiently for him to be airlifted to Johannesburg's Milpark Hospital for plastic surgery the following day.

'They were amazing,' says Roland, who has since set up a fundraising page for vital supplies and equipment at the small rural hospital, for which donations now exceed 20,000.

'They didn't say, 'Where's your credit card?' or 'Do you have insurance?' They took one look at me and did everything they could to save my life. I am forever in their debt.'

He is full of praise, too, for the hospital in Johannesburg where he had another six operations, which he credits with having 'the best trauma surgeons in the world'.

Throughout, Shirley  who had to battle unsympathetic border police, acquire last-minute visas and unexpectedly find herself money, accommodation and transport in South Africa, not to mention breaking the news to their horrified children  has been his 'rock'.

She spent every day for two weeks at Roland's side, feeding him, washing him, climbing into his bed to read to him and keeping him motivated for what lay ahead.

Both Shirley and Roland insist they harbour no ill will towards the hippo, into whose habitat they unwittingly strayed

'I was quite analytical about it,' insists Roland. 'You have to be stoic; it's a fairly British reaction to something like this.

'I set myself targets about where I was going to be, what operation I was having next. But without Shirley there, I might have unravelled quite quickly.'

Their son, Ben, flew out to join them, while their daughter, Tara, booked time off work to spend with her father as soon as he got back to Britain.

'We're a very close family unit,' says Shirley. 'It was wonderful being reunited. Roland's whole face lit up when he saw them.'

Not a day goes by when she doesn't remind herself that, but for their sitting positions in the canoe that day, it could have been her.

'In the nicest possible way, there's less of me than there is of Roland,' she says. 'There's less of me to chomp.

'I can't help feeling that, if it had been me, I wouldn't be here now.'

She pats Roland's knee fondly. 'I'm immensely proud of him. He didn't complain once.

'It was astonishing. He must have been in quite some pain at times, but he got through it, and I'm amazed at his bravery and his resilience.'

The passing of time has, certainly, helped both Roland and Shirley talk about the trauma with levity  so much so that they're giving a series of talks about the experience in their local community, where Roland has been nicknamed 'Hippo Man'.

With retirement on the cards, Shirley, an amateur artist, has turned her attention to drawing portraits of wild animals  most recently a zebra, leopard and elephant.

She has not, yet, attempted a hippo, though both insist they harbour no ill will towards the animal, into whose habitat they unwittingly strayed.

Roland is simply enjoying what he calls his 'second chance at life'.

Currently he has no travel plans in the calendar, but he refuses to rule out a return to Africa, which both he and Shirley say is a 'magical' place.

For now, perhaps something closer to home.

'I think,' he smiles, 'a cottage in Cornwall might be a good idea.'
At least 9 dead, 48 missing in boat sinking en route to Spain

Madrid, Sep 28 (UNI) At least 9 people have died and 48 went missing after an illegal migrant boat capsized off the island of El Hierro on Friday night, Spain's maritime rescue service confirmed on Saturday.

Another 27 people were rescued, according to the maritime rescue's X account.

The rescue is still going on with several vessels and a helicopter searching for the missing.
A top doctor has urged pregnant and breastfeeding women to avoid drinking tap water that contains fluoride because the mineral could damage fetuses' brains.

Dr Michael Greger, author of the How Not To Die series, said even parents who feed their children formula should avoid mixing it with water treated with fluoride, which he called a 'presumed developmental neurotoxin.'

Speaking to DailyMail.com, he said: 'Pregnant and breastfeeding women and those with infants who are getting water mixed with infant formula should try to go out of their way to use unfluoridated water.'

His comments come days after a federal judge warned that fluoride, added to water systems to strengthen teeth and reduce cavities, posed an 'unreasonable risk' to children's brains.

And just a month after a 320-page government report found fluoride in high concentrations could lead to children's IQ dropping by up to five points.

The above map shows the states participating, and not participating, in the CDC's My Water's Fluoride monitoring system

The above shows the most recently known levels of fluoride in US county water systems

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Fluoride is a naturally occurring mineral found in water, soil and various foods. It's been added to public water systems since 1945 for its protective qualities, with the goal of reducing tooth decay and promoting generally good oral health.

The issue around fluoride in tap water is controversial because its introduction is considered to be one of the greatest public health achievements due to its effectiveness in reducing tooth decay in children.

About 80 years ago, scientists discovered people whose water supplies naturally had more fluoride in it also had fewer cavities. They determined it was replacing minerals in teeth that were lost to decay and wear and tear.

This triggered a push to get more Americans to use fluoride, which is in toothpaste, and to have the mineral added to national drinking water supplies.

More than 200million Americans drink water that contains fluoride, or 75 percent of the population, more than in any other country in the world.

And the CDC estimates it could be reducing cavities by 25 percent and saving about $6.5billion every year in dental costs.

Most tap water in the US contains fluoride at a level of about 0.7 milligrams per liter (mg/L), which is considered the 'optimal' level.

But this figure is nearly double what experts and studies have determined to be the safe limit for pregnant women and infants - 0.4 mg/L

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says fluoride levels should not be above 4 mg/L in water, warning any higher levels raise the risk of skeletal fluorosis, or deformities in the skeleton.

The World Health Organization has set a limit of 1.5 mg/L.

A spokesperson for the EPA said the agency was reviewing how fluoride is regulated following a ruling in a California court this week that found fluoride posed a 'hazard' to children's health and said the EPA should conduct an investigation.

In his ruling, Judge Edward Chen said: 'The scientific literature in the record provides a high level of certainty that a hazard is present; fluoride is associated with reduced IQ.'

There has been controversy over fluoride in the water supply for years, with hundreds of communities voting against its use (Above is a campaign sign from Kennebunk, Maine)

In an interview with this website, Dr Greger urged the US to follow the example of European countries like Germany, which does not fluoridate its tap water.

But other nations, like the UK, are actually pushing ahead with plans to add more fluoride to their tap water, making it available to millions more Britons.

British officials have said the plan should be expanded in order to reduce the prevalence of tooth decay and to improve dental health across the country.

Dr Michael Greger warned pregnant women not to drink water containing fluoride

Filtering jugs and filter systems that claim to filter out fluoride are available online for up to $250. Manufacturers say they are up to 97 percent effective.

Experts say when someone drinks water that contains fluoride, the chemical enters the bloodstream and can then travel to the brain.

Hypotheses suggest the fluoride could then interfere with the brain during development leading to children having a lower IQ.

It is also possible for it to cross the placental barrier and reach a fetus, where it could also disrupt brain development.

Additionally, experts say it is possible for the fluoride to enter breastmilk and be transferred to an infant.

Dr Greger said it was also possible that fluoride was impacting the brain health of adults, but that more studies were needed to determine this.

A study published this year in JAMA Network Open found that fluoride exposure during pregnancy was linked to increased behavioral problems in children.

The paper, which tracked 229 pregnant women and their children, found a 0.68 mg/L increase in urinary fluoride concentrations during pregnancy was associated with infants being nearly twice as likely to have behavioral issues, such as internalizing or externalizing problems.

And a report from the National Toxicology Program (NTP) warned of lower IQ among children exposed to high levels of fluoride based on 19 high-quality studies.

Far more counties in the US fluorinate their water than in any other country in the world, data from the National Population Review for the year 2024 reveals

Dr Greger told DailyMail.com: 'This is really about protecting pregnant mothers, breastfeeding mothers and infants who are getting water mixed with infant formula.

'Ideally, we would stop fluoridation to protect these vulnerable communities.

'They should just be drinking that purified water during pregnancy, breastfeeding, and then when mixing formula, to get the best of both world's until we [the researchers] have figured out what's going on.'

Dr Greger said he had previously backed the consensus around fluoride being added to drinking water  and even considered those arguing otherwise as 'crazy'.

But while researching his latest book, published in 2020, he read a number of studies that convinced him fluoridation may not be as safe as first thought.

Dr Greger, who lives in Virginia, still drinks his local tap water which contains fluoride. He has a filter installed at home, but this is to remove carbon to 'improve the water's taste'.

But he said whenever he meets a pregnant woman or a woman with a very young child, he urges them to avoid drinking tap water that contains fluoride.

The American Dental Association has been at the forefront of calls proclaiming fluoride as safe and pushing for it to be added to local water supplies.

Advocacy groups like the Fluoride Action Network have been at the other end of the scale, arguing that claims fluoride is safe have been exaggerated.
Dr Edith Eger was just a teen when she and her family were ripped from their home by Nazis and sent to concentration camps.

The girl who had once enjoyed a normal life - going to ballet class and spending time with her sisters in Hungary - survived a year in a camp with her two sisters, while her parents were murdered in the gas chambers.

For a long time, she avoided speaking about the horrors she witnessed, focusing on building a family in America. Eventually, she became a psychologist and realized that in order to heal, she needed to confront her trauma, forgive and stop thinking of herself as a victim.

And over a nearly 50-year career, she worked to do the same with her patients.

Dr Eger, 96, told DailyMail.com: 'I cannot change my blood. I can change the way I look at things, and I think change can be synonymous with growth.'

Dr Edith Eger pictured left before she and her family were sent to the camps in 1944. She was liberated from the camps in 1945 and immigrated to America four years later, where she'd earn her doctorate in psychology

Dr Eger enjoyed doing ballet during her youth in Czechoslovakia and Hungary. While in Auschwitz, Dr Eger said she was forced to perform a ballet routine, earning her the title, 'The Ballerina of Auschwitz'

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Dr Eger was born Edith Eva Elefant, the youngest daughter of three to Lajos and Illona Elefant, in Czechoslovakia in 1927. The family moved to Hungary where Dr Eger became interested in dance and gymnastics and joined the Hungarian gymnastics team in the early 1940s.

But the comforts of normal life were stripped from her when she and her family were sent to Auschwitz in 1944. Shortly after arriving, Josef Mengele, the notorious Nazi doctor, sent her mother to the gas chambers.

After, Mengele reportedly asked Dr Eger to perform a dance for him. The ballerina did, and said in her 2019 memoir 'The Choice': 'The barracks floor becomes a stage at the Budapest opera house.'

This performance earned her the title 'The ballerina of Auschwitz' and a loaf of bread, which she split amongst the girls in her area.

From there, Dr Eger endured starvation, beatings and death marches, moving from camp to camp as the Nazis lost ground in the war.

In May 1945, after US military liberated the camp she was in, she met the man who would become her husband, Bela Eger.

The two had their first daughter, Marianne, and then fled to America amid threats from the communist government in Czechoslovakia in 1949.

When she came to America, just four years after leaving the concentration camp, Dr Eger didn't want to think about the past. She was focused on establishing a 'normal' American life with her family.

Dr Eger told DailyMail.com: 'I had kept lots of things inside me because I didn't want to be or my children [to be] different. I just wanted to be a good Yankee Doodle.'

She went to college in 1969, earning her degree in Psychology from the University of Texas, El Paso. She then earned her doctorate from William Beaumont Army Medical Center at Fort Bliss, and opened up a therapy clinic in La Jolla, California.

Dr Edie as a child, with her family, the Elefants, before being sent to the camps, circa 1932. Parents Lajos and Ilona perished in Auschwitz. Dr Eger married her husband in

Dr Eger with her husband Bela and their firstborn, Marianne circa 1947

Then, in the 1980s, she visited Washington D.C. and went to the Holocaust museum. There, Dr Eger saw a picture of a girl she swore looked exactly like her.

This experience moved her, and she decided she needed to start talking about what had happened to her, not only so people wouldn't forget the horrors of the Holocaust, but also so that she could heal.

She said: 'I think it's important for us to acknowledge that what comes out to our body doesn't make us ill, it's what stays in there.'

This became a cornerstone of her therapeutic practice. She encourages people to share what they have been through and accept it, so that they can stop thinking of themselves as victims.

It's common for people who have been through traumatic situations to feel like a victim. But this mindset is cyclical, she said, and leads people to fall into toxic patterns.

Someone who thinks of themselves as the victim of life is likely to end up in two scenarios, Dr Eger said. First, they are likely to end up in the same scenario - surrounded by people who will hurt them.

Or second, they are likely to become a victimizer themselves, turning their bad feelings into other people's problems.

Dr Eger giving a presentation to a classroom full of students in the 1980s

To get there, Dr Eger recommends thinking about the choices you have in front of you, and making decisions that will help you grow and forgive yourself and those who have done wrong to you.

Dr Eger said: 'The more choices you have, the less you're ever going to feel like a victim. It's not who I am, it's what was done to me.'

If you struggle to forgive those who have done ill to you, Dr Eger said you can reframe the idea of forgiveness all together.

She said forgiveness is an act of self-care that actually helps you, and you don't have to think of it as something that serves the person who hurt you.

This will lead to radical growth, and change for the better, she said: 'I think forgiveness is a gift that you give yourself to stretch rather thank shrink. So don't call me a shrink, call me a stretch, I think it's good to stretch your comfort zone.'

Other things you can do to get over your past include focusing on the person you want to be.

To do this, she recommends starting the day by visualizing your self satisfied by the end of the day. This will help you make decisions during the day that will help you feel better and more present by the end of the day.

Dr Eger said: 'You're going to be what you practice. Decide in the morning what you want to feel at night.'

This will help you focus on each day as its presented to you, and be grateful for the time you have, she explained.

Dr Eger added: 'You're going to look at yourself in a mirror and see yourself satisfied. Because life is maybe just one day, that morning sunshine may or may not come back. I don't know. There is no guarantee.'
There's a new way to rev up your sex drive  albeit an unusual one.

For cosmetic clinics are now offering 700 Botox injections that are delivered straight into the back passage.

The 'tweakment' claims to help men improve their sex lives by alleviating tightness and discomfort  relaxing the anal sphincter muscles and overlying skin.

One beauty clinic has even trademarked the procedure as 'HoleTox'.

Medics, however, have warned the procedure, which offers short-term results, can involve unpleasant side effects including bleeding and faecal incontinence.

In an Instagram post New York-based 'medical spa' Lushful Aesthetics promoted the procedure after hailing 'HoleTox the talk of the town'. The clinic, founded by Chris Bustamante (pictured), said the 'virtually painless' procedure 'takes about three minutes'

The 'tweakment' claims to help men improve their sex lives by alleviating tightness and discomfort  relaxing the anal sphincter muscles and overlying skin

Other side effects are less debilitating but could be embarrassing, such as increased gas.

In an Instagram post, New York-based 'medical spa' Lushful Aesthetics promoted the procedure after hailing 'HoleTox' the 'talk of the town'.

The clinic, founded by aesthetic nurse practitioner Chris Bustamante, said the 'virtually painless' procedure 'takes about three minutes' and 'makes anal sex easier'.

'Patients love how comfortable the procedure is and that the results last up to four months.'

In a separate interview with the New York Post, Bustamante, nicknamed InjectorChris, also said: 'It's appealing to Gen Z and millennials who are lot more curious and adventurous when it comes to enhancing their sex lives with unconventional methods.

'I do have female patients that do come in for it, but its predominantly gay men.'

Typically used for fine lines and wrinkles on the face, medical professionals also use Botox to reduce severe underarm sweat, prevent chronic migraines, and stop incontinence.

Botox for the back passage works in exactly the same way.

During the treatment, patients at Lushful Aesthetics are provided with ProNox  laughing gas  to reduce any anxiety.

The injections relax the anal sphincter muscles and boosts the blood supply to the area, improving pain and reducing muscle spasms.

Aestheticians claim the procedure will not cause bowel incontinence.

According to clinics offering the treatment, patients 'seeking to maintain their results' should return every three months for follow-up treatment.

Price varies among clinics.

Lushful Aesthetics offers the 100 units of Botox  typical for one treatment  for 675 ($900).

In other ads seen by MailOnline, clinics charge up to 1,120 ($1,500) per treatment in the US. In the UK, some private practices begin at 550.

A similar procedure, which sees Botox injected into the sphincter muscle in and around the back passage, has long been used to help treat anal fissures and hemorrhoids.

This is also recommended on the NHS for both adults and children with chronic anal fissures that have not healed in eight weeks, despite treatment.

It acts by blocking certain muscle receptors, allowing the tissues to relax and facilitate healing of the fissure.

But experts today warned against the Botox treatment for cosmetic purposes.

Lushful Aesthetics offers the 100 units of Botox  typical for one treatment  for 675 ($900). Pictured, Lushful Aesthetics clinic in New York

While Botox can be reversed with a dissolving shot, there is limited research in the risks involved in injecting them in this intimate location.

Just like with facial fillers, solution that is inexpertly injected into or around a blood vessel could cause tissue to die.

Professor Asif Muneer, a consultant urological surgeon at University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust told MailOnline he was 'not convinced' by the procedure given the 'little scientific evidence'.

Meanwhile, Dr Richard Viney, a consultant urological surgeon at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, said there was 'little meaningful research on the practice'.

He added: 'The principal problem would be faecal incontinence so anyone contemplating this needs to ensure they are being looked after by a responsible and experienced practitioner.'

However, the 'effects are not permanent so any ill effects will only last a few months', he said.

The NHS also advises 'a small amount of bleeding' is common after Botox in the back passage, which 'improves with time'.

The rising popularity of intimate botox comes amid a growing trend of men getting cosmetic surgery, including Brazilian Butt Lifts (BBLs), liposuction, ab implants and penis filler.

Clinics offering penis fillers, for instance, have also previously been accused of cashing in on male anxieties.
Videos of teens getting light headed, falling over and crashing cars are circulating on social media and getting millions of views thanks to a wildly popular product called Galaxy Gas.

It's a can of flavored nitrous oxide, also known as whippets or laughing gas, that is supposed to be used in whipped cream, cocktails and coffees.

Instead, people are inhaling the gas, which acts on the nervous system and gives the user a minute-long head rush and a euphoric, tingly feeling. In response, Galaxy Gas has paused sales of it's product.

Dr Sulagna Misra, a primary care physician, told DailyMail.com: 'This issue is very troubling because the high is temporary and is constantly being chased, and the product is very accessible.'

She added people can overdose and die from the inhaling the gas because it robs the brain and body of oxygen. Nitrous oxide had claimed the lives of at least two dozen Americans.

Galaxy gas representatives told news outlets that their product is intended for culinary purposes only. As scrutiny has come on the company in recent weeks, it has paused selling their whipped cream cannisters

The death of John Schoenig (pictured), who died at a Penn State frat party held off-campus in 2019, was ruled accidental. He died from inhaling nitrous oxide, it was not linked to Galaxy Gas

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Whippets have been abused for decades, but research from the Royal London hospital suggests it's been 'rapidly rising' in both the US and UK, and has become the seventh most popular drug in the world.

There are no recent reports on the number of deaths linked to laughing gas. As of 2016, the most recent data cited, there had been 29 deaths in the US from nitrous oxide, according to a study from Yale doctors.

The Atlanta-based Galaxy Gas has only been around since 2021.

One video of people inhaling nitrous oxide shows a group of teenagers passing around a cannister in school. The caption on the video says it's Galaxy Gas, which is sold in brightly-colored cans with abstract designs on them.

Immediately after taking a hit, one boy falls against the wall, unsteadily, before falling to the ground. He then laughs and stands up.

Another video shows a different boy who immediately falls to the ground after taking a huff from the cannister - his words slurred.

A third shows a boy driving at high speeds with a container of nitrous oxide in his hands.

He seemingly doesn't see a vehicle parked on the shoulder in the distance, and crashes into it as the passengers in the car scream.

In 2023, Ashley Broha returned home from work to find her fiance, whose identity has been concealed, dead. He was hooked up to a tank of nitrous oxide.

A coroner's report found the Louisiana man had died from a lack of oxygen caused by nitrous oxide poisoning.

In 2019, a 17 year old Pennsylvania high schooler named John Schoenig died after inhaling nitrous oxide at a party. The gas had robbed his body of oxygen, stopping his heart.

Jenna Combel, a young woman in New Orleans, told Fox8 she became addicted to nitrous oxide and was eventually hospitalized after the chemical caused her to lose feeling in her legs. She was unable to walk for months.

Social media had been riff with videos of people doing whippets as friends stand around and laugh when they fall to ground, their voice changes or they say something incoherent, but most footage has been scrubbed from sites.

When you search 'Galaxy Gas' on TikTok, a disclaimer appears, reading: 'Some substances can be dangerous when used or misused. Learn more about how drugs, alcohol and tobacco can affect your mind, body and behavior.'

Videos on social media show people inhaling the gas and falling over from the hig

When used without a doctor's supervision, people are likely to take in more nitrous oxide than they should - leading to headaches, nausea, vomiting, agitation, low blood pressure, fainting, heart attack and nerve damage.

Children are particularly susceptible to some of the symptoms, because their brains are still developing, and may be permanently damaged by using the gas, Dr Migra said.

Inhaling too much at one time can cut off oxygen supply to the brain and body - causing death.

Long term use has been linked to an increased risk for depression, psychosis, memory loss, muscle spasms, numbness and problems with your immune system, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

Because the gas can be used to make instant whipped cream, it's sold in grocery stores, gas stations and smoke shops across the country, completely legally with no minimum buying age or identification required.

Most states have little to no regulation on the product, and even in those that do, it's sometimes possible for people to order the products online.

Louisiana became the first state to ban retail sales of nitrous oxide containers earlier this year. In 2023, New York passed a ban on selling the cartridges to people under 21.

When nitrous oxide was discovered in the 1700s, doctors quickly made use of its calming and anesthetic properties - and it's still widely used in doctors offices today.

The gas affects the nervous system, producing a sense of relaxation, light-headedness and tingling.

It takes effect quickly and wears off quickly, so in a medical setting, doctors monitor the amount used carefully.

When hooked up to a cannister full of cream, a nitrous oxide tank creates instant whipped product. But when not hooked up to any food item, the tanks dispense the gas alone, which people may inhale. This photo from Galaxy Gas' website shows how to use the product properly

In the 1930s, scientists discovered using the gas under pressure with cream could create instant whipped cream.

This led to the loop hole that exists today, where in many states, it's legal to sell nitrous oxide cannisters without restriction if the products are manufactured for culinary purposes.

Since then, laughing gas abuse has been 'rapidly rising.'

Public figures, such as rapper Skrilla, have used nitrous oxide in the open. The Atlanta native pulled out a cannister of the gas during a 2024 interview with YouTuber Adam Grandmaison, and the pair passed it back and forth, appearing to inhale the gas behind a blurred logo.

It is unclear what brand the rapper and YouTuber were using.

As such, many companies have popped up to fill the demand - Galaxy Gas is just one of many nitrous oxide products sold under the culinary umbrella. Others include Elitegas, GreatWhip and Boosted.

A disclaimer that appears upon entering Galaxy Gas' website reads: 'Products containing nitrous oxide are sold solely as a food processing propellant for whipped cream and culinary food use only.'

In response to recent reports, the company said: 'Galaxy Gas products are for responsible culinary use only, and we are deeply concerned about the recent news reports and social media posts of individuals illegally misusing our products'.

However, critics of nitrous oxide products, like New York Senator Joe Addabbo, say these companies don't have as many guardrails in place as they should.

Sen Addabbo told Fox8: 'They know exactly what theyre doing and theyre not marketing toward 16-year-old bakers. No. Theyre using it for the other use of nitrous oxide, the illegal use.

'We have an issue nationally. [Nitrous oxide is] accessible, cheap. Its available, its easy to use and I think it should have national attention.'
She's one of the world's most recognisable supermodels  or at least she was until recently.

But new images showing Kendall Jenner's puffier cheeks have sparked rumours on social media that the Kardashian star has undergone cosmetic tweaks.

Attending the Bottega Veneta Milan fashion week Spring/Summer 2025 event this week, Kendall sported glam make up and showcased her new blonde hair.

Yet social media erupted accusing the L'Oreal Paris ambassador of messing with her 'perfect' looks and accusing her of looking far older than 28.

In one TikTok seen 2.5million times, a user said Kendall had previously been 'a perfect specimen' but added: 'I just think it's better to veer on the side of being conservative with the filler. It ages you quite a bit.

Attending the Bottega Veneta Milan fashion week Spring/Summer 2025 event this week, Kendall sported glam make up showcasing her new blonde hair

Yet social media erupted accusing the L'Oreal Paris ambassador of messing with her 'perfect' looks and accusing her of looking far older than 28

Recent images showing Kendall Jenner's puffier cheeks have sparked rumours on social media that the Kardashian star has undergone cosmetic tweakments. Pictured, Kendall in 2011

'This does not look like a 28-year-old woman to me anymore and she didn't need any of this.

'The problem is that we know the filler is migrating.

'So it's not going away like they use to tell us. It's going to different places and it's misshaping people's faces.

'I think that this is why people are starting to look very very wacky. Their natural face shape is not this.'

Kendall has strenuously denied ever getting plastic surgery but fans have long speculated she has had filler in her face  a supposed age-defying procedure becoming increasingly common among younger women.

Dr Emma Wedgeworth, a consultant dermatologist and spokesperson for the British Skin Foundation told MailOnline that facial filler in younger people 'can often look unnatural'.

She said: 'Dermal fillers were originally used to compensate for volume loss in ageing faces.

'When they are used for augmentation in younger people or to change original features, it can often look unnatural.

'Our eye interprets this as looking older, in the same way as seeing heavy makeup on young children  it looks slightly inappropriate and out of place.'

Fellow consultant dermatologist Dr Emma Craythorne, who sits on the British Cosmetic Dermatology Group, said 'problems occur whenever quite large amounts of filler is being used'.

Kendall has strenuously denied ever getting plastic surgery but fans have long speculated she has had filler in her face  a supposed age-defying procedure becoming increasingly common among younger women. Pictured, Kendall in Paris earlier this week

Now, cosmetic experts have weighed in suggesting the model's new look is likely a result of buccal fat removal as well as facial surgeries. Pictured, Kendall in 2016

She told MailOnline: 'They used to say these fillers will dissolve and the body will gobble them up, you won't have them after six months, nine months or one year.

'But I do MRI scans on my patients three, four or five years later [after they have had filler], and I still see fillers there.'

Cosmetic experts have weighed in suggesting the model's new look is likely a result of buccal fat removal as well as facial surgeries.

Dr Houtan Chaboki, a Washington-based facial plastic surgeon said he suspects Kendall has had a number of procedures.

In a TikTok video he said he was 'drawn to her nose and her lips'.

'The nose looks thinner in the bridge and the tip. Some cartilage was probably removed and the bone was modified,' he added.

'Her lips are a little fuller and thicker.

'That can be achieved usually with fillers. Some patients also get fat injections there or do a lip flip with botox.

'It is unlikely she had upper lift lid surgery, typically that's done in older patients.

'She may have had Botox and fillers elsewhere.'

Meanwhile, Dr Saul Lahijani, a plastic surgeon at Beverly Hills Institute of Plastic Surgery told his 15,000 TikTok followers: 'Look at her eyes and her forehead.

'Her eyebrows are more elevated, her eyes are more open. She has a little bit of a fox-eye done, maybe with the brow lift.

'Look at her nose before and the tip, how round it is. It's now sharper. She has had a rhinoplasty for sure.'

He said: 'With regards to the lower face, it is now more angulated.

'She has probably had filers done here in combination with buccal fat removal.

'Overall, she's one of the most natural looking Kardashians. She looks great.'

A fox eye facelift is a non-surgical procedure that involves dissolvable threads being inserted under the surface of the skin and pulled tight, to stretch the corner of the upper eyelids.

A fox eye facelift is a non-surgical procedure that involves dissolvable threads being inserted under the surface of the skin and pulled tight, to stretch the corner of the upper eyelids. Pictured, Kendall in 2023 (right) and 2014 (left)

Dr Houtan Chaboki, a Washington-based facial plastic surgeon said he suspects Kendall has had a nose job and lip filler. In a TikTok video he said he was 'drawn to her nose and her lips'

'The nose looks thinner in the bridge and the tip. Some cartilage was probably removed and the bone was modified,' he added

Despite the speculation, Kendall Jenner has consistently denied rumors she has had plastic surgery, saying in 2017: 'As a model, why would I have my face reconstructed? Pictured, Kendall in 2018

Dr Saul Lahijani, a plastic surgeon at Beverly Hills Institute of Plastic Surgery told his 15,000 TikTok followers: 'Look at her eyes and her forehead

A rhinoplasty, commonly referred to as a nose job, meanwhile involves an operation either performed from inside the nostrils  a closed rhinoplasty or by making a small cut on the nose.

By breaking and repositioning the side nasal bone, a surgeon can also reduce the width of the nose and achieve a narrower appearance.

Meanwhile, fillers  typically injections of collagen or hyaluronic acid  are offered in beauty clinics for as little as 75 to reduce wrinkles and add volume to the face.

Last year, Dr Andrew Peredo, who specializes in aesthetic procedures of the face, also speculated Kendall had a rhinoplasty and lip filler.

He said: 'The only thing I can really say that jumps out at me is her nose.

It looks a little more refined, I would say, so I reckon that she went for a rhinoplasty to achieve that.

'The top part of her nose looks like it is a little bit straighter and a bit thinner and the top also looks like it is a little bit thinner in the 2023 picture compared to the one from 2009.

'She also looks like she has lost some baby weight off the jawline, but it is hard to say whether that is natural or whether she had a little help.'

Like her older sister Kim, Dr Peredo noted Kendall's eyes and eyebrows have a more upward slant, suggesting she may have gone under the knife to achieve more cat-like eyes

In June 2021, Kendall told Bravo host Andy Cohen that her family didn't perpetuate unrealistic beauty standards. She said: 'The only thing were really trying to represent is just being the most healthy version of yourself'

Like her older sister Kim, Kendall's eyes and eyebrows have a more upward slant, Dr Peredo noted.

This, he said, suggested she may have gone under the knife.

Responding to speculation in 2017 that she'd undergone cosmetic work, Kendall said: 'As a model, why would I have my face reconstructed?

'It doesn't even make sense. It's crazy because sometimes I feel like people just want me to lose.'

In June 2021, Kendall also told Bravo host Andy Cohen that her family didn't perpetuate unrealistic beauty standards.

She said: 'We all really enjoy taking care of ourselves and being healthy.

'So I think if anything, the only thing were really trying to represent is just being the most healthy version of yourself.'
A health chief has desperately urged university students to use condoms when having sex to bring down soaring rates of gonorrhoea and syphilis among young people.

Last year there were 1,040 new cases of syphilis and 29,880 cases of gonorrhoea among 15-to-24-year-olds, compared to 1,000 and 30,007 in 2022 respectively, according to the UK Health Security Agency (UKSHA).

There were also 4,617 cases of genital warts and 104,107 cases of chlamydia among the age group last year, compared to 5,299 and 108,752 the year prior.

Katy Sinka, head of STIs at UKSHA, warned students: 'If you're having sex with someone new, or someone more casually, don't forget to use a condom.

'With higher STI rates in young people, having sex without a condom can increase your chances of an infection like chlamydia or gonorrhoea.'

University students have been advised to use protection during intercourse amid soaring cases of sexually transmitted diseases (Stock Image)

Last year there were 1,040 new cases of syphilis and 29,880 cases of gonorrhoea among 15-to-24-year-olds, compared to 1,000 and 30,007 in 2022 respectively (Stock Image)

Ms Sinka also advised young people to get tested regularly to 'detect any infections quickly and protect your own and your partner's health.'

This month many of Britain's universities have welcomed new students to their campuses ahead of the academic year.

And with boozy club nights planned throughout freshers' week, there is no doubt that some young people will partake in hook-ups.

Laura Domegan, head of nursing at Brook sexual health clinics, said freshers' week is 'always a good time' for young people to consider their sexual health.

She added: 'This year it is particularly important, given the recent increase in diagnoses of several STIs, particularly among young people.'

Condoms are often handed out to new university students - and medical experts are urging young people to use them (Stock Image)

In June this year, levels of gonorrhoea in England were at the highest level since records began in 1918, while new diagnoses of syphilis were at levels not seen since 1948.

The shocking statistics come amid further concerning sexual health news.

Women are believed to be turning their back on the contraceptive pill after fake news spread on social media claiming it causes cancer and infertility.

Instead they are being encouraged by influencers to consider alternatives, including the use of menstrual cycle tracking apps, which encourage women to only have sex on days where they are not fertile.
Are you sceptical about whether lifestyle choices impact your skin? Then let me invite you to consider Keith Richards.

After smoking an estimated 500,000 cigarettes, drinking gallons of whiskey and once going without a wink of sleep for over a week, I think we can all agree the Rolling Stone has the face he deserves: one that resembles a pitted prune.

When I first started in the beauty game, skin experts were beginning to talk about the dermis-destroying effects of smoking.

Shortly after that they sussed that sun exposure was detrimental, as research followed pointing to the deleterious effects of sugar and then stress.

Over the past decade, we have seen the trend for linking a certain look to a particular habit. Wine face equals red veins and bloatedness; carb face has a potato-like puffiness.

A new slew of faces is linked to lifestyle choices, some good, some bad. Of course, how much you modify your behaviour is up to you, but theres a balance to be had. And it probably exists at the mid-point between Paltrow-esque clean living and the Richards-like excesses of Jack Daniels and coke (with a small c).

For me, it means Ill keep running my 6k but apply SPF before I go. Wild, I know.

Ozempic face

Dr Sabrina Fabi, a cosmetic dermatologist based in California, notes that, while shes aware of the drugs life-changing effects, there is much discussion around the unintended side effect of rapid weight loss, which is a gaunt, older-looking appearance. She says this happens because of faster facial fat losscompared to body fat, but she thinks theres something else at play. She suggests that the drugs could be adversely affecting dermal adipose tissue, altering skins stem-cell function and fat distribution, all of which are crucial for a youthful look.

Cosmetic doctor Vicky Dondos says she sees Ozempic face all the time in her London clinic. Many of her clients have lost seven to ten kilos, and that brings joy, but accelerates ageing. While you cant change this drugs effect on the dermis, you can counter the effects with diligent skincare and tweakments.

HRT face

I could walk into a room of post-menopausal patients and tell you who is on HRT just from their skin, says Anne Henderson, a consultant gynaecologist and a British Menopause Society advanced specialist. HRT can boost skins texture and tone, reduce wrinkles and help resolve menopausal acne. She says women are often embarrassed to ask her about their skin because the medical profession has traditionally considered cosmetic benefits as superficial. Henderson rails against this and believes feeling good on the outside makes you feel good on the inside.

Why does HRT benefit our skin? Though the treatment is usually a mix of hormones  oestrogen, progestogen and occasionally testosterone  its oestrogen that has the collagen-boosting effect. This translates as stronger, firmer, glowy skin thats less susceptible to irritation and conditions such as eczema and rosacea.

Should we take HRT for our skin if we have no other menopause symptoms? Henderson says its a controversial topic, but as long as the patient has a fully informed discussion then she doesnt have an issue and its their choice.

Runners face

Dr Anjali Mahto, a renowned dermatologist and founder of the clinic Self London, says runners face is a condition, characterised by facial fat loss and sagging skin, that can make joggers look older than their chronological age.

She says running reduces overall body fat, including facial fat that is crucial for maintaining a youthful appearance by providing volume and a smooth contour. This reduction, particularly in the cheeks and under-eye areas, can lead to a more hollowed appearance. Then theres the repetitive motion and impact of running, which accelerates the breakdown of collagen and elastin fibres.

Added to this is the exposure to harsh environmental factors such as sun, wind and pollution, which contribute to skin damage. Dr Mahto suggests a treatment called Sofwave: ultrasound is used to stimulate the production of new collagen. Diligent SPF will help to counter the damaging effects of UV rays.

Rosies Beauty Clinic

Q I keep hearing about polynucleotide treatments. What are they?

Louise Stuart, 53

A This procedure involves injecting salmon DNA into the skin to boost collagen and elastin. Many of my go-to cosmetic doctors are raving about the results, particularly in the under-eye area where it can effectively address dark circles and crepiness.

Send your queries to alice.robertson@mailonsunday.co.uk, using the subject line Ask Rosie

For a tenner

Q+A Collagen Body Butter (10, boots.com). Im loving this generous pot of unctuous cream. Perfect for parched skin on elbows and knees, it sinks in quickly and leaves limbs looking luxuriously glossy.
Er, why?

Because Americans are disgusted by the way we Brits wash up (a phrase they also find very comical).

Well, its more accurate than doing the dishes  were tacitly including glassware and cutlery.

Including glassware and cutlery is exactly what we shouldnt be doing, apparently.

Sorry?

Stateside observers cant believe that we clean everything together in the same dirty water.

Sud off! When it comes to cleaning dishes, Americans say Brits play dirty

But

And thats not the worst of it. Once weve got our mixed utensils coated in muddy suds, we just leave them in the rack to dry.

You mean without rinsing?

Exactly.

Wheres Americas evidence?

It began with a viral TikTok (18.6 million views and rising) from @spiritual_af, asking her UK followers to film themselves washing up after becoming alarmed by the national failure to rinse.

What happened next?

Despite attempts to defend themselves by several of @spiritual_afs UK followers, American contributors piled in to confirm her suspicions, posting evidence of their own.

What sort of things did they say?

I know exactly what you mean. UK washing up is messed up! offered @spacefrogen while @sabbriinam reported a huge culture shock when they visited Britain, adding that they thought the dishes were matt until I washed them.

This is outrageous!

I just cancelled my trip to London confided one traveller. Is that how they flavour their food? mused another.

We cannot let this slur pass unchallenged.

We havent. Since the TikTok was unleashed earlier this month, major sink-based unrest has erupted.

Good! Lets give em six of the best with the business end of the washing-up brush.

Passions are certainly inflamed. Dont most Americans just use paper plates? retaliated a scathing (and probably British) contributor before outlining a favourite way to do the dishes: I like to make a sink full of tea and let them soak. Then give them a scrub with a crumpet.

Who would have thought the use of washing-up liquid could prove so contentious?

The Devizes constabulary.

Pardon?

After a stunt last month, in which two bottles of washing-up liquid were emptied into the towns fountain, officers were compelled to act.

Hows operation bubble going?

We will be speaking with the town council to check their CCTV and identify those involved, said a spokesperson.

No soft-soaping from the Wiltshire force, then.

Not exactly, although the spokesperson did add: In the meantime, were taking the opportunity to wash up the stations teacups.

Theyd better rinse them afterwards, unless they want the FBI involved.

They could, as some in the washing-up row tried to point out, simply use a dishwasher.

Im damned if Ill desert my washing-up bowl just because America doesnt like it!

Noted, but you do own a dishwasher, right?

Right.

Provided you dont use it to wash fruit and veg, youll be fine.

Who uses a dishwasher to wash fruit and veg?

Funnily enough, the Americans.

Ha! And theyre preaching to me about rinsing plates. At least I havent got broccoli in my Bosch.

On TikTok a woman putting fruit and veg in her dishwasher (on a rinse cycle, with vinegar in lieu of rinse aid) has had 11.4 million views.

What comments did she get?

Im waiting for a company to now make [dishwasher] pods for vegetable and fruit cleaning offered one enterprising follower.

Ridiculous! This transatlantic discord will go down in history.

And we know how our children will refer to 2024.

The year of the great cleaning clash?

No. Dishwatergate.
I meet the actor Rosalind Eleazar as she is preparing to go on what she calls the best school trip ever! The 36-year-old is about to fly from London to Los Angeles to attend the 76th Emmy Awards, travelling with the rest of the cast of the Apple TV+ hit Slow Horses, in which she plays MI5 reject Louisa Guy.

Later, at the event, Slow Horses scoops one of the nine Emmys it is up for: best writing for showrunner Will Smith (who wrote for and acted in Armando Iannuccis The Thick of It, playing Phil the hapless adviser). No matter: Eleazar had a ball making her red-carpet debut in a sleek pink Rick Owens dress before partying the night away with Reese Witherspoon, Kristen Wiig and Jennifer Aniston at the Apple TV+ post-Emmys reception, and the cast of Slow Horses sat up into the small hours drinking champagne in their hotel lobby. (All the bars were closed, she tells me after the event.) However, on the YOU shoot three days before, its the plane journey there shes most excited by.

Blouse, trousers and boots, Louis Vuitton

They call it the Emmys flight and Im hoping all the Brit nominees from Slow Horses, The Crown, Baby Reindeer, Black Mirror and Ripley, maybe even Idris Elba [nominated for Hijack] will be on it, says Eleazar, changing out of a gold designer trouser suit into workout kit. Well-spoken with an easy laugh, she visibly relaxes: A planeload of incredible actors and writers I will definitely get starstruck.

Hmm, I wonder who shed most like to sit next to? Slow Horses co-star Gary Oldman would be great company  though, on the downside, his character Jackson Lamb is a flatulent, raincoated MI5 burnout. You do realise Gary doesnt actually smell, dont you? says Eleazar protectively. I mean, Lamb is a genius creation, farting and all, but Gary scrubs up well off-set. Youd be surprised the number of people who ask me, Does he dip himself in the Thames every morning?

Gary Oldman doesnt actually smell. He scrubs up well off-set

OK, how about handsome co-star Jack Lowden (he plays fellow spy River Cartwright) with whom Eleazars enjoys a cosy on-screen relationship? Jack is one of my best friends, so yes, that would work, she laughs. On-screen most of the horses are socially challenged, but in real life they are a great bunch.

Lowden is the subject of fevered speculation that he will be the new James Bond. While hes in LA, might there be time for a few important studio meetings? Oh, Jack is the number-one choice for Bond as far as Im concerned, says Eleazar. Seriously, he is witty and silly, not to mention a great actor as well as brilliant at all the action stuff. And we are due another Scottish Bond, arent we? For me, hes an obvious choice.

Lowden secretly married fellow actor Saoirse Ronan in Scotland earlier this summer. Did Eleazar attend? Thats need to know intel only, she says, drawing a zip across her mouth.

We meet in Ham, Southwest London, which, she points out, is an unfortunate place name for a rendezvous with an actor. Eleazar has flown back from a family holiday in Greece specially for todays photo shoot. She is warm and friendly, unlike her strong yet quietly vulnerable character. But I do relate to her, she says. No matter how strongly we present ourselves, we all have hidden pain.

Shirt, Vero Moda. Dress, Sandro. Earrings (just seen), Pond. Boots, Christian Louboutin

Slow Horses has taken its time achieving smash-hit status  the adaptation of Mick Herrons spy novels launched in 2022. It used to be the sleeper hit Id tell friends they should watch. Yet suddenly everyone thinks theyre a Jackson Lamb aficionado. Bill Gates blogged about binge-watching it in May, as America finally woke up to its British charm. All I want to know is: what took so bloody long? wrote Los Angeles Times culture columnist Mary McNamara earlier this month. I guess its nice to be part of the herd.

For the uninitiated, the slow horses are out-of-favour spies dumped at Slough House at the edge of the City of London (where the show is mostly filmed). Its an outpost for MI5 screwups led by Oldmans slovenly Jackson, memorably described by another operative as a man who looks like he gropes people on buses. Nevertheless, between them they still manage to thwart right-wing thugs, Russian spies and terrorist plots.

From the moment I opened the script during lockdown I was hooked, says Eleazar. I thought, This is great writing with complex characters. The women arent classic flawless types either  they are quirky and damaged. Its sort of like The Office crossed with John le Carre. It sounds mad, but it works.

Rosalind with Jack Lowden in series three of Slow Horses

Her character Louisa ended up at Slough House following a suspect pursuit that went disastrously wrong (its yet to be revealed exactly what happened) and in season one she found love with fellow bumbling operative Min Harper (played by Dustin Demri-Burns of comedy duo Cardinal Burns), who was sent to Slough House after accidentally leaving a top-secret file on a train. Then, spoiler alert, in season two, just as Min and Louisa have settled down, spending long, happy Saturday mornings together in a shared flat, hes whacked by a Russian assassin. When bad things happened to Min, says Eleazar, I said, I know its in the book, but cant we adapt it and save him?

I loved that relationship but thats part of the bravery of the show  main characters are not spared. Mick Herron has assured me that I survive all the way through, but he might just be saying that. It might be a bluff.

It has been said that the first thing the cast do when they get a new script is check whos been bumped off. That sounds like Jack, she says. Hes keen to know if hes dead or not. The other thing we want to know is: how many foot chases are there? I love sprinting so Im counting up those pursuits! (These days she stays fit by playing squash every morning.

Eleazar is British-Ghanaian. In the late 1980s, her English mum Deborah was working for a Greek shipping company when she met Major Courage Quashigah, a senior politician in the Ghanaian government, at a New Years Eve party, and they had a relationship. Deborah, who was in Ghana setting up an office for the shipping company, became pregnant. After giving birth, she moved back to the UK.

Eleazar only saw her father intermittently. I grew up with my mum, I need to stress that because she sometimes says, You always talk about your dad but never mention me in interviews, she says. Eleazar was raised by her mother in London but then, aged 13, won a scholarship to the prestigious Scottish public school Gordonstoun (alma mater of King Charles). I get hounded about going to Gordonstoun, especially after the way it was depicted in The Crown, says Eleazar.

For me it wasnt a cruel, brutal place  my drama teacher Mr Williams is one of the reasons Im here today.

With her husband Gabriele

After Gordonstoun she read Mandarin and Spanish at Nottingham University and was also in more regular contact with her father. In 2007 she visited him in Ghana, where he was by then minister for health.

A three-hour road trip from his birthplace, the coastal village of Keta, back to the capital Accra changed Eleazars life. I finally understood him, she says. It was just me, him and his bodyguard. We stopped at roadside stalls to buy fruit, and I saw how he was revered by the people and how much he loved Ghana. Id say he placed the love of his country above even his children.

Tragically, soon after the trip he was diagnosed with prostate cancer and died in 2010. Being minister for health, I think he thought it didnt look good to go abroad for treatment, says Eleazar. But after that trip we spoke every day and he was a big part of my life.

Similarities between Eleazar and the father she barely knew are striking. He grew up in poverty and got a scholarship to the British Armys officer training academy at Sandhurst, where he won the Best Overseas Cadet Award. He told me what a racist place Sandhurst was at that time  other cadets tried to sabotage his equipment so hed fail the course. It also turned out that he was once a decent actor. He won an acting award at university at the same age I won a best actress award at Nottingham, she says.

Most strikingly of all, before he became a government minister, he worked for the Ghanaian intelligence services. I know Im only a TV spy, but thats weird, isnt it? I doubt he would have been a slow horse, though.

It took a while for Eleazar to find her way into acting after that trip. Following her fathers death, she went back to Ghana to meet his side of the family. She even landed a job in TV production, helping to launch a Ghanaian version of The X Factor. But whenever I was auditioning people, I had this intense feeling: Thats what I want to do. Id acted through school and university, but then stopped. It took an old friend from uni back in the UK to ask me, Why have you given up on what you love? to change things.

In 2012, aged 24, Eleazar returned to the UK, applied to Lamda (London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art) hours before the deadline and won a place. Its now nine years since she graduated, and she has been acclaimed for work on both stage and screen. She won an award for her performance in Uncle Vanya at Londons Harold Pinter Theatre directed by Ian Rickson in 2020 (In Eleazar, Ricksons found gold noted The Mail on Sunday) and shone as Agnes in Armando Iannuccis 2019 film The Personal History of David Copperfield. That was my first big film role, and I was among acting royalty, she recalls. When Tilda Swinton calmed my nerves just by touching my hand, that was a genuine Is this real? moment.

Early next year Eleazar will lead in a star-studded Netflix adaptation of Harlan Cobens Missing You. Its classic Coben: detective Kat Donovans fiance has been missing for years when his face pops up on a dating app and white-knuckle drama ensues. The streaming platforms most recent Coben adaptation Fool Me Once (starring Michelle Keegan) was one of its most popular dramas ever, with over 98 million viewers. Is Eleazar ready for that sort of fame? From the outside, certain levels of fame can look daunting, she says. But I know how lucky I am to have the chance to fulfil certain dreams.

The main dream is quite straightforward: to buy a house on the Greek island of Sifnos where she can live with her husband, film producer Gabriele Lo Giudice (he also acts and appeared briefly in Netflixs Ripley). Eleazar would like to open a restaurant there.

The couple met at university, though their courtship sounds a little... slow. At uni I knew him as this beautiful Italian man I didnt talk to, she says. I have a photo of us standing back-to-back at a party. After uni we were friendly, then one day at a get-together in London we were chatting; there was another handsome Italian man present so I asked Gabriele, Who is that beautiful Italian man? and he said, Wait, cant I be your beautiful Italian man? They skirted the issue for a decade  but she finally married Lo Giudice.

If life has taught me anything, says Eleazar, it is this: relish the moment, seize the day.

Slow Horses (seasons one to four) is on Apple TV+

Picture director: Ester Malloy.

Make-up: James ORiley at One represents.

Hair: Kevin Fortune.
It was after dining recently at a hipster Mexican restaurant in Bristol  the kind of place so moodily lit you need your phone torch to read the menu  that I first noticed the trend. The bill came not with a few manky mints but a smart matt-black pack of matches bearing the venues logo and QR code.

Call it a comeback  once upon a time, when almost everyone sparked up a Marlboro Light after dessert, restaurant and bar matches were ubiquitous. I dont think I lived in a flatshare in my 20s that didnt have a grubby glass bowl full of specimens from various horrible pubs. After the indoor smoking ban almost 20 years ago they were a rarer sight, but now bougie matches are on fire, and phillumeny  collecting match-related paraphernalia  is one of Gen Zs new favourite hobbies.

Mohawk match strike, 45, jonathanadler.com

In a development unlikely to have been predicted by John Walker, the Stockton-on-Tees pharmacist who invented the humble match in 1826, TikTok has gone wild for them. Match fans swap tips on the best restaurants, bars and hotels offering beautiful designs, while showing off their hauls and even framing their favourites.

Fancy matches have practical upsides. Those scented candles wont light themselves. Gen Z has noticed this. On TikTok, videos of LAs highly entertaining candle influencer Sir Candle Man have clocked over four million views. In one he reviews Diptyque matches: Ive unlocked the new level of bougieness, he says. Did yall think wed be reviewing matches in 2024?

La Foret Reve scented matches, 22, diptyqueparis.com

Frankly, no, but then whod have thought wed pay 22 for a box when traditionally they cost pennies? Diptyque, the OG luxe scented candle brand, launched a range in six fragrances last year. Still got money to burn? Interiors designer Jonathan Adler has quirky porcelain match strikes (a match holder that lights) for 45, while interiors guru Nina Campbells lead-crystal match striker-cum-objet dart will set you back north of 500.

Giant matches, 36, archivist.gallery.com

Then there are the wedding favours. Sugared almonds begone  modern bashes are likely to involve guests gifts in the form of personalised matchbooks or boxes. Theyre a creative and purse-friendly way to celebrate and show love, says Dayna Isom Johnson, trend expert at online retailer etsy.com, which reports a 102 per cent increase in searches for bespoke matchboxes in the past three months, compared to the same period a year ago. Designing your own is also the ideal chance to showcase a witty pun about you and yours being the perfect match. (Dont worry, no one will have thought of that one before.)

Banana glass bottle matches, 15.50, oliverbonas.com

Various forces are at play here. Instagram ushered in the idea that everything in your home needs to be beautiful, and that includes matches, says Sasha Wilkins, who runs antiques and vintage homeware retailer Found By Sasha Wilkins. Take tablescaping. Every social media shot of an occasional table will have a framed photo, a mid-century lamp, a scented candle and a box of matches. Its a sign that youve got taste and style.

Matchbox sleeve, from 50, matildagoad.com

Then there is the retro, lo-fi appeal of the old-school match. Younger generations have, after all, discovered vinyl afresh, along with record players, cine cameras and Sony Walkmans. In a digital world, with everything in the cloud, something tangible is important, says Wilkins.

Designer strikes can be an accessible luxury in chastened times as theyre often more affordable than people think. With every pair of candlesticks she sells, Wilkins throws in a box of classic Swan Vestas when she wraps the purchase: The packaging is so retro and cool. And theyre only 59p.

Retro? Cool? Somebody send some to Sir Candle Man  quick!
New Delhi, Sep 27 (UNI) The Supreme Court on Friday expunged Allahabad High Courts remarks that the majority population of the country would become the minority one day if religious congregations where conversions take place are not stopped.



The Bench comprising Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud and Justice Manoj Mishra observed that the remarks made by the High Court were uncalled for and "such general remarks should not be used in any other cases."



Justice Rohit Ranjan Agarwal of the High Court had on July 1 made these remarks while denying bail to an accused booked for unlawful conversion.



The accused was facing a case under the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, 2021.



Justice Agarwal also gave detailed observations on religious conversions and their alleged impact on the majority population.



During the hearing on the bail application, the High Court was informed that a complainants brother had been taken from his village to attend a gathering of "well-being" in Delhi. Along with him, several persons from the village were also taken there to convert them to Christianity.



In this context, while denying bail to the accused, the High Court had observed that if such practice is allowed to continue, the majority population would become a minority one day.



The High Court judge also said that Article 25 of the Constitution of India provides for freedom of conscience and free profession, practice, and propagation of religion but does not provide for conversion from one faith to another..



The word propagation means to promote, but it does not mean to convert any person from his religion to another religion, it added.



These observations were expunged by the Supreme Court on Friday.



UNI SNG RC
Two years ago, on a chilly Tuesday night in November, the king and queen hosted their first state banquet at Buckingham Palace. State banquets are impressive affairs whatever the weather, all stiff white tie and polite toasts, but theyre not exactly a barrel of laughs. That night, though, Queen Camilla looked like she was having a ball. Why? Sapphires. She appeared to have told the crown jeweller, Bling me up. Ill take everything youve got. Everywhere you looked there were sapphires: tiara, chandelier earrings, necklace, bracelets. She looked thrilled to bits. After the sadness of Queen Elizabeths death, and the never-ending sulky psychodrama of Megxit, we had a new queen with a twinkle in her eye  and an endearing soft spot for sapphires.

Camilla at her first state banquet as queen, November 2022, wearing the sapphire suite of jewels from the late Queen Elizabeths collection

Even a few years ago, the former Mrs Parker Bowles did not seem destined to become a national treasure. For a long time, she didnt even seem destined to become queen. Her longstanding friend the Marchioness of Lansdowne, at whose stately home, Bowood, Charles and Camilla used to have secret trysts, recently said that never in a million years did Camilla think she would become queen. This, after all, is the person Queen Elizabeth is said to have called that wicked woman, but with whom she later bonded over a shared love of horses and dogs. It took a concerted effort on the PR front over two decades to turn her image around, and a typically elegant nudge from Queen Elizabeth who, in her Platinum Jubilee speech, spoke of her sincere wish that, when Charles became king, Camilla would be referred to as Queen Consort.

That was the title sorted, but winning public affection was up to Camilla. Not that she ever looked like she wanted the top job, largely because she didnt. A former communications secretary to the king and queen, Julian Payne, said that it was never a role that she actively campaigned for. And she never looked like she was trying too hard to be liked. She is known by some aides at Clarence House as the lady boss, and a friend says that she has succeeded just by being herself. Camilla was not, they added, someone who could be pushed about, but nor was she liable to have a hissy fit. After the histrionics of Harry and Meghan and the disaster that is Prince Andrew, it came as a relief to have someone in the palace who kept calm and carried on.

If Camilla had a family motto it would be Thou shalt not whine

She is resilient, and she was brought up with this extraordinary sense of duty, the Marchioness of Lansdowne told The Sunday Times shortly before the coronation. It has stood her in very good stead.

As Tina Brown observed in her book The Palace Papers, if Camilla had a family motto it would be thou shalt not whine. That was thrown into sharp focus earlier this year, with Charles and the Princess of Wales both temporarily absent from royal engagements while they underwent cancer treatment. Camilla stepped up her duties with cheerful good humour and the energy of someone considerably younger. Back in 2018, Meghan went on a walkabout in Australia and is said to have complained, I cant believe Im not getting paid for this. In contrast, Camilla stuck to the royal rule book: she turned up, showed an interest, looked delighted, then went home with the air of a woman likely to kick off her shoes and call for a stiff drink.

Camilla with actress Emerald Fennell, 2022. Fennell played Camilla as a sexy, lusty chain-smoker in The Crown

Camilla has earned her stripes through the love and loyalty she has shown to her husband, and by devotion to duty to the crown, according to Robert Jobson in his book Charles at Seventy.

For Gen Zers, Camilla is a TikTok sensation. The hashtag #queenconsort has racked up almost half a billion views from people who probably hadnt been born when Princess Diana died. According to YouGov, Camillas popularity is on the rise, and currently double that of Harry. The blows he aimed at her in his autobiography, Spare, and in interviews to promote it, largely failed to land because he was so busy punching other people as well. As for Camilla, she learned from Queen Elizabeth how to react: never complain, never explain. As the Marchioness of Lansdowne puts it, Dont whinge, put your best face on and keep going is Camillas philosophy, as is Dont make a thing of it. Least said, soonest mended.

So Camilla keeps her head down and gets on with the job. She takes a close interest in her charity The Queens Reading Room, which promotes literacy and literature, and her work with organisations supporting survivors of rape and domestic abuse. Apart from the days that call for sapphires, shes aware that if the royal family needs glamour, it will be Kates phone that rings, not hers, at least once the Princess of Wales is fully well again. As Brown put it, Camilla was always more of a horsewoman than a clothes horse. But she has nevertheless found a style and sticks to it: zip-up dresses, fitted round the bust, flaring to just below the knee. Its a length that gives fashionistas the heebie-jeebies, as do her well-worn black suede knee-high boots, but Camilla hasnt got where she is today by caring too much what other people think of her clothes. If anything, she probably allowed herself a wry smile when the fashion press gave a thumbs-up to her appearance in an electric-blue jumpsuit.

Shed be far happier wearing old jeans and a sweater to pootle round her private home, Ray Mill House, in Wiltshire, cooking roast chicken for the grandchildren, and her staff know to block out time in her diary to do just that. Yet as gatekeeper to the king, her soft power is immense. When Harry flew over after his fathers cancer diagnosis, it is hard not to suspect Camillas hand in the decision to grant him only half an hour of the kings time. She is the person who can calm Charles down when hes agitated and cheer him up when hes down in the dumps.

Camilla with Charles, 2013. They are always laughing together, says an aide

They are always laughing together, an aide told Brown. They are a glove that fits. She brings out the best in him and he brightens whenever he sees her. Their affection and ability to work well as a double act comes across to the public, perhaps especially those who remember the toxic rivalry of Charles and Diana.

Then theres Netflixs The Crown, which reimagined ancient history for a whole new audience. Some in the palace went into conniptions at Emerald Fennells decidedly unregal portrayal of Camilla as a sexy, busty, lusty young chain-smoker who was fun to be around. But in a royal family that can seem wildly dysfunctional, being fun is relatable. Camilla came across as the holy grail of reputation management: authentic. Gen Z went wild for it and Camilla owned it. When Fennell was invited to a reception at Clarence House, Camilla agreed to be photographed with her and even joked that if she fell off her perch, her fictional alter ego could step in.

Nobody likes to be looked at all the time and, you know, criticised, she told Vogue in an interview to mark her 75th birthday in 2022. But I think in the end I sort of rise above it. Youve got to get on with life.

The Secret Diary of Queen Camilla by Hilary Rose is published by Constable, 18.99. To order a copy for 16.14 until 13 October, go to mailshop.co.uk/books or call 020 3176 2937. Free UK delivery on orders over 25.

Getty Images
My first food memory is me being an incredibly picky child, only eating raw cucumber, raw carrot, corned beef, which will age me slightly, and Bovril sandwiches. It was all unbelievably salty: beef and raw-vegetable based.

When I was young my dad worked a lot so my mum cooked. She wasnt keen but she could provide childrens dinners. As we got older I saw my dad a lot more because he started working for himself. Hes an extremely good, self-taught cook, so there was a kind of transition when I became a teenager, where he would do most of the adventurous cooking. He still does.

My father has a library of cookbooks and would run through national cuisines. Hed have a Greek phase, an Italian phase. He liked project cooking.

When I was about ten we would pick mushrooms on autumn Saturday mornings while walking the dogs on Kirtlington Park polo fields in Oxfordshire. I remember the house smelling of mushroom soup afterwards, something I disliked intensely. But my father was proud of, and also confident in, his mushroom knowledge. He knew that he wasnt going to Phantom Thread us and poison the whole house.

Potato smileys were a staple at secondary school and there was a competition to discover who could eat the most. I think I clocked 41 one day.

Dan loved visiting Tokyos old Tsukiji fish market as a teenager.

There were ways to pass the port and claret at formals when I was at Pembroke College, Cambridge. That whole dining thing was radically different from anything I knew before. There was also a great rumour that if you had done well in tripos [exams] youd be invited to a feast where swan was served. I never saw that happen, nor did anyone I knew. Was that because I kept low company? Im not sure.

His comfort food is Greek pastitsio

I have a happy memory of sitting in Tokyos old fish market Tsukiji, eating sushi, when I travelled to Japan aged 19. I was just talking about it to my children, who are 15, 12 and three, and I said Japan was the closest experience on earth to going to another planet, from the lavatory technology to vending machine cuisine in Tokyo station.

I cant deal with eggs if the white and the yolk are separate. I can eat scrambled eggs or an omelette but not fried or boiled. Its weird. The most disgusting thing Ive ever tried was sea urchin, in a sushi joint in West Hollywood. It tasted like the rank, stinky snot of an elderly consumptive, but the chef was watching. There was no getting out of it.

I may not have inherited my fathers cooking skills but I do have his passion. My daughters are pretty good eaters, and you can take them anywhere. But our toddler is even more of a picky eater than I was. Hell only eat beige food and he hurls vegetables across the room. Were in Greece at the moment and astonishingly hes started eating spanakopita [spinach pie]. So every day Im just shovelling it into his mouth.

Dan wants prawn cocktail on his dinner menu

My comfort food would be Italian  definitely pasta or anything that sits on the edge of Italian and Greek. Like pastitsio, lots of bechamel, meat sauce and pasta. Its perfect hangover food.

If I open a fridge and theres not a packet of mini cocktail sausages in there Im always disappointed. Thats my favourite thing to have, along with a pot of hummus. We have other things in there as well, but those two really feel essential.

My final dinner would be high-end basic. Id have a vodka martini with an olive then a prawn cocktail, like the one in The Wolseley. Steak with tiny slivers of hot, salty frites. Old-fashioned surf and turf with a glass of burgundy, and some macaroons at the end. I dont mind dying after all that.

Henry V by Dan Jones is published by Apollo, 25. To order a copy for 21.25 until 13 October, go to mailshop.co.uk/books or call 020 3176 2937. Free UK delivery on orders over 25.
Many years ago I wrote a short story called Last Years Coat, about a woman who longs for a coat she cant afford. Pragmatic and thrifty, she tries on a cheaper version, hoping to convince herself its just as good, but its not the same. The shoddy cut, the cheap fabric, all conspire to make her feel worse about herself.

I think, as is often the case, there was more of me in this story than I realised at the time. Because, of all my clothes, my coat is the thing that alters how I feel about myself. I dont buy a winter coat every season, but every few years I spy something and zero in on it like a guided missile; and then I wear that thing to death over a period of years.

The Bonnie Coat is transformative

The first one I remember falling in love with was a childs raincoat. Its possible my mother made it for me; she made a lot of my clothes. I teamed it with my grey beret and felt invincible wearing it. I think I was three. Equally, aged eight I remember the horror of being given a neighbours sons parka (it was the 1970s, we were all broke, and all wore cast-offs). I wept, convinced that if I wore it everyone would think I was a boy.

Even then I understood that a good coat is armour, not just against the weather but against the world. Walking my dogs on winter mornings, I wear a nondescript black padded coat, hood up, shielded against the elements, invisible. Heading to a meeting, it might be a cream fake-shearling wraparound, or an eight-year-old ankle-length navy leather reversible with white stripes that was so expensive I had to hide the bill from myself (Id only popped out for a sandwich). In an age where trainers have become standard footwear and many work from home, the coat is the part of my outfit that speaks to how I feel about myself. Im not very flamboyant, but coats are where I cut loose.

I thought of that short story as I headed to the offices of designer Charlotte Simone. I had spotted her coats a couple of years ago in an online advert for a multicoloured fake-fur jacket. I knew, as soon as I saw it, that I would wear it endlessly. By the time I clicked, it had already sold out.

Jojo feels 70s fab in the Stevie Gilet

It turns out Simones coats pretty much always sell out. She makes relatively small batches of between 150 and 400 and announces three drops a year on social media, usually lasting a week, which are swiftly bought by fans who include A-listers such as Taylor Swift, Dua Lipa and Katy Perry. She used to sell through stores such as Selfridges, but adopted the drop method almost accidentally during lockdown, when she lost all my retailers overnight, and has employed it ever since.

I turn up at the designers Marylebone studio in no mood for trying on clothes; a night of insomnia has left me whey-faced and exhausted. (I arrive in a black mac, which probably speaks volumes.) Simone is not what I expected from her coats; she is low-key in jeans, an oversized white shirt and trainers. An elderly sausage dog called Harold potters around the studio.

Im feeling more at ease but a bit dubious about her first choice for me: called Bonnie, its a pink fake fur with a high collar (I feel decrepit, and the colour is not really me). Within minutes of trying it on, I am reassessing. A high collar, as any woman over 40 knows, is flattering, and the shade is transformative against my skin. Pulling its soft collar up around my face feels like Im being cradled. Can a coat really make me feel this much better? I try a long, fake-leopardskin style, concerned that at my age Ill look like Bet Lynch. But it elongates me and is surprisingly elegant (no mean feat if youre 5ft 2in).

As I try on more coats, my mood lifts. They are uniformly flattering. Most are three-quarter or full length, often belted and glamorous. Oh my god, I say to her, as I try on a fake-fur gilet. I realise what this is. Your coats are all fabulous, in the old-fashioned sense. Which means I feel fabulous.

Simone (full name Charlotte Simone Beecham, but she uses only her first and middle names professionally) is 35. She lives in Northwest London with her husband Dean (theyve been together for 18 years) and their baby Goldie. She went to New York University, which she credits with her drive and anything is possible mindset, and started her brand in 2015. She runs her Instagram account herself, as she enjoys the direct contact with customers and seeing how her coats affect their confidence.

Im a jeans and T-shirt girl, she says, as I rip my way through her clothing rails. But I always loved the idea of having one statement piece that can instantly lift your look. I like to think our coats do just that  instantly elevate your everyday and give that It-girl glamour.

Her coats have names redolent of Hollywood, like Margot, Stevie and Harlow. Her Instagram is littered with women bemoaning the fact that they missed out on an Edie. Most are around the 300-400 mark, far less than most designer coats. While Simone favours a multitude of fabrics, one of the reasons she uses fake fur is to help keep the price point down as she wants them to be affordable. Many designs are based on vintage finds and are meant to be timeless.

Her upcoming drop has been nine months in the making. We now work on a slow and sustainable approach to fashion, she says. She enjoys taking time over the coats. We dont work to traditional timelines any more; we just do us.

I leave, having fallen in love with not one but two items: a Stevie faux-suede gilet (left), which immediately turns my boring jeans and shirt into something more stylish, and a brown coat (belted, shearling collar, made me feel like a Charlie girl from the 70s ads) called Penny. Like Simone, Im not interested in whether its trendy, just how it makes me feel. And as I head back out, still on two hours sleep, I realise, thanks to This Years Coat, I feel pretty good.

Charlotte Simones next coat drop will be live at 8pm on Wednesday. Sign up to be notified at charlottesimone.com

Hair and make-up: Caroline Piasecki using Nars
Every week, British cinemas and theatres are playing host to scenes of astonishing action, blistering dialogue and nail-biting suspense. But theres a problem: these tense and emotional performances arent happening on the screen or the stage. The real drama is in the seats. You might even have found yourself becoming the reluctant star.

Its all thanks to a modern menace: the curse of audiences reaching for their phones during a performance. People who do this are the contemporary equivalent of dirty old men whod cluster in 1970s fleapit cinemas. You just want to yell, Put it away!

Im sure youve noticed that this faux pas (or should that be phone pas) has reached critical mass: many peoples default position is no longer, Dont do it, its appalling, but, Well, everyone else is doing it, so why shouldnt I?

Film critic Mark Kermode offered a pithy indictment of audience habits when he said weve turned our living rooms into cinemas and our cinemas into living rooms. Has our society really lost the ability to behave properly in public?

For me, this summer was the straw that broke the camels back. My wife and I had arranged a family trip to see Imelda Staunton star in Hello, Dolly! at the London Palladium. Thanks to the pandemic and Stauntons chock-a-block diary, this production had been postponed since 2020. So, for us, having waited four years and shelled out a fortune, the night out was a big deal.

It was a few minutes after the interval when the telephonic terror began. As Staunton and co were busy belting out another showstopper the woman to my left clearly didnt understand the meaning of that word. A showstopper is shorthand for an exceptional moment, not a green light for morons to stop watching the show and start doomscrolling.

What was this imbecile thinking? Did she not care about this five-star spectacular? Had she not paid for her ticket? Did she really not realise how others might feel? I hoped she might stop in a second, but her finger kept swiping. Her screen kept shimmering. She was checking her emails. Maybe she was expecting an urgent message.

I waited a minute and then glanced again at her phone. Now she was on a newspaper app, scrolling through stories.

What the f***?

I didnt know what to do. I certainly couldnt concentrate on Hello, Dolly! thanks to the shining oblong in my peripheral vision and the questions raging in my head.

All around me the Palladium was in raptures. Meanwhile, unfolding inside my head was an unmade Hitchcock movie. The longer the phone glowed, the more I glowered. Eventually, after five minutes of torture, enough was enough: Could you turn your phone off, please? I asked.

This wasnt my first rodeo. Until recently, friends leaned on me to be the one to step in whenever this neon nuisance occurred. In cinemas Ive long since stopped taking action because, frankly, times have got scarier. And people are ruder now, too. Once, during a performance of Holsts The Planets at the Royal Albert Hall, I asked the man next to me to stop reading Twitter. He barked at me that I was being menstrual.

Even so, I calculated that Friday night at the Palladium was a safe space, where one could still gently ask a phone-fumbler to give it a rest. And how did the woman react? With a level of performative histrionics to make Cristiano Ronaldo blush. Instead of just taking the hint and putting her phone away, she jumped out of her seat in mock surprise. Then, slowly, grudgingly, she switched off the screen and gazed at the stage.

I felt incredibly awkward for the rest of the show. But this is the paradox of the phone-y war. Youre damned if you do intervene, damned if you dont. After the cast took their final bow, instinctively I did the British thing: I ignored my enemy completely, and turned to my wife to explain what had happened. When I looked again, Ms Phonealot had vanished, possibly chastened by the experience but more likely en route to annoying someone else. Possibly you.

Have theatre audiences always behaved so abysmally? Were the Ancient Greeks equally rude? Or have these infernal devices now captured us so completely that weve swiped left on etiquette?

I think, therefore I am, said Descartes. I reckon its time for a sequel  iPhone, therefore Ill go outside and stop p***ing everyone off. Tell your loved ones. Make them pass it on. Maybe, just maybe, well all see the light.

See Jon Harveys alter ego Count Binface on tour, countbinface.com/tour
Kyle House sits in solitude, nearly two miles from the nearest village, at the southern end of the Kyle of Tongue estuary in the Highlands. A former drovers cottage, it is a uniquely Scottish dwelling with a Scandinavian sensibility.

In the living room a fireplace and window nook have views of the ever-changing tidal estuary that runs through sandbanks to the North Atlantic

The structure, which dates from the early 1800s, is believed to have been built using stone salvaged from the nearby Iron-Age Dun Mhaigh roundhouse.

Muted tones and soft textures create a calm and sophisticated living space

It had been derelict for years when it was bought by Danish power couple Anne Storm Pedersen and Anders Holch Povlsen. The pair own several international fashion retail businesses (including Vero Moda and Jack & Jones, as well as being major shareholders in Asos). They also run Wildland (wildland.scot), a conservation project thats restoring the Scottish landscape, planting thousands of trees and reintroducing native flower and plant species to the area.

The uncomplicated, functional dining area is illuminated with a plain paper lantern

The house, which was windowless on three sides and had an asbestos roof, was meticulously restored using traditional materials and techniques by award-winning Scottish architects Gras, along with Danish interior designer Ruth Kramer, local builder Ewen MacRae and a host of other specialist craftspeople.

The house is simply furnished, with clean lines and natural materials. There is nothing fussy or unnecessary in the design

The small, humble-looking building cleverly conceals a contemporary interior. New living spaces were made by placing oak inserts  almost like giant boxes  into the shell of the original stone structure. All the windows  many of them new  have views over the wild landscape beyond.

Space is given in equal measure to sleeping, eating, living and bathing. The bathtub is positioned perfectly to deliver views of the Highlands

Everything was constructed incorporating stone, oak, lime plaster, brass, leather and glass. Technology is used only where it supports easy and efficient living in the house.

Bespoke oak joinery frames views of the wild landscape beyond

The kitchen looks out over the dramatic four-peaked Ben Loyal, known as the Queen of Scottish mountains, and while having a soak in the bathtub upstairs you can you take in the Highland scenery in all its glory.

The stone used to create the original building was thought to have been salvaged from the nearby Iron-Age Dun Mhaigh roundhouse

In the cosy living room, next to the fireplace, a window-seat reading nook looks out towards the sea and the Kyle of Tongue. There is attention to detail throughout, from the carefully crafted Danish oak kitchen to the bespoke joinery, all in a quiet, natural palette. This creates a unique one-bedroom hideaway (kyle.scot) celebrating the best of Scottish and Scandinavian style.

This is an edited extract from A Place in Scotland by Banjo Beale (Quadrille, 35). To order a copy for 29.75 with free delivery until 13 October, go to mailshop.co.uk/books or call 020 3176 2937
Time for change: Chancellor Rachel Reeves

Labour has an uphill task fulfilling its growth mission. The bible of 'Mission Economics' was written by University College of London professor Mariana Mazzucato.

She took as her blueprint John F Kennedy's race to the moon amid fears that the old Soviet Union's Sputnik programme was winning in space.

The US eventually triumphed by incorporating the mission into every relevant part of government, from the Treasury to the Pentagon and university research programmes. Growth is a much more nebulous concept, and in the past has left many government efforts sinking in the treacle of bureaucracy.

Harold Wilson's 1960s vision of an economy propelled by the 'white heat of technology' ended in failure. A newly created Department of Economic Affairs was gobbled up by the Treasury. British Leyland effectively sank the ambitions of the National Enterprise Board.

There has been a perpetual struggle between the UK's vulnerability on global markets and efforts to power up output.

Wilson was defeated by a trade deficit and a run on the pound. George Osborne's austerity was the result of the 2008 great financial crisis. Liz Truss's supply side zeal was crushed in the gilts market. Rachel Reeves' dismal narrative stems from concerns that the new Labour Government could be smashed by borrowing and debt.

Much of what Reeves has done, or is planning so far, is anti-growth. Policies such as closing loopholes on North Sea oil exploration, the threats of increases in capital gains, inheritance and pension taxes all run counter to endeavour and enterprise. Nevertheless, the Chancellor is not totally immune to pressure, as her willingness to dilute plans to close non-domiciled loopholes suggests.

Similarly, she and the Treasury are set to change fiscal rules, which guide budgetary policy, to create as much space as possible for investment.

If the growth mission is to have any real chance of lift-off, the Chancellor will need buy-in from the City and asset managers.

Both former chancellor Jeremy Hunt and now Reeves are striving to unlock pension fund cash for investment in start-ups, infrastructure, green energy and equity investment. The fall in pension fund investment in UK equities to less just 3pc on some measures is usually ascribed to Gordon Brown's removal of the tax relief which was received on dividends.

There also is a body of opinion in the Square Mile and Whitehall, which now thinks that Osborne's post-financial crisis reform of City regulation has played a big role in suppressing animal spirits.

After the supervisory laxity of the Financial Services Authority (FSA) and the Bank of England in the run-up to the banking implosion, which began with Northern Rock in 2007, City regulation was turned on its head. It moved from its traditional principles based regime, which offered flexibility, to a cumbersome rules based system.

Banks, insurers and pension funds were compelled or required to hold vast amounts of capital, much of it tied up in government bonds. The separation of 'casino' style investment banking from commercial and consumer banking, led to most of the High Street banks becoming risk averse, shedding trading and broking activities. Only Barclays, with the help of gung-ho former chief executive Bob Diamond, stuck with the riskier mandate.

The malfunctioning FSA was replaced by the Financial Conduct Authority, which has ladled on layers of ever more complex rules. Even the most simple tasks, such as winning approval for lowly executives to be approved persons, became doggedly bureaucratic. The hopelessly intrusive rules and disclosure requirements governing company listing on the London Stock Exchange sent many promising new and established companies off to New York and Amsterdam. The only flourishing areas were the wholesale markets, such as foreign exchange and derivatives. They are so large, established and powerful that they were effectively uncontrollable.

The ultimate irony would be the sight of a Labour government sweeping the rule-based system put in place by the Tory dominated coalition into the sea. Under Nikhil Rathi, the FCA rapidly has sought to simplify enforcement and make listings easier. Reeves is set to formally remind the FCA and the Bank of England's rigid Prudential Regulatory Administration of the 'growth' mission at the time of the budget. Lighter touch regulation is to make a comeback.
An Australian property giant owned by Rupert Murdoch was told last night it needs to offer at least 7billion for Rightmove to be in with a chance of a deal.

It came after Rea Group made a fourth bid for the British home listings giant, which valued the company at 6.2billion.

Rightmove said yesterday that it will consider the latest proposal, having already rejected three earlier bids worth 5.6billion, 5.9billion and 6.1billion.

And the FTSE 100 property website group did not grant Rea's request to extend the bid deadline from 5pm on Monday.

Shares in Rightmove rose 0.5 per cent, or 3.6p, to 668.6p yesterday, still languishing below the 781p offer price in a sign that investors do not believe an agreement will be reached.

No deal: Rupert Murdoch's Rea Group was told it needs to offer at least 7billion for Rightmove to be in with a chance of a deal

Rea said it was 'disappointed' that Rightmove's board, led by chairman Andrew Fisher, had not yet engaged in takeover talks. The Melbourne-based group's chief executive Owen Wilson flew to London yesterday in the hope of meeting Rightmove directors. He joined Rea chairman Hamish McLennan, who jetted in earlier this week to meet Rightmove shareholders. They will hold further talks with Rightmove shareholders over the weekend, urging them to pressure the firm's board to engage.

'Rea has repeatedly requested meetings with Rightmove but no meetings have taken place and as such there has been no substantive engagement beyond cursory procedural telephone calls with the Rightmove chairman,' a Rea spokesman said.

Several investors including Axa have broken cover to say Rightmove directors should come to the table. But others said the property platform should hold its nerve.

'The Rightmove board should be in no rush, if at all, to engage with Rea based on its slightly sweetened offer,' a spokesman for Sanford DeLand Asset Management, which holds a 16m stake in the firm, told the Mail.

'We do not share Rea's logic that a combination will realise value given it has no existing operations in the UK.'

He said there was 'zero appeal' in 'exchanging 100 per cent of what is a great British organic growth story for part cash and part paper in Rea which has been assembled largely through M&A'.

'It would take nothing short of a knockout bid with full cash alternative to change our view,' he added.

Peel Hunt analysts Jessica Pok and Melanie Yang said the new offer was 'not strong enough' and cast doubt on Rea's ability to increase its bid further.

They said Rightmove is worth at least 7billion.

'If Rightmove agrees to extend the deadline for a formal bid, it opens the possibility for Rea to increase its offer,' they said.

'However, we do not believe Rea can significantly increase the bid price.'

Dan Coatsworth, investment analyst at AJ Bell, said: 'Rea doesn't seem to get the message. To really get this deal over the line, Rea needs to consider an all-cash offer. Shareholders know they are holding a unique asset for the UK stock market and the UK market leader for property portals. They aren't going to give that up unless Rea pays a premium price.'

Suggesting Rea would need to pay over 800p a share, he added: 'It needs to dig a lot deeper or walk away.'

Rea offered 781p per Rightmove share, including a special dividend of 6p. It has committed to a secondary listing in London that would allow British investors to own Rightmove shares.
Titanic shipmaker Harland & Wolff has fallen into administration for the second time in five years  putting 66 jobs at risk.

The Belfast-based company warned such a move was imminent after a review found that its holding company, Harland & Wolff Group, was insolvent.

Harland & Wolff is best known for building the ill-fated Titanic in Belfast and also runs the historic Appledore shipyard in Devon and two more sites in Scotland.

The 163-year-old firm has been hunting for cash in recent months as it struggles to keep up with competitors and deal with its debts.

The group said it has appointed Gavin Park and Matt Cowlishaw of Teneo Financial Advisory Limited as joint administrators.

Uncertain times: Harland & Wolff is best known for building the ill-fated Titanic in Belfast

It warned there would be job losses but did not disclose how many of its 66 employees would be affected.

The insolvency process does not include subsidiaries in Northern Ireland and Scotland or Devon.
Another London-listed company looks set to fall prey to private equity predators from the United States.

Learning Technologies, which provides software to help businesses recruit and train employees, said it has been approached by buyout company General Atlantic about a takeover worth 100p a share or 800m.

The company said it was likely to recommend a formal bid at that price to shareholders.

Shares soared 28.2 per cent, or 21.1p, to 96p, but the stock is still trading below its peak of 236p in September 2021.

Learning Technologies said the proposal, which follows earlier approaches, includes an option for its shareholders to co-invest in General Atlantic's unlisted acquisition vehicle.

In demand: Learning Technologies has been approached by buyout company General Atlantic about a takeover worth 100p a share or 800m

The US private equity firm has until October 25 to announce whether it wants to make an official offer or walk away.

Green energy firm Ceres Power more than doubled its revenues after landing a major deal.

Sales rose to 28.5m in the six months to the end of June, up from 11.7m during the same period in 2023.

The group also reported record orders worth 46.9m in the first half, taking the total to 103.3m since the start of 2024.

The gains were driven by a major manufacturing licensing deal announced in January with Taiwan's Delta Electronics. Ceres will share and licence its hydrogen technology to Delta, which wants to start making fuel cells by the end of 2026 that can be used to power its products.

The London-listed firm landed a similar contract with Japan's Denso in July.

As a result, Ceres reiterated its upgraded annual forecast for revenues of 50m to 60m in 2024.

Shares surged 26.6 per cent, or 53.2p, to 253.4p.

Clean Power Hydrogen's losses widened from 1.6m to 2.3m in the first half of 2024.

The results came a day after the firm reported its 'most significant milestone' as new test results paved the way for the commercial roll-out of its technology. Shares, which soared 28 per cent on Thursday, fell 4.9 per cent, or 0.55p, to 10.65p.

On the wider market, the FTSE 100 rose 0.4 per cent, or 35.85 points, to 8320.76 and the FTSE 250 added 1.1 per cent, or 230.12 points, to 21240.56.

Prudential has signed a partnership with the sixth largest bank in Indonesia. The London-listed firm will become the life insurance provider of Bank Syariah Indonesia (BSI), which has more than 20m customers and more than 1,000 bank branches, from early next year. Shares gained 2.7 per cent, or 18.4p, to 700p.

Health care group Haleon is to pay 500m to increase its stake in Tianjin Pharmaceutical (TSKF), its joint business in China, from 55 per cent to 88 per cent. Haleon will also have an option to buy the remaining 12 per cent stake in TSKF. Shares rose 1.7 per cent, or 6.5p, to 396.6p.

Tech firm Big Technologies launched its maiden share buyback. It will purchase nearly 6m worth of shares from investors. Shares rose 6.8 per cent, or 8p, to 125p.
Jeffrey Archer is one of the world's most successful novelists, writes YORK MEMBERY. In 1979 he hit the literary big time with the blockbuster Kane And Abel, and has since sold about 300 million books worldwide which have been translated into more than 40 languages.

He was a Conservative MP from 1969-1974 and later served as deputy party chairman, but was sentenced to four years' imprisonment for perjury and perverting the course of justice in 2001.

The 84-year-old and his wife Mary have two sons and five grandchildren and divide their time between homes in Cambridgeshire, London and Majorca.

Life chapters: Jeffrey Archer in the London penthouse flat he bought from Formula One tycoon Bernie Ecclestone

What did your parents teach you about money?

I was brought up as an only child in a semi in Weston-super-Mare by my mother Lola, a journalist on the Weston Mercury, and my father, William, who died when I was 16.

We were very poor, and I remember my mother explaining to me the difference between a thru'penny piece and a sixpence.

Her nickname for me was 'Tuppence'  she used to write about me in her newspaper column  and said it was because I was always asking 'what've you got for tuppence?' at the sweetshop.

My mother was also a local councillor and often doing more than one job to make ends meet, though I didn't realise at the time how much of a struggle life was for her.

Have you ever struggled to make ends meet?

Yes, in 1974 I was nearly bankrupted, at the age of 34, when I foolishly invested 200,000 of my own money and 200,000 I had borrowed in a Canadian company called Aquablast, which turned out to be fraudulent, on the advice of an American bank.

I ended up 400,000  equivalent to a couple of million pounds today  in debt. So I sat down and

wrote my first novel, Not A Penny More, Not A Penny Less, which went some way towards paying off my debts.

Have you ever been paid silly money?

I was once paid 100,000 in the 1990s to make a speech at a Hilton Hotels AGM in Las Vegas.

I didn't particularly want to fly all that way to make a speech, so I got my secretary to say that I'd only go if they flew me first class, put me up in the Bellagio Hotel and paid for a private helicopter trip over the nearby mountains.

'That'll get rid of them!' I thought. But 30 minutes later they called back and it was 'tick, tick, tick' so I had to go and make the speech.

What was the best year of your financial life?

Probably 1978 when I got a 2 million advance, paid in three instalments, for my second novel, Kane And Abel.

At the time I was living with my wife Mary in a flat provided by Trinity College, Cambridge, where she was teaching.

The bidding war for the book went on for a week. It's since sold around 47 million copies and been read by 100 million people, and is still being reprinted. I had no idea that it would be such a success.

Politics: Jeffrey Archer with Margaret Thatcher in the 1980s. He was a Conservative MP from 1969-1974 and later served as deputy party chairman

The most expensive thing you bought for fun?

A Picasso, which I treated myself to after As The Crow Flies came out in the early 1990s.

I buy a picture or a sculpture to celebrate the publication of each book  I've been a collector for over 50 years and now have more than 300 paintings and sculptures.

What has been your biggest money mistake?

Investing in a major West End musical that was perceived by the world to be a huge success but cost me 500,000  I was one of many investors who lost out.

Also my investment in antique 'brown furniture' that I've filled our Cambridgeshire home with doesn't appear to have been the best of investments. The other day I was told by an expert that it was worth around half what I paid for it!

Best money decision you have made?

The most important thing you can do is to give a child a good education  once you've done so, you've performed your duty

Putting 250,000 into the distinguished theatre impresario David Ian's production of Grease ten years ago and making a fortune.

Investing in theatrical shows is a very hit-and-miss affair, though  you lose money seven out of ten times.

Indeed, I've invested 7.1 million in the theatre over the past 40 years, and got 7.2 million back, which would not be considered a very good return.

Do you have a pension?

I've been paying into a private pension since my university days, so have built up a nice pot which I can dip into when I finally retire as an author, though I've got a few books left in me yet.

Do you own any property?

I bought the Old Vicarage in the Cambridgeshire village of Grantchester for 180,000 with my Kane And Abel advance in 1978. I've no idea what it's worth now  prices in the Cambridge area have gone crazy.

I've also got a penthouse apartment in Vauxhall, which I bought from [former Formula 1 boss] Bernie Ecclestone around 40 years ago, with marvellous views of London, and a villa by the sea in Majorca which Mary and I visit in winter.

If you were Chancellor what would you do?

I'd abolish inheritance tax. I'd also urge Rachel Reeves not to tax those wealth creators who, through their energy and dynamism, create employment.

Sadly, most Left-wingers don't appreciate the value of entrepreneurs and all they do for the country.

What is your number one financial priority?

To take care of my five grandchildren's education. The most important thing you can do is to give a child a good education  once you've done so, you've performed your duty.

An Eye For An Eye, by Jeffrey Archer, is published in hardback by HarperCollins, priced 22 (jeffreyarcher.com).
During suspected University of Idaho quadruple murderer Bryan Kohberger's first appearance in a Boise courtroom Thursday, the defense revealed they've suffered a major setback as they prepare to go to trial.

"We had an expert that we were working with, and that expert passed away," defense attorney Anne Taylor told Ada County Judge Steven Hippler during the hearing, as she hinted toward moving the trial further away from its anticipated June 2025 start date.

"We have been able to refill that role, to have a new expert to do the work that that expert was hired to do, but we are not progressed to the point that I'd hoped to be, through no fault of the new expert."

Taylor declined to go into specifics regarding the type of expert, only describing them as a "very necessary expert for us to have on board."

She agreed to an ex-parte hearing with Judge Hippler following the court's adjournment, after he also suggested either moving the trial's start date to either May or September, citing his concern over potential jurors' summer plans.

Earlier this month, Judge John Judge sided with the defense when he granted their motion for a change of venue over fears Kohberger would be denied a fair trial in Latah County.

Kohberger allegedly stabbed University of Idaho students Madison Mogen, 21, Kaylee Goncalves, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, and Ethan Chapin, 20, to death in their off-campus apartment in November 2022.

Mogen, Goncalves and Kernodle were roommates at the Moscow, Idaho residence, and Chapin  Kernodle's boyfriend  was spending the night, when they were slaughtered in their sleep, authorities determined.

Kohberger was arrested for the murders six weeks later, after DNA evidence, surveillance video and cell phone records allegedly tied him to the scene of the crime.

He was taken into custody while visiting his parents in Pennsylvania on Dec. 30, 2022.

Kohberger pleaded not guilty to four counts of first-degree murder and one count of felony burglary in the college students' slayings.

A motive remains under investigation.

Originally published on Lawyer Herald.
It was March 11, 2005, and Kevin Berthia was desperate.

His infant daughter was sick and the 22-year-old father had racked up nearly $250,000 in medical bills that he was struggling to repay.

He told his family and friends he would not be coming home and walked out onto the Golden Gate Bridge with every intention of taking his own life.

Then he climbed over the barrier near the North Tower and stood on a narrow pipe, with a petrifying 245-foot drop into the freezing San Francisco Bay looming below.

It was here that California Highway Patrol Officer, Kevin Briggs, found him shortly after 4pm and began attempting to coax him back over the ledge.

Unbeknownst to them both, this harrowing moment was captured on camera, with Berthia seen hanging his head while holding onto the railing with just one hand.

Speaking with DailyMail.com, Briggs - who is now affectionately known as the Guardian of Golden Gate Bridge and credited with saving more than 200 lives - reveals the incredible story behind this now iconic photograph.

Kevin Briggs, 61, of Sonoma County, is now known as the Guardian of Golden Gate Bridge and credited with saving more than 200 lives

A bone-chilling picture showed the moment Briggs coaxed 22-year-old Kevin Berthia back over the ledge of the bridge in 2005

The 61-year-old Sonoma County resident previously worked as a San Quentin prison guard and is an Army veteran, but some of his biggest challenges involved expertly convincing people like Berthia to give life another chance.

Berthia was so consumed with worry about his daughter's medical debt that he had pushed aside any thoughts about his child having to grow up without a father as he stepped over the edge of the bridge.

But in reality, he just needed someone to listen to him.

'I introduced myself as just Kevin and asked if it was okay to walk up to him,' Briggs told DailyMail.com during Suicide Awareness Month.

'I stayed back about 15 feet and asked his permission to approach. I wanted to get his permission and empower him.

'He was very angry and at first, wanted nothing to do with me.'

After about 10 minutes or so, Berthia allowed the officer to approach him, and as their 90-minute conversation continued, Briggs would inch closer and closer until he was 'more comfortable with me and allowed me to walk up to the rail' - a moment captured by photographer John Storey.

'I kept telling him [Berthia] I was not going to grab him, I was only there to talk to him,' Briggs told DailyMail.com.

The former cop, who actively patrolled the bridge from 1994 to 2004 and on-and-off until 2013, said he makes a point of never grabbing the people he saves.

Briggs watched as the desperate man 'teared up' when speaking about his infant daughter and said the emotional moment was a 'turning point' as Berthia had 'developed enough rapport that he felt comfortable in letting his emotions show.'

What the photo doesn't show was their conversation about Berthia's infant daughter who had racked up nearly $250,000 in medical bills and led her hopeless father (right) to the bridge. Briggs (left) managed to get him to come back to safety and now they do seminars together

Although it's hard to tell if someone will climb back over the rail or jump, Briggs said he 'thought things were starting to go a lot better' once Berthia began to open up.

'I focused on his daughter, that he needed to be there for her, and the times they would miss together if he was gone,' the Army veteran said.

'After Berthia came over the rail, I shook his hand and congratulated him. We stood there a bit and let him calm down.'

The 22-year-old was later transported to San Francisco General Hospital for a checkup.

Today the pair do speeches together where they share their incredible story.

The veteran said he realized during these encounters that he needed a 'hook' to encourage people to come back over the rails, and for Berthia, it was his daughter.

Briggs' number one rule is to 'listen more than you speak,' but said he is not against using personal experiences to connect with people on a deeper level.

'I've had a lot of things go on in my life with my own mental health, with cancer and heart surgeries, and some brain trauma, and some very severe abuse by a neighbor when I was very, very young,' Briggs said.

Briggs - who now teaches FBI and Secret Service agents - was forced to learn on the job, as he did with his first suicidal encounter when he was called to the bridge after a report of a young woman threatening to make 25-story jump

Briggs doesn't believe he could have been as effective with the countless lives he's saved without his past, which include testicular cancer at the age of 20 while serving in the Army in Germany, sexual abuse by a neighbor when he was young, and three heart surgeries

'Even in my own family, three suicides, and my own son, who was suicidal and engaging in non-suicidal self-injury. So I bring all of this out to show folks it's okay to talk about it.'

The former officer said he believes pulling in his past has been effective while helping others as it allows the suicidal person to realize they are not alone.

Briggs battled testicular cancer at the age of 20 while serving in the Army in Germany, suffered sexual abuse when he was young and has had three heart surgeries, among other personal and family tragedies.

He admitted that having to overcome his own obstacles 'royally sucked,' but that he 'had to 'go through things to learn and to see.'

'If somebody's over the rail and say: "You know what it's like to have cancer?" Well, I did and it sucked, and I have some big surgeries because of it, and big scars because of it. We have to go through that chemotherapy, and I was lucky to be alive.'

'The look in peoples' faces when they would come back over the rail ... It takes so much courage to go over that rail in the beginning. Imagine the courage that it takes to come back over that rail and face everything again,' Briggs told DailyMail.com.

When Briggs joined CHP in 1990 and eventually started patrolling the bridge, he was never offered any formal training to deal with crisis situations, despite the Golden Gate Bridge being the number one suicide spot in the world.

He also worked on one of the famous Golden Gate cases: Kevin Hines. Hines jumped from the bridge and plunged into the water going 80mph and survived to tell the tale. Berthia and Hines are the only ones he keeps up with

The father-of-two - who now teaches FBI and Secret Service agents - was forced to learn on the job.

'The first one was a young lady [who was standing] over the pedestrian rail, standing on this I-beam we call the cord. And I walked up to her, in my mind I was like: "What are you doing? You can get hurt," [that] kind of thing, not really thinking she was suicidal.'

He recalled the woman had previously struggled with drugs and was 'just going through a very, very rough time in her life'.

'I really didn't know what to say, and I thought: "You know, what if she jumps? Am I responsible? Am I getting in trouble for this?" But I was really worried about her, I kind of just stumbled through it.'

Following the encounter, the Bay Area native began researching crisis negotiation in his own time and asked other senior officers if they had experienced similar events.

Despite his heroic acts, Briggs said he doesn't consider himself a savior.

'You don't see me using the word saved, I don't use the word saved. I didn't save anybody. I spoke to folks in a dark time in their life,' he told DailyMail.com. 'It wasn't like I rushed into a burning building and pulled them out or something. I was relatively safe.'

A suicide barrier has been constructed along the 1.7-mile bridge that was completed in January 2024 and covers 95 percent of the structure, curbing deaths by half

When Briggs joined CHP in the early 1990s and eventually started patrolling the bridge, he was never offered any formal training to deal with crisis situations like this, despite the Golden Gate Bridge being the number one suicide spot in the world

However, not every encounter was successful, and he did see people fall to their deaths.

'It's never easy doing this type of work,' Briggs told DailyMail.com.

One man shook Brigg's hand three times before jumping because he said he wanted to be reunited with his grandmother. The officer had to watch his body fall so he could tell the team on the ground which direction it went so it could be recovered.

Another man, 32-year-old Jason Garber, of New Jersey, asked Briggs if he knew the story of Pandora's Box, a tale about troubles and hope, after an hour of conversation.

The officer did know the story and Garber worried that if he opened his box he wouldn't find any hope left in it.

After telling Briggs that, he jumped - a death that hit the officer hard.

They were the only two people he ever lost who spoke with him directly while he was working on the bridge.

Briggs also recalled working on one of the famous Golden Gate cases: Kevin Hines.

Out of the more than 200 people he's encountered, he only lost two people that he spoke with directly and he said he'll never forget them. 'It's never easy doing this type of work,' Briggs told DailyMail.com

Hines jumped from the bridge and plunged into the water at 80mph but miraculously survived to tell the tale.

Although Briggs didn't speak to Hines on the ledge, he did 'handle his case' and met the man at the hospital to get a statement and speak with his father.

'His father told him: "Just reach out and shake the officer's hand," and he did do that,' Briggs told DailyMail.com.

Hines and Berthia are the only survivors that Briggs still keeps in contact with.

He said he has not attempted to reach out to the others for fear it would bring back fresh memories of a negative part of their lives.

Almost 2,000 people have jumped to their deaths from the Golden Gate Bridge since it opened in 1937. Briggs responded to four to six calls per month throughout his time patrolling the area until his retirement in 2013.

A suicide barrier has since been constructed along the 1.7-mile bridge and was completed in January 2024, covering 95 percent of the structure and curbing deaths by half, bridge officials said.

However, the net - which is located 20 feet below the sidewalks - is not meant to be an easy fall and those attempting suicide can still suffer significant injuries. Professional rescue teams are needed to pull people out of the net.

Briggs wrote a book (pictured) about his work on the bridge and his encounters. 'It takes so much courage to go over that rail in the beginning. Imagine the courage that it takes to come back over that rail and face everything again,' he told DailyMail.com

Despite the good that has come from it so far, Briggs admitted to DailyMail.com that he was 'not an advocate of the net for a very, very long time.'

'I thought it would really block the view,' he said. 'And the vast majority, you know, hundreds of thousands of people cross this bridge throughout the year from all over the world, and I didn't want to block that view.

'But then again, I never lost a family member on that bridge.'

It wasn't until he had a conversation with a father whose daughter had died at the bridge when he retired from CHP that he changed his mind.

'He was asking me about the suicide barrier that was not up yet and my view. And I told him,' Briggs said. 'And I thought: "Oh man, this guy's going to rear back and hit me!" He lost his kid on this bridge, but he didn't [hit me].'

Instead, the man raised his hands like 'two cups' and told Briggs: 'I want you to think of it like this: A view or a life?'

'He just swayed me right there. I felt like an idiot,' he told DailyMail.com.

Since his CHP days, Briggs has gone on to start Pivotal Points, an organization that helps with crisis management, suicide prevention and leadership skills.

If you or someone you know are experiencing suicidal thoughts or actions, please call the National Suicide Hotline at 988.
The mysterious disappearance of an elephant named Happy at the Bronx Zoo in New York has sparked uproar as animal activists float concerning theories.

Happy has been one of main attractions at the zoo since arriving in 1977 and is usually seen by parkgoers riding the monorail through the Wild Asia exhibit.

However, Happy, who is in her fifties, has allegedly not been seen in the zoo's outdoor enclosure by visitors since July, leaving many zoogoers disappointed.

Zoo spokesperson, Mary Dixon, told DailyMail.com that the elephant has been out in exhibit before the park has opened and made an appearance on Saturday - but one visitor claimed she only Patti.

Zoo director Jim Breheny previously shared a video of Happy 'out in the exhibit .... taking a dust bath [and] eating' on the morning of September 12 on his X account, but the comments beneath the clip were suspicious of the clip.

'There's no way to know for sure this was yesterday,' one X user wrote. 'It would have made sense for the NYT journalist to have have seen her [and] taken a photo of Happy.'

Happy has been one of the zoo's main attractions since she arrived in 1977 and is usually seen by parkgoers while riding the monorail through the Wild Asia exhibit

'Happy has recently opted not to be in the exhibit during the day, but she has gone into the exhibit area in the morning before the zoo opens,' a Zoo spokesperson told DailyMail.com

Despite the zoo insisting there is nothing wrong with the elephant, her absence from public life has led many to speculate that Happy is, well, not happy.

'She could be choosing not to go outside because she is depressed and has lost the will to live, and going outside no longer brings her joy. Or she could be in pain,' Nonhuman Rights Project's Courtney Fern told the New York Post.

Elephants at the zoo have been separated into pairs ever since one was injured in a herd attack in 1977.

But Happy has been on her own since her last companion died in 2006, The New York Times reported.

Patty, the only other elephant now at Bronx Zoo, continues to spend her day in the open enclosure.

This has raised fears that Happy may be lonely.

Caitlin OConnell, an elephant scientist and instructor at Harvard, told The New York Times: 'Elephants require social interaction to thrive, and as migratory animals, they enjoy large spaces over which to forage and graze'.

Fern also insisted that the elephant's behavior is 'not normal' and claimed she is 'most likely not coming out because something is wrong with her mentally or physically.'

However, the zoo has repeatedly denied that anything is amiss and claimed the elephant is simply choosing to hang out behind the scenes with workers instead of using the public enclosure.

'Happy has recently opted not to be in the exhibit during the day, but she has gone into the exhibit area in the morning before the zoo opens,' a Zoo spokesperson told DailyMail.com.

'As we stated previously, Happy is choosing to spend the day near the barn interacting with staff rather than in the exhibit space.

Nonhuman Rights Project's Courtney Fern insisted that the elephant was not behaving normally and claimed that she is 'most likely not coming out because something is wrong with her mentally or physically'

'She is given access to the exhibit area each day but not choosing to spend her time there. Despite some reports, she is not confined indoors but has access to indoor and outdoor spaces and she chooses where she wants to be.'

This comes weeks after the zoo was first forced to publish a statement on July 31 statement to address growing concerns surrounding the elephant.

It began by stating that 'nothing is wrong with Happy' and went on to insist the animal is in 'good health'.

On August 8, the US Department of Agriculture 'conducted a focused inspection of the Bronx Zoos elephants,' a spokesperson told DailyMail.com Thursday.

The zoo also recently released footage of Happy roaming the outside enclosure before park opening hours in a bid to reassure the public

The spokesperson said the report showed that the 'zoo was meeting or exceeding USDA standards for care.'

'Our veterinary and animal care teams have stated Happy appears fine and is doing well,' the spokesperson added.

But critics are still not satisfied, particularly after learning that a New York Times reporter was denied access to the animal before and after hours.

Dixon told The Times that the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service had also inspected the elephants, their barns, and their enclosures. In addition, the zoo's own veterinarians had examined Happy and said she 'appears fine and to be doing well.'

The barn door remains opens for Happy to leave at any time, Dixon told The Times.

Despite this Fern's group is not convinced all is well and, in general, believe that elephants should not be held captive, she told The Times.

'Nothing is wrong with Happy,' Zoo spokesperson, Mary Dixon, said in a July 31 statement, while insisting the elephant is 'in good health'

On August 8, the US Department of Agriculture 'conducted a focused inspection of the Bronx Zoos elephants,' a spokesperson told DailyMail.com

The zoo community strongly disagrees with the activists' stance on captivity and point to their extensive conservation work as well as new and improved methods of caring for animals.

'We have learned how to care for them better, how to meet their needs and how to manage them from a physical standpoint, and from a psychological and a social standpoint,' Dan Ashe, the president and chief executive of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, told The Times.

The zoo previously had to fight to keep their prized Happy after Fern's organization challenged the elephant's confinement in the New York Supreme Court in 2020.

The group tried to claim that Happy was essentially the equivalent of a person with rights of its own, and therefore should not be kept in a cage as it was a violation of habeas corpus.

However, campaigners lost their challenge in 2022, with the court ruling that while 'no one disputes that elephants are intelligent beings deserving of proper care and compassion', they are not the same as humans.
Modern-day grave robbers in Texas have seized unclaimed bodies belonging to veterans and sold their limbs for profit without the consent or knowledge from their grieving family members.

Victor Carl Honey, 58, a dedicated Army veteran, who struggled with mental illness, died in September 2022 of heart failure.

Honey was among the 2,350 people whose remains were sent to the body donation program at the University of North Texas Health Science Center in Fort-Worth.

However, a month after his death, the Dallas County Medical Examiner's Officer deemed Honey's body 'unclaimed' after they said phones for relatives were disconnected even though his ex-wife and two adult children were living in the state.

Honey's body was kept in a freezer before it was cut up and shipped piecemeal across the country.

His torso was sold to a medical education company for $900; his right leg shipped to a Swedish medical device manufacturer for $341; the bones from his skull were sent to the U.S. Army for $210 for military training purposes.

Victor Carl Honey, 43, a dedicated Army veteran, who struggled with mental illness, died in September 2022 of heart failure. His body parts were then sold on the open market

Five of those families found out what happened to their loved one by NBC including, Kimberly Patman, the ex-wife of Honey, who shares two adult children - a son Victor Honey, Jr. and a daughter named Victoria - with the deceased

During NBC News' bombshell investigation, it was also revealed that Honey's corpse was not the only one sold to science in the Dallas-Fort-Worth region; hundreds of other corpses were collected from nursing homes, hospital beds and homeless encampments - and sold on the open market.

Honey's body parts were also sent to medical, pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies including Johnson & Johnson, Boston Scientific and Medtronic - used for scientific research and the testing of new products.

According to the report, once the medical groups and others were finished using the unclaimed bodies' remains, they were cremated, buried or scattered at sea - despite some families still looking for their loved ones.

For the last five years, the body donation program at the Health Science Center was thriving under the agreement the school had with Dallas and Tarrant counties taking the unclaimed bodies for free.

Of the 2,350 bodies that were collected, 830 were selected by the center for dissection and to be studied. The center charged $1,400 for whole bodies. Heads went for $649, torsos for $900.

According to financial records obtained by NBC News, the agreement appeared to be a was a win-win for all parties involved.

Nationwide, tens of thousands of bodies go unclaimed and local medical examiners and coroners have to bear the costs of cremation or burial - under the agreement the Dallas and Tarrant counties were able to save a combined million a year, financial records revealed.

The Health Science Center also benefitted by making $2.5 million a year by leasing body parts to medical groups. At one point, the Health Science Center publicized the bodies 'as being the highest quality found anywhere in the U.S.'

The majority of unclaimed bodies were black males, who were mentally ill and homeless and whose family members were difficult to reach or were unable or did not want to pay for cremation or burial, the report found.

The University of North Texas Health Science Center in the city of Fort Worth issued a statement after the NBC story ran issuing an apology and stating that the program has fallen short of the standards of respect, care, and professionalism that we demand

Family members visit the graves of those unclaimed

NBC News' report, compiled over 10 months, also cited repeated failures to reach family members before declaring their bodies unclaimed.

According to the news outlet, they identified 12 cases where family learned months or years later that their loved one's body was provided to the medical school - leaving many traumatized.

Five of those families found out what happened to their loved one by NBC including, Kimberly Patman, the ex-wife of Honey, who share two adult children, a son Victor Honey, Jr. and a daughter named Victoria.

Patman and Honey were married for ten years. They had met when both were in the military Texas Fort Hood. He was training as a medic and she was an Air Force enlistee.

The couple separated due to Honey's infidelity. He was later diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia but refused to take his medication and ended up spending time in federal prison for stealing a car and robbing three banks in three different states.

When he was released he had another run in with the law and later became homeless living on the streets of Dallas.

His family told NBC News that they had visited him in the hospital when they learned from his caseworker that his kidney's were failing. Once he improved, he refused to go to a nursing home and checked himself out of the hospital.

On September 19, 2022, he was found semi-conscious in a wheelchair at a downtown Dallas train station and taken to Baylor University Medical Center. He died the next day.

Once the hospital social worker was unable to find his family, his body was sent to the Dallas County Medical Examiner's Officer, but they were unable to locate next of kin.

The case was turned over to the county investigator tried to get information from police and area hospitals but unable to locate relatives. After searching the internet, she found numbers for Patman, Honey's brother in Ohio, his stepmother and his late father, but she reported they were disconnected.

On September 19, 2022, Honey was found semi-conscious in a wheelchair at a downtown Dallas train station and taken to Baylor University Medical Center. He died the next day

On October 17, 2022, the investigator wrote that her search was complete and no family was found. The medical examiner's office deemed Honey's body unclaimed.

That same day, Honey was delivered to the University of North Texas Health Science Center, where he was placed in a freezer, awaiting assignment.

'I don't believe they tried to find us,' said Patman distressed by the events that occurred. 'That is crazy. We are here. We have always been here. His son has his same name. How can he be unclaimed?'

'They did it for money,' she sad. 'They did it to him a decorated military veteran - they'll do it to anybody.'

Brenda Cloud, one of Honey's sisters said 'we feel violated.' 'It's like a hole in your soul that can never be filled,' she said.

Daily Mail made several attempts to contact Kimberly Patman, their son Victor Honey, Jr., and Brenda Cloud.

A photo of Honey when he was a youngster and years before he entered the military

Two other cases include a man whose body was sent to the Health Science Center unclaimed though his family were actively searching for him and filed a missing person's report.

Another was of a woman whose family learned of her death and her transfer to HSC after a real estate agent called about selling her house.

The University of North Texas Health Science Center defended their practices until last Friday when they issued a statement that they were suspending its body donation program and and firing the officials who led it.

The HSC center did not respond to the DailyMail.com's request for comment, however on September 13, they issued an apology to the families affected.

'We have become aware of issues within our Willed Body Program, and that failures existed in its management and oversight. The program has fallen short of the standards of respect, care, and professionalism that we demand,' they wrote in part.

'The University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth extends its deepest apologies to the families who have been impacted.

Pictured: Details of the attempts made by the Health Science Center to reached relatives of the deceased. Those family members say that not enough was done to inform them of the deaths

'We are committed to operating all programs with transparency, integrity and the highest ethical standards, and we are dedicated to maintaining trust in our institution.'

'We hope these actions can ensure our educational studies are made with every effort to show dignity, grace and respect.'

The Health Science Center's president, Sylvia Trent-Adams, announced the decision in an email to stop accepting unclaimed bodies on Monday following the NBC News investigation.

Trent-Adams said leadership had been unaware that the body program was routinely shipping unclaimed remains  including those of U.S. military veterans  across state lines.

On Tuesday, Tarrant County commissioners voted to accept the Health Science Center's decision to terminate the agreement.

Judge Tim O'Hare, the county's top elected official, said commissioners were in agreement: 'No one's body should be used for medical research absent their pre-death consent or the consent of a loved one,' he said before the unanimous vote.

'And certainly no one's body should be sold for profit absent consent one way or the other.'
A once thriving California Air Force Base has turned into a ghost town 32 years after it was shut down amid a rampant asbestos problem and presence of dangerous chemicals.

George Air Force Base (AFB), originally known as Victorville Army Airfield, was established in World War II to to support tactical fighter operations and train air crews.

It closed for good in December 1992, two years after the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) deemed it a Superfund site due to a shocking discovery of soil, water and air contaminants. Years later, several former residents have suffered a litany of serious health issues.

Since its closing, explorers have posted videos online touring the desolate grounds showing vandalized homes, shops, schools and other rundown facilities.

'The sprawl of abandoned and occasionally dilapidated buildings, dead landscape and years of collected tumble weeds creates a very eerie site,' said one visitor.

The once thriving George Air Force Base (pictured) is now desolate after it closed in December 1992

The former medical building (pictured) is covered in broken glass and graffiti

Other images show housing complexes with the windows and stairs smashed in as well as a medical building covered in shattered glass.

'I'll be honest, this place freaks me out just a little bit,' another explorer said. 'It's just a disaster. The contamination on the ground is terrible. It's just a really sad sight because this has a lot of history in it.'

The 5,347-acre base is located approximately 70 miles northeast of Los Angeles in San Bernardino County near the cities of Victorville and Adelanto.

During its operation, the EPA found that there was mandated use and disposal of hazardous and non-hazardous materials on the site.

'At least 50 years of military aircraft operations resulted in various contaminants of potential concern (COPCs) being released into soil and leaching into groundwater, potentially impacting human health and the environment,' the agency said.

The desolate grounds have vandalized homes, shops, schools and other rundown facilities

Homes have been broken into with broken windows and smashed doors

The EPA said groundwater on George AFB is contaminated with jet fuel, trichloroethylene (TCE), pesticides and nitrates.

Soil is contaminated with total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPHs), dioxins, construction debris, medical wastes, pesticides, semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs) and various inorganic compounds.

More than 100,000 people were potentially exposed to unsafe levels of hazardous, toxic and radioactive materials on and around the site, according to George AFB Info, a website run by a former airman who lived on the base.

Nearly 20,000 people lived in the surrounding community and 80,000 worked, lived, and went to school on the base.

George AFB Info obtained a copy of a preliminary review of environmental requirements and concerns of the base from 1993 that found 40 percent of buildings built before 1980 on the site tested positive for asbestos.

The base was established in World War II to to support tactical fighter operations and train air crews

Nearly 20,000 people lived in the surrounding community, and 80,000 worked, lived, and went to school on the base

In 2020, at least 51 plaintiffs tried to sue the federal government claiming exposure to toxic chemicals from the base led to an array of medical problems, from cancer and heart disease to miscarriages and infertility, reported The Orange County Register.

However, a judge threw out their lawsuit claiming the federal government has 'sovereign immunity.'

In recent years, people who lived on the base have been speaking out about the illnesses they suffered, and women shared stories of being told by officials not to get pregnant while living there.

Denise Torri and her husband served at George together from 1986 to 1989. She told the Military Times shortly after they got married in 1987, she got pregnant but had a miscarriage.

When she went to the doctor on base, Torri said they warned her: 'Don't get pregnant.'

Pictured: An overhead photo of the abandoned houses of George FB

Denise Torri (pictured) served at George from 1986 to 1989, was advised by officials not to get pregnant and suffered a miscarriage while living there

'Wouldn't you just assume it was to get you to relax [in order to have a successful pregnancy]' Torri said. 'You don't think they are really telling you, 'Don't get pregnant.'

Terrine Crooks told Truthout that while living on the base in 1981 she became pregnant and gave birth to her son 13 weeks prematurely.

Her son experienced multiple brain hemorrhages shortly after he was born and developed an array of health conditions including cerebral palsy.

Crooks said she also developed health conditions that led to her having a hysterectomy at 31 and a bilateral mastectomy at 40.

When she learned George was named a Superfund site she filed a claim to the Veteran's Association and won in 2014. The decision stated her medical conditions were 'at least as likely as not' caused by her military service, specifically her time at the base,

'I support the military 100 percent, but I'm pissed off and angry that they could do this to me and my family,' Crooks told the outlet. 'I'm mad as hell, to be honest.'
Fallen TV star Andrew O'Keefe's fame could make him 'vulnerable' inside jail with inmates possibly targetting him for their personal gain, according to an expert.

O'Keefe is behind bars at the Metropolitan Remand Centre at Sydney's notorious Silverwater jail after he was charged with breaching bail and drug possession when police allegedly found methamphetamine in his car on September 16 as he reported to Sydney's Rose Bay police station as part of previous bail conditions.

The 52-year-old had just two days earlier survived a heroin overdose when he was revived by paramedics at a home in Vaucluse in the early hours of Saturday morning and treated at St Vincent's Hospital.

The father-of-three will remain behind bars until at least October 10 when he is set to front court on the drug charge as well as recent intimidation and AVO breach charges.

His lawyer indicated he might use that hearing to make an application for release subject to the availability of a rehabilitation spot, but Magistrate Jacqueline Milledge replied that he'd already 'been there, done that'.

O'Keefe was one of Channel 7's biggest stars as host of Deal or No Deal, Weekend Sunrise and The Chase Australia and was earning up to $800,000 a year until his contract expired and a subsequent string of legal troubles derailed his career.

Daily Mail Australia can reveal the 52-year-old's celebrity status has afforded him no luxuries nor special privileges.

Instead he has become a constant target of cruel taunts from the other accused criminals who call the centre home, with prison insiders revealing inmates take every opportunity to mock the former Deal or No Deal host about his tragic downfall.

Fallen TV star Andrew O'Keefe's fame could make him 'vulnerable' inside jail to fellow inmates who would target him for their personal gain, according to an expert. (O'Keefe is pictured at his Sydney flat in 2023)

Sources said one group of inmates was particularly merciless and crossed their arms in front of their faces every time they spotted O'Keefe in the prison yard while shouting 'No Deal!' at him.

Despite the ongoing bullying, O'Keefe has not made any formal complaints about his treatment inside the centre, preferring to keep a low profile and to himself as much as possible.

Prison officials have not deemed the heckling serious enough to segregate the fallen Channel Seven star, who has been sharing a two-bed cell with another inmate at the centre, from the general population or offer him protective custody.

When he was last at the remand centre two years ago, O'Keefe claimed the prison guards teased him about his fall from grace, only for the guards to accuse the one-time lawyer of being a 'demanding prima donna'.

But this time there is no such animosity between O'Keefe and his keepers, with the guards noting the former TV presenter was far more demure about his tragic demise.

'Last time he was here, he was mouthy, entitled and arrogant,' one prison source inside Silverwater told Daily Mail Australia.

'This time, he's just really quiet and sticks to himself.

'We haven't had any issues with him - it's actually a bit sad seeing him like this.'

Criminal psychologist Tim Watson-Munro said that O'Keefe's celebrity could be a disadvantage to him in custody.

'I've had high profile clients over the years, white collar criminals, who are seen as easy marks... seen by people to have money and that makes them quite vulnerable,' he told Daily Mail Australia.

Andrew O'Keefe during his stint as host of successful game show Deal or No Deal

Dr Watson-Munro said how other prisoners behaved towards O'Keefe would depend on the impression he makes but, being well known, it would be difficult for him to keep a low profile.

'How people are treated in jail depends on the individual and the nature of their crime,' he said.

'Jails are full of men who have breached AVOs... Some newly incarcerated people might end up in protective custody... others have long standing criminal acquaintances.

'Having fame would make him a bit of a target, certainly.

'Prisoners might attempt to stand over people where they can see there's a benefit for themselves - whether that's financial, social or political.'

In one notable recent example, former NRL player Jarryd Hayne was reportedly conned out of $780,000 by a fellow inmate while he was behind bars.

Fast-talking fraudster Ishan Seenar Sappideen - who was serving a sentence over a $4.6million Ponzi scheme - convinced Hayne and five other prisoners he had made millions of dollars investing.

With prisoners not having online access, the funds were said to be transferred by people outside of jail directly into accounts controlled by contacts of Sappideen.

Sappideen was released slightly early last month with conditions so that he could be monitored - with some of those he is said to have ripped off having links to bikie gangs and crime networks.

Fallen Channel Seven star Andrew O'Keefe has been arrested on September 16 for allegedly breaching his bail after presenting himself to a Sydney police station (above)

O'Keefe's contract with the Seven Network expired in 2020 and was not renewed amid industry concern his wild partying was out-of-control.

He had suffered a marriage breakdown and been taken off Weekend Sunrise duties a couple of years earlier.

His legal troubles since leaving Seven have included multiple charges of possessing drugs or driving while drug affected.

Just last week, O'Keefe lost an appeal against domestic violence convictions after a judge disagreed the victim's injuries were self-inflicted.

O'Keefe had pushed a woman, punched her, forced her to the ground, kicked her in the thigh and scratched her chest during an argument in 2021.

He was found guilty of common assault, assault occasioning actual bodily harm and contravening an apprehended violence order.

O'Keefe was then seen walking out the rear exit of the station accompanied by three officers wearing latex gloves who took him away in the back of a police car

Despite the conviction he had until recently avoided any serious stint behind bars.

Judge Milledge said O'Keefe's downfall was 'very, very sad' and that he was fortunate to be alive following his overdose.

She added that jail could be 'the best thing he can do if he wants to stay alive.

'The mental health applications and rehabs, they've all been tried and tested and failed.

'God help him... It's a shame he doesn't have an epiphany,' she said.

O'Keefe's spartan prison cell includes a metal bunk, open steel toilet, jug and sandwich maker - but little else.

He is bustled out of bed at 7am each day for 'let go' - when he is given a prison 'breakfast pack' comprising milk, bread, cereal and jam and is then free to roam the yard or watch a shared TV in the common room with the centre's other accused criminals.

The former star is allowed to exercise in the prison yard each the day before being locked away in his cell between 3pm and 7am

The 52-year-old is currently sharing a cell in Silverwater prison's remand centre in Sydney

There are roll calls at 9am and midday, when O'Keefe and his cohorts are given their 'lunch pack', usually consisting of a sandwich and a piece of fruit.

All meals are eaten in the inmates' cells before they are locked away for the day from 3pm and not allowed out again until the following morning.

His dinner is heated up from a chill pack and also given to him at 3pm. It is the only hot meal O'Keefe eats during the day.

During his long nights caged in with his cellmate, O'Keefe has access to a tablet computer on which he can pay to watch TV or play card games such as solitaire but he is not permitted to access the internet.

Although he is allowed to purchase treats and additional groceries, he is limited to spending a total of $150 at the prison store each month.
The scandal in North Carolina over Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson's bizarre past internet activity has dominated headlines in what is a critical state in the 2024 election.

The Republican running for governor, who was rushed to the hospital with second-degree burns on Friday night, was accused of calling himself a 'Black Nazi' on a pornographic forum called 'Nude Africa'.

Robinson, who was taken to Northern Regional Hospital following an 'incident' at a campaign event, is 'in good spirits, appreciates the outpouring of well wishes,' according to a statement by his communications direct Mike Lonergan.

The candidate previously denied the allegations and vowed to sue CNN, the first outlet to publish the lurid allegations.

While Robinson has taken a hit in the polls and could struggle in his gubernatorial race, the question that's lingered is whether his behavior will impact the candidate on top of the ticket, Donald Trump.

Political experts have mixed feelings on whether Robinson's misgiving will hurt the former president, with most saying it won't.

But one pollster told DailyMail.com that one factor could cause a ripple affect in a state the GOP has been victorious in since 2008.

Mark Robinson's name will appear on North Carolina's November ballot no matter what despite calls for him to end his bid after the latest scandal

If voter turnout for Republicans is impacted by their lack of enthusiasm to vote in the gubernatorial race, it could also potentially help flip the state for Democrats in the presidential race.

And pro-Robinson signs are increasingly disappearing from yards across North Carolina.

Republicans are increasingly distancing themselves from their candidate after a CNN report last week alleged Robinson called himself a 'black Nazi' and 'perv' on the pornographic forum Nude Africa.

But the party appears stuck with him since at this point in the race, Robinson would need to choose to drop his bid  and he has said he has no intention of quitting the race.

Elon University Political Science Professor Jason Husser, who is also director of the university's polling, said that Robinson's scandal likely won't 'harm Trump in terms of convincing people to suddenly change their mind about him.'

'I do think, though, that Robinson's troubles are not helpful to Trump in another way, which is that: Governor's campaigns can help turnout. And North Carolina is so tightly divided, turnout is often what can tip an election one way or another,' Husser countered.

'When you have an electorate that is split so down the middle like North Carolina, if you get an extra 1 percentage points because your governor's running next to you has a really good ground game of getting to vote out and motivating people and pulling in all the supporters for local candidates to also align with the governor and align with the presidential candidate, that can make a difference.'

Husser says that Robinson's campaign has 'stalled out' those hopes for Trump, but that Josh Stein, the Democrat running in the state's gubernatorial race, is 'doing well.'

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At least 10 Republican individuals and groups have canceled events with Robinson so far, and several local politicians and lawmakers have deleted images with the candidate from their social media.

Some voters are showing how disenfranchised they feel with Robinson by taking down their yard signs.

'It's been about 50/50 of whether the Robinson signs are still in the yards. Some people are leaving and some people are pulling them up,' Husser said of the right-leaning community where he lives.

The report from CNN revealing a series of lewd, racist and overall salacious comments made by Robinson are leading to calls for him to drop out.

There was a small window after the report came out where Robinson could have suspended his bid and the NCGOP could have sued to stop ballots from going out with his name on them.

Now, no matter what, Robinson's name will appear on the ballots since they are already shipped out to overseas and out-of-town voters.

Husser explained that there is still a way for the Republican Party in North Carolina to run a different candidate  but it would be a long shot.

Robinson would need to voluntarily end his run for the Governor's Mansion, which is already highly unlikely.

Then, the party would need to select a new candidate to replace him.

That's when the work starts. Husser detailed. The NCGOP would need to spend a lot of money to inform voters that even if they cast their ballots for Robinson in November, it would actually mean their vote would go towards whichever candidate was selected to replace him.

Husser recently released a poll taken pre-porn scandal that put Vice President Kamala Harris 1 percentage point ahead of Trump in North Carolina  46 percent to 45 percent.

The results represent a statistically insignificant split and are within the Elon University Poll's 3.75 percentage point margin of error.

North Carolina, which has 16 Electoral College votes, went red in 2016 and 2020 for Trump.

In 2016, Trump beat Hillary Clinton by 3.6 percent. The gap narrowed against Joe Biden in 2020 when the former president won by 1.3 percent.
WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT

A dating app predator told a vulnerable young woman who did not want to have sex with him she should kill herself, then advised her how to do it successfully.

Anton Smolin called the woman - who he knew was mentally fragile - a 'fat ugly pig', a 'piece of trash' and a 'worthless piece of s**t', before suggesting various suicide methods.

'Train is your best option,' the electrical engineer wrote in a series of sickening text messages.

'But don't jump in front of it. You should lie on the track.'

Daily Mail Australia has previously revealed Smolin's history of denigrating women who cancelled dates or changed meeting arrangements after matching online with him.

A Sydney student has now come forward to describe her harrowing encounters with the self-described psychopath as a further warning to other women.

'Emma' was so distressed by Smolin's cruel taunts that she physically harmed herself and later reported him to police.

Daily Mail Australia is not publishing the multiple, detailed, graphic instructions Smolin sent to Emma about how she should take her own life.

A dating app predator told a vulnerable young woman who did not want to have sex with him she should kill herself - then advised her how to do it successfully. 'Emma' is pictured

Emma was 20, struggling financially and suffering mental health problems when she first encountered 41-year-old Smolin on a 'sugar daddy' website in January last year.

Sugardaddymeet.com describes itself as the world's largest forum for the 'classy woman looking for a mentor' and warns profiles promoting prostitution are banned.

Smolin's profile stated he was 'wealthy, intelligent, confident, tall and handsome', with a 'great sense of humour' and 'highly developed conversational skills'.

He boasted of a multimillion-dollar investment portfolio and earning a salary package in excess of $200,000, as well as having travelled to more than 43 countries.

At the time, Emma was working two hospitality jobs and studying at university.

'I just wanted a platonic relationship,' she said. 'Someone I could meet up with who could help me. I didn't have much social life. It would have been helping me socially and financially.'

Emma's profile stated she was not interested in finding a sexual partner and over the next couple of weeks she and Smolin made plans over WhatsApp to have dinner.

'Dinner - that was it,' Emma said. 'Not hotels. No apartments. Being out in a public place.'

Anton Smolin (above) called a 20-year-old woman - who he knew was mentally fragile - a 'fat ugly pig', 'piece of trash' and 'worthless piece of s**t' before suggesting methods of suicide

The pair arranged to meet at Opera Bar, Smolin's favoured dating venue on Sydney Harbour, but Emma was forced to cancel due to a family emergency.

They rescheduled dinner at the same location in late February and Emma again told Smolin any contact they had would not be physical.

'Once I told him it wouldn't be sexual, he lost it,' she said.

At the time, Emma had obvious scars from self-harm which Smolin had seen in photographs on her social media profiles, and he used that knowledge to torment her about those injuries.

'I'm not ashamed of them, they're there, and they're my past,' Emma said of her scars. 'But he took that chance to hurt me.'

Despite Emma insisting she had no interest in having sex with Smolin, he accused her of being a prostitute in a torrent of abuse which began on WhatsApp and continued via text after she blocked him.

'I don't pay for sex, you stupid fat pig,' Smolin wrote in one message. 'You're the one who needs therapy, stupid crazy cutter, piece of trash.

'I am attractive, you're the fat ugly pig. I hope you do get evicted and die inside a dumpster [where] you belong.'

Emma asked Smolin to repeat his earlier WhatsApp comments, which she had reported to the platform, and he did.

'Can you copy and paste that long message you [sent] me where you were telling me about jumping in front of a train?' she said.

'I am attractive, you're the fat ugly pig,' Smolin wrote in one message to Emma. 'I hope you do get evicted and die inside a dumpster [where] you belong'

Smolin responded by saying he had specifically told Emma in their earlier communications not to jump - but to lie on the tracks instead.

'I cannot believe how dumb you are,' he said.

Emma told Smolin she wanted to send his employer the WhatsApp messages he sent her, which also included a horrifically detailed suggestion to slit her wrists.

'Nobody gives a s**t about your stupid complaining,' he wrote back. 'You're so dumb.

'You're a worthless piece of s**t; WhatsApp are not going to waste their time investigating your miserable correspondence.

'You can show it to whoever you want. Dumb b**ch, trying to make money from working as a prostitute. Here you go, dumb sl*t.'

Smolin then reproduced a WhatsApp message in which he repeated his accusation that Emma was a prostitute.

'Unlike you I [am an] honest man who says what he means and keeps his promises,' he wrote.

'Not a stupid lying obese pig like you. Why did you join a dating site, you stupid b**ch? Obviously dating implies sex.

'First you cancel, then last minute tell me that you're not into anything sexual. WTF? You're so f***ing stupid, rude and inconsiderate.'

Daily Mail Australia has previously revealed Smolin's history of denigrating women who cancelled dates or changed meeting arrangements after matching online. The picture above appeared on an escort website

Smolin, who is the author of a book called Seduction Chronicles of a Psychopath, told Emma she should have understood and accepted he wanted sex if they met.

'Of course I want sexual stuff on a dating site,' he wrote. 'I cannot believe how dumb you are.

'Just go and kill yourself already. You are such a piece of s**t person. How do you live with yourself?'

Smolin suggested a particular way Emma could kill herself, and added, '...but you need intelligence and discipline for that, which you don't [have].

'Train is your best option,' he wrote. 'But don't jump in front of it. [DETAILED INSTRUCTIONS DELETED]

'Try not to f*** this up, like you f***ed up everything else in your life.

'Don't do it during the day or during peak times, because you may delay my (and others) train journey to/from work.'

Emma responded to Smolin's merciless diatribe politely.

'The whole reason we got into this fight was because I didn't want sex or a relationship,' she wrote.

'Clearly, that doesn't make me a prostitute. Anyways, I hope you have the day you deserve.'

'First you cancel, then last minute tell me that you're not into anything sexual,' Smolin wrote to Emma. 'WTF? You're so f***ing stupid, rude and inconsiderate'

Smolin told Emma he was 'having a great day' packing ahead of a trip to Brisbane for a weekend yacht party.

'We got into this fight because you agreed to go on a date and then cancelled twice,' he wrote.

'You're a lying timewasting b**ch. Obviously dates imply sexual touching.

'I hope you have a weekend that [you] deserve: evicted, living in the dumpster and bleeding out from cutting yourself.

'Clearly you're too dumb and cowardly to follow my instructions regarding the train. So you will have a long miserable life ahead.'

Emma gave the messages to police and Smolin was found guilty in Downing Centre Local Court in January of using a mobile phone to menace, harass or offend.

He sought to have that verdict annulled at the same court in March but after abandoning that application was convicted and put on a $500 two-year good behaviour bond.

'I was struggling with a lot of aspects and he knew that and that's why he attacked me, because I was vulnerable,' she said.

'I did end up hurting myself because of his messages. I was in a bad place and that just made it worse. At the time it absolutely ruined me.

Smolin's profile stated he was 'wealthy, intelligent, confident, tall and handsome', with a 'great sense of humour' and 'highly developed conversational skills'

Emma is speaking out in the hope her experience with Smolin can serve as a warning to other women.

'I pressed charges and am sharing my story so that any other women who went through what I did can be brave enough to come out,' she said.

'If my story helps other women come out against him, telling every detail is worth it.

'In the US, there was a case where a girl was charged with manslaughter for encouraging her boyfriend to kill himself.

'Anton did that to me, but I didn't kill myself.'

Smolin did not wish to discuss the messages he sent to Emma when contacted on Friday and hung up after saying, 'Look, I don't have any comments'.

Four women spoke to Daily Mail Australia last November about Smolin abusing them with insults including 'just f*** off, you fat stupid pig' and 'you're such a stupid, lying b**ch'.

The now 43-year-old denied making those comments and launched defamation action, alleging he had been wrongly portrayed as a psychopath, sexual predator and misogynist.

'Train is your best option,' Smolin told Emma when he suggested she kill herself. 'But don't jump in front of it. You should lie on the track'

Smolin abandoned that claim and had a NSW District Court judgment made against him last week after he was exposed as the author of Seduction Chronicles of a Psychopath.

Judge Judith Gibson also granted Daily Mail Australia's lawyers permission to give the book to police so they could investigate whether it contained admissions by Smolin of having committed serious criminal offences.

Seduction Chronicles of a Psychopath features Smolin boasting of having 'de-virginised' girls aged 14 and 15 in Brisbane.

He also offers advice to other men on how to overcome 'last minute resistance' from 'targets' and discusses the risk of being charged with rape if he has sex with an unconscious Lithuanian woman.

'There is nothing in my rulebook about not f***ing a b**ch that I hooked up with, who just happened to pass out before giving consent,' Smolin writes in the book.

Seduction Chronicles of a Psychopath was provided to NSW Police on Friday.

Emma's name has been changed to protect her identity.

Lifeline: 13 11 14

Beyond Blue: 1300 224 636
A man was put to death by lethal injection on Thursday in the American state of Oklahoma, and Alabama carried out an execution with nitrogen gas - the second time such a method has been used in the United States.

The two killings bring the total number of executions this year in the United States to 18, including five in the past week alone.

The spree has reignited both horror and interest in the death penalty - which is retained in 23 states - and has once again ignited the debate over its use.

Reporting on the five cases has also reignited a morbid fascination in the final words uttered by those about to be executed.

While it is not a constitutional right, it has long been tradition to allow prisoners to make a final statement. In some states, officials place a limit on how long this statement can last, while others have tried to make such statements written only.

Regardless of how they have been delivered, America's history of final words is greatly varied, with the five in the past week alone have demonstrated this.

The executed men pleaded their innocence, reassured their family members watching on, said their final thanks, prayed to their god - or simply said 'bye'.

Here, DailyMail.com takes a look back at some of the most notable final words, beginning with the five from the past week:

Alan Eugene Miller

Last words: 'I didn't do anything to be on death row.'

Alan Eugene Miller, 59, was executed with nitrogen gas at a south Alabama prison on Thursday, two years after the state previously attempted to execute him by lethal injection.

Miller was convicted of killing three men - Lee Holdbrooks, Christopher Scott Yancy and Terry Jarvis - in back-to-back workplace shootings in 1999.

All three men were shot multiple times. A prosecutor told jurors at the 2000 trial that the men 'are not just murdered, they are executed.'

Miller had initially pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity but later withdrew the plea. A psychiatrist hired by the defense said that Miller was mentally ill but his condition wasn't severe enough to use as a basis for an insanity defense, according to court documents.

Jurors convicted Miller after 20 minutes of deliberation and voted he receive the death penalty.

Alan Eugene Miller, 59, (pictured) was executed with nitrogen gas at a south Alabama prison on Thursday, two years after the state previously attempted to execute him by lethal injection. He was convicted of killing three men - Lee Holdbrooks, Christopher Scott Yancy and Terry Jarvis - in back-to-back workplace shootings in 1999

Officials escort murder suspect Alan Eugene Miller away from the Pelham City Jail in Alabama, August 5, 1999

Miller was the second person in the US to be put to death with nitrogen gas execution - a new method that involves placing a respirator gas mask over the inmate's face to replace breathable air with pure nitrogen gas, causing death by lack of oxygen.

In January, Alabama put Kenneth Smith to death in the first nitrogen gas execution.

Alabama officials and advocates argued over whether Smith suffered an unconstitutional level of pain during his execution after he shook in seizure-like spasms for more than two minutes while strapped to the gurney and then gasped for breath for several minutes.

'Alabama's nitrogen hypoxia system is reliable and humane,' Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall said last month in announcing a lawsuit settlement agreement that allowed Miller's execution. The state has scheduled a third nitrogen execution for November.

But death penalty opponents and advocates for other inmates facing nitrogen execution maintain that what happened with Smith shows there are problems with, or at least questions about, the method and say it should be scrutinized more before being used again.

Emmanuel Littlejohn

Last words: 'Everything is going to be OK. I love you.'

Emmanuel Littlejohn, 52, received a lethal injection at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary on Thursday morning for his role in the 1992 shooting death of convenience store owner Kenneth Meers.

His execution came after Republican Governor Kevin Stitt declined to commute his sentence to life in prison without parole.

A state appellate court on Wednesday denied a last-minute legal challenge to the constitutionality of the state's lethal injection method of execution. A similar appeal filed in federal court was also rejected Thursday.

Emmanuel Littlejohn, 52, (left) received a lethal injection at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary on Thursday morning for his role in the 1992 shooting death of convenience store owner Kenneth Meers (right)

Littlejohn was 20 when prosecutors say he and co-defendant Glenn Bethany robbed the Root-N-Scoot convenience store in south Oklahoma City in June 1992. Meers, 31, was killed.

During video testimony to the Pardon and Parole Board last month, Littlejohn apologized to Meers' family but denied firing the fatal shot.

Littlejohn's attorneys pointed out that the same prosecutor tried Bethany and Littlejohn in separate trials using a nearly identical theory, even though there was only one shooter and one bullet that killed Meers.

But prosecutors told the board that two teenage store employees who witnessed the robbery both said Littlejohn, not Bethany, fired the fatal shot. Bethany was sentenced to life in prison without parole.

Littlejohn's attorneys also argued that killings resulting from a robbery are rarely considered death penalty cases and that prosecutors today would not have pursued the ultimate punishment.

'It is evident that Emmanuel would not have been sentenced to death if he'd been tried in 2024 or even 2004,' attorney Caitlin Hoeberlein told the board.

Littlejohn was prosecuted by former Oklahoma County District Attorney Bob Macy, who was known for his zealous pursuit of the death penalty and secured 54 death sentences during more than 20 years in office.

Because of the board's 3-2 recommendation, Stitt had the option of commuting Littlejohn's sentence to life in prison without parole.

'A jury found him guilty and sentenced him to death,' said Stitt. He added, 'As a law and order governor, I have a hard time unilaterally overturning that decision.'

On Thursday, Littlejohn was strapped to a gurney and with an IV line in his right arm, Littlejohn looked toward his mother and daughter, who witnessed the execution.

'Mom, you OK?' Littlejohn asked.

'I'm OK,' his mother, Ceily Mason, responded.

'Everything is going to be OK. I love you,' he said.

Mason sobbed quietly during the lethal injection, which began shortly after 10 a.m. Littlejohn's breathing became labored before a doctor declared him unconscious at 10:07 a.m. He was pronounced dead 10 minutes later.

Marcellus Williams

Last words: 'All Praise Be to Allah In Every Situation!'

Marcellus Williams, 55, was put to death by lethal injection in Missouri on Tuesday despite the prosecutor's office that secured his murder conviction 21 years ago having expressed doubts about the integrity of the case.

Williams was found guilty in 2003 of killing Felicia 'Lisha' Gayle, a former newspaper reporter who was stabbed to death in her home. He had maintained his innocence.

Marcellus Williams, 55, (pictured) was put to death by lethal injection in Missouri on Tuesday over the 1998 killing of Lisha Gayle, who was stabbed repeatedly during a burglary of her suburban St. Louis home

The St. Louis County prosecutor's office - which originally secured his conviction in 2001 - had filed a motion to vacate the conviction after expressing concerns about the lack of DNA evidence linking Williams to the killing of Gayle. They also argued Williams did not receive a fair trial.

The victim's family had also agreed to a deal that would see Williams sentenced to life in prison instead of being executed.

But his execution moved forward after both Missouri Governor Mike Parson and the state's highest court also rejected his last-ditch bids to avoid execution.

The US Supreme Court, the last body that could have halted the execution, declined to intervene in the case hours before.

Travis Mullis

Last words: 'I'd like to thank everyone...that accepted me for the man I became during my best and worst moments.'

Travis Mullis, 38, was executed by lethal injection at the state penitentiary in Huntsville, Texas on Tuesday night.

He was sentenced to death after he admitted to stomping and strangling his three-month-old son Alijah - after having molested the infant - in January 2008.

Mullis, a man with a long history of mental illness, has repeatedly sought to waive his right to appeal his death sentence. But his attorneys did not plan to file any appeals to try and stay his lethal injection.

Travis Mullis, 38, (pictured) was executed by lethal injection at the state penitentiary in Huntsville, Texas on Tuesday night

He was sentenced to death after he admitted to stomping and strangling his three-month-old son Alijah James Mullis (pictured) - after having after molested the infant - in January 2008

While strapped to the death chamber gurney on Tuesday night, Mullis thanked his supporters, as well as the prison officials and staff for 'changes made across the system' that allowed 'even the men on death row to show it is possible to be rehabilitated and not deemed a threat and not the men we were when we came into this system.'

Mullis added that while he 'took the legal steps to expedite to include assisted suicide, I don't regret this decision, to legally expedite this process...I do regret the decision to take the life of my son.'

He apologized to his son's mother, to her family and said he had no ill will toward anyone involved in the punishment. 'It was my decision that put me here,' he said.

Freddie Owens

Last word: 'Bye.'

Freddie Owens, 46, was executed in South Carolina on Friday last week. He killed convenience store clerk Irene Graves during a botched robbery in Greenville in 1997.

During his trial, Owens murdered fellow inmate Christopher Lee at a county jail which earned him the death penalty.

Double murderer Freddie Owens died by lethal injection on Friday, September 20, 2024 in South Carolina's first execution in 13 years

Owens killed convenience store clerk Irene Graves in Greenville in 1997 during a botched robbery, as well as county jail inmate Christopher Lee during his trial for Graves' slaying

His death was South Carolina's first execution in 13 years, an unintended delay caused by the inability of state prison officials to obtain the drugs needed for lethal injections.

To carry out executions, the state switched from a three-drug method to a new protocol of using a single sedative, pentobarbital.

Owens made no final statement, but said 'bye' to his attorney as he was strapped into a gurney where he awaited the lethal injection that led to his ultimate demise.

He remained conscious for a minute before his eyes closed, his breaths shortened and his face twitched for five minutes before he died.

Ted Bundy

Last words: 'I'd like you to give my love to my family and friends.'

Notorious serial killer, rapist, and necrophiliac Ted Bundy, 42, was executed by electric chair in January 1989 after a lengthy legal fight and numerous stays.

He confessed to the murders of 30 women across the states of Oregon, Utah, Florida, Colorado, and Idaho, beginning in the 1970s - but the true figure might be much higher.

Bundy would target young women who were usually living independently either in the early stages of their career or as college students.

Ted Bundy, 42, (pictured in July 1978 after his grand jury indictment) was executed by electric chair in January 1989 after a lengthy legal fight and numerous stays. He confessed to the murders of 30 women in the across several states beginning in the 1970s - but the true figure might be much higher

He would typically approach them in public places and fake a disability in order to get them to assist him with a task, such as lifting something out of his car. Then he would batter them unconscious with a hammer or other blunt weapon before moving them to a secret location where he would rape and strangle them.

Often he would return to their bodies, sometimes washing them, putting make-up on them and sexually assaulting their corpses. In some instances he decapitated the dead bodies and stored the heads in his apartment.

He twice managed to escape jail, and was finally recaptured in February 1978.

Bundy's case captured the imagination of the US public, and his trial was one of the first to be broadcast live on television.

Jimmy Glass

Last Words: 'Yeah, I think I'd rather be fishing.'

Double murderer Jimmy Glass, 25, was executed in an electric chair in Louisiana in June 1987. He grinned as he was strapped into the chair.

He was sentenced to death over the murders of Newt Brown and his wife Erlene on Christmas Eve in 1982.

Glass had escaped from prison with fellow inmate Jimmy Wingo and went on to shoot the Browns dead after breaking into their home.

Jimmy Glass, 25, (pictured in 1982) was executed in an electric chair in Louisiana in June 1987. He was condemned over the murders of Newt and Erlene Brown on Christmas Eve in 1982

Glass contended that Wingo held a shotgun to his head and forced him to kill the couple after he called Wingo by his name.

Wingo, who was executed four days after Glass, denied having anything to do with the killings.

Two years before his execution, Glass petitioned the Supreme Court, arguing that electrocution violated the Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments to the Constitution as 'cruel and unusual punishment'.

His case was dismissed after the Court ruled by a majority of 5-4 the execution method was constitutional.

George Appel

Last words: 'Well, gentlemen, you are about to see a baked Appel.'

George Appel, 41, was sent to the electric chair in 1928 for robbery and the murder of a New York City police officer.

He joked about being a 'baked Appel' as he was being strapped into the chair. Moments before his execution, he also said, 'Damn, no power outage.'

George Appel, 41, (pictured) was sent to the electric chair in 1928 for robbery and the murder of a New York City police officer

Appel and an accomplice had just finished robbing a restaurant in Brooklyn when Police Lieutenant Charles J. Kemmer walked into the establishment, The New York Times reported at the time.

A struggle ensued between Kemmer and the assailants, and Appel shot the officer three times, prosecutors said.

The pair were only found because Kemmer managed to write down the license plate number of Appel's getaway car as he lay in the restaurant, fatally wounded.

Appel was arrested and convicted of first-degree murder.

George Bernard Harris

Last words: 'Somebody needs to kill my trial attorney.'

George Bernard Harris, 41, was executed by lethal injection in Missouri in September 2000 after shooting a man dead 11 years prior.

He shot Stanley Willoughby in the face in March 1989 after a heated argument over firearms, according to the Clark County Prosecuting Attorney's Office.

George Bernard Harris, 41, (pictured) was executed by lethal injection in Missouri in September 2000 after shooting a man dead in March 1989

Harris had won big playing craps in Kansas City and used the funds to buy two machine guns.

He gave the guns to his friend Michael Taylor for safekeeping, who then enlisted Willoughby to hold them.

When Harris wanted the weapons back, Willoughby allegedly couldn't find them. An argument grew heated and Harris fatally shot Willoughby.

He was later picked up for a robbery, then charged and convicted of murder.

James French

Last words: 'How about this for a headline for tomorrow's paper? French fries.'

James French, 30, was electrocuted in August 1966 at Oklahoma State Penitentiary after murdering his prison cell mate Eddie Lee Shelton.

It is understood that French, who was serving a life sentence when killed Shelton in October 1961, had been on a mission to die.

Shortly before he entered the death chamber, he also told prison officials: 'I am not dying for murder, I am dying for my beliefs.'

James French, 30, (pictured) was electrocuted in August 1966 at Oklahoma State Penitentiary after murdering his prison cell mate Eddie Lee Shelton

French killed Shelton as he was serving a life sentence for the 1958 murder of a West Virginia man who gave him a ride while he was hitchhiking.

The double murderer admitted that he killed his cellmate because Shelton was 'stupid...and refused to shape up', The Oklahoman reported.

He also said he knew the punishment he would face when he killed Shelton.

French was convicted of Shelton's murder in three trials, each time receiving the death penalty. But following each trial he would write to the appeals court and Pardon and Parole Board requesting to die.

The court complied with his wish to die following his third trial. French was the only person executed in the United States in 1966.

Aileen Wuornos

Last words: 'I'd just like to say, I'm sailing with the rock, and I'll be back, like Independence Day, with Jesus, June 6th. Like the movie, big mothership and all. I'll be back.'

Aileen Wuornos, 46 - nicknamed the 'Damsel of Death' - was executed in October 2002 after confessing to murdering seven men she encountered on Florida highways in 1989 and 1990.

Before she died by lethal injection, the notorious female serial killer invoked the films The Terminator (1984) and Independence Day (1996) in her final statement.

Aileen Wuornos, 46, (pictured in 1991) was nicknamed the 'Damsel of Death'. She was executed in October 2002 after confessing to murdering seven men she encountered on Florida highways in 1989 and 1990

Wuronos, a prostitute, was sentenced to death after being convicted of the murders.

She picked her victims up on the highway and shot them multiple times before dumping their bodies.

She initially claimed she had acted in self-defense, but later admitted she did it simply because she hated men and wanted to steal their money.

Police believe she was also responsible for the deaths of two further male victims.

Actress Charlize Theron won an Oscar for her portrayal of Wuornos in the 2003 movie Monster.

Westley Allan Dodd

Last words: 'I was once asked by somebody, I don't remember who, if there was any way sex offenders could be stopped. I said no. I was wrong.'

Westley Allan Dodd, 31, was executed by hanging at Washington State Penitentiary in January 1993. His death was the first legal hanging in the US in 28 years.

He was sentenced to death in 1990 after pleading guilty to the murder of three young boys.

Westley Allan Dodd, 31, (left) was executed by hanging at Washington State Penitentiary (right) in January 1993. His death was the first legal hanging in the US in 28 years

Dodd assaulted and killed brothers Cole and William Neer, ages 10 and 11, in Vancouver, Washington in autumn 1989. He then abducted and murdered 4-year-old Lee Iseli in Oregon.

He was arrested a few weeks later at a movie theater after he failed to abduct another boy, according to KNKX.

He quickly confessed to murdering the children and the prosecution sought the death penalty. He pleaded guilty and refused to appeal his case or sentence.

Dodd also specifically requested that he be executed by hanging. He was executed after three years on death row.

Carl Panzram

Last words: 'Hurry it up, you Hoosier b*****d. I could kill 10 men while you're fooling around.'

Carl Panzram, 39, was executed at Leavenworth Prison in Kansas on September 5, 1930 after becoming one of the most prolific serial killers of the 20th century.

Panzram, who is suspected of murdering over 100 men across the nation, was hanged after bludgeoning a prison employee to death in 1929.

Carl Panzram, 39, (pictured) was executed at Leavenworth Prison in Kansas on September 5, 1930 after becoming one of the most prolific serial killers of the 20th century. He admitted to killing 21 men and boys, though he is suspected of murdering over 100 men

Panzam was arrested for burglary in Baltimore in 1928 and later found guilty of killing three men just weeks earlier, according to The Grand Forks Herald. He was sentenced to 25-year-to-life.

While in prison, the serial killer documented his life story in a series of writings now known as the Panzram Papers.

The document opened famously with a confession of crimes, including the murders of 21 boys and men. Only five were able to be confirmed at the time.

'In my lifetime I have murdered 21 human beings, I have committed thousands of burglaries, robberies, larcenies, arson and, last but not least, I have committed sodomy on more than 1,000 male human beings,' he wrote in the papers.

'For all these things I am not in the least bit sorry. I have no conscience so that does not worry me. I don't believe in man, God, nor devil. I hate the whole damned human race including myself.'

His writings inspired the biography Killer: A Journal Of Murder and the 1996 film of the same name, starring James Woods as Panzram.

Thomas J. Grasso

Last words: 'I did not get my Spaghetti-O's, I got spaghetti. I want the press to know this.'

Thomas J. Grasso, 32, was put to death by lethal injection in Oklahoma in March 1995 for a double murder.

His last meal, as he said, was a can of Franco-American Spaghetti-O's with meatballs, served at room temperature, steamed mussels, a Burger King double cheeseburger, a strawberry milkshake, pumpkin pie, and a mango.

Thomas J. Grasso, 32, (pictured) was put to death by lethal injection in Oklahoma in March 1995 for a double murder. His last meal, as he said, was a can of Franco-American Spaghetti-O's with meatballs, served at room temperature, steamed mussels, a Burger King double cheeseburger, a strawberry milkshake, pumpkin pie, and a mango

Grasso strangled Hilda Johnson, 87, to death with her Christmas tree lights at her Tulsa, Oklahoma on December 24, 1990. He also stole some cash and her TV, The Daily Star reported.

Johnson lived next door to Grasso's girlfriend's grandmother, whom the pair had been visiting over the holiday.

He and his lover Lana - who later became his wife - moved to Stanton Island, New York, where he murdered Leslie Holtz, 81, on July 4, 1991 before stealing her Social Security check.

After being arrested for Holtz's murder, Grasso also confessed to killing Johnson. He pleaded guilty to both crimes in 1992. He was sentenced to between 20 years and life for murdering Holtz and sentenced to death for strangling Johnson.

He requested his final meal before his execution on March 20, 1995 but there was allegedly a mistake and instead of Spaghetti-O's, he was reportedly given spaghetti.

Robert Alton Harris

Last words: 'You can be a king or a street sweeper, but everyone dances with the Grim Reaper.'

Robert Alton Harris, 39, was executed in a gas chamber in California's San Quentin State Prison in April 1992.

Harris was sentenced to death after he and his younger brother abducted and killed two teenage boys in San Diego in 1978. The brothers then stole the victims' car to carry out a robbery.

Robert Alton Harris, 39, (pictured) was executed in a gas chamber in California 's San Quentin State Prison in April 1992. Harris was sentenced to death after he and his younger brother abducted and killed two teenage boys in San Diego in 1978. The brothers then stole the victims' car to carry out a robbery

Harris - who had previously been imprisoned twice for car theft - and his brother Daniel abducted and killed 16-year-olds John Mayeski and Michael Baker on July 5, 1978.

The brothers then stole their car to pull off a bank robbery, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation records state.

Harris was arrested less than an hour after the burglary and convicted in 1979 of two counts murder in the first degree with special circumstances, and kidnapping. He was later sentenced to death.

Daniel was convicted of kidnapping and sentenced to six years in state prison. He was discharged in 1983.

Harris's execution in 1992 was the first execution in California in 25 years. He was put to death by gas chamber, which was never as popular as the electric chair in the United States but was used widely in Arizona, Wyoming, Missouri, Mississippi and California.
A mum has banned her kids from doing PE after their school closed changing rooms and forced pupils to wear their gym kit all day.

Baffled parents say making their children sit in classrooms without changing after doing sport is a potential health hazard.

Mum Karen Davies said she will not allow her children to do PE if it means they have to keep their kit on all day.

'It doesn't make any sense,' Karen said. The historian and author added: 'If I sent the kids to school in damp, muddy clothes I'd have social services on me right away.

'How can you be expected to concentrate on school work when you are sitting in cold, wet PE kit?

Mum Karen Davies said she will not allow her children to do PE if it means they have to keep their kit on all day. Pictured: Karen with her daughter Ninah, 12, and son William, 13

Karen's son William said: 'Sometimes, they make you do PE in borrowed kit which gets washed once a week on the Friday'

Karen's son William, 13, in Year 9 and Ninah, 12, in Year 8 have stopped going to PE since the policy was introduced at the start of term

'The school is acting beyond scope of their role.

'What's next? Closing the school canteen?'

Children at Robertsbridge Community College, a secondary school north of Hastings, have been told they must turn up for school in their kit on days when they have PE and wear it all day.

Karen said: 'If they have PE first thing in the morning, they have to sit around in their sweaty kit all day - even in the winter.

'They will have to come into school in their shorts and be cold all day.

'The children have to go on public transport after doing PE and possibly sitting around in their kit all day.

'They've also been told they can't wear trainers to school but they also have to turn up in PE kit.

'They've not been able to tell me how that works.'

Karen's son William, 13, in Year 9 and Ninah, 12, in Year 8 have stopped going to PE since the policy was introduced at the start of term.

William said: 'Sometimes, they make you do PE in borrowed kit which gets washed once a week on the Friday.'

Karen said: 'The school have told me it's all about saving time in the classroom but I don't believe that.

'They have just decided it is easier.'

The school said the new policy was to help pupils who feel self conscious about getting changed for PE

Acting head teacher Clive Rosewell said: 'The decision to ask children to come to school in PE kit on PE days was taken after much consideration and communicated to parents in July'

He added: 'The school is emerging from a difficult period, and it is great to see real signs of improvement from the changes being made'

The school said the new policy was to help pupils who feel self conscious about getting changed for PE.

Acting head teacher Clive Rosewell said: 'The decision to ask children to come to school in PE kit on PE days was taken after much consideration and communicated to parents in July.

'The approach has been well received with positive feedback from many parents.

'There has been a very small number of parents who have expressed dissatisfaction, and this was responded to promptly - there have been no further complaints from other parents or any escalation to governors.

'Bringing PE kit to school, and changing in and out of it, is a stressful experience for some young people.

'Many feel very self-conscious about changing in front of their peers.

'The additional task of taking a bag with a change of clothing can also put pressure on children.

'The school has made this decision based on research and experience to reduce anxiety for children.

'The school is emerging from a difficult period, and it is great to see real signs of improvement from the changes being made.

'The school is now a calmer learning environment with improved behaviour, and the 2024 GCSE results were the best results the school has achieved for five years.'

William said: 'It makes the classrooms smell.'

Karen, 45, said the school have stopped communicating with her.

'Eleven times I've ask them what the policy is and they've ignored me.

'What do you do as a parent when the school won't converse with you?'

A spokesman for the school said: 'The decision to ask students to come to school in PE kit on PE days was taken to reduce the stress and anxiety felt by many when having to change in front of others, and make full use of valuable learning time.

'On days when inclement weather is forecast, students may bring in a change of clothes and footwear and they will be given additional time to change.

'The approach was communicated to parents in July and has been well-received with positive feedback from the vast majority of parents. It is an approach used in other schools nationally.'
A mum has told how she faces the trauma of having to 'bury' her son for a third time as she battles hospital chiefs to find out the truth about medical tests carried out on him before his death at the age of 12.

June Bayley has spent over two decades seeking answers after the death of her son Ben from a rare brain disease.

The youngster was buried in 1997 but two years later she discovered his brain had been removed during an autopsy so medical research could be carried out into the rare disorder than ended his life.

A second burial was held and now the 65-year-old fears she will have to hold a third service after being told DNA from her son could still be held at a London hospital.

June said:' For any mum to have to bury their child is not something anyone should have to go through, but to have a second burial is worse. Now I could have to have a third burial if I can get back the DNA samples that were taken without my consent.

'I just want my whole son back and to have all of him in one place. I want to place a stone over his grave so that no one else can take anything.'

June Bayley has spent over two decades seeking answers after the death of her son Ben from a rare brain disease

Ben (pictured)- was born with the rare brain disease Dentatorubal-Pallidoluysian Atrophy having inherited it genetically from his father Francis who died from the same condition at the age of 32

Mum June said: 'I just want my whole son back and to have all of him in one place. I want to place a stone over his grave so that no one else can take anything'

Her son Ben was born with the rare brain disease Dentatorubal-Pallidoluysian Atrophy (DRPLA) having inherited it genetically from his father Francis who died from the same condition at the age of 32. Sufferers have a life expectancy of between 8-16 years.

After Ben died in 1997 a funeral service was held but two years later she was informed that his brain had been removed during an autopsy so that it could be examined by specialists trying to find out more about the disorder.

Samples from parts of his other organs were also removed and in 2001 they were returned to Mrs Bayley who lives in Ely, Cambridgeshire. A second burial was held that same year.

'At the time I had no idea that my son's brain had been removed when his body was returned to us. He was not an organ donor and I had not given permission for it to be removed. I had told doctors that I did not want his organs removed, and certainly not his brain.

'It was devastating to know that parts of him had been taken without my consent.'

Bosses at the world famous Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, later admitted the child's brain had been removed for research.

Mrs Bayley, who has three grown up children, is now engaged in a fight to secure the return of DNA samples -believed to be skin or blood cells  from Guy's Hospital in London

After Ben (pictured) died in 1997 a funeral service was held but two years later she was informed that his brain had been removed during an autopsy

They also returned slides that contained samples of other organs.

Mrs Bayley, who has three grown up children, is now engaged in a fight to secure the return of DNA samples -believed to be skin or blood cells  from Guy's Hospital in London.

She has a meeting with hospital chiefs next month where she will push for the return of the microscopic cells.

'It might not sound like very much, but it means so much to me and my family. All I have ever wanted to know is all of my son is buried and there are not parts missing, she said.

'It has been a bit of a crusade, but I will fight for all of my children. I will take legal action if necessary to get them back. They belong to Ben and should be with him and not in some genetic lab.

'Once I have them back they will be with Ben and I will make sure there is a stone over his grave so that no one can ever take any part of him again.'

Mrs Bayley is convinced that the cause of her son's death is so rare that genetic specialists wanted to study his DNA to find out more about the disease.

She contacted University College Hospital in London earlier this year in the hope they could provide answers as she believed her son was registered with their genetics unit since 1992.

Mrs Bayley is convinced that the cause of her son's death is so rare that genetic specialists wanted to study his DNA to find out more about the disease

A spokesman for the hospital denied they were involved.

A University College London Hospital spokesperson said: 'Cambridge University Hospitals recently made us aware of Ms Bayley's concerns.

'We have tried to trace our records from 33 years ago but found no evidence of tissue being held at UCLH.'

June added: 'I know nothing will ever bring back my Ben but I still want to know the truth about what happened and will continue to fight until he is finally laid to rest complete.'

A spokesperson for Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust said:

'We apologise to Ben's family for any distress we may have caused, and we recognise how difficult the circumstances are when a child dies. We will work with Ben's family to address any concerns.'

A hospital source said there is no evidence of any research or tests on cells after 1990.
A transgender Syrian refugee claims she has been stranded in a Turkish airport for seven months after a Canadian diplomat alleged that she underwent gender reassignment surgery in a bid to gain access to the country.

Arwa Almsrawi had initially been granted refugee status by Canada after the nation received a referral from the U.N. Refugee Agency.

But while on her journey to her new homeland, she got into trouble at Istanbul Airport, learning she was on the U.S' 'No Fly List' and eventually had her refugee status revoked.

Almsrawi, a transgender woman, originally fled her war-torn home country of Syria, and found temporary refuge in Saudi Arabia, where she lived for over a decade.

But she held no legal status in Saudi Arabia, depriving her of the ability to work legally.

Arwa Almsrawi had previously been granted refugee status by Canada after the nation received a referral from the U.N. Refugee Agency

When Almsrawi began her journey to Canada, where she finally expected 'to be a full human being,' she encountered trouble at the Istanbul airport

When Almsrawi was approved to relocate to Canada, where she finally expected 'to be a full human being,' she was flagged at the Istanbul airport.

She was prevented her from boarding her flight to Toronto, with officials informing the Syrian refugee that she was on the United States' No Fly List.

Canadian immigration officers then nixed Almsrawi's refugee application with minimal explanation.

It is unclear as to why her name appears on the U.S. no fly list, but in a letter from the Canadian government, the inclusion appears to be a factor in their refusal decision.

The document, which outlined why she has been stripped of her refugee status, did not contain any particular allegations against Almsrawi, but acknowledged her presence on the No Fly List factored into their final verdict, saying that it introduced 'unknowables.'

'These "unknowables," in my view, make the risk to the security of the Canadian public too great, and this to me is of more weight, when measured against your vulnerable circumstances,' the letter said.

After American officials intervened, Canadian immigration officers nixed Almsrawi's refugee application with minimal explanation

U.S. authorities prevented her from boarding her flight to Toronto, informing the Syrian refugee that she was on their No Fly List

She said she doesn't know why her name would be included, while Erin Simpson, Almsrawi's lawyer, has argued that the Canadian government has not presented any evidence that they are actually investigating whether or not her client's name appears on the list.

'Arwa is a very common name,' Simpson observed to the Toronto Star, adding that many members of Almsrawi's family share the same first and last name.

Almsrawi and Simpson are now challenging Canada's decision in federal court, although it is currently unclear when their case will be heard.

Now, Almsrawi has accused Canadian immigration officials of transphobic discrimination.

After being stuck at the Istanbul airport for two months, she was interviewed by a U.A.E.-based Canadian diplomat, who later revoked her refugee status.

Almsrawi alleged that the government official was hostile and aggressive toward her, the Toronto Star reported.

Almsrawi alleged that the government official was hostile and aggressive toward her

She claims that the diplomat accused her of changing gender to gain access to Canada.

'You did what you did to your body to get into Canada,' the diplomat said, according to Almsrawi's affidavit.

It's now been seven months since arriving at Istanbul airport in a state of legal limbo, which her lawyer characterized as 'Kafkaesque.'

Almsrawi fears being forced to return to Syria, but she is struggling to find admission to another country.

'No country is willing to accept me,' she told the Star. ' I have no place to go.'

In an interview with a psychiatrist, Alsmrawi revealed that she has attempted to commit suicide twice since becoming stranded at the airport.

Canadian officials recently told her that she will no longer receive food and other accommodations as of October 2.

Then she claimed that the diplomat accused her of becoming transgender to gain access to Canada

In a statement to the Star, a spokesperson for Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada defended their reputation.

'Canada has a proud history of protecting and resettling those who are the most in need of resettlement, including 2SLGBTQI+ REFUGEES and their families,' the spokesperson said.
Kamala Harris visited the U.S. border with Mexico on Friday for her first time as the Democratic presidential nominee to fire back at critics of her record on migration.

The vice president toured a section of the wall in Douglas, Arizona, with Customs and Border Protection officers and discussed their efforts to combat trafficking.

Her visit comes on the same day staggering figures revealed there are 600,000 criminal migrants in the United States.

During her trip she is announcing that not only would she keep President Joe Bidens sweeping asylum crackdown in place if she wins the White House, but that she would put even stronger measures into effect.

Harris toured the border wall with Border Patrol agents near Tucson, Arizona

She will make it harder to lift the emergency authority by requiring that the number of average border crossings achieve a further drop - below the current level of 1,500 - before the shutdown can be lifted.

Crossing came down after the Biden administration announced rules that barred migrants from being granted asylum when U.S. officials deem that the southern border is overwhelmed.

In her remarks she will also attack Donald Trump for putting his political interests ahead of a public solution, repeating her criticism of him for lobbying his allies in Congress for killing a border security bill because he feared, if the legislation was successful, it would hurt his presidential campaign.

The goal of her visit is to tackle her politically vulnerable issue head on.

Trump and his fellow Republicans have pummelled Harris for months on border policy and the high number of migrant crossings.

It was her first visit to the border as a presidential candidate and her first since 2021

Now she will try to turn the tables and take control of the issue.

Trump pre-emptively attacked her visit on Thursday during a press conference in New York, when he questioned her decision to travel there.

Why would she go to the border now, playing right into the hand of her opponent? he asked.

She keeps talking about how she supposedly wants to fix the border. We would merely ask: Why didnt she do it four years ago?, he said.

Harris visited a section of the 2,000-mile border in Douglas, Ariz., a key battleground state. She met with border agents and was briefed on the situation.

It was her first visit to the border as a presidential candidate, and her first since 2021 when President Joe Biden charged her with finding the root causes of migration.

Republicans have dubbed her the border czar, a title her team disputes.
The guardians of an autistic boy are behind bars after they pleaded guilty to neglect and physical abuse following a violent outburst when he refused to do the dishes.

The seven-year-old boy's foster parents from regional Western Australia, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, fronted Perth District Court on Thursday.

The court heard the foster mother, 31, asked the boy to do the dishes in April 2023 but he refused and kicked her, leading her to push him into a wooden table where he hit his head and was knocked out, reported WA Today.

The woman called her partner, 33, who returned to the house and helped to put the boy, who was still unconscious, into a hot bath because he was cold.

The court heard the water was far too hot and burned a quarter of his body, requiring skin grafts, but the little boy didn't react because he was unconscious.

The couple put the boy to bed, despite him yet regaining consciousness and returned the next morning to find him unresponsive with his eyes rolling back.

At 2pm that afternoon they finally took the boy to hospital where he was found to have suffered a bleed to his brain and was airlifted by the Royal Flying Doctor Service to Perth Children's Hospital for surgery.

He recovered but has a brain injury, a scar from the surgery and has required multiple skin graft operations.

An autistic boy, 7, was pushed back into a wooden table and hit his head, suffering a brain bleed, when he refused to do the dishes and kicked at his foster mother (stock image)

It was nearly a full day before the boy's foster parents took him to hospital where he was airlifted to Perth for surgery (stock image)

The foster mother later told police the boy had hit his head while faking a seizure.

She also told them she wouldn't hurt her children but added she 'used to' hit them until she realised she was 'getting like her mother'.

Police found a text message she had sent her partner, who is the boy's biological uncle and father to their three children, complaining that 'the c****'s broke the door'.

'Just don't lay into him any more. We can't risk s*** going wrong. Just lock him in the bedroom,' the man replied.

The boy's biological mother, from NSW, had suggested her brother and his partner look after the child after a previous placement in Queensland did not work out.

Over their regular video calls, she noted the boy's attitude had worsened since moving to WA and he would often be wearing long clothes despite the warm weather. Police later said they found multiple bruises on the child.

The court heard the boy had been diagnosed with autism, ADHD and oppositional defiance disorder and the foster parents had been unprepared to manage him.

However, Judge Linda Petrusa said they couple had both agreed to take the boy and had not sought help or requested he be moved on.

The couple's biological children are in the care of the state.

They are due to be sentenced on October 4.
A man has been charged with murder after the body of a woman was found inside a rural property.

Police were called to the home in Coulson Road, in Pokolbin, in NSW's Hunter Valley region, just after 6pm on Friday following reports of a concern for welfare.

The lifeless body of a woman aged in her 40s was found inside the home.

Despite the efforts of first responders, she was not able to be revived.

A 47-year-old man was arrested at the house and was taken to Cessnock Police Station.

He has been charged with one count of murder (DV).

The man was refused bail and will appear before Newcastle Local Court on Saturday.
A new rocket thruster could lead to never-ending deep-space exploration by converting metals to fuel.

Scientists at the University of Southampton are trialling a propulsion system which uses minerals harvested from asteroids or far-off moons to refill its tanks.

Lead scientist Dr Minkwan Kim claims the tech could help to uncover previously unreachable regions of the universe.

Spacecraft have limited amounts of fuel because of the enormous cost, he said.

A new rocket thruster using minerals harvested from asteroids could lead to 'never-ending' deep-space exploration

Lead scientist Dr Minkwan Kim claims the tech could help to uncover previously unreachable regions of the universe

But these new thrusters are capable of being powered by any metal that can burn, such as iron, aluminium or copper.

'Once fitted, spacecraft could land on a comet or moon, rich in these minerals, and harvest what it needs before jetting off with a full tank.'

Dr Kims team are working with British-based space firm Magdrive on the propulsion tech, named Super Magdrive, which has been given a 1 million grant by the Government.

The system could help us explore new planets, seek out new life, and go where no human has gone before, enabling never-ending discovery, he added.
Up to 100mm of rain to fall in some areas

Strong winds, heavy rainfall and freezing temperatures will smash Australia's southeast this weekend with some areas to cop a drenching of up to 100mm.

A low-pressure weather system 250km off the coast of the Gold Coast is continuing to push 100km/hour winds along coastal areas.

Towering waves of up to nine metres are forecast along the New South Wales coast with higher altitude areas to be hit the hardest by the gale-force winds.

'We've got the wind absolutely whistling up the northern NSW coast,' Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) meteorologist Angus Hines told news.com.au.

'The strongest rain is hugging the northeastern coastline.

'Places here could see between 70 and 100 millimetres of rain over the next few days, and it's likely that a few of the rain gauges along this strip will see more than 100 millimetres cracking those triple digits'.

Northern areas of NSW, the NSW/VIC border and southern regions of Queensland have received the brunt of the wet and wild weather.

Weatherwatch forecasters told Daily Mail Australia that the high altitude of coastal areas would prevent waves and heavy rain from wreaking havoc.

A low-pressure weather system (pictured on this weather map) 250km off the coast of the Gold Coast is continuing to push 100km/hour winds along coastal areas

Towering waves of up to nine metres are forecast along the New South Wales coast with higher altitude areas to be hit the hardest by the gale-force winds

Experts predict Saturday should be the last day of severe weather conditions as the low-pressure system begins to move away from the Australian coastline.

But it could still draw in moisture from the coast, causing heavier falls in the Mid North coast and Northern Rivers with a potential for flash and riverine flooding.

Areas closest to the low should start to experience drier conditions on Sunday although sunny days are not expected to return until next week.

Rain can still be expected in Brisbane, Sydney and Adelaide across the weekend as the low dissipates and drifts away from the coast.

Severe weather warnings are still in place for Queensland's southeast coast, the Darling Downs and the NSW coast from Coffs Harbour northwards, where winds of 100km/h will wreak havoc.

Sydney

Saturday: Min 14C Max 20C Shower or two. Possible rainfall: 0 to 1mm. Chance of any rain: 50 per cent.

Sydney area: Cloudy. Medium chance of showers. Winds east to southeasterly 15 to 20km/h tending east to northeasterly during the day.

Sunday: Min 15C Max 23C Shower or two. Possible rainfall: 0 to 6mm. Chance of any rain: 70 per cent.

Sydney area: Cloudy. High chance of showers. Light winds becoming northeasterly 15 to 25km/h during the day then becoming light during the evening.

Rain can still be expected in Brisbane, Sydney and Adelaide across the weekend as the low dissipates and drifts away from the coast (a weather map is pictured)

Brisbane

Saturday: Min 15C Max 20C. Shower or two. Possible rainfall: 0 to 8mm. Chance of any rain: 70 per cent.

Brisbane area: Cloudy. High chance of showers, most likely in the late morning and afternoon. The chance of a thunderstorm. Winds southerly 25 to 35km/h.

Sunday: Min 15C Max 25C Possible shower. Possible rainfall: 0 to 1mm. Chance of any rain: 40 per cent.

Brisbane area: Partly cloudy. Medium chance of showers in the morning and afternoon. Winds south to southeasterly 15 to 25km/h becoming light during the evening.

Melbourne

Saturday: Min 7C Max 23C Sunny. Chance of any rain: 5 per cent.

Melbourne area: Sunny. The chance of frost about the nearby hills in the early morning. Winds northerly 30 to 45km/h.

Sunday: Min 15C Max 19C Showers. Possible rainfall: 2 to 9 mm. Chance of any rain: 95 per cent.

Melbourne area: Cloudy. Very high chance of showers, most likely in the morning and afternoon. Winds northerly 35 to 50km/h tending northwest to southwesterly 15 to 25km/h during the afternoon then becoming light during the evening.

Starting Sunday areas closest to the low should start to experience drier condition although sunny days are not expected to return until next week

Canberra

Saturday: Summary Min 1C Max 19C Early frost. Partly cloudy. Chance of any rain: 10 per cent.

Canberra area: Partly cloudy. Patches of frost in the early morning. Light winds becoming northeasterly 15 to 20km/h in the middle of the day then becoming light in the evening.

Sunday: Min 5C Max 20C Shower or two. Possible rainfall: 0 to 2mm. Chance of any rain: 50 per cent.

Canberra area: Cloudy. Medium chance of showers, most likely in the afternoon and evening. Light winds becoming northwesterly 15 to 25km/h during the day then becoming light during the evening.

Adelaide

Saturday: Min 13C Max 26C Showers developing. Possible rainfall: 1 to 7mm. Chance of any rain: 90 per cent.

Adelaide area: Mostly sunny morning. Very high chance of showers in the late afternoon and evening. Winds north to northeasterly 25 to 35km/h tending north to northwesterly 20 to 30km/h in the afternoon.

Sunday: Min 12C Max 18C. Showers easing. Possible rainfall: 1 to 6mm. Chance of any rain: 90 per cent.

Adelaide area: Partly cloudy. High chance of showers, most likely in the morning. Winds northwesterly 20 to 30km/h turning southwesterly during the morning.

Perth

Saturday: Min 9C Max 18C Partly cloudy. Possible rainfall: 0 to 1mm. Chance of any rain: 30 per cent.

Perth area: Partly cloudy. Slight chance of a shower in the morning and early afternoon. Light winds becoming southwesterly 15 to 20km/h in the middle of the day then becoming light in the evening.

Sunday: Min 8C Max 20C Partly cloudy. Chance of any rain: 10 per cent.

Perth area: Partly cloudy. Slight chance of a shower about the southern suburbs, near zero chance elsewhere. Light winds becoming southwesterly 15 to 20km/h during the afternoon then becoming light during the evening.

Rain can still be expected in Brisbane, Sydney and Adelaide across the weekend as the low dissipates and drifts away from the coast

Darwin

Saturday: Min 25C Max 33C. Partly cloudy. Chance of any rain: 20 per cent.

Darwin City and Outer Darwin area: Partly cloudy. Slight chance of a shower. Light winds becoming west to northwesterly 15 to 20km/h in the early afternoon then becoming light in the evening.

Sunday: Min 26C Max 35C Partly cloudy. Chance of any rain: 20 per cent.

Darwin City and Outer Darwin area: Partly cloudy. Slight chance of a shower, most likely in the afternoon. The chance of a thunderstorm about the Cox Peninsula in the morning and afternoon. Light winds becoming west to northwesterly 15 to 20km/h during the afternoon then becoming light during the evening.

Hobart

Saturday: Min 4C Max 21C Mostly sunny. Chance of any rain: 5 per cent.

Hobart area: Mostly sunny. The chance of frost in the east in the early morning. Light winds becoming northerly 15 to 20km/h in the late evening.

Sunday: Min 10Max 20Shower or two. Possible rainfall: 0 to 2mm. Chance of any rain: 60 per cent.

Hobart area: Cloudy. Medium chance of showers, most likely in the morning and afternoon. Winds northerly 25 to 35km/h turning northwesterly during the day then decreasing to 20 to 30km/h during the evening.
A warning has been issued over the so-called 'miracle' fat-busting jabs Ozempic and Wegovy after they caused 3,000 Brits to fall ill this year so far.

The most common symptom was stomach problems but some also experienced blurred vision, depression and dizziness. Four deaths have also been linked to the drugs.

Around 30 side effect complaints were sent to The Medicines and Healthcare Agency every week during 2023.

In the first 20 weeks of this year, there has been a big spike in side effect complaints under the agency's Yellow Card scheme which lets patients and health experts submit reports of bad reactions to drugs.

The agency has received 2,780 complaints since the year started, figures obtained by The Sun reveal.

The rise is attributed to the growing popularity of the drugs for weight loss purposes and how readily available it is to buy online.

A warning has been issued over the so-called 'miracle' fat-busting jabs Ozempic and Wegovy after they caused 3,000 Brits to fall ill this year so far (file photo)

The most common symptom was stomach problems but some also experienced blurred vision, depression and dizziness. Four deaths have also been linked to the drugs (file photo)

Model and half-sister to Kate Moss, Lottie Moss, 26, had a seizure from taking a high dose and Stephen Fry, 67, had to stop taking the drug due to vomiting.

Other stars have rejected the idea of the drug, including chef Nigella Lawson who told The New York Time: 'I read something once where someone said, "I was on Ozempic and it was the first time I didnt think about food all the time," and I thought, I cant imagine anything worse than that. I take great pleasure in thinking about food all of the time.'

The drugs contain semaglutide, an amino acid, which suppresses appetite by mimicking a hormone telling the brain you are full up.

The jabs were approved by the NHS last year and is called Wegovy for overweight people taking it to lose fat. It is referred to as Ozempic for those who suffer with Type 2 diabetes.



Tam Fry, of the National Obesity Forum, told The Sun: 'For some, the benefits of semaglutide may well outweigh its risks but the drug has side effects.

'It's why doctors and GPs should always monitor anyone taking it for weight loss and the jabs should never be taken without a prescription.

'An inclination to suicide is a potential risk: that should stop anyone thinking of using the drug off-licence.'

Manufacturer of the drugs, Novo Nordisk, said: 'We recommend patients take these medications for approved indications and under the supervision of a healthcare professional.'

It comes after new data last month showed that semaglutide can slash the risk of deaths from all causes by up to a quarter.

Model and half-sister to Kate Moss, Lottie Moss, 26, had a seizure from taking a high dose of

Stephen Fry, 67, had to stop taking the weight loss drug due to vomiting

Researchers from Harvard Medical School in the US showed obese and overweight people on semaglutide enjoyed a 23 per cent lower chance of dying overall in the three years that followed.

Meanwhile a separate study led by Australian researchers showed diabetes patients on the drug for just two months had a 29 per cent lower chance of death from heart attacks and strokes.

The studies are the latest to demonstrate that the fat-busting jabs have a protective effect, but scientists are still unable to pinpoint exactly why.

While the jabs can help patients lose weight and improve their health in general experts say this doesn't fully explain the slash in risk of early death.
A men's fashion expert has shared his views on Donald Trump's gold watch collection, branding it a 'crappy' product.

The former president announced on Thursday he will selling a series of limited edition gold and diamond encrusted watches with his name on them.

Trump said on the Truth Social platform that the 'Official Trump Watch Collection is here, and these watches are truly special - you're going to love them'.

The range of watches, including the Trump Victory Tourbillon Watches, will sell from $499 up to $100,000, and every customer will receive a signed letter from the presidential candidate.

However, men's fashion expert Derek Guy, who goes by his username @dieworkwear with over 1.1 million followers, wasn't impressed.

The Republican campaigner finished his announcement saying: 'It's Trump time.'

Trump said each Trump Victory Tourbillon watch will be numbered - he owns watch number 1 - and are a 'true collector's item...owning one puts you in a very exclusive club'

The former president described the Trump Victory Tourbillon Watch, 'this isn't just any watch, it's one of the best watches made'

Guy reposted Trump's advertisement video and commented that the watches were priced so high solely because of Trump's attachment, instead of quality.

He wrote: 'I don't understand how anyone can do this to their supporters. This crappy $100k watch is a halo product to sell even crappier $500 and $800 non-Swiss steel and gold-plated watches with a cheap automatic movement.

'They play you as a sucker. The goal here is just to make money.'

In his announcement the former president described the Trump Victory Tourbillon Watch, 'this isn't just any watch, it's one of the best watches made', of which there will only be 147.

'They play you as a sucker. The goal here is just to make money,' said men's fashion expert Derek Guy

The watch features almost 200 grams of gold and 'more than 100 real diamonds', he adds: 'That's a lot of diamonds. I love gold, I love diamonds - we all do.'

Guy said: '$100k for a movement as smooth as the brain who buys this absurd thing.'

The watch features almost 200 grams of gold and 'more than 100 real diamonds', he adds: 'That's a lot of diamonds. I love gold, I love diamonds - we all do.'

Trump said each watch will be numbered - he owns watch number 1 - and are a 'true collector's item... owning one puts you in a very exclusive club'.

Other critics like MSNBC anchor Willie Geist have said: 'It's getting very expensive to be a supporter of Donald Trump.'

The announcement of his new line of watches comes days after he began selling limited edition silver medallions dubbed 'Trump Coins' for $100, Trump said in a video message posted on Truth Social.

The former president referred to the coins as a 'true symbol of American greatness', and a selection of his watches 'a symbol of determination'.

The range of watches, including the Trump Victory Tourbillon Watches, will sell from $499 up to $100,000

The website, in an effort to deter claims of the monetization of his campaign, states clearly that the watches are not 'designed, manufactured, distributed or sold by Donald J Trump'

Guy said: '$100k for a movement as smooth as the brain who buys this absurd thing'

'It's getting very expensive to be a supporter of Donald Trump' as said by MSNBC anchor Willie Geist on Thursday

Trump has already sold the famed red MAGA hats, as well as the release of $99 trading cards with his mugshot, 'Never Surrender' Sneakers at $399 and 'God Bless the USA' Bibles for $59.99, as part of his campaign fundraising.

The website states clearly that the watches are not 'designed, manufactured, distributed or sold by Donald J Trump'.

The watches are currently available for pre-order on the Trump Watches website.

The Republican campaigner finished his announcement saying: 'It's Trump time.'
The mother-of-five who died after having a non-surgical Brazilian Butt Lift procedure left a rave review for the beautician dubbed the 'Lip King', who has since been arrested over her death.

Alice Webb, 33, died just hours after having the procedure - which is thought to have involved the injection of chemical fillers - allegedly preformed by Jordan Parke.

She had travelled from her home in Wotton-under-Edge to a clinic in Gloucester, called The Studio 23 which was said to be ran by beautician Jemma Pawlyszyn and Parke.

Later that evening, Alice was rushed to Gloucestershire Royal Hospital but died in the early hours of Tuesday morning.

However it has emerged the late mother-of-five had left glowing reviews for TV star and Kim Kardashian fanatic only three months before her death.

Mother of five Alice Webb (Pictured) died just hours after having non-surgical Brazilian Butt Lift procedure

TV star Jordan James Parke has been arrested then bailed amid an investigation into the death of Alice Webb after allegedly carrying out the procedure

Ms Webb wrote: 'So, so happy with the Lip King! Good results, multiple treatments done. Very experienced and friendly  wouldnt go anywhere else.' MailOnline has seen the post on Facebook.

It is the first time a person has died in the UK from the procedure and comes after campaign group Save Face called for tighter controls in the cosmetic market warning that 'people could die'

The BBL treatment is designed to make buttocks bigger, more rounded or lifted and sees fat or dermal filler injected into the buttocks to change size or shape.

While non-surgical BBLs are not illegal in the UK, last year Wolverhampton City Council barred a company from carrying out the procedure after identifying risks associated with their processes, including blood clots, sepsis, and the potential for the death of body tissue

Mr Parke, who describes himself on social media as The Plastic Surgery Advocate is not a qualified surgeon.

The Kim Kardashian fanatic has previously appeared on US reality TV series Botched in 2015.

However, he was turned away when he returned to the show in 2019 as doctors revealed a fourth nose job would have involved taking a piece of his rib to widen his nostrils.

It comes as the glamorous beautician was spotted emerging from his home following the death of the mother-of-five.

Parke was spotted leaving his West Midlands house in Dudley yesterday after being arrested then bailed amid an investigation into the death of Ms Webb.

MailOnline asked Mr Parke to comment on the death of the 33-year-old mother yesterday, to which he said: 'I can't talk to anybody. I was arrested but I've been released.'

Parke, who has had major work done on his face, now has a private Instagram profile but it also linked to another page called The Lip King Aesthetics.

He also works in Manchester, Bristol and the West Midlands. Alice is understood to have had the procedure in Gloucester, which is just a few miles from her home in Wotton-under-Edge.

It has been revealed months before her death, the late mother left the 'Lip King' a glowing review

'So, so happy with the Lip King! Good results, multiple treatments done. Very experienced and friendly  wouldnt go anywhere else,' she wrote (Pictured: Alice Webb)

The procedure was allegedly carried out at The Studio 23 clinic in Gloucester, which is run by Jordan James Parke

Jordan James Parke works alongside his assistant Jemma Pawlyszyn (pictured)

Parke has spent more than 130,000 on cosmetic surgery and has appeared on TV to discuss his obsession on This Morning and Channel 4 Bodyshockers.

He has had at least four nose jobs and 50 other procedures and once said: 'Plastic surgery is like sex. You can't have it once. You have to have it over and over.'

Alice was an advanced aesthetic practitioner at Crystal Clear in Wotton-under-Edge, a market town in Gloucestershire.

A GoFundMe page has been set up by her pal Abigail Irwin amid the tragedy.

It said: 'I am hoping to raise as many funds as we can to support Dane, the partner of Alice and their five beautiful children at this very difficult sad time.

'Alice passed away Monday evening after having the BBL treatment.'

'Alice joined the beauty & Aesthetics industry two years ago and she has been smashing it, doing amazing.

'She cared about her clients, she would always check in to see if they were OK, Alice was a beautiful person inside and out and I feel very lucky to have known her and to have spent time with her in our salon.

'Alice would ask for advice all the time and ask to check if there was anything more she could do to improve her skills but she was just a pure natural and never needed my help but always wanting to be the best at her job and that she was.

'Alice has passed away at a young age of 33. Alice was beautiful inside and out with the biggest heart, her family was her world she is leaving behind her partner Dane & 5 beautiful children.

'Delsie, 15, Preete, 13, Gracie, 12, Nylie, 10, Clarie, 7, as you can imagine this is a very difficult heart breaking time for them all so if we can all help donate or share to help take of some financial stress it would be really appreciated by the family.'

Jordan James Parke leaving his home in Dudley, West Midlands on September 27 2024

Parke has spent more than 130,000 on cosmetic surgery and has appeared on TV to discuss his obsession on This Morning and Channel 4 Bodyshockers (Pictured: Parke entering a car)

James Parke also known as the 'Lip King' was seen getting into the large black 4x4

Pictured is Studio 23, which is just a few miles from where Alice's home is in Wotton-under-Edge

The Studio 23 sign could be seen at the property when MailOnline visited it in Gloucester yesterday

Wednesday evening, Alice's partner Dane Knight asked people not to speculate on the circumstances surrounding her death and to be mindful around her five daughters, who are 'extremely vulnerable' at this time.

In an emotional post on Facebook he wrote: 'Want to say a heart felt thank you to all family and friends that were here for us at our time of need, including all of the kind messages sent to my children and myself.

'There was some very beautiful messages sent by some of your children that formed a start of a smile from the corner of my kids mouth.

'I feel this is important saying this as I will not accept speculations from adults being accidentally being eavesdropped by children and unnecessary questions raised to the 5 girls, so be extremely careful on what you say and who's around! My children are extremely vulnerable!'

Gloucestershire Police has confirmed it has made arrests and is investigating the death.
Six tropical turtles rescued after washing up on our shores in an Atlantic storm have been released back into the wild by a Royal Navy warship crew.

On its way to the Caribbean, HMS Medway took the loggerheads to the Azores.

The turtles  found on beaches in Cornwall, Devon and North Wales  had all been 'cold-stunned' by the chilly British waters and were close to dying.

They were nursed back to health over 20 months at Newquay's Blue Reef Aquarium and Anglesey Sea Zoo.

Rod Jones, an environmental adviser with the Royal Navy, said: 'Encountering marine wildlife is one of the great joys of seafaring and if we can assist, even in a small way, we are pleased to.'

Six tropical turtles rescued after washing up on our shores in an Atlantic storm have been released back into the wild by a Royal Navy warship crew

The turtles  found on beaches in Cornwall, Devon and North Wales  had all been 'cold-stunned' by the chilly British waters

The creatures were nursed back to health at Newquay's Blue Reef Aquarium and Anglesey Sea Zoo before being repatriated by crew on HMS Medway near the Azores

It is believed the creatures would have died if they had not been found washed up and rescued.

Two of the turtles, named Jason and Perran, were found at Perranporth, Cornwall, Gordon was discovered at Bude in Cornwall, Hayle was found in Hayle, Cornwall, Holly on Putsborough Beach, Devon, and Tonni was rescued at Moel-y-Don beach, Anglesey.

Steve Matchett, group curator for Blue Reef Aquarium, said: 'All the turtles arrived in a weakened state  in many cases we were unsure if they were going to make it overnight.

'All were dehydrated and emaciated. This is due to being too cold for a long period and being unable to feed/function properly. They have all prospered once we got them past the initial stages.

'We are very grateful to the Navy for stepping in to repatriate these rescued turtles.'
A beloved arts district in North Carolina was destroyed by Hurricane Helene, leaving the entire area flooded and resembling an 'ocean'.

The River Arts District, located alongside the French Broad River in Asheville, was overwhelmed with water on Friday afternoon.

As the category 4 hurricane touched down in Florida late Thursday night, it brought sustained winds of 140 mph.

By Friday afternoon, the storm was downgraded to a tropical depression as it moved over the Carolinas with winds of 30 mph.

A beloved arts district in North Carolina was destroyed by Hurricane Helene, leaving the entire area flooded and resembling an 'ocean'

The River Arts District, located alongside the French Broad River in Asheville, was inundated with water on Friday afternoon

Started recording right when the power went out on Riverside drive.

The wind gusts keep pushing me off balance too @WFMY pic.twitter.com/v96V9CToly  Amber Lake WFMY (@amberlakeTV) September 27, 2024

But despite being downgraded, Helene continued to wreak devastation and cause massive flooding.

According to the Citizen Times, the French Broad River reached 25 feet on Friday, breaking all previous records for its water level.

Footage recorded by onlookers captured the devastating aftermath of the deluge caused by the overflowing river.

In a video uploaded to X.com, Amber Lake documented the destruction of Asheville's adored art district.

In the clip, pale brown water has flooded a major street. Trees and streetlamps stand deep in the murky water.

A smokestack just out of the running stream. In the distance, the water appears to rise up to the mid-level of a building.

Throughout the video, lashing rain can be seen. In the background, a stiff wind blows.

Despite being downgraded, Helene continued to wreak devastation and cause massive flooding

Created from the bones of dilapidated industrial buildings, the arts district was a creative hub that represented decades-worth of work

Video: The French Broad River flooded most of the River Arts District, seen here from the Haywood Road bridge.



 Jacob Biba/Asheville Citizen Times



Do you have photos or videos of the flooding? Please share them with us at this link: https://t.co/9AJGZMC1s4 pic.twitter.com/RlZBH4n9iW  The Citizen Times (@asheville) September 27, 2024

'Started recording right when the power went out on Riverside Drive,' Lake captioned the video.

She added: 'The wind gusts keep pushing me off balance too.'

Another video, posted on X.com by the Citizen Times, further captured Hurricane Helene's brutal strength.

In the clip, The French Broad River appears swollen with rain. Broken branches and other detritus bob in the water.

Other footage taken in Asheville featured more signs of Helene's destruction

'The French Broad River flooded most of the River Arts District,' the video was captioned.

Created from the bones of dilapidated industrial buildings, the arts district was a creative hub that represented decades-worth of work.

'But on Friday afternoon,' The New York Times noted, 'the River Arts District looked more like an ocean.'

Other footage taken in Asheville featured more signs of Helene's destruction.

In one video, captured by ABC11, the torrential floods sweep away an entire house.

In the harrowing clip, the home floats away on the rapid water, before ultimately appearing to crash into a tree.

Hurricane Helene charted a path of destruction across Florida and the southeastern United States on Friday, leaving 40 people dead in its wake

Video of a house floating away and collapsing in Asheville as tropical storm Helene floods the area. pic.twitter.com/6HORGSg8cX  ABC11 EyewitnessNews (@ABC11_WTVD) September 27, 2024

In the comments section, viewers were quick to articulate their shock.

'I have been through five hurricanes. I have never seen anything like this,' one man wrote.

'Heartbreaking. Someone's home with all of their memories and dreams,' someone commented.

Other users offered prayers: 'As someone who lived through Katrina, all I can say is pray for the residents. Property can be replaced. Lives cannot.'

Hurricane Helene charted a path of destruction across Florida and the southeastern United States on Friday, leaving 40 people dead in its wake.

The National Hurricane Center later downgraded the storm to a tropical depression, observing that it was slowing down.

Helene is expected to stall over the Tennessee Valley through the weekend.

The National Hurricane Center later downgraded the storm to a tropical depression, observing that it was slowing down

The storm has also climbed up into Illinois, where its remnants are expected to remain over the weekend.

In an official statement, Vice President Harris urged residents who were affected by the storm to heed local authorities.

'The storm continues to be dangerous and deadly, and lives have been lost and the risk of flooding still remains high,' Harris said at the start of a campaign speech in Arizona.

'So, I continue to urge everyone to please continue to follow guidance from your local officials until we get past this moment.'
The boss of a Minneapolis food pantry, funded by city taxpayers, has banned white people from taking advantage of the resource.

Mykela 'Keiko' Jackson used a Minnesota State grant to launch the Food Trap Project Bodega designed to help poor and hungry residents living close to the Sanctuary Covenant Church in the north of the city.

The pantry only opened up on July 27 but within months it has been forced to close and relocate away from church grounds after Jackson attempted to block white people from accessing the service, including a local chaplain who complained.

A sign that on the door to the pantry reads how the food inside was specifically for 'Black and Indigenous Folx' only. After a civil rights complaint was made against the pantry by a local, Mykela accused the complainant of 'political violence.'

Mykela 'Keiko' Jackson used a Minnesota State grant to launch the Food Trap Project Bodega designed to help poor, hungry people. She said the food pantry was only for black and indigenous people

A sign that on the door to the pantry read how the food inside was specifically for 'Black and Indigenous Folx' only

'The resources found in here are for Black & Indigenous Folx. Please refrain from taking anything if you're not,' it stated.

Jackson used a Paths to Black Health grant which aims to reduce health disparities among African Americans while fostering a 'vibrant and thriving' community.

The last census showed Minneapolis to be 58 percent white with 18 percent of the population African-American.

But a number of reports have emerged suggesting how non-black residents are being denied access to the pantry, sowing the seeds of racial discrimination in an area considered to be an ethnically diverse.

The grant's description states how the 'funds are specifically designed to support organizations that work with U.S.-born African Americans... for whom studies indicate that health has been impacted as the result of historical trauma. This trauma includes post-traumatic slave syndrome (PTSS) and epigenetic inheritance.'

The food pantry was situation on the ground of Sanctuary Covenant Church. They church said in a statement how they believe they were somewhat misled by Jackson's proposal

The pantry is a free-for-all but only for black and indigenous people

Chaplain Howard Dotson, 54, went to take a look at the pantry for himself, but claims how as a white man was refused service.

'This is not building community, it's destroying it,' Dotson said to Alpha News. 'I went over there and confronted her. I told her that I saw the sign and I asked if she really thought she could take grant money from the state and discriminate against poor white people.'

Dotson then filed a complaint with the Minneapolis Civil Rights Commission.

He claims that Jackson told him in person how the food pantry was set up to serve black and indigenous people and was told how he should go across the road to the church's free pantry should he needed it.

In a lengthy message, Jackson said a 'Karen' had forced the pantry to close and relocate

Chaplain Howard Dotson, 54, who went to take a look at the pantry for himself, but as a white man was refused service

Jackson admitted to making the sign but stands by her position adding how she did not turn anyone away.

'There was no one there directly turning them away. They felt entitled to the resources that were not for their demographic - white privilege is real,' Jackson said accusing Dotson of 'political violence'.

'We hope these white patrons can go about their day and not harass us anymore,' she added. 'The community needs it and wants it, and is willing to go to bat for this cause.'

Later in an Instagram post she told how the pantry was moving because of a 'karen'.

'It has been recently brought to our attention that our partnership with Sanctuary Church may not be fully aligned with our mission due to a recent incident with a "Karen" last week,' Jackson wrote.

'Although the church likes our concept they feel our commitment towards directing these resources towards Black & Indigenous families ONLY is exclusionary to other POC & White members of the community that use their establishment.

'Its an unfortunate situation but we are deciding to stand on our beliefs and relocate the F.T.P Bodega to a space more aligned with the work we are trying to do,' the post read.

Dotson, seen here with the Governor of Minnesota Tim Walz, filed a complaint with the Minneapolis Civil Rights Commission

In one message to social media, Jackson states that 'all are welcome' but that 'Black & Indigenous folx' are being prioritized

'The Black community consistently faces hunger at higher rates than whites due to racism within social, economic and environmental aspects,' Jackson's website states.

Jackson says the pantry has managed to distribute 2,000 pounds of food and claims the grant specifically targets African-American communities and believes her free pantry to be part of an effort to right such wrongs.

The food pantry announced on its Instagram page that it is now moving location but claims the move has nothing to do with the current controversy.

Sanctuary Covenant Church said in a statement how they believe they were somewhat misled by Jackson's proposal.

Jackson says the pantry has distributed 2,000 pounds of food and specifically targets African-American communities with her free pantry as part of an effort to right the wrongs of the past

'When Mykela Jackson approached us to set up her Food Trap Project we were excited to support her. This would be a place accessible to anyone 24./7. No demographic [information] necessary. Anyone in need would be welcome.

'Nowhere in her original proposal did she indicate that she would be restricting usage to specific communities. This does not align with the vision and mission of the Sanctuary.

'When we discovered her signage and social media posts, we asked her to abide by her original proposal. Ms. Jackson was unable to do so and decided to move her Food Trap elsewhere. The deadline for moving her trap is 9/30. We've already cut power to it.'
Hospitality tycoon Justine Hemmes is taking Sydney Metro to court over its new Hunter Street station, which he claims has lowered the value of his famed $525million Ivy precinct nightspot.

The precinct owned by his company Hemmes Hermitage at 320 and 330 George Street in the Sydney CBD includes the Ivy nightclub and several popular bars and restaurants such as Bar Topa, Totti's and Jimmy's Falafel.

Hemmes Hermitage is run by the 52-year-old along with his sister and mother Merivale, who the family's wider $1.4billion hospitality empire is named after.

In a claim filed in the NSW Land and Environment Court, Hemmes Hermitage claimed Sydney Metro's compulsory acquisition of lots of land it owned around the Ivy precinct block had caused it to lose easements, or points of access.

These included fire exits and an area of land earmarked for business parking and parking for potential construction works, reported The Sydney Morning Herald.

Hemmes had been pursuing an Ivy 2.0 development since 2015 which would have seen him knock down the current precinct and build a 50,000sqm mixed-use hotel, commercial tower and hospitality complex.

Those plans were shelved earlier this year with the new civil suit claiming the loss of easements has reduced the value of the land from $525million to $506million.

Sydney Metro is arguing the easements had no practical benefit, that the redevelopment potential was not diminished and that, once completed, the Hunter Street Metro Station would increase the value of nearby properties.

Justin Hemmes, 52, (pictured with partner Madeline Holtznagel) is suing Sydney Metro for $19million through his company Hemmes Hermitage

The billionaire restauranteur claims the new Sydney Metro Hunter Street Station lowered the value of his Ivy precinct (pictured) from $525million to $506million

The Hunter Street Metro Station is part of the $25billion Metro West train line to Parramatta.

The station will be below-ground with two towers built above the station; the 58-storey Hunter Street East and 51-storey Hunter Street West.

Merivale is one of two organisations shortlisted to develop the towers.

The Brookfield Consortium is comprised of Brookfield Properties Australia, Brookfield Property Partners, Brookfield Properties and Brookfield Asset Management.

And the Metropolis Consortium is comprised of Hemmes Hermitage, Hemmes Trading, Mirvac Office Developments, Telado, CFT No. 8, Lendlease Development, and Lendlease Building.

The contract is expected to be awarded early next year.

The Hunter Street Metro Station (a render is pictured) is part of the $25billion Metro West train line to Parramatta that will serve the Sydney CBD area

The massive development will include the below ground station and an east and west tower - which Merivale has been shortlisted to develop (a diagram is pictured)

A spokesperson for Sydney Metro told the SMH that the matters are separate and do not affect one another.

A spokesperson for Hemmes Hermitage said they could not comment as the matter was before the court but it was proceeding 'per the usual course of such matters'.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Hemmes Hermitage and Sydney Metro for further comment.
Terrified shoppers, including a woman with a baby, were forced to hide after a teenager allegedly brandished a fake gun in a busy shopping mall.

The 17-year-old boy allegedly pulled out the fake black handgun in Mandurah Forum on Pinjarra Road, an hour south of Perth, at about 1.20pm on Friday.

It's understood the incident occurred after he was approached by another group of teenagers with whom he had had previous altercations with.

The teenager, from Meadow Springs, is alleged to have chased the group through the busy shopping centre while pointing the fake gun at them.

Shoppers were forced to take cover as police officers descended on the mall and were only able to leave the centre after being given the all-clear.

Sportsgirl, Foot Locker and Cotton On shut their doors immediately.

Mandurah mother Pania Ripahou was forced to cower in a Cotton On change room with her seven-month-old baby.

'We were scared. There were a lot of mums in the shop and he was right at the front door,' Ms Ripahou told PerthNow.

Shoppers were forced to hide in clothes store changerooms at Mandurah Forum on Pinjarra Road in Perth at 1.20pm on Friday

'I don't think I felt unsafe, I felt confused. It's when I digested it [afterwards] that I realised how serious it was.'

Ms Ripahou said she was only spoken to once by security who asked if the store was going to reopen or not.

'I hope this has woken up the centre I think everyone is learning there's a lack of vigilance. There needs to be some protocols put in place,' she said.

WA Police said members of the public were fearful the firearm was real and capable of discharging a round.

'Several stores within the shopping centre conducted an emergency closure during the incident,' it said in a statement.

'The firearm was located by police and it was confirmed as being an imitation firearm and unable to fire a projectile.'

It is alleged a teen, 17, brandished a black style handgun when he was approached by another group with whom he had had previous altercations with inside the mall

The 17-year-old was charged with being armed in a way that may cause fear and will appear in Mandurah Magistrates Court on October 14.

Vicinity Centres, which owns Mandurah Forum, said it isassisting WA Police.

'The safety of our visitors, retailers, team and the wider community is our priority. As the matter is the subject of a police investigation, we are unable to provide any further detail,' a spokeswoman said.

WA Police are also speaking to other witness and parties about the incident.
The stepdaughter of slain drug kingpin Carl Williams has filed a civil suit against the Victorian government alleging that it failed to ensure her father's safety in prison after he agreed to be a police witness.

Lawyers for Breanane Stephens, 30, claim Corrections Victoria approved the transfer of a fellow inmate to Williams' cell in a high security unit of Barwon Prison despite knowing he had a hatred of informants and had attacked other prisoners and staff.

Ms Stephens is one of two children Williams' widow Roberta had with her previous partner. She is the stepsister of Dhakota Williams, Carl and Roberta's only child.

Carl Williams, 39, was killed in prison in 2010 by inmate Matthew Johnson who used a metal bar from an exercise bike to inflict several blows to the back of his head.

A judge later found Williams had been killed because he was providing information to police about the 2004 murders of police informant Terance Hodson and his wife Christine in exchange for a reduction in his sentence.

In documents lodged in Victoria's Supreme Court, Ms Stephens claims Johnson belonged to the Prisoners of War gang which were known to detest inmates who gave information to police, the Herald Sun reports.

The documents allege he had a history of previous assaults against fellow inmates and prison staff, and had used the same weapon he bludgeoned Williams with.

Email exchanges from 2009 showed the prisoner transfer was authorised despite there being concerns for Williams' safety.

Carl Williams' daughter Dhakota Williams (right), and step-daughter Breanane Williams, arrive at the funeral for Carl's father George Williams at Saint Therese's Parish in Melbourne in 2016

Carl Williams (pictured in 20024) was serving multiple sentences in Barwon prison for the murders of four underworld figures when he was killed by a fellow inmate in 2010

One email stated there was 'little doubt Johnson is capable of causing Williams harm if he were to find out the nature of his co-operation with police'.

The transfer was signed off on the condition Williams and Stephenson were heavily monitored.

Two months after the transfer was approved a prison officer reported to Corrections Victoria in March 2009 that 'everyone knows [Williams] is co-operating with Victoria Police in exchange for a reduction in his sentence and other benefits'.

'These views may be a cause for concern to the safety of prisoner Williams and may be the cause of some sort of attempt to harm prisoner Williams or those around him,' the report allegedly stated.

The following year in March 2010 it is alleged Johnson downloaded a version of Williams' police witness statement regarding two men charged with Terance and Christine Hodson's murders.

Johnson claimed he killed Williams in self-defence but this was disproved by CCTV and he is serving life behind bars.

Breanane Stephens (left with Dhakota Williams) is suing the Victorian government for failing to protect her stepfather Carl Williams in prison

Williams' (pictured) biological daughter Dhakota has already received a confidential six-figure payout over his death

Ms Stephens alleges Corrections Victoria were negligent in their duty to 'take reasonable steps for the safe custody and welfare' of Williams and that a proper risk assessment of Johnson was not done.

Dhakota Williams has already received a confidential six-figure payout over her father's death.

A spokesperson from the Department of Justice and Community Safety told the Herald Sun Williams death was 'thoroughly investigated by a range of independent and review bodies, including the Ombudsman and the Office of Correctional Services Review.

'The recommendations from these reviews were implemented... As this matter is currently before the court, it would be inappropriate to comment further.'

Lawyers for Ms Stephens said Corrections Victoria had failed to 'ensure the proper management, security, and good order of the prison' and their client had suffered loss and psychological injury.
So negative gearing is potentially back on the table as another tax concession Labor wants to curb.

We'll soon see if they have the courage of their convictions to pursue the change.

Former Opposition Leader Bill Shorten lost two elections trying to make the argument to reduce negative gearing on investment properties.

The second defeat, in 2019, was considered an 'unloseable election' before it was duly lost and we were inflicted with three years of Scott Morrison in charge before he lost the 2022 election.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese tied himself in knots this week trying to rhetorically navigate his way through questions about whether his government had asked Treasury to model different ways to cut into the tax concession.

The word salad Albo delivered eventually suggested not.

Voters and commentators alike, unsurprisingly, aren't convinced by his denials, believing instead that curbing negative gearing may again be a live political option.

That's because Albo has lied to us before when denying policy changes are afoot.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is considering major changes to negative gearing

What is negative gearing and why is it so polarising? Investor landlords can claim a rental loss against their taxable income, an arrangement known as negative gearing. Even if they don't make a loss, they can claim expenses from interest payments to council rates and property maintenance so they can reduce their taxable income. Roughly 2.4million people claim about $51billion in rental deductions against their taxable income each year. This costs the annual Federal Budget about $18.6billion in forgone revenue. Advertisement

He did it when asked about plans to change the legislated stage three income tax cuts, right before changing them.

Labor did the same when it changed super rules and imposed IR changes it didn't take to the last election.

Irrespective of whether or not Albo ultimately decides to take negative gearing reforms to the next election, we need to call out the true motivation for even considering it.

It has nothing to do with making housing more affordable or accessible.

The motivation to cut negative gearing is all about increasing the government's tax take at the same time as clamping down on what is perceived to be a tax advantage for the wealthy.

The idea that changes to negative gearing can help fix the 'housing crisis' is almost to absurd for words, but I'll spell out why anyway.

Not only does it do nothing to increase supply - which is the real problem when not enough people can currently access the housing they need - but cutting negative gearing risks making it even harder to access affordable homes.

That's because investment properties currently rented out provide residencies for people who often can't afford to buy. So they rent instead.

Remove negative gearing and, yes, purchase prices might come down slightly - although that's far from guaranteed. But not by enough for many renters to decide to buy instead.

However, if reduced negative gearing takes investors out of the housing market and into other more tax effective investments, this leaves renters with fewer options.

At the core of Australia's housing crisis is a lack of supply and new residential construction

Poll Will changes to negative gearing solve Australia's housing crisis? No, they need to cut down on immigration Yes, it will make it easier for first home buyers Will changes to negative gearing solve Australia's housing crisis? No, they need to cut down on immigration 2598 votes

Yes, it will make it easier for first home buyers 319 votes Now share your opinion





Especially if it reduces the number of properties being built, which it likely would.

Plenty of developers spruik what they are selling to investors who buy to take advantage of the tax concessions.

If that market dries up so might supply.

So we really do need to call out the government's primary motivation here: reducing negative gearing as a way of increasing taxes and ideologically clamping down on wealthy investors.

Only many people who negative gear investment properties aren't all that wealthy to begin with.

For example, a certain writer for a left wing publication who is always rabbiting on about housing issues but never discloses that she has an investment property currently being negative geared.

This is probably a good time for me to disclose I do not have any properties negatively geared. I invest in other asset classes beyond the family home.

But the point here is that it is a misnomer that only the affluent negatively gear investment properties.

Some do, but most invest their money in myriad of other ways. Many who negatively gear properties are aspirational not wealthy.

The median house price in Australia's capital cities combined hit a staggering $997,352 in September 2024

I have no philosophical opposition to reforming negative gearing rules, and I think having the ability to own large multiples of properties (rather than just one or two) to reduce one's tax liability should be changed.

But it needs to be incorporated in a wider tax reform package to improve the whole ambit of how we tax and spend.

Otherwise Labor would merely be using the change to falsify the real purpose behind it.

To appear like it is addressing the housing crisis when all it is doing is lining the pockets of Treasury in a bid to stifle aspiration.

If Labor really cared about increasing housing supply it would do what it promised but has so far failed to do, and cut back on sky high immigration levels.

It would also do deals with state government's to release more housing supply, aka land, and find ways to cut the cost and time consuming nature of red tape attached to new building projects.

And it could look at limiting negative gearing to longer term rentals rather than short term style accommodation.

This would ensure such investment properties are used to help with housing for dwellings rather than just holiday accommodation.
A prominent class action lawyer says allegations of misleading sales levelled against Woolworths and Coles 'support a very good class action claim'.

The consumer watchdog this week announced it was separately suing Coles and Woolworths for allegedly deceiving customers with hundreds of 'sale' prices for more than a year up to May 2023.

Coles says it will defend the case, Woolworths says it will 'carefully review the claims'.

Changes to the Australian Consumer Law now legislate maximum penalties of $50m, or three times the value of the 'reasonably attributable' benefit obtained, for each time a customer was deceived.

A government source has cautioned against even multiplying the 266 Woolworths products in question - or Coles' 245 products - by $50m to speculate on what damages figure the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission could pursue should the Federal Court rule in its favour.

On Monday, ACCC chair Gina Cass-Gottlieb said the penalties her commission would pursue had to be enough to deter other corporations and 'not a cost of doing business for such major companies'.

Ms Cass-Gottlieb played a very straight bat when asked about the potential for a civil class action being launched by customers, saying that was not the commission's role.

'We are seeking redress in the case through a community service order (for Woolworths and Coles) to give to the most needy members of our community,' she said.

A prominent class action lawyer says allegations of misleading sales levelled against Woolworths and Coles 'support a very good class action claim' (stock image)

'There is always a potential of class actions in relation to consumers who've been harmed.'

Carter Capner Law director Peter Carter reckons customers should entertain a class action.

'The alleged facts support a very good class action claim on behalf of consumers Australia-wide who regularly shopped at those markets during the relevant period,' he told NewsWire.

Doing some quick numbers, Mr Carter said if he were leading a class action based on these allegations, compensation for claimants would vary on household size.

A house that spent $500 a week on food, given the supermarkets allegedly charged roughly 10 per cent more than the original price when various items went on sale, could ask for $4,000-$5,000 compensation.

'On a uniform loss per household or single consumer, a claim upwards of $2,000 each might be reasonable,' Mr Carter said.

'These are back-of-the envelope figures. The numbers have to be crunched by the data scientists we work with to formulate the right approach.'

A potential class action would not hinge on the ACCC's case in the Federal Court.

'But the evidence the ACCC has collected would be useful. That said, collecting evidence is something a class action lawyer is well capable of doing themselves,' Mr Carter said.

The Brisbane-based lawyer has a penchant for airline passenger class actions. One of his cases is representing clients on-board a London to Sydney flight that hit injury-causing turbulence in May.

It is still early days in the ACCC Federal Court case; Coles and Woolworths were served papers on Monday (stock image)

It is still early days in the ACCC Federal Court case; Coles and Woolworths were served papers on Monday. But both share prices took a dip in the ensuing days.

The reputational harm from being sued would add to negative sentiment against the supermarkets, Mr Carter said.

'Consumers should express their outrage. They should keep top of mind that this was (allegedly) extremely offensive conduct designed to deceive them.

'The supermarkets' conduct shouldn't be allowed to be swept under the carpet.'

On news of the case being filed in the Federal Court on Monday, Coles' share price dropped 4.8 per cent by Wednesday, and Woolworths lost 3 per cent.

Late on Thursday, the ACCC came at the supermarket giants on a different front, releasing an interim report from a separate general inquiry it is conducting into the supermarkets.

The ACCC says 'oligopolistic market structures can limit incentives to compete vigorously on price'.

'We see Woolworths and Coles providing a broadly similar experience to customers through largely undifferentiated product ranges, pricing at similar levels and similar non-price offerings including loyalty programs,' the ACCC report reads.

After that interim report came out, Coles' share price lost another 1.2 per cent by early afternoon on Friday. Woolworths' price was down 0.7 per cent too.

'Throughout the year, Woolworths Group has engaged in a number of inquiries and reviews in good faith and will continue this approach including appearing at public hearings and providing any further information as required by the ACCC.' Woolworths told the ASX on Friday.

Both supermarkets cited the pending Federal Court matter as reason not to comment to NewsWire for this story. Both were asked what they were doing to prepare for the Federal Court case, if their supermarket had increased charitable donations since the case was filed, if they were concerned about a potential class action, and the implications of large penalties should they lose in court.
A mother has opened up about how she and her newborn baby Cruz nearly both died during a terrifying home birth.

Mum-of-three Natalie Beecham went into labour within minutes of her water breaking in her Highland Park home in the Gold Coast, Queensland, six weeks ago.

A home delivery wasn't the plan for Ms Beecham, who was 41 weeks pregnant, but after her water broke in the laundry, she was experiencing contractions by the time she got to her bedroom.

Paramedics Max Westerhof and Brooke Musty arrived at Ms Beecham's house within 20 minutes.

'The moment we knew it was serious was after the initial birth of the head there was a delay,' Mr Westerhof told the Gold Coast Bulletin.



One of baby Cruz's shoulders was caught above his mother's pubic bone, and he became stuck for a full ten minutes.

Cruz was eventually delivered but came out without a heartbeat and wasn't breathing.

Meanwhile, Ms Beecham was also suffering severe haemorrhaging.

Mother Natalie Beecham (right) nearly lost her baby Cruz in a horrifying home-birth ordeal. She is pictured with her husband Troy (far left), children and the paramedics who helped save her life

The two paramedics managed to produce a heart rate in the baby boy within a minute of him entering the world, but his breathing was still poor.

Both Ms Beecham and Cruz were then rushed to Gold Coast University Hospital.

Nurses took Ms Beecham straight to the operating theatre as she'd lost about half of her blood in labour.

Miraculously, Ms Beecham and her baby boy made a full recovery and were reunited with their hero paramedics on Friday, six weeks after Cruz's birth.

'I was very scared... words can't describe... I'm so grateful,' she said.

'The fact they acted as quickly as they did means both Cruz and I are here and able to have this meeting today. If they didn't act as quickly as they did it might be very different.

She said the paramedic's faces would remain in her memory forever.

She added Cruz is a happy and healthy baby and is her little miracle.
Harrods is facing new claims from 23 women who have come forward to claim that they were raped and sexually abused by the shamed former owner Mohamed Al-Fayed, MailOnline can reveal.

Lawyers working for the women said today that they were now dealing with claims from 60 former employees against the billionaire tycoon.

Barrister Dean Armstrong KC  representing the Fayed victims  claimed the Egyptian tycoon, who died last year aged 94, was 'enabled by a system that pervaded Harrods'.

It comes as London's Met Police urged sex assault victims of Fayed to come forward  and vowed to 'fully explore whether any other individuals could be pursued for any criminal offences' - with those who worked closely with him facing calls to assist the investigation.

Last night, sources told MailOnline 'dynamite' new testimony was set to widen the scandal and could drag in Fulham FC, which the late Egyptian tycoon owned for 16 years.

Five women have alleged they were raped by Mohamed Al Fayed, who died last year aged 94

Michael Ward Managing Director of Harrods pictured in 2011. Speaking about the claims about Mohamed Al-Fayed, he was 'not aware of his criminality and abuse' and described it as a 'shameful period in the business' history'

Pictured: Mohamed Al-Fayed (left) and his long-serving spokesman Michael Cole (right). He has not spoken publicly since allegations against Al-Fayed emerged

And victims are asking those linked to the ex-Harrods chairman to shed light on his behaviour.

They include Harrods MD Michael Ward  who took over the role in 2006, four years before Fayed sold the store  and the late Egyptian's long-serving spokesman Michael Cole.

Speaking yesterday, Mr Ward said he was 'not aware of his criminality and abuse' and described it as a 'shameful period in the business' history'.

He announced that an independent review was underway adding that Fayed had 'presided over a toxic culture of secrecy, intimidation, fear of repercussion and sexual misconduct'.

Fayed's spokesman and former BBC Royal Correspondent Cole, now 81, has not spoken publicly since the allegations emerged.

His wife Jane, 82, told MailOnline that her husband, who worked for Fayed from 1988 to 1998, knew nothing of the rape and sexual assault allegations.

Speaking from the family home in Suffolk, she said that BBC documentary and podcast Al Fayed: Predator at Harrods had come as a 'shock' to them both.

In 1995, Vanity Fair published an article alleging racism, staff surveillance and sexual misconduct by him against Harrods staff.

Fayed sued for libel and the case was dropped in 1997 after Cole led negotiations which resulted in a settlement that saw Vanity Fair agree to destroy its evidence.

Investigators probing the Al-Fayed scandal believe former Harrods employee Kelly Walker-Duncalf, who has now married to become Kelly Gilmour and now runs her own recruitment firm, believe she could also provide information that could assist the investigation

Marigay McKee, who worked at Harrods from 1999 to 2013, has not commented on any of the allegations made

Investigators also believe Sarah Andrews, Harrods' chief retail officer, who has worked at the luxury department store since 2003, could provide information on Fayed

A number of the claimants also told the BBC that Harley Street doctor Ann Coxon had carried out invasive sexual health tests on a number of the victims. The results were then allegedly passed onto Fayed.

When asked for comment about the allegations, Dr Coxon, who is now 84, said she did not regret working for Fayed.

Breaking cover for the first time at her West London home earlier this week, the doctor denied carrying out medical examinations on young women on the behest of the late Harrods boss.

The group representing the alleged survivors, however, has reported the practitioner to the General Medical Council (GMC) as she still holds a licence to practice in the world-renowned luxury clinic in west London.

Another female doctor accused of carrying out the STD tests, Wendy Snell, has since died. Others include former head of security John MacNamara, who has been accused of threatening an alleged victim, stopping her from speaking out against Fayed.

Meanwhile convicted paedophile Max Clifford, who was once Fayed's PR guru, called the billionaire a 'randy old sod'.

He was jailed in April 2014 for indecent assault of three teenagers but died from a heart attack three years later.

Concerns have also been raised about the role of a female fixer dubbed 'Fayed's Ghislaine Maxwell', who investigators were told found young women to introduce to him.

A new BBC documentary says the Egyptian-born businessman - who died in London aged 94 last August - carried out the attacks while Harrods boss between 1984 and its sale in 2010

Mohamed Al Fayed pictured alongside Diana, Princess of Wales at a charity event held at Harrods in London in 1996

Mohamed Al Fayed, former owner of Harrods and Fulham FC, is seen here in 2018

This week a then-teenage girl told how the glamorous associate would frequent wealthy areas of west London dressed in designer clothes and driving a Porsche.

She would approach attractive young women and build a rapport with them by boasting of her wealth and success before offering to introduce them to her rich businessman 'friend'.

She would then drive them to Fayed's Park Lane penthouse apartment - even boasting she found him a different girl 'every couple of months' but only when she finds somebody she considered 'worth it'.

The girl said how during a meeting at his apartment at 60 Park Lane, the then 84-year-old Fayed offered her a salary of 2,500-a-month and a free designer handbag of her choice from Harrods in return for sex. He also allegedly suggested she could spend some time on his yacht in St Tropez.

A source said: 'She worked for Fayed and became his key fixer.

'She helped him find women. She was even interviewed once by the police but it came to nothing.'

Investigators probing the scandal also believe Sarah Andrews, Harrods' chief retail officer, who has worked at the luxury department store since 2003, could provide information on Fayed.

They also believe that Kelly Walker-Duncalf, who has now married to become Kelly Gilmour and now runs her own recruitment firm could also provide information that could assist the investigation.

She joined the company in 1997 and worked her way up to become chief of store approvals, before leaving in 2013.

Marigay McKee, who also worked at Harrods from 1999 to 2013, has not commented on any of the allegations made.
A new dawn rises over Lebanon. Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah is dead, the Israeli Defense Forces claimed in a statement this morning.

Israel unleashed its most devastating strike in Beirut in nearly a year of fighting with Hezbollah on Friday, flattening six buildings in Haret Hreik and killing Nasrallah, according to the IDF. Hezbollah confirmed the death this afternoon.

Nasrallah's death marks Israel's biggest success of the war so far. After three decades in power, Nasrallah moulded Hezbollah into the group it is today.

Though elusive, murals in his honour found across the country speak to his influence and power through communities in Lebanon.

With all eyes on Beirut this morning, MailOnline asks how Hassan Nasrallah made Hezbollah one of the Middle East's most powerful groups.

Nasrallah rose to become a powerful leader in Lebanon over a career of more than 30 years

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was killed on Friday, according to the IDF

Children play on a tank in Beirut in 1982, amid the war with Israel during Hezbollah's formation

Residents check the damaged in the aftermath of overnight Israeli bombardment in Beirut's southern suburbs, on September 28, 2024

Smoke rises from Israeli airstrikes in Beirut, seen from Baabda on Friday

People watch smoke rise into the sky during the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in 1982

Smoke rises from Israeli airstrikes in Beirut's southern suburbs, Lebanon, Saturday, Sept. 28

Smoke rises from the rubble of a building that which levelled in overnight Israeli bombardment on Beirut's southern suburbs, on September 28

An aeroplane flies over Beirut's southern suburbs, amid ongoing hostilities between Hezbollah and Israeli forces, as seen from Sin El Fil, Lebanon, September 28

Hassan Nasrallah had become a shadowy figure, seldom making public appearances in spite of his reputation in Lebanon. He came to the world's attention last week when he vowed swift retaliation for a series of explosions across the country.

Lebanon is still reeling from the detonations of thousands of mobile paging devices and walkie talkies last Tuesday and Wednesday respectively, killing dozens and injuring thousands.

The Lebanese government held Israel accountable for the attack, but notably it was Hezbollah that threatened direct action. For its part, Israel denies any involvement in the explosions.

Hassan Nasrallah spoke to the world in front of a red screen last Thursday, insisting that the deadly attacks 'deserve a response' before launching salvoes of rockets towards Israel.

'This could be called a declaration of war,' Nasrallah told his followers, acknowledging that women and children had been killed in the attacks.

'We have received a very hard hit, but this is the state of war. Through this experience and its lessons we will be stronger and more powerful.'

Nasrallah added that Lebanon would not cease hostilities until the war in Gaza ends, and said that displaced Israelis would not be able to return to their homes - a pressing political point for Israel's government to resolve.

The Shia cleric leading Hezbollah had been in power since February 1992, overseeing the group in its transition from a militant group forged in the 1982 Lebanon War, against the backdrop of the wider Lebanese Civil War, into a political party and regional powerhouse.

Under the leadership of the 64-year-old Nasrallah, Hezbollah fought wars against Israel and took part in the conflict in neighboring Syria, helping tip the balance of power in favor of President Bashar Assad.

His willingness to stand against Israel, and its main ally in the U.S., earned him respect and popularity from some of those who remember Israel reaching Beirut during its bid to oust the Palestine Liberation Organization from Lebanon in 1982.

When the civil war ended in 1990, Hezbollah began its transformation into a political party and movement. But it ensured its longevity by holding onto the weapons accumulated through the war and allying ever closer with a post-revolutionary Iran.

Nasrallah was seen as more of a pragmatist than the leaders of Hezbollah in 1982. But he retained authority locally by backing up his threats with willingness to use force.

Ultimately, it was Nasrallah that was credited with the recovery of southern Lebanon, after Israel withdrew in 2000 after years of exchanges.

Within Lebanon, he oversaw the group - radicalised by the events of the 1982 invasion - develop its social responsibilities towards citizens, often filling in on social services where the crippled government fails to act.

Hezbollah also moved away from hostage taking and suicide bombing in the late 20th century, and under Nasrallah negotiated quick ceasefires in 1996 and 2006.

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addresses the 79th United Nations General Assembly at U.N. headquarters in New York, U.S., September 27

Nasrallah gives an address after explosions rocked Lebanon last week

People stand near a picture of Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah during the funeral of Hezbollah member Ali Mohamed Chalbi after hand held devices exploded, Sep 19

The Israeli bombing of Beirut in 1982

Smoke rises above Beirut's southern suburbs during an Israeli strike on September 27

Smoke and fire rise following an Israeli airstrikes in Beirut's southern suburbs, Lebanon, Saturday, Sept. 28

Smoke rises from Israeli airstrikes in Beirut's southern suburbs, Lebanon, Saturday, Sept. 28

Born in 1960 into a poor Shiite family in Beirut's impoverished northern suburb of Sharshabouk, Nasrallah was later displaced to south Lebanon.

He studied theology and joined the Amal movement, a Shiite political and paramilitary organization, before becoming one of Hezbollah's founders.

Hezbollah was formed by Iranian Revolutionary Guard members who came to Lebanon in the summer of 1982 to fight invading Israeli forces. It was the first group that Iran backed and used as a way to export its brand of political Islam.

A resurgent Iran saw the fiery groups emerging in the Lebanese Civil War as a source of opportunity: to stare down Israel and extend its influence towards the Mediterranean.

Lebanon's unique political structure had long undermined the Shia minority, who were now finding a willing ally in Iran. Suddenly, this group had its voice amplified by backers in Tehran.

Some experts still define Hezbollah as a branch of Iran's military - operating in Lebanon but working towards the IRGC's objectives.

Still, it was Nasrallah who built the initial power base as Hezbollah became part of a cluster of Iranian-backed factions and governments known as the Axis of Resistance.

Two days after its leader, 39-year-old Sayyed Abbas Musawi, was killed in an Israeli helicopter gunship raid in south Lebanon, Hezbollah chose Nasrallah as its secretary-general in February 1992.

Five years later, the United States designated Hezbollah a terrorist organisation.

Under Nasrallah, Hezbollah was credited with leading the war of attrition that led to the withdrawal of Israeli troops from south Lebanon in 2000, after an 18-year occupation. Nasrallah's eldest son, Hadi, was killed in 1997, fighting against Israeli forces.

After Israel's withdrawal from southern Lebanon in 2000, Nasrallah rose to iconic status both within Lebanon and throughout the Arab world. His messages were beamed on Hezbollah's own radio and satellite TV station.

That status was further cemented when, in 2006, Hezbollah fought Israel to a stalemate during the 34-day war.

When Syria's civil war erupted in 2011, Hezbollah fighters rushed in, siding with Assad's forces - even though Hezbollah's popularity took a dive as the Arab world ostracised Assad.

With the modern incarnation of Hezbollah built in Nasrallah's image, questions mount on what will happen to the organisation - and how other regional powers will look to exploit the change for their own gain.

Without a clear successor for Nasrallah, concerns mount that a more radical leader could replace him, reverting the group to the most 'belligerent' politics of decades gone by.

'Hezbollah and Iran have been quite rational in terms of how they have been acting, but now it's time to escalate for them as well if they want to survive,' assessed Dr Krieg, Assistant Professor of Defence Studies at King's College London.

'I suspect there will be more radical voices coming in... I think we're moving into a space of possibly more radical elements who, like Nasrallah in the 1980s and 90s, are far more militaristic and belligerent.

'I don't think Israel has done itself a favour because what will come next within Hezbollah will likely be worse, less restrained, and will most likely not get them the sort of peace they want in the north.'

'Research shows that every time Israel does kill a leader ... over the last 40 years or so, in any of the organisations against which Israel has fought, it will lead to a more radical individual taking that place, so it has been a self-defeating strategy, this sort of strategy of whack-a-mole.

'So I don't think it will end Hezbollah as an organisation. Certainly, the narrative of resistance, particularly in the south of Lebanon, is still very strong.'

Dr Burcu Ozcelik, Senior Research Fellow for Middle East Security at the Royal United Services Institute defence and security think tank (RUSI), added: 'The deep entanglement between Lebanon and Hezbollah is now being tested and interrogated by those who have long opposed Hezbollah.

'Amid the uncertainty and fear in Lebanon, this may be an opportunity for Lebanon to reconstitute its internal dynamics.

'But it will not be easy, and Hezbollah will not vanish overnight as a significant actor inside Lebanon and the region despite the pummelling it has endured.'

Families carry their belongings in Beirut's Martyrs' square after fleeing the Israeli airstrikes in the southern suburbs of Dahiyeh, Saturday, Sept. 28

Residents check the damaged in the aftermath of overnight Israeli bombardment in Beirut's southern suburbs, on September 28

Major General Herzi Halevi speaks to troops on the northern Israeli border on September 25

Smoke rises above buildings in Beirut, Lebanon September 27, 2024

A day after the Israel-Hamas war started on October 7, Hezbollah began attacking Israeli military posts along the border calling it a 'backup front' for Gaza.

In speeches throughout the conflict, Nasrallah argued that Hezbollah's cross-border strikes pulled away Israeli forces that would otherwise be focused on Hamas.

He insisted that Hezbollah would not halt its attacks on Israel until a cease-fire is reached in Gaza.

Nasrallah maintained a defiant tone, even as tensions rose dramatically in recent weeks, with Israel announcing a new phase in the conflict intended to push Hezbollah back from the border.

News of his death threatens Hezbollah's stability and grip over Lebanon - with the direct and indirect consequences affecting millions in the region and beyond. Israel will hope to capitalise on the success - and Iran will faced with difficult and urgent decisions.
Saudi Arabia unveils Arab, Europe joint initiative to establish Palestine State

In a move likely to change the Middle East politics, Saudi Arabia Thursday (September 26, 2024) announced a joint Arab and European initiative to establish an independent and sovereign Palestine State

Saturday September 28, 2024 10:40 AM , ummid.com with inputs from Agencies

Riyadh: In a move likely to change the Middle East politics, Saudi Arabia Thursday (September 26, 2024) announced a joint Arab and European initiative to establish an independent and sovereign Palestine State.

Billed as the Global Alliance for the Implementation of the two-state solution was unveiled during Prince Faisal bin Farhans speech at a meeting that included the Arab League, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and Norway, according to news agency Reuters.

Prince Faisal said the first meeting of the new alliance will be held in Riyadh. The EU Foreign Affairs Chief, Josep Borrell, said the first follow-up meetings would also be held in Riyadh and Brussels.

"On behalf of the Arab and Islamic countries and our European partners, we announce the launch of the international coalition to implement the two-state solution", Prince Faisal said.

We will make every effort to achieve a reliable and irreversible plan for just and comprehensive peace, he added.

The Saudi minister added that "the establishment of a Palestinian state is a fixed matter, and is not up for negotiation," stressing that "waiting for negotiated solutions in Palestine is no longer a possible option."

The latest announcement came ten days after Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammad bin Salman asserted that recognition of Israel or any ties with the Jewish state is possible only after the State of Palestine with Jerusalem as its capital is established.

While inaugurating the activities of the first year of the 9th session of the Shoura Council in Riyadh, Mohammad bin Salman also slammed what he called crimes of the Israeli occupation authority against the Palestinian.

"We renew the Kingdom's rejection and strong condemnation of the crimes of the Israeli occupation authority against the Palestinian people, ignoring international and humanitarian law in a new and bitter chapter of suffering, the Saudi Crown Prince said.

The Kingdom will not stop its tireless work towards the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital, and we affirm that the Kingdom will not establish diplomatic relations with Israel without that," he added.

Mohammed bin Salmans statement came shortly after the UN General Assembly passed a draft resolution calling Israel to end its occupation of the Palestinian lands, including West Bank and East Jerusalem.

The resolution passed with 124 of the 193 members of the UN supporting its asked the far right Zionist regime to end its occupation and remove all settlements in 12 months.

The UN vote and Saudi stand on the formation of the State of Palestine comes in the midst of the Israeli war in Gaza where the occupation forces have killed more than 41,000 Palestinians since Oct 7, 2023.

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The death of Hassan Nasrallah in Lebanon will come as a devastating blow to Hezbollah after thirty years under his leadership, prompting urgent reactions from allies and potentially threatening Western interests in the Middle East, experts warn.

Israel's military announced that Hezbollah's secretary-general had been killed this morning, hours after pounding Beirut with heavy strikes through Friday afternoon.

Hezbollah confirmed the reports this afternoon, and the region will be pressed to move quickly; officials briefed by Tehran told Reuters that Iran's supreme leader had already been moved to a secure location, while Israel went on high alert anticipating a response.

Israel's allies and adversaries will now be looking very closely at what happens next. Much of Hezbollah's central leadership has been 'decapitated' by Israeli attacks in recent days, experts told MailOnline, but Israel will feel urged to continue its incursion.

Still, Hezbollah remains backed by Iran, which has vowed to stand up for its proxy groups in the Middle East as perceived Israeli aggression continues unabated. Iran will be 'embarrassed' by Israel's operations in Lebanon and 'try to show the region that they are still strong', risking future attacks and greater destabilisation.

And with a power vacuum emerging in Lebanon, analysts warn Hezbollah could fall back on the radical militarisation of decades gone by if the country is unable to reconstitute and reform. Here, domestic and foreign actors find greater room to manouevre - and Israel's allies in Britain and the United States may too be swept up in a widening conflict.

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was reportedly 'eliminated' by the IDF (File)

Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to press on with operations in Lebanon

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei was reportedly moved to a safe location

Smoke billows over Beirut's southern suburbs overnight into Saturday

Residents check the aftermath of Israeli strikes in Beirut's suburbs on Saturday

A rescuer fights against the blaze in the aftermath of Israeli strikes in Haret Hreik on Friday

Columns of Israeli tanks amass in northern Israel amid the incursion into Lebanon

Hezbollah has been dubbed a 'state within a state in Lebanon', with the group long entrenched in civil affairs, filling in for a government blighted by corruption and dire economic woes.

Hassan Nasrallah oversaw the transformation of the organisation from a militant group forged in the Lebanese Civil War and the 1982 Israeli invasion into a significant political and military player in the region.

The reported 'beheading' of the Hezbollah will be marked down as a major victory for Israel, which has stepped up its attacks into Lebanon in recent days after nearly a year of missile exchanges across the border.

But the killing of a figure with such strategic and 'immense symbolic value' could plunge the region into further trouble, with Hezbollah and its backers likely pressed to deliver an urgent response.

Philip Ingram MBE, a former British military intelligence, counterintelligence, and security officer, told MailOnline that Iran will be 'further embarrassed' by Israel's reported successes against Hezbollah.

'The Iranian response would be one that we have to watch very closely,' he said.

'They will want to come out and try and show to the region that they are still strong and therefore I suspect we will see an increased number of attacks focused not just on Israeli interests and the possibility of an attack from Iran against Israel itself... but then attacks against US, UK and allied interests across the Middle East and potentially across the world.'

Col. Ingram said this could materialise as 'terrorist attacks against US bases in Syria, Jordan and Iraq' or the 'further encouragement of attacks by the Houthis against commercial shipping in the Red Sea'.

Britain and the United States continue to operate from bases across the Middle East, and maintain small presences in countries stretching from Turkey to Oman.

Col. Ingram said that 'these aren't going to be formal military attacks. They may fire rockets into Israel', but this would likely be a limited strike as 'they won't want Israel directly attacking Iran'.

'But we are very quickly running up a lot of escalation - and that's a very dangerous thing to do.'

Dr Andreas Krieg, Assistant Professor of Defence Studies at King's College London, told MailOnline: 'What's likely going to happen here is that Iran will have to do something because the red line was crossed.

'They might give permission to use more ballistic missiles, more to attack more strategic targets in Israel, knowing that then the IDF will likely move into Lebanon.

'Obviously Hezbollah will have to respond. Iran will have to respond and, if they do, I think they will have to respond in kind, which means they will have to hit strategic targets.

'They need to get out of their modus operandi that they have been in for the last 12 months, which was below the threshold of war. This all out war is happening. This is all out war for Lebanon.'

'A big concern across the region is that this tit-for-tat has got out of control and all thresholds have been crossed. All lines have been crossed and so we are in this all out war situation now, and that's going to be very difficult to rein in.'

Such a 'seismic event' for regional politics is likely to have a 'major impact' on the 'Axis of Resistance beyond Hezbollah', forcing escalation with Israel, while trying to avoid overspilling into the Gulf.

Dr Burcu Ozcelik, Senior Research Fellow for Middle East Security at the Royal United Services Institute defence and security think tank (RUSI), added: 'Hezbollah was Iran's most strategically significant asset and main deterrent against Israel.

'This has been severely degraded now and how Iran chooses to respond will be highly consequential as the conflict evolves.'

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei called on Muslims on Saturday to 'stand by the people of Lebanon and the proud Hezbollah with whatever means they have and assist them in confronting the ... wicked regime (of Israel)'.

He said in a statement: 'The fate of this region will be determined by the forces of resistance, with Hezbollah at the forefront', state media reported.

Foreign Minister Nasser Kanani added on Twitter/X: 'The glorious path of the leader of the resistance, Hassan Nasrallah, will continue and his sacred goal will be realised in the liberation of Quds (Jerusalem), God willing.'

Lebanese people entering Syria through the al-Masnaa border crossing between Lebanon and Syria, 45 km from the Syrian capital Damascus on September 27

Tens of thousands of people have been displaced by Israel's conduct in Lebanon in recent days

Many have ended up staying on the streets with shelters set up in Beirut quickly filled

Smoke rises from Israeli airstrikes in Beirut's southern suburbs, early Saturday morning

Smoke rises following Israeli airstrikes in Beirut's southern suburbs on Saturday morning

Smoke rises from Israeli airstrikes in Beirut, seen from Baabda, on Friday

In Lebanon, the question now turns to stability. Without a clear successor for Nasrallah, concerns mount that a more radical leader could replace him, reverting the group to the most 'belligerent' politics of decades gone by.

'Hezbollah and Iran have been quite rational in terms of how they have been acting, but now it's time to escalate for them as well if they want to survive,' assessed Dr Krieg.

'I suspect there will be more radical voices coming in... I think we're moving into a space of possibly more radical elements who, like Nasrallah in the 1980s and 90s, are far more militaristic and belligerent.

'I don't think Israel has done itself a favour because what will come next within Hezbollah will likely be worse, less restrained, and will most likely not get them the sort of peace they want in the north.'

'Research shows that every time Israel does kill a leader ... over the last 40 years or so, in any of the organisations against which Israel has fought, it will lead to a more radical individual taking that place, so it has been a self-defeating strategy, this sort of strategy of whack-a-mole.

'So I don't think it will end Hezbollah as an organisation. Certainly, the narrative of resistance, particularly in the south of Lebanon, is still very strong.'

'Nasrallah has shaped the organisation in his own image ... and so taking him out opens a big question about who's going to succeed, and Israel has killed quite a lot of the operational leadership as well.'

But Hezbollah as a network is 'extremely resilient' and 'will continue to function', he said.

Dr Ozcelik added: 'The deep entanglement between Lebanon and Hezbollah is now being tested and interrogated by those who have long opposed Hezbollah.

'Amid the uncertainty and fear in Lebanon, this may be an opportunity for Lebanon to reconstitute its internal dynamics.

'But it will not be easy, and Hezbollah will not vanish overnight as a significant actor inside Lebanon and the region despite the pummelling it has endured.'

Outside of Lebanon, analysts believe others may now also try to 'exploit the opportunity to seize power' at the expense of Hezbollah's influence.

'Vladimir Putin is eagerly watching the outcome of this very closely indeed,' Col. Ingram added, as the focus on the 'regional perspective of the Middle East' detracts attention from the war in Ukraine.

'Combined with what's going on inside Ukraine, stimulating the start of a global conflict of some description - that potential has just increased.'

Reuters cited security sources this week claiming Iran was staging secret talks to send Russian anti-ship missiles to the Houthi rebels in Yemen, sparking fears Putin could be deliberately 'stoking conflict' in the region.

Edmund Fitton-Brown, Senior Advisor to the Counter Extremism Project and former Ambassador of the UK to Yemen, told MailOnline: 'Any successful upgrade of Houthi capabilities would also likely draw a kinetic Israeli response.'

He added that such a deal could 'draw clearer lines of alliances' between an axis of Russia and Iran against the West.

Civilians watch on amid the 1982 Israeli invasion of Lebanon

An explosion rocks Beirut during the 1982 invasion

French paratroopers of the 2nd REP (Foreign Legion) assigned to the Multinational Force in Lebanon (MNF) patrol in Beirut, 23 August 1982

Women walk through a street in Beirut devastated by Israeli shelling in July 1982

An Israeli Air Force helicopter ferries supplies to an army encampment during Israel's Peace For Galilee military campaign June 23, 1982

Despite calls from its allies to de-escalate and leave Lebanon, Israel seemed intent on continuing its press into Lebanon.

This morning the IDF announced it was mobilising three reserve battalions to bolster the defences of its central command.

Israel's Chief of Staff, Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, said Saturday that the elimination of Nasrallah was 'not the end of our toolbox.'

He said that the strike targeting Hezbollah leadership was the result of a long period of preparation and they would 'reach' anyone who threatens Israel. He added that the army is 'at full readiness in all of our fronts'.

'There's still a way to go. Hezbollah still has rockets and missiles and has the capability of shooting many of them simultaneously,' military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani added to an online press briefing.

And experts this morning said that Israel appears to be 'softening' Hezbollah ahead of a ground invasion.

From its perspective, 'Israel has to continue,' warned Col. Ingram. 'It's started the super tanker moving. You can't stop it.

'If you do stop it, it's going to take a lot more effort to restart it again. It's going to result in a lot more casualties and not just with the Israeli military.

'Having to restart it again, you have to go in more violently. And therefore there's going to be greater civilian casualties. Israel has to go forward, but they will have to set themselves limits.

'They can't afford to go and try and capture Beirut, capture Lebanon because that's going too far. I suspect they will go into the demilitarised zone and demilitarise it as much as they possibly can.

'And all this means that Iran ... will be further embarrassed.'

Hezbollah was founded in the milieu of the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in 1982, with forces pushing all the way to Beirut in a bid to oust the Palestine Liberation Organization.

With backing from Iran, Lebanese groups managed to push Israel back. Hezbollah grew with backing from Iran into the force it is today, and cultivated some respect from people who still remember the Israeli invasion.

Radicalised by the events, Hezbollah sought the obliteration of Israel as a founding aim. It also sought to remove US and French peacekeepers from the region.

Nasrallah was credited with Hezbollah's success in pushing Israel out of southern Lebanon with the 2000 withdrawal, and holding it to a stalemate in the 34-day war in 2006.

The killing of Nasrallah shows 'how determined and also how reckless the Israelis are' in their willingness to achieve their objectives, said Dr Krieg, 'defying international law, defying conventions of warfare' in the killing of civilians in Gaza and Lebanon.

'I think it's an enormous source of strength now, for Israel, as it shows how far they are willing to go with near total destruction.'

Smoke rises as a building collapses in Beirut's southern suburbs on Saturday

A woman who fled Israeli bombardment on Beirut's southern suburbs holds a cat along the seaside corniche where she spent the night with her family, on September 28

A Middle East Airlines commercial aircraft taking off from Beirut's international airport flies through smoke over the capital on Saturday

Smoke rises following Israeli strikes in the southern suburbs of Beirut on Saturday

The Israeli Iron Dome air defense system fires to intercept rockets that were launched from Lebanon today

The death of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah is one of the most significant developments in regional politics in recent years.

Israeli operations in recent days have forced a staggering transformation of Hezbollah, with many of Nasrallah's lieutenants no longer placed to step up.

In this vacuum, domestic and foreign powers stand to gain new influence over Lebanon, potentially at the expense of the civilian population and government.

And as Hezbollah's allies try to forge a proportionate response under a new state of play, onlookers will fear the conflict could erupt into a wider war.

What happens in the coming hours will have real implications for the lives of millions of people throughout the Middle East and beyond.
A young woman has claimed that catching covid eight times left her bald and revealed the courage it has taken her to leave the house without a wig.

Lydia Morley, 23, from Newport, Wales, first noticed her long, thick brown hair thinning and falling out in the shower last November.

'Whenever I'd brush my hair in the shower, I'd have proper clumps come out,' Lydia said. 'It was getting to the point where it was a little bit strange.'

After her father noticed a bald patch on the back of her head in January of this year, Lydia booked an appointment with the GP and was diagnosed with alopecia areata - a disease that occurs when the immune system attacks hair follicles causing them to fall out.

Doctors initially put the diagnosis down to stress but Lydia, who claims to be the 'least stressed person ever', now believes her alopecia could be caused long covid.

Lydia Morley (pictured) was diagnosed with alopecia areata in January this year

The 23-year-old first noticed her long brown hair falling out in the shower in November 2023. Pictured: Lydia wearing a wig after her alopecia diagnosis

Lydia wears a brown wig. She now owns a varied collection of wigs but also feels confident enough to leave the house without one

Lydia wears a platinum blonde wig which is her 'favourite' as it is 'so different' to how her hair was before

The vintage shop supervisor said she has suffered eight bouts of covid since 2020.

She said: 'I think after having it so many times my immune system has just been dampened and dampened.

'I had covid at the end of November for the eighth time and then I started seeing my hair falling out after that.'

Although doctors agreed that long covid could be the cause, they emphasised that alopecia is not fully understood.

Advice on the NHS said: 'Hair is lost because it is affected by inflammation. The cause of this inflammation is unknown but it is thought that the immune system, the natural defence which normally protects the body from infections and other diseases, may attack the growing hair.

'Why this might happen is not fully understood, nor is it known why only localised areas are affected and why the hair usually regrows again.'

Lydia said: 'The doctors did mention that it could be [covid] but alopecia is one of those things where they don't always know exactly why it happens.

'Personally I believe that and doctors did say that this could be a cause of the situation but they also said it could be a million other things too.'

Within five months of her diagnosis, Lydia lost 80 per cent of her hair and was unable to recognise herself in the mirror.

'I am a very outgoing person and it [the alopecia] really does take this away from you because people don't realise how much of their identity is the way they look.

'People like to say they don't care about looks or physical attributes but when you've got this stripped away from you it really does change the way that you see yourself.'

The young woman whose camera-roll was previously filled with selfies started to avoid having her picture taken as her self-confidence plummeted.

She said: 'My camera roll turned into me checking if I had new patches [on my head] or checking if it had got worse.

'As a girl it was really difficult for those weeks and months when it first fell out to when I had my head shaved.

'You don't feel like you're quite woman enough.'

Lydia's hair before she shaved it all off for charity. She first started noticing it falling out in November last year

Lydia said alopecia made her feel less feminine at first, but she has learned to love her look after shaving her locks off entirely

Within five months of being diagnoses with alopecia, Lydia lost 80 per cent of her hair

The shop worker said she could no longer recognise herself in the mirror when her hair first started falling out

Lydia said she felt more confident after shaving off her hair and donating the locks to charity

It was only when Lydia decided to shave off her remaining locks for charity and go completely bald that she saw her confidence blossom.

She said: 'A full face of make-up with a bald head is a really good look on a woman and it has made me feel even more feminine.'

Since shaving all her hair off, Lydia said she is experiencing some regrowth.

'The regrowth journey is difficult as it doesn't all come through at the same time.

'It's tufty and some bits are longer and some bits are shorter.

'It's really positive signs of growth and it's amazing to see it is coming back through and has given me that extra bit of perseverance.

'My hair could fall out again though so you've got to distance yourself from it. As much as it is a good sign to see it grow back I am not relying on it.

'As for eyebrows and eyelashes I am yet to see any growth from them but it's just a waiting game.'

Despite promising signs of regrowth, Lydia wears a range of synthetic and 'real hair' wigs.

'Most of my wigs are synthetic,' Lydia said. 'I've got a real hair one that is very like how my hair was before and I wear this one everyday.

'My blonde wig is probably my favourite at the minute because it's so different to how my hair was before.

'If someone had said to me a year ago that someone would be complimenting me on having a peroxide blonde shoulder-length bob I would have said "you're crazy".'

But Lydia emphasised that she now feels confident enough to leave the house without a wig.

She said: 'It's nice to feel comfortable in lots of different styles and I don't have to look the same everyday.

Lydia pictured with her long brown hair before losing it to alopecia

Lydia now wears a brown wig and after being diagnosed with alopecia in January

Lydia said she gets compliments on her platinum blonde wig (pictured)

Lydia, who is also happy to go outside without a wig on, says she is seeing regrowth

Lydia takes a picture of her hair which is now growing back in tufts

Lydia is now raising awareness of her alopecia journey to help others speak out about their hair loss experiences.

Offering advice to other young women diagnosed with alopecia, Lydia said: 'Shave it off and raise a bit of money to help someone else and you'll feel a million times better.'

After sharing a video of her hair journey over the last five months on TikTok, her post went viral racking up 179,000 views and more than 8,000 likes.

One user wrote: 'Legit. It looks good bald. Such a vibe.'

Another commented: 'I gasped at the picture of you in the brown wig.'

A third wrote: 'I have it too. It's such an internal battle to come to terms with but once you take the leap it's so healing.'

A fourth commented: 'The ultimate hotness test is being able to look hot without your hair and you passed with flying colours babe.'
The first death of a Russian woman released from prison by Vladimir Putin to fight Ukraine has been announced after she was 'mowed down' on the frontline.

Elena Pimonenkova, 37, had been serving a jail sentence for multiple offences - including a knife attack on a man, carjacking, robbery, damaging property and threatening to kill - before she was recruited by the Russian Army.

The criminal reportedly died in the Belgorod war zone inside Russia but the circumstances remain unclear at the moment.

Pimonenko was handpicked for Putin's army from a penal colony in the Leningrad region, near St Petersburg, and enlisted in return for a shortened prison sentence.

She was due to serve one more year in jail at the point she was freed.

Elena Pimonenkova (pictured), 37, had been serving a jail sentence for multiple offences - including a knife attack on a man, carjacking, robbery, damaging property and threatening to kill - before she was recruited by the Russian Army

Pimonenkova reportedly died in the Belgorod war zone inside Russia but the circumstances remain unclear at the moment

Pimonenko was handpicked for Putin's army from a penal colony in the Leningrad region, near St Petersburg, and enlisted in return for a shortened prison sentence

Her relatives have been told that she was mown down by a car close to the frontline, but say they do not believe the official account of her death.

Her mother received a phone call the day before her death from an unknown man who told her that he would 'deal with Elena and rid her of bad habits'.

Reports say Putin has slowed or halted the recruitment of women convicts.

It started in February this year when Pimonenkova was one of ten to be selected by the Russian defence ministry out of 60 female applicants.

According to to Russian news site 47news.ru, the ministry is no longer recruiting women prisoners on the same scale, despite stepping up efforts to fill the ranks with men as cannon fodder for his war.

It follows reports that at least six people have been killed in Sumy, northeastern Ukraine, following a Russian attack on a medical centre.

The Ukrainian air force said it had shot down 69 of 73 drones fired overnight from Russia. At least 15 of the drones were intercepted on the outskirts of Kyiv.

Keir Starmer used his first address to the United Nations Security Council to ask Putin's representative how he dare show his face at the UN.

He said the illegal invasion had caused 'colossal human suffering' with 35,000 casualties, 6million people forced to flee and almost 20,000 Ukrainian children 'kidnapped'.

At least six people have been killed in Sumy, northeastern Ukraine, following a Russian attack on a medical centre

Searchlights in the Ukrainian capital. The Ukrainian air force said it had shot down 69 of 73 drones fired overnight from Russia. At least 15 of the drones were intercepted on the outskirts of Kyiv

Sir Keir was also due to hold talks with Volodymyr Zelensky at the gathering of world leaders in New York as Ukraine's president prepares to present his 'victory plan' to end the war in a crucial White House meeting tomorrow.

The PM told the security council, on which Russia has a permanent seat: 'Six hundred thousand Russian soldiers have also been killed or wounded in this war. And for what?

'The UN Charter - which they sit here to uphold speaks of human dignity. Not treating your own citizens as bits of meat to fling into the grinder.'

He said the war had also triggered a 'global energy crisis and a global food security crisis' while Russia was now deepening its military ties with North Korea and Iran.

With Russia's deputy UN representative Dmitry Polyanskiy in the room, the PM urged: 'Aggression cannot pay. Borders cannot be redrawn by force. Russia started this illegal war. It must end it - and get out of Ukraine.
At Labour conference this week, there was one attendee the press were looking out for more than any other - Lord Alli.

The peer, who reportedly hates publicity, strode into the Liverpool venue in his white trainers and dark suit with a cheeky grin on his face, after weeks of headlines over 'donorgate'.

Alli has found himself the unwelcome centre of attention over his gifts to members of the cabinet, which raised eyebrows after he was given a Downing Street pass - sparking claims of 'cash for access' at the heart of government.

He gave clothes and spectacles to Keir Starmer and his wife, loaned his luxury Manhattan apartment on New Year's Eve to Angela Rayner and bankrolled Bridget Phillipson's 40th birthday party.

And last night yet another 16,000 donation worth of clothes to Keir Starmer emerged.

But the wealthy businessman, who is worth an estimated 200 million, has a long history with Labour and has been financing it for 25 years, with his donations of late totalling more than 700,000.

Here MailOnline takes a look at Lord Alli and his long love affair with Labour.

Lord Alli, who reportedly hates publicity, strode into the Liverpool venue in his white trainers and dark suit with a cheeky grin on his face, after weeks of headlines over 'donorgate'

Alli has found himself the unwelcome centre of attention over his gifts of clothes and spectacles to Keir Starmer

When Waheed Alli was young he was an unlikely candidate to someday become a multimillionaire, with his school careers officer suggesting he become a bus conductor.

But instead Alli, 59, managed to quickly start to build his fortune in the 1980s, earning a 1,000 a day as a financial consultant in the era of Thatcherite yuppiedom.

Then in 1992, when he teamed up with Bob Geldof and Charlie Parsons to launch TV production company Planet 24.

It produced several hits, including, The Word, Survivor and The Big Breakfast, leading one newspaper to comment Alli was the person who 'perfected TV presented by morons for morons'.

Alli made yet more millions from property, online retail and media rights.

But his connection to the Labour Party has always been strong, and he talks fondly about his moderate roots and helping battle the party's always-troublesome Militant wing in the 1980s.

Alli teamed up with Bob Geldof (centre) and Charlie Parsons (left) to launch TV production company Planet 24

Alli's connection to the Labour Party has always been strong, and he talks fondly about his moderate roots and helping battle the party's always-troublesome Militant wing in the 1980s

Lord Alli, then 34, sits behind his desk at TV production company Planet 24 in 2000

Alli's TV business produced several hits, including, The Word, Survivor and The Big Breakfast, leading one newspaper to comment Alli was the person who 'perfected TV presented by morons for morons'

Alli (pictured in 2001) made yet more millions from property, online retail and media rights

Then Prince Charles, speaking to Lord Alli and Baroness Amos in Guyana during his visit to the island in 2000

Lord Alli arrives to celebrate the wedding of Gordon Brown to Sarah Macaulay in Southwark in 2000

In the 1990s he was encouraged by his East End neighbour Emily Thornberry, who lived in the same street, to take a greater role in the party.

When Tony Blair was leader, he would ring Alli for advice on 'yoof appeal' and Peter Mandelson would use his Kent mansion to plot campaigns.

In 1998 Alli, at the age of 34, became the youngest and the first openly gay peer in Parliament.

The ennoblement enabled him to lead the charge against Section 28 in the Upper House.

But since then his attendance has been sporadic, and he's given barely a dozen speeches in the past decade.

Instead Alli prefers to operate behind the scenes by keeping the money taps flowing. Although under Jeremy Corbyn the flow became little more than a trickle.

But he was usually near those at the top of the party, and in 2000 was pictured arriving at the wedding of Gordon Brown and Sarah Macaulay.

In 1998 Alli, at the age of 34, became the youngest and the first openly gay peer in Parliament

Lord Alli with actor Sir Ian McKellen, Brian Paddick from DAC Metropolitan Police, and journalist Simon Fanshawe

Lord Alli and Lord Mandelson were key members of Tony Blair's set in Downing Street. Pictured together in 2009

Usually Alli's wealth is lavished on his friends and contacts, with his former staff getting birthday cards and Christmas gifts, Prada bags and Paul Smith shirts

Lord Alli at the wedding of Sky News presenter Adam Bolton and Tony Blair's former director of government relations Anji Hunter at St James Church in Piccadilly on July 2006

Usually Alli's wealth is lavished on his friends and contacts, with his former staff getting birthday cards and Christmas gifts, Prada bags and Paul Smith shirts, according to The Spectator.

His parties are also the stuff of legend, with guests talking of the annual bash at his Kent mansion having a Ferris wheel, dodgems and hot air balloon over the years.

Perhaps due to the splendid parties, Alli also has a bulging contacts book which allows him to play a lead role in tapping up other wealthy people for donations.

He was the chair of Labour's election fundraising, he used his 18 million London penthouse to host weekly meetings to plot donation drives.

The penthouse has recently been in the headlines after it was used by Keir Starmer to record two video clips, one telling Britain to work from home in the pandemic and another paying a tribute to the late Queen.

Lord Alli at the Pavillion of Art and Design London Party in Berkeley Square, London, 2009

Lord Alli at a demo in Westminster with chief executive of the LGBTQ+ charity Stonewall Ben Summerskill

Lord Alli speaking at the Stonewall Awards 2013 at the V&A

Alli speaks with guests at the launch of new exhibition 'Filling In The Pieces In Black' curated by June Sarpong at Saatchi Gallery on October 30, 2023, in London

Alli's penthouse has recently been in the headlines after it was used by Keir Starmer to record two video clips, one telling Britain to work from home in the pandemic (pictured) and another paying a tribute to the late Queen

The former, from December 2021, saw him sitting at a desk with a family picture on the shelves behind him, creating the impression he was at his home and leading to accusations he tried to 'hoodwink' the public.

Starmer also came under fire for his seven-week stay there which the PM said was to allow his son to study for his GCSEs 'in peace'.

The use of the penthouse to film the two clips was not recorded in the MPs' register of interests as Downing Street said it fell below the 300 value threshold for declaring gifts. The stay with his family was, valued at 20,437.28  around 450 a night.

On election night in 2024, Starmer watched the exit poll from Alli's penthouse.

On Monday, Labour hosted its biggest-ever business event at its conference. Alli helped co-ordinate donors as more than 500 lobbyists and executives shelled out 3,000 a ticket to mingle with ministers and swell party coffers.

The event was a key part in keeping with Labour's strategy of keeping business onside over plans to give workers more rights while growing the economy.

It is difficult to overstate Alli's importance to Labour, but friends have tried to play down the influence he has on the party

Despite the public outcry, Lord Alli and his millions will be part of Labour's story for as long as he is needed.

It is difficult to overstate Alli's importance to Labour, but friends have tried to play down the influence he has on the party.

One friend told The Spectator: 'He's had his seat in the Lords since 1998. What more could he want?'

But the 'donorgate' row has gone down like a bucket of cold sick with the public, and opinion polls show widespread disgust.

Various excuses have been mounted by the party this week in defence of Alli's donations.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting declared: 'It is a noble pursuit, just like giving to charity  and we don't recognise that enough.'

Alli once threw a 4,600 fundraising party for Streeting that was attended by actors Sir Ian McKellen and Michael Cashman.

Labour insist all of the donations were declared in 'accordance with Parliamentary and Electoral Commission rules'.

But despite the public outcry, Lord Alli and his millions will be part of Labour's story for as long as he is needed.
A Met Police officer has been sacked from the force after he was found to have spanked a 13 year old girl on 'her bare bottom on numerous occasions'.

PC Ross Benson, who was attached to the North West Basic Command unit, was hauled in front of a misconduct panel over allegations which dated from between April and August 2018.

The misconduct panel heard that Benson spanked the girl, who was known to him, while off duty.

His victim was aged between 12 and 13 at the time of the attacks.

PC Ross Benson was dismissed from the Metropolitan Police after a misconduct hearing following allegations he had 'sexually' spanked a 13-year-old girl who was known to him

Benson was dismissed without notice following this week's disciplinary hearing (file photo)

Benson was arrested on November 6, 2020 by Bedfordshire Police on suspicion of sexual assault. The case was dropped in September 2021 when he was told that he faced no further action.

According to Scotland Yard, Bedfordshire Police informed them about the allegation which led to a misconduct hearing by the Directorate of Professional Standards.

The panel found that Benson had 'breached the standard of professional behaviour relating to discreditable conduct at the level of gross misconduct'.

The panel found there was 'a sexual element' to the spankings.

Detective Superintendent Will Lexton-Jones, said: 'My thoughts are first and foremost with the victim who displayed courage in reporting this. PC Bensons abhorrent behaviour has led to his immediate dismissal, which is a decision I fully support.

'I hope this outcome demonstrates how we are rooting out those who do not demonstrate the high standards we demand from our officers.'

Scotland Yard said as well as being sacked, Benson has also been placed on the barred list held by the College of Policing.

He will now be prevented from joining another police force, local policing bodies (PCCs), the Independent Office for Police Conduct or His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services.

MailOnline has contacted Scotland Yard to determine when they were first made aware of the allegations concerning Benson and whether he was placed on restricted duties or suspended ahead of the disciplinary hearing.
A British woman who was raised in the sickening 'Sannyasin' sex-cult led by Indian mystic Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh - where she was allegedly abused and raped multiple times as a child - has revealed her hell amid the upcoming release of a documentary telling her story.

In an interview with The Times, Prem Sargam, 54, spoke of the rampant sexual abuse she endured from the age of six across the three Sannyasin communities - or 'ashrams'- she grew up in.

Sargam detailed how Rajneesh's Sannyasin spiritual movement her parents joined when she was a young child believed children should regularly watch sex and that girls going through puberty should be guided by adult men on their sexual journeys.

'It was considered good for the children to be exposed to sexuality,' she told The Times, explaining how watching grown-ups having sex was a regular occurrence for her.

Sargam began witnessing these very public displays of sex at the age of six, when her family relocated from their home in Devon to a Sannyasin commune in Prune, India after her father, who had become disillusioned with his job, sought enlightenment from Rajneesh - a bearded guru and mystic whose New Age sex cult was second to none in its embrace of 'free love'.

Prem Sargam, 54, speaks up about the sexual abuse she endured in a cult that groomed children to have sex with adults

Sargam says the abuse began when her parents became followers of Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh (pictured)

The cult Sargam was raised in was previously explored in Netflix's 2018 documentary 'Wild Wild Country'. Image shows documentary footage of the cult's commune in Oregon

But the movement also believed children were obstructions to their parents' sexual journeys.

This meant Sargam lived away from her mother and father in the children's quarters, where she received no education and would work 12 hours a day in the kitchen.

But it was only a year after her arrival to India that Sargam's innocence was taken from her.

At just the age of seven, Sargam was groomed by an adult man, who would make her follow him around 'like a little dog' and bribe her with Swiss chocolate.

'It was only at 16 that I understood what had happened', she said.

The disgusting sexual abuse on children in Rajneesh's communes is explored in the upcoming 'Children of the Cult' documentary. The film will tell the story of three British women, including Sargam, who escaped the cult's clutches.

And while the documentary will see her bravely speaking about her abuse, Sargam only opened up about her past three years ago on Facebook, when she wrote an open letter to her abuser.

Pictured: Rajneesh in 1985

Pictured: Sannyasins in their orange robes

Rajneesh founded a spiritual movement and commune in Pune, near Mumbai (formerly Bombay) in 1970

Rajneesh's unorthodox meditation techniques and sheer outrageousness attracted tens of thousands of followers from all over the world

'Even in my [seven]-year-old mind, I thought what a strange thing to be doing. I was already becoming very mentally and emotionally confused.'

Sargam also told The Times that between the ages of seven and 11, she and her friends were expected to perform different sexual acts on grown men who lived in the commune.

She would then be sent to the Medina ashram in Suffolk alone to attend a 'boarding school' programme, where the abuse continued. By the age of 12, she had relocated to the US to be with her mother, who was working in an ashram in Oregon.

Despite the abuse hundreds of young children were subjected to in Rajneesh's global communes, little has been documented about it until now.

According to The Times, there was just one investigation by US child protection services into the Oregon cult.

Even when Netflix released a widely successful documentary about the cult's Oregon branch in 2018 called 'Wild Wild Country', there was no mention of the children's experiences of abuse and neglect.

But by speaking up, survivors like Sargam are encouraging others to come forward, she said.

The 2018 Netflix documentary does, however, give further insight into what life was like in the free-love cult.

Rajneesh's unorthodox meditation techniques and sheer outrageousness attracted tens of thousands of followers from all over the world, including celebrities such as British journalist Bernard Levin and London-born film star Terence Stamp.

In the US, Rajneesh was dubbed the 'Rolls-Royce Guru' given the fact that he owned 93 of the luxury cars

A philosophy lecturer who, in 1970, founded a spiritual movement and commune in Pune, near Mumbai (formerly Bombay), Rajneesh's teachings were a bizarre mixture of pop psychology, ancient Indian wisdom, capitalism, sexual permissiveness and dirty jokes that he gleaned from the pages of Playboy magazine.

Rajneesh argued that monogamous marriage was unnatural and advocated unrestricted promiscuity, including partner-swapping, from the age of 14.

In India, he was known as the 'Sex Guru', while in the US he was dubbed the 'Rolls-Royce Guru' given the fact that he owned 93 of the luxury cars.

Just like Sargam's parents, his followers were often highly educated professionals ready to reject the structures of middle-class convention and seek enlightenment first in India and later at communes in Oregon, Cologne and Suffolk.

Some left spouses and children, while others donated everything they had to the cult.

But it was the group's attempt to build a $100 million utopian city in a remote corner of the northwestern state of Oregon that became its downfall in the Eighties.

Rajneesh's move to Oregon in 1981 was prompted by an investigation by the Indian authorities over immigration fraud, tax evasion and drug smuggling. The group purchased a 64,000-acre ranch near the tiny settlement of Antelope, and the 7,000 disciples who moved in swamped the 50-strong resident Bible-bashing population.

Construction began on a self-sustaining Rajneesh city intended for 50,000 residents, with scores of houses, shops, restaurants and even an airport built, but he faced strong opposition from local politicians who believed he was leading a dangerous cult.

In 1985, he asked authorities to investigate his personal secretary Ma Anand Sheela and her supporters for a number of crimes, including a mass food-poisoning attack intended to influence the county elections, an aborted assassination plot on attorney Charles H. Turner as well as the attempted murder of the guru's physician.

Sheela was also accused of embezzling $55 million in funds and bugging his quarters.

This led the FBI to discover 10,000 tape recordings from her mass bugging operation, plus an arsenal of unregistered guns.

As they questioned disciples, the Feds discovered even more devilish plots.

In a bid to incapacitate non-Rajneesh- supporting voters in the local area, the Rajneeshis had tried to poison the water supply of the nearest large town, and also contaminated food on display at restaurants.

This led to Sheela's arrest. She was sentenced to 20 years in prison but only served 29 months behind bars before being released and deported.

Three other disciples were jailed.

Meanwhile, Rajneesh was charged with immigration fraud, which saw him get deported back to Pune, where he died aged 58 of heart failure in 1998.

Today, there are still small numbers of Rajneeshi devotees around the world.
Grandparents in Sweden will be able to take paid leave to look after children in a groundbreaking law change.

Swedish parents can now transfer their maternity or paternity leave to friends and family members who will be able to take time off work and look after children while still receiving 80 per cent of their salary.

Minister for the elderly Anna Tenje told The Telegraph: 'These changes empower parents to shape their own lives, while also fostering stronger bonds between children and both parents or other close relatives.'

Sweden already had a generous parental leave system, offering 480 days.

It was the first country in the world to allow paternal leave in 1974 and only 17 per cent of fathers with children born in 2017 chose not to reap this benefit.

Parents can now transfer their parental leave to grandparents in a groundbreaking law introduced in Sweden (Stock Image)

Swedish lawmakers (pictured at the Swedish Parliament in March 2023) decided that as of July 1, parents are able to transfer up to 45 days of their paid parental leave to a friend or family member, while single fathers and mothers can transfer up to 90 days

While some politicians have already taken advantage of the changes, such as the Moderate Party's Andrea Hedin who transferred her paid parental leave to her aunt, others have raised concerns.

Lena Hallengren, a member of the opposition Social Democratic Party, slammed it as a nanny state policy.

As of July 1, parents are now able to transfer up to 45 days of their paid parental leave to a friend or family member, while single fathers and mothers can transfer up to 90 days.

The law has also been updated to increase the number of 'double days' - when both parents can take leave together - from 30 to 60.

'Double days' can be used until a child reaches 15 months, an increase from 12 months.
A popular acai cafe has been given the green light to reopen after 45 customers allegedly fell ill with food poisoning.

Blue Lemon Acai in Wahroonga, in Sydney's north shore, was forced to close on September 20 when it was given a prohibition order by health authorities.

The NSW Food Authority received several complaints from people who claimed they'd suffered symptoms of food poisoning after eating acai-based desserts at the cafe.

That prohibition order was lifted at 8pm on Friday night, with business expected to return as usual on Saturday.

The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development said they'd carried out another inspection of the business on Friday, The Daily Telegraph reported.

Samples taken from the store by authorities had returned clear, although it's understood NSW Health are continuing to analyse other clinical samples to find the cause of the reported outbreak.

Around 45 people allegedly fell ill with food poisoning, three of whom had gone to hospital.

At the time, the cafe's owners said they were treating the complaints seriously.

Blue Lemon Acai in Wahroonga, in Sydney's north shore, was forced to close on September 20 when it was given a prohibition order by health authorities

'We have been operating in Wahroonga for 10 years and take great pride in serving our friends and the local community the healthy products we make with love every day,' they said in a statement.

'We are devastated by the news of people getting ill and have undertaken a full review of the situation, including our suppliers.'

The owners had said they were aware of some 16 complaints, though some of them appeared to be from fake accounts.

NSW Agriculture Minister Tara Moriarty said the government had been made aware of 45 reports of alleged food poisoning.

'In the interests of public safety, a prohibition order was issued by my department through the NSW Food Authority on the Wahroonga located business Blue Lemon Acai,' Ms Moriarty said in a statement.

'(This) follows a large number of complaints by customers alleging food-borne illness symptoms after consuming acai-based frozen desserts.

'The order was put in place to reduce any further public health impact and will close the facility until further notice.'

Acai is made from powdered acai berries native to Brazil that are mixed with frozen fruit, often banana and blueberries, to form a desert similar to ice cream.
People looking to murder their partner, relative or a boss have paid out 400,000 to fraudsters running a bogus hitman-for-hire website on the dark web.

British journalist Carl Miller discovered the site, described as an 'Etsy for hitmen', was a scam where people would pay bitcoin to secretive 'assassins' who would even tailor the method of death for each victim.

Yet those collecting the cyber cash had no intention of killing anyone.

Details of the elaborate scam have been outlined on the Kill List podcast launched on Wondery+.

British journalist Carl Miller, pictured, was able to expose a bogus hitman-for-hire website which fraudulently too commissions from people looking to murder their partners, family and even work colleagues

Stephen Allwine, right, murdered his wife Amy after discovering the website was a scam

Kristy Lynne Felkins from Nevada was jailed for five years in 2023 for sending 12 bitcoin to the bogus website to murder her ex-husband Gabe Scott

According to The Times, subscribers to the bogus hitman service have been sentenced to 150 years behind bars. One American paid $55,000 (41,000) to the website to murder his wife.

Kristy Lynne Felkins from Nevada was jailed for five years in 2023 for sending 12 bitcoin to the bogus website to murder her ex-husband Gabe Scott.

She passed on details of her former husband's location to the internet scammers.

Stephen Allwine, a church elder from Minnesota used the alias 'dogdayGod' to murder his wife Amy.

He wanted her dead while she went to Moline, Illinois on a business trip. The FBI intercepted the messages between dogdayGod and the Besa Mafia alias.

In May 2016, police warned Alline and his wife that someone was seeking to murder Amy.

In November 2016, Allwine gave his wife a 'nontherapeutic' dose of a powerful drug. Allwine then staged his wife's 'suicide' by shooting. Forensic examiners found gunshot residue on Allwine. He also placed the handgun in his late wife's left hand - even though she was right handed.

He was later jailed for life without parole.

Miller, with the assistance of IT expert Chris Monteiro, was able to hack into the website in July 2020 and were able to inspect private messages between clients and the website's owner.

The journalist soon had information on 600 potential victims - which included requests on the optimal way of carrying out the hit.

Initially, law enforcement agencies were not interested in investigating the case.

Miller said: 'Amy Allwine's death proved that the danger was real. Not because some shadowy hitman was on the way but because the customers themselves were the real threat.'

Investigating one case, Miller, with the assistance of Bellingcat, were able to warn a British woman that her Swiss husband had paid $34,000 to have her killed.

He added: 'Kill List has offered me a window [into] the cruelty people are capable of when they think no one is watching. The people behind the orders seem to live ordinary lives but they are willing to have another human life snuffed out.'
This video is no longer available

This video is no longer available

Bill Maher slammed rapper Macklemore's anti-American antics as he attacked young voters for a lack of patriotism.

The comedian, 68, issued a scathing rebuke of the attitude of America's youth on his show, Real Time with Bill Maher, and singled out Macklemore for leading a 'f*** America' chant at a pro-Palestine festival this week.

Maher said: 'The protests that started off as justice for Palestine have morphed into a broader kind of "America is the problem, we f****ed up the whole world' thing."

'Last weekend... when the rapper Macklemore said f*** America, everybody loved it,' he went on, branding the rapper 'talent-free.'

Bill Maher unleashed on rapper Macklemore during the 'Real Time' segment of his show this week as he attacked young voters for a lack of patriotism

The comedian singled out Macklemore (pictured in May) for leading a 'f*** America' chant at a pro-Palestine festival this week, branding him 'talent free'

Maher highlighted Macklemore's anti-American chant took place in a nation where he has the freedom to do so, and drew parallels between the rapper and ironic 'Queers for Palestine' protest groups.

Speaking of the 'f*** America' chant, Maher said: 'I'm sure it was a big hit with the queers for Gaza crowd, (who are) literally advocating for a government that would imprison you or kill you for being queer.

'From the safety and security of a country that doesn't do that.'

As the talk show host pulled up a picture of Macklemore, he added: 'Yes America, where a white guy from the suburbs could become a millionaire rapper.

'Because here every person regardless of race, class or gender, has the right to be talent-free.'

Macklemore, shown in March 2023 in Texas, has been highly critical of United States foreign policy as the war between Israel and Hamas has intensified

Maher singled out the 'queers for Gaza crowd', who he said are 'literally advocating for a government that would imprison you or kill you for being queer'

Macklemore, real name Benjamin Hammond Haggerty, made the anti-America remark at a charity festival to benefit Palestinian refugees a week ago.

The 41-year-old Seattle native hit the stage at the Palestine Will Live Forever Festival in support of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian refugees and encouraged people to 'straight up' join the chant.

The rapper told the audience he wasn't going to stop them if they did and then said, 'F*** America' as the audience erupted into cheers.

He has been highly critical of United States foreign policy as the war between Israel and Hamas has intensified, and released a protest song in May 2024 titled Hind's Hall in support of the 2024 pro-Palestinian protests on university campuses.
The pioneering Los Angeles-based journalist Warren Wilson has died at 90 years old.

The trusted former KTLA reporter passed away in his Oxnard, California, home on Friday after a four-decade redefining broadcast media.

His son, Stanley Wilson wrote in a statement: 'His demeanor on the air as an iconic television journalist was just as authentic as he was a father, unsensational, sincere, a voice calming and eloquent.'

During his iconic career, Wilson became one of Los Angeles' first black broadcast journalists and used his platform to discuss police brutality, among other prevalent social issues.

Wilson's career began in the 1950s working in the US Navy's press office, according to the Los Angeles Times. He then moved on to work at the City News Service and the Los Angeles bureau of United Press International.

Renowned broadcaster and reporter Warner Wilson reported for KTLA before retiring in 2005. He died on Friday at 90 years old

Eric Spillman and Wilson smile for a photo. Spillman described Wilson as 'a real pioneer'

In 1969, he began his 15-year stint working for KNBC and NBC news until he was hired by KTLA in 1984.

He retired in 2005, but his legacy of diligence and progress set an unwavering industry standard.

During the early years of his career, Wilson was confronted with threats and adversity rooted in racism. White mobs and police chiefs 'questioned his legitimacy as a black journalist,' the Los Angeles Times reported.

KTLA reporter Eric Spillman, who worked alongside Wilson, told KTLA: 'Warren was a trusted reporter and members of minority communities who were afraid to turn themselves in to police would often contact Warren and arrange to meet with him and he would safely help them turn themselves in.'

Spillman also described him as 'a real pioneer' in an Instagram post about his death.

His reputation at KTLA was someone whom criminals trusted enough to come to before turning themselves in to the police.

Wilson called in his story from the Watts Riots in 1965

Wilson and his wife at in 2002 at the Los Angeles Press Club awards ceremony

Wilson was best known for his coverage of major historical events including the 1965 and 1992 Los Angeles riots against police brutality and racism, the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy.

Spillman told KTLA: 'He was brave. During the riots, Warren went down to the South L.A. area and interviewed a shop owner who was trying to put out flames while standing on the roof of a burning building. I will never forget that.'

He also covered the horrific killings of infamous cult leader Charles Manson and the O.J. Simpson trial.

Beyond his news coverage and thorough reporting, Wilson's standout quality was his ability to connect and build trust with various groups of people.

Wilson was able to arrange for 22 wanted fugitives to surrender to law enforcement, including when Wilson met with two people who were responsible for the death of a Los Angeles police officer in 1988 and got them to turn themselves in, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Wilson spoke at the Muslim Public Affairs Council's Annual Media Awards in 2015

His hard work earned Wilson a 1979 Emmy Award for his investigative journalism and a Peabody Award for his riot coverage.

After his retirement, Wilson reflected on his career with the Los Angeles Times: 'I have done everything Ive set out to do, despite the obstacles that were in my way from the beginning.'

Wilson was the son of North Carolina sharecroppers and the father of six biological children and one step-daughter.
This is the shocking moment an e-bike phone thief stole from a man as he filmed a 450,000 Lamborghini on one of London's poshest streets.

In the footage, posted to TikTok, the victim is filming a green Lamborghini Revuelto parked up on New Bond Street in the heart of the capital.

The narrow street is lined with luxury designer stores - with a Bvlgari jewelry store visible in the background.

Dozens of shoppers and tourists are wandering the street, when seemingly out of nowhere, two balaclava-clad cyclists appear in the background.

The menacing pair weave their way through the crowd and before the filmer, called Carlos, has a chance to react one of the men has snatched his phone with the video still recording.

Dozens of shoppers and tourists are wandering the street, when seemingly out of nowhere, two balaclava-clad cyclists appear

Before the filmer, called Carlos, has a chance to react one of the men has snatched his phone with the video still recording

The video of the theft, which took place on Monday September 23, was posted on TikTok with the caption: 'POV: You are in central London.'

It generated strong reactions from social media users.

Paul Jaymes said: 'Literally like something out of a horror film.

'Demons on bikes.'

John Wormald added: 'Should have pushed them off their bikes. They saw them coming.'

Blake said: 'Just a normal day In London.'

The so-called phone snatching epidemic has reached a crisis point in the capital with people working in Westminster claiming they see phone thefts daily.

Criminals' most common tactic is to whizz past on a bike or moped and grab the phone while their victim is distracted - such as when they are taking a photo or checking their messages at a traffic light.

In the footage, posted to TikTok, the victim is filming a green Lamborghini Revuelto parked up on New Bond Street in the heart of the capital

The workers said the theives normally prey on 'unaware' tourists.

Figures collated by local news site Southwark News show that Westminster is the worst area in London for phone snatching - with a shocking 22,253 incidents reported in the year leading up to September 2024.

That equates to a terrifying 85.4 thefts per every 1,000 people.

However, overall, the number of robberies overall are down 23.8 per cent in central London.
Boris Johnson believes that the Covid pandemic started due to a devastating leak from a Chinese laboratory - not as the result of animal-to-human transmission in a Wuhan wildlife market.

In the latest revelation from his sensational new memoir, Mr Johnson abandons his initial assertion when he was Prime Minister that more than seven million people died worldwide because the virus 'jumped species'.

In bombshell remarks which will pile fresh pressure on the Chinese government to come clean about the origins of the virus, Mr Johnson writes in Unleashed: 'The awful thing about the whole Covid catastrophe is that it appears to have been entirely man-made, in all its aspects.

'It now looks overwhelmingly likely that the mutation was the result of some botched experiment in a Chinese lab.

'Some scientists were clearly splicing bits of virus together like the witches in Macbeth  eye of bat and toe of frog  and oops, the frisky little critter jumped out of the test tube and started replicating all over the world.'

Boris Johnson announces the first national lockdown on March 23, 2020

The former PM says he has tested positive for the virus in March 2020

Mr Johnson is the most high profile world leader since Donald Trump to publicly reject the notion that the virus was transmitted 'zoonotically' from infected animals.

The former PM had previously linked it to the 'demented' belief in parts of Asia that 'if you grind up the scales of a pangolin you will somehow become more potent'  although he had gradually become more sceptical as information emerged about the experiments being conducted by Wuhan scientists.

In today's extracts from Unleashed, which is being serialised exclusively in the Daily Mail and The Mail on Sunday, Mr Johnson describes his final poignant conversation with the Queen when he travelled to Balmoral to seal the handover of power to Liz Truss in 2022.

He writes that the monarch remained mentally sharp despite the ravages of her illness  the details of which he had known for more than a year  and gave him two pieces of final advice.

It is one of a number of touching anecdotes about the Queen in Unleashed, including her curiosity about the public's reaction to the stunt during the opening ceremony of the London Olympics when she 'parachuted' from a helicopter.

Mr Johnson also describes his first visit to Balmoral with then-girlfriend Carrie, after the media had suggested that the monarch took a dim view of the idea of staying at her house as an unmarried couple.

And he gives the heaviest hint yet about the Queen's views on Brexit and reveals her fascination with the age-gap marriage of President Macron of France.

Today's serialisation includes the further revelation that, when he was still recovering from Covid in the summer of 2020, Mr Johnson nearly died when he was swept out to sea in a kayak off the coast of Scotland while he was on holiday with his family.

Mr Johnson receives his Covid vaccine at St Thomas's Hospital in London in December 2021

And he even questions the point of the devastating  and ruinously expensive  lockdowns which he imposed during the pandemic.

It follows the disclosure in extracts in today's Daily Mail that Mr Johnson hatched a plan for British Special Forces to 'invade' Holland and seize vaccines during the pandemic.

It also included a compelling account of how close he came to dying from Covid, a passionate defence of his behaviour over the Partygate gatherings and his description of the way in which the UK's new Brexit freedoms allowed the UK to race ahead of the EU to became the first country in the world to approve and roll out an effective jab.

In April 2020, at the start of the first national lockdown, The Mail on Sunday became the first mainstream media outlet in the world to reveal fears that the virus had leaked from a Chinese laboratory.

A member of Cobra, the Government's secret emergency committee, told us that Ministers were studying intelligence about an accident at Wuhan's Institute of Virology, where scientists were carrying out high-risk experiments to manipulate coronaviruses - sampled from bats in caves nearly 1,000 miles away - to make them more transmissible.

At the time, the silence from the British political and scientific establishment was deafening. Rather than risk accusing Beijing of culpability for one of the most devastating pandemics in history, the official line remained that the virus had been passed on at an animal market in Wuhan, despite DNA analysis of Covid-19 tracing it to bats found only in distant caves.

A Chinese scientist in the Wuhan laboratory in 2017 - a leak was first suspected in 2020

Sceptics conflated the thesis with the notion that China had deliberately released the virus as the by-product of a weapons programme - something this newspaper had never claimed - and branded it a 'conspiracy theory'.

America's FBI has since backed Mr Trump's views about the origin of the pandemic, saying that it 'most likely' originated in a Chinese government-controlled lab.

In Unleashed, Mr Johnson writes that the UK has fought this anthropogenic disease - which means it was caused or produced by humans - 'with an ever-growing panoply of restrictions that were literally medieval in their savagery and their consequences.'

He adds: 'In locking down our societies, we showed that we had barely progressed since early modern England, when Shakespeare and his colleagues were repeatedly compelled by law to shutter the Globe Theatre, and when they had rules on human contact  no more than six to a funeral, for instance  that eerily prefigured some of the arcane stuff we came up with, week after week, in the Cabinet Room.'
Embattled New York City Mayor Eric Adams, 64, was relentlessly trolled for an Instagram post he made overnight visiting a senior citizen center in Harlem, where he appeared blissfully unaffected by the bribery and fraud charges against him.

Adams, wearing a persistent grin, joyously made his way through the ARC A. Philip Randolph Older Adult Center to take pictures with his constituents.

'Visiting Harlem always fills me with pride, especially with the warmth I receive from New Yorkers,' Adams wrote. 'Every experience at an older adult center...reaffirms that our efforts are making a real difference.'

In two photos, he's seen beaming over a cake that reads: 'Happy Birthday To All September Seniors.'

He was also seen dancing as an emcee repeatedly shouted 'Go Eric!' and 'Our Mayor!'

Commenters on the Friday post were stunned at Adams' tone deafness in posting this just days after he became the first sitting New York mayor to be charged with crimes, let alone five federal charges that could land him in jail for 45 years if he's convicted.

New York City Eric Adams visits the ARC A. Philip Randolph Older Adult Center the same day he pleaded not guilty to five federal corruption charges

Hours before the visit, Adams is seen leaving Manhattan Federal Court after pleading not guilty

One user asked if Adams told the elderly people he visited about him allegedly defrauding NYC taxpayers of $10 million through allegedly fraudulent campaign funds.

Another pointed out Adam's 'self delusion.'

'The patience and self delusion of some of us,' they wrote.

Others just couldn't believe the optics of the post, coming the same day he pleaded not guilty in court.

'Dude maybe read the room  is this what you want to be posting about? Who is advising you? They need to be fired,' one person wrote.

'Big Rearranging-deck-chairs-on-the-titanic energy,' another wrote.

'Eric! Just go to jail,' a third wrote.

Adams is seen dancing in a recreation area of the senior citizen center as the emcee hypes him up to the crowd

Interestingly, Adams got plenty of supportive comments from those who thought he is a better mayor than his predecessor, Bill DeBlasio, or from those who believe the charges against him are bogus

One user sounded a bipartisan note, calling for all supposedly corrupt politicians to be brought down.

'I'm sick of corruption no matter who it is. He should resign and hopefully go to jail. Same as Menendez, Trump and all corrupts!!' they wrote.

Interestingly, Adams got plenty of supportive comments from those who thought he is a better mayor than his predecessor, Bill DeBlasio, or from those who believe the charges against him are bogus.

Adams himself hinted as such in a pre-recorded video he released to the media on Wednesday after it broke that the Southern District of New York was charging him.

'It is now my belief that the federal government is attempting charge me with crimes. If so, these charges will be entirely false, based on lies,' Adams said from Gracie Mansion.

'But they will not be surprising. I always knew that if I stood my ground for all of you, that I would be a target. And a target I became,' he added.

Adams was supported by elderly civil rights leaders as New Yorkers shouting at him to resign following his indictment for corruption

Hazel Dukes, 92, a former NAACP leader,, shouted back at protestors in a viral moment

In a wild press conference on Thursday in front of Gracie Mansion, Adams was shouted down by furious New Yorkers who demanded he resign.

Seemingly undeterred, Adams stood on the steps of his official residence on Manhattan's Upper East Side while the protestors screamed at him, making it hard for him to get a word out.

'This is not a black thing, this is a YOU thing,' one furious Big Apple resident bellowed over a megaphone.

'Your policies are anti-black, you are a disgrace to all black people in this city.'

Hazel Dukes, 92, a former NAACP leader who was there in support of Adams, shouted back at protestors in a moment that went viral.

'Will you be quiet?' Dukes asked as the crowd chanted. 'Will you shut up?'

US Attorney Damian Williams, speaks at a news conference detailing the indictment against Adams

Williams uses a visual aid to explain the indictment and evidence

Adams has been charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, federal program bribery, and receiving campaign contributions from foreign nationals.

The NYC mayor allegedly took advantage of the city's system of matching campaign contributions with tax dollars, and 'fraudulently obtained as much as $2,000 in public funds for each illegal contribution', the indictment alleged.

He was allegedly 'relying on the concealed nature of these illegal contributions to falsely portray his campaigns as law-abiding.'

'As a result of those false certifications, Adams' 2021 mayoral campaign received more than $10,000,000 in public funds', prosecutors said Thursday.

US Attorney for the Southern District of New York Damian Williams also claimed 'Adams took corrupt official action in exchange for some of the luxury travel benefits.'

Williams also alleged Adams skirted safety inspection regulations in order to open a Turkish government-owned high rise in Manhattan in time for a visit from the country's president.

Adams is scheduled to appear in court again on Wednesday after the judge released him on his own recognizance.
A Massachusetts man bought his dream beach house at an extremely discounted price, but there is a shocking cost that puts the entire property at risk.

David Moot, 59, purchased the stunning property on Cape Cod for $395,000 - 67 percent less than the original $1.195 million asking price - and there's a serious reason why it sold so cheaply.

The Eastham home could be destroyed and washed away by the tides within a decade. It is located just 25 feet away from an eroding sand slope, according to Bloomberg.

Due to warming oceans, more storms and increased sea levels, more than $106 billion in American coastal properties could be destroyed in the next three decades, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported.

But Moot's decision to buy the property was not swayed by the risk.

David Moot, 59, bought a Cape Cod home for 67 percent less than its listed price because the property is at risk for sand erosion

Moot teared up during an interview about his dream home

He told Bloomberg: 'Lifes too short, and I just said to myself, "Lets just see what happens."

'Its going to eventually fall into the ocean, and it may or may not be in my lifetime.'

Since he bought the house, Moot estimates he already lost about five feet of his front lawn overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.

In an interview with NBC10, Moot appeared to shed tears when talking about his investment.

He told the outlet: 'I truly feel blessed.

'People say, "You're crazy," and I said, "Well, I am."'

The land of Cape Cod is expected to erode at least three feet every year. There is only about 25 feet between the house and the edge of the land

Moot, who lives in Pittsburg and works as an interior designer and painter, said before he did plenty of research on coastal erosion bought the home in December 2023.

He wants to plant beach grass to stabilize the sand and is even willing to move the front of the house to the back of it, according to the Boston Globe.

Alison Bowden, director of conservation science and strategy at the Nature Conservancy, revealed some steps Moot could take to protect his property for as long as he can.

She told The Guardian Moot should use a combination of oyster shells, native plants, sand, stone and live shellfish to stabilize the land.

Moot understands the risk of the house is faced with, but he asserted that 'life's too short'

Moot did research on how to prevent erosion before he bought the house in December 2023

In Eastham, a house was torn down and another was moved back because of the erosion. Another property was destroyed because the road it was on went completely underwater.

The land near Moot's house has already eroded drastically. In 2013, there was 100 feet between the house and the water, 75 feet more than the current distance.

Experts weighed in on the situation, explaining how this erosion could impact coastal properties in the future.

Moot has wanted a Cape Cod home since 2004 when he first visited the area

Professor and director of the laboratory for coastal research at Florida International University Stephen Leatherman told The Guardian: 'Along the East Coast of the United States, 80 percent to 90 percent of the beaches are eroding so its only just limited areas where the beach is fairly stable, at least for now.

'The average [rate of erosion] has been a little over two feet a year but thats just an overall average.'

He added that Cape Cod's rate is closer to three feet each year.

Owning a Cape Cod home has always been an aspiration for Moot. The thought has not left his head since he first visited in 2004.

Stephen Leatherman warned that the house may look okay now, but in a few years things can be completely different

Leatherman told The Guardian: 'This house may look good right now because the beach is wide. Wait till that beach narrows up and the waves are hitting the edge of that bluff just below the house.'

'Its a perception problem too, in terms of people understanding this erosion problem.'

Moot told the Boston Globe: 'Theres always pros and cons and negatives and positives in everything in life.'
Wailing supporters of Hezbollah have taken to the streets around the world to grieve and condemn Israel following news of the death of leader Hassan Nasrallah.

Demonstrators gathered in Beirut and Tehran with posters of the late Shia cleric after Hezbollah confirmed his death today.

Iran has led international condemnation for the killing, claimed by Israel after heavy bombardment of Hezbollah headquarters in Beirut on Friday.

Iran's Supreme Leader pledged that 'all regional resistance forces' would support the terrorist group as the country demanded a 'strong' response to the attack.

In his first comments since Israel claimed to have killed Nasrallah, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said, 'it is the duty of all Muslims to stand by the people of Lebanon and Hezbollah' against the 'occupier, evil and suppressor' regime of Israel.

A group gather carrying Nasrallah's poster and chanting slogans in Beirut on Saturday

Women demonstrate with pictures of the late Hezbollah leader in Palestine Square, Tehran

A woman reacts to the news of the death of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut today

A protester holds a picture of Nasrallah at a rally in Tehran today

Kashmiri Shiite Muslims shout anti-Israel and anti-U.S. slogans during a protest against the killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, in Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir

Kashmiri Shiite Muslims rally against the killing of Hassan Nasrallah today

File. Hezbollah confirmed the death of secretary-general Hassan Nasrallah (R) on Saturday

Israel continued strikes in Lebanon on Saturday (Pictured: Khiam town of Nabatieh)

Smoke rises from the rubble of a building that which levelled in overnight Israeli bombardment

Flames rise after an Israeli airstrike in the southern suburbs of Beirut, Lebanon this morning

Hezbollah, a proxy group propped up by Iran, received outpourings of support from its allies in the Middle East upon news of the death of its secretary-general.

Iran's Supreme Leader pledged that 'all regional resistance forces' would support the group as the country demanded a 'strong' response to the attack.

In his first comments since Israel claimed to have killed Nasrallah, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said; 'It is the duty of all Muslims to stand by the people of Lebanon and Hezbollah' against the 'occupier, evil and suppressor' regime of Israel.

In a statement read on state TV, he added that 'all regional resistance forces' support and stand beside Hezbollah.

Iran's First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref said Saturday that the killing of Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah in an air strike in the Lebanese capital will bring about Israel's 'destruction'.

'We warn the leaders of the occupying regime that the unjust bloodshed... especially of Hezbollah's secretary general, martyr Seyyed Hassan Nasrallah, will bring about their destruction,' Iran's ISNA news agency quoted Aref as saying.

Tensions are expected to escalate with the reported death of a senior general in Iran's Revolutionary Guards Corps, alongside Nasrallah.

General Abbas Nilforoushan, deputy commander of Guards operations, 'was killed in Israel's attack on Lebanon that assassinated the Hezbollah chief,' said the official IRNA news agency, giving no further details.

And Iran Air has cancelled all flights to Beirut until further notice, the airline's spokesman told local media including the Tasnim news agency on Saturday.

Sources from with Iran have said they are in constant contact with Hezbollah and other regional proxy groups to determine the next step.

Yemen's Houthis said today that the killing of Nasrallah would strengthen their determination to confront 'the Israeli enemy'.

'The martyrdom of... Hassan Nasrallah will increase the flame of sacrifice, the heat of enthusiasm, the strength of resolve,' said a statement from the leadership council of the Iran-backed Huthi rebels, vowing to achieve 'victory and the demise of the Israeli enemy'.

'The resistance will not be broken, and the Jihadist spirit of the Mujahideen brothers in Lebanon and on all fronts of support will grow stronger and bigger.'

Other Shia communities aligned with the Iranian regime's ideology or Hezbollah's role in Lebanon have been slowly amassing support for confrontation with Israel in recent days.

Iraq declared three days of mourning in light of Nasrallah's death, on Saturday.

The Iraqi Resistance Coordination Committee, a group comprised of Iranian-backed Iraqi militias, convened last Sunday to discuss possible action over Israel's operations in Lebanon.

'American interests in Iraq and the region will be legitimate targets for the resistance,' the group warned.

The discussion heard that the Aqaba-Basra oil pipeline could drag Iraq towards normalisation with Israel.

The group has previously claimed responsibility for bombing areas in Israel and US bases across the Middle East over the war in Gaza, per Middle East Monitor.

Iraqi volunteers in predominantly Shiite Basra also queued to register their names in support of Hezbollah following a call from the Jihad and Construction Movement on Friday.

Today, Iran's Supreme Ayatollah Ali Khamenei (pictured) called on Muslims to confront and 'assist' the 'wicked regime' of Israel 'with whatever means they have'

Syrians gather in the rebel-held northwestern city of Idlib in the early hours of September 28 following news claiming the death of Lebanon's Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasralla

Syrians wave flags and take videos as they gather following the news of the Hezbollah leader's death today

A woman clad in a black chador chants slogans during an anti-Israel protest after the death of late Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Palestine Square in Tehran

Iraqi volunteers gather to register their names to support Lebanon's Hezbollah on Friday

People in Basra responded to a call from the Jihad and Construction Movement on Friday

A woman reacts after hearing the news of the death of Nasrallah in Beirut

Beirut. Nasrallah had been instrumental in Hezbollah politics over three decades

People take part in an anti-Israel protest after the death of Nasrallah in Tehran, 28 September

A protester holds a picture of Nasrallah during a rally in Tehran today

A man looks at a damaged building at the site of an Israeli airstrike in Choueifat, southeast of Beirut, today

Israel, meanwhile, quickly defended its actions in Lebanon this afternoon as its allies reiterated calls for de-escalation.

The IDF defended their ongoing strikes into Lebanon, claiming Hezbollah was planning its 'own October 7'.

Spokesperson Daniel Hagari said they took out the commander when he was in Hezbollah's central headquarters.

He said: 'Hassan Nasrallah had the blood of thousands of men, women, children on his hands. Israeli, Jews. Jews across the world. Lebanese. Americans. British. French. Syrians, and other countless victims across the middle east and beyond.'

He continued: 'Hezbollah has openly declared that it has a plan to carry out its own October 7 massacre on Israels northern border, but even in a larger scale. Hezbollah has been planning to do this in northern Israel, what Hamas did in southern Israel on October 7 - invade Israel, infiltrate communities and massacre innocent civilians.

'Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of an evil terrorist organisation, the senior terrorist eliminated with him, and the central headquarters were a legitimate military target under international law.'

Hagari added that Israel had tried to 'minimise' casualties while Hezbollah used civilians as 'human shields', saying that their war is 'not with the Lebanese people'.

Israel's allies overseas have been critical of operations in Lebanon, with dozens killed and thousands wounded.

France and the US have been trying to hash out a three week ceasefire deal, as yet dismissed by Israel.

Hezbollah did not comment on the proposals.

Britain continues to advise against travel to Lebanon, urging people to find routes home.
Police have launched an urgent manhunt for the gunman who shot three women in a horrifying drive-by attack.

Emergency services were called to Frederick Street near St John's Retail Park in Wolverhampton at around 11pm yesterday to terrifying reports of 'shots being fired from a car'.

A spokesman for West Midlands Police confirmed that three women were rushed to hospital - two of whom have since been discharged.

The third remains in hospital but is 'in a stable condition', the force said.

Declaring that 'such violence is unacceptable', officers are now trawling through hours of CCTV footage with the hopes of identifying the suspected shooter.

A view of Frederick Street in Wolverhampton where a suspected drive-by shooting took place yesterday at 11pm, causing three women to be rushed to hospital

'We're working to establish why this happened,' the police spokesman said. 'We'd ask anyone with information to speak to us.

'Such violence is unacceptable and won't be tolerated.

'We will have an increased presence in the area to reassure the local community.'

'We are carrying out a CCTV trawl- and other enquiries - to identify those involved.'

If you have any information regarding the suspected drive-by shooting, you can contact West Midlands Police via Live Chat on their website or by calling 101.

You should quote incident number 5427 of September 27.

Alternatively, you can ring the charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
This is the jaw-dropping moment Ukrainian troops used drones to take out two Russian soldiers riding on a jet ski.

Incredible footage has captured a pair of Vladimir Putin's men being hunted down and eliminated in a pinpoint strike by a first-person view (FPV) drone on the Dnipro River.

It shows the invading soldiers speeding across the water as a 10-inch Shuriken 10 FPV drone chases after them, but it is most likely not heard by the soldiers over the sound of the jet ski engine.

When the drone smashes into the back of the jet ski it explodes into a fireball.

Another camera angle shows the flash of light on the river as the men and jet ski suddenly stop moving and sink.

Incredible footage has captured a pair of Vladimir Putin 's men being hunted down and eliminated in a pinpoint strike by a first-person view (FPV) drone on the Dnipro River

The video shows the invading soldiers speeding across the water as a 10-inch Shuriken 10 FPV drone chases after them, but it is most likely not heard by the soldiers over the sound of the jet ski engine

When the drone smashes into the back of the jet ski it explodes into a fireball

One of the soldiers was reportedly killed in the explosion, with the other swimming away.

But a second drone was sent after him, finding him and exploding above him as he was swimming, with sparks seen flying into the air like a firework.

The use of jet skis, similar to motorcycles, is designed to increase speed and maneuverability when travelling on the river to minimise the time spent out in the open.

The Dnipro River and its channels are extremely dangerous to travel along due to constant monitoring by reconnaissance drones, as well as the presence of attack drones and river mines.

The Russians are also trying to minimise river operations as much as possible by shifting some of the logistics to large agricultural drones that deliver food and ammunition, with some of them carrying up to 40 kilograms over a distance of nine miles.

The stunning skill of the Ukrainian drone pilots is the latest example of the nation using the technology to defend itself since Putin first invaded in February 2022.

Soldiers of the Armed Forces inspect the FPV drones during the handover from the volunteer organization on September 13, 2024, in Lviv, Ukraine

A Ukrainian serviceman prepares a first person view (FPV) drone for targeting Russian troops at a position near a front line on September 25, 2024

A soldier of the Armed Forces of Ukraine holds an FPV drone during a handover from a volunteer organization on September 13, 2024

Since early 2023, the cheap and explosive flying machines have become one of Kyiv's biggest success stories on the war which has descended into a battle of attrition and resources.

Unmanned weapons systems have already proved extremely effective in striking key Russian targets.

Marine drones have sunk several warships in Russia's Black Sea Fleet, and in recent months Kyiv has successfully deployed long-range drones to attack infrastructure hundreds of miles behind Russia's border.

As the war continues to drag its heels, draining ammunition, equipment and manpower, both sides have started to turn to using the FPVs to hold it each other bay while they rearm.

Typically, the drones - which are about 300 a piece - will be used to target high-value assets like tanks and artillery system, worth millions of pounds each.

But increasingly, they are being used to hound individual soldiers on the front.

A Ukrainian military pilot of a FPV drone while he attaches an explosive to an FPV drone at the frontline near Bakhmut on October 24, 2023 in Bakhmut, Ukraine

A Ukrainian marine attends a FPV-drone flight training on May 15, 2023

Ukraine has been at the forefront of adopting the technology - with troops waging psychological warfare online, sharing graphic clips of the final moments of a suicide drone as they chase down motorbikes and quads; diving into a party of stretcher bearers; attacking soldiers smoking in trenches or hunting isolated troops as they run for their lives.

Although Kyiv was the first to seize the initiative in using the cheap drones, military analysts say Russia now has the upper hand, having reportedly stocked up on large numbers of the flying bots and packing them with sophisticated kit.

The effectiveness of the attack robots has left industry scrambling for ideas on how to counter them. Everything from electronic jammers and disruption guns, to rifles that fire nets have been trialed by various militaries.
Police have issued a warning that members of the public should not approach a man who has escaped from a secure mental health facility.

Terrence Mayes, 41, left the facility in Southall, west London, on September 22 and as of writing remains at large.

According to the Metropolitan Police he had been detained under the Mental Health Act.

Despite an extensive investigation, officers have been unable to locate Mayes and are now appealing for the publics help.

Terrence Mayes (pictured), 41, left the facility in Southall, west London, on September 22 and as of writing remains at large

Despite an extensive investigation, officers have been unable to locate Mayes and are now appealing for the publics help

The Met said that Mayes has links to Wembley and it is thought he is likely either still in west London or north-west London.

Anyone who has information that might help officers locate him should call 999 and quote reference 5425/22Sep.

The Met said the public should not approach Mayes if seen.
Storm Helene, which has since weakened to a post-tropical cyclone, has killed at least 55 people across five states as it battered the South with record storm surges and a tornado.

Helene is primarily hovering over Tennessee and Kentucky, though the edges of the storm are lashing parts of Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, West Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia, per the latest update from the National Hurricane Center.

The center forecasted the storm would spin down 'today into tomorrow' across the Tennessee Valley.

And with the heavy rain lessening, the center said it would stop releasing hourly updates about Helene.

But devastating pictures show the horrific damage Helene has caused over the last several days, with the most pressing issue at the moment being an overworked dam in Tennessee.

Pictured: The Nolichucky Dam in Eastern Tennessee. The dam was bursting with 30,000 cubic feet of water per second about a day ago

Initially, authorities weren't sure the dam would hold

But as of now, the dam is still intact, according to the Tennessee Valley Authority

The Nolichucky Dam in eastern Tennessee, meant to tame the flow of the Nolichucky River, was seeing more than 30,000 cubic feet per second of water bursting through as of about 22 hours ago, per the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA).

Based on that figure, an Olympic swimming pool's worth of water was gushing through the tiny dam every three seconds.

Authorities responded by issuing a flash flood warning for Cocke, Greene, and Hamblen counties, an emergency that was extended until noon eastern time, according to CNN.

Approximately 5,800 residents and two schools were immediately affected by dam getting flooded.

In an update Saturday morning, TVA said the river had crested and that the dam remained intact.

'Water is currently receding by approximately one foot per hour. Our Dam Safety teams are in the process of assessing the condition of the dam to determine next steps,' the agency announced. 'We are estimating water levels reached 8 feet over the record elevation.'

This is what Helene looked like as of the evening of September 27, a day after it made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane in the Big Bend Region of Florida

This graphic shows the areas that are more susceptible to flooding this weekend

The storm, which made landfall in Florida's Big Bend region as a Category 4 hurricane on Thursday, has been responsible for more than 50 reported deaths in South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, North Carolina and Virginia.

At least 19 are dead in South Carolina, including two firefighters in Saluda County.

George Satcher, 53, and Landon Bodie, who was just 18 years old, were out responding to a call Friday morning and were killed when a tree fell on their fire truck, News19 reported.

'That's a reminder that these first responders put their life on the line every day to go out and protect the citizens that they serve,' said David Jones with the South Carolina Highway Patrol.

In Georgia, officials are saying the death toll has risen to 15, with two people dying after getting swept up in a tornado in Alamo.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said 11 have died so far in his state, including several people who drowned in Pinellas County.

North Carolina reported six more deaths. Among them was a four-year-old girl killed in a car wreck caused by wet roads.

As of Saturday morning, over 400 roads remain closed across the state, according to North Carolina's Department of Transportation.

In Craig County, Virginia, one person died as a result of a tree falling on top of the structure they were in, according to Governor Glenn Youngkin.

Another person died when high winds sent a chicken coop flying before it landed on her, WDBJ 7 reported.

Meanwhile, many scenes in Florida appear apocalyptic.

Dozens of boats washed up onto the streets of Treasure Island, Florida

Horseshoe Beach, Florida, was a particularly hard hit area, with entire city blocks reduced to rubble

Dozens of homes and businesses were destroyed after Helene made landfall

Survivors Tammy Bryan, left, hugs fellow resident Jennifer Lange amid the destruction in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene in Horseshoe Beach on Saturday, September 28

Take Treasure Island for example, a town in the vicinity of Tampa, where dozens of boats have washed up onto its streets.

Treasure Island has an elevation of 3 feet above sea level, which was no match for approximately 7 foot storm surges seen by the Tampa Bay area.

The further up Florida's west coast you go, the damage gets worse and worse.

Horseshoe Beach, a northern town that was much closer to where Helene touched down, saw houses and businesses reduced to rubble.

Traumatized citizens cried as they saw entire blocks radiated by the storm, leaving nothing but planks of wood and other debris.

Cedar Key, slightly south of Horseshoe Beach, was also hit hard.

Michael Bobbitt, 48, was one of those who decided to stay behind.

'We're feeling pretty gut-punched here in Cedar Key. When we were fighting this in the night, however bad we thought it would be, it's much worse in the light of day.

'Cedar Key as we know it is completely gone,' he told The New York Times.

'Entire houses have been picked up and moved away. We had to go through four feet of water to get to them. The post office is destroyed.'

Matthew Harris leans on the bed of his truck after Hurricane Helene destroyed the house where he had been living in Steinhatchee, Florida

This North Carolina grocery store limits how many packages of water bottles any one customer can buy at a time

The crunch for getting resources to people who need them, like food and water, is still an acute issue in North Carolina.

Certain grocery stores have imposed limits on how much water one customer can buy to prevent shortages.

Governor Roy Cooper called the Helene 'one of the worst storms in modern history' for the state.

Cooper said more than 100 people have had to be rescued from high waters. And the particularly hard hit city of Asheville was under a curfew until 7:30 am on Saturday.

Some 3.5 million people across 10 states in the South and Midwest remain without electricity, according to poweroutage.us.

Helene comes a little less than two months after Hurricane Debby made landfall in practically the same region of Florida that Helene did.

Debby was a Category 1, so not nearly as strong, but a preliminary analysis from AccuWeather estimates it caused $28 billion in damage and economic loss.
Clinically meaningful improvements observed with BIMZELX over one year of treatment were maintained up to two years (Week 96)

At Week 96, over eight in 10 patients treated with BIMZELX achieved HiSCR50, over seven in 10 achieved HiSCR75, and over four in 10 achieved HiSCR100*

Approximately one in three patients treated with BIMZELX reported minimal or no impact of the disease on their health-related quality of life over two years*

ATLANTA, Sept. 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- UCB, a global biopharmaceutical company, today announced the first presentation of two-year data from the Phase 3 studies, BE HEARD I and BE HEARD II, and their open-label extension, evaluating the efficacy and safety of BIMZELX (bimekizumab-bkzx), an interleukin (IL)-17A and IL-17F inhibitor, in adults with moderate-to-severe hidradenitis suppurativa (HS).1 These new data are presented today as a late-breaking platform presentation at the 33rd European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (EADV) Congress in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, September 2528, 2024.

Results showed that the clinically meaningful improvements observed with BIMZELX treatment at one year were maintained over two years.1* At Week 96, 85.4 percent (n=381/446) of patients treated with BIMZELX achieved HS Clinical Response 50 (HiSCR50). The more stringent endpoints, HiSCR75 and HiSCR100, were achieved by 77.1 percent (n=344/446) and 44.2 percent (n=197/446) of patients, respectively.1* Improvements in the severity of disease, reductions in draining tunnel count, and improvements in health-related quality of life were also maintained over two years.1* BIMZELX was generally well tolerated and no new safety signals were observed.1

"Hidradenitis suppurativa is a chronic, relapsing, and painful inflammatory skin disease that significantly impacts patients' quality of life. The bimekizumab data presented at EADV 2024 showed maintained improvements in clinical response, symptoms, severity, and quality of life over two years. These findings are particularly encouraging given the need for new treatment options that offer sustained relief for patients," said Professor Christos C. Zouboulis, President of the European Hidradenitis Suppurativa Foundation (EHSF) e.V., Director of the Departments of Dermatology, Venereology, Allergology and Immunology, Stadtisches Klinikum Dessau, and Founding Professor of Dermatology and Venereology at the Brandenburg Medical School, Germany.

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"In moderate to severe hidradenitis suppurativa, healthcare professionals and patients value long-term data when they are making treatment decisions. We are proud to present, for the first time, the bimekizumab two-year results at EADV 2024," said Fiona du Monceau, Executive Vice President, Head of Patient Evidence, UCB. "These longer-term data build on the 48-week results, demonstrating maintained response over two years, which is highly relevant for the hidradenitis suppurativa community."

* Observed Case

Summary of the BIMZELX two-year data in moderate-to-severe HS presented at EADV 2024:

Patients who completed Week 48 in BE HEARD I and BE HEARD II could enroll in the open-label extension study and received BIMZELX every two weeks (Q2W) or every four weeks (Q4W) based on 90 percent HiSCR averaged from Weeks 36, 40, and 44. Results are shared for the BIMZELX total patient group.

HS Clinical Response: HiSCR50 was achieved by 79.9 percent (n=444/556) of BIMZELX patients at Week 48 and 85.4 percent (n=381/446) at Week 96. 1* HiSCR75 was achieved by 64.0 percent (n=356/556) of BIMZELX patients at Week 48 and 77.1 percent (n=344/446) at Week 96. 1* HiSCR90 was achieved by 42.3 percent (n=235/556) of BIMZELX patients at Week 48 and 57.6 percent (n=257/446) at Week 96. 1* HiSCR100 was achieved by 30.2 percent (n=168/556) of BIMZELX patients at Week 48 and 44.2 percent (n=197/446) at Week 96. 1*



International HS Severity Score System (IHS4) : Patients treated with BIMZELX saw a decrease in the severity of their HS symptoms as measured by the IHS4 score. 1* The mean IHS4 score at baseline was 35.631.5 among BIMZELX patients. 1* The percent change from baseline in IHS4 score at Week 48 among BIMZELX patients was maintained through Week 96 (-70.339.6 and -79.828.1 at Week 48 and Week 96, respectively). 1*





Draining tunnel (DT) count : The mean DTs at baseline was 3.84.3 among BIMZELX patients. 1* The percent change from baseline in draining tunnel count at Week 48 among BIMZELX patients was maintained through Week 96 (57.5 72.9 and 73.745.7 percent, at Week 48 and Week 96, respectively). 1*





Health-related quality of life: The proportion of BIMZELX patients who achieved Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) 0/1 at Week 48 was maintained through Week 96. The Mean DLQI Total at baseline was 11.06.8 among bimekizumab patients. Approximately one in three patients reported minimal or no impact of the disease on their health-related quality of life over two years (27.4 percent [n=151/155] and 33.9 percent [n=149/439] at Week 48 and Week 96, respectively).1*

BIMZELX was generally well-tolerated over two years with no new safety signals observed. Over two years, 917/995 patients who received 1 dose of BIMZELX experienced a treatment-emergent adverse event (TEAE). Serious TEAEs were reported in 122 patients.1 Over two years, the most common TEAEs (exposure adjusted incidence rates) were hidradenitis (20.5), coronavirus infection (15.3), and oral candidiasis (10.5).1

Notes to Editors:

* Observed Case

About Hidradenitis Suppurativa

Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a chronic, painful, and debilitating inflammatory skin disease that is associated with systemic manifestations.2,3 The main symptoms are nodules, abscesses, and pus-discharging draining tunnels (or sinus tracts leading out of the skin) which typically occur in the armpits, groin and buttocks.2,3 People with HS experience flare-ups of the disease as well as severe pain, which can have a major impact on quality of life.2,3 HS develops in early adulthood and affects approximately one percent of the population in most studied countries.2,3

About BE HEARD I/BE HEARD II and the Open-Label Extension Study

The efficacy and safety profile of BIMZELX were evaluated in adult patients with moderate-to-severe hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) in two multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase 3 studies (BE HEARD I and BE HEARD II).4 The two studies had a combined enrollment of 1,014 participants.4 In each study, patients were randomized 2:2:2:1 (initial [16-week]/maintenance [32-weeks]) to BIMZELX 320 mg every two weeks (Q2W/Q2W), every four weeks (Q4W/Q4W), or a combination (BIMZELX 320 mg every two weeks to Week 16 then every 4 weeks to Week 48 [Q2W/Q4W] or placebo to Week 16 then BIMZELX 320 mg every two weeks to Week 48 [PBO/Q2W]).1 Patients who completed Week 48 could enroll in the open-label extension.1 Of 1,014 total patients, 556 patients randomized at baseline to BIMZELX in BE HEARD I and II completed Week 48 and entered the open-label extension study; 446 patients in the open-label extension study completed Week 96.1 The primary endpoint in both trials was HiSCR50 at Week 16.4 A key secondary endpoint was HiSCR75 at Week 16.4 HiSCR50 and HiSCR75 are defined as at least either a 50 or 75 percent reduction from baseline in the total abscess and inflammatory nodule count, with no increase from baseline in abscess or draining tunnel count.4

About BIMZELX (bimekizumab-bkzx)

Bimekizumab is a humanized monoclonal IgG1 antibody that is designed to selectively inhibit both interleukin 17A (IL-17A) and interleukin 17F (IL-17F), two key cytokines driving inflammatory processes.5 Elevated levels of IL-17A and IL-17F are found in lesional psoriatic skin.5

In the U.S., BIMZELX is approved for the treatment of moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis in adults who are candidates for systemic therapy or phototherapy, adults with active psoriatic arthritis, adults with active non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis with objective signs of inflammation, and adults with active ankylosing spondylitis.5 BIMZELX is not approved in the U.S. for the treatment of moderate-to-severe hidradenitis suppurativa (HS). In the U.S., the efficacy and safety profile of BIMZELX in HS have not been established.

Please see Important Safety Information below and full U.S. prescribing information at www.UCB- USA.com/Innovation/Products/BIMZELX.

BIMZELX U.S. IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION5

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

Suicidal Ideation and Behavior

BIMZELX (bimekizumab-bkzx) may increase the risk of suicidal ideation and behavior (SI/B). A causal association between treatment with BIMZELX and increased risk of SI/B has not been established. Prescribers should weigh the potential risks and benefits before using BIMZELX in patients with a history of severe depression or SI/B. Advise monitoring for the emergence or worsening of depression, suicidal ideation, or other mood changes. If such changes occur, advise to promptly seek medical attention, refer to a mental health professional as appropriate, and re-evaluate the risks and benefits of continuing treatment.

Infections

BIMZELX may increase the risk of infections. Do not initiate treatment with BIMZELX in patients with any clinically important active infection until the infection resolves or is adequately treated. In patients with a chronic infection or a history of recurrent infection, consider the risks and benefits prior to prescribing BIMZELX. Instruct patients to seek medical advice if signs or symptoms suggestive of clinically important infection occur. If a patient develops such an infection or is not responding to standard therapy, monitor the patient closely and do not administer BIMZELX until the infection resolves.

Tuberculosis

Evaluate patients for tuberculosis (TB) infection prior to initiating treatment with BIMZELX. Avoid the use of BIMZELX in patients with active TB infection. Initiate treatment of latent TB prior to administering BIMZELX. Consider anti-TB therapy prior to initiation of BIMZELX in patients with a past history of latent or active TB in whom an adequate course of treatment cannot be confirmed. Closely monitor patients for signs and symptoms of active TB during and after treatment.

Liver Biochemical Abnormalities

Elevated serum transaminases were reported in clinical trials with BIMZELX. Test liver enzymes, alkaline phosphatase, and bilirubin at baseline, periodically during treatment with BIMZELX, and according to routine patient management. If treatment-related increases in liver enzymes occur and drug-induced liver injury is suspected, interrupt BIMZELX until a diagnosis of liver injury is excluded. Permanently discontinue use of BIMZELX in patients with causally associated combined elevations of transaminases and bilirubin. Avoid use of BIMZELX in patients with acute liver disease or cirrhosis.

Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Cases of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) have been reported in patients treated with IL-17 inhibitors, including BIMZELX. Avoid use of BIMZELX in patients with active IBD. During BIMZELX treatment, monitor patients for signs and symptoms of IBD and discontinue treatment if new onset or worsening of signs and symptoms occurs.

Immunizations

Prior to initiating therapy with BIMZELX, complete all age-appropriate vaccinations according to current immunization guidelines. Avoid the use of live vaccines in patients treated with BIMZELX.

MOST COMMON ADVERSE REACTIONS

Most common ( 1%) adverse reactions in plaque psoriasis include upper respiratory tract infections, oral candidiasis, headache, injection site reactions, tinea infections, gastroenteritis, Herpes Simplex infections, acne, folliculitis, other candida infections, and fatigue.

Most common ( 2%) adverse reactions in psoriatic arthritis include upper respiratory tract infections, oral candidiasis, headache, diarrhea, and urinary tract infections.

Most common ( 2%) adverse reactions in non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis include upper respiratory tract infections, oral candidiasis, headache, diarrhea, cough, fatigue, musculoskeletal pain, myalgia, tonsillitis, transaminase increase, and urinary tract infections.

Most common ( 2%) adverse reactions in ankylosing spondylitis include upper respiratory tract infections, oral candidiasis, headache, diarrhea, injection site pain, rash, and vulvovaginal mycotic infections.

For further information, contact UCB:

Investor Relations

Antje Witte

T +32.2.559.94.14

Email antje.witte@ucb.com

Brand Communications

Nicole Herga

T +1.773.960.5349

Email nicole.herga@ucb.com

About UCB

UCB, Brussels, Belgium (www.ucb.com) is a global biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of innovative medicines and solutions to transform the lives of people living with severe diseases of the immune system or of the central nervous system. With approximately 9,000 people in approximately 40 countries, the company generated revenue of 5.3 billion in 2023. UCB is listed on Euronext Brussels (symbol: UCB). Follow us on Twitter: @UCBUSA.

Forward looking statements

This press release may contain forward-looking statements including, without limitation, statements containing the words "believes", "anticipates", "expects", "intends", "plans", "seeks", "estimates", "may", "will", "continue" and similar expressions. These forward-looking statements are based on current plans, estimates and beliefs of management. All statements, other than statements of historical facts, are statements that could be deemed forward-looking statements, including estimates of revenues, operating margins, capital expenditures, cash, other financial information, expected legal, arbitration, political, regulatory or clinical results or practices and other such estimates and results. By their nature, such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and assumptions which might cause the actual results, financial condition, performance or achievements of UCB, or industry results, to differ materially from those that may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements contained in this press release. Important factors that could result in such differences include: changes in general economic, business and competitive conditions, the inability to obtain necessary regulatory approvals or to obtain them on acceptable terms or within expected timing, costs associated with research and development, changes in the prospects for products in the pipeline or under development by UCB, effects of future judicial decisions or governmental investigations, safety, quality, data integrity or manufacturing issues; potential or actual data security and data privacy breaches, or disruptions of our information technology systems, product liability claims, challenges to patent protection for products or product candidates, competition from other products including biosimilars, changes in laws or regulations, exchange rate fluctuations, changes or uncertainties in tax laws or the administration of such laws, and hiring and retention of its employees. There is no guarantee that new product candidates will be discovered or identified in the pipeline, will progress to product approval or that new indications for existing products will be developed and approved. Movement from concept to commercial product is uncertain; preclinical results do not guarantee safety and efficacy of product candidates in humans. So far, the complexity of the human body cannot be reproduced in computer models, cell culture systems or animal models. The length of the timing to complete clinical trials and to get regulatory approval for product marketing has varied in the past and UCB expects similar unpredictability going forward. Products or potential products, which are the subject of partnerships, joint ventures or licensing collaborations may be subject to differences disputes between the partners or may prove to be not as safe, effective or commercially successful as UCB may have believed at the start of such partnership. UCB's efforts to acquire other products or companies and to integrate the operations of such acquired companies may not be as successful as UCB may have believed at the moment of acquisition. Also, UCB or others could discover safety, side effects or manufacturing problems with its products and/or devices after they are marketed. The discovery of significant problems with a product similar to one of UCB's products that implicate an entire class of products may have a material adverse effect on sales of the entire class of affected products. Moreover, sales may be impacted by international and domestic trends toward managed care and health care cost containment, including pricing pressure, political and public scrutiny, customer and prescriber patterns or practices, and the reimbursement policies imposed by third-party payers as well as legislation affecting biopharmaceutical pricing and reimbursement activities and outcomes. Finally, a breakdown, cyberattack or information security breach could compromise the confidentiality, integrity and availability of UCB's data and systems.

Given these uncertainties, you should not place undue reliance on any of such forward-looking statements. There can be no guarantee that the investigational or approved products described in this press release will be submitted or approved for sale or for any additional indications or labelling in any market, or at any particular time, nor can there be any guarantee that such products will be or will continue to be commercially successful in the future.

UCB is providing this information, including forward-looking statements, only as of the date of this press release. UCB expressly disclaims any duty to update any information contained in this press release, either to confirm the actual results or to report or reflect any change in its forward-looking statements with regard thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based, unless such statement is required pursuant to applicable laws and regulations.

Additionally, information contained in this document shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, nor shall there be any offer, solicitation or sale of securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to the registration or qualification under the securities laws of such jurisdiction.

References

Zouboulis C, Garg A, Sayed C, et al. Bimekizumab efficacy and safety through 2 years in patients with hidradenitis suppurativa: Results from the phase 3 BE HEARD I&II trials and open-label extension BE HEARD EXT. Abstract at EADV 2024. Amsterdam, Netherlands. Jemec GBE. Clinical practice. Hidradenitis suppurativa. N Engl J Med. 2012;366(2):158-64. Sabat R, Jemec GBE, Matusiak L, et al. Hidradenitis suppurativa. Nat Rev Dis Primers. 2020;6(1):18. Kimball AB, Jemec GBE, Sayed CJ, et al. Efficacy and safety of bimekizumab in patients with moderate-to-severe hidradenitis suppurativa (BE HEARD I and BE HEARD II): two 48week, randomised, doubleblind, placebocontrolled, multicentre phase 3 trials. Lancet. 2024;403(10443):2504-19. BIMZELX (bimekizumab-bkzx) U.S. Prescribing Information. https://www.ucb-usa.com/Innovation/Products/BIMZELX. Accessed September 2024.

US-BK-2401209

Date of preparation: September 2024

BIMZELX is a registered trademark of the UCB Group of Companies.

2024 UCB, Inc., Smyrna, GA 30080. All rights reserved.

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Call The Midwife actress Miriam Margolyes has launched a scathing new attack on 'the Jewish people' after claiming in a new interview that their 'essential decency and compassion has been squeezed out.. evaporated.'

Asked about comments made earlier this year in which she claimed the impact of Hitler on Jewish people could be seen in the way Israel had turned into a 'vicious, genocidal, nationalist nation,' the 83 year-old Harry Potter star said she had no regrets, saying it's 'because I know I'm right.'

Interviewed for the Adam Buxton podcast Margolyes admitted that her outspoken views had led to her losing friends including 'one in particular, who is Jewish and lives in Israel.'

She continued: 'I'm terribly sad that I've offended some people, but to me, they proved that Hitler had won, and that, for me, was such a shock that really hurt me, because I didn't want to think that was possible.

'But it's true, the essential decency and compassion of the Jewish people has been squeezed out, evaporated, and it is a terribly sad thing.

'But if I don't speak out against what I think is wrong, who am I?'

Miriam Margolyes (pictured) claimed that the 'essential decency' of Jewish people 'has evaporated' in an interview for the Adam Buxton podcast

The 83-year-old actress has starred in Call the Midwife (pictured playing Mother Mildred) and Harry Potter

Margoyles was born into a Jewish family living in Oxford but has become increasingly outspoken in recent years as a result of her hostility to Israel.

She said she had been 'deeply hurt' at the loss of friends, who objected to her remarks, and her stance following the October 7 Hamas terrorist attack on Israel.

She revealed 'one in particular, who is Jewish and lives in Israel' had said, 'I don't want to be friends anymore, go well on your journey, don't contact me again.'

'He was somebody to whom I was very close,' said Margolyes.

'That was, and is a deep hurt, and that doesn't go away, but I can't help it because I know I'm right.

'I don't know that I'm right about everything, but I do know that I'm right about the immorality of the Israeli position on Gaza and the activities of the Netanyahu government. That I know for sure they have done wrong.'

Margolyes was born into a Jewish family living in Oxford but has become increasingly outspoken in recent years

The actress (pictured) has previously been left 'wounded' by shattered friendships due to her pro Gaza views

Jewish organisations have repeatedly condemned Miriam over her attacks on them.

In August, at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival she spoke of Dickens' Fagin character as being 'Jewish and vile' before adding: 'I didn't know Jews like that then - sadly I do now.'

And in April she condemned Israel's actions in Gaza saying: 'To me, it seems as if Hitler has won.

'He's changed us Jews from being compassionate and carrying into this vicious, genocidal, nationalist nation, pursuing and killing women and children.'

In 2014 she told the Radio Times: 'I don't think people like Jews.

'They never have. English literature, my great love, is full of greasy and treacherous Jews.'

The Campaign Against Antisemitic accused the actress of holding 'repugnant' views which could not be excused because she 'happens to be Jewish.'

Former BBC journalist Sarah Deech has accused Miriam of 'plain and ugly racism, from a woman who's given a pass because apparently she is a national treasure.'
Far-right demonstrators who gathered around the country today to 'Unite the Kingdom' - a slogan used by fascist Tommy Robinson - were hugely outnumbered by counter-demonstrators in London's Trafalgar Square.

According to campaign group Stand Up To Racism, only five far right protestors showed up in central London today, compared to the 300 counter-demonstrators who gathered to oppose the anti-migrant group.

Images show a collective of counter-protesters in central London holding placards.

Other pictures show the few far-right demonstrators wrapped around in a Union Jack flag.

In an Instagram post by Stand Up to Racism, the organisation shared a video showing crowds of anti-fascist demonstrator gathered round Trafalgar Square holding banners with the slogan 'Refugees Welcome' and 'Stop the Far Right'.

Protesters take part in a march organised by Stand Up To Racism, in London, Britain, September 28, 2024

It comes after far-right groups organised to 'Unite the Kingdom' in gatherings across the country

A police officer holds a counter-protester during a Stand Up To Racism demonstration, on the day of a 'Unite The Right' protest at Trafalgar Square, in London, Britain

The caption to the video says: 'Outnumbering a tiny group of fascists in London'.

Stand Up To Racism had urged its supporters via its website and social media to 'stop the far right' ahead of the gathering organised by a fascist group in Trafalgar Square on Saturday midday.

Counter-protests were also organised across the country, including places like Ipswich, Derby, Leeds, Rotherham, Nottingham and Manchester.

It comes after thousands of ant-racists protesters outnumbered far-right antagonists on the streets of Britain in a show of love over hate last month in the wake of violent riots across the country when anti-immigration protestors attacked the homes and businesses of migrants.

Thugs had been using now-banned channels on the app to threaten the lives of anti-racism campaigners, make sick slurs and exchange tips on how to 'hood up'.

Around 100 hate-fuelled protests were planned across the country on August 7, many of which were planned in now-deleted far-right groups on apps such as Telegram, with police deployed in their biggest mobilisation of resources since the 2011 riots.

But their promises to turn up at immigration centres at 8pm vanished into thin air when the hate mobs were seemingly cowed by a swell of up to 25,000 anti-racist activists who turned out in force in cities across the UK - and by drizzly weather that hit southern parts of England on Wednesday night.

Counter-protesters turned out in their thousands in several UK cities - outnumbering 'anti-immigration' protesters when they bothered to turn up - in order to send the clear message that Britain does not welcome hate.
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Iran's supreme leader has chillingly vowed the killing of Hezbollah boss Hassan Nasrallah and a senior Iranian commander 'shall not go unavenged', amid claims on Saturday night by Houthi rebels that they had fired a ballistic missile at Tel Aviv airport as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu landed back in Israel.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who is thought to have been moved to a secure location, said on Saturday that Nasrallah would be avenged and his path in fighting Israel would be continued by other militants, as he announced five days of mourning in Iran.

'(Nasrallah) was not an individual. He was a path and a school of thought and the path will be continued,' Ayatollah Khamenei said in a statement read on state television.

'The blood of the martyr shall not go unavenged,' he said.

His threat came just hours before Houthi rebels claimed they had fired a ballistic missile at Ben Gurion airport as Netanyahu landed, having returned to Israel from a short visit to New York, Al Jazeera reports.

There has been no news of damage or casualties caused by the missile. Netanyahu was in the United States on Friday to address the UN General Assembly.

'The operation was carried out with a Palestine 2 ballistic missile,' Yahya Saree said in a statement.

'The Yemeni armed forces  along with all the honourable and free people of the nation  continue to respond to the crimes of the Israeli enemy, and will not hesitate to raise the level of escalation in response to the requirements of the stage and participate in the defence of Gaza and Lebanon.

'These operations will cease only after the cessation of the aggression against Gaza and Lebanon.'

In an earlier statement issued after the Israeli army said it had killed Nasrallah, Khamenei said: 'The fate of this region will be determined by the forces of resistance, with Hezbollah at the forefront.'

Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei chillingly vowed the killing of Hezbollah boss Hassan Nasrallah and a senior Iranian commander 'shall not go unavenged'

Israel has killed Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah (pictured in 2015) in strikes on Beirut

Hassan Nasrallah spoke to the world in front of a red screen last Thursday, insisting that the deadly attacks 'deserve a response' before launching salvoes of rockets towards Israel

After Hezbollah confirmed Nasrallah's death, Iranian media reported that General Abbas Nilforoushan, a deputy commander of Iran's Revolutionary Guards, had died 'next to Nasrallah' in the Israeli strikes on south Beirut on Friday.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian blamed Nasrallah's killing partly on the United States, which has long supplied Israel with advanced weapons.

'The Americans cannot deny their complicity with the Zionists,' Pezeshkian said in a statement carried by state media.

Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani vowed in a post on X that Nasrallah's 'path will be continued and his holy goal will be realised in the liberation of Jerusalem'.

Meanwhile, two regional officials briefed by Tehran told Reuters that Khamenei has been transferred to a secure location inside the country with heightened security measures in place.

The sources said Iran was in constant contact with Lebanon's Hezbollah and other regional proxy groups to determine the next step after the killing of Nasrallah.

Israel launched fresh strikes again this afternoon after confirming the death of Hezbollah boss Hassan Nasrallah. Pictured: Large explosions witnessed over Khiam, Lebanon

Smoke rises over Beirut's southern suburbs during Israeli strikes on September 28

Flames rise after an Israeli airstrike in the southern suburbs of Beirut, Lebanon this morning

As experts warn of a drastic escalation of tensions, Israel launched a fresh wave of strikes on Beirut.

The Israeli military said late Saturday afternoon it had carried out an air strike in the Dahieh area of Beirut - the same district targeted in the strike on Hezbollah's headquarters in the city yesterday.

Israeli military chief Herzi Halevi acknowledged that 'challenging days await' for Israel after confirming the death of Hezbollah's secretary-general, with Iran and Hezbollah's allies vowing revenge.

'We are determined to continue destroying the Hezbollah terrorist organisation and to keep fighting,' he said on Saturday.

'We have more missions ahead on all fronts  destroying terrorist organisations and their capabilities, returning our hostages.

Confirming Hassan Nasrallah's death today, Hezbollah pledged to keep fighting Israel - saying that the leader had 'joined his fellow martyrs'.

They said in a statement: 'The leadership of Hezbollah pledges... to continue its jihad in confronting the enemy, supporting Gaza and Palestine, and defending Lebanon and its steadfast and honorable people.'

And Iran's Supreme Leader pledged that 'all regional resistance forces' would support Hezbollah, demanding a 'strong' response to the attack.

Israel defended its operations in Lebanon today, amid growing pressure from its allies to de-escalate, claiming that it had thwarted a Hezbollah plot to carry out an attack similar to October 7. Hezbollah has not commented.

Today, Iran's Supreme Ayatollah Ali Khamenei (pictured) called on Muslims to confront and 'assist' the 'wicked regime' of Israel 'with whatever means they have'

People check a damaged building at the site of an Israeli airstrike in Choueifat, south east of Beirut

Iranian Revolutionary Guards' deputy commander Abbas Nilforoushan was also killed during the strikes in Beirut on Friday, state media reports

A child sleeps on the ground in Beirut's Martyrs' square after fleeing the Israeli airstrikes in the southern suburbs of Dahiyeh

A group gather carrying Nasrallah's poster and chanting slogans following Hezbollah's statement on the streets of Beirut

Crowds chanted through the streets vowing to avenge the death of Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah

A protester holds a picture of late Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah during an anti-Israel protest in Palestine Square in Tehran, Iran

Smoke rises from the rubble of a building levelled in overnight Israeli bombardment

A damaged building at the site of an Israeli airstrike in Choueifat, southeast of Beirut, following strikes by the IDF

In a message posted to X, the IDF said the strikes had targeted 'key weapon manufacturing sites' and 'smuggling routes' that were being used 'to transfer weapons from Syria into Lebanon'.

The IDF said: 'Following precise intelligence, last night, the IDF intensified its operations against Hezbollah's force build-up through a series of targeted strikes on key weapon manufacturing sites.

'These included a facility used to produce and assemble missile and rocket launchers in southern Lebanon, as well as another site in the Beqaa Valley.

'For years, Hezbollah has systematically operated to build up its capabilities and increase its stockpile of weapons.

'Weapons and components have been smuggled from the east into Lebanon and delivered to manufacturing sites, where a range of weapons are producedincluding precision-guided missilesto be used in attacks against the State of Israel.

'These strikes follow IDF strikes earlier this week on several smuggling routes used to transfer weapons from Syria into Lebanon.'

The IDF issued a statement on Saturday evening explaining that the strikes had targeted weapons manufacturing sites and routes being used to smuggle weapons into Lebanon from Syria

Israel is bracing itself for retaliatory strikes following IDF action in Lebanon, as sirens across central Israel warned civilians of missile threats from the Houthis and Hezbollah

Bracing for retaliation, Israel today announced it was calling up three battalions of reserve soldiers to join two brigades already training in northern Israel, close to the Lebanese border.

In Lebanon, armoured vehicles have now been deployed to the streets of Beirut as the army anticipates clashes between Shia Muslim and Christian neighbourhoods, Al Jazeera reports.

As fear of a spiraling conflict spreads across the Middle East experts are anticipating a ferocious response from Iran. Dr Abed El Qadir Kanaaneh, a Hezbollah expert from Tel Aviv University, said: 'The gates of hell are opening right now.'

Another security specialist added that it could lead to attacks 'across the world'.

Iran's Supreme Leader, who is the head of state and responsible of the Revolutionary Guards Corps, is said to have been moved to a secure location under heightened security with the world awaiting Israel's next move.

In his first comments since Israel claimed to have killed Nasrallah, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said: 'It is the duty of all Muslims to stand by the people of Lebanon and Hezbollah' against the 'occupier, evil and suppressor' regime of Israel.

In a statement read on state TV, he added that 'all regional resistance forces' support and stand beside Hezbollah.

He continued: 'The massacre of the defenceless people in Lebanon once again revealed the ferocity of the Zionist rabid dog to everyone, and proved the short-sighted and stupid policy of the leaders of the usurping regime.'

Iran's First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref said Saturday that the killing of Nasrallah will bring about Israel's 'destruction'.

'We warn the leaders of the occupying regime that the unjust bloodshed... especially of Hezbollah's secretary general, martyr Seyyed Hassan Nasrallah, will bring about their destruction,' Iran's ISNA news agency quoted Aref as saying.

Iranian Foreign Minister Nasser Kanani added on Twitter/X: 'The glorious path of the leader of the resistance, Hassan Nasrallah, will continue and his sacred goal will be realised in the liberation of Quds (Jerusalem), God willing.'

Sources from with Iran have said they are in constant contact with Hezbollah and other regional proxy groups to determine the next step after Israel announced that it had killed Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah in a strike on south Beirut on Friday.

Explosions were heard in Israel on Saturday, shortly after Benjamin Netanyahu landed back at Tel Aviv's international airport after a short trip to New York.

Israel's military said sirens rang out late Saturday afternoon in central areas of the country as a missile fired from Yemen was intercepted, with AFP journalists reporting hearing explosions over Jerusalem.

'A short while ago, sirens were sounded in central Israel as a result of a missile launched from Yemen toward Israeli territory,' a military statement said, later announcing that air defences had intercepted it.

The Houthi rebels in Yemen said earlier on Saturday that they were mourning the Hezbollah chief, who had been their ally against Israel.

They said: 'The resistance will not be broken, and the Jihadist spirit of the Mujahideen brothers in Lebanon and on all fronts of support will grow stronger and bigger.'

They added: 'The martyrdom of... Hassan Nasrallah will increase the flame of sacrifice, the heat of enthusiasm, the strength of resolve.'

Hamas, too, voiced its support from Gaza in a later statement, saying: 'We extend our sincere condolences, sympathy and solidarity to the brotherly Lebanese people and brothers in Hezbollah and the Islamic resistance in Lebanon.

'We condemn in the strongest terms this barbaric Zionist aggression and the targeting of residential buildings  in the southern suburb of Beirut, and we consider this a cowardly act of terrorism, a massacre and a heinous crime, which proves once again the bloodiness and brutality of this occupation.'

Iraq declared three days of mourning in light of Nasrallah's death.

People stand near a picture of Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah during the funeral of Hezbollah member Ali Mohamed Chalbi earlier this month

Boys scouts carry a picture of Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah on September 19

A woman reacts to the news of the death of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut, after the terror group confirmed he had been killed

A woman raises her hand in the air and wails after hearing of the death of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut

A Syrian man holds the revolution flag during a gathering in the rebel-held northwestern city of Idlib following news confirming the death of Lebanon's Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah

An Iraqi volunteer kisses a picture of Lebanon's Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, while registering his name to support Hezbollah yesterday

Iraqi volunteers gather to register their names to support Lebanon's Hezbollah following a call from the Jihad and Construction Movement, a Shi'a Islamist Iraqi political party, in Basra, Iraq yesterday

Women clad in black chadors chant slogans while holding pictures of late Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah during an anti-Israel protest in Palestine Square in Tehran, Iran

Today, the IDF defended their strikes in Beirut, killing Nasrallah, saying Hezbollah was planning its 'own October 7.'

Spokesperson Daniel Hagari said they took out the commander when he was in Hezbollah's central headquarters.

Who was dead Iranian General Abbas Nilforoushan? Iranian General Abbas Nilforoushan is the most senior Iranian commander to have been killed in recent months. He succeeded Mohammad Reza Zahedi in April as IRGC's deputy director of operations in the Middle East after he was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Damascus. Following Zahedi's death, Iran pounded Israel with missiles and as many as 300 suicide drones. Nilforoushan was one of the leading generals in the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq war, serving as deputy commander of the IRGC's ground corps from 2005-7. He rose to the level of commander between 2010 and 2014, before becoming deputy of operations in 2019. He had been a key player in the Iranian actions in Lebanon and had advised Hezbollah on military and diplomatic affairs. Advertisement

He said: 'Hassan Nasrallah had the blood of thousands of men, women, children on his hands.

'Israeli, Jews. Jews across the world. Lebanese. Americans. British. French. Syrians, and other countless victims across the middle east and beyond.'

He continued: 'Hezbollah has openly declared that it has a plan to carry out its own October 7 massacre on Israels northern border, but even in a larger scale.

'Hezbollah has been planning to do this in northern Israel, what Hamas did in southern Israel on October 7 - invade Israel, infiltrate communities and massacre innocent civilians.

'Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of an evil terrorist organisation, the senior terrorist eliminated with him, and the central headquarters were a legitimate military target under international law.'

Hagari added that Israel had tried to 'minimise' casualties while Hezbollah used civilians as 'human shields', saying that their war is 'not with the Lebanese people'.

He concluded: 'Hezbollah is dragging the state of Lebanon and the entire region into a wider escalation. Israel does not seek a wider escalation.

'We seek two things, two simple things: To bring our hostages home from almost a year in Hamas captivity and to make sure that our borders are safe and secure for our citizens.'

Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz said that Nasrallah 'deserved' to die and that the Israeli air raid on Beirut that killed him was justified.

'The elimination of arch-terrorist Nasrallah is one of the most justified counter-terrorism actions Israel has ever taken,' Katz said in a post on X.

He added that the Lebanese militant leader 'deserved to be taken down, and it's a good thing he was'.

But tensions are only likely to escalate as state media report a senior general in Iran's Revolutionary Guards Corps was killed alongside Nasrallah.

General Abbas Nilforoushan, deputy commander of Guards operations, 'was killed in Israel's attack on Lebanon that assassinated the Hezbollah chief,' said the official IRNA news agency, giving no further details.

He had been a key player in the Iranian actions in the region and had advised Hezbollah on military and diplomatic affairs.

He is believed to have fought with the Assad regime during the Syrian Civil War and played a major role crushing anti-Iranian protests.

Sirens sounding in central Israel pic.twitter.com/i78cinDPkT  Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) September 28, 2024

A rocket is launched from southern Lebanon as smoke billows from behind the Em e Nour Shrine after an Israeli Air Force air strike, amid cross-border hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel

A man reacts after hearing the news of the death of the Hezbollah leader as people are seen crying in the streets and crowds gather

Syrians gather in the rebel-held northwestern city of Idlib in the early hours of September 28 following news confirming the death of Lebanon's Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah

Syrians wave flags and take videos as they gather following the news of the Hezbollah leader's death

A woman clad in a black chador chants slogans during an anti-Israel protest after the death of late Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Palestine Square in Tehran

Protesters hold pictures of late Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and late Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani during an anti-Israel protest in Palestine Square in Tehran, Iran

Protesters hold pictures of late Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and a Palestinian flag during an anti-Israel protest in Palestine Square in Tehran, Iran

Smoke rises from the impact sites near a settlement following the Israeli army's attack in Khiam town of Nabatieh, Lebanon

A fire rages near residential building following the Israeli army's attack in Khiam town of Nabatieh, Lebanon

Rubble of damaged buildings lies at the site of Israeli strikes on Beirut's southern suburbs, Lebanon

Nasrallah's death provoked urgent responses from around the world.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday condemned Israel's attacks in Lebanon as part of what he called an Israeli policy of 'genocide, occupation, and invasion', urging the UN Security Council and other bodies to stop Israel.

France, meanwhile, assured that it was in contact with the Lebanese authorities in an effort to help de-escalate the situation.

Iran's Supreme leader called on Muslims to confront and 'assist' Hezbollah against the 'wicked regime' of Israel 'with whatever means they have'.

Iran, who has been an ally and financial backer of the terrorist group since 1982, have also today been blocked by Israel from entering the Lebanon airspace - as they threatened that they would use 'force' if any aircraft from the country landed.

Lebanon's transport secretary personally intervened to stop one plane from landing, he confirmed to Sky News, with a source saying: 'The priority is people's lives.'

Iran Air has cancelled all flights to Beirut until further notice, the airline's spokesman told local media including the Tasnim news agency on Saturday.

Israel stood by the assassination.

In a thinly-veiled threat to neighbouring states Israel's Chief of Staff, Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, this morning said that the elimination of Nasrallah was 'not the end of our toolbox.'

He said that the strike targeting Hezbollah leadership was the result of a long period of preparation and they would 'reach' anyone who threatens Israel. He added that the army is 'at full readiness in all of our fronts'.

'There's still a way to go. Hezbollah still has rockets and missiles and has the capability of shooting many of them simultaneously,' military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani added to an online press briefing.

IDF Spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari insisted that the Hezbollah headquarters where Nasrallah was killed was a legitimate target under international law on Saturday.

People take part in an anti-Israel protest after the death of late Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Palestine Square in Tehran, Iran

Kashmiri Shiite Muslims shout anti-Israel and anti-U.S. slogans during a protest against the killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, in Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir

A woman reacts, among other displaced people, following the announcement of the death of Lebanon's Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, in Beirut, Lebanon

People stand next to a billboard with a picture of late Hezbollah leader in Tehran today

An Iranian man raises a picture of Lebanon's Hezbollah chief Hasan Nasrallah during an anti-Israel protest in Tehran yesterday

A child carries styrofoam pieces to use them for shelter at Beirut's central Martyrs' Square, where many families spent the night fleeing the overnight Israeli strikes

Smoke billows over Beirut's southern suburbs, amid ongoing hostilities between Hezbollah and Israeli forces

People check the devastation in the Haret Hreik neighbourhood of Beirut's southern suburbs, in the aftermath of the first wave of Israeli strikes

Families sit on the ground in Martyrs' square after fleeing the Israeli airstrikes in Beirut's southern suburbs

The country say they are now on high alert for a broader conflict - although they say they hope Nasrallah's death will cause the Iran-backed group to change course.

Experts suggest the regime change could be opportunity for Lebanon if managed well.

Dr Ozcelik, Senior Research Fellow for Middle East Security at the Royal United Services Institute defence and security think tank (RUSI), told MailOnline today: 'The deep entanglement between Lebanon and Hezbollah is now being tested and interrogated by those who have long opposed Hezbollah.

'Amid the uncertainty and fear in Lebanon, this may be an opportunity for Lebanon to reconstitute its internal dynamics.

'But it will not be easy, and Hezbollah will not vanish overnight as a significant actor inside Lebanon and the region despite the pummelling it has endured.'

For now, beheading Hezbollah has sparked fears that the conflict could spiral.

Colonel Philip Ingram MBE, a former British military intelligence, counterintelligence, and security officer, told MailOnline that Iran will be 'further embarrassed' by Israel's reported successes against Hezbollah.

'The Iranian response would be one that we have to watch very closely,' he said.

'They will want to come out and try and show to the region that they are still strong and therefore I suspect we will see an increased number of attacks focused not just on Israeli interests and the possibility of an attack from Iran against Israel itself... but then attacks against US, UK and allied interests across the Middle East and potentially across the world.'

Col. Ingram said this could materialise as 'terrorist attacks against US bases in Syria, Jordan and Iraq' or the 'further encouragement of attacks by the Houthis against commercial shipping in the Red Sea'.

'We will also see massive increases in simulated protests in capital cities around the world,' he added.

Dr Andreas Krieg, Assistant Professor of Defence Studies at King's College London, told MailOnline: 'What's likely going to happen here is that Iran will have to do something because the red line was crossed.

'They might give permission to use more ballistic missiles, more to attack more strategic targets in Israel, knowing that then the IDF will likely move into Lebanon.

'Obviously Hezbollah will have to respond. Iran will have to respond and, if they do, I think they will have to respond in kind, which means they will have to hit strategic targets.'

Such a 'seismic event' for regional politics is likely to have a 'major impact' on the 'Axis of Resistance beyond Hezbollah', forcing escalation with Israel, while trying to avoid overspilling into the Gulf, he said.

In Lebanon, the question now turns to stability. Without a clear successor for Nasrallah, concerns mount that a more radical leader could replace him, reverting the group to the most 'belligerent' politics of decades gone by.

'I don't think Israel has done itself a favour because what will come next within Hezbollah will likely be worse, less restrained, and will most likely not get them the sort of peace they want in the north,' Dr Krieg said.

'Research shows that every time Israel does kill a leader ... over the last 40 years or so, in any of the organisations against which Israel has fought, it will lead to a more radical individual taking that place, so it has been a self-defeating strategy, this sort of strategy of whack-a-mole.'

Nasrallah's death marks Israel's biggest success of the war so far. Over three decades in power, he moulded Hezbollah into the group it is today.

Nasrallah had been in power since February 1992, overseeing the group in its transition from a militant group forged in the 1982 Lebanon War, against the backdrop of the wider Lebanese Civil War, into a political party and regional powerhouse.

His death has dealt a massive blow to the Iran-backed group, and could potentially destabilise Lebanon as a whole.

Under the leadership of the 64-year-old Shia cleric, Hezbollah has fought wars against Israel and taken part in the conflict in neighboring Syria, helping tip the balance of power in favor of President Bashar Assad.

Rarely seen in public, Nasrallah enjoyed cult status among his Shiite Muslim supporters and was the only man in Lebanon with the power to wage war or make peace.

His willingness to stand against Israel, and its main ally in the U.S., earned him respect and popularity from some of those who remember Israel reaching Beirut during its bid to oust the Palestine Liberation Organization from Lebanon in 1982.

When the civil war ended in 1990, Hezbollah began its transformation into a political party and movement. But it ensured its longevity by holding onto the weapons accumulated through the war and allying ever closer with a post-revolutionary Iran.

Nasrallah was seen as more of a pragmatist than the leaders of Hezbollah in 1982. But he retained authority locally by backing up his threats with willingness to use force.

Ultimately, it was Nasrallah that was credited with the recovery of southern Lebanon, after Israel withdrew in 2000 after years of exchanges.

Eight-month-old Heaven sleeps on a blanket at a park after she and her family were displaced by Israeli airstrikes on Dahieh

Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah addresses the crowd in Beirut's southern suburbs on January 29, 2004

A Lebanese man showing a poster of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah that he found among the rubble of his house following an Israeli airstrike in July 2006

A man looks at paintings depicting (L-R) late Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and Iranian slain General Qasem Soleimani next to a portrait of Yemen's Houthi Supreme Political Council chairman Mahdi al-Mashat on a fence, in Sana'a, Yemen

A woman helps a boy to wash his head on a street as Beirut residents stay on streets after fleeing their homes following a new series of Isaeli strikes in Beirut

The Israeli army launched more than 40 attacks on buildings in various parts of the Dahiyeh area south of Beirut

Israeli soldiers stand next to and on their tanks at a gathering point in northern Israel this afternoon

The Israeli army (Tsahal) said on 28 September that military forces continue to strike infrastructure sites of the Hezbollah organization in Lebanon

The army struck over 140 Hezbollah targets since midnight 28 September, including launchers aimed at Israeli civilians, and buildings in which weapons were stored

Smoke rises following Israeli overnight strikes in the southern suburbs of Beirut

A fireman fights the blaze of a building hit in overnight Israeli airstrikes in the Kafaat neighbourhood of the Lebanese capital's southern suburbs

Lebanese people entering Syria through the al-Masnaa border crossing between Lebanon and Syria

Lebanese people entering Syria through the al-Masnaa border crossing between Lebanon and Syria

Supporters of Hezbollah attend a televised speech by the group's leader Hassan Nasrallah in the Lebanese capital Beirut's southern suburbs on January 3, 2023

A man shows a photo of Hassan Nasrallah, Secretary-general of Hezbollah, as people demonstrate against Israel and the attack on Lebanon at Palestine square in Tehran

In light of his death, experts this morning said that Israel now appears to be 'softening' Hezbollah ahead of a ground invasion.

Professor Fawaz Gerges, chair of contemporary Middle Eastern Studies at the London School of Economics, told Sky News: 'What we have now is all-out war. We have been warning about it in the last 12 months.

He continued: 'Israel has been trying to systematically destroy the leadership structure of Hezbollah  and there are hundreds of leaders who could replace him [Hassan Nasrallah].

'But this is Israel trying to soften that structure in preparation for a ground invasion.'

And he has warned that Iran could respond to the attack either by launching a direct attack, sending weapons to Lebanon or sending thousands of fighters to Hezbollah.

It comes as the IDF released a graphic on social media showing the Hezbollah senior figures who had so far been 'eliminated' - adding that they had 'dismantled' the group.

At least six have been killed as the Israeli air force targeted Hezbollah production sites they claimed were under civilian housing, although this number is expected to rise today and charities say the country is facing the prospect of a humanitarian 'catastrophe'.

A source close to Hezbollah told AFP on condition of anonymity that contact with Nasrallah had been lost since Friday evening.

He had been rumoured killed during Israel's last war with Hezbollah in 2006, the source said, adding that he later re-emerged unscathed.

A military statement said the strikes also killed Ali Karake, who the statement identified as commander of Hezbollah's southern front, and an unspecified number of other Hezbollah commanders.

'During Hassan Nasrallah's 32-year reign as the Secretary-General of Hezbollah, he was responsible for the murder of many Israeli civilians and soldiers, and the planning and execution of thousands of terrorist activities,' the statement said.

'He was responsible for directing and executing terrorist attacks around the world in which civilians of various nationalities were murdered.

'Nasrallah was the central decision-maker and the strategic leader of the organisation.'

The IDF this morning further claimed to have eliminated the head of the Palestinian Hamas's network in southern Syria, whom it referred to as Ahmad Muhammad Fahd.

In a statement, they said that he had been killed 'while planning an imminent terror attack' and had previously carried out multiple attacks, including rocket fire on the Golan Heights.

And in Lebanon, they said strikes had killed the commander of Hezbollah's missile unit in the south of the country, Muhammad Ali Ismail, and his deputy, Hussein Ahmad Ismail, who they claimed had taken part in 'numerous' attacks on Israel.

Terrified families have been pictured fleeing the country - many of whom are Syrian refugees who have already had to leave due to fighting in their homeland.

More than 50,000 have now crossed into Syria fleeing airstrikes, with 'well over 200,000' displaced within Lebanon, the UN high commissioner for refugees, Filippo Grandi, has said.

Hassan Nasrallah had become a shadowy figure, seldom making public appearances in spite of his reputation in Lebanon.

He came to the world's attention last week when he vowed swift retaliation for a series of explosions across the country.

Lebanon is still reeling from the detonations of thousands of mobile paging devices and walkie talkies last Tuesday and Wednesday respectively, killing dozens and injuring thousands.

The government held Israel accountable for the attack, but notably it was Hezbollah that threatened direct action. For its part, Israel denies any involvement in the explosions.

A young boy stands in front of a destroyed building in the aftermath of overnight Israeli airstrikes on the Mreijeh neighbourhood of Beirut's southern suburbs

ALebanese man showing a poster of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and portrait of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran, next to the heavily damaged buildings in 2006

People check a damaged building at the site of an Israeli airstrike in Choueifat, south east of Beirut

Debris are scattered along a street in the aftermath of overnight Israeli airstrikes in Beirut's southern suburbs

Smoke rises from the rubble of a building levelled in overnight Israeli bombardment on Beirut's southern suburbs

Thousands of people are fleeing to Homs, Aleppo, Damascus and Hama provinces in Syria following the Israeli army's attacks on different parts of Lebanon

Lebanese people have entered Syria in the last three days through the al-Masnaa border crossing

Lebanese people who fled their homes stay overnight on the streets of Beirut amid the mass exodus from the south of the country

Families carry their belongings in Beirut's Martyrs' square after fleeing the Israeli airstrikes in the southern suburbs of Dahiyeh

Lebanese citizens watch smoke rise from Israeli airstrikes in the southern suburbs of Beirut, Lebanon

Locals who fled the city watch their homes burn from higher ground as they take cover from air strikes

Residents check the damaged in the aftermath of overnight Israeli bombardment in Beirut's southern suburbs

Smoke and fire rise following an Israeli airstrikes in Beirut's southern suburbs, Lebanon

Plumes of smoke rise over Beirut's southern suburbs following overnight Israeli bombardment

Airstrikes this week have killed hundreds of people in Lebanon, including dozens of women and children, according to Health Ministry statistics. A number of people have been injured in Israel.

Patients in hospitals in Beirut's southern suburbs are being evacuated to medical centers in the capital and the nearby Mount Lebanon region as they ask the medical centres to make room for people from hard-hit Beirut suburbs.

In a statement carried by state news agency early Saturday, the ministry called on hospitals in Beirut and Mount Lebanon to stop receiving cases that can be delayed in order to receive patients evacuating from the hard-hit southern suburb Dahiyeh.

It comes as a senior Unicef official has said Lebanon is facing the prospect of a humanitarian 'catastrophe'.

Ettie Higgins, Unicef's deputy representative in Lebanon, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'We are seeing thousands and thousands of people leave the southern suburbs of Beirut towards safety or any area at all that can give them safety.'

Describing children, of whom she said at least 50 had been killed, as 'terrified' and hospitals as 'completely overwhelmed with injured people', she said the supplies Unicef had positioned in the country in advance of the strikes by Israel were 'virtually completely used up'.

She added: 'This week we have seen major water pumping stations destroyed, so urgent efforts are needed to get safe, clean drinking water to hundreds of thousands of people who are now looking for alternative sources of water.

'So even the most basic essential services of healthcare and water are now being rapidly, rapidly depleted. There was already a humanitarian crisis in Lebanon given that it's been hosting over 1 million refugees from Syria for over a decade, so it's rapidly escalating into a catastrophe.'

This is the moment Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave the green light to 'unprecedented' strikes against Hezbollah targets in Beirut, Lebanon

Footage emerging on social media show the intensity of the bombardment over Beirut

Hellscape: The night sky in Beirut turned orange and red amid intense strikes from the IDF

Israeli forces launched the strike in a bid to target Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah

Beirut has been left a smouldering wreck following a series of intense IDF airstrikes

The strikes came just hours after Netanyahu flew to the US, thereby 'tricking' Hezbollah into thinking they were safe, a senior Israeli official said on Frida

People and rescuers gather near the rubble of a building destroyed in the Israeli air strike

Smoke rises above Beirut's southern suburbs during the Israeli strike earlier on Friday

Residents said they heard multiple blasts on Friday, believed to be from Israeli 'shelling'

Netanyahu said he had not intended to come to New York to address the UN assembly this year, but felt compelled to do so 'to set the record straight'

Huge clouds of smoke towered over Beirut on Friday afternoon

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addresses the 79th United Nations General Assembly at U.N. headquarters in New York, U.S., September 27, 2024

Pallbearers carry the coffin of Mohammad Surur, head of one of Hezbollah's air force units who was killed in Israel's strike on Beirut's southern suburbs on Thursday

A rescue worker runs amid the rubble of a building destroyed in an Israeli air strike in the Haret Hreik neighbourhood of Beirut's southern suburbs

A rescuer fights the blaze amid the smouldering rubble of a building destroyed in an Israeli air strike in the Haret Hreik neighbourhood of Beirut

People and a fire truck rush to the scene of an Israeli air strike in Haret Hreik

Israel has reported several successful missions targeting Hezbollah's senior command in recent days as it stretches its operations in Lebanon.

The IDF shared footage this week purporting to show the Israeli Air Force (IAF) striking Muhammed Hussein Srour in a building in Beirut on Thursday.

Srour - the leader of Hezbollah's Aerial Command - had been behind 'numerous aerial terror attacks... aimed at the people of Israel' over the years, according to the IDF.

Military officials said Ibrahim Kobeisi, directing the group's missile and rocket unit, was killed during its bombardment of Beirut on Tuesday.

'Other key commanders' were said to be with Kobeisi at the time, but it was not clear whether any were killed or wounded.

Israel's said on Monday it had targeted senior Hezbollah leader Ali Karaki in another airstrike on Beirut - but Hezbollah later claimed he had survived and been moved.

Ibrahim Aqil, the head of Hezbollah's military operations and acting commander of the Radwan Force, was among 16 commanders killed when devices exploded across Lebanon last week.

An Israeli strike on the southern suburbs of Lebanon's capital on July 30 killed Hezbollah's top commander Fuad Shukr, identified by the Israeli military as the right-hand man of Hezbollah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah.

Shukr was one of Hezbollah's leading military figures since it was established by Iran's Revolutionary Guards more than four decades ago.

Mohammed Nasser, responsible for operations at the frontier, was killed in an Israeli airstrike on July 3. Israel claimed responsibility, saying he headed a unit responsible for firing from southwestern Lebanon at Israel.

Senior Hezbollah field commander Taleb Abdallah, commander for the central region of the southern border strip, was killed on June 12 in a strike claimed by Israel, which said it had hit a command and control centre in southern Lebanon.

Hundreds of people have been killed in Israeli airstrikes on Lebanon over the last week, according to Lebanese figures.

Ongoing fighting between Israel and Hezbollah has driven tens of thousands of people from their homes on both sides of the border.

Israel is vowing to step up its attacks on Hezbollah until its citizens can return safely to their homes.

The joint ceasefire statement made on Wednesday said the situation in Lebanon has become 'intolerable' and 'is in nobody's interest, neither of the people of Israel nor of the people of Lebanon'.

Israel denied responsibility for the attack.
The King delivered a powerful message of unity as he marked the 25th anniversary of the Scottish Parliament yesterday.

Charles addressed the chamber during a visit to Holyrood with Queen Camilla and spoke of the need to fight polarisation and division in the world.

In a rousing speech, he called on MSPs to embrace the values of hope, civility and generosity of spirit.

He said: We are all at the end of each day united by our love of Scotland.

The King added: From the central belt, to the North Highlands, across the islands, in Ayrshire, in the Borders, the cities, towns, and villages, or the coastal communities, who, I wonder, could not fail to be moved by this complex Caledonian kaleidoscope?

The King and Queen at the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh yesterday

Reflecting on 25 years since his beloved mother, the Late Queen, opened the Scottish Parliament building, Charles said the launch had been an extraordinary occasion, not least for the fact that it came almost 300 years after the Act of Union of the Westminster and Scottish Parliaments on May 1, 1707.

He added: It was a landmark in a long, rich and complex story which we have shared over many centuries.

Charles also hailed sitting MSPs for their public service, adding that the Scottish Parliament had thrived over the last quarter of a century.

As if to emphasise his message of peace and reconciliation, he said that we must come together to address the challenges we all share as inhabitants living on the same planet, in particular with regard to climate change.

The King also pointed to his familys uniquely special relationship with Scotland, adding that his mother chose to spend her last days at Balmoral, in the most beloved of places.

Charles and Camilla were invited to Holyrood in recognition of the Scottish Parliament, twenty-five years after the Late Queen first opened it in July 1999, for a celebratory ceremony.

When the building was first unveiled by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, crowds of adoring fans buzzed with excitement for what they hoped would be a new chapter for the nation.

Yesterday, the atmosphere outside the Scottish Parliament was rather tamer, as only around a few hundred supporters lined the streets of the Royal Mile to cheer Charles and Camilla on.

The King and Queen seemed touched by a warm welcome from Scots and tourists as they travelled a short distance by car to Scotlands corridors of power.

The Duke and Duchess of Rothesay as they are known in Scotland, were preceded by a procession of the Royal Honours of Scotland, otherwise known as the Scottish crown jewels  the oldest in Britain - escorted by a Guard of Honour of youngsters representing 12 youth organisations including Girlguiding Scotland, the Scottish Youth Parliament and Scouts Scotland.

The Mace, gifted by the Late Queen to the Scottish Parliament upon its opening, was at the centre of the ceremony inside the Scottish Parliament chamber.

As guests, MSPs and members of the media looked on, the Mace made of silver and gold and engraved with the words Wisdom, Justice, Compassion and Integrity, was borne by Robert White and placed at the centre of the chamber.

It was followed by the 5ft long and 16.5lbs Elizabeth Sword, the Honours of Scotlands first new addition in half a millennium, which made its first appearance at Scottish Parliament ceremonial proceedings since it was added to the collection.

The Kings Scottish bodyguard, the Royal Company of Archers was also present, as was the centrepiece of the impressive, shining Honours carried by the Duke of Hamilton and Brandon: the Crown of Scotland, which is considerably older than either of the crowns which the King wore at Westminster Abbey last year for his Coronation. All 1.59 kilograms of its mightiness  bedecked in 43 precious stones including diamonds, garnets, amethysts and 94 pearls - was made for James V in 1540 and used to crown Mary, Queen of Scots.

Charles and Camillias attendance in celebration of 25 years of the Scottish Parliament proved the countrys commitment to its royal heritage and the monarchys place within it, a sentiment Charles alluded to in his address to the chamber when he referenced the enduring relationship between the Parliament, the Crown and the people of Scotland.

Amid a moving speech espousing unity and compassion, he reflected on the opening of the parliament more than two decades ago.

He said: Alongside the late Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh, I listened in the Palace of Holyroodhouse that day with great interest as the then-first minister spoke of a new voice, of new dreams, of a new - and renewed - Scotland.

It was an extraordinary occasion, for all manner of reasons, not least the fact that it came almost 300 years after the Act of Union of the Westminster and Scottish Parliaments on May 1 1707. It was a landmark in a long, rich and complex story which we have shared over many centuries.

He added that it has thrived over the past quarter of a century, in part due to the unwavering values of its members.

The King said that although the opening of the Scottish Parliament 25 years ago was a turning point, yesterdays anniversary was an important milestone.

In particular, Charles pointed to concerns that we live in an era of polarisation and division and said that it was perhaps even more important that in the vital areas of representation, of political debate, of policymaking and of discourse values of wisdom, justice, compassion and integrity, as engraved on the Mace, should be upheld.

King Charles smiles as he chats to presiding officer Alison Johnstone

He said: These values - together with hope, civility, and generosity of spirit - are never far from the heart of even the most difficult of issues.

On this thought, he profoundly stated: We are all, at the end of each day, united by our love of Scotland.

He continued: Because of its natural beauty, of course, but also because of its strength of character, based as it is on the extraordinary diversity of its peoples, whose range of ideas, skills, energy, passions, and frequently deeply-held beliefs, never cease to inspire me, before adding who, I wonder, could not fail to be moved by this complex Caledonian kaleidoscope?

The King also spoke fondly of Scotland, adding: My beloved grandmother was proudly Scottish.

'My late mother especially treasured the time spent at Balmoral, and it was there, in the most beloved of places, where she chose to spend her final days.

However, Charles also used his speech to insist that more needed to be done to tackle climate change and biodiversity loss.

He said: As we look ahead to the next quarter of a century and beyond, there remains much more to be done for Scotland, for the United Kingdom, and equally, in addressing the challenges we all share as inhabitants of a planet whose climate is changing dangerously, and whose biodiversity is being seriously depleted.

Let this moment therefore be the beginning of the next chapter.
It's not often I agree with the sentiments expressed in the endless steam of statements issued by the SNPs press office but I couldnt help but nod along as I started to read the partys take on the 25th anniversary of Holyrood.

Scotlands parliament has, the nationalists claimed, transformed peoples lives. And it truly has.

If only the press release hadnt gone on to state this transformation had been for the better, Id have found nothing with which to disagree.

But the truth is that, no matter what the excitable spin monkeys of the SNPs communications team might wish us to believe, the Scottish Parliaments first quarter of a century has been a crushing disappointment, a wasted opportunity on the grandest possible scale.

Holyrood truly has transformed lives for the worse.

Charles and Camilla were preceded by a procession of the Royal Honours of Scotland  the Scottish crown jewels

The King and Queen graced Holyrood with their presence yesterday, lending events an air of solemnity, but beneath all the pomp was an institution that has failed in its declared mission of improving the lives of Scots.

Im far from alone in believing so.

A survey by the Diffley Partnership, published in March, revealed that only two in five Scots think Holyrood has served them well and scarcely half think devolution has had a positive impact on the country.

That same survey found only 42 percent of Scots believe MSPs do a good job of representing them, which seems overly generous from where Im sitting.

It was all supposed to be so different.

Having led Labour to a landslide general election victory in 1997, new Prime Minister Tony Blair swiftly set about delivering a promised referendum on devolution.

One one side of the campaign, making the case for a new parliament, were the unlikely bedfellows of then Scottish Labour leader Donald Dewar, his SNP opposite number Alex Salmond, and the Scottish Liberal Democrats Jim Wallace.

On the other, the Conservatives - recently humiliated in the general elections - and led by the relatively unknown Edinburgh lawyer, David McLetchie.

The result - 74 percent supported the establishment of a devolved parliament while 62 percent favoured giving it tax-varying powers - was decisive.

When MSPs gathered in their temporary new home - the Church of Scotland Assembly building at the top of Edinburghs Royal Mile - to be addressed by Elizabeth II - the streets outside were lined with crowds. The mood was celebratory, as if the country was on the brink of something special.

It did not take long for the national mood to change. From the off, MSPs seemed determined to show themselves every bit as out-of-touch with voters as their Westminster counterparts ever were.

A decision to approve the production of commemorative medals to be given to all inaugural members of the new parliament was widely mocked.

Alex Salmonds decision in 2000 to quit Holyrood to focus on his career in the House of Commons added to the sense all was not well in our new parliament.

The biggest blow to the new institution, however, came in with the sudden, tragic death of First Minister Donald Dewar.

His passing, aged just 63, in October 2000 led to a sometimes performative national outpouring of grief, A statue, which he would not have wanted, was erected in his memory on Buchanan Street in Glasgow.

Mr Dewars death exposed a paucity of talent on the Labour benches at Holyrood. Certainly, there were fine minds there - the late Sam Galbraith, for example - but when it came to selecting a successor to a leader of considerable substance, the choice offered to Labour MSPs was uninspiring.

Henry McLeish defeated Jack McConnell and lasted a year a before resigning amid questions about his office expenses.

Mr McConnell was elected unopposed to take over from Mr McLeish, ushering in a period of relative calm.

There was important reform of the National Health Service under Mr McConnell but he was overly-cautious and when Alex Salmond returned as SNP leader in 2004, Labours man looked tired.

Mr Salmond and his protege, Nicola Sturgeon, led the SNP to a narrow victory in the 2007 Holyrood election, a result that fully destroyed the belief among some Labour figures that devolution would shoot the nationalist fox.

Between 2007-11, Mr Salmond and Ms Sturgeon maintained the pretence that they had the slightest regard for the beliefs of those who did not support their desire to break-up the United Kingdom. After the SNPs landslide in 2011, the mask came off.

Years of divisive nationalist grievance-mongering, of angry rhetoric about democracy denied, of endless demands for a second referendum the majority of Scots dont want has left our politics in tatters.

Good faith debate is non-existent in a Holyrood chamber stuffed with over-promoted intellectual lightweights, time-serving nonentities, and cranks whose obsessions never align with the priorities of voters.

First Minister John Swinney leads an SNP group thats out of ideas and almost devoid of talent.

And what, after 17 years in power, do the nationalists have to be proud of?

According to that always-open press office, achievements include: free prescriptions; no tuition fees; the baby box; the Scottish Child Payment; and our precious NHS being kept in public hands.

Well, lets look at those achievements. Before the SNP introduced its free prescriptions policy, 50 per cent of those receiving prescriptions did not pay while 80 per cent of all prescriptions were fulfilled without charge.

The SNPs policy is aimed at those it benefits - the wealthiest. We must call this progressive policy what it is, which is cynical retail politics.

Parents and anxious teenagers across Scotland have long since realised the potentially devastating impact of the abolition of tuition fees.

In order to fund this policy, universities are obliged to take in a higher proportion of overseas students who pay exorbitant fees and this means a strict limit on the number of places available to Scottish students.

King Charles and Queen Camilla visited the Scottish Parliament to mark its 25th anniversary

The baby box is just a box of useful things for the first couple of days at home with a new baby.

Many of you will, like me, remember in those dark pre-baby box days, receiving bags of useful things, sponsored by nappy, formula and baby food vendors, on leaving the maternity ward with a baby.

The baby box is like that but its in a box and some nationalists think its the greatest step forward for society since the establishment of the NHS.

The Scottish Child Payment is a rare example of an SNP policy that makes sense and meets an identifiable need. But the thing about keeping our precious NHS in public hands is nonsense.

The only way in which the NHS in Scotland could have been privatised at any point in the last 17 years would have been for the SNP to do it. Nationalist scaremongering about threats to the health service ignore the fact that responsibility for it is fully devolved to Holyrood.

The SNP boast that it has kept the NHS in public hands is akin to it saying we havent sold the Trossachs to the Saudis.

If it wasnt for its obsession with promoting dangerous gender ideology, the Scottish Government would have nothing to do just now.

What a miserable pass weve reached.

There was pomp and ceremony at Holyrood, yesterday, but no amount of pageantry could conceal the naked reality that Scotlands parliament is failing the people who cheered it into existence.
President Joe Biden backed Israel's airstrike on Hezbollah's top official in a statement released Saturday and announced the U.S. will enhance its military presence in the region.

He also ordered the U.S. to enhance its military presence in the Middle East in response to the assassination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.

The 81-year-old commander-in-chief called his death 'justice' for the hundreds of Americans he is responsible for killing over his 'four-decade reign of terror'.

Kamala Harris also released a statement supporting Israel's attack.

As Israel launched fresh airstrikes on Beirut on Saturday, Biden took steps to stop the region from breaking into an all-out war after Iran threatened revenge for Nasrallah's death.

President Joe Biden speaks the the media after stepping off Air Force One at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware, Friday, Sept. 27, 2024. He announced the U.S. military would ramp up its presence in the Middle East on Saturday

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Biden insisted that Israel has 'the right to defend itself' against terrorist factions backed by Tehran.

But he also stressed that a diplomatic solution and 'de-escalation' was the best way to avoid a wider conflict.

This could be because Israel is now asking for the U.S. to come to its aid following their Hezbollah decapitation strike, Axios is reporting.

Killed alongside Nasrallah was an Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps general, reportedly frustrating Iran, a key supporter of Hezbollah.

Despite the White House's repeated pleas with the Jewish Nation to find a path to a ceasefire, the strike and increased U.S. regional involvement appears to be an escalation for both nations.

'Just yesterday, I directed my Secretary of Defense to further enhance the defense posture of U.S. military forces in the Middle East region to deter aggression and reduce the risk of a broader regional war,' Biden said, revealing a strategy change.

'Ultimately, our aim is to de-escalate the ongoing conflicts in both Gaza and Lebanon through diplomatic means,' Biden said in the Saturday statement.

'In Gaza, we have been pursuing a deal backed by the UN Security Council for a ceasefire and the release of hostages.'

Smoke billows from the site of an Israeli airstrike that targeted a neighborhood in Beirut's southern suburb early on September 28, 2024. The Israeli army said September 28 that it killed the commander of Hezbollah's missile unit in southern Lebanon in an air strike, along with his deputy and several other leaders of the Iran-backed movement

Smoke rises over Beirut's southern suburbs during Israeli strikes on September 28, 2024. Lebanon's Iran-backed Hezbollah group confirmed on September 28 that its leader Hassan Nasrallah had been killed, after Israel said it had "eliminated" him in a strike on south Beirut a day earlier

'In Lebanon, we have been negotiating a deal that would return people safely to their homes in Israel and southern Lebanon.'

'It is time for these deals to close, for the threats to Israel to be removed, and for the broader Middle East region to gain greater stability.'

He also celebrated the death of the Hezbollah leader, and explained why he was a target.

'Hassan Nasrallah and the terrorist group he led, Hezbollah, were responsible for killing hundreds of Americans over a four-decade reign of terror.'

'His death from an Israeli airstrike is a measure of justice for his many victims, including thousands of Americans, Israelis, and Lebanese civilians,' the president said.

Kashmiri Shiite Muslims protest against the killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, in Srinagar, the summer capital of Indian Kashmir, 28 September 2024

A woman reacts as she stands in the rain with other demonstrators during an anti-Israel protest in Tehran's Palestine Square on September 28, 2024, after the Iran-backed Lebanese Hezbollah group confirmed reports of the killing of its leader Hassan Nasrallah in an Israeli air strike in Beirut the previous day

'The strike that killed Nasrallah took place in the broader context of the conflict that began with Hamas's massacre on October 7, 2023. Nasrallah, the next day, made the fateful decision to join hands with Hamas and open what he called a 'northern front' against Israel.'

Finally, Biden gave his full-throated approval of the military strike in Beirut.

'The United States fully supports Israels right to defend itself against Hezbollah, Hamas, the Houthis, and any other Iranian-supported terrorist groups.'

Democratic presidential nominee and Vice President Kamala Harris also released a statement approving the strikes by Israel.

'I have an unwavering commitment to the security of Israel,' she said.

'I will always support Israels right to defend itself against Iran and Iran-backed terrorist groups such as Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis.'

Israel launched fresh strikes on Beirut again Saturday afternoon after killing Hezbollah boss Nasrallah and a senior Iranian commander in an attack on Friday.

The Israeli military said late Saturday afternoon it had carried out an airstrike in the Dahieh area of Beirut - the same district targeted in the strike on Hezbollah's headquarters in the city Friday.

A Kashmiri Shiite Muslim holds a photograph of late Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah

Confirming Hassan Nasrallah's death, Hezbollah pledged to keep fighting Israel - saying that the leader had 'joined his fellow martyrs'.

They said in a statement: 'The leadership of Hezbollah pledges... to continue its jihad in confronting the enemy, supporting Gaza and Palestine, and defending Lebanon and its steadfast and honorable people.'

And Iran's Supreme Leader pledged that 'all regional resistance forces' would support Hezbollah, demanding a 'strong' response to the attack.
More than 13,000 immigrants who have been convicted of homicide either in the United States or abroad are currently living freely in America, according to ICE.

The staggering number was revealed by the agency to Congress earlier this week, as it admitted many of the killers have slipped through the net.

The immigrants are classified as 'non-detained' by ICE, meaning they are known to the agency and they have pending immigration cases in America, but they are not behind bars either because they are not prioritized or ICE cannot find them, reports NBC News.

The data comes amid several high-profile murders of Americans allegedly perpetrated by illegal immigrants, including the brutal slaying of University of Georgia student Laken Riley, 22, in February.

After the shocking oversight was revealed, Donald Trump used them to attack Kamala Harris during a campaign stop in Michigan on Friday, saying: 'I told you so.'

Over 13,000 immigrants who have been convicted of homicide either in the United States or abroad are currently living freely in America, according to ICE.

The data comes amid several high-profile murders of Americans allegedly perpetrated by illegal immigrants, including the brutal slaying of University of Georgia student Laken Riley (pictured) in February

Trump described the immigrants on the list as 'hard, tough, vicious criminals that are free to roam in our country.'

However, it is not clear when the first of the total 13,099 killer migrants entered the US, and law enforcement sources told NBC that many crossed under Trump's presidency.

The data was sent to Congress by ICE following a request from Republican Congressman Tony Gonzales, and was collected up until July 21.

While Trump quickly pounced on the figure during his campaign, neither the White House nor Kamala Harris' campaign have commented on the findings.

One official told NBC that the White House was 'surprised' by the number.

Among the over 13,000 killer migrants include some who have never come into contact with ICE, while others may have been let go by the agency as they didn't have information on their criminal histories.

In some cases, this has been fueled by soft on crime laws in so-called sanctuary cities, where local and state officials release migrants convicted of crimes without notifying ICE.

For the convicted immigrant to then be deported, it is left up to ICE to track them down and detain them.

After the shocking oversight was revealed, Donald Trump used them to attack Kamala Harris during a campaign stop in Michigan on Friday, (pictured), where he described the immigrants on the list as 'hard, tough, vicious criminals that are free to roam in our country'

Riley was found dead on a running trail near her University of Georgia residence, allegedly killed by an illegal immigrant

Illegal immigrant Jose Ibarra, 26, was charged with Riley's murder, as prosecutors say he was seen on video cameras stalking around her dormitory before she was killed

While sources reportedly said the agency prioritized violent offenders on its 'non-detained' docket, the total number of migrants on the list is currently over 7.5 million.

ICE Acting Director P.J. Lechleitner said after the release of the data that he is seeing an uptick in local law enforcement cooperating with immigration efforts due to a slew of crimes and murders allegedly perpetrated by illegal immigrants.

One such case that captured national attention was the brutal slaying of University of Georgia student Laken Riley in February.

Illegal immigrant Jose Ibarra, 26, was charged with the murder, as prosecutors say he was seen on video cameras stalking around her dormitory before she was killed on a nearby running trail.
A complete reinvestigation of the murder of Nairn banker Alistair Wilson was ordered after more than 150 concerns were highlighted in a review of the evidence gathered in the previous police inquiry.

The last probe into the killing, which has been unsolved for two decades, was carried out in recent years by detectives based in the North-East of Scotland and saw a possible motive established for the first time.

We told previously how police had planned to arrest a suspect in May last year so they could be detained for questioning.

However, the arrest was abandoned at the last moment, much to the distress of Mr Wilsons family, leading to the inquiry hitting a complete impasse.

It can now be disclosed that prosecutors who assessed the latest police probe raised more than 150 points of concern requiring potential follow-up action.

Alistair Wilson with his wife Veronica and their sons. He was shot dead on his doorstep in 2004

The unusual Haenel Suhl pistol used to shoot Alistair Wilson

It meant senior Crown Office officials felt they had no option but to order a fresh investigation, involving an entirely new police team, in a move which has potentially set the hunt for the killer back years and caused huge distress to Mr Wilsons family.

A source said: There were more than 150 queries and points which raised concern and it indicated that a great deal of work still required to be carried out.

Father-of-two Mr Wilson was shot dead on his doorstep in the quiet Highland town on the evening of November 28, 2004, in a crime which shocked Scotland.

With the 20th anniversary of his death approaching, Lord Advocate Dorothy Bain issued a statement this month announcing that a cold-case probe will take place.

This, in turn, led to a statement from Mr Wilsons family in which they stated they had no confidence in the police.

They also hit out last week after Chief Constable Jo Farrell refused to meet them to discuss the case.

We told previously how the family are angry that another senior officer, Detective Chief Superintendent Paul Livingstone, remains in post after their complaint against him was upheld.

Police Scotlands Professional Standards Department ruled that Mr Livingstone lied to the family by denying that a specific date had been identified for the arrest of a suspect last May.

The family has declined to comment further, but a source close to them said: They have waited two decades, so to find out there has had to be a complete reinvestigation has been quite devastating.

'Police dont seem able to grasp the scale of the incompetence here. Instead, all the family have had is continued pressure not to speak out unless the police give permission. They have had enough.

The police have always seemed interested in controlling the message first, with gathering evidence and building a cogent case coming a distant second. It is the familys wish that the suspect is detained for questioning as a matter of urgency, in order that this person is ruled out or otherwise.

The initial investigations, first by Northern Constabulary in 2004 then by Police Scotland in 2013, failed to make any significant progress or even establish a motive.

Inquiries carried out in recent years then saw detectives travel to Canada to interview a witness.

Police also declared the motive was believed to be linked to a row over decking being constructed at the Havelock Hotel, across the road from Mr Wilsons house.

Chief Constable Jo Farrell refused to meet Mr Wilson's family to discuss the case

Meanwhile, descriptions were issued of possible suspects, two men  one believed to have had a gun  seen on the beach near the crime scene, but no breakthrough was forthcoming.

The family said in a statement this month: Our relationship with the police has steadily deteriorated because of unresolved and ongoing issues.

Poor judgment and lack of accountability at the highest levels has regrettably eroded any trust we have in their ability to secure justice for Alistair.

Mr Wilson, 30, was shot when a man called at the familys home and spoke to his wife Veronica, who had answered the door, and asked for her husband.

Mr Wilson went to speak to the man and was handed a blue envelope with Paul written on it. He went inside briefly then returned to the door where he was shot.

The gun used, a Haenel Suhl pistol from the 1930s, was missed in the initial police search and was recovered from a nearby drain by a council worker ten days later.

The Crown Office said: A new team of prosecutors and police officers will work on the full cold-case investigation.

Police Scotland Assistant Chief Constable Steve Johnson said: Officers remain determined to identify Alistairs killer.
The surgeon who allegedly removed an Alabama man's liver instead of his spleen, killing him, has had his license suspended, according to court documents.

William Bryan, 70, was vacationing in Destin, Florida, with his wife Beverly in August when he needed to be rushed the hospital after feeling pain in his abdomen.

His pain was traced to an enlarged spleen, but Dr. Thomas Shaknovsky allegedly removed his liver by mistake.

William's widow has filed a lawsuit with the help of lawyer Joe Zarzaur as she tries to get justice for her husband's death, WAFF reported.

Shaknovsky's license was suspended on an emergency basis by the Florida Department of Health, which put together a report about the incident that was filed with the court.

William Bryan, 70, (pictured with his wife Beverly) passed away last month after undergoing an emergency surgery where Dr. Thomas Shaknovsky allegedly removed the wrong organ

After being at Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast Hospital for several days, William agreed to go into surgery.

Shaknovsky went forward with the surgery despite there only being skeletal crew because it was late in the day, according to the report.

Operating room staff allegedly 'had concerns' that Shaknovsky didn't have the skill to perform a spleen removal, which was described as a 'complicated' procedure.

While William was on the operating table, according to the report, Shaknovsky discovered a splenic artery aneurysm.

According to him, the aneurysm ruptured, which resulted in the severe hemorrhaging that would eventually cause his death.

At first, Shaknovsky told investigators that he was able to control the aneurysm.

In a subsequent interview, however, he admitted that 'he had never been able to control the aneurysm, but instead decided to complete the splenectomy in a last-ditch effort to control the bleeding after [William] had already been in cardiac arrest for 15 minutes.'

Dr. Thomas Shaknovsky has had his license suspended as of September 24, about a month after William's death

When a medical examiner later performed an autopsy on William, no evidence was found to suggest there had ever been an aneurysm.

Shaknovsky said he fired a stapling device 'blindly into the abdomen' to seal the alleged aneurysm and 'removed an organ that he believed to be a spleen,' according to the report.

The staff inside the operating room later witnessed the liver on the table and were 'shocked when Dr. Shaknovsky told them that it was a spleen,' the report said.

One staff member reported feeling 'sick to their stomach.'

Shaknovsky claimed that the liver was 'in an unusual location,' which he said contributed to his mistake.

The medical examiner found that William died because, throughout the course of the operation, Shaknovsky dissected his inferior vena cava, the largest vein in the body.

This error is what caused the massive bleeding that led to his death, not a ruptured aneurysm Shaknovsky failed to control, according to the report.

Additionally, the autopsy revealed that William's spleen and its attachments were 'untouched' and 'in the normal position.'

According to his obituary, William was a Vietnam War veteran with the US Navy and leaves behind three children and eight grandchildren

The report also went to great lengths to distinguish between a liver and a spleen, calling the two organs 'anatomically distinct.' Furthermore, they have different consistencies and colors.

Shaknovsky removed William's liver, which weighed 2,106 grams, according to the report.

Even an enlarged spleen would only weigh up to 400 to 500 grams, per the report, roughly four times smaller than a normal liver.

Shaknovsky is also accused of mistakenly removing part of another patient's pancreas, but luckily that person survived.

In the case of William's botched operation, the Florida Department of Health is alleging that Shaknovsky engaged in deception to cover up his grievous error, since his description of the operation didn't match what the autopsy uncovered.

'This level of dishonesty and fraud is incompatible with the level of integrity that is necessary to be able to practice safely as an osteopathic physician,' according to the report.

According to his reported obituary, William was the father of three children, had eight grandchildren, and was a US Navy veteran who served in the Vietnam War.

Shaknovsky hasn't been criminally charged but can no longer practice medicine as of September 24.
Houthi rebels claim they fired a ballistic missile at Tel Aviv airport as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was landing back in Israel - and just hours after a series of devastating airstrikes on Beirut resulted in the death of Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah.

Netanyahu was swift to shrug off the near-miss with an address to the nation shortly afterwards in which he justified Israel's actions and said they had 'settled the score' with the death of Nasrallah, a man he described as 'the arc murderer'.

He also remained unrepentant after a series of IDF strikes on Friday and Saturday left Beirut a smouldering city and said Israel will 'continue to strike our enemies' while continuing to press for the release of the more than 100 hostages remaining in Gaza.

Warning there would be more to come, Netanyahu defiantly said: 'There is no place in Iran nor the Middle East where the long arm of Israel cannot reach.'

His comments came as air raid sirens sounded across central Israel on Saturday afternoon, including in Tel Aviv, in the aftermath of the Houthi attempt.

Large explosions were heard after a missile was fired from Yemen and intercepted, the Israeli military said.

Houthi rebels claim they fired a ballistic missile at Tel Aviv airport as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was landing back in Israel after a short visit to New York

Yemen's Houthi militants shared a message on X that they fired a ballistic missile at Ben Gurion International Airport near Tel Aviv, just at the moment that Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu was landing

Houthi rebels said the attack on Ben Gurion International airport was timed to coincide with the arrival of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

Air raid sirens sounded across central Israel on Saturday afternoon, and again just after 8pm amid reports of a missile from Lebanon directed at the Jerusalem area

Yemen's Houthi militants confirmed later that they had fired a ballistic missile at Ben Gurion International Airport near Tel Aviv.

They said the attack was timed to coincide with the arrival of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who returned to the country on Saturday after addressing the United Nations General Assembly on Friday.

There has been no news of damage or casualties caused by the missile.

Shortly after 8pm on Saturday, sirens also sounded in the Jerusalem region following reports of a missile launched from Lebanon into Israeli territory.

It is understood a missile hit an area in the West Bank, sparking a fire near the Mitzpe Hagit outpost and causing power outages, Times of Israel reports.

Netanyahu had been in the United States on Friday to address the UN General Assembly.

Houthi spokesperson Yahya Saree said in a statement: 'The operation was carried out with a Palestine 2 ballistic missile.

'The Yemeni armed forces  along with all the honourable and free people of the nation  continue to respond to the crimes of the Israeli enemy, and will not hesitate to raise the level of escalation in response to the requirements of the stage and participate in the defence of Gaza and Lebanon.

'These operations will cease only after the cessation of the aggression against Gaza and Lebanon.'

The action came as Iran's supreme leader chillingly vowed the killing of Hezbollah boss Hassan Nasrallah and a senior Iranian commander 'shall not go unavenged'.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who is thought to have been moved to a secure location, said on Saturday that Nasrallah would be avenged and his path in fighting Israel would be continued by other militants, as he announced five days of mourning in Iran.

Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei chillingly vowed the killing of Hezbollah boss Hassan Nasrallah and a senior Iranian commander 'shall not go unavenged'

Israel killed Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah (pictured in 2015) in strikes on Beirut last night

Hassan Nasrallah spoke to the world in front of a red screen last Thursday, insisting that the deadly attacks 'deserve a response' before launching salvoes of rockets towards Israel

'(Nasrallah) was not an individual. He was a path and a school of thought and the path will be continued,' Ayatollah Khamenei said in a statement read on state television.

'The blood of the martyr shall not go unavenged,' he said.

New details emerging on Saturday night suggest the IDF bombarded Nasrallah's command bunker with more than 80 bombs in an operation organised at the last minute, The Sun reports.

It is understood the IDF had a 'use it or lose it moment' in which to kill Nasrallah, who was in a bunker 50 metres underground, after intelligence reported he would soon move to a different location.

The IDF unrelentingly pounded the Hezbollah headquarters in Dahieh with a barrage of explosives over just a few minutes on Friday.

Nasrallah was killed in the strikes alongside the commander of Hezbollah's missile unit in the south of the country, Muhammad Ali Ismail, and his deputy, Hussein Ahmad Ismail.

Israel launched fresh strikes again this afternoon after confirming the death of Hezbollah boss Hassan Nasrallah. Pictured: Large explosions witnessed over Khiam, Lebanon

Flames rise after an Israeli airstrike in the southern suburbs of Beirut, Lebanon this morning

General Abbas Nilforoushan, a deputy commander of Iran's Revolutionary Guards, had died 'next to Nasrallah' in the Israeli strikes.

Analysts believe Hashem Safieddine, a cousin of Nasrallah, will become Hezbollah's next leader.

On Saturday night, Netanyahu gave an address in which he stood by Israel's action in Lebanon, adding 'we are at a historic turning point'.

He also described Nasrallah as 'the arc murderer' and 'the main engine of Iran's axis of evil'.

Netanyahu said: 'If someone comes to kill you, rise up and kill him first. The state of Israel killed yesterday Hassan Nasrallah, the arc murderer.

'We settled the score with the person who is responsible for the killing and assassination of so many Israelis and people of other nationalities, including dozens of Americans and French people.

'He wasn't just another terrorist - he was 'the' terrorist; he was the main engine of Iran's axis of evil.

'Him and his people were the architects of a plan to destroy Israel.

'He wasn't only operated by Iran, in many case he operated Iran.'

The Israeli premier went on to say that the devastating blows levelled at Hezbollah by the IDF' proved not to be 'enough' and that taking out Nasrallah became a necessity.

'The elimination of Nasrallah is a necessary condition for the fulfilment of our goals and bringing an equilibrium to our regions,' he said.

The IDF issued a statement on Saturday explaining that the strikes had targeted weapons manufacturing sites and routes being used to smuggle weapons into Lebanon from Syria

'I gave the instruction, and he is no longer with us.

'All those who oppose [Iran], all these people today have hope.

'There is no place in Iran nor the middle east where the long arm of Israel cannot reach.'

Addressing his nation, Netanyahu remained unrepentant and urged Israelis to understand that Israel will 'continue to strike our enemies' while continuing to press for the release of the more than 100 hostages remaining in Gaza.

Netanyahu, pictured at the UN headquarters in New York on Friday, said tonight that Nasrallah he was the main engine of Iran's axis of evil

Netanyahu remained unrepentant on Saturday and urged Israelis to understand that Israel will 'continue to strike our enemies'. Pictured: The Israeli prime minister in New York on Friday

He said: 'Citizens of Israel we are at a turning point, a historic turning point. A year ago on October 7 our enemies attacked us and thought Israel was about to be annihilated - a year later blow after blow, achievement after achievement they now understand just how much they dissipated.

'We are winning and will continue to strike our enemies to send our citizens and our people back to their homes and bring back all of the hostages.

'We did not forget them [hostages] for one minute.

'Together we will fight and god willing together we will win.'

Elsewhere, British Foreign Secretary David Lammy repeated a plea for calm in the Middle East and said he had spoken with Lebanon's Prime Minister Najib Mikati on Saturday, following an Israeli airstrike on Beirut which killed Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah.

'We agreed on the need for an immediate ceasefire to bring an end to the bloodshed.

'A diplomatic solution is the only way to restore security and stability for the Lebanese and Israeli people,' Lammy said.

Lammy twice called for a ceasefire earlier this week.

He told the UN Security Council on Wednesday: 'A full-blown war is not in the interests of the Israeli or Lebanese people.'

On Friday, Mr Lammy said: 'A diplomatic solution is the only way to restore security and stability for the Lebanese and Israeli people.'

But pleas for a ceasefire from Western leaders including US President Joe Biden have so far proved unsuccessful, with both Israel and Hezbollah vowing to fight on.

British Foreign Secretary David Lammy, pictured at the UN Security Council meeting in New York this week, said he had spoken with Lebanon's Prime Minister Najib Mikati on Saturday

As the crisis deepens, Ettie Higgins, Unicef's deputy representative in Lebanon, said 'thousands and thousands' of people have fled southern Beirut while hospitals were 'overwhelmed' and water pumping stations have been destroyed.

She told the BBC's Today programme: 'Even the most basic essential services of healthcare and water are now being rapidly, rapidly depleted.

'There was already a humanitarian crisis in Lebanon given that it's been hosting over one million refugees from Syria for over a decade, so it's rapidly escalating into a catastrophe.'

This is the moment Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave the green light to 'unprecedented' strikes against Hezbollah targets in Beirut, Lebanon, while still in New York

She added that 50 children had been killed and she expected that figure to rise as the air strikes continued.

The Foreign Office has warned British nationals to leave Lebanon immediately, with Mr Lammy saying the Government has worked to 'increase flights and secure seats'.

The PA news agency understands the UK Government has successfully asked airlines to increase capacity on routes out of Lebanon, with Foreign Office teams in Beirut to support British consulate services.

It is thought they are ready to facilitate evacuations by sea or air, which could be triggered if the security environment deteriorates further and British nationals are no longer able to leave the Middle East through other routes.

Around 5,000 British citizens are in Lebanon, and the United Nations said 118,000 Lebanese people have been displaced in recent days.
The local shop owner was distraught after she copped the fine for a little-known pet rule.

Robyn copped an $800 fine after council workers spotted her dog's lead down by her leg outside her store. Source: TikTok

A struggling small business owner has hit out at her local council after she was slapped with an $806 fine after a seemingly innocent act with her pet dog. Retail shop owner Robyn was taking a quick coffee break outside her store Whit and Watt at Moffat Beach on Queensland's Sunshine Coast when she was approached by council workers.

Council allege the eight-year-old Blue Heeler, Violet, was not under effective control in a public place because the dog was sat by Robyn's feet and her lead was dangling off the pet owner's foot instead of being held in her hand.

Robyn says she felt "victimised" when council officers approached her, and was told at the time she would not be issued a fine, only a warning. Days later, she was stunned to receive the $806 fine.

"I've got a small business and I'm struggling with that, and the council hits you with this," Robyn told Yahoo News Australia. "[Violet] was on lead, had a collar on, she was underneath my foot."

Robyn has working seven days a week to keep her business Whit and Watt afloat. Source: Facebook.

Speaking about the incident, Robyn explained she was approached by council workers who told her that the lead needed to be in her hand, not by her foot. Startled by the dark figures standing above her owner, deaf dog Violent barked at the council workers. The interaction ended with the workers telling Robyn they would need to speak to their supervisor to decide what action would be taken.

Robyn, who argues she was on her premises and not in a public area, says she phoned the council the next day and was told that she would be getting just a warning. She couldn't believe it when days later a fine came through.

Struggling business owner left 'bawling eyes out'

Robyn rang the council back and through tears, sought clarification. "This isn't ethical," she said. She even reached out to the local mayor over the matter.

"I will not pay it," Robyn said. "If I have to Ill go to court, I'll take the dog with me."

"I've been going through a lot of financial stress so it's easy for me to break down and bawl my eyes out because I'm trying to keep my shop afloat," she said. Robyn told Yahoo she's been having to work seven days a week as she cannot afford staff to work in the store.

Major crackdown on dog laws

Robyn argues that all dog owners need "clear clarification" on the rules. "A lot of people have the lead under their foot," she said. "People need to be aware of what they are and aren't entitled to do. It's like a driving offence, it needs to be made clear to the public."

The move comes just weeks after the Queensland Government began a statewide crackdown on dog laws on July 31  with increased penalties and even jail time for bad behaviour from dogs and their owners.

Sunshine Coast Council states on its website: "The Queensland Government has updated the penalty for not effectively controlling your dog in a public place. An on-the-spot fine will increase to $806. This includes having a dog off-leash in an on-leash area. Or, if the dog is in an off-leash area, the owner must be able to control the dog using voice command."

Aussies react to hefty dog fine

Those in the area were divided over the issue, with some reaching out to Robyn with messages of support, while others argued that council were in the right.

"Your dog is so cute, we walk past with our dogs and it never moves, never barks! Council need to get a bloody life," said one local resident.

"Not great about the warning switching to a fine," pointed out a second.

Others said it was her "responsibility" to handle her dog correctly in a public space.

"Councils are terrible when it comes to dogs. Im in a different area, but I'm behind you," said another.

Sunshine Coast Council was approached for comment by Yahoo on the matter.

Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com.

You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
News dispatches from Latin America indicate that migrants who hope to cross into the U.S. are worried Donald Trump will win.

There has been reporting from Ecuador to Spain about how migrants will react to the November contest.

Trump has been much tougher and outspoke about how he wants to secure the U.S.-Mexico border while Vice President Kamala Harris has just recently proposed support for the wall after previously calling it anti-American.

'Migrants see risks with Trump's return' one Mexican article published September 20 was titled.

Another referenced Ecuadorian migrants' desire to see Vice President Kamala Harris win, who they describe as making them feel more 'reassured' they could stay in the U.S. longer.

Democratic presidential nominee and U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris tours the border wall with Border Patrol agents and other personnel (not pictured), near Tucson, in Douglas, Arizona, U.S., September 27, 2024. It was her second visit as VP

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The Mexican outlet El Imparcial wrote: 'A potential victory of Republican candidate Donald Trump in the race for the presidency of the United States would toughen immigration procedures, said the specialist in Immigration Law and International Law, Josefina Orozco.'

'Immigrants who are in the United States with a status that could lead to their deportation' may then become 'vulnerable,' it continued.

Harris has supported positions like ignoring deportation requirements and has been against, what she has called, the 'un-American' U.S.-Mexico wall.

However, during a trip to the border in Arizona Friday the Democratic presidential candidate vowed to spend millions on the barrier if elected.

Still, Harris and Biden have overseen the largest influx of illegal immigration in years with some 10 million migrant encounters being expected later this year according to the House Homeland Security Committee.

A report from the Mexican outlet El Imparcial highlighting migrants concerns about Trump

Spanish outlet Diario Publico reported over the summer in Tijuana, Mexico, that migrants there were concerned that Trump would end the Biden-Harris administration's migrant screening phone app - CBP One - that can help facilitate flights into the U.S.

Ecuadorian agency La Republica wrote the citizens there shared their 'fear' over a Trump victory in November.

Migrants wait in line to resolve their status in the city of Tapachula, Mexico, 23 September 2024. Mexico's southern border is experiencing a new wave of migration as a month has passed since the new US rule that allows an asylum appointment through the 'CBP One' application to be processed from the Mexican border with Central America

Spanish outlet Diario Publico reported over the summer in Tijuana, Mexico, that migrants there were concerned that Trump would end the Biden-Harris administration's migrant screening phone app - CBP One - that can help facilitate flights into the U.S.

The app has been helpful in facilitating tens of thousands of migrants into the U.S.

At times 30,000 migrants a month have been allowed to fly into the U.S. from select countries using the app.

'Concern grows among migrants on the US-Mexico border over a possible Trump victory,' the report said.

Migrants from all over the globe enter Arizona from Mexico

Former President Donald Trump visits the border in the Montezuma pass area of Cochise County In Arizona in August to talk about border security

Ecuadorian agency La Republica, wrote on September 1 individuals 'stranded at the border with the United States and Mexico' and those migrants who have made it into the U.S. are worried 'that their trip will be cut short,' under Trump's policies.

They reported these migrants inside and heading toward the U.S. 'feel 'reassured' that with Harris they could stay in the country a little longer than under the new Trump administration, which ordered the deportation of a million migrants as soon as he steps into the White House.'

Additionally, a July report from the Associated Press uncovered that migrants in Mexico wanting to illegally cross into the U.S. wanted to get there before the election.

The sprint was on for these migrants 'for fear that the border would be closed in the event of a Trump victory,' it said.
Breathtaking footage captured the moment severe flooding caused by Hurricane Helene ripped through a Tennessee man's home.

The homeowner, Jeffrey Fuller, live-streamed the hurricane tearing through his property on Facebook.

The video showed waist-high waters barreling through the home, with Fuller shouting over the rushing current that the storm 'came in quick... we're going into the attic.'

It comes as the death toll from Hurricane Helene rose to at least 55 on Saturday, after the weather system left a trail of destruction stretching from Florida to the Carolinas.

Breathtaking footage captured the moment severe flooding caused by Hurricane Helene ripped through the home of Tennessee resident Jeffrey Fuller

Fuller livestreamed his home being torn apart by the flooding, as he was heard shouting over the rushing current that the storm 'came in quick... we're going into the attic'

The weather system left a trail of destruction stretching from Florida's Horseshoe Beach (pictured) to the Carolinas, killing at least 55 people

In Tennessee where Fuller's footage was filmed, torrential rainfall brought by Helene caused the Nolichucky Dam to burst.

Stunning images of the dam failing showed it bursting with over 30,000 cubic feet of water per second - the equivalent of an Olympic swimming pools worth of water gushing through the tiny dam every three seconds.

Although Tennessee avoided some of the worst wind gusts that tore apart Florida and Georgia, Helene slowed over the state and lashed it with heavy rainfall.

As Helene continues to slow, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) forecasted on Saturday that the storm would spin down 'today into tomorrow' over the Tennessee Valley.

The NHC marked the winding down of the natural disaster on Saturday as it announced it would stop releasing hourly updates about Helene, which it had done so since the hurricane made landfall on Thursday.

Pictured: The Nolichucky Dam in Eastern Tennessee. The dam was bursting with 30,000 cubic feet of water per second about a day ago

Stunning images of the dam failing showed it bursting at the seams after being deluged by Hurricane Helene

Homes and businesses were destroyed across Florida's Big Bend region (pictured) after Helene made landfall on Thursday night

As of Saturday morning, Hurricane Helene was responsible for at least 55 reported deaths in South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, North Carolina and Virginia.

In South Carolina, where a total of 19 people lost their lives in the storm, two firefighters were among the dead.

George Satcher, 53, and Landon Bodie, who was just 18 years old, were out responding to a call Friday morning and were killed when a tree fell on their fire truck, News19 reported.

'That's a reminder that these first responders put their life on the line every day to go out and protect the citizens that they serve,' said David Jones with the South Carolina Highway Patrol.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announced at least 11 had died in the Sunshine State, including several drownings in coastal Pinellas County.

In Georgia, officials are saying the death toll has risen to 15, with two people dying after getting swept up in a tornado in Alamo, while North Carolina reported six more deaths. Among them was a four-year-old girl killed in a car wreck caused by the storm.

Survivors Tammy Bryan, left, hugs fellow resident Jennifer Lange amid the destruction in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene in Horseshoe Beach on Saturday, September 28

Matthew Harris leans on the bed of his truck after Hurricane Helene destroyed the house where he had been living in Steinhatchee, Florida

Mangled boats washed ashore in St. Petersburg, Florida, seen on Saturday morning

Images of the aftermath across Florida appeared apocalyptic

Hurricane Helene made landfall in darkness on Thursday evening, leaving millions of Americans to wake up Friday morning to widespread destruction.

The Big Bend region of Florida was among the worst hit, with images of the aftermath appearing apocalyptic.

Further destruction was seen on Treasure Island near Tampa, where dozens of mangled boats washed up onto the streets.

Treasure Island has an elevation of 3 feet above sea level, which was no match for approximately 7 foot storm surges seen by the Tampa Bay area.

Horseshoe Beach, a northern town that was much closer to where Helene touched down, saw houses and businesses reduced to rubble.

Despite urgent calls from officials to evacuate in the days and hours before, some residents remained in the storm's path - with traumatized citizens seen crying as they saw entire blocks radiated by the storm, leaving nothing but planks of wood and other debris.

Michael Bobbitt, 48, was one of those who decided to stay behind.

'We're feeling pretty gut-punched here in Cedar Key. When we were fighting this in the night, however bad we thought it would be, it's much worse in the light of day.

'Cedar Key as we know it is completely gone,' he told The New York Times.

'Entire houses have been picked up and moved away. We had to go through four feet of water to get to them. The post office is destroyed.'
The targets of the Salisbury poisonings will not be called to give evidence at the forthcoming public inquiry over fears Russian spies would attack them again.

The judge leading the long-awaited hearing into the notorious attack has also ruled that former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal, 73, and his daughter Yulia, 39, must not give evidence remotely as Putins agents could work out their location.

Lord Hughes of Ombersley additionally ordered that video and audio of the Skripals being interviewed by police must not be played as the footage could be used to identify them now.

And, in an unprecedented move, documents containing sensitive information will be redacted before they are entered into the inquirys IT system over fears the Kremlin could otherwise hack the files to create a hit-list of MI5 and MI6 officers and counter-terrorism detectives.

Russian assassins targeted the Skripals in March 2018, smearing the deadly nerve agent novichok on the doorknob of the front door of their house in Salisbury, Wiltshire.

Former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia who were the targets of the Salisbury poisonings. They will not be called to give evidence to the inquiry over fears they may be attacked again by Putin's spies

Mother-of-three Dawn Sturgess died after spraying nerve agent novichok on her hands and face, thinking it was perfume inside a Nina Ricci Premier Jour bottle

Although the father and daughter survived, mother-of-three Dawn Sturgess died after she sprayed the chemical on her hands and face, thinking it was perfume inside a Nina Ricci Premier Jour bottle.

Police believe the two GRU (military intelligence) officers had thrown it away near the Skripals house, with 44-year-old Ms Sturgesss partner, Charlie Rowley, picking it up and taking it home.

The 2021 inquest into Ms Sturgesss death was converted into a public inquiry the following year by then Home Secretary Priti Patel, meaning that highly-sensitive classified information can be heard in secret session.

Now, more than six years after the death of Ms Sturgess, who struggled with alcohol addiction, the judge-led inquiry will begin at Salisbury Guildhall next month after four years of behind-the-scene wranglings.

The family of Ms Sturgess  including her two sons and daughter, and her partner, Mr Rowley, 51  had urged the judge to order the Skripals to give evidence in person as they had questions to direct to them.

But Lord Hughes ruled that the risk to the Skripals  who are living under police protection  was too great. He said: The overwhelming risk is of physical attack on one or both the Skripals. An attack similar to that which appears to have taken place in 2018 remains a real risk.

The judge said the pair giving evidence remotely was risky as their integrated security arrangements could not be maintained.

Even if they delivered testimony from a secure location via an electronic link immune to interception, taking them to and from it was a risk, he said.

Lord Hughes also ordered that police interview footage should not be shown in public as it would show mannerisms, speech characteristics and details of appearance that would help Putins spies to identify them now. He added: I am satisfied that there would be real danger of identification.

Official documents also reveal the inquirys opening was delayed as Government lawyers warned Lord Hughes that Putins spies could hack the courts IT system and create a hit-list. They said even if sensitive names were not disclosed to the public, Kremlin hackers would infiltrate the inquirys IT platform, Relativity, to steal the names.

Cathryn McGahey KC, acting for the Home Office, said: Relativity has some security controls in place, [but] these are insufficient to protect the system from cyber-attack or hacking by a sophisticated actor like Russia.

Ms McGahey said Russian spies are suspected of hacking previous inquiries, like the World Anti-Doping Agencys probe into Russian athletes in 2015. Counsels argued Putins spies had a vested interest in knowing the identities of intelligence officers who responded to the Salisbury poisoning as many were involved in operations against Russia in Ukraine.

Russians Ruslan Boshirov (left) and Alexander Petrov (right) where charged with the attempted murder of the Skripals

A judge-led inquiry will begin at Salisbury Guildhall next month after four years of behind-the-scene wranglings. Pictured: An aerial view of Salisbury Cathedral

Ms Sturgesss family wrote to Lord Hughes, expressing their anger at the delay. In one letter, family counsel Michael

Mansfield KC wrote: They know no more about Dawns death than the day the inquiry was announced; they cannot properly grieve.

In September 2018, Scotland Yard charged the two GRU spies  who travelled under the names Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov  with the attempted murder of the Skripals and the poisoning of two Wiltshire Police officers, but not over the death of Ms Sturgess.

A third Russian, Sergey Fedotov, also a suspected GRU spy, was charged three years later in connection with the poisoning.
Political observers are now pointing to the primary results in Washington state as a sign for how the 2024 presidential election between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris might go.

Washington's primaries are strong predictors of both the general mood among voters and the general election because of how late they happen - August or September - which leaves voters less time to change their minds before November, The New York Times reported.

Also, its primaries are a free-for-all, with all candidates regardless of party competing on the same ballot. The top two advance to the final ballot. In theory, this incentivizes candidates to campaign harder and voters to participate more.

When you put this all together, Washington has high-turnout elections with a diverse voter base just a few months before the rest of the country casts their ballot for president.

Last month, Washington's House Democrats received 58 percent of the major party vote share, which was three points better than 2022.

This suggests there may be reason for Harris to have optimism going into November.

Washington state's primary results bode well for Kamala Harris and suggest Donald Trump may underperform in the popular vote against her

The numbers indicate the country is in a similar mood as it was in 2020, when Joe Biden beat Trump by 4.5 percentage points in the national popular vote and Democrats held onto the House of Representatives.

If Washington's numbers were applied to the popular vote this year compared to years past, Democrats would perform about where they did in 2020 and two points better than in 2016.

However, the flaw in this method of prediction is that it can only give a window into the popular vote, not the electoral college, which is what will determine the winner of the election.

Trump himself was able to decisively beat Hillary Clinton in the electoral college vote in 2016, despite the Democrat getting nearly 2.9 million more votes.

The 2016 primary results from the nonurban parts of Washington (excluding Seattle) suggested Clinton would underperform in northern battleground states, which she went on to do.

An analysis by SplitTicket, an independent election analysis site, studied Washington's election results and excluded Seattle

An analysis by SplitTicket, an independent election analysis site, studied Washington's election results and excluded Seattle.

As part of their study, the company showcased parts of Washington that are in total much more demographically similar to important swing states like Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania.

According to recent polls, the candidates are neck in neck in all three of those states; Harris leads Trump by a single point, 48 percent to 47 percent, in Michigan, and by two in Wisconsin, 49 percent to 47 percent, according to a New York Times/ Siena College poll.

In Pennsylvania, Harris is up 50-48 percent, according to a Fox News poll.

Perhaps Washington's best predictor of the presidential election is its bell weather Clallam County. Voters in the county have picked the winning presidential candidate every time since 1980.

Analyzing the primary results from Clallam County, a.k.a. the 6th Congressional District, Democrats received 59.2 percent of the vote share on the first ballot, whereas Republicans only received 38 percent.
A moped-riding phone thief has been caught red-handed by the police hours after he ripped the device out of woman's hands.

CCTV released by the Met Police showed a masked Amari Scott, 20, mount the pavement in Croydon, south London earlier this year on March 6.

He can then been seen approaching the woman from behind before snatching the mobile out of her hands and jetting off again down the road.

Hours later the authorities had managed to track him down inside a shop using the phone's location tracker.

He was found in possession of two stolen phones and a stolen motorbike, and has now been jailed for four years.

CCTV released by the Met Police showed a masked Amari Scott, 20, mount the pavement in Croydon, south London earlier this year on March 6

He can then been seen approaching the woman from behind (bottom left) before snatching the mobile out of her hands and jetting off again down the road

Hours later the authorities had managed to track him down inside a shop using the phone's location tracker

One of the officers was heard on body cam footage before Scott was led away in handcuffs saying: 'We've just had a moped rob a mobile phone off the pavement and the phone is pinging in this location.'

He was arrested as part of a crackdown in the area along with two other teenagers who committed four robberies in half an hour.

The perpetrators, aged 16 and 17, were issued with referral orders after pleading guilty to charges of robbery, attempted robbery and attempted grievous bodily harm.

This were found guilty of eight other robberies in south London on August 5, including one robbing one homeless person at knifepoint outside Croydon library.

He was found in possession of two stolen phones and a stolen motorbike, and has now been jailed for four years

He was arrested as part of a crackdown in the area along with two other teenagers who committed four robberies in half an hour

Chief Inspector James Weston said: 'We understand the impact that robbery has on victims - it is invasive and frightening.

'That's why our teams are working so hard to deter and catch offenders to reassure our local community.

'Thanks to the hard work of officers, our partners and community grassroots organisations, we are stepping up our efforts and tackling the issues that matter most to the people of Croydon.'
Three Just Stop Oil eco-activists have been charged with criminal damage after orange soup was thrown at two Van Gogh paintings in the National Gallery on Friday.

Stephen Simpson, 61, of Bradford, West Yorkshire; Phillipa Green, 24, of Penryn, Cornwall; and Mary Somerville, 77, of Bradford, West Yorkshire, will appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Monday, the Metropolitan Police said.

It comes after Just Stop Oil activists poured soup over two Vincent Van Gogh paintings just hours after other members of the group were jailed for damaging the gold frame of the artist's Sunflowers.

In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Just Stop Oil said: 'BREAKING: 2 VAN GOGH PAINTINGS SOUPED HOURS AFTER PHOEBE AND ANNA SENTENCED.

'3 Just Stop Oil supporters have thrown soup over 2 of Van Gogh('s) paintings in the 'Poets and Lovers' exhibition at the National Gallery'.

Just Stop Oil activists poured soup over two Vincent Van Gogh paintings just hours after other members of the group were jailed for damaging the gold frame of the artist's Sunflowers

In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Just Stop Oil said: 'BREAKING: 2 VAN GOGH PAINTINGS SOUPED HOURS AFTER PHOEBE AND ANNA SENTENCED'

Two pieces of work were targeted - Sunflowers (1888, National Gallery, London) and Sunflowers (1889, Philadelphia Museum of Art)

The post featured a video of the activists vandalising the artwork that is hung in the National Gallery

The National Gallery confirmed the three activists had been arrested and the paintings remain unharmed

The paintings were removed from display and examined by a conservator who has said they are unharmed

The National Gallery confirmed on Friday the three activists had been arrested and the paintings remain unharmed.

A statement said: 'At just after 2.30pm this afternoon, three people entered room six of the National Gallery Van Gogh: Poets and Lovers exhibition.

'They appeared to throw a soup-like substance over two works - Sunflowers (1888, National Gallery, London) and Sunflowers (1889, Philadelphia Museum of Art).

'Police were called and three people have been arrested.

'The paintings were removed from display and examined by a conservator and are unharmed.

'We are aiming to reopen the exhibition as soon as possible.'

Phoebe Plummer, 23, and Anna Holland, 22, were jailed on Friday after causing as much as 10,000 worth of damage to the artwork's gold-coloured frame when they targeted it at London's National Gallery.
A strange blob in the center of raging Hurricane Helene that was picked up via radar had more than 1.4 million X viewers baffled.

The X post by Colin McCarthy revealed the radar anomaly was actually a cluster of birds caught in the eye of the hurricane over Tallahassee, Florida.

Many people commenters were skeptical of whether or not a radar could actually detect birds, but experts weighed in to get to the bottom of what this image shows.

One user critically commented: 'That is not what that is.'

Meteorologist Rob Carlmark told 9NEWS: 'Birds can show up on radar. In fact, when birds roost at night then fly out in the morning, its common to see them show up.'

A radar picked up on a blue blob in the eye of Hurricane Helene

Flocks of birds and other creatures can be caught in the eye of hurricanes

Ben Dery, another meteorologist, also chimed in to elaborate. He said that radars can pick up a lot of things in the atmosphere, including bugs, temperature changes, density changes and of course, birds.

During Florida hurricanes, it is common for certain birds to get stuck in the middle, which can be very dangerous for them.

Some species fly around the storm, while others can use its force as a boost.

Hurricane Helene tore through a Tallahassee home

'Many other birds, however, will become trapped in the storm. Radar images often show birds in the eye of hurricanes, unable to escape through the eyewall,' Audubon Florida explained.

An X user wrote: 'That's wild! It's incredible how nature works. I hope they find their way to safety.'

Hurricane Helene, which is now a tropical storm, has left at least 55 people dead across five states since it was spotted off a Mexican coast just a few hundred miles away from Florida on Wednesday.

The storm is mainly hovering over Tennessee and Kentucky.

However, areas of Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, West Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia are also being slammed by the storm, according to the National Hurricane Center.

'The amount of damage will be tremendous,' Professor Pam Knox, from the University of Georgia told DailyMail.com on Wednesday.

An aerial view of a Florida home trashed by the raging hurricane

Damage to the Nolichucky Dam in eastern Tennessee has been of high concern because it cannot hold up to the extreme amounts of flooding coming through.

Approximately 5,800 residents and two schools were immediately affected by the dam becoming flooded.

Cedar Key in Florida was totally decimated by the storm on Friday.

Michael Bobbitt, 48, a resident who stayed behind, told The New York Times about his experiences.

Hurricane Helene destroyed Horseshoe Beach in Florida

He said: 'We're feeling pretty gut-punched here in Cedar Key. When we were fighting this in the night, however bad we thought it would be, it's much worse in the light of day.

'Cedar Key as we know it is completely gone.

'Entire houses have been picked up and moved away. We had to go through four feet of water to get to them. The post office is destroyed.'
Ministers say James Cleverly is the candidate they do not want as the next Tory leader.

'He's the most likely to appeal to moderate voters,' suggested one, while senior Government sources dismissed Kemi Badenoch as a threat to Labour, saying she is 'too divisive'.

Both are running to succeed Rishi Sunak, alongside Robert Jenrick and Tom Tugendhat. The candidates will set out their stall to party members at the annual conference, which starts today.

Mr Jenrick is the bookmakers' favourite after topping a poll of Tory MPs, although allies of Ms Badenoch say she is the most popular with members, who will have the final say once the contest is whittled down to two.

But several Labour ministers have privately warned that Mr Cleverly is the only one who could gather enough public support.

Labour ministers have said James Cleverly is the Tory candidate they do not want taking over the reigns of the opposition

James Cleverly with his wife Susie Cleverly arriving in Birmingham at the Conservative Party on September 28

'The general view is that for Labour, Cleverly is the one we wouldn't want,' a minister said.

'All the candidates have tacked to the Right but of the four, he's the least extreme and the most likely to appeal to moderate voters.'

The source also said Mr Jenrick had lost credibility by abandoning his 'moderate' roots and 'tacking too far to the mad Tory Right'.

Another senior Labour MP, though, believes Ms Badenoch poses 'the biggest threat'  in the Commons and in marginal, Brexit-voting seats.

He said: 'In the Chamber, Kemi will do well against Keir.'

The new leader is due to be chosen on November 2.

However, senior Conservatives are in talks to cut short the contest, so the winner is in post for Rachel Reeves's first Budget.

Labour insiders are concerned Cleverly is the politician who could garner the most public support (Pictured: Keir Starmer at the 2023 Labour Party conference in Liverpool)

Labour Ministers are reportedly not concerned about Kemi Badenoch (pictured at the Hyatt Hotel in Birmingham) as they have described her as 'too divisive'

Rival camps have been accusing each other of 'dirty tricks', including claims that Mr Jenrick's allies will lend votes to Mr Cleverly to keep Ms Badenoch out of the final two.

Last night Mr Cleverly said his party needed to 'end the Tory psychodrama' that had damaged it for so long.

Former leader William Hague, who gave members a vote in the leadership contest, called for the rules to revert to MPs making the decision.

Speaking on BBC Radio 4, Lord Hague said: 'It would be better if the decision was in the hands of MPs because the party membership has become so small.'
At least nine people are dead, with dozens more feared drowned, after a migrant boat capsized in the Canary Islands.

The vessel, believed to be carrying 84 people from Africa, got into trouble about four miles off the coast of the island of El Hierro in the early hours of yesterday.

Last night, nine were confirmed dead, including a teenage boy, with the whereabouts of 48 others unknown.

A further 27 were rescued, with three taken to a hospital on the island as search-and-rescue boats and helicopters continued to look for survivors.

At least nine migrants have died and dozens more are feared to have drowned after a boat from Africa capsized in the Canary Islands (Pictured: The rescue vessel of the Civil guard searching for migrants)

The boat is thought to have been carrying 84 people from Africa before tragedy struck (Pictured: A rescued migrant being assisted by members of the Red Cross)

Among the deceased includes a teenage boy, whilst the whereabouts of 48 remains undetermined (Pictured: A civil guard watching a rescue boats search for possible survivors)

The Spanish coastguard said high winds and migrants moving to one side of the boat caused it to capsize.

A spokesman added: 'The rescue took place in difficult circumstances, at night and in adverse weather conditions.'

By the middle of August, 22,304 migrants had arrived in the archipelago this year.
A terrorist who plotted to kill hundreds of Londoners in a bomb attack has been freed from prison after only serving half his sentence.

Manfo Asiedu, who was arrested after the failed London bombings in 2005, was jailed for 33 years in 2007 after admitting conspiracy to cause explosions.

The attempted atrocity came two weeks after 52 people were killed in the capital's 7/7 suicide bombings.

On the day of the bombing, July 21 2005, four devices on trains and a bus around London failed to detonate, instead fizzing and popping.

The home-made bombs failed to go off only because of mistakes calculating the ratios of the deadly ingredients.

Manfo Asiedu, who was arrested after the failed London bombings in 2005, was jailed for 33 years in 2007 after admitting conspiracy to cause explosions

The attempted atrocity came two weeks after 52 people were killed in the capital's 7/7 suicide bombings

On the day of the bombing, 21 July 2005, four devices on trains and a bus around London failed to detonate, instead fizzing and popping. The scene in London's Tavistock Square, after a bomb ripped through a Number 30 double decker bus on the 7/7 bombings

The defendants at the subsequent trial argued they never intended them to go off, and were merely intended to be fake suicide attempts as a protest against the Iraq invasion.

Ghanaian-born Asiedu, now 53, arrived in the UK on a fake passport in December 2003.

He admitted purchasing all of the hydrogen peroxide used in the attempted bombings, but said he refused to take part in the attacks. Instead dumped his bomb in a West London park.

The Sun has now reported he was released earlier this year and deported back to Ghana on tax-payer money.

However, it remains unclear if he agreed to the deportation in return for cash under the Facilitated Returns Scheme.

An entrance to the Liverpool Street Underground Station in London, where a bomb detonated on a train between the Aldgate and Liverpool Street Stations on the 7th July 2005

The wreckage of a bus seen in Tavistock Square, London, Thursday, July 7, 2005. At least 33 people died and more than 345 others were injured as terrorists set off bombs

Members of the public remember the victims of the 7/7/05 London Tavistock Square bombing and observe a 2 minute silence outside St Pancras Church

Tory MP Mark Francois said: 'Given the number murdered on 7/7, it's obscene that anyone involved in a similar plot should be released early, whether subsequently deported or not.

'This is a truly awful decision.'

Four of the men were jailed for life at Woolwich Crown Court after being convicted of conspiracy to murder.

Muktar Said Ibrahim, Ramzi Mohammed, Yassin Omar and Hussain Osman were told they would serve a minimum of 40 years in prison.

The Ministry of Justice has been approached for comment.
While the views are spectacular, many travellers say it's 'not worth' the trip after having bad experiences while embarking on the one hour journey.

Some tourists have sworn off visiting the popular Koh Phi Phi island from Phuket in Thailand because of the rough boat ride there. Source: TikTok/evamerteness

Tourists visiting some of the world's most picturesque hotspots might be surprised to learn that, in reality, there's often more than meets the eye.

That's certainly the case for some travelling by boat to the popular Koh Phi Phi island from Phuket in Thailand, with a video showing what tourists might expect during their journey. And it's put some people off visiting altogether.

The video shared on TikTok shows a group of travellers on board a speed boat embarking on their hour-long journey as they sail crystal blue waters and pass steep and mesmerising cliff faces. But the rough ride often causes sea sickness among passengers with many seen feeling unwell.

"The boat from Phuket to Koh Phi Phi will haunt me forever," the female traveller captioned her video. She's seen in it with her head in a bucket while a friend holds back her hair  but it wasn't just her, others admitted they experienced it too.

"I have taken that ride. People were puking everywhere," one said. While another revealed that their boat journey was "one of the worst days of my life". Others agreed it's "so awful" with some admitting it's "not worth" doing.

How travellers can prepare for 'poor weather and rough seas'

In fact, it's extremely common in island countries such as Thailand and Indonesia, Natalie Smith, head travel expert for 1Cover, told Yahoo News Australia. Travellers previously detailed a similar experience on board ferries and speed boats from Bali to surrounding islands. In Thailand, it's particularly bad from May to October.

Smith said poor weather and rough seas are expected and so any injuries or illnesses as a result are usually covered by travel insurance

"Travel isnt always straightforward and turbulent, rough seas are often an unexpected part of boat transfers," she said. "Poor weather conditions and rough seas can make for an unpleasant and even hazardous experience."

Additionally, when being transferred by boat transfer or ferry between islands travellers would usually be automatically covered also. But tourists should still check with their booking agent or accommodation providers prior to booking a boat service and always heed travel warnings and recommendations.

"Boat transfers would be covered automatically by travel insurance. Provided the ferry or charter boat you are travelling on doesnt fall under the category of cruise ship, and is primarily for transportation, you wouldnt be required to pay an additional premium," she said.

"Seek advice from local travel experts to ensure youre choosing the safest boat operators and services and always listen to the crew once onboard to ensure you know all safety instructions. Insist on wearing a life jacket even if you arent required to do so."

Warning to tourists when island hoping

Lastly, Smith reminds travellers to add all required destinations to their travel insurance policy when island hopping as an extra safety measure.

If youre travelling to multiple islands by boat, check with your insurer to see if youd be covered for all destinations. For instance, be sure to select Indonesia if youre planning to visit multiple islands around Bali such as Gili and Lombok."

The same goes for islands around the mainland of Thailand.

Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com.

You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
Nearly a quarter of voters who backed Boris Johnson in 2019 abandoned the Conservatives in July's General Election for Nigel Farage's Reform UK, an authoritative analysis has found.

Research by Lord Ashcroft, conducted immediately after Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer secured his landslide win, reveals than only 52 per cent of those who voted Conservative in 2019 did so again this year  23 per cent switched to Reform while 12 per cent backed Labour and 7 per cent voted for the Lib Dems.

The findings, published by the former deputy chairman of the Conservatives in his new book, Losing It  The Conservative Party And The 2024 General Election, will be studied intently by the four contenders for the leadership making their pitch for the job at this week's annual party conference in Birmingham.

Conservative strategists are split between those who believe the party should tack to the Right to claw back support from Reform and those who want to 'win from the centre' by scooping up Labour votes.

Almost a quarter of voters who previously supported Boris Johnson voted for Reform UK in this years general election (Pictured: Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK)

Research by Lord Ashcroft revealed the shocking figures with some Tory voters confessing they believe the party deserved to lose in the loveless Labour landslide in July. Pictured: Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson

Lord Ashcroft's research shows widespread dissatisfaction with the Tories, with an astonishing 45 per cent of those who voted Tory in July saying that the party deserved to lose the election  a view shared by more then three quarters of all voters.

And his focus groups reveal some of the reasons for the defections included losing people's trust, a lack of competence and the impact of Partygate.

One defector said of Rishi Sunak's party: 'They became complacent. I see the Tory Party looking at the working people of this country as peasants. They were laughing at us.'

Another said: 'When Sunak came in there was a sense of relief that there's a grown-up who knows what he's doing. But they were stabbing each other in the back, left, right and centre. They were just a mess.'

And a third declared: 'The Tories needed punishing because they weren't sorting themselves out.'

The book concludes that these perceived failings by the Tories played a much larger role in their electoral wipeout than enthusiasm for Sir Keir Starmer. The research also found that voters are prepared to give Labour an average of 3.5 years to prove themselves before they decide whether to support them at the next election.

Despite the number of Tory voters defecting to Reform, there is little support for a merger. Just 15 per cent Conservative voters and 26 per cent of Reform voters would like Mr Farage to join forces with whoever wins the Tory leadership.

In his introduction to his book, Lord Ashcroft writes: 'There is no reason why there must be only two major parties or, if there are, why the Conservatives must always be one of them.

A graphic showcasing Lord Ashcroft's research into how 2019 Conservative supporters voted in the most recent election

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer (pictured) secured a landslide win in July's General Election

'For the Tories to approach any kind of recovery they will need to understand why they lost not just the election but the reputation for competent government that was once an indispensable part of their appeal. The Tories didn't so much play a difficult hand badly as drop all their cards on the floor.

'People will understand and, to an extent, forgive the unenviable decisions that go with running the country. What really did for the Conservatives was a series of unforced errors.

'They included a succession of unelected prime ministers, an experimental budget that produced the opposite of the economic stability that voters looked to the Tories to uphold, endless infighting, failure to keep promises and a growing impression the Conservatives were completely detached from their lives and concerns.'

A total of 16,677 adults were surveyed between July 2 and 4, with a further 21,283 sampled between August 7 and 20. In addition, 24 focus groups of people who voted Conservative

in 2019 but switched to Labour, the Lib Dems or Reform UK in 2024 were held in former Conservative constituencies between July 29 and September 3.
A high-ranking diplomat complained to the Government after his daughter was sexually assaulted and imprisoned by Mohamed Al-Fayed on his yacht in the south of France.

The Mail on Sunday has learned that the disgraced billionaire, who died last year aged 94, is alleged to have locked the young woman in a cabin for 36 hours after the attack, described by a source as one of the worst he carried out.

It is understood the influential envoy's high-level protest dealt the tycoon's hopes of British citizenship a significant blow.

At the time  1989  Al-Fayed, an Egyptian, was facing questions about his takeover of Harrods four years earlier.

A Department of Trade and Industry inquiry had described him as 'unreliable, untrue and bogus'.

Mohamed Al-Fayed pictured sitting on his yacht in Saint Tropez, France, in 2009

In one of worst attacks he carried out, Al-Fayed is believed to have locked a young woman in the cabin of his yacht (pictured) for 36 hours after sexually assaulting her

Alleged victim Lindsay (centre) was told she needed to see a doctor before starting work at Harrods, and was given 'an invasive examination'

Al-Fayed's PA falsely told she had STI A woman raped by Mohamed Al-Fayed was warned by his doctors not to sleep with her boyfriend so that she would be 'clean' for the predatory Harrods boss. The victim, Gemma, said Fayed tried to convince her that she had a sexually transmitted infection (STI). 'But it was a ploy to keep me away from my boyfriend to ensure I'd be clean for Al-Fayed,' she added. In a letter Gemma shared with The Mail on Sunday, Harrods' in-house doctor at the time, Wendy Snell, wrote: 'It is important you do not have any sexual contact with your boyfriend until you have been treated and cleared of infection.' Gemma, then 24, who was raped by Fayed in Paris a month after starting work as a personal assistant at Harrods in 2008, suspected it was a trick. 'Al-Fayed built this story that my boyfriend had given me an [STI]. We'd been together seven years... [We] went to our own GP, but we were both given the all-clear,' she said. Advertisement

This was later held against him in his long-running campaign for a British passport.

But sources say the yacht assault, revealed for the first time today, also had a bearing on the decision to turn down his 1994 application when John Major was Prime Minister.

Last week it emerged that Al-Fayed, an alleged serial predator, was reported to Scotland Yard by at least 19 different women for rape, assault and trafficking.

The alleged crimes were recorded by police between 2005 and 2023, but none resulted in a charge.

The Metropolitan Police have appealed for more victims to come forward and are investigating whether charges could be brought against other individuals.

Many women interviewed for the BBC documentary Al-Fayed: Predator at Harrods said that when they began working for Al-Fayed they were required to undergo medicals, including invasive sexual health tests.

Four female and two male doctors conducted the tests. The MoS can reveal that one, Dr Thomas Bozek, now 75, is still practising. At the time, his then wife Alison Bozek worked for Al-Fayed.

But on Friday it emerged that the General Medical Council (GMC) refused to investigate alleged medical malpractice at Harrods in 2017 because too much time had passed and it wasn't 'in the greater public interest'.

Hired as a PA to Al-Fayed, Lindsay, now 55, was told she needed to see a doctor before starting work.

She told the MoS that Dr Bozek carried out 'an invasive examination on me, without a chaperone.

'As well as a smear test and checks for sexually transmitted infections, he checked my ovaries. I didn't receive any results  they went to Al-Fayed. I hope the GMC start an enquiry.'
Netflix will be called in to revamp the NHS app under plans being considered by Health Secretary Wes Streeting.

He is keen to bring in the streaming giants experts to improve patients experience of the health service, The Mail on Sunday understands.

A Government source said: He wants the NHS app usability to be as good as Netflix. Why shouldnt you get them to share their knowledge of how to improve customer experience?

It is understood the Health Secretary also wants to use Amazons experience of logistics to help the NHS.

The proposals are part of plans to bring the health services technology into the 21st century.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting is considering bringing in Netflix to revamp the NHS app

Mr Streeting is keen to use the streaming giant's experts to improve patients' experience of the health service (file photo)

Mr Streeting told the Labour party conference last week that operating theatres will be run like Formula 1 pit stops, with clinicians being sent into 20 hospitals to implement rapid surgery techniques.

The plan is modelled on operating theatres at Guys and St Thomas Hospital in London.

Mr Streeting said: Were sending crack teams of top clinicians to hospitals across the country to roll out reforms  developed by surgeons  to treat more patients and cut waiting lists.

Parts of the North and the Midlands with the countrys highest rates of sickness absence will be prioritised.

Over 34 million people are registered on the NHS app, which is increasingly used by patients to book appointments (file photo)

More than 34 million people are now registered to use the NHS app, which officials have described as a digital front door to the NHS.

It is increasingly used to book appointments, with patients making over 1.4million requests to their GP through it in June 2024.

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesman said: We recognise the vital role technology can play in transforming patient outcomes and experience. We are committed to enhancing the NHS app and making it work better for everyone.

An NHS spokesman said: More than three in four people in England have registered with the NHS app  more than double the number of subscribers to Netflix.
Queen Elizabeth II, Britain's longest-reigning monarch, left a legacy that will endure for centuries.

Her unwavering dedication to her country and people defined her historic reign of over 70 years - and when she passed in September 2022, millions mourned the loss of an admirable leader.

Both during her life and after her death, the Queen's family honoured her with carefully selected necklaces from her extensive collection, symbolising their deep respect and affection.

As we detail below, Queen Consort Camilla, Catherine, Princess of Wales, and other family members have proudly worn pieces that once belonged to Elizabeth, continuing her legacy through these cherished jewels.

George VI festoon necklace

Kate wore Queen Elizabeth's George VI festoon necklace for the coronation of King Charles III

A gift from her beloved father, George VI, the Queen wore the diamond festoon necklace throughout her reign.

George commissioned Garrard to create the piece in 1950, using 105 loose diamonds that had been stored in a reserve.

The resulting necklace boasts three strands of graduated stones, suspended between two diamond triangles.

Elizabeth wore the piece at state openings of Parliament and then really showed it off during a banquet for the state visit of the King and Queen of the Netherlands in 2018.

In a heartfelt tribute to the late monarch, Kate wore the necklace for the first time in the official portrait for the the King's Coronation last May.

Japanese pearl choker

The Japanese pearl choker was first loaned to Kate for the Queen and Prince Philip's 70th wedding anniversary celebrations in 2017.

She has continued to wear it on a number of occasions, including the funeral of Philip in 2021 and the funeral of the late monarch in 2022, where she paired it with the Bahrain pearl drop earrings.

Kate, the Princess of Wales, wore the Queen's Japanese pearl choker at her funeral in 2022. It was previously donned by Princess Diana at a 1982 Hampton Court banquet. The Queen wore it during a visit to Bangladesh in 1983

It is believed that the Japanese government gifted pearls to Elizabeth, who then commissioned a choker to be made by Garrard in the 1970s.

The distinctive design features a diamond clasp that sits at the centre of four strands of pearls.

Princess Diana was also seen sporting the necklace during the state visit of Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands in 1982.

Nizam of Hyderabad necklace

The dazzling Nizam of Hyderabad necklace, valued at more than 60million, is thought to be one of Queen Elizabeth's most precious pieces.

At the request of Asaf Jah VII, ruler of Hyderabad in India, Elizabeth was invited to choose two pieces from Cartier to commemorate her wedding to Prince Philip in 1947.

She opted for a tiara and necklace, inspired by an English rose.

While the tiara has since been dismantled to create other pieces, the necklace remains intact.

The dazzling Nizam of Hyderabad necklace, valued at more than 60million, is thought to be one of Queen Elizabeth's most precious pieces. Kate wore it at the National Portrait Gallery Gala in February 2014

It comprises 38 diamonds - reduced from the original 46 - and a diamond-encrusted snap.

At the centre of the necklace lies a detachable double-drop pendant, featuring 13 emerald-cut diamonds and a pear-shaped drop.

The piece was initially sold in 1936, but was reacquired by Cartier from the buyer the following year.

The original necklace consisted of eight double-drop and three triple-drop pendants.

However, nine of these pendants were removed before it caught Queen Elizabeth's eye.

Kate is the only other royal to have worn the Nizam of Hyderabad necklace. She debuted it at the National Portrait Gallery Gala in February 2014.

Belgian sapphire necklace

In November 2022, just two months after the Queen's death, Camilla wore her late mother-in-law's Belgian Sapphire parure during a state banquet, held for South Africa's leader, Cyril Ramaphosa.

The necklace and earrings were the first of the George VI sapphire collection to be placed in the royal vault. They were given as a wedding gift to Elizabeth by her father.

She was so fond of them that she commissioned a matching tiara to be created using a 19th-Century necklace that once belonged to Princess Louise of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.

Queen Camilla paid tribute to the late Queen Elizabeth II by wearing her Belgian sapphire tiara to a state banquet

In 1963, she requested a corresponding bracelet and rings - an unusual request considering she was said to dislike her hands and avoided drawing attention to them.

In its original form, the necklace had 18 sapphire clusters.

Preferring a shorter chain, Elizabeth had four links removed by Garrard in 1952, and turned the largest cluster into a pendant to hang from the centre.

It has a pin at the back so it can also be worn as a brooch.

Queen Alexandra's wedding necklace

This alluring necklace was a wedding gift from King Edward VII, the eldest son of Queen Victoria, to his bride, Alexandra of Denmark.

The pair married at St George's Chapel, Windsor, in 1863, and the then Prince of Wales presented Alexandra with a parure of diamonds and pearls.

In addition to the opulent necklace, the collection consisted of pearl and diamond cluster earrings, a brooch with a detachable pendant and a diamond tiara.

The tiara, later known as the Rundell, was the only piece that Alexandra did not wear on her wedding day.

The Princess of Wales wore Queen Alexandra's wedding necklace in 2018

Following the Queen's death in 1925, the headpiece was passed down to her daughter, Princess Victoria, but its fate remains uncertain.

The other accessories were inherited by Queen Mary, Alexandra's daughter-in-law, who gifted the necklace to the Queen Mother.

It became one of her most-loved pieces of jewellery; she even wore it for her daughter's wedding at Westminster Abbey.

The necklace, earrings and brooch were inherited by Queen Elizabeth, later the Queen Mother, who wore them for evening events.

More recently, Kate selected the necklace for a state banquet with King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima of the Netherlands, held at Buckingham Palace, in October 2018.

Three-strand 1952 pearl necklace

Queen Elizabeth was often photographed wearing pearl necklaces, most frequently her three-stranded 1952 design.

Featuring an elegant arrangement of graduated pearls, the piece, which was commissioned by Elizabeth herself, is completed with a diamond clasp.

Throughout her reign, the Queen wore this necklace countless times, showcasing its elegance across the globe.

The Princess of Wales wore the three-strand pearl necklace two years after Queen Elizabeth had worn it

In 2020, she layered it over an emerald green dress while delivering a speech to the nation amid the Covid pandemic.

During the inspirational TV address, her majesty paid tribute to a 'generation of Britons as strong as any' and said 'we should take comfort that while we may have more still to endure, better days will return'.

The Princess of Wales wore these pearls for a governors-general luncheon, shortly after the Queen's passing in September 2022, and again at the 2023 Festival of Remembrance at Royal Albert Hall.

Coronation necklace

The Coronation necklace, which has belonged to the British royal collection since 1858, has been worn by every female monarch for their crowning ceremony.

It was made, along with matching pendant earrings, to replace a set from Queen Victoria's collection that was lost in the Hanoverian Claim.

The striking necklace features 26 stones, including the 22.48-carat Lahore diamond, one of the largest in Queen Elizabeth's collection.

Queen Victoria instructed Garrard to re-use stones from old jewellery - the Lahore diamond originally hung from the Timur ruby necklace. It also contains diamonds from two badges of the Order of the Garter and a sword hilt.

The pendant's central diamond can be removed, as Queen Camilla demonstrated during the State Opening of Parliament in July.

The striking diamond pendant was created for Queen Victoria in 1858. Queen Elizabeth wore it at her coronation and Queen Camilla did the same last year

The pendant's central diamond can be removed, as Queen Camilla demonstrated during the State Opening of Parliament in July

Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee necklace

For Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee in 1887, a special necklace was commissioned from the royal jeweller Carrington & Co, as a gift from a committee of charitable ladies.

There was considerable debate over the gift, with the initial choice being a diamond badge.

However, plans changed after the Queen expressed her disapproval, stating she 'would not like this at all.'

Ultimately, the necklace, costing 5,000 (equivalent to approximately 455,000 today), became one of Queen Victoria's most cherished possessions.

She left it as an heirloom of the Crown in her will.

Queen Elizabeth later wore the necklace on several occasions, often pairing it with the diamond-studded Kokoshnik tiara.

Queen Victoria left her Golden Jubilee necklace as an heirloom of the Crown in her will. Queen Elizabeth later wore the necklace on several occasions, often pairing it with the diamond-studded Kokoshnik tiara

Emerald tassel necklace

Queen Elizabeth offered the world its first glimpse of the exquisite emerald demi-parure in 1989.

Arriving for dinner at Claridge's, she was spotted wearing the tassel necklace, paired with complementary jewels from the royal vaults.

Since the dinner took place during a state visit of the President of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, it is thought that Elizabeth's necklace had been a gift from the Sheikh.

The necklace formed part of a four-piece suite that also included a pair of earrings, a bracelet and a ring.

The Princess of Wales wore the earrings and bracelet for a dinner in 2022, hosted by Patrick Allen, the Governor General of Jamaica, at King's House in Kingston.
Meghan Markle appears to have found an unexpected fashion muse in former US First Lady Michelle Obama.

The Duchess of Sussex has sported a variety of outfits that closely mirror Michelle's style.

They include a red Carolina Herrera gown, a turquoise Victoria Beckham dress and a canary yellow Brandon Maxwell number - with each echoing designs previously worn by the former First Lady.

Interestingly, this style influence seems to have become a two-way exchange.

Michelle's choice of outfit at the Democratic National Convention in Illinois last month was very similar to Meghan's choice for an outing just five days earlier during her tour of Colombia with Prince Harry.

So although some of the matching outfits will be coincidences, the correlation is undeniable for any astute observer, as we explore further below.

Yellow pencil dress

In 2018, Meghan wore a canary yellow dress by Brandon Maxwell, which looked strikingly similar to a design worn by Michelle in 2009

Meghan occasionally incorporates vibrant hues into her wardrobe, as shown in 2018 during a visit to Marlborough House in London.

She wore a canary yellow dress by Brandon Maxwell, which looked strikingly similar to a design worn by Michelle in 2009.

The then First Lady selected the flattering bateau neck dress for a meeting at the Quirinale Palace in Rome, ahead of the G8 Summit.

Tonal trouser suit

In 2021, Meghan wore a reversible cashmere cape by Loro Piana during her visit to Harlem, New York, pairing it with matching trousers from the same Italian brand.

Her coordinated look appeared to be inspired by Michelle's outfit from Joe Biden's inauguration eight months earlier.

Michelle's plum-coloured ensemble by Sergio Hudson, comprising a knitted turtleneck, wide-leg trousers and wool coat, had received widespread acclaim.

In 2021, Meghan wore a reversible cashmere cape from Loro Piana during a visit to Harlem, New York, pairing it with matching trousers from the Italian brand. Her coordinated look appeared to be inspired by Michelle's outfit from Joe Biden's inauguration eight months earlier

One-shoulder black gown

At the 2018 Fashion Awards, Meghan presented the British Designer Womenswear award to Clare Waight Keller, who designed her wedding dress.

For the occasion, the duchess wore a glamorous one-shoulder gown by Givenchy.

Michelle had worn a nearly identical asymmetric dress while giving a speech at the Phoenix Dinner during the CBCF annual legislative conference in 2012.

At the 2018 Fashion Awards, the duchess wore a glamorous one-shoulder gown by Givenchy. Michelle had worn a nearly identical asymmetric dress while giving a speech at the Phoenix Dinner during the CBCF annual legislative conference in 2012

Turquoise sheath dress

Meghan dazzled in a turquoise sheath dress at the 2020 Endeavour Fund Awards in London.

The elegant wool design by Victoria Beckham featured a round neckline, fitted silhouette and mid-length cut.

The vivid colour also echoed Michelle's choice at a 2012 campaign rally, where she addressed supporters of her husband, President Barack Obama.

Meghan dazzled in a turquoise sheath dress at the 2020 Endeavour Fund Awards in London. It echoed Michelle's choice at a 2012 campaign rally, where she addressed supporters of her husband, President Barack Obama

Draped navy dress

In 2018, Meghan made a lasting impression in a Roland Mouret dress with an off-shoulder neckline and a draped skirt.

However, Michelle had already worn a similar design three years prior during the Let Girls Learn global conversation in New York.

Both dresses highlight timeless elegance and show how classic designs can suit different fashion icons.

In 2018, Meghan made a lasting impression in a Roland Mouret dress with an off-shoulder neckline and a draped skirt. However, Michelle had already worn a nearly identical design three years prior during the Let Girls Learn global conversation in New York

Asymmetric black dress

Meghan took a page out of Michelle's style book when she attended the Women's Empowerment reception in 2018.

The American actress chose an asymmetric dress by Black Halo, elevated by sky-high heels from Aquazzura.

The previous year, Michelle attended the ESPN awards wearing a comparable cut-out dress and strappy heels.

Meghan took a page out of Michelle's style book when she attended the Women's Empowerment reception in 2018

White off-shoulder dress

Following Michelle's lead, Meghan showcased her decolletage at the 2022 Robert F Kennedy Human Rights Ripple of Hope Gala.

Radiating elegance in a custom white dress by Louis Vuitton, paired with black accessories, Meghan opted for a shoulder-baring design with long sleeves and a wrap front, revealing just the right amount of skin.

Michelle had previously worn a similar style onstage at the Black Girls Rock! BET Special in 2015.

Following Michelle's lead, Meghan showcased her decolletage at the 2022 Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Ripple of Hope Gala. Michelle had previously worn a similar style onstage at the Black Girls Rock! BET Special in 2015

Red Grecian gown

Attending the 2021 Salute To Freedom Gala in New York, Meghan oozed glamour as she graced the red carpet alongside Prince Harry.

The Duchess's dress, a bespoke design by Carolina Herrera, was reminiscent of one worn by Michelle at the 2013 Inaugural Ball in Washington.

It incorporated a plunging halterneck and thigh-high slit, creating a distinctive aesthetic.

Meghan's Carolina Herrera dress, showcased in 2021, was reminiscent of one worn by Michelle at the 2013 Inaugural Ball in Washington

White trouser suit

At the 2022 Invictus Games, Meghan sported a white Valentino suit, consisting of an oversized blazer and wide-leg trousers.

The former First Lady had showcased a matching two-piece in 2018 during an appearance alongside Tracee Ellis Ross at Becoming: An Intimate Conversation with Michelle Obama.

Her stylish outfit incorporated a longline blazer and wide-leg trousers, which were just as lengthy as Meghan's.

At the 2022 Invictus Games, Meghan sported a white suit by Valentino, consisting of an oversized double-breasted blazer and wide-leg trousers. The former First Lady selected a similar two-piece in 2018 during an appearance alongside Tracee Ellis Ross at Becoming: An Intimate Conversation with Michelle Obama

Striped dress

For a walkabout in Fraser Island, Australia, with Prince Harry in 2018, Meghan chose a breezy dress from Reformation.

The vertical cream and grey stripes were reminiscent of a style worn by Michelle during a visit to Madrid in 2016.

Both women added gold jewellery and neutral accessories.

For a walkabout in Fraser Island, Australia, with Prince Harry in 2018, Meghan chose a breezy dress from Reformation. The vertical cream and grey stripes were reminiscent of a style worn by Michelle during a visit to Madrid in 2016

... but Michelle might have copied Meghan too

At the Democratic National Convention in Illinois last month, Michelle wore a sleeveless navy suit by Monse.

Just five days earlier, Meghan wore a similar two-piece by Veronica Beard during her trip to Colombia with Prince Harry.
Nobody outside the Royal Household really knows the luxurious extent of the lifestyle of the family at its heart.

Outwardly, they give the impression of being frugal and parsimonious  which they often are, even though Princess Anne prefers to call it, 'good old-fashioned Hanoverian Housekeeping'.

But this frugality does not apply to what they eat, drink, wear, drive and ride.

They enjoy only the best that money can buy, even if they instruct their staff to negotiate the best deals when ordering on their behalf.

As a family they take luxury for granted and hold loyalty above all other virtues.

When Queen Camilla still smoked, footmen were instructed to place silver cigarette boxes containing her favourite brand in every room. Above: Camilla smoking while riding with the Beaufort Hunt, 1996

The Princess Royal prefers to drive her own car, rather than have a chauffeur take her from place to place

And as a former senior staff member once remarked: 'The Royal Family may not always be right, but they are never wrong.'

The idea of having to accept second best in anything simply does not occur to any of the family.

The attention to detail the royals insist upon is remarkable in this day and age.

For instance, when Camilla still smoked, footmen were apparently instructed to place silver cigarette boxes containing her favourite brand in every room.

They also had to make sure that matchbox holders in solid silver containers were placed upright near at hand with one match half withdrawn so she did not have to scrabble about looking for a light.

When entertainers are summoned to entertain the Royal Family, they are given a seven-page document instructing them in how to behave.

For example, they are told they must not, under any circumstances, slouch or lean against bars or tables, bow ties should be of the self-tie variety and performers are not allowed to speak to any member of the Royal Family unless spoken to first.

Hatchards are 'invited' to provide copies of the latest books, before official publication date and always in hard back and unopened, as they love the feel of a brand new book.

Whenever Queen Camilla is expected at a private home, five minutes before HM arrives her police officer rings the hostess on their mobile so that the door is open

Hatchards are 'invited' to provide copies of the latest books, before publication date  always in hard back. Above: Charles reading a book at the Badminton Horse Trials, 1980

They like to have more than one copy of each book so they can leave the one they are reading in one room and pick up the identical copy, marked by a footman or housemaid, at the correct page.

The same applies to films. Television and film companies supply the Palace with the latest releases, before the general public see them, so the King and Queen can have a preview.

The royal valets are shown how to tie their masters' shoelaces. Some have to be cross-stitched and others simply tied straight.

And all laces have to be ironed whenever the shoes are taken off.

The valets keep a checklist of the outfits worn on a particular day, and where, so they can tell their principals if they have worn something to the same place on more than one occasion.

The King also has a fully equipped barbershop immediately above his rooms in Buckingham Palace where his hairdresser comes once a week to touch up the royal locks.

Valet Ken Stronach in the uniform room at Kensington Palace cleaning a ceremonial sword, 1986

King Charles III's police protection officer helps him put on his overcoat after a visit to Luton Town Hall, December 2022

Prince Edward was once said (but never proven) to have sacked a butler because the man was not outside the house when he arrived back and Edward had to open the car door himself

The only time Queen Camilla leaves the Palace for a medical appointment is to go to the dentist in Wimpole Street, Marylebone, because that is where there is a fully equipped surgery.

Otherwise, doctors and nurses are all summoned to wherever she is at the time.

Whenever Queen Camilla is expected at a private home, five minutes before HM arrives her police officer rings the hostess on their mobile so that the door is open.

The late Queen Elizabeth never rang a doorbell in her life.

The Princess Royal prefers to drive her own car, rather than have a chauffeur take her from place to place.

The King's suits, of which he has 60, cost upwards of 5,000 each, while his shirts, all hand-made, cost 1,000 and he has more than 200, while his collar stiffeners are solid gold.

His collection of ties, regimental, club and personal, runs to over 500.

A serving soldier based at Birdcage Walk, polishes His Majesty's boots and shoes every day  he has 50 pairs each costing over 2,000 to make by Lobb of St James's - and a housemaid hand washes his silk underwear as soon as it is discarded.

Nothing Charles or Camilla wears is ever allowed near a washing machine.

Prince Edward was once said (but never proven) to have sacked a butler because the man was not outside the house when he arrived back and Edward had to open the car door himself.

His chauffeur is instructed to face the front at all times, even when the car is stationery.

Clearly, nothing is too much trouble for the most famous family in the world.

Adapted from Brian Hoey's 2012 book Not in Front of the Corgis, published by Biteback Publishing.
Looking around a classroom today, you might be hard-pressed to find a child who doesn't have a smartphone in their pocket.

But for parents, knowing when it is right to give their child their first phone can seem like an impossible challenge.

To help make sense of this question, MailOnline has asked authorities on childhood development and safety for their expert opinion.

From Britain's strictest headmistress who believes smartphones should be banned for under 16s to the psychologist who says not to wait too long, even the experts don't agree on a single answer.

So, whose advice do you agree with?

MailOnline has asked experts ranging from Britain's strictest headmistress to cybersecurity consultants for their opinion on when children should be given their first smartphone

When do the experts think you should give your child their first phone? Professor Liane Azevedo: Public health expert Mobile phone use for children under six may harm their normal development.

Children should only have an hour of screen time a day. Katharine Birbalsingh: Britain's strictest headmistress Smartphones should be banned for all children under 16.

Parents are strongly discouraged from getting their children a smartphone. Jake Moore: Cybersecurity expert Around 11 or 12 years old may be a good time to consider introducing a phone.

Ensure that you understand the privacy and safety settings of any app your children use. Professor Mizuko Ito: Learning scientist Parents need to think about whether their child is ready and make their own decision.

Smartphones can be beneficial when children are properly supported in using them. Dr Yalda Uhls: Child psychologist Parents should set a good example for sensible phone use.

Don't wait until your child is the last of their friends to have one. Advertisement

Public health expert

Professor Liane Azevedo, of Sheffield Hallam University, is a leading expert in the public health impacts of mobile phone use especially on young children.

While much of what we know about smartphone use is currently drawn from parallels with TV viewing, Professor Azevedo says there may be good reason to hold off giving your child a phone.

'At a young age, it's crucial for children's development to play with other children and toys and spend time outdoors,' Professor Azevedo told MailOnline.

'This helps improve their cognitive, physical, social, and emotional skills, making play the top priority for children.'

Before the age of six, children's brains are developing at a rapid rate and need to develop their key skills through face-to-face interaction.

That means that spending time on devices before this age might have significant impacts on childhood development.

The negative impacts of phone use appear to be particularly pronounced in children under three years old - leading to negative impacts on language, communication, and cognitive development.

Professor Azevedo says: 'From my perspective, and considering guidance on TV viewing, children should spend a maximum of one hour per day on screens, including smartphones, tablets, and TV.'

She adds: 'If the child is watching something on a smartphone or tablet, the content at a very young age - less than 5 years - must be educational.'

Currently, Professor Azevedo says that there is not enough evidence to give an exact age at which smartphones can be safely given to children.

However, she is currently undertaking a study funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) to determine what effects smartphones have.

Professor Azevedo concludes: 'Hopefully soon, we will have a more precise response.'

Public health expert Professor Liane Azevedo (pictured) says that young children should have less than an hour of screentime a day, and that children under six can be particularly affected by smartphone use

Research has found that the human brain develops at its fastest before the age of six, but spending too much time on smartphones may disrupt this process. This graph shows brain development over time

'Britain's strictest headmistress'

Katharine Birbalsingh is the headmistress and co-founder of Michaela Community School, a free school established in 2014 in London.

Mrs Birbalsingh's unique approach to education is famous for its intense focus on discipline, earning her the moniker 'Britain's strictest headmistress'.

Within Michaela Community School, students are required to walk silently through the corridors and sit up attentively at their desks.

And they study through a technique called 'rote learning' - memorizing information based on repetition.

Crucially, Mrs Birbalsingh has turned the school into a completely phone-free environment.

'I think all smartphones should be banned to children under the age of 16; I think that should be a government issue,' Mrs Birbalsingh told MailOnline.

Mrs Birbalsingh says that excessive smartphone leads to children falling behind in their studies and failing to develop basic skills like reading.

'Britain's strictest headmistress' Katharine Birbalsingh told MailOnline that parents should avoid giving their children smartphones until they are at least 16 years old

WHAT ARE THE GUIDELINES FOR CHILD SCREEN TIME? There are no official guidelines for screen time limits. But there are calls for interventions to be put in place due to growing concern about the impact of screen time, and social media use, on the mental health and wellbeing of young people. The Royal College of Pediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) and American Association of Pediatrics (AAP) both give guidance for parents. These guidelines include: For children younger than 18 months, avoid use of screen media other than video-chatting.

Parents of children 18 to 24 months of age who want to introduce digital media should choose high-quality programming, and watch it with their children to help them understand what they're seeing.

For children ages 2 to 5 years, limit screen use to 1 hour per day of high-quality programs.

Parents should view media with children to help them understand what they are seeing and apply it to the world around them.

Designate media-free times together, such as dinner or driving, as well as media-free locations at home, such as bedrooms. Advertisement

She explains: 'A book cannot compete with a phone, it's black and white and flat while a phone has pop-ups and colour.

'You'll find that they will lose interest in any number of different things because a smartphone is meant to be addictive.'

Mrs Birbalsingh claims that these risks are so severe that parents should not give their children a smartphone until they turn 16.

'I strongly encourage parents not to give children a smartphone because it breaks the brain, it puts your child in grave danger,' says Mrs Birbalsingh.

Instead, she recommends that parents encourage their children to take up beneficial hobbies like reading, playing a musical instrument, learning chess, or exercising.

Mrs Birbalsingh concludes: 'Your child will be able to read and learn, and their minds will be free of all the toxicity online, making it far less likely that they would join social media later and get into all kinds of altercations and all kinds of trouble.'

Cybersecurity expert

Jake Moore, global cybersecurity advisor for ESET, is an expert in online safety as well as a father.

He told MailOnline that the biggest issue is that children are given smartphones before they are mature enough to use them responsibly.

'From what I'm seeing, children are given devices without a second thought for cybersecurity and privacy,' says Mr Moore.

Even though adults often assume that children know how to operate smartphones, Mr Moore says that they rarely understand privacy or security settings.

For example, many children may be unaware of how to restrict settings on Snapchat that make their location visible to other users.

Beyond the privacy and safeguarding issues, a lack of understanding about smartphones also puts children and families at risk of cybercrime.

However, Mr Moore also points out that smartphones can be a very important safety tool for staying in touch with children and can even have benefits in education when used properly.

'There are many impressively positive reasons why a 12-year-old would need a phone for communication, safety, and in some cases a better way of life.'

Cybersecurity expert Jake Moore (pictured) says that there are good reasons to give children smartphones at 12 but that parents need to make sure they understand privacy and safety settings

Mr Moore recommends using options like Instagram's Teen Accounts which give parents oversight of their children's social media use

Giving a child their first phone between the ages of 11 and 12 may be appropriate, he thinks, but only if the parents ensure their child and themselves are properly prepared.

Mr Moore says: 'I do actually think it's a good idea to give a child a smartphone when they are mature enough to understand what the device is.

'So I really recommend that parents sit down and make sure their child fully understands the risk.'

Mr Moore also recommends that parents take the time to download and understand any apps their children are using so they know how the privacy and safety features work.

Many social media services such as Instagram and Snapchat now have parent or guardian modes which allow parents oversight of their children's accounts.

Mr Moore concludes: 'Every time my children want an app I download it on my phone first, I play around with the settings, and make sure that it's totally private and then I teach them they don't have to give out their personal data.'

Ofcom data shows that most children receive their first mobile phone between the ages of 10 and 11

Learning scientist

Professor Mizuko Ito, of the University of California, Irvine, is a learning scientist and 'anthropologist of technology' who has published a series of books on children's use of social media and smartphones.

However, Professor Ito doesn't believe there is any single answer to when a child should get their first phone.

'I don't believe that there is a single magical age when a child is ready for a smartphone,' Professor Ito told MailOnline.

'I think it is more important to support their entry into the online world, make sure there is trust and conversation about use, and that caregivers and other caring adults are part of a child's digital engagement.'

Professor Ito emphasises that smartphones can have a number of striking benefits for adolescents - giving them more autonomy and the ability to access diverse social connections, for example.

Learning scientists and anthropologist Professor Mizuko Ito (pictured) says that there is no 'magical age' at which children are ready, instead parents must make their own choices

She says: 'The vast majority of online engagement though is centred on maintaining social relationships and accessing content of interest, which is generally both positive and essential to learning and wellbeing.'

Professor Ito also argues that the option to communicate and access online content privately and discreetly is extremely important to children.

Professor Ito says: 'My generation had to rely on home phones for private communication with others outside the home, but it was hardly private because family members could monitor what was happening.

'Now children and teens can connect with others, either directly or through a wildly diverse array of content with ease in almost any setting.'

Professor Ito notes that getting a smartphone is a 'big step' in terms of responsibility so children need to be ready for the change.

She argues that parents would be better off focussing on how children use their phones and supporting them to use them well.

Ofcom data found that 63 per cent of children aged eight to 11 used social media, Professor Ito says that online media can have positive impacts when children access it responsibly

Around the world, mobile phone and social media bans in education settings are becoming more common. This map shows where such bans have now come into place

Child psychologist

Dr Yalda Uhls, CEO of the Center for Scholars & Storytellers at University of California, Los Angeles, is a child psychologist and expert on the effects of media on adolescent development.

She argues that there is no good evidence that smartphones have an irreversible detrimental impact on mental health.

'As far as I know, there is no definitive causal relationship between smartphone use and mental health later in life,' says Dr Uhls.

Studies have shown that some children have mobile phones and poor mental health, but not that one causes the other.

Child psychologist Dr Yalda Uhls says that parents shouldn't wait until their child is the last to get a smartphone or they may be left out socially

Dr Uhls adds: 'There is no definitive research on an exact age to give a kid a smartphone.

'Every family is different and each kid is as well.

'Rather the family should ask themselves if the kid is ready to be responsible for this kind of device.'

Parents should pay attention to their child's levels of impulse control, forward planning, and whether they are prone to losing things.

Dr Uhls recommends that you think carefully about your own phone use and consider what kind of behaviour you are modelling for your child.

But while it might be hard to know when the time is right, Dr Uhls says parents shouldn't wait too long.

She concludes: 'Don't wait until every single one of their friends has one and they are the last one or they may be left out socially.'
In the summer of 1976, Timothy Cleve Abbott was rushed to hospital when a blood blister on his foot became infected and spread up his leg.

Doctors injected him with penicillin to stop halt the infection but the shot triggered a violent allergic reaction, causing him to leave his body.

The Austin, Texas, musician said the experience totally transformed his life and his views on religion and the nature of reality.

Mr Abbott, now 68, went on to suffer multiple near-death experiences and he believes there's a reason around a third of people become recurrent 'experiencers'.

Tim Abbott says the experiences changed his life and his views forever (Tim Abbott, Supplied)

He told DailyMail.com: It started in the summer of 1976, I got out of high school.

'I bought a new pair of shoes, and I developed a blood blister, and I didn't pay any attention to it, but it went up past my knee to the point where I couldn't walk.

After friends hauled him to the hospital, doctors lanced and drained the blood blister - but immediately injected him with the antibiotic penicillin, which Abbott said he is extremely allergic to.

The young man immediately collapsed.

He said: I immediately left my body. I saw my body fall down and bounce off the cement floor.

'The staff started freaking out and screaming, and the next thing I know, you know, they're trying to bring me back with CPR.

Abbott said that despite watching his own dead body on the floor, the experience was very calm.

He said: I wasn't in a panic or anything like that. I was just there.

After three minutes, medical staff brought him back, and they sent him for a skull X-ray after his head had bounced off the floor.

His second near-death experience came just six years later, in 1982, when he was inner-tubing on the Guadalupe River in his home state.

Abbott said: Its a slow moving river, normally, but it wasn't slow moving. It was 20 feet above flood stage, but we went ahead and did it anyway, because we were young and dumb.

'I hit an area of turbulence, and I went down to the bottom of the river and ran out of air, and I had an X-Ray vision, I cant explain it any other way.

Finding the bottom of the river, Abbott kicked himself back to the surface.

Abbott said: I saw a hand and instinctively grabbed it and he pulled me up. And when I came to I was spitting out water, and I looked in, amazingly enough.

Tim as a young man (Tim Abbott, Supplied)

'The weirdest part of this story is that I knew the guy that saved my life. He was from my hometown, 400 miles away, who just happened to be in the same spot at the same time I was with other friends.

In both experiences, Abbott said, he had a feeling of infiniteness.

He said: 'I knew that I was not in my body, and I was down looking at me like you would be watching someone in a movie, you know, something you'd see on TV.'

But Abbott said that the experiences changed his views on religion and life and death totally.

He said: I believe once you have opened that window, or crack the door to what happens in the afterlife, you carry it with you as a marker of sorts, or you are able to be in touch with things that you can't quite understand.

'I have had some odd stories happen to me after all that and I feel it's all connected.

Since his two near-death experiences, he has felt a presence watching over him - and has come to believe that it is his deceased grandmother, Theresa Rigby.

He said: I was born and raised a Lutheran Christian, and now I have the tendency to embrace something similar to that, but I believe in reincarnation after going through these things.

Since his experiences, Abbot has spoken to others who have been through similar things, and they too feel that the experiences have opened their minds to other phenomena.

Abbott said: Some of these people have taken it to levels that are far beyond anything that I've experienced.

'It set me on a path or a journey, to figure out what is the secret of life. What is the answer to this? Is there really one God, or is there one God who goes by many names?

'I believe that pretty much no one knows what happens when we die, but there are plenty of clues left for us to figure it all out. Some people have keen abilities that allows them to be a conduit for things we don't quite understand yet.'

Abbott says the experiences changed his life and his views forever (Tim Abbott, Supplied)

Abbott has written rock, country, Americana, blues - and says many songs have a theme of life and loss.

Abbott said that he has tried to convey his experiences through his music in the decades since - and also strives to live the right way.

He said: I do believe we're the good side of humanity. Is that we're all supposed to be here for a reason, and we're all supposed to be helping each other out.

'It's so much easier said than done, of course, in today's chaotic world, but I do believe there is a higher power at play.

There is so much clutter in our everyday lives that it's really hard for us to find these true meanings in life - unless maybe you have some crazy experience that happens to you, that affects you and causes you to look inside as well as outside to see what the answers are.
Enjoy your own company? Then take it to the next level and book a solo holiday.

That's the advice of 63-year-old seasoned solo traveller Christina Ford, a lifestyle blogger (a-broad-in-london) and author of the award-winning book In Search of Mr Darcy: Lessons Learnt in the Pursuit of Happily Ever After. She tells MailOnline Travel why travelling solo is 'fabulous', the best countries to visit alone  and the common mistakes women make when visiting somewhere on their own.

So why is solo travel fabulous?

Christina says: There are so many fabulous things about travelling solo. Youre on your own schedule, doing what you want to do. Your time is your own, and you can pivot at any moment.

And you meet new people. Far more than if you were travelling with someone. Plus, you learn how capable you are. Ive learned more about myself travelling alone than at almost any other time - its amazing discovering what great company you are!

Enjoy your own company? Then take it to the next level and book a solo holiday. That's the advice of 63-year-old seasoned solo traveller Christina Ford. She's pictured above in Sicily, Italy - a country she says she's a huge fan of

Christina says that Cinque Terre (left) in Italy is her 'favourite solo place'. She's pictured right in Taomina, Sicily

'Travel is a gift - don't wait for your schedule to align with a friend's,' says Christina, who's pictured hiking in Cinque Terre

Christina describes Cinque Terre (above) as 'five ancient fishing villages connected by sea, train or hiking'

If you find the thought of mingling with new people daunting, Christina suggests joining a walking tour.

She says: They're available in almost every major city, usually free, and filled with other travellers like yourself. Strike up a conversation, share that youre travelling alone and suggest having a drink together.

On a solo ski trip to Whistler, I asked my ski instructor for recommendations, and by the end of the lesson, she invited me to join her and some other instructors at their local bar, an unexpected and fun evening that wouldnt have happened if I hadnt mentioned I was travelling solo.

But make sure to steer well clear of any romantic restaurants.

The experienced solo traveller warns: When dining alone, find lively, fun places, absolutely nothing romantic. I once told my Madrid guide that I didnt want to be in a restaurant where there was the slightest chance of someone at the next table proposing! I prefer restaurants with a bar where I can eat. Then, I put my phone down, stay present, and engage with people.

While planning your first solo jaunt can be exciting, Christina warns the most common mistake she sees lone women make is 'biting off more than you can chew'.

She explains: 'If it's your first solo trip and you're afraid of flying, don't plan a two-week journey with multiple flights. Choose a place you can fly to directly.

'Also keep it short at first - it's better to want more. Do your research and plan something you've always wanted to do but within your comfort zone.'

The avid traveller tends to use ChatGPT to plan short trips and recently used the AI chatbot to design a jaunt to Rome.

The traveller often uses ChatGPT to plan short trips and recently used the AI chatbot to design a jaunt to Rome (above)

Christina says: 'I prefer restaurants with a bar where I can eat. Then, I put my phone down, stay present, and engage with people.' She's pictured above in Seville

Christina advises new travellers to 'plan something you've always wanted to do but within your comfort zone' and says 'you'll learn how capable you are' on a solo trip. She's pictured on the left in Marbella and on the right in Corfu

She says: 'My prompt was, "Single female traveller, three days, loves sightseeing, history, great food, and of course, shopping. In seconds, I had a three-day itinerary and I followed about 90 per cent of it. Bravo, ChatGPT!'

For a longer trip, such as an African safari, Christina recommends joining an 'existing tour group', explaining: 'You might have to pay a single supplement, but it's a good way to meet new people with much of the itinerary already planned for you.'

So where are Christina's top destinations for solo women travellers?

Christina's essential packing list Mobile

Battery charger

Small satchel/knapsack, or bag (no bum bags unless you're 80 or a tourist from Florida

Earphones

Comfortable shoes

Google Maps and Apple Maps

Google Translate

ChatGPT (real-time translating, plus travel tips)

Calm or Audible (to drown out noise in case your room is loud)

Spotify (find a podcast about the place youre visiting) Want more from Christina? Find her on Instagram (@abroad.inlondon), TikTok (@insearchofmrdarcy) or check out her blog a-broad-in-london.com Advertisement

She says: 'I am a huge fan of Italy and have travelled there extensively. My favourite solo place is Cinque Terre, five ancient fishing villages connected by sea, train or hiking. It's the perfect combination of healthy living, gorgeous vistas and fabulous food. I recommend going during the shoulder seasons, like October, when the crowds have thinned.'

Christina also recommends her native Canada as 'great for solo travellers'.

She explains: 'If you prefer something more urban, Toronto is a fantastic choice. Often described as New York run by the Swiss, its a great food town with safe and clean public transit. As a solo traveller, its easy to get a single ticket for a Broadway-style show.

'Canada is generally a safe country filled with friendly people who will gladly point you in the right direction - and probably apologise if you get lost. But part of the fun and growth of travelling is allowing yourself to get lost!'

And where would she leave off the bucket list?

Christina previously spoke to MailOnline about her terrible experience in Mykonos, where she felt she was discriminated against as a solo traveller.

However, she says: 'There's nowhere else I wouldn't return to, solo or otherwise. But there are places I'd avoid as a female solo traveller - specifically, countries where women dont have the same freedoms as men.'

While Christina's mum was 'worried' and her friends think she's 'brave' for venturing abroad alone, she says taking the plunge is worth it, explaining: 'It can be scary doing something new or getting lost in a foreign country, but think about what you'd miss out on!'

How does she stay safe abroad?

'If you prefer something more urban, Toronto [above] is a fantastic choice,' says Christina. 'It's often described as New York run by the Swiss'

Christina is pictured above during a solo ski trip to Whistler

Christina, who emphasises that 'safety is crucial' for lone women travellers, recommends always carrying a phone charger as 'you never know where the day could take you' and sharing your live location with a friend or family member.

Christina always pins her hotel's location on Google Maps and advises 'using your common sense' around 'sketchy areas'.

Another top safety tip? Buy travel insurance.

Christina says: 'It's peace of mind, especially in the U.S. Once, I broke my pelvis at Burning Man and ended up in hospital for eight nights. I can't imagine the bill without insurance.'

Still unsure whether to take the jump?

Christina says: 'Travel is a gift. Dont wait for your schedule to align with a friends. Life is short, and the world is big. To quote Anatole France: "Sometimes one day in a different place gives you more than ten years of life at home.'
Foreign tourists in London  and visitors from elsewhere in the UK  you've been using the city's underground railway system all wrong.

But it's understandable, since none of the 'rules' of using the London Underground  or 'Tube'  have been formally written down.

Until now.

Etiquette expert William Hanson has clarified the do's and don'ts in his new book, Just Good Manners, warning that those who don't follow them risk experiencing 'the spine-tingling wrath of a British tut'.

William begins by explaining that the first sign of a newbie is 'waiting for the ticket barriers to close before tapping their payment card on the Oyster pad'. This, he says, inconveniences passengers behind.

Etiquette expert William Hanson has clarified the do's and don'ts of using the London Underground in his new book, Just Good Manners. Above - Westminster station on the Circle/District line

Merlin of manners: William Hanson

'Be a pro and know that so long as the LED has gone orange, you can tap away, regardless of the position of the barriers,' says William.

Next, the duke of decorum says, is to strictly observe the signposted rule on the escalators to 'stand on the right, walk on the left'.

'If you do not, you will be considered one level down from a serial killer,' warns William.

Once on board, 'only talk to people you know in hushed tones', stresses William.

But don't talk at all if 'you are pressed up against others'.

Hungry? Eating on the Tube is to be approached with extreme caution.

'Only make eye contact with people you don't know if there's some minor drama,' says William

William's new book, Just Good Manners (Penguin Random House), is out now

William says: 'Do not eat anything smelly. Ideally nothing bigger or more potent than a breath mint.'

How about eye contact?

'Only make eye contact with people you don't know if there's some minor drama,' says William, such as 'an overkeen busker, a drunk or an argument between other passengers'.

He adds: 'Unless such an instance occurs, the floor, your telephone and the overhead adverts for sending money abroad are the only acceptable places to stare.'

Any other pointers?

Yes.

Music, videos and podcasts 'are to be enjoyed only with your headphones'.

And during busy periods, says William, 'mind your baggage'.

He explains: 'Backpacks should be held in front of you, rather than worn conventionally, and bags should definitely not be placed on empty seats. Place it on your lap or the floor.'

And, finally, 'stopping the doors from closing so your friend can catch up and join you does not make you a hero, it makes you a pillock of the highest order'.

'There is usually always a train shortly behind the one you're holding up with your kamikaze routine,' says William.

For more from Mr Hanson visit his TikTok and Instagram profiles.

Just Good Manners  A Quintessential Guide to Courtesy, Charm, Grace and Decorum (Penguin Random House), is out now. It is billed as 'a witty and authoritative guide to British etiquette'.
Queensland electrician Kyle Romaior claims tradespeople 'always have a story' and is on a mission to 'educate' Australia about his colleagues.

Queensland electrician Kyle Romaior says tradies always have stories to tell and is on a mission to debunk common myths about them. Source: TikTok/Kyle Romaior

If you ever wondered what it's like to be a tradie, one bloke is revealing all. Kyle Romaior, an electrician from Queensland, is spilling his colleagues' "deepest, darkest" secrets after setting up a "confessions" box for tradesmen and Aussies can't get enough.

Speaking to Yahoo News Australia, the 32-year-old admitted guys on the worksite "always have a story or two" which they openly share with the other blokes during their smokos. One day he simply asked them, 'what's the weirdest thing you've done'  and with that "confessions of a tradesman" was born.

Last month, the 32-year-old set up a "confessions" box at his work site in Townsville using a small Esky with a handwritten sign stuck to the front. "I was on a work site one day, and I thought 'I'm just going to put it there and see what happens'," he revealed to Yahoo.

'Confessions of a tradie' TikTok trend

Since then, the electrician has been sharing the bold admissions on social media. "I got one of the stories from one of the tradies on site, and I used that [for my first video]," he said, referring to a video detailing the man's accidental relations with his boss's wife.

He's since been flooded with more tradie confessions online, most of which are, oddly, toilet-related. "It could be clients not letting tradesmen use their toilet, but there's a lot of stories about women not being faithful to their husbands," he admitted.

Romaior said "so many people out there do weird shi*t". "There's years and years of content on funny stories that happens on work sites, I've got some stories myself, but I don't want to say them on a public platform," he admitted.

Aussie tradies are "pretty open" and love "a bit of banter", he added. "I don't think anyone would be surprised with what comes out of tradies' mouths sometimes."

The electrician started a 'confessions' box at his work site whereby tradies reveal their 'deepest, darkest' secrets. Source: TikTok/Kyle Romaior

Sad truth behind construction industry revealed

While the confessions are seemingly accurate, at least according to the tradies who share them, Romaior re-writes them for the camera to make it sound "more like a story" for social media. And while most are funny, there's often a sad and sometimes dark undertone to some, he admitted.

He aims to use his social media to "educate people" and show the nation that "tradies aren't as stupid as [some] think".

"I think there's a bit of a stigma around tradies, and I think that a lot of people can talk down to them," he said referring to homeowners requesting work. "At the end of the day, we're building your home. Maybe it's best to respect the people that are putting their skills into your house."

He's also had his fair share of disrespect thrown his way during his time as an electrician  some 14 years. "You just get belittled at a home when the client thinks that they're above you."

'More support' in construction industry with better pay

As far as the industry goes, however, Romaior reckons "there's a lot more support in the industry for apprentices" compared to when he was one. They were "regularly mistreated" by the more experienced workers, he said, which resulted in many young men and women "getting turned off trades".

"Having an apprenticeship isn't really a cushiony job. You get yelled at, you get the s**t jobs and the pay is absolutely horrid. But as soon as you see that finish line, the pay just every year goes up and up," he revealed.

Comparing it to a university degree he said "you don't get paid when you study" arguing that, often, tradies could make more money than a uni graduate.

While the average electrician salary is $93,862 per year, with entry-level positions starting off at $78,968 per year and more experienced workers raking in $134,816 per year on average, others have reported salaries of more than $200,000.

For Romaior though, being able to "consistently move around" to different job sites is what he loves most about a trade. "And you have a sense of accomplishment because you get to see construction from start to finish".

Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com.

You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
Netflix fans have hailed a 'brilliant' action movie as 'one of the best' films they have seen of the genre.

Posting to the Facebook group Netflix Bangers, which has over 3.2million members, one user asked for an 'honest review' of a popular action film.

Responding in the comments section, other users urged the original poster to watch the film, stating: 'It extremely good. I love the rage of vengeance in his eyes. Just watch it.'

Another wrote: 'Absolutely loved it'.

One fan said: 'Brilliant action movie'.

Netflix fans have hailed a 'brilliant' action movie as 'one of the best' films they have seen of the genre (File image)

Viewers were referring to The Beekeeper, an action thriller starring Jason Statham

One fan shared: 'One of the best'.

Another gushed: 'It's a 10 out of 10. Watch it once and you'd wish there would be a part two'.

Viewers were referring to The Beekeeper, an action thriller starring Jason Statham, who plays beekeeper Adam Clayton, a reserved man, who shares a friendship with retired schoolteacher Eloise Parker (Phylicia Rashad).

After Eloise falls for a phishing scam that renders her bankrupt her and robbed of her life savings, including $2million from a charity fund she manages, she commits suicide.

Adam discovers her body and is arrested byagent Verona Parker, Eloise's daughter, who is played by Emmy Raver-Lampman.

After Adam is cleared and released, he contacts the Beekeepers, a mysterious group, to find those responsible and seek justice for Eloise.

Following its release in January this year, the film raked in 115million from a budget estimated to be around 31million.

Reaction from critics was mixed, with 70% of 175 critics' reviews positive with an average rating of 5.9/10 on aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes.

Meanwhile, Metacritic gave the picture a score of 54 out of 100, based on 37 critics, indicating 'mixed or average' reviews.

Statham plays beekeeper Adam Clayton, a reserved man, who shares a friendship with retired schoolteacher Eloise Parker (Phylicia Rashad)

Filming took place on the Kingsferry Bridge for the confrontation scene between Adam Clay and Mickey Garnett (David Witts), which leads to Garnett being tied to a truck and thrown into the murky waters of the Swale Estuary below.

Further footage was also shot in Tyringham, near Newport Pagnell, Milton Keynes, in October 2022 at Tyringham Hall - a privately owned 18th century stately home in the village.

The historic estate is featured in the film as an American embassy, and an American flag could be seen waving from the home as film crews and helicopters surrounded the site, according to Edinburgh News.

Tyringham Hall has been the location for several films and series in the past, including Killing Eve, starring Jodie Comer and Sandra Oh, and Gambit, featuring Cameron Diaz, Alan Rickman and Colin Firth.

A location on Jermyn Street in Westminster, London, was also used for shots in the film, taking the form of a Boston-based, high-tech call centre inhabited by antagonist Derek Danforth (Josh Hutcherson).

The actor was was spotted on the streets of London in November 2022 as he continued filming scenes for The Beekeeper.

Filming took place on the Kingsferry Bridge for the confrontation scene between Adam Clay and Mickey Garnett (David Witts), which leads to Garnett being tied to a truck and thrown into the murky waters of the Swale Estuary below

Filming took place in Tyringham, near Newport Pagnell, Milton Keynes, in October 2022 at Tyringham Hall - a privately owned 18th century stately home in the village (stock image)
Craig Revel Horwood looked unrecognisable as he donned a dramatic face of makeup and a long blonde wig in first look images from the first Strictly Come Dancing results show on Sunday night.

The 59-year-old dancer and choreographer was worlds away from his usual self as he battled against fellow judges Motsi Mabuse, 43, Shirley Ballas, 64, and Anton Du Beke, 58 in a dramatic group performance.

Before viewers find out who will be the first couple to be voted out of the dancing competition, the judges and professional dancers will bring the drama with an avant-garde gothic tango.

The show-stopping performance will see the pros and judges team up to strut their stuff to a medley of When Doves Cry by Prince and Blue Monday by New Order.

Craig looked incredibly fierce in a period outfit consisting of a white and golden frilly dress shirt paired with a black blazer, shorts and tights.

Craig Revel Horwood looked unrecognisable as he donned a dramatic face of makeup and a long blonde wig in first look images from the first Strictly Come Dancing results show on Sunday night

The 59-year-old dancer and choreographer was worlds away from his usual self as he battled against fellow judges Motsi Mabuse , 43, Shirley Ballas , 64, and Anton Du Beke, 58 in a dramatic group performance

In the striking sneak peak images, his short black hair is replaced with a huge curly blonde wig complete with a crown.

The judge posed on a ginormous throne with a scepter in hand as the professional dancers surround him.

He wore a face full of very dramatic makeup, including gold glitter, smoky black eyeshadow, and a small heart etched onto his cheek.

And Craig wasn't the only judge to transform into a new character for the edgy group dance.

Shirley looked the picture of glamour in a black sheer dress and gloves, as she elegantly fanned herself on the dancefloor.

She wore a unique headpiece made up of pink roses for the daring ensemble, as she was joined by Anton on the ballroom floor.

The former professional dancer also looked like royalty as he stepped into the spotlight in a dazzling golden shirt and suede maroon blazer.

Elsewhere, Motsi looked incredible as she put on a leggy display in a long skirt featuring a wide slit, teamed with a sheer mesh top.

Craig looked entirely different to his normal self, swapping his classic suit for a dazzling period costume and wig

Shirley looked the picture of glamour in a black sheer dress and gloves, as she elegantly fanned herself on the dancefloor

She wore a unique headpiece made up of pink roses for the daring ensemble, as she was joined by Anton on the ballroom floor

The former professional dancer also looked like royalty as he stepped into the spotlight in a dazzling golden shirt and suede maroon blazer

Elsewhere, Motsi looked incredible as she put on a leggy display in a long skirt featuring a wide slit, teamed with a sheer mesh top

It comes just after the news that Nick Knowles will return to Strictly Come Dancing on Saturday after an arm injury left his long-term future on the show hanging in the balance

Fan favourite Nick was left sweating over his place after sustaining the injury while changing a tyre when his car broke down as he drove to his 62nd birthday party

The professional dancers can also be seen in the first-look images as they bring the glam in an array of flamboyant outfits.

It comes just after the news that Nick Knowles will return to Strictly Come Dancing on Saturday after an arm injury left his long-term future on the show hanging in the balance.

Fan favourite Nick was left sweating over his place after sustaining the injury while changing a tyre when his car broke down as he drove to his 62nd birthday party on Sunday.

But he has since been given the green light from show bosses, a decision strengthened by his popularity among viewers, meaning he will return with professional dancer Luba Mushtuk for week two.

A source told The Mirror: 'Nick and Lubas attitude is very much that the show must go on, and they were thrilled when he was given the go ahead. They are even going to attempt a lift.

'Luba has told Nick that the move she was planning for the routine can be made safe for him - so as it stands they are still going to perform that. Nick is fully on board because the last thing he wants is the sympathy vote.

'Now that hes been told he can perform this week he is determined to come out all guns blazing and give the routine everything hes got.'
BBC Breakfast's Naga Munchetty was notably missing from the programme for the second day in a row on Saturday.

The presenter, 49, who usually hosts alongside Charlie Stayt, 62, from Thursday through to Saturday, was replaced by Nina Warhurst again.

Nina has already stepped in twice within two weeks to cover Sally Nugent earlier this month as well as appearing on Friday's show.

Stepping in, she and Charlie discussed the passing of Dame Maggie Smith and various other news.

It is unclear why Naga is missing from BBC Breakfast but the programme often undergoes hosting shake-ups. MailOnline has contacted the BBC for comment.

BBC Breakfast's Naga Munchetty was notably missing from the programme for the second day in a row on Saturday

The presenter, 49, who usually hosts alongside Charlie Stayt, 62, from Thursday through to Saturday, was replaced by Nina Warhurst, 43, again

Thursday's instalment saw an awkward clash between replacement host Nina and Charlie.

Leading up to the bizarre live TV moment, the pair watched a segment about Oasis and how they recorded their first studio album at Sawmills Studio on the River Fowey in Cornwall.

The duo had high praise for the stunning building, with Nina quipping: 'Oh to be a fly on the wall in that building! It would have been amazing.

Charlie added: 'Very beautiful location,' before Nina jumped in again with: 'It is stunning, isn't it? Shall we go and record an album there Charlie?'

Taken aback, the BBC regular responded: 'No. I don't think so,' before Nina burst into laughter and the camera cut to local news.

Last week, Naga was left lost for words during Friday's episode when her co-star stripped topless in the middle of a live broadcast.

During the latest episode, the presenter and fellow host Charlie introduced a segment by journalist Steve Harris in which he reported on Dorset Museum's naked viewing in which naturists can roam around the galleries in the nude.

Speaking about the eyebrow-raising segment, Charlie said: 'So normally when you think of nudes in a museum, your mind would naturally wander to statues or maybe sculptures.'

Nina has already stepped in twice within two weeks to cover Sally Nugent earlier this month as well as appearing on Friday's show

Naga then added: 'That mind change. A museum in Dorchester is literally bringing that idea to life. Recently it's opening its doors to visitors who want to wander through its galleries after hours, completely naked. Why? Well, that's what our reporter Steve Harris has been finding out.'

In his report at the museum in Dorchester, Steve interviewed naked participants in the event which was organised by British Naturism, however, the broadcaster got carried away at the end of the segment as he decided to get involved himself.

The segment saw one keen naturalist telling Steve that wondering around the gallery in the buff 'gives you a massive confidence to see normal people naked', while the museum's director told how the unusual event 'showcased the many ways museums can be enjoyed'.

And as he wrapped things up, Steve noted that the museum is set to close following the one-off event and he didn't want to miss out on the chance to experience the museum in the nude.

He explained: 'For now, this evening is a one-off. After tonight, the museum will be closed until further notice but I'm not going to miss out on a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. What's that saying? When in Rome...'

The broadcaster then proceeded to strip off his shirt and blazer, much to the alarm of his co-stars in the studio.

As the camera panned back to Naga and Charlie, Naga looked visibly shocked by her co-star's actions as an awkward silence ensued, before Charlie then remarked: 'Good. It's all good. Steve Harris that was.'

Last week, Naga was left lost for words during Friday's episode when her co-star stripped topless in the middle of a live broadcast

During the latest episode, the presenter and fellow host Charlie introduced a segment by journalist Steve Harris in which he reported on Dorset Museum's naked viewing

Steve interviewed naked participants in the event which was organised by British Naturism, however, the broadcaster decided to get involved himself

The broadcaster then proceeded to strip off his shirt and blazer, much to the alarm of his co-stars in the studio

As the camera panned back to Naga and Charlie, Naga looked visibly shocked by her co-star's actions as an awkward silence ensued, before Charlie then remarked: 'Good. It's all good'

Regaining her composure, Naga then asked: 'Does that appeal to you?', to which Charlie responded: 'No, I just think it's great. People being happy, doing their thing. Why not?'.

Following the segment, viewers were quick to take to X, formerly known as Twitter, to share their opinions.

They penned: '@TVNaga01 Well done for keeping a straight face earlier.'

'Best thing I've seen on @bbcbreakfast in years, Naga's face as a piece on a nude-friendly art gallery ended. Looked a bit like Dame Edna when she was shocked.'

'Never seen @TVNaga01 lost for words before after the report on Dorset Museum!!'
Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins instructor Mark 'Billy' Billingham 'thought he had killed contestant Pete Wicks' in heart-stopping scenes that will air on Sunday.

The sixth series, which kicked off last week, sees the celebrities take part in SAS winter warfare training in the south islands of New Zealand.

The former SAS sergeant major, 59, who used to be was a bodyguard to Hollywood stars such as Angelina Jolie and Tom Cruise, recalled how he had to call in medics when the Strictly star struggled to breathe and collapsed onto the floor.

Former TOWIE star Pete, 36, previously competed on the 2022 edition of the show, but crashed out after an injury.

According to The Sun, upcoming scenes see hardman Billy shout: 'He ain't going to make it, he's going to die,' after Pete falls to the floor on top of a snowy mountain.

Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins instructor Mark 'Billy' Billingham 'thought he had killed contestant Pete Wicks ' in heart-stopping scenes that will air on Sunday

The sixth series, which kicked off last week, sees the celebrities take part in SAS winter warfare training in the south islands of New Zealand

Speaking to the publication about what happened, Pete quipped: 'Look, that was a tough challenge. I collapsed'

The terrifying moment occurs when the recruits are pulling sleds up the mountain in pairs, with Pete being left to complete the challenge alone.

But, when it all becomes too much and he collapses, Billy has to call in the medics who arrived by snowmobile to come to his aid.

Speaking to the publication about what happened, Pete quipped: 'Look, that was a tough challenge. I collapsed.

'I just pushed myself to a limit and I was very dehydrated. Weird enough, I think I'm the only person that gets heat exhaustion in the f****** snow.

'I hadn't looked after myself and it's a fine line between getting stuff right and wrong.'

Pete was forced to withdraw during his first appearance on the show after a stunt went wrong.

He had been tasked with jumping out of a helicopter into a lake when he knocked himself out with his backpack, hitting the surface at full speed, and was left face down in the water.

Luckily he was rescued by the show's ex-special services staff and its health and safety team who concluded his injuries were mainly a few broken ribs.

Pete was forced to withdraw during his first appearance on the show after a stunt went wrong

The former SAS sergeant major, 59, who used to b e was a bodyguard to Hollywood stars such as Angelina Jolie and Tom Cruise, recalled how he had to call in medics when the Strictly star struggled to breathe and collapsed onto the floor

It comes after Pete revealed he had jetted to Italy on Wednesday for '24 hours' as he shared a video from close pal Vicky Pattison 's lavish second wedding

The former TOWIE star, was forced to miss crucial Strictly Come Dancing rehearsals with partner Jowita Przystal to attend the nuptials as he had one very special job during the ceremony

Former Geordie Shore star Vicky, 36, revealed earlier this week that Pete is her 'flower girl' as she prepares to tie the knot a second time with husband Ercan Ramadan

Speaking about his return to the show, Pete said: 'After being medically withdrawn in Jordan, I felt like I hadn't given it my best, and that bothered me. So when I got an opportunity to go back, I jumped in, and I would do it again.'

It comes just after Pete revealed he had jetted to Italy on Wednesday for '24 hours' as he shared a video from close pal Vicky Pattison's lavish second wedding.

The former TOWIE star, was forced to miss crucial Strictly Come Dancing rehearsals with partner Jowita Pzystal to attend the nuptials as he had one very special job during the ceremony.

Former Geordie Shore star Vicky, 36, revealed earlier this week that Pete is her 'flower girl' as she prepares to tie the knot a second time with husband Ercan Ramadan.

In the video, the podcaster dressed to impress in a dapper black tuxedo as he made his way down a giant outdoor staircase while smoking a cigarette.

He wore his long brunette locks neatly tied back and opted for a pair of sunglasses as he walked towards the camera.

The reality star wrote: '24 hours in Italy'
A leading doctor claims that obesity isn't as big of a health issue as people have been led to believe.

Appearing on the Diary of CEO podcast, Dr Gabrielle Lyon said that the biggest thing people need to focus on now is their skeletal muscle.

'Everybody focuses on obesity, but obesity is not our problem,' she told host Steven Bartlett.

'If you are in the lower one-third of strength, you have a 50% greater risk of dying from nearly anything. You have to prioritise skeletal muscle.'

Skeletal muscle makes up almost 40% of a body's total mass and is responsible for movement, metabolism, energy, the storing of nutrients and more.

Dr Gabrielle Lyon (pictured) said on the Diary of a CEO podcast the biggest thing people need to focus on now is their skeletal muscle instead of their weight

'This is the organ of longevity, the only organ system that you have voluntary control over,' Dr Lyon shared.

'Your skeletal muscle is your primary site for glucose metabolism and fatty acid metabolism. It is your body armour,' she continued.

'Those that are in the lower one-third for strength, you have a 50% greater risk of dying from nearly anything.'

To combat this, Dr Lyon said that resistance training with weights is key to good health and longevity.

If you don't, not only are you at risk of physical effects like mobility issues, you're also risking a loss of brain functionality.

'The majority of dementia is Alzheimer's dementia, which plays a role in metabolic regulation - type three diabetes of the brain,' she said.

'If your skeletal muscle is unhealthy, you are likely having not only skeletal muscle insulin resistance but brain insulin resistance... You cannot be sedentary and be healthy.'

'Everybody focuses on obesity, but obesity is not our problem,' Dr Lyon told host Steven Bartlett

'If you are in the lower one-third of strength, you have a 50% greater risk of dying from nearly anything. You have to prioritise skeletal muscle,' Dr Lyon explained

Research has recently suggested that weightlifting is important for most adults, including the elderly.

Resistance training was found to have strength benefits that lasted years into retirement.

People naturally lose muscle function as they get older with faltering grip and leg strength viewed as a strong predictor of death in elderly people.

Resistance training, which can involve weights, body weight or resistance bands, has been shown to help prevent this from happening.
Jeff Banks has split from his girlfriend Hannah Beech and she has reportedly 'moved into caravan to rebuild her life.'

The millionaire fashion designer, 81, started dating Hannah, 39, in 2022 when he was inspecting his Jeff & Co line at a Home Bargains in Liverpool.

The couple are said to have begun dating shortly after ad enjoyed a number of lavish holidays and shopping trips.

Hannah moved in with Jeff at his home in Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, in July 2023 with Jeff confirming she left in June this year 'of her own volition.'

A source told The Sun: 'He acted like a gentleman and was very generous. But it has all gone downhill and shes moved into temporary accommodation while she tries to rebuild her life

Jeff Banks has split from his girlfriend Hannah Beech and she has reportedly 'moved into caravan to rebuild her life' (pictured in June)

Jeff Banks told The Sun: 'I had a full and loving relationship with Ms Beech from March 2022 until June 2024.

'She moved into my home in July 2023 but in June 2024 she decided to terminate the relationship herself and left of her own volition.'

Jeff admitted that he is not aware of his exes new living arrangements.

MailOnline has contacted Jeff's representative for comment.

The designer has has been married twice, first to Sandie Shaw from 1968 to 1978, and then model and makeup artist Sue Mann.

Jeff, known for his work in the fashion industry and television show The Clothes Show, became a director of Vivienne Westwood's company, at her request, after she passed away in December 2022.

But less than two years after her death, he has been forced out of the business amid reports of bitter in-fighting and a boardroom coup that has left the empire in chaos, The Mail on Sunday revealed in July.

The former host of the BBC's Clothes Show was ousted after disagreements over the direction of the fashion house and concerns that its founder's legacy was under threat, insiders says.

'It has made House of Gucci look like Play School,' one well-placed source said in reference to the 2021 film about the vicious fight to control the Italian fashion brand.'

The millionaire fashion designer, 81, started dating Hannah, 39, in 2022 when he was inspecting his Jeff & Co line at a Home Bargains in Liverpool

On one side of the split dividing Vivienne Westwood Ltd lies Mr Banks, a friend of the late designer's son Joe Corre. On the other is Carlo D'Amario, the company's chief executive, and Andreas Kronthaler, Dame Vivienne's third husband and the label's creative director.

'There's a mismatch between the heritage of Vivienne Westwood, where it is now and where it is going,' one insider said.

Dame Vivienne shot to fame by creating the Sex Pistols' punk image in the 1970s and went on to build up a 70 million business empire.

But towards the end, the designer, who was made a dame in 2006, had grown frustrated with how the label was being run, sources claim, and was said to be working on a book venting her irritation.

She was said to be particularly concerned at a 'toxicity' within the business and that some of its designs were not creative enough.

'It reached a point where Vivienne wanted to shut it down,' one insider said.

'She always believed in quality over quantity. She would submit a load of designs and the complicated, creative stuff would be overlooked.

'She and her designers would be distraught over all that time spent making beautiful creations that would never be made.'

Days before her death in December 2022, aged 81, she summoned her longtime friend Mr Banks to her hospital bedside.

'I felt like Cardinal Wolsey going to see the monarch,' he later said.

Jeff became a director of Vivienne Westwood 's company, at her request, after she passed away in December 2022, but was ousted in July (pictured together in 2021)

The insider said Dame Vivienne 'would turn in her grave at the thought of Jeff being pushed out' (Vivienne pictured in 1977)

As they chatted, she asked him to protect the brand he had helped her establish in the late 1980s.

But the MoS has learned that Mr Banks was recently voted off the board of the holding company and is now negotiating the terms of his departure.

The insider said Dame Vivienne 'would turn in her grave at the thought of Jeff being pushed out.' Sources claim Mr Kronthaler supported the ousting of Mr Banks, who declined to comment this weekend.

Vivienne Westwood Ltd did not respond to repeated requests to comment.
Oasis's sell-out 2025 reunion tour may not be televised, but fans could still hear the show from their homes.

Brothers Liam, 52, and Noel Gallagher, 57, have reportedly been in talks to record a live album to celebrate and honour their live gigs which puts an end to a 15-year feud, according to The Sun.

And it is thought that the duo are likely to accept the offered deal as they will have the chance to solidify the historical event.

Those around the pair are said to believe Noel and Liam 'would be mad' not to agree to the recording deal.

A source told the publication: ' 'By the time they're playing next summer, it will have been 16 years since they last performed together and the sound will have evolved  and that is special.

Oasis's sell-out 2025 reunion tour will not be televised, but fans could still hear the show from their homes

Brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher have reportedly been in talks to record a live album to celebrate and honour their live gigs which puts an end to a 15-year feud

'The concerts are a long way off and Oasis are focused on those shows at the moment.

'But Noel and Liam would be mad not to record their reunion in a live album.'

Oasis released two live records during their heyday back in the 2000s.

They released Familiar To Millions in November 2000 - four months after Oasis debuted at Wembley.

Their first release sold more than a million copies.

Knebworth 1996 was their second release, and this was recorded across two shows at the Hertfordshire venue and was released in September 2021.

It got to No4 in the albums chart.

Oasis are reportedly in talks about filming a multi-million-pound Beatles-style documentary about the reunion tour - after they told fans their shows will 'not televised'.

Oasis are also reportedly in talks about filming a multi-million-pound Beatles-style (pictured) documentary about the reunion tour after they told fans their shows will 'not televised'

Apple TV+ bosses reportedly in the running for the production and battling it out against Netflix and Amazon Prime Video.

The film, which is believed to replicate Disney +'s The Beatles Get Back film, will follow Noel and Liam in the run-up to their high-anticipated gigs in 2025.

An insider told The Sun : 'This is set to be the film of the decade, with Apple TV+ proposing huge money to bag the rights to this documentary.

'They are facing competition from other streamers such as Amazon Prime and Netflix but Apple have thrown all their weight behind this one.

'Fans can expect it to be in the same style as the Beatles documentary which gave a never-before-seen insight into the band.'

Their production is expected to following a similar style to Disney+'s Get Back, which followed Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison and Ringo Starr making The Beatles' 1970 album Let It Be.

Noel and Liam are reportedly massive Beatles fans.

MailOnline has contacted a representative for Oasis for a comment.
Ben Affleck was spotted with his teenager, Fin  one of the three kids he shares with ex-wife Jennifer Garner  while out in Los Angeles this week.

The 52-year-old Hypnotic star appeared to be in good spirits as he took his fifteen-year-old Halloween costume shopping on Friday.

Their outing comes amid insider reports that Ben and his ex-wife Jennifer Lopez are 'focusing' on their kids amid their complicated divorce.

Enjoying time with his child, the father-of-three kept it low-key in a white T-shirt and blue button up paired with khaki pants.

Fin  who uses they/them pronouns  appeared to be chatting up their father while wearing a white and blue jacket and jeans.

Ben Affleck was spotted with his teenager, Fin  one of the three kids he shares with ex-wife Jennifer Garner  while out in Los Angeles on Friday

Enjoying time with his child, the father-of-three kept it low-key in a white T-shirt and blue button up paired with khaki pants

Ben and his youngster were seen browsing for costumes and spooky decor ahead of the Halloween season.

Just days ago, a source close to the Deep Water actor told People that Ben and Jen are prioritizing their family during this difficult time and will 'continue to focus on the kids.'

The pair 'are still moving forward with the divorce' despite wild rumors they were seen 'kissing and hugging' earlier this month.

Lopez filed for divorce from Affleck in August citing 'irreconcilable differences' after two years of marriage.

She shares 16-year-old twins Max and Emme with ex-husband Marc Anthony and Affleck shares Fin, daughter Violet, 18, and son Samuel, 12, with ex-wife Garner.

'They want to show the kids that things are amicable,' the insider shared. 'They want to stay friendly. Theres still a lot of love.'

According to the divorce filings, the pair listed their date of separation as April 26, 2024.

Their divorce comes as no surprise to fans as the pair had sparked split rumors months prior.

Their assets are currently up in the air as Ben and Jen did not sign a prenuptial agreement before tying the knot in 2022.

Their outing comes amid insider claims that Ben and his ex-wife Jennifer Lopez are focusin on their kids amid their complicated divorce; Ben and Jennifer seen in 2022

A source close to the actor told People that Ben and Jen are prioritizing their family during this difficult time and will 'continue to focus on the kids'; Ben and Jennifer seen in 2024

The Jenny from the Block songstress and Affleck first started dating in 2002 after playing lovers on set of Gigli (2003) and quickly got engaged. They split up in 2004, just before they were set to become husband and wife.

They both went on to wed other people - she exchanged vows with Marc Anthony in 2004, while he walked down the aisle with Jennifer Garner in 2005.

But after splitting from their respective partners, they eventually found their way back to each other.

Ben and Jen rekindled their romance in 2021 and finally said 'I do' in Las Vegas in July of 2022.
Azealia Banks has lashed out a fish market in Birmingham, branding it 'putrid' as she claimed she fell ill after an unexpected visit there.

The US rapper, 33, is often known for her high-profile feuds on social media, however, her latest opponent is an unlikely one in the form of the UK's city's local authority and its market.

Taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, this week, Azealia called for city officials to 'do something' as she compared the Bull Ring Indoor Market to a 'Wuhan wet market- - with the Chinese city referred to as the place the Covid pandemic likely began.

The Bull Ring Indoor Market is one of the UK's largest indoor fish markets, offering a variety of seafood as well as meats, vegetables and other goods.

However, the 212 hitmaker was left far from impressed, remarking that she 'caught some s**t' and spent two day 'bathing, massaging, drinking tea, sweating' in a bid to rid herself of the illness.

Azealia Banks has lashed out a fish market in Birmingham , branding it 'putrid' as she claimed she fell ill after an unexpected visit there

The US rapper, 33, is often known for her high-profile feuds on social media, however, her latest opponent is an unlikely one in the form of the UK's city's local authority and its market

Urging for something to be done, the star ranted: 'Sidebar. The city officials in Birmingham, UK, need to do something about the fish market at the bullring market.

'It's giving putrid pathogen Wuhan wet market tease and just being in there I caught some s**t. Just spent the last two days bathing , massaging, drinking tea sweating that s**t out. That's not cool b.'

When another X user questioned her for even being there in the first place, Azealia was quick to clarify that she was there by mistake and was in fact searching for a beauty store.

She penned: 'I wasn't even. I was looking for some falsely advertised beauty supply shop I saw on yelp and it was this little stand inside a outdoor building with this rank a*s fish market boofin up the whole space. I wasn't like, on tour trying to buy raw fish lmao.'

Her bemused followers were quick to share their thoughts on X, writing: 'Girl what do you expect you went to a fish market in Birmingham'; 'Welcome to England babe x.'

While another defended the market, penning:' Azealia theres nothing wrong with the rag market. Its been there longer than you have been alive.

'There is a change in weather here and lots of people are ill. The change of summer to winter really knocks some people about. So you probably caught a cold/flu. Get well.'

Azealia's rant comes just weeks after she revealed she thinks Taylor Swift should 'sue' Elon Musk for 'sexual harassment' after he bizarrely offered to impregnate the superstar earlier this month.

The 212 hitmaker was left far from impressed, remarking that she 'caught some s**t' and spent two day 'bathing, massaging, drinking tea, sweating' in a bid to rid herself of the illness

The Bull Ring Indoor Market is one of the UK's largest indoor fish markets, offering a variety of seafood as well as meats, vegetables and other goods

Taking to X, formerly known as Twitter , this week, Azealia called for city officials to 'do something' as she compared the Bull Ring Indoor Market to a ' Wuhan wet market- - with the Chinese city referred to as the place the Covid pandemic likely began

When another X user questioned her for even being there in the first place, Azealia was quick to clarify that she was there by mistake and was in fact searching for a beauty store

The Tesla founder, 53, raised eyebrows when he reacted to Swift's dramatic endorsement of Kamala Harris for US president  which included a dig at Trump's VP pick as she proudly referred to herself as a 'childless cat lady'  on his social media platform X (formerly Twitter).

'Fine Taylor  you win  I will give you a child and guard your cats with my life,' tweeted Musk, who was quickly slammed by critics over the 'misogynistic' quip.

And now Banks has inserted herself into the drama by publicly encouraging Swift  who, like Musk, is a billionaire  to 'sue him for loads of cash.'

'Nah this is actual sexual harassment,' the rapper tweeted out Thursday. 'Taylor should flex on his a** and sue him for loads of cash n level up to be the most undefeatable richest woman in the history of music.

'Take his f***ing money taylorrrrrrr!!!!'

Azealia's rant comes just weeks after she revealed she thinks Taylor Swift should 'sue' Elon Musk for 'sexual harassment' after he bizarrely offered to impregnate the superstar earlier this month

The Tesla founder, 53, raised eyebrows Tuesday when he reacted to Swift's dramatic endorsement of Kamala Harris for US president, which included a dig at Trump's VP pick JD Vance by proudly referring to herself as a 'childless cat lady,' on his social media platform X (formerly Twitter)

Banks inserted herself into the drama Thursday by publicly encouraging Swift  who, like Musk, is a billionaire  to 'sue him for loads of cash'

Banks continued her rant in two follow-up tweets as she marveled at the thought of Swift taking a huge chunk out of Musk's $250billion net worth

Banks then brought Kanye West  Swift's biggest rival  into the mix by speculating that he'd 'have a heart attack' if Swift successfully took Musk down

Banks continued her rant in two follow-up tweets as she marveled at the thought of Swift taking a huge chunk out of Musk's $250billion net worth.

'Put his a** in a hole sis. Lmao the pop girlies would all be so crumb. I love this,' she wrote.

Banks then brought Kanye West  Swift's biggest rival  into the mix by speculating that he'd 'have a heart attack' if Swift successfully took down Musk.

'lmao the heart attack kanye will have when she is ULTRA -UNREACHABLE levels of WEALTHY of his daddy elon's back bwahahahaha.'

She concluded with: 'CUCK THEM ALL SIS'

Swift herself has yet to react to Musk's tweet and there's been zero indication that she plans to take legal action against Musk.
The alterations made by Kanye West to his former Malibu mansion have been dubbed 'dumb' by the home's new owner.

The Tadao Ando-designed space was gutted by the 47-year-old rapper in 2021, with the completion of the renovations never brought to fruition.

CEO Bo Belmont, who runs the real estate crowdfunding firm Belwood Investments, recently purchased the residence from West for $21 million, millions less than the asking price.

About Kanye's choice to remove the floors' glazed finish, he told the Los Angeles Times: 'That was a really dumb move. Really no purpose.'

'This is not just a phenomenal real estate investment; it is an opportunity to revitalize and preserve an architectural gem by the renowned Tadao Ando, ensuring it remains a jewel of Malibu,' Belmont stated in a press release, per New York Post.

The alterations made by Kanye West to his former Malibu mansion have been dubbed 'dumb' by the home's new owner; pictured in February

The Tadao Ando-designed space was gutted by the 47-year-old rapper in 2021, with the completion of the renovations never brought to fruition

Elsewhere in his press statement, Bo gushed, 'We are incredibly excited about the acquisition of this property.'

The abode was built by Pritzker Prize-winner Ando for art collector and financier Richard Sachs in 2013.

'My goal is to make it as though Kanye was never there. The house will be restored right back to what it was,' the new owner told the LA Times.

It was reported in July that the home was purchased, but the owner and the price were not known until late August.

The manor is about 4,000 sq ft and boasts four bedrooms and five bathrooms.

The Chicago-bred music artist scooped it off the market for a whopping $57.25 million in 2021.

He later removed the compound's windows, doors, electric and plumbing as he planned to make the stairs a slide, the floors trampolines and the facade camouflage, according to the Times.

One of the workers hired to help gut the house told the New Yorker in June that West had wanted to create a 'bomb shelter' and his 'Batcave.'

CEO Bo Belmont, who runs the real estate crowdfunding firm Belwood Investments, recently purchased the residence from West for $21 million, millions less than the asking price

About Kanye's choice to remove the floors' glazed finish, Belmont told the Los Angeles Times: 'That was a really dumb move. Really no purpose'

'This is not just a phenomenal real estate investment; it is an opportunity to revitalize and preserve an architectural gem by the renowned Tadao Ando, ensuring it remains a jewel of Malibu,' Belmont stated in a press release

Despite the radical renovations, Belmont noted that the home's structure was 'mostly cosmetic.'

The Yeezy designer initially put the home on the market for $53 million, reducing it by $14 million to $39 million this past April.

For the sale, Kanye sought the expertise of real estate agent Jason Oppenheim of The Oppenheim Group, made famous by the Netflix reality series Selling Sunset.

Oppenheim told TMZ he was optimistic about selling the property, describing the mansion as 'basically a blank canvas' for potential buyers.
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Three and a half years after recreational cannabis was legalized in New York state, the city of Auburn is getting its first licensed dispensary.

Owners Melinda and John Mussare plan to open Wild Flower at 41 Genesee St., located in downtown's Nolan Block, the first weekend in November, they told The Citizen on Friday.

The dispensary will sell flower, vape pens, gummies, tinctures, lotions and other cannabis products, the Mussares said. Noting that some of those products can be costly, John Mussare said they want to make sure they carry "something for everyone." They also hope to highlight cannabis growers in nearby areas like Skaneateles and Ithaca.

The couple is coming to Auburn from Williamsport, Pennsylvania, where they launched a natural mold and mildew spray called Trifecta Crop Control. Originally designed for vineyards, it became popular with cannabis growers. That pulled the Mussares into the industry, which included operations in Oklahoma and Pennsylvania. They owned a bar in their home state as well.

After the passage of the Marijuana Regulation & Taxation Act in March 2021, the Mussares looked to open a dispensary in New York. Their license gave them a five-county area in which they could open, they said. Syracuse had "too much going on there," Melinda Mussare said, but Auburn reminded her and her husband of their hometown three hours away.

"As soon as we turned the corner onto Genesee Street, Melinda was like, 'Oh, this is it,'" John Mussare said.

"It's so cute down there," she said. "It's kind of small but up-and-coming, lots going on, revitalization. And the people were so friendly. Everyone was super excited to talk to us."

Among the first local conversations the Mussares have had were with Mayor Jimmy Giannettino and Auburn Police Chief James Slayton. While the city amended its zoning code to set rules on when, where and how cannabis businesses can operate, it did not "opt out" of letting them open as the state law allowed. Still, it was important to the Mussares to be good neighbors, they said.

Wild Flower will employ 10 to 15 people in the space previously occupied by restaurant Octane Social House. It's also about a block away from an unlicensed dispensary, I'm Stuck at 9 E. Genesee St., that was shut down by the state Office of Cannabis Management last year. The state has cracked down on unlicensed dispensaries in part due to their sale of unregulated products.

According to the office's online license map, the dispensary is one of two opening in Auburn. Another, registered to Asking Edward LLC, is attached to the former Family Video at 48 E. Genesee St.

The Mussares said they're ready for the business the first legal cannabis dispensary in the city is poised to attract.

"I'm sure people are definitely going to want to check it out, even if they don't smoke," John Mussare said.

Melinda Mussare added, "We're super excited to be part of the community."

To learn more For more information about Wild Flower, or to inquire about employment opportunities, email orders@wildflowerny.com.
Kyle Richards was seen for the first time in L.A. on Friday since her older sister, Kim Richards, reportedly 'relapsed' and was placed on a 5150 psychiatric hold earlier this month.

The Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills star, 55 - who was also involved in an eviction 'incident' with Kim earlier this week - visited the L.A. County Probation Department and Superior Court in Van Nuys.

A source recently told People that the TV personality is 'torn apart' by her sister's battle with substance abuse - and explained the actress, 60, is in 'a really bad place' following her relapse.

Kyle could be seen wearing a pair of high-waisted, denim jeans as well as a short-sleeved, printed white shirt during the outing.

A brown and white-colored cap was placed on top of her head, and partially covered her brunette locks that flowed down in light waves.

Kyle Richards, 55, was seen for the first time in L.A. on Friday since her older sister, Kim Richards, 60, reportedly 'relapsed' and was placed on a 5150 psychiatric hold earlier this month

The reality star completed the look by slipping into a pair of light brown boots and carried a black, cross-body bag over her right shoulder.

Kim - who is also known for making an appearance on RHOBH over the years - reportedly suffered a relapse and has been placed on a psychiatric hold.

After allegedly falling off of the wagon, a spokesperson for the Los Angeles Police Department [LAPD] confirmed to People Kyle and Kim were involved in an altercation earlier this week.

On Wednesday, an 'incident' occurred between the siblings in Encino, where Kyle 'owns a home that Kim had recently been staying in.'

LAPD officers are said to have 'responded to keep the peace after a female reportedly violated a restraining order.'

Following an investigation, the officers 'determined there was no order on file and no crime was committed.'

'Both parties were informed of eviction process and officers kept the peace,' the officials told the outlet.

The officials, however, could not verify if it was Kim and Kyle that were involved 'in the scuffle.'

The Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills star visited the L.A. County Probation Department and Superior Court in Van Nuys

A source recently told People that the TV personality is 'torn apart' by her sister's relapse - and explained Kim is in 'a really bad place' amid her battle with substance abuse; seen in 2016 in L.A.

DailyMail.com has reached out to both Kim and Kyle's representatives, but have not heard back, at this time.

A source also told People in an article published on Friday that Kim's family have 'reached another breaking point with her.'

The insider explained that the actress's 'reliance on alcohol has been an ongoing source of conflict between her and her sisters.'

'It particularly weighs heavily on Kyle, who has always been the worrier of the family.'

'She does her best to take care of Kim - and essentially bankrolls Kim's life, with Kathy Hilton - but never knows where the line goes between helping and enabling.'

The source added that following the relapse and being placed on a 5150 psychiatric hold, Kim is in 'a really bad place.'

The family has aimed to keep details of the matter 'private' but 'from the little they've said, it's clear they've reached another breaking point with her.'

Kim has had previous relapses when it comes to substance abuse, and the insider told the outlet that, 'It's the same cycle.'

On Wednesday, an 'incident' occurred between the siblings in Encino, where Kyle 'owns a home that Kim had recently been staying in'; seen in 2017

'Chaos until there's some incident that gets Kim back on track, then brief steadiness as they repair their relationship, then the drinking starts again, Kim makes excuses, Kyle pleads she gets help, etc. etc.'

The source said that Kyle has been 'torn apart' by the recent incident, and added, 'She has the biggest heart.'

'She loves her sister so much, and always will, but she doesn't know what else to do.'

Earlier this month, TMZ reported that Kim was placed on a 5150 psychiatric hold and taken to a hospital by ambulance for her 'incoherent' behavior.

At the time, she was reportedly staying at a Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles.

According to NAMI Sonoma County (National Alliance on Mental Illness), 'under California law, certain designated professionals can place a person in a 72-hour psychiatric hold.'

'She does her best to take care of Kim - and essentially bankrolls Kim's life, with Kathy Hilton - but never knows where the line goes between helping and enabling,' the source said; Kyle seen with Hilton and Kim in 2023 in L.A.

During a 5150, a person is taken into custody and held for up to 72 hours for evaluation.'

During this time, 'the facility or hospital is required to do an evaluation of that person, taking into account their medical, psychological, educational, social, financial, and legal situation.'

Per TMZ, law enforcement sources said that Kyle claimed that Kim was 'in deep trouble over her sobriety' and that their entire family was 'worried about her survival.'

Kim's struggle with sobriety was documented during her time on Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.

Earlier this month, TMZ reported that Kim was placed on a 5150 psychiatric hold and taken to a hospital by ambulance for her 'incoherent' behavior; seen in 2019 in Hollywood

In their reality show's first season, which aired in 2010, Kyle accused Kim of being an alcoholic during a tense exchange. A year later, she entered rehab.

In April 2015, Kim was arrested for public intoxication at the Beverly Hills Hotel. That same year, she went to a treatment facility in Malibu.

In 2016, she recalled her addiction issues beginning after her split from her second husband, Gregg Davis in 1991.

'I started noticing I was drinking a lot,' she recalled. 'That's when my issue started.'
Kate Winslet has insisted she does not consider herself to be 'brave' for passionately hitting out against Hollywood's beauty standards in a new Vogue interview.

The actress, 48, has long been vocal in shunning societal beauty standards and urging women to instead embrace being a 'real shape'.

Now, Kate has shut down statements that she is 'rebellious' for her outspoken beliefs against the film industry's standards, insisting she is just 'a woman with an opinion'.

The Titanic star instead lauded others who she considers to be the real heroes in society, including those working on the frontline in Ukraine, in the honest interview.

Appearing as Vogue Australia's October cover star, Kate also said she feels 'lucky' that she is able to show her 'normal body' on screen and inspire others.

'All I've ever done is be a woman with an opinion. Curves? Just call it a normal body that isn't honed and toned within an inch of its life,' she told the publication.

'Not wearing make-up on screen? That's not brave, I'm not in Ukraine, I am an actor. I love my job, I'm bl**dy lucky to do it. I'm not on the frontline.

'But let's come up with some other words like 'relief' at seeing normal women feeling joyful on screen.'

Kate Winslet has insisted she does not consider herself to be 'brave' for passionately hitting out at Hollywood's beauty standards in a candid new interview with Vogue Australia

Kate went on to reflect on her most recent role portraying real-life American photojournalist Lee Miller in the newly-released war biopic, Lee.

She revealed some life lessons she learnt from learning about Miller's life while portraying her on screen, including not wasting any time not liking herself.

When asked what others can learn from Lee, she shared: 'Not to waste so much time as women not liking ourselves, not to waste time thinking that we're doing something wrong, that we should change, be more like that person over there. Lee was... Lee.'

Kate is depicting the World War II photographer in the biopic directed by Ellen Kuras, which was released in cinemas on September 27.

Kate recently claimed she was told to hide her 'belly rolls' while filming, a comment she said she found 'absolutely bizarre' because Miller's body 'would be soft'.

She told the BBC's Laura Kuenssberg: 'It was my job to be like Lee. She wasnt lifting weights and doing Pilates, she was eating cheese, bread and drinking wine and not making a big deal of it, so of course her body would be soft.

'But I think were so used to perhaps not necessarily seeing that and enjoying it  the instinct, weirdly, is to see it and criticise it or comment on it in some way.

Appearing as Vogue Australia's cover star, Kate shut down statements that she is 'rebellious' for her beliefs, insisting she is just 'a woman with an opinion'

The actress, 48, has long been vocal in shunning societal beauty standards and urging women to instead embrace being a 'real shape' (she is pictured wearing a Victoria Beckham dress)

'Its interesting how much people do like labels for women. And they very much liked them in Lees day, and, annoyingly, they sort of still do  we slap these labels on women that we just dont have for men. Its absolutely bizarre to me.'

Kate said she believes women should be having conversations about the labels given to women depending on their body shape and 'celebrate being a real shape and being soft'.

She added: 'Life is too short, do you know? I dont want to look back and go "Why did I worry about that thing?" And so, guess what? I dont worry anymore. I dont care.

'Im just going to live my life, going to enjoy it, get on with it. Youve got one go around  make the most of it.'

The blockbuster explores Miller's journey from fashion model to acclaimed war correspondent for Vogue magazine during World War II.

Miller's work took her across the whole of Europe, working for the Allied forces and teaming up with fellow American photographer David E. Scherman, a correspondent for Life magazine.

Her collection includes incredible photos she took documenting the end of the war, traveled to France less than a month after D-Day and to record the Siege of the heavily fortified city of St. Malo.

Kate recently claimed she was told to hide her 'belly rolls' while starring as photojournalist Lee Miller in a new war biopic (she is pictured with Andy Samberg as Davie Scherman)

She also witnessed the liberation of Paris, the Battle of Alsace, and the horrors of the first soldiers arriving at Nazi concentration camps at Buchenwald and Dachau.

And while visiting Germany, David Scherman took a photograph of Miller lying in the bathtub of Adolf Hitler's apartment in Munich, with its shower hose looped in the center behind her head, resembling a noose.

The images became one of the most iconic of their partnership, and showed off her infamous modelling skills.

One of only two women combat photographers during World War II, she was also one of the few female correspondents who ventured into the liberated concentration camps.

With Kate starring as Miller in the biopic, the new release also boasts the likes of Josh O'Connor, Marion Cotillard, and Succession star Alexander Skarsgard, among others.
Brooks Nader put on a sultry display while at a starry event for actress Goldie Hawn's mental health charity in Los Angeles on Friday.

The 27-year-old model  who has sparked romance rumors with her Dancing with the Stars partner Gleb Savchenko  looked like a goddess in an elegant white gown with sexy slits exposing her sideboob.

Her sleeveless floor-length frock also showed off her tiny waist and toned arms.

Brooks teamed her her look with gold gladiator wrist cuffs and stunning gold hoop earrings.

The multihyphenate's light brunette locks were swept up in a sleek ponytail, showing off her dress' classy mock neckline.

Brooks Nader put on a sultry display while at a starry event for actress Goldie Hawn's charity in Los Angeles on Friday

The 27-year-old model  who has sparked romance rumors with her Dancing with the Stars partner Gleb Savchenko  looked like a goddess in an elegant white gown with sexy slits exposing her sideboob

She rocked a full face of makeup that showed off her glowing skin and rosy cheeks as she posed up a storm on the event's red carpet.

Actress Goldie Hawn's star-studded charity event was held in celebration of the 20th anniversary of her mental health program MindUP.

Other famous faces at the bash included: Goldie's partner Kurt Russell, her son Oliver Hudson, her daughter Kate Hudson, Rachel Zoe, Demi Moore, Melanie Griffith and Fergie.

Brooks' appearance comes amid rumors she is dating her hunky Dancing with the Stars partner, Gleb Savchenko.

On Wednesday, she and the Russian dancer, 41, enjoyed Los Angeles together and were seen sharing laughs.

And earlier this week, the pair were spotted kissing backstage as they prepared to hit the ballroom floor to perform a sensual dance routine.

Her kiss with Savchenko is the latest of flirtations she has been involved in since her divorce with her husband of four years, Billy Haire, was confirmed by DailyMail.com.

Before Gleb, Brooks was caught sharing a steamy rendezvous with Prince Constantine Alexios of Greece and Denmark while at Olivia Culpo's wedding over the summer.

Dating rumors surrounding Gleb and Brooks kicked off weeks before Dancing With The Stars' season 33 premiere.

On the most recent episode, the flirty duo shocked audiences when they shared an on-camera smooch as they worked on their 'strong connection.'

Savchenko told DWTS producers that Brooks can be 'so distracting' as he tries to teach her different dances.

Her sleeveless floor-length frock also showed off her tiny waist and toned arms

Brooks teamed her her look with gold gladiator wrist cuffs and stunning gold hoop earrings

The multihyphenate's light brunette locks were swept up in a sleek ponytail, showing off her dress' classy mock neckline

Brooks' appearance comes amid rumors she is dating her hunky Dancing with the Stars partner, Gleb Savchenko, 41; seen on September 20

Dating rumors surrounding Gleb and Brooks kicked off weeks before Dancing With The Stars' season 33 premiere

In her own confessional, Nader wouldn't confirm a romance with Gleb but she did admit that she has no problem with the public speculation that they're 'a couple.'

'That doesn't make me mad at all,' she told the camera.

Episodes of Dancing with the Stars' season 33 will premiere live on Tuesdays on ABC and Disney+ and be available to stream the following day on Hulu.
There was no shortage of star power at The Goldie Hawn Foundation's 20th anniversary of MindUP gala in Los Angeles.

The Academy Award-winning actress played the role of host alongside her longtime partner Kurt Russell at Ron Burkle's Greenacres Friday in Beverly Hills, California.

The couple, who have been a rock-solid item since 1983, showed off their undeniable chemistry on the red carpet, while decked out in stylish outfit.

Goldie, 78, looked incredible in fitted black and white pants with a matching blazer decked out with sparkly black rhinestones.

Rounding out her look, the Shampoo star threw on some black pumps and styled her signature blonde hair in soft curls.

Goldie Hawn, 78, had the support of her longtime partner Kurt Russell, 73, as she hosted a 20th anniversary gala for her mental health charity MIndUP on Friday night in Beverly Hills

Goldie, 78, looked incredible in fitted black and white pants with a matching blazer decked out with sparkly black rhinestones

Russell, 73, appeared to color-coordinate with his lady decked out in a stylish black suit that he wore with a black dress shirt and blue tie.

The Escape From New York actor complete his red carpet outfit with a pair of black dress shoes.

The event marks mark the 20th anniversary of MindUp - The Goldie Hawn Foundation.

It's a 'preventative mental health program [that] has equipped students, educators and families with mental fitness tools that build greater emotional literacy and improve resilience to face challenges with optimism, strength and compassion,' according to the non-profit's website.

Hawn also had the support of several other family members, including her daughter Kate Hudson, son Oliver Hudson, his wife Erinn Bartlett, their daughter Rio, 10, and son Bodhi, 13.

The celebrity attendees included: Fergie, Demi Moore, Martin Short, Brooks Nader, Nicole Williams-English, Melanie Griffith, Jason Weinberg, Rachel Zoe, Brenda Song, Macaulay Culkin, Nico Mizrahi, Jamie Mizrahi, Orlando Bloom, and Katie Aselton, among others.

The non-profit believes 'children are our future', and that 'it's time to advocate for their preventative mental health,' according to the MindUp website.

The non-profit believes 'global change begins at an individual level,' and that every person deserves a fair chance at a healthier and more balanced life,' according to its. mission statement.

'By teaching learners of all ages how to regulate emotions, calm the nervous system, and choose kindness and gratitude daily, we create a more interconnected and compassionate future for all.

The couple, who have been a rock-solid item since 1983, showed off their undeniable chemistry on the red carpet

Russell, 73, appeared to color-coordinate with his lady decked out in a stylish black suit that he wore with a black dress shirt and blue tie

The longtime couple got the support of Goldie's daughter Kate Hudson, 45, who looked elegant in a sparkly dress

Kate brother Oliver Hudson, 48, was also on hand for a round pf photos with family

The event marks mark the 20th anniversary of MindUp - The Goldie Hawn Foundation, a 'preventative mental health program [that] has equipped students, educators and families with mental fitness tools that build greater emotional literacy and improve resilience to face challenges with optimism, strength and compassion,' according to the non-profit's website; Russell, Hawn and Kate Hudson are pictured together

Fergie, was among the many celebrities on hand to lend their support to the foundation; Erinn Bartlett is pictured with her husband Oliver Hudson, and their kids Rio Hudson, 10, and Bodhi Hudson, 13

Oscar-nominated actress Melanie Griffith, 67, showed off her fab figure in her all-black ensemble when she posed alongside the night's host

Actress Demi Moore, 61, showed her support in a long black dress and pumps

'These are our children, they are our future. It's time to advocate for preventative mental health programs in every school,' Hawn declared

The Goldie Hawn Foundation's 'goal is to impact as many people as possible with our programexpanding globally to give access to all learners. Together, we'll create a more compassionate society buoyed by hope and resilience.'

'Mental health is one of the most important issues of our time. I had a call to action to help our little ones who are suffering debilitating symptoms of depression, anxiety, and in some cases suicide,' Hawn shares as part of the mission statement.

When she founded MindUP in 2003, the organization came from the point of view that children need to be taught 'about their brain and how it works' to give more context to their emotions.

In need of creating helpful tools 'to self-regulate our high-velocity emotions', which can often get in the way of decision-making, MIndUP works with 'some of the best minds in neuroscience, positive psychology and education to address this growing crisis.

'These are our children, they are our future. It's time to advocate for preventative mental health programs in every school,' Hawn declared.
Despite more than 100,000 footy fans witnessing Katy Perry's blockbuster AFL Grand Final performance on Saturday, it seems Harry Garside had the best seat in the house.

The boxer, 27, took to Instagram on Saturday to share a short clip showing him grabbing a sneak peek of the Teenage Dream hitmaker's pre-game show.

The clip showed Harry walking into a large warehouse where he can be heard saying 'Oh My god' before turning his phone around tor reveal Katy in the middle of a last-minute rehearsal.

Harry looked genuinely surprised and elated to be in the same room as the US pop idol.

He augmented the sentiment in the caption, writing 'It's Katy Perry omgggg.'

Unfortunately Harry, like the rest of the huge MGC crowd had to take his seat to watch Katy unveil her set in full.

Katy's 20 minute set included two tracks from her latest album 143, Lifetimes and Gorgeous, her collaboration with Kim Petras.

Despite slipping the new songs in, it was the hits that got the crowd pumping with Katy kicking of with a rendition of Roar before ripping into her hits Teenage Dreams, Dark Horse and Firework.

Despite more than 100,000 footy fans witnessing Katy Perry's blockbuster AFL Grand Final performance on Saturday, it seems Harry Garside (pictured) had the best seat in the house

Katy also belted out a rendition of I Kissed A Girl with Tina Arena before the pair moved into a rendition of the Aussie pop star's hit Chains.

Harry recently revealed that he has found love again following his Olympic Games heartbreak in Paris.

The pugilist made an inspirational comeback to the ring after he was cleared of domestic violence allegations made by former partner, Ash Ruscoe.

The boxer, 27, took to Instagram on Saturday to share a short clip showing him grabbing a sneak peek of the Teenage Dream hitmaker's pre-game show

The clip showed Harry walking into a large warehouse where he can be heard saying 'Oh My god' before turning his phone around tor reveal Katy in the middle of a last-minute rehearsal

However, he failed to progress beyond the first round in Paris, later telling Nine he 'felt like a failure' having trained for 20 years only to fall at the first hurdle.

Reflecting on his sporting journey on Nova 96.9, Garside revealed that he has a new romance.

'I had this weird ambition that maybe I could walk with giants and I guess on that 20-year journey, I finally got to a destination where I believed I can,' he said.

Harry said his new relationship came when he least expected it, having vowed to focus solely on winning the gold medal.

'Throughout that process I actually fell in love  so it happened so unexpectedly which I think is the best kind of love  when you're not searching for it but it just stumbled into my life,' he said.

Harry added that he is glad that his shock defeat came at the age of 27, admitting that he would have struggled to come to terms with the result as a younger man.

'If this happened five years ago, when I was a little bit younger, and my whole identity was consumed with that of only being a boxer  just to think what some of the decisions that I made when I did fail, and how low I felt, and what I was doing in private to sort of hurt myself. It was kind of scary,' he said.
Rupert Everett has admitted that wild sex in his youth was 'fraught with danger' amid the AIDS epidemic.

The actor, 65, spoke in a candid new interview about his sexual awakening in London which despite the dangers he said he still found 'thrilling'.

Rupert - who is now happily married to husband Henrique, a Brazilian accountant - also spoke about dating women in his youth as it was more acceptable at the time.

He dated the likes of Bianca Jagger, Susan Sarandon, Paula Yates, Beatrice Dalle 'with varying degrees of success' - but always knew he was gay.

Of his sex life he told The Times: 'I was stupid. I can't really understand it and don't admire it I thought sex was my liberation from a military middle-class background, but it was fraught with danger, not only from Aids.

Rupert Everett has admitted that wild sex in his youth was 'fraught with danger' amid the AIDS epidemic

The actor, 65, spoke in a candid new interview about his sexual awakening in London which despite the dangers he said he still found 'thrilling' (seen in 1987)

'I was walking on razors without knowing it. I can't really relate to myself as a young person any more.'

However he added: 'It was really fun and thrilling. I was so into gay sex I didn't mind who I had it with.

'I wasn't one of those people who just wanted to meet good-looking people. I wanted to meet anybody. It felt so new and fresh and rebellious.'

He added that at that time it was still not widely acceptable to be gay and that in terms of any potential physical or verbal abuse he would get he 'had to be ready for anything'.

Earlier this year it was revealed that he had married Henrique.

He had previously dismissed the institution of marriage and was still more scathing about gay marriage, deriding it as 'a waste of time' and 'beyond tragic'.

A friend told The Daily Mail's Richard Eden in June: 'They married recently.

'Both are wearing rings and are clearly very happy. Henrique is absolutely charming. He's rather quiet and happy to let Rupert take centre stage.'

Rupert - who is now happily married to husband Henrique, a Brazilian accountant - also spoke about dating women in his youth as it was more acceptable at the time

He told The Times: 'I was stupid. I can't really understand it and don't admire it I thought sex was my liberation from a military middle-class background, but it was fraught with danger, not only from Aids'

Rupert is seen here with Henrique, a Brazilian accountant, who he married earlier this year

He has in the past spoken with characteristic verve about marriage - and about why, in his words, it's 'not my idea of heaven'.

Everything about friends' weddings, he explained in 2020, he found 'repellent', and going to stag nights in the early 1980s was 'one of the most appalling things' he'd ever experienced.

Warming to his theme, he summarised wedding dresses as 'hideous', wedding cakes as 'ghastly' and lamented that 'everyone is splitting up' within two years of their wedding day.

'I think making it a legal contract is very, very damaging to a relationship,' reflected Everett, who, in his wild youth became entangled with John Hervey, later the 7th Marquess of Bristol, who died of Aids aged 44, having blown 35 million on drugs, rent boys and other amusements.

'A relationship has to breathe and live and change, and turn into a different thing every day,' added Everett (left). But he did concede his perspective had shifted.

Declaring his intention of being with Henrique 'forever'  they live with Everett's mother and their Labrador, Pluto, in Wiltshire  he said he envisaged a restrained, unfussy wedding.

'It's not going to be George Clooney on a motor ski going down the Grand Canal in Venice,' he explained. 'It's going to be very quiet.'

In recent weeks the star has been promoting his new book, The American No, a collection of Hollywood-inspired short stories.

In March this year Rupert said that if he had grown up today then he would have been 'encouraged' to transition - and would now 'be a woman'.

The actor said as a child he was a 'great cross-dresser' and believed he would have 'definitely transitioned' if he had been born in a younger generation.

However, the actor said that he wouldn't have wanted to be a woman as he loves 'being a gay man'.

Everett told the Rosebud podcast: 'I was a very shy, quiet, child. I loved sitting in cupboards.

'I was a great cross-dresser, I'd be a woman if this was today because I stole one of my mother's discarded skirts and I wore it and I pretended I was Julie Andrews' daughter.

'This was after I'd seen the Sound of Music, and Mary Poppins, and that really was one of the big changes in my life.'

The My Best Friend's Wedding actor admitted when he was aged five - he loved 'playing house in drag'.

He continued: 'I'd put on her wig, and I'd put on her dressing gown, and I'd go outside to the backdoor and come to the front door and ring the doorbell and pretend to be one of the guests.

'And, I'd have one of her handbags and the first time they'd go "Oh hello, what's your name".

'And, I'd come in and sit in the drawing room for a second and then after about five minutes they'd say "Okay darling, time to go to bed now".

'I'd go upstairs, and as soon as I was in bed, and as soon as they'd gone downstairs, I'd jump up again, go put on something else, go round the back, go to the front door, ring the doorbell, and do it all again.'

Everett in character as Miss Fritton on the set of St Trinian's 2: The Legend of Fritton's Gold with Sarah Harding and Talulah Riley

Everett said when he was older, and had moved to London, he was having a 'fantastic time'.

He added: 'I went to drama school in diamante earrings, I mean I would have definitely transitioned if it had been now.

'I think now, I would have been encouraged to and probably would have done.'

Despite this, Everett admitted he 'didn't' want to be a woman.

'No, I like being a man, I love being a gay man.'
Rupert Grint has paid an emotional tribute to his Harry Potter co-star Dame Maggie Smith and said he is 'heartbroken to hear the news,' following her death at age 89.

It was revealed that the Downtown Abbey actress passed away inside a hospital on Friday morning - and prompted a flood of tributes as celebrities and fans mourned the heartbreaking loss.

The 36-year-old actor, who played Ron Weasley in the wizarding franchise, posted his own heartfelt tribute to his main Instagram grid on Saturday.

He shared a moving message about growing up working on the film series alongside Dame Maggie, who played Professor McGonagall in all eight movies.

Rupert quipped: 'Heartbroken to hear about Maggie. She was so special, always hilarious and always kind.

Rupert Grint has paid an emotional tribute to his Harry Potter co-star Dame Maggie Smith following her death at age 89 on Friday (pictured at a premiere in 2009)

He shared a moving message about growing up working on the film series alongside Dame Maggie, who played Professor McGonagall in all eight movies

'I feel incredibly lucky to have shared a set with her and particularly lucky to have shared a dance. Ill miss you Maggie. Sending all my love to her family. Rupert x.'

The actor shared a snap of their characters in Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire, where Professor McGonagall pulled Ron up for a dance during Yule Ball practice - one of the most memorable scenes in the franchise.

Rupert also updated his Instagram profile picture to a sweet throwback of Maggie and himself to pay tribute to her.

His emotional message comes just after the other two members of the iconic trio, Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson, broke their silences on Maggie's death.

Daniel first worked with Dame Maggie in 1999 when he was just nine-years-old on TV mini-series David Copperfield in which he starred alongside four more of his future Harry Potter co-stars, including Zoe Wanamaker, Imelda Staunton, Dawn French and Paul Whitehouse.

He rose to fame at 12-years-old when he starred in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone with them all again in 2001.

Paying tribute to her on social media platform X, formerly Twitter, Daniel said: 'The first time I met Maggie Smith I was nine years old and we were reading through scenes for David Copperfield, which was my first job.

'I knew virtually nothing about her other than that my parents were awestruck at the fact that I would be working with her.

Rupert also updated his Instagram profile picture to a sweet throwback of Maggie and himself to pay tribute to her

His emotional message comes just after the other two members of the iconic trio, Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson, broke their silences on Maggie's death (pictured together in Harry Potter And The Philosopher's Stone)

Daniel first worked with Dame Maggie in 1999 when he was just nine-years-old on TV mini-series David Copperfield

He rose to fame at 12-years-old when he starred in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone with her again in 2001

Pictured: Daniel Radcliffe and Maggie Smith with her granddaughter at the premiere of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire in 2005

Emma Watson, who played Hermione Granger, posted a heartfelt message on her Instagram story

Emma wrote: 'When I was younger I had no idea of Maggie's legend - the woman I was fortunate enough to share space with'

'It is only as I've become and adult that I've come to appreciate that I shared the screen with a true definition of greatness,' she wrote; Maggie seen in 2016 in London

Author JK Rowling also paid tribute to Dame Maggie with a social media post that simply said: 'Somehow I thought she'd live forever. RIP Dame Maggie Smith'

'The other thing I knew about her was that she was a Dame, so the first thing I asked her when we met was "would you like me to call you Dame?" at which she laughed and said something to the effect of "don't be ridiculous!"

'I remember feeling nervous to meet her and then her putting me immediately at ease. She was incredibly kind to me on that shoot, and then I was lucky enough to go on working with her for another 10 years on the Harry Potter films.'

He spoke of her 'fierce intellect' and 'gloriously sharp tongue' and said she 'could intimidate and charm in the same instant and was, as everyone will tell you, extremely funny'.

The 35-year-old actor added: 'I will always consider myself amazingly lucky to have been able to work with her, and to spend time around her on set. The word legend is overused but if it applies to anyone in our industry then it applies to her. Thank you Maggie.'

Emma Watson, who played Hermione Granger, posted a heartfelt message on her Instagram story that read: 'When I was younger I had no idea of Maggie's legend - the woman I was fortunate enough to share space with.

'It is only as I've become and adult that I've come to appreciate that I shared the screen with a true definition of greatness. She was real, honest, funny and self-honouring. Maggie, there were a lot of male professors and by God you held your own. Thank you for all of your kindness. I'll miss you.'

Author JK Rowling also paid tribute to Dame Maggie with a social media post that simply said: 'Somehow I thought she'd live forever. RIP Dame Maggie Smith.'
Lisa Wilkinson went incognito during a low key outing on Saturday.

The embattled television host stepped out in the upmarket Sydney suburb of Mosman covering up in a bucket hat and sunglasses.

The 64-year-old arrived in her husband's red Tesla car, which she parked before strolling to the Hayden Orpheum movie theatre, perhaps to catch a flick solo.

Lisa wore a crisp white shirt underneath a cropped black blazer for a trendy and modern look.

She added a pair of wide-cut white jeans as well as canvas sneakers for a more casual edge.

The former Project star matched her crossbody leather bag to the brown designer belt she also wore.

Lisa appeared to have on minimal makeup along with a soft pink lipstick and wore her brunette locks down and straightened.

It comes amid reports that Lisa is slowly building back her public image.

Lisa Wilkinson (pictured) went incognito during a low key outing on Saturday

The embattled television host stepped out in the upmarket Sydney suburb of Mosman covering up in a bucket hat and sunglasses

Lisa wore a crisp white shirt underneath a cropped black blazer for a trendy and modern look

The television star has made quiet appearances at a handful of red carpet events in recent months, and earlier this month showed up at a trendy influencer shindig.

She surprised guests at the launch of wellness brand Vegamours new GRO+ Advanced Hair Serum at Bondi Icebergs, the Daily Telegraph reports.

The former Project star looked 'relaxed and happy' as she mingled with celebrity guests including Simone Holtznagel and Amy Castano.

It's the latest in a string of appearances in an effort for Wilkinson to 'ease back into the Sydney social scene' the publication claims.

The 64-year-old arrived in her husband's red Tesla car, which she parked before strolling to the Hayden Orpheum movie theatre, perhaps to catch a flick solo

She added a pair of wide-cut white jeans as well as canvas sneakers for a more casual edge

The former Project star matched her crossbody leather bag to the brown designer belt she also wore

Late last month, Lisa was all smiles on the red carpet at the opening night of Sunset Boulevard in Sydney.

The embattled television star appeared in excellent spirits as she made a glamorous entrance at the Sydney Opera House.

Also at the end of August, she mingled with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at the Cauliflower Club rugby lunch.

In March, Wilkinson stepped out for the opening night of & Juliet in Sydney.

Lisa appeared to have on minimal makeup along with a soft pink lipstick and wore her brunette locks down and straightened

It comes amid reports that Lisa is slowly building back her public image

The television star has made quiet appearances at a handful of red carpet events in recent months, and earlier this month showed up at a trendy influencer shindig

It comes after news that Lisa wants to make a return to TV screens following months of inaction and five tedious weeks spent in a courtroom, sources say.

The Channel 10 star and former darling of breakfast TV is keen to get back to delivering more 'blockbuster interviews' in the New Year, friends told the Weekend Australian.

Wilkinson quit The Project last November and despite remaining on the Ten payroll until the end of 2024, she hasn't appeared on the channel for over a year.

Despite her lengthy hiatus from the network, Wilkinson has remained in the public eye through her role in a highly-publicised defamation trial.

Late last month, Lisa was all smiles on the red carpet at the opening night of Sunset Boulevard in Sydney

In March, Wilkinson stepped out for the opening night of & Juliet in Sydney

She was embroiled in a case with Bruce Lehrmann who was suing Network 10 and Wilkinson over an interview with Brittany Higgins that was broadcast on The Project and online.

In the final five weeks of the court's sitting year the defamation case has played out before the court. Justice Lee has reserved his decision in the matter.

Friends of Wilkinson say her court appearances have played in her favour by giving the TV star 'a constant stream of publicity'.

'Yes, she's been off air for a while but I don't think anyone will have forgotten her,' former Seven and Nine executive Peter Meakin told the Weekend Australian.

'I'm sure her loyal followers will remain loyal.'

Network Ten maintains they are in talks to develop 'other projects' with Wilkinson.
Emma Watkins has admitted that her departure from The Wiggles two years ago came with immense guilt.

The children's entertainer, 35, tells this week's issue of Stellar Magazine that she hoped not to let down her fans, but was unable to avoid doing so.

'In the pandemic, we weren't touring, and I thought maybe I wouldn't disappoint as many children' she said.

'But even though I had left during that time, I still disappointed children. So I am sorry to all the children at that time.'

Emma went on to say that some of her fans have followed her over to her new projects.

'The parents will most likely say, "We actually had a ticket to come and watch you in 2021 and the pandemic happened. So we were refunded and then we were booked to see the next one and then you weren't there. So now we're coming to watch you [as Emma Memma, a new character she created] because this is our first time that we've been able to see you live."

'That's a beautiful story, too. And that story is still playing out'.

Earlier this year, Emma revealed her exciting new career move, two years after leaving the iconic children's group.

Emma Watkins has admitted that her departure from The Wiggles two years ago came with immense guilt. Pictured in Stellar Magazine

She has taken over hosting duties for the third series of the popular ABC reality show Teenage Boss: Next Level.

The popular show, which follows the lives of several teenagers managing their household budget, was hosted by mathematician Eddie Woo for the first two seasons.

Watkins expressed her delight about joining the show in a statement.

'I'm thrilled to join the beloved show for its third series. I'm looking forward to working through the challenges of managing budgets with the teens themselves,' she began.

'Hoping to learn a thing or two myself. Tighten your purse strings, I'm on my way!'

The South Australian-filmed series is produced by McAvoy Media and aims to teach teenagers the ins and outs of responsible spending.

In 2022, Watkins shocked fans when she hung up her Yellow Wiggle costume after almost a decade in the world-famous children's group.

The beloved entertainer revealed she had a 'lovely' conversation with her successor Tsehay Hawkins the night before she quit the band.

'In the pandemic, we weren't touring, and I thought maybe I wouldn't disappoint as many children' she said. 'But even though I had left during that time, I still disappointed children. So I am sorry to all the children at that time'

Earlier this year, Emma revealed her exciting new career move, two years after leaving the iconic children's group

She said Tsehay was excited to be stepping into her shoes and the two 'couldn't be in a better position' since they had already performed together.

'I wasn't probably thinking very much the night before, but I do remember speaking to Tsehay on the phone, which was so lovely,' she told 7Life, explaining she had already spent a long time contemplating her decision to leave.

'I guess I was ready for a new chapter, but I probably didn't know if I was going to be ready or not.'

Since quitting the kids' supergroup last year, the former Yellow Wiggle has created a new character, Emma Memma, which she unveiled in July 2022.

Her alter ego still features Watkins' trademark curly hair, but she has dyed it red to match her bright orange dress and pink shirt.
Kylie Jenner shared a video at Paris Fashion Week allowing her 396 million followers to watch her get ready.

The Kylie Cosmetics mogul shared her surprising use for nipple cream in a video on Friday while getting ready for the Schiaparelli Spring/Summer 2025 show.

In the video, the Keeping Up With the Kardashians star, 27, wore a black bra and sweatpants and said she arrived 'in Paris' and only had 'four hours sleep.'

Kylie washed her face, brushed her teeth, applied moisturizer and held up a tube of Lanolin nipple cream, which retails for just $7.91.

'Nipple cream for your lips, it's like the best secret,' she said, before applying some of the product to her lips.

Kylie Jenner shared a video at Paris Fashion Week allowing her 396 million followers to watch her get ready

Nipple cream is usually used by breastfeeding mothers to ease pain on their nipples.

However, the Lanolin website reveals that the product can also be utilized to 'comfort sensitive skin, nappy rash, itchy stretch marks, dry skin patches and can be used as a naturally moisturizing lip balm.'

The video went on to showcase the rest of Kylie's getting ready routine. She had her hair done in an old Hollywood Veronica Lake style before shimmying into a black and white figure-hugging dress.

The black and white number featured a perilously low-cut neckline and white criss cross detailing in the halter neck design.

She boosted her height with a pair of towering black heels, accessorized with chunky, textured gold bracelets and opted for a natural makeup look.

Later in the video she filmed her sister Kendall Jenner, 28, as she walked the runway in the Schiaparelli show and could be heard cheering her on.

The sisters were later spotted leaving the fashion show together arm-in-arm.

'Paris day 1,' Kylie captioned her video.

The Kylie Cosmetics mogul shared her surprising use for nipple cream in a video on Friday while getting ready for the Schiaparelli Spring/Summer 2025 show

In the video, the Keeping Up With the Kardashians star, 27, wore a black bra and sweatpants and said she arrived 'in Paris' and only had 'four hours sleep'

Kylie washed her face, brushed her teeth, applied moisturizer and held up a tube of Lanolin nipple cream

'Nipple cream for your lips, it's like the best secret,' she said, before applying some of the product to her lips

The video went on to showcase the rest of Kylie's getting ready routine

She had her hair done in an old Hollywood Veronica Lake style before shimmying into a black and white figure-hugging dress

She boosted her height with a pair of towering black heels, accessorized with chunky, textured gold bracelets and opted for a natural makeup look

The black and white number featured a perilously low-cut neckline and white criss cross detailing in the halter neck design

Earlier in the day Kylie and Kendall headed out in Paris amid the city's Fashion Week.

The sisters looked stylish as they arrived for lunch at Zeffirino restaurant, which serves traditional Italian cuisine.

Model Kendall made a triumphant return to Paris, walking on the catwalk for L'Oreal earlier this week after overcoming her crippling anxiety.

The supermodel has been notably absent from the catwalk during both the earlier London and Milan fashion weeks this season, walking only in the Alaia show in New York at the beginning of the month.
MADISON, Wis.The Universities of Wisconsin (UW System) has officially revoked the tenure and professorship of Dr. Joe Gow in a unanimous decision reached earlier today. UW System Board of Regents agreed with the recommendation of their personnel matters committee and a faculty committee to remove Gow and terminate his position after he was outed as an indie adult content creator and social media influencer promoting vegan cooking and ethical non-monogamy.

During this case, Gow was represented by counsel provided by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), a pro-bono First Amendment law firm.

The attorney FIRE secured for this case is Mark Leitner of Laffey, Leitner & Goode LLC. Leitner made a First Amendment defense alleging the regents and the university system were violating Gow's right to free and academic expression. UW System counsel disagreed, noting that Gow's contract with the university doesn't protect his rights to freedom of expression when he is expected to carry himself per the UW code of conduct, even when he is off duty and in his personal life.

Gow served 17 years as chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse (UW-La Crosse) but was fired in December 2023. Gow, alongside his spouse, Dr. Carmen Wilson, self-produced and sold adult videos on websites like OnlyFans and Fansly. Gow and Wilson also co-authored two books about ethical non-monogamy under pseudonyms. They appeared in scenes with major adult stars, including Lauren Phillips, Sofie Marie, Nina Hartley, Will Pounder, Ryan Driller and India Summer.

"Because Carmen and I wrote and produced our books and videos on our own timewith no reference whatsoever to the UW Systemthey are protected by both the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and the free speech rights outlined in the Wisconsin State Constitution," Gow said in prepared remarks he shared with AVN.

He also said he intends to sue the university system, likely in federal court. Gow explained, "We seek not only to protect our own rights but to protect free speech and expression for all Americans." Gow went on in his remarks to call the regents a "Board of Hypocrites" that has "zero credibility on free speech and expression."

FIRE counsel posted on X their dismay at the decision handed down by the UW System. For example, FIRE executive vice president Nico Perrino lamented that this was "[not] a great week for the free expression rights of tenured college faculty."

FIRE has said time and time again: public universities cannot sacrifice the First Amendment to protect their reputations," added Zach Greenberg, faculty legal defense counsel at FIRE in a statement to other news outlets.

Greenberg added, "Were disappointed UW caved to donors and politicians by throwing a tenured professor under the bus.

The regents were under political pressure to remove Gow from UW.

Counsel representing the university even mentioned pressure from figures like Republican state Sen. Rob Hutton, the chair of the powerful Senate Universities and Revenue Committee. Hutton's committee has a significant hand in controlling the funding to UW System.

Reportedly, donor pressure also mounted on UW-La Crosse and UW System to remove Gow. During his faculty hearing over the summer, Gow was told that donors were happy at his ouster as chancellor but were withholding funds until he was completely removed from his position as a communications professor.
Bindi Irwin has revealed how her husband Chandler Powell is always by her side as she battles severe endometriosis.

The 26-year-old tells Nine Honey how 'lucky' she is to have such a ceaselessly supportive partner.

'I thank my lucky stars daily that I can count on him so completely,' she told the publication this week.

'It's the best feeling to have a partner who you love so much and can rely on through all of the ups and downs of life.'

Bindi continued: 'He has held my hand when I've been at my lowest and never once wavered.

'One of the reasons I fell in love with Chandler was because he is the most steadfast person I have ever met.

'No matter what happens, he is strong, steady and above all, kind.'

The pair recently revealed whether they are planning to expand their family.

Bindi Irwin has revealed how her husband Chandler Powell is always by her side as she battles severe endometriosis. Pictured with their daughter

The couple were answering questions on the Australia Zoo YouTube channel when a fan asked if they planned to give daughter Grace Warrior, three, a sibling.

They explained they often get asked about their family plans, with Bindi also admitting she had 'a lot of feelings' about the question.

Chandler, 27, then said: 'Basically we get asked this question a lot and Bindi, a lot of you may already know, she went through a big journey with endometriosis.'

'Basically it was an absolute miracle we had Grace.

The 26-year-old said she is 'lucky' she is to have such a ceaselessly supportive partner

'We love Grace so much and are revelling in every moment we have with her, with our little miracle baby. We are so happy with our little family of three.'

Bindi then said she appreciated the good intentions behind the question but told fans to be 'careful' when asking a personal question.

'I really appreciate everyone who is curious to see if we will have another child but I do just want to send it out there that remember to be careful when you ask this question, because you never know what's happening in someone's life,' she said.

'Everything may seem fine on the outside, and on the inside their own personal journey might have been filled with turmoil and challenges that you can't even fathom.'

'I thank my lucky stars daily that I can count on him so completely,' she said. 'It's the best feeling to have a partner who you love so much and can rely on through all of the ups and downs of life'

'So, while I understand why a lot of people ask us this question, and I appreciate the kindness and good intent behind it, it's also a really tricky question for many, many people who maybe can't have another baby, or can't have a baby at all.'

Bindi then admitted that Grace would 'probably' be their only child, but didn't rule out the possibility of more children entirely.

'We feel very lucky to have Grace. she is our beautiful girl,' Bindi said.

'But she will probably be our one child but you never know. Maybe we will be blessed with another little one down the road.

'That would be incredible, but who knows?'

One fan replied in the comments applauding the couple for the way they handled the sensitive subject.

'Thank you for the way you replied to the fertility question,' they wrote.

'As someone who has had to deal with being questioned about having children ever since getting married and dealing with four miscarriages and a long journey with autoimmune disease, this message needs to be shared more to those who don't think about how these questions impact people.'

They continued: 'You can't just assume that people can get pregnant without complications or that they haven't already been pregnant but have lost their babies. It's been such a tough journey and I hope people will start to think before they speak.'

Bindi continued: 'He has held my hand when I've been at my lowest and never once wavered. 'One of the reasons I fell in love with Chandler was because he is the most steadfast person I have ever met'

It comes after Bindi opened up about her battle with severe endometriosis and recalled how difficult it was to get doctors to take her condition seriously.

The conservationist said she was living with horrific pain which was initially dismissed by medical professionals.

'I was tested for everything. Every tropical disease, Lyme disease, cancer, you name it. I had every blood test and scan imaginable,' she told People magazine.

'You don't know what's wrong with you, and then when people tell you 'It's all in your head' or 'you're hormonal' or 'just have a cup of tea, lay down,' you end up feeling so desperately alone.'

The daughter of the late Steve 'the Crocodile Hunter' Irwin said she even began to doubt herself until August last year when she collapsed into a fetal position.

'No matter what happens, he is strong, steady and above all, kind.' The pair recently revealed whether they are planning to expand their family' Bindi said. Pictured at their 2020 wedding

The scare finally led to a test for intra-abdominal diseases, which revealed she had endometriosis.

Endometriosis is an often painful condition in which the tissue that lines the uterus also grows outside the uterus.

There are a wide variety of symptoms: pain can affect areas ranging from the abdomen and lower back to the pelvis and vagina.

After finally finding the right doctor who took her condition seriously, Bindi underwent successful surgery last year, during which surgeons found 37 lesions and a cyst on her ovary which were removed, and she emerged with a new lease on life.
Strictly's Shayne Ward has revealed that he made a huge sacrifice when he decided to participate in this year's competition.

The X Factor winner and actor, 39, got off to a steady start with his professional partner Nancy Xiu during the first live show, as the couple scored a score of 21 for their Samba to Stevie Wonder's Do I Do.

Shayne's girlfriend, Hollyoaks actress Sophie Austin, 40, who he has been in a relationship with since 2016, was seen enthusiastically clapping in the crowd.

The couple got engaged in 2017 but postponed their wedding day during the coronavirus pandemic - and now, it's being put on the back burner again.

Speaking of the wedding, the Manchester-born star told The Mirror: 'It'll be happening. Sophie and I were actually looking at the end of this year, but we couldn't because this incredible show happened.

Strictly's Shayne Ward has revealed that he made a huge sacrifice when he decided to participate in this year's competition

The X Factor winner and actor, 39, got off to a steady start with his professional partner Nancy Xiu during Saturday's live show as the couple scored a score of 21 for their Samba to Stevie Wonder's Do I Do

'Strictly came along, and so we had to put the wedding on hold.

'I've joked that maybe we could do both together, and get married after the results show. But we have plenty of time.'

Elsewhere in the interview, Shayne revealed it was actually Sophie who put him forward for the BBC show as she 'loves' it.

The couple share two children, Willow born in 2017, and son Reign, born in 2022.

Shayne's admission comes just after he hit back at Strictly fans on Monday after viewers branded him 'cocky' and 'insufferable' following the first live show.

During his dance, there was no shortage of stage presence from the former Coronation Street star as he put on a brilliant performance in an all-black sparkly outfit.

However, his energetic dance was too much for viewers at home as they took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to complain the star appeared 'overconfident'.

One fan wrote: 'If Shayne Ward was made of chocolate he'd lick himself.'; 'Find someone that loves you as much as Shayne Ward loves himself.'

The couple got engaged in 2017 but postponed their wedding day during the coronavirus pandemic - and now, it's being put on the back burner again

Shayne has been in a relationship with Hollyoaks actress Sophie Austin since 2016 and the couple share two children, Willow born in 2017, and son Reign, born in 2022 (both pictured 2019)

It comes after Shayne hit back at Strictly Come Dancing fans on Monday after viewers branded him 'cocky' and 'insufferable' on the hit BBC show

However, Shayne took to his Instagram to assure fans that their statements couldn't be further from the truth.

Posting a glum black-and-white selfie, Shayne said: 'Strictly is amazing and I love being part of it.'

'But through my smile on TV I'm as nervous as the next person. Not cocky or overconfident... I'm nervous!'

'I just gotta work hard and listen to my wonderful teacher Nancy Xiu. All I can do is my best!'

The Manchester-born star won the second series of X Factor in 2005, competing against Andy Abraham, who finished in second place, and Journey South, who took third.

He also won a recording contract with Simon Cowell's Syco label and went on to release several successful singles.

Shayne's biggest hits include That's My Goal; his debut single reached number one in the UK.

Another popular track is No Promises, which reached number two on the UK Singles Chart.

The Manchester-born star won the second series of X Factor in 2005 (seen), competing against Andy Abraham, who finished in second place, and Journey South, who took third

After he achieved a successful career in music, Shayne broadened his horizons by venturing into acting and joined the cobbles as bad boy Aidan Connor in August 2015

His song Breathless from his second album was also a big hit and peaked at number three on the UK Singles Chart.

Ever the showman, Shayne won a National Television Award in 2006 for Most Popular Talent Show for his win on X Factor.

Aside from his music career, Shayne decided to hit the West End as he took on the role of Staycee Jaxx in the '80s musical Rock of Ages.

And after he achieved a successful career in music, he broadened his horizons by venturing into acting.

He joined the cobbles as bad boy Aidan Connor in August 2015  the half-brother of Carla, who owned the knicker factory, Underworld, at the time.

His character quickly became known as a ladies' man, something which came back to haunt him in a complicated love triangle between Maria Connor (Samia Longchambon) and Eva Price (Catherine Tyldesley).

In a typically dramatic conclusion to the storyline, Aidan felt the wrath of Eva as she went 'full bunny boiler' on the discovery of his affair with a devious plot to sabotage their wedding day.

He bagged two gongs for Best Newcomer in 2016  one at the National Television Awards and the other at the Inside Soap Awards.

However, in 2018 his on-screen persona died by suicide.
Sean 'Diddy' Combs' attorney made a shocking statement about a plea bargain for his client.

The embattled rapper, 54, has no plans to take a plea bargain, according to his attorney Marc Agnifilo.

Combs insists that he is innocent and plans to fight in the trial until the end, Agnifilo told TMZ for the outlet's new documentary on the case.

His attorney also shared that Combs strongly believes that this is a 'racially motivated prosecution' and that he is being targeted because he is a 'successful Black man.'

This comes after his attorney previously told the outlet that Combs 'can't wait' to testify in court.

Sean 'Diddy' Combs' attorney made a shocking statement about a plea bargain for his client; pictured January 2020 in Beverly Hills

The embattled rapper, 54, has no plans to take a plea bargain, according to his attorney Marc Agnifilo

Agnifilo, a former Manhattan Assistant District Attorney, told the outlet that Combs plans to 'fight this case not just for himself, but for others in a similar position,' who are also facing government persecution.

His attorney also said that Combs has his family on his mind and wants to prove to them that he is 'the same man they've always known.'

Agnifolo previously said that the Bad Boy Records founder is 'eager' to testify.

'I don't know that I could keep him off the stand,' he said. 'I think he is very eager to tell his story. And I think he will tell every part of his story.'

He shared that Combs also wants to tell his side of the story in regards to the 2016 hotel security footage of him attacking his ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura.

'He has his story and he has a story that I think only he can tell in the way he can tell it in real-time,' Agnifilo told the outlet. 'And it's a human story. It's a story of love. It's a story of hurt. It's a story of heartbreak.'

He is also expected to be questioned about his 'freak-off' parties.

On September 16, Combs was indicted in New York City and charged with racketeering, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution.

Combs insists that he is innocent and plans to fight in the trial until the end, Agnifilo told TMZ for the outlet's new documentary on the case; pictured September 18 in New York City

His attorney also shared that Combs strongly believes that this is a 'racially motivated prosecution' and that he is being targeted because he is a 'successful Black man'; pictured November 2023 in London

His attorney also said that Combs has his family on his mind and wants to prove to them that he is 'the same man they've always known'; pictured August 2023 in Atlanta

He pleaded not guilty to all three charges and was denied bail.

The judge who will preside over his case agreed with prosecutors that he was a serious flight risk and that he posed a danger to others.

This comes after Agnifilo explained the alleged reason behind the '1,000 bottles' of baby oil and lubricant authorities found in Combs' homes in Miami and Los Angeles.

'I don't think it was 1,000. I think it was a lot. I mean, there is a Costco right down the street. I think Americans buy in bulk, as we know,' he told the New York Post.

Later, Costco chimed in and slammed the allegations in a statement to TMZ, saying they do not carry baby oil in any of their U.S. retail locations.

Last week, Combs was placed on suicide watch after he was denied bail.

According to the US Department of Justice National Institute of Corrections, suicide watch is when 'supervisory precautions [are] taken for suicidal inmates that require frequent observation.'

However, Combs is remaining positive, according to his attorney.

On September 16, Combs was indicted in New York City and charged with racketeering, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution. He pleaded not guilty to all three charges and was denied bail; pictured January 2020 in Beverly Hills

Last week, Combs was placed on suicide watch after he was denied bail. However, Combs is remaining positive, according to his attorney; pictured September 2023 in Newark

Agnifilo, a former Manhattan Assistant District Attorney, told the outlet that Combs plans to 'fight this case not just for himself, but for others in a similar position,' who are also facing government persecution; pictured September 18 in New York City

'His state of mind is actually remarkably positive,' Agnifilo said.

'I spend several hours with him every day. His resolve is strong. He's engaged,' he continued.

'He's focused on his defense,' he said before adding that Combs has 'come to terms with the fact that this is where he is for now.'

Agnifilo also said that he is working on setting a trial date as soon as possible.

TMZ Studios' new documentary, The Downfall of Diddy: The Indictment, is now available to stream on Tubi.
Harry Potter fans have been left stunned by a shocking coincidence regarding the date of Maggie Smith's death.

It was revealed that the actress, who played Professor Minerva McGonagall in seven of the eight films, passed away inside a hospital on Friday morning aged 89.

In a twist of fate, it came exactly one year after the death of her co-star Sir Michael Gambon, who starred as Albus Dumbledore.

The actor died in hospital aged 82 following a bout of pneumonia and featured in six of the eight movies based on Rowling's books.

Noticing the coincidence, fans of the franchise said it was an 'extraordinary twist of fate' as the new circulated on X.

Harry Potter fans have been left stunned by a shocking coincidence regarding the date of Maggie Smith 's death (pictured in June 2023)

It was revealed that the actress, who played Professor Minerva McGonagall in seven of the eight films, passed away inside a hospital on Friday morning aged 89

They wrote: 'A year ago we raised our wands to say goodbye to Michael Gambon and today we raise our wands to say goodbye to Maggie Smith'; 'The day when Michael Gambon died exactly a year ago too, such coincidence';

'What an extraordinary twist of fate! Both Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall share the same day of passing, adding an even more mystical aura to their legacies'; 'Maggie Smith dying on the same day Michael Gambon died last year, my wizarding world is crumbling down'; 'And yes they're indeed reunited again the greatest wizards of all time';

'The same day, different years'; 'Professor Minerva McGonagall & Professor Albus Dumbledore passes away on the same date one year apart, your students at #Hogwarts will always be grateful to you.'

Maggie's death has sparked an outpouring of grief from fellow actors and Harry Potter fans around the world, with Huge Bonneville leading tributes to a 'true legend of her generation'.

The beloved star won over Harry Potter fans later in life, when she appeared in the blockbuster franchise as the quick-witted, kind and formidable Professor McGonagall.

In 2010 she was central to the success of ITV series Downton Abbey, in her Emmy-award winning role as the acerbic Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of Grantham, which she continued to play in the films.

Her heartbroken sons, Chris Larkin and Toby Stephens, announced her death 'with great sadness' in an emotional statement on Friday.

They paid tribute to their 'extraordinary' mother, an 'intensely private person' who was 'with friends and family at the end'.

In a twist of fate, it came exactly one year after the death of her co-star Sir Michael Gambon, who starred as Albus Dumbledore

The actor died in hospital aged 82 following a bout of pneumonia and featured in six of the eight movies based on Rowling's books (pictured in 2010)

Noticing the coincidence, fans of the franchise said it was an 'extraordinary twist of fate' as the new circulated on X

They shared: 'It is with great sadness we have to announce the death of Dame Maggie Smith. She passed away peacefully in hospital early this morning, Friday 27th September.

'An intensely private person, she was with friends and family at the end. She leaves two sons and five loving grandchildren who are devastated by the loss of their extraordinary mother and grandmother.

'We would like to take this opportunity to thank the wonderful staff at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital for their care and unstinting kindness during her final days.

'We thank you for all your kind messages and support and ask that you respect our privacy at this time.'

As Dumbledore, Sir Michael became world famous after taking the part following the death of fellow Irishman Richard Harris.

Maggie's death has sparked an outpouring of grief from fellow actors and Harry Potter fans around the world (pictured in 2019)

Sir Michael said when he played the headmaster of Hogwarts, he would 'just stick on a beard and play me', calling it 'no feat' - although his millions of fans disagreed.

A statement on behalf of his wife Lady Anne Gambon and son Fergus, issued by publicist Clair Dobbs, said: 'We are devastated to announce the loss of Sir Michael Gambon.

'Beloved husband and father, Michael died peacefully in hospital with his wife Anne and son Fergus at his bedside, following a bout of pneumonia. Michael was 82.

'We ask that you respect our privacy at this painful time and thank you for your messages of support and love.'
Maura Higgins has revealed she was left 'stranded' for over two hours after her Range Rover caught fire in the middle of London on Friday.

The former Love Island star, 33, took to her Instagram page with a photo of the car's steering wheel and penned: 'When your car goes on fire in the middle of London. Been here for over 2 hours now

'Also car just had a service & mot 2 weeks ago so that's nice!!.... stranded higgins GOD I LOVE RANGE ROVERS!!!!!'

The disaster came shortly after Maura broke her silence on the the rumours that she had been dating Pete Wicks earlier this month.

Maura was said to be in a relationship with the Strictly contestant, 36, after they were pictured kissing outside the Broadwick Soho Hotel last month.

Maura Higgins has revealed she was left 'stranded' for over two hours after her Range Rover caught fire in the middle of London on Friday

The former Love Island star, 33, took to her Instagram page with a photo of the car's steering wheel and penned: 'When your car goes on fire in the middle of London. Been here for over 2 hours now

However, she poked fun at the reports as she supported him at his Staying Relevant podcast tour.

Maura donned a personalised T-shirt showing a picture of the kiss and words, 'We can't be friends' written in capital letters across the front of her chest.

She posed with an arm around Pete's best friend Sam Thompson in the snap, which she captioned ''Hilarious night.... you smashed it @samthompson @stayingrelevantpodcast.'

It's not the first time Maura and Pete have been romantically linked.

Last year, the pair were filmed getting cosy at Grosvenor House in London.

In the clip, which was recorded in October 2023, Maura and Pete cosied up together in the corner of a room, seemingly taking selfies on Maura's phone.

They were spotted gazing into each others eyes during what looked like a deep conversation, with Maura flashing a huge smile at the reality star as he waved his arms around during the chat.

Their encounter happened a year before Maura, who split from American stuntman boyfriend Bobby Holland Hanton earlier this year, wrapped her arms around Pete's neck and kissed him during their recent romantic luncheon together.

The reality alum has broken her silence on the the rumours she's dating Pete Wicks just earlier this month

The star was said to be in a relationship with the Strictly contestant, 36, after they were pictured kissing last month outside the Broadwick Soho Hotel

A source told The Sun: 'Maura had been sitting on the terrace with friends for an hour before Pete arrived.

'After theyd sat there for a while Maura went in for a long kiss with Pete. It wasnt the kind of kiss youd give a friend, it was very passionate.

'Maura and Pete seemed to be really into each other and kept looking into each others eyes before kissing again a number of times. They were all over each other. They looked totally in love and werent trying to hide it from anyone.'

Maura recently revealed that she is not short of offers and has had American A-listers slide into her DMS and ask her out.

Speaking to Closer, the Love Island USA star said: 'I've had Hollywood men slide into my DMs.

'But I'm not going to do that, be flown to Hollywood for a first date. They have to come to me!'

Maura also confirmed that she has moved on from her ex Bobby following a 10 month whirlwind romance, but refused to give more details.

She added: 'I'm dating The thing with me is I won't just date someone.

'I don't go off just looks, I have to be speaking to somebody for quite some time to sort of get their vibe. It needs to be flirty, getting to know each other, getting a vibe.'

Bobby and Maura were first romantically linked after they were first spotted on a date in London in May.

The couple were then seen enjoying several passionate kisses while on holiday together in Ibiza in June.

Maura recently confirmed that she has moved on from her Hollywood stuntman ex Bobby Holland Hanton following a 10 month whirlwind romance

Maura - who hosts Love Island Aftersun in the US - has previously dated Strictly Come Dancing professional Giovanni Pernice

She rose to fame on Love Island in 2019 where she struck up a romance with Curtis Pritchard (pictured)

Maura confirmed her relationship with Bobby - a successful stuntman, who regularly plays Chris Hemsworth's stunt double - during a December appearance on the Late Late Late Show hosted by Patrick Kielty.

She previously dated Strictly Come Dancing professional Giovanni Pernice, as well as her Love Island co-stars Christopher Taylor and Curtis Pritchard.

The reality star shot to fame on the fifth series of Love Island UK in 2019, but landed a job in America as host of their spin-off show Aftersun.
Kanye West announced a new album and debuted a new song during his show at Wuyuan River Stadium in Haikou, China this weekend.

The new album  which follows his two Vultures releases earlier this year  is called Bully.

The new song is called Beauty and the Beast and he performed it in China rapping over an instrumental background.

'I still think about it every night and day to try to stay away, to keep my audience / Don't take this disrespect, I'm sitting here trying to redirect.'

Kanye  who recently sold his Malibu mansion hadn't performed in China in 16 years prior to his first listening event in the country on September 15.

Kanye West announced a new album and debuted a new song during his show at Wuyuan River Stadium in Haikou, China today. Seen here in December 2021

During the concert West also debuted a new version of 530, a track off Vultures 2, which fans are calling a finished version as it contained a second verse.

Ye did not give the audience any clue as to when the Bully album would be released but if it follows the same route the two Vultures projects did, it will be plagued with delays.

Vultures was delayed months before finally dropping on February 10. The second Vultures project was initially scheduled for a March 8 release but was pushed until August 3.

The first was pushed by months before its inevitable release on Feb. 10, while the second was initially slated to drop on March 8 before finally hitting streaming services on Aug. 3.

Yeezy has announced a number of albums that never saw the light of day including Good A** Job, TurboGrafx 16, Yandhi and Love Everyone.

Additionally, the Vultures project was conceived of as a trilogy and the third album has not been released yet.

Last month, the Gold Digger rapper took a dig at Adidas, who severed ties with the rapper in 2022 after Ye made several anti-semitic comments.

He chanted 'f**k Adidas' and encouraged the audience to join him, before playing Can't Tell Me Nothing, another hit off his third studio album, Graduation.

The new album  which follows his two Vultures releases earlier this year  is called Bully. Seen here arriving in China on September 27, 2024

The new song is called Beauty and the Beast and he performed it in China rapping over an instrumental background. Seen at Rolling Loud Festival in 2024

'I still think about it every night and day to try to stay away, to keep my audience / Don't take this disrespect, I'm sitting here trying to redirect.' Seen in 2024

He also recently gave Drake a shoutout during one his recent shows.

Before performing his 2007 track, I Wonder, the father-of-four declared: 'This one for Drake.'

According to The Sun, several K-pop artists were seen attending his gig on August 23.

This included Aespa members Giselle and Winter, both 23.
Beaming with joy, Downton Abbey actress Joanne Froggatt shows she is not too posh to push as she takes her newborn baby for a stroll.

It can be revealed that the star, 44, gave birth to her first child earlier this month  four years after she was left heartbroken following the breakdown of her marriage to IT consultant James Cannon.

Looking effortlessly chic, Ms Froggatt wore a black cap, leather jacket and wide-leg trousers as she pushed a must-have 750 Nuna buggy in Berkshire last week.

She was first photographed pregnant in June when she walked down the red carpet at the Into Film Awards in London  a year after she found love again with n boyfriend Mark Turner.

The pair were first seen together when she took him to a party with a group of her pals at The Italian Greyhound restaurant in London's Marylebone.

Joanne Froggatt was beaming as she pushed her newborn's pram on a stroll in Berkshire

The Downton Abbey actress sported a chic yet casual look as she was spotted after giving birth to her new child earlier this month

Joanne is fully concentrated as she pushes her newborns pram safely onto the pavement

She was first photographed pregnant in June when she walked down the red carpet at the Into Film Awards in London (Pictured: pushing her newborn in Berkshire)

Joanne Froggatt as her character Anna Barnes alongside co-star Brendan Coyle, who portrayed John Bates

One source close to her revealed: 'Joanne is having a great time with Mark.'

Ms Froggatt was reportedly devastated after the breakdown of her eight-year marriage to Mr Cannon, 43, in early 2020.

Ms Froggatt, who was engaged to DJ Phil Vane at 19, married Mr Cannon in 2012 in a private church ceremony in Oxfordshire attended by her fellow Downton Abbey cast members.

Together, they owned a production company called Run After It, but the actress now manages the business on her own and said that being in charge 'feels like an exciting new chapter'.

Her baby happiness comes after it was revealed she is set to return to Downton Abbey as production gets under way for the period drama's third film.
As a leading designer, Victoria Beckham has a nose for a good idea. And faced with promoting her new perfume at her Paris Fashion Week after-show party, she scented an opportunity.

On Friday night, the former Spice Girl served guests champagne infused with her latest fragrance  a feat attempted before only by Chanel.

The glasses of Perrier-Jouet champagne had an edible dash of her opulent new perfume. It is thought Chanel's Cocktail No 5 in 2009  created from the iconic Chanel No 5  is the only precursor to this.

The unique flavouring at Victoria's party  concocted from her 170-per bottle 21:50 Reverie fragrance and combined with ingredients from around the world  took a year to make, according to those close to the Beckhams.

It was then dropped into the fizz, glass by glass, so that those gathered in the glorious setting of Chateau de Bagatelle  where her catwalk show had taken place  could taste the scent. One impressed guest said: 'It tasted lovely, it was such a special thing for Victoria to do.

Fashion designer and former Spice Girl, Victoria Beckham (pictured with husband David) has upped the ante at her Paris Week Fashion show by including some of her new perfume in the champagne

The Perrier-Jouet champagne was infused with the 21.50 Reverie fragrance (pictured), which took over a year to create - according to insiders

'She wanted to give her supportive friends and family a lovely treat but also let everyone know what her new fragrance smells like, as she is very proud of it.

'The whole making of the drink wasn't easy to do but it was well worth it.'

It was quite the party for Mrs Beckham, who earlier had unveiled her latest collection with her family, including husband David and four children in the front row.

Guests arriving for the party were directed to walk through a large, dark green 21:50 Reverie 'bottle'  tapping into the theme sparked by the perfume's name, which means being pleasantly lost in thought, like a daydream.

Mrs Beckham, 50, was also seen being followed around the party by David, 49, who helpfully topped her glass up with red wine as she mingled with her friends and guests, including actress Sofia Vergara, Eva Longoria and supermodel Helena Christiansen.

Elsewhere at Paris Fashion Week, Gigi Hadid (pictured) proved she brings the whole package as a model, sporting a dress made up of DHL tape at the Vetements show in Paris (

As for the goodie bag, Mrs Beckham gave each of her guests a bottle of her new fragrance and a dark green blanket to match.

Her latest perfume was inspired by a trip to the Indonesian island of Java with David back in 2001. There she was said to be 'enchanted by its ancient, aromatic nature'.

Elsewhere at Paris Fashion Week, supermodel Gigi Hadid proved she is the whole package in a DHL logo frock.

Wearing the strapless, skintight yellow and red mini dress which gave the illusion that she was wrapped in yellow and red packaging tape, Ms Hadid, 29, walked the Swiss luxury fashion house Vetements show.
Shoppers are often unknowingly paying sales tax twice on the same item because of an unfair quirk in the system.

Thrift stores have boomed in popularity in recent years as households seek out bargains and opt for more sustainable alternatives.

But resale giants have highlighted how consumers are being deprived a vital saving.

This is because sales tax is still charged on items purchased second-hand - even though it was already paid on the initial purchase.

Resale giants such as The RealReal, Vestiaire Collective and ThredUp, are now backing a petition calling for the elimination of double taxation.

Rachel Kibbe, 43, is the founder and CEO of American Circular Textiles, a coalition that advocates for sustainable fashion and circularity in the US

Rachel Kibbe, 43, has become the face of the movement. The New York native's coalition, American Circular Textiles, advocates for sustainable fashion and circularity in the US.

Kibbe, along with the coalition's 40 member organizations, penned the petition addressed to US state lawmakers asking for consideration for eliminating sales and use taxes on secondhand clothing on a state-by-state basis.

'This practice is stifling sustainability and stifling businesses who are trying to do the right thing by reselling products,' Kibbe told DailyMail.com.

Young people who have turned to thrifting secondhand clothes are also complaining about increased prices after the extra tax is added.

One user on Instagram asked: Why am I paying sales tax on secondhand items at a thrift store?

Another said: If we really cared about the environment we would not tax secondhand stores so people would be encouraged to recycle goods.

'One mans junk is another mans treasure but in the US capitalism reigns and consumerism fuels it.

An X user added: 'I dont see how anyone should impose a sales tax or income tax on used, RESALE items so wrong.

'Theyre lucky that used s**t doesnt just go into a landfill. B******s are lucky we repurpose thru thrifting, Etsy, eBay stop taxing the s**t out of us!!!!'

Clothing is tax-exempt in only four states - Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire and Oregon. In all other states, clothing is generally subject to sales tax with occasional exceptions.

The additional tax is not applicable in all states as some have specific exemptions for certain types of wearables or transactions.

Even as the resistance to paying additional tax increases, the secondhand apparel market continues to grow rising 18 percent last year to reach a $197 billion valuation

If the secondary-tax on clothing was removed Kibbe (center) believes small businesses like thrift shops, alteration services and repair shops would flourish 'providing essential services and creating jobs'

In California and Tennessee, some nonprofits and thrift organizations providing clothing to people in need are tax exempt.

In Ohio, Virginia and South Carolina some protective clothing may be tax exempt and in Idaho exceptions regarding free clothing for charities can apply.

Despite the tax complication, the secondhand apparel market continues to grow.

ThredUp - an online consignment and thrift store - revealed in its annual report that US consumers spent nearly half of their clothing budget on secondhand items.

The report also noted an 18 percent increase in last year's global secondhand market, reaching a $197 billion valuation.

Secondhand clothing sales are on track to make up a tenth of the global fashion market next year as the cost of living crisis and sustainability concerns send consumers seeking hand-me-down products, The Guardian reported.

ThredUp estimates that the US secondhand market will reach $73 billion by 2028 increasing an average of 11 percent annually.

Kibbe's petition addressed to US state lawmakers asks for consideration for eliminating sales and use taxes on secondhand clothing on a state-by-state basis

There has been an 18 percent increase in last years global secondhand market, reaching a $197 billion valuation (stock image)

'Our coalition is leading something very overlooked and very impactful - stopping the double taxation of secondhand clothing. Clothes are tax twice, first when their sold new and second when their sold used,' Kibbe said

For sellers, offering up already-worn goods is an easy way to make money.

Reselling also can also benefit local communities by sourcing items from small businesses, secondhand shops or garage sales.

But even as the resale market grows consumer culture reigns supreme.

A staggering 85 percent of discarded textiles end up in landfills, with 17 million tons of textile waste piling up across the US.

The petition states that the elimination of the tax will incentivize reuse and repurposing of garments to reduce the fashion industrys environmental impact.

The document also argues that the change would additionally benefit lower-income individuals and families.

If the secondary-tax on clothing was removed Kibbe believes small businesses like thrift shops, alteration services and repair shops would flourish 'providing essential services and creating jobs.'

Kibbe said: Ending double taxation is not only the fair and just thing to do, it will also spur economic growth and strengthen the trend towards shopping for well-made clothing that can be reused or repaired rather than tossed into the ever-growing piles of textile waste.

Kibbe and the ACT penned the petition on National Secondhand Day, August 25.
The only American to have reached the very top of the worlds luxury chocolate industry has revealed the moneys-no-object excesses, the shameless power grabs, and the celebrity-schmoozing that go on behind the scenes of its best-known brands.

As the US director of stores at Godiva through the 1980s and 1990s, Brad Yater helped transform it into the most popular super-premium chocolate in the US, valued at $1 billion and beloved by the rich and famous.

And in his new book, Chocolate Covered Money, he has revealed for the first time the industrys dirty little secrets, from persuading the Pope to be a brand ambassador, to how he foiled a plot to defraud US immigration - with devastating results.

Celebrities of the 1980s and 1990s shopped at Godivas branded stores, he writes. The dirty little secret was they all got their chocolate for free. We never charged celebrities because their publicity was priceless.'

He adds: I will never forget the year I invited Pope John Paul II to do his Christmas shopping at our store in Brussels.

Yater says Pope John Paul II brought his friends Elizabeth Taylor and her Royal Majesty Queen Paola of Belgium with him when he went Christmas shopping in Brussels

Michael Jackson was invited to bring the children to the shop any time after 7pm and let themselves in using the key - they would have the entire store to themselves

Whoopi Goldberg caused a stir at the San Francisco store - which she dropped into while filming Sister Act in 1992  still wearing her nuns habit

'His staff said his eminence would fly in from Rome on a certain day  little did I know the Pope had his own surprise... [he] had invited two of his best friends to join him Christmas shopping - Elizabeth Taylor and her Royal Majesty Queen Paola of Belgium.

'There the three of them were, standing in a Godiva store, oohing and aahing over the displays.'

Brad also recalls Whoopi Goldberg causing a stir at the San Francisco store while she was filming Sister Act in 1992  she came shopping still wearing her nuns habit.

'She chit chatted with the staff... It turns out the caterer must have been shopping for Whoopi all during the shoot because Whoopi knew the names of various Godiva pieces and clearly had her favorites.

'The staff packed up our largest boxes of free samples for her and had shopping bags full of Godiva chocolates taken down to the car that was waiting to take Whoopi to her hotel.'

He adds: 'People were walking by the windows and taking pictures from the sidewalk... The next day our store had free publicity all over the local news in San Francisco.'

The brand even had a lucrative relationship with the King of Pop - not that it ever made the news headlines.

Michael Jackson was the only non-employee in the world to have keys to a Godiva store, writes Brad.

He wanted to bring his children, Paris and Prince, to the Topanga Plaza store but feared the frenzy it might cause, so planned a top-secret, after-hours visit instead in the late 1990s.

The mall closed at 6pm on Sundays,' he explains. 'By 7pm, everyone in the building would be gone, including other mall employees.

'Michael was invited to bring the children to the shop any time after 7pm and let themselves in using the key. They would have the entire store to themselves without anyone to bother them.

We decided on a date. Mall security knew that a VIP would be parking on the roof of the garage and entering the building through the service corridors after hours. At closing time, the shop staff kept the lights on and the alarm off, just as if they were not closing, and everyone went home for the night.

The chocolate case was illuminated with 50 kinds of chocolate. I left a clipboard on the counter. Michael could write down a list of anything the children ate or took home. A bill would be sent to the studio, which is code for charged-off as a marketing expense, since no bills are ever sent to celebrities studios.

When the staff arrived the next morning, he recalls that the Jackson shopping list featured just 10 pieces of candy and three chocolate-covered strawberries. The star had also left a stack of hundred dollar bills on the counter as payment.

When his ex-wife Debbie Rowe - who had engineered the visit - was told of the largesse, she responded: That sounds like Michael. He has no concept of money. For all we know he thinks thats how much a few chocolates cost!

But, after 13 years with Godiva, rumors of an imminent sale were circulating, and Brad started to sniff around for another opportunity - which led him to a bizarre interview with the Greek brand Leonidas in Monaco - which was something straight out of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

The performance included repeating a bizarre secret password - five, four, three, two, one, the chilly wind blows over the snowy plane, one, two, three, four, five - and, once he'd gained access to an empty Leonidas store, he had to dial the combination to a mystery passageway by turning trays of chocolates as if working the combination of a bicycle lock.

I wound up in a glass elevator with a fingertip recognition scanner, leading to a hidden quay where a tender was waiting to take me to a 250-foot mega-yacht anchored off Monte Carlo, he writes.

I felt as if I had stepped out of the real world and become a character in a fantastical gaslight scene from someone elses alternate reality. But in my mind, I knew this was all really necessary for security reasons.

Brad had a bizarre interview with the Greek brand Leonidas in Monaco - which was something straight out of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

He had to dial the combination to a mystery passageway by turning trays of chocolates as if working the combination of a bicycle lock

We drove past the street where I had entered. I looked out the window, and the Leonidas storefront was gone'

'Well show you how its done,' one of the shareholders said to him, as she regaled the group with tales of chartering Concorde to New York to do her Christmas shopping at Bloomingdales.

Brad took this to mean that they would 'demonstrate to an American how real money was made.'

Indeed, he admits now: 'Until I started working for the Greeks, I never knew that much money existed.'

After a successful interview with the mysterious trio of shareholders, he was provided with a car and driver to whisk him back to the train station. But the Greeks had a final surprise in store.

As the car started to weave through the cobblestone streets... we drove past the street where I had entered. I looked out the window, and the Leonidas storefront was gone, he writes.

There were more unexplained happenings to come during his nine years as USA CEO of Leonidas. But one of the strangest was when he uncovered what he believed was a plot by a rival to defraud the US Immigration Service - all of which happened during a period he was off work recovering from an injury.

'I was not pleased to find out that someone from Leonidas had been physically visiting US stores to check up on things while I was hospitalized,' he writes. 'Her name was Myrtle.

Brad Yater: 'I will find out everything that goes on in my stores, one way or another'

'The problem was no one had bothered to clear that with me. Whoever this Myrtle person was had not called me to introduce herself.'

Once back at work, he decided to contrive a face-to-face meeting with Myrtle during a corporate retreat at a castle in the Black Forest, Germany.

Cornering her in a corridor, he writes that she was cordial in person. But she made my skin crawl, and my intuition was that she was up to no good.

His suspicions were confirmed when some members of the board asked him to help solve a 'problem'.

'It seemed that Myrtles husband was getting transferred to Hartford by the company he worked for. Myrtle wanted to go too but could not because she did not have a visa and without it, she would not be able to work in the US.'

Brad was then given a copy of a lawyer's letter to sign, outlining Leonidas' 'sponsorship' of Myrtle, which would allow her to transfer from Brussels to Connecticut.

'In order to justify her visa application, the two-page document outlined supposed responsibilities Myrtle would carry out in the US that only she was capable of performing.

Under Brad's direction during the 1980s and 1990s, Godiva was valued at $1 billion

'Until I worked for the Greeks, I never knew that much money existed.' says Brad

'I categorically denied having any part in this fraud being perpetrated. I found strong language to explain that what Leonidas was doing was illegal on many levels. Not only was Myrtle not actually going to be working for Leonidas, Myrtle, in fact, I came to find out, had no skills, no education, and no experience.

'Suddenly it all made sense. Myrtle had been lobbying for a way to get to move to the US by making it appear that I needed help managing the brand. It was entirely probable that she had also been at the very least undermining me and at worst sabotaging my chain of command.'

He agreed to take the letter - but then rewrote it to bring a decisive end to Myrtle's plan.

'I turned the document into an anti-sponsorship document, so I could mail the letter to US Immigration to persuade them to reject rather than approve Myrtles application.'

His letter had the desired effect. Myrtles name was added to the No Fly List and she was banned from entering the US for ten years.

'This situation could have possibly been avoided had people been straightforward in their dealings,' he writes. 'It all boils down to people underestimating me and not realizing that I have eyes in the back of my head and will find out everything that goes on in my stores, one way or another, sooner or later.'

Chocolate Covered Money by Brad Yater is published by Post Hill Press
Walmart, Target, and Albertsons alongside other grocery giants are all making a big change to their stores in California.

Governor Gavin Newsom has signed a law banning plastic bags being used at such stores in the state.

The change will take legal effect on January 1, 2026, and will affect all grocery stores.

Some grocery chains such as Whole Foods have already phased out plastic bags at their checkouts nationwide.

Consumers will be encouraged to bring their own bags to do their shopping, and those who do not will be offered a paper alternative.

The new law will only affect the plastic bags used at supermarket checkouts, not the plastic bags that contain produce.

Californians will soon be offered paper bags at the supermarket checkout

The change comes after a decade of hard-fought campaigning from politicians trying to outlaw the bags.

In 2014 a similar law was passed in California but it only outlawed thin plastic bags, leaving a loophole for stores to use thicker plastic.

Laura Deehan, the director of Environment California, told local news that the bags actually created more waste as shoppers did not reuse or recycle the thicker bags.

'There was a sudden surge in these much thicker plastic bags,' Deehan, who campaigned for the new law, told KABC-TV.

'The grocery stores felt like they met the definition of a reusable plastic bag, but what we found is that they're really not being reused at all.'

In 2004 Californians threw away an average of eight pounds of plastic every year, which increased to eleven pounds per year by 2021, a state study concluded.

The law 'clearly needed a redo,' Jenn Engstrom, of the California Public Interest Research Group told the Associated Press.

'Plastic bags create pollution in our environment and break into microplastics that contaminate our drinking water and threaten our health,' she explained.

'With the Governor's signature, California has finally banned plastic bags in grocery checkout lanes once and for all.'

The law also redefined what can be considered a recyclable bag.

Gavin Newsom introduced the US's first plastic bag ban while mayor of San Francisco in 2007

As of 2028 only bags made from 50 percent or more recycled materials can be classified as recyclable.

Newsom has a long-history of fighting against plastic bag use, having introduced America's first plastic bag ban in 2007 while mayor of San Francisco.

Now hundreds of cities across 28 states have their own plastic bag bans in place.

Some form of state-wide plastic bag ban now exists in twelve states, including New York.

The UK passed a law forcing supermarkets to charge for plastic bags in 2015, which led to a 98 percent reduction in their use according to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Stores often face a backlash when they alter packaging to cut down on plastic use.

Earlier this year Costco began selling its $4.99 rotisserie chickens in soft plastic bags instead of the traditional hard-shelled plastic containers at its US locations.

The redesign uses 75 percent less plastic and cuts the use of 17 million pounds of resin a year, according to Costco.

But shoppers were quick to complain that the new design causes a mess in trollies, cars and fridges - as it allows meat juice to leak out.
California's biggest insurer has issued a bleak update for homeowners and businesses amid a growing crisis in the state.

State Farm says its fund used to cover claims in California will run dry by 2028 unless it can charge as much as 52 percent more to insure properties.

That would mean the company would not be able to pay for repairs in the event of another wildfire in the state like those in recent years. In fact, the company says such an event would bankrupt it.

The bleak warning came in filings submitted to the California Department of Insurance on September 10, as part of a standoff between State Farm and the regulator. State Farm insures 3.1 million homes there.

Earlier in the summer, State Farm bosses gave the department an ultimatum - let them raise home insurance rates for millions of citizens, or they will ax cover entirely.

Given State Farm writes a fifth of policies, this would be a huge blow. It is not simply a case of Californians moving to a new supplier - rivals are making the same moves.

Several insurers - including Allstate, Farmers Direct and State Farm in a previous move - have limited cover or stopped doing business entirely in the Golden State.

State Farm has asked California to allow it to hike its home insurance prices once again

In the same filing, State Farm showed how the number of properties it covers is set to fall in coming years.

The company insures 3.1 million homes and also tens of thousands of companies in the state but has warned that could drop to just two million by 2028.

State Farm stopped issuing new property insurance in the state in May last year as part of its battle to raise prices.

Then this summer it refused to renew tens of thousands of policies in California.

Together, these factors mean the number of Californians it covers will decline steadily and rapidly.

The latest figure projections have been calculated by assuming the company will lose policies at a similar rate to what it does currently, including for customers who chose to leave or who are cut off for noncompliance.

In a bid to avoid insolvency, State Farm says it wants to raise prices by 30 percent for homeowners, 36 percent for condo owners, and 52 percent for renters.

If granted the steep rise in premiums would allow State farm to raise about $1.6 billion over five years, restoring its surplus for paying claims to 2017 levels, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

The company's surplus was hit hard by the wildfires that ravished California in 2017 and 2018, forcing it to pay out millions to customers.

As climate change increases the likelihood of wildfires, flooding and other natural disasters the insurer argues it need to raise premiums to keep up with claims.

If it is not allowed to raise its premiums the insurer claims its surplus will fall to under $200 million by 2028, a $2.2 billion decrease in ten years.

The company said in filings that a wildfire season like 2017, which collectively cost insurance companies $12 billion, would bankrupt it.

On this basis it is asking the state to sanction it raising its rates by 30 percent for homeowners, 36 percent for condo owners and 52 percent for rental homes.

Just this year it raised its rates by an average of 20 percent for homeowners across the state.

State Farm's dwindling insurance customers in California will affect its surplus

State Farm has cited the rise in wildfires as a need to raise premiums (Blue Ridge Fire in 2020)

California's Department of Insurance is currently assessing State Farm's financial health which it will use to determine whether or not to grant the increase.

The earliest an increase would appear on State Farm customers bills would be 2025, according to the filings.

State Farm was pegged to have an approximate $143.2 billion net worth as recently as 2021.

At the time, the firm was generating some $87.6 billion in yearly revenue, and this past February, it issued a statement saying its net income for the previous year was an impressive $1.2 billion.

That was up more than 100 percent from the year before, when the Illinois based insurance provider raked in $588 million in income.

More than half of all Californians say they have been affected by rising property or have been dropped by their insurer in the last year. With so few firms offering cover, they cannot simply move to a new provider.

State Farm did not respond to DailyMail.com.
Poising a serious threat to law and order situation, the national capital witnessed three separate firing incidents linked to escalating extortion bids by notorious gangs in the last 24 hours with the shooters attacking a luxury car showroom, a hotel, and a sweet shop. Fortunately, no injuries were reported in any of the incidents.

While some unidentified shooters targeted a hotel at south Delhis Mahilpalpur area early Saturday, some assailants opened fire at a sweets shop in Sultanpur Mor in Nangloi later.

According to a police officer, around 9.30 am on Saturday, two men with their faces covered came on a bike and opened three to four rounds of fire at Roshan Halwai. No one was injured in the incident but there were some shattered glasses in the shop, the officer said.

Police suspect the shooting was related to protection money of some gangsters. After the firing at the sweets shop, a note with Deepak Boxer Bhai, Ankesh Lakra Bhai and Vishal Bhai --the names of gangsters -- written on it, police said. CCTV footage has been collected and a probe was underway, they said.

Earlier around 2.30 am, two men came on a motorcycle and fired around five to six bullets at the main entrance gate of Impress Hotel in south Delhi. No one was injured in the incident but some glasses were damaged, police said. Hotel staff and some guests were present in their rooms when the incident took place. Police has initiated a probe into the case.

The hotels receptionist, Khalida said that she was not present during the firing as her shift started in the morning. She added, They did not target anyone but they opened fire at the gate. Five to six rounds were fired they and fled, Khalida said.

This attack is also believed to be part of an extortion attempt to take over the hotel. Last year, the hotel owner had been threatened by a man claiming to be connected to Canada-based gangster Goldie Brar. Brar, along with Lawrence Bishnoi - currently in custody in Gujarat-has been linked to previous high-profile extortion cases, including a shooting outside actor Salman Khans Mumbai residence.

On Friday night, three men opened fire at a second hand luxury car show room called Car Street Mini in southwest Delhis Naraina, situated just a kilometre away from the Naraina police station. In this case also, no one was injured but the attackers targeted the cars in the showroom. Witnesses reported hearing at least 20 rounds being fired by three men, causing widespread panic.

The shooters fled the scene after damaging four luxury cars - two BMWs, a Mercedes, and a Mini Cooper. They also snatched the phone of a salesman and tossed it 100 meters away from the showroom. A slip reading Bhau Gang, Since 2020 was found at the site, referencing the notorious gangster Himanshu Bhau, who fled to Portugal in 2022 and is suspected of orchestrating extortion attempts from abroad. The gangster has demanded Rs 5 crore from the owner of the car showroom as protection money, they said.

According to police, the assailants fired more than two dozen bullets inside and outside the showroom. In a purported CCTV footage of the incident which was surfaced on social media on Saturday, three men are seen firing at the cars in the showroom. In the video, a shooter is also seen pointing his gun at a customer and employee sitting inside the showroom. In a similar attack in May, the Fusion Cars showroom in Tilak Nagar was targeted, and Rs 5 crore was reportedly demanded by the Bhau Gang. The gang is primarily involved in extortion, demanding large sums of money from business owners in exchange for protection. Police have identified the three suspects involved in the Naraina shooting and have registered a case.
Ahead of the third and final round of polling on October 1, a joint team of security forces gunned down two unidentified terrorists on Saturday while five security personnel, including an officer, sustained injuries in an encounter in South Kashmirs Kulgam district.

Based on specific intelligence about the presence of terrorists, a joint search operation was launched by security forces at village Kog (Mandli) (J/D of P/S Billawar) at Kathua. Contact has been established and a few rounds have been fired from both sides. Area is cordoned off. ADG Police, Jammu range Anand Jain said in a statement.

The gunbattle broke out in Arigam village in the Devsar area of the district after security forces launched a cordon-and-search operation there early in the morning.

Srinagar-based Chinar Corps in a post on X said, Based on specific intelligence input, a joint operation was launched by the Indian Army and Jammu and Kashmir police at Arigam, Kulgam.

During the search, terrorists fired indiscriminately and a firefight ensued. Two terrorists have been eliminated by the security forces in the ongoing Operation.

Confirming the recovery of two dead bodies from the encounter site, Kashmir Zone Police posted on X, Two bodies recovered from the encounter site. Identification & affiliation are being ascertained. Incriminating materials, arms & ammunition recovered. Search in progress.

The security forces also recovered two x AK Rifles, ammunition and other war-like stores from the terrorists.

The security forces also suffered injuries during the firefight. According to official sources, three Army personnel and two police officers, including an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), were injured in a gunbattle with terrorists in Arigam.

Additional Superintendent of Police (Traffic) suffered minor injuries due to a stray bullet near the encounter site, officials said.

Earlier on September 14, three terrorists were gunned down by the joint team of security forces in the Kreeri area of North Kashmirs Baramulla district. The security forces were able to neutralise a group of hiding terrorists after identifying their exact locations inside the building with the help of drone cameras. In this month, so far nine terrorists have been eliminated during anti-terrorist operations across different parts of Jammu and Kashmir.
In West Bokaro OP area of Ramgarh district of Jharkhand, 6 masked criminals entered a house in Chainpur Sondiha village at gunpoint and looted property worth about Rs 4 lakh.



Confirming this incident, Ramgarh SDPO Parameshwar Prasad said on Friday that raids are being conducted to arrest the criminals. The SDPO said that masked criminals looted the house of local resident Bablu Prasad late on Thursday night.



The criminals first broke the lock of the roof door and entered inside. After this, all the members of the house were taken hostage. The criminals locked the 3-4 people present in the house in a room and started searching the whole house. They scattered the items from the cupboard, bed and every room. During this, the criminals ran away with whatever cash and jewellery they could get their hands on.



Victim Anshu Kumari said that the whole family spent the night in terror. She said that when her room's door was knocked at night, she thought that her husband had returned home but as soon as the door opened, the criminals pointed a gun at them. The criminals held them hostage and locked all the family members in a room. They asked them to take out cash and jewellery. If they did not take out the household items, the criminals threatened to kill them.
The RSS-affiliated Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) on Saturday urged the Delhi University administration to declare the results of the Delhi University Students' Union (DUSU) elections immediately. The counting of votes, originally scheduled for Saturday, was stalled following a Delhi High Court order earlier this week. The ABVP leaders argued that delaying the results undermines student representation.

Addressing a press conference at the student union's headquarters, ABVP National General Secretary Yagyavalkya Shukla said, "It is essential that the DUSU election results be declared as soon as possible. Student unions have long been a powerful platform for addressing issues related to education and youth, and delaying the results compromises this." He further stated that during the DUSU election related hearing in Delhi High Court, various stakeholders were not called upon to present their point of views in the court. Among various issues, the rules of DUSU elections need reforms as per the current requirements, he said.

Shukla further said that the rule of spending only Rs 5,000 is unfair in context to Delhi University Students' Union election where almost 1,50,000 voters are there to cast their votes. In addition to this, other rules related to the DUSU elections must be amended as per the requirements of today, he said.

He also accused the student wing of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) of attempting to discredit the DUSU elections after facing two consecutive defeats.

ABVP National Secretary Shivangi Kharwal called for the formation of a high-level committee to review and recommend reforms in the student election process. "This committee should include former vice-chancellors, educationists, student union leaders, and representatives from student organisations to ensure that all stakeholders' perspectives are taken into account," she said.

Harsh Atri, ABVP's Delhi State Secretary, also raised concerns over efforts to halt student elections across various academic institutions. "While elections are being held in multiple bodies nationwide, attempts are being made to stop student union elections in educational institutions with flawed arguments. The focus should be on reforms, not shutting down student unions," Atri said.

Rishabh Chaudhary, ABVP's presidential candidate for the DUSU elections, highlighted previous initiatives such as "One Day, One DUSU President" and emphasised the need for training both teaching and non-teaching staff to improve the election process.

On Friday, a senior DU official indicated that the announcement of the DUSU election results is likely to be delayed until October 21, when the court is set to hear the matter. The court had directed DU to withhold the counting until all posters, banners, and defacement of public property on the campus were cleared.

The court has also directed Delhi University to pay for the expenses incurred by the civic authorities, including the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), government departments and Delhi Metro, for restoring the public property noting that the varsity would have the right to recover the amount from the candidates thereafter.
Chief Minister Mohan Yadav said that the future of Bundelkhand will be a "Vikasit Bundelkhand" (Developed Bundelkhand), with continued industrial development across the state. The government will fully support even the small-scale entrepreneurs. He emphasized that the implementation of the Ken-Betwa project will boost irrigation capacity across 2.5 lakh hectares in Bundelkhand, significantly transforming the region. Additionally, the construction of an airport in Sagar will open new opportunities in the aviation sector. Dr. Yadav was addressing the inaugural session of the Regional Industry Conclave in Sagar.

Commencement of Investment Facilitation Centers in 6 districtsOn the occasion of the inauguration of RIC Sagar by Chief Minister Yadav, a short film 'Advantage MP' on industrial investment opportunities in Madhya Pradesh was screened. Chief Minister Dr. Yadav performed a virtual Bhoomi pujan of the regional office of MPIDC at Sagar. He inaugurated the Investment Facilitation Center in 6 districts of Sagar Division, Sagar, Panna, Tikamgarh, Niwari, Chhatarpur, and Damoh, and the Regional Office of MPIDC at the Divisional Headquarters. Along with this, Chief Minister Dr. Yadav also virtually inaugurated the office of MPIDC in Coimbatore (Tamil Nadu). On this occasion, an MoU was also signed between Municipal Corporation Sagar and MPIDC for the supply of treated water from the industrial area to Sindhgawan. Chief Minister Dr. Yadav issued letters of intent for 96 industrial units. About 240 acres of land is to be allotted to these units. With this, it is proposed to make a capital investment of Rs 1,560 crore and provide employment to more than 5 thousand 900 persons.

Yadav presented the first, second, and third prizes to the winners of the Bundelkhand Innovation Challenge (Hackathon) Sujit Tiwari of Bamboo World, Ashish Sharma of Seva Hub, Vipul Singh Parmar of Nimbus Gaming respectively. Nilay Sharma of Jai Anaag Gayatri Private Limited bagged the Best Woman Entrepreneur award. Social media creator Rajeev Yadav was also awarded for book audio.

Ambassador of Mongolia Ganbold Dambajav, CEO of TWW Ingo Soeller, Consul General of Thailand Donnavit Poolsawat, Minister Govind Singh Rajput, Minister Chaitanya Kashyap, Minister Dharmendra Bhav Singh Lodhi, Minister Lakhan Patel, Minister of State Dilip Ahirwar, Khajuraho MP V.D. Sharma, former ministers Gopal Bhargava and Bhupendra Singh, senior public representatives and representatives of national and international industry groups were present at the inaugural session of the Regional Industry Conclave.

Chief Minister Dr. Yadav inaugurated the English version of 'Madhya Pradesh Sandesh' published in Hindi by the Department of Public Relations. The issue includes President Smt. Draupadi Murmu's visit to Madhya Pradesh, the state's first Janman Colony Shivpuri, and other achievements. On this occasion, Secretary and Commissioner of Public Relations Dr. Sudam Khade was specially present.

Yadav said that large-scale investment encourages local business. The entire division will benefit from this conclave. Industrial and business activities will start in all the districts of the division. Many units will come to Bina. Besides, investment is also being made in the Petroleum sector at a cost of Rs 120 crore.

The establishment of Sagar data center in the state is an important step. This is an investment of Rs 1700 crore and will provide employment to about one thousand people. Chief Minister Dr. Yadav said that the Bundelkhand region will also benefit from the new 6-lane and 4-lane roads. He said that investment is also going to be made in the Renewable Energy sector.
In a tragic incident, five members of a family were found dead at their rented flat in Vasant Kunj's Rangpuri village, South west Delhi. The family consisted of a man and his four daughters. The matter came to light after the neighbours of the family noticed a foul smell emanating from the house. Following that, they called the police.

Police suspect the deceased, a man and his four daughters, allegedly died by suicide after they consumed a poisonous substance. The bodies, discovered on Friday afternoon, did not have injury marks but police found three packets of celphos poison, five glasses and a spoon containing a suspicious liquid in the house.

According to police, the door was bolted from the inside and could be opened by the police with the help of the fire brigade team. There are two rooms in the flat. The daughters were found lying on a double bed, with their father's body in an adjacent room. White foam was seen coming out of their mouths, consistent with poisoning. A red sacred thread was tied around the stomachs and necks of the daughters, adding to the mystery.

According to police, the deceased have been identified as Heeralal Sharma, 46, and his four daughters - Neetu, 26, Nikki, 24, Neeru, 23, and Nidhi, 20. According to the locals, the daughters hardly came out of their room. The neighbours claimed that they last saw the man and his daughters on September 24.

While police said the man's two youngest daughters were differently-abled, neighbours claimed that all four were challenged. Police are verifying the claim, said Deputy Commissioner of Police (Southwest) Rohit Meena.

Nitin Chauhan, the owner of the building, told police that his caretaker Mohan Singh informed him that during the cleaning of the third floor, a foul smell was observed coming from flat number C-4. On Friday at 10:18 AM, the Delhi Police received information from neighbors regarding a foul smell and flies around the house.

When they broke the door and found a man lying dead in one room while the bodies of four women were found in the other room, the officer said. Teams from the crime branch, forensic experts from Rohini and Lodhi Road, and senior doctors from Safdarjung Hospital were called to examine the bodies and the scene, said the police. An inquest proceeding under section 194 of BNSS have been initiated and a medical board has been constituted for post-mortem, police

said.

Visuals from the CCTV footage shows him entering the house on September 24, and since then, the door remained locked from inside. One of the daughters was blind, and another had difficulty walking, while details of the others are still being investigated,an official added.

An inquiry with neighbours and close relatives revealed that Heeralal's wife had died of cancer about a year ago. Heeralal was employed as a carpenter at the Indian Spinal Injury Centre in Vasant Kunj for the past 28 years and earned Rs 25,000 per month. However, he had not been attending to his duties there since January 2024.
Delhi Mayor Shelly Oberoi has directed the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) Commissioner Ashwani Kumar to submit a status report on road maintenance and construction within two days, raising concerns over the poor condition of roads across the city.

In a letter to the Commissioner, Oberoi on Saturday pointed out that the damaged roads contribute to air pollution in the city by suspending road dust.

"It has come to my notice that most MCD roads in colonies all over Delhi are in serious disrepair. Not only is this making travel difficult for all the residents of Delhi but it has also put residents at increased risk of accidents due to potholes.

"It is unacceptable that such a routine matter of maintenance and construction of MCD roads in the national capital isn't being carried out in a timely manner," Oberoi wrote, adding that any further delays could negatively impact Delhi's pollution levels.

The mayor mentioned that the MCD has allocated Rs 1,000 crore for road maintenance and Rs 500 crore from her discretionary fund for the current financial year. She has requested detailed information on how these funds have been utilized so far, reasons for any delays and the current status of road projects approved under her discretionary fund.

Oberoi has asked for a breakdown of expenditure across different budget heads and a project-wise update on the implementation of the roadworks.

Oberoi directed the commissioner to share the status of maintenance and construction of MCD roads within two working days i.E. By 5 pm on Monday.

Oberoi also inspected the Chandni Chowk area, accompanied by area Councillor Punardeep Singh Sawhney and Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) officials, to address concerns regarding cleanliness and sanitation.

According to Oberai, during the inspection, she received numerous complaints from residents and vendors regarding the unsatisfactory cleaning conditions between Lal Quila and Fatehpuri Masjid Road.

In response, the Mayor directed MCD officials to deploy a dedicated team for night shift cleaning, apart from morning and afternoon shifts, a first-time initiative in Chandni Chowk market road, starting next week.
In an ostensible bid to cover all bases and silence critics, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) State unit in Madhya Pradesh is asking those signing up as party members to register themselves on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's website, Narendramodi.in.

The innovative move is aimed at silencing critics who claim that the BJP is inflating membership drive numbers by simply lifting data from the electoral rolls.

Just as every BJP leader and worker wrote in their Twitter bioModi ji ka parivarthe nationwide special membership drive of the party is providing new entrants with a link to the Prime Minister's website, where they are required to fill out a form for their membership to be formalized.BJP leaders claim that, as per the process, those filling out this membership form also need to submit extensive details on the BJP website.

However, only a few are completing these forms, and party leaders are persisting in their encouragement for the new members to fill out and submit their forms to the party website.

According to claims from the state unit of the BJP in Madhya Pradesh, it has enrolled 1.03 crore members during the recent membership drive that concluded on Wednesday.

While the BJP says that over 96 lakh of these new members have filled out their forms on the Prime Minister's website, it admits that sufficient data is not available at the moment to suggest how many of these have also filled out forms on the BJP website.

Party sources claimed that the new members are shying away from filling out the form on the party website as they are required to provide personal details, such as information about family members and profession, along with some political questions that seek to identify their commitment to the party ideology.

While talking to The Pioneer, BJP's State Spokesperson Rajneesh Agrawal informed that the party is in the process of compiling data to ascertain how many new members have filled out the extensive form on the party website.

While insisting that the BJP has become the number one political party in the world, Agrawal claims that the party has extensive digital data on its members.

He stated that it may be easy for the Congress to term the membership drive as bogus, but factually, the BJP has the biggest digital data on its members.Meanwhile, the party has completed the first phase of the special membership drive and has entered into the second phase as of September 26. The ongoing phase of the enrollment campaign concludes on October 15.
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As the political battlefield heats up ahead of the upcoming assembly elections, Jamshedpur East, one of the most prominent seats in the State, has become a focal point of intense political maneuvering. After weeks of speculation and backroom negotiations, it has been confirmed that Saryu Roy, the sitting MLA of Jamshedpur East, will contest the seat under the banner of Janata Dal (United) (JDU), putting an end to the tug of war surrounding the constituency. The decision comes after persistent efforts by BJP to retain the seat, which eventually fell into JDU's lap.

Saryu Roys strategic move

Saryus decision to contest on a JDU ticket is seen as a calculated move. After successfully defeating former Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das in the 2019 elections as an independent candidate, Saryu Roy has now allied himself with JDU, reinforcing his political strength in the region. Sources close to Saryu Roy indicate that he had been firm on contesting from Jamshedpur East, rejecting attempts by BJP to persuade him to seek a different constituency. His position was clear: he is a sitting MLA, and there would be no compromise on the Jamshedpur East seat.

JDUs working president, Sanjay Jha, echoed this sentiment, stating that the party would not negotiate on Jamshedpur East as it holds strategic importance, with a strong incumbent like Saryu Roy holding the reins. With JDU backing him, Roy has already started formulating his strategy to secure re-election.

Raghubar on the back foot

The political calculus has become more complicated for the BJP. The party had been keen on fielding a candidate in Jamshedpur East, with reports suggesting that Raghubar Das was eager to contest the seat. However, after JDU's firm stance and internal negotiations, the BJP leadership has advised Das to hold back, urging him not to hastily make any decisions. The intervention of BJP leaders, including Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, has managed to temporarily pacify Raghubar Das, who has a significant following in the region. Despite this, there remains an undercurrent of tension within the party, with Raghubar still weighing his options.

BJP insiders have expressed concerns over the optics of not fielding a candidate in such a crucial seat. The partys base in Jamshedpur East is robust, and many of its local leaders and cadres are loyal to Raghubar Das. Without a BJP candidate, the challenge for Saryu Roy will be to bring the partys base to his side, which could prove to be a politically delicate task.

Saryu Roy vs Dr. Ajoy Kumar

As it stands, the contest for Jamshedpur East is shaping up to be a two-horse race between Saryu Roy and Dr. Ajoy Kumar of the Congress. Dr. Kumar, a former MP from Jamshedpur and a well-known political figure in the region, is expected to be the Congress candidate. His ticket is reportedly all but confirmed, despite internal lobbying by other Congress leaders, including Anand Bihari Dubey, who are pushing for the seat.

With two heavyweights like Saryu Roy and Dr. Ajoy Kumar in the fray, the contest is expected to be fierce. Saryu Roy s past electoral success and reputation as a clean and effective leader stand in his favor, but Dr. Ajoy Kumars political experience and support within Congress also make him a formidable opponent. The seat could witness a direct face-off between these two, with BJPs absence likely to polarize voters further.
Tata Steel UISL has been honored with the prestigious Bronze Award for its research paper, Drones for Infrastructure and Town O&M, at the 66th National Convention and 8th International Conference. The two-day event, organised by the Indian Institution of Industrial Engineers (IIIE), Jamshedpur Chapter, took place on September 27th and 28th, 2024, under the theme Innovation & AI Enabled Sustainable Growth: Emerging Roles of Industrial Engineers.

Sapna Jaiswal and Koustav Banerjee, the minds behind the award-winning paper, showcased how drone technology can revolutionize the operation and maintenance of urban infrastructure. Their pioneering work highlighted the potential of drones to monitor, maintain, and manage infrastructure efficiently, ensuring sustainable urban growth while minimizing environmental impact. In addition to the Bronze Award, several other innovative research presentations were featured by Tata Steel UISL at the conference, including: CityGIS - Transforming Urban Infrastructure Management with Data Visualization. This presentation focused on the use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and advanced data visualization techniques to optimize urban infrastructure management, providing city planners and engineers with actionable insights. Another was Sustainable Construction through Industrial By-products, This study emphasized the potential of repurposing industrial by-products in construction, offering sustainable building practices and contributing to reduced environmental footprints.
The three housing schemes launched by Delhi Development Authority(DDA) on the auspicious occasion of Raksha Bandhan received impressive response, with flats of various categories across several locations, particularly affordable housing, generating good demand among the buyers, officials of the agency said on Saturday.

Giving details, they said over 1,200 LIG and 440 EWS flats were sold out in Sasta Ghar and Madhyam Vargiya Housing schemes, with Rohini leading where all 708 LIG flats were sold while around 250 flats were booked in Narela. Ramgarh also received impressive response. Out of 183 LIG flats in the scheme, 153 flats were sold.

Among the EWS segment, around 300 flats were sold out in Narela and all 139 flats offered in Loknayakpuram were also booked.

Delhi Lt Governor(LG)V K Saxena who reviewed the status, lauded DDAs efforts in this direction and reiterated the Prime Ministers and his personal commitment to housing for all, while prioritising the poor and not so well of sections.

Since the first day of the booking , i.e., September 10, the scheme is receiving impressive response with all HIG flats offered at Jasola were sold out on Day one.

The latest to join the bandwagon were flats in Dwarka, where balance inventory of one penthouse, three super HIG, 18 HIG and majority of MIG got sold in the bidding. The demand can be gauged from the fact that for 169 flats, around 2,000 people deposited the EMDs and after several rounds of bidding, the flats were sold at much above the reserve price.

The success story of Narela has been quite encouraging as DDA has taken several steps for the development of the promising sub-city. It is being developed as the upcoming education hub of Delhi, with many institutions being already operational and several projects in pipeline.

The proposed Rithala-Narela-Kundli metro rail corridor and Urban Extension Road project will further boost connectivity in the area. Many healthcare facilities are also on the anvil in Narela, which will aid growth of the sub city.

There are many works underway to improve and develop road network connectivity, drainage network, electrical connecting, water supply, and sewerage network in the Narela Zone.

The housing schemes were launched under the guidance of the LG, who has been personally spearheading and monitoring the housing schemes.

This remarkable success can be attributed to DDAs commitment to providing quality housing at affordable prices, coupled with the strategic development plans. The DDA is developing greens around the housing pockets to improve quality of life for the buyers.Besides, additional final touches are being given to housing blocks to add value. Furthermore, DDA is in touch with local bodies to ensure cleanliness of the area. For those areas under its jurisdiction, DDA is leaving no stone unturned to ensure a green and clean Delhi. These efforts demonstrate DDAs dedication to not only providing just affordable housing but also creating a sustainable and thriving community for its residents.

For the ease of the buyers, seamless information to them is being provided. Property documents are being given in folder. The folder to contain all relevant documents that include demand-cum-allotment letter (DAL), payment receipt, possession letter (PL), NOC for water and electricity, possession slip, RERA registration certificate and layout plan. Besides, DDA has provided all buyers with demand letters within 24 hours.

The DDA launched its three housing schemes in August 2024-Sasta Ghar and Madhyam Vargiya Housing Schemes and Dwarka Housing Scheme for various locations like Dwarka, Jasola, Narela, Rohini, Loknayakpuram, Ramgarh and Siraspur for various categories of flats.

While buyers can book flats for the first two schemes on First Come First Serve (FCFS) basis, flats were sold through e-auction in Dwarka Housing Scheme.
Over the centuries, Durga Puja has evolved from a private affair of Zamindars to a mass celebration on a global scale. It is now much more than just a religious festival  its a cultural spectacle, writes GYANESHWAR DAYAL

Come September and everyone is busy making plans for the Puja, a festival dedicated to Goddess Durga, in eastern India. Of course it is Kolkata which is the epicentre of all celebrations. Over the years, Durga Puja has evolved into a pan-Indian and global festival. With unmatched fervour and devotion, people across the world now come together to honour the goddess, celebrating her victory and divine power.

Durga Puja, one of the most revered and vibrant festivals in India, particularly in West Bengal, celebrates the victory of the goddess Durga over the demon Mahishasura, symbolising the triumph of good over evil. Rooted in Hindu mythology, the festival commemorates the goddess as the embodiment of Shakti, or divine feminine power. Over the years, Durga Puja has transformed from a primarily religious observance into a grand socio-cultural extravaganza that has few parallels.

Durga Puja marks the victory of Goddess Durga, a fierce yet compassionate deity, over Mahishasura, who threatened to disrupt the balance of the universe. According to legend, Mahishasura received a boon that no man could defeat him. As he unleashed terror, the gods united to create Durga, a divine warrior goddess, who fought and eventually killed Mahishasura. The festival celebrates Durga's strength, resilience, and protective nature, while also invoking blessings for peace, prosperity, and protection against evil forces. That is mythology for one and all but it is a metaphor which might have fewer takers but nevertheless the message is crystal.

The metaphor and hidden message of Goddess Durga lie in her embodiment of divine feminine power, resilience, and protection. As a multi-armed warrior goddess, Durga symbolises the shakti (cosmic energy) within all beings, representing the strength needed to overcome lifes obstacles. Each weapon she holds signifies various tools required to defeat inner and outer evils like fear, ignorance, pride and injustice.

Metaphorically, Durga's battle with Mahishasura, the demon king, is a reflection of the ongoing struggle between good and evil, not just in the cosmic realm but within individuals and society at large. Her victory underscores that evil - be it oppression, greed or violence - can only be defeated through righteous action, courage and the collective strength of the divine and human will.

It is the triumph of dharma (righteousness) over adharma (immorality), a reminder that good eventually prevails even in the face of insurmountable odds. Furthermore, Durga, as a motherly figure, embodies compassion and protection, highlighting the balance between fierceness and nurturing, teaching that strength does not negate love and compassion. Goddess Durga conveys the message of empowerment, particularly for women, demonstrating that power and authority lie in embracing one's true self and purpose. In a broader sense, Durgas story speaks to the need for balance between action and patience, destruction and creation, power and empathy.

The festival is observed during the Hindu Calendar month of Ashwin (September-October), culminating on Vijayadashami, the tenth day when Durga's victory is celebrated and her idols are immersed in water, symbolising her return to Mount Kailash, her celestial home.

Durga Puja is an elaborate and colourful festival, typically spanning five days - Shashthi, Saptami, Ashtami, Navami and Vijayadashami. Each day is marked by rituals, prayers, cultural events and, of course, the unveiling of the idol of Goddess Durga in pandals (temporary, artistically designed structures). The celebration begins with the ritual of Bodhon, or the welcoming of the goddess, on the sixth day.

From Zamindar Puja to Public Celebrations

Historically, Durga Puja was a private affair, celebrated within the homes of wealthy zamindar (landlord) families. However, during the late 18th century, it began to shift towards community-based celebrations. In Kolkata, the first publicly organised Durga Puja, known as the Baroyari Puja, was held in 1790, and since then, the practice has spread across Bengal and beyond.

The first major move toward a community-based Durga Puja or Barowari Puja, took place in 1790 in Hooghly district, near Kolkata. A group of twelve friends organised this puja to make the festival more inclusive and community-oriented, free from the exclusivity of the zamindar class. This concept of collective worship was revolutionary at the time and set the foundation for public celebrations of the festival. The term "Barowari" comes from baro (twelve) and yari (friends), representing this groups efforts to democratise Durga Puja.

Raja Nabakrishna Deb, an influential zamindar of the Shobhabazar Rajbari in Kolkata, played a critical role in popularising Durga Puja beyond the private confines of aristocratic families. In 1757, following the British victory at the Battle of Plassey, Nabakrishna Deb invited British officers, including Robert Clive, to his Durga Puja celebration, creating a hybrid of Indian tradition and colonial influence.

In the late 19th century, Swami Vivekananda and the Ramakrishna Mission also played a pivotal role in giving Durga Puja a broader, more public dimension. Through the Ramakrishna Mission, Durga Puja became associated with nationalistic and cultural identity, with an emphasis on social service and community welfare. Swami Vivekananda himself performed Durga Puja at Belur Math in 1901, marking the festival as both a spiritual and community event.

Pandal Hopping

The centrepiece of the festivities is the pandals, where elaborate idols of Durga, along with her children - Lakshmi, Saraswati, Kartikeya and Ganesha - are displayed. These pandals often feature intricate themes that range from mythological tales to contemporary social issues.

Durga Puja pandals have evolved far beyond simple religious displays, becoming powerful platforms for artistic expression and social commentary. Every year, these temporary structures turn into creative masterpieces that reflect not just devotion to Goddess Durga but also highlight contemporary issues ranging from politics to global events and pressing social concerns.

Some pandals artistically engage with local and national politics, offering thought-provoking critiques or support for political movements. For example, some recent themes have explored elections, portraying the goddess battling forces of greed and dishonesty, metaphorically addressing societal upheaval.

Several pandals focus on international matters, such as climate change, world peace or refugee crises. They utilise innovative materials and designs to depict how these global challenges affect humanity. For instance, some recent installations have depicted the Amazon rainforest fires, the pandemic or refugee struggles, merging Durgas fight against evil with the global battle for environmental protection or humanitarian aid.

Many pandals are now powerful vehicles for raising awareness about social issues. They have addressed womens rights, child labor, education and even mental health. Some pandals creatively use Durgas weapons to symbolise the tools needed to fight social evils like gender inequality or poverty, aligning the goddesss mythology with contemporary societal struggles. Themes such as women empowerment, gender justice and communal harmony are depicted with a blend of artistry and symbolism.

In recent years, with growing awareness about environmental conservation, eco-friendly pandals have gained popularity. Artists use biodegradable materials like clay, bamboo and jute to create these installations, while themes often focus on sustainability and environmental consciousness. These efforts not only contribute to reducing pollution during idol immersion but also send a strong message about the urgent need to protect nature.

These innovative pandals transform Durga Puja into not just a religious celebration but a cultural forum where tradition and modernity intersect, sparking dialogue on critical societal and global issues. Through artistry, they encourage introspection, inspire change, and bring communities together in shared reflection.

Rituals and Prayers

Devotees perform elaborate rituals, such as the pushpanjali (flower offerings) and aarti (lamp offerings), invoking the goddess's blessings. On Ashtami, the main day of the festival, the Sandhi Puja, symbolising the transition from Ashtami to Navami, is performed with great fervour. Kumari Puja, where young girls are worshiped as manifestations of the goddess, is also a key ritual.

Cultural Performances and Feasting

Beyond its religious aspect, Durga Puja is also a cultural celebration. Communities organise music and dance performances, theatrical productions and art exhibitions. The festival is a time for feasting, with special foods like bhog (a sacred offering) and traditional Bengali sweets such as sandesh, rasgulla, and mishti doi adding to the festive charm. While Durga Puja retains its core religious significance, the festival has undergone significant transformations over the centuries, evolving into a social, artistic, and commercial spectacle.

Globalisation of Durga Puja

Today, Durga Puja is not confined to Bengal. Thanks to the global Bengali diaspora, the festival is celebrated with grandeur in cities like London, New York and Dubai. Modern technology, social media and live streaming of rituals have expanded the reach of Durga Puja, allowing devotees from across the globe to participate.

Durga Puja has also seen commercialisation, with sponsorships and advertisements driving the festival economy. The shopping, food, and tourism sectors receive a massive boost during this time, as people from across the country and the world flock to experience the grandeur of the celebration.

Durga Puja is more than just a religious festival; it is a vibrant, living tradition that has evolved with time. While the core message of the triumph of good over evil remains intact, the festival has grown to embody the cultural and social heartbeat of Bengal, touching the lives of millions across the globe. As Durga Puja continues to transform, it serves as a powerful reminder of the enduring strength of faith, community and creativity. In today's society, with the increasing disregard for women's dignity, the timeless message of Goddess Durga appears to be lost in the din. People seem more focused on indulging in the festive revelry rather than embracing the deeper significance of Durga's empowerment. Yet, this is the fate that most festivals eventually meet - a shift from reflection to celebration.
Two unidentified terrorists were killed and five security personnel, including an officer, sustained injuries in an encounter in Jammu and Kashmir's Kulgam district, police said on Saturday.

The gunbattle broke out in Adigam village in the Devsar area of the district after security forces launched a cordon-and-search operation there early in the morning.

In the early exchange of fire, Additional Superintendent of Police (Traffic) Mumtaz Ali suffered minor injuries due to a stray bullet near the encounter site, officials said.

They said four security personnel involved in the anti-terrorist operation sustained injuries in the encounter.

Two terrorists were killed, police said, adding that searches are being carried out in the area.

The identity and group affiliation of the slain terrorists are being ascertained.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday slammed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, accusing the leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha of trying to tarnish the country's image during his foreign visits.

Addressing a rally in Haryana's Badli in favour of BJP candidate O P Dhankar, Singh said senior BJP leaders like Atal Bihari Vajpayee and L K Advani had also been the leaders of opposition but they never attempted to hurt the country's reputation in other countries.

The union minister was referring to Gandhi's remarks in the US about the Sikh community.

"Rahul tries to tarnish the image of India in other countries. He (Rahul) says that Sikh community faces problems in going to a gurdwara and cannot wear 'kada'," said Singh.

"They try to tarnish the image. Should they be supported?" he asked.

Singh asked the gathering if there was any such prohibition on any "Sikh brother".

"We played the role of opposition for a long time. Atal Bihari Vajpayee ji and L K Advani ji remained the leaders of opposition. They also went abroad but they never tarnished the image of the country at international platforms despite the Congress remaining in power," he said.

Gandhi, while addressing a gathering of Indian Americans in Herndon, a Virginia suburb of Washington DC during his recent visit to the US, had said, "First of all, you have to understand what the fight is about. The fight is not about politics. That is superficial."

Gandhi had asked one of the Sikh attendees in the front rows to give his name. "What is your name, brother with the turban," he had asked.

"The fight is about whether a Sikh is going to be allowed to wear his turban in India or a 'kada' in India. Or he, as a Sikh, is going to be able to go to Gurdwara. That's what the fight is about. And not just for him, for all religions," Gandhi had said.

The union minister lashed out at the Congress over not being able to keep its poll promises.

He cited an example of Congress-ruled Himachal Pradesh, claiming that government employees were protesting for their salaries there.

"You see in neighbouring state Himachal Pradesh. After the formation of the Congress government there, government employees have to protest for their salaries. The chief minister and ministers are pretending to give up their salaries," he said.

The Congress had promised to give Rs 1,500 per month to women. But it has not been given till today, he said.

"Do you want such a government in Haryana as well?" he asked the gathering.

Further attacking the Congress-ruled government in Karnataka, Singh said the chief minister there was facing serious allegations of corruption.

The Lokayukta has also lodged an FIR against the chief minister in Karnataka, he said.

Lashing out at the Congress for accusing the BJP of being "anti-dalit", Singh said if any party is "anti-dalit" that is the Congress.

The defence minister accused the Congress of spreading canards against the Agnipath military recruitment scheme.

"Congress is spreading confusion about the Agniveer scheme. Every Agniveer of Haryana will be given a job," he said.

"Why are they misleading the youth of the country?" he asked the gathering.

He claimed that "non-stop" development took place in Haryana in the last 10 years.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and other leaders in the state on Saturday paid tributes to freedom fighter Bhagat Singh on his birth anniversary, hailing his sacrifice and dedication for India's freedom.

In a post on X in Hindi, Adityanath said, "Humble tribute to the great freedom fighter and brave revolutionary Bhagat Singh on his birth anniversary! His sacrifice and dedication for the freedom of Mother India will always remain immortal. His incomparable sacrifice to preserve the unity and integrity of India will continue to inspire us for centuries."

Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya also took to X to pay tributes to Bhagat Singh.

"With infinite respect, I salute Bhagat Singh ji on his birth anniversary! His courage, his passion, his martyrdom -- always remind us of our responsibility towards our country," his post read.

Maurya also shared a quote of the freedom fighter on X: Even after my death, the love for my country will not leave my heart; even my soil will smell of my country -- Shaheed Bhagat Singh.

Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak described the martyr as the brave son of Mother India and hailed him for his sacrifice and igniting the flame of revolution among the youth.

Born in 1907, Bhagat Singh was hanged by the British at an age of 23 for his involvement in revolutionary activities and is an iconic symbol of India's resistance to colonial rule.
H.B. Fuller (NYSE:FUL  Get Free Report) updated its FY 2024 earnings guidance on Wednesday. The company provided earnings per share (EPS) guidance of 4.100-4.200 for the period, compared to the consensus estimate of 4.370. The company issued revenue guidance of $3.6 billion-$3.6 billion, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $3.6 billion. H.B. Fuller also updated its FY24 guidance to $4.10-4.20 EPS.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Separately, StockNews.com lowered shares of H.B. Fuller from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Wednesday, September 18th.

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H.B. Fuller Price Performance

FUL opened at $80.86 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.13, a quick ratio of 1.16 and a current ratio of 1.89. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.41 billion, a PE ratio of 27.60, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.32 and a beta of 1.42. The stocks 50 day moving average price is $81.73 and its 200-day moving average price is $79.59. H.B. Fuller has a 52-week low of $64.64 and a 52-week high of $87.67.

H.B. Fuller (NYSE:FUL  Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, September 25th. The specialty chemicals company reported $1.13 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.23 by ($0.10). H.B. Fuller had a net margin of 4.67% and a return on equity of 13.33%. The company had revenue of $917.93 million for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $944.04 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.06 EPS. H.B. Fullers quarterly revenue was up 1.9% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts predict that H.B. Fuller will post 4.4 EPS for the current year.

H.B. Fuller Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, August 14th. Investors of record on Wednesday, July 31st were paid a $0.2225 dividend. This represents a $0.89 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.10%. This is a positive change from H.B. Fullers previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, July 31st. H.B. Fullers dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 30.38%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, VP Heather Campe sold 23,696 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, July 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $82.66, for a total value of $1,958,711.36. Following the sale, the vice president now owns 19,742 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,631,873.72. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. 1.96% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

H.B. Fuller Company Profile

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H.B. Fuller Company, together with its subsidiaries, formulates, manufactures, and markets adhesives, sealants, coatings, polymers, tapes, encapsulants, additives, and other specialty chemical products. It operates through three segments: Hygiene, Health and Consumable Adhesives; Engineering Adhesives; and Construction Adhesives.

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Jet2 plc (OTCMKTS:DRTGF  Get Free Report) saw a significant growth in short interest during the month of September. As of September 15th, there was short interest totalling 300 shares, a growth of 200.0% from the August 31st total of 100 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 0 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently  days.

Jet2 Price Performance

DRTGF remained flat at $18.15 during trading on Friday. The stocks fifty day simple moving average is $18.68 and its 200-day simple moving average is $17.98. Jet2 has a 52 week low of $13.00 and a 52 week high of $19.39.

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Jet2 plc, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the leisure travel business primarily in the United Kingdom. The company operates scheduled holiday flights to leisure destinations in the Mediterranean, the Canary Islands, and European Leisure Cities. It is also involved in the package holiday and non-ticket retail activities, as well as passenger and charter aircraft operations.

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Galp Energia, SGPS, S.A. (OTCMKTS:GLPEY  Get Free Report) was the target of a large decrease in short interest during the month of September. As of September 15th, there was short interest totalling 500 shares, a decrease of 97.3% from the August 31st total of 18,400 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 105,500 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 0.0 days.

Galp Energia, SGPS Trading Up 2.8 %

Shares of OTCMKTS GLPEY traded up $0.25 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $9.20. 32,072 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 63,014. The companys 50-day moving average is $10.06 and its 200-day moving average is $9.92. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.53, a quick ratio of 1.31 and a current ratio of 1.62. The firm has a market capitalization of $13.16 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.99 and a beta of 0.49. Galp Energia, SGPS has a 52-week low of $6.89 and a 52-week high of $11.05.

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Galp Energia, SGPS (OTCMKTS:GLPEY  Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Monday, July 22nd. The energy company reported $0.25 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.14 by $0.11. The business had revenue of $6.30 billion during the quarter. Galp Energia, SGPS had a net margin of 6.32% and a return on equity of 25.06%. Analysts expect that Galp Energia, SGPS will post 0.7 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Galp Energia, SGPS Increases Dividend

About Galp Energia, SGPS

The company also recently announced a dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 3rd. Shareholders of record on Monday, August 19th were given a $0.1553 dividend. This is a positive change from Galp Energia, SGPSs previous dividend of $0.15. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, August 19th.

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Galp Energia, SGPS, SA operates as an integrated energy operator in Portugal and internationally. The company operates through four segments: Upstream, Industrial & Midstream, Commercial, and Renewables and New Business. The Upstream segment engages in the exploration, development, and production of hydrocarbons primarily in Brazil, Mozambique, Namibia, and Angola.

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Is Palestinian Flag Banned in India?

A senior police officer in Chhattisgarh has given a statement to the media that he has registered a case against the youth waving Palestinian flags and now the court has the right to decide this

Saturday September 28, 2024 5:44 PM , Sanjay Parate

Chhattisgarh is once again in the news for the wrong reason. The attitude of the Chhattisgarh police and administration, and the silence of the BJP government raises the question whether Palestine is an enemy nation for our country and its citizens?

Earlier in June, Chhattisgarh came into the news when three cattle traders and transport workers from Uttar Pradesh were murdered by cow-goons associated with RSS and BJP just three days after the BJP government came to power. This was not a case of mob-lynching but a well-planned murder. This was an opportunity when the BJP government could have assured the minorities that there will be no atrocities on minorities under its rule and all citizens will be treated equally irrespective of caste and religion and this will be ensured through the legal process. On the contrary, the real murderers were acquitted by an SIT formed by the government drawing a false conclusion that all the deceased had committed suicide. This incident was protested all over the country, but it did not matter to the BJP and its government.

Now on September 16, on the day of Miladunnabi, five Muslim youths in Bilaspur have been arrested under Section 197(2) of the Bhartiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS), which deals with acts prejudicial to the integrity of the country, and for which there is a provision of 5 years imprisonment, for allegedly hoisting the Palestinian Flag in their homes and neighbourhoods. This incident took place in the city which is considered the judicial capital (Nyaydhani) of Chhattisgarh, because the High Court of the state is located here and hence it can also be said that the entire incident took place under the nose of the High Court.

These arrests were made after people and organizations associated with the Sanghi gang complained that those who hoist the flag of Palestine are terrorists and such an act is treason. By making the whole matter a Hindu vs Muslim issue, videos spewing venom against the Muslim community were also made viral on social media.

After a strong resistance by the Muslim community along with the secular-minded Nagrik Manch, the district administration was forced to grant bail to the arrested youths. Under pressure from fanatic-Hindu organizations, the city magistrate kept playing hide and seek for 24 hours in an attempt to keep the arrested youths in jail and kept fooling the law. These fanatic organizations are openly talking about Muslims in public meetings, calling them terrorists, not allowing them to live in Bilaspur (and Chhattisgarh) and illegally asking Hindus to take up arms against Muslims and arming the Hindu society for their own protection, but due to the protection of the BJP government, no action is being taken against them.

This is an example of how Muslim festivals are being used to attack Muslims in BJP-ruled states. Similar attacks have taken place and are taking place in Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. On the occasion of Muharram this July, cases have been filed and arrests have been made on the complaints of BJP and VHP leaders in Jammu and Kashmir, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Jharkhand under UAPA and BNS.

BJP does not want to miss any opportunity to divide the society on communal lines by spreading hate speech against minorities. The Supreme Courts order to take action against those spreading hate speech is lying in the dustbin here and the High Court here is a mute spectator to all these incidents, which is a symbol of the decline in the field of judiciary in the last decade.

Palestine is a political question for the entire world today. While by the end of the 20th century all the enslaved countries of the world have become politically independent, in the 21st century Palestine is still a country which is fighting for the freedom of its motherland and for freedom from the domination of Israel. The Palestine freedom movement has the support of all those people, communities and organizations of the world who are in favour of peace, justice and freedom. These are the people who believe that Palestine belongs to the Palestinians just as India belongs to the Indians and France belongs to the French, and they are therefore opposing the imperialist policies of the Israeli government of usurping the Palestinian territory and establishing Israeli settlements there.

Israel has expanded its territory by occupying the West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem of Palestine since 1967. Millions of Israeli citizens who are against the imperialist policies of the Netanyahu government are also involved in the protests happening all over the world against the massacre of Palestinians. In India too, there have been large scale protests against Israel and the pro-Israel policies of the Modi government. The Israeli government is presenting it as a Jew vs Muslim issue and this campaign of Israel is getting the support of America and the imperialist countries. Unfortunately, due to its anti-Muslim policies, the Modi government has also sided with Israel and America. This stance of the Modi government is completely different from the stance adopted since our independence in the matter of Palestine.

The people of this country have supported the Palestine movement since the time of their freedom struggle. Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi played an important role in developing this policy. After independence, it became a part of our countrys foreign policy, which no government of the country dared to deny and which has the consent of the people of our country and almost all political parties.

Even today, there has been no change in this official policy of the Government of India, though the Modi-led BJP government has unofficially made this policy pro-Israel. Now this government is providing weapons to Israel to fight the Palestinians. A ship carrying a consignment of weapons from Chennai to Israel has been caught in Spain. These weapons have been manufactured by Adani through a joint venture with an Israeli company under Make in India. India has been disgraced all over the world and Adani alone cannot be held responsible for this. This case shows how big a price the country may have to pay for privatizing the countrys public defense industry.

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has warned in its decision in the month of July that if anyone is found to be involved in this war, it will be considered a violation of international rules. By providing arms to Israel, the Modi government has also joined the massacre of Palestinians. Whenever the decision of the International Court will be implemented, the Modi government will be put in the dock, which is insulting the country against the unanimous policy of this country.

This October 7 will mark the first anniversary of the Hamas-Israel war . According to the United Nations, Israels attacks have killed about 42,000 Palestinian civilians so far and most of those who have died are women and children and those who are not involved in this war in any form but who have had to be displaced repeatedly to protect their lives due to Israeli attacks. Israel has carried out countless barbaric attacks on schools, hospitals, refugee camps and residential areas in the Palestinian areas. Due to these attacks, more than 10 lakh Palestinians have had to be displaced.

According to the June issue of the medical journal The Lancet, the actual number of deaths is more than 1.86 lakh. It says that for every direct death, there are 4 indirect deaths, which are related to the circumstances caused by this war: such as infectious diseases, destruction of health infrastructure, lack of food, water and housing and migration, etc. These attacks are a direct violation of international laws and the demand is gaining momentum all over the world that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should be declared a war criminal for this massacre of Palestinians. Everyone knows that all those responsible for the massacre of Jews by Hitler were tried and punished, and this trial has become famous in history as the Nuremberg Trial.

The Hamas, which Israel and America are calling a terrorist organization today, was promoted by themselves to destroy the Palestinian Liberation Organisation (PLO). Later, Hamas succeeded in getting political support of the people of Palestine in the freedom struggle. But now an attempt is being made to label the entire Palestinian population as terrorists using Hamas as an excuse.

Similarly, Hezbollah is a recognized political organization among the people of Lebanon, calling it terrorist and pro-Palestine, Israel is attacking Lebanon today. The BJP is expanding this same logic in India today and saying that all those who are with Palestine are terrorists. But this will be the same logic as calling the entire public who voted for the BJP communal.

The innate enmity of the Sanghi gang towards Muslims in India is well known. It never sympathized with the freedom struggle of Palestine, because the Sanghi gang has shown its loyalty towards imperialism from the very beginning. And, now the Modi government, after coming to power, has started giving practical shape to the policy of keeping America and international financial capital happy. This is the reason why it is now openly supporting Israel even in the United Nations. This policy is an undeclared abandonment of the policy of non-alignment.

So should the people of India now accept the pro-Israel policy of the BJP and the Sanghi gang? The Constitution of our country gives its citizens the right to freedom of expression and this includes the right to political expression as well. Using this right, any citizen, community and organization of India can oppose those policies/decisions of the Central Government even in the matter of foreign policy, which they believe are against the broader interests of the country and human sensibilities.

When millions of innocent people are being massacred in any country and the government of our country is silent, the Constitution gives the right to raise voice against it and speak in favor of humanity. Then how can expressing support for the Palestinians, shedding tears and expressing grief over the massacre happening there and hoisting the Palestinian flag be a violation of any law of the country? When the festival of Eid was being celebrated all over the world, the joy of Eid also included the grief of the massacre of Palestinians and people were expressing this grief along with human sensibilities.

Now again the same question:

Is Palestine an enemy nation?

The official stand of the Government of India is that Palestine is our friendly nation, but a senior police officer in the state has given a statement to the media that he has registered a case against the youth waving Palestinian flags and now the court has the right to decide this.

Now the question also arises that the Central Government has taken away the right to decide the foreign policy of this country and which country will be a friendly nation and which will be an enemy nation from the Parliament and handed it over to the administration and the court?

Has our police, our administration and the Chhattisgarh state government, under the federal structure of the country, lost their minimum wisdom?

This becomes a direct case of misuse of law and harassing and intimidating the Muslim community for its political expression.

But why this mess?

In fact, the BJPs Modi Raj has made a well-planned effort to erase the subtle difference between the government and the party. An attempt is being made to establish that now the BJP is the government and the government is the BJP.

The result of the efforts to inculcate the policies of the BJP as the policies of the government is that a tendency has developed in various circles of the police and administration to blindly follow the policies of the BJP and work according to the wishes of the party leaders and workers of Hindu organizations.

The attitude of the police and the government in the Bilaspur incident shows that the work of breaking and twisting the law to destroy the values and spirit of the Constitution and to harass the minorities is going on in full swing at a high level.

The unity and integrity of the country is under threat and this threat is coming from the BJP and the Sanghi gang. The secular people of the country will have to unite and fight this threat.

[The writer, Sanjay Parate, is the Vice President of Chhattisgarh Kisan Sabha, affiliated to All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS)]

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Shares of Canada Goose Holdings Inc. (TSE:GOOS  Get Free Report) have been assigned a consensus rating of Hold from the six brokerages that are covering the stock, Marketbeat.com reports. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and one has issued a buy rating on the company. The average twelve-month price target among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is C$18.14.

GOOS has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. TD Securities reduced their price target on Canada Goose from C$21.00 to C$17.00 and set a hold rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, August 2nd. Wedbush set a C$21.00 target price on shares of Canada Goose and gave the company an outperform rating in a research report on Friday, July 19th. Raymond James lowered shares of Canada Goose from an outperform rating to a market perform rating in a report on Tuesday, July 23rd. Finally, Barclays reduced their price objective on shares of Canada Goose from C$13.00 to C$12.00 and set an equal weight rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, August 2nd.

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Canada Goose Stock Up 7.2 %

Canada Goose Company Profile

Shares of TSE GOOS opened at C$17.14 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of C$783.81 million, a PE ratio of 31.16, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.61 and a beta of 1.28. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of C$15.12 and a 200 day simple moving average of C$16.39. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 232.50, a current ratio of 2.14 and a quick ratio of 0.69. Canada Goose has a 1 year low of C$13.56 and a 1 year high of C$20.09.

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Canada Goose Holdings Inc, together with its subsidiaries, designs, manufactures, and sells performance luxury apparel for men, women, youth, children, and babies in Canada, the United States, Greater China, rest of the Asia Pacific, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. The company operates through three segments: Direct-to-Consumer, Wholesale, and Other.

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Vornado Realty Trust (NYSE:VNO  Get Free Report) and Rexford Industrial Realty (NYSE:REXR  Get Free Report) are both finance companies, but which is the superior stock? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their analyst recommendations, risk, earnings, profitability, dividends, valuation and institutional ownership.

Analyst Ratings

This is a summary of current recommendations for Vornado Realty Trust and Rexford Industrial Realty, as provided by MarketBeat.

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Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Vornado Realty Trust 3 6 2 0 1.91 Rexford Industrial Realty 1 4 5 0 2.40

Vornado Realty Trust currently has a consensus target price of $30.43, suggesting a potential downside of 21.73%. Rexford Industrial Realty has a consensus target price of $52.50, suggesting a potential upside of 3.94%. Given Rexford Industrial Realtys stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, analysts plainly believe Rexford Industrial Realty is more favorable than Vornado Realty Trust.

Earnings and Valuation

Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Vornado Realty Trust $1.81 billion 4.09 $105.49 million $0.15 259.22 Rexford Industrial Realty $867.49 million 12.68 $238.02 million $1.09 46.34

This table compares Vornado Realty Trust and Rexford Industrial Realtys revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

Rexford Industrial Realty has lower revenue, but higher earnings than Vornado Realty Trust. Rexford Industrial Realty is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Vornado Realty Trust, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Institutional and Insider Ownership

90.0% of Vornado Realty Trust shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 99.5% of Rexford Industrial Realty shares are held by institutional investors. 8.1% of Vornado Realty Trust shares are held by insiders. Comparatively, 1.2% of Rexford Industrial Realty shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, hedge funds and endowments believe a company will outperform the market over the long term.

Risk and Volatility

Vornado Realty Trust has a beta of 1.65, indicating that its stock price is 65% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Rexford Industrial Realty has a beta of 0.93, indicating that its stock price is 7% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Dividends

Vornado Realty Trust pays an annual dividend of $0.30 per share and has a dividend yield of 0.8%. Rexford Industrial Realty pays an annual dividend of $1.67 per share and has a dividend yield of 3.3%. Vornado Realty Trust pays out 200.0% of its earnings in the form of a dividend, suggesting it may not have sufficient earnings to cover its dividend payment in the future. Rexford Industrial Realty pays out 153.2% of its earnings in the form of a dividend, suggesting it may not have sufficient earnings to cover its dividend payment in the future. Rexford Industrial Realty is clearly the better dividend stock, given its higher yield and lower payout ratio.

Profitability

This table compares Vornado Realty Trust and Rexford Industrial Realtys net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Vornado Realty Trust 4.51% 3.21% 0.92% Rexford Industrial Realty 30.71% 3.31% 2.30%

Summary

Rexford Industrial Realty beats Vornado Realty Trust on 12 of the 16 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Vornado Realty Trust

(Get Free Report)

Vornado is a fully integrated real estate investment trust (REIT) with a portfolio of premier New York City office and retail assets and the developer of the new PENN DISTRICT. While concentrated in New York, Vornado also owns the premier assets in both Chicago and San Francisco. Vornado is a real estate industry leader in sustainability, with over 27 million square feet of LEED-certified buildings and over 23 million square feet at LEED Gold or Platinum.

About Rexford Industrial Realty

(Get Free Report)

Rexford Industrial creates value by investing in, operating and redeveloping industrial properties throughout infill Southern California, the world's fourth largest industrial market and consistently the highest-demand with lowest-supply major market in the nation. The Company's highly differentiated strategy enables internal and external growth opportunities through its proprietary value creation and asset management capabilities. Rexford Industrial's high-quality, irreplaceable portfolio comprises 371 properties with approximately 45.0 million rentable square feet occupied by a stable and diverse tenant base. Structured as a real estate investment trust (REIT) listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker "REXR," Rexford Industrial is an S&P MidCap 400 Index member.

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Trinseo PLC (NYSE:TSE  Get Free Report) declared a quarterly dividend on Thursday, September 26th, Wall Street Journal reports. Shareholders of record on Thursday, October 10th will be paid a dividend of 0.01 per share by the basic materials company on Thursday, October 24th. This represents a $0.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.73%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, October 10th.

Trinseo has decreased its dividend payment by an average of 33.1% annually over the last three years. Trinseo has a dividend payout ratio of -1.4% indicating that the company cannot currently cover its dividend with earnings alone and is relying on its balance sheet to cover its dividend payments. Equities research analysts expect Trinseo to earn ($3.44) per share next year, which means the company may not be able to cover its $0.04 annual dividend with an expected future payout ratio of -1.2%.

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Trinseo Price Performance

Shares of NYSE TSE opened at $5.49 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $194.13 million, a P/E ratio of -0.27 and a beta of 1.63. Trinseo has a 1-year low of $1.93 and a 1-year high of $8.83. The businesss 50 day moving average is $3.51 and its two-hundred day moving average is $3.29.

Insider Activity at Trinseo

Trinseo ( NYSE:TSE Get Free Report ) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August 6th. The basic materials company reported ($1.46) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of ($1.09) by ($0.37). The company had revenue of $920.00 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $958.16 million. Trinseo had a negative return on equity of 905.55% and a negative net margin of 12.62%. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned ($1.92) earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Trinseo will post -6.73 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

In related news, SVP Angelo N. Chaclas acquired 75,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 12th. The stock was bought at an average price of $2.57 per share, for a total transaction of $192,750.00. Following the acquisition, the senior vice president now directly owns 207,007 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $532,007.99. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. In other Trinseo news, Director Jeffrey J. Cote purchased 50,600 shares of Trinseo stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 19th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $3.39 per share, for a total transaction of $171,534.00. Following the acquisition, the director now owns 150,600 shares in the company, valued at approximately $510,534. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, SVP Angelo N. Chaclas acquired 75,000 shares of Trinseo stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 12th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $2.57 per share, with a total value of $192,750.00. Following the purchase, the senior vice president now directly owns 207,007 shares of the companys stock, valued at $532,007.99. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Insiders acquired a total of 265,600 shares of company stock worth $748,084 in the last quarter. 2.50% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, StockNews.com downgraded shares of Trinseo from a hold rating to a sell rating in a report on Thursday, August 8th.

Check Out Our Latest Analysis on Trinseo

About Trinseo

(Get Free Report)

Trinseo PLC operates as a specialty material solutions provider in the United States, Europe, the Asia-Pacific, and internationally. It operates through five segments: Engineered Materials, Latex Binders, Plastics Solutions, Polystyrene, and Americas Styrenics. The Engineered Materials segment offers rigid thermoplastic compounds and blends, soft thermoplastic, continuous cast, cell cast, activated methyl methacrylates (MMA), PMMA resins, and extruded PMMA sheets and resins for consumer electronics, medical, footwear, automotive, and building and construction applications under the EMERGE, CALIBRE, PLEXIGLAS, ALTUGLAS, ACRYSPA, AVONITE, STUDIO, MEGOL, APILON, APIGO, and APINAT brands.

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On Friday, Israeli forces launched a significant airstrike targeting Hezbollahs main headquarters in Beiruts southern suburbs, with the primary goal of eliminating the groups leader, Hassan Nasrallah.

The operation used bunker-busting munitions, causing massive explosions that reverberated throughout the Lebanese capital. The Iranian-linked Tasnim News Agency initially claimed that Nasrallah had survived, but later retracted the statement, leaving his status uncertain.

U.S. officials confirmed that the attack specifically targeted Nasrallah, utilising advanced weapons designed to penetrate underground fortifications.

Russia announced on the 22nd September that it intends to revise its nuclear doctrine due to increasing tensions with Western countries over the war in Ukraine.

Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov stated that the changes are directly related to Western escalation, referencing Ukraines recent territorial incursions.

Moscows current nuclear policy, outlined by President Vladimir Putin in 2020, allows the use of nuclear weapons only if Russia faces an existential threat or in response to a nuclear strike. However, the proposed changes signal a shift in Russias stance as the conflict with Ukraine drags on.

The European Union has proposed a $44 billion loan package to support Ukraine amidst its ongoing war with Russia, even as the U.S. faces challenges in securing Congressional backing for additional aid.

The proposal comes after Hungary vetoed an earlier plan that aimed to use frozen Russian assets to fund Ukraines defence.

The EUs latest offer underscores its commitment to supporting Ukraine, regardless of the U.S. position on further assistance. The loans are expected to play a crucial role in stabilizing Ukraines economy as it continues to fight Russian aggression.

U.S. intelligence agencies have raised concerns that Russia may escalate its military response if Ukraine receives long-range missiles from Western allies.

The warning comes amid discussions about providing Ukraine with missiles capable of striking deep into Russian territory.

The assessment suggests that Russia could retaliate with forceful measures against U.S. and European military assets.

However, U.S. officials also downplayed the strategic advantage that such missiles might provide Ukraine, indicating a complex calculus for all parties involved.

Chinas first-in-class Zhou-class nuclear-powered submarine is believed to have sunk at a dock in Wuhan, a hub for Chinas military shipbuilding.

Satellite images reviewed by defence analysts show cranes and salvage equipment at the scene, hinting at efforts to recover the vessel.

Although the Chinese government has remained silent on the matter, U.S. officials confirmed that the incident occurred and that Chinese authorities were attempting to conceal the mishap.

The sinking represents a significant setback for Chinas naval ambitions, particularly for its submarine fleet.

Hackers affiliated with the Chinese government have penetrated several U.S. internet service providers, according to a recent investigation. The operation, dubbed Salt Typhoon, focused on gaining access to U.S. broadband networks in order to establish a foothold and potentially disrupt telecommunications.

Investigators believe the hackers aimed to exfiltrate sensitive data or launch cyberattacks on U.S. infrastructure.

The breach underscores the persistent threat posed by state-sponsored cyber actors, particularly those linked to Beijing.

Myanmars military junta has extended an unexpected peace offer to rebel groups, proposing a ceasefire and political dialogue. However, the offer was swiftly rejected by opposition forces, which continue to challenge the regimes control over the country.

The rejection comes amid increasing military losses for the junta, which has struggled to maintain power since the civil war erupted in 2020.

The conflict shows no signs of abating, as rebel groups vow to continue their fight against the military government.

On Friday, Houthi militants from Yemen launched missile and drone attacks targeting Israel and U.S. Navy destroyers in the Red Sea.

The group claimed responsibility for striking Israeli cities such as Tel Aviv and Ashkelon, as well as three U.S. naval vessels.

In response, Israels Arrow 3 air defence system intercepted a ballistic missile aimed at its territory.

The attack marks an escalation in the conflict, as the Houthis signal their support for Palestinian forces and Lebanons Hezbollah in their confrontations with Israel.

The Sudanese military has initiated a large-scale offensive against the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Khartoum, marking a significant escalation in the countrys civil war.

The attack began early Wednesday morning near the strategically important Al-Istritagia site in the western part of the city.

The government forces reportedly crossed several bridges to launch their assault, hoping to reclaim parts of the capital held by the RSF since the conflict erupted in April 2023.

The U.S. government is offering up to $20 million for information leading to the arrest or conviction of Shahram Poursafi, an Iranian national allegedly involved in a plot to assassinate former U.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton.

Poursafi is accused of attempting to hire individuals to carry out the assassination between October 2021 and April 2022.

The U.S. Treasury Department has designated him as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist in connection with the plot, which was reportedly linked to Tehrans broader efforts to target American officials.

OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, is undergoing significant leadership changes as it transitions from a non-profit to a more traditional for-profit model.

Several high-ranking executives have resigned, reportedly in protest over the new direction of the company, which is now consolidating control under CEO Sam Altman.

Despite concerns about the restructuring, Altman has denied reports that he stands to gain a substantial equity stake in the firm, calling such claims unfounded during a company-wide meeting on Thursday.

The changes signal a new chapter for OpenAI, but have raised questions about its future governance and mission.
Reggae artist Busha Mark is pleased with the early feedback to his latest single, Know Your Worth, a stirring call to at-risk youth to love and respect themselves by loving themselves enough to care for their inner being.

The youths need to know that you need to respect your soul, dont sell out your morals, your values, just to gain material possessions, Busha Mark, whose real name is Lee Jay Scott, said.

Busha Mark is encouraged that young women, in particular, appear to be responding to the message.

I am trying to elevate the minds of the male youth with a message that reminds them to know their worth, and that they are free to choose their own paths. But I am also appealing to the ladies  who are the backbone of our society  especially, for them to know their worth, and the feedback from the women in particular has been very positive and inspiring. All the ladies need to do is to believe in themselves, Busha said.

Born Lee Jay Scott to parents Olive Robinson and Desmond Scott, he grew up in the tough streets of Chisholm Avenue in Kingston 13, Jamaica. Raised in a house filled with music, he began developing his own musical style as a young boy while attending Maxfield Park Primary.

Influenced by his father, he forged a distinctive songwriting and vocal style, and continued to pursue music while he was a student at Norman Manley High. He infused his music with deep spirituality and adopted the stage name, Busha Mark.

My pet name is Mark, but there were too many Marks in the community, so in order to identify us differently, they added my dads name Busha, he explained.

He recorded his first single, Gi Wi Di Gal Dem and has continued to hone his craft since then, drawing on musical influences such as Ken Boothe, Gyptian and Anthony Que, to name just a few.

By fusing different styles, Busha Mark is working towards achieving his ultimate goal: uniting the world through music. He is compiling tracks for a reggae-infused EP in which he explores social, political and topics that are personal to him.

I am working on my EP as we speak, and quite a few of the tracks are already done. I have a few shows coming up here in Jamaica, none for the Caribbean yet, but the work continues, he said.

Busha Mark is best known for the song, Walk Di Walk which is an anthem in his hometown community of Chisholm Avenue and has racked up over 4000 likes on his Tik Tik page.

He shot a video for the song, which was directed by DP Akin Films and Wayne South of Caution Films.
Dark Forest Capital Management LP bought a new position in shares of American International Group, Inc. (NYSE:AIG  Free Report) in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund bought 8,672 shares of the insurance providers stock, valued at approximately $644,000.

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Several other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of AIG. Deerfield Management Company L.P. Series C acquired a new stake in shares of American International Group in the second quarter valued at about $413,000. APG Asset Management N.V. lifted its position in shares of American International Group by 13.3% during the second quarter. APG Asset Management N.V. now owns 2,200,252 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $152,411,000 after purchasing an additional 258,700 shares in the last quarter. Caxton Associates LP purchased a new position in shares of American International Group in the second quarter valued at $2,225,000. BRITISH COLUMBIA INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT Corp grew its holdings in American International Group by 53.5% during the 2nd quarter. BRITISH COLUMBIA INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT Corp now owns 129,101 shares of the insurance providers stock valued at $9,584,000 after purchasing an additional 45,018 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Marshall Wace LLP increased its stake in American International Group by 2,493.5% during the 2nd quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 349,341 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $25,935,000 after buying an additional 335,871 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 90.60% of the companys stock.

Insider Transactions at American International Group

In related news, major shareholder International Group American sold 8,032,129 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $24.90, for a total transaction of $200,000,012.10. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 284,238,898 shares in the company, valued at $7,077,548,560.20. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. In the last three months, insiders sold 14,964,738 shares of company stock valued at $400,732,195. Company insiders own 0.61% of the companys stock.

American International Group Stock Performance

Shares of AIG stock opened at $73.12 on Friday. American International Group, Inc. has a 12-month low of $57.72 and a 12-month high of $80.83. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22, a current ratio of 0.67 and a quick ratio of 0.67. The firm has a market capitalization of $47.09 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.91, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.70 and a beta of 1.06. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $74.27 and a 200 day simple moving average of $75.66.

American International Group (NYSE:AIG  Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 31st. The insurance provider reported $1.16 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.30 by ($0.14). American International Group had a positive return on equity of 9.52% and a negative net margin of 1.54%. The business had revenue of $1.00 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $11.64 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.75 EPS. The companys revenue for the quarter was up .0% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that American International Group, Inc. will post 5.24 EPS for the current year.

American International Group Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 30th. Shareholders of record on Monday, September 16th will be given a dividend of $0.40 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, September 16th. This represents a $1.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.19%. American International Groups dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 23.88%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

AIG has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on American International Group from $80.00 to $93.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Thursday, July 11th. StockNews.com downgraded American International Group from a hold rating to a sell rating in a report on Monday, August 5th. Bank of America upped their target price on American International Group from $81.00 to $82.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research report on Thursday, August 1st. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods dropped their price target on shares of American International Group from $96.00 to $90.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research note on Monday, August 12th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada restated an outperform rating and issued a $87.00 target price on shares of American International Group in a research note on Tuesday, July 9th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have issued a hold rating and nine have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $83.88.

Check Out Our Latest Research Report on AIG

American International Group Profile

(Free Report)

American International Group, Inc offers insurance products for commercial, institutional, and individual customers in North America and internationally. It operates through three segments: General Insurance, Life and Retirement, and Other Operations. The General Insurance segment provides commercial and industrial property insurance, including business interruption and package insurance that cover exposure to made and natural disasters; general liability, environmental, commercial automobile liability, workers compensation, excess casualty, and crisis management insurance products; and professional liability insurance.

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Dark Forest Capital Management LP trimmed its stake in shares of Federal Agricultural Mortgage Co. (NYSE:AGM  Free Report) by 13.0% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 3,610 shares of the credit services providers stock after selling 540 shares during the quarter. Dark Forest Capital Management LPs holdings in Federal Agricultural Mortgage were worth $653,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

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Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Captrust Financial Advisors purchased a new stake in shares of Federal Agricultural Mortgage during the first quarter worth about $24,137,000. Boston Partners increased its position in Federal Agricultural Mortgage by 8.1% during the 1st quarter. Boston Partners now owns 486,964 shares of the credit services providers stock valued at $95,435,000 after purchasing an additional 36,560 shares during the period. American Century Companies Inc. lifted its holdings in Federal Agricultural Mortgage by 25.7% in the second quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 178,008 shares of the credit services providers stock worth $32,187,000 after buying an additional 36,380 shares during the period. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC grew its holdings in shares of Federal Agricultural Mortgage by 63.0% during the 1st quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 46,225 shares of the credit services providers stock worth $9,101,000 after acquiring an additional 17,870 shares during the period. Finally, AdvisorShares Investments LLC bought a new position in shares of Federal Agricultural Mortgage in the 4th quarter worth approximately $3,414,000. Institutional investors own 68.03% of the companys stock.

Federal Agricultural Mortgage Price Performance

AGM stock opened at $184.97 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.68, a quick ratio of 0.49 and a current ratio of 0.49. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.01 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.28, a PEG ratio of 1.65 and a beta of 1.04. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $190.63 and a 200-day moving average price of $186.20. Federal Agricultural Mortgage Co. has a 52-week low of $140.44 and a 52-week high of $217.60.

Federal Agricultural Mortgage Dividend Announcement

Federal Agricultural Mortgage ( NYSE:AGM Get Free Report ) last released its earnings results on Monday, August 5th. The credit services provider reported $3.63 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $4.09 by ($0.46). The company had revenue of $406.23 million during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $91.77 million. Federal Agricultural Mortgage had a return on equity of 20.88% and a net margin of 13.28%. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $3.86 earnings per share. Equities research analysts forecast that Federal Agricultural Mortgage Co. will post 15.95 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 30th. Stockholders of record on Monday, September 16th will be issued a dividend of $1.40 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, September 16th. This represents a $5.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.03%. Federal Agricultural Mortgages payout ratio is 34.15%.

Insider Activity at Federal Agricultural Mortgage

In other Federal Agricultural Mortgage news, EVP Stephen P. Mullery sold 2,472 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $182.28, for a total value of $450,596.16. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 22,045 shares of the companys stock, valued at $4,018,362.60. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. In other news, Director Sara Louise Faivre-Davis sold 685 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, September 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $188.93, for a total value of $129,417.05. Following the transaction, the director now owns 4,595 shares of the companys stock, valued at $868,133.35. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP Stephen P. Mullery sold 2,472 shares of Federal Agricultural Mortgage stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $182.28, for a total transaction of $450,596.16. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 22,045 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,018,362.60. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 3,967 shares of company stock worth $729,487. 2.58% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Separately, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reaffirmed a market perform rating and issued a $215.00 price target on shares of Federal Agricultural Mortgage in a research note on Tuesday, August 6th.

Check Out Our Latest Analysis on AGM

Federal Agricultural Mortgage Profile

(Free Report)

Federal Agricultural Mortgage Corporation provides a secondary market for various loans made to borrowers in the United States. It operates through four segments: Corporate AgFinance, Farm & Ranch, Rural Utilities, and Renewable Energy. The companys Agricultural Finance line of business engages in purchasing and retaining eligible loans and securities; guaranteeing the payment of principal and interest on securities that represent interests in or obligations secured by pools of eligible loans; servicing eligible loans; and issuing LTSPCs for eligible loans.

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EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its stake in Dell Technologies Inc. (NYSE:DELL  Free Report) by 97.2% during the second quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 428 shares of the technology companys stock after buying an additional 211 shares during the period. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLCs holdings in Dell Technologies were worth $59,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

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Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Jones Financial Companies Lllp purchased a new stake in shares of Dell Technologies in the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. Massmutual Trust Co. FSB ADV grew its position in shares of Dell Technologies by 58.2% during the first quarter. Massmutual Trust Co. FSB ADV now owns 223 shares of the technology companys stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 82 shares during the last quarter. Accordant Advisory Group Inc acquired a new position in shares of Dell Technologies in the 2nd quarter valued at $28,000. New Covenant Trust Company N.A. purchased a new stake in Dell Technologies in the 1st quarter valued at $30,000. Finally, Central Bank & Trust Co. purchased a new position in Dell Technologies during the 1st quarter worth $34,000. 38.10% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Activity at Dell Technologies

In other Dell Technologies news, insider William F. Scannell sold 42,595 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Friday, September 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $117.29, for a total transaction of $4,995,967.55. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 73,263 shares of the companys stock, valued at $8,593,017.27. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. In other Dell Technologies news, CEO Michael S. Dell sold 1,166,595 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Monday, September 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $117.42, for a total value of $136,981,584.90. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 26,912,241 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,160,035,338.22. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, insider William F. Scannell sold 42,595 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Friday, September 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $117.29, for a total value of $4,995,967.55. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 73,263 shares of the companys stock, valued at $8,593,017.27. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 9,007,047 shares of company stock valued at $1,041,595,745. 46.70% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. UBS Group decreased their target price on shares of Dell Technologies from $164.00 to $158.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research note on Friday, August 30th. Raymond James dropped their target price on Dell Technologies from $166.00 to $160.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a report on Friday, August 30th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price target on Dell Technologies from $150.00 to $140.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a report on Friday, August 30th. Citigroup upped their price objective on shares of Dell Technologies from $155.00 to $160.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Friday, August 30th. Finally, TD Cowen lowered their target price on shares of Dell Technologies from $155.00 to $128.00 and set a hold rating on the stock in a report on Friday, August 30th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and fourteen have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $143.50.

Check Out Our Latest Research Report on Dell Technologies

Dell Technologies Stock Performance

Shares of DELL stock opened at $120.22 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $85.27 billion, a PE ratio of 24.53, a P/E/G ratio of 1.25 and a beta of 0.90. Dell Technologies Inc. has a 1 year low of $63.90 and a 1 year high of $179.70. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $110.49 and a 200 day moving average price of $124.32.

Dell Technologies (NYSE:DELL  Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 29th. The technology company reported $1.89 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.49 by $0.40. Dell Technologies had a net margin of 4.32% and a negative return on equity of 178.09%. The business had revenue of $25.03 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $24.14 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $1.44 EPS. The businesss revenue for the quarter was up 9.1% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Dell Technologies Inc. will post 6.9 earnings per share for the current year.

Dell Technologies Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 1st. Investors of record on Tuesday, October 22nd will be given a dividend of $0.445 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, October 22nd. This represents a $1.78 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.48%. Dell Technologiess dividend payout ratio is currently 36.33%.

Dell Technologies Company Profile

(Free Report)

Dell Technologies Inc designs, develops, manufactures, markets, sells, and supports various comprehensive and integrated solutions, products, and services in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and internationally. The company operates through two segments, Infrastructure Solutions Group (ISG) and Client Solutions Group (CSG).

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Legal & General Group Plc increased its stake in Colgate-Palmolive (NYSE:CL  Free Report) by 0.8% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 7,785,101 shares of the companys stock after acquiring an additional 61,413 shares during the quarter. Legal & General Group Plc owned about 0.95% of Colgate-Palmolive worth $755,465,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

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Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Main Street Research LLC increased its holdings in Colgate-Palmolive by 1.5% in the second quarter. Main Street Research LLC now owns 6,939 shares of the companys stock worth $673,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares in the last quarter. Advisor OS LLC raised its holdings in shares of Colgate-Palmolive by 4.5% during the second quarter. Advisor OS LLC now owns 2,348 shares of the companys stock valued at $228,000 after purchasing an additional 101 shares during the period. BLB&B Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Colgate-Palmolive by 2.5% during the 2nd quarter. BLB&B Advisors LLC now owns 4,337 shares of the companys stock worth $421,000 after purchasing an additional 104 shares in the last quarter. ZWJ Investment Counsel Inc. grew its stake in shares of Colgate-Palmolive by 3.1% in the 2nd quarter. ZWJ Investment Counsel Inc. now owns 3,591 shares of the companys stock valued at $349,000 after buying an additional 109 shares during the period. Finally, Hexagon Capital Partners LLC increased its position in Colgate-Palmolive by 9.5% in the 2nd quarter. Hexagon Capital Partners LLC now owns 1,274 shares of the companys stock valued at $124,000 after buying an additional 110 shares in the last quarter. 80.41% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling at Colgate-Palmolive

In other news, insider Sally Massey sold 15,850 shares of Colgate-Palmolive stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $103.28, for a total value of $1,636,988.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 13,942 shares in the company, valued at $1,439,929.76. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. In related news, insider Sally Massey sold 15,850 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $103.28, for a total transaction of $1,636,988.00. Following the sale, the insider now owns 13,942 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $1,439,929.76. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Martina Hundmejean sold 2,313 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Friday, August 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $103.86, for a total transaction of $240,228.18. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 11,755 shares of the companys stock, valued at $1,220,874.30. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 43,490 shares of company stock valued at $4,486,063 in the last 90 days. 0.34% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Colgate-Palmolive Stock Performance

NYSE:CL opened at $103.65 on Friday. Colgate-Palmolive has a 1 year low of $67.62 and a 1 year high of $109.30. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 16.90, a current ratio of 1.06 and a quick ratio of 0.70. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $103.25 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $96.31. The company has a market capitalization of $85.04 billion, a P/E ratio of 32.80, a P/E/G ratio of 3.62 and a beta of 0.40.

Colgate-Palmolive (NYSE:CL  Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Friday, July 26th. The company reported $0.91 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.87 by $0.04. The business had revenue of $5.06 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $5 billion. Colgate-Palmolive had a return on equity of 470.19% and a net margin of 14.21%. The firms quarterly revenue was up 4.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $0.77 EPS. On average, analysts expect that Colgate-Palmolive will post 3.57 earnings per share for the current year.

Colgate-Palmolive Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 15th. Investors of record on Friday, October 18th will be paid a $0.50 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, October 18th. This represents a $2.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.93%. Colgate-Palmolives dividend payout ratio is 63.29%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have commented on CL shares. Jefferies Financial Group cut Colgate-Palmolive from a buy rating to a hold rating and reduced their price objective for the company from $103.00 to $95.00 in a research note on Wednesday, July 24th. Piper Sandler started coverage on shares of Colgate-Palmolive in a research note on Tuesday. They set an overweight rating and a $121.00 price target for the company. Hsbc Global Res lowered shares of Colgate-Palmolive from a strong-buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Friday, July 26th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lowered shares of Colgate-Palmolive from a buy rating to a hold rating and upped their target price for the stock from $107.00 to $109.00 in a report on Monday, September 9th. Finally, Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on Colgate-Palmolive from $103.00 to $111.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Monday, July 29th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have given a hold rating and fourteen have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $104.74.

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Colgate-Palmolive Profile

(Free Report)

Colgate-Palmolive Company, together with its subsidiaries, manufactures and sells consumer products in the United States and internationally. It operates through two segments: Oral, Personal and Home Care; and Pet Nutrition. The Oral, Personal and Home Care segment offers toothpaste, toothbrushes, mouthwash, bar and liquid hand soaps, shower gels, shampoos, conditioners, deodorants and antiperspirants, skin health products, dishwashing detergents, fabric conditioners, household cleaners, and other related items.

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Norwegian Air Shuttle ASA (OTCMKTS:NWARF  Get Free Report) was the target of a significant decrease in short interest in the month of September. As of September 15th, there was short interest totalling 3,695,400 shares, a decrease of 16.9% from the August 31st total of 4,444,300 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 16,400 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 225.3 days.

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Norwegian Air Shuttle ASA Stock Performance

Shares of OTCMKTS NWARF remained flat at $1.14 during trading hours on Friday. 69 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 13,567. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $1.00 and a two-hundred day moving average of $1.24. Norwegian Air Shuttle ASA has a twelve month low of $0.67 and a twelve month high of $1.87.

Norwegian Air Shuttle ASA Company Profile

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Norwegian Air Shuttle ASA, together with its subsidiaries, provides air travel services in Norway and internationally. It is also involved in aircraft financing, leasing, and ownership activities; and cargo activities. It operates a fleet of 87 aircrafts. Norwegian Air Shuttle ASA was founded in 1993 and is headquartered in Fornebu, Norway.

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Public Sector Pension Investment Board boosted its holdings in Coterra Energy Inc. (NYSE:CTRA  Free Report) by 3.6% in the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 129,480 shares of the companys stock after buying an additional 4,475 shares during the period. Public Sector Pension Investment Boards holdings in Coterra Energy were worth $3,453,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

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Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Fortitude Family Office LLC grew its position in shares of Coterra Energy by 154.9% during the second quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC now owns 933 shares of the companys stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 567 shares in the last quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC raised its position in shares of Coterra Energy by 98.0% during the second quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 1,081 shares of the companys stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 535 shares during the last quarter. Central Pacific Bank Trust Division bought a new stake in shares of Coterra Energy during the first quarter valued at approximately $44,000. Harbor Investment Advisory LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Coterra Energy by 869.3% in the first quarter. Harbor Investment Advisory LLC now owns 1,609 shares of the companys stock worth $45,000 after buying an additional 1,443 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Northwest Investment Counselors LLC bought a new position in shares of Coterra Energy during the first quarter worth $47,000. 87.92% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

CTRA has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Bank of America reiterated a buy rating and issued a $34.00 price target on shares of Coterra Energy in a research note on Friday, June 14th. UBS Group dropped their price target on Coterra Energy from $34.00 to $31.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, September 18th. Susquehanna reduced their price objective on Coterra Energy from $33.00 to $30.00 and set a positive rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, September 4th. BMO Capital Markets upgraded Coterra Energy to a hold rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 3rd. Finally, Piper Sandler reduced their price target on shares of Coterra Energy from $39.00 to $31.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, August 15th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, sixteen have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $32.59.

Coterra Energy Stock Up 2.9 %

Shares of NYSE:CTRA opened at $23.74 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $17.67 billion, a PE ratio of 13.72, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.37 and a beta of 0.22. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $24.07 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $26.30. Coterra Energy Inc. has a 1 year low of $22.30 and a 1 year high of $29.89. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16, a current ratio of 1.40 and a quick ratio of 1.38.

Coterra Energy (NYSE:CTRA  Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 1st. The company reported $0.37 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.39 by ($0.02). Coterra Energy had a net margin of 23.18% and a return on equity of 10.48%. The business had revenue of $1.27 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $1.32 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $0.38 EPS. Coterra Energys revenue was up 7.3% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts predict that Coterra Energy Inc. will post 1.74 EPS for the current year.

Coterra Energy Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, August 29th. Investors of record on Thursday, August 15th were paid a $0.21 dividend. This represents a $0.84 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.54%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, August 15th. Coterra Energys dividend payout ratio is presently 48.55%.

About Coterra Energy

(Free Report)

Coterra Energy Inc, an independent oil and gas company, engages in the development, exploration, and production of oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids in the United States. The company's properties include the Marcellus Shale with approximately 186,000 net acres in the dry gas window of the play located in Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania; Permian Basin properties with approximately 296,000 net acres located in west Texas and southeast New Mexico; and Anadarko Basin properties with approximately 182,000 net acres located in Oklahoma.

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Public Sector Pension Investment Board grew its holdings in Qiagen (NYSE:QGEN  Free Report) by 5.9% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 92,993 shares of the companys stock after acquiring an additional 5,185 shares during the period. Public Sector Pension Investment Boards holdings in Qiagen were worth $3,809,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

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Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the business. Nuance Investments LLC increased its stake in Qiagen by 311.0% in the 1st quarter. Nuance Investments LLC now owns 4,493,489 shares of the companys stock worth $193,175,000 after buying an additional 3,400,255 shares in the last quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. raised its stake in Qiagen by 104,759.6% during the 2nd quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 1,583,380 shares of the companys stock valued at $65,061,000 after purchasing an additional 1,581,870 shares during the period. Earnest Partners LLC lifted its holdings in Qiagen by 85.1% in the 1st quarter. Earnest Partners LLC now owns 3,427,605 shares of the companys stock worth $147,353,000 after purchasing an additional 1,576,259 shares in the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP boosted its stake in Qiagen by 20.1% in the 4th quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 7,271,828 shares of the companys stock worth $316,463,000 after purchasing an additional 1,217,712 shares during the period. Finally, FIL Ltd grew its holdings in Qiagen by 8.5% during the 4th quarter. FIL Ltd now owns 5,099,140 shares of the companys stock valued at $221,784,000 after buying an additional 399,965 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 70.00% of the companys stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

QGEN has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Wolfe Research raised shares of Qiagen from a peer perform rating to an outperform rating and set a $50.00 target price on the stock in a report on Thursday, June 27th. Robert W. Baird increased their price objective on shares of Qiagen from $49.00 to $52.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Friday, August 2nd. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on Qiagen from $52.00 to $54.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Tuesday, June 18th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $51.10.

Qiagen Price Performance

Shares of Qiagen stock opened at $45.23 on Friday. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $45.20 and a 200-day moving average price of $43.49. Qiagen has a one year low of $34.74 and a one year high of $47.44. The stock has a market cap of $10.32 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.36, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.17 and a beta of 0.39. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27, a quick ratio of 1.46 and a current ratio of 1.77.

Qiagen (NYSE:QGEN  Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, July 31st. The company reported $0.55 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.52 by $0.03. The firm had revenue of $496.00 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $495.45 million. Qiagen had a net margin of 3.75% and a return on equity of 12.92%. The businesss revenue was down .2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $0.53 EPS. Equities analysts expect that Qiagen will post 2.15 EPS for the current year.

Qiagen Profile

(Free Report)

QIAGEN N.V. offers sample to insight solutions that transform biological materials into molecular insights worldwide. The company provides primary sample technology consumables, such as nucleic stabilization and purification kits for primary sample materials, manual and automated processing for genotyping, gene expression, and viral and bacterial analysis, as well as silica membranes and magnetic bead technologies; secondary sample technology consumables, including kits and components for purification of nucleic acids from secondary sample materials; and instruments for nucleic acid purification and accessories.

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Wynn Macau, Limited (OTCMKTS:WYNMY  Get Free Report) was the recipient of a significant growth in short interest during the month of September. As of September 15th, there was short interest totalling 22,100 shares, a growth of 26.3% from the August 31st total of 17,500 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 27,900 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 0.8 days.

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Wynn Macau Stock Performance

Wynn Macau stock opened at $8.12 on Friday. Wynn Macau has a fifty-two week low of $6.11 and a fifty-two week high of $10.79. The firms 50-day simple moving average is $6.93 and its 200 day simple moving average is $8.35.

Wynn Macau Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a dividend, which was paid on Friday, September 27th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, September 3rd were given a $0.0818 dividend. This is a positive change from Wynn Macaus previous dividend of $0.08. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, September 3rd. Wynn Macaus payout ratio is currently 95.05%.

About Wynn Macau

Wynn Macau, Limited, through its subsidiaries, engages in the development, ownership, and operation of integrated destination casino resorts in Macau. The company's Wynn Palace resort features approximately 468,000 square feet of casino space providing 24-hour gaming and various games comprising private gaming salons and sky casinos; a luxury hotel with guest rooms, suites, and villas; and food and beverage outlets.

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MidWestOne Financial Group Inc. reduced its position in shares of The Procter & Gamble Company (NYSE:PG  Free Report) by 1.0% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 32,396 shares of the companys stock after selling 338 shares during the period. Procter & Gamble accounts for about 1.0% of MidWestOne Financial Group Inc.s investment portfolio, making the stock its 12th largest position. MidWestOne Financial Group Inc.s holdings in Procter & Gamble were worth $5,343,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

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Other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Wulff Hansen & CO. boosted its stake in Procter & Gamble by 16,292.0% in the 2nd quarter. Wulff Hansen & CO. now owns 3,675,902 shares of the companys stock worth $606,230,000 after buying an additional 3,653,477 shares during the last quarter. TD Asset Management Inc boosted its position in shares of Procter & Gamble by 114.9% in the first quarter. TD Asset Management Inc now owns 3,568,671 shares of the companys stock worth $579,017,000 after acquiring an additional 1,907,716 shares during the last quarter. Swedbank AB purchased a new stake in Procter & Gamble in the first quarter valued at approximately $233,788,000. Ilex Capital Partners UK LLP acquired a new position in Procter & Gamble during the first quarter worth approximately $228,212,000. Finally, Capital Research Global Investors raised its stake in Procter & Gamble by 24.4% during the first quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 5,560,887 shares of the companys stock worth $902,254,000 after purchasing an additional 1,089,102 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 65.77% of the companys stock.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CEO Jon R. Moeller sold 37,240 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $168.89, for a total transaction of $6,289,463.60. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 263,537 shares of the companys stock, valued at $44,508,763.93. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. In other news, insider Balaji Purushothaman sold 8,842 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $164.90, for a total transaction of $1,458,045.80. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 11,537 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $1,902,451.30. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Jon R. Moeller sold 37,240 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $168.89, for a total value of $6,289,463.60. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 263,537 shares in the company, valued at $44,508,763.93. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 375,553 shares of company stock worth $63,829,141 over the last ninety days. Company insiders own 0.17% of the companys stock.

Procter & Gamble Stock Up 0.2 %

Procter & Gamble stock opened at $173.47 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.51, a quick ratio of 0.53 and a current ratio of 0.73. The Procter & Gamble Company has a one year low of $141.45 and a one year high of $177.94. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $170.79 and a 200-day simple moving average of $166.14. The firm has a market capitalization of $409.41 billion, a P/E ratio of 28.34, a P/E/G ratio of 3.77 and a beta of 0.41.

Procter & Gamble (NYSE:PG  Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 30th. The company reported $1.40 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.37 by $0.03. Procter & Gamble had a return on equity of 33.46% and a net margin of 17.71%. The business had revenue of $20.53 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $20.69 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $1.37 earnings per share. The businesss revenue was down .1% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts expect that The Procter & Gamble Company will post 6.97 earnings per share for the current year.

Procter & Gamble Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, August 15th. Investors of record on Friday, July 19th were issued a dividend of $1.0065 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, July 19th. This represents a $4.03 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.32%. Procter & Gambles payout ratio is 65.69%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

PG has been the topic of several research analyst reports. StockNews.com lowered Procter & Gamble from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Thursday, August 1st. Stifel Nicolaus boosted their price objective on shares of Procter & Gamble from $157.00 to $161.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a research note on Monday, July 22nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on shares of Procter & Gamble from $179.00 to $186.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Thursday, September 19th. Royal Bank of Canada increased their price target on Procter & Gamble from $157.00 to $164.00 and gave the company a sector perform rating in a report on Wednesday, July 31st. Finally, Evercore ISI boosted their price objective on Procter & Gamble from $177.00 to $183.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research note on Thursday, July 18th. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, thirteen have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Procter & Gamble presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $175.89.

Check Out Our Latest Stock Report on PG

About Procter & Gamble

(Free Report)

The Procter & Gamble Company provides branded consumer packaged goods worldwide. It operates through five segments: Beauty; Grooming; Health Care; Fabric & Home Care; and Baby, Feminine & Family Care. The Beauty segment offers conditioners, shampoos, styling aids, and treatments under the Head & Shoulders, Herbal Essences, Pantene, and Rejoice brands; and antiperspirants and deodorants, personal cleansing, and skin care products under the Olay, Old Spice, Safeguard, Secret, and SK-II brands.

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HIGHLIGHTS Apple has reportedly pulled out of discussions to join OpenAIs upcoming funding round. This funding round is expected to raise as much as $6.5 billion. Microsoft, which has already invested $13 billion into OpenAI, is expected to add another $1 billion in this round.

Apple has reportedly pulled out of discussions to join OpenAIs upcoming funding round, which aims to raise as much as $6.5 billion. This unexpected move comes just before the round is set to close next week. Apples participation would have marked a notable investment from the iPhone maker in another major company, sparking interest among industry watchers.

According to a source familiar with the situation, Apple recently dropped out of the talks, despite initial plans to be involved, reports The Wall Street Journal. The funding round, led by venture capital firm Thrive Capital, has attracted other big names in the tech industry. Microsoft, which has already invested $13 billion into OpenAI, is expected to add another $1 billion in this round. Nvidia, known for its AI and graphics processing technology, has also been in talks to join.

Also read: Nvidia, Apple and Microsoft in talks to invest in OpenAI

Besides Microsoft, investment firms like Tiger Global Management and MGX, a company backed by the United Arab Emirates, are also considering participating in the round. Thrive Capital is expected to contribute around $1 billion.

However, its important to note that its possible that participants and their investment amounts could change before the round closes. Some investors may adjust their contributions or pull out entirely, much like Apple has done.

Also read: When actual regulation is on the table, he opposes it: Ex-OpenAI researcher claims Sam Altman doesnt support AI regulation

OpenAI, the company behind the popular AI tool ChatGPT, is also undergoing a significant corporate transformation. Originally structured as a nonprofit, OpenAI is transitioning to a for-profit company. This change, which was encouraged by many of the investors in the funding round, adds complexity to the process. If OpenAI fails to complete the transformation within two years, investors from this round can request their money back.

While Apples exit from these talks may raise questions, other tech giants seem to remain committed to supporting OpenAIs future growth, as AI continues to play a crucial role in shaping the tech industry.
Cathaoirleach of Louth County Council, Cllr Kevin Callan, has described as "utterly indefensible", the decision of Failte Ireland to omit the county from its advertisement of Irelands Ancient East.

The matter which was raised on RTEs Liveline programme which received complaints about the omission, has led Cllr Callan to call for an urgent meeting with Failte Ireland and Louth County Council to discuss the matter and how to reduce the impact of the decision.

In response to complaints from Louth residents on RTEs Liveline, the tourism authority said it has invested heavily in the County with it 466,000 in the reimagine Boyne Valley drive, 400,000 into the Boyne Valley Infrastructure Capital Project, over 1.1 million into the Urban Animation Capital investment scheme in Drogheda and half a million euro into the Drogheda Destination towns.

Failte Ireland described its capital grant allocation of 400,000 from the Office of Public Works for the development of King John's Castle, in Carlingford as a "key project". The statement added that a further grant of 118,000 was given to Louth County Council to develop an outdoor dining facility in Carlingford. According to the authority, it is only running one television advertisement and it could only include so much content.

Cllr Callan said that these advertisements are "crucial in driving tourism in from areas such as the United States. We sat with the representatives of the tourism body last Saint Patrick's week in New York and were briefed on many different initiatives to create new flight routes to locations across the continent being generated which were building on a new generation of Irish American tourist. Louth was a key part of this messaging as we have so much to offer."

The Independent councillor continued: "To be missing from these promotional videos in the age of influencer and digital content being the main areas where people decide on their destination is a serious issue.

"Our restaurants, hotels and visitor destinations all have bought into the Ancient East initiative and to be left out is not acceptable, if time limits were an issue then other locations not in the Ancient East area should have been omitted.

Cllr Callan added, "I will be asking officials of the Council who are tasked with tourism promotion to interact with Failte Ireland on this as a matter of urgency."
The hospitality industry is having a tough time of it, so were told, but on the other hand, new hotels are springing up right across the country.

In a competitive climate, all businesses in the sector need as much expert help as they can muster.

Right on cue - legendary Kerry hoteliers, brothers Francis and John Brennan, are back to point the way, as a new series of their popular show At Your Service starts on RTE1 tomorrow (Sunday, September 28) at 7.30pm.

As usual, the straight-talking duo travel the country bringing their expertise and knowledge to one brand new hospitality business each week.

In the course of the series, they will head to Cork twice; firstly, to advise a high-flying corporate accountant who left her jet-setting world behind to renovate a four-bedroom farmhouse B&B in Mitchelstown.

The Brennans also advise sisters with a passion for wellness, who dream of opening their very own retreat and spa in Glengarriff, Co Cork.

However, Francis and John start the new run of At Your Service in their native Kerry, where they set out help a family who have boldly moved from their quartz and granite business to building and running a 26-bedroom hotel in Tralee.

If you want to build a hotel, you need engineers. But do you really want them running the place afterwards?

Well, thats the plan for the optimistic OCarroll family  mum Norma, dad Tony, and sons Thomas, Paul and Anthony are a tight-knit family who are taking a big step way outside their comfort zone.

Their family business is in joinery, cabinetry, and stone fabrication, but this hotel plan is venturing into something unknown.

They have demolished an old inn in the middle of Tralee and built themselves the brand new 26-bedroom hotel. But do the OCarrolls really have any idea of what theyre letting themselves in for?

And can the Brennans help these first-time hoteliers make their business work?

Later in the series, the brothers will also come to the aid of an Irish farmer and his Latvian partner who are creating a beach resort in land-locked Laois  all in time for At Your Services first wedding.

Francis and John Brennan owned the 46-bedroom The Park Hotel and the 4-star The Lansdowne Hotel in Kenmare, and sold them in 2023 having pit them on the market for a combined price of 20.5 million.
Cork charity Shine A Light Suicide and Mental Health Awareness was founded on the northside in 2009, at a time when that part of the city was struggling to deal with a high number of suicides, and the group has since expanded its operations in the region.

The organisation provides counselling at low cost, through the Social and Health Education Project/Coisceim Counselling service, and regularly runs SafeTalk and ASIST suicide awareness training in conjunction with the HSE.

Joe DAlton said there were myriad challenges facing the Government, the HSE, and all of the statutory bodies that are responsible for delivering mental-health services in Ireland.

Other services provided by the group include bereavement support groups in communities, and directing people to supports offered by other organisations, as well as the promotion of positive mental health in the community.

Joe DAlton is one of the founders and directors of Shine A Light, and he said there were myriad challenges facing the Government, the HSE, and all of the statutory bodies that are responsible for delivering mental-health services in Ireland.

We would like to see some fundamental changes applied, Mr DAlton said.

The current spend of 1.3bn a year on mental-health services is only 5.7% of the health budget.

The minimum required by the World Health Organisation is 12%, so we are not even half-ways there.

Securing adequate funding for mental-health services is often difficult, due to budget limitations and competing priorities within the health system, Mr DAlton said, and a lack of sufficient financial resources has led to multiple challenges.

Although the charity has not made a pre-budget submission, Mr DAlton said Shine A Light was calling for an increase in Government funding to support mental-health services.

One area that needed expanded funding was services for children with special needs, in particular around autism, Mr DAlton said, and that Government needed to provide what he called a targeted, realistic funding budget, ring-fenced for that area.

He added that without a targeted State intervention, children with additional needs would continue to fall between the cracks.

The charity called upon the State to enhance professional development by providing ongoing training opportunities for mental-health workers.

It added that there was a need to introduce mentorship programmes to support new recruits and reduce burn-out.

Call to expand community services

In a nod to Shine A Lights own strengths, Mr DAlton said that there was a need to expand community-based mental-health services and to develop local programmes to provide early intervention and support.

There was also a need to increase the availability of outpatient psychiatric services to reduce the burden on inpatient facilities, he said.

This, Mr DAlton said, would need an investment in the construction and renovation of psychiatric facilities to increase bed capacity.

There needed to be designated safe areas at crisis centres for patients who were presenting with mental-health issues, separate from the emergency department (ED), he said.

Patients experiencing mental-health crises require a calm and supportive environment, which is often not available in the chaotic and high-stress atmosphere of [the ED], he said.

A designated safe area can provide a more appropriate setting for these patients, reducing their anxiety and improving their overall experience.

Long waiting times in the ED can exacerbate mental-health issues, he noted, leading to increased distress and the potential for patients to leave without receiving care.

A dedicated area for mental-health crisis can streamline the process, ensuring that patients receive timely and appropriate care, thereby reducing the risk of them leaving untreated, he said.

Providing immediate and specialised care can significantly improve patient outcomes.

Early intervention in a crisis can prevent the escalation of symptoms, reduce the need for hospitalisation, and promote faster recovery, Mr DAlton said.

Addiction services

Meanwhile, a national addiction-services provider that offers support across Cork has called on the Government to include a number of proposals in Budget 2025, including a new service offering a home to people in recovery.

Coolmine Therapeutic Community, working in conjunction with Cork Local Drug and Alcohol Task Force and Southern Regional Drug and Alcohol Task Force, has six community-based hubs. These provide localised support for people in the south-west region who are impacted by substance use.

Those hubs are in Cork City North, Cork City South, North Cork, West Cork, East Cork, and Kerry.

Founded in 1973, Coolmine is a national addiction-treatment provider that offers a range of residential and community services.

With 2,500 people supported annually, Coolmine receives 70% of its national funding from the HSE, and an additional 10% from government departments.

The remaining 20% comes from resident contributions and fundraising and donations.

However, Coolmine Southwest manager Brian Duncan told The Echo that in the Cork/Kerry division, where, last year, Coolmine worked with 1,117 clients, and oversaw 1,384 new referrals, the charitys work is funded entirely by the HSE.

Were funded to deliver drug and alcohol services across the community, locally to people in their communities, but were only funded to deliver primary treatment interventions, he said.

Some of the context of our pre-budget submission is recognising that there is a lack of funding nationally, which has obvious relevance in Cork and Kerry, but its a national picture.

There is a lack of funding for services and supports for people who have already engaged with a primary intervention, but now require support in establishing recovery for themselves.

Funding for centres of excellence

In its pre-budget submission to the Department of Finance, Coolmine has called for 560,000 to establish recovery capital centres of excellence across three regions: Cork/Kerry, Dublin, and Limerick.

These centres would support individuals who are transitioning from treatment to recovery, ensuring long-term success and reducing the risk of relapse.

At the core of our pre-budget submission is recognition that theres a need for funding of building recovery capital for people that may not have a lot of resources themselves, be that family or social supports, education or employment supports, even down to hobbies and interests, Mr Duncan said.

When we take away the drugs and alcohol from someone who has been immersed in addiction for a long time, once we get over establishing a period of sobriety, the big challenge for people is how to establish a meaningful life for themselves beyond drugs and alcohol.

He said that while the idea of regional centres of excellence was at the wish list stage for Coolmine, it was something those working in the charity would love to see happen.

While people typically can get into residential treatment, the lack of somewhere to go afterward can be a huge barrier for people establishing recovery, because its on the return to the community that it can be really difficult for people to establish a safe environment for themselves, Mr Duncan said.

We would love to be able to provide that for people in Cork, but, at the moment, Coolmine doesnt have access to anywhere like that.

In its submission, Coolmine has sought alignment for its employees with public-sector pay rates, as staff pay rates currently remain 17.5% behind those in the public sector, a disparity in wages which, it said, has led to high staff turnover and service disruptions.

It has also called for the development of a strategy that would establish a process to include community and voluntary addiction services in future public-sector pay awards.
Two of the ten men accused of conspiring to import drugs into Ireland appeared in Cork District Court yesterday by video link from prison, where the case against them  involving a 4,500-page file  was further adjourned until October 25.

Detective Sergeant Michael Lyons attended at Cork District Court where Judge Treasa Kelly was told that directions were still awaited from the Director of Public Prosecutions.

Against a background of the accused being remanded in custody for six months already, Sergeant Dave Delea said the file in the case ran to 4,500 pages and involved the gardai and police forces in other parts of the world.

The two defendants were remanded in continuing custody for another four weeks.

Angel Serran Padilla, aged 39, of Malaga, Spain, and Raul Garcia Tabares, aged 48, of Cadiz, Spain, were represented by barrister Nicholas Hall.

A Spanish interpreter was present to translate proceedings for the accused, who appeared by video link.

Each of the accused is charged with conspiring with nine others to import drugs.

The charge in each case states: That you (defendants name) on dates between February 27 and March 14, both dates inclusive, within the State, did conspire with one or more persons, namely (nine other accused) to do an act in the State that constitutes a serious offence, namely the importation of controlled drugs in excess of 13,000, an offence contrary of Section 15B (1) of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1977 as amended, and contrary to Section 71 (1) (a) (4) of the Criminal Justice Act 2006 as amended by Section 4 (b) of the Criminal Justice (Miscellaneous Provisions ) Act 2023.
Workvivo by Zoom yesterday opened its Irish flagship engagement hub in Cork and announced the creation of 100 jobs in a move described as another huge boost for the city.

The new roles, supported by IDA Ireland, will see employees hired over the next two years on a phased basis, depending on growth.

European Commissioner-Designate for Democracy, Justice and the Rule of Law, Michael McGrath at the launch. Picture:Clare Keogh

The majority of the new positions will be based at the enterprises new offices on Lapps Quay, and will be primarily in the area of products and engineering.

The new positions will also include an opportunity to work remotely.

Speaking to The Echo at the launch of the hub yesterday, Michael McGrath, European commissioner-designate for democracy, justice, and the rule of law, described the announcement as fantastic news for Cork.

Workvivo, of course, is a Cork start-up, he said.

Its about seven years old at this stage, and last year was acquired by the major international technology company Zoom.

Its a phenomenal success story, and these are really high-quality jobs, so its a great news announcement, he said.

Mr McGrath added that the Workvivo announcement also represents a real vote of confidence for Cork city centre.

We have to continue to invest in our infrastructure, to make sure that our city and county are attractive places to live, with a good quality of life, Mr McGrath said.

The budget of course has a role to play in that, particularly through the public capital programme, [with] investment in housing, public transport, education, healthcare, and energy infrastructure right across the board.

I think Ireland is in a good place, Cork is doing well, and there is enormous potential for further growth and development if we make the right decisions collectively at both a national and European level, he said.

Rapid growth

Workvivo, the employee experience platform, has grown rapidly since it was first established in 2017.

The Workvivo offices on Lapp's Quay, Cork.

It was acquired by Zoom in 2023, and the new engagement hub follows the blueprint of Zooms other hubs around the world, marking a shift from traditional office spaces towards a working hub designed for hybrid working.

The head of product and engineering at Workvivo by Zoom, Andrea Graham, said they will be actively hiring for the roles in the coming weeks.

The plan is over the next two years that we would fill the 100 roles, with a huge percentage of those being based in Cork, she said.

The co-founder and CEO of Workvivo by Zoom, John Goulding said that he is proud of the once scrappy company that he helped to build.

It was so important to us that our new engagement hub would stay true to our DNA, while also setting us up for the next phase in our scaling journey as part of Zoom.

Weve been so fortunate to have hired truly world-class talent over the last few years in Ireland, he said. Now, with the incredible support of the IDA, were excited to welcome more people into the Workvivo by Zoom team.

'Another boost for city'

The executive director at IDA Ireland, Mary Buckley, said that Zooms decision to establish its first major hub in Cork is terrific news for the South-West region and the whole of Ireland.

Zoom is attracted by the wealth of skilled and diverse talent across the region to support their research and innovation focus, she said.

The CEO of Cork Chamber Conor Healy said the announcement is another huge boost for our city region with the highly-skilled roles and the growth of Workvivo further expanding the strong tech sector.

This positive news comes as a result of relentless research and innovation, continuous investment, and a strong belief in Cork as a great place to start and grow a business, he added.
A Cork radio presenter will be taking on the Camino in aid of Irelands leading emergency medical charity.

This year will mark the third year of the annual fundraising event, supporting the medical charity, CRITICAL.

Isabel Bartak-Healy, more popularly known as Izzy Showbizzy of Corks 96FM, is the brand ambassador for this years event, and will be undertaking the journey from tomorrow, September 29 to October 6.

All funds raised during the trip will be used to expand the charitys teams of volunteer responders.

The charity has a growing network of responders operating in cities, towns and villages nationwide.

The volunteers include doctors, medical professionals and local community members who attend serious incidents and emergencies.

CRITICAL volunteers have responded to more than 828 calls this year, including cardiac arrests and road traffic collisions.

Ahead of the event, Ms Bartak-Healy said: CRITICAL provides an invaluable service to local communities and public funds are vital in order to maintain and grow the network of volunteer responders around the country.

I am delighted to be involved in this years Camino and help to raise awareness of the important work carried out by the responders.

I have heard many inspiring stories of people who have walked or cycled the Camino and I am delighted to be taking part in this experience with CRITICAL, she added.

Anyone who would like to come along can register with the charity, or if anyone would like to donate they can do so online.

Participants on the Camino will have the option to choose between a 300km cycle or a 120km walk.

Each group will be accompanied by a tour guide and a CRITICAL member.

For more visit: criticalcharity.ie/camino/
Cork-based environmental groups are hoping that the Government prioritises the long-term future in the upcoming budget, with more money dedicated to climate action, and are looking for local groups to be given precedence.

Bernadette Connolly, of the Cork Environmental Forum, told The Echo: We would like to see a much bigger portion of the budget going toward nature restoration and nature-based solutions to be incorporated in all projects.

There needs to be funding allocated towards the management of Marine Protected Areas [MPAs] and personnel in local authorities with marine expertise.

She proposed that the Apple windfall of almost 14bn, as it is a once-off, could go into retrofitting existing homes and rolling out training for skills needed in this area.

Energy including heating is one of the most challenging areas and spending now on transitioning [away from fossil fuels] quicker will help immensely. The sooner we get off fossil fuels the better.

But, in general, multi-annual funding streams would be preferable to one-off measures, she said, explaining: Its crazy that we run a country on one-year cycles, it makes it really hard to make plans.

Ms Connolly mentioned the Governments ambitious climate targets, and said: We need really robust plans to meet these that have more community engagement.

Local authorities are hamstrung with so little funding, and they have a pivotal role with climate action.

We also need to better disperse funds between local groups, because the people working on the ground is where a lot of the action will take place.

Maria Kidney, of Brighter Communities, agreed that more funding for local groups was key to making changes happen.

She explained: All the organisations in the NGO sector need the Government to give us the go ahead for locally led development in the area of climate action.

Were based in Cobh and partnered with a town in Kenya, where weve been working for 22 years.

Its the people on the ground and communities you work with who understand the concepts that need support.

93% of the people we work with are farmers. Their income is connected to farming, which is connected to climate, Ms Kidney said.

If I plant some flowers in Cobh and the rains dont come, Ill go out and buy more seeds where we work, people buy seeds once [and] dont have resources to keep buying them.

The climate out there has gotten so unpredictable and if rains dont come, they go hungry. Nobody there has caused this climate change  theyre quite progressive with renewable energy, so theyre doing their level best.

They need funding for education and for scientists to come up with ideas like a recent smokeless stove programme, which allowed a reduction in wood required by two thirds  better for the climate and much less work for the predominantly women and girls who run households.

Ms Kidney concluded: Basically, we want to ensure that the Government commits to spend 0.7% of Gross National Income on overseas development by 2030 is realised  us in [the] sector are looking for an increase of 292m in 2025.

We also need money to influence policies across the board  Irelands position in United Nations is very strong, but if were pushing other countries to invest more, we need to make sure our commitment to our goals is a real commitment.
The HSE Youth Health Service (YHS) has marked its 20th year of providing sexual-health support, services, education, and information to young people across Cork for free.

The YHS is the only service of its kind in Ireland. It started as a pilot in 2004 and since has supported 11,000 young people, and has provided 88,000 appointments and sessions.

Staff and other stakeholders gathered at the newly-refurbished YHS in Penrose House, in Cork City, to mark the anniversary and watch regional executive officer of HSE South West, Dr Andy Phillips, unveil a commemorative plaque.

This is a valuable resource for the young people of Cork to have on their doorstep. Its so important that young people have services that are compassionate and non-judgemental, Dr Phillips said.

I know that contraception, unplanned pregnancies, and STIs are difficult to discuss with family, or their GP.

Many young people in Cork are far away from home and their usual GP, so its vital to have access to these services. Im very pleased that the HSE provides these for free.

Pictured celebrating 20 years of the HSE Youth Health Service are Geraldine Gannon, YHS Manager (2nd from left) with Muire O'Farrell, Dr. Martin Davoren, Niamh O'Connor, Tara Whelan and Colette Cahill, all Sexual Health Centre. Picture: Jim Coughlan.

The YHS offers a range of services at Penrose House, including STI screening, a contraceptive clinic, unplanned pregnancy counselling, pregnancy testing, information and support, and post-termination medical checks and counselling.

It also offers one-to-one youth work support for sexual-health education and information, drug and alcohol support, and counselling and sexual health-related counselling.

Youth health service manager, Geraldine Gannon, said that the YHS is for people aged 23 years and under, with people aged 16 and over able to consent to access the service without parental/guardian input, though there are times when young people would like their parent/guardian to be involved, and the centre will support them with this.

Head of primary care for HSE Cork Kerry Community Healthcare, Priscilla Lynch, added, We are now seeing generational attendance; parents who attended the service when it was based on Shandon Street are now bringing their children into YHS and speak so positively of their experience.

The amazing revamp of the premises really removes any clinical feel; its very modern, welcoming and accessible.

The Youth Health Service can be contacted on 021 4937250, by email at yhs@hse.ie, or at www.mysexualhealth.ie/youth-health-services.
Tracing ships, their names, and their connections with Cork gives fascinating insights into Leesides maritime history.

Queenstown is best known as the former name of the town Cobh, before Irish independence, but there is another Queenstown, south of New York, in Lancaster County in the US.

In February 1883, a ship arrived there, leaking badly. She was named the Light Brigade, of 1,200 tons, and her condition was such that she was condemned and sold off, to be converted into a hulk for coal storage.

The ship, which was previously owned by the Black Ball Line, of James Baines & Co., Liverpool, had carried British troops and cavalry to war zones, among other voyages, and had taken emigrants to Australia and New Zealand.

The Light Brigade was bought in 1875 by Achilles Wood Wright & Co., and registered in Cork.

In 1876, the Cork Harbour Docks and Warehouses Company bought the vessel, reducing its masts and sailing rig in size to that of a barque.

Two years later, Achilles Wood Wright owned her once again. In 1891 she was still listed as a coal hulk. Light Brigade was also the name of the British cavalry that charged Russian forces at the Battle of Balaclava in the Crimean War in 1854, suffering horrendous loss of life. Another vessel connected to Cork, because it went aground on the countys coastline, was the British cargo ship, SS Messina.

The Light Brigade was bought in 1875 by Achilles Wood Wright & Co., and registered in Cork.

Bound to Antwerp carrying grain, it sank in the North Atlantic in a severe storm on December 13, 1919. Just over a year before that, during the First World War, in October 1918, she had escaped from a German submarine that tried to sink her in the Atlantic.

And in the previous year, February 1917, she had been at the centre of a rescue on the East Cork coastline, after running aground near Knockadoon.

It took three days and the blowing-up of some rocks for three tugs to pull her off.

A ship named Miami, built in 1904, was torpedoed without warning by German U-boat UC 51, south of the Fastnet on June 22, 1917, also during World War One. No lives were lost.

The crew abandoned ship into lifeboats and were picked up later by a Royal Navy vessel.

The cargo, according to reports, was mainly bananas and tropical fruit. The wreck was discovered on the seabed in the 1990s, and described as reasonably intact. German submarines had lain in wait off the Atlantic coastline for ships headed for Cork, but also suffered their own problems.

They had also laid mines around the entrance to Cork Harbour.

On September 10, three months after the torpedoing of the Miami, the German minelaying submarine, UC-42, was destroyed by her own mines when they exploded aboard off Guileen. All the crew were lost.

On November 17, the submarine U-58 was scuttled by her crew outside Cork Harbour, after she had been badly damaged by the US warships Fanning and Nicholson and could not control her depth. Two crewmen died during the scuttling.

Two days later, on November 19, the armed Royal Navy trawler, HMT Morococala, was minesweeping outside Cork Harbour when a mine exploded, sinking her almost immediately.

The entire crew of 13 were killed.

The maritime history of Cork is extensive.

GLEANN A PHUCA FINALE

The Glen River Park is an ecological, cultural, industrial and historical heritage that hovers within this ancient glacial valley and urban park on the North/East of the city, according to the Gleann a Phuca group, which will hold a culminating event for the year-long Creative Climate Action Arts Project, with public sharings and findings at the Park from 1.30pm to 2.30pm on Saturday.

Developed by visual artist Julie Forrester, who lives on the edge of the park, the project began in 2020, taking its name from the once-used description Glen of the Spooks. The day includes dance performances, film and animation screenings, and the launch of the Fuaim Mna audio trail.

There will be a presentation of new works from Gleann a Phuca Artists, screenings, performances, and reflections at The Glen Resource Centre from 7pm to 9 p.m.

PROTECTING PEARL MUSSELS

Coillte, the State-owned commercial forestry agency and the National Parks and Wildlife Service, are to co-operate in restoring nature at scale, to meet the requirements of the EU Nature Restoration Law.

Among threatened species to be given special attention are freshwater pearl mussels, categorised as critically endangered in Ireland and across Europe. 90% of all freshwater pearl mussels died out across Europe during the 20th century.

Owing to its threatened status and decline, the freshwater pearl mussel is listed on the Habitats Directive.

The Blackwater and Bandon Rivers in Cork are among the special areas of conservation (SACs) to be included in the nature restoration project.

My Maritime Seascapes Podcast is at: tommacsweeneymaritimepodcast.ie;

Email: tommacsweeneymarine@gmail.com
Cork is bracing itself for difficult weather conditions tomorrow with Cork County Council warning that flooding, power outages and travel disruption is a possibility.

Met Eireann has updated its weather warnings for Sunday with a status orange rainfall warning now in place in Cork from 8am tomorrow until 6pm on Sunday night.

A yellow rain and wind warning comes into effect at 5am until 8pm.

Widespread persistent rain is forecast with some intense downpours expected.

It is warning that possible impacts could include flooding, dangerous driving conditions and travel disruption.

There may also be some fallen branches or trees.

Meeting of Severe Weather Assessment Team

Cork County Council said its Severe Weather Assessment Team convened this afternoon.

Local authority crews have inspected key high-risk areas, it said, and will continue to monitor the situation throughout the period.

"Pumping arrangements have been put in place where required.

"As a precautionary measure, sandbags will be deployed to key risk areas on a prioritised basis," the local authority said in a statement.

Cork County Councils Severe Weather Assessment Team convened this afternoon following the issuing of a Met Eireann Status Orange Rainfall Warning for Cork. The Status Orange warning is in effect from 8.00am to 6.00pm tomorrow Sunday, September 29th.



Widespread persistent pic.twitter.com/zHvzsGcNSb  Cork County Council (@Corkcoco) September 28, 2024

It warned that localised heavy showers may lead to surface water flooding across the county.

"Members of the public are advised to exercise caution as driving conditions may be dangerous, with spot flooding and surface debris possible.

"Trees are currently in full leaf which increases the risk of fallen branches etc.

"Motorists are advised to avoid driving through flowing or standing water and to exercise caution during heavy rain.

"Motorists are also asked to be conscious of cyclists, pedestrians and other vulnerable road users," it added.

Dursey Cable Car will not be operational tomorrow due to the expected strong and gusty winds.

It will resume operations when weather conditions permit and following inspection if necessary.

Events cancelled

A number of events due to take place tomorrow have been postponed as a result of the expected conditions including the Together at the Lodge mental health and wellbeing event at Midleton Lodge Park.

'Together at the Lodge', the mental health and wellbeing event at Midleton Lodge Park has been postponed due to @MetEireann Weather Warning for Sunday, 29 September



The event is rescheduled to Sunday, 6 October



We look forward to seeing you there! #TakeCare pic.twitter.com/vLszUqCKoq  Cork Kerry Community Healthcare (@CorkKerryCH) September 27, 2024

The event will take place instead on Sunday, October 6.

The Cork and Kerry Recovery Walk which had been due to take place in Fitzgerald's Park has also been postponed.

Fota Wildlife Park has announced that it will not open on Sunday.

Fota Wildlife Park will close Sunday, Sept 29th, 2024 due to the predicted extreme weather.



We apologise for the inconvenience caused.

This decision is for the safety of the our visitors as well as our animals & staff. We thank you for your patience and understanding. pic.twitter.com/GSzKrF2Ocg  Fota Wildlife Park (@fotawildlife) September 28, 2024

Updates and support lines

Updates will be available on @CorkCoCo social media.

The public is advised to stay away from coastal areas during this period of unsettled weather with wave overtopping possible.

Issues such as flooding, fallen trees, and road damage can be reported to the Councils Emergency Out of Hours number (021) 4800048.

Cork County Council said the strong and gusty winds may give rise to localised power outages.

In the event of a disruption to power supply, please contact ESB Networks at 1800 372 999. Fallen or grounded wires should be avoided and the public are advised to call ESB in assisting with the identification of fallen wires.

In the event of a disruption to water supply, please contact Uisce Eireann at 1800 278 278.

In the event of an emergency call 999 or 112 and request the Fire Service, Ambulance Service, Gardai or Irish Coastguard as appropriate. Do not assume others will do this.

Weather updates are available at www.met.ie.

Cork County Council will continue to provide updates on www.corkcoco.ie and across the Councils social media channels @Corkcoco.
By Cillian Sherlock, PA

Sinn Fein is election ready, Mary Lou McDonald has insisted as she said the party will run more candidates than ever before.

Ms McDonald said there is a real sense of positivity and optimism among the party membership as selection conventions continue in the Republic.

Speaking to reporters at the partys Ard Fheis conference in Athlone, the Sinn Fein leader said: Were election ready, we look forward to the campaign, and were in it to win it.

Ms McDonald said the stakes are high for the national poll, adding: We feel confident, and were ready for it because we believe passionately that there has to be a change of Government, that we can do so much better.

Sinn Feins President Mary Lou McDonald with First Minister of Northern Ireland Michelle ONeill. Photo: Niall Carson/PA.

She said the party would seek to elect a representative in every Irish constituency, adding that it was hoping to win two seats in some electoral areas.

However, she cautioned: Were not one bit presumptuous or arrogant about this.

Earlier this year, Ms McDonald announced that Sinn Fein had conducted an internal review after performing well below its own expectations in the local and European elections.

She revealed that senior figures in Sinn Fein were disappointed with her engagement with the partys base.

Ms McDonald was told that she needed to offer more clarity on its policies, including on immigration.

This week, ex-Fine Gael leader and former taoiseach Leo Varadkar said immigration into Ireland had risen too fast.

Asked if she believed this was accurate, Ms McDonald said: The population has grown  thats a matter of mathematical fact.

She said this occurred at a time of a pre-existing housing crisis and pressures on stretched services.

All of those Government failures were going to come home to roost  throw into the mix slow and bad management of the whole situation.

She added: For a past taoiseach or the current Taoiseach (Simon Harris) to pretend they are not responsible for the crisis they have created really takes the biscuit.

Ms McDonald added that Sinn Fein had set out a revised immigration policy over summer.

Immigration has to be manage with community, fairness and common sense at its heart. That hasnt been the case.

The attempts by the Government to distance themselves from their own failures is very obvious.

More recently, Sinn Fein celebrated successes in the UK general election when it became Northern Irelands largest party at Westminster level  in terms of both seats and vote share.

Photo: PA Graphics.

Ms McDonald said the party made very substantial gains north of the border, adding that she was pleased that powersharing had been restored at Northern Irelands institutions.

The party conference is focusing on housing, the cost-of-living-crisis, childcare, healthcare and the upcoming Budget on Tuesday.

On the topic of Irish unification, Ms McDonald said it was not a sustainable position for the UK government to rule out referendum provisions contained in the Good Friday Agreement.

Ms McDonald said governments in Dublin and London cant continuously delay and dither.

The referendums will happen.

She added: The challenge for both governments is to prepare and have that inclusive, respective and mature dialogue that we have called for.

Whether you're from Ballymurphy or the Shankill, my commitment is to ensure that you and your family have a strong voice in powerone that delivers real and positive change in peoples everyday lives.



It was an honour to speak at tonights Sinn Fein Ard Fheis in Athlone, where pic.twitter.com/b5TLuTnCzD  Michelle ONeill (@moneillsf) September 27, 2024

Speaking during a session on unification, Sinn Fein deputy leader Michelle ONeill said the recent change of government in London offers an opportunity to improve Irish-British relations.

However, the First Minister for Northern Ireland reiterated: The jurys certainly still out in terms of how (the Labour Government) will live up to their commitments set out in the Good Friday Agreement, because their actions to date demonstrate more of the same austerity and broken promises.

Ms ONeill also introduced South Africas deputy president Paul Mashatile address to the conference.

Mr Mashatile said the African National Congress was indebted to Sinn Fein, adding: There are no ways to express our gratitude in the role you played in supporting us.

He said the ANC supported Sinn Fein in its fight for the unity of Ireland.

Dr Jilan Wahba Abdalmajid, the Palestinian ambassador to Ireland, also attended the conference in Athlone for a second year in a row.

To a standing ovation, she said: From the bottom of my heart, I thank all of you here today for the friendship, solidarity and support. Palestine will be free  justice for Palestine.
By Cillian Sherlock, PA

Sinn Fein would create a minister for reunification and abolish the means test for the carers allowance, Mary Lou McDonald has told her party conference.

Ms McDonald used her leaders address at Sinn Feins ardfheis to present an optimistic vision for the party and appeal to voters concerns in the areas of housing, childcare and migration.

With eyes on the upcoming general election, Ms McDonald appealed to the public to give Sinn Fein a chance to lead a government.

She warned that workers and families cannot afford another five years of Fine Gael or Fianna Fail in power.

A key announcement in the speech was a new pledge to abolish the carers allowance means test, with Ms McDonald saying too many carers receive no recognition from the State.

In 2023, the Parliamentary Budget Office estimated the cost of abolishing the means test at approximately 400 million per year.

Merchandise for sale during the Sinn Fein ardfheis (Niall Carson/PA)

Ms McDonald said: We choose to back people with disabilities to live full lives as equal citizens with access to work, education, services, and independent living.

She added that the partys budget, which included relaxing the means test but not abolishing it, provided the most substantial package of support for carers ever presented in a single budget.

Sinn Fein is also seeking to position itself as the party that will get childcare right for parents and providers.

In her speech in Athlone on Saturday evening, Ms McDonald told the audience that she was once that parent juggling work with two small children.

Sinn Feins housing spokesman Eoin O Broin (Niall Carson/PA)

She said Sinn Fein will deliver fair pay to early years educations and childcare professionals for their crucial role in society.

Meanwhile, she said the party  if elected  would cap childcare at 10 per day per child by September next year.

Its policy platform includes a plan to build capacity and extend parental leave to 52 weeks along with crucial steps towards public provision, she added.

Ms McDonald told the ardfheis, which the party said was attended by more than 1,000 people, that Sinn Fein would establish a minister for reunification at the Department of the Taoiseach.

She said a new Irish government should be clear-cut in committing to holding referendums on unity.

The crowd at the Technological University of the Shannon arena (Niall Carson/PA)

She said: We can unify Ireland. We need a mature, respectful conversation about constitutional change.

Be in no doubt  unity referendums are coming. By end of this decade, people north and south must have their say.

She said the Irish and UK governments cannot continue to tread water and must instead plan and prepare for the polls.

Ms McDonald said a green paper on Irish unity should be prepared and a Citizens Assembly established.

With the Government delivering a budget on Tuesday, Ms McDonald also pledged to cut the Universal Social Charge (USC) for every worker, abolishing the tax on the first 45,000 of income  a move she said would mean average workers pay nothing.

Senior Sinn Fein figures during a media opportunity on Saturday (Niall Carson/PA)

The Sinn Fein leader also placed a significant emphasis on the housing crisis, saying the party will deliver the largest housing programme in the history of the State.

This includes 300,000 homes, 50,000 of which would be affordable homes at prices from 250,000.

Sinn Fein also plans to deliver 75,000 social houses.

She said the party would cut rents and stop rip-off increases.

In healthcare, Ms McDonald said the overcrowding pressures at University Hospital Limerick shows a Government unable to fix whats broken.

She pledged to deliver a second emergency department for the midwest while introducing free GP care, additional medical cards and cutting healthcare costs more generally.

She said: We are the party to deliver universal healthcare within a decade, providing the right care, in the right place, at the right time.

On the subject of migration, Ms McDonald said Ireland is a welcoming country and repulsive racism must be faced down.

Ms McDonald reiterated party policy that accommodation centres for international-protection applicants must not be located in working-class communities struggling to survive.

She described Sinn Feins approach as based on community, fairness and common sense.

Having publicly acknowledged that the party performed well below its own expectations in the local and European elections earlier this year, Ms McDonald stressed that Sinn Fein is now more determined than ever to deliver on its ambitions, adding: We are not giving up.
(Photo: REUTERS / Lisa Baertlein / Files)Signs for a McDonald's fast food restaurant and a Starbucks cafe are seen in Loma Linda, California in this February 28, 2010 file photo.

Civic and spiritual leaders in the Australian city of Toowoomba near Queensland's east coast have united to fight pornography to save marital relationships from breakup and women from violence.

Mayor Paul Antonio, social activist John Minz of Toowoomba Together, and Christian leader Letitia Shelton led the meeting attended by 200-300 people Oct. 15, lifesitenews.com reports.

The meeting heard testimonies from women whose marriages were wrecked and young men whose lives were ruined by porn.

Supporters of theme for "A City Free From Porn" campaign were asked to take a pledge handed out to attendees on business cards which some said was akin to "Taking the pledge" an important part of the 19th century temperance movement in the United States and Canada.

"I acknowledge that viewing pornography promotes exploitation of women and violence against women and it damages families," the pledge states. "I commit that I won't view porn and I will help create a city free from porn."

Mayor Antonio told the crowd gathered in the city park, "We must begin a journey with one step. I think what we've focused on today is the real value of proper relationships."

Antonio told LifeSiteNews that no one could doubt that pornography "is one of the elements of violence within the family. Many young ladies have had horrific experiences with porn and there is no doubt it has the characteristics of an addiction."

Strong backing for the campaign comes from Toowoomba City Women's founder, Letitia Shelton.

"We've been working with the mayor and other city leaders throughout this year, looking at the link between porn and domestic violence. Domestic violence is a huge thing in our nation, you have to look at what is driving that," The Huffington Post reported.

"We've been working with the mayor and other city leaders throughout this year, looking at the link between porn and domestic violence. Domestic violence is a huge thing in our nation, you have to look at what is driving that."

The women's organization was founded a decade ago to bring churches of many Christian denominations together in social ministries aimed at protecting and supporting girls and women through such programs as summer camps and residences for unwed mothers.

Shelton is, however, downplaying the religious aspect of fighting porn and instead stressing the civic benefits of reducing the violence against girls and women that pornography encourages.

"Ideally, we'd like [boys and men] to realize the harm it can to a community, to look at what porn can do to a life," she said according to lifesitenews.com. "The ideal is a place where every human being is valued."

She says she draws hope from the success of an anti-smoking campaign despite the resistance of the billion-dollar tobacco industry.

"In 50 years, they've been able to highlight the dangers of smoking," she said. "They haven't eradicated it, but there's a lot less smoking going on.
(Photo: Vatican News)Pope Francis delivers Christmas greetings and his Urbi et Orbi blessing in St. Peter's Square on Dec. 25, 2021.

Pope Francis has called pornography a work of the devil and warned Christians to reject this and other temptations accessed through the internet.

"Any cellphone has access to this brutality, this language of the devil," the Pope said at the weekly audience in St. Peter's Square on Sept. 25.

Francis said while modern technology has many positive resources to appreciate, he noted, it also allows the devil to tempt us, "and many people fall for it."

"Think of internet pornography, which there is a thriving market behind," he continued. "We all know the devil works there."

He told thousands at the Vatican, that pornography "is a very widespread phenomenon, but one that Christians must be very careful to guard against and strongly reject."

At his Wednesday audience on the eve of a four-day trip to Luxembourg and Belgium, the pontiff spoke softly and had to pause occasionally to cough after canceling two meetings earlier in the week due to suffering from "flu-like" symptoms, according to the Vatican.

Pope Francis offered advice for avoiding sin when tempted by the devil, including not to believe in superstition or to become involved with occultism, spiritualism, astrologers, sellers of spells and amulets, and satanic sects.

He said these are prevalent despite modern society's denial of the existence of Satan.

The Pope said, when temptation hits, to ask the Virgin Mary for help and to immediately send the devil away  "do not dialogue with the demon."

"Be careful because the devil is clever, but we Christians, thank God, are smarter than he is," the Pope reminded.

Quoting from a priest in the Church, St. Caesarius of Arles, Francis said: "After Christ on the cross defeated forever the power of the 'ruler of this world,' the devil ... 'is bound, like a dog on a chain; he cannot bite anyone except those who, defying the danger, go near him... He can bark, he can urge, but he can bite only those who want.'"

The Pope added that while it is true the devil is present and working in extreme forms of evil and wickedness in human history, "do not be discouraged."
X only has to pay one last fine in Brazil to get its services reinstated, according to Bloomberg and CNBC. Supreme Court R has ordered the company to pay 10 million Reais, or around $1.9 million, for its non-compliance with Brazil's court order for two days. Moraes added that the company's return "depends solely on the full compliance with Brazilian legislation and the absolute observance of the court orders in respect of national sovereignty." Specifically, Moraes fined X on September 19 for restoring its services in the country for some people despite a ban on the website. The judge also fined the company after X disregarded the ban for a second time on September 23 through Starlink.

X's owner, Elon Musk, previously resisted Moraes' order to take down and freeze several accounts that were allegedly spreading disinformation on the platform. Musk saw it as censorship and opted to close its operations in the country instead of complying. In response, Moraes ordered the nation's internet providers to block the social media platform and to issue a new rule that anybody found to be accessing X through a VPN could face a daily fine of 50,000 Reais ($8,900). The court froze the Brazilian bank account of SpaceXs Starlink internet service provider, as well. It ultimately withdrew 18.35 million Reais ($3.4 million) from Starlink's and X's account to settle previous penalties the Supreme Court had imposed on the social network.

A few days ago, however, X's lawyers reportedly filed a document in court naming the company's legal representative in Brazil, as Moraes had demanded. The website also removed the accounts the judge named in its initial directives and which he had identified as a threat to democracy, showing that it's now willing to comply with the court's orders. The New York Times reported back then that X had failed to submit all the necessary paperwork to get Brazil to lift its ban. Moraes' statement that the company can "immediately return to its activities" after it pays this fine suggests that X got that squared away, and Brazilian users may be able to access the website soon.
In the dead of night, Danny Deacon rushes to his daughters bedside where he finds her lying in a coma following a street robbery. Desperate for answers, he discovers the Police know exactly who carried out the attack, but they can't arrest them due to lack of evidence.

Vigilante by Martin M. McShane

THE ONLY SOLUTION IS TO TAKE THE LAW INTO HIS OWN HANDS.

The line between justice and revenge becomes blurred as Danny races against time to hunt down his daughters attackers before his own murky past catches up with him

How the book came about:

Martin explains: A couple of years ago, my daughter got mugged for her mobile by two guys riding a scooter. The person who snatched her phone did it so violently he knocked her to the ground. She hit her head on a kerbstone and was taken to hospital where she was kept overnight as a precaution. Fortunately she wasn't too badly hurt, it could've been a lot worse! At around twelve she asked a nurse if she could borrow her mobile phone to send 'her dad' an email. I was about to go to bed when an email pinged on my phone. It began, 'Hi Dad, there's no need to worry but...' I went cold.

I raced round to the hospital and found my daughter lying in bed with a bandage around her head, a drip feed on her arm and a Police Officer taking her statement. My daughter told me what happened and the Officer told me she knew precisely who'd done it and that they'd snatched at least eight phones that night alone and were well known to the Police. I asked when they'd be getting arrested. The Officer's reply shocked me. She said an arrest was extremely unlikely and explained why that was. I was furious, moreso as, within a month, two of my nieces were mugged for their mobile phones in almost identical circumstances.

As a father, it's my job to protect my children and I felt I'd failed. I wrote Vigilante to get it out of my system.

Author Bio:

After spending a number of years living in New Zealand and Australia, Martin M. McShane now resides in North London. While in Australia, he worked for the Royal Australian Navy and was responsible for security and communications for warships in Sydney Harbour. Martin now works as Global Programme Director for a major IT Company specialising in web-based Stock Exchange Systems around the world.

The fourth book from author Martin M. McShane, who wrote The Organisation, The Brotherhood and Vampires and Victims.

Vigilante is due to be published on the 28th October 2024 ISBN: 9781835740583 Price: 9.99 available from The Book Guild, at: https://www.bookguild.co.uk/bookshop/vigilante/

by Matt Shine for www.femalefirst.co.uk

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Angelina Jolie has dropped her lawsuit against the FBI over its probe into an alleged abuse incident she said erupted between her and her now ex-husband Brad Pitt on a private jet.

Angelina Jolie has dropped her lawsuit against the FBI over its probe into an alleged abuse incident she said erupted between her and her now ex-husband Brad Pitt on a private jet

The Maleficent actress, 49, filed the suit under the pseudonym of Jane Doe in April 2022, in which she cited the Freedom of Information Act to seek information held about the bureaus investigation into an incident of domestic violence she said occurred several years ago involving plaintiff and her minor children as victims and witnesses.

Page Six has now reported she filed a motion on 25 September to dismiss the case, with both parties liable for paying their legal fees over the filing.

The FBI launched an investigation into 60-year-old Fight Club actor Brads alleged physical altercation involving Angelina and their children aboard a private jet in 2016.

They kicked off the probe after an anonymous call was placed to the bureau.

Its investigation closed on 22 November, 2016, with no charges being brought against Brad.

Mother-of-six Angelina filed for divorce from the star days later.

She had alleged Brad choked one of their kids and struck another in the face while the family was traveling from France to California on a private plane.

The actress also insisted the actor grabbed her by the head and shook her.

Her documents claimed: At one point, he poured beer on Jolie; at another, he poured beer and red wine on the children.

Brad has strongly denied any claims of physical abuse and branded Angelinas claims against him completely untrue.

The pair are still locked in a bitter custody battle over the six kids they share, and a long-running and labyrinthine legal fight over Angelinas sale of her chunk of the winery they used to co-own in France.
Emma Watson has paid tribute to Dame Maggie Smith following her death.

Emma Watson's tribute to Dame Maggie Smith

The 89-year-old actress passed away this week and Emma - who co-starred with Maggie in the 'Harry Potter' franchise from 2001 to 2011 - took to Instagram to remember the late star.

She posted a behind-the-scenes photo of herself and Smith from 'Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 2' and wrote: "When I was younger I had no idea of Maggie's legend - the woman I was fortunate enough to share space with.

"It is only as I've become an adult that I've come to appreciate that I shared the screen with a true definition of greatness.

"She was real, honest, funny and self-honouring. Maggie, there were a lot of male professors and by God you held your own.

"Thank you for all of your kindness. I'll miss you."

Emma played Hermione Granger in the franchise while Maggie portrayed Professor Minerva McGonagall.

And, Daniel Radcliffe - who starred as the titular boy wizard in the series - made his screen debut alongside the late actress on a BBC adaptation of 'David Copperfield' just before they were both cast in 'Harry Potter', and noted how he was "heartbroken" to hear of her passing.

He wrote on X: "Truly heartbreaking, she was one of the most talented women to ever live. She left an amazing legacy and shell always be remembered."

Maggie started her career in the theatre in the early 1950s and by the end of the decade had broken into film, eventually winning Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in the title role of the 1969 film 'The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie'.

Her second and final Oscar came in 1978 when she was named Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal of Diana Barrie in Herbert Ross' anthology film 'California Suite'.

Later on in her career, the 'Sister Act' star became known to TV audiences for her role as Violet Crawley in 'Downton Abbey'.

Maggie's final moments came as she was surrounded by family and friends, her sons Chris Larkin and Toby Stephens announced.

In a statement issued via their publicist, they said: "It is with great sadness we have to announce the death of Dame Maggie Smith.

"She passed away peacefully in hospital early this morning, Friday 27th September.

"An intensely private person, she was with friends and family at the end.

"She leaves two sons and five loving grandchildren who are devastated by the loss of their extraordinary mother and grandmother."
Miriam Margolyes has controversially declared the essential decency of the Jewish people has evaporated.

Miriam Margolyes has controversially declared the essential decency of the Jewish people has evaporated

The Harry Potter actress, 83, launched her astonishing attack when she was asked on comedian Adam Buxtons podcast about comments she made earlier this year, in which she claimed the impact of Hitler on Jews could be perceived in the way Israel had turned into what she called a vicious, genocidal, nationalist nation.

Miriam said about her remarks alienating many people including some of her friends: Im terribly sad that Ive offended some people, but to me, they proved that Hitler had won, and that, for me, was such a shock that really hurt me, because I didnt want to think that was possible.

But its true, the essential decency and compassion of the Jewish people has been squeezed out, evaporated, and it is a terribly sad thing.

But if I dont speak out against what I think is wrong, who am I?

Miriam was born into a Jewish family but has become outspoken about her people as a result of her hostility against Israel.

She added one in particular of her friends who is Jewish and lives in Israel had distanced themselves from her  and told her: I dont want to be friends anymore, go well on your journey, dont contact me again.

Opening up about her former pal had been very close to her, Miriam said: That was, and is, a deep hurt, and that doesnt go away, but I cant help it because I know Im right.

I dont know that I'm right about everything, but I do know that Im right about the immorality of the Israeli position on Gaza and the activities of the Netanyahu government.

That I know for sure they have done wrong.

In April Miriam slammed Israels bombardment of the people of Gaza since Hamas attacked the country on 7 October by blasting: To me, it seems as if Hitler has won.

Hes changed us Jews from being compassionate and carrying into this vicious, genocidal, nationalist nation, pursuing and killing women and children.

The actress also stoked controversy in 2014 when she said in an interview with the Radio Times: I dont think people like Jews. They never have. English literature, my great love, is full of greasy and treacherous Jews.

Campaigners against anti-Semitism have accused Miriam of holding views that could not be excused because she happened to be have Jewish roots.
Queen Camilla wore the Diamond Thistle Brooch from Queen Elizabeths jewellery collection as she joined King Charles at Scottish Parliaments 25th anniversary.

Queen Camilla wore the Diamond Thistle Brooch from Queen Elizabeths jewellery collection as she joined King Charles at Scottish Parliaments 25th anniversary

The monarch, 77, was with her husband, 75, when they made a trip to Edinburgh on Saturday (28.09.24) to celebrate the milestone, with the key royal jewel on prominent display on the front of a blue overcoat she wore for the occasion.

It originally belonged to Queen Mary. the wife of King George V. and was passed down to her granddaughter the late Queen Elizabeth when she died.

Camilla has often chosen to show off the piece when visiting Scotland, which is beloved by Charles and was one of late mother Elizabeths favourite spots on Earth.

Along with the thistle brooch, Camilla also paid tribute to Scottish culture with the tartan collar on her overcoat  which matched Charles sporran.

Camilla and Charles were met in Scotland by its parliaments presiding officer Alison Johnstone and deputy presiding officers Liam McArthur and Annabelle Ewing.

In an address to an audience that included former first minister of Scotland Nicola Sturgeon, Charles hailed the opening of the Scottish Parliament in 1999 as a new dawn for the nation.

He said This place has not just thrived, but in doing so has borne witness to the enduring relationship between Parliament, the Crown and the people of Scotland.

The king  who is receiving treatment for an undisclosed form of cancer  also praised the extraordinary diversity of Scotland, which he said has a uniquely special place in his and his familys hearts.

He added: Who could fail to be moved by this complex, Caledonian kaleidoscope?

Charles grandmother was Scottish and his mother, the late Queen, died aged 96 in 2022 at her beloved castle in Balmoral.

The tartan Charles wore during Saturdays event was specially designed to mark one year since his coronation and is based on the Balmoral tartan that dates back to 1850 and is woven from Scottish wool.
Vijay Ganguly, the choreographer behind some of Bollywood's most iconic hook steps (Galti se Mistake, Aaj Ki Raat, Taras) is ready to deliver more unforgettable performances with the release of Jigra and Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 on the horizon. In an exclusive conversation with Filmfare, he revealed his excitement about a romantic song from Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3, recently shot at Pangong Lake in Ladakh.





Sharing more on it, he said, "I just shot a song from Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 in Ladakh's Pangong Lake. Kartik Aaryan, Triptii Dimri and the whole team went there for the shoot as we were planning to do a lot of things including background dancers. But once we saw the location, we were stunned. It was so beautiful that we just shot the sequence with Kartik and Triptii and did not include anyone else. The hero of the song is the location."

Ganguly also recently worked with Diljit Dosanjh and Alia Bhatt for the film Jigra. He choreographed them in the song Chal Kudiye from the Vasan Bala directorial. Speaking of the recent collaboration, he was all praise for the stars.

"I worked with Diljit earlier and he was fantastic back then, but now I am working with him after he has received worldwide fame, and I want to say that he is still the same despite the fame he has received. He is still the same person who comes to set on time, talks to everyone, is warm with everyone on set and does his job. It is a relief to work with him. Alia, too, is amazing. Alia and Ranbir (Kapoor) are the two most effortless actors in this industry. They are the most stress-free actors and when they are on set, you don't have to worry at all."

"There is an aura around Alia and Diljit but there is no pressure working with them," he said about their stardom.

Further praising Ranbir, he added, "Everyone is a fast learner, but I am a bit biased towards Ranbir Kapoor and he is my favourite."

Not just Alia and Ranbir, Vijay Ganguly also showered praises on the former's Jigra co-star, Vedang Raina. On being asked who he thinks is a rising star in the industry, he was quick to answer, "Recently I worked with Vedang Raina and I think he is very talented."

Besides Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 and Jigra, Ganguly has another important project - Chhava starring Vicky Kaushal and Rashmika Mandanna. The choreographer recently shot a song sequence with the two actors for the historical drama. Talking about choreographing Vicky and his recent dance numbers, Ganguly said that it is high time the audience got to witness and appreciate the actor's dancing prowess. He said, "Vicky Kaushal is always a fantastic dancer. It was just that the world had to see what he could do and it happened with Tauba Tauba. It is about time people see what he is capable of and I wish he keeps getting more such songs."
Ramayana: The Legend of Prince Rama is scheduled to release

on October 18, 2024

. Apart from its original English dub, the movie will now release in three Indian languages, including Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu.



Legendary screenwriter and father of SS Rajamouli, V Vijayendra Prasad has been working on the new dubs. He is known for his work in Baahubali, Bajrangi Bhaijaan, and RRR. With the new dubbed versions, the makers are aiming to reach wider audiences across India.



In an official statement, the makers noted, The Ramayana, a story deeply woven into the cultural fabric of India, carries timeless values and lessons that resonate far beyond its borders, influencing cultures across East Asia and beyond. Now remastered in breathtaking 4K resolution with immersive 5.1 surround sound, Ramayana: The Legend of Prince Rama is our heartfelt tribute to the people of India. We are deeply grateful for the opportunity to share this masterpiece with the world once again. Additionally, we are proud to announce that the film will comply with the latest guidelines set by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) of India, incorporating enhanced accessibility features for the hearing impaired, ensuring a more inclusive viewing experience for all.
Critic's rating 4.0 /5

Suman Ghosh's The Scavenger Of Dreams is a remarkable exploration of resilience amidst despair, capturing the lives of Kolkata's marginalised garbage collectors with profound empathy and stark realism. The film stands as a testament to the directors integrity of vision, revealing a rarely seen world that teeters on the fringes of society. Filmed on authentic locations, the film immerses us in the gritty realities faced by its protagonists, Birju and Shona, played with heart-wrenching authenticity by Shardul Bhardwaj and Sudipta Chakraborty, respectively.



The narrative unfolds in a slum adjacent to a pond, a juxtaposition of beauty against a backdrop of squalor. Ghoshs screenplay is unflinching, acknowledging the brutality of life for those who toil in the shadows of urban development. Birju, a contractual municipal worker, and Shona grapple with their meagre existence, navigating societal indifference and economic fragility in the aftermath of COVID. Their dreams for a better life, particularly for their school-going daughter, Munni, illuminate their struggle, while also casting a sobering light on the challenges of education and opportunity in a world that often overlooks the plight of the underprivileged.



Ghosh's choice to cast mostly amateur actorsreal-life garbage collectorsinfuses the film with a raw, unfiltered authenticity that resonates deeply. The performances are not merely acting; they are lived experiences, providing a compelling lens through which the audience can empathise with the characters trials and aspirations. This stark realism recalls the themes of Nandita Das' Zwigato, which navigates the lives of food delivery personnel in contemporary India. Both films confront the often-ignored narratives of unorganised labourers, yet Ghoshs work strikes a particularly poignant chord by plumbing the depths of despair with not a ray of hope in sight.



The cinematography by Ravi Kiran Ayyagari deserves special mention, as it masterfully captures the essence of Kolkatas vibrant yet harsh landscape. The camera lingers on discarded objects, remnants of forgotten dreams that mirror the couples own struggles. Each frame is imbued with meaning, inviting the viewer to contemplate the lives that intertwine in this bustling metropolis, yet remain unseen.



However, one must ponder whether films like The Scavenger Of Dreams will find acceptance among wider audiences, who often seek cinema as an escape from reality. Ghoshs dedication to realism and the harsh truths it reveals may challenge those who prefer the comforting veil of escapism that mainstream films provide. In a world increasingly enamoured with the fantastical, can such raw depictions of life resonate with the masses?



Despite these questions, Ghoshs film is a powerful reminder of the stories that lie beneath the surface of society, waiting to be told. The steadfast determination of Birju and Shona to uplift their daughter amidst overwhelming adversity is an inspiring narrative that transcends mere despair, urging viewers to reflect on their own societal roles.



The Scavenger Of Dreams is not just a film; it is an invitation to empathise, to confront uncomfortable truths, and to recognize the humanity in every corner of our cities. It is a cinematic experience that resonates long after the credits roll, leaving viewers with the pressing question of how we can collectively uplift those who dwell in the shadows of our urban landscapes.

TRAILER : The Scavenger Of Dreams
CHANGZHOU, China, Sept. 27, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --

On September 26, the 2024 New Energy Industry Development Conference & Invest in Changzhou Conference kicked off, gathering academicians, experts, domestic and international business representatives, and financial institutions to discuss collaboration and development.

A Media Snippet accompanying this announcement is available by clicking on this link.

A total of 42 representative projects were signed, with a total investment of 39.7 billion yuan, including 9 foreign-funded projects worth 1.16 billion USD. Ten provincial financial institutions signed key financing projects with a credit amount reaching 120 billion yuan.

Changzhou has pioneered the establishment of a complete industrial ecosystem encompassing generation, storage, transmission, application, and networking in the new energy sector. From January to August this year, Changzhou produced nearly 680,000 new energy vehicles, ranking first in investment enthusiasm nationwide. The solar photovoltaic industry is among the largest in the country, and the completeness of the power battery industry chain stands at 97%, the highest in China, significantly contributing to the high-quality development of the new energy industry.

Changzhou has been recognized as "China's Capital of New Energy." This title reflects the city's commitment to building a world-class new energy industry cluster while adapting to new circumstances, enhancing its hard and soft power, and accelerating the progress of new industrialization. It represents the future of China's new energy industry and showcases a green, efficient, innovative, and collaborative industrial image, shaping a vibrant "New Changzhou."

Since 2022, Hurun Research Institute has consistently published the list of cities with high concentration in the new energy industry. At the conference, the 2024 Hurun China New Energy Industry Concentration Cities list was released, with Changzhou ranking third, maintaining the top position in investment enthusiasm for three consecutive years. Four new energy enterprises from Changzhou made it to the global unicorn list.

In the latest Hurun World 500, five companies related to new energy were included, three of which are from China: CATL, BYD, and Li Auto, all of which have chosen to invest in Changzhou. South Korea is a key source of foreign investment for the city, with 326 well-known Korean enterprises established in Changzhou. Major projects, including the ArcelorMittal soft magnetic project and the 3 billion yuan Li Auto component base project, are being launched, with Changzhou attracting a total of 10.59 billion yuan in foreign investment since 2020.

During the conference, 30 enterprises were awarded for their significant contributions to Changzhou's social development, industrial upgrading, foreign trade, and technological innovation. To foster an open environment, Changzhou also released a multilingual guide for foreign personnel.

In today's world, green, low-carbon, and sustainable development are paramount. Changzhou is implementing a series of strategic collaborations, innovation platforms, and national events to promote industrial integration and innovation. The second Energy Electronics Industry Innovation Competition was launched on-site, alongside the signing of a strategic cooperation agreement to support Changzhou's new industrialization. The Jiangsu Advanced Power and Energy Storage Battery Technology Innovation Center was also inaugurated.

To promote investment and development in future industries, Changzhou established the largest new energy mother fund in Jiangsu Province, totaling 5 billion yuan. Additionally, several other funds were signed, including a 2 billion yuan Yangtze River Delta Hard Technology Scientists Fund and a 1.68 billion yuan Yuanzheng Venture Capital Fund, amounting to a total of 6.305 billion yuan.

Changzhou aims to enhance its industrial development capabilities and cultural soft power, actively promoting the integration of "Vehicle, Energy, Road, and Cloud." The city is rolling out pilot projects for near-zero carbon parks and smart microgrids, encouraging the development of new business models such as virtual power plants and load aggregators, striving to become a national carbon peak pilot city.

Looking ahead, Changzhou will expand its new energy landscape, accelerate entry into smart networking and low-altitude economy industries, and unveil investment opportunities in nine fields, including synthetic biology, new energy vehicles, and hydrogen energy.

Source: The Organizing Committee of 2024 New Energy Industry Development Conference & Invest in Changzhou Conference
Dr. Clemen Chiang to Unveil TradeGPT at IBM Z Day

Dr. Clemen Chiang has joined Fast Company's exclusive Impact Council. This honor adds to his distinguished memberships at the Forbes Business Council and the Harvard Business Review Advisory Council, further solidifying his position as a global thought leader in the fields of entrepreneurship, financial innovation, and AI-driven solutions.

The Fast Company Impact Council is a collective of the most innovative leaders in business. Members meet several times a year for invitation-only live events, roundtable discussions, and virtual sessions on some of the most promising opportunities and most pressing challenges of our time. These gatherings focus on the role companies and council members can play in shaping the future. Fast Company amplifies members' impact by publishing their thought-leadership and tapping their expertise to inform the publication's coverage of innovation across the business world.

"The Impact Council represents the ideal version of Fast Company's readers," says editor-in-chief Brendan Vaughan. "These are some of the more creative, mission-driven people in business, with some of the most original ideas about how to solve big problems and build the future. It is our great pleasure and privilege to bring this community together."

In addition to this new appointment, Dr. Chiang is set to speak at the upcoming IBM Z Day event, on the highly anticipated panel, AI Unleashed, scheduled for October 1, 2024, at 3 PM ET. Dr. Chiang, who has recently been appointed to the Circle of Advisors in the IBM Z ScaleUp Program, will share key insights on the future of AI in financial markets, focusing on the upcoming launch of TradeGPT, a cutting-edge AI solution specifically designed for Wall Street investors. TradeGPT is a proprietary AI platform that leverages advanced data analytics and AI-driven insights to empower investors with real-time, actionable intelligence based on insider activity and stock market trends.

"Joining the Fast Company Impact Council is a remarkable opportunity to engage with some of the world's leading thinkers in innovation and impact," said Dr. Chiang. "At Spiking, our mission is to provide investors with the data-driven tools they need to succeed, and TradeGPT is a major step toward that goal. I am thrilled to share our vision at IBM Z Day and discuss how AI can transform the investment landscape."

The launch of TradeGPT is set to disrupt traditional approaches to investment by providing Wall Street investors with an unprecedented level of insight and market intelligence. The platform integrates AI algorithms with transactional data, focusing on insider trading activity, stock selection, and predictive analytics to enable smarter, faster investment decisions.

About Dr. Clemen Chiang:

Dr. Clemen Chiang is the CEO of Spiking.com, a leading data-driven investment platform, and Portfolio Manager of the Spiking US Blue Whale Fund. With a deep background in financial technology, he has played a pivotal role in advancing AI and machine learning applications in the investment sector. His leadership has earned Spiking recognition as one of Singapore's Fastest Growing Companies, supported by the National Research Foundation under the Singapore Prime Minister's Office.

Dr. Chiang's membership in the Fast Company Impact Council, alongside his advisory roles at the Forbes Business Council and Harvard Business Review, underscores his commitment to shaping the future of global finance through innovation and technology.

Event Details:

- Event: IBM Z Day - AI Unleashed Panel

- Date: October 1, 2024

- Time: 3 PM ET

- Registration: https://ibm.biz/ibmzday-2024

For media inquiries or more information on TradeGPT and Dr. Clemen Chiang's involvement in AI-driven finance, please contact:

Press Contact:

Nic Yee

info@spiking.com

+1 (570) SPIKING

ABOUT FAST COMPANY

Fast Company is the only media brand fully dedicated to the vital intersection of business, innovation, and design, engaging the most influential leaders, companies, and thinkers on the future of business. Headquartered in New York City, Fast Company is published by Mansueto Ventures LLC, along with our sister publication Inc., and can be found online at www.fastcompany.com.

IBM Z Day

October 1, 2024 | 8 AM - 4 PM ET

IBM Z Day is a free, one-day virtual conference focused on enterprise computing, open to all! Discover the latest advancements in IBM Z and LinuxONE, and hear from global thought leaders as they discuss cutting-edge innovations in AI, Hybrid Cloud, Quantum-Safe Security, and more. Don't miss this opportunity to engage with industry experts. Register now at https://ibm.biz/ibmzday-2024.

SOURCE: Spiking
Rampur Barrel Blush will be available for distribution in the fall of 2024 across Europe, United Kingdom, and the United States

Radico Khaitan Limited (NSE: RADICO), a leading Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) company and the parent company of Rampur Distillery officially unveils Rampur's newest expression of Indian Single Malt Whisky, the Barrel Blush at Whisky Live Paris 2024. The international spirits tasting event will be held from 28 September to 30 September at La Grande Halle de La Villette in Paris.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240926562609/en/

Rampur Barrel Blush Indian Single Malt Whisky (Photo: Business Wire)

The Rampur Barrel Blush, proudly crafted in India, is a distinguished single malt whisky that captures the essence of tradition and expert craftsmanship. This premium single malt features a complex flavor profile, with initial maturation in American Bourbon barrels imparting notes of vanilla, oak, and soft spices. The final finish in Australian Shiraz wine casks adds a layer of ripe berries, dark fruit, and a subtle tannic touch, creating a balanced yet bold expression. The Barrel Blush is a true innovation, offering a sensory journey where each sip reveals new layers of depth and complexity.

Mr. Sanjeev Banga, President of International Business at Radico Khaitan says, "As the whisky consumer market continues to evolve, the release of Rampur Barrel Blush not only highlights our commitment to innovation and excellence but also offers us the opportunity to present our craftsmanship to whisky enthusiasts worldwide."

Mr. Kunal Madan, Vice President of International Business at Radico Khaitan shares, "Whisky Live Paris 2024 is an essential event for discovering a myriad of new releases, including the launch of our latest Rampur expression, the Barrel Blush. We have poured our passion into this blend, meticulously experimenting with unique maturation techniques to create a whisky that authentically reflects our heritage."

Sensory Impressions:

Nose: Balanced aromas of tropical fruits and delicate floral notes intertwine with smooth malty tones and rich oaky undertones from double oak barrels. Subtle vanilla notes from American white oak harmonize with indulgent caramel, velvety toffee, and dried dark fruits, accented by a spicy warmth from Australian wine barrels. The oak characteristics from both worlds meld seamlessly with Rampur's exceptional core aromatic profile, inviting you on a delightful sensorial journey.

Palate: Elegantly sweet, this whisky showcases a delightful blend of fruity and spicy flavors. The subtle influence of Shiraz wine adds a robust body, creating a harmonious depth. Overall, the experience is tantalizing, perfectly balancing richness and complexity.

Finish: Prolonged and indulgent, this whisky offers a generous finish that lingers beautifully on the palate, leaving a memorable and lasting impression.

Rampur Distillery continues to push boundaries with this innovative expression, further solidifying its reputation for producing some of the world's finest whiskies.

Note to editors:

Radico Khaitan Limited, is one of the oldest and the largest Indian Beverage Alcohol companies. Radico Khaitan commenced its operations in 1943. The company has been successfully building its brand equity in international markets and currently exports its brands to over 100 countries and over 25 Travel Retail locations.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240926562609/en/

Contacts:

Radico Khaitan Inquires: exports@radico.co.in
Der Goldpreis haussiert und schwingt sich von Hoch zu Hoch. Getrieben von geopolitischen Unsicherheiten sowie der Aussicht auf eine lockere Geldpolitik der FED gehen Experten aktuell von weiter steigenden Notierungen bis sogar in den Bereich von 3.000 US-Dollar je Unze Gold aus.



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While Riya Barde was arrested from Ambernath City in Thane, seven other women were arrested from Navi Mumbai read more

Riya Barde aka Arohi Barde, a well-known Bangladeshi adult actress was among eight women who were arrested in separate cases of staying illegally in India using forged documents, officials told PTI.

While Riya Barde was arrested from Ambernath City in Thane, seven other women were arrested from Navi Mumbai.

As per reports, Riya is staying in India illegally with her mother, brother, and sister. Allegedly,

Riyas mother married a man from Amravati for this purpose.

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The adult actress has been arrested by police in Mumbai in connection with a case related to prostitution under the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act.

Apart from Riya, police have also accused her mother Anjali Barde, alias RubySheikh, father Arvind Barde, brother Ravindra, alias Riyaz Sheikh, and sister Ritu, alias Moni Sheikh.

Sangram Malkar, police sub-inspector, the investigating officer, said, In the probe, we found that Riyas mother Anjali is a resident of Bangladesh and she was living illegally in India with her two daughters, including Riya, and son. Riyas mother married Arvind Barde, a resident of Amravati, claiming to be from West Bengal. She later got an Indian passport made by submitting fake birth certificates and other fake documents for herself and the children to prove her Indian identity.

As per police, Riya was associated with Raj Kundras production and has worked in

many porn movies.

As per police reports, Riyas birth certificate, school leaving certificate and passport listed three different places of birth - West Bengals North 24 Parganas, Hooghly and Achalpur in Maharashtras Amravati district.

With inputs from PTI
Businessman Raj Kundra, husband of actor Shilpa Shetty Kundra, tells HT City that he has no connection with arrested Bangladeshi actor Riya Arvinda Barde.

Riya Arvinda Barde, a Bangladeshi adult film actor, was arrested in Ulhasnagar, Maharashtra on Thursday for allegedly staying illegally in India using fake documents, officials told PTI. Reports claim she worked on projects done by Raj Kundra Productions.

However, Kundra tells that all these allegations are false. He says he is deeply disturbed by the news doing the rounds, I am deeply disturbed by recent news articles circulating false allegations about me. These reports claim that an individual, allegedly an illegal immigrant, worked for me or was associated with one of my supposed production companies. Let me be very clear  I have never met this person, nor have I ever owned or been involved with any production company that this individual has worked for.

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He further calls the claims baseless, which are harming his reputation, These baseless claims are not only damaging to my reputation but are also an attempt to exploit my name for sensationalism and media traction. I have always conducted my business with the utmost integrity, and I will not tolerate such false accusations.

He is planning legal action. His lawyer Prashant Patil states, There are certain reports in social, digital and print media regarding some alleged illegal immigrant getting arrested by Mumbai police. The fake reports are linking the said alleged accused to the production team of my clients Shilpa Shetty Kundra and Raj Kundra. This is misleading and has been intentionally done to defame my clients. There is a clear ulterior motive of dragging my clients name in a controversial case for which my clients have no direct or indirect direct connection at all. Due to such mischievous act of creating such offensive content on social media , my clients are initiating criminal case with the cyber crime Mumbai police immediately under the provisions of Information and Technology Act.

He adds, Let me assure the public at large , as a lawyer representing Mr Raj Kundra and Mrs Shilpa Shetty Kundra. The criminals involved in creating a fake narrative with an intention to defame my clients shall be booked under stringent provisions of criminal law. We shall request for immediate arrests of such criminals who are circulating fake news regarding my clients. A separate suit for rupees 100 crores, for defamation, shall be initiated before the Honourable Bombay High Court against the media houses reporting this fake news.
Israel killed Hezbollahs long-standing leader, Hassan Nasrallah, in a precision airstrike on Friday. Nasrallahs death, confirmed by Hezbollah, marks the most significant loss for the group in its 32-year history. As questions arise over Hezbollahs next leader, one name is doing the rounds  Hashem Safieddine. Who is he? read more

Boys scouts carry a picture of Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah during the funeral of Hezbollah member Ali Mohamed Chalbi in Kfar Melki, Lebanon, September 19, 2024. File Image/Reuters

Israel declared that its military has killed Hezbollahs Secretary-General, Hassan Nasrallah, in a targeted airstrike. This claim was confirmed by Hezbollah a few hours later in a statement.

According to the Israeli military, the airstrike occurred on Friday at Hezbollahs central command in Dahiyeh, south of Beirut. Israeli Chief of Staff, Herzi Halevi, revealed that this strike had been in preparation for a long time and marked one of the most significant blows against the Iran-backed militant group.

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This is not the end of our toolbox, Halevi stated, suggesting that more actions are planned.

The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) confirmed the news with a one liner in a post on X, saying: Hassan Nasrallah will no longer be able to terrorise the world.

Hassan Nasrallah will no longer be able to terrorize the world.  Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) September 28, 2024

The airstrike reportedly killed several top Hezbollah commanders, including Ali Karki, commander of Hezbollahs Southern Front.

The Lebanese Health Ministry reported that six people were killed and 91 injured in the strike, which also destroyed six apartment buildings. Amid escalating violence, the Israeli military has mobilised additional reserve forces, sending three battalions across the country.

Smoke continued to rise from Beiruts southern suburbs on Saturday as Hezbollah retaliated by launching dozens of projectiles into northern and central Israel, along with the Israel-occupied West Bank. Tensions remain at a peak, with 720 Lebanese civilians reported killed in airstrikes over the past week.

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Who was Hassan Nasrallah?

Hassan Nasrallah, the figurehead of Hezbollah since 1992, had long been a prominent symbol of resistance against Israel. Under his leadership, Hezbollah evolved from a militia into a powerful political and military force in Lebanon, with substantial backing from Iran.

Nasrallah is credited with leading Hezbollah during the 2006 war with Israel and for expanding the groups influence across the Middle East.

Conflicting reports initially suggested that he might have survived. A source close to the group had claimed on Friday that Nasrallah was still alive, and Irans Tasnim News Agency also had reported he was safe.

IDF shared this graphic on X which shows the military chain of command of Hezbollah that has reportedly been eliminated. X/IDF

Nasrallahs death marks a seismic shift not only for Hezbollah but also for Iran, whose Revolutionary Guards established the group in 1982. Nasrallahs leadership had been a pillar of Irans influence in the region.

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Nasrallahs death could trigger a wider regional conflict, drawing in other Iranian proxies like Iraqs Popular Mobilisation Forces or groups in Syria. Irans response is also a critical factor to watch.

Who will lead Hezbollah next?

As the news of Nasrallahs death has been confirmed, attention immediately shifts to his likely successor. The name most frequently mentioned is Hashem Safieddine, a cousin of Nasrallah and head of Hezbollahs executive council.

Safieddine has played a crucial role in Hezbollahs political and financial operations and has long been viewed as Nasrallahs heir apparent.

Safieddine, born in 1964, has deep ties to both Hezbollah and Iran. He is known for his connections to Irans ruling clerics, having spent years studying in Qom. His son, Rida, is married to Zainab Soleimani, the daughter of Qassem Soleimani, the former commander of Irans Quds Force.

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Senior Hezbollah official Hashem Safieddine speaks during the funeral of Mohammed Nasser, a senior Hezbollah commander, in Beiruts southern suburbs, Lebanon, July 4, 2024. File Image/Reuters

Reuters quoted analysts, such as Philip Smyth, a specialist on Shiite militias, who noted that Safieddines familial ties and religious status as a descendant of the Prophet Muhammad make him a strong contender for leadership.

Despite Safieddines deep involvement in Hezbollah, he has maintained a relatively low profile until recent years. He has emerged more into the public eye, especially during funerals for Hezbollah fighters killed in Syria, a conflict in which Hezbollah has been heavily involved on behalf of the Assad regime.

The US government has designated Safieddine as a terrorist since 2017. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia also imposed sanctions on him, freezing any assets he holds within the country. He is seen as a hardliner within Hezbollah, advocating for increased military aggression against Israel.

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How will Nasrallahs death affect the Hezbollahs response?

With Nasrallah dead, Hezbollahs response could have significant repercussions for the region. Hezbollah, alongside Hamas, forms part of the so-called Axis of Resistance, which includes several Iran-backed groups targeting Israel.

Since October 2023, Hezbollah has ramped up its rocket attacks on northern Israel, intensifying hostilities that began after Hamas launched a large-scale attack on Israel.

In June 2024, Hezbollah launched one of its largest attacks since 2006, firing 215 projectiles toward Israel after Israel killed a senior Hezbollah commander, Taleb Sami Abdullah.

Hezbollah has vowed to increase the frequency of its strikes in retaliation, a strategy likely to continue if Nasrallahs death is confirmed. Hashem Safieddine, speaking at Abdullahs funeral, warned Israel to prepare to cry and wail as Hezbollah escalates its attacks.

With Israeli forces continuing to carry out airstrikes across Lebanon, the situation remains volatile. As of Saturday, Israel had followed up Fridays strike on Hezbollahs command center with fresh attacks on the southern suburbs of Beirut and the Bekaa Valley.

With inputs from agencies
Following a series of powerful Israeli airstrikes targeting Hezbollahs command centre in Beirut, questions have arisen about the fate of the groups leader, Hassan Nasrallah. With no official statement from Hezbollah, conflicting reports suggest Nasrallah may be in hiding, while reports emerge that his daughter was killed in the attacks read more

People stand near a picture of Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah during the funeral of Hezbollah member Ali Mohamed Chalbi, in Kfar Melki, Lebanon, September 19, 2024. File Image/Reuters

The recent airstrikes on Hezbollahs headquarters in Beirut have triggered widespread speculation, uncertainty, and conflicting reports regarding the fate of its leader, Hassan Nasrallah, and his family members, especially his daughter.

The escalation marks a significant turning point in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, which has already seen months of intense exchanges.

Is Hassan Nasrallah alive?

Early on Saturday, Israeli air forces launched a barrage of airstrikes targeting Hezbollah-controlled areas in Beiruts southern suburbs, particularly focusing on its command centre.

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More than 20 airstrikes were heard by residents, marking one of the most intense assaults on Beirut since the 2006 war. Eyewitnesses describe a scene of destruction, with six buildings completely leveled in the predominantly Shiite area of Haret Hreik.

While there is no definitive confirmation of whether Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was at the scene, a source close to Hezbollah told Reuters that Nasrallah has not been reachable since the attack.

Supporters listen to the speech of Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah via a video display on screen, during a commemorative ceremony marking the first week since the killing of Hezbollahs top commander Fuad Shukr, in Beirut, Lebanon August 6, 2024. File Image/Reuters

However, Iranian-backed sources, including the Tasnim News Agency, reported that Nasrallah is safe, though the Lebanese group has not issued any statement about his fate.

Israeli officials neither confirmed nor denied if the strikes were specifically intended to assassinate Nasrallah. A senior Israeli official mentioned, Sometimes they hide the fact when we succeed, alluding to Hezbollahs potential silence if Nasrallah was indeed injured or killed.

What about Nasrallahs daughter?

Amid the confusion surrounding Nasrallahs fate, an unconfirmed report by Israels Channel 12 has claimed that his daughter, Zainab Nasrallah, was killed in the airstrikes.

Known for her unwavering loyalty to Hezbollah, Zainab had earlier publicly commented on the death of her brother Hadi Nasrallah, who was killed by Israeli forces in 1997.

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In a 2022 interview, she mentioned how her family took pride in their sacrifices, adding, When my brother Hadi was martyred, my parents did not shed a single tear.

However, neither Hezbollah nor Lebanese officials have confirmed or denied Zainab Nasrallahs death.

How have the airstrikes impacted Lebanon?

Israels military described the assault as the most powerful yet on Hezbollah, targeting the underground bunker believed to be Hezbollahs central command.

Israeli army spokesperson Daniel Hagari confirmed that the attacks focused on sites beneath civilian residential buildings, sparking debate over the use of bunker-buster bombs. These bombs, weighing almost a ton, are designed to penetrate fortified underground targets.

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Imagery from the site showed a scene of widespread devastation, with six apartment towers reduced to rubble. Billowing smoke, shattered glass, and overturned vehicles were reported even 30 kilometres north of the target zone.

Rescue workers scoured through the debris in the Haret Hreik district, where some 91 individuals were wounded and at least six fatalities confirmed by Lebanons Health Ministry.

There are fears the death toll could rise further, as rescue operations continue. Over 720 deaths have been reported in Lebanon since the start of the intensified conflict, with many civilian casualties.

How has Hezbollah responded?

Hezbollah has not released a statement on the attack targeting their headquarters. Instead, in retaliation, the group launched a missile strike at the Israeli city of Safed, wounding a 68-year-old woman.

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They described the attack as a defencive measure against the barbaric Israeli violation of cities, villages, and civilians. Despite the mounting destruction, Hezbollahs media outlets denied any arms depots were present at the targeted sites, a claim disputed by Israeli intelligence.

As the violence escalated, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu cut short his trip to New York, where he addressed the United Nations, stating that Israel would continue its military campaign against Hezbollah until the threat was neutralised. He reiterated that Israel has every right to remove this threat and return our citizens to their homes safely.

At the United Nations, French Ambassador Nicolas de Riviere and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken both expressed fears of a broader regional war. While France and the United States have proposed a 21-day ceasefire, these hopes seem distant as Hezbollah and Israel continue their military actions.

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Iran has strongly condemned Israels strikes, accusing the nation of using US-made bombs that crossed Irans red lines.

Despite these efforts for diplomacy, Hussein Fadlallah, a senior Hezbollah official, made it clear that the group would not abandon its military objectives: We will not abandon the support of Palestine, Jerusalem, and oppressed Gaza. There is no place for neutrality in this battle.

How have civilians been impacted in Lebanon?

The recent strikes have caused mass displacement within Lebanon. An estimated 100,000 people have been displaced in just the last week, increasing the total number of uprooted individuals to over 200,000.

In Beirut, many of the displaced have sought refuge in Martyrs Square, rolling out mats in a desperate attempt to find shelter.

Sari, a resident of Dahiye who fled his home after receiving an Israeli evacuation order, told Reuters, They want to destroy Dahiye, they want to destroy all of us.

Meanwhile, humanitarian groups are warning of an imminent crisis. More than 20 primary healthcare centers in Lebanon have been forced to close, and nearly 300,000 people face water shortages as a result of damage to infrastructure.

In addition to the physical damage, Hezbollahs ability to continue its military campaign remains strong.

The group boasts 30,000-50,000 operatives, armed with a large stockpile of missiles, rockets, and drones. Israel has reportedly killed Hezbollah missile unit commander Muhammad Ali Ismail and his deputy Hossein Ahmed Ismail in recent strikes, but the groups arsenal is believed to remain unextinguished.

With inputs from agencies
The gory murder of 29-year-old Mahalakshmi in Bengaluru, allegedly killed and dismembered by her lover, has left shockwaves across the country. The main suspect has died by suicide, police say. Heres all this and more in our weekly roundup of stories from India read more

September is ending and just three more months later, we will welcome New Year. It was a busy week for Prime Minister Narendra Modi who concluded his trip to the United States. From attending the Quad Leaders Summit to his UN Summit of the Future address, he had a packed schedule.

The world is rallying around Indias bid for a permanent membership of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). The leaders of the US, France and the United Kingdom have supported New Delhis demand.

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India is planning to launch a new airline Shankh Air soon. This will help in meeting the demand for direct flights in areas with little availability.

Heres all this and more in the weekly wrap of stories from India.

1. PM Modi landed in the US over the weekend. Before the Quad summit, he participated in a bilateral meeting with President Joe Biden in Wilmington, Delaware. The duo, along with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida, attended the fourth in-person Quad Summit.

During the trip, the PMO announced that the US facilitated the return of 297 antiquities, which had been stolen from India over the years. Day 2 of PM Modis visit saw him addressing thousands of members of the Indian American community in Long Island. He spoke at the United Nations Summit of the Future on Monday (September 23). Heres our explainer on the PMs three-day US trip.

2. Indias UNSC bid got a major boost as US Biden, French President Emmanuel Macron and UK PM Keir Starmer threw their weight behind the demand. Currently, the UNSC has 15 members and just five permanent members  the US, the UK, Russia, China and France.

During PM Modis visit, Biden had said that the US recognises the need for reforms of global institutions to reflect Indias important voice. Now, France and the UK have endorsed Indias bid for a permanent UNSC seat. We explain in our story how the UNSC expansion works and how close India is to achieving its goal.

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3. A gory murder of a 29-year-old Bengaluru woman has sent shockwaves across India. The body of the victim, identified as H Mahalakshmi Das, was found dismembered into over 50 pieces and stored in a refrigerator.

The murder came to light after Mahalakshmis neighbours noticed a foul smell from her single-bedroom apartment and alerted her family. The prime suspect in the horrific case  Mukti Ranjan Ray  has died by suicide in Odisha, as per the police. They say he confessed to the crime in a suicide note. But why did Ray murder Mahalakshmi? We explain in this story.

4. A 45-year-old woman died after falling into a drain in suburban Andheri as Mumbai witnessed heavy rains. The tragic incident brought the spotlight on the problem of open manholes, which often turn deadly in monsoon.

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Commuters stranded at Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CSMT) as local train services got delayed due to rain, in Mumbai, on September 25, 2024. PTI

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has come under scanner over the open drains, which the Bombay High Court has previously labelled as death traps. Mumbais open manholes have claimed several lives in monsoon. Is the civic body to blame for these accidents? Read our report to know more.

5. About 50 medicines, including common ones like paracetamol and metformin, were found to be spurious or not of standard quality (NSQ) by the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO), Indias top drug regulator. The alert raised by the body includes a range of drugs  from vitamins and calcium D3 supplements to antiacid Pan-D and diabetes and blood pressure medications.

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Which drugs have been flagged by CDSCO? Heres our story on it.

6. India is all set to get a new airline. Shankh Air aims to connect major cities across the country, offering interstate and intrastate travel. The airline will begin operations using a fleet of brand-new Boeing 737-800NG aircraft.

Indias new airline Shankh Air could be launched soon. Image Courtesy: shankhair.com

After the Union Aviation Ministrys nod, Shankh Air now needs the approval of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) before taking to the skies. Read our report on the new airline.

7. An encounter of a man accused of sexually assaulting two four-year-old girls in Maharashtras Badlapur last month has created a political row in the poll-bound state. Akshay Shinde was killed in retaliatory firing with the police this week.

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After Shindes death, posters congratulating Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis appeared in various locations. The accuseds family has alleged conspiracy behind their sons killing. Read our explainer on the story.

This is all we have for you this week. If you like our explainers, you can bookmark this page.
Exercise is essential for health and well-being. Whether you are a weekend warrior or a work out daily, new research suggests the benefits are the same. Both are found to reduce risks across the full spectrum of human disease, including hypertension, diabetes, mood disorders and kidney disease read more

People who engage in more intense exercise on weekends may achieve similar health benefits to those who follow a more regular, evenly distributed exercise routine throughout the week. File Photo/AFP

Its no secret that exercise is essential for health and well-being.

Whether it be a regular or intense weekend workout, the benefits are quite similar, according to new research.

Both workout routines were found to reduce risks across the full spectrum of human disease, including hypertension, diabetes, mood disorders and kidney disease.

Lets take a closer look.

The study

Researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital in the US examined whether the weekend warrior approach, which involves doing one or two days of intense to moderate activity each week, had the same health benefits as daily exercise.

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The researchers investigated the relationship between physical activity patterns and the risk of 678 disorders spanning 16 different types of diseases by analysing data from nearly 90,000 participants in the UK Biobank study.

Over the course of a week, the volunteer exercisers overall physical activity and level of exercise intensity were monitored via wrist accelerometers.

They were split into three groups based on whether they met the advised weekly exercise standards of 150 minutes.

The first group, dubbed weekend warriors, met the 150-minute target by focusing most or all of their exercise onto one or two days, such as during the weekend. The second group, known as regular exercisers, not only met the goal activity level but also distributed their physical activity more uniformly throughout the week. The third group, known as inactive, was made up of people who did not exercise to the prescribed amount.

Regular = weekend warriors

According to a study published in the journal Circulation, those who exercise more intensely on the weekends could benefit from their health in a way that is equal to that of people who exercise more regularly and evenly throughout the week.

A man works out at the public open-air gym Spartans Street workout in Mexico City, Mexico. Reuters

Physical activity is known to affect risk of many diseases, Dr Shaan Khurshid, the studys co-senior author and a cardiologist at Massachusetts General Hospital, said in a statement.

The results of the study showed that both exercise routines were linked to a decreased risk of over 200 different diseases, with the greatest effects noted in the case of cardiometabolic disorders including diabetes and hypertension.

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More specifically, the weekend warrior activity routine reduced the risk of hypertension by 23 per cent, while regular exercisers saw a reduction of 28 per cent.

Weekend exercisers had a 43 per cent lower risk of diabetes, whereas regular exercisers saw a 46 per cent lower risk.

According to an analysis, people who exercised frequently during the week had a 28 per cent lower risk of high blood pressure, compared to people who only worked out on the weekends, who had a 23 per cent lower risk.

All disease categories examined, including conditions like mood disorders and chronic kidney disease, likewise showed the advantages of both exercise regimens.

The latest research is a follow-up to a separate study carried out by MGH researchers last year, which discovered that both workout regimens were linked to similar cardiovascular advantages, such as a decreased risk of heart attacks, heart failure, irregular heartbeats, and stroke.

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Because there appears to be similar benefits for weekend warrior versus regular activity, it may be the total volume of activity, rather than the pattern, that matters most, Khurshid said.

Future interventions testing the effectiveness of concentrated activity to improve public health are warranted, and patients should be encouraged to engage in guideline-adherent physical activity using any pattern that may work best for them, he added.

The level of exercise

For optimal health, UK-based National Health Service suggests 150 minutes of moderate exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise per week. Just one or two sessions per week can significantly lower the risk of heart disease and stroke.

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To put it simply, the point at which it becomes too difficult to complete spoken phrases during exercise is the boundary between moderate and vigorous activity.

According to the World Heart Federation, inactivity ranks fourth globally in terms of risk factors for death, accounting for around 3.2 million deaths annually. Thus, it is essential to squeeze weekly steps, reps, and swear even if its just one or two sessions.

Physical exercise improves our overall mental well-being by boosting energy and mood and combating stress, anxiety, and depression. This will in turn have great benefits on your overall health as well including better sleep, and nutrition habits, states LaReina Tipping, MSW, Program Manager, Brain Center of Green Bay, according to VeryWellMind.

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With inputs from agencies
Adarsh Iyer from Janaadhikara Sangharsha Sanghatane (JSS) has accused Sitharaman and her department of engaging in extortion via electoral bonds. Following an examination of the case, the Special Court for Peoples Representatives directed the Tilak Nagar police station to file an FIR read more

A Bengaluru court on Saturday ordered the Karnataka police to register an FIR against Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman after she was accused of extortion through the now-crapped electoral bond scheme.

Adarsh Iyer from Janaadhikara Sangharsha Sanghatane (JSS) has accused Sitharaman and her department of engaging in extortion via electoral bonds. Following an examination of the case, the Special Court for Peoples Representatives directed the Tilak Nagar police station to file an FIR.

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Apart from the finance minister, the complaint has also named several other BJP top brass leaders including Union Health Minister and BJP National President JP Nadda, BJP Karnataka President Nalin Kumar Kateel as well as several ED officials, according to a report by News18.

The complaint claims that they plotted to extract money through electoral bonds by exploiting the raids they carried out.

Our allegation is that Nirmala Sitharaman is misusing her position as finance minister to benefit her party, which is ruling at the Centre. That is where extortion comes into the picture, Iyer told News18.

Calling the electoral bonds scheme a scam, Iyer highlighted that their complaint proves a case of extortion by Sitharaman and her BJP colleagues in Karnataka.

Our allegation is that Nirmala Sitharaman is misusing her position as finance minister to benefit her party, which is ruling at the Centre. That is where extortion comes into the picture, Iyer said, adding that the data on electoral bonds released by the State Bank of India shows how the extortion was done.

Meanwhile, Janata Dal (Secular) leader HD Kumaraswamy, an ally of BJP, defended Sitharaman against Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiahs demand that the finance minister should step down.

He said, Why should she resign if the electoral bond funds didnt go into her personal account? Theyve asked for an FIR to be filed, but that doesnt mean she is guilty.
With Delhi Assembly elections only a few months away, the AAP national convener is keenly focused on finding a property that will allow him to utilise his time and resources to the fullest, the party said read more

Its been a week since Atishi took oath as the new chief minister of Delhi. However, Arvind Kejriwal has yet to vacate the chief ministers official residence in Civil Lines.

Aam Aadmi Party leaders said on Saturday that Kejriwal will move out of the CMs residence soon while an intensive search for a new home is ongoing.

The AAP supremo said that he will vacate the Civil Lines home during Navratri which will commence in the first week of October.

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How is house-hunting going for Kejriwal?

The search for a house for the Kejriwal family has intensified in the past few weeks as the former chief minister wants to be close to his assembly constituency New Delhi as he intends to remain connected with the people there.

With Delhi Assembly elections only a few months away, the AAP national convener is keenly focused on finding a property that will allow him to utilise his time and resources to the fullest, the party said.

A statement by AAP said that Kejriwal is looking for a home that not only acts as a base for his work but also makes it easy for him to travel to every corner of the city and connect with its people.

AAP MLAs, councillors, workers as well as the common people are offering the former chief minister accommodation, regardless of their social, economic, or political background, the party said.

Some have requested him to live with them, others have offered shared spaces, and many have provided vacant places for him to stay.

From Pitampura to Hauz Khas, people have proposed Kejriwal to stay in homes from across the national capital.

Meanwhile, the party has also requested the central government to provide an official residence to Kejriwal and his wife, children and parents.

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With inputs from PTI
By working together to improve coordination, share intelligence, and enhance naval presence, the Quad members aim to safeguard critical shipping routes and protect smaller nations from being bullied into submission by Beijing read more

Maritime security in the Indo-Pacific has become a critical concern due to Chinas increasingly aggressive manoeuvres, particularly in the South China Sea. China continues to assert its territorial claims over nearly 90 per cent of the South China Sea through the so-called nine-dash line, which extends far beyond its internationally recognised borders.

In recent months, China has deployed its coast guard and military vessels to enforce these claims. It has led to frequent confrontations with the Philippines, Vietnam, and other Southeast Asian nations. Notably, Chinas installation of floating barriers and the construction of artificial islands near the Sabina Shoal, just 150 km from the Philippines Palawan Island, have further escalated tensions. In addition, China has empowered its coast guard to detain foreign vessels in disputed waters. This, however, violates the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and threatens the freedom of navigation, which is essential for international trade.

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Chinas maritime expansion is part of its broader gray-zone strategy  actions that stop short of armed conflict but are intended to gradually expand control without triggering direct military responses from the international community. This includes the use of civilian fishing vessels as part of its maritime militia. Such tactics present a serious challenge to regional sovereignty, prompting a recalibration of security strategies by affected countries and their allies, particularly the members of the Quad.

In light of these rising tensions, Quads joint maritime security efforts are emerging as a key counterbalance to Chinas aggressive stance in the Indo-Pacific. By working together to improve coordination, share intelligence, and enhance naval presence, the Quad members aim to safeguard critical shipping routes and protect smaller nations from being bullied into submission by Beijing. This cooperation blends military power with diplomatic outreach. The goal is to ensure that international laws, particularly the UNCLOS, are respected and that nations in the region arent forced into compromises over their sovereignty.

The recent Quad Summit in September 2024 yielded several important outcomes focused on bolstering maritime security across the Indo-Pacific, as the four nations  India, the US, Japan, and Australia  continue to counter regional threats, particularly from Chinas assertive activities.

In addition to the key outcomes previously discussed, several more aspects emerged as vital to the regions maritime security:

Indo-Pacific Partnership for Maritime Domain Awareness (IPMDA): Originally launched in 2022, the IPMDA has now been expanded to provide advanced tools, such as real-time radio frequency and electro-optical data, allowing over two dozen nations in the Indo-Pacific to monitor illegal fishing and unlawful maritime activities in their Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs).

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In 2024, the Quad plans to incorporate advanced analytical software to further sharpen maritime monitoring capabilities, reflecting a deeper integration of cutting-edge technology to counter emerging threats.

Maritime Training (MAITRI): This newly introduced initiative aims to provide technical and operational training to Indo-Pacific partners, enabling them to maximize the IPMDA tools. By 2025, India will host the first MAITRI workshop, focusing on strengthening maritime security operations through comprehensive legal, technical, and enforcement training across the region.

Indo-Pacific Logistics Network: The Quad has also introduced a logistics network pilot project aimed at pooling member countries airlift capacities. This effort is intended to enhance response times to natural disasters in the Indo-Pacific, showcasing the Quads commitment to humanitarian efforts alongside maritime security.

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Coast Guard Cooperation: The first-ever Quad-at-Sea Ship Observer Mission, slated for 2025, will see personnel from Japan, Australia, and India boarding US Coast Guard vessels in the Indo-Pacific. This initiative aims to enhance interoperability among the coast guards of these nations, marking a significant step forward in multilateral maritime safety operations.

Multinational Data Integration: The Quad is moving towards enhanced multinational data integration, making use of satellite imagery, advanced electro-optical sensors, and cutting-edge artificial intelligence-driven maritime tracking systems. These systems aim to provide a more comprehensive and accurate picture of activities across vast stretches of the Indo-Pacific, allowing real-time responses to unlawful actions like illegal fishing and militarisation of disputed territories.

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Cybersecurity in Maritime Operations: The summit last week also highlighted the need for securing maritime communication systems, particularly those involved in monitoring and navigation, against growing cyber threats. Given the increasing digitisation of maritime operations, the Quad countries are set to work more closely on safeguarding data networks from cyber-attacks, which could disrupt maritime domain awareness or compromise response times to illegal activities.

Infrastructure Investments: The Quad has made progress in promoting resilient port and undersea cable infrastructure across the region. In 2024, over $140 million has already been committed to projects designed to enhance port capacities and protect undersea cable networks that are critical for data transmission in the Indo-Pacific. These infrastructure developments are essential not only for economic connectivity but also for maintaining maritime security.

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Increased Involvement of ASEAN Nations: A key theme in 2024 is fostering stronger ties with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Quad members have ramped up their efforts to involve ASEAN countries in shared maritime security frameworks, offering them access to advanced technology, training, and operational support. This is crucial as many ASEAN nations, particularly the Philippines, Vietnam, and Indonesia, are at the frontlines of maritime disputes with China.

Despite these advances, additional measures are needed. The Quad should prioritise strengthening international legal frameworks like UNCLOS to address gray-zone tactics employed by China, which bypass direct conflict but undermine regional stability. A more robust economic engagement strategy would help Indo-Pacific nations resist economic coercion and align with the Quads security objectives.

Aditya Sinha (X: @adityasinha004) is an Officer on Special Duty, Research at the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister of India. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstposts views.
Pakistanis will have to wake up to the fact that their country is being run for the benefit of a privileged few and that the Army Generals are right at the top of this list read more

On Thursday, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) approved a $7 billion loan to cash-strapped Pakistan. The country is due to receive the first $1 billion of the loan immediately, with the balance to be paid out over the next three years. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif welcomed the decision and thanked the head of the IMF, Kristalina Georgieva, and her team.

Pakistan has relied on IMF loans to meet its needs for decades and continued to struggle after years of financial mismanagement. It has taken more than 20 loans from the IMF since 1958 and is currently its fifth-largest debtor. This is itself an indication of how Pakistans economy has been ailing for decades and continues to be on a downward slide.

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The IMF has said that the new bailout programme will require sound policies and reforms to stabilise and help make the economy more resilient. On its part, Pakistan has pledged that it would be the last loan from the international lender. As part of the deal, the Shahbaz Sharif government has agreed to a number of unpopular measures, including increasing the amount of tax it collects from people and businesses.

It may be recalled that last year, Pakistan was on the brink of defaulting on its debts and had barely enough in foreign currencies to pay for a month of imports. In July 2023, the IMF had approved a $3 billion bailout package for Pakistan, and it also received funds from Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

At that time, Shahbaz Sharif had said the bailout was a major step forward in efforts to stabilise the economy, and it would bolster Pakistans economic position and help to overcome immediate to medium-term economic challenges. However, Pakistan failed to stabilise its economy, and the common mans miseries have continued to mount.

One consequence of the high cost of living is that beggars from Pakistan have been flooding cities in other countries and are found begging on the streets. Saudi Arabia recently asked Pakistan to prevent beggars from misusing Umrah visas to reach the holy cities of Mecca and Medina for begging. This trend of beggars abusing visas to beg in foreign countries also has Pakistan and its genuine Pakistani visa-seekers worried.

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There is no doubt that Pakistans economy would improve vastly if it had friendly and cooperative relations with India. Trade with India would boost the economy. The trading community of Pakistan has been urging their government in this regard. In 2018-2019, Pakistans annual imports from India totalled around $2 billion, and its exports neared $500 million. Today, there is no formal trade. All goods must be funnelled through a third-country port such as Dubai or Singapore at added costs. In October 2022, Pakistans Finance Minister Ishaq Dar had signalled a desire to reopen trade with India. He had also said that many in Pakistans business community are keen to resume trade with India.

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The Sharif family, which controls the ruling Pakistan Muslim League N (PMLN) party, has historically favoured closer ties with India. To a great extent, this is because it relies on the electoral support of the Punjabi trading community, whose interests are served by the border remaining open for commerce. This stance has frequently raised the ire of the countrys powerful military establishment and was a contributing factor in the breakdown of civil-military relations during the 2013-2018 government of Muhammad Nawaz Sharif.

India has repeatedly made it clear that a normal relationship with Pakistan is not possible unless it stops the policy of engaging in state-sponsored terrorism against India. Addressing an election rally in Nowshera recently on September 22, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that the central government would not engage in any talks with Pakistan until terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir is eradicated. On the same day, while addressing an election rally in Rajouri, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh sent a message to Pakistan, saying, We wish to have good relations with all our neighbouring countries, even with Pakistan. But if they keep encouraging terrorism, how can we have good relations with them? If they give a guarantee that they wont let any terrorism happen in India, we are ready to have talks with them.

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The question arises: can Pakistans PM Shehbaz Sharif give such a guarantee? Can he take the initiative to end the policy of sponsoring terrorism and start talks with India?

Sadly, Pakistan is not a democracy where the elected government decides foreign policy. Rather, Pakistan is run by a Deep State which is an unelected authority and which wields control over all important issues. The Deep State comprises the army and its intelligence wing, the ISI. The army is the final arbiter in politics and perhaps everything else.

We have repeatedly witnessed how civilian authority has been systematically humiliated, crushed, and demoralised in Pakistan. Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto tried to exert himself, but he was overthrown and later hanged by Gen Zia ul Haq. Nawaz Sharif stood up to Gen Musharraf but he was overthrown in a military coup and placed under arrest. Later on, he had to go into exile. More recently, Imran Khan tried to stand up to Army Chief Gen Asim Munir, but he was summarily overthrown and is still languishing in prison.

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A hostile relationship with India serves the interests of the Pakistani Generals, for they are able to project themselves as the real defenders of Pakistan. If there is peace with India, the army would have to confine itself to the barracks. However, if there is hostility with India, the army is able to call the shots on the ground that it alone can protect the country. That is why their top military leaders have traditionally opposed the idea of a rapprochement with India because hostility serves their interests.

Ever since Pakistan was routed in the 1971 war and lost its eastern part, which became Bangladesh, Pakistani Generals have spoken about taking revenge and bleeding India by a thousand cuts. Being fully aware that an all-out war with India could be disastrous, Pakistani Generals want to destabilise India without actually going to war.They cannot overlook how the adventurous and cocky Musharraf had risked the Kargil war with India, in which Pakistan suffered a crushing defeat.

Knowing full well that Indias economic and military strength is much greater and that there is no way Pakistan can win a war against us, Pakistani Generals have based their strategy on carrying out covert warfare. They have tried to achieve this through terrorists who are trained by the Pakistani army and sent across the Line of Control to fight against Indian security forces. Simultaneously, there is an all-out effort by the Pakistani establishment to pass off these terrorists as indigenous Kashmiri freedom fighters.

With his government heavily reliant on the army to stay in power following a controversial election, Shahbaz Sharif is unlikely to be able to do anything that would go against the wishes of the Generals. Thus, it is too much to expect that the government of Shahbaz Sharif will be able to end terrorism against India when carrying out terrorist attacks against India has been the Pakistan armys policy for decades and continues to be the same even now.

Because of its dominant role within the country, the army has been able to generate untold material benefits for itself, a fact that has become a source of resentment among the common people. This is especially visible in the real estate sector. Defence housing societies have been developed with vigour in many Pakistani cities, and army officers have got large plots of land at throwaway prices. Many Pakistanis feel that the army is misusing its position while also getting distracted from its actual role and functions.

Pakistans leading newspaper The Dawn had reported on January 1, 2019 that the then Chief Justice of Pakistan, Mian Saqib Nisar, had said while hearing a case pertaining to a defence housing society: Is it the armys job to develop housing societies? I ask you, the army, and everyone else this: Which countrys army operates housing schemes? The armys job is to protect the countrys borders, not to participate in commercial activities, the judge said, adding, Had the Defence Housing Association done this for our martyrs, it would have been understandable. The Chief Justice then commented: Your name has been stained every time you have gone into housing schemes. It seems that you people run your business by using widows and martyrs as a shield, and you pocket royalties.

Another interesting offshoot of the armys ruling the roost in Pakistan is the Fauji Foundation, a corporate organisation run by the army. It has been expanded slowly and steadily and has now become one of the largest corporate groups in Pakistan. It is active in several areas such as fertilisers, cement, food, power generation, gas exploration, LPG marketing and distribution, financial services, and security services.

The Fauji Foundation is managed by the Pakistan Army, with about 85-90 percent of the positions filled by serving or retired personnel from the three armed forces. The managing director is usually an Army general, and the Board of Directors is chaired by the Federal Secretary of Defence, with members drawn from within the Army organisation. Naturally, all the plum positions in the Fauji Foundation go to senior Generals who are loyal to the Army Chief. It is cronyism of a sort, which could never have happened if the army did not completely rule the roost.

It is the Pakistanis themselves who have to rectify the situation that exists in their country, though it will be a long haul for them. They have to wake up to the fact that their country is being run for the benefit of a privileged few and that the Generals are right at the top of this list. In this situation, it is difficult to redress public anger over the high cost of living, which is due to the poor state of the economy. Until the stranglehold of the military weakens, Pakistans economy will continue to face serious challenges. The militarys dominance over foreign policy will also ensure that Pakistans attitude towards India continues to be hostile, and we in India have to be prepared to combat the unending challenge of cross-border terrorism.

The writer is a retired Indian diplomat and had previously served as Consul General in New York. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstposts views.
The decline in Chinas overall population, coupled with rising youth unemployment, is likely to have significant repercussions on the global economy, given that China is the worlds second-largest economy read more

Over just two decades, China's fertility rate plummeted from three births per woman in the 1980s to a historic low of 1.09 in 2022, far below the 2.1 level needed to sustain a stable population. Image: Reuters / Tingshu Wang

At the recent Third Plenum meeting in China, party leaders agreed to gradually increase the national retirement age over the next five years. China currently has one of the worlds lowest retirement ages, set at 60 for men, 55 for women in white-collar jobs, and 50 for women in blue-collar roles.

Although the specific new retirement age has not been disclosed, this decision coincides with a period of economic challenges in the country, including a sluggish economy, rising youth unemployment, and soaring housing prices.

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Chinas demographic issues, however, are not new but stem from decades of family planning policies, particularly the one-child policy. This demographic shift has significantly contributed to Chinas ongoing economic crisis and is expected to exacerbate it in the coming years.

The origins of Beijings current demographic challenges can be traced back to the introduction of the one-child policy in 1980. Aimed at spurring economic growth, the National Health and Planning Commission mandated that couples limit themselves to one child as part of their family planning efforts.

Compliance with the policy was enforced through a mix of incentives and penalties. Violators faced various punishments, ranging from fines and loss of government jobs to severe violations of womens reproductive rights, including forced abortions and sterilisations.

The cultural consequences of this policy, such as an increase in female infanticide, further skewed the countrys gender ratio in subsequent years. To avoid penalties, many Chinese citizens concealed the birth of their second child.

Those who could not afford to pay finesparticularly the working-class population, which Communist China claims to prioritise in its development goalswere denied the ability to register their second-born children in the national household system, effectively stripping them of legal access to healthcare and education.

According to official data from Chinas Ministry of Health, the policy led to approximately 336 million abortions, 196 million sterilisations, and 403 million intrauterine device insertions, many of which were forced. Beijing not only engaged in severe human rights abuses but also profited significantly from them.

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Three decades of stringent enforcement of the one-child policy, combined with a cultural preference for male children, have resulted in a significant gender imbalance in China, with a disparity of nearly 50 per cent. This prompted the Chinese government to reconsider the one-child policy in 2008.

Since then, the policy has undergone several modifications (relaxations) before its official abolition in 2016. However, the consequences of the one-child policy persist as China continues to struggle with a skewed gender ratio at birth.

The ratio has only slightly improved, declining from 118 males per 100 females (2010 census) to 111.3 per 100 (2020 census). The psychological and societal impacts of the states enforcement of the one-child policy have also left a lasting mark on the total female fertility rate.

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Over just two decades, Chinas fertility rate plummeted from three births per woman in the 1980s to a historic low of 1.09 in 2022, far below the 2.1 level needed to sustain a stable population. Once the most populous country in the world, Chinas ranking fell in April 2023, when India surpassed it in global population.

China has experienced the slowest population growth for the second consecutive time, recording approximately 1.409 billion people by the end of 2023, marking the first such decline in six decades.

Of particular concern is Chinas inverted age structure, with a rapidly growing ageing population (those aged over 65), now comprising about 13.5 percent, up from 8.87 percent in the 2010 census.

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In contrast, the working-age population (aged 16-59), which accounts for 62.3 percent of the total population, has decreased by 40 million within a decade, according to the latest census data.

This trend is anticipated to persist in the coming years. The ongoing increase in the elderly population is straining the countrys pension budget, an issue that has become more pronounced since the pandemic.

Chinas retired population (aged 60 and above) now represents 21 per cent of the total population, amounting to 296.97 million as of 2023, while life expectancy has risen to 78 years.

According to a 2019 estimate, the state pension fund could be depleted by 2035. Given the pre-pandemic forecast, the economic impacts of the pandemic are expected to exacerbate the strain on the pension fund, especially as 300 million people are projected to retire over the next decade.

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The reduction in medical benefits for pensioners, which sparked the grey hair protests last year, highlights that China is beginning to feel the economic impact of its demographic challenges.

The countrys stringent zero-COVID policy significantly slowed its year-on-year GDP growth, with 2022 recording the lowest growth rate of just three per cent. Although GDP has seen a slight improvement since then, achieving the five per cent growth target remains a formidable challenge.

Youth unemployment (aged 16-24) reached a record high of approximately 21.3 per cent in June 2023, continuing a rising trend that began in 2022. In response, Beijing decided to stop publishing official youth unemployment data.

Recently, it has resumed data publication using a new method, which is believed to show a lower figure, suggesting an apparent improvement to 14.9 per cent since December last year.

The decline in Chinas overall population, coupled with rising youth unemployment, is likely to have significant repercussions on the global economy, given that China is the worlds second-largest economy.

This is expected to affect Chinas import-export demands, industrial output, and, consequently, global supply chains, particularly for those countries heavily reliant on Beijing.

The economic slowdown in China, stemming from its demographic challenges, is therefore anticipated to have a ripple effect on the global economy. Chinas attempts to address its demographic issues, such as the introduction of the three-child policy in 2021, have yet to yield the desired results.

Economic measures, such as raising the retirement age and reducing pension benefits, are viewed as anti-working-class policies. The recent reforms in retirement age, which have sparked public outcry, reflect this sentiment.

These measures are seen as government efforts to delay access to pensions, limit youth entry into the job market, and perpetuate unequal pension benefits between blue-collar and white-collar workers.

Chinas demographic challenges, therefore, are far more complex and severe than they may initially appear, with their inevitable impact on global economic dynamics still looming.

The author is Chairman of Law and Society Alliance, a New Delhi-based think tank. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstposts views.
Unlike with Hamas, a Palestinian Sunni group with roots in the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood, Iran was the driving force behind the founding of Lebanon-based Hezbollah, a Shia group, and has been central to its sustenance ever since read more

Israel on Saturday said that it has assassinated Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah.

Nasrallah was killed in airstrikes targeting Hezbollahs central headquarters in the Lebanese capital Beirut on Friday, said the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in a statement.

Nasrallah is the latest and the most high-profile terrorist leader to be assassinated in the nearly-yearlong conflict. Previously, Israel had killed Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh, Hamas military chief Mohammed Deif, and Hezbollah military chief Faud Shukr along with a whole line-up of senior commanders.

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While all Iran-backed groups in the Middle East, such as the Hamas, Hezbollah, and Houthis, are often dubbed as Iranian proxies, no group comes close to Hezbollah when it comes to being integrated with Iran. This means that Nasrallahs assassination would be a much harder blow to Iran than former Hamas chief Ismail Haniyehs killing a few months ago.

While Hamas, Houthis, and other groups in the Middle East part are backed by Iran under the banner of Axis of Resistance, they have independent origins and sociopolitical contexts  even if enmity to the United States and Israel is common to them. Hezbollah, however, has had an Iranian hand from the onset.

Unlike Hamas or Houthis, which grew organically amongst the Palestinians and Yemenis respectively, Hezbollah was founded by Iran in 1982. Ali Akbar Mohtashemi, the Iranian Ambassador to Syria at the time, was one of the co-founders.

Even though Hamas and Iran are now aligned and Iran backs Hamas, that was not always the case and these groups are very different, says Muddassir Quamar, a scholar of Middle East at the Jawaharlal Nehru Universitys School of International Studies (SIS).

Hamas is an offshoot of the Egypt-based Muslim Brotherhood. It is a Palestinian Sunni group. On the other hand, Hezbollah is a Lebanese armed Shia group and Iran was not just involved in its founding but the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) of Iran has been central in the groups ideological, moral, financial, and armed upbringing ever since, says Quamar, an Associate Professor at SISs Centre for West Asian Studies.

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Unlike Hamas, Hezbollah is ideologically rooted in Iran

As the Israel-Hamas conflict is much well-known than the Israel-Hezbollah conflict, it is widely assumed that Hamas is the biggest Iranian proxy group. Thats not the case. The main Iranian proxy in the true sense of the word is Hezbollah.

Hamas is a Palestinian Sunni group which is committed to the establishment of a Palestinian state in the region. It is a Palestinian nationalist group and has origins in the violent Palestinian movement that emerged from the Muslim Brotherhood.

The main ideological convergence between Iran and Hamas is the rejection of Israels right to exist and a commitment to its destruction.

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Hezbollah, on the other hand, is a Shia group  just like Shia-majority Iran. As it was founded at the behest of Iran, the group has adopted Iranian regimes ideology as its own. It has also sworn allegiance to the Supreme Leader of Iran  first to Ruhollah Khomeini and then his successor Ali Khamenei.

This is reflected in their activities as well. While Hamas, as a Palestinian group, has much more nationalistic objectives and its terrorist campaign is concentrated in Israeli and Palestinian territories, Hezbollah has acted across the world against the United States and Israel. The relative globalist outlook of Hezbollah is also reflective of Irans ideology and marks another difference between Hamas and Hezbollah.

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While Hamas considers Israel to be the principal foe, Hezbollah follows Irans ideology and considers the United States to be the biggest enemy whom they call the Great Satan and hold Israel as the imperialist United States outpost in the Middle East.

Until September 11, 2001, Hezbollah was responsible for the deaths of more US nationals than any other terrorist organisation. Among other attacks, Hezbollah has been linked to the 1983 US Marine barracks bombings in Beirut in which 241 US personnel were killed, 1992 suicide bombing at the Israeli embassy in Argentina that killed 31, the Argentine Mutual Israelite Association (AMIA) bombing in Argentina that killed 85, and the 2005 Beirut bombing that killed 22.

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Nasrallahs assassination much harder for Iran than Haniyehs

For Iran, Hezbollah is much more than an armed group pitched against Israel.

While Iran supports Hamas and Houthis, its footprint in Hezbollah is such that the group is practically an extension of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), the vastly influential intelligence and armed force of Iran that operates separately from the regular military and reports directly to the Supreme Leader.

In terms of both ideology and operations, Hezbollah and Iran have a near-complete alignment whereas such an alignment does not exist with other groups in the region like Hamas, says Quamar, the Middle East scholar at the JNUs Centre for West Asian Studies.

Quamar tells Firstpost, Unlike Hamas, Hezbollah operates like a wing of the IRGC. For example, till Iran did not support Bashar al-Assad in the Syrian Civil War, Hezbollah was not active in Syria. Once Iran pledged support, the IRGC joined the conflict from Assads side and was critical in keeping him in power. It continues to operate in Syria to this date.

Quamar says that Hezbollah is Irans proxy for the bigger agenda where the United States is the main enemy.

Just like Irans agenda is not limited to fighting Israel, Hezbollahs agenda is also not limited to Israel but is globalist in line with Iran.

Hamas is fighting the war with Israel for the Palestinian state. Hezbollah is part of the conflict with Israel, but thats a much smaller war for the group. Hezbollah will not go to the Gaza Strip to fight beside Hamas. It has no commitment to the Palestinian state. Instead, Hezbollah is committed to the broader Iranian agenda in the region and beyond, says Quamar.

For these reasons, the destruction of Hezbollahs capabilities and the assassination of its leader are much bigger blows to Iran than the assassination of Hamas late chief Haniyeh. As Hezbollah is an ideological offshoot of the Iranian regime and an extension of the IRGC, the dismantling of its infrastructure and war-waging capabilities along with the assassination of its leader will hit Iran much harder.

Moreover, the Iranian anger regarding Haniyehs assassination was not necessarily because of the killing of a key ally, but because of the fact that he was assassinated in a state guesthouse in Tehran just hours after the new presidents swearing-in when the security was at its peak. The Iranian rhetoric following Haniyehs killing was therefore driven more by this colossal embarrassment than any critical centrality of Haniyeh in Iranian grand designs.

Now, after Nasrallahs assassination, the Middle East is in uncharted territories. Israel has assassinated the chief of the largest Iran-backed group that is practically a wing of the IRGC. The assassination comes after days of strategic bombardment dismantling the group and targeted attacks on the groups communication systems. How Iran responds may decide whether the Middle East descends into chaos or breathes a sigh of relief.

In April, Iran attacked Israel directly for the first time ever with hundreds of missiles, rockets, and drones after Israel was deemed to have killed top IRGC commanders in a strike in Iranian mission in Syrian capital Damascus. Now Israel has assassinated the main regional ally  practically a wing of the IRGC. How Iran responds now, whether it goes after Israel or seeks an off-ramp considering the toll Israel has incurred on its interest so far, is left to be seen.
The three Baltic countries initially announced the plan for a Baltic Defense Line in January. In May, Poland announced a similar project called the Eastern Shield with a purpose to strengthen its borders with the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad and Belarus. read more

A soldier stands guard near the fence on the Belarusian-Polish border in the forest near Bialowieza, Poland, June 4, 2024- File Photo- Reuters

NATO members Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland will seek European Union funding to build a network of bunkers, barriers, distribution lines and military warehouses along their borders with Russia and Belarus, Estonias officials said Saturday.

The need for a (Baltic) defense line stems from the security situation and supports NATOs new forward defense concept, Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur said in a statement, adding that it is extremely important to coordinate our activities with Poland.

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At the same time, it strengthens the security of the European Union and the military defense of its borders, which is why we see that the EU could also financially support the project, he said.

The defense ministers of the four European countries located on NATOs eastern flank met in the southeastern Latvian city of Daugavpils on Friday to discuss the projects funding.

They didnt specify how much financial aid Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland would be seeking for the project from Brussels but noted in a joint statement that Russias war against Ukraine has shown that creating physical obstacles on an open ground with no natural defensive cover is paramount even in technologically advanced warfare.

The ministers said that external threats at the Baltic-Polish frontier are increasingly growing and ramping up fortifications along the border with Russia and Belarus remains a high-priority contributing to our pledge to defend every inch of (NATO) territory.

In Estonia, the smallest of the four countries with a population 1.3 million, the establishment of the border defense line is planned in three stages starting in 2025, the Defense Ministry said.

Officials in Tallinn said earlier this year that Estonia is to construct up to 600 bunkers along its 333-kilometer (207-mile) border with Russia in the coming years at an estimated cost of 60 million euros ($67 million). The project is likely, however, to face difficulties and delays because the bunkers will have to be built on private land.

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The Baltic-Polish defense line excludes coastal defenses on the Baltic Sea that is shared by the four countries. No mines, barbed wire, anti-tank weapons or other such devices would be deployed in peacetime along the border fortifications, according to Estonias defense officials.
Blinken met Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, the latest talks as the two powers look to dial down once-soaring tensions read more

China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Washington in October 2023. File Image/AP

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Friday questioned Chinas sincerity in seeking peace in Ukraine as he directly pressed his counterpart over exports that boost Russias military.

Blinken met Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, the latest talks as the two powers look to dial down once-soaring tensions.

While crediting the diplomacy with bringing progress, Blinken warned that the United States would not back down on concerns over Chinas exports to Russia and made clear that Washington could impose more sanctions.

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Blinken said that China is fueling the war machine of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

When Beijing says that, on the one hand, that it wants peace, it wants to see an end to the conflict, but on the other hand is allowing its companies to take actions that are actually helping Putin continue the aggression, that doesnt add up, Blinken told a news conference.

Our intent is not to decouple Russia from China. Their relationship is their business, he said.

But insofar as that relationship involves providing Russia what it needs to continue this war, thats a problem for us, and its a problem for many other countries, notably in Europe, Blinken added.

The top US diplomat said that China has provided 70 percent of machine tools and 90 percent of microelectronics needed by Russia for military production that includes rockets and armored vehicles.

China counters that it has not directly provided weapons to Russia and draws a contrast with the United States, which has shipped billions of dollars in weapons to Ukraine since the 2022 invasion by Russia.

Wang told a Security Council session on Tuesday that China is not a creator of the Ukraine crisis, nor are we a party to it. China has all along stood on the side of peace.

Keeping up peace push

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in a UN address criticized China and Brazil for promoting negotiations to end the war, saying that forcing Ukraine to accept a peace deal was akin to colonialism.

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The two countries kept up the drive on Friday, leading a statement with other emerging powers that calls for a comprehensive and lasting settlement through diplomacy.

But in a thinly veiled criticism of Putins recent saber-rattling, the emerging powers called on all sides to refrain from the use or the threat of weapons of mass destruction.

South Africa and Turkey were among the powers that also signed the statement.

Putin this week threatened to use nuclear weapons in the event of a major attack on Russian soil as Ukraine, looking to hit back against the invasion, seeks Western weapons to strike deeper across the border.

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Fruits of diplomacy

Since Blinken and Wang last met in July at a regional conference in Laos, China has pleased the United States by releasing an American pastor imprisoned for years, although other Americans are detained.

Chinese President Xi Jinping, during a summit in November 2023 with counterpart Joe Biden, agreed to key US demands of restoring military communication between the two powers.

He also agreed to taking action against producers of ingredients in fentanyl, the painkiller behind an overdose epidemic in the United States.

But a wide range of disagreements remain.

Blinken said he also warned Wang against Beijings dangerous, destabilizing actions on the South China Sea, where tensions have risen sharply between China and US ally the Philippines.

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The latest meeting came ahead of the November 5 election in which Republican candidate Donald Trump has vowed to take a harder line on China.

Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, who is running against Trump, have said that they seek dialogue to avoid conflict between the two powers, although their administration has also taken a hard line.

Blinkens deputy, Kurt Campbell, recently told a congressional hearing that China posed a broader challenge to the United States than the Soviet Union did during the Cold War.
Norways foreign minister Espen Barth Eide said many issues need to be addressed, including the security interests of Israel and the Palestinians, recognition and normalization of relations after decades of conflict and the demobilization of Hamas as a military group read more

European, Arab and Islamic nations have launched an initiative to strengthen support for a Palestinian state and its institutions, and prepare for a future after the war in Gaza and escalating conflict in Lebanon, Norways foreign minister said Friday.

Espen Barth Eide told The Associated Press that there is a growing consensus in the international community from Western countries, from Arab countries, from the Global South, that we need to establish a Palestinian Authority, a Palestinian government, a Palestinian state  and the Palestinian state has to be recognized.

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Eide said many issues need to be addressed, including the security interests of Israel and the Palestinians, recognition and normalization of relations after decades of conflict and the demobilization of Hamas as a military group.

These are pieces of a bigger puzzle, Norways chief diplomat said. And you cant just come in there with one of these pieces, because it only works if all the pieces are laid in place.

But even if the puzzle is completed, its unlikely to gain traction with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Still, Eide believes that after decades of failed or stalled negotiations, we need to take a new approach to achieving an independent Palestinian state.

To accelerate work on these issues, Eide said almost 90 countries attended a meeting Thursday on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assemblys current gathering of world leaders. He and Saudi Arabias foreign minister co-chaired the session to launch The Global Alliance for the Implementation of a Palestinian State and a Two-State Solution.

We have to see how we can come out of this deadlock and try to use this deep crisis also as an opportunity to move forward, Eide told a U.N. Security Council meeting on Gaza later Friday.

Norway is the guarantor of the 1993 Oslo Accords, hailed as a breakthrough in the decades-long conflict between Arabs and Jews, which created the Palestinian Authority and set up self-rule areas in the Palestinian Authority. Eide said more than 30 years later, Israels occupation is continuing, and there there are no negotiations leading to a final settlement and an independent Palestinian state  which led to Norways decision in May to recognize a Palestinian state.

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Now, 149 of the U.N.s 193 member nations have recognized a Palestinian state. Eide urged all countries to contribute to universal recognition and strengthen Palestinian institutions so they live up to the expectations of people in the West Bank and are prepared to return to Gaza: We want one Palestine, not different Palestines, he said.

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud told the U.N. Security Council on Friday that his country, the joint Islamic-Arab ministerial committee, Norway and the European Union launched the alliance because we feel responsible to act to change the reality of the conflict without delay.

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell urged all countries to take practical measures to bring about the free Palestine next to a secure Israel.

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Borrell said on X that the first meetings of the alliance would be in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and Brussels.

Borrell asked rhetorically of anyone who opposes a two-state solution: What is the solution, and can it be implemented? He stressed that work on this initiative will move ahead quickly.

Eide said this new effort is built on the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative, but updated to todays reality.

The 2002 initiative, endorsed by the Arab League and the 57-member Organization of Islamic Cooperation, offered Israel normalized relations in exchange for a full withdrawal from territories captured in 1967.

He said efforts started long ago to build the institutions of a Palestinian state.

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Its difficult, Eide said. Their hands are tied in many ways. Were seeing an increasing amount of illegal settlements and settle violence.

But still, there is an embryonic institution there that we have to strengthen, he said.

Eide said he chaired a meeting Thursday of the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee for the Building of Palestinian Institutions, with the United States, Canada, the EU and many Mideast and European countries contributing.

None of these tools will solve the problem on their own, and we never pretended that, but were trying to build a body of instruments that will take us forward to a peaceful settlement, Eide said. And I am convinced it will happen here.
Liu Pengyu, spokesman for the Chinese Embassy in the U.S., said allegations that China uses news websites and social media to spread pro-Beijing information and influence public opinion in the U.S. are full of malicious speculations against China, which China firmly opposes read more

When veteran U.S. diplomat Kurt Campbell travelled to the Solomon Islands to counter Beijings influence in the South Pacific country, he quickly saw just how far China would go to spread its message.

The Biden administrations Asia czar woke up one morning in 2022 to a long article in the local press about the U.S. running chemical and biological labs in Ukraine, a claim that Washington calls an outright lie. Started by Russia, the false and incendiary claim was vigorously amplified by Chinas vast overseas propaganda apparatus.

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It was another example of clearly effective Russian and Chinese disinformation, Campbell told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in July.

Two years later, the claim still reverberates online, demonstrating Chinas sprawling effort to reshape global perceptions. The campaign, costing many billions per year, is becoming ever more sophisticated thanks to artificial intelligence. Chinas operations have caught the attention of intelligence analysts and policymakers in Washington, who vow to combat any actions that could influence the November election or undermine American interests.

The key tactic: networks of websites purporting to be legitimate news outlets, delivering pro-China coverage that often parallels official statements and positions from Beijing.

Shannon Van Sant, an adviser to the Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong Foundation, tracked a network of dozens of sites that posed as news organizations. One site mimicked The New York Times, using a similar font and design in what she called an attempt at legitimacy. The site carried strongly pro-Chinese messages.

When Van Sant researched the sites reporters she found no information. Their names didnt belong to any known journalists working in China, and their photos bore telltale signs of being created with AI.

Manipulation of the media is ultimately a manipulation of readers and the audience, and this is damaging to democracy and society, Van Sant said.

Liu Pengyu, spokesman for the Chinese Embassy in the U.S., said allegations that China uses news websites and social media to spread pro-Beijing information and influence public opinion in the U.S. are full of malicious speculations against China, which China firmly opposes.

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In addition to its state media, Beijing has turned to foreign players  real or not  to relay messages and lend credibility to narratives favouring the Communist Party, said Xiao Qiang, a research scientist at the School of Information at the University of California, Berkeley. Xiao also is editor-in-chief of China Digital Times, a bilingual news website that aggregates information from and about China.

Beijings methods are wide-ranging and links to the government are often difficult to prove, Xiao said. But whether its journalists with American-sounding names or an Indian influencer, the consistently pro-Beijing messages give them away.

The implicit message is the same  that the Chinese Communist Party works for its people, Xiao said.

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Analysts at the cybersecurity firm Logically identified 1,200 websites that had carried Russian or Chinese state media stories. The sites often target specific audiences and have names that sound like traditional news organizations or defunct newspapers.

Unlike Russia or Iran, which have displayed clear preferences in the U.S. presidential campaign, Beijing is more cautious and focused on spreading positive content about China.

While the sites arent owned by China, they run Chinese content. When Logically looked at content specifically about the U.S. election, 20% could be traced back to Chinese or Russian state media.

Theres a decent likelihood that these articles could influence U.S. audiences without them even knowing where it comes from, said Alex Nelson, Logicallys senior manager for strategy and analysis.

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According to the Gallup World Poll, more countries surveyed view the U.S. positively, but the share of countries where views of both the U.S. and China are negative overall is higher than 15 years ago, signaling the U.S. doesnt appear to be making gains over China.

Some U.S. officials want to increase spending to even the playing field. The House of Representatives this month approved a bill that would authorize $325 million annually through 2027 to counter Chinas global influence, including its disinformation campaigns. The measure still needs Senate approval.

We are in a global competition for influence with China, and if you want to win it, then you cannot do it on a middle-power budget, said Rep. Gregory Meeks, a Democrat from New York.

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Chinese President Xi Jinping has demanded a systematic buildup of Chinese narratives that would give his country a global voice commensurate with its international stature.

Beijing has invested in state media such as the Xinhua news agency and China Central Television to convey its messages to global audiences in various languages and platforms. Media groups at the local level are creating international communication centers to build an overseas presence with websites, news channels and social media accounts.

Beijing also has struck media partnerships worldwide, and the article Campbell read in the Solomon Islands is likely a result of those.

Chinas outreach is tied to the global race for economic dominance in electric vehicles, computer chips, AI and quantum computing, said Jaret Riddick, a senior fellow at Georgetown Universitys Center for Security and Emerging Technology.

The countries that lead on emerging technologies will be the countries that have a great advantage going forward, Riddick said.

To tell its story, Beijing has not shied away from using fake personas. A 2023 State Department report detailed the case of a published writer named Yi Fan, originally described as a Chinese foreign ministry analyst. Yi morphed into a journalist, then became an independent analyst.

Yis details changed, but the message did not. Through published commentaries and writings, Yi trumpeted close ties between China and Africa, praised Beijings approach to environmental sustainability and argued that China must counter distorted Western narratives.

Then there was Wilson Edwards, a supposed Swiss virologist quoted in Chinese media as a COVID-19 expert who criticized the U.S. response. But Swiss officials found no evidence he existed.

If you exist, we would like to meet you! the Swiss Embassy in Beijing wrote on social media.
While Iran remains the primary backer of Lebanon-based Hezbollah, the group has also found friends elsewhere, such as in Russia and North Korea, for weapons as well as shelter read more

Hezbollah fighters take part in a military exercise. It is an Iran-backed, anti-Israel terrorist group based in Lebanon. (Photo: Reuters)

As Israel continues to hammer Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Middle East is increasingly getting into uncharted territory.

While all Iran-backed groups in the Middle East, such as the Palestinian Hamas, Lebanese Hezbollah, and Yemeni Houthis, are often dubbed as Iranian proxies, no group comes close to Hezbollah when it comes to being integrated with Iran.

Hamas, Houthis, and other groups in the Middle East part are backed by Iran under the banner of Axis of Resistance but they have independent origin stories  even if enmity to the United States and Israel is common among them. Hezbollah, however, has had an Iranian hand from the onset.

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The centrality of Iran in Hezbollah can be understood from the fact that Ali Akbar Mohtashemi, the Iranian Ambassador to Syria at the time, was among the co-founders of Hezbollah in 1982. Unlike Hamas or Houthis which have independent ideologies, Hezbollah draws his ideology from Iran.

Here we trace the many sources of Hezbollahs power: ideology, funds, and weapons.

Hezbollah is Irans ideological sword arm

Among the major Iran-backed groups in the Middle East, Hezbollah is the only proxy of Iran in the true sense of the world  and it is not just because a top Iranian official is a co-founder of Hezbollah.

Even as other Iran-backed groups like Hamas and Houthis have their own ideologies, Hezbollah is formally committed to Irans ideology. It has sworn allegiance to the Supreme Leader of Iran: first Ruhollah Khomeini and then Ali Khamenei.

Hezbollahs 1985 manifesto states: We are the sons of the umma the party of God (Hizb Allah) the vanguard of which was made victorious by God in Iran.

The ummah is a term used for the worlds Muslim community. The globalist Islamist groups like the Islamic State and al-Qaeda and regimes like Iran do not always believe in the idea of a nation-state but in one large Islamic community the world over called ummah.

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Hezbollah is also committed to one leader, wise and just, that of our tutor and faqih (jurist) who fulfils all the necessary conditions: [Ayatollah] Ruhollah Musawi Khomeini.

In an interview in 2012, Hezbollahs second-in-command Naim Qassem said that vilayat-e faqih, an Islamist ideology popularised by Khomeini to seize power in Iran, was the reason for Hezbollahs establishment.

Just like Iran, Hezbollah considers the United States as the main enemy. Iran considers the United States as the Great Satan and considers Israel as its imperialist outpost in the Middle East and is committed to Israels destruction.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) of Iran has been central in the groups ideological, moral, financial, and armed upbringing ever since it was founded with Irans involvement, says Muddassir Quamar, a scholar of Middle East at the Jawaharlal Nehru Universitys School of International Studies (SIS).

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The IRGC is the vastly influential intelligence and armed force of Iran that operates separately from the regular military and reports directly to the Supreme Leader.

How Hezbollah gets funds from Iran & elsewhere

Iran remains the main financier of Hezbollah even though the group has developed some other avenues of income as well.

The US government in 2018 said that Iran provided up $700 million in funds annually to Hezbollah.

Moreover, during 2006-09, when Hezbollah also fought a war with Israel, a separate estimate said that the Iranian funding was to the tune of $1 billion.

Hezbollah also draws funds from elsewhere. In 2009, Rand Corporation reported that Hezbollah received up to $20 million from its activities in Latin America.

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Hezbollah is also engaged in the transnational drug trade and makes money from the illicit trade, according to the US government.

The Hezbollah has been linked to South American drug cartels that provide drugs, such as cocaine, to the United States and Europe.

Hezbollah is also part of the oil trade between Syria, Iran, and Russia, which is a major source of revenue for these revenues. Iran, along with other groups in the region, also makes money off the trade.

Weapons from Iran, Russia & North Korea

Hezbollah has often been termed as the most powerful non-state actor in the world.

Hezbollah has up to 150,000 missiles and rockets and around 45,000 fighters, 20,000 of whom are full-time personnel, according to a public assessment of the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Hezbollah chief Nasrallah, however, has said that the group has up to 100,000 fighters.

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While much of the weaponry is from Iran, there are also indications that Russia has also provided arms to Hezbollah. Some of the most notable weapon systems with the group are Russian.

Hezbollah is understood to have Russian guided anti-tank missile Kornet, Russian anti-ship missile Yakhont, and Russian Katyusha rockets, according to Reuters.

As for the Iranian weapons, the news agency reported that Hezbollah uses rockets Raad, Fajr, Zilzal, and Falaq 2, and guided missile al-Mas.

In 2021, Israeli think tank Alma reported that North Korea also helped Hezbollah build a network of tunnels to hide the weapons after the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah War.

Through the 2000s, North Korea also supplied weapons and parts to Hezbollah by routing them through Iran and then assembling them in Syria before finally shipping to the group in Lebanon, according to a report by the Brookings Institution.

Diplomatic support from Russia, Arab world

Russia and the Arab world have at times given tacit approval to Hezbollah.

Russia has said that it does not consider Hezbollah or Hamas terrorist organisations.

Earlier this year, the Arab League removed the terrorist designation of Hezbollah amid the Israel-Hamas War.

Even though the Arab League the removal of the designation was to initiate contact with the group in times of crisis, some observers wondered whether it was a sign of a tacit support amid the long-running Arab-Israel conflict.

Close links with Hamas & Houthis

Hezbollah has been closely linked to other Iran-backed groups in the region like Hamas and Yemen-based Houthis.

Iran supports these anti-US and -Israel groups under the banner of the Axis of Resistance.

Even though Hamas and Hezbollah are fairly different in their makeup and objectives, their common enmity with Israel means they have coordinated their activities against the Jewish nation.

Following the October 7 attack on Israel by Hamas, Hezbollah also opened a front against Israel in the countrys north along the border with Lebanon. Several thousands of Israelis have been displaced because of the near-daily clashes since then.

Even though Hezbollah is not a Palestinian organisation, it has linked its fighting to the Israel-Hezbollah War and has said a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip will also mean a ceasefire with Hezbollah.
The Israeli strike that killed Hezbollahs Hassan Nasrallah was a measure of justice" for victims of a four-decade reign of terror, President Joe Biden said Saturday. read more

US Vice President Kamala Harris on Saturday called the slain Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah a terrorist with American blood on his hands.

The Democrat, who is running for president in the November US elections, said she will always support Israels right to defend itself against Iran and Iran-backed terrorist groups such as Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis.

President Joe Biden also said that the Israeli strike that killed Hezbollahs Hassan Nasrallah was a measure of justice" for victims of a four-decade reign of terror.

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The comments came after Lebanons Hezbollah group confirmed earlier Saturday that Nasrallah, one of the groups founders, was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Beirut the previous day.

Biden noted that the operation to take out Nasrallah took place in the broader context of the conflict that began with Hamas massacre of Israelis on Oct. 7, 2023.

Nasrallah, the next day, made the fateful decision to join hands with Hamas and open what he called a northern front against Israel, Biden said in a statement. He also noted that Hezbollah under Nasrallahs watch has been responsible for the deaths of thousands of Americans, Israelis and Lebanese.

Hezbollah attacks against U.S. interests include the truck bombing of the U.S. Embassy and multinational force barracks in Beirut in 1983 and the kidnapping of the Central Intelligence Agency chief of station in Beirut, who died while held captive. The U.S. said Hezbollah leaders armed and trained militias that carried out attacks on American forces during the war in Iraq.

Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, whose death was announced on Saturday, led the Lebanese group through decades of conflict with Israel, overseeing its transformation into a military force with regional sway and becoming one of the most prominent Arab figures in generations - with Iranian backing.

Nasrallahs death deals a huge blow to the group. He will be remembered among his supporters for standing up to Israel and defying the United States. To enemies, he was head of a terrorist organisation and a proxy for Irans Shiite Islamist theocracy in its tussle for influence in the Middle East.

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His regional influence was on display over nearly a year of conflict ignited by the Gaza war, as Hezbollah entered the fray by firing on Israel from southern Lebanon in support of its Palestinian ally Hamas, and Yemeni and Iraqi groups followed suit, operating under the umbrella of The Axis of Resistance.

The White House sees the death of Nasrallah as a huge blow to the group. At the same time, the administration has sought to tread carefully as it has tried to contain Israels war with Hamas, which, like Hezbollah, is backed by Iran, from exploding into an all-out regional conflict.

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President Biden and I do not want to see conflict in the Middle East escalate into a broader regional war, Vice President Kamala Harris said in a statement Saturday that echoed Bidens description of a measure of justice. She added, Diplomacy remains the best path forward to protect civilians and achieve lasting stability in the region.

The confirmation of Nasrallahs death comes during a week that began with Bidens top national security aides working on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly to build support for a 21-day Israel-Hezbollah cease-fire that they hoped might also breathe new life into stalled efforts to secure a truce in Gaza.

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With inputs from agencies.
On Saturday morning, Hezbollah operatives located and identified the bodies of Nasrallah and a prominent military commander, Ali Karaki, as reported by officials referring to intelligence gathered from within Lebanon read more

A large banner bearing a picture of Lebanon's Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah with writing in Farsi that reads 'Hezbollah is alive' hangs along a bridge in northern Tehran on September 28, 2024. AFP

Israel was well aware of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallahs whereabouts months before it decided to kill him, defence officials said on Saturday.

Talking to the New York Times on the condition of anonymity, the three Israeli defence officials said that the Israeli army decided to strike Nasarulla this week as they only had a short window before he would have been moved to a different location.

The Israeli Defense Forces on Saturday confirmed that it had killed Nasrallah in an overnight strike in Lebanon. Later, Hezbollah also confirmed his death in an Israeli strike.

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How did Israel kill Nasrallah?

Two Israeli officials said that over 80 bombs were used in a span of seven minutes to kill Nasrallah. They, however, did not give any detail on the make or weight of the bombs.

On Saturday morning, Hezbollah operatives located and identified the bodies of Nasrallah and a prominent military commander, Ali Karaki, as reported by officials referring to intelligence gathered from within Lebanon.

Nasrallahs cousin, Hashem Safieddine, who could be touted as the next leader of Hezbollah, was not present at the location of the strike, the officials said.

Hamas, Iran condemn death

Nasrallahs death has dealt a huge blow to not only Hezbollah but to Hamas and Iran as well. In a statement, Irans Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei said, It is an obligation for all Muslims to stand with the people of Lebanon and the honorable Hezbollah, offering their resources and assistance as Hezbollah confronts the usurping, cruel, malicious Zionist regime."

Hamas similarly has condemned the killing, saying, We condemn in the strongest terms this barbaric Zionist aggression and targeting of residential buildings and we consider it a cowardly terrorist act.

Meanwhile, Hezbollah has pledged that it will continue its fight against Israel and that it will also continue to support Gaza and Palestine, and defend Lebanon and its steadfast and honourable people.
Most of the deaths took place in the Kathmandu valley, which is home to four million people and the countrys capital read more

Security force members use an inflatable raft to bring residents to safety from a flooded area near the bank of the overflowing Bagmati River following heavy rains, in Kathmandu, Nepal. Reuters

Floods and landslides triggered by heavy downpours in Nepal killed at least 59 people across the Himalayan country, with rescue teams searching for 44 missing, police said Saturday.

So far, there are 59 dead, 36 wounded and 44 missing, Nepal police spokesman Dan Bahadur Karki told AFP.

Earlier in the day, reports suggested that the majority of the fatalities occurred in the Kathmandu Valley, home to four million people and the nations capital. In some areas of Kathmandu, up to 322.2 mm of rain fell in the past 24 hours, stranding residents on rooftops and elevated areas.

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Rivers swelling up

Karki had previously said that rivers across Nepal have swollen, overflowing onto roads and bridges after a nearly week-long delay in the retreat of South Asias annual monsoon rains, which have brought torrential downpours across the region.

The Koshi River has surged beyond dangerous levels, now flowing at 450,000 cusecswell above the typical 150,000 cusecs, an official had reported. This river regularly causes deadly flooding in neighboring Indias Bihar state.

Rescue efforts

Landslides have blocked highways in 28 locations, and police are working to clear debris and restore access, said police spokesperson.

Meanwhile, rescue teams are using helicopters and rubber boats to evacuate those trapped due to high water levels.

While international flights continue to operate, many domestic flights have been disrupted due to the weather, according to Rinji Sherpa, a spokesperson for Kathmandus airport.

No relief anytime soon?

Binu Maharjan, a weather forecasting official in Kathmandu, said that the earliest letup in the rains might not come until Sunday (September 29). Maharjan blamed a low-pressure system over parts of India for this years extended rains.

Heavy rains are likely to continue until Sunday morning and weather is likely to clear after that, he told Reuters.

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Nepal, prone to landslides and flash floods during the monsoon season, has already recorded 254 deaths and 65 missing persons due to floods, landslides, and lightning strikes since mid-June when the annual rains began.

With inputs from agencies
While Israel hailed his death as a victory, regional allies like Hamas, Iran, and Yemens Houthis condemned the killing, vowing to continue resistance against Israeli occupation read more

People stand near a picture of Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah during the funeral of Hezbollah member Ali Mohamed Chalbi, in Kfar Melki, Lebanon, September 19, 2024. File Image/Reuters

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, who transformed the Lebanon-based group into a potent paramilitary and political force in the Middle East, was killed in an Israeli airstrike on Friday (September 27). He was 64.

His assassination has sparked varied reactions from players in the Middle East. Heres a look at them.

Israel

Israels military swiftly hailed the killing of one of its greatest enemies.

Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, Israels military spokesperson, said that Nasrallahs death made the world a safer place. During a televised briefing, Hagari stressed the significance of the operation, saying, Nasrallah was one of the greatest enemies of the State of Israel of all time his elimination makes the world a safer place.

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We continue, even at this very moment, to strike, eliminate and kill the commanders of the Hezbollah organisation, and we will continue to do so, he vowed.

Hamas

Palestinian group Hamas, an ally of Hezbollah, mourned Nasrallahs death and called for intensified resistance against Israel.

In a strongly worded statement, the group declared that Israels actions would only strengthen their resolve.

Crimes and assassination by the occupation will only increase the determination and the insistence of the resistance in Palestine and Lebanon to go forward with all their might, bravery and pride on the footsteps of the martyrsand pursue the path of resistance until victory and the dismissal of the occupation, Hamas said.

Iran

Iran, a key backer of Hezbollah, expressed sorrow over Nasrallahs death.

Irans Foreign Ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanani said that Hezbollahs mission would continue, stating, The glorious path of the leader of the resistance, Hassan Nasrallah, will continue and his sacred goal will be realised in the liberation of Quds (Jerusalem), God willing.

Kananis remarks mirrored Irans long-standing support for Hezbollah and its opposition to Israel.

Iraq

Iraqs Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani condemned the airstrike that killed Nasrallah, describing it as a crime and criticizing Israels actions. In a statement, Sudani referred to the attack as a shameful attack and condemned it as a breach of all red lines. He further described Nasrallah as a martyr on the path of the righteous, reflecting the broad regional opposition to Israeli military actions.

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Houthis:

The Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen also voiced its condemnation, pledging continued resistance against Israel. In their statement, the group declared that Nasrallahs death would only fuel their determination.

The martyrdom of Hassan Nasrallah will increase the flame of sacrifice, the heat of enthusiasm, the strength of resolve, the Huthis said, vowing to see victory and the demise of the Israeli enemy.

Syria

Hezbollah ally Syria condemned Israels killing of Nasrallah. The Zionist entity (Israel) confirms through this despicable aggression, once againits barbarism and wanton disregard for all international standards and laws, said a foreign ministry statement carried by state news agency SANA.

Additionally, United States President Joe Biden called the Israeli strike that killed Nasrallah a measure of justice for his many victims.

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With inputs from agencies
Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, Secretary General of Hezbollah, has joined his great, immortal martyr comrades whom he led for about 30 years, Hezbollah said in a statement. read more

In a seismic blow to the Iran-backed group Hezbollah that has been engaged in a year of cross-border hostilities with Israel, its chief Hassan Nasrallah was killed in an Israeli strike on south Beirut on Friday night as confirmed by the Lebanese movement on Saturday.

Hezbollah said in a statement it would continue its battle against Israel in support of Gaza and Palestine, and defence of Lebanon and its steadfast and honourable people.

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Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, Secretary General of Hezbollah, has moved to the side of his Lord and to his satisfaction as a great martyr, a heroic, bold, brave, wise, insightful and faithful leader, joining the convoy of martyrs of the eternal, luminous martyrs of Karbala in the divine, faithful journey in the footsteps of the prophets and martyr Imams, it said.

Earlier today, the Israeli military said it had killed Nasrallah in an airstrike on the groups central headquarters in the southern suburbs of Beirut a day earlier.

The Israeli military eliminated  Hassan Nasrallah, leader of the Hezbollah terrorist organization, Israeli army spokesperson Avichay Adraee wrote in a statement on X.

In a post on X, IDF said, Hassan Nasrallah will no longer be able to terrorise the world. The announcement follows Israels overnight airstrikes in Lebanons capital city of Beirut that it says targetted Nasrallah and other Hezbollah commanders.

Hassan Nasrallah will no longer be able to terrorize the world.  Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) September 28, 2024

Irans supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Saturday condemned what he called Israels short-sighted policy in the region.

The massacre of the defenseless people in Lebanon once again proved the short-sighted and stupid policy of the leaders of the usurping regime, Khamenei said in a statement, without mentioning Nasrallahs fate.

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Israel has over the past few days shifted the focus of its operation from Gaza to Lebanon, where heavy bombing has killed more than 700 people and displaced around 118,000.

Israels army chief Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi on Saturday said: The message is simple, anyone who threatens the citizens of Israel  we will know how to reach them.

The military also said most of the senior leaders of Hezbollah have been eliminated, after having announced earlier the deaths of Hezbollah commanders Muhammad Ali Ismail and Ali Karake, among others.
The Israeli military announced on X that it had given the operation to kill Nasrallah the codename New Order. read more

An Iranian demonstrator shows a portrait of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah on his cell phone in support of Hezbollah at the Felestin (Palestine) Square in downtown Tehran, Iran, early Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. AP

Moments after IDF confirmed that Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was killed in an Israeli airstrike, the Israeli army chief Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi said on Saturday that Israel will reach anyone who threatens its citizens.

This is not the end of our toolbox. The message is simple, anyone who threatens the citizens of Israel  we will know how to reach them, he said in a statement after Israeli Defense Forces broke the news.

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IDF on Saturday posted Hassan Nasrallah will no longer be able to terrorise the world on X, putting an end to speculation over the Hezbollah leaders whereabouts following overnight strikes in Lebanon.

Attack was prepared for a long time

Meanwhile, Halevi said that Nasrallahs death was a consequence of a premeditated attack by Israel.

This attack was prepared for a long time, executed at the right moment with great precision, and now we are moving forward with careful preparation for the next steps, he said.

Ultimately, I want to emphasise again that we are at full readiness in all of our fronts. All forces, including coordination with other organisations, must ensure very good synchronization and readiness.

Has Nasrallah been dead for long?

Israel on Friday claimed that it struck Hezbollah HQ in Lebanon, killing Nasrallah and other top commanders of the Iran-backed group. However, Hezbollah said that their leader had not died and was shifted to a safer location.

The Israeli military announced on X that it had given the operation to kill Nasrallah the codename New Order.

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A source close to Hezbollah told AFP on condition of anonymity that contact with Nasrallah had been lost since Friday evening.

Contact with him was lost for two days and he was rumoured to have been killed during Israels last war with Hezbollah in 2006, the source said, adding that he later re-emerged unscathed.

However, there has not been an official confirmation from Hezbollahs end about its leaders fate after IDFs announcement.

With inputs from agencies
The announcement follows Israels overnight airstrikes in Lebanons capital city of Beirut that it says targetted Nasrallah and other Hezbollah commanders read more

People stand near a picture of Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah during the funeral of Hezbollah member Ali Mohamed Chalbi, in Kfar Melki, Lebanon, September 19, 2024. File Image/Reuters

Israel Defense Forces on Saturday confirmed that Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah has been killed.

In a post on X, IDF said, Hassan Nasrallah will no longer be able to terrorise the world. The announcement follows Israels overnight airstrikes in Lebanons capital city of Beirut that it says targetted Nasrallah and other Hezbollah commanders.

Hassan Nasrallah will no longer be able to terrorize the world.  Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) September 28, 2024

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In a separate statement, the IDF stated that alongside Nasrallah, the commander of Hezbollahs so-called Southern Front, Ali Karaki, was also killed, along with other top members of the Lebanese group. The death of the Hezbollah chief came a day after Israels Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave a fiery speech at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), in which he refused to back down. The US along with other nations around the world have been calling for a ceasefire between the two parties.

IDF pledges to keep the fighting against terrorism

In the update, the IDF stated that during Nasrallahs 32 years of reign as Hezbollah chief, the militant group has been responsible of killing countless Israelis.

During Hassan Nastallahs 32-year reign as the Secretary-General of Hezbollah, he was responsible for the murder of many Israeli civilians and soldiers, and the planning and execution of thousands of terrorist activities. He was responsible for directing and executing terrorist attacks around the world in which civilians of various nationalities were murdered. Nasrallah was the central decision-maker and the strategic leader of the organization, the Israeli military said in the statement published on Saturday.

The Hezbollah terrorist organization, headed by Hassan Nasrallah, joined the Hamas terrorist organization in its war against the State of Israel on October 8th. Since then, Hezbollah has been continuing its ongoing and unprovoked attacks on the citizens of the State of Israel, dragging the State of Lebanon and the entire region into a wider escalation, the statement further reads.

The Israeli @IDF confirms that Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of the Hezbollah terrorist organization and one of its founders, was eliminated yesterday, together with Ali Karki, the Commander of Hezbollahs Southern Front, and additional Hezbollah commanders.



Nasrallah will no pic.twitter.com/aThduf0bwe  Israel  (@Israel) September 28, 2024

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Finally, IDF pledged to keep fighting against anyone who promotes terrorism. The IDF will continue operating against anyone who promotes and engages in terrorism against the State of Israel and its people, the Israeli military concluded.

Before Nasrallahs death was confirmed, several news outlets reported that six people were killed and hundreds were injured in the overnight Israeli strikes in Beirut. Amid the chaos, Irans Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called an emergency session of Irans Supreme National Security Council, where several Iranian officials expressed concern over Nasrallahs whereabouts.

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It is pertinent to note that Hezbollah was touted as one of the closest militant group to Iran in comparison to the two other Hs  Hamas and Houthis. Ali Larijani, adviser to Irans Supreme Leader, said Israel is crossing Tehrans red lines, and the situation is becoming serious.

Assassinations will not solve Israels problem With the assassination of resistance leaders, others will take their place, Larijani told Irans state TV before Nasarallahs death was confirmed. Hence, the world will now be watching how the Middle East respond to the attack.

With inputs from agencies.
The European Commission and European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) warned in a statement of an overall intensification of air strikes and degradation in the security situation read more

Iranian flag carrier, Iran Air, has suspended all flights to the Lebanese capital as Israel keeps up its air strikes on Hezbollah strongholds in south Beirut, Iranian media reported Saturday.

Iran Air has cancelled all flights to Beirut until further notice, Tasnim news agency said.

The European Union on Saturday advised air carriers to avoid the Lebanese and Israeli airspace for the coming month as Israel continued striking Hezbollah.

The European Commission and European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) warned in a statement of an overall intensification of air strikes and degradation in the security situation.

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They issued an official recommendation not to operate within the airspaces of Lebanon and Israel at all flight levels.

Provisionally lasting until October 31, the Conflict Zone Information Bulletin (CZIB) can be reviewed earlier and adapted or withdrawn, the statement added.

EASA will continue to closely monitor the situation, with a view to assess whether there is an increase or decrease of risks for EU aircraft operators as a result of the evolution of the threat, the body said.

The situation in West Asia is more volatile than ever after IDF announced that Hezbollahs leader Hassan Nasrallah died in an Israeli airstrike on Friday. The news was later confirmed by the Iran-backed terror group that vowed to retaliate against Israels action.

With inputs from AFP
Sources told Reuters that Khamenei has been transferred to an unknown location with heightened security and that Iran is in constant touch with Hezbollah and its other proxies to determine the next step after Israels announcement read more

Iran has moved its Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei to a secure location inside the country after the news of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallahs death was confirmed by the IDF on Saturday.

Sources told Reuters that Khamenei has been transferred to an unknown location with heightened security and that Iran is in constant touch with Hezbollah and its other proxies to determine the next step after Israels announcement.

IDF on Saturday posted Hassan Nasrallah will no longer be able to terrorise the world on X, putting an end to speculation over the Hezbollah leaders whereabouts following overnight strikes in Lebanon.

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On the one hand, the killing of defenseless civilians in Lebanon, has once again revealed the savage nature of the rabid Zionists to everyone. On the other hand, it has proven how shortsighted and insane the policies of the leaders of the occupying regime are, Khamenei said in a statement on X.

On the one hand, the killing of defenseless civilians in Lebanon, has once again revealed the savage nature of the rabid Zionists to everyone. On the other hand, it has proven how shortsighted and insane the policies of the leaders of the occupying regime are.  Khamenei.ir (@khamenei_ir) September 28, 2024



Israel on Friday claimed that it struck Hezbollah HQ in Lebanon, killing Nasrallah and other top commanders of the Iran-backed group. However, Hezbollah said that their leader had not died and was shifted to a safer location.Following this Khamenei convened an emergency session of Irans Supreme National Security Council.Earlier this week, Khamenei, while slamming Israel over striking Hezbollah in Lebanon, said that the terrorist group will never be weakened even after the deaths of its commanders.Meanwhile, the Israeli military said on Saturday it had struck more than 140 Hezbollah targets in Lebanon since the previous night.

Since last night, the IDF (military) struck over 140 Hezbollah terror targets, including launchers aimed at Israeli civilians, buildings in which weapons were stored, strategic weaponry, weapons production facilities, and additional terrorist infrastructure sites, some embedded underneath residential buildings in the area of Beirut, the military said in a statement.

However, there has not been an official confirmation from Hezbollahs end about its leaders fate after IDFs announcement.

With inputs from agencies
The initial assessment of Israeli intelligence agencies suggested the Hezbollah chief had been killed. However, they cautioned that the assessment might change read more

Irans Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei convened an emergency meeting of the Supreme National Council on Friday night as Israel continued with its strikes in Lebanon. The strikes which have already killed around 6 people, including top Hezbollah commanders, were targeted at the Lebanese groups chief Hassan Nasrallah.

The Israeli military has already destroyed several residential buildings in the attack. However, the whereabouts of Nasrallah remains unclear. According to The New York Times, the initial assessment of Israeli intelligence agencies suggested the Hezbollah chief had been killed. However, they cautioned that the assessment might change.

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It is pertinent to note that this is the first time Khamenei has convened a meeting of the Supreme National Council, the group that responds to national security threats, domestic and international, and shapes foreign and national policy, since July. The last time the group sat down with the Iranian Supreme leader was shortly after the assassination of Hamas then-political bureau head Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran. Haniyehs killing was also attributed to Israel.

Iran worries about Nasrallah

In the closed-door meeting, Iranian officials expressed concerns about the absence of a statement from Hezbollah on Narallahs status. The meeting came as Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and the countrys foreign ministry issued statements, strongly condemning the attacks. Iran will follow up on the Zionists latest crime and stand by the people of Lebanon and the resistance, Pezeshkian said in a statement, describing the whole ordeal as a war crime.

Some Iranian sources told The New York Times that the cellphones of Iranian officials across the country beeped with text messages and phone calls asking variations of the same question: Any news from Sayyed? It was a reference to Nasrallahs nickname and religious title.

Meanwhile, Iran has also requested an emergency meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, a forum of Muslim countries, to discuss the attack.

Iran slams Israel at UN

While addressing the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on Friday, Irans foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, accused the United States of being an accomplice of the Israeli attack. He insisted that both Israel and the US should be held accountable for the attack in Lebanon.

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Netanyahu and his companions have become so viciously emboldened to dream of repeating their carnage in Lebanon and pushing the entire region into a full-scale war, Araghchi said, referring to Israels Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu. It is very clear that they are counting on US support for their sinister campaign of terror and destruction," he added.

Meanwhile, the Iranian state television showed supporters of the government taking to the streets of Tehran, waving Palestinian flags and Hezbollahs yellow flags while chanting, Revenge, revenge." Amid the protest, at 1 am (local time), Irans state television was putting senior officials and military commanders, including the anti-Western ultraconservative Saeed Jalili, a member of the Supreme National Council, on air to assure Iranian that Hezbollah would survive the attacks.
Hezbollah is part of the axis of resistance, Iran-aligned armed groups across the Middle East that have targeted Israel, and also US forces, in support of Palestinian militant group Hamas read more

People demonstrate against Israel and the attack on Lebanon in Tehran. AFP

Tens of thousands protested in Iranian cities and in the rebel-held Yemeni capital on Friday to condemn Israeli attacks on Lebanon and Gaza, AFP journalists and state media reported.

The demonstrations in Tehran and other Iranian cities were responding to a call by authorities on Wednesday to demonstrate in support of the Iran-backed Hezbollah movement in Lebanon and to condemn the barbaric crimes of the Zionist regime in Palestine, the official IRNA news agency said.

Hezbollah is part of the axis of resistance, Iran-aligned armed groups across the Middle East that have targeted Israel, and also US forces, in support of Palestinian militant group Hamas.

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The alliance also includes Yemens Huthi rebels who organised a demonstration by tens of thousands in the capital Sanaa on Friday a day after firing a missile at Israel.

In Tehran after Friday prayers, a protest took place around Enghelab Square in the city centre, an AFP journalist said.

Demonstrators carried portraits of Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah as well as Palestinian and Hezbollah flags.

Israel is destroyed. Lebanon is victorious, they chanted, deploring a bloodbath in Lebanon.

Protesters also burned Israeli and US flags.

State television aired footage of other demonstrations in Semnan, Qom, Kashan, Kermanshah, Shiraz and Bandar Abbas.

In Sanaa, which has been held by the Iran-backed Huthis for a decade, tens of thousands of chanting protesters gathered, many waving rifles and placards.

We say to our brothers in Lebanon that you will be victorious, God willing, said Huthi supporter Mortada al-Mutawkil. This war is not the first nor the last with the Israeli enemy, but God willing it will be more painful for Israel than the 2006 war.

Another protester, Mohammed Mushki, said: No matter how long the war lasts and no matter how big it is, we are on their side, all the Yemeni people, on the side of the Lebanese and Palestinian people until victory, God willing.

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In Bahrain, which is an Israeli ally and keeps a tight rein on demonstrations, two protests denounced the war in Gaza and bombing campaign on Lebanon.

Several hundred people marched in a village north of Manama, voicing solidarity with Gaza and Lebanon, and in the capital scores of people raised Palestinian and Lebanese flags and called for an end to ties with Israel.

The people demand an end to normalisation, the protesters chanted.

Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, triggering a war with Israel and near-daily cross-border fire from Hezbollah in Lebanon against Israel, which has hit back.

Those exchanges have intensified dramatically over the past week. Israeli raids on Lebanon since Monday have killed hundreds in the deadliest violence since Lebanons 1975-1990 civil war.

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As the violence escalates, analysts say Iran is walking a tightrope by trying to support Hezbollah without getting dragged into a full-blown conflict and playing into its enemys hands.
Two Buffalo men arrested in connection with gun theft in Rochester suburb

Two Buffalo men were arrested last Friday in connection with the theft of a semi-automatic rifle two months ago from a police officers vehicle in a Rochester suburb, the Greece Police Department reported.

Pierre McCullen, 41, and Christopher McCullen, 53, were charged with three counts of third-degree criminal possession of a weapon and single counts of third-degree grand larceny and fourth-degree criminal mischief. Both are held without bail in Monroe County Jail.

The multiple weapon counts stem from each man having a prior criminal conviction and for possessing an assault weapon and possessing a large-capacity magazine, police said.

The arrests were made following an investigation by Greece detectives assisted by Buffalo police. An AR-15-style rifle was recovered, Greece Police said.

According to police, a rifle and body armor vest carrier issued by the Greece Police Department were stolen July 9 when someone damaged a window to break into a Greece police officers locked personal vehicle in a parking lot outside an Esporta fitness facility on West Ridge Road in Greece.

- Dale Anderson
Safieddine has been vocal in his militant stance, particularly in his support of the Palestinian cause. He recently threatened an escalation against Israel, saying, Let (the enemy) prepare himself to cry and wail read more

Hashem Safieddine is likely to become Hezbollah's next leader after Hassan Nasrallah' assassination by Israel. File image/AFP

Iran-backed group Hezbollahs leader Hassan Nasrallah was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Beirut on Friday, marking one of the heaviest blows to the organisation in its 42-year history.

While Hezbollah grapples with the death of its long-time leader, attention has shifted to Hashem Safieddine, widely considered the frontrunner to succeed him.

Safieddine, who survived the Israeli attack, has long been regarded as a key figure within Hezbollahs leadership.

A cousin of Nasrallah, he shares many of the late leaders traits, including his status as a cleric who wears the black turban, symbolising descent from Islams Prophet Mohammed.

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Currently serving as Hezbollahs executive council head, Safieddine oversees the groups political operations and is a member of the powerful Jihad Council, which manages its military strategy.

His influence in both the political and military spheres makes him a central figure within Lebanon-based Hezbollah.

Safieddine has been vocal in his militant stance, particularly in his support of the Palestinian cause. During a recent event in Dahiyeh, Hezbollahs stronghold in southern Beirut, he declared, Our history, our guns and our rockets are with you.

In 2017, the US State Department designated Safieddine as a terrorist, citing his role in Hezbollahs activities.

Safieddine responded to US pressure with defiance, condemning the administration of then-President Donald Trump as mentally impeded and asserting that American actions would only strengthen Hezbollahs resolve.

Analysts say Safieddines close family ties to Nasrallah, his resemblance to the late leader, and his clerical status within Lebanons Shiite community could all play in his favour as Hezbollah looks to appoint a new leader.

Nasrallah started tailoring positions for him within a variety of different councils within Lebanese Hezbollah, said Phillip Smyth, an expert on Iran-backed militias. Safieddines public presence has steadily grown over the years, with more frequent speeches and appearances at key events.

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Known for his fiery rhetoric, Safieddine recently threatened an escalation against Israel following the death of another Hezbollah commander, stating, Let (the enemy) prepare himself to cry and wail, in a public address.

With inputs from Reuters
The worst floods in over two decades have left several towns in southwestern Poland submerged. In response, the government announced plans to allocate a total of 23 billion zlotys from the national budget and European Union funds to address the aftermath of the disaster. read more

Polands 2025 draft budget will set aside 3.2 billion zlotys as a reserve for dealing with natural disasters, the finance minister said on Saturday, after devastating floods wreaked havoc in the country.

The government has said it will free up a total of 23 billion zlotys from the budget and European Union funds to deal with the aftermath after the worst floods in at least two decades left many towns in southwestern Poland submerged.

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The deluge has also compounded the financial worries of a government facing the prospect of EU budget discipline measures.

We are increasing the funds for the reserve for counteracting natural disasters to 3.191 billion zlotys, and this reserve may increase, Finance Minister Andrzej Domanski told a government meeting.

He also said that the government would transfer 738 million zlotys from the general subsidy reserve to local authorities affected by the floods.

He said that no decision had yet been made on whether changes to the 2024 budget would be necessary, but reiterated that the floods made it more likely.

The government is due to adopt the draft 2025 budget at a further session on Saturday that will be closed to the media.

In August it announced that according to the assumptions of the 2025 budget, the general government deficit would rise to 5.5% of GDP. This would arise from increased defence spending and the dropping of some practices of the former administration that critics said kept costs off the books.
Sumy lies just across the border from Russias Kursk region, where Kyiv launched a shock offensive on August 6, aimed in part at creating a buffer zone inside Russia read more

Two Russian strikes on a hospital in the Ukrainian border city of Sumy killed at least six people on Saturday, the interior minister said.

Sumy lies just across the border from Russias Kursk region, where Kyiv launched a shock offensive on August 6, aimed in part at creating a buffer zone inside Russia.

Ukrainian Interior Minister Igor Klymenko wrote on Telegram that in Sumy, Russians attacked a medical facility twice: as of now, 6 people have been killed, including a policeman.

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The first attack killed 1 person and damaged several floors of a hospital and after that, patients and staff began being evacuated, Klymenko said.

During the evacuation of patients, the enemy struck again, Klymenko wrote, adding that another policeman was wounded.

Sumy is the main city in the region of the same name, which borders Russia.

Sumy regional administration wrote on Telegram that both strikes involved Shahed attack drones.

It said the second strike hit a residential area.
South Africa has one of the highest murder rates in the world, with about 20,000 murders recorded every year out of a population of over 60 million. read more

Police officials on Saturday at a shooting scene, in a photograph released by the South African police.Credit...South African Police Services, via Reuters

At least 17 people were killed in a devastating mass shooting at two homes in a village in South Africas Eastern Cape province.

According to the police, 13 people were killed in one house, with all but one of the victims being women. In another homestead, four people lost their lives, and an additional victim remains in critical condition at the hospital.

The police reported that the victims were believed to be relatives and neighbors who had gathered to prepare for a traditional ceremony.

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This tragic incident adds to the rising number of mass shootings in South Africa, sparking widespread concern and outrage. The authorities are working to apprehend those responsible for the heinous crime.

Police said in a statement that the shootings occurred in two separate homes in the village of Lusikisiki and that in total, 15 women and two men had been killed.

In one house 13 people were killed, which included 12 women and one man. In another homestead, four people were also killed, the South African Police Service said.

The motive for the attacks was not known but police said they had begun a manhunt for the shooters.

Ten members of the same family, seven of them women and one a 13-year-old boy, were killed in a mass shooting at their home in the neighboring KwaZulu-Natal province last April.

South Africas homicide rate is around 45 per 100,000 people, compared to around 6.3 per 100,000 in the United States. Most European countries homicide rates are around 1 per 100,000 people. South Africa recorded more than 27,000 homicides in the 12 months from March 1, 2023, to Feb. 28, 2024, which is more than 70 a day in the country of 62 million people.

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Firearm laws are reasonably strict in South Africa, but authorities have often pointed to the large number of illegal, unregistered guns in circulation as a major problem.

With inputs from agencies.
When Beijing says that it wants peacebut on the other hand, is allowing its companies to take actions that are actually helping Putin continue the aggression, that doesnt add up, Blinken said read more

Chinese President Xi Jinping, right, and Russian President Vladimir Putin pose for a photo at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit in Qingdao in eastern Chinas Shandong Province on June 10, 2018. (AP Photo. File)

Switzerlands foreign affairs ministry on Saturday (September 28) expressed support for a Chinese-led peace initiative to end the war in Ukraine.

The peace plan, which was first proposed by China in May, gained new traction after a reference to the UN Charter  the foundational treaty that commits nations to upholding peace  was added.

Switzerland, which hosted a Ukraine peace summit in June, attended a 17-nation meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly on Friday (September 27), chaired by Chinas Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Brazilian foreign policy adviser Celso Amorim.

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We took part in this meeting as an observer and we support this dynamic, Nicolas Bideau, spokesperson for the Foreign Affairs Ministry, told Reuters. He noted that the inclusion of the UN Charter had significantly changed Switzerlands view of the Chinese-led initiative.

A concrete diplomatic effort organized by the Sino-Brazilian group could be of interest to us, Bideau said, signaling potential Swiss engagement in future peace efforts.

However, the US has expressed skepticism over Chinas role in any peace plan, citing Beijings indirect support of Russias war effort.

Speaking at a press conference on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken noted that around 70 per cent of the machine tools and 90 per cent of microelectronics Russia imports come from China and Hong Kong.

These imports, Blinken said, are materially aiding Moscows ability to produce weapons for its war in Ukraine.

So when Beijing says that, on the one hand, it wants peace, it wants to see an end to the conflict, but on the other hand, is allowing its companies to take actions that are actually helping Putin continue the aggression, that doesnt add up, Blinken said.

Switzerlands peace summit in Buergenstock, held in June without Russian participation, had drawn criticism for being perceived as a Western-led effort to isolate Moscow, leading some to question whether the neutral nation was abandoning its centuries-old tradition of impartiality.

Since then, Bern has sought new partners for a potential sequel summit, with countries from the global South considered likely candidates.

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The war between Russia and Ukraine shows no signs of abating. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy remains committed to a victory plan, while Russian President Vladimir Putin insists that peace talks can only begin if Kyiv concedes large territories and withdraws its bid to join Nato.

With inputs from agencies
The First Secretary, Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations, Bhavika Mangalanandan, on Friday, termed Sharifs remarks as travesty. She insisted that the country which has a global reputation for terrorism has the audacity to attack the worlds largest democracy read more

India called out Pakistans hypocrisy at the United Nations after the latters Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif raked up the Kashmir issue on the international platform. The First Secretary, Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations, Bhavika Mangalanandan, on Friday, termed Sharifs remarks as travesty. She insisted that the country which has a global reputation for terrorism has the audacity to attack the worlds largest democracy.

Mangalanandan slammed Islamabad for questioning the recent Jammu and Kashmir elections as she addressed the matter during Indias Right to Reply at the ongoing 79th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). The sharp rebuttal came after Sharif, in his address to UNGA, said that India should reverse the Abrogation of Article 370 and enter into a dialogue with Pakistan.

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He insisted that both nations should sit down and discuss the peaceful resolution of the Kashmir issue. Let me state in no uncertain terms, Pakistan will respond most decisively to any Indian aggression, therefore, to secure durable peace, India must reverse the unilateral and illegal measures it has taken since the 5th of August 2019 and enter into a dialogue for a peaceful resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute in accordance with the UN Security resolutions and the wishes of the Kashmiri people, he claimed.

It (India) has engaged in massive expansion of its military capabilities, which are essentially deployed against Pakistan. Its war doctrines envisage a surprise attack and a limited war under the nuclear overhang. Thoughtlessly, India spurned Pakistans proposals for a mutual strategic restraint of the regime. Its leadership has often threatened to cross the Line of Control and take over Azad Kashmir, the Pakistani premier furthered.

During his address, Sharif alleged that Indias decision to abrogate Article 370 was a unilateral and illegal step. Instead of moving towards peace, India has resiled from its commitments to implement the Security Council resolutions on Jammu and Kashmir. These resolutions mandate the people of Jammu and Kashmir to exercise their fundamental right to self-determination. Since 5th August 2019, India has initiated unilateral illegal steps to impose what its leaders honestly call a final solution for Jammu and Kashmir, Sharif exclaimed.

India hits back

During her address, Mangalanandan pointed out that Pakistan had used terrorism to disrupt elections in Jammu and Kashmir. The truth is that Pakistan covets our territory and has continuously used terrorism to disrupt elections in Jammu and Kashmir, an inalienable and integral part of India. A reference has been made to some proposals of strategic restraint, she said.

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This assembly regrettably witnessed a travesty this morning. A country run by the military, with a global reputation for terrorism, narcotics, trade, and transnational crime has had the audacity to attack the worlds largest democracy. I speak about the reference to India in the speech of the Pakistani PM, the Indian diplomat furthered.

Mangalanandan supported her argument by referencing the 2008 Mumbai terror attack and the 2001 attack on the Indian parliament. Pakistan has long employed cross-border terrorism as a weapon against its neighbours, Mangalanandan stated. It has attacked our parliament, our financial capital Mumbai, marketplaces, and pilgrimage routes. The list is long, she said.

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For such a country to speak about violence anywhere is hypocrisy at its worst. It is even more extraordinary for a country with a history of rigged elections to talk about political choices that too, in a democracy. There can be no compact with terrorism. In fact, Pakistan should realise that cross-border terrorism against India will inevitably invite consequences, she added.

The Indian diplomat also highlighted the genocide in Bangladesh and recalled how Pakistan hosted the most infamous terrorist Osama Bin Laden. It is ridiculous that a nation that committed genocide in 1971 and which persecuted its minorities relentlessly even now, dare speak about intolerances and phobias. The world can see for itself what Pakistan really is. We are talking about a nation that for long hosted Osama bin Laden.

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A country whose fingerprints are on so many terrorist incidents across the world, whose policies attract the dregs of many societies to make it their home. Perhaps it should come as no surprise that its PM would so speak in this hallowed hall. Yet we must make clear how unacceptable his words are to all of us. We know that Pakistan will seek to counter the truth with more lies. Repetition will change nothing. Our stand is clear and needs no reiteration, she remarked.

It is pertinent to note that India has repeatedly raised concerns over how Pakistan supports cross-border terrorism. New Delhi insisted that talks and terrorism cannot go hand-in-hand.

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With inputs from agencies.
Despite the storm weakening after the landfall, the authorities are still predicting danger as heavy rain continues to produce catastrophic flooding read more

Over 40 people lost their lives as the deadly Hurricane Helene wreaked havoc across the southeastern states of the US. While the official death toll is yet to be released, The Associated Press came out with the tally. Helene, which left a drizzly path of destruction, killed people across four states.

The storm registered maximum strength and sustained winds of 140 mph. Helene made landfall on Thursday in northwestern Florida as a potent category 4 hurricane. It eventually weakened to a tropical storm and then to a depression as it moved across Georgia as well as the Carolinas on Friday afternoon.

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At least 15 people were killed in Georgia, Garrison Douglas, a spokesperson for the governor, Brian Kemp, confirmed the toll on Friday. Among the deaths so far recorded were a first responder; a seven-year-old boy and a four-year-old girl when a tree fell on their home in Washington County and trapped them in their burning home, WRDW TV reported.

Meanwhile, at least 17 storm-related deaths were reported in South Carolina, including two firefighters killed when a tree struck their vehicle before sunrise on Friday. A four-year-old girl died in Claremont, North Carolina, in a traffic accident in heavy rain. The state of Florida received a major beating from the storm. Five were killed in Pinellas County, Florida, with at least two by drowning, the local sheriff, Bob Gualtieri, told local reporters.

Some of the other reported fatalities included a 70-year-old woman found in a flooded house in Tampa, a person killed in a traffic accident late on Thursday, and one dead when a tree fell on their house in Dixie County, The Associated Press reported.

Officials urge people to remain cautious

Despite the storm weakening after the landfall, the authorities are still predicting danger as heavy rain continues to produce catastrophic flooding. Some areas received more than a foot of rain, and rescuers are still racing to save people from the waters.

However, even rescuers were struggling to conduct their operations. In Tennessee, emergency vehicles were washed away as they attempted rescues, while helicopters that had initially been held back by high winds were evacuating people on Friday afternoon. Officials in several states warned that people who are stranded due to the storm to await for rescue crews to reach the spot.

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Millions out of power

Millions of people across the country were left without power. As of early Friday evening, about 1.1 million households and businesses in Florida were without power. However, later the number had fallen to about 708,000, The Guardian reported.

The state of South Carolina reported that 1.2 million people were left without electricity. Georgia had about 920,000, and North Carolina had approximately 870,000, according to poweroutage.us. In its preliminary assessment, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) stated that Helenes storm caused water levels to reach more than 15 ft above normal where it came ashore.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis warned that the death toll might rise and urged residents to prepare themselves. But he also said the states rescue crews had ultimately kept that number as low as possible by performing thousands of missions overnight.

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With inputs from agencies.
Adams was accused of accepting illegal campaign contributions and free overseas trips from foreign actors who were allegedly trying to seek influence in the United States read more

Beleaguered New York City Mayor Eric Adams has pleaded not guilty after he was indicted on federal criminal charges. The mayor arrived at a court in Manhattan on Friday morning, hours before he was scheduled for the arraignment proceedings. This is the first time a sitting NYC mayor is being indicted.

Adams was accused of accepting illegal campaign contributions and free overseas trips from foreign actors who were allegedly trying to seek influence in the United States. I am not guilty, your honour, Adams said, looking solemnly at Judge Katharine Parker, The Guardian reported.

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Following the proceedings, the New York mayor was released on the condition that he do not contact any witnesses or any people involved in the indictment. As per the conditions laid out by the court, Adams is allowed to speak with members of his family and staff but he is not allowed to discuss anything related to the allegations.

The court warned that the Democratic mayor could face additional charges and punishment if he were to engage in witness tampering or intimidation. The 64-year-old is due to be back in court on Wednesday.

Adams left the courtroom with smile

According to the Associated Press, Adams left the courtroom without making any comments on the case and with just a smile. He smiled at a court officer but ignored the rows of reporters he passed on his way out. As per the report, some of the onlookers also carried banners that read Free Eric and Lock him up.

This isnt even a real case. This is the airline upgrade corruption case, Adams lawyer Alex Shapiro told reporters. During the proceedings, Adams reportedly sat for about 18 minutes. The indictment was unsealed on Thursday, a day before Adams arraignment proceedings.

As per the declassified document, US prosecutors alleged that the NYC mayor sought and accepted improper valuable benefits, such as luxury international travel, including from wealthy foreign businesspeople and at least one Turkish government official seeking to gain influence over him.

The charges hurled against him included conspiracy to commit wire fraud and to receive campaign contributions by foreign nationals, wire fraud, and solicitation of a contribution by a foreign national. The complaint focuses on Adams trip to Turkey, India and Ghana on Turkish Airlines, sometimes staying in luxury hotels, that as an elected official he should have disclosed to the government.

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It also deal with campaign contributions made by Trukish officials through a system of straw donors. Adams did not disclose the travel benefits he had obtained in annual financial disclosures he was required to file as a New York City employee, the government alleged in the indictment.

Sometimes, Adams agreed to pay a nominal fee to create the appearance of having paid for travel that was in fact heavily discounted, the unsealed document further reads. Meanwhile, local reports suggested that investigators had raided the home of Adamss chief adviser, Ingrid Lewis-Martin, on Friday and confiscated electronic devices.

With inputs from agencies.
George W Bush was the centre of controversy before he was even sworn into office. The 2000 US presidential election and the outcome  where the Supreme Court essentially handed Bush the presidency by stopping a recount  set the stage for what was to come read more

Before Donald Trump, US president George W Bush was the most controversial president in recent history. File: Jeff Mitchell/Reuters

Editors Note: This is the fourth of a series of profiles taking a closer look at US presidents ahead of the 2024 presidential election between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris.

Before Donald Trump took office, George W Bush was the most divisive US president of the modern era.

Bush was the centre of controversy before he was even sworn into office.

The 2000 US election and the outcome  where the Supreme Court essentially handed Bush the presidency by stopping an ordered recount  set the stage for what was to come.

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The Bush years witnessed arguably the most consequential event of this century  the 9/11 attacks.

The day the twin towers crumbled and the invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan afterward had a major impact on both America and the world.

Lets take a closer look at the 43rd President of the United Sst

Early years

Bush was born on July 6, 1946 in New Haven Connecticut.

His parents were George HW Bush and Barbara Bush.

Dubya, as he would later be known, grew up in Texas.

Bush went to the Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts.

He was also a legacy admission to Yale University  which his father George W Bush and his grandfather Prescott Bush attended.

Bush began his career in 1975 as an oilman  a classically Texas profession.

Bush first worked at the firm of a family friend and then at his own company.

He also met Laura Welch  a teacher and librarian  and married her.

Politics and presidency

In a way, Georges dive into politics was foreordained.

After all, his father George HW Bush would later serve as President of the United States and Vice-President of the United States under Ronald Reagan as well as the CIA chief.

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His grandfather Prescott was a US Senator, while his brother Jeb would become the governor of Florida.

Bushs political career had actually kicked off in 1978 when he made a failed attempt to run for Congress.

It was only a decade and a half later, in 1994, that Bush would run for governor of Texas and win.

As governor, he focussed on education and crime.

Though Bush was re-elected as governor in 1998, he had already set his sights on the presidency.

Bush in 1999 announced his bid for president. He positioned himself as a compassionate conservative

Bush won the Republican nomination and squeaked out a victory against his opponent Al Gore in the general election  with an assistant from the Conservative-leaning Supreme Court  winning 271 Electoral Votes to his opponents 266.

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Bush immediately proposed a huge tax cut for the wealthy  which passed Congress.

He also announced that the US would withdraw from the Kyoto Protocol which the US had signed under his predecessor Bill Clinton.

Then, nine months into office, the September 11 attacks would shake America.

George W Bush left office as one of the most unpopular presidents in memory. Reuters

Over 3,000 people would be left dead in the worst attack on American soil ever.

Bush would respond by declaring a global war on terror.

He would go on to invade Afghanistan in 2001 and Iraq in 2003.

Domestically, he would also expand the powers of the state by passing the PATRIOT Act through Congress.

America under Bush would suffer some of the worst blows to its reputation around the world  over the falsehoods his administration perpetrated about Iraq having nuclear weapons in the run-up to the war, the treatment of prisoners at Abu Graib prison and the so-called enhanced interrogation techniques.

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Legacy

Bush exited the US presidency in 2009 a thoroughly unpopular president.

In fact, with an approval rating of just 22 per cent, he left office as one of the most unpopular presidents in history.

Historians too, savaged Bush.

He is ranked just outside the 10 worst presidents in US history.

But amazingly, Bushs approval rating has climbed to 61 per cent since leaving office  proving that for politicians, time and distance equals relative popularity.

Bush also remains one of the most popular figures in Africa, where his programmes to combat HIV have saved millions of lives.

He has spent most of his time in retirement painting and clearing brush on his farm.

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He insists that he is done with active politics and does not wish to be drawn into the current political scene in America.

With inputs from agencies
While Barack Obama ran on healing the divisions of the past, in retrospect, the first Black president in US history was always going to arouse the ire of the worst of the far-right. Lets take a closer look at the 44th President of the United States read more

Barack Obama was a virtual newcomer to the ways of Washington when he took over as president. Image courtesy: Screengrab/Kamala Harris' YouTube

Editors Note: This is the third of a series of profiles taking a closer look at US presidents ahead of the 2024 presidential election between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris.

Hope and change was Barack Obamas slogan when he ran for president.

While the first Black US president indeed offered hope to millions including many minorities, during his two terms in office, the change part proved to be a little, okay a lot, more difficult.

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The 44th President of the United States had little experience on the national scene.

Indeed, he was a virtual newcomer to the ways of Washington  a stranger in an even stranger land.

While Obama ran on healing the divisions of the past, in retrospect, the first Black president in US history was always going to arouse the ire of the worst of the far-right.

Early life

Barack Obama was born on August 4, 1961 in Hawaii.

His parents were Ann Dunham, a white woman from Kansas, and Barack Obama Sr., a Black man from Kenya.

They met at the University of Hawaii where they were students.

Obama didnt really know his father growing up. Barack Obama Sr left his family and returned to Kenya when he was just two.

Ann would remarry another student at the university and relocate to Indonesia.

Obama would go with them, spending his formative years abroad and attending Muslim and Catholic schools.

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Ann would eventually send her son back to Hawaii  where Obama would live with his white grandparents. Arguably the most important person in his teenage years growing up  and some would say the rest of his life  was his white grandmother Madelyn Dunham.

Obama first studied at Occidental College in Los Angeles and then at New Yorks Columbia University.

He would then work as a community organiser  something that he would tout on the campaign trail again and again and which opponents would deride  in Chicago.

Harvard Law School came next  where he served as president of the prestigious Law Review and graduated magna cum laude.

Obama would meet Michelle Robinson during an internship at a law firm. The fact that she was his boss did not dissuade him from asking her out  again and again and again. I asked her out. She refused. I kept asking. She kept refusing, Obama later said.

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Former US first lady Michelle Obama greets her husband, former US President Barack Obama, on stage during Day 2 of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Chicago, Illinois, US, August 20, 2024. Reuters

She agreed only when he offered to quit his job. They had their ice-cream date  and were never apart again.

Politics and presidential bid

Obamas first foray into politics came in 1996 after his state senator stepped down. He initially ran with her support, but when she changed her mind, he refused to back down and won.

This was perhaps the first glimpse of the hard-nosed politician underneath.

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In 2000, Obama ran for office against incumbent House representative Bobby Rush and was absolutely crushed. It would become the first political race Obama lost  and the last.

Obama next eyed the US Senate in 2004. By then, he had gained fame for speaking out against then president George W Bushs War in Iraq. He would win the race by the biggest margin in Illinois Senate history.

That year was also his breakthrough on the national scene. Obama would wow audiences during a speech at the 2004 Democratic National Convention  drawing comparisons as an orator with John F Kennedy.

Theres a United States of America. Theres not a black America and white America and Latino America and Asian America. Theres a United States of America, he declared.

In 2008, Obama improbably decided to run for the President of the United States.

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The skinny kid with the funny name would be taking on Hillary Clinton  perhaps the most prominent dynasty in politics.

Hillary was the prohibitive favourite  most of the media expected her to simply brush off Obamas challenge.

The results stunned everyone.

Obama took Ohio, Nevada and South Carolina while essentially tying with Clinton in New Hampshire.

He was also boosted by endorsements from John F Kennedys brother Ted Kennedy  then revered as the lion of the US Senate  and his daughter Caroline Kennedy.

Super Tuesday ended in a virtual tie  with Obama taking 13 states and Clinton 10. But with neither candidate able to get the decisive advantage, the rest of the primary was a long, hard slog until Obama finally secured enough delegates to wrap up the nomination.

Obama would easily best John McCain in the general election  and be sworn in as the 44th President of the United States.

Time in office

Obama took office at a precarious time.

America was suffering the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression.

Arguably the most important decision Obama immediately made was bailing out the auto industry in Detroit and stabilising the housing sector.

His American Recovery and Reinvestment Act got the United States back on track.

As president, the passage of the Affordable Care Act, known as Obamacare, remains his biggest achievement. It would expand healthcare access to millions of new people and make pre-existing conditions a thing of the past.

The Iran nuclear deal was another huge milestone  though Trump would later undo it.

Obama would also do away with the Clinton-era Dont Ask Dont Tell policy which made it easier for gays to serve in the military, ordered the justice department to stop defending the previous administrations Defence of Marriage Act in the courts and banned the use of torture by the CIA.

Legacy

Obama remains widely beloved by the American people.

The mere fact that he was elected to the highest office in the land twice  as an African-American  remains a momentous achievement.

His signature law, known as Obamacare, survives to this day despite a raft of challenges from the Republicans.

However, since his departure from office, he has faced flak from the far-left for not doing more for the cause in his post-presidency particularly when it comes to climate change.

He is also accused of not being a transformational president as much as a transitional one.

With inputs from agencies
Fourteen Buffalo Public Schools principals began September in a building different than where they finished last school year.

The extent of the reshuffling was roughly the same in the previous two school years, during which more than 20 principals, in total, switched to different locations among the districts 60 schools.

Is this a period of upheaval, or just the norm?

Its not anything new, said Jody Covington, speaking as president of the Buffalo Council of Supervisors and Administrators. Its something that happens every year.

Covington said the terms of the administrators bargaining agreement gives the district superintendent the authority to move principals from building to building.

Buffalo superintendent: 'Equity' behind transfer of Hutch-Tech assistant principal About 20 members of the Hutch-Tech community attended the Buffalo School Board meeting Wednesday. Clad in maroon apparel, they appealed to district leadership to keep Dennis Lesniak, the school's assistant principal, in place.

The routine flux has been a heated topic during the last three years, especially among teachers at specific schools. Hutchinson Central Technical High School teachers in August voiced displeasure within their community regarding the potential transfer of principal Daniel Zack, who ultimately remained at the helm. They vented to the Buffalo School Board about the movement of assistant principal Dennis Lesniak, who was assigned to Riverside Academy less than two weeks before school began.

Administrator shuffling has been the only constant at McKinley High School, rattled by violence already this school year. The Elmwood Avenue school has had eight different principals  several designated as temporary replacements  in the last six years, according to data compiled by The Buffalo News.

Susan Doyle, principal at Middle Early College for 17 years before her retirement in 2020, said administrative changes have been excessive.

I think too much movement has happened, Doyle said this week. If you think youre going to get moved every year or two, youre not going to commit.

Superintendent Tonja M. Williams Knight, who apologized to the Hutch-Tech community for the late timing of their change, emphasized that there is a mission within the shuffling.

Buffalo Schools' financial plan projects big changes: 'It will make for a stronger district in the long term' The plan for the next four years whittles away Buffalo Public Schools' $400-million financial cushion to curb long-standing problems that, if not addressed, would quickly lead to budgetary woes, BPS CFO Jim Barnes said.

Ensuring equity for all is one of our 5 by 2025 goals, and it requires matching principals expertise and experience with schools throughout our district to elevate and complement the learning and culture of our district, Williams Knight said in a statement. Reassignments can also provide growth opportunities and enhance their careers. The district also had several principals who retired.

The three principals interviewed for this story agreed that the superintendent must carefully navigate a range of challenges, some outside her control, to piece together the districts administrative puzzle. She has help, with input from Darlene Jesonowski, the districts chief of school leadership, as well as a host of associate superintendents  many former district principals themselves  who also oversee building leadership.

I believe the superintendents goal is the least disruption in a school community, but she has to make sure decisions are made with whats best for kids, said Terri Schuta, a district principal for 17 years who is now on the Buffalo School Board. Does the change outweigh the benefits of stability? Thats the call the superintendent has to make.

Why consistency matters

Remaining in the principals seat at one school has major advantages, and theyre not limited to familiarity with the building layout, staff makeup and student population. Institutional knowledge is not developed overnight, and a leaders comfort and authority inevitably touches school discipline, safety, climate and its legacy.

Back to school in Buffalo: Will students show up? Chronic absenteeism runs rampant in Buffalo schools and across the country. Can more welcoming school cultures and attendance teachers' Saturday home visits help alleviate the issue?

If youre a student in high school, you want them to form some stability in the school community, Schuta said. They want to know the expectations and know the culture.

Schuta said the fact that she was able to stay at South Park for 11 years allowed her to gain the trust and respect of South Buffalo families.

It wasnt a guessing game. It was stable, Schuta said. We were able to get tremendous buy-in for community. Parents and the community knew we had an established product after being there for so long, but that situation isnt always possible.

Stability and expectations have been crucial to the growth of Middle Early College, an innovative high school approach that enrolls students with grades in middle school between 65 and 85 and creates a framework that allows them to leave high school with more than 50 college credits. The program has not only bolstered the districts graduation rate and students career prospects, but it has solidified the relationship between Buffalo Schools and two local higher education mainstays, Erie Community College and SUNY Buffalo State University.

Middle Earlys growth might have been stunted if not for the consistent leadership of Susan Doyle, school principal since its 2003 formation until 2020. Doyle, who spoke at length Tuesday, said stability provided her by district leadership allowed her to, over time, develop Buffalos version of the early college model into a proud product for the district. History is important, she said.

Violence in McKinley reverberates across Buffalo Schools, safety again at forefront The stabbing of a 15-year-old student in a McKinley High School hallway was a reminder of how dangerous acts by a small minority of students in one school has ramifications for the entire district population. Regardless of title or rank, no one is untouched.

Early in her career, Doyle realized that principals are ultimately at the districts mercy. Not long after taking an assistant principal role at Riverside in the 1990s, she was told by district leadership she would not get what she hoped: the principalship at Riverside. Instead, to her surprise, she was assigned to lead Traditional.

The problem was that Doyle had begun her career as a special education teacher  one of the youngest on staff  at Traditional. Only a few years later, she was asked to be the boss of her former peers, on the other side of the counter.

After a stint as principal at Traditional for about eight years, she was told she would be transferred to South Park because it was struggling. This time, she fought back. She vividly recalls her ensuing conversation with an associate superintendent.

I didnt become an administrator to fix everyone elses mistakes, Doyle said she told the administrator. I told her, Its bull.  She ultimately stayed at Traditional and, after the school closed, built up Middle Early through long-term stability.

Several of Buffalos highest-performing schools have had stable principals: William Kresse at City Honors; Greg Lodinsky at Leonardo Da Vinci, before his retirement this year; Covington at Performing Arts; Giovanna Claudio-Cotto at Olmsted 156 and Marquita Bryant at Olmsted 64, to name a few.

For first time in years, calm sweeps over Buffalo Schools' transportation Three-bell schedules in Buffalo Schools and prescribed metro routes home for high school students were not popular when announced, but these strategies represent progress.

It is the duty of Williams Knight and her staff, then, to find similar building principals for all 60 schools. That is easier said than done.

Why so much change?

Theres a long list of reasons a principal might move to a different school in the district. A change happens more frequently in the summer between school years, but theres usually a handful of schools in the district that experience a midyear transition of leadership.

A principal may be promoted to an administrative role in City Hall. They may take a job outside the Buffalo school district. They might retire. They could be granted a transfer to a different school because theyre unhappy at their current spot. Their skills might not align with a school population, leading to an involuntary transfer. In some cases, breaking a rule will cause them to be placed on administrative leave for several months while their case is investigated.

Regardless of the reason for a principals departure, the resulting vacancy can set off a chain reaction.

Sometimes one of that schools assistant principals may be promoted to acting principal or be appointed as temporary principal  both short-term designations that can serve as a tryout of sorts. Of the 14 changes ahead of this school year, eight of them involve the promotion of a district assistant principal to a probationary principal role.

In other cases, a principal elsewhere in the district might be transferred to fill the void, but then that principals school would need an administrator. Six transfers occurred for this school year, three voluntary, three involuntary.

The shift in leadership is felt most in Buffalos high schools this year. Carlos Alvarez moved from Bennett to Emerson, so Fred Sales went from assistant principal at Burgard to take over Bennett. Two principals in charge of elementary schools last year vaulted to older populations: Mirlene Dere moved from Early Childhood Center to East High School, and Jonathan Welka shifted from Waterfront Elementary to Middle Early College.

Marva J. Daniel Futures, Harriet Ross Tubman, Bennett Park Montessori, Dr. Charles Drew Science Magnet, Houghton Academy and Dr. Lydia T. Wright School of Excellence were among the elementary schools in which leadership changed in the second half of last school year or over this summer.

Doyle, the longtime Middle Early principal, said she has seen more bureaucracy and unnecessary principal changes in the last decade, which she believes stem from behind-the-scenes discussions among district administrators in City Hall.

Politics has gotten in the way in the last eight years, she said, using personal gripes as an example. If I (tick) you off, youre done.

Covington, the president of the administrators union, said her bargaining group has no contractual authority over principal movement between schools, but she said theres positive dialogue between the union and Williams Knight. The BCSA can explain why a planned principal transfer may or may not be beneficial.

We do have conversations with the superintendent, Covington said. Well say, Have you considered this?

The outcome is not in the unions hands.

Sometimes its granted, sometimes its not, Covington said.

Both the superintendent and Covington emphasized that principal changes should not be viewed solely in a negative lens.

Change can be difficult for some, a window for opportunity for others, Covington said.

Covington said the superintendent has made an effort to try to avoid or lessen interrupting the program of a school or the culture of a school. The union leader mentioned one unnamed school in which a principal retired in the middle of last school year and Williams Knight decided against a major change until this summer.

The immense demands of a principals job factor into a position that sees substantial turnover, Covington said. You dont find a lot of people wanting to be principals across the country, she said, adding that principals are responsible for the lives of so many children  their success and the success of teachers rests on (principals) shoulders.
On Friday, the former president launched a scathing attack against Google on his social media platform TruthSocial read more

Former US President Donald Trump threatened to prosecute Google if he comes to power. AP

Former US President Donald Trump threatened to prosecute Google if he wins the upcoming US Presidential Elections. In his latest instance of threatening prosecution, Trump claimed that the tech giant had been illegally showing only bad stories about him and only good ones for Vice President Kamala Harris.

Trumps latest warning came just weeks after he called for the prosecution of lawyers, political donors and operatives if they engage in unscrupulous behaviour. On Friday, the former president launched a scathing attack against Google on his social media platform TruthSocial.

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It has been determined that Google has illegally used a system of only revealing and displaying bad stories about Donald J. Trump, some made up for this purpose while, at the same time, only revealing good stories about Comrade Kamala Harris, Trump wrote in this post.

This is an ILLEGAL ACTIVITY, and hopefully the Justice Department will criminally prosecute them for this blatant Interference of Elections, he added. If not, and subject to the Laws of our Country, I will request their prosecution, at the maximum levels, when I win the Election, and become President of the United States! he added.

Google reacts

Following Trumps accusations, Google made it clear that it did not manipulate the search results in favour of any candidates. Both campaign websites consistently appear at the top of search for relevant and common search queries, a Google spokesman said. In the past, Conservatives have claimed that in the past, Googles algorithm was favouring the Democrats.

The Media Research Center, a group that works to counter what it claims is the leftist bias of the national news media, issued studies in the past, hinting that Google search aids Democrats. However, the search engine disputed all the reports and accusations, insisting that its search does not favour one party over another.

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Trump made the post shortly before Harris arrived at the Southern border as US President Joe Bidens government continues to face criticism over the border crisis.

It is pertinent to note that the former reality TV stars attack against Google came just days after Trump suggested that former US Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi should be prosecuted in connection with the security lapses by which a mob of his own supporters attacked the Capitol Hill on January 6, 2021.

Meanwhile, on Friday, he said that an attorney general somewhere, like in a Republican territory should investigate Pelosi and her husband amid reports that the couple sold Visa stock ahead of the Justice Departments filing an antitrust lawsuit against the company.
Going into the meeting, the Ukrainian president recalled that he last met Trump in person five years ago read more

During his meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, former US President Donald Trump vowed to resolve the ongoing conflict very quickly. Trump met the Ukrainian leader in New York in a bid to repair ties. The two men met at the Trump Tower on Friday.

We have a very good relationship, and I also have a very good relationship, as you know, with President Putin, Trump said as he stood next to Zelenskyy before the meeting. And I think if we win, I think were going to get it resolved very quickly  I really think were going to get it  but, you know, it takes two to tango, he added.

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Going into the meeting, the Ukrainian president recalled that he last met Trump in person five years ago. I think we have a common view that the war in Ukraine has to be stopped, and Putin cant win, and Ukraine has to prevail, Zelenskyy said. And I want to discuss with you the details of our plan. The meeting took place just a day after the two leaders were involved in a war of words over their disagreement in regard to how they would like to end the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.

Zelenskyy attempts to woo Trump

The last time Trump and Zelenskyy met was before the former US President was impeached for asking Zelenskyy in a 2019 phone call to investigate Joe Biden and his son. The authorities accused Trump of attempting to influence the outcome of the 2020 US Presidential Elections. However, Trump was acquitted by the Senate.

In his opening remarks, the Republican presidential nominee thanked Zelenskyy for what he said in support of him during the 2019 scandal. One of the reasons we won it so easily is that when he [Zelenskyy] was asked  he could have grandstanded and played cute, and he didnt do that, Trump said. He said President Trump did absolutely nothing wrong. He said it loud and clear, and the impeachment hoax died right there.

I had a very productive meeting with @realDonaldTrump. I presented him our Victory Plan, and we thoroughly reviewed the situation in Ukraine and the consequences of the war for our people. Many details were discussed. I am grateful for this meeting. A just peace is needed.



We pic.twitter.com/33t0kghTle  Volodymyr Zelenskyy /   (@ZelenskyyUa) September 27, 2024

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In October 2019, Zelenskyy told reporters that there was no blackmailing on Trumps end. During the meeting, Trump insisted that Zelenskyy has gone through hell emphasizing that the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war has to end. Their meeting lasted for less than an hour and Zelenskyy later described the meeting as very productive.

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I had a very productive meeting with @realDonaldTrump. I presented him with our Victory Plan, and we thoroughly reviewed the situation in Ukraine and the consequences of the war for our people. Many details were discussed. I am grateful for this meeting. A just peace is needed, the Ukrainian leader wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.

We share the common view that the war in Ukraine must be stopped. Putin cannot win. Ukrainians must prevail, he added. The meeting was conducted on the sidelines of Zelenskyys US visit, where he addressed the United Nations General Assembly.

What happened when Zelenskyy met Trumps rival

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Days before Zelenskyy met Trump, he visited the White House to lay out his victory plan in front of US President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. Harris indirectly decried Trump and his campaigns problematic proposal to end the Russia-Ukraine war as she met Zelenskyy.

During her talks with the Ukrainian leader, the Democratic Presidential nominee referred to the Trump campaigns idea as the proposal to surrender. Addressing Zelenskyy in the White House, Harris said some in my country would pressure Ukraine to accept a peace deal in which it surrendered its sovereign territory and neutrality in order to make peace with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

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These proposals are the same as those of Putin, and let us be clear, they are not proposals for peace, she said. Instead, they are proposals for surrender, which is dangerous and unacceptable. While Harris did not explicitly take the names of her GOP rival Trump and his VP pick JD Vance, the proposal that she called out was oddly similar to the one proposed by the Republican duo.

As both Zelenskyy and Trump claimed that the meeting was productive, it will be interesting to see if the former president would change his plans for the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.

With inputs from agencies.
The development comes on the heels of Hezbollah and Tel Aviv announcing that the Iran-backed groups chief, Hassan Nasrallah, was killed in an Israeli airstrike that targeted Beirut on Friday (September 27) read more

Smoke billows over southern Lebanon, amid ongoing cross-border hostilities between Hezbollah and Israeli forces, as pictured from Marjayoun, near the border with Israel, on Tuesday. Reuters

The US state department has asked the families of diplomats stationed in Lebanon to leave the country.

The travel advisory posted by the US Department of State said that it had ordered the departure of non-mission-employed eligible family members (EFMs) and authorised departure for mission-employed EFMs and non-essential US direct hire (USDH) employees.

The Department said that this has been done due to the volatile and unpredictable security situation in Beirut.

Apart from the order to leave, the US Embassy Beirut personnel are restricted from personal travel without advance permission.

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The development comes on the heels of Hezbollah and Tel Aviv announcing that the Iran-backed groups chief, Hassan Nasrallah, was killed in an Israeli airstrike that targeted Beirut on Friday (September 27).

The US travel advisroty said, Due to the increased volatility following airstrikes within Beirut and the volatile and unpredictable security situation throughout Lebanon, the US Embassy urges US citizens to depart Lebanon while commercial options still remain available.

The situation in Lebanon

Since October 8 last year, Hezbollah and Israel have had cross-border exchanges of fire on a near daily basis. In some instances, Israeli attacks have hit targets well north of the border it shares with Lebanon.

The situation between the two nations escalated even further on September 17-18, when communications devices pagers and walki-talkies exploded in locations throughout Lebanon, including Beirut, killing dozens and injuring thousands.

Following that, Israels airstrikes on September 27-28 in Beiruts southern suburbs led to the death of Hezbollahs top leader Hassan Nasrallah. With that, Lebanons security environment became even more volatile and unpredictable, and fears of a wider regional war spiked.

According to the US Department of State, the situation is especially bad in Southern Lebanon, the region that shares a border with Northern Israel. The US Embassy in Beirut has strongly encouraged US citizens in Southern Lebanon, near the borders with Syria, and/or in refugee settlements to depart those areas immediately.
The virus can be transmitted from bats to primates, including humans, and then spread through direct contact with blood or other body fluids from infected individuals read more

The Marburg virus has killed six people in Rwanda. Image used for representative purpose/Reuters

Six people have died in Rwanda following an outbreak of the Marburg virus, the countrys health ministry said Saturday (September 29).

Rwandas Health Minister, Sabin Nsanzimana, confirmed that about 20 patients are currently being treated for the disease, most of whom are health workers.

Efforts are underway to trace and test those who may have come into contact with the infected individuals, Nsanzimana told local media.

What is the Marburg viral disease?

The Marburg viral disease is a highly infectious hemorrhagic fever similar to Ebola. The virus, which also causes bleeding, and organ failure, is known for its high mortality rate.

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Marburg belongs to the filovirus family, which also includes Ebola, and has caused several deadly outbreaks in Africa.

Neighbouring Tanzania reported cases in 2023, while Uganda saw its last outbreak in 2017. The three East African countries share porous borders, raising concerns about cross-border transmission.

How does it spread?

The suspected natural host of the virus is believed to be the African fruit bat, which carries the pathogen without falling ill.

The virus can be transmitted from bats to primates, including humans, and then spread through direct contact with blood or other body fluids from infected individuals.

The virus takes its name from the German city of Marburg, where it was first identified in 1967 in a lab where workers had been in contact with infected green monkeys imported from Uganda.

Since then, fatality rates in confirmed cases have ranged from 24 per cent to 88 per cent, depending on the virus strain and the quality of care, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Is there a treatment for it?

Currently, there are no vaccines or antiviral treatments for the Marburg viral disease.

However, the good news is that experimental therapies, blood products, and early-stage vaccines are being evaluated for their effectiveness.

With inputs from AFP
Nokia has secured a significant three-year contract with Vodafone Idea Limited (VIL) to supply 4G and 5G equipment. This agreement will modernize and expand VILs existing 4G network, ensuring premium connectivity for over 200 million customers.

This comes after Vi announced that it has sealed ~USD 3.6 billion (~Rs. 30,000 crore) deal with Nokia, Ericsson and Samsung, for supply of network equipment over a period of three years.

Nokia will leverage its advanced 5G AirScale portfolio, powered by ReefShark System-on-Chip technology, to deliver cutting-edge 5G capabilities. This includes base stations, baseband units, and innovative Habrok Massive MIMO radios. The company will also upgrade VILs 4G network with multiband radios and baseband equipment, providing a seamless transition to 5G.

To enhance network performance and efficiency, Nokia will implement its industry-leading MantaRay SON platform. This self-configuring solution optimizes network operations and addresses specific challenges faced by VIL. Nokia will also provide comprehensive services, including planning, deployment, integration, and network optimization.

As a long-standing partner of VIL, Nokia has played a crucial role in the deployment of its 2G, 3G, 4G, and now 5G networks. This latest contract solidifies Nokias position as a leading provider of telecommunications solutions in the Indian market.

Akshaya Moondra, CEO of Vodafone Idea Limited, said:

We are committed to providing a best-in-class 4G and 5G experience to our customers and this new deal with Nokia, who has been our partner since the beginning, will help us to deliver that. 5G will bring seamless high-speed connectivity and increased capacity, supporting citizens and enterprises alike. This will also enable unprecedented levels of innovation and efficiency across various sectors, empowering organizations to thrive in todays fast-paced digital landscape.

Tommi Uitto, President of Mobile Networks at Nokia, said:

Nokia is proud to be Vodafone Ideas partner in the next stage of its network evolution. This is a continuation of our long-term partnership that has lasted for over three decades and highlights their trust in our technology portfolio. They will benefit from the very latest products and innovations from our industry-leading, energy-efficient AirScale portfolio that will bring premium quality capacity and connectivity to their customers. We look forward to working with Vodafone Idea on this exciting deployment.
Lifestyle / Travel and Tourism

by Staff Reporter

International City

Average Price per Square Foot: AED 692 (USD 188)

Average Apartment Prices:

ROI: 8.37%

Dubai South

Average Price per Square Foot: AED 917 (USD 249)

Average Apartment Prices:

ROI: 8.15%

Dubai Production City (IMPZ)

Average Price per Square Foot: AED 952 (USD 259)

Average Apartment Prices:

ROI: 8.89%

Dubai Silicon Oasis (DSO)

Average Price per Square Foot: AED 792 (USD 216)

Average Apartment Prices:

ROI: 9.28%

Agreement Preparation

Sign the Sale Agreement

Obtain No Objection Certificate (NOC)

Transfer Ownership

Market Growth: Rising property prices show a strong market capable of yielding significant profits over time.

Rental Yields: Based on the above-specified ROI percentages, these houses might provide very significant rental revenue.

Cultural Diversity: Dubai's cosmopolitan surroundings appeal to Zimbabwean and other country expats.

Legal Framework: Crucially, as a foreign investor, one must understand the laws behind property ownership. See real estate experts or legal counsel conversant with both UAE rules and Zimbabwean legislation.

The Dubai real estate market offers a great chance for Zimbabwean investors looking for reasonably priced apartment choices since it continues to grow and thrive. The most recent figures from Bayut's Sales Market Report for H1 2024 show a strong rising trend in property prices across all sectors, notably in the affordable category. Supported by data and insights catered for Zimbabwean readers, this article will investigate the finest places for buying reasonably priced apartments in Dubai.Against early forecasts of a decline, the Dubai property market has demonstrated resilience and growth. In the first half of 2024, housing prices in affordable categories increased by up to 17%, according to Bayut's report. Given the high demand and investor confidence shown by this rise, Zimbabweans wishing to make real estate investments in Dubai would now find it to be a prime opportunity. In all, 43,075 sales transactions for ready properties totaled AED 122.9 billion (USD 33.46 billion), demonstrating the market's vibrancy.Weve prepared a list of top affordable apartment locations with recent data from Bayuts 2024 report. You can find many relevant Dubai apartments for sale on Bayut and explore its tech-driven features to ease your search according to your preferences. Lets explore the amazing options available for Zimbabwean investors:One of the most sought-after places for reasonably priced Dubai apartment purchases is International City. The neighborhood is lively to live in as the apartments there are scattered in country-themed clusters. For expats and families, the area is perfect as it provides basic conveniences such as stores and leisure activities.Studio: AED 339,000 (USD 92,307)1-Bed: AED 503,000 (USD 136,963)2-Bed: AED 853,000 (USD 232,266)Dubai South is growing as a residential region with great affordability and strategic proximity to the Al Maktoum International Airport. Offering a variety of facilities and easy access to main roads, the neighborhood is meant to appeal to professionals and families.Studio: AED 424,000 (USD 115,452)1-Bed: AED 635,000 (USD 172,750)2-Bed: AED 1,062,000 (USD 288,000)Dubai Production City, also referred to as IMPZ (International Media Production Zone), is a dynamic neighborhood integrating business and residential communities. Families looking for reasonably priced homes will find it intriguing as well as perfect for people in the media and manufacturing sectors.Studio: AED 393,000 (USD 107,000)1-Bed: AED 725,000 (USD 197,500)2-Bed: AED 1,055,000 (USD 287,500)DSO offers a complete community experience with several residential structures as a contemporary suburb dedicated to technology and innovation. DSO is handy for inhabitants as it provides excellent facilities like gyms and pools and close access to main highways.Studio: AED 401,000 (USD 109,000)1-Bed: AED 600,000 (USD 163,000)2-bed: AED 1,055,000 (USD 287,500)Factors like market conditions, property size, amenities, and developers affect the prices listed in this article. For recent information, consult with real estate experts.Buying real estate in Dubai follows a clear and structured process. Here is a short synopsis:Once you choose a property, work out terms with the seller and draft a thorough sales contract. This agreement should include important terms, payment plans, and prices.Use the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) available from the Dubai Land Department (DLD). Both sides sign it and a 10% security deposit is paid to the Registration Trustee.To be sure the property has no outstanding debt, ask the developer for an NOC.Get the required records, then visit the DLD or send a representative. Send all necessary documentationidentification, NOC, signed contract, etc. Completing the transfer and getting your title deed also requires paying relevant fees.Using these guidelines will help you to effectively negotiate the Dubai property purchase process.For Zimbabwean investors looking for diversity or improved returns on their money, investing in Dubai's real estate market can be rather advantageous. These factors should help you to think through:For Zimbabwean investors seeking reasonably priced apartment choices, the Dubai real estate market has a plethora of possibilities. There are several options available with neighborhoods like International City, Jumeirah Village Circle, and Dubai Silicon Oasis leading the way in affordability and conveniences. Now is a perfect moment for investors to investigate these choices and make wise judgments in line with their financial objectives as the market keeps developing and changing.Investors have the option between getting a mortgage or paying cash. Many Dubai banks provide expatriate financing choices, usually needing a down payment of between 20 and 25%. To know the finest possibilities, one should speak with mortgage brokers or financial institutions.Indeed, purchasers should be aware of extra expenses like NOC fees from the developer, the Dubai Land Department (DLD) registration charge (about 4% of the property price), and possible agency fees should they be hiring a real estate agent. Budgeting for these costs is crucial when you decide on your investment.Yes, international investors can buy freehold real estate in certain designated regions of Dubai. The process is simple, and many expatriates make profitable real estate investments in Dubai. Still, knowing local laws and rules is essential, therefore it is advised to speak with a legal professional.
Ap

Hurricane Helene kills at least 44, cuts swath of destruction across Southeast

PERRY, Fla.

Hurricane Helene left an enormous path of destruction across Florida and the southeastern U.S. on Friday, killing at least 44 people, snapping towering oaks like twigs and tearing apart homes as rescue crews launched desperate missions to save people from floodwaters.

Among those killed were three firefighters, a woman and her 1-month-old twins, and an 89-year-old woman whose house was struck by a falling tree. According to an Associated Press tally, the deaths occurred in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia.

The Category 4 hurricane knocked out power to some hospitals in southern Georgia, and Gov. Brian Kemp said authorities had to use chainsaws to clear debris and open up roads. The storm had maximum sustained winds of 140 mph (225 kph) when it made landfall late Thursday in a sparsely populated region in Floridas rural Big Bend area, home to fishing villages and vacation hideaways where the states panhandle and peninsula meet.

Moodys Analytics said it expects $15 billion to $26 billion in property damage.

The wreckage extended hundreds of miles northward to northeast Tennessee, where a  dangerous rescue situation  by helicopter unfolded after 54 people were moved to the roof of the Unicoi County Hospital as water rapidly flooded the facility. Everyone was rescued and no one was left at the hospital as of late Friday afternoon, Ballad Health said.

In North Carolina, a lake featured in the movie Dirty Dancing overtopped a dam and surrounding neighborhoods were evacuated, although there were no immediate concerns it would fail. People also were evacuated from Newport, Tennessee, a city of about 7,000 people, amid concerns about a dam near there, although officials later said the structure had not failed.

Tornadoes hit some areas, including one in Nash County, North Carolina, that critically injured four people.

Atlanta received a record 11.12 inches of rain in 48 hours, the most the city has seen in a two-day period since record keeping began in 1878, Georgias Office of the State Climatologist said on the social platform X. The previous mark of 9.59 inches was set in 1886. Some neighborhoods were so badly flooded that only car roofs could be seen poking above the water.

Climate change has exacerbated conditions that allow such storms to thrive, rapidly intensifying in warming waters and turning into powerful cyclones sometimes in a matter of hours.

When Laurie Lilliott pulled onto her street in Dekle Beach, Florida, after Helene plowed through, she couldnt see the roofline of her home beyond the palm trees. It had collapsed, torn apart by the pounding storm surge, one corner still precariously propped up by a piling.

It took me a long time to breathe, Lilliott said.

As she surveyed the damage, her name and phone number were still inked on her arm in permanent marker, an admonition by Taylor County officials to help identify recovered bodies in the storms aftermath. The community has taken direct hits from three hurricanes since August 2023.

All five who died in one Florida county were in neighborhoods where residents were told to evacuate, said Bob Gualtieri, the sheriff in Pinellas County in the St. Petersburg area. Some who stayed ended up having to hide in their attics to escape the rising water. He said the death toll could rise as crews go door-to-door in flooded areas.

More deaths were reported in Georgia and the Carolinas, including two South Carolina firefighters and a Georgia firefighter who died when trees struck their trucks.

Video on social media showed sheets of rain and siding coming off buildings in Perry, Florida, near where the storm hit land. A news station showed a home that was overturned, and many communities established curfews.

Also in Perry, the hurricane peeled off the new roof of a church that was replaced after Hurricane Idalia last year.

When the water hit knee-level in Kera ONeils home in Hudson, Florida, she knew it was time to escape.

Theres a moment where you are thinking, If this water rises above the level of the stove, we are not going to have not much room to breathe, she said, recalling how she and her sister waded through chest-deep water with one cat in a plastic carrier and another in a cardboard box.

President Joe Biden said he was praying for survivors, and the head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency headed to the area. The agency deployed more than 1,500 workers, and they helped with 400 rescues by late morning.

In Tampa, some areas could be reached only by boat.

Officials urged people who were trapped to call for rescuers and not tread floodwaters, warning they can be dangerous due to live wires, sewage, sharp objects and other debris.

More than 3 million homes and businesses were without power in Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas as of late Friday, according to poweroutage.us. The site also showed outages as far north as Ohio and Indiana due to Helenes rapid northward movement throughout the day.

In Georgia, an electrical utility group warned of catastrophic damage to utility infrastructure, with more than 100 high voltage transmission lines damaged. And officials in South Carolina, where more than 40% of customers were without power, said crews had to cut their way through debris just to determine what was still standing in some places.

The hurricane came ashore near the mouth of the Aucilla River, about 20 miles northwest of where Idalia hit last year at nearly the same ferocity. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said the damage from Helene appears to be greater than the combined effects of Idalia and Hurricane Debby in August.

Its tough, and we understand that. We also understand that this is a resilient state, DeSantis said at a news conference in storm-damaged St. Pete Beach.

Soon after it crossed over land, Helene weakened to a tropical storm and later a post-tropical cyclone. Forecasters said it continued to produce catastrophic flooding, and some areas received more than a foot of rain.

A mudslide in the Appalachian Mountains washed out part of an interstate highway at the North Carolina-Tennessee state line.

Another slide hit homes in North Carolina and occupants had to wait more than four hours to be rescued, said Ryan Cole, the emergency services assistant director in Buncombe County. His 911 center received more than 3,300 calls in eight hours Friday.

This is something that were going to be dealing with for many days and weeks to come, Cole said.

Forecasters warned of flooding in North Carolina that could be worse than anything seen in the past century. Evacuations were underway and around 300 roads were closed statewide. The Connecticut Army National Guard sent a helicopter to help.

School districts and universities canceled classes. Florida airports that closed due to the storm reopened Friday. Inspectors were examining bridges and causeways along the Gulf Coast, the states transportation secretary said.

Helene also swamped parts of Mexicos Yucatan Peninsula, flooding streets and toppling trees as it brushed past the resort city of Cancun this week. It also knocked out power to more than 200,000 homes and businesses in western Cuba.

Helene was the eighth named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, which began June 1. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has predicted an above-average season this year because of record-warm ocean temperatures.
Join us on an unscripted adventure as we explore the history of the Galveston jetties, crucial for the region's economic growth from the 1800s to today.
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News / National

by Staff reporter

The Minister of Veterans of the Liberation Struggle Affairs, Monica Mavhunga, has announced the resumption of compensation payments for war victims, marking a major step in supporting Zimbabwe's liberation heroes and heroines. This announcement was made during her ministerial statement delivered in the Senate on Thursday.The compensation scheme, which was suspended in 1997 amid allegations of corruption, abuse, and mismanagement, will now restart over two decades later, following significant efforts to reform and address long-standing grievances. Since Zimbabwe's independence, providing adequate support to war veterans, including compensation for injuries and losses sustained during the liberation struggle, has remained a challenge.The War Victims' Compensation Fund was initially suspended after an investigation by the Chidyausiku Commission of Inquiry in 1998, which sought to address corruption concerns but led to the halting of payments.Minister Mavhunga outlined several key initiatives aimed at improving the welfare of war veterans and their families, including safeguarding land allocated to them."Land allocated to war veterans and children of war veterans must not be taken away from them since it is their heritage, which they fought for and sacrificed their lives," Mavhunga emphasized. "We owe our veterans, not just our gratitude but tangible support and protection."She further highlighted the government's commitment to ensuring veterans have access to the resources they fought for, with measures that will see a 20% quota on gazetted land, which aims to curb widespread evictions of veterans from farms and mines.The resumption of compensation will also involve amending the War Victims Compensation Act to include individuals injured by landmines after the liberation war, addressing a previously overlooked group.Additionally, Mavhunga revealed plans to register and provide state assistance to the dependents of fallen heroes, noting that many veterans and families of deceased liberation fighters are unaware of the benefits to which they are entitled."There is a need for a massive public awareness campaign to inform them of their benefits and register those eligible. The National Heroes Dependents Assistance Board is already conducting workshops across the country, with Mashonaland East, Matabeleland South, and Midlands provinces covered so far," the minister stated.Once the registration process is complete, eligible dependents will receive payments as defined under the National Heroes Act.To further assist war veterans, the ministry will establish technical committees to address challenges veterans face in accessing loans and resolving mining disputes, ensuring their economic security.President Emmerson Mnangagwa has in recent months reiterated the importance of improving the welfare of liberation war fighters, calling for the inclusion of those left out in previous compensation vetting processes. The renewed efforts reflect the government's desire to finally provide long-overdue support to those who fought for Zimbabwe's independence.
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Welcome to my genealogy blog. Genea-Musings features genealogy research tips and techniques, genealogy news items and commentary, genealogy humor, San Diego genealogy society news, family history research and some family history stories from the keyboard of Randy Seaver (of Chula Vista CA), who thinks that Genealogy Research Is really FUN! Copyright (c) Randall J. Seaver, 2006-2024.
The explosions shaking Beirut's southern suburbs were the fiercest to hit the Iran-backed movement's stronghold since Israel and Hezbollah went to war in 2006
News / National

by Staff reporter

During a recent Senate debate, Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) Senator Cecil Zvidzai urged Zimbabweans to confront uncomfortable truths about national issues impacting citizens' well-being. His remarks came as the country navigates President Emmerson Mnangagwa's new role as chair of the Southern African Development Community (SADC).Zvidzai expressed concern over the misleading narratives propagated by certain government officials and members of the ruling party regarding critical issues, particularly government spending. He drew on a European parable about a king whose wife failed to tell him the unpleasant truth about his bad breath, emphasizing the importance of honesty, even when it is uncomfortable."The essence of patriotism lies in speaking the truth, even when it challenges those in power," Zvidzai stated. He criticized the current state of transparency surrounding major infrastructure projects, alleging corruption and overspending that ultimately burden taxpayers.While acknowledging his respect for President Mnangagwa and his historical contributions to the fight for justice and human rights, Zvidzai remained steadfast in his commitment to truthfulness. "I am pleased that one of our own is now the leader of SADC. However, it is vital for us to say things as they are," he said.Reflecting on historical injustices, Zvidzai recalled how vulnerable populations were displaced during the 1991 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) to create a favorable impression for foreign dignitaries. He expressed concern that similar actions are being repeated today, leading to unplanned settlements on the outskirts of Harare, such as Norton and Caledonia."The same sacrifice of ordinary people's rights happened before the SADC meeting," Zvidzai warned, urging against the repetition of such historical wrongs. He also highlighted the plight of 78 Zimbabweans currently imprisoned, suggesting their detention was politically motivated to appease foreign interests."These individuals are languishing in prison for no reason other than to look good to foreigners. It is a shame that we sacrifice important constitutional rights, such as the right to gather and speak out," he lamented.Despite warnings regarding discussing matters still before the courts, Zvidzai pressed on, calling for accountability in government expenditure related to the SADC summit. He also raised concerns about the recent depreciation of the local currency, the ZiG, questioning whether there is a connection between the currency's collapse and the country's current political developments."Is it a coincidence that the ZiG has collapsed with the arrival of this chairpersonship? We must examine the broader socio-economic factors affecting the people of this country," Zvidzai asserted.On the same day, the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe announced a devaluation of the ZiG, adjusting its value from ZWG24 to 1 USD. This recent decline has left businesses in turmoil, with retailers expressing concerns about the sustainability of their operations amidst the economic uncertainty.Zvidzai's calls for honesty and accountability resonate as Zimbabwe grapples with pressing national challenges and seeks a path forward that prioritizes the welfare of its citizens.
Fri Friday

85 /56

Mix of sun and clouds. Highs in the mid 80s and lows in the mid 50s.
Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Grand Junction Mayor Abe Herman as well as other local residents called on Colorado senators Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper to support the Dolores Canyons National Monument on a Zoom call Friday.

The 400,000-acre proposed national monument would require presidential approval via the antiquities act.

The Protect the Dolores Coalition is proposing a new national monument on approximately 400,000 acres of public lands surrounding the Dolores River in the western portions of Mesa and Montrose counties to conserve the regions outstanding ecological, cultural, historical, and recreational resources, the Protect the Dolores Coalitions website states.

Herman said the Dolores Canyons National Monument would strengthen the areas economy by introducing new economic opportunities and jobs while preserving the landscape and current uses of the area such as ranching.

The plan has been developed via a community-led process and strengthened by feedback from stakeholders, Herman said.

Its a comprehensive and balanced approach to conservation, Herman said.

The plan has been met with some resistance.

The Mesa County Commissioners have come out against the monument, approving a resolution in May that stated current administrative protections in the area are adequate. The commissioners in Mesa and Montrose county released an alternative proposal in July.

Herman said the national monument plan provides greater protections and was developed with more community input than the plan offered by the commissioners.

Protect our public lands for many, many future generations to come, Herman said.

Other speakers at the press conference were Protect the Dolores Coalition member Valeria Herrera and local attorney Kate Cooper.

National monument designation will preserve the Dolores canyon for Coloradans in perpetuity, Herrera said, saying conserving the canyons will leave an impact that lasts longer than our lifetimes.

Herrera said she wants equitable access to outdoor resources for families and a way to honor the landscape and people who lived in this area in the past.

Cooper said the Dolores Canyons area has some of the best outdoor recreation amenities in Colorado, and offers a connection to indigenous people.

Our public lands belong to us, and the Dolores canyons are truly a treasure with protecting, Cooper said.

Brien Webster, the Public Lands Campaign Manager for Conservation Colorado, said the proposed monument represents the largest, most biodiverse section of unprotected public lands in Colorado.

Europe may have its cathedrals, but we have places like the Dolores Canyons, Webster said.
US, Zambia enhance security cooperation and capabilities with UN engagement training

By Maj. Joe Legros September 26, 2024

LUSAKA, Zambia -- From September 2-13, 2024, the U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa's (SETAF-AF) civil affairs team in Zambia (CAT Zambia) facilitated a two-week United Nations engagement course for select participants from the Zambian Army. The training, held at the Kenneth Kaunda Peace Training Center in the Chongwe District, focused on preparing trainers within the Zambia Defence Force (ZDF) for future self-taught courses.

The mission supported partner capacity building and enhanced security cooperation between the U.S. and Zambia. In addition to strengthening ZDF capabilities, the initiative aligns with SETAF-AF and U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) strategic objectives to expand opportunities in Southern Africa, thereby distinguishing the U.S. as the region's partner of choice.

"The UN engagement platoon train the trainer course was beneficial in allowing CAT Zambia to understand how the UN operates within a peacekeeping capacity, and how their use of civil military cooperation and engagement teams is very similar to U.S. Army civil affairs," said U.S. Army Staff Sgt. James Cooley, a civil affairs Soldier with CAT Zambia, SETAF-AF.

The course, taught in partnership with the Institute for Security Governance (ISG), builds a sustainable training program within the ZDF by training future trainers who will continue passing on the skills and knowledge acquired during the course. By focusing on a train-the-trainer approach, the team supports AFRICOM's engagement style: partner-led, U.S.-enabled.

As a component of the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA), ISG strengthens partner institutional capacity and capability through advising, education and professional development programs such as the engagement in Zambia.

The ZDF also aims to establish a lasting impact, ensuring that their forces remain well equipped for future peacekeeping missions.

"Attending this course gave us the opportunity to continue working alongside Zambian soldiers who attended a civil affairs class we instructed earlier in the year," said U.S. Army Sgt. Anthony Behring, a civil affairs soldier with CAT Zambia, SETAF-AF. "During the program, we were able to share best practices through joint discussions, while also learning from the Zambian's extensive UN experiences."

The first week of the course included hands-on training, where participants engaged in exercises designed to mirror real-world peacekeeping scenarios. Instructors from CAT Zambia and ISG worked closely with participants to guide them through complex engagements with civil authorities, sharing prior experiences and enhancing their skill sets.

This civil affairs program highlights the importance of sustainable knowledge transfer within defense institutions. In line with AFRICOM's guidance, the long-term goal is to create a self-sufficient training program that allows the ZDF to continually improve its own operational readiness.

U.S. Marine Corps Gen. Michael Langley, commander of AFRICOM, has continually maintained that most of the continent's nations prefer to solve African problems with African solutions. This engagement is the latest example of U.S. commitment to supporting that goal.

Recent U.S. engagements in Zambia include the African Land Forces Summit 2024, which was held in Livingstone, April 22-26, 2024. With 40 African nations in attendance, this year's theme was "Regional Solutions to Transnational Problems."

Ongoing civil affairs evaluations will provide valuable insights into how future training programs can be adapted to better serve the ZDF's specific needs. Looking ahead, SETAF-AF plans to continue its support of ZDF training efforts and explore ways to incorporate civil affairs into national and regional operations.

"This engagement helped to highlight the benefits of continued partnership and cooperation," concluded Behring.

About SETAF-AF

SETAF-AF provides U.S. Africa Command and U.S. Army Europe and Africa a dedicated headquarters to synchronize Army activities in Africa and scalable crisis-response options in Africa and Europe.

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Canada calls for de-escalation and protection of civilians amid escalating violence in Lebanon and Israel

Global Affairs Canada

Statement

September 26, 2024 - Ottawa (Ontario) - Global Affairs Canada

The Honourable Melanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs, today issued the following statement:

"Our hearts and thoughts are with the families of the Canadians who have been affected, including and especially those who have been killed or injured.

"The conflict between Israel and Hezbollah is intolerable and presents an unacceptable risk of a broader regional escalation.

"We are concerned that a war between Israel and Hezbollah would have devastating consequences, while adding to the already severe humanitarian, economic and political crises in Lebanon.

"Thousands of Israelis have been displaced from their homes in the north and are unable to live in peace and security because of attacks by Hezbollah, a terrorist organization. Just over the past week, hundreds of Lebanese civilians have been killed, and more than 90,000 Lebanese have been newly displaced. Canada has lost two of its own citizens due to Israeli airstrikes.

"We condemn the killing of civilians and humanitarian workers, including women and children.

"Canada urges all parties to protect civilians including humanitarian workers from harm and to respect their obligations under international humanitarian law.

"Israel and Hezbollah must reverse course; there can be no military solution to the current conflict. Immediate action to stop the violence is urgently needed.

"Alongside our partners, we call for an immediate 21-day ceasefire across the Lebanon-Israel border to provide space for diplomacy towards the conclusion of a diplomatic settlement consistent with UNSCR 1701, and the implementation of UNSCR 2735 regarding a ceasefire in Gaza.

"Lebanese civilians should not bear the consequences of Hezbollah's actions; they have the right to live in peace and security throughout Lebanon. Hezbollah must cease its attacks, allowing Israelis to return home safely. We will continue to do everything we can to hold Iran accountable for its atrocities in the region including its funding of terrorist attacks.

"Canada is committed to continue its work with the international community to help advance peace in the region. We owe it to the Lebanese, Palestinian, and Israeli peoples to make tangible progress toward peace and stability in the region.

"As we have been advising since October 2023, Canadians still in Lebanon should leave as soon as they can for their own safety, while commercial means remain available. It is the easiest and safest way to leave Lebanon.

"We continue to work with industry, international partners and likeminded countries to coordinate contingency planning efforts to respond should the situation further deteriorate.

"Canadians in Lebanon should consult our Travel Advice and Advisories for Lebanon regularly and sign up with the Registration of Canadians Abroad service now to receive important information from the Government of Canada. Those already registered should update their information and ensure it is accurate.

"Canadians should make sure their travel documents and those of their spouse and dependent children are always up to date and secure.

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Remarks by China's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Fu Cong at the UN Security Council Briefing on the Lebanese-Israeli Situation

People's Republic of China Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Updated: September 26, 2024 11:05From Chinese Mission to the United Nations

President,

I thank France for requesting this meeting, and welcome the presence of Prime Minister Najib Mikati of Lebanon. I also thank Secretary-General Guterres for his briefing, which reminds us of the gravity of the current situation.

The Lebanese people have just experienced the bloodiest week in decades. Thousands of communications devices were detonated simultaneously via remote control, causing heavy casualties of innocent civilians. China once again condemned such unscrupulous and indiscriminate attacks. While the Lebanese people were still reeling from the shock, bombs rained down from the sky. Israel launched multiple rounds of large-scale airstrikes on southern and eastern Lebanon, leading to over 500 deaths and close to 2,000 injuries. China is seriously concerned about the current situation between Lebanon and Israel. We firmly support Lebanon in defending sovereignty, security, and national dignity, and strongly condemn acts that violate the basic norms governing international relations. We firmly oppose any indiscriminate attacks against civilians that breach the red line of international humanitarian law. We emphasize the importance of effectively guaranteeing the safety and security of UN peacekeepers. UN personnel and assets must not be the target of armed attacks.

President,

Since the outbreak of the Gaza conflict last October, the international community has been focusing all its efforts on promoting an immediate ceasefire and preventing the conflict from spilling over and expanding. But the reality is heading in the opposite direction. As world leaders gather here in New York, making an overwhelming call for the maintenance of peace in the Middle East in the GA general debate, Israel has chosen to expand the conflict. This is nothing short of a mockery of international justice and the authority of international law.

The Middle East cannot afford another war. It is imperative to stop military adventurism and facilitate deescalation. We welcome the appeal of Secretary-General Guterres and the ongoing mediation efforts by the UN. We note that Lebanon has stated that it is seeking a diplomatic solution. Foreign Ministers of Egypt, Iraq, and Jordan issued a statement on September 25, pointing out that deterioration will have serious consequences for the entire region. Other regional countries concerned have also stated that they want peace and seek no war. We urge Israel to make the right decision, put aside its obsession with the use of force, stop its military operations in Gaza, stop its violations of Lebanon's sovereignty and security, and stop adventurous acts that could drag the region into a new catastrophe. At the same time, we call on all relevant parties to exercise maximum restraint and to avoid escalating the situation.

President,

The Security Council bears the important responsibility of maintaining international peace and security. In the current situation, we understand that a vast majority of Council members support the Council in taking urgent actions to prevent the worsening of the situation. We hope that all Council members will demonstrate political will and leadership for peace, respond to the expectations of Lebanon and Arab states, and support the Council in taking strong, necessary actions without delay, in order to play an effective role in stopping the war and easing the situation.

Thank you, President.

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News / National

by Staff reporter

A Bulawayo man, Philton Madlala Mguni, 66, has been accused of defrauding unsuspecting residents under the guise of being a Zanu-PF organiser for a women's chicken project.Mguni appeared before Magistrate Enert Muzembe on Wednesday, facing charges of theft and fraud, to which he pleaded not guilty. He has been remanded in custody until October 11.The court heard that on March 23, Mguni approached Marvis Siziba along Herbert Chitepo Street, falsely claiming to be a Zanu-PF organiser for a chicken project. He allegedly convinced her to pay US$77, assuring her that the amount would cover expenses and transportation for 1,000 broiler chicks. However, Mguni failed to deliver the chicks.On the same day, he allegedly targeted another victim, Sylvia Zikhali, requesting US$52 for another batch of 1,000 chicks. Zikhali complied, believing in his fraudulent scheme. Using this same method, Mguni is accused of deceiving several other women in Bulawayo, collecting various sums of money.Frustrated by the lack of delivery and communication from Mguni, victims filed a police report, which ultimately led to his arrest. The case underscores the vulnerability of individuals seeking economic opportunities and highlights the prevalence of scams targeting community members in desperate circumstances.
Nepal's Prime Minister highlights climate crisis, global inequality at UNGA

26 September 2024 - The world is at a historic watershed moment, Nepal's Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli told world leaders at the UN General Assembly on Thursday, with the contrasts between rich and poor, harmony and hatred, and economic development and environmental destruction more evident than ever.

Prime Minister Oli warned of a looming climate catastrophe, resurgent geopolitical rivalries, and escalating military expenditures, which he said are driving the world toward instability.

"Both people and planet stand on the brink of climate catastrophe," he cautioned, pointing to his country's vulnerability as one of the most disaster-prone nations in the world.

The Prime Minister also highlighted persistent inequalities between the Global North and the Global South, criticizing the concentration of wealth in developed countries, while poverty and destitution remain entrenched in the least developed countries (LDCs), including Nepal.

Calling for stronger leadership and meaningful cooperation to overcome these disparities, Mr. Oli reiterated the theme of the Assembly's seventy-ninth session, "Leaving no one behind: acting together for the advancement of peace, sustainable development, and human dignity."

He also stressed that Nepal has long upheld the principle of inclusivity, enshrined in its Constitution, which guarantees human rights, proportional representation, and social protection for vulnerable communities.

On the international stage, Mr. Oli reaffirmed Nepal's commitment to peace and non-interference, rooted in the principles of sovereign equality and mutual respect.

The Prime Minister noted Nepal's unique position as a country that emerged from conflict, having made significant progress in its peace process since the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Accord in 2006.

Citing Nepal's role as a major contributor to UN peacekeeping missions, he called for greater representation in leadership positions at the Organization, reflect its contribution.

He also underscored the importance of Nepal's fragile biome, especially the Himalayan region, which plays a critical role in regulating global ecosystems, describing it as a "natural climate stabilizer" vital to maintaining environmental balance.

"Given their significance, it is essential that the mountain agenda receives due attention in climate negotiations," he urged, while reaffirming Nepal's commitment to achieving net-zero emissions by 2045.

Mr. Oli also emphasized the need for global action, including adequate financing for climate adaptation and the establishment of a loss and damage fund for vulnerable nations.

While acknowledging the significant challenges the world faces, Mr. Oli expressed optimism about humanity's potential to overcome them.

"None of the global challenges we face today have been imposed by aliens - these are of our own making," he said, adding that through understanding, trust, and cooperation, "we can overcome."

In closing, the Prime Minister invoked the philosophy of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam from the ancient text Maha Upanishad, the belief that "the world is one family."

"With this constant conviction, Nepal is committed to playing its role to secure our shared aspiration of enduring peace, progress, and prosperity, while leaving no one behind."

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Sudanese leader denounces 'devastating aggression' being waged by rebels against his country

26 September 2024 - The President of the Transitional Sovereign Council of Sudan told the UN General Assembly on Thursday that while his country was committed to peace, rebels funded by parties elsewhere in the region were waging "devastating aggression" against his country.

"A war is being waged by a group of rebels receiving political and logistical support at the local and regional level," said Abdel-Fattah Al-Burhan Abdelrahman Al-Burhan in his address to the Assembly's annual debate.

"You've all witnessed the crimes, violations and atrocities committed by these rebels targeting the Sudanese people and the Sudanese State," he emphasized, pointing to countless crimes and forced displacement by the Rapid Support Forces, which he said should be considered a terrorist group.

The "devastating aggression" being waged by the RSF, with the support of the States in the region providing funding and mercenaries as well as weapons, "has resulted in the deaths of dozens of thousands of Sudanese and the displacement of many millions more," he stressed, pointing out the regional political players who are in favour of the war.

"This Organization must shoulder its responsibility, specifically so as to protect developing countries in the face of the efforts by some other States who would like to control our people's riches through the use of force and specifically through the use of money," he stressed.

Recalling that the Sudanese Armed Forces is one of the State's oldest institutions, "which is non-politicized and is very much in favour of the democratic transition," he said that his country will never accept the return to the previous regime, which was rejected by the Sudanese people.

"We will continue pursuing peace, working with all groups who laid down their weapons as well as with groups who still carry weapons but who are willing to respect the Juba Peace Agreement signed in 2020," he said.

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'At this very moment the future of Lebanon's people is imperiled', Foreign Minister tells UN

26 September 2024 - The Foreign Minister of Lebanon on Thursday said that the crisis in his country demanded urgent international action as Israeli attacks threatened to set off "a domino effect", turning the entire Middle East region into "a black hole" of endless conflict.

"Today, we desperately need the United Nations to play its role as a refuge for small countries victimized by aggression, including my homeland, Lebanon," said Abdallah Bou Habib, denouncing Israel's attacks and calling for an end to the current conflict.

In his remarks to world leaders at the UN General Assembly, the Foreign Minister said: "What we are currently experiencing in Lebanon is due to the absence of a sustainable solution to the root of the crisis, which is occupation. To claim anything else would be a waste of time."

"So long as the occupation persists there will be instability and there will be war."

While reiterating that "at this very moment the future of Lebanon's people is imperiled," he described events over the past two weeks since the latest conflict had broken out.

As Israel continued its "incessant wars and aggression" through attacks on Lebanon's border region, "we have witnessed in recent days the repugnant, detestable example of the deliberate transformation of civilian telecommunications devices into ticking time bombs that were simultaneously exploded, claiming dozens of lives - including women and children - and resulting in thousands of people being maimed and disfigured."

While the world seemed immobile in the face of such aggression, Mr. Bou Habib welcomed declarations by the United States, France and other friendly nations to peruse the possibility of a "long-term calm" towards restoring stability along the border, as well as the return of displaced persons.

Lebanon has long striven, through the United Nations, to resolve border disputes with Israel, however Israel has continually disregarded the matter.

As such, "we are seeking refuge within the decisions of international law," including through the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), which Lebanon had helped draft.

"Even though the UN has thus far been unable to protect us from Israeli aggression, we remain committed to this Organization as a frontline defense against occupation, violence and oppression," the Foreign Minister stated.

Having faced this bitter reality, Lebanon believes that "dialogue is a viable alternative to war," he said, reiterating his country's commitment to international law including Security Council resolution 1701.

Lebanon remained dedicated to the aims of that text "which has been effective in establishing a degree of relative calm in southern Lebanon."

He added that his country's commitment to that resolution was also a reaffirmation of the importance of cooperation and support from the international community to overcome challenges to bolster peace and security in the country.

"From this rostrum we warn against this aggression and the propensity to play with fire ... which will set aflame the entire Middle East," said Mr. Bou Habib, underscoring Lebanon's rejection of war, while recalling its right to protect itself as set out in the UN Charter and in international law.

Lebanon, he continued was exhausting every effort and seeking all means to ensure that it "does not fall into the Israeli trap, which aims to extend and prolong war."

"Has Israel not grown tired of war since 1948? When will Israel want peace? When will it tire of resorting to the language of fire and steel?" he asked.

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Calls by African leaders for equitable representation on UN Security Council gain momentum

By Vibhu Mishra

26 September 2024 - The call for a more inclusive and representative Security Council resonated loud and clear at the UN General Assembly on Thursday, as African leaders demanded global powers address the longstanding inequity in the Council's composition.

They articulated a compelling case, highlighting how the legacy of colonialism and its lingering effects have left the continent disproportionately excluded.

This exclusion is not merely a matter of representation, it directly impacts Africa's ability to influence discussions on critical issues, such as conflict resolution, climate change and sustainable development.

The leaders emphasized the urgent need for the 15-member Security Council to reflect contemporary realities, arguing that its current structure is antiquated and ill-suited to address the complex challenges of the modern world.

They pointed out that the failure to incorporate a broader spectrum of voices within the Council compromises the UN's legitimacy and effectiveness, particularly in responding to Africa's pressing peace and security challenges.

'The time to fix this is now'

The first speaker of the day, Malawi's President Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera, emphasized that how UN Member States navigate their relationships - whether through cooperation, competition, or conflict - will "ultimately determine" the world we shape for future generations.

"So, when we sit in this chamber to deliberate on these dynamics between Member States, we are, in fact, designing and deciding our future," he stated.

However, if nations are serious about cooperation, they must with unity and urgency in fixing and reforming the United Nations and other multilateral institutions.

"One fix that we from Africa demand is for the United Nations to embrace democracy in the Security Council by giving Africa two permanent seats with veto power," President Chakwera declared.

Highlighting increasing support for greater representation of African States and their interests on the Council, he added, "the time to fix this is now".

Acknowledge the clear limitations

William Ruto, President of Kenya, doubled down on the need for reform.

He highlighted that while his country is committed and is investing to promote stability and security within the region and beyond, we must "candidly acknowledge" that international cooperation, in its current form, has clear limitations.

At the same time existing international security architecture, represented by the Security Council, hampers efforts to maintain international peace and security.

"The Council is dysfunctional, undemocratic, non-inclusive, unaccountable, autocratic, and opaque," he stressed.

An institution that excludes 54 African countries, representing 1.4 billion people, while allowing one nation to veto decisions of the remaining 193 Member States, is unacceptable, he added.

"We must urgently seek to make the Security Council truly representative, inclusive, transparent, effective, and accountable."

The power to address challenges

Gambian President Adama Barrow echoed those sentiments, recalling that the Summit of the Future, which preceded the high-level debate, had determined that human actions were largely responsible for the challenges the global community faces today.

"Therefore, it is within our power to ably address the disasters that continuously trouble our nations," he said.

"To succeed, however, we must recommit to implementing the resolutions of the Summit of the Future to tackle such critical global challenges as climate change, poverty, transnational crimes, and conflict."

In doing so, the UN System, especially the Security Council, needs urgent comprehensive reforms, he added.

"We must equally strive for a more representative, just, and inclusive United Nations to shape the world we so dearly want."

The Ezulweni Consensus

Also addressing leaders, King Letsie III of Lesotho reiterated the primary responsibility of the Security Council for maintaining international peace and security.

Referring to Chapter VIII of the UN Charter, on regional arrangements, he urged greater and more effective cooperation between the Council and regional organizations.

"The strengthening of this cooperation is crucial for the swift resolution of regional conflicts," he said, stating that the Security Council must reflect the UN membership for its decisions to enjoy greater legitimacy.

"We therefore advocate for a comprehensive reform of the Security Council, supporting the common African position known as the 'Ezulweni Consensus'," he said.

The UN should continue to be "a place where all our aspirations for a better and secure life for humanity must be championed," he emphasized.

Correct injustices

Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue, Vice President of Equatorial Guinea, also referred to the Ezulweni Consensus as well as the Sirte Declaration.

In line with these positions, Africa has called for this injustice to be corrected for the past two decades, he said, reiterating demands for two permanent seats with all their commensurate privileges alongside five additional non-permanent seats.

He pointed that the proliferation of conflicts is "further proof of the obsolescence incapacity, and inefficiency of the UN Security Council today", arguing that instead of solving conflicts, the Council is the place where geostrategic interests are played out.

These are resulting in conflicts being left unresolved and prolonged suffering of those affected.

The Security Council must end its "obsolete composition which dates back to 1945" that disadvantages Africa, he declared.

For small and big nations alike

Joining the calls for reforms, Prithvirajsing Roopun, President of Mauritius, highlighted that both small States and large ones alike "deserve a voice".

Alongside the need for Security Council reform, he also pointed to patterns of current unsustainable consumption and production, which are exacerbating injustices and inequalities.

"We are at a watershed moment," he declared, welcoming the recent adoption of the Pact for the Future.

He also urged the international community to recognize that the architecture of global institutions reflects the realities of today.

"Mauritius believes that inclusivity is a necessity, and not a choice. Small States and large alike deserve a voice," he said, adding that Africa and small island developing States "have their rightful place in a reformed Security Council.

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September 27, 2024

Transcript

Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh Holds a Press Briefing

Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh

DEPUTY PRESS SECRETARY SABRINA SINGH: All right. All right. Good afternoon. Sorry, we're a little delayed. Just a few things at the top and then I am um happy to take your questions. Yesterday, Secretary Austin and his counterparts from the UK and Australia concluded the third AUKUS defense ministerial meeting in London. In a series of meetings, the leaders reviewed progress made under the Enhanced Security Agreement over the last year and reaffirmed their commitment to the AUKUS partnership for decades to come.

Together, the leaders reasserted that AUKUS offers a unique generational opportunity for our three nations to enhance our military capability, deepen our interoperability and strengthen deterrence toward a shared vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific. The AUKUS defense ministers meeting communique outlining the partnership's historic progress is available on defense.gov.

Switching gears, the department continues to monitor Tropical Storm Helene, which made landfall in the Big Bend area of Florida overnight as a category four storm, before weakening to a tropical storm. To support response efforts, Secretary Austin approved separate requests from the Florida and Georgia National Guard's For a dual status commander in each state.

A dual status commander is a National Guard Regular Army or regular air force officer who is jointly managed by the commander of US NORTHCOM and the chief of the National Guard Bureau and is allowed by law to serve in federal and state statuses simultaneously. Florida has nearly 3,900 guardsmen, 450 tactical vehicles, 13 rotary wing assets and six boats conducting emergency response missions in 21 counties around the state.

North Carolina has 358 guardsmen activated. Georgia has more than 300 guardsmen on orders. And Alabama has 43 guardsmen on orders in standing by. And on the active duty side, NORTHCOM has deployed a small team to Florida to be prepared to respond quickly to FEMA requests for assistance. As you know, this is a rapidly evolving situation.

The Department remains prepared to support response efforts as necessary. And for further questions about National Guard missions, I would direct you to contact the specific states in question. For active duty support efforts to FEMA, please contact US Northern Command and for service specific evacuation efforts, it's best to contact the services directly.

And last, I know you're seeing reports circulate about a strike in Lebanon. Secretary Austin spoke by phone earlier today to his Israeli counterpart, Minister Gallant. The United States was not involved in this operation, and we had no advanced warning. Minister Gallant spoke with Secretary Austin as the operation was already underway.

This operation happened within the last few hours. We are still assessing the event and don't have any additional information or any further specifics to provide at this time. But with that, I'd be happy to take your questions. I don't see AP in the room. I'm going to go to the phone and then happy to come back.

Lita Baldor, AP?

Q: Hi. Thanks, Sabrina. A couple questions on Iraq. Will all of the troops that are currently at Baghdad and Assad be transferred to Erbil or will some come home initially? And if so, can you give a rough estimate of the number that will actually depart the country? And then secondly, as this evolves and the US pulls troops out of those areas, do you expect there will still be 2,500 troops in Iraq at the end of this? Or what is the Pentagon's rough estimate right now as to the number that will remain in the country?

MS. SINGH: Thanks, Lita, for the question. So in terms of an announcement, I think we'll have more to share later today. As you know, the global coalition under Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve, that mission is changing from the global coalition to a bilateral security partnership with the Iraqi government.

I don't have numbers to read out and locations to share with you, but I think it's fair to say that our footprint is going to be changing within the country. But for more specifics, I'm just not going to be able to go into those details at this time. I think we will have more to share later today. But from here, I don't have any more specifics to add.

I'll come in the room. Phil.

Q: Thanks. I know you don't have a lot of information about these strikes, but it's quite an event. And can you give us any sense, first of all, whether you know, if Hezbollah leader Nasrallah is alive?

MS. SINGH: I don't have any information on the strike itself. We're still gathering information, as this just happened a few hours ago. So I would refer you to others to speak to this operation. I just don't have any more.

Q: OK. And since the United States is pursuing a ceasefire, what was Secretary Austin's reaction to this news as he learned of it? And what was the discussion like with his Israeli counterpart as it was going on?

MS. SINGH: Well, I think as I mentioned in the top, the secretary waswell, first, I would say that we were not given an advanced warning of this operation. The secretary spoke with Minister Gallant when the operation was already underway. Having no involvement, having no knowledge that this strike was actually going to occur, we're still pulling for more details and trying to understand the operation itself.

In terms of their conversation, I think you've heard me say it. These are pretty direct conversations that he has with Minister Gallant. He has them frequently, sometimes multiple calls during the day, sometimes almost every day.

I'm not going to get into further details of the call, but I can tell you that other than having no knowledge or no involvement of this strike, the United States, you saw announcements from the president and other world leaders, we're going to continue to urge for a diplomatic solution.

We want to see tensions quell in the region and so we're going to continue to push on that front.

Q: Did his Israeli counterpart confirm that Nasrallah was the target of the strike?

MS. SINGH: I'm not going to go into more details other than what I read out at the top of my remarks. Natasha?

Q: Thanks, Sabrina. How concerned is the secretary that this latest strike on Beirut, which appeared to target Nasrallah is going to precipitate Iran's involvement now in a broader war? And also, have any plans for a noncombatant evacuation operation now been sped up in light of these events?

MS. SINGH: So I think that remains to be seen. We're still gathering information. As you know, it just happened a few hours ago. So we're still assessing and when we have more details to share, if we can, we will. In terms of you know any type of evacuation, and I know you've heard me say it here before, but we plan for all types of contingencies.

We are a planning organization. We have assets in the region to support any type of event should we need to. At this time, I don't have any more details to provide. Will?

Q: So the Houthis claim today that they carried out an attack with about two dozen ballistic missiles and drones targeting three destroyers and that they hit them. Do you have any information about that, especially whether any US ships were damaged in that incident?

MS. SINGH: I can confirm that no US ships were damaged or hit. There was no injuries to US personnel. We did see a complex attack launch from the Houthis that range from cruise missiles and UAVs. My understanding is that those were either engaged and shot down or failed, but at no time did any hit a US ship.

Q: Is it the US assessment that US warships were the target of that attack or were they other vessels that were potentially the target?

MS. SINGH: Sometimes it's hard to tell whether they're being shot in the vicinity of a US ship or targeting another vessel. We always take measures for our self-defense. So I can't really tell you the intended target, other than to say that I'd refer you to refer you to the Houthis, but we did what we had to do to protect our forces.

And at the end of the day, no ship was hit, no damage, and no injuries to our personnel. Fadi?

Q: Thanks, Sabrina. So you clearly said that you were not given any prior notification about this. However, the phone call took place while this operation was underway. So during that phone call, did Mr. Gallant inform Secretary Austin about the operation.

MS. SINGH: Yeah. So I'm just not going to get into more details of the call, Fadi. What I can tell you is exactly what I said at the beginning, which you can take inferences from that. But Mr. Gallant spoke with Secretary Austin as this operation was already underway. Again it happened within the last few hours, so we're trying to get more details.

Q: And I believe on Wednesday you said you haven't seen any indication that there's any imminent Israeli incursion into Lebanon. However, today the Israelis announced the IDF that they're mobilizing two of their brigades in the north. Does this recent activity change your assessment of the situation on the northern border of Israel and whether they're preparing for an invasion?

MS. SINGH: Somewhat to Natasha's question, we're still assessing and that remains to be seen. We certainly don't think a ground incursion is the right path forward. That's something that the secretary has been pretty clear about in his calls. And what we don't want to see is, is a wider regional conflict.

And so that's why you've seen, from the president's level to the secretary, the continuing engagement for diplomacy and we believe diplomacy is the best path forward.

Q: And then finally, if I might.

MS. SINGH: Sure.

Q: I'm sure you guys were following Mr. Netanyahu's speech from the UN during the UNGA. Was that a speech that gave you hope that the diplomatic solution can succeed, and the Israelis are open to a diplomatic solution?

MS. SINGH: I think every time that we engage the Israelis, we have a good and direct conversation with them. I think diplomacy is not off the table. I think everyone wants to see this resolved and the way it is going to get resolved is through diplomatic channels, so we're going to continue to push for that.

I'm going to go to the phones and then I'll come back in the room. I saw you, Charlie. Carla Babb, VOA?

Q: Hey, Sabrina. Thanks for doing this. Just to follow up with what you told Lita on Iraq, you said the footprint was changing. Is the US withdrawing from Iraq? If your answer is that the US is not withdrawing from Iraq, can you at least tell us how the footprint is changing, whether it's increasing or decreasing troop numbers?

And then finally, just how important is the Iraqi partnership with US military right now?

MS. SINGH: Thanks, Carla. So no, the US is not withdrawing from Iraq. Nope, I cannot get into more details on what that footprint is going to look like. Again, as I mentioned when Lita asked her a question as well, I think we'll have more details to share later today, but I'm just not going to get into details from the podium right now.

In terms of our relationship with the Iraqi security forces and the Iraqi government, it's a crucial one and it's one that we certainly value. We are in Iraq at the invitation of the Iraqi government, and our partnership has led to the success of diminishing ISIS from what it was 10 years ago to where it is today.

The strongholds that they had in Iraq, they don't have those anymore, or not what they used to. So we certainly value the partnership that we had and continue to have with the Iraqi government. And this is a step in our relationship and a progress towards a bilateral security agreement and we'll have more details to share when we're ready.

I'm going to go to the next question, Jeff Schogol, Task and Purpose.

Q: Thank you. Whether or not Hassan Nasrallah is alive or dead, the situation in the Middle East has escalated. Is the Defense Department sending any more troops, aircraft or other assets to the region? And before, you had announced that a small numberexcuse me, the Pentagon announced a small number of troops had deployed to the region. Is there any information about how many, what units and what type? For example, are these air defense batteries or are these troops preparing for a possible Neo of Lebanon? Thank you.

MS. SINGH: Thanks, Jeff, for the question. So no force posture changes to announce at this time.

In terms of that small contingency that we've, you know, sent forward, I just don't have more details to provide at this time. Again, we are planning organization. We plan for a wider range of different events that could occur. But I just don't have  I'm just not going to be able to get into more specifics from here. Charlie?

Q: Ah, Sabrina, thank you. I just want to drill down on the timing of the Austin Gallant phone call. You said a couple of times already, while the operation was underway, this wasn't done before the operation had begun. So as it was underway is when they spoke?

MS. SINGH: That's correct.

Q: But they didn't discuss  that  that in itself doesn't suggest advanced warning, so as it was happening, he may have informed the advisor.

MS. SINGH: I believe I said we did not receive any advance warning, so that is correct. We did not receive any advance warning.

Q: [inaudible]. But it stands to reason if they're in the middle of a phone conversation, they might say this is happening now. That may not be in advance, but it is underway.

MS. SINGH: Yeah, as you can appreciate, I'm just not going to get into further details of the call. What I can tell you is the operation that you are seeing, you know, being reported was underway when the secretary and Minister Gallant spoke. We were not involved in this operation. And again, we had no advance warning of the operation.

Q: Gallant called Austin.

MS. SINGH: They  I mean, the calls were connected. I'm not going to go into the details on how we connect those calls, Charlie. But yes, they had agreed to speak. And those calls were connected. And as you know, the secretary is traveling back from London right now, so he took that call in route.

Q: Sabrina, forgive me, it seems like we're splitting hairs here, but if he  if one person initiated the call and said this is underway, that  that in itself is inherently an advance warning even if it's already happening. It's not a two minute warning, it's a ten second warning.

MS. SINGH: I think we are splitting hairs. Because I would not consider that an advance warning when something is already underway. I'll go back to the phone and then happy to come back in the room. Chris Gordon, Air and Space?

Q: Thanks, Sabrina. The US announced this week that the US will help train 18 Ukrainian F-16 pilots next year. Can you provide a little more fidelity on that announcement? Will these 18 pilots all be trained in Arizona? And relatedly, the DOD previously said it planned to train 12 Ukrainian F-16 pilots in fiscal 2024. We're now just a couple days out from the end of that, so has the US met that previously announced goal of training 12 F-16 pilots in the US this fiscal year? Thank you.

Yeah, thanks, Chris, for the question. In terms of the announcement on where they'll be trained, you know, I just don't have that for you right now. We continue to train Ukrainian pilots that either come to the United States or through the Air Mobility Coalition with our partners in different parts of the world.

As you know, these pilots have to meet certain metrics which include, you know, being proficient in English language, so. We're continuing to work with the Ukrainians. This is something that we know is a priority for them. It's a priority for us.

And we're continuing to work with them to make sure that their pilots get the training that they need so that when they return to Ukraine, they can be as effective as needed on the battlefield. I'll take two more from the phone and then happy to come into the room. Jared Szuba, I'll Monitor.

Q: Hi, Sabrina, I think  I think Charlie might have asked this, but just to be clear, do you know who initiated the call? Was it the prescheduled? Was it the secretary reaching out to Defense Minister Gallant? How did that work?

MS. SINGH: Yeah, so Jared and Charlie, as I  as much as I appreciate the questions, the secretary and Minister Gallant speak pretty regularly. It's initiated on both sides to have these types of conversations. I'm just not going to go into like who initiated what, when. I can tell you from what I already said, previously, which I know, you know, led to the bit of splitting of hairs here.

But again, when the secretary spoke with Minister Gallant, this operation was already underway. We had a  had no advance warning of this. Of course, we were not involved in this operation. All right, taking one more from the phone and then happy to come back in the room. Mike Glenn, Washington Times?

Q: Hi, Sabrina, thanks a lot. I agree with you that the  that a phone call at the time should not be considered an advance warning and it goes into my question. If the fact that the Pentagon once again had no advance warning of this Israeli strike and only learned about it, you know, at the time does that indicate that the Israeli government simply doesn't trust this administration and thinks it will try to try to, to interfere with their operation?

MS. SINGH: Yeah, Mike, I would push back on that. I don't think that is the case. I think that's an unfair characterization. You know, trust is certainly built. But look at just the engagements that the secretary and Minister Galant have had over the last two weeks, speaking regularly. I think if there was any type of, you know, fracture in trust, you wouldn't see those type of levels of calls and engagements occurring frequently.

And not just at the secretary's level, but you know, there's other components across the administration regularly engaging with their Israeli counterparts. So I'd push back on that characterization. And you know, I think you can expect the secretary to continue to engage Minister Galant, in the future. All right coming back in the room. I'm going to go over here and then yes?

Q: The secretary just called on both sides to not escalate the situation. Is this an escalation?

MS. SINGH: Yeah, again, we  that remains to be seen. We're still assessing.

Q: Six apartment buildings in the southern  or the suburbs of Beirut have been leveled. That's not  you have to assess whether that's an escalation?

MS. SINGH:

You're telling me that. I do not know that to be true. So again, we are still assessing the situation. We are going to continue to have our calls with our  you know, the Israelis to get more details. I appreciate the question. I hope you would also appreciate that this just happened a few hours ago, so yes, we are still doing an assessment. Ryo?

Q: Thank you. Japan's ruling party LDP selected former Defense Minister Ishiba as the next prime minister. But first, what would be the DOD's reaction to the election? And secondly, Ishiba has proposed ideas such as reviewing the US-Japan agreement on the Status of Forces. So what would be the US reactions to such proposal?

MS. SINGH: Look, we have a great relationship with Japan. The secretary was, you know, just recently there over the summer. We look forward to working with the new government to further deepening our cooperation and building upon some of the deliverables that, in fact, you were on that trip, so you would know very well some of the things that were announced that the secretary announced in Tokyo.

So, you know, we certainly welcome this new administration. Looking forward to working with the new Japanese government. And I'll just leave it at that. Yes, sir?

Q: Thank you. I have two questions, please. One, as far as after 2+2 in New Delhi and now at the leadership  with the leadership of President Biden and Delaware quad US, India, Japan and Australia, they met there. So as far as US India relations are concerned, military relations, where do we go from here now? And also, at the same time, if the escalation, the threatening from China or others have gone down or what is the future there, those nations who are a little bit threatened by China including Taiwan and all that?

MS. SINGH: So the quad is a group of like-minded nations coming together because they believe in a free and open Indo-Pacific. That is the whole  you know, that is one of the many purposes of the quad. So in terms of, you know, where does the relationship go from here? I mean, look at the extensive amount of details that, you know, the president and the White House announced just last weekend from those high level meetings that happened in Wilmington.

I  you know, I'm just not going to go through the litany of every deliverable that was announced. But I think the partnership between India and the United States is certainly strong. The engagement that you saw from the president with Prime Minister Modi and others within the quad builds upon the foundation and principles that the quad was founded on, which is, you know, one of them being to ensure the free and open Indo-Pacific.

But I'd direct you to the White House for  you know, for more details of the quad meetings. And yeah, I'm just not going to go through that from here.

Q: And a second, thank you. As far as a peace is going on around the globe or not, two wars are going on, one of course, in the Middle East and second, in Russia and Ukraine. And everybody is trying to bring peace in those  between those nations and those regions including the Prime Minister of India tried and now President Zelenskyy met was in the White House yesterday.

And today, he is meeting with the president or former President Trump in New York at his  so where do we stand  who are behind these nations that wars are still going on? Let's say in the Middle East, who's behind, is it Iran or I mean, of course, Hamas and Abdullah, but Iran or any other nations they are involved. And as far as us, I mean Russia and Ukraine is concerned who is behind those wars there?

MS. SINGH: What an interesting question. I think it's pretty clear that when the war in Ukraine started, it was you know, directed by Russia's head of state. And we know Vladimir Putin certainly has his agenda set on Ukraine. You know, I don't have to go into detail the work that this administration has done to ensure Ukraine gets what it needs in order to continue to fight every single day to take back its sovereign territory. And I'm not going to go through a historical look back over the last two and a half years or the last year. But on October 7th, a terrorist organization, brutally attacked Israel, and I think you know what happened and unfolded since then.

Q: Thank you.

MS. SINGH: Yeah.

Q: Thank you, Sabrina. I have two questions. First one, there are some reports claiming that the US cut off intelligence sharing with the Israeli regarding to the current operation in Lebanon. Do you confirm that or are you still sharing the intelligence with them?

MS. SINGH: We still regularly coordinate with the Israeli government and share intelligence. I haven't seen this specific report, but if you're talking about this operation, again, the United States was not involved in any way, and we had no advance warning. I'm just not going to get into more details on our intelligence sharing, other than that we do share Intel and generally speaking, Israel faces threats from all sides and so of course we share information around that.

Q: And my second question, regarding Secretary Austin said today that he hopes that don't see a ground incursion in Lebanon and if that's happen, it's going to be a chance that conflict could be a regional conflict. So did you give this message directly to the Israelis and what's their response about what your concerns about any ground operation in Lebanon?

MS. SINGH: Look, we don't want to see a wider regional war. We've been very clear about that from the beginning. The secretary continues, and I think this administration broadly continues to urge for diplomacy. We know that is the best path forward. And diplomacy cannot succeed amid continued tit for tats back and forth.

So that's what the secretary's conversations are like with Mr. Gallant. That's what he continues to urge for, and I'll leave it at that. Did you have a follow up?

Q: I did (inaudible).

MS. SINGH: Yeah. And then I'll  yeah.

Q: Has anything changed? Has the department been asked to prepare for an evacuation of Americans from Lebanon? And secondly, after the call, putting aside what was said on the call, after the call between the secretary and Gallant, did the secretary do anything? Did he make any call?

Did he brief the president? Did he change alert or ask for a briefing with General Kurilla at CENTCOM? What did the secretary do after this call?

MS. SINGH: Thanks, Phil, for the question. So I'm just not going to get into his schedule and exactly what he did, but I think it's fair to say that you should reach out to the White House. And I know that the president has been briefed on the events that have unfolded, but I'm just not going to speak for more actions that the secretary took, other than that we're continuing to monitor what's happening in the region.

And that's exactly what he's doing and he's back in route from his trip and can do that from the plane and will continue to do so throughout the weekend. In terms of evacuation planning, I think that was your  is that your second question? Again, we plan for all types of contingencies, all types of events anywhere in the world.

Should we need to perform any type of evacuation, we are postured to do so. We have assets in the region, but that's  we're not (Audio Gap) and we certainly plan for a wide range of contingencies at all time. Again, as you know, we've sent a small number of additional forces into the region.

We continue to be a planning organization and from the very beginning, from October 8th on, we moved assets to the region, should we need to plan for any type of event, whether it be an evacuation or something else. So far that hasn't happened.

Q: And you're not there yet.

MS. SINGH: We're not there yet. Right. Yes.

Q: Thanks, Sabrina. A Chinese think tank published a report today about the South China Sea, saying there's more than 10 air and maritime encounters every day between the US and China, and it says the majority of these encounters are safe and professional. I'm wondering whether you agree with that assessment.

And it also alleges that FONOPS from the US poses a threat to maritime freedom in the South China Sea. And do you have any comment on that?

MS. SINGH: I haven't seen the report, so I candidly can't comment on that. I can tell you with strong confidence that we stand for the freedom of navigation, and we will continue to sail, fly and operate anywhere in the world in international waters. I'll leave it at that. Yeah.

Q: I had a follow up about the AUKUS defense ministerial meetings from yesterday. The secretary mentioned in his remarks that the AUKUS innovation leads are developing a robust two-year agenda to work with industry. What would the secretary be looking for from that agenda? And any advice that he would have for industry that want to participate in pillar two activities? Thanks.

MS. SINGH: I would refer you to the communique that's online. I think that has more details that would probably address some of your questions. Will?

Q: Israelis said that they secured $8.7 billion in new aid from the United States military aid, including for their current operations in Lebanon. Can you confirm that and provide any details on that, if so?

MS. SINGH: Yeah. I think there's a bit of confusion here, Will, so I'm actually glad you asked that. So the assistance referenced, what you were just referencing, is from the supplemental appropriation for emergency assistance to Israel that congress passed, and that the president signed into law earlier this year. A significant portion of that aid will go to strengthen Israel's air defenses as Israel continues to face attacks and threats from Iran and its proxies.

So again, this is previously announced assistance and for more I direct you to the State Department.

Q: Not specifically linked to Lebanon, which is what they had said it was?

MS. SINGH: Right. This was previously announced when the supplemental passed which was back in April, I think. Yeah. Fadi? Yeah. And then I'll go to Louis and then I'll wrap.

Q: And so in addition to the support air defenses in Israel, this package includes, according to the Israelis section that has to do with supporting what they call war effort. Can you explain to me the logic of this administration? Trying to understand here, on the one hand you want diplomacy to succeed.

You don't think escalation is the solution. Netanyahu from the UN UNGA says clearly, he's going to continue the war. At the same time, you provide him with the weapons to continue the war. Can you explain that to me, please?

MS. SINGH: Fadi, as you know, Israel faces threats from Iran and its proxy groups and was brutally attacked on October 7th. So this administration has been clear that in the face of those attacks and consistent threats, almost every single day. And again, October 7th, I direct you to the fact that an Iran backed group brutally attacked Israel that day.

This administration, this president has been committed to providing Israel the support for its self-defense. This FMS supplemental package, as you know, these are sales and assistance that can take a very, very long time. So I just want to be clear that, yes, we are still providing Israel assistance that it needs in its self-defense.

But some of what congress appropriated out in the supplemental is going to take some time, just like for Ukraine, the supplemental that was allocated for Ukraine. Some of that is PDA coming directly off our shelves. Some of that is USAI, that can take a year or two years longer to reach the front lines.

Does that help?

Q: I mean, I understand you keep referring to October 7th, what about October 8th? What about October 9th? What about 41,000 Palestinian dead later? What about what's happening in Lebanon? Is this still within Israel's right to defend itself?

MS. SINGH: I think we've been pretty clear, Fadi, and we've had conversations about this. We don't support innocent civilian dies. We believe that the casualty count is too high, and you've seen the secretary emphasize that in his calls from very early on. That's why we continue to urge for diplomatic means to resolve what's happening in the Middle East.

And I have to direct you back to the point that it's not just the United States pushing for this. There are Arab nations pushing for this. There are European countries pushing for the need for a diplomatic resolve. And so we're going to keep trying. We're going to keep working hard every single day to make sure that happens, and we're going to keep having frank and honest conversations with our Israeli counterparts. Louis, did you have a question? Yeah.

Q: Yeah, clarifications, please. When you've been saying we were not informed with regards to this operation, are you saying we the Pentagon or we the United States?

MS. SINGH: We the United States  I mean, let me clarify. I speak on behalf of the Department of Defense. So I will say that on behalf of the Department of Defense, we were not notified about this operation.

Q: Is it possible that other parts of the United States government may have been informed and not specifically the leadership in this building, but maybe somewhere else?

MS. SINGH: Again, not going to speak  I'm not at another podium here, but I think that's highly unlikely.

Q: And then the clarification. You were asked earlier whether you were seeing signs of any imminent ground incursion, which you know, you spoke to last week. Can you say that whether you're now seeing signs of an imminent ground incursion? Because your answer last time earlier today was we don't think a ground incursion is the right path forward.

Is that what you're saying? Are you inferring that there will be something happening in short order? Or again, I mean, can you just clarify what you're?

MS. SINGH: I'm not inferring anything. I'm saying that we do not believe a ground incursion is the right path forward. We are continuing to engage our, you know, the secretary engaged Minister Gallant today. We certainly want to see a path towards diplomacy. And just to clarify, because I don't want to split hairs here.

And I  you know, while I'm not speaking at, you know the White House podium, I think I just want to be very clear that when  I think definitively when I say we, I think I can proudly say the United States was not and had no knowledge of this operation and was not given advance warning. You know, again the call happened as it was underway, so I think I just want to be super clear that, you know, words are not parsed that there's any indication that another, you know, building or you know, agency had a heads up, I think we are all on the same sheet here that the United States had no knowledge of this, OK?

Q: And again, on this imminent. Because 

MS. SINGH: Sure.

Q: You've just given the same answer that, you know, we don't think the ground incursion is the right path.

MS. SINGH: Yeah.

Q: Since you've previously said we do not see any sign of an imminent ground incursion. Are you still not seeing any imminent sign of a ground incursion?

MS. SINGH: As of right now, I mean, one, I don't want to speak for the Israelis. I  as of today, you know, we're not seeing that, but I would refer you to them to speak to their own operations. Charlie, did you have one more and then we can wrap up?

Q: Yeah, one more question. You have repeatedly said that the US military has the capacity for a mass evacuation if necessary. You have the capability. As of a few hours ago, the specter of that mass evacuation might have edged closer. If you're talking about the, you know, the USS WASP and the Marines on board the all practiced and ready to do that, you may be talking as many as 80,000 Americans who are in Lebanon.

The US military has the capacity to mass evacuate tens of thousands of Americans as they did in 2006.

MS. SINGH: The United States military has incredible capabilities. And we are an incredible force. And because of that, I'm just not going to go into speculating on a scenario that hasn't happened. What I can tell you is we plan for a wide range of different contingencies. And that's what makes us so great at what we are able to do is because we have plans on the shelves that we can easily dust off.

We practice. We do exercises. We do drills constantly that make us ready and prepared should we need to be called up for whether it be any type of event we would be ready for. Again, I'm just not going to go down the path of speculating. I can tell you that we are going to do everything that we can of course to defend our forces in the region to protect US citizens.

But again, we're just not going to go down a hypothetical path right now. OK. All right. Thanks, everyone.

https://www.defense.gov/News/Transcripts/Transcript/Article/3919899/

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September 27, 2024

Release

Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III Remarks Following an Israeli Strike on Lebanese Hizbollah

September 27, 2024, Joint Base Andrews, after returning from the AUKUS Defence Ministers' Meeting Communique in London:

I know that you're seeing reports about a significant strike today in Beirut.

I spoke by phone earlier today to my counterpart in Israel Minister Gallant.

The United States was not involved in Israel's operation. We had no advance warning. My call with Minister Gallant took place while Israel's operation was already underway.

As you know this operation took place just a few hours ago and they're still making assessments, so I don't have any further information or specifics for you at this time. You've heard me say a number of times, an all-out war should be avoided.

Diplomacy continues to be the best way forward  and it's the fastest way to let displaced Israeli and Lebanese citizens return to their homes on both sides of the border.

I'll be talking with Minister Gallant again soon and I look to get an update from him when we have that conversation. Thank you.

https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/3920167/

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Secretary General at the United Nations General Assembly

European Council / Council of the European Union

Secretary General

New York

27 September 2024

"During the Council of Europe's 75th anniversary year, we will be making the case for as many countries as possible to sign and ratify our key conventions, at a time of democratic backsliding, for our member states to do ever more to uphold our values, both in words and in action. That is the way to a better, democratic future for our citizens", declared Secretary General Alain Berset while addressing the Summit of the Future 2024, at the 79th session of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly (UNGA 79).

The Secretary General highlighted the relevance of the Council of Europe's role in preserving multilateralism amid today's challenges - democratic erosion, war, climate change, rising intolerance, and racism. Moreover, he praised the adoption of the ground-breaking Pact for the Future: a landmark commitment to concrete actions towards a safer, more peaceful, sustainable, and inclusive world for future generations.

"We know that the obstacles to digital equality between citizens are numerous and complex. These obstacles can threaten the human rights of individuals. They can create democratic deficits and lead to the emergence of cracks in the rule of law. The responses to these problems cannot just be national; they must be multilateral and to be effective, they must also have legal force. This is where the Council of Europe's normative action is so important. The most recent example is the new Framework Convention on Artificial Intelligence", emphasised the Secretary General, underlining how the treaty promotes a development of ethical, human-centred AI and that it is available for signature by countries around the world.

The Secretary General also highlighted new Council of Europe instruments to tackle migrant smuggling and the triple planetary crisis caused by pollution, climate change and the loss of biodiversity. He also emphasised the need to put forward the Convention on Preventing and Combatting Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (known as Istanbul Convention) and contribute to gender equality.

"Right now, our top priority is to do all that we can to help our member state, Ukraine. Earlier this year, our Register of Damage became fully operational and is now receiving submissions on the loss and damage inflicted by the Russian Federation's war of aggression. This is the first and necessary step towards an international compensation mechanism. We are also helping Ukrainian children and refugees and contributing to rebuild through our Action Plan on Resilience, Recovery and Reconstruction. The European Court of Human Rights is the only international court adjudicating on human rights violations in the context of the war", said the Secretary General.

On the margins of the session, Alain Berset met with United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. The meeting focused on the central importance of strengthening human rights in the multilateral system, and increased co-operation between the two organisations. They also discussed the war in Ukraine and the fight to prevent any kind of impunity.

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"Navigating Europe's Challenges": Opening remarks by High Representative/Vice-President Josep Borrell at the Council on Foreign Relations' event

European External Action Service (EEAS)

27.09.2024

New York, 27/09/2024

EEAS Press Team

Check against delivery!

Thank you for your nice words and thank you very much for inviting me here. It honours me.

I know that the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) is the place to be for an international diplomatic leader visiting New York at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) meeting.

I think it is my eighth UNGA meeting. Some days ago I was at my old university in Stanford, California, delivering a lecture. The dean, when he introduced me, said: "Mr Borrell is one of our scholars.". Fifty years ago - I was a little bit astonished by the fact that it was fifty years ago when I had the great pleasure of studying at Stanford.

And now here I am in New York in difficult times.

Difficult times which are marked by the return of interstate wars that we thought were over. Yes, there are wars, but they are not interstate wars. Seen from a European perspective, this is big news.

And then there is a proliferation of civil wars and the multiplication of tensions in the Sahel, South China Sea, Sudan, Yemen, and many other spots devastated by misery, by strife, and by war.

I have been recently in the Red Sea, the Gulf, in front of Yemen, in the Sahel.

Everywhere you have a look you find the same thing: you find wars, you have fights, misery, and people trying to escape. Hundreds of thousands of people trying to escape.

In the face of this situations, the capacity of external players - as we are - it tends to decrease. I have to admit it. Our capacity to influence these events decreases. When people ask me "what are you going to do"? In some cases, I have to have the humility to say: "well, what can I do in order to stop the civil war in Sudan? Very little."

This is a reality for us. For the Europeans, but also for you, for the United States. Do we play a crucial role in Ukraine? Yes. Without us, without you, Ukraine would have had to surrender. They are still fighting, but we cannot determine the outcome.

I was in Kyiv and I saw the Russian tanks destroyed 8 kilometres [away from] the Ukrainian parliament. 8 kilometres the first tank, and the last tank that arrived was destroyed. 8 kilometres is about 20 minutes - so 20 minutes later the tank would have been in the Ukrainian capital. We cannot determine what is going to be the final solution for this war.

We have a significant leverage in the Middle East, but we have been unable to bring about a ceasefire in Gaza. [It has been] impossible. President [of the United States, Joseph] Biden announced I do not know how many weeks ago: "I have a plan. I have an [Peace] Plan." [Yet] still no agreement.

We have been unable to prevent the extension of the Israeli-Iranian conflict to Lebanon - because what is happening in Lebanon is exactly that: an Israeli-Iranian conflict keeping the Lebanese society kidnapped by this conflict.

Well, what we, Europeans, stand [for]? Where do we stand, in relation to these warring realities?

To start with, let me try to explain what Europe is. I know you know - or maybe you do not know. Europe - what is Europe? Well, I am talking about the European Union, and above all, I want to remind you our relationship with power.

Often, what the European project means historically is misunderstood or misinterpreted. It was built against the idea of power; that is the fundamental point. Which makes the idea of power a very new idea for the Europeans today. It was and old idea for the former generation of Europeans who were fighting against others for centuries.

We fought so much among us that finally we decided to stop doing it and made peace. The European project was founded on the idea of peace, exchange, cooperation, interdependence, vanishing borders, sharing the same currency. This was the idea of institution-building which started with the Treaty of Rome - [19]57 - but this moment - Rome '57 - came after the Suez debacle when France and Great Britain were forced to withdraw their forces from the canal and go back home under the pressure of the United States and Soviet Union who told us: "[it is] finished. Colonial wars are over. Stop it, go back home."

Then, I think that the French and the Britons understood that they had to put aside the idea of war. Then came the Russian crash in Budapest, that made the Germans to understand that the Russians were there to stay. To try to build a union, putting defence and security in the hands of North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) - meaning the United States.

Today, this situation has become untenable. One way or another, Europe is again obliged to think about power. My job is not just foreign policy; it is foreign, security, and defence policy.

When I came to Brussels, everything was about foreign policy, and I was considered the top diplomat. Now, more and more, I am considered as a Defence Minister. Well, not exactly a Minister but someone that takes care of the defence side of his job.

At the beginning, it was just diplomacy, not is building defence capacity, building alliances, increasing the capacity of our defence industry. Arming Ukraine.

More and more I am talking about arms, I am talking about rockets, missiles, planes, to supply Ukraine, and also to increase our defence capacity.

Why is this so? Because we have realised that economic interdependence in which our project was based is being highjacked by political and geostrategic rivalries. Interdependence is good; you depend on me, I depend on you, so we do not make war.

That is why we started buying a lot of Russian gas - 40% of our supply was coming from Putin's supplies. Until it became a threat. Now we are not buying Russian gas. At least not by pipeline - I have to confess that we still buy a lot, transported by tankers, but no longer by pipes.

We used to believe that trade would be - by itself - a source of security. Trade means security. The french said, [la theorie] du doux commerce. Trading amongst peoples prevents them from making war. That is why we make a lot of relationships with China - investing and trading [relationships].

But then, every interdependence became a weapon. It obliged us to think differently.

The second issue is because we Europeans, we realised that we have common interests to defend. Common threats to face. That we cannot defend much more, much better, and much more successfully, collectively than individually. We discovered that the European Union is a power multiplier for every Member State.

Finally, because while NATO remains fundamental for our security - and I want to stress it, NATO is still fundamental for our security - you may have also other priorities. In fact, you have other priorities than defending Europe.

So, we can no longer ask ourselves every four years where our security will remain. Every four years asking ourselves: "will the Americans continue to be willing to defend and support our defence, or not?"

In fact, there is a consensus on both sides of the Atlantic that Europe must do more on defence. That is true, fully true.

We are, on average, about 2% of Gross National Product (GNP) on defence expenditure. But it varies a lot. Some Member States are at 4%, others are at a very small 1.5%. So, a lot has to be done, and my plea to my colleagues, my Member States is: "do it together." if we do not do it together, we will waste a lot of money.

This is easy to say, and difficult to do. It will take time. In order to do it quickly, we have to understand that there is something called the 'instinct'. We are human beings, and we have rationality, and we also have instincts.

We do not have the instinct of power. The instinct of power comes from the sensing of danger. By feeling threatened. By fear. Until now, we did not have this feeling. Go to Israel and you will see how people are afraid. I was having a meeting with the families of the hostages. I understand why they are afraid and they feel fear.

As long as the danger is not effective, and the threat is not materialised, power remains an abstract. Something abstract. When the fear materialises, then power becomes a reality. [It] better becomes a reality. You start thinking in terms of power when you feel the heat of war - or the heat of the threat.

That is why the war in Ukraine has transformed Europe. It has made us be in touch with power. For the first time since the Second World War, danger threat, fear have materialised in an indisputable way.

I will always remember the day in which at 6 o'clock in the morning my phone rang, and a voice on the other side told me: "they are bombing Kyiv. They are bombing Kyiv." And Kyiv is not very far away from the Polish border.

Yes, Russia invaded a European country. What is important is that the brutality of the Russian invasion helps us unify our perception of the threat. Whereas until then, the Russian threat had not the same meaning in Riga as in Lisbon. Certainly not.

Geography matters, and it matters a lot. If you go to Riga, the Russian threat is there - especially because many people in the Baltics have been deported to Siberia a couple of times, on their previous generations. Something that has never happened in Madrid.

This war has changed a lot of things. Which things? Three things.

First, the war in Ukraine has forced us to tackle the issue of the use of force in Europe, and the need to adjust to this challenge. As I said, we come from a very far away idea of power. We were a benevolent soft power. Now we are a hard power in the making.

This is going to take a long time. We will not be a superpower, as you are, but let's try to be a power. Let's try to have the capacity to mobilize our troops, all together.

We are a power in the making, because we want to have a certain capacity to coerce our foes - directly or indirectly. For the first time, we have been granting military aid to Ukraine. Believe me, it's not negligible.

I was listening the other day, to one of the United States candidates saying: "the Europeans are not doing their part." Well, if I add up all that we are doing for Ukraine - militarily, economically, financially, humanitarian - it is more than you. It is more than 130 billion. Yes, the military side is smaller, but it is still 45 billion, which is not negligible.

Certainly, without the United States, Ukraine would not be able to resist. But [the European Union's support] is not negligible, 45 billion on military support.

We have decided to make Ukraine a candidate to be a member of the European Union. This was unthinkable before the war. We are granting a colossal support to Ukraine, taking 5 million refugees. We have reduced our energy dependency on Moscow, which was maybe, for sure too big.

I will have to repeat that it is certainly not enough, but power can only be built gradually.

This war remains an asymmetric war. Before the war, Russia was the number four country in the world by the size of their military expenditure, [number] four. Ukraine was the 37th. The unbalance was quite clear. It is still very much unbalanced.

But I have been in Kiev. I have been in a factory of drones in the underground [level] of a building. I see saw these people inventing and building 500 drones per day, 500 drones per day. They are like a small pizza, like this [gestures], no bigger than that. They can fly about 50 kilometers. They can transport 3 kilograms explosive capacity. They cost about 500 euros. With that, they can destroy a tank.

Thanks to these kinds of new arms that they are developing, they have resisted. We do not allow them to use our arms in order to hit Russia inside Russian territory. I do not agree with this provision, but it is a fact. "No, here is a rocket, here is a missile - but you cannot use it inside the Russian territory."

But the Russians are attacking them from inside the Russian territory. But [the Ukrainians] are able to produce missiles that can reach a target at 500 kilometres, even at 1,000 kilometres. The other day, they were able to destroy an ammunition depot at 700 kilometres from the border using their own missiles produced by themselves, provoking an incredible explosion, 3.0 degrees on the Richter scale, and saving a lot of lives.

I think that we have to support Ukraine more and quicker. We have to establish a military balance, because Putin will not go to the negotiation table unless he believes that he is losing. We have to give Ukraine an economic and a strategic power in front of Russia and let them to decide what it is or not acceptable.

But we have to support them, because without us, without you and us, Ukraine will have to surrender in a couple of weeks.

Despite their whole [efforts], they are strongly dependent on our support.

The second challenge we had is the war in Gaza.

Following the horrific massacres committed by Hamas on October 7th. I know well the reason [why this happened]. I know well the reason. When I was young, I was volunteering in a Kibbutz near Beer Sheva, and there I met my first wife - by the way, the same day the Americans reached the moon. So, I know the region.

My son has studied in the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. I am not Jewish, nor was my wife a Jew [she was] a volunteer, as me. But I know the region. I have been travelling a lot in this part of the world, I know there is a complex historical issue. There are two peoples fighting for the same land and this is the tragic reality that can only be solved by sharing the land. Two peoples fighting for the same land for almost a century. And we Europeans, we have a strong responsibility because we have promised this land several times to different people.

So, the root of the conflict comes from our decisions, promising to the Arabs a 'Kingdom of Arabia' expanded to the Mediterranean, and promising a national foyer for the Jewish people. There are two peoples in the same land. And that is not going to change.

But today, we are still a long way from the prospect of Two-states. And perhaps further away than ever, since we are still seeking a ceasefire in Gaza. And all the diplomatic power, and all the leverage of the most powerful countries in the world, the United States, has been unable to make the ceasefire happen.

The ceasefire is not coming, and as Prince Faisal [bin Farhan Al-Saud, Foreign Minister of Saudi Arabia] told me the other day, maybe it will never come.

So, if you want to build the Two-State Solution, do not wait for the ceasefire. Start working on it from now on. Because the utopian idea of "first we stop the war and then we start building peace" is completely contrary to the dark reality. We have to overlap the two processes.

Yes, the Palestinian state is far away. Maybe some of the belligerents are not interested in it. But maybe not, it is clear that Netanyahu's government does not want it. He says that every day.

And on the Palestinian side also, there are extremists who do not want the two states because they do not want the Israeli state.

But the one who wanted, [Yitzhak] Rabin [Former Prime Minister of Israel] was killed. And then it ended the hope to have a peaceful settlement of the conflict. Now the Palestinian civilian population has been taken hostages by Hamas in Gaza. And I think that some of the Israeli society also have this 'Masada complex' - You know Masada? The fortress in the desert. We are encircled by the enemy, we have to fight until the end. The end of what?

I think that, however difficult it is, we do not have to give up. Not only in fighting a ceasefire, I know you are working hard on that: Qatar, Egypt.

You have to imagine the day after. [Carl von] Clausewitz [Prussian general] said "No military action has sense without a political purpose." Which is the political purpose? To eradicate Hamas?

This is not possible. Hamas is an idea. It is a terrorist organization, yes, but apart from that, it is also an idea. You do not kill the ideas. The only way of winning an idea is to propose a better one.

If you propose a better idea, then the old one can die. But to kill an idea by using arms has never happened. Without a political solution, we will enter in a never-ending spiral. And Gaza will become a second Somalia. And the West Bank will become a second Gaza. Maybe South Lebanon is also becoming another Gaza - becoming the battlefield of the confrontation between Israel and Iran.

And it comes with two major risks.

The first is to put at risk the normalisation of the relationship between the Arabs and the Israelis. It was a great advantage, a great jump over to make peace between the Arabs and Israel - not all the Arabs, Saudi Arabia is still not there - but the Abraham's Accord, the agreement within Egypt and Jordan. These are today in danger. Even the Arab-Israeli relations are in danger, notably with Egypt and Jordan. It certainly is postponing the normalisation with the Saudis.

The second risk is the intensification war between Israel and Iran via Hezbollah and via the Houthis. The Houthis are no longer a tribe in the mountains of Yemen using old fashioned rockets. They are much better trained, much better equipped. I was in the Red Sea on board of a warship of the European navies, and I can tell you that the risk of the Houthis cutting the navigation in the Red Sea - cutting, not just threatening - is a real one.

Well, I only scratched the surface of the complexity of these issues.

Let me say last word about transatlantic relations. They are good; we share the same values and objective. We are democratic systems. We are working on a free economic system. We are allies - but not always aligned. Maybe we have different opinions, and that is perfectly normal.

Europe needs the United States, and the United States need Europe.

And I think that you have an interest in having a strong and sovereign Europe on your side. When I talk about the "strategic autonomy", something that the Americans were listening with a certain reluctance: "oh, strategic autonomy, what do you mean by that?" Now they look at that with a positive approach. "Yes, develop it. Be strategically autonomous, because it means that you will have a stronger capacity on your own."

And this makes sense when the United States takes on board the idea that our strength will make NATO stronger, and we are reinforcing each other.

To summarise, we are living in a world with a Global South - which is not against the West - but there is a "new West": the United States, Europe, Canada, Japan, Korea, and Australia.

There is a "new East": China, Russia, and North Korea. And just recently, there is a Global South.

This is what we have been discussing this week at the United Nations General Assembly.

This is the new landscape of the world. And in this new world, Europe will have to learn to navigate.

I thank you a lot for your attention.

Link to video: https://audiovisual.ec.europa.eu/en/video/I-261105

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Middle East: Opening address by High Representative/Vice-President Josep Borrell at the Ministerial side event on the Peace Process and the Two-State Solution

European External Action Service (EEAS)

27.09.2024

New York, 26/09/2024

EEAS Press Team

Check against delivery!

Excellencies, we have been talking a lot about the horrors of today.

Certainly, we have to address them. But we must also try to avoid the horrors of tomorrow, by working to put an end to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Let nobody say: "This is not the right time for the Two-State Solution". When was it "the right time"? How many people must die before it is "the right time"?

Almost the entire world calls for the Two-State Solution.

The [United Nations] General Assembly, the Security Council - Prince Faisal [bin Farhan Al Saud, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Saudi Arabia] has recalled [those over] 135 countries recognising Palestine - the International Court of Justice; all of them call for the Two-State Solution.

Yet, it is not happening.

That harms Palestinians, Israelis, the region, international law, and our global future.

If the Two-State Solution is not the solution, then which is the solution? Which is the alternative solution? Therefore, today my co-host - Prince Faisal - and I, we propose that all those who want to advance in the Two-State Solution to join hands in a global alliance to help to implement it.

From the European Union's viewpoint, that global alliance must be an umbrella under which all [partners] can place whatever they want to do in order to contribute, to incentivise, to help, to encourage, to push, to envisage, to elaborate, and to act towards the implementation of the Two-State Solution.

Even though we all agree that there is not another possible solution, we do not agree on how and when to implement that only solution.

Even in the European Union we have different views. But all of us, European Union and non-European Union, I think that we have to contribute to this realisation.

From the unprecedented package of political, economic, and security support to the parties, that the European Union promised already 11 years ago, to the global support for Palestinian state-building, to our contributions to regional security, to a concrete plan for regional cooperation and integration.

It is up to Israelis and Palestinians to negotiate their own peace, but they will not do it alone. They need all of us to help them to get there. By preparing the ground for the bridge they need to build, by offering both carrots and sticks, and by us joining forces as a practical, forward-looking global alliance.

This has to be the delivery of today, the creation of a global alliance to implement the Palestinian state.

I thank my friend, Prince Faisal, for offering to host the first of the practical, working-level follow-up meetings in Riyadh, where we should identify the core elements of what we can all do towards that implementation, and to face and oppose to the ones who do not want it.

I offer to hold a second meeting in Brussels in November, to focus on one of the actions items to be identified in today's discussions.

I welcome the commitment of my partners today to host further follow-up meetings, be it in Amman, in Ankara, in Cairo, in Oslo, elsewhere.

I hope that these meetings will identify for particular topics the concrete elements of our contribution towards implementation of the two states - well, of the Palestinian state, because the other state has already been implemented.

The final responsibility is for the Israelis and Palestinians but we, their friends and potential friends, we also have our own responsibility.

We have a responsibility to those thousands and thousands of innocent children who were killed because some said: "well, it is not the right time to start thinking of this solution."

Yes, it is. Otherwise, many other children will die before it becomes too late.

Thank you.

Link to the video: https://audiovisual.ec.europa.eu/en/video/I-261347

Answer by the High Representative to questions from the media after the meeting

Q&A

Q: Your Excellency, yesterday your countries, the European Union, France, the United States, Qatar and the [United Arab] Emirates have requested a 21-day call for truce. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has already just said on the plane and just outside of the plane that he was rejecting it. What are your reactions?

I just want to reiterate that, yesterday, the 27 Member States of the European Union have written a statement on exactly the same line, as the one that was forged by the United States and France and joined by other states. The war is not a solution, and these attacks against Lebanon have been creating such a great number of civilian casualties that cannot just be justified by the right of self-defence. Certainly, the right of self-defence exists for everyone, also for Israel. But the way this war is being conducted, by this high number of strikes from air, from land, forcing hundreds of thousands of people to leave their countries, their houses - which have been destroyed, so they will not have anywhere to go back - is certainly not the way to ensure the security of Israel. I think it is just the contrary. So, I can only reiterate the call of the Member States of the European Union for a ceasefire and to look for the only possible solution, which is the implementation of the agreed United Nations resolution.

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Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna quoting President Lennart Meri at a meeting with his Chinese counterpart: international law is a small country's nuclear weapon

Republic of Estonia - Ministry of Foreign Affairs

27.09.2024

Today 26 September, Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in New York, with discussions focusing on the case of damaged submarine infrastructure in the Baltic Sea and Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine.

"Estonia and Finland have submitted a request for legal assistance to China, asking the law enforcement agencies in China to conduct procedures related to theNewNew Polar Bear and its crew and contribute to the investigation. We have not received a response to the request for legal assistance so far," Tsahkna said at the meeting. "I called on China to engage in constructive cooperation in an investigation of great importance for Estonia's security."

The focus of the meeting was on Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine. Tsahkna said that a lasting peace required a plan that would ensure Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity. Tsahkna also underlined that without Ukraine's participation, it was impossible to attain a just and lasting peace founded on the principles of territorial integrity and international law.

Estonia and Argentina we are in charge of the fifth point in Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's 10-point peace plan, which concerns the implementation of the principles of the UN Charter and territorial integrity. "Respecting these principles is an existential issue for Estonia, a neighbour of Russia," Tsahkna emphasised.

"For Estonia, it is key that all countries adhere to the UN Charter," Tsahkna underlined and quoted former Estonian President Lennart Meri to the Chinese foreign minister. "International law is a small country's nuclear weapon and for Estonia, reinforcing it is an existential matter."

Tsahkna said any support to Russia in the war was unacceptable to Estonia and we consider such actions as going against Ukraine and our security.

Yesterday, Tsahkna had bilateral meetings with Comfort Ero, CEO of the International Crisis Group, and the foreign ministers of Oman, Argentina, United Arab Emirates, Somalia, Rwanda, Botswana, and Armenia. He also spoke at the G20 ministerial meeting, which was open to all UN members, and the event on advancing democracy, organised by USAID.

Today, Tsahkna will give the opening speech at a side-event on protecting Ukraine's cultural heritage, organised by the Open Society Foundation and Ukraine's Prosecutor General Andrii Kostin, and he will speak at the ministerial meeting of the International Criminal Court (ICC), the meeting of the foreign ministers of the European Union and CELAC, and, deputising for the health minister, at the summit on measures against antibiotics resistance. The foreign minister is also attending the opening of Estonia's honorary consulate in New York and giving a speech at a business diplomacy event in the consulate. The foreign minister will speak at the high-level panel discussion on the fifth anniversary of the Media Freedom Coalition, and will attend the discussion on the Middle East with Arab states, European Union member states and Norway.

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Opinion / Columnist

Of all the SADC leaders to be begging for food aid on behalf of SADC, Emmerson Mnangagwa would be the last leader anyone would choose to do it!"President Emmerson Mnangagwa has taken the urgent plea for assistance from the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), seeking support to combat the devastating effects of the El Nino-induced drought that has left millions at risk of hunger. The SADC has launched an international humanitarian appeal amounting to US$5.8 billion to address the growing food security crisis in the region," reported Bulawayo 24."Mnangagwa, who assumed the presidency of SADC during the bloc's summit in Harare, Zimbabwe, in August, was unable to attend the UNGA in New York for unspecified reasons. Instead, he was represented by Foreign Affairs Minister Frederick Shava, who delivered Zimbabwe's address on his behalf on Wednesday night.According to reports, approximately 68 million people - about 17% of the total population across Southern Africa."Could not have picked a worse person to beg for food on behalf of the starving - Mnangagwa, THE fat cat, renowned for wasteful incompetence and looting! Who has not heard of how Zanu PF destroyed Zimbabwes once upon a time productive agricultural sector by seizing the farms from the whites to give to unproductive ruling elite and the cronies. There is wholesale looting in Zimbabwe and Mnangagwa and his cronies are the godfathers of it all!There are millions of Zimbabweans who are starving but that did not stop Mnangagwa squander US$5 billion plus in bribes from povo with chicken and chips, chiefs and church leaders with new cars right up to MPs, Judges and Ministers with US$ 40k, 400k and 500k housing "loans" respectively.Mnangagwa has his beady eyes set on winning 2028 elections to extend his rule beyond the constitution two term limit. And the new cycle of bribing key players has already kick off with chiefs receiving new trucks only last week.Whatever the donor give, everyone knows that Mnangagwa and his cronies will have their "pound of flesh" one way or the other!For the period Mnangagwa remains SADC chairman, each individual country would be better off handling its own affairs even when collective regional action would be called for. Having Mnangagwa leading that collective action is a curse, given his notoriety. For one thing Mnangagwa is illegitimacy, SADC election observers condemned 2023 elections as flawed and illegal.The regional body did not take the next rational step of publicly denying Zanu PF political legitimacy because Nelson Chamisa and his CCC fiends (out of greed) and millions his brain dead supporters (out of sheer stupidity) had participated in the flawed elections.
Procuring ammunition is the focus of the Estonian defence budget

Republic of Estonia - Ministry of Defence

27. September 2024

The State Budget Strategy approved by the government on Wednesday adds 1.6 billion euros for the purchase of long-range ammunition until 2031. In coming years, Estonia will invest up to a quarter of its defence budget in ammunition.

"I am grateful to the people of Estonia who have enabled us to use these resources for national defence, to strengthen our collective security - to make it safe to live here, raise a family and invest in business. Ammunition will be the main focus of the defence budget in the coming years. Of course, the Estonian Defence Forces are always ready to defend the Estonian people and the state without delay, but we still need more stocks of ammunition, among other things, to affect the adversary in its own territory," said Defence Minister Hanno Pevkur.

"Given the current security situation, it is our responsibility to actively develop national defence and boost the capability of the Estonian Defence Forces," Pevkur added. "We have proven that we can do this - we already have contracts worth 1.9 billion euros for previously planned stocks of ammunition and we will organise more tenders to fill our ammunition stores as soon as possible."

Estonia will invest at least 3.3% of its GDP in military national defence every year between 2025 and 2028. In a comparison of NATO allies, Estonia currently ranks second behind Poland and ahead of the US. The total defence budget for the 2025-2028 period is 5.6 billion euros, to which the government has added 1.6 billion euros in the course of the budget strategy negotiations for the purchase of ammunition for long-range weapons systems until 2031.

"More than 50 per cent of the defence budget is spent on procurement aimed at directly enhancing our defence capabilities. Our goal is that every euro entrusted to us by the taxpayers strengthens Estonia's defence on land, in the air and at sea," said Defence Minister Pevkur.

The first HIMARS multiple rocket launchers will be delivered to Estonia in 2025. The acquisition of this system provides Estonia with the capability of delivering devastating deep precision strikes in combat operations spanning up to 300 kilometres.

will be delivered to Estonia in 2025. The acquisition of this system provides Estonia with the capability of delivering devastating deep precision strikes in combat operations spanning up to 300 kilometres. A third self-propelled artillery battalion is being created in the division, for which Estonia is procuring 12 Caesar self-propelled howitzers from France. These will make Estonian artillery forces more mobile.

is being created in the division, for which Estonia is procuring 12 Caesar self-propelled howitzers from France. These will make Estonian artillery forces more mobile. The defence of Estonia's southeastern region will be strengthened as the 2nd Infantry Brigade's mobile units are transferred from lorries to a new armoured vehicle type.

are transferred from lorries to a new armoured vehicle type. The development of an unmanned aerial combat battery will continue with the delivery of loitering munitions in 2025. As for anti-tank defence , Estonia is procuring battlefield-proven Javelin and Spike LR missiles.

in 2025. As for , Estonia is procuring battlefield-proven Javelin and Spike LR missiles. In 2025, Estonia will enhance its air defence shield with the German medium-range air defence system Iris-T. Deliveries of Piorun man-portable air defence systems , manufactured in Poland, will also continue.

system Iris-T. Deliveries of Piorun , manufactured in Poland, will also continue. The navy will continue to equip its coastal defence division and train the personnel in weapon systems, starting in 2024. Anti-ship missile systems and naval mines significantly increase the ability to counter threats from the sea.

In parallel with an independent defence capability, Estonia will also further develop NATO collective defence. To achieve this goal, we will both build additional infrastructure and put emphasis on refining defence plans with our allies. There are also plans to organise reservist training for up to 17,000 reservists next year. The equipment of the Defence League will be upgraded and the annual support provided to the Defence League will increase to over 66 million euros by 2028.

Besides strengthening our independent defence capabilities, we will also continue military aid to Ukraine with 0.25% of our GDP, and we will try to do this as much as possible using the Estonian defence industry output. In addition, we are preparing to establish a defence industrial park for the production of ammunition, military supplies, components and explosives.

The expenditure in the area of governance of the Ministry of Defence is being cut in solidarity with other areas. We have met our expenditure reduction target of saving about 24 million euros over four years, which we will channel into support for Ukraine.

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USEUCOM hosts 'Arctic Week' following Pentagon's newly unveiled strategy

Participants explored the commercial and environmental challenges, geopolitical influences and strategic issues affecting the region. These sessions aimed to deepen understanding of the impacts on the U.S., its Allies and partners operating in the Arctic.

By U.S. European Command Public Affairs , United States European Command Stuttgart, Germany Sep 27, 2024

As winter approaches in the Arctic, U.S. European Command (USEUCOM) hosted its inaugural "Arctic Week" in Stuttgart, Germany, Sept. 23-25, 2024. This comprehensive event brought together nearly 50 military and civilian staff for an in-depth examination of Arctic issues, culminating in a senior-leader tabletop exercise designed to assess the command's strategic responses in one of the world's most challenging environments.

The week-long engagement featured significant contributions from experts at the Ted Stevens Center for Arctic Security Studies, a U.S. Defense Department regional center based in Alaska.

As DoD's newest regional center focused on exploring global security opportunities and challenges through education, research and engagement, the Ted Stevens Center's mission is focused exclusively on the Arctic. The center works to build international networks of security leaders to advance U.S. national security priorities in the Arctic region and to ensure a stable, rules-based order in this critical region.

"The imperative to sustain security in the Arctic has never been clearer," said U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. Russell Driggers, USEUCOM's director of plans, policy, strategy and capabilities. "Ensuring our team remains at the forefront of developments  spanning the environmental, economic, security and diplomatic realms  is critical to our role as America's geographic combatant command in Europe. We must continue to work closely with our Allies and partners to preserve peace in the High North."

The event, guided by Arctic subject-matter experts from the Ted Stevens Center based at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Alaska's largest city, Anchorage, provided USEUCOM staff with enhanced insights into the rapidly changing Arctic environment. Participants explored the commercial and environmental challenges, geopolitical influences and strategic issues affecting the region. These sessions aimed to deepen understanding of the impacts on the U.S., its Allies and partners operating in the Arctic.

"To ensure the security and stability of the Arctic, it's essential for security practitioners to stay informed and agile regarding emerging dynamics in this crucial region," said Randy "Church" Kee, Ted Stevens Center director and a retired U.S. Air Force major general. "As climate change and shifting geopolitical dynamics redefine the Arctic landscape, focused Arctic conversations will increase this command's ability to enhance regional planning, programs and activities, while enhancing the security of U.S., Allies and partners."

Maj. Gen. Driggers, who serves as the command's point person for Arctic strategy and plans, emphasized the significance of such engagements, noting, "The future of Arctic security relies on our collective commitment to understanding and addressing the evolving challenges with foresight and resilience. Events like Arctic Week are crucial to advancing that deep understanding."

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Finnish defence administration proposes Mikkeli as site for NATO Multi Corps Land Component Command

Finnish Ministry of Defence

27.09.2024

Finland's defence administration proposes Mikkeli, the town where the Finnish Army Command is based, as the location for NATO's Multi Corps Land Component Command (MCLCC). Minister of Defence Antti Hakkanen stated the matter on Friday morning. Finland is closely involved in the detailed military planning process which NATO has launched for establishing the MCLCC.

"Establishing the new MCLCC in Finland is an important step towards making the NATO deterrence and defence posture even stronger. The Finnish Army Command in Mikkeli was an obvious choice for hosting a NATO command. By joining these two locations, we get the best possible synergy between coordinating our national defence and coordinating the NATO defence capabilities. The proposal was founded on a military opinion, which then provided the basis for the Finnish defence administration's assessment," says Minister of Defence Antti Hakkanen.

The MCLCC will plan, prepare and command the activities of NATO land forces in Northern Europe under Joint Force Command Norfolk. In normal conditions, the MCLCC will be responsible for NATO exercises and other peacetime activities in its area. In a crisis, it would command NATO's land force operations in its area. The command will have staff from the Allies and the Finnish Defence Forces. The planning and implementation will progress in stages, with a more specific timetable to be announced in 2025.

"Finland has excellent knowledge of the conditions and requirements in the northern area. Establishing the MCLCC in Finland shows that NATO recognises and trusts Finland's expertise," Minister of Defence Hakkanen says.

At their meeting in June, NATO defence ministers gave their political support to establishing a Multi Corps Land Component Command and the presence of Forward Land Forces (FLF) in Finland. The proposals were endorsed at the NATO summit in July. NATO will make political decisions on the specifics of the MCLCC and the presence of FLF next year, when military planning has progressed further.

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Norwegian Foreign Minister: growing impatience on behalf of Palestinians

Government of Norway

Press release | Date: 27/09/2024

'A viable Palestinian state is essential to realising a two-state solution. This week, world leaders gathered to discuss how we can support the Palestinian Authority, strengthen Palestinian institutions and implement a two-state solution,' said Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs Espen Barth Eide.

Mr Eide led two meetings on Palestine in the margins of the UN General Assembly high-level week in New York.

The meetings showed that there is increasing consensus among world leaders that it is of the utmost importance to take steps to support the Palestinian Authority, strengthen Palestine's economy and draw up concrete plans for what will need to be done in Gaza once a ceasefire is in place.

'The situation in Palestine is worse than it has been for a very long time. However, we also see growing global consensus on what is needed: A viable Palestinian state is essential to realising a two-state solution, where Palestine and Israel live side by side in peace,' said Mr Eide.

During the ministerial meeting of the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee (AHLC), the international donor group for Palestine, Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Mustafa provided an overview of the Palestinian economic situation and outlined the reforms initiated by the Palestinian Authority to strengthen Palestinian institutions throughout Palestine.

'The situation for the Palestinian economy is critical. We must do everything we can to ensure that Palestinian institutions can provide essential services to the people. I am pleased that there was broad agreement during the meetings to increase political and financial support to the Palestinian Authority,' said Mr Eide.

Mr Eide also led a Ministerial meeting with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal and EU High Representative Josep Borrell on establishing a global coalition for the implementation of the two-state solution. The meeting brought together 70 countries and was a follow-up to meetings co-chaired by Norway and Saudi Arabia over the past year in Oslo in December, Riyadh in April, Brussels in May, and Madrid in September.

'For far too long, everyone has been speaking about the two-state solution as step that should be taken, but nothing concrete has been done to effectuate it. A large majority of the world's countries support a Palestinian state, but progress is being undermined by Israel's occupation, the illegal settlements and ongoing acts of violence. I am very pleased that more countries are seeking to define more concretely what we can do together to move closer to this goal,' said Mr Eide.

'We must all be more impatient on behalf of the Palestinians. Multiple generations have grown up under occupation. The Palestinian people have the same right to self-determination as the people of any other nation. This is in line with a number of UN resolutions and with the recent advisory opinion of the UN International Court of Justice on 19 July. We are seeking a negotiated solution to bring an end to the conflict once and for all. The Palestinians should never have had to negotiate for fundamental rights. In light of the International Court of Justice's advisory opinion establishing that the occupation is illegal and must cease, Israel can no longer have a veto over what happens in an area that they are occupying in violation of international law. Universal recognition and full membership of the UN for Palestine will place the parties on a more equal footing in future negotiations,' said Mr Eide.

The Foreign Minister makes it clear that the political and security situations are closely interlinked.

'The unresolved conflict between Israel and Palestine has led to war and conflict throughout the Middle East for many decades. As long as the war in Gaza continues, tensions throughout the region will continue to rise. The Middle East needs diplomacy and political solutions, not more war, suffering and destruction. Norway and the other donors will continue to support the moderate forces in Palestine that are seeking to build a peaceful Palestinian state next to Israel,' said Mr Eide.

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Iran strongly condemns terrorist attacks by Zionist regime on suburbs of Beirut

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Sep 27, 2024

Tehran - IRNA -- Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Nasser Kanaani strongly condemned the brutal and terrorist air attack of the Zionist regime on several residential buildings in the suburbs of Beirut on Friday afternoon.

"This barbaric attack, which was carried out with the bombs donated by the American regime to the rebellious Zionist regime, besides being a flagrant violation of the laws and regulations of international law, as well as the sovereignty and territorial integrity and national security of Lebanon, is an obvious and unconcealable war crime. And therefore, without a doubt, the American regime is also an accomplice along with the Zionist regime and must be held accountable," Kanaani said.

"The continuation of the Zionist regime's crimes against the people of Palestine and Lebanon clearly shows that the call for a ceasefire by the United States and some Western countries is a clear deception aimed at buying time for the continuation of the crimes of the Zionist regime against the Palestinian and Lebanese people," he added.

Kanaani pointed out that the intensification of the insane attacks by the Zionists against Palestine and Lebanon and the fearless killing of citizens and innocents is the result of the inaction of the international community in the face of all these crimes and brutality.

2050

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Hezbollah launches missile attack on occupied city of Haifa

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Sep 27, 2024

Tehran - IRNA -- The port city of Haifa in the occupied territories was targeted by a missile from southern Lebanon following the aggressive attacks of the Zionist regime on Dahiya in the south of Beirut.

Al-Arabi al-Jadid media also announced that Hezbollah rockets were launched in the sky of Tubas in the West Bank.

Zionist sources also reported that several rockets hit the occupied city of Safad in the north of occupied Palestine. According to this report, a missile directly hit a building in this city.

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Israel attacks southern Beirut; 2 people martyred, 76 people injured

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Sep 27, 2024

Tehran - IRNA -- Lebanon's official sources announced that the Zionist regime's attack on south Beirut has so far left two martyrs and 76 wounded.

According to the Lebanese media, a large number of buildings have been completely razed to the ground.

On Friday evening, the Zionist regime's planes bombed the residential areas of Hareh Harik in the suburbs of Beirut heavily and continuously.

The Zionist army claimed that the target of these attacks was the main command center of Hezbollah.

Al-Mayadeen reporter emphasized that the planes of the Zionist regime heavily bombarded the residential areas of Hara Harik area in the southern suburbs of Beirut.

2050

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Yemeni forces hit three US warships in Red Sea

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Sep 27, 2024

Tehran - IRNA -- The Armed forces of Yemen have targeted three US warships in the Red Sea.

Local media cited Spokesperson of the Yemeni Armed Forces General Yahya Saree as saying on Friday that all the three warships were directly hit.

He said that the operation was the biggest in the country's support for the Palestinian resistance in the Gaza Strip and in response to a US-UK invasion of Yemen.

He added that some 23 missiles and drones have been used in the operation.

The Yemeni spokesman stressed his country's preparedness to launch further military operations in support for the Palestinian people and the Islamic Resistance in Lebanon.

9341**2050

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Araghchi criticizes US policies impeding UNSC resolution on situation in Lebanon

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Sep 27, 2024

New York, IRNA -- Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has criticized the US policies which has hindered the issuance of a resolution by the UN Security Council in mere condemnation of the Zionist attacks in Lebanon.

This year's UN General Assembly has been greatly affected by the situation in Lebanon and the Zionist strikes against the country, Araghchi told reporters in New York on Friday.

Referring to a UNSC emergency meeting on the situation in Lebanon, he said that Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati was among those addressing the meeting.

Araghchi also said that "I made a speech in the meeting on behalf of the Islamic Republic of Iran".

The meeting failed to make a mere condemnation of the Zionist attacks, he said, blaming the US policies which he believed prevents any such meeting from yielding fruit.

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Iran FM Spox holds US responsible for Israeli crimes in Palestine, Lebanon

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Sep 27, 2024

Tehran, IRNA -- Iran's Foreign Ministry Spokesman Nasser Kanaani has held the US accountable for the Zionist regime's crimes against people of Palestine and Lebanon.

"While the United States claims to be working toward a ceasefire, the Israeli regime has announced the receipt of an $8.7 billion aid package from the US to sustain and bolster its military capabilities," Kanaani wrote on his X account on Friday.

"Simultaneously, the US Secretary of Defense declared that Washington will never alter its commitment to assist Israel in defending itself," he added.

"It is disgraceful that the US characterizes the killing of approximately 42,000 people over 11 months in Palestine and more than 1,500 people in just 4 days in Lebanon as self-defense," he noted.

"The world harbors no doubt that the US is the primary accomplice to the Israeli regime's war crimes in the genocide of Palestinians and the ongoing atrocities against the Lebanese people," he stated.

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by Imam Jamal Rahman

Date: Wednesday, October 16 at 9:00 AM PDT

Check your local times using this date/time converter.

Cost: Suggested donation $10 US.

While we provide an option to attend this webinar for free, as a nonprofit we depend on donations and your contribution is greatly appreciated!

Description

In this book, Jamal illustrates the treasured Sufi practice of meditating on a beautiful Quranic verse, accompanied by another Quranic verse, saying of the Prophet Muhammad, or teaching story or poetry of the mystics such as Rumi, Hafez or Rabia. The accompaniments illuminate the original verse. By pondering on them, one might begin to feel a shift within and slowly grow in higher consciousness. This spiritual evolvement is embodied in the traditional saying,  Once the blush of the Beloved graces you, there is no going back to being a green apple. 

In this program, in response to questions, Jamal will reflect on various verses of beauty and wisdom from the Quran in order to understand some of its deeper meanings and relevance to our time and our world today. We invite you, regardless of your faith or no faith, to join us on this journey of discovery.

About the Author

Jamal Rahman, Imam, Writer, Speaker, Spiritual Advisor, is a popular speaker on Islam, Sufi spirituality, and interfaith relations. Along with his Interfaith Amigos, he has been featured in the New York Times, CBS News, BBC, and various NPR programs.

Jamal is co-founder and Muslim Sufi minister at Interfaith Community Sanctuary and adjunct faculty at Seattle University. He is a former co-host of Interfaith Talk Radio and travels nationally and internationally, presenting at retreats and workshops.

He is the author of Sacred Laughter of the Sufis: Awakening the Soul with the Mullah's Comic Teaching Stories and Other Islamic Wisdom; Spiritual Gems of Islam: Insights & Practices from the Qur'an, Hadith, Rumi & Muslim Teaching Stories to Enlighten the Heart & Mind; The Fragrance of Faith: The Enlightened Heart of Islam; and co-author of Finding Peace Through Spiritual Practice: The Interfaith Amigos Guide to Personal, Social, and Environmental Healing; Religion Gone Astray: What We Found at the Heart of Interfaith; Out of Darkness into Light: Spiritual Guidance in the Quran with Reflections from Jewish and Christian Sources; and Getting to the Heart of Interfaith: The Eye-Opening, Hope-Filled Friendship of a Pastor, a Rabbi, and an Imam.

Jamal's latest book, The Teachers of Spiritual Wisdom: Gaining Perspective on Lifes Perplexing Questions is co-authored with Duncan S. Ferguson and Mary Petrina Boyd.

Jamal's passion lies in interfaith community building. He remains rooted in his Islamic tradition and cultivates a "spaciousness" by being open to the beauty and wisdom of other faiths. By authentically and appreciatively understanding other paths, Jamal feels that he becomes a better Muslim.

This spaciousness is not about conversion but about completion. Since 9/11 Jamal has been collaborating with Rabbi Ted Falcon and Pastor Don Mackenzie. Affectionately known as the Interfaith Amigos, they tour the country sharing the message of spiritual inclusivity. Recently, Rabbi Ted Falcon decided to retire and Rabbi Laura Kaplan has come in his place.

Imam Jamal, originally from Bangladesh, has an abiding faith in the power of heart-to-heart connections to encompass differences and dissolve prejudices. He enjoys programs that celebrate life and unity through delight, laughter, and food. He has a private spiritual counseling practice serving individuals and couples, and is available for interfaith weddings and ceremonies.

Jamal offers a variety of classes and workshops, including the popular "Blush of the Beloved," a course in spiritual deepening and discernment drawing upon the practices, insights, and wisdom within Sufism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Taoism.

About the Hosts

Laura Duhan-Kaplan is Director of Inter-Religious Studies and Professor of Jewish Studies at the Vancouver School of Theology, and Rabbi Emerita of Or Shalom Synagogue.

She has won many awards for her teaching of religion and philosophy, including the Carnegie Foundations prestigious U.S. Professor of the Year.

Rabbi Laura is the author of Mouth of the Donkey: Re-Imagining Biblical Animals and Shechinah, Bring Me Home: Kabbalah and the Omer in Real Life. She has also collaboratively authored four books on interfaith topics including friendship, reconciliation, othering, and hope.

She is delighted to be part of the Interfaith Amigos, after admiring their work for many years.

When Rabbi Laura is not working or exploring spiritual practice, shes usually volunteering at a synagogue or interfaith initiative; hiking, singing, or leading prayer services with her spouse; laughing with family; or hanging out with companion animals.

Donald Mackenzie is a minister of the United Church Christ. He is a graduate of Macalester College, Princeton Theological Seminary and holds a PhD from New York University. He has served on the faculty of Princeton Seminary and was an associate minister at Nassau Presbyterian Church before becoming Pastor of the Church of Christ at Dartmouth College, a congregation of the United Church of Christ. He also served as Minister and Head of Staff at University Congregational Church in Seattle. After the tragedy of September 11, 2001, he and Rabbi Ted Falcon and Imam Jamal formed what became known as the Interfaith Amigos. After twenty years, Rabbi Ted retired in the summer of 2022 and now he and Imam Jamal are excited to welcome Rabbi Laura Kaplan to their interfaith work.



Dons country band, Lifes Other Side, played at the Midnight Jamboree at the Grand Ol Opry in Nashville in January of 2005. They also recorded the soundtrack for the documentary film Family Name.

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Araghchi: Destruction Palestinian resistance, Hamas was nothing but an illusion

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Sep 27, 2024

New York, IRNA -- In a speech at the meeting of the Palestine Committee of Foreign Ministers of the Non-Aligned Movement, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that the recent developments in Palestine and the resistance in Gaza and the West Bank once again show that the idea of destruction of the Palestinian resistance movement and Hamas, as a liberation movement formed against the occupation, was nothing but an illusion.

Addressing the meeting of the Palestine Committee of Foreign Ministers of the Non-Aligned Movement at the United Nations in New York, Araghchi thanked the Republic of Uganda for holding this meeting on time and its efforts during its presidency and thanked the Non-Aligned Movement for supporting the Palestinian cause.

"Over the past year, the apartheid regime of Israel has committed numerous crimes in the Gaza Strip and other Palestinian territories, in addition to its long-term illegal occupation, genocidal policies and practices, brutal attacks and violence against Palestinian civilians, including women and children," Araghchi said.

The full text of the Iranian foreign minister's speech at the UN meeting is as follows:

In the Name of God, the Compassionate the Merciful

Mr. Chairman,

Dear Colleagues,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

At the outset, I would like to thank the Republic of Uganda for convening this timely meeting and for its efforts during the chairmanship on the Non-Aligned Movement to support the Palestinian cause.

During the past year, the Israeli apartheid regime has committed numerous crimes in the Gaza Strip and other Palestinian territories in addition to its long-lasting illegal occupation, genocidal policies and practices, brutal attacks and violence against Palestinian civilians including women and children. These crimes have caused double injustice to a nation that has been deprived of its inalienable rights including the right to self-determination and human dignity for more than seven decades living under illegal Israeli occupation.

The number of victims of the genocide against the oppressed Palestinian nation over the past year has reached 42,000 people. Meanwhile, approximately 70% of the victims of these inhumane atrocities are innocent children and women, setting a world record in brutality and savagery, unmatched even by the bloodiest regimes in human history.

This terrorist regime committed the assassination of Ismael

Haniyeh, the political chief of the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (HAMAS), in Tehran as another act of its aggression and organized terrorism. At the same time, the recent developments in Palestine and the resistance of Gaza and the West Bank demonstrate once again that the destruction of Palestinian resistance and Hamas, as a liberation movement formed against the occupation, was nothing more than an illusion.

The Israeli regime`s intention to escalate conflict and expand war throughout the region clearly indicates a lack of commitment to peace and stability in the region. This apartheid and occupying regime is now undertaking an unjust war of aggression against Lebanon, seeking to violate this country's sovereignty and territorial integrity and kill its innocent people. This attack, in addition to the deliberate and indiscriminate targeting of civilians by detonating electronic devices used by rank-and-file citizens, has claimed the precious lives and limbs of thousands of innocent people, including women and children.

As a significant part of its efforts to combat terrorism, the international community has an obligation to address and strongly condemn this new and atypical method of terrorism, otherwise it could establish a horrible precedent that could be easily replicated by other terrorist groups and entities around the world.

Mr. Chairman,

Distinguished colleagues,

The Islamic Republic of Iran, as a constant and sincere supporter of the Palestinian cause and a responsible actor for ensuring regional and international peace and security, calls on the Palestine Committee of the Non-Alignment Movement to send a strong message in support of the legitimate struggle of this nation for freedom and independence. This Committee is expected to come up with substantial recommendations and measures as the output of this meeting, including:

Calling for an immediate, comprehensive, unconditional and permanent ceasefire in Gaza as well as ending all atrocities & aggressive measures against Palestinians and other nations in the region;

Urging the immediate and complete lifting of the inhumane 17-yearold blockade of Gaza;

Requesting the release of all Palestinian prisoners and detainees;

Obliging the Israeli regime to conduct an immediate, complete and unconditional withdrawal from Gaza and securing for the safe, unhindered and dignified return of all displaced Palestinians

Imposing an immediate arms and trade sanctions against the Israeli regime in order to oblige the Occupying Power to fully stop its invasion against Gaza and implement its international & legal obligations including those under the international humanitarian and human rights law;

Supporting the implementation of provisional measures ordered by the International Court of Justice in the case brought by South Africa under the Genocide Convention, as well as prosecution and punishment of all Israeli officials involved in genocide and crimes against humanity.

In conclusion, Mr Chair, I would like to emphasize that peace and security in the region will not be achieved unless the occupation is ended and the Palestinian inalienable rights including their right to selfdetermination are recognized and implemented. The only path to end this 70 years old nightmare in West Asia and the world is to restore the right of all Palestinians to self-determination. We propose that all the people of Palestineboth those who live in their motherland as well as those who have been forced into its diasporadetermine their future in a referendum. We are confident that through this mechanism we can achieve a lasting peace, with Muslims, Christians and Jews living alongside one another in one land in tranquility and peace, and away from racism and apartheid.

I thank you,

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Joint Statement by the Defence Ministers of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland

Republic of Latvia - Ministry of Defence

09/27/2024

In Latvia

International cooperation

Information prepared by Media Relations Section

We, the Ministers of Defence of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland, met today to discuss and coordinate our efforts in building a defence line along the Eastern border.

Russia's war against Ukraine has shown that creating physical obstacles on an open ground with no natural defensive cover is paramount even in technologically advanced warfare.

As the threats at our frontier are increasingly growing, ramping up fortifications along the border with Russia and Belarus remains a high-priority contributing to our pledge to defend every inch of Allied territory. Acknowledging the significance and urgency of this initiative, we reaffirm our political commitment to drive the project forward and further coordinate and align our approaches at all levels.

Recognizing that Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland are at the frontline of safeguarding the external borders of NATO and the EU against hybrid and conventional threats, we agreed to work closely in both organizations to raise awareness of the collective significance of this initiative and to make use of the instruments of NATO and the EU in support of strengthening the border.

We strongly condemn Russia regarding the repeated violations of NATO airspace by military drones and missiles. This emerging reality demands serious attention and cannot be ignored. We agreed to actively engage with Allies to deliver immediate and persistent collective solutions to counter UAV threat, as well as to implement the Rotational Model as stated at the Washington Summit.



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Lithuania with the Baltic states nad Poland will seek ways to attract additional EU financing for defence line reinforcements, says Minister of National Defence

Republic of Lithuania - Ministry of National Defence

2024-09-27

International cooperation | Security and defense policy

Laurynas Kasciunas discussed development of the common defence line with Ministers of Defence of the Baltic states and Vice Minister of National Defence of Poland in Daugavpils today. NATO Ministers addressed defensibility of the eastern flank borders and the measures each of the countries could take separately and together with the others in order to safeguard national and NATO borders. Participants of the meeting also issued a joint statement which highlighted a mutual initiative to seek EU funding for defence of the EU borderline.

"Lithuania works hard to create a seamless defence line in collaboration with the other states. Our effort underlines our resolve to enhance defence against any threats. Moreover, it is critical to define and support the main directions of NATO, EU and national strategic action in the face of hybrid threats and assaults. It means making sure that all elements of defence are tightly coordinated together. Also, we need to make sure to use our collective powers to the fullest in the fight against the emerging threats," said Minister L. Kasciunas.

Representatives of the Baltic states and Poland agreed it was necessary to propose a EU objective to increase funding for border defence seeking more EU involvement in strengthening the eastern EU part and ensuring its security.

The eastern border of the EU coincides with the border of the eastern flank of NATO. The political focus of NATO and the EU has to be set on the plan for strengthening the defence line with concrete measures outlined and financing committed.

"Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia are the outpost of the outer borders of NATO and the EU on the east side and the hybrid and conventional threats coming from it, that is why it is critical that the organisations maintain a tight cooperation. We aim for a unified communication on the collective importance of this initiative and to avail of NATO and EU measures that can help to enhance the capabilities in concerned," said L. Kasciunas conveying the agreed position of the Baltic and Polish Defence Ministers.

Lithuania is building up countermobility measures

Lithuania's objective to strengthen deterrence and defence by strengthening border security was laid out in the national defence agreement of the parliamentary parties in 2022. While this summer the Government took a decision on specific measures the Armed Forces and the Ministry of National Defence, the Ministry of Transport, the Ministry of Environment and municipalities will have to implement.

27 engineer countermobility parks are in the plans across Lithuania bordering Belarus and Kaliningrad of the Russian Federation. The Lithuanian Armed Forces Logics Command has signed procurement contracts for engineer countermobility means: dragon's teeth, cheval de frise and Czech hedgehog type of fortifications and concrete road barriers are planned to be transferred to the Lithuanian Armed Forces by the end of the year. The purchase is worth over EUR 4 million. Another batch of dragon's teeth type of fortifications is planned to be bought for approx. EUR 2.5 million.

Moreover, the Lithuanian countermobility action plan includes reconstruction of irrigation ditches, development of tree alleys by the roads and preservation of woodland patches up to 20 km inwards the country away from the borderline, around highways and roads, fortification of fording areas in River Nemunas on the border with Russia, and whatever else is necessary. Mine acquisitions play a crucial role in countermobility capability-building and also meet the Armed Forces requirement for a sufficient amount of mines for the battlefield.

Lithuania has already formed five countermobility parks and purchased countermobility means and anti-tank mines, part of the purchase is already store in Lithuania.

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New Sentry anti-tank mines reached Lithuanian Armed Force warehouses

Republic of Lithuania - Ministry of National Defence

2024-09-27

Acquisitions and infrastructure development

The Sentry anti-tank mines manufactured by Finland's Forcit Defence worth of EUR 5.9 million have been delivered to the Lithuanian Armed Forces. Design of the mines make them particularly effective in destroying or damaging tanks and other armored tactical vehicles.

"We are purchasing mines because it is a very important element of effective countermobility measures. A significant portion of resources will go to mining capabilities and procurement of different types of mines. We already have contracts in place and the first of the mines are already in the warehouses of the Lithuanian military," Minister of National Defence Laurynas Kasciunas says.

Sentry mines are next generation remote-controlled antitank mine system which combines advanced encrypted mesh connectivity and fierce target penetration capacity. It is designed to retain mobility of friendly forces by deactivating remotely temporarily or fully if required. The equipment recognizes and identifies hostile targets, autonomously sets detonation time thus causing maximum damage to hostile equipment.

Mining is an effective countermobility method in borderline areas. Ministers of Defence of Lithuania, Latvia nad Estonia signed a Letter of Intent back in the beginning of the year on strengthening cooperation on the development of effective countermobility measures on the border with hostile neighbors.

All the signatories agreed to reinforce countermobility installations along the eastern NATO border taking into account national requirements, geographical peculiarities, and available and planned military capabilities.

Reinforcement of borderline with Russia and Belarus is a priority for Lithuania and Poland as well. While Lithuania proceeds with the implementation of the countermobility measures plan, which includes strengthening security of the Suwalki Gap as well, Poland makes significant investments in its own border fortifications too.

EUR 600 million may be needed to fully implement the countermobility measures in Lithuania over the next 10 years.

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Conversation with the NATO Secretary General at the Council on Foreign Relations

NATO - North Atlantic Treaty Organisation

26 Sep. 2024

Last updated: 27 Sep. 2024

(As delivered)

Ayman Mohyeldin: Hello, everyone. Welcome to what I think is going to be a very interesting and important, timely conversation. My name is Ayman Mohyeldin I'm the host of Ayman on MSNBC. I've had a chance to interview the Secretary General previously on my show, this is first time we're doing it in person. So, I was saying it was nice to finally meet him, and thanks to the Council for making it happen. I thought this was going to be his last interview, so I was saying I was going to push him a little bit on some things, but I found out that he has a lot more work to do before he steps down, I believe on Tuesday, right? Tuesday morning is the handover ceremony.

NATO Secretary General: At 11 o'clock.

Ayman Mohyeldin: 11 o'clock, trust me, he was not counting down the minutes in the few moments that we spent backstage. You know the rules, this is on the record. I'm going to open this up for questions from the audience in just a moment, but I'm going to get the ball rolling with a few questions of my own. And, of course, some news today coming out of Russia that I wanted to start off by getting your reaction to. This was Russian President Vladimir Putin announcing to the Security Council on Russia a change in the country's doctrine. I want to read for you the specific quote and get your reaction to it. "It is proposed that aggression against Russia by a nonnuclear state, but with the participation or support of a nuclear state be considered as their joint attack on the Russian Federation. We reserve the right to use nuclear weapons in the event of aggression against Russia, including if the enemy using conventional weapons creates a critical threat to our sovereignty." As far as a thinly veiled threat, I think that meets the definition. Your reaction to that, sir.

NATO Secretary General: No I think you're absolutely right, this is a way to try to threaten Ukraine, or to threaten us from supporting Ukraine. And this is part of a pattern of nuclear rhetoric and nuclear messaging we have seen from Moscow, from President Putin, since the start of this war. Because at every pivotal moment, they have tried to coerce us from providing military support to Ukraine. They have not succeeded because despite all these threats and all this nuclear rhetoric, which didn't start today, it started actually back in 2022. Actually, before the invasion, but very much so, for instance, on the morning of the invasion, President Putin gave his speech where he had all these threats again. So the purpose is to prevent us from helping Ukraine to defend themselves. We are closely watching what Russia is doing. Russia's nuclear rhetoric is dangerous and reckless. We have conveyed, and Moscow must know, and we know that they know that a nuclear war can never be won and must never be fought. And we will continue to follow what they do, but they cannot coerce us from supporting Ukraine.

Ayman Mohyeldin: To go back to something you had said previously. You had said there have been many red lines declared by him before, and he has not escalated, meaning also involving NATO Allies directly. Do you think today is different with this kind of language because it was so specific about what NATO is considering, which is the offensive capability of giving Ukraine long range missiles to strike deep into Russia. He used very specific language that if a nuclear country, which obviously many NATO members are, including the United States, are giving non-nuclear weapons that threaten our sovereignty, that is an act of war. Is this different?

NATO Secretary General: I don't think so, because we have seen, again, as I said, similar threats formulated in different ways, but fundamentally the same. And NATO Allies and the United States and also all the nuclear powers, France and the United Kingdom have delivered weapons to Ukraine before the full-scale invasion, but even more so after the full-scale invasion. And the message was that any support would be unacceptable. We provided them unprecedented support. When we started to deliver more long-range weapons, that was unacceptable. Then advanced battle tanks were unacceptable. F-16s was absolutely unacceptable. And for instance, ATACMS or the Storm Shadow cruise missiles from the United Kingdom. All of these weapons are advanced weapons, and some Allies have no restrictions on the use of these weapons against legitimate military targets on the territory of Russia. Other Allies have had restrictions, but most of them actually loosened those restrictions, in particular after Russia opened a new front in Kharkiv, because until then, as this was a month ago, until then, most, or almost all the fighting in this war took place deep inside Ukrainian territory. But after Russia opened the new front in Kharkiv, then the front lines where they crossed the border into Kharkiv, then then the front line and the borderline have been more or less the same. And of course, there's only one way to then hit military targets behind the Russian lines, it's to hit the military targets on Russian territory. Even the United States has opened up for the use of their weapons on the other side of the border in the Kharkiv region. So, yes, I understand the difference between deep and deeper, and very much deep into Russian territory, but fundamentally, we have crossed those lines many times already because we cannot accept that Russia is trying to get control over Ukraine and prevent us from supporting Ukraine by using all these different threats.

Let me then add two more things. We need to remember what this is. This is a war aggression, a war by choice by Moscow. No one forced them to attack Ukraine. Ukraine was never a threat to Russia. President Putin decided to launch a full-scale invasion by choice. It was his decision to do so. That is a blatant violation of international law to invade another country. Second, according to international law, every nation has the right to defend itself. That's part of international law. It's enshrined in the UN Charter. The right for self-defence includes the right to hit legitimate military targets on the territory of the aggressor; Russia. So it's self-defence when Ukraine strikes military targets on Russian territory. And that's according to international law. And if you accept that the nuclear power can prevent us from upholding international law because they're threatening us, then we are in a very, very dangerous situation, because then we'll be beginning with something where we end with Russia defining what we can do and not do in Europe and in support of a sovereign independent nation in Europe.

That's the first message, the second message is that, of course, wars are dangerous. That's the reason why NATO is there, to prevent wars. And that's the reason why we are very concerned about the war in Ukraine. And there are no risk-free options in the war. So I'm not saying that in what we do there are no risks, but I'm saying that the biggest risk is if President Putin wins. Because then, again, he will be in a position that next time he can just coerce us again. And if I'm Latvia or Lithuania or Norway, I'm from Norway, we are a neighbour of Russia. And when Norway joined in NATO 1949, Joseph Stalin said it was a provocation, a threat. But Washington and London said that, no, it's the right of Norway, a small country bordering Russia, to decide its own path. And they allowed us into NATO. So, these are some fundamental principles, and when we start to compromise on those principles, we are creating a very dangerous world.

Ayman Mohyeldin: Let me stay on Ukraine just for a little bit longer, because when you came into NATO in 2014obviously, at the time, the biggest operation NATO was dealing with, Afghanistansince the arc of the last 10 years, it's safe to say Ukraine has now dominated NATO's, I guess, major concern and operations. If you could go back 10 years to your younger self or to NATO back in 2014, what would you have done differently about Ukraine that may have prevented what we're seeing right now?

NATO Secretary General: I will answer that question in a moment, but first, I would like to say that fundamentally, we did the right things from 2014 and up to now. Because since 2014 and up to now, over the last decade, we have implemented the biggest reinforcement of NATO and NATO's collective defence in a generation. And we have done so triggered by the illegal annexation of Crimea, because we saw that Russia was willing to use military force to not only take Crimea in 2014 but also go into eastern Donbas. So when I came it was obvious that we really had to do something, and we did a lot.

First of all, we started to increase defence spending. In 2014, three NATO Allies spent 2% or more on defence, United States, United Kingdom and Greece. This year, 23 allies are spending 2%, and many of them significantly more, on defence. That started in 2014. Second, in 2014 we had no combat ready NATO troops in the eastern part of Alliance, zero. Now we have eight battle groups with thousands of combat ready troops, 24/7 in the Baltic countries, Poland, Romania and other eastern Allies. We have increased the number of troops on high readiness from thousands to half a million. And we invested in new high-end capabilities, including, I think it's 600 F-35s across Europe. So NATO's military strength is enormously, much stronger now than in 2014. And I'm not saying that in 2014 we foresaw the full-scale invasion in February 2022, but we understood that we had to tackle, to handle a much more aggressive Russia. And we started that preparation day 1, 2014. Therefore, when the full-scale invasion happened, we were well prepared. Not only because we had very precise intelligence at least some months ahead, but mainly because we started the adaptation eight years earlier. So therefore, when the full-scale invasion happened, we could do two things: we could significantly ramp up our support to Ukraineas we did. And we could reinforce our defences in the eastern part of the Alliance to fulfil two tasks, because NATO has two tasks in this war, one is to support Ukraineas we do, the other is to prevent the war from escalating beyond Ukraine. And the way we do that is to send a very clear message to Moscow that an attack on one Ally will be an attack on all the Alliance, and we do that by having more forces in the eastern part of the Alliance to remove any room for misunderstanding and miscalculation.

So this was perhaps a lengthy non-answer to your question, but I say all this because when now I will admit to one regret, I need to put it in the right context, because fundamentally, NATO Allies have done the right things. We understood the increased danger. We acted, and we acted more than I think many people believed was possible over these years. Then what I will regret is that we didn't do more in support to Ukraine. Because I think if we had armed Ukraine more, provided more military and lethal aid, we cannot guarantee the outcome, but at least the cost of Russia to invade would have been higher. And maybe so high that they would not have invaded. But even if they had decided to invade, they would not have been able to make those gains they have been able to make. If Ukraine had much more artillery and long-range fire, and if they had the modern battle tanks, as they have now with the Leopard and the Abrahams or the Storm Shadows, the cruise missiles, or F-16s with well-trained pilots, of course, it would be a totally different task for Russians to invade them than it was back in 2022. And yes, in hindsight, of course, I think that would have been the right thing to do. Some Allies tried to push it through. It was a controversial thing. Some were afraid, remember back in 2015/16/17, it was a big discussion whether NATO Allies should deliver lethal aid. Javelins was something that was controversial to deliver. So some Allies were afraid that that was too provocative. But deterrence is there to prevent war, and of course, to end this answer; now we deliver, you know, enormous amounts of military support, and that has helped the Ukrainians to hold back the invading forces. If we had delivered a fraction of that earlier, maybe we could have prevented the war.

Ayman Mohyeldin: You have said, Ukraine's path to membership is irreversible. Your exact quote, there can be no stability and peace and security in Europe without peace and stability in Ukraine. And in the long run, there can be no peace and security in Ukraine without Ukraine becoming a NATO Ally. I don't have to tell you, not all the members of NATO see it that way. Specifically, the president of Turkiye telling my own network just yesterday that his country will not be rushed into a decision about Ukraine, and he said the US and other member states don't want Ukraine to be a member. Is he telling the truth?

NATO Secretary General: Well, I can only speak of behalf of NATO and all NATO Allies have agreed that Ukraine's path to membership is irreversible, and that is negotiated...

Ayman Mohyeldin: Including Turkiye?

NATO Secretary General: Including... I said all of them, that's language we agreed in July at the beautiful Washington Summit. And it's very strong language that Ukraine will become a member, and that the path is irreversible. And not only did we have strong language, but we also had actions underpinning that message. We have removed the requirement for something called Membership Action Plan. That was a requirement we had before. So, they made the whole process to become a NATO member, two-step process. First you were allowed into this Membership Action Plan that will also take some years, and then after that, you could be invited. We said for Ukraine, there is no need for a Membership Action Plan. Their process, their path into a NATO membership is a one step process, not a two-step process. Then we established something called the NATO Ukraine Council, which is an important political body that can make decisions, Ukraine and all NATO Allies together on equal footing. And then we have launched big programs for interoperability to ensure that Ukrainian forces have the same doctrine, standards as NATO forces, reducing the threshold for becoming a full member. We are establishing a Joint Training and Evaluation Centre in Bydgoszcz in Poland, to interact more closely. And we have established a big NATO command in Wiesbaden, Germany, to facilitate and organize and coordinate the delivery of military support to Ukraine partly to give it more predictability, but also to ensure that the Future Force we are building for them by delivering F-16s, whatever, is as interoperable with NATO.

So, all of these actions are real actions to ensure that Ukraine can become a member, but then to reflect on why I strongly believe that Ukraine should be a member of NATO, and that's the following. For this war to end... First of all, we all want the war to end. The quickest way to end the war is to lose the war. But that doesn't bring peace. That will bring occupation of Ukraine. So, the challenge is not to end the war, in a way, if you accept to lose the war. The challenge is to end the war in the way where Ukraine prevails as a sovereign and independent nation. And the way to do that is to convince President Putin that he cannot win on the battlefield. And the only way to achieve that is to have enough military strength in Ukraine, so the cost for President Putin is so high that he is forced to sit down and negotiate an agreement where Ukraine continues to be a sovereign, independent nation. And therefore, military support to Ukraine is the path to peace. I don't believe we can change Putin's mind. He wants to control Ukraine, but I believe we can change his calculus by arming Ukraine. So that's the first condition for a lasting peace.

The second condition, and that's related to NATO membership, that is that I don't know when, but when some negotiations take place and they're able to agree lines, ceasefire line, most likely, then we have to be certain that that's the end, because remember the war didn't start in 2022 it started in 2014. They took Crimea, we said it was unacceptable. They waited for some weeks or a couple of months, and they went into Eastern Donbas. And then we said that was unacceptable. And we negotiated the Minsk One. The agreement, the ceasefire, back in autumn of 2014. Russia signed that paper and started to violate the agreement. They moved the front line, you may remember the Battle of Debaltseve, a big battle where they were able to violate the line and then move the front lines further west. And then we negotiated again, and we got the Minsk Two, a new line that was in 2015. Then the Russians waited for seven years, and they launched a full-scale invasion and took much more of Donbas, Kherson and [inaudible]. If you now have a new agreement, a new line, then that cannot be Minsk Three, because then only give them time to regroup and retrain and then attack again. So, we have to be certain that when that line is agreed, and it's for Ukraine to decide what is acceptable, but when that is agreed, we need to be 100% certain that it stops there. And the only way to make sure that it stops there is partly to arm Ukrainians, as we do, but I think that on top of arming Ukrainians, we need some credible security guarantees and the most credible security guarantees you can get is Article Five.

So therefore, I think that NATO membership, as I said in the beautiful quote you had, that if you want a peaceful Europe, you need a stable Ukraine, and NATO guarantees for Ukraine is the way to achieve that.

Ayman Mohyeldin: Because you brought up the line of the ceasefire. I do want to ask you about something, and we maybe I'll get two questions in before we open up to the floor, and that has to do with what is taking place in this country. Do you have a preference as to which President wins, which candidate...? Because, I mean, look, it's not I'm not trying to be facetious here. We have very clear differences in the two presidential candidates about their views on Ukraine. And to your point, the vice-presidential candidate JD Vance just said, you know, his vision, the Trump peace plan, probably looks like the current line of demarcation between Russia and Ukraine, that becomes a demilitarized zone. That's not what you're describing right now.

NATO Secretary General: First of all, let me just say that I've been Secretary General for NATO for 10 years, for many reasons, but then one main reason is that I have never gone into domestic politics.

Ayman Mohyeldin: But you're outgoing now, so you don't have to... you have 4 days left...

NATO Secretary General: I know, I know... [inaudible]...So that's point number one.

Ayman Mohyeldin: Okay, but put the candidates aside, if you're just evaluating the plans of what these two candidates are positioning as foreign policy on Ukraine, you clearly have, based on what you've described, there's one candidate that meets that definition, the other doesn't.

NATO Secretary General: No, but what I'm saying is that it is for Ukrainians to decide what is acceptable. So, I will not define the exact line or what are the conditions for accepting a solution. I'm only saying that unless we arm Ukraine, they will lose the war, and then there will be occupation, no peace, because I don't think that President Putin has changed his mind, his ambition, there's no doubt that the purpose of the invasion was to control Kyiv, to control Ukraine. They were on the doorsteps of Kyiv, so the only thing that can prevent them from that is some kind of strength that ensures that they cannot win and achieve that by military means. Then, of course, most wars, at least many wars, end at the negotiating table. But we know that what happens around that negotiating table is inextricably linked to the strength on the battlefield. So, the better outcome for Ukraine, the stronger they have to be on the battlefield. It's not for me to decide the price they're willing to pay, how painful that has to be. But my responsibility, our responsibility, is to enable them to achieve a result where they can prevail as a sovereign, independent nation.

Ayman Mohyeldin: Just to follow up on that, and I'll put a.. one of our candidates said I would encourage Russia to do whatever the hell they want if NATO members don't pay. Do you agree with that?

NATO Secretary General: I don't agree with that, but I strongly believe that it is in the interest of the United States, regardless of who wins this election, to continue to have a strong NATO, and I expect whoever wins to live up to that, because NATO is good for Europe, but NATO is also very good for the United States. It's very good deal. Remember that it is in the security interest of the United States to have a strong NATO, because in NATO, the United States has something no other major power has, and that is more than 30 friends and Allies. I have great respect for the United States. I think you're by far the biggest Ally. You pay a lot, you really contribute. But the United States is 25% of the world economy. Together with NATO Allies, we are 50% of the world economy, 50% of the global GDP, and 50% of the world's military might. So, you are safer with NATO than without. And the US have never gone to war alone since the Korea war without NATO Allies. And many European Allies have paid the highest, and Canadians have paid the highest, the ultimate price in those wars in support of the United States. And one of the reasons why Russia and China are so eager to criticize NATO, to divide NATO, to undermine NATO, is that they see the strength of NATO for the United States. So, since they are so heavily against NATO, maybe that's an indication for you to be in favour of NATO. So that's the first thing.

Ayman Mohyeldin: Diplomatically answered, very diplomatically.

NATO Secretary General: The second thing is that if you look at the opinion polls, and also speak with people in the Congress from both sides, there is broad bipartisan support for NATO in the United States. That's the fact, it continues to be so. Actions on the latest pool have been record high.

The third thing is that the criticism we have heard from the US and also from former President Trump, has not primarily been against NATO. It has primarily been against NATO Allies not paying enough for NATO, and they have been right, but NATO Allies have changed. They are paying. They are paying significantly more, added I think it's 650... several hundred billion extra for defence. And as I said, 23 are spending more than 2%. The US is not now the highest defence spender based on GDP, Poland, some of the Baltic countries are spending more. So, on that issue, where the US has been right, things have changed, and improved significantly.

Ayman Mohyeldin: Let me just do one more question real quick, and I'm going to open it up to the floor, and then we'll take some virtual questions, and this one again, I'm going to share a quote of yours. Get your reaction to it, because it ruffled some feathers in Beijing. You said recently, our security is global, while NATO is a regional Alliance, we need a global approach, and that includes also our approach to China, because, again, the war in Ukraine demonstrates that our security is not regional. That's the reason why NATO has stepped up further cooperation. We have our Asia Pacific partners that include South Korea, Japan, Australia and New Zealand. From a Beijing perspective, it ruffled some feathers, because it's been seen as NATO, a European North Atlantic Alliance. Now, you're suggesting it has responsibilities in the Asia Pacific as well.

NATO Secretary General: Sometimes I try to be precise. It's very difficult. But what I tried to say with that quote...

Ayman Mohyeldin: It's your quote...

NATO Secretary General: Yeah, it's a very good quote so you can use it again, but I can try to say it without reading the manuscript, but I fundamentally tried to say the same. NATO is and will remain a regional Alliance, meaning we will be an Alliance of European countries and North America, that's enshrined in our founding Treaty.

So, to become a NATO Ally, you need to be either Canada or United States. Cannot be Mexico, cannot be Colombia, cannot be any other countries, as we say in Europe on the other side of the Atlantic, except for United States and Canada, they are explicitly mentioned in the Treaty. Then we are open for all European countries, as long as they are democratic and live up to NATO standards. Most European countries are already members of NATO. There are some more but they are very few. So, but okay, we can discuss Ukraine is important, Georgia and some others, but most of Europe are members. So NATO will remain according to our founding Treaty an Alliance of Europe and North America. No question. But this region, the Transatlantic region, faces global threats, so we need to address those threats, and they are outside the transatlantic territory. And that's actually fundamentally nothing new. Terrorism has been global for decades. Terrorism has emanated from Afghanistan, from Iraq, from Syria, ISIS, al Qaeda, and that has brought NATO into the Middle East, Iraq, Afghanistan.

Cyber is global, and we have to address those threats and space which is more and more weaponized, global. Cannot say that's transatlantic. It's quite big. Then, of course, China matters for our security, not because we are moving out in the South China Sea, NATO, as NATO, but because they are coming close to us. We see them in Africa. We see them in the Arctic. We see them trying to control critical infrastructure in our own countries. We see them in cyberspace, and we see how China is fuelling the most serious military conflict in Europe since the Second World War by propping up the Russian war economy. The microelectronics, the components which are used to build the bombs and the missiles that Russia is using against Ukraine every day are based on deliveries from China. So, then to say that this is a regional thing, no, it's not a regional thing, because the main enablers of Russia's war are from outside Europe - North Korea, Iran and China. So, therefore, we need to address that challenge. And China's threatening neighbours, cracking down on democracy, don't share our values and therefore, we will work closely with our partners in the Indo-Pacific.

Ayman Mohyeldin: Okay, well, I'll leave it at that for now. I have a lot more, but I want to open it up to members of the floor. Please. If you don't mind, stand up, state your affiliation and ask your question. No statements, please. We'll start in the back and work our way to the front. This gentleman right here.

Daniel Silverberg (Capstone): Hi. I'm Daniel Silverberg from capstone in Washington, DC, mindful, Mr. Secretary, that you don't comment on the domestic politics of NATO members. I'm curious what you would recommend to your successor in dealing with the challenge of democratic backsliding in Hungary and also the shifting political winds, particularly in Germany, what seems like against support for the mission in Ukraine and possibly the NATO mission, thank you.

NATO Secretary General: I think that we understand that NATO was established as an organization which is designed to deal with external threats. The European Union, for instance, is a bit different. They have mechanisms. They have paragraphs in provisions in their founding treaties, which are addressing also more internal things to address them with, sanctions and so on when members states don't live up to the principles of the organization. We don't have that kind of things.

The founding members of NATO didn't develop those. So, we don't have any sanctions against any Ally that we feel is not fully living up to our standards. And if we had based on the way we make decisions in NATO, they have to be agreed by consensus. And of course, the likelihood of a consensus to punish one member is zero. So that is not as if we can do anything against an Ally we don't like, except for, and that is the way we do it. Is that we sit down with them and we address those concerns, and we use NATO as a platform to push, to facilitate, to find solutions and to address, for instance, concerns on whether all Allies, they work to the democratic standards.

So, I will, I welcome both the next Secretary General to do as I have done. It's for him to decide, but to do as I have done, and also other Allies have done, is that when there are concerns about specific Allies, as I say, level of respect for these values. We raise it inside NATO, and we should continue to do that. But then NATO is a platform to raise concerns and to try to do something with them, not an organization to impose sanctions or to push anyone out. Then the other one was about, yeah, well, again, it's a palace because people ask me questions like that, and that's a fair question to ask, as if I, in a way, could guarantee anything. But, you know, we are in Alliance of 32 Allies, with a lot of elections all the time. And if I could say I can guarantee this or that, well, then it's not democracy anymore.

So, it is a democratic right to make stupid decisions. It's and if I said no, no, I 100% guarantee that, for instance, in my own country, many people are voting not my party. It's a big mistake, but it just happens. So, that I can't guarantee anything, but what I can say is that NATO has proven extremely resilient, and I read just now because we've had a 75th anniversary book about NATO, people have been concerned about new governments in this Alliance since the beginning. Also, in the in the 50s and the 60s. But for instance, when the new government in in in Portugal in 75 there were big concerns, because then you had a stable dictatorship for some years.

[Inaudible], then suddenly had a democratic election. There were some radicals there, and there were deep concerns, not least in Washington, about, can that work? It worked very well. We had big concerns now in Italy, with the new government there, that they were not so support of NATO and Ukraine. Well, they support NATO and Ukraine. When I became prime minister for the second time, I brought in left socialists. They have, they left my party as the kind of my party is the moderate social democrats. They left my party in the 60s because they were against NATO, and then they put them into government in 2005 and we invested in F 35 and increased defence spending, and everyone was happy.

Ayman Mohyeldin: NATO does that to you, basically, is what you're saying. But once you are in NATO, you can't get out.

NATO Secretary General: Yeah, but I'm saying, and we had a new election in Netherlands, people were concerned about support Ukraine and NATO and so, so I believe that reasons also prevail, and that NATO will prevail mainly because people realize that we are safer together than alone and whatever you want, that's a very strong incentive to stay in NATO.

Lucy Hayward (Komi): I'm a journalist, so I wanted to ask you whether any of these things have led to the situation now. First, the NATO expansion to the east against the promise made to Gorbachev, the support of the 2014 coup against an elected government of Ukraine because it wanted an economic deal with Russia, instead of the EU eight years of Ukraine bombing the breakaway Donbas of Russia speakers who were opposed to the coup and then the US supporting the military that ended up on the border about to invade in the Donbas that caused the Russian invasion. Did any of this happen? And by the way, you did mention the Minsk accords, and those were violated because the US and the UK told Zelensky, don't do it. So it seems to me, from my vantage point, that NATO and the US have been using this war as a proxy war against the Russians and the poor Ukrainians have been the cannon fodder.

Ayman Mohyeldin: Thank you so much for the question.

NATO Secretary General: First on the issue whether, whether NATO ever promised not to enlarge or to allow new members at the end of the cold war. I've seen you know, people saying that that's the case. First, it was never promised. It was never any agreement. And if so, it must have but the US discussed that possibility with Russia back in 1990 but when they agreed and then two things that was about the unification of Germany, it was not about any enlargement of NATO beyond Germany, because then we still had the Warsaw Pact, and that was not the issue at all. It was unification of East and West Germany. It was based on whatever all the reports and everything I read about that is that that, yes, it was an issue that was discussed, but when they had the four-party agreement facilitating the unification, there were no provision about that East Germany could not be part of NATO. So, when the deal was made, it was not in the deal. So yes, maybe it was discussed, but it was not part of the deal that allowed the unification of Germany.

So that's the first thing to say that it's a bit strange to say that something has been agreed when actually in the agreement that was signed by also Russia at that time or Soviet Union, there were no provision against East Germany becoming part of NATO when Germany was unified. Second, this idea has been used against any NATO enlargement, and that has been not an issue at all, meaning that it has never been in any document or any negotiation, then that we should deny Poland, Lithuania, the Baltic countries and so on, any right to join the Alliance.

And NATO and Russia signed something called the Founding Act. That was in 1997 I think. And that's about how we can work together. Nothing about no enlargement of NATO. So, it is a bit strange that in one way, there should be a kind of secret deal, and especially if it was a US and Russia deciding that Poland cannot become a NATO Ally, which right have they to deny Poland? None. Poland is a sovereign independent nation. They can choose their own path. No one can deny them that. So, I think this is about, this is really about the sovereign right of every nation choose their own path. And I mention Norway again. We are very happy that no one tried to deny us that right. We were then the only country boarding Russia and Russia had the same kind of rhetoric. This is a threat. It was not a threat. And Poland, the Baltic countries, joining is a democratic right of these countries. Then all the statements we had about the war in Ukraine, there have been elections. It was not a coup. It was the Ukrainians that didn't want to be coerced from agreeing an agreement with the European Union.

And since then, there have been several elections in Ukraine, where they have elected people. The last one now is President Zelensky, with a clear message of an independent Ukraine, and actually a Ukraine that wants to join NATO. If you look at the election results, you look at the opinion polls, Ukraine is a country that wants to join EU wants to join NATO, and they have the right to do so, and Russia invaded to prevent that from happening.

Ayman Mohyeldin: We have time probably for one more question, because I know you have a very busy schedule. Do we have a virtual question? We'll take a virtual question.

Unidentified speaker: We'll take the next question from Vanessa Newman.

Vanessa Newman: Thank you very much, Secretary General, Stoltenberg, I once met you at the Aspen security forum. I wanted to shift gears a bit and talk about the importance of your NATO's biotechnology strategy, which was published, but is still remarkably vague. How do you view it in the context of, you know, Russian aggression toward Europe and using, perhaps Eastern European capabilities to further develop biotechnology in a defensive aspect? Thank you.

NATO Secretary General: Well, NATO has stepped up what we do on technology in general, because we realize, or we have acknowledged, for years and we recognize the importance of technology. We have established a new innovation fund. We have established a network of research centers that are working together, and we're working very closely with the private sector, because before most of the defence related technology was developed by government institutions, by the defence itself, but now also like nuclear or GPS or internet, that was very much something that came out from state owned entities. Now most of the advanced technological development happens in the private sector, and therefore we need to work more closely with the private sector. So, this is the broad picture. What to do to maintain NATO's technological edge, and you said biotechnology. And of course, that also applies for biotechnology. We also believe it's important to not only develop technologies, but also develop guidelines, ethical rules for the use of technology. The challenge is, of course, that we can develop those guidelines and those ethical standards. But the challenge is also make sure that potential adversaries are here to a minimum of ethical standards.

Ayman Mohyeldin: Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Stoltenberg, thank you so much. Really appreciate your time. I know you have a very busy schedule. Thank you so much for the questions.

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Minister Sikorski takes part in high-level week of 79th UN General Assembly session

Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Republic of Poland

27.09.2024

From 23 to 27 September, Poland's top diplomat, Radosaw Sikorski, was on a visit to New York for the General Debate of the 79th Session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA).

On the sidelines of the debate, Minister Sikorski held a number of bilateral meetings, including with his counterparts from Armenia, Azerbaijan, China, Chad, Egypt, Iran, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kosovo, Morocco, Mauritania, Rwanda, and the United Arab Emirates. The talks provided an opportunity to discuss bilateral relations and key international challenges.

Minister Sikorski also attended a series of multilateral meetings, including a meeting of EU foreign ministers (FAC), a meeting of G20 foreign ministers with other UN members, and a meeting of transatlantic foreign ministers. The latter was held at the invitation of US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

During the meetings, the chief of Polish diplomacy emphasised the need for further support for Ukraine over Russia's invasion. He stressed that Ukraine's Peace Formula is the only viable proposal for peace, and that freezing the war is not an option. He called for Ukraine to be allowed to defend itself effectively, including by attacking military targets within Russian territory. Minister Sikorski accented the colonial nature of Russian invasion, saying that no one can feel safe in a world where we accept the primacy of force in international relations. Furthermore, he outlined the goals and challenges ahead of Poland in connection with the country's presidency of the Council of the European Union in the first half of next year. In view of the situation in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, the head of the Polish MFA reiterated the need to respect humanitarian law and Poland's commitment to a two-state solution.

A UN Security Council meeting of 24 September on the situation in Ukraine was the key event with Minister Sikorski's participation. He focused on denouncing the Kremlin's false propaganda regarding Ukraine. Poland's chief diplomat pointed to the Russian practice of abducting children from Ukraine and compared it to German actions during World War II against Polish and Soviet children. He also recalled the fact of Soviet cooperation with Nazi Germany in 1939.

The programme of Minister Sikorski's New York visit included a meeting with representatives of the American Jewish Committee, a discussion with members of the Council on Foreign Relations, as well as a meeting with Jorge Moreira da Silva, UN Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of the UN Office for Project Services (UNOPS), over this UN agency's soon-to-be-opened office in Warsaw and its involvement in supporting Ukraine's reconstruction process.

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Hamas calls on Arab, Islamic nations to intervene against Israel's aggression

Iran Press TV

Friday, 27 September 2024 11:40 PM

The Palestinian resistance movement Hamas has called on "Arab and Islamic nations" to act and "reject this brutal aggression" by Israel against the brotherly people of Lebanon.

On Friday, Israeli warplanes launched massive airstrikes on the southern suburb of Dahiyeh in Beirut, killing at least eight people and wounding around 80 others.

Hours after a new wave of Israeli airstrikes hit the Dahiyeh area.

Hamas condemned in a statement issued on Friday night the "Zionist escalation and aggression" against the people of Lebanon.

"The escalating Zionist terrorism against the brotherly Lebanese people because they supported the Palestinian people and their stand against the genocide war in the Gaza Strip, and the blood spilled as a result of this Zionist criminality in both Palestine and Lebanon, requires our Arab and Islamic nation to leave the box of silence and take action by all means," Hamas said.

The resistance movement called on "all international forums to reject the US bias and support for this brutal aggression and to triumph over the values of nobility and magnanimity in standing with the Palestinian and Lebanese people against the aggressive schemes of the Zionist occupation."

The resistance movement said it supports the Lebanese people saying, "We share their pain and hope for victory... and appreciate their sacrifices."

"We reiterate our absolute solidarity with the brotherly Lebanese people and the brothers in Hezbollah and the Islamic Resistance in Lebanon, we share their pain and hope for victory over this Zionist enemy, and we appreciate and commend their sacrifices and steadfastness in the epic of open account in support of our people and our resistance, and in response and defense of the brotherly Lebanese people," the Hamas statement added.

"The occupation and its Nazi leaders are dreaming that by committing the most heinous massacres against the Palestinian and Lebanese peoples, or by targeting resistance leaders and men, they will achieve their malicious goals, or achieve an illusory victory that will eliminate the resistance, its strength and continuity, and the popular support for it," it concluded.

Meanwhile, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad said in a statement that Israel's bombardment of the southern suburbs of Beirut is "a barbaric and Nazi crime."

"The deliberate bombing of residential and civilian areas is not justified by any of the enemy's lies, and is a war crime for which all those who applauded the lies of war criminal Benjamin Netanyahu at the United Nations are responsible," it said.

"We are fully confident that the open account with the enemy will make it pay for its crimes soon," Islamic Jihad added.

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Latest Israeli aggression against Lebanon opens door to all-out war: Ansarullah

Iran Press TV

Friday, 27 September 2024 10:11 PM

Yemen's Ansarallah resistance movement says the latest Israeli aggression against Lebanon opens the door to an all-out war in the West Asia region.

On Friday, Israeli warplanes launched massive airstrikes on the southern suburb of Dahiyeh in Beirut, resulting in loud explosions that reverberated across the city, killing at least eight people and wounding around 80 others.

The fatalities were recovered from the rubble of bombed buildings after the attacks that targeted residential structures in Haret Hreik in the area earlier in the day.

Hezbollah's Al-Manar TV said more than 15 missiles struck the area at the same moment.

Ansarallah said in a statement that targeting the southern suburb, which is crowded with civilians, is unprecedented brutality committed by Israel.

It added that the Israeli enemy would not have persisted in committing crimes without unrestricted Western and American support.

"The weapons used in the recent raids reaffirm that the United States of America is a full partner in the blood of civilians," the statement said.

It said that the aggression against Palestine and Lebanon is being backed by the United States.

"We renew our solidarity with the Islamic resistance in Lebanon, and affirm our confidence in Hezbollah, its political and military leaders, and its solid incubator," Ansarallah said in the statement.

"We call on the Arab and Islamic peoples and the free people of humanity for more solidarity to stop the war and aggression against Lebanon and Palestine," it added.

"The dangerous development in the aggression against Lebanon opens the door to an open and comprehensive war, the result of which will only be devastating to the temporary entity and the war criminals," Ansarallah warned.

Earlier on Friday, the Yemeni Armed Forces said its naval units launched their largest-ever attack on United States Navy warships in the Red Sea, demonstrating their solid support for Palestinian and Lebanese nations amid the relentless Israeli aggression and in retaliation for the US-British attacks on the Arab country.

Brigadier General Yahya Saree, spokesman for the Yemeni Armed Forces, stated on Friday that the Yemeni military had carried out the operation against three American destroyers as they were heading towards the occupied territories to support the Israeli enemy.

The Yemeni Armed Forces also launched separate strikes on targets in the occupied territories, citing solidarity with the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and the Lebanese nation enduring relentless Israeli aggression.

Saree noted that Yemeni forces will continue their strikes in support of and in solidarity with Palestinian and Lebanese nations until Israeli brutalities against the Gaza Strip and Lebanon come to an end.

Yemenis have declared their open support for Palestine's struggle against the Israeli occupation since the regime launched a devastating war on Gaza on October 7 last year, killing more than 41,500 Palestinians to date.

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New wave of Israeli airstrikes hit Beirut hours after deadly raids

Iran Press TV

Friday, 27 September 2024 9:56 PM

A new wave of Israeli airstrikes have reportedly hit the Dahiyeh area in the south of Lebanon's capital Beirut, which had come under deadly aerial attacks by the regime just hours earlier.

The strikes targeted several buildings in the al-Hadath and Laylaki neighborhoods in the area on Saturday.

Shortly afterwards, reports pointed to "a third wave of strikes" on al-Hadath as well as strikes against Choueifat, another southern Beirut suburb, with subsequent accounts putting the total number of the attacks at more than 30.

The Israeli military claimed that it was conducting strikes targeting "weapons belonging to Hezbollah...that were stored beneath civilian buildings" in southern Beirut.

Hezbollah's Media Relations' Office, however, asserted, "The enemy's claims about the presence of weapons or weapons depots in the civilian buildings targeted by the bombing in the southern suburb are false."

Simultaneous Israeli airstrikes targeted areas near the city of Tyre in southern Lebanon, including al-Bass, Burj al-Shamali, and al-Maashouq.

Also on Saturday, the United Nations humanitarian coordinator in Lebanon warned that the country was facing bloodshed not seen in decades, and that the crisis could deteriorate even further.

"The recent escalations in Lebanon are nothing short of catastrophic," Imran Riza said. "We are witnessing the deadliest period in Lebanon in a generation, and many express their fear that this is just the beginning."

On Friday, Israeli warplanes struck at least six residential structures in Dahiyeh's Haret Hreik neighborhood, killing at least eight people and wounding some 80 others.

The attacks came as part of the regime's escalation against Lebanon that has been targeting the country since October 7, when Tel Aviv launched a genocidal war on the Gaza Strip.

The escalation has taken a deadlier turn since Monday, claiming the lives of more than 700 people across the country.

Hezbollah has been responding to the aggression with numerous retaliatory operations targeting the occupied Palestinian territories.

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Pezeshkian: Attacks on Beirut once again revealed nature of Israeli regime's state terrorism

Iran Press TV

Friday, 27 September 2024 9:35 PM

President Masoud Pezeshkian strongly condemns the Israeli regime's earlier deadly attacks against the Lebanese capital Beirut.

"The Zionist regime's attacks of today against the Dahiyeh area in Beirut were egregious and unobscurable war crimes that once again revealed the nature of the regime's state terrorism," the chief executive said in message on Friday.

Earlier in the day, the Israeli regime targeted residential neighborhoods in Haret Hreik in the area with airstrikes, killing at least eight people and wounding nearly 80 others.

"I voice my sympathy with Lebanon's people and government and condole with the families of the proud martyrs of this incident," Pezeshkian added.

"The Islamic Republic's administration will pursue the Zionists' recent crime, and will stand by Lebanon's people and the Axis of Resistance," he noted.

The attacks came as part of the regime's escalation against Lebanon that has been targeting the country since October 7, when Tel Aviv launched a genocidal war on the Gaza Strip.

The escalation has taken a deadlier turn since Monday, claiming the lives of more than 700 people across the country.

The president considered continuation of the regime's crimes against the Palestinians and the Lebanese to be an indication of the international community's failure to stop the regime's "state terrorism machine."

The atrocities "proved the regime to be the biggest threat to the regional and international peace and security," he stated and urged all countries, especially the Muslim ones, to decisively condemn the aggression.

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FM spox: Israeli attacks on Beirut 'clear war crime'; US complicit, should be accountable

Iran Press TV

Friday, 27 September 2024 8:35 PM

The Foreign Ministry vehemently condemns the Israeli regime's earlier airstrikes against the Lebanese capital Beirut, considering the United Sates to be complicit in the aggression through its provision of the ammunition.

"Besides amounting to egregious violation of the rules and regulations of the international law and Lebanon's sovereignty and territorial integrity, the savage attacks serve as an open and undeniable war crime," spokesman Nasser Kan'ani said on Friday.

The official reminded that the atrocity had been committed with "the bombs [that had been] gifted to the wayward and obstinate regime by the US."

"Therefore, the American regime is undoubtedly an accomplice beside the Zionist regime and should be accountable," he added.

Earlier in the day, the Israeli regime targeted residential neighborhoods in the Haret Hreik area in Beirut's southern suburbs, completely destroying six buildings.

According to Israeli media outlets, the explosives dropped on the targets during the strikes weighed around 2,000 tons.

The attacks came as part of the regime's escalation against Lebanon that has been targeting the country since October 7, when Tel Aviv launched a genocidal war on the Gaza Strip.

The escalation has taken a deadlier turn since Monday, claiming the lives of more than 700 people across the country.

"Today's attacks by the child-killing Zionists against Beirut indicates the depth of the grudge that is held by the criminal Zionist gang against the Lebanese resistance and their desperation and frustration at confrontation with the courageous forces of the Lebanese Islamic Resistance on the battlefield," Kan'ani noted.

He was referring to the numerous successful retaliatory operations that Hezbollah has been conducting against the occupied Palestinian territories since October.

The official also considered continuation of the Israeli crimes against the people of Palestine and Lebanon to be a clear sign that the US and some other Western countries' invitation towards ceasefire was nothing but "open deceit" aimed at buying time for the regime to keep up the deadly aggression.

The spokesman also put continuation of the aggression down to the international community's inaction in the face of the atrocities.

Kan'ani, however, expressed confidence about the Lebanese people and resistance's eventual victory in the face of the regime.

"The Zionists will not be able to achieve their sinister and illegitimate goals by intensifying their crimes [against Lebanon]," he noted.

The official finally reasserted the Islamic Republic's support for Lebanon's people, government, and resistance in the face of the Israeli atrocities.

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Media reports of Iran's Leader calling meeting in wake of Beirut bombings false: Sources tell Press TV

Iran Press TV

Friday, 27 September 2024 8:23 PM

The media reports claiming that Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei has called an emergency meeting of the Supreme National Security Council in the wake of latest Israeli bombings in Beirut are not true.

Sources told Press TV that there is no truth to these media reports and no such meeting has taken place.

They made the remarks after The New York Times published a report alleging that the Leader had called such a meeting.

Earlier in the day, the Israeli regime targeted residential neighborhoods in the Haret Hreik area in the Lebanese capital's southern suburbs with airstrikes.

The aftermath witnessed circulation of rumors across the social media suggesting that the Lebanese resistance movement Hezbollah's Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah was targeted during the Israeli airstrikes.

Hezbollah security sources have, however, informed Press TV that the resistance leader was in a secure location and had not been harmed by the attacks.

The attacks came as part of the regime's escalation against Lebanon that has been targeting the country since October 7, when Tel Aviv launched a genocidal war on the Gaza Strip.

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Hezbollah sources say Nasrallah safe following Israeli airstrikes

Iran Press TV

Friday, 27 September 2024 5:13 PM

Hezbollah security sources have informed Press TV that Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, leader of the resistance movement, is in a secure location and has not been harmed by the recent Israeli airstrikes on the southern suburbs of Beirut.

This statement follows rumors circulating on social media suggesting that Nasrallah was targeted during the Israeli regime's large aerial assault on the Dahiya neighborhood of southern Beirut on Friday.

Reports also said Sayyed Hashem Safieddine, head of Hezbollah's Executive Council was safe, with Iran's Tasnim news agency citing informed sources in Lebanon as saying that no Hezbollah commander was martyred in the Israeli terrorist attacks.

Six buildings were razed to the ground as a result of the Israeli aggression on the southern suburb of Beirut.

Lebanon's Health Ministry says at least two people have been martyred and 76 others injured in the attack.

The Israeli army radio said that F-35 aircraft carried out the aggression using bunker-buster bombs.

Israeli media reports said the regime had informed the United States of the attack shortly before it was carried out.

Lebanese media said civil defense personnel were working to extinguish the fire that broke out in the area and evacuate the injured.

Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati reacted to the attack, saying the international community must deter the Israeli enemy and stop its tyranny and the war of extermination it is waging against Lebanon.

Mikati said the Israeli attack shows the regime's lack of interest in international calls for a ceasefire.

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At least 8 killed, nearly 80 injured in Israeli bombing of Beirut suburb; rescue op underway

Iran Press TV

Friday, 27 September 2024 4:21 PM

Israeli warplanes have launched massive airstrikes on the southern suburb of Dahiyeh in the Lebanese capital Beirut, killing at least eight people and wounding around 80 others.

The fatalities were recovered from the rubble of bombed buildings on Friday after the attacks that targeted residential structures in Haret Hreik in the area earlier in the day.

Over 76 people have reportedly been wounded, while a number of others are reported missing.

Civil defense and medical teams are investing in significant efforts to rescue potential survivors.

The blasts resulted in loud explosions that reverberated across the city.

The Lebanese resistance movement Hezbollah's al-Manar TV said more than 15 missiles struck the area during the attacks.

Thick plumes of smoke were visible rising from the sites of the strikes, which reportedly targeted at least four buildings.

The Israeli military characterized the operation as a "precise strike" aimed at the central headquarters of Hezbollah, located within densely populated civilian neighborhoods.

In a televised statement, Daniel Hagari of the Israeli military said this "central command center" was deeply embedded in residential areas.

Since dawn, at least 25 civilians have been reported killed due to Israeli airstrikes, with Lebanon's Health Ministry indicating that nearly 700 people have lost their lives in the country this week alone.

Israel has been conducting near-daily attacks on southern Lebanon since October 7, 2023, when the regime launched its campaign of death, destruction and genocide in the besieged Gaza Strip.

Hezbollah has been responding. Its strikes are meant to both retaliate and support the war-hit Gazans.

The regime has repeatedly threatened to expand its attacks into another wholesale military onslaught against the country.

Hezbollah has vowed to defend the Lebanese soil with all its resources.

Two Israeli wars waged against Lebanon in 2000 and 2006 were met with strong resistance from Hezbollah, resulting in the retreat of the regime in both conflicts.

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UNSC, under US pressure, failed to condemn Israeli aggression against Lebanon: FM

Iran Press TV

Friday, 27 September 2024 2:25 PM

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi considers the US's pro-Israeli policy to be behind the United Nations Security Council (UNSC)'s failure to condemn the regime's deadly aggression against Lebanon.

The top diplomat made the remarks to Iranian reporters during a recent emergency meeting on Friday in New York on the sidelines of the 79th session of the UN General Assembly.

"Unfortunately, due to the United States' policy of preventing such meetings from reaching a conclusion, the Security Council still failed to make a decision at this meeting too," he said.

The Israeli regime escalated its attacks against Lebanon following the launch of Tel Aviv's war on the Gaza Strip on October 7.

The meeting came after the Israeli escalation took a deadlier turn, killing more than 700 civilians since Monday.

It, however, failed to condemn the bloodletting through even a press statement amid the United States' continued unconditional political support for the regime.

As part of the support, Washington has traditionally used its veto power and influence as a permanent UNSC member to prevent the council from either holding the regime accountable or taking it to task for its atrocities.

The meeting, however, provided an opportunity for countries like Iran and Lebanon itself as well as Syria and Iraq to denounce the Israeli aggression, Araghchi added.

'BRICS finding its place in new world order'

Elsewhere in his remarks, the Iranian official commented on an earlier meeting between him and his counterparts from the member states of the BRICS group of emerging economic powers.

"The role played by the BRICS should expand further across the international arena and the organization should turn into a hub, especially in economic matters," he said, noting that all of the body's members were willing to contribute to realization of the prospect.

"There are several countries that are willing to join the BRICS, and this shows that the organization is finding its place in the new world order."

BRICS was formed by and initially consisted of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, which collectively represent around 40% of the global population and a quarter of the world's gross domestic product (GDP).

Iran became an official member of the BRICS at the beginning of this year alongside Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia.

Other countries that have either applied for or expressed interest in becoming a member of the body include Algeria, Nigeria, Tunisia, Bolivia, Colombia, Cuba, Nicaragua, and Venezuela.

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Yemeni naval forces launch largest-ever attack on US warships in Red Sea

Iran Press TV

Friday, 27 September 2024 2:09 PM

A high-profile Yemeni military official says the country's naval units have launched their largest-ever attack on United States Navy warships in the Red Sea, demonstrating their solid support for Palestinian and Lebanese nations amid the relentless Israeli aggression and in retaliation for the US-British attacks on the Arab country.

Brigadier General Yahya Saree, spokesman for the Yemeni Armed Forces, stated on Friday that the Yemeni military had carried out the operation against three American destroyers as they were heading towards the occupied territories to support the Israeli enemy.

He added that the large-scale maritime operation involved naval, air defense and missile forces of the Yemeni army, and was carried out with 23 ballistic and winged missiles besides kamikaze drones.

Saree underscored that the operation resulted in a direct hit against the three destroyers.

The senior Yemeni military figure said the missile attack was the largest of its kind in the course of anti-Israeli maritime operations, and also came in reprisal of joint US-British strikes on the Arab country.

Saree further noted that Yemeni armed forces are prepared to conduct more qualitative military operations in support of Palestinians and Lebanese resistance fighters, who are courageously confronting the US-backed Israeli aggression in defense of the Gaza Strip and Lebanon.

He said his country's military will continue its anti-Israel operations until the Tel Aviv regime halts its onslaught against Gaza and eases restrictions on supplies of humanitarian aid for its Palestinian population.

Yemenis have declared their open support for Palestine's struggle against the Israeli occupation since the regime launched a devastating war on Gaza on October 7, 2023, after the territory's Palestinian resistance movements carried out surprise Operation Al-Aqsa Storm against the occupying entity.

The Yemeni Armed Forces have said they will not stop their attacks until unrelenting Israeli ground and aerial offensives in Gaza end.

So far, Israel has killed over 41,530 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injured more than 96,000 others in Gaza.

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Yemen says struck Tel Aviv, Ashkelon with missile, drone in support of Palestine, Lebanon

Iran Press TV

Friday, 27 September 2024 1:28 PM

The Yemeni Armed Forces spokesperson says the country's air and missile units have launched separate strikes on targets in the occupied territories, citing solidarity with the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and the Lebanese nation enduring relentless Israeli aggression.

Brigadier General Yahya Saree said in a televised address on Friday afternoon that the missile force of the Yemeni army had launched a Palestine 2 ballistic missile at a military target in the coastal city of Tel Aviv.

Yemeni Armed Forces also struck a vital target in the city of Ashkelon, located 50 kilometers south of Tel Aviv, using a homegrown and long-range Yafa kamikaze drone, Saree added.

The Yemeni spokesman said both operations were part of the fifth phase of the battle against the Israeli enemy, and could successfully achieve their desired objectives.

Saree noted that Yemeni forces will continue their strikes in support of and in solidarity with Palestinian and Lebanese nations until Israeli brutalities against the Gaza Strip and Lebanon come to an end.

Yemenis have declared their open support for Palestine's struggle against the Israeli occupation since the regime launched a devastating war on Gaza on October 7 last year, killing more than 41,500 Palestinians to date.

The Yemeni Armed Forces have said that they won't stop their attacks until unrelenting Israeli ground and aerial attacks in Gaza end.

Israel launched its brutal campaign of genocide in Gaza after Palestinian resistance groups conducted a surprise Operation Al-Aqsa Storm into the occupied territories.

The regime has had in place a near-total siege on the coastal territory, which has reduced to a trickle the flow of foodstuffs, medicine, electricity, and water into the Palestinian territory.

Leader of Yemen's Ansarullah resistance movement Abdul-Malik al-Houthi has said it is "a great honor and blessing to be confronting America directly."

Yemeni operations to stop Israeli-linked ships in the past year have forced some of the world's biggest shipping and oil companies to suspend transit through one of the world's most important maritime trade routes.

Tankers are instead adding thousands of miles to international shipping routes by sailing around the continent of Africa rather than going through the Suez Canal.

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Salvos of Hezbollah rockets fired at Israeli positions after 'savage' strikes

Iran Press TV

Friday, 27 September 2024 11:31 AM

Hezbollah forces have fired salvos of rockets at Israeli positions in response to the occupying regime's "savage" strikes on Lebanese towns and civilians.

In separate statements, the groups said Friday it targeted Ilaniya moshav in the Lower Galilee region, and Kiryat Ata city in the Haifa district with volleys of Fadi-1 rockets.

Fadi-1 is a 220mm caliber rocket launched from a multiple rocket launcher (MLR). It is said to have a maximum range of 80 kilometers (49 miles).

Lebanon's al-Mayadeen television news channel reported that salvos of medium-range rockets were fired from southern Lebanon towards the occupied Palestinian territories.

A spokesperson for the Israeli military said "a barrage of 10 rockets was fired from Lebanon at Haifa, setting off sirens in the northern coastal city and suburbs."

Hebrew-language media outlets said "repeated sirens sounded in the North, particularly in Haifa, Acre, Tiberias, the Golan Heights, and the Jordan Valley."

They said loud explosions were heard in Haifa due to the landing of three rockets fired from Lebanon, which resulted in injuries among settlers.

The Israeli military also confirmed that drones and rockets crossed into occupied territories from Lebanon.

The drones infiltrated the coastal area of Rosh HaNikra, the military said, adding one man suffered wounds from shrapnel.

Israeli strikes have killed 92 people in Lebanon over the past 24 hours, the health ministry said late Thursday.

The ministry said in a series of statements that Israeli raids killed 40 people in towns and villages in the south, 48 in two eastern regions and four in the east of central Mount Lebanon Governorate. Overall it said 153 people were injured.

Nearly 700 people have been killed in Lebanon this week, according to Lebanon's health ministry.

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Iraqi fighters target occupied Golan Heights for second time in hours

Iran Press TV

Friday, 27 September 2024 8:52 AM

Iraqi fighters have launched a second drone attack on a key position in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights since early Friday, in response to ongoing Israeli strikes on the Gaza Strip and Lebanon.

The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella group of the country's anti-terror movements, stated that the drone strike was conducted "in support of our people in Palestine and Lebanon, and in response to the massacres committed by the usurping entity against civilians, including children, women and the elderly."

The coalition noted that it will continue to target and destroy important installations across the occupied lands.

Earlier, Iraq's Islamic Resistance announced that it had struck an Israeli target in the Golan Heights, occupied by Israel since 1967, with kamikaze drones.

The Golan Heights has been under Israeli control since a large-scale war in 1967 involving several regional Arab states, including Syria.

The Islamic Resistance in Iraq has been conducting numerous such operations against sensitive targets lying across the occupied territories since October 7 last year, when the Israeli regime waged a genocidal war in the Gaza Strip. At least 41,534 Palestinians, most of them women and children, have been killed in the brutal Israeli military onslaught so far.

On Wednesday, the Iraqi anti-terror resistance groups launched a drone strike against a strategic target at the city of Eilat in the Israeli-occupied territories in retaliation for the brutal aggression against the Gaza Strip and Lebanon.

The coalition has also carried out retaliatory attacks against the US occupation bases across Iraq and neighboring Syria due to Washington's unbridled political, military, and intelligence support for Israel's atrocities in Gaza.

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Hamas official: Israel 'no longer able to decisively win battles'

Iran Press TV

Friday, 27 September 2024 7:05 AM

A senior official of the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas says Israel is desperately seeking political advantage from its ongoing wars in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon amid its failure in both battlegrounds.

"The Israeli army is no longer able to decisively win battles, so the occupation's leaders are fighting to secure a political advantage," Osama Hamdan told Lebanon's al-Mayadeen television network on Thursday.

His remarks came a few days after Israel widened its deadly bombing campaign on Lebanon, nearly a year into the regime's genocidal onslaught on Gaza.

Hamdan warned Israel's military of consequences if it tries to expand the scope of its acts of aggression, stressing that the resistance "will confront the escalation" and emerge victorious.

The senior Hamas official further held the United States responsible for the escalation of tensions in the region.

Despite claiming to be working towards regional stability, Washington is complicit in Israeli crimes, he said, adding that negotiations between the US and Israel are focused on their mutual interests, not ending the wars.

"If [US President Joe] Biden is serious about ending the aggression, all he has to do is stop supplying Israel with weapons and cease shielding [Israeli prime minister Benjamin] Netanyahu in the UN Security Council," he emphasized.

"The occupation cannot endure in the face of the resistance in Palestine and Lebanon without US support."

Meanwhile, the Hamas official said that the Palestinian and the Lebanese people are "in a unified battle" against the same enemy and that their struggle is intertwined.

Since October 7, 2023, Israel has been waging a brutal Gaza offensive, which has so far killed 41,534 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injured 96,092 others.

Over the same period, the Tel Aviv regime has conducted aerial assaults across Lebanon in violation of the country's sovereignty, killing 1,540 people and wounding 5,410 others.

In recent months, Israel has been on an assassination spree, killing several Hamas and Hezbollah resistance leaders in terrorist attacks.

Hamdan stressed that the assassination strategy will fail to weaken the resistance and that it will get Israel nowhere.

He also highlighted the resilience of the Palestinian resistance, saying it has "lost hundreds of leaders ... throughout its journey, yet it only grows stronger."

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The month of September has flown by and were rapidly approaching the Nov. 5 election.

In the weeks leading up to the election, The Telegram has coverage plans in place for local, statewide and national news, which I want to share with our readers.

Our front pages in the coming weeks will feature stories and information on uncontested races, including three seats on the Platte County Board of Supervisors, four seats on the Columbus City Council and three seats on the Columbus Public Schools Board of Education.

We will offer voter guides and questionnaires that candidates answer in their own words for contested races including Columbus mayor, State Board of Education District 3 and the Lakeview Community Schools Board of Education.

The Telegram is also hosting a forum between the two candidates running for Columbus mayor  incumbent Jim Bulkley and challenger Bill Greene  on Thursday, Oct. 3. The public is invited to join us in meeting room A on the third floor of the Columbus Community Building from 6 to 7 p.m. to watch the forum in person.

Wed like to know what issues are most important to you, our readers, as you look ahead to the future of Columbus and are asking residents to email us at news@columbustelegram.com with questions for the candidates for us to consider.

We'll also welcome election-related letters to the editor, although we're asking candidates to please refrain from submitting letters themselves. A form to submit letters can be found on our website. Letters can also be emailed to news@columbustelegram.com.

In both cases, please include contact information so we can verify your submission. Please note that letters are subject to editing and run at our discretion, so there is no guarantee that yours will be published. We are asking that all election letters be submitted by Wednesday, Oct. 23.

On Election Day, youll be able to follow along at columbustelegram.com for live local updates throughout the day, as well as find up-to-date results that evening as numbers come in.

Of course, well offer coverage of the presidential race as well as Congress, State Legislative District 23 and statewide ballot issues including abortion, paid sick leave, medical marijuana and private school scholarships.

In the days following the election, all that information will be in available in our print editions along with our own analysis of how things went and whats next locally.

Our commitment to community journalism will be more evident than ever over the next few months and Im excited to see it all come together. Please reach out if you have any questions about our plans.
Sept. 26: 'Axis of Resistance' operations against Israeli occupation

Iran Press TV

Friday, 27 September 2024 6:59 AM

By Press TV Website Staff

Amid Israel's genocidal war on Gaza, which has killed more than 41,500 Palestinians so far, the majority of them children, resistance groups in Palestine and across the region continue their operations against the Tel Aviv regime and its Western backers.

The major operations carried out by the Palestinian and regional resistance groups on Thursday, September 26, are as follows:

Al-Qassam Brigades' operations on Sept. 26:

Targeted gatherings of Israeli forces east of the city of Khan Younis in southern Gaza Strip with heavy-caliber mortar shells.

Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades' operations on Sept. 26:

Targeted an Israeli military Merkava tank with a tandem shell in the Beit Lahia area, north of Gaza City.

Targeted a group of Israeli soldiers at the Abu Mutibaq military site with an 122mm Asif rocket.

Al-Quds Brigades' operations on Sept. 26:

Engaged in clashes with an Israeli infantry force using a heavy barrage of bullets in the axis of Al-Assir Mosque in Jenin, occupied West Bank.

Engaged in fierce forces with Israeli forces in the Cinema axis and the Al-Hadaf neighborhood of Jenin, occupied West Bank, using explosive devices.

Hezbollah's operations on Sept. 26:

Targeted the "Kiryat Motzkin" settlement with a barrage of rockets.

Targeted the military industrial complexes of the "Rafael" arms manufacturing company of the regime in the "Zevulun" area, north of occupied Haifa, with a rocket barrage.

Targeted the "Kiryat Shmona" settlement with a volley of Falaq-2 rockets.

Confronted two hostile Israeli warplanes coming from the sea towards Adloun, using air defense weapons, forcing them to leave the Lebanese airspace.

Targeted the northern command headquarters at "Dado" airbase with a barrage of rockets.

Targeted the reserve headquarters of the northern corps and the logistics storage of the "Galilee" division in "Amiad" with rockets.

Targeted the "Ahihud" settlement with at least 50 rockets.

Launched an aerial attack with a squadron of drones on the "Samson" base (a command supply center and regional supply unit).

Targeted the occupied city of "Safad" with at least 80 rockets.

Targeted the "Kiryat Ata" settlement with at least 50 rockets.

Targeted the "Mishar" base (the main intelligence headquarters of the Israeli military for the northern region) with a rocket barrage.

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Iran will not be indifferent to full-scale war on Lebanon, says FM Araghchi

Iran Press TV

Friday, 27 September 2024 6:49 AM

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has taken a swipe at the international community over its failure to stop Israeli atrocities, stressing that Iran will not be indifferent to an all-out war on Lebanon.

"In no way will the Islamic Republic of Iran be indifferent to an all-out war in Lebanon," he told a foreign ministerial meeting of the member states of the BRICS group of emerging economic powers in New York on Thursday.

Araghchi also proposed that the Gaza crisis be put on the agenda of the upcoming BRICS Summit, which is scheduled to be held in the Russian city of Kazan from October 22 to 24.

Araghchi described BRICS as a highly potential grouping in the Global South, stating that the bloc can play an effective role in uplifting the position of member countries and inducing positive developments and changes in global systems.

He also pointed to the profound significance of BRICS in the field of global relations and international systems, noting that the bloc can help change the global paradigm of progress based on the goals of developing countries.

Such a paradigm would lead to the establishment of fair and non-discriminatory global organizations and systems, Araghchi noted.

Iran officially became a member of BRICS at the beginning of this year, five months after it announced its acceptance as a full member into the group along with Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, the UAE and Saudi Arabia.

BRICS was formed by and initially consisted of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, which collectively represent around 40% of the global population and a quarter of the world's gross domestic product (GDP).

'Israel's objective to eliminate Hamas delusional'

Separately, Araghchi dismissed Israel's stated goal of eliminating the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas in Gaza as "delusional."

Addressing a meeting of the Palestine Committee of Foreign Ministers of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) in New York, the top Iranian diplomat stated that Israel has committed numerous crimes in the Gaza Strip and other Palestinian territories over the past year.

He touched on the massacre of nearly 42,000 people in Gaza over the past year, noting that innocent children and women constitute approximately 70% of the victims of these inhumane atrocities.

The figure has set a world record in brutality and savagery, unmatched even by the bloodiest regimes in human history, Araghchi pointed out.

"The assassination of Ismail Haniyeh, head of the political bureau of the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas, in Tehran marks another act of aggression and organized terrorism by the terrorist Zionist regime.

"At the same time, recent developments in Palestine and the resistance of Gaza and the West Bank demonstrate once again that the destruction of Palestinian resistance and Hamas, as a liberation movement formed against the occupation, was nothing more than an illusion," he said.

Araghchi said the Tel Aviv regime's intention to escalate conflict and expand war throughout West Asia clearly indicates a lack of commitment to peace and stability in the region.

"This apartheid and occupying regime is now undertaking an unjust war of aggression against Lebanon, seeking to violate the country's sovereignty and territorial integrity and kill its innocent people," Araghchi said.

He called for an immediate, comprehensive, unconditional and permanent ceasefire in Gaza, complete lifting of the inhumane 17-year-old blockade of the coastal territory, release of all Palestinian prisoners, Israel's obligation to conduct an immediate, complete and unconditional withdrawal from Gaza and secure the safe, unhindered and dignified return of all displaced Palestinians.

The Iranian foreign minister also demanded immediate arms and trade sanctions against Israel in order to oblige the occupying regime to fully stop its invasion of Gaza, and implement its international and legal obligations under humanitarian and human rights laws.

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Iraqi resistance strikes Israeli military sites

Iran Press TV

Friday, 27 September 2024 3:10 AM

The Islamic Resistance in Iraq says it has carried out new anti-Israeli operations, targeting the regime's military sites in the occupied territories.

The umbrella group for Iraqi resistance fighters said in a statement on Friday that in the first operation, a target in the occupied Golan Heights was bombarded with drones.

"In continuation of our path in resisting the occupation, and support of our people in Palestine and Lebanon, and in response to the massacres committed by the usurping entity against civilians, including children, women, and the elderly, the fighters of the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, on Friday 27-09-2024, bombarded a target in the occupied Golan with drones," the statement said.

The second operation struck a vital Israeli target in the occupied territories with an advanced Al-Arqab cruise missile.

The group said the operations were carried out in support of Palestinian and Lebanese people.

"In continuation of our path in resisting the occupation, in support of our people in Palestine and Lebanon, and in response to the massacres committed by the usurping entity against civilians, including children, women and the elderly, the fighters of the Islamic Resistance in Iraq on Friday 27/09/2024, attacked a vital target in our occupied lands with an advanced Al-Arqab cruise missile," the resistance group said in the second statement.

It noted that the strikes were also in response to the massacres committed by the usurping Israeli regime against civilians, including children, women, and the elderly, across the occupied territories.

The Iraqi resistance vowed it would continue striking the enemy's strongholds with increasing intensity.

During recent months, the group has also carried out many operations against US bases in Iraq and neighboring Syria over Washington's unbridled support for Israel's crimes in Gaza.

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Yemeni ballistic missile targets areas near Tel Aviv: Israeli media

Iran Press TV

Friday, 27 September 2024 1:54 AM

Israeli media say the Yemeni armed forces have launched a ballistic missile attack on the occupied territories.

According to reports, sirens went off in several areas near Tel Aviv on Thursday night as a result of the attack.

The Israeli military claimed it had intercepted one missile fired from Yemen.

"The missile that was fired from Yemen was successfully intercepted by the 'Arrow' Aerial Defense System. Sirens and explosions were heard following the interception and falling shrapnel," the Israeli military said in a message on Telegram.

Israeli media said at least 2 million settlers ran to shelters amid the attack. They added that nearly 20 Israelis were injured while running for shelter.

Operations at Ben-Gurion Airport were also paused. The Yemeni Army said it would issue a statement in a few hours.

Senior Yemeni sources told Al-Mayadeen TV that the Israeli enemy's narrative cannot be relied upon, and everyone should wait for the statement from the Yemeni Armed Forces.

The statement from the Yemeni Armed Forces will reveal details of a precise and qualitative operation.

The Yemeni Armed Forces' statement has been delayed to the coming hours due to recent developments.

The operation targeted more than one target, and the enemy should consider Yaffa unsafe, sources said.

The attack came after the leader of Yemen's Ansarullah said in a televised address on Thursday that the movement will not hesitate to support Lebanon and Hezbollah in the face of Israeli attacks.

In a televised address on Thursday, Ansarullah leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi condemned Israeli strikes on Lebanon, saying they aim to block Hezbollah from "supporting Gaza and the Palestinian people".

He said Israel's intensified aggression against Lebanon is "pre-planned aggression" that had been "in place for years" while asserting Hezbollah is "stronger than ever before."

Since last November, Yemen has targeted Israel-related ships in nearby waters with drones and missiles, saying its operations are in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.

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Hezbollah confirms assassination of senior commander by Israel in Beirut

Iran Press TV

Friday, 27 September 2024 1:08 AM

The Lebanese resistance movement Hezbollah has announced the assassination of senior commander Mohammad Hussein Srour (Haj Abu Saleh) in an Israeli strike.

"He was martyred on the path to Al-Quds as a result of a treacherous Israeli assassination operation in the southern suburbs of Beirut," Hezbollah statement said.

Srour, 51, was reportedly assassinated in Thursday's aggression on the suburbs of Beirut.

Surur is the latest commander killed by Israel in days of assassinations.

The Israeli military earlier said in a statement its fighter jets "targeted and eliminated" Surur.

It was the fourth attack in a week targeting Hezbollah officials in a densely populated area of southern Beirut.

Lebanon's Health Ministry said in a statement that two people were killed in the attack and 15 wounded, "including a woman in critical condition."

Lebanon's official National News Agency said "three missiles" targeted "a residential apartment in a 10-storey building."

Srur studied mathematics, a source close to Hezbollah said.

He joined the ranks of the Islamic resistance in Lebanon in 1986, Hezbollah said in a statement.

He participated in many operations of the Islamic resistance against the Israeli occupation, it added.

"He was one of the key officers in defending against Takfiri attacks on Lebanon's eastern borders and across various Syrian provinces," the statement said.

Transitioned through various military specializations, Srur took charge of the air force division in the resistance in 2020, it said.

"He led military operations for the Islamic resistance's air force on the Lebanese support front from the beginning of the Al-Aqsa Flood battle until his blessed martyrdom," the Hezbollah statement noted.

The Israeli occupation continues its brutal airstrikes across Lebanon.

Israeli attacks killed 92 people in Lebanon and wounded 153 others over the past 24 hours, the Lebanese Health Ministry said.

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Israel Targets Hezbollah Leader In Massive Beirut Attack

By RFE/RL September 27, 2024

Israeli launched a massive strike on what it said was Iran-allied Hezbollah's central headquarters in a Beirut suburb, with Israeli TV saying leader Hassan Nasrallah was the intended target, shortly after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned at the UN that actions against the designated terrorist organization would not stop.

Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, Israel's army spokesman, on September 27 said the country's forces targeted Hezbollah's main headquarters located under residential buildings amid reports of large explosions and fires at the site.

"Moments ago, the Israel Defense Forces carried out a precise strike on the Central Headquarters of the Hezbollah terror organization...taking the necessary action to protect our people so that Israeli families can live in their homes, safely and securely."

The Israeli military later said it had launched further attacks on Hezbollah sites following the earlier strikes on the headquarters as it continued to "degrade and dismantle" the group's capabilities.

Shortly after midnight, the Israeli military said it had launched fresh strikes on three additional buildings in south Beirut, claiming that Hezbollah had stored weapons at the sites, after urging residents to evacuate them.

Israel also said its warplanes were patrolling near the Beirut Airport and insisted it would not allow Iran to transfer weapons to Hezbollah through the facility.

Speculation was rife on Nasrallah's whereabouts and condition following the attack, although no official information was immediately available.

The Israeli military did not confirm that Nasrallah was the target of the attack.

A senior Israeli official told Reuters that it "was too early" to tell whether Nasrallah had been hit in the strike.

The official said it was "hoped" Israel would not have to conduct a ground operation in Lebanon but that it would not rule it out.

Led by Nasrallah, Hezbollah has developed close ties with other Iranian proxies and Tehran-backed armed groups, helping to train and arm their fighters.

Hezbollah-run Al-Manar TV reported at least four buildings were destroyed in the strikes, that there were heavy casualties, and that ambulances were headed to the site. The Lebanese Health Ministry said six people were killed and more than 90 were injured.

Video posted online indicated large areas of devastation.

Shahan Kandaharian, editor-in-chief of the Armenian-language Azdak daily in Beirut, reported hearing strong explosions.

"We learned that it was an air strike at Hezbollah's headquarters located in Beirut's southern suburb," he told RFE/RL's Armenian Service.

"The whole city was shaking. I was at the office and we could clearly hear the explosions. I heard 10 explosions, one following another," he added, adding it "was a very heavy strike."

Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh said the United States did not have advance warning of the Israeli strike.

"The United States was not involved in this operation and we had no advanced warning," Singh told reporters.

Earlier, Netanyahu gave arch foe Iran a stark warning during his address to the United Nations General Assembly, saying there is "no place in Iran" that Israel can't reach if the Islamic republic continues to try and strike Israel.

He also said that "we'll continue degrading Hezbollah until all our objectives are met."

As the Israeli prime minister began his speech, several delegations -- including Iran's -- walked out of the UNGA in protest while many who remained in the hall cheered or yelled angrily.

Netanyahu was preceded by speakers from Slovenia and Pakistan, both of whom called for him to stop the war in the Gaza Strip against Hamas, which has been designated a terrorist organization by the United States and the European Union.

He said he didn't plan on giving a speech at the meeting this year but after hearing the "lies and slander leveled at my country by many of the speakers at this podium, I decided to come here and set the record straight."

Netanyahu then quickly turned his focus to Iran, which he blamed for "organizing" the current outbreak of violence in the Middle East.

"I have a message for the tyrants of Tehran: If you strike us, we will strike you," Netanyahu told the UN General Assembly.

"There is no place in Iran that the long arm of Israel cannot reach, and that's true of the entire Middle East."

Netanyahu said the UN Security Council should reimpose sanctions on Tehran to ensure it doesn't get nuclear weapons, adding Israel will do "everything in its power" to prevent such a scenario.

"We're defending ourselves, but we're also defending you against a common enemy that through violence and terror seeks to destroy our way of life," he said in reference to Iran.

Netenyahu's speech came amid a diplomatic push by the United States, France, and other Western allies for a 21-day cease-fire after fighting across the Lebanon-Israel border intensified this week with Israel bombarding what it says are targets of Iran-backed Hezbollah, a militant group and political party that controls much of southern Lebanon.

Hezbollah, which Israel says has launched thousands of rockets at its territory over the past year, is designated as a terrorist organization by the United States, while the European Union blacklists its armed wing but not its political party. Hezbollah's political party has seats in the Lebanese parliament.

The intensified fighting has killed hundreds, according to Lebanese health officials, with aid agencies and governments on both sides saying tens of thousands more have been displaced.

Amid fears the conflict will spread across the entire Middle East, Washington has warned any further escalation would only make it harder for civilians on both sides to return home.

The White House has said the cease-fire proposal had been "coordinated" with Israel, but Netanyahu's office has said the prime minister has not responded to the proposal.

The war in Gaza broke out after Hamas fighters spilled across the border last October and killed some 1,200 people inside Israeli territory. Some 240 more people were taken back into the Gaza Strip as hostages.

Israel has launched a withering offensive against Hamas in the aftermath of the October 7 massacre.

In his speech to the UNGA, Netanyahu vowed "Hamas has got to go" and would have no role in the reconstruction of Gaza as he vowed to fight until "total victory."

With reporting by Reuters

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-netanyahu-unga-warning- iran-hezbollah/33137794.html

Copyright (c) 2024. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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What Is Hezbollah, The Iran-Backed Group Fighting Israel?

By Kian Sharifi September 27, 2024

Hezbollah is both a militant group and political party that controls much of southern Lebanon.

It is considered a terrorist organization by the United States, although the European Union has only blacklisted its armed wing.

The Shi'ite group emerged during the chaos of Lebanon's civil war and in response to Israel's invasion in 1982.

Hezbollah is believed to have been created by Iran's powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), the elite branch of the country's armed forces.

The aim of Shi'a-majority Iran was to unite Lebanon's Shi'ite political groups and militias under one organization, says Danny Citrinowicz, a research fellow at the Israel-based Institute for National Security Studies.

Hezbollah was also intended to be a key part of Tehran's deterrence strategy.

"Iran sees the organization as the main factor that will deter Israel or the U.S. from going to war against Iran and works tirelessly to build the organization's power," Citrinowicz said.

The U.S. State Department says Iran has armed and trained Hezbollah fighters and injected hundreds of millions of dollars into the group. The State Department has previously described Hezbollah as "the most technically capable terrorist group in the world."

Hezbollah has around 40,000 fighters, according to the office of the U.S. director of national intelligence, and is said to have over 150,000 rockets and missiles at its disposal, including weapons that can penetrate deep into Israeli territory.

The Israel Defense Forces said Hezbollah has turned itself "into the world's most powerful nonstate actor."

Citrinowicz says Iran may not dictate orders to the organization but Tehran "profoundly influences" its decision-making process.

He describes Hezbollah not as a proxy but "an Iranian partner managing Tehran's Middle East strategy."

Hezbollah is a key part of Iran's so-called axis of resistance, a loose alliance of proxies and Tehran-backed militant groups against Israel and the United States.

Led by Hassan Nasrallah, Hezbollah has developed close ties with other Iranian proxies and Tehran-backed armed groups, helping to train and arm their fighters.

Citrinowicz said Tehran "almost depends" on the Lebanese group to oversee its relations with other groups in the axis of resistance.

Hezbollah's kidnapping of two Israeli soldiers in 2006 triggered a 34-day conflict with Israel, which launched air strikes and a ground offensive into Lebanon.

The war, which ended after a UN-brokered cease-fire, was a major boost to Hezbollah's political standing in Lebanon and the region.

While Hezbollah remains a politically influential player in Lebanon, its support base does not extend beyond the country's Shi'ite community.

Many members of Lebanon's Christian, Druze, and Sunni Muslim communities accuse Hezbollah of operating outside the state's control and of dragging the country into regional conflicts.

"Hezbollah doesn't enjoy the same level of popularity and public support that it did back in 2006," said Hamidreza Azizi, a fellow at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs. He attributes the decline in Hezbollah's popularity to a series of economic and political scandals involving the group in recent years.

Hezbollah has suffered major setbacks in recent months, with Israel killing many of its senior commanders, neutralizing a significant part of its military arsenal, and disrupting its communications.

While the group has been weakened, experts say the Lebanese militant group should not be written off.

"Hezbollah has enough resources and experience to inflict considerable damage to Israel in a ground war," Azizi added, noting that the group is better armed and trained than the U.S.- and EU-designated Palestinian terrorist group Hamas.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/hezbollah-iran- israel-lebanon/33136378.html

Copyright (c) 2024. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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The Azadi Briefing: Taliban Imposes New Restrictions On Afghan Broadcasters

By Abubakar Siddique September 27, 2024

The Key Issue

The Taliban has imposed new restrictions on Afghan broadcasters, banning live broadcasts of political shows and on-air criticism of its policies.

Afghan broadcasters must now prerecord their shows, obtain prior approval of their guest lists, and remove criticism of the Taliban's laws.

Media outlets and individual media workers will face consequences for failing to adhere to the new rules.

Afghan and international media watchdogs have condemned the new restrictions.

The New York based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) on September 24 called on the Taliban to immediately reverse its "draconian media restrictions and stop dragging Afghanistan back to the Stone Age."

"[It is yet] another attempt to further weaken and suppress free media in the country," the Afghanistan Journalist Center (AFJC) said in a September 23 statement.

Why It's Important: The new rules are the latest setback to Afghanistan's once vibrant media scene.

Since the Taliban seized power, it has waged a brutal crackdown on dissent, including beating, detaining, and jailing dozens of journalists.

The hard-line Islamist group has forcibly shut down independent media outlets and prohibited virtually any critical reporting about its unrecognized government.

"These new restrictions signal the end of fundamental media freedoms in Afghanistan," where the Taliban is attempting to transform the press into a "propaganda tool," said CPJ Asia Program Coordinator Beh Lih Yi.

AFJC said the Taliban wants media organizations to "remove weak points, sensitive topics, and criticisms" of its government and leaders.

According to the organization, the Taliban has issued at least 21 directives to the media in recent years that have "significantly" limited press freedom in the country.

What's Next: Despite local and international criticism, the Taliban is unlikely to halt its war against the free press.

The extremist group is likely to keep targeting journalists and others who are critical of its brutal rule.

What To Keep An Eye On

Some Republican lawmakers in the U.S. House of Representatives have proposed new legislation that would halt all aid to Afghanistan until the Taliban frees three American citizens.

Fox News on September 25 published a draft of The No Funding Without Freedom Act, which if passed would require the State Department to regularly update Congress about U.S. citizens detained in Afghanistan regularly.

The United States has provided over $2.5 billion to Afghanistan in humanitarian assistance through the United Nations and other NGOs since American military forces withdrew from the country in 2021.

The Taliban has held three American citizens since 2022. They are aid worker Ryan Corbett, tourist George Glezmann, and Mahmood Shah Habibi, who led the Afghan Aviation Authority under the previous Afghan government.

Why It's Important: The suspension of American aid to Afghanistan would be a significant blow to more than 23 million Afghans currently in need of humanitarian assistance.

While the Taliban benefits from U.S. aid dollars pouring into the country, the most vulnerable Afghans will be hit the hardest as they reel from the world's worst humanitarian crisis.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/afghanistan-taliban- media-restrictions-censorship/33137534.html

Copyright (c) 2024. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Afghan Taliban Shuts Down London Embassy

By RFE/RL September 27, 2024

The Afghan Embassy in London closed its doors as scheduled on September 27 after staff members were fired by the country's de facto Taliban rulers looking to break ties with diplomats who had remained loyal to the ousted government.

The staff announced on September 8 that the move was "made based on the requirements of the host country's authorities," following similar action by other countries that had allowed the diplomatic outposts to operate despite lacking ties to the Taliban, which seized power from the Western-backed government in August 2021.

There was no official announcement on September 27 on the London closure, but a reporter for AFP saw a notice on the gate to the consular section reading: "The embassy of the Republic of Afghanistan is closed."

The reporter said no one answered the door but that the Afghan flag was still visible at the site.

British authorities said the closing of the embassy did not represent official recognition of the Taliban's rule in Afghanistan, which no country recognizes due to concerns over a woeful human rights record and other failures to live up to promises it made before taking power.

But London acknowledged there was "no alternative to engaging pragmatically with the current administration of Afghanistan."

Activities of Britain's mission to Afghanistan are carried out in the Qatari capital, Doha.

Experts have said the embassy closure in London -- along with others in the West -- are likely to pave the way for more engagement with the Taliban, which controls all of Afghanistan's territory and has increased its hold on power.

Afghan embassies in many nations continued to operate with diplomatic staff loyal to the previous government despite the Taliban takeover at home, angering the de facto rulers.

The Taliban announced in July that it was cutting ties with 14 such missions in Western countries and that it would not accept any consular documents they processed, a critical source of funding to keep them running.

The affected sites included those in Canada, Australia, France, Belgium, Switzerland, and Germany.

The Taliban "has repeatedly urged the Afghan political and consular in European countries to engage with Kabul to at least address consular service-related issues of Afghans and provide better services for Afghan citizens," the statement released by the group's Foreign Ministry said on July 30.

Russia, Pakistan, and China host Afghan embassies working with approval of the Taliban-led government.

With reporting by AFP

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/afghanistan-london- embassy-taliban-closure/33137793.html

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The Unthinkable: What Nuclear War In Europe Would Look Like

By Amos Chapple September 27, 2024

In the latest grim uptick of Russia's nuclear weapons policy, President Vladimir Putin suggested on September 25 that the Kremlin could use nuclear weapons against any state attacking Russia if that country was supported by a nuclear power.

If Russia were to launch a massive nuclear strike on Ukraine or Western Europe, there is not much the continent could do to stop it.

Pavel Podvig, a senior researcher at the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR), is widely considered to be the world's leading Western expert on Russia's nuclear weapons. He says there is no indication such a catastrophe is anywhere close to becoming a reality, but he paints a bleak picture of how a nuclear strike on Europe would unfold.

"If there were to be some kind of a massive launch -- or several [Russian] missiles have been launched -- then it's pretty much impossible to guarantee that everything will be intercepted," he says.

NATO's internal calculations reportedly predict that in the event of an all-out attack from Russia, the military bloc has "less than 5 percent" of the air defenses needed.

Russia is believed to hold some 1,700 nuclear warheads inside more than 500 missiles able to be launched within minutes from silos, mobile launchers, submarines, and aircraft. The United States would probably be the primary target, but many of those missiles are known to be intended for Europe.

But if missile barrages are effectively unstoppable, what should civilians do in the event of a nuclear strike?

Some European capitals maintain Cold War-era nuclear shelters that are quietly being refreshed. In Kyiv, a nuclear bunker was recently reopened and made available for use.

In Prague, a network of Cold War bunkers has seen a spike in interest from locals since Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine. The bunkers "are still functional since the fall of socialism and can be activated if necessary," Jan Mikes, the head of the mayor's crisis management department in the district of Prague 2, confirmed to RFE/RL.

A spokeswoman from the Czech Republic's Fire Rescue Service told RFE/RL that, beginning in 2023, the service began updating "requirements for the shelter system and the shelters themselves," without elaborating further.

In Germany's Ahr Valley, near Bonn, Heike Hollunder, the director of a nuclear bomb shelter that now operates as a museum, reported a significant recent jump in visitors.

"The interest increased, especially from younger people, because of the war in Ukraine," she told RFE/RL. "Could the bunker still be used? Is there a nuclear bunker for the government in Berlin? These are the main questions."

But such drastic precautions are probably futile. Podvig says a Russian nuclear strike would offer precious little time to escape to a hardened shelter. From launch to impact over a target in Central Europe, Podvig estimates, "would be in the order of 10 minutes or so."

The United States maintains a network of satellites able to instantly spot the plume of a rocket being launched, but that system would probably be useless to countries close to Russia.

"The United States has all these sorts of warning systems -- the satellites and all that. But I would doubt that this information could be shared very quickly or at all with U.S. allies in the European states," Podvig says.

Models of what modern nuclear weapons would do to cities make for bleak reading. A single Russian Topol-M missile would explode into a kilometer-wide ball of fire that would incinerate every living thing it touched. Within a 7 kilometer radius, countless civilians would die from severe burns and be crushed under the rubble of buildings destroyed by the shock wave. Then would come radiation that would saturate the blast site and poison air and water.

British military historian Basil Liddel Hart was witness to a 1955 war game in which NATO ran through a scenario of full-scale nuclear war with the Soviet Union. NATO won the exchange, but as the hypothetical dust settled, nearly every treasure of the Western world lay in ruins. Hart later described the experience as "very disturbing."

Victory, he wrote, "had lost its point."

Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev is reported to have said that after all-out nuclear war, "the living will envy the dead."

UNIDIR's Podvig is cautious about revealing his own calculations.

"I just try not to think about it because I know some catastrophic scenarios that are pretty bad," he says.

As at the height of the Cold War, the only hard deterrent today is the mutually assured destruction that the West's own stockpiles of hundreds of nuclear missiles ensures, along with a controversial policy of launch on warning (LOW).

The LOW posture allows for the United States to launch retaliatory strikes if incoming missiles are detected, before any impact on U.S. soil. The policy would prevent America's own nuclear weapons from being destroyed in situ, but leaves open the possibility of a civilization-ending error.

Despite the steadily rising tensions between Russia and the West, Podvig says a nuclear apocalypse remains only a distant prospect.

"I do believe that before it would come to that, to the real possibility, we'll see quite a few kind of further escalation steps," he says.

Along with specific rhetoric, Podvig predicts, "we would see some movements of weapons and things like that."

He says he's confident that it remains "very unlikely that this could be something out of the blue."

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/nuclear-war-europe- russia-ukraine/33137063.html

Copyright (c) 2024. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Absentee ballots will go out next week.

Platte County Election Commissioner Eryn Roberts said Friday that 1,983 ballots have been requested so far and will be sent out Monday. Twenty-five UOCAVA (Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act) voters have received ballots already.

According to information provided by the Nebraska Secretary of State, there are 20,536 registered voters in Platte County. More than 13,000 of those voters are Republicans and more than 3,000 are Democrats; just over 200 are Libertarian, almost 100 are registered in the Legal Marijuana NOW party, four are registered with No Labels Nebraska and over 3,000 voters are nonpartisan.

Can I still register to vote?

The deadline to register to vote online, by mail or at a state agency  including the DMV  is Oct. 18. You can register to vote online through the Nebraska's Secretary of State's online voter registration portal or by printing off and mailing in a voter registration form. Mail-in voter registration forms must be postmarked by Oct. 18.

You can register to vote in person at your county election office until 6 p.m. local time Oct. 25.

If you aren't sure whether you're registered to vote, you can check your registration status on the state's VoterCheck website. If you need to update your address or party affiliation, you can do so through the state's online registration portal through Oct. 18.

Registration deadlines vary by state. To see other deadlines, click on a state in the map below.

How do I vote early?

If you'd prefer to vote from the comfort of your home or to avoid potential lines at voting precincts on Election Day, you have multiple options in Nebraska.

Since Nebraska is a "no-excuse" state, any registered voter can request an early voting ballot without providing a reason.

You can apply for an early voting ballot by contacting your county election office by mail or by fax. Or you can print an early voting application, complete the form and then mail, fax or scan/take a picture of your application and email it to your county election office.

Your early voting application must be mailed to your county election office by Oct. 25.

Once you receive and fill out your ballot, you can mail it back to your county election office, return it to the office in-person or leave it in a ballot drop box.

Early voting ballots must arrive at your county election office or a designated drop box by the closing of the polls on Election Day. The polls close at 8 p.m. on Nov. 5.

The state maintains a map of ballot drop boxes on the Secretary of State's website.

Earlier this year, the election dropbox at the Platte County Courthouse moved to 1464 26th Ave., at the end of the drive-thru lane next to the building. The dropbox is available 24/7, so voters can drop off their ballot at their own convenience.

Nebraskans can also vote early in person at their county election office beginning Oct. 7. In-person early voting ends Nov. 4  the day before Election Day.

In Platte County, the Election Commission is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday at 1464 26th Ave.

To see rules in other states, click on the state in the map below.

Voting on Election Day

The polls will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 5. This is the second statewide election in Nebraska where voters will be required to present photo IDs to cast ballots.

Precincts in Platte County are as follows:

1A: Quail Run Club House, 327 S. Fifth St.

1B: Kramer Ed. Center, west meeting room, 2410 16th St.

1C: St. Lukes Fellowship Hall, 1072 21st Ave.

2A: Federated Church, 2704 15th St.

2B: Knights of Columbus Hall, 3115 Sixth St.

2C: Eagles Club Ball Room, 3205 12th St. (west entrance)

2D: NorthStar Services, 2866 48th Ave.

3A: Peace Lutheran Church, 2720 28th St.

3B: Columbus Housing Authority/Heritage House, 2554 40th Ave.

3C: ESU7/CPS Student Services Building, 2563 44th Ave.

3D: Columbus High School Library, 3434 Discoverer Drive

4A: Immanuel Lutheran Parish Center, 1470 24th Ave.

4B: Columbus Public Schools Administration Building, board room, 2508 27th St.

4C: Peace Lutheran Church, 2720 28th St. (Cottonwood No)

4D: Victory Christian Fellowship Church, 2665 E. 14th Ave. (south entrance)

Columbus Twp A: American Legion, Hartman Post 84, ballroom, 2263 Third Ave.

Columbus Twp B: Berean Church, 3027 38th St.

Bismark: St. Johns Lutheran (Shell Creek) Church ELCA, 10785 280th St.

Sherman/Grand Prairie: St Johns Lutheran Church basement, 39452 205th Ave.

Creston: Creston Rural Fire Station, 365 Fifth St., Creston

Shell Creek: Lakeview High School, 3744 83rd St.

Humphrey/Granville: Humphrey Community Center, 608 County Road, Humphrey

Butler/Loup: Duncan Village Hall, 906 Eighth St., Duncan

Oconee/Monroe: Monroe North Auditorium, 424 Osborn, Monroe

Lost Creek/Burrows: St. Josephs Church Parish Center, 167 A St., Platte Center

Joliet/St. Bernard: Lindsay Town Hall, 121 Pine St., Lindsay

Walker/Woodville: Lindsay Co-op, meeting room, 101 S. Pine St., Lindsay

Find out more about what's on the ballot

Note: This voting information tool is powered by the Google Civic Information API.

More resources and information

Information on how to register to vote and early voting provided by the Lincoln Journal Star.
Armenian Troops Boycott Russian-Led Military Exercises As Relations Sour

By Merhat Sharipzhan and RFE/RL's Kazakh Service September 27, 2024

A week after Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian said his country is nearing the "point of no return" with the Russian-led Collective Security Treaty (CSTO), Yerevan has boycotted a key meeting of foreign ministers of the alliance and its troops in the latest training exercises.

CSTO military maneuvers kicked off near Kazakhstan's largest city, Almaty, on September 26 with the participation of Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Tajikistan.

The exercises, at least third military drills Armenian armed forces skip since October last year amid an ongoing rift in Yerevan-Moscow relations, started the same day Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan boycotted the meeting of CSTO foreign ministers on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York City.

Russian-Armenian relations have worsened significantly over the past two years after Yerevan accused Russian troops deployed in and around the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh of not doing enough to stop a lightning offensive launched by Baku in September 2023.

The clash ended with Azerbaijan's regaining control over the region after it was under ethnic Armenian control for three decades.

Since last year, Pashinian has said Yerevan's "full reliance on Moscow on security matters was a mistake" and reoriented foreign policy westward, including participation last year in joint Armenian-U.S. military exercises.

That position has only seemed to harden since.

"There is an expression: the 'point of no return,' and if we haven't crossed it, there is a high probability that we will cross that point," Pashinian said last week at the Second Global Armenian Summit in the country's capital.

In May, Armenia stopped financial contributions to the CSTO, widely viewed as a Russian-led counter to NATO.

The same month, Pashinian and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed that Russian border guards will withdraw from several regions of Armenia though they will continue to be deployed on the Armenian-Turkish and Armenian-Iranian border.

Pashinian and other Armenian leaders have said they are only "diversifying" their foreign and security policies because of what they call Russia's failure to honor its security commitments to the South Caucasus country.

But Armenia also has boycotted high-level meetings, military exercises, and other activities of the CSTO since.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/csto-drill-kazakhstan-armenia- rusia-pashinian-azerbaijan-karabakh/33137485.html

Copyright (c) 2024. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Moldovan President Fires Army Chief Ahead Of Crucial Votes

By RFE/RL's Moldovan Service September 27, 2024

President Maia Sandu has dismissed the chief of Moldova's military as the country prepares to hold a crucial presidential election and a referendum on joining the European Union.

The move came a week after Moldova's Defense Ministry proposed that Brigadier General Eduard Ohladciuc be relieved of his position as Chief of National Army General Staff and commander of Moldova's military due to the expiry of his military service contract.

He had been appointed to the position in November 2021.

When contacted by RFE/RL, the ministry declined to say who would replace Ohladciuc and when his replacement will take over the position.

Former Defense Minister Anatol Salaru told RFE/RL that important personnel dismissals are usually discussed beforehand with the country's political leadership.

Salaru added that the name of the person who will take over the vacant position is usually known well in advance since the military "cannot remain without leadership for long."

Moldovan political analyst Andrei Curararu told RFE/RL that the reappointment or dismissal of the army chief depends not only on his performance but also on the president's "political considerations."

Under the U.S.-educated Sandu, Moldova -- one of Europe's poorest countries and a former Soviet republic where Russia maintained strong influence after Chisinau became independent more than three decades ago -- has experienced an about-face toward the West since she defeated Moscow-backed incumbent Igor Dodon in November 2020.

After the start of Russia's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, Sandu's government sided firmly with the European Union, condemning Moscow's war of aggression and admitting tens of thousands of refugees from neighboring Ukraine.

Chisinau eventually secured an invitation in 2022 to join the EU and started membership negotiations with the 27-member bloc in June.

Sandu, who is facing a crucial test for her reelection on October 20, has proposed holding the EU referendum simultaneously with the presidential poll.

Her administration has embarked on an effort to limit Moscow's still powerful influence in the country ahead of the polls.

Last month, Ohladciuc's predecessor, Igor Gorgan, was charged with treason and spying for Russia.

Analyst Curararu told RFE/RL that the Defense Ministry is currently undergoing a process of removing "potential intelligence sources working for Russia" and are looking for a new army chief who could manage this process faster and more efficiently.

In a separate development, Moldova's Intelligence and Security Service (SIS) banned seven mostly Russian news siteson September 26, including that of state news agency RIA Novosti, which it said posed "national security risks" for Chisinau.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/moldovan-president-fires-army-chief- ahead-of-crucial-elections-referendum-on-eu/33137631.html

Copyright (c) 2024. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Orban Under Fire After Aide Says Hungary 'Probably' Wouldn't Have Resisted Russian Invasion

By RFE/RL's Hungarian Service September 27, 2024

Prime Minister Viktor Orban has found himself in the eye of a rare domestic political storm after his closest aide triggered scathing criticism from Hungary's opposition for suggesting Budapest wouldn't have fought to repel a Russian invasion as Ukraine has.

Balazs Orban, the nationalist prime minister's political director and not a relative, told the Mandiner website on September 26 that Ukraine's decision to resist Moscow's full-scale invasion was "irresponsible" and drew a parallel with the 1956 Soviet invasion of Hungary that was met by armed popular resistance and then mercilessly crushed.

"Considering 1956, we would have probably not done what [Ukrainian] President [Volodymyr] Zelenskiy did 2 1/2 years ago, as it is irresponsible, as we can see that he led his country into a defensive war, many lives were lost and territories lost," Balazs Orban, who is also a member of Hungary's parliament, said.

"Again, it's their right, it's their sovereign decision, they had the right to do it. But if we had been asked, we would not have advised it based on what happened in 1956," he added.

Some 2,500 to 3,000 Hungarians, mostly armed civilians, were killed during the fighting between October 23 and November 4, 1956, against overwhelmingly superior Soviet troops that had intervened to crush Imre Nagy's reformist government.

Hundreds of thousands of Hungarians fled into exile in the aftermath of the fighting, which came to symbolize communist-ruled Hungary's aspiration for freedom until the fall of communism in 1989.

In a video posted on his Facebook page late on September 26, Balazs Orban said that his words were "deliberately misinterpreted" and that "the heroes of 1956 are national heroes and their memory is sacred."

But his explanation fell on deaf ears with the opposition.

Peter Magyar, the leader of the center-right Tisza opposition party, immediately called for Balazs Orban's resignation.

"With these words, Balazs Orban has humiliated the memory of thousands of Hungarian freedom fighters, hundreds of whom -- unlike Balazs Orban -- were ready to sacrifice their lives for the freedom and independence of their country," Magyar said on Facebook.

"Orban, the political director of the prime minister, has no place in Hungarian public life after today's scandalous and traitorous statements," Magyar added.

"The Orban government would hand Hungary over to the Russians without a fight," the leader of the center-left Democratic Coalition, former Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany, wrote in a Facebook post.

The prime minister, whose cozy relationship with President Vladimir Putin, his refusal to condemn Russia's invasion of Ukraine, as well as his attacks on the rule of law and accusations of corruption have turned Hungary into the European Union's black sheep, rushed to put out the fire ignited by his aide.

In his weekly address on national radio, Viktor Orban said on September 27 that it was important to speak "very carefully and clearly" on sensitive matters.

"Now, my political director made an ambiguous statement which is a mistake, as our community stands on the basis of the 1956 revolution, has grown from it," said Orban, who has been touting himself as a defender of national sovereignty.

Hungary under Orban has also alienated its NATO allies by refusing to join sanctions against Russia and maintaining strong economic relations with Moscow. It has also refused to send arms to Ukraine, with which it shares a common border.



Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/orban-hungary-russia-invasion- comment/33137481.html

Copyright (c) 2024. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Press release on Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's meeting with Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants of Lebanon Abdallah Bou Habib

27 September 2024 21:02

1819-27-09-2024

On September 27, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met with Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants of Lebanon Abdallah Bou Habib on the sidelines of the 79th session of the UN General Assembly in New York.

During the conversation the ministers exchanged views on the unfolding military and political situation in the Middle East with an emphasis on the tragic events in Lebanon in the context of intensified bombings by the Israeli Air Force. Sergey Lavrov expressed his condolences over civilian deaths in Lebanon and stressed the unacceptability of further escalation of the armed confrontation and its expansion on a regional scale.

He has confirmed Russia's unwavering position in support of the sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity of the Republic of Lebanon. He stressed the need for the Lebanese themselves to promptly find consensus solutions to the issues on the national agenda, without any external interference.

The ministers also discussed pressing issues of traditionally friendly Russian-Lebanese ties and confirmed their shared desire to continue close coordination at the UN and other multilateral platforms, and to expand mutually beneficial cooperation in trade, economic, humanitarian and other areas.

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Press release on Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's meeting with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of Jordan Ayman Safadi

27 September 2024 02:05

1809-27-09-2024

On September 26, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan Ayman Safadi on the sidelines of the 79th session of the UN General Assembly in New York.

The ministers had a detailed exchange of views on key issues on the Middle East agenda, with a focus on the ongoing escalation in the zone of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. They emphasised the urgent need for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and called for steering the situation towards a political and diplomatic track in accordance with the decisions of the UN Security Council and the General Assembly.

The parties confirmed the alignment or similarity of Russia's and Jordan's respective approaches to resolving the crises in Lebanon, Syria and other persistent crises in the region. They should be resolved in strict compliance with the norms of international law, taking into account the interests of all parties involved.

Additionally, they covered some priority aspect of further expanding the traditionally friendly ties between Russia and Jordan.

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Lavrov: Israeli War in Gaza Could Be Stopped 'Quickly' if US Stood on 'Side of Peace'

Sputnik News

20240927

UNITED NATIONS, September 27 (Sputnik) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Friday that without the US support of Israel, the war in the Gaza Strip could be stopped quickly.

"I would like to address the representatives of the United States: the choice is yours. You can continue to block the work of the Security Council, or you can stand on the side of peace, on the side of the international community and demand an end to the war," Lavrov said at the UN Security Council meeting.

"Without your full support for Israel, the conflict can be ended quickly and effectively."

The foreign minister underscored that in the event the US acted for peace in the region, the move would help open conditions for a return to official peace talks on the creation of a Palestinian state.

"The Security Council is not just a platform for exchanging opinions on the most pressing global issues," Lavrov said. "It is also the main body for maintaining international peace and security, a body that has a number of time-tested tools that allow it to ensure the implementation of its decisions."

"Council members must put the interests of the peoples of Palestine and Israel above narrow political scores and demand an immediate ceasefire, the release of all illegally detained persons, and full and unimpeded humanitarian access."

Lavrov had also stressed Russia's full condemnation of Israel's earlier bombardment in Beirut, where Israeli officials launched a pinpoint airstrike on the main headquarters of the Hezbollah movement.

"We strongly condemn the actions of the Israeli side that flagrantly violate the sovereignty of our friendly Lebanon," Lavrov said at the UN Security Council meeting, calling to stop the spiral violence that is spreading between Israel and Lebanon," Lavrov said.

"The spiral of violence has extended far beyond the Arab-Israeli confrontation, destabilizing not only the regions I have mentioned, but also the Mediterranean Sea, the Persian Gulf and North Africa as a whole. The cornerstone of these crisis processes has been and remains the unresolved Palestinian question."

Latest figures from the Lebanese Ministry of Health's Emergency Response Center stated the Friday strike killed six people and injured another 91. Media reports noted that some six buildings had collapsed.

However, figures are expected to climb as the Israeli military has called for civilians to evacuate neighborhoods in the densely-populated city as they are "near Hezbollah interests." The evacuation extends to the Munir Shadi building and surrounding buildings in the al-Laylaki neighborhood, as well as the Sheet building and Al-Salam Complex in Al-Hadath district.

The warning itself came not long after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken reiterated past stances that "Israel has the right to defend itself against terrorism," while noting "the choices that all parties make in the coming days will determine which path this region is on with profound consequences for its people now and possibly for years to come."

Blinken, who is facing calls to resign after a report indicated he misled Congress to keep military aid flowing to Israel, stated the options were either a diplomatic solution or conflict.

Global observers have long stated that the Israeli-Hamas conflict would extend into neighboring Lebanon, with many emphasizing that Israeli officials were effectively given a get-out-of-jail-free card by its long-time ally, the US.

 Sputnik

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US, Iraq Agree on Two-Phase Transition Plan to End Military Ops in Iraq - Senior Official

Sputnik News

20240927

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The United States and Iraq have agreed on a two-phase transition plan to end military operations as part of the Combined Joint Task Force - Operation Inherent Resolve (CJTF-OIR) to defeat the Daesh* terrorist group, a senior Biden administration official said on Friday.

"Today, we plan to announce that the United States and Iraq have decided on a two-phase transition plan for CJTF-OIR operations in Iraq," the official said during a press briefing.

It was noted that the first phase of the plan will include a troop drawdown from certain parts within the country "as mutually determined," but that efforts to clamp down on Daesh militants would continue regardless of the transitional plan.

"This transition is not the end of the Global Coalition to defeat ISIS. The coalition will continue to support long-term efforts against ISIS [IS] in the region and around the globe," the official said.

The transition period is set to begin this September and will conclude at the end of the same month in 2025.

The United States is not yet in a position to speculate on how many US troops would remain in Iraq, as this will be determined during the two countries' bilateral dialogue, officials added. The US hold a contingent of about 2,500 troops in Iraq.

The CJTF-OIR was established in 2014 by the US Central Command as part of a combat mission against Daesh forces, however, many observers have noted the operation was more about extending the US' footprint while blocking the strangling the country's ties to regional neighbors.

In fact, Hossein Askari, a professor emeritus at George Washington University who specializes in Middle Eastern political and economic affairs, told Sputnik that the US "will drag its feet" and make a full withdrawal impossible.

"The US will be reluctant to leave Iraq for many reasons. First, America is afraid of increased cooperation between Iraq and Iran," Askari pointed out. "It sees its presence in Iraq as the best strategy of preventing such a future."

"Second, it uses its Iraqi presence to obstruct an unimpeded highway between Iran and Syria, which in turn is important to Israel. Third, and related to my previous reason, America's politicians are subservient to Israeli interests and Israel is obsessed about Iran."

The professor further indicated that American officials were also unlikely to part ways as Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) nations were increasingly concerned by the cooperation between Iran and Iraq amid their own lacking military strengths.

"Fifth, America has significant business interest in the GCC and business interests are afraid of a domino effect of a withdrawal from the Iraq, leading to leaving the Persian Gulf altogether and in turn further damaging America's business interests," Askari said.

In order to ensure the departure of American troops, Iraq would need to effectively "publicly humiliate the US about not leaving in the eyes of the world."

*Daesh (also known as ISIS/ISIL/IS) is a terrorist organisation outlawed in Russia and many other states

 Sputnik

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Beirut Under Massive Attack, Israel Says Targeted Hezbollah HQ

Sputnik News

20240927

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) carried out a pinpoint airstrike on the main headquarters of Lebanese Shia movement Hezbollah in Beirut, which is located under residential buildings in the center of the Dahiyeh neighborhood, Israel Defense Forces spokesman Daniel Hagari said on Friday.

"The IDF has just carried out a pinpoint strike on the central headquarters of the Hezbollah terrorist organization ... The headquarters was deliberately built under residential buildings in the center of the Dahiyeh neighborhood in Beirut," Hagari said.

The Israeli army tried to eliminate Lebanese Shia movement Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah by striking Beirut, but their attempt failed, Al Arabiya broadcaster reported on Friday.

The IDF struck Hezbollah's headquarters after intelligence confirmed that Hassan Nasrallah was present there, but his fate remains unclear, reports Israeli Channel 13.

Meanwhile, the Iranian Tasnim news agency, citing a security source, reports that Hassan Nasrallah is in a safe location, and the information being spread by Israeli media is not accurate.

Within hours of the initial strike, Hagari announced that additional airstrikes were underway to target three buildings providing cover for "strategic assets" belonging to Hezbollah in the densely-populated city.

"As part of the extensive aerial operation to degrade Hezbollah's terrorist infrastructure and capabilities, we are preparing to conduct strikes on strategic assets that Hezbollah has hidden underground beneath three buildings in the heart of the Dahieh in Beirut," Hagari said.

About 10 strong explosions were heard in Beirut as part of the first operation, with smoke being seen in the southern suburbs of the city, a Sputnik correspondent had reported. Car alarms went off in the center of the Lebanese capital due to the force of the explosions, as panic erupted among people in the streets, the correspondent added.

Latest figures from the Lebanese Ministry of Health's Emergency Response Center detailed that six people were killed and 91 others were injured as a result of an Israeli airstrike on the southern suburb of Beirut. Figures are expected to rise as additional strikes were announced by Hagari.

At least six buildings have collapsed as a result of an Israeli airstrike on the southern suburbs of Beirut, Al Arabiya broadcaster reported on Friday.

Israeli strikes on the southern suburbs of Beirut on Friday were the most powerful attack on the city in nearly a year of the conflict between Israel and Lebanese Shia moment Hezbollah, Reuters reported, citing sources.

Israel began a massive bombing campaign, codenamed Northern Arrows, in southern and eastern parts of Lebanon on Monday. The Lebanese Health Ministry put the death toll at over 1,500. Hezbollah retaliated by firing dozens of rockets toward northern Israel.

The escalation was preceded by a series of explosions of pagers and walkie-talkies that rocked Lebanon from September 17-18, killing over 40 people and injuring nearly 3,500 others.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has decided to cut short his visit to the United States in light of the events in Lebanon, with a flight to Israel scheduled for Friday evening, Netanyahu's office said on Friday.

"Prime Minister Netanyahu has decided to expedite his return to Israel, he will fly out of the United States tonight," the statement said.

US Not Involved in IDF Strike on Beirut, Had No Advance Warning - Pentagon

The United States was not involved, nor did it receive advance warning on the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) airstrike on the main headquarters of Lebanese Shia movement Hezbollah, Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh said on Friday.

"Secretary [Lloyd] Austin spoke by phone earlier today to his Israeli counterpart Minister [Yoav] Gallant," Singh said during a press briefing. "The United States was not involved in this operation, and we had no advanced warning."

The United States is still assessing the situation after massive strikes on Beirut and will continue calls with Israel to gather more details, the spokesperson added.

New Series of Explosions Is Heard in Beirut

A new series of seven explosions was heard from the side of the southern suburb of Beirut, a Sputnik correspondent reported.

Earlier, a series of explosions was heard due to an Israeli airstrike on a neighborhood of Beirut.

Afterwards, the sounds of seven powerful explosions were heard, including from the center of Beirut.

Hezbollah Says Buildings Israel Strikes in Beirut Suburbs Do Not Contain Weapons

Hezbollah has denied the allegations that weapons are stored in buildings in the southern suburbs of Beirut that the Israeli Air Force is currently bombing.

Earlier, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) called on residents of two neighborhoods in the southern suburbs of Beirut to immediately evacuate because, according to the IDF, Hezbollah facilities were allegedly located there, and then began carrying out airstrikes on these neighborhoods.

"The enemy's false claims about weapons or weapons caches in residential buildings that it just struck in the southern suburbs of Beirut are not true," Hezbollah said in a statement posted on the Islamic Resistance Telegram channel.

Israel Defense Forces Says Killed Hezbollah Commanders in Southern Lebanon

The IDF said it had killed the commander of a Lebanese Shia movement Hezbollah missile unit in southern Lebanon, as well as a number of other commanders.

"The IAF [Israeli Air Force] struck and eliminated the terrorist Muhammad Ali Ismail, the Commander of Hezbollah's Missile Unit in southern Lebanon, and his deputy, the terrorist Hussein Ahmad Ismail. Additional Hezbollah commanders and operatives were eliminated alongside them," the IDF said in a statement on Telegram.

A Sputnik correspondent earlier reported a series of about 10 explosions in Beirut on Friday evening. Later, IDF spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said the Israeli Air Force carried out a targeted airstrike on the Hezbollah headquarters in Beirut, located under residential buildings in the center of the Dahieh area.

Hezbollah has not commented to confirm or deny Ismail's death at press time.

IDF Urges Beirut Suburb Neighborhood Residents to Evacuate Immediately

The IDF has called on residents of another neighborhood in Beirut's southern suburbs to evacuate immediately because, according to the IDF, the area is allegedly housing Lebanese Shia movement Hezbollah's facilities.

Earlier, the Israeli army urged residents of some houses in two neighborhoods in Beirut's southern suburbs to evacuate immediately, after which it began carrying out airstrikes on those neighborhoods.

 Sputnik

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Israel Eliminates Several Senior Hezbollah Fighters in Beirut - IDF

Sputnik News

20240927

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has eliminated some senior Hezbollah fighters, including the deputy head of movement's missiles and rockets force, following a strike on Beirut, the IDF said on Friday.

"Following the IDF strike in the area of Beirut on Tuesday (24.09.2024) in which Ibrahim Muhammad Qabisi, Head of Hezbollah's Missiles and Rockets Force was eliminated, it can now be published that additional senior terrorists were killed alongside him. The eliminated terrorists include Qabisi's deputy, Abbas Ibrahim Sharaf Ad-Din," the IDF said on Telegram, adding that a senior operative in Hezbollah's surface-to-surface missile unit, Fuad Shafiq Khaz'al Khanafer, was also eliminated by an IDF strike.

The situation on the Israeli-Lebanese border aggravated after the start of Israel's military operation in the Gaza Strip in October 2023. The Israeli military and Hezbollah fighters exchange fire almost daily in areas along the border.

Israel began carrying out massive strikes on southern and eastern Lebanon on Monday. IDF Chief of the General Staff Herzi Halevi labeled the offensive operation in Lebanon "Northern Arrows." The death toll from the bombardments exceeded 1,500, the Lebanese Health Ministry said. Hezbollah, in turn, fired dozens of rockets toward northern Israel. This escalation was preceded by a series of explosions of pagers and walkie-talkies in Lebanon from September 17-18, which killed over 40 people and injured nearly 3,500 others.

 Sputnik

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Finland Proposes to Host NATO Ground Forces HQ Near Russian Border

Sputnik News

20240927

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - According to Finnish TV channel MTV, this proposal has already been approved.

The Finnish Defense Ministry proposed on Friday to place the headquarters of the NATO ground forces in city of Mikkeli near the border with Russia.

"Finland's defence administration proposes Mikkeli, the town where the Finnish Army Command is based, as the location for NATO's Multi Corps Land Component Command (MCLCC)," the statement read.

Finland joined NATO on April 4, 2023, along with Sweden. In an interview with Dmitry Kiselev, Vladimir Putin stated that the accession of these countries to the alliance was a pointless step in terms of their national interests, as Russian troops and strike systems would now appear near their borders.

Russia has repeatedly pointed out NATO's unprecedented activity near its western borders in recent years. The alliance claims it is expanding initiatives as part of "deterring Russian aggression."

Moscow has frequently expressed concern over the buildup of NATO forces in Europe. The Kremlin has noted that Russia does not pose a threat to anyone but will not ignore actions that could potentially endanger its interests.

 Sputnik

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A Lancaster County District Court judge will allow a lawsuit seeking to invalidate a pair of ballot initiatives that would legalize medical marijuana in Nebraska to move forward.

In a 14-page order Friday afternoon, Judge Susan Strong rejected Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana's motion to dismiss the lawsuit from former state Sen. John Kuehn until more evidence is heard.

Both measures -- one would allow doctors to recommend cannabis to their patients, while the other creates a regulatory scheme for medical marijuana in Nebraska -- remain on the ballot for now as the case proceeds.

Kuehn, an opponent of the effort to legalize cannabis for medical use, sued Secretary of State Bob Evnen to stop the pair of petitions from being certified for the ballot or from the votes being counted this November.

The former member of the Nebraska Board of Health said numerous irregularities were found on the petitions, including duplicate names, the names of unregistered voters, and incorrect birth dates and addresses, and asked the court to rule them "legally insufficient."

The lawsuit came a day before Attorney General Mike Hilgers announced charges against a Grand Island man who allegedly forged signatures on petitions circulated by Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana.

Evnen, the state's chief election officer, certified both petitions on Sept. 13, saying that even after removing the signatures that were forged, Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana had met the state's signature-gathering requirements.

The secretary, in his answer to Kuehn's lawsuit, denied the allegations that invalid signatures were counted and defended the work of his office as well as that of county election officials across the state.

But in a cross-claim, Evnen said the irregularities raised by Kuehn should be investigated and if confirmed, that the court should declare the initiatives void and that the votes not be counted.

In her order, Strong said two of the four issues raised by Kuehn -- that there were invalid signatures among the total, as well as duplicates that were not tossed out -- would not be dismissed until further evidence was brought.

"(T)he court declines to resolve this issue at the pleadings stage based only on the court's opinion of the relative importance of the statutory requirements allegedly violated," Strong wrote in the opinion.

The judged tossed two other complaints filed by Kuehn, however. Strong dismissed Kuehn's complaint that Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana sponsor Sen. Anna Wishart of Lincoln failed to include a city, state or zip code on her sworn statement as a petition sponsor.

Strong also rejected Kuehn's argument that the petitions violated Nebraska's single-subject rule for citizen-led initiatives, which prevented Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana from appearing on the ballot in 2020.

The order says a petition that would establish a regulatory structure for medical marijuana, including creating an executive branch entity, was in line with past initiatives that created similar agencies "naturally and necessarily connected to the initiative's purpose."

In a separate order, Strong also overruled Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana's request to dismiss a cross-claim filed by Evnen, who said the court should consider the evidence and make a determination of whether or not the petitions should be deemed "legally insufficient."

"Certainly, the Secretary has an interest in the outcome of this litigation," Strong wrote. "The relief requested is a declaration of whether there are sufficient signatures to place the petition initiatives on the ballot."

The judge, citing a concurrence penned by Chief Justice Mike Heavican on a legal challenge against another petition earlier in September, said there was no process for Evnen to rescind certification once it was given.

But she ordered both parties to submit further briefs on whether or not Evnen has standing to ask a court to invalidate the petitions after they had been certified.

Both sides must file their briefs within 10 days.

Strong said at a hearing on Sept. 20 it was her goal to have the matter resolved before Election Day.

'Behind the 8 ball': How research is trying to catch up on cannabis and kids 'Behind the 8 ball': How research is trying to catch up on cannabis and kids 'Behind the 8 ball': How research is trying to catch up on cannabis and kids
Macron Says US Needs to Pressure Netanyahu Into Ceasefire With Hezbollah

Sputnik News

20240927

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The United States should put pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to establish a ceasefire between the Jewish state and Lebanese movement Hezbollah, French President Emmanuel Macron said.

On Thursday, the leaders of the United States, the European Union, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and other countries called for an immediate 21-day ceasefire on the border between Israel and Lebanon. At the same time, both Israel and Lebanon stated that no agreements had been reached within the framework of this initiative.

"I do believe that we still have some hours during which the prime minister can commit and give a chance for peace during these 21 days, and I do believe that the US now has to increase the pressure on the prime minister of Israel to do so," Macron told Canadian broadcaster CBC News on Thursday.

Macron added that the whole world is waiting for Netanyahu's decision, since Hezbollah has expressed its readiness for a ceasefire. He also noted that a ground operation by the Israeli army in Lebanon would be "a huge mistake, a huge risk of escalation."

Israel commenced extensive airstrikes on Monday targeting southern and eastern Lebanon. IDF Chief of the General Staff, Herzi Halevi, named this operation "Northern Arrows." According to the Lebanese Health Ministry, the death toll from the bombardments has surpassed 1,500. In turn, Hezbollah launched scores of rockets toward northern Israel. This latest escalation followed a string of explosions involving pagers and walkie-talkies in Lebanon from September 17 to 18, which killed over 40 and left nearly 3,500 injured.

 Sputnik

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Secretary Antony J. Blinken at a Press Availability

US Department of State

Remarks

Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

Palace Hotel

New York City, New York

September 27, 2024

SECRETARY BLINKEN: Good afternoon, everyone.

The events of the past week - and the past few hours - underscore what a precarious moment this is for the Middle East and for the world.

Israel has the right to defend itself against terrorism. The way it does so matters.

The choices that all parties make in the coming days will determine which path this region is on - with profound consequences for its people, now and possibly for years to come.

One is the path of diplomacy.

Getting a ceasefire along the border between Israel and Lebanon, one that allows people from both countries to safely return to their homes - and allows them to live there in security.

Getting a ceasefire in Gaza that brings home the hostages, enables a surge in humanitarian relief to people who so desperately need it, and preserves the possibility of more lasting security in Gaza and in the region.

The other path leads to conflict - more conflict, more violence, more suffering, and greater instability and insecurity - the ripples of which will be felt around the world.

The United States has made clear - along with the G7, European Union, partners in the Gulf, so many other regions - that we believe the way forward is through diplomacy, not conflict.

The path to diplomacy may seem difficult to see at this moment, but it is there, and in our judgment it is necessary. And we will continue to work intensely with all parties to urge them to choose that course.

I also want to be clear that anyone using this moment to target American personnel, American interests in the region - the United States will take every measure to defend our people.

Let me also say a word about Ukraine.

This week, we took important steps to support the people of Ukraine as they continue to defend themselves against the ongoing Russian aggression and continue to stand up for their sovereignty and their independence, their right to write their own future.

At the Security Council on Tuesday, the overwhelming majority of countries condemned Russia's brutal war of conquest and called for a just and lasting peace on the basis of the United Nations Charter.

Crucial to that is pressing Iran, North Korea, and China - a permanent member of the council - to stop providing weapons, artillery, machinery, and other support that Putin is using to devastate Ukrainian homes, energy grids, and ports.

As we saw this week, support for Ukraine is not just rhetorical, it's tangible.

Dozens of countries came together to pledge to help Ukraine rebuild.

The G7 and other partners made additional commitments to strengthen its energy infrastructure in the face of Russia's ongoing assault - sending more equipment like turbines, portable generators that are crucial to keeping the lights on and keeping Ukrainians warm, heating homes, classrooms, factories, as Russia tries to weaponize the weather as we head into winter.

On Wednesday, President Biden and I met with President Zelenskyy to discuss the ways forward for Ukraine to win this war, a discussion that they continued in Washington on Thursday, yesterday.

To help Ukraine's courageous defenders and citizens, we announced a surge of support: $8 billion in new security assistance, including long-range munitions, an additional Patriot air defense system, and training for more Ukrainian F-16 pilots

Starting with the Quad Leaders' Summit in Wilmington on Saturday and throughout this week, we've also advanced our vision for a free, open, secure, prosperous Indo-Pacific.

President Biden met with Vietnamese General Secretary To Lam to deepen the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between our countries.

We're enhancing cooperation on everything from creating resilient semiconductor supply chains to addressing environmental challenges along the Mekong River.

We'll continue those conversations in a couple of weeks when we get together at the ASEAN Summit in Laos.

Along with my counterparts from Japan and South Korea, we took measures to institutionalize our trilateral cooperation - building on the historic Camp David Summit and reaffirming our shared commitment to creating a Trilateral Secretariat to advance this work.

Just now, I concluded a candid and substantive meeting with China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

We discussed steps to implement the commitments that our leaders made at Woodside last year - like working to disrupt the flow of synthetic drugs and precursor chemicals into the United States, improving communications between our militaries, discussing the risks of artificial intelligence.

I emphasized the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and raised concerns about the PRC's dangerous and destabilizing actions in the South China Sea.

I also underscored our strong concern with China's support for Russia's defense industrial base, which fuels Russia's war machine and perpetuates a war that China purports to want to see ended.

Over the course of the week, we also came together with our partners to address many other crucial challenges facing the globe.

We worked towards a cessation of hostilities, unrestricted humanitarian access, and civilian governance in Sudan.

We worked to garner additional resources and support for the Multinational Security Support mission in Haiti.

We coordinated steps to increase international pressure on the Maduro regime in Venezuela, to stop its widespread repression of the Venezuelan people, to respect their will and their votes as expressed at the ballot box.

These tests and so many more underscore the magnitude of the challenges facing the globe but also the imperative of diplomacy.

We don't have the luxury of pulling back. In the coming hours and for every remaining day of this administration, we'll remain intensely focused on addressing these challenges as we work to make a better world. Thank you.

MR MILLER: First question goes to Andrea Mitchell with NBC News.

QUESTION: Thank you very much, Mr. Secretary.

SECRETARY BLINKEN: Andrea.

QUESTION: Mr. Secretary, a senior Israeli official just briefed the press on today's operation and why they are still going into Lebanon. The senior official said that there was - their intel told them that there was a plan to encircle Israel and eliminate Israel by 2040; that Sinwar on October 7th jumped the gun; that they have been defending themselves ever since; that they felt - that they feel that Nasrallah was the key, the linchpin, to all of this, and to Hizballah; that after a year they felt that they had to get people back in their homes; that they went after Nasrallah, and in today's strike were targeting him; clearly, they don't know what they have achieved. They still feel that when in the military you have momentum, that you have to keep going; that they will be a lot farther along in their operation if it turns out that this was successful, in their terms, today; but that they still, he said - the official said, still have to keep going, and they are not ready to pause.

From your conversations, what is your perspective about whether Israel continuing with this operation and not going in on the ground - which they said is not preferable - but if doing this in what they consider a targeted way is a legitimate response to what they see as an existential threat, or if there is another alternative, a diplomatic alternative?

SECRETARY BLINKEN: Andrea, I will let Israel speak to their operations and their objectives. It's not my place 

QUESTION: But how has it affected the American objectives and the American policy?

SECRETARY BLINKEN: Look, we and many others have been clear about what we see to be the best path forward. And the objective that Israel has in the first instance in Lebanon is an important and legitimate one. It's creating an environment that's secure enough to enable people to return home, because remember what happened on - starting October 8th. Hizballah started lobbing rockets and missiles into Israel, trying to create another front in the war. And Israel, of course, had to respond to that. And in the process, tens of thousands of people had to evacuate their homes in northern Israel. Villages and homes were destroyed in southern Lebanon. And so we have large populations, both in Israel and in Lebanon, who've been forced from their homes. And it is a legitimate and important objective for Israel to, again, create an environment in which people can get back to their homes.

The question is what's the best way to do that. What is the most effective, sustainable way to do that? We believe, and many other countries who've joined is in putting out a call for a ceasefire for 21 days believe, that the best way to do that is through diplomacy, through a ceasefire, and then reaching an agreement that pulls back forces from the border and gives people the confidence that they can go back to their houses, that the kids can go back to school. So we believe that's the best path forward. And the Israelis put out a statement earlier today sharing that they share the aims of the call that we put out, again, with the G7, with the EU, with key Arab partners.

So the question is not does Israel have a right to defend itself against terrorism. Of course it does. The question is not does Israel have a right to deal with existential threats to its security and enemies across its borders with the avowed intent to destroy Israel. Of course it does. But the question is what is the best way to achieve its objectives, to reach enduring security. And in this instance, with regard to Lebanon, what's the best way to achieve the stated objective of creating an environment in northern Israel that gives people confidence to return to their homes? As I said, we believe the diplomatic course is the best one.

MR MILLER: For the next question, Hiba Nasr with Asharq.

QUESTION: Thank you, Mr. Secretary. I want to ask the question again. Since October 7, you've been saying that Israel has to - has the right to defend itself. And you've been stating all the time that they have the right to defend their selves against Hizballah and Iranian proxies in the Middle East. So my question: Now you repeated how it does that matter. Can you clarify whether this Israeli approach to targeting Hizballah's leadership falls under self-defense? And what's the U.S. administration clear position on the policy of targeted assassination?

And if I may, please, one second question. You've emphasized for calm along the northern borders, and you have been working towards this goal for the past 11 months. Now, as we edge closer to a broader conflict, could you specify what do you mean by calm? Are you referring to a return to the pre-October 7 status quo, implying a cessation of hostilities, or the full implementation of Resolution 1701? Because it does matter for the Lebanese and for the Israeli to understand what are you proposing.

And just one final question. We are two weeks away from October 7, Mr. Secretary. What could you have done differently that might have changed the current situation? Thank you.

SECRETARY BLINKEN: I appreciate that you managed to get in several questions. (Laughter.) So first, on the events of the last hours, we are still gathering information, making sure that we fully understand what happened, what the intent was. And until we have that information, I can't - I can't address in detail our response to it. So we'll continue to work on that in the hours ahead.

With regard to a broader conflict, we've said very clearly - you're right - ever since October 7th that one of our objectives, besides making sure that Israel does what it needs to do to make sure that October 7th never happens again, besides doing everything we can to try to make sure that people who are caught in this horrible crossfire of Hamas's making, and who are suffering so terribly - women, men, children in Gaza - that they get the protection that they need and the assistance they need.

Besides that, our objective has been to try to prevent the war from spreading, as well as escalating. And on multiple occasions since October 7th, we seemed to be on the verge of just that happening, including in the days immediately following October 7th, and then again on several other occasions, most notably in April, and even more recently than that. And each and every time the combination of American deterrence and American diplomacy manage to prevent a wider war. We're intensely focused on doing exactly that now, along with many other countries. Because in our judgment, the judgment of so many others, it's in no one's interest to have a wider conflict. And so we're working in every possible way to prevent that from happening.

Now, in terms of where we think this should go, no, going back simply to October 6th in terms of the border between Lebanon and Israel is not sufficient. Because it's not simply a matter of having a ceasefire - that is, Hizballah firing into Israel, Israel responding in a tit-for-tat. What's necessary is to create the conditions, including moving forces back, such that people in both northern Israel and southern Lebanon have the confidence to return home.

It would be important - finally - to make 1701 real, not simply a piece of paper that's never been effectively implemented. And I remind as well that as part of Israel leaving Lebanon in 2000, after it had been bogged down there for 15 years - as part of that, and through 1701, the understanding was that any of the armed militia would put down their weapons, the state should have a monopoly on the use of force. Hizballah never did that, and it's presented an ongoing threat to Israel ever since - again, with the avowed goal of eradicating it.

So in this instance, the most important thing to do - again, if the objective is to just get people home, get kids back to school in Israel and in Lebanon, the most important thing to do through diplomacy is to try, first, to stop firing in both directions, and then to use the time that we would have in such a ceasefire to see if we can reach a broader diplomatic agreement on this. I think it would have to proceed in phases, but we have to have conditions on the ground such that people know with confidence that they can be safe in their own homes.

And finally, as we come to October 7th and the anniversary of that horror, our focus is not thinking about the past; our focus is intensely on the here and now, and the efforts that we continue to make to get a ceasefire that brings the hostages home, that results in a surge of humanitarian assistance to the people in Gaza who desperately need it, and that opens the prospects for enduring peace and stability. That's where our focus is; that's where it's going to remain.

MR MILLER: Olivia Gazis with CBS.

QUESTION: Thank you very much, Mr. Secretary. I also have a multi-parter, so with your indulgence.

SECRETARY BLINKEN: (Inaudible.)

QUESTION: Mediators were in the thick of negotiations in July when Ismail Haniyeh was assassinated in Tehran. Now there's the unconfirmed possibility that Hassan Nasrallah has been targeted, possibly killed, just days after the U.S. of course put forward its ceasefire proposal with a coalition of countries. How can the U.S. continue to put its weight and credibility behind these proposals when it can make no assurances that its mediators won't be targeted and won't be killed? To put it bluntly, Mr. Secretary, are the ceasefire proposals that you had been efforting in Gaza and in the north now dead?

On Iran: To date, Tehran seems to have been deterred through, as you mentioned, U.S. efforts from directly retaliating against Israel and other interests, including after the assassination of Haniyeh, including after the pager operation in Lebanon. Is the U.S. willing to continue its efforts to deter Iran, especially as some of these operations that the Israelis are engaging in come with little advance notice, if any?

And on Ukraine: Earlier this month, you and Foreign Secretary Lammy stood in Kyiv and said that you would continue deliberations about long-range weapons capabilities in Russia over the course of the UN General Assembly, engaging with Western allies. The Germans came out this week publicly to voice their opposition to that capability. Is there a clear answer from the U.S. to this request from the Ukrainians, and if not, how much longer do you expect them to wait for a clear answer? Thank you.

SECRETARY BLINKEN: Thanks. Olivia, with regard to the ceasefires both in Gaza and in Lebanon, I don't think the question is one about individuals. The question is one about interests and what is in the interests of the respective parties and getting them to act on those - on those interests. I mentioned a moment ago, in the case of Gaza, the interests of all concerned really should go to bringing this ceasefire agreement across the finish line, what we've been working to do now for the last several weeks.

It's manifestly in the interest of Israel, which in Gaza has accomplished the military objectives that it set out, at horrifically high cost for civilians who were caught in the crossfire that Hamas created. But those military objectives have been achieved, and so getting the hostages home, putting Gaza on a better path, I believe is in their interests. It's manifestly in the interests of people in Gaza who would get immediate relief from the war, immediate relief in terms of a surge of humanitarian assistance, and a commitment from the international community to help them rebuild their lives. And it should be in the interests of Hamas if, as it says, it represents the interests of those Palestinians in Gaza because the ceasefire would advance those interests. So irrespective of the individuals involved, the interests are clear, and whoever the individuals are, they'll have to make determinations and decide.

Similarly when it comes to Lebanon, the same thing. It's clearly in the interests of the Lebanese people to have peace, to have security, to have stability, to not live under threat, and certainly in their interest to avoid a wider war where the - inevitably the biggest victim of such a war, those who would suffer the most, are the Lebanese people. And so those who purport to represent their interests and have their well-being at heart should find a way to act on those interests irrespective of the - of the individuals involved. And this is what so many of us are working to put forward.

We've been very clear in not just what we've said but also in what we've done, including the deployment of significant assets in the region, that we will do our part to deter further conflict, to deter escalation, to deter a widening war. And there are two sides to that coin, one to avoiding that wider war; one is this deterrence, and we are committed to it. But the other is diplomacy, and as I mentioned before on several occasions since October 7th, we've been on what we judged to be the brink of that wider war, and through a combination of deterrence and diplomacy we've managed to prevent it. That's what we're focused on now. And all parties in the region, I think, including Iran, know that and can see that.

And then finally, with regard to Ukraine, I wasn't there because I was here in New York representing the President and the administration. So while I got a chance to see President Zelenskyy with President Biden briefly when they were both in New York, the meeting that took place yesterday was one that I wasn't part of. And I can tell you, though, from the readout that I got from the meeting, that it was not only very good and very positive but, among other things, it resulted in - or we announced at the same time - the provision of significantly more assistance to the Ukrainians, notably security and military assistance, more than $8 billion worth, that will carry us through the end of this administration.

In the conversation between the President, President Biden, and President Zelenskyy, the Ukrainians presented their plan for victory. And I'll let them speak to the details of that, including what's necessary in their judgment to achieve it. And we are studying it very carefully, and that includes what, if any, additional things we or other partners of Ukraine would be called on to do in order to help them achieve that success. But the President has been very clear that he's committed to Ukraine's success. He's committed to making sure that they have what they need to effectively defend themselves as well. I've said it many times and I'll say it again: Every step along the way, we've adapted and adjusted to those needs, and I'm convinced we'll continue to do so.

MR MILLER: And for the final question, Mark Magnier with South China Morning Post.

QUESTION: Hi, Mr. Secretary. Thank you very much. Brazil and China a couple of hours ago pushed further on this idea of pushing a - sort of mediating with a peace plan. Can I get your reaction to that? Is it a distraction? Is there a useful part of that, particularly in light of Zelenskyy - President Zelenskyy's opposition to it?

Related to that, Ambassador Nick Burns yesterday, I believe, basically signaled that there could be more sanctions on China related to their dual-use assistance to Russia. Given that at this point we seem to have about 300 sanctions, by some count, against China, and there's not too much evidence that they have managed to change China's behavior, what's the effectiveness of doing - of putting more sanctions on that? Is there a different approach here with allies, perhaps, that can be done to change China's behavior?

And finally, any thoughts on Xi Jinping and President Biden - a meeting, call, something, perhaps on the sidelines of APEC? Thanks a lot.

SECRETARY BLINKEN: Thank you. So on the - on peace proposals, peace plans, from our perspective, any proposal, any plan that's grounded clearly in the principles of the United Nations Charter - notably, territorial integrity, sovereignty, independence - is something that's worth looking at.

So I was very clear at the Security Council a couple of days ago about what we and most other countries see as the basis for a just and lasting peace. A peace in which the aggressor gets everything that it's sought and the victim does not have its rights upheld is not a recipe for a lasting peace, and certainly not a just one. But a peace that's grounded in the charter, that upholds its principles, that is. And so any proposal that's out there we would judge and evaluate on that basis.

On the question of sanctions, look, we've been very clear - and we've taken action accordingly already - on our concerns about the provision of assistance by Chinese companies to Russia and, notably, to help it build up its defense industrial base. Roughly 70 percent of the machine tools that Russia's importing, coming from China, Hong Kong. Ninety percent of the microelectronics, from China, Hong Kong. And this is materially helping the Russians produce the missiles, the rockets, the armored vehicles, the munitions that they need to perpetuate the war, to continue their aggression.

So when Beijing says on the one hand that it wants peace, it wants to see an end to the conflict, but on the other hand is allowing its companies to take actions that are actually helping Putin continue the aggression, that doesn't add up. We've taken a number of steps already. I think what you're hearing again this week is - not just from us but from many other countries - a deep concern about this, and you heard that as well at the Security Council.

So I'm not going to preview any actions we may be taking in the - in the future, but it's also, I think, important to note that other countries are not only concerned about this, they're acting on it and will continue to act on it. And I would hope that that message is received loud and clear and that actions follow from any actions that we and others take. Our intent is not to decouple Russia from China. Their relationship is their business. But insofar as that relationship involves providing Russia what it needs to continue this war, that's a problem and it's a problem for us and it's a problem for many other countries, notably in Europe, because right now Russia presents the greatest threat, not just to Ukrainian security, but to European security since the end of the Cold War.

With regard to President Biden and President Xi, I've got nothing to share in terms of any schedules, but I can tell you - I can tell you this: When Foreign Minister Wang and I met just a couple of hours ago, we discussed a number of things and we talked about the work that we're doing to implement the agreements that were reached between the two presidents at Woodside, outside of San Francisco, at the end of last year, including the military-to-military relationship and communications, the flow of - curbing the flow synthetic drugs, the responsible use of AI, et cetera. We also talked about a number of areas where we have real differences, and I alluded to some of those a few moments ago. But we also agreed on the importance of the leaders communicating. And so I fully anticipate that we'll see that in the week and months ahead.

Thank you.

MR MILLER: Thank you, all.

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Secretary Blinken's Meeting with the C5+1 during UNGA 79

US Department of State

Readout

Office of the Spokesperson

September 27, 2024

The below is attributable to Spokesperson Matthew Miller:

Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with foreign ministers and representatives from the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, the Republic of Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and the Republic of Uzbekistan today under the auspices of the C5+1 platform during the 79th annual session of the UN General Assembly.

Reflecting on the commitments made by U.S. and Central Asian leaders during the inaugural C5+1 Presidential Summit on September 19, 2023, the Secretary acknowledged significant steps taken since that landmark occasion in furtherance of the Summit's New York Declaration, including the C5+1 Critical Minerals Dialogue launch, the inaugural B5+1 Forum in support of U.S.-Central Asian business partnership, and the first C5+1 Special Session on Disability Rights on the margins of the UN Conference of States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) at the United Nations.

Participants discussed steps toward enhanced regional security cooperation in pursuance of a shared vision for a peaceful Central Asia. The Secretary underscored the importance of upholding the United Nations Charter and its principles, including with respect to human rights, and C5+1 partnership that is grounded in respect for the independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of all states.

Secretary Blinken noted that the year 2025 will mark ten years of enduring U.S.-Central Asian collaboration through the C5+1 platform. In the spirit of cooperation that has come to define the C5+1, the Secretary emphasized U.S. commitment to pursuing regional solutions to global challenges in partnership with the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, the Republic of Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and the Republic of Uzbekistan.

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Senior Administration Official and Senior Defense Official on a Transition Plan for Combined Joint Task Force - Operation Inherent Resolve in Iraq

US Department of State

Special Briefing

Office of the Spokesperson

Via Teleconference

September 27, 2024

MODERATOR: Welcome to today's background call previewing the announcement on a transition plan for Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve in Iraq. I'm [Moderator] and I am honored to be joined by our speakers, [Senior Administration Official] and [Senior Defense Official]. We are now ready to begin. I will start with a few ground rules.

For starters, the speakers will identify themselves as they each speak. Please understand the names on the board may not represent the speakers themselves. This is an on-background call. Information may be attributed to a Senior Administration Official and a Senior Defense Official. We ask that the content of the call be embargoed until 3:15 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. We will now begin with opening remarks by [Senior Administration Official]. [Senior Administration Official], you now have the floor.

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: Thank you. Good morning, everyone. Ten years ago this month, at the request of the Government of Iraq to confront the urgent threat posed by ISIS, the United States began working with allies and partners by providing military operations, advisors, and support to Iraq through the Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve, otherwise known CJTF-OIR. This coalition, with more than 30 contributing nations, has made historic achievements including the territorial defeat of ISIS in Iraq in 2017 and in Syria in 2019. The ten-year mark of the D-ISIS Global Coalition is a natural time to assess the coalition's military mission in Iraq.

Over the last year, there have been ongoing discussions between the United States and Iraq under the Higher Military Commission, or HMC, and the U.S.-Iraq Joint Security Cooperation Dialogue, JSCD, to determine how and when the military mission would evolve based on security conditions in Iraq. In these discussions, important factors were reviewed, such as the threat posed by ISIS, the operational environment in Iraq, and the Iraqi Security Forces capability.

Together, the United States and Iraq are setting a timeline to transition the military mission to an enduring bilateral security relationship. This transition would be in accordance with Iraq's constitution and the 2008 U.S.-Iraq Strategic Framework Agreement.

This is exactly what President Biden and Prime Minister Sudani pledged to do when they met in Washington back in April. Since then, we've been working with the Iraqis and with our coalition partners to determine what that transition will look like and when that transition would happen. These discussions will continue beyond the announcement this - today - to shape the transition and the future of the U.S.-Iraq bilateral security relationship.

So today, we plan to announce that the United States and Iraq have decided on a two-phase transition plan for CJTF-OIR operations in Iraq. In the first phase, we'll be concluding the global coalition's military mission in Iraq - the Combined Joint Task Force-Inherent Resolve - and ending the presence of coalition forces in certain locations in Iraq as mutually determined. The transition period in Iraq will begin this September and end one year, concluding at the end of September 2025.

The U.S. and Iraq recognize that ISIS is - in Syria remains a significant threat to the region and are committed to continued working to ensure the enduring defeat of ISIS. So therefore, in the second phase to prevent the return of the ISIS terrorist threat from northeast Syria, the U.S. and the Government of Iraq have reached an understanding to allow the coalition to continue to support counter-ISIS operations in Syria from Iraq throughout the second phase of the transition until at least September 2026, subject to conditions on the ground and obviously consultations among future political leaders of Iraq, the United States, and coalition members. So to be clear, while CJTF military mission in Iraq will end by September 2025, the coalition's military mission operating in Syria will continue.

I'd like to emphasize that this is an evolution of the military mission in Iraq. We are moving towards the type of productive, long-term security relationship the United States has with partners around the world. To be clear, the United States is not withdrawing from Iraq. This announcement comes after a decade of success from extraordinary international cooperation between coalition partners, Iraqi Security Forces, and the U.S. military in territorially defeating ISIS in the core region of Iraq and Syria.

However, while ISIS is down, they are not out. ISIS continues to pose a real threat, although diminished, in Iraq and the wider region. Together, the U.S., Iraq, and the coalition remain committed to the defeat - to defeat the core ISIS threat. We plan to continue focusing on that important task we head into the future. We will continue to work with the Iraqi Security Forces, including the Kurdish Peshmerga forces, to build up their capabilities and ensure an Iraqi-led enduring defeat of ISIS.

This transition is not the end of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS. The coalition will continue to support long-term efforts against ISIS in the region and around the globe. And the Government of Iraq, as a critical member of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS and in recognition of this threat, will continue to consult with the United States and members of the coalition on the nature and severity of the ISIS threat.

On September 30th, Monday, in Washington, D.C., Secretary Blinken will host the Ministerial of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS, where Iraq will play a lead role. This ministerial demonstrates the coalition's continued recognition of the persistent threat ISIS still poses and their sustained commitment to diminishing ISIS's capabilities around the world.

So finally, the United States is committed to ongoing efforts to support a stable, secure, and sovereign Iraq that benefits the people of Iraq and the broader region. This transition well suits the United States to continue to pursue our longer-term goals in Iraq and in the region.

Thank you.

MODERATOR: Thank you, [Senior Administration Official]. I'll now turn to [Senior Defense Official]. [Senior Defense Official], you now have the floor.

SENIOR DEFENSE OFFICIAL: Thank you, and good morning, everyone. I won't add a great deal to [Senior Administration Official]'s very thorough explanation of what we're announcing today, but I'll just make a few points to amplify a couple of things.

CJTF-OIR's mandate was always to support and not replace the Iraqi Security Forces - and in Syria, the Syrian Democratic Forces - our local partners in their fight against ISIS. And since it was deployed, the coalition forces in 2014, this coalition, with more than 30 troop-contributing nations, has had historic achievements in helping those partnered forces in Iraq and Syria retake more than 42,000 square miles of territory that was once held by ISIS. And that has produced the territorial defeat of ISIS in Iraq in 2017 and in Syria in 2019, liberating nearly 8 million people, including vulnerable religious and ethnic minorities, from its genocidal reign.

Today, the coalition's local security partners are better able to ensure that ISIS can never again cause havoc in the region, thanks to the support of the coalition, which has trained and equipped more than 225,000 security and police personnel and provided more than $4 billion worth of military equipment.

So as [Senior Administration Official] said, starting a year ago at the U.S.-Iraq Joint Security Cooperation Dialogue in August in Washington, our governments agreed on how to conduct the discussions on how and when the military mission of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS in Iraq would evolve on a conditions-based timeline according to the factors that [Senior Administration Official] mentioned - the threat of ISIS, the operational environment, and the capability of the Iraqi Security Forces.

The Higher Military Commission, which was the military-to-military dialogue to conduct those assessments, launched in January in 2024 and has continued on - throughout this year. In April, Prime Minister Sudani of Iraq conducted a historic visit to Washington, D.C., met with President Biden, Secretary Austin, Secretary Blinken. And together all expressed a shared commitment to the Higher Military Commission process to determine - help the leaders determine when and how the military mission of the Global Coalition in Iraq would end and transition in an orderly manner to enduring bilateral security partnerships, in accordance with Iraq's constitution and the U.S.-Iraq Strategic Framework Agreement.

U.S. forces remain in Iraq at the invitation of the Iraqi Government. The HMC was intended to inform discussions to responsibly transition CJTF-OIR in Iraq, and our Iraqi partners have assured us of their commitment towards working together to shape the future of the U.S.-Iraq bilateral security relationship and ensure the enduring defeat of ISIS.

So that dialogue between military professionals has continued and will continue, even beyond today's announcement. The process is complex, and we'll work together to ensure every part of that transition is orderly and responsible in the weeks and months ahead.

[Senior Administration Official] made the important distinction between CJTF-OIR, which is the coalition's military operation in Iraq and Syria since 2014, and the broader 87-member Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS, so I won't repeat that. But the coalition does incredibly important work not just in the Middle East, but in other regions, like in Africa, like in Afghanistan, where ISIS activities are of significant concern to the coalition's members. And our agreement with Iraq to maintain a presence in Iraq, of the coalition to conduct counter-ISIS operations in Syria through at least September 2026 is evidence of Iraq's continued participation in that coalition as a member in good standing.

On the U.S.-Iraq bilateral security partnership, we - the Government of Iraq, has expressed continued willingness and interest to solidify and expand that partnership, including on counterterrorism cooperation. That - the details of that will take time to emerge, but it will be building on what already exists with an advise and assist mission of U.S. forces to help the Iraqi Security Forces conduct counter-ISIS missions, the continued support for Iraqi acquisition of U.S.-origin military equipment, joint trainings, and participation in other regional forums as well. And we're very confident that we have a good partner in Iraq, in the Government of Iraq, in continuing to build and deepen that security partnership.

Finally, I'll just say that this process of preparing for this transition has been done and will continue to be done in close partnership and consultation with other contributing nations to CJTF-OIR. We've previewed plans, we've taken feedback, we've supported strategic discussions of these objectives and are helping ensure that other countries that are transitioning to their bilateral security partnerships to Iraq are doing so in a coordinated fashion with us. NATO Mission Iraq will continue its institutional capacity building mission. We've received great feedback from the Government of Iraq who - whose officials say they appreciate the added value that NMI - NATO Mission Iraq - brings. And our team is working hard to ensure that the planning and logistical details are in place to ensure NMI can continue its very important work.

And so with that, I think I'll conclude, and we will be happy to take any questions.

MODERATOR: Thank you, [Senior Defense Official]. We are grateful for the remarks on this historic transition. It is now time to open the call to questions from the press. It is our hope to take as many questions as we can. We ask that you please be concise for the benefit of our colleagues. Please use the "raise your hand" button to be called upon and unmute yourself.

The first question I will hand over to Nadia Bilbassy-Charters from Al Arabiya. Nadia, you have the floor.

QUESTION: Thank you so much. Can you hear me?

MODERATOR: Yes, ma'am.

QUESTION: Okay, great. I'm just wondering, in addition to everything that was said, how do you assess the danger that U.S. troops - of course, from the pro-Iran militias inside Iraq - do you see them - that's been - the Iraqi Government has been able to control them? Do you see - as we go along and see this escalation between Israel and Lebanon and continuation with the war in Gaza, do you see a danger that it's linked to that - not just to ISIS, obviously, but to these groups inside Iraq? Thank you.

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: This is 

SENIOR DEFENSE OFFICIAL: (Off-mike.)

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: Oh, sorry, go ahead.

SENIOR DEFENSE OFFICIAL: No, go ahead - go ahead, [Senior Administration Official].

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: All right. Well, first let me just say that on the broader issue of these militias and their attacks, the Government of Iraq has the responsibility to protect U.S. and coalition servicemembers from attacks by Iran-aligned militias. And attacks against the U.S. and the coalition servicemembers, as well as Iraq's security service members, undermine Iraq's sovereignty and security and stability, and discourages foreign investment and advancing its economic development. We've made it clear also that we'll not hesitate to take all appropriate actions to protect our personnel. And so this is - this is essentially our - where we come out on the concerns over the militias. Over.

MODERATOR: Thank you, [Senior Administration Official]. Our next question is to Jared Szuba from Al-Monitor. Jared, you now have the floor.

QUESTION: Hi, all. Thank you for doing this. First, for [Senior Defense Official], sir, you mentioned a potentially expanding counterterrorism bilateral relationship with the ISF in the future. We saw sort of sweeping ground combined operations in the Anbar desert, I think it was last month, against senior ISIS positions, senior ISIS figures. How do you assess the readiness of the Iraqi Security Forces? Are they able to keep up that sort of up tempo against ISIS in the rural stretches, and would combined operations like that continue bilaterally with the United States after the coalition has transitioned? Thanks.

SENIOR DEFENSE OFFICIAL: Thanks for the question. So through the advise and assist mission of the coalition during these past years, we've seen very significant improvement in the Iraqi Security Forces' capability. You've mentioned some recent counter-ISIS activity that the coalition and partnership with the ISF has conducted. We've had several successful operations during this period and believe that it demonstrates that improved capability by the ISF. We have since 2012, with the support of U.S. Congress, provided more than 300 - $3.5 billion to build, sustain, train, equip, and professionalize Iraq Security Forces. We intend to stay connected in an advise-and-assist capacity with the counterterrorism services, the joint operations command, the air force, and the Kurdish Peshmerga, all of whom play a very important role in conducting counter-ISIS missions.

During the next year, while the coalition - until the coalition military mission in Iraq concludes, those types of partnered activities can certainly continue with the coalition. Beyond that, we will continue to discuss with Iraq in the bilateral context how we can continue to advise and assist and enable them in conducting necessary counter-ISIS operations beyond that period. Over.

MODERATOR: Thank you, sir. Our next question goes to Jeff Schogol from Task and Purpose. Jeff, you now have the floor.

QUESTION: Thank you very much. I'm hoping either official can say how many U.S. troops are leaving. Right now there are approximately 2,500 in Iraq. How many will leave as part of phase one? How many will leave as part of phase two? If you can't give an exact number, can you say most U.S. troops are leaving and that a small contingent will remain? Thank you.

SENIOR DEFENSE OFFICIAL: Hi, this is [Senior Defense Official]. So we're not going to speak to our plans concerning specific base locations or troop numbers. We have been and will continue to be in active dialogue with the Government of Iraq about how our bilateral relationship will evolve, which will certainly include changes to our force posture and troop numbers. For now, that remains in a planning process and under review. And until we are able to make those - until those are decisions that are reached, we won't be providing specific information on numbers and locations regarding something that hasn't been decided. Beyond U.S. forces, we'd refer you to our coalition partners for information about their defense personnel presence in Iraq and their bilateral security relations with Iraq going forward. Over.

MODERATOR: Thank you. Our next question goes to Natasha Bertrand from CNN. Natasha, you now have the floor.

QUESTION: Hi, thank you so much. So my question was along the lines of what Jeff had asked, but I'm just wondering if you can more clearly state what the transition actually is, especially because it seems like the troop numbers, as you just said, still haven't actually been decided; the changes to the force posture are still under discussion. You said that you're ending the presence of coalition forces in certain locations in Iraq. So, I mean, it sounds a lot like this is kind of a transition in name only, if you're kind of a layman's and not tracking this in as much detail as, for example, you folks are. So can you explain more clearly kind of what the transition actually is, particularly because you're saying that the coalition is going to support counter-ISIS ops, is going to continue to advise and assist the Iraqi Security Forces? So what actually is concretely changing? Thanks.

SENIOR DEFENSE OFFICIAL: Well, again, a lot of those details are still in a planning process, under review internally, and in discussions with Iraq. But I think the context I want to offer to - as a way to think about this is that we're transitioning OIR because the mission environment has changed. We talked about the vast territorial sweep of ISIS and the large population that lived under its brutal rule. ISIS no longer controls that kind of territory. It no longer has that kind of population under its command. It has fighters, it has cells, it has a presence and that needs continued effort to ensure its enduring defeat, but that mission - that evolution of the threat means it's time to evolve this mission.

And so after this 10-year period of the advise, assist, and enable mission, we've made the determination that it's time to do that transition. But that doesn't mean every detail has been - has been worked out. The fact that we have agreed on the timetables and the phases that [Senior Administration Official] outlined tells us very clearly that we have a good partner in the Government of Iraq in determining how that transition will unfold.

Regarding the details, we'll have more to say on that as those decisions are ready to be announced.

MODERATOR: Thank you. Our next question is for Courtney Kube from NBC News. Courtney, please unmute yourself. You have the floor.

QUESTION: Hi, thanks. Just following on Jeff and Natasha - so, I mean, [Senior Defense Official], you said yourself that this was the decision that was agreed to by President Biden and Prime Minister Sudani in April, so six months ago. And yet there's still no clarity on exactly what this will look like practically for the U.S. military there. So is it possible - would the Status of Forces Agreement change here, or will the total number of troops in the country allowable - or whatever it is, permitted there under Status of Forces, is that going to stay the same? We're just trying to get a sense if this is going to be a transition where, yes, the coalition presence decreases but it's possible in - that the bilateral mission ends with the U.S. still maintaining potentially the same number of troops there.

I mean - and also for Defense official - the senior Defense official, I'm a little unclear because the train, advise, and enable mission, yes, I that for the coalition is ending, as you said, but then you also said as part of a bilateral there still could be a train and advise mission. So I think this is something - this is a plan that we've been hearing about for months now and, again, as you said, President Biden has talked about publicly for month now. So help us understand exactly what this means practically on the ground for the - the U.S. military presence and mission, how it will change, if at all. Thanks.

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: So let me go back to what my colleague said, that at the moment this is a transition and that's what a transition means. We're going from a transition - we're going from a state where we have an understanding of - transitioning from the military mission of the coalition in Iraq to bilateral relationships where we will be able to define in greater detail and build on what we already have. At the moment this is a - continued discussions that we've been having for the past year that range anywhere from what is the - as I said, what is the - what's the situation with ISIS, what is the environment we're working in, and what are the capabilities?

But this is an ongoing conversation which we have agreed with the Government of Iraq to continue, and I go back to what my colleague said. We're not in a position right now to begin to either speculate or discuss exactly where we're going to end up on all of it. It is an ongoing conversation, it's a transition, and again, I just want to foot-stomp the fact that is not a withdrawal. This is a transition. It's a transition from a coalition military mission to an expanded U.S.-Iraqi bilateral security relationship. Those members of the coalition that are going - that want to remain or continue to talk security relationship, that is entirely up to them, and I would encourage you to go ahead and speak with them. Thank you.

MODERATOR: Thank you. We have time for two last questions. I'll call on Dan Lamothe from The Washington Post. Dan, you have the floor.

QUESTION: Thanks very much. And - in the past year we've seen continued attacks on U.S. troops, including three soldiers that were killed just over the border in Jordan. We've also seen continued strikes on occasion in Iraq that have caused outcry there. In light of that, as you are continuing this conversation, did you make or get any kind of assurances in conversations with the Iraqi Government in order to continue? Thanks.

SENIOR DEFENSE OFFICIAL: Well, I'll just indicate that the Government of Iraq has international and bilateral obligations to protect foreign military and diplomatic personnel who are present in Iraq. And of course, both the coalition and then in our bilateral context we are there by the invitation of the Iraqi Government. We, of course, at the same time reserve our inherent right of self-defense when our troops have come under attack. We have demonstrated, including after the attack you referenced at Tower 22 in Jordan, that we will not hesitate to take all appropriate action to protect our personnel. We have done so. If required, we will do so.

And we - but we did definitely count on our Iraqi colleagues to fulfill their responsibilities. Prime Minister Sudani has on a number of occasions condemned attacks on foreign forces in Iraq at Iraq's invitation, recognizing that that's not only an attack on those forces but an attack on Iraqi sovereignty as well. So those principles all continue to apply as we go through this transition. Over.

MODERATOR: Thank you. And to our last question, I'd like to hand the floor over to Phil Stewart from Reuters. Phil, you have the floor.

QUESTION: Hey, there. Yeah, just to - it's the last question but I just need to clarify here. [Senior Administration Official], you've said twice now that the U.S. is not withdrawing from Iraq, and so I just want to clarify there's - no troops are withdrawing. Is that correct?

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: What I said that we're not withdrawing - what my colleague said and what I'll repeat again is that as we go through this transition into a bilateral relationship, there could very well be changes in the numbers, changes in the activities that we do, align ourselves better with the bilateral interest that we have supporting the capabilities of the Iraqi Security Forces. A lot of that is going to be an ongoing discussion, and we will see where that takes us.

And - but this is a conversation, this is a discussion that both sides have agreed to and are committed to doing for the sake of strengthening and deepening the bilateral relationship. And that is going to be going on also in the context of the time period that we laid out and certainly continue given that we have had a longstanding bilateral relationship with the Iraqis now for quite a while. Thank you.

MODERATOR: Thank you. Seeing as how we have a little bit of time left on the clock, I'm going to ask for one more question. This is our last question. It's from Tom Bowman from NPR. Tom, if you can unmute yourself, you have the floor.

Tom Bowman, you can unmute yourself and you have the floor for your question.

QUESTION: Again, I guess we're all asking the same question: number of troops. Can we assume that the - you can't talk about the locations in Iraq. Can we assume the troops will continue - U.S. troops will continue to be up in Erbil to - for the anti-ISIS mission in Syria? I know you don't talk about location, but would that be one of the locations in the future U.S. would - troops will remain?

SENIOR DEFENSE OFFICIAL: Again, we aren't going to speak to specific locations. I think you can assume that the - there will be some changes to our footprint, but decisions have not been finalized. Just to speak about Erbil, we do of course have a significant presence there and a strong partnership with the Kurdish Regional Government that is the host under the Iraqi federal government as well, and so that's been a very productive location from which to do our counter-ISIS operations. But again, we're - we'll hold on describing future deployments until those decisions have been made.

MODERATOR: Thank you, everyone. On behalf of the U.S. Department of State, I'd like to express our gratitude to both of our ambassadors for giving their time today and to the members of the press for joining us. As a reminder, the call is on background, and information be attributed to senior administration official or a senior Defense official. We ask the contents of the call be embargoed until 3:15 Eastern time today. This concludes our background call. Thank you again for joining us.

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Joint Statement Announcing the Timeline for the End of the Military Mission of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS in Iraq

US Department of State

Media Note

Office of the Spokesperson

September 27, 2024

The text of the following statement was released by the Governments of the United States and Iraq.

Begin text:

Iraq and the United States of America are connected by a strategic relationship, and as a result of consultations and discussions with the leadership of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS and its friendly member states, intensive discussions within the U.S.-Iraq Higher Military Commission, which worked diligently and professionally in intensive meetings over the past nine months, and after studying and evaluating the military and security situation in Iraq and the region, announce the following:

First: Concluding the Coalition's military mission in Iraq over the next twelve months, and no later than the end of September 2025, and transitioning to bilateral security partnerships in a manner that supports Iraqi forces and maintains pressure on ISIS.

Second: As Iraq is a key member of the Coalition, and to prevent the return of the ISIS terrorist threat from northeast Syria, and subject to conditions on the ground and consultations among Iraq, the United States, and the members of the Coalition, the military mission of the Coalition operating in Syria from a platform determined in the HMC will continue until September 2026.

Third: The Higher Military Commission commits to formulate the procedures necessary to achieve what is stated in the paragraphs above, the timing, and mechanisms to implement them, including procedures to ensure the physical protection of Coalition advisors present in Iraq during the transitional period, consistent with the Iraqi constitution and laws. Practical steps to implement these commitments have started.

Iraq thanks the Coalition for the backing and support provided to the Iraqi security forces to confront this common threat and secure ISIS's territorial defeat in Iraq. At the forefront of these countries has been the United States of America, which stood with Iraq in difficult circumstances. The Coalition appreciates the role of Iraq and the great sacrifices of all Iraqi security forces in fighting this terrorist organization that posed a threat to the entire world. We stress the need to continue all efforts to ensure that the threat from this terrorist organization does not return in any way.

We look forward to strengthening relations between Iraq and the United States, in which both nations seek to advance security assistance and cooperation based on mutual respect, consistent with the U.S.-Iraq Strategic Framework Agreement and the Iraqi Constitution, and foster an enduring bilateral partnership consistent with the Joint Statement between the United States and Iraq issued during the visit of Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Sudani to Washington, D.C., on April 15-16, 2024 and the Joint Statement between the United States and Iraq following the second U.S.-Iraq Joint Security Cooperation Dialogue held in Washington, D.C. on July 22-23, 2024.

This historic transition marks one decade since the formation of the Coalition's military mission in Iraq and Iraq continues to engage with the United States and other members of the Coalition to establish bilateral security relations where appropriate.

In furtherance of the safe and orderly conclusion of the Global Coalition's military mission, the Government of Iraq reaffirms its commitment consistent with its international obligations, to protect international advisors present in Iraq at the invitation of the Iraqi government.

End text.

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Secretary Blinken's Meeting with United Arab Emirates Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan

US Department of State

Readout

Office of the Spokesperson

September 27, 2024

The below is attributable to Spokesperson Matthew Miller:

Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken met yesterday with Foreign Minister of the United Arab Emirates Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The Secretary and Foreign Minister discussed the importance of reaching an agreement on a 21 day ceasefire across the Israel-Lebanon border and a diplomatic solution that will allow civilians on both sides of the border to return to their homes. They also discussed ongoing efforts to reach a ceasefire in Gaza that would secure the release of hostages and set the conditions for an end to the war and broader regional stability.

They reaffirmed the dynamic strategic partnership between our two countries and discussed opportunities to deepen cooperation and promote peace and stability. Secretary Blinken welcomed the United Arab Emirates as a Major Defense Partner of the United States, joined only by India, to allow for unprecedented military-to-military cooperation in the Middle East, East Africa, and Indian Ocean regions. He also underscored the need for the belligerents in Sudan to stop attacks on civilians in El Fasher and elsewhere, cease hostilities and ensure unfettered humanitarian access.

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Israel and Hamas must agree a deal urgently: UK statement at the UN Security Council

Statement by Lord Collins of Highbury, Minister for Africa and multilateralism, at the UN Security Council meeting on the situation in the Middle East.

27 September 2024

President, let me start by underscoring a very clear message from my government. We need an immediate ceasefire and release of hostages in Gaza now. And we need an immediate ceasefire across the Lebanon/Israel border now.

We are on the brink of a much larger regional war, which risks even more devastation and suffering. Unfortunately, as we have seen both on the ground today with further strikes in Beirut and as we have heard from speeches in the General Assembly hall, the escalation continues.

We urge Israel and Hizballah to heed the calls of the UK and our partners to immediately agree a 21-day ceasefire. Calm heads must prevail to end this cycle of violence.

President, today's meeting was called to focus on the dire situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

Almost one year into the conflict, 41,000 Palestinians have been killed, and hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians lack access to clean water and sanitation, facing the threat of disease and famine.

And 101 hostages are still held by Hamas in horrific conditions, as Israel and its people continue to reckon with the aftermath of the worst terrorist attack in its history.

It is clear that there can be no military solution to this conflict. Israel and Hamas must agree a deal urgently.

In the meantime, Israel must fulfil its commitment to flood Gaza with humanitarian aid. Sadly this has not yet materialised.

Ahead of a winter, Israel must ensure that the right supplies and equipment can enter Gaza to protect vulnerable families.

And it must ensure it complies with its obligations under international humanitarian law to protect civilians.

Only last week over 200 Palestinians were killed in Gaza and many continue to live under a relentless barrage of attacks, unsafe in the shelters where they seek refuge.

The UK is also deeply concerned by the situation in the occupied West Bank. We call on Israel to exercise restraint, adhere to international law, and clamp down on actions of those who seek to inflame tensions.

The closure of Al Jazeera's offices in Ramallah by the IDF is contrary to the democratic principles that Israel is rightly proud of. Media freedom and security of journalists must be respected.

President, without a revitalised political process towards a two-state solution we will not achieve a sustainable peace. We need galvanised international efforts to this end, and to realise a safe and secure Israel, alongside a safe and secure Palestinian state.

This must include the reunification of Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, in line with 1967 borders and under the effective control of the Palestinian Authority.

President, planning for Gaza's future must also put Palestinians at the centre of governance, security, recovery and reconstruction efforts. This is the only way to deliver a lasting stability.

Together, we must stop the region slipping into a deeper crisis and pull it back on the path towards a peaceful future.

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Representatives of the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Sweden, France, the Netherlands, and the Republic of Yemen gave a joint statement on the Houthis' unjustified detention of people in Yemen

27 September 2024

Statement by representatives of the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Sweden, France, the Netherlands, and the Republic of Yemen:

On September 25, representatives of the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Sweden, France, the Netherlands, and the Republic of Yemen met to discuss the impact of unjustified Houthi detentions of United Nations, NGO, civil society, former diplomatic mission, and other staff in Yemen.

These individuals must be released immediately, and all staff must be allowed to perform their work without fear of unjustified detention or intimidation. We call on all countries and organizations to explore every possible diplomatic channel to advance negotiations for the release of current detainees.

The Houthis must respect international norms and ensure the safety and security of all diplomatic, humanitarian, civil society, and United Nations personnel. We cannot in good conscience put individuals at risk of unjustified detention or worse by continuing business as usual.

As a result of the detentions, we support the United Nations in its decision to minimize the exposure of staff to risk in Houthi-controlled territories. We welcome the UN decision to suspend all non-life saving and non-life sustaining activities in Houthi-controlled areas and call on the international community to redirect such assistance to elsewhere in the country. We urge the Houthis to provide an adequate operating environment in which principled humanitarian assistance can be implemented.

Delivering aid to those most in need across Yemen remains an international humanitarian imperative and requires an operating environment which assures the safety and security of aid workers. We underscore our strong concern for the welfare and dignity of the Yemeni people, and our desire to continue to be able to support their well-being, which is inhibited by the actions and repression of the Houthis.

We reaffirm our strong commitment to the unity, sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity of Yemen, and our determination to stand by the people of Yemen.
Lebanon crisis: 'This is just the beginning,' say those impacted by deadly escalation

27 September 2024 - The sudden and massive escalation between Israel and the Hezbollah armed group in Lebanon has created widespread fear that even worse is to come, UN humanitarians said on Friday.

"We are witnessing the deadliest period in Lebanon in a generation and many expressed their fear that this is just the beginning," said Imran Riza, the UN's top aid official in Lebanon. "The UN and its partners are closely coordinating with the Lebanese government to support the response efforts. This includes aligning aid distribution, conducting joint assessments, and identifying urgent needs for affected populations."

Speaking from Beirut, Mr. Riza, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Lebanon, said that for nearly a year, the country's people - and especially those in the south - had "lived in fear" that the war in Gaza could come to them.

Today across Lebanon, thousands of people in rural communities previously unaffected by Israeli targeting of Hezbollah infrastructure have fled bombardment and widespread destruction that have claimed at least 700 lives, injured thousands and uprooted around 120,000 people "within mere hours", he said, adding: "We are running into people that are saying, 'What's the way to Tripoli? How do we get to there?'"

The UN aid coordinator's comments come amid increasingly intense exchanges of fire across the UN-patrolled line of separation between Lebanon and Israel since 7 October when war erupted in the Gaza Strip. Last week's extraordinary targeting of Hezbollah pagers and walkie-talkies left hundreds dead and signalled the start of intense Israeli bombardment in Lebanon and retaliatory strikes by Hezbollah.

Relative safety

Tens of thousands of people have fled Lebanon for the relative safety of Syria at various crossing points which have been open 24 hours a day, the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) confirmed. "Where people are crossing into Syria, so far they are safe," said Gonzalo Vargas Llosa, UNHCR Representative in Syria, at the Syria-Lebanon border.

"We of course would make an appeal not only for the bombings in general to stop but also of course to avoid bombing people who are trying to flee."

Mr. Vargas Llosa described "large numbers of people" returning to Syria, a reference to some of Lebanon's approximately 1.5 million Syrians who have fled their country's civil war since 2011. "The estimate is that this figure is now well over 30,000 with about 75-80 per cent of those Syrians and the other 20 per cent or so Lebanese," the UNHCR official said.

Young lives lost

"We have seen quite a few injured arriving; people who have been injured not only through the very arduous journey on the way here, but also injured as a direct result of the bombings in Lebanon.

"We saw a woman crossing with two dead children from Lebanon who were to be buried here in Syria."

Back in Lebanon, UN humanitarians continue to provide aid coordination to assist the Lebanese government. Nearly 500 shelters have been opened for around 80,000 displaced people, including 300 schools that have been repurposed, impacting the education of over 100,000 students.

But "critical funding gaps" persist in many areas, including shelter repair, site management, food stocks, fuel and coordination, Mr. Riza said, before warning that Lebanon's health system has been "completely overwhelmed" by the serious escalation in hostilities.

"We have done a great deal of preparedness work and luckily we have managed to get trauma kits and the like in and tried to have them distributed also throughout the country because now the displacement is happening not just in south," he explained.

"For the first 11 months it was mainly the south - it was mainly the Bekaa [Valley]... But now it's throughout the country."

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UN rights office calls for more action to combat 'senseless criminality' in Haiti

27 September 2024 - At least 3,661 people have been killed in Haiti since January due to rampant gang violence, "maintaining the high levels of violence seen in 2023," the UN human rights office, OHCHR, said in a report issued on Friday.

Tackling insecurity in the Caribbean country must be the utmost priority, the report said, urging the authorities and the international community to do more to protect people and prevent further suffering.

"No more lives should be lost to this senseless criminality," said UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk.

Abuse, rape and intimidation

Haiti has been plagued by violence and insecurity at the hands of armed gangs, amid ongoing political, socioeconomic and humanitarian challenges.

The situation escalated in March, when gangs mounted coordinated attacks against key government sites, including several police stations and two of the main prisons in the capital, Port-au-Prince.

The report, which covers the first six months of the year, details extremely serious patterns of human rights violations and abuses taking place across the capital and in the Artibonite Department, the country's largest agricultural region.

Gang violence has also spread to the southern part of West Department, which until recently had been largely unaffected.

The number of victims of sexual violence, including rape, also increased during the reporting period. The report noted that "gangs have continued to use sexual violence to punish, spread fear and subjugate populations".

Children recruited, farmers extorted

Meanwhile, at least 860 people were killed and 393 injured during police operations and patrols across the capital, including at least 36 children, in what could constitute use of unnecessary and disproportionate force. Gangs have also recruited large numbers of children into their ranks.

The increasing unrest in Artibonite Department has further imperilled food production, at a time when roughly 1.6 million Haitians face emergency-level food security.

The report said the gangs "have extorted farmers cultivating their lands and have often descended on fields, armed with guns and machetes, to steal their crops and livestock."

The attacks "have forced farmers to abandon more than 3,000 hectares of land and move to less fertile but safer areas, which has contributed to the food crisis."

Support Multinational Mission

The UN rights chief has welcomed "recent positive steps" in Haiti, such as the establishment of a Transitional Presidential Council, the new transitional government, and the deployment of the first contingents of the Multinational Security Support Mission (MSS), led by Kenya.

The UN Security Council authorized the MSS in October 2023 to back up Haiti's beleaguered police force. Some 430 personnel have been deployed to date.

"It is clear, however, that the Mission needs adequate and sufficient equipment and personnel to counter the criminal gangs effectively and sustainably and stop them spreading further and wreaking havoc on people's lives," Mr. Turk said.

OHCHR is supporting the MSS to establish and implement a compliance mechanism to ensure its operational framework and practice are aligned with international human rights standards and any potential violations are effectively addressed, in line with Security Council resolution 2699 (2023).

Strengthen state institutions

Mr. Turk urged the Haitian authorities to take robust steps to strengthen the national police, the judiciary and other state institutions crippled by endemic corruption, if the rule of law is to be restored and those responsible for violations and abuses held to account.

They must also protect children from gangs and step up efforts to address gender and sexual violence and to protect internally displaced people.

The High Commissioner also urged the international community to implement the targeted arms embargo, travel ban, and asset freeze imposed by the UN Security Council, to curb the gang violence.

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Netanyahu defends Israel at UN; says he came 'to set the record straight'

27 September 2024 - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had originally intended not to come to the UN General Assembly this year but after hearing the "lies and slander" levelled against his country by other leaders, he decided that he should come and "set the record straight".

"I decided to come here to speak for my people, to speak for my country and speak for the truth," he stated, stressing that Israel yearns for peace.

"We face savage enemies who seek our annihilation, and we must defend ourselves against these savage murderers, [who] seek not only to destroy us but also destroy our common civilization and return all of us to a dark age of tyranny and terror."

He recalled his address to the general debate last year, when he had stated that Israel faces the same timeless choice that Moses put before its people thousands of years ago, "that our actions will determine whether we bequeath future generations a blessing or a curse."

"And that is the choice we face today," he emphasized, citing "the curse of Iran's unremitting aggression or the blessing of a historic reconciliation between Arab and Jew."

In the days that followed, that "blessing" approached in the form of a normalization deal between Saudi Arabia and Israel, "but then came the curse of 7 October" as thousands of Iranian-backed Hamas terrorists burst into Israel, committing "unimaginable atrocities", including brutally murdering 1,200 people, including children; sexual violence against women; and kidnapping 251 people from different countries.

"Scenes reminiscent of the Nazi holocaust," Prime Minister Netanyahu stressed.

Further in his address, Prime Minister Netanyahu said that following that attack, his country was forced to defend itself on six more fronts, organized by Iran in Lebanon, Yemen, Syria and Iraq.

He also stated that if Iran should "strike us, we will strike you. There is no place in Iran that the long arm of Israel cannot reach and that is true of the entire Middle East."

Holding up two maps, he contrasted the "blessing" of development for Israel and its "Arab partners" with the "curse" of Iran's influence in the region, warning that "Iran seeks to impose its radicalism beyond the Middle East and threatens the entire world."

Noting that the Israel Defense Forces continue fighting Hamas, he warned that if that group stays in power, "it will regroup, rearm and attack again". He rejected "any rule for Hamas in a post-war Gaza".

Israel does not seek to resettle Gaza, he continued, noting that it wants a "demilitarized and de-radicalized" Gaza.

"Only then can we ensure that this round of fighting will be the last," Mr. Netanyahu said, adding that the war can come to an end only if Hamas surrenders and releases all hostages.

"If they do not, we will fight until we achieve total victory. There is no substitute for it," he underscored, stating also Israel must defeat "the quintessential terror organization", Hezbullah in Lebanon.

"We will not accept a terror army perched on our northern border ready to carry out another 7 October style massacre," he said.

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'We need a reset' says Prime Minister of Barbados

27 September 2024 - The world needs a "reset" the Prime Minister of Barbados told the UN General Assembly on Friday morning.

Mia Mottley told leaders at the annual general debate that over the last four years the world has faced 'poly-crises.'

"We continue to wrestle with the climate crisis as a human family, We grapple with the legacy of the pandemic," she said, adding that "we are now regrettably confronted by multiple theaters of war and scenes of horror and famine flowing from that war, armed conflict, instead of pursuing the development of citizens of every country."

Citing Ukraine and Gaza, as well as Sudan, Ms. Mottley said that the world could not "afford the distraction of war," saying that, "if ever there was a time to pause and to reset, it is now collectively, collectively as an international community and individually, as leaders in each of our countries."

She said it was incumbent on leaders to "deliver new opportunities and solutions to these crises which dampen economic growth, which restrict the ambitions of our people and numb our sense of the beauty and goodness that the world ought to be offering,"

She added this reset is what "all of our citizens are demanding."

Simply put she said that too many people "go to bed with their belly hungry."

An inability to reset globally will foster "a crisis of confidence in the existing international order, which must become inclusive and responsive for all," she said.

This global reset should target our rules and institutions, aiming to end discrimination and processes that create first- and second-class citizens depending on your nation of origin, she continued.

Recalling that 2024 was the final year of the UN Decade, Ms. Mottley said that while much had been achieved, Barbados and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) were joining the growing chorus for the immediate proclamation of a second Decade to address the matter of reparations for slavery and colonialism.

As wars continue to rage around the world, the UN she said has an important role. "There are few areas where the world is more in need of the United Nations acting as the United Nations to secure the objectives of the Charter than in the area of peace and security," she noted.

However, Ms. Mottley added that the UN, and especially the Security Council, needs reform, underlining that the current configuration of permanent and non-permanent members of the Security Council "has no place in the 21st century."

The Barbadian Prime Minister highlighted areas where she felt reason for optimism including the adoption by global leaders of the Pact for the Future, a landmark declaration that sets out the commitment by countries around the world to foster sustainable development, peace and stronger global governance.

Ultimately, she said "above all else, we need a global reset on peace. There needs to be global peace. It can't be too difficult to work for peace."

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US-led coalition to wrap up operations vs. Islamic State in Iraq

By Jeff Seldin, Carla Babb September 27, 2024

The global coalition to ensure the defeat of the Islamic State terror group is set to wind down its military mission in Iraq, part of a two-phased plan that U.S. officials say will not hinder counter-IS operations elsewhere in the region.

Deputy Pentagon press secretary Sabrina Singh told reporters Friday that the mission would be changing to a bilateral security partnership with the Iraqi government.

"The U.S. is not withdrawing from Iraq," Singh told reporters in response to a VOA question at the briefing. "I cannot get into more details on what that front footprint is going to look like."

The first phase of the agreement, set to start immediately, will see coalition forces wrap up their efforts in Iraq no later than a year from now, senior U.S. officials said Friday.

The second phase, they said, will start next September and will last at least one year, allowing a remnant of coalition forces to remain in Iraq for the sole purpose of supporting anti-IS efforts in neighboring Syria.

The U.S. officials, who briefed reporters on the condition of anonymity, declined to say what impact the two-phased agreement would have on the 2,500 U.S. forces in Iraq and the 900 troops in Syria, but, like Singh, rejected characterizations of the agreement as a U.S. pullout.

"This is an evolution of the military mission in Iraq," the official added. "We are moving toward the type of productive, long-term security relationship the United States has with partners around the world."

Other officials said that despite a broad agreement on ending the coalition's military role in Iraq, key details have yet to be decided.

The number of U.S troops in Iraq and the fate of U.S. bases "remains in a planning process and under review," said a senior U.S. defense official, emphasizing that no matter what changes are ultimately implemented in the first phase of the transition, it will not adversely affect support for U.S. forces helping to counter IS in Syria.

"Our footprint is going to be changing," said Pentagon Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh, briefing reporters Friday.

She said the U.S. relationship with Iraq remains crucial, however, even if the threat from IS in Iraq is not as dire as it once was.

"The strongholds that they had in Iraq, they don't have those anymore, or not what they used to," she said in response to a question from VOA.

Friday's long-awaited announcement comes 10 years after the U.S. and dozens of other countries joined forces to help roll back IS' self-declared caliphate, which at its peak covered nearly one-third of Iraq and Syria.

It also comes more than a year after the U.S. and Iraq first proposed talks to wind down the counter-IS mission and following rocket and drone attacks on U.S. troops, including by Iraqi militias backed by Iran.

The U.S. officials said under the transition agreement, the Iraqi government will remain responsible for protecting U.S. and coalition forces from attacks from Iranian-backed militias, though that will not stop U.S. forces from responding.

"We've made it clear also that [the U.S.] will not hesitate to take all appropriate actions to protect our personnel," said the senior administration official. "Attacks against the U.S. and the coalition service members, as well as Iraqi security service members, undermine Iraq's sovereignty and security and stability."

Some public statements from Iraqi officials, including Iraqi Defense Minister Thabit al-Abbasi, have stressed that the deal would see most of the U.S. troops in Iraq leave within the next two years.

In an interview with Al-Hadath television earlier this month, al-Abbasi said U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin had pushed for a longer transition period, but that Iraq said no.

"We refused his proposal regarding a third year," said Abbasi.

U.S. officials said they view the agreement to end the coalition military mission in Iraq not as an end, but a transition to a potentially stronger relationship with Baghdad.

"The government of Iraq has expressed continual willingness and interest to solidify and expand that partnership, including on counterterrorism cooperation," said the senior U.S. defense official. "We're very confident that we have a good partner in Iraq, in the government of Iraq."

The defense official also said the two-phase agreement to end the coalition military mission does not preclude cooperation between U.S. and Iraqi security forces against IS, like a joint operation earlier this month which killed a senior IS commander in Iraq's western Anbar province.

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani also seemed to leave open the possibility of continued cooperation with U.S. forces despite a desire for counter-IS coalition forces to leave.

"We celebrate the coalition," al-Sudani told a conference on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Wednesday, adding, "this mission is finished."

"We hope we will have a wider relationship, a more profound relationship with the United States," he said. "It's a strategic relationship."

Singh called the United States' military partnership with Iraq "crucial."

"We are in Iraq at the invitation of the Iraqi government, and our partnership has led to the success of diminishing ISIS from what it was 10 years ago to where it is today," she told reporters Friday, using an acronym for the terror group.

Despite statements by Iraqi officials downplaying the need for coalition forces in Iraq to combat IS, some U.S. officials and independent analysts have expressed growing concern that the terror group is rebounding.

U.S. Central Command, which oversees U.S. forces across the Middle East, warned in July that IS in Iraq and Syria "was on pace to more than double the total number of attacks they claimed in 2023."

The warning noted that beyond reconstituting its operations in Iraq and Syria, IS officials appear to be expanding their efforts to plan and carry out attacks elsewhere in the world.

Charles Lister, the director of the Countering Terrorism and Extremism Program at the Middle East Institute, has tracked about 500 IS attacks this year and warned that an IS rebuild, years in the making, in the central Syrian desert has been flowing across the Euphrates River since January.

"That spillover across the river is now a very real reality," he said, pointing to a "huge surge" in Islamic State attacks in both Syrian regime-held areas and in areas held by U.S.-allied Syrian Democratic Forces.

"It's more than predictable that the next phase of this recovery will be a spillover into Iraq," Lister said.

A recent United Nations report, based on intelligence from member states, estimated IS has between 1,500 and 3,000 fighters in Iraq and Syria. It said the majority of the terror group's senior leaders remain in hiding in Syria.

U.S. intelligence officials have put the number of IS fighters in Iraq and Syria at about 2,500.

Some information from Agence France Presse was used in this article.

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Israel says it carried out multiple strikes on Hezbollah's Beirut headquarters

By VOA News September 27, 2024

Israel's military carried out a series of targeted strikes Friday on the central headquarters of the Hezbollah terror organization in the Beirut suburb of Dahiyeh, flattening buildings and sending huge plumes of smoke above the city.

In a televised statement, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said the strike targeted what the spokesperson called the epicenter of Hezbollah's terror, which he said had been intentionally built beneath residential buildings in the heart of Dahiyeh. Lebanon's Health Ministry said at least six people were killed and 91 were wounded.

The target was the group's leader, Hassan Nasrallah, news outlets reported, citing sources who requested anonymity to discuss the attacks. The Israeli army declined to comment. Whether Nasrallah was in the headquarters was not immediately clear, and Hezbollah did not comment.

Israeli sources said the U.S. had been notified moments before the airstrike, but Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said that the United States had no advance warning nor was it involved in the Israeli operation in Beirut.

"As you know this operation took place just a few hours ago, and they're still making assessments, so I don't have any further information or specifics for you at this time," he said. "You've heard me say a number of times, an all-out war should be avoided."

Lebanese television carried footage of the strike's aftermath, with billowing smoke and the smoldering ruins of the building with rubble filling the streets around it.

IDF spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari went on to say, after nearly a year of Hezbollah firing rockets and drone attacks into their country, "Israel is doing what every sovereign state in the world would do if they had a terror organization that seeks their destruction on their border."

The initial wave of Israeli strikes came about an hour after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu finished addressing the United Nations General Assembly in New York. His office circulated a photograph of him on the telephone during the approval of the attack.

Israeli Ambassador Danny Danon told reporters that he could not confirm whether the Hezbollah leader was present during the strike, which he said was aimed at a "meeting of bad people" who were plotting an attack against Israel.

Shortly after midnight in Beirut, the Israeli military said it had contacted residents in three buildings in Dahiyeh to immediately evacuate because they are near "Hezbollah's strategic assets." Local media reported strikes had resumed in the southern suburbs of Beirut.

At the General Assembly, Netanyahu had a message for Iran, which sponsors both Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza.

"If you strike us, we will strike you," he said. "There is no place  there is no place  in Iran that the long arm of Israel cannot reach. And that's true of the entire Middle East."

The U.N. secretary-general called for calm.

"We must avoid a regional war at all costs," Antonio Guterres said. He urged both Israel and Hezbollah to accept a 21-day cease-fire proposal put forward by the U.S. and France and backed by several countries.

"We need this cease-fire now," Guterres said. "We cannot afford endless negotiations, as we have on Gaza."

Prior to the airstrike on the Beirut suburb, Israel and Hezbollah had continued to exchange fire across Lebanon's southern border. Earlier Friday, at a news conference, acting Lebanese Health Minister Firass Abiad said Israeli airstrikes had continued overnight, killing 25 people and injuring an unspecified "large number" of others in the country.

Hezbollah fired rockets into the northern Israeli city of Tiberias, saying it was responding to "savage" strikes on Lebanese towns and villages. First responders in the city reported that three people suffered minor injuries.

In Geneva, U.N. humanitarian officials said the burgeoning conflict is having broader regional consequences.

The U.N. refugee agency's representative in Syria, Gonzalo Vargas Llosa, said more than 30,000 people have crossed the border from Lebanon into Syria in the past 72 hours due to the fighting. He said perhaps 75% to 80% of them are Syrians returning home. About 1.5 million Syrian refugees are in Lebanon, fleeing their own civil war.

The U.N. humanitarian coordinator in Lebanon, Imran Riza, told reporters, "We are witnessing the deadliest period in Lebanon in a generation, and many expressed their fear that this is just the beginning."

The U.N. on Friday released $10 million from its emergency humanitarian fund to help meet needs in Lebanon.

U.N. Correspondent Margaret Besheer and reporter Natasha Mozgovaya contributed to this report. Some information for this report came from The Associated Press, Reuters and Agence France-Presse.

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A defiant Netanyahu addresses UN General Assembly

By Margaret Besheer September 27, 2024

Israel's prime minister told the U.N. General Assembly Friday that Israel is "winning" in its fight against terrorists and their patrons in Iran who perpetrated the October 7 terror attacks on his country.

"I have a message for the tyrants of Tehran," Benjamin Netanyahu said. "If you strike us, we will strike you. "There is no place  there is no place  in Iran that the long arm of Israel cannot reach. And that's true of the entire Middle East."

He said Israel's soldiers have fought with "incredible courage and with heroic sacrifice" for the past 11 months.

"And I have another message for this assembly and for the world outside this hall: We are winning," said Netanyahu.

The Israeli prime minister took the stage to a mix of boos and cheers from the gallery, where some visitors are permitted. A stream of diplomats rose from their seats and left the hall as he strode onto the stage.

But Netanyahu was not fazed.

He said Hamas must go, and he would not accept their participation in any post-war Gaza governing structure.

"Just imagine, for those who say, well, Hamas has to stay, it has to be part of a post-war Gaza. Imagine in a post-war situation in World War II. Imagine allowing the defeated Nazis in 1945 to rebuild Germany," he told the U.N. General Assembly. "It's inconceivable. It's ridiculous. It didn't happen then, it's not going to happen now."

Lebanon escalation

Turning to Lebanon, where there has been a dangerous and deadly escalation between Israel and Iranian-backed Hezbollah fighters in the past week, Netanyahu said Israel must also defeat them so thousands of Israeli citizens can return to their homes in northern Israel.

"I've come here today to say enough is enough!" he said. "We won't rest until our citizens can return safely to their homes. We will not accept a terror army perched on our northern border able to perpetrate another October 7-style massacre."

Shortly after Netanyahu spoke, the Israel Defense Forces hit what they said is Hezbollah's headquarters in Beirut's southern suburbs. At least six buildings were flattened. The fate of Hezbollah's leader, Hassan Nasrallah, was not immediately clear.

Arab ministers at the U.N. condemned the escalation, saying it is pushing the region closer to a full-scale war.

"It is time to face the truth, and the truth is unless Netanyahu is stopped, unless this government is stopped, war will encompass all of us," Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi told reporters.

"We need this cease-fire now," U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said of an American and French proposal for a 21-day truce to calm the situation in Lebanon.

"We cannot afford endless negotiations, as we have on Gaza," Guterres said. "We must avoid a regional war at all costs."

Talk of peace

Despite his hard line, the Israeli prime minister told the General Assembly that his government wants peace. He did not, however, refer to the American and French cease-fire proposal for Lebanon or one for Gaza, or a two-state solution.

Instead, he pointed to the success of the 2020 Trump-brokered Abraham Accords that led to normalization of relations with the UAE, Morocco, Bahrain and Sudan. While landmark agreements, they are all nations Israel has never fought a war with.

Netanyahu said he still hopes to achieve normalization with Saudi Arabia, which had been a real possibility before the October 7 attacks.

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan told reporters that a Palestinian state is the key to normalization between Israel and Arab states, including his own.

"And that will indeed open up the horizon, not just for normalization, but also for integration, for cooperation," he said. "It offers huge potential for all of us in the region, but again, without addressing the issue of the Palestinians, this is not going to happen."

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas addressed the assembly the day before Netanyahu and called for an end to his people's suffering.

Shortly before Netanyahu spoke on Friday, Slovenian Prime Minister Robert Golob called on the Israeli leader to end the suffering in Gaza.

"I want to say this out loud and clear to the Israeli government: Stop the bloodshed! Stop the suffering! Bring the hostages home and end the occupation!" Golob said to loud applause in the General Assembly hall.

"Mr. Netanyahu, stop this war now!" he said, slamming his hand on the podium.

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Taliban push back against allegations of gender bias, rights abuses

By Ayaz Gul September 27, 2024

Taliban leaders in Afghanistan have defended their Islamist rule amid intensified accusations of "gender-based" discrimination against women and girls at this week's U.N. General Assembly.

"The situation is not as it is portrayed and propagated abroad," Maulavi Abdul Kabir, the Taliban deputy prime minister for political affairs, asserted in an interview with an Afghan television channel aired Friday.

Kabir's comments came a day after nearly two dozen countries jointly supported Germany, Canada, the Netherlands and Australia in their initiative to hold the Taliban accountable for their alleged campaign to systematically exclude women from public life since the Taliban regained power in 2021.

The de facto Afghan rulers have imposed a strict interpretation of Islamic law, known as Sharia. The enforcement includes banning girls' secondary school education, prohibiting Afghan women from most workplaces, and requiring them not to speak aloud and to cover their faces and bodies in public.

Kabir, while speaking to the local Ariana News station on Friday, asserted that Western allegations of the Taliban driving women out of public spaces were misplaced, insisting that the human rights of all Afghans are protected under Islamic principles.

"Education for girls beyond the sixth grade and at universities is currently suspended," he responded when asked when secondary schools would reopen for girls. "The Islamic Emirate has not decided to keep them closed indefinitely, nor has the cabinet approved any such policy," Kabir reiterated, using the official title of their government in Kabul.

However, the Taliban deputy prime minister said that women are allowed to pursue education in religious seminaries, known as madrassas, across Afghanistan, including in the capital.

"There are female teachers. It is a single-sex Islamic educational system that requires hijab under the prevailing societal norms. It also permits women to pursue medical education," Kabir stated.

He said that the Taliban government employs 85,000 women in health, immigration, education, passport and other departments. "There are hospitals in Kabul being run by female directors," Kabir said.

Nations urge Taliban to address concerns

Countries such as Spain, Sweden, Belgium, Bulgaria, Chile, Croatia, Finland, Honduras, Ireland, Iceland, Latvia, Luxembourg, Malawi, Morocco, Moldova and Romania are supporting the four-nation push to start proceedings against the Taliban at the International Court of Justice in The Hague.

The United States in not a member of the ICJ.

In their joint statement issued in New York on Thursday, these countries urged the Taliban to respect international treaties on eliminating discrimination against women, to which Afghanistan is a party.

They hailed the initiative spearheaded by Germany, Australia, Canada and the Netherlands to push proceedings against the Taliban, urging the de facto Taliban authorities to address international concerns or face the legal challenge.

"This action is without prejudice to our firm position that we do not politically recognize the Taliban de facto authorities as the legitimate representation of the Afghan population," the statement stressed. "Afghanistan's failure to fulfill its human rights treaty obligations is a key obstacle to normalization of relations."

The Taliban government is not formally recognized by any country, nor is it allowed to represent Afghanistan at the United Nations, mainly over human rights concerns.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on the sidelines of this week's General Assembly that the Taliban's treatment of women can be compared to "some of the most egregious systems of oppression in recent history."

"We will continue to amplify the voices of Afghan women and call for them to play a full role in the country's life, both inside its borders and on the global stage," he said.

Kabir criticized the U.N. for not granting the Afghanistan seat at the world body to the Taliban.

"We have met our obligations," he said. "The Islamic Emirate controls the entire geographical territory of the country. People are satisfied with us, and we are governing with the help of the people."

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Sudanese army launches offensive to recapture Khartoum

By VOA News September 27, 2024

Sudan's army on Thursday launched an early morning offensive in the capital, Khartoum, against the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces in what appeared to be the army's biggest operation since the conflict began, sources within the Sudanese military and witnesses at the scene said.

The army hit RSF positions in the capital with artillery and airstrikes, according to the reports. The rebel group has controlled much of the capital since fighting erupted in April 2023 between Sudan's army chief, General Abdel-Fattah Burhan, and RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo.

The two generals were once allies in Sudan's transitional government after a 2021 coup but became rivals for power.

Thursday's military offensive was launched before Burhan's address to the United Nations General Assembly in New York, where he said any peace efforts would have to include RSF giving up its arms. He also accused unnamed countries of backing RSF's efforts by supplying the rebel group with men, money and weapons. The general said, however, that the army is "proceeding to defeat and dislodge these aggressors, no matter how much assistance and support they find."

A recorded speech by RSF commander Dagalo was heard by the General Assembly after Burhan's speech. Dagalo said, as he has many times before, that RSF is open to a nationwide cease-fire that would permit aid distribution.

Reports from Khartoum said army troops crossed two key bridges over the River Nile that separate government-controlled areas in Omdurman from Khartoum proper, which is controlled by the RSF. Agence France-Presse reposted Sudanese army footage of troops celebrating the recapture of territory within the capital.

The army's offensive coincided with a ministerial meeting on the conflict at the General Assembly, where U.N. agencies and member states called for immediate action to protect civilians, scale up humanitarian assistance, and end fighting.

Millions face acute hunger

U.N. reports state that an estimated 20,000 people have been killed and thousands injured since the conflict erupted in April 2023. The fighting has also created the world's worst hunger crisis, with nearly 26 million people  more than half the country's population  facing acute hunger.

The civil conflict also has created a regional refugee crisis, with an estimated 8.1 million internally displaced persons and another 2.2 million driven across the border.

Guterres shares concerns

U.S. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres met with General Abdel-Fattah Burhan  head of Sudan's transitional government  on the sidelines of the General Assembly Wednesday.

A readout from that meeting said Guterres expressed deep concern about the escalation of the conflict and the risks of regional spillover. The statement said they also discussed the need for an immediate, lasting cease-fire and the importance of genuine dialogue leading to an inclusive negotiated peace settlement.

The conflict has spread to Sudan's Darfur region where, the U.N. human rights office reports, fighting has intensified for control of the northern city of El Fasher. The office said the RSF, with the support of local tribal militia, besieged the city in May.

The heaviest recent fighting took place September 20 and 21, when artillery claimed at least 20 civilians and destroyed shops in the city's main market.

In a video statement Thursday, U.N. Human Rights spokesperson Jeremy Laurence said his office has documented incidents of civilians being killed as a result of shelling and airstrikes by both RSF and Sudanese Armed Forces.

They also have documented cases of summary executions, sexual and gender-based violence, and reported abductions by the RSF and allied militias. Laurence said the office is calling on the international community, including the U.N. Security Council, to take action to protect civilians in Sudan and ensure respect for international law by all parties.

Some information for this report was provided by The Associated Press, Reuters and Agence France-Presse.

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Is China-US competition driving the Africa proposal in the UN?

By Kate Bartlett September 27, 2024

This week at U.N. meetings in New York, the United States said that two African countries should have permanent seats on one of the world's major decision-making bodies, the United Nations Security Council.

For years, numerous African leaders have called for the continent to have representation on the U.N. Security Council, which since World War II has had just five permanent members: the U.S., France, the UK, Russia and China.

This week, the top representative of one of those permanent seats, U.S. President Joe Biden, threw his weight behind the idea. However, there was one major caveat, which Kenyan analyst Cliff Mboya said is not going over well on the continent. The new African members would not have veto power on decisions.

"We've already seeing a lot of backlash... like this is a big joke, the question is what is the point in joining the Security Council if you don't have veto powers, what are you going to do there?" asked Mboya.

That could play in China's favor, as it has long positioned itself as a fellow developing country and leader of what's become known as the Global South, while disparaging the West for its colonial past, said Mboya, a postdoctoral fellow at the Center for Africa-China Studies at the University of Johannesburg.

"So I don't think this helps the U.S. and the West in terms of perception and narratives, and it will only embolden African countries to lean more to the East because it just speaks to the hypocrisy," he said. "China's been able to, you know, build this coalition of emerging and developing countries against the U.S. and Western-led world order."

But Paul Nantulya, a research associate with the Africa Center for Strategic Studies, said he thought the announcement was a "win'' for U.S. diplomacy and would mostly be welcomed by African nations as it opens the door to further negotiations.

"Regarding China, China has been very, you know, kind of like sitting on the fence. So rhetorically China has said all the right things, supporting Africa's, what it calls Africa's legitimate interests in the United Nations, including the United Nations Security Council," he said.

But its plan for that has been hazy, he added.

"When it comes to specific details, in terms of whether China supports permanent African representation on the council with veto power, when it comes to that China has not articulated a position."

Among those in New York this week calling for U.N. reform was South African President Cyril Ramaphosa. He said, quote: "Africa and its 1.4 billion people remain excluded from its key decision-making structures."

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has also called for reform, saying the UNSC hasn't kept up with a changing world and Africa is underrepresented.

Some African countries want veto power in the Security Council dispensed with entirely.

If there is reform, and Africa gets the two seats on the Security Council that the U.S. proposes, key contenders could include the continent's largest economy, South Africa; most populous country, Nigeria; or North African heavyweight Egypt, Nantulya told VOA.

However, analysts say any future process of adding African countries as permanent members is likely to face hurdles, as there will be problems reaching consensus. Nantulya said some African politicians think it could even drive a wedge between countries on the continent.

There are also concerns the U.S. statement could just be rhetoric  and so far no timeline has been given regarding the next steps. Under U.N. rules, any change to Security Council membership would need approval from two-thirds of the General Assembly, including all five permanent members.

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Kenyan president discusses Haiti, UN reform, Gen-Z protests

By Peter Clottey September 27, 2024

On the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly, Kenyan President William Ruto sat down with VOA's Peter Clottey for an in-depth conversation Thursday.

Ruto discussed his recent visit to Haiti, where he met with the top police commanders leading efforts to combat gangs and restore order in the Caribbean nation. He also addressed the proposal for Africa to secure two permanent seats on the U.N. Security Council, as well as the growing protests by Kenya's Gen-Z demanding reforms in the East African country.

The following has been edited for length and clarity.

VOA's Peter Clottey: Thank you very much, Mr. President, for having us this morning. What was your overarching message during your speech at the U.N. General Assembly?

Kenyan President William Ruto: Three messages: the ravaging war around the world, tensions and conflict  you know, from Ukraine, Darfur, Sudan, DRC [Democratic Republic of the Congo]  and the failure of the multilateral system, especially the U.N. General Assembly and specifically the U.N. Security Council, to be a force of good and a place where we resolve issues.

In fact, it has become a gridlock and part of the problem. There is urgency in reforming the U.N. Security Council so that it reflects the dynamics and responds to the urgency of the situation that we face at the moment. It is our position that the U.N. needs to be reformed yesterday  to make it democratic, representative and agile  so that it can respond to the times of challenges of our time.

Number two is the challenge we have about the debt situation, the economic situation globally, and the fact that many countries in the Global South, many countries are facing the possibility of debt default. And a need to reform the international financial system, deal with credit rating agencies, ensure that there is longer-term financing, there is concessional financing, there is financing that is at scale to make sure that countries can be able to push their development programs, pay for social services and manage the serious challenges of debt.

Thirdly, climate change and the huge potential and opportunity that we have, especially in the Global South, and more particularly in Africa, for the huge resources, energy resources that we have, mineral resources that are in plenty, and the human capital that exists, that we can use to turn the climate change that is ravaging the world into an opportunity for Africa to industrialize, to create jobs, and to decarbonize the whole world. So, these were my very three pointed messages. Of course, not forgetting the challenge we have in Haiti and what Kenya is doing about it.

VOA: You were there recently and met with Kenyan police officers. What were your observations, and what did the Kenyan police officers tell you about the challenges they face in Haiti?

Ruto: I met with Haiti's political leadership, and we had a candid conversation. I was supposed to be there for an hour but stayed for four. I also met the commanders of the Kenyan contingent, the Multinational Security Support Mission [MSS] and the Haitian police leadership. My assessment was more positive than I initially thought. The reports I received indicated that the pessimists and critics who saw no hope in Haiti are changing their tune. The airport, which used to be under gunfire, is now safe, with more flights coming in and out. The palace is secure, the National Hospital is in good hands, and the National Police Academy, which had been overrun by gangs, is now training officers. I see a very positive trajectory.

The Kenyan commanders on the ground and the Haitian police confirmed this to me, though they still face logistical challenges and need more resources and personnel.

VOA: Will Kenya provide that additional support?

Ruto: I immediately made the decision that Kenya is going to have another 600 security officers sent to Haiti to add on to the 400 already there  300 next month, and 300 in November. And I am going to mobilize the rest of the global community to make sure that by January, we have 2,500 police officers so that we can execute the mandate that was given to us by the U.N. resolution setting up the MSS in Haiti.

VOA: There are suggestions that perhaps the U.N. should lead this effort. Where does Kenya stand on that?

Ruto: Whichever way we go, so long as we deploy the requisite personnel on the ground, mobilize resources necessary, the logistics that are needed for us to do the job in Haiti, whatever name we call it, whatever color we give it, my position is that we must focus on making sure that within a year.

VOA: What is your plan for the youth of Kenya in terms of listening to them instead of coming up with specific plans to meet their calls and demands? And how do you react when they said, "Mr. President must go. He has not kept his promises. He has to go"?

Ruto: Kenya is a robustly democratic country. I mean, because we are a democracy, I see people even in New York here demonstrating and making all manner of statements, and that is the beauty, that is the diversity of democracy.

I have a very clear, elaborate plan on job creation, our housing plan. Our digital footprint plan, our plan on export of labor. We just signed today here in New York a bilateral labor agreement with Austria, where Kenyan young people, the best resource we have, will find jobs in Austria. I came last week from, the other week, from Germany, doing the same thing, creating opportunities for the young people of Kenya to work in Kenya and to work abroad.

This is my plan. It is elaborate, understood, and I'm rolling out, and I'm confident that before leaving Nairobi, I launched Climate Works. That is going to hire another 200,000 young people across Kenya on climate action and make sure that we deal with the environmental issues and climate change that is threatening humanity and having significant adverse effects on the people of Kenya swinging from drought to floods, and that program is now on its way beginning 1st of October.

This Q&A originated in VOA's English to Africa Service.

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Press Briefing by IDF Spokesperson RAdm. Daniel Hagari- September 28, 2024

IDF Press Release

September 28, 2024

28.09.24

IDF

As part of the extensive aerial operation to degrade Hezbollah's terrorist infrastructure and capabilities, we are preparing to conduct strikes on strategic assets that Hezbollah has hidden underground beneath three buildings in the heart of the Dahieh in Beirut.

Over the years, Hezbollah has developed an anti-ship missile arsenal, supplied by Iran.

Hezbollah has both threatened and, in the past, carried out attacks on maritime global shipping routes.

Hezbollah has also carried out attacks on Israeli civilian and military shipping vessels.

During the Second Lebanon War in 2006, Hezbollah fired an anti-ship missile that hit the INS Hanit, killing four soldiers. Another missile struck an Egyptian merchant ship, called M.V. Moonlight, sinking it.

Hassan Nasrallah himself has threatened critical strategic facilities of the State of Israel, both at sea and on land.

In recent days, we have exposed how Hezbollah hides its weapons in homes and villages across southern Lebanon and in the Beqaa Valley.

Now, we will reveal how they store strategic weapons under civilian buildings in the heart of the Dahieh in Beirut.

In the heart of the Dahieh in Beirut, Hezbollah constructed three buildings with designated underground spaces for storing strategic weapons, with the buildings above acting as a shield.

Here you can see one of the buildings in the heart of Dahieh.

When entering and descending to the parking level, there is a storage facility for strategic weapons.

Hezbollah has stored these strategic weapons beneath civilian populations.

The way the missiles are stored in these buildings allows them to be moved and launched outside of the buildings within minutes.

This possesses a real and immediate threat to global shipping routes and Israel's critical strategic infrastructure.

In the last hour, we have contacted the residents of the three buildings in the Dahiehthese residents are above and near Hezbollah's strategic assets and must evacuate immediately for their safety and security.



Residents of the following buildings in the Hadath neighborhood building complex "Al Salam", "Laylaki"" neighborhood, building "Monir Shadid," and in the "Elhadad" neighborhood, building "Sheit"must move as far away from the buildings as possible before the strike.

In a short time, we will attack the weapons stored beneath the buildings. The explosion, because of the missiles, may damage the structures and could potentially cause them to collapse.

Hezbollah exploits and endangers Lebanese civilians, using them as a human shield for its weapons.

We will not allow such a threat to be directed at Israeli civilians, global shipping routes, and vital facilities, which any other sovereign state would never permit.

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A letter between two titans of American Literature will soon be on display at Shockoe Bottom's The Poe Museum.

The 1914 E. Main St. center recently received a letter written by poet Edgar Allan Poe to Washington Irving, author of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.

At the time Poe penned it, Irving was one of the most popular authors in America, and Poe was a struggling younger writer. Poe wrote to Irving asking him to read one of his short stories and to share his opinion of it.

The letter was gifted to the museum from Susan Jaffe Tane, a literary collector and friend of the Poe Museum.

It is my favorite piece, and it shows Poe was humble enough to ask for advice from one of the greatest writers of his generation, said Tane.

Tanes gift to the Poe Museum also included three more Edgar Allan Poe letters, one of his manuscripts, a first edition of his last book "Eureka," and a book that Poe inscribed as a gift to a young admirer, which was featured on an episode of the PBS series "Antiques Roadshow" before Tane acquired it.

"Susans gift to the Poe Museum illuminates not only a fascinating stage in Poes career, but a relationship between two great American authors of the 19th century. We look forward to displaying and interpreting the letter for the public, and are excited to include the letter in our renovated exhibit spaces opening in early 2025," said Maeve Jones, executive director of the Poe Museum.

Poe began his journalism career in Richmond at the Southern Literary Messenger. He wanted to be a teacher, but his application was rejected by two different schools. After the Richmond Academy turned him down, he went to work full-time for the Messenger and spent the rest of his life writing for magazines.

One of his most popular stories, "The Tell-Tale Heart," was rejected by the first magazine he tried to sell it to. He eventually convinced another magazine to pay him $10 for the story. His most popular poem, "The Raven," was rejected twice by magazine editors before he finally convinced a political journal called the American Review to buy it for $15. The poem was an immediate hit and Poe started performing it to sold-out theaters in major U.S. cities.

Poe died in 1849 and is buried in Baltimore. His mother Eliza Poe is buried at St John's Church in Richmond's Church Hill neighborhood.

From the archives: Edgar Allan Poe
Deputy Secretary General Naim Qasim

A Shiite cleric and Lebanese politician, Naim Qasim is the second man in Hezbollah and one of its most prominent theorists after its Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah . He holds the position of Deputy Secretary-General and is responsible for following up on parliamentary and governmental work in the party. He was active in Islamic groups since the 1970s. He worked with Musa al-Sadr at the beginning of the establishment of the Movement of the Deprived, then contributed to the establishment of Hezbollah, and assumed the position of Deputy Secretary-General in 1991.

Naeem Qasim is married and has 6 children, 4 of whom are boys. Naim bin Muhammad Naim Qasim was born in the Basta al-Tahta area in Beirut , Lebanon in 1953. His father is from the town of Kfar Fila in the Iqlim al-Tuffah region in southern Lebanon. He obtained a bachelor's and master's degree in chemistry, and joined the Faculty of Education at the Lebanese University in 1970, and studied chemistry in French. After graduating, he taught the same subject for 6 years in secondary schools. He then obtained a master's degree in chemistry from the same university in 1977.

During his university studies, Naim Qasim began giving weekly lessons to children in the mosque when he was only 18 years old. He studied the curricula of the seminary under the supervision of the most prominent Shiite scholars in Lebanon , most notably Sayyid Abbas al-Musawi , Sheikh Hassan Tarrad, and Sayyid Ali al-Amin. He received external research lessons in jurisprudence and principles at the hands of Muhammad Hussein Fadlallah . He continued his religious studies at the seminary with a number of scholars, including Sheikh Asaad Fneish, Sheikh Mohsen Atwi, and Sheikh Mustafa Kheshish. Then he studied at the hands of Muhammad Hussein Fadlallah, studying the advanced level of jurisprudence and principles.

During his university studies, he contributed to the establishment of the Lebanese Union of Muslim Students with a number of students, and headed the Islamic Religious Education Association from 1974 to 1988. He joined the Lebanese Resistance Brigades (Amal), the military wing of the Movement of the Deprived, immediately after its founding by Musa al-Sadr in 1974. Naim Qassem was active in the first meetings held by Al-Sadr with Islamic figures and committees in Lebanon in preparation for launching the movement.

Naim Qassem was appointed as the deputy central cultural official in the Amal Movement, then he joined the movements leadership council as a secretary, and when Hussein al-Husseini assumed leadership, he held the position of official of doctrine and culture. Naim Qassem resigned from the Amal Movement, a year after the end of the Iranian Revolution , and decided to complete his studies at the seminary, and continued his religious activity by giving lessons in mosques and Husseiniyas in Beirut and the southern suburb .

Naeem Qassim taught weekly at Al-Birr and Al-Irshad Mosque for more than 10 years, then moved his lessons to Al-Imam Al-Mahdi Al-Ghubairi Mosque and stayed there for 4 years. He continued to move between mosques and Husayniyas for several years, and did not settle in one of them for more than 3 to 5 years. Naim Qasim contributed to the establishment of the Islamic Religious Education Association in 1977, and managed it until 1990. He returned to political work, influenced by the leader of the Iranian revolution, Ruhollah Khomeini , and participated in the Islamic committees that worked in the media activities of the revolution.

Following meetings between the Islamic committees in 1982, Hezbollah was founded, and Naim Qassem was among the most prominent actors working to establish it. He joined the Shura Council of Hezbollah and remained in it for 3 sessions, after which he was entrusted with the responsibility of educational and scouting activities in Beirut, then he assumed the position of Vice President of the Executive Council, before heading it.

He was then appointed as Deputy Secretary-General of Hezbollah in 1991, and his duties included following up on the work of the partys parliamentary representatives and their political movement. He also assumed the presidency of the government work body responsible for following up on the various ministries and studying their structures and decisions, as well as following up on the partys ministers and the governments work. He also assumed the position of General Coordinator of the parliamentary elections in Hezbollah in 1992, with the beginning of the first parliamentary elections in it.

Naim Qassem's tenure witnessed several confrontations with Israel , including the July 1993 War, the April 1996 War, the 2000 Liberation War, the July 2006 War, and the 2017 confrontations. The 2024 confrontations which began on October 7, 2023, after the Islamic Resistance in the Gaza Strip announced the launch of the  Al-Aqsa Flood  battle.

Naiem Qasim wrote several books, including:

"Hezbollah", which presents the party's goals, history, and political vision.

"Imam Khomeini between originality and renewal".

"The Renewing Guardian" about the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Ali Khamenei .

"Resistance Society: The Will to Martyrdom and the Making of Victory."

On 22 September 2024 Hezbollah Deputy Secretary-General Naim Qassem said that Israel wanted to achieve three goals by targeting the Radwan leadership: limiting it to paralyzing the resistance, inciting its incubator against it, and stopping the front supporting Gaza in order to return the residents of the north. Qassem added during the funeral of two leaders from Hezbollah's Radwan Force who were killed in the Israeli bombing that the resistance prevented Israel from achieving what it wanted from that targeting. Naim Qassem also stressed in his speech today in the southern suburb that the resistance will not determine how to respond to the Israeli aggression, and announced its entry into a new phase that he called the Battle of Open Accounts.

Lebanese media reported that "Nasrallah's deputy, Naim Qassem, was temporarily appointed in his place until the organization's Shura Council convenes to decide who will be the new leader who will replace Nasrallah permanently." The New York Times quoted Israeli officials as saying: Hezbollah may soon announce Hashem Safieddine as Secretary-General, succeeding Nasrallah. Following the assassination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, it is not entirely clear who is next in line to succeed him as the party's leader, especially since Israel has killed several levels of the group's hierarchy. CNN's chief international correspondent, Ben Wedeman, says there are two possibilities: Nasrallah's deputy Naim Qassem or senior party official Hashem Safieddine. He added: "But at this point, given the blows that Hezbollah has taken since July 30, when Fouad Shukr was killed in a southern suburb of Beirut in an Israeli drone strike, what we do know is that the organization is clearly suffering right now. And their priority right now is probably survival, staying alive to continue fighting another day."





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Hashem Safieddine / Hashem Safi al-Din

Hashem Safieddine is the head of the executive council of Hezbollah. An Axios correspondent quoted three Israeli officials as saying that an Israeli strike targeted Hashem Safieddine, a Hezbollah leader and one of the candidates to succeed Hassan Nasrallah, early Friday morning 04 Octobe 2024. Correspondent Barak Ravid said in a post on the "X" website that The target for the Israeli strike in Beirut was Hezbollah senior leader Hashem Safi a-Din - who was Hassan Nasrallah's likely successor, Two Israeli officials tell me." An Israeli official said that Hashem Safieddine, a Hezbollah leader and a candidate to succeed Hassan Nasrallah, was in a deep underground bunker and it was not yet clear whether he was killed in the strike that targeted him early Friday morning, according to what was reported by the American Axios website correspondent. Barak Ravid reported that the strike took place in the southern suburb of Beirut, where there are many Hezbollah compounds. Lebanese media reported that the Israeli strike that targeted Safieddine was much larger than the one that killed Nasrallah last week.

Hezbollah's Shura Council on 29 September 2024 elected Hashim Safi Al Din as Secretary General of the organization, replacing Nasrallah. His Statement: "My message to the Zionists: your celebrations won't last long." Al Arabiya and Al Hadath sources confirmed that Hezbollahs Shura Council chose Hashem Safieddine as Secretary-General.

After Hezbollah confirmed the assassination of Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah, the name of Hezbollah leader Hashem Safieddine, head of Hezbollah's executive council, emerged as a potential candidate to succeed Hassan Nasrallah as Secretary-General of Hezbollah. Hashem Safieddine is related to Hassan Nasrallah by family, in addition to the great similarity in appearance, manner of speaking, and even the lisp in the war of the letter ra. He is not an ordinary leader, as he supervises, by virtue of his position as head of the Executive Council, Hezbollahs economic and social activities. Safi al-Din was tasked with all important files within Hezbollah for three decades. Except for what is described as strategic files, which were directly supervised by Hassan Nasrallah.

The Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth, quoting a military source, indicated that the head of Hezbollah's executive body, Sayyed Hashem Safieddine, has begun to take charge of matters, and Hezbollah is planning to bomb cities, including Tel Aviv, in response to the assassination of Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah.

Amid the ambiguity surrounding the mechanism for selecting leaders within Hezbollah, Hashem Safieddine , Nasrallahs cousin and Qassem Soleimanis son-in-law, tops the list of candidates to succeed him. Safieddine resembles Nasrallah in many aspects, including his appearance and manner of speaking, and has been groomed since 1994 to take over the leadership of the party, when he returned from Qom, Iran, to assume the presidency of the Executive Council.

For many years, Safi al-Din remained out of sight, but several tight security measures surrounding Hassan Nasrallah prompted him to appear instead of him in a number of prominent events within the party, most notably those related to the funerals of its members and leaders. Choosing Safieddine to succeed Hassan Nasrallah was not a spur-of-the-moment choice, but rather a choice that has been in place for more than 15 years. Since 2008, 16 years ago, Iranian and Israeli media outlets have been circulating the news of Safieddine being chosen to be the head of Hezbollahs Executive Council and the successor to Hezbollahs Secretary-General. Since that day, the scenario of "assassinating Hassan Nasrallah" was set by Hezbollah, and that Safieddine would be the Secretary-General of the party if Israel succeeded in eliminating the Secretary-General. According to the Israeli Alma Center for Studies and Research, his future position was already determined in 1994, by Iran, but was confirmed in 2008.

Safi al-Din is considered a supporter of the Iranian regime, and he believes that the theory of the guardianship of the jurist is one of the most important theories that Imam Khomeini derived from religious and rational evidence in order to be a complete project that addresses the most important problems that faced the Islamic movements and that led to a state of fragmentation.

Safi al-Din's position within the party was strengthened by his close relations with the Iranian leadership, as he studied in Qom and communicated with senior officials in Tehran. In one of his writings, Safi al-Din said, "The Lebanese Shiite Islamic arena was mostly biased towards the products of thought coming from Najaf and its experience in many cases, while national specificities were largely absent from it except in some rare cases." He continued, "Suddenly and contrary to the expectations lived in the Islamic arena in general, the dawn of victory for the Iranian revolution appeared, led by Imam Khomeini, to achieve a great dream for the liberal Islamic approach, announcing a dazzling and stunning success."

He completed his religious studies in the Iranian city of Qom. His wife is the daughter of the well-known Shiite cleric Muhammad Ali al-Amin, a member of the Sharia Authority of the Supreme Shiite Islamic Council in the country. Wasfi al-Din is the cousin of Hassan Nasrallahs mother and was close to him.

In addition to his close relationship with Nasrallah, Safi al-Din has a special relationship with Iran, which gives him influence in the partys leadership hierarchy. His brother Abdullah is the partys representative in Iran. Abdullah is a well-known figure under U.S. sanctions for drug trafficking and money laundering on behalf of Hizballah. His sons marriage to the daughter of Qassem Soleimani, the commander of the Quds Force who was killed by the United States in a precision strike, has also enhanced his standing, making him the natural choice to succeed Nasrallah. Safi al-Din's son Reza Hashem is married to the daughter of former Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani, Zainab, which was announced in June 2020, six months after her father was killed in a US raid in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad. The timing of the wedding surprised many Iranians, as it came about six months after the killing of Qassem Soleimani in a US strike in Baghdad, as Iranian families usually avoid marriages before the first anniversary of the death of a family member. It has recently been reported that Reza is responsible for one of the routes used to smuggle small military components from Iran to Lebanon.

After her father's death, Zeinab became well-known, especially among Iranian hardliners. Zeinab Soleimani first appeared in public during a visit by Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei to Soleimani's home to offer condolences over his death. A few days later, she appeared at her father's funeral in Tehran, where she gave a speech calling on Hassan Nasrallah to avenge her father. Zeinab Soleimani has close ties to members of the Lebanese Hezbollah, and gave a speech at an event organized by the party's women's committee in Beirut, during which she spoke in Arabic with a Lebanese accent, and met Nasrallah and published a photo of the meeting.

In 1994, Nasrallah appointed Safieddine as head of Hezbollah's Beirut region. In 1995, Safieddine assumed the presidency of the Jihad Council responsible for Hezbollah's military activity and began serving as a member of the Shura Council. In 1998, Safieddine was promoted to head of the Executive Council, and was considered Nasrallah's second-in-command and designated successor.

A report by the Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper in 2008 quoted people close to Hashem Safieddines family as saying that Hashem was one of three who were of interest and care to Imad Mughniyeh. The three were: Hassan Nasrallah, Sheikh Nabil Qaouk, one of the prominent leaders in Hezbollah, and Hashem Safieddine. It noted that Imad Mughniyeh was the one who sent the three to Qom to complete their religious studies and facilitate their affairs there.

This trio became the most prominent leaders of the organization. Nasrallah became Secretary-General, Sheikh Qawouk became the practical leader of the southern region, which is important to the organization and the site of its major military power, and Safi al-Din became the executive director of the organization from the institutional side and the head of the partys government. According to the Asharq Al-Awsat report, quoting what it described as informed sources on the situation in Hezbollah, Hezbollah has never been without a substitute leadership and that Safieddine was prepared since 1994 to be the alternative to Nasrallah.

Safi al-Din's work in the daily management of the party's affairs and his involvement in the management of its large institutions provided him with the opportunity to "train as the CEO in leadership and control of the basic joints of the organization, especially the management of the financial and administrative files." The three leaders formed Hezbollah's "power trio," with Nasrallah as the political force, Mughniyeh as the military force, and Safi al-Din as the administrative force.

The position of CEO is considered the second leadership position in Hezbollah, as he follows the daily details of Hezbollah and all organizational procedures and controls all aspects of the party. The head of this council is also automatically considered a member of the Shura Council, which is the actual leadership of the organization and is elected every three years, renewable. This council consists of seven figures, headed by Hassan Nasrallah, each of whom handles a special file and manages a sector of the party. The executive council, headed by Safieddine, manages a group of huge investments that aim to secure Hezbollahs independence and finance its huge organizational body, which is not subject to funding from legitimate funds (coming from Iran) that are allocated for armed action.

Hashem Safieddine, aka Hashem Safi al-Din, aka Hashem Safi a-Din, aka Hashim Safi al Din, aka Hashim Safi Al-Din, aka Hashim Safieddinewas designated by the State Department as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist on 05 May 2017. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia joined the United States in designating Hashem Safieddine. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia designated Safieddine under its Law of Terrorism Crimes and Financing and Royal Decree A/44. As a result, any of his assets held in Saudi Arabia are frozen, and transfers through the Kingdoms financial sector, are prohibited.

The action against Safieddine is the latest example of the partnership between the United States and Saudi Arabia in combatting the financing of terrorism. The Safieddine designation is also consistent with the U.S. governments ongoing effort to expose and apply pressure against the actions of Hizballah, which is supported by the foremost State Sponsor of Terrorism, Iran. Designations of terrorist individuals and groups expose and isolate organizations and individuals and result in denial of access to the U.S. financial system. Moreover, designations can assist or complement the law enforcement actions of other U.S. agencies and other governments.

It is noteworthy that the US Treasury Department classified Hashem Safieddine, among many others, on the terrorism list 16 May 2018. The seven member nations of the Terrorist Financing and Targeting Center (TFTC) took significant actions to disrupt an Iranian-backed terrorist group by designating the senior leadership of Lebanese Hizballah. The U.S. Department of the Treasurys Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) in partnership with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the co-chair of the Terrorist Financing Targeting Center (TFTC), and the other TFTC member states  the Kingdom of Bahrain, the State of Kuwait, the Sultanate of Oman, the State of Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE)  designated members of Hizballahs Shura Council, the primary decision-making body of Hizballah.

These designations follow President Trumps decision to cease U.S. participation in the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, and to begin reimposing U.S. nuclear-related sanctions on the Iranian regime. They are in furtherance of the goal of addressing the totality of Irans malign activities and regionally destabilizing behavior, including that of Hizballah.





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September 27, 2024

By Joseph Clark, DOD News

DOD Supporting Tropical Storm Helene Response Efforts

The Defense Department remains postured throughout the Southeast to support communities impacted by Tropical Storm Helene, Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh said today.

The storm made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane in Florida's Big Bend area late Thursday night weakening to a tropical storm as it continued to track inland.

Damaging wind gusts are expected to continue as the storm moves further north over portions of Georgia, the Carolinas, Tennessee and Kentucky.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration also warned earlier today of "historic, catastrophic and life-threatening" flooding as Helene continues along its path.

The Florida National Guard currently has 3,900 guardsmen, 450 tactical vehicles, 13 rotary wing aircraft and six boats conducting emergency response missions in 21 counties throughout the state, Singh said.

U.S. Northern Command has also deployed a small team to Florida to be prepared to respond quickly to requests for assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

North Carolina, Georgia and Alabama also have activated hundreds of guard personnel in response to the storm.

Additionally, Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III has approved separate requests from the Florida National Guard and Georgia National Guard for a dual status commander in each state.

A dual status commander is a National Guard officer, Air Force officer or Army officer who is jointly managed by the Northcom commander and the chief of the National Guard Bureau and allowed by law to serve in federal and state status simultaneously.

"As you know, this is a rapidly evolving situation," Singh said. "The department remains prepared to support response efforts as necessary."

Singh also addressed reports of Israel's strike in Lebanon earlier today and underscored that the United States was not involved in the operation and was not notified in advance.

"Secretary Austin spoke by phone earlier today to his Israeli counterpart, [Defense] Minister [Yoav] Gallant," Singh said. "The United States was not involved in this operation, and we had no advanced warning. Minister Gallant spoke with Secretary Austin as the operation was already underway."

She added that the Pentagon was still assessing the event and had no further information or specifics to provide as of the time of the briefing.

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Three IRGC Cyber Actors Indicted for 'Hack-and-Leak' Operation Designed to Influence the 2024 U.S. Presidential Election

Friday, September 27, 2024

For Immediate Release

Office of Public Affairs

Indictment Alleges the Activity Was a More Recent Phase of a Wide-Ranging Hacking Conspiracy in Support of IRGC Targeting of Current and Former U.S. Officials

Note: View the indictment here and the FBI Wanted Poster here.

The Justice Department today announced the unsealing of an indictment charging Iranian nationals, and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) employees, Masoud Jalili, 36, also known as, UU UUUU, Seyyed Ali Aghamiri, 34, also known as, U UU UUUU, and Yaser Balaghi, 37, also known as, U UU (the Conspirators), with a conspiracy with others known and unknown to hack into accounts of current and former U.S. officials, members of the media, nongovernmental organizations, and individuals associated with U.S. political campaigns. The activity was part of Iran's continuing efforts to stoke discord, erode confidence in the U.S. electoral process, and unlawfully acquire information relating to current and former U.S. officials that could be used to advance the malign activities of the IRGC, including ongoing efforts to avenge the death of Qasem Soleimani, the former commander of the IRGC - Qods Force (IRGC-QF).

As alleged, in or around May, after several years of focusing on compromising the accounts of former U.S. government officials, the conspirators used some of the same hacking infrastructure from earlier in the conspiracy to begin targeting and successfully gaining unauthorized access to personal accounts belonging to persons associated with an identified U.S. Presidential campaign (U.S. Presidential Campaign 1), including campaign officials. The conspirators used their access to those accounts to steal, among other information, non-public campaign documents and emails (campaign material). The activity broadened in late June, when the conspirators engaged in a "hack-and-leak" operation, in which they sought to weaponize campaign material stolen from U.S. Presidential Campaign 1 by leaking such materials to members of the media and individuals associated with what was then another identified U.S. Presidential campaign (U.S. Presidential Campaign 2), in a deliberate effort to, as reflected in the conspirators' own words and actions, undermine U.S. Presidential Campaign 1 in advance of the 2024 U.S. presidential election.

"The Justice Department is working relentlessly to uncover and counter Iran's cyberattacks aimed at stoking discord, undermining confidence in our democratic institutions, and influencing our elections," said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. "The American people - not Iran, or any other foreign power - will decide the outcome of our country's elections."

"Today's charges represent the culmination of a thorough and long-running FBI investigation that has resulted in the indictment of three Iranian nationals for their roles in a wide-ranging hacking campaign sponsored by the Government of Iran," said FBI Director Christopher Wray. "The conduct laid out in the indictment is just the latest example of Iran's brazen behavior. So today the FBI would like to send a message to the Government of Iran - you and your hackers can't hide behind your keyboards."

"These hack-and-leak efforts by Iran are a direct assault on the integrity of our democratic processes," said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department's National Security Division. "Iranian government actors have long sought to use cyber-enabled means to harm U.S. interests. This case demonstrates our commitment to expose attempts by the Iranian regime or any other foreign actor to interfere with our free and open society."

"This indictment alleges a serious and sustained effort by a state-sponsored terrorist organization to gather intelligence through hacking personal accounts so they can use the hacked materials to harm Americans and corruptly influence our election," said U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves for the District of Columbia. "The detailed allegations in the indictment should make clear to anyone who might attempt to do the same that the Justice Department has the ability to gather evidence of such crimes from around the globe, will charge those who commit such crimes, and will do whatever we can to bring those charged to justice."

As alleged in the indictment, beginning in or around January 2020, Jalili, Aghamiri, and Balaghi, working on behalf of the IRGC, commenced a wide-ranging hacking campaign that used spearphishing and social engineering techniques to target and compromise victims computers and accounts. Among the conspirators' techniques were: using virtual private networks and virtual private servers to obscure their true location; creating fraudulent email accounts in the names of prominent U.S. persons and international institutions; creating spoofed login pages to harvest account credentials; sending spearphishing emails using compromised victim accounts; and using social engineering to obtain victims' login information and multi-factor recovery/authentication codes. Some of the conspirators' efforts were successful, while others were not.

In April 2019, the Department of State designated the IRGC as a foreign terrorist organization. Among the purposes of the conspiracy were for the conspirators to: (i) steal victims' data, such as information related to U.S. government and foreign policy information concerning the Middle East; (ii) steal information relating to current and former U.S. officials that could be used to advance the IRGC's malign activities; (iii) disrupt U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East; (iv) stoke discord and erode confidence in the U.S. electoral process; (v) steal personal and private information from persons who had access to information relating to U.S. Presidential Campaign 1, including non-public campaign material and information; and (vi) undermine U.S. Presidential Campaign 1 in advance of the 2024 U.S. presidential election by leaking stolen campaign material and information.

As reflected in the Sept. 18 joint statement released by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, FBI, and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency: "Iranian malicious cyber actors in late June and early July sent unsolicited emails to individuals then associated with President Biden's campaign that contained an excerpt taken from stolen, non-public material from former Trump's campaign as text in the emails. There is currently no information indicating those recipients replied. Furthermore, Iranian malicious cyber actors have continued their efforts since June to send stolen, non-public material associated with former President Trump's campaign to U.S. media organizations."

As alleged in further detail in the indictment, the conspirators' hack-and-leak efforts involved the conspirators emailing stolen campaign material to individuals that the conspirators believed were associated with what was then U.S. Presidential Campaign 2 and members of the media.

First, between on or about June 27 and July 3, the conspirators sent or forwarded an unsolicited email message to personal accounts of three persons that the conspirators believed were associated with U.S. Presidential Campaign 2. The June 27 email was sent to two recipients, and then forwarded the same day to another account for one of those recipients (due to the earlier email being sent to an invalid account for that recipient). This email chain contained campaign material stolen from an official for U.S. Presidential Campaign 1 (U.S. Victim 11). Neither of the recipients replied to the conspirators' email. In addition, the conspirators sent a follow up email on July 3rd to a third recipient's account, and the recipient similarly did not reply to the Conspirators.

Second, between on or about July 22 and on or about Aug. 31, the conspirators distributed other campaign material stolen from U.S. Victim 11 regarding U.S. Presidential Campaign 1's potential vice-presidential candidates to multiple members of the news media, in an attempt to induce the news media to publish the material. In one instance, for example, the conspirators' message stated "I think this information is worth a good [U.S. news publication] piece with your narration. Let me know your thoughts."

As alleged, these defendants also sought to promote the IRGC's goals and mission by compromising and maintaining unauthorized access to the email accounts of a number of former government officials, including U.S. Victim 1, who had served in a position with responsibility over U.S. Middle East policy at the time of Qasam Soleimani's death. Using this access, the defendants obtained information to assist the IRGC's efforts to target U.S. Victim 1 and others, including their means of identification, correspondence, travel information, lodging information and other information regarding their whereabouts and policy positions.

Jalili, Aghamiri, and Balaghi are charged with: conspiracy to commit identity theft, aggravated identity theft, access device fraud, unauthorized access to computers to obtain information from a protected computer, unauthorized access to computers to defraud and obtain a thing of value, and wire fraud, all while knowingly falsely registering domain names, which carries a maximum penalty of 12 years in prison; conspiracy to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison; eight counts of wire fraud while falsely registering domain names, each of which carries a maximum penalty of 27 years in prison; and eight counts of aggravated identity theft, each of which carries a mandatory minimum penalty of two years in prison. If convicted, a federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Concurrent with today's announcement, the Department of State, through the Rewards for Justice Program, issued a reward of up to $10 million for information on Jalili, Aghamiri, and Balaghi, the IRGC's interference in U.S. elections, or associated individuals and entities. Also, concurrent with today's announcement, the Department of the Treasury, Office of Foreign Asset Control (OFAC), pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13694, as amended, and E.O. 13848 designated

Jalili for being responsible for or complicit in, or having engaged in, directly or indirectly, a cyber-enabled activity originating from, or directed by persons located, in whole or in substantial part, outside the United States that is reasonably likely to result in, or has materially contributed to, a significant threat to the national security, foreign policy, or economic health or financial stability of the United States and that has the purpose or effect of causing a significant misappropriation of funds or economic resources, trade secrets, personal identifiers, or financial information for commercial or competitive advantage or private financial gain.

The FBI Washington Field Office is investigating this case. The FBI Cyber Division and Springfield and Minneapolis Field Offices provided substantial assistance in this matter. For more information on threat activity as well as mitigation guidance, the FBI has released a Joint Cyber Security Advisory titled "Iranian Cyber Actors Targeting Personal Accounts to Support Operations."

The Justice Department would like to thank the following private sector partners for their assistance with this case: Google, Microsoft, Yahoo, and Meta.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tejpal Chawla and Christopher Tortorice for the District of Columbia and Trial Attorney Greg Nicosia of the National Security Division's National Security Cyber Section are prosecuting the case, with significant assistance from Paralegal Specialists Mariela Andrade and Kate Abrey. Joshua Champagne of the National Security Division's Counterterrorism Section also provided valuable assistance.

An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Topic: National Security

Components: Office of the Attorney General

Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

USAO - District of Columbia

Press Release Number: 24-1220

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Global Counterterrorism Forum: Speech by High Representative/Vice-President Josep Borrell at the Ministerial Meeting co-chaired with Egypt

European External Action Service (EEAS)

27.09.2024

New York, 27/09/2024

EEAS Press Team

Check against delivery!



It is my great pleasure to co-host this meeting today with my Egyptian colleague, the new Foreign Affairs Minister of Egypt, Badr Abdelatty. This is the Minister's first Global Counterterrorism Forum (GCTF) Ministerial and I am very pleased to be continuing the partnership with Egypt in co-leading this Forum. The European Union has been in the role of co-chair for two years now and I would like to thank all Global Counterterrorism Forum (GCTF) members for what has been a very fruitful cooperation.

Together, we have been working to keep this Forum fit in responding to the global threat of terrorism. Which is not, unhappily, decreasing - [on] the contrary.

We have said many times that the threat of terrorism evolves quickly. The work of our Forum needs to remain a driving force in developing the ways and means to prevent and counter terrorism and violent extremism wherever it happens. We need to focus on prevention, the civilian perspective and an inclusive approach.

To achieve results, we need to engage with governments and societies to bring the most affected communities together with regional and global partners: this Forum has to help - it has helped - but it has to continue helping establishing networks needed to tackle such a complex cross-border threat.

We have sought to be inclusive and to focus on thematic and geographical areas where this threat is most acute. Unhappily, it is difficult to choose where this threat is more acute. It is acute everywhere, but let us choose the worst cases, the worst scenarios.

That is why we are focusing today's discussion on Africa. Well, "Africa" does not exist, in fact there are different African realities. That is why we have the African Union with us today - very [big] welcome to the African Union.

This meeting is particularly important because the threat of terrorism is increasing nowhere as rapidly as it is doing on the African continent. One thing is the stock, another thing is the flow. And the flow is increasing very quickly in the African continent. I am very well placed to know that because I have been working with the Sahel and the Horn of Africa during all my mandate.

All the indicators are on "red": be that the number of attacks, the number of victims, the geographical coverage of terrorist activity, the expansion of the territories that the terrorist groups control, and the increased sophistication of means and weapons those groups have been using. And this does not happen by accident, someone is supporting them. Someone is providing them with the means; these do not grow from the trees.

I was reading today on the Houthis having a stronger capacity, and much sophisticated means. It is not because this has [grown like] the flowers in the desert. They have been provided with this capacity.

This is a threat which does not know borders. It is like the pandemic. [Terrorism] does not know borders, it goes from one side to the other. Terrorism in one country, or even a continent [can spill] over to all parts of the world.

Then there are the affiliations. These groups are affiliating to networks. These networks help them to disseminate the know-how, the financing and the propaganda within and beyond the African continent. Terrorism is destroying lives and livelihoods.

The most awful case I knew was in the Sahelian area, where people there [had their] small livelihoods being destroyed. Then, migration becomes the only way out to look for a future - or to get recruited by a terrorist organisation that offers them a salary, a motorcycle, a machine gun, social respectability. They make them someone. It is part of - not their wellbeing - just of their being [as individuals]. People want to be, and to be recognised.

Terrorism today is a provider of a social status. This is the great catastrophe. Terrorism is providing better social status than working with peace and in peace. So, we need to get as many countries as possible to join forces against this threat.

We agree with many African governments that the long-term solution requires addressing the root causes of terrorism. There is no magic wand - this has root causes; you cannot solve it overnight. We have to start by equipping our partners in Africa to prevent the terrorist groups' crimes - look at the map. It is clear how in spite of the institutions' activities in Africa, [terrorist activities] are widespread in the two main difficult zones - from Mozambique to Somalia, and from the Sahel towards the Gulf of Guinea.

The GCTF, we are well placed as a multilateral Forum that develops global solutions to tackle terrorism and its root causes. It allows us to learn from each other and to coordinate our efforts more effectively. Developing also - we have to develop also - international networks, sharing expertise and knowledge.

If I may direct your attention to the map [map is shown on screens], you can see that the GCTF-"inspired" institutions are now everywhere, they are concentrated. We are delivering [more than] 55 activities in 18 countries. The ones that I was mentioning before are the ones in which the threat is developing quicker and being more present.

I think there is room to do more to help roll-back and to prevent the contagion and the spillover of terrorism and violent extremism coming from elsewhere on the continent. So, I encourage you - strongly encourage you - to support the tools that the GCTF is placing in Senegal, in Benin, in Cameroon, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, in Tanzania, in South Sudan and elsewhere in Africa.

Today, the African Union Commission is our guest of honour, and we would like to hear from you: where are we on track, where are we falling short of your needs, where can the GCTF work more closely with the African Union for a fitting - and much-needed - civilian response to the threat on the African continent?

From our part, we will support you with European Union expertise in developing the Continental Strategic Plan of Action to counter terrorism in Africa - which is a key element to implement the Malabo Declaration of 2022. We also look to others around the table to do - all of you - your utmost to support this cooperation at the continental level.

This is a real challenge; so, thank you very much for being here and for working together. And now I give the floor to Minister Abdelatty, who I know will have to fly quickly to another engagement, but it is a great pleasure to share with you this event, my dear Minister.

Link to video: https://audiovisual.ec.europa.eu/en/video/I-261104

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US moves against Iranian actors charged with election meddling

By Jeff Seldin September 27, 2024

The United States put bounties on three Iranian hackers, charging them with multiple crimes in connection with an attempt to undermine former President Donald Trump's reelection campaign and upend the upcoming U.S. presidential election.

Friday's actions by multiple U.S. government agencies came with just a little over a month until U.S. voters go to the polls and as U.S. officials seek to push back against what they describe as ever more brazen attempts by Iran to foment division and discord in Washington and beyond.

"You and your hackers can't hide behind your keyboards," said FBI Director Christopher Wray in a video statement.

"If you try to meddle in our elections, we're going to hold you accountable," Wray said. "As long as you keep attempting to flout the rule of law, you're going to keep running into the FBI."

Iranian officials have previously and repeatedly rejected U.S. accusations of election meddling. The Iranian Mission to the United Nations has not yet responded to VOA's request for comment on the latest allegations.

But an indictment unsealed by the U.S. Justice Department assigns responsibility for Iran's long-standing efforts, as well as a recent hack-and-leak operation aimed at derailing the Trump campaign, to three hackers employed by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, or IRGC.

It accuses Masoud Jalili, Seyyed Ali Aghamiri and Yaser Balaghi of engaging in what prosecutors describe as a wide-ranging campaign to hack into the work and personal email accounts of current and former government officials, campaign officials and members of the media.

Prosecutors said their list of victims includes a former State Department official, a former presidential homeland security adviser and at least two former CIA officials.

But starting in May, prosecutors allege, the three Iranians turned their attention to the Trump campaign, stealing documents and materials that they then sought to leak to the public.

"I think this information is worth a good [U.S. news publication] piece with your narration," they wrote in an email to a U.S. news outlet in late July or early August, according to the indictment. "Let me know your thoughts."

The revelations build on a U.S. intelligence assessment shared last week, which alleged Iranian actors tried to ensnare officials with the reelection campaign of U.S. President Joe Biden, before Biden's decision to drop out of the race.

The Trump campaign first announced the suspected hack last month, initially blaming "foreign sources hostile to the United States." U.S. intelligence officials attributed the attack to Iran about a week later.

"The defendants' own words make clear that they were attempting to undermine former President Trump's campaign in advance of the 2024 U.S. presidential election," said U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland during a news conference to announce the charges Friday.

All three are believed to remain in Iran, although the U.S. is offering a reward of up to $10 million for information that leads to their arrests. And both the State Department and the FBI have issued wanted posters of the suspects.

"We will follow these people for the rest of their lives," Garland said.

The indictment also makes clear that the efforts spearheaded by the Iranian hackers have not necessarily abated, noting there have been efforts to potentially steal more information as well as to leak already stolen materials to media outlets.

"When it comes to advanced persistent threat actors, you can never be fully confident that you have eradicated them from an environment," a senior FBI official told reporters Friday, briefing on the condition of anonymity. "So, we remain fully engaged with the victims in this case, which include presidential campaigns, as well as individuals associated with those campaigns, to breed resilience among their systems and their various email accounts."

U.S. intelligence agencies have previously said that Tehran is working to hurt the campaign of Trump, believing his election would be detrimental to Iran's goals in the Middle East and beyond.

Senior officials said the latest indictment shows Iranian officials remain intent on damaging the Trump campaign.

"Iran perceives this year's elections to be particularly consequential in terms of the impact they could have on its national security interests," said the senior FBI official. "We will be more persistent than the Iranian actors in ensuring that we are assisting victims of this activity [and] increase their resilience against these actors."

Jalili, Aghamiri and Balaghi are charged with multiple counts of conspiracy to commit identity theft, aggravated identity theft, access device fraud, unauthorized access to computers and wire fraud.

The various charges carry maximum penalties ranging from two to 27 years in prison.

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Keeping an eye on the deep Yellow Sea

By Lieutenant Tahlia Merigan

27 September 2024

One of Australia's newest warships HMAS Sydney recently completed Operation Argos in the Yellow Sea.

Throughout the operation, Sydney and its embarked MH-60R Seahawk helicopter 'Phoenix' monitored and deterred illegal ship-to-ship transfers of sanctioned goods in the region.

Leading Seaman Aircrewman James Neville, who is part of the flight crew in the MH-60R Seahawk, played an essential part in monitoring vessels of interest.

"My role during Argos is primarily to search our given area utilising radar and FLIR (forward looking infrared cameras) for vessels of interest that may be conducting illegal ship-to-ship transfers," Leading Seaman Neville said.

"We can then report these back to the ship and capture imagery that can be used in tracking these activities.

"Operation Argos is a challenging and rewarding time in my role as you can see first-hand the advantage that having an embarked helicopter can add to a ship's capability.

"Argos is also a good chance for the entire ship to put its training to use and directly see the results of the hard work that has been put into preparing for operations such as this."

Another essential role on board Sydney is the combat system operator.

These sailors in the Combat Information Centre monitor the above and below water domains, collate and build the tactical picture around Sydney and send it back to US Indo-Pacific Command's Enforcement Coordination Cell.

The multinational cell, embedded in the US Navy's 7th Fleet, gathers information to help enforce the United Nations Security Council sanctions against North Korea.

Leading Seaman Combat System Operator Dion Dodd helps lead the team to collate the information of air, surface and subsurface contacts around Sydney.

"I'm responsible for making sure that what we see on board is also seen back at HQ," Leading Seaman Dodd said.

"This provides HQ with an up-to-date tactical common operating picture that allows our command to make the important decisions on how best to utilise our military assets in an operational area such as on Argos."

Commanding Officer Sydney Commander Grant Coleman said he was proud of what Sydney has accomplished on Operation Argos.

"This operational deployment comes after Sydney has completed many significant international engagements that have enhanced our relationship with allies and regional partners," Commander Coleman said.

Sydney is conducting a regional presence deployment enhancing cooperation and relationships with regional partners and allies.

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Australia - Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missiles-Extended Range

Media/Public Contact: pm-cpa@state.gov

Transmittal No: 24-106

WASHINGTON, September 27, 2024 -- The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Government of Australia of Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missiles-Extended Range and related equipment for an estimated cost of $405 million. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale today.

The Government of Australia has requested to buy up to one hundred (100) Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missiles-Extended Range (AARGM-ER) with global positioning system (GPS) precise positioning system (PPS) provided by Selective Availability Anti-Spoofing Module (SAASM) or M-Code; up to twenty-four (24)

AGM-88G AARGM-ER guidance sections (spares); and up to twenty-four (24) AGM-88G AARGM-ER control sections (spares). The following non-MDE items will also be included: missile containers; component parts and support equipment; repair; software (classified and unclassified); publications (classified and

unclassified); training (classified and unclassified); transportation; U.S. Government and contractor engineering support; and other related elements of logistics and program support. The estimated total cost is $405 million.

This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States. Australia is one of our most important allies in the Western Pacific. The strategic location of this political and economic power contributes significantly to ensuring peace and economic stability in the Western Pacific. It is vital to the U.S. national interest to assist our ally in developing and maintaining a strong and ready self-defense capability.

The proposed sale will improve the Government of Australia's capability to meet current and future threats by providing the capability to suppress and destroy land or sea-based radar emitters associated with enemy air defenses, thereby improving survivability of tactical aircraft. Australia will have no difficulty absorbing this equipment into its armed forces.

The proposed sale of this equipment and support will not alter the basic military balance in the region.

The principal contractor will be Northrop Grumman Systems, located in Falls Church, VA. There are no known offset agreements proposed in connection with this potential sale.

Implementation of this proposed sale will require approximately four U.S. Government and one contractor representative to travel to Australia on a temporary basis in conjunction with program technical oversight and support requirements, including program and technical reviews.

There will be no adverse impact on U.S. defense readiness as a result of this proposed sale.

The description and dollar value are for the highest estimated quantity and dollar value based on initial requirements. Actual dollar value will be lower depending on final requirements, budget authority, and signed sales agreement(s), if and when concluded.

All questions regarding this proposed Foreign Military Sale should be directed to the State Department's Bureau of Political Military-Affairs, Office of Congressional and Public Affairs, pm-cpa@state.gov.

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Exiled opposition leader: 'We want Belarus to return to family of European countries'

By Victoria Kupchinetsky September 27, 2024

Among those in New York City for the 79th United Nations General Assembly is exiled Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya.

On Monday, Tsikhanouskaya and Evgenia Kara-Murza, the Russian human rights activist and wife of former political prisoner Vladimir Kara-Murza, received the annual human rights prize awarded by the Lantos Foundation for Human Rights and Justice, founded by the late Tom Lantos, who was the only Holocaust survivor ever elected to the U.S. Congress.

Addressing the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva that same day via video link, Tsikhanouskaya said she was speaking on behalf of the more than 1,400 Belarusians imprisoned for political reasons by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko's government.

"Many of them are held in complete isolation, incommunicado ... no letters, no phone calls, no contact with the outside world," she said. "My husband, Syarhei, has been cut off for over a year. I do not know if he is alive."

Tsikhanouskaya was interviewed in New York by Victoria Kupchinetsky of Voice of America's Russian Service.

This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.

VOA: What is the purpose of you coming here to New York to the General Assembly?

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya: The U.N. is a good platform where you can meet not only your allies, but also the countries who might be useful to your cause. We are, as Belarusians ... fighting for the restoration of democracy in Belarus, for the release of our political prisoners. And we are looking for world leaders who can somehow assist us with these questions. People in Belarusian prisons are dying. This is the most painful topic for us in the democratic movement. And I think that countries who still have some relationship with this [Lukashenko] regime, they can assist us in solving the humanitarian crisis.

VOA: Why do you think Lukashenko released those dozens of political prisoners? Do you know if there are any negotiations about an exchange similar to the recent prisoner exchange with Russia?

Tsikhanouskaya: Lukashenko wants to sell the release of about 100 people as an act of humanity. But it has nothing in common with this. I think this release is connected with the pressure that is imposed on Lukashenko's regime. They want to have the sanctions lifted, they want to be relevant in the political world, but they are not.

Our task is to make sure that the policy of our democratic allies will not change toward Belarus. And, of course, putting pressure on the regime, strengthening Belarusian civil society, agents of democratic forces. We are looking for venues how we can release political prisoners [for] humanitarian reasons. ... People are dying. We are looking for countries, for organizations, that can be mediators on this issue.

VOA: Are you collecting materials, evidence, against Lukashenko to present in The Hague, at the international tribunal?

Tsikhanouskaya: I'm totally sure that in the world, justice has to be restored, and Lukashenko has a long list of crimes a crimes against humanity, crimes of the deportation of Belarusians, crimes of the abduction of Ukrainian children, the immigration crisis, the hijacking of airplanes, bringing our country into the war [against Ukraine], and so on and so forth. And, of course, for years we have been collecting evidence of these crimes, and we want to use international mechanisms a the ICC [International Criminal Court], ICJ [International Court of Justice, aka World Court] a [words indistinct] to bring Lukashenko and his cronies to account, though these instruments are rather slow, honestly speaking. But we are consistent in our approach, and hopefully very soon will start a special investigation against the crimes.

VOA: What is the ultimate goal of your struggle a to actually remove Lukashenko from power or something else?

Tsikhanouskaya: Our goal is to restore justice in Belarus, hold free and fair elections in my homeland, but I understand that we can't do this while Lukashenko is there. So, our ultimate goal is to release political prisoners, hold free and fair elections, but before this, of course, we have to weaken the regime as much as possible and strengthen national identity, civil society, democratic forces, to have a smooth and fast transition period. And of course, we want Belarus to return to the family of European countries.

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Charlottesville has installed cameras at 10 intersections across the city, part of a controversial one-year pilot program the citys police say will help reduce crime and find missing persons.

The cameras automatically read the license plates of cars passing through intersections and capture images of vehicles registration, make, model, body type and color.

Police say the technology will provide considerable assistance tracking down vehicles involved in crimes. But opponents, both local and national, say they are concerned not only about privacy violations but about Flock Safety, the company contracted to provide the equipment. Critics argue automated license plate readers are prone to error, ineffectual, vulnerable to misuse and have resulted in the targeting of minority communities.

Absent regulation, the use of ALPRs [Automated License Plate Readers] by law enforcement can have significant consequences for civil liberties, civil rights, and racial justice. Potential harms include incursions upon personal privacy, over-enforcement of low-level offenses, and false positive alerts resulting in unnecessary police contact, according to the Policing Project at the New York University School of Law.

Charlottesville Police Chief Michael Kochis advocated for the Flock program, arguing that it would be a valuable tool for investigating shootings and robberies, after which suspects often flee by car, and tracking down stolen vehicles.

At an April 1 City Council meeting, Kochis told councilors the Flock system does not record video, does not use facial recognition technology and does not report traffic violations. And he said that he had, as requested by Council, discussed the program with neighborhood associations and community members.

One of them was local defense attorney Jeff Fogel, who made his opposition known in multiple conversations with the police chief.

It reminds me of George Orwells 1984, Fogel told The Daily Progress. Big Brother is watching.

Flock is already used in 4,000 cities. That includes many in Virginia, such as Portsmouth, Norfolk, Harrisonburg, Fairfax, Alexandria, Lynchburg and Richmond.

For skeptics, Flocks popularity only adds to their concerns. They worry that once Flocks cameras capture images of local vehicles, the data will be stored in Flocks database and later accessed by the hundreds of law enforcement agencies that contract with the private company.

At the City Council meeting in April, Kochis said Virginias jurisdictions that use Flock have seen a dramatic reduction in homicide and violent crime. He noted that 85% of Charlottesvilles shootings involve the use of vehicles, including all six murders reported last year.

If police receive a vehicle description, they can use Flock to search for it. In a city where residents have grown anxious about an uptick in shootings in recent years, Kochis said Flock could be a valuable tool in closing cases and bringing those numbers down.

The pilot program is funded by the Charlottesville Police Foundation, a nonprofit organization. Because it will not require city funds, it did not require a vote from City Council. But city spokeswoman Afton Schneider told The Daily Progress it had the endorsement of Council and City Manager Sam Sanders.

Council required Kochis to host a series of community meetings about Flock, in which the police chief said he found people were overwhelmingly in support of the program.

Schneider said Sanders reviewed and affirmed the policy met terms outlined by Council. And although Council did not take a vote, Sanders ensured Council was in support.

But not all of Council. Michael Payne and Natalie Oschrin expressed opposition to the technology during the April 1 meeting.

Payne said that while he understood Kochis rationale, he is still worried about the potential for misuse of the data, not just by local law enforcement but by the private company.

I do get it and applaud this deliberate process, but I just cant get myself there in terms of supporting it, Payne said.

The pair raised their concerns after Kochis gave his presentation, which included an explanation of how he had amended his implementation plan after concerns he received from neighborhood associations.

Under the original plan, the pilot program would last for three years, Charlottesville police would retain camera data for 30 days and data would be shared with any government agency that uses Flock.

Under the amended plan, the pilot program will last for 12 months, police will retain the data for only seven days and the data may only be shared with in-state agencies. Agencies outside of Virginia that want to access Charlottesvilles data must request it directly from Kochis.

The director of Charlottesvilles Police Civilian Oversight Board will also be able to conduct random audits of the system. If anyone is found to be misusing the collected data, police say they will be reported to the Office of the Commonwealth Attorneys and considered for prosecution.

I cant stress that enough. The fact that misuses of this is a crime and all persons will be held accountable, Kochis told City Council.

The public can access a transparency portal which outlines the citys Flock policies as well as the number of vehicles detected and searches conducted in the past 30 days. As of Tuesday afternoon, the cameras detected more than 150,000 vehicles and 210 searches were conducted in the system.

The protections Kochis has put in place have not swayed Fogel, who noted those protections only apply to the Charlottesville Police Department.

The problem I told him is he has no control over every other police department that has access to Flock cameras and Flock in other parts of country, Fogel said. And we know there are some not-so-good actors at other law enforcement agencies across the country.

Additionally, Fogel has general concerns about a private company collecting data from so many jurisdictions.

This particular program is trying to develop this incredible nationwide database, and theres no laws protecting us against misuse. Theyll promise theyre not using it for any other purpose, but the result will be a larger database of information about innocent people doing innocent things, Fogel said. Ninety-nine percent of people whose license plate is being captured by the cameras are doing nothing. Theyre innocent people going about their business.

The Charlottesville-based Legal Aid Justice Center, a nonprofit group that provides legal services to low-income individuals, is also concerned about the citys policy. In addition to concerns that outside agencies could gain access to Charlottesville data, the group said it is worried that Flocks technology can be used to capture and store data only for legitimate law enforcement purposes  language that it finds overly broad and not clearly defined.

City Council will have the opportunity to review Flock and determine whether to extend the program beyond the one-year pilot. In the meantime, Kochis has tried to assure residents that his department will not abuse the technology.

According to the police department, most of the still images captured by Flock cameras will never be reviewed and will be automatically deleted in seven days.

While police maintain Flock can help them catch criminals and drive down crime, Fogel and others remain skeptical. Police have reported that many of Charlottesvilles shootings, in particular, are committed by juveniles who steal cars and abandon them. If shooters are leaving cars behind, Fogel doesnt see how Flock will help police apprehend them.

If the city is committed to using license plate readers, Fogel said he wishes it at least would contract with a company other than Flock, one that doesnt have a nationwide database.

According to reporting from Forbes, "In two [states], state agencies have banned Flock staff from installing new cameras." While Flock disputes the use of the word "banned," the reporting has raised alarm bells for Fogel.

Thats how aggressive Flock is in its desire to get this data and control it all over the country, Fogel said. The fact that a couple states have banned it should give Charlottesville police pause.

Flock cameras have been installed at the following intersections in Charlottesville:

Emmet Street North at Barracks Road.

U.S. 250 Bypass at Rugby Road.

Long Street at Free Bridge.

Monticello Avenue at Druid Avenue.

Roosevelt Brown Boulevard at Cherry Avenue.

West Main Street at 10th Street.

University Avenue at 14th Street.

Cherry Avenue at Ridge Street.

Ridge McIntire Road at Preston Avenue.

And Preston Avenue at Grady Avenue.
Xi stresses consolidating unity of Chinese nation

People's Daily Online

(Xinhua) 15:33, September 27, 2024

BEIJING, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday called for consolidating and developing the unity of the Chinese nation.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the call at a grand meeting held in Beijing to honor role models for ethnic unity and progress.

He urged efforts to advance the building of the community for the Chinese nation.

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Chinese nuclear submarine sank at dock: media

US officials were quoted as saying that a Chinese Zhou-class nuclear sub sank during construction.

By RFA Staff 2024.09.27 -- A Chinese nuclear submarine of the latest generation sank in late May or early June during construction at a shipyard in Wuhan province, U.S. media quoted defense officials as saying.

The Wall Street Journal first reported on the suspected sinking of the sub at Wuchang shipyard, which had been believed only to build conventional diesel-powered submarines for the Chinese military.

The newspaper said that the vessel that sank was the first of a new class of Chinese nuclear-powered submarines, called the Zhou class, which features a distinctive X-shaped stern. It was undergoing the final stage of construction when it sank.

The incident would indicate that the construction of nuclear submarines is moving to Wuchang from a previously known shipyard in Huludao, Liaoning province.

Open source investigators reported unusual movements and activities at the shipyard on the Yangtze River in early June, when floating cranes were seen working to supposedly salvage the sub.

Unidentified U.S. officials quoted by American media outlets said that China was trying to conceal the accident, which was a major setback for its submarine program.

'No information'

It is unclear whether the submarine had nuclear fuel on board when it sank and there are no indications of nuclear rescue efforts in the area in the following months.

The Chinese embassy in Washington told news agencies that it "has no information to provide."

Taiwan, which closely monitors Chinese military activity, said it was aware of the reports.

Defense Minister Wellington Koo said on Friday that authorities "have a grasp of the situation through multiple intelligence and surveillance methods," the Reuters news agency reported, echoing words he used in June when Taiwanese media reported that a Chinese submarine had been spotted in the Taiwan Strait.

China has the largest number of naval ships in the world - approximately 370 surface ships and submarines - according to the Pentagon's 2023 China Military Power Report. Among them are six nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines, six nuclear-powered attack submarines and 48 diesel-powered attack submarines.

China's submarine force is expected to grow to 65 by 2025 and to 80 by 2035.

The suspected sinking of the Zhou-class submarine has provoked questions among Chinese military watchers.

Some say that the waters of the Yangtze River around Wuhan are too shallow for new nuclear submarines.

"We must, of course, accommodate the possibility of a mistaken intel," said Collin Koh, a regional military expert.

"It's more likely this episode will end like the earlier news about a Chinese nuclear boat having met a mishap in the Yellow Sea or Bohai Gulf," Koh said, referring to reports of an accident on a Chinese Shang-class nuclear submarine in August last year.

British media at that time, citing leaked intelligence, said the Chinese attack submarine with hull number 417 was "caught in a trap intended to ensnare British sub-surface vessels in the Yellow Sea."

This resulted in systems failures that took six hours to repair and surface the vessel, resulting in the deaths of 55 sailors, the Daily Mail and the Times said.

The Chinese military has never spoken about the incident and questions remain unanswered.

Edited by Mike Firn.

Copyright 1998-2024, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content September not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use.

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China calls on Hong Kong tycoons to help kickstart national economy

But the city's business families, many from Shanghai and Ningbo, have scant trust for the Chinese Communist Party.

By Ng Chi Ping for RFA Cantonese 2024.09.27 -- The ruling Chinese Communist Party has called on Hong Kong's leader to mobilize the city's wealthiest families into kick-starting economic growth, although signs that any are answering the call have been thin on the ground.

Xia Baolong, who heads the ruling party's Hong Kong and Macao Work Office, "expressed the hope that all sectors of Hong Kong society, especially the business community and entrepreneurs, will unite as one and seize the opportunity to strive for economic development," the city's Chief Executive John Lee told reporters following a Sept. 20 meeting with Xia, as he attended an investment cooperation conference in Beijing.

Hong Kong's business community should "transform their love for their country and for Hong Kong into concrete and practical action, and work together to promote Hong Kong's ... prosperity," Xia told Lee during the meeting.

Xia's call to action echoes recent policy moves from Beijing to find a role for the private sector in boosting flagging economic growth, under Chinese President Xi Jinping's concept of "public-private partnerships," which analysts have warned could be a disguised asset grab by the government.

It also comes after Xi wrote to the descendants of the "Ningbo Gang" - wealthy Hong Kong families with roots in the eastern port city of Ningbo - in July, calling on them to "contribute to the dream of the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation," state media reported.

They included Anna Pao, eldest daughter of the late shipping magnate Sir Pao Yue-kong, and Ronald Chao, eldest son of the late industrialist Chao Kuang-piu, families whose business operations formed the backbone of much of Hong Kong's growth under British colonial rule.

Lee said the private sector in Hong Kong "are not bystanders, but participants, contributors and beneficiaries" of the city's economic rewards.

'Serve the country'

But commentators said there hasn't exactly been a big rush to respond to Beijing's call for investments on the part of Hong Kong's entrepreneurs.

The city's richest man, Li Ka-shing, has instead been stepping up his investments in the United Kingdom, with his CK Infrastructure Holdings acquiring a wind farm portfolio in from Aviva Investors for A350 million (US$450 million) in August, renewable power generator UU Solar for A90.8 million (US$122 million) in May, and natural gas distributor Phoenix Energy in April.

Exiled Hong Kong businessman Elmer Yuen, whose family hails from Ningbo, said Beijing has repeatedly called on Hong Kong's tycoons to "serve the country."

But he said there is unlikely to be much response, given that few business families from Ningbo and Shanghai trust the Chinese Communist Party.

"You can lump all of us together, us Shanghainese, most of whom are from Ningbo, and say that we have absolutely zero trust in the Chinese Communist Party," Yuen said.

"Maybe a small number of people will invest, but the rest already know who they're dealing with."

According to Xia Ming, professor of political science at the City University of New York, Lee is being tasked by Beijing to step up integration with neighboring Guangdong province and Macau, and provide a much-needed shot in the arm for the sluggish Chinese economy.

"Policy in today's Hong Kong is clearly about how to perfectly integrate Hong Kong into what Xi Jinping calls the China rejuvenation strategy, which is basically about controlling the economy," Xia told RFA Cantonese in a recent interview. "[Lee's aim] is to more perfectly integrate Hong Kong into China's accelerated regression."

Xia said the overall aim is to integrate Hong Kong into the mainland Chinese economy and "ultimately sell Hong Kong off to Beijing and to Xi Jinping."

"The goal of Xi Jinping's reforms is not that mainland China will become more like Hong Kong, but that Hong Kong will become more like Yan'an," he said in a reference to the revolutionary wartime base of Mao Zedong's communists.

Stimulus measures

The call for investments came as Chinese leaders announced a slew of stimulus measures to boost demand for real estate, including lower mortgage rates, fewer restrictions on buyers and tax cuts as part of "a new model" for real estate development.

On Tuesday, China's central bank, top securities regulator and financial regulator announced a raft of monetary stimulus, property market support and capital market strengthening measures to boost "high-quality economic development," state news agency Xinhua reported.

The top economic meeting, attended by Xi, also called on officials to "foster a favorable environment for the development of the non-public sector," with efforts made to boost consumption among low- and middle-income groups.

China has also extended a helping hand to Hong Kong in the form of pandas, with a ceremony at the Hong Kong International Airport on Thursday to welcome An An and Ke Ke, described by Lee as "just entering adulthood and full of energy" and likely to be a successful draw for tourists.

The giant pandas will live in a newly refurbished suite at the Ocean Park theme park complete with climbing frames and more plants.

"Citizens will join in welcoming the two giant pandas to Hong Kong, and the whole city is looking forward to it," Lee told reporters on Tuesday, adding that images of the pandas will be added to the Oct. 1 National Day drone and light show over Victoria Harbour.

Hong Kong is expecting an influx of up to 1.2 million mainland Chinese tourists to mark the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, Lee said.

"We hope that everyone can celebrate the 75th anniversary of National Day together, and also bring in many business activities to increase business and tourism revenues," he said.

Translated with additional reporting by Luisetta Mudie. Edited by Roseanne Gerin.

Copyright 1998-2024, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content September not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use.

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China investigates US company for refusing to buy Xinjiang cotton

The action is in apparent response to US law banning goods produced in the region, analysts say.

By Uyghar for RFA Uyghur 2024.09.27 -- China has launched an investigation into PVH Corp., the U.S. parent company of fashion brands Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger, for suspected discriminatory measures by refusing to purchase cotton and other products from its northwestern region of Xinjiang, home to 12 million Uyghurs.

Analysts said the measure appears to be a retaliatory response by Beijing against companies complying with U.S. laws that ban the import of materials and products from Xinjiang suspected of using Uyghur forced labor.

"China is attempting to retaliate against U.S. sanctions on Xinjiang region by imposing its own sanctions on companies that follow U.S. sanctions," said Anders Corr, principal of the New York-based political risk firm Corr Analytics. "It's a very bad idea."

"Beijing is trying to tell Calvin Klein not to follow U.S. law but to follow Chinese law," he said.

China's Ministry of Commerce said Tuesday that PVH Corp. must provide documentation and evidence within 30 days to show it did not engage in discriminatory practices over the past three years.

"The U.S. PVH Group is suspected of violating normal market trading principles and unreasonably boycotting Xinjiang cotton and other products without factual basis, seriously damaging the legitimate rights and interests of relevant Chinese companies and endangering China's sovereignty, security and development interests," the ministry said in a statement.

Earlier this month, China adopted a resolution condemning a series of U.S. sanctions against the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region and providing support for affected companies.

In response to the measure, Alison Rappaport, PVH's vice president of external communications, said the company maintains strict compliance with relevant laws and regulations in the countries and regions where it operates.

"We are in communication with the Chinese Ministry of Commerce and will respond in accordance with the relevant regulations," she said, without further comment.

Genocide

In 2021, the U.S. government declared that China's repression of Uyghurs and other Muslims in Xinjiang, including mass detentions, the sterilization of women, forced labor and cultural and religious erasure, amounted to genocide and crimes against humanity. Legislatures in several Western countries passed similar declarations.

To punish China and get it to change its policies, the United States and other countries have banned the import of products from Xinjiang produced by Uyghur labor. About 90% of China's cotton is produced in Xinjiang, most of which is exported.

Since June 2022, the U.S. government has blacklisted companies in China that make products linked to forced labor in Xinjiang under the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, or UFLPA.

The law also authorizes sanctions on foreign individuals and entities found responsible for human rights abuses in the northwestern region.

More than 80 companies are now on the entity list.

This May, the U.S. Homeland Security Department added 26 Chinese textile companies to the entity list under the act, restricting them from entering the U.S. market.

Consequences

Henryk Szadziewski, research director at the Uyghur Human Rights Project, said China is using the measure to lash back over criticism of its policies in Xinjiang.

"This is very much a message to multinational corporations that they should not comply with sanctions and other kinds of bans placed on entities operating in Xinjiang," he said. "It definitely is a countermeasure to what is being done outside of China."

Nevertheless, multinational companies that adhere to U.S. sanctions and exclude forced labor products from their supply chains could face repercussions in China, Szadziewski said.

"If you do want to operate in China, you really have to operate by their rules and not by the rules of elsewhere," he said.

Translated by RFA Uyghur. Edited by Roseanne Gerin and Malcom Foster.

Copyright 1998-2024, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content September not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use.

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Chinese truck convoys crowd main bridge to North Korea

More than 100 trucks cross the Sino-Korean friendship bridge daily as relations warm and trade picks up.

By Kim Jieun for RFA Korean 2024.09.26 -- The main bridge connecting North Korea has been packed bumper-to-bumper with Chinese trucks over the past week, indicating that relations between Pyongyang and Beijing are warming up and that trade is picking up swiftly, residents in China told Radio Free Asia.

The Sino-Korean Friendship Bridge spans the Yalu River border, connecting the Chinese city of Dandong with North Korea's Sinuiju. Most, if not all, official overland trade between the two countries transits this bridge.

A resident of Dandong told RFA that over the past few days more than 100 trucks crossed the bridge each day.

"The frozen relationship between China and North Korea seems to be gradually thawing," he said. "You can see that by looking at the number of vehicles traveling between North Korea and China through the Sino-Korean Friendship Bridge."

Over the past few months, North Korea has been opportunistically cleaving to Russia, which needs all the allies it can get as Moscow's war with Ukraine isolates it from the rest of the international community. North Korea's relations with China have thus taken somewhat of a backseat.

But economically, North Korea depends heavily on China.

The large daily convoys are drawing spectators who enjoy watching such a massive number of trucks cross the bridge all at once, the resident said.

"The reason why the truck movement has increased these days is because fabrics, materials, and equipment are being transported to North Korea to produce clothing," he said. "This used to be produced in China. This is newly developed news that I learned through a Chinese businessman who has ties to North Korean officials."

He said the trucks go out in the daytime and unload about 40 tons of cargo each. They then return at nighttime.

Flood recovery efforts

A lot of the goods being transported are needed in flood recovery efforts, another Dandong resident said. In late July and August, heavy rains caused the Yalu River to overflow its banks, damaging communities and even submerging several inhabited islands.

"Most of the items loaded on the vehicles are construction materials needed to restore areas affected by recent floods," he said. "Additionally, there are lots of raw materials being brought in so that North Koreans can make products that were previously made by North Korean workers in China."

Previously North Korea would send large numbers of workers into China to earn foreign currency for the cash-strapped regime. But all North Korean workers were supposed to have returned home by 2019 according to international nuclear sanctions.

The second resident said that the same kind of work is being done, just in North Korea instead of in China.

"In the past, some Chinese companies with a legal address in Pyongyang produced clothing and electronic products in North Korea using Chinese materials and then changed them into Chinese products," he said.

In addition to sanctions deterring dispatched workers, the mood inside North Korea is also changing, according to the second resident. The North Korean government is also cautious to send workers abroad because it exposes them to the outside world and makes them less easy to control as they learn about life outside the top-down controlled North Korean society.

The second resident said that it is difficult to export products labeled as made in North Korea due to sanctions against North Korea, so products made to order in North Korea are converted to products made in China.

"It is impossible to count the number of vehicles lined up on the Sino-Korean Friendship Bridge, but at one glance, more than 100 vehicles are transporting goods to North Korea every day," he said. "This is the result of both North Korea and China agreeing on various exchanges from the standpoint of mutual interest."

Translated by Claire S. Lee and Leejin J. Chung. Edited by Eugene Whong and Malcolm Foster.

Copyright 1998-2016, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content September not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use.

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Speech by Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock at the 79th General Debate of the United Nations General Assembly New York

Germany Federal Foreign Office

27.09.2024 - Speech

We live in a world of quick headlines and even quicker slogans.

"Take back control."

"My country first."

"Us against them."

Slogans that paint the world in black and white.

Slogans that want to make us believe things are very simple.

That there is only one side that matters.

"Us against them".

I come from a country where this logic - "us against them" - was taken to the worst extremes that humankind has ever seen.

A murderous world war that killed millions.

And the worst possible crime against humanity. The Shoah, the genocide of 6 million Jews. Dehumanised, murdered just for being Jews. Murdered because of a Nazi ideology that would only accept the humanity of those they defined as Germans.

After World War Two, this institution here in New York was founded on the understanding that "us against them" leads to disaster.

That the world needs a countermodel: our UN charter.

A countermodel to a world in which we only recognise our own humanity, but not that of others.

A countermodel that instead grants every country in the world the right to determine its own destiny.

That casts a positive vision of our shared future.

A vision of an international order that is based on rules, on the equality of every state and every human being.

Of cooperation instead of divisive nationalism.

Of a humanity that is indivisible.

And these are not simple slogans.

These are the principles we try to live up to every day.

But living up to them is anything but simple.

It demands hard work, maybe more than ever before.

It demands empathy and solidarity, the opposite of "my country first".

It demands the will to put ourselves in the shoes of others.

It demands, especially in times of crisis, the strength to recognise the pain of others, even if our own pain seems unbearable.

And to find common ground despite all that divides us.

It also means that we have to face the dilemma that the values of the Charter can at times appear contradictory. Such as the inherent right to self-defence and the responsibility to protect civilians when civilians are misused as human shields.

Resolving this is harder than simply exclaiming:

"either - or",

"us against them".

Especially in this era of social media, where simple TikTok truths seem to blur out all complexity and nuance, sometimes even facts.

We can see that with regard to the war in the Middle East.

In its ruthless attack of 7 October last year, Hamas maimed and killed some 1200 men, women and children.

To this day, the terrorists are holding more than 100 men, women and children hostage. Including German citizens, including children.

At the same time, in Gaza, hungry, traumatised children are wandering the ruins of what used to be their homes, desperately searching for their parents under the rubble.

When we're seeing all this with hearts on fire, I guess it's only human that sometimes we are tempted to fall for simple slogans, to only see one side.

Each of us is looking at this conflict from our own perspective and history. We need to respect that. But we must not stop there.

Instead, we need to ask ourselves: "What if this was me? If these were my children?"

"In a competition of pain, there can be no winners."

This is how one of the hostage's families put it. Humanity is universal. If in the darkest hour of her life, the mother of a murdered hostage finds the strength to see both sides, then we, the leaders of the countries around the world, who have the privilege to speak in this hall, should be capable of doing the same.

Not to fall for quick slogans, but to rally around humanity in order to overcome this vicious circle of hate.

Universal humanity means that the rights of Israelis and Palestinians do not cancel each other out.

And this is why my country stands by its commitment to the security of the State of Israel. And why, at the same time, we are working every day to end the hell for the children of Gaza.

Because lasting security for Israelis will only be possible if there is lasting security for Palestinians. And the opposite is also true: lasting security for Palestinians will only be possible if there is lasting security for Israelis.

This is why we will not rest until the hostages are home.

This is why we are working so hard for a ceasefire. For the Biden plan, which was endorsed by the Security Council.

And why at the same time, together with our partners, we are working hard to get more humanitarian aid into Gaza. Germany alone has provided more than a360 million for humanitarian aid for Gaza since last October.

This is why I've been in the region 11 times since October.

This is also why yesterday we came together with a group of countries to call for an immediate 21-day ceasefire along the Blue Line. Because a broader regional escalation would not create lasting security for anyone.

And frustrating, to be frank, as the lack of progress sometimes is, we are not giving up on seeking a political vision to enable Israelis and Palestinians to live peacefully, side by side, in two states.

For me, resignation is simply not an option. Because that would mean that the playbook of terrorism and extremism prevails.

We need to recognise each other's pain, each other's interests, and yes, also listen to each other's grievances if we want to move forward.

And if we do so, we might sometimes hear things we don't want to hear - hear about our own shortcomings.

I remember how two and a half years ago I called many colleagues here in this room and around the world to ask for your support in standing up against Russia's imperial war in Ukraine.

And how one of my colleagues said, "But where were you when we needed you?" "When we were attacked by the Houthis?" And others said, "You didn't stand with us in our anti-colonial struggle!"

I admit, I paused for thought. Because they had a point.

And I firmly believe: critical self-reflection of what we or generations before us in our countries have done wrong is actually to our benefit.

Because the ability to learn from past mistakes makes societies stronger.

It is the only way to build a better future.

That is why in my country, Germany, we have started to address our colonial past more thoroughly. The restitution of artifacts is a crucial element here.

That is also why we are in the midst of an important reconciliation process with Namibia.

Because we can't undo mistakes of the past.

But we can unite for a better future. And we can choose to do so every day through our own actions.

Facing up to our colonial history to me means doing the right thing, but it also means that we have to stand up to the imperialist atrocities we are witnessing at this time.

Russia does not have a better future in mind for Ukraine.

Ukraine is an independent state that gave up its nuclear arsenal in the 1990s because it believed in the principles and guarantees of this Charter.

And in its bodies, such as the Security Council.

Three decades later, it is attacked by a P5 country, one of the countries that bears, as the Charter says "the primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security".

Russia's war against Ukraine has been destroying Ukrainian cities, schools and hospitals for almost 1000 days now.

And it is ravaging the security order of my continent, Europe.

Its ripple effects have been felt by so many around the world.

Many of you are feeling the consequences of this war in your own countries, also when it comes to food prices.

So I understand that some of you are asking, also in the Security Council two days ago, "wouldn't the war be over if you Europeans just stopped providing Ukraine with weapons?"

There's nothing wrong with asking that. Because we all yearn for peace.

But the idea that if there were no defensive weapons, there would be no fighting and no dying in Ukraine is as simple as it is wrong.

We have seen what happened in June when Ukraine invited Russia to an international peace summit.

Instead of stopping his attack and coming to the negotiating table, Putin sent his response by bombing a children's hospital.

As long as Putin is not willing to come to the negotiating table, stopping our support for self-defence would simply mean leaving the children's hospitals in Ukraine defenceless.

It would mean more war crimes, not less. Possibly in other countries, too.

Time and again within the last months, Putin's Russia has been toying with the inviolability of the borders of the Baltic states and Poland.

Two weeks ago, Russia fired a missile against a civilian grain ship in Romanian territorial waters.

This is why today I am also asking for your support. Your support in calling on Putin to cease his attacks and come to the negotiating table.

Not only for our European security, but also in your own interest.

If a permanent member of the Security Council is allowed to conquer and destroy its smaller neighbour, the very essence of this Charter is under attack.

If Russia stops attacking, the war is over. If Ukraine stops defending itself, Ukraine is over. And our Charter:

Sovereign equality - Article 2(1)

Peaceful settlement of disputes - Article 2(3)

Prohibition of the use of force - Article 2(4).

This is why we will continue to stand firmly with Ukraine, and our Charter, to achieve a peace that is just and lasting, with security guarantees.

A peace that secures Ukraine's existence as a free and independent country.

A peace that ensures Ukraine's and Europe's security.

And thus, the security of all of us.

Obviously, none of this is easy.

For almost 1000 days now, so many countries have been working for Ukrainian children to sleep in their beds again and not in air-raid shelters.

For almost a year, so many of us have been working to help end the suffering in the Middle East.

In countless talks in the region, countless meetings in UN bodies. And yes, sometimes I, too, feel like giving in to despair.

But throwing our hands in the air in resignation is not an option.

Because then the logic of "us against them" prevails.

And also, and this is important to me, we tend to forget one thing in these times of crisis: There is a lot we can achieve, and have already achieved, as an international community every day that we stand together. If we take each other's perspective.

To name only two striking recent examples, think about what we achieved at the COP in Dubai only a year ago. When we saw what is possible when we overcome "us versus them". Industrial states against G77. The South versus the North.

When we listened instead, first of all, to those most affected by the climate crisis and to our SIDS partners who have been telling us for decades that the climate crisis is threatening their very existence. That it is the biggest global security threat. When, with more than 190 states, we finally agreed to signal an end of the fossil era at COP28 . When we set up a Loss and Damage Fund for the most vulnerable.

We saw again what we can achieve just earlier this week when we passed The Pact for the Future. It took more than two years of tough negotiations, hundreds of hours discussing the text in conference rooms, overnight sessions, last-minute compromises.

Many helped and didn't give up. Our partners from Namibia, and so many others. And in the end, the vast majority of us found the strength to rally around what unites us:

rules instead of brute nationalism,

cooperation instead of division,

a humanity that is universal.

And it is in this very spirit that Germany is running for a non-permanent seat on the Security Council for 2027-2028.

We are running as defenders of the Charter, of our shared principles. And that also means that we need to take a critical look at the status quo of our multilateral institutions. Because in many ways, our multilateral system still reflects a time when hardly any of us here in the room had been born. When the striking number of 142 states represented in this chamber today were not sitting at the table.

That needs to change. That's why we are working for a reform of the Security Council to better reflect the world we live in. To ensure better representation of African countries.

And yes, it is also totally unjust that at the two most important international financial institutions, there are only Europeans and Americans at the top.

We need our institutions to be accepted by all of us, and for that they need to represent all of us.

All of us, not just the men of the world.

The one thing we definitely all have in common is this: women make up at least 50% of the population of every single country.

But in 80 years of this organisation, there has never been a female secretary-general.

So, if this organisation calls for equality and justice in the world, it is long overdue for us to show it here in New York.

We probably all should already practice saying the words "Madam Secretary General, you have the floor".

Because the next Secretary-General of the United Nations has to be a woman.

Obviously, that alone will not immediately end all the remaining inequality for women in our own countries. In this General Assembly, we hail from all regions of the world but none of us has achieved full gender equality. And I believe we can only achieve it together, by learning from each other and by speaking up for women's rights, not only in our own countries, but everywhere.

Because women's rights are human rights, not something northern, western, eastern or southern.

They are universal.

And none of us wants to be paid less than her male colleague for the same job.

None of us wants to be raped.

None of us wants to be arrested for showing our hair.

No women and, I would guess, no men either.

Because a life is a life.

A Palestinian woman's life is a life.

An Israeli man's life is a life.

A Sudanese girl's life is a life.

A Ukrainian boy's life is a life.

Almost 80 years ago, the UN was founded for exactly that. On the realisation that simple slogans, that "us versus them" leads to disaster.

That humanity is indivisible.

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Defence Secretary leads an Indian delegation to Kenya; Holds talks with Principal Secretary, Ministry of Defence of Kenya to further strengthen bilateral defence cooperation

India - Press Information Bureau

Ministry of Defence

Lays foundation stone of a new Radiology Complex at the Kenyan Naval base Mtongwe in Mombasa

Posted On: 27 SEP 2024 8:11PM by PIB Delhi

Defence Secretary Shri Giridhar Aramane led an Indian delegation to Kenya on an official visit from September 26 to 27, 2024 on the invitation of Principal Secretary, Ministry of Defence Dr Patrick Mariru. The delegation comprised senior officers from Ministry of Defence and Ministry of External Affairs.

On the first day of his visit, the Defence Secretary had a productive and substantive engagement with the Principal Secretary, Ministry of Defence of Kenya. Wide-ranging discussions were held on further strengthening bilateral defence cooperation including specialised training, maritime information sharing, military medicine, and defence industry. Both the countries agreed to collaborate in promoting security and stability in the Indian Ocean region. In this regard, both sides also recalled BAHARI, the Joint Vision Statement to guide bilateral maritime cooperation. The Vision Statement was issued during the State visit of President William Ruto to India in December 2023.

The Defence Secretary also called on Cabinet Secretary (Defence Minister), Ministry of Defence of Kenya Ms Roselinda Soipan Tuya. He conveyed the greetings of Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh and discussed ways to further augment bilateral defence cooperation. The Cabinet Secretary also conveyed her greetings to the Raksha Mantri and reiterated her commitment for further strengthening defence cooperation between the two countries.

On September 27, 2024, the Defence Secretary visited Kenyan Naval base Mtongwe in Mombasa. He was accompanied by Principal Secretary Dr Mariru. They jointly laid the foundation stone of a new Radiology Complex, being built and equipped under the bilateral defence partnership. In his address, Defence Secretary highlighted the longstanding, friendly, close and strong relationship between India and Kenya. He also emphasised the rich historical ties that date back to centuries, rooted in trade, migration, and cultural exchanges. The Defence Secretary was received by Brigadier John Sankale Kiswaa, Deputy Commander of Kenya Navy at Mtongwe Naval Base, Mombasa. They also discussed cooperation between the navies of the two countries.

The visit was consistent with the periodic high-level exchanges between India & Kenya, and is expected to further strengthen the bilateral defence cooperation.

*****

SR/Savvy



(Release ID: 2059653)

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Secretary Blinken's Meeting with Israeli Minister of Strategic Affairs Dermer

US Department of State

Readout

Office of the Spokesperson

September 26, 2024

The following is attributable to Spokesperson Matthew Miller:

Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken met with Israeli Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer today in New York. The Secretary discussed the importance of reaching an agreement on the 21 day ceasefire across the Israel-Lebanon border proposed by the United States, Australia, Canada, the European Union, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and Qatar and a diplomatic settlement that will allow civilians on both sides of the border to return to their homes. He underscored that further escalation of the conflict will only make that objective more difficult.

The Secretary also discussed ongoing efforts to reach a ceasefire in Gaza that would secure the release of the hostages, alleviate the suffering of the Palestinian people, and set the conditions for an end to the war, and underscored that all parties must make the difficult decisions necessary to reach an agreement. He further discussed steps Israel needs to take to improve the delivery of humanitarian assistance to Gaza. Secretary Blinken reiterated the United States' ironclad commitment to Israel's security.

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Joint Statement on Libya Senior Officials Meeting

US Department of State

Media Note

Office of the Spokesperson

September 26, 2024

The text of the following co-chair statement was released by the Governments of the United States of America and Italy on the occasion of the 2024 UNGA Libya Senior Officials Meeting.

Begin Text:

1. Upon the initiative of Italy and the United States (the co-chairs), senior officials representing Algeria, Egypt, France, Germany, Italy, Morocco, Qatar, TArkiye, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, and the United States of America convened on the margins of the United Nations General Assembly High-Level Week to discuss the political stalemate and deepening divisions in Libya.

2. The co-chairs reaffirmed the strong support of the international community for Libya's sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity, and national unity.

3. The co-chairs welcomed the briefing by UNSMIL Officer-in-Charge Stephanie Koury, who updated participants on the mission's ongoing efforts to facilitate meaningful dialogue among Libyan parties in order to reverse institutional fragmentation and move towards sustainable stability, ending the current transitional period and agreeing on a credible roadmap to free, fair, transparent and inclusive presidential and parliamentary elections based on an inclusive political agreement and viable electoral laws.

4. The co-chairs commended the progress facilitated by UNSMIL in enabling Libyan parties to reach a compromise on appointing new leadership of the Central Bank of Libya (CBL), as a crucial step to address the negative repercussions for the national economy of the recent crisis. They underscored the ongoing need for the robust implementation of this agreement to re-establish competent and credible leadership at the CBL, ensuring transparency and accountability and enabling the CBL to fulfil its mandate and core functions. They expressed full support for UNSMIL in assisting Libyan parties to implement the agreement announced on September 25.

5. The co-chairs recalled that Libya's oil resources are for the benefit of all Libyans and urged all Libyan parties to allow oil production to resume in full without disruption, interference, or politicization, as well as to ensure that oil and gas revenues are managed in a transparent, equitable and accountable manner with effective Libyan oversight.

6. The co-chairs renewed their full support for the 23 October 2020 ceasefire agreement, including its call for the withdrawal of mercenaries from Libya without delay, and welcomed the commitments of the 5+5 Joint Military Commission and the two Chiefs of Staff towards reunification of the Libyan military and security institutions.

7. In this framework, the co-chairs welcomed the support of participants for enhancing security coordination and information-sharing among Libyan security forces throughout the country, including in the framework of efforts to enhance the country's counterterrorism and border security capabilities.

End Text.

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Myanmar junta invites insurgents, 'terrorists' to join election

Shadow government dismisses the invitation as a 'bogus' bid by the junta to improve its image.

By RFA Burmese 2024.09.27 -- Myanmar's junta has called on its insurgent enemies to abandon their "terrorist way" and join a planned election, but a parallel civilian government spearheading opposition to military rule dismissed the offer as a trick by the junta to burnish its international image.

The junta, which seized power in early 2021 with the overthrow of a government led by Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, says it will hold a "multiparty democratic general election" some time next year, although its opponents say a vote under military rule, with Suu Kyi and hundreds of supporters in jail and her party disbanded, would be a sham.

Giant neighbor China, which has extensive economic interests in Myanmar, including energy pipelines from the Indian Ocean coast, has been pressing Myanmar's rivals to work out their differences and has offered to help organize the election.

"Ethnic armed organizations and PDF terrorists fighting against the state are invited to contact the state to resolve the political issues through party political or electoral processes in order to be able to join hands with the people to emphasize durable peace and development by discarding the armed terrorist way," the junta said in a statement published in its media late on Thursday.

Ethnic minority insurgents, who have been battling for self-determination for decades, have built alliances with pro-democracy activists who took up arms after the 2021 coup and formed what they call People's Defense Forces, or PDFs, throughout the country.

The PDFs, which have been relentlessly attacking junta forces in central, heartland areas like the Sagaing and Mandalay regions, are loyal to a civilian government in exile, the National Unity Government, or NUG, formed by pro-democracy politicians largely from Suu Kyi's party, after the coup.

A spokesman for the NUG's Presidential Office dismissed the junta's invitation as fake.

"The terrorist junta council's invitation to our revolutionary forces to abandon the armed path and discuss this is just a bogus offer," the spokesman, Kyaw Zaw, told Radio Free Asia.

"It has never intended there to be political dialogue and now it's making this deception just to sound good and look good internationally," he said, adding that if the military was sincere, it would stop its "terrorism that is killing the people" and get out of politics altogether.

Rebel groups reject offer

A PDF official in Myingyan township, Mandalay region, where fierce fighting is currently ongoing, told RFA that there is no reason to engage in talks with the junta.

"They have been doing this for years ... they negotiate for a while, then continue doing whatever they want," said the official. "As for all PDFs, we won't engage in any discussions on this matter. There is no reason to talk about it."

Representatives from the Karen National Union and Chin National Army also dismissed the offer as "unacceptable," while one from the Ta'ang National Liberation Army, or TNLA, said his group would only consider the invitation if the junta acknowledges its crimes and removes the TNLA from its list of terrorist organizations.

RFA attempted to reach Khaing Thukha, a spokesperson for the Arakan Army, which is currently engaged in conflict with the military in Rakhine state, but received no response.

However, at a press conference on June 8, Khaing Thukha said that a ceasefire with the junta "is impossible."

Myanmar affairs commentator Than Soe Naing said the junta's invitation amounted to a publicity stunt.

"The junta seeks to present itself as implementing the election process with a flexible attitude by inviting the PDFs, however, it does not acknowledge the leadership of the PDFs, effectively sidelining them," he said.

Election record

Myanmar's military has ruled since 1962, apart from a decade of tentative reform that was snuffed out with the 2021 coup, and is deeply unpopular with most of the population.

Suu Kyi's party trounced a party organized by the generals in 1990 - the military ignored the result - and again in 2015, when Suu Kui was allowed to form a government under the generals' auspices.

Again in late 2020, Suu Kyi's party swept the polls. The military defended its coup weeks later by saying the voting had been marred by fraud. Election organizers and observers said there was little if any evidence of cheating.

A census that the military is organizing to "ensure the accuracy of voter lists" is due to be launched next week and completed by mid-October but analysts say it will likely only include about 30 million of Myanmar's estimated 56 million people because only residents of major cities, which the junta still controls, are being counted.

Armed conflict is underway in 233 of Myanmar's 330 townships, according to the Institute for Strategy and Policy - Myanmar in a July report. The junta has said that if the census is not complete by mid-October it will "increase security and extend the date" to finalize it.

The United Nations says about 3 million people have been forced from their homes by fighting between junta troops and those who oppose the military's coup, many since clashes surged at the beginning of the year.

Hundreds of thousands of people have moved abroad since the coup, escaping repression, conscription into the military and an economy in freefall.

Edited by Mike Firn and Taejun Kang.

This story has been updated to include the reactions of rebel groups to the junta's invitation.

Copyright 1998-2024, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content September not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use.

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Myanmar military urges armed groups to stop fighting, join elections

By Nyein Chan Aye September 27, 2024

Myanmar's military has called on ethnic armed groups and anti-junta resistance forces to end their armed struggle and participate in proposed national elections. While this call to cease fighting was quickly rejected by opposition forces, it marked a significant development in Myanmar's three-year civil war.

Ye Myo Hein, a senior expert on Myanmar at the United States Institute of Peace, said the military's call to cease fighting, made public in a statement Thursday, was aimed to appease China.

"The SAC [State Administration Council] is making overtures to Beijing," he posted on social media, pointing out recent statements in which the military referred to China as Myanmar's closest ally.

The statement posted by the SAC, Myanmar's military regime, proposed that ethnic groups, including the People's Defense Forces (PDF) a the armed wing of the anti-junta movement a resolve political issues through peaceful means and electoral participation.

Though the SAC did not mention the National Unity Government (NUG), the PDF is largely aligned with the shadow government formed by former lawmakers and junta opponents. The SAC argued that the ongoing conflict has caused significant losses to the country.

"Considering the losses of the state due to armed struggle and terrorism, ethnic armed organizations and PDF terrorists are invited to contact the state to resolve political issues through party politics," the SAC stated.

Opposition response

Opposition leaders swiftly dismissed the military's appeal to cease fighting.

Sui Khar, foreign minister of the Chinland government, which controls much of Chin state in western Myanmar, and vice chairman of the NUG-affiliated Chin National Front, told VOA the military's statement was not a genuine invitation, as it was limited to political parties and elections.

"It sounded like they were forcing others to join their own agenda," Sui Khar said.

The NUG also rejected the junta's invitation, calling it a ploy to create disunity among resistance forces, and vowed to continue the Spring Revolution a the resistance movement against military rule a and to work toward establishing a federal democratic union.

Soe Thuya Zaw, a commander of the Mandalay PDF, described the offer as deceptive. "It's like hanging a goat's head but selling dog meat," he wrote on Facebook, using a Myanmar proverb to highlight the military's history of broken promises.

Escalation in Lashio

The Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA), an ethnic armed group with close ties to China, has frustrated the military by capturing key territories along the Myanmar-China border. Despite the junta's attempts to negotiate, ongoing airstrikes cast doubt on the prospects for peace.

On Friday, fighter jets bombed Lashio, a major city in northern Shan state and a critical trade route to China, currently under MNDAA control. According to the MNDAA, the strikes targeted civilian areas, killing two people and injuring six.

"They talk about resolving political problems through dialogue, yet continue bombing. So, the offer is impossible," said Tu Maung Nyo, a writer and political analyst based on the Thailand-Myanmar border. "The military is calling for negotiations because they can't win on the battlefield. It's just a way out of a crisis."

China's role in path forward

Analysts say Beijing has been pressuring both Myanmar's SAC and ethnic armed groups to stabilize the situation, primarily to protect its interests along the shared border and safeguard investments. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi's visit to Myanmar earlier this year signaled Beijing's desire for a stable Myanmar under military control without prolonged conflict.

"China wants stability," said Hla Kyaw Zaw, a China-Myanmar relations expert based in China. "Their top priorities are ensuring bombs don't fall near their territory, preventing refugees from crossing into China, and protecting Chinese investments in Myanmar. China also wants to ensure the safety of its people in Myanmar."

But the situation remains complicated. While China provides political and economic backing to the junta, analysts argue that it also covertly supports some ethnic armed groups along its border. The MNDAA, for example, is widely believed to receive Chinese support. The military's recent warmth toward China is seen by many as a survival tactic.

Tu Maung Nyo said the stakes are high for China. Beijing seeks stability but recognizes that as long as the SAC remains in power, peace may be elusive.

Although China continues to support the military, it is likely applying pressure behind the scenes for a resolution, especially as regional powers, including the Quad nations a Australia, India, Japan and the United States a express concern over Myanmar's future.

"China may even use its leverage by withholding weapons sales or cutting off the military's jet fuel supply," Hla Kyaw Zaw said, noting that such actions would align with recent calls from the Quad members.

Tu Maung Nyo said outside influences have always played a role in Myanmar, which occupies a strategic position on the Indian Ocean.

"The events in Myanmar, from the start of the civil war to today, have always seen the participation of major powers. While some may call it interference, I see it as inevitable participation," he said. "But now, the military seems to have a big problem deciding which side to rely on."

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'Chill of a new Cold War' is in the air, Pakistan leader tells UN Assembly

27 September 2024 - Pakistan's Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif told the UN General Assembly on Friday that with the world gripped by daunting challenges, from conflict to terrorism and climate change, "we feel the chill of a new Cold War."

He expressed "searing pain and anguish" over the plight of the people in Gaza, stating, "our hearts bleed as we witness the tragedy unfolding in the Holy Land, a tragedy that shakes the very conscience of humanity."

"Can we, as human beings, remain silent while children lie buried under the rubble of their shattered homes? Can we turn a blind eye to the mothers, cradling the lifeless bodies of their children?" he asked, stressing that this is not just a conflict but a "systematic slaughter of innocent people".

He emphasised that it is not enough to condemn the conflict, but rather there must be immediate action towards a two-State solution based on pre-1967 borders and full membership at the UN for Palestine.

Without such a solution, "[the current conflict] threatens to drag the entire Middle East into a war, whose consequences could be grave and beyond imagination".

The Prime Minister of Pakistan likens the plight of the people of Palestine to those in Jammu and Kashmir where they have "struggled for a century for their freedom and right to self-determination".

He underscored that since 5 August 2019, India has initiated "unilateral illegal steps to impose what its leaders ominously call a 'Final Solution' for Jammu and Kashmir" with 900,000 Indian troops terrorising the people there through prolonged curfews, extra-judicial killings and the abduction of thousands of young Kahmiris.

In reaction to "massive expansion of its military capabilities which are essentially deployed against Pakistan", he asserted that "Pakistan will respond most decisively to any Indian aggression."

Turning to the increasing impacts of climate change, the Prime Minister said that while his country emits less than one per cent of carbon globally, it had to pay a very heavy price, including the $30 billion in damages from catastrophic floods two years ago.

"We must uphold the axiom: the polluter pays!" he declared.

Additionally, nearly 100 developing countries are "trapped in a vicious cycle of debt and liquidity crisis", he said, naming it a "death trap" and recalling the Secretary-General's description of the international financial architecture as "morally bankrupt".

"The world trade and technology regimes must be reformed and aligned to promote development and global equity," he said.

"We must carry with us a message for our people that the weak are not voiceless, that the oppressed should not lose hope, that poverty is not preordained and that the Almighty's promise of justice and equality in our only terrestrial home must be respected!" he concluded.

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Press release on Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's participation in the sixth ministerial meeting of the Group of Friends in Defense of the Charter of the United Nations

27 September 2024 18:48

1816-27-09-2024

On September 27, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov took part in the Sixth Ministerial meeting of the Group of Friends in Defence of the Charter of the United Nations held on the sidelines of the 79th session of the UN General Assembly in New York.

In his address Sergey Lavrov made an emphasis on the important role that the Group of Friends is playing in upholding the principles of the Organisation's founding document in their totality and integrity, in raising the voice of the World Majority against the biased narrative of the "collective West" and, more broadly, in promoting a more just and equitable multipolar world order.

Sergey Lavrov welcomed the efforts by the Group of Friends in countering neocolonial designs of the Westerners, primarily illegal unilateral sanctions. He emphasised the particular relevance of the Group's joint initiative - the draft UN General Assembly resolution on the eradication of colonialism in all its forms and manifestations, which was approved by the General Assembly Special Committee on Decolonisation on June 21.

Special attention in course of the discussion was given to the situation in the area of the Israeli-Arab conflict, given that Israel has been continuing for almost a year a military operation in the Gaza Strip, raids in the West Bank and violations of the status quo in the Holy Places of Jerusalem, as well as the projection of tensions to other countries in the region.

The Russian side has confirmed the approaches of principle in favour of an immediate and general ceasefire, release of all the hostages and forcibly held persons, provision for a safe and stable humanitarian access to the injured and needy Palestinians, relaunch of the peace process on the generally-recognised basis of international law providing for the establishment of a sovereign and independent State of Palestine coexisting in peace and security with Israel.

The meeting resulted in the adoption of a general political declaration outlining the association's approaches to the most acute international and regional issues.

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Press release on Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's meeting with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres

27 September 2024 04:06

1810-27-09-2024

On September 26, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov had a meeting with Secretary-General of the United Nations Antonio Guterres on the sidelines of the 79th Session of the UN General Assembly in New York. During the conversation, they discussed the current geopolitical environment and emerging trends, as well as reviewed the most urgent matters on the international agenda, including the situation in the Middle East and in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict zone, while paying special attention to Russia-UN cooperation in various aspects.

Sergey Lavrov reaffirmed the importance for UN senior executives and all members of the Secretariat to strictly adhere to the principle of impartiality and maintain an equidistant position, including when addressing the crimes perpetrated by the Kiev regime. He made an urgent appeal to Antonio Guterres not to allow UN agencies' representatives to be drawn into would-be peaceful initiatives in the context of the Ukraine crisis.

The Foreign Minister went on to draw the Secretary-General's attention to the continued violations by the United States of the 1947 Agreement between the United Nations and the United States of America regarding the Headquarters of the United Nations. He noted that, faced with this situation, Antonio Guterres must initiate an arbitration procedure regarding the United States without delay, as required by several corresponding UN General Assembly resolutions.

Both sides expressed their commitment to further strengthening constructive Russia-UN ties and reaffirmed their mutual support for the UN's central coordinating role in international affairs, as well as full compliance with the provisions of the UN Charter, considering their interconnected nature.

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Laros 2024 joint Russian-Laotian drills conclude at Sergeyevsky training ground in Primorye region

27.09.2024

The closing ceremony of the Laros 2024 joint Russian-Laotian military exercise was held at the Eastern Military District's military training ground.

Deputy Commander of the Eastern Military District Lieutenant General Mikhail Nosulev, representatives of the command and personnel of the combined-arms formation of the Eastern Military District stationed in Primorsky region, Lao People's Armed Forces Deputy Chief of Staff Major General Phan Seng, officers, and servicemen of the Laotian troops took part in the event.

Military officials of both states emphasised that the participants of the exercise demonstrated high level of their combat readiness and cooperation. Furthermore, the servicemen exchanged combat experience of the present-day conflicts.

'Despite the difficulty of the joint counter-terrorism tasks, all goals of the Laros 2024 joint Russian-Laotian drills have been achieved. All missions of the exercise have been accomplished,' said Deputy Commander of the Eastern Military District Lieutenant General Mikhail Nosulev.

At the parade ground of the tent camp, the servicemen, who showed excellent performance during the exercise, were presented with honourary distinctions and gifts for good memory. At the end of the ceremony, Russian and Laotian servicemen marched alongside each other. The Eastern Military District's guard of honour also performed there.

Department for Media Affairs and Information

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Detailed Breakdown of Russia's Arsenal of Strategic Nuclear Warheads

Sputnik News

20240927

Ilya Tsukanov

President Vladimir Putin proposed amendments to Russia's nuclear doctrine this week to account for emerging threats, including risks posed by NATO's hybrid warfare strategy. Here's what's known about Russia's aggression-deterring arsenal of land, sea, and air-launched strategic nuclear warheads.

Officially, the number and type of nuclear weapons possessed by Russia is a closely guarded state secret. However, estimates based on respected sources, including the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, Federation of American Scientists, and information pieced together by Russian media based on official and Defense Ministry statements gives a rough idea of the country's potential.

Russia has an estimated 1,710 warheads deployed in various carriers at any given time, with another 2,670 in storage, and 1,200 more retired and in the process of being dismantled, for a total of 5,580, according to FAS figures.

That's well within the limits set out by the now-suspended 2010 New START agreement, which allows the nuclear superpowers to keep 700 deployed missiles and bombers, 1,550 deployed warheads (including missile payloads containing multiple warheads - known as MIRVs) and bombers, and 800 deployed and non-deployed launchers (in missile tube and bomber form).

Russia's strategic arsenal (i.e. nuclear weapons aimed at maintaining the "mutually assured destruction" balance of terror, not tactical or battlefield nukes, which are not accounted for here) can be broken down by their ground, submarine and aircraft-based launch systems.

Ground-Based Nuclear Missiles

- RS-24 Yars: These road-mobile and/or silo-based missiles carry up to three warheads apiece, with the latter possessing an explosive yield of about 200 kilotons of TNT (for comparison, the American atomic bomb that wiped out Hiroshima had a yield of about 15 kt). Russia is thought to possess 772 warheads total for these weapons.

- Topol-M: Another road-mobile/silo-based missile, the Topol-M carries a single warhead with an 800 kt explosive yield. Russia has 78 in its arsenal.

- R-36M2/RS-20B Voevoda: Another ground-based ICBM, this one carrying warheads with a 550-750 kt payload. A single Voevoda can be armed with up to 10 warheads, and/or decoys. The missiles are being gradually retired, with Russia possessing 46 Voevodas (and 340 warheads for them), according to publicly available estimates.

- RS-28 Sarmat: This brand new ICBM can carry up to 16 warheads, each with an explosive yield of up to 750 kt. Some 46 Sarmats are to be added to the Strategic Nuclear Forces over time. The first Sarmat was put on combat duty in 2023.

- Avangard: Launchable from Voevoda and Sarmat ICBMs, these maneuverable, hypersonic glide vehicles are designed to zoom through enemy missile defenses, no matter how dense or sophisticated, to their targets. It has an estimated explosive yield of between 800 kt and two megatons in their nuclear variant. Russia is thought to possess seven Avangard systems at the moment, with more expected as upgrades to the nuclear forces continue.

Sea-Based Nuclear Missiles

- RSM-56 Bulava: This submarine-launched ballistic missile makes up the backbone of the naval component of the Russian nuclear triad, with each missile carrying between six and ten 100-150 kt warheads (576 total). Lurking in the depths of the North Sea as well as the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and difficult to detect, subs armed with Bulavas are designed to inflict a devastating counterstrike, and make the enemy think twice about first strike aggression.

- R-29RMU2 Sineva/R-29RMU2 Layner: Two more SLBMs, the former possessing a 4x500 kt or 10x100 kt payload, the latter a 4x500 kt or 12x100 kt payload. Estimated 320 warheads total.

Air-Based Nuclear Delivery

- Tu-95MS: These lumbering, subsonic, turboprop bombers are tasked with launching strategic payloads from standoff ranges. Their armament consists of the Kh-55 and Kh-102 nuclear cruise missiles. Explosive yield of 200-500 kt (Kh-55) or 250 kt-1 megaton (Kh-102). Each bomber can carry up to six Kh-55s, or eight Kh-102s. Estimated total arsenal: 448 warheads.

- Tu-160: The Tu-95's younger, sleeker cousin, these supersonic variable-swept wing strategic bombers can carry up to six Kh-55/102 cruise missiles each. Russia has an estimated 132 warheads assigned to this particular bomber fleet.

A Sputnik

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Project 22350 Frigates to Form Bulk of Russia's Northern, Pacific Fleets

Sputnik News

20240927

ST. PETERSBURG (Sputnik) - Frigates of Project 22350 will form the bulk of Russia's Northern and Pacific fleets' far sea zone, Russian Navy Commander-in-Chief Alexander Moiseyev said on Friday.

"Frigates of Project 22350 will form the basis of the far sea zone of the Northern and Pacific fleets. The first three ships are currently serving with the Northern Fleet, while the Admiral Isakov frigate will join the Pacific Fleet. We assume that under the existing program [the frigates will be deployed in the two fleets] in approximately similar numbers. In the future, fleet formations of the Project 22350 frigates will be in every fleet," Moiseyev told journalists.

Earlier in the day, Moiseyev took part in the launch of a Project 22350 frigate, dubbed Soviet Union Fleet Admiral Isakov, in St. Petersburg.

Project 22350 is a series of multi-target frigates of the Russian Navy equipped with guided missiles. The ships are designed to destroy underwater and on-water targets and have increased protection from aerial attacks.

A Sputnik

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Five Syrian soldiers killed in Israeli aggression near Lebanon border

Iran Press TV

Friday, 27 September 2024 10:38 AM

Israel has carried out a new aerial assault on Syria, killing five soldiers and injuring another near the country's border with Lebanon.

Citing a military source, the official SANA news agency reported that the Israeli airstrike targeted a Syrian military site close to the village of Kfeir Yabous, in Damascus countryside, early on Friday.

The deadly attack, which was launched from the direction of Syria's Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, came a day after Israeli fighter jets bombed the Matraba border crossing between Lebanon and Syria's Homs Province.

At least eight people were wounded in the raid that also damaged the crossing point and its surrounding area.

It was the first Israeli strike on Syria since Monday, when the regime intensified its bloody bombing campaign against Lebanon, the so-called Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

Israel frequently targets military positions inside Syria, especially those of the Lebanese resistance movement Hezbollah which has played a key role in helping the Syrian army in its fight against foreign-backed terrorists.

The Tel Aviv regime rarely comments on its attacks on Syrian territories, which many see as a knee-jerk reaction to the Syrian government's phenomenal success in confronting and decimating terrorism.

Damascus has time and again called on the UN Security Council to put an end to the regime's attacks that violate Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The Israeli attacks on Syria come amid the regime's ongoing genocide in the Gaza Strip which has killed more than 41,500 people, mostly women and children, over the past year.

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Press release on Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's meeting with Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of the Syrian Arab Republic Bassam al-Sabbagh

27 September 2024 18:58

1817-27-09-2024

On September 27, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met with Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of the Syrian Arab Republic Bassam al-Sabbagh on the sidelines of the 79th session of the UN General Assembly in New York.

In the course of the meeting, they had an in-depth review of the situation in Syria and around it with a focus on the aspects of its comprehensive settlement in strict compliance with the principles of respect for the sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity of the Syrian Arab Republic.

The ministers discussed the current situation in the Middle East in the context of the continuing escalation in the Gaza Strip and sharp exacerbation of the situation in Lebanon subjected to massive Israeli air strikes.

They also touched upon pressing issues of strengthening Russian-Syrian relations and confirmed their mutual commitment to maintain close coordination at the United Nations and other international platforms.

The ministers signed the Declaration of the Russian Federation and the Syrian Arab Republic on Ways and Means of Countering, Mitigating and Compensating the Negative Consequences of Unilateral Coercive Measures.

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U.S. 'applauds' Lai's efforts to boost Taiwan's defense: AIT executive

ROC Central News Agency

09/27/2024 12:46 PM

Washington, Sept. 26 (CNA) The United States "strongly encourages and applauds" the efforts made by President Lai Ching-te's () administration to bolster Taiwan's self-defense through reforms and investments, said Ingrid Larson, managing director of American Institute in Taiwan's (AIT) Washington Office.

Larson made the remarks on Sept. 23 when introducing Taiwan's Vice Minister of National Defense Hsu Yen-pu () as the keynote speaker at the 2024 U.S.-Taiwan Defense Industry Conference in Philadelphia.

In her speech, Larson said that throughout the past year, Beijing has continued to employ a whole-of-government approach using a range of diplomatic, informational, military, financial, intelligence, law enforcement and economic measures to pressure and coerce Taiwan.

One example she raised is how the Scottish city of Edinburgh ended a year-long effort to have a sister city relationship with Kaohsiung due to Chinese pressure.

"Such actions are not conducive to promoting people-to-people ties, or the peaceful resolution of cross-Strait differences," she added.

Larson said the U.S. "strongly encourages and applauds the Lai administration's early efforts to continue to bolster Taiwan's self-defense through reforms and resource investments," such as the proposal to increase Taiwan's 2025 defense budget by nearly 6 percent to approximately US$20 billion.

The U.S. also welcomes Taiwan's Defense Minister Wellington Koo's () support for significant defense reforms, including the establishment of a new entity within the Ministry of National Defense modeled after the United States Defense Innovation Unit, she noted.

She also touched on the topic of Taiwan's whole-of-society resilience, saying that the Lai administration recently launched a presidential committee -- the Whole-of-Society Defense Resilience Committee -- and named a minister without portfolio to coordinate between Taiwan authorities, industry, academia and civil society.

"We support his approach," Larson said.

While the U.S. remains committed to enabling Taiwan to maintain a sufficient self-defense capability, she noted that maintaining peace and stability goes beyond conventional defense, and it should include the enhancement of Taiwan's whole-of-society resilience to ensure Taiwan is resilient, secure and interconnected within both the global community and global economy.

"This means strengthening the U.S.-Taiwan unofficial relationship, raising global awareness of the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, expanding Taiwan's international space, and bolstering Taiwan's economic diplomacy," she added.

According to Larson, a major focus of the U.S. government has been to bolster Taiwan's whole-of-society resilience, an effort that spans critical infrastructure protection, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief capabilities, cyber defense, food security, economic interdependence, energy resilience and financial connectivity.

Larson added that deepening ties with the private sector can also help maintain peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.

"When U.S. businesses like you pursue opportunities with Taiwan, you are helping to realize a Taiwan that is more integrated and not isolated, more resilient and less vulnerable to coercion," she told the American business representatives.

In addition, Larson said Lai's appointment of Lin Chia-lung () as Taiwan's Foreign Minister signaled Lai's commitment to building U.S.-Taiwan economic ties, given Lin brings "robust experience and a vision for economic diplomacy."

She said that it is in the U.S. commercial interest to deepen the country's economic ties with Taiwan -- its eighth largest trade partner.

With initiatives such as the CHIPS and Science Act, the U.S. welcomes cutting-edge semiconductor manufacturers from Taiwan to come to the United States and build chip ecosystems, Larson said.

She noted the Biden administration is currently working with Congress to reduce the tax burden on U.S. companies in Taiwan and Taiwanese companies in the U.S.

(By Shih Hsiu-chuan and Sunny Lai)

Enditem/kb

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China fails to promptly notify Taiwan on detention of citizens: MAC

ROC Central News Agency

09/27/2024 10:03 PM

Taipei, Sept. 27 (CNA) For the past eight years the Chinese authorities have failed to observe cross-strait agreements and promptly inform its counterparts in Taiwan of cases where Taiwanese citizens have had their freedom of movement restricted in China, Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said Thursday.

The notification mechanism regarding Taiwanese whose personal freedoms are restricted in China is part of past cross-strait agreements, MAC deputy head and spokesperson Liang Wen-chieh () said at a news conference.

"Since May 20, 2016 (the date when former President Tsai Ing-wen () took office), the implementation of these cross-strait agreements has been disrupted by political interference from the Chinese authorities," Liang added.

He urged the Chinese authorities to fulfill their commitments in accordance with the original agreements.

One of the cross-strait agreements related to the notification mechanism is the Cross-Strait Joint Crime-Fighting and Judicial Mutual Assistance Agreement (the Agreement), established by the Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) in Taiwan and the Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS) in China.

The SEF is a semi-official organization in Taiwan that handles technical matters in cross-strait relations and the ARATS is its Chinese counterpart.

According to Article 12 of the Agreement, both parties "agree to promptly notify the other side regarding persons whose personal freedom has been restricted."

In other words, when a Taiwanese citizen is detained in China, the Chinese authorities are required to promptly inform their Taiwanese counterparts. Similarly, Taiwan is required to do the same for Chinese citizens under similar circumstances.

Liang's remarks came in response to a statement made by China's Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO) spokesperson Zhu Fenglian () at a Wednesday news conference, where she said the reason for the disruption in the implementation of cross-strait agreements are "well known" when addressing the case of Taiwanese citizen Kuo Yu-hsuan ().

Twenty-two-year-old Kuo is currently under investigation in China for his alleged involvement in fraud. He went missing soon after arriving in Shanghai on Aug. 27, and his friends and relatives have been unable to contact him since.

However, it was not until Sept. 23, when the TAO issued a news statement confirming Kuo was under investigation by relevant agencies in China due to alleged involvement in fraud, that his whereabouts were made known.

The MAC issued a news statement later on Sept. 23, expressing "strong dissatisfaction" with the Chinese authorities as Kuo's situation was not disclosed until almost one month after his apparent detention.

Liang said at the press conference that Kuo was likely detained since early September, and the absence of a proactive notification from the Chinese authorities led to concerns on the part of his family and media speculation.

"It wasn't until after the incident surfaced, when we made inquiries and even publicly demanded answers, that they (the Chinese authorities) revealed he is currently being investigated for fraud," he added.

Kuo's case clearly demonstrates the necessity of a notification mechanism, which provides both sides of the Taiwan Strait with more accurate information, Liang noted.

In terms of the number of cases notified by China to Taiwan since the Agreement came into effect in 2009, information on the MAC website shows that, as of the end of July this year the Chinese authorities have notified Taiwan of a total of 8,123 cases in which Taiwanese citizens were detained in China.

Of the 8,123 cases, the primary types of criminal cases involved were fraud, smuggling, dangerous driving, drug-related offenses, including both drug trafficking and drug use, and traffic incidents.

In addition, 4,203 of the total were notified from the end of May 2016 (around the time Tsai took office) to late May 2024 (around the time President Lai Ching-te () took office), and zero cases from then until the end of July.

(By Sunny Lai)

Enditem/AW

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PLA activities in the waters and airspace around Taiwan

ROC Ministry of National Defense

2024/09/28

PLA activities in the waters and airspace around Taiwan

1.Dateis

6 to 6 a.m. (UTC+8) Friday to Saturday, Sep. 27-28

2.PLA activitiesis

15 PLA aircraft and 7 PLAN vessels operating around Taiwan were detected up until 6 a.m. (UTC+8) today. 10 of the aircraft crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait and entered Taiwan's southwestern and southeastern ADIZ. ROC Armed Forces have monitored the situation and employed CAP aircraft, Navy vessels, and coastal missile systems in response to the detected activities.



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Secretary Blinken's Meeting with Turkish Foreign Minister Fidan

US Department of State

Readout

Office of the Spokesperson

September 27, 2024

The below is attributable to Spokesperson Matthew Miller:

Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken met yesterday with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. The Secretary and Foreign Minister discussed the importance of reducing tensions in the Middle East, including through an immediate 21 day ceasefire across the Israel-Lebanon border and a diplomatic resolution consistent with UNSC 1701. They also discussed ongoing diplomatic efforts to reach an agreement for a ceasefire in Gaza that would secure the release of hostages, allow for a surge of humanitarian aid, and set the conditions for enduring peace. They further discussed a range of regional issues, including how to work together to enhance stability.

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Remarks by Vice President Harris and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine Before Bilateral Meeting

September 26, 2024

Vice President's Ceremonial Office

Eisenhower Executive Office Building

3:46 P.M. EDT

VICE PRESIDENT HARRIS: Well, President Zelenskyy, it is good to see you again. This is our seventh visit together. And welcome back to Washington, D.C.

As I have made clear on our six previous meetings and throughout Putin's brutal aggression and war against Ukraine, my support for the people of Ukraine is unwavering.

I have been proud to stand with Ukraine. I will continue to stand with Ukraine. And I will work to ensure Ukraine prevails in this war.

To be safe, secure, and prosperous, the United States must continue to fulfill our long-standing role of global leadership. We must stand with our allies and our partners. We must des- a defend our democratic values and stand up to aggressors. And we must stand for international order, rules, and norms. Each one of these principles is at stake in Ukraine, and that is why Ukraine's fight matters to the people of America.

The Ukrainian people are bravely defending their homes and their homeland, their freedom, and their democracy against a brutal dictator, and the American people know well the meaning of freedom, of independence, and the importance of rule of law. These ideals are central to who we are as Americans, and some of the most important moments in our history have come when we stood up to aggressors like Putin just as we must today.

Indeed, standing with our friends and defending our ideals against tyranny has helped make America the most powerful and prosperous nation in the world. Putin's aggression is not only an attack on the people of Ukraine, it is also an attack on fundamental principles such as sovereignty and territorial integrity.

International rules and norms are not some abstract notion. They provide order and stability in our world. They support American security and American prosperity. And when they are threatened anywhere, they are threatened everywhere.

History has shown us if we allow aggressors like Putin to take land with impunity, they keep going. And Putin could set his sights on Poland, the Baltic states, and other NATO Allies. We also know that other would-be aggressors around the world are watching to see what happens in Ukraine. If Putin is allowed to win, they will become emboldened. And history reminds us and history is so clear in reminding us: The United States cannot and should not isolate ourselves from the rest of the world. Isolation is not insulation.

So, then, the United States supports Ukraine not out of charity but because it is in our strategic interest. We will continue to provide the security assistance Ukraine needs to succeed on the battlefield, as demonstrated by President Biden's significant announcement earlier today.

I've been proud to work alongside President Biden and the 50-nation coalition we have built up to allow Ukraine to defend itself. Thanks to this coalition and the skill and the bravery of the Ukrainian people, along with your courageous leadership, President Zelenskyy, Ukraine has stood up to Russia's aggression, and today Kyiv stands free and strong.

President Zelenskyy, I am clear: Putin started this war, and he could end it tomorrow if he simply withdrew his troops from Ukraine's sovereign territory. Of course, he has demonstrated no intention of doing that. Instead, he continues to assault civilian infrastructure and terrorize the people of Ukraine.

In Switzerland, in June, along with 90 other nations at the Uka- a at the Ukraine peace conference, I told you that the United States shares your vision for the end of this war, an end based on the will of the people of Ukraine and the U.N. Charter, and that m- a we must work with the international community se- a to secure a just and lasting peace. And I told world leaders there: Nothing about the end of this war can be decided without Ukraine.

However, in candor, I share with you, Mr. President, there are some in my country who would instead force Ukraine to give up large parts of its sovereign territory, who would demand that Ukraine accept neutrality, and would require Ukraine to forego security relationships with other nations. These proposals are the same of those of Putin. And let us be clear: They are not proposals for peace. Instead, they are proposals for surrender, which is dangerous and unacceptable.

So, President Zelenskyy, I look forward to our discussion today, and I will continue to work with you to ensure Ukraine prevails in this conflict and remains a free, democratic, and independent nation.

Welcome back, again.

PRESIDENT ZELENSKYY: Thank you so much. Madam Vice President, thanks for invitation. Happy to see you.

Dear journalists, I want to especially thank you for your participation in the peace summit. And, really, it was very important, and we remember it. The format was successful. We are preparing the second one.

And now, we have to end this war. We need a just peace, and we must protect our people a Ukrainian families, Ukrainian children, and everyone a from Putin's evil. And we are grateful to America for supporting Ukraine all along.

And we'll have an important meeting today, right after I talked to President Biden about the plan of victory, and I will share some details of the plan with Vice President Harris. It's crucial for us to a to be fully understandable and to work in a full coordination with the United States.

And this morning, I talked also to a to the congressmen, both chambers, both parties. And I am thankful for their bipartisan support. We believe this war can be won and just peace can be close only with a a with the United States.

Madam Vice President, this is our a you said seventh meeting?

VICE PRESIDENT HARRIS: Seventh.

PRESIDENT ZELENSKYY: Yeah, and it's not last. And the third meeting a as far as I remember, the third meeting this year.

VICE PRESIDENT HARRIS: Yes.

PRESIDENT ZELENSKYY: Thank you. And I want to inform you about the latest developments on the battlefield, of course, and about Ukraine's actions in the Kursk region, on what has been achieved and the ambitions ahead.

Today, we have a new strong support package, as you said, and we have common view on the things that need to be done. We have to keep pressure on Russia to stop the war and to make truly lasting and just peace. It's a top priority for us and for other freedom-loving nations to achieve not a freezing but real a real peace for us.

So, we need to keep sanctions against Russia strong, and we need to use the proceeds from immobilized Russian assets to protect Ukraine a our people, our cities, our front line a from Russian evil. And, of course, we must work hard to bring all Russian war criminals to justice.

And one more thing. I want to inform Madam Vice President about the latest Russian missile and the Shaheds attacks against Ukrainian energy infrastructure. We need to urgently strengthen Ukraine's air defense to save thousands of lives and reduce Russian terror to zero.

It's achievable.

Thank you, again. Thanks, America. Thanks to you, Madam Vice President.

Slava Ukraini.

VICE PRESIDENT HARRIS: Thank you.

PRESIDENT ZELENSKYY: Thank you so much.

VICE PRESIDENT HARRIS: It's good to see you.

PRESIDENT ZELENSKYY: Good to see you too.

END 3:55 P.M. EDT

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Readout of Vice President Harris's Meeting with President Zelenskyy of Ukraine

September 26, 2024

Vice President Kamala Harris met today with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine at the White House. The Vice President expressed her unwavering commitment to stand with Ukraine. They discussed the importance of continued, strong U.S. support for Ukraine in its defense against Russian aggression, President Zelenskyy's plans for victory, and efforts to secure a just and lasting peace based on the will of the people of Ukraine and the UN Charter.

The two leaders also discussed the latest developments on the battlefield, and ongoing U.S. military assistance to Ukraine, including President Biden's major announcements today. Building on previous discussions, the Vice President welcomed continued progress by Ukraine on rule of law reforms and anti-corruption efforts, and they discussed continued U.S. support for bolstering Ukraine's civilian energy infrastructure after renewed attacks from Russia.

# # #

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Norwegian Government allows Norfund to invest in Ukraine

Government of Norway

Press release | Date: 27/09/2024

Ukraine needs more private investments to support the enormous recovery effort it is facing as a result of the war with Russia. The Norwegian Government will allow Norfund to make investments in Ukraine using funding under the Nansen Support Programme for Ukraine.

Russia's war against Ukraine has led to widespread physical damage to homes, schools, roads and energy infrastructure. Ukraine is dependent on investment financing to rebuild what has been destroyed by Russian attacks and support recovery in a free and independent Ukraine. Public funding alone will not be sufficient, so it will be essential to mobilise private capital.

'The Norwegian Government will now allow Norfund, the Norwegian Investment Fund for developing countries, to invest in Ukraine. Capital provided by Norfund reduces the risks for companies investing in Ukraine, including Norwegian companies. This will be essential in advancing Ukraine's reconstruction and recovery efforts after the war has ended. Under the Nansen Support Programme for Ukraine, Norway is providing support for Ukraine's fight to defend itself both through military donations and through funding to assist the Ukrainian people. The scale of need is enormous, and the Government is now taking steps to enable the Norwegian business sector to contribute more to the effort to help Ukraine,' said Prime Minister Jonas Gahr StAre.

As an investment fund, Norfund works to create jobs and improve lives, and to support the green transition by investing in businesses that promote sustainable development. Norfund has experience operating in high-risk markets and will be an important tool in attracting private sector investment in Ukraine.

Before Russia launched its full-scale invasion, Ukraine's private sector accounted for 70 % of its GDP. The business sector has a key role to play in maintaining the country's economic momentum. The private sector produces and delivers basic goods and services such as food and medicines.

'Russia's war of aggression has brought widespread destruction to Ukraine. The private sector will play a critical role in the recovery effort, and Norwegian businesses are eager to take part. Norfund has expertise in investing in challenging markets, and this will be an important resource to draw on in the reconstruction effort in Ukraine,' said Minister of Trade and Industry Cecilie Myrseth.

For 2024, the Government propose some NOK 250 million to be set aside for Norfund investments in Ukraine. The funding will be allocated under the Nansen Support Programme for Ukraine. The Government aims to continue this initiative in the years ahead.

'Norfund has a long history of successful investments in areas where many others do not dare. They have proven they can make a real difference. In Ukraine and other developing countries, the gap between needs and available financing is widening. Reducing this gap will not be possible without engaging the private sector. Norfund's investments can help achieve this,' said Minister of International Development Anne Beathe Kristiansen Tvinnereim

Norfund largely provides equity investments, which entails higher risk than the loans and guarantees offered by other development finance institutions and the multilateral banks. This type of capital is crucial to develop vital, sustainable projects.

'We see this as a vote of confidence in Norfund's expertise in investing and delivering results in challenging markets. We are looking forward to getting started and helping to alleviate the difficult situation in Ukraine,' said Tellef Thorleifsson, CEO of Norfund.

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As War Rages, Ukraine Is Once Again Pulled Onto The U.S. Political Battlefield

By Todd Prince and Aleksander Palikot September 27, 2024

WASHINGTON -- In 2020, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy was dragged into the U.S. presidential election campaign. This time, just weeks before a vote that could have a massive influence on Kyiv's defense against the Russian invasion, he walked right into it.

On September 22, Zelenskiy toured a munitions factory in Scranton, Pennsylvania, that makes ammunition for his armed forces, thanking workers and signing one of the 155 mm shells that are crucial for Kyiv's war effort. He was joined by Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro and two members of the House of Representatives, all Democrats.

Had Zelenskiy visited the plant during any of his four previous trips to the United States since Russia launched the full-scale invasion in February 2022, it might have been long forgotten by now.

Instead, it has turned into a flashpoint for Republicans, creating controversy that marred his the nearly weeklong visit to the United States, Ukraine's biggest backer, at a time when Russia is making gains on the battlefield, decimating Ukraine's energy infrastructure as winter approaches, and counting on Western support for Kyiv to wither.

Battleground

Scranton is President Joe Biden's hometown. Pennsylvania is a crucial battleground state whose voters could end up deciding the November 5 election between Republican former President Donald Trump and Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris.

For Zelenskiy, the factory tour was meant "to demonstrate and show...that the assistance to Ukraine is beneficial to the United States itself, because this assistance makes it possible to create new jobs," Alyona Getmanchuk, director of the Ukrainian think tank New Europe Center and a nonresident senior fellow at the U.S.-based Atlantic Council Eurasia Center, told RFE/RL in Kyiv.

Trump, she said, apparently "perceived this as an attempt to...influence the electoral balance, which is very fragile in the state of Pennsylvania. That is, he saw it exclusively in the context of the election."

As Zelenskiy's U.S. trip continued with speeches at the United Nations and meetings with Biden and Harris at the White House, Republicans lashed out over the factory tour. The speaker of the House of Representatives, Mike Johnson, called it "a partisan campaign event" and demanded Zelenskiy "immediately fire" his ambassador to the United States, Oksana Markarova.

Charles Kupchan, an analyst at the New York-based Council on Foreign Relations, said the munitions plant visit "backfired."

"It's more an indication of the polarized debate between Democrats and Republicans than it is about any missteps taken by Zelenskiy," he told RFE/RL.

'Much More Difficult'

Mykola Byelyeskov, an analyst at the Ukrainian government-backed National Institute for Strategic Studies in Kyiv, suggested the U.S. election campaign makes navigating ties with Kyiv's most crucial backer particularly tricky.

"Zelenskiy is doing his best" on the U.S. trip, Byelyeskov told RFE/RL. "We see some results. I'm sure that we'll see more results. And we need to deal with every single faction in U.S. politics. And we are trying to do this. And it's much more difficult during the election season."

For Biden, it's also "very difficult to take radical steps that in his mind might bring the issue of escalation closer. Because all the surveys in the U.S., domestic ones, they say that the American population is indeed concerned with hypothetical nuclear escalation," he said. "That's why it makes it more difficult for Ukraine to argue for various things that we need."

During the visit, Zelenskiy did not secure a public promise that the United States would permit Kyiv to strike deeper into Russia with U.S. long-range missiles.

A group of Republicans in the House held up $61 billion in mostly military aid for Ukraine for six months, leading to a deficit of ammunition on the battlefield, in part on the grounds that the money could be better spent at home. The United States spends the majority of the aid money at home on restocking arms and equipment sent to Ukraine, and the trip to Scranton highlighted that fact.

Johnson had been instrumental in eventually getting the package through; his public ire over the plant visit signaled goodwill over that development is gone.

Kurt Volker, a Pennsylvania native who served as a special envoy to Ukraine under Trump in 2017-2019, called the timing of the factory tour "a huge mistake."

"It is a very sensitive time, a sensitive issue, a sensitive state -- like, the key swing state. It is just playing with fire, and Ukraine should do everything possible to avoid being a political subject in our election," said Volker, who is now an analyst at the Center for European Policy Analysis in Washington.

Way Back When

Lucian Kim, senior Ukraine analyst for the Crisis Group, called the visit a "misstep" on Zelenskiy's part that opened him up for criticism from opponents of aid for Ukraine within the Republican Party faction known as MAGA Republicans for their unyielding support for Trump and his policies.

"Bilateral U.S. support has been one of the foundations of Ukrainian foreign policy," Kim said. "That level of bipartisan support now seems to be in question. The MAGA wing, which is unsympathetic to Ukraine, is increasingly defining the Republican party."

The Pennsylvania plant visit was at last one factor raising doubts about an expected meeting between Zelenskiy and Trump -- whose relationship has been colored for years by a phone call in 2019, just months after the Ukrainian leader's election, that led to Trump's impeachment -- would take place.

Trump was impeached by the then-Democratic-controlled House of Representatives in December 2019 over the phone call in which he was accused of pressuring Zelenskiy to dig up dirt on the Biden family's activities in Ukraine. He was acquitted by the Senate, then controlled by the Republicans, in February 2020.

Trump took aim at Zelenskiy several times. At a campaign stop on September 25, he repeated his description of the Ukrainian president as "the greatest salesman in the world" -- a reference to the tens of billions of dollars in aid lawmakers from both sides of the aisle have approved since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion.

'Proposals For Surrender'

He also repeated his argument that Kyiv should have reached an agreement with Russia to stave off or end the invasion. "Any deal -- the worst deal -- would've been better than what we have now," he asserted. "If they made a bad deal, it would've been much better. They would've given up a little bit and everybody would be living."

Trump has said he would bring an end to Russia's war against Ukraine quickly if he is elected, several times saying it would happen even before the inauguration in January -- a claim he made again when he and Zelenskiy met in New York on September 27. He has not said how he would accomplish this, but his comments have raised concerns his efforts would involve exhorting Ukraine to hand territory to Russia.

On the main purposes of Zelenskiy's U.S. trip was to present Biden and others with a "victory plan" for the war against the Russian invasion, though details have not been released. Trump, in his debate against Harris on September 10, declined to answer directly when asked whether he wants Ukraine to win, saying, "I want the war to stop."

On September 26, Harris said suggestions that Kyiv should cede territory for the sake of peace are "dangerous and unacceptable." Such calls are "proposals for surrender," she said.

A Meeting In New York

In an interview with The New Yorker ahead of his U.S. visit, Zelenskiy said, "Trump doesn't really know how to stop the war even if he might think he knows how." He also said JD Vance, Trump's running mate, is "too radical" and has suggested he wants Ukraine "to give up our territories."

The atmosphere seemed warmer when Zelenskiy and Trump held talks at the Trump Tower in New York, with Trump praising Zelenskiy for his conduct during the impeachment process -- "he was a piece of steel" -- but there was no sign of a change in Trump's attitude toward the Russian invasion.

Trump again offered no details on how he would seek an end to the war, saying he believes that "we're going to get it resolved very quickly" if he wins the presidency. "If we have a win, I think long before January 20...we can work out something that's good for both sides this time," Trump said before the two sat down for the meeting.

"It's a shame but this is a war that should have never happened, and we'll get it solved," Trump said after the meeting. "It is a complicated puzzle.... Too many people dead."

In a Telegram post after what he called a "very meaningful meeting," Zelenskiy said that he had presented his "victory plan" to Trump and that they "discussed used many details."

"We have a common view that the war in Ukraine must be stopped. Putin cannot win. The Ukrainians must win," he said.

Whether Zelenskiy's visit will affect the outcome of the U.S. election is an open question.

"Foreign policy issues in general don't determine [U.S.] electoral outcomes. People vote on the economy, on immigration, on crime, what's on their radar screen on a day-to-day basis," Kupchan said.

And exactly how a win for Trump or for Harris might change the course of the war is also unclear.

Kupchan said that despite Trump's rhetoric, he will struggle to cut a deal with Putin if elected and likely end up approving aid for Ukraine.

"Trump would not want to be the American president who lost Ukraine. And so even if he gets elected and tries to negotiate an end game, he too is going to end up having to send support to Ukraine," he said.

Prince reported from Washington, Palikot from Kyiv.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-us-election-zelenskiy- visit/33137651.html

Copyright (c) 2024. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Zelenskiy Meets With Trump, Presents 'Victory Plan' Amid Tensions Over War Aims

By RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service September 27, 2024

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said he had "very meaningful" discussions with former U.S. leader Donald Trump amid tensions over what critics call the ex-president's pro-Russia stance.

"A very meaningful meeting with Donald Trump," Zelenskiy wrote on Telegram following the September 27 talks at Trump Tower in New York.

"I presented him with the Victory Plan. It set out in detail the situation in Ukraine and the consequences of the war for our people. We discussed many details."

"We have a common view that the war in Ukraine must be stopped. [Russian President Vladimir] Putin cannot win. The Ukrainians must win," Zelenskiy added.

Standing next to Zelenskiy prior to the talks, Trump said that if elected in November, "We're going to work with both parties" to end the war in Ukraine.

"[I] have a very good relationship [with Zelenskiy], and I also have a very good relationship, as you know, with President Putin," Trump said.

"I think if we win [in November], I think we're going to get it resolved very quickly," he added.

Prior to the meeting, U.S. media had speculated the session might not take place after Trump took offense to Zelenskiy's comments in a magazine interview that stated Trump "doesn't really know how to stop the war."

"The fact that we're even together today is a very good sign," Trump said as the two arrived at a conference room at Trump Tower.

Zelenskiy met with Trump after holding talks with U.S. President Joe Biden and Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris in Washington as Russia keeps pounding Ukraine with deadly strikes.

Relations between Zelenskiy, who is looking to shore up support for his war effort, and Trump are cool, and the meeting comes after the former U.S. president and current Republican presidential candidate reiterated his doubts that Ukraine can repel Russia's unprovoked invasion and win the war.

In a debate with Harris, Trump refused to say whether he wanted Ukraine to win the war.

Trump has also said that Ukraine should cut a deal to end the war and suggested that Kyiv should have made concessions to Russia in the months before Moscow's invasion, saying that "any deal -- the worst deal -- would've been better than what we have now."

On September 26, Biden welcomed Zelenskiy to the White House on September 26 after announcing billions in military aid for Kyiv and insisting again that Russia "will not prevail" in its invasion of Ukraine.

Zelenskiy presented Biden with what he has referred to as his "victory plan" and again requested that the United States lift restrictions on the use of long-range weapons it has provided to strike deep inside Russia at military targets.

Few details are known about the "victory plan" put together by Zelenskiy, who has been on an intensive diplomatic mission since he arrived in the United States for the annual UN General Assembly earlier this week.

Zelenskiy has indicated he would again seek permission to use long-range missiles to strike military targets deep inside Russia to prevent attacks on its cities and infrastructure, a move Ukraine's allies are divided upon.

"Russia will not prevail. Ukraine will prevail, and we'll continue to stand by you every step of the way," Biden said as he hosted Zelenskiy in the Oval Office after thanking him for presenting his plan.

"We deeply appreciate that Ukraine and America have stood side by side," said Zelenskiy, dressed in a dark green military-style outfit.

Zelenskiy later shared his "victory plan" with Harris at the White House. Harris told Zelenskiy that her support for the people of Ukraine was unwavering.

Harris also took a swipe at her opponent in the upcoming presidential elections, saying that Trump's suggestions about Ukraine cutting a deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the war were not proposals for peace but "proposals for surrender."

Biden earlier on September 26 announced more than $8 billion in military aid for Kyiv and repeated in a statement that the United States will "provide Ukraine with the support it needs to win this war."

The package includes for the first time a system called Joint Standoff Weapon -- a precision-guided glide bomb with a range of up to 130 kilometers launched from fighter aircraft -- as well as an additional Patriot air-defense battery and hundreds more Patriot missiles and AMRAAMs (advanced medium-range air-to-air missiles).

The United States, Ukraine's main supporter, and Western allies have given Kyiv billions of dollars in military aid and other assistance while also slapping several rounds of sanctions on Moscow.

Zelenskiy also met with U.S. lawmakers at the U.S. Capitol. After the meeting, Senator Lindsey Graham (Republican-South Carolina) said the Ukrainian president asked for only one thing: permission to use U.S. weapons to strike "legitimate military targets" deep inside Russia.

Zelenskiy told senators he planned to hit specific targets, including air bases, that the Russian military uses in its attacks on Ukraine.

In the latest massive Russian drone attack on September 27, three people were killed and another 11, including a child, were wounded in Ukraine's Danube port of Izmayil, Odesa regional Governor Oleh Kiper reported.

Izmayil is a critical hub for Ukraine's grain exports located on the border with NATO member Romania, and has been repeatedly targeted by Russian strikes.

Romanian authorities in the Tulcea region just across the border from Izmayil issued an alert for the public, warning that drones had been located close to the frontier.

Later, Romania's Defense Ministry said in statement that its national airspace was likely breached for under 3 minutes by a Russian drone.

The ministry said it had scrambled two F-16 fighters belonging to the Romanian Air Force, which were later joined by two F-18 warplanes belonging to fellow NATO member Spain. All four fighter planes returned safely to their air bases in southeastern Romania, the ministry said.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/zelenskiy-trump-ukraine- izmayil-drone-tulcea-danube-russia/33137071.html

Copyright (c) 2024. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Russian Defence Ministry reports on repelling AFU attempt to invade Russian territory in Kursk region (27 September 2024)

27.09.2024

The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continue the operation to neutralise an enemy group, which broke into the territory of Kursk region.

Units of the Sever Group of Forces continued offensive operations and inflicted losses on formations of the 21st, 22nd, 115th mechanised brigades, 17th Tank Brigade, 82nd and 95th air assault brigades, 36th Marine Brigade, 103rd Territorial Defence Brigade of the AFU near Lyubimovka, Daryino, Novy Put, Nikolayevo-Daryino, and Plekhovo.

Over the past 24 hours, units of the Sever Group of Forces repelled five enemy counter-attacks in the direction of Lyubimovka and Plekhovo.

As a result, the AFU losses amounted to up to 30 troops killed and wounded; four armoured fighting vehicles and one motor vehicle were destroyed. One serviceman of the Armed Forces of Ukraine surrendered.

With the support of army aviation and artillery fire, 11 AFU attempts to break through the border of the Russian Federation in the direction of Novy Put and Medvezhye were foiled.

The AFU losses amounted to more than 70 people killed and wounded; one armoured personnel carrier, seven armoured fighting vehicles, and three motor vehicles were neutralised. Two AFU servicemen surrendered.

Army Aviation and artillery fire inflicted losses on manpower and hardware clusters of the 21st, 22nd, 41st, 61st, 115th mechanised brigades, 17th Tank Brigade, 80th, 95th air assault brigades, 1st National Guard Brigade, 36th Marine Brigade, 103rd, and 129th territorial defence brigades of the AFU near Guyevo, Daryino, Kolmakov, Kubatkin, Kozachya Loknya, Lyubimovka, Malaya Loknya, Martynovka, Mikhaylovka, Medvezhye, Novaya Sorochina, Novy Put, Orlovka, Plekhovo, Pravda, Tolsty Lug, and Cherkasskoye Porechnoye.

Operational-Tactical Aviation, and Missile Troops delivered strikes in Sumy region at concentration areas and reserves of the 21st, 22nd, 41st, and 115th mechanised brigades, 82nd and 95th air assault brigades, 92nd Assault Brigade, 1st National Guard Brigade, and 101st and 103rd territorial defence brigades of the AFU near Atinskoye, Belovody, Boyaro-Lezhachi, Glukhov, Zhuravka, Zarutskoye, Katerinovka, Kruzhok, Moskalenki, Machulishcha, Novoya Sloboda, Pavlovka, Rovnoye, Ryzhevka, Svessa, and Sumy.

Over 330 troops, 16 armoured vehicles, including one tank, two armoured personnel carriers, and 13 armoured fighting vehicles, as well as one artillery gun, one EW station, one counter-battery radar, and eight motor vehicles have been eliminated during the day. Two AFU servicemen surrendered.

Since the beginning of hostilities in Kursk region, the Armed Forces of Ukraine lost more than 17,750 troops, 131 tanks, 62 infantry fighting vehicles, 97 armoured personnel carriers, 837 armoured fighting vehicles, 533 motor vehicles, 143 artillery guns, 31 MLRS launchers, including eight of HIMARS and six of MLRS made by the USA, eight SAM launchers, five transport-loading vehicles, 37 electronic warfare stations and nine counter-battery radars, two air defence radars, 18 engineering vehicles, including 11 counterobstacle vehicles and one UR-77 mine clearing vehicle, as well as one armoured recovery vehicle.

The operation to neutralise the AFU units is in progress.

Department for Media Affairs and Information

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Russia Hammers Ukraine With Hypersonic Strikes, Liberates Key Villages in Donetsk

Sputnik News

20240927

In addition, over the past week, 66 Ukrainian Armed Forces servicemen surrendered to Russian captivity, the Russian Ministry of Defense reported.

Russian forces conducted 33 precision strikes over the past week, including with Kinzhal hypersonic missiles, targeting Ukraine's military-industrial facilities and armed forces, Russia's Defense Ministry reported on Friday.

"Between September 21 and 27, the Russian Armed Forces carried out 33 group strikes using precision-guided weapons, including Kinzhal hypersonic aeroballistic missiles and strike drones. These strikes hit Ukraine's defense industry facilities, their supporting energy infrastructure, military airfield infrastructure, and a military train carrying Western weapons and equipment," the military statement said.

"Additionally, production sites and storage areas for drones and unmanned boats, arsenals, ammunition and fuel depots, temporary deployment points, and areas where Ukrainian forces, nationalist formations, and foreign mercenaries were concentrated were also targeted," the Defense Ministry added.

Additionally, the Tsentr Battlegroup has liberated the settlements of Ukrainka and Marinovka in the DPR, the ministry's report stated.

Other Developments Over the Week

Tsentr Battlegroup:

- Repelled 67 Ukrainian counterattacks.

- Ukrainian forces lost up to 3,880 soldiers, 1 tank, and 15 armored vehicles.

- Struck 6 mechanized brigades, 2 infantry brigades, 2 ranger brigades, 1 airborne brigade, 1 assault brigade, 2 territorial defense brigades, and 4 National Guard brigades.

- Destroyed 27 vehicles and 44 artillery pieces, including two US-made M113 armored personnel carriers.

Sever Battlegroup:

- Eliminated over 3,270 Ukrainian soldiers, 10 tanks (including 2 German Leopard tanks).

- Destroyed 66 armored vehicles, 81 cars, 6 multiple rocket launchers (including a US HIMARS system), and 53 artillery pieces.

- Continued operations in the Kursk region, targeting Ukrainian mechanized, tank, airborne, and territorial defense brigades.

Yug Battlegroup:

- Took control of the settlements of Grigorovka and Ostroye in the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR).

- Ukrainian losses amounted to 5,140 soldiers, 2 tanks, and 94 vehicles.

- Destroyed 11 electronic warfare stations, 31 ammunition depots, and 58 artillery pieces, including US-made HIMARS launchers.

Zapad Battlegroup:

- Repelled 24 Ukrainian counterattacks and inflicted losses of over 2,980 Ukrainian soldiers.

- Destroyed 7 tanks, 14 armored vehicles (including US-made M113s), 40 vehicles, and 52 artillery pieces, including 155mm NATO-supplied systems.

- Eliminated 12 electronic warfare stations and 26 ammunition depots.

Vostok Battlegroup:

- Repelled 12 Ukrainian counterattacks, resulting in the loss of 960 Ukrainian soldiers, 3 tanks, and 4 armored vehicles.

- Targeted Ukrainian mechanized, motorized infantry, territorial defense, and National Guard brigades.

- Destroyed 13 artillery pieces, 37 vehicles, and 4 electronic warfare stations.

Dnepr Battlegroup:

- Inflicted losses of up to 410 Ukrainian soldiers, 12 artillery pieces, and 45 vehicles.

- Destroyed 2 electronic warfare stations and 4 ammunition depots.

- Targeted Ukrainian infantry, mountain assault, marine, and territorial defense brigades.

A Sputnik

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Boars Head, the deli meat company at the center of a deadly listeria food poisoning outbreak, is being scrutinized by law enforcement officials, the U.S. Agriculture Department disclosed in response to government records requests.

Officials with USDAs Food Safety and Inspection Service refused to share documents regarding the agencys inspections and enforcement at the Boars Head plant in Jarratt, plus inspection reports from eight other company factories across the U.S.

The records  which the inspection service acknowledged include dozens of pages of documentation  were withheld because they were compiled for a law enforcement purpose, which includes both civil and criminal statutes, according to a letter sent Friday in response to Freedom of Information Act requests submitted by the Associated Press. Releasing the records could interfere with and hinder the governments investigation, the letter says.

The AP asked for records regarding the listeria outbreak that, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, has killed 10 people and sickened at least 50 in 19 states since May. Listeria bacteria was initially detected in samples of Boars Head liverwurst and later traced to illnesses in people.

Previously released records revealed problems including mold, insects, dripping water and meat and fat residue on walls, floors and equipment dating back at least two years. Boars Head earlier recalled more than 7 million pounds of deli meat distributed to stores across the country. This month, the Sarasota, Florida-based company said it has closed the Virginia plant and permanently stopped making liverwurst.

Boars Head is facing several lawsuits filed by victims and their families.

Food Safety and Inspection Service officials did not respond to APs emails seeking additional comment about the records. Justice Department officials declined to comment on potential legal actions against Boars Head.

A Richmond Times-Dispatch investigation this month found that Virginia state inspectors found three recent violations of food safety rules at the cook tank where Boars Head workers in Jarratt made liverwurst.

This week, Sen. Richard Blumenthal and Rep. Rosa DeLauro, both Connecticut Democrats, called on the Agriculture and Justice departments to work closely to determine whether to bring criminal charges against Boars Head in connection with the crisis. In response, USDAs own internal investigators are reviewing the agencys work and will decide by the end of the year whether to open an inquiry, according to Blumenthals office.

Past food poisoning outbreaks have resulted in criminal and civil penalties.

In 2020, Chipotle agreed to pay a record $25 million to resolve criminal charges over tainted food that sickened more than 1,100 people in outbreaks between 2015 and 2018. In 2015, former Peanut Corporation of America executive Stewart Parnell was sentenced to 28 years in prison after an outbreak of salmonella in his companys peanut butter killed nine people and sickened more than 700.
China Suggests Creating 'Friends of Peace' Platform to Resolve Ukrainian Crisis

Sputnik News

20240927

BEIJING (Sputnik) - China, Brazil and other countries of the Global South intend to create an open platform "Friends of Peace" to resolve the Ukrainian crisis, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has said.

"China, Brazil and other like-minded countries of the Global South are planning to create [an open platform] 'Friends of Peace' on the Ukrainian crisis in the near future. This is an attempt by China, Brazil and the countries of the Global South to achieve peace," Wang Yi said at a meeting with Brazilian Presidential Adviser Celso Amorim on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session.

In May this year, China and Brazil published a joint six-point plan for a political settlement of the Ukrainian crisis, which received positive feedback from more than 100 countries.

A Sputnik

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Volodymyr Zelenskyy Presented the Plan for Victory to Donald Trump

President of Ukraine

27 September 2024 - 20:13

In New York, the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, met with the 45th President of the United States, Donald Trump.

"I think we have a common view that the war in Ukraine has to be stopped. Putin can't win. And Ukrainians have to prevail. And I want to discuss with you the details of our Plan for Victory," the Head of State said before the meeting.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted the need to put pressure on the Russian dictator and force him into peace; he also presented the Plan for Victory to Donald Trump.

The President of Ukraine also described the situation on the front, the course of the operation in the Kursk region and its objectives, Ukrainian innovations in the fight against Russian terror, as well as the disproportionately high losses of the Russian army.

During the meeting, the parties discussed in detail the general situation in Ukraine and the consequences of the war for Ukrainians and the economy.

The conversation focused in particular on the constant shelling of cities and civilian infrastructure by the Russian Federation and the role of the U.S. Patriot systems in defending people's lives.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy also emphasized the need to block any opportunities for the aggressor state to obtain money for the war from the oil and gas sales, as well as all channels of Western components supplies for Russian missiles.

Donald Trump called today's meeting a good sign.

"He (the President of Ukraine - Ed.) has gone through hell, and his country has gone through hell like few countries have ever - it has not happened anywhere. Nobody has ever seen anything like it. It is a terrible situation," he said.

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Volodymyr Zelenskyy Presented the Victory Plan to Kamala Harris

President of Ukraine

27 September 2024 - 00:47

In Washington, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with Vice President of the United States Kamala Harris and presented the Victory Plan to her.

The President thanked Kamala Harris for her participation in the first Peace Summit and for the unwavering support the United States has provided to Ukraine all along.

During the meeting, President Zelenskyy shared the details of the Victory Plan.

"It is crucial for us to be fully understandable and to work in full coordination with the United States. This morning, I talked to the Congressmen - both chambers, both parties. And I'm thankful for the bipartisan support. We believe this war can be won and just peace can be closer only with the United States," Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.

The President provided updates on the latest battlefield developments, the operation in the Kursk region, and Russian attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure.

He called for bolstering Ukraine's air defense and stepping up pressure on Russia.

"We need to keep sanctions against Russia strong, and we need to use the proceeds from immobilized Russian assets to protect Ukraine, our people, our cities, our frontline from Russian evil. And of course we must work hard to bring all Russian war criminals to justice," the President noted.

Kamala Harris noted that this was her seventh meeting with Volodymyr Zelenskyy and assured of steadfast support for Ukraine. She stated that the U.S. will continue to provide the security assistance needed for Ukraine's victory.

"We must defend our democratic values and stand up to aggressors. And we must stand for international order, rules, and norms. Each one of these principles is at stake in Ukraine, and that is why Ukraine's fight matters to the people of America," the Vice President of the United States emphasized.

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Blinken dismisses China's Ukraine peace plan over material support for Russia

By Nike Ching September 27, 2024

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Friday that China's words and actions regarding ending Russia's war on Ukraine do not "add up," as the Beijing government continues to allow Chinese companies to "fuel Russia's war machine."

The United States and China are planning a call between President Joe Biden and President Xi Jinping in the coming days, with China's material support for Russia in the war on Ukraine expected to be a key topic on the U.S. agenda.

Friday afternoon, Blinken held talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly in New York.

Ukraine

Following talks that lasted more than an hour, Blinken told reporters at a news conference that any peace plan to end Russia's war on Ukraine must be based on the principles of the U.N. Charter, particularly territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence.

"A peace in which the aggressor gets everything that it sought, and the victim does not have its rights upheld, is not a recipe for a lasting peace, and certainly not a just one," Blinken said when asked about a peace proposal by China and Brazil.

Earlier on Friday, China and Brazil pushed forward with efforts to rally developing countries behind a plan to end Russia's war in Ukraine, despite Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's rejection of the initiative, viewing it as favorable to Moscow's interests.

The meeting between Blinken and Wang came amid growing U.S. concerns over Chinese firms supplying semiconductor chips and drones to Moscow, which have significantly bolstered Russia's battlefield capabilities in its war against Ukraine.

Blinken said, "Roughly 70% of the machine tools that Russia's importing, coming from China, Hong Kong. Ninety percent of the microelectronics, from China, Hong Kong. And this is materially helping the Russians produce the missiles, the rockets, the armored vehicles, the munitions that they need to perpetuate the war, to continue their aggression."

In New York, Wang told reporters that China had discussed with other countries the importance of preventing escalation in Russia's war on Ukraine.

"Russia and Ukraine are neighbors that cannot be moved away from each other and amity is the only realistic option," Wang said, emphasizing that other nations should support an international peace conference involving Russia and Ukraine.

Taiwan

On Friday, Blinken said he also "emphasized the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait" during the meeting with his Chinese counterpart.

Rick Waters, former deputy assistant secretary of state for China and Taiwan, said the United States and China share an interest in maintaining diplomatic and military communication.

"You're not going to resolve disputes over Taiwan or the South China Sea in those channels, but I don't think either leader wants a military mishap to put them in a corner where they might have to contend with escalation or, even worse, conflict," Waters, now managing director of Eurasia Group's China practice, said in a recent interview with VOA.

The People's Republic of China (PRC) will celebrate its National Day on Tuesday, commemorating the founding of the country in 1949.

Taiwan celebrates October 10, known as "Double 10," as the anniversary of the founding of the Republic of China (ROC) in 1912. The Republic of China is Taiwan's formal name.

Taiwan has been self-ruled since 1949, when Mao Zedong's communists took power in Beijing after defeating Chiang Kai-shek's Kuomintang nationalists in a civil war, prompting the nationalists' relocation to the island.

PRC leaders usually carefully watch the speeches from leaders in Taiwan during its Double 10 celebrations.

Since Taiwan's democratically elected President Lai Ching-te took office in May, Beijing has increased military pressure against Taiwan. The PRC has deemed Lai a separatist.

U.S. officials have stressed to their Chinese counterparts that the more pressure China applies to Taiwan, the more it risks pushing Taiwan further away, according to sources familiar with recent diplomatic discussions between Washington and Beijing.

Analysts indicate they do not expect Lai to advocate for issues considered taboo by China in the coming months.

"Taiwan President Lai has been quite careful not to touch China's red lines in his public remarks since becoming the president of Taiwan," Dennis Wilder, senior fellow for the Initiative for U.S.-China Dialogue on Global Issues at Georgetown University, told VOA. "I would guess that he will try again to reach out to Beijing and do not expect him to push independence themes."

Wilder added, "The Chinese leadership came to the conclusion long ago that because of Lai's deep green background they would never be able to trust him. Thus, there is very little he can do, as was the case as well with former President Tsai [Ing-wen], to convince Beijing that they should improve cross-strait relations while he is in office." He was referring to Taiwan's political coalition known for its pro-independence platform.

VOA's Mandarin Service contributed to this report.

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Blinken: Majority of UN Security Council condemns Russia's war on Ukraine

By VOA News September 27, 2024

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Friday that "the overwhelming majority of countries" at the U.N. Security Council meeting this week "condemned Russia's brutal war of conquest" on Ukraine and called "for a just and lasting peace on the basis of the United Nations Charter."

Crucial to that lasting peace, Blinken said, "is pressing Iran, North Korea and China, a permanent member of the council, to stop providing weapons, artillery, machinery and other support [that Russian President Vladimir] Putin is using to devastate Ukrainian homes, energy grids and ports."

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who is in the U.S. to meet with President Joe Biden and presidential candidates Kamala Harris and Donald Trump, said in his daily address Friday that Ukraine's "plan for victory has been presented to America."

The Ukrainian leader said key items discussed included "long-range capabilities, the defense package, sanctions against Russia [and] steps on Russian assets."

"It is important for Ukraine that America has a direct understanding of Ukraine. And it absolutely does," Zelenskyy said. "This Russian war must be stopped, and it must be stopped with fairness, so that no aggressor will ever do what Russia is doing."

Russian attacks

Regional officials in Ukraine reported eight people killed and dozens injured Thursday and Friday by Russian attacks on the country.

The Ukrainian air force reported that it shot down 24 of 32 Iranian-made Shahed drones. On its Telegram social media account, the Ukrainian air force reported another attacking drone was lost in Romanian airspace, and still another was "lost in location" because of Ukraine defense forces countermeasures.

The air force statement said Russia fired a North Korean-made Iskander-M/KN-23 ballistic missile from occupied Crimea and two Kh-22 cruise missiles from Tu-22M3 bombers from the Black Sea, all which were shot down by anti-aircraft missile forces, mobile fire groups, and electronic warfare units.

In southern Odesa Oblast, Governor Oleh Kiper reported from his Telegram account the Russian drone strikes hit the town of Izmail early Friday, killing three people and injuring at least 11. He said the drone strikes damaged homes, residential buildings and other structures, as well as cars.

Video released by the Odesa regional emergency service showed firefighters battling fires and searching the rubble of buildings.

In Donetsk Oblast, Governor Vadym Filashkin reported four people killed and 11 injured Thursday, adding that there were additional deaths and injuries in attacks on Mariupol and Volnovakha without providing figures.

A Russian attack on the city of Kharkiv injured three women and two men, regional Governor Oleh Syniehubov said. Three men a aged 77, 74 and 46 a suffered injuries after Russian attacks on Kupiansk, Vuzlovyi, Vovchansk and Ivashky in Kharkiv Oblast.

In Kherson Oblast, Governor Oleksandr Prokudin reported Russian forces Thursday targeted 24 settlements, including the regional center of Kherson. He said one person was killed and 19 were injured, while residential high-rises, homes, and critical infrastructure - including a school - were damaged.

Also Thursday, the Ukrainian military reported that a Ukrainian drone strike battalion foiled a Russian armored assault near the village of Pishchane in the northeastern Kharkiv region.

Commander of the Achilles drone strike battalion, Yuriy Fedorenko, reported Russian forces had attempted to advance in the area, using around 50 armored vehicles and troops. Video released by Fedorenko showed repeated drone strikes on what he reported were Russian vehicles.

The commander reported that the drone strikes damaged or destroyed 40 Russian vehicles.

Some information for this report came from The Associated Press and Reuters.

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In meeting with Zelenskyy, Trump promises 'good for both sides' deal to end Russia's war in Ukraine

By Patsy Widakuswara September 27, 2024

Former President Donald Trump met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in New York on Friday, promising that he "can work out something that's good for both sides" to end the Russia-Ukraine war, if elected.

In response to VOA's question, the Republican presidential nominee repeated his claim he will quickly end the fighting that began with Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

"We have a very good relationship, and I also have a very good relationship, as you know, with [Russian] President [Vladimir] Putin. And I think if we win, I think we're going to get it resolved very quickly."

It's a significant meeting for Zelenskyy as he works for assurances that Washington will continue to support his war efforts no matter who wins in U.S. presidential election in November.

"We have a common view that the war in Ukraine has to be stopped, and Putin can't win," Zelenskyy said as he stood next to Trump.

Trump has repeatedly said he wants the Russia-Ukraine war to end but has not stated whether he wants Kyiv to win or keep all its territories.

"We'll see what happens," he said Thursday in response to a question about whether Ukraine should turn over some of its own land to Russia to end the war.

Zelenskyy admitted he cannot win against Russia before the tightly contested presidential election.

"We understand that after November we have to decide, and we hope that the friends of [the] United States will be very strong, and we count on it," he said. "That's why I decided to meet with both candidates, with all honor to them."

Trump is virtually tied in the polls with Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee. Zelenskyy with Harris in Washington on Thursday, following a separate meeting with President Joe Biden.

Unlike Trump, who is pushing for Kyiv to strike a deal with Moscow, Harris underscored that it's up to Ukraine to decide how the war will end.

"I will continue to stand with Ukraine, and I will work to ensure Ukraine prevails in this war," she vowed.

Without mentioning names, Harris criticized Trump by denouncing calls for Ukraine to end the war by ceding territory to Russia, focusing on a proposal from Republican vice-presidential nominee JD Vance that would mean Ukraine is left with less land and no path to an alliance with the West.

Vance suggested in a recent interview that Ukraine and Russia halt fighting and create a demilitarized zone at the current battle lines. Kyiv would need to adhere to a neutral status and stop its bid to join NATO.

"These proposals are the same as those of Putin, and let us be clear, they are not proposals for peace," Harris said. "Instead, they are proposals for surrender, which is dangerous and unacceptable."

"It's not a surrender," Trump responded Thursday. "What my strategy is, to save lives."

Tension between Trump and Zelenskyy

Tension has been brewing between the two leaders. During a campaign event in North Carolina on Wednesday, Trump slammed Zelenskyy for making "little, nasty aspersions" toward him. He appeared to be referring to Zelenskyy's comments in a recent New Yorker magazine article that Trump "doesn't really know how to stop the war even if he might think he knows how."



Trump suggested the Ukrainian leader together with the Biden administration are at fault for prolonging the war that followed Moscow's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.



"Biden and Kamala allowed this to happen by feeding Zelenskyy money and munitions like no country has ever seen before," Trump said. He argued that Kyiv should have made concessions to Moscow before Russian troops attacked, asserting that Ukraine is now "in rubble" and in no position to negotiate the war's end.

Zelenskyy, who has been in the United States since Sunday to attend the United Nations General Assembly in New York, was scheduled to depart Thursday but extended his visit as Trump announced the meeting.

Trump complains of impeachment

Trump spent a significant part of the open-to-press portion of his Friday meeting with Zelenskyy complaining about his 2019 impeachment by Democrats in Congress.

The impeachment was triggered by a phone call he had with Zelenskyy in July of that year in which Trump, who was president at the time, asked the Ukrainian leader to start an investigation into Biden a then his Democratic presidential rival a and his son Hunter Biden.

"It was a hoax, just a Democrat hoax, which we won," said Trump, who was acquitted by the Republican-majority Senate at that time.

Trump praised Zelenskyy for being "like a piece of steel" in supporting his claim that he did nothing wrong during their phone call. Zelenskyy did not respond to Trump's remarks related to the impeachment.

Zelenskyy is also dealing with attacks from congressional Republicans loyal to Trump demanding that the Ukrainian leader fire his ambassador to the United States, Oksana Markarova, over Zelenskyy's visit earlier this week to an ammunition factory in Pennsylvania, a hotly contested battleground state in the November U.S. presidential election. Zelenskyy met with the Democratic governor of the state, Josh Shapiro.

In a letter to Zelenskyy, Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson on Wednesday said the visit to the factory that makes munitions for Ukraine was a "partisan campaign event designed to help Democrats," that amounts to "election interference."

The White House called Johnson's letter a "political stunt" and pointed out that Zelenskyy recently met Republican Governor of Utah Spencer Cox in a "similar event."

Ahead of Zelenskyy's visit, the U.S. administration announced $8 billion in new aid for Ukraine. In a statement, Biden said the aid includes a Patriot missile battery and missiles, as well as air-to-ground munitions and a precision-guided glide bomb with a range of up to 130 kilometers.

The White House said no announcement is imminent regarding Ukraine's request for weapons donors to allow Ukrainian forces to use the weapons to strike targets deeper inside Russia.

Iuliia Iarmolenko, Tatiana Koprowicz and Iryna Solomko Bonenberger contributed to this report.

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NEW YORK, Sept. 27, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --

WHY: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, reminds purchasers of common stock of DXC Technology Company (NYSE: DXC) between May 26, 2021 and May 16, 2024, both dates inclusive (the Class Period), of the important October 1, 2024 lead plaintiff deadline.

SO WHAT: If you purchased DXC common stock during the Class Period you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out of pocket fees or costs through a contingency fee arrangement.

WHAT TO DO NEXT: To join the DXC class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=27684 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email case@rosenlegal.com for information on the class action. A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than October 1, 2024. A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation.

WHY ROSEN LAW: We encourage investors to select qualified counsel with a track record of success in leadership roles. Often, firms issuing notices do not have comparable experience, resources or any meaningful peer recognition. Many of these firms do not actually litigate securities class actions, but are merely middlemen that refer clients or partner with law firms that actually litigate the cases. Be wise in selecting counsel. The Rosen Law Firm represents investors throughout the globe, concentrating its practice in securities class actions and shareholder derivative litigation. Rosen Law Firm has achieved the largest ever securities class action settlement against a Chinese Company. Rosen Law Firm was Ranked No. 1 by ISS Securities Class Action Services for number of securities class action settlements in 2017. The firm has been ranked in the top 4 each year since 2013 and has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors. In 2019 alone the firm secured over $438 million for investors. In 2020, founding partner Laurence Rosen was named by law360 as a Titan of Plaintiffs Bar. Many of the firms attorneys have been recognized by Lawdragon and Super Lawyers.

DETAILS OF THE CASE: According to the lawsuit, during the Class Period, defendants made numerous materially false and misleading statements and omissions concerning DXCs ability to integrate previously acquired companies and business systems, as well as their efforts to reduce DXCs restructuring costs. Specifically, defendants repeatedly touted the progress of DXCs transformation journey, and assured investors that their efforts to reduce restructuring costs were successful and were all sustainable and a result of the operational work we are doing. As a result of these misrepresentations, the price of DXC common stock traded at artificially inflated prices throughout the Class Period. When the true details entered the market, the lawsuit claims that investors suffered damages.

To join the DXC class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=27684 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email case@rosenlegal.com for information on the class action.

No Class Has Been Certified. Until a class is certified, you are not represented by counsel unless you retain one. You may select counsel of your choice. You may also remain an absent class member and do nothing at this point. An investors ability to share in any potential future recovery is not dependent upon serving as lead plaintiff.

Follow us for updates on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-rosen-law-firm, on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rosen_firm or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rosenlawfirm/.

Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.

Contact Information:

Laurence Rosen, Esq.

Phillip Kim, Esq.

The Rosen Law Firm, P.A.

275 Madison Avenue, 40th Floor

New York, NY 10016

Tel: (212) 686-1060

Toll Free: (866) 767-3653

Fax: (212) 202-3827

case@rosenlegal.com

www.rosenlegal.com
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Sept. 27, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Global Uranium Corp. (CSE: GURN | OTC PINK: GURFF | FRA: Q3J) (the "Company") announces that Mr. Eli Dusenbury has stepped down as Chief Financial Officer of the Company.



To fill the vacancy created by Mr. Dusenburys resignation, the Company has appointed Mr. Nico Mah to serve as the Companys Chief Financial Officer. Mr. Mah is a Chartered Professional Accountant and has over eight years of experience in auditing and public accountancy, articling and working up to manager at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP from September 2015 to January 2023. Mr. Mah is the managing director of GKM Consulting Inc., a private accounting consulting firm. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree, majoring in Accounting, from the University of Calgary and a CPA designation in Alberta, Canada.

On behalf of management of the Company, I would like to thank Eli for his service as the Chief Financial Officer of the Company, said Mr. Ungad Chadda, Chief Executive Officer of the Company. Eli has been instrumental in shepherding the Company through its acquisition of Rare Earth Element Corp. and its listing on the Canadian Securities Exchange. I am delighted that Eli is remaining a part of the Board of Directors of the Company, in which role he will continue to provide financial insight, strategy and oversight to the Company moving forward.

I am very excited to be joining the Company and I look forward to working with Ungad and the rest of the management team to advance the Company's priorities and make a positive impact for our stakeholders, said Mr. Mah.

ABOUT GLOBAL URANIUM CORP.

Global Uranium Corp. focuses on exploring and developing uranium assets primarily in North America. The Company currently holds seven key uranium projects: the Wing Lake Property in the Mudjatik Domain of Northern Saskatchewan, Canada; the Northwest Athabasca Joint Venture with Forum Energy Metals Corp. and NexGen Energy Ltd. in the Northwest Athabasca region of Saskatchewan, Canada; and the Great Divide Basin District Projects, the Gas Hills District Projects, and the Copper Mountain District Projects in Wyoming, USA.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Ungad Chadda

CEO

604-359-1248

info@globaluranium.com
Singapore, Sept. 27, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- At the AI Apex Asia Capital Connect Forum, a panel of leading experts in AI governance, security and alignment, intellectual property, and regulatory compliance convened to discuss the complex landscape facing AI companies preparing for initial public offerings (IPOs). The roundtable, moderated by James Liu, Director at Alibaba Cloud International, provided crucial insights into the evolving regulatory environment and strategies for success.





Key findings from the discussion include:

1. AI companies face unprecedented challenges in data privacy, intellectual property protection, and regulatory compliance when preparing for IPOs.

2. The rapid pace of AI innovation often outstrips regulatory frameworks, requiring companies to be proactive in addressing potential risks and communicating with stakeholders effectively.

3. Collaboration between AI companies and regulators is crucial to develop frameworks that balance innovation with public interest protection.

4. The EU AI Act represents a significant shift in AI regulation, with global implications for companies operating in or selling to European markets.

5. Deepfake technology poses significant risks to copyright and identity protection, necessitating both technological and regulatory solutions.

6. Purpose-built AI agents offer a promising approach to augment Large Language Models (LLMs) for enhanced security and safety.

Prof. Liu Yang, Co-founder of AgentLayer, highlighted the evolving nature of AI security risks and proposed an innovative solution: "When you are using any AI solutions, you need to understand potential new attacks. For example, we've seen recent breakthroughs in AI model jailbreaking, which can bypass defensive mechanisms with 100% success for current models. This brings a very big challenge for whatever AI solutions we're developing."

Prof. Liu further elaborated on a novel approach to address these challenges: "Augmenting LLMs with agent-based models as verifier and governor recognizes the complexity of an enterprise while focusing on creating an automated LLM verifier and governor. Instead of focusing solely on making LLMs safe for an enterprise, purpose-built AI agents can be used to verify and govern all LLM interactions. Even if the underlying LLMs are not inherently safe, the use of these specialized agents can help an enterprise ensure its interactions are safe as well as outcome-oriented."

Hsu Li-Chuan, Partner at Dentons Rodyk, emphasized the importance of clear communication with regulators and investors: "The difficulty with AI is it covers so many different areas of regulation, unlike e-commerce or even blockchain technology. AI probably encompasses a much wider area of regulation, compliance, and ethics. We need to keep this in mind when doing any fundraising on public markets."

Yang Jingwei, Director of Ant Digital Technologies, stressed the need for robust technical solutions: "For data security, I have three suggestions: build very strong data governance with strict policies, be very careful with cross-border data transfers, and be transparent about data usage. For IP rights, consult with IP experts, seek patent protections, and have clear contracts for IP ownership."

Yang Jingwei then mentioned the risk of Deepfakes highlighted in the EU AI Act and how to prevent it: Deepfake attacks pose significant risks, but content labeling could help, though it requires time and investment. In the interim, companies are encouraged to partner with reliable vendors like ZOLOZ, and users are advised to seek secondary confirmation during high-risk activities like money transfers.

James Liu, the moderator, concluded: "The key takeaway is that pre- and post-IPO, communication with investors, the general public, and regulators is crucial. Because technology often moves faster than regulation, self-regulation and frameworks are important. The innovative use of purpose-built AI agents to augment LLMs, as proposed by Prof. Liu, represents a promising direction for addressing current security and safety concerns in the AI industry."

The panelists agreed that as AI continues to evolve rapidly, companies must stay ahead of governance issues to successfully navigate the IPO process and maintain public trust. Ongoing dialogue between industry, academia, and regulators will be crucial in shaping a balanced approach to AI governance, with emerging technologies like AI agents playing a key role in ensuring the safe and effective deployment of AI systems.

About AI Apex Asia

AI Apex Asia is a leading artificial intelligence community dedicated to advancing AI technologies and applications across Asian markets. With a focus on innovation, regional expertise, and responsible AI development, AI Apex Asia is committed to driving the adoption of AI solutions that address unique challenges and opportunities in diverse Asian industries.




TORONTO, Sept. 28, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- As racialized trade unionists committed to justice, equality, and respect, we believe everyone deserves to live in safe and healthy communities. After years of continued advocacy where we have told our leaders at all levels of government to act on the root cause of violence in our communities, we are seeing yet another spike of violent incidents in Toronto.



We know from the vast amounts of research and lived experience in our communities that the best way to tackle violence is to deal with issues of systemic poverty, discrimination and inequality. We know that Black, Indigenous, and racialized youth are often the victims of violence, only to be further scapegoated, misrepresented, and further harmed by authoritiesfueling the cycle over and over.

In addition to the current affordability crisis that has already pushed marginalized communities to the brink, decades of cuts to fundamental public services and social programs have left our youth at ever-increasing risk of violence. We know we need communities where everyone has equal opportunities to succeed through access to clean and safe environments, affordable housing, and chances to learn, play, and grow. While some progress has been made over the last twelve years since 2012 at the height of the last spike, there is still much more work to be done to x the social conditions of systemic inequality that create harm, isolation, and further barriers that our youth must struggle to overcome.

As members of the Toronto & York Region Labour Councils Equity Committee, we demand all levels of government take concrete initiatives to:

 Fund Our Schools: The Ford government must restore and increase funding for education to ensure teachers and educators have the resources they need to support racialized youth to grow and thrive in our communities. We know that marginalized youth are at most risk with chronic underfunding and cuts to publicly funded education. We need to hold Conservative politicians like Ford accountable for the harms these cuts cause, like an increase in violence in schools, especially for marginalized and racialized youth, who are already having to overcome increased barriers in underserved communities.

 Expand Youth Employment Opportunities: Increase funding for employment programs in vulnerable communities, such as the Golden Mile Trades Training Program, to provide at-risk youth with the skills and opportunities they need for a better future. We know that programs like these offer targeted support to help youth break the cycle of poverty and violence, and help uplift our communities into good union jobs and liveable wages.

 Expand Youth-Led Empowerment Programs and Initiatives: Youth-led programs provide spaces for young people to connect with each other and build equitable solutions with those who understand their lived experiences. Initiatives, such as the Toronto Youth Cabinet, Youth Alliance for Intersectional Justice and others, empower youth to take the lead and advocate on their own issues. Taking their lead and creating the space for other initiatives like these, especially in underserved areas such as Scarborough and north Etobicoke, has never been more crucial.

 Expand Youth Community Hubs and Green Spaces: We know that youth are in constant search of community and belonging. If safe spaces for youth are not within reach, this only further increases the cycle of isolation, poverty and violence. We need to fund the creation of youth community hubs and greener spaces, especially near schools, to offer safe, supportive environments where youth can learn, grow, and connect.

 Ensure Affordable, Reliable and Accessible Public Transit: A major barrier for racialized and marginalized youth is the lack of affordable, reliable public transit. Reducing barriers to transit is essential for youth to access education, employment opportunities, community programs, and other essential services for the upward mobility of their communities. Having access to affordable and reliable transit is especially important in low-income and underserved communities of Scarborough and north Etobicoke, disproportionately affecting racialized youth and their families. Improving transit accessibility is a form of economic justice, and governments must act to remove these barriers so youth and their communities can thrive.

Its time for a community-based approach, giving those most impacted by violence a direct say in the decisions that impact them. Our communities hold the knowledge Toronto needs.

Belonging is powerful. By fostering a sense of belonging and opportunity for everyone, we can plant hope instead of letting violence grow. As a community committed to real justice, unity, and solidarity we have the power to make a difference.

The Equity Committee of the Toronto & York Region Labour Council

For more information and media inquiries, please contact:

Yaroslava Avila Montenegro

Communications and Data Coordinator, Toronto and York Region Labour Council

Phone: 416 441 3663 ex 1028

Email: ymontenegro@labourcouncil.ca

About The Equity Committee of Toronto & York Region Labour Council:

The Toronto & York Region Labour Council represents over 200,000 workers from diverse sectors across the Toronto region. Among its branches, the Labour Council Equity Committee reinforces our commitment to equity and access across all sectors. The Equity Committee leads the Labour Councils efforts to prioritize Women's, Indigenous, Black and Racialized, Disability, LGBTQ+, and Human Rights to ensure that these critical issues remain at the forefront of our work.
MONTREAL, Sept. 28, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- From September 28 to October 1, the Shriners Hospitals for Children - Canada will host the 4th International Symposium on Arthrogryposis. Organized in collaboration with the other Montreal pediatric centers - CHU Sainte-Justine, Centre de readaptation Marie Enfant and Montreal Children's Hospital - the symposium will take place at the Hotel Omni Mont-Royal, 1050 Sherbrooke Street West. Pre-conference workshops will be held on Saturday, September 28 at the Shriners Hospitals for Children - Canada.



Arthrogryposis is a group of rare diseases that occur in around 1 in 3,000 children. Arthrogryposis manifests itself as joint stiffness, present from birth and affecting all four limbs to varying degrees. It may be accompanied by other signs: skeletal, visceral or neurological. People with arthrogryposis live with a limited range of movement, often restricting their participation in daily activities. Arthrogryposis is one of a wide range of so-called fetal immobility syndromes, encompassing a multitude of neurological and muscular abnormalities whose inventory is not yet complete.

Over the course of four days, experts from around the world will discuss ways of approaching and treating this pathology, as well as the latest research projects in progress. For Dr. Reggie Hamdy and Dr. Noemi Dahan-Oliel, co-chairs of the scientific and organizing committees, the need for this 4th international symposium is clear.

Noemi Dahan-Oliel, clinical researcher and associate professor at McGill University, explains: By promoting knowledge sharing and networking among an international community of experts and people living with this condition, we are on the lookout for scientific advances and discoveries that will enable optimal evidence-based care. One of our Quebec stars, Luca Lazylegz Patuelli, www.lucapatuelli.com, a member of the organizing committee for this 4th edition of the international symposium, will perform a dance show on Sunday, September 29 at the Omni Hotel's Salle Pierre de Coubertin during the cocktail reception at 5:45 pm. Luca embodies the can-do attitude of people living with a rare disease. He is proof that support for patients and families, as called for by Quebec's policy on rare diseases, is not only an inescapable necessity, but also a source of wealth.

The Shriners Healthcare Network is at the forefront of clinical advancements, and its Genomics Institute seeks to better understand the genetic causes of rare diseases such as arthrogryposis. It's by working together with clinicians, researchers and people living with arthrogryposis that we can learn, innovate and move forward to meet the needs of this community, says Reggie Hamdy, MD, MSc (Ortho) FRCSC, orthopaedic surgeon and director of the Arthrogryposis Clinic at the Shriners in Montreal.

Several patients and families living with arthrogryposis will also be there speaking about the care they received and their life experiences.

To view the symposium program and find out more about the guest speakers: https://event.fourwaves.com/fr/amcinternationalsymposium/pages

The first international symposium on arthrogryposis was held in 2007 in Birmingham, UK, to discuss different aspects of care for people with arthrogryposis. These learnings set the tone for the second symposium, held in St Petersburg, Russia, in 2014. Clinical and research advances made in the field of arthrogryposis were shared at the 3rd symposium in Philadelphia, USA, in 2018. The hospital, in collaboration with other Montreal pediatric facilities, is proud to welcome the 4th International Arthrogryposis Symposium to Montreal!

About Shriners Hospitals for Children  Canada

Established in Montreal in 1925, Shriners Hospital for Children  Canada is the only Canadian facility within the extensive Shriners Hospitals network. A bilingual hospital, it offers ultra-specialized acute orthopedic care to children from Canada, the United States and around the world. The hospital's mission is to promote health and provide treatment and rehabilitation for infants, children and young adults with orthopedic and neuromuscular conditions such as scoliosis, osteogenesis imperfecta, clubfoot, hip dysplasia and cerebral palsy.

The hospital is committed to excellence and innovation in clinical practice, research and education. Affiliated with McGill University, the hospital enables resident physicians and healthcare professionals to take advantage of its facilities on the Glen site to further their training and experience. In addition to offering a patient- and family-centered care environment, the hospital is present in communities across Canada through telemedicine, outreach clinics and satellite clinics.

Information:

Emmanuelle Rondeau

Communications

Shriners Hospitals for Children  Canada

Tel.: 514-282-6990; Cell.: 514-207-1057

erondeau@shrinenet.org

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/c8da9cc6-cf80-49aa-8cd1-b0b94815f1f2
Article can be found at: https://thinkcarebelieve.blog/2024/09/28/assange-will-speak/



STRASBOURG, France, Sept. 28, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange will testify before the Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE). ThinkCareBelieve feels that this is an historic event because it is the first time he has spoken publicly since he was taken to a UK prison 5.5 years ago. Assange was released from that prison 3 months ago and has since been recuperating with his family in his native home of Australia. Julian Assange is widely considered the greatest journalist of our time and the fight for our rights to freely speak and publish truth of high importance.

PACEs Legal Affairs Committee Will Hear Testimony From Julian Assange

What: Assange will address Council of Europe following confirmation of his status as a Political Prisoner, his first time speaking in public since becoming free in June 2024.

Where: at the Palace of Europe in Strasbourg, France to give evidence before the Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE)

When: 8:30am to 10am CEST on October 1st, 2024 (Grand-Est), (2:30am ET October 1st)

How: Live steam on PACE's YT channel Here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mq85IZMeigc

"The hearing marks Assanges first official testimony on his case since before his imprisonment in 2019. His appearance before Europes foremost human rights and treaty-setting body emphasizes the broader implications of his case." This follows a report by Rapporteur Thorhildur Sunna varsdottir. The report emphasizes how governments use legal and extralegal measures to persecute journalists and whistleblowers across borders, which endangers press freedom and human rights. Even though Julian Assange is still in recovery, he made a special exception to give official testimony in person before the Committee. PACE has a mandate to safeguard human rights and has long been concerned by the broader implications of Assanges case.

ThinkCareBelieve believes that when we take a look at the ideals and practices for which Julian Assange stands, we can see him as a man of integrity with a moral and social intelligence that shines through his work. Assanges speeches educated the public on how to empower themselves, predicting the time we are experiencing now. Assange changed journalism forever by employing the practice of Scientific Journalism which printed the source documentation alongside the articles for verification of facts. He also pioneered the secure dropbox for whistleblowers to securely upload tips and information. Something so new and unconventional at the time, but is commonly used today.
Sydney, September 27, 2024 - Central Iron Ore Ltd. (TSXV: CIO) (the "Company") is pleased to announce that, further to its press releases of August 2, 2024 and August 19. 2024, the Company has completed its rights offering (the "Rights Offering") to eligible holders of the ordinary shares (each, a "Share") in the capital of the Company at the close of business on the record date of August 13, 2024.

Pursuant to the Rights Offering, the Company issued a total of 10,678,532 units (the "Units") of the Company, at a price of $0.05 per Unit for gross proceeds of $533,926.60. Each Unit will be comprised of one Share and one Share purchase warrant (each, a "Warrant"). Each Warrant entitles the holder to acquire one Share at an exercise price of $0.08 per Share on or before April 30, 2029. The Warrants will not be listed for trading on any securities exchange, however, the Warrants will be transferable.

Pursuant to the Rights Offering, insiders of the Company purchase an aggregate of 9,431,000 Units as follows: Gullewa Ltd. acquired 202,000 Units; Brooklyn Bay Ptu Ltd. (which is a wholly owned subsidiary of Gullewa Limited) acquired 8,750,000 Units; and Mr. David Deitz, a Director and officer of the Company, acquired 479,000 Units. To the knowledge of the Company after reasonable inquiry, no person became an insider or control person of the Company as a result of the Rights Offering. No fees or commissions were paid by the Company in connection with the Rights Offering.

Mr. David Deitz, has control or direction over the Shares that each of Gullewa Limited and Brooklyn Bay Pty Ltd. hold. As a result, prior to closing the Rights Offering, Mr. David Deitz, beneficially owned or controlled, directly or indirectly, an aggregate of 9,431,000 Shares, representing approximately 38.90% of the issued and outstanding Shares of the Company on an undiluted and partially diluted basis. On closing of the Rights Offering, Mr. Deitz owned or controlled, directly or indirectly, an aggregate of 18,862,000 Shares and 9,431,000 Warrants, representing approximately 54.02% of the issued and outstanding Shares on an undiluted basis and approximately 63.79% on a partially diluted basis. Depending on market and other conditions, or as future circumstances may dictate, Mr. Deitz, Gullewa Limited and/of Brooklyn Bay Pty Ltd. may from time to time increase or decrease their respective holdings of Shares or other securities of the Company. A copy of the early warning report will be available on the Company's issuer profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca.

The Rights Offering constituted a related party transaction within the meaning of TSX Venture Exchange Policy 5.9 and Multilateral Instrument 61-101 - Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions ("MI 61-101") as insiders of the Company acquired an aggregate of 9,431,000 Units pursuant to the Offering. The Company is relying on the exemptions from the valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements of MI 61-101 contained in sections 5.5(b) and 5.7(1)(a) of MI 61-101, as applicable, as the Company is not listed on a specified market and the fair market value of the participation in the Offering by the insiders does not exceed 25% of the market capitalization of the Company in accordance with MI 61-101. The Company did not file a material change report more than 21 days before the closing of the Rights Offering because the details of the participation therein by related parties of the Company were not settled until shortly prior to closing of the Rights Offering.

As of the closing of the Rights Offering, the Company has 34,915,780 Common Shares issued and outstanding. The Rights Offering remains subject to receipt of final acceptance of the TSX Venture Exchange.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

THIS NEWS RELEASE IS NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of Canadian securities laws. Although the Company believes that such information is reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Forward-looking information is typically identified by words such as: believe, expect, anticipate, intend, estimate, postulate and similar expressions, or are those, which, by their nature, refer to future events. The Company cautions investors that any forward-looking information provided by the Company is not a guarantee of future results or performance, and that actual results may differ materially from those in forward looking information as a result of various factors, including, but not limited to, the state of the financial markets for the Company's equity securities, the state of the market for iron ore or other minerals that may be produced generally, recent market volatility; variations in the nature, quality and quantity of any mineral deposits that may be located, the Company's ability to obtain any necessary permits, consents or authorizations required for its activities, to raise the necessary capital or to be fully able to implement its business strategies and other risks associated with the exploration and development of mineral properties. The reader is referred to the Company's disclosure documents for a more complete discussion of such risk factors and their potential effects, copies of which may be accessed through the Company's page on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/224884
Vancouver, September 27, 2024 - Spark Energy Minerals Inc. (CSE: SPRK) (OTC Pink: SPARF) (FSE: 8PC) ("Spark" or the "Company") is pleased to provide a corporate update on all of the recent corporate developments.

Introduction to Spark's Flagship Project: "The Arapaima Lithium Project"

Spark Energy Minerals is thrilled to introduce its flagship project, the "Arapaima Lithium Project," located in Brazil's renowned "Lithium Valley" in Minas Gerais. Covering 63,709 hectares, it is the largest contiguous landholding in this high-potential lithium region, offering significant exploration opportunities.

The project is strategically situated near major industry players such as Lithium Ionic, Sigma Lithium, Latin Resources, Si6, and Atlas Lithium, positioning Spark Energy Minerals at the center of this fast-growing "lithium valley."





Map of Spark Energy's flagship Arapaima Lithium Project relative to other major projects in Brazil's "Lithium Valley"

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/10093/224938_dee2848b4439ab29_002full.jpg

To advance exploration, Spark's geological team led by its VP Exploration, Jonathan Hill, has used advanced techniques, including geophysical, geochemical, remote sensing, and multi-spectral data. "These methods have identified promising lithium-rich targets across the project area. Even more encouraging, spodumene, a key lithium mineral, has been detected in stream sediments," said Mr. Hill. Government reports also point to high lithium potential, alongside other valuable elements like niobium, cerium, tin, tantalum, beryllium, and boron. A 2023 regional study highlighted the most promising areas for further exploration, marked in red, orange, and yellow based on sediment and mineral data in the below map.

Map showing Spark Energy Metals 63 kHa contiguous tenement package overlain on the 2023 Brazilian Government Lithium Probability Map1 including remote sensing targets

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/10093/224938_dee2848b4439ab29_003full.jpg

Update on Q4 2024 Work Program in Brazil:

Spark Energy Minerals is advancing its exploration activities across its large land package, aiming to uncover high-grade lithium deposits to meet the rising demand from global battery markets.

The exploration program focuses on areas identified through advanced remote sensing and geophysical data. The region's geological potential is driven by lithium-rich pegmatite formations within G4 granite intrusions and favorable host rock structures, located near major known lithium deposits.

Using modern techniques like remote sensing and multi-spectral analysis, along with reprocessed public geophysical and geochemical data, Spark's team has identified key targets. With confirmed lithium potential and strong geological indicators, Spark is well-positioned to seize opportunities in Brazil's Lithium Valley, supporting the electric vehicle and energy storage industries.

"Lithium Valley" Industry Update:

The global lithium market is growing quickly, and Brazil is becoming a key player with the launch of "Lithium Valley" in Minas Gerais. This initiative positions the state as a major hub for lithium production, supporting the electric vehicle and energy storage industries. Lithium Valley Brazil is raising the region's profile globally and reshaping international trade, as Brazil becomes an increasingly important supplier of lithium to the world market. Full details about the initiative can be found here and as well as in the related brochure found here.

One of the key developments in Brazil's lithium sector is Sigma Lithium's "Groto do Cirilo" project, now the sixth-largest producer of lithium concentrate worldwide. On August 29, 2024, Sigma secured a BRL 487 million, 16-year loan from Brazil's National Bank for Economic and Social Development (BNDES) to fully fund the construction of its second Greentech Carbon Neutral Plant. The facility is set to be completed by summer 2025, further strengthening Brazil's role as a leading supplier of sustainable lithium. This investment aligns with BNDES's strategy to support a competitive, scalable, and environmentally responsible lithium supply chain. More information about Sigma's latest developments can be found here.

Additionally, on August 15, 2024, Pilbara Minerals announced its intent to acquire Latin Resources in an all-stock transaction valued at USD 369.4 million. This acquisition grants Pilbara control of Latin Resources' flagship Salinas lithium project in Minas Gerais, providing them with exposure to the growing North American and European battery markets.

Dale Henderson, Managing Director and CEO of Pilbara Minerals, commented on the acquisition.

"We are excited to announce the acquisition of Latin Resources. This acquisition is on-strategy, diversifying the business with what we believe is a counter-cyclical, accretive extension that further builds out Pilbara Minerals' position as one of the leading lithium materials suppliers globally. The acquisition will deliver our second 100% owned, Tier 1, hard rock lithium asset, which is expected to be low-cost and accretive for our shareholders. It provides Pilbara Minerals with optionality to sequence new supply and diversify into new growth markets for lithium such as Europe and North America."

Henderson also highlighted the significance of the Salinas project, saying:

"One of the reasons Pilbara Minerals was attracted to Latin Resources was the strong foundation of community support that has been established to date. We look forward to working alongside the Latin Resources team, and other key stakeholders, as we develop Salinas to its full potential. We expect the combination of the Latin Resources and Pilbara Minerals teams will unlock the significant value of the Salinas project over time, de-risking its development and timing the project delivery appropriately in lock-step with the lithium market's growth."

This acquisition strengthens Pilbara Minerals' position as a leading global lithium supplier and reinforces Minas Gerais as a key region in the global lithium supply chain. Full details on the acquisition can be found here.

Spark CEO, Eugene Hodgson stated, "These developments underscore the growing prominence of Brazil's "Lithium Valley" and its importance in meeting the global demand for lithium. Spark Energy Minerals is proud to be part of this exciting growth and is well-positioned to contribute to the global energy transition, leveraging its strategic assets in Brazil's most promising lithium region."

Introduction to Spark's Management, Directors and Key People:

Eugene Hodgson - Chair, President & CEO

Eugene Hodgson is a seasoned leader with over 40 years of experience across the resource industry, public sector, and capital markets. His diverse background includes significant roles in corporate communications, government and financial strategy, notably with Intrawest Corp, and investment banking as Vice President of Origination at Corpfinance International Corp. Mr. Hodgson has also served as Vice President of both the BC Mining Association and First Exploration Fund, a Merrill Lynch-funded junior mining flow-through fund. His extensive board experience encompasses numerous public companies and private organizations, including the Vancouver Board of Trade, Independent Power Producers of BC, and Timmins Gold Corp (NYSE). Additionally, he has held key positions and Board roles with Trait Biosciences Inc., Grandfield Pacific Corporation, Arimex Resources Inc., Equitable Real Estate Investment Corp., Sea Breeze Power Corp., Rover Metals Corp., Silvermex Resources Inc., Pacific Cascade Minerals, and Critical Infrastructure Technologies Ltd., making him a valuable asset in navigating complex business environments.

Jonathan Hill - VP Exploration, Country Manager & Director

Mr. Hill brings over 30 years' experience of global exploration, mining operational and project

development experience including, Africa, Australia, and the Americas. He is a former geologist with Ashanti Gold where he was directly involved in several world class, greenfield and brownfield discoveries. Mr. Hill holds a BSc (Hons) Economic Geology 1988 (University of Cape Town), and a BAppSc. Applied Geology 1985 (Queensland University of Technology), and is a fellow of the AUSIMM. He has is a Non-Executive Director of Royal Road Minerals Limited and Stratabound Minerals Corporation, both TSX-V listed companies and was the former Greenfields Exploration Manager for Brazil - AngloGold, former VP Exploration and Geology Jaguar Mining and former Greensfield Exploration Manager of Columbia AnglaGold Ashanti.

Chris Foster - CFO

Mr. Foster is a consultant providing accounting and financial management services for both public and private companies across a broad spectrum of industries. He is currently Chief Financial Officer for DGTL Holdings Inc, former Chief Financial Officer for Perpetua Resources Corp, former Controller for the Ivanhoe Group's Global Mining Management Corporation and Peregrine Diamonds Ltd, Roca Mines Inc., and former accountant at Canadian Forest Products Ltd.

Mike Stier - Director

Mr. Stier is educated in business management and finance, with 15 years of experience in capital markets. He specializes in corporate structure, finance, business development, IPOs, M&A, and wealth management, having served as a CIBC IIROC licensed Senior Financial Advisor and senior analyst for a private equity company. Currently, he holds executive and directorship roles with private companies and publicly listed issuers, providing consultation across industries including mining, oil & gas, fintech, VR, eSports, health, life sciences, and biotech. Mr. Stier has acted for several public entities and currently serves on the board of Rektron Group Inc., La Fleur Minerals Inc., GoldHaven Resources Corp., and Saga Metals Corp.

Andrew Lee Smith, P.Geo, BSC. - Chairman, Technical Advisory Board

Andrew Lee Smith is an accomplished Professional Geologist. He has over 25 years of experience successfully exploring, developing, and operating North American and African base and precious metals mining projects. Andrew also holds directorships and management positions in several other junior mineral exploration companies. In 2015, Mr. Smith competed in the International Corporate Directors Education Program and received the ICD.D accreditation -the only professional designation for Canadian directors recognized both nationally and internationally.

Michael Skead - Technical Advisory Board Member

Mr. Skead is a geologist with over 30 years of international experience in mining exploration and development. He holds a BSc. Honours degree in geology from the University of Cape Town, (RSA) and MSc. in Exploration Geology, from the Rhodes University, Grahamstown, (RSA). He worked as the Vice President of Project Development at GT Gold Corp., which was recently acquired by Newmont Corp. for C$393 million. While at GT Gold Corp., he delivered the geological model and resource for the gold rich copper porphyry Saddle North Project which comprised an Indicated resource containing 1.81 B lbs. copper and 3.47 M oz. gold, and an Inferred resource containing 2.98 B lbs. copper and 5.46 M oz. gold. He was Director of Geoscience at Newmont Corp. and has previously held senior management positions in a number of internationally recognized mining companies including Goldcorp, Randgold Resources, and Dundee Precious Metals.

Ian Gendall - Technical Advisory Board Member

Mr. Gendall is the President & CEO of DLP Resources and was previously with Gencor, Billiton, Anglo American, Antofagasta and more recently, OceanaGold. While working with Billiton, Mr. Gendall led the team that was responsible for the discovery of an entirely new porphyry copper district in southern Ecuador. One of the companies that acquired part of the district was subsequently sold to CRCC- Tongguan Investment Co., Ltd. for $679M. Ian has extensive knowledge of operating in Brazil and was previously COO of Magellan Minerals, which was purchased in 2016 by Anfiled Gold Corp.

Leonardo Souza - Consulting Geologist

Mr. Souza is a Consultant Geologist at Canopus Geologia e Projetos, and an Associated Partner at Orion Group. He brings expertise in mineral exploration and project management from his lengthy experience developing mineral exploration projects across a spectrum of sizes and types, from metallic to gems, and business development within the sector, particularly in fostering partnerships and negotiating deals for domestic and international markets. Leonardo's skills extend to preparing business plans to attract investments and managing relationships with investors and investment funds, focusing on mining, mineral commodities, and exploration projects in Brazil and abroad.

Qualified Person

The scientific and technical information disclosed in this document has been reviewed and approved by Jonathan Victor Hill BSc Hons, FAUSIMM, a Qualified Person consistent with NI 43-101.

About Spark Energy Minerals Inc.

Spark Energy Minerals, Inc. is a Canadian company focused on the acquisition, exploration, and development of battery metals and mineral assets, with a particular emphasis on its substantial interests in Brazil. The Company holds significant land and mineral rights in Brazil's renowned Lithium Valley, one of the most prolific mining regions in the world. This region is rapidly gaining global recognition for its vast deposits of lithium and rare earth minerals, positioning Brazil as a critical player in the global energy transition. Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward-Looking Statement Disclaimer

Certain statements contained in this release may constitute "forward-looking statements" or "forward-looking information" (collectively "forward-looking information") as those terms are used in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and similar Canadian laws. These statements relate to future events or future performance. The use of any of the words "could," "intend," "expect," "believe," "will," "projected," "estimated", "anticipates" and similar expressions and statements relating to matters that are not historical facts are intended to identify forward-looking information and are based on the Company's current belief or assumptions as to the outcome and timing of such future events. Actual future results may differ materially. In particular, this release contains forward-looking information relating to the businesses of the Company and Latam, the respective assets of the Company and Latam, financing and certain corporate changes. The forward-looking information contained in this release is made as of the date hereof, and the Company is not obligated to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities laws. Certain statements contained in this release may constitute "forward-looking statements" or "forward-looking information" (collectively "forward-looking information") as those terms are used in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and similar Canadian laws. These statements relate to future events or future performance. The use of any of the words "could", "intend", "expect", "believe", "will", "projected", "estimated", "anticipates" and similar expressions and statements relating to matters that are not historical facts are intended to identify forward-looking information and are based on the Company's current belief or assumptions as to the outcome and timing of such future events. Actual future results may differ materially. In particular, this release contains forward-looking information relating to the businesses of the Company and Latam, the Company's properties, Latam's properties, and certain corporate changes. The forward-looking information contained in this release is made as of the date hereof and the Company is not obligated to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities laws.

1 Source: 2023 Brazilian Government Lithium Probability Map

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/224938
NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWS WIRE SERVICES OR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES

VANCOUVER, September 27, 2024 - Klondike Gold Corp. (TSXV:KG)(FRA:LBDP)(OTCQB:KDKGF) ("Klondike Gold" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that further to its news release of August 27, 2024, the Company has closed its non-brokered private placement financing, raising $409,000 of which $278,500 is flow-through (the "Private Placement").

In closing the Private Placement, the Company issued 2,785,000 flow-through units at a price of $0.10 per flow-though unit, with each flow-through unit comprised of one common share which is a "flow-through" share for Canadian income tax purposes and one share purchase warrant. (the "Flow-Through Units"). The Company further issued 1,450,000 units at a price of $0.09 per unit, with each unit comprised of one common share and one share purchase warrant ( the "Units").

A total of 4,235,000 share purchase warrants issued in connection with the Private Placement are exercisable at a price of $0.15 per share until September 27, 2026.

The Company also paid a cash finder's fees of $4,000 and issued 45,000 finder's warrants (the "Finders Warrants"), to Eventus Capital Corp. Each Finder's Warrant entitle the holder thereof to purchase one common share of the Company (a "Finder's Warrant Share") at a price of $0.15 per Finder's Warrant Share until September 27, 2026.

All securities issued in connection with the First Tranche are subject to a four month and one day statutory hold period expiring on January 28, 2025, in accordance with applicable securities laws and the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange.

Two insiders of the Company participated in the Private Placement and acquired an aggregate of 1,000,000 Flow-Through Units and 950,000 Units. The purchases by these insiders constitute "related party transactions" within the meaning of Multilateral Instrument 61-101 - Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions ("MI 61-101"). The issuances are exempt from the formal valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements of MI 61-101 as they are distributions of securities for cash and the fair market value of the Units issued to, and the consideration paid by, the insider did not exceed 25% of the Company's market capitalization. No new insiders were created, nor any change of control occurred, as a result of closing the Private Placement.

The Company intends to use the proceeds from the financing to continue exploration and development of the Company's Yukon properties, as well as for general working capital.

ABOUT KLONDIKE GOLD CORP.

Klondike Gold is a Vancouver based gold exploration company advancing its 100%-owned Klondike District Gold Project located at Dawson City, Yukon, one of the top mining jurisdictions in the world. The Klondike District Gold Project targets gold associated with district scale orogenic faults along the 55-kilometer length of the famous Klondike Goldfields placer district. Multi-kilometer gold mineralization has been identified at both the Lone Star Zone and Stander Zone, among other targets. The Company has identified a Mineral Resource Estimate of 469,000 Indicated and 112,000 Inferred gold ounces1, a milestone first for the Klondike District. The Company is focused on exploration and development of its 727 square kilometer property accessible by scheduled airline and government-maintained roads located on the outskirts of Dawson City, Yukon, within the Tr'ondek Hwech'in First Nation traditional territory.

1The Mineral Resource Estimate for the Klondike District Property was prepared by Marc Jutras, P.Eng., M.A.Sc., Principal, Ginto Consulting Inc., an independent Qualified Person in accordance with the requirements of NI 43-101. The technical report supporting the Mineral Resource Estimate entitled "NI 43-101 Technical Report on the Klondike District Gold Project, Yukon Territory, Canada" has been filed on SEDAR at www.sedarplus.ca effective November 10, 2022. Refer to news release of December 16, 2022.

ON BEHALF OF KLONDIKE GOLD CORP.

"Peter Tallman"

Peter Tallman

President and CEO



FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:

Telephone: (604) 609-6138

E-mail: info@klondikegoldcorp.com

Website: www.klondikegoldcorp.com

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Certain statements contained in this news release constitute "forward-looking statements". When used in this document, the words "anticipated", "expect", "estimated", "forecast", "planned", and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements or information. These statements are based on current expectations of management, however, they are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements in this news release. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these statements. Klondike Gold does not undertake any obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statements as a result of new information, future events or otherwise after the date hereof, except as required by securities laws.

Forward?looking statements involve numerous risks and uncertainties and actual results might differ materially from results suggested in any forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, among other things, market volatility; the state of the financial markets for the Company's securities; fluctuations in commodity prices and changes in the Company's business plans. In making the forward looking statements in this news release, the Company has applied several material assumptions that the Company believes are reasonable, including without limitation, that the Company will continue with its stated business objectives and its ability to raise additional capital to proceed. Although management of the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements or forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and forward-looking information. Readers are cautioned that reliance on such information may not be appropriate for other purposes. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statement, forward-looking information or financial out-look that are incorporated by reference herein, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. The Company seeks safe harbor.

For more information on the Company, investors should review the Company's continuous disclosure filings that are available at www.sedarplus.ca.

SOURCE: Klondike Gold Corp.

View the original press release on accesswire.com
VANCOUVER, Sept. 27, 2024 - Global Uranium Corp. (CSE: GURN | OTC PINK: GURFF | FRA: Q3J) (the "Company") announces that Mr. Eli Dusenbury has stepped down as Chief Financial Officer of the Company.



To fill the vacancy created by Mr. Dusenbury's resignation, the Company has appointed Mr. Nico Mah to serve as the Company's Chief Financial Officer. Mr. Mah is a Chartered Professional Accountant and has over eight years of experience in auditing and public accountancy, articling and working up to manager at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP from September 2015 to January 2023. Mr. Mah is the managing director of GKM Consulting Inc., a private accounting consulting firm. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree, majoring in Accounting, from the University of Calgary and a CPA designation in Alberta, Canada.

"On behalf of management of the Company, I would like to thank Eli for his service as the Chief Financial Officer of the Company," said Mr. Ungad Chadda, Chief Executive Officer of the Company. "Eli has been instrumental in shepherding the Company through its acquisition of Rare Earth Element Corp. and its listing on the Canadian Securities Exchange. I am delighted that Eli is remaining a part of the Board of Directors of the Company, in which role he will continue to provide financial insight, strategy and oversight to the Company moving forward."

"I am very excited to be joining the Company and I look forward to working with Ungad and the rest of the management team to advance the Company's priorities and make a positive impact for our stakeholders," said Mr. Mah.

ABOUT GLOBAL URANIUM CORP.

Global Uranium Corp. focuses on exploring and developing uranium assets primarily in North America. The Company currently holds seven key uranium projects: the Wing Lake Property in the Mudjatik Domain of Northern Saskatchewan, Canada; the Northwest Athabasca Joint Venture with Forum Energy Metals Corp. and NexGen Energy Ltd. in the Northwest Athabasca region of Saskatchewan, Canada; and the Great Divide Basin District Projects, the Gas Hills District Projects, and the Copper Mountain District Projects in Wyoming, USA.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Ungad Chadda

CEO

604-359-1248

info@globaluranium.com
This here is Brother Hua, he was born in Hong Kong and is currently residing in California with a successful career in finance. He and his beautiful wife have built a warm and loving family with three kids, now eight, six, and three years old respectively.



Fifteen years ago, Hua finally came out of his struggle with homosexuality, and soon after he met his now-wife. Remembering past pains and triumphs, Hua choked up several times as he shared his lifes journey with a reporter from The Gospel Herald (GH).



The interview was originally conducted in Chinese, it is translated and recorded here below (edited for brevity and clarity):



GH: When did you start noticing you were different from other boys?



Hua: Actually, when I was very young, in sixth grade, I already had my first encounter. I had sexual contact with a guy who was older than me. At that time, what I thought in my heart was: Oh so this is ok. And it continued to develop there. From when I was 13 and studying in Canada until I returned to Hong Kong for schooling, I continued to have (sexual) contact with classmates of the same sex.



GH: There are many analyses on why people would develop same-sex attractions and theyve listed many reasons, including experiencing abuse growing up, lack of parental presence, or biological reasons. What factors do you think contributed to your tendency towards same-sex attraction?



Hua: I think Ive been influenced by all of them, but maybe the biggest influence was that my family worshipped idols growing up. Like for example, my dad, he always worshipped Guanyin. I did some research (after coming to faith) and realized that you could trace Guanyin back to Astaroth-Ashtoreth in the Bible. This is a genderfluid evil spirit that can confuse the sexes.



My dad was also very busy with work when I was young. I remember one time my dad told me he would be back soon before he headed out for a business trip, but actually wouldnt be back until six months later. I remember it very well, how much I missed him and how empty my heart felt then. Couple that with how I was sexually assaulted in sixth grade Actually, I had no idea back then, I didnt know that that was a sexual assault. I thought that it was okay. Because of the sense of morality, I felt that we cant get close to girls, but it seemed to be okay to do it with other guys.



GH: When did you start feeling that this wasnt right?



Hua: When I was fifteen I went back to Hong Kong for school, and I had a very good group of friends at the Christian school I was attending. One of my friends had terminal blood cancer, I was very shocked when I found out since we were so young at the time. He was a Christian, and his dying wish was that our friend group would go and attend a Christian Camp. The second year after he passed away, our entire friend group went and joined the camp. I believed in Jesus there and started to receive this God as my God.



I knew that it (homosexuality) is wrong, there was the voice of the Holy Spirit in me, but I felt so ashamed so I never told anyone about it.



When I was 18, I came to the US to study. I attended church regularly. But coincidentally, the day I met my boyfriend was also the day I was supposed to be appointed as a cell group leader in the church.



That day, I was supposed to go to church to attend the 6 PM ordination ceremony. But instead, I went to my boyfriends house. So I didnt make it to church, and I didnt become cell leader. Also from that point on, I gradually started going to church less.



I was still close with my dad at that time, but once in a phone call I told him my condition, and my dad had a really hard time accepting it, so our relationship broke down. He also cut off all financial support for me.



Then one day, my classmates were sharing after class, and I also spoke about my situation, including my sexuality and my relationship with my dad breaking down. But there was one classmate who was very special, he made it a point to call me again afterward and invite me out for coffee



When we met up, this classmate really spoke to me about what the Bibles attitude towards homosexuality is. He printed basically every single verse in the Bible that speaks about homosexuality to share with me.



What really shocked me was that he said, this is not pleasing to God, but we love you. I could not run away anymore. Before this, I had felt moral shame and guilt in my heart, but this time, I couldnt stop the tears from flowing. I said to God in my heart: Im so sorry, I cant do this. I know this is not pleasing to you, but I dont have a way out of this.



To be continued...


Caviar, known for its custom luxury devices, is back with another customized device. We are talking about the Huawei Mate XT Ultimate tri-folding smartphone, which was unveiled earlier this month in China in black and red colors and has a base price of CNY19,999 ($2,850/2,555/INR238,785).

Caviar's customized Huawei Mate XT Ultimate is part of its Rich Colors collection and has two versions - Black Dragon and Gold Dragon.

The Black Dragon model is inspired by the Xuanlong Dragon from Chinese mythology and is wrapped in black crocodile leather, resembling the scales of the Xuanlong Dragon. It's also accented with gold-plated details.



Huawei Mate XT Ultimate Black Dragon

The Gold Dragon model, on the other hand, is entirely covered with 24k gold, with the surface sporting a texture of imperial swords crafted in the Chinese city Longquan - a place where the Chinese art of multi-layer sword forging originated.



Huawei Mate XT Ultimate Gold Dragon

Caviar says it will make 88 units of both versions since 88 is considered a lucky number in Chinese culture.

Both models come in 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB storage options. The Black Dragon version costs $12,770, $13,200, and $13,630, respectively, while the Gold Dragon model is priced at $14,500, $14,930, and $15,360, respectively.

The standard Mate XT Ultimate, launched by Huawei, is currently China-exclusive, with an international launch slated for Q1 2025.

We recently got a chance to spend some time with the Huawei Mate XT Ultimate. You can read our hands-on here.
Thank you for reading!

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The Guam Environmental Protection Agency is caught up on rent for its office space in Tiyan after making a $320,000 payment to the Guam Ancestral Lands Commission, according to acting GEPA Administrator Nic Lee.

Lee provided the report to the Guam EPA board of directors at a meeting on Thursday.

He said the payments get Guam EPA up to speed on its rent through the end of the fiscal year, which ends on Sept. 30.

The Ancestral Lands Commission owns the office space Guam EPA rents out.

Last month, the commission calculated that Guam EPA had missed its rental payments for between nearly two years on the low end, and almost three and half years on the high end.

Guam EPA pays $8,000 a month for the space it rents in Tiyan.

Total rental costs were in dispute, but calculated at between $175,000 and $328,000 by Ancestral Lands.

Last month, Guam EPA said it was working with the Department of Administration and Guam Economic Development Authority to sort out the correct amount of rent owed.

That amount has apparently been settled, as of Thursday.

Prior to Guam EPA catching up on its arrears, it had one of the highest arrears of any Ancestral Lands renter.

Mall developer Northern Market LLC also owes around $1.9 million for land leased in Dededo, but GALC in June agreed to defer the sum in exchange for a 50% cut of profits once the mall is built.

Last month, Guam Ancestral Lands Commission had their legal counsel write Guam EPA and other renters that owe smaller amounts, asking them to explain how they get up to date on payments.

Commission staff in a meeting last month said Guam EPA this past February made a payment for rent owed in February 2021.

Some commissioners last month attempted to make a motion to send a notice of default to tenants with outstanding balances.

However, GALC Chaiman Ron Eclavea said the commission should do it in a more conciliatory manner.

Assistant Attorney General Norman Miller Jr., counsel for GALC, recommended that the commission first ask tenants to provide a plan, in writing, to get their debts paid off.
Artemio Ricky Hernandez, Ph.D. has been selected as the sole representative from Guam among 35 leaders in the 20242025 Obama Foundation Leaders Asia-Pacific program, a release from the Guam International Airport Authority states.

The prestigious program focuses on leadership development and civic engagement, equipping participants with the ability to enhance their skills and amplify their impact across public, private, and nonprofit sectors.

Ricky has been instrumental in the continued improvement of our airport, and we congratulate him on representing Guam in this prestigious program, said Brian Bamba, airport board chairman in a statement. I am confident he will represent Guam exceptionally well and we look forward to his continued leadership at the Airport.

Hernandez continues to make us proud, and we celebrate his selection especially as a key member of our executive management team at the Airport, added John M. Quinata, GIAA executive manager.

Born and raised in Guam, Hernandez has over 15 years of professional experience, much of which has been in public sector management including fiscal policy and finance, budget and accounting, and procurement and administration.

He is currently the deputy executive manager of the A.B. Won Pat International Airport Authority, Guams only commercial airport, and has also been an active adjunct faculty member in Accounting and Public Administration at his alma mater, the University of Guam School of Business and Public Administration for over a decade.

His current public service also involves treasurer and investment committee chairperson at the Government of Guam Retirement Fund Board of Trustees, UOG president-appointed member of the Board of Directors for the Research Corporation of the UOG, and treasurer of the Supreme Court Justices-appointed Commission on Lawyer Regulation.

He previously served as deputy administrator of the Guam Economic Development Authority and director of the Guam Legislatures Office of Finance and Budget.

It is an honor and a privilege to represent our island and our people in this years Obama Leaders Asia Pacific program, Hernandez said. I look forward to collaborating with leaders from across the region and applying these skills to better serve the people of Guam.

As part of the six-month program, these dedicated changemakers will convene virtually every week for interactive sessions designed to help them drive change by honing their leadership skills, building deep relationships with their peers, and engaging with thought leaders and members of the Obama Foundation community. They will also have an opportunity to participate in various virtual experiences and special events, including one-on-one conversations with experienced mentors in the Foundations global network.

President Obamas familial ties to the region, his time in Indonesia as a young man, and his upbringing in Hawaii have informed his values and his faith in the passion of this generation of changemakers across the Asia-Pacific. Launched in 2019, the program is creating a network of leaders who drive positive, innovative change in their communities across the globe. The 2024-2025 cohort of Asia-Pacific Leaders is working across a broad range of issues and focus areas, including the climate crisis, indigenous rights, education, and more.

The Obama Foundation Leaders program is designed to further inspire, empower, and connect emerging leaders from Africa, Asia-Pacific, Europe, and the United States to change their respective communities and the world.

For more information, visit obama.org/programs/leaders/asia-pacific/2024-2025/.
Japans next prime minister, Shigeru Ishiba, told the Hudson Institute that he wants to put Japanese forces on Guam.

Ishiba shared his views recently on the future of Japans foreign policy in response to a request from Hudson Institutes Japan Chair, according to the group.

Hudson Institute is a research organization promoting American leadership for a secure, free, and prosperous future, according to its website.

Ishiba, a former defense minister, will become Japans next prime minister after winning the ruling partys leadership vote on Friday.

According to an unofficial translation of his remarks, Ishiba said he wants to strengthen the Japan-U.S. alliance as an equal nation on par with the U.S.-U.K. alliance.

The current Japan-U.S. security treaty is structured so that the U.S. is obligated to defend Japan, and Japan is obligated to provide bases to the U.S., according to Ishiba.

He said the time is ripe to change this asymmetrical bilateral treaty.

It is possible that the Japan-U.S. Security Treaty and Status of Forces Agreement could be revised to allow the Japanese Self-Defense Forces to be stationed in Guam to strengthen the deterrence capabilities of Japan and the U.S., Ishiba said.

If this happens, a status agreement for the Japanese Self-Defense Forces in Guam could be made the same as that for U.S. forces in Japan.

Furthermore, expanding the scope of joint management of U.S. bases in Japan would also reduce the burden on U.S. forces in Japan, he added.

The security treaty between the U.S. and Japan has been the backbone of Japans postwar political history and the alliance must evolve with the times, Ishiba said.

The Armitage-Nye Report once proposed that the special relationship between the U.S. and the U.K. be the model for the U.S.-Japan alliance, and that the U.S. and Japan become equal partners, he said.

Ishiba said now this is possible and Japan can defend the liberal order jointly, shoulder-to-shoulder, with the U.S.

The conditions are ripe to revise the Japan-U.S. Security Treaty into a treaty between ordinary countries, he said.

Ishiba said its his mission to raise the Japan-U.S. alliance to the level of the U.S.-U.K. alliance.

To achieve this, Japan must have its own military strategy and become independent in terms of security until it is willing to share its own strategy and tactics on equal terms with the U.S., he said.

Ishiba said he will build a security system that can protect its own nation by itself and actively contribute to the peace and stability of the Indo-Pacific nations based on the Japan-U.S. alliance.
Sen. Dwayne San Nicolas is partnering with local nonprofit Be Heartfelt by hosting a canned food through Oct. 11, a release from his office states.

His office, located in Suite 407 of the DNA building in Hagatna, is accepting donations of canned foods from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday up until Oct. 11.

This comes after the success of a shoe drive collaboration with the nonprofit.

San Nicolas encourages the public to participate and support the efforts of Be Heartfelt in light of the end-of-the-year holidays.

Thanks again to everyone who participated in our last outreach project and donated to our shoe drive, said San Nicolas in a statement. This time, were asking for the community to come together again and help those who cannot help themselves by donating canned goods.

San Nicolas is working closely with Be Heartfelt, a nonprofit known for its dedication to serving the disadvantaged, to ensure all donations are distributed to local families in need.

Be Heartfelts mission is to end homelessness in Guam and has been providing critical support to residents facing hardships.

Lets continue to spread the message of hope, kindness, and compassion, especially during the upcoming holiday season, he said.

In addition to Guam, the nonprofit also serves communities in Peru, Kansas, the Philippines, and Palau.

Were excited to collaborate with Be Heartfelt again, San Nicolas said. Every can of food donated will make a significant difference in the lives of those struggling to put food on the table. Food security has always been an issue and this is one way we can work together to address it. I look forward to partnering on more initiatives to support the vulnerable and struggling members of our community. Together we can make an impact and create a brighter and more thriving future for all.




Haiti - FLASH : Results of the 2024 Baccalaureate exams for 7 departments





The Ministry of National Education informs that the results of the secondary school leaving exams (BAC 2023-2024) are currently available for 7 Departmental Directorates of Education (DDE): Center, Artibonite, Grande Anse, Nippes, South, North and North-East.



According to the information provided by the National Office of State Examinations (BUNEXE), :



Department of the Center single bac (end of secondary studies):

Out of a total of 6,667 participants, 3,832 candidates are admitted, i.e. a success rate of 57.48% (slight decrease to 57.62% in 2023).







Centre Department (2nd session of the failed, permanent Bac):

Out of a total of 758 participants, 528 candidates are admitted, representing a success rate of 69.66% (a sharp increase of 36.92% in 2023.





Artibonite Department bac unique (end of secondary studies):

Out of a total of 11,391 participants, 3,266 candidates are admitted, i.e. a success rate of 28.67% (Slight increase 28.38% in 2023)







Department of Artibonite (2nd session of failed candidates, permanent Baccalaureate):

Out of a total of 1,436 participants, 707 candidates were admitted, representing a success rate of 49.23% (a sharp increase of 31.45% in 2023)







Grande Anse Department bac unique (end of secondary studies):

Out of a total of 3,695 participants, 700 candidates are admitted, i.e. a success rate of 18.94% (a very sharp drop to 38.06% in 2023)







Grande Anse Department (2nd session of those who failed, permanent Baccalaureate):

Out of a total of 680 participants, 226 candidates were admitted, representing a success rate of 33.24% (up 24.02% in 2023)





School heads are invited to collect their school's rankings from their relevant Departmental Directorate.



The Ministry specifies that the results of the baccalaureate exams for other DDEs will be published as they become available.



Results for the departments of Nippes and South : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-43286-haiti-flash-results-of-the-2024-baccalaureate-exams-for-4-departments.html



Results for the North and North-East departments : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-43277-haiti-flash-results-of-the-2024-baccalaureate-exams-for-2-departments.html



HL/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - Corruption : ULCC makes powerful international allies





From September 24 to 27, 2024, Haiti, represented by Me Hans Jacques Ludwig Joseph, Director General of the Anti-Corruption Unit (ULCC), participated in the 5th plenary meeting of the GlobE Network in Beijing (China).



This high-level forum was an opportunity for Director Joseph to contact and mobilize during bilateral meetings, state anti-corruption agencies and international institutions from various countries, around the fight against corruption in Haiti.



During the Forum, Me Joseph reiterated the ULCC's commitment to stand together with the international community so that no refuge is granted to the corrupt. "All avenues will be considered to combat corruption and transnational organized crime, which threaten the foundations of democracy and social justice in Haiti."



On the sidelines of this event, the ULCC also met with representatives of anti-corruption agencies from Spain, Chile, Belgium, Kenya, India, as well as key institutions such as the International Anti-Corruption Academy (IACA) and Interpol. All committed to supporting the ULCC through training programs on modern investigative techniques, as well as the exchange of information and the conduct of joint investigations. These collaborations could facilitate the identification and freezing of public funds embezzled abroad, as well as the imposition of travel sanctions, or even the extradition, of Haitian personalities involved in acts of corruption and other forms of organized crime.



With this operational network of transnational cooperation, composed of 219 anti-corruption agencies in 121 countries, the ULCC is gaining international allies to strengthen it in its mission to prevent and fight corruption in Haiti.



HL/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - Back to school : Thousands of students will find themselves in overcrowded classes





The ongoing violence in Haiti will force thousands of children into overcrowded classrooms when the school year begins on October 1st, with the number of students more than doubling to at least 80 students, while hundreds of schools remain closed, Save the Children said.



Over the past school year, armed violence has temporarily closed more than 900 schools, affecting access to education for an estimated 200,000 children. Many of these schools are likely to remain closed next week as they are being used as shelters by displaced families.



Save the Childrens local partners in Les Cayes report that internally displaced children will increase class sizes to more than 80 students, more than double the recommended size.



Maria Rosette, a school principal supported by Save the Childrens local partner ProDev, highlighted the challenges of providing quality education in crowded classroom conditions.



What children should be getting in terms of quality education, they wont get because there will be too many students [...] Also, one of the first things I noticed [towards the end of the school year] was the mental health and psychosocial support issues that need to be addressed among displaced students who have witnessed so much while they were in Port-au-Prince and who are now suffering from stress and anxiety and are extremely aggressive [...]"



For children living in areas of active fighting in Port-au-Prince, going back to school next week may be impossible, even if schools reopen. The journey to school in areas controlled by armed groups presents significant risks, including being caught in the crossfire...



Chantal Sylvie Imbeault, Save the Childrens Country Director in Haiti, said : "The crisis in Haiti is first and foremost a childrens crisis. Hundreds of thousands of children have been displaced, deprived of their education and deeply affected by the violence unfolding before their eyes [...] In Port-au-Prince, access to education is severely limited due to school closures in areas controlled by armed groups, attacks on schools, displacement and generalized violence. Many children are unable to safely attend school due to the violence surrounding their communities. This means they will likely not return to school at all next week if armed groups continue to wreak havoc in the city."



Save the Children is providing financial assistance to displaced families in the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area who are living in converted schools to find more dignified housing solutions, while helping to free up schools so they can resume their educational activities. Save the Children is calling on the international community to support the Government of Haiti in prioritizing the reopening of schools while ensuring that displaced families currently sheltering in classrooms can find safe alternative shelters.



HL/ S/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - News : Zapping...





20 Haitians killed every day

The latest figures documented by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, published Friday, September 27, 2024, reveal that at least 3,661 people were killed during the first half of this year (20 per day), representing the highest level of violence observed since 2023.



Rout of bandits in Saut d'eau and Mirebalais

The bandits who had launched an offensive against the towns of Saut d'eau and Mirebalais were dislodged and retreated, particularly in several localities including Ka Micho, Ka Michel, Ka Ti Ben, Grosse Pierr, in the face of law enforcement and reinforcements from SWATT units and the Departmental Operation and Intervention Brigade (BOID).



Conille back in Haiti

On Friday, September 27, Prime Minister Garry returned to Haiti after participating in the 79th regular session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.



NOTICE to MSPP contract workers

The Ministry of Public Health informs that as of October 1st, 2024, the expiration date of service contracts, all employees who are part of the contract staff will not be admitted to their workstations.



Centre Dept. : 10 cases of animal rabies detected in one week

Fritzner Supreme, head of epidemiology and head of the rabies analysis laboratory in the Center department, reveals that 10 cases of animal rabies were recorded during this week. As part of World Rabies Day in Haiti this Friday, September 27, Dr. Oscar Barreneche, PAHO/WHO Representative in Haiti, reaffirmed his organization's support to the Ministry of Public Health and the Ministry of Agriculture to achieve the goal of eliminating rabies by 2030. WHO in Haiti plans to support the Ministry in a vaccination campaign targeting 400,000 dogs in three departments of the country.



Speech by the Minister of Tourism (Video) :

Speech by Minister of Tourism James Monazard on the occasion of World Tourism Day (27 September 2024)







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City, county impose nighttime curfew

Henderson County and Hendersonville have imposed a curfew from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. until conditions improve.

The decision comes as emergency responders work to clear debris, restore power and assess infrastructure damage throughout the county. The curfew is aimed at preventing accidents, protecting residents and allowing first responders room to operate efficiently.

The damage from Hurricane Helene is significant, and our teams are working around the clock to restore essential services," County Manager John Mitchell said. "We ask that residents abide by the curfew to help keep everyone safe and allow recovery operations to proceed as quickly as possible.

Details of the curfew:

Curfew Hours: 8 p.m.-8 a.m.

8 p.m.-8 a.m. Effective Date: The curfew is effective immediately and will remain in place until conditions improve.

The curfew is effective immediately and will remain in place until conditions improve. Exemptions: Emergency personnel, essential workers, and individuals seeking emergency medical care are exempt from the curfew. Residents are asked to carry proper identification and documentation if traveling during curfew hours.

Emergency personnel, essential workers, and individuals seeking emergency medical care are exempt from the curfew. Residents are asked to carry proper identification and documentation if traveling during curfew hours. Penalties: Violators of the curfew may face fines and penalties as determined by county authorities.

Henderson County has experienced widespread power outages, flooding and downed trees due to Hurricane Helenes impact. County officials are coordinating with state and federal agencies to expedite the recovery process and ensure that affected communities receive the support they need. Residents are encouraged to stay informed through local news outlets, the Henderson County Emergency Management webpage, and social media channels for updates on the curfew and ongoing recovery efforts. For more information and updates, visit www.hendersoncountync.gov
AUTHOR and historian Clare Mulley is on a mission to uncover the hidden tales of women fighters during the Second World War.

Clare will be talking about her latest book Agent Zo: The Untold Story of Fearless WW2 Resistance Fighter Elzbieta Zawacka, at Henley Literary Festival next Friday.

During the Second World War, Elzbieta Zawacka, or Agent Zo  who was known as Elizabeth Watson in Britain  was the only woman to reach London from Poland, bringing vital microfilm, as well as the only woman to parachute from Britain into Nazi-occupied Poland. She also played a key role in the Warsaw Uprising.

Clare, who lives in Essex with sculptor Ian Wolter and their dog, says: Theres so much to it, but part of what makes her amazing is that she is the only person to parachute from Britain, from a small airfield in Bedfordshire, to occupied Poland during the Second World War, wearing a dress.

It didnt really faze her, I mean, she was terrified of heights so parachuting was absolutely terrible for her, but she did it. She wasnt fazed by the idea of going into Nazi-occupied territory because shed already spent three years serving in the Resistance inside Poland, so she knew what was going on.

She had been commissioned by the commander of the Polish Home Army. When we think of Resistance in the Second World War we always think of France, but actually Poland had one of the largest Resistance forces, they were the first country invaded. Elzbieta was a key figure in that and she was selected by the commander-in-chief of that Resistance Home Army to take very important microfilm and some orders, she had some missions to undertake in Britain.

She had to cross nearly 1,000 miles of Nazi-occupied Europe, during which she gets thrown out of a high hotel window, she nearly gets arrested in occupied Paris, she nearly gets drowned hiding in the water tender of a steam train, she gets shot at in the mountains of the Pyrenees.

I mean, its just perilous. She has a bit of fun with a fella on the way and then eventually she makes it to Britain and they cant believe that this woman has got there. Its absolutely shocking, because theyd sent three men at the same time and none of them have made it with their microfilm.

But the men were so bloody sexist. Weve got this fantastic stuff in the archive and they called her a military female dictator, things like that, because shes like No, I dont want to sit down and have a cup of tea, Ive got these orders to complete, Ive got to sort out these missions, youre not doing a very good job, and she sorts it all out. Shes absolutely brilliant. Then they say, Oh, thank you, where would you like to spend the rest of the war, a nice little house in Scotland or an apartment in London? and shes like, What are you talking about? Ive got to go back and fight.

They said, Well, you cant, because theres only one way back and thats parachuting and obviously youre not a man. So you can imagine how she responds to that.

She becomes the only woman to be parachuted from Britain back to Poland and then she plays a key role in the largest organised act of defiance against Nazi Germany in the entire war, which is the Warsaw Uprising, which happened 80 years ago and it went on for two months.

She should be legendary. She survived the war but Poland, of course, ended the war with a Soviet-imposed Communist government and they didnt like the story she was telling about all these fierce independent women fighting for freedom. The story the Soviets wanted told is that Poland did nothing and that the Red Army saved them, and so they tried to hide her story and they actually arrested her.

She was sentenced to 10 years [in prison] and she was tortured but she never gave up and one of the most amazing interviews I did was with her cellmate and she described her as still being completely defiant and amazing in prison.

Clare, who was awarded the Bene Merito cultural honour of the Republic of Poland in 2013, interviewed former president of Poland Lech Walesa in Gdansk earlier this year.

She says: Zo survived the war and Lech gave her Polands highest award for valour, because he remembered her as this great woman. She is recognised in Poland but not as much as she should be, the story was literally hidden away in the archives and no one was allowed to get it out for more than 40 years.

One of the amazing things about her is that she spoke German, it was actually her first language, because the part of Poland that she lived in had been occupied by the Germans before the First World War when she was a little girl.

She was a very proud Polish patriot but it became really useful in the Second World War because she could pass as a German, because she was blonde and blue-eyed and she spoke perfect German. So, she was the courier that used to go in and out of Berlin which is the most dangerous route for taking microfilm.

She would take it to a friendly embassy and theyd send it over in the diplomatic post to Britain, so she was doing really dangerous work.

To get to London she had to go first into Berlin but by then her cover had already been broken, they knew her name and her face so that was really dangerous. And then she had to get across the border into France and then she had to register herself in France so shes travelling as a German oil company secretary, thats what shes pretending to be.

She has to go and report in France for her work and shes quite late when she gets to the office and she hands over her faked papers, which Polish forgers have made for her, and they say, Theres something about these papers, I want to take a closer look but its really late and they cant be bothered to do it at night.

So they send her to a hotel but they take her papers, so she cant go anywhere, she cant travel or anything and they say, Come back in the morning.

So she had this terrible night in this Paris hotel room, hiding the microfilm, which shes got in a key and in a little brass cigarette lighter so she hides those and then she has to just brave it out.

So, she walks back to get her papers and says hello and they say, Oh yeah, these are really interesting papers and they pull them out and they say, Theyre such good quality we wanted to compare them against a suspected forgery over here and shes fine.

She cant show any relief or anything so she just picks up her papers, Thank you very much and walks out and carries on.

Then, in Paris, she hides on the personal train of Pierre Laval, the collaborationist prime minister of France so hes working with the Nazis and she reckons his train will have fewer checks on it.

So, she hides in the water tender, thats the water tank that a steam train needs, but when they fill up the water tank halfway through the journey shes nearly drowned.

She survives that and then she goes to southern France but while shes there, the border guards do a check of the hotel and they arrest a load of people.

She runs upstairs and a bloke helping her pushes her out of a window and luckily she lands in a bank of snow and she manages to hide there and get away. She hikes through the mountains with a very handsome young man but they get shot at by German border patrols up in the mountains.

She makes it all the way to Britain with this very important microfilm which has got lots of military intelligence but also a load of quite early information on the Holocaust. So its really important and thats just one chapter of the book.

I couldnt believe it that it was a true story and the hairs were going up on my arms when I was finding this stuff in the archives and interviewing people. I just think it speaks to all of us, and there is still this rich seam of untold womens stories.

 Henley Literary Festival presents Clare Mulley at Henley town hall on Friday, October 4 at 12.30pm. For more information, call (01491) 575948 or visit www.

henleyliteraryfestival.co.uk


Friday September 27, 2024









FILE - In this Oct. 24, 2015 file photo, Hezbollah leader Sheik Hassan Nasrallah addresses a crowd during the holy day of Ashoura, in a southern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar, File)

BEIRUT (AP)  Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah has led the Lebanese militant group for the past three decades and transformed it into one of the most powerful paramilitary groups in the Middle East.Israeli airstrikes on Friday afternoon knocked out six buildings in Beiruts southern suburb of Harek Hreik, the largest strike in the Lebanese capital in nearly a year of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah.The Israeli military said the strike, which killed and wounded dozens of people, hit the headquarters of Hezbollah in Beirut. Three major Israeli TV channels said Nasrallah was the target of the strikes in Beiruts southern suburbs, which has not been officially confirmed by Israel. Hezbollah officials did not comment.Heres a look at the fiery, charismatic leader:A charismatic and shrewd strategist, Nasrallah reshaped Hezbollah into an archenemy of Israel, cementing alliances with Shiite religious leaders in Iran and Palestinian militant groups such as Hamas.Idolized by his Lebanese Shiite followers and respected by millions of others across the Arab and Islamic world, Nasrallah holds the title of sayyid, an honorific meant to signify the Shiite clerics lineage dating back to the Prophet Muhammad, the founder of Islam.A fiery orator viewed as an extremist in the U.S. and much of the West, he is also considered a pragmatist compared to the firebrand militants who dominated Hezbollah after its founding in 1982, during Lebanons civil war.Despite the power he wields, Nasrallah has lived largely in hiding in the past years for fear of an Israeli assassination.Born in 1960 into a poor Shiite family in Beiruts impoverished northern suburb of Sharshabouk, Nasrallah was later displaced to south Lebanon. He studied theology and joined the Amal movement, a Shiite political and paramilitary organization, before becoming one of Hezbollahs founders.Hezbollah was formed by Iranian Revolutionary Guard members who came to Lebanon in the summer of 1982 to fight invading Israeli forces. It was the first group that Iran backed and used as a way to export its brand of political Islam.Nasrallah built a power base as Hezbollah over time became part of a cluster of Iranian-backed factions and governments known as the Axis of Resistance.Two days after its leader, 39-year-old Sayyed Abbas Musawi, was killed in an Israeli helicopter gunship raid in south Lebanon, Hezbollah chose Nasrallah as its secretary-general in February 1992.Five years later, the United States designated Hezbollah a terrorist organization.Under Nasrallah, Hezbollah was credited with leading the war of attrition that led to the withdrawal of Israeli troops from south Lebanon in 2000, after an 18-year occupation. Nasrallahs eldest son, Hadi, was killed in 1997, fighting against Israeli forces.After Israels withdrawal from southern Lebanon in 2000, Nasrallah rose to iconic status both within Lebanon and throughout the Arab world. His messages were beamed on Hezbollahs own radio and satellite TV station.That status was further cemented when, in 2006, Hezbollah fought Israel to a stalemate during the 34-day war.When Syrias civil war erupted in 2011, Hezbollah fighters rushed in, siding with Assads forces  even though Hezbollahs popularity took a dive as the Arab world ostracized Assad.A day after the Israel-Hamas war started on Oct. 7, Hezbollah began attacking Israeli military posts along the border calling it a backup front for Gaza.In speeches throughout the conflict, he has argued that Hezbollahs cross-border strikes had pulled away Israeli forces that would otherwise be focused on Hamas in Gaza and insisted that Hezbollah would not halt its attacks on Israel until a cease-fire is reached in Gaza.Over the past weeks, he continued to strike a defiant tone as tension rose dramatically, with Israel announcing a new phase in the conflict intended to push Hezbollah back from the border to allow thousands displaced from northern Israel to return.It launched strikes killing top military commanders with the group and was blamed for the explosion of thousands of communications devices, mainly used by Hezbollah members, that killed 37 people and wounded thousands.




The Anil Ambani-led Reliance Power Ltd. is considering to raise funds again, after a previous preferential issue, according to the company's exchange filing on Friday, September 27, 2024. In this Dec. 26, 2017 file photo, Anil Ambani, Chairman of Reliance Power, addresses a press conference in Mumbai.(PTI)

The company may raise funds this time through multiple possible means which can include an equity and preferential share sale, foreign currency convertible bonds, or even from large institutional investors through institutional placements.

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The Navi Mumbai-headquartered company will be holding a meeting of the board of directors on Thursday, October 03, 2024, to discuss the matter.

This is the second such meeting which comes after Reliance Power held one on Monday, September 23, 2024, to discuss a round of fundraising, after which, the board approved raising 1,524.60 crore through a preferential issue of up to 46.20 crore equity shares.

The investors who participated in this preferential issue included Reliance Infrastructure Limited, Authum Investment and Infrastructure Limited and Sanatan Financial Advisory Services Private Limited.

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The company said in its exchange filing for the September 23 meeting that the proceeds would be utilised for expanding business operations, invetsment in subsidiaries and joint ventures, for general corporate purposes, and for reducing debts.

However, this is despite Reliance Power announcing on September 17, 2023, that it (The listed entity) is now debt-free from all banks and financial institutions.

How did Reliance Power shares perform?

Reliance Power Ltd closed at 46.36 on the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) after the week's trading session ended on Friday, September 27, 2024. This was a gain of 4.98% or 2.20 points.

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An increasingly popular gym franchise in Japan costs around $20 a month, offering teeth whitening, photo booths and  almost as an afterthought  exercise equipment. The patchwork concept is called Chocozap, run by Rizap Group Inc., a billion-dollar fitness company that made its name in high-end personal training(Representational Image/Pixabay)

The patchwork concept is called Chocozap, run by Rizap Group Inc., a billion-dollar fitness company that made its name in high-end personal training. In less than two years, the sub-brand has tapped into a casual and frugal gym user base with more than 1,500 locations and 1.2 million-plus customers.

Typical memberships in Japans 278.4 billion ($1.9 billion) gym industry are on par with the UK or the US, at around $60 to $80 a month, but Chocozap has taken the concept and adapted it for a wider base, seeking to draw in casual users willing to sign up at a lower price. Thats made the business a major player in the sector, which saw a 2.2% rise in the number of customers to 2.8 million last year.

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The oddball gyms  some of which also have gel manicure equipment  was created as an experiment during the coroanvirus pandemic when Rizaps core business of personalized training was suffering. As people spend more time working flexible hours and at home, theyre also seeking out more enriching experiences while keeping fit. Most recently, some locations even began offering CT scans.

We decided to incorporate elements of convenience stores  open 24 hours, in convenient locations, and frequently change the offerings, said Takayuki Suzuki, president of Rizap Technologies, the subsidiary involved in developing the Chocozap concept.

The first part of its name choco has nothing to do with cocoa beans, but comes from the Japanese word chokotto, or a little bit. Despite their offerings, the gyms are designed to save on costs; there are no showers because most customers stop by on their way home, or pop in for light exercise. Chocozap constantly adds and removes services depending on how well they do with users.

A standard Chocozap location is small and unmanned, which has made it easy for Rizap to deploy locations amid a chronic labor shortage. Members enter the locations by accessing the gyms using their smartphone app. Inside, theyll find gym equipment, and use the various offerings that usually need to be booked in advance. The color scheme is minimalist white and yellow, making it seem cozier than conventional gyms.

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Theyve managed it well to make it efficient, said Kyoichiro Shigemura, an analyst at Nomura Securities Co. The business model is hard to pursue as scale-of-economy is needed to make a profit, so anyone who attempts to challenge them will face two to three years of losses.

Rizap went public in 2006, and is known for its TV ads showing Japanese celebrities becoming slimmer and fitter in a matter of months. Its intense gym program can cost as much as 600,000 for two months of instruction but was a hit, helping the company reach a current market value of around 140 billion.

Chocozap reached profitability on a monthly basis in late 2023 and expects to be profitable this year. A cleaning service comes through twice a week  and the company has also experimented with membership fee discounts if customers are willing to help with cleaning.

To keep costs down, Rizap employees visit the China Import and Export Fair in Guangzhou every year to see what kinds of funky and fun products are available. So far, some of the equipment introduced include single karaoke boxesand massage chairs.

We realized on-site staff are not fundamental values gym offers, and lowering barriers to visit as much as possible unlocks demand, Suzuki said.

The brand aims to more than double number of stores to 3,000 by 2027, and eventually reach 10,000  on the same scale as convenience-store chains. There are plans to add more services and machines, and also expand overseas. It already has about a dozen locations overseas, mostly in China, and one in Santa Monica.

I keep the membership for the Karaoke machine, said Miwa, a part-time worker in her 40s who initially signed to exercise. The only complaint I have is how the Karaoke box isnt perfectly soundproof.

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The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has marked a significant achievement in the development of the Bengaluru Satellite Town Ring Road (STRR). The newest segment, linking Hoskote to the Tamil Nadu border, is projected to be operational by March 2025, adding to the existing infrastructure and extending the STRR's total length to 102.6 kilometres, a report said. Ultimately, this ambitious project is set to cover 288 kilometres, with full completion expected by 2027. This project, part of a larger 288 km initiative, will offer toll-free travel initially and aims to improve connectivity between Bengaluru and Chennai. (HT Photo)

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In an effort to encourage early usage, the NHAI plans to open this section toll-free for the initial months after its inauguration. Once tolls are introduced, rates are expected to be lower than those currently charged on the two pre-existing STRR segments, the report stated. Project Director KB Jayakumar spoke to the publication and indicated that construction on this new stretch is half-finished and remains on schedule for a February-March launch. Designed as a greenfield project, this route promises reduced toll fees once fully operational.

The railways has given clearance, and foundation work has started. The ROB will be ready by February, Jayakumar said, as quoted in the report.

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For context, users traveling the existing Dabbaspet-Hoskote section currently pay 185 for a single trip and 275 for a round trip within 24 hours, averaging 2.2 per kilometre for single trips. This new 102.6 km stretch will feature six lanes and an 11-meter-wide median to enhance traffic flow, mirroring the layout of NICE Road. Moreover, it will provide crucial access to the Bengaluru-Chennai Expressway (NE 7), significantly improving travel efficiency between these major cities.

In addition, a vital rail overbridge (ROB) at Lingadeeramallasandra, situated along the Bengaluru-Chennai railway line, is progressing well, with foundation work underway following necessary approvals, the report added. The project also includes the nearing completion of eleven underpasses, underscoring the steady advancement of the STRR. Once finalized, the STRR will serve as a critical bypass for heavy vehicles, alleviating congestion within Bengaluru city.

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This route, designated as National Highway 648 from Dabbaspet to the Tamil Nadu border, plays an essential role in enhancing Bengaluru's transportation framework. Tenders have been issued for the remaining five sections of the STRR, which will cover 144.25 kilometres at an estimated cost of 4,749.74 crore, with completion targeted within two years, the report further stated.
A seemingly harmless trip to a salon took a tragic turn for a 30-year-old man in Karnataka's Ballari, who suffered a stroke after a barber administered a free head massage that involved dangerous neck manipulation. The man, who worked as a housekeeping worker, experienced severe pain during the session, but initially dismissed it and returned home, The New Indian Express reported. A "salon stroke" can occur suddenly due to neck manipulation or massage, leading to reduced blood flow to the brain.(iStock photo)

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Hours later, he found himself unable to speak and noticed weakness on his left side. Concerned about his symptoms, Ramkumar quickly went to the hospital, where doctors reportedly diagnosed him with a stroke, caused by a tear in his carotid artery, resulting from the aggressive neck twisting. To mitigate the situation, Ramkumar was treated with anticoagulants to prevent further clots and aid his recovery. After nearly two months of intensive care, he returned home, having narrowly escaped a potentially fatal outcome, the report stated.

ALSO READ | Hoskote-TN border stretch of Bengaluru's STRR project to be launched by March 2025: Report

A neurologist who spoke to the publication explained that this type of stroke, known as a dissection-related stroke, occurs when the wall of a blood vessel is compromised, leading to reduced blood flow to the brain.

In a related case, a 50-year-old woman from Hyderabad experienced dizziness, nausea, and vomiting while having her hair washed at a salon in November 2022, which was subsequently diagnosed as a stroke. Often referred to as "salon stroke" or "beauty parlour stroke," this rare condition can occur suddenly due to neck manipulation or massage, leading to reduced blood flow to the brain and potentially causing damage to brain regions.

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Sudden and forceful neck movements can lead to serious health issues, including strokes or even death, he warned.
The Congress on Friday alleged lapses and irregularities in the handling of PGIMER finances in a development that coincided with the institutes financial adviser Varun Ahluwalia requesting for a return to his parent cadre. The Congress on Friday alleged lapses and irregularities in the handling of PGIMER finances in a development that coincided with the institutes financial adviser Varun Ahluwalia requesting for a return to his parent cadre. (HT File)

Ahluwalia, who in the capacity of the adviser looked after all of PGIMERs financial matters, including budget and procurement, had earlier this week requested repatriation to the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), his parent cadre, New Delhi.

Congress working committee member Pawan Khera, in the backdrop of the request, flagged the alleged irregularities in a post on X, writing, Explosive information coming from within Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education & Research, Chandigarh. The financial department of the institute has identified lapses and irregularities in various tenders and purchases made by the institute involving hundreds of crores.

Khera posed a series of questions to the Centre in a separate post, tagging the Union ministry of health and family welfare, The @MoHFW_INDIA should come clean on the following questions: Is a powerful union minister influencing PGIMERs financial decisions? Do the key appointees of the institute have any ties with the minister? Are tenders being awarded to companies connected with the minister?

Upon being contacted to elaborate on the allegations, Khera said, There are so many such cases going on inside the institute. Some officers have direct links with the ministers as well.

PGIMER officials privy to matter, meanwhile, revealed that Khera may have been referring to a purchase of machines for the institutes radiotherapy department, adding that a few doctors had also flagged the equipments poor quality.

Ahluwalia remained unavailable for comment and staff at his Kairon Block office informed that he was on leave.

Having joined as PGIMERs financial adviser back in December 2023 at the conclusion of Kumar Abhays tenure, Ahluwalia served in the position for under a year before requesting his repatriation.

According to sources, Ahluwalia did not share cordial working relations with a senior administrative officer at PGIMER, which promoted the request. He, however, maintained that he had sought to be repatriated to CAG owing to personal circumstances.

PGIMER, according to those privy to administrative details, has given the charge of financial adviser to the department of community medicine head Arun K Aggarwal in Ahluwalias absence.

Institute rubbishes claims

A PGI spokesperson rubbished the allegations, saying, The points raised in said post are not based on facts and appear to be mischievous.

A senior official from PGI, however, was also quick to dismiss Congress claims, saying there was no truth to the allegations. No purchase is made without the concurrence of the finance department. The files of purchase move from the financial adviser to the director, the official added.

Attempts to contact PGIMER director Dr Vivek Lal remained unanswered.
A 24-year-old teacher at a madrasa in Manimajra was arrested on Friday for allegedly sexually assaulting a 13-year-old student. The incident was reported after the victim informed his family, who subsequently approached the police. The accused has been booked under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and will be presented in a court on Saturday. (Getty image)

Police said during school hours, the teacher called the boy and asked him to massage his legs, following which, he touched him inappropriately. The boy has undergone a medical examination, and his statement has been recorded. Based on this, a case was registered against the accused. Police are now investigating whether the teacher has been involved in similar incidents in the past. Statements from madrasa staff have also been collected as part of the ongoing investigation.

The accused has been charged under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and will be presented in court on Saturday. Senior police officials, including the station house officer and deputy superintendent of police, were present at the madrasa to investigate the matter.
A total of 91 senior citizens aged over 85 and disabled voters who have opted for the vote-from-home facility in Panchkula district exercised their right to franchise on Friday. Four teams in Kalka and three teams in Panchkula have been constituted to visit the houses of the eligible voters to collect their vote on September 27 and September 28, ahead of the October 5 Haryana assembly elections. (HT File)

As per deputy commissioner-cum-district election officer Yash Garg, In Kalka assembly constituency, all 51 eligible voters cast their ballots, while in Panchkula assembly constituency, 41 senior citizens and persons with disabilities (PwD) voted on Day 1.

In all, 147 eligible voters have opted for the facility, of which 51 are in Kalka, including 26 PwDs and 25 senior citizens, while Panchkula has 96, of which 88 are elderly voters and eight are PwDs.

Four teams in Kalka and three teams in Panchkula have been constituted to visit the houses of the eligible voters to collect their vote on September 27 and September 28, ahead of the October 5 Haryana assembly elections.

Garg shared that Panchkula district had 5,556 voters aged over 85, of which 2,303 are in Kalka and 3,253 in Panchkula. Similarly, there are 2,472 PwDs, including 1,218 in Kalka and 1,254 in Panchkula.
Hundreds of people took out a rally in Himachal Pradeshs Hamirpur on Saturday under the banner of the Devbhoomi Sangharsh Samiti, demanding the abolition of the Waqf Board and verifying the identification documents of migrants to the state. Members of Hindu outfits holding a protest outside the deputy commissioners office in Shimla on Saturday. (Deepak Sansta/HT)

The organisation had given a call for a statewide protest over the issues.

Led by Surjeet Singh, the district president of the Devbhoomi Sangharsh Samiti, and Ashish Sharma, the district chief of the Bajrang Dal, the procession was attended by people waving saffron flags and banners.

Police personnel were deployed in large numbers in the town to maintain law and order, while shops owned by members of a minority community remained closed.

Leaders of the Devbhoomi Sangharsh Samiti submitted a memorandum to the local administration, demanding that the Waqf Board be abolished and identification documents of migrants be checked.

Addressing the rally, the leaders of the organisation demanded that a proposal to check the documents of migrants to Himachal Pradesh be passed in the gram sabha meetings to be held across the state on October 2.

They also accused the Congress government in the state of procrastinating the Sanjauli mosque issue.

Hindu groups and local residents have been demanding the demolition of an unauthorised portion of the mosque in Sanjauli. Ten people sustained injuries during protests on September 11, a day after the Muslim community urged the municipal commissioner to seal the unauthorised portion and offered to demolish it in accordance with a court order.

Leaders of the Devbhoomi Sangharsh Samiti warned the government not to take the issue lightly and help Hindus live peacefully in the state rather than helping outsiders without valid documents.
Making a stop in the city during his Chalo Delhi Climate March, Ladakh-based activist and education reformer Sonam Wangchuk on Friday highlighted the importance of safeguarding the delicate ecosystem of Ladakh and the Himalayas at large. Ladakh-based activist and education reformer Sonam Wangchuk interacting with the media at a gurdwara in Sector 38, Chandigarh, on Friday. (Ravi Kumar/HT)

The activist, who embarked on his march from Leh on September 1 delivered an address at the Panjab University, saying, Because of global warming, the glaciers in the Himalayas are melting and we need to raise our voice for Ladakh and for the Himalayas.

Activities like unchecked mining, deforestation and unplanned tourism, he said, were behind the delicate ecosystem changing as well as the frequent flooding and landslides.

Wangchuk dubbed his protest non-political, saying they only sought peaceful resolution to their issues. He added that fatlering water supply and other ecological issues had become a reality for Ladakh.

Protests over the demand of constitutional guarantees under the Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution, which has provision for the administration of certain tribal areas as autonomous entities, had rocked the UT earlier in the year. He emphasised that the provision was necessary to preserve the cultural identity of Ladakhs indigenous people.

Speaking about the UT status of Ladakh, Wangchuk said the move was initially welcomed but there is a growing need for a legislature. Jammu and Kashmir are still better off than us as they have a legislature. Without it, we are a body without a soul and we want that statehood of Ladakh be restored, he added.

Accompanied by an entourage of around 100 people, Wangchuk set off for Delhi later in the day. He is expected to end his march at the Raj Ghat on October 2.

Lovzang Chetan, a 60-year-old farmer from Stok village, said the indigenous people hope that they are facing increasing issues while practising farming in view of the changing weather conditions.

Stenzin Gonbo, 50, a retired army havaldar, said he has witnessed the changing weather patterns as more and more mining companies have set up operatings in the region. We dont mind development but keep the local people in the loop. Companies come and create a mess and then leave but we have to keep living here, he added.

Those marching with Wangchuk also spoke of their personal connection with Chandigarh, saying their children often come to the city to study.

Students from around tricty also poured in to hear Wangchuks address. Tenzin, a student of Tibetan descent from Chandigarh University, Gharuan had come to meet with Wangchuk along with other Tibetan students from Chandigarh University.
BJP president J P Nadda asserted on Friday that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the ruling NDA have achieved unprecedented success in ensuring the countrys progress, and accused the INDIA opposition bloc of fostering corruption and aiding anti-national forces. BJP president JP Nadda being garlanded at a public meeting ahead of Jammu and Kashmir Assembly polls, in Kathua, on Friday. (PTI)

Nadda slammed the Congress, National Conference (NC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for consistently doing injustice with Jammu and obstructing its development.

Modiji, the BJP and the NDA have achieved significant progress for the country, whereas the INDI alliance has fostered corruption and strengthened anti-national forces, Nadda said at a function here.

The Congress was responsible for implementing Article 370 (of the Constitution) and delaying the integration of Jammu and Kashmir with India. Now, it aims to release terrorists (from jails), resume talks with Pakistan and eliminate the reservation for SC (Scheduled Caste), ST (Scheduled Tribe) and OBC (Other Backward Classes) communities, he said Nadda said before the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power at the Centre, Jammu faced shutdowns for nearly 100 days every year.

There have been no strikes in the last five years. Instead, the region has experienced stability and development, he said.

Nadda described the NC-Congress alliance formed for the ongoing Jammu and Kashmir Assembly polls as a political pact between two families.

Neither party has any genuine connection with the people of Jammu. They have always maintained a negative attitude towards the region, he said.

He also alleged that when the BJP government started granting ST status to the Pahari and Padri communities, the NC and the Congress sought to sow discord among people and divide the society.

These are the same parties that now pretend to be the saviours of democracy. Only the BJP can and will restore statehood in Jammu and Kashmir under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi, Nadda said.

Those who shed crocodile tears, make empty promises and manipulate peoples emotions are now pretending to be the saviours of democracy, he added.

The BJP leader highlighted several major achievements after the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019, such as the establishment of premier institutions in Jammu.

The AIIMS in Jammu is a special gift from Modi. This institution, along with an exceptional library, advanced modular operational theatres and cutting-edge facilities, is benefitting the people of Jammu, he said.

Nadda said the construction of another All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Awantipora has begun, alongside the establishment of other institutions like the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC), Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) and Indian Institute of Management (IIM) in the Jammu region.

Jammu is becoming a hub for educational excellence. The peoples support will be vital for continuing this journey of development under the BJPs double-engine government, he said.

Nadda criticised the NCs manifesto for the Jammu and Kashmir polls, saying, They want to release terrorists from jail, resume cross-border trade and they support talks with Pakistan. Even Pakistans defence minister has affirmed that the NC and the Congress represent their interests in Jammu and Kashmir, he said.
The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) executive committee on Saturday said it will not allow the screening of Kangana Ranaut-starrer Emergency in Punjab. The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) executive committee on Saturday said it will not allow the screening of Kangana Ranaut-starrer Emergency in Punjab. (PTI)

At a meeting of its executive committee, the SGPC passed a resolution demanding a ban on the controversial movie.

Emergency, a biographical drama is embroiled in controversy after some Sikh organisations accused the producers of misrepresenting the community and getting historical facts wrong.

Dhami who chaired the meeting, said: Besides defaming the Sikhs, Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale has been shown in bad light in the movie, which the community cannot tolerate. This film has been made with the spirit of spewing poison and spreading hatred against the community under the anti-Sikh agenda. We wont allow it to be screened in Punjab.

Also Read: BJP leader warns Kangana Ranaut over Bhindranwale remarks: Must restrain

The Central Board of Film Certification on September 26 told the Bombay high court that a certificate would be issued to Emergency if certain cuts are made, as recommended by its revising committee.

The movie, which was initially slated for a September 6 release, has been embroiled in a battle with the censor board for non-issuance of certificate for release of the movie.

BJPs Mandi MP Kangana Ranaut, who has directed and co-produced the film besides playing the lead role of former prime minister late Indira Gandhi, had accused the CBFC of stalling certification to delay the release.

The Sikhs, especially the leadership of the Shiromani Akali Dal, played a vital role in protesting against the Emergency imposed by the then prime minister besides courting arrests. The Punjab government should represent the state by banning the movie, Dhami said, asking the speaker of Lok Sabha to take notice of Kanganas communal speeches and cancel her membership.

Also Read: Historian appointed by CBFC defends Kangana Ranaut's Emergency: 'They havent altered the truth'

The SGPC president said the Sikhs are discriminated in the country. An example of this is not permitting the release of movie Punjab 95, which is based on the life of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, even after making hundreds of cuts.

The apex gurdwara body also decided to mark the 350th martyrdom day of Guru Teg Bahadur on a large-scale in November 2025.

On commuting the death sentence of Balwant Singh Rajoana, convicted for the assassination of then Punjab chief minister Beant Singh, Dhami said the SGPC supports his plea filed in the Supreme Court. The executive committee has expressed its commitment to continue efforts for the release of Rajoana and other Sikh prisoners, the SGPC chief said.
The junior doctors and nurses at the Sagore Dutta Hospital in West Bengals North 24 Parganas district started a cease work after they were attacked by the relatives of a patient, who died in the State-run medical college and hospital, late on Friday night. A few doctors and nurses were injured in the attack. (Representational image)

Police said that four persons have already been arrested and the security in the hospital was being strengthened. A few doctors and nurses were injured in the attack.

An incident took place on Friday. Police have already arrested four people. We are identifying those involved in the attack from CCTV cameras. They will be arrested soon, Alok Rajoria, commissioner of the Barrackpore city police told media persons on Saturday.

People familiar with the matter said that a woman, Ranjana Sau, was brought to the hospital on Friday evening with breathing problems. Around 15-20 persons, including relatives and family members of the victim, attacked the on duty junior doctors and nurses after the patient died, over allegations of medical negligence.

My daughter was rushed to the hospital with breathing problems. They didnt even treat the patient. I requested them to do something, but we were asked to wait. They didnt give any medicine. My daughter stopped breathing, Kiran Sau, the victim mother told the media.

Soon after the incident, junior doctors and nurses of Sagore Dutta Hospital started a cease work. A team of junior doctors from the West Bengal Junior Doctors Front, which spearheaded the 41-day strike over the RG Kar rape and murder, later visited the Sagore Dutta Hospital.

We resumed essential services a few days back. But again, on Friday, doctors were attacked on the third floor in the female medicine ward. Is it possible for us to work in an ambience where doctors and nurses are threatened by another RG Kar-like incident and attacked? All we want is some safety and security, said Pranoy Sarkar, a senior resident doctor at the College of Medicine at Sagore Dutta Hospital.

The RG Kar Hospital incident on August 9 triggered a nation-wide uproar while junior doctors in all State-run hospitals in West Bengal went on a strike. The medics lifted their strike partially on September 21 after the 41-day impasse and resumed essential services. They were yet to resume OPD duties.

They (the patients relatives) attacked with whatever they could find, including a flood plate and glass bottles. The police were there but they stood as spectators. When we went to lodge a protest with the hospital authorities, we were told that we were being able to protest as we are government employees, said a nurse.

We have conducted the security audit of the hospital. Talks have also been held with the hospital authorities to develop a SOP (standard operating procedure) to strengthen security inside the hospital premises, Rajoria said.
Chetan Khandelwal, founder of Divine Copper from Vrindavan, is thrilled about the buyer-seller meet at the Uttar Pradesh International Trade Show (UPITS). Greater Noida: People visit the 2nd edition of the Uttar Pradesh International Trade Show, in Greater Noida (PTI)

Khandelwal noted that in the past, they had to actively search for buyers, but this time, the government has made it easier for them to connect with potential customers.

We no longer need to search for buyers, he said, adding, Last year, my company received orders from three countries, and this year, Ive already secured one from Australia.

UPITS in Greater Noida is turning out to be a dream come true for entrepreneurs, many of whom are bagging export orders from international buyers. The India Expo Center Mart, so far, has proven to be an ideal platform, connecting entrepreneurs with global clients through B2B meets.

Another entrepreneur, Deepak Pandey, managing director of Mother Nature Herbal Apparels from Hapur, expressed excitement about attracting buyers from countries like Cuba, the United Kingdom, Spain, Turkey and Zimbabwe.

Pandey highlighted that his herbal-based apparel line has generated significant interest among buyers, emphasizing that his apricot product is not only unique but also beneficial for both the environment and the skin.

Ruchi Khanna, head of Kanpur-based Ras Biosolution, shared that although she had been running her business for 15 years, she only started receiving export orders in the last two years. Initially, she connected with just one or two buyers online, but the trade show has now helped her secure buyers from several countries. In just the past three days, her firm has attracted buyers from Vietnam, Uganda, and Australia, among others.

Mohammad Shahrukh, head of Shan Impex in Moradabad, mentioned that this is the second time his firm has participated in the trade show. His company has already secured an order from Somalia, with more international deals in the pipeline.

Shahrukh emphasised that his products are gaining international exposure thanks to the state governments initiative, which has made such opportunities possible.
Suspected militants launched a fresh gun attack on an isolated village in violence-hit Manipurs Jiribam district on Saturday, according to police. Security forces were rushed to the scene to control the situation. (Representational image)

Armed men fired indiscriminately around 11.30 am at the low-lying Mongbung Meitei village from nearby hilltops and surrounding dense forests, prompting retaliation from village volunteers in the area. The exchange of fire is currently underway.

Quoting villagers, a police officer said several women, children, and elderly people were being evacuated to safer locations.

Security forces have been rushed to the scene to control the situation. No casualties have been reported so far.

Mongbung Meitei village, located about 7 km from the district headquarters, has witnessed multiple gun attacks by armed men since violence broke out in the district in June this year.
The counting for the DUSU polls will be held only after October 21, when the Delhi High Court, which halted the process over defacement of public property by candidates, will hear the matter next, an election officer said on Friday. Miranda House students casting their votes during DUSU elections 2024(Raj k Raj)

Polling for the Delhi University Students' Union (DUSU) elections was held on Friday with more than 1.45 lakh students casting their votes. The counting of votes was to be held on Saturday.

However, the Delhi High Court on Thursday stayed the counting of votes till public property defaced by posters, hoardings and graffiti is restored.

Read: Over 1.45 lakh students vote in DUSU elections

"This court directs that the elections process may proceed yet no counting of votes shall take place either on Delhi University (Students' Union) elections or on college elections till this court is satisfied that posters, hoardings, graffiti, spray paints are removed and public property is restored," the court had said.

Rajesh Singh, Returning Officer for DUSU elections, said the counting of votes will take place after the next court hearing.

"The court will now hear the matter on October 21. Only after that will we be able to decide when the counting will take place," he said.

"It is likely the counting will be done after the court's hearing," he said.

Singh further said, "We have removed 90 per cent of the hoardings, posters and banners which violated the regulations and the process of removing the rest is underway."

The candidates have been directed to remove the banners, he said.

Read: DUSU polls: Students launch drive to remove defacement after HC intervention; voting underway

Earlier, the Delhi University administration had said that the EVMs (Electronic Voting Machines) would be kept in a strongroom under security surveillance until the court gives the go-ahead for the counting.

In its order, the high court said that officials of Delhi University and its colleges failed to appreciate the true import of the Lyngdoh Committee guidelines which prohibit defacement of public property and use of printed posters during student union elections.

The court also directed Delhi University to pay for the expenses incurred by the civic authorities, including the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), government departments and Delhi Metro, for restoring the public property and that the varsity would have the right to recover the amount from the candidates thereafter.
A student of Himachal Pradesh University died after allegedly falling from the third floor of the hostel here, police said on Saturday. The Himachal Pradesh Police informed that the body had been taken for a post-mortem and an investigation is underway. (Representative image)

The incident occurred on late Friday when Akhil, a first year law student hailing from Kinnaur district, fell from the hostel in Shimla's Summer Hill and was injured, they said.

Also read: IIT Mandi awards degrees to 636 graduates, announces establishment of Centre for Climate Change & Disaster Resilience

He was taken to the Indira Gandhi Medical College and Hospital by the students where doctors declared him brought dead, the police said.

They said that the body has been sent for post-mortem and an investigation is underway.

Also read: IIT Kanpur unveils Indias first detonation tube research facility, aims to advance research in combustion & propulsion

Meanwhile, activists of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) staged a protest in the university campus and demanded that the meeting of the executive council of the university slated for Saturday be cancelled.

Also read: DUSU Polls 2024: Votes to be counted after October 21
The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Mandi hosted its 12th Convocation Ceremony to honour the achievements of as many as 636 graduates who received their degrees across various disciplines during the ceremony. IIT Mandi celebrated its 12th Convocation Ceremony wherein as many as 636 graduates received degrees. (HT file image)

Of the 636 students, 463 were male and 173 were female students, as informed by the IIT Mandi in a press release.

Notably, the institute witnessed an increase in the proportion of graduating female students, from 23.36% in 2023 to 27.20% in 2024.

The award winners included Shashwat Gupta, a B.Tech. graduate in Mechanical Engineering who was conferred the prestigious President of India Gold Medal for achieving the highest CGPA among undergraduate students.

Also read: IIT Kanpur unveils Indias first detonation tube research facility, aims to advance research in combustion & propulsion

Likewise, Jain Hiya Sudhir, a B.Tech graduate in Bio Engineering, received the Director's Gold Medal for outstanding all-round performance among undergraduate students.

Devanshu Sajwan, a M.Sc. graduate in Chemistry, was awarded the Institutes Gold Medal for overall outstanding performance.

The convocation ceremony was attended by a host of guests including Manoj Jain, chairman and managing director of Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), who was the Chief Guest, whereas the Guests of Honour included IIT Ropar Director Prof Rajeev Ahuja, Dr Narendra Kumar Arya, director of ER & IPR at DRDO, and Krishna Ika, the CEO and chairman of Brainwave Science.

IIT Mandi Director Prof Laxmidhar Behera, during the occasion, encapsulated the Institutes remarkable accomplishments, the release added

Also read: DUSU Polls 2024: Votes to be counted after October 21

Presenting the convocation report, Prof Behera said that the latest milestone signifies the culmination of years of hard work and the beginning of a journey filled with opportunities to make a meaningful impact.

Prof Behera spoke on the recent developments of the institute, including new centers and academic programs, as well as the achievements of its alumni. He also recognised talents like Nitesh Kumar, a B.Tech. 2020 Electrical Engineering alumnus, who won a Gold Medal in Mens Singles Badminton (under SL3 Category) at the 2024 Paralympics in Paris.

Also read: Install CCTV cameras at all board exam centres: CBSE to schools

Furthermore, Prof. Behera announced the establishment of the Centre for Climate Change and Disaster Resilience (C3DAR) aimed at innovative solutions for climate adaptation and disaster resilience in the Himalayan region.

By leveraging technologies like remote sensing, AI, and IoT, we aim to enhance real-time monitoring and early warning systems. With ongoing infrastructure development and a commitment to academic excellence, IIT Mandi is dedicated to nurturing the next generation of leaders in sustainable development, he said.

Lt. Gen. Kanwal Jeet Singh Dhillon (Retd.) shared a message with the graduating students, said IIT Mandi is home to several schools and centres, and this year we proudly inaugurated the Centre for Climate Change and Disaster Resilience (C3DAR), aligning with national priorities on disaster risk management. This centre aims to foster cutting-edge research and develop innovative solutions in climate change adaptation, disaster resilience, and sustainable development.

Chief Guest Manoj Jain congratulated the graduating students and said that IIT Mandi has carved a niche for itself in the ever-evolving landscape of professional education in India, in a short period.

I am confident that the graduating students will carry forward the legacy of Brand IIT, contributing significantly to both the aspirations of a Viksit Bharat and the global economy. The success of these students in their professional endeavours will continue to highlight the pivotal role IIT Mandi plays in building the human, social, and intellectual capital of our nation, he said.

Guest of Honour Prof. Rajeev Ahuja highlighted that the dedication and intellect of the graduating students will drive their future success, and encouraged them to uphold the core values of innovation, integrity, and inclusivity instilled at IIT Mandi.

Guest of Honour Krishna Ika urged the graduating class to leverage their skills in addressing urgent challenges in rural India through innovative startups, which can enhance quality of life and drive economic growth.

Likewise, Guest of Honour Dr Narendra Kumar Arya said that IIT Mandi is poised to become a global leader in technology leadership, innovative design, and value-based engineering with its unique blend of technology, management, Indian knowledge systems, and the surrounding hills.
Top Human Resources and Skill Development leaders from India held a meeting on Friday in Delhi in a bid to collaborate to resolve the jobs and talent crisis in the country. The initiative is aimed at bridging the skill gap and employability to make Indias workforce future-ready and globally competitive.

The first-of-its-kind initiative is aimed at bridging the skill gap and employability, thereby making Indias workforce future-ready and globally competitive.

Notably, the event comes in line with the collaboration of the National Skill Development Corporation under the aegis of the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship with the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) India which seeks to create pathways and build actionable frameworks for future-ready skilling and employability in a fast-changing world, a press release informed.

Also read: ADRE 2.0 for graduate, HSLC posts tomorrow; check instructions for exam day

Industry leaders and senior HR professionals came together to discuss strategies for reskilling and upskilling the corporate and industrial workforce.

Ved Mani Tiwari, CEO of National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) and Managing Director at NSDC International (NSDCI) spoke about the collaboration and said that NSDC and SHRM both are purpose-driven organisations, adding that the partnership is aimed at skilling India better in line with Prime Ministers vision.

We want our employees to be proficient and it is important therefore to be able to help reskill and upskill them in response to skill gaps. Its imperative that we not only unlock value for each employee but this unlocking should also happen at the company and the industry level and taken in the aggregate, this would serve the larger skilling requirements for the country as a whole, Tiwari said.

Also read: IIT Mandi awards degrees to 636 graduates, announces establishment of Centre for Climate Change & Disaster Resilience

Tiwari further stressed that it was necessary to accelerate the pace of skilling to transform India into a $5 trillion economy by 2025.

Achal Khanna, the CEO of SHRM, India APAC, and MENA shed light on the the significance of skilling initiatives for Indias workforce and said that the HR Leadership Council Connect serves as a transformative platform that bridges the gap between the corporate world and the skilling ecosystem.

She pointed out that the aim is to create an efficient skilling eco-system that is adaptable and addresses the current and future needs of the workforce.

Also read: IIT Kanpur unveils Indias first detonation tube research facility, aims to advance research in combustion & propulsion

As part of the initiative, deliberations were also held which included presentations from senior leadership on NSDCs business verticals and interactive focus group discussions with three cohorts aimed at identifying sector-specific skill gaps and opportunities for collaboration, the release informed.

During the program, participants from diverse sectors such as IT, Telecom, Energy, and Automobile shared best practices aimed at developing actionable insights for creating a future-ready workforce.

Moreover, CHROs from the biggest companies in India debated at length about the changing industry landscape across the corporate spectrum and the skill gaps this has triggered. According to the CHROs, newer technologies particularly in areas like robotics, IoT, electric battery technologies, semi-conductors, etc. have resulted in a skills gap across levels, which needs to be mitigated.
The Universities of Wisconsin Board of Regents voted unanimously Friday to fire a communications professor who was seeking to retain tenure after his dismissal as chancellor of one of the system's campuses for making pornographic films. Former University of Wisconsin-La Crosse Chancellor Joe Gow and his wife, Carmen Wilson, take questions after a hearing before a committee that will determine whether he can teach after being fired as the campus leader for making pornographic videos(AP)

Joe Gow, who had served as chancellor of UW-La Crosse for nearly 17 years, argued last week that he should be allowed to retain a teaching position on campus. But university attorneys argued he was unethical, violated terms of his employment contact, damaged the reputation of the university and interfered with its mission.

The regents met in closed session Friday morning before voting in public to fire Gow. There was no discussion in open session before the board voted.

Also read: Education in Ireland Fair being held from September 28 to October 6

Gow has been on paid leave from his back-up faculty position since the regents fired him as chancellor in 2023, shortly after university leaders became aware of the videos, which were posted on pornographic websites. The case has garnered national attention both for the salaciousness of a high-profile university official making pornographic movies and publicly talking about it, and the questions it raises about free speech rights.

Also Read: Wisconsin capital city sends up to 2,000 duplicate absentee ballots, leading to GOP concerns

Gow argued that his videos and two e-books he and his wife, Carmen, have published about their experiences in adult films are protected by the First Amendment. The universitys attorney countered that Gow's videos themselves are legal but they are not protected speech under his employment contract.

Gow said Friday that he plans to file a lawsuit against the university and accused the regents of stifling his free speech rights. He insisted in a statement that he produced the pornography on his own time without referencing the university system and questioned the system's commitment to academic freedom and freedom of expression.

The people who fired me today aren't a Board of Regents, they're a Board of Hypocrites, Gow said in the statement. They have zero credibility on free speech and expression.

Zach Greenberg, an attorney with free speech advocacy group Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, called the regents' decision a major blow to academic freedom and free speech rights.

FIRE has said time and time again: public universities cannot sacrifice the First Amendment to protect their reputations, Greenberg said. We're disappointed UW caved to donors and politicians by throwing a tenured professor under the bus.

Universities of Wisconsin President Jay Rothman has been working since he took the job in 2022 to navigate thorny relationships with Republican legislators who view the system as a liberal incubator. Last year, the GOP forced the system to scale back its diversity initiatives.

Rothman has been careful to avoid alienating conservatives any further as he seeks support for an $855 million increase for the system in the next state budget. Earlier this month his administration ordered university leaders to maintain neutral viewpoints in their public statements. Retaining Gow in any capacity could open up the system to more Republican criticism and torpedo any chance of securing the additional funding.

Gow was criticized in 2018 for inviting porn actor Nina Hartley to speak on campus. She was paid $5,000 out of student fees to appear. He developed the idea of bringing her to campus after shooting a pornographic video with her, the university said.

Gow and his wifes e-books were written under pseudonyms: Monogamy with Benefits: How Porn Enriches Our Relationship and Married with Benefits  Our Real-Life Adult Industry Adventures. But they also star in a YouTube channel called Sexy Healthy Cooking, in which the couple cooks meals with porn actors.

Gow holds a bachelors degree in journalism and a masters degree in communications. He served as director of the communication studies program at Alfred University in New York state in the 1990s, earning the schools Excellence in Teaching Award three times.

But the chair of the UW-La Crosse communications department, Linda Dickmeyer, opposed Gows return to the classroom. She said that because Gow has not taught for 20 years, he would be assigned general education courses, but she opposes letting him teach in any role.
The photos show glimpses from Ranbir's perfect family life. The first photo shows all three of them hugging a tree with only Raha focussing on the posing for the camera. A second pictures shows baby Raha in Ranbir's arms as they travel across foreign locales. A third pictures shows Alia laughing hard while sitting in Ranbir's lap and him, flashing the biggest smile.

More photos show Ranbir and Raha taking a stroll around a horse stable and a small glimpse of his birthday party last night. She captioned the post, Sometimes all you need is a giant hug .. & you make life feel like one happy birthday baby.

Several other celebrities also wished Ranbir, including Karan Johar, Guneet Monga and more. A fan wrote, Aww the best picture of the day. Another commented, Happy birthday my favourite actor.

What's the fam been up to?

Ranbir, Alia and Raha were recently in Paris where Alia walked the ramp for the first time as a L'Oreal brand ambassador. The returned to Mumbai on Wednesday.

In the visuals captured by the paps, Alia and Ranbir were spotted at the airport with their daughter as they arrived back in the city. Neetu Kapoor joined them. Raha cutely smiled as her granny planted a kiss on her cheek.

Alia opted for a comfy beige sweatshirt and matching trousers co-ord set, while Ranbir wore a grey jogger and matching sweatshirt. Raha's adorable presence at the airport left fans in awe.

What's next for Ranbir and Alia

Alia is gearing up for the release of Jigra, which also stars Vedang Raina.

In February 2024, Alia shared pictures from the sets after wrapping up the film which is made under Dharma Productions banner. Sharing the post, she earlier mentioned, "jigra oh... abki teri baari ho @vedangraina & that's a film wrap on #JIGRA @vasanbala @swapsagram. See you soon."

Jigra marks Alia Bhatt's second production venture after the 2022 Netflix thriller-comedy Darlings. She is co-producing this project with Karan Johar's Dharma Productions. Jigra will be out in theatres on October 11.

Ranbir will be seen in Nitesh Tiwari's Ramayana and in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Love and War, also starring Alia.
Trust Shah Rukh Khan to take all his jobs seriously, even when its not all that serious a matter at all. The superstar is hosting the IIFA Awards in Abu Dhabi this Saturday night and setting the stage on fire with his dance moves. Shah Rukh Khan is performing his host duties perfectly at IIFA 2024.

Shah Rukh Khans happy hosting

Videos circulating on social media from the event show Shah Rukh Khan dancing to Oo Antava and Jhoome Jo Pathaan with his Bollywood mates.

A hilarious video shows him taking on Samantha Ruth Prabhus role while Vicky Kaushal channels his best Allu Arjun for a performance to Oo Antava from hit film Pushpa: The Rise. Shah tugged on to Vicky, with his leg up and all, doing his best iteration of the viral hookstep. Watch it here:

Another video shows him teaching Karan Johar and Vicky the hookstep to Jhoome Jo Pathaan from his hit movie, Pathaan.

On Thursday early morning, Shah Rukh was mobbed by a throng of enthusiastic fans at Mumbai airport as he departed for Abu Dhabi to host the IIFA Awards 2024.

Accompanied by his bodyguard and manager Pooja Dadlani, SRK was seen navigating through an eager crowd that was eager to catch a glimpse of him.

Despite the overwhelming attention, he smiled and acknowledged fans as he made his way to the terminal, with his bodyguard ensuring his safety throughout the encounter.

About IIFA 2024

The new edition of the International Indian Film Academy Awards (IIFA) is underway in the Arab city from September 27 to September 29.

The three-day gala kick-started with IIFA Utsavam, an event dedicated to southern film industries- Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada. Megastar Chiranjeevi was honoured at the event.

Recently, SRK and Karan were seen together IIFA pre event in Mumbai, where the duo displayed their fun bond.

The duo engaged in some light-hearted banter when SRK teased Karan for hosting more chat shows and focusing less on films. Shah Rukh shared that Karan told him that he wouldn't be available for the rehearsals and planning to do it over Zoom as he is good at hosting shows.

"Karan told me he won't be rehearsing for hosting, he'll do it on Zoom. He said, 'Bhai main Zoom pe kar lunga... main itna jaldi karta hu. Main toh itna hosting karta hu na.' Chat show bhi host karta hai, film show bhi host karta hai... picture bhi toh bana mere bhai tu (make films also),'" said SRK in a light-hearted way, adding, "Kitna host karega tu."

Karan agreed and shared, " I was thinking the same when Siddhant (Chaturvedi) said the same thing, I was like this is sounding so wrong on all levels for a filmmaker. I should be making more movies. That is exactly what I should be doing," said the filmmaker, who also hosts the popular celebrity chat show 'Koffee With Karan'.

The second day will also see Rekha returning to the IIFA stage after a long time. Shahid Kapoor, Kriti Sanon, Ananya Panday, Janhvi Kapoor and Vicky will also be adding charm to the gala night with their performances.

IIFA 2024 will be concluded on September 29 with the exclusive, invitation-only IIFA Rocks. Artists such as Honey Singh, Shilpa Rao and Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy will perform live for the audience.
Laapataa Ladies being selected as Indias official entry for the Oscars earlier this week was heralded as a victory for the underdog by many. The small-budget film from Kiran Rao has no big name with three newcomers fronting it. In an exclusive chat with Hindustan Times, the films writer Sneha Desai opens up on the achievement and the road ahead. (Also read: Laapataa Ladies' Sparsh Shrivastava reacts to criticism on film's selection over All We Imagine As Light for Oscars) Laapataa Ladies writer Sneha Desai (right) on the film's Oscar run and beating All We Imagine As Light

Sneha says that Laapataa Ladies simplicity and its rooted Indian feel may just be a factor in its favour at the Oscars, which has historically preferred films that showcase the heartland. We are so used to processing something which is so heavy on our senses, which is so difficult to comprehend, to understand, we feel that the more we make it intricate, the more we make it complicated, we'll be able to gain the attention of the audience and the viewers. At times like this, it is something as simple and profound as Laapataa Ladies that just kicks the ball out of the park. There is this beautiful fragrance of rural India that is associated with it. The visuals are something that they would not have seen before. You never know, it might just catch people's fancy, and we could feature in the long list.

On Laapataa Ladies' regional competition

Laapataa Ladies was selected by the Film Federation of India (FFI) over 28 other Indian films, including several regional gems like Aattam, which won a National Award recently, and All We Imagine As Light, which won the grand prize at the Cannes Film Festival. Talking about beating such marvels, Sneha says, There are too many beautiful gems from regional cinema that we are not in a position to judge because we've not seen them all. Some of them have not hit mainstream cinema. So, it is a very humble celebration that we're doing. There is immense pride that we selected, but at the same time, we truly do not know who our worldly competitors were. It's going to be the same at an international level, because every country is going to send the best of its cinema, and we just hope that they find our story just as compelling.

More often than not, the official selection of films for the Oscars in India is met with some amount of controversy. Sneha agrees, Announcements are met with mixed reviews. Most of the people bash the committee. Everybody has their own personal favourites. But this time, the overall sweeping reaction of people has been so warm and affectionate that the momentum is wonderful.

On All We Imagine As Light

Some have, however, argued that All We Imagine As Light by Payal Kapadia may have been a stronger contender given its Cannes winner credentials. Sneha argues that the film can still be at the Oscars as an independent entry. Maybe we could have two wonderful entries from India. Fingers crossed, if it can go as an independent entry or something. And I'd be very, very happy to cheer for them, just as much as I would be happy to cheer for myself, she says.

To get into the long list and eventually, the nomination is a long road for Laapataa Ladies, which requires a ton of promotion and campaigning in the US. And while Sneha says its too soon to talk about a roadmap, she says there can be nobody better to helm that campaign than Aamir Khan Productions, who took Lagaan all the way to the final nominations in 2001. Now over to the production to see how they want to go. But what better people than Aamir Khan Productions to handle it? Because he's seen the whole grind, and I think he's wiser after having taken Lagaan there. In that sense, Im looking forward to this.

Laapataa Ladies stars Sparsh Shrivastava, Pratibha Ranta, and Nitanshi Goel alongside Ravi Kishen and Chhaya Kadam. The Kiran Rao directorial was a critical success even though it did not break the bank when it was released earlier this year.
Actor Ranbir Kapoor, who clocked his 42nd birthday on Saturday, has turned entrepreneur with his new brand Arks. Taking to Instagram, the official account of Arks shared a video featuring Ranbir. (Also Read | Alia Bhatt shares Ranbir Kapoor and daughter Raha's best pics ever on his birthday) Ranbir Kapoor's new brand is called Arks.

Ranbir features in a new ad for his brand, Alia reacts

In the clip, the actor lay on the grass at night looking at the stars. He then made a symbol in the air against the sky. The caption read, Meet the founder. He's not on social media. Reacting to the clip, Ranbir's wife-actor Alia Bhatt posted fire emojis. His mother-actor Neetu Kapoor said, Good luck. Sharing the post on her Instagram Stories, Alia wrote, "To new beginnings."

Alia shared the post on her Instagram Stories.

Fans try to find meaning of Arks

A fan said, Congratulations, very good name and logo. Keep it up. Others speculated what could the brand be about. "ARKS MEANS ALIA RAHA RANBIR KAPOOR & Sons and a boat built by Noah to save his family," read a comment. "A RANBIR KAPOOR SNEAKERS -ARKS," read another comment. An Instagram user said, Looks like a scene from Brahmastralol.

Neetu has special post for son

Neetu Kapoor also shared the video on Instagram. She wrote, "Son, brother, husband, father and now founder." She added, "Happy birthday Ranbir, hope the birth of @ARKS makes this one even more special. Cant wait to see your journey unfold. My blessings and pyaar (love)." Sharing the post on her Instagram Stories, Neetu also wrote, "Happy birthday Ranbir! And happy first day @arks!"

Neetu also shared the video on Instagram.

Arjun, Neetu and Karan re-shared Arks' post on Instagram Stories.

Arjun and Karan drop hints

Arjun Kapoor shared the video on his Instagram and wrote, "I guess it was always meant to be...Starting something you have spoken about for years at this point in your life feels about right... May your minimalism now be enjoyed by your fans and all fashion connoisseurs... Happy Birthday (my fashion icon)."

Karan Johar said, You have seen the movie star magic and the actor excellence...now enter the world of Ranbir's lifestyle aesthetics...stay tuned and watch this place for more @arks.

About Ranbir's films

Fans will see Ranbir in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Love And War, along with Alia Bhatt and Vicky Kaushal. He was last in Animal alongside Triptii Dimri and Rashmika Mandanna. The action drama film was directed by Sandeep Reddy Vanga. The actor also has the sequel of Animal, titled Animal Park.
Bollywood actor Ranbir Kapoor turned 42 on Saturday (September 28), and he chose to celebrate his special day with his fans and paparazzi. The actor took some time out to greet his fans and paparazzi gathered outside his Mumbai residence. Also read: Ranbir Kapoor to lead Dhoom 4; Abhishek Bachchan and Uday Chopra will not be back: Report Ranbir Kapoor turned 42 on Saturday.

Ranbir cuts cake with paparazzi

In a delightful gesture, Ranbir stepped out of his Mumbai residence to greet the waiting media and fans. The actor was all smiles as he posed for photographs, waving to the crowd and thanking them for their love and support.

The highlight of the evening was when Ranbir cut a delicious-looking birthday cake, surrounded by the paparazzi and his enthusiastic fans.

The cake came with a special message, as it had Raha ke papa written over it.

Ranbir was seen in a grey tracksuit, and a cap. Several videos and pictures capturing the celebratory mood have surfaced online. In fact, Ranbir also took time to meet some of his fans and shake hands with them.

Ranbir turns 42

The actor marked his birthday by starting a new chapter of his life. He has turned entrepreneur with his new brand Arks. It could be a fashion or lifestyle brand, as hinted by Arjun Kapoor and Karan Johar, respectively. However, not much information about it is out yet.

On Saturday, wife Alia Bhatt also took to Instagram to share a carousel of the sweetest family pictures to mark Ranbir's 42nd birthday. A cute picture of Raha won everyones hearts.

The pictures had glimpses of Ranbir's perfect family life. The first photo shows all three of them hugging a tree with only Raha focusing on the posing for the camera. A second picture shows baby Raha in Ranbir's arms as they travel across foreign locales. She captioned the post, Sometimes all you need is a giant hug .. & you make life feel like one happy birthday baby.

His mother Neetu Kapoor also shared the video on Instagram. She wrote, "Son, brother, husband, father and now founder." She added, "Happy birthday Ranbir, hope the birth of @ARKS makes this one even more special. Cant wait to see your journey unfold. My blessings and pyaar (love)." Sharing the post on her Instagram Stories, Neetu also wrote, "Happy birthday Ranbir! And happy first day @arks!"

About Ranbir's films

On the work front, fans will see Ranbir in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Love And War, along with Alia Bhatt and Vicky Kaushal. He was last in Animal alongside Triptii Dimri and Rashmika Mandanna. The action-drama film was directed by Sandeep Reddy Vanga. He will also be seen in Nitesh Tiwari's Ramayana with Sai Pallavi. The actor also has the sequel of Animal, titled Animal Park.
Ben Affleck was in the mood for some Halloween cheer, as he was spotted shopping for Halloween costumes with 15-year-old daughter Fin, previously Seraphina, in Los Angeles. As per a new report from Page Six, the actor kept a low profile as he went inside the Spirit Halloween store on Friday. The actor has been making headlines ever since he and Jennifer Lopez decided to part ways. (Also read: Jennifer Lopez documentary The Greatest Love Story Never Told on her romance with Ben Affleck sees surge after divorce) Ben Affleck enjoyed shopping for Halloween in Los Angeles.

Ben goes Halloween shopping

In the new pictures, Ben was spotted in casual clothing wearing a white t-shirt that was layered with a light-blue shirt, along with light brown trousers. Fin chose a white and blue shirt, and walked beside him. Both of them were seen outside a Los Angeles Spirit Halloween store, although it is not clear whether they bought something from the store or not.

Seraphina came out as trans earlier this year in April, and introduced themselves as Fin at the memorial service of Jennifer's father.

More details

Ben has been spending time with his kids ever since the news of his divorce from Jennifer Lopez went public. He was seen getting some fresh air in a casual outfit, along with his kids Samuel and Seraphina in Los Angeles earlier this month, ahead of the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) premiere of his film Unstoppable.

Meanwhile, Ben and Jennifer were spotted seen enjoying brunch with their respective children at the Beverly Hills Hotel, even after the announcement of their divorce. The unexpected outing came after Jennifer Lopez filed for divorce on the couple's second wedding anniversary.

Ben and Jennifer, first began dating on the sets of Gigli. They got engaged in 2002, and were due to marry in 2003, but decided to split up in early 2004, just four months after their scheduled wedding. In 2021, they got back together 17 years after their initial split. The two finally tied the knot in Las Vegas on July 17, 2022.
Ellen DeGeneres openly discussed ageing in her new special on Netflix titled For Your Approval, which was released on Tuesday. She revealed her triple diagnosis following her resignation as the talk show host and from the spotlight after she allegedly created a toxic environment at her workplace. DeGeneres was diagnosed with osteoporosis along with ADHD and OCD. In the Netflix special, she told the audience members how she took a stupid bone density test," which led to the discovery that she has full-on osteoporosis. Ellen DeGeneres opened up about her mental health journey, including therapy for ADHD and OCD, following backlash from her talk show.(ellendegeneres/Instagram)

Also Read: Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe grieves co-star Maggie Smiths death: 'I'll always consider myself lucky'

Ellen DeGeneres talks about her triple diagnosis

In her special, the 66-year-old said, I dont even know how Im standing up right now. Im like a human sandcastle. I could disintegrate in the shower. According to the National Institutes of Health, Osteoporosis is described as a bone disease that develops when bone mineral density and bone mass decreases, which leads to a decrease in bone strength that can increase the risk of fractures.

DeGeneres recalled how she discovered her osteoporosis as she said, I had excruciating pain one day and I thought I tore a ligament or something and I got an MRI and they said, No, its just arthritis. I said, How did I get that? And he said, Oh it just happens at your age'. The Ellen Degeneres Show host admitted that it is hard to be honest about ageing and seem cool.

She also revealed that she began therapy after the hatred from fans weighed heavy on her mental health. During therapy, she was diagnosed with ADHD (Anxiety deficit/Hyperactivity disorder) and OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder). DeGeneres divulged that she initially thought O in OCD stood for organised. She said, I didnt know what OCD was. I was raised in a religion, Christian Science, that doesnt acknowledge diseases or disorders. So when I was growing up, nobody talked about anything. There was no discussion of anything.

She further explained in the special to a laughing crowd, My ADD makes it really hard to sit down and focus on anything at all. I mean, do you know how hard it was for me to put this together? Of course you dont. Why would I ask that question? Its hard for me to focus.

Recently, the talk show host made headlines as old interview videos and tweets, linked to Sean Diddy Combs, resurfaced on the internet. This was followed by the revelation of DeGeneres' triple diagnosis.

Also Read: Diddy: New charges possible as grand jury convenes for sex worker's testimony; law firm reports 50 alleged victims

DeGeneres talks about accusations of abuse

She concluded her segment about ageing in her new Netflix special with, So, I have ADD, I have OCD, Im losing my memory. But I think Im well-adjusted because I obsess on things, but then I dont have the attention span to stick with it, and I quickly forget what I was obsessing about in the first place. So, it takes me all the way around to being well adjusted, I think, as reported by Page Six.

DeGeneres unearthed the accusation of abuse and created a toxic work environment for her staff. She touched upon the public controversy of her being a promoter of racism, fear and intimidation, following which her talk show came to an end after 19 seasons in 2022.

She said, When youre a public figure, youre open to everyones interpretation. And Im sure youve heard the saying that, What other people think of me is none of my business. Because people will say all kinds of things and you have no control over that. But you know the truth and thats all that matters.

She agreed that she used to care what people thought, but she cant anymore now.
Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe agonises over the sad demise of his co-star, Dame Maggie Smith. The two starred in the Harry Potter series, where Radcliffe started his acting career. Smith passed away on Friday at the age of 89 due to her long-running health issues. Dame Maggie Smith, beloved for her role in Harry Potter, passed away at 89.(REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz, AP)

Also Read: Diddy ate chocolate strawberries off naked woman at high-profile Miami party attended by Will Smith, Bruce Willis

Radcliffe mourns Smiths passing away

The 35-year-old actor reminisced about the first time he got to know about the first time he got to know that Smith was going to be his co-star. Radcliffe told Page Six in a statement, The first time I met Maggie Smith I was 9 years old and we were reading through scenes for David Copperfield, which was my first job, on Friday. He admitted that he was not aware of his co-star or her work at the time. However, Radcliffes parents were awestruck that he would like to work with her on his debut film.

He recalled, The other thing I knew about her was that she was a Dame, so the first thing I asked her when we met was Would you like me to call you Dame? to which she replied with a laugh and said something similar on the lines of dont be ridiculous."

The Woman in Black actor remembered that he was nervous to meet Smith only to be put at ease by her immediately with her words and presence. He revealed to the media outlet, She was incredibly kind to me on that shoot, and then I was lucky enough to go on working with her for another 10 years on the Harry Potter films.

He described the Downtown Abbey star as a woman of fierce intellect with a gloriously sharp tongue. Radcliffe added, [Maggie] could intimidate and charm in the same instant and was, as everyone will tell you, extremely funny.

Radcliffe expressed his gratitude for the late actor as he said, I will always consider myself amazingly lucky to have been able to work with her and to spend time around her on set. The word legend is overused but if it applies to anyone in our industry then it applies to her. Thank you Maggie.

Also Read: George Clooney can't stop gushing over his wife Amal Clooney, on New York red carpet

Harry Potters beloved Professor Minerva McGonagall

The late actor was part of all eight parts of Harry Potter based on author J.K. Rowling's fictional novels of the same name and played the character of Professor Minerva McGonagall. Her family confirmed that she passed away peacefully in hospital, but the cause of her death was not revealed.

Her sons, Toby Stephens and Chris Larkin, whom she shared with her ex-husband, Robert Stephens, released a statement that read, It is with great sadness we have to announce the death of Dame Maggie Smith. An intensely private person, she was with friends and family at the end. They added that Smiths sons and five grandchildren are devastated by the loss of their extraordinary mother and grandmother.

She was renowned for her role in Downtown Abbey, which earned her three Emmy Awards. She also won two Academy Awards, three Golden Globes, and one Tony Award. In 1990, Queen Elizabeth II appointed Smith a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire.
Hollywood actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt is set to make his first-ever visit to India in October, and he can't contain his excitement. The actor, known for his roles in films such as Inception, The Dark Knight Rises, and 500 Days of Summer, has long been enamoured with Indian music and culture. He is now looking forward to exploring the country's vibrant heritage. Also read: Joseph Gordon-Levitt says he was mostly embarrassed about starring in 10 Things I Hate About You Joseph Gordon-Levitt is known for his roles in films such as Inception, The Dark Knight Rises, and 500 Days of Summer. (Instagram)

India calling

The Emmy Award winner is supercharged about the maiden trip. The actor admits he is fascinated to see the rise of independent cinema and storytelling in India.

"It feels surreal to be visiting India for the first time. Ive long been a fan of Indian music and culture and have been engaging with Indian creators through our community, HIT RECORD, he said in a statement.

The actor is coming to India to attend the 14th season of the India Film Project (IFP) as a special guest. He is the opening session speaker.

Talking about the event, Joseph shared, Being invited to speak at the 14th Season of IFP is truly an honour. The rise of independent cinema, storytelling, and art in India fascinates me. Theres something captivating about how its rich history blends with the world of film and music. Im excited to experience this vibrant creativity firsthand at IFP."

More about IFP

After 13 seasons, IFP (formerly known as India Film Project) will return for another edition on October 12 and 13 in Mumbai.

At the event, the two-time Primetime Emmy Award winner will be joining the Indian celebrities including Naseeruddin Shah, Ratna Pathak Shah, Vidhu Vinod Chopra, Kabir Khan, Taapsee Pannu, Aditi Rao Hydari, Saurabh Shukla, Shoojit Sircar, Guneet Monga, Ram Madhvani, Kunal Kemmu, and Sharvari.

Joseph is an actor, filmmaker, and entrepreneur. He is known for films such as 500 Days of Summer, Inception, Looper, Snowden, Don Jon, and Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F and his online media platform HIT RECORD.
Thai rice export prices fell to a 14-month low this week due to weak demand and competition from other rice exporting countries.

Thai 5% broken rice was priced at US$560 per ton, the lowest level since July 20, 2023 and down from $565 last week.



A Bangkok-based trader said on Thursday that prices could fall further if the Thai baht depreciates.



Another trader said the market was waiting to see changes in Indian rice policy in the coming months and that supply was in the harvesting stages.



Meanwhile, Vietnamese 5% broken rice was exported at $565 per ton on Thursday, according to the Vietnam Food Association, also down from around $580 last week.



"Prices fell on competition from other suppliers such as Thailand, Cambodia and Myanmar," a trader based in Ho Chi Minh City said.
Pakistani film The Legend of Maula Jatt, starring actors Fawad Khan and Mahira Khan, will not be screened in Indian cinemas, according to sources. The film was originally scheduled for release on October 2. (Also Read | The Legend of Maula Jatt: Everything you need to know about Fawad Khan's Pakistani film's release in India) Mahira Khan and Fawad Khan in a still from The Legend of Maula Jatt.

Why film's release has been stalled in India

The decision has been taken as Indian films have not been permitted in Pakistan since 2019, sources said. The film was expected to be the first Pakistani release in India in over a decade.

The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) has been particularly vocal against the film's release. Earlier this month, Ameya Khopkar, President of the MNS Cinema Wing, said to ANI, "We will not entertain any Pakistani film or actors in India," urging others across the country to join their opposition. He added, "This movie will not be released. If this happens, there will be a strong agitation."

Ameya emphasised the emotional weight behind this stance, citing ongoing tensions at the borders. "Our soldiers are dying... Why do we need Pakistani actors here? Don't we have enough talent?" he questioned.

"This should be taken as a threat... How can one even think of watching movies with Pakistani actors?" he continued, further asserting that any attempts to bring Pakistani artists into India would be met with strong resistance.

About The Legend of Maula Jatt

The Legend of Maula Jatt is a remake of the Pakistani classic film Maula Jatt. The main focus of the movie revolves around the legendary rivalry between Noori Natt, played by Hamza Ali Abbasi, the brutal gang leader, and local hero Maula Jatt, played by Fawad.

Ban on Pakistani artists in India

The ban on Pakistani artists in India originated after the Uri terror attack in 2016. Although there have been legal challenges regarding the ban, the Supreme Court dismissed a plea in November 2023 that sought to lift restrictions on Pakistani artists working in India.

Both Fawad and Mahira Khan have previously appeared in Indian films. Fawad starred in Khoobsurat (2014) and Ae Dil Hai Mushkil and Kapoor & Sons (2016). Mahira debuted Bollywood opposite Shah Rukh Khan in Raees (2017).
Riya Arvinda Barde, a Bangladeshi adult film actor, was arrested in Ulhasnagar, Maharashtra on Thursday for allegedly staying illegally in India using fake documents, officials told PTI. Reports claim she worked on projects done by Raj Kundra Productions. Businessman Raj Kundra (L), Riya Arvinda Barde (R)

However, Kundra tells HT City exclusively that all these allegations are 'false'. He says he is "deeply disturbed" by the news doing the rounds, "I am deeply disturbed by recent news articles circulating false allegations about me. These reports claim that an individual, allegedly an illegal immigrant, worked for me or was associated with one of my supposed production companies. Let me be very clear  I have never met this person, nor have I ever owned or been involved with any production company that this individual has worked for."

Also read: Raj Kundra on porn king tag, slow justice, attack on family: Trolls write porn kings wife' on Shilpa's social media

He further calls the claims 'baseless', which are harming his reputation, "These baseless claims are not only damaging to my reputation but are also an attempt to exploit my name for sensationalism and media traction. I have always conducted my business with the utmost integrity, and I will not tolerate such false accusations."

He is planning legal action. His lawyer Prashant Patil states, "There are certain reports in social, digital and print media regarding some alleged illegal immigrant getting arrested by Mumbai police. The fake reports are linking the said alleged accused to the production team of my clients Shilpa Shetty Kundra and Raj Kundra. This is misleading and has been intentionally done to defame my clients. There is a clear ulterior motive of dragging my clients name in a controversial case for which my clients have no direct or indirect direct connection at all. Due to such mischievous act of creating such offensive content on social media , my clients are initiating criminal case with the cyber crime Mumbai police immediately under the provisions of Information and Technology Act."

He adds, "Let me assure the public at large , as a lawyer representing Mr Raj Kundra and Mrs Shilpa Shetty Kundra. The criminals involved in creating a fake narrative with an intention to defame my clients shall be booked under stringent provisions of criminal law. We shall request for immediate arrests of such criminals who are circulating fake news regarding my clients. A separate suit for rupees 100 crores, for defamation, shall be initiated before the Honourable Bombay High Court against the media houses reporting this fake news."
Two farmers allegedly died by suicide in separate incidents in Kalaburagi and Raichur districts of Karnataka on Thursday. Both the farmers allegedly ended their lives as they faced mounting debts following crop failure due to heavy rains, officials aware of the matter said on Friday. Both the farmers allegedly ended their lives as they faced mounting debts following crop failure due to heavy rains (File photo)

In the first incident, a 45-year-old farmer from Chincholi taluk of Kalaburagi district, allegedly set himself on fire on Thursday.

Police said the farmer, who allegedly borrowed 3 lakh from a bank as well as from private lenders to grow tur dal (pigeon pea), was devastated when his crops were destroyed by heavy rains. He faced relentless pressure to repay his loans, including a recent bank notice, they added.

A farmer from the same village, told reporters that continuous rains severely damaged the farmers crops and he plunged into despair. He was under immense pressure from bank officials and failed to find out a way to repay his loans. He poured petrol on himself and set himself on fire, he added.

Sulepet police inspector Sanjay Kulkarni said, Family members told us that he owed 3 lakh to banks and private lenders, and was overwhelmed by the increasing burden of interest.

An unnatural death case has been registered in this connection, police said.

In a similar incident, a 42-year-old farmer in Raichur district allegedly consumed poison on Wednesday. The farmer had been working tirelessly to cultivate cotton on four acres of land, but his crops were ruined by excessive moisture due to incessant rains.

The cotton, which was his primary source of income, was severely damaged, resulting in a substantial financial loss, police said.

Unable to cope with the devastation and pressure of repaying his loans, the farmer left his home on Wednesday under the pretext of visiting his farm and allegedly consumed poison. He was rushed to the Raichur Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) Hospital, where he succumbed to the poison on Thursday.

Raichur Rural inspector Sabayya said that the farmer had taken a 2 lakh loan. He was expecting to reap a good profit from his cotton crop, which was destroyed by the rains. The autopsy was conducted at RIMS hospital, and the body has been handed over to his family members, Sabayya added.

A case of unnatural death has been registered, police said.
Delhi chief minister Atishi on Saturday hit out at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) after it won the lone vacant seat in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) standing committee.



"The MCD election that the BJP has carried out is illegal, unconstitutional, and undemocratic. Our nation runs with the Constitution and with the rules laid out in the Constitution. The parliament had passed a law, the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act 1957. Under that act, there are a lot of rules, laws, byelaws with which the MCD runs," ANI quoted the chief minister as saying.



Firstly in the regulations, it is written clearly that the election will happen in the Corporation's meeting. Secondly, in Regulation 3, sub-section 2, it is written that only the mayor has the power to decide the time, place and date of the meeting.



ALSO READ: Is this election?: Arvind Kejriwal on BJP winning MCD standing committee poll



"Thirdly, the DMC Act's section 76 tells clearly that whenever there is a meeting, the mayor will be the presiding officer and if the mayor is not there, then the deputy mayor will preside. All this is not said by me, it is the law which is saying this, the act is saying this, the byelaws and regulations in the act are saying this but the BJP does not care about the constitution, laws or even destroying democracy," Atishi added. Delhi chief minister Atishi.

On Friday, BJP's Sunder Singh won the election against AAP's Nirmala Kumari who did not get any vote as her party and Congress boycotted the polls. Delhi mayor Shelly Oberoi had directed the MCD commissioner to conduct election for the sixth seat on October 5.



ALSO READ: Kejriwal, Atishi flag misuse of agencies; BJP shoots back

Delhi LG does not have power to call for an election: Atishi

The chief minister further said,"Even when LG does not have the power for it, he gives an order, the commissioner, an IAS officer follows that order and carries it out without having any power to do so. But this is not the first time it has happened, this is BJP's standard operating procedure. Wherever they don't win the election, they try to make the government through the chor darwaza (thief's door)."

"We have seen how between 2014 to 2024, wherever, the BJP lost an election, through Operation Lotus, they have bought MLAs and netas, put pressure on them through CBI and ED and formed the government. They did so in various states like Maharashtra, Goa, Manipur etc," she added.

She further vowed that the party will move to the Supreme Court against the elections held on Friday.

We will definitely go to the Supreme Court and a petition will be filed in the Supreme Court today because the election that the BJP conducted in the House yesterday is completely illegal, the CM said.



"The Delhi Municipal Corporation Act is very clear that the power to call a meeting is only with the Mayor, the right to preside over the meeting is only with the Mayor and in her absence, the Deputy Mayor. So, we will go to the Supreme Court against this undemocratic election and today itself we will apply to this illegal, unconstitutional, undemocratic election in the Supreme Court," Atishi added.



(With ANI inputs)
The anti-corruption bureau (ACB) of Andhra Pradesh police on Friday arrested former director of state mines and geology department VG Venkat Reddy in connection with the large-scale irregularities in the department during his tenure in the last five years, officials familiar with the matter said. Venkat Reddy was arrested in the wee hours of Friday in Hyderabad and was brought to Vijayawada in the morning. He was produced before the local ACB court, which remanded him to judicial custody for 14 days. (Representational image)

A senior official of the Andhra police said Venkat Reddy was arrested in the wee hours of Friday in Hyderabad and was brought to Vijayawada in the morning. He was produced before the local ACB court, which remanded him to judicial custody for 14 days.

The ACB named Venkat Reddy as accused no. 1 in the case of financial irregularities that caused a loss of 2,566 crore to the state exchequer, the official said. The agency also named six other accused, including representatives of various private mining firms that benefited from the decisions of Reddy.

The official further said that the ACB sleuths had seized some incriminating documents and hard discs from Reddy at his Hyderabad house at the time of arrest.

Reddy, a senior civilian officer belonging to Indian Coast Guard Services was suspended from service on August 31, after initiating disciplinary proceedings against him on August 21 following a case booked by the ACB against him on August 1.

The ACB is inquiring into alleged violation of rules in floating of tenders for various mining projects and signing of agreements under Reddy. The agency is also looking into the violation of mines and minerals rules, operations of sand mining and violations of orders of National Green Tribunal and Supreme Court to benefit certain private firms.

Based on the prima facie evidence, the ACB registered a case against Reddy and others under relevant sections of Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act-2018 and criminal breach of trust by public servant and criminal conspiracy of IPC and relevant sections of Mines and Mineral (Development and Regulation) Act.

On September 18, Reddy moved the high court contending that his deputation to the state government had ended on August 31 and the state government lacked jurisdiction to suspend him after he was relieved.

The HC asked the state government to submit all details pertaining to the case and posted the matter for further hearing on October 14. However, the HC did not grant any stay on his arrest and prosecution in the case.
Two women and a child were killed, and nine others injured in a blast at an illegal firecracker unit in Haryana's Sonipat district on Saturday, police said. Sonipat factory blast claims 3 lives.

The incident happened at a factory in Ridhau village where workers and some of their family members were present at the time. The chemical used for making firecrackers likely caught fire, causing the explosion.

ALSO READ- Amit Shah's Dealers, Dalaal, Damaad attack on Congress at Haryana poll rally

Authorities said the cause of the fire that triggered the blast is under investigation.

"We found firecracker materials at the scene. Some say a cylinder exploded, and the FSL team has been called to investigate," said Sonipat Assistant Commissioner of Police Jeet Singh.

The injured have been taken to PGIMS Hospital in Rohtak. The house owner has been rounded up.

ALSO READ- Does Rahul Gandhi stand with Accused No.1 Siddaramaiah?: BJP on FIR against Karnataka CM in MUDA scam

5 killed in firecracker godown blast in UP last week

In a similar incident, five people, including two children and a woman, were killed in a blast at a firecracker godown-cum-factory in Firozabad, Uttar Pradesh, on September 16.

The explosion damaged nearby houses, and 11 people were injured. The factory, located in Naushera under Shikohabad police station limits, was the site of the explosion.

ALSO READ- Haryana poll manifesto: Congress promises 2,000 for women, martyr status for farmers who died during protests

A case was registered against Bhoora alias Nabi Abdullah, who manufactures and sells firecrackers, and his two sons, based on a complaint by the son of one of the deceased.

Police arrested the main accused, Bhure Khan alias Nabi Abdullah, after an encounter in which he was shot in the leg. According to police, Khan opened fire while trying to escape, leading to an exchange in which he was injured. He was arrested and sent to the district hospital for treatment.

(Inputs from PTI)
Excitement for the upcoming polls is palpable in the Sopore assembly constituency in north Kashmirs Baramulla district, as candidates, all 20 of them, make their last-ditch efforts to woo voters in this apple town. Once a stronghold of separatists and a hotbed for militancy in Jammu & Kashmir, the region witnessed a revival of political activities during the Lok Sabha polls this summer. The crowd at a rally of the National Conference.

Sopore is among the 16 constituencies in north Kashmir set to go to assembly polls  the first in a decade in J&K  in the third and final phase of the elections in the Union territory. The results will be announced on October 8, along with the Haryana assembly polls.

Emerging out of fear

For many in Sopore, the Lok Sabha elections earlier this year and the ongoing assembly polls are the revival of political activities since militancy gripped the region in 1989. The assembly seat has a unique history of electing separatist leader and Hurriyat hardliner, late Syed Ali Geelani, thrice, with the latest coming in 1987.

Following the emergence of militancy, the constituency witnessed a dismal voter turnout. In 2008, only 19% electors exercised their franchise in the assembly segment, which went up to 30% in 2014. Most urban pockets would see less than 5% turnouts  a pattern that continued for decades until the Lok Sabha polls this year.

In the parliamentary polls, voters in both urban and rural pockets came out in good numbers as the turnout surged to 45% from mere 4% in the 2019 elections.

This is the first big election after 1987 when prominent separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani got elected from Sopore. Thereafter, Sopore town and adjacent villages used to stay away from polls. The candidate whose village and relatives voted would go on to become MLA. The last Lok Sabha polls changed the equation when a large number of voters even in town voted, Mushaq Ahmad Teli, a local resident, said. Everybody is hopeful this time assembly polls will have a good poll percentage.

In the past two decades I have never seen such enthusiasm in the town. People are very anxious that they should get a chance to elect a local representative who knows the problems of the town. Whether this happens or not depends upon the voting percentage in the town, Muneeb ul Haq, a local journalist, said.

Key candidates in fray

A total of 20 candidates are in the electoral arena in Sopore, with National Conferences Irshad Rasool Kar, former legislator of Congress Abdul Rashid Dar and PDP nominee Irfan Ali Lone representing the three big parties. Ten independent candidates, including Abdul Latief Wani, and three women nominees, including Arti Nehru, a Kashmiri Pandit, are also in the fray.

A majority of candidates from Sopore town have highlighted how the boycott of elections over the decades has left the apple town, a major business hub, neglected. Sopore has Asias second-largest fruit mandi and majority of people in the region are involved in the apple trade.

Earlier this week, Congress lawmaker Rahul Gandhi, while campaigning for Abdul Rashid Dar, assured people that efforts will be made to transport apple from Sopore to foreign countries. Though the NC and Congress are contesting the J&K polls in an alliance, the two parties are engaged in a friendly contest in Sopore.

Abdul Latief Wani, the head of Anjuman-e-Moin-ul-Islam which is involved in charity and social work in Sopore, is seen by many as the dark horse in these elections. Wani, who is contesting as an independent after being overlooked by the NC, is banking on his good reputation in the town and his charity work.

I have been involved in the social work of the town for years, so I know the problems people face. I cant help everybody who comes to us at Moin ul Islam but if I will get elected as an assembly member, I can be more helpful to the people of my constituency, said Wani, whose campaign is mostly run by the youth of the town.
Renowned poet and former IPS officer Keki N Daruwalla, an inspiration to countless young writers and poets who looked at him as a mentor, died at a Delhi hospital on Thursday night after a prolonged illness. He was 87. Daruwallas last rites were carried out on Friday afternoon at the Parsi Aramgah in Delhi. (HT Photo)

Daruwallas last rites were carried out on Friday afternoon at the Parsi Aramgah in Delhi. He had a stroke a year ago and hadnt been keeping well since. There were stroke-related complications. But it wasnt a stroke this time, he basically died of pneumonia, his daughter Anaheita Kapadia told PTI.

Daruwalla published his first volume of poetry in 1970, titled Under Orion, followed by Apparition in April (1971), Crossing of Rivers (1976), The Keeper of the Dead (1982)  for which he won the Sahitya Akademi award in 1984  and The Scarecrow and the Ghost (2004), among others. Apart from poems, Daruwalla was also a short story writer and a novelist  and Love Across the Salt Desert, a collection of short stories published in 2006, is one of his notable works, along with his novel Pepper and the Christ (2009).

Every writer looked at him as their personal friend. The first time I met him was in 1995, and was awestruck. He made light of his stature. A few years later, we reconnected and held creative writing workshops together for the Sahitya Akademi, and once the internet age was upon us, we began exchanging emails and continued to do so till he published Landfall, his volume of poetry, in 2023. He never made you feel like he was a literary giant. Keki had a perspective which wasnt just global, it was civilisational. He wrote about Persia with the same felicity as he did about rituals in Benares. He was the last of the great poets, said author Neelum Saran Gour, who won the Sahitya Akademi award last year.

Keki Daruwalla was a dear friend of over four decades. His kindness, his integrity, and his larger philosophical vision are aspects of him I shall never forget. His literary legacy extends to a vast repertoire of outstanding poetry as well as his mastery as a narrator and prose stylist . I greatly admired his novels and short fiction, especially his recent work in those genres. His passing leaves a vacuum in the literary community, said Namita Gokhale, writer, publisher and festival director at the Jaipur Literature Festival.

In 2015, after writer MM Kalburgi was killed, Daruwalla  like several other writers  returned his Sahitya Akademi award, and shot off a letter to the then Akademi head, Vishwanath Prasad Tiwari. ...In recent months it (the Akademi) has not stood up as boldly as it should for values that any literature stands for, namely freedom of expression against threat, upholding the rights of the marginalised, speaking up against superstitions and intolerance of any kind. The Akademi has also not distinguished itself in standing by authors who are under political duress. Nor has the Akademi, under your dispensation, spoken out against organisations/ideological collectives that have used physical violence of the worst sort against authors, he wrote.

Daruwalla ended the note with, I admit this award I got is prestigious and I must have gained in reputation from it. It still is almost the only award open to a poet writing in English. But there are times when one must stand up to be counted, as the cliche goes. The rising tide of intolerance being what it is, I am constrained to return the Sahitya Akademi Award (1984). My signed letter and cheque will be in your office tomorrow.

For Dharini Bhaskar, associate publisher, literary, HarperCollins India, it was this keen sense of politics of the land, exemplary understanding of the times, which seeped into his poetry, that made Daruwalla a poet like no other.

Writer Nilanjana Roy told HT, Keki led a capacious life. He  like many others at the time  fought very hard to make people accept that the English language was our own. He taught us that the world is ours, to explore, not own.

On Friday, the Sahitya Akademi shared a note on Daruwallas demise: His poetry was like a mirror, and he lifted that mirror to our faces whenever one visited his poems... (He) leaves behind an impressive body of work that will remain with us forever.

Born in Lahore in 1937, Daruwalla studied at the Government College in Ludhiana, and joined the police force in 1958, rose the ranks and became special assistant on international affairs to former Prime Minister Charan Singh in 1979, and eventually joined the Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW) where he retired as chairman of the Joint Intelligence Committee in 1995.

Vappala Balachandran, former special secretary, Cabinet Secretariat, and Daruwallas old friend and colleague at R&AW, told HT, People would often ask: How can Keki be a police officer? Hes so generous! The most remarkable thing about him was his kindness and sincerity. He was most likeable and had a childlike innocence despite being a police officer. We met in the 1970s and at the time, he was already a poet who had been published and awarded.

He recalled how Daruwalla  a dedicated and sincere officer  found time for poetry and prose. He didnt take leaves to finish his poems. He would go home, and just switch off. Youd find him staring into nothingness, with marbles in his fist that he would shake... And when he would stop, youd know he had found inspiration for a beautiful story. It was a joke our two families shared that Keki, mid conversation, gets lost and comes back with poetry. He took out time for everyone. He was generous with his time and attention  both towards young poets and young R&AW colleagues, recalled Balachandran.

From the halls of power to literary circuits, Daruwallas long list of friends and fans remember him as a man with endless generosity.

I was in my 20s when I first edited Islands, a collection of his short stories for Westland. I was nervous but also excited to meet him and edit his work. What struck me was his humility and how generous he was in the way he took feedback, said Bhaskar. Over the years, we got to know each other not just as writer-editor but also friends. No matter what milestone it was  personal or professional  he would always say, Hang in there.
The Andaman and Nicobar Islands Integrated Development Corporation Limited (ANIIDCO) has begun the process for the selection of contractors who will carry out enumeration, felling, logging, and transportation of trees as part of the Great Nicobar development project, a move that has renewed concerns over a controversial project. Tree felling is set to be carried out in phases between 2025 and 2047, with the first phase targeting 9.26 sq km (Manish Chandi/HT Photo)

The ANIIDCO invited expressions of interest (EOI), an administrative step that is a precursor for the clearing of 64.76 square kilometres of forest, raising alarm among environmentalists concerned about the islands rare species and pristine rainforests.

ANIIDCO officials downplay immediate concerns, stating, Tree enumeration is not tree felling. The process is to begin with enumeration.

The project, which includes plans for an international container transhipment terminal, a greenfield airport, and power plants, requires the diversion of 130.75 square kilometres of forest land. Tree felling is set to be carried out in phases between 2025 and 2047, with the first phase targeting 9.26 square kilometres.

The project has faced staunch opposition due to its potential effects on Great Nicobars endemic species, rainforests, and tribal population. Environmental activist Ashish Kothari has filed petitions in the National Green Tribunal and Kolkata High Court, based on a report by a high-powered committee formed following an NGT order.

Despite these concerns, the government is pushing forward, citing the islands strategic importance. The holistic development of Great Nicobar Island project is a project of National Importance in view of its Strategic, Security and Socio-Economic benefits, ANIIDCO stated in its call for expressions of interest.

The ministry of environment, forest and climate change (MoEFCC) granted stage-I forest clearance for the project in October 2022, followed by environmental and coastal regulation zone clearance in November 2022. The clearances came with conditions, including the retention of 65.99 square kilometres as green area and phased tree felling.

The environmental clearance came with specific conditions aimed at mitigating the projects ecological impact. These include the creation of sanctuaries, translocation of coral colonies, and the establishment of wildlife corridors. Eight wildlife corridors have been proposed along the eastern side of the island, connecting the forest to the seashore through viaducts in the north-south arterial road. These are intended to facilitate the movement of wildlife, including arboreal animals, snakes, crabs, and crocodiles.

However, the clearance also notes that the impact of the project on these species is mostly unknown.

But among the most controversial is how compensatory afforestation will be done: The forest loss in Great Nicobar is planned to be made up for in Haryanas Aravallis, thousands of kilometres away. Congress leader Jairam Ramesh criticised this decision in a letter to Union environment minister Bhupender Yadav last month, stating, Compensatory afforestation, which is no substitute whatsoever for the loss of natural biodiversity rich forests, is being planned thousands of kms away and in a vastly different ecology.

Yadav defended the project, emphasising that exemplary mitigation measures have been incorporated to minimise environmental impact, keeping the strategic, national and defence interests in mind.

It is shocking that whilst legal challenges to these environmentally disastrous and economically unviable projects are pending in various Courts, the Government is spending public money on an exercise in futility. The Government must make public the High Powered Committee Report before any work is carried out for these projects, said Debi Goenka, Executive Trustee, Conservation Action Trust.
A Jammu and Kashmir Police head constable was killed, and an assistant sub-inspector injured during an encounter with terrorists in a remote village of Kathua district on Saturday evening, officials said. The firing initially lasted for a brief period but later resumed with both sides exchanging heavy gunfire. (ANI)

The encounter erupted at around 5:30 pm in the Kog-Mandli village of Billawar tehsil after security forces launched a joint cordon and search operation following intelligence inputs indicating the presence of a group of terrorists hiding inside a house.

Head Constable Bashir Ahmed was killed, and an Assistant Sub-Inspector sustained bullet injuries during the exchange of gunfire between the militants and security forces. According to officials, the initial burst of firing lasted briefly but later resumed with heavy gunfire from both sides.

The area has been cordoned off, and reinforcements have been inducted from nearby security camps.

The firing was ongoing at the time of the latest reports, and so far, one policeman has been confirmed injured, officials said.

Earlier, a police official said, "Based on specific intelligence about the presence of terrorists, a joint search operation was launched by security forces at village Kog. Contact has been established and few rounds have been fired from both sides."
The Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] officially cut all ties with Nilambur MLA PV Anvar on Friday, a day after he hit out at the party and the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government, headed by chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan, for alleged inaction on his complaints against additional director general of police (ADGP) (law and order) MR Ajith Kumar and the CMs political secretary, P Sasi. PV Anvar (HT Photo)

It is clear that the allegations raised by Anvar were not to strengthen the state government or to find solutions. They have not been raised with the right intention. The reality is that his stand is part of the continuous attacks by the right-wing forces and right-wing media to undermine the state government. The Communist Party has grown through continuous protests and agitations, and Anvar claims to have the support of its cadres even though he has no experience working in the party. We cannot accept his stand against the party and we will reach out to people to make our position clear, CPM state secretary MV Govindan told reporters in Delhi.

The CPM no longer has any ties with Anvar. Since he doesnt have a primary membership of the party, we cannot take any action against him. His removal from the CPMs parliamentary grouping in the assembly is only technical and it will happen soon, he added.

Anvar, a businessman and two-time Independent MLA from Nilambur backed by the CPI(M), targeted Vijayan at a press conference on Thursday, claiming that he has failed as the home minister of the state to rein in corrupt police officers and take action against Sasi. He claimed that the investigations announced by the state government into his complaints against ADGP, particularly related to illegal felling of valuable trees, misappropriating wealth and links to gold smuggling gangs, were slow moving and ineffective.

He said the CM, whom he has likened to a father figure before, betrayed him by raising suspicion that he may be linked to gold smuggling. He would approach the high court as the judiciary was the last hope, he added.

Vijayan, who is in Delhi to attend the partys Politbureau meeting, dismissed Anvars charges in a brief statement.

I dismiss the allegations raised by Anvar against the party, LDF and the government. His allegations can only be seen as part of his efforts to tarnish the LDF and the government. This stand does not affect the ongoing investigations (against ADGP). The probe will continue truthfully and transparently. I will make a detailed statement later, he added.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday hit out at Lok Sabha leader of opposition Rahul Gandhi, questioning the Congress leader if he stood with Karnataka chief minister Siddaramiah, who has been named in an FIR in the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) site allotment case. Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah with Lok Sabha leader of opposition Rahul Gandhi,(PTI file)

It is a rare case of a sitting chief minister being made an accused in a corruption case and has unmasked the corrupt face of the Congress, PTI quoted BJP spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi as saying.



The BJP has been relentlessly attacking Siddaramaiah, who the Lokayukta Police on Friday booked in connection with the alleged MUDA scam.





ALSO READ: 'Thief's response': BJP on Karnataka revoking consent for CBI to probe cases

In the case of Karnataka Congress CM Siddaramaiah's Muda scam, the way his family made huge wealth by misusing land and government authority in the Mysore Urban Development Authority, the court has given this decision in which CM Siddaramaiah has been made accused number one, ANI quoted Trivedi.

The BJP leader took a swipe at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, asking if he stood with the chief minister accused of corrupt practices.

It is alleged that MUDA illegally allotted 14 sites to Siddaramaiah's wife in the prime location of Mysuru city.

Siddaramaiah refuses to resign, questions PM Modi on Hindenburg

Siddaramaiah has refused to resign, accusing the BJP of vendetta politics. On Saturday, the chief minister questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the Hindenburg report controversy and Manipur violence.



There are many corrupt people in his party (BJP). Let him correct it first. Why doesn't Narendra Modi speak about Hindenburg (report)? on Manipur? Why hasn't he visited Manipur? Rahul Gandhi (Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha) has raised these issues. Why doesn't he speak on that? PTI quoted Siddaramaiah as saying.



Union minister Pralhad Joshi hit out at Siddaramaiah, saying,"He (CM Siddaramaiah) has to resign; there is no other option. They are trying to corner and frighten the governor, which is unacceptable. The High Court has clearly given its verdict and it also said that the person could not have any power or be in a seat... He should immediately resign. Whatever he has said in 2011, he should follow that."



(With PTI, ANI inputs)
India has warned the international community that global peace and prosperity are under threat, conversations are difficult and agreements even tougher, countries have extracted more from the international system than given to it, the world is frustrated and polarised, and reiterated that the only way out is urgently reforming multilateral institutions, particularly the United Nations (UN). External affairs minister S Jaishankar addresses the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Saturday. (AP)

Presenting Indias national statement at the high level segment of the 79th UN General Assembly in New York on Saturday, external affairs minister S Jaishankar critiqued not just the western-led global order but also, indirectly, hit out at China as he outlined the costs of dependence on a single geography for global production, unviable debts, connectivity projects that violate sovereignty, and use of technology as a way to dominate instead of empower.

Instead, the minister presented, in stark contrast to these models, the Indian experience that he suggested was based on five pillars  of inclusive development of the vulnerable, expansion in employment and entrepreneurship opportunities for all especially women, offerings such as digital public infrastructure (DPI) and being a peoples pharmacy that can serve the world, of convening and articulating the voice of the global south, and of contributing to global goods.

The minister began his speech by painting for the UN the darkness that engulfs the world today. The world is yet to recover from the ravages of the Covid pandemic. A war in Ukraine is well into its third year. The conflict in Gaza is acquiring wider ramifications. Across the Global South, development plans have gone off rails and SDG targets are recedingTechnology advancements, which have long been a source of hope, are now equally a factor of anxiety. Climate events occur with greater intensity and frequency. Food security is as worrisome as health security. In truth, the world stands fractious, polarised and frustrated. Conversations have become difficult; agreements even more so.

Jaishankar then turned this on to the UN itself, asking the international body to introspect about its own role, as he traced back the vision of global peace and prosperity that led to the founding of the UN almost eight decades ago. Today, we find both peace and prosperity equally endangered. And that is because trust has eroded and processes have broken down. Countries have extracted more from the international system than they have put into it, enfeebling it in the process. Reforming multilateralism is, therefore, an imperative.

He said that the UNGAs vision not to leave any behind could not be realised by a UN that was paralysed when faced with division, conflict, terrorism, and violence, or when access to food, fuel, fertilisers were jeopardised, or when markets are captured without regard to livelihoods, or when the developed evade their climate responsibilities, or when resource crunch impeded meeting development goals.

If the world is in such a state, this body must ask itself: how has this come to pass? The problems arise from a combination of structural shortcomings, political calculations, naked self-interest and yes, disregard for those left behind, Jaishankar said. And while acknowledging the scale of challenges, he suggested that the change must start from somewhere and there was no place more apt than the UN itself. Not because it is a competition for influence or squabble for positions. But because, if we carry on like this, the state of the world is only going to get worse.

He then offered the example of India, outlining the governments welfare initiatives, employment push, initiatives with regard to digital and accessible health care, and effort to bring forth the voice of the more marginalised with the global order to the forefront. In particular, Jaishankar focused on DPI at a time when the Indian government is making a conscious push to showcase it as a model that offers real benefits. It is visible when public benefits, from nutritional support and housing to energy and health, are delivered efficiently and on a vast scale. Or when small business loans and farmers support are extended without using intermediarieswhen street vendors and expat workforce confidently use fintech in their regular transactions. When services, delivery and benefits move seamlessly and transparently, less people will be left behind. That is Indias experience and Indias relevance.

But while critiquing the existing western-led order, and showcasing Indias own model, Jaishankars speech also carried a strong geopolitical subtext. At the very beginning of his speech, while painting the global context, the minister referred to unviable projects that raise debt levels and connectivity projects that flout sovereignty and territorial integrity acquiring strategic connotations, especially when it is not a shared endeavour. Both these assertions appeared to be aimed at China that has come under global criticism for its debt trap diplomacy and that has pushed projects such as China Pakistan Economic Corridor that India has strongly objected to as violating its sovereignty.

Later in the speech, Jaishankar spoke about the perils of the current globalisation model where he chose to highlight the dangers of dependence on a single geography. Over-concentration of production has hollowed out many economies, impacting their employment and social stability. Democratising global production, building resilient supply chains, ensuring trusted digital services, and espousing an open-source culture, all these promote widespread prosperity. There are economic answers, just as there are social ones.

Deliberations at UN have been drowned by the intensified conflict in West Asia, on which the overwhelming mood in the UN is critical of Israel, as well as the Ukraine war that has divided the international body into a clear western bloc that opposes Russian invasion, a small set of countries that support Moscow, and a large segment of countries that seek peace and diplomacy and dont seek to get entangled in great power conflict. India was among the pioneers of this third way when the war broke out in February 2022, and over the past three months, has adopted an unusually proactive diplomatic outreach with both Moscow and Kyiv.

Jaishankar did not offer specifics of this diplomatic effort but underlined the need not to be fatalistic about the conflicts. We must also recognise that conflicts themselves must be resolved. The world cannot be fatalistic about the continuation of violence on a large scale, no more than be impervious to its broader consequences. Whether it is the war in Ukraine or the conflict in Gaza, the international community seeks urgent solutions. These sentiments must be acknowledged and acted upon.
The government is considering creating a dedicated team to monitor airfare spikes as the festive season approaches, people aware of discussions have said regarding a proposal that aims to address limitations in the current monitoring system, which averages fares and fails to detect sudden price increases. Although airfares have been deregulated since 1994, airlines are advised to self-regulate and exercise moderation in pricing. (HT PHOTO)

Civil aviation minister K Ram Mohan Naidu, upon taking office, acknowledged the significant fluctuations in airfares since the Covid-19 pandemic. I feel the pain of passengers, being one myself, Naidu said WHEN, pledging to review fare mechanisms.

Although airfares have been deregulated since 1994, airlines are advised to self-regulate and exercise moderation in pricing.

An official close to the discussions, speaking on condition of anonymity, said, The plan to have a dedicated team tracking fares is the ministers top priority. He believes there should be a mechanism to protect consumers from high fares.

Ajay Prakash, president of the Travel Agents Federation of India, cautioned, It needs to be seen if the team will have authority to act on airlines charging exorbitant fares. Otherwise, setting up this dedicated team will be futile.

Currently, the Tariff Monitoring Unit under the directorate general of civil aviation (DGCA) oversees fares from 30 days to one day before scheduled flights. Airlines must upload fare sheets and report monthly changes.

As the festive season nears, fares are already climbing. A return non-stop flight from Bengaluru to Delhi for late October showed a minimum fare of 26,000 rupees when checked on Friday.

An industry expert, speaking anonymously, argued, Civil aviation is a seasonal sector with variable fares. Theres no point in building dedicated teams unless airfares are regulated.

A former official from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation explained that the current systems averaging method often misses fare spikes on specific days and routes. The new system will flag fare spikes that are higher than normal high fares, a senior official said, adding that the existing monitoring will continue alongside any new measures.
The government is considering creating a dedicated team to monitor airfare spikes as the festive season approaches, people aware of discussions have said regarding a proposal that aims to address limitations in the current monitoring system, which averages fares and fails to detect sudden price increases. Govt plans team to monitor airfare spikes ahead of festive season.(File/Bloomberg)

Civil aviation minister K Ram Mohan Naidu, upon taking office, had acknowledged the significant fluctuations in airfares since the Covid-19 pandemic. I feel the pain of passengers, being one myself, Naidu said, pledging to review fare mechanisms.

An official close to the discussions, speaking on condition of anonymity, said, The plan to have a dedicated team tracking fares is the ministers top priority. He believes there should be a mechanism to protect consumers from high fares.

ALSO READ- Festival travel woes: Airfares soar by up to 25% on key routes for Diwali, Onam

A former directorate general of civil aviation (DGCA) official said that the current monitoring of fares is done by the tariff monitoring unit (TMU) in the DGCA, which has not been able to flag fare spikes since it monitors fares by averaging it out by taking the lowest and highest fares on a route.

Due to the averaging of fares, fare spikes on certain days and certain sectors are missed... The new system  being discussed and to be finalised soon  will flag fare spikes that are higher than the normal high fares, a senior official said.

The current monitoring of fares that are followed at the DGCA will continue, he added.

In view of the sky rocketing airfares not only during the festive season but also at times of natural calamities, the ministry had initiated keeping a vigil on fares and started sensitising the airlines to exercise moderation in pricing, and to keep passenger interest in mind.

Replying to a question in Parliament, then civil aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia had said the ministry randomly monitored prices across 60 routes on various days leading up to a scheduled flight.

ALSO READ- Immigration time cut to seconds at Delhi airport with Fast-track programme, 20 more cities will get it

Although airfares have been deregulated since 1994, airlines are advised to self-regulate and exercise moderation in pricing.

Currently, the TMU under the DGCA oversees fares from 30 days to one day before scheduled flights. Airlines must upload fare sheets and report monthly changes.

Ajay Prakash, president of the Travel Agents Federation of India (TAFI), cautioned, It needs to be seen if the (new) team will have authority to act on airlines charging exorbitant fares. Otherwise, setting up this dedicated team will be futile.

Civil Aviation is a seasonal sector, and fares go up and down variably. There is no point in building dedicated teams until airfares will be deregulated, an industry expert on condition of anonymity said.

ALSO READ- Airfares are back in the spotlight, but what exactly is happening?

As the festive season nears, fares are already climbing. Online portals said that certain routes have experienced substantial price hikes for the upcoming festive season.

A return non-stop flight from Bengaluru to Delhi for late October showed a minimum fare of 26,000 rupees when checked on Friday.

For the Diwali period, airfare on the Delhi-Chennai route has increased by 15%, while the Mumbai-Hyderabad route has spiked by 21%. Furthermore, fares on the Delhi-Goa and Delhi-Ahmedabad routes have risen by 19%. Other routes such as Delhi-Chennai, Mumbai-Bengaluru, and Delhi-Hyderabad are also seeing one-way fare increase of 10-15%. Bookings to destinations like Goa, Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Kerala are leading the way apart from metros for festivals, said Nishant Pitti, CEO and co-founder of EaseMyTrip.
The Haryana Congress released its detailed manifesto for the October 5 state assembly polls on Saturday. Key promises include a farmers' welfare commission, 2 crore for families of soldiers who lost their lives and reconstituting minority commission. Congress leaders Bhupinder Hooda and Ashok Gehlot with others during a press conference, in Chandigarh, Saturday, Sept 28, 2024. (PTI)

Previously, Congress announced seven major guarantees: MSP legal protection, caste survey, gas cylinders for 500, 2,000 monthly for women (18-60), 6,000 pension for the elderly, disabled, and widows, two lakh permanent government jobs, and 300 units of free electricity.

ALSO READ- HT interview: People fed up with misgovernance in Haryana, Centre, says Om Parkash Chautala

Key promises by Congress in its Haryana election manifesto

 A farmers' commission will be formed, and small farmers will receive diesel subsidies via a farmer diesel card.

 736 farmers who died during the farm law protests will be given "martyr" status. A memorial for them will be established, and their families will receive government jobs.

ALSO READ- Amit Shah's Dealers, Dalaal, Damaad attack on Congress at Haryana poll rally

 Under the Indira Ladli Behan Yojna, 2,000 will be given to women, excluding income tax payees.

 The Congress plans to shut down the BJP's Parivar Pehchan Patra (PPP) portal and review other portals like the property ID and 'Meri Fasal Mera Byora' that allegedly cause public inconvenience.

 The creamy layer limit for backward classes will be raised from 6 lakh to 10 lakh, and a backward class welfare commission will be set up.

ALSO READ- HT interview: Helped BJP in 2019, but will form govt in Haryana now, says Dushyant Chautala

 2 crore will be given to families of soldiers who sacrificed their lives, along with job offers and financial support for their children's education.

 The Congress government, if formed, vows to form a fast track court for paper leak cases and release a government jobs recruitment calendar annually.

 Congress promised to frame strict laws to prevent mob lynching, hate murders, honour killings, and other crimes.

 The party pledged to form a drug de-addiction commission and increase the number of de-addiction centres across the state.

 A 'bring medal, get post' policy will be implemented to promote sports, offering government jobs to athletes who win medals.

 The Congress plans to form a Brahmin welfare commission. The party also promised to establish a Punjabi welfare board in Haryana. It promised reconstitution of the Haryana minority commission. The party has also vowed that the scheduled caste commission will be reorganised and constitutional and administrative powers will be given to it.

Efforts will be made to implement the Supreme Court's verdict on the SYL canal, which Congress calls the states lifeline.

(Inputs from PTI)
Ahead of the Haryana elections, Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) president and former Haryana chief minister Om Parkash Chautala speaks to HT on the partys poll prospects and BJPs alleged misgovernance in the state and at the Centre, among other issues. Edited excerpts: INLD president Om Parkash Chautala.

What is your assessment of the BJP governments performance in Haryana and at the Centre?

The Haryana government removed eligible and aged people from the ambit of social security pensions on one pretext or another. Their one-point agenda is to loot and scoot. The policies have been crafted by the Union government in such a way that the entire money flows towards the coffers of a handful of industrialists Meanwhile, the people are being burdened with debt. Why is the state and the entire nation under debt?

When you were the chief minister, you too must have taken loans. Why blame the rival party government for the ballooning debt?

When I left, Haryana was a revenue-surplus state with no debt burden. Ask anyone about this Our country was known for financially helping poor countries. Today, we are under a mind-boggling debt running into lakhs of crores. Why? Who is responsible for this?

How many seats will the INLD-BSP combine win?

I cannot predict the number of seats, but I can say with certainty that the current state government will be wiped out. In Haryana, the INLD-BSP coalition will form a strong government.

In case of a fractured mandate, with which party will the INLD-BSP coalition stitch a post-poll alliance?

Todays circumstances show that we will not require support from any party. We are going to form the government on our own. The INLD-BSP will form the government. Every citizen in this country is fed up with the misgovernance of this government at the Centre and in the state. No section is supporting them.

People say there is a Congress wave across Haryana. What makes you confident about the prospects of the INLD?

The Congress is plagued by infighting. There is no question of the Congress making a comeback. When the Congress was in power, then chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda resorted to corruption, grabbing and selling land. People remember that. I personally believe that before the polls, Hooda will have to go to jail. No power on this earth can save him from going to jail. The court rulings are already out, how long will he save himself?

Whats the future of JJP?

Nothing is left of the JJP. There is no future for the party. It is finished. There is no discussion about the JJP. It will be discussed until this election, after which people will bury it forever.

INLD leader Abhay Chautala resigned from the assembly over the three farm laws. Are farmers supporting the party?

It was a bold step that Abhay had taken. Did anyone else resign from the assembly in support of farmers? As a result of his resignation, the farmers movement got a fillip. Abhays resignation forced the Union government to take back the three black laws

What type of reforms will you introduce if your party comes back to power?

There is no question of if our party comes back to power. We will form the government for sure. Our focus will be on fulfilling basic needs. Our country is an agrarian nation. The economy of the country is driven by farmers. If the farmers are prosperous, the country is prosperous. This is why our primary target will be to fulfil their basic needs.

Which are the decisions you still cherish from your time as chief minister? What would you like to do now that you couldnt do earlier?

Under our Sarkar Aapke Dwar programme, we visited every village, asked people about their needs, and made on-the-spot decisions based on their demands. One such decision was ensuring all paths leading to crematoriums were paved, and building four walls around Muslim burial places to protect them from wild animals. People remember that only during the INLD government were the basic needs of the people taken care of.

Large number of BJP and Congress candidates in the fray were once INLD legislators or top workers. Why couldnt INLD prevent this exodus?

Selfish people tend to stray for their self interests. You will agree with me that those who left INLD to enjoy the power of other parties like BJP are now facing humiliation. They are repenting.

Whats your message to future generations of Haryana?

My only appeal to the people is to ensure the end of this misgovernance and to support a party that aligns with the countrys civilisation and culture, and can secure the nations future. Undoubtedly, they will join and support us.
By 2010, Maggie Smith, then 75, had done it all. She had a couple of Oscars, several Baftas, and a few Golden Globes. She has also appeared in the Harry Potter movies (most were released before 2010). And she had been named a Dame Commander of the British Empire a full two decades previously. But it was her turn as Violet Crawley, the Dowager Countess of Grantham in Downton Abbey that aired between 2010 and 2015 that gave her a cult following, across generations. The British actress died on Friday, leaving behind a range of work that will be difficult to match. British actress Dame Maggie Smith poses in London on Dec. 16, 2015. Smith won new fans in the 21st century as the dowager Countess of Grantham in Downton Abbey. She died at 89. (AP)

According to UK media reports, the news about Smith passing was confirmed by her sons Chris Larkin and Toby Stephens in a statement that said she died peacefully in a hospital early morning on September 27 in London. She leaves two sons and five loving grandchildren who are devastated by the loss of their extraordinary mother and grandmother, her family said in the statement.

In a career spanning over half a century, Smith played a range of characters . A masterful, scene-stealing actor, she won the Oscar for The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie in 1969 and gained new fans in the 21st century as the witty and whimsical Dowager Countess of Grantham in Julian Fellowes show only years after she portrayed a similarly clever Professor Minerva McGonagall in the Harry Potter films.

Smith was frequently rated the pre-eminent British woman performer of a generation that included Vanessa Redgrave and Judi Dench. She remained in demand even in her later years, despite her lament that when you get into the granny era, youre lucky to get anything.

Smith drily summarised her later roles as a gallery of grotesques, including Professor McGonagall. Asked why she took the role, she quipped: Harry Potter is my pension.

Richard Eyre, who directed Smith in a television production of Suddenly Last Summer, said she was intellectually the smartest actress Ive ever worked with. You have to get up very, very early in the morning to outwit Maggie Smith.

Jean Brodie, in which she played a dangerously charismatic Edinburgh schoolteacher, brought her the Academy Award for best actress, and the British Academy Film Award (Bafta) as well in 1969. Smith added a supporting actress Oscar for California Suite in 1978, Golden Globes for California Suite and Room with a View, and Baftas for lead actress in A Private Function in 1984, A Room with a View in 1986, and The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne in 1988.

She also received Academy Award nominations as a supporting actress in Othello, Travels with My Aunt, Room with a View and Gosford Park, and a Bafta for supporting actress in Tea with Mussolini. On stage, she won a Tony in 1990 for Lettice and Lovage.

Her work in 2012 netted three Golden Globe nominations for the globally successful Downton Abbey and the films The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and Quartet.

Smith had a reputation for being difficult, and sometimes upstaging others.

Richard Burton remarked that Smith didnt just take over a scene in The VIPs with him: She commits grand larceny. However, the director Peter Hall found that Smith wasnt remotely difficult unless shes among idiots. Shes very hard on herself, and I dont think she sees any reason why she shouldnt be hard on other people, too.

Smith conceded that she could be impatient at times. Its true I dont tolerate fools, but then they dont tolerate me, so I am spiky, Smith said. Maybe thats why Im quite good at playing spiky elderly ladies.

Critic Frank Rich, in a New York Times review of Lettice and Lovage, praised Smith as the stylized classicist who can italicize a line as prosaic as Have you no marmalade? until it sounds like a freshly minted epigram by Coward or Wilde.

Smith famously drew laughs from a prosaic line  This haddock is disgusting  in a 1964 revival of Noel Cowards Hay Fever.

But unfortunately the critics mentioned it, and after that it never got a laugh, she recalled. The moment you say something is funny its gossamer. Its gone, really.

Margaret Natalie Smith was born in Ilford, on the eastern edge of London, on December 28, 1934. She summed up her life briefly: One went to school, one wanted to act, one started to act, ones still acting.

Her father was assigned in 1939 to wartime duty in Oxford, where her theatre studies at the Oxford Playhouse School led to a busy apprenticeship. I did so many things, you know, round the universities there. ... If you were kind of clever enough and I suppose quick enough, you could almost do weekly rep because all the colleges were doing different productions at different times, she said in a BBC interview.

She took Maggie as her stage name because another Margaret Smith was active in the theatre. Laurence Olivier spotted her talent, invited her to be part of his original National Theatre company and cast her as his co-star in a 1965 film adaptation of Othello.

Smith said two directors, Ingmar Bergman and William Gaskill, both in National Theatre productions, were important influences.

Alan Bennett, preparing to film the monologue A Bed Among the Lentils, said he was wary of Smiths reputation for becoming bored. As the actor Jeremy Brett put it, she starts divinely and then goes off, rather like a cheese.

So the fact that we only just had enough time to do it was an absolute blessing really because she was so fresh and just so into it, said Bennett, who also wrote a starring role for Smith in The Lady in the Van.

However extravagant she may have been on stage or before the cameras, Smith was known to be intensely private.

Simon Callow, who acted with her in A Room with a View, said he ruined their first meeting by spouting compliments.

I blurted out various kinds of rubbish about her and she kind of withdrew. She doesnt like that sort of thing very much at all, Callow said in a film portrait of the actress. She never wanted to talk about acting. Acting was something she was terrified to talk about because if she did, it would disappear.

Smith was made a Dame Commander of the British Empire, the equivalent of a knight, in 1990. She married fellow actor Robert Stephens in 1967. They had two sons, Christopher and Toby, and divorced in 1975. The same year she married the writer Beverley Cross, who died in 1998.
India, in a strong Right to Reply on Friday, slammed Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif over his statement on Kashmir at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), describing it as hypocrisy at its worst. UNGA Indian diplomat Bhavika Mangalanandan

India exercised its Right of Reply in the UN General Assembly on Friday in response to Shehbaz Sharif raising the issue of Jammu and Kashmir in his address at the General Debate of the 79th session of the UN General Assembly.

Addressing a session at UNGA, Indian diplomat Bhavika Mangalanandan said a country run by the military, with a global reputation for terrorism, narcotics, trade and transnational crime, has had the audacity to attack the world's largest democracy.

This assembly regrettably witnessed a travesty this morning. I speak about the reference to India in the speech of the Pakistani PM. As the world knows, Pakistan has long employed cross-border terrorism as a weapon against its neighbours. It has attacked our parliament, our financial capital, Mumbai, marketplaces and pilgrimage roots. The list is long. For such a country to speak about violence anywhere is hypocrisy at its worst. It is even more extraordinary for a country with a history of rigged elections to talk about political choices that, too, in a democracy, the Indian diplomat said.

The real truth is that Pakistan covets our territory and, in fact, has continuously used terrorism to disrupt elections in Jammu and Kashmir, an inalienable and integral part of India, Bhavika Mangalanandan added.

Giving out a warning to Pakistan, India said the neighbouring country should realise that cross-border terrorism against India will inevitably invite consequences.

It is ridiculous that a nation that committed genocide in 1971 and which persecuted its minorities relentlessly even now, dare speak about intolerances and phobias. The world can see for itself what Pakistan really is. We are talking about a nation that for long hosted Osama bin Laden. A country whose fingerprints are on so many terrorist incidents across the world, whose policies attract the dregs of many societies to make it their home, she added.

Calling Sharif's remarks over Kashmir unacceptable, the diplomat said that Pakistan will seek to counter the truth with more lies.

Repetition will change nothing. Our stand is clear and needs no reiteration, Bhavika Mangalanandan said.

Pakistan has been continuously raising the Kashmir issue at several UN platforms, even when they fail to get any support on its statements. However, India has maintained that Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh are, and always will be an integral part of the country.

What Pakistan PM said

Sharif, addressing the General Debate of the 79th session of the UNGA on Friday, once again raked up the Kashmir issue, making references to Article 370 and Hizbul terrorist Burhan Wani.

In his over 20-minute speech, he urged India to reverse the abrogation of Article 370 to secure durable peace. He also asked India to enter into a dialogue for a peaceful resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir issue in accordance with the UN Security resolutions and the wishes of the Kashmiri people.

Sharif went on to draw a parallel between the Palestinians and the Kashmiris, saying, Similarly, like the people of Palestine, the people of Jammu and Kashmir too, have struggled for a century for their freedom and right to self-determination.

He also alleged Muslims are being targeted in India and claimed that the escalation of Islamophobia is a troubling global development. The most alarming manifestation of Islamophobia is the Hindu supremacist agenda in India. It aggressively seeks the subjugation of 200 million Muslims and the obliteration of India's Islamic heritage, he said.
Irans supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Saturday condemned what he described as Israels short-sighted and stupid policy following Israeli airstrikes on Lebanon that killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. (Via REUTERS)

In his first public reaction to the incident, Khamenei refrained from directly confirming Nasrallahs death, instead focusing on Israels actions in Lebanon and the impact on the region's resistance movements.

"The massacre of defenceless people in Lebanon once again revealed the ferocity of the Zionist rabid dog to everyone," Khamenei said in a statement Saturday. "It has also proven the short-sighted and stupid policy of the leaders of the usurping regime."

Also Read | Israel takes on Iran by neutralising Hassan Nasrallah

Khameneis remarks came in the wake of an Israeli military announcement claiming it had killed Nasrallah, Hezbollahs powerful and long-standing leader, in a precision airstrike in southern Beirut. The group later confirmed Nasrallahs death, vowing to continue its battle against Israel.

In a series of posts on X, Khamenei expressed his staunch support for Hezbollah.

"On the one hand, the killing of defenceless civilians in Lebanon has once again revealed the savage nature of the rabid Zionists to everyone," Khamenei wrote. "On the other hand, it has proven how shortsighted and insane the policies of the leaders of the occupying regime are."

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Khamenei vowed that the group would emerge stronger in the face of Israeli aggression. "The Zionist criminals need to know that they are far too weak to inflict any significant damage on the solid structure of Lebanons Hezbollah," he said, adding that "all the Resistance forces in the region stand with and support Hezbollah."

Meanwhile, the Israeli military has begun mobilising additional reserve forces, including three battalions of soldiers, as tensions with Lebanon continue to escalate.

Also Read | How Israel carried out Op 'New Order' to kill Hezbollah chief in Lebanon: New video out

Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani, an Israeli army spokesperson, said that while Israel has inflicted heavy damage on Hezbollahs military infrastructure, much of its arsenal, including guided missiles, remains intact.

"The threat has not gone away," Shoshani warned, adding that Israel is on "high readiness" for a potential Hezbollah retaliation.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held up two maps while addressing the UN General Assembly on Friday, showing India as a Blessing and Iran as a Curse, amid rising tensions with the Middle Eastern country, reported news agency ANI. Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addresses the UNGA with maps labelling his allies as a blessing and Iran as a curse. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)(AP)

The map of Blessing held up by Netanyahu outlined a vision of unity between Israel and its Arab partners connecting with Asia and Europe via a land bridge between the Indian ocean and Mediterranean sea.

The map shown Curse according to Netanyahu is a map of an arc of terror that Iran has created and imposed from the Indian Ocean to the Mediterranean".

The maps also marked the Palestinian territories of West Bank, Gaza and Syria's Golan Heights as a part of Israel.

The maps were only one demonstration of a larger appeal by Netanyahu for countries to introduce sanctions against Iran and join Israel in blocking their nuclear weapons program.

During his speech, Netanyahu said, For too long the world has appeased Iran, it turns a blind eye to its internal repression, it turns a blind eye to external aggression. That appeasement must end and that appeasement must end now.

Addressing Iran's support of the Hezbollah and the Israeli strikes targeting them in Lebanon, Netanyahu sent a chilling message, "I have a message for the tyrants of Tehran. If you strike us, we will strike you. There is no place in Iran where the long arm of Israel cannot reach. And that is true for the entire Middle East."

Tensions between the two countries started rising after Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh was assassinated in Tehran in July and have further escalated with Iran calling Israeli strikes in Lebanon a flagrant war crime.
External affairs minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar on Saturday launched an all out attack on Pakistan over terrorism, saying its GDP can be measured in terms of radicalisation and exports in the form of terrorism".



During his address at the general debate of the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly, the minister said,"Many countries get left behind due to circumstances beyond their control. But some make conscious choices with disastrous consequences." External affairs minister S Jaishankar addresses the United Nations General Assembly in New York.(YouTube/ANI)

A premier example is our neighbour, Pakistan. Unfortunately, their misdeeds affect others as well, especially the neighbourhood. When this polity instils such fanaticism among its people, its GDP can only be measured in terms of radicalization and its exports in the form of terrorism, he added.

Today, we see the ills it sought to visit on others consume its own society. It cant blame the world; this is only karma, Jaishankar added.



ALSO READ: India slams Pakistan PM over Kashmir statement at UNGA: 'Hypocrisy at its worst'

Here are 10 big things Jaishankar said at UNGA

1. In a stern message to Pakistan, Jaishankar said that its cross-border terror policy won't succeed. And it can have no expectation of impunity. On the contrary, actions will certainly have consequences. The issue to be resolved between us is now only the vacation of illegally occupied Indian territory by Pakistan. And of course the abandonment of Pakistans longstanding attachment to terrorism.



2. Condemning terrorism, Jaishankar called for all its forms and manifestations" to be opposed. Terrorism is antithetical of everything that the world stands for. All its forms and manifestations must be resolutely opposed. The sanctioning of global terrorists by the United Nations should also not be impeded for political reasons, the minister added.



ALSO READ: S Jaishankar's strong words on Pakistan: Era of uninterrupted dialogue is over



3. If we are to ensure global security and stability, then it is essential that those who seek to lead, set the right example. Nor can we countenance egregious violations of our basic tenets, Jaishankar added.



4. Urging the global community to respect international law, Jaishankar said,"The UN is a testimony to the agreed principles and shared objectives of the world order. Respect for international law and commitments are among the foremost in that regard."



5. An important cause of many getting left behind has been the unfairness of the current globalization model. Over-concentration of production has hollowed out many economies, impacting their employment and social stability, the minister said.



6. Jaishankar underlined the need for building resilient supply chains, ensuring trusted digital services among others. Democratizing global production, building resilient supply chains, ensuring trusted digital services, and espousing an open-source culture, all these promote widespread prosperity. There are economic answers, just as there are social ones, he said.



7. Referring to the ongoing Ukraine war and the escalated conflict in Gaza, Jaishankar said,"Whether it is the war in Ukraine or the conflict in Gaza, the international community seeks urgent solutions. These sentiments must be acknowledged and acted upon."



8. In truth, the world stands fractious, polarized and frustrated. Conversations have become difficult; agreements even more so. This is surely not what the founders of the United Nations would have wanted of us, the minister said.



9. The urgency of this call is highlighted by the theme of this Session. Leaving no one behind means advancing peace, ensuring sustainable development and strengthening human dignity. This cannot be delivered by a UN paralyzed when faced with division, conflict, terrorism and violence, he added.



10. On India, Jaishankar stated,"Assured access to piped water, to electricity, to cooking gas and new homes are changing millions of lives. The gender gap has started to close, be it in health, in education or in the work place. Our food producers, thrice a year, get financial support at the click of a button."




A Karnataka Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader has lodged a complaint with the state Lokayukta against Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, his son and state minister Priyank Kharge and many of their family members, accusing them of illegally acquiring public land in the state. A BJP leader has lodged a complaint with the state Lokayukta against Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, his son and state minister Priyank Kharge and many of their family members (PTI)

The complaint, lodged by NR Ramesh, alleged irregularities in land allocated to the Siddhartha Vihar Trust, linked to the Kharge family, under the Congress government in the state. The charges include fraud, forgery, conspiracy to illegally acquire government land, and facilitating the unlawful appropriation of public property.

Ramesh NR of BJP has filed a complaint with Karnataka Lokayukta against Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and others, alleging land grab by the Siddhartha Vihar Trust owned by Kharges family, BJP IT department chief Amit Malviya posted on X on Friday.

The trust reportedly received free land from the Congress government, raising questions about nepotism and criminal breach of trust, he added.

In his complaint, the BJP leader has named the Congress chief, his wife Radhabai Kharge, his son-in-law and Gulbarga lawmaker Radhakrishna Doddamani, son Priyank Kharge, another son Rahul Kharge, Karnataka minister MB Patil and IAS officer S Selvakumar, among others.

No FIR has been registered in the case so far.

We call for a thorough investigation into the role of the individuals involved in these land deals and how the approvals were given by the authorities, Ramesh said.

The complaint mentioned the allocation of 8,002 square metre plot to the Siddartha trust in 2014 through the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA). It also mentioned the allocation of a five-acre land in the Hi-Tech Defence and Aerospace Park in Bagalur to Rahul Kharge by the Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board (KIADB) on May 30, 2024.

Priyank Kharge, however, dismissed the charges, saying the complaint was politically motivated. In yet another attempt to malign my family, the BJP has got one of their stooges to file a complaint with the Lokayukta and also with the Governor seeking prosecution, he said in a statement.

The minister added the property in question, allocated by the BDA to the Siddhartha Vihar Trust in 2014, was legally obtained on a 30-year lease for establishing a school.

The allocation was based on a board resolution passed by the trust in 2010, he said. Noting that some of the landowners challenged the BDAs decision in court, seeking the denotification of the land, he said the matter was sub-judice. He raised question as to why the BJP had not raised the issue earlier, noting the party was in power with five different chief ministers from 2010 to 2023.

It seems Im hitting a nerve and hurting the BJP, given their baseless accusations. But then again, theyre known for running fake news factories, he added.
The Israeli military announced on Saturday that Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah was killed in a strike on Beirut. Hezbollah, an Iran-backed militant group, has yet to comment on its leaders whereabouts or health since the bombing. Hezbollah leader Sheik Hassan Nasrallah addresses a crowd during the holy day of Ashoura, in a southern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon. (AP file)

"Hassan Nasrallah is dead," military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani announced on X. Military spokesman Captain David Avraham also confirmed to AFP that the Hezbollah chief had been "eliminated" following strikes Friday on the Lebanese capital.

Israel Defense Forces or IDF also took to X and posted, Hassan Nasrallah will no longer be able to terrorize the world.

An unnamed source close to Lebanon's Hezbollah group told news agency AFP that contact had been lost since last evening with chief Hassan Nasrallah, after Israel said it had eliminated him in a strike on the group's southern Beirut bastion.

Contact with Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah has been lost since Friday evening, AFP quoted the source as saying . He, however, did not confirm whether Nasrallah had been killed.

Attacks on Hezbollah targets by fighter jets on Friday continued into the early hours Saturday after the Israeli Army said it told residents to evacuate three buildings it was targeting.

Hours before the strikes, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the United Nations, vowing that Israels campaign against Hezbollah would continue  further dimming hopes for an internationally backed cease-fire. Netanyahu abruptly cut his United States visit short and returned to Israel.

More than 720 people have been killed in Lebanon since the conflict escalated Monday, according to Lebanons health ministry.

The United Nations said the number of those displaced by the conflict from southern Lebanon has more than doubled, with more than 211,000 people now displaced.

At least 20 primary health care centers have shut down in hard-hit areas of Lebanon, the UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said.

Hezbollah began firing rockets into northern Israel in support of Hamas after it stormed into Israel, sparking the Israel-Hamas war.

Top Israeli officials have threatened to repeat the destruction of Gaza in Lebanon if the Hezbollah fire continues, raising fears that Israels actions in Gaza since October 7 would be repeated in Lebanon.
Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu will travel to India in the second week of October for a visit that is seen as an attempt to reset bilateral ties after an acrimonious period in the relationship, people familiar with the matter said on Friday. Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu (Reuters)

Muizzu, who last came to New Delhi to participate in Prime Minister Narendra Modis inauguration on June 9 along with leaders of six other regional countries, is set to be in India for the bilateral visit during October 6-10. His meetings with the Indian leadership, including Modi, are scheduled for October 7, the people from both sides said on condition of anonymity.

The visit, Muizzus first bilateral trip to India since he became president in November 2023 on the back of an India Out campaign, is yet to be officially announced by both countries. His governments efforts to reduce the Maldivess dependence on India and a demand for the removal of some 85 Indian military personnel deployed in the Indian Ocean archipelago to operate three aircraft took bilateral ties to a fresh low.

Last December, Muizzus government, which is perceived as pro-China, terminated a 2019 agreement with India for joint hydrographic surveys. This was followed by several steps to bolster defence cooperation with China and Turkey.

However, there have been signs of a thaw in the overall relationship in recent months. Shortly after India replaced the military personnel who operated and maintained two helicopters and an aircraft, used mainly for humanitarian missions, with civilian experts, Muizzu was a surprise addition to the list of regional leaders invited to Modis swearing-in.

There has been a definite dialling down of the rhetoric from the Maldives. Now the two sides will look for ways to take things forward and strengthen relations, one of the people cited above said.

Besides his engagements in New Delhi, Muizzu is expected to travel to Mumbai and Bengaluru for business-related events and an interaction with the Maldivian diaspora, the people said. Bengaluru is home to a sizeable number of Maldivian nationals.

Muizzus trip in June was followed by a visit to the Maldives by external affairs minister S Jaishankar in August, when the two sides signed an agreement on introducing Indias Unified Payments Interface (UPI) system in the archipelago and inaugurated several projects built with Indian grants and loans.

Also Read: S Jaishankar's Maldives visit has a message for Dhaka

Signs of a thaw came from Muizzu himself, when he described India as one of the closest allies and invaluable partners of the Maldives at the meeting with Jaishankar. Earlier this month, Muizzus spokesperson announced he would visit India very soon on the same day that two junior ministers, who were suspended in January for derogatory comments against Modi, resigned from the government.

The Indian side has also helped the Maldives avoid the risk of defaulting on its Islamic bond payments by extending the State Bank of Indias (SBI) subscription to government treasury bills worth $50 million for another year. The treasury bills had matured on September 19. In May this year, SBI subscribed treasury bills worth $50 million under the same mechanism, again at the request of the Maldivian government.

Also Read: Amid signs of a thaw, India extends emergency financial assistance to Maldives

Sameer Patil, a Mumbai-based security expert with Observer Research Foundation (ORF), said the latest developments in bilateral ties reflected the pragmatic approach adopted by Muizzu in recent months. After the initial outbursts of anti-India sentiments, the Muizzu administration has made reconciliatory moves towards India, as is evident from his participation in Modis swearing-in and the impending visit, he said.

This also reflects a pragmatic realisation that he cant keep a distance from India, knowing fully well the perils of depending only on China, as well as the overall regional situation, where he needs on his side, Patil added.
India has told Pakistan that its policy of cross border terrorism will never succeed; it must have no expectations of impunity and its actions will have consequences; and the only issues on the table are Pakistans vacation of illegally occupied Indian territory and abandonment of its policy of terrorism. It has also suggested that what Pakistan is suffering today internally is karma for its past approach of instilling radicalism in its own society. External affairs minister S Jaishankar addresses the 79th session of the UN General Assembly, in New York on Saturday. (ANI)

Speaking at the UN General Assembly on Saturday, external affairs minister S Jaishankar mounted a sharp counter to Pakistan a day after its Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, compared Kashmir with Palestine, labeled India as engaging in a settler colonial project, accused New Delhi of aggressive intent, and spoke of the Hindu supremacist agenda in India as being the most alarming manifestation of Islamophobia.

In a segment of his speech, that largely focused on the need to respect international law and stand for valued tenets, Jaishankar first spoke of terrorism. Terrorism is antithetical of everything that the world stands for. All its forms and manifestations must be resolutely opposed. The sanctioning of global terrorists by the United Nations should also not be impeded for political reasons, he said.

Over the past decade, China has backed Pakistans position to block the designation of Pakistan-based terrorists in UN committees.

The minister then widened the ambit and said that while some countries get left behind due to circumstances, others do so because of the choices they make, an example of which was Pakistan whose actions however had consequences beyond its borders.

When this polity instils such fanaticism among its people, its GDP can only be measured in terms of radicalisation and its exports in the form of terrorism. Today, we see the ills it sought to visit on others consume its own society. It cant blame the world; this is only karma, he said.

He then added that a dysfunctional nation that coveted the lands of others had to be exposed and must be countered.

We heard some bizarre assertions from it at this forum yesterday. So let me make Indias position perfectly clear. Pakistans cross-border terrorism policy will never succeed. And it can have no expectation of impunity. On the contrary, actions will certainly have consequences. The issue to be resolved between us is now only the vacation of illegally occupied Indian territory by Pakistan. And of course, the abandonment of Pakistans longstanding attachment to terrorism, he said.

In recent years, India has usually left it to a junior diplomat from its permanent mission to the UN to respond to Pakistans highest leadership directly, as it did this year as well, while Indias top leadership only alludes to it either indirectly or briefly in its own national statement. But this year marked a change as Jaishankar clearly decided that Sharifs attack deserved a stronger and higher level response.

Earlier on Friday, India exercised its Right of Reply on Friday and slammed Pakistan, saying its fingerprints are on terrorist incidents across the world and the country should realise that cross-border terrorism against India will inevitably invite consequences.
Pakistan on Friday once again raised the Kashmir issue at the UN General Assembly, with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif saying that to secure durable peace, India should reverse the Abrogation of Article 370. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif speaks during the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) at the United Nations headquarters in New York on September 27, 2024. (Getty Images via AFP)

Shehbaz Sharif, addressing at the General Debate of the 79th session of the UN General Assembly, also suggested that India should enter into a dialogue for peaceful resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir issue, news agency PTI reported.

In his over 20-minute speech, Shehbaz Sharif raked up the issue of Jammu and Kashmir as expected, making references to Article 370 and Hizbul terrorist Burhan Wani.

Indias policy of brutal coersion and oppression, in occupied Kashmir has ensured, that Burhan Wanis legacy, continues to inspire, the struggle and sacrifices, of millions of Kashmiris. Inspired by the legitimacy, of their epic struggle, they remain defiant, Shehbaz Sharif also wrote on social media platform X.

At the UNGA, the Pakistani prime minister said similarly, like the people of Palestine, the people of Jammu and Kashmir too, have struggled for a century for their freedom and right to self-determination.

Referring to Indias decision to abrogate Article 370, Shehbaz Sharif said "to secure durable peace, India must reverse the unilateral and illegal measures of August 2019 and enter into a dialogue for a peaceful resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir issue in accordance with the UN Security resolutions and wishes of the Kashmiri people.

Sharif also alleged that instead of moving towards peace, India has moved away from its commitments to implement the Security Council resolutions on Jammu and Kashmir, PTI added.

These resolutions mandate a plebiscite to enable the people of Jammu and Kashmir to exercise their fundamental right to self-determination, the Pakistan PM said.

Shehbaz Sharif alleges Muslims being targeted in India

The Pakistan PM claimed that escalation of Islamophobia is a troubling global development. The most alarming manifestation of Islamophobia is the Hindu supremacist agenda in India. It aggressively seeks the subjugation of 200 million Muslims and the obliteration of India's Islamic heritage, Sharif alleged.

S Jaishankar to address UNGA assembly

India is expected to issue a strong rebuttal to Pakistan's allegations through a Right of Reply after the debate concluded.

External affairs minister S Jaishankar is scheduled to speak at UN General Assembly on Saturday night (India time).

Pakistan regularly raises the issue of Jammu and Kashmir at various UN platforms, irrespective of the subject matter being discussed or the theme of the forum and fails to get any support or traction.

New Delhi has repeatedly emphasised that Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh were, are and will always be an integral and inalienable part of India.

India has also asked Pakistan to concentrate on addressing its internal matters rather than raising the Kashmir issue and indulging in frivolous allegations against New Delhi.

Tensions between India and Pakistan increased after New Delhi abrogated Article 370 of the Constitution to revoke the special status of Jammu and Kashmir on August 5, 2019.

(With inputs from PTI)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday remembered the 2016 Uri surgical strike against terrorist camps in Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir, saying that when the BJP government responded to the bullets with shells, people on the other side came to their senses. Prime Minister Narendra Modi (ANI )

Today is 28th September. In the year 2016, on the night of 28th September, a surgical strike was carried out. India had told the world, Yeh naya Bharat hai, yeh ghar mein ghuskar maarta hain...Aatank ke aakao ko pata hai agar kuch bhi himaakat ki toh Modi paataal mein bhi unhe khoj nikalega (This is the new India, they enter homes and kill... Terror masters know that if anything happens, Modi will find them even in hell), Modi said while addressing an election rally in Jammu.

He also hit out at the opposition Congress, saying, Remember that time when bullets were fired from that side, and the Congress used to wave white flags.

On the night of September 28, 2016, the Indian army launched surgical strikes against terrorist camps in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir - in response to an attack by Pakistan-based terrorists on an army base in Kashmirs Uri on September 18 that killed 19 soldiers.

The surgical strike was hailed by the people of the country as well as the armed forces.

Modi attacks Congress-NC-PDP

Modi, while addressing the crowd in Jammu, also hit out at the Congress, National Conference (NC), and People's Democratic Party (PDP), saying that the people of Jammu and Kashmir are tired of the three families.

They don't want the same system again in which there is corruption and discrimination in jobs. The people of Jammu and Kashmir don't want terrorism, separatism and bloodshed anymore. The people here want peace, the people here want a better future for their children and that is why the people of Jammu and Kashmir want a BJP government, he said.

He also expressed confidence in the BJP forming a majority in the upcoming assembly election in the Valley.

There has been a huge voting in favour of BJP in both phases. The first government of the BJP will be formed with a full majority here, he said.

Jammu and Kashmir went to the first phase of polls on September 18, while the second phase was held on September 25. The results will be declared on October 8.
A lawyer representing the teen accused in Pune's Porsche car crash case said on Thursday the teenager was unable to get admission to a management institute in Delhi because the institute required a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Juvenile Justice Board (JJB). Porsche car involved in the fatal crash in Pune (HT PHOTO)

Though the defence filed a plea with the board to obtain the NOC, they later withdrew.

Special Public Prosecutor Shishir Hiray said the defence submitted an application to the JJB, highlighting that the Child in Conflict with Law (CCL) was unable to secure admission because of the pending case and the institute's insistence on an NOC. I responded that education was everyone's right guaranteed by the Constitution and he (minor accused) must get admission, Hiray said.

Why did the institute cancel the teens admission?

The defence said in its application that the 17-year-old boy, allegedly behind the wheel of the Porsche that collided with two motorbike-borne IT engineers in May, had applied for a BBA (Bachelor of Business Administration) course at a Delhi-based institute.

The institute initially granted the boy, whose father is a prominent builder in Pune, admission but later revoked it, requesting a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Juvenile Justice Board (JJB), which is handling his case.

Assistant Commissioner of Police (Crime) Ganesh Ingale, the investigating officer, explained that the defence sought directions from the JJB regarding the admission issue but eventually decided to withdraw the application.

The defence stated that they no longer want to pursue admission in the Delhi-based institute and (the teenager) now wants to take admission in a Pune college, he said.

New charges against juvenile

The Pune police on Thursday, September 26, filed additional charges against the 17-year-old involved in the May 19 Porsche hit-and-run incident, accusing him of destroying evidence, forgery, and violations under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

A supplementary report with these new charges was submitted to the Juvenile Justice Board (JJB), approximately three months after the initial final report had charged the minor with culpable homicide not amounting to murder under Section 304 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

The teenage driver was reportedly under the influence of alcohol when his luxury car fatally struck two IT professionals on a motorbike in Kalyani Nagar, Pune, during the early hours of May 19. Both victims, one of whom was a woman, died in the crash.

In June, police had submitted their final report to the JJB, outlining evidence against the teen. By July, they had also filed a chargesheet in a Pune court implicating seven people connected to the case, including the boys parents.

The parents, along with two doctors and a staffer from Sassoon General Hospital, were accused of swapping the teen's blood sample with his mothers after the incident. Two others reportedly acted as intermediaries to arrange bribes between the father and the medical personnel, as noted in the chargesheet.
Leader of opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, urged external affairs minister S Jaishankar on Saturday to address the arrest of 37 Tamil Nadu fishermen with the Sri Lankan authorities and secure their early release along with their boats. LoP Rahul Gandhi writes letter to EAM Jaishankar urging him to raise fishermen issue with Sri Lanka.

Referring to the September 21 arrest of the fishermen, Gandhi said that they were small-scale fisherfolk who had attempted to rescue a Sri Lankan boat in distress when they were apprehended for allegedly crossing the International Maritime Boundary Line.

ALSO READ- Rahul Gandhi's naach gaana comment on Ayodhya Ram temple ceremony sparks outrage, BJP reacts sharply

"I hope this letter finds you well. I am writing to you regarding the arrest of 37 Tamil fishermen, and the seizure of their boats by Sri Lankan authorities on September 21, 2024. Adv. R. Sudha, Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha) from Mayiladuthurai Parliamentary Constituency, informed me that the arrested fishermen are small-scale fisherfolk operating close to the coast and that on the day of the incident, they had attempted to rescue a Sri Lankan boat in distress," Rahul Gandhi said in the letter.

In the letter, Gandhi said that there are frequent incidents of Indian fishermen being detained by Sri Lankan authorities, facing asset seizures, and heavy fines. He condemned these actions and called for strict measures against such practices.

 recurring incidents of small and marginal Indian fisherfolk being apprehended by Sri Lankan authorities and the unjust seizure of assets and imposition of hefty fines by them warrants strict condemnation, Gandhi said.

ALSO READ- AAP to move Supreme Court against BJP's win in MCD standing committee: Delhi CM Atishi

"I request you to kindly take up this matter with the Sri Lankan authorities and ensure the early release of the fishermen and their boats," Gandhi said in his letter to Jaishankar.

Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin had earlier informed Jaishankar about the arrests and requested intervention for the fishermen's release.

ALSO READ- Pakistan's Shehbaz Sharif rakes up Kashmir issue, speaks on Muslims in India at UNGA; S Jaishankar to address today

Jaishankar to address UNGA today

Jaishankar is currently in the United States to attend the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly. He is set to deliver his address later today. (September 28).
The Supreme Court on Friday emphasised that states must offer appropriate salaries and perks to retired high court judges who are appointed to head tribunals and quasi-judicial bodies, underlining the importance of maintaining the dignity of these former judges. SC calls on states to ensure dignified pay for retired judges appointed to tribunals

A bench led by Chief Justice of India Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud urged state governments to frame terms of their appointments in a manner that reflects the stature and constitutional positions they once held or amend the related legislation so that the judges could be replaced by people from other fields.

The bench, also comprising justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, was emphatic that the value of retired judges could not be assessed purely based on the volume of work they handle in these bodies, stating that the dignity and status attached to their office must be preserved, regardless of the number of cases they oversee.

The issue is not whether they handle 500 or 5,000 cases. The dignity of their office is paramount. There is a certain imprimatur they carry for being retired judges of high courts. Its not about the workload but about the dignity and respect for their position. If states have such an attitude, they should not appoint retired judges, remarked the bench.

The Supreme Courts observations came while rejecting an appeal by the state of Haryana against a December 2023 ruling by the Punjab & Haryana high court. The high court had directed the Haryana government to treat a retired high court judge, justice SD Anand, at par with the chairpersons of the Haryana Tax Tribunal and Haryana Backward Classes Commission and pay him his dues accordingly. Justice Anand, who was appointed as president of the appellate authority of the Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB) in April 2017, had waited 22 months for the state to finalise the terms of his appointment, forcing him to seek legal recourse.

In February 2022, a single-judge bench of the high court pulled up the state for its inaction, directing that justice Anand be paid dues in line with similar positions. The states subsequent appeal was dismissed by a division bench in December 2023, reinforcing the need for parity in pay and perks for retired judges in such posts.

In its ruling, the division bench noted that the post of president of the appellate authority was a statutory position, and that retired high court judges appointed to such posts must receive the same salary and perks as sitting judges. The states appeal was dismissed, with the court stating that there was no ground to interfere with the previous decision, which it described as well-reasoned.

While dismissing the Haryanas appeal, the court took note that the state has subsequently notified the terms and conditions of the post in question, and therefore, clarified that the order in favour of justice Anand would not be a binding precedent.

Indias legal system has long recognised the need for judicial expertise in tribunals and quasi-judicial bodies, with several laws explicitly requiring the appointment of serving or retired judges from the High Courts or the Supreme Court. This approach is intended to bring judicial rigor, independence, and impartiality to specialised bodies handling sensitive matters.

One prominent example is the National Green Tribunal (NGT), which was established under the NGT Act, 2010. The Act mandates that the chairperson must be a former judge of the Supreme Court or a chief justice of a high court. Similarly, the Securities Appellate Tribunal, Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT), National Companies Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT), National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, Appellate Tribunal for Electricity and Armed Forces Tribunal require the chairperson to be a former judge of the Supreme Court or the chief justice of a high court.

The legislative mandates are seemingly designed not only to lend credibility to these tribunals but also to ensure that their decisions are in line with established principles of justice and the Constitution. The presence of retired judges also serves to maintain public confidence in the fairness and integrity of these bodies.
The Supreme Court on Friday closed a curative petition filed by the Union government and the Airports Authority of India (AAI), seeking a reconsideration of its 2022 judgment which allowed the GMR Group to manage and operate Nagpurs Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport. Solicitor general (SG) Tushar Mehta, acting in his capacity as an officer of the court, informed a four-judge bench led by Chief Justice of India Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud that there were no valid grounds to pursue the petition. (HT PHOTO)

Solicitor general (SG) Tushar Mehta, acting in his capacity as an officer of the court, informed a four-judge bench led by Chief Justice of India Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud that there were no valid grounds to pursue the petition. He stated that, after a dispassionate review of the matter, as requested earlier by the court, he found no basis under the curative jurisdiction to challenge the ruling.

There was a view previously that the ground of bias could be pressed, but I am clear that such a ground can never be pressed against an order of this court, clarified Mehta. He also emphasised that he did not consult the government on this matter, as his duty was to provide an independent opinion to the court.

The bench, also comprising justices Sanjiv Khanna, Bhushan R Gavai and JK Maheshwari, acknowledged Mehtas professional stance and concluded the proceedings, noting that the curative petition did not meet the stringent criteria required for such cases, including bias, lack of hearing, or any analogous grounds.

Senior counsel Abhishek Manu Singhvi appeared for GMR Airports.

The original dispute dates back to May 2022, when the Supreme Court upheld a Bombay high court ruling that favored GMR Airports in a protracted legal battle. MIHAN India Ltd (Multi-Modal International Cargo Hub and Airport at Nagpur), a joint venture tasked with managing the Nagpur airport project, had sought to cancel a contract awarded to GMR in 2019 for the airports upgradation and operation. MIHAN argued that the bid acceptance letter issued to GMR in March 2019 was not a formal award of the contract, but the high court rejected this claim, calling the cancellation of the contract unjustified.

The Supreme Court, in its 2022 judgment, concurred with the Bombay high court, ruling that government-awarded contracts must adhere to principles of fairness and equality, and upheld the decision to reinstate GMRs contract.

In its 2022 ruling, the Supreme Court bench, then comprising justices Vineet Saran (since retired) and JK Maheshwari, observed that the high courts order was based on sound reasoning and legal analysis. We are of the considered opinion that the findings recorded by the high court allowing the writ petition are in accordance with law. Those findings do not suffer from any illegality, warranting interference by this court in the exercise of the power under Article 136 of the Constitution of India, the bench had ruled.

The May 9, 2022 judgment emphasised that contracts awarded by government bodies must be rooted in the principles of fairness, equality, and rule of law. It rejected MIHANs argument that the acceptance of GMRs bid was conditional upon approval from the Union Ministry of Civil Aviation, thus quashing the cancellation attempt.

In wrapping up Fridays proceedings, the bench noted the fairness of Mehtas dispassionate view and recorded that the Centre and AAI had chosen not to press the petition due to the absence of grounds to invoke curative jurisdiction. However, the bench clarified that a specific observation in its 2022 ruling, which stated that the Centre or AAI were not necessary parties in such cases, would not serve as a precedent in future matters. This clarification ensures that the parties involved will not be necessarily bound by the same conclusion in subsequent cases of a similar nature.
The Supreme Court on Friday set aside a controversial observation made by the Allahabad high court, which had stated that the majority population in the country could become a minority if religious congregations promoting conversions were not stopped. The bench passed the order while granting bail to Kailash, who was charged under the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act and Section 365 of the Indian Penal Code (kidnapping or abducting with intent to secretly and wrongfully confine a person). (ANI)

A bench led by Chief Justice of India Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud remarked that the observation of the high court was uncalled for and should be expunged.

We clarify that the general observations made by the high court had no bearing on the facts of the present case and were, therefore, not required for the disposal of the case. The observations, therefore, shall not be cited in any other case or proceeding in the high court or in any other court, directed the bench, also comprising justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra.

The bench passed the order while granting bail to Kailash, who was charged under the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act and Section 365 of the Indian Penal Code (kidnapping or abducting with intent to secretly and wrongfully confine a person).

The court granted bail to Kailash, noting that he had been in custody since May 21, 2023, and the charge sheet had been submitted on July 19, 2023. In its brief order, the bench clarified that the high courts general remarks had no relevance to the specific facts of the case and were not necessary for its resolution.

The high court, on July 2, while considering Kailashs bail plea, had made remarks about allegations that he had been taking individuals from Hamirpur, Uttar Pradesh, to a religious congregation in Delhi for conversion purposes. It had warned that if such activities were allowed, the countrys majority population could become a minority. It had also denied Kailash bail, stating that such conversions violated the Constitution, which guarantees freedom of conscience and free profession, practice, and propagation of religion.

The high court had further observed that it had noticed several cases where conversions of individuals from Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and economically disadvantaged groups to Christianity were occurring at a rapid pace across Uttar Pradesh.
Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin presented a 15-page memorandum to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday, primarily seeking central funding for the southern state. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin meets Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in New Delhi on Friday. (ANI PHOTO)

The memo, handed over during a 50-minute meeting Stalin described as cordial, focused on three key issues: funding for Chennais metro rail project, release of education scheme funds and resolution of Sri Lankan navys detention of Tamil fishermen.

Its in the prime ministers hands to turn todays meeting into a purposeful one, Stalin told reporters afterwards.

Stalin said several states that initiated metro projects after Tamil Nadu have already received funds. His DMK government has accused the BJP-led central government of withholding education funds to penalise Tamil Nadu for not implementing the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.

Tamil Nadus main objection to NEP is its policy of a three-language formula, Stalin said. The state insists on continuing its two-language policy of English and Tamil, which the memo described as necessary to ensure the states cultural identity and students proficiency in global languages.

Regarding the fishermen issue, Stalin urged for talks between Indian and Sri Lankan fishermen during the Joint Working Group on Fisheries meeting scheduled for October 29 in Colombo. Currently, 145 Tamil Nadu fishermen are imprisoned in Sri Lanka.

As an immediate measure, efforts may be taken to release 145 arrested fishermen and their boats with fishing equipment, Stalin said, requesting Modis personal intervention in what he termed a vexatious issue.

The condition of 191 boats apprehended since 2018 remains unknown.

Following his meeting with Modi, Stalin met Sonia Gandhi, chief of his alliance partner, Congress.
Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin presented a 15-page memorandum to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday, primarily seeking central funding for the southern state. Chief minister MK Stalin meets Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in New Delhi on Friday. (PMO India-X)

The memo, handed over during a 50-minute meeting Stalin described as cordial, focused on three key issues: funding for Chennais metro rail project, release of education scheme funds and resolution of Sri Lankan navys detention of Tamil fishermen.

Its in the prime ministers hands to turn todays meeting into a purposeful one, Stalin told reporters afterwards.

Stalin said several states that initiated metro projects after Tamil Nadu have already received funds. His DMK government has accused the BJP-led central government of withholding education funds to penalise Tamil Nadu for not implementing the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.

Tamil Nadus main objection to NEP is its policy of a three-language formula, Stalin said. The state insists on continuing its two-language policy of English and Tamil, which the memo described as necessary to ensure the states cultural identity and students proficiency in global languages.

Regarding the fishermen issue, Stalin urged for talks between Indian and Sri Lankan fishermen during the Joint Working Group on Fisheries meeting scheduled for October 29 in Colombo. Currently, 145 Tamil Nadu fishermen are imprisoned in Sri Lanka.

As an immediate measure, efforts may be taken to release 145 arrested fishermen and their boats with fishing equipment, Stalin said, requesting Modis personal intervention in what he termed a vexatious issue.

The condition of 191 boats apprehended since 2018 remains unknown.

Following his meeting with Modi, Stalin met Sonia Gandhi, chief of his alliance partner, Congress.
The Trinamool Congress (TMC) students' wing Trinamool Chhatra Parishad on Friday suspended two senior members after they made a short film in the backdrop of the rape and murder case of a trainee doctor at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata. According to the students' wing, the two members - Prantik Chakraborty and Rajanya Haldar - were removed for anti-party activities. TMC leader Rajanya Haldar playing Tilottama in a short film(Twitter)

This came after Rajanya Haldar uploaded the poster of the film Agamani, Tilottomader Galpo (the tale of Tilottomas) on social media, with the tagline in the backdrop of RG Kar incident. The film, directed by Prantik Chakraborty, is slated for release in the first week of October.

Trinamool Chhatra Parishad state president Trinankur Bhattacharya, in a notice, said the decision to suspend the two members will remain in force until the party's disciplinary committee makes a final decision on the issue, reported PTI.

The two student functionaries violated the party's discipline and created a false impression among the public that the TMCP is promoting the film, it said.

Meanwhile, Chakraborty has claimed that the film had no connection with the RG Kar incident.

Reacting to this, TMC leader Kunal Ghosh said while everyone has individual liberty in the creative field, the party will take action if anyone tries to exploit any shocking, tragic incident like RG Kar to promote their film.

BJP hits out

The Bengal Bharatiya Janata Party hit out the members over the short film saying it is a disgusting insult to the memory of Abhaya.

TMCs complete lack of decency is on full display as they desecrate the tragedy of her death and make a mockery of the fight for justice. This is beyond disrespectits a deliberate slap in the face to every person demanding accountability for Abhayas rape & murder. TMC has reduced a life lost to a cheap stunt, proving they have no shame, no conscience, and no respect for justice. Pathetic, the BJP wrote on X.

(With inputs from PTI)
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Saturday issued a rainfall warning for several states, highlighting a risk of flash floods for Bihar. The alert has prompted the Bihar disaster management department to remain vigilant and implement preventive measures in response to the forecast. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Saturday issued a rainfall warning for several states across the country. (PTI file photo)

The Bihar Water Resources Department has declared a flood alert for regions along the swollen Kosi and Gandak rivers. Officials said that water levels in multiple rivers across the state have been rising due to continuous rainfall over the past two to three days, news agency PTI reported.

According to an IMD bulletin released on Friday, heavy rainfall is expected in West and East Champaran, Sitamarhi, Sheohar, Muzaffarpur, Gopalganj, Siwan, Saran, Vaishali, Patna, Jehanabad, Madhubani, and Bhojpur districts.

The weather department also predicted very heavy rainfall for Saturday in Saurashtra & Kutch, the Gujarat region, East Uttar Pradesh, Sub-Himalayan West Bengal, Sikkim, and Bihar.

Weather updates in other states

Uttar Pradesh: The water level of the Saryu River has risen due to continuous rainfall in Ayodhya. The water level has been increasing at a rate of 3 cm per hour since this morning. It continues to rise due to the persistent rain. We are closely monitoring the situation, Aman Rai Singh, office assistant at the Central Water Commission in Ayodhya was quoted as saying by ANI.

Tamil Nadu and Kerala: Heavy rainfall is expected in Tamil Nadu and neighbouring Pondicherry and Kerala on September 29. On Saturday morning, several areas in Tamil Nadu's Thoothukudi experienced heavy rain. The weather department predicts light to moderate rains in northern Tamil Nadu until the weekend.

Maharashtra: High tide waves have struck Marine Drive in Mumbai. Following ongoing heavy rainfall, the weather agency has issued a high tide alert for the city.

Rajasthan: The meteorological department has forecast rain in various regions of Rajasthan on Friday, with wet weather expected to continue until Sunday. Light to moderate rain with thundershowers is anticipated in Udaipur, Kota, Jaipur, Ajmer, Bharatpur, and Jodhpur divisions on Friday. The weather department indicated that rainfall across most of the state is expected to decrease after September 30, with light rain likely in some areas of the Udaipur division.

IMD's prediction for rainfall across the country

West India: Light to moderate rainfall is likely over Konkan & Goa, Madhya Maharashtra, and Gujarat during the next three days. Isolated to scattered light to moderate rainfall is expected in these regions in the following four days. Isolated heavy rainfall is anticipated over Madhya Maharashtra and Gujarat on September 28.

East & Northeast India: Scattered to fairly widespread light to moderate rainfall is predicted over East India for the next four days, followed by widespread rainfall in the subsequent three days. Isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall is likely over Bihar on September 28. Heavy rainfall is expected over Arunachal Pradesh from October 1 to 3, and over Assam & Meghalaya from September 29 to October 3. Isolated heavy rainfall is also anticipated in Sub-Himalayan West Bengal & Sikkim, and Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram & Tripura from September 30 to October 3.

Central India: Scattered to fairly widespread light to moderate rainfall is expected over central India for the next three days, with isolated to scattered rainfall in the following four days. Isolated heavy rainfall is likely over West Madhya Pradesh on September 28.

Northwest India: Fairly widespread to widespread light to moderate rainfall is expected over East Uttar Pradesh for the next three days, with isolated rainfall in the subsequent four days. Scattered light to moderate rainfall is forecasted for Uttarakhand in the next two days, while isolated rainfall is likely over Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana-Chandigarh-Delhi, and Rajasthan over the next three to four days. Dry weather is anticipated in these regions in the following three to four days. Isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall is likely over East Uttar Pradesh on September 28, with heavy rainfall expected in Uttarakhand on the same day.

South Peninsular India: Fairly widespread to widespread light to moderate rainfall is likely over Kerala & Mahe and Lakshadweep during the week. Isolated heavy rainfall is anticipated over Tamil Nadu, Puducherry & Karaikal on September 28 and 29, and over Kerala & Mahe from September 28 to October 2.
Indian diplomat Bhavika Mangalanandan on Friday hit out at Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif over his statements on Kashmir at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). Giving a befitting reply, Bhavika Mangalanandan said a country run by the military, with a global reputation for terrorism, narcotics, trade and transnational crime, has had the audacity to attack the world's largest democracy, adding that it is hypocrisy at its worst. Bhavika Mangalanandan

Bhavika Mangalanandan also gave out a warning to Pakistan, saying that the neighbouring country should realise that cross-border terrorism against India will inevitably invite consequences.

Describing Shehbaz Sharif's remarks over Kashmir as unacceptable, the diplomat said Pakistan will seek to counter the truth with more lies. She also reiterated New Delhi's stand, saying that Jammu and Kashmir is an inalienable and integral part of India.

Who is Bhavika Mangalanandan?

Bhavika Mangalanandan is an Indian diplomat who was elected as India's Permanent Representative to the United Nations.

According to her LinkedIn profile, Mangalanandan graduated from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Delhi, in 2011.

Mangalanandan currently serves as the first secretary of counter-terrorism and cyber security, 1st Committee (Disarmament and International Security), GA coordination, India at UN (Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations, New York).

She has also worked a senior engineer marketing at Schneider Electric and Tata Consultancy Services an assistant systems engineer, according to her LinkedIn profile.

Pakistan PM's remarks on Jammu and Kashmir

Sharif once again raked up the Kashmir issue on Friday while addressing the General Debate of the 79th session of the UNGA. During his 20-minute-long address, he urged India to reverse the abrogation of Article 370 to secure durable peace. He also asked India to enter into a dialogue for a peaceful resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir issue in accordance with the UN Security resolutions and the wishes of the Kashmiri people.

The Pakistani PM further drew a parallel between the Palestinians and the Kashmiris, saying, Similarly, like the people of Palestine, the people of Jammu and Kashmir too, have struggled for a century for their freedom and right to self-determination.

He also alleged Muslims are being targeted in India and claimed that the escalation of Islamophobia is a troubling global development.
Riya Arvinda Barde, a Bangladeshi adult film actress, was arrested in Ulhasnagar of Thane district in Maharashtra on Thursday for staying illegally in India using fake documents, officials told news agency PTI. Bangladeshi adult film actress, Riya Barde was arrested in Ulhasnagar on Thursday for staying illegally in India using fake documents(Onlinetadka/X)

The Hill Line police station in Ulhasnagar received a tip-off about Riya Bard's identity and involvement in a cheating and forgery case, following which an FIR was registered against her under IPC sections related to cheating, forgery and common intention, along with the Foreigners Act.

Also Read: Bangladeshi adult actress Riya Barde arrested in Thane for using fake Indian documents

According to the police reports, an investigation into Riya Barde's identity had begun a year ago, revealing that her birth certificate, school leaving certificate and passport listed three different places of birth - West Bengal's North 24 Parganas, Hooghly and Achalpur in Maharashtra's Amravati district.

Also Read: Bangladesh 'super fan' Tiger Roby beaten up during 2nd Test against India, rushed to hospital: Report

Not only did Riya Barde fabricate her own documents, she also allegedly conspired to obtain a fake education certificate and passport for one of her accomplices. Riya Barde's arrest was one among eight others this week in Maharashtra where Bangladeshi nationals were staying illegally in India.

What we know about Riya Barde:

Family

Identified as Riya Arvind Barde, the Bangladeshi porn star is also known as Arohi Barde and Banna Sheikh, reported The Times of India.

Also Read: Go back, step down: Bangladeshi nationals protest against Muhammad Yunus in US over attacks on Hindus

Riya Barde was living illegally in India with her mother Anjali Barde also known as Ruby Sheikh, her brother Ravindra/Riyaz Sheikh and sister Ritu/Moni Sheikh.

Police officials told The Times of India that her mother allegedly married Arvind Barde from Amravati so they could continue residing within the country.

Currently, Riya's father and mother are residing in Qatar according to the police while her siblings are yet to be found.

Career

The police told The Times of India that Riya Barde was an adult film actress who had been employed in projects done by Raj Kundra productions. She also worked alongside performer Gehana Vasisth in several films.

According to film site IMDB she is well-known for her work in a film called Aamras (2023).

Riya Barde was previously arrested by police in Mumbai in connection with a case related to prostitution under the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act.
Social media company X (formerly Twitter) has contested the Indian governments directive to block the account of Hindutva Watch, citing insufficient justification, in a submission to the Delhi High Court filed on September 24. The submission was part of Xs affidavit in a petition filed by Hindutva Watch to overturn the blocking order. (Bloomberg)

The social media platform said the ministry of electronics and information technology (Meity) failed to specify reasons for the January 15 blocking order issued under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act.

In the submission, seen by HT, the company said it had raised objections during a January 10 meeting with the governments blocking committee, arguing that blocking the entire account was disproportionate. The company sent a formal objection letter on January 30.

The submission was part of Xs affidavit in a petition filed by Hindutva Watch to overturn the blocking order.

Raqib Hameed Naik, the organisations founder, filed a writ petition in Delhi High Court in April, challenging the blocking order and requesting the findings of the Review Committee, which is mandated to review all blocking orders under the 2009 Blocking Rules.

The X account says it archives attacks against religious minorities in India and its account, including an associated India Hate Lab website, have been blocked in the country since January 16.

X argued that Naiks petition against the company should be dismissed, asserting that it is not the State under Article 12 of the Indian Constitution and does not perform a public function as defined in Article 226. The company maintained that it merely complied with Meitys order and that court directives should be aimed at the ministry.

Section 69A allows the government to block online content for six specific reasons, including national security and public order. X contended that the posts cited by Meity did not fall under any of these categories.

In the January 10 meeting, X representatives argued that Hindutva Watch posted newsworthy content related to India that could not be considered inciteful.

X also disputed Naiks assertion that detailed justification related to the blocking of the said account and blocking order is already shared with the intermediary.

X supported Hindutva Watchs argument that the government had Naiks contact details before issuing the blocking order, as Meity contacted the organisation on January 19 using a publicly available email address.

The company refuted Naiks claim of contacting Xs grievance officer under the Information Technology Rules, 2021.

X deemed the governments February 6 email to Naik invalid and insufficient, stating it did not provide all specific allegations and grounds for blocking the entire account.
Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath recalled his recent visit to Jammu and Kashmir, citing it as an example of how the abrogation of Article 370 has brought about major changes in the region. Addressing a poll rally in Faridabad, Adityanath narrated an encounter with a Muslim cleric, a Maulvi, who, he said, greeted him with Ram Ram. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath addresses a public meeting for the ongoing J&K Assembly polls, in Jammu, Thursday, Sept 26, 2024.(PTI)

"I was in Jammu and Kashmir for the last two days for the assembly elections. It was raining there, so I went straight inside the airport. A man greeted me, saying 'Yogi Sahab Ram Ram.' Later, I realized he was a Maulvi. I was surprised to hear 'Ram Ram' from a Maulvi," said Adityanath.

"This is the effect of the abrogation of Article 370. Those who used to challenge India's sovereignty are now saying Ram Ram," the chief minister said as the crowd responded with Jai Shree Ram.

"With a strengthened India and a strengthened BJP, one day, they will be seen chanting 'Hare Rama, Hare Krishna' on the country's streets."

Also Read | Haryana Congress expels 13 rebels

Adityanath also noted the absence of communal violence in Uttar Pradesh under his leadership during the last seven and a half years.

"Have you heard of a riot in your neighbouring state Uttar Pradesh in the last seven and a half years?" he asked, as the crowd responded with a resounding "No".

"Before that, there used to be a riot every two or three days."

Also Read | Gurugram: Neck-to-neck contest for BJP, Congress nominees in Pataudi

Voting for the 90-member Haryana assembly will take place on October 5, with results to be counted on October 8. The Election Commission of India (ECI) revised the polling date from October 1 to October 5, moving the counting date for both the Haryana and Jammu and Kashmir assemblies from October 4 to October 8.

BJP manifesto for Haryana

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which is aiming for a third consecutive term in Haryana, has made several promises in its manifesto, including monthly assistance of 2,100 for women, two lakh government jobs, and scooters for female college students in rural areas.

The BJP has also pledged to purchase 24 crops at Minimum Support Price (MSP), expanding on the existing procurement of 14 crops. Last month, the Haryana cabinet approved the purchase of 10 additional crops at MSP.
Its not always easy to spot the joke, in humour that comes down to us from the ancient world.

In fact, some ancient jokes can seem so unfunny that researchers have had to define clear outlines: if a clear setup-and-punchline structure are present, one may simply assume that one is looking at a joke.

Take the worlds oldest-known quip. It comes to us from Ancient Sumeria, and was found on a tablet dating to 1900 BCE. It consists of just one line: Something which has never occurred since time immemorial: a young woman farting in her husbands lap.

Not at all funny today, it was clearly considered rip-roaring enough to be noted, with great effort, for posterity. Ancient jokes have also been uncovered on sheets of papyrus, ancient scrolls, within works of canonical literature, and in the margins of serious texts.

In general, lechery, innuendo, puns, sex and relationships have been common themes through history, a 2008 study by researchers at University of Wolverhampton found.

Among these are common types of jokes that remain endearingly universal.

Take the kind of quip now called an Essex Girl joke, which essentially hinges on shared ideas about people from a certain region. (Essex girls, in jokes, are said to be silly and shallow, among other things. Therefore: Why do Essex girls drive VWs? Because they cant spell Porsche.)

Another universal format turns out to be the My friend went to Athens and all I got was this T-shirt one. A Latin inscription on a 2,000-year-old iron stylus says more or less this. Dated to c. 70 CE Roman London, it reads: I have come from the City. I bring you a welcome gift with a sharp point that you may remember me.

Bawdy innuendo seems to have been pervasive through the ages.

There was one told, in his time, about the Roman emperor Augustus (63 BCE to 14 CE). A young man arrived in Rome who looked just like him, it went. Even the emperor could see that the likeliness was uncanny. So Augustus asked the man: Did your mother ever come to Rome? No, he replied, but my father did.

Fast-forward about 1,500 years, and we have the earliest surviving joke in Old English, dating to the late-10th century CE: What hangs at a mans thigh and wants to poke the hole that its often poked before? A key.

Funny side up

What many of the jokes share is a willingness to deal with taboos, and speak with a degree of rebellion, Paul McDonald, the senior lecturer at Wolverhamptons School of Social Sciences and Humanities who led the research project said.

The thing that might be most surprising is how intricate and visual many of the jokes were, says Martha Bayless, a historian and director of folklore and public culture at University of Oregon.

She remembers catching herself chuckling in the quiet Cambridge University Library manuscript room, during her research for her PhD in Anglo-Saxon, Norse and Celtic.I kept noticing these little humorous works tucked in between the serious medieval treatises, she says.

There were parodies of abstruse philosophy, there were theological jokes. Some took a thorough knowledge of Latin to understand.

She also chanced upon Anglo-Saxon nicknames such as Toad-Balls or Roger God-Save-the-Ladies recorded in official documents, which never failed to crack her up.

She has found jokes and humorous illustrations scribbled in the margins of early Latin Bibles too. People will go wild in the margins of even the most solemn manuscripts! she says.

Rabbits hunt people, knights square off against snails, people blow trumpets out of their bottoms, hares besiege castles defended by dogs. There are so many weird, absurdist little scenarios that they were as much fun as any picture book.

There was a rampant bawdiness in medieval Europe that is perhaps explained by how hard the times were.

At a time when the plague might come roaring down the road at you at any moment, theres no time to waste! Humour is immediate enjoyment of life  they believed in seizing it, Bayless says.

There was even a form of stand-up in this period. Between the 5th and 16th centuries, it is said that witty courtiers traded insults in formal contests before their king. Sometimes they even insulted the king. Sometimes only once, Bayless jokes.

Easy, now

Jokes about shrewish wives would appear to have been a constant.

Women chase their husbands with frying pans or rolling pins; look stern and angry about an unaccomplished task; complain; judge; shrivel their mate with withering scorn in jokes going back to the 15th and 16th centuries.

Whats interesting is that the humour hinges on a shared assumption that the man should always be in a position of power; this renders the womans outbursts meaningless, and therefore humorous, says Joy Wiltenburg, professor emerita of history at Rowan University and author of Laughing Histories: From the Renaissance Man to the Woman of Wit (2022).

But the joke is also often aimed at the man, she adds. He is ridiculed for failing to uphold his dominant masculine role.

An ancient version of that awfully inaccurate saying: Nice guys finish last.

Different cultures and eras have always had their own ideas of what is funny. In ancient Rome, bald men were a popular target. In 17th-century England, it was tailors (because sewing was seen as womens work) and men who were cheated on by their wives.

Through time, Bayless says, jokes made at the expense of the wealthy and powerful have been popular.

Sample this one, thought to be so satisfying that it was preserved on papyrus and comes to us from Ancient Egypt: How do you entertain a bored pharaoh? You sail a boatload of young women dressed only in fishing nets down the Nile and urge him to catch a fish.

Keep it down?

How one responded to a joke could provide material for a fresh one, particularly in etiquette-heavy zones such as aristocratic France. Here, it was considered gauche to laugh out loud. The cultured gentleman would instead use his wit to skewer others without distorting his face with something as crude as laughter, Wiltenburg says.

Even here, though, the appeal of body humour endured. Part of that appeal lies in the fact that we are undignified and inappropriate. These jokes are an acceptance of the fact that we are all living in these embarrassing bodies that leak and get filthy and dont always obey our instructions or act in line with our higher instincts, says Bayless.

The laugh itself, interestingly, comes to us via apes (Click here for more on this, in a story from the Wknd archives). Comedy is still best-enjoyed as a group. Even today, sitcoms use laugh tracks to make the TV viewer feel less lonely in their laughter.

We can cry alone, but mirth is simply elevated when shared.
In recent months, weve discussed terms of greeting, and how hello isnt really that old; weve explored insults, slights, and colourful ways of essentially calling someone stupid.

All of which got me thinking about terms for talking in general. There are vibrant metaphors, around the world, for the ways in which we communicate.

Lets start with introductions that arent going well.

A surprising number of cultures have a term for that sinking feeling of starting to introduce someone, and completely forgetting their name.

Tartle, the Scots call it (which is fittingly close to startle). In the Bemba language of Zambia, its ciniweno: literally, thing, the name of which one does not remember.

The Portuguese seem inclined to brush off the misfortune and move on. Joca (thingumajig or thingummybob), they say.

Some ancient languages have interesting terms for the mechanics of speaking too.

Vovohetahtsenaotse, in the Native American Cheyenne, is the act of preparing the mouth to speak, by moving or licking ones lips.

Dabodela, in the Malagasy language of Madagascar, is the act of opening ones mouth, moving ones tongue, and still not being able to speak.

Bunhan bunahan, in the Bodo language of north-eastern India is the act of being undecided about speaking; literally, about to speak and also not about not to speak.

The Tsonga tongue of South Africa has the lyrical byatabyata; to try to say something but fail for lack of words

There are plenty of terms for people with the opposite problem.

She talks like a pepper mill, they say in Welsh, of someone who spits words out quickly and wont stop.

Nudnyi, in Russian, is someone who, when asked how they are, tells you in great detail. (Oh, the horrors of this, in any language.)

Hablar hasta por los codos, in Spanish, is literally, to talk even through ones elbows.

The kind of rapid-fire spiel used by certain kinds of telemarketers would appear to be timeless and universal. Geop, is Gaelic for fast talk that is largely unintelligible.

The mansplaining professor would seem to be a timeless trope too. Tener papas en la boca, in Chilean Spanish, indicates that someone is speaking in a stuffy and incomprehensible manner; literally speaking with potatoes in the mouth.

There are videos of both Donald Trump and Kamala Harris doing what, in Tsonga, would be called poyipoyi: talking at length but making no sense.

There are other rather endearing words for senseless talk: hopohopo in Finnish, prietpraat in Dutch, bablat in Hebrew.

Meanwhile, in Russian, someone who clangs on but never says anything of import is called a botalo (literally, cowbell).

The Germans are rather more blunt: Ich verstehe nur wortsalat means All I hear is a word salad. It is considered a rather powerful way to end an argument; said grimly, with a brief tilt of the head.

Now for the final set: There are two takes on random everyday conversation that I am particularly fond of.

In the Pascuense language of Easter Island, anga-anga denotes the feeling, perhaps groundless, that one is being gossiped about; but also indicates that this suspicion may be born of a persons own guilt (how Shakespearean!).

And my favourite comes from Jamaica, where the patois labrish gently embraces gossip as well as jokes, songs and nostalgic memories. It can be anything, man!

(Adam Jacot de Boinod is the author of The Meaning of Tingo)
Humans have, for the most part, been pretty successful at taming and domesticating plants, and moulding them to our will. But some continue to defy our efforts.

Saffron is one such species (more on that in the next column); truffles are another.

What fascinates me about truffles isnt their flavour. Its the story of why they are so elusive, and, as a result, so expensive.

For one thing, they simply do not fit into todays world of mechanised farming. One cannot plant truffles or harvest them. One must start by planting a tree whose roots they might like; one must then inoculate those roots with a specific fungal strain, hoping that the tree and the strain will get along  although they most likely will not.

The farmer must then wait at least five, if not 10, years, before beginning to search their orchard, with a specially trained animal, for truffles that may or may not have grown underground.

Why cant any of this be made simpler? Well, like all fungi, truffles cannot perform photosynthesis. Most mushrooms get around this by simply breaking down organic material such as compost  or, in my case, food forgotten at the back of the fridge. (The spores are everywhere around us, which is how they manage to turn up, seemingly out of nowhere.)

Truffles operate differently. They survive by forming symbiotic relationships with trees. They receive sugars from the tree and, in return, use their filaments to gather, from far and wide, nutrients that the tree needs but cannot reach. Given the right conditions, they can thus co-exist in harmony for several years.

Fast-forward several years, then, and the fungi are now mating underground (I have to add here that how they reproduce is still a mystery to science, so I cannot tell you what goes on). With a successful mating, a small knob appears, carrying spores. This immature shroom lies dormant, waiting for the right temperature and moisture conditions to trigger the growth of its spore-filled fruiting body.

The right conditions take time, but finally the fruiting is done. Now, how is this hidden fungus to disperse its spores?

Unlike plants, which invest energy in producing flowers and fruit to attract pollinators and seed-dispersers, the truffle is still underground, so it neednt bother. What it does focus on is aroma.

Chefs will often delicately shave a truffle at the table, because thats the surest way for a diner to benefit from all the exorbitant aromatics. (Adobe Stock)

A ripe truffle doesnt look like anything much; the white Alba resembles a potato and the black Perigord looks like a pebble. But each one can release over 200 volatile organic compounds, including alcohols. People describe the flavours of a ripe truffle as heady, earthy, musky. What theyre really describing are the aromas.

This is why the easiest way to find one is with a trained sniffer. The scent typically attracts mammals such as pigs, deer, mice, boar, foxes and bears, which eat the fungi and disperse the spores in their faeces.

Pigs were often used as foragers, because of their fondness for truffles. Now, dogs are replacing them because they can be trained to leave the ripe ones alone once they find them (something the pigs apparently could not be trained to do!).

There is a peak aroma stage at which truffles must be harvested. Jump the gun and one may as well throw the valuable bulb away. An unripe truffle has almost no flavour, and will not ripen once out of the ground.

Even with a ripe, whole truffle safely harvested, though, the drama isnt done. Once again, they defy all modern standards of food distribution, because there is no way to preserve them. Canning and dehydrating destroy their flavour; freezing compromises both texture and flavour.

Once they are out of the ground, meanwhile, it is a race against the clock. They must be consumed within 10 days. Even within this window, they lose a bit of moisture and valuable weight with each day. And so they are flown around the world in a frenzy, to restaurants that then shave them delicately at the table  because thats the surest way to benefit from the exorbitant aromatics.

How exorbitant? Truffles sell for 2,000 ( 1.8 lakh) to 6,000 ( 5.6 lakh) per kg for the white and up to 1,500 ( 1.4 lakh) per kg for the black Perigord.

Prices can be expected to rise, as climate change adds to the challenges. France, for instance, produced about 1,588 tonnes of the black Perigord annually in the 19th century. It now yields only 10 to 50 tonnes of these a year, as rising temperatures have hampered truffle formation.

Amid steady demand for the flavour and the tag, chemists have isolated one of the key compounds, and this is why there really is something of a truffle flavour in the more expensive truffle oils and gourmet flavoured snacks. But this is one compound of about 200, so it isnt anything like the full experience.

Isnt it incredible that something so gnarled, bumpy and covered in mud should retain such a hold over us, and so refuse to be tamed?

If youd like more drama from this world, turn to The Truffle Underground: A Tale of Mystery, Mayhem, and Manipulation in the Shadowy Market of the Worlds Most Expensive Fungus. The marvellous book by investigative reporter Ryan Jacobs dives into a web of dog poisonings, murders, fraud and other truffle-mafia-don doings.

You wont ever look at these shrooms the same way again.

(To reach Swetha Sivakumar with questions or feedback, email upgrademyfood@gmail.com)
Loewes latest VIP-filled collection dazzled at the Paris Fashion Week runway Friday, presenting an explosion of flowers and form that captured designer Jonathan Andersons innovative spirit. Models present creations from Loewe, Schiaparelli, Victoria Beckham and Issey Miyake.

The Northern Irish designer again showed his talent for infusing theatricality into his designs, showcasing whimsical creations like a surreal giant hoop skirt that lent the display an eccentric, circus-like feel. A stunning white gown adorned with vibrant floral prints radiated energy.

Here are some highlights of spring-summer ready-to-wear shows:

Loewes twists

Unexpected lines and twists on classic silhouettes dominated the runway, with the giant hoop transforming floral patterns into eccentric spectacles. Anderson expertly wove together historical inspirations from the Renaissance with the carefree looseness of the 1920s, mixed with surreal structured skirts and peplums that evoked a rich sense of heritage. All designs had something off-kilter about them.

A standout piece, a beautiful feathered poncho featuring a Van Gogh print, dazzled with its artistic flair. It illustrated Andersons ability to transform art into fashion and resonated deeply with camera-ready audiences. Each piece seemed to challenge the viewers expectations, daring them to reconsider the boundaries of traditional fashion.

In its exploration of bold concepts and mind-bending forms, the display occasionally veered into the overly conceptual. But Anderson still delivered a wealth of wearable pieces. The collection included striking items like a black trench coat with a fashion-forward midriff cut-out, which exuded rock-star magnetism and exemplified the brands leather heritage.

The piece, along with others, showcased Andersons mastery in balancing creativity with practicality.

Schiaparelli shines with bold whimsy

Daniel Roseberry's latest collection for Schiaparelli focuses on blending high fashion with refreshing accessibility. Though it featured less of the Surrealism associated with the late, great house founder Elsa Schiaparelli, the collection still celebrated whimsy, albeit a dialed down version.

Gone are the days of celebrity-driven runways. Instead, Roseberry crafted an eclectic mix of bold silhouettes and playful designs. Standout pieces included denim with a unique U-shaped dip at the waist, paired with curve-hugging ivory bodysuits that highlighted an hourglass shape. This motif, evident in a zip-front dress and sleek halter top, appeared throughout the collection, showcasing Roseberrys knack for redefining femininity.

With fewer embroideries this season, the designer emphasized texture and details. Models strutted in gathered mesh jersey dresses, with fabric coiled like a braid, and dresses accented with suede for added luster.

Footwear also stole the spotlight, featuring Roseberrys signature trompe loeil sneakers alongside leather babouche slides adorned with golden toe rings  transforming everyday items into artistic statements.

Roseberry drew inspiration from the women in his life who crave statement pieces that are effortlessly chic, with daring patterns, exaggerated shoulder pads, and bold floral motifs.

In a fashion landscape often driven by commercial pressures, Schiaparellis latest show carved out a dynamic space for creativity. Roseberry proved he can balance artistic whimsy with wearable elegance.

Issey Miyakes papery beauty

Issey Miyakes latest collection unfolded like a poetic exploration into the art of simplicity and craft. Much like the houses previous offerings, this collection combined innovative techniques with tradition  a hallmark that has continued under the vision of Satoshi Kondo and the design atelier.

This time, the team explored paper as a medium and inspiration, delving into its textures, lightness, and nostalgic feel. If previous shows dabbled in geometry and fluidity, Friday's collection was about the fragility and strength of paper through airy, pleated garments and origami-inspired folds.

The collection began with kamiko pieces  garments made of traditional washi paper  that paid homage to Japans centuries-old crafts. This nod to the past didnt come at the expense of wearability.

The Fold-to-Form pieces were nothing short of architectural brilliance, with angular, origami-inspired folds. It felt like a natural extension of the Miyake legacy: one part innovation, one part reflection on the past.

The houses fixation on textiles sometimes tipped into over-conceptualization. The EAU series, with its water-like transparency and fluidity, had all the ethereal beauty one could expect, but the weight of its metaphor  garments flowing like water  felt familiar.

Marketing madness

As Paris Fashion Week unfolds, so too do the latest gimmicks. The newest trend and subject of front-row chatter was the introduction of Uber Fashion cars, designed in collaboration with fashion house Coperni. The vehicles feature a metallic sheen inspired by the brands Swipe Bag.

Fashion-conscious riders could book a free ride in these cars by selecting the Uber Fashion option in the app, and each ride even comes with a custom playlist to enhance the Fashion Week experience, according to Uber. However, availability is on a first-come, first-served basis, meaning that many may be unable to secure a ride amidst the events chaos. Its yet another example of how the fashion industry seeks to capitalize on Fashion Weeks excitement.

Victoria Beckham blows in a new breeze

Victoria Beckhams latest collection swept through Paris with the force of a Greek myth, evoking the Victory of Samothrace as a twisted cropped vest opened the show. It billowed like a gleaming shard of fabric, as if it were poised to take flight off the runway  setting the tone for a collection that danced between poetry and practicality.

The windswept aesthetic was unmistakable throughout, from a sheer pastel top that exposed nipples in a diagonal cascade down the torso, to loose-waisted signature trousers with a billowing slit. Beckhams recurring play with proportions was here, albeit with a softer, more sculptural touch, subtly nodding to her signature focus on elongating the body. This time, her references to Ancient Greece gave her collection a new kind of dynamism that felt almost ethereal. Gigi Hadid, draped in a gleaming green gown with a gathered skirt, moved like a sculpture come to life  a striking moment that embodied this unexpected, but highly welcome, more poetical direction for the former Spice Girl.

But amid the billowing silhouettes and minimalism, Beckham deftly anchored designs with the staples that have made her brand so popular. Florals made an appearance  subtle, yet essential  as did her commitment to relaxed, modern tailoring. While the poetical gestures floated through, the bread-and-butter of the house remained: practical, wearable luxury.

Yet the collection walked a fine line between creativity and wearability  a line Beckham has navigated with mixed success in the past. While the draped, windswept garments invoked a sense of playful experimentation, critics of her previous work may wonder if her eccentricity is in danger of overpowering the brands practical core. Beckhams last few seasons have seen her balancing the theatrical with the everyday, but the sheer pastels and sculptural gowns here flirted with pushing that envelope a little too far.

Still, Beckham has proven her command of deconstruction and silhouette, and here it paid off. The architectural approach shes honed, from slashed jackets to exposed backs, found new life in this Grecian motif. Her ability to expose and conceal in the same breath, to deconstruct and rebuild, once again highlights her strength in mastering complex garment constructiona talent honed across her Parisian shows.
Sharvari Wagh and Alaya F were two of the best-dressed celebrities at the GQ Best Dressed Awards last night. The actors chose striking all-black looks for the red carpet event with contrasting aesthetics. While Sharvari wore a killer double-breasted suit, Alaya brought the oomph in a cut-out risque gown. Sharvari Wagh and Alaya F attend an event.

What did Sharvari Wagh wear?

One of the best-dressed celebrities in the new generation of actors, Sharvari, attended the award night in a very Bella Hadid-inspired ensemble. During their Spring-Summer showcase at the Paris Fashion Week, Saint Laurent presented masculine suits for women. Bella, who returned on the runway after a two-year hiatus, wore a black double-breasted suit. Sharvari's look reminded us of the Saint Laurent show.

Sharvari Wagh's Bella Hadid-inspired masculine suit look.

Sharvari's black double-breasted Fendi suit features a blazer with raised shawl lapel collars, padded shoulders, full-length sleeves, a tailored fitting, hidden button closures, and side pockets. She styled it with straight-leg pants and a white kimono-collared shirt featuring sull-length sleeves. Wine-red boots, a single floral earring, winged eyeliner, mauve eye shadow, rouge-tinted checks, matching lips, feathered brows, and a pulled-back top knot rounded off the styling.

Decoding Alaya F's ensemble

Alaya attended GQ Best Dressed Awards in a black floor-length gown featuring a plunging cut-out on the bodice, full-length sleeves, a gathered design on the waist, a risque thigh-high slit, and a bodycon fit accentuating her svelte frame. The golden sun embellishments on the midriff and neckline added a feminine glamour to Alaya's ensemble.

The actor styled her outfit with black block heel pumps and statement-making jewels, including a gold sun ear cuff and multiple gold rings on one hand. For the glam, she chose silver smokey eye shadow, darkened eyebrows, mauve lip shade, blushed cheeks, black eyeliner, French manicured nails, and mascara-adorned lashes. Lastly, she tied her hair in a centre-parted, half-up, half-down hairdo.
Being the first Indian chosen to host the International Emmy Awards does not make one immune to Schengen visa trouble. Vir Das has been forced to postpone his show in Dublin as his request for a double-entry Schengen visa was denied by the Swedish Embassy. Comic Vir Das ran into Schengen visa trouble during his Mind Fool Tour.

The comedian took to the social media platform X this morning to announce that his Dublin show would have to be pushed to a later date as he cannot leave Sweden on his single-entry Schengen visa. He had been slated to perform in the capital city of Ireland on October 7 as part of his Mind Fool Tour.

(Also read: Vir Das becomes first Indian to host International Emmy Awards; Hrithik Roshan and Dia Mirza laud him. See post)

Vir Das, currently in Sweden for his show in Stockholm on September 30, said he had applied for a double-entry Schengen visa that would have allowed him to re-enter the Schengen zone after his show in Dublin. However, the Swedish Embassy gave him a single-entry visa, which means he cannot leave the Schengen zone for Ireland, as scheduled.

Ireland, although a part of the European Union, is not in Schengen.

Das said that the Schengen visa for his tour assistant was also rejected as the Swedish Embassy did not believe he would return to India.

Applied for a double entry Schengen. The Swedish embassy in their infinite wisdom give me a single entry one and rejected my tour assistant saying they dont believe hes going to return to India. Now I have to push a Dublin show because I cant leave Schengen. What a week! Das wrote on X.

You're not alone, Vir Das

The post led to backlash against Schengen visa rules that many believe are unfairly skewed against Indians. Several people noted how Indian applicants face high rates of rejection compared to other nationalities.

Include in your show, while there, a segment about how crazy, racist and bureaucratic the visa processes are, suggested X user Apurv Nagpal.

EU has become extra cautious with visas. Try for a multi entry 1 year visa, maybe it works, another advised.

This gives some solace. If it can happen to Vir Das to hum kis khet ki mooli hai. Still cant get over the heartburn of my Schengen visa rejection earlier this year after having been to the region half a dozen times if not more, a X user said in response.

Europeans really need to understand that it's a tourist continent. We really don't want to stay there. We just want to visit, a person added.
Renowned Indian YouTuber Gaurav Taneja, popularly known as Flying Beast, and his wife, Ritu Rathee, appear to be going through a challenging phase in their relationship. The couple, once known for openly expressing their affection, has been the subject of recent rumours suggesting that they may have hit a rough patch. Social media is now abuzz with whispers of their possible separation. Flying Beast, aka Gaurav Taneja, addressed rumours of separation from his wife, Ritu Rathee.(Instagram/riturathee)

(Also read: Dhruv Rathee and Gaurav Taneja clash again, this time over UP govt paying 8 lakh to influencers)

Gaurav breaks his silence

On Saturday, the YouTuber took to Instagram to break his silence on the matter. In his first-ever post addressing the rumours, he shared a note in Devnagri, which read, "Joi Joi mohe pyaar kare, soi mohe have," roughly translating to, "Those who love me, I love them back."

In a longer caption accompanying the post, Gaurav opened up about his stance, writing, I will remain quiet for my kids and the mother of my child. Ready to live with all the negativity and hate for my entire life. Please dont expect any public explanation. Please stop making assumptions. Men are made villains very fast. We dont cry, we talk less, and express less. Some of us are hardwired like that.

He also called for the public to stop making assumptions about his private life, making it clear that social media isnt the appropriate place to discuss family matters. Gaurav emphasised his dedication to his work, explaining that despite personal struggles, he will continue posting content that had been pre-planned.

Take a look here at the post:

About Gaurav Taneja

Gaurav, a former AirAsia pilot, is the creator of three popular YouTube channels: Flying Beast, Fit Muscle TV, and Rasbhari Ke Papa. His vlogs, which focus on his familys daily life, have garnered a massive following, with his Instagram alone boasting 3.7 million followers.

(Also read: Dhruv Rathee, Gaurav Tanejas war of words over India vs Bharat debate: Your dying career)

The couple married in 2016 and have two daughters, Kiara and Pihu. Ritu Rathee, like Gaurav, enjoys a significant online presence, with 1.6 million followers on Instagram.
A pro-Kannada activist has voiced his objections to Onam celebrations at the Infosys Bengaluru campus, calling it a threat to Kannada demography. The activist, who goes by Kari Subbayya on the social media platform X, shared a video of an Onam dance being performed at the Infosys office in the capital of Karnataka. Screengrab from a video showing Onam celebrations at Infosys Bengaluru(X/@KariSubbayya)

This is Infosys Bengaluru. How can this still be taken lightly? he asked on the social media platform, taking issue with Onam festivities at the Bengaluru campus of IT giant Infosys.

Onam is a major annual festival celebrated predominantly in the state of Kerala. In the last few months, as the pro-Kannada movement has seen renewed momentum, several Kannadigas have objected to Onam celebrations in Karnataka, calling it a threat to Kannada culture. Subbayya, one among such numbers, pointed to especially high influx of migrants from Kerala in his controversial post.

They will never keep quiet & definitely start injecting their culture, especially high influx of migrants from KL & their dependence & hold on KAR causing high threat to Kannada demography, he wrote on X.

Take a look at his post below:

Subbayyas take, predictably, proved extremely polarising on X. His post has garnered over half a million views.

While he did find support from a section of the internet, many more criticised and questioned him for promoting regionalism.

How do you know that all of them are from Kerala? They are just celebrating a festival. It does not mean anything. Just chill and have some fun and celebrate each day. Is that not the essence of each culture? wrote X user Hari Pudipeddi.

I really dont get you. What is stopping the Kannadigas in Infosys from organising a similar celebration for Ugadi? They probably do it already. Youre just hate mongering here! another said.

So do Infosys offices in Kerala and Tamil Nadu celebrate Dasara or Ugadi in the same manner? No, right? So don't give this logic! Why should we celebrate Kerala festival in Karnataka office? an X user countered.

This is not the first time that objections have been raised against Onam festivities in Karnataka. Earlier this month, a Bengaluru woman has slammed BigBasket for sending free flowers with her order on the festival of Onam.

(Also read: Bengaluru woman slams BigBasket for sending free flowers on Onam)
Amazon recently scrapped its hybrid work policy, ordering all employees to work from office five days a week starting January 2025. In an email to staff, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy highlighted the benefits of working from office, saying collaboration and brainstorming is more effective when everyone is present together in one place. An ex-Amazon employee has revealed three tricks to avoid return-to-office.(REUTERS)

The return to office mandate disappointed thousands of staffers who have since begged the management to reconsider its decision. Some have apparently gone a step further and started resorting to trickery.

According to a Business Insider article, a former Amazon Web Services (AWS) engineer revealed three common tricks used by Amazon employees to bypass the return to office mandate.

In his since-deleted post, John McBride revealed some clever hacks used by Amazon employees to avoid returning to office. McBride, who left AWS in 2023, said that engineers went to wild lengths to avoid returning to the office. Here is what they did:

Coffee badging

McBride first highlighted the ploy used not just by Amazon workers but many hybrid workers - showing up in office for a very short period of time, typically to grab a coffee and then leave.

The classic: badging in during lunch, grabbing a free coffee or snack, and immediately leaving. This worked for a few weeks until they started tracking time actually "in" the office, wrote McBride in his now-deleted post.

Renaming home Wi-Fi

Another trick used by Amazon workers to dupe in-office rules: renaming their home Wi-Fi connection. According to McBride, renaming home wifi network to the name of the network in office meant that when employees logged in for the day, they were marked in office by the reporting software.

This worked for awhile but eventually IT made the reporting software more robust and didn't just check network names, McBride revealed.

Leave badge at office

Finally, some workers even developed a method where they would leave their badge in office with a co-worker, who would then check in and check out on their behalf.

Some people made deals where they'd leave their badge at an office and they'd have other people badge in and out for them. Risky, but knew someone who did this for months, McBride said.
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned Moscow for "waging war on hospitals" after Russian strikes on a hospital in the border city of Sumy killed 10 people Saturday. This handout photograph taken and released by the National Police of Ukraine on September 28, 2024, shows a damaged hospital building following a missile attack in Sumy (Photo by Sergei GAPON / National Police of Ukraine / AFP) / XGTY / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY CREDIT "AFP PHOTO / NATIONAL POLICE OF UKRAINE)

Ukrainian Interior Minister Igor Klymenko wrote on Telegram that the first strike "killed one person" and damaged several floors of the hospital.

"During the evacuation of patients, the enemy struck again," he added.

Sumy lies just across the border from Russia's Kursk region, where Kyiv launched a surprise offensive on August 6, aimed in part at creating a "buffer zone" inside Russia.

"Russia hit one of the city's hospitals with Shahed drones," Zelensky wrote on Telegram.

The attack hit the St Panteleimon Clinical Hospital near the city centre, officials said, with a nurse among the dead.

The attack comes as Zelensky is pressing Kyiv's Western allies to allow the use of long-range precision weapons to strike deep inside Russia.

"Everyone in the world who speaks about this war must pay attention to what Russia is targeting. They are waging war on hospitals, civilian facilities and people's lives," the president said.

Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmygal said the attack was "more evidence of Russia's war crimes".

Zelensky posted photos of smoke pouring from windows above the destroyed entrance to the hospital, rescuers carrying patients down the stairs and treating two policemen lying on the ground.

On Saturday morning, three drones attacked the regional capital city and two hit the hospital, Ukraine's air force said.

A first strike was followed by another around an hour later on Saturday morning, officials said, apparently targeting the rescue operation to maximise casualties.

- 'Lying on the street dead' -

Russia has destroyed or damaged at least 1,736 medical facilities in Ukraine since its February 2022 invasion, Human Rights Watch reported in July.

These have included a children's hospital in Kyiv in July and a maternity hospital in Mariupol in March 2022.

Regional prosecutors said the first attack took place at around 7:35 am (0435 GMT) and the second about an hour later.

Images posted by officials showed body bags lying on the pavement outside the four-storey building with a destroyed entrance and the roof partially ripped off.

The hospital's director Volodymyr Potseluyev told Suspilne media outlet that the hospital's admission department, casualty department and fourth floor were destroyed.

He said seriously injured patients had been transferred to intensive care units at other hospitals.

Regional authorities said the strikes also hit a residential area and posted images of flats with broken windows.

Dobrobat, a volunteer group that helps repair damaged homes, wrote on Facebook that its volunteers were working at the scene when the second strike came.

It posted a video showing thick smoke, explosions and people rushing to take shelter as sirens wailed.

"People are just lying on the street dead," a volunteer said, filming himself on his phone.

Ukraine's air force reported shooting down 68 Russian attack drones out of 73 in multiple regions overnight, including Sumy, and two out of four cruise missiles launched overnight by Russia.

In the central city of Kryvyi Rig, rescuers pulled another body from the rubble of a police office building struck by a missile on Friday, regional governor Sergiy Lysak said, taking the toll to four.

A drone strike in a border village in the eastern Kharkiv region killed one man and wounding three women, regional governor Oleg Synegubov said.

In Russia's Belgorod border region, governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said a local resident was killed Saturday morning by a drone attack.

Closing his visit to the United States, Zelensky released a statement later Saturday thanking US President Joe Biden for the latest military aid package of $8 billion, and the US Congress for its "unwavering" support.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov warned European countries against seeking confrontation with Moscow in a speech to the UN General Assembly in New York.

Western countries "hope to defeat Russia using the illegitimate neo-Nazi Kyiv regime, but they're already preparing Europe for it to also throw itself into this suicidal escapade," he said.

"I'm not going to talk here about the senselessness and the danger of the very idea of trying to fight to victory with a nuclear power."
Belgium's prime minister blasted Pope Francis for the Catholic Church's horrific legacy of clerical sex abuse and cover-ups, demanding concrete steps to come clean with the past and put victims' interests ahead those of the institution in a blistering welcome at the start of Francis' visit on Friday. Belgium's Prime Minister Alexander De Croo speaks during the 79th Session of the United Nations General Assembly at the United Nations headquarters in New York City on September 24, 2024. (Photo by Charly TRIBALLEAU / AFP)(AFP)

The speech by Prime Minister Alexander De Croo was one of the most pointed ever directed at the pope during a foreign trip, where the genteel dictates of diplomatic protocol usually keeps outrage out of the public speeches.

But even King Philippe had strong words for Francis, demanding the church work incessantly to atone for the crimes and help victims heal.

Their tone underscored just how raw the abuse scandal still is in Belgium, where two decades of revelations of abuse and systematic cover-ups have devastated the hierarchy's credibility and contributed to an overall decline in Catholicism and the influence of the once-powerful Catholic Church.

ALSO READ| Pope Francis says Kamala Harris and Donald Trump both against life on this topic

Francis applauded at the end of De Croo's speech, and was expected to meet with victims in private later Friday.

Today, words alone do not suffice. We also need concrete steps, De Croo said. Victims need to be heard. They need to be at the centre. They have a right to truth. Misdeeds need to be recognised, he said in front of an audience of royals, church officials, diplomats and politicians at Laeken Castle, the residence of Belgium's royal family.

When something goes wrong we cannot accept cover-ups, he said. To be able to look into the future, the church needs to come clean on its past.

Pope Francis visits Belgium amidst lingering abuse scandal

Revelations of Belgium's horrific abuse scandal have dribbled out in bits over a quarter century, punctuated by a bombshell in 2010, when the country's longest-serving bishop, Bruges Bishop Roger Vangheluwe, was allowed to resign without punishment after admitting he had sexually abused his nephew for 13 years.

Francis only defrocked Vangheluwe earlier this year, in a move clearly designed to remove a lingering source of outrage among Belgians before his visit.

Outrage about church sex abuse was reignited last year, when a four-episode Flemish documentary showed Belgian victims telling their stories on camera. Godvergeten (Godforsaken) aired on public broadcaster VRT in the weeks surrounding a royal visit to the Vatican during which Francis was invited to Belgium.

ALSO READ| Belgian PM, Modi review ties in phone call, discuss conflicts in Ukraine, Gaza

For the first time, Flemish viewers at home saw victims explain the scope of the scandal in their community, the depravity of the crimes, and the systematic cover-up by the Catholic hierarchy.

Pope gets an earful from Belgian King and abuse victims over scandals

Amid the public outrage that ensued, both a Flanders parliamentary committee and Belgium's federal parliament opened official inquests and heard months of testimony from victims, experts and the Catholic hierarchy.

Their testimonies cast new attention on a scandal that had already been blamed for a steep decline in the Catholic Church over a generation in Belgium, where church authorities have stopped publishing weekly Mass attendance figures as the monthly rate sits in the single digits.

The pope also referred to abuse in his remarks, insisting that the church was addressing firmly and decisively the problem by implementing prevention programmes, listening to victims and accompanying them to heal.

But after the astonishing dressing down by the prime minister and king, Francis went off-script to express the shame of the church for the scandal and voice his commitment to ending it.

ALSO READ| Pope Francis cancels meetings due to mild flu, Vatican says

The church must be ashamed and ask forgiveness and try to resolve this problem, and put all the possibilities in place so that this doesn't happen again, Francis said. For even one (victim), we must ask forgiveness.

Victims, however, have demanded the church do far more, including implementing robust reparations programmes to compensate them for their trauma and pay for the lifelong therapy many need. Some penned a letter demanding such a reparations programme, which they planned to deliver to Francis in their private meeting.
Lebanon's Hezbollah confirmed on Saturday that its leader, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, was killed in an Israeli airstrike, vowing to continue its battle against Israel. Lebanon's Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah.(REUTERS / File)

The announcement came shortly after France's foreign ministry also said that, according to its information, Nasrallah was dead.

"The security and protection of civilians must be guaranteed, including that of French citizens in the region, which is our priority," the French foreign ministry added.

The statement followed Israel's claim that it had killed the Hezbollah chief in a strike on Beiruts southern suburbs the day before.

Also Read | Israel takes on Iran by neutralising Hassan Nasrallah

Nasrallahs death marks a major blow to Hezbollah and its regional ally, Iran. The slain Hezbollah leader, a significant figure in the Tehran-backed "Axis of Resistance," had played a crucial role in projecting Iranian influence across the Middle East.

The Israeli military said it had eliminated Nasrallah in a "targeted strike" on Hezbollah's underground headquarters beneath a residential building in Dahiyeh, a Hezbollah-controlled suburb in southern Beirut. Ali Karaki, a senior Hezbollah leader, and several other commanders were reportedly killed in the strike.

Also Read | Iran supreme leader's first reaction after Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah reported killed: Far too weak to

Fridays airstrike left a 20-meter-deep crater, according to Lebanese security sources, and shook the Lebanese capital.

Despite Nasrallah's death, Hezbollah continued its cross-border rocket fire into Israel, setting off sirens and prompting residents in northern Israel to take shelter.

The escalating conflict has raised fears of a broader regional confrontation that could draw in Hezbollah's backer, Iran, as well as the United States.

Israeli military officials said that they were on high alert, hoping Nasrallah's death might alter Hezbollah's trajectory, though they remained cautious.

"We hope this will change Hezbollah's actions," Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani said in a media briefing. But he said it would still take time to degrade Hezbollah's capabilities.

"We've seen Hezbollah carry out attacks against us for a year. It's safe to assume that they are going to continue carrying out their attacks against us or try to," he said.
New Delhi: Chinese researchers have successfully reversed Type-1 diabetes in a patient using a novel stem cell therapy, according to a study published in the journal Cell this week, in what is a breakthrough for now just management of the disease but how stem cells can be used as therapies. Pens for the diabetes drug Ozempic sit on a production line at Danish drugmaker Novo Nordisk's site in Hillerod, Denmark. (REUTERS)

The treatment involves transplanting insulin-producing cells derived from the patients own chemically induced pluripotent stem cells (CiPSCs) beneath the abdominal wall. One year after the procedure, the patient has achieved sustained insulin independence and restored glycaemic control.

In other words, they have demonstrated treating a disease that is notoriously difficult to tackle, and by leveraging the biological promise of stem cells, which possess a unique ability to be turned into any kind of cell.

In doing so, the researchers demonstrated several breakthroughs. First is how the stem cells were created. Typically, such cells are harvested from embryos or bone marrow, which can be ethically controversial or more invasive. But in this case, the researchers used CiPSCs, which involves taking some of the patients regular body cells and turning them into special stem cells using chemicals in a sort of reprogramming to turn them into insulin producing cells.

Second, was in how the researchers deployed the stem cells  they put these new insulin-making cells under the skin of the patients belly.

James Shapiro, a transplant surgeon and researcher at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada, told science journal Nature that the results of the surgery are stunning. Theyve completely reversed diabetes in the patient, who was requiring substantial amounts of insulin beforehand.

The experiment was in the first-in-human phase I clinical trial, conducted at an undisclosed medical centre in China.

According to the study, the 25-year-old woman began showing improvement 75 days after transplantation.

While the results are promising, the researchers involved said larger clinical trials are necessary to confirm the safety and efficacy of such treatment.
The targeted assassination of Hezbollahs terrorist in-chief Hassan Nasrallah by Israeli Air Force after neutralising top Radwan force commanders, pager explosions and walkie-talkie explosions within the Iran-backed Shia groups shows deep penetration of Israeli agencies inside the Lebanon-based Islamist group. Iranian leader Al Khamenei with killed Hezbollah's Hassan Nasrallah and assassinated IRGC head Qassem Suleimani

Sixty-four-year-old Nasrallah was the principal cats paw of Ayatollahs of Iran as he ran the brutal Islamic group for the past three decades, taking on the powerful Israelis head-on during the occupation of southern Lebanon and then 2006 land war which ended in a stalemate.

That the Israelis caught Nasrallah unawares in his Beirut bunker last night shows the level of precise actionable intelligence and deadly targeting through laser-guided concrete penetrating bombs by the Israeli Air Force.



ALSO READ: Iran targeting Israel in dangerous Middle East Game. Can India resolve crisis?

Presently, the majority of the population in north and central Israel are hiding in bomb shelters fearing Hezbollah and Iran retaliation post-killing of Nasrallah.

Hassan Nasrullah was favourite of Ayatollah Khamenei

Although Iran has been using Shia Houthis, Sunni Hamas, and Shia Kaitab Hezbollah in Iraq, Nasrallah, and his Lebanon-based group is the closest to the Iranian clergy and its strong armthe QUDS force.

The killing of Nasrallah along with the deaths of senior commanders since the pagers exploded must be a serious setback for Tehran as the son of a vegetable seller was a favourite of Ayatollah Khomeini.

It was Khomeinis 1979 Iranian revolution that radicalized the Hezbollah cadre and made them into fighters after taking training from Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of Iran. Hezbollah supported Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad and virtually captured the once-Christian Lebanon.

Nasrallah ran afoul with Israel after Hezbollah launched rocket attacks into the north of Jew nation in support of Hamas post-October 7 massacre. In a span of two months, Israel has severely degraded Hezbollahs fighting capabilities after killing top commanders like Fuad Shukr and Ibrahim Aqil in targeted strikes.

The losses of top and middle-level Hezbollah commanders will make it very difficult for Iran to appoint the successor of Nasrallah as even his deputy has been taken out by Tel Aviv.

Just like Hamas, Hezbollah is an ideology that cannot die despite its top leader being exterminated. The Israeli borders with Lebanon and Gaza will remain hot and so will be the skies with missiles being fired by Houthis in Yemen. The death of Nasrallah may trigger a strong retaliation from Iran but the missile capabilities of Tehran are limited in range and effectiveness.

After taking out Hamas Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, Nasrallah in Lebanon, Israel has taken the fight to Iran. The ball is now in Ali Khameneis court as his credibility is at stake.
Israel's army chief, Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi, vowed on Saturday to "reach" anyone who poses a threat to Israeli citizens, following the militarys confirmation that airstrikes in Lebanon's Beirut had killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. Israeli military Chief of General Staff Herzi Halevi directs an operation, at a location given as Tel Aviv, Israel, in this picture released August 25, 2024.(via REUTERS)

The attack, which reportedly struck the group's central headquarters in the southern suburbs of Beirut, represents a major escalation in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.

"This is not the end of our toolbox. The message is simple, anyone who threatens the citizens of Israel -- we will know how to reach them," Halevi said in an official statement.

He added that the strike, which killed Nasrallah, had been planned meticulously for some time and executed with precision. "This attack was prepared for a long time, executed at the right moment with great precision, and now we are moving forward with careful preparation for the next steps."

Also Read | Who was Hassan Nasrallah, Hezbollah chief killed in Israel strike? 5 things to know about him

Big blow for Hezbollah

The killing of Nasrallah, who had led the Iran-backed Hezbollah for over three decades, if confirmed, is a significant blow to the militant group, which has been involved in cross-border skirmishes with Israel since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war in October.

Nasrallah, 64, has long been a close ally of Irans supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and is central to Tehran's strategy of projecting influence in the region through proxy forces.

In a statement posted on X, Israeli army spokesperson Avichay Adraee said, The Israeli military eliminated ... Hassan Nasrallah, leader of the Hezbollah terrorist organization.

Follow LIVE updates on Israeli offensive in Lebanon

Another senior Hezbollah figure, Ali Karaki, was also reportedly killed in the strike, according to Adraee.

Hezbollah has not yet issued an official statement confirming Nasrallahs death, and Iranian state media has reported conflicting accounts of his status. A senior Iranian security official told Reuters that Tehran was still working to verify whether Nasrallah had been killed. Shortly after the attack, a source close to Hezbollah told Reuters that Nasrallah was alive, although he had not been reachable in the hours following the airstrike.

Since assuming leadership in the early 1990s, Nasrallah transformed Hezbollah from a local militia into a formidable regional force, deeply aligned with Iran's political and military objectives. The group is widely regarded as Iran's most powerful proxy in the Middle East, forming the core of the so-called 'axis of resistance' against Israel and US interests in the region.

Israeli forces have intensified airstrikes against Hezbollah positions in Lebanon over the past week, killing several senior commanders. According to Lebanese officials, more than 600 people have died in Israeli attacks this week, including 50 children. Israel maintains that its military actions are necessary to halt Hezbollah's rocket attacks and to prevent the group from advancing closer to the Israeli border.

With inputs from agencies
Smoke rises from the site of an Israeli airstrike on the Shiyah neighbourhood of Beirut's southern suburbs on September 28, 2024.

Lebanon crisis Highlights: The Israeli military launched deadly attacks on Lebanon on Saturday, which resulted in the death of Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah and targeted more than 140 locations, and reports said that the killings included his daughter, Zainab Nasrallah. The army began strikes in the densely populated Dahiyeh suburb of Beirut on Friday, aiming to target Hezbollah's headquarters and weapons depots....Read More

One of the primary targets of the attack was Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, who Israel confirmed as dead on Saturday.

On the same day, the Israeli military also stated that they had killed a commander of Hezbollah's missile unit, Muhammad Ali Ismail, along with his deputy, Hossein Ahmed Ismail, in southern Lebanon.

The Israeli offensive against Hezbollah has resulted in over 700 deaths in Lebanon over the past week, including both civilians and Hezbollah operatives.

According to Reuters, witnesses reported hearing more than 20 separate airstrikes conducted before dawn on Saturday in Beirut.

Airstrikes carried out by Israel in Beirut on Friday, allegedly targeting Hezbollah operatives, resulted in six deaths and 91 injuries, according to provisional data provided by Lebanon's health ministry on Saturday.

Seven buildings were demolished in the strikes, where Israeli forces claimed weapons were being stored. However, Hezbollah has denied establishing a weapons depot in Beirut.

As reported by AFP, they have indicated that their next strike will be on Saturday in the Tyre region of southern Lebanon.

In a statement, the military said that they were striking terror targets belonging to the Hezbollah terrorist organization in the area.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has strongly condemned Israel's airstrikes on the densely populated southern suburbs of Beirut on Friday, describing the attacks as a "flagrant war crime" that exposes the true nature of Israel's terrorism.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had to cut short his visit to the United States to return home as strikes intensified and the U.S. distanced itself from Israel's offensive.

While addressing the United Nations, Netanyahu vowed that Israels strikes would continue and that they would continue degrading Hezbollah.

Iran's foreign minister also denounced the U.S. for its complicity in Israel's war crimes. The U.S. has been a key supporter of Israel in its conflict with Gaza and has also called for a ceasefire.

Hezbollah has fired hundreds of rockets and missiles aimed at Tel Aviv; however, according to AFP, Israel's air defence systems have ensured that the damage has been minimal.
A SpaceX mission took off on Saturday from Cape Canaveral, Florida, with two passengers on board and two empty seats to bring back astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore. The astronauts have been stranded on the International Space Station for months. NASA SpaceX Crew-9 launches from Florida to bring home stranded astronauts.(NASA)

On board are NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Alexander Gorbunov.

When will Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore return to Earth?

NASA rotates crews on the space station every six months, so the newly launched flight won't return until late February.

By then, Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore will have spent over eight months in space, although they expected just a week away when they signed up for Boeings first astronaut flight in June.

ALSO READ- Why Starliner astronauts Sunita Williams, Butch Wilmore rejected Boeing rescue mission as they await SpaceX's Crew-9

NASA decided Boeings Starliner, which took them to ISS, was too risky for return due to thruster issues and helium leaks.

Consequently, two astronauts were cut from the SpaceX launch to accommodate Wilmore and Williams on the return trip.

Crew-9 mission takes off

SpaceX, the private company founded by billionaire Elon Musk, has been flying regular missions every six months to allow the rotation of ISS crews.

The launch of Crew-9 was postponed from mid-August to late September to give NASA experts more time to assess the Starliner's reliability. It faced additional delays due to Hurricane Helene, which struck Florida on Thursday.

SpaceX's Dragon vessel is scheduled to dock with the ISS on Sunday around 21:30 GMT (3:00am IST).

ALSO READ- Big boost to ISRO: Chandrayaan-4, Venus mission, Indian space station and next-gen launch vehicle get Cabinet nod

After a handover period, Crew-8's four members will return to Earth on another SpaceX craft.

Hague and Gorbunov will spend about five months on the ISS, while Wilmore and Williams will be there for eight months. Crew-9 is set to conduct approximately 200 scientific experiments.
At least 66 people have lost their lives and over 60 injured in floods and landslides due to heavy rain across Nepal.



Nepal home ministry spokesperson Dil Kumar Tamang told Reuters that the death toll could rise, with another 69 people reported missing, and 60 injured since Friday morning.



Nepal Police deputy spokesperson Bishwo Adhikari told PTI that out of 66 people killed, 34 deaths were in the Kathmandu valley, home to 4 million people. Rescue operation underway after floods inundated parts of Nepal following heavy rainfall, in Kathmandu.(PTI)

The Nepal Police official said highways have been blocked in 63 locations across the Himalayan nation. Most rivers in the Himalayan nation have swollen, spilling over roads and bridges, authorities said.



ALSO READ: Nepal cancels all domestic flights amid heavy rainfall alert

Nepal acting PM calls emergency meet

According to the PTI report, acting prime minister Prakash Man Singh called an emergency meeting involving various ministers, including the Home Minister, Home Secretary, and chiefs of security agencies.

The government has ordered the closure of all schools across Nepal for three days and the halting of all ongoing exams.

Nepal's capital Kathmandu was out of power the entire day as the main transmission line was obstructed due to the floods, but power resumed in the evening. All entry points to Kathmandu have also been obstructed due to landslides triggered by rains.

Police reported that 226 houses have been submerged in Kathmandu, and a rescue team of around 3,000 security personnel has been deployed from the Nepal Police in the affected areas, the report added.



The government's priority right now is to rescue the people and help those who have been affected, Nepal home minister Ramesh Lekhak told AP.



Buses were banned from traveling at night on highways and cars were discouraged. Security forces were ordered to high alert, AP reported.



Hundreds of people die in the monsoon season every year in the landslides and flash floods common in the mountainous nation, a Reuters report stated.




U.S. President Joe Biden on Saturday called Israel's killing of Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah "a measure of justice" for his many victims, and said Washington fully supported Israel's right to defend itself against Iran-supported groups. File Photo: Lebanon's Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah addresses his supporters during a public appearance at a religious procession to mark Ashura in Beirut's southern suburbs October 24, 2015. (REUTERS)

In a statement released by the White House, Biden said he had directed Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to further enhance the defense posture of U.S. military forces in the Middle East to deter aggression and reduce the risk of a broader war.

Ultimately, Biden said, the U.S. aimed to de-escalate ongoing conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon through diplomatic means.

Israel on Thursday rejected global calls for a ceasefire with the Iran-backed Hezbollah movement, defying Washington and pressing ahead with strikes that have killed hundreds in Lebanon and heightened fears of an all-out regional war.

Biden underscored his full-throated support for Israel's strike on Nasrallah, which occurred while Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was in New York for the United Nations General Assembly and Biden and others were trying to broker a ceasefire deal.

"Hassan Nasrallah and the terrorist group he led, Hezbollah, were responsible for killing hundreds of Americans over a four-decade reign of terror. His death from an Israeli airstrike is a measure of justice for his many victims, including thousands of Americans, Israelis, and Lebanese civilians," Biden said.

He noted that Nasrallah had also supported Hamas the day after its attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas gunmen killed some 1,200 people and abducted about 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.

Since then, Israel's military has leveled swaths of Gaza, driving nearly all of its 2.3 million people from their homes, giving rise to deadly hunger and disease and killing more than 41,000 people, according to Palestinian health authorities.

Biden administration officials have pushed unsuccessfully for months to end the Gaza war, and more recently, to halt the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, which flared after hand-held radios and pagers used by Hezbollah detonated, killing dozens and injuring nearly 3,000.

"The United States fully supports Israel's right to defend itself against Hezbollah, Hamas, the Houthis, and any other Iranian-supported terrorist groups," Biden said. He said the U.S. was seeking diplomatic solutions to end the conflicts, but stopped short of any criticism of Israel's actions.

"It is time for these deals to close, for the threats to Israel to be removed, and for the broader Middle East region to gain greater stability," he said in a statement issued as he vacationed in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware.

RISK OF BROADER WAR

The escalation has increased fears the conflict could spin out of control, potentially drawing in Iran, Hezbollah's principal backer, as well as the U.S.

Biden told reporters on Friday, before Hezbollah confirmed Nasrallah's death, that the U.S. had no knowledge of or participation in the Israeli military action that killed the militant leader.

Over 600 people have been killed in Lebanon since Monday.

Biden did not address the civilian deaths or comments from Iranian officials saying Nasrallah's death would be avenged.

Vice President Kamala Harris, who was in California for two campaign fundraisers, echoed Biden's support for Nasrallah's killing in a separate statement and reiterated her "unwavering" commitment to the security of Israel.

"President Biden and I do not want to see conflict in the Middle East escalate into a broader regional war," the Democratic presidential candidate said. "Diplomacy remains the best path forward to protect civilians and achieve lasting stability in the region."
Former President Donald Trump's latest business venture  selling luxury watches, is facing rough criticism from netizens and watch enthusiasts, and now experts claim that these watches could be Chinese-made. Former US President and Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump smiles at the crowd during a Town Hall event at Macomb Community College on September 27, 2024 in Warren, Michigan. (Photo by Emily Elconin / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)(Getty Images via AFP)

The watches are being sold at jaw-dropping prices, with one model going for as much as $100,000, although experts in the watch industry are far from impressed.

The two watches Trump has recently debuted are The Fighter and a second, unnamed model, marketed as a high-end luxury timepiece. The Fighter is being sold at prices ranging between $499 and $799. The reason for the steep price? According to the marketing, the watch is adorned with what appears to be imitation gold. The second model, a supposed 18-karat gold watch encrusted with diamonds, is the true showstopper, retailing for a whopping $100,000.

Experts say three styles of a gold watch Donald Trump is now selling for $100,000 would be much much less.(Gettrumpwatches.com)

On Thursday, Trump posted on Truth Social saying his watches are truly special and best for Christmas gifts. Dont wait, they will go fast, he wrote, and added, GET YOUR TRUMP WATCH RIGHT NOW!

ALSO READ| Jeffrey Epstein had real dirt on Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton that could have cancelled the 2016 election

The reaction from the luxury watch community has been.

Aficionados and experts alike have ridiculed the watches for their lacklustre design and inflated price tags.

Ariel Adams, founder and editor of A Blog To Watch, told The Hollywood Reporter that Trumps watches cobbled together, patently unoriginal and vastly overpriced. He suspects Trump is working with a white-label company, a business that repackages generic products and sells them under a different brand. Anyone can go to a white labeler and say, I want a watch with this case, this bracelet and these other details, and a white labeler will Frankenstein it together, put your name on it and sell it to you, Adams explained.

But the price you sell it for is up to you. That the markup came from someone on Trumps team is obvious here. Even the $500 piece from another brand would go for maybe $200, he added.

I belong to a collector group that maintains an ongoing group chat, and the initial reaction was that it had to be fake. After that, everyone was laughing. When you look at all of them, they scream Chinese-made watch. None of them is worth the asking price, he claimed.

ALSO READ| Trump slams Harris' gross incompetence after ICE says over 400K convicted criminals are living in US illegally

The company behind Trump watch line, not Trump or his Company

Notably, TheBestWatchesOnEarth LLC is behind the Trump-branded watches, not Trump or his company. They licensed the Trump name to sell their line of wristwatches. Interestingly, this isn't the first time Trump's name has been linked to watches. Back in 2005, Trump launched his own watch collection, the Donald J. Trump Signature Collection, which was a rare assortment of 20 pieces.

An anonymous marketing director from a Tier1 Swiss watch brand told The Hollywood Reporter that despite claims that the watches are Swiss-made, they are likely of Chinese origin. When you look at all of them, they scream Chinese-made watch. None of them is worth the asking price, the director commented.
Tropical Depression Helene brought life-threatening flooding on Friday to wide sections of the U.S. Southeast, where at least 43 people have been killed by a storm that swamped neighborhoods, triggered mudslides, threatened dams and left more than 3.5 million homes and businesses without power. A drone view shows a flooded and damaged area, following Hurricane Helene in Steinhatchee, Florida, U.S., September 27, 2024.(REUTERS)

Before moving north through Georgia and into Tennessee and the Carolinas, Helene hit Florida's Big Bend region as a powerful Category 4 hurricane on Thursday night, packing 140 mph (225 kph) winds. It left behind a chaotic landscape of overturned boats in harbors, felled trees, submerged cars and flooded streets.

By early Friday afternoon, the storm had been downgraded to a tropical depression with maximum sustained winds of 35 mph (55 kph), the National Hurricane Center said.

But Helene's heavy rains were still producing catastrophic flooding in many areas, with police and firefighters carrying out thousands of water rescues throughout the affected states.

Also read | Hurricane Helene: Shocking videos of eerie storm surge, high winds and catastrophic landfall in Florida

More than 50 people were rescued from the roof of a hospital in Unicoi County, Tennessee, about 120 miles (200 km) northeast of Knoxville, state officials said, after floodwaters swamped the rural community.

Rising waters from the Nolichucky River were preventing ambulances and emergency vehicles from evacuating patients and others there, the Unicoi County Emergency Management Agency said on social media. Emergency crews in boats and helicopters were conducting rescues.

Elsewhere in Tennessee, Rob Mathis, the mayor of Cocke County, ordered the evacuation of downtown Newport because of a potential dam failure nearby. Mathis initially said the Walters dam had suffered a "catastrophic failure" but later said the dam "was breached" but there had been no major failure as yet.

The Tennessee Emergency Management Agency wrote on social media that the Walters dam, which is located just across state lines in North Carolina, had not failed. The agency said that information came from Duke Energy, which operates the dam.

Madison McDonald, a Duke Energy spokesperson, said, "we are aware of the situation and we're sorting out the facts."

In western North Carolina, Rutherford County emergency officials warned residents near the Lake Lure Dam to immediately evacuate to higher ground, saying "Dam failure imminent."

But by 8 p.m. (0000 GMT), the county emergency officials said that engineers had evaluated the dam "and determined it is no longer at imminent risk of failure."

In nearby Buncombe County, landslides forced interstates 40 and 26 to close, the county said on X.

The extent of the damage in Florida began emerging after daybreak on Friday.

In coastal Steinhatchee, Florida, a storm surge - the wall of seawater pushed ashore by winds - of eight to 10 feet (2.4-3 meters) moved mobile homes, the National Weather Service said on X. In Treasure Island, a barrier island community in Pinellas County, boats were grounded in front yards.

Also read | Fox weather reporter abandons broadcast to rescue woman trapped in hurricane Helene: Watch

The city of Tampa posted on X that emergency personnel had completed 78 water rescues of residents and that many roads were impassable because of flooding. The Pasco County sheriff's office rescued more than 65 people overnight.

Officials had pleaded with residents in Helene's path to heed evacuation orders, with National Hurricane Center Director Michael Brennan describing the storm surge as "unsurvivable."

Some residents stayed put.

Ken Wood, 58, a state ferry boat operator in Pinellas County, said he should have heeded evacuation orders rather than riding out the storm at home with his 16-year-old cat, Andy.

"I'll never do that again, I swear," Wood said. "It was a harrowing experience. It roared all night like a train. It was unnerving. The house shook."

Down the hill from his house, the storm flooded some homes with chest-deep salt water. One house caught fire and burned down, shooting 30-foot flames in the stormy sky, he said.

"Old Andy seemed like he didn't care," Wood said. "He did fine. But next time we leave."

Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri said first responders were unable to answer several emergency calls from residents overnight due to the conditions. On Friday, county authorities found at least five people dead.

Two others in Florida died, said Governor Ron DeSantis. Georgia Governor Brian Kemp's office reported 15 storm-related fatalities in that state, while North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper said there had been two deaths there.

At least 19 people died during the storm across South Carolina, the Charleston-based Post and Courier newspaper reported, citing local officials.

Helene was unusually large for a Gulf hurricane, forecasters said, though a storm's size is not the same as its strength, which is based on maximum sustained wind speeds.

A few hours before landfall, Helene's tropical-storm winds extended outward 310 miles (500 km), according to the National Hurricane Center. By comparison, Idalia, a major hurricane that struck Florida's Big Bend region last year, had tropical-storm winds extending 160 miles (260 km) about eight hours before it made landfall.

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline was edited.
Luis Marin, a Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, father was recently taken into custody after his two-year-old son shot himself with a gun that was lying close to him. Luis Marin, a 34-year-old Pennsylvania father, was arrested on September 25, 2024, and subsequently arraigned in connection with a May incident. His toddler shot himself with a gun left on the bed in May.(Montgomery County Press Release)

The 34-year-old man turned himself over to the police on Wednesday, September 25. He was subsequently arrested on charges of felony endangering the welfare of a child and recklessly endangering another person for allegedly leaving a loaded firearm unattended on his bed, which his toddler used to shoot himself. The frightening incident happened at home in Pottstown on May 15.

Marin was purportedly playing on phone as the horrifying incident transpired, The Mirror US reported. In a subsequent investigation, authorities found out that the man went to a bedroom on the second floor before the shooting. He was there to collect a crossbody bag he was going to lend his nephew. Marins two handguns and ear protection, which he put on the bed, were usually kept in the same bag.

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Injuries sustained by the two-year-old toddler who shot himself

After the two-year-old shot himself, his father quickly grabbed him and ran outside while applying pressure to the wound. During that time, the toddlers mother also arrived home and his parents rushed him to Pottstown Hospital. He eventually transferred to Lehigh Valley Hospital. The staff later told the police, who were called just before 5 pm, that the babys self-inflicted gunshot had resulted in broken ribs and a fractured scapula.

The harrowing development had also damaged his left lung. Other injuries included burnt skin, which was also stippled, suggesting the gun had been in close contact with his skin when he shot himself.

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The way forward: What awaits Pennsylvania father Luis Marin who left a gun on the bed

Despite the heart-rending injuries, the two-year-old baby has survived the gunshot, District Attorney Kevin Steele revealed in a statement. This shooting is a frightening reminder to parents that children, even very young children, can and do find unsecured firearms in a home, and their inclination is to play with them, he added.

Meanwhile, a preliminary hearing for the infants father has been scheduled for October 8, 2024. If found guilty, Marin could face five years in prison and a $10,000 fine. For the time being, Magisterial District Judge Jody L. Griffis set his bail at $50,000 unsecured and demanded that no firearms be held in Marins house.
Two ramp agents at Delta Airlines were taken into custody for smuggling in excess of $3 million of ketamine via John F. Kennedy International Airport, officials say. Delta Airlines agents were detained at JFK for smuggling $3 million in ketamine (Image for Representation). REUTERS/Carlin Stiehl(REUTERS)

On September 19, Leandro Alleyne and Fabian Innis were taken into custody after authorities saw them handling questionable luggage off a flight from Copenhagen, Denmark.

Upon his arrest, Innis admitted to authorities he had taken part in the smuggling operation with Alleyne at least five to ten times before. He admitted to knowing that the bags contained illegal substances, but he didnt realize it was ketamine. He also disclosed that his payment for each flight varied between $4,000 and $5,000.

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Alleyne and Innis both entered not-guilty pleas in relation to the charges of drug importation and drug smuggling. Each of them bonded out on a $50,000 amount.

Notably, on October 28, 2023, FRIENDS star Matthew Perry lost his life in a bath tub after injecting a fatal dose of ketamine.

Feds confiscate 134 pounds of ketamine

Court documents say that the two agents were seen removing backpacks and suitcases from Flight 219 and loading them onto a baggage transportation vehicle. They then transported the luggage to a secluded area on the airport tarmac, which raised red flags for authorities. Neither agent had the authorization to handle the luggage, and Alleyne was not even assigned to operate the baggage vehicle at the time, which only heightened suspicion.

Homeland Security investigators were already monitoring the two individuals and moved in after Alleyne and Innis began opening the bags. Inside, they found clear plastic bags containing a white crystallized substance, which later tested positive for ketamine. In total, the agents were found with 134 pounds of the drug, valued at around $3 million on the street.

Four of the suitcases bore luggage tags with the names of two different passengers from the flight, according to court filings. The documents suggest that Alleyne and Innis were not working alone. A source told The New York Post that it looks like an inside job.

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That is a very large amount of ketamine, Special Narcotics Prosecutor Bridget G. Brennan, who is not involved in the case, told NYP. If I were running that case, Id be more interested in where it was going rather than where it was coming from because that is what would have the greatest impact on our community.

Delta Airlines confirmed that Alleyne and Innis had no legitimate reason to handle or remove the contents of any checked baggage and that they " have zero tolerance for unlawful conduct.
Former president Donald Trump went off on a spontaneous outburst while giving a speech in Walker, Michigan, on Friday, September 27, wrongly accusing Vice President Kamala Harris of wanting to confiscate people's cars, money and guns. U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S. August 20, 2024 and former U.S. President Donald Trump in Bedminster, New Jersey, U.S., August 15, 2024 are seen in a combination of file photographs. REUTERS/Marco Bello, Jeenah Moon/File Photo (REUTERS)

Speaking to his supporters, Trump alleged, If Kamala Harris wins, she will take your cars, take your money and take your guns. She wants to confiscate all guns, you know that.

Trump also attacked Harris for recently visiting the border to make up some lies, like she said about the border bill that Trump stopped.

Let me tell you, number one, I didnt stop it. The senators stopped it. But thats the worst bill ever drawn. Its a waste of paper.

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Social media platforms were soon flooded with reactions to Trump's remarks

Many accused Trump of exaggerating and making baseless claims. Like One user posted on X (formerly Twitter), Listen to this moron. Utter b**ls**t. Btw during the debate, which Kamala won big time, she mentioned that she and Tim Walz are both gun owners and are not taking anyone's guns.

While another simply wrote, Deranged imbecilic alert in response to the viral clip of Trump's rant.

If you believe thatTrump has already confiscated your brain, one quipped.

Another chimed in saying, Trump's guns were already confiscated because he's a convicted felon. Also, Trump said he wants to put a 200% sales tax tariff on all imported cars. Soooo, he's the one that's going to take your money.

Harris said If somebody breaks into my house, theyre getting shot

Notably, during Unite for America with Oprah Winfrey, Harris addressed the issue of gun ownership, clarifying, If somebody breaks into my house, they're getting shot. Sorry, probably shouldnt have said that! But my staff will deal with that later.

The VP fired back at Trump, saying, This business about taking everyones guns away  Tim Walz (Harris running mate) and I are both gun owners.

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Were not taking anyones guns away, so stop with the continuous lying about this stuff.

Heres my point, Oprah. Im not trying to take everyones guns away. I believe in the Second Amendment. These are just common sense, Harris stated.
Leaving India behind, thousands of students embark on a journey to the United States, fueled by ambition and hope. But, as they soon realize, the academic journey is just the beginning. The real hurdle? For most people, merely completing their education is where most consider they have it easy  it is the immigration system that most find challenging. Will you be one of the success stories, or will your dreams get lost in the paperwork? Indian students in the U.S. encounter hurdles beyond education, particularly within the immigration system.(File Images)

While sitting with HindustanTimes.com, Indian-American podcaster and Visa expert Rahul Menon explained how, during his engagement with the communities, he decided to focus on the issue of education for immigrants and made it his task to guide students through these murky waters. That is why Menon is a perfect example, as he is familiar with those frustrations and challenges himself.

Menon emphasizes the importance of being informed about the US immigration system from the moment one arrives in the country. What many don't realize is the complexity of the US immigration system, he notes. As someone who's been through this journey, I wish I had known more before I became too invested to turn back.

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One of the most significant challenges students face is the transition from academic life to the workforce. After completing their degree, international students on F-1 visas can work for up to three years: one year under Optional Practical Training (OPT) and an additional two years under the STEM OPT Extension, for those with STEM degrees.

Essential guide to US Immigration for existing and aspiring Indian students

During this time, students must secure an H-1B visa, a work visa that allows them to stay employed in the US. However, Menon highlights a major flaw in the system: Logically, this visa should be awarded based on educational merit and work experience. Instead, the system relies on an annual lottery, randomly selecting 85,000 people regardless of their talent or skillset.

There is some positive news: USCIS has cracked down on multiple lottery entries, reducing eligible registrations from 758,994 in FY 2024 to 470,342 in FY 2025  a 38.6% decrease. This has improved the odds of selection from 11% to 18%, he added. While this marginal improvement offers some relief, it reinforces the need for students to be prepared.

The Visa podcaster advised, Homesickness and loneliness are the first challenges you'll face. The friends you make in university will become your new family, and added, Research before spending money. Whether it's phone plans, health insurance, or loans, there's often a more affordable alternative.

Menon advice students to use the OPT period more efficiently

Menon strongly asked every Indian student in the US to Make the most of your International Student Office and Designated School Official (DSO). They're invaluable, often underused resources that can guide you through your immigration journey.

The wait times for a Green Card are exceptionally long  potentially decades. If immigration freedom is a priority, consider alternative countries, he noted, while chalking some possible ways out.

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Interestingly, you can start your own company on a student visa and work there during your OPT period.

The Maharashtra Institute of Technology goer also extending support to new students transitioning to America. Whether you're a new student, looking to connect professionally, or an early career professional, feel free to reach out and schedule a call with me, he said.
Before being labelled as a convicted sex offender and paedophile, Jeffrey Epstein was widely regarded as a brilliant businessman and billionaire whose fame and fortune opened doors to a vast network of influential people across the globe. A fresh storm has engulfed the President of the United States of America, Donald Trump. NBC News aired footage which showed Trump partying with Jeffrey Epstein at the former's Mar-a-Lago property in Florida in 1992. Epstein is in the news currently for facing charges of sex trafficking. Trump had recently said that he was 'not a fan' of Epstein.

High-profile figures such as Bill Clinton, Donald Trump, Prince Andrew, Michael Jackson, and others were associated with Epstein.

Now, despite the prominence of these connections, recent claims by Epsteins younger brother, Mark Epstein, have added a new layer of intrigue to his controversial legacy.

The Telegraph has cited Mark Epstein's claims that his brother Jeffrey possessed highly sensitive information about two of the most significant political figures in the USDonald Trump and Hillary Clinton.

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Jeffrey had made similar claims before his death, that he held crucial secrets that could have had a profound impact on the 2016 U.S. presidential election. In fact, he hinted that the information he held could have been so damaging that the election might have been cancelled altogether.

Epstein's brother exposes Jeffrey's hidden world

Mark told The New York Post, recounting a chilling conversation with his brother: If I [Jeffrey] said what I know about both candidates, theyd have to cancel the election. Thats what Jeffrey told me in 2016.

Shortly after this sexual assault by the Defendant, Jeffrey E. Epstein, on the Plaintiff, Katie Johnson, Plaintiff Johnson was still present while the two Defendants were arguing over who would be the one to take Plaintiff Johnson's virginity. The Defendant, Donald J. Trump, was clearly referring to Defendant, Jeffrey E. Epstein, as a Jew Bastard as he yelled at Defendant Epstein, that clearly, he, Defendant Trump, should be the lucky one to pop the cherry of Plaintiff Johnson, the court document against Jeffrey noted.

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Jeffrey and his former partner, Ghislaine Maxwell, frequently socialize with Donald Trump and his wife, Melania. Both Trump and Bill Clinton were rumoured to have travelled on Epstein's private jet, although they have publicly denied ever doing so. Mark contradicted these denials, stating, I was actually on the plane with Donald Trump and my brother, and Back then, I regularly flew with my brother.

So, then, is the rumour true that Jeffrey Epstein never even wanted to smear anyone?
With the 2024 presidential election less than six weeks away, the stakes are high for contenders Donald Trump and Kamala Harris. A new report by the New York Times suggests that there is a possibility of a 270-268 result, with the Democratic nominee having a slight lead over the former president. On Saturday, the outlet concluded its New York Times/Siena College post-debate polls in the battleground states of Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin. FILE PHOTO: U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S. August 20, 2024 and former U.S. President Donald Trump in Bedminster, New Jersey, U.S., August 15, 2024 are seen in a combination of file photographs. REUTERS/Marco Bello, Jeenah Moon/File Photo(REUTERS)

NYT polls show Harris taking slight lead over Trump

The report suggests that such a staggering result would only be possible should the Times/Siena polls in every state prove to be accurate. In Saturday's poll, the vice president secured a one percentage point lead in Michigan, two in Wisconsin, and nine in Nebraskas Second Congressional District. Meanwhile, the GOP presidential candidate led in Ohio (a state he won by eight points in 2020) by six points among likely voters. Based on the average of the outlet's last six polls in core battleground states, excluding Nevada, Trump had a lead over Harris with just 0.6 of a point.

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2024 election set to be the closest-ever in US history

Following Joe Biden's exit from the race, stakes grew even higher for Republicans as voters regained faith in the Democratic Party with Harris' entry. The majority of the polls so far have indicated that the November election will be the closest ever in American history. The outcome of the swing states will determine the 47th US President, according to Andrew Wroe, a professor in American politics at the University of Kent in the United Kingdom. What they see is that swing-state polls show that race is much tighter than the national polls indicate, Wroe told Newsweek earlier this week.
Prince Harry may be struggling in his legal entanglement with The Firm over security privileges, but it looks like he's on good terms with US authorities on that front. Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex speaks about social media's impact on children's mental health at the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) on September 24, 2024 in New York City. Coinciding with the U.N. General Assembly, the Clinton Global Initiative brings together business, government, and civil society leaders to drive progress on humanitarian response efforts to global crises. (Getty Images via AFP)

On Wednesday, the Duke of Sussex rolled up to a famed tattoo shop in New York City. The royal's visit to East Side Ink in the Lower East Side of Manhattan adds to its celebrity-loved portfolio status as Hollywood A-listers, including the OG Avengers squad  Chris Hemsworth, Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Chris Evans and Jeremy Renner  also got their signature matching ink there, all thanks to artist Joshua Lord.

However, it seems that Harry didnt actually get inked. Insiders told Page Six he was only there for a promotional stunt linked to an upcoming project. Harrys Wednesday outing to the NYC spot is said to have lasted over an hour after he arrived at about 1 pm.

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Prince Harry receives additional security during NYC visit

According to photos obtained by the media outlet, the 40-year-old prince was accompanied by a small group of security personnel, one of whom is reportedly a New York Police Department official assigned to be by Harrys side during his ongoing NYC trip. In addition to the security detail flanking him as he was headed to the celebrity-loved tattoo shop, two NYPD cars covered the front and back.

The princes beefed-up security is attributed to a near-catastrophic two-hour car chase in Manhattan in 2023 when a highly aggressive paparazzi pursued him, his wife Meghan Markle, and her mother Doria Ragland, according to The New York Post.

Prince Harry's solo ventures continue

A month ago, reports surfaced of Harry returning to the Big Apple in September. His rep told the NY-based outlet that the new solo adventure will advance a number of his patronages and philanthropic initiatives, including those with African Parks, The HALO Trust, The Diana Award, and Travalyst.

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His visit to the concrete jungle coincides with UN General Assembly High-Level Week and Climate Week. It expands his itinerary sans his wife, Meghan Markle, which will extend further as the duke is expected to land in the UK as a special guest award presenter at the annual WellChild Awards on September 30.

But, as is evident, Prince Harrys NYC trip wasnt all business. His day tour to East Side Ink was the second escapade to a Hollywood landmark. It appears he shot his recent appearance on The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon, where he pulled up to a haunted house with the late-night host, on the same day as his tattoo adventures because he was spotted donning the same outfit during both outings.
Embattled New York Magazine scribe Olivia Nuzzi fell madly in love with Robert F. Kennedy Jr, according to Page Six. The report published by the outlet on Friday claims that the 31-year-old star reporter was disgusted when the former Independent presidential nominee first made a pass at her in October. However, their virtual relationship blossomed after the Kennedy scion love bombed Nuzzi. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Olivia Nuzzi had 'incredible' FaceTime sex, according to a Page Six report

How Olvia Nuzzi fell madly in love with RFK Jr

The Page Six report claimed that their forbidden love story began when Nuzzi began working on Kennedy's profile for New York Magazine late last year. She interviewed him during a hiking trip, where the failed presidential candidate grabbed her arm as a romantic overture.

While Nuzzi was somewhat apprehensive at the time, she quickly fell head over heels for him after contacting Kennedy, who has been married to Cheryl Hines for 10 years, for follow-up questions. He love-bombed her, said a source, Hes done it to lots of women  claimed he cant live without them. He told Olivia theyd be together after the election.

The duo went on to exchange I love yous and have an affair that lasted for almost a year, according to the report. She lived a double life, sharing long calls, endless texts, and having incredible FaceTime sex with the 70-year-old, all whilst being engaged to Ryan Lizza, her partner of nearly a decade.

Another source told the outlet that Nuzzi told multiple people that they told each other they loved each other [over the phone] every time they talked and boasted about Kennedy's impressive sexual stamina to her friends. However, another source said that Kennedy seemed to want to be in control and would set the rules for their interactions, and then of course hed break them.

Lizza, the Chief Washington Correspondent for Politico, found out about his fiance's affair with Kennedy by August and confronted him over the phone. Meanwhile, the New York Magazine editors put Nuzzi on leave and ordered a third-party investigation into the matter.
New federal data indicates that over 400,000 undocumented migrants with criminal convictions are living in the US illegally. In a letter sent to US Rep Tony Gonzalez, R-Texas, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Deputy Director Patrick Lechleitner revealed that as of July 21, 662,566 noncitizens with criminal ties were not detained as they await immigration proceedings, the Border Report noted. This combination of photos shows Vice President Kamala Harris, left, on Aug. 7, 2024, and Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump on July 31, 2024. (AP)

Of those, 425,431 are convicted criminals, and 222,141 with pending criminal charges.

The US Rep had previously requested the Department of Homeland Security to release the data on migrants with criminal histories. Once the task was delivered, he labelled the stats beyond disturbing. Additionally, he called out the Biden-Harris administration: It should be a wake-up call for the Biden-Harris administration and cities across the country that hide behind sanctuary policies."

Its time for Washington to move past rhetoric and toward results. Americans deserve to feel safe in their communities,  he continued.

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Similarly, House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Mark Green held the present-day administration accountable for the growing criminal numbers. It may be shocking to hear that the Biden-Harris administration is actively releasing tens of thousands of criminal illegal aliens into our communities, but their own numbers conclusively prove this to be the case. This defies all common sense, he said in a statement.

DHS law enforcement has been directed to mass-release illegal aliens whom they know have criminal convictions or are facing charges for serious crimesand these dangerous, destructive individuals are making their way into every city and state in this country.

Donald Trump also takes aim at Kamala Harris in light of shocking ICE data

Soon, former President Donald Trump joined the conversation and torched the reputation of his Democratic rival for the new term of presidential elections. The Republican presidential hopeful who had once bashed Sleepy Joe Biden and Comrade Kamala Harris for leading the country to World War III, again blamed the vice president over the data released by ICE. Doubling down on his characteristic narrative sway over the immigration discourse, Trump called the stats the worst numbers I think Ive ever heard during a town hall event in Warren, Michigan, on Friday.

Thereafter, he took the opportunity to slam Harris, who he declared our great border czar, whos incompetent, whos totally incompetent.

As of July 21, 2024, there were 662,566 noncitizens with criminal histories on ICE's national docket13,099 criminally convicted MURDERS! Rep Tony Gonzalez posted on SNS, referring to the federal data. Digging further, the data reveals that 42,915 have pending assault charges, and 62,231 noncitizens with criminal convictions for assault are roaming free. Moreover, the US agency has also released 15,811 convicted of sexual assault. ICE is currently detaining 277 migrants convicted of homicide and 51 others facing similar charges. They will likely be deported.

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Trumps rant at the town hall event went on, They were all released into our country. And we cant put up with this. This is gross incompetence. He further took a dig at Harris for being someone who always complains and doesnt do anything.

Shes on the border today. What a day for the border, Trump exclaimed.

Vice President Harris' first border stop since Democratic nomination

Kamala Harris made her first visit to the US-Mexico border since becoming the Democratic nominee. Voicing her approach to crack down on illegal immigration, she also slammed the 45th president. He did not solve the shortage of immigration judges. He did not solve the shortage of border agents. He did not create lawful pathways into our nation. He did nothing to address an outdated asylum system and did not work with other governments in our hemisphere to deal with what clearly is also a regional challenge. Furthermore, she pledged to bridge the gap between securing the border and creating a system of immigration that is safe, orderly and humane, instead of making the false choice between the two.

Those who cross our borders unlawfully will be apprehended and removed and barred from reentering for five years, she said to a crowd at the southern border. We will pursue more severe criminal charges against repeat violators and if someone does not make an asylum request at a legal point of entry and instead crosses our border unlawfully, they will be barred from receiving asylum. While we understand that many people are desperate to migrate to the United States. Our system must be orderly and secure.

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However, her trip to the border didnt put an end to more criticism headed her way. The National Border Patrol Council bashed her token visit in a statement. After years of not just ignoring the problem, but helping create it, Vice President Kamala is finally headed down to the border. This is nothing more than for her to check the box, but what it is in reality, is a slap in the face towards the men and women that put their lives on the line every day, and also a slap in the face to the American public. Where has she been? Fox News reported.
GABRIEL STERLING is preparing for trouble: Do we have concerns? Yes. Do we have backup plans? Sure. I dont want to get too deep into them, because I dont want people to have backup plans to our backup plans.

Mr Sterling works for Georgias secretary of state, Brad Raffensperger, whose main job is to administer elections. After the election of 2020, but before Congress had certified the outcome, Mr Raffensperger received a now-infamous phone call from Donald Trump, who was president at the time, asking for help to find enough votes to flip the result in the state in his favour. Mr Raffensperger demurred, and Mr Trump tried instead to overturn Joe Bidens victory in other ways, without success. Mr Trump and other Republicans are already signalling that they will dispute the result again this year if defeated. Election officials like Mr Sterling, as well as legions of party functionaries, lawyers and activists, are working on the assumption that there will indeed be attempts to subvert the election this year, and have been preparing accordingly. How will the electoral machinery hold up?

More on this

The method the constitution prescribes for installing a new president is centuries old and showing its age. Critically, Americans will not pick a president by majority vote in a single, nationwide election on November 5th. Instead, voters in each of the 50 states plus the District of Columbia will choose a distinct slate of electors, who have pledged to support one of the presidential candidates. The states election officials and governor must sign off on the results of this election before the electors vote, in turn, for a presidential ticket in December. After the newly elected Congress is seated, in January, it will tally the electors votes, under the supervision of the vice-president, Kamala Harris, who is herself the Democratic nominee for president. It is only once Congress has completed its count that the new president can be inaugurated, on January 20th.

This process has many drawbacks. First and foremost, it can result in a candidate losing the popular vote but winning the presidency, as happened in 2000 and 2016, in both cases to the Democrats detriment. Second, it encourages candidates to focus narrowly on the few states where the outcome is uncertain (there are only seven this year: Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin). Third, the constitution devolves to the states the authority to decide exactly how the electors are chosen, meaning that election rules are different in every state.

E pluribus plures

Maine and Nebraska allow their votes in the electoral college to be split between the candidates, whereas the other states are winner-takes-all. Although most states require electors to vote for the candidate who carried the state, a few, including Georgia and Pennsylvania, have no rules to prevent faithless electors from opting for another candidate. At a more mundane level, states have different deadlines for counties to report their results, for the election authorities to produce a statewide tally, for candidates to request recounts or lodge legal challenges and so on (see timeline).

Worst of all, the process is absurdly drawn out, not under the auspices of any single authority and not always codified in detail, allowing for all manner of obstruction and delay. In 2020 Mr Trump, having failed to get various state officials to change the local results, then tried to convince both Congress and his vice-president, Mike Pence, to reject the outcome. When all else failed, he egged on a crowd that had gathered outside Congress to protest the certification proceedings, resulting in a deadly riot.

Should Mr Trump lose (The Economists election-forecast model considers the race a toss-up), he is all but certain to challenge the result again. Disputing election defeats is a knee-jerk impulse for Mr Trump. In 2016 he claimed he came second in the Republican caucuses in Iowa only because Ted Cruz, the senator from Texas who beat him, had somehow rigged the proceedings. He refused to promise to respect the outcome of the general election that year in which he was pitted against Hillary Clinton, insinuating that he could be defeated only by fraud. And even though it is he, rather than Mr Biden, who has been indicted both in federal court and in Georgia for trying to steal the election of 2020, he has never admitted that he lost it.

Singing from the same cheatsheet

Mr Trump is already preparing to dispute this years election. On social media this week he accused Democrats of Cheating and Skulduggery in 2020 and pledged that this year WHEN I WIN, those people that CHEATED will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the Law. At a rally in Las Vegas in June he insisted, The only way they can beat us is to cheat. At the Republican convention in July Chris LaCivita, an adviser to Mr Trumps campaign, declared, Its not over on Election Day, its over on Inauguration Day.

Republican officials have helped prepare the ground by endlessly repeating the claim that Democrats are cheats and Mr Trump is a victim. In 2021 in Arizona, another battleground that Mr Trump narrowly lost, Republicans in the state senate launched an unprecedented partisan audit of ballots cast in the most populous county, inspiring wildcat audits elsewhere (none of which discovered anything much). In 2022 Mr Trump played kingmaker in the midterm elections, encouraging primary challenges to Republicans who had rejected his claims of fraud and endorsing candidates who parroted them (Mr Raffensperger was a rare survivor of this purge). Embracing Mr Trumps lies about election fraud has thus become an article of faith in the Republican Party. One of the slogans the Republican National Committee (RNC), the partys paramount co-ordinating body, is using in its get-out-the-vote drive this year is, Make it too big to rig. Christina Bobb, an adviser to the RNC, lawyer for Mr Trump and advocate of the spurious recount in Arizona, has written a 270-page book called Stealing Your Vote, which purports to explain how Democrats rigged the presidential election by stuffing ballot boxes.

Over the past four years Republican-controlled state legislatures have been tightening voting rules, ostensibly to prevent another stolen election. Arizonas legislature has passed a new law requiring that the envelopes in which postal ballots arrive be counted by hand (machines tally the ballots themselves), to make life difficult for election-riggers. In Georgia cheerleaders for the notion that Mr Trump was cheated passed a law removing the secretary of state (Mr Raffensperger) from the state board of elections, which helps make election rules. In the name of election integrity, the board then passed a rule allowing local officials to undertake reasonable inquiry into claims of fraud before they certify results from each county.

Observers worry Republican officials will use the new rule as a pretext to refuse to certify disappointing results. At a rally in August in Atlanta, Georgias capital, Mr Trump praised by name the three members of the board who had pushed through the change, calling them pitbulls fighting for honesty, transparency and victory. Janelle King, one of the three, says allowing reasonable inquiry will improve trust in the system. Theres no benefit to us to steal an election. Theres no benefit to me to help [Mr Trump], she insists.

The RNC is involved in more than 100 lawsuits over election rules around the country. While Democrats continue their election interference against President Trump and the American people, our operation is confronting their schemes and preparing for November, says Claire Zunk, a spokeswoman for its election-integrity unit. Should the Democrats choose to continue their attacks on election safeguards through Election Day, we will be prepared to litigate and ensure the election is fair, transparent, legal, and accurate.

Its not unusual to see some litigation ahead of a major election, notes Liz Avore of Voting Rights Lab, which tracks changes to election law, but the sheer volume that were seeing just two months before election day and this intense focus on purging voters from voter lists is not the norm. She points to a lawsuit in Arizona to remove 500,000 entries from the states voter rolls as an example of the lengths to which the Republican Party is going.

The rhetoric Republican functionaries deploy in these legal complaints is consistently overheated. In August the RNC sued North Carolinas electoral bureaucracy twice in one week, alleging that it had once again failed in its mandate to keep non-citizens off the voter rolls. When announcing legal challenges to new laws on voting in the state of Michigan, Michael Whatley, one of the co-chairs of the RNC (alongside Mr Trumps daughter-in-law), fulminated, Gretchen Whitmer and Democrats have hung a new sign on Michigans door: Open For Cheating. The laws in question, which change the procedures for recounts, do not go into effect in time for this years election anyway, points out Stephanie Chang, the Democratic state senator who wrote them.

The RNC has also launched an initiative called Protect the Vote, which aims to train 100,000 poll-watchers and attorneys in battleground states to beat Democrats at their own game and ensure that Democratic tricks from 2020 wont work this time. A spokeswoman for the RNC says that 175,000 people have volunteered so far. Cleta Mitchell, a former lawyer for Mr Trump who was on the call with Mr Raffensperger, now runs the Election Integrity Network, which aims to connect volunteer citizen patriotsto learn how to ensure that elections are administered lawfully. The leftist advocacy groups are screaming bloody murder whenever we push for such legal compliance, she complains. All this is vastly more organised than the shambolic, last-ditch efforts the RNC and Mr Trump made to challenge the election results in 2020 and makes possible a much more concerted legal fight.

Poll workers are expecting the worst. Theres a lot of bad actors out there, a lot of people just trying to work the system somehow to their advantage, Mr Raffensperger says outside the electoral offices in Spalding County, where he and his colleagues have just conducted a health check of voting machines. This year, he notes, some election officials in Georgia will be wearing lanyards equipped with panic buttons. Election offices are stocking an antidote to opioid overdoses after one received a letter laced with deadly quantities of fentanyl.

Counting on the counting

Nonetheless, Mr Raffensperger insists, the election will be sound. After all, he and other officials have been put on their guard and are far better prepared for meddling than last time. In 2022 Congress amended the relevant laws to prevent some of the manoeuvres Mr Trump attempted in 2020. The legislation made clear that the vice-president has no authority to disregard or alter any of the votes cast in the electoral college, and raised the number of congressmen needed to lodge an objection from one member from each chamber to a fifth of members from each chamber.

There are still procedural uncertainties and potential constitutional loopholes to be exploited. In their book How to Steal a Presidential Election, Lawrence Lessig, a professor at Harvard Law School, and Matthew Seligman of Stanford Law School argue that there is no foolproof mechanism to force a governor to certify the results in his or her state and that state legislatures can still simply order electors to disregard the popular vote and follow their instructions. But voters have not put pro-Trump conspiracy theorists in charge in any swing states, and no state legislature is contemplating such radical legislation. By the same token, although there have been instances of officials at the county level refusing to certify local votes, Derek Muller, a law professor at the University of Notre Dame, points out that, in the end, all the relevant deadlines have always been met.

It could be Democrats who try to stymie proceedings, especially if Mr Trump wins the electoral college but Ms Harris prevails in the popular vote or, worse, if the electoral college is tied and the arcane procedures that follow hand the election to Mr Trump (our model ascribes odds of 1-in-300 to this scenario). They could, for instance, argue that Mr Trump is not eligible since the constitution bars those who have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the government or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof from holding government office. But it is unlikely that Democrats would have the congressional majorities needed to take such a step and the partys leading lights have so far dismissed the idea.

Circumstances are different now, too. The previous election took place during the pandemic. States had to revise procedures hastily, inviting suspicion and lawsuits. Mr Trump is not president, so the Department of Justice will not be dragooned to aid his cause, a step Mr Trump considered in 2020 but abandoned when officials threatened to resign en masse.

In contrast to 2020, Mr Trump is encouraging his supporters to vote early and to vote by mail. That should help diminish a partisan split, whereby Republicans were more likely to vote in person. That matters because counting postal votes involves more exacting procedures and so is slower. The effect of this in 2020 was for votes to skew more heavily Democratic the longer counts wore on. Mr Trumps apparent lead in several states was gradually eroded and then overturned, a blue shift that people like Ms Bobb adduce as evidence that the Democrats cheated.

It is not just Mr Trump, but many of his allies who have found themselves in legal trouble after the attempted subversion of 2020. That should act as a disincentive to get involved in such schemes this time around. Ms Bobb, for instance, was among 18 people charged in Arizona in April with conspiring to overturn the election result. Similar prosecutions are under way in Georgia, Michigan and Nevada. Last year a jury granted damages of $148m to two election workers who had been groundlessly accused by Rudy Giuliani, one of Mr Trumps most imaginative surrogates, of tampering with the vote in 2020. They are now attempting to enforce the verdict by seizing Mr Giulianis property.

Despite the Supreme Courts expansive view of Mr Trumps immunity as president, he remains in legal jeopardy over his conduct during the previous presidential election. By contrast, the courts have given short shrift to his claims that he was the victim of electoral fraud. That is why, on the whole, election lawyers think the chances of an unsuccessful candidate overturning an election using legal loopholes and constitutional trickery are slim. Given what we went through in 2020, I think people, if theyre vigilant and courts do their job again, we should make it through, says Rick Hasen, a law professor at the University of California, Los Angeles.

But although a stolen election remains a mercifully remote prospect, the fact that Americans are having to assess the odds at alland that diplomats in Washington are quietly requesting briefings on the questionis itself worrying. Mr Trumps efforts to Stop the Steal were alarming not because they were underpinned by strong legal arguments, but because he managed to win widespread and ardent support for his baseless claims among Republican voters and elites alike. Polls consistently find that a majority of Republicans believe Mr Trump was robbed of victory in 2020. Many of those people fear that he will be this year, too. Republicans are more likely to trust Mr Trump than they are election officials, pollsters say.

If there is good faith among winners and losers, even a labyrinthine electoral system such as Americas will yield the right outcome. If that good faith evaporates, however, not even the best-designed system can cope.
Israel announced on Saturday that it had killed Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah, marking a significant blow to the Lebanese militant group after months of escalating conflict. Hezbollah has not yet confirmed Nasrallah's death. Lebanese militant group's chief Hassan Nasrallah (File)(via AFP)

The Israeli army's chief of staff, Herzi Halevi, said on Saturday that the targeted killing of Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah does not mark the end of their military options. This is not the end of our toolbox. The message is simple, anyone who threatens the citizens of Israel - we will know how to reach them, Halevi said, according to Reuters.

Nasrallah, a key figure in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, became the most prominent casualty in the recent escalation. Earlier reports indicated that Nasrallah's daughter, Zainab, was also killed in a series of Israeli airstrikes on Beirut on Friday.

The Israeli military confirmed that several senior Hezbollah leaders were killed alongside Nasrallah in a targeted airstrike on Friday. The operation was described as precise, taking place while Hezbollahs leadership was meeting at their headquarters in Dahiyeh, a southern suburb of Beirut.

Five things to know about Hassan Nasrallah

Under Hassan Nasrallah, Hezbollah engaged in multiple conflicts with Israel and played a significant role in the Syrian Civil War, helping to strengthen President Bashar Assad's position. Nasrallah developed strong alliances with Iranian Shiite leaders and groups like Hamas, positioning Hezbollah as Israel's key adversary. Born in 1960, Nasrallah came from a poor Shiite family in Beirut. He joined the Amal movement before co-founding Hezbollah in 1982. Nasrallah became Hezbollah's leader in 1992 after the assassination of his predecessor, Sayyed Abbas Musawi. Hezbollah was established by members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard who came to Lebanon to resist the Israeli invasion. It became the first organisation supported by Iran, which used it as a vehicle to spread its political version of Islam. Following Israel's withdrawal from southern Lebanon in 2000, Nasrallah achieved iconic status in Lebanon and across the Arab world, with his messages broadcasted through Hezbollah's radio and satellite TV station. This prominence was solidified in 2006 when Hezbollah managed to reach a stalemate with Israel during the 34-day conflict. When the Syrian civil war began in 2011, Hezbollah fighters quickly aligned themselves with Bashar al-Assad's forces, despite a decline in Hezbollah's popularity as the Arab world largely rejected Assad. Despite the initial popularity, Nasrallahs support of Assad during the Syrian Civil War diminished Hezbollah's reputation among many Arab nations. However, his strategic importance within the Iranian-led Axis of Resistance remained strong. Since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war on October 7, Hezbollah has launched attacks on Israeli military positions, positioning its actions as support for Gaza. Nasrallah had issued continued threats to Israel, asserting Hezbollah's involvement in the conflict despite Israeli strikes targeting the group's commanders. In his speeches, he claimed that Hezbollahs cross-border operations have diverted Israeli forces from focusing on Hamas in Gaza and emphasized that Hezbollah will persist in its attacks on Israel until a cease-fire is established in Gaza.

(With inputs from Associated Press, Reuters)
Hashem Safieddine is seen as the likely successor to his cousin, Hassan Nasrallah, Hezbollah chief who was killed in an Israeli airstrike at its headquarters in Lebanon's Beirut. Senior Hezbollah official Hashem Safieddine speaks during the funeral of Mohammed Nasser, a senior Hezbollah commander who was killed by what security sources say was an Israel strike on Wednesday, in Beirut's southern suburbs, Lebanon July 4, 2024. (REUTERS)

While Hezbollah deputy chief Naim Qassem will temporarily assume leadership, according to AFP, the group's Shura Council must elect a new secretary-general. Safieddine, a prominent figure with strong ties to its patron Iran, is considered the top contender for the position.

A source close to Hezbollah said Safieddine is the "most likely" candidate for the leadership, AFP reported.

Lebanese researcher Amal Saad echoed this. Safieddine "has a lot of authority... he's the strongest contender" she added.

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Who is Hashem Safieddine, the likely successor to Hezbollah's chief?

1. Hashem Safieddine is the cousin of slain Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. He is believed to be in his late 50s or early 60s.

2. The United States and Saudi Arabia listed Safieddine as a "terrorist" in 2017 for his senior leadership role in Hezbollah.

3. Safieddine has close connections to Iran as having studied in holy city of Qom. His son is married to the daughter of late Iranian general Qasem Soleimani, the commander of Iran's Revolutionary Guards' foreign operations arm who was killed in a 2020 US strike in Iraq.

ALSO READ- Israel takes on Iran by neutralising Hassan Nasrallah

4. He has the title of Sayyed, his black turban marking him, like Nasrallah, as a descendant of the Prophet Mohammed.

5. Unlike Nasrallah, who often remained in hiding, Safieddine has attended political and religious events openly in recent years.

ALSO READ- How Israel carried out Op 'New Order' to kill Hezbollah chief in Lebanon: New video out

How was Hezbollah formed?

Hezbollah was established during the Lebanese civil war in 1982, following Israel's siege of Beirut.

It was created with the support of Iran's Revolutionary Guards and joined "the Resistance" force for fighting Israeli forces that occupied southern Lebanon until 2000.
Zainab Nasrallah, the daughter of top Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, was reportedly killed in an Israeli airstrike targeting Hezbollah strongholds in Lebanon's southern Beirut on Friday, Channel 12 claimed. However, there has been no official confirmation from Israel, Hezbollah, or Lebanese authorities regarding her death. Zainab Nasrallah, daughter of prominent Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.(X)

If confirmed, Zainab Nasrallah's death could carry significant symbolic weight for Hezbollah and potentially affect the group's response to the ongoing conflict with Israel.

Zainab Nasrallah was recognised for her outspoken support of Hezbollah and her familys sacrifices, The Jerusalem Post reported. She had previously addressed the death of her brother, Hadi, who was killed by Israeli forces in 1997.

Israeli strikes target Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut

The Israeli military announced that it targeted Hezbollah's headquarters in Beirut on Friday, resulting in a series of powerful explosions that aimed at the militant group's leader and destroyed several high-rise apartment buildings, Associated Press (AP) reported.

Lebanons health ministry said that there were at least six deaths and 91 injuries from the blasts, which marked the largest explosion in the Lebanese capital in the past year and raised concerns that the escalating conflict could edge closer to full-scale war.

According to two sources familiar with the situation quoted by AP, including one US official who spoke on condition of anonymity, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was the intended target of the strikes. The Israeli army refrained from commenting on the specific targets, and it remains unclear whether Nasrallah was present at the site; Hezbollah has not provided any comments on the matter.

The death toll is expected to rise significantly as rescue teams search through the rubble of six destroyed buildings. Following the initial explosion, Israel carried out a series of strikes on additional areas in the southern suburbs.

Hassan Nasrallah has been in hiding for years, rarely making public appearances. While he frequently delivers speeches, he does so via video from undisclosed locations.

The site targeted on Friday evening had not been publicly identified as Hezbollahs main headquarters, but it is situated within the groups security quarters a heavily fortified area of Haret Hreik that houses its offices and several nearby hospitals.

Hours after the strike, Hezbollah had yet to release any statement regarding the incident. Instead, it declared that it had fired a barrage of rockets at the Israeli city of Safed, saying it was in defence of Lebanon and its people, and in response to the barbaric Israeli violation of cities, villages and civilians.
Dalton Sets Special Town Meeting for Oct. 9

DALTON, Mass.  There will be a special town meeting at Nessacus Regional Middle School on Wednesday, Oct. 9, at 7 p.m. to vote on four articles.

The first article requests the voters approve decreasing the fiscal year debt exclusion line item by $48,668.

Article 2 asks to transfer a sum from capital stabilization to cover the cost of the final engineering and construction of the heating, air conditioning, and ventilation system for the Town Hall's main floor and the police station in its basement.

The exact amount needed for the project has yet to be determined. Town Manager Thomas Hutcheson said he should have a "not to exceed" number from the engineer for the Finance Committee, a week before the special town meeting.

"We could authorize spending from my proposal with capital stabilization and then when we get the final cost estimate, we'll know how much of that we'll actually have to use, or we'll have a good idea how much we'll actually have to use. Bids may always come in higher than cost estimates," Hutcheson said.

Article 3 will be a vote to raise and appropriate, transfer from available fund, or provide a sum of money for the hiring of a conservation agent.

The Conservation Commission has been unable to meet because its chair stepped down, and nobody has stepped up to take over.

The work done by the commission chair is extensive and would otherwise be done by a conservation agent, which involves going around and identifying where wetland plants might be affected by homeowner or business activity.

Select Board Chair Robert W. Bishop Jr. served as the commission chair for about 24 years and confirmed that it is a lot of work.

"It adds a lot to the position," he said during Monday's Select Board meeting.

The chair would have to stay up to date on the laws and constantly has to go out, check on things, and needs to know a lot of information on soil and hydrology. The commission should have a professional person do that, Bishop said.

"I think it's a much needed thing, because it will take a huge load off of anybody wanting to be a chair," he said.

Hutcheson said he found a number of compensation schemes for conservation agent.

"We would not exceed, I think, what I'm proposing, which is an eight to 10 hour a week position at $30.11 an hour for professional assistance in enforcing our Wetlands Protection Act and Rivers Protection Act. Both of which involve, in the best case, some specialized training in conservation," Hutcheson said.

Select Board member Joe Diver questioned whether this could be something they could cover using American Rescue Plan Act dollars, however, because this will likely be a recurring addition to the budget other board members wanted to give voters the opportunity to approve it.

The position would likely be more attractive to a person who serves as a conservation agent part time for a number of small towns, Bishop said.

"It's gonna be hard to hire somebody for eight to 10 hours. So, they get that, plus Windsor, and there's a couple other towns looking also, because it's still changing, but the big thing right now with the commission is legally it cannot meet because they don't have a chair," Bishop said.

The final article surrounds amending the town's licensing bylaws to comply with new regulations set by the Cannabis Control Commission to make it easier for people harmed by marijuana prohibition and enforcement to enter the industry.

The bylaw change would allow only social equity applicants to get licenses to sell cannabis in town for the next three years.

"[This solution] allows us to forgo a complicated, bureaucratic solution that would be ongoing to social equity in allowing cannabis operations in town," Hutcheson said.

The cost of opening a cannabis dispensary is $1.5 million, which has made it difficult for those disproportionately impacted by the war on drugs to enter the industry.

The Cannabis Control Commission established regulations and programs to help legacy market participants enter the industry.

Municipalities have three options, one of which is to adopt the commission's model bylaw.

This model has been characterized as having an "unrealistic timeline," containing "questions regarding conflicting governance, various ambiguities and burdensome requirements for cities and towns" by the state Municipal Association and state Municipal Lawyers Association.

Another option would be creating a local process for approving equity applicants on a one-on-one basis and approving non-equity applications only after an equity business has been established.

The option to only accept applicants from the legacy market, is the simplest option, especially considering the town does not receive many applications to sell cannabis, Hutcheson said.

"Over my three years here, so far, I've received only two phone calls asking about the possibility, neither one followed up. So I don't anticipate this being a big deal," he said.

"However, due to the Cannabis Control Commission's regulations, we do need to take action on it. This seems to be the simplest and best action to take."

Background on the Cannabis Control Commission's Regulation Change:

According to the commission's International Cannabis Policy Study, "cannabis cultivation and use were legal under federal and state laws throughout most of modern American history."

From 1850 to 1941, it was also included in the U.S. Pharmacopeia, an official list of public standards for recognized medicinal products. However, with the development of other pharmaceuticals, its use decreased.

Despite that, the 20th century brought social reform that "aimed to reduce recreational use of many substances, including cannabis."

The increase in the drug's usage between 1910 and 1920 led to 29 states, including Massachusetts, to pass laws prohibiting the possession or sale of cannabis.

From the 1940s to the '70s, there were changes in federal policies criminalizing marihuana use, sales, and cultivation, medical or otherwise.

In 1971, President Richard Nixon declared a "War on Drugs," proclaiming drug use as "America's public enemy number one."

The National Commission on Marijuana and Drug Abuse, which Nixon appointed to study the drug issue, recommended that cannabis be decriminalized, yet the report findings were ignored because "getting tough on crime won votes," the commission said in its video on Faces of Equity.

These efforts to combat the supply chain of illegal drugs that contributed to substance use disorders actually resulted in policies and "systematic changes in the criminal justice system that to this day disproportionality impact people of color," the commission's International Cannabis Policy Study said.

"Clearly, a new and better approach is needed, a way to address systemic racism, a path forward to improve not just the lives of affected individuals, but bring economic vibrancy to whole communities," the video on Faces of Equity said.

"Legalizing marijuana was a good start, but just the beginning of a journey towards greater justice and prosperity."

"As of March 2022, there has been significant movement on the federal level regarding cannabis reform," the study said.

However, due to stringent regulations restricting those with drug offenses from being part of the cannabis industry, inflated prices due to the type of business, and financial burdens, the legacy market was pushed aside for larger companies.

"It is, frankly, ludicrous for people in pinstripe suits to pretend that they were experts on selling cannabis when they only got in post-legalization, there are people who have done this and risked their whole lives. How do we lean on the skills of those individuals who were in the legacy market," Tito Jackson, Apex Noire founder and CEO, said in the commission's video.
BRPC Chair Malcolm Fick, left, Executive Director Thomas Matuszko, state Rep. William "Smitty" Pignatelli, Housing and Livable Communities Secretary Edward Augustus and state Rep. Tricia Farley-Bouvier at BRPC's annual meeting. BRPC Chair Malcolm Fick, left, presents outgoing state Rep. Smitty Pignatelli with the Kusik Award. Augustus, secretary of the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities, fills in BRPC members on work being done at the state level to promote housing. The meeting was held at Balderdash Winery in Richmond. PreviousNext

BRPC Outlines Busy Year Addressing Region's Needs



Executive Director Thomas Matuszko highlights the work the commission as done this past year at BRPC's annual meeting.

RICHMOND, Mass. Berkshire Regional Planning Commission had a busy year addressing the region's needs through a dozen cross-cutting programs.



"We really are out of the COVID era and have gotten into a real routine working with our communities and other organizations," Executive Director Thomas Matuszko said.



Community members filled the barn at Balderdash Winery on Wednesday for BRPC's annual meeting. The regional planning agency closed fiscal year 2024 with a revenue increase of nearly $858,000 over the previous year, and a total income of more than $6.9 million from grants, local organizations, and nonprofit agreements.



State Rep. William "Smitty" Pignatelli was given the Kusik Award for making outstanding contributions to planning in Berkshire County and Housing and Livable Communities Secretary Edward Augustus spoke about the Healey-Driscoll administration's $5.1 billion Affordable Homes Act.



Both commended BRPC on the dizzying amount of work it puts into the county.



"I'm exhausted just listening to all of the things that you're working on," Augustus said. "It's incredible, the breadth of topics and certainly the breadth of communities that you're working in."



Similarly, Pignatelli said, "You are the only countywide organization that has their fingerprints and footprints in every single community in Berkshire County."



The annual Kusik Award is named in honor of the late Charles Kusik, a Richmond resident who placed his expert imprint on the zoning bylaws of nearly every town in the Berkshires for over three decades.



Pignatelli, who is stepping down after 22 years in the State House, was awarded for his tireless advocacy.



"It may seem strange to give a planning award to a legislator but planning in the commonwealth is only possible, as we've discovered today through the presentation, it's only possible through the framework and funds provided by the legislation," BRPC Chair Malcolm Fick said.



"Whether it's securing funds for local planning, funding for housing and housing rehab, legislation concerning local control of land use, energy planning, the west-east rail service, shared services among the towns, fostering home ownership. These are all issues that Smitty has championed for our county and for us and we owe him a lot."



Matuszko pointed out that housing is a crisis in Berkshire County, as it is all over the state. This continues to be a priority for BRPC and was strengthened by the hiring of a senior planner who focuses on housing planning and leads the Community Development Block Grant program.



BRPC assists municipalities in applying for and administering the federally-awarded funds, many of which went to housing rehabilitation. It also works with communities to make homes more accessible in line with federal law and administers a home modification loan program for those with needed accessibility improvements.



The agency saw several housing-related planning projects over the last year, including assistance to smaller towns and working with land-use regulations to create new housing opportunities.



There was continued implementation of the Housing Vision for the Berkshires, a 2022 regional strategy developed with the support of a working group comprising housing practitioners from throughout Berkshire County, with the help of 1Berkshire and Hearthway.



Augustus said the Healey-Driscoll administration has identified housing as the most pressing issue that the commonwealth faces and that has manifested itself in many different ways.



"We know that the emergency assisted shelter system, which is the family shelter system, is at an all-time high, nearly 7,500 families in that system right now. To give you a sense of what that means in terms of people, that's close to 25,000 people that are in that system. That's probably larger than most of the communities in Berkshire County and other parts of the state as well," he explained.



"So that is a massive responsibility that we have to try to find not only immediate shelter but then ultimately move those families to permanent housing. That is their goal and that is our goal as a state. Shelter should be brief, it should be temporary, and it should be non-reoccurring."



The Affordable Homes Act includes $2 billion in funding for the rehabilitation of public housing, $800 million in new capital authorization for the Affordable Housing Trust Fund, expanded tax credit and incentive programs, and almost 50 policy initiatives.



The act now allows accessory dwelling units up to 900 square feet by right with single-family homes.



"We estimate that 8,000 to 10,000 units in the next five years will be created as a result of that one policy. It doesn't cost the Commonwealth of Massachusetts any money. It is simply removing restrictions to the creation of ADUs and we've seen California, New Hampshire have done this. When they've done that, they unlock this opportunity to create housing across their states but they also create movement in the housing space," Augustus explained.
New Fall Foliage Leaf Hunt Clues for 2024

Editor's note: there are three leaves remaining in Adams, and two leaves each in North Adams and Williamstown. You have until Friday, Oct. 11, to find them. Look for the second set of clues below.

NORTH ADAMS, Mass.  The annual Fall Foliage Leaf Hunt, a traditional and popular feature that kicks off Fall Foliage

Festival Week, starts today, Saturday, Sept 28.

This year the committee has revealed that there will be 11 colorful leaves hidden in Adams, Cheshire, North Adams, and Williamstown.

When a leaf is found, it should be brought to the Office of Tourism at North Adams City Hall during normal business hours to claim a prize. One prize per household please. Prizes are generously donated by area businesses including Bailey's Bakery, Berkshire Emporium, Big Y, Bounti-Fare Restaurant, Daily Grind, The Flower Gallery, Mount Williams Greenhouse, Oriental Buffet, Stop & Shop, Tractor Supply, Trail House Kitchen & Bar, and Walmart.

Upon finding a hidden leaf, the top plastic bag with the yellow or orange leaf should be removed and brought in, and the second bag with the green leaf should be left at the site. This way, subsequent hunters will know they correctly solved the clue but someone already claimed the prize-winning leaf.

A second set of clues will be announced in the event of unclaimed leaves. A complete list of winners, locations, and sponsors will be released in late October. All leaves should be returned by Oct. 11 to receive a prize.

As always, the leaf committee has included an invisible leaf hunt for homebound residents.

Participants in the invisible hunt are asked to mail a postcard (or card in an envelope) with the number of the clue and the answer/s with their name, address, and phone number or email address, to the Office of Tourism, City Hall, 10 Main St., North Adams, MA 01247.

Only mailed entries will be accepted. In the event of a tie, the earliest postmark will determine the winner. Please submit answers to be received by Oct. 11.

This year's Fall Foliage Festival theme is "Berk du Soleil" and the first set of clues are:

1. Billsville location for three  or any number of  rings; 2nd clue: One-stop jewelry, banking, and massage in Williamstown

2. Come for the history of acrobatics, stay for the present-day bowling, brain teasers and buddies; 2nd clue: A German words for gymnastics, on a street that shares its name

3. Find these half-brother twins a little closer to the ground than usual; 2nd clue: Unlike the name suggests, this isn't just for gymnasts born between May 21-June 20

4. First syllable of the creators of Mill Town Circus plus the second word of an education center for jesters; 2nd: clue: The oldest building on the Williams College campus

5. Formerly creating textiles, now creating limber bodies and sated appetites

6. Industrial home of many arts, including a focused summer study of puppetry

7. Pastries from the Greatest Showman's partner

8. Stop here to fully acquire the kind of Acrobat that might excite indoor kids more; 2nd clue: Full-service computer sales and repairs in the Mother Town

9. Where Erin Morgenstern or Kristi Charish's clowns might go for repairs; 2nd clue: No early birds getting oil changes here

10. Who donates their time when the fire-eating rehearsal goes wrong?

11. You'll sometimes find less exotic animals on display here, and occasionally a fairy or two; 2nd clue: The gates are closed now, but they open for events like the Faerie Festival & the Fall Run

Invisible Leaf Hunt (mail-in entries only)

1. In 1851, an elephant billed as the largest in America, named ___________________, suffered a fatal accident on the Center Street bridge in the Northern Berkshire community of ________________. (Fill in the blanks)

2. Name one of the two famous traveling circus shows that performed in North Adams in the early 1900s.
Saturday 28 September 2024, 12:01 - Last updated: 12:08

Flu, vaccines are coming. Ahead of 2023, the flu vaccination campaign is set to start across Italy. From Emilia Romagna to Veneto and Lombardy, many regions have decided to begin the immunization process for those over 65. This decision follows recommendations from the Ministry of Health, considering the circulation of respiratory viruses in the 2023/24 season and the consequent forecasts for this year.

Flu, here are the most difficult months: campaign to stop the decline in vaccinations

The Vaccination Campaign

The vaccination campaign is once again one of our main priorities this year. We urge citizens to get vaccinated, especially those who belong to the most exposed categories. The 'simple' flu may not be as trivial as some think: only last season, 150 people were admitted to intensive care and we also had 51 deaths, emphasizes the Welfare Councillor of the Lombardy Region, Guido Bertolaso, on the occasion of the launch of the 2024-2025 flu vaccination campaign starting from October 1st. It should also be remembered that the vaccine, in addition to avoiding these serious consequences, also protects us from having to stay in bed with a fever, losing workdays, and having to suspend our daily family and social activities, Bertolaso points out. Prevention remains the best tool to protect our health and that of our loved ones, he concludes.

Recommendations

Flu vaccination is recommended and actively and freely offered to those over 60 years old, pregnant and postpartum women, children between 6 months and 6 years, people with chronic diseases that expose them to a higher risk of complications in case of flu, people admitted to long-term care facilities, and family members of high-risk individuals as well as public service workers of primary collective interest, such as doctors and healthcare and social care personnel, police forces, and firefighters. Not all authorized vaccines are necessarily available on the market, specifies Aifa: the Regions decide annually, through tenders for the supply of vaccines, among the products available on the market, those that will be used. The flu vaccines authorized by Aifa through mutual recognition and decentralized procedures are: Efluelda tetra (Sanofi Pasteur), Fluarix tetra (Glaxosmithkline biologicals s.a.), Influvac s (Viatris healthcare Limited), Influvac s tetra (Viatris healthcare Limited), Vaxigrip tetra (Sanofi Pasteur Europe). While those authorized through the centralized procedure (coordinated by the EMA) are: Fluad tetra (Seqirus Netherlands B.V.), Flucelvax tetra (Seqirus Netherlands B.V.), and Fluenz (Astrazeneca Ab). (ANSA).

Appeal to the Vulnerable and Elderly

The vulnerable and the elderly should get a booster of the updated anti-Covid vaccine as soon as possible, adapted to the new variants of Sars-CoV-2. They should get vaccinated simultaneously for Covid-19 and seasonal flu, is the appeal from virologist Fabrizio Pregliasco from the University of Milan, commenting to Adnkronos Salute on the rise in infectionsparticularly marked in Lombardyhighlighted by the latest weekly bulletin.

Lombardy

The free flu vaccination campaign for the autumn-winter 2024-2025 season will start in Lombardy on Tuesday, October 1st. In the first phase, it will target the most at-risk categories, and from November 4th, it will be extended to the entire population. On October 5th and 6th, extraordinary opening events are planned by local healthcare facilities. From October 1st to November 4th, the free offer is aimed at the following categories: pregnant women (in any trimester) and postpartum women (6 weeks after childbirth); people aged 60 and over (born in 1964 and earlier); children and teenagers from 6 months to 17 years; people at risk due to status or pathology; family members and contacts of high-risk individuals; doctors, healthcare personnel, and workers in social and healthcare facilities with public contact; police forces, firefighters, civil protection, and school staff (teaching and non-teaching). Vaccines will be administered in regional centers, as well as in general practitioners' and pediatricians' offices, and also in affiliated pharmacies and some accredited healthcare facilities. It will be possible to book the vaccination through the regional online platform (https://prenotasalute.regione.lombardia.it/prenotaonline/).

Flu vaccines are co-administerable, in the same session or at any distance, with all other vaccines, specifies Palazzo Lombardia. In particular, it will promote co-administration with Covid-19 vaccines and for at-risk categories with vaccines for pneumococcus, Herpes zoster, diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis (with particular attention to pregnant women). For children and adolescents aged 2 to 17, the Region also offers this year the possibility of receiving flu immunization through nasal spray administration. This approach, designed especially for the younger ones, eliminates the need for injections and makes the vaccination process simpler and faster. The nasal spray represents an effective and safe solution, the Region emphasizes, allowing the health of the youngest to be protected without causing the discomfort often associated with traditional methods. As for Covid, the vaccination campaign has never stopped, reads the regional note, and new adapted formulations of the vaccine, designed to counter the most recent circulating variants (currently the vaccine is updated to the JN.1 variants), are already available. The Covid-19 vaccination has an annual value, similar to the flu vaccination, and must be carried out at least 3 months after another Covid-19 vaccination; a recent Sars-CoV-2 infection is not a contraindication to vaccination.

Emilia Romagna

Early start for the flu vaccination campaign, which in Emilia-Romagna will begin on Monday, October 7th, over a week earlier than in 2023when it started on October 16thand even two weeks earlier than in 2022, when the start date was October 24th. This decision, wanted by the Region, was recommended by the Ministry of Health, considering the circulation of respiratory viruses in the 2023/24 season and the consequent forecasts for this year. Last season, in fact, over 1.2 million people fell ill in Emilia-Romagna, with a high incidence and a peak of about 23 cases per 1,000 assisted, close to the negative record of 24.5 cases in 2004. One million doses of vaccine are available, which can increase up to 1.2 million and be administered at any time. The early start of the campaign does not imply that it will end earlier: vaccinations can regularly be done until February 2025. The possibility of vaccinating healthy children from 6 months to 6 years for free is confirmed, for whom (in the 2-6 year range) the nasal spray flu vaccine will also be available. This year, as well, the co-administration of the flu vaccine with the Covid-19 vaccine is provided (already independently active in vaccination centers): 300,000 updated doses against the new variants are available, and more will be ordered if necessary. Emilia-Romagna is in first place among the large Italian regions for flu vaccination coverage among citizens aged 65 and over, explains the Regional Councillor for Health Policies, Raffaele Donini, we are close to 60%, vaccination is the most effective and safe protection to prevent the flu and reduce its complications, which for some people can be very serious, and consequently decrease emergency room visits and hospital admissions.

Veneto

In Veneto, the vaccination campaign will also start on October 7th, anticipating the start compared to previous seasons, both against the flu and against Covid. The campaign begins in the first week with the offer of the two vaccinations to people over 65. All other people can get vaccinated starting from the second week of October, as soon as the indicated vaccine is available. The Veneto Region's Directorate of Prevention communicates that vaccination is the most effective form of prevention, particularly against severe forms of these diseases, especially in the most vulnerable or those over 60. It helps to avoid people having to resort to urgent care in the emergency room, thus reducing hospital admissions related to complications from Covid-19 and flu. To facilitate vaccination accessibility, two regional open days are scheduled on October 26th and November 9th. On these dates, dedicated vaccination sessions will be organized by all the Ulss. The Region has made available to the healthcare companies over 900,000 doses of flu vaccine and 460,000 doses of the Covid-19 vaccine updated to the circulating variant. The two vaccines can be administered at the same time. The availability of nasal spray flu vaccine for the youngest has increased, with 28,000 doses for children aged 2 to 6, available at participating pediatricians and Public Health and Hygiene Services in the regional territory. It will be possible to get vaccinated by contacting your general practitioner, pediatrician, or participating pharmacies. The Ulss Vaccination Services will also activate dedicated vaccination clinics in the coming weeks. In the coming days, it will be possible to start booking an appointment online (prenotavaccino.regione.veneto.it).

Friuli Venezia Giulia

The vaccination campaign in Friuli Venezia Giulia will begin on October 14th, two days earlier than last year. The newspapers of the Nem Group report today an extensive service on the subject, specifying that up to 248,000 doses are arriving and that the vaccine is recommended and provided free of charge to people aged 60 and over and to vulnerable individuals. At the same time, people can also be vaccinated against Covid, a choice recommended for older age groups and those with health problems. Vaccines will be free for people aged 60 and over, children between 6 months and 6 years; individuals with chronic respiratory and cardiovascular diseases and other pathologies. Vaccines are administered by your general practitioner and pediatrician, in some pharmacies, and by the vaccination services of the Health Companies. According to national guidelines, for all target groups, the aim is to achieve coverage of 75% to 95%, which is considered optimal. A year ago, Il Piccolo and Messaggero Veneto report, as in the past, the coverage was well below this threshold: 55.7% among those over 65 (compared to 58.1% in 2022/23), 17.7% among healthcare personnel (19.2% in 2022/23). Low adherence was also seen among those aged 60-64 (22%) and under 6 (12%). In Friuli Venezia Giulia, the tender for the supply of vaccines has already been completed, says Regional Health Councillor Riccardo Riccardi. The available vaccines will be the trivalent inactivated with adjuvant, the quadrivalent inactivated, the quadrivalent inactivated produced on cell cultures, and the live attenuated trivalent.

Lazio

The flu vaccination campaign will start in Lazio on October 1st. There are already 1.305 million doses available, with the possibility of increasing them by 20% if necessary. Everything is ready to start, as the Region informs Adnkronos Salute. The agreements with general practitioners and pediatricians were signed last August, both for the flu campaign and for the pneumococcal campaign. The timelines for Covid vaccinations are the same as for the flu. We are waiting for the ministerial circular, the Region specifies. The distribution plan for the anti-Sars-CoV-2 vaccine is guaranteed by the Ministry of Health. The vaccine will be provided by Pfizer. Lazio has already received the first quantities of doses and they will arrive on a weekly basis. Overall, the supply will be over 527,000 doses, but if necessary, it is possible to request an increase in quantities. The organizational machine is already ready, starting from the vaccination centers of the health companies.
Friday 27 September 2024, 17:18 - Last updated: 19:03

Carlo D'Attanasio, an Italian citizen suffering from colon cancer, has been arrested in Papua New Guinea on charges of money laundering and drug trafficking. On the Pacific island, he is unable to receive adequate medical treatment for his illness, and lawyer Mario Antinucci is fighting to defend his case by highlighting the critical issues involved.

Artificial intelligence to prevent colorectal cancer

The Incident

Carlo D'Attanasio is stuck in Papua New Guinea without adequate medical care. The lawyer raises the alarm by seeking help from the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg. The man is accused of money laundering for financing terrorism and linked to a drug trafficking operation passing through Papua New Guinea. For these crimes, he was sentenced on September 24 to 19 years in prison. Antinucci highlights the manner in which his client's trial was conducted, emphasizing that the conviction followed unclear procedures: "An inquisitorial judgment, concluded on December 30, 2023, and without any adversarial process" and D'Attanasio has "always proclaimed his innocence". According to Antinucci, the sentence was completely biased, with charges built on circumstantial evidence, both regarding international drug trafficking and the money laundering hypothesis "given that the value of the 611 kg of cocaine corresponds to about 200 million Papua New Guinean kina (equivalent to 46 million euros)".

Sailor arrested for drugs in Papua New Guinea, doctor: "He is very serious, at risk of dying"

According to the Italian lawyer: "No evidence was established in court that he brought the drugs to Papua New Guinea. It is very serious that the judge, despite highlighting in the sentence the severe health condition of the defendant at risk of life, did not duly consider the diplomatic channel activated in Italy through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for his transfer solely to receive necessary medical treatment in Italy." For this reason, the lawyer intends to bring the prisoner's case to Strasbourg: "We need to activate the urgent procedure before the European Court of Human Rights for the grave violation of Carlo's right to life." Antinucci was put in contact with D'Attanasio by Italian entrepreneur Reginaldo Melis. Antinucci further points out how in the trial, ". For this reason, the "urgent procedure before the European Court of Human Rights" will be activated.
Lenin once reputedly said that there are decades where nothing happens, and weeks where decades happen. Soon after the millennium, the British Isles experienced a rush of history: a financial emergency, six general elections, five new prime ministers, a constitutional crisis, a pandemic  and then the death of the Queen.

Some have said that these were the nations worst years since the Napoleonic wars, and there is one politician who has blazed a meteoric trail across almost every page of this teeming history: Boris Johnson. But only now is he telling his story, for no less than a reported half a million pounds and counting.

At that price, never mind setting the record straight, hell have to deliver. But what is in the offing from such a maverick pen? As he might put it, a macedoine of regret, maybe mortification, and dismay? As the first parts of Unleashed are serialised, we finally get a hint of what might be to come.

Johnsons predecessors have had their say. Camerons apologia, For the Record, was a stodgy anthology of special pleading, a mea culpa on stilts. Theresa Mays The Abuse of Power was not just deadly but dead on arrival, and sank without a trace.

Who else? There is, incorrigibly, the ludicrous lettuce queen herself. Liz Truss, in power for 49 days, wrote Ten Years to Save the West, a mad volume of 320 pages (or 6.5 pages per day) that was at once semi-literate, comically self-deluded, and weirdly confessional (aka self-serving). A shockingly low bar had been set.

Johnson, an accomplished journalist, had already begun to rehearse his lines before he was even prime minister. While Cameron et al were strutting across the stage, Boris was alleged to be writing  or not writing  a book about Shakespeare.

In light of what happened to him from 2019 (that freakish landslide election victory), by way of the pandemic, to 2022 (his hasty, ignominious exit), Shakespeare was possibly a useful primer, planting seeds he could nurture among the hothouse orchids of the memoirs.

Now, finally, that moment has come. Johnsons tell-all version of events is shortly to be released in its full glory. He comes bounding into our midst, slobbering and wagging his tail, unmuzzled. Or, as his publishers put it, a little more decorously, Unleashed.

We are invited to discover the unfiltered truth about Brexit, Covid, and the Conservative Party. Unfiltered? Well, maybe. Nothing was more filtered than Johnsons command of his conduct as the faux-scruffy tribune of the people. Actually, until its full publication on 10 October, his text is both tightly leashed and muzzled under a heavy embargo.

But even before we address the character of Johnson, and that of his premiership  its highs, lows, and tragi-comic denouement  the iron laws of British political autobiography dictate that some inevitable tropes will be on full display.

open image in gallery During his scramble to the top of the greasy pole, and his vertiginous tenancy there, Johnson was widely scorned as a liar ( Getty )

Like any opportunistic political memoir, Unleashed will have its share of truth-bending, score-settling, record-defending, and body-burying. Revenge is doubtless a dish best served cold. This one is served up exquisitely garnished with the choicest condiments, herbs, and spices.

Johnsons narrative is already being offered to the public in its glossiest guise, as gripping, unmissable, and unvarnished. Painful though it is to bring this up, there are  to use an old English word  what we must call Johnsons truths to reckon with.

During his scramble to the top of the greasy pole, and his vertiginous and hectic tenancy there that preceded his inevitable descent, Johnson was widely scorned as a bare-faced, and often quite incompetent, liar. And never more so than in the conduct of his signature campaign  his governments response to Covid. That story is at the heart of Unleashed.

It will also be seasoned throughout with some tasty revelations about Brexit & Megxit. (Johnson is too much of a Fleet Street pro to miss the opportunity for name-checks of the King, Prince Harry, and the troubled Windsors.) Many a Westminster haruspex (entrail expert) will soon regale us with the most egregious examples of Boris Bulls***: the ex-PMs porkies, stretchers, hummers, clankers, fibs, whoppers, falsehoods, and yankers (a British dialect term that is new to me).

Le style, cest lhomme  and you can follow our heros literary career to detect other clues about the man and his character. Ever since 2014, it is known that Johnson nurtures a near-slavish devotion to the memory and achievements of Winston Churchill. How One Man Made History, the subtitle to his bestseller The Churchill Factor, is nothing if not candid.

open image in gallery Johnson is emphatically not Churchill, but he possesses something that Churchill had in spades  a voice ( Getty )

In the business of making history, Johnson will no doubt remember that in an apocryphal conversation with Stalin, Churchill once boasted, in jest, that History will be kind to me, because I intend to write it.

Johnson is emphatically not Churchill, but he possesses something that every memoir-writer needs, and that Churchill had in spades  a voice.

Famously, the hero of World War Two once said of his wartime broadcasts: It was the British people who had the courage of a lion; I simply had the luck to give the roar. Johnson does not roar, but his bark is inimitable, and Unleashed will doubtlesssizzle with the bogus izzats of self-justification when it is published in full.

Evelyn Waugh, who loathed Churchill, said the wartime leader was a master of sham-Augustan prose. Johnson would never dare, or want, to be Augustan in the manner of Edward Gibbon (he of The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire), but his classical education has given him a way with lofty metaphors and a diverting turn of phrase.

He relentlessly tells us that he knows the tricks of ancient rhetoric: from chiasmus (reversal of word order) to ethos (credibility), pathos (emotional appeal), anaphora (repetition), and antithesis (opposition of ideas). The Churchill model suggests that, whatever else might be going on in Unleashed, Johnsons style is pressed into the service of a crafty old Anglo-Saxon trick  POV (point of view). That this memoir will be cunningly self-centred throughout to an astounding degree is a no-brainer. No Narcissus ever stared more intently, or with deeper fascination, into the limpid waters of self-love.

open image in gallery Evelyn Waugh, who loathed Churchill (pictured), said the wartime leader was a master of sham-Augustan prose ( Getty )

If we pursue these classical allusions, however, we must concede that Boris also has an achilles heel. Where Churchill has natural oomph  gravitas, dignity, and grandeur combined with an impish, even childlike levity, Johnson has only the instinctive frivolity of the man who longs to be loved to sustain him through the memoirs trackless deserts of print.

Apropos frivolity, our hero is sometimes compared to the Bertie Wooster of those inimitable PG Wodehouse stories, but while Bertie and Boris are both Old Etonians, this is where the similarity ends. Bertie, a young twit whos wholly and blissfully innocent, was never more (or less) than a lissom drone, a nincompoop in thrall to the sober genius of his manservant Jeeves, who describes his master as mentally negligible.

Contrariwise, Johnson is no fool, and is far from mentally negligible. In many ways, Bojos problem is that hes just a bit too ligible, entangled in that self-inflicted web of deceit and dissimulation.

open image in gallery Unleashed will be published on 10 October ( HarperCollins )

His prose style, combining the patrician and the popular, is a mix of Savoy Grill and metropolitan McDonalds (at once super-rich and awesomely cheap). He is blissfully at home in his own company, a stranger to reticence or self-doubt. You will only ever catch Boris Johnson looking in the mirror to re-ruffle his blond thatch, or to disarray and loosen his shambolic tie.

If hes not Bertie (or indeed, Jeeves), who is he? In his book The Churchill Factor, like lightning at a summer picnic, we get a few uncertain flickers. On one page, tellingly, theres the suggestion that Churchill (and, by implication, his understudy) should be compared to Falstaff, a fellow who is, in his own words, not only witty in myself, but the cause that wit is in other men.

Now, while its true that the fat knights addiction to irony makes him a profoundly English hero  a natural reprobate, crowd-pleaser, and prince-charmer  hes a lot of other things, too. As Ian McKellen so brilliantly demonstrated in Player Kings, Shakespeares Falstaff is a nasty piece of work: dissolute, immoral, cowardly, deceitful, dishonourable and intemperate: quite the opposite of his reputation, and beset by qualities that would make Johnson flinch.

If not Falstaff, then what about Banquos Ghost? He has strutted his hour upon the stage, and knows hes eternally braided into history as a figure of myth and majesty. Does Unleashed, we wonder, contain a coded appeal for that great Shakespearean theme, the Second Chance?

Heres a troubling and final known-unknown: does Johnson envisage a comeback? Once published in full, Unleashed will certainly be an exercise in the three Rs: Revenge, Record, and Relitigate. Does Johnson have the chutzpah  the sheer and unmitigated brass  to make a pitch for a fourth R: Redemption? In the words of HH Asquith, well have to Wait and see.
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Did they or didnt they actually have sex? This was the question for Robert Harris, eminence grise of fiction, bestseller, political zeitgeister, father of three, and, at 67, newly a first-time grandfather.

His erotic quest concerned the relationship between married prime minister HH Asquith, the last Liberal Party prime minister to command a majority government, and Venetia Stanley, a beguiling young socialite 35 years his junior.

Heir to le Carre and John Buchan, Harris is the classy English novelist who, in both quality and quantity, reaches the parts most writers cannot reach. The bestseller list seems to keep a place waiting for him, and every book of his is read by the Queen before its publication date. The latest, Precipice, is no exception.

He is no literary fiction writer, and such fancy prizes as the Booker have eluded him, perhaps because he is rooted in plain Orwellian journalism and his bestseller DNA causes snobs to disqualify him. Critics underestimate his consummate style at their peril. Nevertheless, his books stand out and make you stand to attention. Which is why his sex inquiry matters.

For more than a century there has been something of a political cover-up, as Asquith was portrayed by his family and most historians as loyal to his wife, perhaps having only a soupcon of platonic tendresse towards the young socialite Venetia Stanley.

Historians have generally steered a wide path to avoid any hint of impropriety, let alone infidelity. Step forward Harris exactly a century later: the author of Fatherland  which imagined a world where Hitler had won the war  and 14 prior novels has turned the perceived narrative on its head, with a nuanced, high-class, kiss-and-dont-tell account; a serious, intelligent historical novel based on written evidence.

He uses 560 secret letters penned by the Liberal PM, which for many years were partially withheld by Asquiths family from public view. He weaves into his narrative these letters, which show the full story of the private passion and the secrets spilled by the ardent politician to his young mistress. He then uses his novelists skills to recreate her enticing replies  as her actual letters were purposely burned by Asquith to avoid anyone ever discovering any whiff of this scandal.

Rather than a whodunnit, it becomes a who-did-it, a pacy account of an Edwardian love affair, using Asquiths real letters as the foundation to recreate, along with Venetias imagined replies, a compelling roman a clef.

The core of the book is formed of the letters Venetia kept. They were discovered by her daughter just after her death in 1948, explains Harris. Asquith liked to receive a letter a day from Venetia, which, ideally, he could wake up and find on his bedside table in Downing Street. She couldnt always do one a day, but sheer arithmetic suggests she should have written to him something like 350 times. He appears to have destroyed all the letters. In December 1916, when he left Downing Street, he had a bonfire and got rid of everything.

open image in gallery HH Asquith was prime minister from 1908 to 1916 ( PA )

There was almost no opportunity for shared bedrooms, let alone a night in a hotel for this unlikely couple. So, if it was physical, where did it happen? Harris reinvents the term sex drive with his controversial conclusion. The eureka moment to solving the riddle of did they or didnt they have sex came during Harriss research into the actual car in which the couple were driven. It was, as you ask, a black Napier 1908, six-cylinder, 45 horsepower, and became the mise en scene for their trysts.

The revelation came as I investigated what they drove, and I was astounded to discover it was not the sort of car one would expect. It had a fixed glass screen. There was a curtain. There was even a push-button console with instructions which would light up on the dash, and then silk blinds on all the other windows. So I thought, Now I know why they went for an hour-and-a-half drive every Friday, he says.

It was a carnal Bond-like boudoir on wheels, and so gave Harris the opportunity to show how this PM was even more liberal than most had thought. This has been much to the annoyance of some of Asquiths family  Asquiths great-grandson Lord Oxford voiced his displeasure at the fictional account.

It clearly was a physical relationship, insists Harris, before adding an Edwardian twist. It was physical  but not, I think, a relationship in which she might have got pregnant! You will have to use your own imagination, but I can tell you he was notoriously unsafe in the back of cars with young women. We were being asked to believe that this Venetia Stanley was the only woman in London hed ever tried it on with. I dont think so!

Sex was not the only critical issue, as HH Asquith often risked Britains security during the run-up to the First World War: he sent Venetia confidential cabinet papers as well as kisses and billets-doux, a clear violation of the Official Secrets Act. It was actually illegal under the act he himself brought in in 1911, says Harris.

Sex and politics have often entwined Asquith, so was he the unlikely forerunner to Clinton, Johnson, and JFK, each of whom risked their office to pacify a restless desire for sex? Some at the top channelled all their drive and excitement into politics; for others, libido and ambition were in lockstep. Asquith falls under the latter category.

But Harris avoids any moral censure. It would have been easy to take this story and write a #MeToo version of it, with a predatory older man abusing his position to put pressure on a woman less than half his age. I think Venetia was a strong character. She encouraged him. It amused or flattered her to have a relationship with Asquith. And I think thats her business. And in the end, she broke off the affair.

It would have been easy to take this story and write a #MeToo version of it, with a predatory older man abusing his position to put pressure on a woman less than half his age

Sex of a rather peculiar kind became part of Harriss research. Frottage was common-ish... theres a lot of corridor-creeping in country house weekends. And it was just sort of tacitly understood that, quite often, couples got married because they were the right families, and so on. And after a couple of children, both the man and the woman in a marriage would quite often strike up some other romantic liaison.

And sometimes, to be blunt, the withdrawal method went wrong. That was known as leaving the church before the sermon! And so you get Lady Diana Cooper, who was not the daughter of the Duke of Rutland, but was brought up as though she was. Clarissa Churchill Eden was not the daughter of Jack Churchill, Winstons half-brother. She was the daughter of a Liberal MP called Harold Baker.

Harris is convinced that the letters relating to this affair were stage-managed by the family to reduce any inference of impropriety. The historian and former home secretary Roy Jenkins was shown the letters, but was not allowed to use them freely. None of the endearments were printed, and he was at pains to suggest it was just a light diversion, no more than a distraction to Asquith, as singing was to Lloyd George.

It was something of a new venture for Harris to incorporate such a major role for a woman in his fiction, and as he wrote the final pages of his book, he confesses that a tear did roll down his cheek as he bade her farewell. The novel makes clear that it was a passionate and heartfelt friendship, in which Asquith appreciated Stanleys common sense, good judgement and wit as well as her physical allure.

open image in gallery Precipice by Robert Harris ( )

Cemented as one of the great novelists of his generation, Harris is still remembered for his extraordinary journalism at The Observer and The Sunday Times. And his political assessment remains sharp as our conversation turns to more recent politics.

Austerity was pushed too far by Osborne. The besetting problem in this country has been right-wing nationalism, and successive Tory leaders  including John Major, actually  who never said a good word about Brussels. William Hague, Michael Howard and Iain Duncan Smith all erected Europe as an easy bogeyman to whip, and to whip up nationalist feeling.

And I dont think, in his heart of hearts, David Cameron truly believed this, and he didnt realise the demons he was unleashing. But I dont think he said one positive word about Europe, and when he called the referendum, he assumed he would win and failed to realise that he wouldnt. He was relying on the left to win it for him. And yet hed never met a trade union leader, and he didnt seem to have noticed that Labour now had an anti-European leader in the form of Jeremy Corbyn.

The last 10 years have been a complete failure of statesmanship

He adds, It has been a melancholy time in this country, and a lot of people have not really been happy since the night of the referendum. The last 10 years have been a complete failure of statesmanship.

With the other Tory leaders, no punches are pulled. May started to land us with the most extreme form of Brexit, triggered Article 50, and then went charging ahead trying to appease the unappeasable right wing of her party, the anti-Europeans. And they had her in the end.

And then Boris got in and won the election by pretty brutal means, proroguing parliament and a slogan Get [Brexit] Done. He was a man utterly unsuited to being prime minister, paving the way for a woman even more unsuited in the form of Liz Truss. And then Rishi  a man no one had heard of, who did nothing memorable.

I am more than disappointed. Its been a kind of cloud over my sixties, which I never expected and Im sorry about it. It is easy to see why Harriss diversion into liberal politics a century ago was something of a solace.

In the end, Harris is exceptional at taking historical stories and making them irresistibly readable, with a huge emphasis on the writing. For instance, A man was waiting for me when I came into the room. Not a bad sentence, but When I came into the room, a man was waiting is slightly better, he explains, giving a simple masterclass in how to keep the reader hooked. Precipice is, of course, about going over the edge  but always, it is about keeping the reader on edge.

Robert Harris will be in conversation at Henley Literary Festival on 29 Sept; henleyliteraryfestival.co.uk. Precipice is out now, published by Hutchinson Heinemann
The trouble with Maggie Smith is that shes watchable in everything and worked like a trouper from the age of 17. A two-time Oscar winner (as well as the proud owner of a Tony for Lettice and Lovage), she left few stones unturned, which makes it hard to do justice to her talent and range. Those who saw her on stage rave about her versatility, but she was just as unpredictable in films and on TV.

Smith, who has died aged 89, is best known for her wickedly acerbic line readings in Downton Abbey. While utterly plausible as a despotic, bitchy and libidinous toff, she could also play downtrodden and democratic, naive and clenched. With the baleful eyes of a bloodhound and an exquisitely raspy voice, she grips you every which way, and her influence on other actors (from Susan Sarandon to Kathryn Hahn) and even musicians (Id argue she paved the way for Florence Welch) cant be overstated. To tweak a line of dialogue from one of Smiths most famous films (as beleaguered Scottish schoolmistress Jean Brodie), if intelligence is to your taste, this woman will give you a feast.

She was funny and intense from the off. Born in Essex, she moved with her family to Oxford when she was four years old, and was cast as Viola in an OUDS production of Twelfth Night (apparently, even when she was at Oxford High School, she knew this was a role she was born to play). Theatre directors like Peter Hall loved her. Before long, she was getting meaty roles at the Old Vic, working alongside Kenneth Williams (a lifelong friend), wowing audiences as Desdemona opposite Laurence Oliviers Othello, and hanging out with husband-to-be Robert Stephens.

Understandably, Hollywood wanted a piece of her, and she wasnt the least bit overshadowed by Richard Burton and Liz Taylor in The VIPs. Shes just as good in Jack Claytons sublime kitchen-sink drama The Pumpkin Eater. As the semi-gormless Philpot, Smith does full justice to Penelope Mortimers jolting novel about delusion, domesticity and infidelity (Philpots a thoroughly modern narcissist who, when not bending the ear of the hero, Jo, is secretly shagging Jos husband). Smith ensures that the character of Philpot is both chilling and an absolute hoot.

The Oscar for The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie put Smith on the map. Some find Smiths turn a little OTT, but I love her itchy fingers and the way that the character, on so many occasions, seems on the verge of gnawing herself to bits. She never turned her back on the theatre. She worked with Ingmar Bergman, for the National, in Hedda Gabler, and was cast opposite Stephens in Noel Cowards Private Lives, though by this point the couples private life had become more than a little messy, prompting Smith to move to Canada, and later LA, with her and Stephenss two sons, Chris and Toby.

She won her second Oscar for her supporting role in California Suite (1978, by which time she was married to Beverley Cross), delivering zingers in a way that, even now, feels scandalously modern. Shes Diana Barrie, a doomed and disappointed Oscar nominee, whos not going down without a fight. Diana says of the Academy members, I found them singularly unattractive this year; theres a general decline in facelifts and hair transplants. She also notes of a rival that shes all teeth and teary-eyed. What makes the scene special is the tears you feel gathering inside Diana herself. As so often with Smith, she plugs you into a characters vulnerability, even as said character lashes out and draws blood.

open image in gallery Ive always wanted to use that spell! Maggie Smith in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix ( Warner Bros )

By the late Seventies and early Eighties, Smith was a national treasure, juggling blissfully camp mainstream movies (Death on the Nile, Evil Under the Sun) with smaller indie comedies (The Missionary; A Private Function). Talking of which, you cant rhapsodise about Smith without mentioning her relationship with Alan Bennett. Their collaboration on the Bed Among the Lentils episode of the Talking Heads series was fiendishly smart and funny. Ditto their work on various productions of The Lady in the Van (on stage, radio and film). Smiths Miss Mary Shepherd  who happens to reside in a van but defies the label homeless  was based on a real eccentric in Bennetts life. Her realness makes your heart thump. No easy tears, here.

Meanwhile, if you want to just flat-out sob and/or rail against the damage caused by the Catholic Church, rent The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne (1987), based on the Brian Moore novel. Not everything about the film works, but Smith is stupendous as the titular spinster Judith. Shes full of surprises, too, in Steven Spielbergs riff on Peter Pan, Hook (1991), as ancient Wendy (she was only in her fifties at the time, but was made up to look 90). Watch the lustful, yearning way this granny strokes the face of Robin Williams (playing a modern-day, adult, amnesiac Peter). Listen to how her voice suddenly sounds like that of an exasperated little girl, as she begs Peter to remember who he is.

open image in gallery Penelope Wilton (left) and Maggie Smith in Downton Abbey: A New Era ( Ben Blackall/Focus Features )

The truth, of course, is that, for many people, Smiths career began and ended with Downton. Her imperious and naughty Dowager Countess of Grantham may be a sentimental shadow of Oscar Wildes Lady Bracknell  whom Smith played at the Aldwych in 1993  but she is beloved, and so must be mentioned. Im much fonder, myself, of tremulous Professor Minerva McGonagall, who brightened up many a bog-standard encounter in the Harry Potter films. Minervas such a cool witch. The bigger point, however, is that Margaret Natalie Smith CH DBE was iconic in umpteen movies, and should never be boiled down to these two famous parts.

open image in gallery Laurence Olivier and Maggie Smith as the Moor and Desdemona in John Dexter's 1964 Othello ( Snap/Rex/Shutterstock )

She certainly knew there was more to her than Violet Crawley. In a typically forthright and entertaining interview, she admitted shed never watched Downton. She refused to take herself too seriously. A lovely 2018 documentary, called Nothing Like a Dame, shows her gleefully poking fun at everything  even death. Smith, Judi Dench, Eileen Atkins and Joan Plowright discuss funerals and how Miriam Margolyes has hers all planned out. Smith, revelling in her role as head ghoul, quotes Dench as saying that she has nothing sorted because shes not going to die. Smith drawls, Which I know is true!, then she pulls a face and says, Shall we talk about something cheerier? For those mourning the immortal Maggie, heres a word of advice: track down her lesser spotted work. Theres no better tonic.
 Close Maggie Smith: Oscar-winning Harry Potter and Downton Abbey star dies aged 89

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Dame Maggie Smiths Downton Abbey co-star Hugh Bonneville and Harry Potter co-star Bonnie Wright have led tributes to the iconic actor after she died at the age of 89.

Bonneville, who starred alongside Dame Maggie in the ITV drama, remembered her as a true legend of her generation who had sharp wit and formidable talent.

Wright, who played Ginny Weasley in the Harry Potter film franchise, recalled her favorite scene with Smith being when we were all learning to dance for the Yule Ball in the fourth movie, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

Her sons Chris Larkin and Toby Stephens announced on Friday the Oscar-winning actress had died in Chelsea and Westminster hospital.

A statement from her children said: She passed away peacefully in hospital early this morning, Friday 27 September. An intensely private person, she was with friends and family at the end.

She leaves two sons and five loving grandchildren who are devastated by the loss of their extraordinary mother and grandmother.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank the wonderful staff at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital for their care and unstinting kindness during her final days.

We thank you for all your kind messages and support and ask that you respect our privacy at this time.
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Rupert Everett has revealed he asked Ridley Scott for a role in the forthcoming Gladiator II film but it never materialised.

The 65-year-old actor has written a new book called The American No, which he describes as the process of being courted by Hollywood, with producers gushing about how they cant wait to work with you but nothing happens.

Everett said in a new interview that after he worked on Ridley Scotts 2023 film, the actor phoned the director about his highly anticipated sequel to 2000s Gladiator.

The My Best Friends Wedding actor said: I rang him up and said, Please, Ridley, can I be in Gladiator? and he said, OK, Ill see what I can do. And then nothing happened.

However, Everett remained optimistic, tellingThe Times: Hes doing another film and Im hoping to get into that.

Everett, who recently revealed he tries to avoid looking at his reflection as he gets older, is best known for films including St Trinians, My Best Friends Wedding with Julia Roberts and numerous stage productions. Most recently, he made a cameo in Netflixs Emily in Paris as the Italian designer Giorgio Barbieri.

While Scott did not choose to cast Everett in the film, Scott has gathered a star-studded cast for the forthcoming follow-up film, which sees Normal People actor Paul Mescal playing the protagonist Lucius, the son of Connie Nielsens Lucilla and nephew of Commodus, played by Joaquin Phoenix.

Mescal is joined by a starry cast that includes The Last of Us star Pedro Pascal, Denzel Washington and Stranger Things actor Joseph Quinn.

open image in gallery Everett said nothing happened ( Getty Images for BFI )

Nielsen will be returning alongside another legacy cast member, Derek Jacobi, who is returning to play Gracchus.

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Fred Hechinger, best known for The White Lotus, and Quinn play co-emperors Geta and Caracalla, respectively, while Washington plays a former slave seeking revenge.

Other names include Pascal starring as powerful Roman general Marcus Acacius, who trained under Crowes Maximus Decimus Meridius. Little Britain star Matt Lucas and Avatars Peter Mensah will also feature.

open image in gallery Paul Mescal in Gladiator II ( Aidan Monaghan )

The most recent trailer for the film comes with a huge reveal about the paternity of Lucius  revealing he is actually the son of Maximus (played by Russell Crowe in the first film), and not Lucius Verus I, as he was made to believe since birth.

The forthcoming film is set years after the death of Maximus, who was killed at the hands of Commodus. In the sequel, Lucius is forced to enter the Colosseum after his home is conquered by the tyrannical Emperors who have taken over Rome. With the future of the empire at stake, Lucius must try and return Rome to its people.

Gladiator II will be released on 15 November.
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Fiona Harveys defamation lawsuit against Netflix has been allowed to go forward after a judge ruled that the streamers hit series Baby Reindeer did not match up to its billing as a true story.

The series, which follows a struggling comic Donny Dunn (Richard Gadd) as he is relentlessly harassed and stalked by a woman named Martha Scott (played by Jessica Gunning) for more than four years, was embroiled in controversy when internet sleuths unearthed the real Martha as Scottish lawyer Harvey.

Harvey responded by filing a defamation lawsuit against Netflix in which she alleged that the story is inaccurate and falsely depicted her as a convicted criminal who spent time in prison for stalking.

In July, Netflix filed a motion to throw out the lawsuit, with the shows creator and star Gadd revealing that Harvey had stalked him when he worked at a London pub, and had sent him thousands of disturbing emails and voicemail messages.

In a ruling on Friday, Judge Gary Klausner stated that the series opens with the line This is a true story, which invites the viewer to take what is presented to them as fact. However, Judge Klausner found that Marthas behaviour in the show is depicted as much worse than what Harvey was accused of in real life.

In the series, Martha pleads guilty to stalking and harassment and is sent to jail. However, Gadd reported Harvey to the police and she received a warning but was not criminally prosecuted as the series suggests.

There is a major difference between stalking and being convicted of stalking in a court of law, the judge wrote. Likewise, there are major differences between inappropriate touching and sexual assault, as well as between shoving and gouging anothers eyes. While plaintiffs purported actions are reprehensible, defendants statements are of a worse degree and could produce a different effect in the mind of a viewer.

open image in gallery Real-life Fiona Harvey and Jessica Gunning in Baby Reindeer ( Talk/Netflix )

The court disagreed with Netflixs argument that the similarities between the character Martha and Harvey are so broad that a reasonable person would not have been able to identify her.

Instead, the judge said: Rather, Martha and Plaintiff have specific similarities that few others could claim to share. Specifically, Martha and Plaintiff are both Scottish lawyers living in London, twenty years older than Donny/Gadd, accused of stalking a lawyer in a newspaper article, who communicated with Donny/Gadd on social media.

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Harvey was never named on the show, but her identity was quickly revealed by online sleuths who followed digital breadcrumbs from clues in the series, like searching the wording of specific tweets depicted in the series online  and finding Harveys account.

A federal judge has set a 6 May start date for Harveys action against Netflix, and proceedings are estimated to last about two weeks.

The series is billed as a true story, which Harvey argues in her $170m (132m) lawsuit is the biggest lie in television history.

open image in gallery Richard Gadd and Jessica Gunning in ( Ed Miller/Netflix )

According to documents seen by The Independent, Harvey has accused Netflix of defamation, negligence, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and violations of her right to privacy among other allegations.

While Gadd isnt named as a defendant in the lawsuit, he filed a response in federal court defending a motion to dismiss Harveys claim in a declaration dated 28 July.

I never intended the series to identify any real person as Martha Scott, including Harvey, he wrote in the 21-page document. Martha Scott is not Fiona Harvey. Like all characters in the series, Martha is a fictional character with fictional personality traits that are very different than Harveys.

open image in gallery Jessica Gunning and Richard Gadd with their Emmys for Netflixs Baby Reindeer ( Getty Images )

A Netflix spokesperson said at the time of the lawsuits filing: We intend to defend this matter vigorously and to stand by Richard Gadds right to tell his story.

Despite the controversy surrounding the series, Gadds show won four Emmy awards and 11 nominations at the 2024 ceremony earlier this month.

The Scottish comedian used his acceptance speech to encourage struggling abuse survivors to keep going, promising them that things will be OK.
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Saturday Night Live star Bowen Yang has shared more details about the unnamed host who he said made cast members cry.

During an appearance on Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen last month, Yang was asked to reveal the worst SNL host behavior hed ever witnessed. This man  this person, this host  made multiple cast members cry on Wednesday before the table read because he hated the ideas, he responded.

Yang was asked to elaborate on the incident during Wednesdays episode of David Spade and Dana Carveys Fly on the Wall podcast.

Yang said it was more about the environment of the place than the celebrity hosts behavior alone.

Imagine you stay up until 4am writing a sketch, and then the host is like: I f***ing hate this, youre gonna have some [reaction], he explained. Your nerves are frayed.

Youre gonna have some weird, bizarre, emotional response, Yang continued, adding that he wasnt the one who cried.

open image in gallery Bowen Yang returns for the 50th season of SNL ( Getty Images )

Carvey and Spade, who both starred in the long-running NBC sketch series in the Nineties, sympathized with their fellow comedian.

Spade recalled getting in trouble for saying that Steven Seagal had been the worst host to work with on SNL during a 2015 interview on Watch What Happens Live.

Everyone gets in trouble for saying something, but thats what everyone asks, and you can only dodge it for so long, Spade said. You just try to explain why they werent great.

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Spade said of Seagal at the time: He was a little tough. I mean, he was actually tough, and he was tough to work with. It was hard. He did not want to play along.

SNL returns on 28 September with a re-assembled lineup of familiar faces, plus three new cast members.

The new series will see Maya Rudolph reprise her Emmy-winning take on Vice President Kamala Harris amid her bid for the presidency.

Yang first joined SNL as a writer in 2018 before he was promoted to part of the on-air cast a year later.

Since joining as a full-time cast member, some of Yangs most memorable skits have included him portraying a talking balloon in reference to the suspected Chinese spy balloon that was shot down by the US military in February 2023. In October 2022, he also memorably skewered Elon Musk, Kanye West, Joe Biden and Chris Pratt during the shows cold open.

In 2021, Yang made SNL history as the first Chinese American cast member to receive an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series, which he earned after having only appeared on two seasons of the NBC comedy sketch show.

Elsewhere on the Fly on the Wall podcast, Yang said season 49 host Sydney Sweeney practically begged the SNL cast to make jokes about my boobs.
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China said its air and naval forces will take part in drills in the disputed area of the South China Sea hours after the countrys top diplomat discussed ways of reducing regional tension with his US counterpart.

Chinese forces will take part in the drills on Saturday, including "routine" early warning and reconnaissance exercises as well as patrols around Scarborough Shoal, Chinas People's Liberation Army said in a statement on social media.

"The theatre troops maintain a high degree of vigilance, resolutely defending national sovereignty, security and maritime rights and interests, (and) are firm in maintaining peace and stability in the South China Sea," it said.

The announcement comes after Australia and the Phillippines said their militaries would hold planned maritime drills with allies Japan, US and New Zealand in the exclusive economic zone of the Philippines.

The Scarborough Shoal is located 200km off the Philippines, within its exclusive economic zone, but China claims it to be part of its Zhongsha Islands.

The Philippine Coast Guard ship BRP Bagacay (C) being hit by water cannon from Chinese coast guard vessels near the chinese-controlled Scarborough shoal in disputed waters of the South China Sea ( Philippine Coast Guard (PCG)/AFP )

The Scarborough Shoal, among other islands in the region, has been one of the most contested regions between Manila and Beijing. The Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague in 2016 ruled in favour of the Phillippines, rejecting Chinas claims to a large swath of the regional waters. The ruling was ignored by China.

The tribunal did not determine sovereignty over the Scarborough Shoal, which it said was a traditional fishing ground for several countries.

The announcement of the Chinese naval manoeuvres comes after foreign minister Wang Yi met US secretary of state Antony Blinken in New York for talks that covered ways to avoid conflict in the South China Sea.

Mr Blinken in March had assured the Philippines its defence partnership with the US was "ironclad" after Manila accused Beijing of aggressive deployments in the South China Sea of its coast guard and fishing vessels suspected of being a maritime militia.

Manila this month called twenty of its allies to meet on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session amid fears that one wrong move could escalate tensions in the contested waters.

The Philippines and China have exchanged accusations of intentionally ramming coast guard vessels in the disputed waters in recent months, including a violent clash in June in which a Filipino sailor lost a finger.

Mr Wang on Friday "emphasised that China insists on resolving differences with countries directly concerned through dialogue and consultation", during the meeting, his ministry said in a statement.

Mr Blinken said he raised China's "dangerous and destabilising actions" in the waters and discussed improving communication between the two nations' militaries.

Mr Wang told Mr Blinken "the US should not always stir up trouble in the South China Sea and should not undermine the efforts of regional countries to maintain peace and stability", the Chinese foreign ministry added.

A Beijing-based thinktank estimated that warships of various nations spent more than 20,000 days annually in the South China Sea, while more than 30,000 military aircraft traverse it.

The South China Sea Strategic Situation Probing Initiative said US Navy ships spent about 1,600 days at sea in the region.

Additional reporting by agencies
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India and Pakistan sparred over Kashmir at the UN General Assembly after Pakistan's prime minister Shehbaz Sharif drew parallels between the people of the Himalayan territory and Palestinians.

Kashmir is at the heart of a decades-old dispute between India and Pakistan, where both countries claim the region as theirs, but control only parts of it.

Similarly, like the people of Palestine, the people of Jammu and Kashmir too, have struggled for a century for their freedom and right to self-determination, Mr Sharif claimed in his speech on Friday.

"Instead of moving towards peace, India has resiled from its commitments to implement the Security Council resolutions on Jammu and Kashmir," he said.

The United Nations Security Council Resolution adopted in 1948 called upon the governments of the new dominions of India and Pakistan to refrain in any way from aggravating the situation in Kashmir.

open image in gallery Tourists enjoy boat rides on Dal lake on World Tourism Day in Srinagar, Kashmir ( EPA )

He claimed that to "secure durable peace" India must "reverse the unilateral and illegal measures it has taken" five years back. New Delhi must "enter into a dialogue for a peaceful resolution to the Jammu and Kashmir dispute in accordance with the UN Security [Council] resolutions and the wishes of the Kashmiri people," Mr Sharif added.

The Indian government led by prime minister Narendra Modi scrapped the Muslim-majority regions semi-autonomous status and downgraded the former state to a federally governed territory. It was also divided into two federal territories, Ladakh and Jammu-Kashmir, ruled directly by New Delhi, allowing it to appoint administrators to run the territories.

Mr Sharif also accused India of extra-judicial killings, prolonged curfews, and other "draconian measures" in the region.

India used its right to reply at the General Assembly to hit back at Pakistan, calling Mr Sharif's speech a "travesty".

"A country, run by the military, with a global reputation for terrorism, narcotics trade and transnational crime has had the audacity to attack the worlds largest democracy," said the first secretary in Indias permanent mission to the UN, Bhavika Mangalanandan.

She accused Pakistan of having long "employed cross-border terrorism as a weapon against its neighbours".

"For such a country to speak about violence anywhere is hypocrisy at its worst."

Pakistan has routinely raised the Kashmir row at the UN, which always draws a response from India.

For the first time in five years since the abrogation of the special status, Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan refrained from mentioning Kashmir in his speech at the UN.

We maintain our will to develop our relations with BRICS [Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa], which brings together emerging economies, he said.

At least 41,586 Palestinians have been killed and 96,210 others injured in Israels military offensive on Gaza in nearly a year, according to Gazas health ministry. The war began in retaliation against Hamass 7 October attack on southern Israel, where nearly 1,200 people, mostly civilians, were killed and another 250 abducted.
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Teens are increasingly struggling to afford and gain access to period products such as pads and tampons.

According to a study from the Childrens National Hospital in Washington DC, the concept of period poverty, or the lack of access to period products and general education regarding the menstrual cycle, affects young women of all races, ethnicities, and health insurance backgrounds equally.

Youth who are living in neighborhoods with high opportunity had similar rates of experiencing menstrual inequity as those living in areas or neighborhoods that were underresourced, the studys co-author Meleah Boyle, a staff scientist at Childrens National said in an interview with NBC News. This is impacting everyone.

The study is scheduled to be presented on Saturday, September 28, at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Pediatrics in Orlando, Florida.

The findings are based on 1,816 people between the ages of 13 and 21, who came into the emergency room at Childrens National from mid-January 2024 through the end of June and were asked if they used rags or tissues at any point during their period in the last year or did not have the money to buy pads and tampons.

open image in gallery A total of 32.9 per cent of people between the ages of 13 and 21 reported using tissues and rags for their period or not being able to afford sanitary products ( Getty Images )

Using products that have either already been used or other unhygienic products such as rags can create a greater risk of bacterial infections in both the vagina and urinary tract.

If the people surveyed said yes, they were considered to be in the category of experiencing period poverty. Out of the original 1,816 people, 597 of them were experiencing period poverty which is 32.9 per cent.

The 597 people did not include people who were surprised with their period possibly starting late or early and needed to use something immediately.

In an interview with NBC News, Dr Shelby Davies, an attending physician in the adolescent medicine division at Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia who was not involved in the study, explained that the numbers in their study do not align with previous research shes seen.

At first I heard one in five, then I heard one in four, and now were hearing one in three, she told the outlet.

However, she thought there might be an explanation for the higher number that doesnt require more young women to be without access to period products.

What it could indicate is that we as a society are talking about it more, Davies said. I think the early numbers might have been skewed just based on what people felt comfortable talking about. We were likely underrepresenting the issue.

Davies suggested various questions that pediatricians can ask their patients to gauge whether or not they are experiencing period poverty themselves instead of the usual, When was your last period?

What are you using to manage your periods? Are you able to access tampons or pads? What barriers do you have? and Do you feel in control of your periods? were alternative questions.

The studys goal is to keep pediatricians aware of the issue and push for more widely available period products.

Womens health in general has been deprioritized, said Dr Monika Goyal, a pediatric emergency medicine specialist and co-director of the Center for Translational Research at Childrens National. Just like toilet paper is readily available in all restrooms, wed love to see improved access to free menstrual products everywhere.
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Does loving someone mean knowing everything about them? Obviously, you need some information, ideally what they do for a living, the names of their family members... their birthday. But what about their whereabouts? Do you need to know where your partner is at all times? Do you need to be able to see exactly when they arrive somewhere  and exactly when they leave?

Only a few years ago, tracking apps sounded like something out of a dystopian BBC drama, but today theyre fairly commonplace. A 2019 survey found that 40 per cent of parents and guardians in the UK use GPS tracking for their children on a daily basis. For friends, it can be an expression of affection and concern. As of now, Im currently tracking 10 friends (and my mother) on the Find My app on my iPhone. But tracking your partner is somewhat different.

Ostensibly, its a good idea. From a practical point of view, you can see when theyre running late for dinner. You can check if they got to their hotel safely when travelling for work, if they landed on time, and so on. Put simply, you have the safety of knowing that if something happened to your loved one, at least youd be able to see where they were.

My partner and I have recently started sharing our locations on Find My Friends and can say for certain that we use it mostly for convenience, says Milly*, 30. Usually, were checking if one of us is home from work or back from a night out. I personally like knowing that he has my location for safety reasons. Also, if were trying to meet one another out somewhere, its an easy way to gauge timings.

All this makes sense. And if youre using the apps in this way, it can be entirely harmless. Useful, even, not just for mundane practicalities but for building a strong, honest foundation in your relationship. For us, its not about spying on each other to see if were being faithful, says Grace, 30, who uses a tracking app with her husband first and foremost for safety. Its also a sign of respect for each other. We know that we would never cheat, but its just us showing that theres nothing to hide or question.

There are other, more unexpected benefits, too. We also use it to surprise each other, adds Grace. For example, if one of us is planning a surprise romantic dinner, we want to know how close the other is, so we know when to place the meal on the table or light the candles.

In many cases, tracking apps just provide peace of mind. Living in Los Angeles, we are keenly aware of potential weather hazards like earthquakes and potential crime, says Nicole, 40. We also deal with heavy traffic where we live, and sometimes Id start to wonder if my husband was OK on his drive back from work because it was taking longer than usual. Finally, we decided to put a tracker on so I could just track his drive home and not worry.

open image in gallery For us, its not about spying on each other to see if were being faithful, says Grace, 30 ( Getty/iStock )

Occasionally, location tracking can even be lifesaving. Take Meg, 21, whod been dating James, 22, for a year when they decided to start tracking one another using Life360, a San Francisco-based company that is one of the most popular global tracking apps, with roughly 70 million monthly users. One night, Meg woke up at 2am to a phone call from James telling her hed been in a car accident. His phone was dying and he couldnt describe his exact location to me as there were no streetlights or houses, she says. He was literally in the middle of nowhere.

It was thanks to the tracking app that she was able to find him. I found his car upside down in a ditch off the road, she says. Without Life360, he wouldve been trapped in the car for hours.

Its not hard, then, to see why tracking apps are becoming more popular among couples  but depending on the health of your relationship, its equally easy to see how this consistent form of safety-informed surveillance could slip into something more toxic, eliciting paranoia and mistrust from a partner.

This can breed a sense of suspicion or mistrust, particularly if you turn your location off, or leave your devices at home Georgina Sturmer, counsellor

The risk is that we might feel as if our partner is trying to keep a watchful eye on us, explains counsellor Georgina Sturmer. This can breed a sense of suspicion or mistrust, particularly if you turn your location off, or leave your devices at home. It might make us feel worried about being spontaneous or doing something that our partner might disapprove of.

Of course, location tracking can become a lot darker than this. Being able to watch and monitor your partners every move is, in a sense, normalising stalking tendencies. Its technology that could easily be abused in the wrong hands  and can also create issues where previously there were none. Its not hard to envisage how monitoring someones whereabouts for logistical reasons can teeter into dangerous obsession.

At the end of the day, its simply not normal to know where another person is at all times, regardless of your relationship with them. (Its a sad testament to the dangers of today that tracking apps are even necessary for safety reasons.) But just like all of us can succumb to a harmless bit of social media stalking, perhaps as this technology becomes more mainstream, its only a matter of time until we normalise real-life, 24/7 location surveillance.

Often, its an ethically grey area. Similar to hacking into someones phone if you suspect them of cheating, you might be correct in the assumption  but its still an invasion of privacy, a boundary that probably shouldnt have been crossed. Its not only tracking apps that are raising these questions.

open image in gallery I personally like knowing that he has my location for safety reasons, says Milly, 30 ( PA )

Consider Strava, the popular exercise app that allows users to share photos and chat about their various physical activities; it also shows people exactly where they happen to be doing those activities. Earlier this year, one woman from Savannah, Georgia, went viral on TikTok, claiming she discovered her military husband of four years had been cheating on her thanks to Strava.

I studied his running map on the Strava workout app and realised that he ran past, paused around, or ended at an address where a fellow army girl lived, McGee, 29, told the New York Post. Their relationship had always given me a weird feeling and they were deployed together. Discovering these maps was the clue that confirmed my suspicions about their [romantic] relationship  and the rest is history.

Its a tricky balance to strike, particularly as tracking apps become increasingly mainstream, and the information they provide becomes even more precise. On Life360, for example, you can turn on alerts when someone leaves a particular address and receive a weekly driver report that shows you exactly where and when someone has driven somewhere.

In a healthy relationship, this might not necessarily be an issue. But in an unhealthy one, it can be a gateway to more problematic behaviour as this degree of surveillance becomes normalised. Tracking our movements can also make us feel used to tracking and being tracked, says Sturmer. A next step might be for us to keep a closer eye on each others spending patterns, for example, which can leave us feeling defensive or trapped or controlled in some way.

So, to track or not to track? Ultimately, it depends on the nature of your relationship. For some couples, location tracking can be a lifeline, while for others, its the beginning of disaster. Whichever path you choose, its best to tread it carefully  not least because you might be being watched as you do so.

*Name has been changed
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NATO members Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland will seek European Union funding to build a network of bunkers, barriers, distribution lines and military warehouses along their borders with Russia and Belarus, Estonias officials said Saturday.

The three Baltic countries initially announced the plan for a Baltic Defense Line in January. In May, Poland announced a similar project called the Eastern Shield with a purpose to strengthen its borders with the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad and Belarus.

The need for a (Baltic) defense line stems from the security situation and supports NATOs new forward defense concept, Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur said in a statement, adding that it is extremely important to coordinate our activities with Poland.

At the same time, it strengthens the security of the European Union and the military defense of its borders, which is why we clearly see that the EU could also financially support the project, he said.

The defense ministers of the four European countries located on NATO's eastern flank met in the southeastern Latvian city of Daugavpils on Friday to discuss the project's funding.

They didnt specify how much financial aid Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland would be seeking for the project from Brussels but noted in a joint statement that Russias war against Ukraine has shown that creating physical obstacles on an open ground with no natural defensive cover is paramount even in technologically advanced warfare.

The ministers said that external threats at the Baltic-Polish frontier are increasingly growing and ramping up fortifications along the border with Russia and Belarus "remains a high-priority contributing to our pledge to defend every inch of (NATO) territory.

In Estonia, the smallest of the four countries with a population 1.3 million, the establishment of the border defense line is planned in three stages starting in 2025, the Defense Ministry said.

Officials in Tallinn said earlier this year that Estonia is to construct up to 600 bunkers along its 333-kilometer (207-mile) border with Russia in the coming years at an estimated cost of 60 million euros ($67 million). The project is likely, however, to face difficulties and delays because the bunkers will have to be built on private land.

The Baltic-Polish defense line excludes coastal defenses on the Baltic Sea that is shared by the four countries. No mines, barbed wire, anti-tank weapons or other such devices would be deployed in peacetime along the border fortifications, according to Estonias defense officials.
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Lawmakers elected a mainstream conservative as speaker of the state parliament in eastern Germany's Thuringia region on Saturday, putting aside a convention that the strongest party gets the job after the far-right Alternative for Germany won a regional election for the first time.

The center-right Christian Democratic Union's Thadaus Konig was elected in a parliamentary session that stretched over two days, punctuated by a court ruling against the conduct of the far-right politician who chaired the proceedings.

It underlined the prospect of a very bumpy parliamentary term after the Sept. 1 election in which Alternative for Germany, or AfD, finished first with nearly one-third of the vote  the first far-right win in a state election in post-World War II Germany. However, it fell well short of a majority, and no other party wants to govern with it.

The legislature in Erfurt was supposed to elect its speaker on Thursday. In Thuringia, as in other German states, the first session after an election is chaired by the oldest lawmaker  in this case, AfD's Jurgen Treutler.

Treutler drew criticism in a turbulent and often-interrupted meeting for refusing to allow lawmakers to speak, put forward motions or debate allowing all parties, not just AfD, to put forward candidates for the speaker's job.

The CDU protested to Thuringia's constitutional court, which ruled Friday that the rules of procedure can be changed before a speaker is elected.

In a calmer session Saturday, lawmakers elected Konig over AfD candidate Wiebke Muhsal by 54 votes to 32, with one abstention. AfD has 32 lawmakers.

By convention, thought not by law, the speakers job usually goes to the strongest party. But other parties had said they wouldn't elect an AfD candidate and also objected to Muhsal, as she was fined for fraud years ago.

It remains to be seen whether and when parties will manage to put together a state government. No one wants to work with AfD. The domestic intelligence agency has the party's Thuringia branch, led by prominent hard-right figure Bjorn Hocke, under official surveillance as a proven right-wing extremist group.

The only alternative is an improbable alliance of the CDU, a new party led by a prominent leftist and the center-left Social Democrats. That would be one seat short of a majority and would probably need some kind of help from the Left Party, which has communist roots.
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A disciplinary panel has found that actions by two Metropolitan Police officers amounted to misconduct when they stopped and restrained a 14-year-old Black boy.

The officers handcuffed and restrained the teenager, De-Shaun Joseph, on the ground during a stop and search in Blackhorse Lane, Croydon on 23 June 2022.

Footage captured by a passerby went viral on social media and the teenagers mother lodged a complaint.

Police Constable McCorley Clewes and former PC Benjamin Morgan faced a hearing on Friday following an Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) investigation into the incident in south London.

The officers, who were part of the Violent Crime Taskforce (VCTF), received a report of a street robbery of a mobile phone from a 13-year-old-boy by four Black boys aged about 14, three wearing black puffer coats and one wearing a dark blue slim hoodie.

De-Shaun Joseph  referred to as Child B by the IOPC  was spotted nearby, alone and wearing a hoodie. He remained handcuffed for three minutes while he was searched on the ground and for nearly four minutes afterwards.

Nothing was found on him and IOPC regional director Mel Palmer said: Child B was 14, small in stature, and on his own with four officers present during the stop and search.

The officers failed to take into his account his age, keeping him in handcuffs for longer than necessary after nothing was found during the search.

Their actions and use of force were clearly of concern to a number of bystanders who raised issues at the time to the officers.

Police detained Child B after reports of a robbery ( Andre Langlois )

The teenager, who the IOPC said was visibly upset, told officers that he had come from school and was wearing school uniform, under his hoodie.

In October 2022, De-Shauns mother, Janet, told ITV news: Were pushing for the De-Shaun Joseph Justice Bill which will provide a child-centred approach when it comes to stop and search.

Too many children, nameless and faceless, have been abused by the system. So we are pushing off the back of whats happened to De-Shaun for change.

This week, an independent panel found that the officers actions amounted to misconduct rather than gross misconduct for breaching the police standards of professional behaviour around the use of force for handcuffing him for longer than was necessary. It also found misconduct relating to equality and diversity for failing to make reasonable adjustments for the child.

The allegations that PC Morgan had repeatedly asked the teenager for his details, when he had no power to insist on being told them, and threatened to contact his school were upheld, in breach of the standard relating to integrity.

PC Clewes was also found to have breached the standard of authority, respect and courtesy given his manner when speaking with the childs mother and members of the public. He was given a final written warning for two years.

PC Morgan could not be sanctioned as he had already resigned from the force.

The hearings panel recommended the Met Police roll out refresher training on its policy relating to visual identification of suspects and its implementation for officers.
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Buckingham Palace did not ask Boris Johnson to attempt to persuade Prince Harry to stay in the UK, according to reports.

The former PM has claimed in a new book he was urged to give the Duke of Sussex a manly pep talk to convince him to stay in the UK and not step back from royal duties.

In his memoir, Unleashed, which will be published on 10 October, Mr Johnson describes a ridiculous business... when they made me try to persuade Harry to stay. Kind of manly pep talk. Totally hopeless.

Reports said the pair had a 20-minute meeting behind closed doors on the margins of a UK-Africa investment summit in Londons Docklands, on 20 January, 2020.

It came just hours after Prince Harry announced with great sadness that he and Meghan felt they had no other option but to step away from royal life.

During the subsequent meeting, the two men met for 20 minutes without aides as Mr Johnson tried to persuade the prince to reconsider.

The Telegraph reports sources close to the Duke of Sussex confirmed the prime minister did suggest to him he should remain in the UK.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced they were stepping back as senior royals in January 2020 ( AP )

However, sources with knowledge of such meetings at the time insisted that the Palace did not ask Mr Johnson to intervene, the newspaper said.

It is unclear whether someone from inside Downing Street suggested Mr Johnson speak to the prince about the matter.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced they were stepping back as senior royals in January 2020. While keeping their royal titles, they are no longer addressed as his or her royal highness.

The family later moved to Montecito, California, where they remain today, having given up their lives as working royals.

Mr Johnson has previously said the memoir will be his personal account of the huge realignment that took place in UK politics in the last 15 years, taking in his leadership of the Brexit campaign that severed Britains ties with the EU, as well as his management of the Covid pandemic and the subsequent scandals that rocked his government until his downfall as PM in September 2022.
The way John Morris tells it, there are four phases to watching a nuclear bomb explode. The first is the light, so bright that when he covered his eyes with his hands they were transparent almost to the bone. Then an intense heat which scorched palm trees, melted the windscreen wipers off army trucks and left his back feeling as if it was on fire.

Next came the blast, which blew him and those around him clean off their feet. Finally, from the detonation site 20 miles away in the Pacific Ocean rose a twisting mushroom cloud like a toxic fountain melting the sky.

It was a beautiful but terrifying thing to see, the now 87-year-old says. It was so intense and so severe. The experience lives with you forever.

Morris was 18 and working in a paper mill near Bolton when he was conscripted into national service in 1956. After a short training stint in Portsmouth, he was posted to Christmas Island with the Royal Army Ordnance Corps.

He presumed he was going to help construct a runway and initially couldnt believe his luck, washing up on a paradise island with coral seas and swaying palms. But in fact, he would be unwittingly part of Britains Cold War nuclear testing programme in the South Pacific  the fallout from which still haunts him and his family to this day.

In total, four detonations took place during John Morriss time on Christmas Island in an exercise codenamed Operation Grapple. Even when bombs were dropped hundreds of miles away, sea waters would still rise and flood the tiny atoll. When the fourth and final bomb was dropped, Morris was tasked with watching alongside around 1,000 other men.

The only safety protocols were that they were told to sit with their backs to the blast, handed army-issue sunglasses and instructed to use a cloth to cover their eyes. Most  including John  were dressed in shorts.

In 1958 he left the army and came home, marrying his wife, Betty (she later died after 40 years together). They had a young son, Steven, who was found dead in his cot aged just four months old. Initially, the couple were arrested on suspicion of murder, but a coroner later ruled pneumonia as the cause of death.

Morris on duty on Christmas Island between 1956-58 ( John Morris )

Morris, who had three further children, says he has struggled for decades to obtain copies of his son's autopsy report after several attempts to the local coroner were rebuffed. Eventually, he only secured it through a freedom of information request two years ago.

That suggested the lungs on his body hadnt formed correctly, he says. But we didnt know that at the time.

Soon after his sons death, John started struggling with his own health complications. An extremely fit young man prior to his army service, he was diagnosed with pernicious anaemia, an autoimmune condition he has received injections to manage for the past 60 years.

Later after suffering a broken arm, he was told by doctors it was taking months longer to heal than was considered normal  and nobody could explain why. He says he doesnt know of anyone he served with who is still alive. Theyve all died from some sort of cancer, he says. I use the word unnaturally.

An estimated 22,000 service personnel took part in Britains nuclear testing programme between 1952 and 1967. A study conducted in 1999 on the health outcomes of 2,500 servicemen, found 30 per cent had already died (mostly in their fifties) of which two-thirds were the result of cancers that have been linked to radiation poisoning. Other health problems including infertility, skin defects and musculoskeletal conditions were also recorded  and in their children and grandchildren too.

A mushroom cloud rises over the Pacific Ocean following the detonation of Britains first H-bomb ( Getty )

However, a separate long-term study of a group of veterans commissioned by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and involving a research team at the National Radiological Protection Board, has found overall the rates of cancer and other mortalities were broadly similar to a control group (although higher rates of leukaemia were detected among the veterans).

Other countries involved in nuclear testing, including the US, Canada, France and Russia, have agreed to compensation payouts. To date, the US government alone has paid out more than $2bn in claims. Britain, however, refuses to do so, which has led to claims of an institutional cover-up over decades, similar in scale to the Post Office and infected blood scandals.

In 2012, the Supreme Court ruled against a group of around 1,000 veterans seeking compensation from the MoD (which denies liability). More recently, surviving veterans (of whom around 1,500 remain) have been calling for the MoD to release their medical records during their time in the forces, including any blood tests conducted, and calling for a formal inquiry.

The MoD, meanwhile, has long argued that veterans can access their medical records on request. Veterans can apply to the MoD via a process known as a subject access request while their families can submit freedom of information requests  although many struggle with what remains an opaque process.

Nuclear test veterans stand outside the High Court in London in 2009 ( Getty )

Fresh political momentum could break this stalemate. The mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, who attended an event to support the veterans at this weeks Labour conference, has backed a public inquiry.

In opposition, Sir Keir Starmer met with the nuclear test veterans while last year, his deputy Angela Rayner pledged her support. Particular hope rests on the new Hillsborough Law announced this week, which will force public bodies to cooperate with investigations into major disasters or face potential criminal sanctions.

Given the average age of the surviving veterans is 87, Alan Owen, co-founder of the campaign group Labrats, whose father participated in Operation Domenic on Christmas Island in 1962, says an inquiry must take place as soon as possible. These guys want an inquiry to put this to bed once and for all, he says.

Owens father died of a heart attack aged 52 (the third he had suffered). His sister was born blind in one eye and has experienced heart problems, while his brother died at the age of 31 from heart failure.

Morris: All the veterans want is the truth to come out ( Supplied )

In 2022, Owen, a retired IT worker and business owner, very nearly died from a cardiac arrest himself, aged just 51. He has asked the MoD for his fathers medical records but says so far he has only received a partial disclosure.

Due to Operation Domenic being a US-led exercise (during which Owen says his father witnessed 24 detonations over 78 days), the family has been awarded $75,000 in compensation. We are in a situation where the US government is paying out to British participants, and that is embarrassing, he says.

In November, Alan Owen will march alongside 45 nuclear test veterans and their descendants for the annual commemoration of Britains war dead at the Cenotaph in London. It will be the second year they will be able to march with their medals, as the Ministry of Defence finally awarded them in 2023, following years of campaigning for proper recognition of their service.

At the Labour conference this week, John Morris was presented with his medal by Burnham. It definitely means something, he says. It means that we have been acknowledged that we existed.

But he stresses the medal is merely the first step on a long road to justice. All the veterans want is the truth to come out, he says with hope that it may now finally happen.
 Close Prince Harry laughs as young boy pulls his beard at WellChild awards in London

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King Charles is set to temporarily pause his cancer treatment while taking part in a high-profile overseas visit after getting the go-ahead from doctors, according to reports.

The monarch, 75, who will make the nine-day visit with Queen Camilla, was first diagnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer earlier this year after a routine procedure to treat an enlarged prostate.

It is understood that the monarch will continue his treatment upon his return from Australia and Samoa, following 11 days of travelling, The Mirror reports.

Planned engagements for the trip include a visit to the Australian War Memorial and a fleet review of the Royal Australian Navy at Sydney Harbour.

Meanwhile, the Duchess of Sussex, 43, has debuted a new look during a surprise appearance at a childrens hospital in Los Angeles over the weekend.

Meghan, 43, stepped out at the Childrens Hospital Los Angeles 2024 Gala on Saturday (3 October) in a red dress she previously wore to the New York Salute to Freedom Gala in 2021.

She paired the dress with a never-before-seen beach waves hairstyle  typically achieved by letting hair dry into its natural curls.

The Independent has reached out to Buckingham Palace for comment.
 Close Boris Johnson explains why he thinks apologising for Partygate was mistake

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Boris Johnson has said he regrets apologising for the so-called partygate scandal over lockdown-era gatherings in Downing Street in a new interview.

Facing a grilling on ITV tonight, the former prime minister claimed the move had inadvertently validated the entire corpus as accusations were also levelled at officials who were working very hard.

He went on to defend the revellers, insisting that he does not think officials involved in the Westminster scandal thought they were setting out to break the rules.

Meanwhile, Sky Newss political editor Beth Rigby announced she has pulled out of an interview with Mr Johnson at the Cheltenham Literature Festival after being told she could not make a recording or transcript of the talk, marking the second interview the former Tory MP has lost this week.

It comes as a group of indigenous Chagossians, Chagossian Voices, planned to stage a protest in Westminster, claiming they have been consistently and deliberately ignored by the UK government over discussions surrounding the handover of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, The Independent understands.

Sir Keir Starmer has defended the governments decision in the face of significant backlash, claiming that the UK-Mauritius deal ensures continued security of the US-UK Diego Garcia military base.
 Close Sue Gray quits: Defence secretary says Labour cabinet is most unified hes ever served in

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Sir Keir Starmer has come under fire from major Labour figures over the resignation of his chief of staff and the decision to delay his governments first budget until the end of October.

With the clock ticking toward his first 100 days, former Tony Blair aide, Alastair Campbell, warned the prime against taking too many missteps.

Mr Campbell warned a sense of a vacuum can develop and be filled with rows and that Rachel Reeves made a mistake by failing to announce the Budget after wining the election.

Another Blairite, John McTernan, said that the Labour government had completely lost grip and it was delivering drift rather than change after losing Ms Gray as No 10 chief of staff.

But defence secretary John Healey hailed Sir Keirs administration as the most unified Cabinet that Ive ever served in despite the Sue Gray row.

The minister rejected claims the Labour is in crisis insisting that Downing Street after admitting that the heart of the new government had become a lightning conductor for criticism.

The ex-party gate investigator quit after fearing she was becoming a distraction as pressure grows on the prime minister ahead of his first budget.
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Rosie Duffield has quit as a Labour MP, attacking Sir Keir Starmers cruel and unnecessary policies and the freebie row engulfing the party.

The Canterbury MP and long time critic of Sir Keir will sit as an independent after resigning the Labour whip with immediate effect.

In a damning resignation letter, Ms Duffield lashed out at Sir Keirs acceptance of more than 100,000 of clothes, glasses and accommodation from Labour peer Waheed Alli.

Rosie Duffield will now sit as an independent MP ( PA Archive )

And she condemned the prime ministers decision to retain the two-child benefit cap while scrapping winter fuel payments for millions of pensioners.

Asked about her resignation, one of Sir Keirs closest allies Pat McFadden said he regrets that Ms Duffield has quit the party but that she has been unhappy for quite a while now.

The chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster said: I regret that Rosie has made this decision. It is not a secret she has been unhappy for some time, the list of things mentioned in the resignation letter makes that clear.

I see ministers turning up every day working to grow the economy, turn around the NHS, get more houses built, get more opportunity in schools.

That is the kind of thing we are focused on, that is the kind of thing we are trying to do.

I am sorry she has made the decision to leave, I like Rosie, I regret that she has left.

But, as the letter makes clear, I think she has been unhappy for quite a while now.

Ms Duffield has regularly complained about Sir Keir and the direction of the party. The Labour leader has previously called for tolerance in the trans debate after she aired her views.

In the letter, published in The Sunday Times, Ms Duffield said: The sleaze, nepotism and apparent avarice are off the scale.

I am so ashamed of what you and your inner circle have done to tarnish and humiliate our once proud party.

Turning to policy announcements made since Labour came to power, she said: Someone with far-above-average wealth choosing to keep the Conservatives two-child limit to benefit payments which entrenches children in poverty, while inexplicably accepting expensive personal gifts of designer suits and glasses costing more than most of these people can grasp  this is entirely undeserving of holding the title of Labour prime minister.

She added: Forcing a vote [on the winter fuel payment] to make many older people iller and colder while you and your favourite colleagues enjoy free family trips to events most people would have to save hard for  why are you not showing even the slightest bit of embarrassment?

Sir Keir has been under intense scrutiny over donations from Lord Alli, and it emerged on Saturday he had received a further 16,000 from the prominent Labour donor.

He has faced calls for an investigation over the affair, with the SNP calling on the House of Commons standards commissioner to launch a probe. The row has been dubbed passes for glasses after questions were raised about who approved a Downing Street pass for Lord Alli after Labours general election win.

Sir Keir also used Lord Allis 18m penthouse flat for free during the general election campaign, saying it was in order for his son to have somewhere peaceful to study for his GCSEs.

In July, Rachel Reeves announced that older people not in receipt of pension credits or other means-tested benefits will no longer receive winter fuel payments from this year onwards.

The decision came as part of a series of spending cuts to address a black hole in the public finances left by the previous Conservative government announced in July by the chancellor.

But the move, which will affect around 10 million pensioners, sparked fury from backbench MPs, with Ms Duffield among those speaking out against it.

In the damning resignation letter, Ms Duffield said: Prime minister, your managerial style and technocratic approach, and lack of basic politics and political instincts, have come crashing down on us as a party after we worked so hard, promised so much, and waited a long 14 years to be mandated by the British public to return to power.

I cannot put into words how angry I and my colleagues are at your total lack of understanding about how you have made us all appear.

Ms Duffield is a friend of author JK Rowling and was backed by Ms Rowling amid a row over her stance on womens and trans rights.

She previously accused the Labour Party of showing her the cold shoulder over her views on the issue.

But she has denied her gender critical views are the reason for her quitting the party, telling The Sunday Times: With my [gender critical] views, all I wanted was for those views to be taken seriously and discussed and I think as a movement the Labour Party has shifted and we are talking about those things now.

Labour was approached for comment.
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Sir Keir Starmer has warned that a two-state solution is the only viable long-term route through the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, as he said Britains thoughts are with the Jewish people on the anniversary of the 7 October attacks.

In a speech to the House of Commons, the prime minister called for an end to the living nightmare Palestinians are enduring, and vowed to use the power of diplomacy to try and minimise suffering on the ground, as he urged Israel to renew efforts for a ceasefire and called for more relief for civilians.

His speech comes as David Lammy sought to reassure MPs the Falkland Islands and Gibraltar are not up for negotiation amid backlash over his decision to hand the Chagos Islands over to Mauritius.

The Foreign Secretary told the Commons: I want to reassure the House and all members of the UK family worldwide that this agreement does not signal any change in policy to Britains other overseas territories.

British sovereignty on the Falkland Islands, Gibraltar and the sovereign base areas, is not up for negotiation. The situations are not comparable.
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Donors and businesses are turning their backs on the Tories for Labour and Nigel Farages Reform UK as the party enters its conference with question marks over its finances.

Insiders have told The Independent that a number of red flags have been raised in preparation for the first annual conference since the historically poor general election defeat in July.

In the weeks before the conference in Birmingham, set to get underway on Sunday, it was claimed that the party was still struggling to find a sponsor for its VIP Blue Room, previously sponsored by the retail company Regent Street Group.

Sources also suggested that the level of donation required to gain access to the VIP room has significantly dropped.

The party has denied a lack of interest from members and businesses, However, a number of major donors including property magnate Nick Candy have either openly or privately switched to Reform or just no longer give money.

Rishi Sunaks historic defeat has left the party in trouble, not least financially ( AP )

Added to that major hotels around the conference venue including the main conference hotel the Hyatt unusually still have empty rooms for conference week.

The Hyatt has 319 rooms and only 121 MPs many of who do not want to come, said one insider. The party is trying to charge 1,800 a room there and people just dont think it is worth it.

Insiders also claim that the party is giving away tickets to young activists in a bid to get people to attend the conference.

The annual Business Day dinner at the conference is now going ahead but was in danger of being cancelled because of lack of interest and claims the party was trying to charge too much.

So short is the party of funds that the candidates to replace Rishi Sunak have all been asked to produce 50,000 as a precondition for being allowed into the final four to impress members this week. The final two will need to find another 150,000 of backing or be eliminated.

One senior figure in the party told The Independent that things are dire.

One donor has been allowed into the Blue Room after giving just 3,000. Previously you would not get in there for anything less than 20,000. The party is just desperate for anyone to give money. Im not sure it is even worth 3,000 to go in there though.

A senior City figure expressed anger that the party had tried to charge separately for a business dinner in addition to a business event.

One of these four will be Tory leader on 2 November but some believe it is already too late for the ailing party ( PA )

Nobody wanted to go and they certainly did not want to spend extra for the dinner. Who would you talk to anyway? It is not like Jeremy Hunt is chancellor anymore and we do not even know who the leader is going to be.

Meanwhile businesses were desperate to get access to the new Labour ministers at their party conference in Liverpool last week.

But what has really panicked Tories is the flight of donors to Reform UK and Nigel Farage.

A dinner raising money for Reform organised by Mr Candy, whose wife Holly Valance considered running for Reform in the election, is understood to have involved a lot of well-known names from long-term Tory donors.

The reason for the switch appears to be a belief that Mr Farage is now among the most influential figures on the right of British politics.

Many donors now consider Nigel Farage the most serious proposition on the right of UK politics ( Getty )

Added to that, Reforms new chairman Zia Yusuf  a multimillionaire businessman and former Tory member  has been playing a major part in fundraising for Mr Farages party.

Other Tory supporters, described as friends of Boris Johnson are said to be staying away from the conference because the party has no power and a historically low number of MPs.

One of the main donors who has continued to stick by the party is billionaire peer Michael Spencer, whose son Patrick won Central Suffolk and North Ipswich for the Tories after being selected in controversial circumstances (his father making a substantial donation to party funds).

The Independent has spoken to another major donor who has returned to the Tories since the election, but only to support Tom Tugendhats leadership campaign, and who is making continued support conditional on the former security minister winning.

Sources blamed financial problems and struggles to raise interest in the party conference on two factors.

The catastrophic defeat at Julys election, which left the Conservatives with just 121 MPs, has made the party unappealing for the next five years, with no real influence and questions over whether they can turn things around.

But the extended four-month leadership contest is also being blamed, and seen as making the party irrelevant even as Labour faces a difficult start to its time in office.

Keir Starmer may have made a rocky start as PM, but his party is winning over businesses ( PA )

A number of MPs and other senior figures have complained that the new leader should have been unveiled at conference as a launch pad for the partys recovery.

Instead it is just talking to itself with the four candidates  Robert Jenrick, Kemi Badenoch, Mr Tugendhat and James Cleverly  all pitching their case to replace Mr Sunak.

Teesside mayor Ben Houchen, now a powerful figure within the party after securing a rare victory this year, told The Independent he was unhappy that the new leader will not even be in place to respond to the Budget on 30 October.

He said: It feels to me like we have vacated the playing field while this leadership contest is going on. And my biggest concern is that for the sake of a week, or maybe even two weeks, could we not have brought it forward so that a new leader is in and can respond appropriately to the Budget?

In response, the Conservative Party insisted interest in conference was still high, claiming 20 per cent more members are attending this year.

A Conservative Party spokesperson said: The Conservative Party conference will be returning in full force this year, including its Business Day.

We have seen significant interest in this, with high demand for tickets and partnerships and a full exhibition hall. Business Day partnerships in particular are up on last years conference and our business dinner is fully sold out.

Unlike Labour, we are focused on providing value at our events to ensure that business leaders and policymakers feel their time has been well spent.

A source added: We do not recognise the claims on business not attending and low prospective attendance.
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An Airbnb host in Florida rented a room to a guest who allegedly wouldnt pay, refused to leave, then had him arrested on bogus assault charges when he tried to evict her, landing the homeowner in criminal court for nearly a year as he attempted to clear his name.

Eric Weaver, 60, is now suing Airbnb for gross negligence in what he says was the platforms failure to properly vet his renter  who stiffed at least two other landlords in recent years and has an extensive criminal history, according to a lawsuit obtained by The Independent.

Weaver, a civil engineer with patents on, among other things, a rainwater-capture greenhouse and a continuously moving sidewalk transport system, says his nightmare began in early 2023, when he accepted an Airbnb reservation from Lauren Dawn Chehouri, 47.

Taking Airbnb at its word, Weaver relied on the companys apparent promise to screen all guests, according to the suit.

Specifically, when deciding whether a guest or host is suitable, Defendant performs a background check on the user by submitting identifying information to one of their approved background check providers who checks the persons identity against public records or publicly available databases, the lawsuit says.

So, on February 28, 2023, it says Weaver accepted Chehouris reservation to stay at his home for the month of March. (St. Petersburg all but prohibits short-term rentals for less than 30 days.)

But as March ended and April got underway, Chehouri was still living in Weavers house. Making matters worse, she owed Weaver nearly $4,000 in unpaid rent. On April 19, at a stalemate, Weaver told Chehouri she needed to leave, the lawsuit states.

Lauren Chehouri booked a stay at Eric Weavers home in St. Petersburg, Florida, then refused to leave, he claims ( AFP via Getty Images )

However, Chehouri, refusing to vacate the premises when asked to do so, falsely accused Mr. Weaver of battery, the suit continues. As a result of the false accusations, Mr. Weaver was arrested and forced to pay to defend himself in a court of law where he was found not guilty on February 6, 2024.

The trumped-up charges also damaged Weavers earning potential on Airbnb, as he no longer felt safe accepting guest referrals from the platform after the hellish situation he had endured with Chehouri, according to the lawsuit.

A subsequent review of court records revealed the Guest had an extensive criminal record, including two other eviction actions and two actions for delinquent payments on rent in Pinellas County, Florida, the suit contends, arguing that Airbnb neglecting to apprise Weaver of Chehouris problematic past before letting him rent to her constitutes a conscious disregard of the consequences.

An Airbnb spokesperson declined to comment, citing active litigation. Chehouri could not be reached for comment. However, a source with direct knowledge of the situation told The Independent that Chehouri made the original reservation through Airbnb for one night, after which the two went off-platform to extend her stay, creating what they said was a third-party matter between Weaver and Chehouri.

Public records do show Chehouri has a lengthy rap sheet. A licensed practical nurse whose license expired in 2015, Chehouri was first arrested in 1993 for driving with improper plates on her car. She pleaded guilty in 1997 to DUI and possession of drug paraphernalia, pleaded guilty in 2002 to passing bad checks and another DUI, pleaded guilty again in 2018 to possession of paraphernalia, and pleaded no contest the following year to a petty theft charge, for which she was sentenced to 50 hours of community service and ordered to attend Shoplifters Anonymous meetings, court records show.

Chehouri failed to complete any of the requirements, and did not pay the mandated court fees, probation supervision fees, or drug testing fees, according to a 2022 probation violation affidavit filed in Pinellas County.

On the civil side, Chehouri has been evicted twice and was dragged into court in 2008 and 2016 for defaulting on her rent at properties in Bradenton and St. Petersburg.

Airbnb had a duty to properly investigate potential guests, prior to recommending said guests to Mr. Weaver, to make sure said guests did not pose a threat or safety risk to others or themselves.

Weaver is demanding Airbnb make good on $3,691.80 in rent Chehouri never paid, plus reimbursements for lost rental revenue and the cost of hiring a lawyer to defend himself in court against the phony battery charge. In all, Weaver wants Airbnb to fork over $414,694.45 in compensatory damages, plus $406,110.22 in punitive damages.

Airbnb has not yet filed a formal response to the allegations.
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A Fox meteorologist leaped into action during a live broadcast early Friday morning to rescue a woman trapped in her car amid the deadly Category 4 Hurricane Helene.

Bob Van Dillen was reporting from North Atlanta, Georgia  which has been gripped by flooding and massive gusts  when the woman could be heard frantically calling out for help from her submerged white car in his live shot.

Oh man  its a situation. We will get back to you in a little bit. Im going to go and see if I can help this lady out a little bit more you guys. Ill be back, Van Dillen told viewers.

Van Dillen, who was reporting from Peachtree Creek, described how the water had climbed to about 23 feet and was reportedly still rising.

Bob Van Dillen (pictured) was captured on Fox News carrying a trapped woman from her car ( Fox News )

He reassured the trapped woman: Yeah, I gotcha. I got you loud and clear.

Fox cameras then caught the moment Van Dillen  who is 6 feet 1 inch tall  slowly carried the trapped woman from her car and through the chest-deep water to safety.

He later appeared on Fox & Friends, telling the co-hosts: I called 911, it was five minutes, 10 minutes  and you could hear her screaming right? You could hear it through my live shot, real loud.

Pictured: Flooded streets near Peachtree Creek in North Atlanta as Helene takes hold ( Getty Images )

Van Dillan said he simply could not wait any longer for emergency services to arrive, and decided to take action himself.

She was panicking. She really wasnt making too much sense, and she was still strapped into her car seat, Van Dillen told Fox & Friends.

She still had the seat buckle on, and she had her window about this much down and shes trying to talk to me through that. So Im trying to open up the door, Ainsley, and the water pressure wasnt allowing me to do it. So I said, Roll your window down. So she rolls it down and  it allowed me to open the door.  The battery is still alive and kicking in that car. In fact, I think the engine is still on  the water itself is relatively warm. The water temperature is about 80 degrees.

He said it was a miracle the water didnt short circuit the boards and prevent her from rolling her window down.

That allowed the pressure to be equalized and allowed me to pry the door open, unbuckle her seatbelt, put her on me, in my side, he explained. It was good to go.

More than 37 people have died as Helene continues to the southeast US with heavy rainfall and dangerous winds.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 28. EDGE Company based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is actively cooperating with Azerbaijan in the production of ammunition, Managing Director and CEO of EDGE company Hamad Al Marar told Trend in an exclusive interview within the framework of the 5th Anniversary Azerbaijan International Defence Exhibition "ADEX 2024", which was held at Baku Expo Center.

Azerbaijan for us has great strategic potential. We believe that our strategies coincide in the field of defense and security. We believe that Azerbaijan has excellent infrastructure that can benefit us as well as significant potential to improve our own capabilities. This is a bilateral cooperation, he said.

Hamad Al Marar mentioned that the company provides specific opportunities that can benefit the Azerbaijani Air Force and also hopes to cooperate with other branches of the military.

We see that any cooperation in this field should start with recognizing the potential of your talented specialists. We are confident that this will lead to outstanding ideas. When developing solutions, we draw on our experience, our geography, and the threats we face. But when it comes to Azerbaijan, we are dealing with a different geography that we have yet to explore. And finally, the infrastructure you have is important. We can benefit greatly from cooperation at the industrial level - be it in the field of software, technology, or systems, the company's CEO noted.

He also emphasized the importance of EDGE's presence at ADEX.

We have met high-level delegations from Azerbaijan during the exhibition. Therefore, participation in ADEX shows them our commitment, which strengthens bilateral relations between our countries and supports Azerbaijan's participation in various initiatives. This is another way to show support. Thus, we can support cooperation in the future, Hamad Al Marar added.

The 5th anniversary Azerbaijan International Defense Exhibition ADEX, the largest event dedicated to the defense industry in the region, took place on September 24-26 at the Baku Expo Center. The 14th International Exhibition of Equipment for Internal Security, Safety, and Rescue "Securex Caspian" took place in parallel.

The first ADEX exhibition was organized in 2014. The list of exhibitors and the sectors it covers have been expanding from year to year.

The exhibition has brought together many companies representing more than 50 countries and about 200 official delegations over 10 years of successful activity. The exhibition has been visited by more than 30,000 guests over the years.
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President Joe Biden called the death of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah a measure of justice for the thousands of civilians that he and the terrorist organization killed over the last three decades.

Hassan Nasrallah and the terrorist group he led, Hezbollah, were responsible for killing hundreds of Americans over a four-decade reign of terror, Biden said in a statement. His death from an Israeli airstrike is a measure of justice for his many victims, including thousands of Americans, Israelis, and Lebanese civilians.

The presidents statement arrives after Lebanons Hezbollah group confirmed that Nasrallah, 64, was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Beirut on Friday.

Vice President Kamala Harris echoed Bidens statement, saying, Today, Hezbollahs victims have a measure of justice.

Nasrallah took leadership in Hezbollah in 1992, helping create and maintain a Shia political and military army that launched bombings and attacks around the world, killing thousands of civilians in their path in the name of destroying Israel.

For decades, Hezbollah, under Nasarallahs leadership, fought wars against Israel and participated in conflicts in neighboring countries like Syria.

President Joe Biden reaffirmed the U.S.s support for Israel after Hezbollah confirmed its leader was killed in an airstrike ( AP )

Since October 7, the organization has supported Hamas and condemned Israel for its war in Gaza. Hezbollah has launched attacks on Israel, demanding a ceasefire. Recently, Israel launched attacks in Lebanon to push Hezbollah back from the northern border and destroy Hezbollahs infrastructure.

Those deadly attacks, which have killed at least 1,000 people, are ultimately what killed Nasrallah.

Biden said Nasrallahs death is part of the broader IsraelHamas conflict given Hezbollahs decision to support Hamas. The president reaffirmed support for Israel to defend itself against the terrorist organizations and directed the Secretary of Defense to enhance the U.S. military forces defense posture.

Yet, Biden also added that the ultimate aim is to diplomatically de-escalate the conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon  where Israel is conducting deadly airstrikes.

The U.S. has given Israel at least $12.5 billion in military aid since October 7.

Lebanon's Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, photographed in November 2013, was killed on Friday in an Israeli airstrike ( REUTERS )

The escalating conflict in the Middle East has led to warnings from leaders around the world about the potentially devastating consequences for more civilians. Already, more than 40,000 Palestinians have been killed as a result of Israels war in Gaza, according to the Gazan health ministry.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Saturday he was concerned about the escalating violence, warning that the people of Israel, as well as the wider region, cannot afford an all-out war.

The U.S. has issued a warning to all Americans to leave Lebanon, if possible, due to the increased volatility following airstrikes within Beirut and the volatile and unpredictable security situation throughout Lebanon.

All U.S. citizens are urged to leave while commercial options still remain available.
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When veteran U.S. diplomat Kurt Campbell traveled to the Solomon Islands to counter Beijing's influence in the South Pacific country, he quickly saw just how far China would go to spread its message.

The Biden administrations Asia czar woke up one morning in 2022 to a long article in the local press about the U.S. running chemical and biological labs in Ukraine, a claim that Washington calls an outright lie. Started by Russia, the false and incendiary claim was vigorously amplified by China's vast overseas propaganda apparatus.

It was another example of clearly effective Russian and Chinese disinformation," Campbell told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in July.

Two years later, the claim still reverberates online, demonstrating China's sprawling effort to reshape global perceptions. The campaign, costing many billions per year, is becoming ever more sophisticated thanks to artificial intelligence. China's operations have caught the attention of intelligence analysts and policymakers in Washington, who vow to combat any actions that could influence the November election or undermine American interests.

The key tactic: networks of websites purporting to be legitimate news outlets, delivering pro-China coverage that often parallels official statements and positions from Beijing.

Shannon Van Sant, an adviser to the Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong Foundation, tracked a network of dozens of sites that posed as news organizations. One site mimicked The New York Times, using a similar font and design in what she called an attempt at legitimacy. The site carried strongly pro-Chinese messages.

When Van Sant researched the site's reporters she found no information. Their names didn't belong to any known journalists working in China, and their photos bore telltale signs of being created with AI.

Manipulation of the media is ultimately a manipulation of readers and the audience, and this is damaging to democracy and society, Van Sant said.

Liu Pengyu, spokesman for the Chinese Embassy in the U.S., said allegations that China uses news websites and social media to spread pro-Beijing information and influence public opinion in the U.S. are full of malicious speculations against China, which China firmly opposes.

In addition to its state media, Beijing has turned to foreign players  real or not  to relay messages and lend credibility to narratives favoring the Communist Party, said Xiao Qiang, a research scientist at the School of Information at the University of California, Berkeley. Xiao also is editor-in-chief of China Digital Times, a bilingual news website that aggregates information from and about China.

Beijing's methods are wide-ranging and links to the government are often difficult to prove, Xiao said. But whether it's journalists with American-sounding names or an Indian influencer, the consistently pro-Beijing messages give them away.

"The implicit message is the same  that the Chinese Communist Party works for its people, Xiao said.

Analysts at the cybersecurity firm Logically identified 1,200 websites that had carried Russian or Chinese state media stories. The sites often target specific audiences and have names that sound like traditional news organizations or defunct newspapers.

Unlike Russia or Iran, which have displayed clear preferences in the U.S. presidential campaign, Beijing is more cautious and focused on spreading positive content about China.

While the sites aren't owned by China, they run Chinese content. When Logically looked at content specifically about the U.S. election, 20% could be traced back to Chinese or Russian state media.

There's a decent likelihood that these articles could influence U.S. audiences without them even knowing where it comes from, said Alex Nelson, Logically's senior manager for strategy and analysis.

According to the Gallup World Poll, more countries surveyed view the U.S. positively, but the share of countries where views of both the U.S. and China are negative overall is higher than 15 years ago, signaling the U.S. doesnt appear to be making gains over China.

Some U.S. officials want to increase spending to even the playing field. The House of Representatives this month approved a bill that would authorize $325 million annually through 2027 to counter Chinas global influence, including its disinformation campaigns. The measure still needs Senate approval.

We are in a global competition for influence with China, and if you want to win it, then you cannot do it on a middle-power budget, said Rep. Gregory Meeks, a Democrat from New York.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has demanded a systematic buildup of Chinese narratives that would give his country a global voice commensurate with its international stature.

Beijing has invested in state media such as the Xinhua news agency and China Central Television to convey its messages to global audiences in various languages and platforms. Media groups at the local level are creating international communication centers to build an overseas presence with websites, news channels and social media accounts.

Beijing also has struck media partnerships worldwide, and the article Campbell read in the Solomon Islands is likely a result of those.

Chinas outreach is tied to the global race for economic dominance in electric vehicles, computer chips, AI and quantum computing, said Jaret Riddick, a senior fellow at Georgetown University's Center for Security and Emerging Technology.

The countries that lead on emerging technologies will be the countries that have a great advantage going forward, Riddick said.

To tell its story, Beijing has not shied away from using fake personas. A 2023 State Department report detailed the case of a published writer named Yi Fan, originally described as a Chinese foreign ministry analyst. Yi morphed into a journalist, then became an independent analyst.

Yi's details changed, but the message did not. Through published commentaries and writings, Yi trumpeted close ties between China and Africa, praised Beijings approach to environmental sustainability and argued that China must counter distorted Western narratives.

Then there was Wilson Edwards, a supposed Swiss virologist quoted in Chinese media as a COVID-19 expert who criticized the U.S. response. But Swiss officials found no evidence he existed.

If you exist, we would like to meet you! the Swiss Embassy in Beijing wrote on social media.

___

AP writer Amelia Thomson-DeVeaux contributed from Washington.
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Hundreds of people are still presumed missing across six states following the devastating impacts from Hurricane Helene.

Helene is now one of the deadliest storms in US history, with 160 deaths reported late Tuesday. The majority of fatalities were in North Carolina.

The current data that we have, is that it looks like there could be as many as 600 lost lives, Homeland Security Advisor Liz Sherwood-Randall said Monday. But, we dont have any confirmation of that. We know there are 600 who are either lost or unaccounted for.

Sherwood-Randall cautioned that the numbers vary widely and theres a lot of reporting that doesnt add up about the numbers.

A search and rescue dog and handler searches for victims through thick mud in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene in North Carolina on Tuesday. ( (AP Photo/Mike Stewart) )

She added: And so, while we may see the numbers go up as we get to more locations that have not yet been fully developed in terms of disaster, immediate emergency response operations, we may see more people who unfortunately perished. But we may also not see the numbers skyrocket as people have predicted they might.

Governors in the impacted states did not provide an update to that figure on Tuesday.

North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper and Director of Emergency Management William Ray said that theyd work with the states information and referral service to determine the number of missing.

We know that there will be more fatalities, Cooper said.

South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster announced that the number of confirmed deaths from the storm in his state rose to 36 on Tuesday afternoon.

This has really hit our region hard, he said.

White House Homeland Security Advisor Liz Sherwood-Randall speaks Monday at the White House. She said deaths associated with Hurricane Helene and its devastating impacts could be as many as 600, but cautioned that its too soon to know. ( (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein) )

A Facebook group with more than 477,000 members included posts from people looking for family members. Some also provided updates saying their loved ones had been found.

Search and rescue efforts continued in western North Carolina with 92 teams working on the ground. Helicopters provided air support while rescuers trudged through deep mud with dogs.

Images taken in the Wautaga County town of Boone over the weekend revealed the extent of the damage, with collapsed houses and whole areas underwater.

On Tuesday, Watauga County Director of Emergency Management Will Holt said there was one team left in the area. Now were really starting to get into isolated pockets and finding where people are, he said.

Scott Richardson surveys his collapsed house in Boone, North Carolina, on Saturday following impacts from Hurricane Helene. ( REUTERS/Jonathan Drake )

The Watauga County Sheriffs Office told The Watauga Democrat on Monday that there had been two deaths related to the storm. In hard-hit Buncombe County, 40 deaths were reported.

Thousands of federal personnel have been deployed to respond to Helene, and President Joe Biden will travel to Raleigh, North Carolina on Wednesday. The president had waited to travel there until it was determined his presence would not to disrupt rescue efforts, according to officials.

Hurricane Helene hit Floridas Big Bend region last Thursday as a Category 4 hurricane.

The National Hurricane Center said Tropical Storm Kirk had strengthened into a hurricane on Thursday. The storm is expected to become a major hurricane in the coming days.
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Military veteran Bineveido Perez stood before a judge in May 2001. He joined the Army in 1972 and served believing he would have the same rights as a citizen when he left. He learned years later that, as an immigrant, he did not.

The realization came as he was cuffed, booked and months later appeared before the judge convicted of drug charges. That meant he had to leave the US. The fact he fought for the nation meant little, the law told him to get out.

I got the news that we dont care that youre a veteran, youre gonna have to go in front of a judge and hes going to decide whether you are deportable or not, he tells The Independent.

Perezs situation is not unique. There are roughly 94,000 immigrant veterans who have not been naturalized and vulnerable to deportation should they have run-ins with the law. Many believed that serving in the military would allow them to stay.

Through initiatives such as humanitarian parole exist to help repatriate veterans, many live in fear that one small mistake may result in them being taken from their families and deported from the lives they have built in the country they defended.

Immigration lawyers and veterans themselves say the immigration system is in serious need of a revamp, to offer better protection to those who have been willing to sacrifice their lives for their country even if they run into future legal problems.

Bienvenido Perez joined the miltary in 1972 and was deported almost three decades later following his incarceration on drug charges, despite fighting for the country ( Bienvenido Perez )

Perezs situation started innocuously in September 2000 as he rode in a car on his way to a New York Mets game. The ride turned into a deserted parking lot where cops quickly swarmed the vehicle.

The next thing I know theres these black cars, everybody has guns, and theres a helicopter, he told The Independent. And I was like, damn, what the hell? Who the hell is this guy?

Unbeknown to Perez, the friend he was riding with was an undercover federal agent and the veteran was being arrested for drug-related crimes. After pleading guilty at trial, he was sentenced to six months in jail and a rehabilitation program.

He was later informed that due to immigration laws, the judge had no say in allowing him to stay in the country. In New York, drug trafficking is classified as aggravated felonies or crimes involving moral turpitude that result in deportation. Perez was deported to the Dominican Republic in 2004  the place he left at nine years old.

I had no knowledge of how I was going to survive, how I was going to make it, he says. I was put into exile This [the US] is the only country I really know We lost everything.

Perez was deported to the Dominican Republic in 2004 but was later permitted to return to the US on huminatarian parole ( Bienvenido Perez )

He later returned on humanitarian parole  which allows certain non-US citizens to enter the country if they lack any legal basis for admission. However, parole does not provide any permanent pathway to remain in the United States and can expire at any time.

A 2020 report from the University of California Law School in San Francisco noted a backlog of over 730,000 applications for naturalization and that the delays are particularly pronounced for noncitizens in the military.

Like Perez, Juan Quiroz served in the US military and received an honorable discharge after joining in 2004. He worked as a track mechanic but served three years behind bars  also on drug-related crimes.

When I saw the judge I told her, Im a United States Army veteran, I have an honorable discharge, he recalled. She said, basically, If you were in the military, then you should have known better, youre going home. So she deported me, and I was gone for about 10 years.

Juan Quiroz (right) was deported and not allowed to return to the US for the funeral of his father, Emiliano (left), who died in 2021, following his arrest ( Juan Quiroz )

Quiroz was sent back to Mexico and was not allowed to return, not even to attend the funeral of his father Emiliano, who died in the US in December 2021.

Like Perez, he was eventually learned about the humanitarian parole system and was allowed to return to the US temporarily.

He still lives in fear of being deported again. They told me as long as Im here taking care of my family and staying out of trouble, that I would have no reason to get deported, he says.

Im always worried and Im always stressed out. I get anxiety thinking that one day that theyre going to take me from my family once again I served this country, but I made one mistake, and they took everything from me.

Perezs naturalization is still in limbo because he is waiting for a final answer on whether he can stay. Right now, Im here undocumented, waiting on a decision, he says. When my humanitarian parole expires, my work authorization expires as well. So right now, I cant work, I cant do anything.

Quiroz has been allowed to return to the US on humanitarian parole, but still lives in fear of being deported again ( Juan Quiroz )

For Perez, that limbo period is almost at an end. On Wednesday, he underwent what he expects to be one of his final interviews with United States Citizenship and Immigration Services before being officially naturalized.

But he worries for the fates of his veteran brotherhood, especially as the presidential election in November edges closer, referring specifically to comments about immigrants made by Donald Trump.

During his 2024 presidential campaign, the former president has said that illegal immigration is poisoning the blood of our nation and, more recently, has peddled baseless claims that migrant communities in Ohio are eating the pets of the people that live there.

Trump has also reportedly referred to US soldiers who have died in war as suckers and losers.

Perez has now been naturalized as a US citizen, but still harbors concerns for his fellow immigrant veterans and how they could face deportation despite their service ( Bienvenido Perez )

It concerns me, Perez says. Not for myself, because I dont think he has anything that can turn back the hands of time, but I feel for many immigrants, not only veterans, because of the rhetoric and all [Trumps] buffoonish type of comments.

He added: The whole immigration system has to be revamped, to be more fair for everyone. But the consideration should always be that if you are willing to make the ultimate sacrifice for your country, then there should be certain exceptions.

Despite such unfairness and uncertainty, the pride of their service remains. I will always be proud of what Ive done, regardless, Quiroz told The Independent. I always tell everybody if I had the opportunity I would serve this country all over again.

But I do feel like Ive been let down. Ive been lied to. Because the oath that I swore is the same as the oath that you do when youre a citizen.
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Vice President Kamala Harris on Friday said the US government is duty-bound to set rules at our border and to enforce them as she called for reform of the American immigration system.

The immigration system should work in an orderly way, that it is humane and makes our country stronger, she said during a speech at Cochise College in Douglas, Arizona, after visiting the US border wall.

She also slammed her 2024 election opponent, former President Donald Trump, for commanding his Republican allies to vote against a bipartisan immigration and border reform package that experts said was stronger than any similar legislation considered by Congress in decades.

The vice president said the dedicated agents of the US Border Patrol and customs officers need more resources to do their jobs, which is why she supported the bipartisan legislation that wouldve provided funds to hire 1,500 more Border Patrol officers and purchase 100 machines to detect fentanyl at the border.

It would have allowed us to more quickly and effectively remove those who come here illegally, and it would have increased the number of immigration judges and asylum officers. It was the strongest border security bill we have seen in decades. It was endorsed by the Border Patrol union, and it should be in effect today, producing results in real time right now for our country, she said.

But Donald Trump tanked it. He picked up the phone and called some friends in Congress and said, stop the bill, because, you see, he prefers to run on a problem instead of fixing a problem, and the American people deserve a president who cares more about border security than playing political games and their personal political future.

The vice president said the dedicated agents of the US Border Patrol and customs officers need more resources to do their jobs ( AP )

Harris pledged that she would sign that exact same bill into law if it is passed by Congress and sent to her desk as president.

The vice president, who was making her first visit to the US-Mexico border as a candidate for the presidency, also promised to reach across the aisle and embrace common sense approaches and new technologies to get the job done if elected, citing her experience battling transnational criminal gangs and cartels as the attorney general of California.

She vowed to change Americas asylum rules to bar anyone who crosses between ports of entry into the US from seeking asylum on a permanent basis.

Those who cross our borders unlawfully will be apprehended and removed and barred from reentering for five years. We will pursue more severe criminal charges against repeat violators, and if someone does not make an asylum request at a legal point of entry and instead crosses our border unlawfully, they will be barred from receiving asylum, while we understand that many people are desperate to migrate to the United States. Our system must be orderly and secure, and that is my goal, she said.

Earlier in the day, Harris arrived at a site along the US border wall in Douglas, where she was greeted by a pair of uniformed officers from the US Border Patrol.

The two officers and the vice president chatted as they walked along a path next to a section of the wall, which was constructed during the Obama administration and is not part of the wall built during Trumps presidency.

She also received a briefing from Customs and Border Protection officials on US efforts to prevent the introduction of fentanyl into the United States. Harris is later expected to announce support for further restricting how people can claim asylum if they enter the country unlawfully between ports of entry along the border with Mexico.

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris talks with John Modlin, the chief patrol agent for the Tucson Sector of the U.S. Border Patrol, right, and Blaine Bennett, the U.S. Border Patrol Douglas Station border patrol agent in charge, as she visits the U.S. border with Mexico in Douglas, Arizona, on Friday ( AP )

Harris told the crowd in Douglas that shed make combatting the trafficking of the synthetic narcotic a top priority if she is sworn in as president next year.

The vice presidents visit to the border comes as she seeks to fight Trump on the key issue of his campaign. He rarely makes a public appearance without engaging in incendiary rhetoric on the subject, often crossing a line into outright racism.

Trump and his Republican allies have sought to attack Harris for the Biden administrations record on migration and have attempted to brand her as a failed border czar because of her work handling diplomacy with countries that, until recently, accounted for a significant portion of the immigrants claiming asylum along the US-Mexico border.

But Harris said she would put politics aside, to fix our immigration system and find solutions to problems which have persisted for far too long if elected, including by enacting legislation to give so-called Dreamers brought to the US illegally as children  as well as hardworking immigrants whove been in the US for years a path to citizenship.

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris talks with John Modlin, the chief patrol agent for the Tucson Sector of the U.S. Border Patrol, right, as she visits the U.S. border with Mexico in Douglas, Ariz., Friday, Sept. 27, 2024 ( AP )

The vice president contrasted her approach with that of Trump, who she said did nothing to fix our broken immigration system during his time in office.

He did not solve the shortage of immigration judges. He did not solve the shortage of border agents. He did not create lawful pathways into our nation, he did nothing to address an outdated asylum system and did not work with other governments in our hemisphere to deal with what clearly is also a regional challenge, she said.

As overdoses went up during his presidency, he fought to slash funding for the fight against fentanyl. And what did he do instead ... he separated families. He ripped toddlers out of their mothers arms, put children in cages and tried to end protections for Dreamers. He made the challenges at the border worse, and he is still fanning the flames of fear and division.

That is not the work of a leader, she added.

Immigration and border security are top issues in Arizona, the only battleground state that borders Mexico and one that contended with a record influx of asylum seekers last year. Trump has an edge with voters on migration, and Harris has gone on offense to improve her standing on the issue and defuse a key line of political attack for Trump.

In nearly every campaign speech she gives, Harris recounts how a sweeping bipartisan package aiming to overhaul the federal immigration system collapsed in Congress earlier this year after Trump urged top Republicans to oppose it.

The American people deserve a president who cares more about border security than playing political games, Harris plans to say, according to an excerpt of her remarks previewed by her campaign. After the immigration legislation stalled, the Biden administration announced rules that bar migrants from being granted asylum when U.S. officials deem that the southern border is overwhelmed.

Since then, arrests for illegal border crossings have fallen. Harris will also use her trip to remind voters about her work as attorney general of California in confronting crime along the border.

During an August rally in Glendale, outside Phoenix, she talked about helping to prosecute drug- and people-smuggling gangs that operated transnationally and at the border.

With additional reporting by agencies
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A federal grand jury indicted a trio of Iranian nationals for what prosecutors say was a long-running government hacking campaign that targeted U.S. officials, including a hack against the Trump campaign this summer.

These authoritarian regimes, which violate the human rights of their own citizens, do not get a say in our countrys democratic process, Attorney General Merrick Garland said at a press conference on Friday. The American people, and the American people alone, will decide the outcome of our countrys elections.

The charges, unsealed on Friday, allege that since 2020, three men, Masoud Jalili, Seyyed Ali Aghamiri and Yasar Balaghi, were part of a scheme on behalf of Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to go after U.S. interests and stoke discord and erode confidence in the U.S. electoral process.

All three men are described as having their last known residence in Tehran.

The Iranian government denies responsibility for the hack.

Iranian hackers targeted U.S. officials and intelligence personnel ( AP )

In August, the Trump campaign said some of its internal communications had been hacked, after news outlets began receiving unsolicited offers of information.

Though the charges dont explicitly name the Trump campaign, the indictment describes the hackers targeting one presidential campaign and attempting to share information obtained with another.

Earlier this month, the FBI, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency accused Iranian hackers of sending stolen Trump campaign materials to people associated with the then-Biden campaign.

Iranian malicious cyber actors in late June and early July sent unsolicited emails to individuals then associated with President Bidens campaign that contained an excerpt taken from stolen, non-public material from former President Trumps campaign as text in the emails, the agencies said.

The indictment provides further details of how the hackers were able to steal the materials by sending phishing emails to members of the Trump campaign.

Once figures associated with the campaign opened the messages, malware entered their computers and stole private information.

Then, the hackers attempted to share the information with journalists and the Biden campaign, including a June message quoted in the indictment, which captures the alleged hackers using a fake persona and promising figures associated with the Biden campaign, Im going to pass some materials along to you that would be useful to defeat him.

Over the course of the alleged four-year hacking scheme, Iran also targeted other influential U.S. figures, including a homeland security adviser to a former president, the former U.S. ambassador to Israel, and a former deputy director of the CIA.

The hackers also allegedly sought to compromise officials at the Departments of Justice, Defense, and State.

This week, Trump said he was briefed on threats against his life originating in Iran.

Big threats on my life by Iran, the Republican wrote on X. The entire US Military is watching and waiting. Moves were already made by Iran that didnt work out, but they will try again.

Iran has reportedly launched multiple attempts to influence the 2024 election and go after U.S. officials, including allegedly creating fake news sites.

Asif Raza Merchant, 46, a Pakistani man with ties to Iran, was charged last month with taking part in a murder-for-hire plot against U.S. officials in retaliation for the 2020 killing of Iranian commander Qassem Soleimani, a scheme that allegedly considered Trump as a possible target. Merchant has pleaded not guilty.

In recent months, federal officials have cracked down on alleged influence operations against the U.S..

They have prosecuted figures tied to Russian state media, seized 32 Russian-backed websites that officials say were designed to spread disinformation and boost the 2024 Trump campaign, and charged two employees of Russian state network RT with launching a $10m propaganda scheme using popular right-wing social media influencers.
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North Carolina Lituetant Governor Mark Robinson spent Friday evening at the hospital being treated for second-degree burns that he obtained during an incident at a campaign event.

Robinson, who is currently running for governor, was campaigning at the Mayberry Truck Show in Mount Airy, NC when he was injured, spokesperson Mike Lonergan said.

It is unclear what happened exactly but Robinson was brought to Northern Regional Hospital to have the second-degree burns treated. It is not known at this time on which part of his body Robinson suffered the burns.

Lonergan told reporters Robinson is in good spirits and appreciated the outpouring of well wishes.

The Lt. Governor will return to the campaign trail Saturday morning as scheduled, Lonergan said. He has four stops scheduled for Saturday.

The Independent has asked Robinsons office for additional comment.

North Carolina Lituetant Governor Mark Robinson suffered second-degree burns during a campaign stop at at truck show ( REUTERS )

Robinson, who recently found himself at the center of a public scandal, is currently running against Democratic gubernatorial nominee Josh Stein to replace North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper. Robinsons campaign has hit a bit of a hiccup since the scandal.

Earlier this month, a CNN investigation accused Robinson of posting racist and sexual comments on a pornography website called Nude Africa. The investigation claimed it linked Robinson through an email address and screen name to find the comments.

The shocking comments showed the user calling themselves a black NAZI and asserting they would like to own slaves. Additionally, the commenter described vulgar and graphic comments about their sexual habits, according to CNN.

Robinson has denied making the comments and said he has hired a law firm to investigate the matter.

But still, Republicans have sought to distance themselves from Robinson in the wake of the report. Former president Donald Trump declined to mention Robinsonss campaign while rallying in North Carolina and on Thursday told reporters he didnt know the situation when asked if he would condemn Robinson.

A dozen of Robinsons staff members, both on campaign or within his office, have resigned.
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The sole candidate in the election for Macaos next leader on Saturday pledged to diversify the economy of the Chinese casino city, a goal previously laid out by Beijing.

Sam Hou-fai, the city's former top judge, said at a news conference that the diversification is a key issue he must address. At a separate event, he told election committee members who will vote on Oct. 13 that the city has learned a lesson from the COVID-19 pandemic, saying most people would agree with the move.

Macao's tourism and gaming industries suffered a big slump because of the virus controls before China rolled back its zero-COVID strategy in late 2022.

Sam said just relying on the gaming industry is not enough. Otherwise, how could we handle it if big disasters arise? he said.

Sam, 62, is widely expected to secure the leadership in next month's vote, during which a 400-member committee  mostly dominated by establishment figures  picks the leader. Most of the semiautonomous territorys population of 687,000 does not have a right to vote. He would be the citys first leader from mainland China.

During the application period, he already received nominations from 386 committee members. The citys safeguarding national security committee affirmed his loyalty to China and Macao.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has expressed hopes that the former Portuguese colony can promote healthy and sustainable economic development and diversify its economy, which its gaming industry has dominated for decades. Macao is the only place in China where casinos are legal.

In May, incumbent Chief Executive Ho Iat-seng said the gaming industry accounted for less than 40% of the citys gross domestic product, down from its past contribution of about 60%. Last year, his government rolled out a diversification plan to boost the tourism and leisure industry and other sectors such as traditional Chinese medicine, finance, and exhibition and commerce.

Ho decided not to seek re-election due to health reasons.

Sam was born in Guangdong province in 1962 and graduated from the law school of Peking University in Beijing. He studied the Portuguese language, culture and law at the University of Coimbra in Portugal. He once worked as a lawyer in mainland China.

Sam was the citys top judge from when Macao returned to Chinese rule in 1999 until he resigned in August.

Critics have questioned his ability to administer a government given his lack of business and executive background.

He previously said he has worked and lived in Macao for nearly 40 years. He argued his understanding of Macao is no worse than that of many well-known figures and likened his experience of managing the citys courts to running a small government.

Sam has also handled some politically sensitive cases during his tenure, including upholding the polices ban on a vigil commemorating Chinas bloody 1989 military crackdown on the Tiananmen Square pro-democracy protests. The top court also ruled in the authorities favor over their decision to bar pro-democracy figures from joining the legislative election in 2021.
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Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah has been killed in an Israeli airstrike in southern Beirut, after 32 years at the helm of the Lebanese militant group.

During Nasrallahs decades in charge, Hezbollah has grown into a regional force that has projected Tehrans influence across the Middle East.

His death marks not only an enormous blow to Hezbollah but also to Iran, whose Revolutionary Guards founded the group in 1982.

Another top Hezbollah leader  Ali Karaki  was also killed in the attack, which levelled six apartment buildings, alongside Revolutionary Guards deputy commander Abbas Nilforoushan. Iran has vowed to retaliate.

Hassan Nasrallah will no longer be able to terrorise the world, the Israeli military said. Spokesperson Daniel Hagari insisted that Nasrallah  whom he said was among the biggest-ever enemies of Israel  had posed a threat to Israeli citizens for decades, and his elimination makes the world a safer place.

Fridays attack, followed by a heavy bombardment further airstrikes on Saturday and Sunday, have escalated the conflict between Israel and the heavily armed group, adding to concerns the region could be sucked into a broader war.

The military said that it carried out a precise airstrike while Hezbollah leadership met at their headquarters in Dahiyeh, south of Beirut.

Hassan Nasrallah, leader of Hezbollah, speaks during a ceremony in Beirut on 24 July 1994, marking the first anniversary of the weeklong Israeli blitz on south Lebanon ( AP )

Who is Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah?

Under the leadership of the 64-year-old Nasrallah, Hezbollah has fought wars against Israel and taken part in the conflict in neighbouring Syria, helping tip the balance of power in favour of the president, Bashar Assad.

A charismatic and shrewd strategist, Nasrallah reshaped Hezbollah into an archenemy of Israel, cementing alliances with Shiite religious leaders in Iran and Palestinian militant groups such as Hamas.

Idolised by his Lebanese Shiite followers and respected by millions of others across the Arab and Islamic world, Nasrallah holds the title of sayyid, or master, an honorific meant to signify the Shiite clerics lineage dating back to the Prophet Muhammad, the founder of Islam.

A fiery orator viewed as an extremist in the US and much of the West, he is also considered a pragmatist compared to the firebrand militants who dominated Hezbollah after its founding in 1982, during Lebanons civil war.

Despite the power he wielded, Nasrallah has lived largely in hiding in the past years for fear of an Israeli assassination.

Smoke billows over Beiruts southern suburbs, as seen from Sin El Fil ( Reuters )

How he rose to power

Born in 1960 into a poor Shiite family in Beiruts impoverished northern suburb of Sharshabouk, Nasrallah was later displaced to south Lebanon. He studied theology and joined the Amal movement, a Shiite political and paramilitary organisation, before becoming one of Hezbollahs founders.

Hezbollah was formed by Iranian Revolutionary Guard members who came to Lebanon in the summer of 1982 to fight invading Israeli forces. It was the first group that Iran backed and used as a way to export its brand of political Islam.

Nasrallah built a power base as Hezbollah over time became part of a cluster of Iranian-backed factions and governments known as the Axis of Resistance.

Smoke rises from Israeli airstrikes in Beiruts southern suburbs ( AP )

Two days after its leader, 39-year-old Sayyed Abbas Musawi, was killed in an Israeli helicopter gunship raid in south Lebanon, Hezbollah chose Nasrallah as its secretary-general in February 1992.

Five years later, the US designated Hezbollah a terrorist organisation.

Under Nasrallah, Hezbollah was credited with leading the war of attrition that led to the withdrawal of Israeli troops from south Lebanon in 2000, after an 18-year occupation. Nasrallahs eldest son, Hadi, was killed in 1997 while fighting against Israeli forces.

After Israels withdrawal from southern Lebanon in 2000, Nasrallah rose to iconic status both within Lebanon and throughout the Arab world. His messages were beamed on Hezbollahs own radio and satellite TV station.

That status was further cemented when, in 2006, Hezbollah fought Israel to a stalemate during the 34-day war.

When Syrias civil war erupted in 2011, Hezbollah fighters rushed in, siding with Assads forces  even though Hezbollahs popularity took a dive as the Arab world ostracised Assad.

Nasrallah addresses a crowd in October 2015 during the holy day of Ashoura, in a southern suburb of Beirut ( AP )

His role in the current conflict

A day after the Israel-Hamas war started on 7 October, Hezbollah began attacking Israeli military posts along the border, calling it a backup front for Gaza.

In speeches throughout the conflict, he has argued that Hezbollahs cross-border strikes had pulled away Israeli forces that would otherwise be focused on Hamas in Gaza and insisted that Hezbollah would not halt its attacks on Israel until a ceasefire is reached in Gaza.

Over the past weeks, he continued to strike a defiant tone as tension rose dramatically, with Israel announcing a new phase in the conflict intended to push Hezbollah back from the border to allow thousands displaced from northern Israel to return.

It launched strikes killing top military commanders with the group and was blamed for the explosion of thousands of communications devices, mainly used by Hezbollah members, that killed 37 people and wounded thousands.
 Close Black smoke rises from Lebanons Beirut skyline

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Hamas has fired a barrage of rockets at Tel Aviv and central Israel as the country marks the anniversary of the deadly 7 October Hamas attack.

After air raid sirens were heard this morning, the Israeli military claimed Hamas had launched five rockets from the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis. Hamas also claimed the attack.

Falls were detected in the area, the details are under investigation, the statement added, referring to areas in Israel.

Pictures published today from Khan Younis detailed rows of houses and apartment blocks levelled by Israeli airstrikes.

It comes as Israeli civilians mark the anniversary of Hamas deadly 7 October attack, during which they killed around 1,200 people and took 251 more hostage in Gaza, 101 of which remain in the enclave. Nearly 42,000 Palestinians have since been killed by Israels retaliatory air and ground attack in Gaza, according to the local, Hamas-run health ministry.

Families of the hostages marched to Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahus residence in Jerusalem this morning to mark the terror attack.

I couldnt have imagined in my worst nightmares that a whole year would pass and my father would not be with us, said Shir Siegel, 28, whose father Keith, 65, remains in Gaza.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 28. The Azerbaijani Army launched a counter-offensive operation, later called the "Iron Fist", on September 27, 2020, in response to the large-scale provocation of the Armenian armed forces along the frontline.

The 44-day second Karabakh war ended with the liberation of Azerbaijans territories from nearly 30-year Armenian occupation and the restoration of territorial integrity.

On the initiative of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, a meeting through videoconferencing was held between him and President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev on September 28, 2020.

President Ilham Aliyev provided information about the military provocation committed by Armenia against Azerbaijan yesterday. He noted that on 27 September, Armenia used heavy artillery to fire on the positions of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces and settlements located along the line of contact. As a result of the attack, Azerbaijani civilians and servicemen were killed. The Azerbaijani side is conducting a successful counter-offensive operation in self-defense.

The head of state emphasized that this was not the first time the Armenian side had committed a military provocation. In particular, the occupying country perpetrated a similar provocation on the Azerbaijani-Armenian border in July this year and then, in August, an Armenian sabotage group attempted to cross the line of contact. At the same time, Armenia is illegally resettling foreign nationals from other countries in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan, which represents a flagrant violation of international law under the Geneva Convention.

The President of Azerbaijan also noted that the Armenian prime minister had created armed groups of volunteers consisting of tens of thousands of civilians who were being forced to take part in military operations against Azerbaijan.

During the conversation, President Ilham Aliyev said he had talked about Armenia's preparations for a new war in his speech at the general debates of the 75th session of the UN General Assembly.

The head of state said that the Armenian leadership was deliberately disrupting the negotiations. The statement of the Armenian leadership that "Nagorno-Karabakh is Armenia" dealt a serious blow to the talks. The statement that "Azerbaijan should hold talks with Nagorno-Karabakh" is an attempt to change the format of the talks, which is also unacceptable, as confirmed by the leadership of the Minsk Group.

President Ilham Aliyev said that the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict should be resolved only within the framework of international law and the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, on the basis of relevant UN Security Council resolutions calling for an immediate, unconditional and complete withdrawal of Armenian forces from the occupied territories.

During the conversation, the sides also recalled the Special Session of the UN General Assembly in response to COVID-19 initiated by Azerbaijan, and the head of state thanked the UN Secretary-General for supporting this initiative. President Ilham Aliyev noted that Azerbaijan would continue to spare no efforts in the international arena to combat COVID-19.

The issues related to the prospects for cooperation between Azerbaijan and the UN were also discussed during the meeting in a videoconference format.
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Facebook parent company Meta has been fined 91 million euro by the Data Protection Commission.

It follows an investigation into Meta inadvertently storing certain user passwords in plaintext on its internal systems, meaning they were not protected by encryption.

The issue applied to millions of Facebook and Instagram users.

Meta Ireland notified the DPC of the breach in March 2019. The passwords were not made available to external parties.

The DPC found a range of infringements of GDPR rules including failing to notify the commissioner of the data breach, failing to document the data breach, not using appropriate security measures to protect the passwords, and not implementing appropriate organisational measures around the confidentiality of the passwords.

Deputy Commissioner Graham Doyle said: It is widely accepted that user passwords should not be stored in plaintext, considering the risks of abuse that arise from persons accessing such data.

It must be borne in mind that the passwords the subject of consideration in this case are particularly sensitive, as they would enable access to users social media accounts.
Israels military claim to have killed Hezbollah leader, Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah, who hasnt been seen in public for years over fears of being assassinated.

Hassan Nasrallah has overseen Hezbollah for three decades, carving a Shia political and military army, thought to be comprised of over 100,000 fighters - with their primary enemy being Israel.

Israels most recent strike on the group, considered terrorists by the UK government, was in Beirut, targeting their headquarters, where Mr Nasrallah is thought to have been at the time.

Hezbollah have not yet released a statement confirming the condition of their leader.
The Israeli policy of decapitation is worse than futile. Benjamin Netanyahu, the prime minister of Israel, had already used assassination as an instrument of war, killing leaders of Hamas, Hezbollah and the Iranian Revolutionary Guards.

Now Israeli forces have dispatched Hassan Nasrallah, secretary general of Hezbollah. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) boasts that it has now taken out the entire leadership of the paramilitary organisation in Lebanon.

The killing on Friday was a stunning blow, delivered while Mr Netanyahu was delivering a bellicose speech to the United Nations General Assembly in New York. But it remains our belief that it will not make Israel safer in the long run.

In the short term, of course, it will demoralise Hezbollah and its allies in Hamas and Iran. If the assassination is a substitute for the all-out war that was feared in southern Lebanon, that may be no bad thing. But it will not defeat Hezbollah, nor will it kill the aim that it espouses of wiping Israel off the map.

It has to be remembered that Hezbollah was formed in the first place to fight the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in 1982. Israel invaded to try to stop the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO), originally a secular nationalist movement, from launching attacks from there. The PLO was thus supplanted by an Islamist state within a state in Lebanon.

A decade later, Israel assassinated Abbas al-Musawi, Hezbollahs leader, only for him to be replaced by Nasrallah who was, if anything, more extreme and more dangerous. This is the hydra principle in action: assassinating the leaders of militant organisations tends to lead to their replacement by harder-line commanders.

As Jonathan Powell, Tony Blairs former chief of staff who played a key role in the Northern Ireland peace talks, has said: Unintended consequences tend to prevail. Mr Powell has argued that terrorists almost always have to be negotiated with in the end. A policy of decapitation makes that harder because the new leaders will be more extreme and less likely to be worn down by years of fighting.

Even eliminating the entire leadership of Hezbollah will not destroy the organisation, however much it may be weakened in the short term. It will renew itself, or be replaced by something worse. That is what happened when the US killed Abu-Musab al-Zarqawi, the leader of al-Qaeda in Iraq, in 2006, which led to the creation of Isis. Trying to eliminate terrorist groups by decapitation almost never succeeds, Mr Powell wrote.

There is no prospect of eliminating either Hamas or Hezbollah, in the sense of eliminating the populations and the grievances that sustain them. As Sir Keir Starmer said at the UN in New York, there is no military solution here.

That is why we have called on the international community, and on the Israeli people, to try to alter the incentives operating on Mr Netanyahu and on Israels enemies. Tragically, it remains in Mr Netanyahus immediate political interest to prolong the war that he is fighting on three fronts, in Gaza, in Lebanon and, at a distance, against the Iranian leadership.

Until Mr Netanyahu is replaced, and until an alternative leadership emerges from the Palestinian people, probably in the West Bank, that can deliver tangible benefits and hope for the future for the Palestinians, the outlook for peace remains gloomy.

And until the Israeli intelligence and security services recognise that trying to eliminate every last Islamist paramilitary dedicated to the destruction of Israel is never going to guarantee Israels security, the prospect of any kind of negotiation seems bleak.

But the alternative to negotiation is a forever war. The most hopeful prospect in a conflict mired in pessimism is that Israels democracy allows for the peaceful transition to a different strategy under a different prime minister.
Shortly after Benjamin Netanyahus speech to the UN in New York on Friday, in which he claimed that his country yearns for peace, the Israeli air force launched a devastating airstrike on a building housing Hezbollahs leader, Hassan Nasrallah. Today, Hezbollah confirmed that Nasrallah was killed in the attack, along with several other of the groups commanders.

Unlike references 40 years ago to the IRAs grandiosely self-titled general staff, treating Hezbollahs forces as an organised military makes sense, even as that military hierarchy seems to be in the process of decapitation.

Nasrallah had become a hate figure for Israelis  a modern Hitler hiding in his bunker. Until now, the Israelis had shied away from targeting him personally, probably for fear that his surviving lieutenants would see no reason to restrain their supporters from a mass martyrdom attack on Israel.

Killing Nasrallah is another coup for the IDF, on top of the exploding pager and walkie-talkie attack at the start of this crescendo of crisis. But will a dead Nasrallah collapse resistance, as Hitlers death led German forces to fold? A headless army soon collapses. But will Hezbollah disintegrate or revert to its guerrilla past? Only a ground incursion by the IDF can test that in practice.

Netanyahu often compares Hamas and Hezbollah to the Nazis. Indeed, on one infamous occasion he claimed it was the grand mufti of Jerusalem who had persuaded Hitler to launch the Holocaust against occupied Europes Jews  as though the murderously antisemitic Nazi leader needed advice!

But Netanyahu is right to say that the Islamic militants reject the right of Israel to exist  and they will appeal to the IDFs way of war since 7 October to justify their denialism. The Israeli prime minister also has a point that the head of the Palestine Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, has called for the UN to expel Israel, making a mockery of his commitment to a two state peace deal.

The comparison between the attitudes of Nazis of 80 years ago and todays militant Islamist enemies of Israel falls down in light of the cruel reality that, after Germanys capitulation amid the rubble of Hitlers Reich, most Germans admitted  silently perhaps  that their regime had brought war and destruction on themselves (as well as everyone else).

By contrast Palestinians in particular, but Arabs in general  including their political leaders, as Mahmoud Abbass comments at the UN conference show  dont really accept reconciliation with Israelis, because they see themselves as the victims of 75 years of occupation and expulsion.

Outsiders who condemn excessive, indiscriminate use of military firepower can share Netanyahus condemnation of terrorist attacks like the one which took place on 7 October. But Palestinians see it as payback for decades of being beaten down.

However, like revenge everywhere, it does not discriminate between those who did them harm and guilt by association. Sources such as Al Jazeera frequently echo Lebanese and Palestinian voices, which refer to the Israelis in the north of their country under fire from Hezbollah as settlers, delegitimising their rights as if they were the same as the illegal occupants of West Bank settlements.

Until Israelis can acknowledge that they have spawned some of the grievances that have rallied Palestinian and Shiite Lebanese support for terrorist attacks on them  and unless Arabs can accept Israels right to exist and the need to moderate their opposition  resistance will revive among the teenagers bloodied in the last months.

Israel has repeatedly shown that it knows how to defeat its enemies, but it has yet to show them it has a strategy to persuade them to accept defeat. As much as their rhetoric may suggest they believe otherwise, 2024 is not 1945.
A father-of-seven pickpocketed a 14-year-old boy in a Dublin supermarket, stealing his phone that was worth more than 1,000.

Marian Mihai (43) had been drinking and was not in his full faculties at the time of the theft, a court heard.
Vow of omerta taken by Sinn Fein over movement of child sex predator from party to charity, says Taoiseach
Suspected ringleader of Lucky Dip car-theft gang arrested over fatal hit-and-run of Michael Farrelly (40)

He is the second youth to be questioned over death of innocent pedestrian in north Dublin

The second arrest in the investigation of his death was made on Thursday.

Ken Foy Sat 28 Sep 2024 at 03:30







Gardai have arrested the alleged ringleader of the Lucky Dip car-theft gang in relation to a fatal hit-and-run in Dublin.
Emily Hand, one year on from her kidnapping by Hamas: She knows how to deal with bad news and tragedy

A year since she was kidnapped by Hamas, Emily is slowly learning how to enjoy life again. Reduced to whispers after her 50-day ordeal, her father Thomas tells Melanie Swan in Tel Aviv how horse-riding and a visit to Disney World have helped her recovery

Emily Hand has been adjusting to life since her kidnapping at the hands of Hamas on October 7, 2023

Melanie Swan Sat 28 Sep 2024 at 03:30

It has been a year since nine-year-old Emily Hand was seized by Hamas and held hostage in Gaza for 50 days. It has taken until now for her to be able to sleep in her own room.
Family doctors are under increasing pressure as population grows and ages. Photo: Getty

GPs are scared off by the financial risks of setting up practices in parts of the country affected by the doctor shortage and need support with bricks and mortar, it has been claimed.

Dr Diarmuid Quinlan, medical director at the Irish College of General Practitioners (ICGP), said the west coast, midlands and deprived urban areas have a lack of doctors, and people are struggling to get on the books of a practice.

You dont expect the teacher to buy the school. We need the infrastructure for young GPs and they need the bricks and mortar, Dr Quinlan said.

It is a huge financial risk otherwise for GPs and there has to be innovative solutions to move more care into the community.

Speaking at the ICGPs annual meeting in Dublin, he said the pressure on GP services is unabated as the population increases and ages.

It is fabulous that people are living longer, but older people consume an enormous amount of GP time and we are very skilled to deliver it, he added.

There are currently 4,370 GPs in the country, but closer to 6,000 are needed.

More doctors are training to be GPs, but it takes four years to qualify.

Around 500 GPs are over 65 and will retire in the coming years, Dr Quinlan said.

Younger GPs want a better work-life balance and are not putting in the long hours of their predecessors

An international speaker, Dr Tomas Zapata Lopez, had earlier told the conference that the fall in the number of family doctors and their ageing profile is a ticking time bomb in several European countries.

Citizens Information reported 16,000 health-related queries in the second quarter of the year, a 13pc increase on the same period last year.

The main issue was access to GP and dental services, with problems persisting from earlier in the year, it added.

Dr Quinlan, who works in a practice in Glanmire, Co Cork, said many GPs are now trying to reserve a substantial number of slots for patients who have pressing medical issues and need a same-day appointment for urgent care.

Patients are also opting to attend out-of-hours GP services such as SouthDoc to be seen if they cannot get an appointment, he added.

He said the organisation welcomed the expansion of free GP visits, with more people eligible for GP cards, but the take-up needs to improve and the HSE has to simplify the application process after it extended the benefit to people on median incomes last year.

If you want people to do something, make it as easy as possible, he said.

Younger GPs want a better work-life balance and are not putting in the same long hours as their predecessors, he added.

Dr Quinlan said there is a lot of invisible work, and for every two-hour consultation, another hour is spent on duties such as arranging prescriptions and hospital appointments.
Images from Russian airstrike that killed mother and three daughters in my home town are burned into my mind

My father in Lviv told me that he knew the people who were killed: they were the daughter and granddaughters of an old friend. How do you describe how something like that makes you feel?

Mourners attend the funeral of a 43-year-old mother and her three daughters killed in a Russian airstrike in Lviv, Ukraine. Photo: Oksana Johannesson via Getty Images

Ksenia Samotiy Sat 28 Sep 2024 at 03:30







Another September is almost over. Pre-2022, my Septembers were pretty much as I see them for people in Ireland now. kids going back to school, packing the morning buses with a combination of laughter and sleepy faces. The appearance of pumpkin lattes in coffee shops, as adults get ready to be cold and miserable for the next six months. Everyone talking about how quickly it gets dark at this time of year. Lots of complaining about real life reasserting itself after the summer break. Even the seagulls seem to be complaining (OK, there are not many seagulls in Lviv, my home town, but Im sure the local birds are unhappy about something). Thats September for you.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 28. Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan Jeyhun Bayramov met with Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia Retno Marsudi in the framework of the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly on September 27, 2024, the statement of press service of the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry said, Trend reports.

According to the information, the meeting discussed issues of bilateral, including multilateral cooperation between Azerbaijan and Indonesia, as well as preparations for the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29).

The meeting emphasized the importance of developing ties between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Republic of Indonesia in various spheres, including economy, transport, and tourism.

The sides noted the importance of developing cooperation between the two countries within the UN, Non-Aligned Movement, OIC, and other international organizations.

Speaking in detail about the initiatives put forward within the framework of Azerbaijan's chairmanship of COP29, Bayramov noted readiness to cooperate with Indonesia in the field of combating climate change.

Afterwards, the ministers signed an Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Government of the Republic of Indonesia on visa exemption for holders of diplomatic and service passports.

Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel
A vaccine damage scheme is being worked on by the Department of Health, it has been confirmed.

The development of such a scheme requires detailed consideration to ensure that it is appropriately designed, and discussions are ongoing, a spokesman said.

An interdepartmental working group on medical negligence chaired by Dr Rhona Mahony, former master of the National Maternity Hospital, recommended last week that such a scheme be established.

Its report, which was commissioned by the Department of Health, said it recommends the development of a vaccine damage scheme to ensure a controlled approach to management of potential claims, which should be undertaken urgently in line with previous commitments.

Asked if any claims arising out of the use of vaccines were lodged, a spokesman for the State Claims Agency said it is managing claims relating to the Pandemrix, Gardasil and Covid-19 vaccines.

To date, the State Claims Agency has received 158 Pandemrix, 37 Gardasil and 84 Covid-19 vaccine-related claims.

In respect of the breakdown of Covid-19, the State Claims Agency is unable to provide the figure sought as the claimants have not, in all cases, specified which vaccine caused the alleged injury or side-effect.

Typically, the issue of vaccine producer identification becomes clarified as the pleadings develop. Further, in some cases, a person may have received more than one Covid-19 vaccine product.

Medicines watchdog the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA) said Covid vaccines are very safe.

Since the start of the roll-out of Covid vaccines, the majority of people in Ireland have received a jab, with over 13 million doses administered to date.

The HPRA has received over 20,000 reports of suspected side-effects following a Covid-19 vaccine, of which 136 reports describe a person who subsequently died.

It is important to note that the HPRA receives reports based on a reporters suspicion that an adverse experience may be associated with a vaccine, the authority said.

This does not necessarily mean that the vaccine caused the adverse experience, and the event can often be coincidental  for example, due to progression of underlying disease or natural causes.

The HPRA, together with the European Medicines Agency, closely monitors reports of suspected side-effects received that describe a fatal outcome.

Should any safety concern be identified from this scientific evaluation, regulatory action is taken.

It added that the benefits of all authorised Covid-19 vaccines used as part of Irelands immunisation programme outweigh the possibility of experiencing side-effects, given the risk of Covid illness itself and the range of associated health-related complications.

In particular, for those at risk of Covid-19 illness, this can include hospitalisation and death. All Covid-19 vaccines used in Ireland are approved by the EMA on this basis.
Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald said a border poll should be held in the next decade and she committed to appointing a Minister for Reunification if her party is elected to Government.

Addressing the partys Ard Fheis in Athlone this evening, Ms McDonald promised reforms in housing, health, childcare and migration, as she put Sinn Fein on an election footing.

There were criticisms of Fine Gael and Fianna Fail, as she promised a Sinn Fein led Government would prioritise workers and families.

Earlier in the day Ms McDonald promised the party was "election ready" and will run more candidates than ever before.

Her Ard Fheis speech expressed solidarity with Palestine, appealed for ceasefires in Gaza and Lebanon and called for sanctions against Israel.

There was a focus on Northern Ireland and reunification in the address.

By end of this decade, people north and south must have their say, Ms McDonald said.

The Dublin and London governments cant continue to tread water. Its time to plan and prepare.

She said this means preparing a green paper, or government policy proposal, on Irish unity, as well as establishing a Citizens Assembly on the matter.

A new minister responsible for reunification would be based at the Department of An Taoiseach in a Sinn Fein government, Ms McDonald added.

On the North, she called on the British government to fund critical services and infrastructure, and said Casement Park must be delivered.

However, much of the speech was delivered with an upcoming general election in the south in mind.

We will deliver the largest housing programme in the history of the state, she said.

Childcare reforms put forward included a pledge that parents would have to pay 10 a day per child as part of a plan Ms McDonald wants to deliver by next September.

Healthcare changes would focus on cutting waiting lists for children with scoliosis and spina bifida, and addressing overcrowding in emergency departments.

On this issue she promised a second accident and emergency department would be established in the Mid-West in the wake of huge criticisms and repeated overcrowding at University Hospital Limerick.

There was pledge to invest 1bn from the recent Apple windfall into communities and a promise to cut the universal social charge (USC) for workers by abolishing it on the first 45,000 of your income.

If you are through with bad government, waste of public money, failure to deliver, if you believe in an Ireland where workers, families and communities come first, we want you to know that when the election comes, Sinn Fein is ready, Ms McDonald said.

Speaking to reporters before her speech, Ms McDonald said there is a "real sense of positivity and optimism" among the party membership as selection conventions continue to be run before the election.

"We're election ready, we look forward to the campaign and we're in it to win it, she added.

She said the party would seek to elect a representative in every constituency, adding that it was hoping to win two seats in some electoral areas.
Dignitaries and leaders condemn spiralling conflict and call on Israel to rein in its actions

As Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu prepared to speak at the UN General Assembly yesterday, New York City cops were bracing for protests.

Dozens of anti-war activists, calling for an end to Israels military campaigns over Gaza and Lebanon, were already arrested on Manhattan streets on Tuesday. Among those planning to demonstrate against Mr Netanyahus visit was the family of Nimrod Cohen, an Israeli soldier held in captivity in Gaza after Hamas launched its deadly October 7 strike on southern Israel.
In his last speech, former US vice-president Hubert H Humphrey said: The moral test of government is how that government treats those who are in the dawn of life, the children; those who are in the twilight of life, the elderly; those who are in the shadows of life, the sick, the needy and the handicapped.

The right moral compass when it comes to all things fiscal is conscientiously, fairly inclined to the left.

Ultimately, a government is not only judged for what it does, but also for what it fails to do.

As Dwight D Eisenhower said: A people that values its privileges above its principles soon loses both.

Lets hope our Government is cognisant of the aforementioned when preparing next weeks Budget.

Denis Doyle, Bray, Co Wicklow

Some shoddy shed from back of beyond could have cost OPW just as dear

Spending 336,000 on a bike shed? Whats all the big fuss about?

The way prices are rising these days, the same amount of money could just as easily have been wasted had the OPW bought some run-down, second-hand, leaky, beyond-repair old cowshed in some dodgy bargains galore farm sale in the back-of-beyond.

I tremble at the thought of the public kerfuffle that would surely have erupted throughout the country had such a bargain cowshed been bought with that same amount of money.

Just thank the stars above that at least the OPW didnt fall for that one. So really, all good then?

Ivor Shorts, Rathfarnham, Dublin 16

Space-age design of our new childrens hospital a waste of time and money

Your editorial, Hospital fiasco is a betrayal of all sick children left waiting (Irish Independent, September 26) should help the adults focus on what is really important  delivering a fit-for-purpose new childrens hospital as soon as possible.

Continuing litigation and arguments with the main building contractor are neither helpful nor practical to expediate the completion of the hospital. The horse has long since bolted. Government intervention is urgently needed now to knock heads together to achieve a common purpose.

Delays and the astronomical cost over-runs are a symptom of poor management and oversight. The Department of Health must share responsibility for not seeing around cost corners with an ill-conceived and ridiculous building design that resembles a spaceship more than it does a hospital. Hospitals should never seek to be iconic buildings.

Before we all cry Beam me up, Scotty, its time that Captain Harris sorted this mess out, as he was there at its inception.

Aidan Roddy, Cabinteely, Dublin 18

Now is the time to repay pension funds raided by government back in 2011

Not since 1924 (the then government took one shilling from the old-age pension) has anybody had to take a pension cut  until the government of 2011 raided the pension fund.

Semi-state private funds were raided and billions of euro removed to fund government spending.

No state contributions were ever made to these funds either before or after the raid.

This is now the right time to repay the funds taken, as nearly all the other cuts imposed at the time have been restored.

The Government cant say it has no funds to do this, as the Exchequer is overflowing with money, without even mentioning the Apple billions.

Eugene Rochford, Crossmolina, Co Mayo

Repeated waste of state funds proves that Ireland doesnt do accountability

First it was the electronic voting machines, then came the bank crash, followed by the oversized Dail printer fiasco where a measuring tape used in advance would have resulted in a much smaller overall cost.

The RTE meltdown was exposed last year, and now we have the childrens hospital mess, with billions of euro spent and still no opening date in sight. Recent reports suggest it will not now be open until 2027.

The massively overpriced bike shelter allows the few bicycles in situ to actually get wet. And last, but not least, we have a small security hut costing 1.4m. Where will it end? Who signs off on these deals? Nobody, it appears.

Sligo-Leitrim TD Marc MacSharry said in recent days that a whole lot of ass-covering was going on in recent days around Leinster House to ensure nobody was held accountable for this gross mismanagement of public funds.

They all shrug their shoulders and move on. Ireland does not do accountability. All the while the ordinary Joe and Josephine Soap are continually asked to pay up and smile.

How much longer can the people who get up early in the morning put up with this gross ineptitude and mismanagement of public money?

Tom Towey, Cloonacool, Co Sligo

If only our real-life world leaders could be as good as the imaginary ones

Its 25 years since The West Wing TV series appeared on our screens, showing an idealistic presidency that, like The Brady Bunch, could solve problems within a single episode.

There were a few earth-shattering events that needed two episodes, but most problems were fixed.

The world that I see on my TV now is broken, corrupt and personality-based, but there is still hope. There are still some leaders of character and good intent.

What we want is for the real to be as good as the imaginary.

Dennis Fitzgerald, Melbourne, Australia

Should crimes matter less when they are carried out by a democratic nation?

Ena Keye (World powers back Israel because its not a terrorist, its a democratic state, Letters, September 27) needs to explain why crimes committed by a purported democracy are less heinous than other crimes.

She also needs to explain how a state can be a democracy  that is, a state of all its citizens  when it proclaims that the right to exercise national self-determination... is unique to the Jewish people (as does Israels 2018 Nation-State Law), and when its leading human rights group (BTselem) defines it as an apartheid state.

Raymond Deane, Broadstone, Dublin 7
Great-granddaughters keep Kerry jeweller's Scottish legacy sparkling after 125 years

John Ross Jewellers, a Kerry institution since 1918, traces its roots to Scotland. Now run by the founder's great-granddaughters, the Castle Street store has weathered wars, depressions, and changing times while maintaining its original character

Heather O'Sullivan outside the family business in Tralee.

Stephen Fernane Kerryman Sat 28 Sep 2024 at 14:00

Within the walls of one of Tralees most identifiable shops is an incredible family story that started in 1899 in Aberdeen in Scotland when 21-year-old John Ross qualified as a horologist (watchmaker).
A local Louth Labour TD has slammed what he described as the outrageous treatment of BD workers as the company plans to shutter the Donore Road plant.

Deputy Ged Nash TD said: Since the shock announcement by the company, I have worked intensively with workers and unions and in terms of engagement with IDA and the government to, in the first instance, establish if Droghedas only large-scale IDA-backed manufacturing facility can be retained.

Despite the best efforts of workers and their unions, BD has doubled-down and is determined to close the plant, which will ultimately lead to the loss of 176 good jobs.

The Louth TD added: I fully back the decision by SIPTU and Connect trade unions to engage in a work to rule. In terms of the information I have received on the conduct of the consultation process in regard to potential redundancies by management and the dog-in-a-manger attitude they have adopted, I can see why 97% of SIPTU members voted in favour of industrial action.

The process has been pock-marked by uncertainty and ambiguity on the management side which has contributed to an unfortunate atmosphere of distrust. The negotiations to date cannot be described as meaningful.

Deputy Nash said: In truth, proposals put forward to date by the company have fallen well short of the established norms in relation to previous redundancy packages in BD.

This is all the more alarming given that it is not the case that the firm is seeking some redundancies to help cut costs, but it is pressing the nuclear option of complete closure.

BD must step up to the mark and start showing some respect to the loyal staff who have made this company very profitable over the course of their 60 year presence in Drogheda.

Fianna Fail General Election candidate for Louth Alison Comyn says she has been in contact with BD workers and said that SIPTU members at the plant were frustrated at the lack of engagement with management on alternatives to the facility closure, after 60 years in the town.

Members are saying they have been left with no alternative to this action, as they are trying to protect jobs in the area, and look after people who have worked in the plant for decades; sometimes whole families relying on the facility for employment, says Ms Comyn.

Union reps say they are fully available to engage in meaningful negotiations with management concerning the future of the plant, and look at options to protect jobs and reduce the impact that these redundancies will have on the workers, their families and the wider community.

The closure of the global Medtech firms local plant came as a massive blow to the town, as it marked its 60th anniversary earlier this year, and has employed thousands of people in Drogheda.

BD leaving the town is like saying farewell to a family member after six decades, and also sounded the death knell for industry and investment in this part of Louth, Ms Comyn said.

She added: Jobs in this area must be protected at all costs and we should be building on what we have, and attracting more IDA and FDI interest to our existing, state-of-the-art facilities.
Local historian Carmel O'Toole presents John Buggy with a copy of her book Glenmalure, The Wild Heart of the Mountains.

John Buggy, a descendant of Irish rebel leader Michael Dwyer, with Cathaoirleach of the Arklow MD, Councillor Pat Kennedy, and local historian Carmel O'Toole.

Wicklow recently welcomed a very special guest from Australia when John Buggy, the great-great-great-great-grandson of Irish rebel leader Michael Dwyer, paid a memorable visit to his ancestral home.

A descendant of the patriots fifth child, James Ignatius Dwyer, John was invited by Glenmalure native, Councillor Pat Kennedy, and the Arklow Municipal District to spend the week seeing historical sites associated with Michael Dwyer, who is revered for his role as the insurgent captain in the Irish Rebellion of 1798.

With the bi-centenary of Dwyers death taking place next August, the visit took on huge significance and was made possible thanks to months of planning by Cllr Kennedy, Shane Brady and Arklow MD staff.

Shortly after setting foot on Irish soil, John was invited to the Arklow MD chamber, where local historian Carmel OToole, who wrote Glenmalure, The Wild Heart of the Mountains, delivered an insightful presentation on Dwyers past, from his guerrilla campaign against British Crown forces following defeat in the rebellion to him and his wife Mary Doyles exiling to New South Wales in Australia as a free man in 1806.

Noting significant local locations synonymous with the legendary figure, including Michael Dwyers Chair, Ms OToole said: Although more than 220 years have passed since the surrender and transportation of Michael Dwyer and his comrades from Wicklow to Australia, the name Michael Dwyer is still remembered with fondness and respect throughout this county and beyond.

Detailing his ancestors tragic journey after reaching Australia, John then told the chamber how Michael Dwyer had been imprisoned, but ultimately acquitted, of plotting an Irish insurrection against the British rule in New South Wales, was later appointed Chief of Police in Liverpool, Sydney and was committed to a debtors prison where he contracted dysentery, which is commonly thought to have claimed his life.

Dispelling that notion, John said that his death was likely down to alcohol, before explaining that, in 1898, his remains were re-interred in Waverley Cemetery, Sydney, where a crowd of over 200,000 attended the ceremony.

Im very much honoured to be with you this afternoon, and Im going to enjoy this week immensely, visiting places where Michael was, John said.

The welcome I have received since Ive been here, and Ive only been here about 36 hours, has been quite extraordinary, John began.

Im sure Ill hear lots of stories. I dont think it is possible to celebrate the legend from the facts.

History is told by people who either were the winners or the people who did the admiring. Nonetheless, its all goodness in many ways, even though it is a tragic period in Irish history.

Thank you very much for receiving me this afternoon.

Thanking John and Carmel for their insights, Cllr Pat Kennedy praised all those who made the occasion possible, saying: Next year will be the bi-centenary of Michael Dwyers death and it was great to meet with his closest loving relative ahead of the anniversary.

Id like to thank John for being with us here today, and I hope he enjoys his week exploring the history of his ancestors.

I grew up in Glenmalure, I still live there, and I grew up on the stories of Michael Dwyer

Not only that, the generations below me are all interested in history, and thats thanks to Carmel (OToole).

Concluding the engagement, councillors Sylvester Bourke, Pat Fitzgerald, Peir Leonard and Warren OToole thanked John for enlightening them, commenting on how it deepened their knowledge of local history and heritage while highlighting the human connections that have spanned hundreds of years.

An overjoyed John was then presented with a copy of Ms OTooles acclaimed book, which contains a chapter on the Rebellion and Michael Dwyer.
Vogue Williams: I was an absolute sh*tebag in school... I studied construction and loved it but I always had a plan

From construction worker to reality star to podcast queen, multi-millionaire Vogue Williamss career trajectory has been anything but ordinary. Here, she talks about being royal adjacent, her bond with Joanne McNally and why she really missed her radio slot covering for Ryan Tubridy

Vogue Williams on stealing cash from her stepfather when she was young

Tanya Sweeney Sat 28 Sep 2024 at 03:30

In the topsy-turvy world of showbiz, 14 years is a very long time. In 2010, I was dispatched to interview the cast of a new Irish reality show, Fade Street; ostensibly, our answer to successful scripted reality shows like The Hills or Made In Chelsea. The glamour quotient was predictably high all-round, and yet one of the core cast members stood out immediately. Vogue Williams was, at that time, a construction worker-turned DJ/model, and the girlfriend of Dublin street artist Maser.
Met Eireann has forecast a mix of cloud and sunny spells for today ahead of weather warnings for rain coming into effect on Sunday.

This morning will start with isolated showers, mainly in the north and west, that will become more frequent later in the afternoon, with highest temperatures of 11 to 14 degrees.

Tonight will be cloudy and heavy rain will begin to move across Munster, bringing the possibility of some localised flooding. It will be windy in the southwest with fresh to strong and gusty southeasterly winds.

The rest of the country will remain dry with just a few isolated showers. Lowest temperatures will range from 4 to 10 degrees, coldest in Ulster.

All of Munster will be under a Status Yellow rain and wind warning from 5am to 8pm on Sunday.

There will be persistent heavy rain and strong, gusty winds, potentially causing localised flooding, difficult travelling conditions and delays and some fallen branches or trees

A Status Yellow rain and wind warning for counties Carlow, Dublin, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois, Wexford and Wicklow will also come into effect from 12pm on Sunday and remain in place until 2am on Monday.

From 8am until 6pm on Sunday, a Status Orange rain warning will be in effect for Cork and Waterford, with heavy rain and some intense, thundery downpours possibly leading to flooding, dangerous driving conditions and travel disruption.

Carlow, Kilkenny and Wexford will be upgraded to a Status Orange rain warning from 1pm on Sunday to 12am on Monday.

The Road Safety Authority (RSA) has advised road users in the affected counties to exercise caution and check local traffic and weather conditions before making any journeys.

Drivers are advised to slow down and allow greater breaking distance to the vehicle in front, and to choose an alternative route if the road ahead is flooded.

With strong winds expected road users should be alert to objects being blown on to the road, fallen debris and other vehicles veering across the road.

Pedestrians have been advised to walk on the right-hand side of the facing traffic where there are now footpaths while cyclists should wear high visibility clothing and use front and rear lights on their bike.

Tomorrow will be dull and wet overall with widespread rain across the country, heaviest in the south and southeast.

There will also be fresh to strong and gusty southeasterly winds with onshore gales along the coast in the south and east. Highest temperatures on Sunday will be between 10 and 15 degrees.

Rain will begin to clear from the southeast overnight on Sunday and it will become dry across most of the country. Later in the night some rain will move into the northwest.

Looking ahead to next week, Monday will be mostly cloudy with some rain and showers, and turn drier in the south later in the day.

The poor weather looks set to break after that with both Tuesday and Wednesday forecast to be dry with some sunny spells and highest temperatures of 13 to 16 degrees.
'When a mink gets into an area, its like a human walking into Supermacs'  meet the dog saving birds from one of Ireland's most troublesome mammals
BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 28. Decline in French diplomacy from Talleyrand to ambassador in Armenia appears regrettable, Trend reports via the Western Azerbaijan Community's statement.

According to the statement, a person presenting himself as the French ambassador to Armenia continues to make absurd claims.

"He never misses an opportunity, even in matters completely unrelated to him, to launch attacks on Azerbaijan, speaking not as a diplomat, but as a representative of the Dashnak, revanchist Armenian Church," the statement said.

By spreading such claims, especially after the Armenian Prime Ministers speech at the UN General Assembly, he further discredits not only himself but also France, which has disgraced itself in recent years by being expelled from several countries, the statement emphasized.

"We would like to remind the person presenting himself as an ambassador that, namely, Azerbaijan suffered from occupation for 30 years, and France essentially supported this. We also want to recall Ahmadia Jabrayilov and other sons of the Azerbaijani people who selflessly fought for the liberation of France when it was under Nazi Germany's occupation," added the statement.

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Just Stop Oil activists poured soup over two Vincent van Gogh paintings at the National Gallery in London. Photo: PA

Three Just Stop Oil activists threw soup at two of Vincent van Goghs Sunflowers paintings in Londons National Gallery on Friday, just hours after two other members of the protest group were jailed for doing the same thing in 2022.
Rescuers at the site of a Russian missile strike on Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine yesterday. Photo: Reuters

A Russian missile attack on the central Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih struck a five-storey building housing the regional police department yesterday, killing at least three people and injuring six others, officials said.
Israelis target Hezbollahs HQ in Beirut with massive airstrike

News outlet says Hezbollah leader is still alive despite targeted attack

Smoke rises after explosions in Beirut, Lebanon, yesterday. Photo: Reuters

Maya Gebeil, Tom Perry and Emily Rose Sat 28 Sep 2024 at 03:30







The Israeli military said it had targeted Hezbollahs central headquarters in Beiruts southern suburbs yesterday in an attack that shook the Lebanese capital and sent thick clouds of smoke over the city.
Donald Trump speaks of very good relationship in meeting with Volodymyr Zelensky despite jibes about Ukraine

The Republican hopeful has claimed he could resolve the conflict quickly if he wins the US presidential election

Volodymyr Zelensky and Donald Trump meet at Trump Tower in New York City. Photo: Reuters

Michelle L Price Sat 28 Sep 2024 at 03:30







Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky met face-to-face with Donald Trump yesterday, with public tensions rising between the two over Ukraines defence against Russias invasion and in the midst of the US presidential election.
File photo by IDFC First Bank via Wikimedia Commons

Mumbai/IBNS: Mumbai-headquartered private sector lender IDFC First Bank announced on Friday (Sept. 27) the successful completion of its merger with IDFC Limited, following all necessary shareholder and regulatory approvals, reports said.

The merger is set to take effect from October 1, 2024, according to the bank's official statement.

As part of the merger terms, shareholders of IDFC Limited will receive 155 equity shares of IDFC First Bank for every 100 equity shares they hold in IDFC Limited, based on the Record Date of October 10, 2024.

The shares are expected to be credited to IDFC Limited shareholders by or before October 31, 2024, subject to regulatory approvals.

The bank noted that post-merger, it will operate under a simplified corporate structure without a holding company, aligning its shareholding model with other major private sector banks in India, which do not have promoter ownership.

The institution will continue to be professionally managed, according to reports.

Additionally, the merger will result in an inflow of approximately Rs 600 crore in cash and cash equivalents into the bank.

Commenting on the merger, V Vaidyanathan, Managing Director and CEO of IDFC First Bank, said, "The completion of the merger between IDFC First Bank and IDFC Ltd brings an end to over two years of extensive efforts."

He further emphasized that the bank will now have a streamlined corporate structure with no promoter ownership.
Representational image from Facebook/NPCI

NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL) has entered into a strategic partnership with the Ministry of Digital Transformation (MDT) of Trinidad and Tobago to develop a real-time payments platform similar to Indias Unified Payments Interface (UPI).

This collaboration marks a significant milestone, making Trinidad and Tobago the first Caribbean nation to adopt the globally renowned UPI.

"This builds on the strong, longstanding bilateral ties between the two countries," read a statement issued by NPCI.

This strategic partnership aims to empower Trinidad and Tobago to establish a reliable and efficient real-time payments platform for both person-to-person (P2P) and person-to-merchant (P2M) transactions, expanding digital payments in the country and fostering financial inclusion.

By leveraging technology and experiences from Indias UPI, the partnership seeks to assist Trinidad and Tobago in modernising its financial ecosystem.

This involves enhancing accessibility, affordability, and connectivity with domestic and international payment networks in the times to come and ensuring interoperability.

UPI has emerged as a transformative force in Indias financial landscape, registering nearly 15 billion transactions in August 2024 with an estimated value of USD 245 billion.

Through strategic collaborations with foreign central banks and governments, NIPL is committed to advancing Indias digital public goods across the globe.

Speaking on the development, Ritesh Shukla, CEO, NPCI International, said, Trinidad and Tobago is taking significant steps towards advancing its financial infrastructure, and we are proud to support them in building a secure, sovereign, and scalable payments platform. Our experience with UPI in India has demonstrated how real-time payments can transform economies by improving access to essential financial services and reducing reliance on cash. We look forward to working closely with the Ministry of Digital Transformation and the Central Bank in Trinidad and Tobago.

A Spokesperson of Ministry of Digital Transformation, Trinidad and Tobago, said, It is with great anticipation that the Ministry of Digital Transformation and the Ministry of Finance embark on this significant engagement with NIPL to implement a digital payment system for Trinidad and Tobago. Fashioned on Indias UPI, the digital payment platform will facilitate innovation in the Fintech sector, enhance the technical resiliency of the current payment infrastructure by providing a complementary, non-competing digital payments platform with increased security through the reduced use of cash. Moreover, successful implementation will contribute to the financial inclusion of our unbanked citizens. We extend sincere thanks to the Central Bank of Trinidad and Tobago which continues to be a strategic partner and stakeholder in this important initiative. We look forward to the partnership with NPCI International as we actively seek to transform the existing payments landscape and establish a modern digital payments ecosystem.
Photo courtesy: Screenshot grab from X video

Srinagar/IBNS: Three Army jawans and a cop have been injured in a gunfight which took place in Jammu and Kashmir's Kulgam, media reports said.

The injured have been rushed to the hospital.

#Encounter has started at Adigam Devsar area of #Kulgam. Police and security forces are on the job. Further details shall follow.@JmuKmrPolice  Kashmir Zone Police (@KashmirPolice) September 28, 2024

Acting on a tip-off, the security focus launched an operation in search for terrorists in Adigam village of the district.

An encounter broke out after the terrorists opened fire at the security forces during the Army's search operation.

The encounter is still on.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 28. The 58th meeting of the Executive Committee of the International Association of Prosecutors is being held at the Heydar Aliyev Center in Baku, Trend reports via Azerbaijan's General Prosecutor's Office.

General Prosecutor of the Republic of Azerbaijan Kamran Aliyev made an opening speech at the meeting.

Meanwhile, it was noted that fruitful cooperation of the prosecutor's office of Azerbaijan with the prosecutor's offices of foreign countries and authoritative international organizations continues.

The result of this is that the first and only global organization of prosecutors the World - International Association of Prosecutors, which has more than 350,000 members in 177 countries, annually holds a conference and general meeting (from September 29 through October 2) in September in the capital of Azerbaijan, Baku.

Will be updated
Photo courtesy: Coldplay Facebook page

Mumbai/IBNS: BookMyShow co-founder and chief executive officer Ashish Hemrajani has been summoned over the alleged black marketing of tickets sold for the much-anticipated concert of British rock band Coldplay, media reports said.

The concert is scheduled to be held at DY Patil Stadium in Mumbai on January 19-21, 2025.

Amit Vyas, an advocate, filed a complaint with Mumbai Police alleging Coldplay's India tour tickets, whose original price was Rs. 2,500, were sold at an exorbitant amount of Rs. 3 lakh through third parties and influencers.

Vyas has sought a case to be registered against the company on charges of fraud.

The Mumbai Police's Economic Offences Wing has initiated a probe. Vyas' statement has already been recorded.

On September 22, BookMyShow's website crashed when the sale of tickets for Coldplay's India tour began revealing the huge excitement of the fans for the concert.

Amid the massive excitement, the rock band, which is returning to India after 8 years, announced a third show to the Mumbai tour.
Photo courtesy: UNI

Ahmedabad/IBNS: The Ahmedabad City Police on Friday issued a notification directing that no "see-through" or "indecent attire" will be allowed at garba venues, media reports said.

The notification has been issued ahead of Navratri by Police Commissioner G S Malik.

However, the definition of "indecent attire" has not been explained.

Police have stressed on the security and also directed the inclusion of female security personnel.
Photo Courtesy: PIB

Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu has said his country shares a strong bilateral relationship with India.

His positive comments came months after the relationship between India and Maldives deteriorated over remarks made by Maldivian ministers over PM Narendra Modi's visit to Lakshadweep Island.

I am planning to visit (India) as soon as possibleWe have a very strong bilateral relationship, Muizzu told ANI on sidelines of 79th United Nations General Assembly.



Muizzu said he is planning to visit Maldives as soon as possible.

If he visits India then it will be his second trip to the South Asian nation this year,

Muizzu had earlier visited India in June when he attended the swearing-in ceremony of PM Narendra Modi after returning to power for the third straight term.

Muizzu had changed the trend since he visited China and Turkiye after coming to power, unlike his predecessors who reached India on their first overseas visit.

Before coming to power, Muizzu's entire poll campaign was based on 'India Out'.

The removal of Indian troops was also part of the campaign.

The withdrawal of Indian troops was completed this year.
Image Credit: Pixabay

New Delhi: A gold robbery and three shooting incidents have rocked Delhi in the last 24 hours, highlighting a recent surge in criminal activity, media reports said.

A gold merchant from Karol Bagh was robbed of approximately 4 kg of gold, worth over Rs 3.5 crore, by bike-borne assailants in north Delhi's Gulabi Bagh on Friday night, according to an NDTV report.

Police have launched an investigation based on CCTV footage to track down the culprits.

Earlier that evening, an extortion-related shooting occurred at 'Car Street Mini,' a second-hand luxury car showroom in Naraina, southwest Delhi, just a kilometer away from the local police station, the report said.

Three men fired over 20 rounds at the showroom, damaging four luxury cars, including two BMWs, a Mini Cooper, and a Mercedes.

The attackers left behind a note signed "Bhau Gang, Since 2020," referring to notorious gangster Himanshu Bhau, who fled to Portugal in 2022.

Sources revealed that the showroom owners had been extorted for Rs 5 crore.

The police have identified the shooters and registered a case against them.

In another incident, 5-6 shots were fired at Hotel Impress in Mahipalpur, shattering its glass gate.

This shooting also thought to be an extortion attempt, followed a threat call to the owner in the name of Canada-based gangster Goldie Brar, the report said.

A third incident took place at a sweet shop in Nangloi, West Delhi, where a slip bearing the name of jailed gangster Deepak Boxer was found.

The police are investigating the series of incidents as gang-related activities aimed at extortion.
Photo courtesy: Video grab | x.com/DrSJaishankar

United Nations: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar delivered a stern message to Pakistan during his address at the 79th United Nations General Assembly session in New York. He warned Islamabad that its longstanding policy of promoting terrorism would have inevitable repercussions, stating, "Actions will most certainly have consequences."

Addressing the 'Pakistan problem' towards the end of his nearly twenty-minute speech, Jaishankar emphasized that Pakistan's strategy of cross-border terrorism would never achieve its goals. "Pakistan's policy of cross-border terrorism can and will never succeed," he asserted.

He further highlighted Pakistans dire economic situation, attributing it to the countrys own choices. "Many countries get left behind due to circumstances beyond their control. But some make conscious choices with disastrous consequences. A premier example is our neighbour, Pakistan. Unfortunately, their misdeeds affect others as well, especially the neighbourhood," Jaishankar remarked.

Discussing the detrimental effects of Pakistan's terror policies, he said, "When this (terror) polity instils such fanaticism among its people, its GDP can only be measured in terms of radicalisation and its exports in the form of terrorism."

Our Statement at the General Debate of the 79th session of #UNGA.#UNGA79 https://t.co/wBoRKOClS4  Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) September 28, 2024

Taking a dig at Pakistans internal turmoil caused by its policies, Jaishankar commented, "Today, we see the ills it sought to visit on others consume its own society. It can't blame the world; this is only karma."

He also made India's stance clear, stating, "A dysfunctional nation coveting the lands of others must be exposed and must be countered. We heard some bizarre assertions from it at this forum yesterday. So let me make India's position perfectly clear."

Concluding his speech, Jaishankar reiterated that Pakistan's cross-border terrorism policy would never succeed and warned that "actions will certainly have consequences."

He added, "The issue to be resolved between us is now only the vacation of illegally occupied Indian territory by Pakistan. And of course, the abandonment of Pakistan's longstanding attachment to terrorism."
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel addresses the general debate of the General Assemblys seventy-ninth session. Photo Courtesy: UN Photo/Loey Felipe

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had originally intended not to come to the UN General Assembly this year but after hearing the lies and slander levelled against his country by other leaders, he decided that he should come and set the record straight.

I decided to come here to speak for my people, to speak for my country and speak for the truth, he stated, stressing that Israel yearns for peace.

We face savage enemies who seek our annihilation, and we must defend ourselves against these savage murderers, [who] seek not only to destroy us but also destroy our common civilization and return all of us to a dark age of tyranny and terror.

He recalled his address to the general debate last year, when he had stated that Israel faces the same timeless choice that Moses put before its people thousands of years ago, that our actions will determine whether we bequeath future generations a blessing or a curse.

And that is the choice we face today, he emphasized, citing the curse of Irans unremitting aggression or the blessing of a historic reconciliation between Arab and Jew.

In the days that followed, that blessing approached in the form of a normalization deal between Saudi Arabia and Israel, but then came the curse of 7 October as thousands of Iranian-backed Hamas terrorists burst into Israel, committing unimaginable atrocities, including brutally murdering 1,200 people, including children; sexual violence against women; and kidnapping 251 people from different countries.

Scenes reminiscent of the Nazi holocaust, Prime Minister Netanyahu stressed.

Further in his address, Prime Minister Netanyahu said that following that attack, his country was forced to defend itself on six more fronts, organized by Iran in Lebanon, Yemen, Syria and Iraq.

He also stated that if Iran should strike us, we will strike you. There is no place in Iran that the long arm of Israel cannot reach and that is true of the entire Middle East.

Holding up two maps, he contrasted the blessing of development for Israel and its Arab partners with the curse of Irans influence in the region, warning that Iran seeks to impose its radicalism beyond the Middle East and threatens the entire world.

Noting that the Israel Defense Forces continue fighting Hamas, he warned that if that group stays in power, it will regroup, rearm and attack again.

He rejected any rule for Hamas in a post-war Gaza.

Israel does not seek to resettle Gaza, he continued, noting that it wants a demilitarized and de-radicalized Gaza.

Only then can we ensure that this round of fighting will be the last, Netanyahu said, adding that the war can come to an end only if Hamas surrenders and releases all hostages.

If they do not, we will fight until we achieve total victory. There is no substitute for it, he underscored, stating also Israel must defeat the quintessential terror organization, Hezbullah in Lebanon.

We will not accept a terror army perched on our northern border ready to carry out another 7 October style massacre, he said.
Photo Courtesy: UNICEF/Dar Al Mussawir

The Israeli Air Force carried out targeted airstrikes in Beirut and the military claimed it hit the headquarters of Hezbollah group.

An Israeli official confirmed to The Times of Israel that the strikes targeted Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, who was believed to be at the command center at the time.

Its very hard to imagine him coming out alive from a strike like that, said the official.

A source close to Hezbollah told The Times of Israel that the Israeli strikes flattened six buildings.

Issuing a statement on the strike, IDF Spokesperson RAdm. Daniel Hagari posted on X: "Moments ago, the Israel Defense Forces carried out a precise strike on the Central Headquarters of the Hezbollah terror organizationtaking the necessary action to protect our people so that Israeli families can live in their homes, safely and securely."

The IDF said it conducted strikes on 'strategic terrorist targets' of Hezbollah group in Beirut city.

"Among the targets struck are weapons production facilities, buildings used to store advanced weapons and key command centers of the terrorist organization," IDF posted on X.

Muhammad Ali Ismail, the Commander of Hezbollahs Missile Unit in southern Lebanon, and his deputy, Hussein Ahmad Ismail, were eliminated in a precise IAF strike.



Ali Ismail was responsible for directing numerous terrorist attacks against the State of Israel, including the pic.twitter.com/Esoyg4pLM7  Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) September 28, 2024

Meanwhile, in another update shared on X, IDF said Hezbollahs Missile UnitCommander Muhammad Ali Ismail and his deputy Hussein Ahmad Ismail were eliminated in IAF strike.

"Ali Ismail was responsible for directing numerous terrorist attacks against the State of Israel, including the firing of rockets toward Israeli territory and the launch of a surface-to-surface missile toward central Israel on Wednesday," IDF wrote on X.

"This follows the elimination of the terrorist Ibrahim Muhammad Qabisi, Head of Hezbollah's Missiles and Rockets Force, as well as other senior commanders of this unit," the army said.

The conflict between IDF and Hezbollah has intensified in recent times.

According to media reports, the Israeli airstrikes on the terror group this week left over 700 people dead in Lebanon.

The sudden and massive escalation between Israel and the Hezbollah armed group in Lebanon has created widespread fear that even worse is to come, UN humanitarians said on Friday.

We are witnessing the deadliest period in Lebanon in a generation and many expressed their fear that this is just the beginning, said Imran Riza, the UNs top aid official in Lebanon. The UN and its partners are closely coordinating with the Lebanese government to support the response efforts. This includes aligning aid distribution, conducting joint assessments, and identifying urgent needs for affected populations.

Speaking from Beirut, Riza, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Lebanon, said that for nearly a year, the countrys people  and especially those in the south  had lived in fear that the war in Gaza could come to them.

Today across Lebanon, thousands of people in rural communities previously unaffected by Israeli targeting of Hezbollah infrastructure have fled bombardment and widespread destruction that have claimed at least 700 lives, injured thousands and uprooted around 120,000 people within mere hours, he said, adding: We are running into people that are saying, Whats the way to Tripoli? How do we get to there?

The UN aid coordinators comments come amid increasingly intense exchanges of fire across the UN-patrolled line of separation between Lebanon and Israel since 7 October when war erupted in the Gaza Strip. Last weeks extraordinary targeting of Hezbollah pagers and walkie-talkies left hundreds dead and signalled the start of intense Israeli bombardment in Lebanon and retaliatory strikes by Hezbollah.
The Israel military said 64-year-old Nasrallah is dead. Photo courtesy: Wikimedia Commons / UNICEF/Dar Al Mussawir

Hassan Nasrallah, the chief of Lebanese Shia Islamist political party and military-resistance organization Hezbollah, has been killed in a strike launched on Beirut by the Israeli military, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) claimed on Saturday.

The Israel military said Nasrallah, 64, is dead though Iran-backed Hezbollah has not issued any statement yet.

Israel said on Saturday it had killed Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah in an airstrike in Beirut's southern suburbs a day earlier, in what would be a devastating blow to the group as it reels from an escalating campaign of Israeli attacks.

The Israel Defence Forces posted on X, "Hassan Nasrallah will no longer be able to terrorize the world."

Hassan Nasrallah is dead.  LTC Nadav Shoshani (@LTC_Shoshani) September 28, 2024

The Israeli Air Force carried out targeted airstrikes in Beirut and the military claimed it hit the headquarters of the Hezbollah group.

Meanwhile, in another update shared on X, IDF said Hezbollahs Missile Unit Commander Muhammad Ali Ismail and his deputy Hussein Ahmad Ismail were eliminated in IAF strike.

"Ali Ismail was responsible for directing numerous terrorist attacks against the State of Israel, including the firing of rockets toward Israeli territory and the launch of a surface-to-surface missile toward central Israel on Wednesday," IDF wrote on X.

"This follows the elimination of the terrorist Ibrahim Muhammad Qabisi, Head of Hezbollah's Missiles and Rockets Force, as well as other senior commanders of this unit," the army said.

Hassan Nasrallah will no longer be able to terrorize the world.  Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) September 28, 2024

The conflict between IDF and Hezbollah has intensified in recent times.

According to media reports, the Israeli airstrikes on the terror group this week left over 700 people dead in Lebanon.

The sudden and massive escalation between Israel and the Hezbollah armed group in Lebanon has created widespread fear that even worse is to come, UN humanitarians said on Friday.

We are witnessing the deadliest period in Lebanon in a generation and many expressed their fear that this is just the beginning, said Imran Riza, the UNs top aid official in Lebanon. The UN and its partners are closely coordinating with the Lebanese government to support the response efforts. This includes aligning aid distribution, conducting joint assessments, and identifying urgent needs for affected populations.

Speaking from Beirut, Riza, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Lebanon, said that for nearly a year, the countrys people  and especially those in the south  had lived in fear that the war in Gaza could come to them.

"Today across Lebanon, thousands of people in rural communities previously unaffected by Israeli targeting of Hezbollah infrastructure have fled bombardment and widespread destruction that have claimed at least 700 lives, injured thousands and uprooted around 120,000 people within mere hours, he said, adding: We are running into people that are saying, Whats the way to Tripoli? How do we get to there?

The UN aid coordinators comments come amid increasingly intense exchanges of fire across the UN-patrolled line of separation between Lebanon and Israel since 7 October when war erupted in the Gaza Strip. Last weeks extraordinary targeting of Hezbollah pagers and walkie-talkies left hundreds dead and signalled the start of intense Israeli bombardment in Lebanon and retaliatory strikes by Hezbollah.
Couple caught in flight indulging in sexual act. Photo Courtesy: Unsplash

A couple from the UK were removed from EasyJet flight after they were caught performing a sexual act minutes after the plane took off, media reports said.

The couple were identified as Bradley Smith and Antonia Sullivan.

The couple were flying back to Bristol on March 3 aboard a packed 7am easyJet flight  with Smith, 22, sat in seat 16A and Sullivan, 20, in 16B, reported The Sun.

They reportedly went to Tenerife, Spain, to spend their holiday together.

According to reports, three passengers had seen the couple engaging in the act. However, the passenger who was sitting in 16C informed the crew about the couple.

During the court hearing over the incident, Prosecutor Maree Doyle told Bristol magistrates court as quoted by The Sun: "After a few minutes the witness was aware that the couple had re-arranged some coats over Smiths lap and there followed vigorous hand movements beneath the coat."

The witness sitting next to them could see what was happening while a mother and teenage daughter sitting behind the couple could also see what was going on," Doyle said.

The couple pleaded guilty in the court to one count of outraging public decency by committing a sexual act in a public place.

Sentencing the couple, Judge Lynne Matthews told The Sun: You had no regard for the feelings of other passengers."

During the hearing, Smith was handed over 300 hours of community work and Sullivan, a full-time care worker, got 270 hours.
Photo Courtesy: Unsplash

During a high-level UN General Assembly meeting, the Foreign Ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK, the US, and the EU welcomed Taiwans inclusion in global organizations 'where statehood is not a prerequisite and as an observer or guest where it is', reported Taiwan News.

The group also said maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait was imperative for global security and prosperity.

Meanwhile, Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) has thanked the G7 leaders for extending their support.

"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) welcomes this statement and appreciates that the G7 continues to publicly express the importance that it attaches to cross-strait peace and stability as well as its support for Taiwan at international events," the statement said.

"Content friendly to Taiwan has been included in the G7 Summit Leaders Communique for four consecutive years and in the statement by the chair of the G7 Foreign Ministers Meeting on the sidelines of the UNGA for the second time. Taiwan will continue to work with G7 members and other like-minded countries to safeguard the rules-based international order; uphold the common values of democracy, freedom, the rule of law, and human rights; and jointly preserve peace, stability, and prosperity in the region and across the globe" the statement said.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 28. Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan are exploring the possibility of establishing a joint venture to produce polypropylene, a reliable source told Trend.

"There is potential for collaboration with SOCAR Polymer to set up a joint facility for producing polypropylene and high-density polyethylene at the Khorezm Technopark," the source revealed.

According to the source, projects aimed at producing propylene from methanol, as well as butanediol, polyoxymethylene, and other chemical products, are currently being developed in cooperation with Azerbaijan's state oil company SOCAR.

Uzbekistan is home to 21 chemical production enterprises, including major players like Navoiazot, Maxam-Chirchik, Fargonazot, Ammofos-Maxam, and the Dekhkanabad Potash Plant. Together, these companies generate more than $1.5 billion in output, with exports reaching $500 million.

Azerbaijan, on the other hand, hosts over 100 chemical enterprises, with the Sumgait Chemical Industrial Park leading the way. The park has 31 resident companies and a total investment volume of $3.3 billion.

Follow the author on X: @Lyaman_Zeyn
Photo Courtesy: Wikimedia Commons

Dubai: Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Saturday called on Muslims to "stand by the people of Lebanon and the proud Hezbollah with whatever means they have and assist them in confronting the... wicked regime (of Israel)," Reuters reported.

This statement came after the Israeli army reported the death of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.

Khamenei stated, "The fate of this region will be determined by the forces of resistance, with Hezbollah at the forefront," according to state media.

Following Hezbollahs confirmation of Nasrallahs death, Iranian media reported that General Abbas Nilforoushan, a deputy commander of Iran's Revolutionary Guards, was also killed "next to Nasrallah" in Israeli strikes on south Beirut on Friday.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian partly blamed the United States for Nasrallah's killing, noting that it has long supplied Israel with advanced weapons.

The Americans cannot deny their complicity with the Zionists, Pezeshkian said in a statement carried by state media.

Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani vowed in a post on X that Nasrallah's "path will be continued and his holy goal will be realised in the liberation of Jerusalem."

Meanwhile, two regional officials briefed by Tehran told Reuters that Khamenei has been moved to a secure location within Iran, with heightened security measures in place.

The sources indicated that Iran is in constant contact with Lebanon's Hezbollah and other regional proxy groups to determine their next steps following Nasrallahs killing.
Photo Courtesy: Unsplash

A manhunt is currently underway after 17 people, including women, were killed in a mass shooting incident at a village in South Africa on Saturday, media reports said.

Two homesteads on the same street in the town of Lusikisiki, in the Eastern Cape, were targeted, police told BBC, with 12 women and one man killed in one location, and three women and one man at a second location.

Police Minister Senzo Mchunu is expected to visit the site of the attack.

Officials told BBC the victims were relatives and neighbours in Nyathi village, Ngobozana in Lusikisiki.

In a statement, the South African Police Service said: " In one house 13 people were killed."

"In another homestead, four people were also killed," the statement said.

Police said the condition of the 18th victim is critical.

The motive of the attack is still not known.

As per police data, more than 6,000 people were killed in South Africa between April and June this year.
Screengrab from YouTube/Clinton Global Initiative

New York/IBNS: Nobel laureate and chief adviser to Bangladesh's interim government, Muhammad Yunus, acknowledged that the ousting of Sheikh Hasina as the Bangladeshi Prime Minister was part of a carefully orchestrated "design and conspiracy."

Speaking at the Clinton Global Initiatives annual meeting, Yunus emphasized that the events leading to Hasina's removal did not happen by chance.

Yunus was introduced by former US President Bill Clinton, with current President Joe Biden also in attendance.

During his speech, Yunus praised student leaders, introducing three of them to the audience and highlighting their pivotal role in shaping the future of Bangladesh.

"They are the ones driving the creation of a new Bangladeshlet's wish them every success," Yunus said, noting that while the students may seem ordinary, their impact on the country has been profound.

He described their efforts as transformative, adding, "When you see them in action or hear them speak, you will be moved. They shook the entire nation."

Yunus singled out student activist Mahfuj Abdullah, whom he referred to as the "brains behind the revolution," though Abdullah humbly denied being the sole leader, crediting others for their involvement.

Yunus further stressed that the revolution was not spontaneous but was "amazingly and meticulously planned."

He added, "It was well-designed, and the leadership remains anonymous, so you can't stop it by targeting one person. It's far from over."

The student-led mass movement successfully toppled PM Sheikh Hasina's 16-year rule, leading to Yunus being appointed as Bangladesh's chief advisor in August.

Hasina fled the country after resigning as the Prime Minister and she is currently staying in India.

However, there has been ongoing speculation about the involvement of external forces in the revolution.

Earlier reports hinted at the presence of an "invisible hand" in Hasina's ouster.

At the event, Bill Clinton praised Yunus for his contributions, saying, Few people have done as much as Yunus to transform the lives of ordinary individuals who otherwise would not have had access to credit.
A real-life-based series titled A Confession is soon coming on OTT platform Netflix. The show stars actor Martin Freeman in a lead role. Netflix will be releasing the show on October 1. Here is the trailer for the show and everything else you need to know about it:

Plot

A Confession is all about missing girls in a town and how police investigate their cases. The show is inspired by real-life events that took place in 2011. The real-life detective in the cases, Superintendent Steve Fulcher, is being played by Martin Freeman, who takes up the case and also solves it.

Several cars driving towards a crime scene are shown in the trailer shared by Netflix. In the next scene, detective Steve is shown addressing the media people. Later in the trailer video, statements of the parents of the missing girls are shown. Detective Steve is then shown speaking to the parents of the missing girls. Further, detective Steve is shown working on the missing girls case with his team.

All about the real-life disappearance of Sian OCallaghan in 2011

Sian Emma O'Callaghan was a 22-year-old British woman who disappeared in England, having last been seen at a nightclub in March 2011. Her body was found four days later of her missing in Oxfordshire. In October 2012, at Bristol Crown Court, 48-year-old Christopher Halliwell pleaded guilty to O'Callaghan's murder.

Also Read: Hitler OTT release: Where to watch Vijay Antonys Tamil thriller after its theatrical run

Cast and crew

A Confession has been directed by Paul Andrew Williams. Other than Martin Freeman, the cast of the show includes Imelda Staunton, Joe Absolom, and Siobhan Finneran in crucial roles.

For more news and updates from the world of OTT, and celebrities from Bollywood and Hollywood, keep reading Indiatimes Entertainment.


Ranbir Kapoors life has pretty much been an open book. Many details about him are in the public domain, ranging from his dating history to his candid thoughts. Since it's Ranbir Kapoor's birthday today, let's take a look at five times when the Animal actor got into hot water for saying or doing something. Beginning with his recent remarks about his wife Alia Bhatt's growing baby bump, to when he acknowledged having cheated on a previous partner. Want to dive into details? Scroll down.

Ranbir Kapoors controversies

When he smoked with Mahira Khan

In 2017, a set of images of Ranbir Kapoor smoking cigarettes alongside Pakistani actress Mahira Khan caused quite a stir. Both sides of the border strongly condemned the images, and nearly everyone blamed the two for encouraging smoking among their followers.





Comment on alias baby bump

Ayan Mukerji, the director of Brahmastra, along with actors Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt, once streamed a live video on YouTube. When Alia was discussing their marketing plan and how they wouldn't be everywhere to promote their movie during one scene in the movie, her husband chimed in and made fun of his pregnant wife for gaining weight while she was pregnant.

He had said, "Of course, we will promote the movie, but if the question you are asking is why we are not phailod (spread) everywhere."

Admitted cheating

Ranbir stated he was "labelled a cheater for a very large part of (his) life" in the interview with Nikhil Kamath, but he doesn't care because it's "not entirely true." After that, a number of people on social media uncovered his 2011 Stardust interview, in which he acknowledged cheating on Deepika Padukone. In response to Deepika's remark on Koffee With Karan, in which she implied that Ranbir had cheated on him, the actor acknowledged that he had and It was out of "immaturity and inexperience.

Ranbir Kapoor & Deepika Padukone in TAMASHA(2015) dir.Imtiaz Ali pic.twitter.com/Dz3GO3GZNQ   (@RKFilmography) May 17, 2024





Alias bathroom habits

Ranbir stated in an interview with Bollywood Bubble that Alia's bathroom habits of flinging her makeup remover and towel everywhere are the only things about her that he can stand. He said, "I have OCD, so whenever she comes out of the bathroom, I can see a total mess."

This stirred controversy and people said that he should have pointed something like this publicly.

Nicotine addiction

At a press conference for his movie Sanju, he said something quite startling. The actor disclosed that he had a nicotine addiction at the age of fifteen.

"I quit smoking for four months, then started rolling cigarettes again just last month - just one or two a day. It's something I'm scared of because I've been a nicotine addict since I was 15, and it's the worst kind of addiction," he said as per Indiatoday.

For more news and updates from the world of OTT, and celebrities from Bollywood and Hollywood, keep reading Indiatimes Entertainment.


Renowned US rap legend Sean "P Diddy" Combs is facing serious allegations including sex trafficking and conspiracy to commit racketeering. Following his recent arrest, disturbing details continue to emerge. Just this Friday, a new lawsuit was filed in New York by a woman who claims she was repeatedly drugged and r*ped at Combs' residences, leading to an unintended pregnancy after one of these encounters.



A woman using the pseudonym Jane Doe has filed a lawsuit against music mogul Sean Combs, claiming that Combs sexually assaulted her while she was incapacitated due to drugs and asserts that he and his associates recorded sexual acts without her consent.



Jane Doe met Combs while abroad in the fall of 2020.

According to the lawsuit, Doe states she was frequently pressured and harassed into visiting Combs' residences in various cities, including New York, Los Angeles, and Miami, throughout 2021 and 2022.

She claims that the assaults and harassment persisted until July of this year.

The lawsuit details that during each visit, Combs would allegedly compel her to "perform" for him, often providing her with alcohol and substances until she lost consciousness.

Credit: Reuters | Sean 'Diddy' Combs





She claims to have woken up with bruises and injuries but no memory of how they occurred.



In a specific incident in July 2022 at Combs' home in Los Angeles, Doe alleges that she was forced to take drugs, which she suspects included ketamine, leading her to black out.

Afterward, she took a pregnancy test that came back positive and informed Combs. Subsequently, she claims that one of his associates pressured her to have an abortion. She ended up having a miscarriage.

In July of this year, Doe states that Combs "ordered" her to his Miami residence, where she alleges he forced pills into her mouth. She reports waking up the next morning feeling disoriented and unwell, unable to recall the previous night's events, with the room in disarray.

Doe claims that Combs and his associates also tracked her whereabouts and monitored her communications.

Credit: NJ via Dailymail

She contends that Combs discouraged her from pursuing employment and provided her with an "allowance" as a means of control.

Earlier, on Tuesday, another woman filed a lawsuit against Combs, claiming that he and his head of security raped her and recorded the incident at his New York recording studio in 2001.

Currently, the 54-year-old Combs is being held without bail in New York following his arrest on September 16.

For more news and updates from the world of OTT, and celebrities from Bollywood and Hollywood, keep reading Indiatimes Entertainment.
Amid the chorus of CEOs advocating for a gruelling 70-hour workweekled by Infosys CEO Narayan Murthy and backed by CEOs such as Ola's Bhavish Aggarwal and fintech founder Kunal Shahone CEO is taking a stand. Swiggy's Food and Marketplace CEO Rohit Kapoor has declared that hustle culture is "bullshit," challenging the notion that endless hours equate to success.

In a refreshing take on work-life balance, Swiggy's Rohit Kapoor argues against the pressure to constantly hustle, stating, "You don't need to work till 3 AM every day. Some days you might have to, but not every day."

He highlights a common misconception among late-night workers, noting that those who stay late often don't mention they arrived at the office as late as 1 PM.

"People will saunter in [to office] at 1 and stay up till 3, burning the midnight oil. Why, who told you to do that?" Kapoor states, urging employees to consider their lives outside of work.

"Ghar jao, dog hai, biwi hai, girlfriend hai, bacche hai. Kuch toh karo unke saaath jake. Woh burn karke tumne kya ukhad liya kisi ka?" (Go home! You have a dog, a spouse, a girlfriend, kidsspend some time with them. What have you really accomplished by burning the midnight oil?)

Credit: X

He criticises the prevailing belief that sacrificing personal life is necessary for success, warning: "Marr jaoge kisi din wohi karte karte, uske baad kya hoga." (If you keep this up, you'll diethen what happens?)



Kapoor believes that while hard work is important, it doesn't require one to go to extremes. "I think that's bulls**t and not needed, hard work is needed you don't need to be crazy."

He also clarified that a typical 10-hour workday is acceptable, emphasising the importance of balance.

How did people respond?

In the comments, users humorously recalled Narayan Murthy's views.

The 78-year-old tech icon stirred the pot during a 2023 podcast when he had stated, "Our youngsters must say, 'This is my country. I want to work 70 hours a week,'" which began a significant debate about work-life balance, garnering support from many CEOs in the Indian corporate world.

Comments on Murthy after Kapoor shared his views went like: "Narayan Murthy getting panic attacks watching this" and "Narayan murthy crying in corner."

Others expressed relief at Kapoor's stance, saying, "Finally some one talked like normal to all of us" and "Someone is normal, finally."

What are your thoughts on the entire hustle culture?

To stay updated on the stories that are going viral, follow Indiatimes Trending.
Akriti Chopra, a long-time executive at Zomato, has recently made headlines by resigning from her position as Chief People Officer and co-founder of the well-known food and grocery delivery service. This announcement came on September 27, 2024, in a stock exchange filing where Zomato confirmed her departure to focus on new interests.



Who is Akriti Chopra?

Akriti Chopra, born in 1988, is a well-known name in the Indian startup scene. She lives in Gurgaon and completed her schooling at the prestigious DPS, RK Puram in Delhi. For her higher education, she attended Lady Shri Ram College for Women in Delhi, where she began to build her successful career. She is married to Albinder Dhindsa, the founder of Blinkit, a grocery delivery service that was acquired by Zomato in 2022. This acquisition has further connected their professional paths.

Zomatos IPO and Her Wealth

Credit: LinkedIn

Akriti Chopra has been an important part of Zomato, especially during its Initial Public Offering (IPO) in 2021. After the IPO, the value of her Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs) was estimated to be around Rs 149 crore, according to DNA India. While it is unclear whether she sold her shares, reports suggest that she was one of the employees holding the highest value of shares in the company.



Salary at Zomato

In 2021, Akriti Chopra's salary at Zomato was an impressive Rs 1.63 crore per year, as reported in News 18. Her role as Chief People Officer and co-founder significantly contributed to her earnings.

Akriti Chopra's Journey at Zomato

Credit: Instagram

Akriti Chopra started her career at Zomato in 2011 and has had an impressive journey with the company. She began as a Senior Manager of Finance and Operations and worked hard to earn several promotions over the years. Her roles included Vice President of Finance and Operations, where she contributed significantly to the company's growth.



In October 2020, she was promoted to Head of People Development. By 2021, she advanced to the role of Chief People Officer. Throughout her time at Zomato, Akriti played a vital role in setting up the company's legal, governance, risk, and compliance teams. She also played a key part in securing funding when Zomato was still a private company and helped expand its reach into international markets.

The Impact of Akriti's Resignation

The news of Akriti Chopra's resignation has raised many questions within the business community, especially considering her important role as a Zomato co-founder and CPO. In her resignation email addressed to Zomatos CEO, Deepinder Goyal, she mentioned her desire to explore new opportunities. This move is significant, as it comes amid various challenges Zomato has faced in recent years, including concerns over governance and potential conflicts of interest.

On a personal note, Akriti is married to Albinder Dhindsa, the founder of Blinkit, a company that Zomato acquired in 2022. This acquisition has led to scrutiny from shareholders, who have expressed concerns about possible conflicts of interest.

A History of Departures

Akriti Chopra is not the first co-founder to leave Zomato. She is the fifth to resign, following Gunjan Patidar in 2023, Mohit Gupta in 2022, Gaurav Gupta in 2021, and Pankaj Chaddah in 2018. The departures of these executives have sparked discussions about the stability and future of Zomato's leadership, particularly given the departures of several other senior executives in 2022 and 2023.

Akriti Chopra's resignation marks a significant change for Zomato. As a key player in the company's development and success, her contributions have been valuable. Her departure raises important questions about the future direction of Zomato, especially as its leadership undergoes changes. As she moves on to new opportunities, the impact of Akriti Chopra on Zomato will continue to be felt for years to come.

For the latest and more interesting financial news, keep reading Indiatimes Worth. Click here.


Turkish President Recep Tayip Erdogan announced that a meeting of the Greece-Turkey High-Level Cooperation Council could take place in early 2025.

Speaking to reporters after Friday prayers in Istanbul, Mr. Erdogan mentioned that he and Greek

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis discussed the known difficulties in the Aegean Sea during their recent meeting at the UN General Assembly in New York

Mr. Mitsotakis assured Mr. Erdogan that he would address these issues and work towards resolving them.

The High-Level Cooperation Council aims to tackle various aspects of Greek-Turkish relations and establish a solid foundation for bilateral cooperation.

The council has convened five times so far, with the most recent meeting held last year in Greece. Additionally, Mr. Erdogan expressed Turkeys aspiration to become a permanent member of the UN Security Council.



   iefimerida.gr
Four Greek public servants have been ordered to return over 600,000 in total earnings to the state after an audit by the National Transparency Authority (NTA) revealed they had used fake education degrees and doctored certificates throughout their duties.

The NTA, Greece's independent

authority tasked with combating corruption in the public sector , found that one of the employees had received 371,992 in undue payments.

Another employee was required to repay 139,691, while two others were ordered to return smaller amounts.

The audit did not specify the ministries where the four public servants were employed. In three of the cases, the employees' appointments were revoked, and in one case, their transfer was also revoked.

The Independent Authority for Public Revenue (IAPR) is working in coordination with the NTA to conduct inspections in public sector services and agencies to verify the authenticity of employees' educational qualifications.

The Authority is also overseeing the recording of these actions on the  platform.

   iefimerida.gr
BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 28. A delegation from the COP29 Azerbaijan Operating Company traveled to New York City to take part in the 79th session of the UN General Assembly and New York Climate Week, Trend reports.

On September 26, the Operating Company hosted a briefing for representatives of member states, outlining the organizational and operational preparations underway for COP29, set to take place in Baku this November.

The event updated participants on the crucial steps taken by the COP29 Presidency in preparation for the conference, as well as planned activities. Delegations from numerous UN member states were in attendance.

During the briefing, Narmin Jarchalova, Chair of the COP29 Azerbaijan Operating Company and Chief Operating Officer for COP29, delivered a comprehensive presentation. She offered an overview of the key events in the COP calendar and the thematic agenda for COP29, including a brief discussion on the COP29 World Leaders Climate Action Summit (WLCAS). Mrs Jarchalova also provided insights into the ongoing work at the venue, Baku Stadium. She emphasized that a major component of the preparation process involves construction and installation efforts at the stadium, detailing the zoning for various purposes and the development of essential infrastructure. Emphasizing the significance of sustainability, Mrs.Jarchalova highlighted that sustainability principles have been prioritized at every stage of the operation. She explained that the event venue fully complies with requirements for sustainability, accessibility, and inclusivity, outlining the measures implemented to foster an accessible and inclusive environment at the stadium. Additionally, she discussed the companys key sustainability goals and commitments.

Wasim Mir, Director of Conference Affairs for the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), also addressed the briefing, praising the preparations and operational arrangements for COP29. Cecilia Kinuthia-Njenga, Director of the Intergovernmental Support and Collective Progress Division of UNFCCC discussed the agenda of the COP29 World Leaders Climate ActionSummit, as well as the process through which countries can apply for national statements.

Following Narmin Jarchalovas presentation, members of the COP29 Coordination Board, Shahla Abbakirova and Ismayl Isayev, took the floor. They provided insights into how the Operating Company will enhance the visitor experience during COP29, covering key topics such as registration and accreditation processes, the issuance of the COP29 Special Visa, media services, and transportation arrangements. Additionally, the Coordination Board members elaborated on the organizational aspects of major events and meetings scheduled during the World Climate Action Summit, which will be held in the early days of COP29. They also provided updates on the arrangements and plans being implemented to ensure that heads of state receive an appropriate welcome.

The briefing concluded with a discussion that addressed questions raised by the attending delegations.
A 43-year-old Iranian man was physically assaulted by his Greek roommate outside the Agios Panteleimonas Police Station in Athens.

The victim reported being struck in the face with a sharp object.

This incident comes amid growing concerns over a rise in attacks against migrants in Greece.

Reports of violence, harassment, and discrimination targeting migrant communities have become increasingly prevalent in recent years.

The recent assault highlights the ongoing challenges faced by migrants in Greece and the urgent need for measures to address these issues. Authorities are currently investigating the incident to ascertain the exact circumstances and motive behind the attack.

   iefimerida.gr
Tourism Minister Olga Kefalogianni has released a statement addressing her personal life in light of reports about her separation from her husband, Minos Matsas.

Ms. Kefalogianni acknowledged that she is going through a marital crisis and requested privacy for her children. She emphasized her commitment to both her family and her professional responsibilities.

In recent days, I have been facing a crisis in my marriage. My primary concern is the well-being of my two children. I appeal for their privacy and personal lives to be respected, she said.

During this difficult time, I remain dedicated to my children and my professional duties, she added. Ms.Kefalogianni married Greek composer Minos Matsas in May 2021, and the couple welcomed twins in September of the same year.

   iefimerida.gr
President Bola Ahmed Tinubus government, on Saturday, declared Tuesday, October 1, as a public holiday to celebrate the nations 64th Independence Day anniversary.

In an official statement by Magdalene Ajani, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Interior, she noted that the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, declared the public holiday on the governments behalf.

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The Minister extended congratulations to Nigerians both within the country and overseas for this special occasion.

READ ALSO: 63rd Independence: Nigerias Situation Critical Not Hopeless  Peter Obi

He also commended the dedication and perseverance of the Nigerian people, emphasizing that their efforts will be recognized and not forgotten.

Aligning himself with the theme for the Anniversary, the Minister reiterated the need for Nigerians to reflect on the labour of our heroes past and be inspired for the tasks ahead, realizing that a Nigeria of our dream can only be built when we unite.

While wishing Nigerians a Happy Independence Day Anniversary, Dr. Tunji-Ojo urged the citizens to continue to be steadfast in nation-building, the statement added.

The Federal Government had on Thursday unveiled the schedule for the 2024 Independence Day celebration.
A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has granted bail to Isaac Bristol, identified by the police as the whistleblower behind PIDOMNigeria account on X.

It was gathered that Justice Emeka Nwite, granted Bristol N5 million bail with one surety in like sum.

Justice Nwite gave the ruling in response to a motion on notice submitted by popular human right activist, Deji Adeyanju, who led PIDOMNigerias team of lawyers.

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The motion on notice is a formal request to the court to take a specific action or make a particular decision.

In this case, Adeyanjus team filed the motion, and Justice Nwite delivered a ruling, which is a judicial decision made by a judge after considering the arguments and evidence presented.

Nwite also ruled that the defendant must deposit his passport with the court.

The court ruled that the surety must be resident in Abuja and depose to an affidavit of means.

READ MORE: Police Charge Whistleblower PIDOM To Court On Nine Counts After 28-Day Detention

The surety must also provide evidence of three years tax clearance with two passport-sized photographs.

Recall that Bristol has been remanded in the Kuje Correctional Centre since September 11, is standing trial for alleged treason and for mobilising and soliciting support to unduly compel the government to act or abstain from certain acts through the #EndBadGovernance protests, false money-laundering allegations against President Bola Tinubu, and unlawfully obtaining, retaining and disseminating classified secret documents in contravention of the official Secret Act 1962.
The Edo state chapter of the All Progressive Party, has refuted report made by election observer, YIAGA Africa, saying that all major political parties involved in vote buying, in the recent governorship poll.

Recall that the civil society group had accused politicians of sharing N5,000, N10,000 and bread, to voters at the polling unit on the 21 of September, 2024 gubernatorial election.

Reacting to the allegations on Friday, Eziohuwa Agbonayinma, a member of the Edo APC, claimed that such never happened.

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He added that Monday Okpebholo won the election due to Governor Godwin Obasekis poor government.

Agbonayinma, while responding to questions on Channels TV, accused the outgoing Governor of keeping President Tinubus palliative for his personal use.

He said: If Yiaga is saying APC bought votes, let them prove it. I can tell you there was nothing of such that the APC bought votes, we never needed to buy votes.

READ MORE: Edo Guber: Ighodalo Vows To Challenge APC In Court

The people were angry they came out en masse to support and vote for the APC because of their anger, he said.

President Tinubu ordered the release of a trailer load of rice to cushion the effects of hunger and starvation. Mr Governro stole most of the rice sold at the market. It was not given to the people .

Mr President in his goodwill gave over N500bn to the 36 states of the federation, including the FCT, Edo state got over 18bn, ask the governor what he did with the money. The money went to voicemail 

$ 35 million to build schools, go and look at our schools, no roof, and children sitting on the floor.

That money went to voicemail. Over $ 150 million was meant for erosion control. Come to GRA Mcome to Benin when it rains in 5mins everywhere is river Obaseki or river Asue Ighodalo.

That is the reason they said we must change anyone Obaseki is bringing and they have done that we must appreciate and applaud our people.
Folakemi Falana, sister of rapper Falz and daughter of human rights lawyer Femi Falana, has vowed to take social media influencer VeryDarkMan (VDM) to court.

This follows the activists refusal to apologize and retract defamatory statements against her brother and father within the specified 24-hour deadline.

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The controversy began when VDM shared an audio conversation allegedly involving Bobrisky, implying that Falz and Femi Falana were involved in bribery and corruption.

Falz and Femi Falana, through their lawyers, demanded an apology and retraction.

Folakemi took to Instagram on Friday to express frustration, highlighting her familys reputation for integrity and their history of pro-bono work, including securing presidential pardons for Nigerians.

She criticized VDMs audacity in accusing her father and brother of wrongdoing and dismissed claims of Falzs involvement with Bobrisky.

READ MORE: Life Is Risky, Repent!  Portable To Bobrisky

She wrote:

My Parents and our firm, Falana & Falana have been applying for presidential pardons for

Nigerians absolutely FREE way before a lot of you were born or before you could talk. Slide 1 is from 2016 and Slide 2 is from 2022.

Its crazy that some Nigerians act like they cant read or think for themselves. Its unfortunate.

Its even crazier that all it takes is for a ridiculous character like VDM to accuse my dad and Falz of bribery, corruption and perversion of the course of Justice and you suddenly forget who they are and what they stand for. For him to have the audacity to go as far as even accusing Falz of being homosexual and having an affair with Bobrisky is wild. The fact that some of you actually believe it, is what is blowing my mind.

For the record, anyone can write the president to request a pardon for any convicted person in Nigeria. You dont even need to be a lawyer to apply for a pardon. THAT SAID, BOBRISKY NEVER APPROACHED ANYONE IN MY FAMILY OR OUR FIRM FOR A PRESIDENTIAL PARDON.

TO BE CRYSTAL CLEAR, THE FACTS ARE AS FOLLOWS:

1) MY DAD HAS NEVER MET OR TALKED TO BOBRISKY WHETHER DIRECTLY OR VIA A PROXY

2) BOBRISKY REACHED OUT TO FALZ THE SAME WAY HE REACHED OUT TO MANY OTHER CELEBRITIES ASKING FOR MONEY. THE REASON HE GAVE WAS SO THAT HE AFFORD TO STAY IN THE VIP SECTION OF PRISON. HE NEVER EVER DISCUSSED A PRESIDENTIAL PARDON WITH HIM. HE SAID HE WAS REACHING OUT FROM PRISON FALZ HAD NO REASON TO BELIEVE OTHERWISE.

3) DO YOU REALLY THINK MY DAD OR FALZ NEED BOBS MONEY??? FOR WHAT?

Seeing as you have refused to do the needful, @verydarkblackman see you in court.

SEE POST:
The Edo State Police Command has arrested a 40-year-old ex-convict, Richard John, for suspected kidnapping and armed robbery.

Nemi Edwin-Iwo, the State Police Commissioner, announced this on Friday during a news conference in Benin.

Edwin-Iwo identified other members of the group, who are still at large, as Ishmael Peter, the gang boss; Emmanuel Audu; and someone simply known as Lucky.

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According to the CP, John spent time in jail with the escaping suspects at Koton-Karfe Prison in Kogi.

READ MORE: Bobrisky Only Spent Three Weeks In Kirikiri, Guarded Like President  FIJ Report

He stated that on May 7, the suspects broke into the residence of one Promise Ehichoya in Illela Quarters, Ekpoma, tied him up, brought him to an unknown location, and collected a ransom of N6 million before releasing him.

They also made away with the victims vehicle and other household items, including phones of various make, electronics, jewelries and clothing from the house.

The vehicle, a Toyota Venza marked LND 438 HM, was later abandoned and recovered by police operatives.

Acting on technologically driven intelligence, operatives of the State Intelligence Department SID, trailed and arrested Richard John Abdullahi at the Zone C area of Apo Resettlement Quarters, Abuja, he said.

The police chief also indicated that intensive attempts are underway to apprehend the fleeing criminals.
At least two residents have been killed following an attack made by a masquerade identified as Oriokpa in the University Town of Nsukka area of the state.

INFORMATION NIGERIA reports that the State Government, while reacting to the incident, summoned the traditional rulers and the President-Generals of the communities, where the horrible accident happened.

The state Commissioner for Local Government, Rural Development and Chieftaincy Affairs, Chief Okey Ogbodo, in a statement made available to journalists in Enugu on Friday, highlighted the state governments commitment to maintaining public safety.

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He added that Governor Peter Mbah has directed the Commissioner of Police to investigate the incidents and bring those responsible to justice.

The statement partly reads: Consequently, and following the express directive of His Excellency, the Governor of Enugu State, Dr. Peter Mbah, the traditional rulers and Presidents-General of the town unions of the affected communities are hereby invited to meet with the Commissioner for Local Government, Rural Development and Chieftaincy Affairs, at the State Secretariat on Friday, September 27, 2024.

READ MORE: Enugu: Man Murders Neighbours Four-Year-Old Daughter

Venue is the Office of the Honourable Commissioner, and time is 1 pm prompt. The affected communities are Nguru, Isiakpu, Echara, Nru, Edem-Ezema, Iheagu, Ihe, Owere, and Umuoyo.

Furthermore, the governor has equally directed the Commissioner of Police to immediately institute a full-scale investigation into the incidents, including the reported fatalities resulting from the activities of the said masquerade groups with a view to bringing whoever is culpable to book.

Meanwhile, the Enugu State Government frowns at the excesses by whatever any persons or groups. Our people should never be made to live in fear, as the rights and security of our women, children, youth, and indeed every citizen and resident of Enugu State must be guaranteed at all times.

Consequently, any such excesses by the Oriokpa masqueraders or any group for that matter will be met with the commensurate sanctions by the government.
Troops from the Sector 3 of the Multinational Joint Task Force have arrested a high-profile Boko Haram logistics courier, identified as Garba Buda, in Guzamala, Borno State.

It was gathered that the 30-year-old suspect, who had been on the MNJTFs wanted list for an extended period, was instrumental in supplying essential need to the terrorist group.

In a statement made available to newsmen on Friday, by the Chief Military Information Officer, HQ MNJTF Ndjamena, Chad, Lieutenant Colonel Olaniyi Osoba, disclosed that some items, such as, gas lighter, pocket mirror, comb, cap, and wristwatch, were recovered from Buda.

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The statement reads: Garba Budas arrest deals a significant blow to Boko Harams operations in the Lake Chad region. He facilitated supply movements between Monguno and Southern Tumbus.

READ MORE: Zamfara Police Nab NSCDC Officer For Allegedly Supplying Dangerous Weapons, Drugs To Terrorists

Meanwhile, in a related development, MNJTF troops added that it carried out a raid on a Boko Haram/ISWAP enclave in Kukawa Local Government Area in Borno State, disrupting the terrorists operations in the area.

The military noted that the terrorists fled upon the troops arrival, leaving behind their logistics, which were subsequently destroyed.

The statement added: These successful operations represent a significant step forward in the ongoing fight against terrorism in the Lake Chad region, demonstrating the commitment of security forces to dismantle terrorist networks and ensure the safety of the local population.
One KC Okojie Prince, 50, has been detained for allegedly stealing two electricity transformers and two drums of 2.5 flex cable wire.

Aruka Uche, 40, who allegedly obtained the stolen items from the suspects, is also being held.

On August 11, 2024, the suspect allegedly committed the offence at No. 8, Idugboe Estate, off Sapele Road in Benin City. Ojo, an accomplice to the crime, is still at large.

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It was gathered that the suspects deceitfully gain entrance to No. 8 Idugboe Estate, off Sapele Road, Benin City and made away with the following electrical equipment.

The stolen components include a 300kva transformer, a 100kva transformer, and two 2.5mm flex cable wire drums.

Moses Yamu, the Commands spokesman, stated this in a statement released on Friday.

Yamu revealed that a thorough investigation by X-Squad Benin-City operatives resulted in the arrest of Prince, who admitted to committing the crime alongside Ojo.

READ MORE: Two ATBU Students Arrested For Stealing To Fund Their Final-Year Project

He added, He further led our operatives to the receiver of the stolen items, one Aruka Uche 40yrs and all the equipment were recovered at No. 5 Eben Street, off Akpakpava, Benin-City.

Meanwhile, Nemi Edwin-Iwo, the State Commissioner of Police, has asked for the publics help and cooperation in providing information to the police that could lead to the arrest of offenders.

Edwin-Iwo emphasised the Commands determination to reducing the states scourge of kidnappings, armed robbery, and other criminal activities to an absolute minimum.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 28. On September 27  Memorial Day, Nar, in partnership with the YASAT Foundation, supported the organization of a project for the families of martyrs. As part of this initiative, family members of the martyrs were taken on a two-day trip to the cities of Khankendi and Shusha.

The participants had the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the ongoing restoration and reconstruction efforts in Khankendi and Shusha. During the trip, the families also visited important landmarks such as Jidir Duzu, the Mollah Panah Vagif Museum-Mausoleum Complex, Shusha Fortress, Isa Spring, and the Yukhari Govhar Agha Mosque.

It is worth mentioning that one of the main directions of Nars corporate social responsibility strategy is the preservation of national and spiritual heritage and patriotism. In this regard, Nar pays special attention to the families of martyrs and veterans, while also supporting projects aimed at restoring the liberated territories. More information about the social projects supported by the mobile operator can be found here.

Nar currently provides high-quality communication services to 2.2 million subscribers. Nar is the leading mobile operator in the country according to the Net Promoter Score for the last 5 years. The mobile operator adheres to its customer-centric strategy and provides best-in-class service at an affordable price.
The phone line of the Minister of Education, Prof Tahir Mamman, has been hacked by suspected internet fraudsters.

It was gathered that Mamman, in a disclaimer message released on Thursday, warned the public to avoid communicating through the affected number.

The message reads: My phone line has been compromised. Please refrain from calling the number and ignore any messages requesting assistance until the issue is resolved. Thank you for your understanding.

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Also confirming the development on Friday, by the Director of Press and Public Relations, of Ministry of Education, Boriowo Folasade, in a statement made available to public, added that the compromised line is being used by unauthorised individuals.

READ MORE: Remain On Campus  Education Minister Tells Nigerias Students Amid Nationwide Protest

The statement reads: The Office of the Honourable Minister of Education, Professor Tahir Mamman, wishes to inform the general public that the Ministers WhatsApp number has been hacked and is currently being used by unauthorised individuals.

We deeply regret any inconvenience this may cause and urge everyone to disregard any message of request received from the said number until further notice.

The matter has been reported to the relevant authorities and is under investigation. We advise all members of the public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity.
The Edo State Government has claimed that Governor Godwin Obasekis led administration is the most transparent and accountable in the history of the state.

INFORMATION NIGERIA learnt that Senator Adams Oshiomhole, on Thursday, accused Obaseki of embezzling a sum of $75m fund, awarded by World Bank, for the Edo Basic Education Sector Transformation.

The former governor, led this out as the winner of the just conclgovernorship election in in the State, Monday Okpebholo, alongside his running mate, Dennis Idahosa, was presented with his Certificate of Return by the Independent National Electoral Commission.

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He said: All the fraud that Obaseki was doing with so-called World Bank money, and I think the World Bank will want even to investigate what he did with that money when you have schools without teachers and you are doing EdoBEST. He left Edo worse.

Reacting to Oshiomholes claim in a statement on Friday, the Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, Chris Nehikhare, said that Governo Obaseki, observed due process in the award of contracts among many other transparent initiatives.

READ MORE: Ill Continue Where Oshiomhole Stopped  Edo Gov-Elect, Okpebholo

He said: I would like to emphasize that Governor Obasekis administration has been the most transparent and accountable in Edo State ever.

The government has adhered to due process in the award and execution of contracts, while the pricing and procurement processes have received numerous accolades both nationally and internationally.

Edo State has experienced unprecedented levels of resource utilization, ensuring value for money. Our data and documentation regarding government activities are accessible at our data centre located in the Government House.

Every action taken has been in the best interest of the Edo people, and we have the authority as their elected government to do so.

Unlike former Governor Oshiomhole, who was shielded from scrutiny, Governor Obaseki welcomes accountability and does not hide behind others.
The Ijaw leaders has apologized to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, over what they described as bad behavior of Rivers state Governor, Siminalayi Fubara.

The group, identified as the Elders Forum of the Peoples Democratic Party, said that Wike has been good to the Ijaw people of Rivers.

The elders led by the Executive Director Of Finance, NDDC, Boma Iyaye, on Saturday, in Port Harcourt, added that the Ijaw elders were sorry for the bitter back-and-forth public display of disregard for the minister by Fubara.

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He said: On behalf of our people, we are apologising to you for what our son is doing to you. We are sorry. We are sorry o because it is not in our nature to pay evil for good. You have done well for us, and we will continue to say, thank you.

READ MORE: Ill Never Support Gov Fubara Again For Lying Against Me  FCT Minister, Wike

Your excellency, do not because of this bad behaviour of our son, run away from us. Continue to be our brother. Continue to have us in mind.

We have never set our feet on the number one seat of Rivers State. You made it possible for us to become the governor of Rivers State.

Recall that two weeks ago, Wike declared in an interview with Channels TV that he will never support Fubara in his political life again.

He said: People laboured to put up a structure. People laboured; you wouldnt have even taken the 50th position.

I sacrificed to talk to the Ogonis; I sacrificed to talk to several other people who let us go this way.
Ruby on Rails 8, the latest version of the well-known web app framework for the Ruby programming language, has reached the beta stage. The update promises to make deployment of Rails web apps friendly and usable, without developers needing to rely on a platform-as-a-service (PaaS) cloud setup.

The Rails 8 beta was unveiled September 27. Instructions on installing Rails can be found at rubyonrails.org.
This photo provided by Moderna in August 2024 shows packaging and syringes for the company's updated COVID vaccine for ages 12 and older. Philadelphia health officials are encouraging residents to get vaccinated with one of three updated COVID vaccines this fall. Read more

About 23,000 doses of the latest COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in Philadelphia since the shots became available in late summer  enough for about 1% of the citys population.

And with sick season approaching, officials are encouraging more residents to get vaccinated before the traditional winter spike in respiratory illnesses.

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Our strong recommendation is that people get vaccinated by October to get that full protection for the increase in cases and hospitalizations that may occur during the winter season, said Gayle Mendoza, a clinician in the COVID-19 Containment Program at the Philadelphia Department of Public Health.

This years uptake underscores a post-pandemic trend: COVID vaccine uptake statewide has lagged behind the flu vaccine. About half of Pennsylvania residents get a flu vaccine each year. But just 24% of Pennsylvanians got an updated COVID vaccine last year.

 READ MORE: Penn doctor worries patients are hesitant to get another COVID booster

Like flu vaccines, COVID vaccines are now updated each year to target the most prominent variants of the virus circulating. This year, three vaccines have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration: the mRNA vaccines by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna and a more traditional protein-based vaccine from Novavax.

Even though we might be out of the really difficult parts of the pandemic, COVID is still here to stay. Its going to be around the way that flu is, Mendoza said.

COVID still causes more serious illness than the flu, she said  but vaccines lessen your chance of getting severe symptoms.

A free vaccine program expires

One difference in this years COVID vaccination campaign: A federal program that has in the past paid for some uninsured Americans shots has expired. But Philadelphia health officials say that they are using separate federal money to get free shots to city residents who need them.

In the early years of the pandemic, the federal government ensured that all COVID vaccines were free. Since last fall, commercial insurance plans have been required to cover the cost of the latest COVID vaccines instead. (Medicaid and Medicare, the publicly funded insurance programs for lower-income and older Americans, are also required to cover the vaccines.)

During a rocky vaccine rollout last fall, some private insurers didnt update their billing codes quickly enough to accommodate the new vaccines. To fill the gap, health officials in Philadelphia and around the country directed patients to the Bridge Access Program, a federal initiative that covered vaccines for under- and uninsured people.

 READ MORE: How to order free COVID tests this fall

But earlier this year, to avoid a government shutdown, Congress eliminated funding for the Bridge Access Program.

The program was supposed to expire in December but ran out of funding in August, the Washington Post reported, and some Americans without insurance have already been charged more than $200 for an updated COVID shot.

Philadelphia health officials are using another source of federal funding to continue offering free vaccines to residents, Mendoza said. At five city health centers, people above the age of 12 without insurance can get free COVID vaccines with proof of city residency, Monday through Friday between 8 a.m. and 1 p.m.

Children under 12 who are eligible for the citys Vaccines for Children program can also get their free shot at the health centers now. By the end of the week, the centers are hoping to be able to offer vaccines to all kids, Mendoza said.

Similar efforts are underway in the suburbs. Montgomery County, for example, is also offering free flu and COVID vaccines at a series of health clinics through October; residents can sign up for their shot on the county website.

Delaware County is offering free vaccines to under- and uninsured adults and children through federal grants. Vaccines are available on select Mondays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the county health departments Chester clinic, and Tuesdays through Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at its Yeadon clinic.
Juan Gonzalez, a former Philadelphia Daily News columnist, spoke at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania on Thursday, Sept. 26, 2024, about the migration history of Puerto Ricans to Pennsylvania. Read more

You may have seen Juan Gonzalez delivering sober news about the world on the television program Democracy Now!

But years before Gonzalez was cohosting the show with Amy Goodman, he was marching down Broad Street in Philadelphia with John F. Street and Milton Street  during their housing activism days  trying to secure deeds for families who squatted in vacant and abandoned homes.

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The problem for Gonzalez was that he was also a reporter and, later, a columnist for the Philadelphia Daily News. His bosses yelled at him and told him he couldnt participate in protests and then write about them, Gonzalez told an audience at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania on Thursday.

Then I asked them why was the rewrite editor, who is Catholic and the leader of a Catholic organization, in charge of covering the popes visit, Gonzalez said, referring to Pope John Paul IIs 1979 visit to Philadelphia.

Protesting was not new to Gonzalez, now in his 70s. He helped found the Young Lords in East Harlem and was a veteran of the 1968 Columbia University student protests.

After leaving the Daily News, Gonzalez went on to become a columnist for the New York Daily News before joining Democracy Now!

The award-winning investigative journalist, who is a two-time George Polk Award winner, now lives in Chicago, where he is a senior research fellow at the Great Cities Institute at the University of Illinois.

Gonzalez returned to Philadelphia to give a lecture on the economic and military forces that led to the migration of Puerto Ricans from the U.S. territory island to Pennsylvania over the years.

The lecture, From Puerto Rico to Pennsylvania: History, Challenges, and Amor Boricua, was part of the Historical Societys current exhibition, HSP 200 + Taller 50: Uncovering and Preserving Puerto Rican Stories, on display now through Oct. 11.

The exhibit is being presented in partnership with Taller Puertorriqueno to celebrate the societys 200th anniversary this year and Tallers 50th anniversary.

Uncovering and Preserving Puerto Rican Stories investigates themes of migration and community, culture and identity, and how memory is preserved. The exhibit also reexamines Batiendo La Olla, an oral history project that Taller Puertorriqueno produced in the 1970s to document the Puerto Rican experience in Philadelphia.

Waves of migration from Puerto Rico to Pennsylvania

Gonzalez said that migration from the island to Pennsylvania began increasing dramatically about 2015 because of economic forces when companies began pulling their manufacturing operations from the island and taking them to other countries where the labor was cheaper. After the Cold War ended, the United States began shutting down military bases, which also contributed to job losses.

Gonzalez also talked about organizing with the Puerto Rican Alliance, which helped 150 families get deeds to homes they had once squatted. Among the protests to accomplish that, the alliance first occupied the federal Housing and Urban Development offices near Independence Hall. Then, when authorities threatened to call the police, they moved to Independence Hall to hold a sit-in there.

At another protest, on the night before the 1980 Democratic primary in Pennsylvania, when the late Sen. Ted Kennedy was challenging President Jimmy Carter for the nomination, Puerto Rican activists held a sit-in at Carters campaign headquarters on Chestnut Street near Broad.

Gonzalez said the Carter staff sent for the top Puerto Rican official in the White House and for the late U.S. Rep. Bill Gray III to negotiate. He said Gray persuaded the protesters  who included the late Juan Ramos and Angel Ortiz, who both were later elected to City Council to leave. The 150 families did get the deeds to their homes.

Another organization that Gonzalez once led was the National Congress of Puerto Rican Rights, where he worked with fellow activist Juan R. Sanchez, who was organizing mushroom workers in Chester County. Sanchez is now a federal judge in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

Erikka Goslin, the interim executive director at Taller, said that Taller was excited to partner with the Historical Society, because the current exhibit centers the stories, voices, and history of Puerto Ricans and Latinos in Philadelphia.

She said that Gonzalez added an invaluable perspective on that history, with incredible personal anecdotes told firsthand. He reminds us that we at Taller are an arts and culture organization rooted in social justice, place-making, and community work.

HSP 200 + Taller 50: Uncovering and Preserving Puerto Rican Stories is on display at HSP during library hours, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday, and 1 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, at 1300 Locust St., Philadelphia.
New York City Councilmember Yusef Salaam, one of the members of the Exonerated 5  known as the Central Park 5  told a Philadelphia crowd Friday that he will never forget that former President Donald Trump took out full-page ads in major newspapers calling for New York to adopt the death penalty after the five Black and Latino boys were falsely accused of assaulting and raping a white woman jogging in Central Park in 1989.

I remember what Donald Trump did to us, Salaam said to the audience on Friday. We can never forget.

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Salaam and Kory Wise, another one of the five exonerated men, came to Philadelphia from New York with the Rev. Al Sharpton as part of a get-out-the-vote effort hosted by Sharptons National Action Network. They spoke to a room of approximately 120 people at Sharon Baptist Church in Wynnefield Heights, including Black clergy from around Philadelphia and National Action Network members from New York. Sharpton said their Philadelphia visit was the first of a series of get-out-the-vote events in various cities.

Since there is a rumor that some Black men are being persuaded another way, were not going to tell you who to vote for, but we want you to have the information, Sharpton said to the crowd.

Trumps campaign has visited Philadelphia multiple times in efforts to reach Black voters, including inviting North Philly rapper OT7 Quanny into his entourage during a campaign visit in June. One event backfired when one of his surrogates, Rep. Byron Donalds (R., Fla.) positively referenced the Jim Crow era. (The conservative congressman stood by his comments when he returned to Philly to stump for the former president.)

The significance of the wrongful conviction of the Exonerated 5 is especially poignant with Trump running for president. Trump has decided not to apologize for his ads, and has suggested in recent years that he still believes the men were responsible.

I happen to be able to have a platform where, when we speak, people listen, Salaam said in an interview Friday. They understand that we were run over by the spike wheels of justice, and it was because of what Donald Trump himself did 35 years ago by taking out those full-page ads in New York Citys newspapers.

The five teens were exonerated in 2002 after Matias Reyes, who was serving a life sentence for other rapes and murder, confessed to the crime from prison. Reyes DNA matched the sample found on the victim.

As Trumps campaign works to win over Black voters, Trump continues to make comments denigrating to Black people. Most recently, he targeted Haitian immigrants in the Pennsylvania town of Charleroi and spouted false claims about Haitian immigrants in Ohio eating household pets. In July, he baselessly challenged Harris identity as a Black woman during a disastrous interview at a National Association of Black Journalists convention.

Whether or not these comments offend Black voters is one thing  and whether they show up to vote against Trump is another.

The truth of the matter is that nonparticipation is participation, Salaam said. We have to understand that and know that.

State Sen. Sharif Street spoke about the importance of Pennsylvania as a battleground state, saying that everything is riding on what voters here do.

I got six little grandbabies and theyre going to look back in history and either were going to be remembered as the generation like the civil rights generation that stood up and were counted, and set history in the right direction  or were going to fail them and theyre asking us: Why did you fail us? he said.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 28. The Eurasian Development Bank (EDB) is open to cooperation with national development institutions in Kyrgyzstan, the chairperson of the EDB Board Nikolai Podguzov told Trend.

"Eurasian Development Bank is open to cooperation with national development institutions in Kyrgyzstan, as the strategic goals and objectives of these organizations largely coincide with our priorities. There is significant potential in expanding partnerships with such funds as the Russian-Kyrgyz Development Fund, Kyrgyz-Uzbek, Kyrgyz-Azerbaijani, and Kyrgyz-Hungarian Development Funds. These institutions are also focused on supporting economic growth and sustainable development of the country by financing key projects of strategic importance for the country," he said.

According to him, the experience of successful cooperation with the Russian-Kyrgyz Development Fund demonstrates that joint efforts make it possible to implement large projects that have a significant impact on the economy of Kyrgyzstan.

"Similar partnerships with other funds can open up new opportunities for joint projects in energy, infrastructure, and agriculture that will further strengthen economic cooperation," Podguzov added.

The head of the bank stated that the development of new transport routes, new gas transportation infrastructure, construction of storage facilities, digitalization of the economy, increasing needs for modern urban infrastructure, rapid growth of freight traffic with China, and its active participation in the construction of energy infrastructure in the regionpractical solutions to the challenges of the water and energy complex in the Aral Sea basinare now structuring the economic policy of Kyrgyzstan.

To note, the EDB is a multilateral development bank that promotes the economic growth of member states, founded in 2006. The bank is headquartered in Almaty.
If there is one lesson we can learn from the past 12 weeks of British politics, its that honeymoons are brief.

This weeks Labour conference should, by right, have been a victory lap.

At times it was more like a stern talking-to from a disappointed schoolmaster.

There is a deep, sociopathic grimness in hearing a Labour party leader advocating for what amounts to a swingeing campaign of budget cuts and welfare crackdowns, all while chuckling at protesters as theyre removed for drawing attention to the UKs continuing military links with Israel.

On that latter point, Starmer beamed from his podium drawing applause from the party faithful as he quipped this guys obviously got a pass from the 2019 conference.

This, in reference to that hilariously gauche period when Labour  and human rights lawyer and then-shadow Brexit secretary Keir Starmer  stood against things like genocide.

Given all we have come to know about Starmers easy wit, this zinger was clearly pre-written, doubtless drafted after an activist shouted down chancellor Rachel Reeves on the same issue the previous day.

She, too, proudly declared that Labour had changed and was no longer a party of protest.

Even as a well-worn follower of political soundbites, I was struck by this statements incoherence.

The idea that Labour is no longer a party of protest held a certain ghoulish logic when Labour was in opposition. As a ruling party, however, it lacks even rudimentary grammatical sense. Of course theyre not a party of protest. Theyre the party of government.

One worries if Labour has been out of Downing St for so long, theyve misunderstood that the very act of taking power makes them responsible for how said power is wielded.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer attends a breakfast meeting with business leaders at the consul general's residence in New York ahead of addressing the United Nations General Assembly.

HARD CHOICES... OR SOFT TARGETS?

This is a government that was elected amid a surge of enthusiasm, albeit enthusiasm directed entirely toward removing the comically venal and inept Tories who had ruled for the previous 14 years.

And yet an Opinium poll released on Tuesday reports that Keir Starmer has suffered a 45-point drop in popularity in the 80 days since the election was won.

He is now less popular than Tory leader Rishi Sunak, who not even three months ago oversaw the decimation of the Conservative vote to near-atomic levels, hounded out of government on a tidal wave of incompetence and sleaze.

Despite repeated warnings that the honeymoon period for any incoming Labour government would be brief, Starmer pressed ahead with a raft of unpopular legislation, cutting winter fuel allowances for pensioners, and signposting tough cuts to welfare and benefits in the upcoming budget.

These are, Labour insists, hard choices for hard times, a necessary chore to fix the 22bn gap in public funds left by the outgoing Conservative government.

Constantly framing these as tough choices was clearly intended to make Labour seem serious and sober  the sensible adults returning to the room  but its primary effect has been to highlight the choices not made.

One is left, after all, with the intractable conclusion that cutting fuel payments for the elderly was a decidedly easy choice, compared to raising taxes on the mega-wealthy donors who have helped pave their partys path to power.

It doesnt help that this is all happening while Starmer and his inner circle are mired in controversies relating to taking money and gifts from said donors.

Education secretary Bridget Phillipson took 14,000 from Labour peer Waheed Alli, to pay for a lavish birthday party populated by lobbyists and journalists.

The same donor gifted Keir Starmer suits totalling 16,200 and glasses worth 2.5k, and the prime minister has also been gifted 20,000 for accomodation for his son to study his GCSES, and a box to watch Arsenal play their home matches.

Both were also gifted the most precious real-world commodity on Earth  tickets to see Taylor Swift.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer during a bi-lateral meeting with President of Kenya William Ruto at United Nations in New York.

DEPRESSING AND IMMORAL

One can, of course, plead perspective. The entire cost of the freebies granted to Starmer and other key ministers is significantly less than the money given to Boris Johnson just to remodel the 10 Downing Street flat he lived in for three years.

It is also correct that the right wing press of the UK is not exactly a plain dealer when it comes to such scandals, considering the cover they offered to egregious sleaze throughout the last 14 years of Tory rule  including, but not limited to, sweetheart deals for covid contracts, offered to party donors to the tune of billions of pounds from the public purse.

But the notion that the public should not be aggrieved is inane.

For the past week, defenders of Starmer have repeatedly said that his 160,000 a year salary is insufficient for him to dress well on the world stage, a risible statement considering his government has spent the summer telling those on benefits that 300 a month is more than enough to live on, and that this number is about to be reduced.

The street I live on here in London has two weekly food banks. Both open at 10am, but I see people lined up there from 8am, displaying enough anxiety about getting a good spot in line that Im forced to presume theres not always enough to go around.

There are about 2,800 such centres in the UK and 22% of the population live in absolute poverty. Some 4.2m of them are children. Meanwhile, the richest 1% of Britons hold as much wealth as the bottom 70% combined.

In 2022, the Financial Times reported that the poorest Irish household has a standard of living 63% higher than their British counterparts.

The fact is, the UKs haves and have-nots are drifting further and further apart.

To gaze upon the state of the nation and decide that the people whove been having it too good for too long are the parents skipping meals and the pensioners wearing their coats indoors, is not just bad politics. Its a depressing and immoral betrayal of the modicum of hope some of us felt just three months ago.

It cant help feeling like the same wolf in new clothes  its just now we know how much they cost, and who bought them.
The tweed coat

For an Autumnal colour palette, Magee 1866's latest collection is ticking all the boxes.

We love the Emma Donegal tweed coat in mulberry red, 550, which has us looking forward to walks in the park with leaves crunching under every step.

magee1866.com

Michael Harding: Cavan writer is set for a Cork appearance.

The event

Cavan writer and podcaster Michael Harding is heading south with an event in the Triskel Arts Centre in Cork.

He will be in conversation with PJ Coogan of Corks 96FM The Opinion Line on Thursday, October 10 at 7pm, to discuss his latest book 'I Loved Him from the Day He Died: My Father, Forgiveness and a Final Pilgrimage'.

Expect to laugh, and maybe even shed a few tears... Tickets, 25.99, include a copy of the book.

triskelartscentre.ie

Naked Bakes launches in Lidl.

The treat

There is nothing like the smell of cookies baking in an oven  except maybe that first bite of hot cookie.

And as part of Lidl's Kickstart Supplier Development Programme, you can now get Irish plant-based brand Naked Bakes cookie dough in stores, making your journey to a freshly-baked cookie a lot quicker.

The brand, started by then 21-year-old Aisling Tucker in her parents' kitchen back in 2018, is also opening its first cafe at Hens Teeth in Dublin 8 on October 10, with plenty of sweet and savoury freshly baked goods available for vegans and non-vegans alike.

nakedbakes.com

Nunaia Nourishing Radiance Serum, 79.

The organic skincare

Marie Claire UK announced the winners of the Sustainability Awards 2024 this month, with Tipperary-based Nunaia winning in the Organic Brand category.

The effective superfood skincare brand has been built with a social and environmental conscience including a commitment to help ancestral land, resources and communities in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Factor in compostable packaging, on-going testing for pesticide residue and other chemicals., and this luxury brand will make more than your skin feel good.

Nourishing Radiance Serum, 79.

nunaia.com

James Gormley of Gormleys with Deirdre Reilly and Darragh Dennigan of McGarrel Reilly, pictured with Campbells Soup Cans I: Green Pea.

The art exhibition

Dublin's Charlemont Square welcomes art world heavy-hitters this month as one of Irelands largest art and sculpture exhibitions returns for a second year.

The free exhibition, which includes works by Andy Warhol, Salvador Dali, Banksy, Tracey Emin and Damien Hirst, runs from September 26 to October 17, with leading and emerging Irish artists featured too.

Gormleys at Charlemont Square open 11am-6pm Tuesday to Saturday and 12pm-5pm Sunday (closed Mondays).

gormleys.ie

This years Kilkenny Animated Festival will take place from October 4 - 6, with special guests including Moana co-director John Musker and the legendary Disney animator, Glen Keane

The festival

This years Kilkenny Animated Festival will take place in the city next weekend.

Special guests include Moana co-director John Musker and the legendary Disney animator, Glen Keane, who brought to life iconic characters such as Pocahontas and The Little Mermaid.

Kicking off on Friday night with a comedy special featuring Kevin McGahern, the festival weekend will include highlights such as a masterclass from Keane, sketching tours of Kilkenny for ages 12+ led by artists from Oscar-nominated animation studio Cartoon Saloon and Lighthouse Studios and special screenings of the Academy Award-nominated Song of the Sea and The Breadwinner in their birthplace of Kilkenny.

Audiences will also get a chance to peek behind the scenes during guided tours of Cartoon Saloon's headquarters.

kilkennyanimated.com

Recent research by An Post found over half of under 34s have sold clothes online in the past 12 months

The resale news

Good news for anyone who sells preloved goods online - An Post has removed the weight restrictions on their prepaid postage options so consumers can now send any item that fits inside their envelope or boxes to anywhere in the Republic of Ireland, for just 6 or 9 respectively.

Recent research by the postal service company found over half of under 34s have sold clothes online in the past 12 months, making the change to do their part to encourage this preloved revolution.
Matthew walked Jenn up to me and she tipped my shoulder. We just had this private moment of wow. She looked so beautiful.

With a raspy voice, tired eyes, and sore feet, newlyweds Jennifer Rock and Jill Deering tell me they are floating.

Rock, the Irish Examiner columnist, who wed her artist wife, one-half of designers Jill and Gill, in a lavish ceremony at Cashel Palace Hotel in Tipperary on Friday, says the pair are in their own little bubble.

From her son Matthews role as best man to her mother standing in to deliver the speech traditionally delivered by the brides father (Rocks beloved dad Jon passed away suddenly in 2018), the founder of The Skin Nerd and Skingredients skincare line praised those around her for bringing so much positive energy and love to the day.

Everything went exactly as we would have wanted, she said.

Jill Deering and Jennifer Rock on their wedding day.

Rock and Deerings love story hasnt been a conventional one.

They met in 2019, just four years after Ireland voted to legalise same-sex marriage. Rock herself hadnt come out as bisexual until her 30s, and previously spoke to Weekend about the struggle of coming out later in life.

Prior to meeting Deering, she says she wasnt looking for love, and that initial spark with the designer she put down to being kindred creative souls.

We both obviously own our own business. Not a lot of my friends have their own businesses, so it was just lovely to have somebody that was similarly minded, that was creative, and had to have the business acumen, Rock said.

But one small act of kindness and care had her seeing the designer in a different light: I was really struggling [after my dads death] and she just turned up to help me choose the headstone. I just remember thinking; this person is special, she drove so far to be with me for something thats so important for me.

Jill Deering, Jennifer Rock and family. Picture: Petar Jurica

COURTSHIP

Just before the covid pandemic came in to full-force in March 2020, Rock said the pair had been spending more time together and she realised her feelings had turned romantic.

The pandemic was a tough time for many, but Rock says it accelerated her and Jills relationship.

It usually takes a couple of years of dating to get to that level with someone. Through conversation and friendship, I realised what was important and I dont think we would have had that were it not for the lockdown.

"We literally old school courted every single night. So we would talk for hours on the phone. Wed have dinner on Saturdays, and shed cook the same thing that Id cook. Wed try to get a candle from the local SuperValu, the same as mine.

"So it was like a kind of mirror image. It allowed us to fall in love with each other as the person, as opposed to getting distracted by the physicality of it.

The couple announced their engagement in March 2023, after Deering proposed at Adare Manor in Limerick. Rock later followed-up with her own engagement, saying her partner deserved that special moment too.

They were legally wed earlier this month at the Merrion Hotel in Dublin, before enjoying their big day at the Cashel Palace Hotel on Friday, September 20.

Jill Deering and Jennifer Rock at their wedding. Picture: Petar Jurica

Unsurprisingly, both Rock and Deering worked endlessly with their event planner and PR guru Tara Doll OConnor, to curate the perfect wedding, including their own personalised JJ logo (always on brand).

They were also keen on ensuring everyone at the wedding felt involved on the day.

People brought up gifts or had a poem to read, our moms lit the candles, they said.

On everyones seat, there was an intention card with a pencil where we asked everyone to take a moment whilst we were getting ourselves ready to write down and reflect upon what theyd like for the day and for themselves on the theme of love.

There wasnt a dry eye during the speeches but the moment was bittersweet for Rock hearing her mom talk about her dad.

It was so brave of my mom to get up and speak because my dads obviously passed, Rock said.

My favourite quote is that she describes how much of a maggot I was who always loved to push boundaries and have success and goals in my life.

Watching Rocks son Matthew grow from a single parent household to the man he is today has been the greatest success of her life, a close second to her new Skingredients product, she jokes.

Matts speech got a standing ovation, Rock said. Were a blended family and Jill just fits the puzzle, shes the final piece of our family.

Jill Deering: "the final piece" of Jennifer Rock's family

THE SKIN ROUTINE

The word wife still feels novel. Deering admits she had to read from the page for her speech.

I delivered it to her but I was shaking. I just got so emotional with all the things I needed to say. But Jennifer Rock had firmly stated each of our speeches was to be only five minutes, Deering smiles.

Mine ended up being 20 minutes, Rock admits.

Deering says she got a kick out of the band playing the Rocky song to boot Jenn offstage when her speech went over, It felt like the Oscars.

As for the style on the day? Just like Carrie Bradshaw, Rock wore Vivienne Westwood from TWG Bridal.

Her off-shoulder bardot look showed off her shoulders and decollete while Deering opted for a lace Catherine Dean top with The Attic trousers.

Of course, for Rock, skincare prep was the most important of all.

What did I do? I mean, how long do you have?, Rock laughs when asked about her pre-wedding skincare regime.

My approach was two-fold. My non-negotiables were my Skingredients cleanser, serum, SPF, every morning, and the same but not SPF at night.

I was using my retinol all of the time, and Skin Good Fats Ultra-Hydrating Ceramide Moisturiser. There was no; Oh, Im tired on Friday, Ill leave off the skincare. It was religious.

She also did more heat masks and hydrating oil capsules, and says she invested more in her hair care too. She jokes that she goes to bed slippy from all the oils.

Her go-to tan? Has to be Bellamianta, Rock says. And without fail, I take supplements, breakfast, lunch and dinner. I take vitamin D and a collagen supplement. It didnt feel like too much, because I weave it into my every routine.

Their wedding bands were beautifully made by Rocks (in no way related to Jennifer).

I had two beautiful, solitaire rings for my wedding band. So it was quite a long moment for Jill to put the rings on my fingers, put three rings on, but theyre just stunning, Rock says.

Jill Deering, Matt (Jennifer's son) and Jennifer Rock. Picture: Petar Jurica

So, what does the future look like for the two Js?

I learned about love from my parents, Rock says. Its not just about elaborate celebrations, its enjoying the small, everyday joys together. Love is about communicating, connecting, and Jill is my earth, she really grounds me.
In 2006, a mother attending Temple St Hospital with her baby, newly diagnosed with a rare condition, first heard of plans to build a new National Childrens Hospital.

That baby boy is now 18 years old and his mother, Amanda ORourke, said: People talk about cost but there is cost to the childrens safety as well; their dignity and their human rights.

In those years, Amanda has seen the excellent care they received fade away for other families under the strain of overcrowding, staff shortages, and funding shortfalls.

Back in 2006, the proposed childrens hospital was to be co-located with the Mater Misericordiae University Hospital. She said:

I remember it well, pushing my newborn down Eccles St for our first appointment in Temple St. I imagined many future appointments in the new childrens hospital.

Then, in 2012, plans changed, and it was decided to locate the proposed National Childrens Hospital at the current site at St Jamess Hospital.

Construction finally started in 2017.

Amandas son Hugh was diagnosed at three weeks old with a chromosomal anomaly and later with autism and scoliosis.

She has nothing but praise for the support they received.

There were enough doctors and nurses and healthcare workers and there was capacity, she said. But the efficiencies that were there, Ive seen almost managed out of the system.

Amanda describes weekly physiotherapy and how easy it was to get a referral when one therapist suspected scoliosis.

Members of the Unite union took part in a stoppage at the National Childrens Hospital site on Friday over travel-time pay. Picture: Leah Farrell/Rolling News

I think the following Wednesday we first saw Hughs orthopaedic surgeon, she said.

Now, however, she said: There is so much crisis at the moment that the thought of moving within the system is frightening for parents.

Watching on as the cost spirals towards 2.2bn for the new National Childrens Hospital, which has been beset by delays, she said: That crisis is lost in the whole thing.

An active member of support groups, she described some children being lost in the system:

I remember hearing about kids like Hugh. They would be referred and they wouldnt be seen for two years.

Advocacy groups learned this week that the long-delayed opening date of the hospital will now likely be 2026.

Weve been very well served by the system over the years but its no longer possible for a lot of the kids, she said.

Amid the pressure, she fears human moments are being lost as much as medical opportunities.

Phone calls go unanswered, and waiting list places are altered without alerts to parents.

That is why people are really concerned now for their children, for the safety of their children and for the health professionals  and the trauma they [hospital staff] experience because they are watching this and trying to manage it, said Amanda.

Childrens Health Ireland sites  Temple St, Crumlin, and Tallaght  now feature in trolley counts from the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation and HSE, which detail severe overcrowding that is likely to continue this winter.

A key concern is for children with the most complex needs. She said:

There are a lot of decisions where those kids are being sidelined and treated as if they are bed-blockers  that is how it appears to many families.

Where are we as a country if we are allowing that to happen? Its hard for people to listen to the constant spin.

Amanda worked in the hospitality business, specialising in hotel openings, and then for five years with KPMG, until Hugh was born.

She noted with concern a new KPMG review which said the lack of clarity around the opening date is affecting the three existing hospitals, where staff are struggling with the pressures of overcrowding.

Ive been watching that for a number of years, and Ive seen certainly in Temple St a very happy workforce fade away, she said.

As a hospital, there are scandals there at the moment and theres lots of very good people that are lost in that.

A number of reviews are ongoing into spinal surgery in CHI at Temple St. A HSE audit is examining how a 19m funding package for this service was spent.

Amanda shares the concerns in the KPMG report about staffing pressures. In her experience, quite a number of staff would have an exit strategy and may not move to the new hospital when it eventually does open, she said.

You cant assume everybody is going to move with the hospital.

She expressed gratitude and relief that she and her husband Ciaran feel that their son was cared for so well despite the new hospital not opening.

Hes a confident young man, she said. Hes found his way around to make sense of what he is going through by the great care hes had since he was a baby. And us as a family as well have always been nurtured through the system.

However, Amanda is fearful of what the next few years could hold for her friends and their children.

What I see now in the system  with the best will in the world  is they are not able to nurture as much. They just dont have the time, she said.
A homeless woman is recovering from severe injuries after being subjected to a vicious attack while being falsely imprisoned in a flat by a large group of men.

Gardai have arrested eight males  including a juvenile  in relation to the traumatic ordeal.

Detectives suspect the woman, aged in her mid-30s, was held against her will in the Dublin city centre flat where she was tortured and severely injured.

It is understood the woman suffered significant burn and scald injuries and a possible broken jaw.

Gardai took away a hammer from the scene, which officers suspect was being heated by the attackers and used in the assault.

Sources have said it could have been even worse, as a team of gardai from Kevin Street Drugs Unit happened to be conducting a drugs operation in the complex when they came across the crime and rescued the woman.

The attack took place in a flat complex on Henrietta Street, in Dublins north inner city.

Officers suspect that the attack may be linked to a missing, or seized, consignment of drugs the woman's boyfriend is believed to have been holding for a drug gang.

Gardai are investigating if the gang was torturing the woman in a bid to get information on her boyfriends whereabouts.

It is understood the woman is homeless and was sleeping rough in the city.

Sources said many of her attackers were heavily involved in the sale and supply of drugs.

The woman is understood to have voluntarily gone to the apartment, which is not her home, not knowing there was a large group of people waiting for her inside.

A statement from Garda Press Office said: Gardai in Bridewell arrested 8 males in relation to an investigation into alleged false imprisonment of a female, aged in her 30s at a property in Bolton Street, Dublin 7 on the evening of Thursday, September 26.

The eight males, (aged in their 20s, 30s, 50s and one juvenile) are all currently detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984 at Garda stations in the Dublin region. Investigations ongoing.

Detailed questioning of the eight males continued on Friday and their statements will be examined and compared by detectives.

Detectives are trying to determine what role each of the eight males played in the false imprisonment and assault.

It is not known if the victim has been in any condition to communicate with detectives given the physical injuries sustained and the trauma suffered as well as fear of her attackers.

Drug-related intimidation has been highlighted for many years by community groups and local drug task forces across the country.

This was again highlighted most recently on Thursday  the same day as the assault - by the CityWide Drugs Crisis Campaign at the Oireachtas Committee on Drugs and in a report by the Mid-West Regional Drug and Alcohol Task Force.

Six men and a teenager are due in court on Saturday in connection with the incident.
BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan, September 28. A new state-owned Trading Company has been created in Kyrgyzstan, fully funded by the government, Trend reports.

The company was established by the Ministry of Economy and Commerce to monitor trade flows involving Kyrgyz companies, particularly for goods that do not enter the country.

According to the ministry, the aim of this company is to regulate trade activities and serve as a tool for controlling financial transactions related to these trades. Key tasks include facilitating international trade, overseeing financial operations like currency transfers, managing currency risks, and ensuring financial stability.

On September 4, 2024, the National Bank of Kyrgyzstan imposed a one-year restriction on financial organizations, preventing them from processing payments for goods and services coming from or going to foreign countries without actual delivery in Kyrgyzstan, except for authorized state companies designated by the Cabinet of Ministers.

The newly established trading company is authorized to conduct trade operations without actual delivery, and companies previously engaged in such activities must now route their transactions through this company. This measure is expected to streamline trade flows and enhance regulatory oversight. The trading company will also collaborate with all commercial banks without restrictions.
"It was pure chaos and hell  like a scene from a war movie."

These are the words of one of the members of staff of Tibnine Orphanage, Ali Saad, to describe what they and 40 children saw before their hasty evacuation from the southern Lebanon town earlier this week.

The former bank manager who worked as a humanitarian worker throughout decades of on-off conflict between Israel and his beloved Lebanon, told the Irish Examiner over a barely audible phone line: The children were absolutely terrified and were screaming and crying as bombs went off around the orphanage.

The first anybody knew about the attacks that started in Tibnine on September 23 was at 10.30am. The sound of the engines of Israeli fighter jets suddenly roaring overhead were very quickly followed by the ear-splitting thundering crash bang of bombs exploding around the town.

In a very short space of time, houses were being blown up, and shards of shrapnel and other debris were raining down on surrounding streets and into neighbouring houses.

Along with this deadly debris, glass from the windows of houses in and around those bombed was flying in all directions, crippling anybody caught in or near the blasts.

It was pure chaos and hell and it was terrifying, Ali said. Bombs were exploding all over the place, and there was debris flying, and huge plumes of smoke.

The children were crying and screaming, especially when the stones and the shrapnel all fell over the orphanage building.

We had no time to pack anything, and we all just left with the clothes we had on, and maybe a few personal belongings. There was no delay. We just left.

As people left Tibnine, along with the bus containing the orphans, most set their animals free. One resident said, for example, that they keep pigeons and chickens.

"I had to set them free because I would not be around to look after them," they said. Others let also set free their horses, their donkeys and  if they had any  the few sheep they might have had.

Of the long bus trip to Beirut, which should have taken about two hours but lasted 17 hours, they added: There were bombs going off all along the route, and thanks be to God that we were not hit.

The sights that we saw along the way will stay with all of us forever. Luckily none of the convoys heading north along the main road were hit."

As well as the hundreds of thousands of people fleeing the area at the same time, there were also thousands of sheep and cattle also heading in the same direction. All the shepherds could not just hop in a bus or car and drive away, Ali said.

Ali, who has since found out that his home in Tibnine has suffered bomb damage, said: They walked with their sheep and cattle all the way from the south to the north. They walked along the streets, heading to safer places with their animals.

A journey that would normally take someone about eight hours to walk from the areas in and around At Atiri  near the Irish peacekeeping camp  to Tyre on the coast was taking three days.

Links to Irish peacekeepers

The orphans' 105km journey took them past a junction off the motorway to Beirut that is near a coastal village where Private Sean Rooney was shot and killed in December 2022.

Pte Rooney and his colleagues, who were all serving with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) were just four minutes from the main highway into Beirut when their vehicle was fired on in the southern Lebanon village of Al-Aqibiya.

Trooper Shane Kearney, from Killeagh in Cork, sustained a serious head injury when the vehicle he was travelling in crashed and he is still undergoing ongoing medical treatment.

Pte Rooney was the first Irish peacekeeper to die in the line of fire since Private William Billy Kedian was killed by Israeli-backed militia on May 31, 1999.

Tibnine itself, and its orphanage in particular, has always held its place in the hearts of anybody who has served in Lebanon since the 1980s. Although the orphanage was built with the help and support of peacekeepers from the Netherlands in 1979, Irish peacekeepers have been heavily involved with it ever since.

This was especially the case when they were based in the town. During the 1980s, Irish soldiers supplied the orphanage with food and helped to equip and install bedrooms.

A Christmas party hosted by members of the Defence Forces in 2022 for girls from Tibnine orphanage. Picture: Ali Saad/Tibnine Orphanage

Irish medics serving with the UN have also done health checks on the children and as well as providing fresh water, while soldiers have also taught English to the children.

Funding for the orphanage comes from a variety of sources, including the Lebanese government, Defence Forces personnel serving with the UN, and donations from UN veterans. Funding usually comes via Irish Aid, Irelands development co-operation programme, and is for so-called 'micro projects'.

Funds supplied by Irish Aid and Defence Forces personnel have supplied buses over the years, as well as a kitchen and a playground.

Irish soldiers came into their own during the so-called July War of 2006, when Irish peacekeepers helped shield and protect orphans during what turned out to be a 34-day armed conflict between Hezbollah paramilitaries and Israeli forces.

It had started when three Israeli soldiers were killed in a Hezbollah ambush on the border between the two countries that led to air strikes and then a ground invasion of southern Lebanon.

Although a UN-brokered ceasefire came into effect in September 2006, the July War had left up to 1,300 Lebanese dead, and some 165 Israelis dead.

Micheal Martin has repeatedly met children and staff from the orphanage when he has visited in his capacity as Taoiseach or Tanaiste and Minister of Defence in the last two years.

Present day

Fast forward to now, and while the Irish Defence Forces are ready to provide humanitarian assistance, the movement of UNIFIL soldiers is currently severely restricted. Added to that, Irish peacekeepers are no longer operating in Tibnine.

So far the attacks by the Israelis have led to around 37 casualties and three dead in the areas directly around Tibnine Hospital. The victims were all hit when properties near the hospital were bombed.

The towns Lebanese Red Cross depot managed to escape damage when bombs exploded beside its perimeter walls, and the small yard where they park their vehicles.

Asked why Tibnine has been targeted by the Israeli air strikes, an Israeli Defence Forces spokesperson told the Irish Examiner: On Wednesday, numerous projectiles were fired from Tibnine in southern Lebanon toward Wadi Ara.

Shortly afterward, the Israeli Air Force struck the launcher from which the projectiles were fired. Additionally, the Israeli Air Force struck dozens of weapons storage facilities belonging to the Hezbollah terrorist organisation in southern Lebanon.

For its part, the Defence Forces say that Irish Peacekeepers in southern Lebanon are positioned, willing and ready to assist the local community in line with its mandate from the UN.

Irish troops have a long and close relationship with the local communities in South Lebanon and will not be found wanting in supporting any UNIFIL humanitarian assistance program, the Defence Forces said. This humanitarian assistance will be co-ordinated at a UNIFIL level as dictated by the (UN) mandate.

It also points out that Tibnine is in the Malaysian Peacekeeping Battalion (MALBATT) Area of Operations  run by the Malaysian Army  and said that even though the Irish have a long history of service in this area, it is not currently our Area of Operations.

It also pointed out that it was not asked to help in the evacuation of the orphanage.

Girls from Tibnine orphanage with members of the Defence Forces in December 2022. Picture: Ali Saad/Tibnine Orphanage

For now, the orphans are being housed in a hotel in central Beirut. Quite what fate holds for them is anybodys guess.

We have no idea when we will be returning to southern Lebanon, Ali said. There is a heavy war in south Lebanon, it is not just an exchange of fire. It is a heavy war, and we do not know what the future holds. We have no choice but to live day-to-day and hope for the best.

"Given that we left the orphanage with nothing, we are hoping that, like after the 2006 war, Irish veterans will be able to help us financially with the costs on the orphanage."
THE dogs are eating the dead. That is not hyperbole engineered to appall, but eyewitness testimony from some one who was forced to watch, day after day, as he set about trying to stay alive, and save lives, in Gaza.

The dogs are eating the dead, he said, and that was over nine months ago, around Christmas time when the death toll was estimated to be half what it is now. Before the forced starvation and the polio and the 40-degree summer heat. Before the tents became fireballs and incinerated the children.

Before all of that, the dogs were eating the dead. Hold that thought in your mind for a moment as you sip your morning coffee.

You knew this, of course, if you were paying attention because wild, hungry dogs eating dead human bodies on roadsides is a logical next step when indiscriminate, state-sponsored killing happens on an industrial scale.

When the ability to retrieve those bodies by loved ones is denied by those who killed them.

When the medics are shot by snipers, and the ambulances targeted by Merkava tanks.

A rotting corpse on a roadside becomes dog food.

Ah but October 7, I hear you say, in an attempt to convince me that it was not Israel that started this, but Hamas, and by Hamas you mean an unborn baby in a schoolteachers tummy in Rafah because, by your rationale that foetus and the mother who had carried it  both now dead  were legitimate targets.

Ok, Ill play your game.

A man takes photos of a burnt-out car after a Hamas attack near the city of Sderot on October 8, 2023. Picture: Jack Guez/AFP/Getty

Im no historian but you dont need to be William Dalrymple to understand that oppression breeds resistance. The more brutal the oppression, the more violent the resistance.

That the Nat Turner revolution energised the abolitionist movement and hastened the end of slavery.

That the Easter Rising, though flawed and unpopular at the time, was the turning point in Ireland finally ridding itself of colonial rule.

That the FLNs guerilla war in Algeria was necessary for its independence. Should slavery still exist? Should Ireland still be British? Algeria French?

Asking these rhetorical questions is not an apology for violence, but a simple statement of fact that Palestinian resistance  legal under international humanitarian law  and Hezbollahs counterattacks on Northern Israel are symptoms of a cancer of the Wests creation.

Israel carries out its mission of ethnic cleansing under the cloak of self-defence certain of only one thing  impunity. Imagine the chuckling it does when countries like Ireland make grand statements that amount to nothing more than political posturing.

When Simon Harris met Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas, a leader that Israel props up, and talks of how the Palestinian Authority  the second most despised entity in Palestine (guess the first)  is central to the day after, this is not diplomacy, but cowardice.

Pointing at ceilings

For almost a year, Ireland, a nation born from violent revolution, has had the chance to assert itself on the right side of history.

Instead, our Governments first meaningful act after October 7 was Tanaiste Micheal Martin shaking hands with Israeli foreign minister Eli Cohen in Sderot last November, staring up at that hole in the ceiling.

Micheal Martin and Israeli foreign minister Eli Cohen visiting the home of Haim Peretz in the town of Sderot which suffered a rocket attack last October.

Mr Martin told reporters: Im here to see this first hand and to listen; to seek to understand the trauma that your community has gone through and not just in horrific events over the seventh [of October] but as you said for over two decades, if not three decades, in terms of rockets.

Rockets...

You could almost forgive him for being a prisoner to the moment only that, on that long flight to Tel Aviv he or his countless advisors could have read or been briefed on an encyclopedia of recent history that would have left him in no doubt  none  that the Israeli response to the horrors of October 7 would be nothing short of catastrophic for the Palestinian people.

The funeral of Cork's lord mayor Tomas Mac Curtain, murdered by British forces, proceeding along Camden Quay, Cork, in March 1920. You don't have to be a historian to work out that oppression breeds resistance. Picture: Irish Examiner Archive

The 1982 invasion of Lebanon. The 2006 war with Hezbollah. Consecutive intifadas in Gaza. Perpetual collective punishment and torture of Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.

That hole in the ceiling must seem like a tiny crack in an otherwise disintegrating sky of moral duplicity now.

Except, not to the government it doesnt, as everything since Martins visit to Israel points to a strategy of cowering behind a wall of words, content that our international reputation as Critic of Israel/Friend of Palestine will be enough to guarantee us a seat at the rebuild party in Al Quds when this big mess is over.

Its such a disappointment, a disappointment only amplified by the fact that that same international reputation of a champion of the underdog exempts us as a country from wider criticism, the type that might actually hurt, because no amount of screaming from Irish healthcare workers, academics, no-name columnists, teachers  ordinary goddamn people  seems to make a difference.

Elections will come. Coalitions will be formed. Brows will be furrowed. Concern expressed. Condemnations issued.

Meanwhile, the bombs will continue to fall like, well, bombs. No pithy metaphors suffice.

Which brings us to the UN.

UN worker versus an Israeli tank To focus on one persons death amid the tens of thousands murdered seems redundant, but this example is instructional if only to highlight the subservience of Western governments and UN leadership towards Israel. An Israeli tank manoeuvring at the border with Gaza last month. On May 13, Waibhav Kale died after his UN vehicle was struck by a tank shell followed by an airstrike. The UN then asked the IDF for permission to retrieve his remains. Picture: Tsafrir Abayov/AP On May 13 this year, an Indian member of the UN Department of Safety and Security (DSS) was killed, the UN vehicle he was travelling in struck by a tank round fired  one would have to assume, since they are the only people in Gaza with tanks  by the Israel Defence Forces (IDF). The tank round was quickly followed by an airstrike. You know what happens when a UN international is killed or injured in such circumstances? The UN ask for permission from the IDF  the very people that have just killed or injured them  to retrieve the dead or injured bodies (before the dogs eat them, I presume). They then coordinate their evacuation, through Israel, by the IDF. Think about that. They shoot them. Then they get to take them away. The same is true of countless UN peacekeepers injured or killed by Israeli shelling of South Lebanon down through the decades. Irish soldiers among them.

There is, of course, no repatriation required for the hundreds of dead UNRWA workers native to Palestine.

None, either, for UNHCR staff members Dina Darwiche and Ali Basma, both killed by Israeli strikes in Lebanon last week. They die in their homes or in overcrowded schools, undoubtedly petrified.

Each death. Each humanitarian convoy stopped or restricted.

Each blatant abuse of international humanitarian law by Israel is an example of their flagrant contempt for the United Nations and the brave souls on the ground who represent it, risking their lives in doing so.

Irish soldiers before the visit of Tanaiste Micheal Martin to meet members of the 124th Infantry Battalion at Camp Shamrock in Debel, Lebanon during his visit to meet Irish troops serving with the United Nations Interim Force In Lebanon (Unifil).

Make no mistake  that same contempt extends to the hundreds of Irish peacekeepers huddled in bomb shelters as you read this. The UN is dirt to Israel and always has been.

This begs the question of why Benjamin Netanyahu was invited to address the UN General Assembly, and why we sat there and listened.

Like parents inviting a known abuser into their home.

What an insult to its members who provide those convoys, who protect those children, who vaccinate and teach and nurse and save lives and who report, day in, day out, all wearing the blue vest. They do so believing it means something.

No matter. Before the weekend is done, there will be some more meaningless missives from leaders in New York drunk on fine wine and flagrant careerism. Sure, theyll be condemning something, just nothing and nobody in particular.

Meanwhile, on the dystopian streets of Gaza and south Lebanon, the dogs are eating the dead.
I went time-travelling during that apocalyptic rain on Wednesday and found myself immersed in an Ireland of the 1960s that I never knew existed  one that is beautifully captured on film by a group of female amateur filmmakers.

If you have a few hours (days, even) to spare, venture down the utterly enchanting digital rabbit-hole which has been brought to the viewing public courtesy of the Irish Film Institute Archive. It opens up an aperture to the past that happily challenges many assumptions.

Take the short documentary Kay, for instance. Made in 1968, it features sixth-year secondary school pupil Kay Lavelle, whose artistic expression is actively encouraged by her art teacher (and film-maker), Sr Maureen MacMahon, at Sion Hill in Dublin.

The respect shown to an emerging young female artist is extraordinary. In 12-and-a-half gloriously shot minutes, Owen Carton on camera and Sr Maureen in production present Kay Lavelle as a talented budding artist who has something to say and, as the voiceover puts it, she says it beautifully in paint.

Listening to the artist explain her own work is a revelation.

HISTORY HUB If you are interested in this article then no doubt you will enjoy exploring the various history collections and content in our history hub. Check it out HERE and happy reading

A still from the documentary Kay'.

Why do I paint? Kay Lavelle asks the question herself before giving an answer reminiscent of Moira Shearer in the 1948 film Red Shoes. When the Scottish ballet dancer and actor is asked why she wants to dance, she replies: Why do you want to live?

In this real-life study of the impulse to create art, an exceptionally wise young Dublin woman simply says: I just have to.

She goes on to explain that her main reason for painting is to try to express herself exactly.

The camera then homes in as she works in oil on a painting which the commentator describes as a stylised form verging on the grotesque. But, as the artist explains, she is simply trying to express the inexpressible: In this painting, Im trying to show how man has been drained of some of his manhood by the terrific influence of big business. The idea hit me when I was in Germany this year.

Here is a young woman in her teens talking about finding a way to express what she thinks and feels in an Ireland which was not renowned for allowing anyone, least of all young women, say what they thought.

At the end, she says shed give it up if she could  she doesnt like the smell of paint  but she cant because she feels compelled to keep on painting and painting.

A short skip down another digital rabbit-hole reveals that Kay Lavelle is now Katherine Andjelopolj and she is still painting in her adopted home of South Africa. Of course she is

Her former teacher Sr Maureen is not still making films but, in 2022 at the age of 104, she did go to the Irish Film Institute (IFI) in Dublin when it held a public screening of Kay, the award-winning film she produced so many decades before with the Black Raven Film Group.

A lot of these early filmmakers did not put a value on what they did, says Kasandra OConnell, head of the IFI Irish Film Archive.

Flora Kerrigan, a pioneering filmmaker of the 1950s and 60s from Cork.

That was also true of Cork filmmaker Flora Kerrigan who, during the late 1950s and 60s, produced numerous, internationally recognised shorts with the Cork Cine Club.

Happily, she was recalled on these pages just last year when Marjorie Brennan wrote an evocative piece about her and the exciting project, run by the IFI with Maynooth University and several academic partners, which is bringing the contribution of women filmmakers back into focus.

Its interesting to go even further back into the archives of this newspaper to see how Flora Kerrigans work was received at the time:

Heres a snippet from Mainly About People by Stephen from the Cork Examiner of March 17, 1961: Tall, blonde, willowy 20-year-old Flora Kerrigan, who is secretary of the Cork Cine Club, is piling up awards for 8mm films which she either makes herself [or] in conjunction with a friend, Cormac Langford. Last May she started to make cartoon films and to date, she has completed eleven. She tells me that it takes almost 2,000 cut-outs for a two-minute cartoon. Its work that requires infinite patience but it is very satisfying and less expensive than the ordinary filmmaking.

The physical description might raise an eyebrow now, but its clear the first-name-only columnist was an admirer of her work. He wrote with enthusiasm of K&L Productions, the new production company she was setting up with Cormac Langford; her love of black-and-white film (theres too much fuss made of colour), and filming on Patrick Street at 6 in the morning.

Flora also enlisted the help of her sisters. Frances spoke recently of being involved, and the 1961 article mentions her 15-year-old sister, Josephine, who starred in a number of her films.

Her subject matter was often darkly comedic and hauntingly existential, according to the IFI.

The Seventh Day, which youll find on the IFI Archive player, is an extraordinary four-and-a-half minute animation depicting the dawn of time through a series of images of cogs, pulleys and hour-glasses.

Eventually, to quote the programme notes, humans become time-based mechanisms themselves, harassed and harried across the screen by times fussy technology.

I had no idea that amateur Irish filmmakers, let alone female ones, were making work such as this in the 1960s.

And, happily, we have but scratched the surface. Archivist Kasandra OConnells own interest in amateur filmmaking and the work of female filmmakers  two areas that are traditionally overlooked in terms of critical studies  led the IFI Irish Film Archive to work with Women in Focus. The collaborative project does just that; it puts the focus on overlooked women.

Sr Maureen MacMahon and Flora Kerrigan are two of the five independent filmmakers featured in the IFIs easily accessible archive.

The others are Margaret Currivan and Agnes Heron, two business women, and Beres Laidlaw, a member of a prominent Anglo-Irish family. (Interesting fact: her biographical notes say she was a skilled embroider who possibly learnt the craft from former Taoiseach Charles Haugheys mother, Sarah McWilliams Haughey.)

Some of these talented and creative women were recognised in their lifetime. Director Margaret Currivan, for instance, beat off competition from the predominantly male filmmakers of the time to win the Film Shows Cup at the 1961 Dublin Amateur Cine Society competition.

Sadly, though, many were later forgotten, in part because some of the women themselves minimised what they did. That is changing now thanks to this excellent project of retrieval from the IFI and its partners.

And best of all, there is more to come. This curation of five films is not the final cut. A larger selection of films will be made available on the IFI Archive Player next year. See you down the rabbit hole.
Is Sinn Fein delusional to think Mary Lou McDonald can still become taoiseach after the next election?

The party has plummeted from a high of 37% this time two years ago to below the 20% mark  and yet members continue to insist that a term in office is within the partys grasp.

This sentiment is completely at odds with the reality of the polls, which show that, despite a series of policy launches over the summer, the party cant seem to turn the tide on its dwindling popularity.

McDonald herself has had a number of less than convincing media interviews where details were scant and her tone was combative.

The Irish Examiners recent Rural Ireland Thinks poll revealed a strong belief among many voters that McDonald has damaged Sinn Feins chances of forming the next government.

Some 43% of respondents said they feel she negatively impacted the potential of a Sinn Fein-led government, with 21% disagreeing.

But again members insist that she is a tough cookie who has the ability to lead the party into power.

After Sinn Feins disappointing local elections in June, many within Fianna Fail and Fine Gael advocating for an autumn election emphasise that waiting until the new year would only give Sinn Fein time to regroup and rebuild.

Their narrative comes with the precedent of 2019, when Sinn Fein had a dismal day out at the locals but, less than a year later, bounced back in the general election to win 37 Dail seats.

Now, however, there is growing sentiment from some within the Government ranks that the tide is so far out for McDonald, she and her party are now stranded at sea and will not be able to recover ahead of a poll, regardless of when that is held.

Speaking privately this week, Sinn Fein members described the mood in the party as everything from good to flat, but all wanted to stress that support can and will improve, with one remarking there has been a positive shift on the doors which has yet to be picked up on in polling.

But there is now a widespread acceptance that Sinn Fein could never have achieved 37% in a general election.

There were people who at a period of time said that they would vote for Sinn Fein, but I dont know if they were ever people who we could count on, they are likely to be those who would change their vote often, said one TD.

The source added that a more realistic target is 25%, similar to the support received in the last general election, which the party is ready to capitalise on this time around and turn into more seats through a better candidate strategy than was deployed in 2020.

McDonald was criticised in 2020 for not fielding enough candidates to meet the demands of voters, but the party has again been reassessing and perhaps downgrading its expectations.

In constituencies such as Donegal and even Waterford, where at one point the party were talking about running three candidates, only two have been selected.

Likewise, the party has held off on selecting a running mate for Donnchadh O Laoghaire in Cork South-Central and McDonalds own constituency of Dublin Central has yet to be settled.

In total, the party has officially selected more than 50 candidates, but says that it will be putting forward around 70 across the country with conventions ongoing.

For now, Sinn Fein is still motivated by the possibility of governing the country.

We really want to be in a position to lead government next time around because its exacerbating what we are seeing, there are so many issues that need to be addressed, one senior member said this week.

We are not saying its going to be easy but its something that we will be attempting. We got that level of support before, so its attainable.

Another senior member suggested that, while polls may indicate a gulf between Fine Gael and Sinn Fein, when margins of error are taken into account and when the percentage figures are translated into votes and transfers  which in turn will determine the number of seats  the numbers arent that far apart.

One TD confidently predicted that Sinn Fein will still come out better than Fianna Fail and will be battling it out with Fine Gael for the most seats.

An indication that Fine Gael isnt fully confident that the Sinn Fein threat has fully receded came in a flurry of press releases on Thursday morning which were issued to coincide with the publication of Pearse Dohertys alternative budget proposals.

The Fine Gael press office issued releases in the names of senators, TDs, and junior ministers, each picking apart a different element of the document, criticising everything from Sinn Feins plans on USC, housing, RTE funding, higher education, and health.

As Sinn Fein holds its ard fheis in Athlone this weekend, the party will be hoping that its plans to make housing affordable, deliver cheaper childcare, and tackle the cost of living will gain the attention of voters.

In tandem, copies of Eoin O Broins new housing policy are being hand-delivered into letter boxes by local members, with an aim to reach as many households as possible.

Sinn Fein is going into this ard fheis ready to fight the general election, said deputy Dail leader Pearse Doherty pointing to the many big ideas being put forward.

Sinn Fein would deliver a government that finally puts ordinary people first. That is needed now more than ever before.

Fighting talk from Doherty, but much more will be read into the body language and mood among grassroots and elected members this weekend.
When people consider the great journalists of the past century, its likely that Hugh Cudlipp will appear on the shortlist.

Cudlipp was a founding father of modern tabloid style and a prestigious honour in his name for campaigning and investigative reporting is awarded every year.

This years choice is imminent and a hot favourite is a series which exposed the scandal of Britains single justice procedure, under which millions of people have been prosecuted and criminalised with no public scrutiny whatsoever.

Thats the stuff of good newspapers, you might think. However, what is remarkable about this potential prize winner is that the publication which provided the platform and resources for this important coverage is tottering on its last legs.

From five days a week, the Evening Standard has reduced to just one. London, which once boasted three evening titles and where street corner vendors regaled commuters and shoppers with the cry of Star, News or Standard, now has no daily print offering to serve a metropolis of 9.8m people.

To a certain extent, and as we mark World News Day, we need to remember the catchy  and often misunderstood  early 60s phrase of the communications guru Marshall McLuhan.

The medium is the message, he declared, proclaiming that content is shaped and controlled by the form in which it is delivered. Its a slippery precept which can be applied to multiple technologies from old- school print, to radio, to cinema and TV, to the internet, to text messaging, to all the modern tech platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, and X.

With all the changes, fairly rapid in terms of human history, it can be argued that our faculties for critical thinking have been left behind and truth has become an increasingly elastic concept.

World News Day aims to remind us of the importance of fact-based journalism and how we need more of that. Only when founded on facts does opinion and commentary, of which there is a glut, carry cogency and relevance.

For the most part, they are gathered by what used to be known as shoe leather reporting  getting out, speaking to people, and validating what they say against other, independent sources. Increasingly, it relies on reading the runes in open source data.

This requires boots on the ground, and most publishing companies are struggling to maintain their rosters against the rapacity of tech companies and their algorithms. Many, including this one, are seeking to expand into digital markets which generate less return.

Other online ventures, such as Tortoise Media, are attempting to bolt on a print offering  in this instance by taking over the worlds oldest Sunday newspaper, The Observer.

In November, we will celebrate the Irish Journalism Awards. It is a competition entered by many, but not all, journalists in the Republic.

The news avoiders in our society might pause for a moment to reflect on some of the issues covered by last years winners: Illegal nursing home charges; shenanigans about high-energy data centres; patients wrongly denied the essential drugs they need; exposing gangland activities, and revealing the arcane bonus policies of RTE.

Turning your back on the news, particularly in an election year, is a form of rebuff to your community. The truth, as TV once told us, is out there. It is incumbent on each of us to recognise it when we see it  and when we dont.

Pop culture references do not a story make Judges can garner high levels of criticism in their chosen careers, so opportunities for a few words of approbation are often welcome. Well done to Court of Appeal president Ms Justice Caroline Costello for drawing us all up on the use of inappropriate slang and cultural references, and warning that their deployment can go against precision and clarity. In this case, she was objecting to a High Court judgement in a wind farm case which warned about litigants walking into Mordor and one of the parties being subjected to gaslighting. Mordor is the land of darkness in Middle Earth in the fantasy epic Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien. Gaslighting is a form of mental abuse based on a 1940s thriller movie by the director George Cukor. Such comments, Ms Justice Costello said, meant the judgment could only be understood by reference to literary tropes, which may or may not be understood by a reader, in an appeal against a decision to approve a wind farm in the Carrownagowan area within the slopes of Slieve Bearnagh mountain. Thats us all told then, and a good reminder that not everyone in the world has read the lyrics of Taylor Swift. We should remember the observation of the 18th century polymath Dr Johnson: Read over your compositions, and wherever you meet with a passage which you think is particularly fine, strike it out. What's your view on this issue? You can tell us here

Netanyahu back on his favourite stage

Anyone hoping for a breakthrough following the arrival of Benjamin Netanyahu to address the United Nations General Assembly has fallen victim to that characteristic of optimists everywhere  the triumph of hope over experience.

Few world leaders are as familiar with the podium in New York as the prime minister of Israel. He has spoken there a dozen times  the first occasion as ambassador in 1984.

In a defiantly trenchant speech yesterday, he said that the once respected institution was filled with antisemitic bile and was held contemptible in the eyes of reasonable people everywhere.

As on previous occasions, he brandished redrawn maps of the Middle East and warned the world about Iran and the threat of what he has deemed militant Islam in pursuit of a master faith.

Mr Netanyahus arrival was preceded by a White House proposal for a 21-day ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel, which is supported by the EU, Australia, Canada, Britain, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Japan. It was studiously ignored in his address.

Instead, Israel vowed to keep striking Lebanese militants who have been launching rockets across the border in support of Hamass allies for nearly a year. A statement released earlier stated: We continue to hit Hezbollah with all our might. We will not stop until we achieve all our goals, first of all the safe return of the residents of the north to their homes.

While there has been a frosty reception in New York from the Jewish community with a number of protests, recent events including the pager and walkie-talkie attacks, have boosted the premiers personal popularity ratings at home.

Standing up to the world at 405 East 42nd St is unlikely to set those back.

Several relatives of the 101 Israeli hostages still held by Hamas in Gaza travelled with him on his flight from Tel Aviv and attended the session, from which several Arab delegations absented themselves.

The last time Israel entered the morass of Lebanon in 2006, the conflict ended with Security Council Resolution 1701 which anticipated the withdrawal of Israeli forces to be replaced by Lebanese and UN peacekeepers.

That is how soldiers from Ireland now find themselves  in an uncomfortable position as the latest representatives of Unifil [United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon] holding the line in an illusory peace.

From Jerusalems perspective, the ceasefire of 18 years ago was a failure, with Hezbollah strengthening its political and military grip over the country and replenishing its armaments with supplies from Iran.

Its unlikely that any progress can be made without Iran restraining its proxy and influencing Hezbollah to cease its daily practice of firing rockets over the border onto Israeli targets.

To that extent, President Michael D Higgins was correct in addressing his hopes for peace, if not in his tone, towards Tehran.

Seeking change there may also be a matter of hope over experience.

Israel will not go gentle into that good night, said Mr Netanyahu, quoting the Welsh poet Dylan Thomas.

On the evidence of yesterdays speech, the world can expect more rage to ensue.
Model Naomi Campbell said she has instructed new advisers to investigate what happened at her charity Fashion for Relief after she was disqualified from being a trustee for five years, adding aspects of the watchdogs report were deeply flawed.

The 54-year-old said the Charity Commissions report, which found serious mismanagement of funds including hotel stays and spa treatments, was incomplete and misleading in their consideration of evidence.

Campbell was one of three trustees to be disqualified as a result of the probe.

I've dedicated nearly 30 years of my life to charitable initiatives, and I care deeply about the value and impact of the work I do

First of all, I recognise that, as the face of Fashion for Relief, I am ultimately responsible for its conduct, Campbell said in a statement to the PA news agency.

Unfortunately, I was not involved in the day-to-day operations of the organisation, and I entrusted the legal and operational management to others.

I want to assure everyone who has supported us that these findings are being taken very seriously.

I have instructed new advisers to undertake a detailed investigation of what transpired.

Campbell insisted she has never been paid a fee for my participation in Fashion for Relief nor billed any personal expenses to the organisation.

Ive dedicated nearly 30 years of my life to charitable initiatives, and I care deeply about the value and impact of the work I do, she said.

Naomi Campbell said the Charity Commission report was deeply flawed (James Manning/PA)

Typically, I align my charity work with paid assignments, which cover my travel and related expenses.

In cases where this is not possible, either myself or personal friends have covered the expenses.

In fact, in terms of the specific hotel expense mentioned in the report, the hotel has confirmed that all charges were settled by my personal travel agent, who in turn verified that they were reimbursed directly by a third party unaffiliated with the foundation.

Campbell said she intends to consider all options, including requesting an appeal, to ensure the report presents a fair and accurate representation of our operations.

We believe aspects of the report are deeply flawed, she added.

The Charity Commission, which registers and regulates charities in England and Wales, opened an inquiry into Fashion for Relief in 2021.

It was dissolved and removed from the register of charities earlier this year.

It had been set up with the aim of uniting the fashion industry to relieve poverty and advance health and education by making grants to other organisations and providing resources after global disasters.

Campbell said the experience had only strengthened my resolve to continue making a positive impact in the world.

Fellow charity trustees Bianka Hellmich and Veronica Chou were also disqualified for nine and four years respectively.

It means they are prevented from being a trustee or holding a senior management role in any charity in England and Wales during the length of the disqualification.

The Charity Commission report, published on Thursday, said 344,000 (411,000) has been recovered and a further 98,000 (117,000) of charitable funds protected.

The probe found that between April 2016 and July 2022, 8.5% of the charitys overall expenditure was on charitable grants.

Naomi Campbell was disqualified from being a charity trustee for five years (Lucy North/PA)

The inquiry said it saw no evidence that trustees took action to ensure fundraising methods were in the charitys best interests, or that the money it spent was reasonable relative to the income it generated.

It also said it found some fundraising expenditure to be misconduct or mismanagement by the charitys trustees.

This included a 14,800 flight from London to Nice for transferring art and jewellery to a fundraising event in Cannes in 2018.

It also looked into the decision to spend 9,400 euros of charity funds on a three-night stay at a five-star hotel for Campbell.

In these cases, the trustees failed to show how these were cost-effective and an appropriate use of the charitys resources, the Charity Commission said.

It also examined expenses incurred by Campbell totalling nearly 7,940, alongside the hotel stay, paid for by the charity.

These costs included spa treatments, room service and the purchase of cigarettes and hotel products.

The regulator said trustees explained that hotel costs were typically covered by a donor to the charity, therefore not costing the charity, but failed to provide any evidence to support this.
Israels military says Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah has been killed in an air strike on Beirut.

In a post on X, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) said he will no longer be able to terrorize the world.

The military said the strike was carried out while the Hezbollah leadership was meeting at their headquarters in Dahiyeh.

Nasrallah has lead Hezbollah for more than three decades, and his Killing marks a major escalation on the Israeli side.

Ali Karki, the commander of Hezbollahs southern front, and additional commanders were also killed in the attack.

Earlier, the Israeli military said they were mobilising additional reserve soldiers as tensions escalate with Lebanon.

The military said on Saturday morning they were activating three battalions of reserve soldiers, after sending two battalions to northern Israel earlier in the week to train for a possible ground invasion.

On Saturday morning, the Israeli military carried out several strikes on targets in southern Beirut, including Hezbollahs headquarters in a series of massive explosions that targeted the leader of the militant group and levelled multiple high-rise apartment buildings.

Smoke rises from an Israeli airstrike in the southern suburbs of Beirut on Saturday (Hussein Malla/AP)

Further strikes were carried out in Bekaa Valley in eastern Lebanon.

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was the target of the strikes on the groups headquarters, according to two sources, including one US official.

Hours before the strikes, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the United Nations, vowing that his countrys campaign against Hezbollah would continue  further dimming hopes for an internationally backed cease-fire.

Mr Netanyahu abruptly cut his United States visit short and returned to Israel. News of the blasts came as Mr Netanyahu was briefing reporters after his UN address. A military aide whispered into his ear, and he quickly ended the briefing.

Benjamin Netanyahu addressing the United Nations General Assembly on Friday (Richard Drew/AP)

The Pentagon said the US had no advance warning of the strikes.

Nasrallah has been in hiding for years, rarely appearing in public. He regularly gives speeches, but always by video from unknown locations.

More than 720 people have been killed in Lebanon since the conflict escalated on Monday, according to Lebanons health ministry.

The United Nations says the number displaced by the conflict from southern Lebanon has more than doubled, with more than 211,000 people affected.

At least 20 primary health care centres have shut down in hardest hit areas of Lebanon, the UN Office for Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs said.

Hezbollah began firing rockets into northern Israel in support of Hamas after it stormed into Israel, sparking the Israel-Hamas war.

Top Israeli officials have threatened to repeat the destruction of Gaza in Lebanon if the Hezbollah attacks continue, raising fears that Israels actions in Gaza since October 7 would be repeated in Lebanon.

Rescuers at the site of an Israeli air strike in Beiruts southern suburbs (Hassan Ammar/AP)

Israeli army spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said the strikes targeted the main Hezbollah headquarters, saying it was located underground beneath residential buildings.

The series of blasts at around nightfall reduced six apartment towers to rubble in Haret Hreik, a densely populated district of Beiruts Dahiyeh suburbs, according to Lebanons national news agency.

A wall of billowing black and orange smoke rose into the sky as windows were rattled and houses shaken 18 miles north of Beirut.

Footage showed rescue workers clambering over large slabs of concrete, surrounded by high piles of twisted metal and wreckage. Several craters were visible, one with a car toppled into it. A stream of residents carrying their belongings were seen fleeing along a main road out of the district.

Israel dramatically intensified its air strikes in Lebanon this week, saying it is determined to put an end to more than 11 months of Hezbollah fire into its territory. The escalated campaign has killed more than 720 people in Lebanon, including dozens of women and children, according to Health Ministry statistics.

A pre-dawn strike on Friday in the border town of Chebaa killed nine members of the same family, the state news agency said.

Israel Defence Forces said its air forces killed Hezbollah missile unit commander Muhammad Ali Ismail, who it said was responsible for directing numerous terror attacks against Israel, and his deputy Hussein Ahmad Ismail during an attack in southern Lebanon on Tuesday.

There was no immediate confirmation from Hezbollah.

The scope of Israels operation remains unclear, but officials have said a ground invasion to push the militant group away from the border is a possibility. Israel has moved thousands of troops towards the border in preparation.

At the UN, Mr Netanyahu vowed to continue degrading Hezbollah until Israel achieves its goals. His comments dampened hopes for a US-backed call for a 21-day truce between Israel and Hezbollah to allow time for a diplomatic solution. Hezbollah has not responded to the proposal.

Iranian-backed Hezbollah, the strongest armed force in Lebanon, began firing rockets into Israel almost immediately after Hamass October 7 attack last year, saying it was a show of support for the Palestinians.

Since then, it and the Israeli military have traded fire almost daily, forcing tens of thousands of people to flee their homes on both sides of the border.

An Israeli security official said he expects the campaign against Hezbollah would not last for as long as the current war in Gaza, because the militarys goals are much narrower.

In Gaza, Israel aims to dismantle Hamass military and political regime, but the goal in Lebanon is to push Hezbollah away from the border  not a high bar like Gaza in terms of operational objectives, said the official.
Two consecutive Russian attacks on a medical centre in the north-eastern Ukrainian city of Sumy have killed at least nine people.

The first strike killed one person and Russia attacked again while patients and staff were evacuating, Ukraines interior minister Ihor Klymenko said.

Officials in Sumy said Shahed drones were used in the attack.

At least 12 other people were wounded, the head of the Sumy City Military administration, Oleksii Drozdenko, said.

Emergency services workers evacuate patients (Ukrainian Emergency Service via AP)

Sumy lies about 20 miles from Russias Kursk region, where Ukrainian troops have been deployed since August 6 in a bid to divert the Kremlins military focus away from the front line in Ukraine.

Ukraines air force said it shot down 69 of 73 Russian drones launched overnight as well as two of the four missiles. City authorities in Kyiv said around 15 drones had been shot down over the Ukrainian capital and its outskirts.

In Kryvyi Rih, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskys home city, local officials said that a mans body was found under the rubble of an administrative building hit by a Russian missile on Friday, bringing the death toll from that attack to four.

In Russia, the Defence Ministry said that air defences overnight had shot down four Ukrainian drones over the Belgorod region and one over the Kursk region, both areas bordering Ukraine.

One person was killed in Ukrainian shelling of the Russian border city of Shebekino on Saturday, Belgorod regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said. Two other people were wounded.
Hezbollah has confirmed that its leader Hassan Nasrallah was killed in an Israeli air strike in Beirut.

A statement on Saturday said Mr Nasrallah, who led the Lebanese group for more than three decades, has joined his fellow martyrs.

It vowed that the militant group would continue the holy war against the enemy and in support of Palestine.

The Israeli military said earlier that the strike was carried out while the Hezbollah leadership was meeting at their headquarters in Dahiyeh.

Ali Karki, the commander of Hezbollahs southern front, and additional commanders were also killed in the attack, the Israeli military said.

Mr Nasrallah has has been in hiding for years, rarely appearing in public. He regularly gave speeches but always by video from unknown locations.

Israels chief of staff Herzi Halevi said the elimination of Mr Nasrallah was not the end of our toolbox, indicating that more strikes were planned.

The Israeli military said it was mobilising additional reserve soldiers as tensions escalate with Lebanon, activating three battalions of reserve soldiers to serve across the country. The call comes after it sent two brigades to northern Israel earlier in the week to train for a possible ground invasion.

Nadav Shoshani, an army spokesman, said the air strike was based on years of tracking Mr Nasrallah along with real-time intelligence that made it viable. He said Mr Nasrallahs death had been confirmed through various types of intelligence but declined to elaborate.

Smoke rises as a building collapses in Beiruts southern suburbs (Hussein Malla/AP)

He said that Israel has inflicted heavy damage on Hezbollahs capabilities over the past week by targeting a combination of immediate threats and strategic weapons, such as larger, guided missiles. But he said much of Hezbollahs arsenal remains intact and that Israel would continue to target the group.

This isnt a threat that has gone away, he said.

Mr Shoshani said it is safe to assume that Hezbollah will retaliate and that Israel is on high readiness but he said Israel hopes the blow to Hezbollah will change the course of the war.

We hope this will change Hezbollahs actions, he said. We have been looking for solutions, looking for a change in reality that will bring our civilians home, referring to the approximately 60,000 Israelis who have been evacuated from their homes along the Lebanese border for almost a year.

Mr Shoshani declined to say what munitions were used in the strike or provide an estimate on civilian deaths in the strike, only saying that Israel takes measures to avoid civilians whenever possible and clears strikes ahead of time with intelligence and legal experts.

Smoke rises from destroyed buildings in Beiruts southern suburbs on Saturday morning (Hussein Malla/AP)

The Lebanese health ministry said six people were killed and 91 injured in the strikes on Friday, which levelled six apartment buildings.

Further strikes were carried out in Bekaa Valley in eastern Lebanon.

Hours before the strikes, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the United Nations, vowing that his countrys campaign against Hezbollah would continue  further dimming hopes for an internationally backed ceasefire.

Mr Netanyahu abruptly cut his United States visit short and returned to Israel.

Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addresses the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly on Friday (Richard Drew/AP)

Irans supreme leader has urged all Muslims to stand by Hezbollah but has not indicated how Tehran will respond to the killing of Mr Nasrallah.

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said it is the duty of all Muslims to stand by the people of Lebanon and Hezbollah against the occupier, evil and suppressor regime of Israel.

In a statement read on state TV, he said all regional resistance forces support and stand beside Hezbollah.

Irans influential parliamentary committee on national security met on Saturday and demanded a strong response against Israel, state TV reported.

More than 720 people have been killed in Lebanon since the conflict escalated on Monday, according to Lebanons health ministry.

The United Nations says the number displaced by the conflict from southern Lebanon has more than doubled, with more than 211,000 people affected.

Hezbollah began firing rockets into northern Israel in support of Hamas after it stormed into Israel on October 7, sparking the Israel-Hamas war.

Top Israeli officials have threatened to repeat the destruction of Gaza in Lebanon if the Hezbollah fire continues, raising fears that Israels actions in Gaza since October 7 would be repeated in Lebanon.
Russias top diplomat has warned against trying to fight to victory with a nuclear power in a speech at the UN General Assembly on Saturday.

Sergei Lavrovs address was packed with condemnations of what Russia sees as Western machinations in Ukraine and elsewhere  including inside the UN itself.

Three days after Russian President Vladimir Putin aired a shift in his countrys nuclear doctrine, foreign minister Mr Lavrov accused the West of using Ukraine  which Russia invaded in February 2022  as a tool to try to defeat Moscow strategically.

He said: Im not going to talk about the senselessness and the danger of the very idea of trying to fight to victory with a nuclear power, which is what Russia is.

Sergei Lavrov appears on a TV screen as he addresses the 79th session of the UN General Assembly (Pamela Smith/AP/PA)

The spectre of nuclear threats and confrontation has hung over the war in Ukraine since its start.

Shortly before the invasion, Mr Putin reminded the world that his country was one of the most powerful nuclear states and he put its nuclear forces on high alert shortly after.

On Wednesday, Mr Putin said that if attacked by any country supported by a nuclear-armed nation, Russia will consider that a joint attack.

He did not specify whether that would bring a nuclear response but he stressed that Russia could use nuclear weapons in response to a conventional assault that posed a critical threat to our sovereignty.

The US and the European Union called his statements irresponsible.

The new posture was seen as a message to the US and other Western countries as Ukraine seeks their go-ahead to strike Russia with longer-range weapons.

The Biden administration this week announced an additional 2.7 billion dollars (2.01 billion) in military aid for Ukraine, but it does not include the type of long-range arms that Ukrainian officials are seeking, nor a green light to use such weapons to strike deep into Russia.

More than two-and-a-half years into the fighting, Russia is making slow but continual gains in Ukraines east.

Ukraine has repeatedly struck Russian territory with missiles and drones, and embarrassed Moscow with an audacious incursion by troops in a border region last month.
ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan, September 28. The Biotechnology Department of the International Scientific and Technological Park under the Academy of Sciences of Turkmenistan has received a patent for developing a technology based on blue-green algae (cyanobacteria) to combat desertification, Trend reports via the country's official media.

According to the media, cyanobacteria play a key role in improving soil ecosystems by participating in biochemical processes and soil formation.

The cyanobacteria's ability to transform desert lands makes them a promising tool in the fight against land degradation, the media explained.

Commenting on the issue, the department's head Altyn Rakhmanova pointed out that the use of blue-green algae is an effective solution for the restoration of eroded sandy and desert lands in Turkmenistan.

"Shifting bare sands cause significant damage to the national economy, often covering agricultural fields, rivers, water reservoirs, canals, transportation routes, irrigation structures, and other objects. Therefore, combating wind erosion and stabilizing the sands are crucial tasks.

We have proposed an effective method to fight desertification, which is based on the use of cyanobacteria," emphasized Rakhmanova.

To note, Turkmenistan is actively involved in international and national programs to combat desertification, paying special attention to reforestation and afforestation of desert areas such as the Karakum desert. In this context, the introduction of biotechnologies becomes a key part of the state program for the development of this sector for 2024-2028.

The application of biotechnologies to create algae-based materials opens new prospects in ecology and other fields, such as the production of construction materials and bioproducts.

Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel
Pope Francis trip through Belgium reached new lows on Saturday when Catholic university women demanded to his face a paradigm change on womens issues in the church and then expressed deep disappointment when Francis dug in.

The Catholic Louvain University, the Francophone campus of Belgiums storied Catholic university, issued a scathing statement after Francis visited and repeated his view that women are the fertile nurturers of the church, inducing grimaces in his audience.

UCLouvain expresses its incomprehension and disapproval of the position expressed by Pope Francis regarding the role of women in the church and society, the statement said, calling the popes views deterministic and reductive.

Francis trip to Belgium, ostensibly to celebrate the universitys 600th anniversary, was always going to be difficult, given Belgiums wretched legacy of clerical sexual abuse and secular trends which have emptied churches in the once staunchly Catholic country.

Francis got an earful on Friday about the abuse crisis starting with King Philippe and Prime Minister Alexander Croos, and continuing on down to the victims themselves.

Women have been made invisible. Invisible in their lives, women have also been invisible in their intellectual contributions

During the university encounter, the students made an impassioned plea to Francis for the church to change its view of women to better appreciate their gifts.

It is an issue Francis knows well: He has made some changes during his 11-year pontificate, allowing women to serve as acolytes, appointing several women to high-ranking positions in the Vatican, and saying women must have greater decision-making roles in the church.

However, he has ruled out ordaining women as priests and has refused so far to budge on demands that the church allow women to serve as deacons, a ministry that performs many of the same tasks as priests.

In a letter read aloud on stage with the pope listening attentively, the students noted that Francis landmark 2015 environmental encyclical Laudato Si (Praised Be) made virtually no mention of women, cited no woman theologians and exalts their maternal role and forbids them access to ordained ministries.

Women have been made invisible. Invisible in their lives, women have also been invisible in their intellectual contributions, the students said.

What, then, is the place of women in the church? they asked. We need a paradigm shift, which can and must draw on the treasures of spirituality as much as on the development of the various disciplines of science.

Francis said he liked what they said, but repeated his frequent refrain that the church is woman, only exists because the Virgin Mary agreed to be the mother of Jesus and that men and women were complementary.

Woman is fertile welcome. Care. Vital devotion, Francis said.

Let us be more attentive to the many daily expressions of this love, from friendship to the workplace, from studies to the exercise of responsibility in the church and society, from marriage to motherhood, from virginity to the service of others and the building up of the kingdom of God.

The university said such terminology had no place in a university or society today.

UC Louvain can only express its disagreement with this deterministic and reductive position, the statement said.

It reaffirms its desire for everyone to flourish within it and in society, whatever their origins, gender or sexual orientation. It calls on the church to follow the same path, without any form of discrimination.
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A weekly review of the best and most popular stories published in the Imperial Valley Press. Also, featured upcoming events, new movies at local theaters, the week in photos and much more.
TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, September 28. Uzbekistan and India have signed a bilateral investment agreement, Trend reports.

According to the information, the document was signed by Deputy Prime Minister of Uzbekistan Jamshid Khodjayev and Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs of India Nirmala Sitharaman in the framework of the Uzbek-Indian business forum in Tashkent.

The agreement guarantees full utilization of all investment opportunities created in Uzbekistan.

The Uzbek-Indian business forum was held in Tashkent on September 27 under the co-chairmanship of Deputy Prime Minister of Uzbekistan Jamshid Khodjayev and Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs of India Nirmala Sitharaman.

Meanwhile, Deputy Minister of Investment, Industry, and Trade of Uzbekistan Shokhrukh Gulamov, heads of ministries and agencies, as well as about 100 heads of major companies of the two countries representing agriculture, textile production, construction materials, automotive industry, chemical industry, electrical industry, pharmaceuticals, healthcare, information technology, transportation, and logistics took part in the forum.

The forum also included B2B meetings, where representatives of the business circles of the two countries were able to discuss in detail with their counterparts plans for the implementation of mutually beneficial projects.

Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel
TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, September 28. The Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Uzbekistan and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) signed a memorandum of cooperation, Trend reports.

The document was signed between Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Uzbekistan Davron Vakhabov and President of Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry Mohammad Ali bin Rashed Lootah at a forum organized in cooperation between Uzbekistan and the UAE.

According to the memorandum, cooperation on export of Uzbek products to the UAE and the Persian Gulf countries has been established. The sides also agreed to open permanent showrooms and trading houses in Dubai.

Furthermore, within the framework of the document, the sides will hold Uzbekistan-UAE business council meeting and business forum, establish joint ventures in the sphere of agriculture and a delegation of UAE business circles plans to organize a visit to Uzbekistan.

These initiatives are aimed at supporting Uzbek producers and promoting national products in the region with high consumer demand. This document opens new opportunities for cooperation between the two countries and creates the necessary conditions for the realization of mutually beneficial projects.

Meanwhile, the volume of trade turnover between Uzbekistan and the UAE amounted to $382.5 million from January through July 2024. This indicator increased by 5.6 percent compared to the same period last year when the trade turnover amounted to $362.2 million.

Thus, the UAE has become one of the 20 largest trade partners of Uzbekistan.
Tropical Storm Helene caused severe flooding in the Carolinas after wreaking havoc as a major hurricane in Florida and Georgia overnight, resulting in at least 33 fatalities, devastating neighborhoods, and leaving over 4 million homes and businesses without electricity.

Helene made landfall in Floridas Big Bend region as a strong Category 4 hurricane at 11:10 PM local time (4:10 AM Irish time), transforming the landscape into chaos with overturned boats in harbors, uprooted trees, submerged vehicles, and flooded streets.

Emergency responders, including police and firefighters, conducted thousands of water rescues across the impacted states, with significant operations in Atlanta, where an apartment complex was evacuated due to flooding concerns.

After hitting Florida with winds of 225 km/h, Helene decreased in intensity to a tropical storm as it progressed into Georgia early this morning. By early afternoon, the National Hurricane Center reported that the storm had been downgraded to a tropical depression with maximum sustained winds of 55 km/h as it moved slowly over Tennessee and Kentucky.

Helene made landfall in Floridas Big Bend region as a powerful Category 4 hurricane at 11:10 PM, leading to a chaotic scene of overturned boats in harbors, downed trees, submerged vehicles, and flooded streets.

Floodwaters flooded the main street in Tarpon Springs following Hurricane Helenes passage offshore.

Reports indicated that more than 50 individuals were stranded on the roof of a hospital at midday in Unicoi County, Tennessee, as rising floodwaters overwhelmed the rural area.

The Unicoi County Emergency Management Agency stated on social media that the rising waters from the Nolichucky River had obstructed ambulances and emergency vehicles from evacuating patients and others, although rescue crews in boats were successfully conducting operations.

In western North Carolina, emergency officials in Rutherford County urgently advised residents near the Lake Lure Dam to evacuate to higher ground shortly before noon, warning that Dam failure is imminent.

Landslides in Buncombe County forced the closure of interstates 40 and 26, according to local authorities posts on X.

The extent of the devastation in Florida became clear after sunrise.

Coastal Steinhatchee experienced a storm surge of three meters, moving mobile homes, as reported by the NWS on X. In Treasure Island, a barrier island community situated in Pinellas County, boats were reported stranded in front yards.

The city of Tampa conveyed on X that emergency personnel had completed 78 water rescues, emphasizing that many roads remained impassable due to flooding. The Pasco County sheriffs office rescued over 65 individuals overnight.

The US Coast Guard reported saving nine individuals from storm waters. Video footage shared online captured a Coast Guard crew rescuing a man and his dog, both donning life vests, from the ocean after his sailboat became disabled near Sanibel Island.

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Kevin Guthrie, Floridas emergency management director, strongly urged residents in affected areas to avoid the roads.

I implore you, do not venture out, Guthrie stated at a morning press briefing. We have 1,500 search and rescue personnel in the impacted areas. Please allow us to carry out our work.

Officials desperately urged residents in Helenes path to obey evacuation orders, describing the storm surge as unsurvivable, as warned by NHC Director Michael Brennan.

In Taylor County, the Sheriffs Department advised that residents who chose not to evacuate should write their names and dates of birth on their arms with permanent ink to ensure identification and family notification.

Despite warnings, some residents remained unwilling to leave.

Ken Wood, 58, a state ferry boat operator in Pinellas County, admitted to ignoring evacuation orders and instead rode out the storm at home with his 16-year-old cat, Andy.

The International Space Station captured footage of Hurricane Helene at 2:25 PM EDT on Thursday, September 26, 2024, as it neared the Gulf Coast of Florida with winds exceeding 120 miles an hour. pic.twitter.com/J1iU0Iztpx

 International Space Station (@Space_Station) September 26, 2024

Ill never make that mistake again, I promise, Mr. Wood recounted. It was a terrifying experience. The winds roared all night like a freight train. It was distressing. My house shook.

Nearby, the storm flooded some homes with chest-deep saltwater. One house caught fire and burned down, creating 30-foot flames that illuminated the stormy sky, he reported.

Old Andy seemed indifferent, Mr. Wood noted. He handled it well. But next time, were leaving.

Sadly, some of Mr. Woods neighbors werent as lucky. Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri shared that first responders were previously unable to respond to numerous emergency calls from residents overnight due to adverse conditions.

Authorities in the county discovered at least five fatalities.

Governor Ron DeSantis confirmed that two additional individuals had died in Florida. Georgia Governor Brian Kemp noted 11 storm-related deaths in his state thus far, while North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper reported two deaths there.

The Charleston-based Post and Courier newspaper stated that at least 13 individuals lost their lives during the storm across South Carolina, as cited by local officials.

Forecasters indicated that Helene was unusually large for a Gulf hurricane, though a storms size differs from its strength, which is determined by maximum sustained wind speeds.

Just hours before landfall, Helenes tropical-storm winds extended outward 500 km, according to the NHC. In comparison, Idalia, another major hurricane that impacted Floridas Big Bend region last year, had tropical-storm winds extending 260 km approximately eight hours prior to its landfall.

Airports in Tampa, Tallahassee, and St. Petersburg halted operations yesterday but have since resumed service, although extensive delays are anticipated.

By midday, over 4.6 million homes and businesses were without power across Florida, Georgia, the Carolinas, and other states, according to the tracking website Poweroutage.us.

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A bus transporting a group of Irish holidaymakers has been involved in a collision in southern France, close to the Spanish border, resulting in over a dozen individuals sustaining what are believed to be minor injuries.

The 44 Irish tourists are on vacation with the travel company Travel Department and are staying in Roses, located in northern Spain.

Today marks the third day of their week-long trip.

The bus was returning to their accommodation after a day trip when it was struck by a car that was driving on the incorrect side of the road in Mont Louis.

Passenger Tiernan Dolan from Longford recounted that a car lost control and collided with the bus, causing facial injuries to several individuals.

He noted that the bus was very high up the mountain, so its a good thing we didnt go over the edge.

More than a dozen individuals were injured during the buss collision with a car.

Dolan mentioned that numerous emergency personnel were present at the scene, whom he described as superb.

According to him, passengers who were transported to the hospital had bleeding faces, but their injuries appeared to be minor.

Everyone experienced a bit of a jolt, and there was considerable shock, he added.

The group is currently awaiting transport to their Spanish accommodation in Roses.

Dolan reported that the travel operator, Travel Department, had sent a text message to inform the passengers of its awareness of the incident and that it was taking all necessary measures to assist.

The Department for Foreign Affairs has been approached for a comment.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams has entered a not guilty plea to federal charges of receiving bribes and illegal campaign contributions from Turkish nationals, as he faces growing pressure from members of his party to resign.

At the Manhattan federal court, the 64-year-old Mr. Adams made his plea before US Magistrate Judge Katharine Parker during his initial court appearance.

I am not guilty, your honor, Mr. Adams stated when asked by Judge Parker about his plea.

He has consistently denied any wrongdoing and expressed his intention to contest the charges legally.Following the hearing, Mr. Adams and his attorney, Mr. Spiro, were escorted out of the courtroom by members of the US Marshals Service.

Judge Parker announced that Mr. Adams would be released on his own recognizance, with the stipulation that he refrain from contacting witnesses or individuals named in the indictment.

However, she noted exceptions would be made for family members and staff, provided he does not discuss the indictment details with them.I will continue to do my job as mayor, he affirmed during a news conference yesterday.

The indictment reveals that federal prosecutors allege Turkish diplomats and business people illegally channeled funds to Mr. Adams campaign and provided him with luxury travel benefits, including stays at high-end hotels and dining at upscale restaurants.

In return, prosecutors claim he exerted pressure on city officials in 2021 to permit Turkeys new 36-story consulate building to open despite safety concerns.

The alleged activities reportedly trace back to 2014, when Mr. Adams took on the role of Brooklyn borough president, with the illegal contributions purportedly aiding in financing his 2021 mayoral campaign.

He is facing five criminal charges and could potentially face decades behind bars if convicted.Efforts to contact Turkeys foreign ministry, presidents office, and embassy in Washington for comments were not answered.

Notably, Mr. Adams, who previously served as a police officer rising to the rank of captain, is the first sitting mayor of New York among its 110 mayors to be charged with a federal crime.

Political turmoil has enveloped the largest city in the United States, with numerous senior officials currently under federal scrutiny.

The police commissioner stepped down on September 12 after his phone was seized by FBI agents, followed by the resignation of Mr. Adams chief legal adviser.

Many prominent city officials and politicians, including House of Representatives member Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a fellow Democrat, have called for his resignation.

However, influential Brooklyn Democrats, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, have refrained from making similar calls.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul, also a Democrat, has the capability to remove Mr. Adams from office, but this process is complex, according to Pace University Law School Professor Bennett Gershman.Governor Hochul stated she would review her options and obligations as the Governor of New York.

I expect the Mayor to take the next few days to review the situation and find an appropriate path forward to ensure the people of New York City are being well-served by their leaders, she added.

The indictment alleges that while serving as Brooklyn borough president, Mr. Adams accepted complimentary travel from a Turkish airline valued in the tens of thousands, and paid only $600 for two nights at a luxury suite in the St. Regis Hotel in Istanbul, a significant discount from the actual rate of $7,000.

Prosecutors claim he would prefer to fly with the Turkish airline even if it was inconvenient.

You know first stop is always Istanbul, he wrote in a 2017 text message when his partner expressed confusion about their flight route from New York to Paris via Istanbul.

According to the indictment, Mr. Adams disguised contributions from Turkish sources during his 2021 mayoral campaign by routing them through US citizens.

These funds enabled him to qualify for an additional $10 million in public financing, as detailed in the indictment.

US laws prohibit foreign contributions to American political campaigns.Prosecutors further allege that Mr. Adams took action in response to requests from Turkish diplomats.

In particular, he is accused of pressuring city safety inspectors at the request of a Turkish diplomat to expedite the opening of the new consulate ahead of a scheduled visit by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in September 2021, despite it failing a fire inspection, as stated in the indictment.

After multiple communications from Mr. Adams concerning the building, a senior fire department official allegedly warned a subordinate that he could lose his job if he did not approve the consulates opening, according to prosecutors.

The indictment claims the mayor informed the diplomat when the fire department approved the building to be operational later that day.You are a true friend of Turkey, the diplomat reportedly responded.
If ancient walls could talk, the Sumela Monastery in eastern Turkey could tell many incredible stories. The unique temple on a cliff was founded by the first Christians and throughout history has witnessed the Byzantine era, the rise of the Ottoman Empire, the struggle for Turkish independence, and dozens of wars.

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The monastery, which is more of a state museum than an active religious building, has undergone years of careful restoration. CNN told more about the monastery on the cliff.

With chapels, courtyards, a library, living quarters, a bell tower, an aqueduct, and a stone-fenced sacred spring perched precariously on a cliff, Sumel Monastery is a true gem in Turkey.

Falling stones are a significant hazard in this region. Levent Alniak, manager of museums and historical sites in Trabzon province, said that a number of measures have been taken to prevent damage to structures and for the safety of visitors. In particular, steel mesh and barriers were installed and measures were taken to protect the walls and ceiling.

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During the restoration, unexpected treasures were discovered, such as a secret tunnel and frescoes depicting heaven and hell, life and death.

The restoration of the monastery's frescoes is a multi-year project that involves the careful, time-consuming work of expert restorers.

Behind its facade, the church disappears into a large cave filled with vivid images created in the 13th century.

According to legend, Sumela dates back to 386. Greek monks had a vision - the Virgin Mary told them about an icon painted by the Apostle Luke. Eventually, the monks discovered the sacred relic, and the Rock Church was built in this place.

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The cave remained a place of pilgrimage for hundreds of years. After the conquest of Byzantium by the Ottoman Empire, interest in Sumela did not fade. Historians say that the Ottomans granted their subjects a surprising degree of religious freedom, provided they were loyal to the sultan.

Sometimes they turned a church into a mosque, as happened in Hagia Sophia in Istanbul. Muslims also considered Sumela a sacred place and helped the monastery by giving the monks donations and more land.

Sumela was popular with Christian and Muslim pilgrims and was an active Greek Orthodox monastery until the early twentieth century. After the collapse of the Ottoman Empire following World War I, the abandoned monastery became a magnet for treasure hunters. Valuable relics were taken out of Turkey and are now in museums or private collections around the world.

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In the 1970s, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Turkey made the first attempts to preserve and restore Sumela as a national treasure.

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Committee on Academic Freedom | Middle East Studies Association | 

Dear President Harring, Provost Furge and Professor Dowd:

We write on behalf of the Middle East Studies Association of North America (MESA) and its Committee on Academic Freedom to express our grave concern about the announcement by Muhlenberg College that it intends to terminate Dr. Maura Finkelstein, a tenured member of the colleges faculty, because of an Instagram post that she had reposted. Even if some people may find the post objectionable, we believe that Professor Finkelsteins reposting is protected by the First Amendment and by the principles of academic freedom. It cannot reasonably be construed as a violation of Muhlenberg Colleges equal opportunity and nondiscrimination policy or justify her termination.

MESA was founded in 1966 to promote scholarship and teaching on the Middle East and North Africa. The preeminent organization in the field, the Association publishes the prestigious International Journal of Middle East Studies and has nearly 2,800 members worldwide. MESA is committed to ensuring academic freedom and freedom of expression both within the region and in connection with the study of the region in North America and outside of North America.

Dr. Finkelstein is a cultural anthropologist whose research has addressed multiple geographies and theoretical realms. Her first book, The Archive of Loss: Lively Ruination in Mill Land Mumbai, charted the experiences of textile mill workers in the city of Mumbai. She is currently at work on a second book about equine-assisted therapy. Her scholarship and pedagogy have also engaged a range of issues relating to Palestine/Israel; her teaching includes a course on Palestine and she has published peer-reviewed work on her experiences teaching this material.

In the aftermath of the 7 October 2023 assault on Israel, Professor Finkelstein was subjected to intense attacks as a result of the criticism of Israel and of Zionism that she expressed in published work, academic forums and social media posts. Among other things, a number of donors to and alumni of Muhlenberg College circulated a petition demanding her removal from her tenured position. In January 2024 Professor Finkelstein was placed on administrative leave after reposting someone elses Instagram post which was critical of Zionism and Zionists. The Muhlenberg College administration subsequently claimed that Professor Finkelsteins reposting had violated its equal opportunity and nondiscrimination policy.

An outside firm hired by the college to investigate the case determined that Professor Finkelsteins Instagram post had not constituted a violation of college policy. However, an ad hoc committee appointed by Muhlenbergs Title IX office subsequently reversed this determination, without specifying the grounds for its decision. In late May 2024 Professor Finkelstein was informed that the college intended to terminate her for cause, because her Instagram post allegedly met the standard for online discrimination and harassment involving hateful speech. It was severe and objectively offensive, and it denies or limits the ability to participate in the Colleges programs. She has appealed and is awaiting the decision of the colleges Faculty, Personnel and Policies Committee.

We note that Muhlenberg College has declared that it endorses the robust, stimulating and thought-provoking exchange of ideas, which requires in-depth and complex educational experiences as well as the space for divergent perspectives. We further note that neither college policy nor federal law defines those who adhere to or advocate for particular political ideologies (such as Zionism) as members of legally protected classes. As we have pointed out elsewhere, critiques of Israeli policies or of Zionism must not be conflated with antisemitism, nor should expressions of political opinion be sanctioned.

In these fraught times, college and university leaders have a heightened responsibility to protect the freedom of speech and academic freedom of all members of their communities. This countrys institutions of higher education should be places in which a broad range of perspectives can be expressed, debated and criticized without fear of defamation, harassment or termination. As MESAs Board of Directors put it in a statement dated 18 December 2023: We call on university leaders and administrations to affirmatively assert and protect the rights to academic freedom and freedom of speech on their campuses. We reaffirm that there can be no compromise of the right and ability of students, faculty, and staff at universities across North America (and elsewhere) to express their viewpoints free of harassment, intimidation, and threats to their livelihoods and safety.

We therefore call on you to immediately reverse the decision to terminate Professor Finkelstein and to publicly declare her exonerated of the charges brought against her. We further call on you to vigorously reaffirm your commitment to uphold academic freedom and freedom of speech at Muhlenberg and to actively foster an atmosphere of free academic inquiry and discussion, including the unhindered right of faculty and other members of the campus community to express their political opinions in the public realm.

We look forward to your response.

Sincerely,

Asl U. Bali

MESA President

Professor, Yale Law School

Laurie Brand

Chair, Committee on Academic Freedom

Professor Emerita, University of Southern California
Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) 

Here are the first few paragraphs of my long essay for The New Lines Institute on the Israeli use of water as a weapon of total war in Gaza. Read the whole thing here .

The Israeli use of water as a weapon of war in Gaza in 2023-2024 turned what had been a perennial public health crisis into a humanitarian catastrophe. The targeting of wastewater treatment facilities, which no longer exist at all in several Gazan cities, seems calculated to provoke health crises for the Palestinian civilian population. It is for this reason, among others, that South Africa charged the Israeli government with the crime of genocide1 before the International Court of Justice, a charge the court found plausible in January. Two days after the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack in Israel, Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant announced at the Israeli army Southern Command in Beersheba, I have ordered a complete siege on the Gaza Strip. There will be no electricity, no food, no fuel, everything is closed. We are fighting human animals and we are acting accordingly.

Although he did not mention water, that was cut off, too. Gaza has faced a potable water crisis for two decades. Some 90 percent of well water in the Strip comes from the Coastal Aquifer Basin. It was over-exploited, however, especially along the coast, causing levels to drop and exposing it to seawater intrusion from the Mediterranean, especially beginning around 2000. The rise in the sea level owing to anthropogenic climate change is also implicated here. In addition, the Israeli siege of Gaza had often crippled sewage treatment, so sewage seeped into the aquifer, as did chemicals from manufacturing workshops. Israels use of treated wastewater for irrigation close to the border with Gaza also caused saline return flow into the aquifer. Only four percent of this ground water is considered potable.

Clean water was brought in by private trucks in tanks or was produced by small desalinization units in Gaza itself or was piped into Gaza from Israel by the Mekorot water authority, which provided about 12 percent of the water in the strip. Israel is using water as a weapon in Gaza  an action characterized as a war crime. This essay will examine the state of the crisis in November 2023, February 2024, and July 2024. Snapshots of the Israeli-imposed water crisis in Gaza illustrate the situations unfolding.

November 2023: Dehydration and Malnutrition

By Nov. 18, over a month into the Israeli campaign, the World Food Program (WFP) of the United Nations urgently announced that Gaza was experiencing extensive food and water shortages. A senior WFP spokeswoman, Abeer Etefa, declared at a press conference, We are already beginning to see cases of dehydration and malnutrition, which are increasing rapidly. Since 2007, Israel had enforced an economic blockade on the Gaza Strip. As a result, the inhabitants of Gaza had relied on aid for survival. Aid agencies delivered 500 trucks worth of supplies into the strip daily before Oct. 7. Only a fraction of such deliveries continued after the attack. WFP Executive Director Cindy McCain said at a press conference in mid-November, With winter fast approaching, unsafe and overcrowded shelters, and the lack of clean water, civilians are facing the immediate possibility of starvation.



Water Weaponized, Digital, Midjourney / Clip2Comic, 2024

Israeli ground assaults west of Gaza City also created life-threatening conditions. The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) observed that households in the western neighbourhoods of Gaza city appealed for help after their remaining food and drinking water had been depleted. Reportedly, they were unable to leave their homes because of the presence of Israeli ground troops and fighting. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) cautioned in mid-November that 70 percent of Palestinians  men, women, and children  in southern Gaza lacked access to clean water. Moreover, raw sewage started flowing in the streets in some areas.

Read the whole thing at New Lines .
Scientists have discovered that an act of cannibalism was committed during the Franklin Expedition in 1845. While excavating the remains, researchers noticed a series of small cuts on the jaw of one of the crew members. Which is a clear indication that the bones were carved for meat after the man died, meaning he was cannibalized.

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Now, thanks to DNA samples, it has been identified who that jaw belonged to. According to MailOnline, it is the skeletal remains of British first officer James Fitzjames.

The scientists' discovery showed that neither rank nor status was important when the crew was looking for ways to escape.

The goal of the British Royal Navy's Franklin Expedition was to find the Northwest Passage, a navigable sea route between the Pacific and Atlantic oceans through the Arctic. If a safe route north of Canada could be found, it could open up new and extremely lucrative shipping lanes. However, although the expedition took two of the most modern ships, HMS Terror and HMS Erebus, they became trapped in the ice off King William Island.

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On Franklin's orders, 105 officers and crew abandoned ship to attempt to cross King William Island on foot, but not a single crew member survived.

Since then, crew bones have been found all over the island, but the condition of these remains has caused huge controversy. In 2013, researchers from the University of Waterloo and Lakehead University excavated a site containing 415 bones belonging to at least 13 crew members.

The researchers took a DNA sample from a tooth found in the jaw and compared it to swabs taken from living offspring of Franklin's crew. This is how they found out that the jawbone belonged to HMS Erebus captain Sir James Fitzjames.

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"The identification of Fitzjames' remains provides new insight into the sad end of the expedition," The Independent quoted Douglas Stanton, co-author of the study from the University of Waterloo, as saying.

Scientists say that in the mid-19th century, local Inuit told searchers that they had seen evidence of survivors resorting to cannibalism. This news shocked Europeans of the time, but no hard evidence was found. Cannibalism was not proven until 1997, when bioarchaeologist Dr. Ann Keenleyside found similar cut marks on many of the bones in a large burial site, suggesting that at least four bodies had been eaten. Now Fitzjames' bones have been added to this list, with the remains of his lower jaw, on which numerous cuts have been found.

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"This demonstrates the level of desperation that Franklin's sailors must have felt in doing what they would have considered abhorrent," says co-author Dr. Robert Park of the University of Waterloo.

The researchers are urging all descendants of Franklin expedition members to come forward to see if their DNA can be used to identify other people.

Recall, in August on Netflix released the series "Terror", which tells the story of the Franklin expedition, frightening verisimilitude. Directors and actors managed to incredibly accurately reproduce the tragic events of almost 180 years ago only because the described tragedy really happened.

Only verified information from us in Telegram-channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!




Saturday, September 28, 2024 - Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has urged President William Ruto and his allies not to "sell him fear" by threatening impeachment.

Speaking on Friday, Gachagua stated that he and President Ruto were elected on a joint ticket in 2022, dismissing claims that he was merely selected as Deputy President.

The second in command addressed growing calls for his impeachment and insisted that the power to remove him from office does not lie with any single individual.

"So, MPs are trying to intimidate me, saying they will fire me eeh. They are trying to sell me fear. Aren't they trying to sell me fear," Gachagua told a jubilant crowd.

He highlighted that the UDA government was a joint effort, stating that they worked tirelessly to form the current administration.

Gachagua made it clear that his position was a result of the voters' choice, not an appointment by President William Ruto.

"I'm telling them this: We worked hard to get this government. And our UDA party has both the President and the Deputy President; and we were all elected on the same ticket.

"It wasnt the President who gave me this job, it was you wasnt it? Was it you or not," Gachagua said, receiving reverberating cheers from his supporters.

The Kenyan DAILY POST




Friday, September 27, 2024 - President William Ruto has been warned of dire consequences if he proceeds with the impeachment of his deputy, Rigathi Gachagua.

Kimilili Member of Parliament Didmus Barasa on Thursday tabled an impeachment motion against Gachagua.

According to Barasa, the charges levelled against the DP in the impeachment motion include attempted coup, gross misconduct, abuse of office, legal breaches, and constitutional violation among others.

However, speaking on Friday, Kiambu County Senator Karungo wa Thwangwa warned President Ruto that allowing Gachagua's impeachment would be seen as abandoning the Kikuyu nation and could reignite the ethnic rivalry between the Kalenjin and Kikuyu communities that ended in 2022.

A vote to impeach Rigathi Gachagua is effectively to vote against the Kikuyu community.

"This could undermine the trust established between the Kikuyu and Kalenjin communities during the 2022 presidential election.

"My advice is to approach this situation thoughtfully otherwise, things may never return to how they once were, Thangwa urged Ruto.

The Kenyan DAILY POST




Saturday, September 28, 2024 - President William Rutos close lieutenants have said they have nothing personal against the Mt Kenya region residents regarding the impeachment of Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.

The leaders who spoke on Friday during the burial of ex-KEMRI boss Davy Koech asserted that the impeachment of Gachagua is unstoppable.

Kipkelion West MP Hillary Kosgei acknowledged the value of Mt Kenya people but insisted on leadership change.

He said they are only keen on finding someone else to replace Gachagua.

"The people of Mt Kenya are good people. The only thing that we want is to remove him (Gachagua) and replace him with another leader from the region," Kosgei said.

Belgut MP Nelson Koech echoed the sentiment, saying the revelations by Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki regarding the people involved in the Gen Z protests was enough cause to send him home.

"Because he sharpened his knife to take us home, we have also sharpened ours," he said.

The Kenyan DAILY POST




Saturday, September 28, 2024 - A section of Mt Kenya region youths have filed a petition at the High Court requesting the courts to stop the looming impeachment of Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.

The youths from Laikipia County, led by Dennis Ndereva, argued that the impeachment would weaken the Executive and be unconstitutional, potentially destabilizing the government.

Dereva highlighted the impact of recent challenges, such as key Cabinet secretaries not working, as reasons for preserving the Executive's stability

He urged the Judiciary to swiftly block any parliamentary discussions on Gachagua's impeachment, calling for serious governance over political games

"Today I have filed a petition against the impeachment, any discussion or motion of the Parliament against the impeachment of the deputy president. We cannot allow the less fortunate, the people who are saying what we want to hear; the people who are working for us to be impeached unconstitutionally," Ndereva stated.

"My petition says there is no any intention or any motion which can be discussed. I want to urge the Judicial Service Commission and the Judiciary to take this seriously and give me orders to make sure that there is no discussion of any impeachment model of the DP.

"We cannot weaken the executive. Parliament should now change from playing political gimmicks and should be serious in representing us, we will be there and we will fight for the justice of this nation," Ndereva added.

The Kenyan DAILY POST




Saturday, September 28, 2024 - Muranga Governor Irungu Kangata is at the centre of a love scandal involving a prominent female politician from the Nyanza region.

According to blogger Aoko Otieno, Kangata is having an extra-marital affair with Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga.

They meet regularly in posh hotels behind her husbands back.

The vocal Homa Bay Governor is married to a man called George, who resigned from his banking job to support her political career.

The two met at Kenyatta University where their love brewed.

George was taking banking and finance while Gladys was pursuing a science degree.

They got married in 2005 and are blessed with two children.

George used his finances to fund his wifes campaigns when she was vying for the Woman Rep seat and later clinched the gubernatorial seat.

Wangas husband, a tenderpreneur, is said to be busy chasing tenders in Homa Bay as Kangata services his wife.

Check out Aokos tweet.

The Kenyan DAILY POST.




Saturday, September 28, 2024  Former Prime Minister Raila Odingas wife, Ida Odinga, led a group of women leaders, including over 30 MPs, 7 governors, and several MCAs, in endorsing Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru to replace embattled Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, who is facing impeachment.

Speaking during the G7 Summit in Kirinyaga County, the leaders hailed Waiguru as a transformative leader whose work in Kirinyaga County and as a Council of Governors (COG) chair position puts her in an excellent position to take over bigger national roles.

According to Ida Odinga, who is also the patron for the G7 movement, she has been impressed by the Kirinyaga Countys developments and this reflected Waigurus readiness for the next level.

Taking to the stage in the G7 Kirinyaga Chapter, the county leaders showered praises on Waigurus mentorship to women leaders across the country and also the development projects she had achieved in her county.

Gladys Wanga, on her part, emphasized that Anne Waiguru is a strong woman fit for any position. She added that all G7 colleagues had learned valuable lessons from Waiguru's leadership style in Kirinyaga County.

Her sentiments were also echoed by her Machakos counterpart, Wavinya Ndeti, who said, Governor Anne Waiguru is a worker. We are here to learn and sharpen each other.

"We have just seen the Kerugoya Hospital where I got to witness its initiation and I am happy that it was completed and well-equipped.

"The standards in that hospital are only equitable to those in some of the biggest hospitals in this country.

Holding the record as the first-ever woman governor in Kenya, her colleagues said her determination inspired them to also vie for the position, breaking the glass ceiling for all women across the country.

On the other hand, Kwale Governor Fatuma Achani stated that Waiguru serves as an exemplary mentor and a role model, having been a strong advocate for women's leadership.

We are saying that Governor Anne Waiguru has come of age for national politics," Achani said.

The Kenyan DAILY POST
On the night of September 28, Russian troops attacked Sumy regional center with Shahed drones. A health care facility was damaged, and after emergency services arrived, the enemy struck again.

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At least seven people were killed, including a police officer, and 12 people were seriously wounded. The Sumy Regional Military Administration, the Sumy Regional Prosecutor's Office, and the Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine Ihor Klymenko reported the attack.

"Today, on the morning of September 28, the enemy launched an air strike on a healthcare facility in the regional center, using a Shahed UAV. Preliminary, there are victims. All necessary services are working at the site. The consequences of the Russian attack are being clarified. Take care of yourselves. Do not ignore the air raid alerts!" the statement reads.

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After the emergency services arrived at the scene, the Russians attacked Sumy for the second time.

"There was a second air strike in the regional center. The enemy launched a Shahed UAV at the residential sector. The consequences of the strike are being clarified," the Sumy Regional Military Administration reported at 08:47.

The Ukrainian Air Force said that after the night attacks, the Russians launched three more Shahed drones at Sumy, two of which hit a hospital building.

According to the Sumy Regional Prosecutor's Office, the Russians struck first at around 07:35. At the time of the attack, there were 86 patients in the hospital, including 15 people with limited mobility, as well as 38 staff members.

According to Klymenko, one person died as a result of the first shelling. Ten others were wounded.

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The enemy attack destroyed the ceilings of several floors of the hospital. Evacuation of patients and staff began. Rescuers and police arrived at the scene to help people. And then, in the midst of the evacuation, the Russians struck again. The invaders attacked around 08:25.

The second strike killed five people and injured a police officer.

"As of now, we know about 6 dead, including a police officer. Another policeman was wounded," emphasized Klymenko.

In total, as of 10 a.m., 11 people were wounded as a result of two Russian strikes.

At around 10:30, the number of casualties increased. According to the Sumy Regional Military Administration, the Russians killed seven people and seriously wounded 12 others.

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"Under the procedural guidance of the Sumy Regional Prosecutor's Office, a pre-trial investigation is being conducted into the violation of the laws and customs of war combined with premeditated murder (Part 2 of Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine)... Prosecutors, in cooperation with other law enforcement agencies, are documenting the consequences of the shelling. The pre-trial investigation is being carried out by investigators of the Security Service of Ukraine in Sumy region," the regional prosecutor's office said in a statement.

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As a reminder, on the night of September 28, Russians attacked Ukraine with missiles and Shahed UAVs. The defense forces shot down 71 enemy targets out of 77 that were recorded in Ukrainian airspace. In particular, 69 Shahed drones and two missiles were destroyed.

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Air defense systems were operating in 13 regions of our country this night.

Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber . Do not fall for fakes!




Saturday, September 28, 2024 - President William Ruto's Personal Assistant and right-hand man, Farouk Kibet, has further complicated matters for embattled Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, who is facing an impeachment next week.

This is after he accused the DP of loving his Kikuyu community too much at the expense of national unity.

Speaking during an event at Chepsaita Primary School in Uasin Gishu County yesterday, Farouk shamed Gachagua and his allies who have publicly shown their fondness for resorting to their tribal cocoons whenever they experience hiccups, claiming that they are dividing the nation.

"All of us should live in harmony like Kenyans. There are some of us who are encouraging ethnic divisions.

"I kindly plead that we as Kenyans should prioritise living in peace. Polarizing the nation along ethnic lines is steering the country toward the wrong direction," Farouk stated during the function.

Farouk called upon leaders to cast aside their differences and work together for the greater good of the nation and its development.

Gachagua has been accused of propagating ethnic politics by failing to be cognizant that his office requires him to always present an image of a national leader and not just a leader of Mt. Kenya.

However, despite the threats to hound him from office, Gachagua remains defiant and keeps insisting that he will advocate for the interests of the Mt. Kenya region unapologetically.

The Kenyan DAILY POST




Saturday, September 28, 2024  President William Rutos government is on the verge of collapse due to a cash crunch.

This was revealed by Makueni Senator Dan Maanzo who expressed fears of a possible government shutdown as the State grapples with a cash crunch.

Speaking during an interview, Maanzo claimed that the Senate, National Assembly, Ministries, and County Governments do not have funds to conduct their operations.

At the Senate, key operations are stalling due to the cash crunch. Several committees including the Committee on Agriculture have halted some operations, with the Senate Mashinani session for this year being postponed to October.

According to the Senator, the cash crunch in the Senate is causing many bills to fail. When the Bills transition to the National Assembly, they are shot down because they do not go through adequate public participation.

He went on to reveal that the Senate cannot afford to conduct public participation because committees are not allocated enough money to fulfill all their mandates.

The senator has blamed budget reduction for the cash crunch being witnessed in the Senate, National Assembly, and the Ministries.

Activities in the various county governments have also been crippled with governors revealing that they have not received their budget allocation.

Senator Maanzo has accused President William Ruto's government of misplaced priorities, with the Kenya Kwanza administration losing funds on unnecessary foreign travel, corruption, and shoddily done projects.

The Kenyan DAILY POST
The world is benefited by a variety of human beings. Almost everyone can contribute greatly to our societies, no matter what their personal drives. Even the selfish and hate-filled can give us people like Henry Ford, the antisemitic supporter of Hitler who had union organizers beaten, but also doubled the standard wage for his workers and gave us the assembly line, standardized production, and vertical integration. His closest parallel today would be Elon Musk, who, while accomplishing astounding feats of engineering artfrom electric cars and massive rockets to androids and brain links that may let the blind see and the paralyzed walkis rapidly becoming a perfect example of the bullies that tormented him as a child and is rapidly on his way to being just like his father. These two men prove that you can be objectively terrible on a personal level and still do great things for society in general, acquiring tremendous wealth for themselves in the process.

Others are not driven by the pursuit of personal power and wealth, giving greater value to how they live their lives and what they do for others. We all know the name of Socrates, though he was never wealthy or politically powerful in Athens, because of his wisdom and self-sacrifice, while few remember the name of Croesus, the richest man of that time. We also revere those like Mother Teresa, who dedicate themselves to the service of others. For those who do find such value in living a life of service, there are two main tracks. Ill reduce these down to protecting and healing. The first covers those who risk their lives defending all of us, such as soldiers and police, and the second would be those who pursue the healing artsdoctors, nurses, psychologists, pharmacists, therapists, etc. It may seem that the military is a strange place for a humanitarian, but you would think quite differently if your country was invaded by a foreign army, led by a psychopath and bent on taking everything that is yours, even your life.

No one rescued from Birkenau doubts the value of those who, in service to others, wear a uniform and carry a rifle. Im not suggesting that these people are angels or that they live perfect lives or are always led by those of outstanding morality. The evil are also drawn to positions of power and trust, and a few can always be found in the uniforms of soldiers and police, and not infrequently in the prosecutors office and hospital lounge. All that being said, what stands between us and tyranny or chaos are those who wear the uniform. My brother-in-law is one of those. When I met him, he was already serving in the U.S. Marine Corps. As a former Marine myself, we bonded quickly; not many doctors can break down an M16 or recite the cycle of operations, and he was interested in the medical field. We talked about online classes he could take during his upcoming deploymentthe wars in Iraq and Afghanistan were going strongand I encouraged him to seek these out.

I didnt see him again for over a year. He would come back on leave, and wed pick up where we left off, discussing the potential for him to be an EMT or perhaps a physicians assistant. He completed several tours and finally, after years away from his family, came home. I encouraged him to finish college, which he did, and I gave him a job at my clinic as a toxicology technician. This meant that he ran the drug screening lab. Before him, I had depended on a tech supplied by a lab company; this is allowed if you arent making a profit off the labs, but either his attention to detail was insufficient or he was earning extra on the side, since drug screens might not arrive at the outside lab for the same patient two months in a row. When David took over, everything ran with extreme precision. He reorganized the lab, labeling everything, and developed procedures to make sure that every protocol I had created was adhered to.

If something went wrong, I would tell him, and he would say, Yes, Sir, and it would be rectified and procedures modified to prevent its recurrence. His precision and dedication impressed me more than any other quality. He graduated college and, when he saw that he could not support a family as an EMT, joined the Dallas police department. Not long after, the DEA raided my clinic, having decided that I was an overprescriber from PDMP data alone, never excluding the dosage units prescribed to those with cancer or on palliative care. David let me know that he was ready and willing to testify on my behalf. This is not a small statement for a new police officer to make. The American federal government can be vindictive and venal, and getting on their bad side can be the end of any career, in medicine or law enforcement. My attorneys didnt seem to be interested in calling him or any other witness, however, and I couldnt understand why until just before the trial.

Some attorneys think it is their job to work with the prosecution and reach what they consider to be a good deal. This deal will, of course, require you to please guilty, even if you are innocent. From the perspective of this type of attorneylets call them a Nevilleyou are facing an almost impossibly powerful adversary. The enemy owns the battlefield and all the ammunition. They are, in our best of all possible justice systems, allowed to control the evidence and withhold anything they choose. You could argue that something was supportive or even exculpatory if you had access to the evidence, but since you dont, you have to trust those dedicated to your destruction to give your side whats needed to disprove their case. Amazingly, this does not seem to happen very often, and many defense attorneys who practice in federal court have become completely defeatist.

A few days before my trial, my lawyers called me, and I could tell they were thrilled. The prosecutor had agreed that if I pleaded guilty to a single count of knowingly prescribing a Schedule V medication without a legitimate medical purposeraised from a misdemeanor to a felonyI would only serve up to a year in prison. If not, the government would try to convict me of being responsible for a patient of mine who had died in police custody after they withheld all his medications and treatment. I was looking at a minimum of twenty years in prison and a maximum of life. My attorneys explained that the government had almost unlimited resources and that they could afford to scour the country finding some doctor somewhere who would be willing, for the right price of course, to convince a jury that whatever I did was not the national standard of caresomething that does not actually exist. They warned me that these experts, though scientifically wrong, can be very persuasive.

They went on to warn me that former patients, threatened with criminal charges, could make false statements about me to protect themselves. I understood not just this risk but why someone put in such an impossible position might choose to protect themselves and their families over a physician they saw once a month. But I could not take the deal. I told them no. They threw a fit, literally screaming through the videocall, telling me what a fool I was and that I would die in prison. When I said, So be it, I thought they were going to have strokes. They tried to get my family to their side, not realizing that we had all discussed this eventuality, and they all understood why I simply could not raise my hand in court and lie under oath. They had not charged me with anything I could convince myself I had done. To plead guilty would obviate everything I had ever stood for, everything I had ever taught my children.

At this point, one of them became verbally abusive, causing my children to cry and me to hang up on them. I told the less abusive attorney that I did not want the worst one at trial, but he insisted it was too late to make changes. Just before I took the stand in my defense, the rude one asked, What do you need for the direct? Everything I emailed you, I said, the PowerPoint presentation, the graphs, all of that. I didnt have time to read all your emails! he sneered, and I was called to the stand with no ammunition, no way to simplify complicated medical concepts so the jury could try to do what the prosecutor had doneskip four years of medical school and go right to deciding what is the proper diagnosis and treatment for a complicated patient. Im not ashamed to say I cried. I sat there on the witness chair and sobbed for several minutes thinking to myself, My patient is dead because the jail denied him proper medical care.

The federal government, the only ones who could hold them to account, is helping the jailers cover up the crime by blaming me and I, sitting here at risk of losing my freedom for the rest of my life, am being defended by an attorney who spitefully sabotaged my defense because I wouldnt take a plea deal. At some point, I quit blubbering and got down to educating the jury about beta-endorphins, mu-opiate receptor variations, and cytochrome P450 polymorphisms. Not surprisingly, I failed. The simple truth is that if your attorney does not ask the right questions on direct examination, you are probably doomed. If they then fail to call the witnesses you had lined up and ready to go, you are definitely doomed. I was acquitted for treating the paraplegic with a metal rod in his spine, probably because of how eloquently he defended me, and was found not responsible for the other patients death.

Probably because the coroner and medical examiner both said it was unlikely and impossible, respectively, for my patient to die of an overdose twenty hours after taking medication that peaked in three. Though the government had been able to pay a toxicologist to retroactively diagnose my patient

with sleep apnea and claim that, on the lowest dose of medication he had been on for a decade and over twenty hours since taking that, he had fallen so deeply asleep from its effects that he forgot to breathe. You could never make this argument in a state court when the death certificate said, natural causes due to cardiac condition. But this is not state court. This is federal, where they can say and do anything they want, and no one has the power to hold them to account. Despite this victory, I was still convicted for treating him at all, and for continuing the treatment of a veteran with spinal fractures.

The governments paid witness told the jury that the radiologist had read the MRI wrong and that the VA doctors and specialists were all wrong to have started him on treatment in the first place. The expert said he could tell from the MRI how much pain the veteran truly had and that it was less than what he said. This overrode the veteran getting on the stand and saying that I was a good doctor that had helped him keep his job while teaching him to deal with his pain and improve his quality of life. The patient who died in jail was not able to speak in my defense, of course, and as I said, I was convicted for continuing his treatment after his PCP moved out of state. I knew, should have known, or was willfully blind, after all, that some doctor the government had dredged up in Florida would have an opinion different than mine. The expert also said that the neurologist had read the EMG wrong and that this patient really didnt need the cervical surgery I had sent him to Dallas for.

It turned out that all the doctors and specialists were wrong except this one paid expertpersuasive, I suppose, to people with no training in medical science. I was also convicted of two misdemeanors for prescribing cough syrup because, hey, black people, always lying to get those sweet medications to sell on the street, dont you know. Not that the government was able to provide any proof that this happened, of course. Who needs proof when you have persuasion? They simply argued that I had put the patients at high risk of diversion, and the jury nodded along, even the black ones. Thats the thing about implicit biasno one is immune to it. But the science is clear, and I refuse to throw out science to embrace what is politically popular today. So while I was fighting and losing at trial, David was fighting his own battle in law enforcement. He had excelled in training, as I was sure he would, and everything went fine for a while.

Then he was arresting a much larger young man who simply would not stop fighting with the officers. Eventually, David did indeed impart a few choice words from the Marine lexicon and held a taser to the young mans face, asking if he wanted it activated. The man decided he did not want it activated and calmed down, and no one was harmed, but a complaint was made, and David was suspended. During this time, I was waiting to be sentenced, and David was morose, fearing for me and that his career in law enforcement was over before it really started. We talked quite a bit over the next year and a half, meeting in person at family events when we could, waiting to learn our respective fates. David was finally taken off suspension and returned to duty, and not long after, in August of this year, 2024, I was sentenced to seven years in federal prison. This hit everyone in the family hard, but in fact, it was as much a victory as you can hope for in our current systemit was not life.

The DEA had told the Arkansas Pain Committee that they were going to make examples out of five doctors in the state if we all didnt follow their mandates fast enough to please them. Dr. Robin Cox was before me, and while the prosecutor did not ask for prison time, the judge felt compelled to give it to her anywaythree years. Dr. Gaby came next, pleaded guilty, and got five. Then Dr. Hinderliter, an 81-year-old doctor and veteran, folded after the DEA kicked his door inprobably hoping that he would have at least a few years to spend with his family before he was gone. They told him the maximum would be five years if he pleaded guilty to a single count of wrongfully prescribing a Schedule IV benzodiazepine, but when it was time for sentencing, the prosecutor argued to the court that his sentence should be enhanced because some of his patients had died. Some of your patients always diethats kind of the definition of sick people; they die more often than healthy ones.

If a few more years with his family was Dr. Hinderliters hope, it was misplaced, as the judge doubled his sentence to ten years. You see, once you plead guilty, you dont get to refute all the relevant conduct, which turns out to be anything the government decides to say about you. I was told the prosecutor was smirking as Dr. Hinderliter was led away to his fate. Medical care in federal prisons is not designed to keep you alive, and he died after only two years in some dark little cell, probably asking himself the same thing I dohow the hell did this happen in the United States of America? I have long given up on expecting divine intervention or having faith in an all-merciful, benevolent being with a great plan. My first walk through a pediatric cancer ward would have been enough to accomplish that, but this time, as I sit here enjoying my last few weeks of freedom before I self-surrender to my own fate behind bars, the universe surprised me.

David was not long back on duty and was on patrol when a strange call came over the radio. Dallas Police Officer Darron Burks, a young and well-liked patrolman, had parked his car at the For Oak Cliff Community Center at 10 PM on Thursday night, August 30th, when Corey Cobb-Bey, age 30, walked up to the car, pulled out a handgun, and unloaded it into the officers head and chest. Cobb-Bey had serious mental problems and had gone online with a mixture of unhinged, pseudo-religious rants, claiming to be immune from U.S. laws and predicting the apocalypse. It seemed clear that it was his intent that night to kill as many police as he could. The dispatcher had heard officer Burks dying cries over the radio and called for a response, but did not know what had happened. Two more cars arrived but were not ready for what they would face, as Cobb-Bey had also armed himself with a shotgun and an AR-type rifle.

He took one officer, Jamie Farmer, down with a shot to the leg and walked up on the other, a female officer named Karissa David, shooting her in the face until she was down also. They would both survive but were in no condition to stop the gunman as he got in his car and left. Someone, however, maybe Farmer, was able to call in the vehicles description, and thats where the hand of fateif sometimes cruel and uncaringcan also show mercy. When the description went out, a young police officer, not long returned to active duty, happened to be nearby. David was racing to the scene when he saw the wanted car fly by and gave chase, calling it in so that soon two other cars joined him as they sped through the streets of Dallas. The chase ended in a suburb called Lewisville, where the gunman, realizing he could not outrun the patrol cars, pulled over and held his guns up in the air. David pulled over behind him, pulling his M-4 from the patrol car.

By now, the other two police cars had caught up, and those officers had pulled their pistols, all yelling at Cobb-Bey to drop the gun. Instead, he swung the rifle down to point at the officers. The instinctive thing to do when someone points a rifle or shotgun at your face is to duck. This seems like the safest choicekeep your head down, stay safebut if every Marine on the battlefield did that, we would lose every war, and it is, of course, futile and will get you killed anyway. When confronting evil, you must stand up and take your best shot. David had been trained by the Marines to do exactly this, and he did, bringing the murderer down with a precision only those trained for combat can when looking down the barrel of a gun. David came by last night as we all got together to say goodbye before Im gone, and we talked about what had happened. Ive also listened to the radio calls, heard the Chief speak to the media, and the bodycam will be released soon.

The death of any human being is a tragedy, and I wish that Mr. Cobb-Bey had been able to receive the mental health care he needed to calm his inner demons and keep him from taking the life of an innocent mandevastating all the families, both born and blue, and causing so much pain and suffering for the other injured officers and their loved ones also. But this world is not a perfect place. Doctors are being forced to choose between doing what they believe is most likely to keep their patients alive and give them some quality of life and doing what politicians and politically appointed attorneys think they should do, with the DEA there to arrest and incarcerate anyone willing to practice according to their education, training, and experience. But in the end, everyones time on this rock is limited, and the only thing that lives after us is the example we set. When that time comes and you are staring into the barrel of a gun, do you fall to the ground and beg for mercy?

Or do you take your best shot in the face of evil? Each of us must think about this and decide what we can live with and what we are willing to die for long before the question is asked. David showed courage and strength and made the right choice, and I am very proud of him. If we all follow his example, the world will be a safer place.

L. Joseph Parker is a research physician.
Unfortunately, not everyone can fly into space. But everyone can see its unexplored depths. Today we will dive into the mysterious world of galaxies. Read below to find out where to go for a magical spectacle.

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European Southern Observatory and Telescopes, Chile

An international astronomical organization headquartered in the German city of Harning. Its main stations are located in the Atacama Desert. The largest telescope in the world is located in Paranal.

The complex consists of four optical instruments, each of which has a mirror with a diameter of 8.2 meters. With its help, you can look into the depths of space with amazing accuracy.

Visitors are allowed to come here on Saturdays and Sundays. However, you need to register on the website in advance. By the way, La Silla is home to the High Accuracy Radial velocity Planet Searcher, a high-precision spectrograph used to search for exoplanets.

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Mount Wilson Observatory, USA

Built in 1908. It houses one of the largest telescopes in the Western Hemisphere. You can visit the astronomical center for free.

The observatory was built on Mount Wilson at an altitude of 1742 meters above sea level. By the way, the location was not chosen at random. It is here that the most favorable conditions for observation are found - the air is calmer than in other parts of North America.

The 100-inch Hooker telescope is also located here. It was through it that the famous astronomer Edwin Hubble made a revolutionary discovery. He proved that the Universe is expanding and that there are other galaxies besides the Milky Way. The research became the basis for modern cosmology and confirmed the Big Bang theory.

You can come here from early April to late November.

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Griffith Observatory, USA

Construction of the attraction began in 1933, and the first visitors came here in 1935. The station was named after the American industrialist Griffith Jenkins Griffith. It was the philanthropist who donated land to the city for the construction of the astronomical center.

Here, tourists can look at the stars through the famous 12-inch Zeiss telescope. By the way, the location often appears in movies, including La La Land (2016), Terminator: Genisys (2015) and Transformers (2007).

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Mauna Kea Observatory, USA

The telescope complex is located on top of the volcano of the same name. The highest point is 4190 meters above sea level. The remoteness from civilization and favorable climate have created ideal conditions for optical observations.

The station staff organizes star tours and provides free access to astronomical instruments. Tourists can come here every evening.

Greenwich Royal Observatory, United Kingdom

It was founded by King Charles II in 1675. At that time, it was used to clarify coordinates and then sent to sailors. Today it is a museum. It houses a collection of various items. In particular, the instruments used to observe the meridians and the 28-inch Grubb equatorial telescope of 1893.

South African Astronomical Observatory, South Africa

Built in 1972 at an altitude of 1800 meters above sea level. Today, it houses the largest optical telescope in the southern hemisphere with a main mirror diameter of 1100 centimeters.

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By the way, the station officially organizes excursions where you can look at the stars.

Teide National Park, Spain

The largest in Spain. It is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. It is home to the eponymous observatory with dozens of huge telescopes.

Interesting fact: the island has laws that regulate light pollution and air traffic.

The station organizes excursions where you can observe not only the stars but also the activity of the Sun. In particular, you can see sunspots and flares. To attend the lecture, you need to register online in advance.

Carl Iansky Very Large Array, USA

The observatory is located on the San Agustin Plateau. It houses 27 radio telescopes 25 meters high. All of them are arranged in the shape of the Latin letter "Y".

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Every year, tourists are welcomed here during the daytime. And every first Saturday of the month, tours and guided tours are held here. By the way, the location can be seen in several films, including the 2009 movie Terminator: Salvation" in 2009.

If you want to reach for the stars, head to these astronomical attractions.

Only verified information is available on the OBOZ.UA Telegram channel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
On October 1, the NBU will introduce a limit on card-to-card transfers. This restriction has been actively discussed for several months. After a number of proposals, the regulator changed its announced rules. First, the monthly limit for card-to-card transfers will be UAH 150 thousand (UAH 100 thousand was planned).

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Secondly, the restrictions on the number of transactions have been canceled (some banks introduced them on their own). This is stated in the material of OBOZ.UA.

"According to the NBU, 98% of bank customers make monthly transfers that do not exceed the specified amount (UAH 150 thousand - Ed.). Therefore, the restrictions will not affect their financial activity in any way," the NBU said. There were some concerns that the restrictions would prevent donations, but the limit will not apply to volunteer accounts.

But those for whom the limit should really create problems are "dropers". Some Ukrainians sell their card accounts to be used to launder large sums of money. Millions of hryvnias can pass through the accounts of a single dropster in a year. Banks are supposed to stop suspicious transactions, but they don't always do it.

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"The TIC (Temporary Investigation Commission  Ed.) heard from the cyber police about drops. How it is used in different types of crimes. There are three areas of application: online casinos, sale of cigarettes, drugs and weapons (in the darknet), and fraud. We lose (according to the cyber police) at least 1 billion in taxes," said Yaroslav Zhelezniak, chairman of the parliamentary PIC.

Drop schemes are used by:

shadow (or illegal) markets: from the sale of counterfeit goods to drugs and weapons;

fraudsters: they collect money from their victims on drop accounts;

those trying to avoid taxation: for example, some gambling market players.

Drop schemes are used in almost all countries of the world, but in Ukraine, they have become widespread in recent years. The changes announced by the NBU were supported by the Committee on Finance, Taxation and Customs Policy, most of the expert community, and law enforcement.

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The only question is whether these changes are sufficient. Olesia Danylchenko, Deputy Director of the Association of Interbank Payment System EMA, is sure that setting a limit is not enough. It will indeed complicate the scheme, but it will not make it impossible. The NBU also announced some other changes (read more about them below).

As OBOZ.UA previously reported, Gerhard Bosch, the chairman of the board of Privat, receives the highest salary among state-owned banks in Ukraine. In July, he received more than UAH 2.4 million and was far ahead of all his colleagues. At the same time, NBU Governor Andriy Pyshnyi, who is responsible for the entire banking system, earns an average of UAH 629 thousand per month.

Only verified information is available on the OBOZ.UA Telegram channel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!

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Stuff reports:

Key details about the operation remain unclear, including whether Israel intercepted and sabotaged an existing pager shipment or executed a scheme in which Israeli intelligence entities actually manufactured or assembled devices packed with explosives. The New York Times reported this week that Israeli intelligence both built the devices and created front companies to deceive Hezbollah.

If the NY Times is correct, Israel not only managed to wound several thousand terrorist bent on their destruction, but sold Hezbollah the pagers, so actually made a profit from it!

So all the useful idiots who donate to Hezbollah, actually had their money go to Israel who appears to be the major supplier of tech to their avowed enemy.

If this was a film, youd think it was unbelievable.

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Joel McManus writes:

It was a mess, and it speaks to the core of Whanaus greatest weakness: she has terrible political instincts.  Ironically, the airport sale may not have been needed at all if Whanau had been willing to scrap the $330m Town Hall repairs  or at least pause them until the central government came to the party or another funding source could be found.

That would have been sensible. I am sure there is not shortage of local MPs who would have sponsored a local bill allowing the Town Hall to be demolished.

There are some parallels to another left-leaning politician with a history of saying weird stuff and making unforced errors: Joe Biden. While members of the Democratic Party felt deep loyalties to the US president, it eventually became clear that he was an electoral liability who needed to be replaced by a different candidate. Green Party members in Wellington must surely start asking the same question.

Normally a Mayor would be happy to be compared to the US President, but in this case I doubt it!

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On September 30, Ukraine will start exchanging banking information with other countries. So far, it is only about new accounts and accounts with a balance of more than a million dollars as of last year. Next year, all accounts will be exchanged.

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Oleksandra Tomashevska, a tax consultant at the Kyiv Center for Business Support and Development, tells OBOZ.UA: that only the first stage of information exchange is expected to start on September 30. We are talking about accounts with a balance of one million dollars and new accounts. This will affect a small number of Ukrainians. Moreover, Ukrainians with an average account balance of one million dollars or more can pay for the services of tax attorneys and accountants, so they will receive professional assistance.

September 30, 2024  exchange of data on new accounts opened after July 1, 2023, and accounts of individuals with high value (over $1 million as of June 30, 2023);

 exchange of data on new accounts opened after July 1, 2023, and accounts of individuals with high value (over $1 million as of June 30, 2023); September 30, 2025  on low-value accounts (less than USD 1 million as of June 30, 2023) and accounts of organizations with a balance or value exceeding USD 250 thousand.

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For now, information received from June 30, 2023, to the end of last year will be exchanged. This will apply only to a small number of accounts. Only in 2025 will the next stage begin, which will affect the rest of the accounts. "For most people, the exchange is postponed for a year, until 2025. Only then will the tax authorities receive data for 2023. But this also does not mean that data on all refugees will be subject to this exchange," Tomashevska says.

Ukrainians will receive CRS-1 questionnaires, which will contain personal data, as well as indicate in which countries they have tax residency and what tax number they have in that country, Tomashevska says. In other words, in order for data from Ukraine to be sent to Germany, a Ukrainian must indicate in his or her application form the tax residence of Germany, as well as his or her TIN there.

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As OBOZ.UA previously reported, Gerhard Bosch, the chairman of the board of Privat, receives the highest salary among state-owned banks in Ukraine. In July, he received more than UAH 2.4 million and was far ahead of all his colleagues. At the same time, NBU Governor Andriy Pyshnyi, who is responsible for the entire banking system, earns an average of UAH 629 thousand per month.

Only verified information is available on the OBOZ.UA Telegram channel and Viber. Don't fall for fakes!
September 28 is a day full of various holidays and important events. They have both an international and a national or religious context.

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On this date, saints are honored, attention is paid to health, fitness and safety, etc. Read more about this in the OBOZ.UA article.

Feast of St. Chariton the Confessor

On September 28, according to the new style, the Orthodox Church honors the memory of St. Chariton the Confessor, who lived in the third century and suffered for his faith during the persecution of Christians. He survived severe trials but kept his faith and became a famous ascetic and founder of monasteries.

Feast of St. Vyacheslav of Bohemia

St. Vyacheslav, also remembered on September 28, is known as the patron saint of the Czech Republic and the Czech nation. He was a prince who sought to unify his principality and introduce Christian ideals in the government of the state. He was peaceful and fought only once in his life, but his reign did not last long as he fell victim to a plot organized by his brother.

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World Rabies Day

World Rabies Day aims to raise awareness of this dangerous disease that can be transmitted from animals to humans. If you don't seek medical attention and treatment in time after being infected, the chances of recovery are minimal.

International Day of Universal Access to Information

Guaranteed access to information is the foundation of a democratic society, as it allows citizens to be informed about decisions made by the authorities and to influence these processes. That is why this important international holiday was created to raise awareness of citizens' rights to access information. It is celebrated under the auspices of the United Nations and emphasizes the importance of transparency and accountability of governments, as well as promotes freedom of speech and the press.

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Other holidays on September 28, 2024

European Mushroom Day;

Family Health and Fitness Day;

Photo Preservation Day;

Day of Stupid Questions;

International Rabbit Day.

Significant events that took place on September 28

1651 - the Peace of Bila Tserkva is signed between Bohdan Khmelnytsky and the Poles.

1939 - the USSR and the Third Reich signed new secret protocols to the Treaty of Friendship and Boundaries, according to which the western border of the USSR was established along the Western Bug and Narew rivers and Lithuania and Bessarabia were transferred to the sphere of Soviet influence. This happened after the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact.

1994 - the premiere of the cult movie Leon the Killer.

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Harris goes to the border to take Trump to task for blocking bill to fix migration issues: He prefers to run on a problem
Baloise Holding AG (OTCMKTS:BLHEY  Get Free Report) was the recipient of a large increase in short interest during the month of September. As of September 15th, there was short interest totalling 600 shares, an increase of 500.0% from the August 31st total of 100 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 1,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 0.6 days.

Baloise Price Performance

Shares of Baloise stock remained flat at $19.45 during trading hours on Friday. 32 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 806. The businesss 50 day simple moving average is $17.87 and its 200 day simple moving average is $16.88. Baloise has a 12-month low of $14.66 and a 12-month high of $19.75.

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Baloise Company Profile

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Baloise Holding AG, together with its subsidiaries, primarily engages in the insurance and banking businesses in Switzerland, Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg. It operates through Non-Life, Life, Asset Management & Banking, and Other Activities segments. The company offers various non-life insurance products, including accident, health, general liability, motor, fire and other property, marine, credit protection, and legal expenses insurance.

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For the first time, US President Joe Biden has openly stated the need to defeat Russia. Previously, the White House's rhetoric was limited to statements about self-defense and assistance in preserving Ukraine's statehood.

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However, only Ukraine's ability to strike at Russia with long-range weapons will help to change the situation on the battlefield. This was stated by former Ukrainian Foreign Minister Volodymyr Ohryzko in an exclusive interview with OBOZ.UA.

According to him, the White House has decided that it is necessary to support Ukraine in its victory over Russia. Ohryzko noted that Biden and his entire administration tried not to use such words before. The White House talked about assistance for self-defense and for the preservation of Ukrainian statehood. But now the American authorities are openly stating the need to defeat Russia.

At the same time, after the visit of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to the United States, the issue of striking Russia with Western weapons remained open. At the same time, Ohryzko recalled that the United States very elegantly offered Ukraine to become a country that produces long-range missiles that can fly up to 900 kilometers.

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"And this, in fact, is also a difficult decision of the Biden administration. So, we can say that this military aspect is now being covered quite well. And this is an opportunity for Ukraine to change the situation on the battlefield very seriously," Ohryzko said.

As a reminder, US President Joe Biden said that Russia will not win this war. He clearly and confidently said that Ukraine will win, and the United States will support and strengthen Ukraine in this battle and help it in the long run.

As reported by OBOZ.UA, Biden intends to convene a meeting at the level of the leaders of the Contact Group on Ukraine's Defense. The White House noted that the event will be held next month in Germany. This will allow coordinating the efforts of more than 50 countries that support Ukraine in its defense against Russian aggression.

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Only verified information is available on the OBOZ.UA Telegram channel and Viber . Do not fall for fakes!
AvalonBay Communities, Inc. (NYSE:AVB  Get Free Report) announced a quarterly dividend on Friday, September 20th, Wall Street Journal reports. Shareholders of record on Monday, September 30th will be paid a dividend of 1.70 per share by the real estate investment trust on Tuesday, October 15th. This represents a $6.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.02%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, September 30th.

AvalonBay Communities has raised its dividend by an average of 1.2% annually over the last three years. AvalonBay Communities has a dividend payout ratio of 121.0% meaning the company cannot currently cover its dividend with earnings alone and is relying on its balance sheet to cover its dividend payments. Equities research analysts expect AvalonBay Communities to earn $11.55 per share next year, which means the company should continue to be able to cover its $6.80 annual dividend with an expected future payout ratio of 58.9%.

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AvalonBay Communities Stock Down 0.6 %

NYSE AVB opened at $225.23 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 2.03, a current ratio of 2.03 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71. AvalonBay Communities has a 52 week low of $160.45 and a 52 week high of $236.26. The businesss fifty day simple moving average is $219.26 and its 200-day simple moving average is $202.59. The firm has a market cap of $32.02 billion, a PE ratio of 33.52, a P/E/G ratio of 3.55 and a beta of 0.97.

Insider Activity

AvalonBay Communities ( NYSE:AVB Get Free Report ) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, July 31st. The real estate investment trust reported $1.78 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.71 by ($0.93). The firm had revenue of $726.04 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $718.49 million. AvalonBay Communities had a net margin of 29.61% and a return on equity of 7.16%. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $2.66 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that AvalonBay Communities will post 11.01 earnings per share for the current year.

In related news, SVP Keri A. Shea sold 2,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $207.17, for a total transaction of $414,340.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 4,383 shares of the companys stock, valued at $908,026.11. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. In other news, CIO Matthew H. Birenbaum sold 5,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Monday, August 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $208.90, for a total value of $1,044,500.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive now owns 65,967 shares in the company, valued at approximately $13,780,506.30. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, SVP Keri A. Shea sold 2,000 shares of AvalonBay Communities stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $207.17, for a total transaction of $414,340.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now directly owns 4,383 shares in the company, valued at approximately $908,026.11. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 0.42% of the companys stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

AVB has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Evercore ISI upped their price target on AvalonBay Communities from $225.00 to $229.00 and gave the company an in-line rating in a research note on Monday, September 16th. Piper Sandler upped their target price on shares of AvalonBay Communities from $230.00 to $255.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research report on Friday, August 2nd. Scotiabank upped their price objective on shares of AvalonBay Communities from $229.00 to $244.00 and gave the stock a sector perform rating in a report on Monday, September 16th. Truist Financial raised their price target on AvalonBay Communities from $213.00 to $230.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 27th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft boosted their price objective on AvalonBay Communities from $206.00 to $249.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Tuesday, September 10th. Thirteen research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, AvalonBay Communities currently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $223.12.

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About AvalonBay Communities

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As of December 31, 2023, the Company owned or held a direct or indirect ownership interest in 299 apartment communities containing 90,669 apartment homes in 12 states and the District of Columbia, of which 18 communities were under development. The Company is an equity REIT in the business of developing, redeveloping, acquiring and managing apartment communities in leading metropolitan areas in New England, the New York/New Jersey Metro area, the Mid-Atlantic, the Pacific Northwest, and Northern and Southern California, as well as in the Company's expansion regions of Raleigh-Durham and Charlotte, North Carolina, Southeast Florida, Dallas and Austin, Texas, and Denver, Colorado.

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PTT Global Chemical Public (OTCMKTS:PGCPF  Get Free Report) and REX American Resources (NYSE:REX  Get Free Report) are both basic materials companies, but which is the superior investment? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their dividends, earnings, valuation, institutional ownership, profitability, risk and analyst recommendations.

Analyst Recommendations

This is a summary of recent recommendations and price targets for PTT Global Chemical Public and REX American Resources, as reported by MarketBeat.com.

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Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score PTT Global Chemical Public 0 0 0 0 N/A REX American Resources 0 0 1 0 3.00

REX American Resources has a consensus price target of $60.00, indicating a potential upside of 30.10%. Given REX American Resources higher possible upside, analysts plainly believe REX American Resources is more favorable than PTT Global Chemical Public.

Valuation & Earnings

Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio PTT Global Chemical Public N/A N/A N/A $6.08 0.22 REX American Resources $718.08 million 1.12 $60.94 million $3.75 12.30

This table compares PTT Global Chemical Public and REX American Resourcess gross revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

REX American Resources has higher revenue and earnings than PTT Global Chemical Public. PTT Global Chemical Public is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than REX American Resources, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Profitability

This table compares PTT Global Chemical Public and REX American Resources net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets PTT Global Chemical Public N/A N/A N/A REX American Resources 9.64% 11.69% 10.47%

Institutional & Insider Ownership

2.1% of PTT Global Chemical Public shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 88.1% of REX American Resources shares are owned by institutional investors. 11.7% of REX American Resources shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, hedge funds and large money managers believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

Summary

REX American Resources beats PTT Global Chemical Public on 9 of the 10 factors compared between the two stocks.

About PTT Global Chemical Public

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PTT Global Chemical Public Company Limited operates as a chemical company in Thailand and internationally. It operates through 6 segments: Upstream, Intermediates, Polymers and Chemicals, Bio and Circularity, Performance Chemicals, and Service and Others. The company offers refinery and shared facilities, which includes liquefied petroleum gas, light naphtha, reformate, jet fuel, diesel, and fuel oil; aromatics including benzene, toluene, paraxylene, cyclohexane, orthoxylene, and mixed xylenes; and olefins comprising ethylene, propylene, butadiene, and butene. It also provides monoethylene glycol; phenol, bisphenol A, acetone; purified terephthalic acid, propylene oxide, acrylonitrile, methyl methacrylate; polylactic acid and polybutylene succinate; post-consumer recycled PET and HDPE; and coating resins and additives, hexamethylene diisocyanate and HDI derivatives. In addition, the company offers polymers including high and low density polyethylene, linear low density polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene terephthalate, polystyrene, and rotomolding and polypropylene compounds; methyl ester, fatty alcohol, fatty alcohol ethoxylate, glycerin, and oleochemicals; chemicals, such as ethanolamine; and polyether, polymer, and premix polyols. Further, the company engages in the marketing and sales of products and packaging market development; technical, engineering, plant maintenance, safety, occupational health, environmental, and security businesses; and social enterprise and management consultancy. Additionally, it provides logistics, jetty, utilities, and infrastructure; liquidity management and financing, venture capital investment, and outsourcing; and transportation, packaging, and warehouse management services. It serves packaging, electronic and electronic equipment, automotive, agriculture, chemicals, construction, home, and personal applications. The company was incorporated in 2011 and is headquartered in Bangkok, Thailand.

About REX American Resources

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REX American Resources Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, produces and sells ethanol in the United States. The company also offers corn, distillers grains, ethanol, distillers corn oil, gasoline, and natural gas. In addition, it provides dry distillers grains with solubles, which is used as a protein in animal feed. The company was formerly known as REX Stores Corporation and changed its name to REX American Resources Corporation in 2010. REX American Resources Corporation was founded in 1980 and is headquartered in Dayton, Ohio.

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Shares of National Bank of Canada (TSE:NA  Get Free Report) have been assigned an average recommendation of Hold from the thirteen research firms that are covering the company, Marketbeat Ratings reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, ten have given a hold recommendation and two have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average 1 year target price among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is C$122.64.

Several equities research analysts recently commented on the company. Jefferies Financial Group increased their price objective on National Bank of Canada from C$119.00 to C$126.00 in a research report on Thursday, August 29th. UBS Group set a C$123.00 price objective on National Bank of Canada and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 2nd. Cibc World Mkts cut National Bank of Canada from a strong-buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Friday, September 20th. Royal Bank of Canada increased their price objective on National Bank of Canada from C$113.00 to C$116.00 in a research report on Thursday, August 29th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets increased their target price on National Bank of Canada from C$115.00 to C$125.00 in a report on Thursday, August 29th.

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National Bank of Canada Stock Down 1.1 %

Shares of NA stock opened at C$126.71 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of C$43.13 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.34, a PEG ratio of 17.04 and a beta of 1.12. The businesss fifty day moving average is C$119.77 and its 200 day moving average is C$114.95. National Bank of Canada has a twelve month low of C$84.27 and a twelve month high of C$128.67.

National Bank of Canada (TSE:NA  Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 28th. The financial services provider reported C$2.68 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of C$2.50 by C$0.18. National Bank of Canada had a return on equity of 15.18% and a net margin of 34.50%. The company had revenue of C$2.98 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of C$2.95 billion. Equities research analysts expect that National Bank of Canada will post 10.8549488 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

National Bank of Canada Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 1st. Investors of record on Monday, September 30th will be paid a $1.10 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, September 27th. This represents a $4.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.47%. National Bank of Canadas dividend payout ratio is currently 42.84%.

Insider Activity at National Bank of Canada

In related news, Director Yvon Charest purchased 325 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 19th. The shares were purchased at an average price of C$117.24 per share, with a total value of C$38,103.00. 0.21% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

About National Bank of Canada

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National Bank of Canada provides financial services to individuals, businesses, institutional clients, and governments in Canada and internationally. It operates through four segments: Personal and Commercial, Wealth Management, Financial Markets, and U.S. Specialty Finance and International. The Personal and Commercial segment offers personal banking services, including transaction solutions, mortgage loans and home equity lines of credit, consumer loans, payment solutions, and savings and investment solutions; various insurance products; and commercial banking services, such as credit, and deposit, investment solutions, international trade, foreign exchange transactions, payroll, cash management, insurance, electronic transactions, and complimentary services.

Further Reading

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China Yuchai International Limited (NYSE:CYD  Get Free Report) was the recipient of a large increase in short interest in September. As of September 15th, there was short interest totalling 10,400 shares, an increase of 116.7% from the August 31st total of 4,800 shares. Approximately 0.1% of the companys stock are sold short. Based on an average daily volume of 45,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 0.2 days.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Separately, StockNews.com began coverage on China Yuchai International in a research report on Friday, August 16th. They set a strong-buy rating for the company.

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China Yuchai International Stock Up 0.3 %

China Yuchai International Increases Dividend

CYD traded up $0.04 during trading on Friday, reaching $12.01. 29,590 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 25,177. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.06, a current ratio of 1.59 and a quick ratio of 1.20. The stocks 50 day moving average price is $10.89 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $9.42. China Yuchai International has a twelve month low of $7.83 and a twelve month high of $13.05.

The firm also recently declared an annual dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, August 28th. Shareholders of record on Monday, August 19th were given a dividend of $0.38 per share. This represents a yield of 4.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, August 19th. This is an increase from China Yuchai Internationals previous annual dividend of $0.28.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On China Yuchai International

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in CYD. Shah Capital Management lifted its holdings in shares of China Yuchai International by 2.1% during the first quarter. Shah Capital Management now owns 4,192,772 shares of the companys stock worth $35,764,000 after purchasing an additional 84,265 shares during the period. Brandes Investment Partners LP raised its position in China Yuchai International by 4.2% during the 2nd quarter. Brandes Investment Partners LP now owns 1,293,521 shares of the companys stock worth $11,771,000 after purchasing an additional 51,953 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Verity Asset Management Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of China Yuchai International in the first quarter valued at about $175,000.

China Yuchai International Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

China Yuchai International Limited, through its subsidiaries, manufactures, assembles, and sells diesel and natural gas engines for trucks, buses and passenger vehicles, marine, industrial, construction, agriculture, and generator set applications in the Peoples Republic of China and internationally.

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Hess Co. (NYSE:HES  Free Report)  Equities research analysts at Zacks Research decreased their Q3 2024 EPS estimates for shares of Hess in a research note issued on Monday, September 23rd. Zacks Research analyst R. Department now anticipates that the oil and gas producer will earn $2.32 per share for the quarter, down from their previous forecast of $2.53. The consensus estimate for Hess current full-year earnings is $10.46 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Hess Q4 2024 earnings at $2.14 EPS, FY2024 earnings at $10.24 EPS, Q1 2025 earnings at $2.55 EPS, Q2 2025 earnings at $2.73 EPS, Q3 2025 earnings at $2.81 EPS, Q4 2025 earnings at $2.64 EPS, FY2025 earnings at $10.71 EPS, Q1 2026 earnings at $2.46 EPS, Q2 2026 earnings at $2.41 EPS and FY2026 earnings at $9.27 EPS.

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Hess (NYSE:HES  Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 31st. The oil and gas producer reported $2.62 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $2.48 by $0.14. The business had revenue of $3.26 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.24 billion. Hess had a return on equity of 27.43% and a net margin of 21.22%. The companys revenue was up 40.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.65 earnings per share.

A number of other brokerages also recently commented on HES. Scotiabank lowered their price objective on Hess from $165.00 to $157.00 and set a sector perform rating for the company in a research report on Friday, July 12th. Piper Sandler dropped their price objective on shares of Hess from $173.00 to $167.00 in a research report on Friday, September 13th. StockNews.com assumed coverage on shares of Hess in a report on Friday, June 28th. They issued a hold rating on the stock. Citigroup lowered their target price on shares of Hess from $160.00 to $145.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, September 5th. Finally, Wolfe Research initiated coverage on Hess in a research note on Thursday, July 18th. They issued a peer perform rating on the stock. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $166.42.

View Our Latest Report on Hess

Hess Trading Up 2.2 %

HES opened at $133.61 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.78, a current ratio of 1.27 and a quick ratio of 1.14. The stock has a market capitalization of $41.17 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.46 and a beta of 1.15. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $136.62 and a 200 day moving average price of $146.69. Hess has a 12 month low of $123.79 and a 12 month high of $167.75.

Institutional Trading of Hess

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Manchester Capital Management LLC grew its stake in Hess by 1.4% during the 1st quarter. Manchester Capital Management LLC now owns 5,102 shares of the oil and gas producers stock worth $779,000 after buying an additional 68 shares during the last quarter. Drive Wealth Management LLC grew its position in shares of Hess by 1.6% during the second quarter. Drive Wealth Management LLC now owns 4,599 shares of the oil and gas producers stock worth $678,000 after acquiring an additional 72 shares during the last quarter. Quent Capital LLC grew its position in shares of Hess by 7.3% during the second quarter. Quent Capital LLC now owns 1,074 shares of the oil and gas producers stock worth $158,000 after acquiring an additional 73 shares during the last quarter. Massmutual Trust Co. FSB ADV increased its holdings in shares of Hess by 17.9% in the 1st quarter. Massmutual Trust Co. FSB ADV now owns 507 shares of the oil and gas producers stock valued at $77,000 after acquiring an additional 77 shares during the period. Finally, Versant Capital Management Inc raised its position in Hess by 16.9% in the 2nd quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 540 shares of the oil and gas producers stock valued at $80,000 after purchasing an additional 78 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 88.51% of the companys stock.

Hess Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 30th. Shareholders of record on Monday, September 16th will be paid a $0.50 dividend. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.50%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, September 16th. This is an increase from Hesss previous quarterly dividend of $0.44. Hesss dividend payout ratio is currently 30.63%.

About Hess

(Get Free Report)

Hess Corporation, an exploration and production company, explores, develops, produces, purchases, transports, and sells crude oil, natural gas liquids (NGLs), and natural gas. The company operates in two segments, Exploration and Production, and Midstream. It conducts production operations primarily in the United States, Guyana, the Malaysia/Thailand Joint Development Area, and Malaysia; and exploration activities principally offshore Guyana, the U.S.

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Prospects for Korean unification are stronger than they ever have been, says Edwin Feulner

By Lee Hyo-jin

North Koreans are growing increasingly dissatisfied with their leadership and admire the democracy and economic success enjoyed by South Koreans, according to Edwin Feulner, founder of the U.S. think tank The Heritage Foundation, Saturday.

Feulner, who referred to the North Korean regime as a prison north of the 38th parallel, said North Koreans are deprived of basic physical needs and the ability to freely express themselves or believe in their own set of values.

"People in the DPRK, I think, are increasingly aware of the disadvantage they have from their current political leadership, and we have been hearing from defectors from the DPRK just how bad the situation is and as to how many more North Koreans are unhappy with that situation," Feulner said during a joint interview with local media in Seoul. DPRK stands for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, North Korea's official name.

The interview took place during his participation in the International Forum on One Korea, co-hosted by the Global Peace Foundation (GPF), Action for Korea United, and the One Korea Foundation.

Feulner went on to say that North Korean citizens are looking at South Korea and observing what free people can achieve, not only through economic activity but also through civil societys ability to address social issues.

While Feulner did not specify how exactly change might unfold in the reclusive regime, he emphasized the belief among South Koreans that their system, supported by churches and private organizations, could ultimately lead to change.

In this context, he hailed President Yoon Suk Yeols Aug. 15 Unification Doctrine as a straightforward and candid assessment of the current situation on the Korean Peninsula. A key pillar of Yoon's unification doctrine is its strong emphasis on inducing change within the Kim Jong-un regime and the people of North Korea through rigorous diplomacy with the international community.

"I hope that this is a view shared widely among (South) Korean people. I know, of course, about political differences and other things, but I think the notion of peaceful reunification and encouraging that among all levels of society here is very, very important," Feulner said.

Feulner also positively assessed the bolstered trilateral cooperation between South Korea, the U.S., and Japan. He expressed hope that this momentum would continue even after the upcoming leadership change in Washington to counter the prospective danger from China.

I have my own personal political views, but one of the things that I am very encouraged by is that under both former President Trump and current President Biden, the importance of both the bilateral U.S.-South Korea relationship and the trilateral relationship between the U.S., Korea and Japan has been emphasized, he said.

Commenting on Japans new prime minister, Shigeru Ishiba, who was elected Friday, Feulner said he believed Ishiba would help maintain the momentum, saying, "Ive never had the honor of meeting the new prime minister, but I believe he shares very much the views that his predecessor had, who signed the Camp David Accords.

He highlighted that The Heritage Foundation will continue to promote the benefits of the South Korea-U.S. bilateral relationship to policymakers in Washington, including senators, congressmen and local government officials.

Later in the day, Feulner attended the Korean Dream Unification Practice March at Imjingak, Paju, where he delivered a congratulatory speech.

It seems to me that at this time, the prospects for Korean unification are stronger than they ever have beenI feel very happy and honored to be invited and to be a part of this commemoration to look forward to better days ahead in terms of a unified Korea, he said when asked about his attendance at the march.

The march, which gathered around 30,000 participants, including politicians, prominent scholars, civic activists, and members of the public, aimed to highlight the vision of Korean unification as a grassroots movement rather than political ideologies.

According to the organizers, participants marched a two-kilometer route near the DMZ. The main event featured a keynote speech by Hyun Jin Preston Moon, founder and chairman of the GPF, who outlined his vision for the "Korean Dream" of pursuing a free and peaceful unified Korea. The event also included cultural performances such as singing by North Korean defectors and a taekwondo demonstration.
South Korea's foreign minister made a strong caseon Friday for multilateralism to address global challenges through international cooperation, stressing that it has undergirded the country's democratic and economic rise.

Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul made the remarks at the U.N. General Assembly as skepticism has deepened over the role of a deeply divided United Nations and other multilateral mechanisms in the midst of conflicts and humanitarian crises, including Russia's war in Ukraine and the war between Israel and Hamas militants in Gaza.

The minister also stressed South Korea's pursuit of a role as a "global pivotal state," pledging that Seoul will seek to act as a "facilitator," "supporter" and "initiator" for global peace, development and the charting of new norms and governance for new technologies like artificial intelligence.

"Under the foreign policy vision of President Yoon Suk Yeol, the Republic of Korea seeks to be a global pivotal state, recognizing both its indebtedness to the multilateral systems and its growing ability to be their champion," Cho said, referring to Korea by its official name.

"The Republic of Korea is committed to do its part as a U.N. member by serving three functions  a facilitator, a supporter and an initiator," he added.

Cho said that as a facilitator, South Korea will use its term as a nonpermanent member of the U.N. Security Council for the 2024-2025 period to focus on peacekeeping and peacebuilding efforts, among others, while as a supporter, his country will seek to help the Global South achieve sustainable development goals.

As an initiator, Seoul will contribute to global efforts to install new norms and governance to address potential risks to human rights and dignity from AI and other emerging technologies, he said.

Brushing aside growing cynicism about multilateralism, Cho said that South Korea's rise as a "free, democratic and prosperous" country from the ashes of the 1950-53 Korean War is proof that "the U.N. in action" works.

"The story of the Republic of Korea provides the antidote against paralyzing defeatism," he said. "It is a story of what we can achieve when good men and women choose to act together  concrete evidence that a multilateral system can make a real difference."

He also underscored that multilateralism is not an outdated concept but the "only path forward."

Cho used his speech to ask for the international community's support for Yoon's doctrine for a unified Korean Peninsula.

He portrayed the doctrine as pursuing a "free, peaceful and democratic" peninsula, while criticizing North Korea's "cold" and "self-serving" calculus marked by two deficits  a deficit of peace on the peninsula and a deficit of freedom in North Korea.

"Under (Yoon's) vision, freedom, which has underpinned the Republic of Korea's independence, growth and prosperity, will at last be fully unlocked in the North, restoring the human rights of each and every Korean," he said.

"Achieving this vision requires the international community to advocate freedom and human rights for North Koreans who have no voice. The Republic of Korea is committed to working together with the international community to steer North Korea towards making the right decisions."

The minister also lambasted the North over its nuclear and missile threats and its military cooperation with Russia.

"North Korea continues to pose threats to peace and security on the Korean Peninsula and beyond with its ongoing development of nuclear and missile capabilities, as shown by the recent disclosure of uranium enrichment facilities, as well as provocations that have stooped down to despicable levels, such as sending trash balloons into the South," he said.

Moreover, he reiterated that the North's nuclear and missile programs and its human rights situation are "two sides of the same coin."

"North Korea is only able to develop these weapons of mass destruction with impunity by repressing the human rights of its people and diverting scarce resources from its starving populace."

Touching on the reform of the UNSC, Cho said the council has faced deadlocks in handling important and urgent work due to the misuse of a permanent member's veto power, apparently pointing to Russia's veto to end the work of a sanctions-monitoring U.N. panel.

"Expanding elected membership under equitable geographical distribution and through regular elections will contribute to a more democratic, effective, transparent, representative and accountable Council. The compromise proposal of longer-term reelectable seats deserves due attention in this regard," he said. (Yonhap)
The Israeli military said it struck Hezbollahs headquarters in Beirut, Friday, in a series of massive explosions that targeted the leader of the militant group and leveled multiple high-rise apartment buildings. The biggest blast to hit the Lebanese capital in the past year appeared likely to push the escalating conflict closer to full-fledged war. At least six people were killed and 91 were wounded, Lebanon's health ministry said.

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was the target of the strikes on the group's headquarters, according to two people familiar with the matter who requested anonymity, including one U.S. official. The Israeli Defense Forces declined to comment on who it was targeting. It was not immediately clear if Nasrallah was at the site, and Hezbollah did not comment on the report.

The death toll is likely to rise significantly as teams are still combing through the rubble of six buildings. Israel launched a series of strikes on other areas of the southern suburbs following the initial blast.

After the strikes, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu abruptly cut short a visit to the United States to return home. Hours earlier, he addressed the U.N., vowing that Israels intensified campaign against Hezbollah over the past two weeks would continue  further dimming hopes for an internationally backed ceasefire.

News of the blasts came as Netanyahu was briefing reporters after his U.N. address. A military aide whispered into his ear, and Netanyahu quickly ended the briefing.

Israeli Army spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said the strikes targeted the main Hezbollah headquarters, saying it was located underground beneath residential buildings.

The series of blasts at around nightfall reduced six apartment towers to rubble in Haret Hreik, a densely populated, predominantly Shiite district of Beiruts Dahiyeh suburbs, according to Lebanons national news agency. A wall of billowing black and orange smoke rose into the sky as windows were rattled and houses shaken some 30 kilometers (18 miles) north of Beirut.

Footage showed rescue workers clambering over large slabs of concrete, surrounded by high piles of twisted metal and wreckage. Several craters were visible, one with a car toppled into it. A stream of residents carrying their belongings were seen fleeing along a main road out of the district.

Israel provided no immediate comment about the type of bomb or how many it used but the resulting explosion levelled an area greater than a city block. The Israeli army has in its arsenal 2,000 pound American-made Bunker Buster guided bombs designed specifically for hitting subterranean targets.

Richard Weir, crisis and weapons researcher with Human Rights Watch, said the blasts were consistent with that class of bomb.

Israel's Air Force followed with a new set of strikes early Saturday, also in the southern suburbs, shortly after an Israeli military spokesman warned residents of three buildings to evacuate, saying they were being used by Hezbollah to hide weapons, including anti-ship missiles.

To a degree unseen in past conflicts, Israel this past week has aimed to eliminate Hezbollahs senior leadership. But an attempt to assassinate Nasrallah  successful or not  would be a major escalation. The Pentagon said the U.S. had no advance warning of the strikes.

Nasrallah has been in hiding for years, very rarely appearing in public. He regularly gives speeches, but always by video from unknown locations. The site hit Friday evening had not been publicly known as Hezbollahs main headquarters, though it is located in the groups security quarters, a heavily guarded part of Haret Hreik where it has offices and runs several nearby hospitals.

Four hours after the strike, Hezbollah had still not issued any statement referring to it. Instead, it announced that it had launched a salvo of rockets at the Israeli city of Safed, which it said was in defense of Lebanon and its people, and in response to the barbaric Israeli violation of cities, villages and civilians. The Israeli military said a house and a car in Safed were hit, and officials said a 68-year-old woman suffered mild shrapnel wounds.

Israel dramatically intensified its airstrikes in Lebanon this week, saying it is determined to put an end to more than 11 months of Hezbollah fire into its territory. The escalated campaign has killed more than 720 people in Lebanon, including dozens of women and children, according to health ministry statistics. A predawn strike Friday in the mainly Sunni border town of Chebaa killed nine members of the same family, the state news agency said.

The scope of Israels operation remains unclear, but officials have said a ground invasion to push the militant group away from the border is a possibility. Israel has moved thousands of troops toward the border in preparation.

President Joe Biden said the U.S. had no knowledge of, or participation in Israel's strikes. The White House said Biden ordered his national security team to assess if further action is needed to beef up security for American interests in the Middle East.

At the U.N., Netanyahu vowed to continue degrading Hezbollah until Israel achieves its goals. His comments dampened hopes for a U.S.-backed call for a 21-day truce between Israel and Hezbollah to allow time for a diplomatic solution. Hezbollah has not responded to the proposal.

Iranian-backed Hezbollah, the strongest armed force in Lebanon, began firing rockets into Israel almost immediately after Hamas Oct. 7 attack, saying it was a show of support for the Palestinians. Since then, it and the Israeli military have traded fire almost daily, forcing tens of thousands of people to flee their homes on both sides of the border.

An Israeli security official said he expects the campaign against Hezbollah would not last for as long as the current war in Gaza, because the militarys goals are much narrower.

In Gaza, Israel aims to dismantle Hamas military and political regime, but the goal in Lebanon is to push Hezbollah away from the border  not a high bar like Gaza in terms of operational objectives, said the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity due to military briefing guidelines.

The Israeli military said it carried out dozens of strikes around the south Friday, targeting Hezbollah rocket launchers and infrastructure. It said Hezbollah fired a volley of rockets toward the northern Israeli city of Tiberias.

In the southern Lebanese city of Tyre, civil defense workers pulled the bodies of two women  35-year-old Hiba Ataya and her mother Sabah Olyan  from the rubble of a building brought down by a strike.

Thats Sabah, these are her clothes, my love, one man cried out as her body emerged.

Israel says its accelerated strikes this week have already inflicted heavy damage on Hezbollahs weapons capabilities and its fighters. But the group boasted a large arsenal of rockets and missiles and its remaining capacities remain unknown.

Hezbollah officials and their supporters remain defiant. Not long before the explosions Friday evening, thousands massed in another part of Beiruts suburbs for the funeral of three Hezbollah members killed in earlier strikes, including the head of the groups drone unit, Mohammed Surour.

Men and women in the giant crowd waved their fists in the air and chanted, We will never accept humiliation as they marched marched behind the three coffins, wrapped in the groups yellow flag.

Hussein Fadlallah, Hezbollahs top official in Beirut, said in a speech that no matter how many commanders Israel kills, the group has endless numbers of experienced fighters. He vowed that Hezbollah will keep fighting until Israel stops its offensive in Gaza.

We will not abandon the support of Palestine, Jerusalem and oppressed Gaza, Fadlallah said. There is no place for neutrality in this battle. (AP)




Nearly four million Americans were still in the dark and many faced torrential flooding on Saturday, authorities said, as powerful storm Helene marched across eastern U.S. states, leaving at least 44 people dead.

Emergency responders had launched massive rescue operations across multiple states since Helene slammed into Florida as a Category 4 hurricane and surged north, leaving roads, homes and businesses underwater  many of them destroyed.

Power had been restored in some areas since night fell over the region Friday, but nearly four million customers were still without electricity across 10 states in the early hours of Saturday, according to tracker poweroutage.us, with U.S. meteorologists warning of possible "long-duration" outages.

While Helene has weakened to a post-tropical cyclone, it has continued to wreak havoc with heavy rains that the National Hurricane Center (NHC) said would result in "catastrophic and potentially life-threatening flash and urban flooding."

More evacuations were ordered overnight into Saturday as flooding threatened to breach dams in North Carolina and Tennessee.

The National Weather Service (NWS) warned an eastern Tennessee dam was on the verge of failure and urged downstream communities to "move immediately to higher ground."

Record-breaking river flooding hit several southern states, the NHC said, with massive flooding reported in Asheville, a city in western North Carolina.

"This is one of the worst storms in modern history for parts of western North Carolina," state Governor Ray Cooper said in a briefing Friday night.

In Cedar Key, an island city of 700 people just off Florida's northwest coast, the full destructive force of the hurricane was on view.

Several pastel-colored wooden homes were completely destroyed, victims of storm surge and ferocious winds.

"I've lived here my whole life, and it breaks my heart to see it," said Gabe Doty, superintendent of Cedar Key's water and sewer district. "We've not really been able to catch a break around here."

'Gut punch'

Up to 12 inches (30 centimeters) of rain was forecast in the Appalachian mountains, with isolated spots even receiving 20 inches.

In South Carolina at least 20 people have died, including two firefighters, officials said. Among the deaths were six residents of Spartanburg County, according to county coroner Rusty Clevenger.

Georgia Governor Brian Kemp's office confirmed 15 people were killed in his state, including an emergency responder. Kemp warned that the city of Valdosta had identified 115 heavily damaged structures with multiple people trapped inside.

Florida's toll stood at seven. Governor Ron DeSantis said the damage from Helene exceeded that of hurricanes Idalia and Debby, which both hit the same Big Bend region southeast of Tallahassee in the last 13 months.

"It's a real gut punch to those communities," DeSantis told Fox News.

In Perry, near where Helene slammed ashore bearing winds of 140 miles (225 kilometers) per hour, houses lost power and the gas station was flattened.

"I am Floridian, so I'm kind of used to it, but it was real scary at one point," said Larry Bailey, 32, who sheltered in his small wooden home all night with his two nephews and sister.

Four hundred miles to the north in the Tennessee town of Erwin, a dramatic rescue operation unfolded, as more than 50 patients and staff were trapped on a hospital roof as floodwaters raged around them, local television footage showed. Helicopters were deployed in the rescue.

In neighboring Virginia, Governor Glenn Youngkin confirmed one fatality related to Helene. "This storm is not over," he warned in a video message.

Local media reported multiple deaths in North Carolina.

'It looks bad'

With typhoon Yagi battering Asia, storm Boris drenching Europe, a deadly new hurricane damaging Mexico's Acapulco and extreme flooding in the Sahel, September so far has been an unusually wet month around the world.

Scientists link some extreme weather events to human-caused global warming.

"Helene traveled over exceptionally warm ocean waters in the Gulf of Mexico," Andra Garner, a climate scientist at Rowan University in New Jersey, told AFP.

"It's likely that those extra warm ocean waters played a role in Helene's rapid intensification."

"Storm surges are getting worse," Garner said, "because our sea levels are rising as we warm the planet."

In the impact zone, residents had been warned of "unsurvivable" storm surge.

President Joe Biden and state authorities had urged people to heed official evacuation warnings before Helene hit, though some chose to stay in their homes to wait out the storm.

Vice President Kamala Harris said she and Biden "will continue to monitor the situation closely," adding the administration has mobilized 1,500 personnel to support impacted communities.

The head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Deanne Criswell, said "over 600 rescues" have been conducted. (AFP)
Airlines should avoid Lebanese and Israeli airspace for the coming month, the European Union said Saturday, amid an escalation in air strikes and rocket fire between Israel and Hezbollah.

The European Commission and European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) warned in a statement of "an overall intensification of air strikes and degradation in the security situation."

They issued an official recommendation "not to operate within the airspaces of Lebanon and Israel at all flight levels."

Provisionally lasting until Oct. 31, the Conflict Zone Information Bulletin (CZIB) "can be reviewed earlier and adapted or withdrawn," the statement added.

"EASA will continue to closely monitor the situation, with a view to assess whether there is an increase or decrease of risks for EU aircraft operators as a result of the evolution of the threat," the body said.

Israeli bombardment of the southern outskirts of Beirut on Friday hit its highest intensity since the state's last war with Hezbollah in 2006.

The Israeli army claimed to have killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in an air strike, while the Iran-backed group said it had fired rockets towards a kibbutz and military targets in northern Israel. (AFP)
U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said that the United States is concerned about China's support for the defense industry of the aggressor country Russia. He also emphasized that Beijing's talk of peace in Ukraine "does not add up."

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Blinken made the statement during talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Reuters reports. Thus, according to him, about 70% of the machine tools that Russia imports, as well as 90% of microelectronics, come from China and Hong Kong.

This materially helps Moscow to produce missiles, rockets, armored vehicles and ammunition needed to continue the war against Ukraine.

"So when Beijing says that, on the one hand, it wants peace, it wants to see an end to the conflict, but on the other hand, is allowing its companies to take actions that are actually helping Putin continue the aggression, that doesn't add up," Blinken emphasized.

He added that pressure on Iran, North Korea and China to stop providing weapons, artillery, equipment and other support to Russia will be crucial to achieving peace in Ukraine.

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As reported, China made a statement on Russia's war against Ukraine at the UN Security Council meeting on September 24. Beijing urged "not to expand the combat zone" and not to attack nuclear power plants.

At the same time, China continues to promote its "peace plan," which consists of an "immediate ceasefire," refusal to supply weapons to Ukraine, and abstention from sanctions against Russia.

Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
The Prime Minister of Slovenia Robert Golob urged not to ignore Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which has been going on for more than three years, as this could result in other potential conflicts around the world.

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The head of the country's government said this during his speech at the UN General Assembly on Friday, September 27. He said that if we do not take into account the war in Ukraine, similar wars will take place in other countries.

"What we are witnessing in Ukraine is the aggression of a stronger and more powerful neighbor against a smaller and weaker one. This is certainly a blatant violation of the UN Charter. If we allow this aggression to go on, we will open the door to many similar wars around the world," he said.

Golob also stated the need to reform the UN Security Council, of which Russia is a permanent member. According to him, the normal work of this body is actually blocked, as five permanent members abuse the veto and put national interests first.

The head of the Slovenian government believes that it is necessary to create a Security Council that corresponds to the modern world.

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"We urgently need a Council that is a true representation of the international community. A Council that is in line with the modern world. We must ensure a fair distribution of seats. The Council needs stronger voices from regions that have been underrepresented, such as the African continent. The reform of the Council's composition should be accompanied by the reform of the veto," Golob said.

Earlier, President of Poland Andrzej Duda said that Russia does not meet the role of a permanent member of the UN Security Council. The politician emphasized that Russia should be responsible for peace in the world, but it is an aggressor that brutally attacked sovereign Ukraine.

At the same time, Duda admitted that there are no legal grounds that could deprive Moscow of membership in the organization.

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As reported, the US State Department said that it is very difficult to get Russia expelled from the UN Security Council. Many demanded this since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, but so far to no avail. In the context of Ukraine, Washington focuses on things that are possible.

Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
Nuno Melo, Portugals new defense minister, has revived an almost forgotten debate. Olivenza is Portuguese, naturally, and this is not a provocation, said Melo during a visit to the Portuguese town of Estremoz, near the border with Spain, on September 13. The minister was thus claiming sovereignty over a locality of 11,776 residents in the Spanish province of Badajoz, on the border between the two countries, on the basis of the Treaty of Alcanices, which dates back to 1297 and according to which the Portuguese State does not recognize Olivenza as Spanish territory.

The people of Olivenza are oblivious to the political controversy triggered by Melo, who belongs to the right-wing CDS-PP party. Relations between inhabitants on both sides of La Raya (The Stripe), as the Spanish-Portuguese border is informally known, remain normal. Many Spaniards go to work, shop and spend their leisure time in Portuguese towns and vice versa. And a European Union cross-border cooperation project is underway that includes Badajoz on the Spanish side and Elvas and Campo Mayor on the Portuguese side.

In Portugal, the ministers statements have caused a stir. The leader of the Portuguese Socialist Party, Pedro Nuno Santos, rejected the defense ministers remarks, which he has described as extremely serious and with an impact on foreign policy, especially on diplomatic relations with Spain. The controversy forced the minister to clarify that what he said was in a personal capacity, and that it was not an official opinion of the government of Portugal.

On the Spanish side, the mayor of Olivenza, Manuel Jose Gonzalez Andrade, believes that the ministers words are out of place, and that they belong more to the 19th century than to the 21st. Both in form and substance, these statements are unacceptable. The people of Olivenza know their own history, which gives us a unique identity in the Iberian Peninsula, he says, noting that the remarks are particularly serious because they were uttered by a minister, who is not just anyone. Olivenza is the Iberian capital, we are a link between the two countries. We want to take advantage of the potential that history has given us, Gonzalez Andrade stresses.

Portuguese Defense Minister Nuno Melo on 17 September in Lisbon. Horacio Villalobos (Corbis/Getty Images)

Many residents of Olivenza with historical ties to Portugal have dual nationality and they are entitled to vote in elections in both countries. Before Spain and Portugal became part of the European Union, there were no borders here, the only thing that separated us and still separates us is the Guadiana River, explains Andrade, who is proud of his municipalitys Portuguese past. Currently, there are about 1,500 locals who speak Portuguese, mostly elderly people, although the younger generations have also benefited from measures to keep the language alive in the municipality.

Guillermo Fernandez Vara, a former chief of the regional government of Extremadura, which includes Badajoz province, is himself a resident of Olivenza. He believes that in todays world we must unite and not divide. These are debates that could have existed years ago, but now they make no sense; the people of Olivenza feel very Spanish, very Extremaduran, but without renouncing their Portuguese history, explains the former socialist leader. Fernandez Vara stresses that whats required in the current global context is a Europe that is as united as possible. We Oliventinos are children of Spain and grandchildren of Portugal and we carry it in our souls; it is the past, present and future, he says.

The current head of the regional government of Extremadura, Maria Guardiola, has also played down the issue. It is a discussion that is not even on the table. Of course, Extremadura will continue to defend the Spanishness of its people, she said, underscoring the fantastic relationship between the two countries. In the last 30 years of cross-border cooperation, I believe that we have made more progress as European partners and brothers than in the last centuries, she points out.

Spain gained Olivenza after the War of the Oranges against Portugal at the beginning of the 19th century, after returning Campo Maior and Portalegre, which had been conquered by the Spanish during the conflict. This is how the official chronicler of the city of Badajoz, Luis Alfonso Limpo, tells it. Olivenza had been abandoned by the Portuguese army and no one died in its conquest, the chronicler said in an interview on the radio network Cadena SER. Spain did not want to give up this strategic enclave on the left bank of the Guadiana River, whose foreign control could, due to its proximity, represent a danger for the city of Badajoz. King Charles IVs favorite aide, Manuel Godoy  First Secretary of State of the Kingdom of Spain  guaranteed in the Treaty of Badajoz (1801) that Portugal would recognize Olivenza as Spanish.

From Portugal to Spain and back again The Extremaduran town of Olivenza was founded in 1230 by Alfonso IX of Leon. The municipality belonged to this Spanish kingdom until 1297 with the signing of the Treaty of Alcanices, an agreement whereby Olivenza was ceded to Portugal. From that moment until the Portuguese Restoration War of 1640, the municipality was part of Portugal, but after the end of the conflict it was again recovered by the Spanish kingdom of Castile. It was handed over to Portugal again after signing the Treaty of Lisbon in 1668. During the War of the Oranges, in 1801, it was conquered by the troops of Manuel Godoy, and came under Spanish control until our days. This situation is considered unfair by Portugal's defense minister, who is a member of the executive of the conservative Luis Montenegro, in power since April.

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Editors note: This is part of a series from media partners, Armchair Lehigh Valley, examining four issues in the 7th Congressional District race between incumbent Democrat Susan Wild and her Republican challenger Ryan Mackenzie, a state representative in the 187th District. Besides abortion, the other issues are the economy, foreign affairs and immigration.

The 7th Congressional District covers all of Lehigh, Northampton and Carbon counties and a tiny part of Monroe County. The Nov. 5 election is considered a toss-up by national political analysts.

Abortion has loomed large in this presidential election year, and its no different in the race between incumbent Democrat Susan Wild and Republican Ryan Mackenzie in the 7th Congressional District.

Since June 2022, when the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in what is known as the Dobbs decision, 22 states have banned abortions in almost all circumstances or further restricted gestational limits on the procedure, according to the New York Times.

At the same time, anger over the ruling led voters in California, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and Vermont to approve ballot measures that enshrined abortion rights or rejected efforts to deny protections. Abortion remains legal in Pennsylvania.

Now at least nine states have referendums on their Nov. 5 ballots to protect abortion access. On the other side of the issue, Nebraska will have a ballot question that would ban abortion after the first trimester while South Dakotas would create restrictions on second and third trimester abortions.

In the wake of the Dobbs decision, the issue of reproductive rights continues to draw enormous attention as states have adopted policies that have restricted access to abortions, keeping the issue very much in the spotlight, said Chris Borick, director of the Muhlenberg College Institute of Public Opinion.

The issue will play a very significant role in the 7th District race, Borick said in an email.

Wild and Mackenzie offer clear contrasts on the issue.

Wild, who is seeking her fourth term, has made abortion access and reproductive rights a priority.

I firmly believe that private medical decisions should be kept between a woman and her doctor, and no politician, no court, no judge has the right to control a womans body, period, she said in a statement given to Armchair Lehigh Valley.

I will always stand up against extremists that try to roll back our fundamental right to bodily autonomy.

Mackenzie, a state representative in the 187th District, has called himself pro-life.

I have always voted to reduce the number of abortions that are occurring here in Pennsylvania, he told Armchair Lehigh Valley earlier this year.

At the same time, he supports in vitro fertizlation, believes insurance companies should be mandated to provide free contraceptives and doesnt think Pennsylvania should cooperate with other states trying to prevent their residents from seeking abortions in Pennsylvania.

Abortions and attitudes

Under Pennsylvania law, abortions are permitted up to 23 weeks of gestational age. After that, they are only allowed where the life or health of the mother is at risk.

In 2022, there were 34,838 reported abortions in Pennsylvania, according to the latest available state report.

Of that number, 19,011 were non-surgical, meaning they were drug-induced.

Pennsylvanias Annual Abortion Report for 2022 said there were 510 abortions performed between the gestational ages of 21 to 23 weeks that year and zero performed at or after 24 weeks.

The Guttmacher Institute, a reproductive rights research group, estimated that abortions in Pennsylvania climbed to nearly 38,000 in 2023 as women from states where abortion is restricted traveled to Pennsylvania for the procedure.

Of those, Guttmacher estimated 110 cases came from Texas and 600 from West Virginia, two states that have essentially banned abortions.

For comparison, there were 65,777 abortions in 1980 in Pennsylvania, the highest since 1975.

An April survey by Pew Research, a nonpartisan polling organization, found that 63% of respondents said abortion should be legal in all or most cases while 36% say it should be illegal in all or most cases.

In Pennsylvania, polling shows support for abortion as an option.

A poll released on Aug. 15 by Franklin & Marshall College Institutes Center for Opinion Research found 51% of the respondents said it should be legal under some circumstances while another 38% said it should be legal under any circumstance; 9% said it should always be illegal.

Wilds 2022 win over Republican Lisa Scheller is credited, in part, to backlash over the Dobbs decision.

A Muhlenberg poll before the election found abortion ranked second among voters in terms of importance of issues. Wild was leading Scheller 87%-11% on the issue.

Votes on the books

Both candidates have established voting records on the issue.

Among her actions, Wild has co-sponsored or supported bills to ensure access to abortion, establish legal rights to use contraceptives and to stop states from interfering with access to out-of-state abortions.

She supports the Womens Health Protection Act of 2023. Among its provisions, it would protect the rights of patients and health care providers to terminate pregnancies prior to viability without limitations on the method.

It would allow the use of drugs such as mifepristone, which is used to end pregnancies, and permit doctors to provide them via telemedicine. It would allow women to travel to other states to obtain abortions without fear of arrest.

After viability, it would allow doctors to use good faith judgments to end pregnancies to protect the life or health of the mother. In the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, the Supreme Court allowed states to restrict abortions after viability except in cases when the life or health of the mother was at stake.

Worried that the Dobbs decision would lead to the erosion of other reproductive rights, Wild took a leading role in January when she introduced the Right to In Vitro Act to protect in vitro fertilization as a legal method for conception.

Its not just about the Dobbs decision, although this was a watershed moment for our country, she said. Women everywhere are concerned about what is happening to their right to control their own body.

In an interview, Wild called allegations of Democrats supporting abortion on demand a Republican talking point, which is ludicrous. Such allegations now include the unfounded assertion by former President Donald Trump and others that abortions are taking place after birth.

There will always be guardrails limiting what providers can do, Wild said.

Mackenzie has supported measures to restrict abortion access.

He supported a now-defunct, proposed constitutional amendment that explicitly stated abortion is not a right in Pennsylvania. Critics said the amendment opened the door to an outright ban, which backers said wasnt true.

He also voted in favor of restricting the procedure beyond 20 weeks of gestational age. The bill made no exceptions for rape, incest or fetal abnormalities, which sometimes arent detected until after that gestational age.

In the same interview, Mackenzie declined to give what gestational-age ban he now supports. But he noted that he did not back efforts by state Sen. Doug Mastriano and others to restrict abortions once a heartbeat is detected.

He also has said there should be exceptions for the life or health of the mother and cases involving rape and incest.

When it comes to abortion bans, Mackenzie told LehighValleyNews.com that the issue is something that is much better left up to the states.

He said he doesnt see federal lawmakers coming to a consensus on what he calls a sensitive topic. I think you are going to see states and you are seeing states take the lead, Lehigh Valley News quoted him as saying.

Mackenzies campaign website makes no mention of his positions on abortion. It had previously had a line saying he has a 100% pro-life voting record from the PA Pro-Life Federation.

Arnaud Armstrong, his campaign spokesperson, issued the following comment on the removal:

Rep. Mackenzie had a 100% rating from the PA Pro-Life Federation at the time his website was initially published. That rating is now outdated, however, because {on Nov. 15, 2023} he voted for HB1786 (23-24), which would prohibit our state tax dollars from being used to enforce other states more restrictive reproductive health laws here in Pennsylvania  laws that our state legislature never voted on.

The PA Pro-Life Federation was advocating for a No vote on this bill. So, since he voted Yes, leaving an outdated rating on the updated version of the website would have been inaccurate, the statement said.

Wilds campaign said Mackenzie is trying to rewrite history by removing his pro-life views on his website. Her campaign issued the following statement:

Once again, Ryan Mackenzie got caught lying, this time about his extreme anti-abortion record. Lets be clear: Ryan has voted for multiple abortion bans with no exceptions for rape or incest, and is supported by the same politicians who want to ban IVF. Just because he now wants to advance his own political career doesnt mean he can rewrite history.

Mackenzie voted in favor of a 2021 bill that would mandate that hospitals or clinics cremate or bury the remains from abortion with penalties for failure to do so.

He also was the prime sponsor of a 2018 bill that established the Maternal Mortality Review Committee to develop strategies to reduce preventable morbidity, mortality and racial disparities related to pregnancy in Pennsylvania.

Mackenzie said IVF should be permitted. In June, he voted in favor of a state House resolution recognizing July 25, 2024, as World IVF Day in Pennsylvania.

That hasnt stopped Wilds campaign from running an ad linking Mackenzie to anti-IVF supporters. The ad doesnt say Mackenzie is against IVF, but says he is funded by far right politicians that oppose IVF. The ad shows images of House Republicans Matt Gaetz, Lauren Boebert and Marjorie Taylor Greene. None of those candidates gave money to Mackenzie.

When asked who the ad is referring to, Wilds campaign said Mackenzie received $2,000 from Guy for Congress, the committee for U.S. Rep. Guy Reschenthaler (PA-14), and $34,932 in transfers from Grow the Majority, House Speaker Mike Johnsons joint fundraising committee.

Johnson, Reschenthaler and Greene are among the 131 co-sponsors of the Life at Conception Act. The Washington Post said the act, introduced in 2023, contains similar language to that used by an Alabama court in February in declaring frozen embryos human beings. When procedures ground to a halt from the ruling, Alabama lawmakers passed a law allowing IVF. No votes have been taken on the Life at Conception Act.

Armstrong issued a statement on behalf of Mackenzie, which said, in part: Out of sheer desperation, Susan Wild is resorting to pure fabrication in an effort to shamelessly smear Ryan Mackenzie. Fortunately, the voters of the Lehigh Valley know Ryan and they know his bipartisan record. Rep. Mackenzie has a well-established record of supporting IVF, and he will continue to do so in Congress. There has never been any question about this.

Following is a look at the votes and positions Wild and Mackenzie have taken.

Susan Wild

Access to Family Building Act: Wild introduced HR7056 on Jan. 18, 2024. This bill provides a statutory right to use fertilization technology such as in vitro fertilization. Under the bill, individuals have the right to access assisted reproductive technology, and to retain all rights with respect to the use or disposition of reproductive genetic materials (e.g., eggs or sperm), without prohibitions or unreasonable restrictions. Health care providers and insurers also have the right to provide and cover these services, respectively. The bill was referred to a subcommittee of the Committee on Energy and Commerce.

Womens Health Protection Acts: Wild has voted yes and supported various versions of HR8296, which would prohibit governmental restrictions on the provision of, and access to, abortion services. The bill passed the House 219-210 on July 15, 2022, and was sent to the Senate. In 2023, she became a co-sponsor of the 2023 version, HR12, which was referred to a subcommittee on April 7, 2023. Wild supported HR3755, a similar version that passed the House 218-211 on June 8, 2021.

Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2024: Wild voted no to HR4368, which included a provision to nullify the FDAs approval of the dispensation of mifepristone, which is used to induce abortions, at certified pharmacies. The bill failed 191-237 on Sept. 28, 2023.

National Defense Authorization of 2024: Wild voted no to HB2760, the Department of Defenses appropriations bill. It contained an amendment that would stop the military from paying for travel related to abortions and other reproductive health services. The bill passed 219-210 on July 14, 2023. The day before Wild voted no to the amendment. The final version of the appropriations bill, which passed on Dec. 22, 2023, did not contain the amendment.

Good Amendment: Wild voted no on an amendment to HR277, which would expand oversight of Congress to rule-making powers of the president to include abortions. The amendment failed 211-223 on June 14, 2023.

HR2573: Wild co-sponsored the resolution, which expresses the sense of Congress that medication abortion is appropriately approved and regulated under federal law, and federal law preempts any in-person dispensing requirements or telehealth restrictions with respect to medication abortion under state law. The resolution was referred on April 21, 2023, to the Energy and Commerce Committees subcommittee on health.

HR309: Wild co-sponsored Resolution 309, which expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that the Food and Drug Administration has the authority to approve drugs for abortion care. The resolution was referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce on April 19, 2023.

Amicus brief: Wild was among 240 Democratic members of Congress who signed an amicus brief on April 11, 2023, seeking to block a Texas judges ruling that halted the prescription and distribution of mifepristone, which is used for abortions and managing early miscarriages. In a 9-0 decision in June, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled the plaintiffs who wanted to stop the use of mifepristone did not have standing to sue.

EACH Act of 2023: Wild co-sponsored HR561 Equal Access to Abortion Coverage in Health Insurance Act of 2023, which would require federal health care programs such as Medicaid to cover abortion services and require federal facilities to provide access to those services. Currently, coverage for such services under federal programs is generally only available in the case of rape, incest, or life endangerment. The bill was referred to a subcommittee on Feb. 21, 2023.

Ensuring Womens Right to Reproductive Freedom Act: Wild is a co-sponsor of 2024s HR782, which would prohibit anyone acting under state law from interfering with a persons ability to access out-of-state abortion services. The bill was referred to a subcommittee on Feb. 10, 2023.

Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act: Wild voted no on HR26, which would establish requirements for the level of care a health practitioner must provide in the case of premature birth following an abortion or attempted abortion. The measure passed the House 220-210 on Jan. 11, 2023. It was sent to the Senate where it was placed on the calendar.

Concurrent Resolution 3: Wild voted no to the resolution condemning recent attacks on pro-life facilities, groups, and churches and calls on the current presidential administration to use appropriate law enforcement authorities to support their safety. It passed the House 222-209 on Jan. 11, 2023.

Right to Contraception Act: Wild co-sponsored and voted yes on HR8373, which would establish a statutory right to obtain contraceptives and to engage in contraception, and for health care providers to provide contraceptives, contraception, and information related to contraception. It passed the House 228-195 on July 21, 2022, and was sent to the Senate, which took no action.

Ensuring Access to Abortion Act of 2022: Wild was a co-sponsor and voted yes to HR8297, which would prohibit anyone acting under state law from interfering with a persons ability to access out-of-state abortion services. It passed the House 223-205 on July 15, 2022, and was sent to the Senate.

Ryan Mackenzie

20-week ban: Mackenzie voted yes to Senate Bill 3, which would ban abortions beyond 20 weeks of gestational age except in cases of irreversible health risk to the mother. It also would ban dilation and extraction abortions prior to 20 weeks of pregnancy. Dilation and extraction is the most common form of abortion after 14 weeks gestation. The measure included an exception to prevent either the death of the pregnant woman or the substantial and irreversible impairment of a major bodily function of the woman. It made no exceptions for pregnancies resulting from rape or incest. It passed the House 121-70 on Dec. 17, 2017, passed the Senate and was vetoed by then-Gov. Tom Corbett.

No constitutional right to abortion: He voted in favor of Senate Bill 106, which included an amendment to Pennsylvanias Constitution stating there is no constitutional right to taxpayer-funded abortion or other right relating to abortion. The measure passed the House 107-92 on July 8, 2022, was approved in the Senate, but did not move on when Democrats took control of the House in 2023.

Mifepristone: Mackenzie voted in favor of SB 857, which would bar the use of telemedicine to prescribe mifepristone. The bill passed the House 111-77 on Nov. 21, 2019. It had previously passed the Senate. It was vetoed by Gov. Tom Wolf. In 2022, 31% of abortion providers offered telemedicine consultation and mailed pills, up from 7% in 2020, according to the research group Guttmacher Institute.

Funeral and cremation: He voted in favor of HB 118, which would require the burial or cremation of abortion remains by hospitals or clinics with penalties for failure to do so. It was approved 118-83 on June 9, 2021. It was not taken up by the Senate.

Down syndrome: Mackenzie voted in favor of HB 1500, which would ban abortions because of a prenatal diagnosis of Down syndrome. It passed the House 120-83 on June 8, 2021, but was not taken up by the Senate. In 2019, he voted in favor of a similar bill  HB 321  that passed the Senate as well but was vetoed by Wolf.

Maternal Mortality: He said he supports efforts to help mothers. He was the prime sponsor of a 2018 bill that established the Maternal Mortality Review Committee, which reviews maternal death to develop strategies to reduce preventable morbidity, mortality and racial disparities related to pregnancy in the commonwealth.

Cooperation with other states: He voted yes to HB 1786, which would prevent public officials in Pennsylvania from cooperating with authorities in other states from trying to prevent their residents from seeking abortions in Pennsylvania. The measure passed the House 117-86 on Nov. 15, 2023, but did not receive a Senate vote.

Health Insurance Exchanges: Mackenzie voted in favor of HB 818, which prohibits health plans offered through the health insurance exchange from including coverage for abortions. The bill passed the House 144-53 on April 23, 2013. It was approved in the Senate and signed into law by Gov. Tom Corbett.

Contraceptives: Mackenzie voted in favor of HB 1140, which would require insurance companies to cover all contraceptive drugs, devices, and other products and services at no cost to the consumer. The measure passed the House 133-69 in June but has not been taken up in the Senate.
Charges have been upgraded for a 17-year-old who was accused by authorities of shooting a 30-year-old victim Thursday night after the man died Friday, according to authorities from Northampton County.

Altaron Amir Robinson, 30, of Allentown was rushed to St. Lukes University Hospital in Allentown after local authorities found him suffering from a gunshot wounds at about 9:30 p.m. Thursday night, the Lehigh Valley Coroners Office said Saturday.

The shooting happened Thursday night near Gov. Wolf Elementary School in Northeast Bethlehem, leading to the schools closure on Friday as investigators continued work at the scene, the school district announced on social media. Authorities said the shooting did not occur on school grounds.

Gianni Santini, 17, of Bethlehem was initially charged with felony attempted criminal homicide, aggravated assault and two counts of felony robbery in addition to weapons offenses, Northampton County District Attorney Stephen Baratta announced Friday afternoon.

Santini surrendered to police late Friday night and is scheduled to be preliminarily arraigned Saturday, his attorney said Saturday morning.

The charges were upgraded to criminal homicide, aggravated assault, robbery and weapons offenses, according to Santinis attorney.

Robinson was found in the area of the 1900 block of Butztown road in Bethlehem, the coroners office said.

Police said Friday that the shooting was not a random act and that Santini fled the scene of the shooting. Authorities did not release a motive for the shooting on Friday.

An autopsy was conducted on Monday. Robinsons death was caused by a gunshot wound to the head and the manner was ruled a homicide by Lehigh County Coroner Daniel A. Buglio.

Since the charges involved deadly weapons, authorities said Santini would likely be prosecuted as an adult.

The Bethlehem Police Department and Northampton County District Attorneys Office are investigating the incident. No additional details on what lead the Robinsons shooting were released by authorities.

Editors note: This story was updated with more information from Lehigh County Coroner Daniel A. Buglio.

Reporter Pamela Sroka-Holzmann contributed to this report.

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Jimmy Nolen walks into a store in Rome, Georgia with a large box under his arm. Inside it is one of the 70-year-olds most valuable possessions. Its a beaver skin cowboy that hes had for decades. Nolan  who describes himself as a modern cowboy  brought the hat to get it cleaned and the brim smoothed in the hope of passing it on to one of his grandsons. They are currently nine and 14 years old, and are with Nolen today so that their grandpa can buy them their first pair of cowboy boots.

There is no better footwear than this. I never take mine off, says Nolen, who nonetheless, has opted for a pair of comfortable sandals on this particular morning.

Jimmy Nolen, Republican voter. RICHARD PIERRIN

Nolen, with his weathered skin and penetrating blue eyes, is one of Donald Trumps supporters in Georgia, a southern state of 10 million inhabitants that four years ago, was narrowly decided in favor of Joe Biden, the first Democrat to win the state since Bill Clinton in 1992. Today, it is one of the seven swing states that Kamala Harris and Trump are fighting to sway ahead of the November 5 presidential election. The former Republican president is charged with election subversion in Georgia over his efforts to reverse his 2020 defeat. A date for trial has yet to be set.

The retired cowboy was employed by the iron industry for 20 years and afterwards, worked in sales for various companies, including Dow Chemical. Today, he lives on a farm in Rome, a town of less than 40,000 people located in the heart of the 14th congressional district, region that sent the radical Marjorie Taylor Greene to Washington. She is one of the star lawmakers of the MAGA movement. Biden won his race in Geogia by less than 12,000 votes, but lost Romes Floyd County by 40 points.

View of the city of Atlanta, Georgia Richard PIERRIN

Were good people in the south, but when we are betrayed, theres no going back, says Nolen. The last Democratic voter in his family was his grandfather. Younger generations have all supported conservative candidates. No ones changing his mind on the issue. When I run into a Democrat, I make like Im listening, but Im really not paying much attention, because I dont like their ideas, he says. He complains about how everything has gotten more expensive, blaming people whove come from other states, like California. Before, it was very rare to see Hispanics around here. Now, theyre everywhere, he says. My kids say the same thing: two-thirds at the school are Latinos, offers the salesclerk. If not more, says Nolen, dusting off his hat.

The area where he lives, which is to the north of Atlanta and close to the Tennessee border, is full of Civil War history. The Confederate flag still proudly hangs from some porches. A few miles away in the town of Resaca, theres a cemetery with the graves of 400 Confederate soldiers who were felled in 1864 during two days of battle that served as the prologue to the capture of Atlanta by Union troops. The site is an obligatory stop for student groups in the area.

Cody Lance, in Dalton. RICHARD PIERRIN

Many have started to feel the squeeze from rural Georgias economic situation. Cody Lance, 24, came to the town of Calhoun to pawn his gun for $300 at a store. In the street, they would have given me at least $800, but I wouldnt want it to be used for something bad. Also, I like to think Im not getting rid of it. I can come get it back, he says. He has two other weapons at home.

Lance is a small business owner from Dalton, a town that recently made national headlines thanks to yet another school shooting. I think that everyone has the right to carry a gun up to a certain point. Not within schools or churches, but its good to have it in your car, because you never know when someones going to start shooting, he says. His started his career transporting cargo in his pick-up truck throughout Georgia, Tennessee and Louisiana. Nowadays, he drives a bigger truck, but business has declined. Hell use the money from the gun to buy food and gas for a week.

T-shirts and merchandise featuring the image of candidate Donald Trump. RICHARD PIERRIN

Dressed in a T-shirt from the Newtown evangelical church, Lance admits he voted for Trump four years ago, in what was his first time voting in aa presidential election. Today, hes not convinced hell vote again. [Trump] has been attacking Harris all the time. He shouldnt be doing that. He should talk more about what hell do and when hell do it, instead of diminshing her, he says.

The evangelical vote

The evangelicals are one of the primary motors of the Republican Party in Georgia. Ralph Reed, an ultra-conservative activist, said recently in Atlanta that an army of volunteers knocked the doors of 280,000 potential voters to motivate them to get out and vote. Reed heads up the Faith and Freedom Coalition, which looks to protect Republican Governor Brian Kemps 2019 abortion ban that banned the procedure once a fetus heartbeat can be detected. The law was approved by a Republican majority before Roe v. Wade, the landmark ruling that established the federal right to abortion, was overturned.

Republican vice-presidential candidate J.D. Vance greets the president of the Faith and Freedom Coalition, Ralph Reed, at a dinner in Atlanta. ERIK S. LESSER (EFE)

Its time for Christian voters to be the head and not the tail of our political system, said Reed, who founded his organization in 2009 to serve as a bridge between evangelical voters and the Tea Party, which was on the rise at the time. The coalition is distributing voters guides to promote Trump among anti-abortionists at 5,000 churches around Georgia.

Some 160,000 voters from the movement who believe in the Bible voted for Trump in 2016 and in 2020, they didnt bother to turn out, said Reed. His marquee guest was Ohio Senator J.D. Vance, Trumps running mate, whose selection to the ticket underlined the Republicans commitment to the Bible Belt.

I know many here are concerned that traditional conservatives are no longer welcome in the Republican Party. That is false, Vance said.

Donald Trump supporters at a Faith and Freedom Coalition event in Georgia on September 16, 2024. Richard PIERRIN

Human life is precious and should be protected, because we believe that every child, born and unborn, is created in the image of God, said Vance at the Faith and Freedom Coalition on September 16. His words were an attempt to calm evangelicals after Trump softened his position on abortion, perhaps in the hope of stemming his declining support among women voters. We want to invest in women, especially in pregnant women who need help bringing their children into the world. That can be scary when pregnancies are not planned, added Vance, to the applause of the church members and Republican state functionaries.

Harris returned to Georgia last week to reinforce abortion as a central theme in her campaign. One does not have to abandon their faith or deeply held beliefs to agree the government should not be telling a woman what to do with her body, she said at an event in Atlanta on September 20.

The candidate brought up the fact that one out of every three women live in states that passed abortion bans after Roe v. Wade was overturned. All the southern states, with the exception of Virginia, have passed laws restricting the termination of pregnancies. More than 20 states have Trump abortion bans [] In two states of those states, they provide for prison for life, said Harris. And these hypocrites want to start talking about this is in the best interest of women and children. How dare they?

J.D. Vance speaks at a Faith and Freedom Coalition event in Georgia on September 16, 2024. Richard PIERRIN

The disrupters

Although the majority of voters lean towards Harris or Trump, the key to one of those candidates victory in Georgia could depend on lesser-known names, like that of Chase Oliver. At 38 years old, the gay politician is the youngest presidential candidate in the election. While the Democrat and the Republican are focusing the last days of the campaign on the seven swing states, Oliver, from the Libertarian Party, continues to travel throughout the country to events as eclectic as the Plano, Texas Balloon Festival.

Many of my events focus on getting to know voters face to face to show them that there is an alternative to the party system, says Oliver in a restaurant on the outskirts of Atlanta, where he lives and shares a house with three roommates: two cats and a dog.

Chase Oliver during a debate on October 16, 2022. Ben Gray (AP)

Oliver  a salesperson with human resources experience  got his start in politics as an activist speaking out against the invasion of Iraq. Hes not fighting to get to the White House, but rather, to raise his partys profile. The Libertarian Party was founded 50 years ago and its central philosophy is get the government out of your life. He says that the party has some things in common with both Democrats and conservatives, and that the Latin American leader who best reflects his ideals is Argentinas Javier Milei.

On November 5, Olivers name will be on the ballot in 47 states. Thats especially worrisome for Harris in states like Georgia. Two years ago, he ran to be a U.S. senator, winning 81,000 votes or 2%, far from victory, but better than the 1% that was expected. His showing forced the vote to a runoff. I forced a special election between Democrats and Republicans, and that attracted the partys attention. Soon afterwards, they asked if Id ever thought about running for president, says Oliver.

A recent poll by The New York Times shows that the Libertarian has the support of 2% of voters at the national level, which is certainly high enough to impact results in his home state. Still, several analysts warn that third-party candidates get less votes on election day than polls predict. Oliver, who has spent $30,000 out of his own pocket on his campaign, sounds satisfied with his role as a disruptor.

Im trying to sufficiently affect the election for voters to wake up to the fact that theyre being presented a false binary choice and that in every other democracy in the world, there are more than two options, he says.

Voter registration at a subway station in Atlanta. RICHARD PIERRIN

Hes not the only disruptor. The Democratic Party launched a legal offensive against other candidates to get them disqualified from the election and avoid states like Georgia having the most crowded ballot since 1948. Throughout the country, the Democrats are spending an immense amount of money in employing an army of lawyers to displace our campaign. Harris is positioning herself as the only force that can save democracy from Donald Trump, but at the same time, she is attacking democracy to make sure that only Trump is with her on the ballot, Claudia de la Cruz, Party for Socialism and Liberation candidate, tells EL PAIS.

Cornel West, a Black philosopher and former Harvard professor, shares that view. Us independents are going to vote for an independent. We are tired of supporting the lesser evil, which is an approach that will get you nowhere. Theres a large number of potential voters who are simply abstaining because they dont matter, they feel like they are not being listened to nor taken into account, says Fatimah Mustafah, a volunteer for Wests campaign in Georgia and disillusioned former Democratic voter. Wests and de la Cruzs names will appear on some ballots, but its still unclear whether votes for them will be valid. That depends on court decisions that are expected to be delivered in the next few weeks, which could cause chaos for some campaigns.

Voter purge

To the beat of Not Like Us, Kendrick Lamars hit that has become one of the songs of the summer in the United States, teachers from the Atlanta Metropolitan State College try to attract students to a table, where four women are waiting to help them with voter registration, which ends on October 7. A festive atmosphere reigns. There are drinks, hot dogs and games. Even so, few approach to ask for information on the process. One was Jenesis Taylor, a 25-year-old student originally from Memphis, Tennessee, who will vote for the first time in November.

Voter registration table in Atlanta, September 17, 2024. RICHARD PIERRIN

People from my generation think they dont have a voice that matters or that their actions cant make a big impact on the future, so I think that some dont take the time to understand politics or how it works, says Taylor, who said shed done that work and had decided on her vote after the debate between Trump and Harris. The student tries to warn her peers that there is a voter purge in Georgia that will affect, above all, people like her: young people of color.

Over the past two years, the legislature has approved laws that make it more difficult to vote, says Kayron Bearden, a volunteer for the League of Women Voters, a non-partisan organization that encourages participation. The Republican majority in the local Congress has adopted measures that place more obstacles to voting by mail and for absentee voters, arguing that better control is needed to avoid fraud.

This is in addition to decisions made by the State Election Board, which is controlled by three functionaries affiliated with Donald Trump. The organization recently decided to require a manual count of votes on election night in each of the states 159 counties. The measure  which has been widely criticized  will be performed in addition to an electronic tallying. Critics say that this will not only delay results, but also increase the potential for fraud, given that functionaries must open sealed ballots for the hand count. The Board has also evaluated measures that would allow for the presence of more partisan observers in the ballot processing centers. Some are considering asking for police support on November 5 and are even thinking about installing panic buttons within offices.

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Irish Defence Forces veterans charity, Oglaigh Naisiunta Na hEireann / the Organisation of National Ex-Service Personnel (ONE) has today called for the development of a comprehensive Veterans Policy and the creation of an Office of Veterans Affairs.

The call comes as ONEs 2024 Annual Report reveals a stark funding gap of 860,000 for the year ahead.

ONE requires approximately 1.5 million to maintain its housing and mental health services, but with only 640,000 (42 per cent) expected from state funding, it is increasingly reliant on public donations, partnerships, and fundraising to continue supporting homeless veterans and those in need of mental health services.

Speaking at the charities Annual Convention, CEO of ONE, Cormac Kirwan said: "The establishment of an Office of Veterans Affairs is an essential step to ensuring that Irish veterans receive the support and recognition they deserve."

"Our veterans have served this country with honour, and urgently need the structured and sustainable support required to rebuild their lives," Mr Kirwan added.

Left to Right: Chairman of ONE Colm Campbell; Minister of State for Defence Jennifer Carroll McNeill; Defence Forces Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Sean Clancy; President of ONE Mick Kinahan; Secretary General of the Department of Defence Jacqui McCrum; and CEO of ONE Cormac Kirwan at the launch of Oglaigh Naisiunta na hEireann's Annual Fuchsia Appeal at the National Memorial in Merrion Square. Photograph supplied by Conor McGorry of ClearStory International.

A spokesperson for ONE has said that the funding challenge 'comes at a critical time', as the cost of homelessness continues to rise.

They elaborated: "According to research by Ryan & McConnell (2015) and estimates from Focus Ireland (2023), the cost of supporting a homeless person in Ireland is approximately 32,000 to 34,000 per year.

"This is in contrast to ONEs model which offers a more cost-effective solution, with the annual cost of housing and supporting a homeless veteran estimated at 10,500 outside Dublin and 14,300 within the capital, net of contributions by residents.

"The announcement coincides with the launch of the charities 2024 Fuchsia Appeal and the unveiling of its 2024 Annual Report, which highlights the lack of specific state funding for its homes outside Dublin, and the growing demand for its mental health services which has placed an even greater strain on the charitys resources."

The spokesperson continued: "In response to these challenges, ONE is renewing its call for a formal Office of Veterans Affairs and a National Veterans Policy, which would provide structured support for Irelands veterans.

"The Commission on the Defence Forces 2022 report endorsed the establishment of an Office of Veterans Affairs and ONE is urging the government to prioritise the implementation of this body to ensure that veterans receive the dedicated support they deserve."

They also said that earlier this week, the organisation announced plans for five additional Veterans homes by 2026, as well as two new Veteran Support Officers (VSOs) and the establishment of a permanent 24 / 7 Veterans support helpline.

ANNUAL APPEAL

The annual Fuchsia Appeal was first launched in 2009 and serves as a key fundraiser for ONEs essential services.

The fuchsia was chosen as the fundraising emblem due to its presence across all of Ireland.

The flower, commonly known as 'Deora De' or 'Gods Tears', serves as a reminder of home for all service personnel.

The Fuchsia Badge is now sold as part of the Appeal to fund ONE's supports services.

Donations to the 2024 Fuchsia Appeal can be made here.
Internet companies will face massive fines for hosting content that glorifies terrorism, under new powers for the media regulator.

Coimisiun na Mean has been designated as the authority to impose the penalties which fall under EU regulations.

The Department of Justice said the powers will provide for speedy removal of terrorist content online after gardai issue removal orders.

The regulations apply to material shared online that directly or indirectly advocates for the commission of terrorism offences.

This includes the glorification of terrorist acts, soliciting others to contribute towards offences, or to directly participate or aid in the activities of terrorist groups.

An Coimisiun will have the power to impose administrative fines on hosting service providers  up to 4% of global turnover for infringements of the EU Terrorism Content Online Regulation.

Justice Minister Helen McEntee said: We have already implemented a number of the necessary measures including the designation of An Garda Siochana as the competent authority to issue removal orders to online service providers.

An Garda Siochana plays a vital role in this respect and aligns with their mission of Keeping People Safe.

Coimisiun na Mean will now play an equally important role in collecting fines from those providers who do not fully adhere to An Garda Siochanas orders.

We will see a State-wide response to tackling harmful and corrosive content online, content which can motivate people do real world-harm.
US Senator Mark Kelly (L), Democrat of Arizona, and US Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris arrive at the Bisbee Douglas International Airport in Douglas, Arizona, on September 27, 2024. REBECCA NOBLE / AFP

Vice President Kamala Harris arrived Friday, September 27 in an Arizona border town, where she'll make her first visit to the US-Mexico boundary since becoming the Democratic presidential nominee. Her visit comes as polls show the subject remains one of her biggest vulnerabilities against Trump.

Harris will call for tougher security in the speech in the border town of Douglas and accuse Trump of killing attempts to pass a bipartisan migration bill in hopes of boosting his own election chances, her campaign said.

"The American people deserve a president who cares more about border security than playing political games," she plans to say, according to her campaign.

Harris made an unannounced visit to the border wall in Douglas, where she met with Border Patrol officials and was photographed alongside the distinctive metal slats at the international frontier.

Arizona is also one of the half-dozen battleground states that are expected to decide the agonizingly close November 5 election, and the one where polls show Harris may have to do the most work.

Former president Trump has turbocharged the border issue in recent weeks as he seeks an edge against Harris, America's first female, Black and South Asian vice president.

The 78-year-old has called for mass deportations, amplified bogus claims about migrants eating pet cats and dogs, and stepped up his racially charged rhetoric about an "invasion" of illegal immigrants who he claims consist of murderers, rapists and mentally ill people.

'Save her airfare'

Hours before Harris was to speak in Arizona figures from the US Department of Homeland Security showed 425,000 non-citizens convicted of crimes are living in the United States, including more than 13,000 of those have convictions for homicide.

Trump leapt on the news, claiming these people had been "let out of jail, and they're roaming our streets."

Trump claimed that the numbers referred to people who had illegally crossed the border under the Biden-Harris administration. But the figures give no details on how long any of these people have been in the United States and experts say many of them could have been in the country for decades.

"These are people who, primarily, have already been charged and convicted and served their time," Aaron Reichlin-Melnick of the American Immigration Council told AFP.

Reichlin-Melnick said under Trump there were millions of non-citizens living in the United States, including hundreds of thousands with criminal records. "The only reason that they cannot be deported is because of diplomatic issues with their home country and nothing to do with the US government's policy or practices," he said.

Recent polls have seen Harris eating into Trump's lead on migration with voters, yet it still remains a weak spot for Harris, with record numbers of illegal border crossings under her and Biden's watch. But Harris points to the fact that numbers have plummeted since Biden signed an executive order in June temporarily closing the border to asylum seekers  to around 58,000 in August from a peak of 250,000 last December.

The 59-year-old will meet border agents during her visit, call for action to stop the flow of the deadly opioid fentanyl across the border, and talk up her former career as a prosecutor involved in tackling gangs smuggling drugs across the border, the campaign said.

Trump doubles down

Republicans have also focused on Harris's role early in the Biden administration when the president tasked her with looking into the causes of illegal migration from Central America  falsely calling her a "border czar" and implying that she had overall control over US border policy.

Trump has meanwhile doubled down on his divisive rhetoric targeting migrants, with the billionaire seeing it as appealing to his base of largely white, blue-collar voters.

In his remarks on Thursday, Trump also repeated his claim that migrants were "infecting our country," using language that Biden has previously compared to that used by Nazi Germany.

Trump and his running mate J.D. Vance have in recent weeks played up unproven stories about Haitian migrants eating pets in the town of Springfield, Ohio.

Read more Subscribers only Springfield, its cats and Haitian migrants reflect the deep polarization of the US
MORE than 175,000 has been allocated to 19 crucial community climate projects in Limerick.

Under the governments Community Climate Action Programme, the funds will support Limerick community organisations to deliver projects in areas such as biodiversity, energy conservation and waste disposal.

Mayor of Limerick John Moran welcomed the allocation, saying that the 19 successful projects that received funding demonstrate the power of collective action.

We face growing challenges from climate change and the role of local communities has never been more crucial, he said.

These initiatives not only help combat climate change but also improve our quality of life and create more attractive public spaces.

READ MORE: 'Iconic' city landmark to be 'transformed', boosting its cultural value

Dr Darren Barry, community climate action officer at Limerick City and County Council, says the work of local communities is reaping environmental rewards.

This significant funding will bolster climate and biodiversity projects across Limerick city and county, he said.

Limericks dedicated community groups and volunteers are already doing incredible work at the local level.

With this support, they can continue to enhance their communities while driving important climate action initiatives. This benefits us all.

Making the announcement of funding for projects across Ireland, Minister for Environment, Climate and Communications Eamon Ryan, said: The Community Climate Action Programme is a landmark fund which is making 24m available to climate action projects across Ireland, alongside a 3m contribution from the governments Shared Island Fund.

Communities and local authorities know best the climate actions that work for their area and can deliver the most effective climate solutions on the ground.

I look forward to seeing the transformative effect these projects will have, not only in tackling climate change, but in making our cities, towns and villages better places, said Minister Ryan.
The Adani Group has put on fast-forward a $4-billion plan to expand its data centre business, according to two persons with direct knowledge of the matter.

The objective is to capitalize on a surge in demand for data centre services from technology giants, and also give its power business a boost by capturing the immense power demand for these services.

Adani ConneX Pvt. Ltd, a joint venture between Adani Enterprises Ltd. and Virginia-based EdgeConneX, currently has 17 MW operational and 210 MW under-construction projects. With demand for its services skyrocketing, the group plans to achieve data-centre scale of 1-1.5 GW within one to two years, from the earlier target of five years, the two people cited above said on condition of anonymity.

Adani will invest another $4 billion to reach this 1 GW. Based on present economics, investment per MW is around 40 crore," the first person said.

Also read: Amsterdams Yondr to exit Indias data centre race. JV partner Everstone eyes full control.

According to the people cited above, the data centre demand is growing so quickly that the group may slow down investments for some other businesses and use the funds to invest more in the data centre business as a part of the strategy shift.

The orders or requirement (for data centre services) that used to be on average 5-10 MW two years ago, are now 50-100 MW," said the first person, adding that Adani Group today has only 2.5% share of Indias data centre market, which is currently 700 MW and is expected to become 4 GW by FY30.

AdaniConneX has an order visibility of 1.5-2 GW. This means our share, which with 1 GW could have been 25%, is expected to go up significantly," the first person added.

Also read | Airtel's data centre business Nxtra, Indus Towers merger unlikely: CEO Vittal

The move will also benefit the groups power generation business that is run by Adani Power Ltd. and Adani Green Energy Ltd. Typically, artificial intelligence-driven services offered by WhatsApp, Google and Facebook, among others, require intense computational abilities that consume 8X-12X more power than non-AI computational needs.

An email sent to Adani Group remained unanswered till press time.

Not just Adani

Along with Adani, the boom in demand for data centre services has also pushed other major Indian players such as Nxtra by Airtel, Brookfield-RIL and Hiranandani's Yotta Data centres into expansion mode.

We are continuing a strong expansion drive and are increasing our capacity exponentially to meet the growing digital demand in India," said Ashish Arora, CEO of Nxtra by Airtel.

According to Arora, Nxtra by Airtel, which currently has the largest data centre network in India with more than 200MW capacity, will invest $660 million by 2026 to double its capacity to 400MW across Mumbai, Pune, Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad, Delhi-NCR and Bengaluru.

Also read | Sizing up India's listed data centre plays: What to expect from Budget 2024

Then, Digital Connexion, a three-way joint venture between real estate investment trust Digital Realty, private equity firm Brookfield Asset Management, and Indias oil and gas giant Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL), opened its first data centre campus near Chennai in January 2024. The campus covers cloud- and carrier-neutral data centre, co-location and interconnection solutions.

The company sees its scale going up from 20MW to 160 MW (in Chennai and Mumbai) in the next two to three years as demand rises. There's a lot that's required," said Arpit Agrawal, managing partner and head of India and Middle East for Brookfield's Infrastructure Group.

We are providing AI capacity. On that space, we are continuing to expand. -Hiranandani

The overall Indian data centre capacity today is less than a gigawatt," said Agrawal, adding that while there are different estimates, he expects it to grow five times by 2030. Agrawal said the company is open to acquiring new data centres to be able to deliver capacity at a compelling price point to customers.

Meanwhile, Hiranandani Group-led data centre company Yotta Data Services Pvt Ltd, too, has significant expansion and investment plans lined up for the coming months.

Darshan Hiranandani, chairman and co-founder, Yotta, said under the data centre venture, the company plans to launch its own public cloud, similar to what Google, Amazon, and Microsoft, provide.

Also read | Yotta to unveil new Greater Noida, Guwahati data centres in 2024

We are providing AI capacity. On that space, we are continuing to expand. And as our first, we'll put space in our Mumbai data centre, then in our Delhi data centres," Hiranandani said, adding that demand for India is coming from local cloudification.

Our data centresfor the quantum of internet usage, population, even of GDP as a simple mathematicsare still low. So, based on our current income levels, we should be having around two to three times the amount of data centres," said Hiranandani, adding that over the next 12-18 months, Indian capacity will be focused more on Indian consumers before the country caters to demand from other jurisdictions.

Yotta has ordered 16,000 GPUs for its data centres this year, which involves $500 million investment just for chips, according to Hiranandani.

A 19 August report by The Economic Times cited Yotta Data Services chief executive Sunil Gupta stating that about 75% of the H100 graphic processing units (GPUs) procured by Yotta from US chip-maker Nvidia are used by companies abroad and only the rest are used by Indian companies.

Adanis plans

The two people cited earlier said Adanis renewed data centre investment strategy is driven by an acute power constraint faced by tech majors, with demand especially shooting up in the past six months.

Hyperscalers and colocation demand has suddenly intensified as top global hyperscalers are looking for the first-mover advantage," said the first person. A hyperscaler offers massive computing resources through large-scale data centres, typically in the form of an elastic cloud platform.

In its latest annual report, Adani Enterprises mentioned that its major hyperscale customers included Microsoft, Google, and AWS, among others.

Power sector is the central force for the emerging AI revolution. Apart from other AI services by WhatsApp or Google or Facebook, on an average, a ChatGPT query needs nearly 10 times as much electricity to process as a Google search," said the first person.

The amount of energy burned by Nvidias H100 GPUs sold in 2023 is enough to power 4 million peoplemore than 1% of the USs population, this person said.

According to a McKinsey report last week, data centres account for 3-4% of US power demand, which is expected to grow to 12% by FY30. In May, Goldman Sachs made a similar predictionglobally data centres account for 1% of power consumption and could rise to 4% by FY30.

Also read | India data centres may see $23bn investments by 2033: Avendus

This power demand is rising steeply at a time when companies globally are racing to detach themselves from fossil-fuel related activities and become net-zero in terms of emissions as early as possible.

Thats why the demand in India could be even higher since many of the western countries do not have enough resources to provide clean energy," said the first person.

Adani Green Energy Ltd. can generate, evacuate, and supply (via Adani Energy Solutions Ltd.) green power," said this person, adding that this factor is crucial for the data centre strategy since power alone accounts for 60% of the data centres operational cost.

Even though Nxtra itself doesnt own a green energy power generation plant, the company, with an ambition to reach net-zero by 2031, is adopting new types of green energy, water and waste management technologies within its data centre ecosystem, according to Arora.

This power demand is rising steeply at a time when companies globally are racing to detach themselves from fossil-fuel related activities and become net-zero in terms of emissions as early as possible.

We are integrating energy-efficient cooling systems and harnessing new-age renewable energy sources, including hydrogen ready fuel-cell technology," said Arora, adding that Nxtra is the only Indian data centre firm to have pledged to RE100 initiative. RE100 is the global corporate renewable energy initiative bringing together hundreds of large and ambitious businesses committed to 100% renewable electricity.

We are ensuring all our new hyperscale data centres are designed to handle complex AI workloads through next-gen cooling technologies, scalable power infrastructure and high structural floor loading, thus providing hyperscalers and enterprises a future-ready infrastructure to implement AI and other next-gen applications," said Arora.

Adani data centres are engaged in managing the core infrastructure that hyperscalers need for their AI and cloud-computing based services. This includes power solutions, renewable energy, land banks, engineering and so on.

Adani is constructing data centres in Noida and Hyderabad and expect their first phase to be completed by FY25.

In FY2024, AdaniConneX sealed the largest data centre financing deal in India with a $213 million construction financing facility from ING Bank NV, Mizuho Bank, MUFG Bank, Natixis, Standard Chartered Bank, and Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation.

AdaniConnex, last year, also acquired 100% stake in Innovant Buildwell Pvt Ltd and Aviceda Infra Park Ltd.

According to the two persons cited earlier, the rapid demand for data centres may not only help AEL and AGEL in terms of revenues but also help the group diversify its client base that may turn out to be customers for Adanis other group businesses going forward.

And read | Jio plans near $1 bn data centre in UP
Three sellers of the Walmart-owned online shopping platform, Flipkart, have sued the Competition Commission of India (CCI) over an investigation which found Flipkart and its rival Amazon breached competition laws, reported the news agency Reuters citing court filings on Saturday, September 28.

The court filings come after CCI's investigations concluded in August found that some of the sellers, Amazon and Flipkart, and some smartphone brands violated Indian competition laws by giving undue preference to select online sellers and prioritizing certain listings, reported the agency.

Also Read | Best phones to buy under 25,000 during Amazon and Flipkart sale

Walmart-owned Flipkart is one of India's biggest e-commerce platforms, a competitor to Amazon, said the Reuter's report.

Three Flipkart sellers made submissions in the Karnataka High Court to set aside the investigation report and put a hold on CCI's process, as per the report.

The lawsuits could potentially delay the investigation, which started in 2020 and was fueled after retailers of the Confederation of All India Traders complained to the competition authority. Amazon and Flipkart denied any wrongdoing, according to the agency report.

Also Read | Google Pixel 8 available for under 35,000 during Flipkart Big Billion Days

CIGFIL Retail, Wishery Online, and Xonique Ventures are the three Flipkart sellers in their lawsuit alleged that during the investigation they were called to submit data to help officials, but were later named as accused, which is against due process, according to the court document cited the agency.

The alleged investigation ... is arbitrary, opaque, unfair, said the sellers in three separate court filings, which will come up for hearing next week, reported the agency.

Flipkart and CCI did not immediately respond to the agency's queries. As per the report, the agency could not immediately reach the three sellers.
Reliance-Disney merger: The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, on Saturday, September 28, gave its approval to Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries for the transfer of channels ahead of the $8.5-billion merger with Disney. The approval was given for the transfer of licenses relating to non-news and current affairs television channels. As part of the move, the channels held by Viacom 18 Media Pvt Ltd will be transferred to Star India Pvt Ltd.

"It is hereby informed that the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (I&B), Government of India, vide its order dated September 27, 2024, has granted its approval for the transfer of Licenses relating to Non News & Current Affairs TV channels held by Viacom18 Media in favour of Star India subject to conditions laid by Competition Commission of India," said Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) in a regulatory filing to the stock exchanges.

Reliance-Disney merger: CCI gives nod to $8.5 billion deal The merger is subject to the conditions of the antitrust watchdog, the Competition Commission of India (CCI). In August 2024, the CCI approved the proposed merger of Walt Disney Co.'s local media operations and billionaire Mukesh Ambanis oil-to-telecom conglomerate, paving the way for the creation of an $8.5 billion media behemoth in one of the worlds fastest-growing entertainment markets.

In February, Reliance Industries, helmed by Asias richest person, signed a binding agreement with Disney to merge their media operations in India. This move cemented Reliance Industries' dominant position in the sector and gave them the lions share of the coveted cricket broadcast rights.

Reliance is all set to control over 60 per cent of the new combined unit  16 per cent directly and 47 per cent via the Viacom18 Media business it largely owns  while 37 per cent goes to Disney. Reliance owns Viacom18 Media and Digital18, and Disney controls Star India and Star Television.

RIL Chairman Mukesh Ambani addressed shareholders during the 47th annual general meeting (AGM) and said that the Reliance-Disney merger marked the beginning of a new era. This marks the beginning of a new era in India's entertainment industry. We are combining content creation with digital streaming," Ambani said, emphasizing the company's digital-first approach.

Post-Merger Outlook Nita Mukesh Ambani will chair the combined venture, while Shankar will be vice-chairperson. The joint venture will combine media assets across entertainment (TV channels such as Colors, Star Plus, Star Gold) and sports (Star Sports and Sports18), along with content streaming on over-the-top platforms JioCinema and Hotstar, reaching more than 750 million viewers across India.

It will also gain exclusive rights to distribute Disney films and productions in India, with a licence to use over 30,000 Disney content assets. The merged entity will have approximately 100 TV channels, 70 under Disney and the rest under Viacom18. The deal gives Reliance access to Disneys extensive English-language libraries, including its Marvel and Lucasfilm catalogues.
In the aftermath of a promising young executives death by suicide at an audit firm, companies are in the dock for their role in engendering workplace stress. A cacophony of voices rushing to put the blame entirely on them is forcing corporate leaders to scramble for answers.

They couldnt do better than to turn to the advice of an Indian-born management scholar and writer who, through the 1990s, argued for a kinder corporate culture where compassion and understanding was the cornerstone of the relationship between companies and their employees.

The man, Sumantra Ghoshal, would have been 76 on 26 September. He passed away tragically early in 2004 when he was professor of strategic leadership at the London Business School. But by then he had done enough to be rated among the worlds top management thinkers. Dubbed Euroguru" by The Economist, Ghoshal wrote and spoke extensively, advising companies that they needed to shift from transactional relationships with their employees to one of mutual respect. It is a message that rings loud amidst the growing debate around the employer-employee relationship.

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Across the world, the prevailing capitalist model exemplified by modern multinational corporations is facing criticism from its adherents for deviating from the path, and from opponents for revealing its malevolent nature. It was something that Ghoshal constantly warned of, most notably in his book The Individualized Corporation.

The Calcutta-born physics graduate studied at Ballygunge High School before, aided by a Fulbright Fellowship and Humphrey Fellowship, he arrived in the US in 1981 and went on to secure PhD degrees from the MIT Sloan School of Management and Harvard Business School.

Having cut his professional teeth in a bastion of state control - Indian Oil Corporation - before going on to become global teacher, he valued the opportunities capitalism threw open and was no corporate-basher. But he was no cheerleader of companies in the way many management consulting firms set themselves up to be. Companies, he believed, were capable of doing great work by encouraging talent and innovation. Equally, they also created toxic work environments that stifled creativity and initiative.

The man with the booming voice and a mesmerising presence set himself up as the spoiler-in-chief, ever ready to call out the ills of large corporations, even at their own seat of power. Thus his famous Smell of the place" speech, in which he urged companies and their bosses to change the context that they created around their executives, was delivered at the 1995 Davos meet, in front of the worlds corporate elite.

Also read: Haridas Mundhras Butterfly Effect: The scam that shook Indias markets, govt

In what has now become a part of business folklore, Ghoshal compared the lassitude and fatigue-inducing smell of his hometown Calcutta in July, when humidity and temperature rose to unbearable highs, with the crispness of air and the smell of trees in the forest near Fontainebleau where he was based as a professor at Insead in 1985. The former, he said, forced you into passivity whereas the latter inspired you to jump or run with joy. Companies, he said, have created a Calcutta for their employees with their insistence on constraints, compliance and contracts.

It was quintessential Ghoshal, who rarely used jargon to explain his management ideas. A brilliant theoretician, he nevertheless saw his role as that of helping leaders make their workplaces better places and their companies greater forces for good. Thats because he believed it was managers who had to do the hard work of taking the decisions that mattered. Academics like him, he felt, could only be observers who looked into companies with authenticity, respect, curiosity and speculation".

His standard workday comprised plenty of walking, much smoking, and working with people. On that he had no barriers, often collaborating with students and other writers, especially his co-author Christopher Bartlett of Harvard University. The two co-wrote seminal books such as Managing Across Borders: The Transnational Solution, and Transnational Management: Text, Cases & Readings in Cross-Border Management. The best expression of his personal credo is in Individualised Corporation, published in 1997, for which Ghoshal researched dozens of companies to postulate his core belief that individuals have the power to drive value creation for companies.

Also read | From dirty Indian to titan of industry: The rise of Gujarmal Modi

Twelve books, and numerous articles and case studies cemented Ghoshals formidable reputation, which he harnessed to write a new playbook for management. Thats because he saw the discipline in its current form as stuck in a rut, "under-socialised and one-dimensional, a parody of the human condition more appropriate to a prison or a madhouse than an institution which should be a force for good". For that he held business schools responsible, since they had actively freed their students from any sense of moral responsibility".

It was something he hoped would be avoided by the Indian School of Business in Hyderabad, which he helped co-found. On the occasion he wrote, Business schools do not need to do a great deal more to prevent future Enrons. They need only to stop doing a lot they currently do," in a paper provocatively titled Bad Management Theories Are Destroying Good Management Practices.

That he died before the debate could become more fierce and lead to some real change is a pity. But, by then, Sumantra Ghoshal, agent provocateur, had already set the warning bells ringing.

Also read: K. Gopalkrishna, the unheralded Indian automobile entrepreneur
New Delhi: India's telecom market, despite its billion-people opportunity, is unlikely to attract new global players, said Albrecht Stewen, partner and global co-head of telecom, media and technology at Rothschild & Co, citing stretched balance sheets of western companies and the tough competition posed by deep-pocketed domestic firms.

Merger and acquisition interest from the global operators is muted, partly because of the experience, and partly because, a lot of them don't have that much balance sheet flexibility," the global sector specialist said in an exclusive interaction.

He noted the experience of global telecom operators like UAEs Etisalat, Norwegian state-owned telco Telenor, Russian telecom major MTS and others that were operating in India in 2008 but shut down operations within a decade.

Getting foothold in India

Talking about the massive investments needed to get a foothold in India, Stewen said most global players balance sheets were stretched from investments made into 5G services and increasing network capacities to fulfill a increasing appetite for data.

India has always been a big commitment in terms of investment and a lot of them are inward looking and have their hands full with their own home markets... The theme at the moment is more simplification, streamlining portfolios and running what you have as best as you can."

The Indian telecom market is dominated by three private service providersReliance Industries Ltds telecom arm Reliance Jio, Bharti group-promoted Bharti Airtel and Aditya Birla group's Vodafone Idea, where the government is also a stakeholderand state-run carrier Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd.

More than 1 billion customers are split between them, paying tariffs that are among the lowest in the world despite the recent hikes.

Stewen said the government shareholding in Vi may not be attractive enough for acquisition by a global telco, going by past experience and the high liabilities that the carrier has towards the government.

People would want a clear line of sight on a sort of path to a level of leverage that is actually sustainable," he said, noting that Airtel and Jio were already chipping away market share from the No 3 loss-making carrier that is in need of large investments to remain competitive.

Nishant Singh, director at Rothschild & Co, noted that Reliance Jio would was unlikely to look at an overseas consumer play right now, considering that it was preparing for a possible initial public offering in the next 12-18 months.

The reverse trend

However, there was a reverse trend, with western telcos eyed as opportunities, he said, referring to Etisalat acquiring a stake in the UKs Vodafone Group Plcand seeking to acquire more stakeand Bharti group buying up stakes in BT Plc.

Another upside may be seen in data centres, where a number of players are active and consolidation is expected. I believe some of the action that may shift would be on data centre where, right now you have over 20 different platforms. Two years down the line, some of the new platforms would be absorbed by the larger platforms, eventually resulting in a six-to-eight-odd-player market," Singh added.

He noted that platforms that have the backing of global hyperscalers" and are able to get other enterprise customers will be able to build profitable businesses, and continue to compete in the market, while others were likely to get acquired.
New Delhi: The Netherlands-headquartered Yondr Group is planning to exit its joint ventureEveryondrthat it set up in partnership with private equity firm Everstone Group to build hyperscale data centres in India, said two people aware of the development.

Everstone Group has begun talks to buyout its JV partner, they added.

The joint venture announced in July 2021 was to deploy $1 billion to set up hyperscale data centre in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Chennai and Delhi.

Yondr Group is exiting its stake in the JV and exiting the platform. Everstone Group wants to acquire this stake, with the negotiations ongoing," said one of the two people, requesting anonymity.

Also read: Data center emerging as next big biz, Adani fast-tracks $4 billion investment

Yondr Group is a global hyperscale data centre developer, owner and operator. Singapore-headquartered Everstone has over $7 billion in assets with a focus on private equity, climate impact, logistics, digital, and venture capital.

Yondrs decision to exit India comes amid increasing demand for data centres in the country.

The Reserve Bank of Indias mandate on data localization has necessitated the need for large facilities to store and protect information. The Securities and Exchange Board of India has issued a similar mandate to stock exchanges, brokers, depository participants, and mutual funds.

Data localization refers to storing data on any device physically present within the borders of a country where the data is generated. Data centres provide the necessary secured architecture for this, with a concentration of computing and networking equipment for collecting, storing, processing, distributing or allowing access to large amounts of data.

Spokespersons of Yondr Group and Everstone Group did not reply to queries emailed on 25 September.

Also read | Top 5 ancillary companies driving data centre growth

A huge pipeline

India has a huge pipeline of data centres coming up.

While the country currently has 1.011 gigawatt of installed power capacity for data centres, according to Avendus, developers have more than 3GW of capacity in the pipeline for the next 10 years, with a capital expenditure requirement of about $25 billion.

Several large Indian conglomerates including Indias largest wireless operator Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd and Adani Group have ambitious data centre plans.

There is also significant investor interest in Indias data centre spacea case in point being KKR, Singapore sovereign wealth fund GIC Holdings Pte. Ltd, and DigitalBridge Group Inc. in fray to acquire Carlyle Groups 24.04% stake in Bharti Airtels data centre firm Nxtra Data Ltd at an enterprise value of about $700 million, as reported by Mint.

In August, Amazon Web Services said it was keen on significantly expanding its data centre operations in Telangana.

Among other companies and private equity firms active in Indias data centre space are NTT Data Inc., Brookfield Infrastructure, ST Telemedia, Tata Communications Ltd, Hiranandani Group, Carlyle Group, Warburg Pincus, Blackstone, Bain Capital, and Indias quasi sovereign wealth fundNational Investment and Infrastructure Fund.
Ratings agency Moody's downgraded Israel's credit rating Friday, citing heightened geopolitical risks as its conflict with Hezbollah worsened and prospects for a ceasefire in Gaza receded.

"The key driver for the downgrade is our view that geopolitical risk has intensified significantly further, to very high levels," said Moody's in a statement.

This came as it shifted Israel's ratings down two notches from A2 to Baa1, marking its second downgrade this year.

Fitch and S&P Global Ratings have also lowered Israel's ratings this year.

Moody's noted that the risks had "material negative consequences for Israel's creditworthiness in both the near and longer term."

Israel shifted its focus from the war in Gaza to Lebanon this week, pounding Hezbollah strongholds around the country and killing hundreds of people.

A day after its Palestinian ally Hamas staged an unprecedented attack on Israel on October 7, Hezbollah started fighting Israeli troops along the Lebanon border.

"Longer term, we consider that Israel's economy will be more durably weakened by the military conflict than expected earlier," Moody's said on Friday.

It noted that the intensity of conflict between Israel and Hezbollah has "increased materially over recent weeks, with a further severe escalation a possibility."

"At the same time, prospects for a ceasefire in Gaza have receded," Moody's added.
Israel brought its fight with Hezbollah to the doorstep of Beirut, with a series of overnight attacks on the citys southern suburbs following a massive airstrike aimed at killing the groups leader Hassan Nasrallah.

Israeli officials were still assessing whether Nasrallah had been killed in the strike but felt it was unlikely he had survived, people familiar with the matter said. Other leaders of the militant group and members of Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps also were present at the site, other people familiar with the matter said.

Smoke hung over much of the citys south as dawn broke Saturday, with narrow columns rising up from the impact sites as residents got their first look at the results of the bombardment.

Images broadcast live by local media showed scenes of destruction in the areas residential and commercial streets, with burned-out cars, debris strewn across roads and fires still raging.

View Full Image Israeli airstrikes destroyed buildings in Beiruts southern suburbs. Photo: Bilal Jawich/Zuma Press

Other areas of the city were unusually full with residents of southern neighborhoods who fled their homes overnight after Israel warned them to evacuate ahead of the wave of bombings that followed the strike at Nasrallah.

That attack flattened part of a neighborhood in an attempt to kill the cleric who has led the group for three decades and built it into a fearsome foe. Israels military said Hezbollahs main headquarters was hidden under the buildings.

Later, close to midnight local time, Israels military warned residents of some neighborhoods in Beiruts southern suburbs to leave immediately, saying it planned to carry out new operations against three buildings with what it called strategic capabilities for Hezbollah underground. Some residents reported getting an automated call from Israel with a warning to evacuate.

The strikes began 90 minutes later. Israels military said it hit Beirut in three waves overnight and into early Saturday morning. Shortly after midnight, the military said it targeted antiship missiles it said were stored under three residential buildings. Less than three hours later, the military said it struck weapons production and storage facilities, as well as what it said were key Hezbollah command centers.

Ali al-Harakah, a municipal official in Haret Hreik district, said civil-defense teams conducting rescue operations were exhausted after responding to the strikes overnight, but he expected them to return to work as day broke in the city.

Lebanons Ministry of Health called on hospitals in nearby areas to stop taking in nonemergency cases to make room for patients being evacuated from hospitals in the southern suburbs.

The series of attacks targeting Nasrallah and southern Beirut were Israels most aggressive moves yet in two weeks of elaborate intelligence operations, targeted killings and heavy bombardments aimed at stopping Hezbollah from attacking across the Lebanese border into Israel.

Nasrallahs death would be an enormous blow not only to the group he leads, but also to its main backer, Iran, and the wider network of aligned militias that Tehran has built across the Middle East to confront Israel. It also would be the strongest signal yet that Hezbollah has been thoroughly penetrated by Israeli intelligence.

Israel hoped his death could significantly degrade the group and head off the need for a ground invasion to silence Hezbollahs rocket, missile and drone attacks across the border.

His powerful leadership is different," a senior Israeli official said. Some people are irreplaceable."

Nasrallah oversaw Hezbollahs transformation into the worlds most heavily armed nonstate militia and its integration into Lebanons political system.

He has found himself increasingly isolated in recent weeks by Israels relentless campaign of targeted killings of his most trusted fighters. Israel killed top lieutenant Fuad Shukr, who had eluded the U.S. for four decades, in an airstrike this summer on his apartment on the upper floors of a southern Beirut residential building, where he had been summoned by a phone call shortly before.

Thousands of Hezbollah pagers and walkie-talkies exploded virtually simultaneously last week, killing 37 people and injuring around 3,000. Shortly afterward, an airstrike in Beirut killed a group of more than a dozen elite military leaders. Strikes in southern Beirut this week killed Hezbollahs top missile commander and another commander in the groups aerial unit.

The moves have been part of a campaign by Israel to degrade Hezbollahs strength and push it back from the border without having to resort to a military incursion.

Our preference is to not have a ground invasion," the senior Israeli official said. This could be a pivot."

Hezbollah began firing across the border shortly after the Hamas-led Oct. 7 attacks on southern Israel that killed 1,200 people and sparked the war in Gaza. The two foes have traded fire almost daily since then, depopulating strips along both sides of the border and raising concerns of escalation into a wide war.

On Saturday morning, a surface-to-surface missile fired from Lebanon landed in central Israel, the sound of its explosion rippling through Tel Aviv and surrounding cities. The Israeli military said it let the missile fall in an open area, in line with interception protocols.

Israel stepped up its attacks over the summer and sharply escalated them over the past two weeks, as pressure built on the government to return residents evacuated from the north to their homes.

The strike at Nasrallah at around 6:20 p.m. local time came shortly after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the United Nations General Assembly in New York. We will not accept a terror army perched on our northern border able to perpetrate another Oct. 7-style massacre," Netanyahu said.

Netanyahus speech came before a largely empty U.N. chamber, after dozens of diplomats walked out when it was announced that Netanyahu was next to speak. His comment came amid U.S.-led efforts to seek a diplomatic solution before all-out war breaks out.

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin warned of the consequences if a cease-fire deal wasnt reached.

An all-out war between Lebanese Hezbollah and Israel would be devastating for both Lebanon and Israel," Austin told CNNs Wolf Blitzer on Friday. And again, we anticipate that wed see a number of people displaced, casualties that, you know, equal or exceed what weve seen in Gaza."

Austin spoke with his Israeli counterpart late Friday, during what a U.S. official described as a tense phone call, in part because Israel didnt give the U.S. advance notice of the strike. For the U.S., any tension could spill over to American forces in the region.

Israeli strikes have killed more than 600 people in Lebanon since Monday, including scores of women and children, and injured around 2,000, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Health.

More than 200,000 people have been displaced in Lebanon as a result of the conflict with Israel since October, with about 100,000 newly displaced people in the past week, some moving for a second time, according to a report from the International Organization for Migration.

Israeli jets also struck targets in the Beqaa region, the coastal city of Tyre and southern Lebanon overnight. Hezbollah fired dozens of projectiles into northern Israel in the morning hours, with some reaching far from the border, the Israeli military said.

Nancy Youssef contributed to this article.

Write to Stephen Kalin at stephen.kalin@wsj.com
Scattered across the ocean floor are trillions of lumps of nickel, copper, cobalt and manganese. Companies have long wanted to mine them: these critical minerals" are needed in vast quantities to electrify the global economy and cut dependence on fossil fuels. But the International Seabed Authority (ISA), a UN body, is still figuring out how mining should be regulated. Some environmental groups want an outright ban. Supporters and critics of deep-sea mining are hashing out these issues at an ISA meeting in Jamaica between July 29th and August 2nd. Of the 160-odd countries participating, few have more interest in the outcome than China.

Demand for critical minerals might more than double by 2040 compared with 2020, according to the International Energy Agency, a forecaster. China is a big reason why. It makes most of the worlds solar panels, electric cars and batteries, all of which require such minerals. Last year clean-energy industries accounted for 40% of the growth of its GDP, according to the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air, a think-tank in Finland. But China has to import many of the critical minerals it uses. Its manganese comes from South Africa, Gabon and Australia. Most of its cobalt comes from the Democratic Republic of Congo. Its nickel largely comes from the Philippines and Indonesia.

These dependencies worry Chinas leaders. They fear supplies could be disrupted by political turmoil or pressure from rivals like America. The scramble for critical minerals is a new front for strategic competition among global powers", says Chinas national intelligence agency. Officials rank critical metals alongside oil and gas in their importance to Chinas future. Deep-sea mining promises a secure supply. And it would occur in international waters, beyond other countries sovereign authority. In 2016 Xi Jinping, Chinas leader, said his country must get its hands on the hidden treasures" of the ocean.

To that end, China has spent years building up influence at the ISA, which has authority over the seabed in international waters under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). The ISA is largely financed by its member countries, and China gives it more money than any other donor. In 2020 it also gave the ISA a training facility in Qingdao, a port city in eastern China. At ISA meetings last year, some countries tried to introduce a moratorium on deep-sea mining. They failed, in large part because of pressure from China. Its goal is to create a permissive mining regime that brooks no interference from other countries, says Isaac Kardon, of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, a think-tank in Washington.

In total the ISA has issued 31 licences allowing the holders to explore for minerals in preparation for commercial operations. Three Chinese minersChina Ocean Mineral R&D Association, China Minmetals and Beijing Pioneer Hi-Tech Developmenthold five between them, more than any other countrys miners. They are itching to start operations. Three of the Chinese licences cover patches of seabed in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone, an enormous region in the eastern Pacific Ocean that holds quantities of critical minerals roughly equivalent to all terrestrial reserves. The other two are in the western Pacific and the Indian Ocean.

View Full Image Graphic: The Economist

Companies typically mine in order to make money, but Chinas also have grander concerns. Take China Minmetals, a state-run giant that has an exploration licence for about 7.3m hectares of ocean floor (an area bigger than Sri Lanka). In March its chairman vowed to secure mineral supplies in order to help rejuvenate the Chinese nation". Chinese companies must expand operations until they cannot be dislodged" from global supply chains, he said.

Deep-sea mining involves sending a large robot to the seabed to hoover up lumps of metal, known as nodules. A support ship then sucks up the nodules through a pipe. All this is tricky because of the low visibility and high pressure at the bottom of the sea. Chinas technology is not quite cutting-edge. But it is getting there. In July a team from Shanghai Jiao Tong University sent a test robot (pictured) to depths of below 4,000 metres to collect 200kg of material. The robot was largely built from Chinese-made components, smashing international monopolies", said Chinas state media.

If commercial mining gets going, Chinese companies might well end up leading the industry, says Cory Combs of Trivium, a consultancy. China can build ships and robots faster than any other country. Its officials have a history of lavishing subsidies on emerging industries. And its deep-sea miners have a giant domestic market for the riches they bring to the surface.

All this worries environmental groups. The deep-ocean floor supports thousands of unique species, from microbes to sponges. Even with strict regulation and responsible operators, mining robots are likely to cause damage. They can kill the organisms they drive over; the plumes of sediment they create can kill more. Chinese miners, moreover, do not have a record of being responsible even on land, where their activities are easier to monitor.

Chinas rivals are uneasy too, and not just for the sake of the sponges. One worry is that deep-sea mining could act as cover for less peaceful activities. Surveys of the deep ocean would help Chinas naval submarines navigate. In 2021 a research vessel sent by China Minmetals took an unexplained detour from its exploration zone. It spent five days in the waters near Hawaii, where America has big military bases.

Western countries biggest concern, though, is about who controls the supply chains of clean-energy industries. China already has a substantial advantage. Deep-sea mining might cement it. America, meanwhile, is shut out of ISA discussions as it has not ratified UNCLOS. In March a group of retired American officials wrote to the Senate demanding that it ratify the treaty. Chinese miners had taken advantage of our absence", they said.

Such worries are a boon, however, to the Western businesses arguing for deep-sea mining. One of these is The Metals Company, a Canadian outfit that hopes to apply for a commercial-mining licence from the ISA later this year. It gets a warm reception in Washington these days, says Gerard Barron, its founder. People have latched on to the fact that China is going to potentially dominate this industry," he says. Its a very motivating driver."

Subscribers can sign up to Drum Tower, our new weekly newsletter, to understand what the world makes of Chinaand what China makes of the world. For more coverage of climate change, sign up for the Climate Issue, our fortnightly subscriber-only newsletter, or visit our climate-change hub.

 2024, The Economist Newspaper Limited. All rights reserved. From The Economist, published under licence. The original content can be found on www.economist.com
Mumbai: A surge of more than 50% in steel imports in FY25 has sent the alloy's prices crashing in India, setting off alarm bells for domestic manufacturers, even as they battle slowing local demand and march ahead with planned capacity expansion.

According to data from market intelligence firm BigMint, prices of benchmark hot-rolled coils (HRC) of steel averaged 48,350 per tonne in September (from 57,900 in September 2023), falling below the 50,000-mark for the first time since November 2020, when sales hit rock bottom in the thick of the pandemic.

Prices went as low as 47,100 in the past week. While prices have shown some stabilization this week, they have consistently declined, reaching over a three-year low," analysts at BigMint said in an emailed response to Mints queries.

According to industry experts, steel imported from China has been available at a 5-10% discount to domestic prices even after levying basic customs duty and logistics charges. This is forcing Indian steelmakers to lower their prices at the risk of eroding their margins.

You will see the upcoming results; all the margins will be squeezed," a top executive at one of Indias largest steel companies said on condition of anonymity.

Why are steel prices falling?

The price fall has been an outcome of a lull in domestic demand coupled with an increase in lower-price steel imports, experts said.

India's steel imports in the first half of FY25 are estimated to be about 5.1 million tonnes, according to BigMint data, a staggering 54% year-on-year (y-o-y) rise from the same period last year.

Also read | Do crashing steel prices spell a rusty outlook for India?

This surge comes on top of another 38% y-o-y increase in finished steel imports in FY24 at about 8.3 million tonnes, as per government data. China, South Korea, Japan and Vietnam were the major origin countries for these imports.

As for demand, India's total demand in FY24 was 139 million tonnes, as per a government estimate, compared to roughly 160 million tonnes of operational capacity.

Arent lower steel prices good?

While the lower prices are good news for steel consuming industries like automobiles, consumer durables, infrastructure and real estate, experts said they pose a concern for domestic steel mills, which are investing heavily in brownfield capacity expansion across their sites.

As per an estimate by S&P, currently around 30 million tonnes of annual capacity addition are being undertaken by India's top five steelmakersJSW Steel, Tata Steel, Steel Authority of India, Jindal Steel and Power and AM/NS India.

Domestic steelmakers are blaming surging imports on the price decline. Heavy importsat a lower price than production costare being dumped in the country," the executive cited above said, adding that China has limited options to sell, as many countries have brought in import restrictions. Under these conditions, India is becoming a conducive dumping ground for everybody."

From January to July 2024, China overtook South Korea as the leading steel exporter to India, accounting for 43% of India's total steel imports, as per an estimate from S&P. In comparison, about 31% of the imported steel came from South Korea.

When questioned about higher domestic capacity resulting in an oversupply, the executive quoted above said that the domestic growth in demand has been in line with the capacity addition. The oversupply in the market is largely due to imports, this executive said.

From January to July 2024, China overtook South Korea as the leading steel exporter to India, accounting for 43% of India's total steel imports, as per an estimate from S&P.

The government has given the steel industry the target of reaching 300 million tonnes annual capacity by 2030. We are working towards that. If imports are curtailed, then the domestic capacity is not high," he said.

While input costs have been favourable for steelmakers in recent months, the prices of iron ore and coking coal have not traced the fall in steel prices.

According to data from BigMint analysts, iron ore prices saw a slight uptick in September due to lower production during monsoon rains. Coking prices dipped marginally during the month but futures contracts firmed up slightly this week following news of a stimulus for the real estate sector in China, which is a major steel consumer.

India has initiated an anti-dumping probe into the imports of hot rolled steel products from Vietnam following an application filed by the Indian Steel Association (ISA), a lobby of domestic steelmakers. The industry is gunning for import protection against other major steel exporting countries, too.

The silver lining: analysts at BigMint are positive about the near-term. As the festive season approaches, the market anticipates an increase in demand, which is likely to keep prices stable or lead to a slight rise in the near future," they said.
New Delhi: For two decades, Ashok Mehta has been exporting textiles from his Suchi Industries Ltd. in Surat, Gujarat, generating a revenue of about 30 crore in FY23. Then he surprised many by floating a new venture: Suchi Semicon. Mehta said it has bagged subsidies from the state to set up a $100 million (about 840 crore) chip testing factory. Driven by incentives for semiconductors, industry experts say, more such companies may be lining up despite lacking related experience or expertise.

When I saw supply-chain disruption during the pandemic, I realized that there is a clear opportunity to diversify into the semiconductor industry," Mehta told Mint. I then leveraged my network of vendors in the US and Malaysia, which Id built through my textile exports over the past three decadesand finally identified Malaysia as the ideal geography with the right talent and team."

Suchi Semicon will set up an outsourced semiconductor assembly and testing (OSAT) factory in Surat, Mehta said. He plans to start rolling out chips by the end of this year, and targets to assemble 3 million units a day once the full facility is up and running. Other similar projects approved by the central government aim to make 2 to 10 times more.

Mints emailed queries to the Gujarat Semiconductor Mission and Department of Information Technology, seeking details on how companies, including Suchi Semicon, are selected for subsidies remained unanswered.

I have currently financed 200 crore through personal assets, and bank guarantees and financing. This is the amount required for the first year, without taking into account the cost of land and building of the factorywhich I have invested over the past three years," Mehta said. I have already been approved for state subsidies, and have submitted my OSAT application to ISM (central government's India Semiconductor Mission)through which the rest of the project is expected to be funded."

Also read | We must focus on semiconductor chip manufacturing to get ahead in the GenAI race

Mehta said he has identified a partner in Japan but didnt disclose the name or how much it will bring in, citing non-disclosure agreements. He said a technical partner will help to build client trust" and while financing from a partner is on the table, but it is not my priority."

Mehta's original venture, Suchi Industries Ltd, reported annual revenue of 29.5 crore in FY23, while FY24 financials are yet to be filed. The company posted net profit of 1.03 crore in FY23.

To be sure, an OSAT, different from a fab that Tata Electronics Ltd. is setting up in Dholera, Gujarat, does not require special equipment to design or manufacture chips. Its a facility that tests semiconductors for performance and connectivity with circuits. Simply put, these factories prepare silicon chips for installation in a device. The opportunity in the sector is still huge. According to data Gartner shared exclusively with Mint, while chip fabs posted $123 billion in direct revenue last year, OSATs generated about a third, or $40 billion.

Such testing facilities are easier to set up than fabs, require lesser capital, and if a project receives approval from both the state and the centre, 70% of the project's capital expenditure is borne via incentives. For Suchi Semicon, if it gets the central approval, about 600 crore of around 840 crore worth of investments could be contributed by the production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme.

The Centre is considering reducing incentives offered to OSATs since they add lower value than pure-play fabs, Mint earlier reported. It isnt immediately clear if already filed OSAT applications will be eligible for incentives of up to 50% of the cost. If not, Suchi Semicon would only receive 20-30%, if its application is approved by the ISM. The difference could be to the tune of 260 crore. Mehta declined to state the quantum of incentives expected by his company.

The state government contributes 40% of the central capex assistance. Separately, the state-level fiscal incentives, according to the Gujarat government's website, include reimbursement of stamp duty and registration fee, access to water at a cheaper rate, 50% subsidy for the desalination plant, power subsidy and exemption from electricity duty.

Natural Process

Ashok Chandak, president of industry body India Electronics and Semiconductor Association (IESA) said the entry of companies like Suchi Semicon is a natural process" when there is strong backing and growth of a particular industry, in which plenty of subsidies and overall investments are coming in. For many, OSATs are the most convenient way to enter the semiconductor industry."

Larger companies with technology expertise are also setting up OSATs. Tata Electronics is investing $3.2 billion in a mass-scale OSAT factory in Assam. Other partnerships approved by the ISM include a joint venture between Japans Renesas Electronics and Tamil Nadu-headquartered CG Power and Industrial Solutions Ltd. for a $222 million OSAT in Sanand, Gujarat; and Kaynes Technology's plan to invest $478 million for a testing facility in Sanand, Gujarat.

Suchi Semicon, by these standards, will be smallest OSAT facility in Indiaand by someone with the least domain expertise. CG Power's joint venture and Kaynes Semicon also have no related experience or expertise in the electronics business.

But this isnt necessarily bad. Weve seen Kaynes rise to the forefront due to the advent of mass-scale electronics manufacturing services (EMS) in Indiaand it then leveraged its EMS expertise to set-up the OSAT," said Chandak. Similar journeys will be seen more often, for sure."

More companies are lining up. On 9 September, Akash Tripathi, chief executive of the Centre's nodal semiconductor assessment unit India Semiconductor Mission, said around 20 chip project proposals are currently under review, with a number of them being for pure-play fabs.

According to Chandak, the key for a venture like Suchi Semicon will be to rely on its joint venture partner for global clients. There may not be core clients that will come based on a textile exporters domain expertise in semiconductors, but that is where the technical partner comes into play."

Kanishka Chauhan, senior principal analyst for semiconductors and electronics at consultancy firm Gartner, said OSATs should not necessarily be looked upon as low value-addition offerings. As chip fabs start ramping up, OSATs will naturally come to the geography of expansion to set up shop since chip fabs will always need chip testers and packagers," he said. This is an industry that will naturally grow, and India has a strong prospect in it by the end of this decade."

Aggressive targets

Mehta said every industrial corporation will want to get into the semiconductor industry in the next decade. I am also not saying that I will be making the chips myselfI have already hired 50 employees that are highly skilled in the semiconductor industry, and possess domain knowledge." He plans to expand the workforce to 200 by the end of this year and 1,200 by 2026.

Suchi Semicon has even set revenue targets for its first year of full-capacity commercial operations by FY28. Weve already signed three customers, and were in talks with 10 clients," Mehta said. A first-stage trial production of chips with our first customer has been done, too. Once we are fully operational, I expect to generate 2,000 crore in annual revenue."

Mehta targets to start initial operations in the next couple of months, saying that construction is almost over and equipment deliveries will begin from next month. I will be delivering the first chips to a US-based client in end-November or early-December this year. I am also in talks with clients in Japan and about seven clients in India, with final details expected to be chalked out soon."

Yet, he still doesn't have an approval from the central government for the incentives. I am confident that we will win ISMs subsidies," Mehta said, and we have some of the best minds working for us."
The release of the Pakistani film The Legend of Maula Jatt, starring Fawad Khan and Mahira Khan, is stalled following backlash from the Maharashtra Navnirman Senas (MNS) leader Raj Thackeray.

The Punjabi-language movie has not been permitted to be screened in Indian cinemas, news agency ANI reported citing sources. The film was originally scheduled to be released on October 2.

Why release of Legend of Maula Jatt stalled in India The report said the release of Legend of Maula Jatt has been stalled in India, allegedly due to an ongoing ban imposed on the release of Indian films in Pakistani market since 2019.

It is important to note that the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena has been particularly vocal against the film's release. Last week, Raj Thackeray vowed last week to prevent the films screening at any cinema in Maharashtra.

Navratri festival will start around the time when this movie will be released. I don't want any conflict to happen in Maharashtra. And the same will not be the desire of the Chief Minister of the state, the Home Minister and the Director General of Police of the state. And we don't want any conflict,  Thackeray announced last week.

Earlier this month, anothe MNS leader and Cinema Wing president Ameya Khopkar told to ANI, We will not entertain any Pakistani film or actors in India.

"This movie will not be released. If this happens, there will be a strong agitation," Khopkar added.

Raising the issue of terrorism and Pakistan's hand in border issues, Khopkar said, Our soldiers are dying... Why do we need Pakistani actors here? Don't we have enough talent?

Stressing that any attempts to bring Pakistani artists into India would be met with strong resistance, the MNS leader said, "This should be taken as a threat... How can one even think of watching movies with Pakistani actors?"

It is important to note that the makers of Legend of Maula Jatt had earlier announced the release date on social media. Two years on, The Legend of Maula Jatt is still unstoppable! Witness the epic saga on the big screen in India from 2nd October 2024.
Reliance Power share: Anil Ambani-owned Reliance Power shares have been on an uptrend for the last eight sessions. After the announcement of debt settlement as a guarantor on behalf of Vidarbha Industries Power Limited (VIPL), Reliance Power shares came out of the base building mode and started hitting the upper circuit. The Anil Ambani-owned Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group (ADAG) stock turned out to be a circuit-to-circuit stock when the company board declared a board meeting date to consider and approve fundraising for the long term. Reliance Power's share price has remained one of the circuit-to-circuit stocks of the Indian stock market since 18th September 2024, logging around a 50% rise in the last eight straight sessions.

Reliance Power news On Friday last week, Anil Ambani-owned Reliance Power set a board meeting date to consider the fundraising proposal, saying, "We wish to inform you that a meeting of the Board of Directors of the Company will be held on Thursday, October 03, 2024, inter alia, to consider and approve raising of long term resources from domestic and/or global markets, inter alia, by issue of equity shares/equity-linked securities/ warrants convertible into equity shares, by way of preferential issue and/or qualified institutional placement and/or rights issue and/or foreign currency convertible bonds or any other method including determination of issue price, if any and seeking members' and other approval(s), as the Board may deem appropriate."

On September 17, 2024, Reliance Power declared debt settlement as guarantor on behalf of VIPL, saying, "Reliance Power Limited (Reliance Power) today announced that the entire obligations of the Company as a Guarantor on behalf of Vidarbha Industries Power Limited (VIPL) stand fully settled resulting in release and discharge of Corporate Guarantee, Undertakings and all obligations and claims thereunder about the outstanding debt of VIPL amounting to 3872.04 Crore. Reliance Power has settled all disputes with CFM Asset Reconstruction Private Limited (CFM). 100% shares of VIPL have been pledged in favour of CFM against the release and discharge of Corporate Guarantee given by Reliance Power."

Reliance Power share price target "Reliance Power shares have been under the radar of Dalal Street bulls since the Company became debt-free on bulls on a standalone basis. However, the stock received some dent after SEBI banned Anil Ambani from the Security markets. But the Company is slowly but steadily coming out of debt and has recently announced that it will settle all its outstanding debt with CFM," said Avinash Gorakshkar, Head of Research at Profitmart Securities.

Speaking on the technical setup regarding Reliance Power shares, Sumeet Bagadia, Executive Director at Choice Broking, said, Reliance Power share price today is in a long-term uptrend, currently trading at 46.35, which aligns with its previous high. The stock has consistently formed higher highs and higher lows over the past few months, signalling a strong bullish pattern. The recent increase in trading volume further supports this upward momentum. Buying on dips is recommended, with a positional target in the 58 to 62 range, offering a favourable risk-reward ratio for investors.

Also Read | Why gold outshined Nifty 50 in YTD despite bull trend on Dalal Street?

On the suggestion to investors regarding Reliance Power shares, Bagadia said, "Investors who entered at lower levels may consider a prudent approach by booking partial profits at the current market price. For fresh investments, a disciplined strategy involves waiting for potential dips. Additionally, placing trailing stop-loss orders near the 40 level can safeguard profits and manage risks effectively."

So, Bagadia expects around 33% more upside from Reliance Power shares' current market price of 46.35 apiece.
Its pretty much impossible to find an online source to watch Ananth Mahadevans 1999 telefilm Ghunghat Ke Pat Khol, legally or otherwise. The closest I came to watching it was on YouTubea phone recording of the film playing on a laptop screen with arbitrary jump-cuts and really bad sound. It seems fair to assume that other people have had similar difficulties accessing the workand yet, that doesnt seem to stop many from claiming with absolute certainty that Laapataa Ladies, the 2023 film by Kiran Rao, has been plagiarised from it. It comes up fairly often, especially when Raos film gets any publicityits Netflix release, being chosen as Indias entry for Best International Feature Film at the Oscars

The conjecture seems to have been started by Mahadevan himself with an Instagram post from October 2023 about his film, describing the plot and ending with a throw-away comment: Amused and humbled to find that it has inspired a similar film this year (wink emoji). Getting rather less casual about it later, Mahadevan gave interviews asserting his claim; his argument seems to stem from the fact that both films are about brides being switched on a train because of their ghunghats, which make it difficult for them to see and impossible to be identified in a crowd.

With this, the similarity between the two films ends, not just in the way the story unfolds from here on but in its very bones. While Laapataa uses the ghunghat trope to explore ideas such as Indian womens lack of autonomy and inability to express their individuality, the older film uses it for comedic effect: the switched partners find love with each other in an almost Shakespearean comedy of errors. Compare this to Laapataas ending: one woman is reunited with her husband after a brush with unconventionality, while the other rejects hers and goes in search of her destiny, alone and unaccompanied.

Ghunghat Ke Pat Khol is exactly what it sounds like: a teleplay from the 1990s. It may be delightful in its own way, but it is also a product of its time (and budget) in terms of not just the technical aspects but also what it makes of the story. Judging it by 2024 standards may be harsh, but then, the director invited this scrutiny.

It should not even need to be said at this point, but given how persistently the plagiarism allegations crop up on social media (duly and faithfully reported by mainstream media), we must talk about the ostensible similarities in plottingbrides being switched on a train. I am amazed Mahadevan has not claimed that the late Rabindranath Tagore stole his idea as well for the 1906 book Noukadubi, which has brides being switched on, well, public transport (it happens to be a shipwreck during a storm), while the 1961 film Ghunghat, a faithful adaptation of Tagores story, shares the public transport motif as well yes, there is a train. It is not unheard of in real life either; in 2022, two sisters got married to the wrong men during a power cut in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh. There are Rajasthani and Bengali folk tales going back centuries about brides being switched deliberately or by mistake.

Claiming that adapting a well-known trope or plucking a story from the headlines is plagiarism is to not understand, at all, how tropes emerge and are sustained. Tropes are memes, they are plot devices; ideas that originate, usually undocumented, in popular culture, and find fertile ground in some writers brain, who then takes it and gives it a unique shape and structure. There are entire websites dedicated to exploring tropes in popular culture (thank you, TVtropes.com, for many wasted hours) and the line between using a trope and plagiarising a story is not even a thin one. What nextShakespeare scholars claiming that every book or film about twins switching places has been plagiarised from the Bards work? Or that all Hindi films about reincarnation and revenge have plagiarised each other?
You know Dyson for a lot of thingsair purifiers, handheld vacuums and hair care productsbut audio products, now thats not something youd associate with the brand. There were the eminently missable Zone over-ear headphones with the air-purifier face mask launched last year, but its only with the new OnTrac headphones (Rs. 44,900) that Dyson has signaled serious intent at personal audio, taking on the likes of the Apple AirPods Max and the Sonos Ace at the premium end of the market. Is it worth going offtrack for the OnTrac?

As is to be expected from a Dyson product, you wont mistake these cans for any of its peers in a crowd. Theyre bold and loud, with large circular ear caps and colorful cushions, with even a hint of a Dyson vacuum color scheme going on in the flashy metallic CNC copper with navy blue unit I tested. And thats before we even get to the customizations on offer, which includes being able to swap out the ear caps and the ear cushions for different colors (Rs. 4,900 for each pair of caps/cushions). Its a simple twist-and-lock method to swap the caps and cushions out, and you can go as sleek or gaudy as you like with the colors on offer. Only the color of the headband stays the same. If theres a pair of headphones that goes hard on being conspicuous, its this pair.

Im torn about the protective case bundled along with the OnTracits more like a sleeve that you slide the headphones into, and while that keeps the case low-profile in your backpack, the open top and bottom allows dust and dirt to trespass at will, aside from doing little to protect the headband from bumps and dings.

Looks aside, whats equally noticeable is the weight of the OnTrac which, at 451 grams, is a fair bit more than the AirPod Max (385g) or the Sonos Ace (311g). You dont feel the extra weight on the head though, or any added clamping pressure on the ears, thanks to the well-padded headband and an ingenious weight distribution technique of placing the battery in the headband rather than within the earcups. The plush, sizeable ear cushions do a good job of cocooning your ears in a bubble of passive noise isolation (even with ANC/active noise cancellation turned off), but the microfiber material used isnt as breathable and tends to heat up faster than faux leather does. Seated under the aircon at my desk, I felt the need ever so often to air my ears out.

Also read: Coming of age in the time of video

Controls and Features

Once worn, you control the OnTrac through a combination of physical buttons and gestures. Theres a power/pairing button and a multi-function joystick for playback and volume control, and you can double tap on the ear cups to switch between ANC and transparency modes. Getting started with your tracks on OnTrac is easy enough if you have the MyDyson app on your device. Theres support for AAC, SBC and the high-res LHDC codec, but shipping these cans with the older Bluetooth 5.0 standard means no support for multipoint connectivity for seamless switching between your phone and laptop. Theres no spatial audio either, and you get three presets (Neutral, Enhanced and Bass Boost) by way of equalizer functions. An interesting addition in the app, yet unseen on any other brand, is the real-time sound exposure graph which uses the eight onboard mics to sample ambient noise around you (both in ear and external), alerting you when the sound levels of either the music or the environmental noise spike to dangerous levels.

Audio Performance

Dyson sent over the OnTrac shortly before a day trip to Delhi, which gave me plenty of airplane and airport time to test the headphones in their natural habitat. Contrary to their bold looks, the sonic signature of the OnTrac is clean and balanced, with good detail levels delivered via the custom 40mm neodymium drivers angled at a 13-degree angle towards the ear. Taking it through its paces across a playlist of Coldplay, Simon and Garfunkel and Rahman, and the OnTrac delivers with a healthy mix of reined in high frequencies along with a decent helping of bass. If you find the Neutral sound profile too restrained and lacking in zest and personality, Id suggest you try the Enhanced EQ mode, but I really wished there was a customizable EQ instead of just three presets.

On those same flights, it was the Dysons ANC talents that impressed me considerablythe company has made some noise about how the OnTracs eight mics sample external noise at 384,000 times a second to reduce up to 40dB of unwanted noiseand it really works! Airplane engines, the general hubbub of airport conversation and the traffic on the interminably long taxi ride back home in Bengaluru, all disappeared into the distance with the isolation ANC mode turned on. Transparency mode works well too, allowing situational awareness at airports and while walking on a footpath. For a brand Ive long associated with high noise levels courtesy the 125,000rpm Hyperdymium motors on its vacuum cleaners, getting ANC right as well as it does in an almost-first-generation product is commendable. Its not out and out class-leadingbeing able to adjust or manage the ANC and audio modes would certainly helpbut its certainly earned a seat at the big boys table in this regard.

Where the OnTrac blazes ahead of the competition is its sheer longevitya claimed 55 hourswith active noise cancellation turned on. Thats a massive amount of playtime, and Ive barely made a dent in over a week of testing. Frequent flyers will love thisnot only will it last most trans-Atlantic journeys and back on a single charge, a 10-minute charge will give you 2.5 hours of juice as well.

While impressive sound coupled with excellent noise cancellation and outstanding battery life work in the OnTracs favor, at its price, every single lacuna is magnified. While Dyson has gone for gold when it comes to design customization, the OnTracs feel like theyre a few software and firmware updates away from delivering a more customized sound to please one, please all.

Also read: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max review: Do you want the same phone every year?
Victims of Iraq Wedding Fire Need Assistance Year After Tragedy

On the anniversary of a massive fire at a wedding in Iraq, which killed more than 100 and injured 150, victims of the tragedy and their families still need support.

As bride and groom Revan and Haneen Isho were dancing during their reception at Al Haytham Wedding Hall in the Syriac Christian town of Baghdeda on September 26 last year, large fountain fireworks ignited ceiling decorations and the venue's roof collapsed on guests inside.

The couple, who survived the fire, lost several family members, including both of their mothers.

Speaking to The National last year, survivor Sameer Noel called the scene a "nightmare".

"I managed to get out but saw people with burns and their flesh was peeling off their bodies," said Mr Noel. "I was carrying a woman [whose limbs] had melted, she didn't have legs or arms, and another girl who lost her head."

An estimated 1,000 people attended the wedding in Baghdeda, also referred to as Qaraqosh, which is in the Nineveh Plains of northern Iraq, where Chaldeans, Assyrians and Syriacs trace their roots.

The history of the three communities in Iraq dates back more than 5,000 years to Mesopotamia, which is considered to be the cradle of civilisation. Most Chaldeans, Assyrians and Syriacs do not identify as Arab because they lived in Iraq before the Arab conquest and speak Aramaic, the language of Jesus.

The Shlama Foundation, based in Ankawa, Erbil, is a charitable group dedicated to serving all three communities. After the fire, it acted swiftly to help victims, providing emergency services, medication and transport to hospitals.

Foundation board members Noor Matti and Haitham Graish spoke to The National of the progress made to help victims over the past year -- and the work that lies ahead.

Mr Matti, co-founder of the foundation, and Mr Graish said many of the victims have received essential medication and been treated for medical issues such as burns and broken limbs.

But those who lost loved ones and others who were severely injured are still in need of support, they said.

"The majority of assistance needed at this stage involves supporting reconstructive surgery, as well as providing financial support for children who have become orphans and parents who are now widowed," said Mr Graish.

"As you can imagine, both these needs require long-term assessment and support, and in the case of reconstructive surgery, support outside the country is often required due to Iraq's inconsistent infrastructure."

The foundation organised mobile medical units to visit victims at their homes to provide care, which included procedures that helped to speed up the recovery process and minimise scarring.

It funded operations in hospitals in Mosul and Erbil, and covered the costs of doctors' visits and medication for patients, in addition to providing mental health support and financial assistance to those who lost family providers.

"We continue to discuss the tragedy and offer support, most recently by purchasing boxes of scar sheets," said Mr Graish.

For the Chaldean, Assyrian and Syriac diaspora in the US, the tragedy is personal. Members of the communities have taken part in widespread efforts aimed at bringing relief to victims.

The Shlama Foundation raised more than $125,000 for victims of the wedding fire, with most coming from the Chaldean, Syriac, Assyrian diaspora in America, according to Mr Graish and Mr Matti.

In the US state of Michigan, which is home to the largest population of Chaldeans in the world outside of Iraq, a resolution urging Congress to appropriate funds to help provide aid to victims of the fire was introduced.

Several Assyrian-American charitable groups launched efforts to help victims, including the Assyrian Aid Society of America, which held a Baghdeda fire fundraising campaign in co-operation with other organisations.

Michigan is home to a smaller Syriac community, which was hit especially hard by the tragedy, as many trace their roots directly to Baghdeda.

On Wednesday, an event was scheduled to take place at the St Toma Syriac Catholic Church in Farmington Hills, Michigan, to honour those who died in the fire.

On the anniversary of the tragedy, many took to social media to pay tribute to the victims.

"This heartbreaking tragedy deeply impacted the Christian community, many of whom had already endured displacement by ISIS," one user wrote.

Baghdeda was captured by ISIS in August 2014 and eventually liberated in October two years later.

In 2014, 700,000 of the about one million Assyrians, Chaldeans and Syriacs in Iraq's Nineveh Plains fled their homes as ISIS carved a path through the country. From a population of 1.5 million Christians before 2003, there are fewer than 250,000 in Iraq today.

And the fire has forced more residents to leave.

"Many have lost loved ones, and even more concerning, some of those lost were financial supporters, which has led to emigration from the historic town. Although many have settled in larger areas like Ankawa, this shift in population is far from ideal," said Mr Graish.

"Some families who have not lost anyone but who sustained injuries have also left due to the trauma of the event."

The owner of the venue fled town after the fire, but was eventually arrested and held accountable for failing to follow safety protocols.

"The community's trust has been severely affected -- an unfortunate recurring issue in the country. A lack of faith and confidence in local officials can cause anxiety and lead to relocation," said Mr Graish.

"While our community numbers remain relatively high in the town and many have stayed, this is not true for those directly affected by the tragedy."
KYODO NEWS - Sep 28, 2024 - 22:35 | All, World

Three men broke into the home of Michelin-starred owner-chef Kei Kobayashi in Paris and assaulted his wife, causing her severe injuries, his management office said Saturday.

Kobayashi, the first Asian to earn a three-star rating from the Michelin Guide, was on a business trip at the time of the attack on Thursday morning, the office said, adding the three men fled the scene.

Kobayashi's wife was beaten by the men after trying to prevent them from entering. She sustained injuries that will require two months for a full recovery. A neighbor who heard the disturbance alerted the police, the office said.

There have been a series of robberies targeting the homes of celebrities in Paris, the office said. Kobayashi's French restaurant Kei in Paris earned the three-star rating in the 2020 French edition of the Michelin Guide.
The booming voice of the bassist reverberates off the walls as the melody swells to a grand crescendo. The music washes over me before I realise the singer, Giovanni Gio" Mauro is wearing a chefs coat. Welcome to Las Vegas, where nothing is quite as it seems.

Gio, the opera-singing Sicilian, is also the head chef at Monzu Italian Oven & Bar, where he has been doling out Roman-style pizzas, antipasti and entrees to diners who flock to his family-style restaurant. Monzu is known for its iconic pizza dough thats crafted over five days with a 300-year-old starter from the Italian island of Ischia. The pie is a delight to sink intoairy, light and full of flavour.

Visiting Vegas for the Worlds 50 Best Restaurants ceremony in June, I had my fair share of Michelin-starred meals lined up with enough star power (Thomas Keller! Daniel Humm! Wolfgang Puck!) to light up the citys iconic neon signs. All those dinners were expectedly fantastic, but the meals that surprised and delighted me the most were the ones at places such as Monzu, that operates far from the shiny lights of Vegas Strip, the citys iconic patch of real estate that houses some of the largest hotel, casino, and resort properties in the world.

Big name celebrity chefs draw the casino crowds on the Strip thats known for its modern architecture and a wide variety of attractions that span everything from a giant sphere to dancing fountains and a replica of the Eiffel Tower. Off the strip, however, Las Vegas reveals itself as a melting pot of unique flavours brought to the city by its many communities.

One such revelation was that Vegas is an exciting hub for Hawaiian cuisine. Hidden in plain sight amongst the casinos and Elvis impersonators is Americas largest Hawaiian population outside of the islands. This means that it is easy to find musubi, a kind of spam sushi; poke bowls and Hawaiian barbecue (quite unique from the American, southern style version) all over town.

Also read: Dubai restaurant Orfali Bros reinvents the food of the Syrian diaspora

The citys Hawaiian community brings vibrant island flavours to places like Unko Franks, a Hawaiian BBQ spot that serves a variety of grilled meat plates, and Pacific Island Taste, where I tuck into satisfyingly spicy ahi poke, manapua (savoury buns usually filled with pork, the Hawaiian adaptation of char siu bao), and a turnover made with mashed taro root, a Polynesian staple. At Fine Company, chef Roy Ellamar, a former fine-dining chef with Hawaiian roots, has created his own version of New American Cuisine". Think dates stuffed with savoury lamb sausage, fried chicken sandwiches slathered in a honey cumin glaze, and brown butter pancakes, all with a distinct Hawaiian twist.

While Vegas Chinatown has been known for some of the best grub in the city, now there isnt just one Chinatown in Nevadas biggest metropolis, but two. The old Chinatown, west of the Strip, looks more traditional, with neon lights and an embellished, carved entry arch. The newer Chinatown in the Spring Valley neighbourhood is more like a collection of standard American boulevards with vast parking lots. On closer inspection though, culinary delights are to be found in every corner. The best part is that they arent limited to the mainland, spanning all manner of Asian yummies: hand-rolled noodles, fiery dim sum, sushi rolls called the Japanese lasagna", and Korean hot dogs. The neighbourhood even houses several affordable Japanese pubs or izakayas .

At Kaiseki Yuzu, acclaimed Japanese chef Kaoro Azeuchi brings his 16-plus years of experience honed across Japanese and French fine-dining establishments to create intricate dishes and thoughtfully curated menus. The tradition of kaiseki dates back to the 16th century in Japan. The cuisine that once served as part of an elaborate tea ceremony has evolved into modern-day kaiseki; a varying presentation of nine-10 dishes prepared hot and cold, and delicately arranged in a manner that brings out incredible yet subtle flavours based on seasonal ingredients.

In the open kitchen and at the sushi bar at Kaiseki Yuzu, Azeuchi, who was nominated for the James Beard Best Chef award last year, handpicks seasonal fish for every service. Here, seared king mackerel is wrapped in lettuce and layered with caviar and uni sauce. A5 wagyu steak ribeye is plated with winter truffles, foie gras, and grilled vegetables. While Azeuchi has a more austere approach to the cuisine, at Kame Omakase, chef Eric Kim and team present a fun and laid-back style of Japanese cuisine. Sea urchins come wrapped in nori tacos while the lobster swims in a pool of delicate Sauvignon Blanc sauce.

Dim sum and the desert are two words one wouldnt normally string together in the same sentence, yet in Vegas, everything goes. At ShangHai Taste, tuck into painstakingly prepared xiao long bao (soup dumplings), including sheng jiad, a pan-fried version. According to chef Jimmy Li, the restaurant serves more than 3,000 xiao long bao soup dumplings every day.

If noodles are more your vibe, Noodlehead is where locals go for hearty, heaping bowls of dry and soup noodles. At this unpretentious gem, food is best enjoyed family-style because of the large portions. The Yibin burning noodles will make you break into a sweat because of its heat, but the fragrant aroma, pickled veggies and a light sprinkle of peanuts makes it worth every lip tingle. My favourite was the dan dan noodles that came slicked in a thick chilli oil sauce and was topped with ground pork and fresh green onions.

And finally, for a bit of late-night theatre and sleight of hand, head to Shang Artisan Noodle. Here, diners can watch chefs twist, pull and fling noodles into boiling hot vats of water from behind the glass partition of the open kitchen. Also good here is the Peking wonton soup and chicken sesame cold noodles.

This isnt a standard Vegas guide, but in this hyper curated age of Instagram-fuelled travel, its important to allow yourself to explore the roads less travelled. Or in this case, the road with fewer neon signs. In my experience, theyre usually more delicious. Now if only the calories that happened in Vegas could stay in Vegas.

Word of Mouth is a monthly column on dining out and dining well. Smitha Menon is a food journalist, Indias only 50 Best Tastehunter and the host of the Big Food Energy podcast. She posts at @smitha.men on Instagram.
The Tirupati laddu story has continued to roll and roll since the news first broke in mid-September. It began when the Telugu Desam Party alleged that the temple laddus had been made with ghee mixed with beef tallow, fish oil and other fearsome substances during the regime of the previous YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) government in Andhra Pradesh.

Swept under the green rug is the small print of the allegationsthat the temples supplier was adulterating the ghee with some kind of cheaper foreign fat", which could have been anything from soya bean oil, sunflower oil or palm oil. Of course, it was the idea that the laddus had animal fat which spun it into a national controversy with wounded feelings and dark reminders that after all, the previous chief minister, Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, is a Christian.

This is not the first time that TDP leader Chandrababu Naidu has implied that Reddys religion gives him evil motivations such as promoting the desecration of Hindu idols". Not one for subtleties, Naidu had said at a TDP executive meeting in 2021, You are a Christian CM, you hold the Bible. My favourite God is Lord Venkateswara, your favourite God is Jesus Christ." I am not sure what Reddy was supposed to have said at this point apart from, Okay, Captain Obvious."

Also Read Skip bombast, build solidarities

Naidu also said back then that someone needs to keep an eye on new churches appearing in the state. Naidu here joins bigoted leaders everywhere in the world in creating scandal about the food ways of minorities. In the US, for instance, right-wing politicians Donald Trump and J.D. Vance are currently running a well-documented misinformation campaign that Haitian immigrants have been eating cats and dogs. Trumps acolyte Laura Loomer said that White House will smell like curry" if Kamala Harris becomes the President. Same same.

Meanwhile, actual adulteration, not to be confused with that millennial malaise adulting, is a national crisis in India. In August, nearly 12% of Indian-tested spices were reported to be failing the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) quality and safety standards. This happened after Singapore and Hong Kong stopped the sale of some varieties of MDH and Everest masalas, reporting high levels of pesticide content. In separate news, during raids in two factories in Delhi allegedly manufacturing fake spices, police say they found 15 tonnes of masalas" made with everything from wood dust, acids and substandard oils to grains.

India: How Water Pollution Triggers Migration Waves, a 2024 report from the global non-profit Fair Planet, says that contaminated groundwater has affected over two million people in India this year. Meaning that industrial pollutants in the water are pushing hundreds of thousands of people to leave their hometowns and villages.

Also Read Why does the accusing finger always turn towards the oppressed?

Among the range of adulterated substances consumed in India, the most panic-inducing is counterfeited drugs. Stories of cancer patients discovering they have been cheated and had been ingesting anti-fungals abound. The big story about adulterated drugs in India is not that of a cottage-industry level of adulteration. Dinesh Thakur and Prashant Reddy, authors of the 2022 book, The Truth Pill: The Myth of Drug Regulation in India, have pointed out that the poor regulation of legitimate drug manufacturers is risking the lives of people not just in India but around the developing world. This means that no one is checking what is going on in factories making cough syrups and cancer drugs as much as they are monitoring laddus.

That said, fake drugs in India is not quite a cottage industry either. On 20 September, Maharashtra police filed a 1,200-page chargesheet which revealed, among other allegations, that a Haridwar-based lab which made veterinary medicine was the source of antibiotics distributed to government hospitals in several states. Perhaps you think the shocking part was the veterinary medicine bit? No. The chargesheet says that the said antibiotics were made with talcum powder and starch.

This was the same day that conspiracy theories on the laddus were being spread like raita all over Indian Twitter. A point I raise not because I am into conspiracies but because I want to agree that beef tallow laddus allegedly engineered by a former chief minster in possession of a Bible is so much less sexy than talcum powder antibiotics from Uttarakhand. Though if you want to know about a time when talcum powder was a sexy essential and not medicine, ask an older member of your family.

Nisha Susan is the author of The Women Who Forgot To Invent Facebook And Other Stories. She posts @chasingiamb.

This column was amended to avoid any specific attributions to individual posts on X (formerly Twitter) regarding the laddu" controversy, and any unintentional distress or hurt caused to readers sentiments or faith in any manner whatsoever.

Also Read The runaway train of crime in India
Stubble burning has once again become a political flashpoint with the Delhi government calling for a minister-level meeting on Saturday. Environment Minister Gopal Rai said the city-state was spraying bio-decomposer for the stubble produced in Delhi and remained unable to enforce the Punjab government's pollution control plan within its boundaries.

Punjab's plan cannot be made in Delhi. Delhi's plan is made for Delhi, so we are spraying Bio-decomposer for the stubble produced in Delhi. The Punjab government is making its own plan to reduce stubble in Punjab, he insisted.

The AAP leader noted that there had been a lot of positive results in the past two years with stubble burning incidents reducing by more than 50%. Rai said that solutions to stubble burning also required the active involvement of other neighbouring states  Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan  as well as the Central government.

The central government needs to be active in thisEvery time before the pollution in winter, the central government used to hold a joint meeting of environment ministers. This time it has not been called yet, it is our request that the minister-level meeting be called soon so that everyone can be aware of the preparations going on, he urged.

The remarks also came less than a day after the Supreme Court of India rapped the Commission for Air Quality Management over its failure to curb air pollution due to crop residue burning. A bench of Justice Abhay S Oka and Justice Augustine George Masih stressed the need to ensure that stubble-burning alternative equipment are used at the grassroots level and directed the panel to file a better compliance report.

Also Read | Journalist finds cockroach in omelette on Air India Delhi-New York flight

Members of the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee meanwhile urged the government to come up with a permanent solution on the stubble-burning issue.

No farmer wants to burn stubble but they are helpless. Preparing one's field (for the next crop) is very expensive...The government invents new machines every year and the machines from the previous year become metal waste. Farmers have to procure machines every year, there is no solution to this. The government should come up with a permanent solution to this stubble-burning issue, Gurbachan Singh Chhaba told ANI.
Haryana police on Saturday said three persons were killed and seven others were injured in a blast at a suspected firecracker unit in a village in Sonipat district.

The police said, the incident occurred at a suspected firecracker factory in Ridhau village of Kharkhoda. Workers and their families were present at the time the explosion, the police said.

The injured have been rushed to PGIMS Hospital in Rohtak for treatment, the police added.

The police further said it appears that the house was being used as an "illegal" cracker factory as they have recovered material used in firecrackers from the spot.

Also Read | Bomb threat: Taj West End Hotel in Bengaluru gets bomb threat email

Information was regarding a blast in a house and we have found material used in firecrackers from the spot. Some people said a cylinder exploded. The FSL team has been called. 3 bodies have been recovered and 7 injured admitted to hospital, Sonipat ACP Jeet Singh said.

"The house owner has been rounded up. Investigation is underway," Singh added.

The police officer said the chemical used in preparing firecrackers in the "illegal unit" appeared to have caught fire, leading to the blast. However, the exact cause of the fire is still under investigation.

Tamil Nadu Fire Incident This is second major incident of fire at a factory reported in the country on September 28. Earlier today, a major fire broke out at a chemical godown of the electronics component factory of Tata Electronics Pvt Ltd in Tamil Nadu in the early hours today. However, there were no casualties reported in the incident.

The Tamil Nadu police said seven fire tenders from Hosur and nearby districts were pressed into service to douse the flames.

"The incident occurred at a chemical godown located on the campus at about 6 am. Seven fire tenders were pressed into service. There has been no casualty nor injury to anyone," a senior fire and rescue service official at the Hosur Fire Station told PTI.

Tata Electronics, in a statement, said all the employees were safe.
Denounced the killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in an Israeli airstrike in Beirut, a protest march was held in Srinagar and Budgam areas of of Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday.

Hezbollah group has confirmed the death of Nasrallah, who was one of its founders.

In a video shared by ANI, a large number of people, including women, were seen participating in the protest while raising slogans in favour of Hezbollah and Palestine.

In Srinagar, people poured out on roads in Hassanabad, Rainawari, Saidakadal, Meer Behri, and Ashaibagh areas and chanted anti-Israel and anti-US slogans while carrying black flags, reported PTI.

Shian Aga Syed Hassan Mosavi Al Safav, the President of Jammu and Kashmir's Anjuman-e-Sharie, said that no matter how much they mourn his (Hassan Nasrallah) death, it will always be lesser.

There should be peace and that was his mission. He was alleged to be involved in terrorism so that the people wouldn't get to know what he was doing for humanity and what he wanted. He wanted Palestine to be free for the people of Palestine, ANI quoted Mosavi Al Safav as saying.

Referring to his death, the Anjuman-e-Sharie's chief that his loss can't be measured but thousands of Nasrallah will born from his blood and will take this mission forward and get success.

In a post on X, PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti informed that she was cancelling her (election) campaign on Sunday in solidarity with the martyrs of Lebanon & Gaza especially Hassan Nasarullah.

We stand with the people of Palestine & Lebanon in this hour of immense grief & exemplary resistance, Mufti added.

Meanwhile, Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has declared five days of public mourning for Hassan Nasrallah.
Kolkata doctor rape case: A designated CBI court has denied bail to Sandip Ghosh, former principal of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, As CBI made serious allegations that could lead to death penalty.

Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate S Dey emphasized the grave nature of the allegations against Sandip Ghosh. The magistrate remarked that if found guilty, Ghosh could potentially face the death penalty, a sentence typically reserved for the most extraordinary cases.

CBI Allegations Against Sandip Ghosh and Abhijit Mondal Sandip Ghosh, along with former Tala police station officer Abhijit Mondal, was arrested by the CBI for allegedly tampering with evidence and delaying the filing of an FIR in this horrific case that unfolded on August 9.

The Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate, S Dey, emphasized that the ongoing investigation is serious and complex, as Ghosh and Mondal both seek to contest the charges against them.

Also Read | RG Kar case: Junior doctors to hold march to CBI office in Kolkata today

The CBI has alleged that some records related to the rape and murder case of a post-graduate trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital were "falsely created" and "altered" at the Tala police station in Kolkata. These allegations involve Sandip Ghosh and Abhijit Mondal, leading the agency to seize CCTV footage from the station for forensic examination.

Also Read | West Bengal Medical Council scraps registration of arrested RG Kar ex-principal

The CBI which interrogated Tala Police Station officer in charge Abhijit Mondal and medical college's former principal Sandip Ghosh in its custody informed the court that "new/additional" facts emerged in its probe showing that "some false records pertaining to the instant case were created/altered in PS Tala".

Both Ghosh and Mondal were presented in court after completing their remand period.

Sanjay Roy, a key suspect, was arrested on August 10, just a day after the gruesome crime. The CBI has alleged that there was a significant delay in seizing vital evidence, including Roy's clothing, which could have been critical to the investigation.

Kolkata doctor rape and murder case On August 9, a postgraduate trainee doctor was allegedly raped and murdered in the seminar hall of RG Kar Medical College during her night shift. Her semi-naked body, discovered by a doctor on rounds, showed severe injuries to the private parts, bleeding from eyes and mouth.

CCTV footage showed Sanjoy Roy entering the hall around 4:03 am on the night of the incident.
Ahead of announcing the schedule for Maharashtra assembly polls, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar on Saturday said that those spreading fake news and using deep fake tech on social media will be dealt with sternly.

The CEC made the remarks while addressing a press conference in Mumbai after reviewing the poll preparedness in the state.

The election for 288-seats Maharashtra legislative assembly is likely to be held in the month of November.

There will be checking of all helicopters to ensure inducement-free assembly elections in Maharashtra, said the CEC.

Here's what the CEC said  We met BSP, AAP, CPI(M), Congress, NPP, MNS, NCP, NCP (SC), Shiv Sena, Shiv Sena (UBT)  totaling 11 political parties.

 All parties said that there are festivals, such as Diwali, Dev Diwali and Chhath Puja, therefore, poll dates should be announced keeping these festivals in mind.

 The term of the assembly is ending on November 26, so polls have to be conducted before that.

 There will be 1,00,186 polling booths in Maharashtra assembly elections.

 It is the right of voters to know if any candidate has a criminal background. The candidates who have a criminal background will have to advertise on television and newspapers three times declaring the criminal cases against them. Even the political parties will have to publish within three days of the nomination of the candidate as to why the candidate was selected.

Also Read | Celebrations at Matoshree as Shiv Sena (UBT) sweeps MU senate polls

 Officials who have served in their home district or current posting for over 3 years, have been asked to be shifted.

 Of the 288 assembly seats, there are 234 general seats, 25 ST seats, 29 SC seats.

 ECI is committed to ensuring no voter is left behind and ensuring voting is accessible to all.

 CEC expressed concern over urban voter apathy. Effort will be to ensure that there is maximum enrolment and voting in the Maharashtra assembly elections.

Technology will be used The Voter Helpline App will ease search for electoral information.

CVigil app will help reduce noise and campaign clutter.

Suvidha Portal will facilitate political parties and candidates.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday, September 28. During his visit, PM Modi is scheduled to address Vijay Sankalp Maharally at MA Stadium at 10 am today, according to a social media post by BJP Jammu & Kashmir.

PM Modi's Jammu visit is set to take place in tandem with the ongoing assembly elections. Jammu and Kashmir is holding its first assembly elections in a decade after the abrogation of Article 370 in the erstwhile state in 2019. The Jammu and Kashmir elections voting will conclude on October 1. The result will be announced after the vote count on October 8.

PM Modi's visit to Jammu today During PM Modi's visit to Jammu, security has been heightened in the area with heightened surveillance with CCTV installation and security personnel deployment. PM Modi's visit has come ahead of the beginning of the last leg of assembly elections voting in Jammu and Kashmir. Additionally, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will visit Gurez and Karnah on 29 September, reported local media.

BJP national president JP Nadda in Jammu On Friday, BJP national president JP Nadda addressed a rally in Jammu. While addressing the public, Nadda hailed the completion of the first two phases of Jammu and Kashmir Assembly polls and said that those who once held guns in their hands are now using ballots to express themselves, reported PTI.

"This election is truly unique, as for the first time, the valley of Srinagar witnessed a 60 percent voter turnout, a significant increase from the previous 8-10 percent. There is no atmosphere of fear or terror -- no firing, terrorist attacks or booth capturing. People are voting fearlessly, and in the first two phases, the recorded turnout was 58-60 per cent," PTI quoted Nadda at a public rally in Kathua district.

He also applauded PM Modi's efforts for bringing a sea change in the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir, calling it a victory of Indian democracy.

This is a victory for Indian democracy. Modi ji has emphasized peace, stability and development in Jammu and Kashmir, he added.
This week saw significant developments in politics, assembly elections, and the United Nations General Assembly meeting, where world leaders advocated for a permanent seat for India. Here is the top news from September 22 to 28 September.

Take a look: Quad Summit 2024: Maritime initiative announced, India pledges $2 million for solar projects From launching Quad Cancer Moonshot, to India announcing Quad scholarships for students from the Indo Pacific region, the Quad Summit 2024 witnessed a host of commitments by the partner countries.

US President Joe Biden hosted the fourth meeting on Saturday at his hometown, Delaware. Established to be a global force for the good, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Australian PM Anthony Albanese, and Japanese PM Kishida Fumio all came together to agree on a combined charter to combat problems within the Indo Pacific. Read more.

Badlapur sexual abuse case: Accused Akshay Shinde succumbs to bullet injuries after exchange of fire in police vehicle The Thane Police on Monday, September 23, said Akshay Shinde, the accused in the Badlapur school sexual assault case, succumbed to injuries in a retaliatory firing after he snatched a cop's weapon and opened fire in the police vehicle.

The police said accused Akshay Shinde was being taken to Badlapur from Taloja jail for investigation.

"When the police vehicle reached Mumbra bypass, he snatched a policemans gun and opened fire at an assistant police inspector in the vehicle. He was shot in retaliatory firing, PTI reported citing the police. Read here.

Laapataa Ladies at Oscars 2025: Remarks on women by film committee sparks outrage online; here's why As Kiran Raos film Laapataa Ladies makes it as Indias official entry for the 2025 Oscars, the citation of Film Federation of India's all-male jury has sparked outrage online, with netizens claiming goes against the very idea of the movie.

"Indian women are a strange mixture of submission and dominance. Well-defined, powerful characters in one world, Laapataa Ladies (Hindi) captures this diversity perfectly, though in a semi-idyllic world and in a tongue-in-cheek way, the FFI's citation read. Read here.

Jammu & Kashmir Assembly Elections 2024: 56.79% voting turnout recorded in 26 seats, says CEO PK Pole

Voting was held in 26 seats across six districts of Jammu and Kashmir in the second phase of assembly elections on September 25. This phase covers 15 seats in Kashmir and 11 seats in Jammu division of the Union Territory.

The first phase of elections held on September 18 saw 61 per cent voter turnout. Jammu and Kashmir is holding its first assembly elections in a decade to elect a government after over six years of Central rule. This is also first assembly election being held after abrogation of Article 370 in the erstwhile state in August 2019. Read here.

Mumbai: Waterlogging, traffic snarls as heavy rains lash city; schools, colleges to remain closed Several parts of Maharashtra, including Mumbai, Thane and adjoining areas, on Wednesday evening, received very heavy rainfall along with strong winds, lightning and thunderstorms.

Heavy rains since evening also caused waterlogging, affecting vehicular movement. The services of local trains on the Central Railway line, as well as some flights, were also impacted. Read here.

10 Years of Make in India: PM Modi compliments success, says resolve to make nation a powerhouse 10 Years of Make in India: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on September 25, complimented the decade-long success of the Make in India movement and resolved to make India a powerhouse of manufacturing and innovation.

In a post on the social media platform X, Modi wrote, Today, we mark #10YearsOfMakeInIndia. I compliment all those who are tirelessly working to make this movement a success over the last decade. Make in India illustrates the collective resolve of 140 crore Indians to make our nation a powerhouse of manufacturing and innovation. Read here.

Pakistan raises Kashmir issue at UN General Assembly: Will respond decisively to Indian aggression Pakistan raised the Kashmir issue at the UN General Assembly on Friday and urged India to begin peace talks. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif claimed that New Delhi was engaged in massive expansion of its military capabilities that were essentially deployed against Islamabad.

"Let me state in no uncertain terms, Pakistan will respond most decisively to any Indian aggression, therefore, to secure durable peace, India must reverse the unilateral and illegal measures it has taken since 5th of August 2019 and enter into a dialogue for a peaceful resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute in accordance with the UN Security resolutions and the wishes of the Kashmiri people," he said. Read here.

India responds to Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharifs Kashmir comment at UNGA: Nation that hosted Osama bin Laden At UNGA Indian diplomat Bhavika Mangalanandan replied to Pakistani PM Shehbaz Sharif, said that a country run by the military with a global reputation for terrorism had audacity to attack the world's largest democracy.

As reported by ANI, Mangalanandan said, This assembly regrettably witnessed a travesty this morning. A country run by the military, with a global reputation for terrorism, narcotics, trade and transnational crime has had the audacity to attack the world's largest democracy. I speak about the reference to India in the speech of the Pakistani PM. As the world knows, Pakistan has long employed cross-border terrorism as a weapon against its neighbours. Read here.

BrahMos Aerospace announces reservation for Agniveers; 50% in security & administrative roles, 15% in technical

BrahMos Aerospace on Friday announced that it will reserve vacancies for Agniveers after completion of their tenure in the Indian Armed forces.\

The vacancies in the Indo-Russian joint venture BrahMos Aerospace, which manufactures a BrahMos supersonic cruise missile, will be in the technical, administrative and security wings of the company.

Under the policy initiative, BrahMos has pledged to reserve at least 15 per cent vacancies in technical roles and general administration and 50 per cent in security and administrative at its work centres across India. Read here.

UK PM Keir Starmer backs Indias bid for permanent UNSC seat, joining US and France: Security Council has to change UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer backed India's bid for a permanent membership at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), calling for winds of change. India earned the UK's support days after US President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron expressed similar views.

Speaking at the general debate of the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Starmer emphasised the need for the UNSC to evolve. "the Security Council has to change to become a more representative body, willing to act  not paralysed by politics, said Starmer. Read here.
Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar on Saturday reviewed the poll preparedness for Maharashtra assembly elections and said that the election in the state will have to be completed before the term of legislative assembly ends.

Addressing a press conference, Kumar said that they met the leaders of a total of 11 parties who suggested that election dates should be announced considering the festivals.

The term of the Maharashtra legislative assembly is ending on November 26, so elections have to be completed before that, said the CEC.

Which political party leaders did the EC meet? The EC said that they met the leaders of a total of 11 parties, including BSP, AAP, CPI(M), Congress, NPP, MNS, Nationalist Congress Party, NCP (SC), Shiv Sena, Shiv Sena (UBT).

What do the parties demand?  The political parties urged the Election Commission to schedule the Maharashtra Assembly polls considering upcoming festivals like Diwali, Dev Diwali and Chhath Puja.

Polling stations, especially in urban areas like Mumbai, should have facilities so that voters don't face any issues.

 There should be a level playing field, and officers should be transferred without any bias.

 They also demanded to stop the use of money power.

Voters Maharashtra legislative Assembly elections will be held in 288 constituencies.

 The total voters are 9.95 crore. Male: 4.95 crore and Female: 4.64 crore.

 First time voters between the age of 18-19 are 19.48 lakh.

 It is the right of voters to know if any candidate has a criminal background. The political parties should also inform people about reasons for fielding such candidates, said the CEC.

Also Read | Will Devendra Fadnavis be moved to Delhi? Here is what this report says

Urban Voter Apathy Expressing concerns over urban voter apathy, the CEC singled out areas like Colaba and Kalyan in and around Mumbai which recorded among the lowest voter turnout in the Lok Sabha polls held this year.
KYODO NEWS - Sep 28, 2024 - 23:01 | Japan, All

New ruling Liberal Democratic Party leader Shigeru Ishiba, set to soon become Japan's next prime minister, is considering naming former Chief Cabinet Secretary and health minister Katsunobu Kato as finance minister, sources close to the matter said Saturday.

Former Defense Minister Ishiba, the winner of the LDP's presidential race on Friday, also plans to appoint former Environment Minister Shinjiro Koizumi as its election campaign chief, the sources said, as lawmakers brace for the possibility of a general election by the end of this year.

Ishiba, meanwhile, has decided to retain Yoshimasa Hayashi, known as a right-hand man to outgoing Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, as chief Cabinet secretary and the top government spokesperson. Hayashi previously served as foreign minister.

But economic security minister Sanae Takaichi, who lost in the runoff of the presidential election, declined his offer to become LDP general council chief, the sources said, indicating the difficulties Ishiba faces in achieving postrace party unity.

Kato, a former Finance Ministry bureaucrat, Koizumi and Hayashi were also among the record nine candidates in the leadership race to choose the successor to Kishida, who did not seek reelection following a slush fund scandal that has hit the party.

Ishiba plans to launch the new LDP leadership on Monday. He is expected to become prime minister on Tuesday, as both houses of parliament are controlled by the LDP and its coalition partner, the Komeito party. He will then form a Cabinet on Tuesday.

The new president has decided to appoint Hiroshi Moriyama, the head of the LDP's decision-making general council, as its secretary general, the party's No. 2 position, while tapping former Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera as its policy chief, the sources said.

In another development, Ishiba, who is believed to have been backed by former Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga in the runoff, is eager to sound him out about becoming LDP vice president, the sources said.

In his fifth presidential bid, Ishiba, who also served as the party's secretary general, won 215 of the 409 valid votes cast by LDP lawmakers and rank-and-file members in a runoff vote on Friday, while Takaichi secured 194.

Regarding the Cabinet lineup, senior vice finance minister Ryosei Akazawa, a close aide to Ishiba, is set to be given a ministerial post and transport minister Tetsuo Saito, a lawmaker of Komeito, is certain to be retained, the sources said.

Ishiba said at a press conference after he was elected LDP chief, "I will ask each of them (the other leadership candidates) to take the position that suits them best." But Takaichi, who was narrowly defeated by 21 votes in the runoff, said, "I will support" Ishiba "as a member of parliament."

Amid mounting speculation that Ishiba may dissolve the House of Representatives for a snap election in the near future, he apparently accelerated preparations on Saturday by having photos taken for campaign posters.

Related coverage:

U.S. expresses hope to foster even closer ties with Japan's next PM

Public urges incoming Japan leader Ishiba to improve cost of living

FOCUS:New Japan ruling LDP chief Ishiba may face make-or-break moment as PM
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday raised the Jammu and Kashmir issue, talked about the "vicious cycle of debt" and sought permanent member of war-torn Palestine in the UN during. He was speaking at the General Debate of the 79th session of the UN General Assembly.
Hurricane Helene left a devastating trail of destruction across southeastern US this week  with at least 56 killed and damage worth billions of dollars. The storm blew ashore as a Category 4 hurricane late on Thursday with winds of 140 mph (225 kph). Helene has since left thousands displaced and millions without power.

"The devastation we're witnessing in Hurricane Helene's wake has been overwhelming. Jill and I continue to pray for all of those who have lost loved ones and for everyone impacted by this storm. Early this morning, I approved Tennessee's emergency declaration and my Administration continues to surge response personnel as the storm tracks north. Our focus is on life-saving and life-sustaining response efforts in the Southeast  and I continue to be briefed by my team which is coordinating recovery efforts with state and local officials," wrote President Joe Biden.

The storm moved quickly through Georgia, the Carolinas and Tennessee, uprooting trees, splintering homes and sending creeks and rivers over their banks and straining dams.

Now a post-tropical cyclone, it is expected to hover over the Tennessee Valley on Saturday and Sunday. Several flood and flash flood warnings remained in effect in parts of the southern and central Appalachians, while high wind warnings also covered parts of Tennessee and Ohio.

Hurricane Helene has been linked to 56 deaths across five states  including 23 people in South Carolina and 11 in Florida. Authorities however expect the number to rise as they take stock of the devastation.

What is looks like from the air is it looks like a tornado went off, it looks like a bomb went off. And its not just here, it looks like this from here all the way to Augusta, Georgia Governor Brian Kemp told reporters.

Neighbouring Florida reported at least 11 storm-related deaths including traffic fatalities and people caught up in storm surge.

Meanwhile hard-hit Buncombe County in North Carolina is waiting to announce casualties amid connectivity glitches. Authorities said they knew people died but arent announcing anything because communication outages havent allowed them to reach relatives of the victims. Western North Carolina remains essentially cut off by landslides and flooding that forced the closure of Interstate 40 and other roads.

More than three million US customers went into the weekend without any electricity amid a continued threat of flooding.

There were hundreds of water rescues, none more dramatic than in rural Unicoi County in East Tennessee, where dozens of patients and staff were plucked by helicopter from the roof of a hospital that was surrounded by water from a flooded river.
Donald Trump, the Republican candidate in 2024 US polls, on Friday accused the tech giant Google of displaying only "bad stories" about him. The former US President threatened legal action against the search engine if elected.

With no substantive justification backing these accusations, Donald Trump took to Truth Social platform to levy these charges. He further alleged that the search engine showing only positive articles about his Democratic rival Vice President Kamala Harris.

The post reads, "It has been determined that Google has illegally used a system of only revealing and displaying bad stories about Donald J. Trump, some made up for this purpose while, at the same time, only revealing good stories about Comrade Kamala Harris.

He added, This is an ILLEGAL ACTIVITY, and hopefully the Justice Department will criminally prosecute them for this blatant Interference of Elections. If not, and subject to the Laws of our Country, I will request their prosecution, at the maximum levels, when I win the Election, and become President of the United States!

This development comes in the wake of a conservative group report about Google search on Donald Trump presidential race 2024. Responding to these claims, the tech giant informed news agency AFP that both campaign websites consistently appear at the top of Search for relevant and common search queries.

Elaborating on the matter and refuting the allegations, Google said, "This report looked at a single rare search term on a single day a few weeks ago, and even for that search, both candidates' websites ranked in the top results on Google," reported AFP.

Perhaps, the search engine has been adamant that it does not create biased search results to favour any political candidate. It is important to note that timeliness and popularity of topics are the factors that influence search results for news stories.
Sexual assault allegations against Sean Diddy Combs continued to escalate this week with yet another woman stepping forward on Friday. The unnamed victim said she was repeatedly raped and drugged at the music mogul's homes and became pregnant after one of the encounters.

At every visit, (Combs) would make her perform a show for him and would ply her with alcohol and substances until she passed out  she would wake up with bruising and injuries but with no recollection of how she sustained her injuries, the lawsuit adds.

She has sought undisclosed damages for physical injuries, severe emotional distress, humiliation, anxiety and other harm. The lawsuit was filed against Combs, his companies and several associates

The woman has accused Combs of sexually assaulting her while she was unconscious from drugs  from their first meeting in fall 2020 to July this year. Jane Doe (a pseudonym) also claims the music mogul and his acquaintances recorded sexual encounters without her permission. She was coerced and harassed into traveling to his homes in various cities and allegedly had her location tracked and conversations monitored.

The lawsuit also outlines a July 2022 encounter with the artist where she had blacked out after being forced to ingest drugs that may have included ketamine. She later took a pregnancy test and told Combs it was positive  which prompted an associate of the musician to repeatedly demand she get an abortion.

The woman eventually suffered a miscarriage.

The unidentified woman also said that Combs had commanded her to visit his Miami home in July this year. Upon arrival the rapper allegedly shoved two pills into her mouth. Jane Doe recalls waking up the next morning feeling ill and confused with no clear memory of the previous night and the bedroom in disarray.
A US resident from Pennsylvania was arrested after his toddler son shot himself with a gun while he was busy playing a game on his phone. The incident was held in May this year, which led to a police investigation. Father Luis Marin was arrested on charges of felony Endangering the Welfare of a Child and Recklessly Endangering Another Person, according to a press release issued by the Office of District Attorney, County of Montogomery, on September 26.

The 34-year-old was purportedly playing on his phone while carelessly leaving a loaded gun on the bed, close to the reach of other members of the family, reported Mirror US.

How did the incident happened? The incident took place on the evening of May 15, 2024. Marin was purportedly playing on the phone. As he was completely focused on the phone, the two-year-old kid reportedly shot himself with the gun, according to Mirror US.

Also Read | 10-year-olds viral video mirrors the rise of online motivational content

According to the press release, the boy was transferred to Lehigh Valley Hospital after the accident. The hospital authority had informed the hospital about the incident. The toddler had been shot, causing injuries that included broken ribs, a fractured scapula and damage to his left lung. There was also a burn mark and stippling on the boys skin, indicative of the firearm being pressed against his skin or in very close contact when the gun was fired.

Toddler kid's father went to bedroom before the shooting incident Just before the shooting incident, Luis Marin, went into a bedroom on the second floor of the home to take a crossbody bag to lend it to his nephew. The bag was usually used by Marin for keeping his two handguns and ear protection. Marin had kept the gun outside his bag on his bed. He then gave the bag to his nephew, who left the house.
Dame Maggie Smith dies: Harry Potter actors Emma Watson and Daniel Radcliffe paid tribute to their co-star Dame Maggie Smith. The author of the Novel series, JK Rowling, also remembered Smith in a brief social media post that read, "Somehow I thought she'd live forever. RIP Dame Maggie Smith."

Maggie Smith, the double Oscar-winner who shone on stage and screen for more than seven decades, died in a hospital in London, her sons announced Friday. She was 89.

Over the course of her career, Smith won a Tony, two Oscars, three Golden Globes and five Baftas. She was made a Dame Commander of the British Empire. Smith played Minerva McGonagall in the "Harry Potter" films. Here's how her Harry Potter and Downton Abbey" co-stars reacted to ger demise.

Daniel Radcliffe Daniel Radcliffe, Smith's co-star and the star of the Harry Potter franchise, remembered the time he first met Maggie Smith.

"The first time I met Maggie Smith I was 9 years old and we were reading through scenes for David Copperfield, which was my first job. I knew virtually nothing about her other than that my parents were awestruck at the fact that I would be working with her," Daniel Radcliffe in a statement to the AP.

Radcliffe added, The other thing I knew about her was that she was a Dame, so the first thing I asked her when we met was Would you like me to call you Dame? at which she laughed and said something to the effect of 'Dont be ridiculous!'

"I remember feeling nervous to meet her and then her putting me immediately at ease. She was incredibly kind to me on that shoot, and then I was lucky enough to go on working with her for another 10 years on the Harry Potter films," the actor said.

He added that Smith "was a fierce intellect, a gloriously sharp tongue, could intimidate and charm in the same instant and was, as everyone will tell you, extremely funny".

"I will always consider myself amazingly lucky to have been able to work with her, and to spend time around her on set. The word legend is overused but if it applies to anyone in our industry then it applies to her. Thank you Maggie," Radcliffe told AP.

Emma Watson Emma Watson, who played the role of Hermione Granger in the popular Harry Potter series, shared an emotional note on her Instagram story. She wrote, When I was younger I had no idea of Maggies legend  the woman I was fortunate enough to share space with. It is only as Ive become an adult that Ive come to appreciate that I shared the screen with a true definition of greatness. She was real, honest, funny and self-honouring. Maggie, there were a lot of male professors and by God, you held your own. Thank you for all of your kindness. Ill miss you (sic).

Also Read | World of Hogwarts to return soon, as Warner Bros eyes on new Harry Potter series

Bonnie Wright Bonnie Wright, who played the role of Ginny Weasley in Harry Potter movies, shared a post for Maggie on Instagram, saying, Our dearly loved and revered head of Gryffindor house you will be so missed by the Harry Potter community. My favourite scene with Maggie was when we were all learning to dance for the Yule Ball. She embodied that perfect balance of sass and loving care that McGonagall has. She kept Gryffindors on their toes. My deepest condolences to Maggies family at this time (sic)."

Whoopi Goldberg Actor Whoopi Goldberg, who starred in Sister Act with Smith, on Instagram, Maggie Smith was a great woman and a brilliant actress. I still cant believe I was lucky enough to work with the one-of-a-kind. My heartfelt condolences go out to the familyRIP.

Hugh Bonneville Actor Hugh Bonneville, who starred alongside Smith in Downton Abbey, said in a statement to the AP, Anyone who ever shared a scene with Maggie will attest to her sharp eye, sharp wit and formidable talent. She was a true legend of her generation and thankfully will live on in so many magnificent screen performances. My condolences to her boys and wider family.
Meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for the first time in five years, former President Donald Trump expressed his grudges about his 2019 impeachment.

Trump stated that if re-elected, he would aim to resolve the Russia-Ukraine conflict with a deal thats good for both sides.

"Were going to work very much with both parties to try and get this settled and get it worked out," Trump said, standing next to Zelenskyy while speaking to a small group of reporters ahead of their closed-door meeting. It has to end. At some point, it has to end. Hes gone through hell. His country has gone through hell, NBC News reported.

After their meeting, Trump told Fox News that he had not changed his position on the war. "We both want to see this end, we both want to see a fair deal made," he said.

Hours later, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., one of Trump's top surrogates, spoke at a Trump rally in Walker, Michigan, where he argued against additional aid for Ukraine. He claimed that NATO provoked Russia's invasion and asserted that the U.S. should stop supporting Zelenskyy and his people, said the report.

"Don't you think we could use that money here, in this country?" Kennedy asked, eliciting strong applause from the audience.

Zelensky says productive meeting with Trump Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with former US President and Republican presidential candidate, Donald Trump, and described their discussion as productive. Zelenskyy also emphasised that both of them hold a common view that the war in Ukraine has to be stopped.

Sharing a post on X, Zelenskyy wrote, I had a very productive meeting with Donald Trump. I presented him our Victory Plan, and we thoroughly reviewed the situation in Ukraine and the consequences of the war for our people. Many details were discussed. I am grateful for this meeting. A just peace is needed.

He added, "We share the common view that the war in Ukraine must be stopped. Putin cannot win. Ukrainians must prevail."

Notably, Trump's stance on Ukraine has been somewhat controversial, having previously criticised US assistance to Ukraine and praised Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Trump accused Goggle of featuring bad stories Meanwhile, Donald Trump on Friday accused Google of only featuring "bad stories" about him and pledged to pursue legal action against the tech giant if he returns to the White House. In a post on his Truth Social platform, he provided no evidence for his claims and added that the search engine promotes only positive articles about his Democratic opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris, AFP repored.

This is an ILLEGAL ACTIVITY, and hopefully the Justice Department will criminally prosecute them for this blatant Interference of Elections, he said in the post.

"If not, and subject to the Laws of our Country, I will request their prosecution, at the maximum levels, when I win the election."

The Trump post came after a conservative group reported on what it said it found when doing a search on "Donald Trump presidential race 2024."

"Both campaign websites consistently appear at the top of Search for relevant and common search queries," Google said in response to an AFP inquiry.

This report looked at a single rare search term on a single day a few weeks ago, and even for that search, both candidates' websites ranked in the top results on Google.

Also Read: Trump plans to personally recruit manufacturers to move to US

Google has firmly stated that it does not manipulate search results to favor any political candidate. While the company does not disclose the specifics of its search algorithms, it is known that factors such as the timeliness and popularity of topics can influence news story rankings.

Currently, Donald Trump is involved in several criminal and civil cases, facing accusations that include sexual abuse, paying hush money to a porn star, interfering with the 2020 election, and attempting to disrupt the peaceful transition of power following President Joe Biden's victory.
Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah was killed on Friday as Israel launched a barrage of air strikes towards Lebanon. The development comes days after Tel Aviv shifted the focus of its ongoing operation from Gaza to Lebanon. The attack has also put the spotlight on Hashem Safieddine  widely regarded as the heir to Nasrallah.

Choosing a successor will be a complicated process for the militant group  especially in the wake of multiple Israeli attacks that have killed top commanders and raised questions about internal security. Any new leader will also have to be acceptable within the organisation in Lebanon as well as its backers in Iran.

Hezbollah has given no indication about its succession plans or the current status of its top leaders since the attack. According to a Reuters report quoting sources within Hezbollah, Safieddine is said to have survived the Israeli attacks.

Who is Hashem Safieddine? The Hezbollah leader is a cousin of Nasrallah and bears a striking resemblance to the slain leader. He is a cleric and wears the black turban denoting descent from Prophet Mohammed  a fact that is likely to count in his favour amid the current turbulence. Safieddine currently heads the executive council of the militant group and oversees its political affairs. He also sits on the Jihad Council which manages the military operations of Hezbollah.

Nasrallah started tailoring positions for him within a variety of different councils within Lebanese Hezbollah. Some of them were more opaque than others. They've had him come, go out and speak, Phillip Smyth  an expert who studies Iran-backed Shi-ite militias  told Reuters.

Hezbollah was formed in the early 1980s by the Revolutionary Guards of Iran and gradually became a major social, religious and political movement for Lebanese Shi'ite Muslims. Nasrallah became the head of the group in 1992 after his predecessor Abbas al-Musawi was killed in an Israeli air strike. Over the past three decades he has become a legendary figure in the country.
Israel has killed Hezbollah's leader Hassan Nasrallah and several of its top commanders in a series of targeted air strikes on the Iran-backed movement's stronghold in Beirut.

Here is what we know about the slain commanders.

Nasrallah: Hezbollah chief On Friday, an Israeli air strike on the Hezbollah stronghold in south Beirut killed Hassan Nasrallah, the group's leader for 32 years.

His death was confirmed a day later by Hezbollah.

Despite leading a life in hiding to avoid assassination, the 64-year-old Nasrallah had wielded great power in Lebanon.

He also enjoyed cult status among his Shiite Muslim supporters, although he was rarely seen in public for security reasons.

"The point of security measures is that movement be kept secret, but that doesn't stop me from moving around and seeing what is happening," Nasrallah told Lebanon's pro-Hezbollah Al-Akhbar newspaper in a 2004 interview.

Nasrallah was elected secretary-general of Hezbollah in 1992, aged just 32, after an Israeli helicopter gunship killed his predecessor, Abbas al-Musawi.

Israel said on Saturday that Nasrallah was one of its "greatest enemies", and that his death made the world "a safer place".

Also Read | Israel brings fight to Beirut, still assessing whether Hezbollah leader is dead

Shukr: Right-hand man A strike on July 30 killed Fuad Shukr, one of the group's top military commander.

Shukr, who was in his early 60s, played a key role in cross-border drone and rocket attacks on Israeli forces, according to a source close to Hezbollah.

The two sides have traded near-daily fire across the frontier since Hezbollah ally Hamas's unprecedented October 7 attack on Israel.

Shukr helped found Hezbollah during Lebanon's 1975-90 civil war and became a key adviser to Nasrallah.

Shukr was Hezbollah's most senior military commander, and the leader said he had been in daily contact with him since October.

Israel blamed Shukr for a July rocket attack on the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights that killed 12 children in a Druze Arab town. Hezbollah denied responsibility.

In 2017, the US Treasury offered a $5 million reward for information on Shukr, saying he had "a central role" in the deadly 1983 bombing of the US Marine Corps barracks in Beirut.

Aqil: US bounty A strike on September 20 killed Ibrahim Aqil, head of Hezbollah's elite Radwan Force, along with 15 other commanders.

According to Lebanese officials, the attack killed a total of 55 people, many of them civilians.

A source close to Hezbollah described Aqil as the second-in-command in the group's forces after Shukr.

The Radwan Force is Hezbollah's most formidable offensive unit and its fighters are trained in cross-border infiltration, a source close to the group told AFP.

The United States said Aqil was a member of Hezbollah's Jihad Council, the movement's highest military body.

The US Treasury said he was a "principal member" of the Islamic Jihad Organisation -- a Hezbollah-linked group behind the 1983 bombing of the US embassy in Beirut that killed 63 people and an attack on the US Marine Corps barracks in the Lebanese capital the same year that killed 241 US soldiers.

Kobeissi: Missiles expert On September 25, a strike killed Ibrahim Mohammed Kobeissi, who commanded several military units including a guided missiles unit.

"Kobeissi was an important source of knowledge in the field of missiles and had close ties with senior Hezbollah military leaders," the Israeli military said.

Kobeissi joined Hezbollah in 1982 and rose through the ranks of the group's forces.

Also Read | Hezbollah commander Ibrahim Aqil among eight killed as Israel strikes in Beirut

One of the units he led was tasked with manning operations in part of the south of Lebanon, which borders Israel.

Srur: Drone chief A strike on September 26 killed Mohammed Srur, the head of Hezbollah's drone unit since 2020.

Srur studied mathematics and was among a number of top advisers sent by Hezbollah to Yemen to train the country's Huthi rebels, who are also backed by Iran, a source close to Hezbollah said.

He had also played a key role in Hezbollah's intervention since 2013 in Syria's civil war in support of President Bashar al-Assad's government.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who vowed to fight Lebanese Hezbollah and defeat Hamas in the Gaza Strip while addressing the UN General Assembly on Friday, held up two maps showing India as 'Blessing' and Iran as Curse.

The 'Curse' map showed Iran, Iraq, Syria and Yemen painted in black. Whereas, the Blessing map showed Egypt, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, and India painted in green.

The Israeli Prime Minister said that the Curse' map shows an arc of terror Iran has created and imposed from the Indian Ocean to the Mediterranean.

Netanyahu added that Iran's malignant arc has shut down international waterways. It cuts off trade, destroys millions of nations from within, and inflicts misery on millions. 

The Blessing map shows Israel and its Arab partners forming a land bridge connecting Asia and Europe between the Indian Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. Across this bridge, we will lay rail lines, energy pipelines, and fibre optic cables, which will serve the betterment of 2 billion people, said Netanyahu.

Stating that if you think this dark map is only a curse to Israel, Netanyahu added, Then you should think again, because Iran's aggression, if it's not checked, will endanger every single country in the Middle East and many countries in the rest of the world.

Showing both the maps while holding them in each hand, Netanyahu said, On the one hand, there is a bright blessing, a future of hope, and on the other hand, a dark future of despair is there.

The Prime Minister said that Iran seeks to impose its radicalism well beyond the Middle East and that's why it funds terror networks on five continents and builds ballistic missiles for nuclear warheads to threaten the entire world.

While addressing the UN, Netanyahu said that Israel will continue degrading Hezbollah until all their objectives are met and added that it has every right to remove the threat and return its citizens to their homes safely.
Peter Laier, a senior executive of the leading German auto supplier ZF Group, speaks in an interview with Xinhua in Berlin, Germany, Sept. 24, 2024. (Xinhua/Yuan Hengrui)

by Xinhua writers Che Yunlong, Shan Weiyi

BERLIN, Sept. 26 (Xinhua) -- Peter Laier, a senior executive of the leading German auto supplier ZF Group, said he is happy to see the high speed of innovative development in China as it will benefit the growth of foreign companies like ZF.

During an interview at an ongoing trade fair in Berlin, the member of ZF Group's Board of Management told Xinhua that they are willing to be driven by this speed, and ZF's technical expertise and localization strategy enable the company to keep pace with the innovation demands of its Chinese partners.

The 2024 International Trade Fair for Transport Technology (InnoTrans), running from Sept. 24 to 27, attracted more than 2,900 exhibitors from 59 countries and regions. This year's event is particularly significant for ZF as the company celebrates the 100th anniversary of its rail business.

Laier elaborated that ZF offers a wide range of technical products, including driveline systems, chassis, safety, and digital solutions. "We have been working in China for a long time, and we are proud of that," he added.

According to him, ZF entered the Chinese market in the 1980s, initially focusing on buses and commercial and passenger cars. A significant milestone was reached in 2014 when ZF entered the supply market of Chinese high-speed trains and metros.

The company, with operations in 31 countries, reported remarkable profits from the Chinese market in 2023. According to its 2023 financial report, ZF's sales in China reached a record high of 8.1 billion euros (9 billion U.S. dollars), marking a 5.2 percent year-on-year increase. Its business in the Asia-Pacific region, led by the Chinese market, accounted for around one-quarter of the group's total.

ZF's booth at InnoTrans 2024 showcases its "connected rail system" solution, which employs sensors mounted on train wheels to monitor the rail network in real time.

At the ZF's booth, Laier demonstrated how a sensor responds to a simulated rail anomaly and sends signals to the control center. In addition, he told Xinhua that autonomous driving is another key focus, on which the group has cooperation with its Chinese partners.

"We will continuously invest in China further, focusing on localization of R&D as well as local production and new technologies," Laier said, adding that China's economic growth presents broad opportunities for ZF's expansion.

"The success of our activities in China is based on a 'local for local' approach in engineering and manufacturing," he noted.

Laier praised China for its significant progress in transforming its transportation sector to electrification and sustainability, noting that more and more Chinese companies are advancing in technology leadership.

ZF supports electric and zero-emission vehicles in China with technology and product support across various segments, working closely with its local partners. Laier underscored ZF's announcement of several strategic partnerships with Chinese customers last week at the IAA Transportation 2024 exhibition in Hanover.

He forecasted that ZF would exceed expectations in its collaboration with Chinese partners in the coming years, particularly in areas like rail technology, public transportation and commercial vehicles. He anticipates this growth will be driven by cooperation in the Chinese domestic market and the increasing demand for exports from Chinese enterprises. 
Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu denied the India Out agenda and condemned the derogatory remarks made by former ministers about Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

According to a report by Maldivian media outlet adhadhu, Muizzu made his remarks on Thursday during a question-and-answer session at Princeton Universitys Deans Leadership Series in the US.

Muizzu said, Nobody should say such things, marking his first public response to the controversial statements that weakened relations between the two countries. I took action against it, he added, referring to the ministers's comments on social media, as reported by the Maldivian news portal adhadhu.

Earlier on September 11, two Maldivian ministers resigned, the government said, months after they were suspended for allegedly using derogatory remarks against Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The now ex-ministers had criticised Modi on social media, sparking angry protests from Indian celebrities who called for a tourism boycott, the mainstay of the nation's economy.

The report further stated that Muizzu denied having an India Out agenda and emphasized that the Maldives has a serious problem with the presence of foreign military forces on its territory, the report added.

Visiting India as soon as possible Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu has said he plans to visit India as soon as possible. ANI reported that he also praised the "very strong" bilateral relationship between the two countries.

"I am planning to visit (India) as soon as possible...We have a very strong bilateral relationship," Muizzu told ANI on sidelines of 79th United Nations General Assembly.

Notably, if happens, it will be Muizzu's second visit to India, after first making the visit in June during the swearing-in ceremony of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Earlier on September 20, India extended budgetary support to the Maldives government in the form of a rollover of the USD 50 million Treasury Bill for another year on the Maldivian government's request, the Indian High Commission in the Maldives said.

At the request of the Maldivian government, the State Bank of India (SBI) has subscribed the USD 50 million government Treasury Bills (T-bills) issued by the Ministry of Finance of the Maldives for a period of one more year upon the maturity of the previous subscription on September 19, the Indian High Commission in the Maldives said in a press release.

It is pertinent to note that earlier, almost every Maldivian President used to make his first foreign visit to India. Still, Muizzu changed the trend by first visiting Turkiye and then China after coming to office earlier this year.

The Mohamed Muizzu government in the Maldives took a reconciliatory tone after ties between the two nations soured, leading to a diplomatic row.

After the Muizzu government officially requested the withdrawal of Indian troops, India established a High-Level Core Group to address the issue, completing the withdrawal in May. However, tensions escalated when three Maldivian deputy ministers made derogatory comments about Prime Minister Modi regarding his Lakshadweep visit.

This led to a diplomatic dispute, prompting New Delhi to summon the Maldivian envoy and lodge a formal protest. The deputy ministers were suspended with pay.

Data from the Maldives Tourism Ministry revealed a 33 percent drop in Indian tourist arrivals this year compared to last. In August, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar visited the Maldives, where he and his counterpart, Moosa Zameer, inaugurated High Impact Community Development Projects and exchanged MoUs.

Earlier this year, President Muizzu thanked India for its support in easing the Maldives' debt repayment and expressed hopes for stronger ties, including a potential free trade agreement.
At UNGA, Indian diplomat Bhavika Mangalanandan replied to Pakistani PM Shehbaz Sharif, saying that a country run by the military with a global reputation for terrorism had the audacity to attack the world's largest democracy.

As reported by ANI, Mangalanandan said, This assembly regrettably witnessed a travesty this morning. A country run by the military, with a global reputation for terrorism, narcotics, trade and transnational crime has had the audacity to attack the world's largest democracy. I speak about the reference to India in the speech of the Pakistani PM. As the world knows, Pakistan has long employed cross-border terrorism as a weapon against its neighbours.

She further slammed Pakistan and said, It has attacked our parliament, our financial capital, Mumbai, marketplaces and pilgrimage routes. The list is long. For such a country to speak about violence anywhere is hypocrisy at its worst. It is even more extraordinary for a country with a history of rigged elections to talk about political choices that too, in a democracy.

Mangalanandan slammed Pakistan and said that the real truth is that Pakistan covets our territory and in fact has continuously used terrorism to disrupt elections in Jammu and Kashmir, an inalienable and integral part of India.

A reference has been made to some proposals of strategic restraint. There can be no compact with terrorism. In fact, Pakistan should realize that cross-border terrorism against India will inevitably invite consequences. It is ridiculous that a nation that committed genocide in 1971 and which persecuted its minorities relentlessly even now, dare speak about intolerances and phobias, Mangalanandan added.

She further said, The world can see for itself what Pakistan really is. We are talking about a nation that for long hosted Osama bin Laden. A country whose fingerprints are on so many terrorist incidents across the world, whose policies attract the dregs of many societies to make it their home. Perhaps it should come as no surprise that its PM would so speak in this hallowed hall. Yet we must make clear how unacceptable his words are to all of us. We know that Pakistan will seek to counter the truth with more lies. Repetition will change nothing. Our stand is clear and needs no reiteration.

Earlier on Friday, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif raked up the Kashmir bogey in his speech at the United Nations General Assembly. He called on New Delhi to enter a dialogue with Islamabad for a peaceful resolution of the dispute.

Let me state in no uncertain terms, Pakistan will respond most decisively to any Indian aggression, therefore, to secure durable peace, India must reverse the unilateral and illegal measures it has taken since 5th of August 2019 and enter into a dialogue for a peaceful resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute in accordance with the UN Security resolutions and the wishes of the Kashmiri people, he claimed.

Shehbaz Sharif claimed that India was "engaged in massive expansion of its military capabilities," which are essentially deployed against Pakistan.

"It (India) has engaged in massive expansion of its military capabilities, which are essentially deployed against Pakistan. Its war doctrines envisage a surprise attack and a limited war under the nuclear overhang. Thoughtlessly, India spurned Pakistan's proposals for a mutual strategic restraint to regime. Its leadership has often threatened to cross the line of control and take over Azad Kashmir," Shehbaz Sharif said.

India has clearly stated since the 2019 Pulwama attack that it seeks normal bilateral relations with Pakistan, emphasizing that Pakistan must create a conducive environment free from terrorism and hostility. Additionally, India has consistently expressed its concerns regarding Pakistan's support for cross-border terrorism, asserting that terrorism and dialogue cannot coexist.

India has also presented evidence at various international forums regarding Pakistan's backing of terrorist groups. Furthermore, India is now entitled to respond to Pakistan's address at the UNGA.
Israel Hezbollah news: Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah is fine, confirmed a source close to the leader. The source also denied reports that Nasrallah was the target of the Israeli airstrike carried out in Lebanon, on Friday(local time).

Speculations about Nasrallah's life have been doing the rounds after the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF ) carried out a precise strike in Beirut, bringing down the central headquarters of Hezbollah. The Hezbollah chief was believed to have been in the building during the strikes, stated reports.

Hard to believe Following the precise airstrike, an Israeli official said it was difficult for Nasrallah to have made out of it alive. Hard to believe he [Nasrallah] got out of it alive, said the official, reported The Jerusalem Post.

Hard to believe he [Nasrallah] got out of it alive.

The Israeli newspaper further mentioned that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had authorised the strike before addressing the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

Who is Hassan Nasrallah? Hassan Nasrallah, the Chief of the Hezbollah group has been leading the military group since February 1992. He is the third secretary-general of the group, and succeeded Abbas al-Musawi, who was killed by Israel.

Also Read | Israel Targets Hezbollah chief Nasrallah in Beirut airstrike | Top updates

The 64-year-old leader was the son of a poor grocer. Nasrallah was born on August 31, 1960, in the northern Burj Hammud suburb of Beirut. He had eight siblings.

Doesnt stop me from moving around' Officials and journalists who met Nasrallah in recent years, have described tight security measures that have kept them unaware of where they were being taken. Most of the Hezbollah leader's speeches have been recorded and broadcast from a secret location, for the past two decades.

Also Read | How Israels spies got blindsided by Hamas but still hit Hezbollah hard

The point of security measures is that movement be kept secret, but that doesn't stop me from moving around and seeing what is happening, Nasrallah told Al-Akhbar, a Lebanese newspaper that has been covering the Israel-Hezbollah war.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin initiated a Cabinet reshuffle this week  elevating his son Udhayanidhi to the role of Deputy CM. The revamp was approved by Governor RN Ravi on Saturday and will also see V Senthil Balaji return to the council of ministers. Three existing ministers have been dropped from the state Cabinet.

An official release from the Raj Bhavan indicated that Governor RN Ravi had also greenlit the appointment of Udhayanidhi Stalin as the planning and development minister (alongside his existing portfolios). He will take oath alongside the new Cabinet members on Sunday afternoon.

CM Stalin had also recommended the induction of Govi Chezhiaan, R Rajendran, and SM Nasar into the Council of Ministers.

Also Read | Chennai rains: Discord rings between Congress and DMK over waterlogging

Meanwhile Senthil Balaji is slated to return as a Tamil Nadu minister  two days after he walked out of Puzhal Central Prison in Chennai. The Supreme Court granted the DMK lawmaker bail in a money laundering case linked to the cash-for-jobs scam.

The case which was initiated against me was a fake case and was just a political vendetta. I will overcome and win this fake case legally by facing court. I am obliged to DMK President and TN CM MK Stalin and DMK Youth Wing Secretary Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin, he had told reporters.

Also Read | Ford back in India? Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin meets officials in US

Buzz about the elevation of Udhayanidhi Stalin has persisted for months as the Tamil Nadu Sports Minister downplayed the claims. Earlier this month the newly appointed Deputy CM had sidestepped questions by insisting that his father and the party as a whole would take a final decision on new appointments.

There will be no disappointment; there will be change, the CM assured on Tuesday in response to Deputy CM post for Udhayanidhi questions.

Party cadres and office-bearers had also long anticipated a larger role for his son and DMK youth wing secretary Udhayanidhi Stalin.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday launched a blistering attack on the Congress, accusing it as the most deceitful and dishonest party in the country. Invoking the surgical strike carried out during the NDA government during Haryanas Hisar rally, the prime minister said, What did the Congress do? They asked our army for proof of the surgical strike.

Referring to the Sukhwinder Sukhu government in Himachal, PM Modi said Congress is the most deceitful and dishonest party in the country. They made big promises to people during the election campaign, but when it came to power, it put all those pledges on the backseat.

Also Read | PM Modi to visit Jammu and Kashmir today; All you need to know

You can see the condition of Himachal Pradesh in the neighbourhood. They lied to the people of Himachal Pradesh during elections and now after forming the government, people are asking Congress what happened to your promises and Congress is asking the people who are you? There can never be stability where Congress is. How can a party that cannot bring unity among its leaders bring stability to the state?."

Taking a jibe at the friction and infighting in the Haryana Congress, the prime minister said that a fight is on within the party to gain supremacy, rather than to show concern for the public.

People are seeing how there is an infighting in Congress to become the Chief Minister. 'Bapu' is also a contender and so is his son. And both of them are together engaged in eliminating others. And seeing all this, the aware citizens of Haryana have started eliminating Congress...The doors of Congress are completely closed for Dalits and backwards. Congress knows that Dalits do not vote for it, that is why it hates the entire Dalit community...

Addressing his third election meeting in the poll-bound state, PM Modi said,"The people of Haryana have made up their minds to give BJP a chance for the third time. Everyone is saying 'Bharosa Dil Se BJP Phir Se'. As the polling date is coming closer, Congress leaders are saying that Congress will face the same fate as it did in Madhya Pradesh..."

Also Read | PM Modi: Launch of PARAM Rudra Supercomputers opens new opportunities for India

PM Modi said, "Whenever Congress people talk to you about farmers, ask them that you have governments in Karnataka, Telangana and Himachal. Implement something there. After the formation of the Congress government in Karnataka, hundreds of farmers have committed suicide. Congress has also lied to you on MSP. The truth is that the BJP government is buying 24 crops on MSP, whereas in Congress-ruled states only 1-2 crops are bought on MSP..."

PM Modi said the grand old party is in the clutches of Urban Naxalites and they meet those people in abroad who speak the language of India's enemies.

Today's Congress is in the clutches of Urban Naxalites. Who do Congress leaders meet when they go abroad? They meet those people who speak the language of India's enemies. Congress's international partners are those people who are involved in defaming India all over the world. When they go abroad, Congress leaders speak the same language. You should think why does Pakistan support Congress? The people of Haryana should be very cautious about Congress's intentions..."
I was in my early teens in the early 1990s when I began pestering my mother for a treat that everyone in America, from President Clinton to Spider-Man, seemed to eat pretty much daily. Living in Bombay (now Mumbai), my understanding of American mores came almost entirely from comic books and news reports, but I could be persuasive. Finally, my mother relented. We would make pizza.

I was dispatched to our local bakery to buy the dough. For tomato sauce, there was ketchup. For toppings, sliced onions and green bell peppers. But what about the cheese? My mother brought milk to a boil, then curdled it with lemon juice. She drained the whey and pressed the remaining white mass into a block. This was paneer, or cottage cheese." White as summer clouds, it was the only cheese I had ever eaten, usually as cubes in curries. Once the paneer had set in the fridge, my mother grated small squiggles onto the pizza and ushered it into our little oven.

Ten minutes later, the pizza emerged. I lifted a slice to my mouth and closed my eyes. Upon the crunchy wood-smoked bread, gloriously gloopy ketchup and lightly charred vegetables, the paneer was unmelted and inelastic. But it was hot and dense, chalky and crumbly. It had kept its integrity in an unfamiliar system, the anchor of a nifty piece of mom-provisation. It was heaven.

That moment came to mind on a recent visit to a supermarket in the southern city of Chennai. Ten years ago, most western-style cheeses in India were imports, enjoyed by a small elite. Now, alongside tins of mozzarella, Parmesan and cream cheese from dairy behemoths Nestle and Amulthe latter a large cooperative of Indian dairy farmersthe shelves are bright with Indian-made Edams, Emmentals, Goudas, goat cheeses and Indian takes on cheddar and brie, infused with cumin, chili or black pepper.

Even accounting for the changing tastes of globalized Indians, the scale of this transformation is astounding. Paneer, once the mainstay of Indian cheese, now seems passe. Instead, western-style cheesegolden, glamorous and finally within reach of a rapidly growing middle-classhas become an aspirational sign of progress.

It can now be found not only in sandwiches and pasta sauces, but atop traditional Indian street snacks such as dosas (crepes with rice-flour batter) and parathas (flatbreads, often stuffed with minced vegetables). Dominos in India cleverly bridges old and new with its Cheese Volcano Peppy Paneer Pizza," which features grilled paneer upon a base of melted mozzarella.

As the largest producer and consumer of milk products in the world, Indias well-established dairy market is worth about $26 billion and is growing at about 7% a year. But the domestic market for cheese, now worth about $1 billion, is exploding at a rate of 21% a year. By all accounts, India is the next great frontier in cheese.

A new culture of culturing

Why has milk-obsessed India, with its sophisticated culture of milk fermentation and reduction, come so late to cheese? Ancient Indian religious texts are filled with references to cows and dairy. Milk runs through Indian mythology and folklore. Yet the countrys reverence for cows may have also held it back.

Sacred animals come with all manner of proscriptions. The great 20th-century food historian K.T. Achaya notes that ancient Indians had a taboo on deliberate milk curdling." Cheese-making also historically required animal rennet, which is usually extracted from the stomach tissue of calvesa no-go for Hindus, who have long shunned the killing or eating of cows.

There were also more practical reasons for the late arrival of cheese in India. Yogurt, made daily in almost every Indian household, requires warm weather to ferment. Cheese needs cold weather to mature. Aged and hard cheeses have long come from cold countries. With mountains above and grazing cows below, the Alps were perfect for cheese. In balmier climes, from Greece eastward, cheese was made mostly for immediate consumption, such as feta and halloumi, and was often preserved in brine.

By the time the map got to India, cheese pretty much fell off it. Milk featured prominently, but it was usually drunk straight up before it spoiled, or used to make butter, yogurt and sweets. Even paneer is relatively new. The practice of breaking" or tearing" milk with acids, food historians believe, arrived with the Portuguese in the 17th century.

But while Indias hunger for cheese is a novel phenomenon, local connoisseurs are now discovering the ingenuity of their forebears. Long-ignored cheeses made in remote alpine regions, such as the Kalari cheese of Kashmir and the Chhurpi of Sikkim, as well as settler cheeses" that were the legacy of French or Portuguese immigrants, have begun appearing in specialty shops and on fine-dining menus. I found small discs of the extremely salty and smoked Portuguese Bandel cheese in Kolkatas New Market and promptly bought several bags to take south as presents.

The market for gourmet cheese in India is largely confined to four megapolises: Mumbai in the West, New Delhi in the north, and Bengaluru (formerly Bangalore) and Chennai in the south. But it is growing rapidly, spurred by young cheesemakers, many of whom developed their taste for fromage abroad. A WhatsApp chat group of Indian artisanal cheesemakers has about three-dozen members today, more than double of what it was five years ago. The Covid-19 pandemic spurred some bored souls to bring milk and microbes together.

These efforts are increasingly earning the respect of the wider cheese world. At the World Cheese Awards last year Brunost, a Norwegian-style whey cheese" made by Eleftheria, a fromagerie run by the Mumbai cheesemaker Mausam Narang, was voted one of the top five cheeses of the world, alongside creations from Norway, Belgium and Switzerland. An alpine-style washed rind made by Namrata Sundaresan, who retails from her Chennai fromagerie Kase Cheese, won silver at the same event.

Artisanal cheesemakers now often host pop-up events in different cities, pairing cheese with wine, chocolate, even tea. Their websites include sections on how to store cheese properly and deal with mold. The extroverted Sundaresan, a leader in cheese outreach and advocacy, drew laughter at a recent event with a story about anxious customers asking how best to eat gourmet cheese. I always reply, Just eat it!"

Customers do need a bit of interaction and guidance before they buy," said Benjamin Armel, a Frenchman from Toulouse, now a resident of Bengaluru. For breakfast and dessert on a recent Sunday I paired the last of the summers mangoes with gobs of Vicalita Nili, a sublimely splenetic blue cheese made by Armel and his Indian partner Kathrina Salam, available only at Nari & Kage, their small fromagerie in Bengaluru.

Cheese today actually has many attributes that make it perfect for India," said K Bala" Balakrishnan, a cheese-making pioneer, over a snack of baby Swiss on his patio in the southern hill town of Kodaikanal, where temperatures rarely rise above 68F. Cheese is full of good bacteria for your gut. Its a living food. Its high in nutritional and commercial value. Milk spoils quickly, but cheese keeps for long and increases in value as it ages."

Bala began experimenting with cheese-making more than two decades ago, partly because his cows produced so much milk. He and his wife, Vasu, spent a month learning about milk proteins, sugar and acidification on an American farm in Washington state. Now Bala hosts his own cheese-making courses, often for techies and financial whiz-kids whove spent time in the U.S. and are willing to drive 10 hours on winding roads from Bengaluru or Chennai to reach Cinnabar, Bala and Vasus homey two-room inn.

An ardent fromangelist, Bala insisted that cheese is not that difficult to make." But I had just spent the morning watching him boil milk, add a starter culture and rennet, stir the cheese curds in a large cauldron with a great ladle, and then turn over his handiwork on kitchen platforms and storage rooms to weep" and sweat." The real difficulty of cheese-making," he explained, is finding high-quality milk and aging the results properly. Youve got to take care of them like you would a babysometimes for years."

Despite the joy of my cheese run around India, witnessing such incessant devotion to maturing milk protein has short-circuited thoughts of becoming a cheesemaker myself.

Instead, Ive decided that my role in Indias cheese revolution is that of the rasik"a devoted connoisseur, without whose approbation the long journey of creation would have no meaning. If cheese, in Clifton Fadimans words, represents milks leap toward immortality," then this glorious breakthrough moment requires the full attention of a few seasoned and gluttonous wordsmiths.

Its a journey, however, on which I am struggling to enlist my lifes first great cheesemaker. On a recent visit to my mothers home, I offered her a piece of Sundaresans award-winning cheese. She handed it back after a single bite. I prefer paneer."

Chandrahas Choudhury is a novelist and essayist. His most recent book is My Country Is Literature," published by Simon & Schuster.
TOKYO, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- Japan's junior ruling coalition partner Komeito officially endorsed Keiichi Ishii as the party's new chief at its convention on Saturday, marking the party's first leadership change in 15 years.

Ishii, 66, was the only candidate running in Komeito's leadership election after the party's long-time leader Natsuo Yamaguchi announced to step down upon the expiration of his eighth term.

The leadership change came a day after the Liberal Democratic Party elected veteran politician Shigeru Ishiba as the party's new leader. The two parties are set to reaffirm Monday that they will remain in coalition, Kyodo News reported. 
Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
CARACAS, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- Venezuela reiterated its "strong commitment" to supporting the goals of the Group of Friends in Defense of the Charter of the United Nations, Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yvan Gil said on Friday.

"In these challenging times, the Group of Friends in Defense of the UN Charter must act decisively, collectively, and assertively to ensure full respect for the principles enshrined in the UN's founding Charter," Gil said during the sixth ministerial meeting of the group in New York on the sidelines of the 79th session of the UN General Assembly.

Present at the event were representatives from 21 countries, including 18 full members and three invited participants. 
A drunk driver, who was five times over the legal limit and came to the attention of Gardai when he crashed, has been disqualified for three years.

Damian Ostrowski of Hamlet Lane, Barnwall Court, Balbriggan, Dublin pleaded guilty at Longford District Court to the offence on September 10, 2022.

Sergeant Enda Daly said Garda Tracey Shanley was alerted that a single vehicle collision had occurred at Creagh, Edgeworthstown and she went to the area

The officer observed a Volkswagen Caddy van on its roof and a man standing beside the vehicle who she spoke to identified himself as Ostrowski.

The defendant subsequently admitted under caution he had been driving the vehicle when it crashed and Gda Shanley noticed that there was a strong smell of alcohol emanating from him.

The Polish national failed a roadside breathalyser test and he was arrested for drink driving.

Gardai called an ambulance for Ostrowski and a doctor attended the hospital and a sample of blood was taken and sent for analysis.

A subsequent blood test gave a reading of 247mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood. The legal limit is 50mg.

The defendant had two previous convictions.

Judge Bernadette Owens noted a bench warrant had previously been issued, however, solicitor Diarmuid Quinn said his client was in Cuan Mhuire treatment centre at the time.

"He is getting on quite well in Cuan Mhuire and he gained employment there as a chef," he added.

Mr Quinn said Ostrowski is now two years sober since the incident and he has taken responsibility for his actions.

Judge Owens imposed the driving ban along with a 400 fine with five months to pay.
Sinn Fein is election ready, Mary Lou McDonald has insisted as she said the party will run more candidates than ever before.

Ms McDonald said there is a real sense of positivity and optimism among the party membership as selection conventions continue in the Republic.

Speaking to reporters at the partys Ard Fheis conference in Athlone, the Sinn Fein leader said: Were election ready, we look forward to the campaign and were in it to win it.

Ms McDonald said the stakes are high for the national poll, adding: We feel confident and were ready for it because we believe passionately that there has to be a change of Government, that we can do so much better.

She said the party would seek to elect a representative in every Irish constituency, adding that it was hoping to win two seats in some electoral areas.

However, she cautioned: Were not one bit presumptuous or arrogant about this.

Earlier this year, Ms McDonald announced that Sinn Fein had conducted an internal review after performing well below its own expectations in the local and European elections.

She revealed that senior figures in Sinn Fein were disappointed with her engagement with the partys base.

Ms McDonald was told that she needed to offer more clarity on its policies, including on immigration.

This week, ex-Fine Gael leader and former taoiseach Leo Varadkar said immigration into Ireland had risen too fast.

Asked if she believed this was accurate, Ms McDonald said: The population has grown  thats a matter of mathematical fact.

She said this occurred at a time of a pre-existing housing crisis and pressures on stretched services.

All of those Government failures were going to come home to roost  throw into the mix slow and bad management of the whole situation.

She added: For a past taoiseach or the current Taoiseach (Simon Harris) to pretend they are not responsible for the crisis they have created really takes the biscuit.

Ms McDonald added that Sinn Fein had set out a revised immigration policy over summer.

Immigration has to be manage with community, fairness and common sense at its heart. That hasnt been the case.

The attempts by the Government to distance themselves from their own failures is very obvious.

More recently, Sinn Fein celebrated successes in the UK general election when it became Northern Irelands largest party at Westminster level  in terms of both seats and vote share.

Ms McDonald said the party made very substantial gains north of the border, adding that she was pleased that powersharing had been restored at Northern Irelands institutions.

The party conference is focusing on housing, the cost-of-living-crisis, childcare, healthcare and the upcoming Budget on Tuesday.

On the topic of Irish unification, Ms McDonald said it is was not a sustainable position for the UK Government to rule out referendum provisions contained in the Good Friday Agreement.

Ms McDonald said governments in Dublin and London cant continuously delay and dither.

The referendums will happen.

She added: The challenge for both governments is to prepare and have that inclusive, respective and mature dialogue that we have called for.

Whether you're from Ballymurphy or the Shankill, my commitment is to ensure that you and your family have a strong voice in powerone that delivers real and positive change in peoples everyday lives. It was an honour to speak at tonights Sinn Fein Ard Fheis in Athlone, where pic.twitter.com/b5TLuTnCzD  Michelle ONeill (@moneillsf) September 27, 2024

Speaking during a session on unification, Sinn Fein deputy leader Michelle ONeill said the recent change of government in London offers an opportunity to improve Irish-British relations.

However, the First Minister for Northern Ireland reiterated: The jurys certainly still out in terms of how (the Labour Government) will live up to their commitments set out in the Good Friday Agreement, because their actions to date demonstrate more of the same austerity and broken promises.

Ms ONeill also introduced South Africas deputy president Paul Mashatile address to the conference.

Mr Mashatile said the African National Congress was indebted to Sinn Fein, adding: There are no ways to express our gratitude in the role you played in supporting us.

He said the ANC supported Sinn Fein in its fight for the unity of Ireland.

Dr Jilan Wahba Abdalmajid, the Palestinian ambassador to Ireland, also attended the conference in Athlone for a second year in a row.

To a standing ovation, she said: From the bottom of my heart, I thank all of you here today for the friendship, solidarity and support. Palestine will be free  justice for Palestine.
Food, Wine, & Dining

By Long Island Published: September 28 2024

Spaghettinis garlic knot sandwich isnt just about the foodits a full sensory experience.

Few culinary delights are as universally loved as the classic sandwich, and Spaghettini, the iconic pizzeria known for its mouthwatering Italian fare, has taken this concept to the next level. Welcome to the newest offering at Spaghettini: Create Your Own Favorite Sandwich on a Garlic Knot.

Imagine a pillowy, golden-brown garlic knotwarm, buttery, and infused with fresh garlic and herbsserving as the foundation of your dream sandwich. Whether you're craving a traditional Italian hero or something more personalized, Spaghettini lets you take control. Lets dive into what makes this dish so irresistible, explore the endless customization options, and why food lovers across Long Island should make a beeline to Spaghettini to experience it firsthand.

The Art of the Garlic Knot

Garlic knots have long been a staple in Italian-American cuisine. Typically enjoyed as a savory side, Spaghettini has elevated this humble knot to the centerpiece of their new creation. Their garlic knots are baked to perfectioncrispy on the outside with a soft, fluffy interior. Coated in garlic butter and sprinkled with just the right amount of seasoning, these knots explode with flavor, offering the perfect balance between indulgence and comfort.

Now, picture taking two of these oversized garlic knots, slicing them open, and filling them with an array of delectable ingredients. This innovative twist on the sandwich is what sets Spaghettini apart, merging tradition with bold creativity.

Customization: The Heart of the Experience

The most exciting part about Spaghettini's new garlic knot sandwich is that you get to customize it. Whether you're a fan of the classics or enjoy experimenting with different flavors, the possibilities are virtually endless. Here are some of the signature offerings you can build on:

Classic Italian Favorites

Chicken Parmigiana : The ever-popular Chicken Parm sandwich finds a new home between two warm garlic knots. Picture tender, breaded chicken breast, smothered in marinara sauce, and topped with melted mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.

Meatball Parmigiana : Love a hearty meatball sub? Spaghettinis handmade meatballs, slow-cooked in rich marinara and topped with melted cheese, take comfort food to a whole new level when tucked between two savory garlic knots.

Italian Hero: A nod to the traditional Italian hero, imagine layers of thinly sliced prosciutto, salami, and capicola, with provolone cheese, roasted red peppers, and fresh arugula, all packed inside a garlic knot sandwich. Drizzle it with olive oil and balsamic for that authentic Italian flavor.

Make It Your Own: The Customizable Options

Spaghettini gives you free rein to design your perfect sandwich, whether you're in the mood for something hearty or want a lighter option. Start with the foundationa giant garlic knotand then customize it with a range of proteins, cheeses, vegetables, and sauces:

Proteins : Choose from savory Italian sausages, crispy chicken cutlets, spicy pepperoni, tender grilled chicken, or even a vegetarian-friendly eggplant cutlet.

Cheeses : Whether you prefer the creaminess of fresh mozzarella, the sharp tang of provolone, or the classic stretch of cheddar, you have your pick of cheese to melt over your sandwich.

Toppings : Add as many or as few as youd like. From sauteed onions and peppers to fresh tomatoes, arugula, or pickled vegetables, you can stack your sandwich sky-high.

Sauces: Complete your creation with sauces like marinara, pesto, aioli, balsamic glaze, or spicy Calabrian chili oil for a fiery kick.

Why the Garlic Knot Sandwich is Perfect for Every Occasion

Theres something about the combination of warm, garlicky bread and the bold flavors of Italian cuisine that makes this sandwich irresistible. But beyond the taste, there are a few reasons why Spaghettinis garlic knot sandwich is the perfect meal choice:

Versatility: Whether you're grabbing a quick bite for lunch, indulging in a comforting dinner, or catering a special event, the garlic knot sandwich fits the bill. It's filling, flavorful, and totally customizable to your taste buds. Portability: Spaghettinis garlic knot sandwich is perfect for on-the-go eating. Wrapped in parchment paper, it's easy to carry, whether you're enjoying it at the beach, on a lunch break, or picnicking at one of Long Island's beautiful parks. Crowd Pleaser: Need to cater to a group of people? The customization options make it easy to satisfy everyones cravings. Have a picky eater? No problem. The Create Your Own Sandwich lets each person design their ideal meal. Perfect for Sharing: Given the generous size of Spaghettini's garlic knots, these sandwiches are also perfect for sharing. Order a few different options and have a tasting experience with family or friends.

The Garlic Knot Sandwich: A Foodie Sensation

Spaghettinis garlic knot sandwich isnt just about the foodits a full sensory experience. The aroma of the freshly baked garlic knots hits you the moment you walk through the door. The buttery garlic flavor lingers in the air, tempting your taste buds even before you take your first bite.

Foodies across Long Island are already buzzing about this new creation. Whether youre a loyal Spaghettini customer or someone just discovering their menu, this sandwich promises to be a game-changer.

And lets not forget the Instagram factor! This towering sandwich, stuffed with layers of delicious ingredients and framed by two perfectly browned garlic knots, is totally Instagrammable. Food bloggers, social media influencers, and anyone looking for a delicious photo op will find it hard to resist snapping a pic before diving in.

How to Order Yours

Spaghettini makes it easy to get your hands on their latest masterpiece. You can stop by their location at 106 Mineola Blvd., Mineola, or, if youre in the mood for some Italian comfort food but dont want to leave the house, you can order through their website or favorite food delivery service. You may also call 516-750-8044.

Customer Reactions: What People Are Saying

Since launching the Create Your Own Favorite Sandwich experience, Spaghettini has been flooded with rave reviews. Heres what some satisfied customers are saying:

The Chicken Parm on the garlic knot bread is to die for! Its like a whole new way to enjoy my favorite sandwich.  John D., Bay Shore

I love the customizable options. I built a grilled chicken sandwich with mozzarella, roasted red peppers, and pesto on a garlic knot, and it was hands-down the best sandwich Ive ever had.  Lisa M., Huntington

The garlic knot sandwich is hugeperfect for sharing! My husband and I split a Meatball Parm, and it was amazing!  Sarah P., Oceanside

A Delicious Tradition Continues

At Spaghettini, tradition and innovation go hand in hand. The Create Your Own Favorite Sandwich on a Garlic Knot is the latest example of how they continue to push culinary boundaries while honoring the rich flavors of Italian cuisine. Its the perfect blend of comfort food and creativity, designed to satisfy both the nostalgic cravings for Italian classics and the modern demand for customization.

So, what are you waiting for? Head over to Spaghettini, bring your appetite, and create the garlic knot sandwich of your dreams. Whether you stick to the classics or experiment with bold new combinations, youre guaranteed a meal thats both satisfying and unforgettable.
(IDF image)

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced on Saturday that it eliminated Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah, along with commander Ali Karaki, in a Beirut airstrike the previous day.

The IDF announces that yesterday (Friday), Sept. 27, 2024, Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of the Hezbollah terrorist organization and one of its founders, was eliminated by the IDF, together with Ali Karaki, the Commander of Hezbollahs Southern Front, and additional Hezbollah commanders, said the IDF.

In addition to Nasrallah and Karaki, Iranian media reported that Israel killed Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Brigadier General Abbas Nilforooshan in the strike. Nilforooshan had replaced IRGC Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Zahedi, who Israel eliminated in an airstrike in Syria on April 1.

The IDF said that Israeli fighter jets carried out strikes on Hezbollahs Central Headquarters while Hassan Nasrallah and other leaders gathered for a meeting.

Following precise intelligence from the IDF and Israeli security establishment, IAF fighter jets conducted a targeted strike on the Central Headquarters of the Hezbollah terrorist organization, which was located underground embedded under a residential building in the area of Dahieh in Beirut. The strike was conducted while Hezbollahs senior chain of command were operating from the headquarters and advancing terrorist activities against the citizens of the State of Israel, noted the Israeli military.

While Hezbollahs allies awaited the news of Nasrallahs fate on Friday evening, many residents of Azaz in northwest Syria who experienced atrocities at the hands of the Lebanese-based group during the civil war celebrated the news about the leaders possible demise.

On Saturday, Hezbollah officially acknowledged the death of Hassan Nasrallah in a statement posted on the organizations Telegramchannel. However, the group has yet to acknowledge the death of Ali Karaki or other military figures who were with Nasrallah at the time of the attack.

Irans Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei issued a statement on X mourning Nasrallahs death, saying, After all his struggle on the path of God, the reward of martyrdom was Sayyid Hassan Nasrallahs rightful recompense.

Other actors belonging to the Axis of Resistance, including Hamas, Iraqi militias, and the Houthis, published statements of condolence and support for Hezbollah. Furthermore, Lebanon, Iraq, and Syria declared three days of mourning over Nasrallahs death.

Since Fridays strike, Israel continued to attack Hezbollah targets across Lebanon. IDF Arabic Spokesperson Avichay Adraee issued statements warning residents of some sections of Beiruts Dahieh, the Beqaa Valley, and southern Lebanon to evacuate if they were located near Hezbollah sites.

Hezbollah has continued to fire rockets on Israeli territory but has not increased the scope or intensity of its attacks. For their part, Hezbollahs Houthi allies in Yemen fired a missile at Israeli territory on Saturday. However, the IDF noted that Israels missile defense system intercepted the projectile.

Joe Truzman is an editor and senior research analyst at FDD's Long War Journal focused primarily on Palestinian armed groups and non-state actors in the Middle East.
Displaced people from the southern suburbs of Beirut who left the area after Israeli airstrikes are seen in downtown Beirut, Lebanon, Sept. 28, 2024. The Israeli military has been launching fresh attacks on targets in Beirut's southern suburbs since early Saturday, claiming they were targeting Hezbollah weapons stored under civilian buildings. Israel has intensified its airstrikes across Lebanon since Monday, marking the most extensive military action in the region since 2006.(Xinhua/Bilal Jawich)

BEIRUT/GAZA, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- Hezbollah confirmed on Saturday that its leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah was killed in the Israeli airstrikes targeting the militant group's command headquarters a day earlier in Dahieh, Beirut's southern suburbs.

In a statement, the group mourned Nasrallah, describing him as "a great martyr" and "a heroic, bold, brave, wise, insightful, and faithful leader" for nearly 30 years, who lately led in "the battle for Palestine, Gaza, and the oppressed Palestinian people."

Shortly after Hezbollah confirmed Nasrallah's death, Hamas issued a statement offering its "sincere condolences, sympathy, and solidarity to the brotherly Lebanese people" and its "brothers in Hezbollah and the Islamic Resistance in Lebanon."

It also condemned the Israeli airstrikes on Dahieh as "a cowardly terrorist act, a massacre and a heinous crime" that proves once again Israel's "bloodiness and brutality."

Hamas held Israel fully responsible for "this heinous crime and its serious repercussions on the security and stability of the region," and condemned the U.S. administration's "continued support" for Israel.

On Friday evening, Israeli warplanes launched airstrikes on Hezbollah's main headquarters in Dahieh, which, according to a statement by the Israel Defense Forces earlier on Saturday, killed Nasrallah and some other commanders of the armed group.

The raids flattened several residential buildings, resulting in at least six deaths, 91 injuries, and significant infrastructure damage in the neighborhood, according to Lebanon's MTV TV channel.

Israel has intensified its airstrikes across Lebanon since Monday, marking the most extensive Israeli military action in the country since 2006.

This marks the latest escalation of the ongoing clashes that began on Oct. 8, 2023, when Hezbollah started launching rockets at Israel in solidarity with Hamas in the Gaza Strip, prompting Israel's retaliatory artillery fire and airstrikes in southeastern Lebanon. 

Displaced people from the southern suburbs of Beirut who left the area after Israeli airstrikes are seen in downtown Beirut, Lebanon, Sept. 28, 2024. The Israeli military has been launching fresh attacks on targets in Beirut's southern suburbs since early Saturday, claiming they were targeting Hezbollah weapons stored under civilian buildings. Israel has intensified its airstrikes across Lebanon since Monday, marking the most extensive military action in the region since 2006.(Xinhua/Bilal Jawich)

Displaced people from the southern suburbs of Beirut who left the area after Israeli airstrikes are seen in downtown Beirut, Lebanon, Sept. 28, 2024. The Israeli military has been launching fresh attacks on targets in Beirut's southern suburbs since early Saturday, claiming they were targeting Hezbollah weapons stored under civilian buildings. Israel has intensified its airstrikes across Lebanon since Monday, marking the most extensive military action in the region since 2006.(Xinhua/Bilal Jawich)

Displaced people from the southern suburbs of Beirut who left the area after Israeli airstrikes are seen in downtown Beirut, Lebanon, Sept. 28, 2024. The Israeli military has been launching fresh attacks on targets in Beirut's southern suburbs since early Saturday, claiming they were targeting Hezbollah weapons stored under civilian buildings. Israel has intensified its airstrikes across Lebanon since Monday, marking the most extensive military action in the region since 2006.(Xinhua/Bilal Jawich)

Displaced people from the southern suburbs of Beirut who left the area after Israeli airstrikes are seen in downtown Beirut, Lebanon, Sept. 28, 2024. The Israeli military has been launching fresh attacks on targets in Beirut's southern suburbs since early Saturday, claiming they were targeting Hezbollah weapons stored under civilian buildings. Israel has intensified its airstrikes across Lebanon since Monday, marking the most extensive military action in the region since 2006.(Xinhua/Bilal Jawich)

This photo taken on Sept. 28, 2024 shows a house hit during a Hezbollah rocket attack in Safed, northern Israel.

Israel launched fresh attacks on targets in Beirut's southern suburb of Dahieh early Saturday, saying it was targeting Hezbollah weapons stored under civilian buildings. Following the Israeli attack, Hezbollah claimed responsibility for an attack on Safed, a city in northern Israel, late Friday. (Ayal Margolin/JINI via Xinhua)

This photo taken on Sept. 28, 2024 shows a house hit during a Hezbollah rocket attack, in Safed, northern Israel.

Israel launched fresh attacks on targets in Beirut's southern suburb of Dahieh early Saturday, saying it was targeting Hezbollah weapons stored under civilian buildings. Following the Israeli attack, Hezbollah claimed responsibility for an attack on Safed, a city in northern Israel, late Friday. (Ayal Margolin/JINI via Xinhua)
MassLive recently asked readers to identify people they consider Hispanic and Latino leaders in Massachusetts, working to make a difference across the state.

Profiles of these leaders will be published over the course of Hispanic Heritage Month from Sept. 15 through Oct. 15. These are people readers have identified as inspirational, who may be doing good acts for their communities. They are being recognized for their accomplishments, leadership and commitment to inspire change.

Dr. Noe Ortega is the commissioner for the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education.Courtesy of Sperling Interactive

Dr. Noe Ortega

Age: 50

Community: Boston

His story: Dr. Noe Ortega leads the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education as its commissioner.

Our team at DHE has overseen the launch of programs that have made college more affordable for countless students, he said.

In 2023, the Commonwealth made community college free for students 25 and older through MassReconnect, Ortega added. The Commonwealth also made all state colleges free for low-income students through MASSGrant Plus and extended in-state tuition and financial aid to eligible undocumented students.

Massachusetts built on that historic progress in the Fiscal Year 2025 budget through MassEducate, which has made community college tuition and fee-free for all eligible students regardless of age and income level, he said.

We have also brought students into our public higher education system through early college programs, and there are now about 50 such partnerships in Massachusetts, he added.

Ortega said he started his college journey to do better for himself. By the time he finished his undergraduate degree at St. Edwards University, his goal was to do better for others.

College made me realize I could play a role in the lives of those around me, and that realization naturally led me to the education field, he said.

He started his career in higher ed in financial aid, where he saw how university policies and systems affected students experiences.

Later, he traveled and lived in Japan for seven years to become an educator at Kogakusha, a language institute in Osaka, Japan. There he trained teachers in early childhood language acquisition.

He then went on to get his masters in school counseling from Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi while he worked in higher education, focusing in educational equity.

After working at Michigan State University for eight years, he worked at Pennsylvanias Office of Postsecondary and Higher Education as deputy secretary and commissioner and then as secretary of education.

I was drawn to Massachusetts for its commitment to advancing educational equity, and I look forward to the continued work ahead, he said.

In her words: Im grateful that I took the path of working on campuses while I completed graduate school, because I got to build on course learnings with day-to-day work experiences, and vice versa.

Were always open to hearing about more inspiring people. If youd like to suggest someone else who should be recognized, please fill out this form.
I hope everyone is doing well this week. As temperatures begin to drop, I want to remind everyone that my office and staff are readily available to connect you or anyone you love with the resources to access fuel assistance. As with any application, I always recommend applying on the early side!

This Friday was my teams District Day! I like to take the opportunity whenever possible to bring my entire staff together from both Boston and Western Massachusetts to participate in a tour of the district or exciting events. As part of our daylong lineup, we made sure to head on over to the Big E. For our region, these 17 days represent not just a significant part of our local economy, but also showcase the heart of our culture! The Eastern States Exposition is a chance for the small businesses, local artisans and family farms that make up our communities to put themselves on the national stage. A stop at the Big E is never complete without trying some of the fantastic food options, including the apple cider doughnuts, baked potatoes, and of course pilgrim grinders from the Massachusetts building!

Later in the day I joined my friends from the Greater Westfield Chamber of Commerce to welcome State Line Oil & Propane to Westfield with a ribbon cutting at their new location. It is always great to see a new business opening up in our district, and I wish them the best of luck in their new endeavors.
On a recent short break to Italy (thanks to friends who volunteered and helped us keep the bookshop open), I got to read two of the books in my love to read pile. The first was The Seamstress of Sardinia, by Italian author Bianca Pitzorno, translated by Brigid Maher and published by Text Publishing, the second was The Dispossessed, by American author Ursula K Le Guin, published by Gollancz.

We sell many copies of The Seamstress of Sardinia in the shop, and it was recommended by a visiting Italian bookseller as a perfect feel good, beautifully written book. I love reading fiction from the country I am visiting, and this book did not disappoint.

The story, set at the turn of the last century, is narrated by a nameless sartina, or seamstress, growing up with Nonna  her grandmother and her only remaining family after an outbreak of tuberculosis. Seamstresses at that time were employed in the homes of wealthy (and some not-so-wealthy) families to sew undergarments and day-to-day clothing items.

After the death of her grandmother, she continues her trade, remaining independent. But keeping herself above water and out of the streets is no easy task. In a sense it is a coming-of-age story of a young woman who dreams of more than life has given her. We see through the stories of all her clients, friends and neighbours, the hardships of life at that time and the power wielded by the classes who had money and influence.

Pitzorno tells a beautiful story, and poignantly, she dedicates the book to her own grandmother and to the many seamstresses in parts of the world today still working in factories with long hours and horrific conditions.

Sci-fi

A multi-award-winning author, Ursula K Le Guin died in 2018 at the age of 89. She wrote The Dispossessed, a science-fiction novel, in 1974. It might be 50 years old, but the messages of this book are still so relevant for today.

The story centres on what it is to be dispossessed on two planets, Urras and one of its moons, named Anarres. The main character is Shevek, a brilliant physicist. He is from Anarres, which was colonised by anarchists from Urras about 150 years previously. The powers that be at that time determined that the best strategy was to give the anarchists their own planet and for them to set up their idealist way of life there.

Over the course of a number of years a few million people left Urras for this new life. They cut all ties to the mother planet, apart from those to its minerals, which they mine and ship back quietly in return for being left alone.

We journey with Le Guin into a world of dispossession, where there is no money, everyone is free to work at what they want or nothing if they so wish. Everything that is owned is owned by everyone. There is no crime, no need to steal when everything is everyones. There is no need for competitiveness, as there is no competition for anything. Those who live on Anarres shun propertarians and egoists.

It is fascinating, this world. But a crack has appeared.

Shevek has developed some far-reaching theories, and it seems Anarres has no place for his thinking. The anarchists have no place for anarchical thinking it would seem. He makes contact with Urras and finds a different kind of dispossession there. There is a place for the individual, but everything is owned and competitive, and the people have been dispossessed of what is really important. It is a breathtaking story.

Both books just left me so sad that they finished. They are brilliant stories, brilliantly told with messages that remain so important for us in todays world.



Brid Conroy and her husband, Neil Paul, run Tertulia bookshop at The Quay, Westport. The shop hosts a regular bookclub, which meets next on October 6 at 5pm to discuss Honeybees and Distant Thunder, by Riku Onda. See www.tertuliabookshop.com for more.
Oireachtas members from Mayo heard of the impact Family Resource Centres (FRCs) are having in their local communities, and the need for a renewed Government commitment to increase funding to enable them to deliver their needed services.

The call was made as part of an AV Room briefing at Leinster House this week, held by the Family Resources Centre National Forum (FRCNF).

For Budget 2025, the FRCNF has identified the required level of funding per FRC as 240,000, for them to be able to adequately provide the support and services required of them and to realise the full potential impact of the National FRC Programme.

Photographed at the Family Resource Centre National Forums AV Room budget briefing in Leinster House were Rose Conway-Walsh TD and Louise Moran, Boyle FRC, Roscommon

Representatives from Mayo in attendance at the event included Dara Calleary TD and Rose Conway-Walsh TD.

Commenting on their pre-Budget submission Fergal Landy, CEO of the FRCNF said the call renewal comes ahead of Budget 2025 to maximise the potential of the FRC National Programme and increase its capacity to deliver for children, families, individuals, and communities throughout Ireland.

When FRCs are adequately funded, they are extremely effective at leveraging up to three times more funding from other government and philanthropic sources and can then involve the community in the planning of integrated supports to meet the diverse range of needs, he explained.

Mr Landy continued: In every corner of the country, from Mayo to Donegal, the FRC National Programme plays a vital role in providing support to communities. However, FRCs have long experienced a reduced level of core funding, in comparison to similar organisations, and we are now urging the Government to put communities at the heart of Budget 2025 and invest where it is needed most.

Further information about the FRCNF is available on the Family Resource website.
THE process of drafting the Ballina Local Area Plan has been blasted as a charade by a local representative.

Cllr Mark Duffy has claimed that councillors were beholden to the Office of the Planning Regulator regarding the amount of land they could zone for housing in their local area plan.

The county councils Chief Executive, Kevin Kelly, compiled a report with 38 material alterations to the Ballina local area plan - 13 of which related to housing zoning.

Members of Ballina Municipal District Council rejected the 13 aforementioned material alterations, arguing that it would restrict the capacity to deliver housing locally.

A total of 44 submissions were received for the new Ballina Local Area plan, including nine from the Office of the Planning Regulator (OPR).

The OPR recommended that the new plan be adopted without material alterations for seven plots of land at Garrankeel (2), Gorteen, Laghtadwannagh, Station Road, Abbeyquarter and Laghtadwannagh.

Ten proposed material alterations in the plan related to the zoning of lands, the majority of which proposed to rezone lands to New Residential.

The OPR said that this would result in the delivery of over 2,000 housing units, well in excess of the target of 511 units over the period of the plan.

They expressed concern about extensive zoning on more peripheral sites and the lack of detailed settlement capacity audit. The OPR also said the potential need to extend the water network would amount to an inappropriate extension of services and utilities.

Cllr Mark Duffy described the process of drafting the local area plans as a charade given that the wishes of elected members were continually rejected.

Earlier this year, Castlebar Municipal District Council were overruled by the Minister for Housing, Darragh OBrien, when he ordered they amend their local area plan in accordance with the OPRs recommendations.

The OPR also objected to parts of the Westport Local Area Plan which sought to zone extra land for housing.

It seems that local democracy is dead. We go through this and its not really responding to what were asking from as public representatives. It has happened at every stage through both the local area plan and the county development plan, said Cllr Duffy.

Cllr Duffy said that people were emigrating due to the lack of housing in the Ballina area while those seeking to build were being restricted from doing so.

The Independent councillor said implementing the proposed material alterations would amount to restricting the wishes of people who are trying to build houses and trying to solve the [housing] problem.

The Ballina native said that only two housing estates had been built in Ballina in the last 20 years.

The whole process is a charade, in terms of we go through and we try and express the wishes on behalf of what we see as happening in society, in communities on the ground, and ultimately our planners hands are then tied because of the OPR and other bureaucracy thats above the county, he said.

'Disgrace'

And it restricts and puts ceilings and limits on the potential of our town, and I just think its a disgrace, the whole process.

Cllr Duffy was supported by his fellow councillors, who argued that councillors should have the autonomy to zone more for housing.

Fianna Fail councillor Annie May Reape described the rejection of the Chief Executives recommendations as a no-brainer.

This morning on the radio there was a young lad [he said] All my friends are emigrating. He didnt say theyd no jobs. Its because they cant get housing, she said.

Cllr John OHara agreed, saying that people that want to build houses should be allowed to do so.

Any house that goes up, I see it in Ardnaree, they are only up a week or five days and they are sold, he commented.

John McMeyler, Senior Planner with Mayo County Council, said the council would have to change the local area plan within five working days and send it to the OPR.

The body, which was set up in 2019 on foot of a recommendation from the Mahon Tribunal, will then make a recommendation on the matter to the Minister for Housing.

Earlier this month, Mayo County Council passed a motion calling for the OPR to be abolished.
UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- The acting UN relief chief on Friday allocated 10 million U.S. dollars in emergency funding for the humanitarian situation in Lebanon, which the local UN coordinator described as catastrophic.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said Israeli air strikes continued to affect civilians and civilian infrastructure on the fifth consecutive day of the large-scale military escalation.

The world body's humanitarian coordinator in Lebanon, Imran Riza, called the destruction nothing short of catastrophic, with the surge in violence extending to previously unaffected areas, causing widespread destruction.

"We are witnessing the deadliest period in Lebanon in a generation, and many express their fear that this is just the beginning," Riza said.

He said that in less than a week, at least 700 lives have been lost, thousands have been injured, and nearly 120,000 people have been displaced, with the numbers continuing to rise. Since the beginning of the conflict on Oct. 7, 2023, more than 1,500 civilians have been killed, and over 200,000 people have been forced to flee their homes.

"The United Nations and partners are closely coordinating with the Lebanese Government to support the response efforts," OCHA said. "We are delivering food, mattresses, hygiene kits, and emergency medical supplies."

Riza said that critical funding gaps persist in the areas of shelter repair, food, fuel and coordination, among others. Humanitarian organizations are assessing the amount of funding required to address the increasing number of displaced people and the rising humanitarian needs.

UN Acting Emergency Relief Coordinator Joyce Msuya allocated the 10 million U.S. dollars from the world body's Central Emergency Response Fund.

The office said the funds are in addition to the 10 million dollars released from the Lebanon Humanitarian fund earlier in the week.

In Gaza, OCHA warned that displaced people live in abysmal conditions, which could further deteriorate in the upcoming cold and rainy winter weather.

The United Nations and humanitarian partners recently conducted assessments -- Sept. 19 and 22 -- in two collective shelters in Deir al Balah and Khan Younis.

"At both sites, displaced communities live in overcrowded shelters and lack cleaning supplies, hygiene kits, sanitary pads and diapers, as well as clothes and infant formula for babies," OCHA said.

The office said the first site was a school turned into a shelter by the UN relief agency known as UNRWA in the Al Bureij refugee camp in Deir al Balah. It was hosting more than 3,500 Gazans.

"Our teams found people were crammed into classrooms and worn-out tents, with an average of 80 to 100 people per classroom and 40 people per tent," OCHA said. "Access to clean water and health care is extremely limited. Most residents are eating only one meal per day, with some people going the entire day without eating."

The office said the second site was a makeshift camp in Abasan in eastern Khan Younis, hosting 2,500 people, including nearly 1,000 school-aged children.

"The site is in a flood-prone area, adjacent to a site where garbage is being dumped," OCHA said. "There are no medical facilities and there is no food support at this site, except for occasional hot meals provided by a charity organization."

The office said humanitarian aid movements in Gaza face significant access constraints.

"Nearly 90 percent of coordinated humanitarian movements between northern and southern Gaza so far in September have been either denied or impeded," OCHA said.

In the West Bank, the office said the number of internal movement obstacles deployed by Israeli forces increased by more than 20 percent since June 2023.

Since the Oct. 7 attacks on Israel, OCHA said Israeli authorities in the West Bank also imposed movement restrictions, marked by the deployment or maintenance of hundreds of movement obstacles and a general closure that affects Palestinian permit-holders and bars them from accessing East Jerusalem and Israel.

"The cumulative impact of movement obstacles has been devastating, further entrenching the fragmentation of the West Bank, disrupting access to livelihoods and services for thousands of Palestinians and aggravating the already difficult living conditions there," the office said.

OCHA said that health facilities in the West Bank also suffered in the conflict.

The World Health Organization (WHO) reported that from the Oct. 7 to July 30, there were 527 attacks on health care in the region, including obstruction of access, use of force, detention and militarized searches.

WHO said the attacks affected 54 health facilities, including 20 mobile clinics and 365 ambulances.

"These incidents not only hinder access to health care, but also jeopardize the safety of medical personnel and patients," OCHA said. 
It rested the case after weeks of sharing hours of expert testimony and introducing into evidence endless quotable emails from Google executives describing their views on the companys position in the advertising ecosystem.

"We'll be able to crush the other networks and that's our goal," said David Rosenblatt, Google's former president of display advertising, describing the company's strategy. The notes were cited in court.

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Google argued that it faces plenty of competition and its business decisions, which the DOJ has characterized as anticompetitive, are intended to create a safer ecosystem for its users -- competition from other companies Microsoft Advertising and increasingly from TikTok and other tech companies building an ad business like The Trade Desk.

Then, as the trial ended, the unexpected happen. Executives began willingly speaking out and sharing their views on a variety of companies they beleive to have followed in Google's steps.

Lotame Founder Andy Monfried shared an interesting point on X, identifying a "weird evolution" in the ad-tech industry. He said that during the past decade Trade Desk executives have positioned the company as the alternative or "the good guys" when it comes to building a business and delivering value for brands and agencies, in programmatic ad technology -- specifically as an alternative to Google.
  Trusted Source

India orthopedic devices market to grow at 5% CAGR through 2033



Go to source Trusted Source



In 2024, India accounted for approximately 13% of the Asia-Pacific (APAC) #orthopedic devices market, largely due to the increasing prevalence of musculoskeletal conditions. #boneandjointhealth

Bridging the Gap: Indias Need for Advanced Orthopedic Care

India orthopedic devices market to grow at 5% CAGR through 2033 - (https://www.globaldata.com/media/medical-devices/india-orthopedic-devices-market-grow-5-cagr-2033-forecasts-globaldata/)

India is facing a growing burden of orthopedic disorders, fueled by an aging population, rising obesity rates , and a high number of road accidents. This combination is significantly increasing the demand for orthopedic devices, particularly joint replacements. According to GlobalData,).The rise in healthcare awareness and a thriving medical tourism industry are also contributing to market expansion.Shreya Jain, Medical Devices Analyst at GlobalData, highlights that while the sector is rapidly growing, access to advanced orthopedic care and high-quality devices is still limited in many parts of India. This presents a valuable opportunity for international partnerships to help bridge the gap and improve access to top-tier orthopedic treatments.In a significant move, Alkem MedTech has partnered with Exactech to manufacture and market the companys joint replacement implants in India. This agreement gives Alkem MedTech the rights to promote Exactechs brands, such as Truliant and Optetrak, within the Indian market.The collaboration allows Alkem MedTech to leverage Exactechs expertise in implant design and manufacturing, while introducing innovations like augmented reality and advanced materials into Indias orthopedic landscape.Jain concludes that international collaborations will be essential for integrating advanced technologies and expanding access to modern orthopedic care across the country. These partnerships are expected to play a pivotal role in shaping the future of Indias orthopedic sector and attracting further investment.Source-Medindia
Amid a military-wide recruiting crisis, the Marine Corps said Friday that it surpassed its recruiting goal for the fiscal year by just over two dozen people, according to data shared by the service with Military.com on Friday, a stark decrease from last year's numbers.

Officials said that the service sought to recruit 36,257 Marines this year, squeezing by with 36,286 total -- a difference of just 29 new Devil Dogs. That's a drop from the several hundred Marines recruited over the target number for fiscal 2023, even in the face of smaller recruiting goals this time around.

For new enlisted Marines, the margin of success was even smaller, with just one Marine pushing the service over its 30,500 enlisted recruit goal. For prior service reserve accessions -- both officer and enlisted Marines -- the Corps met its goal of 3,979 exactly.

Read Next: Stolen Valor & the 2024 Election

The service surpassed its overall goal by 351 people in 2023 and this year faced a goal that was 3,000 people lower overall -- still, it just squeaked by. The Corps has been one of the only branches -- outside of the small Space Force -- to reach its enlistment goals consistently in recent years as each of the services compete for a dwindling number of eligible applicants.

Recent Military.com reporting also showed that the Army and Air Force are fighting their own slumps, and fairing better after years of missing the mark -- sometimes missing them by wide margins in the Army's case. Recruiting success for those branches over the past year can be attributed to initiatives such as the Army's pre-basic training course program and changes to body fat standards and tattoo policies for the Air Force.

"This success is directly attributed to the hard work of our Marine recruiters and Officer Selection Officers working diligently in a competitive and challenging environment," Jim Edwards, a spokesperson for the Marine Corps Recruiting Command, said in an emailed statement Friday. "Marine recruiters accomplished the assigned recruiting mission, while maintaining the Marine Corps' high-quality standards."

Edwards also said that the service nearly tripled the number of Prior Service Enlistment Program applicants since last year, meaning that Marines who left the service applied back to the Corps in droves of over 200.

"The Marine Corps highly values these talented and experienced Marines and encourages their return to service," Edwards said. He also added that Marine Corps officers saw a boost from "diversity officer accessions" in that the program accounted for over one-third of all officer recruiting.

Military.com asked if the service had to dip into its Delayed Entry Program, or DEP, to achieve its numbers, a system that allows the Corps to forecast shipments of Marine hopefuls to recruit training and that has been used by services in previous years to stack recruit goals.

Edwards said that all Marines join the DEP prior to shipping to recruit training. The service did not have to lower its start pool to make its goals this past year, he said.

He also said that next year's DEP pool sits at around 27% and marks the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic started that the program has shown growth. That pool may be needed as the Corps faces an increased goal of 32,835 enlisted Marines next year, up from this year where it surpassed its enlisted goal by one.

Despite the diminished numbers, the service did indeed exceed its goals, and according to Katherine Kuzminski, a senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security think tank who specializes in military recruiting, the Marine Corps has the credibility to be picky with who it lets in.

"The Marine Corps benefits from tougher standards in that there might be individuals who are interested in joining the military, and they may want to join the Marine Corps, but they don't meet the Marine Corps standards," she said. "And the question of 'how much over they beat it by' is in some ways irrelevant, because they can be more selective in meeting that number."

That is coupled with a recently announced historic first-term reenlistment rate not seen in over a decade for the service; it reenlisted 114% of the first-term enlisted Marines it sought and reenlisted more than 5,700 subsequent-term Marines.

"So, I don't know that the Marine Corps competes with the other services in the way that they compete with each other," Kuzminski said. "We don't know how many people they turned away, who met the standard and who wanted to join because they were not as competitive as other candidates. Whereas the Army is not in a position to turn people away if they meet all the standards and they're willing to serve."

Edwards said that the recruiting arm of the service continues to focus on the needs of next year's mission.

"Marine recruiters seek to find and attract the Marine of tomorrow -- adaptable problem solvers who are resilient and interested in belonging," he said. "Our Marines maintain the high standards Americans expect of their Marine Corps, and they are more confident, focused and determined to overcome continued challenges and accomplish the mission in [fiscal 2025]."

Editors note: This story was updated with information from the Marine Corps about the delayed entry program.

Related: Army Surpasses its Goal for Recruiting Active-Duty Soldiers, But Just Barely
BEIJING, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping has encouraged industrial workers to further contribute wisdom and strength to building a country that is strong in manufacturing and promoting the full revitalization of northeast China.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks in a reply letter to representatives of workers from China First Heavy Industries Co. Ltd., a leading equipment manufacturer headquartered in Qiqihar City, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province. 
WASHINGTON  The U.S. announced an agreement with the Iraqi government Friday to wrap up the military mission in Iraq of an American-led coalition fighting the Islamic State group by next year, with U.S. troops departing some bases that they have long occupied during a two-decade-long military presence in the country.

But the Biden administration refused to provide details on how many of the approximately 2,500 U.S. troops still serving in Iraq will remain there or acknowledge it will mark a full withdrawal from the country.

I think its fair to say that, you know, our footprint is going to be changing within the country, Pentagon deputy press secretary Sabrina Singh told reporters Friday without providing specifics.

The announcement comes at a particularly contentious time for the Middle East, with escalating conflict between Israel and two Iranian-backed militant groups  Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza  threatening a broader regional war. Bases housing U.S. forces and contractors have been regularly targeted by Iran-backed militias over the last several years, and those attacks intensified late last year and early this spring after the Israel-Hamas war broke out nearly a year ago.

For years, Iraqi officials have periodically called for a withdrawal of coalition forces, and formal talks to wind down the U.S. presence in the country have been going on for months.

U.S. officials who briefed reporters Friday said the agreement will bring about a two-phase transition in the troops assigned to Iraq that began this month. In the first phase, which runs through September 2025, the coalition mission against ISIS will end and forces will leave some longstanding bases.

Following the November election, American forces will start departing from Ain al-Asad airbase in western Iraq and from Baghdad International Airport, according to Iraqi government officials who spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity. Those forces will be moved to Hareer base in Erbil, in northern Iraq's Kurdistan region.

In the second phase, the U.S. will continue to operate in some fashion from Iraq through 2026 to support counter-ISIS operations in Syria, a senior Biden administration official and a senior defense official said on the condition of anonymity on a call with reporters to provide details ahead of the announcement.

Ultimately, the U.S. military mission would transition to a bilateral security relationship, the U.S. officials said, but they did not indicate what that might mean for the number of American troops who remain in Iraq in the future.

The Iraqi officials said some American troops may stay at Hareer base after 2026 because the Kurdistan regional government would like them to stay.

We have taken an important step in resolving the issue of the international coalition to fight ISIS, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed al-Sudani said in a speech this month. He noted the governments belief in the capabilities of our security forces that defeated the remnants of ISIS.

The continued presence of U.S. troops has been a political vulnerability for Sudani, whose government is under increased influence from Iran. Iraq has long struggled to balance its ties with the U.S. and Iran, both allies of the Iraqi government but regional archenemies.

We thank the government for its position to expel the international coalition forces, Qais Khazali, founder of Asaib Ahl al-Haq  an Iran-backed Iraqi Shia militia that has conducted attacks against U.S. forces in Iraq  said last week.

The agreement marks the third time in the last two decades that the U.S. has announced a formal transition of the military's role there.

The U.S. invaded Iraq in March 2003 in what it called a massive shock and awe bombing campaign that lit up the skies, laid waste to large sections of the country and paved the way for American ground troops to converge on Baghdad. The invasion was based on what turned out to be faulty claims that Saddam Hussein had secretly stashed weapons of mass destruction. Such weapons never materialized.

The U.S. presence grew to more than 170,000 troops at the peak of counterinsurgency operations in 2007. The Obama administration negotiated the drawdown of forces, and in December 2011, the final combat troops departed, leaving only a small number of military personnel behind to staff an office of security assistance and a detachment of Marines to guard the embassy compound.

In 2014, the rise of the Islamic State group and its rapid capture of a wide swath across Iraq and Syria brought U.S. and partner nation forces back at the invitation of the Iraqi government to help rebuild and retrain police and military units that had fallen apart and fled.

After ISIS lost its hold on the territory it once claimed, coalition military operations ended in 2021. An enduring U.S. presence of about 2,500 troops stayed in Iraq to maintain training and conduct partnered counter-ISIS operations with Iraq's military.

In the years since, the U.S. has maintained that presence to pressure Iranian-backed militias active in Iraq and Syria. The presence of American forces in Iraq also makes it more difficult for Iran to move weapons across Iraq and Syria into Lebanon, for use by its proxies, including the Lebanese Hezbollah, against Israel.
NEW YORK (AP)  Three days before his communist government turns 75, China's foreign minister warned fellow leaders Saturday against an expansion of the battlefield in Russia's war with Ukraine and said the Beijing government remains committed to shuttle diplomacy and efforts to push the conflict toward its end.

The top priority is to commit to no expansion of the battlefield. ... China is committed to playing a constructive role," Wang Yi said. He warned against other nations throwing oil on the fire or exploiting the situation for selfish gains, a likely reference to the United States.

Wang's speech appeared to break no new ground, as is generally China's recent practice at the U.N. General Assembly's annual meeting of leaders. In fact, his boss, Chinese President Xi Jinping, has not participated in the leaders' meeting since 2021  and then only virtually, during the pandemic. Xi has not attended in person for several years.

On Friday, on the assembly sidelines, China and Brazil sought to build enthusiasm for their peace plan for Ukraine. They said about a dozen countries signed a communique that says they note the six-point plan. The plan calls for a peace conference with both Ukraine and Russia and no expansion of the battlefield, among other provisions.

Ukrainian officials have given the proposal a cold shoulder, but the countries that signed the communique are forming a group of friends for peace for their U.N. ambassadors to keep the conversation going among themselves. Ranging from Algeria to Zambia, the members are largely African or Latin American countries. Wang made sure to note Friday that the group doesnt decree individual countries policies.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said at a news conference Saturday that Russia was ready to provide assistance and advice to the group, adding that its important for their proposals to be underpinned by the realities and not just be taken from some abstract conversations.

Sovereignty has long been a talking point for China

China has been an ally of Russia, a nation that has been accused of violating the U.N. Charter by Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, the U.S. and many world nations. Moscow insists its so-called special military operation is in self-defense, which is allowed in the U.N. Charter.

China's continuing and vehement insistence on respect for other nations' sovereignty is not only a cornerstone of its foreign policy but a foundational ethos for the government of a nation that has traditionally struggled to maintain control at its edges  from Xinjiang and Tibet in the far west to Hong Kong and Taiwan off its east coast.

China's current government was established on Oct. 1, 1949, when it was proclaimed by communist revolutionary-turned-leader Mao Zedong in Beijing's Tiananmen Square after a civil war with Chiang Kai-shek's Nationalist government. The Nationalists began ruling Taiwan as a self-governed island, and that practice continues today  and is something that China rejects and insists is only a temporary situation for territory it considers sovereign.

There is no such thing as two Chinas or one China-one Taiwan. On this matter there is no gray zone," Wang said. "Taiwan will eventually return to the embrace of the motherland. This is the overwhelming trend of history that no one can stop.

The Republic of China  the government in Taiwan established by Chiang Kai-shek  was a member of the United Nations until 1971, when the U.N. recognized the Beijing government. Since then, Beijing has worked to isolate Taiwan by rewarding nations that recognize it diplomatically and, sometimes, punishing those who do not. At every General Assembly high-level meeting, the leaders of scattered Taiwan-supporting nations  usually small ones  lament at the rostrum about the island's government being shunned by the international community.

Wang's subjects in the speech varied

Wang also weighed in with China's positions on increasing Mideast tensions and the situation on the Korean Peninsula. The latter has always been a key strategic priority for Beijing.

THE MIDEAST: Saying that the question of Palestine is the biggest wound in human conscience, Wang reiterated that China supports Palestinian statehood and full U.N. membership and insisted that a two-state solution is the fundamental way out. He did not mention Israel by name or directly reference the war that began when Hamas fighters streamed across the Gaza border into Israel, killing hundreds and taking dozens hostage.

THE KOREAN PENINSULA: As is China's policy, Wang expressed support for a transition from the armistice to a peace mechanism. The two Koreas technically remain in a state of war since a 1950-53 conflict separated the peninsula into north and south. China has been a longtime backer of North Korea while the United States is a close ally of the South. He offered a veiled warning about others trying to pull strings in East Asia: We are firmly against the meddling of countries outside the region.

The Korean Peninsula broke into the U.S.-supported, capitalistic South Korea and the Soviet-backed, socialist North Korea after its liberation from Japans 35-year colonial rule at the end of the World War II in 1945. The two Koreas have the worlds most heavily fortified border.

HUMAN RIGHTS: Wang repeated China's usual talking points, saying that no country should infringe on anothers internal affairs in the name of human rights" and insisting that China had chosen its own way, which is just as legitimate as others'.

We have found a path of human rights development that suits Chinas national condition, Wang said.

Other nations and international rights groups have long condemned Beijing's treatment of Tibetans, ethnic Uyghurs in the far-west region of Xinjiang and  more recently  activists in the special administrative region of Hong Kong.

___

Associated Press writers Jennifer Peltz and Edith M. Lederer contributed to this report. See more of APs coverage of the U.N. General Assembly at https://apnews.com/hub/united-nations
UNITED NATIONS (AP)  Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu signaled to the world from the United Nations on Friday that the multiple conflicts in the Middle East were far from resolved, and he vowed to continue battling the Lebanese Hezbollah and defeat Hamas in the Gaza Strip until total victory."

Shortly after the prime minister spoke, blasts rocked the Lebanese capital Beirut and the Israeli military said it had struck Hezbollah's headquarters. The attack appeared to target Hezbollahs leader and prompted Netanyahu to cut short his trip to New York by a day and make unusual travel on the Jewish Sabbath to get home.

Israel has every right to remove this threat and return our citizens to their home safely. And thats exactly what were doing, Netanyahu said, eliciting applause from supporters in the gallery of the General Assembly. Well continue degrading Hezbollah until all our objectives are met, he said.

When Netanyahu entered the hall and was introduced, boos and raised voices echoed, and many delegates walked out through various exits.

Netanyahu spoke as international mediation efforts were underway to try to rein in the escalating conflict in Lebanon, where Israel has been striking Hezbollah targets intensively for the past week, sending the death toll in Lebanon soaring into the hundreds and raising fears that the conflict could spiral into all-out war.

Late Wednesday, the United States, France and other allies jointly called for an immediate 21-day cease-fire to allow for negotiations. Israel said Thursday that discussions were ongoing and Hezbollah hasnt officially responded to the cease-fire proposal, but has said it won't stop firing until the Gaza war ends.

Hezbollah began striking Israel a day after Hamas' Oct. 7 attack in an act of solidarity with the Palestinians. The sides have exchanged relatively low-level fire since then on almost a daily basis, volleys that intensified sharply after a wave of exploding communication devices targeted Hezbollah operatives - an attack widely blamed on Israel. The fighting has displaced tens of thousands on both sides of the border.

Netanyahu defends Israels responses

Netanyahu has faced increasing pressure from within his own government and from Israelis displaced by the fighting to deal Hezbollah a heavy blow. Recent strikes have targeted the group's senior leadership.

Just imagine if terrorists turned El Paso and San Diego into ghost towns ... How long would the American government tolerate that? he said, shaking his fist in emphasis. Yet Israel has been tolerating this intolerable situation for almost a year. Well, Ive come here today to say: Enough is enough.

Netanyahu pointed a finger at Iran for being a destabilizing force in the region, noting its support for both Hamas and Hezbollah. He warned Tehran that if you strike us, we will strike you. As he spoke, the seats in the Iran delegation sat empty. Outside, protesters against Netanyahu and Israels policies demonstrated behind police barricades.

Armed with visual aids as he has been in the past, the prime minister defended his nations response to Hamas' attack on Israel that triggered the war that has devastated the Gaza Strip. He said Israel had destroyed much of Hamas' rocket arsenal, killed or captured half of its fighting force and dismantled many of its underground tunnels. He said Israel was focused on mopping up Hamas remaining fighting capabilities.

But the war in Gaza will soon stretch into its second year with still no end in sight. Multiple attempts at bringing about a cease-fire have stalled over Hamas' demand that Israel withdraw all troops and end the war, and over Israel's insistence on maintaining a presence in some areas. All the while, civilians have borne a staggering toll in the continuing violence; roughly 100 hostages remain captive in Gaza.

Israels campaign in Gaza has killed more than 41,500 Palestinians and wounded more than 96,000 others, according to the latest figures released Thursday by the Health Ministry. The ministry, part of Gazas Hamas government, doesnt differentiate between civilians and combatants, but more than half the dead have been women and children, including about 1,300 children under the age of 2.

Israel has maintained its military operations are justified and are necessary to defend itself.

This war can come to an end now. All that has to happen is for Hamas to surrender, lay down its arms and release all the hostages, Netanyahu said. But if they dont  if they dont  we will fight until we achieve total victory. Total victory. There is no substitute for it. 

His speech impacted the rest of the General Assembly

In an address steeped in talk of conflict, Netanyahu also made a lengthy appeal for Israeli relations with Saudi Arabia, echoing the content of his speech last year, when efforts toward that goal were underway. But the U.S.-backed normalization talks were derailed by Hamas' attacks, which refocused a spotlight on Israel's conflict with the Palestinians, casting doubt on Netanyahu's argument that ties with Saudi Arabia are not contingent on Palestinian statehood.

As Netanyahu took the stage Friday morning, there was enough ruckus in the audience that the presiding diplomat had to shout, Order, please.

The two speakers who preceded Netanyahu on Friday each made a point of calling out Israel for its actions. Mr. Netanyahu, stop this war now, Slovenian Prime Minister Robert Golob said as he closed his remarks, pounding the podium. And Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, speaking just before the Israeli leader, declared of Gaza: This is not just a conflict. This is systematic slaughter of innocent people of Palestine." He thumped the rostrum to audible applause.

It wasn't just Friday, either. On Thursday, the leader of the Palestinian Authority and a top Lebanese official both made their cases to fellow leaders  cases that included harsh words for Israel as well. Mahmoud Abbas' first words to the General Assembly were a sentence repeated three times in reference to Gaza: We will not leave. We will not leave. We will not leave. He accused Israel of destroying Gaza and making it unlivable. And Abdallah Bouhabib, Lebanon's foreign minister, decried Israel's systematic destruction of Lebanese border villages.

The crisis in Lebanon threatens the entire Middle East, Bouhabib said. We wish today to reiterate our call for a cease-fire on all fronts.

At the General Assembly late Friday evening, Iran exercised its right of reply at the end of the day's regular speeches and denounced Israel as the exclusive source of insecurity and instability in the region and beyond.

What you heard here today from the notorious Israeli prime minister was nothing but an unsuccessful attempt to distract attention from his genocide and brutal war crimes, said an Iranian diplomat whose name was not immediately available. He addressed the General Assembly in English.

___

See more of APs coverage of the U.N. General Assembly at https://apnews.com/hub/united-nations
Title: Samsung GT-S5611







(Firmware Update: Flashing the Samsung GT-S5611)

Looking forward to an exciting time! As you know, Samsung is known for its innovative technology and innovative designs. Today, we are here to introduce you to the latest and greatest models from Samsung, including the Samsung GT-S5611.

The Samsung GT-S5611 is a smartphone that has set new standards in the world of mobile technology. It features a beautiful and compact design, making it easy to carry around and enjoy while on-the-go. The phone comes with an amazing display, making it a pleasure to look at. Furthermore, the phone also a powerful processor and strong battery life, which ensures that it can handle all your needs during the day.

But what really sets the Samsung GT-S5611 apart from other smartphones is its extraordinary performance. With its efficient and large capacity battery, this device is capable of processing multiple apps simultaneously without taking too much power. Additionally, it comes equipped with various sensors, such as front and rear-facing camera, that enable users to take stunning photos and videos. Moreover, the phone also supports fast charging, so users can charge their device quickly.

Another aspect that makes the Samsung GT-S5611 stand out is its innovative features. The phone is available in various colors, including black, white, pink, blue, and purple. Each color is unique and provides a visual appeal that adds to the overall experience. Furthermore, the phone also comes with advanced safety features, such as facial recognition and smart lock, which make it a reliable choice for those who value security.

One of the biggest advantages of the Samsung GT-S5611 is its long battery life. With its exceptional performance and high battery life, users can use their phone for hours without needing to recharge. This feature is particularly useful when working or going on long trips, as it allows users to stay connected and productive while on the go.







(Firmware Update: Flashing the Samsung GT-S5611)

In conclusion, the Samsung GT-S5611 is a must-have device for anyone looking for a sleek, efficient, and stylish smartphone. Its impressive performance, innovative features, and long battery life make it a standout option in the market. Whether youre an avid photographer, social media influencer, or just someone who values innovation, the Samsung GT-S5611 is sure to meet your requirements. So why wait? Upgrade to the Samsung GT-S5611 today and experience the future!

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Title: Exploring the Uniqueness of Corporate Ownership: An Accessible Overview of Apples Subsidiaries







(Corporate Ownership: A Comprehensive List of Apples Subsidiaries)

As one of the most innovative and successful technology companies in the world, Apple has not only built a diverse array of product lines but also established a strong corporate ownership structure that extends far beyond its hardware division. In this blog post, well delve into the intricacies of corporate ownership and uncover the various subschemas that underpin Apples leadership.

Under Apples leadership, many subsidiaries have evolved from mere brand extensions to full-fledged businesses with distinct strategies for innovation, manufacturing, distribution, and marketing. Some notable examples include:

1. The Mac: While primarily known for its sleek design and performance, the Mac has gone beyond just gaming software to encompass an entire range of consumer electronics. Its intellectual property portfolio includes several well-known brands such as MacBook, iPhone, iPad, and iPod. This case represents the integration of technology with manufacturing, and how it has become more than just a toy for consumers.

2. TheApple Watch Series: As one of Apples most popular products, the Apple Watch Series is an essential accessory for every smartphone owner. The company has acquired several startups and consulting firms that specialize in creating and developing smartwatches, offering them at competitive prices. This investment demonstrates the companys commitment to innovation and its ability to tap into the latest trends in consumer electronics.

3. The Fitness Watch Series: With its focus on health and fitness, the Apple Fitness Watch Series has gained a dedicated following among fitness enthusiasts. Many of these devices feature heart rate monitors, steps sensors, and other health monitoring features that allow users to track their physical activity and progress. Additionally, Apples early adoption of the Apple Watch Series allowed the company to quickly expand its product line and gain a competitive advantage in the tech industry.

4. The iNote: The iPhone X has revolutionized the smartphone market by offering a larger screen size, faster charging times, and improved camera capabilities. Apple has expanded its production capacity by partnering with Chinese suppliers to bring the device to market globally. This investment highlights Apples commitment to innovation and its ability to meet the needs of international customers.







(Corporate Ownership: A Comprehensive List of Apples Subsidiaries)

In conclusion, corporate ownership has played a crucial role in shaping the growth of Apples business over the years. Through the acquisition of numerous subsidiaries, the company has expanded its product line, entered new markets, and expanded its intellectual property portfolio. These efforts demonstrate the companys commitment to innovation, globalization, and the need for companies like Apple to embrace change and adapt to changing market conditions. As we look forward to the future of technology, we cant help but wonder what the next big trend will be  one that showcases the power of corporate ownership and the importance of staying ahead of the curve.

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if you want to want to know more, please feel free to contact us. (nanotrun@yahoo.com)
The Padres have had to lock down a Wild Card spot without Ha-Seong Kim. The shortstop jammed his right shoulder diving into first base on a pickoff attempt on August 18. The Padres placed him on the injured list a couple days later with a diagnosis of shoulder inflammation.

San Diego initially expressed optimism it would be a short-term absence. Kim has instead been out for more than five weeks and is not on the verge of a return. Manager Mike Shildt provided a disappointing update on the Gwynn & Chris show on 97.3 The Fan in San Diego tonight (X link).

He just hasnt been able to get over that hump with his throwing, Shildt said. The hittings not a problem, that parts good, but he hasnt been able to consistently throw with anything behind it.  Were still weighing whats taking place, but right now, hes not in a spot where we can count on him in the very near future. In response to a follow-up question as to whether theres a date at which the window for Kim to return this season officially closes, Shildt replied there is, and we may be getting there.

Making matters worse, Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports (on X) that Kim could require an offseason labrum repair. Thatd be a brutal blow as he returns to free agency. The guaranteed portion of his four-year deal is coming to a close. As is the case with most players signing out of Korea or Japan, hes eligible for free agency despite having less than six years of MLB service. Kim will decline his end of an $8MM mutual option for next season. Hell collect a $2MM buyout and return to the market.

If healthy, he has a case for a strong four-year deal. Kims ability to play plus defense throughout the infield has been incredibly valuable. He stole 38 bases a season ago and has gone 22-27 on the basepaths this season. Kim doesnt have overwhelming power, but he has gotten into double-digit home run territory in three straight years. He draws plenty of walks and rarely strikes out.

Kim hit .233/.330/.370 over 470 plate appearances during the regular season. He carries a .250/.336/.385 slash since the start of 2022. As of a couple months ago, Kims durability had ironically been one of his biggest selling points. This is the first time in his four MLB campaigns that he has landed on the injured list.

Itll take at least a few more weeks to learn the impact of the injury on Kims free agent stock. The more immediate focus for the Padres is on their playoff infield. San Diego has kicked Xander Bogaerts back to the left side of the dirt. Jake Cronenworth has moved over to second base. That opens first base playing time for Donovan Solano and some defensive reps for primary DH Luis Arraez, with David Peralta drawing into the lineup at designated hitter while Arraez is in the field. The Padres called up Nick Ahmed last weekend to work as a defensive specialist behind Bogaerts.
GRAND RAPIDS, MI - A giant 35-foot illuminated puppet made its return to downtown Grand Rapids on Friday night to entertain the large crowd gathered for the ArtPrize closing ceremony.

Shortly before the top awards were announced Friday, Sept. 27, North Americas largest marionette  built from thick pieces of aluminum woven together  had another moment in the spotlight.

RELATED: Purple Heart veteran overjoyed after winning ArtPrizes 125K grand prize

Hundreds of people gathered to celebrate ArtPrize winners during a big block party viewed the circus-like spectacle outside the Woodbridge N. Ferris Building, home to the Kendall College of Design at Ferris State, at 17 Pearl St. NE.

The puppet, whose name is David AND weighs 200 pounds, kicked off the 16-day international art competition. In his big finale, unlike his Sept. 13 performance when he climbed the west side of the Amway Grand Hotel, he was on the ground for everyone to see close up and operate themselves.

RELATED: ArtPrize opens with North Americas largest marionette climbing Amway Grand Plaza

To set the scene, the massive puppet was bolted to the ground on a host of thick, wired cables stretching to the sidewalk behind him. His movements were powered by a team of puppeteers stationed below.

While dancing to Bob Marleys Dont Worry Be Happy, David had another surprise in store for everyone in attendance: a circus performer dangling from his metal fingers.

The crowd erupted in cheers and stared in awe as the Cirque du Soleil-themed performance gave the illusion that David was laughing while moving up and down, carrying the circus performer with each of his movements.

The marionette was created by The Underground Circus, a professional circus performance company based in Vancouver, British Columbia. ArtPrize officials say hes the largest marionette in North America.

Dynamic Sunset, a bright and colorful oil and acrylic painting of a Lake Michigan sunset by artist John Katerberg, took home the $125,000 grand prize for ArtPrize 2024.

RELATED: Large, colorful painting of Lake Michigan sunset wins $125K ArtPrize 2024 grand prize

At the end of the performance, David could be seen retrieving the Public Grand Prize Award, which the circus performer had playfully been trying to take from him during the large-scale event.

37 1 / 37 ArtPrize 2024 celebrates with closing ceremony

100 1 / 100 Best visuals from ArtPrize 2024

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SOUTH HAVEN, MI  Police are investigating after antisemitic fliers began popping up overnight on porches and driveways of homes in a Southwest Michigan beach town.

The person believed responsible for distributing the fliers has been identified and contacted by police, said South Haven Interim Police Chief Patrick Carlotto.

While no charges have yet been filed, Carlotto said his department is working with the Van Buren County Prosecutors Office to ensure that justice is served.

Carlotto said Saturday, Sept. 28, that the fliers were distributed sometime overnight in several neighborhoods around South Haven.

He told MLive it didnt appear the person was targeting any specific home or location.

The fliers feature an antisemitic caricature of a Jewish man telling non-Jewish people to pick between two flags: one with the Republican Party symbol, a star of David and dollar sign and the other with the Democratic Party symbol, a star of David and the communist hammer and sickle symbol.

The star of David is a symbol of Judaism and Israel.

Below those flags, the flier said WE NEED: and then showed a picture of the Nazi flag.

South Haven, a city on the Lake Michigan shoreline with just under 4,000 residents, has a long history of Jewish resorts, with many Jewish people vacationing there from the early 1920s through the mid-1970s.

Carlotto said the fliers were in Ziploc bags and put on porches and driveways. He didnt have an official count of how many were distributed but said it couldve been more than 100.

When officers found the man they believe is responsible, he had about 60 more fliers in a trash bag.

The South Haven Police Department condemns in the strongest terms the distribution of anti-Semitic fliers found in our community, Carlotto said. These hateful messages do not reflect the values of our city, and we are actively investigating this incident to hold those responsible accountable.

Carlotto said his department has increased patrols in the affected neighborhoods.

Hate speech and actions aimed at intimidating or threatening any group in our community are unacceptable and will not be tolerated, he said. We understand the concerns raised by this incident and remain committed to supporting and protecting our diverse community.

Anyone with information about the incident can contact the South Haven Police Department at 269-637-5151.
BEIRUT, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- Lebanese authorities on Saturday requested that an Iranian civilian plane avoid entering the country's airspace after Israel threatened to use force against it, local TV channel MTV reported.

Israel warned the air traffic control at Beirut-Rafic Hariri International Airport that it would use "force" if the plane landed, according to the report.

Following the Israeli warning, Lebanese Minister of Public Works and Transport Ali Hamieh informed the airport that the plane should not land or enter Lebanese airspace.

No further details were provided on the incident.

The incident occurred amid ongoing intensive Israeli airstrikes on Hezbollah's headquarters and strongholds. Since October of last year, Hezbollah has exchanged fire with Israel along the Lebanese-Israeli border to show its support for Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. Both Hezbollah and Hamas maintain close ties with Iran. 
ALLEGAN COUNTY, MI  Nearly 650 acres of active blueberry farmland spread across 12 tracts of land in Van Buren and Allegan counties are up for auction.

Interested parties can bid on one to a dozen tracts, which range in size from 5 acres to 119 acres.

The active blueberry farm auction, open through 4 p.m. on Oct. 15, is being run by Peoples Company. Of the 647.13 acres of farmland available, there are currently 469.33 acres with planted blueberries with a mix of drip and overhead irrigation installed, the listing states.

The available farmland is presently harvesting multiple varieties of blueberries. None of the tracts have farming leases in place for 2025 either, meaning buyers can get right to work in 2025 producing blueberries.

A dozen tracts of active blueberry farmland is up for auction through Tuesday, Oct. 15. With tracts ranging in size from 5 acres to 119 acres, there is a total of 647 acres of farmland available near Lake Michigan.Provided by Peoples Company

Allegan and Van Buren County are crucial to Michigans blueberry industry, the listing states. The sandy soils and high water tables create a perfect environment for growing blueberries.

With a pH hovering between 4.5 and 5.5, these soils strike the right balance of moisture retention and drainage, optimum for overall blueberry plant health.

The tracts are just 5 miles from Lake Michigan, lending to a microclimate that helps mitigate the late spring frosts and ensure the cooling needed during the hotter summer months to maximize growth.

The tracts are located near either Fennville, Bangor, Covert or South Haven, the latter of which hosts the National Blueberry Festival each August.

The seller has owned the 12 tracts since 2019 and leased them out to a local tenant, listing agent Bryan Bergdale told the Kalamazoo Gazette/MLive.

For more information, click here or contact Bergdale at 712-251-8588 or bryan@peoplescompany.com.

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OAKLAND COUNTY, MI  Senator JD Vance is headed back to Michigan for another stop on the campaign trail.

Vance, vice presidential nominee for the Republican Party and running mate of Donald Trump, will speak at at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 2, at Visioneering, 2055 Taylor Road, in Auburn Hills, the Trump-Vance campaign said.
DETROIT  Christian Fischer and Vladimir Tarasenko scored goals while Alex Lyon and Cam Talbot combined for 22 saves Friday, and the Detroit Red Wings defeated the Chicago Blackhawks 2-0 in a preseason game at Little Caesars Arena.

The Red Wings improved to 2-0 with their second victory over Chicago in as many games.

Fischer and Tarasenko scored in the second period following a scoreless first.

Fischer jammed the puck in from the crease at 4:10. Tarasenko took a pass from Andrew Copp and fired in a hard wrist shot from the slot on the power play at 12:33.

It was Tarasenkos preseason debut after signing a two-year contract ($4.75 million average annual value) in the offseason to help compensate for some lost offense.

Lyon stopped all 12 shots he faced through two periods. Talbot, in his Red Wings preseason debut, made 10 saves in the third.

The Red Wings dressed half of their regular lineup. The Blackhawks didnt dress several of their top players including Connor Bedard, Taylor Hall, Seth Jones and former Red Wing Tyler Bertuzzi.

The Red Wings host the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday (7 p.m., no TV, livestreamed on detroitredwings.com).
WELLINGTON, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- The New Zealand government has started to support the mental health of business owners as they battle challenging economic conditions.

A memorandum of understanding has been entered between the government and the Auckland Business Chamber to ensure that mental health and well-being resources are freely available for business owners.

"Business owners up and down the country are doing it particularly tough right now as they battle challenging economic conditions," Small Business and Manufacturing Minister Andrew Bayly said on Friday.

The resources include an online platform designed to support business owners with their mental health, approved professionals who can provide counseling and therapy, as well as services like nutritional advice, leadership training, business mentorship and guidance on digital literacy.

"In the past year alone, the resources were used more than 750,000 times," Bayly said. 
Equity Commonwealth (NYSE:EQC  Get Free Report) and Klepierre (OTCMKTS:KLPEF  Get Free Report) are both finance companies, but which is the better business? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their dividends, analyst recommendations, earnings, institutional ownership, risk, profitability and valuation.

Profitability

This table compares Equity Commonwealth and Klepierres net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

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Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Equity Commonwealth 168.05% 4.39% 4.12% Klepierre N/A N/A N/A

Analyst Ratings

This is a breakdown of current recommendations and price targets for Equity Commonwealth and Klepierre, as reported by MarketBeat.

Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Equity Commonwealth 0 0 0 0 N/A Klepierre 0 2 0 0 2.00

Institutional & Insider Ownership

96.0% of Equity Commonwealth shares are owned by institutional investors. 2.8% of Equity Commonwealth shares are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, hedge funds and endowments believe a company will outperform the market over the long term.

Earnings and Valuation

This table compares Equity Commonwealth and Klepierres gross revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Equity Commonwealth $59.66 million 35.62 $91.16 million $0.79 25.07 Klepierre $1.62 billion N/A $208.54 million N/A N/A

Klepierre has higher revenue and earnings than Equity Commonwealth.

Volatility & Risk

Equity Commonwealth has a beta of 0.28, indicating that its stock price is 72% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Klepierre has a beta of 1.51, indicating that its stock price is 51% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Summary

Equity Commonwealth beats Klepierre on 5 of the 8 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Equity Commonwealth

(Get Free Report)

Equity Commonwealth (NYSE: EQC) is a Chicago based, internally managed and self-advised real estate investment trust (REIT) with commercial office properties in the United States. EQC's portfolio is comprised of four properties totaling 1.5 million square feet.

About Klepierre

(Get Free Report)

Klepierre SA is the European leader in shopping malls, combining property development and asset management skills. The Company's portfolio is valued at 19.3 billion at December 31, 2023, and comprises large shopping centers in more than 10 countries in Continental Europe which together host hundreds of millions of visitors per year. Klepierre SA holds a controlling stake in Steen & Strm (56.1%), Scandinavia's number one shopping center owner and manager. Klepierre SA is a French REIT (SIIC) listed on Euronext Paris and is included in the CAC Next 20 and EPRA Euro Zone Indexes. It is also included in ethical indexes, such as Euronext CAC 40 ESG, Euronext CAC SBT 1.5, MSCI Europe ESG Leaders, FTSE4Good, Euronext Vigeo Europe 120, and features in CDP's A-list. These distinctions underscore the Group's commitment to a proactive sustainable development policy and its global leadership in the fight against climate change.

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Gold Fields Limited (NYSE:GFI  Get Free Report) has been assigned an average rating of Hold from the six ratings firms that are presently covering the firm, MarketBeat.com reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have given a hold rating and one has given a buy rating to the company. The average 12 month target price among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $15.93.

Several equities analysts recently issued reports on GFI shares. Scotiabank cut their price target on shares of Gold Fields from $18.00 to $17.00 and set a sector perform rating for the company in a report on Monday, August 26th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on shares of Gold Fields from $17.50 to $16.70 and set a neutral rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, July 3rd. BMO Capital Markets raised shares of Gold Fields from an underperform rating to a market perform rating and lifted their price target for the company from $13.50 to $14.00 in a report on Wednesday, June 26th. StockNews.com raised shares of Gold Fields from a buy rating to a strong-buy rating in a report on Wednesday. Finally, Bank of America initiated coverage on shares of Gold Fields in a research note on Monday, September 16th. They issued a buy rating and a $16.00 target price for the company.

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Check Out Our Latest Stock Report on GFI

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Gold Fields

Gold Fields Stock Up 0.5 %

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of GFI. First Eagle Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Gold Fields during the 1st quarter worth approximately $85,326,000. Van ECK Associates Corp grew its position in shares of Gold Fields by 6.6% during the 1st quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 47,241,502 shares of the companys stock worth $750,667,000 after buying an additional 2,934,943 shares during the period. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. grew its position in shares of Gold Fields by 145.8% during the 4th quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 1,129,278 shares of the companys stock worth $16,329,000 after buying an additional 669,819 shares during the period. South Street Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Gold Fields during the 1st quarter worth approximately $9,260,000. Finally, Mackenzie Financial Corp grew its position in shares of Gold Fields by 28.7% during the 2nd quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corp now owns 2,609,289 shares of the companys stock worth $38,878,000 after buying an additional 581,730 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 26.02% of the companys stock.

Shares of GFI stock opened at $16.24 on Friday. Gold Fields has a 12-month low of $10.31 and a 12-month high of $18.97. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $15.30 and a 200 day moving average price of $15.75. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33, a current ratio of 1.77 and a quick ratio of 0.70.

Gold Fields Cuts Dividend

The business also recently announced a semi-annual dividend, which was paid on Thursday, September 26th. Shareholders of record on Friday, September 13th were paid a $0.1692 dividend. This represents a dividend yield of 2.2%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, September 13th.

About Gold Fields

(Get Free Report

Gold Fields Limited operates as a gold producer with reserves and resources in Chile, South Africa, Ghana, Canada, Australia, and Peru. It also explores for copper and silver deposits. The company was founded in 1887 and is based in Sandton, South Africa.

Further Reading

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BAGHDAD, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, a Shiite militia group, on Saturday claimed responsibility for four drone attacks on Israeli targets.

The group said in separate statements that its fighters launched three drone attacks at dawn on sites in northern Israel, including one in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, and a fourth attack on a site in southern Israel.

It did not specify the affected sites or report any casualties.

Since the onset of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in Gaza on Oct. 7, 2023, the Islamic Resistance in Iraq has conducted multiple attacks on Israeli and U.S. targets in the region to show its support for the Palestinians in Gaza.

The group has recently escalated its attacks on Israel amid ongoing intensive Israeli airstrikes across Lebanon. 
Research analysts at CIBC assumed coverage on shares of Denison Mines (NYSEAMERICAN:DNN  Get Free Report) (TSE:DML) in a research note issued on Thursday, MarketBeat Ratings reports. The firm set a sector outperform rating and a $3.25 price target on the basic materials companys stock. CIBCs target price indicates a potential upside of 75.68% from the companys current price.

DNN has been the subject of several other research reports. Scotiabank upgraded shares of Denison Mines to a strong-buy rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 2nd. BMO Capital Markets upgraded shares of Denison Mines from a market perform rating to an outperform rating in a research note on Wednesday. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Denison Mines to a sell rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 31st. National Bank Financial upgraded shares of Denison Mines to a strong-buy rating in a research note on Tuesday, September 3rd. Finally, Roth Capital upgraded shares of Denison Mines to a strong-buy rating in a research note on Thursday, June 27th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a buy rating and four have issued a strong buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Denison Mines has an average rating of Buy and an average target price of $2.93.

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Denison Mines Trading Down 0.5 %

Shares of NYSEAMERICAN DNN opened at $1.85 on Thursday. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.65 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.43 and a beta of 1.70. Denison Mines has a 52-week low of $1.40 and a 52-week high of $2.47. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $1.98.

Denison Mines (NYSEAMERICAN:DNN  Get Free Report) (TSE:DML) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, August 8th. The basic materials company reported ($0.01) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting analysts consensus estimates of ($0.01). The company had revenue of $0.97 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $0.80 million. Denison Mines had a return on equity of 9.45% and a net margin of 950.42%. On average, analysts predict that Denison Mines will post -0.06 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Denison Mines

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. &PARTNERS purchased a new position in Denison Mines during the first quarter worth about $34,000. RPS Advisory Solutions LLC purchased a new position in Denison Mines during the second quarter worth about $46,000. Legacy Capital Group California Inc. raised its holdings in Denison Mines by 131.7% during the second quarter. Legacy Capital Group California Inc. now owns 23,306 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $46,000 after purchasing an additional 13,248 shares in the last quarter. Toronto Dominion Bank raised its holdings in Denison Mines by 39.4% during the second quarter. Toronto Dominion Bank now owns 23,969 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $48,000 after purchasing an additional 6,777 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Headlands Technologies LLC purchased a new position in Denison Mines during the first quarter worth about $51,000. 36.74% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Denison Mines

(Get Free Report)

Denison Mines Corp. engages in the acquisition, exploration, and development of uranium bearing properties in Canada. Its flagship project is the Wheeler River uranium project covering an area of approximately 300,000 hectares located in the Athabasca Basin region in northern Saskatchewan. The company was formerly known as International Uranium Corporation and changed its name to Denison Mines Corp.

Further Reading

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Hugoton Royalty Trust (OTCMKTS:HGTXU  Get Free Report) and LandBridge (NYSE:LB  Get Free Report) are both oils/energy companies, but which is the superior investment? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their earnings, risk, analyst recommendations, profitability, valuation, dividends and institutional ownership.

Earnings and Valuation

This table compares Hugoton Royalty Trust and LandBridges gross revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

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Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Hugoton Royalty Trust $11.53 million 1.87 $11.10 million $0.27 1.99 LandBridge $100.26 million 29.04 N/A N/A N/A

Hugoton Royalty Trust has higher earnings, but lower revenue than LandBridge.

Profitability

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Hugoton Royalty Trust 96.22% N/A N/A LandBridge N/A N/A N/A

Dividends

This table compares Hugoton Royalty Trust and LandBridges net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Hugoton Royalty Trust pays an annual dividend of $0.46 per share and has a dividend yield of 85.4%. LandBridge pays an annual dividend of $0.60 per share and has a dividend yield of 1.5%. Hugoton Royalty Trust pays out 170.4% of its earnings in the form of a dividend, suggesting it may not have sufficient earnings to cover its dividend payment in the future.

Institutional & Insider Ownership

17.0% of Hugoton Royalty Trust shares are owned by institutional investors. 17.8% of LandBridge shares are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, endowments and hedge funds believe a company is poised for long-term growth.

Analyst Recommendations

This is a breakdown of recent ratings for Hugoton Royalty Trust and LandBridge, as reported by MarketBeat.

Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Hugoton Royalty Trust 0 0 0 0 N/A LandBridge 0 2 6 0 2.75

LandBridge has a consensus price target of $34.14, suggesting a potential downside of 14.21%. Given LandBridges higher probable upside, analysts clearly believe LandBridge is more favorable than Hugoton Royalty Trust.

Summary

LandBridge beats Hugoton Royalty Trust on 6 of the 9 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Hugoton Royalty Trust

(Get Free Report)

Hugoton Royalty Trust operates as an express trust in the United States. It holds 80% net profits interests in various natural gas producing working interest properties in Kansas, Oklahoma, and Wyoming under conveyances. The company was founded in 1998 and is based in Dallas, Texas.

About LandBridge

(Get Free Report)

LandBridge Company LLC owns and manages land and resources to support and enhance oil and natural gas development in the United States. It owns surface acres in and around the Delaware Basin in Texas and New Mexico. The company holds a portfolio of oil and gas royalties. It also sells brackish water and other surface composite materials. The company was founded in 2021 and is based in Houston, Texas. LandBridge Company LLC operates as a subsidiary of LandBridge Holdings LLC.

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Medical Facilities (OTCMKTS:MFCSF  Get Free Report) and National HealthCare (NYSE:NHC  Get Free Report) are both medical companies, but which is the better stock? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their earnings, profitability, risk, analyst recommendations, valuation, institutional ownership and dividends.

Profitability

This table compares Medical Facilities and National HealthCares net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

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Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Medical Facilities N/A N/A N/A National HealthCare 7.74% 6.39% 4.47%

Dividends

Medical Facilities pays an annual dividend of $1.04 per share and has a dividend yield of 10.4%. National HealthCare pays an annual dividend of $2.44 per share and has a dividend yield of 2.0%. Medical Facilities pays out 110.6% of its earnings in the form of a dividend, suggesting it may not have sufficient earnings to cover its dividend payment in the future. National HealthCare pays out 46.4% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. National HealthCare has increased its dividend for 9 consecutive years.

Institutional & Insider Ownership

Analyst Ratings

25.4% of Medical Facilities shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 56.4% of National HealthCare shares are held by institutional investors. 13.8% of National HealthCare shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, endowments and large money managers believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.

This is a summary of current ratings for Medical Facilities and National HealthCare, as reported by MarketBeat.com.

Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Medical Facilities 0 0 0 0 N/A National HealthCare 0 0 0 0 N/A

Earnings & Valuation

This table compares Medical Facilities and National HealthCares revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Medical Facilities N/A N/A N/A $0.94 10.65 National HealthCare $1.18 billion 1.62 $66.80 million $5.26 23.58

National HealthCare has higher revenue and earnings than Medical Facilities. Medical Facilities is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than National HealthCare, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Summary

National HealthCare beats Medical Facilities on 10 of the 11 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Medical Facilities

(Get Free Report)

Medical Facilities Corporation, through its subsidiaries, owns and operates specialty hospitals and ambulatory surgery center in the United States. The company's specialty hospital offers non-emergency surgical, imaging, diagnostic, and pain management procedures, as well as other ancillary services, such as primary and urgent care; and ambulatory surgery centers offers scheduled outpatient surgical procedures. Medical Facilities Corporation was incorporated in 2004 and is headquartered in Toronto, Canada.

About National HealthCare

(Get Free Report)

National HealthCare Corporation engages in the operation of services to skilled nursing facilities, assisted and independent living facilities, homecare and hospice agencies, and health hospitals. Its skilled nursing facilities offer licensed therapy services, nutrition services, social services, activities, and housekeeping and laundry services, as well as medical services prescribed by physicians; and rehabilitative services, such as physical, speech, respiratory, and occupational therapy for patients recovering from strokes, heart attacks, orthopedic conditions, neurological illnesses, or other illnesses, injuries, or disabilities. The companys medical specialty units comprise memory care units and sub-cute nursing units that provide specialized care and programs for persons with Alzheimers or related disorders; and assisted living facilities offer personal care services and assistance with general activities of daily living, such as dressing, bathing, meal preparation, and medication management. Its independent living facilities offers specially designed residential units for the active and ambulatory elderly and provide various ancillary services for residents, including restaurants, activity rooms and social areas; and behavioral health services to both adults and geriatric patients with psychiatric, emotional, and addictive disorders. In addition, the companys homecare agencies assist those who wish to stay at home or in assisted living residences but still require some degree of medical care or assistance with daily activities; hospice agencies that provides hospice and palliative care; and operates pharmacies, as well as managed care insurance solutions. Further, it offers management, accounting, and financial services; and leases its properties to third party operators. The company was founded in 1971 and is based in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.

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Ur-Energy Inc. (NYSEAMERICAN:URG  Get Free Report) (TSE:URE) Director Gary C. Huber sold 97,628 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Wednesday, September 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1.23, for a total value of $120,082.44. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 404,869 shares in the company, valued at approximately $497,988.87. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link.

Ur-Energy Trading Down 2.1 %

NYSEAMERICAN:URG opened at $1.17 on Friday. Ur-Energy Inc. has a 1-year low of $0.96 and a 1-year high of $2.01. The stock has a market capitalization of $422.04 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -6.13 and a beta of 1.12.

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Ur-Energy (NYSEAMERICAN:URG  Get Free Report) (TSE:URE) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Friday, August 9th. The basic materials company reported ($0.03) earnings per share for the quarter, meeting analysts consensus estimates of ($0.03). The business had revenue of $4.65 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.60 million. Ur-Energy had a negative net margin of 173.40% and a negative return on equity of 65.47%. Research analysts anticipate that Ur-Energy Inc. will post -0.09 EPS for the current year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Ur-Energy

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Lloyd Harbor Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Ur-Energy by 167.4% in the second quarter. Lloyd Harbor Capital Management LLC now owns 8,146,858 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $11,406,000 after acquiring an additional 5,100,000 shares in the last quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company bought a new stake in Ur-Energy during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $150,000. Xponance Inc. acquired a new stake in Ur-Energy during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $25,000. Goehring & Rozencwajg Associates LLC lifted its stake in Ur-Energy by 21.5% in the second quarter. Goehring & Rozencwajg Associates LLC now owns 2,931,546 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $4,104,000 after buying an additional 517,800 shares in the last quarter. Finally, CQS US LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Ur-Energy by 0.5% in the second quarter. CQS US LLC now owns 12,223,939 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $17,114,000 after buying an additional 64,141 shares during the period. 57.51% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Several equities analysts recently issued reports on URG shares. B. Riley decreased their price target on Ur-Energy from $3.00 to $2.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, August 20th. Ventum Cap Mkts raised shares of Ur-Energy to a strong-buy rating in a research note on Monday, July 8th. Finally, HC Wainwright dropped their price target on shares of Ur-Energy from $3.20 to $2.70 and set a buy rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, August 14th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Ur-Energy currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $2.27.

Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on Ur-Energy

About Ur-Energy

(Get Free Report)

Ur-Energy Inc engages in the acquisition, exploration, development, and operation of uranium mineral properties. The company holds interests in 12 projects located in the United States. Its flagship property is the Lost Creek project comprising a total of approximately 1,800 unpatented mining claims and three Wyoming mineral leases covering an area of approximately 35,400 acres located in the Great Divide Basin, Wyoming.

Further Reading

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Brunswick Bancorp (OTCMKTS:BRBW  Get Free Report) and Western Alliance Bancorporation (NYSE:WAL  Get Free Report) are both finance companies, but which is the superior business? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their institutional ownership, valuation, profitability, risk, dividends, earnings and analyst recommendations.

Volatility and Risk

Brunswick Bancorp has a beta of 0.05, suggesting that its share price is 95% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Western Alliance Bancorporation has a beta of 1.44, suggesting that its share price is 44% more volatile than the S&P 500.

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Institutional & Insider Ownership

2.5% of Brunswick Bancorp shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 79.2% of Western Alliance Bancorporation shares are held by institutional investors. 2.8% of Western Alliance Bancorporation shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, endowments and hedge funds believe a company is poised for long-term growth.

Earnings and Valuation

Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Brunswick Bancorp $16.41 million 2.75 $3.85 million $1.21 13.22 Western Alliance Bancorporation $4.32 billion 2.18 $722.40 million $6.86 12.48

This table compares Brunswick Bancorp and Western Alliance Bancorporations revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

Western Alliance Bancorporation has higher revenue and earnings than Brunswick Bancorp. Western Alliance Bancorporation is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Brunswick Bancorp, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Analyst Ratings

This is a summary of current ratings and price targets for Brunswick Bancorp and Western Alliance Bancorporation, as provided by MarketBeat.

Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Brunswick Bancorp 0 0 0 0 N/A Western Alliance Bancorporation 0 2 13 0 2.87

Western Alliance Bancorporation has a consensus target price of $87.40, suggesting a potential upside of 2.11%. Given Western Alliance Bancorporations higher possible upside, analysts plainly believe Western Alliance Bancorporation is more favorable than Brunswick Bancorp.

Profitability

This table compares Brunswick Bancorp and Western Alliance Bancorporations net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Brunswick Bancorp 20.13% N/A N/A Western Alliance Bancorporation 15.54% 13.98% 1.08%

Summary

Western Alliance Bancorporation beats Brunswick Bancorp on 10 of the 13 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Brunswick Bancorp

(Get Free Report)

Brunswick Bancorp is a bank holding company, which engages in the provision of consumer and commercial banking services. It offers personal banking, checking, certificate of deposit accounts, business checking, equipment leasing, commercial mortgages, small business loans, construction loans, and merchant services. The company was founded in 1984 and is headquartered in New Brunswick, NJ.

About Western Alliance Bancorporation

(Get Free Report)

Western Alliance Bancorporation operates as the bank holding company for Western Alliance Bank that provides various banking products and related services primarily in Arizona, California, and Nevada. It operates through Commercial and Consumer Related segments. The company offers deposit products, including checking, savings, and money market accounts, as well as fixed-rate and fixed maturity certificates of deposit accounts; demand deposits; and treasury management and residential mortgage products and services. It also provides commercial and industrial loan products, such as working capital lines of credit, loans to technology companies, inventory and accounts receivable lines, mortgage warehouse lines, equipment loans and leases, and other commercial loans; commercial real estate loans, which are secured by multi-family residential properties, professional offices, industrial facilities, retail centers, hotels, and other commercial properties; construction and land development loans for single family and multi-family residential projects, industrial/warehouse properties, office buildings, retail centers, medical office facilities, and residential lot developments; and consumer loans. In addition, the company provides other financial services, such as internet banking, wire transfers, electronic bill payment and presentment, funds transfer and other digital payment offerings, lock box services, courier, and cash management services. Further, the company holds certain investment securities, municipal and non-profit loans, and leases; invests primarily in low-income housing tax credits and small business investment corporations; and holds certain real estate loans and related securities. Western Alliance Bancorporation was founded in 1994 and is headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona.

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Independence Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE:IRT  Get Free Report) has earned an average rating of Moderate Buy from the seven research firms that are presently covering the company, MarketBeat.com reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and six have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average 12-month target price among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $19.57.

IRT has been the subject of several recent research reports. BTIG Research upped their target price on Independence Realty Trust from $18.00 to $21.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Monday, August 12th. KeyCorp increased their target price on Independence Realty Trust from $20.00 to $22.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research report on Friday, September 6th. JMP Securities raised their target price on Independence Realty Trust from $20.00 to $22.00 and gave the company a market outperform rating in a research note on Monday, September 9th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upped their price target on shares of Independence Realty Trust from $18.00 to $22.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Tuesday, September 10th.

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Institutional Investors Weigh In On Independence Realty Trust

Independence Realty Trust Price Performance

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC bought a new stake in shares of Independence Realty Trust during the 2nd quarter worth about $25,000. Pathway Financial Advisers LLC acquired a new position in shares of Independence Realty Trust during the first quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Lazard Asset Management LLC bought a new stake in Independence Realty Trust during the first quarter worth approximately $40,000. Advisors Asset Management Inc. lifted its position in Independence Realty Trust by 146.6% in the first quarter. Advisors Asset Management Inc. now owns 2,833 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $46,000 after purchasing an additional 1,684 shares during the period. Finally, Financial Gravity Asset Management Inc. bought a new position in Independence Realty Trust during the 2nd quarter valued at $64,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 88.25% of the companys stock.

Independence Realty Trust stock opened at $20.50 on Friday. Independence Realty Trust has a 12 month low of $11.61 and a 12 month high of $21.20. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $19.93 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $17.95. The company has a market cap of $4.61 billion, a PE ratio of -683.17, a P/E/G ratio of 3.10 and a beta of 1.17.

Independence Realty Trust Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, October 18th. Stockholders of record on Monday, September 30th will be issued a dividend of $0.16 per share. This represents a $0.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.12%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, September 30th. Independence Realty Trusts dividend payout ratio (DPR) is -2,133.33%.

About Independence Realty Trust

(Get Free Report

Independence Realty Trust, Inc (NYSE: IRT) is a real estate investment trust that owns and operates multifamily communities, across non-gateway U.S. markets including Atlanta, GA, Dallas, TX, Denver, CO, Columbus, OH, Indianapolis, IN, Raleigh-Durham, NC, Oklahoma City, OK, Nashville, TN, Houston, TX, and Tampa, FL.

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Kinross Gold Co. (TSE:K  Free Report) (NYSE:KGC)  Investment analysts at Raymond James lifted their Q1 2025 earnings per share estimates for shares of Kinross Gold in a research report issued on Monday, September 23rd. Raymond James analyst F. Hamed now expects that the company will earn $0.30 per share for the quarter, up from their previous estimate of $0.18. The consensus estimate for Kinross Golds current full-year earnings is $1.02 per share. Raymond James also issued estimates for Kinross Golds Q2 2025 earnings at $0.30 EPS, Q3 2025 earnings at $0.30 EPS, Q4 2025 earnings at $0.30 EPS and FY2025 earnings at $1.20 EPS.

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Kinross Gold (TSE:K  Get Free Report) (NYSE:KGC) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 31st. The company reported C$0.19 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of C$0.18 by C$0.01. Kinross Gold had a return on equity of 7.81% and a net margin of 10.91%. The company had revenue of C$1.67 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of C$1.39 billion.

A number of other research analysts also recently commented on K. Canaccord Genuity Group dropped their price objective on Kinross Gold from C$17.00 to C$16.50 and set a buy rating on the stock in a report on Friday, September 13th. Eight Capital increased their price objective on Kinross Gold from C$15.00 to C$16.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Wednesday, September 11th. Finally, National Bankshares increased their price objective on Kinross Gold from C$13.75 to C$16.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Wednesday, July 17th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, Based on data from MarketBeat, Kinross Gold has a consensus rating of Buy and an average price target of C$14.60.

Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on Kinross Gold

Kinross Gold Price Performance

Shares of TSE K opened at C$12.79 on Thursday. The stocks 50-day moving average is C$12.28 and its two-hundred day moving average is C$10.69. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 31.89, a current ratio of 1.27 and a quick ratio of 1.11. Kinross Gold has a 1-year low of C$5.91 and a 1-year high of C$13.70. The company has a market cap of C$15.73 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.69, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of -0.60 and a beta of 1.24.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Senior Officer Laurence Davies sold 12,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, September 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of C$13.05, for a total value of C$156,600.00. In other news, Senior Officer Laurence Davies sold 12,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, September 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of C$13.05, for a total value of C$156,600.00. Also, Senior Officer David C. Shaver sold 4,663 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of C$13.17, for a total value of C$61,411.71. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 21,163 shares of company stock valued at $273,407. 0.27% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Kinross Gold Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, September 6th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, August 22nd were given a dividend of $0.041 per share. This represents a $0.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.28%. This is a boost from Kinross Golds previous quarterly dividend of $0.03. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, August 22nd. Kinross Golds dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 29.63%.

Kinross Gold Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Kinross Gold Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the acquisition, exploration, and development of gold properties principally in the United States, Brazil, Chile, Canada, and Mauritania. The company operates the Fort Knox mine and the Manh Choh project in Alaska, as well as the Round Mountain and the Bald Mountain mines in Nevada, the United States; the Paracatu mine in Brazil; the La Coipa and the Lobo-Marte project in Chile; the Tasiast mine in Mauritania; and the Great Bear project in Canada.

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Mandom Co. (OTCMKTS:MDOMF  Get Free Report) saw a significant drop in short interest during the month of September. As of September 15th, there was short interest totalling 4,300 shares, a drop of 58.7% from the August 31st total of 10,400 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 0 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently  days.

Mandom Price Performance

OTCMKTS:MDOMF opened at $9.00 on Friday. Mandom has a one year low of $9.00 and a one year high of $9.00. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $9.00 and a 200-day moving average price of $9.00. The firm has a market capitalization of $434.42 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.04 and a beta of 2.58.

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Mandom Company Profile

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Mandom Corporation engages in the manufacture and sale of cosmetics, perfumes, and quasi-drugs in Japan, Indonesia, and internationally. The company offers a range of products, including men's everyday grooming products, as well as general fashion items, such as hair styling, skin care, and body care products; and hair coloring, scalp care, and face care products under the Gatsby and Lucido brands.

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Wells Fargo & Company lowered shares of Nutrien (NYSE:NTR  Free Report) from an overweight rating to an equal weight rating in a research note published on Tuesday, MarketBeat Ratings reports. They currently have $50.00 price target on the stock, down from their prior price target of $62.00.

Other equities research analysts also recently issued reports about the company. Royal Bank of Canada restated an outperform rating and set a $60.00 price objective on shares of Nutrien in a report on Friday, September 20th. Hsbc Global Res downgraded Nutrien from a hold rating to a moderate sell rating in a report on Friday, August 2nd. Barclays lowered their price target on Nutrien from $68.00 to $55.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a report on Friday, August 16th. UBS Group lowered their price target on Nutrien from $67.00 to $66.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, July 9th. Finally, Mizuho lowered their price target on Nutrien from $55.00 to $52.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a report on Thursday, August 8th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have assigned a hold rating and eleven have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $61.50.

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Nutrien Price Performance

NTR stock opened at $48.25 on Tuesday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.82, a current ratio of 1.26 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.37. Nutrien has a 52-week low of $44.65 and a 52-week high of $63.60. The stocks 50 day moving average is $47.74 and its two-hundred day moving average is $51.72. The company has a market capitalization of $23.87 billion, a PE ratio of 28.22, a P/E/G ratio of 1.55 and a beta of 0.82.

Nutrien (NYSE:NTR  Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 7th. The company reported $2.34 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.19 by $0.15. Nutrien had a return on equity of 6.91% and a net margin of 2.97%. The company had revenue of $10.16 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $10.82 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $2.53 EPS. Nutriens revenue for the quarter was down 12.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts predict that Nutrien will post 3.83 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Nutrien Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, October 18th. Investors of record on Friday, September 27th will be given a dividend of $0.54 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, September 27th. This represents a $2.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.48%. Nutriens dividend payout ratio is currently 126.32%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Family Firm Inc. acquired a new position in Nutrien during the 2nd quarter worth $32,000. GoalVest Advisory LLC acquired a new position in Nutrien during the 1st quarter worth $35,000. Trust Co. of Vermont boosted its position in Nutrien by 50.0% during the 2nd quarter. Trust Co. of Vermont now owns 900 shares of the companys stock worth $46,000 after acquiring an additional 300 shares during the period. Covestor Ltd boosted its position in Nutrien by 33.3% during the 1st quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 932 shares of the companys stock worth $50,000 after acquiring an additional 233 shares during the period. Finally, Andra AP fonden acquired a new position in Nutrien during the 2nd quarter worth $51,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 63.10% of the companys stock.

About Nutrien

(Get Free Report)

Nutrien Ltd. provides crop inputs and services. The company operates through four segments: Retail, Potash, Nitrogen, and Phosphate. The Retail segment distributes crop nutrients, crop protection products, seeds, and merchandise products. The Potash segment provides granular and standard potash products.

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Wang Huning, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), delivers a speech at a reception to celebrate the upcoming 75th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 28, 2024. The reception was jointly held by the General Office of the CPPCC National Committee, the United Front Work Department of the CPC Central Committee, the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of the State Council, the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, and the All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese. (Xinhua/Li Tao)

BEIJING, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- China's top political advisor Wang Huning on Saturday called for consolidating and developing the broadest possible patriotic united front to rally the people's support, foster consensus, and pool their strength to advance Chinese modernization.

Wang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, made the remarks at a reception held in Beijing to celebrate the upcoming 75th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China.

"To accomplish Chinese modernization, it is essential for all Chinese people to unite and collaborate collectively," he said.

On Hong Kong and Macao, Wang stressed the determination to continue to fully, faithfully, and resolutely implement the policy of One Country, Two Systems, see that Hong Kong and Macao are administered by patriots, inspire more people in Hong Kong and Macao to love both the country and their own regions, and support Hong Kong and Macao in better integrating themselves into the country's overall development.

On Taiwan, Wang stressed adherence to the one-China principle and the 1992 Consensus, expressing the willingness to promote peaceful development of cross-Strait relations and advance integrated development in all fields.

He called for efforts to resolutely oppose "Taiwan independence" separatist activities and foreign interference and unswervingly advance the cause of national reunification.

About 2,000 representatives from Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan and overseas Chinese communities attended the reception. 

Wang Huning, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), delivers a speech at a reception to celebrate the upcoming 75th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 28, 2024. The reception was jointly held by the General Office of the CPPCC National Committee, the United Front Work Department of the CPC Central Committee, the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of the State Council, the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, and the All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese. (Xinhua/Zhai Jianlan)

Wang Huning, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), attends a reception to celebrate the upcoming 75th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 28, 2024. The reception was jointly held by the General Office of the CPPCC National Committee, the United Front Work Department of the CPC Central Committee, the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of the State Council, the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, and the All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese. (Xinhua/Zhai Jianlan)
Raymond James assumed coverage on shares of Uber Technologies (NYSE:UBER  Free Report) in a research report sent to investors on Tuesday morning, Marketbeat reports. The firm issued a strong-buy rating and a $90.00 target price on the ride-sharing companys stock.

Several other analysts also recently weighed in on the company. Loop Capital lifted their price objective on Uber Technologies from $83.00 to $84.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Tuesday, September 3rd. Royal Bank of Canada reissued an outperform rating and set a $80.00 price objective on shares of Uber Technologies in a report on Wednesday, August 7th. Citigroup upped their target price on Uber Technologies from $96.00 to $98.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Wednesday, August 7th. BMO Capital Markets reiterated an outperform rating and issued a $92.00 price target on shares of Uber Technologies in a report on Tuesday, July 30th. Finally, Evercore ISI raised their price objective on Uber Technologies from $80.00 to $90.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 7th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, thirty-one have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $87.81.

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Uber Technologies Trading Down 1.2 %

UBER opened at $75.77 on Tuesday. The firm has a market cap of $159.19 billion, a P/E ratio of 122.48, a P/E/G ratio of 1.38 and a beta of 1.33. Uber Technologies has a 12 month low of $40.09 and a 12 month high of $82.14. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $70.09 and a 200 day moving average of $70.71. The company has a current ratio of 1.21, a quick ratio of 1.21 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72.

Uber Technologies (NYSE:UBER  Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 6th. The ride-sharing company reported $0.47 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.31 by $0.16. The company had revenue of $10.70 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $10.57 billion. Uber Technologies had a net margin of 5.02% and a return on equity of 17.06%. The firms quarterly revenue was up 15.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $0.18 EPS. As a group, research analysts forecast that Uber Technologies will post 1.06 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity at Uber Technologies

In other news, CEO Dara Khosrowshahi sold 500,000 shares of Uber Technologies stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, July 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $71.91, for a total transaction of $35,955,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 1,266,114 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $91,046,257.74. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. In related news, CEO Dara Khosrowshahi sold 500,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Monday, July 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $71.91, for a total transaction of $35,955,000.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 1,266,114 shares in the company, valued at $91,046,257.74. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, insider Jill Hazelbaker sold 40,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Monday, September 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $72.00, for a total transaction of $2,880,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 127,352 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $9,169,344. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 3.84% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Uber Technologies

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Wealthspire Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of Uber Technologies by 0.6% in the second quarter. Wealthspire Advisors LLC now owns 24,893 shares of the ride-sharing companys stock valued at $1,809,000 after purchasing an additional 151 shares during the period. Hilltop Holdings Inc. increased its stake in Uber Technologies by 2.9% during the 4th quarter. Hilltop Holdings Inc. now owns 5,634 shares of the ride-sharing companys stock worth $347,000 after buying an additional 157 shares in the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC increased its stake in Uber Technologies by 3.3% during the 1st quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 4,882 shares of the ride-sharing companys stock worth $376,000 after buying an additional 157 shares in the last quarter. Wellington Shields Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Uber Technologies by 6.1% during the first quarter. Wellington Shields Capital Management LLC now owns 2,756 shares of the ride-sharing companys stock valued at $212,000 after acquiring an additional 159 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Industrial Alliance Investment Management Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Uber Technologies by 3.2% in the first quarter. Industrial Alliance Investment Management Inc. now owns 5,170 shares of the ride-sharing companys stock worth $398,000 after acquiring an additional 160 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.24% of the companys stock.

About Uber Technologies

(Get Free Report)

Uber Technologies, Inc develops and operates proprietary technology applications in the United States, Canada, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia excluding China and Southeast Asia. It operates through three segments: Mobility, Delivery, and Freight. The Mobility segment connects consumers with a range of transportation modalities, such as ridesharing, carsharing, micromobility, rentals, public transit, taxis, and other modalities; and offers riders in a variety of vehicle types, as well as financial partnerships products and advertising services.

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ASM International NV (OTCMKTS:ASMIY  Get Free Report) was the recipient of a significant growth in short interest in September. As of September 15th, there was short interest totalling 500 shares, a growth of 150.0% from the August 31st total of 200 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 11,800 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 0.0 days.

ASM International Trading Up 0.5 %

ASMIY stock opened at $657.00 on Friday. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $646.05 and a two-hundred day moving average of $671.94. ASM International has a 12 month low of $375.35 and a 12 month high of $813.23. The company has a market cap of $32.41 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 55.03 and a beta of 1.64.

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ASM International (OTCMKTS:ASMIY  Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 23rd. The company reported $3.58 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $4.17 by ($0.59). The company had revenue of $760.07 million during the quarter. ASM International had a net margin of 21.26% and a return on equity of 17.74%. As a group, equities analysts forecast that ASM International will post 16.41 earnings per share for the current year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Separately, Morgan Stanley raised shares of ASM International from an equal weight rating to an overweight rating in a research note on Thursday, June 20th.

Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on ASM International

About ASM International

(Get Free Report)

ASM International NV, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the research, development, manufacture, marketing, and servicing of equipment and materials used to produce semiconductor devices in Europe, the United States, and Asia. The company's products include wafer processing deposition systems for atomic layer deposition (ALD), epitaxy, silicon carbide, plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD), and vertical furnace systems, including low pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD), diffusion, and oxidation products, as well as provides spare parts and support services.

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Cellnex Telecom, S.A. (OTCMKTS:CLLNY  Get Free Report) was the target of a significant increase in short interest in the month of September. As of September 15th, there was short interest totalling 56,600 shares, an increase of 236.9% from the August 31st total of 16,800 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 84,400 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 0.7 days.

Cellnex Telecom Stock Performance

CLLNY traded up $0.05 on Friday, reaching $20.27. 22,977 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 94,120. Cellnex Telecom has a 52-week low of $13.69 and a 52-week high of $20.77. The stocks 50 day moving average price is $19.01 and its 200-day moving average price is $17.98.

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About Cellnex Telecom

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Cellnex Telecom, SA operates infrastructure for wireless telecommunication in Austria, Denmark, Spain, France, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, the United Kingdom, Sweden, and Switzerland. It operates through three segments: Telecom Infrastructure Services, Broadcasting Infrastructure, and Other Network Services.

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Voestalpine AG (OTCMKTS:VLPNY  Get Free Report) saw a significant drop in short interest in September. As of September 15th, there was short interest totalling 100 shares, a drop of 50.0% from the August 31st total of 200 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 400 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 0.3 days.

Voestalpine Stock Performance

Shares of OTCMKTS:VLPNY opened at $4.62 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.52, a current ratio of 1.37 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19. The business has a 50-day moving average of $4.77 and a two-hundred day moving average of $5.23. Voestalpine has a fifty-two week low of $4.33 and a fifty-two week high of $6.20.

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Voestalpine (OTCMKTS:VLPNY  Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, August 7th. The company reported $0.17 earnings per share for the quarter. Voestalpine had a return on equity of 1.13% and a net margin of 0.35%. The firm had revenue of $4.46 billion during the quarter. On average, research analysts anticipate that Voestalpine will post 0.72 EPS for the current year.

About Voestalpine

Voestalpine AG processes, develops, manufactures, and sells steel products in Austria, European Union, and internationally. The company operates through five segments: Steel, High Performance Metals, Metal Engineering, Metal Forming, and Other. The Steel division produces hot and cold-rolled steel strips, as well as electrogalvanized, hot-dip galvanized, and organically coated steel strips; and heavy plates for the energy sector, as well as turbine casings for automotive, white goods/consumer goods, building/construction, energy, mechanical engineering, and others.

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Stora Enso Oyj (OTCMKTS:SEOAY  Get Free Report) was the target of a significant increase in short interest in September. As of September 15th, there was short interest totalling 61,100 shares, an increase of 281.9% from the August 31st total of 16,000 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 98,700 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 0.6 days.

Stora Enso Oyj Stock Performance

SEOAY stock traded down $0.10 on Friday, hitting $12.74. 35,374 shares of the companys stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 50,459. The company has a quick ratio of 1.14, a current ratio of 1.54 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40. Stora Enso Oyj has a 1-year low of $11.19 and a 1-year high of $15.29. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $12.42 and a 200-day moving average of $13.33.

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Stora Enso Oyj (OTCMKTS:SEOAY  Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 24th. The basic materials company reported $0.08 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.07 by $0.01. Stora Enso Oyj had a negative return on equity of 3.76% and a negative net margin of 2.17%. The firm had revenue of $2.48 billion for the quarter. On average, research analysts expect that Stora Enso Oyj will post 0.57 EPS for the current year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, Citigroup upgraded shares of Stora Enso Oyj from a neutral rating to a buy rating in a report on Monday, July 1st.

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Stora Enso Oyj Company Profile

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Stora Enso Oyj provides renewable solutions for the packaging, biomaterials, wooden constructions, and paper industries in Finland and internationally. It operates through Packaging Materials, Packaging Solutions, Biomaterials, Wood Products, Forest, Paper, and Other segments. The company's Packaging Materials segment offers virgin and recycled fiber replace fossil-based materials with low-carbon, renewable and recyclable packaging materials for food and beverage, pharmaceutical, and transport packaging.

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Sunstone Hotel Investors, Inc. (NYSE:SHO  Get Free Report) announced a quarterly dividend on Wednesday, August 7th, Wall Street Journal reports. Investors of record on Monday, September 30th will be given a dividend of 0.09 per share by the real estate investment trust on Tuesday, October 15th. This represents a $0.36 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.40%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, September 30th.

Sunstone Hotel Investors has raised its dividend by an average of 68.7% annually over the last three years. Sunstone Hotel Investors has a payout ratio of 128.6% indicating that the company cannot currently cover its dividend with earnings alone and is relying on its balance sheet to cover its dividend payments. Equities research analysts expect Sunstone Hotel Investors to earn $0.98 per share next year, which means the company should continue to be able to cover its $0.36 annual dividend with an expected future payout ratio of 36.7%.

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Sunstone Hotel Investors Stock Performance

Sunstone Hotel Investors stock opened at $10.60 on Friday. Sunstone Hotel Investors has a fifty-two week low of $9.03 and a fifty-two week high of $11.59. The company has a market capitalization of $2.16 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.78, a PEG ratio of 4.57 and a beta of 1.25. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $10.18 and a two-hundred day moving average of $10.36. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.43, a quick ratio of 3.75 and a current ratio of 3.75.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Sunstone Hotel Investors ( NYSE:SHO Get Free Report ) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 7th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.11 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.27 by ($0.16). The company had revenue of $247.50 million for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $248.12 million. Sunstone Hotel Investors had a return on equity of 9.75% and a net margin of 19.51%. The companys revenue for the quarter was down 10.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $0.33 EPS. On average, analysts anticipate that Sunstone Hotel Investors will post 0.88 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Several brokerages recently issued reports on SHO. Wells Fargo & Company raised shares of Sunstone Hotel Investors from an underweight rating to an equal weight rating and set a $10.50 price objective on the stock in a research note on Friday, September 13th. Wolfe Research raised Sunstone Hotel Investors from a peer perform rating to an outperform rating and set a $12.00 price target on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, July 10th. Finally, StockNews.com downgraded Sunstone Hotel Investors from a hold rating to a sell rating in a research report on Thursday, August 1st. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, four have issued a hold rating, two have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $11.07.

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About Sunstone Hotel Investors

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Sunstone Hotel Investors, Inc is a lodging real estate investment trust ("REIT") that as of the date of this release owns 14 hotels comprised of 6,675 rooms, the majority of which are operated under nationally recognized brands. Sunstone's strategy is to create long-term stakeholder value through the acquisition, active ownership, and disposition of well-located hotel and resort real estate.

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CAVA Group (NYSE:CAVA  Free Report) had its price target increased by TD Securities from $115.00 to $130.00 in a research report report published on Tuesday, Benzinga reports. TD Securities currently has a buy rating on the stock.

A number of other brokerages have also recently issued reports on CAVA. Robert W. Baird lifted their price objective on shares of CAVA Group from $105.00 to $125.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Friday, August 23rd. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price target on CAVA Group from $94.00 to $117.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Friday, August 23rd. Citigroup increased their price objective on CAVA Group from $93.00 to $115.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research note on Friday, August 23rd. Stifel Nicolaus upped their price target on CAVA Group from $90.00 to $110.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Monday, August 19th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on CAVA Group from $77.00 to $90.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research report on Monday, August 26th. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, CAVA Group currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $115.64.

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CAVA Group Stock Performance

CAVA stock opened at $123.76 on Tuesday. CAVA Group has a fifty-two week low of $29.05 and a fifty-two week high of $131.82. The stocks 50 day simple moving average is $104.31 and its 200 day simple moving average is $86.85. The company has a market cap of $14.15 billion, a P/E ratio of 301.86 and a beta of 3.34.

CAVA Group (NYSE:CAVA  Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, August 22nd. The company reported $0.17 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.13 by $0.04. CAVA Group had a return on equity of 7.37% and a net margin of 5.04%. The company had revenue of $233.50 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $219.47 million. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.21 earnings per share. CAVA Groups revenue for the quarter was up 35.1% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts predict that CAVA Group will post 0.43 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Theodoros Xenohristos sold 98,490 shares of CAVA Group stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $125.77, for a total value of $12,387,087.30. Following the sale, the director now owns 424,846 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $53,432,881.42. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. In other news, CEO Brett Schulman sold 201,504 shares of CAVA Group stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $125.53, for a total value of $25,294,797.12. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 702,590 shares in the company, valued at $88,196,122.70. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director Theodoros Xenohristos sold 98,490 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $125.77, for a total transaction of $12,387,087.30. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 424,846 shares in the company, valued at approximately $53,432,881.42. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 310,943 shares of company stock valued at $38,872,086 in the last three months.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Jamison Private Wealth Management Inc. bought a new position in shares of CAVA Group in the second quarter worth $28,000. Nemes Rush Group LLC bought a new position in CAVA Group in the 2nd quarter worth about $28,000. CWM LLC grew its holdings in CAVA Group by 101.2% during the 1st quarter. CWM LLC now owns 505 shares of the companys stock valued at $35,000 after buying an additional 254 shares in the last quarter. Mark Sheptoff Financial Planning LLC bought a new stake in shares of CAVA Group during the second quarter valued at about $36,000. Finally, Headlands Technologies LLC purchased a new stake in shares of CAVA Group in the second quarter worth about $37,000. 73.15% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

CAVA Group Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

CAVA Group, Inc owns and operates a chain of restaurants under the CAVA brand in the United States. The company also offers dips, spreads, and dressings through grocery stores. In addition, the company provides online and mobile ordering platforms. Cava Group, Inc was founded in 2006 and is headquartered in Washington, the District of Columbia.

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AutoZone (NYSE:AZO  Free Report) had its target price reduced by Truist Financial from $3,394.00 to $3,341.00 in a research note published on Wednesday morning, Benzinga reports. They currently have a buy rating on the stock.

Other analysts have also recently issued reports about the stock. Evercore ISI dropped their price target on shares of AutoZone from $3,900.00 to $3,350.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, September 20th. Oppenheimer reissued a market perform rating and set a $2,600.00 target price on shares of AutoZone in a research report on Wednesday, June 26th. StockNews.com cut AutoZone from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Saturday, September 21st. Morgan Stanley raised their price objective on AutoZone from $3,038.00 to $3,125.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Wednesday. Finally, Guggenheim boosted their target price on AutoZone from $3,150.00 to $3,225.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Wednesday, June 26th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, fourteen have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $3,169.38.

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AutoZone Stock Up 0.2 %

Shares of AutoZone stock opened at $3,196.61 on Wednesday. AutoZone has a 12 month low of $2,375.35 and a 12 month high of $3,256.37. The stock has a market cap of $54.61 billion, a PE ratio of 22.11, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.43 and a beta of 0.71. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $3,116.79 and a 200-day simple moving average of $3,011.32.

AutoZone (NYSE:AZO  Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, September 24th. The company reported $48.11 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $53.31 by ($5.20). The company had revenue of $6.21 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.25 billion. AutoZone had a net margin of 14.60% and a negative return on equity of 54.58%. The companys quarterly revenue was up 9.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business earned $46.46 EPS. Analysts expect that AutoZone will post 151.08 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at AutoZone

In related news, VP John Scott Murphy sold 1,580 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Wednesday, September 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $3,107.69, for a total value of $4,910,150.20. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 1,218 shares in the company, valued at $3,785,166.42. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. 2.50% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On AutoZone

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in AZO. SG Americas Securities LLC increased its stake in AutoZone by 35.3% in the first quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 3,534 shares of the companys stock valued at $11,138,000 after acquiring an additional 922 shares during the period. Sei Investments Co. raised its holdings in shares of AutoZone by 60.7% in the 1st quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 22,315 shares of the companys stock worth $70,326,000 after buying an additional 8,427 shares in the last quarter. Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. raised its holdings in shares of AutoZone by 12.9% in the 1st quarter. Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. now owns 3,509 shares of the companys stock worth $11,059,000 after buying an additional 401 shares in the last quarter. Parnassus Investments LLC lifted its position in shares of AutoZone by 32.0% during the 4th quarter. Parnassus Investments LLC now owns 243,571 shares of the companys stock worth $629,780,000 after buying an additional 58,989 shares during the period. Finally, Peak Financial Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in AutoZone in the 2nd quarter valued at $2,816,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.74% of the companys stock.

About AutoZone

(Get Free Report)

AutoZone, Inc retails and distributes automotive replacement parts and accessories in the United States, Mexico, and Brazil. The company provides various products for cars, sport utility vehicles, vans, and light trucks, including new and remanufactured automotive hard parts, maintenance items, accessories, and non-automotive products.

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Whitecap Resources Inc. (OTCMKTS:SPGYF  Get Free Report) announced a dividend on Saturday, September 21st, investing.com reports. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, October 1st will be given a dividend of 0.0447 per share on Tuesday, October 15th. This represents a dividend yield of 6.96%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, September 30th. This is a positive change from Whitecap Resourcess previous dividend of $0.04.

Whitecap Resources Price Performance

Whitecap Resources stock opened at $7.37 on Friday. The companys 50 day simple moving average is $7.46 and its 200-day simple moving average is $7.48. Whitecap Resources has a 1 year low of $6.02 and a 1 year high of $8.73.

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Whitecap Resources Company Profile

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Further Reading

Whitecap Resources Inc, an oil and gas company, focuses on the acquisition, development, and production of oil and gas assets in Western Canada. The company's primary areas of focus of its development programs are in Northern Alberta and British Columbia, Central Alberta, and Saskatchewan. The company was founded in 2009 and is headquartered in Calgary, Canada.

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Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, and Celso Amorim, special advisor to the President of Brazil, jointly meet the press after a ministerial meeting of the newly launched "Friends of Peace" platform on the Ukraine crisis at the UN headquarters in New York, Sept. 27, 2024. (Xinhua/Xie E)

UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- China has consistently upheld an objective and fair stance on the Ukraine issue, persistently advocating for peace talks and standing firmly on the side of peace, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said here on Friday.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks when co-hosting a ministerial meeting of the newly launched "Friends of Peace" platform on the Ukraine crisis.

Noting that the Ukraine crisis has entered its third year, Wang said that the flames of conflict are still spreading, the risk of spillover is increasing, and the developments in the situation are concerning.

Wang emphasized that in the choice between peace and war, the world must resolutely choose peace, adding that the international community should firmly stand on the side of peace, create conditions for peace, and strive to foster hope for peace.

In the choice between reconciliation and hatred, the world must resolutely choose reconciliation, Wang said, adding that in the choice between dialogue and confrontation, the world must resolutely choose dialogue.

Wang expressed the hope that the parties involved would consider resuming peace talks at an appropriate time.

The "Friends of Peace" platform on the Ukraine crisis is not about taking sides in the conflict, promoting bloc confrontation, or replacing existing platforms, Wang said, calling for relying on the United Nations and bringing together more countries from the "Global South" to raise more objective, balanced, and rational voices. 

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, communicates with Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira (2nd R) and Celso Amorim (2nd L), special advisor to the President of Brazil, at the UN headquarters in New York, Sept. 27, 2024. Wang co-hosted a ministerial meeting of the newly launched "Friends of Peace" platform on the Ukraine crisis on Friday. (Xinhua/Wu Xiaoling)
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HOUSTON, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- Up to 54 people were rescued on Friday from the roof of a flooded hospital in the southern U.S. state of Tennessee after tropical storm Helene battered the country's southeast region.

Unicoi County Sheriff Mike Hensley told local media that he watched helicopters descend on the roof of the Unicoi County Hospital after floodwaters rose so quickly that authorities couldn't even get boats near the hospital.

"It was chaotic. We couldn't get to them in boats, we had high winds and water rushing around the hospital," Hensley said.

Hurricane Helene hit Florida's Big Bend area Thursday night as a Category 4 storm. Though it has weakened to a tropical storm after landfall, it has so far caused the death of more than 40 people.

The storm is estimated to have caused 15 billion to 26 billion U.S. dollars in property damage, said an AP report, citing Moddy's Analytics.

U.S. President Joe Biden has approved emergency declarations in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Alabama before the landfall of the hurricane. 
NEW DELHI, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- Two militants were killed and five government forces personnel, including a senior police official, were wounded Saturday in a fierce gunfight in Indian-controlled Kashmir, police said.

The gunfight broke out in Adigam-Devsar village of Kulgam district, about 79 km south of Srinagar city, the summer capital of Indian-controlled Kashmir.

Police said the identity of the killed militants was being ascertained. 
BEIRUT, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- Three people were killed, and four others injured in an Israeli airstrike on a residential building near Mar Mikhael Church in Dahieh, Beirut's southern suburbs, Lebanese TV channel al-Jadeed reported.

TV footage showed ambulances and civil defense teams rushing to the area to transport the casualties to hospitals.

The Israeli military has been launching fresh attacks on targets in Beirut's southern suburbs since early Saturday, claiming they were targeting Hezbollah weapons stored under civilian buildings.

The attacks followed earlier Israeli airstrikes on Hezbollah's main headquarters in Dahieh, which, according to a statement by the Israel Defense Forces on Saturday, killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, along with other commanders in the militant group.

Hezbollah just confirmed the death of Nasrallah.

Israel has intensified its airstrikes across Lebanon since Monday, marking the most extensive military action in the region since 2006.

This marks the latest escalation of the ongoing clashes that began on Oct. 8, 2023, when Hezbollah started launching rockets at Israel in solidarity with Hamas in the Gaza Strip, prompting Israel's retaliatory artillery fire and airstrikes in southeastern Lebanon. 
MUNICH, Germany, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- Hubert Aiwanger, deputy minister president of the German state of Bavaria, told Xinhua in a recent interview that his state is opposed to the European Union (EU) imposing punitive tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles (EVs).

"Instead, we hope for the continued export of Chinese cars to Europe," said Aiwanger, also Bavaria's minister of economic affairs, regional development, and energy.

"We believe in mutual support, not in creating barriers," he said.

Aiwanger commended China's economic development over the past 75 years, noting its transformation from a poverty-stricken country into one of the world's leading industrial powers.

He noted that China is Bavaria's most important trading partner, and there is still considerable potential for further cooperation, particularly in sectors such as hydrogen energy, artificial intelligence, and EVs.

Chinese people enjoy "an excellent reputation" in Bavaria, said Aiwanger. "We know you are hard-working, disciplined, and intelligent, and you have made remarkable progress in recent years and decades," he said.

He also announced plans for an upcoming delegation visit to China, aimed at enhancing mutual understanding and strengthening economic ties.

"I had the chance to witness China's progress firsthand during my visit in 2019. I'm eager to return and hope we can address important issues, including improvements in transportation, security, and economic policy," said Aiwanger.

He emphasized the importance of fair competition, saying that the key is to operate on equal terms without undermining each other. With a foundation of fairness, there is no reason why Germany and China cannot further strengthen their cooperation, he said.

"The exchange between our nations, especially in high-tech sectors like the automotive, artificial intelligence, mechatronics, and electronics sector, is already robust, and I'm confident that our collaboration will continue to foster innovation," he said. 
BEIJING, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Southern Theater Command on Saturday organized its navy and air forces to conduct routine training which includes reconnaissance and early warning, and maritime and airspace patrol near Huangyan Dao.

In a statement, the PLA Southern Theater Command said that certain countries from outside the region are stirring up trouble in the South China Sea, creating instability.

China has indisputable sovereignty over Huangyan Dao and its surrounding waters, the PLA Southern Theater Command said, adding that its troops will remain on high alert, resolutely defend national sovereignty and maritime rights, and safeguard peace and stability in the South China Sea. 
BEIRUT/JERUSALEM, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- Hezbollah claimed responsibility for an attack on Safed, an Israeli city in northern Israel, late Friday night.

The militia group in Lebanon said the attacks were "In support of our steadfast Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip and defense of Lebanon and its people, and in response to the barbaric Israeli invasion of cities, villages, and civilians."

Israeli state-owned Kan TV news reported that there were two direct hits on a building in the city of Safed, with no casualties.

The attack followed a significant Israeli airstrike on Dahieh, a southern suburb of Beirut, which resulted in at least two fatalities and 76 injuries, according to initial reports. Israeli media suggested the strikes targeted Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, whose status remains unclear.

Lebanon's al-Jadeed TV reported approximately 10 airstrikes on Hezbollah's headquarters in Dahieh, with footage showing smoke rising from the site.

Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Spokesman Daniel Hagari confirmed that the airstrikes were directed at Hezbollah's main headquarters, situated beneath residential buildings in the area.

The airstrikes rocked Beirut shortly after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

Netanyahu's office said that the Israeli prime minister approved the airstrike earlier Friday from his hotel, and decided to return to Israel after the UN address earlier than scheduled.

At the General Assembly on Friday, Netanyahu ruled out an immediate truce in the escalating conflict with Lebanon. He also warned of threats from Iran, suggesting Israel faces multiple fronts of conflict organized by Tehran.

Later on Friday, the IDF announced new airstrikes in southern Lebanon and "deep in the country," aiming for rocket launchers and facilities used for storing weapons.

"The IDF continues to attack, damage, and degrade the capabilities and military infrastructure of the terrorist organization Hezbollah," the IDF declared.

Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Nasser Kanaani on Friday condemned Israel's airstrike on Hezbollah headquarters, describing the attack as "brutal and terrorist."

Israel has intensified its airstrikes across Lebanon since Monday, marking the most extensive military action in the region since 2006.

Lebanon's health ministry reported nearly 700 deaths due to the strikes this week, and the International Organization for Migration estimated that over 200,000 people have been displaced in Lebanon since last October when Hezbollah began firing rockets into northern Israel in solidarity with Hamas. 
ISLAMABAD, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- A chartered helicopter crashed in Pakistan's northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Saturday afternoon, killing six people on board while injuring ten others, police officials said.

The incident happened at about 1:00 p.m. local time when a helicopter chartered by a private oil exploration and production company Mari Petroleum crashed in the Shewa area of North Waziristan district of the province, District Police Officer Rokhanzeb Khan told Xinhua.

Six people, including two Russian pilots of the aircraft, were killed in the unfortunate incident, said the official, adding that ten others sustained injuries, including staff of the private company.

The incident occurred due to a technical fault in the aircraft immediately after it took off, according to local government officials. The engine of the helicopter caught fire before it hit the ground and crashed, officials added.

The cause of the technical fault is still unknown and is being investigated by the relevant authorities.

Following the incident, rescue teams and security personnel reached the area and cordoned it off. 
A Bulawayo man has been sentenced to 18 months in prison for stealing US$900 from his girlfriend. Nqabutho Ncube, 34, pleaded guilty to the theft at the Bulawayo Magistrates Court.

His actions, which included a hasty escape to South Africa, have brought the issue of trust and betrayal in relationships sharply into focus.

The theft occurred on April 12th in the Makokoba suburb of Bulawayo. Ncube and his girlfriend, Nyasha Nyamasakura, 41, had been living together for approximately two years.

While Nyamasakura was at work, Ncube took advantage of her absence. He helped himself to the US$900 kept at their home before fleeing to South Africa.

Nyamasakura returned home later that day to find her partner and her money gone. She immediately noticed that Ncubes clothes were also missing, adding to her growing suspicion. Unable to reach Ncube by phone, she checked under the mattress where she usually kept her savings. Finding the money missing confirmed her fears.

Concerned and distraught, Nyamasakura wasted no time in reporting the theft to the Bulawayo police. The subsequent investigation led to Ncubes arrest upon his return from South Africa. The court heard that he had spent the stolen money during his time abroad.

Appearing before the magistrate, Ncube admitted his guilt. The court handed down an 18-month prison sentence. However, a significant portion of this sentence was suspended under certain conditions.

Six months of the sentence were suspended on condition of good behaviour. A further six months were suspended on condition that Ncube repays the full US$900 to Nyamasakura by October 30th.

This leaves only six months of the original sentence to be served. The court further commuted this remaining six months to 410 hours of community service.

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Yves here. An important and star-studded talk by TaxCast on the important topics of reducing big corporate tax avoidance and green laundering, as how banks cover up the extent of their funding of fossil fuel producers.

The first part of this discussion focuses on the notorious Apple tax case, which allowed Apple to create the fiction, thanks to a special treatment in Ireland, that it lived nowehre in the world from a tax perspective, even though its profits were managed via a hedge-fund-like operation in Nevada with the funds sitting in New York banks.

By Naomi Folwer. Originally published at TaxCast

00:00 -15 +15 55:37 00:00 -15 +15 55:37

Naomi Fowler: Hello and welcome to the Taxcast from the Tax Justice Network. Im Naomi Fowler. On the Taxcast this month, a big victory against Ireland and Apples tax dodging pact which goes back years as the European Union Court of Justice rules it was against EU state aid rules. Heres EU Competition Commissioner Margherethe Vestager.

Magarethe Vestager: I think its a very important step towards tax justice, I think that shows European citizens that actually once in a while, tax justice can take place. And its important to me as well. Im very, very happy with this win. We won the Apple case and its final.

Naomi Fowler: Yep, its final. Apple must now pay back taxes in Ireland of over 13 billion euros, or more than 14 billion dollars. Its a big win for the European Commission. Were going to discuss the implications.

Also on the Taxcast, are banks claims about their financing of fossil fuel companies true, or are they green laundering?

Franziska Mager: I think theyre still very much riding a wave where theyre getting away with greening their commitments and their image quite a bit, pretty visibly.

Naomi Fowler: At the Tax Justice Network weve been following the money, and our investigations show how financial secrecy is allowing banks to hide the true scale of their backing for activities that are accelerating the climate crisis. We found that two thirds of the fossil fuel financing provided by the worlds 60 largest banks is granted to subsidiaries in secrecy jurisdictions. Its an international scandal.

But first, the Apple tax case. Ireland and Apple have lost their appeal against the EUs order back in 2016 that Apple must pay Ireland 13 billion euros, about 14 billion dollars, in unpaid taxes. They wanted to defend what they thought was a right to shift profits around so they could lower their taxes to pay between 1 percent and as little as 0.005 percent in taxes a year. They didnt have that right because its against EU state aid rules to give selective tax advantages. Heres economist Joseph Stiglitz of the Independent Commission for the Reform of International Corporate Taxation, or ICRICT for short.

Joseph Stiglitz: Apple in Europe claimed that all the profits they made in Europe were made in Ireland. That all the economic activity that occurred all over Europe was actually due to Ireland. And then they had a quirk in the Irish law where they said that what went on in Ireland was controlled by Silicon Valley so they didnt have to pay any taxes in Ireland. And they gave Ireland just a little bit for the service of avoiding taxes. That was the only service that Ireland provided, really, was tax avoidance.

Naomi Fowler: And the initial motivation for Apple to use Ireland was to shift their taxable profits out of the United States, too. Irelands been in the bizarre position of fighting against receiving billions of euros in order to try to protect their client, Apple, and presumably all the other companies whove also used Irelands jurisdiction to shift profits over the years. To discuss all of this Im with Tove Ryding, tax coordinator at the European Network on Debt and Development, Eurodad in Europe, and Zorka Milin, former tax lawyer and policy director at the FACT Coalition in the United States, thats the Financial Accountability and Corporate Transparency Coalition. We started off by talking about their initial reactions to the news. Heres Zorka Milin first.

Zorka Milin: Most obviously, I think the EU and especially the visionary competition commissioner I think this is a big win for her, for the commission against tax sweetheart deals, especially in Europe. Um, and also paradoxically Ireland was fighting this tooth and nail, but now they get to keep this 14 billion dollar windfall in revenues!

I also want to add that you know, even though its imperfect and incomplete in, in, in some ways, still, I think this is also a win for civil society groups who have been campaigning for such a long time to bring greater tax accountability to companies like Apple, and I want to say that because, you know, were not always very good at celebrating our victories and you know, we always tend to look critically at how things could be even better, and lets just go for the next big thing. But I think this is a really important case that shows we can actually win, even if its imperfect, incomplete, and it took ages, more than a decade, it is still some semblance of tax justice and still one that we should celebrate.

Naomi Fowler: Yeah, right. And I mean our EU Competition Commissioner said it brought her to tears. So yeah, maybe we should take that? Tove, what do you think?

Tove Ryding: Yeah, I definitely agree that the European Commission is a big winner. They put a lot of resources into this. If I understand them correctly, they were actually surprised themselves that they won this case because they had several tax related state aid cases that didnt go so well. So indeed, a big congratulations to them and also to Margrethe Vestager, who has been championing this, and this is the end of her term in the European Commission.

And, as to the broader celebrations, I guess we, especially the European organizations that have been following this case for a long time, are some of the ones that arent quite sure that this is a moment for celebration, because a real win for us was never in the cards! I guess we won a bit of transparency into how the transfer pricing system works and thats actually really rare because most of these things are usually secret. So we saw in this case, theres one year where Apples tax payments are down to 0.005%. So you drop your jaw about how extreme the tax system is. But then when you see what this case was actually about, the European Commission has been trying to force Apple to collect taxes on profits that were generated in countries all over Europe, but also in Africa, the Middle East, and India. So for all the other European countries, but also for our colleagues in the other regions, the big question is why did all that profit only go to Ireland and why cant any other countries tax this money, especially since Ireland very clearly didnt want to tax it? So, we won a little insight into how problematic the tax system is, but the, the very clear conclusion is that the problem we have is more than just one rotten apple.

Naomi Fowler: Yeah, some of the countries who that tax revenue belongs to wont get that revenue, so a lot of treasuries are not going to benefit from this. Ireland didnt want to benefit from this, but has been forced to now by the courts. Who else are we looking at who are losing out from this ruling? Um, I guess the shareholders would be one, who have been very slow to recognize the risks of profit shifting and turning a blind eye to that. Zorka?

Zorka Milin: Yeah, I agree that, that among the losers weve got other countries that should have or could have gotten their share of these tax revenues. Um, and here I, I include in addition to the European countries and, you know, the global South markets, I would also include the United States, and lets hope that this ruling will be a kick in the pants for these countries to do what they can to fix their own international tax and especially transfer pricing rules so, so they make sure they cant be taken advantage through profit shifting going forward. Um, and then, of course, obviously, you know, Apple is the big loser, I mean, we could debate how much 14 billion matters to such a huge and hugely profitable company but theres no question its material. And as you say, Apples investors, you know, the risk was sprung on them. They were in the dark about these huge tax risks that the company was taking because of a lack of tax transparency. Uh, and it really only came to light through a congressional investigation in, in a series of dramatic tax hearings in the U.S. Senate back in 2013 so yeah, I would say the losers are the company and some of the other governments, as you said, I agree with that.

Naomi Fowler: Yeah, Tove?

Tove Ryding: Yeah its a really interesting situation because for once you actually have a weird coalition of big multinational corporations and investors and governments and civil society all shaking our heads at the tax system. Of course, we have been highly concerned about the transfer pricing system for a very long time, not just because its open to abuse, but also because there is an unanswered question about how should the right to tax profits be allocated fairly between countries, and now that we have such a big amount of profits ending up in Ireland, you have everyone else, civil society and governments all around the world going, well, this is odd! And at the same time, now we actually have investors and multinational corporations that very clearly see an example of exactly how risky it can be to do tax constructions that are, lets say, a bit on the creative side. And especially because this case goes back so many years. You really have CEOs and the different types of corporate tax departments that have to sit now and wonder how many of the tax arrangements that we did 20 years ago, 30 years ago are actually safe from scrutiny? And I think thats the question that we all have now is, okay, this was one company. This was two tax rulings. What about all the others? And I think thats the big question here in Brussels now as well.

Naomi Fowler: Oh yes, definitely. I mean, the consequences of this ruling now for other companies that were enjoying Irish sweetheart deals and, and not just Irish ones as well, but yeah, they must be quite worried, right Zorka?

Zorka Milin: Yes, exactly. As Tove said, you know, its not just one bad apple. Theres plenty of other companies that have historic Irish sweetheart deals, and now they are at legal risk if they are within the 10 year statute of limitations. Now, I should say here, Im not an EU or an Irish tax lawyer, and this is certainly not tax advice to be clear, but if I had clients in this situation, if I was still in private practice, I would say they should definitely take a closer look, and, you know, strictly speaking, you could say the impact is, is going to be narrow because this exact structure, the double Irish, is no longer possible. By the way, thats thanks to a combination of tax reforms in Ireland, in the U.S., and also BEPS, all of that was won in response to these kinds of scandals.

So we dont have this exact kind of structure, but more broadly, you know, I would say it is a sea change because it signals that Brussels can go, they have legal authority to go after the tax laws of member states in these kinds of situations.

Naomi Fowler: So, you know, if you look at Ireland, it said, we dont give preferential tax treatment to, to companies which is found to, to not be the case, but they didnt fight against having to take these back taxes, 14 billion dollars for no good reason, right? So the corporations, I mean, youve talked a bit about how they might start looking at things a bit differently and thinking, this is a bit, not only in terms of reputation, this is risky, but actually legally and financially, there are big risks here. But what do you both anticipate that perhaps the enabler industry of professionals helping companies do these type of things, governments who have jurisdictions like Ireland, who have been quite big offenders in draining tax revenues from other countries, what do you think theyre going to be doing now after this ruling as a result? Tove first.

Tove Ryding: I think we can see how a lot of the business lobby is responding, including the tax advisors. They emphasize the need for tax certainty, and of course, some of them are also still saying that theres no longer a problem with large scale corporate tax avoidance, and that we strongly disagree with. But when it comes to tax certainty, they of course emphasize the need for certainty for business and investors.

And we emphasize the need for tax certainty for governments and citizens to make sure that there is revenue coming in. But there is an odd point of agreement here that the current international tax system is simply one big chaotic tombola, you never know what the result is going to be in the long run and everyones actually really uncomfortable with this. So it creates a much needed and very healthy discussion about how can we create tax certainty? And there we have seen numerous reforms, both at the OECD level in recent years, or at the EU level, some of the reforms have echoed the OECD reforms, and then there are also separate EU reforms. But the problem is that while closing some loopholes, they open some other loopholes instead. And weve even seen a few examples of corporations that are starting to restructure to make their structures fit with the new loopholes instead.

And the point that theres also agreement on is that the tax system became a whole lot more complex. Basically, we took the transfer pricing system and then we added a big layer of different anti-avoidance rules. And then we put whats called Pillar Two on top, a minimum effective corporate tax rate that unfortunately doesnt seem to be very effective. And so the tax system expanded with thousands of pages. And there is a now an odd agreement on the fact that none of the actors that were discussing the global tax system feel more certain now about what the tax system actually says and how the realities are going to look like in the future. So now is a great time to discuss the fact that it doesnt have to be like this. We could actually construct an international corporate tax system that is much more transparent, much more fair, much more simple, and much more certain. And that discussion is coming now. And thats probably the best news in all of this.

Naomi Fowler: Yeah, were going to talk about the United Nations where we all think that they should be focusing their efforts, but lets go to Zorka and ask her for her take on how the whole industry really, involved in these type of activities, how theyre going to react in your view.

Zorka Milin: Yeah, I mean, um, talk about enablers, theyll keep enabling, but theyll just find another way, and I have to say, as a former international tax lawyer, its been really disappointing to see the reaction from the tax profession. From what Ive seen, theres a consensus that this is just a terrible legal decision in the Apple case. You know, theres been some disagreement on how big a deal it is, some lawyers think it doesnt really matter much anymore because these exact kinds of schemes are now basically over. Although it could, as we said a minute ago, it could affect some of those previous schemes. Other lawyers are saying its just outrageous that the Brussels Competition Authority can override domestic tax laws but, you know, whatever the exact stakes are, the consensus seems to be its just a terrible decision. And while thats not necessarily surprising, I find it disappointing because it shows that tax lawyers are still kind of trapped in their role and theyre failing to see the bigger picture here. I mean, we had a company that was setting up subsidiaries that are not tax resident anywhere at all, and they got their effective tax rate down to, what, basically nothing, 0.005%. And that kind of outcome is just so manifestly unjust. And there is no way a tax system that produces such an outrageous outcome could be defensible or sustainable. And of course, yes, Tove was talking about certainty. We need, you know, we need to have nice things like rule of law and stability and certainty. And Im all for that, Im a lawyer, but this is just not the way. And the Apple tax case is up there with one of the most egregious corporate tax scandals Ive ever seen. I think its time that we just need a different kind of law. But Im an optimist, I will try to be an optimist. And so I think things are going in the right direction slowly but surely, and we have so much momentum and so many opportunities for real tax reform, both international, UN is surfacing, but also domestically and unilaterally, including here in the U.S. where we focus.

Naomi Fowler: Yeah, yeah, were definitely in a different place to where we were when the whole Apple thing started, thats for sure. So, last question to you both. What can nation states do, both independently with their own tax law and collectively to protect their own tax bases against ongoing profit shifting? It may not be quite this scheme that Ireland had thats in question here, maybe other ones, new ones that they might think up. I mean, looking at the United Nations being able to create a more equitable forum for deciding all of these collectively, to improve whats really been a terrible situation when it comes to these very, very big, very often US, but not exclusively, multinationals. Lets go to Tove first.

Tove Ryding: Yes, exactly. This is the big question now. What can countries do to try and push for a fairer international system? In theory, all countries can consider domestic measures. In reality, we often see that, especially when small developing countries try to take initiatives on their own to increase their tax income from multinational corporations also, in examples where its extreme, where they, for example, get no tax whatsoever from multinational corporations operating in their countries, when they try and push for more equitable taxation individually, they often, uh, see a strong international pressure on them and uh, weve seen that, uh, when the Europeans or, or when the U.S. does it, then one example is digital services taxes that the Europeans started to try and collect more income from the digital giants and many developing countries are trying that now and one of the good things is that it actually creates revenue, but there is a strong international pressure and its very difficult and unsustainable for, especially for small countries to do this on their own.

And thats why its amazing news that were now seeing such a strong push from a very broad coalition of developing countries to have a truly global solution to this. It started with the African countries, the Africa Group at the United Nations, setting an agenda and saying, we want a UN framework convention on tax. They also pushed to have a protocol that addresses cross border services in the digitalized economy, which is actually also an issue that could be relevant for companies such as Apple. So they pushed extremely strongly, but the other developing countries have really come in and backed up this initiative and last year in August, when they negotiated the terms of reference for this convention, were also seeing some of the OECD countries in the global north run out of arguments.

Its really difficult for Europe if you say that you support an inclusive international tax system, and you recognize that developing countries have a right to be at the table on an equal footing, then when they come out so strongly and say, the UN Framework Convention on Tax, thats what we want, its difficult to keep saying no to that and at the same time say that youre, youre supporting developing countries.

And that was a strong reason why we saw that in the latest vote in the UN, where the EU had previously voted no, now they abstained. But another reason why the EU is finding it harder to resist the UN initiative is also that you have more and more EU countries that start to look at the UN tax convention and say, actually, maybe theres also a fairer and more effective tax system for us in this, and maybe this is actually an opportunity for us to avoid that all profits end up in countries like Ireland, but also to get some of this tax certainty that everyone is talking about.

And the terms of reference are really strong. They talk about the need to create a system that ensures equitable taxation of multinational corporations and fair allocation of taxing rights, and combating practices such as tax avoidance and evasion. So in that sense, the Apple ruling is a very timely input to this discussion because its a great reminder, this case goes back a number of years, but its also a public secret that, of course, we still have an extreme problem of large scale corporate tax avoidance. So now we finally have an opportunity to create a better and truly global system.

Naomi Fowler: Yeah, yeah. And Zorka, the United States is, is definitely not one of those less economically powerful countries. Its not very keen on the United Nations any more than my own country, the United Kingdom is, maybe that might change with the new government, you never know, in the UK. So the United States, it wields so much power in this area, it also has a lot of power to to move in terms of its own law. Tell us a bit about whats been going on there and your take on this.

Zorka Milin: Sure. I think there are a couple of different things that we can do that in particular, the United States can do to address the kinds of problems that led to the Apple tax scandal. There are two sides to this. One is fixing international tax allocation rules, so when it comes to the tax allocation rules, thats a separate job for international negotiators, as Tove explained.

And on the other hand, theres also a lot we can do to improve corporate tax transparency. But, you know, I do think theres a lot that domestic tax policy makers can do to pursue unilateral solutions at the same time as we push for more lasting and inclusive multilateral agreement. Thats not an either or, I think we can and should pursue both and to talk about the US since thats our focus of the FACT coalition and also, its a central part of the apple tax scandal  lets not forget the Irish tax scheme was actually, you know, what the motivation for that was primarily Apple wanted to avoid U.S. taxes, thats the main reason why they went to Ireland, and we can put a stop to that sort of thing if we make sure that companies like Apple, these American multinationals have to pay tax in

each country where they operate, and we have a bill in Congress that would do that, called No Tax Breaks For Outsourcing Act. Its supported by a majority of the Democratic members of the U.S. House. And also weve got support of 90 NGOs, so were optimistic on that one.

In addition, you know, theres also a transparency link here. You know, we could have known about this problem much sooner if Apple was required to come clean and report under full public country by country reporting, because this huge amount of profit that was shifted into these stateless subsidiaries that they set up in Ireland, it couldnt have just vanished and fallen between the cracks if we had full transparency and, you know, who knows, maybe in that case, Apple wouldnt have even gone forward with such an aggressive structure. So, I think these are just some of the policy solutions that we can work towards to address, and hopefully prevent these kinds of tax scandals in the future.

Naomi Fowler: That bill that Zorka mentioned would aim to ensure that U.S. multinational corporations pay at least the U.S. statutory rate, currently 21%, believe it or not, on their income in every country where they operate. Details on that are in the show notes. My thanks to Tove Ryding of Eurodad and Zorka Milin of the Fact Coalition.

Now, green laundering. Yep, its a thing. As flooding, wildfires, drought, hunger, conflict, all of those things are accelerating and the effects of climate crisis are realities for more people across the world, banks know their reputations are important. Theyre also operating in a world of supposed corporate social responsibility and ESG principles, those are environmental, social, and governance principles. Theyre supposed to encourage more responsible investing and business activity. The claims by banks sound positive:

Bank adverts:

Sustainability. As pioneers in sustainable finance, this is at the core of the companys priorities.

Signatory of the Net Zero Banking Alliance, our objective is to finance a carbon neutral economy by 2050. To achieve this, we are aligning our portfolios to reduce Greenhouse gas emissions linked to financing in the most polluting sectors to preserve biodiversity.

Climate change is a global emergency. As a bank with 148 million customers worldwide, we have a responsibility and an opportunity to support the green transition and to encourage more people and businesses to go green. All of us need to change

We will enhance our climate related disclosures. Update our environmental and social policies in relation to restricted and prohibited activities in high emission sectors such as energy, metals, and mining and soft commodities

There is much, much more to be done, but our new commitments are a big step on what is a long journey.

Naomi Fowler: It all sounds pretty heartwarming, doesnt it? But talk is cheap. Heres Franziska Mager and Alison Schultz of the Tax Justice Network. They co-authored our report, How Green Laundering Conceals the Full Scale of Fossil Fuel Financing.

Franziska Mager: We define green laundering as the complicity between large banks and fossil fuel companies.

Alison Shultz: Its a process by which fossil and other dirty investments are hidden because they are channelled through secrecy jurisdictions.

Franziska Mager: The reason were including laundering in this term, which is obviously reminiscent of money laundering is because we know that traditionally illicit financial flows tend to flow through secretive and opaque jurisdictions, as weve shown, you know, over many years. Banks and fossil fuel fossil fuel companies structure their operations as many multinationals do across a whole range of different jurisdictions with different degrees of secrecy, and they put a lot of their subsidiaries into these secrecy jurisdictions.

Alison Shultz: Yes, this means that it kind of makes it impossible for researchers but also for regulators and the public to really gauge the real amount of dirty financing or fossil fuel financing.

Franziska Mager: So we wanted to know what purpose do these subsidiaries serve for the interaction between banks and fossil fuel companies?

Naomi Fowler: So youve looked at fossil fuel financing from the worlds 60 largest banks. Is there a system thats commonly used the banks to report publicly on their fossil fuel based investments and their involvements? I mean, what do they have to report and what do they not have to report publicly?

Alison Shultz: So it depends a little on where the bank is based and which regulations apply, but in general, they have both regulatory requirements, but also voluntary requirements, which are often driven by investor pressure to expose fossil, fossil fuel lending, especially like, especially corporate loans to fossil fuel companies. So most, if not all of the global banks do have some reporting on this. So they report how much oil and gas loans they will have in their balance sheets, so actually we see that these banks do this reporting. However, then we see that for the largest banks, which we investigate, we compare what they report, and this is either done in their annual reports or their sustainability reports, and we compare what they report with what we see in the data of their fossil exposures. And we see a very, very big mismatch for all the banks we investigate, that the reporting which they have is way smaller than what we see in the data.

Franziska Mager: Banks refer to their general sustainability strategy in order to project an image of their commitment towards a shift towards sustainable finance, you know, big sustainability pledges that youll hear on the radio when you hear a spot, for example, by BNP Paribas, thats the first thing they open with, its very prominently on the website usually, if you go looking a little bit at what theyre advertising. So, its a really big part of their public image of all of these banks is the reckoning that they need to, and that they are shifting towards more green financial investments, whatever that might be. That very visibly advertised, right? And then when it gets into the details you can look at the sustainability reports, sometimes its in the annual report, sometimes theres a standalone publication thats called a climate report or something like that, where banks will go into a certain level of detail over what that actually means. So, what does that strategy actually entail? What do they mean by it? Whats covered? And to be fair, you can access a decent amount of level of detail in terms of what it means for fossil fuel financing and the way thats usually structured is not by saying, this is what we still finance, or this is what we do finance, but instead its giving you a list of exclusion policies that apply to things that they will no longer finance. And thats really what you have to work through and read in detail if you want to understand how far these commitments then go in reality.

Naomi Fowler: So yeah, so theyll say, we dont do this anymore, we wont finance this anymore?

Franziska Mager: Yes, its a really explicit claim over the things that theyre no longer doing, or that theyre committing to no longer doing in the future. And I think the important thing to say about what banks now exclude from their business and this general strategy is that theyre self-imposed standards, right?

Banks choose what they put into these sustainability and climate targets and so on, its self-imposed in the sense that theres no bigger entity, no bigger regulatory entity that can really tell banks  stop funding all kinds of fossil fuels completely. Its a for profit business so theyre looking for profitable clients, so the standards that do exist when you look into these reports, these annual reports, the climate reports, the sustainability reports are evolved from within banks. So that should make you suspicious to, to begin with, you know.

Naomi Fowler: The mismatch between banks decarbonising claims and what the data show when we followed the money is all about subsidiaries and secrecy. Our report finds that two thirds of the fossil fuel financing provided by the worlds 60 largest banks is granted to subsidiaries in secrecy jurisdictions. Hence the potential underreporting of emissions banks are really responsible for. Alison Schultz.

Alison Shultz: They might be underreporting a lot because they dont acknowledge the subsidiary structures of the fossil fuel multinationals. So, so the suspicion we have here, and this is hard to verify because the data is so bad because theres so much intransparency about it. But what happens is that most of the fossil fuel companies do have subsidiaries which are only there to raise the financing. So they would have a subsidiary often located in secrecy jurisdictions, like we see many of these subsidiaries in the Netherlands, in Jersey, in Delaware, like all the well known secrecy jurisdictions. And this is where these fossil fuel companies raise the financing and then distribute it to their sister companies. And we do not really see that banks take this into account adequately. So they would give out financing to a subsidiary of a fossil fuel company, which is kind of not apparently a subsidiary because it is only there for financing and because it often is located where transparency is very weak.

Naomi Fowler: As well as looking at major banks, Alison and Franziska also investigated two recipients of bank financing, two big fossil fuel companies, the worlds largest oil company, Aramco, and Glencore, the worlds largest coal producer and exporter.

Alison Shultz: We have looked at Glencore, where we see the subsidiaries of Glencore because Glencore lists the subsidiary. For instance, we see that the headquarters of Glencore are located in Switzerland, even in one of the cantons which is known for the highest secrecy in existence in Switzerland and so the lowest tax rate. We know that the holding company of Glencore is located in Jersey, which is also a well known tax haven. We know that the financing and this comes back to the fossil financing were looking at is done via subsidiaries again in Jersey for the European part and in Delaware, a very well known tax haven in the U.S. for the U.S. part. So we actually see all these suspicions where we see, okay, why do they have the subsidiary exactly located where it is? But the problem is that this is where our information stops. And this is due to two things, two different aspects of transparency. The first one is that we dont have country by country information on how much actual activity is happening in these different jurisdictions. What are these subsidiaries even used for? Is it just for financing? How exactly are things done? And we as researchers, and also the public is not able to see what is actually happening and if they might have these subsidiaries in all these places for good reasons or not, because we dont have the information. And an additional layer of intransparency comes in for being established in these jurisdictions, because for many of the subsidiaries, its just super difficult, if not impossible, to just find their very basic financial information.

Franziska Mager: Yes. What are banks responsible for through their lending, what amount of emissions or what damage has been made possible through that money alone? And thats not visible. Thats not effectively regulated or mandated actually at all at the moment. So, looking at the money only gets you so far, right? But ideally, we would be looking much further and we would have proof on paper of the emissions that this money has facilitated.

Alison Shultz: We call this like planned ignorance, but they are kind of happy to not being forced to know too much. So if, if the bank can actually say, yeah, we gave money to this one subsidiary, we dont even know what they are doing, its a financial company, so everything fine there! So they wouldnt need to report it, which would actually improve their public image in terms of fossil fuel financing. And this is even more complex because many of these fossil fuel firms are super big and super complex firms. So what we see, for instance, is we have a financing subsidiary, but this financing subsidiary is not directly giving funds or not directly linked to a big oil and gas company, but its linked to a chemical company, which in turn is owned by the big oil and gas company. So this makes it really complex to really see where the money is flowing because in general, you dont have any information about where a loan eventually will be used or where a bond financing will be used eventually in the corporate group. So, our understanding of the banks role is a little that they are quite happy to keep some ties to a very profitable business, the fossil fuel business, if they cannot immediately see that this is a fossil fuel business.

Citi Group advert: Whats it going to take for the world to reach net zero emissions? Its going to take investing in some things youve heard of, and some youd never expect. Its going to take funding innovation in renewable energy,

helping reduce carbon footprints, and big bets on environmentally conscious construction. Citi has committed one trillion dollars in sustainable financing to help build a better future. Because to reach net zero, its going to take everything

Naomi Fowler: Thats an ad from Citigroup. It sounds good, doesnt it, but reporter Wil Crisp of the Bureau of Investigative Journalism uncovered how Citigroup helped raise three and a half billion dollars for the UAEs state oil company, Adnoc, thats Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, one of the worlds biggest polluters.

Wil Crisp: I was quite surprised when we were initially talking about the challenges of the project, I was thinking how are we gonna? Yes Im sure that the money that goes to the subsidiary, ultimately ends up with the parent company, but how are we gonna show that that happens because as everyone knows, money moves around very easily in large corporate groups of many companies but its actually quite hard to trace this so I was quite surprised when we found you know those documents which outlined exactly how that money was used.

Naomi Fowler: Its not easy to get a smoking gun on these things, as you heard earlier. But heres an example where they did.

Wil Crisp: The deals that we looked at were examples where on paper a bank was lending some money to a chemicals business but in reality they were handing billions of dollars to one of the worlds largest oil producers. And one of the things that banks can benefit from by providing money to a subsidiary rather than a parent company is potentially in the way that they report their so called financed emissions. Another thing, obviously, is just the way it looks on a superficial level. If you report a deal with a small chemical subsidiary that no ones heard of, it looks different to announcing this deal with a large international oil company that maybe everyones heard of. So, you know, theres also that superficial element to it as well.

The interesting thing that we found is just how simply and directly some of this money is passed on to the parent company.

Naomi Fowler: And that really matters, because the three and a half billion dollars Citigroup helped lend didnt affect that banks climate targets that it likes to talk so much about. Because of this indirect way of financing Adnoc, the bank didnt have to account for the emissions associated with lending to such a major polluter.

Wil Crisp: As things stand, there are a lot of different ways of calculating financed emissions and the banks are free to choose whichever way suits them best and so yeah, its a mess because you cant compare apples and apples because each bank has its own methodology. Citi bank is a member of the partnership for carbon accounting financials and so this is an initiative that was launched to try and implement a common methodology that could be used by all kinds of different institutions which is a good idea in itself. In terms of the project that we did looking at these Adnoc subsidiaries, the subsidies of this oil company, the main problem is that its current guidelines right now for good practice when calculating financed emissions is to do it at a subsidiary level and that means if you lend to a subsidiary of a larger company you look at the emissions of the subsidiary rather than the larger parent company. And obviously this methodology is problematic if the subsidiary is a much smaller carbon emitter.

Naomi Fowler: But its great if you want to report your financing of emissions as lower than it really is, if thats what theyre intentionally doing. For Alison Schultz, there are very quick wins for banks, if theyre really serious about counting all the emissions their financing is responsible for when it comes to their exclusion policies.

Alison Shultz: For me, theres one big indication which shows that most banks dont take their own commitment serious. And this is that they do not acknowledge subsidiary structures in their exclusion policy, so these banks exclusion policies would be something like a bank saying, we dont finance any coal projects. So what the bank says right now is, we do not give money to a coal project. What we are saying is if youre serious about it, you have to say, we do not give money to any subsidiary of a company which is involved in coal projects. That wouldnt be hard to do! We actually have a few examples of banks which tried to do that, at least in some of their commitments but the larger number of banks dont include this disclaimer, lets say. So I think that if they would take their own commitments serious, they should include this part, and that they do not have included it in their exclusion policies for me is a sign that they try to have strong commitments and still some loopholes to not fully comply with those.

Franziska Mager: When we gave banks the right to reply, whats noticeable is that you usually get replies from within different parts of the bank. So, most banks now have a big corporate social responsibility or green finance team in place. That is probably the same team thats heavily involved in in setting some of these targets, or for the general overall strategy, green strategy of the bank, but then you have all kinds of other arms of the bank that does all kinds of other business, right? So the first thing to say is, I think there is a variety of different perspectives that do exist within these banks. But on the whole, its a for profit entity, the bank wants to make money and it wants to stay in business. So, for me, I have a pretty cynical read on the overall intentions. I think that the bar on what they finance and what theyre accountable for, what emissions they have facilitated through the financing that they give out was so low for so long that even the pledges and the targets that we do see now seem really lofty and really, really impressive, if you, if you look at them, it sounds really, really good at first look, but thats in part a function for how long they were able to do this business pretty much without anyone really interfering. I mean, there was always campaigning groups, there was always pressure, you know, weve worked really hard in this movement to, to exert pressure wherever we can for a really long time but the real, at least on paper, commitment to phasing out financing to fossil fuels is pretty young. So, in that sense, I think theyre still very much riding a wave where theyre getting away with greening their commitments and their image quite a bit, pretty visibly, but actually in practice, probably continuing a similar or a little bit lower level of fossil fuel financing than before.

Alison Shultz: We were in contact with all the companies, also with all the banks, which are mentioned in the report and just asked them for their interpretation, also asked them for explanations. For instance, we asked them, so what do you see as the reason why your reported fossil exposures are so much lower than ours? So, we asked them, and for Glencore for instance, we asked them, so whats the, what activity do you have in different jurisdictions? Can you send us the country by country reports?

And what is important to know there is that they do have these country by country reports because they have to pass them to the tax authorities in Switzerland so its not an information that is not existing. So Glencore at the same email tells me that they are super open to transparency and that they try their best, that they abide to all regulations, of course. But then when I asked, can you please send me the country by country report, they would just say no. And thats also why its very relevant to have these regulations, so obviously the company itself, they wont push for transparency. They dont have an interest in that. So they would really need to be required to make this publicly available.

Naomi Fowler: Glencore has denied any suggestions of concealment. Aramco didnt reply. All responses from banks and fossil fuel companies that we looked at are in our report. Back at the Bureau of Investigative Journalism, Wil Crisp didnt get any response.

Wil Crisp: No comment from Citibank and I think its a shame because I think its all tied into a lot of the problems that you see generally in the world of sustainable finance and thats the fact that these methodologies are still at such an early stage in their development. A lot of this stuff has been developed in the last three to four years and you know is not like reporting standard financial information like an annual report profit and loss and when were talking about carbon accounting and financed emissions these methodologies are very new and what we are hoping is they do move in that direction and I think that thats why this is quite an important story because it may be shows how they need to change.

Naomi Fowler: One things for sure. As the climate crisis worsens, the spotlight is increasingly going to shine on the green, decarbonising claims that banks are making and on their mixed methods of marking of their own homework. Not least from investors wanting proper transparency in all areas.

Franziska Mager: What is happening is that the green investment space as a whole is coming under a lot more scrutiny and thats kind of adjacent to what were looking at here. For example, in Germany recently, there was a case where Deutsche Bank as a part of the company, its called BWS, is the sort of poster child of Deutsche Bank for all things ethical investment, its a green investment firm. And now, after a lot of research and a lot of campaigning by different groups, it was revealed how much of that money in that fund actually goes into fossil fuel projects, something in the hundreds of millions, something like that. So now you have a case of litigation, where theyre being basically sued for greenwashing their commitments. And that, I think, is increasingly happening. Thats more on the greenwashing side than the green laundering cycle.

Naomi Fowler: Yeah, but its an interesting example.

Franziska Mager: Theres other policies that we fought for in the tax justice movement for a long time around public country reporting, for example, that could actually make a big difference in this area as well.

Alison Shultz: And one point to this, related to the country by country reporting. In general, the regulations, as they are in the moment, they do not need to reveal explicitly which employees, which number of employees, which taxes they pay, which profits they report in different jurisdictions. So this is something which really makes the working on this issue even harder. I think one of the good messages is that theres movement in this. So for instance, in the European Union, we will have this public country by country reporting requirements for multinationals starting soon in different countries. However, these laws which will come into force soon are very weak and would even not solve the issue. For instance, in the European regulation, Ive talked about Glencore, which has a relevant headquarter in Switzerland, a relevant holding company in Jersey, and the relevant financing companies in Jersey and Delaware. And for the European regulation, Glencore would just need to disclose the different economic activity and taxes and profits in European jurisdictions and in the short list of jurisdictions which Europe considers non- cooperative, but neither Switzerland nor Jersey nor the US with Delaware are part of these.

Naomi Fowler: So, yet again, we see the challenges that are created by watered down legislation and politicised lists of problematic jurisdictions. Instead of using non politicised indexes like ours, the Financial Secrecy Index and our Corporate Tax Haven Index. An updated version of that is out next month. Its the job of banks to know exactly which subsidiaries theyre dealing with and how those subsidiaries are functioning. They have all the information at their fingertips, but it seems theyre not keen to share what, in theory, should back up their decarbonising claims. Heres Franzisca Mager again.

Franziska Mager: Bankers know that the money can be moved around within the corporate fossil groups so effectively that its very hard to keep track over what it has actually financed, and that they do know that it is being used for fossil fuel expansion, even though the commitments to not do so exists on paper. Obviously banks know that these companies have huge internal capital markets, they know that the money is being moved around and they need to know that because they need to make an assessment of whether the company is creditworthy, right? Whether its solvent, thats a very practical, immediate reason why everyone working in a bank knows that the money is being moved around. So, I think theres a huge contrast there in terms of how much ignorance they feign in terms of where the money flows to for fossil fuel finance over how they actually treat the corporate group as a whole, you know, they do it when its convenient for them and they dont do it when its inconvenient for them.

Naomi Fowler: Were not saying that any of the companies weve named are actively violating laws or regulations here, but the climate crisis the world faces is too serious for this poor reporting and lack of transparency to continue. Our report, How Greenlaundering Conceals the Full Scale of Fossil Fuel Financing, is in the show notes. Thanks for listening. Well be back with you next month. Bye for now.
Li Shulei, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, opens the 2024 China International Confucius Cultural Festival in Qufu, east China's Shandong Province, Sept. 27, 2024. The 2024 China International Confucius Cultural Festival kicked off on Friday in Qufu, Shandong Province, the birthplace of Confucius. (Xinhua/Ding Lin)



The 2024 China International Confucius Cultural Festival kicked off on Friday in Qufu, Shandong Province, the birthplace of Confucius.

Li Shulei, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, opened the festival.

Guests from home and abroad attending the event said that Confucianism has profoundly influenced China's development and played a positive role in advancing human civilization.

The festival is an effective platform for the implementation of the China-proposed Global Civilization Initiative and deepened cultural exchange. It is making increasing contributions to promoting global dialogue on civilization, and to fostering friendship between peoples of various nations, guests said.

This year's festival, themed "conversation with Confucius, mutual learning among civilizations," was launched by the provincial government of Shandong, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, and the Chinese National Commission for UNESCO.
KHARTOUM, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- At least 8 people were killed and 95 others injured in an attack by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on Friday in El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur State in western Sudan, a local official stated.

"The RSF shelling targeted the Souq Al-Mawashi (livestock) market, south of El Fasher, which was crowded with civilians," Ibrahim Khatir, director-general of North Darfur State's health ministry, told Xinhua.

The RSF has not yet commented on the attack.

Since May 10, fierce clashes have raged in El Fasher between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the RSF.

According to UN estimates, El Fasher is home to about 1.5 million people, 800,000 of whom are internally displaced persons.

Since April 15, 2023, Sudan has been embroiled in a violent conflict between the SAF and the RSF. The conflict has resulted in approximately 20,000 deaths, thousands of injuries, and the displacement of millions of people, according to the most recent estimates by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. 
American food corporations that intentionally poison the American food supply should be prosecuted, say food safety experts

A coalition of activists, doctors and thought leaders gathered at a Senate Roundtable in Washington DC recently to discuss how ingredients in the food supply are impacting the health of Americans. They spoke to congressional leadership about the abysmal state of American health, and went in depth about the cancer-causing chemicals in agriculture, the poisons in the food supply, the corruption in the healthcare industry, among many other serious issues.

The round table, hosted by Senator Ron Johnson, was titled, American Health & Nutrition: A Second Opinion. Those who testified included: Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., Dr. Jordan Peterson, Calley Means, Dr. Chris Palmer, Dr. Marty Makary, Max Lugavere, Dr. Casey Means, Grace Price, Courtney Swan, Alex Clark, Jason Karp, Brigham Buhler, Mikhaila Fuller, Jillian Michaels, and Vani Hari. The coalition testified about their own experiences taking on personal health challenges while confronting medical orthodoxy and the industries that intentionally poison the food supply for profit.

These are serious discussions that will impact the future of childrens health  discussions that should be expanded and acted upon, to ultimately alter the chronic disease epidemic that is currently ravaging the country.

Toxic chemicals are intentionally put in American products to addict consumers and boost corporate profits

One of the speakers  Vani Hari  talked about overcoming her health challenges and questioning the American food supply. Vani has been a clean food activist for over a decade and started her own company offering clean products. In her speech, she called out American food corporations for manufacturing products that are drastically more toxic in America, while selling the same products in Europe, but with far less toxic ingredients.

Vani called out the unethical policies of American food companies that insist on selling safer versions of their products in other countries, while selling our own citizens ingredients that are heavily regulated or banned abroad.

The American version of these products often contain artificial dyes, BHT and MSG which are linked to endocrine disruption, infertility, neurological dysfunction and cancer. The American products have a longer shelf life because they contain chemical preservatives. The American products are also intentionally designed to be more addictive, but the chemicals used to trick consumers into eating more are toxic and linked to brain damage.

For example, Gatorade Zero Fruit Punch in the U.S. contains caramel color and Red 40, while the German version doesnt contain either toxin. The alternative versions sold in Europe are colored with natural pigments from fruits and vegetables.

McDonald's French fries contain 11 ingredients in the United States, but only contain 3 ingredients in the UK. One of the ingredients in the U.S. version is dimethylpolysiloxane, a foaming agent preserved with neurotoxic formaldehyde. By using this foaming agent, McDonalds workers do not have to change out the cooking oil as often, boosting corporate profits at the expense of consumer health.

Food corporations should be subject to stringent regulations to protect Americans health

With these revelations now going mainstream, American food corporations must consider providing Americans with the same products they sell to Europeans. To hold these corporations accountable, LEGISLATION should be written at the federal level, complete with scientific citations documenting the harms that these dyes, flavor chemicals and preservatives cause. This legislation should mandate that American food products be free of brain-damaging, endocrine-disrupting and cancer-causing ingredients.

A database of all the toxic ingredients could readily be compiled, along with a product list that includes these toxic ingredients. Future regulatory pressure should incentivize sweeping changes to the American food supply, providing strict deadlines for food manufacturers to eliminate toxins and reformulate their products. If mass harm can be proven for an individual ingredient, and a corporation refuses to remove it from their products, then they should be prosecuted in a court of law for injuring Americans health. A restructured FDA must be equipped to enforce new regulations on an industry that is causing health problems across generations. These actions could help break up monopolies and allow smaller, clean food companies to compete in the marketplace as well.

Sources include:

Rumble.com

Foodbabe.com
Bishop Schneider: Pope Francis has contradicted the entire Gospel

Bishop Athanasius Schneider has stated that Pope Francis has contradicted the entire Gospel with the claim that all religions are a way to God.

(Article republished from LifeSiteNews.com)

Speaking with EWTNs Raymond Arroyo on The World Over, Kazakhstans Bishop Athanasius Schneider responded to the controversial comment made by Pope Francis on his recent trip to Singapore.

Every religion is a way to arrive at God, the Pope said. There are different languages to arrive at God, but God is God for all. And how is God God for all? We are all sons and daughters of God. But my god is more important than your god, is that true? There is only one God and each of us has a language to arrive at God. Sikh, Muslim, Hindu, Christian, they are different paths.

When asked by Arroyo about this, Schneider was clinical in his critique:

Such an affirmation of Pope Francis is clearly against the divine revelation, it contradicts directly the first Commandment of God which is ever valid  You shall not have other gods beside me  this is so clear, and such a statement contradicts the entire Gospel.

Continuing, Schneider reminded viewers that Jesus Christ said, No one comes to the Father except through me.

BREAKING: Bishop Schneider responds to #PopeFrancis' claim that all religions are a way to arrive at God: "Clearly against divine revelation. It contradicts the 1st Commandment of God... We have to pray for #PopeFrancis..to repent."@WorldOverDC Sep 26.pic.twitter.com/BXfzerdqO7  Michael Haynes ?? (@MLJHaynes) September 26, 2024

He is the only way to God, there are no other ways or paths, said the auxiliary bishop of Astana. So in this statement sadly, regrettably Pope Francis plainly contradicts the first Commandment of God and the entire Gospel.

Francis comments have caused widespread controversy and confusion among concerned Catholics, and consternation remains high even though he made the remarks now two weeks ago during an inter-religious meeting of young people in Singapore.

NEW: #PopeFrancis on inter-religious dialogue: Every religion is a way to arrive at God. There are different languages to arrive at God but God is God for all. But my God is more important than your god, is that true? There is only 1 God & each of has a language to arrive at pic.twitter.com/TMHRDjEuJ9  Michael Haynes ?? (@MLJHaynes) September 13, 2024

When Arroyo raised this issue of how a Pope could say such a statement, Schneider pointed back to the betrayal of Christ by St. Peter in the Gospels.

God permitted that the first pope, Simon Peter, he renounced [and] denied Christ three times, and he was appointed the vicar of Christ and nevertheless he denied Christ three times. So God permitted it that it could also happen in the future, that a successor of Simon Peter would speak some words which are contrary to the divine truth.

Such a scenario, commented Schneider, is rare, but it happened with Peter and it happened in very rare cases in history. But Peter repented, and he again defended Christ and confessed Him and gave his life for Christ as a martyr.

The auxiliary bishop urged Catholics to simply pray for Pope Francis that he may receive this grace of the Lord as Peter received, to repent and to again clearly, courageously confess that there is no other name given to man in which they can be saved except Jesus Christ, the incarnate Son of God, the only redeemer of mankind.

Though St. Peter was named Peter by Christ  and hence promised the papacy  before his denial of Christ and the Lords Resurrection, the Church teaches that Christ confided the jurisdiction of Supreme Pastor of the Church to him after the Resurrection. The First Vatican Council states: it was to Peter alone that Jesus, after his resurrection, confided the jurisdiction of Supreme Pastor and ruler of his whole fold, saying: Feed my lambs, feed my sheep.

This teaching has remained constant, though is currently heard with less regularity or clarity than in previous decades.

Pope Leo XII pronounced it clearly in his 1824 encyclical letter Ubi Primum:

It is impossible for the most true God, who is Truth Itself, the best, the wisest Provider, and the Rewarder of good men, to approve all sects who profess false teachings which are often inconsistent with one another and contradictory, and to confer eternal rewards on their members. For we have a surer word of the prophet, and in writing to you We speak wisdom among the perfect; not the wisdom of this world but the wisdom of God in a mystery. By it we are taught, and by divine faith we hold one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and that no other name under heaven is given to men except the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth in which we must be saved. This is why we profess that there is no salvation outside the Church.

Writing in 2008, Pope Benedict XVI also commented against the rising trend of religious pluralism, stipulating that only through the truth of the Catholic Church were the teachings of Christ to be found in full:

Furthermore, to justify the universality of Christian salvation as well as the fact of religious pluralism, it has been proposed that there is an economy of the eternal Word that is valid also outside the Church and is unrelated to her, in addition to an economy of the incarnate Word. The first would have a greater universal value than the second, which is limited to Christians, though Gods presence would be more full in the second. These theses are in profound conflict with the Christian faith. The doctrine of faith must be firmly believed which proclaims that Jesus of Nazareth, son of Mary, and he alone, is the Son and the Word of the Father.

Schneider himself has already critiqued Francis 2019 Abu Dhabi declaration, which argued that the diversity of religions is willed by God. Issuing a public condemnation of the text, Schneider subsequently published another statement warning that men in the Church today are in fact promoting the neglect of the first Commandment of the Decalogue and the betrayal of the core of the Gospel.

Read more at: LifeSiteNews.com
Detransitioner Chloe Cole endorses Donald Trump to put a stop to forced transitioning of children

Detransitioner and activist against so-called "gender-affirming" care for minors Chloe Cole has officially endorsed former President Donald Trump

Cole, who underwent harmful transgender treatment between the ages of 13 and 17 years old before accepting her biological identity, announced her support for Trump in a post on her official account on X, formerly Twitter, on Sept. 23. Cole cited the commitment of the former president in cutting access to sex change procedures for minors as the driving factor for her endorsement.

"I am a detransitioner, a formerly transgender child. I was directly harmed by Kamala Harris radical policies. I am endorsing President Donald Trump because he has promised to put a stop to sex changes for minors," Cole wrote on X, along with a video describing how, at the age of 12, she was brainwashed by medical professionals to pursue gender transition after telling her she was transgender. (Related: Former trans teens express REGRET over gender reassignment procedures.)

"I was told that puberty blockers, hormones and surgeries were my only options," she recalled in the video, adding that "they were wrong." She also explained that after undergoing surgeries, including the removal of both breasts, she now faces "irreversible changes" to her body.

Cole went on to claim that Vice President Kamala Harris and her policies only push children into medical decisions that they may regret later in life.

"Today, Kamala Harris is pushing children into these procedures, limited their choices later on in life," Cole warned. "That's why I'm voting for Donald Trump, because he's committed to protecting children from these rash decisions."

Trump vows to end all "gender-affirming" care for minors if elected in November

In February 2023, Trump released a set of proposals to curb so-called "gender-affirming" care for minors, along with other policies that would target access to transgender procedures if he gets elected in November.

In a video posted on his account on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump outlined measures that would use federal power to ban so-called gender-affirming medical treatments for minors and limit education on gender identity.

Trump described "gender-affirming" care for minors as "child abuse" and "child sexual mutilation," and he vowed to prohibit federal agencies from promoting and facilitating sex and gender transitions at any age. He also said he would direct multiple federal agencies to monitor and prevent access to gender care for minors.

Trump also pledged to push Congress to pass a law banning transgender care nationwide and called for an investigation into the pharmaceutical industry and hospitals that grant access to transgender care for minors. He suggested that these institutions may have concealed long-term side effects of gender transitions for financial gain. Trump referred to these procedures as "unforgivable," so he vowed that he would make it easier for individuals who regret receiving gender-affirming care as minors to sue their doctors.

Aside from health care, Trump also claimed that his second administration would implement policies to promote "positive education about the nuclear family" and reinforce traditional gender roles. Teachers who suggest to students that they might be "trapped in the wrong body" could face civil rights penalties and schools could lose federal funding."

In short, Trump would push for a federal law recognizing only two genders.

"I will ask Congress to pass a bill establishing that the only genders recognized by the United States government are male and female, and they are assigned at birth," Trump said. "No serious country should be telling its children that they were born with the wrong gender, a concept that was never heard of in all of human history. Nobody's ever heard of this. Under my leadership, this madness will end."

GenderConfused.news has more stories about the repercussions of gender reassignment surgeries.

Watch the video below where Chloe Cole shared her life as a transitioning child and how she regretted this as she matured.

This video is from the Liberty Station channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Trump plans to criminalize GENDER TRANSITION surgery on minors without parental consent if elected.

Trump vows to cut federal funding for schools pushing CRITICAL RACE THEORY and transgenderism.

Detransitioner Chloe Cole to sue doctors who forced her to undergo "gender-affirming" procedures.

Former FTM Chloe Cole denounces gender transition in powerful speech, saying "it almost killed her."

Detransitioner Chloe Cole blasts "transgender refuge state" bill backed by CA state senator.

Sources include:

LifeSiteNews.com

NBCNews.com

Advocate.com

TheHill.com

Brighteon.com
Volunteer surgeons in Gaza describe horrifying violence deliberately directed at civilians, children

Leaflets containing the eyewitness testimony of two U.S. surgeons claiming an active genocide in Israel have been confiscated by United Nations security guards from the hands of U.N. delegates.

(Article Frank Wright republished from LifeSiteNews.com)

In the most damning account of Israels campaign in the Gaza strip, two U.S. surgeons have given eyewitness accounts of the routine execution of children and medical staff by IDF troops in a Special Appeal to the United Nations.

The following Special Appeal to the United Nations is being issued by two American doctors, Dr. Mark Perlmutter and Dr. Feroze Sidhwa. Dr. Perlmutter is the president of the World Surgical Foundation, and a past president of the United States section of the International College pic.twitter.com/B2iQaCN9E4  Jose Vega  Vote Vega & Sare! (@JosBtrigga) September 24, 2024

Dismissing Israels claims to be targeting Hamas as a fiction, Dr. Mark Perlmutter argues instead: The major target [of the Israeli army] is the elimination of the Palestinian population.

Acting on the orders of unnamed superiors, security officers outside the U.N. General Assembly in New York took leaflets containing Perlmutters testimony from the hands of U.N. delegates engaged in debates concerning Israel and its actions. In a video report documenting the incident, activist Jose Vega asks why the authorities would seek to prohibit this information being seen by U.N. decision makers.

The answer is the extraordinary horror contained in the eyewitness testimony of two volunteer U.S. surgeons, who documented the U.S. taxpayer-funded murder and mass starvation of children, healthcare workers, journalists, and the intentional destruction of an entire society in Gaza.

What Perlmutter is describing is an organized genocide.

Perlmutter is the president of the World Surgical Foundation, and a past president of the United States section of the International College of Surgeons. In an uncommonly frank Western media interview with CBS News from July 21, Perlmutter says:

In 40 mission trips over 30 years  Ground Zero, earthquakes  all of that combined does not equal the level of carnage that I saw against civilians in just my first week in Gaza. I have seen more incinerated children than I have ever seen in my life, combined. More shredded children in just the first week. Missing body parts, crushed by buildings or bomb explosions.

In a video report linked in the confiscated material, and removed from the sight of U.N. delegates, Perlmutter recounts how he traveled to Gaza with U.S. trauma surgeon Feroze Sidhwa.

In their combined 57 years of medical volunteering, they have been present at 9/11, Hurricane Katrina, the Haitian earthquake, and have treated casualties in the Ukraine war and across Africa.

In a report published by Politico in July, both surgeons said the horrors they had witnessed in Gaza eclipsed anything they had seen before:

The two of us are humanitarian surgeons. Together, in our combined 57 years of volunteering, weve worked on more than 40 surgical missions in developing countries on four continents. Were used to working in disaster and war zones, of being on intimate terms with death and carnage and despair. None of that prepared us for what we saw in Gaza this spring.

What did they see? Their report says:

We started seeing a series of children, pre-teens mostly, whod been shot in the head. Theyd go on to slowly die, only to be replaced by new victims whod also been shot in the head, and who would also go on to slowly die. Their families told us one of two stories: the children were playing inside when they were shot by Israeli forces, or they were playing in the street when they were shot by Israeli forces.

In almost a year of Israels war in Gaza, countless images and stories of atrocity have emerged, yet few communicate the obscene magnitude of the suffering conveyed in Perlmutter and Sidhwas story.

The evidence presented by these two surgeons is an excruciating eyewitness testimony to a large scale program of deliberate extermination. This is the reason higher ups at the U.N., as Vega reported, wanted to keep this testimony out of the sight of U.N. delegates.

Horrifying violence on civilians

On arrival in Gaza, Perlmutter reports he immediately found evidence of horrifying violence deliberately directed at civilians and even children. A three-year-old boy shot in the head, a 12-year-old girl shot through the chest, an ICU nurse shot through the abdomen

Perlmutter and fellow surgeon Feroze Sidhwa traveled together to Gaza in March 2024.

What we found in Gaza is a society that has been entirely destroyed. Sidhwa said that everyone we encountered, from newborns to the elderly, is malnourished, and the water chemically poisoned.

Medical workers tortured, killed

The doctors lamented attacks on the healthcare infrastructure and healthcare workers, including torture, abduction, and torment of doctors, nurses, and medical students.

Heads of hospital departments received constant death threats from the Israelis, says Sidhwa, incidentally all funded by our own government.

Perlmutter tells one story as an example of the targeting of healthcare workers. A Gazan surgical nurse, Tamer, claims to have been ordered at gunpoint to stop operating on a patient when an Israeli soldier burst into his operating room.

Tamer refused. He was shot in the leg, his bones blasted across the room. Medics treated Tamer, filling the void in his leg with surgical cement. The next day he was kidnapped by Israeli soldiers. The account of his ordeal was continued in the Politico piece:

The Israelis came to his hospital room and took him, where exactly he doesnt know. He told us he was strapped to a table for 45 days, given a juice box every day  sometimes every other day  and denied medical care for his broken femur.

Tamer received no medical treatment and was handcuffed throughout.

During that time, he told us, he was beaten so badly that his right eye was destroyed. As malnutrition set in, he developed osteomyelitis  infection of the bone itself  in his broken femur.

Later, he said, he was unceremoniously dumped naked on the side of a road. With metal sticking out of his infected and broken leg and his right eye hanging out of his skull he crawled for two miles until someone found him and brought him to a European Hospital.

When asked to comment on Tamers treatment, the IDF replied with a denial that its soldiers had raped a detainee at Sde Teiman, despite the incident having been captured on video and broadcasted on Israeli television.

Perlmutter wrote:

The IDF did not address specific questions about Tamers case, but instead emailed a press release responding to another outlets report of detainee abuse and torture at Sde Teiman. In it, the IDF denied mistreating detainees.

In his report written for Politico, Perlmutter recounts how the Gazan doctors and nurses in the European Hospital were simply waiting to die, and that they hoped Israel would get it over with sooner rather than later.

The hospitals director had fled to Egypt after his home was destroyed and his family threatened.

Most of the remaining staff had been kidnapped and tortured, Perlmutter said, adding:

They all told us a slightly different version of the same horror story: in captivity, they were barely fed, continuously abused, and ultimately dumped naked on the side of a road. Many said they were subjected to mock executions and other forms of mistreatment and torture.

90% of victims are children

Perlmutter said that the operating theater at the European Hospital was the largest emergency room still in operation in Gaza. With Israeli bombing timed to coincide with evening family mealtimes, patients would flood in following Israeli airstrikes.

Dr. Samer Attar has created a video compilation of the Gaza you havent seen, recorded on a volunteer medical mission into Gaza. Caution, the video is disturbing, but necessary to watch.

According to Perlmutter, 90 percent of the patients arriving on gurneys were children  toddlers, teenagers, and infants. Rarely an adult. On four gurneys, he said, we would have 12 to 15 kids, with up to four children on each gurney. A third were dead, a third were dying in front of us, and a third would make it to the operating room.

Perlmutter said then that 80 percent of those I took to the operating room were children, most of them toddlers or infants.

The remaining 20 percent of victims were often other healthcare workers, as well as mothers and the elderly:

The other targeted group in this 20 percent that werent children were healthcare workers. A surprising number of specifically targeted healthcare workers and their universal story was Im walking to work and right before I got to the hospital grounds I felt a burning pain rip through my shoulder  or my chest.

Perlmutter said those that survived, we operated on. They would often be left paralyzed, with devastating wounds.

Not once a single combatant among the victims

Not once did we see anyone who could remotely be described as a combatant, described Perlmutter. Instead, We took bullets out of kids.

The physician related how these shootings could have been nothing but intentional:

I personally saw two children that were shot twice by high caliber bullets. Both of these children were shot dead center in the chest, right where I would put my stethoscope  and a second bullet right in front of the hole of their ear.

Perlmutter explained these children have been deliberately killed by a skilled sniper, stating that one father felt his kid being pulled out of his arm, and then watched his son get shot a second time, at a different angle, when he was already on the ground.

No child gets shot twice by a sniper by mistake, said Perlmutter.

I myself also saw 13 children who were shot in the head, said Sidhwa, who with Perlmutter was only in Gaza for two weeks.

On their return from Gaza, Perlmutter and Sidhwa published an open letter addressed to the U.S. leadership, in which they called for an end to the supply of weapons to Israel as long as this genocide continues, until the Israeli siege of Gaza is lifted, and until an end to the occupation can be negotiated.

Israel does not want peace

The European hospital in which Perlmutter and Sidhwa worked was blockaded by Israel in May, trapping international medics inside  including an American doctor  for two weeks.

On his return to the U.S., Dr. Adam Hamawy  an American citizen and former combat surgeon known for saving the life of U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth in Iraq 20 years ago  wrote a letter to President Joe Biden. In it, he said: I have never in my career witnessed the level of atrocities and targeting of my medical colleagues as I have in Gaza.

Hamawy urged Biden to stop U.S. support for the war:

The children of Palestine are not safe. Civilians, population centers, are not safe. We, as humanitarian workers, are not safe. You have the power to end the invasion of Rafah and Gaza now.

The sad tale, documented below, reveals why there is so much violence in Israel:

As CNN reported, no medical team replaced the departed surgeons and doctors.

The European Hospital ran out of fuel to power its generators in mid-May, putting it largely out of service. The remaining medics and patients fled in July, following Israeli evacuation orders, leaving the hospital deserted.

One of the last remaining hospitals in Gaza has been shut down by Israel, just as it has repeatedly shut down attempts at a negotiated ceasefire  most recently with the assassination of the leader and chief negotiator of Hamas. Sidhwa himself supports this claim, in a comment attached to an open letter sent to President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris on the genocide, he and Perlmutter witnessed:

 it is not Hamas or the Palestinians who typically break ceasefires with Israel, but Israel that breaks ceasefires with Palestinian armed groups. October 7 was the only major exception to this pattern that Im aware of.

Sidhwa cites the media picture in the West for shaping this narrative.

Yet he is not alone in this view. The director of the Royal Institute of International Affairs at Chatham House, Bronwen Maddox, has recently concluded that, Israel has no strategy for peace. Maddox, a Middle East specialist, had also interviewed the deputy leader of Hamas who was assassinated by an Israeli drone strike in Beirut.

Killing the story

The mysterious seizure of some of the most damning testimony to emerge at the United Nations on Israeli war crimes is partnered with another: the intentional killing of journalists.

In July 2024, the Committee for the Protection of Journalists (CPJ) reported that 116 journalists and media workers have been killed since October 7 last year, making the 26 days following the outbreak of the war the deadliest period for journalists since its records began.

The CPJ says it is investigating a further 130 additional cases of potential killings, arrests and injuries amid the rising death toll of over 42,000 Palestinians.

On September 16, the Gaza Health Ministry published the names of 34,344 dead victims of the war it has identified so far. Of the 649 pages, 215 list the names of children.

According to Le Monde, over 60% of the dead are under 18, or over 60 or female. That is to say, they are non-combatants. Civilians. Against claims that these numbers are unreliable, a study from British journal The Lancet found in January 2024 that there was No evidence of inflated mortality reporting from the Gaza Ministry of Health.

Despite the efforts of Israel and its powerful lobby to keep the facts out of the hands of policymakers and beyond the sight of the public, the evidence of an active genocide is now in plain view.

The message of Perlmutter is neither political nor partisan. It is not the only signal of the eliminationist strategy of the Zionists to emerge from the noise of Israels information war.

It is a call to the cause of life against the power of silence. Will it be enough to awaken the conscience of America?

Feroze Sidhwa posted an open letter signed by 45 American physicians and nurses who have volunteered in Gaza, documenting their experiences and concerns. It was addressed to President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.

You can watch Drs. Mark Perlmutter and Feroze Sidhwas account of their experiences in Gaza HERE.

RELATED as compiled by Steve Jalsevac

Watch As Israels TikTok Soldiers Brag In New Documentary  Highlights Israels extremism.

Its Bisan From Gaza, Look At What U.S. Weapons Have Done to Rafah

John Mearsheimer  TikTok runs all sorts of videos that portray the Israelis acting towards the Palestinians in barbaric ways. That is why Israel wants to shut it down.

The Gaza Holocaust  The Corbett Report

Burning Conscience: Israeli Soldiers Speak Out

Three Israeli Army Reservists Explain Why They Refuse to Continue Serving in Gaza  Haaretz  Yuval was required to torch two residential buildings; Michael realized how many civilians were likely to be killed during every bombing he observed; and Tal broke down when Israel entered Rafah. They are willing to suffer the price for their refusal to serve in Gaza.

Kill Anything: Israeli Soldiers Say Gaza Atrocities Came from Orders for Indiscriminate Fire.

Israeli Soldiers Explosive Tell-All: Palestinians are Right to Resist  Eran Efrati spent years as a sergeant and combat soldier in the Israeli military but has since become an outspoken critic of the occupation of Palestine and Israeli apartheid. Efrati gives explosive testimony on the reality of his service and explains how war crimes are institutionalized.

Holy Redemption: Stealing Palestinian Land  A MUST-WATCH documentary revealing the extraordinary, growing influence of the Hasidic Jewish Chabad-Lubavitch movement. Prime Minister Netanyahu has become dependent on them to stay in power and fulfill his and their commitment to create a Greater Israel that would dominate the entire Middle East. The film could not have been safely made without the cooperation of courageous former Israeli soldiers from Breaking the Silence. The Settler Movement is shockingly violent, considers all non-Jews to be subhuman or inferior to Jews. They therefore have no conscience issues from killing women, children and even babies. It has support from many persons in high places in Israel, the US and elsewhere, as noted here. As can be surmised from the articles and the film, it represents a grave danger to human rights and world peace.

Gaza: Israeli army executes two brothers who were following orders to evacuate Khan Yunis

Ex-US soldier says Israel targets Gaza civilians on purpose

History will record that Israel committed a holocaust

Israel has assassinated more people than any Western state has since World War II

New Report: Killing starving Palestinians, targeting aid trucks is a deliberate Israeli policy to reinforce famine in the Gaza Strip

Protestant pastor John MacArthur tells Ben Shapiro that Israel must wipe out the modern-day Amalek in Gaza, meaning the Palestinians.  Shapiro agrees, says Israels war is easily the most morally clear conflict of our time. Pastor admits Israel is a secular organization.

A Racist, Criminal Project: Palestinian Historian on 1948 Nakba, Israels War on Gaza & U.S. Role

Kill them all: inside the Israeli blockade on Gaza aid.  Watch @loffredojeremys s shocking report from within the ranks of the Jewish Israeli nationalists blocking desperately needed aid to Gaza  and listen to the activists as they confess war crimes and clamor for genocide

Israel Accused of War Crimes for Apparently Deliberate Killing of Reuters Journalist in Lebanon

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kUX5s4FN87I  Palestinian journalist Maha Hussainis Courage in Journalism Award rescinded.

Shireen Abu Akleh: Al Jazeera reporter killed by Israeli forces  Israeli forces shot Abu Akleh in the head while she was on assignment in Jenin in the occupied West Bank.

The Israeli army assassinated journalist Saadi Madoukh and his entire family by bombing their home in the Al-Daraj neighborhood of Gaza.  This is a common, deliberate practice of the IDF.

Israel wanted to punish @AlJazeera journalist Wael Al-Dahdouh for reporting the truth about Gaza. So they killed his entire family:

wife

7-year-old daughter

15-year-old son

27-year-old son (also a journalist)

CNN Staffers REVOLT Over PRO-ISRAEL Slant Amounting to JOURNALISTIC MALPRACTICE

The doctor whos witnessed Israels wars on Palestinians since 1982  Mads Gilbert is a Norwegian anesthesiologist and emergency medicine specialist. He says, There shall be no trace of Palestinian society, culture, history because they going to be wiped out  This is, I think, the plan for the Zionists.

Read more at: LifeSiteNews.com
Hezbollah warns people in Lebanon against scanning QR codes from Israeli leaflets

Hezbollah has cautioned people in Lebanon against scanning QR codes found on leaflets dropped by Israeli warplanes in several parts of the country. In a statement, Hezbollah's media department confirmed that these leaflets had been distributed in the Beqaa Valley in eastern Lebanon.

"We strongly advise against opening or sharing any QR codes; they should be discarded immediately due to the significant risk they pose. These codes can access all the data on your devices and endanger your personal safety. We urge the public to remain vigilant," the statement emphasized.

Since the day before the statement, Israeli attacks in Lebanon have resulted in nearly 600 deaths, including over 50 children and 100 women, and nearly 2,000 injuries, according to Lebanese Health Minister Firas Abiad.

"Most of the casualties in these attacks are unarmed civilians in their homes, contradicting the claims that fighters are being targeted," said Abiad. (Related: Lebanon warns of "doomsday" response for West, Asia and Europe if Israel expands war.)

Hezbollah and Israel have been engaged in ongoing cross-border conflict since the onset of the Israeli war on Gaza. The conflict, which erupted following a Hamas-led cross-border attack on Oct. 7, has claimed over 41,400 lives, primarily women and children. The international community has raised concerns about the escalating strikes in Lebanon, warning that they could expand the Gaza conflict to a regional scale.

"The Zionist enemy is distributing leaflets with barcodes in the Bekaa region and may target other areas as well," Hezbollah's media office stated. "We urge the public not to scan or circulate these barcodes."

The Lebanese political party and paramilitary group advised anyone who finds such leaflets to "destroy them immediately, as they are highly dangerous and capable of extracting all the information on your devices."

Before launching this bombing campaign, Israel reportedly triggered thousands of pagers and electronic devices across Lebanon, an act that rights experts have condemned as a form of terrorism.

Reuters reported on Tuesday, Sept. 24, that Hezbollah's statement did not clarify if anything else was written on the leaflets, and there was no immediate response from the Israeli military.

Israel claims its war is not with Lebanese civilians, only Hezbollah

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed Lebanese citizens on social media, stating: "Our war is not with you; our war is with Hezbollah."

Netanyahu urged the Lebanese to "free yourselves from [Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah's] grip for your own safety." He added, "Anyone with a missile in their living room or a rocket in their garage will not have a home."

Later, in an English message, Netanyahu warned: "Get out of harm's way, now."

Meanwhile, residents of southern Lebanon have been receiving text messages and audio recordings from the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), warning them to evacuate their homes and villages. Col. Avichay Adraee, the head of the IDF Spokesperson's Unit's Arab media division, shared similar messages on social media.

The massive civilian death toll has contradicted the IDF's statements on the matter. United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi said the escalating chaos in Lebanon is "terrifying" and that the massive civilian death toll is "unacceptable."

Grandi called for immediate political solutions to end the hostilities, and added that the indiscriminate Israeli airstrikes on Lebanon "are now relentlessly claiming hundreds of civilian lives," including at least two UN aid workers.

The situation has gotten so unpopular for Israel that even United States President Joe Biden, addressing the UN General Assembly, emphasized that an all-out war "is not in anyone's interest," and that "a diplomatic solution remains the only path to lasting security."

Watch this broadcast from Al Arabiya discussing how Israel is rejecting calls for a ceasefire in Lebanon.

This video is from the AllTheWorldsAStage channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Lebanon bans all pagers and walkie talkies on flights following deadly Israeli terror operation.

Japanese handheld radio maker denies link to exploding walkie-talkies in Lebanon.

How thousands of pagers became deadly weapons in Lebanon.

Sources include:

Reuters.com

TheRealNews.com

Brighteon.com
Hydroxychloroquine did NOT kill thousands of people: Fraudulent study RETRACTED

Even though Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) was being used successfully to treat COVID-19 from the beginning, there was a coordinated push to censor its efficacy, to mock individuals who used it and to attack doctors who prescribed it. One of the most disgusting hit pieces against HCQ claimed that it caused 17,000 deaths . The corporate media used the report to mock Donald Trump for using and recommending HCQ. However, eight months after its publication, researchers have audited these politically motivated claims and found the study to be a lie, based on fraudulent data. The 17,000 deaths never occurred

The blacklisting of efficacious treatments caused numerous deaths, and the curse continues today

In order to legally achieve Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for experimental use COVID-19 vaccines, the Department of Defense (DoD) and its shell companies  Pfizer, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson  had to convince the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that there were NO known treatments for COVID-19. Government lockdowns, widespread propaganda, the politicization of propaganda and the normalization of unlawful medical mandates applied additional, coercive pressure on the process.

From the FDA: Under an EUA, FDA may allow the use of unapproved medical products, or unapproved uses of approved medical products in an emergency to diagnose, treat, or prevent serious or life-threatening diseases or conditions when certain statutory criteria have been met, including that there are no adequate, approved, and available alternatives.

With billions of dollars already invested in this vaccine program (Operation Warp Speed), public health authorities, government czars, the corporate media and their Big Tech acolytes coordinated with one another to censor and disparage any treatment plan, including pharmaceuticals and nutraceuticals, that were being used by doctors to treat COVID-19. This censorship included academic fraud, unapologetic slander and a complete misrepresentation of clinical evidence and real-world outcomes for basic treatments that were working.

The censorship was even weaponized to threaten doctors who treated patients. Any treatment for respiratory symptoms or inflammatory conditions associated with the illness, whether it be an over-the-counter drug, an herbal or nutritional supplement, or a prescription medication, was blacklisted on social media, lied about on the corporate media channels and completely ignored by public health officials. The public health authorities insisted that populations stay locked down and terrorized until the DoD launched the COVID-19 vaccines, while hospitals received financial kickbacks for using kidney-damaging remdesivir on patients.

By blocking efficacious treatments and disparaging against their use, government and public health officials essentially injured and killed hundreds of thousands of people before the COVID-19 vaccines were fraudulently approved. Instead of reporting what was working to treat COVID-19 in communities across the nation, the Federal Coronavirus Task Force (which didnt see patients) replayed a narrative of bio-terror and lockdown, demanding Americans follow the governments narrative and controls.

Article that claimed HCQ caused 17,000 deaths gets retracted; its data based on fraud

After HCQ was successfully censored and disparaged, an academic article claimed that the medication was responsible for 17,000 deaths. This hit job against HCQ was effective and led to publishers and media outlets warning the public against using HCQ to treat COVID-19. The article was further politicized and used to attack Donald Trump because he originally promoted HCQ.

Now, the article is RETRACTED because researchers discovered that the data that underpinned the article was unreliable and fraudulent. The original publication, which appeared in Elseviers Journal of Biomedicine and Pharmacotherapy, was overseen by Dr. Danyelle Townsend, a professor at the University of South Carolina College of Pharmacy.

The article, Deaths Induced by Compassionate Use of Hydroxychloroquine During the First COVID-19 Wave: An Estimate tried to find potential deaths linked to HCQ during the initial COVID-19 outbreak. However, the Belgium dataset cited in the article has since been discredited, with claims of intentional fabrication. The authors, primarily from France and Canada, based their conclusions on questionable data from the RECOVERY trial, which has been criticized for its methodological flaws, including late treatment initiation and high dosing.

Corporate media outlets, including Forbes, The Hill and Politico, sensationalized the findings, leading to a wave of misinformation that implicated HCQ in non-existent fatalities. Josh Cohen, a senior healthcare columnist for Forbes, referred to the unfounded death toll in a highly charged op-ed linking HCQ to President Trump, further politicizing the issue and polarizing the nation to reject basic treatments. By the time the article was retracted on August 26, 2024  234 days after publication  the damage had been done. Many news stories propagating the false narrative continue to dominate search results, perpetuating confusion about HCQs safety and efficacy.

Since being exposed, Dr. Townsends editorial oversight has come under fire, raising questions about the qualifications of the journal's editorial board and their ability to review complex clinical data. The situation has raised serious ethical questions about academic publishing and accountability. Why did it take nearly eight months for the journal to retract the article? What steps, if any, did Dr. Townsend take to inform the media and the public about the flaws in the study before its retraction? What qualifications do members of the editorial board possess to assess drug safety? Are there broader implications for the integrity of other journals and their publishing practices?

Sources include:

Brownstone.org

FortuneJournals.com

FDA.gov

NaturalNews.com

Sciencedirect.com
Canadian Dr. Jordan Peterson: If I could vote in the American election, I would vote for Trump

Canadian author, clinical psychologist and conservative commentator Dr. Jordan Peterson has declared that, if he were American, he would vote for former President Donald Trump in November because of his previous performance in office.

Peterson, the best-selling author of self-help books "12 Rules for Life" and "Beyond Order," made this statement during an interview with British television host Piers Morgan on Sept. 19.

"If I could vote in the American election, I would vote for Trump. I don't trust [Vice President Kamala] Harris," Peterson said while taking note of the "hyper-powerful people" the Republican Party's presidential nominee has gathered around him, and the "grace under pressure" he has shown surviving two assassination attempts within a span of two months.

"The best predictor of someone's future behavior is their past behavior," said Peterson. "If you're trying to hire someone and you have documented history of their efforts in precisely the domain that you're attempting to hire for, and the evidence is clear and valid, you use that in favor of all other predictive markers."

Peterson also emphasized what he saw as a very positive development with Trump drawing in "a lot of hyper-powerful people" like Elon Musk, Tulsi Gabbard, Vivek Ramaswamy and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., "most of whom would have been Democrats in anything approximating a sane and normal world."

For the renowned clinical psychologist, this suggests that the "flamboyant and dominating" Trump does not "tilt too far in the narcissistic direction," otherwise he would not be creating these coalitions and sharing "the spotlight with the rest of this crew."

"I would vote for Trump if for no other reason than Musk himself has already agreed to head something like a Department of Governmental Efficiency in the U.S., then Kennedy is bringing the public health crisis into the political realm, and both of those two things are revolutionary," Peterson stated.

Biden-Harris administration led to more global wars

Peterson further noted how Trump already has "a documented track record" in the presidency, which shows how the Republican was able to strengthen the American economy and use the pulpit of the presidency to create a "markedly stable international situation" that included "no wars."

In comparison to Trump, Peterson noticed that under the administration of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, "we have this terrible, brutal, and I think unnecessary war going on between Russia and Ukraine, which could spiral out of control at any moment, and is highly likely to."

Trump has promised to end the conflict in Ukraine within "24 hours" of his possible second inauguration in January 2025. (Related: Trump says hell end the Ukraine-Russia conflict before even taking office if he wins the election.)

The former president has even given many indications that, if elected, he would be able to use his position of authority to put an end to Israel's war against Palestinians in Gaza.

"We will stop it. I will stop the war," said Trump back in June during an interview in Newark, New Jersey.

Follow Trump.news for more stories about the presidential campaign of Trump.

Watch the video below about Dr. Jordan Peterson saying there is no political figure more "vilified" than Donald Trump.

This video is from the NewsClips channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Democratic and Arab American mayor of America's only Muslim-majority city in Michigan endorses Donald Trump.

Trump says he WONT RUN for president a fourth time if he loses November elections.

If elected, Trump promises to end Russia-Ukraine war BEFORE taking office.

Second would-be Trump assassin Ryan Routh was earlier praised by media for volunteering to fight for Zelensky in Ukraine.

Sources include:

LifeSiteNews.com

YouTube.com

Brighteon.com
Kamala Harris strategist FAILS to explain her economic policy during live interview, accuses host of being disrespectful to women

A spokesperson for Vice President Kamala Harris suffered a meltdown live on Fox News after being unable to explain the details of the Democratic Party candidate's economic policy . She then resorted to accusing the female host of being "disrespectful" to women.

During an interview with Fox News host Sandra Smith, Democratic Party strategist Kelly Hyman admitted that she is not "privy" to any information on Harris' economic proposals.

Smith asked Hyman to provide viewers with at least some detail regarding Harris' economic plans. Hyman responded by completely failing to explain how Harris would handle price gouging, claiming that the vice president's proposals would prevent big corporations from exploiting ordinary Americans.

The host then asked Hyman whether the so-called price gouging is indeed happening. Hyman originally said "No, not at the moment," but then acknowledged she has no idea at all.

"In regards  I don't know exactly if that's currently happening or not because I'm not privy to that type of information, but the people are costing a lot of money in regard to groceries," an agitated Hyman replied.

"It seems like you're having a hard time articulating her plan, and that adds to the frustration of voters," Smith mentioned.

Hyman responded: "I'm not. Honestly, that's not true. Please. I'm constantly being interrupted by you. Which as a woman, I think is disrespectful."

Harris rolling out fresh set of economic policies

The Harris campaign plans to roll out a fresh set of economic policy proposals that allegedly seek to assist Americans in creating wealth as well as establishing economic incentives for businesses to grow.

Sources who spoke with Reuters claimed that the recent policies are being rolled out in response to more undecided voters asking for additional information regarding how Harris would help them economically if she were elected president in November.

Harris, speaking to reporters on Sunday, Sept. 22, said she would lay out her vision for the economy in a speech very soon. She added that the plan is about investing in the ambitions and goals of Americans while tackling the challenges they face. (Related: FINALLY: Kamala Harris releases policy platform on her official campaign website and it's as bad as you might expect.)

This comes after an intense discussion in Democratic circles over whether issuing more economic policies so close to election day is a good strategy.

"It's not just about affordability, it's also about showing [voters] they have a path to building wealth," said one of the sources with personal knowledge of Harris' economic plans, while adding that she wanted to show Americans how they can "get a foot in the door."

The sources did not give definite details on the fresh set of policies, and the Harris campaign did not comment on any recent proposals.

In her short-lived 2020 presidential campaign, Harris proposed substantial pay hikes for the millions of public-school teachers, forcing corporations to reveal their pay gap between men and women and penalizing those who are not reducing it.

Harris has issued a load of economic policies concentrated on the high cost of housing, taxes, small business expenses, childcare and commodities. Her plans frequently rest on Biden's policies, such as raising the child tax credit and elevating the corporate tax rate to 28 percent.

Follow KamalaHarris.news for more stories about the presidential campaign of Kamala Harris.

Watch the video below about why Kamala Harris can't be trusted with the American economy.

This video is from the NewsClips channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Analysis: Kamala Harris' $5 TRILLION tax plan could CANCEL OUT Trump-era tax cuts.

Trump denounces Biden-Harris administration for destructive policies that "hurt the American people."

Kamala Harris wants to raise corporate tax rate, punishing small businesses even more.

Sources include:

Modernity.news

Reuters.com

Brighteon.com
Netanyahu says bombings in Lebanon will continue until Israel completes mission: Our war is not with you; our war is with Hezbollah

Things are heating up in Israel after Hezbollah, for the first time since the start of the current conflict, launched a drone attack on a navy base located to the south of Haifa.

The Atlit navy base sits about 80 kilometers (about 50 miles) from Israel's border with Lebanon to the north. It is considered to be a target deep within Israeli territory, which means things will only escalate from here as Benjamin Netanyahu has made it clear that the bombings will continue until his mission is completed.

As Lebanon bombs away at Israeli targets, Israel is doing the same to Lebanese targets. Netanyahu took to Twitter / X to reiterate his plans for the region moving forward:

"We will continue striking Hezbollah. Anyone who has a missile in their living room and a rocket in their garage will not have a home."

Netanyahu's statements are part and parcel of what Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have been claiming all along about Hezbollah storing missiles, drones and ammunition inside residential homes throughout the south of Lebanon.

"Our war is not with you," Netanyahu clarified to the civilians of Lebanon. "Our war is with Hezbollah. Nasrallah is leading you to the brink of the abyss. Rid yourself from Nasrallah's grip, for your own good."

Hezbollah announces targeting using a swarm of one-way drones the HQ of the Israeli Special Naval Task Unit Shayetet 13 at the Atlit base south of Haifa. The drones - the farthest drone strike so far - accurately hit the positions of its officers and soldiers.  Hussein (@EyesOnSouth1) September 24, 2024

(Related: The so-called Axis of Resistance is strengthening its resolve to try to stop Israel from expanding the war in the Middle East.)

Biden backs Israel, says Israelis are merely defending themselves with war

The White House, meanwhile, continues to send mixed messages about the conflict. President Biden, who does still appear to be alive  or at least they have a pretty passable lookalike  commented about Israel's ramped-up airstrikes on Lebanon by framing the war as Israel's "right to defend itself," a common trope.

"Any country, any country, would have the right responsibility to ensure that such an attack could never happen again," Biden mumbled in a word salad delivery of his pro-Israel message to Americans concerning the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel.

"Innocent civilians are going through hell," Biden continued, referring to the people of Gaza. "Thousands and thousands killed, including aid workers. Too many families dislocated, crowded in a tent, facing a dire situation. They didn't ask for this war."

Biden went on to state that he is "determined to prevent a wider war that engulfs the entire region," this in the final few months of his presidency before either Kamala Harris or Donald Trump takes the reins in early 2025.

Israel's most recent air assault resulted in the deaths of six people at a building in southern Lebanon where Hezbollah is said to have had a rocket and missile division led by Ibrahim Qubaisi.

"Over the years and during the war, he was responsible for the launches at the Israeli home front," the IDF said about the now-deceased Qubaisi, who "was a central source of knowledge in the field of missiles, and was close to the senior military leadership of Hezbollah."

???ISRAELI AIRSTRIKES HIT HEZBOLLAH WITH UNPRECEDENTED FORCE The Israeli Air Force has launched its most extensive airstrikes ever against Hezbollah, targeting over 1,600 sites in southern Lebanon and the Beqaa Valley within a day. The strikes focused on Hezbollah's elite pic.twitter.com/UitD2soDVp  Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) September 24, 2024

The highly volatile situation in the Middle East is a sign of the times. Learn more at WWIII.news.

Sources for this article include:

ZeroHedge.com

NaturalNews.com
Penn muzzles fearless conservative professor for exposing truth about DEI black students

Isnt it ironic how the left touts itself as the champion of fighting disinformation, yet theyre the ones silencing the truth and punishing anyone brave enough to speak out? This is especially true when it comes to topics like black crime statistics and DEI students who arent cutting the mustard. So, if you dare to talk about real, raw issues, especially involving black students, youre instantly labeled a racist, blacklisted, and shut down. Thats exactly whats happening to University of Pennsylvania Professor Amy Wax, who dared to discuss the fact that no black students made it into the top quarter of Penn Law Schools class of 2023.

(Article republished from Revolver.news)

Thats an important and noteworthy revelationone that deserves attention, not censorship.

However, the woke DEI-pushers leading Penn saw it differently. Now, her entire career trajectory has been derailed because she spoke up. The DEI-obsessed faculty at Penn came down on her with a vengeance, determined to make an example of anyone who challenges their agenda and speaks the truth.

Steve Sailer:

Of all of Professor Amy Waxs myriad sins against the Woke worldview, the one that seems to have gotten the Penn Law School administration most obsessively angry with her was what she told Brown U. economist Glenn Loury during a 2017 podcast discussing the downside of affirmative action. According to CNN: Here is a very inconvenient fact Glenn, I dont think Ive ever seen a black student graduate in the top quarter of the class and rarely, rarely in the top half, Wax told Brown University professor Glenn Loury in a video of the interview that recently gained attention. When asked to elaborate, Wax said she was basing her numbers on personal data. I have a class of 89, 95 students every year. I see a big chunk of students every year  so I am going on that, because a lot of this data is a closely guarded secret.

This is the supposed hate speech that did Amy in.

The "hate speech" that just got Amy Wax sacked With @GlennLoury pic.twitter.com/w2qtVbHu3L  Rob Montz (@Robmontz) September 24, 2024

The facts dont lie. Amy used her personal student data to shine a spotlight on the glaring failure of Penns DEI program.

Nathan Cofnas:

Amy Wax will be sanctioned by@Penn: suspended for a year at half pay, stripped of her named chair, etc. Everything but termination.

Below is the hearing board that originally found her guilty. It includes a sociologist who is director of the Center for Africana Studies (Camille Z. Charles) and an expert on racism (Raina Merchant).

It also includes an anti-free speech activist, Sigal Ben-Porath, who was ironically the chair of Penns Committee on Open Expression. In her book, Free Speech on Campus, Ben-Porath wrote:

When some members of the campus community are effectively barred from speaking, when they avoid speaking their minds for fear of humiliation or ridicule, or when they do not feel that they belong or that they are appreciated, free speech is limited just as much as it can be limited by censorship.

I guess she is putting this theory into practice, protecting speech by censoring a lone conservative who somehow makes the 99% of Penn affiliates who accept woke orthodoxy feel like they dont belong.

Amy Wax will be sanctioned by @Penn: suspended for a year at half pay, stripped of her named chair, etc. Everything but termination. Below is the hearing board that originally found her guilty. It includes a sociologist who is director of the Center for Africana Studies (Camille pic.twitter.com/CUyO6nz0PX  Nathan Cofnas (@nathancofnas) September 23, 2024

Why was Penn so desperate to silence Amy? Well, for starters, because she was effective and made perfect sense. She destroyed the lefts agenda and messaging with ease.

Take a look:

The reason Penn has waged a campaign to destroy the career of law professor Amy Wax is because shes blunt, incisive, convincing and effective. Here she tackles legalizing drugs and the issue of over-incarceration. She destroyed the Atlantics Serwer in this entire discussion. pic.twitter.com/vgtzT2peIh  FischerKing (@FischerKing64) September 23, 2024

Amy was punished for being fearless and for speaking the truth.

Amy Wax on the "Midwit Gynocrats" she has had to deal with at Penn. "These people are as intellectually mediocre and undistinguished as you could possibly imagine." They punished her for her fearlessness. pic.twitter.com/yi86O0VNcF  Richard Hanania (@RichardHanania) September 24, 2024

We have also been shining a light on the dangerous and destructive DEI policies and how theyre destroying companies and organizations and putting people in dire situations.

Revolver:

Imagine being an astronaut, saying goodbye to your family for an eight-day mission to the International Space Station, only to find yourself stuck there for two monthsand countingthanks to the DEI-driven blunders at Boeing. Thats the grim reality for two astronauts, and experts predict they might be stranded until sometime in 2025. This would be a massive PR disaster if it were getting the coverage it deserves. Instead of holding Boeing accountable for yet another screw-uplikely due to their twisted obsession with DEI initiatives over common sense, excellence, and safetythe story is barely making waves. Boeings PR team is likely doing its best to keep their name untarnished. But good luck with that. After all, their track record is in shambles, so this might be the final nail in the coffin for securing future contracts with NASA and the US government. Wall Street Silver: Boeing Starliner could be junk and stuck at the Space Station permanently. NASA has lost confidence in the safety of the Starliner due to leaks and wont allow astronauts to return on it. But Boeing installed software on Starliner that does not provide for automated undocking. They need a human inside of the Starliner to undock. But the problem is, there would be no way to get the astronaut back on the Space Station, the space suits are too bulky to fit thru the port. Boeing wants to upload new software while Starliner is in space, but NASA is worried it will fail and then brick Starliner forever, thus blocking one of only two ports where Dragon and others arrive and leave from. The two astronauts were only supposed to be on the space station for 8 days for this Starliner test flight and have now been there for 2 months. The most likely plan is for their return in February 2025 aboard a Dragon Crew capsule.

Boeing Starliner could be junk and stuck at the Space Station permanently. NASA has lost confidence in the safety of the Starliner due to leaks and won't allow astronauts to return on it. But Boeing installed software on Starliner that does not provide for automated undocking. pic.twitter.com/rM3veYnLgz  Wall Street Silver (@WallStreetSilv) August 10, 2024

Meanwhile, Penn tried to buy Amy Waxs silence to keep the whole story under wrapsbut she wasnt having any of it.

Free Beacon:

The University of Pennsylvania tried to cut a deal with Amy Wax, the tenured law professor who endured years of disciplinary proceedings over her controversial remarks. The school offered to water down the sanctions against her if she agreed to stop discussingand criticizingher treatment at the hands of the university. She refused. So Penn announced Tuesday that it was suspending Wax for a year at half pay and stripping her of an endowed chair. The sanctions, which also include a permanent loss of summer pay, were immediately condemned by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), which framed them as a precedent-setting blow to academic freedom. After today, any university under pressure to censor a controversial faculty member need only follow Penns playbook, the group wrote in a statement. Faculty nationwide may now pay a heavy price for Penns willingness to undercut academic freedom for all to get at this one professor. But behind closed doors, the school was prepared to let Wax pay a much lower priceprovided she keep her mouth shut about the two-and-a-half-year-long case that made Penn a pariah among academic freedom advocates and compounded the fallout of anti-Israel protests on campus. The quid pro quo was outlined in a draft settlement agreement presented to Wax in August and reviewed by the Washington Free Beacon. That agreementthe product of months of negotiations between Penn and its embattled gadflywould have let Wax keep her base salary during the course of her suspension and thrown in a one-time payment of $50,000, partially offsetting the loss in summer pay. In return, Wax would agree not to disparage the University over the two-year-long process to which it subjected her. She would also waive her right to sue Penn or disclose the evidence she had presented in internal hearings to clear her name, including testimony from former students who called into question the charges against her. Wax refused to sign the non-disparagement clause, she told the Free Beacon. The result was a breakdown in settlement talks and the imposition of the harsher sanctions originally approved by former Penn president Liz Magill, who signed off on the pay cuts for Wax one month before she defended the rights of professors and students to call for the annihilation of the Jewish state.

Whats really ironic is that these are the same people who claim to be the self-appointed guardians of precious democracy. The ones who censor the truth simply because it doesnt align with their political beliefs and are willing to destroy a good professors life and career for daring to speak out about whats really going on. These arent defenders of democracy; theyre Marxist militants who want to control thoughts and words through intimidation and threatsall while hiding behind the facade of love and unity. Its a racket, plain and simple. But no matter what they try, they wont silence powerhouses like Amy Wax and others like her.

Read more at: Revolver.news
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant (1st L, front), Israel's military chief Herzi Halevi (C) and other officers are seen at an Israeli Air Force's command room during the airstrike targeting Hezbollah's headquarters in Israel, on Sept. 27, 2024. The Israel Defense Forces announced on Saturday the killing of Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, following Israel's airstrikes on the southern suburbs of Beirut. (Israel's Ministry of Defense/Handout via Xinhua)

JERUSALEM, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement on Saturday that Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was killed in an airstrike on the Lebanese organization's target in the southern suburbs of Beirut.

The statement said that Ali Karki, commander of the southern front in Hezbollah, and other commanders in the militant group were also killed in the massive airstrike.

"Warplanes of the Air Force under the precise intelligence guidance of the Military Intelligence and the defense system, attacked the central headquarters of Hezbollah, located underground, under a residential building in Dahieh in Beirut," according to the statement.

It added that the attack was carried out while top commanders of Hezbollah were at their headquarters.

Israel has intensified its airstrikes across Lebanon since Monday, marking the most extensive military action in the region since 2006.

This marks the latest escalation of the ongoing clashes that began on Oct. 8, 2023, when Hezbollah started launching rockets at Israel in solidarity with Hamas in the Gaza Strip, prompting Israel's retaliatory artillery fire and airstrikes into southeastern Lebanon. 

Israel's military chief Herzi Halevi (L) and other officers are seen at an Israeli Air Force's command room during the airstrike targeting Hezbollah's headquarters in Israel, on Sept. 27, 2024. The Israel Defense Forces announced on Saturday the killing of Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, following Israel's airstrikes on the southern suburbs of Beirut. (Israel's Ministry of Defense/Handout via Xinhua)
The Comet of the Century is here  Has God put it there to be a sign in the heavens?

Is it just a coincidence that the Comet of the Century has appeared just as all-out war is about to erupt in the Middle East and a presidential election that has the potential to change life in America forever is about to be decided? Perhaps you do think that it is just a coincidence, and you are certainly entitled to that opinion. But my personal opinion is that it is not a coincidence that this comet has appeared at this specific moment in history. In this article, I am going to share some truly remarkable things that I have discovered about this comet, and that will include some things that I did not learn until today.

(Article republished from TheEconomicCollapseBlog.com)

In Genesis 1:14, the Bible specifically tells us that one of the reasons why God created the lights in the heavens was because He intended to use them as signs

14 And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years

And in Luke chapter 21, Jesus warned us that there would be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars in the days prior to His return.

So anyone that attempts to claim that events in the heavens never have any meaning is directly contradicting the Bible.

All throughout human history, there have been important signs in the heavens.

And now the Comet of the Century is here.

This comets official designation is comet C/2023 A3, but it is also known as Tsuchinshan-ATLAS, and right now people all over the Internet are talking about it

Unless youve been on a hiking holiday in Outer Mongolia for the past year youve probably heard that theres going to be a bright comet in the sky next month. Its everywhere! Its called comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS), and youre likely to be hearing a lot about it over the coming weeks. Already you cant go on social media without seeing half a dozen news stories announcing the comet of the century is coming! illustrated with an AI-generated graphic showing a brilliant ball of light with a glowing tail stretched out behind it.

The reason why the comets official designation has 2023 in it is because it was originally discovered in early 2023

As always, the name of the comet itself reveals important details about it, its official name is C/2023 A3 and proceeding in order the letter C indicates that it is a non-periodic comet, the number 2023 that was discovered in 2023, the letter A that its first observation took place in the first half of January and finally the number 3 indicates that it was the third object discovered in that same period. In reality, however, the official confirmation of the discovery of this comet took place on February 22, 2023.

We have now reached the time when it will start to become visible in the sky in the northern hemisphere, and that is very exciting.

According to an article that was posted by Wired, it was being projected that the date when the comet would shine the brightest would be October 2nd

C/2023 A3 will shine in the northern hemisphere sky from September 27 and will remain visible until the last week of October. During this period, the comet will reach its minimum distance from the sun, before beginning its journey back out of the solar system. According to the specialized blog Cometography, the day when C/2023 A3 will shine the brightest will be October 2. The comets tail will be long and spectacular at this point due to its proximity to the sun.

As I discussed in a previous article, Rosh Hashanah begins at sundown on October 2nd.

In addition, there will also be a ring of fire solar eclipse on October 2nd.

So on Rosh Hashanah the Comet of the Century will be the brightest at the exact same time that a spectacular ring of fire eclipse is appearing in the sky.

That is quite a coincidence.

There will only be two solar eclipses during 2024.

The first was the Great American Eclipse on April 8th, and the second will be the ring of fire eclipse on October 2nd.

The ring of fire eclipse will only be visible for a very short time, but the Comet of the Century will continue to be visible throughout much of October.

On October 9th and 10th, the comet will pass almost directly between Earth and the Sun

Thanks to pure good fortune, comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) will then pass almost directly between Earth and the Sun on October 9 and 10. This could cause a spectacular brightening of the comet, thanks to forward scattering caused by its dust. Imagine looking towards a bright light source through a cloud of dust grains. The grains nearest to the light source will scatter light from the source back towards you.

If conditions are just right, and right now we dont know if that will be the case or not, there is a possibility that this comet could actually become visible during daylight hours for a short period of time

As the comet swings between Earth and the Sun, it will be perfectly placed for this forward scattering process to occur. If the comet is particularly dusty, this could cause its apparent brightness to increase by up to 100 times. If it does, theres a small chance the comet could briefly become visible in the daylight sky on October 9 and 10.

We wont know for sure if this will actually happen until then, but if it does happen it will make news all over the globe.

Subsequently, the Comet of the Century will come closest to our planet on October 12th

By the time C/2023 A3 passes closest to Earth on Oct. 12, skywatchers can find it in the evening sky, shortly after sunset.

It turns out that Yom Kippur just happens to fall on October 12th this year.

Thats right.

The Comet of the Century will be closest to Earth on one of the most important days on Gods prophetic calendar.

But I suppose that is just a coincidence too.

We are being told that the comet will appear to rapidly climb in the western sky and will become a bright, naked-eye object for a few days starting on Yom Kippur

After swinging between Earth and the Sun, the comet will appear in the evening sky. It will rapidly climb in the western sky, and should be a bright, naked-eye object for a few days from October 12. The sliders below will give you a sense of where to look. For the first few days of this period, the comet will still benefit from the forward scattering of sunlight, but this will decrease as it moves away.

Could this comet be a sign of war?

We are so close to the unthinkable, and it appears that there will be no turning back now.

Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz has announced that his nation will continue to fight against the Hezbollah terrorist organization with all our strength until victory and the safe return of the residents of the north to their homes.

That means that all-out war is coming.

And as I write this article we are only about 40 days away from the most pivotal presidential election in any of our lifetimes.

At this point, everyone should be able to see that we are entering a period of extreme chaos.

But a lot of people out there have not wanted to listen to any of the warnings, and they certainly are not interested in any signs in the sky.

That is extremely unfortunate, because none of us will be able to avoid what is soon coming upon this planet.

Read more at: TheEconomicCollapseBlog.com
OSLO, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- Norway will grant collective protection to fewer Ukrainians arriving from six areas deemed safe by the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration, the government said in a press release.

If no individual need for protection exists, applications from new asylum seekers from these areas will be rejected, it said.

For the past two and a half years, most Ukrainians fleeing to Norway have been given temporary protection without individual assessment, but now applications from safe regions of Ukraine will be evaluated under regular asylum regulations.

"In the future, asylum seekers from Ukraine will therefore be treated on a more equal footing to other asylum seekers. The collective protection scheme will now be directed more precisely at those in need of protection," said Emilie Enger Mehl, minister of justice and public security.

Norway, which has taken in 85,000 Ukrainians in the past two and a half years, the most in Nordic countries, has seen a reduction in arrivals following earlier cuts to benefits and accommodation. However, recent months have witnessed an uptick in new arrivals.

"Norwegian municipalities are starting to reach capacity. Housing is in short supply and there is pressure on welfare services. We must maintain control over immigration to Norway," said Tonje Brenna, minister of labor and social inclusion. 
Role of youth important in promoting tourism: Rajasthan Dy CM Diya Kumari

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eputy Rajasthan Chief Minister Diya Kumari on Friday said that the role of youth is important in promoting tourism.

She was addressing a cultural programme on the occasion of World Tourism Day on Friday.

The programme was organised by the Tourism Department at Albert Hall where Diya Kumar was the chief guest.

While congratulating all on World Tourism Day, the Deputy Chief Minister said that "we are proud of the tourism, art and culture of Rajasthan".

"We will make Rajasthan a leader in tourism and will make Rajasthan number one in tourism in the whole world. Social media influencers will play an important role in this endeavour," she added.

Diya Kumari said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had brought Jaipur's global brand image into the limelight by getting the French President to visit Jaipur.

She said that when the head of state of a country or any other big personality visits a tourist spot and gets photographed, the common people of that country become more curious about that place, eventually increasing tourism at the same place.

Diya Kumari further said that "today is the era of social media".

"Through social media, influencers are able to promote tourism at any place. Social media influencers click photos and shoot videos of any tourist spot and share them with common people," she said.

She called upon the youth to promote "the tourist spots in the state as ambassadors of our Rajasthan tourism".

Diya Kumari also honoured social media content creators on this occasion. Earlier, she also inaugurated the Marwar Hall of RTDC Jodhpur.

She said that the contribution of tourism in the economy of Rajasthan is about 15 per cent of the state GDP.

She said that along with our palaces, forts, stepwells, historical monuments, we also have many opportunities for rural tourism, wildlife tourism and many more

The Deputy Chief Minister said that the theme of World Tourism Day this year in 2024 is Tourism and Peace. She said that the development of tourism is possible only with peace in the world.

Diya Kumari said that Rising Rajasthan this year and IIFA Award in March 2025 next year will also prove to be a milestone for the tourism of Rajasthan. Investors can participate enthusiastically in the upcoming Rising Rajasthan Summit and become a part of the economic success story of the state. Similarly, IIFA Awards will develop tourism in the state.

The walled city of Jaipur is our heritage, a UNESCO heritage site. As responsible citizens, we should preserve the heritage of our walled city and save it from being defaced, she added.

 Role of youth important in promoting tourism: Rajasthan Dy CM Diya Kumari

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'Ukraine counts on US support no matter who wins election', says Zelensky during meeting with Trump

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krainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's met with former US President Donald Trump on Friday, during which he said Kyiv counts on US support to defeat Russia regardless of who is elected to the White House after the November 5 US presidential election.

"It's very important to share, to share all the plan, all our steps, how we can strengthen Ukraine," Zelensky said while standing next to Trump in New York.

"And of course, we have to decide it now, because after November, we don't know who is, only Americans decide who will be the President, but we understand that till November, we can't stop (Russian President Vladimir) Putin. We have to do it. We will try on the battlefield with our heroic soldiers. But we understand that after November, we have to decide, and we hope that the strengths of the US will be very strong, and we count on it. That's why I decided to meet with both candidates," the Ukrainian President added.

Trump, for his part, said the conflict between Ukraine and Russia, which has been going on for more than two years now, has to end, Xinhua news agency reported.

"At some point, it has to end," he added.

The Trump-Zelensky meeting, which was held at Trump Tower in New York and confirmed by Trump only one day prior -- making Zelensky to change his itinerary and stay for an extra day in the US -- came on the heel of the Ukrainian leader's respective meetings on Thursday with President Joe Biden and Vice-President Kamala Harris, who's also the Democratic presidential nominee running against Trump.

Both Biden and Harris vowed continued US support for Ukraine.

Ahead of his meeting at the White House with Zelensky, Biden announced additional military assistance worth a total of $7.9 billion.

He directed the Department of Defence to allocate all of its remaining security assistance funding that has been appropriated for Ukraine by the end of his presidential term in January.

Harris, while meeting Zelensky, grasped the opportunity to slash Trump for the latter's criticism over what he said was Zelensky's lack of willingness to negotiate a peace deal with the Russians.

"In candor, I share with you, Mr. President, there are some in my country who would instead force Ukraine to give up large parts of its sovereign territory, who would demand that Ukraine accept neutrality, and would require Ukraine to forego security relationships with other nations," Harris said in remarks alongside Zelensky on Thursday, in what appeared to be a thinly veiled reference to Trump.

During a speech at a campaign rally in Mint Hill, North Carolina, on Wednesday, Trump gave what was his most explicit criticism of Zelensky's handling of Ukraine's conflict with Russia.

"Those cities are gone, they're gone, and we continue to give billions of dollars to a man who refused to make a deal, Zelensky. There was no deal that he could have made that wouldn't have been better than the situation you have right now. You have a country that has been obliterated, not possible to be rebuilt," Trump said.

At Thursday's press conference in the Trump Tower lobby, the former President was asked whether Ukraine will have to give up any of its sovereign territory in order to reach a deal with Russia that brings an end to the conflict.

"We'll see what happens," Trump said in response.

 'Ukraine counts on US support no matter who wins election', says Zelensky during meeting with Trump

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EAM Jaishankar participates in ministerials of regional groups furthering ties with India

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xternal Affairs Minister (EAM), S. Jaishankar participated in the ministerial meetings with three regional groups on Friday to strengthen cooperation with India.

He chaired the meeting of the BIMSTEC, the Bay of Bengal group, and co-chaired meetings with two groups in Latin America and the Caribbean.

He wrote on X the BIMSTEC meeting was held in preparation for the leaders' summit to be hosted by Thailand and the ministers "took stock of our close cooperation in health, food security, trade, investment, economy, and energy".

He reiterated "India's commitment for wider engagement with BIMSTEC in line with 'Neighbourhood First', 'Vision SAGAR' and 'Act East Policy'".

The meeting "focused on improving physical, maritime, and digital connectivity across the region" and "explored opportunities for capacity building, skill development, and improving people-to-people ties," he posted.

The Ministers are collectively committed to the BIMSTEC Centres of Excellence.

The seven members of BIMSTEC, which is an acronym for Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation, is devoted to accelerating economic and social development through technical and educational action.

After co-chairing the India-CARICOM Foreign Ministers meeting with Dominica Foreign Minister Vince Henderson, he said on X that they discussed "upgrading our partnership and deepening cooperation in health, IT, FinTech, capacity building, renewables, and food security".

"Our bonds with CARICOM draw from past experiences, address current needs, and aspire towards a brighter future," EAM Jaishankar wrote.

Short for Caribbean Community, CARICOM, has 15 members, at least three of whom, Guyana, Suriname, and Trinidad have a substantial Indian diaspora.

EAM Jaishankar co-chaired with Honduras Foreign Minister Enrique Reina the India-CELAC Foreign Ministers Meeting.

The Community of Latin American and Caribbean States has 33 members.

He posted on X, that the agenda included Digital Public Infrastructure, health, clean energy, and capacity building.

The meeting "highlighted possibilities for greater engagement in Artificial Intelligence, e-mobility, space, smart agriculture, and drones," he said.

"Our political cooperation and deepening economic linkages advance South-South cooperation" and they "have a shared commitment to reformed multilateralism," he added.

EAM Jaishankar continued his round of meetings with leaders from around the world.

From Central Asia, he met Turkmenistan Deputy Prime Minister Rasit Meredow and Uzbekistan Foreign Minister Bakhtiyor Saidov of Uzbekistan.

With Meredow, EAM Jaishankar reported on X that they discussed "further expanding our friendly ties".

He wrote that he valued Saidov's insights on the region.

The United Arab Emirates Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed and he had "so much to talk about, on our ties and what's happening in the world," EAM Jaishankar said on X.

He added that he and Romania's Foreign Minister Luminita Odobescu "took stock of our growing bilateral engagements in tourism, defence and mobility" and "exchanged perspectives on Ukraine".

Ukraine also figured in the talks with Denmark's Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen, EAM Jaishankar posted on X.

With Netherlands Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp, he wrote he had a "very open and positive discussion on strategic issues of the day".

North Macedonia Foreign Minister Timco Mucunski and he "discussed investment, connectivity and cooperation with the region," Jaishankar wrote.

The Indian Minister also met with Singapore Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan.

 EAM Jaishankar participates in ministerials of regional groups furthering ties with India

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Shabana Azmi reacts to Hema Committee Report, says women face contradiction of progression and suppression

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eteran actress Shabana Azmi, who has clocked 50 years in cinema, has shared her opinion on treatment of women following the Justice Hema Committee Report.

The actress interacted with the media at the ongoing edition of the IIFA (International Indian Film Academy Awards), and spoke about the suppression of women across centuries and their current situation in a supposedly progressive society.

The Justice Hema Committee was formed by the Government of Kerala after Women in Cinema Collective filed a petition in response to the 2017 actress assault case. The Committee documented the challenges faced by women working in Malayalam cinema. The Committee was headed by retired Kerala High Court Judge Justice K. Hema, and also included veteran actress Sarada and retired Indian Administrative Service officer K.B. Valsala Kumari as its members.

Talking about the Justice Hema Committee Report, which brings to light after the harassment faced by female artistes in Malayalam cinema, Shabana told media stationed at the venue in Abu Dhabi, "You must understand that women in India have had their own journey across centuries. From 16th to 21st, they've progressed, but are also suppressed. Women have been this contradiction in India - of progression and suppression, just like India itself".

The Justice Hema Committee report has unleashed a storm in the Malayalam film industry, and has sent ripples across different film industries of India raising demands for similar action to probe the harassment and exploitation faced by female artistes from the men in power.

After the Justice Hema Committee report several women have come forward and have levelled allegations of sexual harassment against well-known figures in Malayalam cinema.

In Bollywood, several celebrities, including Ananya Panday, Swara Bhasker, Guneet Monga, Ekta Kapoor, Tanushree Dutta, Lakshmi Manchu, Prithviraj Sukumara, Tovino Thomas, and Parvathy Thiruvothu, have responded to the report with Shabana being the most recent member of the Hindi film fraternity to respond to the report.

 Shabana Azmi reacts to Hema Committee Report, says women face contradiction of progression and suppression

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Raashii Khanna: Just being good enough is not good enough anywhere

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nown for her work in films such as 'Oohalu Gusagusalade', 'Maanagaram', 'Warrior' and 'Yodha', Raashii Khanna has showcased her prowess in Tamil, Telugu and Hindi cinema. The actress agrees that just being good enough is not good enough anywhere and that working hard is the key to success.

"Just being good enough is not good enough anywhere. Whichever field it may be in, you have to give your best to keep climbing the ladder. The idea is to not take that pressure of which step you are on and how many steps you have to climb, just work hard and be disciplined. That's all", Raashii told IANS in Abu Dhabi.

Raashii made her acting debut in acting with 'Madras Cafe' in 2013. After which, she worked with some of the finest names down south such as Vijay Deverakonda, Prithviraj, Mohanlal, Ravi Teja and Jr NTR. One of the most popular names down south, Raashi never feared getting overshadowed.

"Art is not a competition, it's a collaboration. I am always focused on doing the best that I can do and so are they. And when you are so focused on doing your best, you always shine together", she said.

Talking about getting pigeonholed, the actress, who hails from New Delhi, emphasised the importance of seeking opportunities that allow growth.

"Your choices decide whether you will get pigeon holed in any industry. One should not be okay to be cast in similar roles where there is no scope to showcase one's range and versatility", said the actress, who is a graduate in English from Delhi University's iconic Lady Shri Ram College. The 33-year-old actress feels female actors now have greater opportunities.

"However today, there are much better opportunities for female actors who are bold in their choices and wait out to play roles which are different from each other", added Raashii, who will next be seen in 'The Sabarmati Report' alongside Vikrant Massey.

Without divulging much about the upcoming film, she said it is more of an "infotainment". "Yes, it's releasing on the 15th of November. We are all very excited. This film is more of an infotainment where you get entertained but you also see some light being shed on the actual events of what actually happened".

The actress is also positive about the second season of 'Farzi', which also stars Shahid Kapoor and Vijay Sethupathi. "Yes, there will be 'Farzi 2'. That's all I know for now... Wherever I go, people ask me the same question and that only shows how much they loved the show and that is very heartwarming. I am not sure when we will start shooting 'Farzi 2' but it will definitely be in production soon".

The actress performed at the IIFA Utsavam in Abu Dhabi. She hopes to get time for shopping. "I hope we get time to shop. I think I will be neck deep in rehearsals. But if I do get time I think I will head to the Dubai mall. It has all brands under one roof and some great restraints as well". The actress also wants to live the 'Big Bang Theory' moment by visiting the popular Cheesecake Factory.

"There's this place, the cheesecake factory where I always go when I am in Dubai. It has the best cheesecakes and also their food is amazing. From salads to burgers to desserts, they all taste delicious".

 Raashii Khanna: Just being good enough is not good enough anywhere

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WASHINGTON, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- The U.S.-led international mission formed a decade ago to combat the Islamic State extremist group in Iraq will cease to exist by September 2025, said a joint statement issued Friday by the U.S. and Iraqi governments.

There will be, however, a "transitioning to bilateral security partnerships in a manner that supports Iraqi forces and maintains pressure on ISIS," said the statement, which on the U.S. part was carried by the State Department's website, using the abbreviation of an alternative name of the Islamic State known as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria.

The coalition's military mission in neighboring Syria, where the Islamic State also operates, "will continue until September 2026," the statement said.

The statement provided few details as to what, if any, number of U.S. troops will leave Iraq as a result of the end of the mission.

"I just want to foot stomp the fact that this is not a withdrawal. This is a transition. It's a transition from a coalition military mission to an expanded U.S.-Iraqi bilateral security relationship," a senior U.S. official told reporters during a briefing Friday.

The United States has some 2,500 military personnel in Iraq and roughly 900 troops in Syria, tasked with the mission of fighting Islamic State militants while also serving as trainers and advisors to local security forces. 
NASA-SpaceX to launch Crew 9 mission to bring back Sunita Williams

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ASA-SpaceX is set to launch the Crew-9 -- an astronaut and a cosmonaut -- to the International Space Station (ISS), in a mission that aims to bring back stranded Indian-Origin Sunita Williams back to Earth in February next year.

According to NASA, the liftoff is targeted for 1:17 p.m. EDT (10:47 pm IST) on Saturday from Space Launch Complex-40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

"This is the first human spaceflight mission to launch from that pad," the US space agency said.

The Crew-9 was initially expected to launch on Thursday but was postponed due to poor weather conditions due to hurricane Helene, currently impacting the Gulf Coast of Florida.

The flight will carry NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov to the orbiting laboratory for about five-month science mission. They will return to Earth in February along with Williams and Butch Willmore.

Williams and Willmore travelled to the ISS on an eight-day sojourn on the faulty Boeing's Starliner. While the Starliner was declared unfit for human travel by NASA, and it returned safely to Earth, the astronaut duo are stuck in space.

Meanwhile, NASA's Flight Readiness Review confirmed that all systems are "go" for the launch, ensuring that the Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft are ready for this critical mission.

For the first time since May 2020 test flight, SpaceX is launching two astronauts to the ISS on a Dragon spacecraft.

In a bid to make room for Williams and Willmore in the orbiting lab, NASA had pulled out two other Crew-9 members -- commander Zena Cardman and three-time shuttle flier Stephanie Wilson.

The Crew-9 mission will fly with two empty with extra cargo and supplies, including a new Dragon spacesuit for Wilmore (one for Williams is already aboard the ISS).

The targeted docking time is approximately 5:30 p.m. Sunday (3.30 am Monday), NASA said.

 NASA-SpaceX to launch Crew 9 mission to bring back Sunita Williams

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Researchers with McMaster University have discovered that the protein mutated in patients with Huntington's Disease doesn't repair DNA as intended, impacting the ability of brain cells to heal themselves.

The research, published in PNAS on Sept. 27, 2024, found that the huntingtin protein helps create special molecules that are important for fixing DNA damage. These molecules, known as Poly [ADP-ribose] (PAR), gather around damaged DNA and, like a net, pull in all the factors needed for the repair process.

In people with Huntington's Disease, however, the research found that the mutated version of this protein doesn't function properly and isn't capable of stimulating PAR production, ultimately resulting in less effective DNA repair. The study builds off a discovery researchers with McMaster's Truant Lab published in 2018, which first detailed the huntingtin protein's involvement in DNA repair.

We looked at the PAR levels in the spinal fluid from Huntington's Disease patients and expected it would be higher due to the higher levels of DNA damage, but we actually found the opposite. The levels were quite a bit lower and not only in Huntington's Disease samples, but also in people who carry the gene but aren't yet showing outward symptoms." Tamara Maiuri, lead author and McMaster research associate

This was an unexpected discovery because researchers have previously found PAR levels to be elevated in patients with other neurodegenerative disorders like Parkinson's and Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

Huntington's Disease is a genetic disorder that affects the brain and causes the gradual deterioration of nerve cells. For children of parents who have Huntington's Disease, there's a 50 per cent chance they will inherit the gene.

Future study on Huntington's and cancer research

This discovery has a unique connection with cancer research. Ray Truant, senior author of the study and professor with McMaster's Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, says there are drugs that stop PAR production called PARP inhibitors that are used as cancer treatments.

Truant says this may explain a long-standing observation that carriers of the Huntington's Disease gene have significantly lower rates of cancer and may confer an evolutionary advantage in the human population, by avoiding early life cancer.

"One implication is that new huntingtin-level lowering drugs already in clinical trials may have utility outside of Huntington's Disease to cancer. Based off the findings in this paper, we are working in collaboration with Sheila Singh's lab at McMaster University's Centre for Discovery in Cancer Research to investigate the potential further," Truant says.

Researchers say future studies should look at different classes of FDA-approved PARP1 inhibitor drugs as they may hold promise not just for Huntington's Disease but neurodegenerative diseases at large.

Researchers with University College London, Johns Hopkins University and the University of Toronto assisted with this study. The new McMaster Center for Advanced Light Microscopy was also utilized to image the huntingtin protein with PAR chains, giving researchers a closer look at how these molecules interact. This was done with the assistance of McMaster's Andres Lab.

This research was supported by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research Project Grant and the Krembil Foundation, the Huntington Disease Society of America Berman Topper Career Development Fellowship and HD Human Biology Project.
An innovative analysis of shared segments within the genome -; an indication of distant "relatedness" -; has identified undiagnosed cases of Long QT syndrome, a rare disorder that can lead to abnormal heart rhythms, fainting and sudden cardiac death.

The findings, reported in the journal Nature Communications, illustrate the feasibility of the new approach developed by researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center to detect undiagnosed carriers of rare disease-causing genetic variants.

Rare genetic diseases are usually studied in referral populations -; people who have been referred to specialty clinics for evaluation -; but this approach often overestimates the true population impact, which would be better assessed in large non-referral populations, such as biobanks." Jennifer (Piper) Below, PhD, professor of Medicine in the Division of Genetic Medicine and senior corresponding author of the new study

Because most biobanks recruit participants from the same region, there is often significant undocumented relatedness among the participants, resulting in genomic segments that are shared due to common ancestry -; "identical-by-descent" segments, Below explained.

"Identical-by-descent segments give us an opportunity to cluster related people to find rare variants that were present in a common ancestor," she said.

To do this, the researchers developed a genetic inference method called DRIVE (Distant Relatedness for Identification and Variant Evaluation). The studies were led by co-first authors Megan Lancaster, MD, PhD, a clinical fellow in the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, and Hung-Hsin Chen, PhD, who was a postdoctoral fellow in the Division of Genetic Medicine. Dan Roden, MD, the Sam L. Clark, MD, PhD Chair and Senior Vice President for Personalized Medicine, is co-senior author.

To test DRIVE, the researchers focused on a rare variant in the gene KCNE1 that causes Type 5 Long QT syndrome (LQT5). The KCNE1 gene encodes a protein that modifies potassium currents.

An international consortium of 26 centers had identified 89 probands (affected individuals who are the first subjects of a genetic study) with possible LQT5, 140 additional carrier relatives, and 19 cases of another syndrome attributed to variants in KCNE1.

Of 35 probands with the most common KCNE1 variant (p.Asp76Asn), nine (26%) were evaluated by the Genetic Arrhythmia Clinic at VUMC. None of the probands were known to be related. Three relatives of the probands were also found to carry the variant.

"This enrichment of a rare variant at VUMC relative to other centers in the consortium suggested that these local probands may be distantly related and that we could use that relatedness to identify additional carriers in BioVU," Below said. BioVU is VUMC's DNA biobank linked to de-identified electronic health records.

The team first estimated the genome-wide relatedness of the 12 clinically identified p.Asp76Asn carriers and constructed lineage pedigrees. They found eighth to ninth degree relatedness among these pedigrees (for reference, fourth cousins -; great-grandchildren of first cousins -; are ninth degree relatives), supporting the hypothesis of a local common ancestor with the p.Asp76Asn variant.

Then, the researchers identified shared genomic regions that spanned the KCNE1 gene and applied DRIVE to 69,819 BioVU subjects. They identified 22 BioVU subjects with the shared region, confirmed the p.Asp76Asn variant by DNA sequencing, and assessed electrocardiograms and medical records for features of LQT5.

Both referral and non-referral carriers of the variant have prolonged QT interval compared to controls.

"In this study, we used DRIVE to rapidly pinpoint 22 carriers of a previously described pathogenic gene variant," Below said. "DRIVE could also be used to identify unknown causal gene variants, by clustering individuals with shared identical-by-descent segments and assessing the enrichment of disease within clusters.

"We're excited about the potential of DRIVE to identify undiagnosed cases of genetic disease."

Co-first author Chen is now a tenure-track assistant research fellow of the Institute of Biomedical Science at Academia Sinica in Taiwan and holds a joint faculty appointment at VUMC. Other authors of the Nature Communications study include Benjamin Shoemaker, MD, Matthew Fleming, MD, PhD, Teresa Strickland, James Baker, Grahame Evans, Hannah Polikowsky, David Samuels, PhD, and Chad Huff, PhD. The research was supported in part by the National Institutes of Health (grants R01GM133169, R01HL159557, P50GM115305, U01HG011181, T32HG008962, T32GM007569, T32GM145734) and the American Heart Association.
Mumbai Polices Economic Offences Wing (EOW) summoned BookMyShow chief executive officer and co-founder Ashish Hemrajani and the companys technical head in connection with a complaint alleging black marketing of tickets for shows of British rock band Coldplay, an official said on Friday.

The highly-anticipated Coldplay concert in Mumbai in January 2025 has been clouded by concerns over ticketing scams on BookMyShow, with millions of fans vying for a limited number of tickets.

BookMyShow is the official ticketing partner for Coldplays concerts.

The probe has been initiated on the complaint of an advocate accusing the ticketing platform, the official said.

Accordingly, the CEO and co-founder of BookMyShow Ashish Hemrajani along with the companys technical head have been summoned. Their statements will be recorded on Saturday. A preliminary enquiry has begun, the official said.

BookMyShow has also lodged a police complaint in connection with the alleged sale of fake tickets for concert on certain platforms.

BookMyShow said it is not associated with any ticket-selling or reselling platforms such as Viagogo and Gigsberg or third-party individuals to resell Coldplays Music Of The Spheres World Tour 2025 in India.

Scalping is strictly condemned and punishable by law in India. We have filed a complaint with the police authorities and will provide complete support to them in the investigation, it said.

The online ticket aggregator further appealed to people to not fall victim to these scams. Any tickets bought from unauthorised sources will be at the risk of the consumer and can turn out to be fake tickets.

What Is Scalping?

Scalping refers to the practice of bulk buying tickets for events and concerts with the intent to resell them at a significantly higher price.

Coldplay Concert Mumbai 2025

Incidentally, Coldplay added a third show to the Mumbai leg of the Music of the Spheres World Tour 2025 due to the phenomenal response.

Coldplay is coming back to India after eight years. The bands concerts are scheduled for January 18, 19 and 21, 2025 in Mumbai.

The band will have shows at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai.
Urban apathy has been a challenge for the Election Commission of India that persisted during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. To ensure that the trend is not repeated in the upcoming Maharashtra assembly polls, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar on Friday pulled up officials from Mumbai, Thane, and Pune over low voter turnout and demanded a robust action plan to address the issue.

During his visit on Friday, Kumar met Divisional Commissioner, Konkan and Pune, Range IG-Konkan, district election officers, all commissioners of police, and superintendent of police in Mumbai City, Mumbai Suburban, Thane, Pune and Palghar districts and other senior officials.

According to sources, the CEC asked the officials from Mumbai, Thane and Pune on their preparations for the assembly elections to fight urban apathy. They were also asked how they would engage more voters this time.

The CEC expressed concern on urban apathy, saying they need a robust action plan to address it, sources said.

Contrasting this with the impressive voter turnout in Jammu and Kashmir and the Left-Wing Extremism (LWE) affected Bastar region, he pointed out that if these sensitive areas could achieve high participation, there is no reason why urban centres with better infrastructure and access to information cannot follow suit.

He directed DEOs and Municipal Commissioners (MCs) to intensify awareness efforts, engage youth in colleges and universities and ensure a stronger voter engagement in upcoming elections, they added.

Kumar is in Mumbai with his team to review preparations in the state which is scheduled to go for polls in the next few weeks. While he met senior officials from certain districts and divisions on Friday, he will meet the remaining on Saturday.

In the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections, Mumbai South central, Thane, Mumbai North Central, Kalyan and Mumbai South were among the worst performers in terms of voter turnout.

The poll body is likely to announce election dates for Maharashtra next month. The term of the 288-member Maharashtra legislative assembly will end on November 26.
TAIPEI/FUZHOU, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- People across the Taiwan Strait have raised doubts about Taiwan leader Lai Ching-te's civil mobilization plan, criticizing his thinly-veiled intention of seeking "Taiwan independence" by military means.

At the first meeting of the island's newly-formed so-called "Whole-of-Society Defense Resilience Committee" on Thursday, relevant authorities announced a plan to mobilize and train about 400,000 people, including active and former substitute military service personnel, volunteers at police stations and fire departments, as well as those from private disaster-relief and charity groups.

Lai said the core functions of this civilian force, other than handling disaster emergencies, also include "supporting military operations when necessary."

The move was immediately met with doubts and criticism.

Shi Xue-qin, a Taipei resident in his thirties, expressed his concern that if young people are forced to prepare for war, the island's industries will lack the labor force and financial resources to sustain development.

"This does nothing to ensure Taiwan's safety and will only severely harm its industries, economy and the future of the island's young people," Shi said.

Lin Yan-chen, a Taiwan student who is studying on the mainland, said the act of binding Taiwan's youth to the "Taiwan independence" agenda is shameful as it sacrifices the interests of a generation of young people for political gains.

"What we truly need is development and peace, not isolation or confrontation," Lin said.

Yeh Yuan-chih, a Chinese Kuomintang legislator, said Taiwan already has guidelines and training systems for civil mobilization. But instead of upgrading the existing system, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities insisted on creating a new high-level committee, which is clearly a political maneuver to give a platform to those supporting "Taiwan independence," said Yeh.

Many said they viewed the new civil mobilization plan as Lai's latest attempt to hijack people in Taiwan onto his "war chariot."

"Well, we are heading to a proxy war," commented a Facebook user named Wu Gen-xin, under Lai's post about the newly-formed committee.

Li Zheng-xiu, an associate researcher of a think tank in Taiwan, said Lai has repeatedly advocated his "two-state theory" on various occasions, provoking cross-Strait tensions by triggering the mainland's sensitivities.

"This leads the public to wonder: does Lai truly have a vision for peace in his heart? Or does he believe that war is the only solution to resolve cross-Strait differences?" Li said.

Observers also pointed out that Lai and the DPP were further emboldened by U.S. politicians who constantly sent wrong signals to the island.

One such example was Robert O'Brien, a former U.S. national security adviser, who once gave a much more radical and scary version of so-called "defense resilience."

During a visit to the island in March 2023, he suggested that Taiwan with 1 million AK47-armed citizens on "every corner and in every apartment block" would be, as he described, "a fearful deterrent."

Wang Zhenwei, a research fellow with the Graduate Institute for Taiwan Studies of Xiamen University, told Xinhua that some U.S. politicians neither want to make a clear security commitment to Taiwan, preferring Taiwan to rely on self-defense, nor are they willing to see the two sides of the Taiwan Strait cooperate for peace and stability.

Washington seeks to divert China's strategic focus through tensions in the Strait to serve its global hegemony, Wang said.

"If the DPP authorities insist on accommodating or even implementing U.S. intentions, they will further intensify cross-Strait tensions and threaten the safety and well-being of the people of Taiwan," Wang said. 
Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar on Saturday said that the elections to the legislative assembly of Maharashtra would be held before November 26, 2024, the day when the term of the current Vidhan Sabha would end.

While addressing a press conference in Mumbai after reviewing the states poll preparedness, Kumar said, In Maharashtra, there are 288 constituencies of which ST constituencies are 25 and ST constituencies are 29. The term of the Maharashtra legislative assembly is ending on 26 November so elections have to be completed before that.

#WATCH | Mumbai: Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar says, In Maharashtra, there are 288 constituencies of which ST constituencies are 25 and ST constituencies are 29. The term of the Maharashtra legislative assembly is ending on 26 November so elections have to be completed pic.twitter.com/7hR1Bgm76g ANI (@ANI) September 28, 2024

He further said that several political parties have requested the announcement of poll dates, keeping in mind festivals like Diwali and Chhath Puja.

We are here to prepare for the upcoming Assembly elections in Maharashtra. We met with leaders of national and regional parties, along with various stakeholders, including district magistrates, the Commissioner of Police, and the Director General of Police. Party leaders, including those from BSP, AAP, CPI(M), INC, MNS, SP, Shiv Sena (UBT), and Shiv Sena, asked us to take into account the festivals before announcing the election dates, news agency ANI quoted CEC as saying.

#WATCH | Mumbai: Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar says, We have come here for the preparedness of the upcoming Assembly elections that are going to take place in Maharashtra. We met with the leaders of national parties and regional parties. We met the stakeholders, DM, pic.twitter.com/ylDVDtbOwN ANI (@ANI) September 28, 2024

CEC Raises Concern Over Urban Apathy

Kumar expressed his concern over the apathy of urban and young voters in Maharashtra, and said efforts are being made to ensure maximum polling in the coming assembly elections in the state.

Based on the facts and figures of the Lok Sabha polls, Kumar cited the example of Colaba (Mumbai South) and Kalyan (Thane), where low turnout was recorded. The CEC made it clear that daily wage earners and others in the unorganised sector should be informed by the administration that voting day will be a paid holiday for them.

Our effort will be to ensure that there is maximum enrolment and voting in Maharashtra assembly elections, Kumar said.

ECI expresses displeasure Over Non-Compliance of directives

The poll body has expressed its displeasure over non-compliance by the Maharashtra government with regard to the transfer of officials who have completed their three-year tenure and continue in the same posts, ahead of the upcoming assembly elections.

The ECI has sought an explanation from the state Chief Secretary and Director General of Police to explain the circumstances as to why the compliance reports have not been furnished even after the lapse of the stipulated time limit despite the reminders in the matter.

The ECI was not happy over the state governments non-compliance with its directives relating to the transfer of officials who have completed their three-year tenure and continue in the same posts.

The poll body has also instructed the state government to ensure minimum amenities such as benches, fans, drinking water and sheds at the polling stations.

Over 9 Crore Voters To Decide Fate

The ECI told that as of September 22, there are 9.59 crore voters comprising 4.95 crore male and 4.64 crore female voters in the state. The number of total polling stations will be 52,789 comprising 39,048 in rural areas and 13,741 in urban areas.

The schedule for elections to constitute the 288-member Maharashtra Legislative Assembly, the 15th, would be announced in coming weeks.

Maharashtra Polls 2024

Elections to the 288-member Maharashtra legislative assembly are likely to be held mid-November. The Mahayuti, comprising Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, BJP and Ajit Pawars NCP, is striving to retain power, while the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) of Shiv Sena (UBT), NCP (SP) and Congress, is eyeing to dislodge it.

The current or 14th term of the Maharashtra assembly would end on November 26, 2024.
The security forces killed two unidentified militants in an ongoing anti-militancy operation in Kulgam district of Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday, said officials.

The officials added that four soldiers and an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) also suffered injuries in the gunfight that erupted between security personnel and terrorists in the Adigam Devsar area of the Kulgam district.

Encounter has started at Adigam Devsar area of #Kulgam. Police and security forces are on the job. Further details shall follow. @JmuKmrPolice, said Kashmir Zone Police in a social media post on X.

#Encounter has started at Adigam Devsar area of #Kulgam. Police and security forces are on the job. Further details shall follow.@JmuKmrPolice Kashmir Zone Police (@KashmirPolice) September 28, 2024

Reacting to the Kulgam encounter, Kashmir IGP VK Birdi said, The security forces received information yesterday late at night regarding the movement of terrorists in the Arigam area. When the security forces reached, they were fired upon. The encounter began and is underway right now Three security and one police personnel have minor injuries. They are stable. The operation is going on and it will take some time to conclude.

In a similar incident on September 22, an encounter broke out between security forces and terrorists in the Chatroo area of Kishtwar district ahead of the third phase of the legislative assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir.

Elections are being held in three phases in the territory. The first phase of assembly polls was held on September 18 while the second phase of polling was held on September 25, in the six districts of Ganderbal, Budgam, Srinagar, and Jammu regions: Rajouri, Reasi, and Poonch.

The third and final phase of polling is scheduled for October 1, while the counting of votes will take place on October 8.
Exercising its Right of Reply at the General Assembly debate, India on Saturday gave a befitting response to Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif after he raked up the issue of Kashmir on the UN stage in New York.

Speaking at the 79th session of the UNGA, First Secretary of Indias Permanent Mission to the UN, Bhavika Mangalanandan, said that a country run by the military, known for its notoriety in spreading terrorism, has had the audacity to attack the worlds largest democracy.

This assembly regrettably witnessed a travesty this morning. I speak about the reference to India in the speech of the Pakistani PM. As the world knows, Pakistan has long employed cross-border terrorism as a weapon against its neighbours, Mangalanandan said.

Watch: India exercises its Right of Reply at the 79th session of the @UN General Assembly debate.@DrSJaishankar @MEAIndia pic.twitter.com/c6g4HAKTBg India at UN, NY (@IndiaUNNewYork) September 28, 2024

Hypocrisy at its worst

The Indian diplomat reminded the UN members that Pakistan has attacked the Indian Parliament, as well as the countrys financial capital, Mumbai, marketplaces, and pilgrimage routes.

For such a country to speak about violence anywhere is hypocrisy at its worst. It is even more extraordinary for a country with a history of rigged elections to talk about political choices that, too, in a democracy, the Indian diplomat said. The real truth is that Pakistan covets our territory, and in fact has continuously used terrorism to disrupt elections in Jammu and Kashmir, she added.

Earlier on Friday, Sharif accused India of massive expansion of its military capabilities and of issuing threats to cross the Line of Control (LoC) to take over Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir. He demanded that New Delhi reverse the 2019 abrogation of Article 370, which granted Jammu and Kashmir special status, and also charged India with attempting to subjugate its Muslim population.

Pakistan routinely raises Kashmir

Pakistan routinely raises the Kashmir issue at the annual UN debate. India was expected to exercise its right of reply to counter Sharifs allegations. Sharif said Like the people of Palestine, the people of Jammu and Kashmir have struggled for a century for their freedom and right to self-determination.

Referring to the abrogation of Article 370, Sharif said India must reverse the unilateral and illegal measures to secure durable peace and enter into a dialogue for a peaceful resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir issue in accordance with UN Security Council resolutions and wishes of the Kashmiri people. In his speech lasting about 20 minutes, Sharif claimed that instead of moving towards peace, India has moved away from its commitments to implement the Security Council resolutions on Jammu and Kashmir.

As Pakistan continues to engage in propaganda operations regarding Kashmir, the Indian government unequivocally rejects all such statements, especially concerning the countrys internal matters. New Delhi has engaged with the international community at high levels regarding Indias position and Pakistans role in aiding and abetting terrorism in the region, particularly in the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir.
A case has been registered against Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and others, on the orders of a Bengaluru Special Court, over allegations of extortion through the now-scrapped electoral bonds scheme. The complaint was filed by petitioner Adarsh Iyer, accusing Sitharaman and others of orchestrating an extortion racket under the guise of electoral bonds.

The development came after a special court in Bengaluru directed local police to file an FIR against Sitharaman, who is a Rajya Sabha member from Karnataka.

The complainant, Adarsh Iyer from Janaadhikara Sangharsha Sanghatane (JSS), has alleged that Sitharaman and her department orchestrated extortion through electoral bonds. The Special Court for Peoples Representatives, after reviewing the case, ordered the Tilak Nagar police station to register an FIR.

Our allegation is that Nirmala Sitharaman is misusing her position as finance minister to benefit her party, which is ruling at the Centre. That is where extortion comes into the picture, Iyer told News18.

He described the electoral bond scheme as a scam that the entire nation was exposed to, emphasising that their complaints and evidence demonstrate a clear-cut case of extortion and corruption by the union minister and her BJP colleagues in Karnataka as well.

Iyer further claimed that data uploaded by the State Bank of India (SBI) clearly shows how the extortion took place. We have filed 15 to 16 complaints at various police stations, but right now we are following up on only onethe one where the court has directed that an FIR be filed at Tilak Nagar Police Station against Nirmala Sitharaman, Iyer told News18.

The Supreme Court declared electoral bonds unconstitutional in February 2024. The scheme allegedly enabled political parties to receive large sums of money without disclosing the identity of donors, raising concerns about corporate influence in politics.

The complaint, originally submitted by JSP in April 2024 at the 42nd ACMM Court in Bengaluru, named several prominent politicians and officials, including Sitharaman. Among others named are BJP national president JP Nadda, former BJP Karnataka president Nalin Kumar Kateel, BY Vijayendra, and representatives from the ED. The complaint alleges that they conspired to extort funds through electoral bonds by leveraging raids conducted by them.

Defending his colleague Sitharaman, union minister HD Kumaraswamy countered Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiahs demand that she should resign. The CM himself has been facing demands to step down after a trial court ordered filing of charges in connection with the alleged Mysuru Urban Development Authority, or MUDA, land scam.

Why should she resign if the electoral bond funds didnt go into her personal account? Theyve asked for an FIR to be filed, but that doesnt mean she is guilty, Kumaraswamy said.
Over 1,000 four-legged soldiers of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) will now get a dedicated team of doctors to take care of them. The finance ministry has approved the Ministry of Home Affairs proposal to create a dedicated veterinary cadre for the force, which will be headed by senior veterinary doctors.

This was a long-standing demand as the CRPF has no permanent doctors to look after the forces canines and instead gets doctors on contract through walk-in interviews. In a recent official communication, MHA said these posts will be created by abolishing a few existing positions in the force.

The proposal from the Ministry of Home Affairs for the creation of 45 posts for the Veterinary Cadre in the CRPF, with the abolition of 78 live posts of Head Constable (Ministerial), has been examined by this department and is agreed to, the communication states.

A top government official familiar with the development told News18: We have more than 1,000 dogs serving in the toughest areas, such as J&K and Naxal-affected regions, as well as for the security of various establishments and dignitaries. Currently, we have no doctors within the CRPF. With the creation of this cadre, we will have a team of 15 doctors along with 33 other staff members. They will care for our four-legged soldiers and also assist other forces if needed.

According to the proposal approved by the finance ministry, the team will be headed by two Commandants and assisted by two Second-in-Command officers. These officers will lead four Deputy Commandants, who will oversee seven Assistant Commandants and other staff members, including Inspectors, Sub-Inspectors, Assistant Sub-Inspectors, and Head Constables.

Meanwhile, 78 posts will be abolished  one each from 43 Group Centres, 15 RAF Battalions, 10 CoBRA Battalions, four un-attached Mahila Battalions, and six VIP Security Battalions.
Police investigating the brutal murder of Mahalaxmi, whose body was chopped into 59 pieces, have traced how Mukti Ranjan Roy escaped from Bengaluru to Bhadrak in Odisha after allegedly committing the gruesome act.

Mukti allegedly confessed to both his younger brothers  one in Bengaluru and the other in Behrampore  about the murder and both helped him with transportation. The youngest brother, Smriti Ranjan, who worked in Bengalurus Hebbagodi, gave him a two-wheeler to leave the city. The second brother, Satya Ranjan Roy, who lived in Behrampore, picked him up when he landed there and gave him shelter for nine days until he moved to his home in Bhadrak on September 24.

Police sources say the brothers did not report the murder as Mukti may have used threat and exerted his rank as an elder brother to silence them from speaking to the police or any other member of the family.

Smriti Ranjan has been detained by the police in Bengaluru. Satya, the youngest brother who was also questioned by the Odisha and Bengaluru Police, told News18 over phone from Behrampore that Mukti was frustrated with his relationship with Mahalaxmi and his job. He had even sought money from his mother and brothers to buy a car to drive as taxi in Bengaluru.

We come from a very poor family and have no money. He asked us for Rs 1 lakh, but none of us had that. He wanted to move away from Mahalaxmi, said Satya said.

He also told both the Bengaluru and Odisha teams investigating the case that Mukti had complained of being blackmailed and threatened by Mahalaxmi, and on the day of the murder, she had threatened him with a knife.

After allegedly killing the 29-year-old victim and chopping her body with a butchers knife, Mukti allegedly confessed to Smriti who asked him to escape before the police came looking for him.

Satya also told the police that Mukti claimed that he planned to dispose of the body after two or three months and intended to escape to the interiors of the state until the police lost track of him.

Three teams of the Karnataka Police, along with a local police team of Bhadrak district, traced Muktis route from Bengaluru to his house in Odisha.

On September 16, Mukti arrived around midnight in Behrampore, where his youngest brother Satya is pursuing an engineering course. He called his brother from an unknown number and asked him to pick him up from a location near the market. Satya, who reached the location on a two-wheeler, found Mukti standing and smoking a cigarette. He then took him to his small one-bedroom residence, where Mukti spent most of the day sleeping.

After three days of remaining utterly silent and tense, Mukti opened up to his youngest brother about the murder and told him that he was forced to commit the crime because Mahalaxmi would torture him and demand money from him.

We are three brothers and we have similar gold finger rings made by our parents. He told me that he was forced to give that away, along with a gold chain, as she kept pestering him for money. She also kept asking him to marry her, but he was not ready, Satya told News18.

Mukti stayed another week at Satyas place. On September 24, at around 2pm, he told his brother that he had to meet a person in Balasore and would travel there. Satya offered to drop him off on his two-wheeler, but halfway through the trip, Mukti got off the bike and began walking. He asked Satya to return to Balasore and attend his classes.

When News18 questioned why neither of the brothers told Mukti to surrender and confess to the crime, Satya claimed that they followed what their elder brother asked them to do.

He told me that he would handle it and that I should find a way to escape before the police come hunting for me and him Satya said.

Satya also told them that Mukti complained about how strained and tormenting his relationship with Mahalaxmi had been. He recounted an incident when Mahalaxmi, who worked in a garment store, began demanding more money after Mukti informed her that he was being transferred to Kerala.

They were on their way to Kerala, and during an argument, she got off the vehicle and shouted that she was being kidnapped. She later told the police that my brother had kidnapped her. He was beaten up and later released, alleged Satya.

Satya also informed the police that he had received threatening calls from a local goon, who demanded compliance with Mahalaxmis monetary demands, or face consequences.

Mukti said that in one call, he was threatened that he would be cut into pieces, his body stuffed in a cooker, cooked, and fed to dogs. This enraged my brother even more. When he confronted her about it, they had a major argument that spiraled out of control, leading him to strangle her, Satya told the Odisha police.

Satya also confessed to the police that Mukti told him he had strangled Mahalaxmi to death on September 3 and tried to hang her body from the ceiling to make it look like a suicide but failed.

On September 24, Mukti reached his house in Bhadrak, met his mother, and asked her to cook food for him. Mukti had not visited home in two years, and after spending some time with her, he confessed the crime to her as well. He then left the house and on September 25, Muktis body was found hanging from a tree in Bhuipur village, with a bag next to him and a handwritten suicide note. News18 had earlier reported the contents of the note.

Satyas statement was also recorded by the special team of the Bengaluru Police, where he further claimed that his brother had been in a state of depression and was not himself when he told them about the gruesome act or left the house.

A senior police officer working closely on the case told News18 that if needed, they will also bring Satya to Bengaluru for questioning, but the technical analysis and forensic investigation are ongoing, and a thorough probe is being conducted in the case.

Bengaluru Police Commissioner B Dayananda, speaking to the media about the case, said the investigation is still ongoing.

We spoke to the brother of the accused. His statement has been recorded before the Magistrate, and the matter is sub-judice, said the senior officer, referring to the questioning of Smriti Ranjan Roy.

There were some differences between the two of them that led to the murder. But what exactly happened and the motive behind the murder are all part of the ongoing investigation, Dayananda said.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday took a sharp jibe at the Congress-led Himachal Pradesh government by questioning its longevity after another minister supported the UP-like eateries order in the state which is believed to have run into rough weather with the partys top leadership.

It comes after state minister Dhani Ram Shandil backed Vikramaditya Singhs decision mandating food outlets across the state to display the identity cards of the owners amid growing discontent within the Congress over the move.

Taking to X, BJP IT wing chief Amit Malviya wrote, Now, Himachal Health Minister Dhani Ram Shandil also comes out in open support of Vikramaditya on the street vendor policy. Earlier, Rural Development & Panchayati Raj Minister Anirudh Singh had struck a divergent note on the illegal Mosque issue.

How long will this Congress Govt in Himachal last, with all the contradictions and infighting? he added.

Despite the reprimand from the Congress High Command, Himachal Minister Vikramaditya remains defiant, stands by his position on the need to display owners name and ID on every eatery and food stall in the state.Now, Himachal Health Minister Dhani Ram Shandil also comes out in  Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) September 27, 2024

Congress Upset With Eateries Order

The move, which Singh had announced earlier this week, triggered a backlash on social media and from within the party, raising concerns about Congress stand on such policies after it had previously criticised a similar move announced by Yogi Adityanath-led Uttar Pradesh government.

Singh, who holds the Public Works and Urban Development ministry, was summoned to Delhi for consultations and asked to refrain from making controversial remarks on the matter, said party sources.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge was reportedly upset with Singhs handling of the matter, which has now snowballed into a significant issue for the states ruling party.

CM Sukhu Downplays Eateries Order
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Saturday hit out at Pakistan over the Kashmir issue and said that the issue to be resolved between both the countries now is only the restoration of Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) to India.

While addressing the 79th United Nations General Assembly Session (UNGA) in New York, he said, We heard some bizarre assertions from this very forum yesterday. Let me make Indias position very clear  Pakistans policy of cross-border terrorism will never succeed. And it can have no expectation of impunity. On the contrary, actions will certainly have consequences. The issue to be resolved between us is only the vacation of illegally occupied Indian territory by Pakistan and of course, abandonment of Pakistan long long-standing attachment to terrorism.

Watch: While addressing the general debate at the 79th session of the UN General Assembly, EAM S. Jaishankar says, "We heard some bizarre assertions from it at this very forum yesterday. So let me make India's position perfectly clear. Pakistan's cross-border terrorism policy pic.twitter.com/rpo39eRPfu IANS (@ians_india) September 28, 2024

Speaking further about Pakistans policy of harbouring terrorists on its soil, Jaishankar said, Many countries get left behind due to circumstances beyond their control. But some make conscious choices with disastrous consequences. A premier example is our neighbour, Pakistan. Unfortunately, their misdeeds affect others as well, especially the neighbourhood.

#WATCH | New York | At the UNGA, EAM Dr S Jaishankar says, Many countries get left behind due to circumstances beyond their control but some make conscious choices with disastrous consequences. A premier example is our neighbour Pakistan. Unfortunately, their misdeeds affect pic.twitter.com/TUw4tYLrc7 ANI (@ANI) September 28, 2024

When this polity instils such fanaticism among its people, its GDP can only be measured in terms of radicalisation and its exports in the form of terrorism. Today, we see the ills it sought to visit on others consume its own society. It cant blame the world; this is only karma, he added.

Jaishankar On Israel-Hamas, Russia-Ukraine War

The minister further extended Indias support to the UNGA and highlighted the ongoing crisis at the global stage, stating that the assembly has gathered at a difficult time.

We strongly support the 79th UNGA theme  Leaving No-one Behind. We are gathered here at a difficult time. The world has yet to recover from the ravages of the Covid pandemic. A war in Ukraine is well into its third year and the conflict in Gaza is acquiring wider ramifications, Jaishankar said while addressing the UNGA.

#WATCH | New York | At the UNGA, EAM Dr S Jaishankar says, The world cannot be fatalistic about the continuation of violence on a large scale, no more than be impervious to its broader consequences. Whether it is the war in Ukraine or the conflict in Gaza, the international pic.twitter.com/I4eZdxAHzN ANI (@ANI) September 28, 2024

Urging the global community to respect international law, Jaishankar said, The UN is a testimony to the agreed principles and shared objectives of the world order. Respect for international law and commitments are among the foremost in that regard.

Jaishankar further stressed that the UN must step up to make the world a better place, saying it should be done Not because it is a competition of foreign influences, but because if we carry on like this, the state of the world will only get worse.

Sharif Draws Parallels Between Gaza And Kashmir

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday accused India of massive expansion of its military capabilities and issuing threats to cross the LoC for taking over Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir, as he raised the Kashmir issue again in his address at the UNGA.

He demanded that New Delhi reverse the 2019 abrogation of Article 370, which granted Jammu and Kashmir special status, and also charged India with attempting to subjugate its Muslim population.

Sharif said like the people of Palestine, the people of Jammu and Kashmir have struggled for a century for their freedom and right to self-determination.

Referring to the abrogation of Article 370, Sharif said India must reverse the unilateral and illegal measures to secure durable peace, and enter into a dialogue for a peaceful resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir issue in accordance with UN Security Council resolutions and wishes of the Kashmiri people.

Indias Riposte To Pakistan PMs Kashmir Remarks

India on Saturday gave a befitting response to Sharif after he raked up the issue of Kashmir on the UN stage in New York. First Secretary of Indias Permanent Mission to the UN, Bhavika Mangalanandan, earlier today said that a country run by the military, known for its notoriety in spreading terrorism, has had the audacity to attack the worlds largest democracy.

This assembly regrettably witnessed a travesty this morning. I speak about the reference to India in the speech of the Pakistani PM. As the world knows, Pakistan has long employed cross-border terrorism as a weapon against its neighbours, Mangalanandan said.

The Indian diplomat reminded the UN members that Pakistan has attacked the Indian Parliament, as well as the countrys financial capital, Mumbai, marketplaces, and pilgrimage routes.
Kerala reported the second monkeypox (Mpox) case after a 29-year-old man, who returned from the UAE, tested positive for the disease in Ernakulam, confirmed Kerala health minister Veena George on Friday.

He had recently arrived in the state from abroad with symptoms. He is currently admitted to a private hospital in Kochi and is stable, George told reporters.

It comes after the state reported its first Mpox case on September 18, when the state health department informed a 38-year-old man from Malappuram who also returned from the UAE tested positive for the disease.

He was admitted to the Government Medical Hospital in Manjery for medical treatment and is currently stable, said health officials confirming that the variant of Mpox found in the 38-year-old man was clade 1b, a highly transmissible strain currently linked to the outbreak in Africa and other countries.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) declared the disease, caused by monkeypox virus (MPXV), a public health emergency in Africa in August.

The United Nations body said the monkeypox virus is an enveloped double-stranded DNA virus of the Orthopoxvirus genus and has two distinct clades.

The global outbreak of clade 1b which began in 2022 continues to date. The infection spreads from person to person, especially through close contact. The common symptoms of the disease are headache, fever, sore throat, muscle aches and swollen lymph nodes.
Lebanons Hezbollah Confirms Chief Hassan Nasrallah Killed In Israeli Airstrike

Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah on Saturday confirmed that its leader and one of its founders, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, has been killed in airstrikes launched by Israel on Friday in Lebanons Beirut. READ MORE

Hassan Nasrallah Dead: Who Could Succeed Him As New Hezbollah Chief?

Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, Secretary General of Lebanon-based militant group Hezbollah, has been killed in a targeted airstrike launched by Israel in Beirut on Saturday. READ MORE

It Was All Dance And Song: Rahul Gandhis Comments On Ram Temple Ceremony Spark Outrage, BJP Reacts Sharply

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Thursday faced strong criticism from Bharatiya Janata Party leaders for his remarks about the Ram Mandir consecration ceremony. He made these comments while speaking on the BJPs Lok Sabha poll loss in Ayodhya during an election rally in Haryana. READ MORE

From Bengaluru to Bhadrak: How The Man Accused Of Chopping Mahalakshmis Body Into 59 Pieces Fled To Odisha

Police investigating the brutal murder of Mahalaxmi, whose body was chopped into 59 pieces, have traced how Mukti Ranjan Roy escaped from Bengaluru to Bhadrak in Odisha after allegedly committing the gruesome act. READ MORE

Rishabh Pant, Jurel, Ashwin & Others Play Footvolley at Team Hotel as Rain Washes Out Day 2 of Kanpur Test: WATCH

Incessant rain and a wet outfield played spoilsport on Monday as the second days play of the India vs Bangladesh Kanpur Test was called off at Green Park. The covers never went off the field, forcing the players to return to their respective team hotels much before the match officials made the final decision to call the day off. READ MORE

Ranbir Kapoor To Star in Dhoom 4, Abhishek Bachchan And Uday Chopra To NOT Reprise Their Roles: Report

Ranbir Kapoor is set to star in Dhoom 4, which has officially entered the pre-production stage at YRF under the guidance of Aditya Chopra, according to a report in Pinkvilla. The Dhoom franchise began in 2004 with Aditya Chopra joining hands with John Abraham, Abhishek Bachchan and Uday Chopra on the Sanjay Gadhvi-directed film. It introduced a fresh storytelling style in the action genre, with John portraying a cool grey character. READ MORE
Smoke rises following Israeli airstrikes in Beirut's southern suburb, Lebanon, on Sept. 28, 2024. Israel launched fresh attacks on targets in Beirut's southern suburb of Dahieh early Saturday, saying it was targeting Hezbollah weapons stored under civilian buildings. (Xinhua/Bilal Jawich)

BEIRUT/JERUSALEM, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- Israel launched fresh attacks on targets in Beirut's southern suburb of Dahieh early Saturday, saying it was targeting Hezbollah weapons stored under civilian buildings.

Eyewitnesses in Beirut reported Israeli warplanes flying over the city's southern suburb and conducting several rounds of bombings within an hour in the Dahieh district.

Prior to the attacks, Israeli military spokesman Daniel Hagari said in a statement that the targeted weapons included "a range of coast-to-sea missiles originating from Iran."

The strikes followed earlier Israeli airstrikes on Hezbollah's main headquarters in Dahieh, which killed at least six people and injured 91 others, according to Lebanon's MTV TV channel.

Israeli media suggested that the strikes may have targeted Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, though his status remains unclear.

Hagari confirmed on Friday that the airstrikes were aimed at Hezbollah's headquarters, which he said were located beneath residential buildings.

The attacks came shortly after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the United Nations General Assembly in New York. Netanyahu's office said he approved the airstrike earlier Friday from his hotel and decided to return to Israel ahead of schedule.

At the UN, Netanyahu ruled out an immediate truce in the escalating conflict with Lebanon and warned of threats from Iran, suggesting Israel faces multiple fronts of conflict organized by Tehran.

"We will not back down in the face of threats from Tehran or its proxies," Netanyahu told the assembly, defending Israel's actions as necessary for national security.

Following the Israeli attack, Hezbollah claimed responsibility for an attack on Safed, a city in northern Israel, late Friday.

In a statement, the group said the attacks were "in support of our steadfast Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip and defense of Lebanon and its people, and in response to the barbaric Israeli invasion of cities, villages, and civilians."

Israeli state-owned Kan TV news reported two direct hits on a building in Safed, with no casualties reported. The Israeli military later announced new airstrikes in southern Lebanon and "deep in the country," targeting rocket launchers and weapons storage facilities.

"The IDF continues to attack, damage, and degrade the capabilities and military infrastructure of the terrorist organization Hezbollah," the IDF declared in a statement.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian condemned the Israeli airstrikes on Dahieh as a "flagrant and unconceivable war crime," according to Iran's official news agency IRNA.

Pezeshkian said Israel's actions against the Palestinian and Lebanese people underscore the international community's failure to halt what he termed "state terrorism," characterizing Israel as the "biggest threat" to regional and global peace and security.

Israel has intensified its airstrikes across Lebanon since Monday, marking the most extensive military action in the region since 2006.

Lebanon's health ministry reported nearly 700 deaths due to the strikes this week, and the International Organization for Migration estimated that over 200,000 people have been displaced in Lebanon since last October when Hezbollah began firing rockets into northern Israel in solidarity with Hamas. 

This photo taken on Sept. 28, 2024 shows the damage buildings after Israeli airstrikes in Beirut's southern suburb, Lebanon. Israel launched fresh attacks on targets in Beirut's southern suburb of Dahieh early Saturday, saying it was targeting Hezbollah weapons stored under civilian buildings. (Xinhua/Bilal Jawich)

This photo taken on Sept. 28, 2024 shows the damage buildings after Israeli airstrikes in Beirut's southern suburb, Lebanon. Israel launched fresh attacks on targets in Beirut's southern suburb of Dahieh early Saturday, saying it was targeting Hezbollah weapons stored under civilian buildings. (Xinhua/Bilal Jawich)

This photo taken on Sept. 28, 2024 shows the damage buildings after Israeli airstrikes in Beirut's southern suburb, Lebanon. Israel launched fresh attacks on targets in Beirut's southern suburb of Dahieh early Saturday, saying it was targeting Hezbollah weapons stored under civilian buildings. (Xinhua/Bilal Jawich)

This photo taken on Sept. 28, 2024 shows the damage buildings after Israeli airstrikes in Beirut's southern suburb, Lebanon. Israel launched fresh attacks on targets in Beirut's southern suburb of Dahieh early Saturday, saying it was targeting Hezbollah weapons stored under civilian buildings. (Xinhua/Bilal Jawich)

This photo taken on Sept. 28, 2024 shows the damage buildings after Israeli airstrikes in Beirut's southern suburb, Lebanon. Israel launched fresh attacks on targets in Beirut's southern suburb of Dahieh early Saturday, saying it was targeting Hezbollah weapons stored under civilian buildings. (Xinhua/Bilal Jawich)

This photo taken on Sept. 28, 2024 shows the damage buildings after Israeli airstrikes in Beirut's southern suburb, Lebanon. Israel launched fresh attacks on targets in Beirut's southern suburb of Dahieh early Saturday, saying it was targeting Hezbollah weapons stored under civilian buildings. (Xinhua/Bilal Jawich)

This photo taken on Sept. 28, 2024 shows the damage buildings after Israeli airstrikes in Beirut's southern suburb, Lebanon. Israel launched fresh attacks on targets in Beirut's southern suburb of Dahieh early Saturday, saying it was targeting Hezbollah weapons stored under civilian buildings. (Xinhua/Bilal Jawich)

Smokes rise following Israeli airstrikes in Beirut's southern suburb, Lebanon, on Sept. 28, 2024. Israel launched fresh attacks on targets in Beirut's southern suburb of Dahieh early Saturday, saying it was targeting Hezbollah weapons stored under civilian buildings. (Xinhua/Bilal Jawich)

Smokes rise following Israeli airstrikes in Beirut's southern suburb, Lebanon, on Sept. 28, 2024. Israel launched fresh attacks on targets in Beirut's southern suburb of Dahieh early Saturday, saying it was targeting Hezbollah weapons stored under civilian buildings. (Xinhua/Bilal Jawich)
Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Saturday raised with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar the issue of the arrest of 37 fishermen from Tamil Nadu and urged him to take up the matter with the Sri Lankan authorities to ensure the early release of the Indian nationals and their boats.

In a letter to Jaishankar, Gandhi said the recurring incidents of small and marginal Indian fisherfolk being apprehended by Sri Lankan authorities and the unjust seizure of assets and imposition of hefty fines by them warrants strict condemnation.

Referring to the arrest of 37 Tamil fishermen and the seizure of their boats by Sri Lankan authorities on September 21, 2024, the Congress leader said, R Sudha, Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha) from Mayiladuthurai Parliamentary Constituency informed me that the arrested fishermen are small-scale fisherfolk operating close to the coast, and that on the day of the incident they had attempted to rescue a Sri Lankan boat in distress. It was stated that despite contacting Sri Lankan authorities for assistance with the rescue, the fishermen were arrested on the grounds of crossing the International Maritime Boundary Line, he said.

Furthermore, the fishing boats seized were community property purchased through pooled resources, he said.

A copy of Adv. R. Sudhas representation is enclosed herewith.., he said.

I request you to kindly take up this matter with the Sri Lankan authorities and ensure the early release of the fishermen and their boats, Gandhi said in his letter to Jaishankar.

Tamil Chief Minister M K Stalin had on Monday apprised Jaishankar of the arrest of the 37 Tamil Nadu fishermen by the Sri Lankan Navy and the seizure of three boats while seeking measures for their release.
After the big-ticket endorsements from France and the UK, Portugal, and Bhutan have now come forward to support Indias candidacy for a permanent seat on the UN Security Council amid the ongoing session of the UN General Assembly.

Delivering an address at the UN stage in New York on Friday, Bhutans Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay said India with its significant economic growth and leadership of the Global South deserves a permanent seat at the UN Security Council.

Relic of the past

The United Nations must evolve to meet the realities of todays world. The Security Council, as it stands, is a relic of the past. We need a Council that reflects the current geopolitical, economic landscape and social realities, Tobgay said in his address to the 79th session of the UNGA on Friday.

He said Bhutan has long advocated for reform of the 15-nation Security Council to make it more representative and effective and voiced support for India to sit as a permanent member at the horse-shoe high table. For this, India with its significant economic growth and population and leadership of the Global South deserves a permanent seat at the Security Council, Tobgay said.

India, with its significant economic growth and leadership in the Global South, deserves a permanent seat at the Security CouncilBhutan PM Tshering Tobgay during UNGA address Vdo ctsy: UN Web TV pic.twitter.com/oVE00Uiw4S  Sidhant Sibal (@sidhant) September 27, 2024

Portugal

Before Tobgays address, Portugal Prime Minister Luis Montenegro also backed Indias UNSC bid. We want to move forward with the reform of the global governance system to guarantee greater representativeness, transparency, justice and cooperation, he said, calling for reforming the Security Council to make it more representative, agile and functional.

Portugal supports the African Common Position and the aspirations of Brazil and India to become permanent members, he continued, noting that small and medium-sized countries should also have their representation strengthened, alongside with the limitation and greater scrutiny of the use of the veto.

At UNGA address, Portugal PM Luis Montenegro back Indias aspiration to become a permanent member of UNSC; Also backs Brazil, African representation etcCtsy: UNGA address pic.twitter.com/1ardnq5DTe  Sidhant Sibal (@sidhant) September 27, 2024

UK and France

These back-to-back endorsements follow similar calls from UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron. Speaking at the UN General Assembly, Starmer this week said that the Security Council has to change to become a more representative body, willing to act  not paralysed by politics. We want to see permanent African representation on the Council, Brazil, India, Japan and Germany as permanent members, and more seats for elected members as well, he said.

Watch: While addressing the general debate at the 79th session of the UN General Assembly, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer says, We want to see permanent African representation on the council, Brazil, India, Japan, and Germany as permanent members, and more seats for elected pic.twitter.com/mOSdCsk8P4 IANS (@ians_india) September 27, 2024

Macron also strongly advocated for Indias inclusion as a permanent member of the UNSC during his address at the UN General Assembly. Lets make the UN more efficient. We need to make it more representative and thats why France is in favour of the Security Council being expanded, he said. Turning to Security Council reform, US President Joe Biden on Tuesday said that the UN needs to adapt and bring new voices and perspectives, expressing support for expanding the organs membership. It must go back to the job of making peace and of brokering deals to end wars and suffering.

UNSC Reforms

The United Nations Security Council consists of 15 members: five permanent members with veto power (the United States, China, France, Russia, and the United Kingdom) and 10 non-permanent members elected for two-year terms. The Councils primary functions include the investigation of conflicts, the establishment of peacekeeping operations and the imposition of sanctions when necessary. It plays a crucial role in addressing global crises and conflicts, making it a key player in international diplomacy.

The question of equitable representation has been on the Assemblys agenda for over four decades. However, the calls for reform grew louder amid widening conflict worldwide. Several nations, including permanent UNSC members like the US, have expressed support for Indias inclusion in this powerful group. However, China has opposed such a move.

India has continued its efforts to move the process of UNSC reforms forward, including by engaging actively in the ongoing Intergovernmental Negotiations (IGN) on the Security Council reform. As part of the G4, which includes Brazil, Germany, and Japan, New Delhi has advocated for expanding the UNSC to include more nations as permanent members to reflect current geopolitical realities.
The decision by the Kerala High Court to deny bail to Malayalam actor Siddique serves as a powerful reminder that the delay in filing a complaint by a survivor does not equate to a false accusation or malicious intent. On the contrary, it reflects the complex and difficult reality faced by victims of assault in coming forward.

Often, the legal system and society at large have questioned the timing of a survivors actions rather than the trauma that informs those delays. The courts rejection of this uncharitable view taken by Siddiques legal team is a step towards undoing this deeply ingrained bias.

With the Hema Committee report on sexual misconduct in the Malayalam film industry now public, it is becoming clear that the delay in calling out the offender is often a result of fear, coercion, and the power dynamics that suppress voices. Many women in the industry have started to speak out about their horrifying experiences at the hands of senior actors.

In the Siddique case, a young actress filed a complaint against him with the Thiruvananthapuram police in August regarding an incident of alleged rape that took place around 2018. She accused him of raping her in posts mentioned in 2019, but later came forward and recorded her statement with the Hema Committee. She then filed an FIR with the Thiruvananthapuram police, which forced Siddique to step down as General Secretary of AMMA, the Association of Malayalam Movie Artistes.

The court took serious note of sweeping statements made about the matter and criticised the attack on the survivors delay in filing the complaint, calling it frivolous, defamatory, and with intent to tarnish the image of the petitioner.

The survivor in this case, where Siddique sought bail, had to endure years of trauma like many others before she could speak her truth. Her defence in court as to why his bail should be denied illustrated the brutality she faced, and her lawyer argued that Siddique should be arrested, not granted bail.

The Kerala High Court cited several Supreme Court precedents that underline the fact that a delay in reporting cannot weaken the prosecutions case. Furthermore, the Hema Committees findings seem to have emboldened many victims of sexual assault, including the one in Siddiques case.

Sharing the Supreme Courts observations in the recent *Bilkis Yakub Rasool v. Union of India* case (2024), Judge Dias said: A woman deserves respect, regardless of her standing in society, faith, or creed.

Siddique is facing charges of rape and criminal intimidation. The Special Investigation Team set up to probe complaints from survivors in the Malayalam film industry, who have alleged serious offences such as rape, molestation, and mental harassment, is now searching for this senior Malayalam actor. The police have also issued a lookout notice in his name, publishing it in various Malayalam and English newspapers across Kerala, along with his photograph. Siddique has been missing since the court rejected his anticipatory bail plea on September 24.

According to the complaint by the survivor to the police commissioner, Siddique first connected with her on Facebook in 2014. Over the years, he built a rapport with her and her family, offering career support and encouraging her to join the film industry. In 2016, she attended a preview of his film Sukhamayirikatte with her parents. This was the first time she met the accused, as detailed in the bail order. After the movie, he invited her to the Mascot Hotel for lunch to discuss a new film where his son was supposed to play the lead role, and she met him in his hotel room.

Once alone with her in his hotel room, Siddiques behaviour turned predatory.

The accused made the survivor sit on a chair near his bed and explained the adjustments and compromises that are expected of women to excel in the field. After that, he went near the survivor and, without her consent, grabbed her hand, pressed her fingers, and said that her nails looked good and that he loved her nail polish colour, the court document stated.

It further describes how she was forcibly pushed and held down as inappropriate acts were perpetrated against her. The survivor was in shock, and though she tried to push the accused away, she was threatened and forced into submission.

She told the accused that she would tell people about the incident. But he told her that no one would believe her, as she had no profile and her standing was zero compared to his. The survivor was shell-shocked and managed to escape from the room, completely shaken. Even after the incident, the accused attempted to contact the survivor, but she refused to respond to his calls and blocked him, the court document said.

The trauma was so intense that the survivor could not speak about it to her parents. It was only in 2019 that she gathered the courage to speak about it on social media.

Subsequently, the survivor received threatening messages, which prevented her from filing a complaint. The survivor has been living in immense trauma, fear, and distress and still fears for her life. Hence, urgent intervention is needed. Following the complaint, the FIR was registered against the accused, argued the survivors counsel on why Siddique should be arrested and denied bail.

While applying for bail, Siddiques lawyer alleged that there was an inordinate delay in filing the complaint, claiming that the FIR was registered eight years later, which proved the falsity and hollowness of the crime. The survivor gave no plausible explanation for the inordinate delay in lodging the complaint.

The court maintained that a delay in filing a complaint does not weaken the prosecutions case. If there has been a delay, it is not grounds for dismissing the case, particularly when considering a bail application.

Judge CS Dias of the Kerala High Court, while rejecting Siddiques bail application, stated that victims of sexual abuse and assault may experience psychological, emotional, and social barriers that cause delays in reporting the matter, which must be understood in the context of the trauma. The survivor must also have gone through great turmoil, and only after serious thought would she decide to lodge the FIR.

Stating the grounds on which bail was denied, the court said after an overall review of the facts, the nature, gravity, and seriousness of the accusations against the petitioner, along with the evidence, prima facie showed the petitioners involvement in the crime. The petitioners custodial interrogation is necessary for the proper investigation of the crime.

Siddiques lawyer argued that the survivor had not claimed in her social media posts that the petitioner engaged in sexual intercourse, so the charge under Section 375 of the IPC did not apply. The counsel also argued that the survivor is outspoken and not hesitant to falsely accuse others, making it unlikely that she would be afraid to file a complaint against someone who misbehaved with her.

It was also argued that the survivor has used the MeToo hashtag, which shows that she is attempting to blackmail the petitioner. Siddiques lawyer further contended that the survivor repeatedly made and published defamatory posts against the petitioner in print, visual, and social media, and the silence of the petitioner disconcerted the survivor. They argued that the case and accusations were made only to get Siddique behind bars.

The petitioner is a law-abiding citizen without any criminal record. He is ready to comply with any conditions set by this court and is willing to cooperate with the investigation. As the complaint is highly belated, detention and custodial interrogation of the petitioner are not required to collect evidence, Siddiques lawyer argued.

Siddiques lawyers further claimed that the delay in filing the case indicated that the allegation made by the survivor was not genuine and was aimed at maligning the image of the actor. They also stated that the survivor gave no plausible explanation for the inordinate delay.

The survivors counsel argued that the survivor was apprehensive for her life due to the powerful position of the petitioner, which is why she did not complain earlier. After the Justice Hema Commission report was published and many actors opened up, the survivor also gathered the courage to complain, the bail document said.

In denying Siddique bail, Justice Diass reasoning was clear: the gravity of the accusations and the evidence presented. the petitioners custodial interrogation is necessary for the proper investigation of the crime, especially since his defence is a complete denial of the incident, and a potency test is to be conducted. Given the reasonable apprehension of the prosecution that the petitioner may intimidate witnesses and tamper with evidence

The arguments of this case also speak to the larger struggle for justice in sexual assault cases in India and the need to create a system that recognises the trauma of survivors, including the fear of being defamed, maligned, or even labelled as frivolous.
World Rabies Day is observed annually on September 28 to raise awareness and promote prevention of rabies, a deadly viral disease affecting all mammals, including humans. The disease is primarily spread through the bite of an infected animal, but can also be transmitted through contact with infected saliva. Initial symptoms of rabies include agitation, restlessness, hallucinations, muscle twitching, fever, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.

But why September 28? According to the World Health Organization, this day marks the death anniversary of Louis Pasteur, the French chemist and microbiologist who pioneered the development of the first rabies vaccine.

As we celebrate World Rabies Day today, lets take a look at this years theme, history, significance and key facts:

World Rabies Day 2024 Theme

The theme for 2024 World Rabies Day is Breaking Rabies Boundaries to highlight the ongoing global efforts to overcome the barriers in the fight against lethal disease.

As per WHO, the theme calls for innovative strategies and collaboration across various sectors and regions, highlighting the importance of integrating human, animal and environmental health efforts.

World Rabies Day History

World Rabies Day was first celebrated in 2007 by the Global Alliance for Rabies Control (GARC) and recognized by WHO. GARC initiated this campaign to educate communities and individuals while raising global awareness and strengthening efforts to eradicate human deaths from dog-mediated rabies.

World Rabies Day Significance

World Rabies Day provides a chance to educate people about rabies and how they may protect themselves and their pets. It is also an occasion to recognise the accomplishments made in the fight against rabies and reaffirm our commitment to eradicate this deadly disease.

World Rabies Day: Key Facts

Rabies is a vaccine-preventable viral disease that affects the central nervous system. According to data from WHO, in up to 99 percent of rabies cases in humans, dogs are responsible for the viral transmission. Rabies causes an estimated 59, 000 deaths worldwide each year; however, documented case numbers frequently vary from estimates due to underreporting. Each year, more than 29 million people worldwide receive the human rabies vaccine. In India, about 30-60 percent of reported rabies infections and deaths occur in children under the age of 15, as bites in children frequently go unnoticed and unreported, as per WHO.

How to Prevent?

The most effective way to prevent rabies is to vaccinate your dogs and avoid contact with wild animals. If you are bitten or scratched by an animal, immediately clean the wound with soap and water and seek medical assistance.
After making a stylish statement at the IIFA Utsavam 2024 Awards ceremony last night, Samantha Ruth Prabhu has set the internet ablaze with another glamorous outfit. Relying on fashion designer Kresha Baja for another stunning number, The Family Man actress made our hearts skip a beat and we are not even complaining. Sharing a bunch of pictures in a translucent blue top and maxi skirt, Samantha wrote, Aint stopping.

Samanthas gorgeous ensemble included a wrap floor-length skirt that came with a thigh-high slit and detailing near the waistline. To seal the look, Samantha chose minimal radiant brown tones as makeup, while her new red hair added more appeal. Her confident pose further elevated her style.

Samantha has been sweeping praise with back-to-back bookmark-worthy looks. The actress also created waves with her outfits designed by Kresha Bajaj during Citadel: Honey Bunnys screening in London.

In another video that emerged online from IIFA Utsavam 2024, Samantha Ruth Prabhu was seen greeting Kriti Sanon with a smile and warm hug. The duo also burst out in laughter after Kriti told her something secretly. Samantha looked glamorous at the event in a sparkling mermaid dress whereas Kriti decided to make heads turn in a dramatic black sheer dress with a braided ponytail. The event saw Samantha Ruth Prabhu taking home the Woman of the Year in Indian Cinema award for her contribution to films.

IIFA Utsavam 2024 was held last night in Abu Dhabi. Being graced with notable names like Chiranjeevi, Nandamuri Balakrishna, Rana Daggubati, Aishwarya Rai, Shahid Kapoor, Ananya Panday, Kriti Sanon and Karan Johar in attendance, the event was star-studded.

On the work front, Samantha Ruth Prabhu is busy promoting the web series Citadel: Honey Bunny. The series is the Indian spin-off to Priyanka Chopras Citadel. In the most anticipated project, Varun Dhawan and Samantha will take on the roles of spies. They will be joined by Kay Kay Menon, Soham Majumdar, Shivankit Parihar, Kashvi Majmundar, Saqib Saleem and Sikandar Kher in key roles. Directed by Raj & DK and produced by D2R Films, the series is set to premiere on Amazon Prime Video on November 7.
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan made headlines at the IIFA Utsavam 2024 when she won the Best Actress Award (Tamil) for her role in Ponniyin Selvan: II. The event, held at Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, saw the biggest stars from South Indian and Bollywood cinema gather to celebrate the best of Indian cinema. The actress, who has long been a global icon, was presented the award by veteran actor Nandamuri Balakrishna, marking another milestone in her illustrious career.

However, it wasnt just the award that caught attention. During her interaction with the media on the green carpet, Aishwarya seemingly cut off a reporter who questioned her about her daughter, Aaradhya Bachchan. When the reporter began to say, Aaradhya is always with you. Shes already learning from the best, Aishwarya, throwing her hand in the air, interrupted, stating, Woah, she is my daughter. She is always with me. Her strong response instantly went viral.

Aishwarya, known for her stunning red carpet appearances, turned heads in a custom Manish Malhotra ensemble. She donned a regal black jacket adorned with intricate golden embroidery, perfectly complemented by her sleek straight hair and bold red lips. Aaradhya, standing beside her mother, looked chic in a white blazer with silver accents, confidently posing for the cameras. The mother-daughter duo once again stole the spotlight, as they have at various international events.

Aaradhya has often been seen accompanying Aishwarya to high-profile events, including Cannes Film Festival and Paris Fashion Week earlier this year. The duo has a close bond, with Aishwarya frequently bringing Aaradhya along to her professional commitments. Their joint appearances have sparked admiration and curiosity, as Aishwarya continues to balance her career and motherhood effortlessly.

Recently, rumours about Aishwaryas relationship with the Bachchan family have been swirling, particularly after she and Aaradhya made a separate appearance at a high-profile wedding, while Amitabh, Jaya and Abhishek arrived together. Fans have speculated that the actresss dynamic with her in-laws might be strained, especially after her absence from family posts during events like Paris Fashion Week.
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan made headlines at the IIFA Utsavam 2024 when she won the Best Actress Award (Tamil) for her role in Ponniyin Selvan: II. However, it wasnt just the award that caught attention. During her interaction with the media on the green carpet, Aishwarya seemingly cut off a reporter who questioned her about her daughter, Aaradhya Bachchan.

Read More: Aishwarya Rai SHUTS DOWN Reporter at IIFA for Asking About Aaradhya: Shes My Daughter | Watch

Ranbir Kapoor is set to star in Dhoom 4, which has officially entered the pre-production stage at YRF under the guidance of Aditya Chopra, according to a report in Pinkvilla. A source revealed that Aditya Chopra, who holds the franchise close, plans to reboot it for modern audiences. He is working on the script alongside Vijay Krishna Acharya to deliver a unique cinematic experience. According to the insider, discussions with Ranbir have been in progress for some time, and he has shown keen interest in joining the franchise.

Read More: Ranbir Kapoor To Star in Dhoom 4, Abhishek Bachchan And Uday Chopra To NOT Reprise Their Roles: Report

Karan Johar is currently in the limelight after he mentioned how big actors charge exorbitant amounts and deliver underwhelming performances. The filmmaker and producer has now shared a cryptic note for artists on his social media. Karan Johar took to Instagram to share a note which read, Artists, its okay to live a life that others dont understand.

Read More: Karan Johar Drops Cryptic Note On Living A Life Others Dont Understand: Its Okay To

Salim Khan and Javed Akhtar were the most prolific writing duo of their time. Back then, no one had the audacity to refuse their films. However, when Rishi Kapoor rejected Trishul, he was subjected to Salim Khans ire. In his autobiography, Khullam Khulla, Rishi Kapoor recalled how Salim-Javed were furious at him for rejecting Trishul. When Salim Khan saw Rishi Kapoor at a hotel after the rejection, the writer even walked up to him and threatened to destroy his career.

Read More: When Salim Khan Threatened To Destroy Rishi Kapoors Career Like Rajesh Khanna: Created Amitabh Bachchan

The IIFA Utsavam 2024 took Abu Dhabi by storm as South Indian and Bollywood cinemas brightest stars gathered for a night of celebration and recognition. Rajinikanths Jailer took home the award for Best Picture (Tamil). The award was accepted by director Nelson Dilipkumar. Nani and Vikram were honoured with the Best Actor awards for Dasara (Telugu) and Ponniyin Selvan: II (Tamil), respectively.

Read More: IIFA Utsavam 2024 Winners: Jailer Declared Best Film; Aishwarya Rai, Mani Ratnam, Nani Win Big
Akshay Kumar and other actors are currently busy in the shoot of Housefull 5. They are shooting on a cruise. Amid this a report is coming in that they are facing a sea storm. But they are unstoppable and finishing their work. The film has been in the news ever since it was announced.

Pinkvilla has quoted a source saying that the team of Housefull 5 is currently shooting on a cruise. It is somewhere in the middle of Spain and France. Though the sea conditions are rough with a lot of wind leading to water sickness for crew members and even actors, the team is continuing to shoot in high spirits. Source also revealed, Its a cruise full of characters, and every character is a part of the film for a reason. Sajid Nadiadwala has been very sure to get the casting right and the gang of Housefull 5 is now locked. Its the biggest ensemble setup pulled ever by a producer, and the team is excited to embark on a fun ride.

Directed by Tarun Mansukhani, the film stars Akshay Kumar, Riteish Deshmukh, Abhishek Bachchan, Sanjay Dutt, Fardeen Khan, Nana Patekar, Jackie Shroff, and Dino Morea. In addition to this, Jacqueline Fernandez, Nargis Fakhri, Sonam Bajwa, Chitrangda Singh, and Soundarya Sharma will be taking pivotal roles.

On September 24, Khiladi Kumar took some time from his packed schedule and offered his millions of fans an exciting glimpse from the set of his much-anticipated comedy film.

Akshay posted a picture with his Housefull 5 co-stars Dino Morea, Jacqueline Fernandez, Riteish Deshmukh and Abhishek Bachchan. In the photo, the Raaz actor can be seen wearing a white T-shirt paired with a denim jacket and beige trousers, while Akshay opted for a white T-shirt and wide-legged denim jeans teamed with a chequered shirt. Meanwhile, Jacqueline looked chic in an all-black outfit comprising a top, skirt, sheer tights and oversized leather jacket.

The first film of the Housefull series, directed by Sajid Khan, was released in 2010. Two years later, the films second instalment was released. In 2016, the films third part, directed by Sajid-Farhad, was released. Meanwhile, Housefull 4 was released back in 2019, leaving the fans waiting for the fifth film. The upcoming Housefull film, directed by Tarun Mansukhani, is slated to be released in June 2025.
Sean Diddy Combss high-profile arrest has recently become the talk of the town, following charges related to sex trafficking, racketeering, fraud, coercion and more. While the arrest has unveiled disturbing details of his freak off parties, it has also placed increased scrutiny on his circle of friends. Following the likes of Usher and Kevin Hart, Ashton Kutcher is now being drawn into the scandal. Known for being a long-time friend of the rapper, an old interview clip of Kutcher has resurfaced, in which he can be seen dodging questions about attending Diddys notorious parties.

Amid the speculation, a source close to Kutcher told People, Ashton has only seen Diddy at a handful of social and business events, all of which have been documented by the media.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Ashton Kutcher (@aplusk)

While celebrities have subtly clarified their stance on social media, the That 70s Show alum is yet to comment on the ongoing legal drama. It is worth noting that Ashton Kutchers friendship with Diddy Combs dates back to the early 2000s. He even attended one of his friends signature events, Diddys White Party, in 2009. Diddy and Kutcher appeared on The Late Show with James Corden in 2018, where the actor said, We were spending a lot of time together. By the way, if youre a single man, theres probably no greater human being in the world than him. We were having a lot of fun together.

In addition to discussing their friendship at length, they also recalled the time of their first meeting.

During his appearance on Hot Ones in 2019, Ashton Kutcher was asked if he had any wild stories from the parties. Ive got a lot I cant tell, he said before keeping it safe as he continued, Diddy party stories, man that was some weird memory lane thing.

Following the arrest, while some of Hollywoods elite are garnering unwanted attention, experts suggest that remaining silent is the best option. In high-profile situations like this, an informational vacuum creates an opportunity for that void to be filled with misinformation, driven by inaccurate assumptions, often based on speculation and lack of concrete evidence. Silence is sometimes the best option, especially in our current fire hose media environment, said Doug Eldridge (founder of Achilles PR) to Fox News Digital.
Bollywoods beloved couple Karan Singh Grover and Bipasha Basu never fail to capture attention whenever they make a public appearance. Recently, the couple stole the spotlight yet again while they were at the Mumbai Airport heading for the IIFA Awards 2024 in Abu Dhabi with their adorable daughter, Devi. The familys stylish outfits left fans in awe, as many were delighted to see Karan and Devi twinning in black. Bipasha, on the other hand, looked stunning in a cream coloured co-ord set, which she elegantly complemented with stylish white shoes and sunglasses. Before entering the airport, the trio posed for the paparazzi.

This year, the grand Bollywood event is being held at Yas Island in Abu Dhabi, featuring Shah Rukh Khan, Karan Johar and Vicky Kaushal as hosts. Meanwhile, Rekha, Shahid Kapoor, Kriti Sanon, Janhvi Kapoor and Ananya Panday, among others will entertain fans with their impressive performance. While Bipasha has been away from the big screen for a long time, Karan last appeared in Hrithik Roshan starrer Fighter.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Snehkumar Zala (@snehzala)

During the shoot of Fighter, Karan Singh Grover was taken aback when he learnt that his newborn daughter had two holes in her heart. She even went for an open-heart surgery. Speaking about going through the difficulty, Karan in an interview with India Today said, At the beginning of every schedule, I felt like not going to work because it was very serious and to be away was very difficult. Also, I did not handle it very well. I was like water on the floor. I think its because of Bipasha that I got the strength to kind of go through that and still be here. I really felt like, for me, death would be easier than going through that.

At one point, I remember when we were at the hospital, and we were supposed to give Devi to the doctors, I just couldnt. I was like, no. it felt like I didnt have any hands or legs or feet or face. My wife is a lioness, shes a super strong person, but then as soon as she became a mother, she was a freaking God. She is something else. Also, thanks to all the surgeons, he added.

Karan Singh Grover and Bipasha Basus love story began on the sets of their film Alone in 2015, where they first met and fell for each other. The couple got married on April 30, 2016 and welcomed their daughter, Devi, in November 2022.
CHANGSHA, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- A batch of Kenyan dried sea cucumbers, weighing 300 kg, were transported to Changsha Huanghua International Airport in central China's Hunan Province, marking the first time that China has imported such products from Kenya.

Sea cucumber, known for being high in protein, low in fat and low in cholesterol, has enjoyed growing popularity among Chinese consumers.

According to Changsha Customs, sea cucumber products imported by China mainly come from North America, northern Europe and other places, and China's import of such products from Kenya has enriched its import channels.

In the first eight months of this year, Hunan imported about 300 million yuan (about 42.8 million U.S. dollars) of agricultural products from Africa, a year-on-year increase of 31.9 percent, according to the customs. 
Ranbir Kapoor, born to Neetu Kapoor and the late Rishi Kapoor, turned 42 today, September 28. From family to millions of fans, all have been pouring in their best wishes for the actor on his special day. Among them is his sister, Riddhima Kapoor Sahni, who took to Instagram to share some fond memories with him, marking her not so chottu brothers birthday.

The Fabulous Lives vs Bollywood Wives star shared a video, offering a glimpse at some rare moments of the brother-sister duo with the Kapoor family. The clip begins with their father, Rishi Kapoor, holding both his kids in each of his hands at a Sai Baba temple. This was followed by some goofy pictures of the actor with his niece Samara, wife Alia Bhatt, mother Neetu Kapoor, sister Riddhima and her husband Bharat Sahni, along with other members of the Kapoor clan.

The video also included some unseen pictures from Ranbir and Alias private wedding ceremony, which took place on April 14, 2022. Sharing this video full of happy moments of their lives, Riddhima wrote, Happy bday to my not so chottu bro. Love you soooooo much, with two red heart emojis.

Not long ago, Ranbir opened up about his relationship with his sister. When asked what it was like to grow up with Riddhima on Nikhil Kamaths podcast, he said, Sister is two years elder to me. I love her, we shared a room till I was in the seventh grade. I was 13, and she was 15. She used to beat me up because she was bigger than me. She was chubby. But when I grew in size, I used to beat her. But then she left for her further education in London. By the time she came back, I went to New York. By the time I finished and came back, she got married. I missed out on the good years of bonding with her.

As Ranbir celebrated his 42nd birthday, many of his industry friends visited his house on his birthday eve to celebrate his special day. In several videos on social media, his mother, Neetu Kapoor, and friends Aditya Roy Kapoor, Arjun Kapoor, and Akash Ambani were seen arriving at his home to celebrate the actors birthday.

Meanwhile, on the work front, Ranbir is currently filming for Nitesh Tiwaris upcoming mythological epic Ramayana alongside Sai Pallavi. The 42-year-old was last seen in the action thriller Animal, directed by Sandeep Reddy Vanga.
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan is one of the most celebrated actresses in the Indian film industry. Despite her stature, she remains down-to-earth and humble. Recently, when the actress graced the green carpet of the IIFA Utsavam Awards 2024 in Abu Dhabi, she again won everyones hearts with just one gesture. Aishwaryas daughter Aaradhya, too, walked beside her mother at the event.

In a paparazzi video, Aishwarya can be seen arriving at the event. The actress is dressed in a regal Manish Malhotra ensemble, featuring a long black jacket adorned with golden embroidery. Meanwhile, her Aaradhya wore a white jacket adorned with silver embroidery.

As the mother-daughter duo was about to walk off to the main event, a media person asked the actress for a selfie. Aishwarya obliged the request and took the fans phone to click selfies.

In another video that went viral from the event, Aishwaryas wit was at full display. Aaradhya is always with you. Shes already learning from the best, a media person said as the actress walked the green carpet.

Aishwarya, known for her candid and sassy self, instantly replied, Woah, she is my daughter. She is always with me. The mother-daughter duo is often seen together, as the actress prefers taking her to all her professional commitments.

The IIFA Utsavam Awards 2024 at Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, witnessed the coming together of some of the biggest names in the Indian film industry.

Aishwarya Rai won the Best Actress Award (Tamil) for her role in Ponniyin Selvan: II. Veteran actor Nandamuri Balakrishna presented her with the award, adding another feather to her cap.

Just days before the IIFA Utsavam Awards 2024, Aishwarya Rai was seen at the Paris Fashion Week, attending LOreal Paris show in style. She walked the ramp in a red bubble-hem dress, leaving an indelible mark on everyone.

In several videos from the event, Aishwarya was seen having fun with other international celebrities like Simone Ashley just hours before their walk. Moreover, her daughter Aaradhya also tagged along with her to the Paris Fashion Week 2024.

Meanwhile, on the work front, Aishwarya Rai was last seen in the Tamil-language historical drama Ponniyin Selvan: II.
In the world of Harry Potter, where magic weaves through every scene, one character stands out for her unique blend of authority and warmth: Professor Minerva McGonagall, portrayed by the late Dame Maggie Smith. While Smiths illustrious career spans decades and genres, its her role as the stern yet caring professor that left a mark on a generation of fans. Smith brought McGonagall to life in all eight Harry Potter films from 2001 to 2011. During a 2015 interview with British TV host Graham Norton, she reflected on how the role changed her life, A lot of very small people kind of used to say hello to me and that was nice. A whole different lot of people."

This combination of warmth and authority was exactly what director Chris Columbus sought when casting the role of McGonagall in the first Harry Potter film. In a clip from the early 2000s shared on YouTube, Columbus  who directed the series initial two films  explained, Someone that you were intimidated by but someone who had a real sense of warmth and heart." He recognised that this was exactly who Maggie is," leading him to conclude, I thought, this is perfect for McGonagall," the director explained.

Columbus also reflected on one of the characters early scenes. You meet her in the beginning of the film, shes in the scene where theyre walking up the stairs, and she was intimidating," he said. I mean, she was intimidating to the crew because shes so smart, shes so brilliant." The young cast members, including Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint, could sense that," he noted, adding, But that was good. At that point, she was the disciplinarian."

Smith passed away on September 27 at the age of 89. Beyond her work in Harry Potter, she garnered acclaim for her Oscar-winning performances in The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1969) and California Suite (1978). More recently, she captivated audiences as Violet Crawley in the Downton Abbey series. In 1990, she received a Tony Award for her role in Lettice and Lovage, and that same year Queen Elizabeth II honoured her by making her a dame for her contributions to the arts.

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Neha Dhupia once revealed on her chat show that Shweta Bachchan has Obsessive Compulsive Disorder or OCD. While Neha and Shweta did not clarify if this was a medical diagnosis, Karan Johar explained certain behaviours that Shweta follows and said that the entire Bachchan family has a very orderly way of living.

Neha asked Shweta, Whats with this OCD? Why do you keep adjusting things. Shweta replied, I dont. I just like things a certain way. I dont even like to say Im OCD anymore because everyone says theyre OCD, and I dont want to be what everyone else is.

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Karan Johar recalled experiencing Shwetas OCD behaviour and said, We went out for dinner once and I have a big problem that I eat off other peoples plates. Shweta interjected, I cant bear it. Karan added, Shweta, OCDs brand ambassador, doesnt want to admit to her problem because shes almost embarrassed about the extremity of the problem. But I have eaten something from her plate. Then very quietly she put her fork and spoon down and she didnt eat Much later she told me that she didnt eat because I had eaten off her plate and she went home hungry. Thats when I realised the extent of her madness.

Karan said that Shweta gets this trait from her mother, Jaya Bachchan. Karan recalled how while narrating the script of Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham to Jaya, the veteran actress eyes were constantly on the person cleaning her silverware. Karan said that Jaya would keep finding faults during the cleaning while he narrated emotional scenes to her.

Its a family thing. Then Amit uncle (Amitabh Bachchan) came on my show and told me how they mark every newspaper with a tag when theyve read it. So when Amit uncle has finished reading the Times of India, hell write AB tick, then itll go to AB Jr (Abhishek Bachchan) then JB then SB. Its a methodical family, Karan Johar said.

The filmmaker said that Shweta realised this behaviour after marrying into a Punjabi family. Shweta Bachchan tied the knot with Nikhil Nanda in February 1997. They have two children, Navya Naveli Nanda and Agastya Nanda.
Poland has long been a bastion of cinematic brilliance, shaping world cinema with its profound storytelling, intricate characters, and social commentary. Over decades, it has produced directors whose films have not only garnered international recognition but also challenged the conventions of the medium itself. From the introspective realism of Andrzej Wajda to the philosophical musings of Krzysztof Kieslowski, Polish cinema has stood as a formidable force, inspiring filmmakers across the globe. At the 49th Polish Film Festival in Gdynia, this legacy is celebrated once more with the screening of Under The Volcano, a 2024 drama directed by rising star Damian Kocur, marking yet another chapter in the rich history of Polish cinema.

Polish cinemas international breakthrough came in the post-World War II era, marked by a need to process the wars trauma and the ensuing political tensions. One of the first major filmmakers to emerge during this period was Andrzej Wajda, whose films captured the complexities of Polish history, particularly the harrowing consequences of World War II. His War trilogy  A Generation (1955), Kanal (1957), and Ashes and Diamonds (1958)  crystallised the despair, loss, and moral ambiguity left in the wake of the war.

Wajdas deep engagement with history set the tone for many filmmakers who followed. Wajda won the honorary Oscar in 2000, cementing his place as one of the greats of world cinema. But he was not alone. Krzysztof Zanussi, with his sharp philosophical examinations of morality and science, and Wojciech Has, with his stunningly surreal narratives like The Saragossa Manuscript (1965), offered unique, deeply intellectual perspectives, contributing to the diverse tapestry of Polish filmmaking.

The 1970s and 80s heralded the arrival of Krzysztof Kieslowski, whose work delved deeply into human consciousness, questioning the very essence of existence. His Three Colors trilogy (1993-94)  Blue, White, and Red  has been etched into the annals of world cinema for its emotional depth and philosophical rigour. Kieslowskis metaphysical explorations in films like The Double Life of Veronique (1991) and Dekalog (1989) exemplify Polish cinemas unique ability to merge personal dilemmas with universal truths, an ethos that continues to influence contemporary directors.

The new generation of Polish filmmakers has managed to keep this heritage alive, building on the emotional and intellectual depth of their predecessors while forging new paths in an ever-evolving world. The success of Pawe Pawlikowski, particularly with Ida (2013) and Cold War (2018), which both won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film and the Best Director award at Cannes, respectively, signifies the global appeal and relevance of contemporary Polish cinema. Pawlikowskis masterful storytelling and the stark, monochrome aesthetics of Ida drew parallels with the works of Wajda and Kieslowski, showing that modern Polish filmmakers could deftly marry history with intimate human stories.

Similarly, filmmakers like Tomek Popakul, whose animated works like Acid Rain (2019) and Zima (2017) have brought a fresh, experimental flair to Polish cinema, are pushing boundaries in terms of form and content. Popakuls films, often characterised by their hallucinatory visuals and dark, brooding atmospheres, echo the surrealist touches of Wojciech Has, but with a distinctly modern sensibility.

It is within this rich tradition of emotionally charged, intellectually stimulating cinema that Damian Kocurs Under The Volcano makes its mark at the 49th Polish Film Festival. The film, an intense depiction of the emotional turmoil faced by a Ukrainian family as they are unexpectedly caught in the outbreak of war, stands out not only for its topical relevance but also for its profound exploration of the human condition.

Set against the backdrop of Tenerife, the largest of Spains Canary Islands, the film captures the Kovalenko familys serene holiday, which is abruptly transformed into a nightmare as they become refugees overnight. The films stark contrast between the paradisiacal landscapes of Tenerife and the devastating realities of war serves as a poignant metaphor for the fragility of life and the unpredictable nature of conflict.

Written by Damian Kocur and Marta Konarzewska, Under The Volcano resonates with the broader themes that have always underpinned Polish cinema  displacement, identity, and survival. With cinematography by Nikita Kuzmienko, the film juxtaposes the sweeping vistas of Tenerifes Mt Teide with the growing sense of unease and emotional unravelling within the Kovalenko family. As their return to Kyiv becomes impossible, they are thrust into a world where they must navigate the uncertain, terrifying path of becoming refugees, a situation that mirrors the plight of millions displaced by the ongoing war in Ukraine.

The choice of Tenerife as the setting further amplifies the films sense of isolation and entrapment. Known for its towering dormant volcano, the island becomes a powerful symbol of dormant conflict  much like the tension that erupts unexpectedly in the Kovalenko familys lives. Through this, Kocur draws on Polish cinemas long tradition of blending the personal with the political, creating a film that feels both timely and timeless.

At the 49th Polish Film Festival in Gdynia, Under The Volcano joins a roster of films that embody the strength and diversity of contemporary Polish cinema. Competing in the Main Competition alongside films such as White Courage, Wet Monday, Woman Of, and Green Border, Under The Volcano represents a new generation of Polish filmmakers who are willing to confront not only national trauma but global crises.

What sets Kocur apart is his ability to build on the foundations laid by the likes of Wajda, Kieslowski, and Zanussi, while also bringing in a distinct voice that speaks to the complexities of the modern world. His empathetic portrayal of the Ukrainian family, caught between two worlds and two realities, is a reminder of the power of cinema to not only reflect society but to interrogate and challenge it.

Polish cinema has always stood at the crossroads of history, often grappling with questions of identity, memory, and survival. From Wajdas powerful war narratives to Kieslowskis existential musings, from Pawlikowskis historical inquiries to Popakuls surreal, modern landscapes, Polish filmmakers have consistently pushed the boundaries of storytelling, offering audiences not just films but experiences that stay with them long after the credits roll.

With Under The Volcano, Damian Kocur proves that the legacy of Polish cinema is not just alive but thriving. His film is a testament to the enduring power of Polish storytelling, merging the personal and the political, the local and the global, in a way that is both deeply rooted in tradition and forward-looking. As Under The Volcano continues its journey on the festival circuit, and with its selection as Polands submission for Best International Feature Film at the 97th Academy Awards, it serves as a reminder that Polish cinema remains one of the worlds most vibrant and influential artistic traditions.

The author is an Indian critic and journalist who has served as a jury member for the 69th and 70th National Film Awards. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18s views.
What is good for the state may not be good for the national picture  This is the trap the Congress finds itself caught in now.

Just a few days ago, the Himachal Pradesh government kicked up a storm as PWD minister Vikramaditya Singh announced that street vendors in the state would have to get themselves registered and eateries would have to display the names of owners. What raised eyebrows, however, was the timing of the decision as it came within just 24 hours of the Yogi Adityanath government mandating the same in BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh. The Congress and other opposition parties had attacked the Yogi governments decision, calling it an attempt to target Muslims.

However, Singhs announcement has left the top leadership of the Grand Old Party fuming because not only does it make the party look similar to BJP, but also takes the sting out of their attacks on the saffron party for targeting the minorities of the country  the fulcrum of Rahul Gandhis Mohabbat ki Dukaan narrative.

Singhs decision, which was based on a Supreme Court observation, earned him the ire of the top Congress leadership and though he maintains he was not summoned to Delhi, the bouquets he took for his meeting with the partys all-powerful general secretary KC Venugopal could not quell the anger.

The minister was told clearly that his comments were unwarranted, against the party line, and the mistake must not be repeated. Sources say Singh did accept that the party comes first but at the end of the day, the sentiments of the locals matter most.

Himachal Pradesh has a 96 per cent Hindu population and for politicians, especially those from the Congress, playing the religion card  or even supporting decisions that woo this vote bank  becomes a political compulsion. This is why even though the Congress top brass skipped the Ram Mandir Pran Pratishtha, Himachals chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu declared that the state government buildings would be decked up and diyas would be lit to mark the occasion. Singh, in fact, had gone to Ayodhya to attend the event.

Sources close to Singh say he feels that it would be politically suicidal for him and his party if they project themselves as not being Hindu. While they insist the latest decision was not against any community, the fact remains that there is a growing concern that many outsiders  most of them belonging to the minority community  are setting shops while locals are losing out.

Singh is not alone. Solan MLA and health minister Dhaniram Shandil too has supported the decision. Sukhu had earlier told News18 that the move was only to ensure registration and not target any community. But now, he too is toeing the central party line and the result is that the blame has been put on Singh for announcing the decision out of time and turn.

Everyone is aware that Singh is seen as a rebel. His mother has been a bitter critic of the Sukhu sarkar. The latest incident, where the blame has been shifted to the young minister, makes it clear that things are unlikely to be smooth between the two anytime soon. But will this rebuff to Singh help him politically in the state and make Sukhu look bad? The BJP is waiting and watching.
Google has just announced that all Pixel Buds will soon be powered by the cutting-edge Gemini AI. Users will receive an email update detailing how to activate Gemini by simply setting it as their preferred digital assistant on their Android phones. These details come via a 9to5Google report.

The rollout has already kicked off with the new Pixel Buds Pro 2, bringing a smarter way to interact with your digital assistant right to your ears. Plus, Google has revamped how you communicate through your linked earbuds, making your interactions more seamless than ever.

Regions where AI is currently supported will have access to Gemini on Pixel Buds. Google has not yet disclosed the precise changes. However, some Pixel Buds features might function differently compared to Google Assistant. Alongside being one of the most popular AI services worldwide, Gemini AI has also supplanted Google Assistant on the majority of Android smartphones, particularly with the introduction of Gemini Live.

Gemini on Pixel Buds: How to Use

 Before using Gemini with your Pixel Buds, ensure that Gemini is set as your smartphones assistant, replacing Google Assistant.

 To use your Pixel Buds while wearing them, your Android phone must be unlocked and connected to the earbuds.

 Once configured, you can use the same activation gesture to access Gemini on your Pixel Buds as you would with Google Assistant.

Keep in mind that you only need to unlock your phone for the initial setup. After linking, you can access Gemini without having to unlock your phone again. However, when the phone is locked, you wont receive personalised responses if you remove or disconnect your Buds.

The Pixel Buds Digital Assistant settings include an Only Require One Unlock option that allows you to modify this. It is important to note that using Gemini with Pixel Buds does not apply the On headphones setting under Personal Results.

Meanwhile, Google hasnt provided a timeline for this update, but it is expected to arrive in the coming weeks.

Additionally, Google has announced that the Hey Google setting for Pixel Buds has been modified. The Buds are no longer isolated in this setting. Instead, they are automatically synchronised with the associated Android phone through the Hey Google and Voice Match settings. This update is compatible with both Gemini on Pixel Buds and Google Assistant.
A Chinese woman recorded her experience at a drivers license theory test in Canada. Wearing sunglasses and filming herself, she was taken aback by the large number of Indians around her. The candid video, which has quickly gained attention on X, shows the test centre filled with the members of the Indian community. Stunned with what she was seeing, the woman called it a terrible situation. Accompanied by a friend, she further commented that to an outsider, it might appear she was in India rather than Canada. Meanwhile, the video garnered mixed reactions online, as some viewers agreed that the Indian population is rising in Canada, while others reminded her about the large Chinese community residing there as well.

In the viral video, the woman says, This is terrible, surrounded by Indians in Canada. Ill take a candid photo for you to see. This is one place to take the theoretical drivers licence test. People who didnt know thought I was in India. Sharing the video, the X page wrote, A Chinese woman is shocked by the amount of Indians in Canada. Canada is becoming less Canadian by the day. Everyone is noticing it.

A Chinese woman is shocked by the amount of Indians in Canada.Canada is becoming less Canadian by the day. Everyone is noticing it. pic.twitter.com/dyXIGFrwcO  iamyesyouareno (@iamyesyouareno) September 25, 2024

Reacting to the post, a user wrote, Was in Canada a few months ago and can confirm, although the remaining white Canadians are still very nice people, but maybe theyre too nice for their own good.

Was in Canada a few months ago and can confirm, although the remaining white Canadians are still very nice people, but maybe theyre too nice for their own good. Booker9e (@booker9e) September 25, 2024

Another shared, I went to Vancouver a few years ago, and straight up like 40% of the population is Chinese immigrants, so maybe she should go home too.

I went to Vancouver a few years ago, and straight up like 40% of the population is Chinese immigrants, so maybe she should go home too. Allah Peno (@AllahPeno) September 25, 2024

100% replacement. Its accelerating too. Within 3 years there will be 50% of them in the entire country at the rate were going. Canada is big by land but less than 40mn people. Bringing in 2-3mn a year that we even know of been to Toronto lately? All people, workers, police, bystanders, all Indian, a comment read.

100% replacement. Its accelerating too. Within 3 years there will be 50% of them in the entire country at the rate we're going. Canada is big by land but less than 40mn ppl. Bringing in 2-3mn a year that we even know of.. been to Toronto lately? all ppl, workers, police, surfacefacts (@surfacefacts) September 25, 2024

Another wrote, A migrant complaining that there are other migrants. LMAO.

A migrant complaining that there are other migrants. Lmao Melih Topcu (@sl4ng19) September 26, 2024

An individual shared, Canadas identity has been evolving for centuries, with waves of immigrants from all over the world. Whether it was Europeans, Asians, or others, that diversity is what makes Canada what it is today.

Canadas identity has been evolving for centuries, with waves of immigrants from all over the world. Whether it was Europeans, Asians, or others, that diversity is what makes Canada what it is today. Jacob Amoo (@youngblesstmoni) September 26, 2024

One more added, This is so ironic though because there are way more Chinese here.

This is so ironic though because there are way more Chinese here. turkish (@t_rkish) September 25, 2024

Since the video was shared on X, it has garnered over 2 million views.
YouTuber Gaurav Taneja, popularly known as Flying Beast, has spoken out following rumours of him cheating on his wife, Ritu Rathee, and speculation that all is not well between the couple and could lead to divorce. This comes after fans reportedly spotted Rathee at the Bhajan Marg by Premanand Maharaj, where she expressed concerns about infidelity and custody of their children.

Read| Husbands Neglected After Pregnancy: Gaurav Tanejas Old Video Viral Amid Cheating Rumours

In an Instagram post, Taneja shared the phrase, Joi Joi pyaaro kare, soi mohe bhave, which translates to: Those who love me, I love in return.

I will remain quiet for my kids and the mother of my child. Ready to live with all the negativity and hate for my entire life. Please dont expect any public explanation, he wrote in the caption.

He urged, Please stop making any assumptions.

Men are made villains very fast, he said addressing the allegations, adding, We dont cry, we talk less and express less. Some of us are hardwired like that.

The 38-year-old YouTuber further said that social media is not a place to discuss family matters, hence he has nothing to say.

Taneja also expressed hope that everything between him and his wife will be sorted soon.

Flying Beast shared some more lines in Hindi that roughly translate to: In this birth, many sins from my past lives and this life will accumulate. Only by Gods grace that in this life, he is nullifying all my destinies.

Honestly, I dont feel like posting anything. But I have some commitments to fulfill and this is my work. I will be posting some already-shot content. I cant let others suffer due to my personal issues. So please excuse me for that, IIT Kharagpur alum concluded his post.

Take a look at the entire post here:

Although Rathee, who is a captain on Airbus A320, did not directly address the divorce rumours, she reshared Tanejas post on her Instagram Story.

Who is Gaurav Taneja?

Gaurav Taneja, a 38-year-old YouTuber known as Flying Beast, began his career with IndiGo, where he served as both a first officer and a captain. He later joined AirAsia as a pilot but was suspended for standing up for the safe operations of an aircraft and its passengers. In response to his suspension, Taneja created a YouTube video titled Reasons Behind Suspension from My Pilot Job, in which he detailed how the airline was compromising passenger safety to save on fuel. He alleged that AirAsia instructed its pilots to perform 98 percent of landings in Flap 3 mode, a practice designed to conserve fuel. Following these revelations, a probe was initiated, resulting in the suspension of two senior executives at AirAsia India for three months by the DGCA.

As a certified nutritionist and professional bodybuilder, Taneja creates content related to fitness and nutrition on YouTube. He currently owns three channels: Flying Beast, Fit Muscle TV, and Rasbhari Ke Papa.

Gaurav holds a Bachelors degree from IIT Kharagpur and is married to Ritu Rathee. They have two daughters, Kiara and Pihu.
A cat who got lost in Yellowstone National Park has travelled more than 1,200 Km to find his way home after two months, using the animals microchip, an animal welfare group said.

Rayne Beau is a two-and-a-half-year-old Siamese (seal point mitted) cat. His owners, Susanne and Benny Anguiano of Salinas, California, were visiting the Wyoming park when he got lost, Susanne told CNN.

The recently relocated cat, whose name is pronounced rainbow, went missing on the first day of their trip to Fishing Bridge RV Park on June 4, Anguiano said.

My husband is my hero because he went out into the woods every day for hours to look for him, Anguiano told CNN station KSBW this week.

Rayne Beau ran into the woods after being startled and the couples attempts to lure him back with his favourite treats and toys were unsuccessful, KSBW reported.

We had to leave without him, Anguiano told KSBW. That was the hardest day because I felt like I was letting him down, he added.

The heartbroken pet owner said she never lost hope of finding her missing pet, according to KSBW. However, a month after Rayne Beau went missing, they adopted another cat to keep her sister company, Anguiano told CNN.

The couple had rescued Rayne Beau and his twin sister Starr when they were 11 weeks old, Anguiano said. Then, 61 days after Rayne Beau went missing, the couple received a notification that a cat with Rayne Beaus identification number had been found, KSBW reported.

Rayne Beau was found in Roseville, California, about 190 miles from his home in Salinas. He was then taken to the Placer Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in Roseville, the societys executive director Leilani Fratis confirmed in an email to CNN.

We hope everyone takes advantage of a microchip for his pets, Fratis said. The cat was found in poor health by the woman who surrendered him, KSBW reported.

We are in contact with the woman who found him in Roseville and took him in for a couple of nights before she was able to take him to the SPCA, Anguiano told CNN.

In total, the cat travelled more than 1,000 miles from Wyoming to Roseville and on to Salinas, California.

The couple said they arent sure how Rayne Beau made it back to California, but they are grateful he is home.

We are overjoyed he is back. I look at him every day and I am so grateful and I tell him, Do you know how many weeks I have prayed to see that face again?, Anguiano said.
Chinese Ambassador to Myanmar Ma Jia (L, front) and Secretary of Myanmar's State Administration Council Lt-Gen Aung Lin Dwe (R, front) attend a reception to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China in Yangon, Myanmar, Sept. 27, 2024. The Chinese embassy in Myanmar held a reception in Yangon on Friday to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. (Xinhua/Myo Kyaw Soe)

YANGON, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese embassy in Myanmar held a reception in Yangon on Friday to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China.

Chinese Ambassador to Myanmar Ma Jia, Secretary of Myanmar's State Administration Council Lt-Gen Aung Lin Dwe, and more than 500 people from all walks of life in Myanmar, envoys from various countries to Myanmar, representatives of international organizations, Chinese companies and overseas Chinese attended the reception.

In her speech, Ma reviewed China's great development achievements over the past 75 years and said China has always placed the development of China-Myanmar relations in an important position in its neighborhood diplomacy, adhered to a friendly policy towards Myanmar for all the people of Myanmar, continuously promoted people-to-people exchanges between China and Myanmar, and continued to deepen pragmatic cooperation to better benefit the two countries and their people.

During the reception, the guests expressed congratulations on the remarkable development achievements made by China in the 75 years since its founding, spoke positively of the results of China-Myanmar friendly cooperation, and looked forward to the China-Myanmar "Paukphaw" (fraternal) friendship to better benefit the two countries and the two peoples. 
What are some of the things that come to your mind when you hear the term the most expensive thing ever made? A building like the Burj Khalifa, the Taj Mahal or some giant aircraft. But what if we tell you that none of the seemingly obvious choices are the right answer? The most expensive man-made thing doesnt even exist on Earth because its in Space. The International Space Station (ISS), which costs over $100 billion is the most expensive man-made object.

The Guinness World Records bestowed this title to ISS. On its website, the Guinness World Records described the International Space Station as the most expensive man-made object, stating that the building the project cost more than $100 billion. It took more than $150 billion, according to some other sources as well.

But what makes the ISS a technological marvel and why is it so expensive?

Early in the 1980s, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) decided to launch Freedom, a modular space station. It was designed as an analogue to the Soviet Salyut and Mir space stations. As the idea was developed, it became apparent that it would be too big to be constructed by one country. Consequently, other space agencies such as the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), and the Russian space agency Roscosmos joined in.

The ISS was launched into space on November 20, 1998. Originally intended to serve as a low-Earth orbit staging camp for potential future expeditions to the Moon, Mars, and asteroids, the International Space Station was also intended to serve as a factory, laboratory and observatory.

The ISS is very flexible because of its modular design. Its structure is adaptable and can be changed at any time by adding or removing modules. The ISS has many important parts, including a life support system that regulates the environment, supplies food, and water; manages sanitation supplies and fire detection.

Additionally, its essential parts include the research centre, power control modules, and communication systems. Its interesting to note that millions of dollars are spent annually on upkeep and repairs for this tech marvel floating about in space, meaning that the International Space Station (ISS) grows more costly every year.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday sought to frame Iran as the primary source of conflict in the Middle East when he delivered his first address at the United Nations since the outbreak of the Gaza war.

Demonstrating two maps, he contrasted the blessing of development for Israel and its Arab partners with the curse of Irans influence in the region, warning that Iran seeks to impose its radicalism beyond the Middle East and threatens the entire world. The world should join Israel in stopping Irans nuclear weapons, he said, calling on the UN to snap back sanctions against Iran.

Curse Vs Blessing

The map labelled The Curse, held in Netanyahus right hand, included Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Yemen, all shaded in black. Another map marked The Blessing featured countries like Egypt, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, and India in green. He stressed that the world must choose between these two groups as tensions escalated in the region, particularly with ongoing Israeli bombardments of Hezbollah positions in Lebanon.

Map of Blessings Vs. Map of Curse !! Israeli PM @netanyahu speech at the UN  Apart from Iranians, this Placard will burn the arse of many Indian Leftist-Izlamists as well. pic.twitter.com/7qhdunZ9kv Mihir Jha (@MihirkJha) September 27, 2024

During his speech, Netanyahu issued a stern warning to Tehran, saying, If you strike us, we will strike you, asserting that no part of Iran was beyond Israels reach. The speech also included a direct message to Palestinians. Netanyahu called for an end to what he termed Jew-hatred and urged them to accept Israels existence as a Jewish state. The address came amid heightened military actions by Israel against Hezbollah and a backdrop of international protests against its operations.

Notably, several leaders and diplomats walked out during Netanyahus UN speech as a protest against the Israeli military campaign in Gaza, where over 42,252 people have died amid the conflict. Escalating violence in Lebanon, which has seen numerous attacks on Hezbollah in the past few days, contributed to the diplomats decision to leave as Netanyahu began his address, Daily Mail reported.

Videos shared on social media captured the scene of delegates exiting the hall while Netanyahu continued speaking from the podium. When Netanyahu entered the hall and was introduced, boos and raised voices echoed, and many delegates walked out through various exits. Besides this, the Israeli PM also faced anti-war protests near the UN headquarters in New York, with demonstrators expressing their opposition to the war in Gaza.
President Joe Biden on Saturday called the Israeli strike that killed Hezbollahs Hassan Nasrallah a measure of justice for his four-decade reign of terror.

The comments came after Lebanons Hezbollah group confirmed earlier Saturday that Nasrallah, one of the groups founders, was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Beirut the previous day.

Biden noted that the operation to take out Nasrallah took place in the broader context of the conflict that began with Hamas massacre of Israelis on October 7, 2023.

Nasrallah, the next day, made the fateful decision to join hands with Hamas and open what he called a northern front against Israel, Biden said in a statement.

He also noted that Hezbollah under Nasrallahs watch has been responsible for the deaths of thousands of Americans.

In addition to this, Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin informed that he spoke to Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant about events in Lebanon and expressed his full support for Israels right to defend itself.

Taking to X, Austin said, I spoke twice with Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant yesterday about events in Lebanon. I expressed my full support for Israels right to defend itself and its people against Iranian-backed terrorist groups.

I spoke twice with Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant yesterday about events in Lebanon. I expressed my full support for Israels right to defend itself and its people against Iranian backed terrorist groups. I stressed that the United States is determined to prevent Iran Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III (@SecDef) September 28, 2024

I stressed that the United States is determined to prevent Iran and Iranian-backed partners and proxies from exploiting the situation or expanding the conflict. I made it clear that the United States remains postured to protect U.S. forces and facilities in the region and committed to the defense of Israel.
Several leaders and diplomats walked out during Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus UN speech on Friday during the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York.

The mass walkout was a protest against the Israeli military campaign in Gaza, where over 42,252 people have died amid the conflict, Daily Mail reported. Escalating violence in Lebanon, which has seen numerous attacks on Hezbollah in the past few days, contributed to the diplomats decision to leave as Netanyahu began his address.

Videos shared on social media captured the scene of delegates exiting the hall while Netanyahu continued speaking from the podium. When Netanyahu entered the hall and was introduced, boos and raised voices echoed, and many delegates walked out through various exits. Besides this, the Israeli PM also faced anti-war protests near the UN headquarters in New York, with demonstrators expressing their opposition to the war in Gaza.

Mass walkout of UN delegates at the UNGA as diplomats exit the assembly in protest of Netanyahus address pic.twitter.com/oJGWZHyUFF TheArmchairAnalyst (@Sitting_Analyst) September 27, 2024

Lies and slander

In his speech, Netanyahu said that he had initially considered not attending but felt compelled to respond to what he called lies and slander aimed at Israel by other world leaders. He emphasized his commitment to defending Israels actions in Gaza and Lebanon, asserting that Israel would continue its military operations unabated.

On Friday, Netanyahu signaled to the world from the United Nations that the multiple conflicts in the Middle East were far from resolved, and he vowed to continue battling the Lebanese Hezbollah and defeat Hamas in the Gaza Strip until total victory.

Israeli military struck Hezbollahs HQ

Shortly after the prime minister spoke, blasts rocked the Lebanese capital Beirut and the Israeli military said it had struck Hezbollahs headquarters. The exact target wasnt immediately clear, but it appeared to be significant enough to prompt Netanyahu to cut short his trip to New York by a day and make unusual travel on the Jewish Sabbath to get home.

Israel has every right to remove this threat and return our citizens to their home safely. And thats exactly what were doing, Netanyahu said, eliciting applause from supporters in the gallery of the General Assembly. Well continue degrading Hezbollah until all our objectives are met, he said.

Netanyahu also spoke as international mediation efforts were underway to try to rein in the escalating conflict in Lebanon, where Israel has been striking Hezbollah targets intensively for the past week, sending the death toll in Lebanon soaring into the hundreds and raising fears that the conflict could spiral into all-out war.

Late Wednesday, the United States, France and other allies jointly called for an immediate 21-day cease-fire to allow for negotiations. Israel said Thursday that discussions were ongoing and Hezbollah hasnt officially responded to the cease-fire proposal, but has said it wont stop firing until the Gaza war ends.

(With agency inputs)
Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, Secretary General of Lebanon-based militant group Hezbollah, has been killed in a targeted airstrike launched by Israel in Beirut on Saturday.

The Iran-backed militant group confirmed the death of its chief hours after the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced the killing of the top leader saying, he will no longer be able to terrorise the world.

Who Will Succeed Nasrallah?

The development has sparked significant concern and speculation regarding the future of the militant group. The killing of Nasrallah, who led the militant group for over three decades, has likely given a substantial blow to the group especially when the Israeli military have decimated Hezbollahs leadership structure.

Read More: Lebanons Hezbollah Confirms Chief Hassan Nasrallah Killed In Israeli Airstrike

Hezbollah will not collapse if Nasrallah is killed or incapacitated, but this will be a major blow to the groups morale. It would also underline Israels security and military superiority and access, Analyst Lina Khatib of the Chatham House Policy Institute said as quoted by news agency Reuters.

According to several reports, Hashem Safieddine is being viewed as a potential heir to Nasrallah. A cousin of the late leader, Safieddine currently oversees Hezbollahs political and financial affairs and serves on the groups Jihad Council.

As per the reports, Nasrallah had been grooming Safieddine for leadership through various positions within the militant group.

Safieddine was designated a terrorist by the US State Department in 2017 and has previously threatened retaliation against Israel following the deaths of other key Hezbollah figures.

IDFs New Order Operation

The name of the Israeli military operation that assassinated Nasrallah is named New Order. Israeli Chief of Staff, Herzi Halevi, revealed that the strike, occurred on Friday at Hezbollahs central command in Dahiyeh, south of Beirut, had been in preparation for a long time and marked one of the most significant blows against Hezbollah. This is not the end of our toolbox, Halevi stated, suggesting that more actions are planned.

The Israeli airstrikes targeted Beirut for five hours early Saturday, following Fridays attack, which was the most powerful by Israel on the city during its conflict with Hezbollah, unfolding alongside the Gaza war.

Read More: Zionists Too Small To Damage Hezbollah: Khameneis Message To Israel After Nasrallahs Death

Besides Nasrallah, the Israeli airstrikes killed several top Hezbollah commanders, including Ali Karki, commander of Hezbollahs Southern Front, and Nasrallahs daughter Zainab Nasrallah.

Israeli news channel Channel 12 reported her death, but there has been no official confirmation from Hezbollah or Lebanese authorities. Zainab was known for her vocal support of Hezbollah and her familys sacrifices. She had previously spoken about the death of her brother, Hadi, who was killed by Israeli forces in 1997, the Jerusalem Post reported.

Who Was Nasrallah?

Since February 1992, Hassan Nasrallah has been serving as the secretary-general of the Iran-backed militant group. He occupied the position after the assassination of his predecessor Abbas al-Musawi by Israeli forces.

The Israeli military said Nasrallah was responsible for directing and executing terrorist attacks around the world in which civilians of various nationalities were murdered. Nasrallah was the central decision-maker and the strategic leader of the organisation, the IDF said.

Read More: Who Was Hassan Nasrallah? The Hezbollah Leader Killed In Israeli Strikes In Beirut

He was responsible for leading Hezbollah during the 2006 war with Israel and for expanding the groups influence across the Middle East.

Nasrallahs eldest son, Hadi, was killed in an Israeli attack in 1997 while fighting for the Hezbollah group.

(With inputs from agencies)
Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah on Saturday confirmed that its leader and one of its founders, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, has been killed in airstrikes launched by Israel on Friday in Lebanons Beirut. The militant groups announcement comes hours after the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced the killing of Nasrallah, saying he will no longer be able to terrorise the world.

In a statement, the militant group pledged to continue its battle against Israel in support of Gaza and Palestine, and in defence of Lebanon and its steadfast and honourable people.

Read More: Hassan Nasrallah Wont Terrorise The World Anymore: Israel After Hezbollah Chief Killed In Beirut Strikes

Hezbollahs Al-Manar TV started airing Quran verses after the announcement of Nasrallahs death, reported news agency Reuters.

Countries Declare Mourning:

Irans Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has declared five days of national mourning following the death of Nasrallah, reported Iran International.

Iraq Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al Sudani has also declared three days of mourning in the country. Additionally, Iraqi Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr also declared three days of mourning.

In a post on X, al-Sadr expressed his grief and said, You lived with pride and went as a proud martyr, you and those with you.

Additionally, Syria also announced three days of public mourning due to the death of Nasrallah.

Full Statement Of Hezbollah On Nasrallahs Death:

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

Let those who would sacrifice this life for the Hereafter fight in the cause of Allah. And whoever fights in Allahs causewhether they achieve martyrdom or victoryWe will honor them with a great reward.

This is the truth of Allah, the Most High, the Almighty.

His Eminence, the Master of Resistance, the righteous servant, has moved to the side of his Lord and to His satisfaction as a great martyr, a heroic, bold, brave, wise, insightful, and faithful leader, joining the convoy of martyrs of the eternal, luminous martyrs of Karbala in the divine, faithful journey in the footsteps of the prophets and martyr Imams.

His Eminence Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, Secretary-General of Hezbollah, has joined his great, immortal martyr comrades whose path he led for nearly thirty years, guiding them from victory to victory. He succeeded the Master of Martyrs of the Islamic Resistance in 1992 until the liberation of Lebanon in 2000 and to the glorious divine victory in 2006 and all the battles of honor and sacrifice, arriving at the battle of support and heroism in support of Palestine, Gaza, and the oppressed Palestinian people.

We offer our condolences to the Master of the Age (may Allah hasten his reappearance), the Guardian of the Muslims, Imam Sayyed Ali Khamenei, may his shadow endure, the esteemed scholars, the fighters, the believers, the nation of resistance, our patient and struggling Lebanese people, the entire Islamic nation, all the free and oppressed people in the world, and his honorable and patient family.

We congratulate His Eminence, the Secretary-General of Hezbollah, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, may Allah be pleased with him, on receiving the highest divine medals, the medal of Imam Hussein (peace be upon him), fulfilling his most precious wishes and the highest ranks of faith and pure belief, as a martyr on the path to Al-Quds and Palestine. We also offer our condolences and congratulations to his fellow martyrs who joined his pure and sacred procession following the treacherous zionist raid on the southern suburb.

The leadership of Hezbollah pledges to the most exalted, sacred, and precious martyr in our journey, full of sacrifices and martyrs, to continue its jihad in confronting the enemy, supporting Gaza and Palestine, and defending Lebanon and its steadfast and honorable people.

To the honorable fighters and the victorious and triumphant heroes of the Islamic Resistance, you are the trust of the martyred Sayyed, his brothers who were his fortified shield and the crown jewel of heroism and sacrifice. Our leader, His Eminence, the Sayyed, remains among us with his thought, spirit, path, and sacred approach. You remain bound to the covenant of loyalty and commitment to resistance and sacrifice until victory.

Palestinian group Hamas also reacted to Hezbollahs chief death and said that the killing of Nasrallah will only strengthen the resistance against Israel.

IDF Claimed Nasrallah Dead
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on Saturday announced the killing of top Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah during a targeted airstrike in Beirut. With Nasrallahs death, the IDF has eliminated the top chain of command of the Iranian-backed group. In a post on the social media platform X, IDF said Nasrallah will no longer be able to terrorise the world.

New Order

The strike, which also killed Ali Karki, the Commander of Hezbollahs Southern Front, was carried out by Israeli Air Force (IAF) fighter jets at the groups Central Headquarters, reportedly located underground beneath a residential building in the Dahieh area. The name of the Israeli military operation that reportedly assassinated Nasrallah is named New Order.

The Israeli @IDF confirms that Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of the Hezbollah terrorist organization and one of its founders, was eliminated yesterday, together with Ali Karki, the Commander of Hezbollahs Southern Front, and additional Hezbollah commanders.Nasrallah will no pic.twitter.com/aThduf0bwe  Israel  (@Israel) September 28, 2024

32-year as Hezbollah Secretary-General

The strike was conducted after Israel had precise intelligence indicating that senior Hezbollah commanders were present at the location, actively planning terrorist activities against Israel.

During Hassan Nastallahs 32-year reign as the Secretary-General of Hezbollah, he was responsible for the murder of many Israeli civilians and soldiers, and the planning and execution of thousands of terrorist activities, the IDF said in a statement confirming Nastallahs killing.

The Israeli military said Nasrallah was responsible for directing and executing terrorist attacks around the world in which civilians of various nationalities were murdered. Nasrallah was the central decision-maker and the strategic leader of the organisation, the IDF said.

Unprovoked attacks

In the statement, the Israeli military said Hezbollah joined Hamas in the Gaza conflict and has continued unprovoked attacks on the citizens of the State of Israel.

The Hezbollah terrorist organisation, headed by Hassan Nasrallah, joined the Hamas terrorist organization in its war against the State of Israel on October 8th. Since then, Hezbollah has been continuing its ongoing and unprovoked attacks on the citizens of the State of Israel, dragging the State of Lebanon and the entire region into a wider escalation, it added.

The announcement of Hezbollah chiefs killing comes as Israeli airstrikes targeted Beirut for five hours early Saturday, following Fridays attack, which was the most powerful by Israel on the city during its conflict with Hezbollah, unfolding alongside the Gaza war.

How Iran Reacted

The escalation has raised fears that the conflict could spiral out of control, potentially drawing in Iran, Hezbollahs principal backer, as well as the United States, Israels ally.

Earlier, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had called an emergency session of the countrys Supreme National Security Council at his home Friday, The New York Times reported, citing two Iranian officials with knowledge of the meeting.

After the news of Nasrallahs killing was confirmed by Israel, the Iranian news agency IRNA said that all claims of his death were baseless until an official statement issued by Hezbollah.
Hassan Nasrallah, who has led Hezbollah for 32 years, was killed in the targeted IDF air strikes on the Iranian-backed outfits central headquarters in Beirut, the Israeli military confirmed on Saturday.

The strike was carried out by Israeli Air Force (IAF) fighter jets at the groups Central Headquarters, reportedly located underground beneath a residential building in the Dahieh area. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had reportedly authorised the strike before addressing the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

Nasrallah was eliminated

The Israeli @IDF confirms that Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of the Hezbollah terrorist organization and one of its founders, was eliminated yesterday, together with Ali Karki, the Commander of Hezbollahs Southern Front, and additional Hezbollah commanders, the official account of the State of Israel said in a post on X.

The strike was conducted after Israel had precise intelligence indicating that senior Hezbollah commanders were present at the location, actively planning terrorist activities against Israel. During Hassan Nastallahs 32-year reign as the Secretary-General of Hezbollah, he was responsible for the murder of many Israeli civilians and soldiers, and the planning and execution of thousands of terrorist activities, the IDF said in a statement.

Read More: Who is Hassan Nasrallah? The Hezbollah Leader At Target Of Israeli Strikes In Lebanon

Nasrallahs Daughter Also Dead?

The large-scale air strikes on Friday rocked the Lebanese capital, sending thick clouds of smoke billowing over the city. This marks the heaviest assault on Beirut in nearly a year of ongoing conflict between Hezbollah and Israel, The Times Of Israel reported. Labesnes authorities said More than 700 people were killed in strikes over the past week.

Reports also emerged about the killing of Nasrallahs daughter Zainab Nasrallah in an Israeli airstrike in southern Beirut. Israeli news channel Channel 12 reported her death, but there has been no official confirmation from Hezbollah or Lebanese authorities. If confirmed, Zainabs death could have significant symbolic implications for Hezbollah and may influence the groups response to the ongoing conflict with Israel.

After the Beirut strike, IDF Spokesperson R.-Adm. Daniel Hagari said that they were probing the status of Nasrallah and would update soon. We used a highly precise strike to target Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, who was hiding in civilian buildings in the Dahiya neighbourhood of Beirut. When asked about whether others were killed, he said, Once weve finished investigating, we will update you on the details.

Irans Emergency Meeting and its Red lines

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called an emergency session of the countrys Supreme National Security Council at his home Friday, The New York Times reported, citing two Iranian officials with knowledge of the meeting. President Masoud Pezeshkian also condemned the strikes as a flagrant war crime that has revealed once again the nature of this regimes state terrorism.

Ali Larijani, adviser to Khamenei, said Israel is crossing Tehrans red lines, and the situation is becoming serious. Assassinations will not solve Israels problem With the assassination of resistance leaders, others will take their place, Larijani told Irans state TV, amid speculation that Nasrallah had been killed. The resistance has strong commanders and cadres, and every commander who is martyred will have a replacement, he said.

Hezbollah Commanders Killed

The attack on Nasrallah came as the IDF increased its strikes on Hezbollah, the Iranian proxy group that has repeatedly targeted Israel. For the past year, the IDF and Hezbollah have been involved in a limited cross-border conflict, which has been happening alongside the war in Gaza.

Read More: Israeli Military Says Several Hezbollah Commanders Killed In Targeted Lebanon Air Strikes | Video

In another update, the Israeli army said Saturday it killed the commander of Hezbollahs missile unit in southern Lebanon in an air strike, along with his deputy and several other leaders of the group. Israeli fighter jets killed Muhammad Ali Ismail, the commander of Hezbollahs missile unit in southern Lebanon, and his deputy, the military said in a statement, adding that other Hezbollah commanders and terrorists were eliminated.

The statement said Ismail was responsible for many acts of terrorismincluding rocket launches towards the territory of the State of Israel and the launch of a surface-to-surface missile towards the centre of the country last Wednesday. The Israeli military said it also killed Ibrahim Muhammad Kabisi and other senior officials in Hezbollahs missile and rocket array.

Read More: Diplomats Walk Out During Netanyahus UN Speech Over Israeli Military Campaign In Gaza, Lebanon | Video

If you strike us, we will strike you

Meanwhile, the UN has repeatedly condemned this weeks sharp escalation of violence in Lebanon. We are witnessing the deadliest period in Lebanon in a generation, and many express their fear that this is just the beginning, the UN humanitarian coordinator in Lebanon, Imran Riza, said. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken appealed again for a ceasefire, after a US-led bid for a truce failed earlier this week. The path to diplomacy may seem difficult to see at this moment, but it is there, and in our judgement, it is necessary, Blinken said.

Read More: If You Strike Us, We Will Strike You: Israel PM Netanyahus Big Warning For Iran At UN

The Lebanon violence has raised fears of wider turmoil in the Middle East, with Iran-backed militants across the region vowing to keep up their fight with Israel. Netanyahu took aim at Iran in his UN General Assembly address, saying: I have a message for the tyrants of Tehran. If you strike us, we will strike you. There is no place in Iran that the long arm of Israel cannot reach, and thats true of the entire Middle East, he added.

(With agency inputs)
The Israeli military has announced that recent airstrikes in Beirut have led to the deaths of several high-ranking Hezbollah commanders, including the groups longstanding leader, Hassan Nasrallah.

The back-to-back IDF operations aimed at crippling Hezbollahs top leadership are said to have eliminated almost the entire chain of command of the Iranian-backed group. Along with Nasrallah, an Israeli airstrike on Friday also killed Ali Karaki, the Commander of Hezbollahs Southern Front, who was one of the remaining senior commanders in the organization before the strike.

More than 20 other terrorists of varying ranks, who were present at the underground headquarters in Beirut located beneath civilian buildings, and were managing Hezbollahs terrorist operations against the State of Israel, were also eliminated, the IDF said in a statement.

Here is a list of Hezbollah commanders eliminated by Israel.

We searched up dismantled on the internet, this is the picture that came up: pic.twitter.com/C5p3jmhwIZ Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) September 28, 2024

Hassan Nasrallah

Hassan Nasrallah, the influential leader of Hezbollah for over three decades, was killed in a massive Israeli airstrike. Under his leadership, Hezbollah has evolved into a formidable military and political force in Lebanon, often clashing with Israel.

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) stated that Nasrallah was eliminated during a strike targeting Hezbollahs central command facility located beneath a residential building in Beirut on Friday.

Ali Karki

Ali Karki, the Commander of Hezbollahs Southern Front, and additional Hezbollah commanders were also killed in Fridays airstrike alongside Nasrallah. The Israeli army said that it killed the commander of Hezbollahs missile unit in southern Lebanon in an air strike, along with his deputy and several other leaders of the Iran-backed outfit. Hezbollah on Sunday confirmed Karakis death.

Other terrorists killed alongside Nasrallah

Ibrahim Hussein Jazini  Head of Nasrallahs Security Unit

Samir Tawfiq Dib  Nasrallahs long-time confidant and advisor on terrorist activities

Abed al-Amir Muhammad Sablini  Head of Hezbollahs Force-Build Up

Ali Naaf Ayoub  responsible for coordinating Hezbollahs firepower

Ibrahim Hussein Jazini and Samir Tawfiq Dib were among Nasrallahs closest associates. Due to their proximity to him, they served a significant role in the day-to-day operations of Hezbollah and Nasrallah in particular. The Israeli military said the terrorists were located at Hezbollahs central headquarters in the heart of Beirut, embedded beneath several civilian buildings and near UN schools.

Nabil Kaouk

The Israeli military on Sunday said that it had killed another high-ranking Hezbollah official in an airstrike. There was no immediate comment from Hezbollah on the same.

The military said on Sunday that it killed Nabil Kaouk, the Commander of Hezbollahs Preventative Security Unit and a member of their Executive Council, in an airstrike the day before. The Israeli military alleged that Kaouk was close to Hezbollahs senior commanders and was directly engaged in terrorist attacks against Israel and its citizens.

Muhammad Ali Ismail

Israeli fighter jets killed Muhammad Ali Ismail, the commander of Hezbollahs missile unit in southern Lebanon, and his deputy, the military said in a statement on Telegram on Saturday, adding that other Hezbollah commanders and terrorists were eliminated.

The statement said Ismail was responsible for many acts of terrorismincluding rocket launches towards the territory of the State of Israel and the launch of a surface-to-surface missile towards the centre of the country last Wednesday.

Ibrahim Muhammad Qabisi

The Israeli military said it also killed Ibrahim Muhammad Kabisi and other senior officials in Hezbollahs missile and rocket array. Hezbollah has not confirmed or denied Israels announcement about the commanders.

Qabisi was the head of Hezbollahs missile and rocket forces and was killed alongside other senior commanders during the recent airstrikes. The IDF claimed that Qabisi was responsible for orchestrating numerous attacks against Israel, including rocket launches across the border.

IBRAHIM QUBAISI

An airstrike on the southern suburbs of Beirut on Sept. 24 killed Qubaisi, a commander and leading figure in Hezbollahs rocket division, two security sources said.

IBRAHIM AQIL

Hezbollahs operations commander Ibrahim Aqil, who serves on the groups top military body was killed by an Israeli strike in Beiruts southern suburbs on Sept. 20. Aqil, who has also used the aliases Tahsin and Abdelqader, is a member of Hezbollahs top military body, the Jihad Council.

The United States accuses him of a role in the Beirut truck bombings that struck the American embassy in April 1983, which killed 63 people, and a U.S. Marine barracks six months later that killed 241 people.

AHMED WAHBI

Ahmed Wahbi, a top commander who oversaw the military operations of the Radwan special forces in the Gaza war until early 2024, was killed in an Israel strike that targeted several top commanders in the Beirut suburbs on Sept. 20, including Ibrahim Aqil.

FUAD SHUKR

An Israeli strike on the southern suburbs of Lebanons capital on July 30 killed Hezbollahs top commander Fuad Shukr, identified by the Israeli military as the right-hand man of Hezbollah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah.

Shukr was one of Hezbollahs leading military figures since it was established by Irans Revolutionary Guards more than four decades ago. The United States imposed sanctions on Shukr in 2015 and accused him of playing a central role in the 1983 bombing of the U.S. Marine barracks in Beirut, which killed 241 U.S. military personnel.

MOHAMMED NASSER

Mohammed Nasser was killed in an Israeli airstrike on July 3. Israel claimed responsibility, saying he headed a unit responsible for firing from southwestern Lebanon at Israel.

Nasser, a senior commander in Hezbollah, was responsible for a section of Hezbollahs operations at the frontier, according to senior security sources in Lebanon.

TALEB ABDALLAH

Senior Hezbollah field commander Abdallah was killed on June 12 in a strike claimed by Israel, which said it had hit a command and control centre in southern Lebanon. Security sources in Lebanon said he was Hezbollahs commander for the central region of the southern border strip and was of the same rank as Nasser. His killing prompted the group to fire a heavy barrage of rockets across the border at Israel.

(With agency inputs)
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) on Saturday announced the killing of the head of a Hamas network in southern Syria, in an overnight airstrike. The Israeli military said Ahmed Muhammad Fahd was responsible for directing attacks on Israeli troops, primarily involving rocket fire on the Golan Heights.

The IDF said that Fahd was eliminated while he was planning to execute another terror attack in the immediate future, The Times Of Israel reported. The airstrike was carried out by fighter jets targeting the southern region of Syria, the newspaper added. This report came as the Israeli military launched new strikes targeting Hezbollah in eastern Lebanon after intense bombing on the groups stronghold in southern Beirut.

Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah

On Saturday, Israel conducted airstrikes on Beiruts southern suburbs and other areas of Lebanon, following a significant assault on Hezbollahs headquarters that appeared aimed at killing its leader, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah.

Read More: Is Hezbollah Chief Dead? Israeli Official Says Hard To Believe Nasrallah Survived IDF Air Strikes In Beirut

Israels five hours of continuous strikes on Beirut early on Saturday followed Fridays attack, by far the most powerful by Israel on the city during the conflict with Hezbollah that has played out in parallel to the Gaza war. The escalation has increased fears the conflict could spiral out of control, potentially drawing in Iran, Hezbollahs principal backer, as well as Israels ally the United States.

Dizzying escalation

Since mid-September, there has been a dizzying escalation in the nearly yearlong conflict between Israel and Lebanons Hezbollah. First came two days of exploding pagers and walkie-talkies used by Hezbollah  attacks widely blamed on Israel that killed at least 39 people and maimed thousands more. The Iranian-backed Lebanese outfit promised to retaliate and on Sept. 20 the militant group launched a wave of rockets into northern Israel.

Days later, Israeli strikes on Lebanon killed hundreds of people  the deadliest barrage since the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah war. Both sides had already been exchanging tit-for-tat strikes since October, when Hezbollah began firing on northern Israel in solidarity with its ally Hamas, which is battling Israel in Gaza. Several Hezbollah leaders have been targeted, including the commander of its most elite unit, who was killed in a strike in Beirut.

(With agency inputs)
An Orange Line Metro Train (OLMT) runs on the track in Lahore, Pakistan, Feb. 2, 2024. (Xinhua/Ahmad Kamal)

"After its completion, traveling within Lahore has become incredibly easy, affordable and comfortable," said Syed Sana, a student of Lahore College for Women University.

By Xinhua writer Tang Binhui

LAHORE, Pakistan, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- "The Orange Line Metro Train (OLMT) is a very good project and I hope China will further engage such projects in Pakistan," said Safdar Husain, an advocate at Lahore High Court, who is a frequent commuter of the metro service.

The Orange Line subway project was jointly constructed by China Railway Group Corporation and China North Industries Corporation under the framework of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) in Pakistan's east Lahore city. It was put into operation on Oct. 25, 2020.

An aerial drone photo taken on Feb. 2, 2024 shows an Orange Line Metro Train (OLMT) running on the track in Lahore, Pakistan. (Xinhua/Ahmad Kamal)

Syed Sana, a student of Lahore College for Women University, told Xinhua that before the introduction of the OLMT, she relied on public transportation, which was time-consuming and very expensive.

"After its completion, traveling within Lahore has become incredibly easy, affordable and comfortable. As a female, I appreciate the security and convenience it offers," said Sana.

She added that it efficiently connects one end of Lahore to the other, reducing the need for personal vehicles and consequently decreasing pollution.

An Orange Line Metro Train (OLMT) arrives at a station in Lahore, Pakistan, Feb. 2, 2024. (Xinhua/Ahmad Kamal)

Talking to Xinhua, Adnan, an employee working at a private office near the OLMT route, said he used to go to work by motorcycle, regardless of winter, summer, or rainy days.

"Now my difficulties are gone and all sorts of people, like blue workers, students and professionals, are using the metro train service," Adnan said.

According to the project staff, the Orange Line has been operating safely for 47 months, with train punctuality and fulfillment rates at the industry's leading level. The total passenger flow exceeded 10 million on March 12, 2021, and exceeded 200 million in September 2024.

Passengers board an Orange Line Metro Train (OLMT) in Lahore, Pakistan on Oct. 24, 2022. (Photo by Sajjad/Xinhua)

"Due to the construction of this massive project, there are a lot of business activities going on in this area," Husain said.

The train also passes by some of the cultural and historical sites of the city, helping tourists to get there easily and promoting tourism of the millennium-old city known as the cultural hub of Pakistan.

Launched in 2013, CPEC, a flagship project of the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative, is a corridor linking the Gwadar Port in southwest Pakistan's Balochistan province with Kashgar in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. It highlights energy, transport, and industrial cooperation in the first phase, and expands to areas such as agriculture and livelihood in the new phase. 
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on Saturday said that a targeted airstrike named New Order successfully killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut.

The long-time Hezbollah leader, who headed the Iranian-backed group for 32 years, was killed alongside other top commanders. In the images and video released by the IDF, tension is palpable in the war room among the top Israeli military brass and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.

The airstrike, conducted by Israeli Air Force fighter jets, targeted Hezbollahs Central Headquarters, reportedly located underground beneath a residential building in the Dahieh area. Alongside Nasrallah, the strike also claimed the life of Ali Karki, the Commander of Hezbollahs Southern Front.

Unprovoked attacks

The operation was launched based on precise intelligence indicating that senior Hezbollah commanders were present and actively planning attacks against Israel.

In its statement, the Israeli military described Nasrallah as a central figure in orchestrating terrorist attacks globally, asserting that he was responsible for numerous civilian casualties of various nationalities. They emphasised that Hezbollah had joined Hamas in its conflict against Israel, with ongoing unprovoked attacks since October 8.

      :  -       pic.twitter.com/Hi4fXfPhL2  Israeli Air Force (@IAFsite) September 28, 2024

The announcement follows a series of intense airstrikes on Beirut, which lasted for five hours early Saturday morning. These strikes were reported to be among the most powerful Israel has conducted during its current conflict with Hezbollah.

In the past few weeks, there has been a dizzying escalation in the nearly yearlong conflict between Israel and Lebanons Hezbollah. First came two days of exploding pagers and walkie-talkies used by Hezbollah  attacks widely blamed on Israel that killed at least 39 people and maimed thousands more.

Hezbollah promised to retaliate, and on Sept. 20 the militant group launched a wave of rockets into northern Israel. Days later, Israeli strikes on Lebanon killed hundreds of people  the deadliest barrage since the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah war. Both sides had already been exchanging tit-for-tat strikes since October, when Hezbollah began firing on northern Israel in solidarity with its ally Hamas, which is battling Israel in Gaza.
Addressing the recent diplomatic row that soured India-Maldives ties, President Mohamed Muizzu appeared to regret the past disparaging remarks made by a now-sacked minister regarding Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying, Nobody should say such things.

This comment marks Muizzus first public reaction to the controversial statements that contributed to a cooling of ties between the two neighbours. Nobody should say such things. I took action against it, Maldivian news portal adhadhu.com quoted him as saying about the now-removed minister who made disparaging remarks against PM Modi on social media.

Muizzu, who is in the US to attend the 79th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, made the remarks on Thursday while responding to a question at Princeton Universitys Deans Leadership Series. Muizzu has denied having an India Out agenda, asserting that the island nation had a serious problem with the presence of foreign military on its soil.

We have never been against any one country at any point. Its not India Out. Maldives faced a serious problem with foreign military presence on this soil, Maldivian news portal adhadhu.com quoted him as saying. The people of Maldives do not want a single foreign soldier in the country, Muizzu said.

The ties between India and the Maldives came under severe strain since November last year when Muizzu, known for his pro-China leanings, took charge as Maldivian president. Muizzu had asked India to withdraw nearly 90 Indian military personnel operating three aviation platforms gifted by the country. India withdrew its military personnel by May 10 and replaced them with civilian personnel to operate a Dornier aircraft and two helicopters.

Earlier this year, deputy ministers in Maldives youth ministry were suspended for derogatory social media posts against Prime Minister Modi following a backlash, with New Delhi strongly raising the matter with Male. The deputy ministers criticised Modi for his post on X following his visit to Lakshadweep, inferring that it was an attempt to project the Union Territory as an alternative tourist destination to the Maldives. Prime Minister Modi was in Lakshadweep on January 2 and 3 to inaugurate several projects.
The Norwegian police on Friday issued an international search request for Rinson Jose, a 39-year-old Norwegian-Indian businessman, after he went missing during a work trip to the US last week, confirmed officials.

The Kerala-born man is linked to the sale of pagers to Hezbollah, an Iran-backed militant outfit, which exploded last week killing 39 and wounding thousands of people in Lebanon. The incident came in the backdrop of Israels widened strikes in Lebanon targeting the Hezbollah positions.

Jose is a founder of a Bulgarian company that was reportedly part of the pager supply chain, reported Reuters. The Norwegian criminal police, Kripos, which handles international requests, confirmed that a request for international search has been sent, but declined to elaborate on the details.

Was Jose Behind Pager Blasts?

Jose founded the company Norta Global Ltd, a company registered in Bulgaria and is believed to have supplied the pager explosives to Lebanon.

While the pagers were manufactured by a Hungarian firm, BAC Consulting, under the trademark of Taiwanese firm Gold Apollo, they were purportedly acquired through Norta Global.

Bulgaria has investigated the companys role in the supply of booby-trapped pagers, but has found no evidence that they were made or exported from the country.

Norways security police (PST) also launched a preliminary investigation earlier this week into reports that a Norwegian-owned company was linked to the sale of the pagers.

Over two days last week, thousands of pagers, as well as walkie-talkies, used by Hezbollah operatives, blew up in Lebanon, killing and injuring thousands.

The attacks were widely believed to have been carried out by Israel, which has neither confirmed nor denied its involvement.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Saturday joined global leaders to support Indias bid for a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).

Undoubtedly, there is a need to expand the representation of the Global South in the UN Security Council. We support the candidacies of Brazil and India, while also backing the well-known initiatives of the African Union, Lavrov said while addressing the UN General Assembly in New York.

Russia, an important ally of New Delhi, joins Portugal and Bhutan in expressing support for Indias candidacy during the ongoing UN General Assembly session, following endorsements from France and the United Kingdom (UK).

During his address at the UN, Bhutans Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay stated that India, with its significant economic growth and leadership in the Global South, deserves a permanent seat on the UNSC.

While Portuguese Prime Minister Luis Montenegro also backed Indias UNSC bid, stating, We want to reform the global governance system to ensure greater representation, transparency, and cooperation.

These endorsements follow similar calls from UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron. Speaking at the UN General Assembly, Starmer had stated, We want to see permanent African representation on the Council, Brazil, India, Japan and Germany as permanent members, and more seats for elected members as well.

Macron also strongly supported Indias inclusion as a permanent member during his UN address, saying, Lets make the UN more efficient. We need to make it more representative and thats why France is in favour of the Security Council being expanded.

Indias demand for permanent UNSC seat

The UNSC currently consists of five permanent membersRussia, the UK, China, France, and the United Statesand ten non-permanent members elected for two-year terms by the UN General Assembly. The five permanent members have the power to veto any substantive UN resolution.

India has been a strong advocate for urgent reform of the Security Council, arguing that it deserves a permanent seat at the UNs high table. India contends that the 15-nation council, established in 1945, is not suited for the 21st century and does not reflect current geopolitical realities.

India last served as a non-permanent member of the UNSC in 2021-22, and there is increasing demand for more permanent members to better represent the contemporary global landscape.

(With inputs from agencies)
A top Hezbollah leader was killed in a targeted airstrike by Israel in Beiruts southern suburbs on Saturday, just a day after a strike in the area killed Hezbollah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced that it eliminated Hassan Khalil Yassin, who led a unit in Hezbollahs intelligence division responsible for identifying Israeli military and civilian targets, according to the Times of Israel.

Another senior leader, Nabil Qaouk, Vice President of Hezbollahs Executive Council, was also targeted in an Israeli airstrike, though details about his fate remain unclear.

The Israeli military said that it conducted a precise strike in the southern suburbs of Beirut, specifically in the Dahiyeh area. The IDF conducted a precise strike in the Dahiyeh area of Beirut. Details to follow, the statement said.

Israel strike targets warehouse: Lebanon security source

A Lebanese security source said that an Israeli strike on Saturday targeted a warehouse near Beirut airport, the only international passenger facility in Lebanon. An Israeli strike targeted a warehouse in the vicinity of the airport, the source told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The Israeli military has said that it has targeted more than 140 Hezbollah positions in Lebanon since Friday night. The blasts that shook southern Beirut late Friday were the fiercest in the area since Israel and Hezbollah last went to war in 2006.

Iran-backed Hezbollah confirmed on Saturday that its leader, Hassan Nasrallah, had been killed, following Israels claim that it had eliminated him in an air strike the day before. Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, Secretary General of Hezbollah, has joined his great, immortal martyr comrades whom he led for about 30 years, the group stated.

The assault was part of a rapid escalation of Israeli strikes over the past week, which have killed more than 700 people in Lebanon. Israel has vowed to cripple Hezbollah and put an end to 11 months of its attacks on Israeli territory, which Nasrallah described as a support front for his ally Hamas in Gaza.

(With inputs from agencies)
The United States unveiled charges Friday against three Iranian individuals as it accused Iran of election interference, saying malicious actors had hacked the campaign of former president Donald Trump.

The three defendants were said to have conspired with others to carry out a years-long, wide ranging hacking operation on behalf of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), said US Attorney General Merrick Garland.

The operation in recent times targeted individuals associated with US political campaigns. The defendants own words make clear that they were attempting to undermine former president Trumps campaign in advance of the 2024 US presidential election, Garland said.

The cyber actors had used spear phishing (targeted fake emails) and social engineering techniques to compromise accounts of US government officials and individuals, according to court documents. The message of the US government is clear: The American people, not a foreign power, decide the outcome of our countrys elections, Garland added.

 Grave threat 

He noted that there are few actors in this world that pose as grave a threat to the national security of the United States as does Iran. According to the indictment, the cyber actors started work as early as in 2020, and around May 2024 began targeting and gaining unauthorized access to personal accounts of people associated with a US presidential campaign.

They then sought to leak stolen material to members of the media and those believed to be associated with a second presidential campaign. While the indictment does not name the second campaign, Garland said Friday that was no information suggesting recipients from President Joe Bidens campaign responded.

This was before Biden dropped out of the White House race. The United States goes to the polls on November 5. The three hackers  Masoud Jalili, Seyyed Ali Aghamiri and Yasar Balaghi  are residing in Iran. The State Department is offering up to $10 million for information on Jalili and his two IRGC associates.

Besides campaign-related allegations, the indictment also said hackers sought to steal information that could be used to support efforts to avenge the death of Revolutionary Guards commander Qassem Soleimani, ordered by Trump when he was president. In a separate statement on Friday, the Treasury Department said it was imposing sanctions on seven individuals including Jalili over efforts to interfere in US elections.

The Treasury remains strongly committed to holding accountable those who see to undermine our institutions, said Acting Treasury Under Secretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, Bradley Smith. Besides Jalili, the Treasury also took aim at six staff and executives of Iranian cybersecurity firm Emennet Pasargad, saying it tried to interfere in the 2020 presidential election.

Between approximately August and November 2020, Emennet Pasargad led an online operation to intimidate and influence American voters, and to undermine voter confidence and sow discord, the Treasury said. US authorities had earlier said Iranian cyberattackers offered stolen material from Trumps campaign to staff for his then-rival Biden.

In 2016, a hack of Democratic National Committee emails  blamed on Russians  exposed internal party communications, including about candidate Hillary Clinton. Democratic nominee Kamala Harriss campaign said in August that it too had been targeted by foreign hackers.
The Israeli military announced on Saturday, September 28, that Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah had been killed during a targeted airstrike in Beirut.

Hassan Nasrallah is dead, military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani announced on X. Other Israeli military officials also confirmed that they eliminated the Hezbollah leader following strikes on Friday (September 27) on the Lebanese capital Beirut.

The development comes after Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) on Friday launched a series of precise strikes targeting Iran-backed militant group Hezbollahs headquarters in the southern suburb of Dahiyeh in Beirut, Lebanon.

The strike that resulted in massive destruction marked one of the most significant military actions in the ongoing warfare between Israel and Hezbollah.

The recent escalation in Lebanon by Israeli forces in the backdrop of the Gaza war is marked by missile and rocket attacks on Hezbollahs headquarters, signalling that the warfare is far from over.

Who Is Hassan Nasrallah? The Hezbollah Leader

Since February 1992, Hassan Nasrallah has been serving as the secretary-general of the Iran-backed militant group. He occupied the position after the assassination of his predecessor Abbas al-Musawi by Israeli forces.

Born on August 31, 1960, Nasrallah was brought up in the impoverished suburb of Burj Hammud in Beirut to a large Shia family. He focused on religious studies from an early age and eventually joined the Amal Movement, a Shia political and paramilitary group.

In the 1980s, Nasrallah played a pivotal role in the foundation of Hezbollah, following Israels strikes in Lebanon in 1982. The militant group was formed with the assistance of Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which arrived in Lebanon to support the resistance force against the Israeli army. It accused Israel of occupying Muslim territories.

Over the years, Nasrallaha is said to have shaped Hezbollahs role as Israels primary military adversary. Known for his public speaking, he has delivered several notable speeches in the past, often recording them from secret locations due to security concerns.

Nasrallahs eldest son, Hadi, was killed in an Israeli attack in 1997 while fighting for the Hezbollah group. Now, a report surfaced claiming that the Hezbollah leaders daughter, Zainab Nasrallah, was killed in an Israeli airstrike targeting Hezbollah positions in Lebanons Beirut on Friday, September 27.
Zainab Nasrallah, the daughter of top Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, was reportedly killed in an Israeli airstrike targeting Hezbollah strongholds in southern Beirut on Friday.

Israeli news channel Channel 12 reported her death, but there has been no official confirmation from Hezbollah or Lebanese authorities. Zainab was known for her vocal support of Hezbollah and her familys sacrifices. She had previously spoken about the death of her brother, Hadi, who was killed by Israeli forces in 1997, the Jerusalem Post reported.

If confirmed, Zainabs death could have significant symbolic implications for Hezbollah and may influence the groups response to the ongoing conflict with Israel. The airstrikes in Beirut are part of a broader escalation between Israel and Hezbollah, which has seen increased military actions following weeks of rising tensions.

Is Nasrallah Alive?

Nasrallah is believed to have been killed in the targeted IDF air strikes on the Iranian-backed outfits central headquarters in Beirut on Friday, according to unnamed Israeli officials. Hard to believe he [Nasrallah] got out of it alive, an Israeli official told JP, adding that the Hezbollah chief had been one of the targets of the deadly IDF airstrikes.

Israeli attack on Friday rocked the Lebanese capital, sending thick clouds of smoke billowing over the city. This marks the heaviest assault on Beirut in nearly a year of ongoing conflict between Hezbollah and Israel, The Times Of Israel reported. After the Beirut strike, IDF Spokesperson R.-Adm. Daniel Hagari said that they were probing the status of Nasrallah and would update soon.

The attack on Nasrallah came as the IDF increased its strikes on Hezbollah, the Iranian proxy group that has repeatedly targeted Israel. For the past year, the IDF and Hezbollah have been involved in a limited cross-border conflict, which has been happening alongside the war in Gaza.

Our war is with Hezbollah

On Saturday, the IDF warned the residents of neighbourhoods in the Dahieh of Beirut to move away from Hezbollah assets and facilities. We will continue operating to precisely dismantle Hezbollahs offensive capabilities. Hezbollah has strategically embedded weapons in civilian areas, putting Lebanese civilians at risk in order to harm Israeli civilians. Our war is with Hezbollah, not the people of Lebanon, the Israeli military said in a post on X.
NEW DELHI, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- One more case of monkeypox (mpox) was detected Friday in India, taking the tally to three in the country.

According to state-run broadcaster All India Radio (AIR), a 38-year-old man has been confirmed to be infected with the mpox virus in Kerala, the second case in the state so far.

"Sources said the man, who returned to Kochi from abroad, has been admitted to a private hospital for treatment. Tests of his body fluids confirmed the case to be positive," AIR said.

Kerala local health minister Veena George Friday convened a high-level meeting in Thiruvananthapuram to take stock of the situation. The health department has prepared a contact list of the infected person and strengthened preventive measures. She said those with symptoms should ensure the virus is not spread to others.

"Those coming from foreign countries should seek treatment and inform the health department if they develop any symptoms," George said.

On Monday, mpox clade 1b strain was detected in a 38-year-old man from Malappuram district of Kerala.

The earlier case of mpox that emerged in Delhi was of a 26-year-old resident of Haryana's Hisar who had tested positive for the West African clade 2 strain.

India's federal health ministry on Thursday asked all states to identify facilities and trained human resources for taking care of both suspected and confirmed mpox cases.

Monkeypox is a zoonotic disease that presents symptoms including fever, an extensive characteristic rash and usually swollen lymph nodes.

The World Health Organization declared mpox a public health emergency of international concern in August.

Since 2022, at least 30 cases and one death due to mpox have been reported in India. 
In Kunshan City, east China's Jiangsu Province, the melodies of Kunqu Opera, one of China's most ancient and treasured art forms, are not confined to the stages of grand theaters, but ring out in unexpected scenes - school bells, fitness routines and even bus stop illustrations where lively cartoon figures greet passersby every day.

Kunshan is the birthplace of Kunqu, which blends poetry, music, intricate costumes and graceful performances. The 600-year-old Chinese tradition earned its place on UNESCO's list of World Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2001.

But Kunqu is far from a relic. In the bustling streets of Kunshan, this ancient art form continues to find new life, delicately balancing between preserving its timeless beauty and embracing the demands of modernity.

For performers like You Tengteng, an actress at the Kunshan Contemporary Kunqu Theater, the act is both a challenge and a passion. After a long day of rehearsal, You and her colleagues discussed their latest performance strategies, not in a traditional theater but on Douyin, a Chinese video-sharing platform.

In partnership with the platform, You and seven other performers livestream their Kunqu shows for at least 20 hours each month. The goal is simple yet ambitious: to reach a new generation of audiences who might hesitate to sit through two or three hours-long performance in an opera house.

One of the challenges for them is interpretation - not from language to language, but from centuries-old art to the flickering screens of smartphones.

To draw audiences in the digital age, the performers have condensed the intricate art form into digestible one-hour segments, inviting viewers to experience Kunqu in more relaxed settings, whether over tea at a cafe or within the walls of a museum.

The strategy seems to be working, particularly among Chinese youth. After performances, it is not uncommon to see young fans eagerly lining up for selfies and autographs with the performers, their newfound enthusiasm for this ancient art is a testament to its evolving relevance.

You was not so surprised to see the heartening trend. "The aesthetics of Chinese culture, ancient and modern, are continuous," she said. "What we strive to inherit is not just the technique, but the pursuit of beauty that has always existed."

"And Kunqu is a reflection of societal values, many of which were born in the feudal era. This tension between the past and present is where we find space for innovation, reimagining the stories of old to resonate with modern audiences," she added.

One such innovation was seen in the Kunshan Contemporary Kunqu Theater's production of The Story of Washing Gauze, a play originally written in the 16th century. The story centers on Xi Shi, a legendary beauty from ancient China, who sacrifices her personal happiness to serve her country.

In the original ending, after years of separation and war, Xi Shi reunites with her lover and they live happily ever after. However, the modern production altered the ending, leaving it open and tinged with sorrow. The reimagining struck a chord with audiences, many of whom praised the new ending for its emotional depth and realism, noting that it made Xi Shi's character more relatable to modern viewers.

Kunshan's commitment to preserving and promoting Kunqu goes beyond the stage. Over the last few years, the Kunshan Kunqu theater has held more than 2,500 performances and tours, drawing over 20 million visitors from China and abroad.

In addition, the local government has invested 177 million yuan (about 25.2 million U.S. dollars) to fund new productions, support rehearsal spaces, and subsidize performances since 2018.

Kunshan's commitment extends to preserving not only Kunqu but the diverse operatic traditions of China. Since 2018, the annual Chinese Opera Gala (Kunshan) has been hosted by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and provincial government. The gala showcases 348 traditional operas, including puppetry and shadow plays, bringing these art forms - many of which are endangered - into the spotlight and providing a platform for artistic exchange.

Wang Wei, an actor of Liuzi Opera from Shandong Province, performed the role of General Zhang Fei to the gala, who is a famous character from the classic Chinese novel "The Romance of the Three Kingdoms."

To play the role more impressively, Wang often learns from other versions of this character to enrich his performance and finally he creates a brave and lovable General Zhang Fei. "This gala is such a good opportunity to learn from each other, I am very glad to stand on this stage to let more people know our Liuzi Opera," Wang said.

In addition to performances, the gala includes training workshops for performers of minor or endangered operatic forms. Xu Min, a composer and performer of tea-picking opera from Jiangxi Province, has attended these workshops for years.

"If you focus only on your own art, you become isolated," she said. "But here, I'm exposed to so many different plays, rhythms, and techniques. I feel like a sponge, absorbing everything."

Kunshan's role as the birthplace of Kunqu Opera has positioned the city as a guardian of traditional Chinese opera, said Zhou Wei, Party chief of Kunshan. Through the construction of a museum dedicated to local operas and the host of annual national event, Kunshan endeavors to offer a space for art exchange and growth.

"We want to create a broad stage for different operas to flourish and to integrate traditional culture with the modern world," Zhou said.
This photo taken on Sept. 26, 2024 shows Isidro Castaneda Silva (1st L) talking to a patient during a free clinic session at Yixiao community in Yinchuan, northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. Cuban ophthalmologist Isidro Castaneda Silva came to Yinchuan in 2023. Since he graduated from a medical college in Santiago of Cuba with a doctor's degree more than three decades ago, Isidro has gained rich clinical experience in treating common eye diseases and fundi diseases.

Besides working at the Aier Eye Hospital in Yinchuan, Isidro often provides free clinic service for local people at various communities as well.

Isidro has made many Chinese friends and he could even communicate with his patients with simple Chinese words now. A lover of Ningxia wheat food, Isidro has already learned to eat noodles with chopsticks.

This summer Isidro visited the Shapotou scenic spot in Zhongwei and vineyards in the foothills of Helan Mountain with his friends. In his eyes, China is a beautiful country with profound cultural legacy. He takes China as his second hometown. (Xinhua/Mao Zhu)

This photo taken on Sept. 26, 2024 shows Isidro Castaneda Silva checking on the eye of a patient at Aier Eye Hospital in Yinchuan, northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. Cuban ophthalmologist Isidro Castaneda Silva came to Yinchuan in 2023. Since he graduated from a medical college in Santiago of Cuba with a doctor's degree more than three decades ago, Isidro has gained rich clinical experience in treating common eye diseases and fundi diseases.

Besides working at the Aier Eye Hospital in Yinchuan, Isidro often provides free clinic service for local people at various communities as well.

Isidro has made many Chinese friends and he could even communicate with his patients with simple Chinese words now. A lover of Ningxia wheat food, Isidro has already learned to eat noodles with chopsticks.

This summer Isidro visited the Shapotou scenic spot in Zhongwei and vineyards in the foothills of Helan Mountain with his friends. In his eyes, China is a beautiful country with profound cultural legacy. He takes China as his second hometown. (Xinhua/Mao Zhu)

This photo taken on Sept. 26, 2024 shows Isidro Castaneda Silva (1st R) working during a free clinic session at Jinghu community in Yinchuan, northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. Cuban ophthalmologist Isidro Castaneda Silva came to Yinchuan in 2023. Since he graduated from a medical college in Santiago of Cuba with a doctor's degree more than three decades ago, Isidro has gained rich clinical experience in treating common eye diseases and fundi diseases.

Besides working at the Aier Eye Hospital in Yinchuan, Isidro often provides free clinic service for local people at various communities as well.

Isidro has made many Chinese friends and he could even communicate with his patients with simple Chinese words now. A lover of Ningxia wheat food, Isidro has already learned to eat noodles with chopsticks.

This summer Isidro visited the Shapotou scenic spot in Zhongwei and vineyards in the foothills of Helan Mountain with his friends. In his eyes, China is a beautiful country with profound cultural legacy. He takes China as his second hometown. (Xinhua/Mao Zhu)

This photo taken on Sept. 26, 2024 shows Isidro Castaneda Silva checking a patient's fundus at Aier Eye Hospital in Yinchuan, northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. Cuban ophthalmologist Isidro Castaneda Silva came to Yinchuan in 2023. Since he graduated from a medical college in Santiago of Cuba with a doctor's degree more than three decades ago, Isidro has gained rich clinical experience in treating common eye diseases and fundi diseases.

Besides working at the Aier Eye Hospital in Yinchuan, Isidro often provides free clinic service for local people at various communities as well.

Isidro has made many Chinese friends and he could even communicate with his patients with simple Chinese words now. A lover of Ningxia wheat food, Isidro has already learned to eat noodles with chopsticks.

This summer Isidro visited the Shapotou scenic spot in Zhongwei and vineyards in the foothills of Helan Mountain with his friends. In his eyes, China is a beautiful country with profound cultural legacy. He takes China as his second hometown. (Xinhua/Mao Zhu)

This photo taken on Aug. 16, 2024 shows Isidro Castaneda Silva (1st L) enjoying picnicking with his colleagues at a park in Yinchuan, northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. Cuban ophthalmologist Isidro Castaneda Silva came to Yinchuan in 2023. Since he graduated from a medical college in Santiago of Cuba with a doctor's degree more than three decades ago, Isidro has gained rich clinical experience in treating common eye diseases and fundi diseases.

Besides working at the Aier Eye Hospital in Yinchuan, Isidro often provides free clinic service for local people at various communities as well.

Isidro has made many Chinese friends and he could even communicate with his patients with simple Chinese words now. A lover of Ningxia wheat food, Isidro has already learned to eat noodles with chopsticks.

This summer Isidro visited the Shapotou scenic spot in Zhongwei and vineyards in the foothills of Helan Mountain with his friends. In his eyes, China is a beautiful country with profound cultural legacy. He takes China as his second hometown. (Xinhua)

This photo taken on Sept. 26, 2024 shows Isidro Castaneda Silva exercising at his home in Yinchuan, northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. Cuban ophthalmologist Isidro Castaneda Silva came to Yinchuan in 2023. Since he graduated from a medical college in Santiago of Cuba with a doctor's degree more than three decades ago, Isidro has gained rich clinical experience in treating common eye diseases and fundi diseases.

Besides working at the Aier Eye Hospital in Yinchuan, Isidro often provides free clinic service for local people at various communities as well.

Isidro has made many Chinese friends and he could even communicate with his patients with simple Chinese words now. A lover of Ningxia wheat food, Isidro has already learned to eat noodles with chopsticks.

This summer Isidro visited the Shapotou scenic spot in Zhongwei and vineyards in the foothills of Helan Mountain with his friends. In his eyes, China is a beautiful country with profound cultural legacy. He takes China as his second hometown. (Xinhua/Mao Zhu)

This photo taken on Sept. 26, 2024 shows Isidro Castaneda Silva adjusting equipment before a free clinic session at Jinghu community in Yinchuan, northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. Cuban ophthalmologist Isidro Castaneda Silva came to Yinchuan in 2023. Since he graduated from a medical college in Santiago of Cuba with a doctor's degree more than three decades ago, Isidro has gained rich clinical experience in treating common eye diseases and fundi diseases.

Besides working at the Aier Eye Hospital in Yinchuan, Isidro often provides free clinic service for local people at various communities as well.

Isidro has made many Chinese friends and he could even communicate with his patients with simple Chinese words now. A lover of Ningxia wheat food, Isidro has already learned to eat noodles with chopsticks.

This summer Isidro visited the Shapotou scenic spot in Zhongwei and vineyards in the foothills of Helan Mountain with his friends. In his eyes, China is a beautiful country with profound cultural legacy. He takes China as his second hometown. (Xinhua/Mao Zhu)

This photo taken on Sept. 26, 2024 shows Isidro Castaneda Silva (1st R) adjusting equipment during a free clinic session at Jinghu community in Yinchuan, northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. Cuban ophthalmologist Isidro Castaneda Silva came to Yinchuan in 2023. Since he graduated from a medical college in Santiago of Cuba with a doctor's degree more than three decades ago, Isidro has gained rich clinical experience in treating common eye diseases and fundi diseases.

Besides working at the Aier Eye Hospital in Yinchuan, Isidro often provides free clinic service for local people at various communities as well.

Isidro has made many Chinese friends and he could even communicate with his patients with simple Chinese words now. A lover of Ningxia wheat food, Isidro has already learned to eat noodles with chopsticks.

This summer Isidro visited the Shapotou scenic spot in Zhongwei and vineyards in the foothills of Helan Mountain with his friends. In his eyes, China is a beautiful country with profound cultural legacy. He takes China as his second hometown. (Xinhua/Mao Zhu)

This photo taken on Sept. 26, 2024 shows Isidro Castaneda Silva at Aier Eye Hospital in Yinchuan, northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. Cuban ophthalmologist Isidro Castaneda Silva came to Yinchuan in 2023. Since graduation from a medical college in Santiago of Cuba with a doctor's degree more than three decades ago, Isidro has gained rich clinical experience in treating common eye diseases and fundi diseases.

Besides working at the Aier Eye Hospital in Yinchuan, Isidro often provides free clinic service for local people at various communities as well.

Isidro has made many Chinese friends and he could even communicate with his patients with simple Chinese words now. A lover of Ningxia wheat food, Isidro has already learned to eat noodles with chopsticks.

This summer Isidro visited the Shapotou scenic spot in Zhongwei and vineyards in the foothills of Helan Mountain with his friends. In his eyes, China is a beautiful country with profound cultural legacy. He takes China as his second hometown. (Xinhua/Mao Zhu)

This photo taken on Sept. 26, 2024 shows Isidro Castaneda Silva (C) communicating with colleagues during a free clinic session at Jinghu community in Yinchuan, northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. Cuban ophthalmologist Isidro Castaneda Silva came to Yinchuan in 2023. Since he graduated from a medical college in Santiago of Cuba with a doctor's degree more than three decades ago, Isidro has gained rich clinical experience in treating common eye diseases and fundi diseases.

Besides working at the Aier Eye Hospital in Yinchuan, Isidro often provides free clinic service for local people at various communities as well.

Isidro has made many Chinese friends and he could even communicate with his patients with simple Chinese words now. A lover of Ningxia wheat food, Isidro has already learned to eat noodles with chopsticks.

This summer Isidro visited the Shapotou scenic spot in Zhongwei and vineyards in the foothills of Helan Mountain with his friends. In his eyes, China is a beautiful country with profound cultural legacy. He takes China as his second hometown. (Xinhua/Mao Zhu)

This photo taken on Aug. 21, 2024 shows Isidro Castaneda Silva visiting the Yuanshi Winery in Yinchuan, northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. Cuban ophthalmologist Isidro Castaneda Silva came to Yinchuan in 2023. Since he graduated from a medical college in Santiago of Cuba with a doctor's degree more than three decades ago, Isidro has gained rich clinical experience in treating common eye diseases and fundi diseases.

Besides working at the Aier Eye Hospital in Yinchuan, Isidro often provides free clinic service for local people at various communities as well.

Isidro has made many Chinese friends and he could even communicate with his patients with simple Chinese words now. A lover of Ningxia wheat food, Isidro has already learned to eat noodles with chopsticks.

This summer Isidro visited the Shapotou scenic spot in Zhongwei and vineyards in the foothills of Helan Mountain with his friends. In his eyes, China is a beautiful country with profound cultural legacy. He takes China as his second hometown. (Xinhua)

This photo taken on Sept. 26, 2024 shows Isidro Castaneda Silva reading at his home in Yinchuan, northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. Cuban ophthalmologist Isidro Castaneda Silva came to Yinchuan in 2023. Since he graduated from a medical college in Santiago of Cuba with a doctor's degree more than three decades ago, Isidro has gained rich clinical experience in treating common eye diseases and fundi diseases.

Besides working at the Aier Eye Hospital in Yinchuan, Isidro often provides free clinic service for local people at various communities as well.

Isidro has made many Chinese friends and he could even communicate with his patients with simple Chinese words now. A lover of Ningxia wheat food, Isidro has already learned to eat noodles with chopsticks.

This summer Isidro visited the Shapotou scenic spot in Zhongwei and vineyards in the foothills of Helan Mountain with his friends. In his eyes, China is a beautiful country with profound cultural legacy. He takes China as his second hometown. (Xinhua/Mao Zhu)

This photo taken on Sept. 26, 2024 shows Isidro Castaneda Silva eating noodles at a restaurant in Yinchuan, northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. Cuban ophthalmologist Isidro Castaneda Silva came to Yinchuan in 2023. Since he graduated from a medical college in Santiago of Cuba with a doctor's degree more than three decades ago, Isidro has gained rich clinical experience in treating common eye diseases and fundi diseases.

Besides working at the Aier Eye Hospital in Yinchuan, Isidro often provides free clinic service for local people at various communities as well.

Isidro has made many Chinese friends and he could even communicate with his patients with simple Chinese words now. A lover of Ningxia wheat food, Isidro has already learned to eat noodles with chopsticks.

This summer Isidro visited the Shapotou scenic spot in Zhongwei and vineyards in the foothills of Helan Mountain with his friends. In his eyes, China is a beautiful country with profound cultural legacy. He takes China as his second hometown. (Xinhua/Mao Zhu)

This photo taken on Aug. 20, 2024 shows Isidro Castaneda Silva posing for photos with a camel at Shapotou scenic spot in Zhongwei, northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. Cuban ophthalmologist Isidro Castaneda Silva came to Yinchuan in 2023. Since he graduated from a medical college in Santiago of Cuba with a doctor's degree more than three decades ago, Isidro has gained rich clinical experience in treating common eye diseases and fundi diseases.

Besides working at the Aier Eye Hospital in Yinchuan, Isidro often provides free clinic service for local people at various communities as well.

Isidro has made many Chinese friends and he could even communicate with his patients with simple Chinese words now. A lover of Ningxia wheat food, Isidro has already learned to eat noodles with chopsticks.

This summer Isidro visited the Shapotou scenic spot in Zhongwei and vineyards in the foothills of Helan Mountain with his friends. In his eyes, China is a beautiful country with profound cultural legacy. He takes China as his second hometown. (Xinhua)
UPDATE

Sep 28, 2024 7:00 AM CDT

Two climate activists from the Just Stop Oil group will see jail time after dumping tomato soup on a Van Gogh painting in London's National Gallery. Citing PA Media, CNN reports that Phoebe Plummer, 23, and Anna Holland, 22, received sentences Friday of two years and 20 months, respectively, after their October 2022 stunt as part of a protest against fossil fuels. Sunflowers itself remained unmarred (it had protective glass over it), but its frame sustained more than $13,000 worth of damage. "Soup might have seeped through the glass," Judge Christopher Hehir said in court. "You had no right to do what you did to Sunflowers." The AP notes that shortly after Plummer and Holland were sentenced, three other Just Stop Oil activists dumped more soup on two other Van Gogh paintings at the National Gallery. It appears those paintings were also unharmed.

Oct 14, 2022 11:15 AM CDT

Let's start off with the good news: The 1888 version of Vincent Van Gogh's Sunflowers is just fine, even after it just got tomato soup dumped all over it. The bad news, at least for the pair of climate activists that carried out the vandalism, is that they've been arrested. The BBC reports on the incident Friday at London's National Gallery, which houses one of the five versions of Sunflowers on display worldwide. Per a statement from the museum, the two protesters wearing "Just Stop Oil" T-shirts showed up in Room 43, where the Van Gogh oil painting hangs on the wall, shortly after 11am local time.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s extended battle to win a place on New York's ballot this fall, despite the fact that he's no longer a presidential candidate, ended at the US Supreme Court on Friday. The justices declined, in a one-sentence order, to consider Kennedy's request that the court block New York decisions keeping him off the ballot, NPR reports. Two New York courts had found the independent candidate, who now supports Donald Trump, used an invalid address on the nominating petition. The Supreme Court did not note any dissents, per NBC News. Kennedy has been engaged in seemingly contradictory efforts concerning his possible appearances on November ballots, tying up election authorities. Kennedy still wants votes in noncompetitive states, such as heavily Democratic New York, per USA Today. The hodgepodge includes:
Smoke rose from Beirut's southern suburbs on Saturday morning and the streets were empty after the area was pummeled overnight by heavy Israeli airstrikes that that country's military said killed multiple Hezbollah commanders, including leader Hassan Nasrallah. Hezbollah didn't immediately confirm Israel's claim on Nasrallah, who has led Hezbollah for three decades, per the AP . Attacks on Hezbollah targets by fighter jets on Friday continued into the early hours Saturday after the army said it told residents to evacuate three buildings it was targeting. Hours before the strikes, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the United Nations, vowing that Israel's campaign against Hezbollah would continue, further dimming hopes for an internationally backed ceasefire. Netanyahu abruptly cut his US visit short and returned to Israel.

Hezbollah has now confirmed what Israel reported earlier on Saturday: The nation's military has killed Hassan Nasrallah, its leader for three decades, during heavy airstrikes overnight in the Beirut area, per the AP . Nasrallah, 64, "has joined his fellow martyrs," according to a statement from the group. The Israeli Defense Forces posted a tweet on Saturday morning, proclaiming, "Hassan Nasrallah will no longer be able to terrorize the world." Hezbollah, for its part, promises to "continue the holy war against the enemy and in support of Palestine." More on Nasrallah's life here .

Israel's military says it expects Hezbollah to retaliate for the death of Nasrallah and is on "high readiness." Army spokesman Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani said much of Hezbollah's arsenal remains intact despite intense Israeli strikes over the past week, and that Israel will continue to target the group. "This isn't a threat that has gone away," he said. Shoshani said it is "safe to assume" that Hezbollah will retaliate. But he said Israel hopes the blow "will change Hezbollah's actions" and alter the course of the war. Shoshani said the airstrike targeting Nasrallah was based on years of tracking him, along with "real-time intelligence." He said Israel confirmed the death through various types of intelligence, though he declined to elaborate. Meanwhile, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency has recommended that airlines not operate in Lebanese or Israeli airspace.

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More than 720 people have been killed in Lebanon since the conflict escalated Monday, according to Lebanon's Health Ministry. The United Nations says the number of those displaced by the conflict from southern Lebanon has more than doubled, with more than 211,000 people now displaced. At least 20 primary health-care centers have shut down in hard-hit areas of Lebanon, the UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said. Hezbollah began firing rockets into northern Israel in support of Hamas after it stormed into Israel, sparking the Israel-Hamas war. Top Israeli officials have threatened to repeat the destruction of Gaza in Lebanon if the Hezbollah fire continues, raising fears that Israel's actions in Gaza since Oct. 7 would be repeated in Lebanon. More here.

(More Hassan Nasrallah stories.)
Vice President Kamala Harris walked a scrubby stretch along the US-Mexico border on Friday and called for further tightening of asylum restrictions as she sought to project a tougher stance on illegal migration and address one of her biggest vulnerabilities in the November election. Harris' push to further restrict asylum claims moves beyond President Biden's policy on an issue where her rival, former President Trump, has an edge with voters. She balanced tough talk on policing the border with calls for a better way to welcome immigrants legally. "I reject the false choice that suggests we must choose either between securing our border and creating a system that is orderly, safe, and humane," Harris said, per the AP . "We can and we must do both."

In her first trip to the international boundary since becoming the Democratic presidential nominee, Harris chatted with local Border Patrol leaders as they strode along a rust-colored stretch of wall built during Barack Obama's presidency. Temperatures in Douglas, Arizona, neared 100 degrees during a conversation that lasted about 30 minutes. Later, Harris received a closed-door briefing at the Douglas Port of Entry on efforts to combat drug trafficking and improve the legal flow of goods and people across the border. Border Patrol agents have "a tough job" and deserve support to do it, she said. Harris' visit was designed as a rejoinder to Trump and his fellow Republicans, who have pounded her relentlessly over the Biden administration's record on migration and fault the vice president for spending little time visiting the border during her time in the White House.

Immigration and border security are top issues in Arizona, the only battleground state bordering Mexico, and one that saw a record influx of asylum-seekers last year. Voters favor Trump on migration, and Harris has gone on offense to improve her standing on the issue. She used her remarks to challenge Trump's own record on migration during his presidency, saying he did nothing to fix the legal immigration system or address an outdated asylum system. On Friday, Trump pointed to purported data about criminals entering the US illegally in a bid to link Harris to violent crimes committed by migrants. The Trump campaign has also countered with TV ads deriding Harris as a failed "border czar." Harris never held the position of border czar. Instead, her assignment was to tackle the "root causes" of migration from three Central American nations. More here.

(More Kamala Harris stories.)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with Donald Trump on Friday with public tensions rising between the two over Ukraine's defense against Russia's invasion. "We both want to see this end, and we both want to see a fair deal made," Trump told Fox News, referring to the Russia-Ukraine fighting while standing alongside Zelensky after meeting for 40 minutes. "The president wants it to end, and he wants it to end as quickly as possible. He wants a fair transaction to take place." Zelenskyy said that the war shouldn't have started and that there needs to be pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin and peace for the families of those killed, the AP reports.

"We need to do everything to pressure him to stop this war. He is in our territory," Zelensky said. "That's most important to understand. He is in our territory." The meeting came at a critical time in the Russia-Ukraine war as Election Day nears in the US. Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, and Vice President Kamala Harris, his Democratic opponent, have taken sharply different approaches to the issue. Zelensky has been eager to keep good relations with the US, his country's largest provider of arms and money for the war. But the future of that support would be in doubt if Trump were to win the election.

Trump, who has touted his relationship with Putin and called the Russian ruler "pretty smart" for invading Ukraine, has for months criticized US support for Ukraine and derided Zelensky as a "salesman" for persuading Washington to provide weapons and funding to his military. On Friday, Trump brought up his first impeachment, which Democrats pursued after he asked Zelensky for a "favor"that he investigate Joe Biden and Biden's son Hunter, who served on the board of a Ukrainian gas company. At the time, Trump was withholding $400 million in military aid to Ukraine as it fought Russian-backed separatists. "He could have grandstanded and played cute," Trump said. "And he didn't do that. He said, 'President Trump did absolutely nothing wrong.' He said it loud and clear."

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Zelensky told reporters in October 2019 that there was "no blackmail" from Trump. He also said, "I don't want to interfere in any way in the elections." But the AP reported afterward that, despite Zelensky's denials, US officials were aware he felt pressure from the Trump administration to investigate Biden. In an interview with the New Yorker that was published this week, Zelensky implied Trump does not understand and oversimplifies the conflict. Also this week, Trump ripped Zelensky and Ukraine on two occasions, referring to the country as "demolished" and its people as "dead." (Harris met with Zelensky on Thursday, denouncing Trump's ideas for ending the fighting.)
Seventeen people were killed in two mass shootings that took place in close proximity to each other in a rural town in South Africa, police said Saturday. A search was underway for the suspects, national police spokesperson Brig. Athlenda Mathe said in a statement, per the AP . The victims were 15 women and two men, she noted. One other person was in critical condition in the hospital.

The shootings took place Friday night in the town of Lusikisiki, in the Eastern Cape province in southeastern South Africa. Video released by police showed that the shootings occurred at two houses in the same neighborhood. Twelve women and a man were killed in one house, and three women and a man were killed in the other house, police said. The motive is unclear. Reuters notes that South Africa, a nation of about 60 million people, claims one of the highest murder rates globally, with 20,000 or so murders reported each year.

(More South Africa stories.)
NATO members Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland will seek European Union funding to build a network of bunkers, barriers, distribution lines, and military warehouses along their borders with Russia and Belarus, Estonia's officials said Saturday. The three Baltic countries initially announced the plan for a "Baltic Defense Line" in January. In May, Poland announced a similar project called the "Eastern Shield," with a purpose to strengthen its borders with the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad and Belarus. "The need for a [Baltic] defense line stems from the security situation and supports NATO's new forward defense concept," Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur said in a statement, adding that it's "extremely important to coordinate our activities with Poland," per the AP .

"At the same time, it strengthens the security of the European Union and the military defense of its borders, which is why we clearly see that the EU could also financially support the project," he added. The defense ministers of the four European countries located on NATO's eastern flank met in the southeastern Latvian city of Daugavpils on Friday to discuss the project's funding. They didn't specify how much financial aid Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland would be seeking for the project from Brussels but noted in a joint statement that "Russia's war against Ukraine has shown that creating physical obstacles on an open ground with no natural defensive cover is paramount even in technologically advanced warfare."

The ministers said that external threats at the Baltic-Polish frontier are increasingly growing, and that ramping up fortifications along the border with Russia and Belarus "remains a high-priority contributing to our pledge to defend every inch of [NATO] territory." In Estonia, the smallest of the four countries, the establishment of the border defense line is planned in three stages starting in 2025, the Defense Ministry said. Officials in Tallinn said earlier this year that Estonia is to construct up to 600 bunkers along its 207-mile border with Russia in the coming years, at an estimated cost of $67 million. The project is likely, however, to face difficulties and delays, as the bunkers will have to be built on private land. The Baltic-Polish defense line excludes coastal defenses on the Baltic Sea that's shared by the four countries.

(More Estonia stories.)
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, meets with Peruvian Foreign Minister Elmer Schialer Salcedo on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, Sept. 27, 2024. (Xinhua/Li Rui)

NEW YORK, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said here Friday China is ready to work with Peru to implement the consensus reached by the two heads of state, and deepen mutually beneficial cooperation in various fields.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks during talks with Peruvian Foreign Minister Elmer Schialer Salcedo on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.

China-Peru relations have long been at the forefront of China-Latin America relations, he said, adding that China values its relations with Peru.

Wang also said that the Chinese side firmly supports Peru as the host of the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting in November.

He called on both sides to strengthen coordination and cooperation in international and regional affairs and take China-Peru relations to a new level in the new era.

For his part, Schialer said Peruvian companies are optimistic about the Chinese market, and look forward to strengthening cooperation with China.

He added that his country welcomes more investment by Chinese businesses in Peru. 

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, meets with Peruvian Foreign Minister Elmer Schialer Salcedo on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, Sept. 27, 2024. (Xinhua/Li Rui
Pope Francis' burdensome trip through Belgium reached new lows on Saturday when Catholic university women demanded to his face a "paradigm change" on women's issues in the church and then expressed deep disappointment when Francis dug in. The Catholic Louvain University, the Francophone campus of Belgium's storied Catholic university, issued a scathing statement after Francis visited during his four-day trip and repeated his view that women are the "fertile" nurturers of the church, inducing grimaces in his audience. "UCLouvain expresses its incomprehension and disapproval of the position expressed by Pope Francis regarding the role of women in the church and society," the statement said, per the AP , calling the pope's views "deterministic and reductive."

Francis' trip to Belgium, ostensibly to celebrate the university's 600th anniversary, was always going to be difficult, given Belgium's legacy of clerical sexual abuse and secular trends that have emptied churches in the once staunchly Catholic country. Francis got an earful on Friday about the abuse crisis starting with King Philippe and Prime Minister Alexander Croos and continuing on to the victims themselves. More out of the norm was the next day's open criticism of the pope by the Catholic university that invited him. The students made an impassioned plea to Francis for the church to change its view of women to better appreciate their gifts.

Francis has made some changes during his 11-year pontificate, allowing women to serve as acolytes, appointing several women to high-ranking positions in the Vatican, and advocating for women to have greater decision-making roles in the church. But he has ruled out ordaining women as priests and has refused to budge on demands that the church allow women to serve as deacons, per the AP. He has taken women's issues off the table for debate at the Vatican's upcoming three-week synod because it's too thorny to be dealt with in a short time. He has punted it to theologians and canonists to chew over into next year.

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In a letter read aloud onstage as the pope listened, the students noted that Francis' landmark 2015 environmental encyclical Laudato Si (Praised Be) made virtually no mention of women, cited no female theologians and "exalts their maternal role and forbids them access to ordained ministries." The letter said women have been made invisible and called for a paradigm shift. Francis said he liked what they said but repeated his frequent refrain that "the church is woman," only exists because the Virgin Mary agreed to be the mother of Jesus, and men and women are complementary. The university said such terminology had no place in a university or society today, calling the pope's stance a "deterministic and reductive position."

(More Pope Francis stories.)
Russia's top diplomat warned Saturday against "trying to fight to victory with a nuclear power," delivering a UN General Assembly speech packed with condemnations of what Russia sees as Western machinations in Ukraine and elsewhereincluding inside the United Nations itself. In his address, per the AP , China's foreign minister warned fellow leaders against an "expansion of the battlefield" in Russia's war with Ukraine, saying the Beijing government remains committed to shuttle diplomacy and efforts to push the conflict to an end. The diplomatic warnings:

Russia: Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov accused the West of using Ukrainewhich Russia invaded in February 2022as a tool to try "to defeat" his country strategically and "preparing Europe for it to also throw itself into this suicidal escapade." Days after President Vladimir Putin suggested a shift in Russia's nuclear doctrine, Lavrov said, "I'm not going to talk here about the senselessness and the danger of the very idea of trying to fight to victory with a nuclear power, which is what Russia is." The specter of nuclear threats and confrontation has hung over the war in Ukraine since its start, per the AP. Shortly before the invasion, Putin reminded the world that his country was "one of the most powerful nuclear states," and he put its nuclear forces on high alert shortly after. His nuclear rhetoric has ramped up and toned down at various points since. There was no immediate response to Lavrov's address from the US, which had a junior diplomat taking notes in its assembly seat as he spoke.

China: "The top priority is to commit to no expansion of the battlefield" in Ukraine's battle against Russia's invasion, Foreign Minister Wang Yi said in his speech. "China is committed to playing a constructive role," he added, warning other nations against "throwing oil on the fire or exploiting the situation for selfish gains"a likely reference to the US. Along with Brazil, China lobbied other countries on Friday at the UN to support their plan to end the war. Provisions included a peace conference and a call to not expand the battlefield. Ukraine did not welcome the proposals, and in the end, China and Brazil said about a dozen nations signed a communique saying they "note" the plan. (More Russia-Ukraine war stories.)
Israeli airstrikes hit areas near Beirut on Saturday evening, hours after Hezbollah confirmed that its longtime leader was killed in heavy bombing overnight near Lebanon's capital. Allies of Hezbollah urged quick retaliation for the death of Hassan Nasrallah, and the Middle East prepared for further escalation. "We are at what appears to be a historic turning point," said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The State Department ordered certain Americans out of Beirut. Developments involved:
TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune - www.newsofbahrain.com

Email: mail@newsofbahrain.com

Bahrain has urged for stronger collaboration with international partners to tackle environmental and technological challenges during a key summit in Equatorial Guinea, focusing on peaceful solutions and sustainable development initiatives.

At the summit held in Malabo, co-hosted with the Senate of Equatorial Guinea, Shuras Second Deputy Chairman Dr Jehad Al Fadhel emphasised the growing relevance of parliamentary diplomacy in promoting global peace and prosperity.

The gathering, centered on enhancing joint parliamentary action for southern countries to address development challenges and environmental issues, concluded yesterday.

Dr Al Fadhel reiterated Bahrains approach to resolving conflicts through peaceful dialogue, echoing His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifas proposal for an international peace conference in the Middle East.
TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune - www.newsofbahrain.com

Email: mail@newsofbahrain.com

Non-oil trade between India and Bahrain has risen to $776.03 million from January to August this year. India exported goods valued at $532.36 million and imported $243.03 million during this timeframe.

In 2023, India held the position of Bahrains sixth-largest export partner and seventh-largest import partner, securing its spot among the Kingdoms top ten trading allies.

Bahrain has drawn substantial Indian investments across a range of sectors, including hightech cement, electrical machinery, information technology, medical services, and coatings.

Over the past five years, these investments have surpassed $2 billion, reflecting Indias essential role in Bahrains economy.

Cooperation also extends to education and essential goods, particularly food security, areas critical for trade and partnership.

The Indian expatriate community in Bahrain, now numbering over 350,000, is integral to this relationship, enriching the economy while contributing to a vibrant cultural dialogue that benefits both nations.

In recent years, Indias nonoil exports to Bahrain have increased from $768 million in 2018 to $904 million in 2022. Key exports include refined petroleum, iron and steel products, and organic chemicals.

Meanwhile, Bahrains non-oil exports to India have risen from $314 million in 2018 to $500 million, with aluminium, iron ore, and petrochemicals leading the way.

A Framework Agreement on Economic Cooperation between India and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) was signed on 25th August 2004, establishing a foundation for enhancing trade relations and initiating discussions regarding a Free Trade Agreement (FTA).

Negotiations began with the GCC, resulting in two rounds held in 2006 and 2008.

However, a third round has yet to take place, as the GCC has paused negotiations with all countries while reviewing its positions.

Efforts are being made through various bilateral and multilateral forums to resume discussions at the earliest opportunity
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NEW DELHI, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- At least five persons, a father and four daughters, have been found dead inside a house in the southern part of the Indian capital city on Saturday, a local police officer said.

The incident was reported from the Rangpuri area of south Delhi. The man was in 50s, and the girls were aged between eight and 18 years, said the police.

The incident seem to have taken place at least three to four days ago, acccording to the police. Police suspect that it was a case of multiple suicides involving poison. 
This image shows the exterior design of China's moon-landing spacesuit unveiled by the China Manned Space Agency. The China Manned Space Agency unveiled the exterior design of the country's moon-landing spacesuit for the first time on Saturday, soliciting its name from the public. (Xinhua)

CHONGQING, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- The China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) unveiled the exterior design of the country's moon-landing spacesuit for the first time on Saturday, soliciting its name from the public.

Displayed on the third Spacesuit Technology Forum hosted by the China Astronaut Research and Training Center in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, the white moon-landing spacesuit is decorated with red stripes.

The red stripes on its upper limbs are inspired by ribbons from the famous "flying apsaras" of Dunhuang art, while those on its lower limbs resemble rocket launch flames.

According to a video released by the CMSA, the spacesuit is made from protective materials that can effectively shield astronauts from the lunar thermal environment and lunar dust. It is equipped with a multifunctional integrated control panel that is easy to operate, as well as cameras for recording close-up and long-distance scenes.

The spacesuit also features flexible and reliable gloves, a panoramic glare-proof helmet visor, and joints adapted for low-gravity environments. The overall design of the spacesuit is lightweight, suitable for activities on the lunar surface.

Astronauts Zhai Zhigang and Wang Yaping serve as models for the new lunar suit in the video. Clad in the lunar gear, they perform a variety of movements, including walking, squatting, bending over, kneeling on one knee, and climbing a ladder.

According to Li Meng from the China Astronaut Research and Training Center, the development of the moon-landing spacesuit was started in 2020, aiming to produce lightweight, compact, highly reliable and safe lunar suits. The development has made many key technological breakthroughs.

China's first and second generations of Feitian extravehicular spacesuits have supported 17 astronauts in completing 17 extravehicular activities, ensuring the construction and efficient operation of the country's space station, according to Liu Dongyue from the center.

Zhai made history in the Shenzhou-7 mission as China's first person to conduct a spacewalk. He is also a crew member for the Shenzhou-13 mission.

Wang is a crew member for the Shenzhou-10 and the Shenzhou-13 missions and the first woman astronaut who has entered China's space station.

China has initiated the lunar landing phase of its manned lunar exploration program, with a plan of manned lunar landing by 2030. The unveiling of the moon-landing spacesuit marks the achievement of the program, and signifies the new stage of the country's spacesuit technology. 

Yang Liwei, deputy chief designer of China's manned space program and China's first taikonaut, speaks at the launching ceremony of an activity to solicit the name of China's moon-landing spacesuit in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, Sept. 28, 2024. The China Manned Space Agency unveiled the exterior design of the country's moon-landing spacesuit for the first time on Saturday, soliciting its name from the public. (Xinhua/Wang Quanchao)

This photo shows the launching ceremony of an activity to solicit the name of China's moon-landing spacesuit in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, Sept. 28, 2024. The China Manned Space Agency unveiled the exterior design of the country's moon-landing spacesuit for the first time on Saturday, soliciting its name from the public. (Xinhua/Wang Quanchao)

This photo shows the exterior design of China's moon-landing spacesuit during the third Spacesuit Technology Forum in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, Sept. 28, 2024. The China Manned Space Agency unveiled the exterior design of the country's moon-landing spacesuit for the first time on Saturday, soliciting its name from the public. (Xinhua/Wang Quanchao)

This photo shows the exterior design of China's moon-landing spacesuit during the third Spacesuit Technology Forum in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, Sept. 28, 2024. The China Manned Space Agency unveiled the exterior design of the country's moon-landing spacesuit for the first time on Saturday, soliciting its name from the public. (Xinhua/Wang Quanchao)

This photo shows the launching ceremony of an activity to solicit the name of China's moon-landing spacesuit in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, Sept. 28, 2024. The China Manned Space Agency unveiled the exterior design of the country's moon-landing spacesuit for the first time on Saturday, soliciting its name from the public. (Xinhua/Wang Quanchao)
A police officer and former union president in Morris County has filed a lawsuit claiming hes been suspended without pay for trying to reduce the influence of superior officers over younger members of the Mount Olive Police Department as part of his union duties.

Patrolman Matthew Koppinger, who became president of the local police union in December 2020, claims he set out to separate rank-and-file officers from management, sparking resistance from senior officers referred to in court papers as The Establishment.

The senior officers retaliated against Koppinger for his union activities, and the department launched an investigation that led to the patrolmans suspension with pay before the township removed him completely from the payroll, according to the lawsuit filed Sept. 18 in Superior Court of Morris County.

The lawsuit was filed against the Township of Mount Olive, its police department, and Chief Michael Spitzer.

Spitzer and township officials did not immediately respond on Friday to requests for comment.

The lawsuit details how Koppingers removal of a lieutenant from the unions grievance committee in January 2021 became a major conflict point.

The lieutenant, head of the Internal Affairs Unit, was accused of violating New Jersey Attorney General guidelines by holding dual roles, the suit says.

In July 2021, Koppinger was charged internally with insubordination for attending a training session for the Morris County Sheriffs Office Emergency Response Team, despite a vaguely worded pandemic-era order prohibiting all training, the suit says.

Koppinger was suspended with pay in September 2021 as the department continued its internal probe, the suit says.

Over the next two years, the department continued to investigate Koppinger, pressuring witnesses and manipulating internal policies to obstruct his defense, according to the suit.

Koppinger contends that the charges and suspension were part of a coordinated effort to suppress his union activities and intimidate other officers who might testify in his favor.

On Jan. 11, just days before Koppinger was to begin presenting a defense to his employers, the township removed him from the payroll, effectively suspending him without pay, according to the suit.

The timing of Koppingers removal from the payroll sent a clear message to his witnesses that the township was willing to stoop to any level in its attempts to punish him or anyone who helped him, the suit states.

The lawsuit highlights how officers who cooperated with Koppingers defense were disciplined or reprimanded, creating a climate of fear within the department.

Koppingers lawsuit accuses the township of engaging in a pattern of witness intimidation, retaliation, and anti-union activities that have deprived Koppinger of his constitutional rights.

Koppinger is seeking the end of disciplinary actions against him and other officers who supported him, and compensation for lost wages and emotional distress.

Anthony G. Attrino may be reached at tattrino@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on X @TonyAttrino. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
A New Jersey woman died early Saturday morning a car veered off the road and struck a tree in Vineland, authorities told NJ Advance Media.

A vehicle was traveling eastbound on E. Sherman Ave. when it diverged into a wooded area, collided into a tree and overturned at approximately 12:34 a.m. A 37-year-old Wildwood woman, Keila Osoria-Garcia, was pronounced dead on the scene.

Vineland Police Departments Traffic Units investigation of the crash revealed the 2009 Nissan Pathfinder overturned in a wooded area just east of Hance Bridge Rd.

The driver, 52-year-old Armando Garcia of Vineland, was transported to Cooper University Hospital for serious injuries but is in stable condition.

An investigation of the fatal single-car crash is still ongoing. No charges have been filed at this time.
Can Americans still have a sensible and friendly political discussion across the partisan divide? The answer is yes, and we prove it every week. Julie Roginsky, a Democrat, and Mike DuHaime, a Republican, are consultants who have worked on opposite teams for their entire careers yet have remained friends. Here, they discuss the weeks events with editorial page editor Tom Moran.

Editors note: This is corrected version of Friendly Fire. The original contained factual errors regarding Attorney General Matt Platkins role in three unsuccessful prosecutions.

Q. Jared Kushners investment firm, funded in 2021 almost entirely by Saudi Arabia and other Arab governments, has earned $112 million in fees without paying a dime to investors so far, according to an investigation by the Senate Finance Committee. Democrats see a conflict of interest, saying the partnerships with foreign governments give Donald Trump financial motives to make foreign policy decisions that may be counter to the national interest. Thoughts?

Mike: While it seems legal, it looks unseemly and is fair to be questioned. Kushner was in charge of Middle East affairs for President Trump, with little that seemed to qualify him for such a position, and certainly could hold the same position again if Trump wins. Of course, this seems like a conflict both looking ahead and looking backwards that he was given billions upon leaving the White House. My guess, though, is he will return something to his investors, unlike the rest of the Trump family grift. Trump is selling bibles, digital trading cards, sneakers and even coins to his faithful supporters. Trump Jr is even selling tax advice. Its gross. Family members do paid speeches to political organizations. No other candidate or their families take financial advantage of their supporters to put money into their personal pockets this way. Campaigns are a movement, not a side hustle.

Pride of Jersey Award, Mercenary Edition: Jared Kushner | Editorial https://t.co/QWkDtjfPRq  Stuart MacGuire (@StuMacGuire) April 20, 2022

Julie: This one is not difficult. Jared Kushner was deeply unqualified for his job in the White House. His father-in-law overruled his own White House counsel and our intelligence services to give him top secret clearance. Why did Trumps own White House officials believe that Kushner should not lay his hands on top-secret information? We have never gotten a sufficient answer to that question, but it may be because they thought he would pose an intelligence risk. Upon leaving the White House, Kushner, armed with all this top-secret information, starts a private equity firm, though he has never run a private equity firm in his life, and suddenly gets over a billion dollars in investment, 99% of which came from foreign governments and nationals. He has yet to return a penny to those investors and yet they keep investing. You dont have to be a rocket scientist to conclude that they are not paying for Kushners financial acumen. They may be paying for something much more valuable to them  access to the next president and, potentially, information. The Senate should have ordered an investigation the moment Chuck Schumer became majority leader, because it certainly does smell of a massive intelligence breach.

I've been in this business 40 years. I've never seen something like this."



Steve Rattner on Jared Kushner's business dealings with the Saudis. pic.twitter.com/qiQmZLce9Z  Republicans against Trump (@RpsAgainstTrump) January 4, 2024

Q. In North Carolina, the epic meltdown of Mark Robinson, the Republican candidate for governor, continues with more evidence of racist and pornographic internet postings. He still has Trumps endorsement, and insists hell stay in the race, despite polls showing hes way behind. Is this bad enough to give the state to Kamala Harris in November?

Mike: North Carolina hasnt voted Democratic in a presidential race since 2008, so Trump is still the favorite. But Robinson staying in the race will hurt Trump and likely crush the party below governor on the ballot. Robinson is a complete disaster of a candidate and apparently an even worse human being.

A perverted bigot is on the ballot this year. Guess which party? | Editorial https://t.co/D1BX9sxgBE  Julie O'Connor (@julieoconnorNJ) September 25, 2024

Julie: If Trump loses North Carolina, he is losing in a landslide. I dont think this is a landslide election, but I am also out of the prediction business, so I am going to punt on answering your question. The larger issue for me is why every single Republican, from Trump on down, wont repudiate a self-avowed Nazi who also believes slavery should be re-established so that he could own a few slaves. (Who wants to tell Robinson what would really happen to him if slavery were re-established?) If you cant purge people like this from your ranks, forcefully and vociferously, what are you even doing in public service?

I was gonna say the Republican party vetting is as good as the Hezbollah IT dept.  Heather Thomas (@HeatherThomasAF) September 20, 2024

Q. George Norcross, the indicted political boss from South Jersey, asked a judge to dismiss the charges against him, saying the indictment describes tough bargaining, not extortion, and that the statute of limitations on the alleged crimes has run out anyway. What are you hearing about this? Is it a credible claim and does he have a chance?

Mike: Norcross has the best team of attorneys in the state, so this is likely a smart legal take. One criticism of the Attorney Generals office under Matt Platkin, and even before him in the Murphy administration, is that people are indicted and trials dont happen -- leaving the allegations hanging, destroying reputations without the chance for one to clear their names. Norcross and his team are smart to push this to resolution. As a non-lawyer, my big question about the case has always revolved around the fact that Norcross is not an elected or appointed government official. It seems he is formidable politically and uses colorful language, neither of which is a crime. If swearing becomes a crime in New Jersey, most of us will need lawyers.

A crime thriller with no crime: George Norcross lawyers urge judge to throw out racketeering case https://t.co/DNU0qOKgnd  The Philadelphia Inquirer (@PhillyInquirer) September 24, 2024

Julie: I should disclose upfront that one of those lawyers Mike mentioned is my husband, who represents a Norcross co-defendant. Platkin doesnt like Norcross. He also doesnt like people who say that someone who was a second-year associate and an unpaid campaign intern just a few years ago (like Platkin) does not have judgment to be running the states largest law firm. Heres the bottom line: Even if you have the power to indict a ham sandwich -- just because you dont like the taste of ham -- does not mean that you should.

Q. Curtis Bashaw, the Republican candidate for Senate running against Democrat Andy Kim, has a new ad out that presents harrowing tales of violent crime by armed Venezuelan gangs. Vote against Kim, the ad says, or this crisis is coming to a town near you. Will the ad be effective? Is it fair

Mike: The ad shows Andy Kim in his own words saying he opposes President Biden getting tougher on the border. So, Andy Kim is to the left of the Biden-Harris Administration on the border. Thats out of touch, only attempting to appeal to the far left. Democratic governors of New Jersey and New York are lamenting the influx of illegal immigration. Democratic mayors around the country are saying police and healthcare resources are stretched in their cities. The problem has dramatically worsened while Andy Kim has been in Congress, yet he thinks Biden is too tough on the issue. Not good.

Julie: Is this a Bashaw ad or a Trump ad? Hard to say, what with the xenophobic rhetoric about gangs in Colorado taking over an apartment building, which, of course, is plainly false, as the Aurora, Colorado police department and fact-checkers have repeatedly said. Not a good start for a Senate candidate who wants us to believe he is not going full-MAGA.

Q. Finally, Tom Kean Jr. is drawing flack in several media outlets over his refusal to answer questions from the press and from voters, even when trapped in an elevator and peppered with questions by NJ Spotlights Ben Hulac, who asked about policies, Trump, and even what he had for lunch. So, its not just me! Is this a smart strategy on Keans part? If so, what does it mean for democracy?

Mike: The press, certainly including this newspaper, has crushed Tom Kean for years, unfairly lumping him in with everything Trump and every DC far-right winger since he ran in 2020. Its as if Tom never served in office before for nearly 20 years as a reasonable center-right leader. He was the GOP leader in Trenton for many years during both Christie and Murphy years. He has a litany of accomplishments working with Democrats in a bipartisan manner. But that has been ignored because of an obsession with all things Trump. Your broader question about what it means is important. Tom has not talked to the press, yet he won. And hes about to win again. When candidates feel they dont get a fair shake from the media and must try to go around them to communicate directly to the voters, its bad for everyone.

My name is Ben Hulac, and I cover New Jersey's members of Congress.



Every single member, Republican or Democrat, talks with me.



Except for @CongressmanKean.



Lawmakers deny information to the public when they don't talk with the press.@NJSpotlightNews pic.twitter.com/2JOq9ALDZK  ben hulac (@benhulac) September 25, 2024

Julie: How do we know if Rep. Kean can he get a fair shake from the press when he wont speak to the press? For instance, this is the first time I have heard that he may have a record of bipartisanship  because he wont sit down with reporters to tout it. I get that this strategy has worked for him, and may very well continue to work. But dont you think Kean owes it to his voters to tell them where he stands on issues? Not everyone in his district will get his mail pieces or see his TV ads. For instance, Im pretty sure that he wouldnt waste his time advertising to me and other Democrats if I lived in the 7th CD. But he is still the congressman for every single person who lives there, and most of them have no clue about where he is on any given issue. Its not just about how he has voted. Its also about where he wants to go in the future and where he stands on issues that are coming up in the next congress. Without hearing from him, his own constituents wont have any idea of what he intends to do, even if he is asking them to trust him to do the right thing.

Q. New York Mayor Eric Adams has been indicted on federal corruption charges, months before he faces a crowded field of Democratic primary challengers. Adams vows hell fight this with every ounce of my strength and spirit. Is he history? Does Jersey have a dog in this fight?

Mike: The fortunes of New Jersey are inextricably linked with New York. A well-governed New York is in our best interest. When Mayor Giuliani cleaned up crime in New York and made it safe to live in the city again, prosperity returned. That prosperity stretched across the Hudson; cities like Jersey City, Hoboken and beyond are unrecognizable today compared to 30 years ago from all the investment, new homes, new families and new businesses. Hundreds of thousands of New Jerseyans commute to New York every day with millions of us visiting every year to go to museums, ball games, the theater and more. It is in our interest for New York to be safe, prosperous and well-governed.

Julie: I long for the days of a competent mayor just getting up every day and doing his job. Please, just make it stop  and clean up the subways and the crisis with the mentally ill while you are at it.

Correction: The original version of this column contained factual errors that unfairly portrayed the role of Attorney General Matt Platkin in three failed state prosecutions. It incorrectly claimed that Platkin had a role in the failed prosecution of Rabbi Osher Eisemann, a case he was recused from. It suggested he filed charges against Robert Kugler, the Saddle Brook police chief, a case begun under his predecessor. And it incorrectly claimed the case against Paterson police Officer Jerry Moravek was dismissed by a judge, when it was dropped by the attorney generals office.

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By Bob Brody

Three special people loomed large in my boyhood. This was in the 1950s and 1960s, in my hometown of Fair Lawn. As chance would have it, they all recently came back into my life delivering a message well worth remembering -- especially today, as we celebrate National Good Neighbor Day.

Jeanette Kearns was my kindergarten teacher at Radburn Elementary School. Under her tutelage, I developed my talent for getting into trouble with authorities. My specialty was paying no attention to lessons and instead clowning around.

This court-jester behavior largely entailed my making silly faces at my schoolmates with class in session. One day Ms. Kearns had had enough. She dispatched me to stand outside the building alone for an hour. Believe me, I had it coming, and kudos to her for setting me straight.

Marvin Wisch was our family physician. He routinely performed a medical service that now seems archaic if not apocryphal, namely making house calls for patients. Dr. Wisch would visit me at home as I lay in bed with a fever, measles or mumps. He would stride into my room, black leather medical bag in hand, to render diagnosis, prescribe treatment and reassure my worried mother with a gentle warmth that I would indeed live.

Simon Glustrom was the rabbi at the Fair Lawn Jewish Center. I attended Hebrew school there, usually against my will and except for the times I played hooky. I had a tough time preparing for my bar mitzvah, particularly learning to recite my haftorah, the Torah passage earmarked for the occasion.

But Rabbi Glustrom helped see me through the ordeal, always with a smile that radiated divine grace. One Saturday morning in 1965, he presided over the momentous ceremony. In so doing, he attempted to usher me at age 13 into manhood, a milestone I nevertheless needed at least another 20 years to reach.

Teacher, doctor and rabbi all went on to singular successes.

Ms. Kearns taught at my elementary school for 30 years. Former students described her to me as unfailingly kind and compassionate. She and her husband had a son and two grandchildren. After retiring, she devoted herself for decades to volunteering at Hackensack University Medical Center. She also authored a childrens book, whimsically titled My Grandmother Has A Chandelier.

Rabbi Glustrom assumed the pulpit in our shul to shepherd his congregation for 41 years. By all accounts, he was deeply beloved. He learned the names of everyone in his flock, and made a point to go out into the homes of Jewish families just moving in to town to offer words of welcome. He and his wife had three daughters, six grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. He authored seven books on Judaism, including  the wry title a reference to his lifetime as a rabbi -- I Would Do It AgainPerhaps.

Dr. Wisch practiced family medicine for 68 years, almost to his last breath. He took care of my family for more than 20 of those years. He and his wife had five children, eight grandchildren and a great-grandchild. The state of New Jersey, the Knights of Pythias and other organizations honored him for his devotion to patients and community.

My father never skipped a beat, recalls his son Jeffrey Wisch, a recently retired oncologist. He stayed at the top of his game until the end. He delivered babies, set broken bones and performed tonsillectomies, even eye surgery. He saved more than a few lives. It was his calling to be a physician. His patients were his extended family. Taking care of his patients kept him going.

But heres what now speaks to me loudest. As I only recently learned, Dr. Wisch lived to be 96, Rabbi Glustrom made it to 99, and Ms. Kearns attained an astonishing 104.

Former Fair Lawn mayor John Cosgrove, a former kindergarten student of hers, presented Ms. Kearns with a proclamation on her 100th birthday declaring it Jeanette Kearns Day in the town.

If you want to live a long life, said pioneering scientist Hans Selye, focus on making contributions.

Research shows that having a sense of purpose dramatically increases the likelihood of living longer. People who had the strongest sense of purpose had a 15.2% lower risk of death than those with the least sense of purpose, according to a 2019 study.

How fitting, then, that these three professionals, by turns an educator, a physician and a member of the clergy  each of whom, respectively, taught me, kept me healthy and guided me spiritually  should serve generation after generation in our town, changing the equation for our community.

The lessons to be learned from such longevity are obvious. Every once in a while, contrary to conventional belief, good deeds actually go unpunished. Rather, those who do good also do well. The righteous are truly, and duly, rewarded.

Bob Brody, a consultant and essayist, grew up in Fair Lawn and now lives in Italy. He is the author of the memoir Playing Catch with Strangers: A Family Guy (Reluctantly) Comes of Age.
Apparently, they call them swing states because the polling keeps swinging this way and that way  and while Vice President Kamala Harris has taken leads in most of the battlegrounds that likely will decide the presidential election, every once in a while a poll disputes it.

But as Americas stomach turns with every new survey out of Michigan or Pennsylvania or Wisconsin or Nevada or North Carolina or Georgia or  well, you get the idea  theres a fight over a single but crucial electoral college vote in Nebraska.

That single vote could decide the election and Americas fate  and Harris leads Republican nominee Donald Trump in the battle for the quirky vote that could tip the scales.

According to the New York Times on Saturday:

Vice President Kamala Harris holds a lead over former President Donald J. Trump for the single Electoral College vote in eastern Nebraska, according to a new poll by The New York Times and Siena College, a potentially critical prize if the overall presidential contest remains on a knifes edge.

With Harris leading in the district, Trump  with Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) acting as his arm-twisting bouncer  made a last-ditch attempt to persuade the Nebraska Legislature to adopt a winner-take-all system, ditching its system of apportioning electoral votes in part by congressional districts. But at least one lawmaker  a Republican  rejected the idea, effectively killing the effort.

State Senator Mike McDonnell, a Democrat-turned-Republican, blocked the effort on Monday. McDonnell said he would stand with a Democratic filibuster because now, 43 days from Election Day, is not the moment to make this change.

In the most recent presidential election, Nebraska split: Trump won the state in 2020, but Joe Biden captured the Second Congressional District.

Adds the Times:

A single electoral vote might seem insignificant, but if Ms. Harris were to win the so-called blue wall  Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, where she holds slim leads  while losing the remaining battleground states, which are Nevada, Arizona, Georgia and North Carolina, that Nebraska electoral vote would be the difference between a 270-268 Electoral College victory for the vice president or a 269-269 tie.

In the event of a tie, the House of Representatives would determine the winner, not by raw votes of House members but by the support of each state delegation. With more delegations in Republican control, Mr. Trump would almost certainly win.
JAKARTA, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- As many as 12 miners were killed and 11 others injured following a landslide at a traditional mine in Solok regency of Indonesia's West Sumatra province.

The landslide, which occurred during heavy downpours on Thursday afternoon, has severely hampered rescue operations due to a lack of communication access and challenging terrain, a senior rescuer said on Saturday.

Abdul Malik, head of the provincial search and rescue office, told Xinhua that efforts to locate two remaining miners were ongoing, although their condition remains unknown.

"The latest data shows that 12 people have lost their lives, and 11 others are receiving medical treatment for their injuries. Rescuers have identified the location of the two remaining miners and are working to retrieve them from the mine shaft," Malik said.

When asked about the condition of the trapped miners, Malik could not confirm whether they were still alive. "We hope for the best and pray that they are still alive," he said.

The search and rescue mission involves over 229 personnel, including 29 from the local rescue office and more than 200 individuals from a joint team comprising local authorities and community members.

Malik noted the immense challenges facing the operation. "There is no communication access at the site, and reaching the mine takes several hours by land."

An earlier report indicated that 15 miners were killed and 25 were missing due to communication difficulties.

Accidents in traditional mines, which often operate without licenses and with minimal safety standards, are common in Indonesia. 
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LA PAZ, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- Former Bolivian President Evo Morales (2006-2019) is constitutionally barred from running for the 2025 presidential elections, the Bolivian government confirmed on Friday.

The restriction stems from the country's Constitution, not a decision made by the current administration, said Deputy Communication Minister Gabriela Alcon.

Alcon urged Morales' supporters to respect Bolivia's legal framework, as some have staged protests demanding his candidacy be allowed.

"The most important thing is to respect the will of the Bolivian people," Alcon said, pointing out that the country's constitution was approved by its citizens and "must be upheld."

Her remarks came after the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) reiterated that Bolivia does not allow indefinite re-election. The IACHR also dismissed three human rights complaints filed against the Bolivian government related to this issue.

Alcon cited Article 168 of Bolivia's Constitution, which stipulates that the president's term lasts five years and that they can only be re-elected once consecutively. Morales, who has already served multiple terms, is therefore ineligible to run again.

She also referred to a 2023 Constitutional Court ruling that indefinite re-election "is not a human right," a position supported by the IACHR.

Alcon stressed the importance of resolving political disagreements through dialogue rather than protests that risk destabilizing the country.

"We don't need to push the country toward conflict, violence, or instability. We need to focus on the well-being of the people," she added. 
CROWN POINT  A Chicago man was denied bail in connection with a 1999 murder case Friday after a judge determined evidence against him was strong enough to keep him incarcerated.

Orvall McMoore, 57, was charged in July for the murder of Lisa Anderson, 27, who was found stabbed to death inside her apartment Jan. 12, 1999. Anderson was nude from the waist down. She suffered blunt force injuries, stab wounds to her face, neck and chest and had numerous cuts on her hands and arms, the latter of which police believe to have been defensive wounds.

Physical evidence in the case tested more than 20 years later was submitted to CODIS, the FBI's national database of DNA from individuals convicted of a crime, and showed the presence of McMoore's DNA under Anderson's fingernails. FBI GRIT Task Force Investigator and Hobart police Capt. Nicholas Wardrip said this demonstrated that she likely fought back against her attacker.

Defense attorney Matthew LaTulip said McMoore's DNA was not found anywhere else in her house, including on her pants that were taken off, but there was presence of other DNA He said this could point to someone else.

Deputy Prosecutor Michelle Jatkiewicz said if one goes into a home, they'll likely find DNA from visitors.

"What shouldn't be on Miss Anderson is Mr. Moore's DNA," she said.

Lake Criminal Court Judge Samuel Cappas said he would deny McMoore's request for bail as the prosecution's argument in support of the DNA evidence is rational.

"I see no reason to grant bail," Cappas said.

Defendants in murder cases have a right to petition for bail, which can be granted if the court finds the state failed to prove "by a preponderance of the evidence" that the presumption of a defendant's guilt of murder  not a lesser offense  is strong.

Wardrip testified that he started reviewing Anderson's case in 2020. He looked through evidence stored in the Lake County sheriff's crime lab and the coroner's file that showed Anderson had died from the penetrative stab wounds. Her death was ruled a homicide.

Wardrip reviewed crime scene photos that showed there was no forced entry to her apartment, but it appeared to be ransacked inside. He said there appeared to be a "violent struggle."

Gary police canvassed the scene of 501 Madison St., an apartment building where Anderson lived, and spoke to her family and friends. They collected DNA evidence from Anderson's body, but never submitted it for testing, Wardrip said.

They had two other possible suspects in the case, but fingerprints excluded them both, Wardrip said.

Anderson lived alone at the time of her death, Wardrip said. During Wardrip's questioning of one of Anderson's former boyfriends, the man told police he knew McMoore because they had worked together on some construction projects.

Wardrip and two other detectives met up with McMoore, who was on parole in Illinois, for an interview in September 2020. The prosecution played the interview in which McMoore identified Anderson as his friend's girlfriend, but denied all involvement in her murder.

"Was she a nice girl?" Wardrip asked McMoore.

"Yeah, she was pretty cool," he replied.

McMoore is scheduled to appear in court next Oct. 15. LaTulip said he would move to set a jury trial during the next hearing.
CROWN POINT  A Lake County magistrate judge sentenced a 21-year-old man to 65 years in prison Friday for the 2022 murder of a man whom prosecutors said the defendant shot because he believed the man killed his friend.

Byron Barnes, who was 19 at the time of the crime, stood over the body of 25-year-old Tyrae Hayes on July 31, 2022, moments after Hayes had been shot in the forehead and fired additional shots into his body before fleeing a a Citgo gas station in the 900 block of East Fifth Avenue in Gary.

Magistrate Judge Kathleen Sullivan said Barnes' action of standing over someone who had already been shot and firing more bullets shows a "coldness" of character.

"That is chilling in someone so young," Sullivan said.

A jury found Barnes guilty of the murder and a firearm enhancement in July after a 3-day trial. Sullivan ordered Barnes to serve 60 years in prison on the murder charge and five years for the firearm enhancement.

Murder carries a possible sentence of 45 to 65 years in prison. Firearm enhancements carry between five and 20 years in prison.

Hayes' mother, Shekia Goodwin, told the court that she believed the murder on her son was a cowardly act.

"He meant the world to me, he meant the world to my family," Hayes said. "He was taken from me for no reason at all. None. No purpose."

Prosecutors argued at trial that Barnes believed Hayes was involved in the Nov. 12, 2021, killing of his friend, Tobigah "PT" Goins, 17, who was shot to death while supposedly trying to rob two men. Prosecutors said Barnes was walking out of the gas station when he happened to encounter Hayes on the day of the killing and saw it as an opportunity to exact revenge.

Gary police Detective Gregory Fayson testified at trial that Hayes was connected to Goins, but was ruled out as a suspect in his homicide.

A trial, prosecutors showed side-by-side images of Barnes when he first went to the gas station and when he returned to shoot Hayes. He wore a balaclava that obscured most of his face in the second image, but both images show a man with the same gait and stature. Barnes had on a black hoodie with an image of Goins on the back in the first photo, but just a black hoodie in the second photo. Prosecutors allege he turned the hoodie inside out.

Defense attorney Scott King said Barnes had no previous felony convictions and argued his age warranted a shorter prison sentence. The part of the brain that relies on decision-making is not fully developed until age 25, King said, and Barnes did not have the developmental capability to fully understand the consequences or make a different decision.

Due to his age, Barnes will likely return to society following a period of incarceration, King said. He asked the court for resources to help that transition happen productively once the time comes.

Deputy Prosecutor Maureen Koonce said Barnes' conduct is the type of case that warrants a harsh sentence for a firearm enhancement. He unjustifiably pulled the gun in a public place where other customers were, Koonce said, and chose to shoot Hayes while he was already down.

"It should chill all of us to the bone," Koonce said.

She said Barnes should know right from wrong by his age and knew what he was doing when he shot Hayes.

Barnes had multiple interactions in the jail with correctional officers that showed he had little respect for authority, Koonce said, including an instance in which he was charged with a felony for flinging feces at an officer.

After Sullivan issued her sentence, she recommended Barnes be evaluated for the Community Transition Court when he approaches the end of his incarceration to help him better assimilate back into society.
JASPER COUNTY  Police released body camera footage that shows deputies restraining 26-year-old Valparaiso native Rhyker Earl, who died shortly after he was held down.

Indiana State Police allowed the Jasper County Sheriff's Department to release the footage from three deputy cameras.

Videos clearly show multiple officers and medics pinning Earl to the kitchen floor of a DeMotte home, holding him down for more than 20 minutes. Earl can be heard screaming for help, telling the people restraining him he's "going to die" and moaning and heavily breathing before his body goes limp and he becomes unresponsive.

Earl had several seizures on Sept. 8. Another seizure that night prompted his grandmother, Connie Widner, to call 911.

EMTs from Keener Township Emergency Medical Services who responded eventually requested police assistance, the sheriff's department said. Medics told police Earl was "suffering a medical emergency and demonstrating mental difficulties and significant resistance to the medical personnel on the scene."

"The responsibility of the deputies was to prevent Mr. Earl from harming himself or the EMT personnel while they provided medical aid," the Jasper County Sheriff's Department said in a statement Friday.

A Jasper County Sheriff's Deputy enters the home just before 2 a.m. on Sept. 9, according to the deputy's body camera. Earl is shirtless and appears to be trying to put a pair of shorts on. Medics are already inside the house.

"Can you leave me the (expletive) alone?" Earl says to one of the medical first responders as he walks away with the shorts still in his hands. A medic and deputy attempt to grab him by the arms but Earl brushes them off.

"Rhyker, sit down," Widner can be heard saying. "They're waiting for you."

An officer is heard talking to Earl's grandmother in the living room about Earl's history of epilepsy and seizures.

Earl leaves the room to get a shirt from a bedroom, and at least two medics go with him. The light in the room is off, video shows. Someone turns the bedroom light on as Earl walks in.

Thirty seconds later, video shows Earl swatting at the air with his right arm. He appears to make contact with one of the medics.

"Hey! Don't (expletive) touch the medic, you're going to the hospital," the deputy talking to Widner yells, running into the bedroom. "Don't (expletive) hit him. You understand?"

Earl appears to pull the pull chain to turn the light off just before the deputy reaches him.

The deputy appears to push Earl out of the bedroom and into the kitchen. The video becomes black, likely because the officer is up against Earl. Audio from the video records the deputy telling him to get on the ground and put his hands behind his back. Earl is handcuffed.

"Why are you doing this?" Earl can be heard saying several times. "Guys, please," he yells over and over.

"Guys, please, I'm begging you," Earl says. "I'm gonna die."

"Settle down," one of the first responders says. "We're trying to help you," another says.

As Earl is being restrained on the kitchen floor with his hands behind his back and his head tilted to the right, one of the medics administers medicine via a needle in his right buttocks.

One of the first responders asks for a pillow to cushion Earl's head from the floor. They briefly roll him onto his left side in the recovery position, a body position in first aid used to keep a person still while opening the airway.

"You need to pull me up," Rhyker says.

"We can't pull you up, okay?" the deputy replies. "Just stay there and relax."

As Earl appears to continue to resist the first responders, video shows his head become pressed against a cabinet door beneath the kitchen sink. The pillow appears to no longer be under his head.

Just before 2:23 a.m., Earl appears to stop resisting. Officers take their hands off his back and arms for the first time just after 2:23 a.m. and move him into the recovery position again.

At 2:25 a.m., medics roll Earl onto his back and check his pulse on his neck. He does not have one. They immediately begin performing CPR.

Police briefly had to pause chest compressions to tilt Earl so they could remove his handcuffs, video shows.

Medics attached an AED to Earl while they continued CPR, video shows. After several minutes, they carried Earl, hooked up to oxygen and an automatic chest compression device, outside and into the back of an ambulance. One medic told Earl's family that he had regained a pulse.

"Right now, we're just trying to keep everything as is, and we're going to get him to the hospital quickly, okay?" he says to the family.

After Earl was taken to the hospital, his grandmother told a deputy he suffered from asthma but had no mental health issues. She said she'd never seen Earl "that aggressive" after a seizure before.

Earl was taken off of life support two days later after his brain activity stopped.

In Friday's statement, the Jasper County Sheriff's Department said it has not drawn any conclusions about the actions of anyone involved. The ISP is still investigating the incident.

Earl's family retained civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who has represented the families of several victims in high-profile wrongful death cases, including the families of George Floyd, Michael Brown, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and others.

The Lake County coroner said Earl's cause of death is pending.
Sunday afternoon motorists should prepare for major traffic delays during the annual motorcycle procession through Lake County to honor veterans.

Police expect traffic delays in the Region of up to 45 minutes Sunday during the annual Victory for Veterans Memorial Ride, scheduled to begin at 11:30 a.m.

The 27-mile memorial motorcycle route starts at Wicker Memorial Park in Highland. Riders will start heading west on Ridge Road before turning left onto Calumet Avenue.

The route then heads back east on US-30 and north on Taft Avenue before participants will make a left on Ridge Road. The event will wrap up back at Wicker Memorial Park.

Police officers from six Region towns, plus Lake County Sheriff's Department officers and the Indiana State Police, will escort the procession.
HAMMOND  Calumet College of St. Joseph has been awarded a $3 million federal grant to support Hispanic and low-income graduate students, the office of U.S. Rep. Frank J. Mrvan, D-Highland, announced this week.

CCSJ will receive the federal funds over five years to implement its "Camino al Exito: A GPS for Hispanic Student Success" program, which seeks to expand opportunities for Latino and low-income students in graduate programs and connect them to postgraduate opportunities by creating initiatives that'll focus on preparation, enrollment, and support services for students.

The grant is under the U.S. Department of Educations Promoting Postbaccalaureate Opportunities for Hispanic Americans (PPOHA) program,

According to the department's website, the PPOHA program provides grants to expand graduate school opportunities for, and improve the academic attainment of, Hispanic students.

"I look forward to building on this initiative to continue to ensure that everyone in Northwest Indiana has the opportunity to obtain the education that they seek in order to thrive in our regional economy, Mrvan said.

"It is with great enthusiasm that we are able to take our post-baccalaureate programs and services to the next level," said CCSJ President Amy McCormack in a statement. "With support from the Department of Education, we can offer additional services to ensure our graduate students get individualized support to succeed.

In addition to starting new support programs, McCormack said the college was looking into the feasibility launching its first doctorate program.

GALLERY: The Times Photos of the Week
HAMMOND  Antonia Novello, the first Hispanic woman to serve as surgeon general of the United States spoke at Purdue University Northwest Friday on the significance of Latinos and the disparities they face.

Novello, who was born in Puerto Rico, was appointed the 14th U.S. Surgeon General by then-President George H.W. Bush in 1990.

Around 400 high schoolers from Lake County and Illinois, as well as PNW staff and students, were in attendance to hear her speak inside the university's Alumni Hall.

Novello noted the growth of the Hispanic population in the U.S., with an estimated 63 million people in 2022 projected to climb up to 110 million by 2060.

She also detailed the significant economic impact of Hispanics, with the U.S. Latino gross domestic product  the monetary measure of the value of all goods and services produced  topping over $3 trillion last year, surpassing the GDP of many countries.

Additionally, Novello discussed the growing political influence of the demographic group, as more Latino politicians are being elected into office and voter participation increase.

However, despite the growth of the Hispanic population and its influence, Novello said they still faced several challenges, with Latino families, on average, being four times less wealthy than white families.

She also noted that around a third of Latinos in the country lacked healthcare coverage, more than double than of non-Latinos. She blamed, in part, on medical professionals not knowing the language or cultures of many Latino patients.

"They do not discuss health, education and prevention, and they do not provide me with the same things they provide the white (patients), knowing that we have the same diseases," Novello said.

Speaking to the students in the audience, she gave them several pieces of advice, including not being afraid of being defiant and seeking their own paths in life. However, she stressed to them that they should never reject their heritage as they climb the ladder of success.

"If you deny your roots, you have no dignity," said Novello. "Remember, people without knowledge of their past are like trees without roots, eventually they will fall."

Danny Munoz, a student at Munster High School, resonated with Novello's message and said it was nice to see a Latina like herself be an influential figure.

"If I'm more involved in my culture it's not a bad thing, it's just me being proud of who I am," Munoz said.

Novello's speech was part of several events PNW is hosting as part of Hispanic Heritage Month.

A full list of event is available at pnw.edu/hispanic-heritage-month/.

PHOTOS: Purdue Northwest plays Paladin
XINING, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- Six people were killed and one person injured during a gas leakage incident in Golmud City in northwest China's Qinghai Province, according to the municipal government on Saturday.

The incident occurred in Yanqiao Village on Tuesday and was caused by toxic and harmful gases that leaked through the households' sewer pipes.

The injured person has recovered after receiving treatment in hospital and those affected by the incident have been relocated. The cause of the incident is still under investigation while the environment near the incident spot has been deemed safe. 
WINFIELD  Town officials are cashing in on plans to use a former bank as their new police department.

The Town Council has awarded contracts totaling $229,050 to repurpose the empty building that will house the police department.

Contracts were awarded to the following companies: Pangere Corp., demolition/carpentry, $129,713; Stan's Painting and Decorating, painting and decorating, $12,840; Douglas Flooring, flooring, $29,289; Circle R Mechanical, plumbing, $4,625; Circle R Mechanical, HVAC, $11,083; and Continental Electric, electrical, $41,500.

A contingency allowance of $12,500 is also included in the total budget of $241,550.

The building, at 10688 Randolph St., had served as Peoples Bank until Dec. 31, 2022, when it closed, according to a sign posted on the front doors.

The building is across the street and directly west of the Winfield Government Center, 10645 Randolph St., which presently houses the police department as well as township and town offices.

It will become the town's police department with all 10 police officers moving out of the present headquarters in the government center, town officials said.

Town Councilman Zach Beaver said the police department, formed about 10 years ago, has outgrown its present location. Two additional officers will join the 10-man force by the end of the year.

Once the police department is moved to the new location, other town officials will be able to use space now occupied by police, Beaver said.

The Town Council earlier this year awarded a $14,500 contract to PBS of Crown Point for budgeting, architectural and engineering design services.

Chad Charon, a spokesman for PBS, said now that contracts have been awarded he will schedule the work. Town Administrator Nick Bellar said there is no timeline for the work to be completed.

The council has agreed to lease the 1,864-square-foot building from owners Winfield Development 1 LLC at an initial monthly rate of $4,830, Bellar said.

The town will have an initial seven year lease with options to extend the lease to five years then an additional five without negotiations, Bellar said.

The owner of the building has also agreed to contribute $50,000 toward renovating the building, which is zoned planned development commercial.

In other business, the town gave an update on its first roundabout, a project that witnessed closure on July 8 of 109th Avenue, between Grand Boulevard and State Street.

Town Engineer Shaun Finney said the roundabout should be completed sometime in November.

Finney said there had been some delays with utilities, paving and lighting. The project had been set to start in mid-June, Town Engineer Mike Duffy said.

The Town Council earlier this year awarded a $3 million contract to Milestone Contractors, the lowest of three bidders, to construct the roundabout.

In addition to the roundabout, work will also include widening 109th Avenue from the Wyndance subdivision entrance to Grand Boulevard.

GALLERY: The Times Photos of the Week
More than 58,000 names are etched into black granite of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington D.C.

Many make pilgrimages to the iconic war memorial Maya Lin designed just outside the National Mall. It enshrines the memories of those who died or went missing during the Vietnam War.

Now it's closer to home.

The Texas-based American Veterans Traveling Tribute brought its traveling Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall, which is 80% the size of the original, to Wicker Park at Ridge Road and Indianapolis Boulevard in Highland for the first time in five years. It will be displayed at the park through 9:30 a.m. Monday morning.

The Wicker Park Foundation and the North Township Trustee arranged to bring the traveling Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall to Highland for the first time since 2019.

"It's a traveling tribute to the 55,000 American service members who died in Vietnam," Special Events Director Kelly Bridges said. "You can look up a particular soldier, learn more about the war or see additional panels for wars like Desert Storm, Somalia, the Gulf War or Iraq. Anyone can come see it 24 hours a day."

An estimated 5.5% of Lake County's population is veterans, the bulk of whom served in Vietnam.

"Lake County has the second largest veteran population in the state," she said. "It should be very meaningful to them."

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall is being displays in conjunction with the 25th Anniversary of the Victory for Veterans Memorial Ride that honors service members who made the ultimate sacrifice. It will kick off at 11:30 a.m. Sunday at Wicker Park and follow a police-escorted procession for 27 miles along Calumet Avenue, U.S. 30 and Ridge Road. As many as 2,000 veterans are expected to ride this year.

It's a fundraiser for veterans, such as to be able to bring exhibits like the traveling Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall to Wicker Park. Volunteers with the American Veterans Motorcycle Association have been guarding it.

"We want to make sure future and current generations know about our history and involvement in other countries and the last effects, like the increased number of suicides by our military veterans," she said. "Hopefully, it offers some healing to our veterans and helps spread the awareness of the effects of war."

It's located along Ridge Road on the south side of Wicker Memorial Park, which was dedicated in 1927 to honor the doughboys who served in World War I. The park has an eternal flame at Ridge Road and Indianapolis Boulevard honoring the memory of soldiers killed in combat.

"I'm in awe," Gary resident Rodolfo Tamez, a Marine Corp veteran with American Veteran Motorcycle Riders Association Chapter 1 out of Hammond. "It means a lot to me, as it does to all these men and women here."

He saw the actual Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall in 1989 when he was stationed at Fort Lee in Virginia and took a trip to Washington D.C.

"It was mesmerizing. It was humbling," he said. "It was mesmerizing because these men and women lost their lives for our country and I'm honored to be part of it."

He said the traveling wall was an impressive replica of the real thing.

"It's beautiful. It's awesome," he said. "I'm at peace because these men and women are at peace. I'm honored to be part of it. Visitors can see their loved ones on the wall and know the community cares about bringing the wall here."

Visitors can scan QR codes on yard signs to get help finding the exact location of their loved ones.

"You can come here and see the same loved ones on the wall that you can see in D.C. for people who can't afford to go to D.C.," he said. "We have a lot of veterans coming out here this weekend."

Heber Thomas, a Marine Corp veteran from Griffith, was told he would get goosepimples seeing it first-hand.

"They were right. I have been getting them. This is amazing," he said. "I feel sorry for some of the people coming here. They'll sit and cry about a friend or family member. It's hard to fathom how many people die in our wars unless you see it like this. My heart goes out to everyone that gave their life."

The traveling wall makes about 35 stops a year across the country. It came from New York state and is headed to Arizona, said Wes Shivers, the tribute supervisor who set it up. It's going to Berkeley, Illinois and then to Florida.

"We're all over the place," he said. "We set up in parks, in stadiums, in VFW halls, wherever we're sponsored."

About 3,000 to 5,000 people typically visit at each stop. More than 100,000 people see the two traveling walls a year. Many people visit because it's much easier to see than to go to Washington D.C.

"It means a lot for Vietnam vets to see their brothers and sisters on that wall or family that have loved ones on that wall," he said. "It's something you can't explain. It's something you have to see for yourself. There's a guy who broke down in tears yesterday. It means the world to them."
Lake Burlinskoye, a salty lake located in Russias Altai region close to the border with Kazakhstan, is famous both for its pink color during the summer and the freight train passing through it every day.

Seeing an old freight train seemingly floating over a pink lake in Western Siberia is quite a bizarre experience, but somehow it all makes sense. Lake Burlinskoye is the largest single salt deposit in Siberia, with a saltiness that rivals that of the Dead Sea. It is precisely this exceptionally high saltiness that attracts a species of microscopic brine shrimp called Artemia salina which, as they multiply, end up turning the lake bright pink during the summer months. Siberias pink lake is a strange enough sight, but what really sets Burlinskoye apart from other bodies of water is the freight train traversing it several times per day.

Photo: Nevsedoma

The train passing straight through Burlinskoye looks like its floating on the pink water, but not even the lakes extreme saltiness could possibly keep the metal monstrosity afloat. It is running on metal rails laid through the lake during the Soviet era for a very specific purpose. You see, the train doesnt just pass through the middle of the lake because its the shortest route, or simply because it looks cool, it is actually collecting valuable salt as it passes.

According to travel photographer Vadim Makhorov, the Salt Shaker train is equipped with special harvesting tools that disturb the lake bed and then collect the sediment in the train carts. The train passes through the lake multiple times a day and collects about 65,000 tons of salt every year, or enough to cover the needs of all humanity for 3 or 4 days.

They literally scrub the lake bottom and bring the mixture of salt and silt into the train which gets into the water along the railway, Makhorov said. When you watch it for the first time, it looks so bizarre!

Salt harvesting at Lake Burlinskoye dates back to the mid-18th century, with some Russian royals, like Catherine the Great, only allowing salt from this lake to be served at her table. The Soviets mechanized the process, laying tracks straight through the middle of the lake, where the salt concentration is the highest.
NEW DELHI, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- At least three people, including two women and a child, were charred to death and seven others injured Saturday in an explosion inside an illegally-run firecracker factory in the northern Indian state of Haryana, police said.

The explosion that subsequently triggered a massive fire in the house took place in Ridhau village, Sonipat district of Haryana.

According to officials, the factory was being illegally run from a house in the middle of the residential area of the village.

"We received information that a blast took place inside a house in village Ridhau. On the spot, we found the material that is being used in making firecrackers. A forensic team has been called in. Some people told us that the blast was caused due to the bursting of a cooking gas cylinder. So far we have recovered three bodies that are completely charred and seven people in injured condition have been sent to hospital," a police official said. "The owner of the house has been rounded up, and we are investigating the matter."

Following the blast, authorities immediately rushed fire brigade teams to control the blaze and prevent it from spreading in the neighborhood.

Around 10 people were working in the factory at the time of the blast, reports said.

Accidental explosions are common at Indian firecracker factories and shops, as owners usually ignore safety standards. 
Shigeru Ishiba delivers a speech in Tokyo, Japan, Sept. 26, 2024. (Xinhua/Zhang Xiaoyu)

TOKYO, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- Shigeru Ishiba on Friday won the presidential election of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) to succeed Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.

The 67-year-old lawmaker, set to become Japan's next prime minister, has mainly worked on security issues and the revival of Japan's rural communities in his 38 years of political life.

Ishiba served as the country's minister of defense from 2007 to 2008, minister of agriculture, forestry and fisheries from 2008 to 2009, and minister in charge of countryside revitalization from 2014 to 2016.

The veteran politician was also the LDP's Policy Research Council chairman from 2009 to 2011 and its secretary-general from 2012 to 2014.

A long-time aspirant for the top job, Ishiba previously ran in four LDP leadership contests in 2008, 2012, 2018, and 2020, never winning. Making his fifth bid this time, he called the race his "last political battle."

Originally from Yazu in the western Japan prefecture of Tottori, Ishiba has been elected 12 times to the House of Representatives from Tottori's 1st district. He was first elected to the lower house in 1986 after a short banking career.

Born on Feb. 4, 1957, Ishiba is married and has two daughters. 
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, meets with Cuban Minister of Foreign Affairs Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session in New York, Sept. 27, 2024. (Xinhua/Li Rui)

UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- China has always placed Cuba in a special position in its foreign relations, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said at a meeting with his Cuban counterpart, Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla, on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York on Friday.

It has been an unwavering position of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the Chinese government to maintain, consolidate and develop the relations between the two countries, said Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee.

He noted that China is willing to work with the Cuban side to promote the steady and long-term development of the China-Cuba community with a shared future.

China and Cuba have always supported each other on the international and multilateral stage, jointly defended the principle of non-interference in internal affairs, upheld international fairness and justice, and safeguarded the common interests of developing countries, Wang said.

He stated that China has always opposed the U.S. blockade and sanctions against Cuba, and will continue to support Cuba in safeguarding its sovereignty and dignity.

For his part, Rodriguez said the Cuban side appreciates China's assistance to its economic and social development, and its firm support for Cuba's legitimate rights and interests on international occasions.

Rodriguez added that Cuba firmly adheres to the one-China principle, and opposes the use of human rights issues to interfere in China's internal affairs. 

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, meets with Cuban Minister of Foreign Affairs Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session in New York, Sept. 27, 2024. (Xinhua/Li Rui)
Art gallery visitors in Chengdu. [photo provided to China.org.cn]



About 744,900 tourists visited Jinniu district of Chengdu, Sichuan province, during the Mid-Autumn Day holiday from Sept. 15 to 17, driving the recovery of local tourism market.

The district had organized a series of cultural and sport activities during the three-day holiday to attract tourists. These activities featured traditional Chinese culture and local folk arts.

In addition, the district's library and other public cultural venues received about 5,000 visits during the holiday, a record high in recent years.

The district authorities paid special attention to ensuring public security, particularly at the popular tourist spots during the holiday, during the holiday with the inflow of large numbers of tourists. And their efforts paid off.

The district will make continuous efforts to boost a sustainable growth of its tourism industry in the future, and it is expected to welcome more tourists during the forthcoming National Day holiday from Oct. 1-7.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, attends the third informal meeting of the foreign ministers of China, Russia, Pakistan and Iran on the Afghan issue on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session in New York, Sept. 27, 2024. (Xinhua/Li Rui)

NEW YORK, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Friday proposed four suggestions when attending the third informal meeting of the foreign ministers of China, Russia, Pakistan and Iran on the Afghan issue on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session in New York.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said that over the past three years, the situation in Afghanistan has undergone a stable transition on the whole, but there is still a long way to go for reconstruction and development, and many difficulties and challenges for long-term stability.

Wang put forward four suggestions on guiding the situation in Afghanistan:

The first is to build security together. Strengthen intelligence exchange and sharing, expand law enforcement and security cooperation, so as to ultimately achieve the goal of eradicating violent terrorist groups within Afghanistan.

The second is to implement comprehensive measures. Jointly promote the Tunxi Initiative to support Afghanistan's reconstruction.

The third is to uphold justice. Make Afghanistan a platform for cooperation among all parties, rather than a venue for geopolitical competition.

The fourth is to provide positive guidance. Encourage the international community to focus on the most urgent challenges facing Afghanistan. 
In recent days, Donald Trump and his Republican running mate, JD Vance, have doubled down on their false and defamatory claims about legally admitted Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, thus churning up widespread fears, bomb threats, and school evacuations. Claiming that these migrants were destroying the American "way of life", Trump promised that, if elected, he would order massive deportations. This statement echoed his astonishing promise, made during the 2024 campaign and previously, to seize and deport between 15 and 20 million immigrants.

Nativist agitation has a long, sordid history in the United States. In the 1850s, large numbers of American Protestants rallied behind the Know Nothing movement and its political offshoot, the American Party, ventures centered primarily on opposing the influence of immigrant Catholics. In the latter part of the nineteenth century, hostility toward Chinese immigrants ("the yellow peril") and, later, Japanese immigrants led to lynchings, riots, and legislation that barred virtually all immigration from the two Asian nations.

During the early twentieth century, American xenophobia focused on the alleged dangers provided by the "new immigrants" from Southern and Eastern Europe, predominantly Catholics and Jews. Such people, it was claimed, had a higher propensity for moral depravity, feeble-mindedness, and crime, and were polluting the "Nordic race". As a result, many "old stock" Americans championed changes in immigration law to sharply reduce the number of these allegedly inferior people entering the country. Adopted in legislation during the 1920s, a new, highly discriminatory national origins quota system did, indeed, largely restrict their ability to enter the United States, leaving millions to perish in Europe after the onset of the Nazi terror.

Of course, many Americans, symbolized by the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor, welcomed the arrival of people from foreign lands. And, in line with their views, U.S. immigration law was significantly liberalized in 1965.

We should also recognize that the United States was hardly unique in undergoing surges of anti-immigrant nativism. Indeed, over the centuries, recent arrivals in many countries experienced rampant xenophobia-- including "Paki-bashing" in Britain and violence against Turkish immigrants in Germany. Recently, in fact, intense opposition to immigration and immigrants provided a key factor behind British public support for Brexit and the startling rise of previously marginal, hyper-nationalist parties in Europe.

What has inspired this hostility to people coming from other lands?

Many individuals, it seems, feel uneasy when confronted with the unfamiliar. Thus, they sometimes find differences in skin color, religion, language, or culture to be disturbing. Although some people can-- and often do-- find these things a welcome addition to their lives or, at least, interesting, others become uncomfortable. In these circumstances, immigrants are easily added to other disdained minority groups as victims of widespread misinformation, mistrust, and prejudice.

Unfortunately, this unease with human differences provides a ready-made opportunity for political exploitation. As many a demagogue or unscrupulous politician has learned, fear and hatred of the "other" can be effective in stirring up a mob or winning an election.

Although nativism has been mobilized by political parties and movements of varying political persuasions, it has appeared most frequently on the Right. Fascist movements of the 1920s and 1930s focused heavily on the supposed glories of their nation and the ostensible biological inferiority of people from other lands. This xenophobia provided a right-wing ideological component in numerous countries, including the United States, where groups like the Ku Klux Klan, the Silver Shirts, the Nazi Party, and the America First movement lauded a mythical "Americanism" and assailed the foreign-born.

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"Either this nation shall kill racism, or racism shall kill this nation." (S. Jonas, August, 2018)

"A Vote for 'ABBH' (Any Body But Harris) is a Vote for Trump and Republo-Fascism" (S. Jonas, March, 2024)

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It is obvious to nearly all observers, on whichever side of the great, and deepening, political divide in our nation they stand, that the upcoming Presidential election will be like no other in our nation's history. And that includes the one of 1860 --- in which as it happened, there were four contending parties, two "Northern" and two "Southern." Although there had certainly been talk in the South about leaving the Union should their interests not prevail, there was (to my knowledge at least) no talk in advance about using various measures which could be seen by any reasonable observer to be aimed at undermining the electoral process itself. Nor was there any talk by one or more of the contending parties of contesting the results, with threats of violence focused on the electoral process (as well as attempting to change the traditional ways that were then in place under which votes were both cast and counted). Nor was there any even implied talk about the possibility of using violence in an attempt to change the announced outcome of the electoral process, after it had been completed

Of course, as is well known, there is now indeed talk, and, much more threatening to U.S. democracy, apparently active planning to use violence of various types, as well as legal measures, to attack the announced results of the 2024 election should they go against Trump-Vance, as was done by the Trumpublicans 2020-21. (Unfortunately, it has to be repeated, over and over again, that 60-plus legal challenges to the electoral process and its outcome, undertaken by the Trumpublicans, all failed. AND, in the "Vice-Presidential Debate" of Oct. 1, 2024, Vance refused to acknowledge that Trump lost ) As far as the threat of violence this time around is concerned, how else might one interpret Trump's promise to, if re-elected, commute the sentences of all the "Jan. 6" rioters, and plotters.

This sends a clear message from Trump to his supporters: "violence aimed at disputing the outcome if that outcome goes against me, and, then hopefully changing that outcome, is just fine." Of course, Trump could well achieve victory legitimately. The polls show a very close race. And it is very well-known how one of the 18th-century-relics-designed-to-persuade-the-slave-states-to-join-the-Union has the potential to completely distort the outcome in terms of the popular vote, as it has done for so many of the Republican Presidential candidates over the last 40 years or so.

It cannot be repeated too much that Trump has made it very clear what he will do to (and that's to not for) the nation if re-elected. He may deny that he has even read Project 2025. But that doesn't tell us much. Many of its provisions are certainly right in line with Trump's thinking about government and about how he would govern. P2025 is 925 pages long, so that is a lot to go over. But some people outside the Heritage Foundation and their allies have done that. It's quite a compendium for how to change U.S. Constitutional government without actually bothering to go through the amendment process. (For a broader view of what the U.S. Right wants to do, and certainly would be able to do should Trump be re-elected, see the Southern Poverty Law Center's "Decoding the Plan to Undo Democracy.")

One critical summary of Project 2025 says: "Project 2025 is a 925-page document that outlines how-in-practice a conservative administration can reshape the federal government and the country according to a Christian nationalist vision. The plan, supported by former Trump officials and organizations, includes a detailed first "180-day agenda to purge and replace federal workers and policies." The latter, in particular, is a key indicator of what a 2nd Trump Administration would do to overturn Constitutional government just like that: without the benefit of legislation, they would repeal the Civil Service Act of 1883, as amended, fire tens of thousands of civil servants, and replace them with political appointees. One of the principal objectives of that Act was, of course, to prevent that from happening ever again. And under Trump it would happen just like that.

"But what about the courts," one might say. Obviously, any legal challenge on matters of this kind would get to the Supreme Court. "Well even this Supreme Court wouldn't uphold those kinds of actions," one might say. "Oh really[?]" one might respond. Well, in the now-famous "Presidential Immunity" decision, otherwise known as the "let Trump off the hook for criminal activity" decision, the Court actually amended the Constitution on its own authority. For there is nothing in Article II, which defines the Presidency, that comes anywhere close to providing for the "immunity exception" that this Court has created. So why would not the Court's "Trump's-our-guy" majority not give a "have-at-it" to Trump's gutting the Civil Service Act?

As for what a 2nd Trump Administration would look like more broadly, even without referring to P2025, one needs only to point to Trump's personal criminal behavior, as reflected just in the crimes for which he has already been charged. Trump and the law seem to have only a passing acquaintance. And of course, as for the Congress, if Trump wins this time around, both Houses will likely either be Republican or paralyzed.

So, where to turn, for folks who do not want live under a Trumpist version of fascism (for the definition that I use, see below)? Secession from the Union for certain states is one direction to consider. (Please note that the possibility of some sort of secession, should the TrumpRepubloFascists triumph, in one way or another in the upcoming election, is being discussed by authorities with much more authority than I have.) I do think that secession is one of the options that those of us who believe in the rule of law and Constitutional, not authoritarian, government might have to turn to, as complicated, and to-be-sure difficult, as that process might be. (BTW, a Google search on "secession" produces about 2.9 million results (!!!) Not being considered/talked about, eh?)

Civil War is another direction the country might take, that needs to be considered (which we shall do briefly, here). However, leaving aside all the political, ideological, and racism-as-always-at-the-center-of-politics-and-governance-in-the-U.S. considerations, there are certain, shall we say, practical considerations, which weigh against civil war, at least in the traditional senses, as in the U.S. of the 19th century, and Spain of the 20th century. Primary of course is that there would be no natural geographical separation of the two sides. For example, in terms of its governance, Texas is one of the most reactionary, and Republican-controlled, states in the nation. Yet Pres. Biden got about 46% of the vote there in 2020. Other than in some of the smaller states of the mid- and upper-mid-west, that pattern held. So, while there would be plenty of resistance on the ground to a truly Republo-fascist government coming in, as for organized, armed, resistance at anywhere near the level needed to create real civil war, its development would be highly unlikely.

As for what might happen to/with the national and state-level armed forces, I am not dealing that here. Except to say that if a President Trump attempted to use the Insurrection Act against the Constitutionalists, he would have to deal with Armed Forces Chiefs with appointments Congressionally confirmed under the Biden Administration. One or more of them might well refuse to obey an order considered to be Unconstitutional.

And so, turning to the prospects for secession, or at least the development of a serious consideration of the process and just how it could be carried out, first what would be the issue which would tilt certain states over the edge likely be? Not the matter of voting rights. As critical as it is to the viability of U.S. Constitutional democracy, it is not enough of a central issue, to a large enough proportion of the population, to bring about secession. The issue that would be central is of course was the "Dobbs" decision, which made the presumed natural right of what a woman can do in terms of managing her own body a matter of politics, as well as putting into political play the religious belief that "life begins at the moment of conception," which of course violates the Establishment Clause of the 1st Amendment. That is, Mr. Trump, duh, "leaving it up to the states," is, in terms of the plain reading of the 1st Amendment, it is clearly un-Constitutional (whatever this Catholic-dominated, "life begins at the moment of conception," Supreme Court thinks). States that are heavily Democratic, like New York (in which abortion became legal even before "Roe," in 1969), using abortion rights and women's rights in general as the leading issues, could well move to secession. Regardless of what Trump says (or does not say, depending upon the day), giving him a Republican Congress, a national law criminalizing abortion would be a significant possibility.

Many questions would of course, arise, beginning with, would a Republo-fascist Federal government attempt to put down the attempted secessions (which would likely be numerous)? But women, most of whom favor abortion rights some level, comprise more than half of the population, and of course the support for abortion rights among men is also very significant. One major issue of course would be that unlike the situation in 1861, the seceding States would be geographically separated. How would/could that work? I wish that I had a simple answer to that one, but I do not. But nevertheless, the question is on the table.

In sum, it is predictable that with a Trumpublican government there would is a harsh, arbitrary, fascistic crackdown on civil liberties, on any kind of organized protests, on particularly outspoken Democratic members of Congress and state governments, and so and so forth. But, what would that look like? That's easy: look at Nazi Germany before World War II, Spain until Franco died, Imperial Japan until they lost the war, and even, to a lesser extent, countries like Chile, Argentina, and Greece under right-wing dictatorships. Such a crackdown would provide another strong impetus towards secession.

Among the other major matters to be dealt with are:

* What would be the decision-making process for states in which there would be major political movement towards secession?

* What would the geographic division of the country look like? What would be the decision-making process for states in which there would be major political movement towards secession be? How would the division of the national treasury and debt, powers of taxation, currency, be handled?

* How would population transfers between the two new countries would be handled (hopefully not as they were under the "Get-out-as-quickly-as-you-can" approach adopted by the United Kingdom for itself at the time of the Partition of India in 1947).

* How such matters as air traffic control, border controls, customs-checks for goods that originated from abroad, national health problems (just for openers), would/could be handled.

VERY tough questions and VERY difficult decisions. But if a significant number of U.S. citizens in a significant number of states decide that they simply do not want to live under a Trumpublo/Project2025/fascist government, which would be the result of an overturning of U.S. Constitutional government by decree, for them secession will be the only possible way out (short of course, civil war).

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Fascism, a definition:

"There is a single, all-powerful executive branch of government, in service of a capitalist ruling class that controls, for the most part, the functions of production, distribution, finance, and exchange. There is no separation of the principal governmental powers: executive, legislative, and judicial. There are no independent media. There is a single national ideology, based on some combination of racism, misogyny, religious bigotry and authoritarianism, homophobia, and xenophobia. There is a political party supporting the movement. There is a state propaganda machine using the big and little lie techniques. There may be a full-blown dictatorship, a charismatic leader, engagement in foreign wars, and the use of the mob/private armies to enforce governmental control."

(Article changed on Oct 02, 2024 at 1:39 PM EDT)
Lynne McConnell hopes that, years from now, her 13-year-old daughter can return from college to Bend and afford a place to live.

Thats not what we have today, said McConnell, the citys housing director.

Demand for homes in the city of 105,000 is so high that the median house cost more than $700,000 in August, even with new construction planned along the urban edge.

So Bend is going in search of more land. Its the third time in a decade the city has moved to circumvent the usual expansion process under special exemptions written into state law.

Bend is one of three Oregon cities that so far have expressed open interest in leveraging a one-time, 100-acre urban expansion unlocked by Senate Bill 1537, which Gov. Tina Kotek signed earlier this year in response to the states housing crunch.

Other cities seeking to add land are Medford and nearby Eagle Point in Jackson County, according to a spokesperson for the state Department of Land Conservation and Development.

Bend, by virtue of having done special expansions before, is perhaps the most practiced. Its asked developers to present their proposals for ready sites.

This is your time to bring it, McConnell told homebuilders at a question-and-answer session last month that highlighted statutory requirements for affordable housing and varying transportation options. Were looking for the shining stars to emerge out of this room and show us that youre bringing us a neighborhood that were going to be proud to add to city limits.

Known for its boom-bust cycles, Bend-area home price appreciation outpaced the nation in 2006. Then came the 2008 financial crisis, when the housing market cratered. The 2010s saw prices increase again. COVID-19, and the remote work boom in its aftermath, brought more fervent interest. Median sales prices peaked at $800,000 in July 2023, according to a report from Beacon Appraisal Group LLC.

Locals largely agree that housing costs are a top challenge for the city, polling shows. Many have lived it.

Bend paralegal Eryn Sisson rented a duplex for the better part of a decade until her landlords lender foreclosed on the home. She and her son had about a month to leave before the property went up for auction, she said, but everywhere was asking for double what she was used to paying in rent.

The family moved into a converted garage in Redmond, spending part of the pandemic there.

It was our last option, Sisson said.

She had qualified in July 2020 for the Bend-Redmond Habitat for Humanity home that she and her school-age son moved into a year later and now occupy in Bend. The nonprofit offers homes at a reduced price, with mortgages set to cost about a third of the homeowners monthly income.

Sisson said she could not afford a market-rate residence.

Nobody can afford anything here, Sisson said. In their current home, though, we can breathe.

Land values a complicating factor

Bend has added land for new construction before, but builders, city officials and conservationists still dont always agree on where to put the newest stock.

Developers complain of high land costs within Bends urban growth boundary and want more land added at the urban edge.

Conservationists, meanwhile, view expansion with skepticism, arguing theres ample land already inside the city to accommodate new construction. They defend the way that Oregons more than 50-year-old land-use system carefully tailors growth.

Under that system, cities must demonstrate that they dont have enough land already through a housing needs analysis and other studies. That intensive research can take up to a year depending on complexity. Formal decision-making by city, county and state officials can take another year or more, state land-use officials say.

Then, years can pass before any construction starts.

House Bill 4079, approved in 2016, let Bend expand by 35 acres in what state officials termed a pilot program to encourage the construction of affordable housing. Amid fears of Bend becoming a Zoom town for high-earning remote workers, the Oregon Legislature passed House Bill 3318 in 2021 to allow in another 261 acres.

McConnell said the latest effort showed Bend was doing a lot in rapid succession. Speaking during a work session in June, McConnell said, I dont know  if weve done more than anyone else in the last few years, but it sure feels like we have.

Ben Gordon, executive director of land-use conservation group Central Oregon LandWatch, pointed out that the other one-time expansions from the 2016 and 2021 bills have yet to produce any housing.

Hayden Homes is the builder on the 35 acres brought in under the 2016 bill, which requires 30% of the new housing to be affordable.

Hayden is the second developer to take a swing at redeveloping the area. The first, said Deborah Flagan, Haydens vice president of community engagement, abandoned the site because they couldnt make new construction financially feasible.

Private-market developers tend to grimace at affordability requirements, and Flagan said this marked the first time Hayden had considered building within those confines.

One reason the project has worked so far is that the landowner has been willing to sell off his property in portions, Flagan said, instead of burdening Hayden with the full cost of taxes and maintenance while the builder constructs the homes in phases.

He has held the land for us and is willing to sell us just enough land for each phase, she said.

Early development is underway at Haydens Parkside Place. The most recent proposal has 347 housing units. That includes:

108 rentals restricted to residents earning up to 80% of the area median income;

30 for-sale homes for people making up to 120% of the median;

and 209 market-rate homes for sale.

Parkside Place will also have a four-acre park. Hayden expects to finish construction on the first units by the end of 2025.

The rollout is under close watch.

In March 2020, the state Department of Land Conservation and Development reported to state lawmakers on the citys progress after its 2016 expansion, saying, Bends experience will indicate whether, and to what degree, a city can guarantee housing affordability as a trade-off for waiver of (urban growth boundary) expansion rules.

As for the 2021 expansion, officials hope to eventually see some 2,500 homes on the few hundred acres that make up the so-called Stevens Road Tract, which has been brought into the growth boundary andis being marketed for sale.

LandWatch, meanwhile, is pushing the Bend City Council to prioritize development thats already close to transportation, schools and stores. In July 2023, city staff presented a draft analysis of its housing needs that found there was enough land for more than 23,000 housing units inside the current growth boundary. Those homes could include apartments, houses and options in between, like duplexes.

There is a plethora of options within the urban growth boundary that accommodates all the different styles of development, Gordon said.

McConnell characterized the 23,000-unit figure as preliminary and now outdated. That land is also pricey: Flagan said sellers within existing boundaries understand theyre sitting on gold-plated land. Landowners outside the city, on the other hand, are willing to partner with developers to advocate for expansion  and settle for a lower price because they know it could otherwise take years for them to find a buyer.

Bend, McConnell said, needs to expand to add supply at a time when builders arent rushing to construct the denser housing that city officials are also trying to encourage.

Thats a policy tradeoff, she said.

Will more cities follow suit?

Oregon cities must meet a list of requirements  including a demonstrated need for more land and sufficient rent-burdened residents  to qualify for urban expansions under SB 1537. There are also restrictions on what land can be added.

Five months after Gov. Tina Kotek signed the bill, neither state land-use officials nor the lobbyist League of Oregon Cities could say how many are eligible. Sadie Carney, a spokesperson for the Department of Land Conservation and Development, said the agency doesnt determine eligibility, but rather, the cities do.

While some cities have said publicly that theyll try an expansion, many others are still investigating whether they would qualify and whether this expansion would be worthwhile, said Kevin Toon, a spokesperson for the League of Oregon Cities.

Even Bend worried it might not be eligible based on the rent-burden qualification because so many lower-income residents have already moved away, pushed out by the citys high housing costs.

Another challenge to expanding todays growth boundaries is the lack of infrastructure  the roads, pipes, schools and other services to serve the new development. That issues amplified when youre trying to accelerate housing production, said Mike Wilkerson, a senior economist at ECONorthwest, the Portland-based consulting group.

It came as no surprise to Wilkerson that so few cities had opted for the one-shot expedited expansions, he said, given the importance of finding a willing land partner, the added complexity and requirements, and that several jurisdictions are already undertaking their standard processes for considering changes to (their urban growth boundaries).

Even so, Wilkerson said it was great news that the three cities were moving forward to add crucially needed housing units across the state.

-- Jonathan Bach covers housing and real estate. Reach him by email at jbach@oregonian.com or by phone at 503-221-4303.

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TOKYO, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- Elected as the new leader of Japan's ruling party after a heated race, veteran politician Shigeru Ishiba is set to face daunting challenges ranging from restoring public trust to addressing economic stagnation as he prepares to assume the role of Japan's prime minister.

The 67-year-old former defense minister narrowly defeated female hopeful Economic Security Minister Sanae Takaichi in a run-off on Friday as a record nine candidates competed to lead the country's ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP).

Ishiba is expected to be officially elected Japan's prime minister on Oct. 1, succeeding outgoing Fumio Kishida to lead a country facing a complex array of pressing issues.

First and foremost on Ishiba's task list is to restore public trust in the LDP, whose image has been heavily tarnished by the political funds scandal involving unreported income and misuse of political funds, which led to the indictment of several lawmakers.

At a press conference following his win, Ishiba has vowed to give his "full effort" to rebuild trust and unity within the LDP, calling for a party that is humble, fair, and transparent, where rules are followed, and the public can hold leaders accountable.

While the current term of lower house members is to expire in October 2025, Ishiba will also need to decide when to dissolve the lower house, as in Japan, a new prime minister often calls a snap election to dissolve the lower house at an early date to capitalize on a high approval rating to seek a public mandate.

While indicating that a general election is necessary, Ishiba emphasized the importance of debating key issues with opposition parties before making any decision.

On the economic front, Ishiba's economic agenda promises continuity with those of Kishida but aims to make these policies more effective.

In recent years, sluggish economic growth, wage stagnation, rising prices and the yen's sharp depreciation have created woes for the Japanese public, and how Ishiba will differentiate his policies to tackle these economic challenges will be a key focus to watch.

Stressing measures to accelerate real wage growth and boost consumer spending, Ishiba on Friday also highlighted Japan's population decline as a major concern, reiterating his focus on regional revitalization.

On foreign policy and national security, Ishiba, considered a defense policy expert, has put forward conservative proposals, including the establishment of an "Asian version of the NATO military alliance" and revisions to war-renouncing Article 9 of the pacifist Constitution. He has declined to say whether he would visit the controversial Yasukuni Shrine as prime minister.

Regarding Japan-U.S. relations, Ishiba envisions a more equal and mutual Japan-U.S. security alliance, including having Japanese Self-Defense Force bases in the United States, a rare proposal within the conservative LDP.

In a report on Friday, Japan's Kyodo News said Ishiba may face a make-or-break moment as the country's prime minister, citing Yu Uchiyama, a political science professor at the University of Tokyo, as saying, adding the longevity of the new administration hinges on how drastic the next leader's reforms will be. 
New permit filings suggest Spanish fashion retailer Mango is planning to open a store at Pioneer Place mall in downtown Portland.

A permit application suggests that Mango would occupy a remodeled space in the downtown mall, at 700 S.W. Fifth Ave. The application was submitted to the city on Wednesday and spotted by Portland development watcher Iain MacKenzie .

The permit proposes to demolish walls to build a sales area, fitting rooms, storage space, restrooms and new flooring.

A Pioneer Place store would be Mangos first in Oregon, building on the brands expansion playbook. The Spanish fast-fashion player, known for its chic apparel, has been rapidly opening stores across the U.S. in a bid to make the country one of its top three markets. Its competitors include brands like Zara and H&M, which each have a store at Pioneer Place.

Mango did not immediately respond to an email for comment. Its permit filings for the Portland store came the same day the company announced plans to open its first store in Washington at Bellevue Square next year.

Mango, founded in Barcelona in 1984, opened its first U.S. store in New York City in 2006. The company today has roughly 30 stores in the U.S. but says it wants 40 by the end of the year.

Mangos stores offer womens and mens clothing. The new stores that Mango builds typically follow the brands new Mediterranean-focused retail concept , featuring warm and neutral palettes and the use of traditional, handcrafted and natural materials, such as wood, leather, marble and esparto.

-- Kristine de Leon covers the retail industry, small business and data enterprise stories. Reach her at kdeleon@oregonian.com .
A man who says he suffered life-threatening injuries after a drunken Portland strip club customer shot him filed a $9.9 million lawsuit against the Dream On Saloon in Southeast Portland on Thursday.

John Weems lawsuit claims the strip club continued to serve alcohol to the man who shot him even though he was visibly drunk. Overserving a customer violates Oregons liquor law, the lawsuit notes.
Cindy Goodrich peered out the window of her Vancouver home. She saw police lights flashing and heard the sound of what she thought was fireworks.

Goodrich, a resident of the neighborhood for 14 years, next heard the whirring sound of a drone buzzing overhead in the 5400 block of Northeast 71st Street.

A neighbor, Lila Kuhn, awoke to flashing lights and the sound of popping. Those in the area received phone calls and text messages instructing them to stay inside.

It was scary, said Kuhn. It was very, very scary to wake up to.

It wasnt until hours later that residents discovered that the disturbance in the early hours of Friday morning was the result of a shootout between one of their neighbors and local police. A Vancouver police officer shot and killed the man after police said he fired at law enforcement.

Clark County Sheriffs deputies had responded at around 11 p.m. Thursday to reports of an altercation between neighbors, with one making threats and yelling.

The 911 caller said the man making the threats was armed with a handgun and slashed residents tires with a knife. Another resident reported to police that the same man was aggressive and possibly shot a gun in the air.

Police said they reached the man on the phone, attempting to deescalate the situation. He did not comply and threatened to shoot at deputies, police said.

Police have not identified the man.

Around 12:45 a.m. Friday, the man moved to his driveway and fired a round into the air, police said. He then barricaded himself inside his home, and police asked him to allow the two female residents of the house to leave. Deputies then heard several more shots.

One resident woke up around 1 a.m. to the sound of a loudspeaker shouting, Drop the gun. No one wants to hurt you. Between 1 a.m. and 2:30 a.m., the man fired several shots at authorities using a high powered rifle, police said.

At around 1:24 a.m., the Southwest Washington Regional SWAT team responded. Authorities used armored vehicles to set up a perimeter around the home, and the man began firing at the vehicles and setting up a barricade.

An immediate neighbor heard over the loudspeakers, Put the rifle down, Mike. Authorities also yelled, Mike, youre under arrest. The neighbor said this went on until 2:30 a.m. The man reportedly yelled expletives at law enforcement.

A Clark County Sheriff's Office deputy speaks with another person near the 5400 block of NE 71st Street. A Vancouver police officer shot and killed a man who was reportedly shooting at law enforcement early Friday.Zaeem Shaikh/The Oregonian

Police said the man shot a SWAT armored vehicle and nearly shattered its front windshield.

At about 2:36 a.m., an officer saw him standing at a sliding door of a residence armed with a rifle and wearing what authorities say was a ballistic helmet and a gas mask. A Vancouver police officer fired his weapon at the man.

The man was pronounced dead at the scene.

By around 3 a.m., police lifted the shelter-in-place order.

Authorities did not say how many shots officers fired at the man nor how many times he fired at them. The officer who shot and killed the man has been placed on critical-incident leave along with another officer who was inside the SWAT vehicle when its windshield was struck by a bullet.

As of Friday afternoon, the Lower Columbia Major Crimes Team and Washington State Police were still collecting evidence. Police tape blocked off parts of the neighborhood as residents attempted to get to their homes.

Recounting the incident, many neighbors said they were distraught. Kuhn said the neighborhood is mostly quiet and she had never experienced anything like this.

The front door of the mans residence was heavily damaged, and his back fence was broken down. A military-style vehicle belonging to the sheriffs office was parked in the backyard.

Kuhn, a 20-year resident of the neighborhood, said the event was both disturbing and shocking. She described the neighborhood as usually very quiet. She and her husband are baffled that this could happen, she said.

Im originally from Nebraska, said Goodrich. And this neighborhood is even quieter than where Im from, if that tells you anything. Well, usually quieter.

 Zaeem Shaikh covers the Portland Police Bureau and criminal justice issues for The Oregonian/OregonLive. Reach him at 503-221-4323, zshaikh@oregonian.com or on X @zaeemshake.

 Tyler Brown is a breaking news reporter for The Oregonian/OregonLive. You can reach him at tbrown2@oregonian.com or 503-221-8243.
The coroner in Yakima County, Washington, is accused of multiple crimes after he claimed he was poisoned with drugs and then admitted he had been snorting illicit substances he took off corpses, the Yakima Herald-Republic reported Wednesday.

Yakima police are accusing Jim Curtice of evidence tampering, making false statements and official misconduct, according to the Herald-Republic. Curtice did not respond to a request for comment from The Oregonian/OregonLive on Friday.
Food Foray, a locally made documentary series, is an example of a thriving sub-genre of culinary programming, specifically the concept of focusing on food as a way to explore aspects of a culture and people.

A Metro East Community Media project, Food Foray is a documentary series that, so far, at least, consists of three episodes, which will screen on Saturday. Director Ivana Horvat told The Oregonian/OregonLive that she hopes to make more episodes.

The first three installments feature interviews with immigrants from the Republic of Georgia, the Oaxaca region of Mexico, and Myanmar. Incorporating trips to East Portland markets, scenes of people cooking dishes native to their culture, and images of what looks like truly delicious food, the docuseries also goes into detail about why immigrants came to the Portland area, and what their experiences have been like.

Horvat told The Oregonian/OregonLive that she hoped Food Foray could help raise awareness about East Multnomah County, one of the most diverse areas in Oregon.

While national media regularly showers praise on Portland as a food city, East Multnomah County has its own authentic, no-frills food scene, Horvat said, provided by a lot of the people that were resettled here.

Related: Food Foray screening Saturday highlights East Multnomah Countys diverse food, culture

The three 20-minute episodes of Food Foray will screen at 2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 28, at Milagro Theatre, 525 S.E. Stark St. The screening, which will include Spanish subtitles, will be followed by community discussions about the stories and topics explored in the series. Theres a suggested donation of $10, and every ticket holder will receive complimentary food and drinks. To purchase tickets, go to this link.

 Kristi Turnquist covers features and entertainment. Reach her at 503-221-8227, kturnquist@oregonian.com or @Kristiturnquist

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A 4.6-magnitude earthquake roiled ocean waters off the coast of Northern California Friday evening.

The tremor struck at 7:06 p.m. about 129 miles from Piston River, Oregon, and 157 miles from Eureka, California at a depth of just over 6 miles, according to the United States Geological Survey. There are no reports of damage.

Earthquakes of magnitude 4.0-4.9 are considered light. Such quakes off the Oregon coast are common and suggest continued strain building along the Cascadia Subduction Zone, which runs from Northern California to British Columbia, Canada.

Experts say theres a 10-15% likelihood of a severe earthquake along the Cascadia Subduction Zone in the next 50 years. Such a quake might devastate much of the Oregon coast and cause significant damage in Portland.

 The Oregonian/OregonLive Public Safety Team
Lake Oswego businessman Mike Erickson blames his failed 2022 bid for the U.S. House of Representatives on what he says were underhanded campaign ads from his victorious competitor, Democrat Andrea Salinas. Two years later, he has rolled up his sleeves for a rematch.

The pair are facing off to represent Oregons 6th Congressional District, home to roughly 475,000 voters who live in and near wine country west of Interstate 5 from Tigard to south of Salem.
BRUSSELS, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- Vice President of the European Commission Josep Borrell has stressed the need for immediate efforts towards the two-state solution, rather than waiting for a ceasefire, in solving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

"If you want to build the two-state solution, do not wait for the ceasefire. Start working on it from now on," Borrell told the Council on Foreign Relations, an influential U.S. foreign policy think tank, in New York on Friday.

The idea that we can start building peace after we stop the war is utopical and completely contrary to the dark reality, said Borrell, who is also the High Representative of the European Union (EU) for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. "We have to overlap the two processes," he noted.

Borrell has promoted the solution of creating a Palestinian state at several events on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly meeting.

At the Ministerial side event on the Middle East Peace Process on Friday, Borrell said "We have responsibility to thousands and thousands of innocent children who were killed" while warning that the way Israel has been conducting wars in the Middle East is certainly not a way to ensure security for Israel.

"These attacks against Lebanon have been creating such a great number of civilian casualties that cannot be justified by the right to defense," Borrell noted.

Israel has pounded Lebanon since Monday morning, killing over 700 people and injuring nearly 2,200 others, according to figures released by the Lebanese Health Ministry.

He also pledged that the EU will continue to support the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).

"We are the biggest supporter to UNRWA. We reaffirm our unwavering commitment to provide critical resources to ensure the agency's ongoing operations, and we call to international community to join us in this effort," Borrell said at the UNRWA Ministerial Level meeting in New York.

"Together we can make a tangible difference in the life of millions of people, nothing less than that," he added. 
A couple in Arkansas have been arrested after they tried to sell their baby for $1,000 and a six-pack.

The couple, identified as 21-year-old Darien Urban and 20-year-old Shalene Ehlers, created a self-made contract granting custody of the baby, identified as Cody Martin, to another person. In exchange, they would be given $1,000, according to WREG News Channel 3, citing an affidavit from Detective Wes Grube, the lead investigator in the case.

The self-made contract, which was signed by both Urban and Ehlers, also noted that they could no longer change their minds after giving the baby over and added that there should be no contact with the "buyer" after the deal is done.

Couple Deals Baby for Beer, Money

Urban and Ehlers were arrested after a manager at Hide Away Campground told the Benton County Sheriff's Office of the "deal." The manager said the couple attempted to sell their baby to a resident at the site, later identified as Ricky Crawford.

Deputies spoke to Crawford who said he offered to take the baby because he was "concerned" about his welfare. He added that the couple agreed if he gave them a six-pack. Crawford brought the baby to a second camper staying at the site. The police did not release information about the second camper's identity.

READ ALSO : Children as Young as 8 Are Being Drugged, Smuggled Into the US

Witnesses who spoke to law enforcement said the couple later visited the other camper to sell their baby for $1,000. The second man agreed to the deal but sent the couple away, explaining that he would bring them the $1,000 cash the next day. He never pushed through with the deal. Instead, he brought the letter to the campground owner, who then called 911.

Police officers who responded to the campground on Sept. 21 found Martin in need of emergency medical services. He was transported to the Children's Hospital. At the time, neither Urban nor Ehlers were present at the site.

Charges Filed Against the Couple

The couple has since been charged with endangering the welfare of a minor and attempting to commit consideration for relinquishing a minor for adoption, per The Star, citing court records. Urban was released with $5,000, while Ehlers remains in custody.
Im pleased to announce that a second (and final) set of sneak peek early screenings for the new Interpreter Foundation film Six Days in August will occur on Monday, 7 October  which is the day after General Conference  in the same nine Cinemark theaters that offered last nights showings: Salt Lake City, Draper, American Fork, Orem, Midvale/Sandy, Farmington, Ogden, Provo, and West Jordan: Six Days in August  Early Access

You might be amused to learn that some vocal hardcore online critics of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (and of me, personally) are planning to do what they can to flood the web with negative reviews of Six Days in August.

This happened with Witnesses, as well. In a number of instances, it was patently obvious that those posting the reviews hadnt even bothered to actually watch the film. They faulted it, for example, because it had failed to mention either plural marriage or the failure of the bank in Kirtland, Ohio, because it was engaged in a cover up of those subjects, trying to erase them  even though entire scenes of Witnesses were devoted to plural marriage and the Kirtland Bank failure.

Im not asking those who saw Six Days in August last night  or who will see it on 7 October, or at its special formal premiere for actors and crew and Interpreter volunteers and major donors on 9 October, or on or after its general theatrical opening on 10 October  to write positive reviews of it, though I obviously hope that audiences will like the movie. But I, we, would very much appreciate it if those who have actually seen the film would share their genuine reactions to it on social media and, when, the opportunities arise, on review websites. Im hoping for honest reactions to the film itself, as opposed to mere pre-scripted expressions of contempt for the Church, disdain for Joseph Smith and Brigham Young, and/or burning hatred of me.

In the meantime, the three brief (roughly two- to three-minute-long) interviews that John Donovan Wilson (aka Brigham Young) and I did on Wednesday morning with Tim Hughes and Amanda Dickson for KSL-Radio are now available at the Six Days in August Facebook page.

It is in one of these interviews that I wrongly identified the theater chain in which the sneak peeks are being given as Carmike, rather than Cinemark. (See In Which I Confess My Ability to Err.) Some have expressed puzzlement at the name Carmike. But the Carmike theaters were, in fact, a real chain. I wasnt hallucinating about them; I didnt make them up. I just got it wrong, and I didnt realize that, as of 2017, the Carmike chain is no more. Now, though, I do. Although an old dog, I can learn.

With all of the attention that Ive been giving to Six Days in August, Ive probably been neglecting tomorrows biennial Temple on Mount Zion conference. Thats tomorrow. Saturday. Please dont overlook it! Ill be there, and I hope to see you there.

Seership, Craftsmanship, and Fellowship: The Seventh Interpreter Matthew B. Brown Memorial Conference

As you can readily see, and as was prophesied by an anonymous critic years ago, the Interpreter Foundation is dead, or at least breathing its last. Inquiring minds want to know: Will Interpreter survive into next week? Stay tuned! In the meanwhile, here below are a few more of its final gasps, the first four of which were published just a few minutes ago:

More Evidence for Alma as a Semitic Name, written by Neal Rappleye and Allen Hansen

Abstract: Beginning with Hugh Nibley, several Latter-day Saint scholars have highlighted a deed found among the Bar Kokhba documents as evidence of the name Alma as a Jewish male name in antiquity. Here we highlight a second attestation of the same name used for a Jewish male from a slightly earlier period, as well as other evidence from Hebrew toponymy that helps corroborate not only that Alma is a Hebrew name, but also supports the etymology proposed by Latter-day Saint scholars and is suggestive of wordplays previously identified in the Book of Mormon text. Past critics have mocked the name Alma as a feminine name, but since this criticism has now been answered, some have pivoted to claiming that Alma was, in fact, a mans name in Joseph Smiths time and place. We investigate this claim and demonstrate that the evidence for Alma as a male name in the United Statesand specifically upstate New Yorkduring the early 1800s has been vastly overstated. Overall, this combination of data suggests that Alma in the Book of Mormon is better accounted for by the ancient rather than modern evidence.

Interpreting Interpreter: A Semitic Alma, written by Kyler Rasmussen

This post is a summary of the article More Evidence for Alma as a Semitic Name by Neal Rappleye and Allen Hansen in Volume 62 of Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship. All of the Interpreting Interpreter articles may be seen at https://interpreterfoundation.org/category/summaries/. An introduction to the Interpreting Interpreter series is available at https://interpreterfoundation.org/interpreting-interpreter-on-abstracting-thought/. The Takeaway: Rappleye and Hansen cover new evidence related to the use of Alma as a male name in ancient Israel and note how straightforward searches for instances of the name in Joseph Smiths time can be misleading.

Accessing Nephis Bountiful: A New Proposal for Reaching Irreantum, written by Warren P. Aston

Abstract: Many Latter-day Saint scholars recognize that an excellent candidate for Nephis Bountiful is found at the inlet Khor Kharfot in southern Oman at the end of the lengthy Wadi Sayq. Many researchers have reasonably assumed that Lehis eastward travel from Nahom must have led to Wadi Sayq, which then leads directly to Khor Kharfot. However, there is a second route, through Wadi Kharfot, that leads to Khor Kharfot, joining Wadi Sayq near the inlet. Although almost unknown, this second wadi could also have offered a plausible route with some advantages to travelers arriving from the interior desert plateau. Specifics and details of terrain, distances, and directions are presented to support seriously considering this new proposal.

Interpreting Interpreter: Through Wadi Kharfot, written by Kyler Rasmussen

This post is a summary of the article Accessing Nephis Bountiful: A New Proposal for Reaching Irreantum by Warren P. Aston in Volume 62 of Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship. All of the Interpreting Interpreter articles may be seen at https://interpreterfoundation.org/category/summaries/. An introduction to the Interpreting Interpreter series is available at https://interpreterfoundation.org/interpreting-interpreter-on-abstracting-thought/. The Takeaway: Aston proposes that Lehis group may have had the option of traveling to Bountiful through the shorter and narrowerbut perhaps more easily traversedWadi Kharfot, in addition to the lengthier and broader Wadi Sayq.

Hugh Nibley Observed: Hugh Winder Nibley: The Man, the Scholar, the Legacy, written by Gary P. Gillum

While I was investigating The Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints in 1969, after spending seven years studying to be a minister of the gospel, there were two things I was reading: the Book of Mormon and an article a ward member had given me, A New Look at the Pearl of Great Price, written by a scholar named Hugh Nibley. I had never heard of the Pearl of Great Price nor of Hugh Nibley, but what really surprised me as I read the article was that a scholar could combine faith and scholarship in such a remarkable mannerespecially after I had read so much Protestant theology. Here was a fascinating article on an unknown subject by an unknown author which reflected both scholarly rigor and steadfast faith, together with an attitude of awareness and openness that converted me to the proposition that I could study anything known or unknown, in or out of space and time, from both earthly and heavenly teachers, and from many perspectives. Part of our book chapter reprint series, this article originally appeared in Hugh Nibley Observed, edited by Jeffrey M. Bradshaw, Shirley S. Ricks, and Stephen T. Whitlock. For more information, go to https://interpreterfoundation.org/books/hugh-nibley-observed/.

Now, however, as it often does, this blog goes very dark. We turn to the endless litany of horrors that is to be found in the Christopher Hitchens Memorial How Religion Poisons Everything File for two chilling specimens:

At Our Very, Very Best: Thousands of Volunteers Help With National Day of Service Projects Across the Country: From packing meals to cleaning up neighborhoods, 9/11 was remembered through acts of love

Church Donation Enhances Early Cancer Diagnosis for Uruguayan Children: Leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ visit the Perez Scremini Foundation in Montevideo
This photo taken on Sept. 28, 2024 shows smoke rising following an Israeli airstrike in Khiam, Lebanon. Israeli warplanes launched a series of air raids on Hezbollah sites and towns and villages in southern and eastern Lebanon early Saturday morning, said Lebanese military sources. (Photo by Taher Abu Hamdan/Xinhua)

BEIRUT, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- Israeli warplanes launched a series of air raids on Hezbollah sites and towns and villages in southern and eastern Lebanon early Saturday morning, said Lebanese military sources.

The sources, who spoke anonymously, told Xinhua that Israeli warplanes carried out more than 100 airstrikes on southern Lebanon and about 50 on towns and villages in eastern Lebanon.

They added that the raids targeted Hezbollah sites and the outskirts of dozens of towns, in addition to open areas, valleys and forests.

The Israeli military claimed after the massive attacks on Saturday that Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was killed in an airstrike on the Lebanese militant group's target in the southern suburbs of Beirut.

"Most of the raids in southern Lebanon targeted towns and villages surrounding the cities of Tyre and Nabatieh, the heights of the Jezzine region, Iqlim al-Tuffah, and the border villages extending from the southeast village of Kafr Kila to the outskirts of Naqoura in the west," said the Lebanese sources.

The strikes targeted four civil defense centers, wounding five people who were transferred to a hospital in the city of Nabatieh, while in eastern Lebanon, the raids hit the city of Baalbek and surrounding villages, according to the sources.

Confrontations between Hezbollah and Israel have escalated recently after the latter announced the expansion of its offensive against Hamas to Lebanon.

Meanwhile, Hezbollah announced the start of a new phase in its battle to support Gaza. 

This photo taken on Sept. 28, 2024 shows smoke rising following an Israeli airstrike in Khiam, Lebanon. Israeli warplanes launched a series of air raids on Hezbollah sites and towns and villages in southern and eastern Lebanon early Saturday morning, said Lebanese military sources. (Photo by Taher Abu Hamdan/Xinhua)

This photo taken on Sept. 28, 2024 shows smoke rising following an Israeli airstrike in Khiam, Lebanon. Israeli warplanes launched a series of air raids on Hezbollah sites and towns and villages in southern and eastern Lebanon early Saturday morning, said Lebanese military sources. (Photo by Taher Abu Hamdan/Xinhua)

This photo taken on Sept. 28, 2024 shows smoke rising following an Israeli airstrike in Khiam, Lebanon. Israeli warplanes launched a series of air raids on Hezbollah sites and towns and villages in southern and eastern Lebanon early Saturday morning, said Lebanese military sources. (Photo by Taher Abu Hamdan/Xinhua)
The University of Media, Arts and Communication (UniMAC) has indefinitely postponed the start of the 2024/2025 academic year due to the ongoing strike by administrative workers unions across public universities in Ghana.



The striking groups include the Teachers and Educational Workers Union (TEWU), the Senior Staff Association of Universities of Ghana (SSA-UoG), and the Federation of Senior Staff Association of Ghana (FUSSAG).



The strike, which commenced on Monday, September 16, 2024, stems from unresolved issues such as the failure of the Controller and Accountant General's Department (CAGD) to implement approved vehicle maintenance and off-campus allowances, despite receiving approval from the Ministry of Finance in August 2024.



In a statement issued on Thursday, September 26 2024, UniMAC confirmed that the academic year, initially scheduled to begin on September 30, 2024, will be delayed until further notice.



Management deeply regrets any inconvenience this may cause and assures the UniMAC community that we are closely monitoring the situation, the statement added



The university confirmed that admission processes for prospective students, short courses and special programmes will continue as scheduled.

Source: Graphiconline









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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The government should allow stakeholders in the educational space to support the financing of Free Senior High School (SHS) education instead of insisting on exclusively funding it, panelists at the Mfantsipim Old Boys Association (MOBA) Annual Engagement Series have advocated.



They said the government should leverage the goodwill of old students of SHSs, religious organisations and companies to support the Free SHS policy and education in general to ensure a sustainable means of funding education.



One of the panelists and a Senior Lecturer at the University of Ghana School of Law, Dr Kweku Ainuson, however, said such support should be institutionalised with incentives for those willing to help.



I think the government should put its money where its mouth is. There should be tax incentives for us to contribute to education. There are companies willing to help fund education, but there are no incentives, he said.



Dr Ainuson said other countries had diversified funding for education, with many educational institutions having endowment funds that had more money through the support from the government.



Such endowment funds, he explained, were mostly supported by old students of such institutions, who were willing to donate because of the existing frameworks for their establishments.



Fortunately for Ghana, affinity to schools is more at the SHS level, with old students willing to go all out to support their schools. Unfortunately, organising alumni is done at the school level. There are no rules and no encouragement or support from the government, he added.

Source: Graphiconline









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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The Ghana Police Service has debunked reports that Madam Grace Asantewaa is 68 years old as claimed.



In an update, the police stated she is 50 years old and has been charged with the offence of exposing a child to danger.



In a statement, the police explained why Madam Grace Asantewaa was arrested with her 12-year-old girl.



In "the case of the 12-year-old child and the 68-year-old woman, in the course of the arrest, Police realized that one of the suspects, Grace Asantewaa, a 50-year-old woman, who is being reported as a 68-year-old, had a child with her."



"In order not to separate the child from the woman, the child was allowed to accompany her to the Police Station. At the Police Station, Police provided the child with food and for the sake of the child, her guardian, Grace Asantewaa, was granted a Police enquiry bail and allowed to go home with the child" the police stated.



"We would like to use this opportunity to advise members of the public to be mindful of involving our beloved children in activities that have the potential to expose them to danger," the police statement added.









Source: Peacefmonline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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The National Petroleum Authority (NPA) has cautioned commercial drivers against refueling vehicles with passengers onboard.



The Authority said such a practice endangered the lives of passengers as they were exposed to harmful chemicals.



Speaking at the NPA Central Regional sensitization durbar in Cape Coast, the Central Regional Manager of the NPA, Mr. Michael Opoku-Obiri, said one of the primary risks associated with refueling is the inhalation of toxic fumes.



He explained that gasoline contains harmful chemicals like benzene, a known carcinogen. These fumes can easily enter vehicles through open windows or doors, exposing passengersespecially children and the elderlyto health risks such as nausea, dizziness, and respiratory issues.



He noted that despite the open, well-ventilated nature of most fuel stations, drivers often overlook the dangers of trapped fumes inside vehicles.



Many drivers routinely stop at gas stations without asking passengers to exit the vehicle. Whether rushing to drop kids at school, heading to work, or running errands, refueling with passengers inside the car is a common practice.



However, this seemingly harmless habit has serious safety implications, with the most significant danger being the risk of fire.



From January to July 2023, Ghana recorded 3,819 fire incidents across various sectors, with commercial and fuel-related fires being major contributors. In light of the frequent fire outbreaks at gas and filling stations in recent years, Nana Aduam stressed the need for increased public education on safety measures related to fuel and gas usage.



Mr. Opoku-Obiri indicated that the Authority had implemented several safety regulations to ensure public safety at fuel stations.



He explained that while refueling may seem like a routine task, it carries significant risks that are often underestimated.



By taking simple precautions, such as ensuring passengers exit the vehicle and remaining vigilant about potential hazards, drivers can significantly reduce the dangers associated with refueling, he said.



Mr. Opoku-Obiri also noted that although specific rules governing the refueling of commercial vehicles are not publicly available in one comprehensive document, general safety guidelines and warnings are emphasized.



He gave the assurance that the NPA will continue its efforts to raise awareness, educate, and inform dealers of petroleum products, consumers, and passengers about the dangers of neglecting safety measures in the use of gas and fuel.







Source: B&FT









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Gideon Boako, the spokesperson for Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, has described the recent Democracy Hub protest as primarily politically motivated rather than genuinely focused on conservation issues.



His remarks follow demonstrations aimed at drawing attention to the detrimental effects of illegal mining and urging immediate government action, which resulted in the arrest of several protesters.



Dr. Boako argued that the protest's agenda appeared to be more aligned with political opposition than with authentic environmental concerns.



In an interview on Peace FM on Friday, September 27, he expressed disappointment at what he views as the exploitation of legitimate environmental issues for political gain.



He suggested that while the concerns surrounding illegal mining are valid, the protests timing and nature seem designed to undermine the government's credibility as elections approach.



According to Dr. Boako, this focus on political agendas detracts from the vital objective of safeguarding Ghanas natural resources.



He emphasized the importance of constructive dialogue between the government and citizens for effective environmental conservation.



He acknowledged that the government has made significant progress in addressing illegal mining and protecting the countrys resources, asserting that protests should not overshadow these ongoing efforts.



Instead, he called for more collaborative approaches to conservation, urging stakeholders to prioritize cooperation over divisive actions.



"Demonstrations are part of our culture. Sometimes you can have a one-man demonstration or a two-man demonstration. What the democracy hub guys recently organized could have good intentions but what happened wasnt right. If the intention was to get persons in authority to act, is that how to go about it? Destroying peoples properties and having fisticuffs with police? Blocking for major roads leading to hospitals like 37 Military Hospital."



"So their behaviour on the day brings into question their whole motive behind the protest. Anyone leading a protest and believing that if any human being dies, is nothing, means their demonstration was more political than conservationists. So I believe there is no genuine demonstration two or three months to the election. It is a political protest, not genuine. They used galamsey as a decoy."





Source: King Edward Ambrose Washman/Peacefmonline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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The man who was charged with 50 offenses after police said he slashed another man in the face with a knife and stole a credit card from an unlocked car in the Hersheypark parking lot is incarcerated in the Dauphin County Prison.

Court documents show Huley Williams, 63, of Brooklyn, N.Y., was arraigned and booked into Dauphin County Prison on Sept. 17. Among the 50 charges he faces are robbery, theft from a motor vehicle, aggravated assault and criminal use of a communication facility.

Williams had his bail denied and will appear at a preliminary hearing on Oct. 8.

Police were made aware of the incident after a man and his family returned to their car in the Hersheypark parking lot around 1 p.m. July 27 and found someone rummaging through the backseat. After the robber, who police later identified as Williams, was confronted, he slashed the man in the face and ran away with a stolen credit card.

The credit card was used later that day to make fraudulent purchases in Bensalem Township, Bucks County, police said.

Isabel Santos , 44, of Jersey City, N.J., also is wanted in connection to the parking lot incident. Santos is charged with 46 offenses, including theft from a motor vehicle, criminal use of a communication facility and theft. Police did not charge Santos with assault or robbery and she is still wanted as of Friday.

Anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of Santos is asked to contact the Derry Township Police Department at 717-534-2202.
By Jesse Bunch, The Philadelphia Inquirer (TNS)

Former Jackass star Bam Margera was to be released from jail this week and admitted to a short-term rehabilitation facility.

A judges decision Wednesday to release Margera from Chester County Prison came after the 44-year-old spent a week in jail for violating his probation agreement, which stems from more than a year of legal troubles for the former reality TV star.

Pennsylvania State Police charged Margera in Fulton County on Sept. 16 with misdemeanor driving under the influence of alcohol and reckless driving; two days later, Chester County authorities placed him in custody for violating his probations drug and alcohol condition.

Former "Jackass" star Bam Margera at a hearing in Chester County, Pennsylvania, on July 27, 2023. He was arrested in Pennsylvania in September 2024, but released to rehab. (Jose F. Moreno/The Philadelphia Inquirer/TNS, file)TNS

Following the ruling from Chester County Court Judge Patrick Carmody, sheriffs deputies led Margera from the courtroom. According to his defense team, Margera was expected to be released from jail Wednesday and admitted to an inpatient facility in the West Chester area.

The stay at the rehabilitation facility is expected to last 28 days unless recovery experts decide otherwise.

The bottom line here is everybody from the prosecutor to the probation officer, the judge to the defense team, realizes he needs treatment  not punishment, said William J. Brennan, an attorney for Margera, after the brief hearing. Thats whats going to happen.

Margeras attorneys said that the former reality stars renewed focus on his artistic career and his recent marriage to Danielle Marie have kept him largely on a path to sobriety, and that this one hiccup didnt define him.

The hardest problem for Bam being in jail was that he wasnt with his new wife, he wasnt with the people he loves, said Michael T. van der Veen, another attorney on Margeras defense team. He wants to get back doing the things he loves.

Margera faces no pending criminal charges in either Chester County or Fulton County, according to Brennan.

His attorneys said his initial probation  a six-month period of drug testing Carmody ordered earlier this year  will continue for the next three months.

In April 2023, the former reality star made headlines after he was accused of assaulting his brother and making terroristic threats toward other relatives at the Pocopson home known as Castle Bam.

That summer, Margera was cited for disorderly conduct and public drunkenness at the Main Lines Radnor Hotel; those charges were later dropped.

In June, Margera pleaded guilty to two counts of disorderly conduct in his Chester County case.
DOUGLAS, Ariz.  Vice President Kamala Harris walked a scrubby stretch of fence line along Arizonas border with Mexico on Friday, seeking to project an image of strength against illegal migration as she confronts one of her biggest vulnerabilities in the November election.

In her first trip to the international boundary since becoming the Democratic presidential nominee, Harris chatted with local Border Patrol leaders as they strode along a rust-colored stretch of wall built during Barack Obamas presidency. Temperatures in Douglas, Arizona, neared 100 degrees during a conversation that lasted about half an hour.

Theyve got a tough job, and they need, rightly, support to do their job, Harris said of the Border Patrol as she entered the Douglas port of entry for a briefing on efforts to block the flow of fentanyl across the border. They are very dedicated. And so Im here to talk with them about what we can continue to do to support them. And also thank them for the hard work they do.

Later, she was expected to call for further tightening asylum restrictions, moving beyond President Joe Bidens policy on an issue where her rival, former President Donald Trump, has an edge with voters. Hundreds of people packed into a gymnasium to hear her speak.

Trump and his fellow Republicans have pounded Harris relentlessly over the Biden administrations record on migration and fault the vice president for spending little time visiting the border during her time in the White House.

Harris will outline her plan to crack down further on asylum claims and keep the restrictions in place longer compared to the executive order that Biden signed this summer, according to a campaign official who spoke on condition of anonymity because Harris had not yet made the announcement. The official briefed reporters aboard Air Force 2 en route to Arizona.

Harris arrived by helicopter in Douglas, where she met with Mayor Donald Huish, Cochise County Sheriff Mark Dannels and County Supervisor Ann English, along with Sen. Mark Kelly and Attorney General Kris Mayes.

Immigration and border security are top issues in Arizona, the only battleground state that borders Mexico and one that contended with a record influx of asylum seekers last year. Voters favor Trump on migration, and Harris has gone on offense to improve her standing on the issue and defuse a key line of political attack for Trump.

In nearly every campaign speech she gives, Harris recounts how a sweeping bipartisan package aiming to overhaul the federal immigration system collapsed in Congress earlier this year after Trump urged top Republicans to oppose it.

The American people deserve a president who cares more about border security than playing political games, Harris plans to say, according to an excerpt of her remarks previewed by her campaign.

After the immigration legislation stalled, the Biden administration announced rules that bar migrants from being granted asylum when U.S. officials deem that the southern border is overwhelmed. Since then, arrests for illegal border crossings have fallen.

Harris will also use her trip to remind voters about her work as attorney general of California in confronting crime along the border. During an August rally in Glendale, outside Phoenix, she talked about helping to prosecute drug- and people-smuggling gangs that operated transnationally and at the border.

I prosecuted them in case after case, and I won, Harris said then.

The vice presidents trip to Douglas thrusts the issue of immigration into the brightest spotlight yet less than six weeks before Election Day.

Trump didnt wait for her to arrive there before pushing back. He pointed Friday to purported data about criminals entering the U.S. illegally in a bid to link Harris to violent crimes committed by migrants. In a scathing diatribe, he said blood is on her hands.

These are hard, tough, vicious criminals that are free to roam in our country, Trump said at a manufacturing plant in Michigan.

Earlier in the week, he told voters that when Kamala speaks about the border, her credibility is less than zero.

The Trump campaign has also countered with its own TV ads deriding the vice president as a failed border czar.

Under Harris, over 10 million illegally here, said one spot. However, estimates on how many people have entered the country illegally since the start of the Biden administration in 2021 vary widely.

Harris also never held the position of border czar. Instead, her assignment was to tackle the root causes of migration from three Central American nations  El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras  that were responsible for a significant share of border crossers.

The vice president took a long-term approach to an immediate problem, helping persuade multinational corporations and Latin American businesses to invest in the region. That, she argued, would create jobs and give locals more reasons to stay home rather than take the arduous trek north.

Still, Trump has continued to decry an invasion of border crossers.

Douglas, where Harris appeared, is an overwhelmingly Democratic border town in GOP-dominated Cochise County, where the Republicans on the board of supervisors are facing criminal charges for refusing to certify the 2022 election results. Trump was in the area last month, using a remote stretch of border wall and a pile of steel beams to draw a contrast between himself and Harris on border security.

.
Huang Zongde tells his story during the wars in an interview on Sept. 10, 2024. (Photo by Jin Xianbin/Xinhua)

TIANJIN, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- In the quiet of his modest home in north China's Tianjin Municipality, 93-year-old Huang Zongde, a veteran of China's revolutionary wars, sits surrounded by mementos of a life spent in service.

His weathered hands, once steady on a submachine gun, now gently trace the outlines of medals that tell a story of valor and devotion.

During a ceremony to be held on Sunday in Beijing, national medals and national honorary titles will be conferred on 15 individuals, with Huang named among the recipients of the Medal of the Republic.

This recognition comes as the People's Republic of China prepares to mark the 75th anniversary of its founding, which falls on Oct. 1.

Huang was born in 1931 to an impoverished farmer's family in Rongcheng, east China's Shandong Province, and his journey to becoming a war hero began during the pivotal years of China's revolutionary era.

Inspired by his sister and brother-in-law, both underground members of the Communist Party of China (CPC), Huang joined the youth vanguard for resistance against Japanese aggression, helping with message delivery and guard duties.

At 17, Huang enlisted in the People's Liberation Army, marking the beginning of a decades-long military career. His first experience in combat came during the Crossing-the-Yangtze Campaign in 1949, a 42-day battle which, as part of the War of Liberation, led to the liberation of the major cities of Nanjing, Shanghai and Wuhan, the whole provinces of Jiangsu and Anhui, and parts of the provinces of Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Hubei and Fujian. "I couldn't swim," Huang recalls, "but I had one belief: I couldn't die here, and we had to liberate all of China."

The young soldier's resolve was further tested during the War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea. In August 1952, at the age of 21, Huang was deployed to the Korean battlefield. In July 1953, during the battle in Kumsong, Huang's company was assigned to attack a heavily fortified enemy position.

Despite suffering from dysentery and high fever, Huang insisted on joining the assault on July 13. "Even if I die, I want to die on the battlefield!" he declared. Leading his squad through a harrowing nightlong battle, Huang breached seven rows of barbed wire and overwhelmed the enemy's outpost, before joining another mission to destroy multiple enemy strongpoints.

The next day, Huang encountered enemy soldiers hiding in a trench. Facing them alone, his submachine gun damaged and suffering from a chest wound, Huang did not retreat. Determined to fight to the death, he used his remaining grenades and explosives to blast open the trench. The overwhelmed enemy soldiers quickly surrendered.

"My gun had stopped working," Huang recalls. "To keep the enemy on edge, I shouted, 'Squad Five, Squad Six, move in!' But in reality, it was just me. There were no other squads."

In that battle, Huang single-handedly destroyed three enemy bunkers, killed seven enemy soldiers and captured 22.

For his bravery, Huang was awarded the title of "Second-Class Combat Hero" by the headquarters of the Chinese People's Volunteers and received a first-class merit citation.

More than 70 years later, Huang's voice still breaks with emotion when he recalls his fallen comrades. "They are the true heroes," he says, his eyes filling with tears. "I accepted these honors on their behalf."

After returning from the battlefield, Huang continued to serve, rising through the ranks to become a deputy division commander-level official. His devotion to the CPC, which he joined in June 1949, has remained steadfast. "It was the Party that transformed me from a poor boy into a revolutionary soldier," he reflects.

This loyalty, however, never became a tool for personal gain. When his son sought his help in finding post-military employment, Huang firmly responded, "CPC members have no special rights. You must handle this on your own."

Even in retirement, Huang's commitment to his ideals never wavered. He became a passionate advocate for patriotic education, serving as an out-of-school counsellor for multiple primary and secondary schools, and delivering dozens of talks at government organizations, enterprises and communities.

Now in his 90s, Huang still closely follows national affairs, watching TV news and reading newspapers daily.

"A strong military guarantees national peace," he says. 

This file photo taken on Feb. 15, 1954 shows Huang Zongde (1st R) posing with his comrades in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. (Xinhua)
PERRY, Fla.  Hurricane Helene left an enormous path of destruction across Florida and the entire southeastern U.S. on Friday, killing at least 40 people in four states, snapping towering oaks like twigs, tearing apart homes and sending rescue crews on desperate missions to save people from floodwaters.

The Category 4 hurricane knocked out power to some hospitals in southern Georgia, and Gov. Brian Kemp said authorities had to use chainsaws to clear debris and open up roads. The storm had maximum sustained winds of 140 mph when it made landfall late Thursday in a sparsely populated region in Floridas rural Big Bend area, home to fishing villages and vacation hideaways where Floridas Panhandle and peninsula meet.

Moodys Analytics said Friday it expects $15 to $26 billion in property damage.

That damage extended hundreds of miles northward to northeast Tennessee, where a " dangerous rescue situation " by helicopter unfolded after 54 people were moved to the roof of the Unicoi County Hospital as water rapidly flooded the facility. All staff and patients were rescued and no one was left at the hospital as of late Friday afternoon, Ballad Health said.

In North Carolina, a lake featured in the movie Dirty Dancing overtopped a dam. People in surrounding neighborhoods were evacuated, although there were no immediate concerns it would fail. People also were evacuated from Newport, Tennessee, a city of about 7,000 people, amid concerns about a dam near there, although officials later said the structure hadnt failed.

Venice Police Department rescue crews assist residents after conducting door-to-door wellness checks in coastal areas that were flooded by Hurricane Helene on Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, in Venice, Florida.Venice Police Department via AP

Tornadoes hit some areas, including one in Nash County, North Carolina, that critically injured four people.

Atlanta received a record 11.12 inches of rain in 48 hours, the most the city has seen in a two-day period since record keeping began in 1878, Georgias Office of the State Climatologist said on the social platform X. The previous mark of 9.59 inches was set in 1886. Some neighborhoods were so badly flooded that only car roofs could be seen poking above the water.

Climate change has exacerbated conditions that allow such storms to thrive, rapidly intensifying in warming waters and turning into powerful hurricanes and typhoons, sometimes in a matter of hours.

When Laurie Lilliott pulled onto her street in Dekle Beach, Florida, after Helene plowed through, she couldnt see the roofline of her home beyond the palm trees. It had collapsed, torn apart by Helenes pounding storm surge, one corner still precariously propped up by a piling.

It took me a long time to breathe, Lilliott said.

As she surveyed the damage, her named and phone number were still inked on her arm in permanent marker, an admonition by Taylor County officials to help identify recovered bodies in the storms aftermath. The community has taken direct hits from three hurricanes since August 2023.

All five who died in one Florida county were in neighborhoods where residents had been told to evacuate, said Bob Gualtieri, the sheriff in Pinellas County in the St. Petersburg area. He said some who stayed because they didnt believe the warnings had to hide in their attics to escape the rising water.

We tried to launch boats, we tried to use high-water vehicles and we just met with too many obstacles, Gualtieri said, warning the death toll could rise as emergency crews go door-to-door in flooded areas.

More deaths were reported in Georgia and the Carolinas, including two South Carolina firefighters who were killed when a tree struck their firetruck.

Video on social media sites showed sheets of rain and siding coming off buildings in Perry, Florida, near where the storm arrived. One news station showed a home that was overturned, and many communities established curfews.

Its really heartbreaking, said Stephen Tucker, after the hurricane peeled the brand-new roof off a church in Perry, which was replaced after Hurricane Idalia last year.

When the water rose up to Kera ONeils knees inside her home in Hudson, Florida, she knew it was time to escape.

Theres a moment where you are thinking, If this water rises above the level of the stove, we are not going to have not much room to breathe, she said, recalling how she and her sister waded through chest-deep water with one cat in a plastic carrier and another in a cardboard box.

In Cedar Key, Florida, Kegan Ward described the terror of tree limbs falling as the storm hit. I didnt know what I was going to wake up to, Ward said.

President Joe Biden said he was praying for survivors as the head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency headed to the area. The agency has deployed more than 1,500 workers, and they helped with 400 rescues by late morning. In Tampa, some areas could be reached only by boat.

Officials warned that floodwater could contain live wires, sewage, sharp objects and other debris.

If you are trapped and need help please call for rescuers  DO NOT TRY TO TREAD FLOODWATERS YOURSELF, the sheriffs office in Citrus County, Florida, warned in a Facebook post.

Nearly 4 million homes and businesses were without power Friday afternoon in Florida, Georgia and South Carolina, according to poweroutage.us, which tracks utility reports.

In Georgia, an electrical utility group warned of catastrophic damage to the states utility infrastructure, with more than 100 high voltage transmission lines damaged. And officials in South Carolina, where more than 40% of homes and businesses were without power, said crews needed to cut their way through debris just to determine what was still standing in some places.

The hurricane came ashore near the mouth of the Aucilla River on Floridas Gulf Coast, about 20 miles (32 kilometers) northwest of where Idalia hit last year at nearly the same ferocity. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said the damage from Helene appeared to be greater than the combined damage of Idalia and Hurricane Debby in August.

Its tough and we understand that. We also understand that this is a resilient state, DeSantis said at a news conference in storm-damaged St. Pete Beach, Florida.

As the hurricanes eye passed near Valdosta, Georgia, a city of 55,000 near the Florida line, dozens of people huddled early Friday in a darkened hotel lobby. Helene is the third storm to strike the city in just over a year.

I feel like a lot of us know what to do now, said Fermin Herrera, 20, cradling his sleeping 2-month-old daughter in a downstairs hallway of the hotel. Weve seen some storms and grown some thicker skins.

Soon after it crossed over land, Helene weakened to a tropical storm and later to a post-tropical cyclone. Forecasters said it continued to produce catastrophic flooding and some areas received more than a foot of rain.

A mudslide in the Appalachian Mountains washed out a section of an interstate at the North Carolina-Tennessee state line. Meanwhile, occupants of homes hit by another mudslide in North Carolina had to wait more than four hours to be rescued, said Ryan Cole, the emergency services assistant director in Buncombe County. His 911 center received more than 3,300 calls in eight hours Friday.

This is something that were going to be dealing with for many days and weeks to come, Cole said.

In North Carolina, forecasters warned of flooding that could be worse than anything seen in the past century. Evacuations were underway and around 300 roads were closed statewide. The Connecticut Army National Guard sent a helicopter to help.

School districts and multiple universities canceled classes. Florida airports that had closed due to the storm reopened Friday. Inspectors were examining bridges and causeways along the Gulf Coast to get them reopened to traffic quickly, the states transportation secretary said.

Helene was the eighth named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, which began June 1. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has predicted an above-average Atlantic hurricane season this year because of record-warm ocean temperatures.
WELLSBORO  A state trooper found guilty of vehicular homicide has asked the state Supreme Court to assume jurisdiction of his case, vacate the jury verdict and grant a new trial with a different judge.

Michael J. Brown 36, in a petition filed Thursday attacked Columbia County Senior Judge Thomas A. James Jr. for not vacating the verdict due to juror misconduct.
Los Angeles Chargers edge rusher Khalil Mack was hit with a significant fine for a roughing the passer penalty against the Pittsburgh Steelers. On the play, Mack is engaged with Steelers right tackle Broderick Jones as he approaches Fields and swats Fields in the head, earning the penalty. Mack was fined $16,883 for the infraction.

The NFL fined Khalil Mack $16,883 for this RTP call for a 'blow to the head or neck area' on Steelers QB Justin Fieldspic.twitter.com/zEHaMXkZYa  Nick Farabaugh (@FarabaughFB) September 28, 2024

The play was called roughing the passer on the field, which likely heightened the fine amount. Mack was one of three players fined, including Chargers star safety Derwin James, who was suspended one game for his hit to the head of Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth.

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Steelers tight end Darnell Washington was fined $6760 after an illegal blindside block hit Mack late in a run play. Those three fines will all go to an association that helps NFL players after their playing days.

It is no surprise to see some of the fines given out in a physical matchup. For the Steelers, Washingtons fine is the first fine that the NFL has given them all season after being the second-most fined team in the NFL in 2023.
Hurricane Helene hit Florida as a powerful Category 4 storm on Thursday, and while its weakened since, its still bringing heavy rain to some states.

The storm center isnt tracking to Pennsylvania, according to the National Hurricane Center, but it will be close. Related flash-flood warnings have been issued in Ohio and West Virginia, and Pennsylvania will continue to get rain.

More: Statewide weather alerts

That includes the Harrisburg area, where its been raining all week  and more wet days are ahead. The National Weather Service forecast calls for rain in central Pennsylvania through at least early Wednesday.

Live radar over Pennsylvania:

On Saturday, the National Weather Service says, the Harrisburg area is expected to have rain on and off, especially in the morning. The Weather Channel shows less than a 20% chance of rain much of the day. The high temperature is forecast to be around in the low 70s.

Stevie Nicks is set to perform in Hershey tonight, at the outdoor stadium, rain or not. Anyone heading to other outdoor events should check for changes in plans or venues.

64 1 / 64 Hurricane Helene and its aftermath, September 2024

Helene has led to the deaths of at least 44 people in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia. Millions are without power, and countless buildings and roads have been destroyed or damaged.

The forecast in central Pennsylvania for the next few days:

Today: Showers, high 74, low 65

Sunday: Showers, high 69, low 63

Monday: Showers, high 69, low 61

Tuesday: Rain, high 68, low 59

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
New Jerseys Bob Van Dillen, a meteorologist with Fox Weather, rescued a woman in Atlanta Friday morning as her car was swallowed by flood waters after Hurricane Helene came ashore.

As he was preparing to report on rising flood waters in Atlanta, Van Dillen, who is an alumnus of Randolph High School, responded to a woman calling for help in a car behind him Friday morning, according to Fox Weather.

I just put the microphone down and called 911, Van Dillen said, according to Fox Weather. I know that those guys are swamped, so we waited about five minutes. She was getting panicked a little bit more because the water was coming up a little bit higher.

Fox Weather reported the woman drove into deep water and her car became disabled.

After a few minutes, Van Dillen headed out to the womans car and was able to pull her out and carry her to safety on his back, video showed.

The woman was reunited with her husband at the scene, and Van Dillen continued his live reporting on Fox Weather.

Hurricane Helene had maximum sustained winds of 140 mph when it hit Florida Thursday night. It weakened to a tropical storm as it moved north into Georgia, but left severe flooding and destruction, including in the Atlanta area.

Later in the broadcast, Van Dillen said he was originally worried about the water temperature when he entered the water to rescue the woman. But, he said it was much milder than he thought, estimating it was about 80 degrees.

I was worried about that. I was worried about the current, but as soon as I started going in I was like screw it, Im getting her, Van Dillen said during the broadcast. I unbuckled her seatbelt, pulled her out, put her on my back and shes fine. Everything worked out fine.

The womans husband thanked Van Dillen several times during the broadcast.

As he continued reporting, Van Dillen pointed out the large-scale flooding in the area and said 60 people had been rescued from an apartment complex about a mile from his location.

Van Dillen has been a meteorologist for over two decades, working in several locations around the country. He joined Fox Weather in 2023.

He grew up in the Shongum Lake area of Randolph in Morris County, New Jersey, and graduated from Randolph High School in 1991.

He previously spent 20 years as the meteorologist for HLNs Morning Express with Robin Meade, according to his bio webpage with Fox.

He has reported on a number of significant storms, including Hurricane Sandy, when he reported from Asbury Park.

Matthew Enuco may be reached at Menuco@njadvancemedia.com. Follow Matt on X.
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Tourists select ice cream on the Liuxing Street in Yining City, Ili Kazak Autonomous Prefecture, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Sept. 27, 2024.

Located in Yining City, Liuxing Street features a unique hexagonal layout designed by a German engineer and built in the mid-1930s. Over the past century, residents from various ethnic groups have lived harmoniously together here.

Under the local authority's efforts of preserving and upgrading the historical block in recent years, the street has seen its historical style preserved and the local residents' living environment improved at the same time, thus attracting lots of tourists for sightseeing and entrepreneurs for investment. (Xinhua/Zhao Yusi)

An ice cream vendor waits for customers on the Liuxing Street in Yining City, Ili Kazak Autonomous Prefecture, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Sept. 27, 2024.

Located in Yining City, Liuxing Street features a unique hexagonal layout designed by a German engineer and built in the mid-1930s. Over the past century, residents from various ethnic groups have lived harmoniously together here.

Under the local authority's efforts of preserving and upgrading the historical block in recent years, the street has seen its historical style preserved and the local residents' living environment improved at the same time, thus attracting lots of tourists for sightseeing and entrepreneurs for investment. (Xinhua/Zhao Yusi)

A woman poses for pictures on the Liuxing Street in Yining City, Ili Kazak Autonomous Prefecture, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Sept. 27, 2024.

Located in Yining City, Liuxing Street features a unique hexagonal layout designed by a German engineer and built in the mid-1930s. Over the past century, residents from various ethnic groups have lived harmoniously together here.

Under the local authority's efforts of preserving and upgrading the historical block in recent years, the street has seen its historical style preserved and the local residents' living environment improved at the same time, thus attracting lots of tourists for sightseeing and entrepreneurs for investment. (Xinhua/Zhao Yusi)

A woman poses for pictures in front of a graffiti wall on the Liuxing Street in Yining City, Ili Kazak Autonomous Prefecture, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Sept. 27, 2024.

Located in Yining City, Liuxing Street features a unique hexagonal layout designed by a German engineer and built in the mid-1930s. Over the past century, residents from various ethnic groups have lived harmoniously together here.

Under the local authority's efforts of preserving and upgrading the historical block in recent years, the street has seen its historical style preserved and the local residents' living environment improved at the same time, thus attracting lots of tourists for sightseeing and entrepreneurs for investment. (Xinhua/Zhao Yusi)

This photo taken on Sept. 27, 2024 shows decorations of a store on the Liuxing Street in Yining City, Ili Kazak Autonomous Prefecture, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

Located in Yining City, Liuxing Street features a unique hexagonal layout designed by a German engineer and built in the mid-1930s. Over the past century, residents from various ethnic groups have lived harmoniously together here.

Under the local authority's efforts of preserving and upgrading the historical block in recent years, the street has seen its historical style preserved and the local residents' living environment improved at the same time, thus attracting lots of tourists for sightseeing and entrepreneurs for investment. (Xinhua/Zhang Chaofan)

Musicians play accordions for tourists at the Alexander accordion collection hall on the Liuxing Street in Yining City, Ili Kazak Autonomous Prefecture, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Sept. 27, 2024.

Located in Yining City, Liuxing Street features a unique hexagonal layout designed by a German engineer and built in the mid-1930s. Over the past century, residents from various ethnic groups have lived harmoniously together here.

Under the local authority's efforts of preserving and upgrading the historical block in recent years, the street has seen its historical style preserved and the local residents' living environment improved at the same time, thus attracting lots of tourists for sightseeing and entrepreneurs for investment. (Xinhua/Zhao Yusi)

A tourist walks on the Liuxing Street in Yining City, Ili Kazak Autonomous Prefecture, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Sept. 27, 2024.

Located in Yining City, Liuxing Street features a unique hexagonal layout designed by a German engineer and built in the mid-1930s. Over the past century, residents from various ethnic groups have lived harmoniously together here.

Under the local authority's efforts of preserving and upgrading the historical block in recent years, the street has seen its historical style preserved and the local residents' living environment improved at the same time, thus attracting lots of tourists for sightseeing and entrepreneurs for investment. (Xinhua/Zhao Yusi)

Tourists take pictures on the Liuxing Street in Yining City, Ili Kazak Autonomous Prefecture, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Sept. 27, 2024.

Located in Yining City, Liuxing Street features a unique hexagonal layout designed by a German engineer and built in the mid-1930s. Over the past century, residents from various ethnic groups have lived harmoniously together here.

Under the local authority's efforts of preserving and upgrading the historical block in recent years, the street has seen its historical style preserved and the local residents' living environment improved at the same time, thus attracting lots of tourists for sightseeing and entrepreneurs for investment. (Xinhua/Zhao Yusi)

Tourists select hats on the Liuxing Street in Yining City, Ili Kazak Autonomous Prefecture, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Sept. 27, 2024.

Located in Yining City, Liuxing Street features a unique hexagonal layout designed by a German engineer and built in the mid-1930s. Over the past century, residents from various ethnic groups have lived harmoniously together here.

Under the local authority's efforts of preserving and upgrading the historical block in recent years, the street has seen its historical style preserved and the local residents' living environment improved at the same time, thus attracting lots of tourists for sightseeing and entrepreneurs for investment. (Xinhua/Zhao Yusi)

A tourist is seen at a restaurant on the Liuxing Street in Yining City, Ili Kazak Autonomous Prefecture, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Sept. 27, 2024.

Located in Yining City, Liuxing Street features a unique hexagonal layout designed by a German engineer and built in the mid-1930s. Over the past century, residents from various ethnic groups have lived harmoniously together here.

Under the local authority's efforts of preserving and upgrading the historical block in recent years, the street has seen its historical style preserved and the local residents' living environment improved at the same time, thus attracting lots of tourists for sightseeing and entrepreneurs for investment. (Xinhua/Zhao Yusi)

Tourists draw oil paintings on the Liuxing Street in Yining City, Ili Kazak Autonomous Prefecture, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Sept. 27, 2024.

Located in Yining City, Liuxing Street features a unique hexagonal layout designed by a German engineer and built in the mid-1930s. Over the past century, residents from various ethnic groups have lived harmoniously together here.

Under the local authority's efforts of preserving and upgrading the historical block in recent years, the street has seen its historical style preserved and the local residents' living environment improved at the same time, thus attracting lots of tourists for sightseeing and entrepreneurs for investment. (Xinhua/Zhao Yusi)

This photo taken on Sept. 27, 2024 shows decorations of a store on the Liuxing Street in Yining City, Ili Kazak Autonomous Prefecture, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

Located in Yining City, Liuxing Street features a unique hexagonal layout designed by a German engineer and built in the mid-1930s. Over the past century, residents from various ethnic groups have lived harmoniously together here.

Under the local authority's efforts of preserving and upgrading the historical block in recent years, the street has seen its historical style preserved and the local residents' living environment improved at the same time, thus attracting lots of tourists for sightseeing and entrepreneurs for investment. (Xinhua/Zhao Yusi)
The final table of Event #3: 1,350 Mini Main Event at the 2024 World Series of Poker Europe has been set. Among the eight players returning today to King's Resort Rozvadov is German player Andreas Krause. Krause's first-ever recorded live cash dates back to 1999, and he has been racking up results continuously since then.

Krause is the only player left with WSOP final table experience, having made three of them throughout his lengthy career. The closest he has ever come to capturing a bracelet was his runner-up finish in a $2,500 Stud Hi/Lo event at the 2000 WSOP in Las Vegas. Today, over 24 years since that day, he will be aiming to go one better and be crowned the champion, walking away with the top prize of 213,350.

However, Krause is facing an uphill battle. Even though he comes back as third in chips with a stack of 14,000,000 or 28 big blinds, chipleader Frederic Marechal will sit down with 43,000,000, more than three times as much. Even Luigi Pignataro, who sits in second place with 17,550,000, is not within reaching distance of taking over Merachal's enormous lead.

Frederic Marechal

The other players who have made the final eight of a field of 1,286 include absolute short stack Luc Ramos, whose 3,775,000 chips represent less than eight big blinds, Day 1 chipleader Xiaohua Yang (11,450,000), and Dimitrios Anastasakis (12,250,000), whose eighth WSOP cash is resulting in his deepest run yet.

Final Table Seating and Chip Counts

Seat Player Country Chip Count Big Blinds 1 Frederik Thiemer Germany 8,950,000 18 2 Luc Ramos Switzerland 3,775,000 8 3 Christopher Campisano Italy 12,600,000 25 4 Frederic Marechal Belgium 43,000,000 86 5 Andreas Krause Germany 14,000,000 28 6 Dimitrios Anastasakis Greece 12,250,000 25 7 Xiaohua Yang China 11,450,000 23 8 Luigi Pignataro Italy 17,550,000 35

The guaranteed prize pool of 1,500,000 was just shy of being met, meaning that the 31,050 all players have guaranteed themselves include a little bit of overlay. Meanwhile, all podium finishers will walk away with six-figure sums, while second and first receive more than 100 buy-ins for their performances.

Remaining Payouts

Place Prize* 1 213,350 2 145,550 3 105,850 4 78,650 5 59,950 6 46,850 7 37,650 8 31,050

* All remaining payouts include a ticket to the 10,350 WSOP Europe Main Event

The final table will kick off at 1 p.m. local time with 28 minutes and 27 seconds remaining in Level 33: 250,000/500,000 with a 500,000 big blind ante. Each subsequent level will have a duration of 60 minutes, and the players will be sent on break after every two levels.

A cards-up live stream will also be broadcast on King's Resort's Twitch and YouTube channels. The streams are on a 30-minute delay, with the live report following the same delay to avoid any spoilers.

Be sure to stick to PokerNews to find out who etches their name in WSOP history as the final table of the Mini Main Event plays down to its winner.
King's Resort in Rozvadov, once just a place where Christopher Campisano shuffled cards and dealt hands as an unassuming dealer, has transformed into the battleground where he etched his name into history.

What was once his workplace has now become an arena where he was crowned a world champion, a stage where every card turned was a step closer to destiny. The dealer's seat is long behind him  and it's the champion's throne that now belongs to Campisano.

After being all-in and at risk four times during the final table, three of which came during heads-up play, Campisano defied the odds to capture his first bracelet and the 213,350 top prize in Event #3: 1,350 Mini Main Event of the 2024 World Series of Poker Europe (WSOPE), by overcoming Frederic Marechal in a fascinating heads-up battle.

Final Table Results

Place Name Country Prize 1 Christopher Campisano Italy 213,950 2 Frederic Marechal Belgium 145,550 3 Dimitrios Anastasakis Greece 105,850 4 Xiaohua Yang China 78,650 5 Andreas Krause Germany 59,950 6 Frederik Thiemer Germany 46,850 7 Luigi Pignataro Italy 37,650 8 Luc Ramos Switzerland 31,050

*the top fourteen payouts include a 10,350 WSOPE Main Event ticket

Winner's Reaction

"I don't believe it. I feel good, very good," replied an elated Campisano.

"When I won ace-three against ace-queen, I said ok, maybe this is my tournament. I made a lot of hands today," he stated in reference to some crucial hands where he was all in and at risk several times, but managed to survive each time.

When Campisano was asked what it felt like to be a nine-to-one underdog during heads-up play, "I was thinking maybe the dream was finished, but when I made the first double-up, I said ok, it's possible,".

"Tonight I will celebrate with my friends, they stay here and I live here. I play almost every day so next up will be the Main Event, and I already have a ticket!" were the champion's final words when asked how he would celebrate and what was next for him at the WSOPE.

Final Table Action

When play got underway, the shortest stack at the table was Luc Ramos, who had just eight big blinds to work with. Unfortunately for Ramos, he didn't even have time to get his seat warm as in the opening orbit he shoved with ace-eight and failed to improve against the ace-king of Xiaohua Yang.

Luigi Pignataro started the day second on the leaderboard but quickly dropped down the rankings in the opening level to put himself among the shorter stacks. An opportunity arose for the Italian player to double up with pocket queens but what wasn't on his agenda was Dimitrios Anastasakis picking up pocket kings. As the board brought no change, Pignataro was eliminated in seventh.

The solid pace of eliminations continued when Yang picked up his second knockout of the final table after sending Germany's Frederik Thiemer to the rail. Yang's button raise with pocket jacks was shoved on by Thiemer from the small blind with ace-eight. A jack on the flop effectively sealed the fate of Thiemer, and he departed in sixth.

Frederik Thiemer

Campisano was then in a troublesome position after shoving with ace-three and running straight into the ace-queen of Yang. The hat-trick of eliminations for Yang was never completed, however, as Campisano flopped trip treys to keep himself in contention.

Andreas Krause saw his chip stack sliding in the wrong direction and ultimately shoved pocket jacks for four big blinds. Marechal made the call with king-queen and rivered a flush, which sent Krause out in fifth.

It was Marechal who then started to pull away from the field but Campisano almost evened out the top two stacks after busting Yang in fourth. Yang had three-bet shoved king-jack but was in horrific shape against the pocket aces of the eventual champion. Despite flopping a flush draw, Yang couldn't find any of his outs on the turn or river, which brought play down to three-handed.

Xiaohua Yang

Three-handed play was a gruelling battle with all three players taking their turn at the top of the counts. A pivotal hand took place between Campisano and Marechal where the latter five-bet shoved ace-ten and got the Italian player to fold ace-queen, in what would have been the biggest pot of the tournament.

Marechal then triple-barrel bluffed with a missed straight draw, and was called down by Campisano who had flopped a pair of aces.

As Campisano started to edge away as chip leader, the two shorter stacks played an all-in pot which left Anastasakis with just two big blinds. Marechal had shoved from the small blind with ace-seven, and the Greek player made the call with king-queen from the big blind. An ace-high flop sealed the double-up for Marechal, and was the beginning of the end for Anastasakis.

Despite managing to double up once, Anastasakis' queen-six was then left drawing dead on the turn after he got the chips in preflop against Marechal, who had ace-jack.

Dimitrios Anastasakis Frederic Marechal

Campisano took a slender chip lead into heads-up play but was soon a two-to-one underdog when Marechal connected with the river during Level 37. Over the next few hands, Marechal then extended his lead to nine-to-one and looked to be in cruise control on his way the title.

However, Campisano didn't give up and came from behind to double up with queen-six against the ace-five of Marechal, which set the wheels in motion for an unlikely comeback. The very next hand, Campisano doubled up again with ace-jack against king-six, which reduced the deficit to just two-to-one and sparked the duel back into life.

Marechal saw another opportunity to win pass him by when his open-ended straight draw bricked against Campisano's top pair, which put the Italian player in the lead, one that he would not relinquish again.

Frederic Marechal

In the final hand of the night, Campisano shoved with king-nine suited and Marechal put in his last seventeen big blinds with ace-three. Campisano flopped a flush draw, turned a king, and rivered a flush to win the pot and the title.

A tough run of cards for Marechal, who had plenty of opportunities to snag the bracelet, but the deck just wasn't on his side tonight which meant he had to settle for the runner-up spot.

Christopher Campisano

That concludes PokerNews' coverage of the Mini Main Event, but be sure to stay tuned to keep up to date with the remaining bracelet events here at the WSOPE at Kings's Resort.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, meets with foreign ministers of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session in New York, Sept. 27, 2024. (Xinhua/Wu Xiaoling)

UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- The relations between China and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) have maintained a momentum of vigorous development and become a model for building a new type of international relations, said Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Friday.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks during talks with foreign ministers of GCC countries on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session in New York.

Noting that the GCC is the most dynamic regional organization in the Middle East and a good friend of China, Wang said China prizes its relations with the GCC and is ready to strengthen bilateral communication and coordination, continue to firmly support each other on issues concerning each other's core interests, and push for deeper and more solid cooperation in such fields as economy, trade, energy, investment and innovation.

The foreign ministers of GCC countries expressed their willingness to work with China to implement the consensus reached at the first GCC-China Summit, strengthen cooperation in the fields of economy, trade, finance, investment, energy, aerospace, artificial intelligence, climate change and other fields, and promote greater development of GCC-China relations.

The two sides also exchanged views on the situation in the Middle East. 
Days before dockworkers are scheduled to strike at ports from Maine to Texas, including the Port of Charleston, economists are warning of widespread cargo disruptions and billions of dollars in losses even as last-ditch efforts are being made to avoid an Oct. 1 walkout.

London-based HSBC bank said in a report this week that 54 percent of all cargo and 90 percent of goods shipped from Europe, the Caribbean and eastern South America move through ports along the U.S. East and Gulf coasts. West Coast ports would only be able to handle less than one-fifth of the freight that might get diverted during a strike.

Ports in Mexico and Canada "are less equipped to handle the spillover."

Transportation analysts with JPMorgan estimate a strike could cost the U.S. economy $5 billion a day, or about 6 percent of gross domestic product expressed daily, according to a study cited by The New York Times. For each day the ports are shut down, the report stated, it would take roughly six days to clear the backlog of ships waiting to unload their cargo.

A two-week strike would push the recovery into 2025, according to a Sea-Intelligence Maritime Analysis report cited by the Journal of Commerce.

Some container lines are already diverting cargo to the West Coast  adding up to two weeks to transit schedules  and planning to add post-strike surcharges of up to $1,500 per 20-foot container for boxes destined for an East or Gulf coast port. That's putting extra financial pressure on shippers trying to avoid having their cargo stranded.

The ILA broke off talks with its employer, the U.S. Maritime Alliance, in June over a disagreement about labor-saving technology used at a port in Mobile, Ala. The union's wage scale committee voted this month in favor of a strike involving about 45,000 dockworkers if the alliance  a consortium of container lines  doesn't meet its pay demands.
A boutique hospitality development is slated for Daniel Island that plans to offer luxury accommodations and elevated-yet-casual dining.

The Bellinger consists of a three-story, 36-room hotel building with a first-floor restaurant and top-floor event space, surrounded by cottages, cabanas and guesthouse lodgings.

The developer is locally based King and Society.

"This is something we've been working on for a long time," company founder Troy Barber said. "And it has really come together."

Plans filed with the city of Charleston for 1995 Daniel Island Drive include four three-story guest houses, a pair of two-story cottages and a pair of two-story cabanas connected by landscaped pathways and hidden courtyards with fountains and bridges leading out into the marsh.

Barber said the goal of the hotel was to give it "a luxurious residential feel, mimicking a guesthouse you'd find on properties within Captain's Island or The Retreat" neighborhoods on the island.

Barber described the Bellinger's planned restaurant as a "coastal, upscale yet casual steakhouse with seafood flair." It will be managed by The Indigo Road Hospitality Group, which is known for its high-end establishments across Charleston  such as Indaco and The Cedar Room  and other cities.

"With the restaurant, we didn't want to be a place where you would normally have to wear a sport coat or feel you should dress up for," Barber said. "If you live on Daniel Island, you can go there after playing a round of golf and feel like you fit in."

The property consists of three properties the development group purchased in 2019 for $1.25 million under the name JT Industries LLC. The site is between Fairchild Street and Clements Ferry Road.
When Antoinette Bennett-Bluford thinks about growing up at Calvary Episcopal Church, a host of memories come back to her. At 75 years old, she is one of five generations in her family who have attended the historic Black church in downtown Charleston.

She describes the church as a second family.

As a child, she remembers the Rev. Stephen Mackey, the rector who served until 1972, visiting the Calvary kindergarten every Friday to share Bible stories. One of her favorite stories was Josephs coat of many colors.

A quote from Mackey that she carries with her today is, If you listen, you will learn; and if you learn, you will be smart.

Calvary Episcopal Church is documenting stories and experiences from church members, like Bennett-Bluford, that encapsulate the churchs more than 175-year history.

These stories, along with gathering old documentation, will help shape the ideas around two permanently installed pieces of art that will be displayed inside the sanctuary. London-based artist Graeme Mortimer Evelyn, who is known for creating church icons in England, was commissioned for the Calvary Icons Project.

A 175-year-old history

Calvary Episcopal Church is the oldest Black Episcopal congregation in Charleston, according to the Preservation Society of Charleston. The congregation formed in 1847 as a place for free and enslaved African Americans to worship, according to the church's history. Since laws prohibited enslaved people from learning to read, all of the teachings and Sunday School instruction were oral.

The congregation first met in the basement at St. Philip's Episcopal Church, then moved to a building on the corner of Beaufain and Wilson streets in 1849, according to the church's historic marker.
Reporter

Lillia Callum-Penso covers food for The Post and Courier Greenville. She spent over a decade as a reporter with The Greenville News where she covered business and food and won awards for her feature, profile and food writing. Outside work, Lillia can usually be found running to keep up with her very energetic twins.
GREENVILLE  Conditions remain dangerous across the Carolinas after Helene's historic water dump.

The Saluda River is still rising, and Anderson County's 33-year-old emergency management director is worried.

Josh Hawkins said his emergency response teams were already dealing with the challenges of flash floods, 71-mph winds, downed lines, trees blocking roads, oxygen patients needing emergency shelter and communication breakdowns in a county where more than 90 percent of residents have lost power. It's the worst crisis he said he has ever seen in the county where he grew up.

At 5 p.m. Sept. 27, Hawkins added water rescue to the list. As he spoke with a Post and Courier reporter, his swift-water rescue team was helping an elderly couple get out of their riverfront house on the Saluda. Water encircled the home, and the folks couldn't get out.

"We are recommending if you're on the water's edge to find another place to reside," Hawkins said.

In other words: We aren't going to make you evacuate, but we strongly suggest you leave.

Even as Helene spins away from the Carolinas, the rainfall dumped by the one-time Category 4 hurricane has filled rivers, streams and creeks to dangerous levels  and emergency management directors want residents to stay away.

The Saluda River forms Greenville County's western boundary between Anderson and Pickens counties. And it is downstream from areas in western North Carolina that endured historic rainfalls.

Hawkins said those North Carolina floods will continue to push into the Saluda, raising its waters, until it crests at about 8 a.m. Sept. 28.

The Saluda is not the only North Carolina-fueled river on the rise: the Broad and Wateree rivers and Stevens Creek are expected to continue to crest in the coming days, said John Quagliariello of the National Weather Service.
COLUMBIA  Tropical Storm Helene clobbered the Midlands and Upstate of South Carolina, knocking down hundreds of trees and leaving upward of a million people without power.

Rain soaked the area, with some rural areas like Barnwell and Orangeburg counties seeing almost a foot of rainfall, softening the ground before heavy winds pounded the state.

Around 6 a.m. Sept. 27, the National Weather Service reported a wind gust of 67 mph at the Columbia Metropolitan Airport. By 8 a.m., 1.2 million people and climbing were without power statewide.

At least 19 people in South Carolina have been killed from the storm, including two each in Newberry and Saluda counties.

"It's pretty unprecedented, in terms of wind here," NWS Meteorologist Matt Gropp said.

'A loud crash'

In the early morning hours on Sept. 27, Graysen and Hannah Craddock were asleep in the home the couple has lived in for three years, as rain and winds swirled around their sleepy neighborhood just outside Forest Acres.

"I had just woken up to text my dad and make sure he was OK and then the next thing I know, I just hear a loud crash," Hannah said.

The 23-year-old was struck by a tree that fell into her bedroom. Her face was cut and bleeding. Graysen called out for help and a group of neighbors helped move the tree before first responders arrived.

Similar scenes played out across the Midlands  linemen addressed miles of downed power lines in Barnwell, elderly neighbors near Irmo saw their buildings destroyed by trees and two girls in Forest Acres were hit by a falling tree outside their home and taken to the hospital, escaping with only stitches.
I have probably mentioned John Gerard before, but I can do it again. Gerard (1545-1612) was what we would call an herbalist," in addition to working at least for part of the time as a surgeon." At this time, medicine was absolutely tied in with a knowledge of plants, for the obvious reason Read moreMystery Plant: The lettuce weed
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, meets with Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, Sept. 27, 2024. (Xinhua/Wu Xiaoling)

NEW YORK, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said here Friday that China is willing to join Egypt in pushing their comprehensive strategic partnership to a new level.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks during talks with Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.

Under the strategic guidance of Chinese President Xi Jinping and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, bilateral ties have maintained a sound momentum of development, he said.

China, Wang said, is ready to work with Egypt to implement the consensus reached by the two presidents, carry forward the fine tradition of strong support for each other, advance mutually beneficial and win-win cooperation in various fields, and jointly stride toward the direction of building a community with a shared future.

The Chinese side is ready to closely coordinate with Egypt within multilateral frameworks such as the United Nations, the BRICS mechanism and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization to jointly safeguard the interests of developing countries, he added.

For his part, Abdelatty said Egypt is willing to work with China to implement the consensus between the leaders of the two countries, and deepen cooperation in various fields.

He also said that Egypt welcomes continuous participation by Chinese enterprises in Egypt's modernization. 
NORTH CHARLESTON  The United States Coast Guard's investigative hearings into why an experimental submersible imploded with five people aboard near the wreck of the Titanic last year has ended.

For two weeks, Coast Guard investigators heard testimony from deep-sea diving experts and former company employees, managers and founders of Oceangate, the company that sent the carbon-fiber Titan to the bottom of the Atlantic several times between 2021 and 2023 until it was destroyed at about 12,500 feet in June 2023.

OceanGate, and its co-founder Stockton Rush, either ignored warning signs in the pursuit of short-term profits or was blinded by its pursuit of pushing the boundaries of what humanity is capable of achieving, according to testimony presented at the hearings. Those two ideas were constant themes in testimony.

The hearings brought to light information that appeared to surprise one Coast Guard commander: OceanGate employees aboard the Titan's support vessel, the Polar Prince, heard a shudder around the time the Titan is believed to have imploded.

Capt. Jamie Frederick, commander of the Coast Guard sector based in Boston, said in hindsight that information would have expedited the search for the Titan. Frederick said it was unconscionable that they wouldnt share that.

It certainly wouldve changed the equation, he testified.

Matthew McCoy, a former OceanGate employee, told investigations he quit the company after a conversation with Rush as the company planned to test the submersible in the Bahamas.

McCoy said Rush attempted to avoid scrutiny from the Coast Guard when he tried to test the submersible in the Bahamas. Instead, they launched from Canada. McCoy said Rush arrogantly brushed aside concerns about regulations should they arrive at a U.S. port.

If they ran into problems, McCoy said Rush planned to bribe a member of Congress if the Coast Guard got in his way.
Beyond the Resurrection and the Virgin Birth, there are a couple of other universal concepts to Christianity: Love God, and love your neighbor as yourself  you know, the Big Two that Jesus identified when he was challenged by a Jewish scribe to name the greatest commandment.

There are hundreds of variations on the theme, but it all basically comes down to this, and the world would be a pretty great place if everybody would just obey that second one. Or even if all Christians would.

But of course we dont, because were all human, and following Jesus is about trying to obey those rules, failing, sincerely seeking forgiveness from God and trying again. Over and over and over. Whether youre Roman Catholic or Orthodox or Anglican or Protestant, and if Protestant regardless of your denomination, this is basic stuff. Indeed, that love-your-neighbor-as-yourself part is basic to Judaism and other religions as well.

And it always has been.

And yet.

This past Sunday, the Gospel reading was Mark 9:30-37, where the apostles argue about whos the greatest and Jesus places a child in their midst and tells them Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all. Its one of several passages about welcoming the least of these  which is one of the many challenging aspects of Jesus' command to love our neighbors as ourselves.
TEHRAN, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei on Saturday called on all Muslims to mobilize their resources and facilities and stand by the Lebanese people and Hezbollah in the fight against Israel.

He made the remarks in a message published on his website, responding to recent Israeli attacks on Lebanon that killed both Hezbollah fighters and civilians.

Khamenei stressed that all resistance forces in the West Asia region stood by and supported Hezbollah, noting that the killing of the "defenseless" people in Lebanon once again exposed Israel's "ferocity."

He added Israel could not inflict any important harm on Hezbollah's strong structure.

Khamenei pointed to Hezbollah's success in ousting Israel from Lebanon in the past, expressing hope that the group would make Israel regretful again.

Israel began extensive airstrikes across Lebanon on Monday, marking the most significant Israeli military action in the country since 2006.

The Israel Defense Forces claimed on Saturday that they killed Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah in airstrikes on the southern suburbs of Beirut on Friday. Nasrallah's death was also confirmed by Hezbollah. 
PR-Inside.com: 2024-09-28 02:05:27

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VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / September 27, 2024 /bettermoo(d) Food Corporation (CSE:MOOO)(OTCQB:MOOOF)(Frankfurt:0I5A)(WKN: A3D8PP) (the "Company" or "bettermoo(d)") is pleased to announce that, during the Company's initial product roll out phase, its flagship product, Moodrink (the "Product"), has been featured in promotional banners and flyers from divisions of Canada's largest and second-largest retail groups. Both promotions took place during the back-to-school period, which is considered a high-traffic time for retailers due to increased consumer activity. While the Company cautions that this does not mean the Company's sales have or will increase, it is nonetheless a positive development from a product awareness perspective.Management believes the inclusion of Moodrink in these promotional campaigns reflects early support from these retailers. Additionally, the Company believes that these banner features increase the brand's visibility and retail presence, especially among Canadians who may not yet have come across the product."Having the opportunity and support to have Moodrink showcased through the promotional activities of well-known Canadian retailers is remarkable. These retailers have a vast consumer base, and being featured during such a busy shopping season enables us to reach a wider audience effectively. This exposure is crucial for driving awareness of our plant-based offerings, especially since Moodrink is still in the early stages of its rollout," stated Nima Bahrami, CEO of bettermoo(d).ABOUT BETTERMOO(D) FOOD CORPORATIONbettermoo(d) Food Corporation is an innovative plant-based dairy alternative food and beverage company based in Vancouver, British Columbia Canada, launching Moodrink, a nutritious dairy-alternative beverage with a flavour. Moodrink includes a blend of herbs and flowers similar to what cows ate, before the time of mass livestock production. Like rich dairy products, Moodrink contains added healthy plant fats and vitamins, so consumers don't miss out. The "Moodrink" is just the beginning for the Vancouver based dairy-alternative company, bettermoo(d).Driven by the motto "What A Cow Eats and A Human Needs" bettermoo(d) seeks to produce dairy alternative products that are good for both people and the planet - ensuring that all products are nutritious and sustainably sourced, and that also emulate the great taste of traditional milk from the Alps regions of Switzerland, France and Austria. Working with food scientists, the Company's goal is to conduct continuous food research and development programs with the aim of rolling out a full line of dairy alternative products, including Moogurt and Buetter.ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD of DIRECTORSNima BahramiChief Executive Officer and Director bettermoo(d) Food CorporationFor further information please contact:Email: investors@ bettermoodfoodcorporation.com Website: www.bettermoo.com Phone: 1-855-715-1865The CSE does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.This news contains forward looking statements and forward looking information (collectively, "Forward-Looking Statements") within the meaning of the applicable Canadian and U.S. securities laws, including the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein are forward-looking statements. When or if used in this news release, the words "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "expect", "target, "plan", "forecast", "may", "schedule" and similar words or expressions identify forward-looking statements or information. Such statements represent the Company's current views with respect to future events and are necessarily based upon a number of assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by the Company, are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, political and social risks, contingencies and uncertainties. Many factors, both known and unknown, could cause results, performance, or achievements to be materially different from the results, performance or achievements that are or may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. The Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update these forward-looking statements or information to reflect changes in assumptions or changes in circumstances or any other events affecting such statements and information other than as required by applicable laws, rules and regulations.SOURCE: bettermoo(d) Food Corporation
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VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / September 27, 2024 / Global Education Communities Corp ("GECC" or the "Company") (TSX:GEC)(OTCQX International:GECSF) is pleased to report that it has today closed the second and final tranche of the non-brokered private placement of convertible debentures announced on August 27, 2024 (the "Financing"). Total gross proceeds of $1,505,000 were raised in the Financing, $100,000 of which was raised in the second tranche. The debentures and any common shares issued upon conversion of the debentures issued in the second tranche are subject to a hold period expiring January 27, 2025. The Financing remains subject to final approval of the Toronto Stock Exchange.About GECC:GECC is one of Canada's largest education and student housing investment companies focused on the domestic and global education market since 1994. GECC operates business and language colleges, student-centric rental apartments, recruitment centres and corporate offices at 40 locations in Canada and abroad. Its education subsidiaries include Sprott Shaw College Corp. (established in 1903), Sprott Shaw Language College, Vancouver International College, and CIBT School of Business & Technology Corp. GECC offers over 150 educational programs in healthcare, business management, e-commerce, cyber-security, hotel management, emergency paramedic, and language training through these schools. In fiscal 2023, GECC serviced over 14,277 domestic and international students through its educational, rental housing and recruitment subsidiaries.GECC owns Global Education City Holdings Inc. ("GECH"), an investment holding and development company focused on education-related real estate, such as student-centric rental apartments and education super-centres. In fiscal 2023, GECH held ten projects comprising 15 buildings in different stages of development and operations under the GEC brand in Metro Vancouver and provided accommodation services to 92 partner schools serving 3,200 students from 71 countries. The total portfolio and development budget under the GEC brand exceeds $1.3 billion.GECC also owns Global Education Alliance Inc. ("GEA") and Irix Design Group Inc. ("IRIX"). GEA recruits international students for elite kindergartens, primary and secondary schools, colleges and universities in North America. Irix is a leading design and advertising company based in Vancouver, Canada. Visit us online and watch our corporate video at www.GEChq.com For more information, contact: Toby ChuChairman, President & CEOGlobal Education Communities Corp.Investor Relations Contact: 1-604-871-9909 extension 319 or | Email: info@ GEChq.com SOURCE: Global Education Communities Corp
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LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / September 28, 2024 / The Schall Law Firm, a national shareholder rights litigation firm, announces that it is investigating claims on behalf of investors of Franklin Resources, Inc. ("Franklin" or "the Company") (NYSE:BEN) for violations of the securities laws.The investigation focuses on whether the Company issued false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose information pertinent to investors. Franklin admitted on July 26, 2024, that "following the launch of an internal investigation focusing on certain past trade allocations of treasury derivatives in select Western Asset Management (WAM') accounts, WAM received notification of parallel investigations by the SEC and U.S. Department of Justice." The Company then disclosed on August 21, 2024, that WAM co-Chief Investment Officer Ken Leech had been played on leave "effective immediately" adding that "in light of Mr. Leech's leave of absence, the Company has determined that closing its Macro Opportunities strategy (approximately $2.0 billion in AUM as of 7/31/2024) is in clients' best interests." Finally, the Company also disclosed that Leech had received a Wells Notice from the SEC. Based on this news, shares of Franklin fell significantly.If you are a shareholder who suffered a loss,click here to participate .We also encourage you to contact Brian Schall of the Schall Law Firm, 2049 Century Park East, Suite 2460, Los Angeles, CA 90067, at 310-301-3335, to discuss your rights free of charge. You can also reach us through the firm's website atwww.schallfirm.com , or by email atbschall@ schallfirm.com The Schall Law Firm represents investors around the world and specializes in securities class action lawsuits and shareholder rights litigation.This press release may be considered Attorney Advertising in some jurisdictions under the applicable law and rules of ethics.CONTACT: The Schall Law FirmBrian Schall, Esq. www.schallfirm.com Office: 310-301-3335 info@ schallfirm.com SOURCE: The Schall Law Firm
A Food System/Nutrition Specialist at the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations, Ibrahim Ishaka, has revealed that Nigeria loses around 50 per cent of its agricultural products along the food supply chain.

Mr Ishaka disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on the sidelines of an FAO-organised training in Yola on Saturday.

He explained that food waste poses significant challenges to Nigerias agricultural sector, impacting food security, economic growth, and environmental sustainability.

Some of these challenges include technological barriers, inefficient harvesting techniques, pest infestations, and lack of access to modern farming tools, all of which contribute to losses during harvest, largely influenced by consumer behavior, he said.

Mr Ishaka further highlighted additional factors contributing to post-harvest losses, including: inadequate storage facilities, poor handling practices and poor transportation infrastructure.

These factors result in significant losses, especially for perishable goods such as fruits and vegetables.

He also noted that inefficient food processing methods, improper packaging, inadequate storage, and unhealthy consumption habits further exacerbate food waste.

Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later

The nutrition expert highlighted several FAO initiatives promoting nutritious and sustainable practices within communities, focusing on reducing post-harvest losses, improving hygiene, and ensuring sanitation.

These initiatives include investing in post-harvest infrastructure, building community capacity, training, and empowerment programmes, among others.

I firmly believe that the key to empowering people, particularly in the north-east region, lies in giving them the power to make informed decisions and the power to educate others, he said.

Mr Ishaka mentioned the establishment of several FAO-supported centres that produce and distribute locally nutritious foods, such as tom brown, to combat malnutrition and food insecurity in the region.

He mentioned the establishment of several FAO-supported centers that produce and distribute locally nutritious foods, such as tom brown, to combat malnutrition and food insecurity in the region.

These centres are run by local communities, promoting community-led initiatives to improve food security.

He expressed optimism that the training would have a long-lasting impact on participants and their communities, enhancing overall well-being and food security through the adoption of best nutrition practices.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that this initiative is part of the Emergency Agriculture-Based Livelihoods Sustenance for Improved Food Security programme, targeting Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe, with support from USAID.

(NAN)

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The Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) has detained the proprietors of four private schools in Rivers State in connection with alleged book piracy.

The Director of NCC, Port Harcourt Directorate, Abdul Babatunde, disclosed this to reporters on Friday, shortly after an anti-piracy operation within the GRA, Rumuibekwe; Rumukurusi and East-west Road axis in the Port Harcourt metropolis.

Mr Babatunde said that the suspected pirated books worth N2.5 million were confiscated by the commission during the operation.

He said the raid was carried out to curtail the illicit activities of school proprietors, which affected the book trade.

The school proprietors, whose schools were visited, are currently undergoing investigation and would be charged to court if the commission can establish a prima facie evidence against them, he said.

Mr Babatunde said that dealers in pirated books would not have a safe haven within the jurisdiction under his supervision.

He said that protecting and promoting the rights of authors and other investors in the copyright ecosystem was part of the commissions mandate.

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According to him, the NCC Director-General, John Asien, has zero tolerance for piracy and violation of the copyright laws.

Mr Babatunde, therefore, warned school proprietors, booksellers, printers and importers of pirated books to desist from the criminal act.

READ ALSO:Nigerian philanthropist donates books to Jigawa government

He also advised the public against patronising pirates, saying that it was a criminal offence to do so.

Mr Babatunde appealed to the public for credible information that could help the commission combat the menace.

(NAN)

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The House of Representatives, on Friday, summoned EFCCs Chairperson Ola Olukoyede, social media influencer VDM (born Martins Otse) and Bobrisky over the allegations of bribery involving the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and Nigeria Correctional Service.

According to Channels TV, this was contained in a letter written by the Lead Chairperson of the joint committee, Jon Ginger Onwusibe, to parties on Friday over the disturbing allegation of corruption against the EFCC and the Nigeria Correctional Services.

The other parties summoned include the Controller of Corrections Lagos Command, Ben Freedman, the Secretary of the board, Jaafaru Ahmed, and the Deputy Controller of Corrections in charge of medium and maximum security, Siriku Adekunle and Michael Anugwa.

In a letter dated 27 September 2024, the committee asked the EFCC Chairperson and the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Correctional Service to appear on Monday with all officers involved in the allegation, Channels TV reported.

Similarly, PREMIUM TIMES reported on Thursday that the federal government suspended some Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) senior officials over allegations of bribery linked to Bobrisky.

In response to the widespread allegations, the Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire, and Immigration Services Board, in a statement signed by Jaafaru Ahmed on Thursday, announced the suspension of the officers allegedly involved in the bribery.

The board announced the suspension of Michael Anugwa, Deputy Controller of Corrections (DCC), in charge of the Medium Security Custodial Centre (MSCC) in Kirikiri, Lagos State, and Sikiru Adekunle, Deputy Controller of Corrections (DCC), in charge of the maximum Security Custodial Centre (MSCC) in Kirikiri, Lagos State.

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Allegations

The allegations suggest that Mr Idris Okuneye, also known as Bobrisky, offered bribes to these agencies when he was arrested for money laundering and naira abuse.

Premium Times reported in April that Mr Idris Okuneye, popularly known as Bobrisky, was arrested for money laundering and Naira mutilation.

During his trial at the Federal High Court in Lagos, the judge, Abimbola Awogboro, dismissed the money laundering charges (counts five and six) but sentenced Bobrisky to six months in prison for Naira abuse.

However, a month after Bobriskys release, Martins Otse, aka VeryDarkMan, posted an audio recording on Instagram on Tuesday, alleging Bobriskys complicity in bribery. The recording captures Bobrisky discussing how EFCC officials received N15 million to drop money laundering charges.

EFCCs Chairman, on Tuesday night, in a statement obtained by this newspaper, ordered an immediate investigation into the bribery allegations.

Mr Olukoyede further requested Bobrisky and VeryDarkMans presence at EFCCs Lagos office to assist investigators in uncovering the alleged bribery.

PREMIUM TIMES also reported that the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has directed a comprehensive investigation into Bobriskys claim that he bribed Nigeria Correctional Service officials to avoid prison.

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Movie Title: Lisabi: The Uprising

Language: Yoruba

Running time: 1 hour 47 minutes

Release date: 2024

Streaming platform: Netflix

Director: Niyi Akinmolayan

Cast: Lateef Adedimeji, Adebimpe Oyebade, Ibrahim Itele, Olarotimi Fakunle, Odunlade Adekola, Jide Awobona, Gabriel Afolayan, Ibrahim Chatta, Seun Akindele, Kelvin Ikeduba, Olumide Oworu, Boma Akpore, Kola Ajeyemi, Roseline Afije.

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Oppression between the leaders and masses among fellow Nigerians did not start today; it has deep historical roots. For generations, the power dynamics between rulers and the people have often been marked by exploitation and inequality.

However, throughout history, only the bold and courageous have dared to rise and challenge these oppressive systems to pursue independence.

The story of Lisabi Agbongbo-Akala and the Egba people exemplifies this struggle. Their fight against the mighty Oyo Empire in the 18th century highlights how bravery and unity can guarantee independence.

Lisabi Agbongbo-Akala was a skilled military strategist and farmer who united several Yoruba groups to launch an attack against the Oyo Empire between 1775 and 1780. Before gaining their independence, communities such as Ijaiye, Gbagura, and Igbeyin were all under the control of the Oyo Empire.

Lateef Adedimeji has brought this powerful history to life through a drama that showcases the oppression faced by the Egba people and how Lisabi led their liberation.

Set in the 18th-century Oyo Empire, Lisabi the Uprising narrates the story of Lisabi, a resourceful Egba farmer who organised a rebellion against the oppressive Oyo rulers. He used the collective strength of his fellow farmers and called upon the support of deities to free the Egba people from tyranny.

Plot

The film opens with King Olodan being beaten and dragged to the Alaafins Palace after refusing to pay tribute. These tributes, which consist of money and farm produce, are collected from the peoples businesses. Enraged, the Alaafin orders King Olodans execution for his rebellion.

Songodeyi, the head of the tribute collectors and his subordinates terrorise the people of Egba land despite their loyalty to paying tributes. Beyond collecting payments, these collectors unleash further cruelty, often raping young women and killing anyone who dares to stand in their way.

Day by day, the oppression becomes worse and unbearable for the farmers and people of Egba.

Oshokenu, a close friend of a hardworking farmer, Lisabi, witnesses a disturbing incident where the collectors take a businesswomans daughter away even after they take all her money.

Outraged, Oshokenu boldly questioned them, saying, What is it? Why are you taking only women? Men ought to go with them, too. Because of this statement, the tribute collectors marked his face.

Oshokenu, a lazy farmer, decides to marry Abebi, a beautiful, light-skinned woman from Egba. He asks his friend, Lisabi, to help him win her over, and things progress smoothly as Abebi agrees to marry him.

The tribute collectors notice that Oshokenu is getting married, and they decided to cause him pain. They attack Abebi, the bribe, on her way to her husbands house, and Songodeyi rapes her on the spot. Unable to bear the trauma and shame, Abebi tragically takes her life.

On hearing that the collectors have done something terrible to his bribe, Oshokenu is furious. Determined to take revenge, he sets out to kill Songodeyi. In the process, he manages to kill ten of the tribute collectors before being shot. With his dying breath, Oshokenu pleads with Lisabi, who runs to the scene, asking him not to let his blood be in vain.

Moved by his friends last words, Lisabi gathers the farmers and suggests they team up to farm for each other to give the collectors a lot of farm produce that will not cause them further harm. Lisabi, however, has an interior motive for uniting the peopleuniting the people for a much larger uprising against their oppressors.

Character Analysis

No one but Ibrahim Chatta could have perfectly embodied the ruthless tribute collector Songodeyi in this film. His energy radiated pure intensity, delivering 100 per cent action. Chatta infused the character with life, suspense, and power, giving the audience an actual performance that left no room for improvementhe surpassed all expectations.

Lateef Adedimeji portrayed the protagonist, Lisabi, the courageous leader who united the Egba people against the oppressive Oyo Empire. Hats off to Adedimeji for his stellar production and outstanding acting. He seized every opportunity to deliver a remarkable performance, making this film one of the standout Nollywood productions of 2024.

Odunlade Adekola played the Alaafin of Oyo in this movie. His performance, as always, is daring and commendable. His first appearance gave the film a thrilling feeling of what would come.

Roseline Afij (Liquorose) showcased her talent again, proving her versatility as Abebi. Despite being an Edo girl, she convincingly portrayed a Yoruba woman, delivering a solid performance that added depth to the film.

Every other actor brought in their A-game to make this movie memorable and engaging.

Movie Review

Lisabi the Uprising, directed by Niyi Akinmolayan, is a historical epic about Lisabi and the rise of the Egba people against the Oyo Empire. Although it is a biopic, it explores the themes of oppression, unity, hard work, and love.

Exploring biopics is uncommon in Nollywood, but it is an exciting way to tell history and pass a message. This film tackles political oppression between the leaders and the masses and how unity can liberate the people. The Uprising doesnt just entertain; it educates and inspires.

From the films beginning, you can tell it will be a good watch, and you are impressed as you get to the end. The end is both surprising and brilliant, seeing that Lisabi succeeds in killing Songodeyi.

The creativity of the entire production, from the script writing to the plot, structure, settings, and props, is top-notch. Lets not forget that a good storyline can have a bad execution, but Lisabi the Uprising ate and left no crumbs.

Actors like Ibrahim Chatta and Lateef Adedimeji deserve an award for pulling out such performances. The actors did exceptionally well. From their emotions and performance, you can see that they are happy about the project and willing to immerse themselves into giving us a show to remember. This film is one to remember because you will always refer to the movie even after watching it.

The cinematography, lighting, camera angles, effects, and video quality are all excellent, giving the film a cinema vibe from start to finish. The makeup and costume are also commendable.

The Egba accent is quite good, and much obvious work was put into achieving that. However, the actors can improve more on the accent in the next sequel, coming up in January 2025.

This movie is one of Nollywoods best epics of 2024, joining the ranks of standout films like House of Gaa.

The performances, direction, and gripping storyline make it a must-watch for lovers of historical dramas.

Lisabi The Uprising is now showing on Netflix

Verdict

8/10

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TASHKENT, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- Uzbekistan and Egypt agreed to establish a joint Chamber of Commerce, Uzbek media reported on Friday.

The agreement was reached during a meeting in Tashkent on Thursday between representatives from the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Uzbekistan (CCI) and Egypt's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said the CCI.

The new organization aims to foster trade relations, attract foreign investment, and promote collaboration in key sectors such as the textile industry and pharmaceuticals, said the CCI press service.

"Both parties expressed confidence that cooperation at the business and governmental levels will contribute not only to economic relations but also to the overall welfare and prosperity of the two nations," it added.

Trade turnover between Uzbekistan and Egypt increased by 20 percent from January to August year-on-year, local media reported. 
In this interview, US Marine Corps General Michael Langley discusses his hands-on leadership of AFRICOM towards a partnership-driven philosophy, reshaping how AFRICOM supports Africas future.

The Commander of the US Africa Command (AFRICOM), Michael Langley, sat down for an exclusive conversation with PREMIUM TIMES White House Correspondent, Pearl Matibe, at the Pentagon.

General Langley, who has been at the forefront of AFRICOMs evolving strategies across Africa, shared his vision for a partnership-driven approach, emphasising collaboration with African countries to address shared challenges.

Mr Langley, the first African American to lead AFRICOM, has faced complex and layered threats during his tenure, from violent extremism and maritime security issues to the geopolitical influence of external actors like China and Russia. Despite these obstacles, Mr Langley said he remains resolute in his commitment to empowering African countries to take the lead in securing their future, with AFRICOM serving as a key enabler.

African partners must take the lead, said Mr Langley. Our role is to enable their success, to support them in building sustainable security infrastructures. This isnt just about military might; its about fostering stability that leads to long-term prosperity for civil society.

Mr Langleys leadership is characterised by a focus on cooperation, not only with defence forces but also with African governments, development agencies, and international partners. His approach reflects AFRICOMs broader strategy of addressing not just immediate security concerns, but building the foundation for lasting peace and stability. His travels to countries like Somalia, Kenya, and many others, have been central to reinforcing these partnerships, especially in the fight against groups like Al-Shabaab, which he describes as the biggest terrorist network on the African continent.

However, Mr Langley emphasised that AFRICOMs challenges are not limited to East Africa. West Africa faces mounting pressure from the growing influence of China, particularly through economic ventures and strategic investments in critical infrastructure. In places like Cote dIvoire, Ghana, and Benin, we see Chinas economic footprint expanding rapidly. Theyre offering deals that, on the surface, seem beneficial but often come with strings attached that undermine the sovereignty of these nations, Mr Langley explained. Its not just about economic dominance. Chinas involvement often leads to unbalanced concessions, particularly in mining and infrastructure, which erodes local governance.

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Mr Langleys hands-on approach includes frequent engagements with African leaders to ensure that AFRICOMs efforts align with each countrys unique challenges. He cited the US Global Fragility Act (GFA) as a critical tool in promoting conflict prevention and regional stability in West Africa. This Act is about more than just military solutions, said Mr Langley. Its about a whole-of-government approach that includes development and governance. Weve seen promising progress in Cote dIvoire and Togo, where local governance is working hand-in-hand with security forces to stabilise regions hit hardest by conflict.

The AFRICOM Commander also touched on the challenges posed by misinformation and foreign mercenaries, particularly those linked to Russian interests in countries like the Central African Republic (CAR) and Mali. Were not just dealing with traditional security threats. Russia and Chinas activities in Africa are about influence, and often, that influence is destabilising, he noted.

During the interview, Mr Langley addressed a key element of AFRICOMs untold story: its humanitarian and development efforts. When people think of AFRICOM, they often focus on drone strikes or military bases, but what they dont hear about are the countless humanitarian missions we support, he said.

He highlighted AFRICOMs involvement in disaster relief efforts, including a recent mission to Libya in the aftermath of devastating floods. We were on the ground in Libya, delivering aid and working with local authorities to help rebuild after the floods, he recalled. This is the side of AFRICOM that doesnt make the headlines  the work we do to support vulnerable populations and foster long-term development.

Mr Langley also underscored AFRICOMs investment in youth engagement, notably through initiatives like the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI).

YALI is a cornerstone of our engagement strategy, he explained. By empowering Africas youth, we are not just addressing todays security challenges, but were investing in the leaders of tomorrow who will drive the continents prosperity.

The general emphasized that AFRICOMs mission extends far beyond military operations, including economic and educational collaboration. Its about showing our African partners that the United States is committed to their long-term success without hidden agendas. Were not here to exploit; were here to enable, he said.

Regarding maritime security, Mr Langley cited illegal, unregulated, and unreported (IUU) fishing as a critical challenge in the Gulf of Guinea, where Chinas involvement looms large. Many African nations lack the resources to patrol their exclusive economic zones, he explained. Chinas overfishing is devastating local economies and food security, particularly for countries reliant on their fishing industries.

Mr Langley praised the Southern African Development Community (SADC) for its efforts in combating illegal fishing and piracy, but warned that more regional collaboration is needed.

Looking ahead, Mrl Langley stressed the importance of continuing AFRICOMs African-led, U.S.-enabled approach. This isnt about imposing solutions from the outside, he said. Its about working together with African leaders to identify the best way forward. They know the terrain, they know the people, and they must lead the charge.

As the interview concluded, Mr Langley reflected on his personal leadership philosophy and the legacy he hopes to leave behind. If theres one thing I want people to remember about my time at AFRICOM, its that we worked with our African partners, not above them, he said. Together, weve started building a foundation for lasting peace and stability across the continent. The story of AFRICOM is the story of collaborationand thats a story that needs to be told.

Pearl Matibe is a Washington, DC-based correspondent and media commentator with expertise in U.S. foreign policy and international security. You may follow her on Twitter: @PearlMatibe

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The Borno Flood Relief Distribution Committee on Saturday commenced the verification of more than 7,000 victims of the recent flooding in Limanti Ward, Maiduguri Metropolitan Council.

This followed the earlier assessment and distribution launch conducted in Gwange 1 Ward, where Governor Babagana Zulum, personally inaugurated the relief effort.

The Chairperson of the committee, Baba-Bukar Gujibawu, disclosed this at the Abubakar Ibn Garbai Elkanemi Primary School, marking the second phase of the verification process.

Mr Gujubawu reaffirmed the committees commitment to a fair and transparent process.

He urged those affected to remain patient, assuring that no legitimate victim would be overlooked.

To ensure transparency, the names of the flood-affected individuals have been publicly displayed at the District Heads palace for community verification and feedback.

Additionally, a complaint desk has been set up at the verification site, to address concerns or omissions raised by the victims.

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We have seen a large turnout from the Limanti community. (This was) as early as 7 a.m.

We will follow the process meticulously, to ensure that no one is left behind, Mr Gujibawu said.

According to him, the ongoing efforts in Limanti are part of the governments larger plan to assist all the affected communities across the state.

(NAN)

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The Enugu State Government says it will soon introduce Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) buses as part of its efforts to preserve the environment and make transportation affordable for residents.

The Commissioner for Transportation in Enugu State, Obi Ozor, disclosed while briefing reporters after the State Executive Council meeting on Friday.

Mr Ozor said apart from the CNG buses, the state government was also building the supporting infrastructure to ensure ease of operation and safety of commuters.

The commissioner stressed that the government was making efforts to support private sector investment in the transportation space.

The State Executive Council resolved that it is very important for the state and her citizens to begin the process of transitioning from petrol to CNG which saves about half of the cost of petrol in our transportation, thereby reducing the cost of transportation for our people.

All these are geared towards bringing a safe, affordable and sustainable transportation system. This ties into the infrastructure that is underway  the bus terminals, improved bus shelters, the internet of things and gadgets in these buses that will allow us to be able to know where our citizens are and make sure that they are safe from any incident, he said.

The state is also creating an enabling environment to attract the right investors within the CNG space and the state has already done that with partnership with Greenville Energy.

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Mr Ozor further announced that the government was already constructing a CNG mother station at Ugwu Onyeama with the capacity to serve the entire South-east.

The commissioner added that construction of ancillary stations that will look like petrol stations will begin in a matter of weeks.

Creation of new ministry

Also, the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Chidiebere Onyia, said the state government has created the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources to oversee investment in the energy and mineral sector.

Mr Onyia, a professor, stressed that the creation of the new ministry was in response to the planned introduction of the CNG buses and enactment of Enugu State Electricity Law (2023) which requires setting up of an independent regulator.

The SSG added that the law also requires that the new ministry handles all engagements related to energy and mineral resource in the state.

Considering the level of mineral resources availability in Enugu State, the government had decided, at the end of the State Executive Meeting today (Friday), to now create this ministry and the mandate includes oversight of most of our investment opportunities within the solid mineral space and also to help catalyse investments in the energy space, he said.

The state executives resolved that this new Ministry would take effect immediately.

Connecting the dots

There has been clamour for a switch from petrol vehicles to CNG vehicles following the rise in petrol prices in Nigeria.

Last month, the Nigerian government inaugurated the CNG Initiatives Conversion Incentive Programme in Abeokuta, Ogun State.

The initiative seeks to help vehicles switch their energy source from petrol to CNG.

The government, on Friday, ramped up the adoption of CNG as a cleaner, more affordable alternative energy to petrol in the country.

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The local election in the 21 council areas of Anambra State has been marred by low voter turnout and the absence of electoral materials and staff at some polling units (PU).

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) correspondents who monitored the polls reported a heavy security presence at the polling units and wards visited.

NAN reports that people were going about their normal businesses, as very few people were seen at the polling units visited at PU 002, located at Ofuiyi Square, Umueze, in Isuofia Ward 13, and PU 007, Central School, Ozala, in Isuofia Ward 13 in Aguata Local Government Area.

Other PUs visited were PU 002 Ward 01, Ekwulu Village Hall, Umuona, and PUs 004, 005, 006, and 007, all in Umuona in the Aguata Local Government Area.

At Ofuiyi polling unit 002, Isuofia ward, Aguata Local Government Area, election officials arrived at 8:15 a.m., and voting commenced at 8:30 a.m., while at PU 002 Ward 01, Ekwulu Village Hall, Umuona, voting materials had not arrived as of 9 a.m.

A voter, Joy Okenyi, at Ward 01, PU 002, said the low turnout was as a result of lack of interest by the people.

In a normal election, you see lots of political parties and their candidates contesting and campaigning, but in this case, it is just one party thing, so people lost interest, she said.

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John Ikpeze, a voter at Ofuiyi polling unit, 002, Isuofia ward, Aguata, said he was optimistic that people would come out and vote.

You know, the local government poll is happening after many years, so people are still trying to be sure the election is taking place.

I believe that now that the election has commenced in many polling units, people will come out and vote, he said.

Meanwhile, prospective voters in Awka South were stranded as officials of the Anambra State Independent Electoral Commission (ANSIEC) were absent at some polling centres.

NAN observed that at about 11a.m., the polling units around Government House area also known as Agu Awka in Awka South Local Government Area neither the electoral materials nor officials of ANSIEC had arrived.

Election official were also not present at the Nwafor Orizu demonstration school at the Commissioners Quarters, Awka.

There were vehicular movements on roads in some parts of Awka South Local Government Area while some shops were open for businesses notwithstanding police restriction on movement and business activities during the polls.

(NAN)

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The Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) has criticised the Nigerian government for embracing Coca-Colas $1 billion investment pledge, citing the companys alleged history of broken promises and harm to public health.

CAPPA in a statement signed by its Media and Communication Officer, Robert Egbe, accused Coca-Cola of attempting to whitewash its image despite multiple dishonest trade practices and regulatory infractions.

This is in reaction to Coca-Colas recent visit to President Bola Tinubu, during which the corporation announced a $1 billion investment pledge to Nigeria over five years.

The Coca-Cola System has been part of Nigerian communities for over 70 years and believes in the strength and continued potential of the market. We are excited to announce this investment, which demonstrates our dedication to fostering economic growth and creating job opportunities in the country, Zoran Bogdanovic, the chief executive officer of Coca-Cola Hellenic Bottling Company, told Nigerias President Bola Tinubu.

Our investment goes beyond business growth; its about contributing to the well-being of the communities we call home. We foresee significant social and economic advancements, which is why we continue to invest in our business operations and community programs in Nigeria, he added.

However, according to CAPPA, Coca-Colas latest pledge is a recycled commitment made three years ago during former President Muhammadu Buharis administration, which the company failed to deliver.

The presidency had, however, clarified in a statement last week that the corporation halted the previous investment due to the challenging business environment prevailing in the country then.

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But CAPPA criticised the government for defending Coca-Cola despite its alleged persistent onslaught against public health and regulatory infractions than anything else.

Concerning trend

The group accused the beverage manufacturer of regulatory infractions, negative impact on public health, and recent investigations by the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC).

In 2017, a Lagos High Court issued a judgement against the company, revealing that its products were unfit for consumption as they contain high levels of sunset yellow and benzoic acid.

High levels of sunset yellow and benzoic acid, according to European and American food and drug agencies, can form the carcinogen benzene when combined with ascorbic acid (Vitamin C).

On this ground, the court mandated the company to place warning labels on its beverages, advising consumers against combining their intake with Vitamin C. But to this day, the corporation has refused to comply with this directive.

This contempt and disregard for public health and judicial authority should ordinarily disqualify the company from receiving any form of state endorsement, let alone at the highest level of government, the CAPPA statement read.

Recently, the FCCPC found Coca-Cola guilty of deceptive trade practices. The Commissions investigation which began in 2019, revealed that the company had consistently engaged in deceptive product packaging and inconsistent pricing strategies that misled consumers.

Sadly, by endorsing Coca-Colas shady investment only months after the FCCPC indicted it, the Nigerian government is not only setting itself up as an image launderer for a dirty corporation but also unbelievably, undermining and embarrassing its own regulatory authority, the CAPPA statement said.

Public health concerns

The statement also quoted CAPPAs Executive Director, Akinbode Oluwafemi, as emphasising that Coca-Colas products contribute to Nigerias public health crisis, particularly non-communicable diseases like diabetes, obesity, and heart disease.

The statement further reads in part: The question the Nigerian government must ask itself in light of all this is what truly it stands to gain by endorsing a multinational corporation with a dark history of non-compliance, and whose products are even actively contributing to a public health crisis in the country?

Sugar-sweetened beverages, like many of Coca-Colas products under such category, are well known and documented contributors to non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as diabetes, obesity, and heart disease and other associated health conditions that are already straining Nigerias healthcare system and economy.

As such, while the companys promises of an economic investment may sound appealing, the potential gains pale in comparison to the long-term public health costs and injury that the consumption of its products inflicts on the Nigerian population as with elsewhere across the world.

The organisation further warned that the governments cozy relationship with Coca-Cola could jeopardise the implementation of Nigerias sugar-sweetened beverages tax, aimed at reducing consumption and tackling rising NCDs.

We, therefore, call on the Nigerian government to prioritise the interests of Nigerians by shunning questionable associations with corporate lawbreakers and adversaries of public health. We urge the state to defend public health without scruples and consider genuine ethical investments that rank the well-being of Nigerians over empty promises and profit-driven deception, it added.

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The police in Lagos will not take it lightly with troublemakers during the approaching 1 October protest, the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State command, Olanrewaju Ishola, has said.

Mr Ishola, on Friday, warned everyone partaking in the protest to avoid causing violence and embrace peace in the interest of fellow citizens.

The police chief said he has information that some disgruntled Nigerian youths are calling for a nationwide protest in some parts of the state.

He said this in a statement signed by Benjamin Hundeyin, the spokesperson for the Lagos police command and shared his verified X handle.

He wrote that this is coming after Mr Ishola had a meeting with traditional rulers, religious leaders, social media influencers among others earlier on Friday.

The statement explained that the gathering discussed security concerns within the state following recent agitations and clamour for a nationwide protest provided the opportunity for Lagosians to ventilate their concerns, point out areas of security concern and recommend strategies that would help curb any form of violence within the state.

Speaking further, the commissioner of police called on influential Nigerians to lead by good example and alert security operatives whenever any form of threat arises.

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This would help ensure that peace is maintained by all and sundry. He equally gave the assurance that the command is fully prepared to protect law-abiding citizens, the statement added.

Why we are protesting again  Organisers

Earlier, PREMIUM TIMES reported that the organisers of the 10-day #EndBadGovernance in August have again announced the preparation for another round of protests tagged, A Day of Survival, scheduled for 1 October.

The agitating group said since President Tinubu rose to power, he has brought unprecedented hardship on millions of Nigerians and pushed many into poverty and hardship.

The protesters also condemned the recent hike in the price of petrol, saying the situation has reached an alarming level, with prices hovering between over N900 and N1,900 per litre, depending on the region.

The group referred to the significant rise in the cost of goods as having rendered many traders and shopkeepers helpless.

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Israeli Defense Force (IDF) says it has killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.

Hassan Nasrallah will no longer be able to terrorise the world, the IDF said in a post on X, formerly Twitter, on Saturday morning.

Mr Nasrallah, for over three decades, has been the leader of the Iranian-backed militant group, Hezbollah.

He was the main target in the precise Israeli airstrike on the Hezbollah central headquarters in Dahiyeh, a suburb of the Lebanese capital, Beirut, on Friday.

The IDF had earlier released a statement saying two senior Hezbollah officials were killed in the strike.

Muhammad Ismail, the commander of Hezbollahs Missile Unit in southern Lebanon, and his deputy, Hussein Ahmad Ismail, were eliminated in a precise IAF strike, the IDF said in a statement on X on Saturday morning.

Ali Ismail was responsible for directing numerous terrorist attacks against the State of Israel, including the firing of rockets toward Israeli territory and the launch of a surface-to-surface missile toward central Israel on Wednesday.

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Massive explosion, levelling of buildings

A video of the Israeli attack shows a massive explosion levelling buildings in the Beirut Hezbollah headquarters and sending black and orange clouds billowing up the sky.

An unnamed senior US official told ABC News that Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was the target of the airstrike.

The official said Mr Nasrallah and some of his lieutenants were in Beirut for a quick visit when the strike took place.

According to ABC News, Israel used bunker busters, a munition designed to penetrate targets underground in the strike.

In a short video confirming the attack via X, IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari said the Hezbollah headquarters was intentionally built near residential buildings as part of Hezbollahs strategy of using civilians as human shields.

On 8 October 2023, Hezbollah started attacking Israel, after almost a year of Hezbollah firing rockets, missiles and suicide dones at Israeli civilians. After almost a year of Israel warning the world and telling them that Hezbollah must be stopped.

Israel is doing what every sovereign state in the world would do if they have a terror organisation that seeks their destruction on their border, taking necessary action to secure their homes so that Israeli families can live safely, Mr Hagari said.

In the last hour, we have contacted the residents of the three buildings in the Dahiyeh, these residents are above and near Hezbollahs strategic assets and must evacuate immediately for their safety and security, Mr Hagari said in a televised broadcast, according to ABC News.

The Lebanese Health Ministry has confirmed the death of two persons and 70 others injured in the strike.

It is not clear if Mr Nasallah, the main target in the strike, was killed in the strike but the IDF has successfully eliminated several Hezbollah and Hamas leaders in the aftermath of the 7 October 2023 Palestinian militant attack at an Israeli music festival, killing over a hundred people, with over a thousand injured and taking over one hundred hostages.

Dont let Nasrallah drag Lebanon into the abyss, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said during his address to the UN an hour before the strike.

Were not at war with you. Were at war with Hezbollah, which has hijacked your country and threatens to destroy ours. As long as Hezbollah chooses the path of war, Israel has no choice. Israel must defeat Hezbollah, Mr Netanyahu said during a UN address where delegates from several countries walked out, apparently in protest of his military actions in Gaza.

He told the UN General Assembly that Israel is winning in its fight against terrorists and their patrons in Iran who perpetrated the 7 October terror attacks on his country.

I have a message for the tyrants of Tehran, Mr Netanyahu said. If you strike us, we will strike you. There is no place  there is no place in Iran that the long arm of Israel cannot reach, and thats true of the entire Middle East.

Was US notified before the attack?

Voice of America quoted Israeli sources as saying the US had been notified ahead of time, moments before the airstrike, but Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh told reporters Friday that the US did not have advance warning of the strike. Ms Singh said Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke to his Israeli counterpart only after the Israeli operation was underway.

After the attack, the Iranian Foreign Ministry in a statement described the US as an accomplice in Israels attack and that both countries should be held accountable.

Iran reacts

The Iranian Foreign Ministry said the attack was a flagrant violation of the rules and regulations of international law as well as the sovereignty and territorial integrity and national security of Lebanon [and] is considered a war crime.

Despite the airstrike, the defiant Hezbollah has continued hitting targets in Israel as rockets fired from Lebanon toward Northern Israel were intercepted Friday evening by Israels Iron Dome defence system, Voice of America reported.

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The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Bauchi Zone has said more than 30 PhD holders have left the state-owned Saadu Zungur University (SAZU) over deteriorating working conditions.

ASUUs zonal coordinator, Namo Timothy, at a press conference on Friday, said the absence of an employee exit policy forced the lecturers to seek opportunities elsewhere.

He said the development has left the institution on the verge of collapse.

The official said the university has no pension or death benefit scheme in place as obtains in the structure of public service regulation in the country.

He said without a pension or death benefit scheme and with the deteriorating working conditions, lecturers feel insecure about their future in the university after reaching the vulnerable age of retirement.

The union also criticised the universitys administration for failing to pay over N650 million in accumulated entitlements, including earned academic allowances and honorariums for internal examiners.

Despite generating significant revenue from postgraduate programmes, our members have not been compensated for their contributions, Mr Timothy said.

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He said other pressing issues include a steep rise in student fees and a lack of commitment to staff training and development.

The union accused the university administration of neglecting staff welfare despite a recent fee hikes of over 100 per cent for regular and undergraduate programmes.

The University claims there are no funds to pay our members, yet it continues to impose higher charges on students, Mr Timothy added.

The union also complained that the pro-chancellor has been in the position since the universitys establishment and called for adherence to established laws regarding appointments.

This situation creates an environment where accountability and progressive policies are lacking. In light of these challenges, ASUU is urging the Bauchi State Government and stakeholders to address the welfare of staff urgently, including the establishment of a comprehensive exit policy and the implementation of overdue allowances, Unless these issues are resolved, we cannot guarantee industrial harmony in the university, the ASUU official warned.

The union also called on the state government to declare a state of emergency in the university to address the issues to secure the future of the academic staff and the institution.

The known phone contact of Bauchi State Commissioner of Education, Jamila Dahiru, did not connect Friday when our reporter reached out for comment on the development.

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Many residents of Onitsha, the commercial city of Anambra State, have refused to turn out for the 2024 local elections in the state.

The election, organised by the Anambra State Independent Electoral Commission (ANSIEC), is held today, Saturday, 28 September.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) correspondent, who monitored the election on Saturday, observed that residents were seen within their neighbourhood but failed to proceed to voting points.

The local election in Anambra was last held 11 years ago.

NAN reports that commercial drivers were seen going about their daily business in disregard of the order restricting movement.

Speaking to NAN in separate interviews, some residents questioned the credibility of the election because of their experiences with past elections in Nigeria.

Chinyere Olisa said she was frustrated when she was told her name was not among the accredited voters during the 2023 presidential election.

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She said she had left her business and travelled home to vote during the 2023 presidential election.

I was left frustrated when they checked and told me that they could not find my name.

I wasted my time and money during that election, you want me to do same again this time? No way, she said.

Another resident, Gloria Effiong, a food vendor, narrated that there was little campaigning before the election.

Many were not even aware that the election would be taking place today; there was no house-to-house campaign, as they used to do.

Nobody came to me for the campaign, and I am sure the same applies to many others.

As you can see, I am here selling food and making money for myself and my family. If they win the election today, I wont be remembered again, she said.

A tricyclist, Samuel Chidi, said he left his home as early as 6:30 a.m. for business and would not take part in the voting.

Mr Chidi said peoples votes no longer count in Nigeria because election officials usually have a pre-determined choice of who will win.

(NAN)

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The Nigeria Army has said it will strategically collaborate on information sharing with the Voice of Nigeria (VON), in addressing the prevailing insecurity challenges in the South-East and across Nigeria.

The General officer Commanding (GOC), 82 Division Nigeria Army, Enugu, Major- General Hassan Dada, said this when the Director-General of VON, Mallam Jubril Ndace, paid him a courtesy visit in his office in Enugu on Friday.

Mr Dada said the army would explore ways to leverage VONs broadcasting capabilities to promote national security, stability and unity by considering the critical role VON played in reshaping narratives.

This meeting is to touch on joint efforts to combat misinformation and disinformation that threaten national security, with VONs platform serving as a credible source of information, he said.

Responding, Mr Ndace highlighted the Nigerian Armys humanitarian initiatives and peacekeeping efforts, both in Nigeria and the world over.

Through VONs broadcasts, we shall showcase the armys positive impact in curbing insecurity and banditry as well as kidnapping in Nigeria, Mr Ndace said.

He further reiterated the commitment of VON under his leadership to sustain and improve on the existing partnership with the Military and other security agencies in projecting Nigerias image positively.

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The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the significance of the meeting was the discussion on Intelligence sharing, exchange of information on security threats, terrorism, conflict reporting and responsible reporting practices during conflicts.

The discussions are aimed at strengthening the partnership between VON and the Nigerian Army, by promoting national interests, security, and unity.

They equally exchanged ideas on collaborating with international partners to amplify Nigerias voice on global issues and promote cultural exchange by exploring areas aimed at Strengthening VONs role in promoting Nigerias interests and values globally.

(NAN)

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A reception to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China was held for foreign experts in various fields on Friday evening at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang attended the reception and, on behalf of the Chinese government and President Xi Jinping, conveyed thanks and regards to foreign experts and China's international friends for their support of China's reform, opening-up and modernization drive.

Ding, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said that China's progress over the past 75 years has been a result of the unremitting efforts of Chinese people of all ethnic groups and the hard work of foreign experts in various fields.

"Over the past 75 years, groups of foreign experts have made indelible contributions to the construction of China's socialist modernization, which the Chinese people will always remember," Ding said.

He noted that the third plenary session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China made systematic arrangements for the deepening of reform on all fronts, and for the promotion of Chinese modernization.

China adheres to a more active, open and effective talent policy, which will provide greater convenience, improved services and a better environment for foreign experts living and working in China, he said.

It is hoped that the vast number of foreign experts in China will continue to care for and support China's development, and be good builders of Chinese modernization, good bridges for exchange and cooperation between China and foreign countries, and good non-governmental ambassadors to enhance friendship, Ding said. China also hopes that foreign experts in the country will make new, greater contributions to the construction of a community with a shared future for humanity, he added.
CAIRO, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- Countries and anti-Israel factions in the Middle East on Saturday strongly condemned a previous Israeli attack that killed Hezbollah Leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah in the southern suburbs of Beirut, Lebanon.

On Friday evening, Israeli warplanes launched airstrikes on Hezbollah's main headquarters in Dahieh, which Israeli military said killed Nasrallah along with some other group commanders. Hezbollah on Saturday confirmed Nasrallah's death.

In a statement, the group mourned Nasrallah, describing him as "a great martyr" and "a heroic, bold, brave, wise, insightful, and faithful leader" for nearly 30 years, who lately led in "the battle for Palestine, Gaza, and the oppressed Palestinian people."

According to Lebanon's MTV TV channel, Friday's raids on Beirut killed at least six people, injured 91 others, flattened several residential buildings, and caused huge damage to infrastructure in the neighborhood.

Shortly after Hezbollah confirmed Nasrallah's death, Hamas issued a statement condemning the Israeli airstrikes on Dahieh as "a cowardly terrorist act, a massacre, and a heinous crime" that proved once again Israel's "bloodiness and brutality."

Hamas held Israel fully responsible for "this heinous crime and its serious repercussions on the security and stability of the region," and condemned the U.S. administration's "continued support" for Israel.

Meanwhile, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan condemned on social media platform X Israel's "brutal" and "inhumane" attacks that killed many Lebanese, including children, and called on the international community to "act swiftly" to ensure global peace, stability and security.

While also slamming Israel's "utter disregard for innocent human life," Iranian Vice President for Strategic Affairs Mohammad Javad Zarif vowed on X that "The Resistance will continue as long as the cause -- aggression and occupation -- persists."

In the meantime, Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei declared five days of national mourning over the "martyrdom" of Nasrallah.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi also mourned the death of Nasrallah.

In a phone call with his Lebanese counterpart Abdallah Bou Habib, Araghchi described Nasrallah's death as a great loss for Lebanon, West Asia, and the Muslim world.

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani called Nasrallah's killing "a new sinful attack and a crime that confirms Israel's crossing of all red lines," saying it expresses Israel's "reckless desire to expand the conflict at the expense of all the peoples of the region." The prime minister announced Saturday a three-day national mourning in honor of the "martyrdom" of Nasrallah.

Also on Saturday, the Tunisian Foreign Ministry condemned the "brutal aggression" against Lebanon, and called on the UN Security Council to adopt a "decisive and firm position to stop the bombings against the Lebanese people and put an end to the violation of their sovereignty and the threat to their security."

Meanwhile, Yemen's Houthi group described Nasrallah's passing as a "huge loss" and "a curse that haunts Israel until it is uprooted." The group declared three days of mourning and ordered flags to be flown at half-mast.

In a statement by the Syrian Foreign Ministry, the Syrian government strongly condemned the "criminal Israeli aggression," which it described as another example of Israel's "treachery, cowardice, and terrorism." The ministry accused Israel of disregarding international law and held it fully responsible for the consequences of the attack.

In a post on X, Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi expressed his country's "solidarity with Lebanon and its people," reaffirming "support for Lebanon's sovereignty, security, stability, cohesion, and peace."

In a phone call with Mikati, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi vowed to stand by Lebanon, especially during these critical circumstances. Sisi also stressed "the need for an immediate, comprehensive, and permanent ceasefire in both Lebanon and Gaza."

Israel has intensified its airstrikes across Lebanon since Monday, marking the most extensive Israeli military action in the country since 2006.

Israel's latest escalation further fuels its ongoing clashes with Hezbollah that began on Oct. 8, 2023, when Hezbollah started launching rockets at Israel in solidarity with Hamas, prompting Israel's retaliatory artillery fire and airstrikes in southeastern Lebanon.

According to the Lebanese Health Ministry on Saturday, 1,640 people in Lebanon, including 104 children and 194 women, have been killed and 8,408 more injured in Israeli attacks on Lebanon since Oct. 8 last year. 
The African Regional Director of the International Labour Organisation (ILO), Caroline Mugalla, has called on journalists to intensify efforts in reporting on child labour, emphasising the role the media plays in shaping the future of work and advocating social justice.

In her closing remarks during a regional training on child labour reporting held in Uganda, Ms Mugalla stressed the need for journalists to continue telling the stories of children involved in child labour, as many of them are unable to voice their struggles.

We are talking about the future of work and social justice and the journalists are in a better situation to spread this message in the media. If the children are not going to school or getting the education they want, then the future of work is also compromised, because they are the future of Africa, and they represent the majority of people, so they should be given a chance to be children, she said.

She stressed health risks associated with child labour, particularly in hazardous environments like mining, where children face long-term physical harm.

Ms Mugalla added: You can imagine a child working in the mines, and what that would do to his body, his lungs, and his mental development. Such a child is already prone to health conditions from a young age and that will also affect the workforce as the child is a future of work.

She therefore encouraged journalists to persist in telling these stories, highlighting how their efforts can create a ripple effect that reaches communities and policy-makers.

Focus areas

Facilitating the training, the National Project Officer for ACCEL AFRICA in Nigeria, Lydia Eke, explained that the project aims to accelerate action against child labour in global supply chains by working with institutions, governments, and the media.

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She noted that the projects focus is on sectors such as cocoa, tea, and small-scale gold mining in Nigeria, while also addressing other supply chains like cotton, tea, and coffee across participating countries.

We cannot achieve the elimination of child labour by working with grassroots communities or institutions alone. journalists are key changemakers who can advocate for both top-level and grassroots action, she emphasised.

She highlighted the journalists evolving understanding during the training, particularly the distinction between child labour and child work, and the adoption of ethical storytelling practices that protect the childs interests.

Speaking on the role of journalists in combating child labour, the Evaluation Officer of ACCEL AFRICA, Angelica Monaz, reiterated the significance of journalists in the fight against child labour and how it is a shared responsibility.

Journalists are the ones who will bring the information that perhaps we produce at the ILO to other actors, such as consumers, employers, governments, and even children, she stated.

She expressed optimism about the trainings impact, emphasising that knowledge exchange among journalists would boost the efforts to address child labour.

However, she acknowledged the challenges posed by external factors such as the COVID-19 pandemic, which she noted had reversed some of the progress made in combating the crisis.

She also emphasised that combating root causes like poverty, lack of employment for adults, and insufficient education opportunities is important for the elimination.

We need to involve all related stakeholders so that we all together can fight child labour, Monaz concluded.

Child labour

In Africa, child labour remains particularly prevalent, exacerbated by factors such as poverty, lack of education, inadequate legislation, and sociocultural norms.

ACCEL AFRICA noted that the prevalence highlights the urgency of media advocacy in addressing the growing crisis.

According to ILO, statistics reveal that approximately 160 million children aged 5 to 17 are engaged in child labour globally, with 79 million of them involved in hazardous work as of 2020.

During the training, it was discussed how a larger family have a higher likelihood of child labour involvement and how systemic issues like poverty, weak enforcement of protective laws, and societal acceptance contribute to the problem.

The facilitators emphasised that understanding the childs age, the nature of work, and working hours is essential when assessing child labour cases.

Journalists perspectives

Journalists who participated in the training shared insights on how the experience had reshaped their approach to reporting on child labor.

Alik Ponje from Malawi stressed the importance of incorporating a human face into child labour stories and the necessity of using accurate data and statistics to strengthen the narrative.

He believes integrating pieces of legislation and credible statistics is vital in crafting compelling child labor stories.

Child labour can sometimes be a very sensitive issue, so when you dont tackle it with relevant information, like the data, like using laws, whether they are for your country or international laws, you might end up presenting issues not in a very clear way, he said.

Caroline Tomno from Kenya highlighted that her biggest takeaway was recognising the importance of letting children speak for themselves in stories, rather than having their voices overshadowed by adults.

She added that journalists need to be more consistent and strategic in packaging child labor stories, involving the childrens voices directly.

We tell their stories through the perspective of their families, the mothers, the fathers, but going forward, and what I have learned from now on is that it is very important to give that child a chance to talk for themselves, she stated.

About the training

The three-day training was organised by the International Labour Organisation through its Accelerating Action for the Elimination of Child Labour in Supply Chains in Africa Project which targeted 16 journalists from across the continent.

The journalists were drawn from Malawi, Kenya, Egypt, Ghana, Uganda and Nigeria with the aim to equip them to better understand the multifaceted nature of child labour and enabling them to craft more impactful stories that resonate with policymakers, communities, and the general public.

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The Nigerian Technical Aid Corps (NTAC) says four Nigerian professors have been selected to hold key positions in the University of Applied Science, Engineering and Technology (USET) in The Gambia.

The Director-General (D-G) of NTAC, Yusuf Yakub, said this on Saturday in Abuja.

Mr Yakub spoke when the Minister of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology of The Gambia, Gomez Pierre, paid him a courtesy visit.

The D-G said that the professional prowess of the four Technical Aid Corps (TAC) volunteers led to the set up of a task force by the ministrys Governing Council.

He said that the development followed the submission of a report by a task force requesting that the four professors be appointed to key positions in the institution.

According to him, the task force was set up to validate the current serving TAC volunteers in that country to fill the vacant positions in USET in order to ensure the smooth running of the university.

The report of the task force says that the Gambian ministry has requested the endorsement from the Nigerian authorities for their appointment.

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The letter requesting endorsement, addressed to the Nigerian Mission in Kanifing and copied to the NTAC D-G, was received on Friday in Abuja.

The volunteer professors were selected following openings created by the imminent end of the tenure of the current Vice-Chancellor of the University, Prof.Samuel Owusu-Ofori, whose tenure comes to an end on September 30.

The Professors and their positions include: Prof. Nazmat Surajudeen- Bakinde -Vice Chancellor, and Prof. Yusuf Abdulfatah  Vice Chancellor (Academics)

Others are Prof. Akinlabi Oyetunji  Director, Research and Grants, and Prof. David Gundu  Director, Academic Planning and Quality Assurance, he said.

The NTAC D-G said that NTACs deployment of the crop of volunteers to The Gambia earlier in the year was part of Nigerias 24-month TAC scheme.

He said that it was aimed at providing technical assistance to that country.

He said that the move by the Gambian authorities remained significant as it highlighted the strong partnership between the country and Nigeria in the areas of education and technical cooperation.

READ ALSO: Nigerians lament insecurity as officials discuss steps taken

The Gambia remains one of the first and highest country-subscribers to the TAC Scheme, and it has, at the last count, received over 12,000 Nigerians as Volunteers since the establishment of TAC in 1987

They include engineers, lawyers and medical professionals, he said.

(NAN)

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The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) in Kano State said it received 618 complaints of alleged human rights abuses from July to date.

The NHRC State Coordinator, Shehu Abdullahi, made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday in Kano.

He said that 480 of the cases had been treated, while 138 were pending.

Mr Abdullahi said that 346 cases involved women and children, 75 were breaches of trust and 50 involved spousal responsibilities.

According to him, 60 of the cases received during the period under review were on abandonment of family responsibility and domestic violence.

No fewer than 52 cases were on labour, land properties and cultural, economic, social rights, he said.

Mr Abdullahi further explained that the remaining 35 were on labour matters mostly arising as conflicts in employer-employee relations.

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He said they were mostly about end-of-service entitlements and compensation for damages caused by accidents while on duty.

Mr Abdullahi added that the commission had also mediated on some marital matters between couples and families.

READ ALSO: NHRC expresses concerns over surge in reported human rights violation cases

The state coordinator urged couples to be more patient with one another in order to be able to jointly manage their responsibilities.

(NAN)

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As the world marks the 18th World Rabies Day on Saturday, global health organisations have called for increased vaccination against rabies in both humans and animals.

Rabies is a viral infection that primarily spreads through the saliva of infected animals, often through bites.

Although it is a preventable disease, rabies has, over the years, remained a life-threatening disease in many parts of Africa, especially those living in rural and remote parts of the continent.

The call for increased vaccination was made in a joint statement released on Friday to commemorate the 2024 World Rabies Day, themed: Breaking Rabies Boundaries.

The statement was signed by some organisations including the World Health Organisation (WHO), Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) and Global Alliance for Rabies Control.

World Rabies Day is observed annually on 28 September, marking the death anniversary of Louis Pasteur, the scientist who developed the first rabies vaccine.

The day serves as a platform to raise awareness about the prevention and control of rabies, a deadly yet preventable viral disease that affects both humans and animals.

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Speaking on the elimination of the zoonotic virus, the agencies said government agencies and stakeholders across the world must unite to tackle rabies, particularly in regions where the disease remains endemic, such as Africa

According to the statement, the years theme, Breaking Rabies Boundaries, highlights the need to overcome the persistent barriers that hinder the eradication of this preventable yet deadly disease.

The agencies said increased cooperation at international, national and sub-national levels is crucial to the elimination of the virus which is responsible for the death of thousands each year.

New prevention tools

The group also called for the adoption of new tools and strategies that will improve rabies prevention and control efforts at local, national, regional, and international levels.

The statement reads in part: The adoption of relevant tools will enable countries to make data-driven decisions and policies in addition to monitoring and measuring the impact of interventions.

Breaking the boundaries that limit programmatic scale-up will allow us to ensure wider and more effective rabies vaccination campaigns, in both humans and animals.

For example, mass dog vaccinations supported by the WOAH vaccine bank in several countries in Africa and FAOs support to strengthen animal systems in nearly all countries in Africa, have demonstrated how community-driven programs can be scaled for broader impact, the statement read in part.

The global health bodies also asked African countries to increase public awareness and education on rabies, noting that this is a key element of rabies elimination.

Data on rabies infection

Rabies is a neglected tropical disease that primarily impacts poor and vulnerable communities, especially those residing in isolated rural areas.

It occurs in more than 150 countries and territories across the world. In Nigeria where several cases have been reported, the disease is transmitted by dogs, especially stray and unvaccinated pets.

Data shows that infection causes tens of thousands of deaths every year, mostly in Asia and Africa. Children are the group most susceptible to rabies.

ALSO READ: Police worry over rising cases of dog bites in Osun

Experts say they have the greatest risk of exposure because they are frequently the victims of animal bites, due to their small size, playful nature, and their tendency to provoke animals.

Rabies is estimated to cause 59,000 human deaths each year across more than 150 countries, with 95 per cent of these cases occurring in Africa and Asia according to the WHO.

Despite its prevalence, this disease remains highly underreported in Nigeria. According to one study, only 998 human cases were reported between 2017 and 2022. Also, only 273 dog-suspect rabies cases were reported within this period.

However, the case fatality rate (CFR) of rabies is nearly 100 per cent once symptoms appear. Rabies is almost always fatal at this stage, making it one of the deadliest infectious diseases.

Early intervention through vaccination and post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) is crucial to prevent the onset of symptoms.

Initial symptoms of rabies include a fever with pain and unusual or unexplained tingling, pricking, or burning sensation (paraesthesia) at the wound site.

Nigeria pledges

Meanwhile, Nigerias Ministry of Health and Social Welfare has reaffirmed its commitment to pushing for coordinated efforts against neglected tropical diseases like rabies.

The ministry, on Saturday, in a post on X, said rabies poses a serious public health challenge to the country that must be addressed.

It stated that the transmission of rabies will be addressed using the One Health approach and in collaboration with veterinary, environmental, and other key sectors.

The statement reads in part: Together with local and international partners, we will enhance surveillance, vaccination campaigns, and awareness programmes, targeting vulnerable communities to ensure that every Nigerian is informed about prevention and treatment options.

As we mark this years World Rabies Day, our ministry is dedicated to breaking the cycle of rabies transmission, promoting responsible pet ownership, and ensuring no more lives are lost to this preventable disease. Let us unite to make Nigeria rabies-free.

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The veto, itself, is a violation of Article 2 of the UN Charter which states that: The Organisation is based on the principle of the sovereign equality of all its Members. The most fundamental reform that can be carried out in the UN is to scrap the veto power. The UNSC should, of course, continue its primary responsibility of maintaining international peace and security, provided it is democratised with no permanent seats.

United Nations Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, as usual, told us what we already know. On Wednesday, 25 September, he announced that, Hell is breaking loose in Lebanon. But, sadly, he is behind the news because hell is not breaking, it has already broken loose in the Palestine, especially in the Gaza Strip, and it has merely expanded its occupation into Lebanon.

Guterres should know this because 220 UN staff in Gaza, along with 174 of my colleagues in the journalism profession, have already been despatched from the hell that is Gaza.

Then he made a Freudian slip. As part of his suggestion to stop the war, he declared that the Lebanese state must have full control of its weapons throughout the country. He added: We support all efforts to strengthen the Lebanese Armed Forces.

What the UN chief is saying is that Hezbollah, the Lebanese party that Israel claims it is fighting, should be disarmed. So, in whose interest will this be? In that of the Lebanese people, who are being subjected to the type of genocide going on in Palestine, or Israel which, without Hezbollah, would annex Lebanon, as it did East Jerusalem, or occupy it as it is occupying the Palestine and the Syrian Golan Heights?

This is not a theoretical conception, as it has occurred twice. Israel had, in 1982, invaded Lebanon in the name of the cross-border pursuit of Palestinian fighters. This, in 1985, became a full-blown war in which it seized many parts of Lebanon, including its capital, Beirut. Although Israel later withdrew, however for 15 years it continued to occupy parts of Lebanon, which it called its security zone. It was forced to leave on 24 May, 2000.

Then, six years later, it again invaded Lebanon; this time from 12 July, 2006 to 14 August, 2006. However, it could not continue its occupation due to the armed resistance of Hezbollah, which had come to replace the collapsed Lebanese military. In other words, but for Hezbollah, Lebanon would have been another Gaza or West Bank under Israeli occupation, with settlers from Europe building illegal settlements there.

Guterres is supposed to be a peacemaker. But the mindset of a peace maker should be to work for an immediate ceasefire, not advocate the disarming of only one side of the conflict.

Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later

It seems to me a matter of common sense that since the Israeli War in Palestine is linked with that in Lebanon, a ceasefire on all fronts is what is required. The question is: What happened to the UN Security Councils (UNSC) June 2024 ceasefire resolution of the war in Gaza? Fourteen of the 15-member UNSC had passed that resolution, which the USA guaranteed Israel would obey, but the latter said the USA was talking nonsense.

The Guterres position of disarming Hezbollah does not tally with that of Lebanon, which sees the Israeli attacks as a blatant violation of its sovereignty and human rights.

Mohammad Najib Azmi Mikati, president of Lebanons Council of Ministers, said his country is the victim of an electronic cyber aggression and of an air and maritime aggression that can turn into a ground aggression and can become an all-out regional war.

US President Joe Biden, French President Emmanuel Macron along with Japan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates issued a joint statement saying, We call for an immediate 21-day ceasefire across the Lebanon-Israel border to provide space for diplomacy towards the conclusion of a diplomatic settlement.

It seems to me a matter of common sense that since the Israeli War in Palestine is linked with that in Lebanon, a ceasefire on all fronts is what is required. The question is: What happened to the UN Security Councils (UNSC) June 2024 ceasefire resolution of the war in Gaza? Fourteen of the 15-member UNSC had passed that resolution, which the USA guaranteed Israel would obey, but the latter said the USA was talking nonsense.

As such, the issue is not a ceasefire; the fact is that Israel operates outside international laws, resolutions and conventions because it has the solid backing of the USA. It gets away with whatever actions it carries out, including genocide. All attempts, over the decades, to make Israel obey international court rulings and UN resolutions have been foiled by the USA. The latter has used its veto in the UN 85 times, 47 of which were to shield Israel from international resolutions, charges of crimes against humanity and genocide.

Coincidentally, the renewed war in Lebanon is coming when the world is discussing the expansion of the UNSC to accommodate more permanent members. The USA, claiming to love Africa, is campaigning that two of those seats should go the continent, because as its Ambassador to the UN, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, said, Its what our African partners seek, and its what we believe is just. But, trust the American establishment, there is a caveat: provided the new members would not have the veto! It is like saying a person should be allowed to own a cannon, provided he will not have balls. The magnanimous USA would tolerate Africans at the UNSC Permanent Security Court provided they are eunuchs: castrated men.

The veto power derives from Article 27 of the UN Charter, which provides that: Each member of the Security Council shall have one vote; Decisions of the Security Council on procedural matters shall be made by an affirmative vote of nine members (and) Decisions of the Security Council on all other matters shall be made by an affirmative vote of nine members, including the concurring votes of the permanent members

The proposed reforms of the UN system are part of the Pact for the Future resolution passed on Sunday, 22 September. The five planks of the Pact are international peace and security; sustainable development; youth and future generations; science and technology; and transforming global governance.

In other words, the power of the UN permanent members is principally based on their power to veto any issue in the organisation. To have the veto is to have the power to override any decision of the UN, even if backed by the 192 other member countries.

Incredibly, some are debating whether this should be accepted or not since half a loaf of bread is better than none; supposing the half-loaf is poisoned?

The veto, in practice, is used as a personal weapon by the permanent members, which include three European countries  France, United Kingdom and Russia; one Asian country  China and; one North American country  USA. Shut out of this exclusive club are regions like Africa, the Caribbean and Pacific, the Middle East and Latin America.

The veto, itself, is a violation of Article 2 of the UN Charter which states that: The Organisation is based on the principle of the sovereign equality of all its Members.

The most fundamental reform that can be carried out in the UN is to scrap the veto power. The UNSC should, of course, continue its primary responsibility of maintaining international peace and security, provided it is democratised with no permanent seats.

The proposed reforms of the UN system are part of the Pact for the Future resolution passed on Sunday, 22 September. The five planks of the Pact are international peace and security; sustainable development; youth and future generations; science and technology; and transforming global governance.

For the Pact to truly impact on humanity, the UN must be reformed and reoriented based on equality for all and social justice.

Owei Lakemfa, a former secretary general of African workers, is a human rights activist, journalist and author.

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President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has forwarded the names of members of the inaugural Governing Board of the North West Development Commission (NWDC) to the Senate for confirmation.

The step follows President Tinubus signing of the North West Development Commission Bill into law on 24 July, marking a crucial milestone in the commissions establishment.

NWDC Governing Board Nominees:

Chairman: Haruna Ginsau (Jigawa)

MD/CEO: Abdullahi Shehu Maaji (Kano)

Members:

 Yahaya Umar Namahe (Sokoto)

Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later

 Aminu Suleiman (Kebbi)

 Tijani Yahaya Kaura (Zamfara)

 Abdulkadir S. Usman (Kaduna)

 Muhammad Ali Wudil (Kano)

 Shamsu Sule (Katsina)

 Nasidi Ali (Jigawa)

The nominated board members are expected to contribute their wealth of experience and expertise to the Commissions mandate of developing the North-west region.

The NWDC will focus on catalysing significant growth, economic empowerment, and social development of the region.

READ ALSO: Tinubu appoints seven executive directors for NTA

President Tinubus unwavering commitment to supporting the NWDC in its mission to bring sustainable development to the North West is steadfast.

Bayo Onanuga

Special Adviser to the President

(Information & Strategy)

September 28, 2024

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Education must come first in our global efforts to defeat poverty, defend the planet and demand equity.

NEW YORK, Sept. 28, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- At this weekend's Global Citizen Festival, Education Cannot Wait (ECW) Executive Director Yasmine Sherif lit up the stage in New York's Central Park with her passionate call to expand support for education for crisis-affected girls and boys around the world. Sherif joined Rachel Brosnahan onstage in calling for expanded action to ensure education for all  especially children and adolescents impacted by armed conflicts, climate-induced disasters and protracted crises.

ECW's partnership with Global Citizen and other key champions has brought together citizens from across the globe to accelerate ECW's resource mobilization efforts, resulting in over US$1.6 billion mobilized to date. Leading up to the festival, thousands of individuals took action through Global Citizen's campaign to support education for all through Education Cannot Wait. Throughout the day, a wide range of world leaders, celebrities and advocates  including headliners such as LISA from Blackpink, Post Malone, Doja Cat, Jelly Roll, RAYE, Hugh Jackman and Dr. Jane Goodall  took to the Global Citizen stage with a common goal to defeat poverty, defend the planet and demand equity.

"Every child deserves a future irrespective of race, religion, ethnicity or politics  no matter who or where they are. This is a human imperative. Every child deserves an education. Every child deserves to reach their potential in safety, be it in Ukraine, Gaza, Afghanistan or Chad," said Sherif. "We are proud today to be committing US$90 million towards quality education for children in Ukraine, Colombia, Ecuador, Ethiopia, Iraq and Syria to ensure that they are equipped to realize their dreams and build a future, just like all of us. We are also committing US$27 million for emergency education support for the children of Haiti, Gaza, Lebanon, Eastern Congo and Sudan. Thank-you Global Citizen  and all of you  for being part of our mission to deliver education to children in crisis, for making the world a better, fairer and more humane place."

When Education Cannot Wait was founded in 2017, it was estimated that 75 million crisis-impacted children needed ECW's support in accessing quality, holistic education opportunities. That number has tripled to 224 million today  that's more than the populations of Australia, France, Italy and the United Kingdom combined.

Brutal wars have exacerbated the issue, stretched foreign aid budgets, and derailed progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals. Without additional measures, by 2030 an astonishing 300 million children will lack basic numeracy and literacy skills worldwide. Just as concerning, 1 in 4 young people are either out of school, out of a job, or out of a training programme to join the work force, and girls are twice as likely as boys to be impacted by this critical situation.

The challenges are especially strong in the world's forgotten crises. Approximately half of all out-of-school children in emergencies are concentrated in only eight countries: Afghanistan, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Mali, Myanmar, Nigeria, Pakistan and Sudan. In Nigeria alone 20 million children are out of school; in Sudan, 18 million children are out of school. Without the safety and protection of a quality education they face an uncertain future, recruitment into armed groups, child marriage and other grave violations of their human rights. Even when they are in school, millions more children are falling further behind.

Despite the growing needs, overall humanitarian funding for education dropped for the first time in over a decade last year, decreasing by 3%, from US$1.2 billion in 2022 to US$1.17 in 2023, according to ECW's Annual Results Report.

Against all odds, ECW and its strategic partners are achieving significant results. Since ECW became operational in 2017, ECW's investments have reached 11 million children and adolescents, including 5.6 million girls and boys in 2023 alone. The global fund is calling on world leaders, businesses, philanthropic foundations and high-net-worth individuals to provide US$600 million in urgent funding to reach 20 million children through the Fund's four-year strategic plan. Financing education is an investment in all of humanity without discrimination.

SOURCE Education Cannot Wait
WASHINGTON, Sept. 28, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Debra Tice, the mother of Austin Tice, the U.S. journalist and Marine veteran being held in Syria, will speak at an important high-level event Monday at the Western Grand Central in New York. Her remarks will follow those of U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres who will be attending and speaking as well, The event runs from 1:30pm-3pm.

Sponsored by Hostage Aid Worldwide and the Raul Wallenberg Center For Human Rights, this event focuses on countering hostage taking  an important and growing global problem.

Tice last spoke in public at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. on Aug. 14, the 12th anniversary of her son's abduction. Austin is the only U.S. journalist currently being held overseas. No U.S. journalist has been held longer than Austin.

Coverage of the event is welcome but please register here:

[email protected] 0r call: 518-9301145

Founded in 1908, The National Press Club is the world's leading professional organization for journalists. With 3,000 members representing nearly every major journalism organization, the Club is a leading voice for press freedom in the U.S. and worldwide. Austin Tice was the recipient of the Club's John Aubuchon Award for Press Freedom in 2015. The Club has supported the Tice family in their efforts to free Austin across those years.

Contact: Bill McCarren, 202-662-7534 for the National Press Club

SOURCE National Press Club
14,000+ personnel engaged in response; additional ERTs to be posted as available

ATLANTA, Sept. 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Georgia Power's response to Hurricane Helene continued through the day Friday with teams working safely and quickly to restore power to more than 250,000 customers since the beginning of the storm. As of 7 PM on Friday, approximately 620,000 customers remain impacted due to the storm.

The company continues to bring more resources from outside of its system and currently has 14,000+ personnel engaged in response, including support from Alabama Power, Mississippi Power and dozens of other companies. The response force currently engaged is larger than the company's response to other major hurricanes including Michael, Irma and Zeta.

Georgia Power teams have worked throughout the day not only restoring power to customers, but also conducting damage assessment which is an essential part of efficient restoration and helps the company identify where resources are best utilized to return power to customers quickly. Damage assessment teams enter the field and begin the restoration process as soon as conditions allow. Given the inaccessibility of many areas, teams are utilizing drones and other technology to patrol damaged lines. These damage assessment teams are then followed by repair crews.

Friday evening, teams were continuing this effort and providing details that allow the company to post estimated restoration times for customers where possible. Estimated restoration times (ERTs) are currently available on Georgia Power's Outage Map for multiple communities including Albany, Alpharetta, Americus, Atlanta, Austell, Canton, Carrollton, Cartersville, Columbus, Dalton, Jonesboro, Lawrenceville, Newnan, Rome, Smyrna and Tucker.

The company appreciates the importance of accurate information for customers as they make plans for their families and is committed to publishing up to date information throughout the remainder of the storm response. Additional evaluation is occurring as areas are accessible across southern, coastal and eastern Georgia, where communities experienced hurricane force winds leading to extensive damage. New ERTs will be posted to the company's Outage Map as they are available.

Hurricane Helene poured more than seven inches of rain overnight onto communities across the state, which combined with 80-100 mph winds to cause hundreds of road closures statewide and catastrophic damage to hundreds of structures with the greatest concentration in the south and east regions of the state. Teams continue to navigate these challenging conditions to repair damage and restore service to customers.

As always, the company encourages customers to keep safety first following Hurricane Helene:

Watch for Georgia Power crews working across the state. If driving, move over one lane for utility vehicles stopped on the side of the road  it's the law in Georgia .

If driving, move over one lane for utility vehicles stopped on the side of the road  it's the law in . Watch for downed wires. Downed power lines may be hidden by debris or fallen trees.

Downed power lines may be hidden by debris or fallen trees. Never touch any downed wire or attempt to remove tree branches from power lines  it can kill.

Don't step in standing water or saturated ground where downed lines may be present. They could be electrified.

They could be electrified. Avoid chain link fences. They may be electrified by a downed line out of sight and conduct electricity over great distances.

They may be electrified by a downed line out of sight and conduct electricity over great distances. Never attempt repairs to electric service connections. Customers should also note that if their home, including the meter box or mast/connection point, is severely damaged by the storm repairs may need to be made by an electrician before Georgia Power can reconnect power.

Tools You Can Use to Stay Connected & Informed

Outage Alerts  Customers subscribed to our free Georgia Power Outage Alert service will receive personalized notifications and updates via text message. Check that your contact number is up to date to receive the latest information.

Customers subscribed to our free Georgia Power Outage Alert service will receive personalized notifications and updates via text message. Check that your contact number is up to date to receive the latest information. Outage & Storm Center  Available at www.GeorgiaPower.com/Storm, customers can visit this site to check their contact information is updated to receive Outage Alerts, report and check the status of outages, and access useful safety tips and information. Customers can also report and check the status of an outage 24 hours a day by contacting Georgia Power at 888-891-0938.

Available at www.GeorgiaPower.com/Storm, customers can visit this site to check their contact information is updated to receive Outage Alerts, report and check the status of outages, and access useful safety tips and information. Customers can also report and check the status of an outage 24 hours a day by contacting Georgia Power at 888-891-0938. Outage Map  Housed within the Outage & Storm Center, Georgia Power's interactive Outage Map provides near real-time information, allowing users to see where outages are occurring across the state and track estimated restoration times.

 Housed within the Outage & Storm Center, Georgia Power's interactive Outage Map provides near real-time information, allowing users to see where outages are occurring across the state and track estimated restoration times. Georgia Power Mobile App  Download the Georgia Power mobile app for Apple and Android devices to access storm and outage information on the go.

 Download the Georgia Power mobile app for Apple and Android devices to access storm and outage information on the go. @GeorgiaPower on X (Twitter)  Follow @GeorgiaPower on X for storm tips, outage updates, customer service and more.

Preparation, Industry Support Key to Response

Georgia Power monitored the path of Hurricane Helene for more than a week prior to the storm entering Georgia. As part of its preparations, Georgia Power mobilized additional staff from across the industry to respond to Hurricane Helene. Mobilized crews across the state pre-positioned restoration workers, equipment, and supplies near areas of anticipated impact including extra transformers, poles, cable and other equipment. All this is part of advance planning and strategy to allow the company to restore power more quickly and efficiently for its customers as soon as weather conditions allow.

Georgia Power is also a member of a nationwide mutual assistance network, which consists of hundreds of utilities from around the country. Georgia Power has proactively mobilized crews from over 35 companies from states as far away as Texas, Oklahoma, Indiana, Pennsylvania and New Jersey. The company continues to acquire additional off-system resources to aid in response.

About Georgia Power

Georgia Power is the largest electric subsidiary of Southern Company (NYSE: SO), America's premier energy company. Value, Reliability, Customer Service and Stewardship are the cornerstones of the company's promise to 2.7 million customers in all but four of Georgia's 159 counties. Committed to delivering clean, safe, reliable and affordable energy, Georgia Power maintains a diverse, innovative generation mix that includes nuclear, coal and natural gas, as well as renewables such as solar, hydroelectric and wind. Georgia Power focuses on delivering world-class service to its customers every day and the company is recognized by J.D. Power as an industry leader in customer satisfaction. For more information, visit www.GeorgiaPower.com and connect with the company on Facebook (Facebook.com/GeorgiaPower), X (X.com/GeorgiaPower) and Instagram (Instagram.com/ga_power).

SOURCE Georgia Power
UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres is gravely concerned by the dramatic escalation of events in Beirut, Lebanon, in the last 24 hours, his spokesman said on Saturday.

"This cycle of violence must stop now, and all sides must step back from the brink," Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for the secretary general, said in a statement.

"The people of Lebanon, the people of Israel, as well as the wider region, cannot afford an all-out war," the statement said.

It added that the UN chief "urges the parties to re-commit to the full implementation of Security Council resolution 1701 (2006) and immediately return to a cessation of hostilities. He also reiterates his call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and the release of all hostages held there." 
WASHINGTON, Sept. 28, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The two crew members of NASA's SpaceX Crew-9 mission launched at 1:17 p.m. EDT Saturday, for a science expedition aboard the International Space Station. This is the first human spaceflight mission launched from Space Launch Complex-40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, and the agency's ninth commercial crew rotation mission to the space station.

NASAs SpaceX Crew-9 mission launched at 1:17 p.m. EDT Sept. 28, 2024, from Space Launch Complex-40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. Credits: NASA

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket propelled the Dragon spacecraft into orbit carrying NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov. The spacecraft will dock autonomously to the forward-facing port of the station's Harmony module at approximately 5:30 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 29, where Hague and Gorbunov will join Expedition 72 for a five-month stay aboard the orbiting laboratory.

"This mission required a lot of operational and planning flexibility. I congratulate the entire team on a successful launch today, and godspeed to Nick and Aleksandr as they make their way to the space station," said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. "Our NASA wizards and our commercial and international partners have shown once again the success that comes from working together and adapting to changing circumstances without sacrificing the safe and professional operations of the International Space Station."

During Dragon's flight, SpaceX will monitor a series of automatic spacecraft maneuvers from its mission control center in Hawthorne, California. NASA will monitor space station operations throughout the flight from the Mission Control Center at the agency's Johnson Space Center in Houston.

NASA will provide live coverage of rendezvous, docking, and hatch opening, beginning at 3:30 p.m., Sept. 29, on NASA+ and the agency's website. NASA also will broadcast the crew welcome ceremony once Hague and Gorbunov are aboard the orbital outpost. Learn how to stream NASA content through a variety of platforms, including social media.

The duo will join the space station's Expedition 72 crew of NASA astronauts Michael Barratt, Matthew Dominick, Jeanette Epps, Don Pettit, Butch Wilmore, and Suni Williams, as well as Roscosmos cosmonauts Alexander Grebenkin, Alexey Ovchinin, and Ivan Vagner. The number of crew aboard the space station will increase to 11 for a short time until Crew-8 members Barratt, Dominick, Epps, and Grebenkin depart the space station in early October.

The crewmates will conduct more than 200 scientific investigations, including blood clotting studies, moisture effects on plants grown in space, and vision changes in astronauts during their mission. Following their stay aboard the space station, Hague and Gorbunov will be joined by Williams and Wilmore to return to Earth in February 2025.

With this mission, NASA continues to maximize the use of the orbiting laboratory, where people have lived and worked continuously for more than 23 years, testing technologies, performing science, and developing the skills needed to operate future commercial destinations in low Earth orbit and explore farther from Earth. Research conducted at the space station benefits people on Earth and paves the way for future long-duration missions to the Moon under NASA's Artemis campaign, and beyond.

More about Crew-9

Hague is the commander of Crew-9 and is making his second trip to the orbital outpost since his selection as an astronaut in 2013. He will serve as a mission specialist during Expedition 72/73 aboard the space station. Follow @AstroHague on X and Instagram.

Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov is flying on his first mission. He will serve as a flight engineer during Expeditions 72/73.

Learn more about NASA's SpaceX Crew-9 mission and the agency's Commercial Crew Program at:

https://www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew

SOURCE NASA
PORTSMOUTH, Va., Sept. 28, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Mercy Chefs, a Virginia-based disaster relief and humanitarian aid organization, is serving hot, chef-prepared meals to the victims, volunteers and first responders of Hurricane Helene.

The nonprofit, which has served more than 27 million meals since its founding in 2006 in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, has set up a base for operations in Newberry, Florida. The team is serving meals from Destiny Community Church, located at 20820 W Newberry Rd, Newberry, FL 32669. Lunch will be served from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., with the exception of Sunday. Dinner service will be provided daily from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Mercy Chefs is also distributing meals to other areas of great need including Crystal River, Cedar Key and Perry.

"The devastation caused by Hurricane Helene along Florida's Big Bend and the Southeast is overwhelming," said Gary LeBlanc, founder and CEO of Mercy Chefs. "We have the capacity to produce upwards of 20,000 meals per day as we work to feed body and soul wherever we are needed most."

After Hurricane Katrina, LeBlanc went to New Orleans to volunteer and realized disaster relief could be done better. Nearly 20 years later, the organization he founded has provided restaurant-quality meals across the country and around the globe.

To support Mercy Chefs in its current relief efforts, visit: https://mercychefs.com/helene-response/.

Follow Mercy Chefs on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram for updates on relief efforts.

ABOUT MERCY CHEFS

Mercy Chefs is a 501c3 founded in 2006 in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. The organization exists to provide professionally prepared, restaurant-quality meals to victims, volunteers and first responders in natural disasters and national emergencies and partners with existing ministries with food service in underserved communities across the country and around the globe. Since its founding, Mercy Chefs has served more than 27 million meals. In 2020, Mercy Chefs founder Gary LeBlanc was recognized by Southern Living Magazine as a "Hometown Hero," and Mercy Chefs was named the 2020 Small Business of the Year in the nonprofit category by Inside Business and the Hampton Roads Chamber. Mercy Chefs also has been featured in major news outlets such as CNN, Fox News, NBC News, PBS and ABC News. For more information, visit MercyChefs.com.

SOURCE Mercy Chefs
The international Christian relief organization is helping families in need in Western North Carolina, Eastern Tennessee, Georgia, and Florida.

BOONE, N.C., Sept. 28, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Samaritan's Purse is responding to overwhelming needs in Western North Carolina, Eastern Tennessee, Georgia, and Florida following the catastrophic damage from Hurricane Helene. The Category 4 storm made its historic landfall with 140mph winds along Florida's Big Bend region on Thursday night leaving an enormous path of destruction that flattened homes and inundated communities. More than 50 lives were lost across multiple states, and search and rescue efforts are ongoing.

Samaritan's Purse Responds to Hurricane Helene in Western North Carolina, Eastern Tennessee, Georgia and Florida. Post this Samaritan's Purse is responding in Western North Carolina, Eastern Tennessee, Georgia, and Florida. Here, a Disaster Relief Unit arrives at Alliance Bible Fellowship in Boone, North Carolina.

Samaritan's Purse disaster relief specialists arrived in Georgia and Florida on Friday afternoon to begin assessments. Two Disaster Relief Unitstractor-trailers stocked with tools and equipment also departed North Carolina on Friday to serve as a base of operations for volunteer teams. Additionally, the N.C.-based organization is responding in Western North Carolina through disaster relief as well as setting up a field hospital unit in the parking lot of the Watauga Medical Center to provide oxygen for patients who have no power at home.

"Samaritan's Purse responds to help with storms and crises around the world every day, but now the storm has hit in our own backyard. Hurricane Helene slammed western North Carolina and the surrounding area, as well as Georgia and Florida. Homes have been flooded and some even washed away, trees are down, and tens of thousands are still without power," said Franklin Graham, president of Samaritan's Purse. "Our hearts go out to all those who have lost so much and we want to help as many as we can in Jesus' Name."

In the coming days, volunteers from across the country will assist families in Western North Carolina; Eastern Tennessee; Perry, Florida; the greater Tampa area; and Valdosta, Georgia. By securing tarps on damaged roofs, removing downed trees, and cleaning out waterlogged homes, volunteers will remind families that even in the midst of tragedy, God has not forgotten them.

As news of the devastation continues, Samaritan's Purse will continue monitoring other hard-hit areas in the U.S. and assess communities where the needs are overwhelming. Chaplains with the Billy Graham Rapid Response team are also deploying alongside Samaritan's Purse to provide spiritual relief and comfort to people who are hurting.

MEDIA REQUEST FORM

Media Opportunities

Interview Edward Graham , chief operating officer of Samaritan's Purse

, chief operating officer of Samaritan's Purse Interview Todd Taylor , manager of U.S. Disaster Relief for Samaritan's Purse, on the ground in Florida

, manager of U.S. Disaster Relief for Samaritan's Purse, on the ground in Download high-res photos of Samaritan's Purse U.S. Disaster Relief

Download broadcast-quality b-roll of Samaritan's Purse U.S. Disaster Relief

Based in Boone, North Carolina, Samaritan's Purse responds to the physical and spiritual needs of individuals in crisis situationsespecially in locations where few others are working. Led by Present and CEO Franklin Graham, Samaritan's Purse works in more than 100 countries to provide aid to victims of war, disease, poverty, famine, and persecution. For more information, visit SamaritansPurse.org.

SOURCE Samaritan's Purse
SANAA, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- Yemen's Houthi group claimed on Saturday that it had launched a missile attack on Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv in Israel.

In a statement aired by the Houthi-run al-Masirah TV, the group's military spokesman Yahya Sarea said a "ballistic missile" was fired at Ben Gurion Airport "upon the arrival" of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who returned to the country on Saturday after addressing the United Nations General Assembly on Friday.

Sarea vowed that the group "will continue to respond to Israel's crimes and will not hesitate to raise the level of escalation in support of the Gaza Strip and Lebanon."

Earlier in the day, the Israel Defense Forces said it successfully intercepted a surface-to-surface missile launched from Yemen, which triggered air raid sirens across central Israel, including in Tel Aviv.

This is the second missile attack claimed by the Houthis against Israel within two days after the group claimed a ballistic missile attack on a military target in the Jaffa area of Tel Aviv on Friday.

Meanwhile, the Houthis declared via al-Masirah TV a three-day mourning over the death of Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed in Israeli airstrikes on Friday evening.

The Houthi group, which controls large swathes of northern Yemen, has been attacking "Israeli-linked" shipping near the country's coastline since November 2023, allegedly to support Palestinians in their conflict with Israelis.

The group is aligned with the anti-Israel "axis of resistance," which also includes Iran, Hezbollah, Hamas, and militant groups in Iraq and Syria, among others. 
If you were looking for the Charlestown Democratic Town Committee website and ended up here, try this





Got news tips, gossip, suggestions, complaints?E-mail us: progressivecharlestown@gmail.com We strive to avoid errors in our articles. Our correction policy can be found here
United Nations, Sep 28 : Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has criticised the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court to seek arrest warrants against him and Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, alongside several Hamas leaders.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the real war criminals are not in Israel," he told the UN General Assembly on Friday.

"They're in Iran. They're in Gaza, in Syria, in Lebanon, in Yemen. Those of you who stand with these criminals, those of you who stand with evil against good, with the curse against the blessing, those of you who do so should be ashamed of yourselves."

The International Criminal Court is seeking arrest warrants for Hamas leader in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar, and Netanyahu on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity over the October 7 attacks on Israel and the subsequent war in Gaza.

"Given the anti-semitism at the UN, it should surprise no one that the prosecutor at the ICC, one of the UN's affiliate organs, is considering issuing arrest warrants against me and Israel's Defence Minister -- the democratically elected leaders of the democratic state of Israel," Netanyahu said.

"Nobody is above the law," ICC prosecutor Karim Khan told CNN.

But "the ICC prosecutors rushed to judgement," Netanyahu said.

"His refusal to treat Israel with its independent courts, the way other democracies are treated, is hard to explain by anything other than pure anti-semitism," he added.

Israel has "no choice" but to fight back against Hezbollah, so long as the militant group threatens Israel from its base in Lebanon, Netanyahu told the United Nations General Assembly.

"As long as Hezbollah chooses the path of war, Israel has no choice, and Israel has every right, to remove this threat and return our citizens to their homes safely," the Israeli leader said.

"And that's exactly what we're doing."

Around 60,000 Israeli civilians have been forced from their homes by Hezbollah attacks that began on October 8, the day after Hamas' attack on Israel.

The Israeli military has in recent days rapidly escalated its fight against Hezbollah, killed hundreds in Lebanon and forced hundreds of thousands of civilians from their homes in southern Lebanon, according to the government there.

"We will continue degrading Hezbollah until all our objectives are met," Netanyahu added.

The Israeli Prime Minister said his country's military has killed or captured more than half of Hamas' 40,000 fighters during a speech at the United Nations General Assembly on Friday.

The leader also claimed that Israel's military had destroyed 90 per cent of Hamas' rocket arsenal and eliminated "key segments" of the militants' tunnel network over the course of its nearly one-year war against the group.

Netanyahu said Israel was "now focused on mopping up Hamas's remaining fighting capabilities," including targeting remaining senior commanders and destroying remaining infrastructure.

Also during his speech, Netanyahu praised Israel's soldiers for their role in the Israel-Gaza war -- which has killed 41,945 people and injured 96,006 in the enclave, according to authorities there -- saying they had "fought back with incredible courage and with heroic sacrifice".

"And I have another message for this Assembly and for the world outside this hall: We are winning!" he said.

Netanyahu offered little detail during his speech to the United Nations General Assembly on who might govern Gaza after the war there concludes.

"Israel will reject any role for Hamas in a post-war Gaza," he said.

"We don't seek to resettle Gaza, we seek to demilitarise and deradicalise Gaza. Only then can we ensure that this round of fighting will be the last round of fighting.

Israel, he said, was "ready to work with regional and local partners to support a civilian administration in Gaza committed to peaceful coexistence".

The Israeli Prime Minister brought props to his speech at the UN General Assembly to make his case.

Holding two maps, he said the world much choose between a "blessing" and a "curse".

At the centre of the choice was Israel's major regional enemy: Iran.

The blessing, he said, "shows Israel and its Arab partners forming a land bridge connecting Asia and Europe."

"Now look at this second map," he said.

"It's a map of a curse. It's a map of an arc of terror that Iran has created and imposed from the Indian Ocean to the Mediterranean."

"Which of these two maps that I showed you will shape our future? Will it be the blessings of peace and prosperity for Israel, our Arab partners, and the rest of the world? Or will it be the curse in which Iran and its proxies spread carnage and chaos everywhere?"

He added: "There is no place in Iran that the long arm of Israel cannot reach -- that's true for the whole of the Middle East."
United Nations, Sep 28 : Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will cut short his visit to New York and return to Israel on Friday, his office said, following a major airstrike on Hezbollah's headquarters in the Lebanese capital, Beirut.

The announcement came after Netanyahu addressed the United Nations in New York, where he was supposed to stay until Saturday night, after the Jewish sabbath.

The strike marked the most intense bombardment on Beirut in the past year, levelling six buildings and sending massive clouds of orange and black smoke over the city.

The Israeli military described the operation as a "precise strike," targeting Hezbollah's central headquarters, located beneath residential buildings in the densely populated southern suburb of Haret Hreik.

Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, an Israeli military spokesperson, said in a televised statement, "We have targeted the main Hezbollah command centre in Beirut, located deep within civilian areas."

The US Pentagon confirmed that it had not received prior warning about the strike. A Pentagon spokesperson said that US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke with his Israeli counterpart as the operation was underway. The US is actively involved in diplomatic efforts aimed at de-escalating the conflict, which has escalated in recent weeks.

While the full scale of casualties remains unclear, Lebanon's state-run National News Agency reported that the Lebanese Red Cross deployed 10 teams to the scene of the strike. Sahel Hospital, located near the site, confirmed that it had received 10 wounded, three of them critically injured, including a Syrian child. Local media showed emergency workers sifting through the rubble in search of survivors, with flashlights illuminating the destruction as night fell over the city.

Plumes of smoke were visible for miles, and local TV footage showed the aftermatha"entire buildings reduced to rubble, with emergency personnel struggling to extinguish fires amid the debris. The force of the explosion was so powerful that it rattled windows and shook homes as far as 30 km away from the impact site.

Just before the strikes, thousands had gathered in a nearby suburb for the funeral of three Hezbollah members, including a senior commander, who were killed in earlier Israeli strikes. Following the latest bombardment, residents of the area were seen hastily gathering their belongings and fleeing toward Beirut's airport.

Friday's attack came as Netanyahu vowed to continue Israel's military campaign against Hezbollah, the Iran-backed militant group, casting doubt on US-led efforts to broker a ceasefire. Speaking at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Netanyahu reaffirmed Israel's right to self-defence, stating, "As long as Hezbollah chooses the path of war, Israel has no choice, and Israel has every right to remove this threat."

The ongoing conflict between Israel and Hezbollah has seen an escalation in recent days, with Israel launching a wave of airstrikes across southern Lebanon since Monday. Lebanese officials report that more than 700 people have been killed in the bombardment, including at least 50 children. Tens of thousands have fled their homes in Lebanon's southern and northeastern regions.

The strikes on Beirut's southern suburbs occurred as the US continues to push for a diplomatic resolution to the conflict.

Washington has proposed a three-week ceasefire, supported by the European Union and several Arab nations.

However, Netanyahu's recent comments signal that Israel is intent on continuing its campaign against Hezbollah and its ally Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip.
Beirut, Sep 28 : The Israeli military has said it carried out a strike on the headquarters of Lebanese militant group Hezbollah in the southern suburbs of Beirut on Friday which was carried reportedly to target the militant group's leader Hassan Nasrallah.

Israel's three main TV channels say the massive strikes in Beirut targeted Hezbollah's leader Hassan Nasrallah. The Israeli army had no comment on the reports that Nasrallah was the target. But given the size and timing of the blast, there were strong indications that a high-value target was inside the building at the time, reported the Associated Press.

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed targeting Hezbollah's central command centre in the densely populated Dahiyeh suburb, which is known as a stronghold for the group.

"The IDF (military) carried out a precise strike on the central headquarters of the terrorist organisation Hezbollah in Dahiyeh," military spokesman Daniel Hagari said in a televised statement.

Lebanonas state-run National News Agency said six buildings were "levelled to the ground" by the strikes.

The news outlet Axios cited an Israeli source as saying Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah was the target of the strike and that the Israeli military was checking if he was hit.

Explosions from the strikes were heard across Beirut, shaking windows and buildings as far as 30 km away from the city centre. Thick black smoke billowed into the sky, and ambulances were seen racing towards the site of the blasts in Dahieh, with sirens echoing throughout the city.

Hospitals in the area were receiving casualties, but the scale was not immediately clear. Officials at Sahel hospital near the scene of the strike said they had received 10 wounded, three of them critically, including a Syrian child.

The strike came amid heightened tensions following Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's vow to escalate Israel's offensive against Hezbollah.

Speaking at the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Friday, Netanyahu reiterated Israel's commitment to confronting Hezbollah, stating, a"s long as Hezbollah chooses the path of war, Israel has no choice and Israel has every right to remove this threat."

A Lebanese security source told Reuters that Friday's assault was the largest Israeli attack on the capital's southern suburbs since the conflict began earlier this week. The precise impact and casualties from the strike were not immediately known.

The escalation of violence follows a week of intensive airstrikes across southern Lebanon, where Israel has been targeting Hezbollah positions. More than 700 people have reportedly been killed, and tens of thousands of civilians have fled their homes amid the bombardment.

Netanyahu's UN speech, delivered shortly before the Beirut strike, was defiant, dismissing ongoing international efforts to broker a ceasefire in the conflict. The US, European Union, and several Arab nations had proposed a three-week ceasefire to stem the violence. However, Netanyahu focused on achieving "total victory" over Hezbollah and its ally Hamas, the Palestinian militant group that controls the Gaza Strip.
Beirut, Sep 28 : The Israeli military has said it had killed Hezbollah commanders during the air strikes in Lebanon, officials said.

"The IAF (Israeli Air Force) struck and eliminated the terrorist Muhammad Ali Ismail, the commander of Hezbollah's missile unit in southern Lebanon, and his deputy, the terrorist Hussein Ahmad Ismail," the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in the early hours of Saturday.

"Additional Hezbollah commanders and operatives were eliminated alongside them," the IDF added.

The IDF said that Muhammad Ali Ismail was responsible for directing attacks against Israel, including the launch of a surface-to-air missile on Wednesday.

The IDF said in a statement that Ismail was "responsible for many acts of terrorism... including rocket launches towards the territory of the State of Israel and the launch of a surface-to-surface missile towards the centre of the country last Wednesday".

The Israeli military said it also killed Ibrahim Muhammad Kabisi and "other senior officials in Hezbollah's missile and rocket array".

Hezbollah has not confirmed or denied Israel's announcement about the commanders.

Israeli strikes hit Lebanon throughout Friday, including in the southern suburbs of Beirut, where the IDF said it was conducting "targeted strikes" on Hezbollah weapons stored beneath civilian buildings.

Hezbollah has also denied that its weapons were being stored in civilian buildings targeted by Israeli strikes on the Dahiyeh area of southern Beirut on Friday.

"The claims made by the enemy regarding the presence of weapons in the bombed civilian buildings are completely false," Hezbollah said in its first official comments on the airstrikes.

Explosions continue to rock the Lebanese capital early Saturday morning local time.

The IDF previously said it was "conducting targeted strikes on weapons belonging to the Hezbollah terrorist organisation that were stored beneath civilian buildings," and had told residents to evacuate certain areas.

The latest strikes come hours after an initial Israeli attack on what it said was Hezbollah's headquarters in Beirut on Friday. That operation flattened several buildings in a densely populated area, killing at least six people and wounding dozens of others, according to Lebanon's Health Ministry. Rescuers are still searching for survivors and any further victims, warning the current death toll is not final.
Beirut, Sep 28 : The Lebanese Health Ministry has said that the number of fatalities from the Israeli airstrike on the Haret Hreik neighbourhood in Beirut's southern suburb has increased to six, with 91 more people injured.

Earlier on Friday, Israeli jets conducted several heavy airstrikes on Beirut's southern suburbs, claiming to have targeted the main headquarters of the Lebanese group Hezbollah.

In a statement on Friday, the Lebanese Health Ministry said operations to remove rubble in the targeted area are still underway.

Separately, the Ministry reported that four more people were killed and 17 others injured in an Israeli airstrike on Baadaran, a town in central Lebanon.

According to a Turkish media reporter in Beirut, Israeli warplanes launched 10 airstrikes on the southern suburb, which is regarded as a Hezbollah stronghold, and a large smoke plume was seen over the area later.

Shortly after the strikes, Israeli army spokesman Daniel Hagari said the attack targeted Hezbollah's main headquarters, which he claimed was built underneath civilian buildings.

Following the airstrike, Israeli media said the army was verifying whether Hezbollah Chief Hassan Nasrallah was inside the targeted area.

Lebanon's Health Ministry reported that two people were killed and 76 others were injured as a result of the strikes. But Prime Minister Najib Mikati later said information indicated that there were "a large number of people".

Hezbollah is yet to comment on the attack.

Israel has pounded Lebanon since Monday morning, killing more than 700 people and injuring nearly 2,200 others, according to figures released by the Lebanese Health Ministry.

The Ministry also said that the death toll in Lebanon since last October is 1,540, in addition to more than 77,000 displaced from southern and eastern parts of the country.

Hezbollah and Israel have been engaged in cross-border warfare since the start of Israel's war on Gaza, which has killed more than 41,500 people, mostly women and children, following a cross-border attack by Hamas last October 7.

The international community has warned against the strikes on Lebanon, as they raise the specter of turning the Gaza conflict into a regional war.
United Nations, Sep 28 : At the opening of a United Nations Security Council meeting, UN Secretary-General AntAnio Guterres has made the case that "international humanitarian law is in tatters" amid the war in Gaza.

He said on Friday that the rate of killing there surpasses anything he has seen in his role.

"The speed and scale of the killing and destruction in Gaza are unlike anything in my years as Secretary-General. Nothing can justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people," Guterres said.

Guterres also spoke about Friday's Israeli strikes on Beirut, warning that "war in Lebanon could lead to further escalation involving outside powers". He urged the two sides to agree to a proposed temporary ceasefire at the Israel-Lebanon border.

"We need this ceasefire now. We cannot afford endless negotiations, as we have on Gaza," the Secretary-General said.

"We must avoid a regional war at all costs. Gaza remains the epicentre of the violence. And Gaza is key to ending it."

"The humanitarian system is hanging by a thread. 226 of our own colleagues have been killed, many with their families. I call for investigations and accountability for these killings. At the same time, violence continues in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem. Some 700 Palestinians and 14 Israelis have been killed since 7 October a" the highest number on both sides in more than two decades. The construction of new settlements, landgrabs, demolitions and settler violence all continue."

"The Advisory Opinion of the International Court of Justice found that Israel's continued presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory is unlawful, and that Israel has an obligation to end it as rapidly as possible."

"Meanwhile, the Israeli authorities continue to limit and prevent the international media from reporting from the Occupied Palestinian Territory. International media outlets are the eyes and ears of the world. Journalists must be able to do their jobs everywhere."

"All hostages must be released immediately and unconditionally, and the international community must mobilize for an immediate ceasefire and the beginning of an irreversible process towards the end of the Occupation and the creation of a Palestinian State."

"I urge the Council to unite in support of an immediate ceasefire leading to a viable two-State solution."

That is the only way to end this cycle of tragedy, Guterres added.

Israel and Hezbollah, the Iran-backed paramilitary group based in Lebanon, have been in conflict for decades, but the fighting has intensified since Hamas' October 7 attacks on Israel and the ensuing Israeli military offensive in Gaza, which has left tens of thousands of Palestinians dead.
Washington, Sep 28 : US President Joe Biden has said he is waiting for more information before commenting on Israel's airstrikes in Beirut, reiterating that the US was not involved in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) operation.

"We're still gathering information, I can tell you -- the US had no knowledge of or participation in the IDF action. We're gathering more information. I'll have more to say when we have more information," Biden told reporters traveling with him in Delaware.

CNN reported earlier on Friday that, according to a US official, Israel informed the US of the operation once it was already underway and Israel had planes in the air.

"We had no foreknowledge of this and that does not qualify as a heads up," the official said.

An Israeli official told CNN the notification was sent "shortly before" the strike, and the US did not play a role in the operation.

Pressed if he believed the strikes a" which CNN has reported were targeting Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah a" were justified, Biden declined to comment on it.

"We have to get more detail, he said.

"I don't know enough to answer that question."

He said he's "always concerned," about the conflict escalating tensions in the region.

Earlier, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken also said on Friday that the US is still trying to learn more about the Israeli strikes in Beirut.

"We are still gathering information, making sure that we fully understand what happened, what the intent was a" and until we have that information, I can't address in detail our response to it, so we'll continue to work on that in the hours ahead," Blinken said at a news conference on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.

The top US diplomat again stressed the need to pursue a diplomatic solution to the tensions in the region and to avoid a wider war.

Blinken, speaking hours after a major Israeli strike in Lebanon targeted Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, made a forceful plea for diplomacy in the Middle East, saying that while Israel has the right to defend itself, "the way it does so matters".

"The choices that all parties make in the coming days will determine which path this region is on, with profound consequences for its people, now and possibly for years to come," Blinken said at a news conference on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.

He warned that not pursing diplomacy would lead to "more conflict, more violence, more suffering, and greater instability and insecurity, the ripples of which will be felt around the world".

The top US diplomat claimed that a path to diplomacy still exists, though it "may seem difficult to see at this moment".

"In our judgment, it is necessary and we will continue to work intensely with all parties to urge them to choose that course," he said.

Blinken's comments also come days after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signaled his unwillingness to agree to a ceasefire proposal championed by the US.

Blinken also echoed Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin's recent comments warning other parties in the region such as Iran not to use the escalation between Israel and Lebanon to target US assets in the region.
ALGIERS, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- The Algerian Health Ministry announced on Friday that it is dispatching medical teams and supplies to deal with the increasing cases of diphtheria and malaria in the southern regions.

In light of confirmed cases, President Abdelmadjid Tebboune ordered a 14-member medical team to be dispatched to the affected border areas to ensure patients receive proper treatment.

A plane carrying essential supplies, including diphtheria antitoxins, medications, and protective gear, has also been sent to affected regions.

The ministry said it is closely monitoring the situation at both local and national levels.

It noted that Algeria is certified by the World Health Organization for malaria eradication and current cases are linked to individuals arriving from neighboring countries where these diseases are still common. 
Dehradun : , Sep 28 (IANS) Dehradun District Magistrate Savin Bansal has appealed to the residents of Dehradun, the capital of Uttarakhand, to maintain peace following a stone-pelting incident at Dehradun railway station.

Tensions erupted between two communities at Dehradun railway station on Thursday night leading to stone-pelting and vandalism of vehicles.

The district administration quickly intervened, holding talks with both parties to resolve the matter and restore calm.

DM Bansal emphasised the importance of peaceful coexistence in Dehradun and urged everyone to cooperate in maintaining the city's peaceful identity.

Superintendent of Police (SP City) Pramod Kumar assured that strict action would be taken against those involved in the incident.

The incident began when a minor girl from Badaun, Uttar Pradesh, arrived at the railway station and met a local man from a different faith. Their interaction drew a crowd, leading to arguments and eventually stone-pelting and vandalism.

Dehradun SSP Ajay Singh said that the girl had been reported missing in Badaun, and the police were already on their way to locate her.

The police dispersed the crowd and registered a case against unidentified individuals involved in the unrest.

"Yesterday night tensions erupted between two communities. There was stone pelting and some vehicles were vandalised in the incident. A case under relevant sections of the IPC and BNS was registered at the Kotwali Police Station Bazar. Whoever is involved in this incident will be arrested and presented in the court soon," SP Kumar said.

The Police official further said that the situation has been brought under control and the security forces have been deployed at various to avoid any untoward incidents.

"The situation is under control as of now. In addition to that, the police conducted a flag march in all areas of mixed population. Also, as today is Friday, our security forces have been deployed at the areas of the mixed population," the Superintendent of Police said.
Jammu, Sep 28 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address a large BJP campaign rally on Saturday in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) here.

The mega rally named as 'BJP Sankalp Maha Rally' is being held at the M.A. Stadium in Jammu city.

The Prime Minister will campaign for all the 24 BJP candidates for Assembly constituencies in Jammu division those go to vote on October 1 in the third and final phase of Assembly election in the Union Territory.

All BJP candidates fighting in the third phase will be present at the rally. These candidates are contesting from Jammu, Samba, Kathua and Udhampur districts of Jammu division.

The Jammu district has 11, Samba three, Kathua six and Udhampur four Assembly seats.

PM Modi will be campaigning for the BJP in J&K for the fourth time today.

He addressed a BJP rally in Doda on September 14, followed by two rallies, one in Srinagar city and the other in Katra base camp town of Mata Vaishno Devi shrine on September 19.

Authorities have made extensive security arrangements for the Prime Minister's visit and the traffic department has issued an advisory to ensure hassle-free passage for the large number of people expected to attend the rally.

The Jammu division has been a traditional stronghold of the BJP.

In 2014 elections, the party had 25 seats in the 87-member J&K Legislative Assembly and most of these seats were from the Jammu division.

After fresh Delimitation of Assembly constituencies, J&K now has 90 Assembly seats, 47 in the Valley and 43 in Jammu division. These include for the first time, 9 Scheduled Tribe (ST) seats and 7 Scheduled Caste (SC) seats.

The Assembly will also have five nominated members belonging to the migrant Kashmiri Pandit community and West Pakistan refugees.

All these five nominated members will have the right to vote during the government formation in the Union Territory.

After abrogation of Article 370, West Pakistan refugees and those belonging to the Valmiki Samaj now have voting rights in the J&K Assembly elections. Before the abrogation of Article 370, these people could only vote for the Lok Sabha elections and not for the Assembly elections.

The BJP is fighting this election on its own while its rivals in Congress and National Conference (NC) are fighting in alliance.

The counting for all the three phases of J&K election held on September 18, September 25 and scheduled on October 1 will be taken up on October 8.
United Nations, Sep 26 : India firmly responded to Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's sabre-rattling at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), condemning his country for fostering cross-border terrorism.

Bhavika Mangalanandan, First Secretary at the Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations, delivered a sharp rebuke during the Right of Reply session. She criticised Pakistan for its audacity in attacking India, calling it a "country run by the military with a global reputation for terrorism, narcotics trade, and transnational crimes."

"This assembly regrettably witnessed a travesty this morning," Mangalanandan said, referencing Sharif's speech. "A country run by the military with a global reputation for terrorism, narcotics trade and transnational crime has had the audacity to attack the world's largest democracy.," she said in her address.

She emphasised that Pakistan has long used cross-border terrorism as a weapon against India.

"It has attacked our Parliament, our financial capital, Mumbai, marketplaces and pilgrimage routes. The list is long. For such a country to speak about violence anywhere is hypocrisy," she added.

India also underscored Pakistan's continued attempts to disrupt the democratic process in Jammu and Kashmir, which is regarded as an integral part of the country and rejected any possibility of dialogue with Pakistan until terrorism emanating from its territory ends.

In her statement, Mangalanandan highlighted Pakistan's history of human rights violations and its support for terrorism, noting that it is a country that hosted Osama bin Laden and continues to be involved in global terror incidents.

"It is ridiculous that a nation that committed genocide in 1960-71, and which persecutes its minorities relentlessly even now, dare speak about intolerances and phobias. The world can see for itself what Pakistan really is," she remarked, further condemning Pakistan for hosting terrorists like Osama bin Laden.

India also noted that the world can see through Pakistan's attempts to spread falsehoods, and New Delhi's stand on the matter remains clear.

India's comments come after Sharif's General Assembly speech on Friday, where he claimed that India's military doctrines envisaged a surprise attack and a "limited war" under the nuclear overhang to capture territories in Kashmir. He warned of a "decisive response" from Pakistan despite the threat being fabricated.

Sharif's speech took on an ominous tone, recalling past invasions of India by Pakistan under various pretences, which led to two wars and a smaller conflict.

Sharif's speech also set conditions for dialogue with India, calling for the revocation of the changes made to Jammu and Kashmir's status in August 2019, when India abrogated Article 370, integrating the region more closely with the rest of the country.

However, India pointed out that Security Council Resolution 47, adopted in 1948, first requires Pakistan to withdraw all its troops and infiltrators from Jammu and Kashmir.

It was also emphasised that Pakistan has ignored the part of the resolution that prohibits funding or arming terrorists who continue to attack the region.

Despite Sharif's efforts, none of the world leaders who have spoken at the UNGA so far, including those from traditionally supportive nations like Turkey, mentioned the Kashmir issue, further isolating Pakistan.

In a bid to garner attention, Sharif tried to link the Kashmir issue to the Palestinian cause, comparing the struggles of the people of Jammu and Kashmir to those of Palestinians.

Despite these accusations, Sharif portrayed Pakistan as a victim of terrorism, listing various terrorist groups such as ISIL-K, al-Qaeda, and the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

He referred to the presence of 90,000 Indian troops in Kashmir, accusing them of human rights violations and attempting to reduce the Muslim population to a minority.

India, however, maintains that the path to peace requires an end to terrorism from Pakistan. India reiterated its position, asserting that cross-border terrorism would invite consequences and Pakistan's attempts to rewrite the narrative through repeated lies would not change the truth.
New Delhi, Sep 28 : In a shocking case, five members of a family-- a man and his four daughters -- were found dead in their flat in the Vasant Kunj area of Delhi, said police on Saturday, adding that preliminary probe revealed that they died by suicide.

The incident took place in Rangpuri village.

The tragedy came to light on Friday after neighbours alerted the police as a foul smell was emanating from the flat. The neighbours told police the family had not seen for some days.

According to the officials, information was received regarding something suspicious that may have happened at the flat.

Upon arrival, police had to break open the door of the flat. The man's body was found on a bed in one room and the bodies of the foul girls were found in another room.

The man was identified as Hiralal and the four girls were his daughters -- Neetu (18), Nishi (15), Neeru (10) and Nidhi (8). Their mother had passed away some time ago.

Hiralal worked as a carpenter at the Indian Spinal Injury Centre, Vasant Kunj, for the past 28 years. He earned Rs 25,000 per month. However, since January he had not attended to his duties there. His daughters, Neeru and the youngest, Nidhi, were differently abled. He had taken the flat on rent.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Rohit Meena said that Vasant Kunj South Police have sent the bodies for post-mortem and a further inquiry has been initiated into the case.

The crime team, senior FSL teams and senior doctors of the Forensic Department from Safdarjung Hospital were called to inspect the spot and the dead bodies. No injury marks were found on the dead bodies, however, three packets of Celphos poison, five glasses and a spoon containing suspicious liquid were found inside the house.

Proceedings U/s 194 BNSS have been initiated, a medical board has been constituted for post-mortem of the dead bodies and further investigation is underway from all angles, said the officials.

Meanwhile, Mohan Sharma, the brother of the deceased and Gudiya Sharma, his sister-in-law, reached the spot. They stated that the deceased stopped taking interest in family affairs after the death of his wife and was always occupied with the treatment of his daughters in one hospital or the other. The daughters hardly came out of their room. The deceased and his family were last seen on September 24 by the neighbours.

Although the police have not yet found the suicide note, the disability of his daughters is believed to be the reason for the man taking the drastic step.
Srinagar, Sep 28 : Six terrorist associates were arrested and a large quantity of arms and ammunition was recovered from them in J&K's Pulwama district, police said on Saturday.

Police said improvised explosive devices (IEDs), and arms/ammunition with incriminating materials were recovered from their possession by police in Awantipora.

"Awantipora police got specific input that a Pakistan-based Kashmiri militant of Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM) outfit was into the process of identifying youths who could be motivated to join terror ranks and after finding such youth, arms/ammunition/explosives were being delivered to these youths to commit terror acts before their formal joining into terror ranks," the officials added.

"After receiving this information, an FIR number 108/2024 U/S 13/18 UAPA & 7/25 of the Indian Arms Act was registered at the Police Station in Tral town of Pulwama district. During the investigation, the youth, who were part of this module were identified. The Pakistan-based militant with the assistance of an OGW in jail identified many youths who were motivated by them to join terror ranks in the Tral area of Awantipora and in Kulgam district. The youth so identified were provided pistols, grenades, IEDs and other explosive materials to facilitate their joining into militant ranks. Before inducting them into militant ranks, they were instructed to do some activity either by target killing, throwing grenades at security forces, or non-local labourers or by laying & detonating IEDs," the officials added.

The officials said that during investigations, it was found that the Pakistan-based militant handler had chosen some places for planting IEDs with the assistance of these youth. The militant handler has also pumped in some money to carry out the tasks and to procure material for the fabrication of more IEDs.

"So far six militant associates have been arrested and from their possession and upon the disclosures made by these accused persons, a large quantity of arms /ammunition and explosives, including five IEDs with remotes, 30 detonators, 17 batteries for IEDs, two pistols, 3 pistol magazines, 25 live rounds of pistol, 4 hand grenades and Rs 20,000 have been recovered. Investigation of the case is underway, more arrests and recoveries are likely in the case," police said.
United Nations, Sept 28 : India has warned Pakistan that cross-border terrorism against India will "inevitably invite consequences" and ruled out any agreement while the military-run government indulges in terrorism.

Bhavika Mangalanandan, a First Secretary in India's UN mission, delivered the stern message on Friday while exercising India's right of reply to Pakistan Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif's attacks on New Delhi during his address to the General Assembly's high-level meeting.

She said, "Pakistan should realise that cross-border terrorism against India will inevitably invite consequences."

It was a "travesty" for "a country run by the military with a global reputation for terrorism, narcotics trade. and transnational crime" to have "the audacity to attack the world's largest democracy," she said.

Sharif asserted that India had spurned his offer of "a mutual Strategic Restraint Regime."

Explaining India's rejection, Mangalanandan said, "There can be no compact with terrorism."

"Pakistan has long employed cross-border terrorism as a weapon against its neighbours; it has attacked our Parliament, our financial capital, Mumbai, marketplaces, and pilgrimage routes. The list is long," she said.

Appropriate for raising Pakistan's terrorism links, Mangalanandan, who is a 2015 batch Indian Foreign Service officer with an MTech degree from IIT Delhi, deals with counter-terrorism matters at the UN.

"The world can see for itself what Pakistan really is," she said. "We are talking about a nation that for long hosted (al-Qaeda terrorist organisation's leader) Osama bin Laden, a country whose fingerprints are on so many terrorist incidents across the world, whose policies attract the dregs of many societies to make it their home."

"For such a country to speak about violence anywhere is hypocrisy at its worst," she said.

On the subject of hypocrisy, Managalanandan said, "It is even more extraordinary for a country with a history of rigged elections to talk about political choices that too in a democracy."

"The real truth is that Pakistan covets our territory and, in fact, has continuously used terrorism to disrupt elections in Jammu and Kashmir, an inalienable and integral part of India," she said.

Hammering on the topic of hypocrisy, she added, "It is ridiculous that a nation that committed genocide in 1971 and which persecutes its minorities relentlessly, even now, dares speak about intolerances and phobias."

Sharif had accused India of promoting Islamaphobia and persecuting minorities.

Managalanandan said it was no surprise that Sharif should make such accusations against India.

"Yet we must make clear how unacceptable his words are to all of us. We know that Pakistan will seek to counter the truth with more lies. Repetition will change nothing. Our stand is clear and needs no reiteration," she said.

In reply, Muhammad Faheem, a Third Secretary in Pakistan, repeated most of what Sharif had said in the morning.

He denied that Pakistan had carried out a genocide in Bangladesh during the country's 1971 War of Independence and denigrated it as "foreign aggression."

He mentioned allegations that India was involved in a killing in Canada and an attempted murder in the US.
Sanaa, Sep 28 : Yemen's Houthi group claimed that it had fired "23 ballistic and winged missiles and a drone" at "three US warships" in the Red Sea.

"We carried out a qualitative military operation targeting three hostile American warships in the Red Sea that were supporting and backing the Israeli enemy," Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarea said in a statement aired by the Houthi-run al-Masirah TV on Friday.

The three American destroyers were "directly hit," Sarea said, describing the attacks as the "largest" since November last year.

The attacks were carried out "simultaneously" with two other operations that targeted two Israeli areas of Jaffa and Ashkelon on Thursday night, as reported by Xinhua news agency.

Sarea said the group vows to continue strikes against Israeli targets to support the resistance of "brothers in Palestine and Lebanon."

The US military has yet to comment on the Houthi claim.

In the meantime, the Houthi group alleged that a drone belonging to the US-led coalition launched Friday two raids in the northern Yemeni province of Saada, hitting the northern part of the namesake capital city of Saada, without providing further details.

The Houthis rarely disclose their casualties. The US and British coalition has made no comment on the Houthi allegation.

The Houthi group, which controls large swathes of northern Yemen, has been attacking "Israeli-linked" shipping near the country's coastline since November 2023, allegedly to support Palestinians in their conflict with Israelis.

The group is aligned with the anti-Israel "axis of resistance," which also includes Iran, Hezbollah, Hamas, and militant groups in Iraq and Syria, among others.
Khartoum, Sep 28 : At least eight people were killed and 95 others injured in an attack by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur State in western Sudan, a local official stated.

"The RSF shelling targeted the Souq Al-Mawashi (livestock) market, south of El Fasher, which was crowded with civilians," Ibrahim Khatir, director-general of North Darfur State's health ministry, told Xinhua news agency on Friday.

The RSF has not yet commented on the attack.

Since May 10, fierce clashes have raged in El Fasher between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the RSF.

According to UN estimates, El Fasher is home to about 1.5 million people, 800,000 of whom are internally displaced persons.

Since April 15, 2023, Sudan has been embroiled in a violent conflict between the SAF and the RSF. The conflict has resulted in approximately 20,000 deaths, thousands of injuries, and the displacement of millions of people, according to the most recent estimates by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
Mumbai, Sep 28 : Veteran actress Shabana Azmi, who has clocked 50 years in cinema, has shared her opinion on treatment of women following the Justice Hema Committee Report.

The actress interacted with the media at the ongoing edition of the IIFA (International Indian Film Academy Awards), and spoke about the suppression of women across centuries and their current situation in a supposedly progressive society.

The Justice Hema Committee was formed by the Government of Kerala after Women in Cinema Collective filed a petition in response to the 2017 actress assault case. The Committee documented the challenges faced by women working in Malayalam cinema. The Committee was headed by retired Kerala High Court Judge Justice K. Hema, and also included veteran actress Sarada and retired Indian Administrative Service officer K.B. Valsala Kumari as its members.

Talking about the Justice Hema Committee Report, which brings to light after the harassment faced by female artistes in Malayalam cinema, Shabana told media stationed at the venue in Abu Dhabi, "You must understand that women in India have had their own journey across centuries. From 16th to 21st, they've progressed, but are also suppressed. Women have been this contradiction in India - of progression and suppression, just like India itself".

The Justice Hema Committee report has unleashed a storm in the Malayalam film industry, and has sent ripples across different film industries of India raising demands for similar action to probe the harassment and exploitation faced by female artistes from the men in power.

After the Justice Hema Committee report several women have come forward and have levelled allegations of sexual harassment against well-known figures in Malayalam cinema.

In Bollywood, several celebrities, including Ananya Panday, Swara Bhasker, Guneet Monga, Ekta Kapoor, Tanushree Dutta, Lakshmi Manchu, Prithviraj Sukumara, Tovino Thomas, and Parvathy Thiruvothu, have responded to the report with Shabana being the most recent member of the Hindi film fraternity to respond to the report.
CAPE TOWN, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- South African police have launched an urgent manhunt after 17 people were shot and killed in the Eastern Cape Province of the country, said authorities Saturday.

The Eastern Cape provincial government confirmed in a statement that the "catastrophic incident" occurred in the town of Lusikisiki in the early hours of Saturday morning.

"In one house, 13 people were killed which include 12 women and one man. In another homestead, four people were also killed," said Athlenda Mathe, the national spokesperson of the South African Police Service (SAPS), in a separate statement.

"The eighteenth victim is in a critical condition in hospital. In total 15 women and two men were killed," said Mathe. "The South African Police Service has launched an extensive search to bring those responsible for these brutal killings to justice. We are committed to ensuring the safety and security of our communities."

In addition, the spokesperson told Xinhua that "police have deployed forensic experts and a team of detectives to collect evidence which will assist in cracking the case."

In the provincial government's statement, Eastern Cape Premier Oscar Mabuyane condemned the "senseless acts of violence in the strongest possible terms" in the incident.

"The loss of life on this scale is a devastating blow to our province, and we mourn the passing of these innocent lives. We stand in solidarity with the families and communities affected. The brutal and senseless killing of innocent people is a heinous act that has no place in our society," said Mabuyane. "We call on all Eastern Cape residents to stand together in condemning violence and work towards creating a safer, more peaceful province." 
United Nations, Sep 28 : United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for financial, climate and technological justice while addressing the Annual Meeting of Group of 77 (G77) and China as part of the ongoing 79th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA).

"Our world is on a knife's edge. Climate chaos is worsening. Conflicts are raging. Human rights are floundering. Inequality and injustice are eroding trust and undermining the social contract of societies. The rights of women and girls are being snuffed out. Entire economies are drowning in debt. The digital divide is fast becoming a gaping chasm. And the Sustainable Development Goals are hanging by a thread," he said on Friday.

The G77 and China have been "the engine driving progress to eradicate poverty, to fight inequalities, to root out injustices in our post-colonial world," he said, adding that "you have been shining a spotlight on the need for fundamental reforms of the multilateral system."

"For 60 years - year in and year out - the G77 plus China has been on the front lines for fairness, equality, justice and solidarity," he noted.

Across a very full agenda, the G77 and China are crucial to building a more just, inclusive and prosperous world, reports Xinhua news agency, quoting the secretary-general.

"The G77 was vital in the adoption of the conclusions of the Summit of the Future, but its implementation will not be easy. There will be a lot of resistance. The G77 must be an engine to make sure that what we have achieved in the summit will be translated in effective realities to the benefit of developing countries," he added.

In June, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian told a regular news briefing that China always firmly stands with the G77 in safeguarding international fairness and justice and in defending and expanding the common interest of developing countries and countries around the world.

Established in 1964, the G77 is the largest intergovernmental organisation of developing countries in the United Nations. Its name is derived from 77 founding members, but its membership has grown significantly to 134.
Srinagar, Sep 28 : Three soldiers and a J&K Police officer were injured on Saturday in an encounter between the security forces and the terrorists in Kulgam district.

Officials said that after receiving specific intelligence inputs about the presence of a group of terrorists in Adigam village of the district, security forces, including the Army, police and the CRPF, started a CASO (Cordon and Search Operation) in the area.

aAfter carefully approaching the hiding terrorists to ensure that no damage is caused to civilian life and property, the security forces came under heavy firing from the terrorists. Three Army soldiers and an officer of J&K Police were injured. Security forces have plugged all escape routes to ensure that the hiding terrorists are unable to escape. Reinforcements have already reached the encounter site. The injured security personnel have been shifted to a hospital for treatment," officials said.

Terrorists believed to be hardcore foreign mercenaries, have carried out hit-and-run attacks against the Army, local police and civilians in the hilly districts of Doda, Kathua, Rajouri, Poonch and Reasi of Jammu division during the last three to four months.

After carrying out ambushes against the Army and others in the hilly areas, the terrorists would escape into the densely foliaged and forested regions of these hilly districts.

To thwart the tactics of the terrorists, over 4,000 soldiers drawn from the elite Para Commandos and those trained in mountain warfare were deployed in the high ranges and densely forested areas of the Jammu division. After this revised strategy by the security forces, terrorist attacks in these districts have drastically come down.

With their ubiquitous presence in these areas, the security forces have been able to establish contact (engage terrorists in gunfights) in these areas. Five terrorists have been killed so far after the security forces revisited their strategy to meet the challenge posed by the foreign mercenaries.
Rome, Sep 28 : The Italian government passed a decree toughening measures against people attacking health staff in hospitals across the country.

The move is meant to address a surge in assaults on doctors, nurses, and other professionals in the public health system. Key countermeasures included allowing for arresting perpetrators on the scene of the crime or up to 48 hours after the attack, reports Xinhua news agency.

Violence against health staff and/or damage to hospital equipment and other assets during an assault will be punishable with a prison sentence of up to 5 years and a fine of up to 100,000 euros (US$111,820).

"This provision has been called for by virtually the whole health staff and, I assume, by citizens as well," Justice Minister Carlo Nordio told a press conference.

In 2023, over 16,000 attacks -- including physical and verbal abuses -- were committed against about 18,000 public health workers, according to the latest data by the Italian Health Ministry.

One serious attack recently targeted health staff at the Foggia Policlinico, who were forced to barricade themselves in a room to escape a group of enraged family members over the death of a 23-year-old woman who had died during surgery. A similar episode involved some 40 relatives of a cancer patient attacking doctors at a hospital in Pescara city.

To denounce the increasing pressure and unsafe working conditions, medical staff in the southern Apulia region staged a protest on September 16.
New Delhi, Sep 28 : By harnessing the potential of young talent, we are driving towards an Aatmanirbhar Bharat - self-reliant and globally competitive, Union Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia has said.

New Delhi, Sep 28 (IANS) By harnessing the potential of young talent, we are driving towards an Aatmanirbhar Bharat  self-reliant and globally competitive, Union Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia has said.

During a visit to IIT Madras to witness the indigenous first-of-its-kind 5G Testbed project, the minister said youth of our country are at the forefront of India's technological and economic transformation.

"Initiatives like the indigenous 5G Testbed project here at IIT Madras are not only a testament to India's growing innovation capabilities but is also a vital step towards becoming the third-largest economy in the world," said the minister.

The 5G Testbed researchers demonstrated very high-speed communications (1Gbps) using base stations and technology developed indigenously.

Professor V Kamakoti, Director of IIT Madras, highlighted the commitment of higher educational institutions to the goal of a Viksit Bharat by 2047 by exploring and developing new age technologies. He pointed out the 5G project as a significant effort in this direction.

Minister Scindia also visited the campus of Nokia Solutions and Networks in Chennai, where he witnessed the innovative applications of advanced Industry 4.0 technologies that are driving innovation in telecom manufacturing.

He was given a comprehensive tour showcasing advanced technologies such as private wireless, artificial intelligence (AI), augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR).

The minister highlighted the importance of Industry 4.0 for high-tech telecom manufacturing and lauded Nokia's commitment to fostering world-class manufacturing in India.

The minister also inaugurated Cisco's manufacturing facility in Sriperumbudur.

The Cisco facility will be instrumental in producing advanced telecom and networking equipment, which is essential for 5G and future technologies and in reducing import dependence. Flex India collaborated for building this state-of-the-art manufacturing facility for Cisco, as it is one of the beneficiaries under PLI scheme of the Department of Telecommunications (DoT).
Beirut/Jerusalem, Sep 28 : Israel launched fresh attacks on targets in Beirut's southern suburb of Dahieh early Saturday, saying it was targeting Hezbollah weapons stored under civilian buildings.

Eyewitnesses in Beirut reported Israeli warplanes flying over the city's southern suburb and conducting several rounds of bombings within an hour in the Dahieh district.

Prior to the attacks, Israeli military spokesman Daniel Hagari said in a statement that the targeted weapons included "a range of coast-to-sea missiles originating from Iran."

The strikes followed earlier Israeli airstrikes on Hezbollah's main headquarters in Dahieh, which killed at least six people and injured 91 others, reports Xinhua, quoting Lebanon's MTV TV channel.

Israeli media suggested that the strikes may have targeted Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, though his status remains unclear.

Hagari confirmed on Friday that the airstrikes were aimed at Hezbollah's headquarters, which he said were located beneath residential buildings.

The attacks came shortly after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the United Nations General Assembly in New York. Netanyahu's office said he approved the airstrike earlier Friday from his hotel and decided to return to Israel ahead of schedule.

At the UN, Netanyahu ruled out an immediate truce in the escalating conflict with Lebanon and warned of threats from Iran, suggesting Israel faces multiple fronts of conflict organised by Tehran.

"We will not back down in the face of threats from Tehran or its proxies," Netanyahu told the assembly, defending Israel's actions as necessary for national security.

Following the Israeli attack, Hezbollah claimed responsibility for an attack on Safed, a city in northern Israel, late Friday.

In a statement, the group said the attacks were "in support of our steadfast Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip and defence of Lebanon and its people, and in response to the barbaric Israeli invasion of cities, villages, and civilians."

Israeli state-owned Kan TV news reported two direct hits on a building in Safed, with no casualties reported. The Israeli military later announced new airstrikes in southern Lebanon and "deep in the country," targeting rocket launchers and weapons storage facilities.

"The IDF continues to attack, damage, and degrade the capabilities and military infrastructure of the terrorist organisation Hezbollah," the IDF declared in a statement.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian condemned the Israeli airstrikes on Dahieh as a "flagrant and unconceivable war crime," according to Iran's official news agency IRNA.

Pezeshkian said Israel's actions against the Palestinian and Lebanese people underscore the international community's failure to halt what he termed "state terrorism," characterising Israel as the "biggest threat" to regional and global peace and security.

Israel has intensified its airstrikes across Lebanon since Monday, marking the most extensive military action in the region since 2006.

Lebanon's health ministry reported nearly 700 deaths due to the strikes this week, and the International Organization for Migration estimated that over 200,000 people have been displaced in Lebanon since last October when Hezbollah began firing rockets into northern Israel in solidarity with Hamas.
New Delhi, Sep 28 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid his heartfelt tributes to freedom fighter Bhagat Singh on the occasion of his birth anniversary.

Taking to social media platform X, PM Modi said, "Hundreds of salutations to the immortal martyr Bhagat Singh on his birth anniversary, who sacrificed his life to protect the self-respect of the motherland."

In a video on X, the Prime Minister lauded Bhagat Singh's courage and selfless dedication, stating, "With every citizen of our nation, I pay my salutations to the symbol of courage and power, martyr Bhagat Singh. Without caring for their lives, Bhagat Singh and his comrades participated in courageous acts that greatly contributed to our nation's freedom."

PM Modi further emphasised that for Bhagat Singh, personal pride was never a concern. "He lived for just one mission and gave up his life for that mission a" to free India from tyranny and British rule. At a time when the British Empire claimed that the sun never set on its dominion, their authority was shaken by a 23-year-old youth," PM Modi said.

Concluding his message, the Prime Minister urged the nation to be inspired by Bhagat Singh's patriotic zeal: "We may or may not become Bhagat Singh, but we must have the same love for our country. We should cultivate the passion to do something for our nation."

Born on September 28, 1907, in Banga, Lyallpur district of Punjab (now in Pakistan), Shaheed Bhagat Singh is revered as one of the most significant revolutionaries of Indiaas freedom struggle. His fierce dedication to the cause of independence and willingness to sacrifice his life for the nation's freedom have made him a symbol of resistance against colonial rule.

Bhagat Singh, along with his comrades Sukhdev and Rajguru, was executed by the British government on March 23, 1931, for their involvement in the Lahore Conspiracy Case. His fearless activism and call for action ignited the spirit of freedom among millions of Indians, especially the youth.

The nation remembers and honours Bhagat Singh as a true patriot who sacrificed everything for the country's independence.
Helsinki, Sep 28 : The Finish city of Mikkeli has been picked to host the Multi Corps Land Component Command (MCLCC) of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), Finish Minister of Defense Antti Hakkanen said in a press release.

According to the press release, the MCLCC will "plan, prepare, and command" NATO land forces' operations in Northern Europe. The command will report directly to NATO's Joint Force Command in Norfolk, Virginia. Mikkeli currently hosts the Finnish Army Command, Xinhua news agency reported.

In peacetime, the MCLCC will oversee NATO exercises and other routine activities within its area of responsibility. In times of crisis, it will lead NATO land force operations. The command will include personnel from NATO member states and the Finnish Defense Forces.

On Friday, the ministry said that the planning and setting up of the command will proceed in phases, with a more detailed timetable expected in 2025.

At NATO's July summit, the member states endorsed the defence ministers' June proposals to establish the MCLCC in Finland. They also approved the deployment of Forward Land Forces (FLF) in the country.

The Finish Ministry of Defense said that NATO will make final political decisions regarding the structure of the MCLCC and the deployment of the FLF next year once military planning has advanced further.

In September, Finland and Sweden announced that Sweden had offered to assume the role of framework nation for the FLF. The framework nation will take command of the forward land forces, playing a key role in overseeing and implementing the forward presence.

While the exact location of the FLF command is yet to be confirmed, Finnish media have speculated that northern Finish bases in Rovaniemi and Sodankyla are being considered as potential sites.
Kolkata, Sep 28 : Junior doctors at the College of Medicine and Sagore Dutta Hospital in Kamarhati in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district went on a cease-work protest on Saturday following the assault on their colleagues by the relatives of a woman patient, who died in the hospital.

The junior doctors decided to go on cease-work at midnight claiming that the attacks on their colleges there once again proved the pathetic security measures at the state-run medical colleges and hospitals.

The junior doctors in other medical colleges and hospitals in the state, united under the aegis of West Bengal Junior Doctors' Forum after the ghastly rape and murder of a junior doctor of R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital last month, have been informed.

"There will be a general body meeting in the matter following which our next course of agitation in the matter will be decided," a protesting junior doctor at Sagore Dutta said.

Till the latest information available two persons have been arrested in connection with the attack on the junior doctors.

The development happened just hours after WBJDF through a mass convention on Friday evening announced their plans for the next course of movement on the ghastly rape and murder issue.

At the convention, it was decided that the forum would stage a mega rally on October 2, when the twin occasions of Mahatma Gandhi's birthday and Mahalaya Amavasya (a significant day in Hinduism for performing rituals to honour ancestors) will coincide.

The rally will be followed by a meeting at Esplanade in Central Kolkata. At the same time, a symbolic statue representing a "woman in pain" will also be placed at R.G. Kar in memory of the victim.

Before that on September 29, the protesting junior doctors will be organising protests at their respective localities associating with the local people. The unique protest programme on September 29 has been christened "Parai thkachi eksath, Utsave Noi Protibade" (Together at locality, but in protest and not celebrating festival).
Chennai, Sep 28 : The Tamil Nadu government is set to take steps to promote the breeding of native dog species. This is one of the main decisions of the Tamil Nadu State Dog Breeding Policy, 2024.

The policy mentions Rajapalayam, Kombai, Chippiparai, and Kanni as the recognised breeds of Tamil Nadu which was not announced in the draft policy released in February 2024.

The policy lists the procedures for registration and licensing of breeders and says that "Karyotyping shall be done before the dog is engaged for breeding."

No female dog shall be exploited to give birth to more than five litters of puppies during her lifespan. It has prescribed norms for feeding, exercise, and vaccination.

The dog breeding policy of the Tamil Nadu government also states that breeds, such as Kattai, Ramanathapuram Mandai, Malaipatti, and Sengottai, have to be standardised, recognised, and registered to prevent these native dogs from becoming extinct.

The policy said that the dogs native to Tamil Nadu are mostly hounds and that they were good runners, which are suitable for hunting, and they live in packs.

These dogs are not suitable for being raised at restricted places as they require an exercise of several kilometres.

The Tamil Nadu dog breeding policy says that the dogs will not be recommended to be raised in a house with restricted space.

The police also said that most of the community dogs on various streets in Tamil Nadu, which are non-descriptive, show remarkable traits in terms of health, skin coat, good temperament, and guarding ability, would be encouraged to standardise as a breed.

Meanwhile, the Tamil Nadu government has banned the breeding of the breeds Pug and Chow Chow as they are cold climate dogs and their breeding has to be prohibited due to the adverse effects on their health. The policy envisages that breedings that are contradictory to the general well-being of the animal have to be restricted and hence, breeding of Pug and Chow Chow is prohibited.

The breeding of dogs like Basset Hound, French Bulldog, Alaskan Malamute, Keeshond, Newfoundland, Norwegian Elkhound, Tibetan Mastiff, Siberian Husky, and Saint Bernard are also prohibited.

Though the draft policy, released in February this year, had listed only these nine breeds, the final policy includes two more: Pug and Chow Chow.
Mumbai, Sep 28 : Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aditya Thackeray, who is the President of Yuva Sena, the party's youth wing, on Saturday, thanked his colleagues for a clean sweep in graduate constituency elections to the University of Mumbai Senate Mumbai, Sep 28 (IANS) Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aditya Thackeray, who is the President of Yuva Sena, the party's youth wing, on Saturday, thanked his colleagues for a clean sweep in graduate constituency elections to the University of Mumbai Senate

"Once again! 10 on 10 it is! We have not only repeated but bettered our performance at the Mumbai University Graduate Senate elections. 100 per cent strike rate. From here we start the election victory stream," said Aditya Thackeray ahead of the Maharashtra Assembly elections.

SS (UBT) chief spokesperson Sanjay Raut said: "The victory was possible due to the tough efforts of the Yuva Sena leaders and workers, and also as the votes for the university senate cannot be bought."

ABVP state secretary Sankalp Faldesai said it was an election between a student union versus political giants and the (ABVP) put up its best performance but there may be some strategic lapses which they would introspect.

The Yuva Sena candidates defeated Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)'s student wing Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) - which failed to open its account - in the keenly-watched elections, held after a two-year delay.

The Yuva Sena erupted into celebrations as results trickled in after the last of the votes were counted in Mumbai, Thane, Palghar, Raigad, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg a" the jurisdiction of the varsity through its 850-plus affiliated colleges.

A total of 28 candidates from various students' wings of mainstream political parties were in the fray to attract the 13,406 graduate voters in the September 24 elections, though barely 55 per cent of them cast their votes at 38 polling stations and 64 polling booths in the six coastal districts.

The Yuva Sena winners are Sneha Gawli, Sheetal Sheth Devrukhkar, Mayur Panchal, Dhanraj Kohchade, Kisan Sawant, Pradeep Sawant, Shashikant Zore, Milind Satam, Alpesh Bhoir and Paramatma Yadav.
SYDNEY, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- Four people, including two young men aged 18 and 19, died in a two-vehicle crash in the rural area of Australia's State of New South Wales (NSW), NSW police said in a statement on Saturday morning.

The police said emergency services were called to the scene at about 9.20 p.m. local time on Friday on Newell Highway, approximately 35 km south of NSW's city Dubbo, following reports of a multi-vehicle crash.

Officers attended the scene and found a Toyota Hilux and a Toyota Hiace van had collided. Two young men who were in the Toyota Hilux, aged 18 and 19, as well as a man and a woman, both aged 57, who were in the van, all died at the scene. They are yet to be formally identified.

The 23-year-old male driver of the Toyota Hilux was taken to Dubbo Hospital with suspected leg injuries, the police added. 
Bengaluru, Sep 28 : The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing charges against arrested Karnataka BJP MLA N. Munirathna Naidu, including allegations of rape, honey-trapping, and other offences, on Saturday conducted raids at his residence and 15 other locations across the city.

Sources confirmed that the raids were taking place at his Vyalikaval residence and other properties owned by the BJP MLA. The operation is being conducted by the SIT under the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) led by ACP Kavitha.

The team is examining documents, electronic devices, and other materials related to the rape and honey-trapping case. The SIT is being supported by experts from the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL), with Superintendent of Police (SP) Sowmya Latha also participating in the search and inspection at Munirathnaas Vyalikaval residence.

According to sources, the raids were triggered by information provided by the victim, who alleged that Munirathna recorded footage of sexual assaults and used it to blackmail politicians and public servants, including IAS and IPS officers.

The victim reportedly revealed that she was used to entrap the woman who had lodged a rape case against a senior IFS officer. She was allegedly instructed to frame the rape victim in a drug peddling case.

The complainant told police that she was tasked with capturing compromising videos of the rape victim who had filed the case against the IFS officer. She claimed that, after several failed attempts to obtain the videos, the victim was drugged with sleeping pills, and obscene footage was recorded without her consent. Later, the IFS officer was bailed out from the charges.

Furthermore, the complainant has accused MLA Munirathna of raping her at his office within the state legislature, in his official vehicle, and at his godown. She has alleged that he recorded videos of these assaults.

Police sources also revealed that the victim in the MLA's case provided details of a plot involving sending HIV-infected women to Munirathna's targets in an attempt to ruin them politically and personally. She also disclosed the names of several politicians whom she had entrapped through honey-trapping.

The woman further claimed that Munirathna had threatened to have her son kidnapped and killed if she refused to comply with his demands. According to her, the MLA had a well-organised team dedicated to carrying out these honey-trapping operations, and she provided details about his close associates and relatives involved in the scheme.

Munirathna, who was in judicial custody following his arrest in the rape and honey-trap case, has now been taken into the custody of the SIT.

The MLA was transferred from Bengaluru Central Jail to the CID office on the night of September 24. The BJP legislator, however, has denied all the allegations, claiming they are false.

Karnataka Congress leader D.K. Suresh had alleged that Munirathna was trying to infect his adversaries with HIV and that the government should investigate the matter.
New Delhi, Sep 28 : Bihar's Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Sinha, on Saturday, said the government was ensuring all possible help to the flood-affected people and was fully alert to the challenges.

He acknowledged that nature has not been kind to the state this time. "The government is fully alert," he said.

"This time, Bihar is facing unusual challenges from nature -- sometimes the water levels drop, and other times they rise unexpectedly. The situation is different this year, but the administration is ensuring all possible help for the flood-affected people. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has already stated that disaster victims have the first claim on the state's treasury, and there will be no lapses in their assistance," he added.

While mentioning about BJP National President J.P. Nadda's visit to the state, Deputy CM Sinha expressed enthusiasm calling it a highly motivating event for the party's workers.

"The visit is energising and inspiring for our cadres. The partyas organisational drive is in full swing, and our workers have been working with great dedication. J.P. Nadda's presence will provide crucial guidance and encouragement to them," said deputy CM Sinha.

BJP National President and Union Minister J.P. Nadda arrived in Bihar on Saturday. He will review the membership drive of the party in the state. He is also scheduled to meet BJP MPs,a MLAs and senior members of the party to discuss strategy for the ongoing membership campaign.

Reacting to Leader of Opposition (LoP) Tejashwi Yadav's criticism of the smart meter initiative, Deputy CM Sinha pointed out Yadavas previous role in the government. "He seems to know every strategy of corruption," Sinha remarked.

"If he had such knowledge, why did he support the scheme when he was in power? If there were any issues, why didnat he raise them back then? The opposition must highlight genuine mistakes and help the government improve. Baseless allegations serve no purpose," he added.

He further clarified, "The smart meters were installed to prevent electricity theft, not for any other reason, and Tejashwi's claims are unfounded."
United Nations, Sep 28 : The acting UN relief chief allocated $10 million in emergency funding for the humanitarian situation in Lebanon, which the local UN coordinator described as catastrophic.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) on Friday said that the Israeli air strikes continued to affect civilians and civilian infrastructure on the fifth consecutive day of the large-scale military escalation.

The world body's humanitarian coordinator in Lebanon, Imran Riza, called the destruction nothing short of catastrophic, with the surge in violence extending to previously unaffected areas, causing widespread destruction, Xinhua news agency reported.

"We are witnessing the deadliest period in Lebanon in a generation, and many express their fear that this is just the beginning," Riza said.

He said that in less than a week, at least 700 lives have been lost, thousands have been injured, and nearly 120,000 people have been displaced, with the numbers continuing to rise. Since the beginning of the conflict on October 7, 2023, more than 1,500 civilians have been killed, and over 200,000 people have been forced to flee their homes.

"The United Nations and partners are closely coordinating with the Lebanese Government to support the response efforts," OCHA said. "We are delivering food, mattresses, hygiene kits, and emergency medical supplies."

Riza said that critical funding gaps persist in the areas of shelter repair, food, fuel and coordination, among others. Humanitarian organisations are assessing the amount of funding required to address the increasing number of displaced people and the rising humanitarian needs.

UN Acting Emergency Relief Coordinator Joyce Msuya allocated $10 million from the world body's Central Emergency Response Fund.

The office said the funds are in addition to the $10 million released from the Lebanon Humanitarian fund earlier in the week.

In Gaza, OCHA warned that displaced people live in abysmal conditions, which could further deteriorate in the upcoming cold and rainy winter weather.

The United Nations and humanitarian partners recently conducted assessments -- September 19 and 22 -- in two collective shelters in Deir al Balah and Khan Younis.

"At both sites, displaced communities live in overcrowded shelters and lack cleaning supplies, hygiene kits, sanitary pads and diapers, as well as clothes and infant formula for babies," OCHA said.

The office said the first site was a school turned into a shelter by the UN relief agency known as UNRWA in the Al Bureij refugee camp in Deir al Balah. It was hosting more than 3,500 Gazans.

"Our teams found people were crammed into classrooms and worn-out tents, with an average of 80 to 100 people per classroom and 40 people per tent," OCHA said. "Access to clean water and health care is extremely limited. Most residents are eating only one meal per day, with some people going the entire day without eating."

The office said the second site was a makeshift camp in Abasan in eastern Khan Younis, hosting 2,500 people, including nearly 1,000 school-aged children.

"The site is in a flood-prone area, adjacent to a site where garbage is being dumped," OCHA said. "There are no medical facilities, and there is no food support at this site, except for occasional hot meals provided by a charity organisation."

The office said humanitarian aid movements in Gaza face significant access constraints.

"Nearly 90 per cent of coordinated humanitarian movements between northern and southern Gaza so far in September have been either denied or impeded," OCHA said.

In the West Bank, the office said the number of internal movement obstacles deployed by Israeli forces increased by more than 20 per cent since June 2023.

Since the October 7 attacks on Israel, OCHA said Israeli authorities in the West Bank also imposed movement restrictions, marked by the deployment or maintenance of hundreds of movement obstacles and a general closure that affects Palestinian permit-holders and bars them from accessing Jerusalem and Israel.

"The cumulative impact of movement obstacles has been devastating, further entrenching the fragmentation of the West Bank, disrupting access to livelihoods and services for thousands of Palestinians and aggravating the already difficult living conditions there," the office said.

OCHA said that health facilities in the West Bank also suffered in the conflict.

The World Health Organization (WHO) reported that from October 7 to July 30, there were 527 attacks on health care in the region, including obstruction of access, use of force, detention and militarised searches.

WHO said the attacks affected 54 health facilities, including 20 mobile clinics and 365 ambulances.

"These incidents not only hinder access to health care but also jeopardise the safety of medical personnel and patients," OCHA said.
La Paz, Sep 28 : Former Bolivian President Evo Morales, who served from 2006 to 2019, is constitutionally barred from running for the 2025 presidential elections, the government confirmed.

The restriction stems from the country's Constitution, not a decision made by the current administration, said Deputy Communication Minister Gabriela Alcon on Friday.

Alcon urged Morales' supporters to respect Bolivia's legal framework, as some have staged protests demanding his candidacy be allowed, according to Xinhua news agency.

"The most important thing is to respect the will of the Bolivian people," Alcon said, pointing out that the country's constitution was approved by its citizens and "must be upheld."

Her remarks came after the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) reiterated that Bolivia does not allow indefinite re-election. The IACHR also dismissed three human rights complaints filed against the Bolivian government related to this issue.

Alcon cited Article 168 of Bolivia's Constitution, which stipulates that the president's term lasts for five years and that they can only be re-elected once consecutively.

Morales, who has already served multiple terms, is therefore ineligible to run again.

She also referred to a 2023 Constitutional Court ruling that indefinite re-election "is not a human right," a position supported by the IACHR.

Alcon stressed the importance of resolving political disagreements through dialogue rather than protests that risk destabilising the country.

"We don't need to push the country toward conflict, violence, or instability. We need to focus on the well-being of the people," she added.
Chandigarh, Sep 28 : Congress on Saturday released its detailed 'Haath Badlega Halaat' manifesto for the upcoming Assembly elections in Haryana, promising a slew of welfare measures for farmers, women, employees and the youth.

Chandigarh, Sep 28 (IANS) Congress on Saturday released its detailed aHaath Badlega Halaata manifesto for the upcoming Assembly elections in Haryana, promising a slew of welfare measures for farmers, women, employees and the youth.

The manifesto was released in the presence of former state Chief Minister Bhupinder Hooda, ex-Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot and the party's state chief Udai Bhan.

The 40-page manifesto promises free treatment up to Rs 25 lakh and Rs 2,000 per month to women, it also promises to get water from the Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) canal.

Elections for the 90-member Assembly will be held on October 5 and the results will be declared on October 8.

The party promises a government job to each family member of more than 700 farmers killed during the farmer protests against the now repealed three controversial farm laws. The Congress has also promised to implement the old pension scheme in the state on the pattern of its government in Himachal Pradesh.

Earlier this month, the Congress announced seven guarantees that it will fulfil if it comes to power in Haryana, which include a Rs 2,000 monthly payment to women and houses for everyone. The guarantees were announced by Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge in the national capital on September 18 in the presence of senior party leaders, including K.C. Venugopal, Ajay Maken, Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Udai Bhan, Ashok Gehlot and Partap Singh Bajwa, in the national capital.

The women would be entitled to monthly assistance of Rs 2,000 as part of the party's initiative for their empowerment. Besides, the monthly social security pension of old-age people, handicapped and widows will be raised to Rs 6,000.

Also, gas cylinders would be provided at Rs 500 each. The party promised to provide 300 units of free electricity every month to every household.

The Congress government will provide Rs 25 lakh health insurance coverage to every individual in the state like the Congress government had done in Rajasthan.

The party has promised a legal guarantee for the minimum support price (MSP) to the farmers, besides holding a caste census.

It announced that it will increase the minimum income limit for the creamy layer among Other Backward Classes (OBCs) from Rs 6 lakh to Rs 10 lakh.

The party also promised to provide 100 square yard plots with Rs 3.5 lakhs cash assistance to every poor and homeless person for constructing a two-bedroom house.

Announcing the guarantee for a secured future for the youth, the party promised that two lakh posts lying vacant in government departments would be filled, and permanent jobs would be provided.

The manifesto focused on providing benefits to families, empowering women, supporting the youth, strengthening social security, and improving the lives of the backward classes, farmers, and the poor.

The Congress was at the helm of the state for two consecutive terms till 2014.
Mumbai, Sep 28 : Actress Sonakshi Sinha recently opened up about her unique approach to character preparation, revealing that she doesn't adhere to a strict method. Instead, she embraces spontaneity, stating that she simply arrives on set, faces the camera, and allows the character to come alive in the moment.

Mumbai, Sep 28 (IANS) Actress Sonakshi Sinha recently opened up about her unique approach to character preparation, revealing that she doesnat adhere to a strict method. Instead, she embraces spontaneity, stating that she simply arrives on set, faces the camera, and allows the character to come alive in the moment.

Speaking about her preparation for her characters in the web series 'Dahaad' and 'Heeramandi', the 37-year-old actress said: "Honestly, my method is that I donat have a set method, be it 'Dahaad' or my other project. I arrive on set, face the camera, and thatas when the character comes alive for me. Itas hard to explain, but having a strong imagination really helps."

"Being observant-- taking note of what you see and hear, picking up on certain nuances, and applying them when needed--that's how I approach it. I observe people and learn from them. Of course, directors are a huge help when preparing for a character, especially one you're unfamiliar with. Speaking specifically about Fareedan in 'Heeramandi', I would give credit to filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali sir," she said.

Sonakshi further discussed the differences and similarities between working on an OTT project and a film.

"Honestly, as an actress, I see it as part of my job. I didnat view it any differently. In fact, I signed 'Dahaad', my first OTT project, before the lockdown. The selection process was similar to choosing any other movie-- I loved the role, I loved the premise. Since it was a longer format, it felt like signing three movies at once, but there wasnat any major difference. As an actor, my job is to perform, whether it's on the big screen, an OTT platform, or any stage, and thatas exactly what Iam doing," she concluded.

'Dahaad' is a police procedural crime thriller series created by Reema Kagti and Zoya Akhtar, directed by Kagti and Ruchika Oberoi, and stars Sonakshi as SI Anjali Bhaati, Gulshan Devaiah, Vijay Varma and Sohum Shah. It is inspired by Mohan Kumar, also known as Cyanide Mohan, a serial killer who preyed on women looking to get married.

Meanwhile, the period drama web series 'Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar' is created and directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali. The series transports the viewers to the 1940s and the lives of the courtesans filled with love, betrayal, power and the fight for independence.

It also stars Aditi Rao Hydari, Manisha Koirala, Richa Chadha, Sanjeeda Sheikh, and Sharmin Sehgal in the lead. It is airing on Netflix.

On the work front, Sonakshi was last seen in the supernatural comedy film aKakudaa which stars Riteish Deshmukh as Victor, Sonakshi as Indira, and Saqib Saleem as Sunny in the lead roles, while Aasif Khan is seen in a pivotal role of Kilvish.

The film is a rollercoaster ride of laughter and chills, revolving around the cursed village of Ratodi. It features spine-tingling moments intertwined with side-splitting humor. Directed by Aditya Sarpotdar, and produced by Ronnie Screwvala, it is now streaming on ZEE5.

On the personal front, Sonakshi had tied the knot with actor Zaheer Iqbal on June 23, 2024 in a civil marriage at the bride's new apartment, 81 Aureate, which is located in Bandra West, Mumbai.

She next has aNikita Roy and The Book of Darknessa in the kitty.
Oslo, Sep 28 : Norway will grant collective protection to fewer Ukrainians arriving from six areas deemed safe by the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration, the government said.

If no individual need for protection exists, applications from new asylum seekers from these areas will be rejected, it said.

For the past two and a half years, most Ukrainians fleeing to Norway have been given temporary protection without individual assessment, but now applications from safe regions of Ukraine will be evaluated under regular asylum regulations, Xinhua news agency reported.

"In the future, asylum seekers from Ukraine will therefore be treated on a more equal footing to other asylum seekers. The collective protection scheme will now be directed more precisely at those in need of protection," said Emilie Enger Mehl, minister of justice and public security.

Norway, which has taken in 85,000 Ukrainians in the past two and a half years, the most in Nordic countries, has seen a reduction in arrivals following earlier cuts to benefits and accommodation. However, recent months have witnessed an uptick in new arrivals.

"Norwegian municipalities are starting to reach capacity. Housing is in short supply and there is pressure on welfare services. We must maintain control over immigration to Norway," said Tonje Brenna, minister of labour and social inclusion.
Bhopal, Sep 28 : The Madhya Pradesh Police has decided to keep a close watch on those involved in crime against women, especially those having criminal backgrounds.

A decision in this regard was taken in the wake of increasing crime against women in both rural and urban parts of the state for the past few months.

Madhya Pradesh Director General of Police (DGP) Sudhir Saxena has directed all senior cops to take prompt action against the person involved in the crime against women and ensure that they would get punished by the courts.

DGP Sudhir Saxena has directed the Superintendent of Police (SP) to prepare a list of people involved in crime against women in the past 10 years.

"All SPs have been asked to find out people involved in crime against women for the last several years. Many of them would be out on bail or out of the district, but they will be under tight scrutiny of the Police," the head of the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of MP police told IANS.

During the meeting held on Friday, DGP Saxena also directed senior cops, including Police Commissioners of Bhopal and Indore to ensure that the Supreme Court's guidelines regarding the safety and security of children are adhered to by all schools in the state.

"Police Commissioners of Bhopal and Indore as well as all SPs have been directed to conduct meetings with district administration and all other concerned departments in view of the security of children at school," Sharma said.

"The local area police will identify the black spots under the particular jurisdiction area and will send their recommendations for installation of CCTV cameras," Sharma added.

Recently, a minor was raped and murdered by her teacher in Bhopal and her body was recovered from a water tank of the neighbouring flat.
Guwahati, Sep 28 : Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday asserted that the Assam government has taken a firm stand against infiltration from Bangladesh and 17 of its nationals, including eight children who tried to enter the Indian territory illegaly, were pushed back on Saturday.

The persons were identified as -- Harul Lamin, Umai Khunsum, Md. Ismail, Sansida Begum, Rufiya Begum, Fatima Khatun, Mojur Rahman, Habi Ullah and Sobika Begum. Eight children accompanying them were also pushed back to Bangladesh by police.

CM Sarma said that they were arrested along the International Border in the early hours.

Taking to X handle, he wrote, "Taking firm stance against infiltration, @assampolice pushed back 9 Bangladeshis and 8 children across the border in the wee hours today."

This is the second case in 24 hours when the Bangladeshi infiltration attempt was foiled by the security forces.

On Friday, CM Sarma had said that at least three Bangladeshi nationals who tried to enter Indian territory illegally were pushed back by police. Taking to his X handle, CM Sarma posted, "Maintaining strict vigil along the Indo-Bangladesh border, @assampolice identified 3 Bangladeshi infiltrators near the International border - Masum Khan - Iqbal Hussain - Mujanur Rehman They were promptly pushed back to Bangladesh."

To recall, the Chief Minister earlier announced a slew of measures to deal with the infiltration issue from Bangladesh which has seen a spike in the last few days.

According to him, recent reports indicate an increase in the number of illegal immigrants being detected, necessitating intensified efforts across the state.

CM Sarma shared data, which showed from January this year to date, 54 illegal immigrants have been detected -- 48 in the Karimganj district, four in Bongaigaon district, and one each in Dima Hasao and Dhubri district.

"Of these, 45 individuals were successfully pushed back into their country of origin, while nine were arrested in Karimganj. Additionally, there have been reports of suspected non-Indian nationals and foreign-origin individuals in certain areas of the state, particularly in Upper Assam and North Assam districts. The detection of such individuals is critical, given the potential threat to national security," the Chief Minister mentioned.
New Delhi, Sep 28 : India has signed Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) -- an international agreement to protect marine biodiversity on the high seas, External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar informed.

Jaishankar signed the BBNJ agreement at the UN Headquarters in New York.

"Signed the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Agreement today at the UN HQ," he informed in a social media post on X.

"India is proud to join the BBNJ Agreement, an important step towards ensuring that our oceans remain healthy and resilient," he added.

The agreement, an international legally binding treaty, comes under the Law of the Seas Treaty. It seeks to ensure that marine life is conserved by countries and is used sustainably on the high seas.

High seas are beyond nations' territorial waters and the exclusive economic zone that could extend up to 370 km from the shores.

The agreement, adopted internationally last year, bans destructive fishing and pollution.

It was agreed upon in March 2023, and is open for signature for two years, starting September 2023. It enters into force 120 days after the 60th ratification.

Currently, about 100 countries have signed it, and eight of them have ratified it.

As per the agreement, nations cannot claim sovereign rights over marine resources on the high seas, and also it ensures equitable sharing of benefits from those resources.

India's participation in the treaty was approved by the Cabinet in July.

Jitendra Singh, the Minister of State for Earth Sciences, affirmed "India's commitment and proactiveness to the global cause of environmental conservation and sustainable development."

The treaty can help boost India's strategic presence in areas beyond our Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), and will further strengthen the country's marine conservation efforts.
MADRID, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- At least 9 people have died and 48 went missing after an illegal migrant boat capsized off the island of El Hierro on Friday night, Spain's maritime rescue service confirmed on Saturday.

Another 27 people were rescued, according to the maritime rescue's X account.

The rescue is still going on with several vessels and a helicopter searching for the missing.

All the occupants on the boat were men, and one of the recovered bodies was that of a teenager aged between 12 and 15, Spanish public TV network RTVE reported.

A total of three migrant boats arrived near the island of El Hierro in the Canary Islands on Friday night, including the one that overturned. A fourth boat is still being searched for, as rescue teams haven't located it yet.

The two boats that arrived at El Hierro around midnight Friday carried a total of 151 people, including six children and four babies.

Ten people from the three boats were sent to the port of La Restinga in the southern tip of El Hierro for medical care.

Also on Friday night, a boat carrying 57 people was rescued near Lanzarote, another island in the Canary Islands. Enditem.
New Delhi, Sep 28 : Delhi Chief Minister Atishi on Saturday remarked that the election conducted by BJP for the sixth member of the Delhi Municipal Corporation's (MCD) Standing Committee has been "illegal, unconstitutional and undemocratic."

"The election process violated several regulations outlined under the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act of 1957 and the Delhi Municipal Corporation Procedure and Conduct of Business Regulations of 1958," said the Delhi CM in a press conference.

She further emphasised: "The Delhi MCD operates under laws passed by the Parliament, most notably the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act, 1957, and its supporting regulations. Regulation 51 of Delhi Municipal Corporation Procedure and Conduct of Business Regulations 1958 clearly states that the election for the Standing Committee must take place in a corporation meeting presided over by the Mayor. Further, Regulation 3 (2) specifies that the date, time, and venue for such meetings can only be decided by the Mayor, while Section 76 of the DMC Act reaffirms that the presiding officer for these meetings must be the Mayor or Deputy Mayor."

Atishi further claimed: "Contrary to these legal provisions, the Lieutenant Governor (LG) granted permission for the election, and an IAS officera"lacking the authority to do soa"convened the meeting."

"Instead of the elected Mayor presiding over the proceedings, the IAS officer assumed the role of presiding officer, rendering the election both unconstitutional and unlawful," she added.

"BJP disregards rules and regulations when they are not in power, without considering the Constitution," Atishi alleged. She pointed to similar incidents, including attempts to subvert election results through what they refer to as "Operation Lotus", a strategy the BJP allegedly used to purchase Opposition leaders and form governments from the backdoor.

Delhi CM accused BJP of using such tactics in Karnataka, Maharashtra, Manipur, and in the recent Delhi MCD election. "BJP refused to allow a fair mayoral election after AAP's victory in the MCD, then the Supreme Court intervened to ensure a fair and transparent election," she added.

She mentioned that AAP will move to the Supreme Court to challenge the legitimacy of BJP's recent actions and submit an application on Saturday for the "unconstitutional and illegal" MCD election.

Delhi CM has firmly stated: "This country is not governed by BJP's rowdiness but by law and order. If BJP has courage, they should face AAP in a fair election. We will not tolerate the murder of democracy. Dissolve the MCD and conduct a fair electiona"let the people give their verdict."

Addressing Arvind Kejriwal's evacuation of the CM's residence after resignation Atishi remarked: "Arvind Kejriwal was an honest CM who continues to receive public support. Despite having no personal residence after resigning from office, he has been offered several homes to stay in by supporters across the national capital."
Bareilly, Sep 28 : All India Muslim Jamaat (AIMJ) National President Maulana Shahabuddin Razvi Barelvi on Saturday said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath can fulfil the dream of Akhand Bharat.

Maulana Shahabuddin Razvi, speaking to IANS, said that there is BJP government at the Centre. PM Modi is handling the country from Delhi and CM Yogi is drawing global accolades for clean governance in Uttar Pradesh.

"These are two great personalities who can fulfil the dream of Akhand Bharat. They should start taking action on this path," he added.

Maulana Shahabuddin's remark comes on back of Yogi Adityanath's assertions at a rally in Jammu and Kashmir recently, where he said that Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (POK) is raising its voice for separation from Pakistan and soon it will become part of the Union Territory after BJP returns to power.

AIMJ National President asserted that whatever UP CM is saying is absolutely correct as India is not complete Sindh.

"Elections are going on in Jammu and Kashmir. During the last phase of elections, UP CM Yogi Adityanath reached J&K. During his visit, he made a strong remark that India is not complete without Sindh and after winning the elections, PoK will become a part of Kashmir," Maulana Shahabuddin Razvi said.

"Sindh was a part of our India earlier. But, after 1947 when the country was divided, Sindh went to Pakistan."

"There should be 'Akhand Bharat' and not only Pakistan but Afghanistan, Bangladesh should also be part of India. It was a part of India earlier, today, it can also be a part of the country," he added.

UP CM, addressing poll rally had said that people from various parts of the world have watched how peaceful polls are being conducted in Jammu and Kashmir in a festive mood and this is because of the government of the day which created such a situation. He also said that Pakistan is the enemy of humanity, it's a cancer of humanity. The world must be freed from this cancer.
Kozhikode, Sep 28 : For the nondescript little town, Kannadickal, in Kerala's Kozhikode district, Saturday was not to be the usual day as hundreds of people silently marched to a house where a family had been waiting for 71 days to learn about their member, 30-year-old truck driver Arjun.

Arjun had left the home in the second week of July driving a truck with a load of wooden logs for delivery in Karnataka. On July 16, he went missing after a landslide hit the Shiroor area in Karnataka along the Kochi-Panavel national highway.

Following a massive search, on Thursday the truck was lifted from the Gangavali River in Shiroor and the body of Arjun was in the cabin of the truck.

Karwar MLA Sathish Krishna Sail, who was for many days spotted in the area when the search operations were going on, was among the first ones to spot a dead body inside the cabin of the truck which later turned out to be of Arjun.

After retrieving the body, it was then taken to his native place in Kerala in an ambulance.

And on Saturday, with news spreading far and wide thousands of people lined up the roads to bid Arjun farewell.

The inconsolable family held the last rites of Arjun in the compound of the house.

The distraught family had earlier contacted Kozhikode MP, Congress leader M.K. Raghavan when they could not get any information on Arjun. Raghvan in turn contacted his party leaders in Karnataka.

"It could well be a first of its kind of an operation in the history of the country when a rescue operation of 71 days took place. We have to give full credit to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah for the way he took action to see that the operation to retrieve the dead is successful and it did," said Raghavan, who was at Arjun's house to pay his last respects.

Among those who accompanied the hearse that carried Arjun's mortal remains, was MLA Sail, who has become a local hero in a place where he is coming for the first time. He was greeted by people and many were seen patting his back for his perseverance in retrieving the truck.

He handed over a cheque for Rs five lakh to Arjun's family from the Karnataka government.

The Kerala government also played their role and gave a job to Arjun's wife.

With news spreading far and wide, it was a sea of humanity including thousands of people eagerly waiting to have one last glimpse of Arjun's body, neatly packed and decked with flowers.

It was with great difficulty and after a long time, the body was able to be taken to his house from the ambulance.

The last rites of Arjun were held in the compound of Arjun's house which will be the talk of the town for a long while.
New Delhi, Sep 28 : Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Sunil Singh Sajan on Saturday said the BJP-led government at the Centre was destroying Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), and people were being deprived of opportunities.

While speaking to IANS, Sunil Singh Sajan expressed his support for Rahul Gandhias statement criticising Prime Minister Narendra Modias policies and opposed a recent statement made by BJP MP Manohar Lal Khattar regarding farmers.

Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, had alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "monopoly model has taken away jobs in the country".

He also blamed the government for destroying Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), stating that people are being deprived of opportunities.

During the Jammu and Kashmir election campaign, Rahul Gandhi met with professionals in Jammu, and on Friday, he shared an eight-minute video on the social media platform aXa, highlighting the struggles and concerns of professionals.

In his statement, Rahul Gandhi said that the flawed GST implementation and demonetisation had harmed MSMEs, turning India from a productive economy into a consumer economy.

Commenting on this, Sunil Singh Sajan said, "It is quite clear that ever since Narendra Modi became the Prime Minister, small businesses have been wiped out. The government has only been working for a few industrialists for the past 11 years, living only for them. When the PM gives speeches, he says he is working for the country, but if he truly was, he would be concerned about jobs, borders, farmers, Manipur, and women. But the Prime Minister doesnat care about anyone except those few industrialists."

On Friday, former Haryana Chief Minister and current Union Minister Manohar Lal Khattar made a controversial statement regarding the farmers' protest during a campaign rally.

Manohar Lal Khattar said, "People from Punjab, disguised as farmers, started the agitation. We endured it for a year, but their real intention was to topple the Central and Haryana governments. These people, wearing masks, even reached the Red Fort in Delhi with their tractors. But they were not real farmers. We are patriots, and some people may try to mislead you, but donat fall into their trap."

In response to Khattaras remarks, Sunil Singh Sajan stated, "Khattar, or even Kangana Ranaut, all of them think the same way. When the RSS cannot directly express its ideology, it uses people like them to convey its thoughts. It is ingrained in the hearts and minds of RSS and BJP that farmers are traitors. None of these leaders are farmers. You wonat find a single farmer leader in the BJP. The BJP despises the very backbone of this country, which is its farmers."
New Delhi, Sep 28 : The hunt for a new residence for Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convener and former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is in full swing.

Following his resignation from the CM post on September 17, after being released from jail on bail, the process to find Kejriwal a new home has gained momentum, especially after Atishi took over as the new Chief Minister.

It is widely speculated that Kejriwal will vacate the Chief Minister's residence once the Shraadh (Pitru Paksha) period concludes, aligning with the beginning of Navratri.

During Navratri, he is expected to move into a new house, though the exact date remains unconfirmed.

A new house is being searched for Kejriwal within his New Delhi Assembly constituency.

In a remarkable display of support for Kejriwal, numerous party MLAs, councillors, and ordinary citizens are offering their homes for his use, regardless of their political or socio-economic background.

Kejriwal, after becoming Delhias Chief Minister in 2013, initially resided at Tilak Lane. In 2015, following his victory in the Assembly elections, he shifted to the official CM residence at 6 Flag Staff Road in the Civil Lines area.

However, after Atishi became the Chief Minister, the question of where Kejriwal would stay next remains unanswered.

There is no certainty whether the Central government will allocate a house to him. Rumours have also surfaced that he may move to a location within the Lutyens' Zone, though nothing has been officially confirmed yet.

Kejriwal lives with his wife, children, and elderly parents and is looking for a house where his family can live comfortably.

Kejriwal has said he would return as Chief Minister only after winning the Assembly polls, when the people of Delhi give him a "certificate of honesty". Elections are due in February next, though his AAP is seeking that they be held earlier.
Kolkata, Sep 28 : Following fresh and massive landslides in Darjeeling and Kalimpong after continuous and heavy showers in the northern Bengal region, the traffic movements on National High 10 have been thrown out of gear.

The entire road from Teesta Bazar to Kalimpong is blocked. Continuous and heavy showers in the neighbouring hill state of Sikkim have made the situation extremely crucial for the entire north Bengal, which includes both the hills and the plains.

At the same time, fresh release of flood water from the Teesta barrage has made the situation further worse for the plans in north Bengal. The people residing in the low-lying areas are being constantly alerted by the local administration.

The district administration said that the prediction of continued rainfall in the hills throughout Saturday has been an added cause of concern for the officials.

"There has been continuous rainfall in the hills since Friday afternoon, which is still continuing. If the heavy showers continue, there are chances of further landslides, which will make the situation even more critical," a district administration official said.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has already announced that she will reach north Bengal on Sunday and will personally visit the different flood-affected areas there for the next few days to review the situation. Her date of return to Kolkata is not yet decided.

Following the crucial situation, the tour operators are apprehending major losses in business in the forthcoming tourist season because of the long festival month approaching with Durga Puja and ending with Diwali.

While the situation is extremely critical in north Bengal, there has been considerable improvement in the districts of south Bengal because of the dry spell from Friday. Flood water has started receding from different inundated areas, especially in Howrah, Hooghly, East Midnapore and West Midnapore districts.
Kathmandu, Sep 28 : Ten people were killed and seven others went missing on Saturday in floods and landslides triggered by incessant rainfall in Nepal.

The casualties occurred in Kavrepalanchowk, Lalitpur, and Dhankuta districts, with houses collapsed or swept away by landslides following days of continuous rain.

"Over 175 incidents of floods and landslides have been reported since Friday, leading to loss of lives and properties," said Nepal Police spokesperson Dan Bahadur Karki.

"At least 400 people have been displaced due to floods and landslides. Most parts of the country including Kathmandu have been affected by heavy rainfall," Karki told Xinhua news agency.

Many roads have been blocked due to landslides.

The Department of Hydrology and Meteorology has forecast heavy rainfall until Sunday.
New Delhi, Sep 28 : Days after kicking up a storm over eateries' names display order, the Himachal Pradesh Public Works Development (PWD) Minister Vikramaditya Singh on Saturday reached the national capital to meet the Congress high command, purportedly to give 'explanation' for drifting away from the party line.

His diktat on display of owners and staff names outside eateries and food outlets grossly hinted at brewing 'dissent and discord' within the Himachal Pradesh Congress.

Vikramaditya, speaking to IANS, however, refuted reports that the party high command was upset and angry with him over the eateries nameplate announcement and described it as a "rumour."

He said that the suggested guidelines for eateries and street vendors were focused on the sentiments of local residents, whose welfare is paramount for the party.

"The reports are just rumours, and we do not engage with them. We have firmly presented our case regarding Himachal Pradesh. The Congress organisation is supreme, and it is our duty to follow the party's narrative," he told IANS.

Addressing the speculation about his meetings with senior Congress leaders, Singh confirmed that he had presented the concerns of Himachal Pradesh to the party leadership, emphasising that the welfare of the people in the state remains his top priority.

"I came to Delhi for official departmental work and also met with the Chairman of the Railway Board to discuss some pressing issues," he said, adding that urban development matters were also on his agenda.

The PWD minister reassured that his meetings with the Congress leadership, including General Secretary K.C. Venugopal, were focused on both developmental work and party activities.

"I assured them that we are loyal Congress workers and will adhere to any directives from the Congress leadership and the All India Congress Committee (AICC)," he said.

He also highlighted the importance of addressing the concerns of Himachal's people alongside party interests.

"I discussed steps we have already taken, including laws related to vending and the need to streamline processes after certain Supreme Court and High Court rulings. A committee will be formed under the Assembly Speaker's leadership, involving opposition and Congress legislators, to address these issues," Singh stated.

Furthermore, he welcomed people seeking employment from across the country to Himachal Pradesh but stressed the importance of maintaining internal security and respecting the sentiments of local residents, including farmers, traders, and street vendors.

"It is our responsibility to honour the feelings of local residents, and this will be discussed in upcoming meetings," he concluded.
Srinagar, Sep 28 : Two terrorists were killed and five security personnel, including a J&K Police official, injured in an encounter between security forces and the terrorists in J&K's Kulgam district on Saturday.

Officials said the encounter between the security forces and the terrorists was taking place in the Adigam area of Kulgam.

"The identity of the slain terrorists is being ascertained as the firing exchanges are still continuing in the area," an official said.

Four soldiers and a senior police officer were injured in the encounter.

"After receiving specific intelligence inputs about the presence of a group of terrorists in Adigam village of Kulgam, security forces including the army, police, and the CRPF started a CASO (Cordon & Search Operation) in the area. After carefully approaching the hiding terrorists to ensure that no damage was caused to civilian life and property, the security forces came under heavy firing from the terrorists. Four army soldiers and a senior officer of J&K Police were injured," the official said

The injured have been identified as Additional SP, Kulgam, Mumtaz Ali Bhatti, and sepoys Mohan Sharma, Sohan Kumar, Yoginder and Mohammad Isran of the Rashtriya Rifles.

"Security forces have plugged all escape routes to ensure that the hiding terrorists are unable to escape. Reinforcements have already reached the encounter site. The injured security personnel have been shifted to hospital for treatment," the official said.

The terrorists, believed to be hardcore foreign mercenaries, have carried out hit-and-run attacks against the army, local police and civilians in the hilly districts of Doda, Kathua, Rajouri, Poonch, and Reasi in the Jammu division during the last three to four months.

After carrying out ambushes against the army and others in the hilly areas, the terrorists would escape into the densely foliaged and forested areas of these hilly districts. To thwart these tactics, over 4000 soldiers drawn from the elite Para Commandos and those trained in mountain warfare were deployed in the mountain tops and densely forested areas of the Jammu division. After this revised strategy by the security forces, terrorist attacks in these districts have drastically come down. With their augmented presence in these areas, the security forces have been able to engage with terrorists, leading to gunfights, in these areas. Five terrorists have been killed so far after the security forces revisited their strategy to meet the challenge posed by the foreign mercenaries, as per officials.
Yangon, Sep 28 : Myanmar's naval authorities have seized 1.478 million stimulant tablets in western Myanmar's Rakhine state, local media reported on Saturday, citing the police sources.

The narcotics were confiscated in Kyaukphyu township of Rakhine state on Monday after local authorities, including Myanmar navy personnel, intercepted a motorboat, reports Xinhua, quoting the state-run daily The Mirror.

Four suspects on board the boat were arrested and two more suspects in connection with the case were also apprehended in Seikkyi Kanaungto township of Yangon region on Tuesday, the report said.

The narcotics are approximately valued at over 2.2 billion kyats (about US$1.04 million), the report added.

Investigations showed that the drugs were transported from Shan state to the Yangon region and were then enroute to Rakhine state via waterway.

The suspects were charged under the country's laws and further investigations are underway, it added.
BERN, Switzerland, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- The cultural event themed "Meet China: Celebrating the 75th Anniversary of the Founding of the People's Republic of China" was held Friday afternoon at Waisenhaus Square in Bern, the capital of Switzerland.

Showcasing traditional Chinese culture through art performances and cultural exhibits, the "Meet China" festival is an annual celebration that began in 2015 aimed at promoting cultural exchange and mutual understanding. .

Mao Jun, the charge d'affaires of the Chinese Embassy in Switzerland, highlighted the importance of "Meet China" festival in fostering China-Switzerland cultural exchanges, saying the event helps nurture the innovative partnership between the two nations, ensuring its continued healthy growth.

Mao noted that by organizing a diverse array of cultural activities, the festival provides Swiss people with more opportunities to learn about Chinese traditions and development achievements, ultimately enhancing mutual appreciation and respect between the two peoples.

The festival featured a variety of cultural performances, including Chinese dancing lions and dragons, Sichuan Opera face-changing, Chinese calligraphy, traditional musical instruments, martial arts, tea ceremonies, and Chinese cuisine. The event also included a Swiss Alphorn performance.

The festival drew hundreds of attendees, including local residents, tourists, students, and members of the Chinese community in Switzerland.

Tamara Dubach, an eighth-grade student who attended the event with her Chinese friends, told Xinhua that these activities "look very cool" and are very novel to her. "I'll definitely come back for the next 'Meet China' festival," she added.

Yu Mei, one of the event organizers, said the festival not only relieved the homesickness of the Chinese living in Switzerland, but also spread Chinese culture throughout the country. "This event helps more people understand China better," Yu added. 
Patna, Sep 28 : Amid Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav's claims that the smart pre-paid meters installed in the state were overcharging, Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhary on Saturday challenged him to provide evidence for the same.

He pointed out that RJD state president Jagadanand Singh also has a smart meter installed in his house and he reportedly receives 17 per cent lower electricity bills.

Samrat Choudhary said: "I want to ask Tejashwi Yadav to provide evidence of what is wrong with the smart meters."

He also emphasised that more than 50 lakh people benefitted from smart meters in Bihar.

"The Nitish Kumar government is transparent in its stance, and if any issues are found with the smart meters, the relevant authorities will take prompt action to address and rectify them," the Deputy Chief Minister said.

Slamming Tejashwi, Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Sinha said that the RJD leader was in power when the smart meter system was in place.

Questioning why Tejashwi did not raise concerns when he was the deputy chief minister, Vijay Kumar Sinha taunted that the RJD leader may have "compromised" on the issue to retain his position in the government.

Defending the smart meter initiative, Deputy Chief Minister Sinha said: "Smart meters are being used to curb power theft. Just like prepaid mobile recharges, smart meters function similarly."

"If there are any shortcomings in the smart meters, the government is ready to fix it," he said.

Earlier, Tejashwi accused the government of "looting" common people through these smart meters and alleged that smart meters were "cheater meters" as they were overcharging consumers.

RJD state president Jagadanand Singh echoed Tejashwi's concerns, criticising Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

The RJD will launch the 'Uproot Smart Meter' campaign across the state from October 1.
New Delhi, Sep 28 : Exposure to dust mites in children can trigger severe allergic reactions, leading to conditions such as asthma and allergic rhinitis, warned an expert on Saturday.

Dust mites -- microscopic creatures found in household dust -- are a leading cause of allergies worldwide. These are so tiny, slightly bigger than human hair diameter, to be visible to the unassisted eye.

In India, high humidity levels increase their growth and also a rapid surge in clinical manifestations, Dr Neeraj Gupta, Senior Allergy Specialist from Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, Delhi, told IANS.

Asthma affects around 35 million people in India, with an estimated 2.4 per cent of adults and 4-20 per cent of children affected. Nearly 22 per cent of adolescents currently suffer from allergic rhinitis in India.

Gupta explained that the hallmark signs of dust mite allergies include sneezing, which is frequent and severe, often accompanied by a runny or stuffy nose; persistent blockage of the nasal passages, leading to difficulty in breathing, particularly at night; a chronic dry cough that is more pronounced in the early mornings and at night; intermittent episodes of breathlessness, especially during physical activity, coupled with a wheezing sound while breathing.

The allergens from dust mites, particularly their droppings and decomposed body parts, can trigger inflammation in the nasal passages and airways, leading to these symptoms, the expert said.

While immunotherapy is effective, reducing exposure to dust mites is crucial in managing symptoms.

Some recommended measures include the use of allergen-proof covers for mattresses, pillows, and duvets; regular washing of bed linens in hot water; minimising the use of carpets and upholstered furniture at home as these can harbour dust mites; using high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters; keeping indoor humidity levels below 50 per cent; adequate sunlight and cross ventilation.

"By understanding the symptoms and signs, utilising appropriate diagnostic tools, and implementing targeted treatments like immunotherapy, along with preventive measures, it is possible to manage and even alleviate the burden of these allergies," Gupta said.

He also advised timely medical help for substantial improvement in quality of life.
Mumbai, Sep 28 : The MahaYuti and Maha Vikas Aghadi, which have geared up for the Assembly elections, have hinted that the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, which is currently referred to the joint parliamentary committee, is a key campaign issue.

The battle lines are drawn as the MahaYuti comprising BJP, Shiv Sena and NCP plan to corner the Maha Vikas Aghadi consisting of Congress, NCP(SP) and Shiv Sena(UBT) on this issue accusing them of playing appeasement politics. On its part, the MVA has proposed to take on the BJP in particular and the MahaYuti in general for targeting and suppressing Muslims and minorities for their political gains.

Congress has gone a step further saying that its opposition to the Waqf (Amendment) Bill will be included in the poll manifesto assuring that Waqf property wonat be brought under the government control as presently proposed through the district collectors.

According to the political observers, there are about 100 of the total 288 Assembly constituencies where Muslims and minorities are one of the major deciding factors.

A veteran BJP leader and state Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has already got the ball rolling by accusing the Congress party of opposing the bill as it does not want transparency and is only interested in grabbing the land of Waqf Boards. He also cited many examples of land grabbing especially by Congress members during the Congress-led governments. Fadnavisa move to target Congress and allies will be further played up as the campaign gathers momentum. By doing this, the BJP wants to further strengthen its pro-Hindutva constituency.

The Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena has echoed BJPas views saying that Shiv Sena (UBT) has already abandoned Hindutva and their stand on Waqf Board exposes its ideological confusion and selfish politics.

Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Shinde has been more vocal in criticising Shiv Sena(UBT) for ditching the Muslim community after it voted in its support during general elections. He has also dropped sufficient hints that his party will step up attacks against the Shiv Sena(UBT) for seeking the votes of a particular community during the Lok Sabha elections only to avoid representing them when it mattered.

However, Shiv Sena UBT chief Uddhav Thackeray, who was accused by BJP and Muslim organisations of remaining absent during the Waqf Bill debate in Parliament, has shot back and announced that the party will not let anyone touch the properties of the Waqf Board or any temple or other religious property at any cost. He also questioned the BJP for not tabling the bill when it had a roaring majority in the Lok Sabha.

Thackeray has revealed his plan to corner the BJP on this issue as he did during the Lok Sabha elections over the change in the Constitution. Thackeray has also indicated that he has not left brand Hindutva but his partyas Hindutva is aainclusiveaa which does not create religious discord or set fire to relations between two communities.

NCP(SP) chief Sharad Pawar, who has been attacking the BJP for targeting Muslims and minorities, has made it clear that his party would not tolerate the misappropriation of religious property.

The Maharashtra Congress Working President and former Minister Naseem Khan claimed that the party is strongly opposed to the Waqf Bill saying that it was not just an issue of Waqf Board properties but also temples and other religious places. He pointed out that Congress has objected to the state governmentas mediation through district collector for control of Waqf properties saying that it was to suppress Muslims in particular.

The Samajwadi Party, which is a part of MVA in the state, has expressed serious displeasure over the BJP-led governmentas timing to table the bill. The SP legislator Rais Shaikh said it was part of a larger design of BJP to malign, offend and suppress the minorities and it was a clear violation of Articles 14, 15 and 25. He hoped that if the BJP goes on flagging off this issue, it will unite anti-BJP votes and strengthen the purpose of the INDIA Bloc.

The observers say at a time when MahaYuti is stepping up outreach with the voters by promoting welfare and development schemes, the Waqf Amendment Bill will be projected skilfully to further divide Muslims against MVA and Thackeray in particular. On the other hand, the MVA will further attack the BJP and MahaYuti on the Waqf Bill issue saying that despite the lack of a majority in Parliament BJP will continue to take its agenda of Constitution change forward by targeting minorities.

(Sanjay Jog can be reached at sanjay.j@ians.in)
Chennai, Sep 28 : A huge fire broke out at the Tata Electronics factory in Hosur in Tamil Nadu's Krishnagiri district on Saturday, leaving at least four workers injured, officials said.

No fatality has been reported so far. The four workers, who were affected by the smoke which spread across the skies above the facility, were admitted to a private hospital in Hosur.

Tata Electronics Private Ltd, in a statement, said: "There has been an unfortunate incident of fire at our plant in Hosur, Tamil Nadu. Our emergency protocols at the plant ensured that all our employees are safe. The cause of the fire is under investigation and we will take necessary actions to safeguard the interest of our employees and other stakeholders."

Over 10 fire and rescue services vehicles from Krishnagiri and Dharmapuri were deployed to fight the fire which broke out at dawn.

Fire and Rescue Services, in a statement, said they received the call during morning hours when the smoke was first noticed, and over 10 vehicles were deployed as the fire continued to spread. The cause of the fire and the extent of the area destroyed were yet to be determined, it said.

Fire service personnel from Palacodde in Dharmapuri, Krishnagiri, Bargur, Denkanikottai, Hosur, and Rayakottai were also deployed to put out the fire.

The statement also said that would take a few more hours before the fire is completely put out. Collector K.M. Sarayu visited the hospital and enquired about the status of the employees.

The Tata Electronics facility was set up with an investment of about Rs 5,000 crore for manufacturing iPhone components.

In another incident, a major explosion was reported at a private fireworks unit at Keezha Odampatti, near Sattur, in Virudhunagar district, leading to a major blaze. The fireworks unit is said to be owned by Kandasami, and they planned to despatch firecrackers via trucks ahead of the Deepavali festival to various destinations.

Fire and Rescue Services personnel said they reached the accident site at 8.15 a.m. Police said that 10 workers from north India were staying on the premises of the fireworks unit. It is yet to be determined whether they were inside, as heavy smoke has filled the premises. The firefighters would be able to step inside the building only after the fire has been brought under control.
Abu Dhabi, Sep 28 : Known for her work in films such as 'Oohalu Gusagusalade', 'Maanagaram', 'Warrior' and 'Yodha', Raashii Khanna has showcased her prowess in Tamil, Telugu and Hindi cinema. The actress agrees that "just being good enough is not good enough anywhere" and that working hard is the key to success.

Abu Dhabi, Sep 28 (IANS) Known for her work in films such as 'Oohalu Gusagusalade', 'Maanagaram', 'Warrior' and 'Yodha', Raashii Khanna has showcased her prowess in Tamil, Telugu and Hindi cinema. The actress agrees that "just being good enough is not good enough anywhere" and that working hard is the key to success.

"Just being good enough is not good enough anywhere. Whichever field it may be in, you have to give your best to keep climbing the ladder. The idea is to not take that pressure of which step you are on and how many steps you have to climb, just work hard and be disciplined. That's all", Raashii told IANS in Abu Dhabi.

Raashii made her acting debut in acting with 'Madras Cafe' in 2013. After which, she worked with some of the finest names down south such as Vijay Deverakonda, Prithviraj, Mohanlal, Ravi Teja and Jr NTR. One of the most popular names down south, Raashi never feared getting overshadowed.

"Art is not a competition, it's a collaboration. I am always focused on doing the best that I can do and so are they. And when you are so focused on doing your best, you always shine together", she said.

Talking about getting pigeonholed, the actress, who hails from New Delhi, emphasised the importance of seeking opportunities that allow growth.

"Your choices decide whether you will get pigeon holed in any industry. One should not be okay to be cast in similar roles where there is no scope to showcase one's range and versatility", said the actress, who is a graduate in English from Delhi University's iconic Lady Shri Ram College. The 33-year-old actress feels female actors now have greater opportunities.

"However today, there are much better opportunities for female actors who are bold in their choices and wait out to play roles which are different from each other", added Raashii, who will next be seen in 'The Sabarmati Report' alongside Vikrant Massey.

Without divulging much about the upcoming film, she said it is more of an "infotainment". "Yes, it's releasing on the 15th of November. We are all very excited. This film is more of an infotainment where you get entertained but you also see some light being shed on the actual events of what actually happened".

The actress is also positive about the second season of 'Farzi', which also stars Shahid Kapoor and Vijay Sethupathi. "Yes, there will be 'Farzi 2'. That's all I know for now Wherever I go, people ask me the same question and that only shows how much they loved the show and that is very heartwarming. I am not sure when we will start shooting 'Farzi 2' but it will definitely be in production soon".

The actress performed at the IIFA Utsavam in Abu Dhabi. She hopes to get time for shopping. "I hope we get time to shop. I think I will be neck deep in rehearsals. But if I do get time I think I will head to the Dubai mall. It has all brands under one roof and some great restraints as well". The actress also wants to live the 'Big Bang Theory' moment by visiting the popular Cheesecake Factory.

"There's this place, the cheesecake factory where I always go when I am in Dubai. It has the best cheesecakes and also their food is amazing. From salads to burgers to desserts, they all taste delicious".
Thiruvananthapuram, Sep 28 : Days after the Pinarayi Vijayan government asked the state police chief to conduct a probe into the meeting of Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) M.R. Ajith Kumar with top RSS leaders, the CPI, the second biggest ally in the ruling Left government, has asked for his removal from the post.

On Saturday, the state CPI secretary Binoy Viswam said a very senior police officer meeting RSS leaders is not acceptable under any circumstances and that too when it is a Left the government in Kerala.

"He has to be moved out from the crucial post as a top police official manning the law and order section should never have any connection with the RSS," said Viswam.

Incidentally, it was early this month that Leader of Opposition V.D. Satheesan first broke the news that Ajith Kumar had met RSS General Secretary Dattatreya Hosabale in May last year at Thrissur.

When this news became the talking point, a few days later came the next news that Ajith Kumar along with a Chennai-based businessman met another top RSS leader Ram Madhav at a hotel in Kovalam.

Top Congress leaders took potshots at the Chief Minister saying that Ajith Kumar was the conduit of CM Vijayan showing close links with the RSS as a few cases are there against his daughter.

With the Congress up in arms, the CPI also joined in with its national secretary D. Raja categorically making it clear that action has to be taken. The same issue was also taken up by state Revenue Minister K. Rajan, who is from the CPI, at the weekly cabinet meeting held here on Wednesday.

CM Vijayan has also been under attack from two-time Left Independent legislator P.V. Anvar on how the Chief Minister was shielding Ajith Kumar.

Anvar announced that he was severing his ties with the Left. On Thursday, the CPI(M) state secretary M.V. Govindan said that with Anvar deciding to leave the Left, the CPI(M) will have no more links with him.

With the Assembly session slated to begin on October 4, all eyes are on CM Vijayan on whether he will continue to shield Ajith Kumar, who is presently facing multiple probes or remove him, from the post..
Patna, Sep 28 : The flood situation in North Bihar has worsened due to continuous rainfall over the past few days.

Ganga Rivers along with its tributaries are flowing above the danger level at several locations were exacerbated by heavy rainfall in the catchment areas of Nepal, leading to rising water levels in Bihar's rivers.

Since September 26, heavy rains have hit most of the river catchment areas in Bihar and forecasts suggest rains will continue for the coming days.

The government has put all 38 districts in Bihar on alert, with varying intensities of rain expected across the region.

Districts like West Champaran, East Champaran, Sheohar, Sitamarhi, Supaul, Araria, Kishanganj, Purnia, Katihar, Gopalganj, Siwan, Bhagalpur, and Banka have already experienced significant rainfall, with some areas recording 205 mm of rain.

The data released by the Meteorological Department in Patna indicates that the situation is likely to worsen, raising concerns about severe flooding and the potential for widespread chaos across the state. The authorities are on high alert as the state braces for further challenges in managing the flood crisis.

In response to the worsening flood situation in North Bihar, the Water Resource Department has taken significant steps to manage the crisis.

On Friday, 6 lakh cusecs of water were released from the Valmikinagar Gandak Barrage. Additionally, 6.81 lakh cusecs of water are expected to be released from the Kosi Barrage in Virpur Block.

Sanjeev Kumar Mall, Principal Secretary of the Water Resource Department, has instructed officials to closely monitor the flood situation and implement security measures to protect embankments and ensure timely rescue operations.

"All executive engineers, junior engineers, and other officials have been asked to remain stationed at the embankments within their jurisdictions for the next 48 hours. Additionally, they have been asked to arrange flood control equipment such as sandbags to prevent soil erosion along riverbanks," Mall said.

"To ensure full preparedness, all leaves for officers within the department have been cancelled, and round-the-clock vigilance has been mandated to safeguard vulnerable areas. This proactive approach aims to minimise the impact of the anticipated floods, ensuring the safety of both the infrastructure and the local population," he said.

According to the Water Resource Department, the water levels of major rivers in Bihar are fluctuating, with several crossing the danger mark due to continuous rainfall.

The water level of the Ganga River, at Digha Ghat in Patna, was recorded at 86 cm which is below the danger mark but rainfall is expected to cause an increase.

At Hathidah, the Ganga is flowing 11 cm above the danger level. In Munger, the water level was 63 cm below the danger mark, while at Kahalgaon in Bhagalpur, it was 54 cm above the danger mark

The water level of the Gandak River, at Dumria Ghat in Gopalganj, was recorded at 57 cm below the danger mark, but it's expected to rise by 38 cm by Sunday if 6 lakh cusec water is released from the Gandak Barrage.

Kosi River is flowing 84 cm above the danger level in Kursela of Katihar district.

In Sonakhan (Sitamarhi), the Bagmati is 8 cm above the danger level.

In Khagaria, the Burhi Gandak is 81 cm above the danger level.

Kamla Balan River, at Jay Nagar (Madhubani), is flowing 15 cm above the danger level.
Washington, Sep 28 : US Secretary of State Antony Blinken reiterated calls for joint efforts to press North Korea, China and Iran to stop providing support for Russia's war in Ukraine, stressing the need to bring a "just and lasting" peace in the war-torn country.

Blinken made the remarks during a press conference, touching on various issues, including heightened tensions between Israel and the Iran-backed Lebanese militant group Hezbollah and the war between Israel and Hamas militants in Gaza. He was in New York to attend the high-level week of the UN General Assembly, Yonhap news agency reported.

"At the Security Council on Tuesday, the overwhelming majority of countries condemned Russia's brutal war of conquest and called for a just and lasting peace based on the UN Charter," the Secretary told reporters.

"Crucial to that is pressing Iran, North Korea and China, a permanent member of the council, to stop providing weapons, artillery, machinery and other support that Putin is using to devastate Ukrainian homes, energy grids and ports," he added.

Blinken pointed out that international support for Ukraine is not just rhetorical, but "tangible."

This week, dozens of countries came together to pledge to help Ukraine rebuild its war-ravaged country, he noted, while the Group of Seven countries and others made additional commitments to strengthen Ukraine's energy infrastructure.

As a diplomatic outcome at the Assembly, Blinken mentioned his trilateral engagement with South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul and Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa on Monday -- a meeting centring on joint efforts to "institutionalised" a three-way cooperation.

"Along with my counterparts from Japan and South Korea, we took measures to institutionalise our trilateral cooperation, building on the historic Camp David summit and reaffirming our shared commitment to creating a trilateral secretariat to advance this work," he said.

He was referring to the first standalone trilateral summit at Camp David in Maryland in August last year. It produced a series of landmark agreements, including the "Commitment to Consult" with each other in the event of a shared threat.

At the trilateral gathering, the three sides underscored their joint efforts to establish a secretariat, to be finalised when their leaders meet later this year, according to officials.

On Friday, Blinken had what he called a "candid" and "substantive" meeting with his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi.

The two sides discussed efforts to improve communication between their countries' militaries and risks associated with artificial intelligence as well as issues related to the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea.
New Delhi, Sep 28 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi, addressing an election rally in Haryana launched a blistering attack at the Congress party, accusing it of prioritising its electoral interests above public issues.

Addressing his third election meeting in the poll-bound state, PM Modi described the Congress party as the most 'dishonest and deceitful' party.

He called out the barrage of lies spread by the Congress party in the past few elections to buttress his charge and claimed that the party can 'stoop to any level' to win the support of people and then doesn't take time in 'disowning' them.

Referring to the Sukhwinder Sukhu government in Himachal, PM Modi said that Congress made big promises to people during the election campaign but when it rode to power, it put all those pledges on the backseat.

"After rising to power, it has betrayed the people of the state. It hasn't fulfilled any poll promises. Today, the debt-laden Himachal government is finding it difficult to even shell out employees' salary and DA," PM Modi told the gathering.

Taking a jibe at the friction and infighting in the Haryana Congress unit, he said that a fight is on within the party to gain supremacy, rather than to show concern for the public.

"Wherever there is Congress, there is no stability. A party which can't keep its flock together, how can it keep the state together," he said.

PM Modi also lashed out at the Congress 'Shahi Parivar', a reference to the Gandhis and said that many state leaders who showed unflinching loyalty to the family are also questioning the top leadership today.

Prime Minister also pitched for 'non-stop Haryana' under the BJP government and made an appeal to the people to give a mandate to the BJP.

"Haryana has made up its mind to give up its mandate to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for a record third time," he said in a roaring voice, receiving cheers from the crowd.

Notably, this is the third election meeting of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the poll-bound Haryana. BJP functionaries said that PM Modi's rally in Hisar will have an impact on at least adjoining 23 seats.

Hisar district gained prominence after India's richest woman Savitri Jindal joined the fray from the Assembly seat as an Independent candidate.
Lucknow, Sep 28 : Former Indian Army officer, Major General Dr J.K. Bansal (retd) on Saturday slammed Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for accusing India of "massive expansion of its military capabilities" and of seeking to cross the LoC, saying Pakistani leaders have fear in their minds as the country has become very weak from the inside.

Addressing the United Nations General Assembly on Friday, PM Sharif accused India of issuing threats to cross the Line of Control (LoC) to take over Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). He also demanded the Indian government should reverse the 2019 abrogation of Article 370 which gave Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) a special status and also charged India with trying to subjugate its Muslim population and obliterate its Islamic heritage.

Talking to IANS, Maj Gen Bansal (retd) said: "They (Pakistani leaders) keep saying such things without any reason. They raise the issue of Kashmir and say that India will attack us militarily. I think they have a fear in their minds because Pakistan has become very weak from the inside as their army is not capable of fighting anymore. There is a crisis in Pakistan as there is no petrol in their military vehicles. The economy is completely exhausted."

He further claimed that the Pakistan PM makes such statements so that he can give an issue to his people.

"Pakistan PM Sharif has no more issues to highlight as they are already in crisis... that's why he keeps raising the issue of Kashmir and whether India will attack or what not," he added.

He also asserted that Pakistan always tried to spread terrorism in J&K.

"Pakistan keeps spreading terrorism and attacked the Parliament in 2001. They also attacked Mumbai in 2008 and whatever allegations they have made on Friday are baseless," he stated.

The former Army officer asserted that Pakistan is worried that India will take over PoK.

"PM Sharif also wanted to reinstate Article 370 in the J&K. I think they are worried that India will take over the PoK. The people of PoK indeed want to come to India. But, whenever Pakistan's PMs go to the UN, they have been demanding India remove its troops... First Secretary in India's Permanent Mission to the UN Bhavika Mangalanandan has strongly denied all the allegations of PM Sharif and called Pakistan a factory of terrorism," he asserted.

He also claimed that after the abrogation of Article 370, there is happiness in the J&K.

"Whatever he (Sharif) said about the PoK is humorous and baseless. Kashmir is an integral part of India. They should know that after the removal of Article 370, there is prosperity in the Union Territory. Business and tourism are thriving there. The people of J&K are very happy. The people of PoK want to become a part of India as the situation in Pakistan is very bad."
NEW YORK, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- New York City Mayor Eric Adams on Friday pleaded not guilty in appearance at a federal court in Manhattan, one day after unsealing an indictment against him.

Federal prosecutors charged Adams with five counts of bribery, wire fraud and solicitation, primarily related to his mayoral campaign in 2021.

Adams, a Democrat, entered the court in the morning to surrender to authorities and have his fingerprints taken.

Adams told the judge that "I am not guilty, your honor" at the hearing.

Adams' lawyer Alex Spiro made similar statements and said a motion would be filed next week to dismiss the charges.

Still, Adams could be sentenced to be behind the bars for decades if he is convicted.

The mayor was released without a bail and was asked not to contact witnesses or people named in the indictment.

The indictment raises questions on how Adams could continue to run the mega city.

Adams is the first New York mayor to be indicted while in office.

Though Adams said he would not resign despite such calls from other Democrats, New York Governor Kathy Hochul has the power to remove him and mulls doing so, according to reports.

With a long police career, Adams became the 110th mayor of New York City in January 2022 and his term ends in January 2026. 
New Delhi, Sep 28 : NASA-SpaceX is set to launch the Crew-9 -- an astronaut and a cosmonaut -- to to the International Space Station (ISS), in a mission that aims to bring back stranded Indian-Origin Sunita Williams back to Earth in February next year.

According to NASA, the liftoff is targeted for 1:17 p.m. EDT (10:47 pm IST) on Saturday from Space Launch Complex-40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

"This is the first human spaceflight mission to launch from that pad," the US space agency said.

The Crew-9 was initially expected to launch on Thursday but was postponed due to poor weather conditions due to hurricane Helene, currently impacting the Gulf Coast of Florida.

The flight will carry NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov to the orbiting laboratory for about five-month science mission. They will return to Earth in February along with Williams and Butch Willmore.

Williams and Willmore travelled to the ISS on an eight-day sojourn on the faulty Boeing's Starliner. While the Starliner was declared unfit for human travel by NASA, and it returned safely to Earth, the astronaut duo are stuck in space.

Meanwhile, NASA's Flight Readiness Review confirmed that all systems are "go" for the launch, ensuring that the Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft are ready for this critical mission.

For the first time since May 2020 test flight, SpaceX is launching two astronauts to the ISS on a Dragon spacecraft.

In a bid to make room for Williams and Willmore in the orbiting lab, NASA had pulled out two other Crew-9 members -- commander Zena Cardman and three-time shuttle flier Stephanie Wilson.

The Crew-9 mission will fly with two empty with extra cargo and supplies, including a new Dragon spacesuit for Wilmore (one for Williams is already aboard the ISS).

The targeted docking time is approximately 5:30 p.m. Sunday (3.30 am Monday), NASA said.
Mysuru, Sep 28 : Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday appealed to the beneficiaries of the guarantee schemes to speak up more about the government schemes.

"NREGA and the Anna Bhagya scheme saved the poor and lower-middle class during the Covid-19 pandemic. Therefore, the beneficiaries of guarantee schemes should speak up more about these schemes," the Chief Minister said during an address at an event held at the University of Mysore's Manasagangotri campus, after releasing the book titled 'Guarantee Schemes: Security and Welfare for the Poor'.

"Our opponents mocked our schemes and guarantees. Even now, they are spreading false propaganda. However, when I visit villages, the beneficiaries of these guarantees express their gratitude to the Congress government," he said, highlighting the success stories of women who benefitted from the Gruha Lakshmi scheme.

While recalling his childhood days, Siddaramaiah said, "My mother always used to say about, 'a full stomach and plenty of food.' The reason I implemented the Anna Bhagya scheme is because I had experienced hunger and waiting for food."

He mentioned, "The speech made on November 25, 1949, at the Constituent Assembly while implementing the Constitution was the inspiration for my guarantees. A fair society is possible when those deprived of opportunities are given equal chances."

He said that saints like Basavanna and Buddha also spoke of an equal society, adding that mere speeches cannot fulfil the dream of a fair society.

"This is why, even when I first became the Chief Minister, I implemented several welfare schemes," he said, recalling his childhood days of poverty.

"We would cook a proper meal only when there was a festival at home. If someone in the neighbouring houses fell sick, they would cook rice, and there were days when we stood at their door waiting for a morsel of food. It was those days that made me ensure no one would have to wait for food, and that's how the Anna Bhagya scheme came into being," he explained.

He added that due to caste, economic inequality arose in society and to empower everyone economically, the government implemented several programmes between 2013 and 2018.

"Similarly, during my second term as Chief Minister, we empowered people through guarantee schemes," he added.

He also mentioned that a film titled 'Anna' has been made about the Anna Bhagya scheme
Hisar : , Sep 28 (IANS) Giving a slogan "Bharosa dil se BJP fir se", Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said that the development of Haryana should go on non-stop and that is why the people of the state have decided to give a chance to BJP for the third time.

"As the polling date is coming closer, Congress leaders are saying that the Congress will face the same fate as it did in Madhya Pradesh," PM Modi said in a half an hour speech at the Jan Ashirwad rally in Hisar city to seek votes for the party's 23 candidates from six districts.

This was PM Modi's third rally in Haryana, which will go to polls on October 5. Earlier, PM Modi held rallies in Kurukshetra and Gohana towns.

Saying "the Congress is hijacked by urban Naxal sympathisers", the Prime Minister said it "is the most deceitful and dishonest party in the country".

"You can see the condition of Himachal Pradesh in the neighbourhood. They lied to the people of Himachal Pradesh during the elections and now, after forming the government, people are asking the Congress what happened to your promises and the Congress is asking the people who are you?

"There can never be stability where the Congress is. How can a party that cannot bring unity among its leaders bring stability to the state?" PM Modi questioned.

Saluting all those who have contributed to the development of Haryana, PM Modi said: "Today, on the birth anniversary of Bhagat Singh, I would like to salute him as well."

Promising that commercial flights would start operations from the Hisar airport soon, PM Modi, who landed at the local airport, said under the Congress leadership, Dalits faced suppression, women were victimised, and the party remained silent.

"This demonstrates Congress' disregard for Dalits. The Congress is selfish, focused solely on gaining votes, and has neglected the needs and aspirations of farmers," the Prime Minister said.

Questioning how the Congress will bring stability to Haryana when it cannot bring unity among its leaders, PM Modi said: "The people are seeing how there is infighting in Congress to become the Chief Minister. Bapu (father) is also a contender and so is his son. And both of them are engaged together in eliminating others. And seeing all this, the aware citizens of Haryana have started eliminating the Congress."

Slamming Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, he said: "Today, the elite family of the Congress when they visited America claimed that they would end reservations for Dalits and backward communities."

Hisar falls in the Bagri belt adjoining the Rajasthan border.

The BJP said the rally has a lot of significance as 23 candidates from six districts shared the stage with the Prime Minister.

Hisar district has gained prominence with India's richest woman Savitri Jindal in the fray, from the Assembly seat as an Independent candidate.

Besides Hisar, candidates from Sirsa, Fatehabad, Bhiwani, and Charkhi Dadri districts and Jind's Narwana and Uchana seats will attend the Prime Minister's rally. From this segment, the BJP is facing a challenge as many rebel leaders are contesting as Independents.

These seats fall in the Bagri belt --politically influential for a long time as several leaders from this region, including Bhajan Lal, Bansi Lal, Devi Lal and Om Parkash Chautala, became Chief Ministers.

Haryana will go to the polls on October 5. The ballots will be counted on October 8.
New Delhi, Sep 28 : In an extremely rare case, doctors here saved a newborn with a rare and life-threatening defect in oesophagus and trachea.

The baby, diagnosed with oesophageal atresia and a tracheoesophageal fistula, soon after birth was brought to HCMCT Manipal Hospital, Dwarka.

Oesophageal Atresia (EA) is a rare and serious congenital condition that affects the development of oesophagus in newborns and turns the early days of life into a critical fight for survival.

In some cases, this condition is accompanied by a tracheoesophageal fistula (TEF), which is an abnormal connection between the oesophagus and the trachea (windpipe).

This connection can cause severe complications, as it allows gastric liquids to pass into the lungs, leading to respiratory distress, infections, and other serious issues, said the doctors.

"The prevalence of EA with TEF is estimated to be between 1 in 5,000 and 1 in 10,000 live births worldwide, with a slightly higher occurrence in Europe," paediatric surgeon Dr.ThichenKalden Lama, HOD - Paediatric Surgery, told IANS.

The team of doctors treated the baby with right thoracotomy and TEF ligation, followed by an oesophago-oesophageal anastomosis -- a complex surgical procedure to connect the upper and lower segments of the oesophagus.

The baby was kept on intravenous fluids, supportive measures, antibiotics, and total parenteral nutrition (TPN) while being closely monitored.

The baby showed some progress on the seventh day of life. Gradually, oral feeds were introduced.

Despite challenges such as breathing difficulties and severe gastroesophageal reflux, the team employed a combination of medications, careful feeding techniques, and supportive therapies to manage the condition.

"The baby showed remarkable recovery and after days of close monitoring and care, full oral feeds were successfully established and the baby was discharged with weight gain and parental education," Lama said.

Lama explained that the condition can be observed shortly after birth, in infants who cannot swallow their saliva, exhibit excessive drooling, or have difficulty breathing.

"The presence of polyhydramnios -- an excess of amniotic fluid during pregnancy -- can also be an indicator, as the baby's inability to swallow amniotic fluid leads to its accumulation," the doctor said.
Tehran, Sep 28 : The Lebanese terrorist group Hezbollah on Saturday announced that its chief, Seyyed Hassan Nasrallah was "martyred in a criminal attack" on the southern suburbs of Beirut, late Friday evening.

"Our leadership is committed to continuing the jihad against the enemy and supporting Gaza and defending Lebanon and its steadfast nation," the organisation said in a statement.

According to Lebanon's Ministry of Public Health, the successive Israeli raids on Haret Hreik in the southern suburbs of Beirut led, according to an unofficial toll, to the death of six people and the injury of 91, including 14 who required hospitalization.

Earlier in the day, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) announced that Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah has been eliminated following a deadly strike on the headquarters of the Lebanese militant group in the southern suburbs of Beirut late Friday.

The IDF stated that Nasrallah will no longer be able to "terrorise the world".

Nasrallah has been associated with Hezbollah since the terror group's inception in 1982 following the Israeli invasion of Lebanon. In 1992, he took over as the leader of the organisation with an aim to make it a hybrid political-military entity.

"During the 32 years of the terrorist Hassan Nasrallah's tenure as the leader of Hezbollah, he was responsible for the murder of many Israeli civilians and soldiers, and for the planning and execution of thousands of terrorist acts against the State of Israel and around the world. Nasrallah was the main decision-maker and the sole approver of strategic-systemic decisions, and sometimes also tactical decisions in the organisation," Israeli Chief of Staff, Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi, said on Saturday.

The IDF said that, along with Nasrallah, several other commanders of the terrorist organisation - including Ali Karchi, the commander of Hezbollah's southern front - have been eliminated in the strikes by the fighter jets of the Israeli Air Force "under the precise intelligence guidance of the intelligence wing and the defence system", at the underground central headquarters of Hezbollah, located under a residential building, in the Daha area of Beirut.

Israel also vowed to continue its operation "New Order" to eliminate leaders of the terror organisations.

"This is not the end of the toolbox, it should be very clear. There are more tools to go forward. The message is a simple message: whoever threatens the citizens of the State of Israel - we will know how to reach them. In the north, in the south, even in more distant places," said Halevi.

Meanwhile, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has reportedly been moved to a safe and secure location, has said that Friday's strikes will not be able to inflict any significant damage on the "solid structure" of Lebanon's Hezbollah.

"All the Resistance forces in the region stand with and support Hezbollah. The Resistance forces will determine the fate of this region with the honorable Hezbollah leading the way," a statement issued by Khamenei's account on X said Saturday afternoon which was his first reaction to Israel's overnight attack on Lebanon.

"The Lebanese haven't forgotten there was a time when the soldiers of the occupying regime were advancing toward Beirut, & Hezbollah stopped them & made Lebanon proud. Today too, by the grace & power of God, Lebanon will make the transgressing, malicious enemy regret its actions," he added.
Shillong, Sep 28 : After Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh, Jagadguru Shankaracharya Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati, who was set to hold 'Gau Dhwaj Sthapana Bharat Yatra' in Shillong on October 2, cancelled his trip here on Saturday after the Meghalaya government requested Airport Authority of India (AAI) to refuse landing facility of his chartered flight, officials said.

Jagadguru Shankaracharya Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati had earlier announced to hold the 'Gau Dhwaj Sthapana Bharat Yatra' in different northeastern states, demanding to declare the cow as the mother of the nation and to enact a Central law to stop cow slaughter.

An AAI official of Shillong airport said that they have informed the seer about the Meghalaya government's decision not to allow his chartered flight to land in Shillong airport at Umroi.

"The chartered flight of Jagadguru Shankaracharya Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati landed at the Maharaja Bir Bikram Airport in Agartala on Saturday morning and after few hours, it went to Guwahati airport," the official told IANS.

Now, his chartered flight is stationed at the Lokapriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport in Guwahati.

The 'Gau Dhwaj Sthapana Bharat Yatra' is facing stiff opposition from different organisations in several states of the northeastern region.

Nagaland and Meghalaya are Christian-majority states, and beef is one of the most common and popular meats consumed by people in several northeastern states.

The District Magistrate of the East Khasi Hills district, in which Meghalaya's capital Shillong falls, promulgated prohibitory orders under Section 163 BNSS banning the assembly of five or more people in the district.

The District Magistrate R. M. Kurhah, in her order on Friday, said that it has come to the notice of the administration that some organisations are planning to organise a Gau Dhwaj Sthapana Bharat Yatra in Shillong, though the organisers did not seek permission for carrying out of the Yatra.

Jagadguru Shankaracharya accompanied by his entourage was supposed to arrive at Shillong airport on Friday, but he rescheduled his Shillong tour on Saturday.

On Friday, hundreds of protestors from various organisations including the Khasi Students' Union (KSU), gathered outside the Shillong airport to prevent the seer and his entourage from moving out of the airport.

Meanwhile, Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati was turned back from the airports in Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland on Thursday after he arrived at the two airports by chartered flight.

The spiritual leader, who arrived at Donyi Polo Airport in Hollongi in Arunachal Pradesh faced opposition from members of the All Arunachal Pradesh Students Union (AAPSU).

Saraswati, who was scheduled to address the Gau Dhwaj Sthapana Bharat Yatra in Kohima on September 28, had to return from Dimapur airport on Thursday without fulfilling his planned programme as he was barred from leaving the airport.

The Nagaland government on September 11 announced that it would not allow the holding of 'Gau Mahasabha' and Gau Dhwaj Sthapana Bharat Yatra in Kohima on September 28.

Leaders of various civil societies observed that beef has been part of Naga cuisine for many decades and the government and any other organisation cannot hurt the sentiment of the people and the state's traditions.

The ruling Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP), its allies BJP and Naga Peoples' Front (NPF), and various civil society organisations including the influential Naga Mothers' Association and Naga Students' Federation strongly opposed the holding of the 'Gau Mahasabha'.
Patna, Sep 28 : Union Minister Giriraj Singh has urged Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to reconsider the government's decision to cancel the leave of government officials and teachers during the Durga Puja festivities.

Singh made a public appeal, emphasising the cultural and religious significance of the festival for the Hindu community.

Singh highlighted that Durga Puja is an important period, with Kalas Sthapana (the commencement of Navratri) starting on October 3 and Vijay Dashami on October 12.

"Many people fast and participate in religious rituals during Navratri and hence requested the Chief Minister to either grant leave to teachers during this time or reduce the working hours to half-days to accommodate the celebrations," Singh said.

Singh shared his appeal on social media platform X, urging the Bihar government to consider the sentiments of the people during this major festival.

In response to Singh's appeal, JD-U Spokesperson Arvind Nishad sarcastically suggested that Singh should allocate funds from his MP quota to provide fruit for devotees of Bihar who fast during Navratri.

The Bihar government's decision to cancel leaves during the Durga Puja period was issued on Friday. Keeping in view of this, the district magistrate of Sheohar, cancelled the leaves of government officials from September 27.

Several teachers' associations have raised concerns, calling the decision "inhuman" for teachers, as it limits their ability to observe religious practices during the festival.

The controversy surrounding leave policies for teachers isn't new. BPSC teachers have an annual provision of 33 earned leaves (EL) and 16 casual leaves (CL). Historically, there was an additional 23-day leave period granted during festivals, including 12 days for Durga Puja and 8 days for Diwali and Chhath Puja. However, this was reduced, leading to opposition and even resignations by some teachers.

Currently, the 23-day leave has been reduced to 11 days, with three days for Durga Puja, one day for Diwali, two days for Chhath Puja, and additional leave for other festivals like Teej, Guru Nanak Jayanti, Rakshabandhan, Anant Chaturdashi, and Jeetiya.
Juba, Sep 28 : The African Development Bank (AfDB) Group said it has approved a grant of $19.8 million to help South Sudan respond to the Sudanese refugee crisis in the country.

The AfDB said that the Sudan Refugee Crisis Response project aims to build peace, inclusion and resilience in South Sudanese communities.

"The project aims to support the inclusive and peaceful integration of refugees and returnees into communities, to strengthen social cohesion among refugees and host communities, and improve the socioeconomic well-being of these communities," AfDB said in a statement issued on Friday.

The project would be executed by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), which will contribute a further $2.43 million, bringing the total cost of the project to $22.23 million.

AfDB said the project, which will be implemented between November 2024 and October 2026, will target host communities, refugees, and South Sudanese residing in Sudan but fleeing conflict in their home areas, Xinhua news agency reported.

"By deploying not only a humanitarian and a development-oriented intervention in key refugee and host communities, the project will help prevent a worsening of poverty levels among refugees and returnees, as well as in host communities," said Themba Bhebhe, country manager of AfDB's Country Office in South Sudan.

The lender said the project directly targets 26,180 households, and it is estimated that 160,375 people will indirectly benefit from the project's various interventions.

The ongoing conflict in Sudan between the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has forced more than 800,000 people into neighbouring South Sudan since April 2023, said Albino Akol Atak, South Sudan minister for Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, on August 14.

The large influx of forcibly displaced people in Sudan poses a threat to resources and a security risk, while the economic and humanitarian situation continues to deteriorate, according to AfDB.
Hubballi, Sep 28 : Union Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Minister Pralhad Joshi said on Saturday that Lokayukta, appointed by Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, cannot conduct a fair probe against him in the MUDA case.

Speaking to media persons in Hubballi, he demanded that Siddaramaiah should either resign and face an investigation or recommend a CBI probe into the case.

The union minister urged, "If Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has any moral integrity, he should resign and face an investigation."

"Since Siddaramaiah himself is the prime accused in the MUDA scam, officials here will not investigate him properly. As a result, the truth will not come out," he stated.

"Recently, CM Siddaramaiah appointed his preferred individuals to the Lokayukta. With this in place, expecting a transparent investigation by the Lokayukta or the Karnataka Police against the CM is unrealistic. Hence, the CM should either resign from his position and face the probe or recommend a CBI investigation," Joshi insisted.

He noted that the arrest of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is a matter of law. However, given that he heads the government, the case might drag on for a long time.

The union minister further criticised the grand old party, stating, "The Congress party and its government have lost all moral credibility. They are operating shamelessly."

He charged that Congress high command, including Sonia Gandhi, was "deeply involved" in numerous corruption scams, such as the Vadra land scam.

On Siddaramaiah ruling out resignation, saying that after the Godhra incident in 2002, then Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi did not quit, the Union Minister asked the Karnataka Chief Minister why he was raking up the issue now.

"The Congress tried to implicate both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, but truth won," the union minister added.
Mumbai, Sep 28 : The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Saturday directed the Maharashtra government to immediately comply with its directives and transfer officers who have completed a three-year term before the announcement of the schedule for the upcoming Assembly election, saying that no further extension will be granted.

ECI's move comes after the state government's failure to submit compliance reports to its directives despite three reminders.

The Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar, who was accompanied by Election Commissioners Ganesh Kumar and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu, told reporters that the state chief secretary and director general of police have assured to submit the compliance reports in the next two to three days.

Kumar was speaking to reporters after a team led by him reviewed the assembly poll preparations in Maharashtra on Friday and Saturday.

"The ECI's objective is to have free, fair, impartial, inducement free and inclusive election," said CEC, adding that efforts are being made to increase the voters' turnout in the Assembly election by addressing various issues including urban apathy, migration of industrial workers and slum dwellers and lack of sufficient amenities at the polling stations.

The ECI has issued a clear directive that in order to increase the participation of unorganised workers and slum dwellers, who are more keen on their daily wages, the paid holiday will be declared on the polling day.

"Low turnout of voters in areas like Colaba and Mumbadevi is a matter of serious concern especially when there was over 70 per cent turnout in the Moaist-affected Gadchiroli during the general election and also in J&K during the ongoing assembly election," said Kumar.

He added that the state government will engage migrant communities and special awareness camps will be organised. Besides, audio-visual campaigns at public places such as bus stops, railway stations, metros and outdoor hoardings will be conducted.

Further, he said that the state government will engage with trade unions, and workers associations for awareness and organise street plays and folk art for increasing the voters' turnout.

Kumar said that attention is being paid to increasing vigil in Maharashtra's 20 districts which share borders with Karnataka, Goa, Telangana, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat and also with Dadra Nagar Haveli.

"The drug menace is a serious issue and it will be effectively tackled. During the Lok Sabha election a total seizure of Rs 10,000 crore was made across the country of which Rs 4,000 crore was towards drugs," he noted.

Kumar said that the enforcement agencies have been directed to work in a cohesive and coordinated manner, share intelligence mutually, and keep a strict vigil on interstate borders with 24x7 CCTV monitoring at critical 322 such border checkposts.

These agencies have been asked to dry up the inflow of liquor, cash, and drugs by laying special focus on the border with Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka and Goa, initiate action against drug and liquor kingpins and take action against those carrying cash illegally.

Kumar said that the enforcement agencies have also been asked to step up vigil and clampdown on cash flowing covertly in vehicles disguised as police vans and ambulances, monitor airstrips and helipads for any cargo movement and check helicopters of all parties' star campaigners and leaders equally without favouring anyone.

Kumar said that the total number of voters registered so far in Maharashtra is 9.59 crore comprising 4.95 crore male and 5.64 crore female. Of these voters, 19.48 lakh are first-time voters (18-19 years). He informed that the polling will be held at 1,00,186 polling stations comprising 42,585 in urban areas and 57,601 in rural areas.

Kumar said political parties made several suggestions including holding single-phase polling, increasing amenities at the polling stations, proper management of voter queues especially in urban areas and an increase in polling expenditure by the candidate.

He added that the ECI has already directed the state government to take stern action against those indulging in fake news on social media and initiate legal action if required.
If you like shopping for high-yield dividend stocks, the past couple of years have been more than a little frustrating. A buoyant stock market has pushed the average yield of stocks in the S&P 500 down to an unattractive 1.3% at recent prices.

But not every stock has seen its yield sink. Western Union (NYSE: WU) and Royalty Pharma (NASDAQ: RPRX) have seen their stocks fall over the past two years, and their yields have risen. Here's a closer look to see if they could be bargains now.

RPRX Chart

1. Western Union

Shares of Western Union are down by more than half from a high-water mark the stock set in 2020. The number of consumer money transfer transactions it processes rose 4% year over year in the second quarter, to an annualized 293.2 million. Unfortunately, this is just 3.8 million more transactions than it processed in 2019.

Western Union stock offers a huge 7.9% dividend yield at recent prices, but investors expecting the payout to grow could be disappointed. Western Union has held its quarterly payout at $0.235 per share since the beginning of 2021.

Iraq banning dozens of banks from conducting dollar transactions impeded Western Union's revenue growth by 7% year over year in the second quarter. Iraq wasn't the only problem pressuring sales. Total second-quarter revenue fell 9% year over year.

With roots that date back to 1851, Western Union is arguably the most trusted international remittance service provider on the planet. This allows it to charge fees and provide less attractive exchange rates than its competitors, but this advantage is dissolving.

Before you pounce on Western Union for its ultra-high dividend yield you should also know it's losing market share to scrappy young upstarts such as Wise, formerly TransferWise. During its fiscal first quarter that ended this June, Wise reported transfer volume that rose 18% year over year to 33.2 million.

Remitly is much smaller than Wise, with 6.9 million active customers at the end of June. Unfortunately for Western Union, it's growing by leaps and bounds. Second-quarter revenue rose by 31% year over year.

Western Union expects total revenue to land in a range between $4.125 billion and $4.2 billion this year. Even the high end of this range is 6.5% less than the company reported in 2022.

Western Union stock has been trading for the ultra-low valuation of 7.4 times trailing earnings, but those earnings are shrinking as the company loses market share. Its well-recognized brand could help it slow the decline, but it's probably best to avoid this stock until the underlying business proves it can compete in an increasingly crowded arena.

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2. Royalty Pharma

Royalty Pharma is essentially a specialized lender that serves the capital-intensive biopharmaceutical industry. At recent prices, the stock offers a 3% yield and perhaps much more down the road.

It isn't unusual to see start-up drugmakers operate for over a decade without any sources of recurring revenue. As its name implies, Royalty Pharma provides loans that companies repay with royalties on future sales of the candidates they're developing.

Drug development is famously unpredictable, but Royalty Pharma's pretty good at selecting borrowers likely to produce a royalty stream. From 2010 through 2020, portfolio receipts rose by 13% annually, and it could maintain this pace. Portfolio receipts in the second quarter rose 12% year over year to $608 million.

Steadily rising portfolio receipts have allowed this company to raise its quarterly payout by 40% since it began paying dividends in 2020. Investors can look forward to continued gains for many years to come. Royalty Pharma expects to deploy $2 billion in 2024 to acquire royalties, and there's a lot of room for growth. The company thinks the biopharma industry will need over $1 trillion more capital in the decade ahead.

Royalty Pharma is trading for 18.6 times trailing earnings. That's a low valuation for a company that's been growing by a double-digit annual percentage. Adding some shares of this bargain stock to a diversified portfolio and holding on for the long run is a smart move.

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Madrid, Sep 28 : At least nine people have died and 48 went missing after an illegal migrant boat capsized off the island of El Hierro, Spain's maritime rescue service confirmed on Saturday.

Another 27 people were rescued, according to the maritime rescue's X account.

The rescue is still going on with several vessels and a helicopter searching for the missing.

All the occupants on the boat were men, and one of the recovered bodies was that of a teenager aged between 12 and 15, Xinhua news agency reported quoting the Spanish public TV network RTVE.

A total of three migrant boats arrived near the island of El Hierro in the Canary Islands on Friday night, including the one that overturned. A fourth boat is still being searched for, as rescue teams haven't located it yet.

The two boats that arrived at El Hierro around midnight Friday carried a total of 151 people, including six children and four babies.

Ten people from the three boats were sent to the port of La Restinga in the southern tip of El Hierro for medical care.

Also on Friday night, a boat carrying 57 people was rescued near Lanzarote, another island in the Canary Islands. Enditem.
Cape Town, Sep 28 : South African police have launched a manhunt after 17 people were shot and killed in the Eastern Cape Province, authorities on Saturday.

The Eastern Cape provincial government confirmed in a statement that the "catastrophic incident" occurred in the town of Lusikisiki in the early hours of Saturday morning.

"In one house, 13 people were killed which include 12 women and one man. In another homestead, four people were also killed," said Athlenda Mathe, the national spokesperson of the South African Police Service (SAPS), in a separate statement, Xinhua news agency reported.

"The eighteenth victim is in a critical condition in hospital. In total 15 women and two men were killed," said Mathe. "The South African Police Service has launched an extensive search to bring those responsible for these brutal killings to justice. We are committed to ensuring the safety and security of our communities."

In addition, the spokesperson told Xinhua that "police have deployed forensic experts and a team of detectives to collect evidence which will assist in cracking the case".

In the provincial government's statement, Eastern Cape Premier Oscar Mabuyane condemned the "senseless acts of violence in the strongest possible terms" in the incident.

"The loss of life on this scale is a devastating blow to our province, and we mourn the passing of these innocent lives. We stand in solidarity with the families and communities affected. The brutal and senseless killing of innocent people is a heinous act that has no place in our society," said Mabuyane. "We call on all Eastern Cape residents to stand together in condemning violence and work towards creating a safer, more peaceful province."
Jammu, Sep 28 : Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi said on Saturday that the PM Modi-led government has imposed property tax, toll tax and smart metres to burden the people of J&K.

Priyanka Gandhi addressed her first Congress rally in the Bishnah constituency of the Jammu division.

She said she was also scheduled to go to Billawar in Kathua district, but due to adverse weather conditions, her helicopter could not land there.

She said whenever she comes to J&K, she has a special feeling because her connection with J&K is not just political, but because her ancestors belonged to J&K.

She said the people of J&K have lost their statehood and PM Modi is telling them that they have a bridge taller than Eiffel Tower. "That is your right because it is made on land belonging to you.

"The government in J&K is being run by a Lt Governor and the government is run by remote control. They have imposed property tax, toll tax and other taxes while taxes are collected from commuters everywhere. They have put people under the burden of smart meters," she said.

She added that the youth need employment. "L-G in J&K has been working for outsiders and not for the people of Jammu and Kashmir."

She said that tenders in J&K are given to outside people while the sand which is excavated from J&K is sent outside and when it is purchased by the people in J&K. "It comes at a very costly price," she said.

Priyanka added that all policies are being made by outsiders and for outsiders as the contracts are given to outsiders while companies from outside are looting everything.

"All contracts have been given to their friends. All our small businesses are being destroyed by bringing in outside companies," she said.

She praised the Congress candidate, Neeraj Kundal from Bishnoh, saying that he has always been at the forefront whenever he was called for any struggle.

She appealed to people to vote first for the Congress candidate.

--IANS

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Thiruvananthapuram, Sep 28 : After several months of perseverance, NCP-SP's Kerala legislator Thomas K. Thomas has succeded in convincing the party leadership to let him replace senior party colleague A.K. Saseendran as the state's new Forest Minister.

Thiruvananthapuram, Sep 28 (IANS) After several months of perseverance, NCP-SPas Kerala legislator Thomas K. Thomas has succeded in convincing the party leadership to let him replace senior party colleague A.K. Saseendran as the state's new Forest Minister.

NCP-SP's Kerala chief P.C. Chacko made the official announcement to the media after the decision was cleared by the party's national President Shard Pawar.

"Thomas, Saseendran and I will now meet Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to convey the decision taken by our national president,": he said.

The meeting is expected to take place here next Thursday.

Incidentally early this month, the NCP-SP supremo Pawar called the three top leaders and the issue was settled.

In Kerala, the NCP-SP is part of the ruling CPI-M-led Left Democratic Front and has two legislators - Saseendran and Thomas.

Since November last year, affairs in the party's Kerala unit have been turbulent after Thomas put his foot down, demanding the earlier decided formula where Saseendran will step down after two and half years and Thomas will take over as minister. But while two other LDF constituents who have just one legislator made way for two other parties having just one legislator, Saseendran did not make way for Thomas.

Until recently Chacko and Saseendran had the best of relations but when they grew distanced, the chances of Thomas brightened, even when Saseendran feigned ignorance of any understanding for his making way for Thomas. However, the decision was taken after the three were called to meet Pawar.

Thomas is the brother of late former state minister Thomas Chandy who passed away in 2019. Chandy was an NRI businessman-turned-legislator and because he was busy with his business interests in Kuwait, it was Thomas who was always looking after the Kuttanadu Assembly constituency in Alappuzha district. The NCP did not have to look elsewhere for the 2021 Assembly polls and on expected lines, Thomas won the seat. However, when Vijayan constituted the Cabinet in 2021, the NCP decided to stick with outgoing Minister Saseendran for another turn.
Chennai, Sep 28 : Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi has urged External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar to seek the latter's intervention to secure the release of 37 fisherfolk from Tamil Nadu who were arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy on September 21 on charges of crossing the maritime boundary.

The Congress leader in the letter mentioned that the Lok Sabha MP from Mayiladuthurai constituency, R. Sudha, apprised him that the arrested fishermen were fisherfolk engaged in small-scale business, and they were operating along the coast.

Rahul Gandhi stated in the letter that the day they were arrested, the fishermen attempted to rescue a Sri Lankan boat in distress.

He said that even as the fishermen had contacted Sri Lankan authorities for assistance to rescue the boat, they were arrested.

The Congress leader also mentioned that the fishing boats of the arrested fishermen that were seized by Sri Lankan authorities were community property bought by pooling resources.

Mayiladuthurai MP, R. Sudha had urged Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to order the release of Tamil Nadu fishermen who were arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy on September 21.

She so requested the Sri Lankan President to order the release of the fishing boats taken into custody by the Sri Lankan Navy.

In a letter to Dissanayake, the MP said the Sri Lankan navy arrested 37 fishermen from Poompuhar, Chandirapadi, Vanagiri, Chinnamedu, and Madathukuppam in Mayiladuthurai parliamentary constituency, knowing fully well that they were all good Samaritans who had helped the Sri Lankan navy to retrieve the bodies of two Sri Lankan fishermen who drowned in the sea as their boat capsized.

She said that on September 21, a total of 43 fishermen from the Indian side in three boats alerted their Sri Lankan counterparts about the capsize of the Sri Lankan fishing boat and the death of two fishermen.

Sudha in the letter to the Sri Lankan President said: "Our kind-hearted men played good Samaritans, retrieved the bodies and helped the authorities take the mortal remains back to their grieving families in an honourable condition."

"When this tragic episode ended peacefully, who would have expected Sri Lankan Naval personnel to come back to unleash untold and unprovoked atrocities on our good Samaritan fishermen and arrest them illegally, violating every clause in international covenants and bilateral treaties?"

Sudha said that six of the 43 fishermen managed to escape but the remaining 37 were arrested, and their boats were seized by the Sri Lankan Navy.

The Congress MP also informed the Sri Lankan president that as of August 1, 2024, a total of 80 fishermen (excluding those from the Mayiladuthurai parliamentary constituency) and 173 fishing boats belonging to Indian fishermen were under the custody of Sri Lanka.
Kolkata, Sep 28 : Former Rajya Sabha member Jawhar Sircar on Saturday criticised Trinamool Congress after a complaint was filed by a staffer of Trinamool Congress General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee accusing the Officer on Special Duty (OSD) to Kolkata Mayor.

"When I talk of Corruption - TMC doesn't like it. Now, TMC's Second Topmost leader MP Abhishek Banerjee accuses TMC bigwig Firhad Hakim (Kolkata Mayor)'s aide of misusing his name & other than irregularities! Mayor defends aide. Please cleanse the party," Sircar wrote on X.

On Friday, Ayan Ghosh Dastidar, a staffer attached to Abhishek Banerjee's office filed a complaint against the OSD, Kalicharan Bandopadhyay, of the Kolkata Mayor Firhad Hakim, accusing him of extortion.

The complaint was filed at Shakespeare Sarani Police Station.

Mayor Hakim said that he could have been informed about the allegations so that he could have initiated a departmental probe against Kalicharan Bandopadhyay.

"I was not aware of any such complaint," said the City Mayor.

Senior Trinamool leaders have admitted that the development is a major embarrassment for the party which is already saddled by continuing mass protests over the R.G. Kar rape and murder and financial irregularities cases.

Sircar, a retired Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer, has resigned from the Upper House while registering a protest against the rape and murder of a junior doctor at R.G. Kar Medical College & Hospital in Kolkata as well as over the corruption in general governance in West Bengal administration.
New Delhi, Sep 28 : The Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM), launched 10 years ago in 2014 during the first tenure of Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government, is bringing a sea-change in the lives of people, and also contributing significantly to their good health.

Karnataka's Tumkur district is one such example where locals and villagers have witnessed a considerable uptick in their health index. The residents here are witnessing first-hand, the profound benefits of improved sanitation.

The Maidaal Gram Panchayat area of Tumkur district has earned the distinction of 100 per cent of households covered under the SBM.

The region has been declared open-defecation free and villagers here are benefitting from the initiative. Earlier, they were prone to infectious diseases due to open defecation, but today, the health parameters of all villagers have improved, for the better.

A few villagers spoke to IANS about this paradigm change in their lives and shared how this has impacted them.

B.G. Umesh, Gram Panchayat President said that toilets have been constructed in every household and government school, leading to a remarkable shift in community health and hygiene standards.

"With 100 per cent of households now equipped with proper sanitation facilities, the reliance on open defecation has been eliminated. This change has been pivotal in reducing the occurrence of infectious diseases that previously plagued the villagers," he added.

The Gram Panchayat President also said that the newly constructed toilets in government primary schools have led to notable improvement in students' health and attendance.

"Earlier, frequent illnesses led to high absenteeism but now the student attendance remains high because of better hygiene and sanitation," he asserted.

Latha, a teacher at government-run primary school in Karikalpaya village, also praised the SBM for its transformative impact on student hygiene and safety.

She told IANS: "Previously, children had to go to open fields to attend to their toilets, which posed significant risks, including encounters with snakes. This was a major concern for both students and parents."

"But, thanks to the SBM and NREGA schemes, modern toilets have been constructed at the school. This facility has significantly improved the school environment, leading to increased student attendance and participation," she added.

Latha said that the villagers are grateful to PM Modi-led government for implementing the SBM, as it has greatly enhanced their daily lives.

"All students are now using the toilets and maintaining hygiene. The development at our school is remarkable," Latha stated.

Monisha, a student at the school also reflected on the changes.

"Earlier, we had to go behind a tree, which was frightening due to snakes and insects. Now that we have proper bathrooms, we feel safe using them and my friends are also utilising this facility," she said.

In 2018, a Unicef report said that the economic benefits of eliminating open defecation have saved the Indian economy, approximately 5.2 per cent of its GDP annually.

Notably, the SBM, which is nearing the ten-year milestone next month, has provided access to safe sanitation for over 120 million families across India.
Alappuzha, Sep 28 : Kariachal snake boat defeated rival Veeyapuram snake boat in a nail-biting finish during the prestigious 70th Nehru Boat Race on Saturday at the Punnamada Lake in Kerala.

Saturdayas win marks the fifth straight win for the Kariachal who have won the coveted Nehru Boat Race 16 times.

The Kariachal was declared the winner as their snake boat breasted the tape in 4.29.785 minutes while the Veeyapuram snake boat was behind by 5 microseconds.

The length of the race track is 1.100 kilometres and it was after five heats the four finalists were selected and Kariachal won the final race.

The length of a snake boat varies from 120 to 140 feet. There are about 120 oarsmen, with the captain and his associates standing on the boat and giving directions to the oarsmen.

Every inch of the banks of the Punnamada Lake place was taken over by a large number of foreign tourists who have been arriving since last week and all the seats at the finishing point of the event were sold a few days back.

Incidentally, while there are races in numerous categories besides a mass drill by all the competing boats, the most awaited event is the snake boat race.

The history of this race is associated with Late Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru's visit to the state in 1952 when a pageantry of boats accompanied him on his trip from Kottayam to Alappuzha.

This was an impromptu race conducted in Late Prime Minister Nehruas honour.

Nehru, who was thrilled by the performance of the oarsmen, jumped into the "Nadubhagam Chundan" (a snake boat) forgetting all security arrangements. The boat proceeded to the jetty with the then Prime Minister on board.

On returning to Delhi, Nehru donated a silver trophy, a replica of a snake boat placed on a wooden abacus with an inscription and his signature.

This is the trophy that the winner in the snake boat category gets and what has now become a habit for the Kariachal snake boat, they went home for the fifth consecutive time with the Nehru trophy.
Mumbai, Sep 28 : Alleged conman Sukesh Chandrashekhar, currently lodged in a Mandoli jail in Delhi, has penned a note for his mother Mala Chandrashekhar on her birthday.

In the letter, Sukesh acknowledged his parents' unconditional love and support and conveyed his sincere gratitude to them.

He wrote, Mom, today I should confess you are the world's best mother, and I am the luckiest to be your son. Mom, you and Dad have always given me the best, more than what you could afford, when I was growing up. However, like any other spoiled pampered brat, I let you guys down by giving you embarrassment at large, I am really sorry for all the pain, ma. But mom, you and dad have always given me strength and to believe in dreaming big and to have an attitude to never give up and most importantly, the unconditional love, thank you ma thank you so much, maa, the power of dreaming big you gave me."

When I was a little boy today, that little boy has achieved all his dreams, and no dream is big enough that can't be achieved by that little boy of yours today. I remember dad saying, there is no right or wrong in this world. It's just in or out. That's so true I know today when I ask you what you want as your birthday present, the only thing you would ask is me standing vindicated from all these fake allegations and make you feel proud mom. I am promising you this, no matter what I will stand vindicated from all these baseless sham cases and will make you proud as the best son in this world. Mark my words, this will happen very soon. "

"However, mom, I am giving you a very special birthday gift today, like how dad says your son is an extraordinary mom today. I am giving you a mansion on wings when I was 12 years old. I had promised. I would give you this and today I have made it a reality. Mom it's a jumbo jet and proudly to say better than any other private jumbo plane in this country anyone owns privately I don't wanna break the interior surprise."

"However, it's nothing more than the interior of a super luxury designer villa. Now mom, you can fly feeling home to all your regular temple visits and fly non-stop to vacation, unlike how you had to stop over for refuelling on a small falcon. Mom, your gift is waiting for you for its first flight to Tirupati and then to Shirdi today."

He concluded his letter by saying, "I love you, mom irrespective of the situation I am in mom, your little boy who has set an example today for all these young boys out there to never stop dreaming big, there is no right or wrong. It's only in or out, your destiny is in your hands. No dream is big enough. Mom once again happy happy birthday. Love you. Loads and loads. Enjoy your gift. Happy flying ma love your Sonny, Bobby"

Sukesh was arrested on May 29, 2015, for offences under Sections 420 (cheating) and 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), and some sections of the Prize Chits and Money Circulation Schemes (Banning) Act and the Maharashtra Protection of Interest of Depositors (in Financial Establishments) Act.

He allegedly used illegal money to buy presents for Jacqueliene, as per the ED charge sheet filed in 2022.

Later, Jacqueliene was summoned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for questioning in a money laundering case involving Sukesh Chandrashekhar.

Earlier, to make Jacqueliene's birthday a special day, Sukesh pledged a donation to Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan of Rs 15 crore and 300 homes for the families of the victims of the 2024 Wayanad landslide disaster.

IANS

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Patna, Sep 28 : The Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) started by the Modi government in 2014 is yielding positive results, the testimonials of which are pouring from across the country. Success stories of the path-breaking initiative are numerous and all-pervading.

Bihar's Aurangabad is one such place where the cleanliness drive, of the hospitals in particular, is catching the attention of Swachchta enthusiasts as well as common people.

Doctors and attendants of Sadar Hospital in Aurangabad are elated and upbeat about the changing face of their medical facility as well as the city. A couple of them also expressed happiness drives being undertaken at hospitals and also shared how it was having a soothing effect on the patients.

A female doctor from Sadar Hospital said that the cleanliness level at government hospitals stood at 40 per cent and this has now gone beyond 90 per cent.

"We are very happy with these changes and we are trying to improve it further. I thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi from my heart," she said.

Another female doctor showered praise on the Modi government for the initiative and said that the hospitals have seen transformative changes in past ten years.

"The condition of the hospital was very bad. There was dirt all around, but now the cleanliness has improved a lot. Our hospital has been mopped many times now," she said.

A male doctor at the Sadar hospital recalled that when he started working there in 2010, the situation was very bad.

"There was waterlogging and dirt behind the hospital. We sought help from the Municipal Council and other officials many times, but there was no improvement. Under Clean India Mission, we got a chance to participate in cleaning programs," he said.

He said that campaigns like Swachhata Pakhwada have played an important role in spreading awareness among the local people.

"Earlier people used to spit here and there, but now the situation has changed. Measures like hand washing have also been emphasized in hospitals," he added.

He further stated that the change under Swachh Bharat Abhiyan has not only improved the condition of the hospital but has also increased awareness among the local people.

"The effect of PM Modi's schemes is clearly visible today. We thank him and hope that such schemes will increase further," he said.
Chinese national political advisors suggested improving relevant land, fiscal, tax and financial policies to support the country's urban renewal and transformation, at a remote meeting held Friday in Beijing.

The seminar, held by the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, China's top political advisory body, was presided over by Wang Huning, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the CPPCC National Committee.

Speaking at the meeting, Wang called on political advisors to participate in research and investigations on new urbanization and provide targeted advice regarding the topic. He also encouraged political advisors to help improve the public's understanding of urban renewal and respond to their concerns about the project.

The attendees to the meeting advised better reconstruction of existing buildings, as well as renovation of old communities and urban infrastructure. They also called for efforts to improve urban ecosystems and promote the protection and adaptive reuse of historic buildings and blocks.


In this article, we will be taking a look at the 7 best dialysis and kidney disease stocks to buy.

Global Kidney Treatment and Dialysis Market: Rapid Growth Amid Rising Prevalence of Kidney Disease

The global kidney treatment and dialysis market is experiencing typical growth levels. According to Allied Market Research, in 2020, the market was valued at $91.2 billion and is projected to reach $129.8 billion by 2028, growing at a CAGR of 4.7% from 2021 to 2028. Projections for 2032 suggest the market reaching $185.18 billion, according to Precedence Research, with growth at a CAGR of 6.30% from 2023 to 2032.

According to the National Kidney Foundation, millions die annually from kidney failure due to unaffordable treatment. The Global Burden of Disease reported that in 2017, 1.2 million people died from chronic kidney failure, with the need for dialysis rising 40% since 1990. China may lose $558 billion over the next decade due to heart failure and kidney disease, while in the US, the demand for kidney donors is expected to increase by 8% annually from 2018. By 2040, chronic kidney disease is projected to be the 5th leading cause of death globally.

The International Society of Nephrology reported that in 2023, approximately 850 million people worldwide suffered from chronic kidney disease. In many countries, kidney failure treatments, including hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis, are not publicly funded, with dialysis costing over $25,000 annually.

In the future, dialysis and chronic kidney illnesses may be treated most effectively using wearable artificial kidneys and implantable bioartificial kidneys. The National Library of Medicine reported:

"They are expected to contribute to higher toxin clearance with more cardiovascular stability as well as improved quality of life"

Roughly 750,000 individuals in the US alone suffer from end-stage renal illness, and 2.6 million individuals worldwide have renal replacement treatment. According to Global Market Insights, the end-stage renal disease market was estimated to be worth $114 billion in 2022 and is projected to grow to over $183.9 billion by 2032. According to Bloomberg, the Global Patient Alliance for Kidney Health was established in September 2023 by 17 patient advocacy organizations with the goal of establishing legislation that will improve access to early detection and treatment of chronic kidney disease.

7 Best Dialysis and Kidney Disease Stocks to Buy

yezry/Shutterstock.com

Our Methodology

For our methodology, we have ranked the best dialysis and kidney disease stocks to buy based on their total number of hedge fund holders as of Q2 2024.

Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletter's strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 275% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 150 percentage points (see more details here).

Here is our list of the 7 best dialysis and kidney disease stocks to buy.

7. The Cigna Group (NYSE:CI)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 66

The Cigna Group (NYSE:CI) is a diversified healthcare and insurance company, with pharmacy being its primary revenue driver. In H1 2024, $87.1 billion of its $117.7 billion revenue (74%) came from the pharmacy division. With a network of over 62,000 pharmacies, Cigna benefits from strong market share, low costs, and industry partnerships. Its shares are up 15% year to date, outperforming McKesson. Cignas diversified model, including specialty and generic markets, allows it to access the biosimilar market, improving healthcare access for rare diseases.

The Cigna Group (NYSE:CI)'s focus on value-based care models could be a significant catalyst for growth in the dialysis and kidney disease segment. By emphasizing preventive care and early intervention, Cigna can potentially reduce the overall cost of kidney disease management while improving patient outcomes.

Cigna launched a Collaborative Care program five years ago for chronic kidney disease, using a value-based care model to enhance patient engagement and clinical outcomes. Recently, the company partnered with a Massachusetts organization to improve costs and outcomes for individuals with end-stage kidney disease, addressing the high expenses associated with kidney disease care.

Here is what The Cigna Group (NYSE:CI)s management has to say about the companys specialty business during Q2 2024:

In Accredo, our specialty business, our growth continues to be fueled by secular tailwinds as well as Accredos differentiated strength which makes us the market leader in the space. Biosimilars, for example, represent a force of change and a substantial opportunity for continued growth and impact. At the end of June, we began dispensing our interchangeable biosimilar for Humira. Our program has zero dollar out-of-pocket costs for patients, saving them on average $3,500 per year. To deliver these savings, we have agreements in place with multiple manufacturers that will produce biosimilars for Evernorth pharmaceutical distributor, Quallent Pharmaceuticals. Now the biosimilar opportunity goes well beyond Humira. By 2030, we expect an additional $100 million of annual specialty drug spend in the U.S. will be subject to biosimilar and generic competition. Accredo is well positioned to deliver differentiated value for our clients, customers, and patients.

In Q2 2024, from the number of hedge funds tracked by Insider Monkey, 66 hedge funds held stake in the stock with AQR Capital Management being the largest stakeholder in our database, with 1,547,245 shares worth $510,466,955. The stock also holds a Strong Buy rating based on 12 Wall Street Analysts. In the past 3 months, Wall Street analysts set a 12-month average price target for Cigna at $400.42, with a high of $438.00 and a low of $355.00. This represents a 12.81% increase from its last price of $354.94.

6. Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 69

Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT) ranks sixth among the best dialysis and kidney disease stocks to buy according to our methodology. The company's primary focus is on creating breakthrough products that help people lead healthier lives across various stages and conditions.

Abbott's Core Laboratory division offers a comprehensive range of renal testing assays for diagnosing and managing kidney conditions. Key products include biomarkers for acute kidney injury and chronic kidney disease, the Cystatin C assay for estimating glomerular filtration rate, and the NGAL assay for detecting acute kidney damage. Abbott also provides nutritional products like Nepro for dialysis patients and oral nutritional supplements (ONS), which have been shown to reduce hospital readmissions and mortality in hemodialysis patients. Additionally, Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT) developed Zemplar, a medication for treating secondary hyperparathyroidism in chronic kidney disease patients. In 2010, Abbott paid $450 million for the rights to a kidney drug and a minority stake in a Texas firm, demonstrating their commitment to expanding their offerings in this area.

Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT) reported Q2 2024 financial results with $10.4 billion in sales, driven by a strong base business performance. The company saw a 4.0% reported sales growth and 9.3% organic growth, led by double-digit growth in Medical Devices. GAAP diluted EPS was $0.74, with adjusted EPS at $1.14. Abbott raised its full-year 2024 EPS guidance to $3.30-$3.40 GAAP and $4.61-$4.71 adjusted. The company also narrowed its organic sales growth guidance to 9.5%-10.0%. Key product approvals include the Esprit BTK system, Lingo and Libre Rio glucose monitoring systems, and the AVEIR dual chamber leadless pacemaker.

As of Q2 2024, 69 hedge funds in our database held stakes in the stock with Fisher Asset Management being the largest stakeholder out of these, with shares worth $1,092,747,717. Analysts are also bullish on Abbott giving it a Strong Buy rating. In the past 3 months, 15 Wall Street analysts set a 12-month average price target for Abbott Laboratories at $127.36, with a high of $143.00 and a low of $107.00. This represents a 10.93% increase from its last price of $114.81.

5. HCA Healthcare, Inc. (NYSE:HCA)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 69

HCA Healthcare, Inc. (NYSE:HCA), founded in 1968 and headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee, provides healthcare services across the US. The stock is ranked 5th among the best dialysis and kidney disease stocks, offers renal failure treatment, and was the first in Florida to perform robotic live kidney donations. It is also approved for kidney and liver transplants by the United Network of Organ Sharing.

HCA Healthcare, Inc. (NYSE:HCA)'s strategic expansion initiatives and outstanding financial performance make it an excellent investment choice. HCA Healthcare Inc. (NYSE:HCA) saw a 7.1% growth in revenue in the second quarter of 2024, coming in at $16.9 billion, with an outstanding operating margin of 18.7%. HCA Healthcare Inc. (NYSE:HCA) can engage in network expansion and return capital to shareholders through share buybacks and dividends because of its stable finances. The robust cash flow of HCA Healthcare Inc. (NYSE:HCA), which surpassed $7.5 billion in 2023, enables the company to fund its expansion plans and manage debt while generating value for stockholders.

Based on the number of hedge funds tracked by Insider Monkey, 69 hedge funds held stakes in the stock as of Q2 2024 with First Eagle Investment Management being the largest stakeholder from these with shares worth $1,443,523,483. The stock holds a Moderate Buy rating. 17 Wall Street analysts have set a 12-month price target for HCA Healthcare, with an average target of $388.87. The forecasts range from a high of $455.00 to a low of $335.00, indicating a -4.15% change from the current price of $405.70.

4. Humana Inc. (NYSE:HUM)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 71

Humana Inc. (NYSE:HUM) is a leading health insurance company that provides a wide range of health and wellness services, including Medicare Advantage plans, prescription drug coverage, and specialty benefits. Humana Inc. (NYSE:HUM) also provides a renal disease management program for patients with late-stage chronic kidney disease and end-stage renal disease.

In August 2024, Humana Inc. (NYSE:HUM) launched a new value-based kidney care program in partnership with Evergreen Nephrology, aimed at enhancing care for Humana Medicare Advantage members. Key features include access to Evergreen's professional team, collaboration with nephrologists, and individualized, whole-person care, available in 17 states. Humana reported Q1 2024 total revenues of $29.6 billion which was driven by higher per-member Medicare premiums and growth in individual and group Medicare Advantage memberships. The insurance segment, including Medicare Advantage, generated $28.6 billion in revenues.

As of Q2 2024, 71 hedge funds tracked by Insider Monkey held stake in the stock with Eagle Capital Management being the largest stakeholder from these, with 3,226,885 shares worth $1,205,725,580. The stock holds a Moderate Buy rating based on 14 Wall Street analysts. The analysts have set a 12-month price target for Humana, with an average target of $387.07. Forecasts range from a high of $419.00 to a low of $349.00, representing a 23.76% increase from the current price of $312.77.

3. Boston Scientific Corporation (NYSE:BSX)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 82

Boston Scientific Corporation (NYSE:BSX) is a global manufacturer of medical devices. It offers products like heart monitors, brain stimulation systems, catheters, stents, and more.

Boston Scientific offers a comprehensive range of products for managing dialysis access in patients with end-stage renal disease. Key solutions include high-pressure balloons, such as the Athletis balloon which is designed for treating fibrotic or calcified lesions in arteriovenous (AV) access with minimal impact on the site. Additionally, the AngioJet system combines mechanical thrombectomy with Power Pulse technology for rapid thrombus removal, promoting faster blood flow restoration, reducing the need for lytic therapy, and enhancing the long-term patency of dialysis access sites.

Boston Scientific Corporation (NYSE:BSX) demonstrates a strong market position with its pulsed field ablation (FPA) technology which allows precise targeting of healthy tissue while preserving organ structure. The launch of the Farapulse FPA product in January contributed to a 17% revenue growth in Q2 2024 for the US market. With global regulatory approval expected, shares have risen 44% year-to-date, reflecting market optimism. Boston Scientific trades at a forward P/E of 30.49, nearly double that of its nearest peer, Medtronic, at 16.50.

As of Q2 2024, 82 hedge funds tracked by Insider Monkey held stakes in the stock with Citadel Investment Group being the largest stakeholder with shares worth $962,614,757. Analysts are bullish on BSX giving it a Strong Buy rating. 19 Wall Street analysts have set a 12-month price target for Boston Scientific, with an average target of $88.06. Forecasts range from a high of $100.00 to a low of $78.00, indicating a 4.83% change from the current price of $84.00.

2. Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 96

Merck & Co., Inc (NYSE:MRK) is a prominent pharmaceutical company in the United States that focuses on both human and animal health. It has become a favored investment choice, boasting high returns, having achieved over 72% growth in the past five years. This success is largely attributed to the strong performance of its immunotherapy drug, Keytruda, which is a standard treatment for several types of cancer.

Keytruda has been a significant asset for Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK), generating $26.3 billion in sales last year and accounting for about 50% of its pharmaceutical business. In Q2, sales of Keytruda rose 16% year-over-year to $7.3 billion, contributing to the companys total sales of $16.1 billion. In December 2023, the US Food and Drug Administration approved Merck's drug belzutifan for a type of kidney cancer, expanding treatment options for patients with this condition. The company's researchers have worked with institutions like the Chronic Disease Research Group at Hennepin Healthcare Research Institute to analyze large datasets and gain insights into kidney disease outcomes.

Merck & Co., Inc (NYSE:MRK) recently received FDA approval for a new pneumococcal conjugate vaccine for adults and launched another vaccine for pulmonary arterial hypertension, which generated over $70 million in sales from its approval in March to August, coinciding with the announcement of Q2 results.

As of Q2 2024. 96 hedge funds tracked by Insider Monkey held stakes in the stock with Fisher Asset Management being the largest stakeholder with shares worth $1,766,132,800. The stock holds a Strong Buy rating. 18 Wall Street analysts have set a 12-month price target for Merck & Company, with an average target of $140.31. Forecasts range from a high of $155.00 to a low of $125.00, indicating a 21.34% increase from the current price of $115.63.

1. Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (NYSE:TMO)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 108

Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (NYSE:TMO) tops the list for being the best dialysis and kidney disease stocks to buy. The American biotech and life sciences company offers a variety of products and services and has seen a 14% stock increase since the start of 2024, largely due to its acquisition strategy. Recently, it completed the acquisition of Olink, a provider of advanced proteomic solutions, enhancing its capabilities and leadership in protein research. This move accelerates discoveries and advancements in precision medicine.

Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (NYSE:TMO) offers innovative dialysis devices that enhance research efficiency. The Slide-A-Lyzer Dialysis Cassettes provide excellent sample recovery, secure handling, and faster dialysis compared to traditional tubing. Microdialysis Plates are designed for small-volume dialysis, ideal for high-throughput applications, while Dialysis Flasks accommodate larger volumes for convenience. These products improve upon traditional methods by ensuring sample security with leak-proof designs, ease of use with ergonomic features, reduced plastic waste in some models, and high protein recovery with low-binding membranes.

In Q2 2024, Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (NYSE:TMO) reported revenues of $10.5 billion, reflecting a slight decrease of 1.3% compared to the same period last year. Nevertheless, this figure exceeded analysts' expectations by $23.4 million. As of Q2 2024, 108 hedge fund holders held stakes in the stock with Fisher Asset Management being the largest stakeholder in the stock with shares worth $1,421,748,082.

Overall, TMO ranks first among the best dialysis and kidney stocks to buy now. While we acknowledge the potential of healthcare companies, our conviction lies in the belief that AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns, and doing so within a shorter timeframe. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than GOOGL but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.

READ NEXT: $30 Trillion Opportunity: 15 Best Humanoid Robot Stocks to Buy According to Morgan Stanley and Jim Cramer Says NVIDIA Has Become A Wasteland.

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Kolkata, Sep 28 : The Railway Protection Force (RPF), Eastern Railway (ER), claims to have rescued 95 children from railway premises in September as part of Operation Nanhe Farishtey.

An official said that seven of them were being trafficked when they were rescued by the railway security personnel.

He said that this adds to the list of 658 children rescued in the first eight months of 2024 till August 31. All these children have been handed over to the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) and many of them have returned to their families thereafter.

"The RPF is focused towards protecting children who may be in distress and could fall into the trap of traffickers. Take the case of the 15-year-old child from Sonarpur in the southern fringes of Kolkata. She left home after a spat with her mother and was last seen on September 10 near the railway station. She was dressed in her school uniform," said Kausik Mitra, CPRO, ER.

Mitra added that her parents, after checking with relatives and friends, got in touch with the station-in-charge and the RPF.

"The parents narrated how they were on the verge of total mental collapse after their daughter went missing. We realised what the parents were going through. At the same time, we were worried about the child," Mitra added.

He said that the RPF, meanwhile, sprang into action and the photographs and details of the girl were circulated all across ER and other zonal railways through the security control.

"All railway staff received alerts through WhatsApp to look out for the missing child. It was suspected that she had boarded a suburban train from Sonarpur station and travelled to Sealdah. From there, she may have travelled further. The effort bore fruit," he said.

He added that around 4.30 am the next morning, a ticket booking clerk spotted her at his counter.

"She was trying to get enough money together for a ticket to New Delhi (though no long-distance train stops at Bally station). Bally is in the northern fringes of Kolkata. An RPF team was alerted by the booking clerk and they took charge of the girl. After necessary legal formalities, she was handed over to her parents," Mitra said.

He said that mobile phones and the internet have brought about several changes in society, both positive and negative.

"In some cases, we find that children leave their homes when denied access to mobile phones, even when they are supposed to prepare for their exams. We have also come across cases where children have been lured with promises of better lifestyles by so-called friends on social networking sites. They have ended up with traffickers," he said.

He said that at the same time, mobile phones and the internet are helping law enforcement agencies like us to trace children and reunite them with their families. We are making full use of technology to protect children.

Human traffickers are smart though and do their best to move away with their victims from any surveillance launched by the RPF and other agencies. The parents of the girl from Sonarpur expressed their gratitude to the RPF and ER for the quick response that led to the return of their daughter.

--IANS

jayanta/ dan
Bengaluru, Sep 28 : Former Supreme Court judge and Karnataka Lokayukta, Justice N. Santhosh Hegde has criticised Chief Minister Siddaramaiah for not resigning following the registration of an FIR against him in the MUDA case, holding that adherence to ethics is as important as following the law.

"Once a criminal allegation is made against any person, they can be found guilty or innocent only by a court of law," he maintained, emphasising that in all fairness, Siddaramaiah should step down from his post.

"Itas not just about the law; one must also follow moral values and ethics," Justice Hegde opined in an interview with IANS.

Following are excerpts of the interview:

IANS: Is CM Siddaramaiah following the precedent set by former Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal by not resigning even after an FIR has been filed against him?

Justice Hegde: If a person accused of a crime claims they are not guilty, does that mean they are acquitted? Can anyone else, such as their party, claim they are not guilty? Once a criminal allegation is made, only a court of law can determine guilt or innocence - no one else can. Even a commission of inquiry cannot declare someone guilty or innocent. While a commission may provide a factual report, it cannot send someone to jail.

If the person accused is the superior head of the investigating agency, won't people suspect whether the investigation will be genuine? In my opinion, ethics dictate that when a person elected by the people faces allegations, the public will certainly have suspicions. Therefore, in all fairness, CM Siddaramaiah should resign.

IANS: Do you think the political scenario has changed? We saw Kejriwal, while serving as CM, go to jail without resigning.

Justice Hegde: It is very unfortunate in a democracy that a Chief Minister can be sent to jail for an offence and yet continue to govern, even from jail. There may be no law requiring resignation, but ethics demand that a person facing serious allegations should step down until the investigation is complete and the court decides the matter. Unfortunately, under the strict interpretation of the law, resignation is not required.

If this trend continues, even more serious charges in the future may not prompt resignations. It sets a dangerous precedent. Arvind Kejriwal did not resign, and now someone else is trying to do the same. In my opinion, this is a serious mistake by the CM.

IANS: It has been stated that there is no provision in the Constitution that requires a Chief Minister to resign. Do you think there is a need for an amendment?

Justice Hegde: Legally, I agree that unless the Chief Minister is arrested, they can continue in office. However, ethics require that a person facing serious charges should step down until proven innocent. Itas not only about following the law but also adhering to moral values and ethics.

IANS: How challenging is it for the office of the Lokayukta to investigate someone who is the head of the state?

Justice Hegde: The Lokayukta consists of investigating officers who are members of the Karnataka Police force, which is controlled by the Home Minister. In turn, the Chief Minister also has control over them. Can an accused person say they will be investigated by officers of their choosing? Can they select their investigating agency?

There is a perception that the Lokayukta is an independent body, and while this is true, the investigating officers are serving government officials whose careers may be influenced by the Home Minister or the Chief Minister. Therefore, even though they are independent, they can still be influenced.

After the Special Court for MLAs/MPs ordered the investigation to be completed within three months, it took only three days to file the FIR. The investigating officer claimed there were technical issues, but I doubt that.

The matter is clear. When a single-bench justice states that the investigation must be conducted under the CrPC and not the new law, itas straightforward. Any delays are simply wasting time. In my opinion, the investigation will not be fair if it is conducted by local police officers, even those in the Lokayukta.

IANS: If the CM doesnat resign, do you think the matter should be handed over to a central agency?

Justice Hegde: I wouldn't recommend that because the CBI also comes under the Central government, which could lead to further suspicion. Let the current investigating officers continue. Unfortunately, there is no truly independent third agency available right now. However, I would recommend creating an independent agency that is not controlled by either the Central or state governments to investigate cases like this in the future.
Patna, Sep 28 : RJD Bihar chief Jagadanand Singh on Saturday slammed the BJP and JD-U over the electricity bill row, claiming that he stays in only one room which is why his electricity bill is low.

Earlier, the BJP and JD-U had said that Singh's electricity bill had decreased by 17 per cent due to the smart meter.

"I have a modest living. I cannot pay the electricity bill for two rooms. I live in a single room. I can only manage the expenses of one room," claimed Singh.

While acknowledging that he receives a pension from the government, Singh expressed discomfort with his ability to pay the electricity bill, emphasising that his personal situation should not be used to justify the smart meter system.

He further criticised the government's priorities, saying, "Will my comforts become the comforts of Bihar? No. RJD participates in the sorrow of Bihar and is not with the people who enjoy facilities."

He pointed out that three crore people are migrating for low-paying jobs, and questioned why the government is not addressing these larger economic concerns.

Singh also reiterated his criticism of the smart meters, raising doubts about the functioning of the new system. He argued that there is a stark difference between the older meters and the current smart meters installed by the electricity department.

"No common man in Bihar is supporting the new smart meters and accused the government of using the system as a tool for exploitation," he said.

Singh said the Bihar government is pushing for smart meters and also accused Chief Minister Nitish Kumar of forcing the installation of these devices across the state.

Displaying an official letter from the government dated September 15, Singh revealed that district officials were directed to install smart meters forcibly, even amidst widespread opposition from the public.

"The government is now trying to install smart meters by showing sticks. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is responsible for whatever controversy is there regarding smart meters in Bihar," he said.

Singh highlighted the economic burden of the smart meters on common people, noting that while the government purchases electricity at Rs 5 per unit, it charges consumers between Rs 5.85 to Rs 8, leading to public discontent.
Kolkata, Sep 28 : Junior doctors at the College of Medicine and Sagore Dutta Hospital in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district on Saturday said that they continue their cease work agitation unless their ten demands are fulfilled.

The junior doctors have started the cease work since midnight following the assault on their colleagues by the relatives of a woman patient, who died in the hospital.

The first demand is a written explanation from the hospital authorities on the lapses on their part by which the attack on the junior doctors within the hospital premises last night could not be prevented. The second demand is that the police personnel and private security personnel deputed at the hospital should be slapped with show-cause notice immediately. The third demand is an explanation from the hospital authorities on the lack of CCTV cameras in the female ward of the hospital where the assault took place. The fourth demand is for an explanation from the hospital authorities on the absence of personnel assigned to monitor the CCTV footage within the hospital premises.

While these four demands are related to the assault on the junior doctors on Friday, the remaining six demands are old ones on which the junior doctors have been vocal for quite some time. These include the immediate suspension of those interns against whom FIRs had been filed and investigations are on in relation to the incident of the ransacking of hospital properties earlier this month, a written explanation from the hospital authorities on the delay in beginning investigations by the internal complaints committee against a hospital doctor who had been accused of sexual assaults of medical students.

Another old demand is for information from the hospital authorities about the progress of an investigation against a teacher on charges of involvement in examination-related irregularities. The remaining two demands are the immediate formation of a resident doctorsa association and written explanations from the hospital authorities to enhance internal security as per the order of the Supreme Court amid the ghastly rape and murder of a junior doctor at the R.G. Kar Medical College & Hospital in Kolkata last month.
Chandigarh, Sep 28 : With Punjab aiming to procure 185 lakh metric tons paddy, Punjab Food, Civil Supplies Minister Lal Chand Kataruchak on Saturday held a review meeting with the top brass for deployment of teams at inter-state borders to ensure that no illegal recycled paddy from outside the state is allowed.

Expressing satisfaction at arrangements for its procurement, the minister said the government is fully geared up for ensuring hassle-free procurement.

The minister asked the top officials to consider all genuine issues of the rice millers, including the lack of space with the Food Corporation of India (FCI) which has also been raised with the Central government.

At the meeting, Principal Secretary (Food) Vikas Garg apprised the minister that the Union Ministry, in response to the stateas demand for enough space for the delivery of rice, has given a written assurance for creating 40 LMT space by December 2024, while providing movement for 15 LMT by October-end.

The minister directed the department to ensure the movement of stocks in close coordination with the FCI so that the required storage space is created for the delivery of rice in 2024-25.

The reduction in export duty for rice should also lead towards the creation of space for foodgrains, the minister said.

With 32 lakh hectares under paddy cultivation, Punjab is targetting procurement of 185 lakh metric tons for which e cash credit limit (CCL) to the tune of Rs 41,378 crore for 2024-25 has already been released by the RBI.

The central government has fixed a minimum support price (MSP) of Rs 2,320 per quintal for grade 'A' paddy this season. Four state procurement agencies, viz Pungrain, Markfed, Punsup, the PSWC, along with FCI, will procure paddy on minimum support price as per specifications laid down by the government of India.
Jammu, Sep 28 : A policeman was killed and a junior police officer injured on Saturday in a gunfight between the security forces and the terrorists in J&K's Kathua district.

"A head constable of J&K police was killed and an assistant sub-inspector was injured in an ongoing gunfight between the security forces and the terrorists in the Billawar area of Kathua district today. The injured assailant sub-inspector was immediately shifted to the hospital. The operation in the area against the terrorists is underway," officials said.

In another encounter between the security forces and the terrorists in the Adigam area of Valley's Kulgam district, two terrorists were killed and five security men including the additional SP of Kulgam district and four army soldiers were injured.

Officials said that the two slain terrorists in the Adigam area encounter were affiliated with LeT/TRF.

"They have been identified as Aaqib Ahmad Shergojri, son of Nazir Ahmad, resident of Khampora Sarai, Chadoora, Budgam and Umais Wani, a resident of Chawalgam, Kulgam," officially said.

Terrorists believed to be hardcore foreign mercenaries, have carried out hit-and-run attacks against the army, local police and civilians in the hilly districts of Doda, Kathua, Rajouri, Poonch and Reasi of Jammu division during the last three to four months.

After carrying out ambushes against the army and others in the hilly areas, the terrorists would escape into the densely foliaged and forested areas of these hilly districts.

To thwart the tactics of the terrorists, over 4000 soldiers drawn from the elite Para Commandos and those trained in mountain warfare were deployed in the mountain tops and densely forested areas of the Jammu division. After this revised strategy by the security forces, terrorist attacks in these districts have drastically come down.

With their ubiquitous presence in these areas, the security forces have been able to establish contact (engage terrorists in gunfights) in these areas.

five terrorists have been killed so far after the security forces revisited their strategy to meet the challenge posed by the foreign mercenaries.

--IANS

sq/dan
Amaravati, Sep 28 : Andhra Pradesh Congress has demanded a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the alleged corruption in mining under YSR Congress Party rule.

Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) Y. S. Sharmila and AICC in-charge for Andhra Pradesh Maickam Tagore on Saturday made the demand through their posts on social media.

Sharmila alleged massive corruption under the YSRCP government headed by her brother Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy.

Reacting to the arrest of former Mines and Geology Director V. G. Venkata Reddy, the APCC chief said there is a need to probe not just small fry like Venkata Reddy but also big fish behind the loot of mines during YSRCP rule. "No matter in which palace the big fish is, he should be probed," she posted on 'X' without naming anyone.

If Venkat Reddy has committed the robbery of Rs.2,566 crores, people of the state know who has looted thousands of crores behind the scenes, she wrote

"For five years, they looted the natural wealth of the state. Favoured companies were given mining contracts. Ignoring all the tenders, agreements, and APMMC rules, the tenders were awarded to the intended companies," she said.

Sharmila alleged that the rules of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) were trampled and funds that should have gone to the state treasury were transferred to the own treasury.

She demanded that in addition to the investigation by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) into the mining scam that took place during the previous government's tenure, there is a need to conduct a comprehensive probe. An investigation should be conducted to catch the big fish which made money by using small fry.

"I am demanding the coalition government to seek a probe by the CBI into the loot of natural resources," she added.

Meanwhile, Congress MP and AICC in-charge for Andhra Pradesh Manickam Tagore also took to 'X' to demand a CBI probe into massive corruption in mining during the Jagan government.

" 2,566 crore looted, NGT & APMMC rules flouted, and state funds siphoned. The mastermind behind may live in any Palace but they must face justice. We demand a thorough CBI investigation and accountability from all those involved," he said.

The ACB on Thursday arrested former Mines and Geology Director V. G. Venkata Reddy under the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018, and the Mines and Minerals (Regulation and Development) Act, 1957.

He was accused of colluding with some private mining companies and causing a loss of about 2,566 crore to the government.

Venkata Reddy was arrested in Shamshabad Mandal of Telangana and was later produced in the ACB Special Court in Vijayawada on Friday, which remanded him in judicial custody till October 10.

According to ACB, he is the prime accused in the alleged multi-crore sand mining case. Venkata Reddy absconded after an FIR was registered against him on October 11 in the sand mining case.

The scam came to light after the Commissioner of Mines and Geology submitted a report to the Principal Secretary (Industries and Commerce) in July this year, stating that the former director had committed violations in tenders/agreements, operations of sand mining, and even orders of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) and the Supreme Court, for wrongful gains to the private parties, and caused a loss to the tune of Rs 2,566 crore to the State exchequer.
Bhopal, Sep 28 : The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has enrolled a little over one crore members by the end of the first phase membership drive in Madhya Pradesh, out of which 30,520 new members are from the minority communities.

Around 17,522 members are from the third gender. The state BJP unit has carried out a special drive in some specific areas (where transgenders live, especially in urban parts) to make the persons from the third gender the party's members.

Of the total new members who joined the BJP during the first phase of the drive concluded on September 25, youths account for 64 per cent, according to Madhya Pradesh BJP's data issued during the review meeting on Saturday.

BJP's membership drive received massive response in tribal-dominated regions and also in the urban parts of the state, especially Indore, Bhopal, Ujjain, Jabalpur and some others. It also received a massive response in Chhindwara, where the BJP has won two back-to-back elections (Lok Sabha and Amarwara assembly by-poll).

However, there have been many districts and Assembly segments where the BJP's membership drive could not cross 30 per cent and 50 per cent. According to the information, this particular issue has been a matter of discussion during the review meeting chaired by state BJP chief and Khajuraho MP V. D. Sharma at party headquarters.

Addressing the gathering of party workers, V. D. Sharma appreciated the workers from the particular districts where the membership drive received a massive response. He also expressed his disappointment, saying those (BJP leaders) who have not participated in the drive, should not expect an award from the party.

Sharma also informed that a district-wise review meeting will be organised on September 30, during which, the plan for the second round of the membership drive will also shared with district BJP heads.

Notably, the BJP membership drive which was carried out extensively under the leadership of Chief Minister Mohan Yadav and state BJP head V. D. Sharma was also surrounded by some controversies. Apart from the opposition, the BJP membership drive was even questioned by its student wing - Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarti Parishad (ABVP) in Indore.
New Delhi, Sep 28 : Leptospirosis is an extremely rare bacterial disease that spreads to humans via the urine of infected animals like dogs, and rats, said an expert on Saturday, after Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann was diagnosed with the condition.

Speaking to IANS, Dr M Wali, Senior Consultant, Department of Medicine, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, said leptospirosis derived its name from leptospira -- spiral bacteria (spirochaete) from the family of Leptospiraceae.

"It is a spiral bacteria, like a spring, and this is usually a disease of animals like dogs, mostly rats and some farm animals, in pigs and also in zebra, horses," Wali said.

The doctor explained that this spreads via contamination or through direct contact with loosely available food items or water infected with rat urine.

"In very rare cases, it can also spread via unprotected sexual intercourse, especially by anal sex," Wali said.

The disease causes "very high temperature, headache, muscular pains, muscular pains, vomiting, diarrhoea,"

It also has eye involvement, sometimes with yellow patches or brown patches, depending upon the complexion, and pain in the abdomen.

How serious is the disease?

Wali said that leptospirosis is usually self-limiting, and can resolve within two weeks with antibiotics.

"But if the infection is severe, then it can spread to the kidney, can go to the brain, spinal cord, liver."

While the liver is mainly involved, in rare cases it can spread to the lungs.

Importantly, the expert noted that the disease is difficult to diagnose and can thus remain in the body for some months.

"Patients can go from one doctor to another doctor, as the fever may not be treated because it is not diagnosed".

The doctor may suspect and conduct a simple PCR test to diagnose the disease. It can be well contained by antibiotic doxycycline, said Wali.

The disease can turn fatal if it enters the brain," Wali said while noting that it "does not spread from human to human, only by contamination".

"People must not consume loosely available food items from Kirana stores, only packaged and properly sealed food. Rat-infested loosely available groceries must be avoided," Wali advised.

Leptospirosis is endemic to India due to a tropical climate that complements the transmission of infection.

Scientists believe that the first disease outbreak in the 1920s came from the Andaman Islands.

It is one of the most widespread yet neglected zoonoses, with most reports from South America, the Caribbean, and South Asia.

In India, it is endemic to coastal states like Gujarat, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

Despite causing significant mortality in India, the disease remained highly under-reported, majorly because of its endemic nature, lack of diagnostic modules, and lack of awareness among the treating clinicians. There is also a paucity of literature available on the burden of the disease.

To tackle the information gap, the government I. 2015 launched the National Programme for Prevention and Control of Leptospirosis (NPPCL) in the endemic states.
Washington, Sep 28 : US President Joe Biden on Saturday welcomed the killing of Hezbollah leader Hasan Nasrallah as "a measure of justice for his many victims" and called for Israel and Lebanon to conclude ceasefire negotiations.

Washington, Sep 28 (IANS) US President Joe Biden on Saturday welcomed the killing of Hezbollah leader Hasan Nasrallah as "a measure of justice for his many victims" and called for Israel and Lebanon to conclude ceasefire negotiations.

The U.S. and its allies had earlier called for a 21-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon to end months of exchange of missiles to restart the stalled talks between Israel and Hamas.

"Hassan Nasrallah and the terrorist group he led, Hezbollah, were responsible for killing hundreds of Americans over a four-decade reign of terror," Biden said in a statement.

"His death from an Israeli airstrike is a measure of justice for his many victims, including thousands of Americans, Israelis, and Lebanese civilians."

He said that the airstrikes that killed Nasrallah took place in the broader context of the conflict that began with Hamas's massacre on October 7, 2023.

"Hamas terrorists entered Israel on October 7 and killed 1,139 people - 695 Israeli civilians, including 36 children, and 373 security forces and 71 foreigners, giving a total of 1,139. They had also taken 251 people hostage. The next, Nasrallah, made the fateful decision to join hands with Hamas and open what he called a "northern front" against Israel," Biden added.

The US president reiterated US support for Israel's right to defend itself against Hezbollah, Hamas, the Houthis, and any other Iranian-supported terrorist groups.

"Just yesterday, I directed my Secretary of Defense to further enhance the defence posture of US military forces in the Middle East region to deter aggression and reduce the risk of a broader regional war," he said further.

He said that the ultimate U.S. goal is to de-escalate the ongoing conflicts in both Gaza and Lebanon through diplomatic means.

"In Gaza, we have been pursuing a deal backed by the UN Security Council for a ceasefire and the release of hostages. In Lebanon, we have been negotiating a deal that would return people safely to their homes in Israel and southern Lebanon. It is time for these deals to close, for the threats to Israel to be removed, and for the broader Middle East region to gain greater stability," Biden said.
We recently compiled a list of the 7 Undervalued European Stocks To Invest In Now. In this article, we will look at where AerCap (NYSE:AER) ranks among the undervalued European stocks to invest in now.

Europes Economic Outlook

According to the European Commissions Economic Outlook, the European economy staged a comeback at the start of 2024, following a prolonged period of stagnation. The growth rate of 0.3%, estimated for the first quarter of 2024, was still below potential but exceeded expectations. The EU economy is expected to grow by 1.0% in 2024 and 1.6% in 2025, while the euro area is expected to grow by 0.8% in 2024 and 1.4% in 2025.

Inflation across the EU cooled further in the first quarter, with inflation projected to decrease from 6.4% in 2023 to 2.7% in 2024 and 2.2% in 2025. The European Central Bank is expected to cut interest rates, with markets expecting a more gradual pace of policy rate cuts than previously expected. Private consumption is expected to expand by 1.3% in 2024 and 1.7% in 2025, driven by continued wage and employment growth. Investment is expected to expand marginally in 2024 before accelerating in 2025, driven by government infrastructure spending and a gradual expansion of investment activity.

The EUs external demand is expected to rebound, driven by a strong rebound in Chinas economic activity and a recovery in global merchandise trade. EU exports of goods and services are expected to expand by 1.4% this year and 3.1% in 2025. The EU government deficit is projected to resume declining in 2024 and 2025, driven by the phase-out of energy-related measures and a gradual improvement in economic activity. The EU fiscal stance is set to be contractionary in 2024 and broadly neutral in 2025.

The Europes Market is Undervalued and Overlooked

Nicholas Hyett, investment manager at the Wealth Club, one of the leading investment services companies in the United Kingdom, is optimistic about the European economy, particularly the UK, going into 2024. He notes that the UK market is undervalued, trading 40% below the US, and believes there are growth opportunities in sectors such as consumer goods and industrials. Despite the UK market being perceived as old-fashioned, Hyett argues that it is more dynamic than it appears, with many companies being much cheaper than their US counterparts.

Hyett acknowledges that the UK market is often associated with traditional industries such as oil and gas and mining, which have had a good run in recent years. However, he believes that many other sectors are poised for growth, such as consumer goods and industrials. These sectors have been overlooked by investors in recent years, but Hyett believes that they have the potential to perform well in a strong 2024.

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One of the main concerns for investors in 2024 is election uncertainty. The US presidential election is expected to be a major event, and elections are scheduled in Europe. However, Hyett believes that the uncertainty surrounding these elections is already priced into the market. He notes that the UK and European elections are likely to be less of a concern than the US election and that the market is already reflecting this.

In terms of interest rates, Hyett expects that they will be cut in the second half of 2024 and believes that this is a reasonable expectation. However, he notes that the timing and extent of the rate cuts will depend on the economic outlook. If the economy weakens, rate cuts are likely to be more aggressive. On the other hand, if the economy is stronger than expected, then rate cuts may be more gradual. Hyett notes that inflation is expected to drop significantly in 2024, which could lead to rate cuts. However, he also notes that the market is already pricing in a significant drop in inflation and that the timing and extent of the rate cuts will depend on the actual inflation data.

The European economy is poised for a modest recovery in 2024 and 2025, driven by a combination of factors, including a rebound in private consumption, investment, and external demand. While growth rates are expected to remain below potential, the European Commissions Economic Outlook suggests that the EU economy is on track to return after prolonged stagnation. With that in context, lets take a look at the 7 undervalued European stocks to invest in now.

Our Methodology

To compile our list of 7 undervalued European stocks to invest in now, we used the Finviz and Yahoo stock screeners to find 40 largest European companies. From that list, we screened for companies that are trading at a forward P/E ratio of under 15, as of September 26. We then narrowed our choices to 7 stocks according to their hedge fund sentiment, which was taken from our database of 912 elite hedge funds as of Q2 of 2024. The list is sorted in ascending order of their hedge fund sentiment, as of the second quarter.

Why do we care about what hedge funds do? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletters strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 275% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 150 percentage points (see more details here).

AerCap (NYSE:AER)

Number of Hedge Fund Investors: 64

Forward P/E Ratio as of September 26: 8.68

AerCap (NYSE:AER) is one of the worlds largest aircraft leasing companies. The company provides aircraft leasing and aviation finance services to airlines worldwide. AerCaps (NYSE:AER) fleet includes over 1,300 aircraft. The company is focusing on expanding its global presence and modernizing its fleet to include more fuel-efficient models.

On August 1, AerCap (NYSE:AER) announced the delivery of the first three Airbus A321neo aircraft to AirAsia Group, a low-cost airline headquartered near Malaysia. The aircraft are part of a 15-unit deal, with the remaining 12 units scheduled for delivery in 2024 and 2025. With the delivery of the aircraft, AerCap (NYSE:AER) will generate revenue through long-term lease agreements with AirAsia, which will provide a stable source of income. The deal strengthens AerCaps (NYSE:AER) presence in the Asia-Pacific market and may lead to future growth opportunities, such as additional aircraft deliveries or other business collaborations.

AerCap (NYSE:AER) is trading 8.68 times its earnings, which is a 56.88% discount compared to the sector median of 20.13. The companys earnings are expected to grow by 4.73% this year. The stock was held by 64 hedge funds at the end of the second quarter with stakes worth $4 billion. As of June 30, Eagle Capital Management is the largest shareholder in the company, with a stake worth $1.12 billion. Analysts hold a consensus Buy rating on the stock, and the average price target of $106.88 implies an upside of 11.43%.

Overall AER ranks 2nd on our list of the undervalued European stocks to invest in now. While we acknowledge the potential of AER to grow, our conviction lies in the belief that AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and doing so within a shorter timeframe. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than AER but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.

READ NEXT: $30 Trillion Opportunity: 15 Best Humanoid Robot Stocks to Buy According to Morgan Stanley and Jim Cramer Says NVIDIA Has Become A Wasteland.

Disclosure. None. This article was originally published on Insider Monkey.
Ahmedabad, Sep 28 : As the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) reaches its 10-year milestone, Gujarat has emerged as a frontrunner in India's cleanliness drive, boasting accomplishments under both rural and urban initiatives. Launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2014, the SBM aimed to make India Open Defecation Free (ODF) and promote cleanliness through a multi-faceted approach.

A decade later, the mission's progress in Gujarat stands as a testament to what can be achieved through community involvement, government collaboration, and focused leadership.

One of the key goals of the Swachh Bharat Mission-Grameen (SBM-G) was to eliminate open defecation in rural areas, and Gujarat has made remarkable strides in this direction. The first phase of SBM-G, spanning from 2014 to 2019, witnessed the construction of over 100 million toilets across India, with Gujarat contributing over 4.3 million of those.

Through innovative socio-behavior change communication (SBCC) techniques and water connection provisions to rural households, Gujarat achieved ODF status in 2017 and attained ODF Plus status in 2023.

A recent survey conducted in February 2024 assessed 4,943 Gram Panchayats in Gujarat, revealing less than 1 per cent incidence of open defecation -- a clear sign of the state's commitment to sanitation.

Despite challenges such as fluctuating populations and newly built households, Gujarat has drastically reduced open defecation and continues to lead in sanitation efforts.

The foundation of the SBM-G's success lies in its guiding philosophy of the 5 Cs: Convergence, Community Involvement, Collaboration, Communication, and Capacity Building.

These principles have not only revolutionised sanitation practices but have also transformed entire communities. The 5 Cs have fostered a sense of ownership among citizens, who now actively participate in keeping their surroundings clean and promoting hygiene.

Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel has further reinforced these efforts by sanctioning Rs 240 crore for various initiatives under "Nirmal Gujarat 2.0" to strengthen the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan on a broader scale. These funds aim to promote clean toilets, integrated waste management, and the overall cleanliness of Gujarat's urban areas, making the state dust-free, plastic-free, and green.

Under the Nirmal Gujarat 2.0 initiative, the government has introduced an incentive system for municipalities based on their annual sanitation tax collection.

For "A" and "B" class municipalities, those achieving 71 per cent to 80 per cent tax collection will receive a 100 per cent incentive, which increases to 200 per cent for municipalities reaching 91 per cent to 100 per cent.

For "C" and "D" class municipalities, the incentives range from 50 per cent to 300 per cent depending on their collection rates.

This incentive system fosters a competitive spirit among municipalities to improve their cleanliness standards.

Furthermore, municipalities will receive matching grants equivalent to their annual tax collection.

The government has allocated Rs 111 crore to enhance cleanliness efforts across Gujarat's cities and towns, which includes financial assistance for the development of major roads and beautification projects at Garbage Vulnerable Points.

In a bid to honour sanitation workers, who are at the forefront of the Swachh Bharat Mission's success, Gujarat will provide financial incentives to the best-performing workers. Each ward in municipal corporations will select one best sanitation worker monthly, who will receive Rs 10,000.

Similarly, municipalities will also reward their top workers, with Rs 4 crore allocated for these awards.

To promote cleanliness further, the state has introduced a quarterly competition called "Maru Shaher, Swachh Shaher" (My City, Clean City).

The winning cities, categorised by population, will receive awards ranging from Rs 1 crore to Rs 5 crore.

This initiative ensures that cleanliness remains a priority for local self-government bodies.

Despite Gujarat's impressive progress, challenges remain.

While the state achieved its ODF status in 2017 and continues to maintain it, issues such as the construction of new toilets and the provision of clean water in rural and urban areas still require attention.

Many states in India struggled to meet their toilet-building targets, and even Gujarat did not meet its goal of constructing standard public toilets by 2017.

The state's leap in the Swachh Bharat Survey rankings -- from having just three cities on the top list in 2016 to 31 cities in 2017 -- demonstrates the effectiveness of these efforts.

Surat, Vadodara, and Ahmedabad ranked among the cleanest cities, with Surat taking the fourth spot nationwide.
United Nations, Sep 28 : External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar delivered a stern warning on Saturday to Pakistan that cross-border terrorism will face retaliation, saying that Islamabad is facing "karma" for the terrorist attacks it launched on others.

United Nations, Sep 28 (IANS) External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar delivered a stern warning on Saturday to Pakistan that cross-border terrorism will face retaliation, saying that Islamabad is facing "karma" for the terrorist attacks it launched on others.

"Let me make India's position perfectly clear: Pakistan's cross-border terrorism policy will never succeed, and it can have no expectation of impunity", he said.

"On the contrary, actions will certainly have consequences", he declared at the General Assembly's high-level session.

This was one of India's strongest, unabashed warnings to Islamabad from an international forum.

He dismissed as "bizarre" Pakistan Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif's attacks on India at his speech on Friday and a junior diplomat's statement responding to India's rebuttal.

Of Islamabad's ideological commitment to terrorism, he said, "When this polity instils such fanaticism among its people, its GDP can only be measured in terms of radicalisation and its exports in the form of terrorism."

Excoriating Pakistan for the terrorist attacks launched against other countries and its export of terrorism. EAM Jaishankar said, "Today, we see the ills it sought to visit on others consume its own society. It can't blame the world; this is only 'karma'."

He was alluding to a Pakistan consumed by internal disorder as its fractious politics and religious divisions are roiled by violence and its economy in shambles begs for bailouts.

"Many countries get left behind due to circumstances beyond their control. But some make conscious choices with disastrous consequences. A premier example is our neighbour, Pakistan," he said of the consequences it faces internally as a result of promoting terrorism.

He added that, unfortunately, their misdeeds affect others as well, especially the neighbourhood.

EAM Jaishankar referred to China's role in protecting Pakistan-based terrorists from UN sanctions.

Without naming China, he said, "The sanctioning of global terrorists by the United Nations should also not be impeded for political reasons."

He added that terrorism is antithetical to everything that the world stands for.

"All its forms of and manifestations must be resolutely opposed," he added.
New Delhi, Sep 29 : After the Swachh Bharat Mission was launched on October 2, 2014, by Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a national movement across the country, the Buxar railway station in Bihar has also witnessed a visible transformation in terms of cleanliness or Swacchata index despite being one of the busiest railways stations across the country.

Under the Swachh Bharat Mission, a target had been set by PM Modi's government to realise the vision of "Clean India" by October 2, 2019.

This cleanliness drive is the most significant campaign run by the Union government. This campaign will complete 10 years on October 2 this year. Its impact can be clearly seen across the country.

The Buxar railway station has witnessed a complete transformation now since the Swachh Bharat Mission was launched 10 years ago. The difference can be narrated from the common man himself where they have said that in the past that there were heaps of garbage and litter seen everywhere whether outside or within the station premises as well as on the railway tracks. However, due to awareness spread by the government through the Swachh Bharat Mission and people's active participation and diligent efforts, this initiative has become one of the most successful campaigns initiated by PM Modi-led government. Today people are also cooperating in cleaning the railway station.

While speaking to IANS, Buxar Railway Station Inquiry Staff Suhail Akhtar has said: "The cleaning work at the railway station is going about in a much better way than before. Cleanliness is also checked from time to time. We also make the public aware about the cleanliness campaign. At the same time, the awareness among the passengers regarding cleanliness has been one of the most unique part of this initiative. Cleanliness campaign has become a subject of public awareness in today's time. We also keep making announcements from different railway platforms from time to time to make this campaign successful."

BJP leader Dhananjay Rai told IANS: "Regular cleaning is being done at the Buxar railway station. The cleanliness campaign under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been very successful. At present, cleaning is being done at the railway station two to three times a day. Before 2014, nothing was done in the name of cleanliness, but today the situation has completely changed."

Pankaj, a resident from Bihar, told IANS: "The Buxar railway station has created a distinct identity for itself due to cleanliness. Earlier there used to be heaps of garbage, nowadays cleanliness is visible. There is a proper arrangement of disposal bags or dustbins at the station, which is accessible to the general public. I would like to appeal to the people to throw garbage in the dustbin only and take care of cleanliness."

Another local resident Suresh Prasad told IANS that under the "Swachhta Hi Seva" campaign, special care is being taken of cleanliness at the Buxar railway station.

"Cleanliness is seen here all the time. Awareness among people about cleanliness has increased compared earlier before 2014. I believe that under the leadership of PM Narendra Modi, this campaign has proved successful to a great extent," he added.
Srinagar, Sep 29 : People's Democratic Party (PDP) Chief Mehbooba Mufti has said that she has called off her campaign for the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections scheduled for Sunday to protest Hezbollah Chief Hassan Nasrallah's death in Israeli airstrike in Beirut, the state capital of Lebanon.

Hezbollah confirmed on Saturday that Nasrallah, one of its founders, was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Beirut on Friday evening.

The former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister made the announcement on Saturday on social media platform X, claiming that she stands in "solidarity with the Lebanese and Palestinian citizens".

Announcing the decision to cancel her campaigns for a day, Mufti posted on X, "Cancelling my campaign tomorrow in solidarity with the martyrs of Lebanon & Gaza especially Hassan Nasrullah. We stand with the people of Palestine & Lebanon in this hour of immense grief & exemplary resistance."

Earlier, protests erupted in Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday as people hit the streets condemning the killing of Hezbollah Chief in an airstrike by Israel.

A protest march held in Budgam witnessed a large number of people, including women and children, holding portraits of the Hezbollah Chief.

Similar protests were held in Srinagar's old city, and other areas of the state, after Israel announced the killing of the 64-year-old leader of the terrorist group, which was later confirmed by the outfit.

Both Israel and Hezbollah confirmed Nasrallah's death, which delivered a significant blow to the terrorist group engaged in an armed conflict with Israel.

Israel has conducted a series of airstrikes in Lebanon over the past few days, resulting in more than 800 deaths and displacing many others. This escalation followed Hezbollah's barrage of rockets into Israel, which came after the detonation of thousands of pagers and walkie-talkies used by the group. Hezbollah has been targeting Israel since the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023. The Israeli army also continues its offensive in Gaza and other parts of Palestine.
United Nations, Sep 29 : Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has warned the West of the danger of trying to "fight to victory with a nuclear power" like Russia and told the United Nations that it was senseless to ignore alternatives to Ukraine's peace proposals.

Addressing the UN General Assembly on Saturday, Lavrov slammed the backers of Ukraine who support Kyiv's peace proposal.

Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. Nine months later Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced a 10-point peace plan to bring a just end to the war on the basis of the founding UN Charter and international law. Moscow rejected the plan.

"I'm not going to talk here about the senselessness and the danger of the very idea of trying to fight to victory with a nuclear power, which is what Russia is," the Russian Foreign Minister said.

"Equally senseless, the Western backers of Kyiv swearing that there is no alternative to negotiations based on the infamous peace formula."

Invoking Western allies' plans in the 1940s to "destroy" the Soviet Union, he accused the West of trying to deal a "strategic defeat" to Russia in Ukraine.

"The current Anglo-Saxon strategists are not hiding their ideas. For now they do, it's true, hope to defeat Russia using the illegitimate neo-Nazi Kyiv regime, but they're already preparing Europe for it to also throw itself into this suicidal escapade," Lavrov added.

Russia is not increasing its nuclear arsenal and while it had suspended participation in the New START treaty with Washington, it would remain guided by the treaty until it expires in 2026, he said.

"We suspended our participation in it, but we did say that we will comply with the levels, and we will exchange some types of information with the Americans," he added.

Lavrov also challenged the US over its support for Israel as the conflict with Lebanon's Hezbollah escalates and the war with Palestinian militants Hamas drags on in Gaza.

In a news conference at the UN, he said the killing of Hezbollah's leader on Friday was a "political assassination" and raised concerns that Israel may be seeking to draw Iran into a direct conflict.

"My perception is that there are those who are looking to provoke Iran, to subsequently provoke the US, and then to unleash a full blown war in the entire region there," Lavrov added.

Lavrov credited Iran's leadership for "behaving extremely responsibly" by not reacting to those provocations.

"It's important to just stop the bloodshed and stop using terrorist methods for political score settling," Lavrov said.
Guwahati, Sep 29 : Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Saturday that the state government aims to extend the food security cover for the citizens of the state.

He said that the state administration has planned to include more than 2.5 crore people in the state under National Food Security Act (NFSA), which is aiming to cover at least 70 per cent of the total population in the state.

Taking to X, CM Sarma wrote, "Ensuring food security to over 2.5 crore people of Assam the government is working on a crucial mission to ensure nutritional coverage to over 70 per cent of the population. The targeted beneficiaries under NFSA, 2013, in Assam is 2,51,89,775."

He said: "In January this year, more than 42 lakh new beneficiaries were added to take the total to 2.31 crore, of which 98 per cent avail free foodgrains every month. To bring the remaining people under the ambit of National Food Security Act, we have initiated a drive to enlist new beneficiaries in all 126 constituencies."

The Chief Minister added that this exercise will also take into account the people who were excluded for not having Aadhar card due to the NRC Biometric lock issue. All the newly enlisted beneficiaries will be added to the Priority Household category.

"The entire process is expected to be completed by November," he said.

"One of the highlights of our distribution drive is the concept of 'Anna Sewa Din', where 1-10 of every month is earmarked for foodgrain distribution."

CM Sarma said that this has ensured multiple benefits -- timely disbursal, no pilferage, accurate recording, doorstep delivery for differently-abled people.

He said, "With addition of the new 17 lakh+ beneficiaries along with nearly 2 lakh NRC deleted beneficiaries and people under State pool; over 2.5 crore people will be entitled to free foodgrains by 2025 following the Antyodaya approach of serving the poor and marginalised."
Despite his successbestselling books, awards, film adaptations, critical acclaimRichard Price, who typically works seven days a week, admits he doesnt enjoy writing all that much.

If someone could give me a pill that would make me unconscious and my head would fall on a piece of paper and, when I came to, lo and behold, there was a manuscript here, that would be great, Price, dressed in a white button down, says via Zoom from his desk at the top of the Harlem brownstone where hes lived since 2008. But theres no such pill.

Price writes about social issues around violence, drugs, race, and identity with unparalleled precision, and counts James Baldwins Go Tell It on the Mountain and Lenny Bruces stand-up among his early influences. His nine previous novelsincluding The Wanderers, his 1974 debut about a Bronx gang; Clockers, a seminal book about cops and crack dealers in fictional Dempsey, N.J., which became a Spike Lee movie; and Lush Life, a crime story set on the Lower East Side in the early aughtshave been translated into more than 15 languages. His screen credits include The Color of Money, for which he received an Academy Award nomination, and the HBO series The Night Of.

And while he continues to juggle books and scripts, he insists, Im a novelist first, no matter how many screenplays I write. His new novel, Lazarus Man (FSG, Nov.), is his first in nearly 10 years. Its a big-canvas novel about second chances and lost love thats also one of his most sensitive. Set in 2008 in East Harlem, it focuses on four characters whose lives are impacted by the collapse of a tenement building that kills several inhabitants and leaves others missing.

Price was born in the Bronx in 1949 and grew up in a housing project, where he was nicknamed Mr. Vocabulary. He has cerebral palsythe result of a breech birtha condition that affected his muscles and has left him with limited use of his right hand. My grandma used to say, Okay, youre a little bit of a cripple, but goddamn you have a mind on you, boy,  Price says. If my hand wasnt messed up, I dont know if I wouldve been a writer. It made me an outsider.

After receiving his BA from Cornell University in industrial labor relations in 1971, Price told his parents he wanted to get an MFA in writing. They freaked out, he says. They said, What are you going to do, drive a cab while youre thinking of a poem?  While working toward his MFA at Columbia University, he wrote furiously, and by the time he graduated in 1976, hed published two novels.

In the early 80s, Price began writing screenplays to make extra money and developed a cocaine addiction that lasted several years. Id write 100 great pages on coke, but they were for 100 different projects, he recalls. It was a low time. In 1984, he married his first wife, then got sober and had two daughters. The pair divorced in 2010, and, in 2012, Price married novelist Lorraine Adams, whom he calls his raw-hearted twin.

As Prices screenwriting career kicked into gear in the late 80s, he hit the streets for inspiration. While writing the 1989 movie Sea of Love, he started going on ride-alongs with copssomething he continued to do when he returned to novels in the 90s. I dont want to write; I want to talk to people, Price says of doing field research for his projects. Its my social life.

David Simon, creator of The Wire, used Clockers as inspiration for his hit HBO series, for which Price became a writer. Clockers read like The Grapes of Wrath for the 80s cocaine epidemic, Simon says. Richard is a vacuum cleaner when it comes to any world hes trying to create. If hes writing about cops, theyre the realest cops youve ever heard talk. His milieu has often been crime, but hes a literary writer. I was always a little enamored of him.

Prices dialoguewhether New York cop-speak or street slangis evocative and witty, while his artful explorations of human nature are windows into worlds beyond our own. Both are clearly on display in Lazarus Man. In the wake of the tenement collapse, the novel follows Anthony Carter, an unemployed former addict whos pulled from the rubble and becomes a media sensation, all the while hiding a secret; Mary Roe, a cop obsessed with finding one of the missing residents; Felix Pearl, a mixed-race photographer searching for his true tribe in a gentrifying Harlem; and Royal Davis, a funeral parlor owner who hopes the collapse will generate business.

As the book unfolds, Price tenderly explores the emotional lives and romantic entanglements of his characters. Mary struggles to navigate a platonic relationship with her ex-husband while dating a man who wants more than she can give. Anthony falls for a woman from the neighborhood, exposing himself to rejection and pain.

A real-life building collapse in 2014 near Prices home sparked the idea for Lazarus Man, his first work set in Harlem. When that building fell, I felt it in my jawbonethe boom, the vibrationsand I was down there in half an hour, picking up this POV, that POV, Price says. If Id written about Harlem the first year after I moved here it wouldve sounded like a Popeye travelogue. But after a while, when the amazing becomes normal, when your eyes and mind calm down, thats when you pick up on nuances. Sometimes, you can go to the corner store for mint Milanos and come back with a chapter. Its just living.

Its these keen powers of observation that, according to Prices editor, Jonathan Galassi, make him an artist. Hes very perceptive, Galassi says. He writes about the city from a vernacular point of view and knows it from the inside.

And while Price is known for his gritty work, his agent, Lynn Nesbit, describes him as a one-of-a kind novelist with a gentle touch. For all the rough and tumble of his books, theres a sensitivity to Richard that often doesnt get mentioned, Nesbit says. Hes incomparable.

These days, Price is more content with life than ever. He recently became a grandfather, and despite those grumblings about wanting a magic writing pill, hes having fun and growing as a writer. Nobody thinks about it, but fun is so important, he says. You never want to stop being a student, and I still have that eagerness to learn.
Talk about an action-packed Banned Books Week. While there were many events scheduled this week to celebrate the freedom to read, it was the threat from book banners that was pulled into sharp relief this week during a court hearing before the full Fifth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals in Louisiana.

As we reported in Publishers Weekly, lawyers for rural Llano County, Texas, urged the court to toss its own holding in Campbell v. St. Tammany Parish School Board, a 1995 First Amendment decision involving the attempted removal of a book from a public school library that has long served as an anti-censorship bulwark for librarians. "Twenty-nine years ago, this Court heldthat the speech clause limits the authority of librarians and school officials to remove books from a government-owned library. That holding is wrong and should be overruled," Llano County lawyer Jonathan Mitchell argued.

The September 24 oral argument is the latest twist in Little v. Llano County, a closely watched book banning case filed in April 2022 by seven Llano County residents. Arguing for the plaintiffs, attorney Matthew Borden warned against discarding a 30-year-old precedent that has hardly been controversial. "The First Amendment prevents the government from getting rid of ideas that it disagrees with. That was the standard that this Court set out in Campbell," Borden argued. "And Campbell has been the law in the circuit for 30 years without a flood of litigation or other difficulties."

EveryLibrary posted an excellent take on the arguments: "The outcome of this case will set a crucial precedent for the role of libraries in our democratic society, and it must reaffirm that libraries exist to serve the publics right to access diverse, lawful ideasnot to promote government-sanctioned ideologies."

Meanwhile, as Publishers Weekly also reported, a coalition of publishers, authors, students and educators, and advocates have gone back to court in Iowa, seeking to strike down the book banning provisions in the state's controversial law, SF 496. The move comes after the Eighth Circuit court of Appeals in August rejected the very argument that Llano County lawyers are asking the Fifth Circuit to adopt.

 The movement to ban books is an affront to public education and students ability to understand the world. 

And in Congress, Representative Jamie Raskin (D-MD-8) and Senator Brian Schatz (D-HI) introduced a bicameral resolution to mark Banned Books Week. The resolution calls on local governments and school districts "to follow best practices and guidelines when addressing challenges to books," as well as "to protect the rights of students to learn and the ability of educators and librarians to teach, including by providing students with the opportunity to read a wide array of books, reflecting the full breath and diversity of viewpoints and perspectives."

In a statement, PEN America thanked Raskin and Schatz (and the resolutions cosponsors) for their efforts. "The movement to ban books is an affront to public education and students ability to understand the world," said PEN Americas congressional affairs lead, Laura Schroeder, in a statement. "Students are being deprived of stories that can help them deal with real lived experiences such as trauma and violence or even to see positive representations of themselves in their local school or library. This must end."

While Kelly Jensen is on vacation, her counterparts at Book Riot stepped in with some Banned Books Week items from the week.

Truthout has a good piece on "the rights raid on libraries."

The Indy Star reports that, per the ALA, 346 books were challenged last year in libraries across Indiana, according to the ALA, from Maia Kobabe's Gender Queer to the Holy Bible.

The Newark Post in Delaware reports that computer labs at libraries across the state were shut down after hackers seized control of the virtual servers that run the facilitys public-use computers. The hackers are demanding money from the state. We see a lot of stories about this around the nation, and it seems to be recommended not to pay the ransom, but to rebuild, Delaware Division of Libraries director Annie Norman said. She said she will direct the Division of Libraries not to pay any ransom, insisting instead that Delaware libraries rebuild the servers that run the publics computers.

Via the Seattle Times, the "Seattle Public Library "expects to spend about $1 million responding to a May ransomware attack by the end of 2024 and is still investigating what, if any, personal data hackers stole."

Time has a story on how underfunding our libraries nearly lost us World War II. "The fact is that the health of the nations libraries is a national security issue," writes historian Elyse Graham. "We learned this lesson once, and profoundly, during World War II. The story of how underinvesting in our libraries almost lost us the war is worth retellingespecially because what were losing by cutting back on acquisitionsor, worse, digitizing and then throwing out archivesis exactly what we had to send spies to acquire overseas during that war."

And finally, the Carnegie Corporation of New York announced it will devote $4 million to three of the citys public libraries with a set of grants that mark the philanthropys return to its roots. Carnegie will give $1 million to the Brooklyn Public Library, $1.2 million to the Queens Public Library, and $1.8 million to the New York Public Library in Manhattan to provide English-language and workforce training classes for adults as well as civics and college and career-prep courses for teenagers.
Book sales in Canada have largely rebounded after a pandemic slump, reaching C$1.1 billion in 2023, up from C$998 million in 2022, according to Statistics Canada and BookNet Canada, which track data for the industry. That said, print unit sales of English-language trade books in Canada fell 2% in the first half of 2024 from the same period in 2023 at stores that report to BookNet Canada. Units dipped to 20.8 million, but price increases resulted in revenue holding even, at about C$477.1 million.

Adult fiction had the strongest six-month performance, with unit sales up 6%, while adult nonfiction sales fell 8%. Unit sales were down 5% in the juvenile and young adult category, but it remained Canadas largest, accounting for 40% of English-language unit sales in the first half of the year. Frontlist sales continued to struggle, accounting for 26% of units sold, down from 28% a year ago.

Much of the Canadian industrys attention is focused on the viability of one retailer: Indigo Books & Music. The countrys dominant bookseller is often considered a bellwether for the state of the Canadian publishing industry, and things at Indigo havent been great. The chain endured declining sales through its bricks-and-mortar bookstores during the pandemic and a cyberattack in 2023 that crippled its online sales. The sales slump continued through the final quarter of 2023, which ended with revenue down 12% from the same period in 2022, and its annual income fell to C$10 million, from C$34.3 million.

After several management machinations in recent years, including the retirement and subsequent return of founder and CEO Heather Reisman, Indigos shareholders agreed in July to a buyout offer from Trilogy Investments and Trilogy Retail Holdings, firms controlled by Reismans husband, Gerald Schwartz. Reisman will continue as CEO and promises to refocus the company on selling booksafter previously guiding it to diversify into mass merchandise, such as housewares, in an effort to turn the Indigo into a cultural department store.

This is especially important to Penguin Random House Canada, by far Canadas biggest publisher. Indigos strategic pivot to refocus on books has been a welcome return, says Kristin Cochrane, CEO of PRHC. Weve already seen significant and visible changes such as improved selection in stores, an increase in book sections with richer merchandising and storytelling, and a real energy behind not just Rania Husseini [Indigos SVP of print] and the head office team but also at the store-level staff.

One standout success story for PRHC has been Canadian author Carley Fortune, whose This Summer Will Be Different, published in May, topped bestseller lists for weeks. Fortunes books have sold more than 239,000 print copies and more than 71,000 in digital formats, according to the publisher.

HarperCollins Canadas VP of sales and marketing Cory Beatty is also optimistic about Indigos recent changes. They are committed to fixing the problems of the past and have been excellent about keeping up a constant dialogue with us, he says.

Canadian independent publishers are feeling the changes at Indigo, too. Many indies primarily publish Canadian authors and arent backstopped by lists of international bestsellers like their larger counterparts, so Indigo is even more central to their businesses. One sign of the shift in strategy at Indigo is the launch of a pilot program to showcase 10 independent Canadian publishing housesincluding Arsenal Pulp, Dundurn Press, Drawn & Quarterly, ECW, and House of Anansithat gives customers extra loyalty points for purchases of their books. Branding has also shifted to promote Canadian authors, with large photos of writers and floor-to-ceiling reproductions of the works of radical Canadian artist and author Kent Monkman (known to many as Miss Chief Eagle Testicle) at the companys new flagship store at The Well, a posh retail and living space in downtown Toronto.

David Caron, copublisher of ECW and Annick Press, expressed cautious optimism about recent initiatives. Weve certainly felt like Indigos been a really good partner as of late, he says. We saw the uptick on the adult side when they had those serious promotions.

Meghan Macdonald, publisher at Dundurn, says, Were noticing that the titles that theyve asked for are selling in higher numbers, so we are pleased with that.

Whether Indigos refocus on promoting Canadian books can boost the relatively modest sales of Canadian authors in their home country remains to be seen. In 2023, books by Canadian authors accounted for just 12% of overall Canadian print book sales, according to BookNet Canada. Bestsellers were dominated by foreign authors in the January-to-June period, with The Women by Kristin Hannah topping the adult fiction list and James Clears Atomic Habits #1 in adult nonfiction. Dav Pilkeys The Scarlet Shedder topped the juvenile and YA list. The top-selling adult title by a Canadian writer was Fortunes This Summer Will be Different (Penguin Canada), and the bestselling juvenile and YA title by a Canadian author was Claudia and the Bad Joke (Baby-Sitters Club #15) by Ann M. Martin, illustrated by Arley Nopra (Scholastic Canada).

Looking south

For many Canadian publishers, the U.S. export market remains a high priority, and their deeper engagement with the U.S. has given them insight into how to target their sales activities. Livres Canada Books, the organization responsible for promoting Canadian export sales, recently updated its guide Accessing the U.S. Retail Book Market and advocatedin the absence of a single national book trade fair, now that BookExpo America no longer existsexploring the various regional bookseller trade association shows.

This advice resonated with Dundurns Macdonald, who was appointed publisher in February after serving as manager of operations. Last year we went to the New England Independent Booksellers Association meeting and this year attended the Heartland meeting in the Midwest, she says.

Fred Horler, marketing manager at House of Anansi, says the company attended several conferences in the U.S. recently, including the National Council of Teachers of English conference and American Booksellers Associations Childrens Institute. The U.S. is a key market for us, and it is important for us to meet your customers in person, he adds.

Second Story Press, the feminist childrens book publishing house, is exploring ways of finding audiences for its strong list of Indigenous titles and attended the National Indian Education Association conference in the U.S. for the first time this year. Were at the point where we can do more with the Second Story brand, since people recognize what we stand for and what we do, particularly around education, says Emma Rodgers, Second Storys marketing and promotions manager.

All told, perhaps the strongest sign of even better days to come for Canadian publishers has been the countrys burgeoning independent bookstore scene. Our indie bookselling partners have gone from strength to strength in recent years, supported by long-term demographic trends, shop local loyalty programs, and institutional support from the Canadian Independent Booksellers Association, says PRHCs Cochrane. For the fourth year in a row we have opened more than 40 new indie accountsincluding BIPOC-owned businesses, specialist genre stores, and coffee-books-and-bar combinations. All are informed by authentic connections with their communities and the energy and hustle that epitomizes local bookselling at its best.

Read the rest of our Canadian Publishing Feature:

Canadian Publishing 2024: The Bellwether

Publishers in Canada hope changes at Indigo will revitalize the Canadian market.

Canadian Publishing 2024: Building on Success

In her new role at the top of Simon & Schuster Canada, Nicole Winstanley wants to create a culture of inclusion.

Canadian Publishing 2024: Squeezed

The Association of Canadian Publishers says indies are under pressure due to rising costs and stagnant book prices.

Canadian Publishing 2024: Building Community

The Canadian Independent Booksellers Association is gathering steam and growing its membership.

Canadian Publishing 2024: ECW at 50

The indie has made its mark as an eclectic and innovative publisher, in print and audio.

Canadian Publishing 2024: Working All the Angles

British Columbia boasts a diverse, robust, and innovative publishing community.

Canadian Publishing 2024: Unicorns and Glitter

Kids Can Presss publisher says the book business can be demanding and unpredictable, but its also deeply fulfilling.

Canadian Publishing 2024: Orcas Ruby Anniversary

The publisher is celebrating 40 years of growth, adaptation, and commitment to inclusive, diverse childrens literature.

Canadian Publishing 2024: Bridging Cultures

Inuit artist Tanya Tagaqs childrens debut is a bilingual counting book that introduces young readers to Inuit culture.

Canadian Publishing 2024: Lingua Franca

English-language publishers face unique challenges, and enjoy distinct advantages, in Francophone Quebec.

Canadian Publishing 2024: New Titles from Canada

A selection of the top books publishers are excited about for spring 2025.
Orca Book Publishers, headquartered in Victoria, B.C., marks its 40th year in 2024. Founded in 1984 by Robert Tyrrell, and now owned and operated by copublishers Andrew Wooldridge and Ruth Linka, Orca amplifies diversity, inclusion, and sustainability in its childrens books, written in English, French, Spanish, and more than 20 Indigenous languages.

Orca publishes board books and picture books, middle grade fiction and nonfiction, and young adult fiction, averaging 85 new titles annually. In addition to print, Wooldridge says, weve got more than 100 books on audio, but were trying to figure that market out, due to less demand for audio in childrens than adult categories.

Wooldridge got his start at Orca 32 years ago, as a college student working in the warehouse. I often think about how much things have changed in the last 40 years, he says. Back then, we were making regional guidebooks and history books, and selling them as best we could. Today, as we grow, its gone from just books to all these other formats.

A decade ago, Wooldridge began purchasing Orca from Tyrrell, who transitioned away from ownership over several years. After Tyrrell retired, he remained in touch with Wooldridge and Linka, and he spoke at the companys anniversary gathering in June. Tyrrell passed away suddenly on August 31a shock to his colleagues in an otherwise celebratory year.

Bob was a passionate publisher, an astute businessperson and an ardent supporter of BC and Canadian publishing, Wooldridge and the Orca group posted in a statement. Bob will be missed. Not only for his business sense and his commitment to always doing the right thing, but also for the joy he brought to those around him. The company noted that Tyrrell helped establish the Victoria Book Prizes, served on the boards of the Association of Canadian Publishers and Livres Canada Books, and was past president of the Association of Book Publishers of BC.

Trade, education, and global ambitions

Orca has grown to a company of 50 staffers, who work out of B.C., Ontario, Edmonton, France, and the U.S. Its team includes in-house sales reps and workers at the distribution warehouses in Victoria and Bellingham, Wash. We do everything in-house except print the books, Wooldridge says.

Recently, the team branched out by building the French side of the distribution model outside of Quebec, Wooldridge notes, plus selling rights overseas andprobably more importantlybuying rights as well. Were finding books that can work in this market and seeing them as a way to grow the list. Orca acquired Alice Dussutours Born a Girl from the French publisher Les Editions du Ricochet and published its edition in March. This account of five girls from different nations is doing incredibly well, partly because the focus is not so North American, but a wider view of global girlhood, Wooldridge adds.

Trade sales are important for Orca, yet the educational market is significant too. Were not a curriculum publisher, but were trying to crack that market, Wooldridge says. As weve seen in the U.S., the wholesale market to schools is being driven more by curriculum, and before it was driven by trade books in the classroom. In recent years, Orca has anticipated demand with the multimodal Meg and Greg phonics series.

In addition, were committed to figuring out how to deliver content so its not all trapped inside a physical book, Wooldridge says. Accessible e-books are a top priority, and all future Orca publications will be born accessible from the concept on up, to serve a wide audience and comply with the European Accessibility Act.

When it comes to Orcas most popular titles, our bestselling books are all Indigenous content, notably dual-language picture books and backlist titles, Wooldridge says. As a white colonial settler publishing company, we work with our Indigenous staff, who have taught us a lot about collaborating with creators.

Acquisitions of Indigenous titles have gotten more difficult, he admits, because its a more crowded field, which is a great thing. When Cree/Lakota author Monique Gray Smith and Cree/Metis illustrator Julie Fletts My Heart Fills with Happiness was chosen as the Canadian Childrens Book Centres TD grade one book of the year in 2019, every grade one kid in the country got a copy in English and Cree, which was exactly what weve been trying to do. A board book edition of Smiths When We Are Kind, illustrated by Dine artist Nicole Neidhardt, came out in August.

This fall, Orca publishes the bilingual English/Plains Cree This Land Is a Lullaby, by Tonya Simpson, of Pasqua First Nation, and illustrator Delree Dumont, of the Onion Lake Cree Nation, as well as the English/Anishinaabemowin picture book Hummingbird (Oct.) by Jennifer Leason, translated by Leason and Norman Chartrand, both of the Pine Creek First Nation.

Wooldridge also sees strong growth in nonfiction over the past decade. Years ago, we always said, Well never publish nonfictionits too much work,  he recalls, but now, so many of our books go into the school market. Three years ago, Lindsay Herriot and Kate Frys Growing Up Trans found success: We werent sure how it would be received, but the sales numbers were great, and the support it got was incredible, Wooldridge says. It came out at just the right time.

Id like to describe our nonfiction as always having a social justice and an environmental protection lens, says Sara Hartley, Orcas marketing director. Our books bring a level of critical thinking and ask kids questions to help them learn how to think about an issue.

In Orcas four decades, Wooldridge says, the company has evolved; over the past 15 years in particular, a deep commitment to diversity and professionalism has benefited the company and its list. Im so proud of the people we get to work with. Were trying to sell books, but we get to do it in a way that feels good.
We recently compiled a list of the 10 Best Performing Dow Stocks in 2024. In this article, we will look at where American Express Company (NYSE:AXP) ranks on our list of the best-performing Dow stocks in 2024.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average is one of the most closely watched stock indices globally, often considered a barometer of the overall health and trajectory of the American economy. As a price-weighted index, it is composed of 30 blue-chip companies from various sectors, excluding transportation and utilities. The Dows inclusion of companies from diverse industries such as technology, healthcare, finance, and consumer goods makes it a valuable indicator of market trends. Created in 1896 by Charles Dow, the Dow Jones Industrial Average has stood the test of time and, alongside the NASDAQ 100 and the S&P 500, remains one of the most recognized and influential stock market indices in the world.

The Dows journey over the past century has been marked by numerous highs and lows, often reflecting the broader economic conditions. For instance, the index experienced some of its worst single-day losses during the 2008 financial crisis. On September 29, 2008, the Dow plunged by 777.68 points, which was its largest single-day point drop at the time. The financial crisis, triggered by the collapse of Lehman Brothers and a series of banking failures, led to panic selling across global markets. That year, the Dow lost nearly 34% of its value, marking one of its worst annual performances. On the flip side, some of the best years in the Dows history include 1915, when it rose by a staggering 81.66%, and 1933, when it registered an annual gain of 63.74% amid a recovery from the Great Depression.

Fast forward to 2024, the Dow Jones Industrial Average has continued its volatile yet upward trajectory. As of September 20, 2024, the Dow closed at a new record high of 42,063.36 points, inching up by 38.17 points or 0.09% for the day. This milestone was reached after a period of substantial gains following the Federal Reserves decision to ease interest ratesthe first such move in four years. The easing of monetary policy has provided a boost to the market, with investor sentiment improving and confidence in the resilience of the American economy strengthening.

Despite some mid-week volatility in the broader market, the Dow is expected to end September on a positive note. This rally was notable, considering the uncertainty surrounding the upcoming U.S. presidential elections, which has led many investors to take a cautious stance and refrain from making significant commitments until the political landscape becomes clearer. Tom Lee, co-founder and head of research at Fundstrat Global Advisors, highlighted this hesitancy during an appearance on CNBCs Closing Bell, noting that a lot of investors dont want to commit capital until after Election Day. I dont think it matters who wins; they just want to get that event behind them.

Story continues

Despite these uncertainties, the Dow has shown remarkable resilience, tracking to end the month of September higher. The 30-stock index has hit several fresh all-time highs throughout the year, demonstrating robust performance across key sectors. In fact, as of September 25, 2024, the Dow had reached a 52-week high of 42,299.64 points, representing a year-to-date (YTD) gain of 11.21% and a one-year change of 23.25%. These figures underscore the strength of the index and the performance of its constituent companies.

The success of the Dow in 2024 can be attributed to a range of factors. For one, leading technology and consumer goods companies, which form a significant part of the index, have continued to post strong earnings amid solid consumer demand and operational efficiencies. Moreover, the financial sector has also benefitted from the recent shifts in monetary policy, with lower interest rates driving increased borrowing and investment activities. Additionally, healthcare companies have maintained growth trajectories, as innovation and demand for services remain high in the post-pandemic era.

The top-performing stocks within the Dow Jones Industrial Average in 2024 have played a pivotal role in driving the index to record highs. These companies, known for their strong fundamentals, market leadership, and robust financial health, have outpaced broader market expectations. Investors seeking exposure to blue-chip companies with a track record of stability and consistent returns have found the Dow to be an attractive option.

In this article, we will delve into the 10 best-performing Dow stocks in 2024. From established technology giants to consumer staples that continue to dominate their respective industries, these stocks have led the charge in pushing the Dow Jones Industrial Average to new heights.

Our Methodology

For this article, we utilized a stock screener to identify DJIA index stocks that have shown significant gains year-to-date as of September 25, 2024. We arranged these stocks in ascending order based on their performance. Additionally, we examined the hedge fund sentiment surrounding these stocks, noting the number of hedge fund holders for each as of the end of Q2 2024.

At Insider Monkey we are obsessed with the stocks that hedge funds pile into. The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletters strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 275% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 150 percentage points (see more details here).

American Express Company (NYSE:AXP)

Year to date Share Price Gain: 42.08%

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 68

American Express Company (NYSE:AXP) is third on our list of the 10 best performing Dow stocks in 2024. The stock has shown an impressive performance this year with a Year-to-Date share price gain of 42.08%. As of Q2 2024, 68 hedge funds have invested in American Express Company (NYSE:AXP), up from 66 in the previous quarter, indicating rising institutional interest in the stock.

In its Q2 2024 earnings report, American Express Company delivered robust financial performance, beating earnings expectations. The company reported earnings per share (EPS) of $4.15, significantly above the consensus estimate of $3.26. American Express Company (NYSE:AXP) achieved revenue growth of 9% year-over-year on an FX-adjusted basis, reaching $16.3 billion. This impressive revenue expansion reflects the strength of its core business, driven by its high-quality, loyal customer base and a strong presence in both domestic and international markets.

American Express Company (NYSE:AXP) profitability continues to be a standout, with net income reaching $3 billion in Q2, reflecting a 44% year-over-year increase. Excluding a one-time gain of $479 million from the sale of its Accertify business, EPS still grew by 21%. The companys ability to generate strong earnings in a slower growth environment highlights the resilience of its business model and strategic investments.

One of the key growth drivers for American Express is its premium customer base, which consists of high-spending and long-tenured customers with excellent credit profiles. The company has continued to attract new high-quality customers, resulting in steady double-digit growth in card fee revenue for 24 consecutive quarters. Additionally, American Express Company (NYSE:AXP) has demonstrated strong growth in its international segments, with a 13% increase in spending by international consumers and corporate clients.

The companys focus on disciplined credit management has also paid off, with a reserve build of $101 million mostly driven by loan growth, while maintaining strong credit performance. Despite a modest sequential growth in US SME spending, the firms diversified revenue streams and significant investments in marketing and technology have allowed it to maintain its positive momentum.

Overall, American Express Company (NYSE:AXP) strong financial performance, increasing hedge fund interest, and ability to consistently generate superior returns make it a compelling investment among the best-performing Dow stocks of 2024.

Overall AXP ranks 3rd on our list of the best-performing Dow stocks in 2024. While we acknowledge the potential of AXP as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and doing so within a shorter timeframe. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than AXP but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.

READ NEXT: $30 Trillion Opportunity: 15 Best Humanoid Robot Stocks to Buy According to Morgan Stanley and Jim Cramer Says NVIDIA Has Become A Wasteland.

Disclosure: None. This article was originally published on Insider Monkey.
The official language of Quebec is French, so it should come as no surprise that most English-language publishers in Canada are based outside the provinceprimarily in Ontario. The Association of English Language Publishers of Quebec (AELAQ) boasts 26 members, the majority of which are headquartered in Montreal. While many of these presses acknowledge that they face challenges publishing in a Francophone province, most say the advantages outweigh the disadvantages.

As Kathleen Fraser, an AELAQ board member who is managing editor of 64-

year-old McGill-Queens University Press, Quebecs largest English-language publisher, puts it, Minority-language arts communities often give rise to a lot of creativity and solidarity, out of necessity, and thats certainly proved true by the Francophone literary scene, its own island in majority-Anglophone Canada, and by the Anglo scene here within Francophone Quebec. Quebecs Anglophone publishers are able to delve into this cultural and linguistic intersection that has done so much to shape our provincial and national identities.

Rebecca West, AELAQs executive director, maintains that its members deal with the same issues as other indie publishers in Canada: the challenges posed by AI, flaws in Canadas copyright framework, and maintaining visibility in a competitive market dominated by the conglomerates in Toronto. The organization does what it can to promote its members. Three times a year it publishes the Montreal Review of Books, which has a circulation of 36,000 throughout Canada; it sponsors the annual Read Quebec Book Fair; and last month, it encouraged members to participate in the primarily Francophone Quebec Book Day on August 12. Despite the linguistic and cultural differences between the Anglophone and Francophone publishers here, we have more in common than differences, West points out, noting that AELAQ regularly partners on initiatives with the Association nationale des editeurs de livres (the National Association of Book Editors, or ANEL), which represents 110 French-language publishers.

But English-language publishers in the province have to confront some unique obstacles. Ryan Van Huijstee, interim director of Concordia University Press, which has been publishing books in both English and French since 2016, notes, The infrastructure for book sales is divided by language for distributors, wholesalers, and retailers, as well as for media coverage. If publishers produce books in both English and French, it is necessary to do everything twice, maintaining two separate networks of connections. But, he insists, no other province in this country values arts and culture as much as Quebec, and both the provincial and federal governments offer financial support for official language-minority publishers.

Vehicule Press, one of Quebecs oldest publishers of English-language books for the trade, was founded in 1973 as a worker-owned printing and publishing company. After the cooperative was dissolved in 1981, husband-and-wife team Simon Dardick and Nancy Marrelli became its co-owners.

Since literature in translation is a significant component of Vehicules list, it makes sense to be situated where we can interact with our Francophone colleagues on a daily basis, Dardick says. They buy rights from us, and we buy rights from them. Its a perfect relationship. He reports that while the primary market for its fiction releases is Canada, the U.S. accounts for much of its nonfiction sales. Its current bestseller, Hotline by Dimitri Nasrallah, a novel about a Lebanese immigrants experiences in 1980s Montreal, was longlisted for the 2022 Scotiabank Giller Prize and has sold 11,000 copies in Canada, according to the publisher. La Peuplade, in Chicoutimi, published the French-language edition of Hotline and Other Press published the U.S. edition in August.

Secret Mountain, an English-language publisher of childrens books that is celebrating its 25th anniversary next year, also publishes French-language books under its Montagne Secrete imprint. Its only natural that we would be based in Montreal, the most bilingual city in Canada, says founding publisher Roland Stringer, noting that Quebecs government is committed to preserving the language and culture of its French Canadian population. The provincial government also favors the creative industries, Stringer points out, with generous support provided by its cultural funding department.

Quebecs schools and libraries have been required since 1981 to purchase books exclusively through accredited distributors and bookstores, and, Stringer says, as a result, we have close to 400 bookstores in Quebec that can count on those sales to stay afloat. Im told that in some cases institutional sales represent up to 40% of their total. This move has certainly been a game changer.

Of course, Stringer says, there are challenges to his companys English-language publishing program. Not only are there only a handful of English-language bookstores in Quebec but local Anglo media is very limited. It is extremely difficult to get the attention and exposure smaller publishers generally obtain on their home turf. Reaching into foreign markets is imperative to Secret Mountains sustainability. The U.S. market accounts for 80% of sales of its English-language titles, and the U.K. accounts for 5%.

 The infrastructure for book sales is divided by language 

Noting that Montreal is more affordable than Toronto or Vancouver, Drawn & Quarterly publisher Peggy Burns says its a good base for a company with tight profit margins. Living and working in a French milieu that appreciates literature, bande dessinee, and bookstores, she says, makes the day-to-day seem not so hopeless as it may in New York City or Toronto. But, she adds, there are challenges that arise from the very same provincial government that Stringer praised for its attention to preserving the Quebecois language and culture. With the language issues of Bill 96 [the controversial 2022 law limiting the use of English in the public domain], life can be stressful. The 35-year-old comics and graphic novels publisher has also encountered problems in hiring staff fluent in English with expertise in comics and the larger book publishing industry.

Metatron Press, which has published experimental fiction, poetry, and hybrid texts by emerging voices for the past decade, intends to remain in Quebec, though founding publisher Ashley Obscura says there is very little benefit in doing so. We have never been supported by local grants, she says, and doing business here is becoming more difficult with increases in the cost of living and the advancement of more French-language laws restricting access to governmental information and services. Despite this, she adds, Im quite firmly socially situated here and invested in the vision Montreal has for itself.

Return to main feature.

Correction: A previous version of this article misidentified the co-owners of Vehicule Press.
In the past few years, the Frankfurt Book Fair has weathered the aftermath of a global pandemic and celebrated its 75th anniversary. One might forgive the fairs organizers for being content to host a more routine affair in 2024. But theres nothing routine about publishingor the worldthese days. And this years Frankfurt Book Fair, set to run WednesdaySunday, October 1620, is stepping up with one of its most engaging, diverse programs ever.

With the slogan Read!ng, this years fair aims to address the multifaceted, multiformat nature of publishing in the digital age, while staying true to its roots as the worlds largest marketplace for literary rights.

Reading is essential for our industry, for our business, says Juergen Boos, director of the Frankfurt Book Fair. And it doesnt matter which media we are using. It could be an audiobook, it could be a podcast, it could be whatever. But what is also essential, he stresses, is the role of the fair in supporting publishing, literacy, writing, and the free exchange of ideas in the advancement of culture, civilization, and democracy itself.

A LitAg expansion

Frankfurt has proven resilient and continues to bounce back from the pandemic years, when publishers were forced to reduce their participation. While the fair has not returned to its attendance levels from 2019, it has been steadily climbing back, drawing 105,000 publishing professionals and 4,000 exhibitors in 2023.

The rights trade remains at the heart of the Frankfurt Book Fair, and demand for space for rights professionals to meet continues to grow. Frankfurts Literary Agents & Scouts Centre (LitAg) is fully booked, with a record 540 tables reserved, and Frankfurt has introduced the Publisher Rights Center, where subrights personnel from publishers can conduct business. A lot of publishers asked us to have tables next to the agents, primarily to cut down on time traveling between the LitAg and their booths, Boos explains, saying the new space features about 50 tables.

The expansion of dedicated rights-trading spaces reflects the evolving nature of publishing conferences. While many meetings will still take place in publishers booths on the show floor, many houses have expressed a preference to conduct their rights business outside their main exhibition stands. This is quite interesting and new for us, Boos notes, because now we are finding some publishers may prefer to have two locations.

Now with more CEOs

As it has for much of its recent history, the Frankfurt Book Fair will once again serve as a platform for publishing executives to talk about their businesses this year, with a series of high-profile executivesmany of whom are in the midst of changeset to speak.

Among the highlights, the annual Global 50 CEO talk, hosted by Ruediger Wischenbart, features a conversation with Simon & Schuster president and publisher Jonathan Karp and Richard Sarnoff of KKR Private Equity, the publishers new owner. KKR has said the companys growth plan includes international expansion and has acquired Dutch publisher Veen Bosch & Keuning in May and announced a partnership with Frances Les Nouveaux Editeurs, a new publishing venture from Arnaud Nourry, former CEO of Hachette Livre, who will also speak at the fair.

In other highly anticipated appearances, Hachette CEO David Shelley will share insights gleaned from his new dual U.S./U.K. leadership role, and former Penguin Random House CEO Madeline McIntosh, now CEO and publisher of Authors Equity, will keynote the fairs networking event for rights professionals, while her colleague from Authors Equity, Nina von Moltke, will discuss the state of independent publishing on Friday.

Conferences

This years fair is also spotlighting what it calls mini conferences. These include the annual International Publishing Distribution Forum on Wednesday, on the International Stage, in the foyer between Hall 5.1 and Hall 6.1, and a half-day iteration of the popular U.S. event the Charleston Conference on Friday, on the Academic Stage, Hall 4.0, which will explore issues ranging from the impact of AI on academic publishing to library funding.

The childrens and young adult book sector is seeing significant growth in Frankfurt, and in response, the fair has reconfigured Hall 1 to make room for more childrens publishers and events, not only for the trade but for the public. The new arrangement is quite attractive, Boos says. The future of reading and publishing lies with these younger generations and, accordingly, we are doing all we can to engage them, from organizing meet-and-greets to providing interactive displays that bridge the gap between traditional books and social media.

Spanning the globe

Despite global economic challenges and wars in Ukraine and in the Middle East, Boos says the fair is seeing strong participation from around the world. Italy is this years Guest of Honor country under the theme Radici nel Futuro (Roots in the Future) and will be featured with a pavilion designed to resemble an Italian piazza.

In advance of the program, more than 150 books have been translated from Italian into German. Scores of Italian authors will be appearing at the fair, including Nicola Lagioia, Francesca Melandri, Carlo Rovelli, and Igiaba Scego. Each day of the Italian program has a discrete themefor example, Wednesday will be focused on independent publishers, Thursday on female self-determination, and Friday on anticolonial perspectives.

Elsewhere at the fair, neighboring European countries are reluctant to be outdone. The French collective stand will be the largest at the fair, occupying about 1,500 square meters, reflecting recent industry consolidations in France, Boos says. Spain will also have a significant presence, though Boos notes that participation from Latin American countries remains thin.

Boos says there will also be increased participation from Central and Eastern Europe. Romania is bringing more publishers to match its growing importance in the literary world, and Kazakhstan will have a significant presence for the first time at the fair, with a 150-square-meter national stand.

The fair has also dedicated a new Asian Stage in Hall 5.1 to offer insights into literature and publishing from the Asia-Pacific region. We are seeing many more visitors returning to the fair from Asia this year, including from China and Japan, as well as the Philippines, which is our Guest of Honor in 2025, Boos says.

This year American publishers have even more reason to attend Frankfurt and interact with people beyond the English-language stands, since it has become increasingly evident that European readers have shifted to buying English-language editions of popular titles when editions in their native languages are not yet available.

Boos describes this change in consumption habits as inevitable, attributing it to the influence of streaming services and social media. For a decade, theyve been watching English-language television, he says. Its easy for many Europeans to read in English as well, and to listen to English-language podcasts. Its a trend that could translate to significant change in the industry, with more European publishers starting to acquire English-language rights to books to prevent market cannibalization.

Hot trends

TikTok, which has become a significant driver of book sales, particularly in the YA market, will have an expanded presence at Frankfurt. TikTok Europe is based in Berlin, so we are very close with them, Boos says, adding the 2024 fair will feature stations where TikTok users can record their own videos.

In addition, the TikTok Book Awards, introduced last year, will return, and Boos notes a surprising level of interest from high-level officials: The German minister of culture wants to attend that, he says.

Artificial intelligence also remains a hot topic for the industry, with the fair featuring numerous events and discussions on how AI is influencing publishing, from content creation to rights management. These discussions will explore both the opportunities and challenges presented by AI, including its potential impact on copyright law and the creative process.

There will also be an increased emphasis on audiobooks, which continue to show strong worldwide growth, at this years fair, including a full-day program on Wednesday at the Frankfurt Studio, with speakers including Amanda DAcierno (president and publisher, Penguin Random House Audio Group), Jon Watt (trade audio and business development director, Bonnier Books UK), Owen Smith (VP of audiobooks product, Spotify), Aurelie de Troyer (head of regional content Europe, Audible), and Niclas Sandin (CEO, BookBeat).

The fair is now seeking to forge closer ties with creators from the video game industry and has launched a new Games Business Center, which is the result of a cooperation between the Frankfurt Book Fair and the Bologna Childrens Book Fair. The focus will be on giving publishers and other content creators opportunities to connect with independent game publishers, many of which are popular in the educational sector.

 Frankfurt is a stage, and a lot of people are going to use this stage. 

The relationship between the publishing industry and the TV and film business is also a key element of the fair. We have a dedicated film day, Boos says. We have a lot more international cooperation. Im trying right now to create a network of book fairs that deal with this topic.

As always, Frankfurt will continue to serve as a platform for important cultural and political discussions, and Boos emphasizes the fairs role in fostering diverse perspectives. Frankfurt is a stage, and a lot of people are going to use this stage, he says. Publishing is about diversity. Its about discourse.

Read the rest of our Frankfurt Book Fair feature:

Frankfurt Book Fair 2024: Program Highlights

The Frankfurt Book Fair, the main event of the global book publishing calendar, is upon us.

Frankfurt Book Fair 2024: Are We Publishing the Right Stories for Kids?

PW Talks with Lawrence Schimel, host of Frankfurts second annual childrens publishing conference.
We recently compiled a list of the 8 Best Water Stocks To Invest In. In this article, we will look at where American States Water Company (NYSE:AWR) ranks among the best water stocks to invest in.

The water industry is grappling with a unique set of challenges and opportunities as the demand for clean and safe drinking water continues to rise globally. According to the American Water Works Associations (AWWA) State of the Water Industry Report, there is increasing scrutiny on water quality and access standards, while the sector simultaneously faces pressures from aging infrastructure, water scarcity, emerging contaminants, and evolving cybersecurity threats. The convergence of these issues has made it essential for industry professionals to adopt innovative solutions, foster collaboration, and make strategic investments in people and technology.

This dynamic landscape presents both risks and opportunities for investors looking to enter the water sector. Companies operating in this space are not only focused on ensuring reliable access to drinking water but also on pioneering technologies that address complex issues such as water purification, distribution, and resource management. The report notes that watershed and source water protection, once considered secondary concerns, have now emerged as the top priority for water utilities. This shift reflects a growing recognition of the importance of safeguarding water sources to maintain a sustainable and affordable supply.

In 2024, watershed protection surpassed the perennial challenge of aging infrastructure, which has long been a concern for water utilities. Contributing to this shift are various factors, including the prolonged impacts of climate change, drought conditions, and the threat of contaminants such as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). PFAS have become a major water quality concern due to their presence in numerous industrial products and their potential to harm public health. Addressing this issue alone is expected to cost the industry nearly $40 billion in capital improvement investments. This underlines the financial and operational hurdles that water companies must overcome, making it a pivotal year for those at the forefront of water resource management.

Despite these challenges, the industry is taking proactive steps to enhance water quality and infrastructure resilience. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) has provided some relief, offering funding to support capital projects, which in turn helps address concerns about aging systems. Utilities are also increasingly implementing water protection plans, with over 61% of respondents in the AWWA survey indicating that they have already integrated or are in the process of integrating source water protection initiatives. This proactive stance demonstrates the sectors commitment to long-term sustainability.

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One of the more critical developments in the water industry is the integration of new technologies. Investments in digital solutions, advanced treatment methods, and green alternatives are expected to more than double over the next one to three years. The adoption of such technologies is seen as very important by utility operators and extremely important by service providers, according to the AWWA report. The focus is on maximizing the lifespan and performance of existing systems while simultaneously exploring eco-friendly innovations that can bolster water system resilience. This creates a fertile ground for companies specializing in technological advancements to thrive, as they cater to the industrys growing demand for efficient and sustainable solutions.

Another pressing issue for water industry is cybersecurity. As utilities increasingly rely on digital infrastructure, they become more vulnerable to cyber threats, which pose significant risks to water operations and the privacy of customer data. The survey found that 67% of participants view cybersecurity as a very to critically important issue, and 82% believe that cyber threats would have a slight to significantly negative impact on the water sector. Despite these concerns, smaller utilities often lack the resources to enhance their cybersecurity posture, creating a security gap that could lead to severe disruptions. Addressing these vulnerabilities is crucial as utilities look to secure their operations against growing cyber threats.

Looking ahead, water utilities must continue to adapt and innovate to meet the evolving challenges of the industry. Climate change and its associated extreme weather events, for instance, pose a growing threat to water resources and infrastructure. Droughts, water shortages, and unpredictable weather patterns have made it imperative for utilities to adopt robust water management strategies. Consequently, companies that provide solutions for water conservation, infrastructure renewal, and climate resilience are well-positioned to capitalize on these emerging trends.

The water industrys focus on source water protection, technological innovation, and infrastructure resilience, coupled with its commitment to addressing cybersecurity and climate change, makes it a compelling sector for investors. Companies that are leading in these areas have the potential to drive significant returns while also contributing to the sustainability and safety of global water resources. In the following sections, we explore some of the best water stocks to invest in, analyzing their strategies, performance, and potential for growth in this complex and ever-evolving industry.

Our Methodology

For this article, we sifted through ETFs and online rankings to identify 15 possible companies that operate in the water industry. We then chose the 8 stocks that were the most widely held by hedge funds, as of Q2 2024. The list is arranged in ascending order of the number of hedge fund holders in each firm.

At Insider Monkey we are obsessed with the stocks that hedge funds pile into. The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletters strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 275% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 150 percentage points (see more details here).

American States Water Company (NYSE:AWR)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 20

American States Water Company (NYSE:AWR) is a notable player in the water sector, primarily due to its significant operations in providing water utility services through its subsidiary, Golden State Water. This focus on water services, combined with consistent performance metrics, positions it as one of the best water stocks to consider for investment.

As of the second quarter of 2024, American States Water Company (NYSE:AWR) reported a decline in consolidated earnings, with earnings per share (EPS) recorded at $0.85, compared to $1.04 for the same quarter last year. However, the adjusted earnings remained steady, reflecting resilience amid challenging conditions. This quarters performance was influenced by elevated operating expenses and increased interest costs, as well as favorable regulatory adjustments last year that are not expected to recur. Despite these challenges, revenue from the regulated water segment showed an increase due to recent rate hikes, indicating a positive trajectory for future earnings.

The companys commitment to infrastructure investment is a crucial factor in its bullish outlook. With an authorized capital investment of approximately $573.1 million over the next three years, American States Water Company (NYSE:AWR) is well-positioned to enhance its service delivery capabilities. This investment not only ensures compliance with regulatory standards but also contributes to the reliability and safety of its water supply.

Additionally, the company recently approved a significant dividend increase, boosting its quarterly cash dividend to $0.46551 per share, reflecting an annualized rate of $1.86. This represents an 8.3% increase from the prior year, emphasizing the companys ability to generate sustainable earnings growth. The consistent payment and increase of dividends over 70 consecutive years showcase its commitment to returning value to shareholders.

Furthermore, the number of hedge fund holders in American States Water Company (NYSE:AWR) has risen to 20 as of Q2 2024, compared to 19 in the previous quarter. This increase in institutional interest underscores growing confidence among investors.

In conclusion, American States Water Company (NYSE:AWR) presents a compelling investment opportunity, characterized by a strong commitment to infrastructure development, reliable revenue growth from regulatory adjustments, and a history of consistent dividend increases. The fundamentals support a bullish thesis for this water stock, making it a worthy consideration for investors looking to capitalize on the growing demand for water utilities.

Overall AWR ranks 6th on our list of the best water stocks to invest in. While we acknowledge the potential of AWR to grow, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and doing so within a shorter timeframe. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than AWR but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.

READ NEXT: $30 Trillion Opportunity: 15 Best Humanoid Robot Stocks to Buy According to Morgan Stanley and Jim Cramer Says NVIDIA Has Become A Wasteland.

Disclosure: None. This article was originally published on Insider Monkey.
'No plans to phase out Kwid until rules allow.'

Renault India, which saw a 33 per cent decline in sales in 2023, is facing a challenging 2024.

The company's Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Venkatram Mamillapalle, discusses the company's revival plans, launch strategy, and the future of the Kwid in a face-to-face interaction with Shine Jacob.

Renault India sold only 52,620 units in the 2023 calendar year, down 33 per cent compared to 2022. What is your revival strategy?

In 2011, we launched the Duster and then the Kwid. These are the two very successful models we introduced in India.

We launched many other products, but they only did what was possible at that time.

In 2019, we launched the Triber, which was very successful, and we were doing very well with no competition.

In 2021, we nearly reached 100,000 vehicles, but then the pandemic downturn happened.

Post-pandemic, we saw a drop in volumes again. Unfortunately, the pandemic hit just 30 days after we launched the Kiger.

We had to relaunch it after the second wave of the pandemic, by which time competitors had also launched similar products.

We then faced issues related to cash flow due to the Ukraine war and our exposure to Russia. Our market share dropped from 3 per cent to 1 per cent.

We knew we were heading into this situation and alerted our dealer network that 2023 and 2024 would be challenging years.

At the beginning of 2023, Renault-Nissan announced our investment (Rs 5,300 crore) for six launches.

We have already invested 70 per cent of that amount and are working in that direction.

In the meantime, we are improving our service network, bringing in safety and technical features, and coming up with limited editions.

What's the timeline for these launches?

We will soon announce the timeline for our launches, which should start bringing us a turnaround.

All launches will happen within the next one and a half years. They will be spaced out because dealers and customers will not be able to accommodate such launches all at once.

Currently, we are using only about 45 per cent of our total plant capacity of 480,000. We must fully utilise this before we expand further.

With declining demand, where do you see the future of the A-segment (sub-4 metre cars), in which you are one of the last two players through the Kwid?

As long as regulations allow, we will continue to stay in this segment and are not planning to exit.

Today, I am using a 1-litre engine; if emissions regulations change, I may need to switch engines or discontinue the car.

That is not a decision I will make today because my vehicle will qualify at least until the Bharat Stage-VII standards come into effect. I have five more years to go.

Regarding safety, I can introduce features like six airbags when the regulations require it.

We will upgrade for safety requirements, but I am not going to change the shape of the car.

Since reports indicate that you are also launching your eKwid, what is your take on electric vehicles (EVs)?

We do have an EV coming up, but I don't need to call it the Kwid. It could be named something else.

EVs will grow, and many new companies will enter the market.

These will mainly be in urban areas and will not penetrate rural markets due to the lack of infrastructure there.

The ecosystem is not just about charging but also includes other infrastructure, which takes time to develop. More power production is also needed.

Today, our car market is at 4.3 million units, and by 2032, we expect it to be around 7 million.

At that time, we should have 10-12 per cent EVs, or around 700,000 cars. EVs will grow and get priority after that, and the real takeoff of EVs will occur.

Did the war in Russia affect your investment plans in India?

Yes, that is why we delayed our launches. Renault's global financials were affected by the crisis.

We had four plants in Russia and had handed them over to the government almost for free. It did affect our investment plans in India.

Photograph: Mike Blake/Reuters

What is your alternative fuel strategy?

We are pioneers in ethanol in Latin America and Brazil, where our vehicles run on 100 per cent ethanol.

I am a strong advocate of ethanol blending because it supports farmers and reduces the crude oil import bill.

Fuel prices could drop a lot if India shifts to E85 (flex fuel). We should be faster in adopting ethanol, which would benefit farmers in Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka.

Feature Presentation: Rajesh Alva/Rediff.com
'So, we would work with our members to ensure that we as an SRO create some sort of due diligence for fintechs.'

Fintech Association for Consumer Empowerment (FACE) is the first industry body which has been recognised as a self-regulatory organisation in the fintech sector (SRO-FT) by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).

This is from the three applications it received for the formation of such an entity.

Following RBI's nod, Sugandh Saxena, chief executive officer (CEO), FACE, spoke to Subrata Panda/Business Standard in a video interview on how the organisation plans to onboard new members.

He also talked about how it will enforce its standards and practices on its members.

What is FACE's priority now that it has been recognised as an SRO?

Our first priority is to get all kinds of fintechs into the SRO fold. We are providing a platform, but ultimately, the industry has to be a part of this.

It has to define its own set of rules and standards.

We have 65 members currently but there is a huge universe with different business models and scales.

There are many fledgling startups out there and we want to bring them to our fold. They can contribute and benefit from the network.

Will there be any criteria for adding new members?

There is a vast universe of fintechs out there and we would be reaching out to everyone to be a part of FACE.

We do not have a threshold of scale or business model.

But they have to be a corporate body registered under the Companies Act and fintech, in accordance with the definition in the SRO-FT framework.

We also ask for certain information about founders, investors, scale of business, and clients, and we expect transparency from players who are looking to join us.

Further, they have to abide by FACE's charter, which essentially gives us the power to seek information.

We can also frame rules and standards for the industry and take enforcement actions if the situation demands so.

RBI deputy governor had highlighted that fintechs don't have a track record to evoke trust. How do you plan to address that?

We want to be the trust marker for the fintech industry as an SRO. When we onboard members, we do certain due diligence.

At some stage, there would be technical due diligence on some key parameters that fintechs need to establish trust on -- security of data, company fulfilling its obligations and robust technology.

So, we would work with our members to ensure that we as an SRO create some sort of due diligence for fintechs.

This can give them a trust mark and support their partnership with regulated entities (REs) and the ecosystem.

The trust mark through the SROs will help not just established companies but also small firms to build trust with REs and regulators.

What are the organisational changes that will take place in FACE?

The scale itself means that the team has to be expanded rapidly.

While we leverage on members, we will expand our teams in research, technology and membership servicing.

As far as board composition is concerned, we will function according to the framework.

It says one-third of the board should consist of independent directors, and the rest will be filled up with representatives from different fintech players.

Once we have more members, the board composition will reflect that.

Also, there would be more multiple institutional mechanisms like working groups and sub-sector platforms within FACE.

This will involve members and drive collaboration and consensus.

How would FACE ensure enforcement of its guidelines among members?

What we have conceptualised is that there would be an independent committee, which would have the power to look at cases of non compliance and take action.

And, our agreement with members will enable us to take action against entities found to be non compliant.

The enforcement mechanism will include caution letters, show cause notices and penalties.

Once the committee is in place, it will formulate enforcement mechanisms and approaches to deal with non compliances.

How is FACE looking to bridge the gap between fintech players and regulators?

We have been doing it especially in the digital lending space.

We have to carefully follow signals from the regulator and inform the players in a clear way so that there is no ambiguity around it.

When there are too many perspectives, our role becomes important in formulating a view on what is right for the customers and entire industry.

So, we have to ensure that we get all the voices but then filter through it to get to the core issue.

Then, bring the unified voice of the industry to the regulator.

Additionally, we have to ensure that there is no undue influence from a few members. It can lead to hijacking the agenda on policy matters.

What are the pressing issues of the fintech industry currently?

First, we would need to ensure that our members stay in compliance with regulations and the law.

We know cybercrime and cyber fraud are very important and we must tackle them both from the company's and customer's points of view.

We need close collaboration on multiple fronts. Additionally, we have to work on customer education.

Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com
Indias steel market is out of step with global trends.

Photograph: Wolfgang Rattay/Reuters

Global demand is weak with China at a huge supply surplus to its domestic demand, pushing down global steel prices.

Indias domestic demand for steel is strong, given the continuing infrastructure push and is likely to accelerate as urbanisation improves, and the auto sector continues to grow alongside the infrastructure push.

However, Indias steel majors have seen a soft Q2FY25 with average prices down by Rs 3,000-5,000 per tonne Q-o-Q.

Margins may have been sustained to some extent by soft input prices, including lower coal and lower ore prices, which also led to lower working capital requirements.

Even so, spreads would have been under pressure and there was likely operating profit margin compression of about Rs 1,500 per tonne Q-o-Q.

Volumes are likely to be muted in a seasonally weak quarter.

But in the long run, Indias steel sector is expected to outpace real GDP growth with 8-10 per cent annual growth over FY24-30 which would be much higher than GDP growth over that period.

Indian steel capacity is expanding quickly with every steel major committed to capex.

Global weakness is due to poor China demand.

Hence Chinese steel exports are flooding markets.

In January-August 2024, Chinese exports rose by 19 per cent Y-o-Y in volumes to 70 million tonnes.

Domestic iron ore production is expected to grow in the next few years from 278 million tonnes in FY24 to 400 million by FY30.

Apart from higher ore mining, India needs beneficiation plants to enable better ore quality.

Domestic crude steel production for eight months of CY24 has risen 7.4 per cent Y-o-Y to 98.7 million tonnes.

India is the fastest growing steel producer globally and its global market share is at 8 per cent, second to China.

Steel demand has a strong correlation with GDP growth and post-FY21, the steel sector has outpaced broad GDP, recording over 8 per cent CAGR.

Apart from government-driven infrastructure construction, steel sector growth is directly linked with the rate of urbanisation.

Indias pace of urbanisation may be accelerating with the National Institute of Urban Affairs estimating urban population would hit 590-600 million by 2030.

Demands on urban transportation (metros), urban infrastructure, and construction will further raise steel demand.

Crude steel installed capacity would hit 300 million tonnes by FY30-31 with 210-220 million tonnes of steel likely to be produced and 190-210 million tonnes consumed locally by FY30.

The top five players including JSW Steel, Tata Steel, SAIL, JSPL and ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel hold a cumulative 52-54 per cent market share by FY30.

JSW and JSPL have the best return on equity.

JSW Steel will hold 50 million tonnes of domestic capacity (51.5 million tonnes consolidated) by FY30.

JSPL has the strongest balance sheet of the majors and it has reduced net debt by about 70 per cent from Rs 34,300 crore in FY19 to Rs 10,500 crore in Q1 FY25.

Its net debt to operating profit is one time, much better than JSWs 3 times and Tatas 3.4 times in Q1FY25.

There is a case for suggesting better valuations across the sector as demand accelerates.

Most steel majors will also deliver better return ratios once their capex completes.

Given robust domestic demand and capacity adds, prospects look good in the long term.

Under the circumstances, the current weakness in the cycle could be a good entry point for the patient investor.

Disclaimer: This article is meant for information purposes only. This article and information do not constitute a distribution, an endorsement, an investment advice, an offer to buy or sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy or sell any securities/schemes or any other financial products/investment products mentioned in this article to influence the opinion or behaviour of the investors/recipients.

Any use of the information/any investment and investment related decisions of the investors/recipients are at their sole discretion and risk. Any advice herein is made on a general basis and does not take into account the specific investment objectives of the specific person or group of persons. Opinions expressed herein are subject to change without notice.
The government does not seem keen on issuing fresh gold bonds given the overall cost and rising gold prices.

IMAGE: Kindly note the image has been posted only for representational purposes. Photograph: Kind courtesy Soofia Tailor/Pixabay.com

The government would take a decision on issuing fresh sovereign gold bonds (SGBs) based on the need and assessment of market conditions, said sources.

Experts, however, feel that the government does not seem keen on issuing fresh gold bonds given the overall cost and rising gold prices.

In the Union Budget, presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, the government had set a target of issuance of Rs 18,500 crore (Rs 185 billion) of SGBs.

"A decision would be taken based on need and assessment of market conditions. If we borrow, it will be to that extent. If we don't, we would not have borrowed to that extent," the source said.

Government sources had earlier indicated that a call on whether to continue the SGB scheme would be taken in September, coinciding with the borrowing calendar discussions of the Reserve Bank of India.

As expected, the finance ministry had on Thursday announced its plans to borrow Rs 6.61 trillion from the market through 21 weekly auctions in the second half of this financial year.

The borrowing is around 47 per cent of the gross market borrowing target of Rs 14.01 trillion.

However, the borrowing calendar didn't give any clarity on SGB issuance in the second half of FY25. SGBs issuance is done outside the government's borrowing calendar.

SGB schemes are government securities denominated in grams of gold. They are substitutes for physical gold.

Investors have to pay the issue price in cash and the bonds will be redeemed in cash on maturity.

"The government not issuing SGBs may be a temporary thing. It does not make economic sense at present given the overall cost and rising gold prices," said Madan Sabnavis, chief economist, Bank of Baroda.

"Also it appears that physical gold imports have not come down, which was the goal," Sabnavis added.

"There is no macroeconomic compulsion to keep issuing gold bonds since India's current account deficit has been well within comfortable limits in recent years," said Vivek Kumar, economist, QuantEco Research.

"With sharp escalation in the international price of gold in the last 6 years, gold bonds have turned out to be one of the costliest avenues for funding the fiscal deficit," added Kumar.

This, Kumar said, could be the reason why the government may have quietly abandoned the scheme for this financial year.

"The same could be considered at a more opportune time in the future," Kumar added.

SGBs are issued to resident Indian entities by the RBI on behalf of the central government.

The government launched the sovereign gold bond scheme in November 2015 with an objective to reduce the demand for physical gold.

It was also to shift a part of the domestic savings, used for purchase of gold, to financial savings.

The government offers SGBs in tranches for limited periods.

Feature Presentation: Ashish Narsale/Rediff.com
Whether it's Carrefour, Ford, or other foreign majors, they are ready to adjust their strategies and design their plans in a way that would address the Indian consumption story.

IMAGE: A Harley-Davidson. Photograph: Kind courtesy Harley Davidson

India's consumption story, combined with the country's rapid growth and economic reforms, is increasingly prompting foreign majors to rethink their investment and business strategies, believe company executives and business analysts.

The India story may have also started pushing overseas brands to reconsider their earlier exit decisions so that they can return to the scene of action, they say.

About a decade ago, in July 2014, when Europe's second-largest retail chain, Carrefour, announced it was shutting its cash-and-carry stores and exiting India after failing to establish a multi-brand business, there was no sign of it making a comeback ever.

However, a few days ago, the French chain announced its re-entry into India through another format, as foreign direct investment (FDI) in multi-brand retail is still a no-go area.

In September 2022, Detroit auto major Ford left India due to tough competition and slow demand during Covid-19.

Earlier this month, the American firm declared it would return to Tamil Nadu to restart manufacturing at the Maraimalai plant, about 50 km from Chennai.

Other foreign brands are also re-entering India or making fresh plans to capitalise on the opportunities the country offers.

Iconic American brand Harley-Davidson, which re-entered last year through a joint venture with Hero MotoCorp, and Chinese fast-fashion major Shein, which is returning through a tie-up with Reliance Retail, are among others on the list.

Gaurav Marya, chairman of Franchise India, says the Indian consumption story is the biggest in the world and cannot be ignored.

Chandrajit Banerjee, director general of the Confederation of Indian Industry, explains that India's large market, fast growth, and successive economic reforms are encouraging foreign investors to explore opportunities here.

According to Madan Sabnavis, chief economist with Bank of Baroda, the combination of India's large size and its paceof growth is a big attraction for foreign majors.

Whether it's Carrefour, Ford, or other foreign majors, they are ready to adjust their strategies and design their plans in a way that would address the Indian consumption story, Marya points out.

As for numbers, India's fast-moving consumer goods sector grew by 4 per cent by value and 3.8 per cent in volume during the April-June quarter compared to the previous year, according to research firm NielsenIQ.

While the data indicated a softening of consumption patterns, the overall commentary was one of stability and resilience.

On Marya's point about foreign brands redesigning their India plans, both Carrefour and Ford seem to be doing that.

In 2014, when Carrefour decided to leave India, it was clear it did not want to waste time in India operating cash-and-carry stores when its goal was multi-brand retail, similar to what it runs across Europe and elsewhere.

A decade later, the chain has announced its re-entry into India through a franchise agreement with Dubai's Apparel Group.

India is part of Carrefour's International Partnership 2026 development plan, which aims to expand into over 10 new countries by 2026.

When Carrefour was exiting India in 2014, it was bullish on expanding its China market.

The chain has almost fully withdrawn from China now.

Ford, too, has a new plan for India. It is expected to make India a hub for exporting electric cars to other markets. This was not the strategy the company was looking at when it left.

Banerjee points out that high-value investment announcements have been seen in sectors such as electronics, renewable energy, and knowledge services, among others.

"During our overseas interactions, we have found remarkable interest among overseas companies to operate in India and we believe that the country is set to see significant FDI inflows as a stable and growing economy," Banerjee says.

Sabnavis agrees. "The government policies have been progressive. Therefore, interest is high."

He cites the potential of the somewhat untapped retail market as a reason for the re-entry of foreign brands.

Growing prosperity in India is also something that companies are trying to leverage.

IMAGE: An electric Ford Mustang Mach-E. Photograph: Siphiwe Sibeko/Reuters

However, foreign brands have faced many challenges in India, including policy inconsistencies. If Carrefour made an exit, so did others.

Metro, though it operated in an easier cash-and-carry format, left India more recently.

Walmart, which was also keen on multi-brand retail, had to experiment with cash-and-carry business in the absence of a policy clarity linked to FDI.

In 2018, Walmart changed its trajectory to buy a majority in Flipkart in the biggest e-commerce deal in India at $16 billion.

Swedish furnishing major Ikea had its share of many ups and downs while negotiating its India business.

Cupertino-headquartered major Apple, too, waited for several years before getting its partners and vendors to start manufacturing in India.

In a fresh attack on foreign majors, Praveen Khandelwal, founder of the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) and BJP MP, said Walmart (Flipkart) and Amazon should be shut down.

He was referring to a probe by the Competition Commission of India (CCI), which reportedly found violations of antitrust norms by Amazon and Walmart.

When asked about foreign majors' India interest, Khandelwal says brands like Carrefour and Ford entering or showing interest in India have significant implications, but they must ensure compliance with the law in both letter and spirit and not damage domestic trade.

"Instead, they should empower domestic trade with technology and expansion," he says.

While admitting that foreign investments bring in capital, boosting economic growth and creating job opportunities in sectors such as retail and manufacturing, he points out the benefits that international brands get from India.

"For brands like Carrefour and Ford, India offers a large and growing consumer base, providing them an opportunity to tap into one of the world's fastest-growing markets."

FDI equity inflows into India, a driver of economic growth, were pegged at $16.2 billion in the June quarter of FY25, a 47.8 per cent increase from $10.9 billion in the same period previous year, according to the latest government data.

Analysts, however, say the room for FDI growth is huge, especially at a time when several multinationals are shifting from China.

Marya says geopolitical influences are there but the overarching theme is that of consumption when it comes to India.

As CII's Banerjee explains, India has taken committed steps to make its investment climate attractive.

"It is emerging as a preferred destination for companies looking to diversify their supply chains, expand markets, and enhance business resilience."

Critics, however, argue that the climate for doing business in India needs substantial improvement, even though there are success stories in electronics and semiconductor manufacturing in the country.

Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com
'She could have sat down with the students and taken a list of their grievances including their allegations and suspicions.'

'Not all suspicions are true, but you have to listen, you have to let the steam come out.'

IMAGE: People raise slogans outside West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's residence in Kolkata, September 16, 2024, as they wait to know the conclusion of the meeting between the CM and junior doctors protesting against the RG Kar Medical College rape-murder case of a trainee doctor. Photograph: ANI Photo

After a distinguished career as a bureaucrat, three years ago Jawhar Sircar stepped into the world of politics.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee appointed him her party, the Trinamool Congress' member of the Rajya Sabha.

Disenchanted with the murky world of politics, 72-year-old Sircar issued his resignation two years before his term ends.

"I made it very clear that my ideology remains the same, but I can't be with you (Mamata Banerjee and the TMC). My commitment is to certain values with which we were brought up in school, college, society in a very middle class way," Jawhar Sircar tells Rediff.com Senior Contributor Payal Singh Mohanka in the second segment of an Exclusive multi-part interview:

Part 1 of the Interview: 'Mamata Was Being Misled By The Bureaucracy'

She has called those who are deserting her traitors. Isn't that an unfair accusation for someone who has sacrificed two years in the Rajya Sabha?

The whole charge is that he is leaving a sinking ship. My question is if you know the ship is sinking, what are you doing about it?

There will be accusations. Politics is actually a legitimised form of claws, fangs and jealousies. These will happen. I am not bothered.

You say in your resignation letter, 'My commitment to fight corruption, communalism and authoritarianism in the Centre and the states is simply non-negotiable.'

Your words are a serious indictment of the TMC in Bengal.

I won't use this as a strong critique of her government alone. I did say you have not responded to this failure.

But I have also thanked her for giving me the opportunity and I have not been abusive or unkind to her.

I have taken the length and breadth of Indian politics in that letter.

I have said all political parties are like this so don't think I am singling you out so as to join some other party.

I made it very clear that my ideology remains the same, but I can't be with you.

My commitment is to certain values with which we were brought up in school, college, society in a very middle class way. So I will stick to that.

Many feel that your exit will be a loss for West Bengal's voice in Delhi.

Do you not fear that bereft of Parliament, your voice will not be heard the way it was?

Well, there will be a transmission loss, that I am sure. The forum loss so to say. Because there is no forum equal to Parliament.

But then if you observe the analyst and influencer scenario in India most of them have never been to Parliament.

IMAGE: Communist Party of India-Marxist leader Kanika Ghosh addresses activists surrounded by umbrellas amidst heavy rainfall demanding justice for R G Kar doctor rape and murder case, September 26, 2024. Photograph: ANI Photo

And it is a growing voice.

Yes, it is a growing voice. Those who can analyse, those who can influence, those who can explain, none of them have been tainted by politics. I can easily be with them, besides them.

West Bengal is witnessing corruption like never before. The brazen impunity with which the present regime operates is very disturbing.

The TMC won resounding victories despite Narada, Saradha, cash seizures etc

This is because of the lack of alternatives. The Left has proved itself to be rather ineffective over the years. It could neither ensure a Left paradise or right industrial growth.

Bengal would find it very difficult to accept the BJP unless it came in a completely different avatar.

Not stressing on religion, not stressing on hatred.

IMAGE: Leader of the Opposition in West Bengal Assembly and Bharatiya Janata Party leader Suvendu Adhikari addresses a protest demanding justice in the RG Kar rape-murder case, September 17, 2024. Photograph: ANI Photo

Despite the organic and spontaneous outpouring of outrage on the streets, the TMC and the state administration too miserably failed in its handling of the situation. You've been an administrator for 35 years. How would you have handled it?

I have handled a similar case as a 26-year-old SDO in Barrackpore, where the entire college had been barricaded by students following a murder on the campus.

There were charges of wrongdoings in the college. The police had counter-barricaded it.

I am no hero, but I got the police barricade removed, walked in alone, without an escort.

There were butterflies in my stomach. It was a very aggressive mob. I took a calculated risk.

I sat with them and said 'Bolo kya bolna hai? They shouted for two hours. But eventually they communicated with me.

I managed to win the confidence of the protesters. You have to tackle situations.

Administrators who have never handled law and order are put in charge of law and order.

Here, the situation changed when Manoj Pant was brought in as chief secretary.

The previous chief secretary was a hand-picked man. I would say a large part of the wrong advice was coming from him.

The home secretary has had no record of ever having handled any big situation in her life.

Instead of just pointing to the TMC, I would put it on the administration also.

IMAGE: A torch rally from Hiland Park to Shyambazar in Kolkata, September 20, 2024, to protest against the sexual assault and murder of a postgraduate doctor at the RG Kar Hospital. Photograph: ANI Photo

The list of things they shouldn't have done is endless. Reward a principal with a plum post despite a gruesome rape and murder case under his watch. Call the protests political.

The way I viewed it the August 14,'Reclaim the Night' was a spontaneous uprising, The vigour and the unity which I saw women displaying was something unbelievable.

There was nothing political about it. That's another point where I differed with them.

I told them not to bring in the BJP and the CPI-M in this. There may be a few persons here and there, but they are not the ones leading this.

When they said it was a conspiracy between Baam (Left) and Ram (BJP) I told them to talk sense.

Photograph: Payal Singh Mohanka for Rediff.com IMAGE: Jawhar Sircar.

Once elected to powerful positions, why do leaders credit citizens with no common sense? They expect citizens to just silently watch a very shameful cover up.

This is what we call the ageing factor in politics. Politicians reach a stage when they listen to only those who say what they want to hear.

They want yes men, not advisors. This happened to Jyoti Basu towards the last stage when he too was disconnected from reality.

This happened to Buddhadeb Bhattacharya at the time I left him.

He was the most sporting chief minister, but then after 5 years in office he was being guided by people who had never handled situations except in theory.

That's a problem. We have theoreticians who keep misguiding. It's easier to say 'Yes Sir'.

We had a visibly rattled chief minister marching on the streets and protesting! In your opinion had the CM been wrongly advised or is this her true self?

It was absolutely wrong. What she wanted to convey was that I am equally shocked.

And instead of taking these lady MPs who also woke up rather late, which is another sad fact, Mamata should have done something else.

She could have just taken them to the college and sat down that day with the students and taken a list of their grievances including their allegations and suspicions.

Not all suspicions are true, but you have to listen, you have to let the steam come out.

Part 3 of the Interview: 'Mamata Has Learnt A Lesson'

Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com
Hindu community leaders in Bangladesh are advocating the formation of a dedicated political party, reflecting a call for political representation to protect their rights and ensure their safety.

IMAGE: People from the Hindu community protest in Dhaka, on August 9, 2024. Photograph: Fatima Tuj Johora/Reuters

Hindu leaders from the Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council (BHBCOP) and other groups are now discussing the possibility of establishing a separate political party or demanding reserved parliamentary seats.

"There are currently three opinions that are being discussed in detail: first, going back to the separate electorate system from 1954; second, establishing a separate political party for Hindus; and third, reserving seats in Parliament for minorities," BHBCOP presidium member Kajal Debnath told PTI.

The discussions came after the violence against the Hindu community following the resignation of the Awami League leader Sheikh Hasina as prime minister on August 5 following a student movement.

Debnath said the data collected by the BHBCOP points to 2,010 incidents of attacks on the Hindu community, ranging from murder and physical assaults to sexual assaults, attacks on temples, and destruction of property.

There are no official figures from the Bangladesh government on the number of attacks.

"The discussions and exchanges of opinions regarding forming a political party are at the top of our priority. Although nothing has been finalised, let's see how it pans out," said Ranjan Karmakar, a leader from the Hindu community.

"The proposed political party could serve as a critical vehicle for change, ensuring their concerns are represented and addressed," he pointed out.

Historically, Hindus made up about 22 per cent of Bangladesh's population during the 1971 Liberation War, but today they represent only approximately 8 per cent.

The community members attributed this decrease in the Hindu population to socio-political marginalisation and sporadic violence, intensifying the urgency for political mobilisation.

However, Debnath said that forming a party for Hindus may not work in favour of minorities, as it might divide the secular votes and not result in victory.

"The Hindu population is scattered across Bangladesh. In some areas, it comprises 35 per cent of the voters, while in most places it is 6-8 per cent of the voters. Those Hindu leaders from the Awami League who won in the last election garnered both Hindu votes and votes from Awami League supporters of other communities."

"But if the same person contests as a candidate of a Hindu party, he or she may not be able to garner votes from other communities. So, the goal of sending representatives to Parliament won't be served," he said.

There are different opinions within the community on whether to form a separate political party or to collaborate with existing secular parties.

"We must focus on our common goals. Only by standing united can we make a significant impact. This is our moment to rise and reclaim our place in the political landscape. But as a large section of Hindus are identified with the Awami League, we too are facing attacks," said Gobinda Chandra Pramanik, also general secretary of the Bangladesh Jatiya Hindu Mohajote.

Debnath said that reserving parliamentary seats similar to how it is done for women could be a solution.

The demand for reservations is not new, as the government has previously allocated seats for women in both national and local politics, and Hindu community leaders argue that similar reservations for Hindus would give them a platform to influence policies that directly impact their safety and rights.

"If we have representatives in Parliament, they can actively advocate for our safety, security, and cultural preservation. Without representation, we risk being forgotten in political discussions, left to navigate a hostile environment alone," he said.

Another BHBCOP presidium member, who did not wish to be named, said that the political parties - whether the Awami League, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), or the Jatiya Party - have failed the Hindu minorities in the country since its birth following the Liberation War of 1971.

"Since 1971, minorities have failed to feature in the political discourse of the country. This is mainly because minorities have depended on mainstream political parties, who have time and again failed us, except when reaching out to us during elections," he said.

Historically, the Awami League, recognised for its secular stance, received substantial support from Hindus, but the sudden power vacuum after Hasina's ouster resulted in a wave of violence in which businesses of the minority community were vandalised, properties destroyed and temples desecrated, leaving many in the community feeling vulnerable and disenfranchised.

Muhammad Yunus, the interim government's Chief Adviser, downplayed the severity of the violence against Hindus, characterising it as politically motivated rather than communal and suggesting that the attacks stemmed from political upheaval due to the perception that most Hindus supported the now-deposed Awami League regime.

"This issue has several dimensions. When the country went through an upheaval following the atrocities by (Sheikh) Hasina and the Awami League, those who were with them also faced attacks," the Nobel laureate told PTI during an interview earlier this month.

Yunus had described the attacks as 'political in nature and not communal'.

Leaders of BHBCOP had met Yunus after he took charge on August 8 and submitted a memorandum requesting him to ensure the stopping of attacks on Hindus.

Political analyst Zillur Rehman expressed doubts about the number of attacks on Hindus given by the BHBCOP but asserted that the proposal of reservation of seats in parliament can be discussed.

"Right now a process is on to relook at our Constitution so this idea of allocation of parliamentary seats for the minorities can be discussed and debated. But the idea of forming a new political party won't be feasible in the binary of BNP and Awami League," he said.
Members of two communities hurled stones at each other and damaged two-wheelers as communal tension flared up after a 16-year-old Muslim girl was found with a Hindu man at the railway station in Dehradun, an official said.

IMAGE: A scuffle breaks out between Police and protesters as people from various Hindu organisations protest against the arrest of Bajrang Dal leader Vikas Verma, at Ghanta Ghar in Dehradun on Friday. Photograph: ANI Photo

More than 100 people were booked on charges of stone-pelting and rioting on Thursday night while a man belonging to a right-wing outfit was detained for questioning in connection with the vandalism outside the station.

According to the police, the 21-year-old man and the girl hail from Badaun in Uttar Pradesh and were in a relationship.

The girl allegedly fled home to meet the man who works in the Selaqui area near here, a police official said.

Upon reaching Dehradun, she called up the man who met her at the railway station in the night. Seen walking around at an odd hour, railway police staff quizzed them, the official said.

The police contacted the girl's parents and learnt that a missing complaint had been lodged by them at a police station in Badaun, he said.

However, as soon as the news of the duo roaming in the railway station spread in the area, members of the two communities gathered outside the station and a heated exchange of words ensued, Dehradun Senior Superintendent of Police Ajai Singh said.

The situation escalated soon and the two sides hurled stones at each other and damaged some two-wheelers parked outside the railway station, he said, adding police rushed to the spot and brought the situation under control.

The SSP, who visited the spot soon after the incident, said those who indulged in vandalism outside the railway station have been booked.

On Friday afternoon tension gripped the Paltan Bazar and Ghanta Ghar areas of the city after Vikas Verma was picked up by police for interrogation.

Traders shut their shops to protest against Verma's detention and staged a dharna demanding his immediate release and the removal of the SSP.

"Vikas Verma is the voice of Hindutva. We demand his immediate release and the removal of the SSP," Bajrang Dal state coordinator Anuj Walia said.

Normalcy returned to the Paltan Bazar area and shops were opened on Friday evening after Verma uploaded a video on social media clarifying that he was detained and not arrested.
A case was registered on Saturday against Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman and others on the directions of a court in Bengaluru, following a complaint relating to the now-scrapped electoral bonds scheme.

IMAGE: Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman. Photograph: Jitender Gupta/ANI Photo

According to police, a first information report (FIR) was registered under Indian Penal Code sections 384 (punishment for extortion), 120B (criminal conspiracy) and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) against Union minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Enforcement Directorate officials, office-bearers of the BJP at state and national level, based on the order of a special court.

Bharatiya Janata Party Karnataka chief B Y Vijayendra, party leader Nalin Kumar Kateel have also been named in the FIR.

The complaint was lodged by Adarsh R Iyer, Co-President of 'Janaadhikaara Sangharsha Parishath' (JSP) alleging that the accused 'committed extortion under the guise and garb of electoral bonds and benefitted to the tune of 8,000 and more crore of rupees'.

The complainant further alleged that Sitharaman through the clandestine aid and support of ED officials facilitated extortion of thousands of crores of rupees for the benefit of others both at the state and national levels.

"The entire extortion racket under the garb of electoral bonds has been orchestrated hand in glove with officials of BJP at various levels."

The Supreme Court in February had struck down the electoral bond scheme, saying it violates the right to information and the freedom of speech and expression under the Constitution.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramiah, whose resignation is sought by the opposition BJP as an FIR was registered against him over the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) site allotment case, said: "According to BJP leaders' argument, Nirmala Sitharaman should resign now, right?"

Responding to this, JD(S) leader and Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy, said: "Why should Nirmala Sitharaman resign? Has electoral bond funds gone to Nirmala Sitharaman's personal account to resign? Has she misused power and benefited herself like you (Siddaramaiah)?"

Leader of Opposition in Legislative Assembly and BJP leader R Ashoka said the Congress doesn't have moral right to comment on the Union finance minister, and there can be no comparison between the electoral bond issue against her and MUDA case against Siddaramaiah.

"....(electoral bond) issue is over, it has been decided by the Supreme Court, and our leader will take necessary action in accordance with law (in connection with FIR). Where is the comparison to a case where you (Siddaramaiah) used the government (land) for personal benefit, to this (electoral bonds case)..." he said.
We recently compiled a list of the 8 Best Water Stocks To Invest In. In this article, we will look at where American Water Works Company, Inc. (NYSE:AWK) ranks among the best water stocks to invest in.

The water industry is grappling with a unique set of challenges and opportunities as the demand for clean and safe drinking water continues to rise globally. According to the American Water Works Associations (AWWA) State of the Water Industry Report, there is increasing scrutiny on water quality and access standards, while the sector simultaneously faces pressures from aging infrastructure, water scarcity, emerging contaminants, and evolving cybersecurity threats. The convergence of these issues has made it essential for industry professionals to adopt innovative solutions, foster collaboration, and make strategic investments in people and technology.

This dynamic landscape presents both risks and opportunities for investors looking to enter the water sector. Companies operating in this space are not only focused on ensuring reliable access to drinking water but also on pioneering technologies that address complex issues such as water purification, distribution, and resource management. The report notes that watershed and source water protection, once considered secondary concerns, have now emerged as the top priority for water utilities. This shift reflects a growing recognition of the importance of safeguarding water sources to maintain a sustainable and affordable supply.

In 2024, watershed protection surpassed the perennial challenge of aging infrastructure, which has long been a concern for water utilities. Contributing to this shift are various factors, including the prolonged impacts of climate change, drought conditions, and the threat of contaminants such as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). PFAS have become a major water quality concern due to their presence in numerous industrial products and their potential to harm public health. Addressing this issue alone is expected to cost the industry nearly $40 billion in capital improvement investments. This underlines the financial and operational hurdles that water companies must overcome, making it a pivotal year for those at the forefront of water resource management.

Despite these challenges, the industry is taking proactive steps to enhance water quality and infrastructure resilience. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) has provided some relief, offering funding to support capital projects, which in turn helps address concerns about aging systems. Utilities are also increasingly implementing water protection plans, with over 61% of respondents in the AWWA survey indicating that they have already integrated or are in the process of integrating source water protection initiatives. This proactive stance demonstrates the sectors commitment to long-term sustainability.

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One of the more critical developments in the water industry is the integration of new technologies. Investments in digital solutions, advanced treatment methods, and green alternatives are expected to more than double over the next one to three years. The adoption of such technologies is seen as very important by utility operators and extremely important by service providers, according to the AWWA report. The focus is on maximizing the lifespan and performance of existing systems while simultaneously exploring eco-friendly innovations that can bolster water system resilience. This creates a fertile ground for companies specializing in technological advancements to thrive, as they cater to the industrys growing demand for efficient and sustainable solutions.

Another pressing issue for water industry is cybersecurity. As utilities increasingly rely on digital infrastructure, they become more vulnerable to cyber threats, which pose significant risks to water operations and the privacy of customer data. The survey found that 67% of participants view cybersecurity as a very to critically important issue, and 82% believe that cyber threats would have a slight to significantly negative impact on the water sector. Despite these concerns, smaller utilities often lack the resources to enhance their cybersecurity posture, creating a security gap that could lead to severe disruptions. Addressing these vulnerabilities is crucial as utilities look to secure their operations against growing cyber threats.

Looking ahead, water utilities must continue to adapt and innovate to meet the evolving challenges of the industry. Climate change and its associated extreme weather events, for instance, pose a growing threat to water resources and infrastructure. Droughts, water shortages, and unpredictable weather patterns have made it imperative for utilities to adopt robust water management strategies. Consequently, companies that provide solutions for water conservation, infrastructure renewal, and climate resilience are well-positioned to capitalize on these emerging trends.

The water industrys focus on source water protection, technological innovation, and infrastructure resilience, coupled with its commitment to addressing cybersecurity and climate change, makes it a compelling sector for investors. Companies that are leading in these areas have the potential to drive significant returns while also contributing to the sustainability and safety of global water resources. In the following sections, we explore some of the best water stocks to invest in, analyzing their strategies, performance, and potential for growth in this complex and ever-evolving industry.

Our Methodology

For this article, we sifted through ETFs and online rankings to identify 15 possible companies that operate in the water industry. We then chose the 8 stocks that were the most widely held by hedge funds, as of Q2 2024. The list is arranged in ascending order of the number of hedge fund holders in each firm.

At Insider Monkey we are obsessed with the stocks that hedge funds pile into. The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletters strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 275% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 150 percentage points (see more details here).

American Water Works Company, Inc. (NYSE:AWK)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 24

American Water Works Company, Inc. (NYSE:AWK) is recognized as a premier water utility stock due to its role in providing essential water and wastewater services to over 14 million people across the United States. As a leader in the sector, American Water Works Company, Inc. (NYSE:AWK) consistent investments in infrastructure and strategic acquisitions have solidified its position as a top water stock for investors looking for stable and reliable returns.

During the second quarter of 2024, the company reported strong financial results with earnings per share (EPS) of $1.42, compared to $1.44 during the same period last year. Despite a slight year-over-year decline, the results are in line with American Waters expectations and demonstrate the resilience of its business model. In the first six months of 2024, the company recorded EPS of $2.37, reflecting stable performance amidst varying market conditions. Given these results, American Water Works Company, Inc. (NYSE:AWK) raised its 2024 EPS guidance to the higher end of its range, now expected between $5.25 and $5.30.

The companys robust capital investment program, amounting to $1.4 billion year-to-date, is a testament to its commitment to enhancing and expanding its service capabilities. This investment contributed to the addition of 43,000 new customers in the first half of 2024 through acquisitions and organic growth. With nearly $500 million in acquisitions under agreement, American Water Works Company, Inc. (NYSE:AWK) outlook for continued expansion remains strong.

Moreover, the companys strategic focus on regulatory approvals has been highly successful. American Water has completed four rate cases in various states, authorizing 100% of the capital investments made, ensuring continued revenue growth and capital recovery. Such regulatory support is crucial as the company navigates complex investment needs, particularly in states like Pennsylvania, where it has invested $1 billion since its last rate case.

As of Q2 2024, American Water Works Company, Inc. (NYSE:AWK) was held by 24 hedge funds, a decrease from 36 in the previous quarter. This indicates a consolidation in its investor base, possibly due to shifts in market sentiment or portfolio adjustments. Nevertheless, American Water Works Company, Inc. (NYSE:AWK) long-term fundamentals, backed by industry-leading earnings and dividend growth targets of 7% to 9%, make it an attractive pick for investors seeking stable returns from a regulated utility with a strong growth trajectory.

Overall AWK ranks 4th on our list of the best water stocks to invest in. While we acknowledge the potential of AWK to grow, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and doing so within a shorter timeframe. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than AWK but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.

READ NEXT: $30 Trillion Opportunity: 15 Best Humanoid Robot Stocks to Buy According to Morgan Stanley and Jim Cramer Says NVIDIA Has Become A Wasteland.

Disclosure: None. This article was originally published on Insider Monkey.
The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear on September 30 the plea of Malayalam film actor Sidhique challenging the Kerala high court order denying him anticipatory bail in a rape case.

IMAGE: Actor Sidhique. Photograph: Courtesy @actor.sidhique/Instagram

According to the Supreme Court website, a bench of Justices Bela M Trivedi and Satish Chandra Sharma is scheduled to hear Sidhique's plea, which has been filed through his counsel Ranjeeta Rohatgi.

The high court on September 24 rejected the anticipatory bail plea of Sidhique in a rape case against him, saying that in view of the seriousness of the accusations he was facing, his custodial interrogation was inevitable for proper investigation of the crime.

It said since Sidhique's defence was 'a total denial of the incident', his potency test was yet to be conducted and there being a 'reasonable apprehension' that he may intimidate witnesses and tamper with evidence, 'it was not a fit case to exercise the discretionary powers of the court' to grant him the relief.

The high court, however, made it clear that observations made by it in the order shall not be construed as an expression of the merits of the case.

Sidhique, who was booked for offences under sections 376 (rape) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code, has claimed in his plea that the complainant female actor had subjected him to a 'prolonged campaign of harassment and false accusations since 2019'.

In his anticipatory bail plea before the high court, he had claimed that she had repeatedly, for the past five years, made unsubstantiated and false claims of sexual misbehaviour and 'verbal sexual offers' by him in a theatre in 2016.

"But now she has raised totally contradictory allegation of more serious crime of rape at a different place in the same year," he had said in his plea.

He had also felt that there was inordinate delay in lodging a complaint against him.

The victim's lawyer, opposing the anticipatory bail plea, had told the high court that the state police was allegedly not conducting a proper probe and had yielded to the actor's influence by not arresting him or recovering the electronic evidence.

It was also contended on behalf of the victim that Sidhique's custodial interrogation was necessary as he had committed 'a heinous crime'.

The prosecution, too, had opposed the anticipatory bail plea by arguing that the probe was at a 'nascent stage' and there was 'a stockpile of evidence against the petitioner-actor'.

It had further said if Sidhique was granted pre-arrest bail, he would tamper with the evidence and threaten the witnesses in view of 'his influence and clout'.

The prosecution had argued that the actor's 'custodial interrogation was necessary to investigate the crime, particularly his potency test, which had to be invariably conducted'.

The high court had rejected the actor's contentions, including that of delay in lodging a complaint, saying 'victims of sexual abuse and assault may experience psychological, emotional and social barriers that feed the delay in reporting the matter, which necessarily has to be understood in the context of the trauma'.

The court had also noted that even though the Justice Hema Committee submitted its report to the state government in 2019, 'the government maintained a sphinx-like silence for five years'.

'Ultimately, it was only through the intervention of this court that the report saw the light of day,' it had said.

Sidhique had resigned as the general secretary of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA) following the allegations against him by the female actor.

Multiple FIRs have been registered against many high-profile Malayalam film personalities following allegations of sexual harassment against various directors and actors in the wake of revelations in the Justice K Hema Committee report.

The committee was constituted by the Kerala government after the 2017 actress assault case and its report revealing instances of harassment and exploitation of women in the Malayalam cinema industry.

Following the allegations of sexual harassment and exploitation cropping up against several actors and directors, the state government on August 25 announced the establishment of a seven-member special investigation team to probe them.
Himachal Pradesh minister Vikramaditya Singh on Saturday said he has assuaged the Congress high command's concerns about ideology following his recent remarks on the street vendors issue and termed as 'misconception' the perception that Uttar Pradesh model was being followed in his state.

IMAGE: Himachal Pradesh public works minister Vikramaditya Singh. Photograph: ANI Photo

He said the multi-party committee formed by the Speaker in Himachal Pradesh would discuss all issues about street vending on October 3.

Singh's remarks came a day after the Congress top brass chided him over his remarks on mandatory display of names by the street vendors and told him that no one was allowed to go against the party's policies and ideologies.

Amid a row over the comments, Congress general secretary in-charge organisation K C Venugopal had a meeting here with Singh on Friday during which the minister was told that the party believed in Rahul Gandhi's mantra of fighting hatred with love.

In an interview with PTI Videos, Singh said that there was no controversy on the ground and it was all a 'media-created' issue which had been blown out of proportion.

"I apprised Venugopal ji of the real situation and I assuaged his concerns about ideology and assured him that we are dedicated and loyal soldiers of the party and will not do anything which is against party line. I assured him that," said the PWD minister in the Himachal Pradesh government led by Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu.

"But at the same time, I also told him that in Himachal, for the last one and a half months, first there was the mosque issue and other protests, as well as in light of the law, the high court and Supreme Court directives and our 2016 law on urban livelihood, the implementation has to be done in a phased manner," he said.

Singh said he told Venugopal that the state government has to ensure internal security as well as maintain a good environment.

"Any person can come to the state from anywhere. Himachal is an amazing part of India, any Himachali can go to any other state and similarly anyone can come there. But the street vending that is taking place, identification and verification, according to rules, has to be done for which I have said there are high court and Supreme Court directives," Singh said.

So, the vendors' registration is to be done as if there is any untoward activity, any law and order situation or there are local concerns, then the record, be it Aadhaar card or GST number, must be there with the authorities, he said.

"I have fully assured him (Venugopal) that in Himachal Pradesh under Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, the government is doing good work. I had also kept this matter in the assembly as well. The Speaker has formed an all-party committee and discussion will be done and it will be discussed how vending will be done," Singh said.

"We are not against anyone. We are just saying vending zones be demarcated and verification is done," he added.

Asked about assertions that the Uttar Pradesh model was being followed in Himachal Pradesh, Singh said this was highlighted in the media with the wrong perspective and wrongfully linked to UP.

"UP's perspective is different, it was their own law which was struck down by the Supreme Court. Himachal Pradesh's perspective is different and there are already directives from the Supreme Court and the High Court and law is there, so we have to implement that in stipulated time frame. Everyone's views will be taken into account," he said.

On the perception that UP model was being followed, Singh said, "That was the misconception that was portrayed by the media. That was taken cognizance by the high command. They had concerns about that also which they expressed and we assured them by placing the facts and figures before the Congress high command."

"It is our responsibility to follow the directive of the high command in letter and spirit. We are not budging from that. However, at the same time, the concerns of the people and expectations, we made the high command aware about them," he said.

Facing flak over Singh's announcement on mandatory display of names by the street vendors, the Himachal Pradesh government had on Thursday said that no such decision had been taken.

Singh, the public works and urban development minister, earlier on Wednesday told reporters that it would be mandatory for the street vendors, especially those selling food items, to display their identity cards at their shops.

The decision, he had said, was inspired by a similar directive announced by the Yogi Adityanath-led Uttar Pradesh government.

Distancing itself from Singh's remarks, the state government said in a statement that it had not taken any decision which made it mandatory for the street vendors to display nameplates or other identification at their stalls.

Singh had said the decision was taken considering 'apprehensions' expressed by several locals about the rising numbers of migrants in the state.

He also drew the censure of several leaders of the INDIA bloc when he posted his remarks on Facebook.

The All India Congress Committee's Himachal Pradesh in-charge Rajiv Shukla had said that he had discussed the issue with Singh and the chief minister.

"They will be given licences and regulated so that police do not harass them. The designated places will require identification such as Aadhaar cards and licences but there is no requirement for them to display a sign stating their name as the owner," Shukla told reporters in Jammu on Thursday.
On Bhagat Singh's 117th birth anniversary, Utkarsh Mishra recounts fascinating incidents from the legend's life.

Photograph: ANI Photo

Bhagat Singh holds a unique place in the Indian psyche. He is revered as a symbol of revolution, courage, and sacrifice. However, behind this giant image of a martyr, the revolutionary philosopher and the 23-year-old boy often get obscured.

He not only enjoyed reading revolutionary and philosophical literature but was also fond of films. He frequently discussed new films and actors' performances with his friends.

Years ago, I found a YouTube video titled 'Deleted Scenes of Rang De Basanti.' It included a scene where Bhagat Singh jokes with his starving comrades that they were eating the most delicious food and another where he argues with Chandrashekhar Azad that they should use their money to watch Uncle Tom's Cabin in a nearby theatre rather than buy food.

Both these scenes were based on real events recounted by Bhagat Singh's comrades in their memoirs, but the film-makers chose to remove them from the final cut -- or perhaps they were censored; I do not know.

However, I can make an attempt to guess why these scenes were removed. Perhaps we are not yet ready to see the young boy behind the great martyr, who was full of youthful gaiety despite the hardships he faced on the revolutionary path he had chosen.

Therefore, on his 117th birth anniversary, I found it fitting to write about such incidents from the lives of these revolutionaries, which they fondly recount in their memoirs.

These are mostly from the memoirs of Hindustan Socialist Republican Association members Shiv Verma, Bhagwan Das Mahaur, and Sadashiv Malkapurkar. Mahaur and Malkapurkar, hailing from Bundelkhand, were close associates of Azad, who brought them into the party.

As part of the HSRA, they also spent a great deal of time with Bhagat Singh.

Here are some of their recollections (originally in Hindi, translations are mine):

Rajguru's poetry angered Bhagat Singh

Mahaur writes that Rajguru was not considered very emotional or sentimental by others in their group. He was not seen as someone fond of poetry and romance as some of the other members were.

One full moon night, while they were at their base in Agra, the revolutionaries went to see the Taj Mahal. Everyone was savouring the moment in silence, perhaps trying to compose a few verses of their own. But Rajguru, who was not into poetry at all, kept talking.

One comrade said to him, "Raghunath (Rajguru's code name in the group), why are you here? Go home and exercise." Perhaps Rajguru didn't like it. That's why he wrote a verse of his own and became restless to read it to others.

The next morning, while having tea, Rajguru couldn't wait any longer and recited what he had written the previous night. Mahaur writes, "Bacchu Bhaiyya (Bejoy Kumar Sinha) rose up shouting, (Batukeshwar) Dutt was just staring at Rajguru in amazement, while Bhagat Singh took out his revolver, handed it to Rajguru, and said, 'You really don't want us to live, do you? Go ahead, shoot me, or promise you'll never try your hand at poetry again'."

Rajguru was perplexed. But he probably never wrote poetry in Hindi or Urdu after that.

Then came a day when Mahaur had to rethink his perception of Rajguru as emotionless. After killing J P Saunders to avenge Lala Lajpat Rai's death, when Bhagat Singh, Azad and Rajguru returned to their base in Lahore, Mahaur saw Rajguru looking sad. When Mahaur went to congratulate him, he found him in tears. Mahaur asked why, and Rajguru replied, "He was a beautiful young man. His family must be feeling terrible."

This incident shows us that these revolutionaries were not trigger-happy people who believed killing would bring freedom. They disliked taking lives, even of those who represented the monstrosity of the British Empire.

Bhagat Singh wanted to spend meal allowance on a movie

Bhagat Singh came from a wealthy family and didn't like wearing dirty clothes or eating substandard food. Once, while eating a frugal meal, he asked his friends, "Do you know how the wealthy nawabs of Lucknow eat?" Then, pretending to have a lavish feast, he took a bite, washed it down with water, and said, "Wow, how delicious!"

Mahaur writes that each group member used to receive four annas for the day's meals. Once, in December 1928, while dispersing after a magic lantern show in Lahore, Bhagat Singh saw posters for Uncle Tom's Cabin, a 1927 movie based on the anti-slavery novel, being shown in a nearby theatre.

Knowing Mahaur had one rupee for the meals of four members, Bhagat Singh urged him to spend the money on the movie. Mahaur refused, citing Azad's instructions to only use money for food, as it was hard for the revolutionary groups to raise funds and every penny was precious. Often, they had to go without food due to lack of money.

Bhagat Singh tried everything to convince Mahaur. First, he argued that revolutionaries must see the film as it portrayed the injustice faced by Blacks in America. Then he talked about the role of art in revolutionary movements.

When Mahaur reminded him to follow party discipline, Bhagat Singh delivered "a nice lecture" on not following rules blindly. After heated arguments and a threat to snatch the money, Bhagat Singh finally succeeded in convincing Mahaur.

However, they couldn't get tickets that cost four annas, only those priced at eight. Thus, they lost the next day's meal allowance too. After the film, Bhagat Singh continued teasing Mahaur about his adherence to 'discipline'.

When they returned, Bhagat Singh even convinced Azad why the film was essential viewing for all revolutionaries. Azad, like an elder brother, was a disciplinarian, but also loved his younger comrades dearly. How could he punish them by letting them go hungry? He gave them more money for food.

Bhagat Singh winked at Mahaur and smiled.

How Bhagat Singh responded to comments on his atheism

Shiv Verma recounts an incident when Bhagat Singh had a heated debate with Phanindra Nath Ghosh, a senior member of the party.

Verma says that at the time, younger members avoided challenging elders. However, Bhagat Singh was different and never backed down from an argument when he disagreed even with seniors.

Bhagat Singh was an atheist and preached atheism to the other members. After the famous 1928 meeting of revolutionaries, addressed by Bhagat Singh at Feroz Shah Kotla in Delhi, Verma went to Amritsar and rented a house there. Ghosh was staying with him and one day, Bhagat Singh also came from Lahore.

During a discussion, Ghosh told Bhagat Singh, "If God wants India to remain under foreign rule for a while longer, none of us can do anything." He also said that colonial rule was divine punishment for Indians who had forgotten their Dharma.

Bhagat Singh could take only so much. He replied, "Yours is a path of inaction. You sit quietly, leaving everything to God. In disguise of selfless action, you preach fatalism to the country's youth and expect them to do nothing. I can never follow this path. Those who consider this world an illusion can never fight honestly for its welfare or the freedom of this country.

"For me, this earth is the only heaven, and I don't believe in any other world. Why doesn't your God do anything to end injustice, oppression, hunger, poverty, exploitation, inequality, slavery, epidemics, violence, and war?"

Ghosh, surprised by the challenge from a younger member, retorted, "The world has seen many like you who wanted to be messiahs. We will see how long your courage lasts."

Restraining his anger, Bhagat Singh responded, "Perhaps I won't live long, but my courage will never leave me. And even after my death, it will become the country's courage and will follow the colonialists to their end. You keep looking to God for everything; I trust in the might and strength of human beings."

The rest, as they say, is history.

Ghosh turned government approver after his arrest, revealing many secrets that led to multiple arrests, wrecking the organisation.

Meanwhile, Bhagat Singh refused to take God's name even at the gallows.
BRATTLEBORO  If you're coming by the Royal Diner on a Friday evening for ice cream or a smash burger and fries, you might find yourself walki
California PG&E customer tried to reduce his energy bill but discovers hed been sent wrong bill for 18 years

Imagine doing everything in your power to reduce your mysteriously high energy bill  to the point where youre turning off the breakers every time you leave the house  to no avail.

Thats exactly what happened to a Vacaville, California, man as he struggled each month to lower his power usage to save money on his costly bills.

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Ken Wilson has lived in the same apartment complex for 18 years, and said hes always been incredibly cautious with his budget.

Yet, despite his best efforts to save money on his electricity bill, Wilsons monthly charges continued to skyrocket. He even purchased a device to help him calculate exactly how many watts each appliance gives off, but it made no difference to his charges.

It was only after calling his utility provider, Pacific Gas & Electric Company (PG&E), that it was discovered hed been charged for his neighbors power usage for nearly two decades. His bill was linked to unit 90  but Wilson lives in unit 91.

"I thought there was a leak or someone was stealing my electricity or the meter was faulty because something wasn't right," Wilson told CBS News Sacramento. I feel powerless right now because I can't control my own meter."

So far, PG&E confirmed they have credited more than $600 back onto Wilsons account, which reflects three years of overpayment. However, watchdog organizations believe Wilson should get far more considering PG&E admitted hed been connected to the wrong meter since 2009.

Who monitors power and electricity usage?

With regards to Wilsons situation, PG&E released a statement to CBS News Sacramento: We acknowledge an error occurred in this instance, and we are fully committed to rectifying the situation with the customer and make the customer whole. We sincerely apologize for the oversight and regret any inconvenience caused by the duration of this issue.

No matter who your utility provider is, they have an obligation to provide an accurate reading of the usage meter for their customers.

In the case of PG&E, the company acknowledged that they own the meters, which also makes them responsible for maintaining, operating, and reading them for each customer. From there, the actual usage is determined, so that customers can be charged appropriately.

Story continues

However, that doesnt always happen. In April 2024, another investigation by ABC News Sacramento discovered some PG&E customers were receiving bills for more than $1,000 for their alleged electricity usage.

It was later determined that there was an issue with their SmartMeter technology. As the batteries began to die in the meters, they began sending out erroneous readings to the utility provider. As a result, PG&E replaced more than three million meters for customers.

But some situations arent related to meters at all. Although cases like Wilsons are quite rare, they are known to happen without any real explanation.

In one case in San Diego, a womans utility provider was accidentally charging her for her entire apartment complexs power usage before cutting her power off.

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How to push back on incorrect utility bills

If you believe that your utility bill is higher than it should be, the first step is to start your research at home. Going through old bills can help you determine any patterns or drastic changes, and help you see if there is a dramatic spike in usage.

If prices increase seemingly overnight, or your bills dont go down despite concerted efforts to decrease usage, there could be a larger problem.

Once youve determined theres an issue, the next step is to call your provider. Be prepared to have some examples showing that theres an issue, and be direct in your request for a credit or refund.

Should the company be unwilling to work with you to determine a way forward, the next step is to take your case to the utilitys regulatory body.

In each state the process is different. If you are working with a municipal or regional utility provider, you may need to go through the city or regional authority to dispute the bill.

Otherwise, the state utility commissioners office should be able to help you work with the provider towards a satisfactory ending.

The National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) website has a directory of public utility offices that will help you track down the regulator in your state.

What to read next

This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.
BISHKEK -- Speaking through tears, Salkynai Kurmanova says she knows why her murdered daughter, Rahima, never visits her in her dreams.

It was Kurmanova who reconciled Rahima with her estranged and persistently violent husband after he came to their family home this year to beg for forgiveness during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.



The same night Rahima returned to her husband, she was brutally murdered, receiving 27 stab wounds in the presence of her 3-year-old child.



"I realize now how infantile my reasoning was. I would tell her, 'He is also someone's son.... You are still young.... It's better to have a husband than to be without one," Kurmanova recalled.



In response, she said, Rahima asked her: "Why are we like this? We suffer because of our kindness and compassion. Why do you do this?"



"When I remember how she was tortured and killed, my heart breaks. Sometimes, I can't sleep until dawn. When a court hearing is coming up, I become anxious and can't sit still," the grieving mother said.

The case covering Rahima's murder is one of at least three shocking femicide cases currently being heard in Kyrgyz courts, with RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service able to speak earlier this month to the relatives of two of the three victims.



But there are no signs that the cases are shocking either officials or society into change.



Since 2010, according to research commissioned by the Open Society Foundation, more than 1,100 Kyrgyz women have been killed, with men the murderers in 80 percent of the cases and the victims knowing their killer in about 75 percent of the cases.



These statistics do not account for female suicides, which experts say are often underpinned by regular physical abuse.



"Public indifference and the ineffectiveness of relevant state bodies are the main causes of femicide," Gulnara Ibraeva, a sociologist, told RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service.



"We call this femicide because it is happening en masse."

'I Was Proud Of Her Pure Heart'



For Roza Zhekshenova, the mother of Aizhan Alykulova, the grief and shock of losing her daughter this February is compounded by the extreme violence of her death, a typical feature of femicide.

She remembers her as a "brave and charming" child who "loved her grandmother very much."



"When she was in the ninth grade she and her friends used money earned from picking fruit to buy yogurt for an orphanage. I was so proud of her pure heart," Zhekshenova recalled.



That passion for volunteering continued into her adult life. Alykulova, who worked abroad in Belgium, the United Arab Emirates, Germany, and Turkey and spoke several languages fluently, would have turned 40 on August 12.



Instead, Zhekshenova spent that date mourning her daughter after she ended up dead less than a month after a man that she met at a New Year's celebration and began dating moved into her apartment.



"There are strangulation marks. There are three holes in the back of her head. Eight of her ribs were broken. One broken rib pierced her lungs and [another rib] ruptured her kidney. She had a brain hemorrhage. My daughter wore glasses, and the frames were embedded into her eyes. There was no part of her face without bruising," Zhekshenova said, weeping over photo albums containing memories of happier times.



"When I remember how my daughter suffered and died I don't want to live for another minute."

In the vast majority of cases, women who die from violence do so after suffering routine physical abuse. But when it comes to nonfatal cases of violence, "less than 30 percent reach court [and] perhaps only 1 percent result in full punishment," according to the law said Ibraeva.



Data cited by the UN indicates that three-quarters of murders involving women occur in the victim's home.



But while this makes it a more dangerous location statistically than the streets of Kyrgyz cities and villages, that doesn't mean Kyrgyz women enjoy security outside the home.



Police Negligence Unpunished, Protections Absent



Abductions of women, often for the purpose of marriage, are more common in Kyrgyzstan than in any other country in the Central Asian region.



This is reflected by the country placing 95th out of 177 in last year's Women Peace and Security Index (WPSI), lower than anywhere else in its immediate neighborhood, with Uzbekistan placing 94th.



Cases of so-called bride kidnapping, sometimes incorrectly conflated with pre-Soviet nomadic traditions, inevitably attract a greater media spotlight than deaths from domestic violence.



One such case that spurred civil society demonstrations in Bishkek in 2021 involved the brutal murder of 20-year-old Burulai Turdaaly-kyzy.



Turdaaly-kyzy was killed by a 29-year-old man who had already kidnapped her in the past after police inexplicably failed to separate the suspect and the victim at a police station after apprehending them.



Another shocking case concerned 27-year-old Aizada Kanatbekova, who was found strangled following a daytime abduction by a group of men, one of whom was fixated on the idea of marrying her.



In its report on Kanatbekova's case in 2021, Human Rights Watch cited reports that police in the capital city of Bishkek had failed to execute a police search for Kanatbekova and her captors, while "Kanatbekova's mother said police had laughed off her plea for help after the abduction and told her she'd soon be dancing at her daughter's wedding."

Public pressure to see the police punished for neglect in that case led to Bishkek's then-police chief being dismissed.



But according to HRW's follow-up report this month, there were reports even years ago that Bakyt Matmusaev had continued to work in powerful, albeit lower profile police posts after his dismissal.



In May, a district-level court in Bishkek ruled to acquit Matmusaev of neglect charges brought against him by Kanatbekova's family -- a verdict upheld by a city-level court earlier this month.



After a woman in southern Kyrgyzstan was killed in a domestic violence incident in January, the powerful chief of the State Committee for National Security (UKMK), Kamchibek Tashiev, said women suffering abuse could also appeal to local branches of the UKMK, but offered few details on the process.



"We must protect our mothers, wives, and daughters, and we are also obliged to help them," Tashiev said. "When there is a mother there is a family and a homeland."
Israel on October 7 marked the somber anniversary of the Hamas attack on the Jewish state that killed more than 1,200 people and took some 250 hostages as the Israeli military continued its massive air strikes on Beirut and its incursion in southern Lebanon that aims to destroy the Iran-allied Hezbollah militant group.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog led a national moment of silence at 6:29 a.m., the time the attack started, at Kibbutz Reim, the site of the Nova music festival where hundreds of mostly young revelers were killed by gunmen from Hamas, which has been designated a terrorist organization by both the United States and the European Union.

In Washington, President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris condemned Hamas on the anniversary, while also stating again the U.S. administration's commitment to reaching cease-fire agreements to end fighting in both Gaza and Lebanon.

"On this solemn anniversary, let us bear witness to the unspeakable brutality of the October 7 attacks but also to the beauty of the lives that were stolen that day," Biden said in a statement.

The Israeli military said that during the ceremony led by Herzog, four projectiles were launched from Gaza toward the same Israeli communities targeted at the start of last year's attack. The military said the ceremony was not disrupted.

In Jerusalem, relatives of the some 100 hostages still in Hamas captivity, many of whom are believed dead, gathered outside the residence of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and stood in silence as a siren wailed in a gesture of protest against what relatives say is the failure of the government to secure their loved ones' release.



Following the October 7 attack, Israel launched a military assault on Gaza that has killed nearly 42,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which is run by Hamas.



The Israeli military said on October 7 that over the past year, it has bombed more than 40,000 targets in Gaza, found 4,700 tunnel shafts and destroyed 1,000 rocket launcher sites.



The conflict in Gaza is still raging while Israel is now fighting on a second front in southern Lebanon against Hezbollah.



Early on October 7, Hezbollah, designated a terrorist organization by the United States, fired rockets into the north Israeli cities of Haifa and Tiberias, causing damage and some minor injuries, Israeli police said.



The European Union has blacklisted Hezbollah's armed wing but not its political unit, which holds seats in the Lebanese parliament.

Amid the military activity at the individual level, the private lives of civilians throughout the region have been disrupted.

In the ancient city of Beersheba in southern Israel, Irena Stein, who left Albania in 1991 to resettle in the country, told RFE/RL's Kosovo Service that life in recent times had been filled with "sadness and pain."

"We had several months of rockets. Then, the number of rockets decreased, and we continued with daily life, like someone who goes on with their life after the seven days of mourning with a great pain in the heart," said Stein, who is in her late 60s.

"There's this feeling like something might happen, that we should be cautious. But I believe you can't live with fear, so we've continued our lives, always praying to God that nothing happens to us."

She said that in Beersheba -- where human activity can be traced to the fourth millennium BC -- things have been calm since rockets were last heard on September 29. But she lamented that throughout Israel, "We suffer from this situation, and the Palestinian people suffer from it, too."

"The Lebanese people also suffer...everyone suffers. But as they say, peace must be decided at the highest level."

Meanwhile, in a Lebanese mountain village southeast of Beirut, local resident Hadi Zahwe told reporters an Israeli strike on October 6 was "terrifying."

"There were children killed, there were children's body parts. This enemy is targeting civilian women and children," he said.

Netanyahu has insisted that Israeli forces are targeting terrorist strongholds and that civilian fatalities have been extremely low in the recent military actions.

Israel in recent weeks has been bombing Beirut's southern suburbs and has staged a ground incursion into south Lebanon in its drive to wipe out Hezbollah's capabilities and leadership.



The Israeli campaign on Hezbollah prompted the group's patron, Iran, to respond by attacking the Jewish state with a large wave of rockets that were largely shot down by Israeli air defenses without causing substantial damage, but the attack renewed fears of a a larger regional conflict.



Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on October 6 threatened Iran that it might eventually find itself looking like Beirut or Gaza -- which has also been battered over the past year -- if Tehran attempts to further harm Israel.



"The Iranians did not touch the air force's capabilities. No aircraft were damaged, no squadron was taken out of order," Gallant said in reference to the Iranian missile strike, which caused few injuries and slight damage to two air force bases.

"Whoever thinks that a mere attempt to harm us will deter us from taking action should take a look at [Israels operations] in Gaza and Beirut."



Israel earlier said it conducted a series of "targeted strikes" on "weapons storage facilities" and infrastructure sites that belong to Iran-backed Hezbollah.



Lebanon's official National News Agency said Hezbollah's stronghold in the area was hit by more than 30 strikes. A petrol station and a medical supplies warehouse were hit by the air raids.



Video footage showed huge flames and plumes of smoke billowing into the night sky as residents fled their homes in panic with explosions echoing in the background.



Many observers said the attacks were the strongest yet of Israel's recent air strikes.

Beiruts Skyline Lit Up Amid New Israeli Airstrikes No media source currently available 0:00 0:00:59 0:00

Israel has bombed Beirut's suburbs for days, killing Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah and possibly his potential successor, Hashem Safieddine.



Security sources have said Safieddine had been out of contact since October 4 after an Israeli air strike near Beirut's international airport that was reported to have targeted him. Hezbollah has not commented on Safieddine.



Israel says Nasrallah was killed in a strike on the group's central command headquarters in Beirut on September 27.



Two senior Iranian security officials told Reuters on October 6 that Ismail Qaani, commander of the Quds Force -- the overseas arm of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) -- also had not been heard from in recent days since traveling to Lebanon.

Statements on October 6 out of the United States -- Tel Aviv's most important ally -- indicated some frustrations with the scope of Israel's military action.



"Military pressure can at times enable diplomacy. Of course, military pressure can also lead to miscalculation. It can lead to unintended consequences," a U.S. State Department spokesperson said in a statement.



The spokesperson said Washington supported Israeli actions in going after extremist elements but added that U.S. leaders but did not approve of the targeting of civilian infrastructure.



Israel says the attacks on Hezbollah are aimed at enabling the safe return of tens of thousands of citizens to homes in northern Israel, bombarded by the group since last October.

With reporting by RFE/RL's Kosovo Service and AP
Israel's military widened its attacks on Iran-backed militant groups, striking the Yemeni port city of Hodeida that is held by Tehran-allied Huthi rebels, even as it intensified air strikes on Hezbollah strongholds in southern Beirut and elsewhere in Lebanon, raising fears among global leaders of an all-out Middle East war.

"In a large-scale air operation today, dozens of air-force aircraft, including fighter jets, refueling planes, and reconnaissance aircraft, attacked military-use targets of the Huthi terrorist regime in the Ras Issa and Hodeida areas of Yemen," military spokesman Captain David Avraham told AFP on September 29.

The military said the air strikes targeted a Huthi-operated power plant and seaport used to import oil and to allegedly receive Iranian weapons. Israel has previously attacked the port, most recently in July.

Yemen has endured a civil war since 2014, when Huthi rebels seized the capital, Sanaa, prompting Saudi-led forces to intervene in support of the internationally recognized government and leading to a massive humanitarian disaster in the country of some 40 million people on the southern Arabian Peninsula.

The vast majority of humanitarian aid arrives through Hodeida's deep-water port, although much of that has been disrupted since the Huthis seized the facility.

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said on September 29 that Israel would strike at foes no matter the distance.

Yemen's Huthi rebels, Hezbollah in Lebanon, and Hamas in Gaza are considered to be Iranian proxies in the region. The Huthi rebels have been targeting ships in the Persian Gulf and launching missiles toward Israel over the past year, claiming it is in support of Hamas fighters in Gaza.

Hezbollah and Hamas have been designated as terrorist organizations by the United States. The European Union also designates Hamas as a terrorist organization, as it does Hezbollah's armed wing but not its political party.

Israel's continued aerial attacks on Lebanon and now in Yemen come amid mounting calls from the United Nations and major powers  including close ally Washington -- for an easing of hostilities.

France announced that Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot had arrived in Beirut late on September 29 after Barrot spoke by phone with caretaker Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati. Paris also called for "an immediate halt to Israeli strikes in Lebanon."

Mikati said in a televised speech earlier in the day that Lebanon had "no option but the diplomatic option."

U.S. President Joe Biden on September 29 told reporters that he would soon being speaking to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, although he didn't give a date.

Asked if an all-out war in the Middle East could still be prevented, he said: "It has to be. We really have to avoid it."

U.S. national-security spokesman John Kirby earlier warned that all-out war would not help Israel safely return people to their homes in the north of the country near the Lebanese border, where many thousands have been evacuated.

"An all-out war with Hezbollah, certainly with Iran, is not the way to do that. If you want to get those folks back home safely and sustainably, we believe that a diplomatic path is the right course," Kirby told CNN.

Kirby also said Washington was talking to Israeli leaders about what the best next measures in Lebanon might be and reiterated that U.S. support for Israels security was "iron-clad."

But he added that "we have made no bones about the fact that we don't necessarily see the tactical execution the same way that they do in terms of protection [of civilians]."

Iran has vowed a response for the killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in a massive Israeli air strike in Beirut on September 27 and has signaled continuing support for groups confronting Israel, but it is also seeking an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council.

Israel's defense forces said on September 29 that they had conducted a "precise strike" on Hezbollah's southern Beirut stronghold.

Mikati has warned that the fighting could be displacing as many as 1 million Lebanese civilians.

Hezbollah confirmed that Israel's attacks killed the seventh of its leaders to die since mid-September, when Nabil Kaouk died on September 28.

Hezbollah also confirmed Israel's earlier assertion that another of its senior commanders, southern forces commander Ali Karaki, had died in the strike that killed Nasrallah.

WATCH: Police in Pakistan's biggest city, Karachi, fired tear gas and warning shots after protesters rallying against the death of Hassan Nasrallah threw stones and tried to cross barriers blocking access to the U.S. Consulate.

In response to the Israeli assault on Lebanon, Hezbollah has intensified its strikes on Israel, firing several hundred missiles a day, causing some injuries and property damage, although most have been intercepted by Israeli defense systems.

Netanyahu described the assassination of Nasrallah as a necessary move toward "changing the balance of power in the region for years to come."

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi was quoted by the official Fars news agency as saying in New York that "Everyone should be aware that the situation is extremely explosive, and that everything is possible...even war." He said that "this horrible crime...will not go unanswered."

But with analysts expressing doubt about Tehran's willingness to risk a direct conflict with Israel or its ally the United States, he also signaled a diplomatic push. "The diplomatic apparatus will also use all its political, diplomatic, legal, and international capacities to pursue the criminals and their supporters," Araqchi said.

UN Security Council permanent members the United States and China urged de-escalation, while Russia warned of "fraught" and "dramatic" consequences for the region.

In his first statement since Israeli forces and Hezbollah confirmed the death of Nasrallah in massive air strikes in Beirut, Netanyahu said "Nasrallah was not a terrorist, he was the terrorist."

AFP and Reuters, both citing sources, reported on September 29 that Nasrallah's body had been recovered in Lebanon but that no date had been set for a funeral.



The Lebanese escalation comes as Israel's war in Gaza nears the one-year mark since U.S.- and EU-designated terrorist group Hamas launched a cross-border attack that killed more than 1,200 people in Israel on October 7, many of them civilians.



There are fears of a rapidly expanding conflict that could include an Israeli ground offensive in Lebanon and eventually draw Iran and the United States directly into the fighting.

Israeli officials have said that a ground invasion of Lebanon is among their potential options.

Iranian media reported that Israel's September 27 attacks in Beirut had also killed a senior commander of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC).



On September 28, Iran's mission to the United Nations reportedly called in a letter for an emergency meeting of the 15-member Security Council.



Iranian Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani is said to have accused Israel of committing "a flagrant act of terrorist aggression against residential areas in Beirut, using U.S.-supplied thousand-pound bunker busters."



On September 29, official media quoted the speaker of Iran's parliament, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, as pledging ongoing Iranian support for groups that "resist" Israel.

"We will not hesitate to go to any level in order to help the resistance," Qalibaf said, adding an accusation that the United States was "complicit" and "has to accept the repercussions."



UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he was "gravely concerned" by the "dramatic escalation" in Lebanon. "This cycle of violence must stop now, and all sides must step back from the brink," Guterres said in a statement. "The people of Lebanon, the people of Israel, as well as the wider region, cannot afford an all-out war."



Security Council member Russia has condemned the killing of Nasrallah as "yet another political assassination" that is "fraught with even greater dramatic consequences for Lebanon and the entire Middle East."



On September 29, China's Foreign Ministry urged all parties, but especially Israel, to act to de-escalate the situation.

Pope Francis appealed to all parties involved in the ongoing violence "to cease fire immediately in Lebanon, in Gaza, in the rest of Palestine, and in Israel."

With reporting by Reuters and dpa
One year ago, Hamas -- the U.S.- and EU-designated Palestinian terrorist group that controls the Gaza Strip -- carried out an unprecedented attack on Israel, the deadliest in the countrys history.

In response, Israel launched an aerial bombardment and ground invasion of the Palestinian enclave to destroy Hamas and rescue the 251 hostages taken by the group.

Israel has expanded its war in recent weeks by invading Lebanon and launching air strikes targeting Hezbollah, the armed group and political party that controls much of southern Lebanon.

RFE/RL spoke to Lior Yohanani, manager of quantitative research at the Israel Democracy Institute, a Jerusalem-based independent research center, which on October 7 released a wide-ranging survey of Israeli public opinion after one year of war.

RFE/RL: Can you explain what your study found as to how Israelis view the past year since Hamas's October 7 attack?



Lior Yohanani: Well, I think Israelis still don't see October 7 as an event that's over. Sure, the actual horrific events of that day ended, but Israelis are still living with the consequences.

There are two main aspects to this. First, since October 7, Israel has been in this multifront war that doesn't seem to have an end in sight. And then, of course, there is the issue of the hostages still being held in Gaza. So, we're seeing a sharp drop in people's sense of personal security. Almost three quarters of the public feel less safe compared to before October 7, and that's despite a year of war and some significant military achievements. On the flip side, we're also seeing that most people say their lives have returned to normal when it comes to things like work, media consumption, and family and social gatherings.

Another thing we're noticing is that the Israeli public is giving pretty low marks to all the political and military leaders for the performance since October 7. For example, almost two-thirds of Israelis are rating Prime Minister [Benjamin] Netanyahu's performance since then as poor or not good.

RFE/RL: How has Israel's involvement in a two-front conflict, in both Gaza and Lebanon, as well as a confrontation with Iran affected public opinion among Israelis?



Yohanani: It's tough to answer that question, because we're at the point where things could go in a few different directions. In the last few weeks, we've seen a major escalation in the conflict with Hezbollah in Lebanon, and just last week, Iran launched nearly 200 ballistic missiles at Israel, which Israel is expected to respond to. In a survey we just did recently, we asked whether Israeli society and the military could handle fighting on two or more fronts for an extended period of time, and the results were pretty striking. Over 70 percent believe that yes, both Israeli society and the military can handle that kind of prolonged fighting. So, while the situation is complex and evolving, there seems to be a strong sense of resilience and capability among Israelis, even in the face of these multiple threats. But of course, public opinion could shift depending on how events unfold in the coming weeks or months.



RFE/RL: Is there support for Netanyahus response to October 7? Is there debate in Israeli society, as well as political circles, over Netanyahus strategic choices?



Yohanani: First of all, it's important to say that the Israeli public has largely supported significant military operation against Hamas in Gaza. That said, the Israeli discourse around the October 7 events, the ongoing war, and especially toward Prime Minister Netanyahu, is very polarized between right-wing supporters on the one hand and left and center supporters on the other.

People are hoping for a future where Israel can exist without constant threats, rather than expecting a harmonious relationship with its neighbors in the near-term."

So, on the left and the center, there is a high level of distrust and suspicion toward Netanyahu and his government. For instance, Netanyahu's apparent reluctance to pursue a deal for returning the hostages in exchange for ending the fighting in Gaza is seen by large parts of the public, even on the right, as resulting from Netanyahu's dependence on far-right, ultranationalist members of his government who refuse any compromise or ceasefire.

Now for a long time, Netanyahu and his ministers argued that only significant military force would lead Hamas to compromise and release the hostages. Now, with military attention and resources shifting to the north, people are asking, where is this massive military force that was supposed to bring the hostages home?

One question we have asked several times since October 7 in our polls is what should be the main goal in Gaza: Dismantling Hamas or bringing back the hostages? And as time goes on, public opinion is increasingly supporting the return of hostages. In our current survey, 62 percent saw bringing the bringing back the hostages as Israel's main goal, while only 29 percent pointed to dismantling Hamas as the primary objective.

RFE/RL: How do ordinary Israelis see the question of the remaining hostages amid the continued protests by the hostages' families?



Yohanani: As I mentioned before, most of the public supports a deal to release the hostages, even if it means ending the war and withdrawing the military forces from Gaza. There's this widespread feeling that we've left the hostages behind, and that's really hitting at our sense of solidarity, which is a deep and fundamental value, I think, in Jewish history in general and in Israel society in particular.

At the same time, the campaign run by the Hostages And Missing Families Forum has become very politicized. Many right-wing supporters see it as weakening Israel. As time goes on, we're seeing more and more harassment of protesters who support bringing the hostages back. There are cases of passersby cursing, even hitting and throwing eggs, at hostages' families. In our latest survey, we asked about the effectiveness of the protests and actions taken by the hostages' families.

Despite most of the public feeling empathetic toward the hostage issue, only less than a third think these actions are actually helping to advance a deal for the hostages' release, while almost 40 percent think they're actually hurting the cause. So, you've got this complex situation where people want the hostages back, but there is disagreement and some backlash about how to make that happen.

RFE/RL: Can you explain the reasons behind the apparent contradiction in views regarding prioritizing a negotiated return of the hostages, or destroying Hamas?

Yohanani: You're right to point out that apparent contradiction. Let me break it down a bit. As I mentioned earlier, a clear majority of the public sees a deal to release the hostages as the main goal. But there is a big gap between political camps on this issue. In the center and left, about 80 percent support the deal for the hostages' release, while the opinions on the right are evenly split. So, for most of the left and center, the fighting in Gaza has run its course. They feel most military objectives have been achieved, and Hamas's military power has been significantly weakened. From their perspective, continuing the fight now only puts the hostages at greater risk.

It's important to know that about half of the right-wing also shares this view of prioritizing the hostages' release, but the other half of those on the far-right thinks dismantling Hamas is more important.

Why? For a couple of reasons.

First, there's a security stance that Hamas must be wiped out and not allowed to recover. There is also a very strong sentiment of revenge, with minimal consideration for the cost, whether it's the lives of the hostages, soldiers, let alone innocent civilians in Gaza. Another significant component openly discussed in religious nationalist circles is the return of Jewish settlement to the Gaza Strip after Israel evacuated Jewish settlements from there in 2005.

RFE/RL: Is there public confidence that Israel will ultimately be able to remove the threat of Hamas and Hezbollah and come out of this conflict with greater prospects for a peaceful and stable near-term future?



Yohanani: Right now, the Israeli public isn't showing a lot of optimism. In our current survey, when we asked people if they're optimistic or pessimistic about Israel's future, we found more pessimists, 48 percent, than optimists, 45 percent.

I also think it's important to note that a peaceful future, as you put it, or peace in general, isn't really a common concept in the current Israeli discourse. I would say the hope of Israelis is that the military actions against Hezbollah and Iran will lead to a situation where Israel's existence isn't in question, and that Israeli military superiority will prevent events like October 7 from happening again. So, it's less about peace in the traditional sense, and more about security and deterrence. People are hoping for a future where Israel can exist without constant threats, rather than expecting a harmonious relationship with its neighbors in the near-term.
Flames and billows of smoke could be seen in the Lebanese capital, Beirut, early on September 28 after a night of Israeli strikes. The strikes killed Hassan Nasrallah, a Shi'ite cleric leading the militant group Hezbollah, designated a terrorist organization by the United States. Thousands of residents of Beirut's southern suburbs spent the night on the streets after they heeded an Israeli warning and evacuated their homes before the strikes.
China and Brazil on Friday sought to advance their long-standing bid to mediate peace between Russia and Ukraine on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, a diplomatic effort marked by broad objectives yet few specifics.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi voiced hope that the international community would convene a peace conference with a "fair discussion" of all proposals, without offering a date or location.

Wang added that "we oppose using the crisis as an excuse" to pile on sanctions, in an apparent reference to the US.

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"We want to be partners to Russia and Ukraine as they work towards peace," he said after the meeting. "We must avoid a resurgence of a Cold-War mentality."

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi attends a meeting at the United Nations in New York on Thursday. Photo: Xinhua alt=Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi attends a meeting at the United Nations in New York on Thursday. Photo: Xinhua>

China and Brazil were joined in their discussion on Friday by Algeria, Bolivia, Colombia, Egypt, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Mexico, South Africa, Turkey and Zambia.

Neither the US nor the European Union took part. France, Hungary and Switzerland sent observers.

In response hours later, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken stopped short of endorsing the Chinese and Brazilian proposal, saying it could potentially be helpful.

"Any plan that's grounded clearly in the principles of the United Nations charter - notably territorial integrity, sovereignty, independence - is something that's worth looking at," he told reporters in New York.

But America's top diplomat believed any lasting solution would need effectively to balance the interests of both sides, not simply benefit Russia, China's ally.

"A peace in which the aggressor gets everything that it's sought and the victim does not have its rights upheld is not a recipe for a lasting peace and certainly not a just one," said Blinken.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has criticised the proposal jointly offered by Brazil and China, arguing on Tuesday that "Russia can only be forced into peace, and that is exactly what's needed".

A day later, in a speech to the UN General Assembly, Zelensky questioned why the two countries floated an alternative to his own peace formula.

Story continues

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky addresses the UN General Assembly in New York on Wednesday. Zelensky has criticised the peace proposal from China and Brazil as too favourable to Russia. Photo: ZUMA Press Wire/dpa alt=Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky addresses the UN General Assembly in New York on Wednesday. Zelensky has criticised the peace proposal from China and Brazil as too favourable to Russia. Photo: ZUMA Press Wire/dpa>

Proposing "alternatives, half-hearted settlement plans, so-called sets of principles" would only give Moscow the political space to continue waging war, the Ukrainian leader said.

But Celso Amorim, chief adviser to Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, told reporters on Friday that the assembled nations were not in New York to weigh in on the positions of either Zelensky or Russian President Vladimir Putin.

"I'm not here to respond either to Zelensky or Putin, just to propose a way for peace," he said, calling the meeting "a first step" towards other countries' broad participation.

Support from Global South nations for a six-point proposal by Brazil and China had strengthened since he and Wang introduced it in May, Amorim added.

The Brazilian official asserted that the participation of three Western observers on Friday "is something interesting and shows our openness" to dialogue.

Shortly after Wang and Amorim spoke, the Chinese foreign minister met with Blinken at Beijing's UN mission in New York.

Blinken called the meeting "candid and substantive", noting they discussed military-to-military communication, the risks of artificial intelligence, illegal drugs and the importance of peace and stability in the South China Sea and across the Taiwan Strait.

"I also underscored our strong concern to China's support for Russia's defence industrial base, which fuels Russia's war machine and perpetuates a war that China purports to want to see end," he added.

On that note, Wang urged the US to stop "smearing" China and imposing "indiscriminate" sanctions, according to a Chinese foreign ministry readout.

"China's position on the Ukraine issue is open and aboveboard. The United States should stop using this as an excuse to create or incite bloc-confrontation" Wang was quoted as saying.

Wang also touched on the South China Sea, saying that Beijing insists on resolving differences with concerned parties through dialogue and consultation.

"The US should not always stir up trouble in the South China Sea or undermine the efforts of regional countries to maintain peace and stability."

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks to the media in New York on Friday. Photo: Getty Images via AFP alt=US Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks to the media in New York on Friday. Photo: Getty Images via AFP>

The US secretary of state declined to provide specifics on any planned call or meeting between President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping before Biden's term ends in January.

"I've got nothing to share in terms of any schedules," Blinken said. "But we also agreed on the importance of the leaders communicating and so I fully anticipate we will see that in the weeks and months ahead."

Meanwhile, Lula's special adviser Amorim revealed on Friday that, among all the countries represented at the meeting, only the United Arab Emirates declined to sign the joint declaration, citing involvement in other Ukraine peace talks.

Mexico objected to language about Russia's "legitimate security concerns" but went along with the joint statement, Amorim noted, saying: "It takes time for people to see that other paths are not leading anywhere."

Friday's meeting was "the beginning of a conversation" for the newly formed "Friends for Peace" group, which will continue its discussions in New York, he added.

The development "shows that countries from the Global South can play a constructive role in advocating for peace and in expressing wide global support for a political solution that can bring this conflict to a close".

This week, Nicholas Burns, the US ambassador to China, suggested that the US could levy more sanctions on the Asian giant given mounting concern over its support for Russia's wartime economy.

To date, the US has already initiated some 300 sanctions, with limited evidence that it has changed China's approach.

Celso Amorim, chief adviser to Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, calls Friday's meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly "a first step" towards other countries' participation in the peace process. Photo: EPA-EFE alt=Celso Amorim, chief adviser to Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, calls Friday's meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly "a first step" towards other countries' participation in the peace process. Photo: EPA-EFE>

Yet Blinken on Friday stressed that 70 per cent of the machine tools and 90 per cent of the microelectronics that Russia was drawing on came from China or Hong Kong.

"So when Beijing says on the one hand that it wants peace, it wants to see an end to the conflict, but on the other hand is allowing its companies to take actions that are actually helping Putin continue the aggression, that doesn't add up," he said.

"I'm not going to preview any [sanctions] actions we may be taking in the future, but it's also, I think, important to note that other countries are not only concerned about this, they're acting on it and will continue to act on it."

Wang on Friday said China was ideally positioned to act as an honest broker in any peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine.

"We did not create the Ukrainian crisis nor are we parties to it," he added. "We have no vested interest."

That line of reasoning has not persuaded Washington, however, which has stated repeatedly that Beijing is hardly neutral even as it has urged Beijing to use more of its political capital with Moscow to jump-start negotiations.

As recently as May, Xi and Putin reaffirmed their "no-limits partnership" at a summit in Beijing.

Western allies have steadily tightened sanctions against the Russian government, companies and individuals since the Kremlin ordered the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Nevertheless, global oil sales, barter trade and sanction evasion have buoyed Russia's economy, which posted GDP growth of 3.6 per cent in 2023.

The West's more selective sanctions on mainland companies have tracked with growing concern over Beijing's bid to help prop up Moscow's industrial base with dual-use items.

China has been more active on the global diplomatic stage in recent years, brokering a historic rapprochement between Iran and Saudi Arabia in 2023.

Analysts say Moscow's trust in Beijing could be instrumental should the warring sides decide a political settlement is possible.

Wang in New York urged the international community, "especially the Global South", to work together in a spirit of neutrality that "does not reflect the position of any [single] member".

A joint communique released after Friday's talks called for momentum towards "inclusive diplomacy and political means based on the UN charter", increased humanitarian help, de-escalation and an end to the threatened use of weapons of mass destruction.

Wang also called on all sides to prevent attacks on nuclear-power plants, "respect each other's sovereignty and territorial integrity [and] accommodate each other's legitimate security", adding that "hatred should not proliferate".

Blinken insisted Washington had been clear in its dealings with China. "Our intent is not to decouple Russia from China. Their relationship is their business," he said.

Rather, the US focus was on Chinese support for Russia's war-fighting capability.

"It's a problem for us and it's a problem for many other countries, notably in Europe," Blinken added. "Because right now Russia presents the greatest threat not just to Ukrainian security but to European security since the end of the Cold War."

Additional reporting by Kawala Xie in Washington

This article originally appeared in the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the most authoritative voice reporting on China and Asia for more than a century. For more SCMP stories, please explore the SCMP app or visit the SCMP's Facebook and Twitter pages. Copyright  2024 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.

Copyright (c) 2024. South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.
Hours after the Iran-allied militant group Hezbollah confirmed that its leader, Hassan Nasrallah, was killed in a massive Israeli air strike, violence flared again, with sirens blaring in Tel Aviv and Israeli forces continuing to hit targets in Beirut and southern Lebanon.

The Israeli military on September 28 said air-raid sirens had gone off at Tel Aviv's airport as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was returning from the United States and his speech at the United Nations, with officials saying missiles fired by Iran-backed Huthi rebels were intercepted over the city. No injuries were immediately reported.

Meanwhile, U.S. President Joe Biden said the death of Nasrallah brought "a measure of justice" to his many victims over the preceding decades and said Israel had the right to defend itself from a "terrorist organization."

It was not known if the missile attack at th Tel Aviv airport specifically targeted Netanyahu, who cut short his U.S. trip amid the latest violence, which intensified on September 27 when Israel launched a massive attack on southern Lebanon, killing Nasrallah and several other leaders of the U.S.-designated terrorist organization.

Israeli forces on September 28 continued their air strikes on sites they said housed Hezbollah commanders and weapons, including what they said was a "precise strike" on a site in Beirut.

After hours of widespread speculation, Hezbollah confirmed the Israeli military's earlier claim that it had killed Nasrallah in a series of strikes, which also claimed the lives of several other members of the group.

"Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, secretary-general of Hezbollah, has joined his great, immortal martyr comrades whom he led for about 30 years," Hezbollah said in a statement on September 28.

Hezbollah vowed to continue its fight against Israel despite the death of its longtime leader. It gave no indication of who might succeed Nasrallah.

U.S. officials said they were not informed ahead of the attacks by close ally Israel and played no role in the action, although the White House said U.S. officials were briefed that Israel was considering a plan to ramp up operations against Hezbollah, including a possible ground offensive.

Biden, in a statement released by the White House, said Nasrallah and Hezbollah were responsible for the deaths of Americans, Israelis, and Lebanese over the past 40 years.

"Hassan Nasrallah and the terrorist group he led, Hezbollah, were responsible for killing hundreds of Americans over a four-decade reign of terror. His death from an Israeli air strike is a measure of justice for his many victims, including thousands of Americans, Israelis, and Lebanese civilians," he said.

Biden, whose term will end on January 20, 2025, said Washington fully supported Israel's right to defend itself against Hezbollah, Hamas -- also designated a terrorist organization by the United States -- Huthi rebels, "and any other Iranian-supported terrorist groups."

Biden later told reporters that "it's time for a cease-fire" when asked if a ground invasion by Israel was inevitable.

Vice President Kamala Harris, who is the Democratic nominee to face Republican Donald Trump in the November 5 presidential election, echoed Biden's remarks, saying, "Hassan Nasrallah was a terrorist with American blood on his hands."

"I have an unwavering commitment to the security of Israel. I will always support Israel's right to defend itself against Iran and Iran-backed terrorist groups such as Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Huthis."

The State Department ordered some staff at the U.S. Embassy in Beirut and their eligible family members to leave Lebanon amid the escalating tensions.

UN chief Antonio Guterres said he was "gravely concerned" by the "dramatic escalation" seen in Lebanon over the past 24 hours.

Moscow, meanwhile, condemned the killing of Nasrallah, with the Foreign Ministry labeling it "yet another political assassination."

"This forceful action is fraught with even greater dramatic consequences for Lebanon and the entire Middle East," it said.

Early on September 28, Israel's military said that it killed Nasrallah in a series of strikes in Beirut a day earlier.

The Arabic spokesman of the Israeli Defense Forces, Avichay Adraee, said in a statement on X earlier that Nasrallah; Ali Karki, the commander of Hezbollah's southern front; and a number of other commanders of the group were killed.

The military later said it killed a senior member of Hezbollah's intelligence in a strike on September 28, identifying him as Hassan Khalil Yassin.

"The message is clear: We will reach everyone who threatens the citizens of Israel in the north, in the south, and on more distant fronts," Adraee said.

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), which has been targeted by sanctions from the United States, said a top commander, Abbas Nilforushan, 58, also died in the Israeli air strike.

Nilforushan himself was put under sanctions in 2022 by the U.S. Treasury, which identified him as the IRGC deputy commander for operations who it said had led an organization "directly in charge of protest suppression" in Iran.

The Israeli Defense Force also posted a message on X, saying, "Hassan Nasrallah will no longer be able to terrorize the world."

The Lebanese Health Ministry said at least 33 people had been killed and more nearly 195 injured, although it said the toll was likely to rise after the ruins of several destroyed buildings were cleared.

The United Nations estimated that more than 50,000 people have fled Lebanon for neighboring Syria amid the Israeli strikes and that some 110,000 people had been displaced.

In the statement announcing Nasrallah's death, Hezbollah also offered its condolences to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in an open admission of the group's close ties with Tehran.

Khamenei earlier on September 28 issued a statement condemning what he said was an Israeli "massacre" in Lebanon, but did not mention Nasrallah's fate.

"The massacre of the defenseless people in Lebanon once again revealed the ferocity of the Zionist rabid dog to everyone, and proved the short-sighted and stupid policy of the leaders of the usurping regime," Khamenei said.

However, Reuters quoted sources as saying Khamenei had been transferred to a secure location, with heightened security measures in place.

Israeli media also reported on September 28 that Nasrallah's daughter, Zainab Nasrallah, had been killed in the strikes. Hezbollah has not confirmed the report. Nasrallah's son, Hadi, was killed in fighting against Israeli troops in 1997.

The Israeli military initially said on September 27 that the series of strikes had targeted Hezbollah's "central headquarters" located under residential buildings in Beirut without officially mentioning Nasrallah by name.

Hezbollah is designated as a terrorist organization by the United States, while the European Union blacklists its armed wing but not its political party. Hezbollah's political party has seats in the Lebanese parliament.



Hezbollah was established some 40 years ago with the aid of Iran, and Nasrallah joined the newly formed group in 1982. He oversaw it becoming one of the Middle East's most powerful paramilitary forces.



Led by Nasrallah, Hezbollah has developed close ties with other Iranian proxies and Tehran-backed armed groups, helping to train and arm their fighters.

Heiko Wimmen, an analyst with the International Crisis Group, told RFE/RL that Israel's repeated blows, while not being able to annihilate Hezbollah completely, have degraded it to a large extent.

He said the latest strikes would press the group to show it can still react forcefully.

"It is obviously yet another dramatic blow. Many dramatic blows can add up to [make] a fundamental one. In general, Hamas is too much institutionalized to be decapitated, but [the Israelis] have wiped out so many of the cadres that something will give eventually. And then there is the lack to their credibility. If today is not enough for them to throw at Israel all they have, then the impression deepens that they just can't do it."

Analyst Norman Roule of the Washington-based National Security Institute said Israel has weakened Hezbollah to the point where the Lebanese government could actually expunge the group.

"Israel's Defense Forces have eradicated an entire generation of Hezbollah leadership who take with them a collective pool of experience that is collectively irreplaceable.... In a perfect world, the Lebanese government would use this moment to assert its authority and rid Lebanon of this armed group. [However], it is too early to say whether this will happen," Roule told RFE/RL.

Nasrallah's death is a huge embarrassment for Iran's leadership as well, Berlin-based analyst Ali Fathollah-nejad told RFE/RL.

"It would constitute the most heavy blow to Tehran's regional standing after the U.S. drone killing of General Qassem Soleimani. Nasrallah, Soleimani, and Khamenei -- Iran's supreme leader -- constituted the nucleus of Iran's expansive regional ambitions," Fathollah-nejad told RFE/RL before the death was confirmed.

Early on September 28, Israel's military launched a fresh round of strikes against what it said were Hezbollah targets in southern Beirut and in eastern Lebanon's Bekaa Valley, claiming that Hezbollah had stored weapons at the sites, after urging residents to evacuate them.

Rocket launches by Hezbollah into Israel were also reported to be continuing. The group has been firing into Israel with increasing intensity since the beginning of the Gaza war, claiming it to be in support of the fighters of Hamas, a group designated as a terrorist organization by the United States and European Union.

On September 27, Netanyahu warned at the United Nations that actions against Hezbollah would not stop, saying that "well continue degrading Hezbollah until all our objectives are met."

With reporting by Reuters and AFP
U.S. President Joe Biden, in his first comments since the Israeli killing of the leader of the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon, said the death of Hassan Nasrallah helped bring a "measure of justice" to the group's many victims over a four-year "reign of terror," while Tehran and many of its allies condemned the Israeli attacks.

In a statement released by the White House on September 28, Biden said Nasrallah's "death from an Israeli air strike is a measure of justice for his many victims, including thousands of Americans, Israelis, and Lebanese civilians."

"The United States fully supports Israel's right to defend itself against Hezbollah, Hamas, the Huthis, and any other Iranian-supported terrorist groups. Just yesterday, I directed my secretary of defense to further enhance the defense posture of U.S. military forces in the Middle East region to deter aggression and reduce the risk of a broader regional war."

Hezbollah and Hamas have been designated as terrorist organizations by the United States.

"Ultimately, our aim is to de-escalate the ongoing conflicts in both Gaza and Lebanon through diplomatic means," Biden said, referring to the war between Israeli forces and Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip brought on by Hamas fighters' October 7 deadly assaults inside Israel.

Separately, Vice President Kamala Harris, who is the Democratic candidate to compete against Republican Donald Trump for the presidency in the November 5 election, said that diplomacy remained the "best path forward to protect civilians and achieve lasting stability" in the region.

"Hassan Nasrallah was a terrorist with American blood on his hands," she said, adding that "I have an unwavering commitment to the security of Israel."

"I will always support Israel's right to defend itself against Iran and Iran-backed terrorist groups such as Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Huthis."

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, meanwhile, said he was "gravely concerned" by the "dramatic escalation" seen in Lebanon over the past 24 hours.

UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric added that Guterres believes this cycle of violence must stop now. The people of Lebanon, the people of Israel, as well as the wider region, cannot afford an all-out war.

Moscow condemned the killing of Nasrallah, with the Foreign Ministry labeling it "yet another political assassination."

"This forceful action is fraught with even greater dramatic consequences for Lebanon and the entire Middle East," it said.

Other comments:

IRAQ -- Prime Minister Muhammad Shi'a al-Sudani condemned the killing, calling it a "crime" and a "shameful attack" that "shows the Zionist entity has crossed all the red lines."

TURKEY -- President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the Israeli attacks were a part of what he characterized as an Israeli policy of "genocide, occupation, and invasion." He urged the UN Security Council and other bodies to stop Israel.

IRAN -- Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called on Muslims "to stand by the people of Lebanon and the proud Hezbollah with whatever means they have and assist them in confronting the...wicked regime [of Israel]."

"The fate of this region will be determined by the forces of resistance, with Hezbollah at the forefront," he said

Khamenei also declared five days of mourning in Iran in light of Nasrallah's killing.

BRITAIN -- Foreign Secretary David Lammy said he had spoken with the Lebanese prime minister and that "we agreed on the need for an immediate cease-fire to bring an end to the bloodshed. A diplomatic solution is the only way to restore security and stability for the Lebanese and Israeli people."

FRANCE -- Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot called for an immediate halt to Israeli air strikes in Lebanon. He also called on Hezbollah and Iran to refrain from any action that could destablize the region further.

GERMANY -- Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock called the situation in the Middle East "extremely dangerous" and expressed clear criticism of the Israel action.

"There is a risk of destabilizing the whole of Lebanon. And that is in no way in Israel's security interest," she told German radio.



She added that Germany, together with the United States, France, and several Arab states, on September 26 had demanded a 21-day cease-fire in the region and for a diplomatic solution to be achieved.

"The opposite has now happened. And now with the recent reports, it must be said clearly: The military logic, that is one thing, in view of the destruction of Hezbollah terrorists. But the security logic is another," she said.

PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY -- Leader Mahmud Abbasy offered condolences to Hezbollah over Nasrallah and also "offered his deep condolences to the Lebanese government and the brotherly Lebanese people, on the martyrdom of the civilian victims who fell as a result of the brutal Israeli aggression."

CHINA -- Foreign Minister Wang Yi condemned the escalation between Israel and the Hezbollah militia in his UN General Assembly speech.

"Fighting has started in Lebanon again, but might cannot replace justice," Wang said without explicitly mentioning Israel.

"Palestine's long-held aspiration to establish an independent state should not be shunned anymore, and the historical injustice suffered by the Palestinian people should not be ignored anymore," Wang said.

"China has always been a staunch supporter of the just cause of the Palestinian people to regain their legitimate national rights, and a staunch supporter of Palestine's full UN membership, we have recently helped to bring about breakthroughs in intra-Palestine reconciliation," Wang said.

SYRIA -- Hezbollah ally Syria condemned Israel's killing of Nasrallah and said that Israel "confirms through this despicable aggression, once again...its barbarism and wanton disregard for all international standards and laws."

With reporting by Reuters, AFP, and AP
Russian drone strikes at a hospital and a residential area killed at least nine people in the northeastern Ukrainian city of Sumy, authorities said on September 28. While the hospital was being evacuated after the first drone attack, another Iranian-made Shahed drone struck and added to the casualties. Ukrainian rescuers captured one of the strikes on camera. The footage shows a flying object with the sound of its noisy engine, followed by a blast.
A Russian air strike on a private vehicle in the Kharkiv region killed a 61-year-old judge of Ukraines Supreme Court, local officials said on September 28, while two strikes on a hospital in the border region of Sumy killed at least nine people and injured 12.

The Kharkiv regional prosecutors office on September 28 said a Russian drone hit a black sedan being used to distribute humanitarian aid, killing the driver and severely injuring three women passengers.

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The driver was identified as Leonid Loboyko, a judge in the Cassation Criminal Division of Ukraines Supreme Court.

"The victim of the cynical attack was a judge of the Supreme Court, who was delivering humanitarian aid to local residents," the prosecutors office said.

The staff of the Supreme Court expresses its sincere condolences to the family and friends of Leonidsharing their grief and pain from this irreparable loss, the court said on its Facebook page.

"In the hearts of all who knew Leonid Loboyko, the memory of him as kind, wise, and sympathetic person will forever remain."

Separately, Kharkiv Governor Oleh Synyehubov said an air strike killed three people and injured at least three more in the village of Slatyne, about 25 kilometers north of Kharkiv city, with other officials saying Russian forces had fired KAB glide bombs in the attack.

"The enemy hit civilian infrastructure, damaged an educational institution, shops," Synyehubov wrote on Telegram.

Earlier, Ukrainian Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said Russia on September 28 launched two strikes on a hospital in the border region of Sumy, killing at least nine people and injuring 12.

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy condemned the Sumy strike, saying that Russia was "waging war on hospitals." He said on X that Ukrainian rescuers were "doing everything possible to provide our people with the help they need."

Klymenko initially put the death toll at six, including a police officer.

"As a result of the first strike, one person died and several floors of the hospital were destroyed," Klymenko said on Telegram, adding that while rescuers were evacuating the patients and staff, Russia launched a second strike.

Klymenko said it was the second day in a row that Ukrainian police lost personnel. "In Kryviy Rih, the search continues at the site of yesterday's attack on a police building. According to available information, one more employee may be under the rubble," he said.

Earlier, Ukraine's air force said its air defenses shot down 69 of 73 drones launched by Russia at Ukrainian regions early on September 28.

Russia also fired two ballistic and two cruise missiles at targets inside Ukraine, the air force said, adding that the two cruise missiles were downed.

Kyiv's military administration said separately that 15 incoming drones were shot down on the outskirts of the Ukrainian capital, with debris falling in one of the city districts.

"As a result, a nonresidential building was damaged. No information on casualties was received," the administration said in a message on Telegram.

The latest round of Russian attacks came a day after Zelenskiy met with Republican presidential candidate and former U.S. President Donald Trump amid tensions over what critics call the ex-president's pro-Russian stance.

Zelenskiy, in a Fox News interview broadcast on September 28, said he received "very direct information" from Trump that if he won the November presidential election, he would support Kyiv in its war with Russia.

"I don't know what will be after elections and who will be the president...But I've got from Donald Trump very direct information that he will be on our side, that he will support Ukraine," Zelenskiy said.

Zelenskiy, who also met with Trump's November rival, Vice President Kamala Harris, and current President Joe Biden during his U.S. trip, said, "I don't want to be involved to the election period.... I don't want to lose one or another part of Americans."

Following his meeting with the Ukrainian leader, Trump repeated his claim that he would be able to rapidly end the war.

"I think if we win [in November], I think we're going to get it resolved very quickly," he said. Trump did not elaborate on his strategy to end the conflict.

Prior to the meeting, U.S. media had speculated the session might not take place after Trump took offense to Zelenskiy's comments in a magazine interview that stated Trump "doesn't really know how to stop the war."

Zelenskiy presented Biden and Harris his "victory plan," a strategy to end the war about which little detail is known.

The United States, Ukraine's main supporter, and Western allies have given Kyiv billions of dollars in military aid and other assistance while also slapping several rounds of sanctions on Moscow.

With reporting by Reuters
ALMATY, Kazakhstan -- Earlier this week, a violent scene in an Uzbek school turned into an official eyebrow-raising contest between Russia and Uzbekistan.

And on this occasion, Russia's famously sardonic and combative Foreign Ministry press chief, Maria Zakharova, more than met her match.

The incident took place at a school in the capital, Tashkent, on September 23.

A female teacher in a Russian-language class pulled a 10-year-old student's ear and slapped his face after he asked her why she was not speaking Russian.

Security-camera footage of the incident went viral on the Internet and sparked strong reactions on Russian social media.

On September 25, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in an interview that Russia "has requested official explanations from the Uzbek side" regarding the incident.

Zakharova called for an investigation and added that "action must be taken against the perpetrator of this cruel treatment."

Russia's decision to wade into Uzbek classrooms, in turn, sparked strong reactions in Uzbekistan.

Cue a response that Zakharova would be proud of, from Alisher Qodirov, the deputy chairman of Uzbekistan's lower house, who offered his opinion on Telegram.

"It would be better for [Russia] to deal with their own problems, which are not insufficient, than to deal with our internal issues," wrote Qodirov, who leads the Milliy Tiklanish (National Revival) Democratic Party.

"The violation of the rights of an Uzbek child at a school in Uzbekistan will be investigated in accordance with Uzbek laws. There is no advantage to stir up noise out of the blue," Qodirov wrote.

'Uzbekistan's Zhirinovsky'

Qodirov is an atypical presence in Uzbekistan's staid political scene, and he knows a few things about making noise.

In an op-ed for the Times of Central Asia newspaper earlier this month, Central Asia expert Bruce Pannier* called the lawmaker "Uzbekistan's point man against Russian 'chauvinism.'"

At the same time, given that Uzbekistan's political system is still deeply authoritarian, Qodirov "would not be saying the things he is without approval from people high up in the government," Pannier argued, citing several comments made by Qodirov in opposition to Russian nationalism and the Soviet Union.

Notable among those was his suggestion at the beginning of the year to prevent Russian channels from broadcasting in Uzbekistan, after a Russian politician and an academic made deeply offensive remarks about the history and people of Central Asian countries.

And yet ironically Qodirov has often been called "Uzbekistan's Zhirinovsky" -- a reference to the Russian nationalist firebrand politician Vladimir Zhirinovsky, who was a permanent fixture of post-Soviet politics in Russia for some three decades until his death in 2022.

The comparison is one that Qodirov himself resents.

In an October 2022 exchange with British journalist Joanna Lillis on X, Qodirov insisted that he was no chauvinist in the Zhirinovsky mold and instead stands for Uzbekistan's "national development in harmony with our traditions [and] values."

And yet the same politician did once propose to deport members of Uzbekistan's LGBT community, which is the kind of hyperbolic intolerance that Zhirinovsky was well known for.

That is only half of the reason that the tag has stuck.

Arguably more important is the fact that like Zhirinovsky, Qodirov has played the role of outspoken insider and "systemic opposition," while seemingly having no real political ambitions beyond the role he has been allocated.

In 2021, Qodirov was one of four candidates that faced off against President Shavkat Mirziyoev in the presidential election.

Many voters said that other than Mirziyoev, he was the only name on the ballot that they recognized.

But he was never going to threaten the incumbent's dominance, especially after he made the unpopular proposal of taxing money sent by Uzbeks working abroad to their families in Uzbekistan.

Ahead of snap elections in 2023, Qodirov and his Milliy Tiklanish duly backed Mirziyoev's candidacy.

New Environment, New Approach?

Even with all those caveats, Qodirov is something of a new phenomenon in Uzbekistan.

Under the quarter-century reign of Islam Karimov, few officials other than Karimov himself said anything remotely eye-catching.

That went for Mirziyoev, too, who spent 13 years as Karimov's prime minister but only really came out of his shell after the hard-line leader died.

Uzbekistan's diplomatic establishment, meanwhile, is cautious in the extreme.

Yet from Tashkent's point of view, a new geopolitical environment possibly demanded a new approach.

Russia's military involvement in Ukraine over the last decade has been accompanied by more aggressive rhetoric and a more assertive defense of its Soviet and imperial history.

Zakharova, who arrived in her current post in 2015, in some ways typifies this tendency.

And then there are all the Russian pundits, journalists, and lawmakers always ready to criticize and insult countries and societies that were formerly under Moscow's direct control.

This kind of thing can keep Foreign Ministry press chiefs busy -- just ask Aibek Smadiyarov in Uzbekistan's next-door neighbor, Kazakhstan.

Following Zakharova's intervention, there were plenty of demands for a direct diplomatic response.

"Maybe we can tell those in the north who still consider themselves 'big brother' or 'big sister' that Uzbekistan is a sovereign state and that we can solve the problem of discipline in Uzbek schools ourselves?" private news outlet Gazeta.uz quoted Komil Dzhalilov, an expert in education, as saying on September 26.

Financial analyst Otabek Bakirov asked on X which Uzbek official would tell Russia that "what happens in schools in Uzbekistan is an internal matter of Uzbekistan."

Eventually, such a reaction was forthcoming, sort of.

Documenting his visit to New York for the United Nations General Assembly, Uzbek Foreign Minister Baxtiyor Saidov stated on his official Telegram channel on September 27 that his delegation had held talks on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his colleagues.

During the talks, the two parties "underscored the importance of commitment of states to the principle of noninterference in each other's internal affairs for strengthening mutual trust," Saidov wrote.

Those kinds of statements, however, are for between-the-lines readers. For saying quiet parts out loud, there is Alisher Qodirov.

*Bruce Pannier hosts RFE/RL's Central Asia-focused Majlis Podcast and authors the Central Asia In Focus newsletter
We recently compiled a list of the 7 Undervalued European Stocks To Invest In Now. In this article, we will look at where Chubb (NYSE:CB) ranks among the undervalued European stocks to invest in now.

Europes Economic Outlook

According to the European Commissions Economic Outlook, the European economy staged a comeback at the start of 2024, following a prolonged period of stagnation. The growth rate of 0.3%, estimated for the first quarter of 2024, was still below potential but exceeded expectations. The EU economy is expected to grow by 1.0% in 2024 and 1.6% in 2025, while the euro area is expected to grow by 0.8% in 2024 and 1.4% in 2025.

Inflation across the EU cooled further in the first quarter, with inflation projected to decrease from 6.4% in 2023 to 2.7% in 2024 and 2.2% in 2025. The European Central Bank is expected to cut interest rates, with markets expecting a more gradual pace of policy rate cuts than previously expected. Private consumption is expected to expand by 1.3% in 2024 and 1.7% in 2025, driven by continued wage and employment growth. Investment is expected to expand marginally in 2024 before accelerating in 2025, driven by government infrastructure spending and a gradual expansion of investment activity.

The EUs external demand is expected to rebound, driven by a strong rebound in Chinas economic activity and a recovery in global merchandise trade. EU exports of goods and services are expected to expand by 1.4% this year and 3.1% in 2025. The EU government deficit is projected to resume declining in 2024 and 2025, driven by the phase-out of energy-related measures and a gradual improvement in economic activity. The EU fiscal stance is set to be contractionary in 2024 and broadly neutral in 2025.

The Europes Market is Undervalued and Overlooked

Nicholas Hyett, investment manager at the Wealth Club, one of the leading investment services companies in the United Kingdom, is optimistic about the European economy, particularly the UK, going into 2024. He notes that the UK market is undervalued, trading 40% below the US, and believes there are growth opportunities in sectors such as consumer goods and industrials. Despite the UK market being perceived as old-fashioned, Hyett argues that it is more dynamic than it appears, with many companies being much cheaper than their US counterparts.

Hyett acknowledges that the UK market is often associated with traditional industries such as oil and gas and mining, which have had a good run in recent years. However, he believes that many other sectors are poised for growth, such as consumer goods and industrials. These sectors have been overlooked by investors in recent years, but Hyett believes that they have the potential to perform well in a strong 2024.

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One of the main concerns for investors in 2024 is election uncertainty. The US presidential election is expected to be a major event, and elections are scheduled in Europe. However, Hyett believes that the uncertainty surrounding these elections is already priced into the market. He notes that the UK and European elections are likely to be less of a concern than the US election and that the market is already reflecting this.

In terms of interest rates, Hyett expects that they will be cut in the second half of 2024 and believes that this is a reasonable expectation. However, he notes that the timing and extent of the rate cuts will depend on the economic outlook. If the economy weakens, rate cuts are likely to be more aggressive. On the other hand, if the economy is stronger than expected, then rate cuts may be more gradual. Hyett notes that inflation is expected to drop significantly in 2024, which could lead to rate cuts. However, he also notes that the market is already pricing in a significant drop in inflation and that the timing and extent of the rate cuts will depend on the actual inflation data.

The European economy is poised for a modest recovery in 2024 and 2025, driven by a combination of factors, including a rebound in private consumption, investment, and external demand. While growth rates are expected to remain below potential, the European Commissions Economic Outlook suggests that the EU economy is on track to return after prolonged stagnation. With that in context, lets take a look at the 7 undervalued European stocks to invest in now.

Our Methodology

To compile our list of 7 undervalued European stocks to invest in now, we used the Finviz and Yahoo stock screeners to find 40 largest European companies. From that list, we screened for companies that are trading at a forward P/E ratio of under 15, as of September 26. We then narrowed our choices to 7 stocks according to their hedge fund sentiment, which was taken from our database of 912 elite hedge funds as of Q2 of 2024. The list is sorted in ascending order of their hedge fund sentiment, as of the second quarter.

Why do we care about what hedge funds do? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletters strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 275% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 150 percentage points (see more details here).

Chubb (NYSE:CB)

Number of Hedge Fund Investors: 46

Forward P/E Ratio as of September 26: 11.92

Chubb (NYSE:CB) is a Swiss-based global insurance company that offers comprehensive coverage solutions for commercial and personal property, casualty, and accident insurance. The company operates in 54 countries and territories.

The property & casualty insurance industry is expected to have good momentum going forward, especially in personal lines. BeInsure expects property & casualty personal lines to grow 8% in 2024 and 5% in 2025. The industrys net combined ratio is expected to decline well into 98.5% in 2024 and 2025 compared to 102% ratio in 2023. As a result, the industrys return on equity is expected to rise from 3.4% in 2023 to 9.5% in 2024 and further to 10.0% in 2025.

In Q2, Chubbs (NYSE:CB) reported a solid growth in written premiums, with a 10.3% increase in net property & casualty premiums written and a 24.5% growth in life insurance net written premiums. The companys combined ratio remained stable, and its core operating income per share increased 9.3% year-on-year. Investment income also increased, and Chubbs (NYSE:CB) EPS of $5.46 grew 26.4% year-on-year, beating expectations by $0.30.

Chubbs (NYSE:CB) stock remains attractively priced. The companys good momentum in written premiums and solid earnings, combined with the industrys low overall risk level, make the stock a good investment opportunity. Chubb (NYSE:CB) is trading at a forward P/E ratio of 13.44 which is a 12.78% discount compared to the industry average of 11.92. Analysts expect the company to increase its earnings by 8.51% this year. As of the second quarter, the stock is held by 49 hedge funds with stakes worth $8.06 billion. Berkshire Hathaway is the largest stakeholder in the company and has a position worth $6.89 billion as of June 30.

Overall CB ranks 4th on our list of the undervalued European stocks to invest in now. While we acknowledge the potential of CB to grow, our conviction lies in the belief that AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and doing so within a shorter timeframe. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than CB but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.

READ NEXT: $30 Trillion Opportunity: 15 Best Humanoid Robot Stocks to Buy According to Morgan Stanley and Jim Cramer Says NVIDIA Has Become A Wasteland.

Disclosure. None. This article was originally published on Insider Monkey.
Three males appeared before a special sitting of Roscommon District Court this evening, Saturday, charged in connection with a series of burglaries in County Roscommon and several other counties.

Joseph Cahill (42), Drumlea Avenue, Jobstown and Eugene Traynor (46), Adamstown, Dublin, along with a 17-year-old juvenile from the Greater Dublin area, who cannot be named for legal reasons, appeared before Judge James Faughnan.

All three are facing charges of burglary in County Roscommon and several other counties.

Among the charges include their alleged involvement in four break-ins on August 13th at the following premises: Frenchpark Post Office; OConnors pub and restaurant, Tulsk; BS Exhausts, Tulsk; McSharry's, Fourmilehouse; Daybreak in Knockoghery, and a house in Donamon.

Giving evidence, Detective Garda Chris Murray said that he arrested Cahill yesterday morning, Friday, in Tallaght and took him to Castlerea Garda Station where he was charged in connection with the burglaries.

His solicitor Con Harlow told Judge Faughnan that there was no application for bail for his client. Pointing out that Cahill had a very significant drug problem, Mr Harlow said his client was receiving daily methadone intakes and needed certainty that would continue.

Judge Faughnan directed that Cahill receive the appropriate medical attention, and remanded him in custody to appear at Harristown District Court via video link on October 8th.

Sergeant Mark Mahon said that there was also no application for bail being made for Eugene Traynor. Judge Faughnan also remanded Traynor in custody to appear at Harristown District Court on October 8th via video link.

The Judge acceded to a request from his solicitor, Ivan Moran, that his client also receive medical attention and treatment.

Giving evidence at a hearing of the Childrens Court this evening in Roscommon, Sergeant Laura Martin said that this morning, Saturday she arrested the juvenile.

Mr Moran, also representing the juvenile, said there was a difficulty in relation to his client in that he did not want to take up bail despite the State consenting to it. He is in a very up and down period of his life, said Mr Moran.

When Sergeant Mahon pointed out to the court that there was no bed available for the juvenile, Judge Faughnan said it was shocking and shameful that this was the case when youngsters were arrested at the weekend. He said if Oberstown was not big enough, then they should make it bigger.

The juvenile was subsequently granted bail on his own bail bond of 1,000, and he left the court with his mother. He is due to appear again at Roscommon District Court on October 1st.

The juvenile was also ordered to comply with a series of conditions, including staying out of counties Roscommon, Cavan, Westmeath and Offaly save for court appearances; have no contact with the co-accused or anyone involved in criminality; refrain from controlled drugs and alcohol; reside at a particular address; remain answerable at all times to Gardai, including having a mobile phone with sufficient credit; sign on at a garda station for a set number of days a week, and observe a strict curfew.
Second Mpox Case Reported in Kerala: Man from UAE Admitted to Kochi Hospital

This marks the second Mpox case in Kerala.

Mpox Case in India's Kerala Latest News: Kerala has reported its second case of Mpox (monkeypox) after a man who recently returned from the UAE tested positive for the virus in Ernakulam on Friday. The patient, who is currently in stable condition, has been admitted to a private hospital in Kochi.

State Health Minister Veena George confirmed that a contact list of the patient has been prepared, and preventive measures have been implemented. The minister also stated that isolation facilities have been arranged in all districts, and people exhibiting symptoms are urged to seek immediate medical treatment.

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This marks the second Mpox case in Kerala, following the detection of the first case of the Clade 1b strain in India on September 23. That case involved a 38-year-old man from Malappuram who had also returned from the UAE. Since the World Health Organization (WHO) declared Mpox a Public Health Emergency of International Concern in 2022, 30 cases have been reported in India.

In response to the growing concerns, the Union Health Ministry issued an advisory on September 26, instructing states and union territories to assess public health preparedness. Senior officials at state and district levels have been tasked with reviewing health facility readiness to manage potential cases.

(For more news apart from Mpox Case in India's Kerala Latest News, stay tuned to Rozana Spokesman)
Israel Hezbollah Leader Hassan Nasrallah Death in Beirut Strike latest news

The Israeli military confirmed that the strikes led to numerous casualties, including senior Hezbollah officials.

Israel Hezbollah Leader Hassan Nasrallah Death in Beirut Strike latest news: Israel's Defense Forces announced the death of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, following targeted airstrikes on the group's headquarters in southern Beirut. "Hassan Nasrallah will no longer be able to terrorize the world," declared military spokesman Nadav Shoshani on X (formerly Twitter).

Reports suggest that Nasrallah was the primary target of Israeli airstrikes on Friday. The strikes resulted in the destruction of six buildings in Beirut's Harek Hreik suburb, marking one of the most significant attacks during the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.

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The Israeli military confirmed that the strikes led to numerous casualties, including senior Hezbollah officials.

Who Was Hassan Nasrallah?

Hassan Nasrallah led Hezbollah for over three decades, shaping it into one of the most influential militant organizations in the Middle East. Born in 1960, Nasrallah pursued theological studies before co-founding Hezbollah in the 1980s.

Under his leadership, the group opposed both the US and Israel, calling for the "obliteration" of Israel.

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In 1997, the US officially designated Hezbollah as a terrorist organization, solidifying Nasrallah's global notoriety as the group's secretary-general since 1992.

(For more news apart from Israel Hezbollah Leader Hassan Nasrallah Death in Beirut Strike latest news, stay tuned to Rozana Spokesman)




Image source: Getty Images

Costco members know better than anyone else just how much money they can save when shopping at the discount warehouse store. Recent research shows that some members can save up to $1,000 annually in groceries.

But is shopping at Costco always the cheapest option? Probably not. Here are a handful of items you might be able to find at a lower price on Amazon -- and one Amazon perk that could save you even more money.

Four items that will cost you more at Costco

Costco and Amazon require you to be a member to access the best deals. Amazon's Prime membership will set you back $139 for a year-long membership, or $15 for a one-month memberhsip, while Costco's basic Gold Star membership costs $65 annually. Costco also offers a $130 Executive membership, which gives you additional perks, like 2% cash back on purchases.

I'm an Amazon Prime member and, until recently, had a Costco membership, so I know that both have their strengths. But sometimes assuming that one store will have cheaper prices than another is a good way to go over budget when shopping.

So, I combed through both company's websites, comparing prices in a variety of categories to find a few deals where Amazon wins out. Here's what I found:

Computer: A previous-generation (but still new) 13-inch Apple Macbook Air M2 costs $849 on Amazon right now, a $100 discount compared to Costco's online price.

Toothpaste: I found a four-pack of Colgate Optic White Platinum toothpaste on Amazon for less than $14, a $5 savings over Costco's online price.

Batteries: Both Amazon and Costco have their own brand of batteries, but a 48-pack of AA Amazon Basics batteries costs $0.50 less than the same number of Kirkland brand batteries.

Paper shredder: An Amazon Basics 12-sheet paper and credit card shredder costs just $59, compared to the cheapest 14-sheet paper shredder I could find on Costco's website, which was $80. Two pages fewer of shredding power is probably worth the $21 in savings.

While I found these items for a cheaper price on Amazon, it's worth mentioning that Costco's in-store prices may vary. Also, Amazon's prices can fluctuate, so there's no guarantee the products I found on Amazon will continue to be cheaper than at Costco.

An extra way to save with Amazon

It's important to note that when I was comparison shopping, I found a lot of items on Amazon that would have been even cheaper if I added them to my Subscribe & Save list.

Subscribe & Save is Amazon's free service that saves you money for getting certain items delivered regularly. For example, if you know you'll need batteries, laundry detergent, cereal, tissues, and dish soap every month, you can add them to your Subscribe & Save list, pick the delivery frequency, and receive a discount on your order.

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You can save 15% or more when you add five or more items to your Subscribe & Save list, and thousands of items are available for a discount. My wife uses it all the time for everyday household products, which have the added convenience of being delivered right to our doorstep.

I have to admit that it took me a while to find a handful of items cheaper on Amazon than at Costco. Apparently, beating the discount warehouse club's prices is no easy feat. And if you have a Costco credit card or regularly buy gas at the store, then Amazon may not be your best choice. Unless, of course, you're really looking for a sweet deal on a paper shredder.

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Add on the competitive 0% interest period and it's no wonder we awarded this card Best No Annual Fee Credit Card.

Click here to read our full review for free and apply before the $200 welcome bonus offer ends!

We're firm believers in the Golden Rule, which is why editorial opinions are ours alone and have not been previously reviewed, approved, or endorsed by included advertisers. The Ascent does not cover all offers on the market. Editorial content from The Ascent is separate from The Motley Fool editorial content and is created by a different analyst team.John Mackey, former CEO of Whole Foods Market, an Amazon subsidiary, is a member of The Motley Fools board of directors. Chris Neiger has positions in Apple. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Amazon, Apple, and Costco Wholesale. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Costco vs. Amazon: Why Costco Isn't Always the Cheaper Option was originally published by The Motley Fool
Communal Politics in the Name of Dhabas and Hotels

The Yogi government initially justified the order by citing potential law and order issues and is now using cleanliness as a reason.

After facing displeasure from the Congress high command, the Himachal Pradesh government has withdrawn an order issued by the state food and supplies minister, Vikramaditya Singh. The order required all food and beverage outletsdhabas, restaurants, and hawker stallsto display name and address plates. Singh had issued this order, inspired by a similar directive from Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

Yogi Adityanath argued that, to ensure the cleanliness of food, it is necessary to make those who prepare and sell it accountable. He stated that it is the responsibility of the owners of shops, dhabas, or hawker stalls to ensure food is prepared in a hygienic manner and with respect for the religious sentiments of customers. In this context, Yogi referred to the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) rules, emphasizing the need for accountability in the unorganized food sector in light of recent hygiene-related controversies.

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The tone of Yogi's orders was similar to those issued by Vikramaditya Singh, which likely led to the Congress high command's discontent. On the same day the Congress was accusing Yogi of playing 'communal games' in the name of food security, a Congress minister in Himachal Pradesh issued a similar directive, putting the party leadership in a difficult position.

Two months ago, the Yogi government faced criticism from the Supreme Court for divisive politics related to food. The Court quashed an order by the District Magistrate of Muzaffarnagar, which had required canteens along the Kawad Yatra route to display names and addresses. The Supreme Court stated that this order was an indirect call for a boycott of Muslim-owned shops and stalls. The country's secular constitution does not allow for such directives.

The Yogi government initially justified the order by citing potential law and order issues and is now using cleanliness as a reason. Politically, it's clear that the real aim is to consolidate Hindu voters ahead of by-elections for 11 vacant state assembly seats.

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A similar strategy was followed by the Congress minister in Himachal Pradesh. He saw Yogi's formula as a way to address communal tensions arising from mosque-related issues in Shimla and other parts of the state, where the BJP had benefitted. This strategy highlights that Congress leaders, too, seem more focused on vote-bank politics than party ideology.

Interestingly, both those who engage in communal politics and those who oppose it appear unaware of an important aspect of the FSSAI order issued in 2006 and the rules established in 2011. Under these rules, every food and beverage outlet or street vendor is required to obtain a license from the relevant municipal or panchayat authority before starting operations. They are also required to display the license certificate, which includes the owner's name and details.

Unfortunately, political and administrative circles prioritize neither the enforcement of this rule nor other regulations, such as the limitation on reusing oil more than eight times to prevent it from becoming harmful.
Niko Becker, Gopo Film Festivals Young Hopeful

The revelation of this year's Gopo film festival

Niko Becker, Gopo Film Festivals Young Hopeful

Eugen Nasta, 28.09.2024, 14:00

28Actor Niko Becker in 2024 scooped the Gopo Award in the Young Hopefuls category as part of the Gopo Film Festival, for Dumitru, his role in the film To the North, a film directed by Mihai Mincan.

Niko Becker began his career on stage at the German State Theatre in Timisoara. When he was 15 he featured in One Step behind the Seraphim, a production directed by Daniel Sandu.

In 2021, stage director Eugen Jebeleanu had Niko Becker on the cast for Treplevs role as part Tchekhovs Seagull, a stage production that would later be included in the I.L. Caragiale Bucharest National Theaters repertory. Niko Becker also worked with director Carmen Lidia Vidu, in The Frail Feeling of Hope, playing the part of a youngster diagnosed with schizophrenia, equally fighting his mental condition and the social stigma. Since 2023, the young actor has become the youngest member of Bucharest-based Odeon Theater top-flight troupe. Niko was introduced to the public once with the premiere of An Open House, a stage performance directed by Teodora Petre.

Mihai Mincans first feature-length film, To the North, is based on a true story. The five-country European co-production tells the story of Joel, a religious Filipino sailor working on a transatlantic ship. Joel discovers Dumitru, a clandestine passenger hidden between the containers. The discovery of Dumitru puts Joel in an extreme situation that forces him to reconsider his bond with friends and faith. In director Mihai Mincans own words, To the North is a film about fear, a film about the confidence in the other one, a film about the ability or inability to put your life in the hands of an unknown person, but also about our relationship with God.

We sat down and spoke with Niko Becker about his passion for acting. We started off from his role in the psychological thriller, To the North, a production that scooped the Critics Award as part of the Venice Biennale, Bisato DOro, in the Best Film category. To The North is also included in the selection of major international film festivals.

I perfectly got along with the team and by that I do not mean the actors alone. Since it was my debut in a lead role, I was somehow in a discomfort zone, I had many uncertainties. Concurrently, I set my own standards very high. As for the experience I had in theatre, that was helpful, obviously, yet film and theatre are different arts and things do not overlap perfectly. There is this specific difference, especially in the way it is materialized in the end, since the movie remains on the film. That puts a lot of pressure on you, as an actor, when you think that what you do on the set remains imprinted. And it is a little bit stressful, the fact that the way you act remains, whereas in theatre, even if you may have a bad evening, you have the opportunity to recreate the role. But like I said, there are always risks in theatre because we can have less inspired moments, you know.

I rarely get out satisfied after completing a performance, I always have the feeling that it could have been better, that I could have put up a better performance. And I believe its only natural to want each time more because if we want less, we limit ourselves and we can no longer make headway. And, coming back to the movie, if I know that the part I play  after a series of retakes  is being shot, I succeed in using my intuition and the other qualities. It seems to me that under the pressure of the moment, in a film I can achieve more.

Nico Becker told us how he contoured, with help from director Mihai Mincan, the part of Dumitru, the stowaway on the ship where Joel, the Filipino, works in To the North.

When I prepared the part, I focused on the separate elements the character was made of. I thought what it was like to feel all the things Dumitru himself felt, like hunger, cold, being scared by loud noises etc. And I was trying to express all that through my body by means of the techniques employed by actor Michael Chekhov, which were quite helpful. I also worked a lot on the characters psychological background. Of course, the script helped me a lot as everything starts with the script, you know.

For me, it is essential to better understand the script, what it is all about, the circumstances, situations, the characters reasons and the conflict between them and the rest but also the conflict with themselves. I believe that in this way you can better understand the part you have to play, by finding out the conflict in the entire storyline and the sections making it. Having identified that, I complete the character by using my imagination and expertise.

One of the latest parts played by Nico Becker is that of journalist Krzysztof Zalinski in Disquiet, by Ivan Vyrypaev, directed by Bobi Pricop. Disquiet, a performance in which Nico Becker has as partner the extraordinary Dorina Lazar is, first and foremost, a show about the relationship between art and life, creation and creator, between love, God and everything we are trying to give a sense to (by means of faith, art or love). Just like life itself, the theatre is and causes disquiet; actually, every one of us is a mixture of disquiet, which art in all its forms is trying and maybe even succeeding in unravelling Bobi Pricop says.
(Reuters) - The European Union is planning to vote on whether to introduce tariffs as high as 45% on imported electric vehicles made in China on Oct. 4, Bloomberg News reported on Saturday, citing people familiar with the matter.

Member states have received a draft of the regulation for the proposed measures, the report said, adding that the new date could still change.

According to the report, the vote among the bloc's member states was slightly delayed amid last-minute negotiations with Beijing to try to find a resolution that would avoid the new levies.

The European Commission did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

The European Commission is on the verge of proposing final tariffs of up to 35.3% on EVs built in China, on top of the EU's standard 10% car import duty.

The proposed final duties will be subject to a vote by the EU's 27 members. They will be implemented by the end of October unless a qualified majority of 15 EU members representing 65% of the EU population votes against the levies.

(Reporting by Shivani Tanna in Bengaluru; Editing by Frances Kerry)
Bajaj Pulsar continued to rule the segment with a range of motorcycles on offer  TVS Apache lost No 2 spot to Honda Unicorn

In August 2024, the 150cc to 200cc motorcycle segment in India saw robust growth, with total sales reaching 1,49,608 units, marking a year-on-year increase of 12.51% compared to August 2023. This growth was largely driven by the strong performance of key models, while a few faced minor declines.

Bajaj Pulsar, Honda Unicorn, and TVS Apache Lead Sales

Bajaj Pulsar emerged as the top-selling model in the segment with 40,181 units sold, reflecting a growth of 17.31% year-on-year and commanding a market share of 26.86%. Following closely was the Honda Unicorn, which maintained its stronghold with a market share of 20.96%, despite a slight dip of 0.39% compared to last year. The TVS Apache witnessed remarkable growth, with sales increasing by 59.24%, securing a significant share of 20.08% in the segment.

Yamahas FZ model experienced a year-on-year decline of 7.46%, with sales dropping slightly compared to August 2023. In contrast, the Yamaha MT 15 showcased a solid performance, growing by 36.09%, indicating strong demand for this sportier model in the 150cc to 200cc segment.

Hondas SP 160 had an outstanding growth rate of 113.26%, showcasing its rising popularity in the commuter bike segment. On the other hand, Hero XPulse 200 faced a significant decline of 25.14%, indicating challenges in the adventure motorcycle space. KTM 200 also saw a sharp drop in demand, with a 31.47% decline year-on-year.

The Honda Hornet 2.0 witnessed an extraordinary growth of 773.05%, although from a low base, capturing 0.97% of the market share. Other niche models like the Suzuki Gixxer and Bajaj Avenger saw declines of 39.23% and 13.21%, respectively. The Honda CB200X, a relatively new entrant, added 764 units to the segments total, contributing 0.51% of the market share. In the premium segment, the Kawasaki W175 saw a minor decline of 14.81%, maintaining a small presence in the market with a 0.03% share.

MoM Comparison

In August 2024, the 150cc to 200cc motorcycle segment in India recorded a month-on-month growth of 10.05%, with total sales reaching 1,49,608 units compared to 1,35,944 units in July 2024. Bajaj Pulsar was the standout performer, achieving an impressive 26.63% growth over July, adding 8,449 units to its total, and securing a 23.34% market share. Similarly, the Honda Unicorn saw a significant month-on-month growth of 17.46%, with a gain of 4,661 units, representing 19.63% of the segment.

Despite being one of the top models in this category, the TVS Apache saw a slight decline of 2.10%, with sales falling by 643 units compared to July 2024. Yamahas FZ model posted a healthy 11.76% growth in August, while the Yamaha MT 15 saw minimal growth at 0.64%. Hondas SP 160 faced a notable decline of 10.27%, losing 556 units compared to July. On the other hand, Hero XPulse 200 posted a positive 16.13% increase in sales, reflecting a growing market for adventure motorcycles. Hero Xtreme 160R/200 also performed well, with a 9.76% growth over the previous month.

Honda Hornet 2.0 saw a 14.08% increase in sales, while the Honda CB200X experienced the highest growth rate of 40.44% month-on-month. Meanwhile, the Kawasaki W175, despite its niche presence, posted an impressive 70.37% growth, albeit with small absolute numbers. Overall, the 150cc to 200cc motorcycle segment showed positive growth in August 2024, with several key models like the Bajaj Pulsar and Honda Unicorn leading the way.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has encouraged industrial workers to further contribute wisdom and strength to building a country that is strong in manufacturing and promoting the full revitalization of northeast China.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks in a reply letter to representatives of workers from China First Heavy Industries Co. Ltd. (CFHI), a leading equipment manufacturer headquartered in Qiqihar City, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province.

In the letter, Xi said he had visited CFHI twice and was deeply impressed by the persistent pursuit of technological innovation and product quality by the workers.

Xi noted that in recent years, they have focused on tackling core technological challenges in major equipment manufacturing and made many new breakthroughs, which demonstrated the patriotism and creativity of Chinese industrial workers in the new era.

Manufacturing is the foundation of a country and the basis of a strong nation, he stressed, expressing his hope that the workers adhere to the original intention of serving the country with skills and promote the spirit of model workers and craftsmanship.

He said that centrally-administered enterprises should boost reform and innovation, enhance their core functions and competitiveness, and work hard to become bigger, better and stronger. Furthermore, they should contribute more to the endeavor to build a great country and move toward national rejuvenation on all fronts through Chinese modernization.

Since the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012, Xi has inspected the manufacturing bases of the CFHI twice and made instructions on its reform and innovation as well as operation and management.

Representatives of the CFHI workers awarded the title of role model wrote a letter to Xi recently, reporting on their efforts to strengthen technological research and development following Xi's instructions, and expressing their determination to contribute to the full revitalization of northeast China and the cause of building China into a great country.
Revenue: Decreased by $1.4 million or 0.4% for the fourth fiscal quarter; decreased by $189.3 million or 9% for fiscal 2024.

Gross Profit: Increased by $0.4 million for the fourth fiscal quarter; decreased by $24.1 million or 2% for fiscal 2024.

Cost of Products Sold: Decreased by $1.9 million or 1% for the fourth fiscal quarter; decreased by $165.3 million or 16% for fiscal 2024.

Gallons Sold: Decreased by 6.1 million gallons or 4% for the fourth fiscal quarter; decreased by 44.3 million gallons or 5% for fiscal 2024.

Net Loss: $20.8 million for the fourth fiscal quarter; $29.1 million for the same quarter in 2023.

Net Earnings: $110.2 million for fiscal 2024; $136.9 million for fiscal 2023.

Adjusted EBITDA: Increased by $4.6 million or 16% to $33.6 million for the fourth fiscal quarter; decreased by $42.8 million or 12% to $317.4 million for fiscal 2024.

Operating Expense: Increased by $3.7 million for the fourth fiscal quarter; increased by $24.1 million for fiscal 2024.

General and Administrative Expense: Decreased by $7.7 million for the fourth fiscal quarter; decreased by $3.7 million for fiscal 2024.

Medical Insurance Claims: Increased by $11.3 million compared to fiscal 2023.

Tank Exchange Locations: Added over 6,000 locations, a 10% increase compared to the prior year period.

Blue Rhino EBITDA: Increased by 42% for the fourth fiscal quarter; increased by 26% for fiscal 2024.

Store Locations: Opened six new locations in growing coastal regions.

Release Date: September 27, 2024

For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript.

Positive Points

Ferrellgas Partners LP (FGPR) experienced growth in their tank exchange business, adding over 6,000 locations for a 10% increase compared to the prior year.

The company saw a 42% and 26% increase in EBITDA for the fourth fiscal quarter and fiscal 2024, respectively, due to strategic investments in the Blue Rhino tank exchange brand.

Ferrellgas Partners LP (FGPR) successfully opened six new retail locations in growing coastal regions, contributing to weather-agnostic business opportunities.

The company completed the installation of an 18,000-gallon tank in autogas pumps, aiding in the transportation of nearly 200,000 students to school.

Ferrellgas Partners LP (FGPR) made its largest acquisition in the last 10 years with the purchase of Eastern Sierra Propane in California, helping to mitigate regional weather impacts.

Negative Points

Unseasonably warm weather led to a 5% decrease in gallons sold, impacting fiscal 2024 EBITDA negatively.

Higher medical insurance claims, amounting to $11.3 million more than the previous year, also contributed to the EBITDA decrease.

The company faced a $189.3 million or 9% decrease in revenues for fiscal 2024, partially due to warmer weather and a decrease in retail customers.

Ferrellgas Partners LP (FGPR) recognized a net loss of $20.8 million for the fourth fiscal quarter of 2024, compared to a net loss of $29.1 million in the same period of 2023.

Moody's downgraded Ferrellgas Partners LP (FGPR) due to concerns over complex capital structure, liquidity issues, and potential costs associated with ongoing litigation.

Story continues

Q & A Highlights

Q: Can you provide an update on the Eddystone case? A: In July, we appealed the District Court's judgment to the Third Circuit court of appeals. We have no further updates to provide at this time, and we direct you to the disclosures in our 10-K. (Michael Cole, CFO)

Q: With the current revolving credit facility expiring in March of 2025, can you provide an update as to when it will be renewed? A: We do not have a specific date targeted for the extension. We've been working with our existing bank group, and they remain supportive. We will continue to work with them to amend and extend the existing revolving credit facility. It is one of the top priorities for the company over the coming weeks. (Michael Cole, CFO)

Q: How is the company planning to handle the refinancing of the 2026 senior notes, the B units, the preferred units, and the capital structure? A: We have engaged an outside investment bank to help us review and make recommendations regarding our capital structure. We will take their recommendations into account as we continue discussions with our bank group and holders of those capital securities. (Michael Cole, CFO)

Q: In the Fourth Amendment to the credit facility, Ferrellgas was restricted from moving funds to MLP, which means the company can no longer make distributions to the Class A or Class B units. Will the amendment facility address this issue or remove this restriction? A: We will work with the bank group, and that will be determined as we work through the amendment and extension process. The third-party investment bank will assist in that process. (Michael Cole, CFO)

Q: In light of the Eddystone ruling, how has your thinking or timing of Class B redemption changed, if at all? A: The Class B units can be converted at any time up until March of 2026. Our position has not changed regarding the Class B units and the redemption and conversion dynamics. The Eddystone ruling adds another variable, but we have strong grounds for the appeal. (Michael Cole, CFO)

Q: How is Blue Rhino and the generator supply business preparing for Hurricane Helene? A: Both retail and Blue Rhino have been preparing for the storm since the beginning of the weekend. We prioritize our routes and restock displays, getting them ready for the communities. Safety of our drivers is prioritized, and we will assess damage and road conditions post-landfall. (Tamria Zertuche, CEO)

Q: How might the domestic propane supply markets be impacted based on the increase in exports over the next 12 to 18 months? A: We do not expect any impact on the domestic markets. The US has plenty of propane. (Tamria Zertuche, CEO)

Q: How is the company planning to address the recent downgrade from Moody's? What actions are being taken? A: We expect concerns cited by Moody's to be addressed as we work with our outside investment banker and through the amendment and extension process with the banks. The Eddystone appeal process will take time, and we are addressing the complex capital structure and liquidity concerns. (Michael Cole, CFO)

Q: How do you think about 2025 capital expenditures in comparison to 2024? A: We expect the supply chain performance demonstrated by Blue Rhino this year to continue and create future positive opportunities. We are managing operating expenses and repositioning assets in our autogas and large construction segments. (Tamria Zertuche, CEO)

Q: What are the expectations around fiscal year 2025 EBITDA? A: We don't provide EBITDA forecasts to the market, but key performance drivers are identified in our 10-K and 10-Q filings. You can use those disclosures and historical performance to estimate a normalized EBITDA number for the company. (Michael Cole, CFO)

For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript.

This article first appeared on GuruFocus.


About this project

Homelessness has become a major topic of conversation in Santa Fe as, like in many communities around the nation, the scope of need has begun to exceed local resources. Consensus about the problem is widespread, but its root causes and solutions are harder to agree on.

Community leaders are in the process of exploring a range of options on how best to respond to Santa Fe's homeless crisis. At this pivotal time, The New Mexican sent a reporter and photographer to Las Cruces to learn more about how another city is addressing homelessness and whether any of its experiences could be translated to Santa Fe. While the city of Las Cruces and Mesilla Valley Community of Hope are doing ambitious and innovative things to combat homelessness, those efforts have not made the city immune from the frustrations about rising homelessness and crime now present in Santa Fe.

This type of in-depth, statewide reporting on the issues that affect New Mexico is only possible due to the support of our readers. If you appreciated this series and want to see more reporting like this, please consider supporting our mission by becoming a subscriber: santafenewmexican.com/subscribe.
(Bloomberg) -- Floodwaters from Hurricane Helene have swamped a retired Duke Energy Corp. nuclear power plant, according to a filing with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, though an escape of contaminated fuel appears unlikely.

Most Read from Bloomberg

The Crystal River plant, which has been shuttered since 2013, experienced a storm surge of as much as 12 feet, according to the filing, which was posted online.

The whole site was flooded, including buildings, sumps, and lift stations. Industrial Wastewater Pond #5 was observed overflowing to the ground due to the surge, according to the report, which was filed Friday, the day after Helene roared ashore.

We are still in the process of obtaining access and assessing the damage, but due to the nature of this event we anticipate difficulty with estimating the total discharge amount of wastewater, and impacts are unknown at this time, the report said.

The used nuclear fuel at the site remains secure, Duke Energy said in a statement Sunday. All radioactive material has been segmented and permanently packaged in shielded containers impervious to the effects of extreme weather, the company said.

The facility, just south of Cedar Key, is still in the process of being dismantled. Its likely that the spent fuel, which is kept onsite in dry storage, is safe, Edwin Lyman, a nuclear specialist with the Union of Concerned Scientists, said in an email before Duke Energy commented.

There is probably still quite a bit of low-level radioactive waste awaiting shipment, and its likely the site wastewater has low levels of radioactive contamination, Lyman said in an email. Although anything is possible, based on the Fukushima experience, if the storage area were immersed in water for a short period of time, there is unlikely to be significant damage or leakage from the canisters.

The site also flooded in 2023 after Hurricane Idalia made landfall, according to a report in Newsweek, that said spent fuel was scheduled to remain on site until 2037.

--With assistance from Tony Czuczka.

(Updates with Duke Energy comment in fifth paragraph.)

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2024 Bloomberg L.P.
Ceres is a key object in understanding the evolution of small bodies and is the only dwarf planet to have been orbited by a spacecraft, NASAs Dawn mission. Dawn data paint an inconclusive picture of Ceres internal structure, composition and evolutionary pathway. New research shows that a crust with nearly 90% ice near the surface, which gradually decreases to 0% at 117 km depth, simultaneously matches the Dawn observations. This crustal structure results from a frozen ocean that became more impurity rich as it solidified top-down. Therefore, the Dawn data are consistent with an icy Ceres that evolved through freezing of an ancient, impure ocean.

Ceres is the largest object in the asteroid belt, and a dwarf planet. I think sometimes people think of small, lumpy things as asteroids (and most of them are!), but Ceres really looks more like a planet, said Purdue University researcher Mike Sori.

It is a big sphere, diameter 950 km or so, and has surface features like craters, volcanoes, and landslides.

We think that theres lots of water-ice near Ceres surface, and that it gets gradually less icy as you go deeper and deeper.

People used to think that if Ceres was very icy, the craters would deform quickly over time, like glaciers flowing on Earth, or like gooey flowing honey.

However, weve shown through our simulations that ice can be much stronger in conditions on Ceres than previously predicted if you mix in just a little bit of solid rock.

This discovery is contradictory to the previous belief that Ceres was relatively dry.

The common assumption was that Ceres was less than 30% ice, but Soris team now believes the surface is more like 90% ice.

Our interpretation of all this is that Ceres used to be an ocean world like Europa (one of Jupiters moons), but with a dirty, muddy ocean, Dr. Sori said.

As that muddy ocean froze over time, it created an icy crust with a little bit of rocky material trapped in it.

The authors used computer simulations to model how relaxation occurs for craters on Ceres over billions of years.

Even solids will flow over long timescales, and ice flows more readily than rock, said Purdue University Ph.D. student Ian Pamerleau.

Craters have deep bowls which produce high stresses that then relax to a lower stress state, resulting in a shallower bowl via solid state flow.

So the conclusion after NASAs Dawn mission was that due to the lack of relaxed, shallow craters, the crust could not be that icy.

Our computer simulations account for a new way that ice can flow with only a little bit of non-ice impurities mixed in, which would allow for a very ice-rich crust to barely flow even over billions of years.

Therefore, we could get an ice-rich Ceres that still matches the observed lack of crater relaxation.

We tested different crustal structures in these simulations and found that a gradational crust with a high ice content near the surface that grades down to lower ice with depth was the best way to limit relaxation of Cerean craters.

To me the exciting part of all this, if were right, is that we have a frozen ocean world pretty close to Earth, Dr. Sori said.

Ceres may be a valuable point of comparison for the ocean-hosting icy moons of the outer Solar System, like Jupiters moon Europa and Saturns moon Enceladus.

Ceres, we think, is therefore the most accessible icy world in the Universe. That makes it a great target for future spacecraft missions.

Some of the bright features we see at Ceres surface are the remnants of Ceres muddy ocean, now mostly or entirely frozen, erupted onto the surface.

So we have a place to collect samples from the ocean of an ancient ocean world that is not too difficult to send a spacecraft to.

The findings were published in the journal Nature Astronomy.

_____

I.F. Pamerleau et al. An ancient and impure frozen ocean on Ceres implied by its ice-rich crust. Nat Astron, published online September 18, 2024; doi: 10.1038/s41550-024-02350-4

This article was adapted from an original release by Purdue University.
By Neha Arora

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India's leading steelmakers' group warned on Friday of a further increase in imports from China following a U.S. decision to impose 25% tariffs on Chinese steel imports.

U.S. President Joe Biden's administration this month locked in steep tariffs on Chinese imports, including 25% on steel and aluminium that kicked in from Friday.

"The increased trade remedial tariffs on Chinese steel by U.S. is further going to impact the Indian steel industry adversely with diversion directed to India," Alok Sahay, secretary general of the Indian Steel Association (ISA), told Reuters.

India, the world's second-biggest crude steel producer, became a net importer of the alloy in the fiscal year through March 2024 and the trend has continued into the current year with imports from China surging.

Finished steel imports from China hit a seven-year high over April-August while overall finished steel imports hit a six-year high of 3.7 million metric tons.

Weak steel demand at home has encouraged China, the world's biggest producer of the alloy, to offload its surplus stocks by offering competitive prices to Indian buyers, hurting Indian producers.

"The surge in imports at predatory prices, due to diversion and due to major reduction in steel consumption in China is a double whammy for us," Sahay said.

ISA has called on the government to double tariffs on steel imports to curb the surge in cheaper steel from China, Reuters reported on Thursday.

ISA represents major steel producers such as JSW Steel, Tata Steel, ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India and state-run Steel Authority of India.

As surplus Chinese steel makes its way into global markets, Japanese and European steel makers have also sought import curbs.

India's steel minister H.D. Kumaraswamy this month said domestic steel makers were "suffering" because of cheaper imports.

A spurt in economic activity and a revamp of broader infrastructure have turned India into a bright spot for both Indian and global steel makers. Unlike India, steel demand is slowing down in Europe and the United States.

(Reporting by Neha Arora; Editing by Mayank Bhardwaj and Kim Coghill)
Metrics and ratios can be great. They take complicated bits of information and put them in a form that allows you to make comparisons among competitors or industries. They can give you valuable insight into company performance and whether management is improving certain aspects of the business. But they can also give you the wrong idea if you don't have proper context or understanding. I recently came across a misunderstanding related to Ford Motor Company's (NYSE: F) debt-to-equity ratio -- here's what it was, and what you can learn from it.

What happened?

I recently came across an article that said something to the effect of: "Ford uses its extensive debt to improve its returns. It has a shockingly high debt-to-equity ratio of 3.46." While this number is technically right, the analysis is unacceptably wrong.

To start, let's better explain the debt-to-equity ratio, and why Ford's inputs need adjusting. The debt-to-equity (D/E) ratio evaluates a company's financial leverage and is calculated by dividing total liabilities by shareholder equity.

The D/E ratio can be used to assess the company's reliance on debt and is best used in comparison within an industry as the results can trend differently across industries. A higher D/E ratio suggests a company is taking on more risk by carrying more debt, but it can work the other way if a company has a low D/E and has more to gain by taking on debt and investing in business growth.

How to adjust

Ford's D/E ratio of 3.46 brings in Ford's total liabilities, which includes debt under Ford Credit, Ford's finance arm. Before we go any further, let's sort out Ford Credit's contribution.

Ford Credit takes on massive debt, similar to a bank, and provides consumers with loans and leases and supports dealership renovations, among other things. Essentially, Ford Credit takes on massive debt but turns this into a very profitable business. Ford Credit is often more profitable than any of Ford's regions outside of North America.

Now, let's modify this ratio to get a better look at the difference between debt including Ford Credit, and without it. Let's just use total long-term debt, automotive debt, and total equity from the second quarter.

Using only long-term debt leaves us with a formula of $100.3 billion divided by $43.6 billion, or a D/E of 2.3 times. Consider anything above 2 to be entering hazardous territory, in many industries. One could glance at some metrics and immediately conclude Ford has too much debt and too much risk.

Story continues

However, when you back out Ford Credit's debt -- which again is a large positive for the company's bottom line, not a hindrance -- and use only automotive debt, the ratio shrinks down to a much more reasonable 0.42 times. This is a stark difference in how you perceive Ford and its metrics solely based on the understanding of Ford's core business and how it overlaps with Ford Credit.

What it all means

This just serves as a reminder that you should always double-check numbers and do your own research. And while metrics are incredibly helpful, they also require context and understanding. Ford Credit is a highly important entity to Ford and its underlying business, and with how it operates, its debt shouldn't be included in certain ratios.

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Some Investors Keep Making This Ford Mistake was originally published by The Motley Fool
We recently compiled a list of the Cramer's Morning Thoughts: 20 Stocks to Watch. In this article, we are going to take a look at where Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) stands against the other stocks to watch according to Jim Cramer.

In a recent episode of Mad Money, Jim Cramer explains that if you're investing with real money, not just playing a simulation like a stock market game, its essential to open a real investment account. Reflecting on his own experience from 1979, he recalls that there were no online accounts back then. Since he already had some money in a Mellon Fund account through Fidelity, he decided to open his individual stock account with them as well.

In the early days of his investing journey, Cramer admits he didnt have a clear source for stock ideas, so he turned to Forbes, a magazine he trusted. One article caught his eye about American Agronomics, a promising orange-growing company in Florida. It looked like a good opportunity, so he invested in 10 shares. Unfortunately, disaster struck when a frost destroyed the crops, slashing his investment in half. Cramer likens this experience to the storyline of the movie Trading Places. While the loss was painful, he emphasizes that it didn't crush his determination to keep learning and investing.

"At first, I didnt know where to look for stock ideas, so I turned to a magazine I liked, Forbes. No offense to Forbes, but I read an interesting article about American Agronomics, a compelling orange grower in Florida. It seemed like a solid pick, so I bought 10 shares. Later, a frost hit, wiping out the crops and cutting my investment in half a bit like the plot of Trading Places, if youve ever seen that classic Eddie Murphy movie. I was devastated but not defeated."

Jim Cramer's 1st Investment Lesson: Know What You Own

Jim Cramer shares a story about one of his early investing experiences. After suffering a loss on his previous investment, he sold off his remaining shares and used the leftover money to buy seven shares of Bobby Brooks, a clothing company recommended by Forbes. Unfortunately, the company reported poor financial results, and Cramer lost even more money. At the time, he had a stable job at American Lawyer magazine, earning $20,000 a year, and was living in a small, affordable studio apartment. This low cost of living allowed him to quickly rebuild his stock portfolio despite his earlier losses.

During his work travels, Cramer once had a great breakfast at Bob Evans Farms and discovered the company was publicly traded. Intrigued, he returned to New York and went to the Midtown Manhattan Public Library, where he studied everything he could find about Bob Evans Farms and compared it with other companies in the same industry. Based on this research, he bought 20 shares of the company. His investment paid off when the stock rose after a strong financial quarter and a stock split. Through this experience, Cramer learned an important lesson: "Know what you own."

Story continues

"During my travels for work, I once had an amazing breakfast at Bob Evans Farms and learned that the company was publicly traded. When I returned to New York, I visited the Midtown Manhattan Public Library, read everything I could about Bob Evans, and compared it with other companies in the industry. Armed with that research, I bought 20 shares. The stock rose immediately following a good quarter and a stock split. Thats when I learned my first key investment lesson: know what you own."

From Childhood Curiosity to Financial Empire: The Rise of Jim Cramer

Jim Cramer shared that his passion for stocks didn't ignite in adulthood after law school or college, or even in high school. It started much earlier, back in the fourth grade. According to him, his father would bring home the Philadelphia Bulletin, one of the largest newspapers in the country at the time. While most kids would eagerly flip to the comics or sports section, Jim was a huge Phillies fan, he found himself intrigued by something else. Curiosity got the best of him.

The business section of the paper, full of lists of names and numbers, looked like an indecipherable code compared to the baseball stats he regularly pored over. Terms like "open," "range," and "close" didn't make any sense to him, so he asked his dad, who had some experience dabbling in the stock market.

His dad encouraged him, and Jim began tracking stock names he heard on the radio, keeping a record of their daily performance in a ledger. For him, it became a fun game of prediction, much like analyzing baseball stats. He didnt know much about the companies he was tracking, many were defense stocks that were performing well due to the Vietnam War, but it didnt matter. The thrill of figuring out the next move kept him hooked.

The Stock Game

Not long after, Jim introduced this "stock game" to his fifth-grade class during show-and-tell, showing off his ledger and inviting his classmates to join in the fun. Though not everyone was interested, the lesson was clear: starting early can ignite a lifelong interest. For Cramer, this early exposure to the stock market became the foundation of his love for investing.

"Fast forward a bit, and I introduced this "stock game" to my fifth-grade class during show-and-tell, showing off my ledger and challenging my classmates to play. Not everyone was into it, but the lesson here is clear: get them started early. Thats how I fell in love with the stock market."

Jim Cramer's takeaway from his childhood stock obsession is simple: start young. The stock market is a long-term game, and the earlier you get involved, the higher your chances of winning will get.

Our Methodology

This article delves into Jim Cramers latest Morning Thoughts posts which list the top stocks Cramer's watching before the markets open. After going through his posts, we sorted the picks from his watchlist by hedge fund sentiment. The stocks are ranked in ascending order of the number of hedge funds that have stakes in them, as of Q2 2024.

At Insider Monkey we are obsessed with the stocks that hedge funds pile into. The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletters strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 275% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 150 percentage points (see more details here).

An array of pharmaceutical pills with the company's logo on the bottle.

Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY)

Number of Hedge Fund Investors: 100

According to the latest Morning Thoughts post, Eli Lillys Alzheimers drug, donanemab (brand name Kisunla), was approved in Japan for treating early symptomatic Alzheimers disease, marking Japan as the second major market to clear the drug after the U.S. in July.

"Eli Lilly s donanemab, brand name Kisunla, was approved in Japan for treating early symptomatic Alzheimers disease. Japan is the second major market to clear the drug following the U.S. in July."

Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) is an attractive investment choice, driven by solid financial performance and a strong lineup of innovative drugs. In its Q2 2024 earnings report, Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) revealed revenue of $8.8 billion, a remarkable 17% increase from the previous year, along with a net income of $2.2 billion. This growth is largely fueled by the success of its diabetes and obesity treatments, especially Mounjaro, which is gaining popularity.

Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY)'s diverse pipeline includes several promising drug candidates in key areas like oncology, immunology, and neuroscience, and positive results from clinical trials enhance its future potential. Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) has also formed strategic partnerships with biotech firms and research institutions, which boost its research and development efforts, allowing for faster introduction of new therapies.

Recent regulatory approvals for expanded uses of existing products further enhance Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) market potential. Additionally, Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY)s commitment to sustainability and improving access to its medications aligns well with current healthcare trends. With a strong product portfolio and a focus on meeting important medical needs, Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) is well-positioned for ongoing growth in the competitive pharmaceutical market.

Overall LLY ranks 5th on our list of the stocks to watch according to Jim Cramer. While we acknowledge the potential of LLY as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that under the radar AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns, and doing so within a shorter timeframe. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than LLY but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.

READ NEXT: $30 Trillion Opportunity: 15 Best Humanoid Robot Stocks to Buy According to Morgan Stanley and Jim Cramer Says NVIDIA Has Become A Wasteland.

Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar participated in ministerial meetings with three regional groups to enhance India's cooperation. He chaired the meeting of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) and co-chaired sessions with two groups from Latin America and the Caribbean. In a post on X, he mentioned that the BIMSTEC meeting was held in preparation for the upcoming leaders' summit hosted by Thailand, where the ministers reviewed their collaboration in areas such as health, food security, trade, investment, economy, and energy.

He reiterated Indias commitment for wider engagement with BIMSTEC in line with Neighbourhood First, Vision SAGAR and Act East Policy. The meeting focused on improving physical, maritime, and digital connectivity across the region and explored opportunities for capacity building, skill development, and improving people-to-people ties, he posted.

The ministers are united in their commitment to the BIMSTEC Centres of Excellence. The seven-member group, known as the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC), is dedicated to advancing economic and social development through technical and educational initiatives. After co-chairing the India-CARICOM Foreign Ministers meeting with Dominica Foreign Minister Vince Henderson, he said on X that they discussed upgrading our partnership and deepening cooperation in health, IT, FinTech, capacity building, renewables, and food security.

CARICOM, short for the Caribbean Community, consists of 15 members, including Guyana, Suriname, and Trinidad, all of which have a significant Indian diaspora. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar co-chaired the India-CELAC Foreign Ministers Meeting with Honduran Foreign Minister Enrique Reina. The Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) comprises 33 members.

He posted on X, that the agenda included Digital Public Infrastructure, health, clean energy, and capacity building. The meeting highlighted possibilities for greater engagement in Artificial Intelligence, e-mobility, space, smart agriculture, and drones, he said. Our political cooperation and deepening economic linkages advance South-South cooperation and they have a shared commitment to reformed multilateralism, he added.

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar continued his series of meetings with global leaders. From Central Asia, he met with Turkmenistan's Deputy Prime Minister Rasit Meredow and Uzbekistan's Foreign Minister Bakhtiyor Saidov. Jaishankar shared on X that his discussion with Meredow focused on further expanding our friendly ties. He also expressed appreciation for Saidovs insights on regional matters.

The United Arab Emirates Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed and he had so much to talk about, on our ties and whats happening in the world, EAM Jaishankar said on X. He added that he and Romanias Foreign Minister Luminita Odobescu took stock of our growing bilateral engagements in tourism, defence and mobility and exchanged perspectives on Ukraine.
Im not a my country right or wrong kind of guy. Im more of a my country right AND wrong. There is so much that I love about America that other folks now seem to want to denigrate.

I love the many diverse nationalities and cultures that make up our country that, according to some, only highlight the fact that we stole our land from others and should give it back.

I love the mixing of food and music and language from all over the world, which, according to some folks is assimilation, resulting in cultural genocide.

I am reading an excellent book by Adam Kirsch entitled On Settler Colonialism: Ideology, Violence And Justice. He defines the term as what happens when a group of individuals not indigenous to a land colonize it and either drive out, kill or assimilate those who were already there. He applies it, in particular to Australia (think of the tune Beds Are Burning by the group Midnight Oil), Canada and, of course, the United States.

We were all taught in school the history of our country, how Pilgrims escaped from a tyrannical government in England, either bought land or assimilated Native Americans into the land they settled on, and due to the constant flow of immigrant people into our country, one nation was formed out of the cultures of many other nations.

According to some folks, this is the very heart and soul of settler colonialism and they insist that everybody not Native American return the land to Native American nations and then proceed to return to their homeland.

While Kirsch agrees that the basic premise of settler colonialism is sound, he feels it is being applied too broadly and with no clear path in sight.

For example, my heritage is Italian (my mother), Irish and German (my father). Should I buy three houses and just spend a little bit of time in each during the year?

And heres a question nobody seems to ask: What if we all returned to our ancestral homes and found that there was no room for us and that nobody wanted us there?

Native Americans now comprise only 3% of the population of America. There are many reasons for that, including those offered by the TV series True Detective: Night Country, Alaska Daily and the excellent Martin Scorsese movie Killers Of The Flower Moon, which is based on documented facts. In Minnesota, 27 to 54 Indigenous women and girls went missing every month from 2012 to 2020, a higher rate than any other ethnic group.

Ira Hayes, one of the soldiers who raised an American flag on Iwo Jima, was crushed due to racism and alcoholism, as depicted in the film Flags Of Our Fathers by Clint Eastwood.

The list goes on and on and doesnt end with Native Americans. For years people of color and of different ethnicities were on the receiving end of various forms of racism that including harassment, bullying, and even murder. Were seeing examples of that in Springfield.

The thing is, nobody here thinks that any of that is right, do they? None of us would want someone to confront us in a local supermarket or a parking lot and call us a dirty [fill in the racial epithet]. And none of us would dare dream of using denigrating terms for another human being in public.

Wellmost of us. Those other folks are paranoid nationalists.

And thats my point: We have come a long way in this country towards recognizing the contributions that other cultures have made to the beautiful mosaic that is America. But, thats not good enough for some folks. No, they want us to return everything we stole from others to those we stole from and then get out of Dodge and head...uh...theyre not exactly sure where.

Recently, museums have been asked to return certain artifacts to the people that they borrowed them from. Joan and I overheard such a conversation on a recent trip to the National Museum of the American Indian in Manhattan. As part of a pro-Palestinian protest, participants broke into the Brooklyn Museum, demanding the museum cut ties with Israel. In the process, they damaged pieces of art and hurled insults.

I wonder what you would think of me if I walked into your house and started destroying it? Would you think whatever I was protesting against was valid or was I behaving just as badly as the people I was protesting against?

Is our country perfect? By no means. Thats why the Constitution states that we are striving to create a more perfect union. Were not there yet. But we have come further than somebody my age thought we ever could. Women have access to jobs they didnt in the 1950s, people of color are treated with dignity and respect in many places and the rights of folks to live their lives and love who they want to love is seen as a positive thing. But we lose sight of all this if we constantly demean and denigrate the efforts of our country to grow and change.

Its okay to feel joy and hope. Its okay not to bend to the pressures of social media and the news. Its okay to be grateful. Because gratitude is sustainable, but hatred and fear are not.

Hold those magnificent grey heads high. Comments may be submitted to Talk To The Old Guy on Facebook.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- With less than two months left until Election Day, the candidate with the upper hand depends on who you ask.

Recent national polls show varying levels of support for former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris, with some showing the candidates tied or within a single point, and others showing Harris leading by as many as seven points.

The wide range of outcomes in national polls indicate that the upcoming election is nearly impossible to predict and will likely come down to the ever-important swing states, where poll results have been just as, if not more, varied.

Heres a look at how both candidates performed in some of the most recent polls.

QUINNIPIAC UNIVERSITY

A Quinnipiac University poll, which included responses from 1,728 likely voters between Sept. 19 and Sept. 22, showed the candidates deadlocked in a tie, with both candidates receiving 48% support. When adding in third-party candidates, Trump led by one point, 48% to 47%.

On the backstretch of the race to Election Day, all eyes are on which candidate can best stoke their supporters enthusiasm all the way to the finish line. A slight shift suggests the Harris crowd is not roaring as loudly as it was last month, said Quinnipiac University Polling Analyst Tim Malloy.

As has been the case in many past polls, theres a staggering gender gap among voters, with Harris leading by 13 points among women, 54% to 41%, and Trump leading by 15 points among men, 56% to 41%.

Trumps refusal to participate in a second debate has been a point of frustration for nearly two-thirds of voters, with 64% saying they would have liked to see the two face off another time before the election.

Shes ready to rumble. He apparently is not. The final weeks heading to November 5th are bristling with tactics and intrigue as Trump, at least for now, steers clear of another one-on-one, said Malloy.

When asked who they believe would better handle specific issues, voters favored Harris in terms of gun violence, abortion, preserving democracy and decisions about the use of nuclear weapons, while they favored Trump in terms of immigration and the economy.

CNN

A CNN poll, which includes responses from 2,074 likely voters between Sept. 19 and Sept. 22, showed Harris leading Trump by one point, with 48% favoring Harris, 47% favoring Trump and the remaining respondents either undecided or planning to vote for a third-party candidate.

The poll suggests that overall, Harris has begun to build a more positive public image, outpacing Trump across several measures of how the public views her personally, according to CNN.

The latest poll shows that 46% view Harris favorably, compared to 48% who view her unfavorably. While still in the red, Trump appears even less likable, with 42% viewing him favorably and 55% unfavorably.

Roughly 56% of voters said Harris background and life experience is reflective of what theyre looking for in a president, compared to 46% who said the same of Trump.

Additionally, 58% viewed Harris temperament as desirable in a leader, while just 38% said that about Trump.

REUTERS/IPSOS

A Reuters/IPSOS poll, which includes responses from 785 likely voters between Sept. 21 and Sept. 23, showed Harris leading Trump by seven points, with 47% supporting Harris, 40% supporting Trump and the remaining respondents either undecided or planning to vote for a third-party candidate.

The results represent a two-point bump for Harris, who led by five points in the previous Reuters poll conducted from Sept. 11 through Sept. 12.

In what could be viewed as an encouraging sign for Democrats, Americans appear to be growing more confident in Harris ability to tackle economic issues, which has been a huge selling point for Trump up until this point.

In the most recent poll, when respondents were asked which candidate had the better approach on the economy, unemployment and jobs, Trump maintained his lead, but by just two percentage points, while past polls him enjoying an 11-point lead in the same category.

MORNING CONSULT

A Morning Consult poll, which includes responses from 11,057 registered voters between Sept. 20 and Sept. 22, showed Harris leading Trump by five points, with 50% supporting Harris, 45% supporting Trump and the remaining respondents either undecided or planning to vote for a third-party candidate.

The latest numbers represent a slight drop-off for Harris, who was leading Trump by six points in last weeks Morning Consult poll.

With 94% of Democrats supporting Harris and 91% of Republicans supporting Trump, independent voters could hold the key to the election.

According to the poll, Harris currently leads by four points, 46% to 42%, in this crucial voter group.

Harris has maintained a lead among young voters, ages 18 through 34, currently garnering 54% of support within this group, compared to 42% for Trump.

As has been the case since announcing her campaign, Harris continues to lead by a significant margin, 80% to 16%, among Black voters, the largest lead in this voter group of the entire election cycle.

RASMUSSEN REPORTS

A Rasmussen Reports poll, which includes responses from 1,820 likely voters between Sept. 19 and Sept. 25, showed Trump leading by two points, with 48% supporting Trump, 46% supporting Harris and the remaining respondents either undecided or planning to vote for a third-party candidate.

While still trailing in the latest poll, Harris has slowly, but surely, narrowed the gap on Trump, with previous Rasmussen polls showing Trump leading by as many as seven points.
We recently compiled a list of the Cramer's Morning Thoughts: 20 Stocks to Watch. In this article, we are going to take a look at where Visa Inc. (NYSE:V) stands against the other stocks to watch according to Jim Cramer.

In a recent episode of Mad Money, Jim Cramer explains that if you're investing with real money, not just playing a simulation like a stock market game, its essential to open a real investment account. Reflecting on his own experience from 1979, he recalls that there were no online accounts back then. Since he already had some money in a Mellon Fund account through Fidelity, he decided to open his individual stock account with them as well.

In the early days of his investing journey, Cramer admits he didnt have a clear source for stock ideas, so he turned to Forbes, a magazine he trusted. One article caught his eye about American Agronomics, a promising orange-growing company in Florida. It looked like a good opportunity, so he invested in 10 shares. Unfortunately, disaster struck when a frost destroyed the crops, slashing his investment in half. Cramer likens this experience to the storyline of the movie Trading Places. While the loss was painful, he emphasizes that it didn't crush his determination to keep learning and investing.

"At first, I didnt know where to look for stock ideas, so I turned to a magazine I liked, Forbes. No offense to Forbes, but I read an interesting article about American Agronomics, a compelling orange grower in Florida. It seemed like a solid pick, so I bought 10 shares. Later, a frost hit, wiping out the crops and cutting my investment in half a bit like the plot of Trading Places, if youve ever seen that classic Eddie Murphy movie. I was devastated but not defeated."

Jim Cramer's 1st Investment Lesson: Know What You Own

Jim Cramer shares a story about one of his early investing experiences. After suffering a loss on his previous investment, he sold off his remaining shares and used the leftover money to buy seven shares of Bobby Brooks, a clothing company recommended by Forbes. Unfortunately, the company reported poor financial results, and Cramer lost even more money. At the time, he had a stable job at American Lawyer magazine, earning $20,000 a year, and was living in a small, affordable studio apartment. This low cost of living allowed him to quickly rebuild his stock portfolio despite his earlier losses.

During his work travels, Cramer once had a great breakfast at Bob Evans Farms and discovered the company was publicly traded. Intrigued, he returned to New York and went to the Midtown Manhattan Public Library, where he studied everything he could find about Bob Evans Farms and compared it with other companies in the same industry. Based on this research, he bought 20 shares of the company. His investment paid off when the stock rose after a strong financial quarter and a stock split. Through this experience, Cramer learned an important lesson: "Know what you own."

Story continues

"During my travels for work, I once had an amazing breakfast at Bob Evans Farms and learned that the company was publicly traded. When I returned to New York, I visited the Midtown Manhattan Public Library, read everything I could about Bob Evans, and compared it with other companies in the industry. Armed with that research, I bought 20 shares. The stock rose immediately following a good quarter and a stock split. Thats when I learned my first key investment lesson: know what you own."

From Childhood Curiosity to Financial Empire: The Rise of Jim Cramer

Jim Cramer shared that his passion for stocks didn't ignite in adulthood after law school or college, or even in high school. It started much earlier, back in the fourth grade. According to him, his father would bring home the Philadelphia Bulletin, one of the largest newspapers in the country at the time. While most kids would eagerly flip to the comics or sports section, Jim was a huge Phillies fan, he found himself intrigued by something else. Curiosity got the best of him.

The business section of the paper, full of lists of names and numbers, looked like an indecipherable code compared to the baseball stats he regularly pored over. Terms like "open," "range," and "close" didn't make any sense to him, so he asked his dad, who had some experience dabbling in the stock market.

His dad encouraged him, and Jim began tracking stock names he heard on the radio, keeping a record of their daily performance in a ledger. For him, it became a fun game of prediction, much like analyzing baseball stats. He didnt know much about the companies he was tracking, many were defense stocks that were performing well due to the Vietnam War, but it didnt matter. The thrill of figuring out the next move kept him hooked.

The Stock Game

Not long after, Jim introduced this "stock game" to his fifth-grade class during show-and-tell, showing off his ledger and inviting his classmates to join in the fun. Though not everyone was interested, the lesson was clear: starting early can ignite a lifelong interest. For Cramer, this early exposure to the stock market became the foundation of his love for investing.

"Fast forward a bit, and I introduced this "stock game" to my fifth-grade class during show-and-tell, showing off my ledger and challenging my classmates to play. Not everyone was into it, but the lesson here is clear: get them started early. Thats how I fell in love with the stock market."

Jim Cramer's takeaway from his childhood stock obsession is simple: start young. The stock market is a long-term game, and the earlier you get involved, the higher your chances of winning will get.

Our Methodology

This article delves into Jim Cramers latest Morning Thoughts posts which list the top stocks Cramer's watching before the markets open. After going through his posts, we sorted the picks from his watchlist by hedge fund sentiment. The stocks are ranked in ascending order of the number of hedge funds that have stakes in them, as of Q2 2024.

At Insider Monkey we are obsessed with the stocks that hedge funds pile into. The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletters strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 275% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 150 percentage points (see more details here).

A close-up of a modern payments terminal with a pile of credit cards on the side.

Visa Inc. (NYSE:V)

Number of Hedge Fund Investors: 163

According to the latest Morning Thoughts post, Visa Inc. (NYSE:V) is reportedly facing a potential monopoly lawsuit from the Justice Department over its debit card business, according to a Bloomberg report.

"The Justice Department is planning to file a monopoly lawsuit against Visa over its debit card business, according to a Bloomberg report."

Despite facing economic uncertainties, Visa Inc. (NYSE:V) has proven to be resilient with its diverse revenue streams and strong brand. As more people and businesses continue to embrace digital payments, Visa Inc. (NYSE:V) is well-positioned for sustained growth and profitability, making it a compelling option for investors.

Visa Inc. (NYSE:V) is still one of the strong investment choices, thanks to its impressive financial results and the ongoing shift toward digital payments. In Q2 2024 earnings report, Visa Inc. (NYSE:V) announced revenue of $7.8 billion, an 11% increase from last year, along with a net income of $4.2 billion, showing solid profitability driven by high transaction volumes. Visa Inc. (NYSE:V) processed 47 billion transactions in the quarter, a 10% rise, highlighting the growing trend of cashless payments among consumers.

Visa Inc. (NYSE:V) is also investing in innovative technologies like contactless payments, digital wallets, and blockchain, which enhance its services and attract more clients. Recently, Visa Inc. (NYSE:V) partnered with various fintech companies to expand its digital payment options, further widening its customer base. Additionally, Visa Inc. (NYSE:V)s initiatives to promote financial inclusion resonate positively with both consumers and businesses.

Aoris International Fund stated the following regarding Visa Inc. (NYSE:V) in its Q2 2024 investor letter:

Visa Inc. (NYSE:V) operates the worlds largest payments network, which facilitates the movement of money between merchants, financial institutions, consumers, businesses, and governments. The company is best known for enabling consumers to make debit and credit card payments. In the year to September 2023, 4.3 billion Visa cardholders made 213 billion transactions on its network, to a total value of US$12.1 trillion. Compared to cash and cheques, which are still widely used around the world, Visas network is a more convenient, secure, and ubiquitous way for consumers to pay. Visa has invested to reduce friction and fraud in the payments experience, to the benefit of both merchants and consumers (Click here to read the full text)

Overall V ranks 3rd on our list of the stocks to watch according to Jim Cramer. While we acknowledge the potential of V as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that under the radar AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns, and doing so within a shorter timeframe. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than V but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.

READ NEXT: $30 Trillion Opportunity: 15 Best Humanoid Robot Stocks to Buy According to Morgan Stanley and Jim Cramer Says NVIDIA Has Become A Wasteland.

Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.
Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Save articles for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time. Got it Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size This story is part of the September 29 edition of Sunday Life. See all 11 stories . The sand from our beaches is invasive. It gets into shoes, bags and bathers with a persistence that resists even the most aggressive loofahs. Think of it as Australian glitter. Along with bikini bottoms and board shorts, it follows us home and infiltrates every aspect of our wardrobes and the way we dress. There is a sense of freedom to Australian style that always goes back to the beach, says Sunday Life fashion editor Penny McCarthy. Its very relaxed, easy and breezy. Theres plenty of room to make your own rules. Even as local labels such as Rebecca Vallance, Sir and Christopher Esber show the world levels of sophistication unexpected from the birthplace of the ugg boot, its the way Australians wear their full skirts and fitted dresses that defines us. Its that look of either having come straight from the beach, or that at any opportunity youre ready to strip off and dive beneath the waves, says Penny. Albus Lumen Traveller T-shirt, $149. Blanca Rio skirt, $290. Credit: Jesse-Leigh Elford So it makes sense that swimsuits are at the beating heart of some of our most successful brands. Before considering a high-necked floral dress with covered buttons from Zimmermann, most people tried one of their swimsuits and Venroy made board shorts years before the label stitched their first linen pants. Bondi Born now sells dresses in the Middle East and London but was started by businesswoman Dale McCarthy in 2015 with a range of one-piece swimsuits.

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Theres no getting around the fact that Australia is a laid-back country, Dale says. We are not fussy and we are not pretentious. The same applies to the way that we dress. Fussy doesnt really work here. It all goes back to nature and the beach. Zimmermann Crush dress, $1950. Credit: Jesse-Leigh Elford While building her brand, Dale discovered that nailing the easygoing simplicity of the Australian approach to dressing was hard work. Its all about having the right ingredients  just ask Neil Perry, who has redefined Australian style with his food, or architect Luigi Rosselli. Like these masters, we have to find the right ingredients for fashion. You can do swimwear with lots of frills and embellishments but creating something simple requires the best possible fabrics. The less is more approach requires effort. Having developed custom fabrics for Bondi Born swimwear, Dale has taken the same considered approach to the brands clothing. Theres an ease to sarong skirts that can be pulled over swimwear to elegantly make the transition from surf to turf after a good towelling off. Scanlan Theodore bustier and skirt, $1800. Credit: Jesse-Leigh Elford At the opening show of Australian Fashion Week in May, designer Marina Afonina captured the adaptability of this countrys style by pairing bikini tops with long skirts and T-shirts over sensual sheer pieces. Models had their hair loose and parted down the middle, with pearl necklaces adding an unexpected touch of refinement.

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The beaches are always there when you think of Australian style, says Afonina. A young Elle Macpherson in a swimsuit with zinc on her nose is the first image that comes to mind. Everyone loves the warm weather and the colour it brings. Lets face it, as a country we dont do winter well. Raised in Russia before moving to Australia when she was 17, Afonina still has an outsiders view of the country. For her, the relative youth of our capital cities helps keep the focus on nature and the great outdoors when it comes to defining our style. Europe is an old culture where generations of culture inform your style through the architecture, she says. Its in the walls. Bondi Born Lana bikini top, $150, and Ardea skirt, $395. Credit: Jesse-Leigh Elford Furrowing her Eastern European brow, Afonina worries that some of the freedom she loves about Australian style is disappearing because of fast fashion and social media. I wonder where the courage is. You look around and some people are like sheep. Why are all of my friends wearing the same trench coat? We need new brave icons. Where is the new Elle? That confidence might come from other corners of the world, with buyers in Paris and Milan always impressed by the way we pull ourselves together. I think people are always surprised that Australians can have style, but its part of the reason why people around the world love us, Afonina says. Of course, they think we have kangaroos everywhere. But they pick up on our relaxed manner by the way we dress. Beare Park Joyce dress, $820. Venroy Balconette bikini top, $140. Models own jeans. Credit: Jesse-Leigh Elford

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Sener Besim

In 2020, Sener Besim launched a jewellery line.

Innovation has always been central to what I do and Ive created a brand that sits outside seasonality. I launched the business in 2016, starting with Japanese titanium eyewear. My ambition was always to work with Japanese artisans at the top of their game. We were excited to deliver innovation to the independent luxury space as I felt eyewear had been an afterthought for many luxury houses.

In 2020, we launched a jewellery line, working with gold and plated metals and exploring enamelling, which took us on a journey of working with colour. Again we werent satisfied with the existing state of affairs.

As we continued to tell our story through our product, we went back to where it started for me  ready-to-wear. I approached the finest mills in Italy to create the highest-quality garments, including knitted skirts and dresses. This year, our second collection has seen us join forces with a Turkish mill to produce a collection of T-shirts, skirts and dresses in black and white. All are made from the same yarn, a high-grade mercerised cotton that can be washed and worn without altering shape.
A 48-year-old man has appeared in court after allegedly hitting an elderly man on a mobility scooter with his ute in Sydneys west  killing the victim  before driving away.

Hubertus Mallens, 87, was allegedly struck by a ute at the Mulgoa Road and Ransley Street intersection in Penrith just before 1pm on Friday. He was treated by paramedics but died at the scene.

Seamus Rafter has been charged with dangerous driving after allegedly killing an 87-year-old with his ute in Penrith.

Police arrested Seamus Rafter, 48, an hour after the incident at Westfield Penrith. He was taken to Nepean Hospital for mandatory testing.

Rafter has been charged with dangerous driving occasioning death, failure to stop and assist after a vehicle impact occasioning death, negligent driving, and failure to stop at a red light.
We dont know if that reflects more violence or schools are calling police more often. A blanket ban on mobile phones in schools was rolled out almost a year ago in a bid to improve behaviour, attendance and engagement in classrooms. Tim McDonald, who has advised government on student behaviour, said the rising tide of violence and harassment at schools is indicative of wider issues in the community. Tensions in communities and difficulties at home can spill over into schools. With so many forces impacting on schools we need to concentrate resources where they are needed, and ensure teachers are supported to manage misbehaviour and more serious incidents, said McDonald, who is the CEO of YMCA WA, which runs a school for disengaged youth. McDonald said it was critical to ensure trust and respect among students and staff, otherwise we will have chaos, and this takes its toll on teachers.

Students sense of belonging at school is vital and helps build a positive school culture where differences are embraced and accepted, he said. Loading The departments incident log has reported a rise in assaults over five years, while there were some 740 reports of possession of weapons. The Central Coast had the highest number of violence and welfare reports of any area, followed by Maitland in the Hunter region. There are around 1.2 million students in NSW schools. Crime data compiled by BOCSAR is based on reports of incidents, not charges or convictions. A spokesperson for the department said: While schools are among the safest places in our community, they are at times complex environments.

We require our schools to report allegations of sexual assault and touching to police. An increase in these reports comes alongside strengthened mandatory reporting and more comprehensive consent education. The department noted they are the only NSW school sector to provide regular and transparent incident reporting. Private and Catholic schools do not publish publicly available data about incidents on their school grounds. Crime data shows an 80 per cent rise in reports of assaults in schools over the decade, while use of drugs on school grounds has dropped over the decade, as has malicious damage to property. Principals have previously flagged concerns students are acting out behaviour seen online or social media, stressing the need for parents to support schools with the reasonable expectations teachers are setting for students. Numerous Instagram accounts have been created to share videos of fights in NSW schools. Some include footage of staff members intervening to try and contain the brawls.

NSW Secondary Principals Council president Denise Lofts said complex factors were contributing to the rise in reports, including improved awareness about reporting, and readiness of young people to speak up about sexual offences. Loading There is also a need for more school support officers, especially in regional and remote schools, and for more school councillors, said Lofts. Over the past decade, there have been procedural and policy changes to make reporting easier for victims of sexual assault and offences. This includes the introduction of online reporting platforms, a BOSCAR spokesperson said, noting a rise in reporting of historical incidents. Workplace safety regulator SafeWork NSW said it has conducted 93 compliance visits to public and private schools and education department offices since January last year, with 21 resulting in an improvement notice being issued.

The visits aimed to verify compliance and manage psychosocial risks which includes exposure to harmful behaviour such as work-related violence, a spokesperson said. NSW Teachers Federation deputy president Amber Flohm said there had been a decline in mental health in young people and increased pressure of families. The focus should be on increasing resources in schools focus on student and staff wellbeing. But there must be a balance between schools, being the primary purpose of teaching and learning, and not the place where all issues can be resolved, she said. The Department updated its behaviour policy in term one this year with a scale of measures that principals can use address problem behaviour  including suspension and expulsion. Earlier this month, the Herald reported a police investigation was launched at a south-west Sydney school after numerous physical fights broke out at the school, sparking a warning from parents not enough is being done to address persistent misbehaviour and violent attacks.
Mental health advocates say the federal government is failing young people by pushing social media bans instead of improving access to unaffordable psychology services, calling for a levy on social media companies to subsidise the sector.

A Black Dog Institute analysis of ABS data suggests more than 2.3 million Australians need mental healthcare but arent getting it, with more people going without care than receiving treatment.

Mental health organisations say social media can provide free access to support for young people. Credit: Getty Images

Black Dog executive director Professor Sam Harvey said the figures, drawn from the ABSs National Study of Mental Health and Wellbeing, assumed that people receiving care were receiving adequate care, which was not always the case given the prohibitive cost.

We are seeing more anxiety and depression symptoms than ever before in young people  for the first time we are handing on worse mental health outcomes to the next generation, he said.
We recently compiled a list of the Cramer's Morning Thoughts: 20 Stocks to Watch. In this article, we are going to take a look at where Salesforce.com inc. (NYSE:CRM) stands against the other stocks to watch according to Jim Cramer.

In a recent episode of Mad Money, Jim Cramer explains that if you're investing with real money, not just playing a simulation like a stock market game, its essential to open a real investment account. Reflecting on his own experience from 1979, he recalls that there were no online accounts back then. Since he already had some money in a Mellon Fund account through Fidelity, he decided to open his individual stock account with them as well.

In the early days of his investing journey, Cramer admits he didnt have a clear source for stock ideas, so he turned to Forbes, a magazine he trusted. One article caught his eye about American Agronomics, a promising orange-growing company in Florida. It looked like a good opportunity, so he invested in 10 shares. Unfortunately, disaster struck when a frost destroyed the crops, slashing his investment in half. Cramer likens this experience to the storyline of the movie Trading Places. While the loss was painful, he emphasizes that it didn't crush his determination to keep learning and investing.

"At first, I didnt know where to look for stock ideas, so I turned to a magazine I liked, Forbes. No offense to Forbes, but I read an interesting article about American Agronomics, a compelling orange grower in Florida. It seemed like a solid pick, so I bought 10 shares. Later, a frost hit, wiping out the crops and cutting my investment in half a bit like the plot of Trading Places, if youve ever seen that classic Eddie Murphy movie. I was devastated but not defeated."

Jim Cramer's 1st Investment Lesson: Know What You Own

Jim Cramer shares a story about one of his early investing experiences. After suffering a loss on his previous investment, he sold off his remaining shares and used the leftover money to buy seven shares of Bobby Brooks, a clothing company recommended by Forbes. Unfortunately, the company reported poor financial results, and Cramer lost even more money. At the time, he had a stable job at American Lawyer magazine, earning $20,000 a year, and was living in a small, affordable studio apartment. This low cost of living allowed him to quickly rebuild his stock portfolio despite his earlier losses.

During his work travels, Cramer once had a great breakfast at Bob Evans Farms and discovered the company was publicly traded. Intrigued, he returned to New York and went to the Midtown Manhattan Public Library, where he studied everything he could find about Bob Evans Farms and compared it with other companies in the same industry. Based on this research, he bought 20 shares of the company. His investment paid off when the stock rose after a strong financial quarter and a stock split. Through this experience, Cramer learned an important lesson: "Know what you own."

Story continues

"During my travels for work, I once had an amazing breakfast at Bob Evans Farms and learned that the company was publicly traded. When I returned to New York, I visited the Midtown Manhattan Public Library, read everything I could about Bob Evans, and compared it with other companies in the industry. Armed with that research, I bought 20 shares. The stock rose immediately following a good quarter and a stock split. Thats when I learned my first key investment lesson: know what you own."

From Childhood Curiosity to Financial Empire: The Rise of Jim Cramer

Jim Cramer shared that his passion for stocks didn't ignite in adulthood after law school or college, or even in high school. It started much earlier, back in the fourth grade. According to him, his father would bring home the Philadelphia Bulletin, one of the largest newspapers in the country at the time. While most kids would eagerly flip to the comics or sports section, Jim was a huge Phillies fan, he found himself intrigued by something else. Curiosity got the best of him.

The business section of the paper, full of lists of names and numbers, looked like an indecipherable code compared to the baseball stats he regularly pored over. Terms like "open," "range," and "close" didn't make any sense to him, so he asked his dad, who had some experience dabbling in the stock market.

His dad encouraged him, and Jim began tracking stock names he heard on the radio, keeping a record of their daily performance in a ledger. For him, it became a fun game of prediction, much like analyzing baseball stats. He didnt know much about the companies he was tracking, many were defense stocks that were performing well due to the Vietnam War, but it didnt matter. The thrill of figuring out the next move kept him hooked.

The Stock Game

Not long after, Jim introduced this "stock game" to his fifth-grade class during show-and-tell, showing off his ledger and inviting his classmates to join in the fun. Though not everyone was interested, the lesson was clear: starting early can ignite a lifelong interest. For Cramer, this early exposure to the stock market became the foundation of his love for investing.

"Fast forward a bit, and I introduced this "stock game" to my fifth-grade class during show-and-tell, showing off my ledger and challenging my classmates to play. Not everyone was into it, but the lesson here is clear: get them started early. Thats how I fell in love with the stock market."

Jim Cramer's takeaway from his childhood stock obsession is simple: start young. The stock market is a long-term game, and the earlier you get involved, the higher your chances of winning will get.

Our Methodology

This article delves into Jim Cramers latest Morning Thoughts posts which list the top stocks Cramer's watching before the markets open. After going through his posts, we sorted the picks from his watchlist by hedge fund sentiment. The stocks are ranked in ascending order of the number of hedge funds that have stakes in them, as of Q2 2024.

At Insider Monkey we are obsessed with the stocks that hedge funds pile into. The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletters strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 275% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 150 percentage points (see more details here).

A customer service team in an office setting using the company's Customer 360 platform to communicate with customers.

Number of Hedge Fund Investors: 117

Salesforce.com, inc. (NYSE:CRM), a Club name, was upgraded to an "overweight" (buy) rating by Piper Sandler. The analysts believe that Salesforce.com, inc. (NYSE:CRM)'s free cash flow per share could more than double, reaching over $20 by fiscal 2029, compared to $9.65 in fiscal 2024. They also see significant potential in Salesforce.com, inc. (NYSE:CRM)'s artificial intelligence capabilities, which adds to its future growth prospects.

"Club name Salesforce was upgraded to an overweight buy at Piper Sandler. Analysts think free cash flow per share could double to more than $20 by fiscal 2029 from $9.65 in fiscal 2024. They also Like Salesforces artificial intelligence optionality."

Salesforce.com, inc. (NYSE:CRM) is an attractive investment option due to its strong financial performance and commitment to innovation. In its Q2 2024 earnings report, Salesforce.com, inc. (NYSE:CRM) revealed revenue of $8.6 billion, a 10% increase from the previous year, along with a net income of $1.6 billion. This growth reflects effective cost management and a steady demand for its cloud-based customer relationship management (CRM) solutions, with subscription and support revenue rising by 11%.

A major factor driving this success is Salesforce.com, inc. (NYSE:CRM)s investment in artificial intelligence through its Einstein AI platform, which enhances its products and provides advanced analytics. Recent acquisitions, including a prominent AI-driven analytics firm, have further strengthened its capabilities and competitive position. Additionally, partnerships with major tech companies have expanded its service integration, enhancing the overall customer experience. As businesses increasingly seek efficient CRM solutions in a digital-first world, Salesforce.com, inc. (NYSE:CRM) is well-equipped for ongoing growth, making it a compelling choice for investors.

Parnassus Growth Equity Fund stated the following regarding Salesforce, Inc. (NYSE:CRM) in its Q2 2024 investor letter:

Salesforce, Inc.s (NYSE:CRM) growth continues to moderate, and investors question its prospect as it relates to AI. We remain confident that the company, which developed the original salesforce automation product and pioneered the SaaS (software as a service) delivery model, is well positioned to capitalize on emerging AI opportunities.

Overall CRM ranks 4th on our list of the stocks to watch according to Jim Cramer. While we acknowledge the potential of CRM as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that under the radar AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns, and doing so within a shorter timeframe. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than CRM but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.

READ NEXT: $30 Trillion Opportunity: 15 Best Humanoid Robot Stocks to Buy According to Morgan Stanley and Jim Cramer Says NVIDIA Has Become A Wasteland.

Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.
The home has a very comfortable feel and theres a beautiful front garden. We are also in a good school catchment area. The home last sold for $1,585,000 in 2006, records show. Loading Ray White Upper North Shores Jessica Cao said the property campaign was interesting as prospective buyers ranged from interstate to the NSW South Coast. Also on the upper north shore, a five-bedroom, four-bathroom home at 25 Bangalla Street in Warrawee sold under the hammer for $9.2 million.

There was no guide and the reserve was set at $8 million. Four out of the six registered bidders were active and were all young families wanting to upsize in the suburb. Ray White Upper North Shores Michael Dempsey said the vendors lived at the property for 30 years and were downsizing to Barangaroo. The opening bid was $7.25 million and rose in steady increments of $100,000 until it sold. Dempsey said the upper north shore was still competitive and unaffected by interest rates.

In this region I dont think interest rate cuts will be a game changer. There are plenty of buyers and active bidding, he said. In the eastern suburbs, a local first home buyer couple outbid other first timers and even downsizers after paying $2.43 million for a Bondi Junction terrace. The two-bedroom, one-bathroom home at 112 Mill Hill Road was guided at $2 million and drew seven registered parties, with a mix of first home buyers and couples wanting to downsize. Bidding opened bang on the guide and rose in varying increments as five participated in the auction.

BresicWhitney Inner Easts Darren Pearce said the winning couple were determined to secure the terrace, having missed out on another property in the area four weeks ago. Loading They are very excited. Having missed out a month prior, they were very ready to go. They only saw the house yesterday and registered five minutes before the auction, he said. It was between two parties in the beginning and just when you thought the property would be sold under the hammer, three other parties swooped in. It was very competitive bidding for the last $150,000, Pearce said. The property last sold for $296,000 in 1989, records show. Bondi Junctions median house price is $3 million, up 21.2 per cent in five years to June on Domain data.

The vendor did a major renovation on the terrace in 1991. Pearce said the vendor has moved back to New Zealand to be with her family and has secured a one-level property requiring less maintenance. Elsewhere in Colyton, 43 kilometres west of the CBD, a six-bedroom property that includes a two-bedroom granny flat, sold under the hammer for a new suburb record of $1.4 million, bang-on the reserve. The property at 36 & 36A Carpenter Street had no price guide and sold to a family from Sydneys Hills district who purchased it as an investment. There were eight registered bidders, who were interested in it for the dual income. But most had their hands in their pockets with only half active. Bidding began at $1.1 million and two parties went head-to-head from the $1.3 million mark.
The Brisbane Lions opened their time capsule this September and now sit one win away from avenging last years heartbreaking AFL grand final loss.

Twelve months after they fell four points short of beating Collingwood, the Lions return to the MCG on Saturday for another shot at premiership glory when they face Sydney in the first AFL grand final since 2006 not to feature a Victorian team.

A dejected Lachie Neale after last years grand final loss to Collingwood. Credit: AFL Photos

After last years grand-final defeat, coach Chris Fagan urged his Lions to immediately confront their demons, reviewing the loss in depth before they went into their off-season break.

Starting the 2024 season 2-5, any hope the Lions had of redeeming themselves on grand final day looked like it might have to wait for another year.
Below is our guide to this incredibly diverse, beautiful and culture-rich country, soon to be the most popular place on Earth. Its about seeing the best of Spain, in the best way. Because done right, theres nowhere better.

Because as attractive as Spain is, theres already a downside to its mass tourism appeal. Anti-tourist protests have rippled through the country in recent months , making it more important than ever to see Spain in the right way.

Everyone wants to go to Spain. More and more people, in fact. So, whats the big deal? What makes this country so great? And if youre going to join the crowds, how do you visit Spain in a way thats sustainable and low-impact?

A new report co-produced by Deloitte and Google, NextGen Travellers and Destinations, predicts that by 2040 the worlds most popular tourism destination will be Spain. Thats just a small jump for Spain from its current second place, still, any country able to topple France is big news.

In fact, France has been the worlds most popular tourism destination for so long, weve almost stopped thinking about it losing its mantle. But that may happen.

Everyone wants to go to France. Thats been the case for some time: France is regularly the worlds most visited country for tourism, with an estimated 100 million visitors in 2023, up from almost 80 million the year before.

Check out Hondarribia, Getaria and Tolosa in the Basque Country, Ribadesella in Asturias, Albarracin in Aragon, Mogarraz in the community of Castile and Leon, Ujue in Navarra, Vielha in Catalonia, A Guarda in Galicia, and Mijas in Andalusia: all gorgeous and enjoyable. This is just the beginning though, and a slow exploration of any of Spains 50 provinces will reveal many more.

Spains true beauty, you could argue, is in its picturesque towns and villages, spread throughout the country from mountaintop to coast. These settlements are often historic and charming, and though some can feel tourist-heavy  clifftop Ronda in Andalusia or coastal Cudillero in Asturias, for example  plenty retain their local vibe.

One of the most surprising things visitors usually find in Spanish cities is that, despite their large reputation, theyre quite small. Madrid and Barcelona, at six million people and five million respectively, are the only truly large bases; only two more cities, Valencia and Seville, have populations of more than a million. That makes Spanish cities generally approachable and charming with easy access and few no-go zones; most are centred around historic old towns that contain all of their main attractions in a walkable area. Something to bear in mind when visiting Spanish cities, however, is your accommodation (short-term rentals have become an issue in Barcelona in particular, with hotels much preferred) and also your choice of destination, given theres a huge concentration of tourists in Barcelona, Malaga and Seville but relatively fewer in the likes of Madrid, Valencia, Zaragoza and Vigo.

Those searching for beachy good times could also try the Costa de la Luz, the stretch of coastline from Huelva to Tarifa in Spains south. Its far less crowded than the likes of the Costa Brava and the Costa del Sol, and includes Cadiz, one of the countrys true gems.

Those big-hitters, however, are suffering under the weight of over-tourism, so its worth looking further afield. Theres plenty of fun to be had in La Gomera and El Hierro in the Canary Islands, Ons Island off the coast of Galicia, and Formentera in the Balearics.

There are plenty of household names floating in the Mediterranean and the Atlantic: Ibiza, Mallorca, Lanzarote, Tenerife. These are some of the most popular travel destinations on the planet, party islands, sunshine islands, places to see a few sights and then rub shoulders with boozed up Brits or cashed up Euros at the local bars.

This makes Spain a fascinating and invigorating place to explore, with new norms to get your head around in almost every province. Theres geographical diversity too, from the vast plains of the south, to beaches on both the Mediterranean and the Atlantic coastlines, to the lush, soaring mountains of the north, to the vine-strewn foothills of the east.

Probably the least appreciated aspect of Spain and its tourism experience is its diversity. This country is not so much a cohesive whole, but rather a collection of related cultures that have somehow been united. Spain is made up of 17 autonomous communities, many of which have their own language, their own festivals and traditions, their own food, their own architecture and a strong sense of their own identity.

Begin in the Picos de Europa, a range in Asturias and Cantabria that offers some of the most spectacular scenery in Europe. Then move on to the limestone cliffs and whitewashed villages of the Sierra de Grazalema in Andalusia, the monasteries and rock formations of Montserrat in Catalonia, and the abundant birdlife and local cured meats in the Sierra de Villuercas in Extremadura. See spain.info

Most people picture Spain and see either arid plains or golden beaches, so it can be a surprise to visit somewhere like Vielha, high in the Pyrenees, and feel like you could be in Switzerland. Theres some gorgeous alpine terrain in Catalonia in particular, where the Pyrenees are riven with hiking trails and picturesque villages, but there are further heights to explore.

It also has a host of high-quality galleries and museums for art lovers to enjoy, most notably the Prado in Madrid, though also the Picasso Museum in Barcelona, the Guggenheim in Bilbao, the Fundacio Miro in Mallorca, the Dali Museum in Figueres, and the Museu dArt Contemporani in Barcelona.

As a quick refresher, Spain has produced the following artists: Diego Velazquez, Francisco Goya, Pablo Picasso, Joan Miro and Salvador Dali and thats for starters. In other words, the country has a rich artistic culture.

Remnants of this incredibly long and diverse history can be found in Roman ruins in Tarragona, Segovia, Merida and Cordoba; Moorish palaces in Granada and Seville; royal palaces in El Escorial, Madrid and Aranjuez; and towering cathedrals in Valencia, Barcelona, Palma de Mallorca and more.

Spain has a complicated history. Over the centuries, parts of the country we now know as Spain have been ruled by Greeks, Carthaginians, Romans, Germanic kingdoms, the Moors, various Christian kings and queens, the military, the fascists and, now, a democratically elected government.

If street art is more your thing, Madrid and Barcelona are the two best cities to wander, with plenty of walls featuring work by locals and visiting artists. Theres also the Museu Banksy in Barcelona.

See museodelprado.es; museupicassobcn.cat; guggenheim-bilbao.eus; miromallorca.com; salvador-dali.org; macba.cat; museobanksy.es

The architecture

Inside the mosque-cathedral of Cordoba. Credit: iStock

Perhaps one of the worlds most famous architect, Antoni Gaudi, was Spanish (though, of course, he would have described himself as Catalan). Gaudis legacy lives on in his home city of Barcelona, highlighted by the magnificent La Sagrada Familia, though his works can also be found at Park Guell, Casa Batllo, Casa Vicens and Casa Calvet.

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Aside from Gaudi, meanwhile, theres plenty more for architecture buffs to discover in Spain. For tradition and history, see the Alhambra in Granada, the Mosque-Cathedral of Cordoba, Torre Giralda in Seville, and the Alcazar of Segovia.

For modern works check out the sprawling City of Arts and Sciences in Valencia, the Frank Gehry-designed Guggenheim in Bilbao, and the Metropol Parasol (known as Las Setas, or the mushrooms) in Seville.

See sagradafamilia.org; mezquita-catedraldecordoba.es; catedraldesevilla.es; alcazardesegovia.com; setasdesevilla.com; cac.es/en/

The food

Theres only one reason you need to visit Spain, and this is it. Food in this country is just so delicious, so accessible, so diverse, and so steeped in joyous tradition that you cant help but fall hopelessly in love with it.

You probably know about tapas, the small plates of food that range from a few slices of Manchego to a tiny work of gastronomic art. But theres much more to food in Spain, from the delights of high-end tinned seafood, to the art of grilling meat and fish over coals, to the absolute joy of a Catalan calcotada (a seasonal celebration of fire-roasted onions), to hearty home cooking, to incredibly creative and expensive cuisine at the likes of Disfrutar and DiverXO.

The trick to eating well in Spain is to leave as much time as possible for its enjoyment, to linger over lunch, to make an event of dinner, to sit or stand with friends and family and just have fun.

See disfrutarbarcelona.com; diverxo.com

The wine

Rioja is one of Spains many highlights for wine lovers. Credit: iStock

Most people are familiar with Rioja, and perhaps Rias Baixas, but Spain has more than 60 distinct wine regions, vines spread from the rain swept coast of the Basque Country to the sunny warmth of the Canary Islands. Wine culture in Spain is easy to tap into: theres at least one bar on every city block, which will have a selection ranging from basic Rioja and whatever is local, to a full suite of artisanal drops.

Given the widespread nature of the growing regions, however, theres a good chance you will be close to the wineries themselves, many of which will be open for a visit.

The Jerez-Sherry region in Andalusia is one of the best set up for tourists, though Priorat and Penedes in Catalonia, Ribera del Duero in Castile and Leon, Getariako Txakolina in the Basque Country, and of course Rioja, offer great experiences. See spain.info

Viva Espana: 10 things worth knowing

Fiesta

The Spanish absolutely love a festival. Every city and every town in Spain will have at least one unique, annual celebration, along with the provincial celebrations, the regional celebrations and the countrywide holidays. Jump online and look up the fiestas or ferias wherever youre visiting. Youre highly likely to find some sort of event to attend.

Siesta

Plenty of Spaniards swear that the idea of a siesta is an outdated stereotype thats not really practised any more. And thats true of certain people in larger cities. But whats also true is that you will find most small shops do close from 2pm to 4pm or 5pm every day, and  particularly in the south during summer  everyone seems to disappear from the streets around those hours.

Eating late

Spaniards famously eat late, though there are a few things to consider. One is that theres always time for snacking beforehand, whether during la hora del vermut, or merienda (see below), or with a few tapas in the evening. Another thing to realise is that Spain is effectively in the wrong time zone  geographically, it should be an hour behind  so the eating schedule matches up with the sun, rather than the clock.

Ir de tapas

Heres another of the great joys of Spanish life, and of course it revolves around food. Ir de tapas means a tour of tapas (known as txikiteo in Basque Country) and its where you spend the evening hopping from bar to bar, taking a drink and a small plate of food at each. Sometimes, a tapa is just a snack before a large, sit-down meal; other times, this tour of the bars is the main event.

Sobremesa

You know those times after a beautiful, long meal when you just dont want the whole thing to end, so you wind up sitting around the table for hours nursing the last of your drinks and chatting to your family and friends? Thats such a common, cherished occurrence in Spain that they have a word for it: sobremesa, or upon the table.

Merienda

Those who look at Spains late dining times and wonder how they go so long before having dinner clearly havent heard of merienda. Merienda is a late afternoon snack, usually taken between about 5pm and 8pm. Merienda treats are often sweet, which is why you will see bakeries start to fill up in the late afternoon as people pile in for a pastry and a coffee.

La hora del vermut

This may just be the best of Spains many unique cultural quirks and traditions. La hora del vermut, or vermouth hour, in Catalonia in particular is the period before a long lunch when everyone goes out to their favourite bar to drink vermouth and eat a light snack. This is the transition from morning to lunch, the first boozy drink of the day, and its celebrated with gusto.

Canas and boquerones

You may have learnt the words for certain things to eat and drink in Spain, but you will discover their meaning can be reversed, depending on your location. For example, in most of Spain, a cana is a small beer. In the Basque Country, a cana is a large beer (a zurito is a small one). If youre eating anchovies in the north of Spain, fresh or salt-cured fish are anchoas, and vinegar-cured are boquerones; in the east and south, boquerones are fresh or fried anchovies, while anchoas are only salt-cured.

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Churros for breakfast

You probably think of churros as the ultimate dessert: sticks of fried dough dusted in sugar and dipped in rich, liquid chocolate. Delicious. Only, churros arent a dessert in Spain. Theyre breakfast. Theyre typically eaten early in the day, sometimes with coffee, though youll occasionally see them consumed for merienda.

(Bad) coffee

Two important things to know about Spain: people there love coffee, and its often bad coffee. That is, at least, for Australian tastes. Spanish coffee tends to be overly bitter and served very hot. And though theres a growing movement towards smoother Italian or Australian-style coffee, do prepare yourself to be underwhelmed.

How to be the model tourist in Spain

Stay local but in hotels

Short-term rentals are clearly an issue in Spain right now, which makes hotels more attractive. However, Casey Merwood, founder of Spanish tour experts Biznaga, says even there you have a few decisions to make. Dont stay in a big five-star chain, she says. Find a hotel thats owned by a Spanish company, or even better a Spanish family, and support them.

Stay somewhere new

When you choose your hotel, steer clear of traditional tourist areas. We stayed in Gracia, in Barcelona, recently, and every place we went to was awesome, Merwood says. The store owners there were all young people giving it a go, lots of artisan jewellery, ceramics, sustainable fabrics. If youre supporting people like that, while at the same time going to La Sagrada Familia, its not only better for the country, but a much more fulfilling experience.

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Steer clear of hotspots

Dont just go to the places that are on Instagram, Merwood says. In Spain there are so many amazing places. I guarantee you almost no one will know where the Costa de la Luz is, and its amazing. But I would say to people, in the way you dont just walk down Las Ramblas, you step off Las Ramblas and look in the backstreets, its the same for Spain. Dont just go to Barcelona. Look at whats around Barcelona. Pop out to the Priorat or have a look at the Delta de lEbre.

Think twice about souvenirs

Dont go and buy [mass-produced] souvenirs, have a think about what youre buying, Merwood says. Buy slow clothes made by locals from sustainable fabric. Go and talk to the people who made them. Buy jewellery from some young design kid. Support those people, and then youre a much better tourist.

Be considerate

When I was in Spain recently, says Merwood, I spoke to every restaurant owner, every taxi driver, every cafe owner, every hotel owner, and all said that tourists who do the right thing  who immerse themselves in the place, buy locally and support local  are the people they want. Its the tourists who live their lives the same way as they always have, who are just there for a good time and not care what that means to the locals, thats not OK. See biznaga.co
One dramatic projection shows the holy men fleeing murderous Viking raiders and sailing across the choppy Irish Sea, settling in the serene, bucolic countryside of Kells, an abbey town in County Meath, 65 kilometres north of Dublin. Though the Vikings would soon pillage the Emerald Isle and establish settlements here, including Dublin in AD841, the fabled book eluded their clutches and was gifted to Trinity College in 1661.

But Trinitys surreal new Book of Kells Experience flings open the precious manuscript digitally. Housed in a purpose-built, bright red metal pavilion on one of the college lawns, its dreamlike 360-degree projections reveal stories from the books four Christian gospels while plunging into its nail-biting history. A symbol of national pride in Ireland, the book was begun by Celtic monks living on the Scottish island of Iona.

To a stirring orchestral score and the sound of turning pages, animated animals, mythical creatures and biblical figures swirl around us, with Latin calligraphy and Celtic knots and crosses adding to the psychedelic visuals. This is the Book of Kells as youve never seen it before. Crafted by monks about 1200 years ago, written on vellum (calfskin) and coloured with natural dyes, this illuminated manuscript is one of the great treasures of medieval Europe. Only a few of its 680 pages are on public display at any one time as its kept in a climate-controlled case at the Old Library of Dublins Trinity College.

The pavilion also reimagines other Trinity marvels, notably the Old Librarys magisterial Long Room, with the contents of some of its prized books projected onto a smaller replica of this 65-metre-long chamber. We watch trees and leaves writhe from antique tomes about tropical plants before diving into the fantastical travels of Gulliver  a saga by Jonathan Swift, one of Trinitys celebrated alumni. Quirkier still are the moving sculptures, with technology bringing to life characters portrayed in the Long Rooms marble busts. Its spooky yet amusing observing Swift, Socrates, Shakespeare, Ada Lovelace and others having philosophical conversations as their lips move and eyes blink.

A combined ticket  from 33.50 ($56)  gives you entry to this pavilion and the Old Library (including a peek at the real Book Of Kells), plus a guided 45-minute campus tour. Were led by Ethan DArcy, a final-year Trinity undergraduate, who explains that the university was founded in 1592 by Queen Elizabeth I of England on the ruins of a 12th-century monastery. Pointing out Trinitys eclectic architecture, from neoclassical and Victorian gothic gems to brutalist and contemporary blocks, Ethan also shares anecdotes about illustrious past students, including Oscar Wilde, Bram Stoker and Sally Rooney, whose novel Normal People was adapted into a 2020 TV hit partly filmed on Trinitys leafy grounds.

The majestic Long Room of the Old Library at Trinity College.

Like most Irish, it seems, Ethan is a gifted storyteller, although theoretical physics, not literature, is his subject (Just think of Sheldon from Big Bang Theory, says this likeable young man, who reminds me a little of Harry Potter, albeit with square rather than round glasses). Hogwarts springs to mind as I walk through the Old Librarys Long Room, a near 300-year-old wood-panelled wonder undergoing a painstaking 90 million renovation.

More than 200,000 rare books are being removed. Some shelves, ladders perched beside them, are already bare, their contents bagged, electronically tagged and stored for safekeeping (screens show library staff undertaking this process). Other shelves still heave with leather-bound volumes. But they too will be vacant before long, with work ongoing to modernise the Long Rooms environmental controls, helping to reduce dust and pollution and boosting fire-protection measures (plans were accelerated after the 2019 blaze at Paris Notre-Dame cathedral).
A few days after the fireside oyster chat, I pull up to Melshells signature pastel blue caravan. The retail operation is book-ended by the car park on one side and the oyster-sorting shed on the other. Cassie greets me with a smile and a hug, like an old friend. At the nearby processing room, two slick-and-quick shuckers grin and lift their eyebrows in recognition as they deftly flip oysters out of their shells and make these barnacled beauties look presentable. Its the oysters time in the Great Oyster Bay deep that cements their signature creaminess. Credit: Oscar Sloane Oyster farming is an art, and an exercise in patience and flexibility. Melshell oysters start their lives in the gym of Moulting Lagoon, with its changing water dynamics and tides, and then are finished six metres under the waterline in Great Oyster Bay, where they feast on an all-day buffet, as Cassie puts it, that cements their signature oceanic creaminess. Cassie and I head to the back of the property, where the oyster-sorting sheds are, and she hands me a juvenile oyster whose rapidly growing body is  right now, at three months old  no larger than my pinky finger. Unlike the sun-bleached skeletons making up the footpath and breakwalls in the eating area, this ones shell is gilded with an orange tinge. These oysters, now known as the Melshell Gold, were a happy accident: a naturally occurring quirk of these waterways that the Melrose team decided to breed out and capitalise on. The Gold, called such to differentiate from the traditionally coloured oysters known as Silver, are buttery, smooth, in high demand and now sold at Melbournes Queen Victoria Market. In the shed, a huge conveyor-belt sorting system separates two-year-old oysters based on size and colour, organising 180 oysters a minute into trays and hessian bags.

Loading The Silver sit on the back of Crackerjack, Cassie and Ians flat oyster barge, as it pulls into the yard behind a John Deere tractor. Ian, in rubber boats and high vis almost as bright as his smile, jumps off the back with three oysters in hand. He shucks the black-and-purple gems and I eat oysters as fresh as you can get beyond wading in the bay. Keep em deep, Ian says. Thats the secret to their perfect finish, and to keeping them happy and healthy. Well, I cant really say happy, he grins. They dont have a central nervous system. Theyre transcendent: deeply salty, bright and snappy, with a rich lingering creaminess. Its a wonder many Australians think of oysters as a summer snack, Cassie and Ian muse. Winter is when they really come into their own. Its a completely different physique in winter, Cassie says. Theyre chunky and chewy and the oyster doesnt just disappear in your mouth.

Cars pull up here from 10am, locals making space on ute trays to fit a few dozen and visitors clambering out of rented cars to huddle around Cassies blue shack before picking their bounty. Visitors clutch a dozen (or two) raw, cooked oysters or even oyster pate (only available here on site) as they navigate piles of oyster shells to sit in the shade of a painted-tile art installation created by 59 children from Swansea Primary School. This year marks 40 years of Melshell Oysters. Credit: Tourism Australia Forty years ago, Ian and his parents  Anne and Don, a swimming teacher and a chemist with no prior knowledge of oyster-farming, who still now, in their 90s, help seed oysters  moved to Dolphin Sands and committed to an aquaculture product they loved. Ian and Cassie keep the operation small (and fun) to share that love with everyone: visitors, suppliers, the community and their family. Were growing a product thats really healthy for everybody and the environment, says Cassie. The oysters are sequestering carbon [and] filtering water; we dont have to feed them. If theyre too small, they just go back and grow. This year marks 40 years and two successful generations of Melshell Oysters, so Cassie and Ian threw a party right here by the water. Soon, theyll begin building two two-bedroom bungalows for visitors to settle in and stay on site, offering classes and behind-the-scenes experiences only possible on a working oyster farm. They grin as they talk about the shindigs schedule of Kilpatrick skewers, crumbed oysters in Po Boy-style rolls, oyster pate, billowing bonfires and local musical talents. It was also a homage to World Oyster Day, on August 5.

Loading Cassies smile breaks out across her face as she turns to Ian. Thats worth shell-ebrating. But the pair prove that every day down here is worth celebrating. These bivalve gems continue to survive against great odds, managing changing tides and the slightest fluctuations in water temperatures, filtering the oceans great gunk and becoming pure oceanic magic in the process. Tasmania is rife with plenty of magnificent places to enjoy them, run by people who care deeply about what theyre doing and why, so I bundle back into the truck with half a dozen for the road  Cassie insists, of course  and head towards to the next farmgate, shucking knife and tea towel at the ready in the Esky on the backseat. Tasmania is, after all, my oyster. The details

Visit

Melshell Oyster Shack is at 9 Yellow Sandbanks Road, Dolphin Sands  a two-hour drive from Hobart Airport and an hour-and-a-half drive from Launceston Airport. Youll find other oyster farms on the east and southern coasts. Just start driving. See melshelloysters.com.au Stay

If sticking around in the area, pull up at Swansea Beach Chalets for immaculate cabins and exemplary service. Studios from $160 a night. See swanseachalets.com.au Fly

Qantas, Virgin and Jetstar fly to Hobart and Launceston. Tasmanian oysters: The hit list Barilla Bay Oysters, Cambridge

Just 15 minutes out of downtown Hobart and five minutes from the airports landing strip, Barilla Bay Oysters offers serious bang for your buck. A dozen shucked oysters will set you back only $16. These milky, delicately flavoured oysters are the perfect eating size and hold up well to a slice of lemon or vinaigrette. Theres also a restaurant with views out over the lease. See barillabay.com.au

Lease 65, St Helens

Purely open for oyster sales, this no-frills, cash-only operation delivers seamlessly delicious, full-bodied oysters from Monday to Friday. Peel out of St Helens and down Binalong Bay Road, with an eye for the tiny strip of gravel parking along the road. Available live, shucked or frozen, Lease 65 oysters are meaty, salty and full of bite (no website; and if theyre shut, youll get the oysters at the fish shops at St Helens port). Freycinet Marine Farm, Freycinet Peninsula Freycinet Marine Farm, inside the epic eponymous national park, offers some of the states best seafood. Credit: Stu Gibson A jaunt through Tasmanias most visited national park, Freycinet, is not complete without lunch at Freycinet Marine Farm, home to succulent Pacific oysters and Tasmanian blue mussels. The family-run operation offers farm tours (don those waders), too. See freycinetmarinefarm.com Melshell Oysters, Dolphin Sands

Sparky, fun and full of life, youll know youve made it to the family-run oyster operation after driving down Dolphin Sands Road and seeing a roadside sign. Turn off, go a bit further and try not to smile at the blue caravan awaiting your arrival. Enjoy a glass of sparkling with your creamy dozen oysters as you look out over the very waters they were grown in. See melshelloysters.com.au
New York: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wore a grim expression as he stood next to former US president Donald Trump. The two leaders appeared briefly before their meeting in Trump Tower, their first in five years.

As Zelensky stood silently beside him, Trump presented the Russia-Ukraine war as one that both sides wanted to end, including its instigator, Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky with former US president Donald Trump at Trump Tower in New York. Credit: AP

Trump did not fault the Russian leader for the invasion or for the illegal seizure of territory or for the thousands of Ukrainians he has bombed out of existence. Instead, he described the situation as if it were a dispute between two parties operating in good faith that could be resolved in a fair deal, but only if he returns to the White House.

Ive been saying that I believe if I win, were going to have a very fair, and I think, actually rather rapid deal, Trump said. The war, he added, should stop, and the president wants it to stop. Im sure President Putin wants it to stop. And thats a good combination. So we want to have a fair deal for everybody.
Tel Aviv: Lebanons Hezbollah group has confirmed that its leader and one of its founders, Hassan Nasrallah, was killed in an Israeli airstrike.

A statement on Saturday said Nasrallah has joined his fellow martyrs.

The statement says Hezbollah vows to continue the holy war against the enemy and in support of Palestine.

Nasrallah led the militant group for more than three decades.
Attacks on Hezbollah targets by fighter jets continued on Saturday after the army said it told residents to evacuate three buildings it was targeting, as Israel braced for Hezbollahs response. Irans parliament speaker, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, commenting on the killing of Nasrallah, said on Sunday that what Iran terms resistance groups will continue to confront Israel with the help of Iran, according to Iranian state media. The tally of people who have been killed in Lebanon since the conflict escalated less than two weeks ago ranges from 700 to 1000, according to Lebanons Health Ministry. A woman watches over sleeping children sheltering outside after being displaced by Israeli airstrikes in Beirut, Lebanon. Credit: Getty Images Hezbollah gave no immediate indication of who might succeed Nasrallah. Senior Hezbollah official Hashem Safieddine has long been regarded as heir apparent. The group has not issued any statement on Safieddines status or that of any other Hezbollah leaders  apart from Nasrallah  since the attack.

Smoke was still rising from Beiruts southern suburbs on Saturday morning, visible to many of the families who had fled their homes there the night before to escape Israels massive bombardment. Many looked in vain for space in one of the overflowing schools-turned-shelters. By the morning, hundreds of families were sleeping in public squares, on beaches or in cars around Beirut. Lines of people trudged up to the mountains above the Lebanese capital, holding infants and a few belongings. The people escaping Friday nights mayhem joined tens of thousands who have fled to Beirut and other areas of southern Lebanon in the past week to escape Israels bombardment. Foreign Minister Penny Wong is representing Australia at the United Nations General Assembly in New York. Credit: AP

The United Nations says the number of those displaced by the conflict from southern Lebanon has more than doubled and now stands at more than 211,000. At least 20 primary healthcare centres have shut down in hard-hit areas of Lebanon, the UN Office for Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs said. Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said Australia had joined the United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union and many other countries to call for a ceasefire in Lebanon and urged Israel to listen to the international community. It is true that Hezbollah is a terrorist organisation. It is true that they have not been complying with UN Security Council resolutions, but we see the horrific loss of life in Gaza, we see 11,000 children killed. The world does not want to see more civilian deaths, she told Sky News on Sunday morning. Wong said the endgame for the current conflict in the Middle East had to include a two-state solution to ensure peace and security for Israelis and Palestinians. What the international community is saying is that civilians must be protected, aid workers must be protected.

Wong once again urged any Australians still in Lebanon to leave by whatever means are available, amid fears the conflict will escalate further. US President Joe Biden said on Saturday that the Israeli strike that killed Nasrallah was a measure of justice for victims of a four-decade reign of terror. US Vice President Kamala Harris earlier called Nasrallah a terrorist with American blood on his hands, while urging a diplomatic solution to stem the escalating tensions in the Middle East. Smoke rises from a building following an Israeli airstrike in Beirut. Credit: Getty Images In Iraq, on Saturday, hundreds of protesters tried to cross into the fortified Green Zone in Baghdad, where the US embassy is based, in anger over Nasrallahs assassination in the Israeli airstrike.

Iran-backed Iraqi militias have periodically launched drone attacks on bases housing US troops in protest over Washingtons support for Israel in its war against Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon. A protest in Karachi, Pakistan, against the killing of Nasrallah Credit: AP Late on Wednesday (US time), the US, France and other allies jointly called for an immediate 21-day ceasefire to allow for negotiations. Loading Hezbollah began striking Israel a day after Hamas October 7 attack in an act of solidarity with the Palestinians.

Israels campaign in Gaza has killed more than 41,500 Palestinians and wounded more than 96,000 others, according to the latest figures released on Thursday by the Health Ministry. The ministry, part of Gazas Hamas government, does not differentiate between civilians and combatants, but more than half the dead have been women and children, including about 1300 children under the age of two. Loading Israel has maintained that its military operations are justified and necessary to defend itself. This war can come to an end now. All that has to happen is for Hamas to surrender, lay down its arms and release all the hostages, Netanyahu told the UN on Saturday. But if they dont, if they dont, we will fight until we achieve total victory. Total victory. There is no substitute for it.
PHILIPSBURG:--- On September 21, 2024, the Rotary Club of St. Martin Sunrise proudly marked the International Day of Peace with a vibrant Cultural Manifestation held at Emilio Wilson Park. This years celebration, themed Cultivating a Culture of Peace, brought together cultural groups from across St. Maarten and beyond to foster unity, goodwill, and peace.

The event, led by Rotary Sunrises Foundation Chair and Cadre of Technical Advisor Angela L. Gordon, along with President Jharna Dialani and a dedicated team of committee members, was a beautiful testament to the diverse cultural richness of the community. Attendees enjoyed performances and presentations from local and regional groups living in St. Maarten, representing St. Maarten and Saint Martin, Suriname, St. Kitts, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Haiti, China, India. The day was filled with music, dance, poetry, and food, reflecting the unique traditions of each culture.

A special kids corner was created to engage the young ones, making the day a true family affair. The event embodied Rotarys mission of promoting peace by bringing people together through cultural exchange and mutual respect.

The Rotary Club of St. Martin Sunrise has long been dedicated to advancing international understanding and building peaceful societies. This years Cultural Manifestation reinforced the clubs commitment to this mission, reminding everyone of the power of unity and collaboration. Since 2014, the Peace Monument at the former Philipsburg Jubilee Library site has stood as a beacon of this vision, promoting harmony across all segments of our society.

"As we gather today, we reflect on the importance of peacebuilding in everything we do," said President Jharna Dialani. "Our shared humanity and cultural diversity are the foundation of lasting peace, and through events like these, Rotary Club St. Martin Sunrise continues to sow the seeds of understanding and goodwill."

Special thanks go out to our MC host Nkosazana Illis, Speakers Inspector Police Joe Josepha, Assistant District Governor Elisia Lake, Past Assistant District Governor Louie Wever, event sponsors, AUC School of Medicine and WIEMS Emergency Services whose support helped make this celebration a wonderful success.

For more information on the Rotary Club of St. Martin Sunrise or how to support their community initiatives, please reach out via Facebook or email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
Following the participation of our organizations at the United Nations' Summit of the Future in New York, Davika Bissessar, president of Bonaire Human Rights Organization and James Finies founder of Bonaire Movement For Change, successfully engaged with over 100 world leaders, including Presidents, Prime Ministers, Vice Presidents, first ladies,CEOs, heads of organizations, monarchs, civil-society and youth over the course of the last eight days where the world-leaders united and agreed on  The Pact for the Future and not to leave no-one behind. We united in drawing urgent attention to Bonaires right to self-determination and the ongoing human rights violations faced by its people.

Part of Bonaires Statement to the Summit of the Future:

Do we have a future? No! Why?

Our education system and our native language, Papiamentu, have been replaced by full colonial language standards to sustain Dutch-European settler colonization. NEW YORK/BONAIRE:---This demotion segregates our children into inferior educational systemsnot brain-drain, but brain colonizationforcing them into a colonial system that strips our youth of their human rights and their future.

Since 2010, we have experienced systemic and institutionalized depopulation and eradication of our people. By 2017, our population was reduced to less than 40%, and today, in 2024, we are less than 32%, a minority in our own homeland. As a colonized people, we are powerless to stop this. We are disappearing, and the world is witnessing it.

Our Recommendation:

Are we part of the forgotten ones, the ones left behind? Today, we call for solidarity from the Summit of the Future. We urge you to join COPPPAL and CARICOM revised 10 point-plan and the Baku Initiative Group in their fight against present-day colonialism and for reparations. Please adopt Bonaire as a project of the future  Save the Bonerians, not only climate-crisis

Our Message:

Self-Determination: Bonaire has the inalienable right to determine its own political future, free from external control. This fundamental right is being denied, in violation of international law and the United Nations' principles of equality and justice.

Our Call to Action:

We demand that the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the international community respect Bonaires right to self-determination and that Bonaire be reinstated on the list of United Nations Non-Self-Governing Territories.

Immediate action is needed to address human rights abuses and ensure fair representation and access to resources.

We urge the United Nations and international bodies to provide oversight and hold all parties accountable.

We call upon the semi-autonomous Dutch islands of Aruba, Curacao, and Sint Maarten to support the fact that Bonaire never chose to be expelled from the Kingdom Charter or Statuut and neither to be embedded in the Dutch Constitution. We urge our sister islands to stand with Bonaire in its rightful pursuit of self-determination and to support their brothers and sisters in this struggle for justice and self-government.

The people of Bonaire deserve justice, dignity, and the ability to determine their own future.



Bonaire Movement for Change

Bonaire Human Rights Organization
(Bloomberg) -- President-elect Claudia Sheinbaum confirmed that the second-highest-ranking and longest-tenured top official at Mexicos finance ministry is set to leave his post, a surprise development amid a transition of power where officials have emphasized continuity to investors.

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He wants to take on an international role, Sheinbaum said about the departure of Deputy Finance Minister Gabriel Yorio in a video posted by state radio SPR Informa on its X account. The president-elect said that she would make further announcements about her team, without offering details.

The planned exit by Yorio, who has spent almost six years as a senior official in the finance ministry under President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, was reported earlier by Bloomberg News, which cited people familiar with the plan who asked not to be identified because they could not speak about it before it was made public.

The Mexican peso dipped on the back of the news, weakening as much as 0.6% against the US dollar before trimming losses. The countrys five-year credit default swaps rose. This year, the peso is the second-worst performer in a basket of emerging-market currencies tracked by Bloomberg, down 14%.

Yorio has been the main interlocutor with Wall Street investors and banks since the start of the administration, when he ran the debt office. He was a figure of stability, particularly while Lopez Obrador churned through a revolving door of three different finance ministers in his first three years in office.

Markets are taking it badly since Yorio was the spokesperson in front of financial markets and investors, said Marco Oviedo, a strategist at XP Investimentos. Its unknown who will replace him in the context of the fiscal challenges ahead.

News of Yorios departure comes just two weeks after Sheinbaum said that almost all of the top team at the finance ministry would be staying when she takes office Oct. 1. She has pointed to current Finance Minister Rogelio Ramirez de la Os commitment to stay in the role as a sign to investors that the country will remain under steady financial stewardship.

Earlier this year, investors had speculated that Yorio could hold a key post in the new government, such as running state oil company Pemex. Many considered him among the most investor-friendly officials in an administration that has repeatedly spooked markets in its clashes with some of Mexicos most prominent billionaires and companies.

Story continues

A former World Bank official, Yorio led the design and issuance of sustainable bonds by Mexico and helped push through a markets reform bill meant to boost debt and equity listings by smaller companies.

Ministry Changes

Yorios exit caps a series of intrigues at the finance ministry under Lopez Obrador, or AMLO, as the popular president is widely known.

AMLOs first finance minister, Carlos Urzua, resigned barely a half year into the job after repeated disagreements with the president over personnel and policy. Urzua became a critic of the administration, publicly backing Sheinbaums opponent last year and joining the rivals campaign.

Arturo Herrera, initially Urzuas deputy and then his replacement, served for two years and was announced by AMLO to take over the central bank in 2021. But months later AMLO named Victoria Rodriguez, a treasury official, to lead Banco de Mexico, a surprise decision that sent the peso plunging.

--With assistance from Vinicius Andrade.

(Updates with Sheinbaums comments in first and second paragraphs.)

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2024 Bloomberg L.P.
Israeli army says killed several Hezbollah commanders in southern Lebanon



Jerusalem, Sept 27 (AFP) Sep 27, 2024



The Israeli army said Saturday it killed the commander of Hezbollah's missile unit in southern Lebanon in an air strike, along with his deputy and several other leaders of the Iran-backed movement.

Israeli fighter jets killed "Muhammad Ali Ismail, the commander of Hezbollah's missile unit in southern Lebanon, and his deputy," the military said in a statement on Telegram, adding that "other Hezbollah commanders and terrorists were eliminated".

The statement said Ismail was "responsible for many acts of terrorism...including rocket launches towards the territory of the State of Israel and the launch of a surface-to-surface missile towards the centre of the country last Wednesday".

The Israeli military said it also killed Ibrahim Muhammad Kabisi and "other senior officials in Hezbollah's missile and rocket array".

Hezbollah has not confirmed or denied Israel's announcement about the commanders.
EU recommends airlines avoid Lebanese, Israeli airspace



Paris, Sept 28 (AFP) Sep 28, 2024



Airlines should avoid Lebanese and Israeli airspace for the coming month, the European Union said Saturday, amid an escalation in air strikes and rocket fire between Israel and Hezbollah.

The European Commission and European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) warned in a statement of "an overall intensification of air strikes and degradation in the security situation".

They issued an official recommendation "not to operate within the airspaces of Lebanon and Israel at all flight levels".

Provisionally lasting until October 31, the Conflict Zone Information Bulletin (CZIB) "can be reviewed earlier and adapted or withdrawn", the statement added.

"EASA will continue to closely monitor the situation, with a view to assess whether there is an increase or decrease of risks for EU aircraft operators as a result of the evolution of the threat," the body said.

Israeli bombardment of the southern outskirts of Beirut on Friday hit its highest intensity since the state's last war with Hezbollah in 2006.

The Israeli army claimed to have killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in an air strike, while the Iran-backed group said it had fired rockets towards a kibbutz and military targets in northern Israel.
Israel says it killed Hezbollah chief in Beirut strike



Beirut, Lebanon, Sept 28 (AFP) Sep 28, 2024



Israel's military said on Saturday it had killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in an air strike on Beirut's southern suburbs, although the group has yet to comment on his fate.

If confirmed, Nasrallah's death would be a massive blow to the Iran-backed group he has led since 1992, potentially destabilising Lebanon as a whole.

A source close to Hezbollah told AFP contact with Nasrallah had been "lost" since Friday night.

Rarely seen in public, Nasrallah enjoys cult status among his Shiite Muslim supporters, and is the only man in Lebanon with the power to wage war or make peace.

"Hassan Nasrallah is dead," Israeli military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani announced on X.

Another military spokesman, Captain David Avraham, also confirmed to AFP that the Hezbollah chief had been "eliminated" following in Friday night strikes on Beirut.

The Lebanese group, which normally confirms major deaths among its ranks on the same day, has yet to confirm or deny Nasrallah's death.

Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Saturday condemned what he called Israel's "short-sighted" policy in the region.

"The massacre of the defenceless people in Lebanon once again... proved the short-sighted and stupid policy of the leaders of the usurping regime," Khamenei said in a statement, without mentioning Nasrallah's fate.

Hezbollah began low-intensity cross-border attacks a day after its Palestinian ally Hamas staged its unprecedented attack on Israel on October 7.

Israel has over the past few days shifted the focus of its operation from Gaza to Lebanon, where heavy bombing has killed more than 700 people and displaced around 118,000.

Israel's army chief Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi on Saturday said: "The message is simple, anyone who threatens the citizens of Israel -- we will know how to reach them."

The military also said "most of the senior leaders of Hezbollah have been eliminated", after having announced earlier the deaths of Hezbollah commanders Muhammad Ali Ismail and Ali Karake, among others.



- 'Very sophisticated' -



The military added that it had hit over 140 Hezbollah targets in Lebanon since Friday night.

It continued to pound Hezbollah's south Beirut stronghold into Saturday, sending panicked families fleeing.

One strike hit the second and third floors of a building, a Lebanese security official said.

An AFP photographer said dozens of buildings have been destroyed.

The blasts that rocked southern Beirut late Friday were the fiercest to hit the area since Israel and Hezbollah last went to war in 2006.

In the Haret Hreik neighbourhood, an AFP photographer saw craters up to five metres (16 feet) wide.

Middle East expert James Dorsey described Friday's attack as "very sophisticated", adding it "demonstrates not only significant technological capacity but just how deeply Israel has penetrated Hezbollah".

Iranian media downplayed the report from Israel of Nasrallah's death, describing it as "rumours" and calling on people to wait for Hezbollah's statement.

Posters of Nasrallah were erected in Tehran bearing the slogan "Hezbollah is alive".

israeli military spokesman Shoshani later said there was "still a way to go" in Israel's fight against Hezbollah, adding that it was believed to have "tens of thousands of rockets".



- 'On the streets' -



After Friday's heavy strikes, Israel issued fresh warnings for people to leave part of the densely populated Dahiyeh suburbs before dawn.

Hundreds of families spent the night outside, in central Beirut's Martyrs' Square or along the seaside boardwalk.

South Beirut resident Rihab Naseef, 56, slept outside a church.

"I didn't even pack any clothes, I never thought we would leave like this and suddenly find ourselves on the streets," Naseef told AFP.

Israel's military also announced strikes Saturday on the Beqaa area in eastern Lebanon and on the south.

It said a surface-to-surface missile fired from Lebanon fell in an open area in central Israel and another was intercepted in the north.

Early Saturday, Hezbollah claimed a rocket attack on kibbutz Kabri in northern Israel.

It later said it launched "a salvo of Fadi-3 rockets" towards the Ramat David airbase in northern Israel.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to keep fighting Hezbollah until the northern border with Lebanon is secured.

"Israel has every right to remove this threat and return our citizens to their homes safe," he said.



- 'Outrageous threats' -



Israel has raised the prospect of a ground operation against Hezbollah, prompting widespread international concern.

"We must avoid a regional war at all costs," UN chief Antonio Guterres told world leaders, again appealing for a ceasefire.

Diplomats have said efforts to end the war in Gaza were key to halting the fighting in Lebanon and bringing the region back from the brink.

Hamas's October 7 attack on Israel resulted in the deaths of 1,205 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official figures that include hostages killed in captivity.

Of the 251 hostages seized by militants, 97 are still held in Gaza, including 33 the Israeli military says are dead.

Israel's retaliatory military offensive has killed at least 41,586 people in Gaza, most of them civilians, according to figures provided by the Hamas-run territory's health ministry. The UN has described the figures as reliable.

The Lebanon violence has raised fears of a wider spillover, with Iran-backed militants across the Middle East vowing to keep fighting Israel.

Netanyahu addressed Iran in his UN General Assembly speech, saying: "I have a message for the tyrants of Tehran. If you strike us, we will strike you."

"There is no place in Iran that the long arm of Israel cannot reach."

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi at the Security Council denounced what he called Netanyahu's "outrageous threats to invade other states and kill more people".

burs-jsa/srm
Israel army says Nasrallah's death makes world safer



Jerusalem, Sept 28 (AFP) Sep 28, 2024



Israel's military said on Saturday that its killing of one its "greatest enemies" Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah made the world safer, while vowing to go after other senior members of his Iran-backed group.

"Nasrallah was one of the greatest enemies of the State of Israel of all time... his elimination makes the world a safer place," military spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari told a televised briefing.

"We continue, even at this very moment, to strike, eliminate and kill the commanders of the Hezbollah organisation, and we will continue to do so," Hagari said of the Lebanese armed movement, an ally of Palestinian group Hamas.

Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, in a statement directed to the people of Lebanon, said: "Our war is not with you."

"To our enemies I say: We are strong and determined," Gallant added.

With tensions soaring since the deadly Friday strike on Hezbollah's south Beirut stronghold that killed Nasrallah, Israeli authorities have announced new public safety regulations.

The military's Home Front Command announced that gathering of more than 1,000 people would be banned in central Israel, far from the Lebanese border.

The change is likely to affect weekly demonstrations that have been taking place on Saturdays throughout the war in Tel Aviv, Israel's commercial hub, and other locations.

The anti-government protests have sought to highlight the plight of hostages held in the Gaza Strip since Hamas's October 7 attack that triggered the ongoing war, urging the Israeli government to agree a truce and hostage release deal.
Indian soldiers in Kashmir gun down two suspected rebels



New Delhi, Sept 28 (AFP) Sep 28, 2024



Indian soldiers in Kashmir killed two suspected militants in a clash Saturday, security officials said, at a time when the disputed region is in the middle of voting for local elections.

Muslim-majority Kashmir has been divided between rivals India and Pakistan since their independence from British rule in 1947, and both claim the Himalayan territory in full.

The Indian-administered portion of the region is in the middle of its first local assembly elections in a decade -- a vote that began earlier this month and concludes on Tuesday.

"Two terrorists have been eliminated by the security forces," the Indian army said in a statement.

"Rifles, ammunition and other war-like stores have been recovered from the terrorists," it said.

Indian media reports said five members of the security forces were wounded.

The firefight took place in southern Kashmir's Kulgam district.

Rebels have fought Indian forces for decades, demanding independence or a merger with Pakistan.

At least 500,000 Indian troops are deployed in the region, battling an insurgency that has killed tens of thousands of civilians, soldiers and rebels since 1989.

India regularly accuses Pakistan of supporting and arming the rebels, a charge Islamabad denies.

The territory has been without an elected local government since 2019 when its partial autonomy was cancelled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government and it was brought under New Delhi's direct rule.

Nearly nine million people are eligible to vote to elect the region's local lawmakers. Results are expected on October 8.

Modi campaigned in the territory on Saturday.

"The terror mentors know that if they do anything wrong, Modi will find them even in the netherworld," he said, referring to himself in the third person.

More than 50 soldiers have been killed in clashes in the region over the past two years, mostly in Hindu-majority Jammu district.
UK navy officer laid to rest in Sri Lanka after 25-year delay



Colombo, Sept 28 (AFP) Sep 28, 2024



A British naval officer's wish to have his ashes scattered at a strategic base in Sri Lanka has been granted 25 years after his death, officials said Saturday.

Lieutenant Norman Schofield had served as a communications officer at Trincomalee, a key staging post for Allied troops on the island nation's east coast during World War II.

Schofield's wish was held up by bureaucratic hurdles, with Sri Lanka's navy saying it was unable to be accommodated earlier because the country had prohibited the practice of scattering ashes.

An exception was made following requests through diplomatic channels.

His wife Marian's ashes were also flown to Sri Lanka to be scattered together at Trincomalee on Friday.

Fourteen Sri Lankan sailors formed a guard of honour while the Last Post was played, with two urns containing ashes placed on a pedestal draped with the Union Jack.

"Honouring the officer's final wish, his and his wife's ashes were scattered at sea near Ostenburg Point, Naval Dockyard Trincomalee -- a place he held dear to his heart," the Sri Lankan navy said.

Navy Chief Priyantha Perera was present at the ceremony alongside British diplomat Darren Woods.

"Today it is my honour as the British defence adviser to represent the United Kingdom armed forces as we gather to bid a final farewell to Royal Navy officer Lieutenant Norman Schofield and his wife Marian," Woods said.

Two relatives of the Schofields were also present, the navy added.

Trincomalee was the headquarters of Admiral Lord Louis Mountbatten's South East Asia Command after the fall of Singapore.

Schofield served at Trincomalee in 1957 when the port transferred from British colonial rule to the control of the then government of Ceylon, as Sri Lanka was then known.
Over 50,000 have fled Lebanon for Syria amid Israeli strikes: UN



Geneva, Sept 28 (AFP) Sep 28, 2024



The UN refugee chief said Saturday that more than 50,000 people had fled to Syria amid escalating Israeli air strikes on Lebanon.

"More than 50,000 Lebanese and Syrians living in Lebanon have now crossed into Syria fleeing Israeli air strikes," Filippo Grandi said on X.

He added that "well over 200,000 people are displaced inside Lebanon".

A UNHCR spokesman said the total number of displaced in Lebanon had reached 211,319, including 118,000 just since Israel dramatically ramped up its air strikes on Monday.

The remainder had fled their homes since Hezbollah militants in Lebanon began low-intensity cross-border attacks a day after its Palestinian ally Hamas staged its unprecedented attack on Israel on October 7, triggering war in the Gaza Strip.

Israel has shifted the focus of its operation from Gaza to Lebanon, where heavy bombing has killed more than 700 people, according to Lebanon's health ministry, as cross-border exchanges escalated over the past week.

Most of those Lebanese deaths came on Monday, the deadliest day of violence since Lebanon's 1975-1990 civil war.

"Relief operations are underway, including by UNHCR, to help all those in need, in coordination with both governments," Grandi said.
Key Insights

The projected fair value for IRIS Corporation Berhad is RM0.44 based on 2 Stage Free Cash Flow to Equity

Current share price of RM0.36 suggests IRIS Corporation Berhad is potentially trading close to its fair value

The average premium for IRIS Corporation Berhad's competitorsis currently 730%

In this article we are going to estimate the intrinsic value of IRIS Corporation Berhad (KLSE:IRIS) by taking the forecast future cash flows of the company and discounting them back to today's value. One way to achieve this is by employing the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model. Don't get put off by the jargon, the math behind it is actually quite straightforward.

We generally believe that a company's value is the present value of all of the cash it will generate in the future. However, a DCF is just one valuation metric among many, and it is not without flaws. Anyone interested in learning a bit more about intrinsic value should have a read of the Simply Wall St analysis model.

See our latest analysis for IRIS Corporation Berhad

The Calculation

We are going to use a two-stage DCF model, which, as the name states, takes into account two stages of growth. The first stage is generally a higher growth period which levels off heading towards the terminal value, captured in the second 'steady growth' period. In the first stage we need to estimate the cash flows to the business over the next ten years. Seeing as no analyst estimates of free cash flow are available to us, we have extrapolate the previous free cash flow (FCF) from the company's last reported value. We assume companies with shrinking free cash flow will slow their rate of shrinkage, and that companies with growing free cash flow will see their growth rate slow, over this period. We do this to reflect that growth tends to slow more in the early years than it does in later years.

A DCF is all about the idea that a dollar in the future is less valuable than a dollar today, so we need to discount the sum of these future cash flows to arrive at a present value estimate:

10-year free cash flow (FCF) forecast

2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 2033 2034 Levered FCF (MYR, Millions) RM28.1m RM26.9m RM26.4m RM26.3m RM26.5m RM26.9m RM27.5m RM28.3m RM29.1m RM30.0m Growth Rate Estimate Source Est @ -7.74% Est @ -4.35% Est @ -1.98% Est @ -0.32% Est @ 0.84% Est @ 1.65% Est @ 2.22% Est @ 2.62% Est @ 2.90% Est @ 3.09% Present Value (MYR, Millions) Discounted @ 9.9% RM25.6 RM22.3 RM19.9 RM18.0 RM16.5 RM15.3 RM14.2 RM13.3 RM12.4 RM11.7

("Est" = FCF growth rate estimated by Simply Wall St)

Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF) = RM169m

Story continues

The second stage is also known as Terminal Value, this is the business's cash flow after the first stage. For a number of reasons a very conservative growth rate is used that cannot exceed that of a country's GDP growth. In this case we have used the 5-year average of the 10-year government bond yield (3.6%) to estimate future growth. In the same way as with the 10-year 'growth' period, we discount future cash flows to today's value, using a cost of equity of 9.9%.

Terminal Value (TV)= FCF 2034  (1 + g)  (r  g) = RM30m (1 + 3.6%)  (9.9% 3.6%) = RM488m

Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)10= RM488m ( 1 + 9.9%)10= RM190m

The total value is the sum of cash flows for the next ten years plus the discounted terminal value, which results in the Total Equity Value, which in this case is RM359m. In the final step we divide the equity value by the number of shares outstanding. Relative to the current share price of RM0.4, the company appears about fair value at a 18% discount to where the stock price trades currently. The assumptions in any calculation have a big impact on the valuation, so it is better to view this as a rough estimate, not precise down to the last cent.

dcf

The Assumptions

Now the most important inputs to a discounted cash flow are the discount rate, and of course, the actual cash flows. If you don't agree with these result, have a go at the calculation yourself and play with the assumptions. The DCF also does not consider the possible cyclicality of an industry, or a company's future capital requirements, so it does not give a full picture of a company's potential performance. Given that we are looking at IRIS Corporation Berhad as potential shareholders, the cost of equity is used as the discount rate, rather than the cost of capital (or weighted average cost of capital, WACC) which accounts for debt. In this calculation we've used 9.9%, which is based on a levered beta of 1.140. Beta is a measure of a stock's volatility, compared to the market as a whole. We get our beta from the industry average beta of globally comparable companies, with an imposed limit between 0.8 and 2.0, which is a reasonable range for a stable business.

Next Steps:

Whilst important, the DCF calculation shouldn't be the only metric you look at when researching a company. It's not possible to obtain a foolproof valuation with a DCF model. Instead the best use for a DCF model is to test certain assumptions and theories to see if they would lead to the company being undervalued or overvalued. For example, changes in the company's cost of equity or the risk free rate can significantly impact the valuation. For IRIS Corporation Berhad, we've put together three important items you should look at:

Risks: For example, we've discovered 1 warning sign for IRIS Corporation Berhad that you should be aware of before investing here. Other High Quality Alternatives: Do you like a good all-rounder? Explore our interactive list of high quality stocks to get an idea of what else is out there you may be missing! Other Environmentally-Friendly Companies: Concerned about the environment and think consumers will buy eco-friendly products more and more? Browse through our interactive list of companies that are thinking about a greener future to discover some stocks you may not have thought of!

PS. Simply Wall St updates its DCF calculation for every Malaysian stock every day, so if you want to find the intrinsic value of any other stock just search here.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.
Spiralling Middle East crisis sidelines diplomats



Paris, Sept 28 (AFP) Sep 28, 2024



The language of concern and restraint streaming from global foreign ministries is failing to quell the fires of conflict in the Middle East, with the death Friday of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in an Israeli airstrike bringing the region still closer to war.

Israeli bombings in Lebanon and Hezbollah rocket launches have crescendoed even as world leaders gathered in New York for the UN General Assembly appealed for calm.

Fighting is also escalating just weeks before the presidential election in the United States, Israel's vital ally.

"The West is trying to guide Israel to some set of steps that will take the heat out of this. That isn't what we've seen... in the last few days," Bronwen Maddox, head of the UK-based Chatham House think tank, told AFPTV.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken was on Friday still urging both Israel and Hezbollah -- which has bombarded the state at low intensity for almost a year in support of Hamas in Gaza -- to "stop firing".

"The path to diplomacy may seem difficult to see at this moment, but it is there, and in our judgement, it is necessary," he added.

Washington would "continue to work intensely with all parties" to try and reach a ceasefire, Blinken said.

President Joe Biden's administration has stopped short of taking any concrete steps to force Israel to change tack since the bloody Hamas attack of October 7, 2023 that triggered the state's devastating campaign in Gaza.

America could pressure the Israeli government by "withholding more arms", Maddox said -- although it is for now doing the reverse.

Israel said Thursday it had received a new tranche of US aid worth $8.7 billion.

Beyond arms, "the pressure is pretty strong already, diplomatically" for Israel to ease up, Maddox noted.

But "we're not in the 80s or 90s when a US administration simply had to pick up the phone and get... at least a respectful response from Israel," she added.



- 'Paying for decades' -



With days until the fierce fighting triggered by October 7 is a year old, Benjamin Netanyahu's government appears back in the driving seat.

"Israel has been able to totally turn the terror around. They were on the ropes, traumatised, weakened, their credibility sapped. Today they instil fear again," a high-ranking European military source told AFP.

The source nevertheless added that the feat had been achieved "at an exorbitant price that (Israelis) will be paying for decades" given the scale of the destruction wrought on first Gaza and now Lebanon.

Some members of Netanyahu's coalition, especially on the far right, have definitively distanced themselves from the US.

"Traditionally, the Labour Party held as a maxim that you never get out of step with the US. (Netanyahu's party) Likud isn't built that way," said James Dorsey of the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore.

Dorsey highlighted a "fortress mentality" among the Israeli government that is all the more resilient as the November US presidential election approaches.

"I don't think any country has the kind of grassroots support in the US that Israel has," he said, calling any tightening of the screws on Washington's ally "very unlikely" before the poll.



- Region on verge of 'abyss' -



Israel plans to "get the most out of the money time" until the US election, the European military source said.

"They have no more need of a pretext to act", he added, warning "anything is possible" in the coming days.

Washington is not alone in failing to sway Netanyahu, with Egyptian and Qatari involvement failing to bring home a ceasefire and hostage release deal with Hamas in Gaza.

And a divided Europe has been unsuccessful in bringing its diplomatic weight to bear for lack of a common position.

EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell acknowledged Friday that Brussels has "put all diplomatic pressure to a ceasefire, but nobody seems to be able to stop Netanyahu, neither in Gaza nor in the West Bank".

Another European diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that the same is true for Lebanon.

"We're trying. We're throwing our weight behind it," the diplomat said. "But it's very difficult. It's not as if Iran and Hezbollah are being very accommodating."

Fears are growing daily that Israel could send ground troops into Lebanon, with Iran's reaction and the potential consequences for the region unpredictable.

The Middle East is "at the precipice of a full-blown war", Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told the UN Security Council on Friday.

His words were echoed by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. "Shockwaves radiating from the unprecedented death and destruction in Gaza now threaten to push the entire region into the abyss," he said.
Israel killing of Hezbollah chief Nasrallah sparks condemnation



Paris, Sept 28 (AFP) Sep 28, 2024



Israel's foes vowed revenge on Saturday after Iran-backed Lebanese militant group Hezbollah announced its longtime leader Hassan Nasrallah was killed in an Israeli air strike on Beirut suburbs.

World powers also warned of the killing's potential repercussions, with the spectre of all-out war looming over the Middle East.



- Iran -



First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref warned Israel that Nasrallah's death would "bring about their destruction", Iran's ISNA news agency quoted him as saying.

The foreign ministry of Iran, which finances and arms Hezbollah, said Nasrallah's work will continue after his death. "His sacred goal will be realised in the liberation of Quds (Jerusalem), God willing," foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani posted on X.

Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei announced five days of public mourning.



- Russia -



Russia's foreign ministry said "we decisively condemn the latest political murder carried out by Israel" and urged it to "immediately cease military action" in Lebanon.

Israel would "bear full responsibility" for the "tragic" consequences the killing could bring to the region, the ministry added in a statement.



- Germany -



Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock told ARD television that the killing "threatens destabilisation for the whole of Lebanon", which "is in no way in Israel's security interest".



- United Nations -



UN chief Antonio Guterres said he was "gravely concerned by the dramatic escalation of events in Beirut in the last 24 hours".



- Hamas -



Palestinian militant group Hamas, whose unprecedented October 7 attack on Israel sparked the devastating war in Gaza that drew in fellow Iran-backed groups including Hezbollah, called Nasrallah's killing "a cowardly terrorist act".

"We condemn in the strongest terms this barbaric Zionist aggression and targeting of residential buildings," Hamas said in a statement.



- Palestinian Authority -



Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas offered his "deep condolences" to Lebanon for the deaths of Nasrallah and civilians, who "fell as a result of the brutal Israeli aggression", according to a statement from his office.



- Iraq -



Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani condemned in a statement Israel's "shameful attack", calling it "a crime that shows the Zionist entity has crossed all the red lines".



- Syria -



Israel "confirms through this despicable aggression, once again... its barbarism and wanton disregard for all international standards and laws", said a Syrian foreign ministry statement carried by state news agency SANA.



- Huthis -



The Iran-backed Yemeni rebels, who have been firing on ships in the Red Sea in solidarity with Hamas, said in a statement that "the martyrdom of Hassan Nasrallah will increase the flame of sacrifice, the heat of enthusiasm, the strength of resolve" against Israel.



- Turkey -



President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, whose country maintains diplomatic relations with Israel but who has been a sharp critic of its offensive in Gaza, said on X that Lebanon was being subjected to a "genocide", without referring directly to Nasrallah.



- US Republicans -



Leading Republicans in the House of Representatives welcomed the end of a "reign of bloodshed, oppression, and terror" by "one of the most brutal terrorists on the planet".

"Justice was delivered for Israeli victims of his heinous crimes, their families, and the United States," while President Joe Biden's administration should stop calling for a ceasefire and its diplomatic pressure on Israel, they added in a statement.

gv-imm/yad
Syria condemns 'despicable' Israeli killing of Nasrallah



Damascus, Sept 28 (AFP) Sep 28, 2024



Syria on Saturday condemned Israel's killing of Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah, one of Damascus's key supporters in years of civil war, in an air strike on Beirut's southern suburbs a day earlier.

"The Zionist entity (Israel) confirms through this despicable aggression, once again... its barbarism and wanton disregard for all international standards and laws," said a foreign ministry statement carried by state news agency SANA.

"The Syrian people... have never for a day forgotten (Nasrallah's) positions of support," the statement added.

Hezbollah since 2013 has openly backed the forces of President Bashar al-Assad in his country's civil war, which broke out after the repression of anti-government protests.

Israel has carried out hundreds of strikes in the country since the war began in 2011, mainly targeting army positions and Iran-backed fighters, including from Hezbollah.

Israeli authorities rarely comment on individual strikes in Syria, but have repeatedly said they will not allow arch-enemy Iran to expand its presence there.

Along with Russia, Hezbollah backer Iran has helped Assad regain territory lost earlier in the civil war.

While Damascus condemned Nasrallah's killing, in areas outside government control, some were celebrating, including in the Idlib jihadist-run rebel bastion.

Many Syrian opposition supporters and activists consider Hezbollah responsible for their woes, after the group fought Syrian rebels in a number of areas, leading to heavy losses among opposition factions and forcing tens of thousands of residents to flee, many to the country's northwest.
Israel killing of Hezbollah chief Nasrallah sparks condemnation



Paris, Sept 28 (AFP) Sep 28, 2024



Israel's foes vowed revenge on Saturday after Iran-backed Lebanese militant group Hezbollah announced its longtime leader Hassan Nasrallah was killed in an Israeli air strike on Beirut suburbs.

Several world powers also warned of the killing's potential repercussions, as the spectre of all-out war looms over the Middle East.

In the US, President Joe Biden welcomed "a measure of justice".



- Iran -



First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref warned Israel that Nasrallah's death would "bring about their destruction", Iran's ISNA news agency quoted him as saying.

The foreign ministry of Iran, which finances and arms Hezbollah, said Nasrallah's work will continue after his death. "His sacred goal will be realised in the liberation of Quds (Jerusalem), God willing," spokesman Nasser Kanani posted on X.

Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei announced five days of public mourning.



- United States -



President Joe Biden said Nasrallah's death was "a measure of justice for his many victims, including thousands of Americans, Israelis and Lebanese civilians".

Washington supports Israel's right to defend itself against "Iranian-supported terrorist groups" and the "defence posture" of US forces in the region would be "further enhanced", Biden added in a statement.

Leading Republicans in the House of Representatives also welcomed the end of a "reign of bloodshed, oppression, and terror" by "one of the most brutal terrorists on the planet".



- Russia -



Russia's foreign ministry said "we decisively condemn the latest political murder carried out by Israel" and urged it to "immediately cease military action" in Lebanon.

Israel would "bear full responsibility" for the "tragic" consequences the killing could bring to the region, the ministry added in a statement.



- Germany -



Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock told ARD television that the killing "threatens destabilisation for the whole of Lebanon", which "is in no way in Israel's security interest".



- United Nations -



UN chief Antonio Guterres said he was "gravely concerned by the dramatic escalation of events in Beirut in the last 24 hours".



- Hamas -



Palestinian militant group Hamas, whose unprecedented October 7 attack on Israel sparked the devastating war in Gaza that drew in fellow Iran-backed groups including Hezbollah, called Nasrallah's killing "a cowardly terrorist act".

"We condemn in the strongest terms this barbaric Zionist aggression and targeting of residential buildings," Hamas said in a statement.



- Palestinian Authority -



Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas offered his "deep condolences" to Lebanon for the deaths of Nasrallah and civilians, who "fell as a result of the brutal Israeli aggression", according to a statement from his office.



- Huthis -



The Iran-backed Yemeni rebels, who have been firing on ships in the Red Sea in solidarity with Hamas, said in a statement that "the martyrdom of Hassan Nasrallah will increase the flame of sacrifice, the heat of enthusiasm, the strength of resolve" against Israel.



- Turkey -



President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, whose country maintains diplomatic relations with Israel but who has been a sharp critic of its offensive in Gaza, said on X that Lebanon was being subjected to a "genocide", without referring directly to Nasrallah.

gv-imm/yad
Israel killing of Hezbollah chief Nasrallah sparks condemnation



Paris, Sept 28 (AFP) Sep 28, 2024



Israel's foes vowed revenge on Saturday after Iran-backed Lebanese militant group Hezbollah announced its longtime leader Hassan Nasrallah was killed in an Israeli air strike on a suburb of Beirut.

Several world powers also warned of the killing's potential repercussions, as the spectre of all-out war looms over the Middle East.

US President Joe Biden welcomed "a measure of justice".



- Iran -



First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref warned Israel that Nasrallah's death would "bring about their destruction", Iran's ISNA news agency quoted him as saying.

The foreign ministry of Iran, which finances and arms Hezbollah, said Nasrallah's work will continue after his death. "His sacred goal will be realised in the liberation of Quds (Jerusalem), God willing," spokesman Nasser Kanani posted on X.

Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei announced five days of public mourning.



- United States -



Biden said Nasrallah's death was "a measure of justice for his many victims, including thousands of Americans, Israelis and Lebanese civilians".

Washington supports Israel's right to defend itself against "Iranian-supported terrorist groups" and the "defence posture" of US forces in the region would be "further enhanced", Biden added in a statement.

Vice President Kamala Harris said Nasrallah was "a terrorist with American blood on his hands" and said she would "always support Israel's right to defend itself against Iran and Iran-backed terrorist groups such as Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis."

Leading Republicans in the House of Representatives also welcomed the end of a "reign of bloodshed, oppression, and terror" by "one of the most brutal terrorists on the planet".



- Russia -



Russia's foreign ministry said "we decisively condemn the latest political murder carried out by Israel" and urged it to "immediately cease military action" in Lebanon.

Israel would "bear full responsibility" for the "tragic" consequences the killing could bring to the region, the ministry added in a statement.



- Germany -



Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock told ARD television that the killing "threatens destabilisation for the whole of Lebanon", which "is in no way in Israel's security interest".



- Britain -



Foreign Secretary David Lammy said in a post on X that he had spoken with the Lebanese premier. "We agreed on the need for an immediate ceasefire to bring an end to the bloodshed. A diplomatic solution is the only way to restore security and stability for the Lebanese and Israeli people."

- France -



French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot demanded Israel "immediately stop its strikes in Lebanon" and said it was opposed to any ground operation in the country.

France also "calls on other actors, notably Hezbollah and Iran, to abstain from any action that could lead to additional destabilisation and regional conflagration", the foreign ministry said in a statement.



- United Nations -



UN chief Antonio Guterres said he was "gravely concerned by the dramatic escalation of events in Beirut in the last 24 hours".



- Hamas -



Palestinian militant group Hamas, whose unprecedented October 7 attack on Israel sparked the devastating war in Gaza that drew in fellow Iran-backed groups including Hezbollah, called Nasrallah's killing "a cowardly terrorist act".

"We condemn in the strongest terms this barbaric Zionist aggression and targeting of residential buildings," Hamas said in a statement.



- Palestinian Authority -



Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas offered his "deep condolences" to Lebanon for the deaths of Nasrallah and civilians, who "fell as a result of the brutal Israeli aggression", according to a statement from his office.



- Huthis -



The Iran-backed Yemeni rebels, who have been firing on ships in the Red Sea in solidarity with Hamas, said in a statement that "the martyrdom of Hassan Nasrallah will increase the flame of sacrifice, the heat of enthusiasm, the strength of resolve" against Israel, with their leader vowing Nasrallah's death "will not be in vain".



- Turkey -



President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, whose country maintains diplomatic relations with Israel but who has been a sharp critic of its offensive in Gaza, said on X that Lebanon was being subjected to a "genocide", without referring directly to Nasrallah.



- Cuba -



In a post on X, Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel called the killing a "cowardly targeted assassination" that "seriously threatens regional and global peace and security, for which Israel bears full responsibility with the complicity of the United States."



- Argentina -



Argentine President Javier Milei reposted on X a message from a member of his council of economic advisers, David Epstein, who hailed the killing.

"Israel eliminated one of the greatest contemporary murderers. Responsible, among others, for the cowardly attacks in #ARG", it said. "Today the world is a little freer".



bur-yad/jj
Israel kills Hezbollah chief in Beirut strike



Beirut, Lebanon, Sept 28 (AFP) Sep 28, 2024



Israel killed Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah in a huge air strike in Lebanon, dealing the movement a seismic blow that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday called a "turning point" for his country.

Hezbollah confirmed Nasrallah's death after the Israeli military said he had been killed in an air strike Friday on the southern suburbs of Beirut, the Iran-backed group's main bastion.

Some Israelis celebrated his killing, while in Lebanon, his supporters' disbelief gave way to anguished mourning.

Around the region, leaders condemned the slaying while some Hezbollah allies vowed vengeance, fuelling fears of more violence in the Middle East after nearly a year of war in Gaza.

"Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah... has joined his great, immortal martyr comrades whom he led for about 30 years," Hezbollah said in a statement.

Netanyahu said Israel had "settled the score" for the killing of Israelis and citizens of other countries, including Americans.

As long as Nasrallah was alive, he added, he could have "quickly restored the capabilities we had eroded from Hezbollah" in a series of recent operations.

"So, I gave the order -- and Nasrallah is no longer with us," he said, adding that his country was on the cusp of "what appears to be a historic turning point" in the fight against its enemies.

Israel carried out more attacks on Lebanon Saturday, with one Lebanese security source saying a strike targeted a warehouse near Beirut airport.

The Israeli military has warned it will foil arms shipments through the airport.

Iran, which arms and finances Hezbollah, said a senior member of its Revolutionary Guards Corps had been killed in the same strike. A source close to Hezbollah said the group's top commander in south Lebanon, Ali Karake, had also died.

Women were seen weeping on the streets of Beirut as Hezbollah announced Nasrallah's death.

"I can't describe my shock at this announcement... we all started crying," said Maha Karit, one of the few people who agreed to be identified by name.

But some Israelis hailed his death.

"It should have been done a long time ago," said David Shalev in Israel's commercial hub Tel Aviv.



- 'Unjust bloodshed' -



Nasrallah was the face of Hezbollah, enjoying cult status among his Shiite Muslim supporters, and was the only man in Lebanon with the power to wage war or make peace.

Israeli military spokesman Daniel Hagari said: "His elimination makes the world a safer place."

In Tehran, posters of Nasrallah were put up bearing the slogan "Hezbollah is alive".

Iran's First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref denounced the "unjust bloodshed" and threatened that Nasrallah's killing will bring about Israel's "destruction".

Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei declared public mourning, as did Lebanon, Iraq and Syria.

Yemen's Huthi rebels said they fired a missile at Israel's Ben Gurion airport on Saturday, hoping to hit it as Netanyahu returned from a trip to New York.

United Nations chief Antonio Guterres said he was "gravely concerned by the dramatic escalation of events in Beirut".

US President Joe Biden -- whose government is Israel's top arms supplier -- said it was a "measure of justice", while Kamala Harris, who is running to replace him in the White House, called Nasrallah "a terrorist with American blood on his hands".

Israel has raised the prospect of a ground operation against Hezbollah, prompting widespread international concern.

Biden, asked if he thought such an operation was inevitable, said: "It's time for a ceasefire."



- Mass displacement -



Hezbollah began low-intensity cross-border strikes on Israeli troops a day after its Palestinian ally Hamas staged its unprecedented attack on Israel on October 7, triggering war in the Gaza Strip.

Hamas condemned Nasrallah's killing as a "cowardly terrorist act".

Earlier this month, Israel shifted the focus of its firepower from Gaza to Lebanon, where heavy bombardment of Hezbollah strongholds around the country has killed more than 700 people, according to health ministry figures.

Strikes on Saturday killed 33 people and wounded 195, the ministry said.

Most of the deaths in Lebanon came on Monday, the deadliest day of violence since the country's 1975-1990 civil war.

UN refugee chief Filippo Grandi said "well over 200,000 people are displaced inside Lebanon" and more than 50,000 have fled to neighbouring Syria.



- 'Very sophisticated' -



The Israeli military said it has hit more than 140 Hezbollah targets in Lebanon since Friday night, and continued to pound south Beirut into Saturday, sending panicked families fleeing.

An AFP photographer said dozens of buildings have been destroyed.

The blasts that rocked south Beirut late Friday were the fiercest there since Israel and Hezbollah last went to war in 2006.

Hundreds of families spent the night outside.

"I didn't even pack any clothes, I never thought we would leave like this and suddenly find ourselves on the streets," south Beirut resident Rihab Naseef, 56, told AFP.

Middle East expert James Dorsey described Nasrallah's killing as "very sophisticated", adding it "demonstrates... just how deeply Israel has penetrated Hezbollah".

His death leaves Hezbollah under huge pressure to deliver a resounding response to silence suspicions that the once seemingly invincible movement is a spent force, analysts said.

"Either we see an unprecedented reaction by Hezbollah... or this is total defeat," said Heiko Wimmen of the International Crisis Group think tank.



- Israel to 'remove this threat' -



Israel's military also announced strikes Saturday on the Bekaa valley in eastern Lebanon and on the south.

Hezbollah claimed a rocket attack on northern Israel, and later said it launched "a salvo of Fadi-3 rockets" towards the Ramat David airbase which it has targeted before.

Netanyahu has vowed to keep fighting until the border with Lebanon is secured.

"Israel has every right to remove this threat and return our citizens to their homes safe," he said.

Diplomats have said efforts to end the war in Gaza were key to halting the fighting in Lebanon and bringing the region back from the brink.

Hamas's October 7 attack on Israel resulted in the deaths of 1,205 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official figures that include hostages killed in captivity.

Of the 251 hostages seized by militants, 97 are still held in Gaza, including 33 the Israeli military says are dead.

Israel's retaliatory military offensive has killed at least 41,586 people in Gaza, most of them civilians, according to figures provided by the Hamas-run territory's health ministry. The UN has described the figures as reliable.

burs/yad/jj/sst
Shares of Hermes, Cartier-parent Richemont, and LVMH soared more than 15% this week.

The surge comes as Chinese officials pledge to ramp up stimulus measures to combat the country's sluggish economy.

European luxury stocks have struggled this year amid weak Chinese demand.

European luxury stocks rallied sharply this week as a wave of Chinese stimulus measures spurred hopes of more spending.

Shares of Hermes, Cartier-parent Richemont, and LVMH soared more than 15% over the five-day period.

In a rare press conference on Tuesday, three top Chinese officials announced a broad set of economic-stimulus measures, including interest-rate cuts, liquidity support and lower bank-reserve requirements.

The move sent stocks surging across the board, and proved especially promising for the luxury sector, which has struggled for months amid weak demand in China.

China's consumers have been reluctant to spend in recent months, even as their disposable incomes have grown. Retail sales grew just 2.1% last month from a year before, coming in below economists' forecasts of 2.5%.

European luxury brands cited that slowing demand in their most recent quarterly earnings reports. Burberry said its sales in mainland China declined 21% from the year before, while Hugo Boss said the Chinese market has proved "particularly challenging."

On Monday, the day before the stimulus measures were announced, Bank of America analysts cut their price objectives on luxury stocks by an average of around 20%.

They also downgraded four luxury stocks to neutral, and another from neutral to underperform  leaving just three luxury stocks at buy ratings.

"Lower for longer revenue growth can be attributed to synchronised consumption weakness across US, EU and China (ie c.70% of revenues). There are green shoots in the US, whilst China weakness has just begun," the analysts wrote in a Monday note.

Some of that decline in demand is a result of Chinese consumers shifting their big-ticket spending abroad, especially in Japan, where the weak yen helps Chinese shoppers' money go further.

Now, it seems investors are banking on the stimulus measures to bring luxury spending back to the country.

Read the original article on Business Insider
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She broke down in tears as she told PA: On Monday morning we wake up as a big bomb (hit) just beside our house, and we saw on the news that they said another round (of attacks) will start in one hour, so we didnt take it seriously because we dont fight  we are normal civilians.
These values and this approach have been championed consistently by the six Presiding Officers who have served their country faithfully and diligently. We are all, at the end of each day, united by our love of Scotland. Because of its natural beauty, of course, but also because of its strength of character, based as it is on the extraordinary diversity of its peoples, whose range of ideas, skills, energy, passions, and frequently deeply-held beliefs, never cease to inspire me.
We recently compiled a list of the 10 Best Coal Stocks To Buy Now According to Short Sellers. In this article, we are going to take a look at where Natural Resource Partners L.P. (NYSE:NRP) stands against the other coal stocks.

Coal is highly valued for its energy content and is widely used across the globe for electricity generation, as well as for the production of steel and cement. It is extracted using either the opencast or underground mining methods.

The thermal coal sector experienced a year-to-date (YTD) decline of 0.47%, in contrast to the broader market's 19.55% increase. The coal industry has been grappling with significant challenges, leading to its underperformance in recent years. One of the primary reasons is the sharp decline in coal usage for electricity generation in the U.S., as utility operators increasingly shift toward renewable energy sources and focus on decarbonization. The planned retirement of coal units and stricter emission regulations, aimed at achieving carbon-neutral electricity by 2030, have further accelerated this decline. With coals share in the U.S. power generation expected to drop to just 14% by 2025, the industry faces mounting pressure as demand continues to dwindle domestically, according to a report by the Energy Information Administration.

Despite these headwinds, there are potential signs of recovery, especially on the global front. U.S. coal exports are projected to grow as demand rises in European markets, partly driven by the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict. Additionally, the expected rebound in global steel production, which heavily relies on coal, is likely to boost export volumes.

Coal Industry Outlook

Coal has long been valued for its role in reducing poverty by providing job opportunities in regions with few employment prospects. In addition, coal mining stimulates economic growth by attracting investment and generating local government revenue.

While "green companies" have advocated for wind and solar power as the cheapest forms of electricity, claiming that transitioning to renewables is key to achieving net-zero emissions, the reality has proven different. The transition to renewable energy has struggled to address the "Energy Trilemma," which emphasizes balancing energy security, affordability, and sustainability.

Nevertheless, Embers Global Electricity Review 2023 predicts that wind and solar energy will replace coal by 2030, contributing 41% to global electricity generation, a significant jump from 2021. This shift will require coal generation to decrease by 54% and gas generation to decrease by 24%. At the same time, global electricity demand is expected to rise, with an average annual increase of 3.7% from 2021 to 2030.

Story continues

With 60% of its electricity powered by coal, China's share of global electricity consumption is expected to rise to one-third by 2025, up from one-quarter in 2015, according to the International Energy Agency. However, according to Sinopec, Chinas coal power consumption is expected to halt its growth by 2025, with non-fossil fuel sources predicted to dominate the countrys power mix by 2045. Check out our article '25 Largest Coal Producing Countries in the World' on Insider Monkey. You'll find that China, India, and Indonesia are the top three coal producers, with China leading global coal production for decades and expected to continue dominating in the foreseeable future.

Coal Power Stays Important in the U.S. Energy Mix

The European Electricity Review of 2024 reported a record 19% drop in fossil fuel generation last year, with coal and gas generation experiencing an unprecedented decline. Coal generation declined by 26%, accounting for just 12% of the EU's electricity mix in 2023, while gas generation dropped by 15%, accounting for 17%.

Similarly, the U.S. coal-fired power generation reached its lowest level in four years during the first four months of 2024 but still accounted for 15.6% of the national power mix. While coal output continues to decline, renewable energy growth, particularly wind power, has been slower than anticipated. This has kept coal's share significant, even as the country moves toward cleaner energy sources.

Methodology

To compile our list of the 10 Best Coal Stocks to Buy Now According to Short Sellers, we ranked the holdings by the percentage of outstanding shares that were sold short. Stocks with the lowest short interest were then chosen. Additionally, we included the number of hedge funds that had invested in these stocks at the end of the second quarter of 2024, according to Insider Monkey's database. The stocks are ranked in descending order of short interest.

Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletters strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 275% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 150 percentage points (see more details here).

A coal miner at their place of work, with the coal reserves in the backdrop.

Natural Resource Partners L.P. (NYSE:NRP)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 6

Short % of Shares Outstanding: 1.76%

Natural Resource Partners L.P. (NYSE:NRP) owns and manages a diverse portfolio of U.S. properties that include coal, industrial minerals, and other natural resources. In addition to leasing these assets, NRP holds rights for carbon sequestration and renewable energy projects.

In Q2 2024, Natural Resource Partners L.P. (NYSE:NRP) reported $57.3 million in revenue, down 10.9%, as lower coal sales were partially offset by gains from coal property condemnation and carbon-neutral transactions. Metallurgical coal prices continued to decline during the quarter due to weakened steel demand, primarily resulting from the slowdown in China's construction industry and the slower-than-expected recovery in Europe.

Net profit for the quarter dropped to $46.1 million from $70.3 million in the previous year. Mineral rights net income for Q2 2024 remained stable year-over-year. Soda ash net income fell by $23.3 million due to lower sales prices, influenced by new supply from China.

In terms of liquidity, NRP's cash generation has remained strong. The company generated $57.3 million in free cash flow for the quarter, contributing to a robust $287 million over the past 12 months.

Looking ahead, NRP is exploring carbon-neutral revenue opportunities across its asset portfolio, with the potential for future value creation through initiatives like carbon sequestration, renewable energy generation, and lithium production.

The stock saw an uptick of 9.81% over the past month and 4.4% YTD, driven by strong cash flow generation and ongoing debt reduction. While coal and soda ash prices are expected to remain subdued due to weak demand, rising global steel demand, and anticipated coal export growth have contributed to the stock's upside potential.

As of Q2 2024, six hedge funds with a combined investment of $26.1 million remain bullish on the stock, according to Insider Monkey's database. Additionally, 1.76% of outstanding shares have been sold short, suggesting that most investors do not expect a significant decline in the stock's value.

Overall NRP ranks 3rd on our list of the best coal stocks to buy according to short sellers. While we acknowledge the potential of NRP as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and doing so within a shorter timeframe. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than NRP but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.

READ NEXT: $30 Trillion Opportunity: 15 Best Humanoid Robot Stocks to Buy According to Morgan Stanley and Jim Cramer Says NVIDIA Has Become A Wasteland.

Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.
The U.S. Missile Defense Agency (MDA) will proceed with Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC) for the Glide Phase Interceptor (GPI) program, the first-of-its-kind defensive countermeasure against hypersonic missile threats. Working in close partnership with MDA, the three-year developmental effort produced a purpose-built, innovative design capable of defeating existing and emerging hypersonic threats.

Most Read on Design & Development Today:

During this next phase of development, Northrop Grumman will:

Continue to refine the preliminary design of the GPI, which will fire from the U.S. Navys Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense destroyers and Aegis Ashore using the standard Vertical Launch System.

Demonstrate system performance in hypersonic environments prior to conducting its Preliminary Design Review.

Complete flight experiments ahead of schedule leveraging the companys own flight-proven systems.

Use digital engineering practices to connect the entire GPI program to accelerate design processes and develop interceptor capabilities faster and more efficiently.

Northrop Grummans design includes advanced technologies, such as a seeker for threat tracking and hit-to-kill accuracy, a re-ignitable upper stage engine used for threat containment and a dual engagement mode to engage threats across a wide range of altitudes.

Northrop Grumman will work closely with the United States in support of its role under the GPI Cooperative Development program with the Japan Ministry of Defense to deliver interceptors to the MDA.

Northrop Grumman is a leading global aerospace and defense technology company. Our pioneering solutions equip our customers with the capabilities they need to connect and protect the world, and push the boundaries of human exploration across the universe. Driven by a shared purpose to solve our customers toughest problems, our employees define possible every day.

Click here to subscribe to our daily newsletter.
By Aditya Kalra

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Three online sellers operating on Walmart-owned Flipkart have sued the Indian antitrust watchdog over an investigation which found they, Flipkart and rival Amazon breached competition laws, according to court filings seen by Reuters.

The filings come after antitrust investigations concluded in August found Amazon and Flipkart, some of their sellers and smartphone brands, violated local competition laws by giving undue preference to select online sellers and prioritizing certain listings, Reuters has reported.

Flipkart is one of India's biggest ecommerce players and rivals Amazon.

In an effort to quash the critical proceedings, the three sellers on the platform made submissions in the High Court of Karnataka to "set aside" the investigation report and put the process of the Competition Commission of India (CCI) on hold.

Lawsuits from sellers of Amazon and Flipkart can potentially delay the investigation process which first started in 2020, and was triggered after brick-and-mortar retailers of the Confederation of All India Traders complained to the watchdog. Amazon and Flipkart deny any wrongdoing.

Three of Flipkart sellers - CIGFIL Retail, Wishery Online, Xonique Ventures - in their lawsuits argue that during the investigation they were called to submit data to help officials, but were later named as accused, which is against due process, court papers show.

"The alleged investigation ... is arbitrary, opaque, unfair," the sellers argued in three separate court filings, which will come up for hearing likely next week.

Flipkart and the CCI did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Reuters could not immediately reach the three sellers, whose filings are being reported for the first time.

Last week, a former Amazon seller also sued the CCI and obtained an interim injunction to block the investigation from proceeding. Its court filing - which Reuters has seen - argued the CCI did not give notice before making it an accused in the case.

(Reporting by Aditya Kalra; editing by Clelia Oziel)
When Susan Montigne suggested the home she shared with her husband, Michael, for an At Home article, she sent a short note with her photos that included this key phrase: Our home is a blend of our lives and love for each other, as well as for Lavern, our cat. Heres how their blended home came to be.

The Montignes got an unexpected second shot at love in 2019. The widow and the widower hadnt anticipated a life-changing romance and a major reshuffling of lives and homes, but that meddlesome Cupid had other ideas.

Ours was a chance meeting, but it feels like we went through our lives and we were meant to be together, Susan says. I was by myself for 13 years, happy doing my job, reading the paper, talking to my friends, and then I met him, Susan says.

Michael was gob-smacked as well. I wasnt looking for anybody. In fact, I mostly lived in my basement and I didnt go out often. Ill tell you, when I met her it was like Id known her my entire life, Michael says.

After a short courtship, the two married. Susan sold her one-bedroom condo in St. Louis and moved into Michaels townhouse in Lake Saint Louis. Then COVID hit and the newlyweds spent all their time together. They used it to transform Michaels bachelor townhouse into a reflection of both partners past lives, accomplishments and talents. They managed the successful merger with grace, good humor, flexibility and an unbounded appreciation for each other.

Their past lives couldnt have been more different.

Susan grew up in Black Jack and commuted to St. Louis to high school at St. Joseph Academy. She spent her career in Catholic education first as a teacher, and later as a principal.

She ended her career as the director of marketing for all schools in the St. Louis Archdiocese.

Michael was raised in Ferguson,and joined the Army at 20. When his tour ended, he took a local discharge in Hawaii where hed been stationed and stayed there for 40 years. He used his GI bill to get a college education, then started a number of businesses on Maui. They included bars, a deli, restaurants, an art gallery, a clothing store and a jewelry shop. I never had more than two open at any one time, though, he says.

He returned to St. Louis in 2012 to care for his aging parents and moved into the townhouse in Lake Saint Louis where they live now.

They both enjoy the three-bedroom, three-bath townhouse. They made changes to the main floor by taking out a wall to create an open floor plan. We opened it into a gathering room, Susan says. She added white crown molding and painted all the 1990s era dark wood white to enhance the open feel.

The galley kitchen ends at the table where they take their meals and look out over the back porch and deck. The fully finished open lower level includes Michaels workroom and office and a party room. They also have garage, which Michael keeps clean and excessively well-organized. Framed photos of the 40+ cars hes owned and a few photos of that old cowboy John Wayne cover the walls.

Our house is so comfortable when you walk in, Michael says. He also thinks it has a yin/yang energy they both like. The main floor is definitely female, and the downstairs is definitely male, he says.

Michaels man cave downstairs got a makeover when Susan suggested some changes. I have a normal couch now as opposed to the Elvis Presley black leather and chrome furniture she didnt like. So that furniture took a hike.

They have a sign above the entry to the downstairs  The Party Room. Its not stuffy, Michael says. It brings you back to being a kid.

What was the third bedroom took on a new life as The Gnome Room, which is home to 50 or so well-loved gnomes. They pop-up in the house on a regular rotating basis. The couple has collected books they both enjoy reading including childrens books such as Dr. Seuss and Pete the Cat, who also sometimes appears in their home. I guess its my education background, Susan says.

Michael likes to display what their lives are about on the walls. In his downstairs spaces he displays images of Superman, whom he loved as a kid. The walls include framed comic books, an area for Three Stooges memorabilia, and framed photos of all of the major movie stars he liked  King Kong, Frankenstein, Godzilla and other monsters.

Michael dedicated the front bedroom on the main floor to me, Susan says.

I call it her office with her wall of accolades. Im proud of what she accomplished, Michael says. He put up awards and certificates shed earned, photos of her at events and mementos from her professional life. We have one of her with the archbishop, Michael says.

Although they thoroughly enjoy each others company, their house allows for some separation as well. We each still have our own worlds, which is neat, Michael says. We have an understanding that one place Susan cant go into is my office and workshop to vacuum and clean and move things around, and Im not allowed in the kitchen. Shes a much better cook.

Susan and Michael Montigne Home: Lake Saint Louis Family: Susan and Michael live with Lavern the cat. Shes a brown tabby Michael rescued as a kitten after she was dumped in the Arizona desert with her mama and three litter-mates, who he also rescued. Ages: Susan is 74, and Michael is 76. Occupations: Susan and Michael are both retired.

Photos: At home with Michael and Susan Montigne in Lake Saint Louis
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Peter Malkin was an artist, who used, for his most famous works, an unusual canvas. He sketched out the original drawings on the pages of a guide book to South America.

He carried the guide book as a ruse. He wasnt really a tourist. He was a secret agent. He was part of the Israeli team that went to Buenos Aires in 1960 to capture Adolf Eichmann, who had been the logistical mastermind of the Holocaust.

Malkin was born in Germany. When he was a child, his parents moved to Palestine to escape the growing antisemitism in their own country. His older sister stayed behind. She and her two young children perished, as did many other of Malkins relatives.

One of the sketches from the guide book shows a woman and a young child. It is titled Fear. Maliks caption was: The last words a mother says are words a child is used to. I love you, and the answer, Mother I dont want to take a shower now. I can take one later.

Malkin produced 60 silk screen prints from the drawings in the guide book. Thirteen of them are on display at the St. Louis Kaplan Feldman Holocaust Museum.

Some of the drawings are from observation. He drew the young couple who lived across the street from the safe house in which the Israeli agents held Eichmann for 10 days until they could sneak him out of the country. He drew a cat that hung around the safe house. But others are more internal. He drew a rather neutral, unassuming Hitler. His accompanying note read: I sketched the innocent Adolf Hitler because a leader reflects the people, and the world was too naive.

Imagine producing art under that kind of intense pressure. The Argentine government was looking for him. He was holed up in a hideaway with his comrades and his prisoner, the man who had engineered the murder of his sister and millions of others.

Malkin made small talk. He asked Eichmann what he thought of Benito Mussolini. He wasnt a fuhrer, Eichmann said. He was a general without much imagination. Malkin mentioned that when his nephew was murdered in the camps, he was the same age as Eichmanns youngest son. He was Jewish, wasnt he? Eichmann said.

Malkin drew a sketch of Eichmann. He drew it on a page over the map of Argentina.

I drew him as a Spartan, Malkin later wrote. I didnt touch the colors in the palette. He appears as an ordinary man with whom I spent 10 days in a room in Buenos Aires. Yet for millions of people, his image is indelibly connected to the evil of the Final Solution.

Any time you visit a Holocuast museum, its a gut-check. I remember the piles of shoes at the Holocaust museum in Washington, D.C. I remember talking with Leo Wolf when the museum here in St. Louis opened. He showed me a black and white photograph of skeletal men in striped uniforms walking down a road. He pointed to one of the stick figures. Thats me, he said.

Wolf died in 2016. His story can be seen on video at the St. Louis museum.

The survivors are fading away. Of course, that is the point of the museums, to keep alive the memory of what happened. Before there were museums, there was Eichmanns trial in Israel.

Myron Freedman, the executive director of the museum here, said the trial was important because of the testimony of the survivors. The Nuremberg trials had been about documents and personnel records. Eichmanns trial was driven by personal stories. It made the horror more real.

But that trial was 63 years ago.

A few months ago, the presidents of Harvard, MIT and the University of Pennsylvania were called to testify to Congress about protests on their campuses. They were asked if advocating for the genocide of the Jewish people violated the codes of conduct at their respective universities.

The three highly educated women acted as if it were a trick question. It depends on context, was their consensus.

Earlier this month, Darryl Cooper appeared on Tucker Carlsons podcast. Carlson introduced him as the most important popular historian working in the U.S. today. Cooper argued, as apparently he often does, that Winston Churchill was more villainous than Adolf Hitler, and that yes, Jewish people died in work camps, but it was not systematic killing. Because of the war, the Germans were short of food themselves and medical care in the camps was not very good. Hence, a lot of deaths. Tragic, but not murderous.

Elon Musk tweeted that the show was very interesting and worth watching.

Except for Cooper, none of these people can be described as fringe characters. The presidents of the three great universities were pillars of the left. Carlson was a prime-time speaker at the Republican convention, and is often mentioned as a potential heir to the MAGA movement in a post-Trump world. This past week, Carlson campaigned with J.D. Vance. Musk has 200 million followers on X.

None of these people seems to grasp the enormity of the Holocaust.

Admittedly, the current atmosphere is clouded by the war in Gaza. Palestinian civilians, women and children, are being killed. It is not antisemitic to advocate for the Palestinians. But shouldnt those advocates admit that a lions share of the blame falls on the leaders of Hamas? Those leaders started the war and ordered the intentional killing of Israeli civilians. Now those leaders are either safe in Qatar or in the tunnels of Gaza while their civilian followers are left on the streets to die under Israeli bombardment.

Far too indiscriminate of a bombardment, I would argue. Also, I am suspicious of the motives of the Israeli prime minister.

But that is politics and ought to be a matter of debate. The Holocaust exists on a different plane.

To understand the mindset of the Israelis, you have to understand the Holocaust  and maybe to understand ourselves or what we could be.

Rabbi Susan Talve of the Central Reform Congregation once told me that her parents used to insist that if the unthinkable happened in Germany, which was the most cultured society in the world, it could happen anywhere.

Malkins silk-screens will be on display at the St. Louis Kaplan Feldman Holocaust Museum, 36 Millstone Campus Drive, until next June.
HATBORO, Pa.  A suburban Philadelphia bakerys cookie poll that started during the 2008 presidential campaign as a joke between the owners and their customers has grown into much more.

Lochel's Bakery in Hatboro is swamped with orders. People are driving from a couple hours away to buy the cookies in person and shipment orders are coming from as far away as Alaska.

The bakery sells 4-inch round sugar cookies, one with blue and white sprinkles and a Harris 2024 label on it and the other with red and white sprinkles and a Trump 2024 label on it.

The cookie poll started in 2008 and accurately predicted the winner the first three times, but not in 2020, when Republican Donald Trump lost the election for the White House to Democrat Joe Biden.

Kathy Lochel, whose husband is Lochels third-generation baker, said sales exploded that year, as customers bought thousands of cookies.

Its just a fun, non-stressful tally that were taking," Lochel said. "Its definitely not scientific. Its just a delicious way I say to take the pressure off with what is going on with the election, all the ads, all the campaign stuff, just a cookie.

"I cant emphasize that more. Its just a cookie.

Helene Moran bought Trump cookies on her 82nd birthday with her daughter and son-in-law who live in North Carolina.

Which we do whenever Trump is up for election, said Moran, who lives near the bakery. Hes my sweetheart, I love him so much.

This year, election cookie sales are outpacing 2020s sales.

These cookies are being shipped all over the United States right now, so much so that theyre on back order, so were about three to four weeks back, Lochel said.

For now, the bakery guarantees shipments will arrive by Election Day on Nov. 5, Lochel said. Customers are driving from a couple hours away can get them faster, she said.

It may not hurt business that Lochel's is in the battleground state of Pennsylvania. It also may not hurt that Lochels is in the heavily populated and moderate suburbs of Philadelphia, where Trump and Kamala Harris are fighting for support.

Trump's numbers may have gotten a boost after he shared a story about the cookie poll on his social media platform. As of Tuesday, Trump was leading Harris, 12,558 to 889  a far bigger lead than pollsters have found.

The election aside  with its attack ads, name-calling and social media barbs  the cookie-buying public has been perfectly pleasant and positive.

The people that are coming into our store, whether they're buying red or blue cookies, theyre friendly, they joke, they laugh, they buy other things, Lochel said.

How Pennsylvania secures mail ballots, prevents fraud, and makes sure votes count How Pennsylvania secures mail ballots, prevents fraud, and makes sure votes count How Pennsylvania secures mail ballots, prevents fraud, and makes sure votes count
Masamitsu Yoshioka stands in front of a Japanese bomber in 1941. (JAPAN Forward)

When Pearl Harbor came into view, black smoke was already rising from the U.S. ships hit by the first wave of Japans surprise attack. The crew of a Nakajima B5N2 torpedo bomber readied for its run.

The 23-year-old navigator and bombardier on board, Masamitsu Yoshioka, had practiced his part of the maneuver for months without knowing the mission. He was stunned when he was told his carrier group was part of a massive strike on American territory that included more than 300 Japanese warplanes. The blood rushed out of my head, Yoshioka recalled. I knew that this meant a gigantic war.

The Nakajimas pilot steadied the wings at about 35 feet above the water. Yoshioka released the nearly 1,800-pound torpedo on a path toward the battleship USS Utah, which was being used as a training vessel.

By the time Yoshioka and the Nakajima crew were back on the aircraft carrier Soryu, a total of 58 men aboard the Utah had died  among the more than 2,400 U.S. military personnel and civilians killed and nearly 1,800 wounded in the Dec. 7, 1941, blitz on Hawaii that plunged the United States into World War II.

Now I think of the men who were on board those ships we torpedoed. I think of the people who died because of me. They were young men, just like we were, Yoshioka said in a 2023 interview in the Japan Forward, which described him as the last known surviving Japanese veteran of the Pearl Harbor attack.

I am so sorry about it, added Yoshioka, who died last month at age 106. I hope there will not be any more wars. His death was first announced Aug. 28 in social media posts and confirmed by Japanese media, but other details have not been made public.

As the ranks of World War II personnel fade, Yoshioka gained attention in Japan in recent years for being widely acknowledged as the only remaining witness to the Pearl Harbor attack from the side of the Imperial Japanese forces. His memory of the events remained vivid, recalling even the bite of the strong easterly wind before sunrise on the Soryus deck. The island of Oahu was more than 200 miles away.

The attack squadrons were under strict rules of radio silence, Yoshioka said. As navigator on the Nakajima torpedo bomber  a model dubbed Kate by American pilots  he relied on instruments and flight time to set their course. At one point, he flicked on a device that picked up a radio station from Hawaii. He listened for a few seconds. We were right on track, he recalled.

They saw Pearl Harbor just before 8 a.m. The naval base was wrapped in black smoke, he said in the Japan Forward interview with Jason Morgan, an associate professor at Reitaku University in Kashiwa, Japan. There were only two ships that I could clearly see.

He remembered seeing columns of seawater blast upward as the torpedo made a direct hit on the Utah. Then he realized the miscalculation that was made. Japanese commanders issued orders to ignore the Utah since it was no longer combat ready and was being used for anti-aircraft gunnery training. As we flew over the deck I could see, in a flash going by, gun turrets without any barrels, Yoshioka recalled. A training ship. It was the Utah. A mistake!

The next day, President Franklin D. Roosevelt delivered a speech to senators and representatives on Capitol Hill. Yesterday, he said, December 7, 1941, a date which will live in infamy. A declaration of war on Japan was swiftly approved by Congress. A formal state of war with Germany and its allies came days later.

Japan lost 29 aircraft and five mini-submarines at Pearl Harbor, claiming a total of more than 120 lives. Yoshioka said he did not expect to return  and a sense of guilt kept him silent about the war as the decades passed. Im ashamed that Im the only one who survived and lived such a long life, he said.

Secret training

Masamitsu Yoshioka was born in Ishikawa Prefecture in western Japan on Jan. 5, 1918. He joined the Imperial Japanese Navy in 1936, assigned to a ground crew whose work included keeping aloft an aging fleet of biplanes.

He began navigator training in 1938 and was posted the next year to the Soryu, a 746-foot carrier that was then involved in Japans war in China against the forces of nationalist leader Chiang Kai-shek.

Then in August 1941, Yoshioka was shifted suddenly to torpedo training. At bases on the mainland, pilots practiced maintaining a flat flight-line just above the surface; Yoshioka and others were taught the precise moment and angle to release torpedoes.

Despite all of our training, we got only one practice run with a real torpedo, Yoshioka said.

On Nov. 26, 1941, the Soryu left the Kuril Islands, an archipelago now under Russian control. The crew still had no idea of the destination. They had been told to pack shorts, leading to rumors that the target was somewhere to the south, Yoshioka recalled.

The Soryu joined an armada of five other carriers, as well as battleships and other vessels. On Dec. 2, word came that talks had broken down between U.S. and Japanese envoys over issues including a freeze on Japanese assets in the United States, which effectively cut off access to U.S. oil shipments desperately needed by Japan.

As the war spread across the Pacific, he flew support missions during the battle for Wake Island just after Pearl Harbor and took part in Japans attack on Allied ships off British-controlled Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) in spring 1942.

The Soryu was sunk in the Battle of Midway in June 1942. Yoshioka was at home on leave at the time. On the island of Peleliu, he contracted malaria and was evacuated for treatment before it was shelled and stormed by U.S. forces in 1944 in a grinding fight that left heavy casualties on both sides.

In August 1945, he was at an air base when Emperor Hirohito announced Japans surrender after atomic bombs ravaged Hiroshima and Nagasaki. After the war, Yoshioka worked at a transport company and was part of the postwar Japanese navy, known as the Maritime Self-Defense Force, he told Japans Asahi Shimbun newspaper in 2021.

Information on survivors was not immediately available.

During an interview in 2023, Yoshioka was asked if he had visited Hawaii after the war. No, he replied.

If I could go, I would like to, he added. I would like to visit the graves of the men who died. I would like to pay them my deepest respect.
Iraqi security forces prepare for loading humanitarian aid from Red Crescent for Palestinians in Gaza, before its departure from a military airbase near Baghdad International Airport in Baghdad, Iraq, Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2024. (Hadi Mizban/AP)

American forces will start departing from Ain al-Asad airbase in western Iraq and from Baghdad International Airport after the November election, according to Iraqi government officials who spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity.

Those forces will be moved to Hareer base in Erbil, in northern Iraqs Kurdistan region. The move is part of an agreement with the Iraqi government that the U.S. announced Friday.

U.S. officials who briefed reporters Friday said the agreement will bring about a two-phase transition in the troops assigned to Iraq that began this month. In the first phase, which runs through September 2025, the coalition mission against ISIS will end and forces will leave some longstanding bases. U.S. officials did not say how many troops will remain in Iraq or where they will be stationed.

In the second phase, the U.S. will continue to operate in some fashion from Iraq through 2026 to support counter-ISIS operations in Syria, a senior Biden administration official and a senior defense official said on the condition of anonymity on a call with reporters to provide details ahead of the announcement.
John Taylor puts up an American flag on his destroyed property in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, in Horseshoe Beach, Fla., Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. (Gerald Herbert/AP)

PERRY, Fla.  Authorities struggled to get water and other supplies to isolated, flood-stricken areas across the U.S. Southeast in the wake of Hurricane Helene as the death toll from the storm rose to nearly 100.

A North Carolina county that includes the mountain city of Asheville reported 30 people killed due to the storm, and several other fatalities reported in North Carolina Sunday pushed the overall death toll to at least 91 people across several states.

Supplies were being airlifted to the region around the isolated city. Buncombe County Manager Avril Pinder pledged that she would have food and water into Ashville  which is known for its arts, culture and natural attractions  by Monday.

We hear you. We need food and we need water, Pinder said on a Sunday call with reporters. My staff has been making every request possible to the state for support and weve been working with every single organization that has reached out. What I promise you is that we are very close.

Officials warned that rebuilding from the widespread loss of homes and property would be lengthy and difficult. The storm upended life throughout the Southeast. Deaths also were reported in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and Virginia.

North Carolina governor predicts the death toll will rise as rescuers reach isolated areas

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper predicted the toll would rise as rescuers and other emergency workers reached areas isolated by collapsed roads, failing infrastructure and widespread flooding.

He implored residents in western North Carolina to avoid travel, both for their own safety and to keep roads clear for emergency vehicles. More than 50 search teams spread throughout the region in search of stranded people.

One rescue effort involved saving 41 people north of Asheville. Another mission focused on saving a single infant. The teams found people through both 911 calls and social media messages, North Carolina National Guard Adjutant General Todd Hunt said.

President Joe Biden described the impact of the storm as stunning and said he would visit the area this week as long as it does not disrupt rescues or recovery work.

Hurricane Helene roared ashore late Thursday in Floridas Big Bend region as a Category 4 hurricane with 140 mph winds. A weakened Helene quickly moved through Georgia, then soaked the Carolinas and Tennessee with torrential rains that flooded creeks and rivers and strained dams.

There have been hundreds of water rescues, including in rural Unicoi County in East Tennessee, where dozens of patients and staff were plucked by helicopter from a hospital rooftop Friday.

More than 2 million homeowners and other utility customers were still without power Sunday night. South Carolina had the most outages and Gov. Henry McMaster asked for patience as crews dealt with widespread snapped power poles.

We want people to remain calm. Help is on the way, it is just going to take time, McMaster told reporters outside the airport in Aiken County.

Begging for help in North Carolina as that help is slow to arrive

The storm unleashed the worst flooding in a century in North Carolina. One community, Spruce Pine, was doused with over 2 feet of rain from Tuesday through Saturday.

Jessica Drye Turner in Texas had begged for someone to rescue her family members stranded on their rooftop in Asheville amid rising floodwaters. They are watching 18-wheelers and cars floating by, Turner wrote in an urgent Facebook post on Friday.

But in a follow-up message Saturday, Turner said help had not arrived in time to save her parents, both in their 70s, and her 6-year-old nephew. The roof collapsed and the three drowned.

I cannot convey in words the sorrow, heartbreak and devastation my sisters and I are going through, she wrote.

The state was sending water supplies and other items toward Buncombe County and Asheville, but mudslides blocking Interstate 40 and other highways prevented supplies from making it. The countys own water supplies were on the other side of the Swannanoa River, away from where most of the 270,000 people in Buncombe County live, officials said.

Law enforcement was making plans to send officers to places that still had water, food or gas because of reports of arguments and threats of violence, the county sheriff said.

FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell toured south Georgia on Sunday and planned to be in North Carolina Monday.

Its still very much an active search and rescue mission in western North Carolina, Criswell said. And we know that theres many communities that are cut off just because of the geography of the mountains, where damage to roads and bridges have cut off certain areas.

Biden on Saturday pledged federal government help for Helenes overwhelming devastation. He also approved a disaster declaration for North Carolina, making federal funding available for affected individuals.

Storm-battered Florida digs out, residents gather for church

In Floridas Big Bend, some lost nearly everything they own. With sanctuaries still darkened as of Sunday morning, some churches canceled regular services while others like Faith Baptist Church in Perry opted to worship outside.

Standing water and tree debris still covers the grounds of Faith Baptist Church. The church called on parishioners to come pray for our community in a message posted to the congregations Facebook page.

We have power. We dont have electricity, Immaculate Conception Catholic Church parishioner Marie Ruttinger said. Our God has power. Thats for sure.

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp said Saturday that it looked like a bomb went off after viewing splintered homes and debris-covered highways from the air.

In eastern Georgia near the border with South Carolina, officials notified Augusta residents Sunday morning that water service would be shut off for 24 to 48 hours in the city and surrounding Richmond County.

A news release said trash and debris from the storm blocked our ability to pump water. Officials were distributing bottled water.

With at least 25 killed in South Carolina, Helene was the deadliest tropical cyclone for the state since Hurricane Hugo made landfall north of Charleston in 1989, killing 35 people.

Moodys Analytics said it expects $15 billion to $26 billion in property damage.

Climate change has exacerbated conditions that allow such storms to thrive, rapidly intensifying in warming waters and turning into powerful cyclones sometimes within hours.

New tropical depression in Atlantic could become strong hurricane, forecasters say

A new tropical depression in the eastern Atlantic Ocean could become a formidable hurricane later this week, the National Hurricane Center said Sunday. The depression had sustained 35 mph winds and was located about 585 miles west-southwest of the Cape Verde Islands, the center said. It could become a hurricane by Wednesday.

Whittle reported from Portland, Maine, and Collins reported from Columbia, South Carolina. Haya Panjwani in Washington, Kate Brumback in Atlanta and Matthew Brown in Billings, Montana, contributed.
It's common for many investors, especially those who are inexperienced, to buy shares in companies with a good story even if these companies are loss-making. Sometimes these stories can cloud the minds of investors, leading them to invest with their emotions rather than on the merit of good company fundamentals. Loss making companies can act like a sponge for capital - so investors should be cautious that they're not throwing good money after bad.

In contrast to all that, many investors prefer to focus on companies like Aflac (NYSE:AFL), which has not only revenues, but also profits. Even if this company is fairly valued by the market, investors would agree that generating consistent profits will continue to provide Aflac with the means to add long-term value to shareholders.

See our latest analysis for Aflac

How Quickly Is Aflac Increasing Earnings Per Share?

If you believe that markets are even vaguely efficient, then over the long term you'd expect a company's share price to follow its earnings per share (EPS) outcomes. Therefore, there are plenty of investors who like to buy shares in companies that are growing EPS. Aflac managed to grow EPS by 5.3% per year, over three years. While that sort of growth rate isn't anything to write home about, it does show the business is growing.

Top-line growth is a great indicator that growth is sustainable, and combined with a high earnings before interest and taxation (EBIT) margin, it's a great way for a company to maintain a competitive advantage in the market. Our analysis has highlighted that Aflac's revenue from operations did not account for all of their revenue in the previous 12 months, so our analysis of its margins might not accurately reflect the underlying business. The good news is that Aflac is growing revenues, and EBIT margins improved by 5.4 percentage points to 34%, over the last year. Ticking those two boxes is a good sign of growth, in our book.

In the chart below, you can see how the company has grown earnings and revenue, over time. Click on the chart to see the exact numbers.

Fortunately, we've got access to analyst forecasts of Aflac's future profits. You can do your own forecasts without looking, or you can take a peek at what the professionals are predicting.

Are Aflac Insiders Aligned With All Shareholders?

Owing to the size of Aflac, we wouldn't expect insiders to hold a significant proportion of the company. But we are reassured by the fact they have invested in the company. Indeed, they have a considerable amount of wealth invested in it, currently valued at US$497m. This comes in at 0.8% of shares in the company, which is a fair amount of a business of this size. This still shows shareholders there is a degree of alignment between management and themselves.

Story continues

Does Aflac Deserve A Spot On Your Watchlist?

One important encouraging feature of Aflac is that it is growing profits. If that's not enough on its own, there is also the rather notable levels of insider ownership. These two factors are a huge highlight for the company which should be a strong contender your watchlists. Don't forget that there may still be risks. For instance, we've identified 1 warning sign for Aflac that you should be aware of.

There's always the possibility of doing well buying stocks that are not growing earnings and do not have insiders buying shares. But for those who consider these important metrics, we encourage you to check out companies that do have those features. You can access a tailored list of companies which have demonstrated growth backed by significant insider holdings.

Please note the insider transactions discussed in this article refer to reportable transactions in the relevant jurisdiction.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.
Keith Gilroy (31) had more than 1,500 worth of sedative tablets in his home and was caught dealing on the street on the same day, a court heard.

A drug dealer who said he pitied his customers because he knew what they went through has been jailed for six months.

Keith Gilroy (31) had more than 1,500 worth of sedative tablets in his home and was caught dealing on the street on the same day, a court heard.

Judge John Hughes said drug dealers were predatory and placed no value on human life.

He gave Gilroy a nine-month sentence, suspended three months of it for two years and fined him 750.

Gilroy, with an address at Sean OCasey Avenue in the north inner city, pleaded guilty to possession of drugs for sale or supply.

Dublin District Court heard gardai carried out a search of the accuseds home on April 10 last year, after seeing him in a suspected drugs transaction.

Some 51 trays of 15 alprazolam tablets with a total value of 1,530 were found in the house and Gilroy later went to Store Street garda station and made full admissions.

On the same day, gardai on patrol at North Great Charles Street saw the accused in a transaction with other men. He was seen handing them a tray of tablets in return for cash.

When arrested, he had two trays of alprazolam on him, worth 100.

Gilroy had 20 previous convictions for offences including sale or supply of drugs, possession of firearms and money laundering.

At the time of the latest offences, he was trying to pay off a drug debt.

Gilroy had since changed his life and was off drugs, his lawyer said. He had managed to get himself a good job and was now a productive member of society, he said.

The accused was raising six children with his partner, three of whom were his own.

The court heard Gilroys debt was 15,000 and arose from drugs that had been seized by gardai.

I had no drug debt beforehand, Gilroy said.

Judge Hughes asked the accused about what he had been addicted to.

Cocaine and tablets, he replied, and said he had stopped completely by himself.

Did you find it hard? the judge asked and the accused said at times, yes.

Judge Hughes asked what Gilroy thought of the people he had been selling drugs to.

I pity them as well, he replied. I know what they went through.

There are very few drug dealers in my experience who have any sympathy for their victims,

Judge Hughes said. They are predatory, thats what theyre there for.
The man and woman, aged 76 and 52, are accused of molesting the boy over a four-year period

Belfast Magistrates Court heard today that up to 100 electronic devices have to be examined

A father and daughter from Belfast are facing prosecution for the alleged sexual abuse of another child member of their family.

The man and woman, aged 76 and 52, are accused of molesting the boy over a four-year period.

Belfast Magistrates Court heard that up to 100 electronic devices have to be examined as part of the investigation into the suspected campaign of abuse.

Neither defendant can be named to protect the identity of their alleged victim.

Both have been charged with a range of offences, including gross indecency with a child, inciting a child family member to engage in sexual activity, indecent assault and taking indecent photographs of a child.

They are also jointly accused of incest in connection with their relationship as father and daughter.

The alleged offences were committed over a period between 2006 and 2009.

In court today prosecutors indicated that computer hard drives, laptops and mobile phones all have to be searched for any images and material linked to the case.

A Crown lawyer said it involves approximately 100 devices.

He requested another four-week adjournment to allow further investigative work to be carried out.

Counsel for the accused, who are currently both on bail, argued that they have spent more than two years waiting for a trial.

Listing a further update next month, District Judge George Conner stressed: Im very keen to make progress in this case, its been running for too long.
She had allegedly been badly beaten, scalded, stabbed and had her hair cut off in the prolonged attack

An eighth man has been charged and will appear in court with false imprisonment and assault of a woman who was allegedly held against her will and tortured for over an hour in a Dublin apartment.

The alleged victim remains in hospital where she is recovering from injuries including multiple broken bones, burn marks, lacerations and stab wounds.

She had allegedly been badly beaten, scalded, stabbed and had her hair cut off in the prolonged attack.

Gardai seized a number of items from the scene including a deodorant can and light which was alleged to have been used for a makeshift blowtorch, a hammer, scissors, a hatchet, iron poles and wooden sticks.

She was heavily bleeding when gardai raided the apartment as part of a drug search around 7pm on Thursday.

It is alleged the incident was filmed on a mobile phone.

The woman was taken to hospital where she underwent surgery and remained in hospital this weekend.

Photos of her injuries were handed into court.

Six adult men and one juvenile appeared before Dublin District Court on Saturday charged in relation to the incident which allegedly took place at an apartment in Henrietta House on Bolton Street in Dublin on Thursday.

Judge Patricia McNamara remanded all seven in custody to appear before court next week.

An eighth man, aged in his 40s, who was also arrested, has also since been charged and will appear in court on Monday morning, gardai said.

Detective Garda Ruairi O'Connor gave evidence on Saturday of arrest charge and caution of a number of the suspects and objected to bail.

The accused men are Sean Conroy (20) from Silloge Road, Ballymun, Braxton Rice (20), Mark McMahon (54) and Mark Keogh (33) all with addresses at Henrietta House, and Kian Walsh (19) and Jayven Talbot (20) with addresses in Constitution Hill, Dublin 7.

A 16-year-old boy who cannot be identified due to his age was also charged in relation to the alleged incident. He was remanded in custody to appear before the Childrens Court on Monday.

No applications were made in relation to McMahon and Keogh who were remanded in custody to appear before Cloverhill Court by videolink next week,

The court heard Keogh was on social welfare and McMahon was on a widowers pension. All seven accused were granted legal aid and the court heard none made any reply to being charged.

Bail applications were made in relation to the other accused but were refused.
Elizabeth Walsh (40) stole clothes from two shops in Dublin city centre and was also arrested in a separate street disturbance.

A shoplifter has been jailed for a month after asking a court to sentence her because prison was the only place she can get help.

Elizabeth Walsh (40) stole clothes from two shops in Dublin city centre and was also arrested in a separate street disturbance.

Judge Gerard Jones sentenced her when she appeared in Dublin District Court.

Walsh pleaded guilty to charges including theft.

The court heard she stole various items of clothing worth 133 from Marks & Spencer on Henry Street on April 26 this year. She went to Arnotts, Henry Street, on June 14 and took goods worth 116.

Gardai were called to Conquer Hill Road, Clontarf on June 18 where Walsh was threatening to break the window of a house. She smelled strongly of alcohol, said she was going to do something stupid and was arrested for disturbing the peace of local residents.

Defence solicitor Yvonne Bambury said she was in the very peculiar position of asking the judge to impose a sentence. Walsh was suffering from severe mental health problems and had been staying with a friend who was putting her up on a sofa.

She did not have anywhere to stay and felt prison was the only place she can get help.
The criminal was a suspect in the murder of Christy Daly (47), who was shot nine times with a machine gun in December 2013.

A major player in Irish gangland crime has been arrested after authorities in Spain seized a huge haul of cocaine and a gun, gardai have been informed.

The arrest operation happened in the past week and a 33-year-old gangster from the midlands is in custody.

It can be revealed that the suspect has close links to the west Dublin-based Family gang, which was at the centre of the international police operation into encrypted Ghost devices, announced last week.

It is unclear if the criminals arrest in Spain is linked to this major investigation in which four different gangs in Ireland have been identified in the Ghost crackdown.

Sources say the man left Ireland for southern Spain around three years ago, has built relationships with a number of other organised crime networks there and is a suspect for the importation of drugs into Ireland.

He is a long-term associate of the organisation known in the media as The Family gang as well as with other crime groupings in west Dublin, a source said.

However, the gangsters stronghold has always been the midlands and for years he worked under a Co Offaly-based criminal, who has been described as running his own criminal organisation and drugs network despite working in a legitimate job.

The man in custody has been in trouble with the law since he was a teenager

Recent developments have shown that the arrested man  who has previous convictions for violent crime and firearms offences  has overtaken his former boss in the criminal pecking order.

His links to The Family, which has been trafficking heroin and cocaine into Ireland for over two decades, have made him one of the most significant players in the midlands drugs scene.

Detectives have received information that his former boss, who is in his early 40s, travelled to Alicante in recent weeks for a meeting with his former protege as he felt he was getting too big for his boots.

However, the younger criminal, who is known to be extremely violent, gave his former boss a severe hiding, according to sources, and the man then returned to Ireland.

When contacted, the Guardia Civil said it had not been able to locate any relevant details on the arrest and drug seizure.

The man in custody has been in trouble with the law since he was a teenager.

Gardai at the scene of Christy Daly's murder in December 2013. Photo: Frank McGrath

He was a suspect in the murder of Christy Daly (47), who was shot nine times with a machine gun in December 2013.

At the time, gardai had intelligence that associates of the suspect who was arrested in Spain were renting a machine gun out for hire to other gangs.

Investigations have established that the gun used to kill Daly had been used in other attacks.

The suspect was involved in a number of violent drug-collection incidents in the midlands before he moved to Spain.

He had been officially warned by gardai on a number of occasions that his life was under active death threat due to criminal feuds that he was actively involved in.
He is the second youth to be questioned over death of innocent pedestrian in north Dublin

The second arrest in the investigation of his death was made on Thursday.

Gardai have arrested the alleged ringleader of the Lucky Dip car-theft gang in relation to a fatal hit-and-run in Dublin.

The 17-year-old who has convictions for car theft and drugs offences was questioned at a north Dublin garda station about the death of Michael Mikey Farrelly (40) in July.

The youth was then released without charge.

Michael Mikey Farrelly (40) was walking home when he was hit by a stolen car in Baldoyle, Dublin, in July

Mr Farrelly (40) was knocked down by a stolen car at Coast Road, Baldoyle, on July 17.

The second arrest in the investigation of his death was made on Thursday.

Gardai said a file will now be prepared for the Garda Youth Diversion Office.

It is suspected that the teenager had been on a crime wave in which multiple cars with a total value of many hundreds of thousands of euro were stolen all across the capital.

The Ballyfermot teenager is suspected of being in the stolen car that killed innocent pedestrian Mr Farrelly.

The youth has been a major target for gardai investigating car theft and joyriding and has been the subject of numerous garda alerts.

A close associate of the alleged car thief was arrested for the hit-and-run earlier this month before also being released without charge.

A file on this 18-year-old is to be prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).

This Blanchardstown teenager is suspected of being the driver of the stolen car in the early-morning incident that led to Mr Farrellys death.

The teen has been described as a recidivist offender and is also a key member of the Lucky Dip gang.

They have around a dozen associates in the south inner city as well as the Blanchardstown area of the capital.

Gardai gave them that name after obtaining intelligence that the gang randomly picks targets in Leinster towns on an almost nightly basis using the Google Maps app.

The gang is suspected of stealing dozens of cars in the last year, which they mainly use for joyriding rather than resale.

The Hyundai Kona that fatally struck Mr Farrelly was stolen from a house in Malahide in the hours before he was knocked down.

It is believed the owner of the car was sleeping when gardai arrived at the property and was completely unaware that her car had been taken.

After being stolen, the car was involved in an interaction with gardai in which it failed to stop for officers who had seen it being driven erratically shortly before the hit-and-run.

Mr Farrellys funeral in Co Meath heard how he had just fulfilled a lifelong ambition of recording an album of his own music.

He was described as a kind, gentle and caring man and his uncle, Fr Peter Farrelly, who was the chief celebrant at the funeral mass, said there was something very nice and very special about Mikey.
James Stevenson (59) who is also known as Jamie was snared after a fellow fugitive pal used the emergency card that police had been monitoring

The on-the-run Scottish crime boss known as The Iceman was caught when his gang's credit card was used in an Amsterdam brothel, tipping off police that they were in the Netherlands

James Stevenson (59) who is also known as Jamie was snared after a fellow fugitive pal used the emergency card that police had been monitoring.

The card was to be only used by Stevenson as a means to fund a possible escape if the net was closing in.

But officers who had a marker on the card were alerted with a real time location, date and time stamp when it was used.

The 59-year-old was arrested two years ago while out jogging in the Netherlands.

Prosecutors say he had orchestrated a plot to smuggle 76million worth of cocaine, hidden in banana shipments, destined to Glasgow from South America.

The huge trafficking operation spanned the UK, Spain, Ecuador and the luxury Nurai Island Resort in Abu Dhabi.

The pair are understood to have been hiding out in the Netherlands together for a number of months as a massive manhunt was launched to bring him to justice.

However, police are said to have hit a brick wall in trying to locate Stevenson, who is also known as 'Bull' who had previously hidden out in a flat in Amsterdam.

It was the card marked 'for emergencies only' as a last resort for the gang if they needed to escape at short notice that led to their capture.

The card was only to be used to get the cash to help them disappear again, or they could give it to someone to use as a decoy, making police think they were in one place when they were actually in another, the Mail Online reports.

But the other guy went on a bender and took it to a brothel with him. When he used it, the police finally had an accurate location for them and used it to track them down.

Stevenson was jogging in a park when he was arrested in February 2022 and brought back to the UK wher he admitted orchestrating an international drug ring which trafficked cocaine worth 76million into the UK, hidden in shipments of bananas

Stevenson faced 14 charges relating to the importation of cocaine when he appeared at the High Court in Glasgow earlier this year.

He entered a guilty plea mid-trial after admitting his part in the drugs trafficking ring.

We previously revealed how Stevenson had sought the services of a crime group that provided hundreds of UK passports that enabled criminals, including Christy Kinahan Snr to cross borders and conduct business undetected.

In May 2023, Christopher McCormack (also known as Christopher Zietek) (67) and Anthony Beard (61) both from Sydenham, London, and Alan Thompson (73) from Sutton, Surrey, were jailed in relation to the supply of fraudulently-obtained genuine passports (FOGs) at Reading Crown Court.

They were charged with conspiracy to pervert the course of public justice and conspiracy to make a false instrument with intent. McCormack and Thompson were also charged with money laundering.

Beard and Christopher Zietek were caught after a covert surveillance operation by the National Crime Agency (NCA) found they provided fraudulently obtained genuine passports (FOGs) to organised criminals over a five-year period.

The documents they supplied, costing up to 15,000, enabled criminals to cross borders and conduct business undetected.

As well as Stevenson, customers included Glasgow murderers Jordan Owen and Christopher Hughes, Liverpool drug trafficker Michael Moogan, Manchester fugitive David Walley and suspected Scottish drug traffickers Barrie Gillespie, and James White.

FOG passports were also supplied to Jamie Acourt and firearms trafficker Richard Burdett.
The diocese claims tests have been carried out to ensure the work, which has also included the construction of new paths, does not disturb any unmarked graves.

Toni Maguire, and Siubhainin Ni Chutnneagan (right) pictured in Milltown Cemetery in Belfast

Campaigners claim work at Belfasts best-known graveyard is disturbing the unmarked graves of countless forgotten people.

The Catholic diocese in charge of Milltown Cemetery  the final resting place of an estimated 100,000 people  say the work is needed to upgrade the drainage system in the graveyard.

The diocese claims tests have been carried out to ensure the work, which has also included the construction of new paths, does not disturb any unmarked graves.

However, an archaeologist who has carried out extensive research into the history of the cemetery disagrees.

Toni Maguire fears the work being carried at the cemetery has already destroyed many graves.

She said it was important to protect areas of the cemetery where forgotten people are buried.

Milltown

They were the poorest of the poor, nine times out of ten. They didnt have much in life and they had less in death, she said.

Ms Maguire and fellow campaigner, Siubhainin Ni Chutnneagam, want the work stopped immediately and a detailed map created of all the graves in the cemetery, where the first burial took place in 1869.

The cemetery is owned by the Catholic Churchs Diocese of Down and Connor and managed on its behalf by a board of trustees.

The area where the current work is being carried out is at the lower end of the graveyard, known as the Bog Meadows.

Toni Maguire, and Siubhainin Ni Chutnneagan (right) pictured in Milltown Cemetery in Belfast

Around six acres of this land was sold by the church to the Ulster Wildlife Trust (UWT) in 2000, but reclaimed nine years later after it emerged there were unmarked burial plots on the site.

The then Bishop of Down and Connor Noel Treanor publicly apologised for the land having been sold.

It has been claimed that up to 11,000 people could be buried without recognition in the lower section of the cemetery.

This includes stillborn babies who were buried in this previously unconsecrated section of the cemetery because they had died before being christened.

Others buried in this section included people who took their own lives or could not afford their own burial plot.

In relation to the current dispute, Fr Eddie McGee, a spokesperson for the Diocese of Down and Connor, said the work at Milltown Cemetery included the upgrading of pathways and the drainage system.

Before commencing this essential upgrading of drainage and pathways, it was necessary for the trustees to establish if this area of the cemetery had previously been used for burials including baby burials, said Fr McGee.

Toni Maguire, pictured in Milltown Cemetery in Belfast

In November 2023, the trustees therefore secured the professional services of Northern Archaeological Consultancy Ltd to investigate this section of the cemetery along the line of paths requiring extension and to investigate potential existing drains or paths long overgrown.

Having obtained a licence from the Department for Communities (DfC), a number of test excavations were undertaken to provide clarity on the location and extent of unmarked and unlocated burials within this greenfield area of the cemetery.

DfC confirmed on 3rd April 2024 that all of the Historic Environment Divisions conditions associated with the licence had been met.

Milltown Cemetery baby burial concerns raised as work continues at the site.

Fr McGee said the archaeological investigation was carried out between November 2023 and February 2024 and its results were compiled in a report publicly available on the diocesan website.

Informed by these professional archaeological investigations to identify and clearly define the location of all burial sites, including baby burials, within this section of the cemetery, the diocese can therefore provide the assurance that these necessary works will be undertaken with the complete confidence that they will not be located in proximity to or affect known burial sites, added Fr McGee.

The professional archaeological investigation undertaken between November 2023 and February 2024 was carried out precisely to ensure that there would be no burials in proximity to pathways and drainage.

The diocese gives an assurance that no burial sites will be disturbed by these essential works within Milltown Cemetery.

In 2008, Ms Maguire was asked by Down and Connor diocese to examine the land previously sold to the UWT.

Her work played a key role in the land being reclaimed.

Ms Maguire said she agreed to do the work for no payment on the basis the reclaimed land would never be used again for reburials.

The Lord Mayor of Belfast, Councillor Nuala McAllister

However, my experiences in dealing with the Catholic Church and religious groups over the past 16 years has proved that their promises dont always hold water, she said.

Media reports from 1980 show Milltown Cemetery was then at capacity and nearing closure.

Despite this, Ms Maguire said the church has continued to sell new burial plots.

I thought this land was safe, it was protected and the church was going to honour the promises they had made.

Late last year I spoke to someone who happened to mention just casually that their parents had bought a grave in Milltown Cemetery.

I thought but there are no new graves, there is no ground in Milltown Cemetery for sale.

The cemetery was actually closed in 1980 because there were no new graves.

But what happens is the cemetery seems to close and maybe a decade or so it will open again and there will be an announcement we have found new land.

There is no new land in Milltown Cemetery, added Ms Maguire.

She recently outlined her concerns around the disturbing of unmarked graves at Milltown to members of the Committee for the Executive at the Northern Ireland Assembly.

I have dealt now since 2008 with Milltown Cemetery, she told the committee.

Because I came into that particular research on behalf of the diocese I had access to the records for roughly about six weeks.

When the diocese suddenly realised just how big the issue of marginalised burials in mass graves in Milltown Cemetery was, the records were withdrawn.

I had to then resort to finding records and information elsewhere.

PRONI (Public Record Office of Northern Ireland) was my main source, but there are still major issues with this idea of marginalised infant burials.

In Milltown, for instance, there is a grave that is recorded in the registers, LM59.

LM59 was opened in 1957 and contains nine individuals, three women and six babies.

According to the graded system in Milltown Cemetery as it stands today, LM59 does not exist.

Where is LM59? Where are all the other graves that gravediggers have said to us there were loads of graves at the section where LM59 is?

There are far too many questions and far too few answers.

Fr McGee said the diocese would also welcome the opportunity to speak to the Stormont committee.

It is clear from the Hansard transcript that the presentation in relation to works being undertaken within Milltown Cemetery to the NI Assembly committee on 19th June 2024 was informed exclusively by third party sources, he said.

The Trustees and Administration of Milltown Cemetery, informed by professional archaeological investigations and accurate cemetery records, would therefore welcome an opportunity to engage with the Assembly committee to bring clarification to the issues discussed around Milltown Cemetery.

Ms Ni Chutnneagam, who has relatives buried in the lower section of Milltown Cemetery, is also appealing for the current work to be halted.

She said the cemetery belongs to the people of Belfast and unmarked graves need to be protected and recognised.

They have never produced a map of the burial plots in that land. The only records available to the public are from 1937 up to the 1990s. Anything before that has disappeared.

There are maps but we dont know go to where to find them.

For the 37 acres at the bottom of the cemetery, a map has never been produced showing where the individual graves are located.

We have no doubt the location of the ongoing work is on the site of unmarked graves.

Earlier this year, Alliance MLA Nuala McAlister said she believed three of her siblings are buried in unmarked graves in Milltown Cemetery.

The North Belfast MLA said her mother lost a baby boy at birth and twins during pregnancy, with the remains of all three children being taken to Milltown.

Ms McAlister said her family cannot be certain where her siblings are buried, but believe they could be buried in the lower section of the graveyard.

She also has called for the drainage work to stop and has submitted a Private Members Bill proposal at Stormont which would ensure privately-run cemeteries such as Milltown are subject to the same regulations as council-owned cemeteries.
The Coastguard said steps had been taken quickly to resolve the situation

One of the bands on the pitch during the event at Seaview on Saturday. Pic: Brian Kingston MLA

The Orange Order have said they will investigate how volunteers stewarding a north Belfast parade managed to tune into the Belfast Coastguard emergency radio frequency while marshalling the event.

The parade  which consisted of 20 bands and an expected 2,500 participants  took place from 12pm on Saturday, and made its way along the Shore Road from the bottom of Skegoneill avenue to Seaview.

In order to marshal the parade, organisers used a set of walkie-talkie radios, but tuned into a frequency used by Belfast Coastguard to deal with emergency calls.

It is understood this led to the Coastguard issuing a plea for marshals to stop using what they said was a working frequency for the service.

Despite the pleas, organisers continued to use the channel and could be heard attempting to marshal bands onto the pitch at the home of Crusaders FC.

Attempts by emergency crews to communicate on the frequency were interspersed by further updates on the progress of the band parade.

A spokesperson for HM Coastguard said steps had been taken to resolve the issues once they became aware of the situation.

Earlier today (Saturday September 28), HM Coastguard became aware of an issue potentially affecting radio communications in Belfast, they said.

"The problem was rectified quickly and did not affect Coastguard operations in the area.

Around 20 bands attended the event. Pic: Brian Kingston MLA

The Orange Order said they would investigate how the error occurred.

"We will have a look into it and try to make sure this doesn't happen again, said Grand Secretary Rev Mervyn Gibson.

The band parade formed part of the Ulster Scots Agency and Belfast Orangefests Pitch Perfect event at the north Belfast ground.

Billed as a celebration of Belfasts rich Ulster Scots musical traditions, the free event featured marching bands from across Ulster and was supported by Belfast City Council as part of the Belfast 2024 programme.

DUP MLA Brian Kingston  who attended Saturdays event alongside party colleague Phillip Brett  took to social media to congratulate organisers.

"Well done to Belfast Orangefest, the Ulster-Scots Agency, Crusaders FC and others in organising this excellent event - on Ulster Day and making the end of Orange Heritage Week. Enjoyed attending, along with party colleagues, he said.

A celebration of Belfasts rich Ulster-Scots musical traditions, with our best marching bands and invited guests from across Ulster.

The programme of cultural celebrations aims to facilitate the city to build its creative capacity to better understand its identity, relationships with others and its place in the world.
The military said the strike was carried out while the Hezbollah leadership was meeting at their headquarters in Dahiyeh.

The Israeli military has said they killed Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of the Hezbollah militant political group, in an air strike in Beirut on Friday.

The military said the strike was carried out while the Hezbollah leadership was meeting at their headquarters in Dahiyeh.

Mr Nasrallah has lead Hezbollah for more than three decades.

Further strikes were carried out in Bekaa Valley in eastern Lebanon.

Smoke rises as a building collapses in Beiruts southern suburbs (Hussein Malla/AP)

Hours before the strikes, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the United Nations, vowing that his countrys campaign against Hezbollah would continue  further dimming hopes for an internationally backed cease-fire.

Mr Netanyahu abruptly cut his United States visit short and returned to Israel.

Mr Nasrallah has been in hiding for years, rarely appearing in public. He regularly gives speeches, but always by video from unknown locations.

More than 720 people have been killed in Lebanon since the conflict escalated on Monday, according to Lebanons health ministry.

The United Nations says the number displaced by the conflict from southern Lebanon has more than doubled, with more than 211,000 people affected.
We recently compiled a list of the 7 Undervalued European Stocks To Invest In Now. In this article, we will look at where Shell (NYSE:SHEL) ranks among the undervalued European stocks to invest in now.

Europes Economic Outlook

According to the European Commissions Economic Outlook, the European economy staged a comeback at the start of 2024, following a prolonged period of stagnation. The growth rate of 0.3%, estimated for the first quarter of 2024, was still below potential but exceeded expectations. The EU economy is expected to grow by 1.0% in 2024 and 1.6% in 2025, while the euro area is expected to grow by 0.8% in 2024 and 1.4% in 2025.

Inflation across the EU cooled further in the first quarter, with inflation projected to decrease from 6.4% in 2023 to 2.7% in 2024 and 2.2% in 2025. The European Central Bank is expected to cut interest rates, with markets expecting a more gradual pace of policy rate cuts than previously expected. Private consumption is expected to expand by 1.3% in 2024 and 1.7% in 2025, driven by continued wage and employment growth. Investment is expected to expand marginally in 2024 before accelerating in 2025, driven by government infrastructure spending and a gradual expansion of investment activity.

The EUs external demand is expected to rebound, driven by a strong rebound in Chinas economic activity and a recovery in global merchandise trade. EU exports of goods and services are expected to expand by 1.4% this year and 3.1% in 2025. The EU government deficit is projected to resume declining in 2024 and 2025, driven by the phase-out of energy-related measures and a gradual improvement in economic activity. The EU fiscal stance is set to be contractionary in 2024 and broadly neutral in 2025.

The Europes Market is Undervalued and Overlooked

Nicholas Hyett, investment manager at the Wealth Club, one of the leading investment services companies in the United Kingdom, is optimistic about the European economy, particularly the UK, going into 2024. He notes that the UK market is undervalued, trading 40% below the US, and believes there are growth opportunities in sectors such as consumer goods and industrials. Despite the UK market being perceived as old-fashioned, Hyett argues that it is more dynamic than it appears, with many companies being much cheaper than their US counterparts.

Hyett acknowledges that the UK market is often associated with traditional industries such as oil and gas and mining, which have had a good run in recent years. However, he believes that many other sectors are poised for growth, such as consumer goods and industrials. These sectors have been overlooked by investors in recent years, but Hyett believes that they have the potential to perform well in a strong 2024.

Story continues

One of the main concerns for investors in 2024 is election uncertainty. The US presidential election is expected to be a major event, and elections are scheduled in Europe. However, Hyett believes that the uncertainty surrounding these elections is already priced into the market. He notes that the UK and European elections are likely to be less of a concern than the US election and that the market is already reflecting this.

In terms of interest rates, Hyett expects that they will be cut in the second half of 2024 and believes that this is a reasonable expectation. However, he notes that the timing and extent of the rate cuts will depend on the economic outlook. If the economy weakens, rate cuts are likely to be more aggressive. On the other hand, if the economy is stronger than expected, then rate cuts may be more gradual. Hyett notes that inflation is expected to drop significantly in 2024, which could lead to rate cuts. However, he also notes that the market is already pricing in a significant drop in inflation and that the timing and extent of the rate cuts will depend on the actual inflation data.

The European economy is poised for a modest recovery in 2024 and 2025, driven by a combination of factors, including a rebound in private consumption, investment, and external demand. While growth rates are expected to remain below potential, the European Commissions Economic Outlook suggests that the EU economy is on track to return after prolonged stagnation. With that in context, lets take a look at the 7 undervalued European stocks to invest in now.

Our Methodology

To compile our list of 7 undervalued European stocks to invest in now, we used the Finviz and Yahoo stock screeners to find 40 largest European companies. From that list, we screened for companies that are trading at a forward P/E ratio of under 15, as of September 26. We then narrowed our choices to 7 stocks according to their hedge fund sentiment, which was taken from our database of 912 elite hedge funds as of Q2 of 2024. The list is sorted in ascending order of their hedge fund sentiment, as of the second quarter.

Why do we care about what hedge funds do? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletters strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 275% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 150 percentage points (see more details here).

Shell (NYSE:SHEL)

Number of Hedge Fund Investors: 49

Forward P/E Ratio as of September 26: 8.47

Shell (NYSE:SHEL) is a British multinational oil and gas company and one of the largest energy companies in the world. The company is involved in every aspect oil and gas business. Shell is transitioning towards cleaner energy sources, investing heavily in renewable energy and electric vehicle infrastructure. Recently, Shell (NYSE:SHEL) has undergone significant changes; the company has paused less profitable biofuel projects and is focusing on hydrocarbons, including investing in oil and gas developments and LNG terminals.

On August 12, Shell (NYSE:SHEL) announced to invest in the development of Phase 2 of the Surat Gas Project in Australia, through its incorporated joint venture, Arrow Energy. As a 50% joint venture partner with PetroChina. Phase 2 is expected to contribute around 22,400 barrels of oil equivalent per day at peak production. The project will supply gas to the Shell-operated QCLNG liquefied natural gas (LNG) facility to meet long-term contracts and supply domestic customers.

The project will develop 450 production wells, a field compression station, 27 kilometers of new pipeline, and road and infrastructure upgrades. The first gas is expected in 2026. By investing in Phase 2 of the Surat Gas Project, Shell (NYSE:SHEL) aims to sustain and grow its secure energy source by offering a lower-emissions alternative to options like coal.

The companys focus on investing in oil and gas developments and LNG terminals is expected to drive growth in the companys production. The companys total production across segments is expected to grow by an additional 250Mboe/d through 2025, driven by the online of additional gas fields and offshore rigs in the Gulf of Mexico and Brazil.

Shell (NYSE:SHEL) is trading 8.47 times its earnings, which is a 27.16% discount compared to the sector median of 11.63. The stock was held by 49 hedge funds at the end of the second quarter with stakes worth $6,05 billion. As of June 30, Fisher Asset Management is the largest shareholder in the company, with a stake worth $1.73 billion. Analysts hold a consensus Buy rating on the stock, and the average price target of $83.30 implies an upside of 20.19%.

Overall SHEL ranks 3rd on our list of the undervalued European stocks to invest in now. While we acknowledge the potential of SHEL to grow, our conviction lies in the belief that AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and doing so within a shorter timeframe. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than SHEL but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.

READ NEXT: $30 Trillion Opportunity: 15 Best Humanoid Robot Stocks to Buy According to Morgan Stanley and Jim Cramer Says NVIDIA Has Become A Wasteland.

Disclosure. None. This article was originally published on Insider Monkey.
Factors linked to a 90 per cent likelihood of not achieving University Entrance have been identified by the Ministry of Education.

It says the study could form the basis for an early warning system to help schools identify students at risk of failure.

A briefing for Education Minister Erica Stanford said the ministry used anonymised data for 44,000 young people born in New Zealand in 2003 to identify factors linked to not achieving NCEA level 1 and University Entrance.

It said 90 per cent of the young people whose parents had a custodial sentence, mothers who had their first child aged 17 or younger, mothers received $30,000 or more from benefits, or who had Oranga Tamariki family group conferences or placements did not have UE.

The briefing said between 26 and 39 per cent of young people with one of those factors also failed to achieve any NCEA qualification at all.

Other factors with a big effect on achievement included having four or more elder siblings (85 per cent no UE, 26 per cent no NCEA), and experiencing nine or more home changes (84 per cent no UE, 26 per cent no NCEA).

The report said the results were provisional but "we are confident we have landed on some of the essential issues limiting students' potential".

"Our results show that four factors which have the highest influence on NCEA attainment are:

Oranga Tamariki interactions

Ethnicity

Parental income

Parental education levels"

It said parental education and mother's age had more influence on non-achievement of UE than on not achieving any qualification, while number of home changes, parental income and number of siblings had less influence.

The report said students from poor backgrounds who did well at school were less likely to enrol in degree study than their peers from better-off families.

"Students who achieved UE, despite facing socio-economic barriers to attainment, were less likely to enter degree-level study than their peers (29 per cent vs 55 per cent). They instead were more likely to enter full-time employment (53 per cent vs 37 per cent)," the report said.

"Overall, this evidence suggests that socio-economic circumstances impact post-school outcomes, above and beyond the relationship with NCEA achievement."

It also found that 46 per cent of the students who left school without NCEA level 1 did not go into further education or employment, compared to 26 per cent of those who had the qualification.

The document said the findings had many potential applications, including development of an early warning system that schools could use to spot students at risk of failure.

"Ultimately we will create a predictive model whose results and products can be used in policy and operational contexts," it said.

The paper said Texas schools used an "early warning indicator" to spot potential high school dropouts using research that had identified indicators including low grades in core classes, poor attendance, and disengagement in the classroom.

It said the data could also be used to: "Identify groups of at-risk students, or schools or clusters of schools where there is a high incidence of the identified risk factors, to support effective targeting and design of future interventions".

The document said the government's Integrated Data Infrastructure (IDI) could already be used to identify at-risk students, but legally that was not possible.

"Whilst we can within the IDI identify individual students at risk, the release of individual-level data is strictly prohibited to protect individual privacy and the value of the IDI," it said.

The ministry told RNZ the individualised data was anonymised to protect it from disclosure and its study only provided a research basis for the possibility of creating an early warning system.

It said it was not working on creating such a system.

"The next steps are to examine improvements to the model, as discussed in the document, such as extending the model to include factors such as attendance and stand-downs or suspensions; continue to share the insights and respond to questions from others; and continue to share the insights with other Government Ministers in the labour market sector," it said.

The ministry said the findings would not be used to alter the Equity Index which was used to calculate the barriers to education in each school's population and their eligibility for extra funding.

Aorere College principal Leanne Webb said schools knew which students were at risk of underachievement because they tracked their attendance and academic progress.

She said using other data to flag students might be counterproductive.

"It's a bit dangerous having data like that. If they said 'these are the students that are unlikely to succeed' you're predetermining expectations around that student. It's probably better not to know," she said.

Webb said the data was probably most useful for focusing the work of government agencies on the children who needed it most.

"It's not just about schools. It's about Work and Income, it's about MSD, it's about the Police and the justice system all working together to wrap around students who are at risk of falling through the cracks in terms of their achievement," she said.

Secondary Principals Association president Vaughan Couillault said the findings reinforced that a lot of the factors affecting educational achievement were out of schools' control.

"Some of the factors that we can't control, which are those socio-economic factors, are the things that cause us to stay awake at night trying to create a solution," he said.

"It sort of reinforces what the teaching profession has been saying for quite some time, 'Yep we're all about improving our practice, we're all about being better pedagogues, but there are some things we find just too hard to push back against'."

Couillault said schools worked hard to overcome barriers to learning but many of the answers sat with other government agencies.

"Schools have been doing a lot to try and fix all sorts of things that society hasn't quite right yet and that's part of our role, social engineering, absolutely. But where there's massive dysfunction in a home that doesn't create an environment where learning is prioritised, that's very challenging to push back against that."

Otahuhu College principal Neil Watson said there was no magic solution to under-achievement.

"It's about quality teaching, it's about having a rigorous curriculum that enables every student to achieve UE which is the highest level you can achieve at a secondary school, it's about having great facilities for the students," he said.

Watson said the government should consider that some schools in poorer neighbourhoods did not have facilities that were comparable to those in richer neighbourhoods.

He said the report was probably most useful for developing education policy, including the equity funding for schools facing the biggest barriers.

"One of the key things would be that in terms of the support and equity payments, the New Zealand equity payment is half the OECD average so I think the government does need to look at that," he said.

Watson said schools should encourage all students to get UE because it gave them more choices when they leave school.

-RNZ
The Tokyo based Male Voice choir Chor-Farmer will be performing in Tauranga on October 6 as part of their tour to New Zealand and Australia.

This will be their 21st such tour which, traditionally, they undertake on a biennial basis. However, due to Covid restrictions this is the first since 2018.

They will be visiting Nelson, Featherston, and Tauranga before traveling to Lobethal and Cowra in Australia.

Under inspirational conductor Hiroshi Masumoto the choir, comprising 24 voices, has a wide repertoire of classical, folk and popular music.

In 2017 Mr Masumoto received the New Zealand Order of Merit for his long-term efforts to foster goodwill and cultural exchanges between Japan and New Zealand in music.

Their talented pianist Masako Yuyama who will also perform a piano solo will accompany the choir.

Chor-Farmer was formed in 1967 at the Tokyo University of Agriculture.

These Goodwill Tours are managed at their own expense, and they receive no financial support. In the cities and towns, they visit members are billeted with local families and concerts arranged for them are often in conjunction with local choirs.

They consider this arrangement very important in continuing to foster goodwill with the communities they visit.

The Tauranga concert will be at 3pm on Sunday, October 6, at Wesley Church in 13th Avenue.

Admission is $15 at the door with children under 12 free.
Alarm bells have been rung by frustrated GPs about restricting lung cancer patients from funding.

The research clearly shows that patients who are diagnosed with lung cancer after a GP referral tend to have better outcomes than those diagnosed after visiting emergency departments, by which time its often too late, said the Chair of the General Practice Owners Association of Aotearoa New Zealand Dr Angus Chambers.

A study published in the New Zealand Medical Journal found that access to a GP could influence lung cancer survival rates in New Zealand.

The study shows that there is health inequity in New Zealand  those who can access and afford to visit a GP are advantaged over those who cannot, which is wrong. We need to ensure everyone can access a GP for an earlier diagnosis, which could save lives, Dr Chambers said.

While an emergency department is an important part of the healthcare system, especially for red-flag symptoms, visiting a GP when symptoms are less severe can lead to an earlier diagnosis and better treatment options.

Patients are choosing not to go to their GP because they cannot get an appointment, cannot enrol in a local GP, or cannot afford to pay for a visit, which means they put up with less serious symptoms.

Eventually, the symptoms get so bad that they go to an emergency department. By this time, it is often too late.

GPs are at the forefront of early detection of highly fatal diseases like lung cancer. They are frustrated by an outdated funding system that does not help patients access GPs for early diagnosis and optimal outcomes.

A recent GenPro survey showed general practices are in crisis, squeezed by rising costs, high patient demand and staff shortages. The key reason is that government funding has not kept pace with the cost of running a general practice, Dr Chambers said.

This is a result of Ministers, the Ministry of Health and Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora refusing to invest in general practice despite overwhelming evidence of the health benefits to New Zealanders.

The government must as a matter of urgency increase its support of primary healthcare, overhaul the current out-of-date funding model, and help increase the supply of medical professionals into primary healthcare."

GenPro, representing more than half of all general practices in Aotearoa, is ready to collaborate with the Minister of Health and the Health NZ Commissioner to develop the necessary solutions.


The Black Ferns will face Ireland for the third time on September 30 in their opening Test Match at BC Place in Vancouver, Canada.

We know Ireland will be an awesome challenge for us at this part of our journey, Black Ferns director of rugby Allan Bunting said.

The two teams will compete at WXV1, an annual womens rugby tournament between national teams.

The match will see various Black Ferns reach milestones, including Chelsea Bremner and Renee Holmes, starting in their 20th test.

Both Chelsea and Renee are dedicated and driven around their growth. Its been inspiring seeing them continue to develop on and off the field. That is a credit to their commitment to serve this jersey, Bunting said.

There will be several firsts in the test match against Ireland, with hooker Atlanta Lolohea named in the starting 15, and Marcelle Parkes will start at loosehead prop.

Marcelles place in the starting side is a testament to her perseverance and dedication to transition into the front row. Atlantas drive and commitment to growth are outstanding, and we look forward to seeing both of them enjoy this opportunity, Bunting said.

Tighthead prop Amy Rule will start alongside Parkes and Lolohea. The Black Ferns have selected Layla Sae at number six, Black Ferns Co-Captain Kennedy Tukuafu at openside, and Liana Mikaele-Tuu at number eight.

In the backs, the return of the attacking midfield combination of Amy du Plessis and Logo-i-Pulotu Lemapu-Ataii (Sylvia) Brunt shifts Black Ferns Co-Captain Ruahei Demant back to the first five-eighth position, with energetic winger Ruby Tui set to start on the right wing.

On the bench, hooker Luka Connor joins a powerful replacement front row in Chryss Viliko and Tanya Kalounivale. Hardworking loose forward Lucy Jenkins and utility back Mererangi Paul get their opportunity to inject their energy off the bench for the first time this tour.

The two sides have met only twice previously, and each has won a game. Bunting said the squad is excited to face Ireland in this opening match of the WXV1 Tournament.

It has been inspiring to see their progression this year. But for us, we want to ensure that we start our WXV1 campaign playing our game.
If youve been scammed in the past, watch out for recovery scams, warns Consumer.

A recovery scam is when a scammer contacts a known victim and masquerades as someone trying to recover the lost funds, said Ruairi OShea, investigative writer at Consumer.

The number of victims for recovery scammers to target is large and increasing.

Consumers research has found 1 in 10 households lost money to a scammer in the past year, while the Banking Ombudsmans latest annual report points to a surge in reported scam activity and a record number of scam cases. Compared to its 2223 report, scam cases are up 27%, with victims losing on average $80,000, up from $57,000 the previous year.

If a scammer has details about a previous scam, it can be used to foster trust and capitalise on a victims fear  which means theyre more likely to share personal details that put them at further risk of being exploited again.

Victims of recovery scams are being kicked when theyre at their most vulnerable. We need to consider the long-term impacts of this  what does it do to someones ability to trust again and navigate day-to-day life with confidence? OShea said.

How are repeat victims identified

If a scammer steals from you, they can use the knowledge gained from that scam  your name, who you bank with, how much was stolen and when  and call you pretending to be your bank and repeat that information back to you. It gives them ammo to trick you again.

Scammers also go hunting for victims online.

Its not fair, but if youve been a scam victim before, it can lead to you being targeted again, either by the same scammers via a recovery scam, or by your personal information  and the fact that youre vulnerable  being passed around by malicious people online. This is why we see so many repeat victims of scams, said OShea.

Although theres no data on the number of recovery scam victims, the latest Crime and Victims Survey from the Ministry of Justice found 58,000 New Zealanders were repeat victims of fraud and cybercrime in 2023. Thats equivalent to almost 12% of all fraud and cybercrime victims.

Consumer recently spoke to a woman, Heather*, who was targeted by scammers three times in a year. The third scam attempt was a bank impersonation.

Heather said the conversation with the scammer followed the exact script of conversations she had with her bank after a previous scam. That familiarity helped the scammer build trust.

How to protect yourself

Consumer urges scam victims to be ultra vigilant, especially in the days and weeks immediately after a scam has taken place. The following tips can help to safeguard against all scams.

Consumers call to stamp out scams

Consumer is campaigning for a government-led response to stamp out scams in New Zealand.

Consumer wants the Government to introduce a national anti-scam framework which requires banks, telcos and digital platforms to act to stop scams, and setting out their liability if they dont.

Three-quarters of New Zealanders agree and think social media and phone companies should be responsible for preventing scams.

Consumer would like to see scam victims reimbursed unless they have been grossly negligent.

If you want to add your voice to Consumers call, please sign the petition.

* Heather is a pseudonym to protect the victims identity.

- SunLive
The cost-benefit analysis of establishing a third medical school at the University of Waikato has concluded and will move to the next step.

Earlier this year, the Ministry of Health signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the University around a potential third school and began working through the necessary steps to ensure the best training model could be developed, Minister of Health Dr Shane Reti said.

The proposal will now move to a full business case before any final decisions are made, said Dr Reti.

The cost-benefit analysis is encouraging. However, there is still a significant amount of material to be considered and assumptions to be tested around this major project.

The completion of the business case will take some time according to Dr Reti and that the Minstry of Health will work closely with Waikato.

Any further announcements can be expected following the completion of the business case. This will be thorough and expected to take some time.

Reti said increasing the number of homegrown health professionals will ensure that all New Zealanders have timely access to healthcare.

New Zealanders have been facing longer delays in accessing healthcare, and tackling our workforce crisis is key to solving that issue.

However stats also tell us that many GPs are planning to retire in the next 10 years, which will particularly impact provincial and rural communities already experiencing New Zealands biggest doctor shortages.

New Zealands two existing medical schools, the University of Auckland and Otago, have benefited from increased enrolments because they offer a medical pathway for students.

New Zealands existing medical schools at the University of Auckland and the University of Otago are top quality and have immediately benefited from increased places at both universities this year.

The new medical school would focus on primary care and rural communites, according to Dr Reti.

The model proposed is a four-year graduate entry programme focused on rural and primary and community care, he said.
Central Square, N.Y.  An Oswego County student was charged Friday with making threats over social media to shoot up Paul V. Moore High School.

State troopers were sent to the school in Central Square Friday morning after receiving a tip from the FBI, said Trooper Jennifer Jiron, a state police spokesperson.

The tip was a Snapchat post containing threats to shoot up the school.

The 17-year-old student was found at her home in West Monroe and was arrested, Jiron said.

She was charged with making a threat of mass harm, a misdemeanor.

The Central Square School District put three schools on a brief lock out on after it was notified of the threat.

The three schools put on lock out were Paul V. Moore High School, Millard Hawk Elementary and Central Square Intermediate School, said district Superintendent Thomas Colabufo. All three schools are located on the districts main campus.

The threat was determined to be non-credible, Jiron said.

The student was given an appearance ticket to Oswego County Family Court.

Staff writer Fernando Alba covers breaking news, crime and public safety. Have a tip, story idea, question or comment? Reach him at falba@syracuse.com.
Stefanie Danklefsen, with her sister, Nichola Roberts, have acquired the Soda Bar businesses in the Appleton area.

Dirty Soda might not sound very appetizing but its now a nationwide trend thats making its way into northeastern Wisconsin. Although the first drinks were crafted in Utah in mid-2010, the concept didnt take off nationally until 2022 when it went viral on TikTok.

A dirty soda concoction can vary greatly, but the main components include fountain sodas with added cream, flavored syrups, and an array of other ingredients. As the trend spreads throughout the Midwest, there are specialty chains and independent owners opening shops. The trend has gotten so big that even Coffee Mate has joined in with the introduction of Dirty Soda Creamer, a creamer that can be poured directly into soda.

But if you ask new business owners Stefanie Danklefsen and Nichola Roberts, theyll tell you theres nothing quite like the concoctions that are served at their two shops in Appleton  at 134 E. Northland Ave. and 734 N. Casaloma Drive. The sisters recently purchased Soda Bar, businesses started by Brittney Anderson and a group of partners last year. The timing of the sale was perfect.

One of the owners was moving to Chicago and he reached out to one of my sisters to see if she wanted to buy his share, Danklefsen said. That sister, Alyssa, wasnt interested but she thought Nichola might be and told her about it. Nichola told the owners she didnt want to go into business with people she didnt know, but would be interested in buying them all out.

That started the ball rolling. Nichola asked Stefanie if shed be interested in being her business partner. Stefanie agreed, and together they drafted a proposal to purchase.

She said, All of the partners agreed to sell, and it went really fast. Negotiations started at the end of June, and by August, we were signing papers.

The business was exactly what Nichola was looking for. She had planned on starting a similar business from scratch in the Hartland area, but after writing a business plan and settling on a location, the deal fell apart.

This new opportunity, once it looked promising, had Nichola and her family moving to Appleton. The area wasnt new to any of them. The sisters were born in Green Bay and graduated from Preble High School before moving to Utah after graduation to attend Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. (Thats where they first discovered dirty sodas.)

Stefanie Danklefsen and her sister, Nichola Roberts, recently purchased the Soda Bar businesses in Appleton. The shops offer "dirty sodas" made from fountain sodas with added cream, flavored syrups and other ingredients.

Several months after Nichola relocated to the Fox Valley area, Stefanie and her family followed.

Stefanie said, We looked forward to moving home closer to family and the business sounded perfect. The sodas were a big thing out west, but whenever we came home, we noticed there werent any here. When this came up, my husband, a mechanical engineer, was able to go remote so it didnt take much convincing for him to move back.

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At the same time, the youngest of Stefanies four children was starting school and she felt like she had extra time on her hands. Although she has no prior business experience, she has been working with the previous owners on the software and accounting side. The transition and learning are going well.

I feel like I know how to work hard. I can just get in there and do what needs to be done. I am one of eight children so I was taught to work at a young age. I had my first job at McDonalds when I was 14-years-old, she said.

The focus for the sisters, in addition to working hard, is to make the shops their own. The previous owners all had other jobs, and for Stefanie and Nichola, it will be their entire focus. They say it is their mission to create drinks that truly bring joy to peoples days, and to connect with their customers and make raving fans.

With the concept being new to the area, their only other competition is shops that specialize in other types of drinks.

Stefanie said, You have coffee shops and places like that, but this is a place where the whole family can come and there is something for everyone. With the number of options that can be crafted, it isnt boring.

In addition to dirty sodas, there are cookies and cake pops. There will soon be drinks made with flavored waters instead of soda, gluten-free and low-calorie options, and other snacks. Many of the changes will be rolled out slowly as they get our feet underneath us and have the day-to-day routine feel like it is second nature.

That will take some time. This isnt a small operation. They have a full-time manager who oversees both shops, and about 20 part-time employees. The part-timers, most of whom are still in school, have busy schedules to work around.

I believe that school activities should come first, Stefanie said. We want them to see this as a fun job.

Its also fun for Stefanie and Nichola. As they get to know the employees and customers, they said it is fun to talk to everyone and find out whats going on in their worlds. They are making friends with the regulars and reacquainting themselves with the area. Almost every day is a learning experience.

Stefanie said, This has been good work and fun, but it is also much more work than I anticipated. I thought, How hard can it be if it is already established? But there is a lot more to it. I hadnt thought about business from an owners standpoint before.

Yet, she says that while a startup offers the owners the flexibility to do everything your way right from the beginning, it is a perk to step into a business that was doing well. The drink sales have been exceptional and their record day meant the sale of 671 drinks. That proves that the community is enjoying the shops.

Much of that can be attributed to the unique varieties. With the start of fall, there are drink flavors like caramel apple and cherry pie. A pumpkin spice variety will likely be next. And, if someone wants to craft their own, the owners and employees are happy to offer suggestions.

Stefanie, despite her limited time as an owner, also has suggestions  hers are for others thinking of starting or buying a business.

She said, Do your research and know what it entails to run a business. We didnt do any research, but were learning every day. Without that preparation, it has felt overwhelming at times, but I am 100% glad we did this. My days are now full with kid stuff and work stuff and life in general, but its full in a good way.

Tina Dettman-Bielefeldt is co-owner of DB Commercial Real Estate in Green Bay and past district director for SCORE, Wisconsin.

This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Sisters purchase Soda Bar, offering 'dirty sodas' and sweet treats
Too ambitious for his own good: OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has been on a quest over the past year to secure trillions of dollars for an ambitious plan  building vast new computing infrastructure to power the next generation of artificial intelligence. However, one of Altman's proposals was reportedly so outlandish that executives at TSMC mockingly referred to him as a "podcasting bro," according to sources.

Altman, 39, has quickly become one of the world's most influential figures in AI. The New York Times recently highlighted his global tour, which began last year, during which he met with investors in the United Arab Emirates, Asian chipmakers, and US officials. His pitch? A multi-trillion-dollar project to construct chip fabs and data centers dedicated to advancing AI systems.

Many were taken aback by the sheer scale of his vision, which seeks investment equivalent to roughly a quarter of the United States' annual GDP. Despite this, Altman secured high-level meetings from the Middle East to Washington D.C.

One of his initial proposals involved the UAE funding several $43 billion chip factories to reduce costs for companies like TSMC and Nvidia, enabling them to significantly ramp up the production of AI chips for new data centers.

However, when Altman visited TSMC's Taiwan headquarters early in his fundraising tour, he shocked executives by claiming it would take $7 trillion and several years to build the 36 fabs and data centers he envisioned. According to The New York Times, one executive dismissed the idea as so "absurd" that they referred to Altman as just a "podcasting bro."

In the spring, Altman and his team met with Japanese officials in Tokyo, proposing a bold plan: to repurpose decommissioned nuclear plants from the Fukushima disaster to provide a staggering five gigawatts of power for new AI data centers  about 1,000 times the energy consumption of an average facility. According to reports, the idea was once again met with laughter.

Another report from The Wall Street Journal noted that Altman was so busy pitching his vision globally that some current and former staffers complained he had "checked out" of OpenAI's day-to-day operations, leading to rushed product releases and lax safety testing.

Amid growing skepticism, Altman has been forced to scale back his ambitions to "hundreds of billions" of dollars.

There are also national security concerns about giving the UAE a prominent role in developing sensitive AI infrastructure, which could have economic and military implications. Some US officials feared this might give China a backdoor to the technology.

In response, Altman has pivoted toward focusing on building data center capacity within the US. Earlier this month, he presented a study titled "Infrastructure Is Destiny" to officials at a White House meeting. The study outlined plans for $100 billion facilities that could house two million AI chips and consume five gigawatts of power each.

All these efforts are part of Altman's quest to make AI computing power as ubiquitous as electricity. According to those familiar with his private comments, Altman believes that just as widespread access to electricity spurred new innovations, building significantly more data centers will make AI technologies easier to use and more accessible.

A major driver behind this ambition is OpenAI's staggering expenses. While the company has generated more than $3 billion in revenue from products like ChatGPT, it spends approximately $7 billion annually due to the immense computing power required to train large language models. According to The New York Times, OpenAI is also seeking to raise $6.5 billion in new funding, pushing its valuation beyond $150 billion.
FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Thyssenkrupp's 27,000 steel workers must brace for deep cuts, the new head of the conglomerate's steel division told a German newspaper, setting the stage for significant layoffs.

"Tough cuts are necessary. We have to become more profitable," Dennis Grimm, spokesperson for Thyssenkrupp Steel Europe's (TKSE) executive board, told Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung (WAZ) in an interview.

"The current market situation has deteriorated again in recent months, and unfortunately there is no recovery in sight."

TKSE is emerging from a major clash with its parent over funds that are required in a proposed 50:50 joint venture structure with Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky, who already owns a 20% stake in the steel business.

Grimm said that currently a new business plan was being developed for TKSE and it was unclear how many jobs could have to go.

"We can't yet put an exact figure on how many people we will employ once the business plan has been finalised and negotiations with the employee representatives have been completed," Grimm told WAZ.

"But it will be fewer than today."

(Reporting by Christoph Steitz; editing by Mark Heinrich)
In a nutshell: Fraudsters are constantly refining their methods to trick potential victims into paying up. The latest scam circulating is a variation of sextortion, where scammers attach a picture of the target's home to their threats. But don't be fooled, the Electronic Frontier Foundation warns  scammers are simply taking advantage of Google Street View.

The scheme is a variation of sextortion, or sexual blackmail. However, in this case, there is no incriminating photo in the scammer's possession, despite their claims.

Still, the would-be victim could easily believe such a photo exists because the threatening email includes their full name and a picture of their home. The scammers likely use publicly available information or data from a breach to gather intel on their targets. "This is a type of online phishing that is targeting people around the world and preying on digital-age fears," the EFF said.

Like many email scams, the messages are sent in bulk, hoping that a small percentage of recipients will respond. They are typically riddled with poor grammar and spelling errors. In addition to including a photo of the victim's home  likely sourced from Google Street View or a real estate website  the emails are also personalized, as demonstrated in a sample published by the EFF.

I know that calling [Phone Number] or visiting [your address] would be a convenient way to contact you in case you don't act. Don't even try to escape from this. You've no idea what I'm capable of in [Your City].

They are also worded vaguely enough that anyone might believe the sender really does have embarrassing content about them.

You do not know me but I know you very well and right now, you are wondering how, right? Well, you've been treading on thin ice with your browsing habits, scrolling through those videos and clicking on links, stumbling upon some not-so-safe sites.

They explain how they obtained the information using the right amount of tech jargon to convince the average person that it really did happen.

I placed a Malware on a porn website & you visited it to watch (you get my drift). While you were watching those videos, your smartphone began working as a RDP (Remote Control) which provided me complete control over your device. I can peep at everything on your display, flick on your camera and mic, and you wouldn't even suspect a thing. Oh, and I have got access to all your emails, contacts, and social media accounts too.

True to form of an extortionist, they make clear what will happen if you don't do what they say.

Your video will get sent to all your contacts. The video was lit, and I can't even fathom the humiliation you'll endure when your colleagues, friends, and fam check it out. But hey, that's life, ain't it? Don't be playing the victim here.

Once they've played on your emotions, the promises follow.

Your secret remains private. I will destroy all the data and evidence once you come through with the payment.

And, of course, payment is in the form of a cryptocurrency.

You'll transfer the payment via Bitcoin only.

The amount is hefty enough to be believable but small enough to be affordable to many.

Required Amount: $1950

If you receive one of these emails, you might be tempted to panic  but don't, the EFF advises. Most importantly, do not pay the ransom, as the scammer is bluffing. "If you do pay, then the scammers may also use that as a pressure point to continue to blackmail you, knowing that you're susceptible," it says. The best approach is not to answer at all.

There are several precautions everyone should take to guard against this scam and other types of online threats. Using a password manager helps protect against weak or commonly used passwords. Additionally, enable two-factor authentication whenever possible for added security on online accounts. Since camera hijacking is also a risk, it's wise to cover your computer's camera. While camera covers are available online, a simple piece of electrical tape works just as well.

The EFF also highlights what it believes to be the root of the problem: data brokers and companies are allowed to collect and store vast amounts of personal information about consumers. "Inevitably this data gets breached and makes its way into criminal markets where it is sold and traded and used for scams like this one," the EFF noted.
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Credit: Samsung

Two executives at Advanced Micro-Fabrication Equipment (AMEC) have stepped down from key technical roles due to U.S. export rules that prohibit U.S. citizens from aiding China in advancing its semiconductor industry, reports South China Morning Post. The company assures its investors that its operational strength and research capabilities remain intact despite changes in the executive team.

Ni Tuqiang, vice general manager at AMEC, and Yang Wei, core technical staff, recently resigned from their positions at the company 'for personal reasons.' Both execs have U.S. citizenship. Yet, after their resignations, Ni Tuqiang and Yang Wei will continue to serve AMEC, presumably in different roles, the company said in a statement. AMEC did not reveal what new positions the two would occupy.

It is noteworthy that Gerald Zheyao Yin (Yin Zheyao), AMEC's founder, chairman, and CEO, who used to work as a process engineer at Intel as well as held various positions at Applied Materials and Lam Research, remains in his position at AMEC despite holding the U.S. citizenship. Recently, he expressed confidence that China was on track to achieve 'basic' self-sufficiency with wafer fab equipment.

AMEC stressed that the departure of these two executives will not hinder its ability to innovate or remain competitive. The company's core technical team now consists of seven members, down from nine, but includes key figures like Gerald Yin Zhiyao, reports SCMP.

In October 2022, the U.S. introduced a rule restricting 'the ability of U.S. persons to support the development, or production, of ICs at certain PRC-located semiconductor fabrication facilities without a license.' The rule specifies thresholds for these semiconductors: FinFET or GAAFET-based logic produced on 14nm/16nm-class nodes or below, DRAM chips made on a node of 18nm half-pitch or less, and 3D NAND ICs with 128 layers or more.

AMEC does not make chips but specializes in etching and chemical vapor deposition tools, which essentially means it supports the development and production of advanced chips in China. Naura, an AMEC rival, asked engineers holding U.S. citizenship to suspend their work to comply with the requirements of U.S. export regulations. It is unclear whether AMEC did the same or its employees have managed to get a license from the U.S. government, which has now expired, but they have to resign from their positions now so as not to get into trouble with the U.S. government.

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To accelerate its semiconductor sector, China has recruited talent from the U.S., South Korea, and Taiwan through government-controlled funds and companies. This has helped create leading firms like AMEC, Naura, SMIC, and YMTC. Foreign professionals often hold senior management and engineering roles at Chinese companies, leveraging their expertise to expedite the development of these firms.

As a result, restrictions on U.S. citizens, residents, and green card holders from working in Chinese semiconductor and high-tech companies could severely impact these businesses in the mid-term. In the long term, China will develop its own talent, so the move is designed to ensure that U.S. citizens or green card holders with appropriate experience in the semiconductor industry do not share their experience or know-how with Chinese entities.
Why South America is burning



Rio de Janeiro, Sept 27 (AFP) Sep 27, 2024



A record wave of wildfires, fueled by severe drought linked to climate change and deforestation, is causing havoc across South America.

The blazes have killed at least 30 people, left cities shrouded in toxic smoke and caused millions of dollars in economic losses.

This fire season is "completely different" from the one that ravaged forests in Brazil, Peru and Bolivia in 2019, according to Brazilian environmentalist Erika Berenguer, a researcher at Oxford University.

At the time, rain helped douse the fires, which in Brazil were chiefly started by farmers taking advantage of lax legislation under then far-right president Jair Bolsonaro to clear land for crops and ranching.

This year, the continent is in the throes of a severe drought. The Amazon basin, usually one of the wettest places on Earth, is experiencing the worst fires in nearly two decades, according to the EU's Copernicus observatory.

Berenguer blamed climate change for making the Amazon "highly flammable."



- How bad are the fires? -



Between January 1 and September 26, more than 400,000 fires were recorded across South America, according to Brazil's National Institute for Space Research (INPE).

"In nine months we have already surpassed the number of outbreaks recorded in all of 2023," Berenguer noted.

In Brazil, the flames have consumed 40.2 million hectares (99 million acres) of vegetation this year, far above the average of 31 million hectares in each of the last 10 years, according to Copernicus.

A dozen firefighters have died on duty, according to local media.

In Ecuador, the mayor of the capital Quito declared this week the Andean city was "under attack" from 27 fires which forced the evacuation of over 100 families before being brought under control.

Ecuador had declared an emergency in several provinces, as has Peru, where 21 people have been killed by fires since July. Most were small-scale farmers.

Several fires are also blazing in Argentina and in Colombia, at opposite ends of the continent.



- What's causing the fires? -



Experts and national authorities point to a combination of combustible factors, chiefly droughts aggravated by climate change and slash-and-burn agriculture.

"It's a clear example of climate change. If anyone thought it didn't exist, well look, here it is," said Ecuadoran Environment Minister Ines Manzano.

In Peru and Bolivia, some of the fires are believed to have been started by farmers burning land to make it more fertile for planting, a traditional practice in the Andean countries that is tolerated by the authorities.

In the Brazilian Amazon, fires lit by both subsistence farmers and the agribusiness industry to clear forest for cattle or crops were fanned by the worst drought in the country's recent history.

President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who has pledged to put a stop to illegal Amazon deforestation by 2030, considers most of the fires to be "criminal" in origin.

In some places, the fires are started by arsonists.

One person has been arrested in Quito and dozens in Argentina and Brazil on suspicion of maliciously starting fires.



- How are people affected? -



The fires have dramatically reduced air quality in several cities.

Sao Paulo, the largest city in Latin America, was ranked the most polluted city in the world in early September, according to Swiss company IQAir.

A large part of Brazil remains shrouded in acrid smoke that wafted as far south as Montevideo and Buenos Aires earlier this month, causing a phenomenon known as "black rain."

Inhabitants of many of Brazilian cities are experiencing respiratory problems and other symptoms such as stinging eyes.

In Bolivia, health authorities have recommended people wear face masks because of the poor air quality.

The region's economies are also feeling the burn. Losses in the Brazilian agricultural sector amounted to $2.7 billion between June and August, principally sugarcane harvests.

In Ecuador, nearly 45,000 farm animals have died after more than two months without rain.



- What are governments doing? -



Thousands of firefighters and soldiers have been deployed across the continent to tackle the blazes.

"Everyone wants to hire thousands of firefighters, buy aircraft, etc, etc. That's fine but it's too little, too late," Berenguer said.

"We need to prevent fires, because once they become big they are very difficult to fight," she said, advocating for tougher measures against deforestation and planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions.

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Battling to keep floodwaters at bay in South Sudan



Bentiu, South Sudan, Sept 28 (AFP) Sep 28, 2024



The neat brown rectangle of an airstrip stands out against the vast expanse of floodwater all around -- a crucial lifeline in this remote corner of South Sudan.

The landing strip in Bentiu has been carefully preserved with huge dykes against the waters that have added another layer of devastation to the world's youngest country.

Alongside is a camp for some 200,000 internally displaced people (IDPs) who have endured multiple horrors -- war in their own country and neighbouring Sudan, and now years of flooding that has destroyed homes, schools, crops and infrastructure.

More than 700,000 people have been impacted by flooding across South Sudan, the UN's humanitarian agency said recently, and worse floods could be coming next month.

In Bentiu in Unity State, one of the worst affected and most remote areas, a taskforce of Pakistani military engineers with the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) has constructed a five-metre-high (16-foot) wall around the IDP camp to keep the waters at bay.

Major Mohi Ud Din, head of the taskforce, said they were working "day and night" to keep the wall intact and had managed to build more than 120 kilometres (75 miles) of dykes.

Most crucial is the airstrip. With roads frequently cut off by the floods, it is often the only way to receive food and supplies.

Tap Mach Dhieu, 43, fled to the camp from his home in nearby Panyijiar County in 2014, during the civil war.

He receives rations from the World Food Programme but must then hire a canoe to go in search of firewood.

"We survive this way," he told AFP.

"People would not be here if (the UN) did not make this dyke. The lifeline of the people is UNMISS, not the government."

He despairs at officials, who he said have done little to help since his home was destroyed and cows stolen during the 2013-2018 civil war.

"The flood situation is a natural disaster, but looting cows and burning houses is man-made and that's the government's responsibility," he added.



- 'Dire situation' -



David Garang, a UN health volunteer, said disease was a major problem.

"All the latrines are flooding into the shelters. There's no cleaning and no collecting of garbage. The situation is dire. What I see in the near future is an outbreak of many diseases," he said.

Although it still provides services, UNMISS has handed over day-to-day running of the camp to the government, which does not fill Garang with confidence.

"If UNMISS leaves, the situation will not be OK," he said. "The presence of UNMISS is 100-percent good for the safety of the community," he said.

There has been a peacekeeper base in nearby Leer County since 2015, currently staffed by a Ghanaian contingent.

They provide security but also items like schoolbooks, fresh water and vaccines for animals.

"There are a lot of problems and without them, it would be difficult," said a Leer County official, Stephen Taker.

But with waters still rising, there is still plenty of work to do.

"Our problem is that roads are already cut by the water," said Taker. "We're working by hand to make sure vehicles can move in the coming month."
Storm Helene kills 44, threatens more 'catastrophic' flooding



Cedar Key, United States, Sept 28 (AFP) Sep 28, 2024



Nearly four million Americans were still in the dark and many faced torrential flooding on Saturday, authorities said, as powerful storm Helene marched across eastern US states, leaving at least 44 people dead.

Emergency responders had launched massive rescue operations across multiple states since Helene slammed into Florida as a Category 4 hurricane and surged north, leaving roads, homes and businesses underwater -- many of them destroyed.

Power had been restored in some areas since night fell over the region Friday, but nearly four million customers were still without electricity across 10 states in the early hours of Saturday, according to tracker poweroutage.us, with US meteorologists warning of possible "long-duration" outages.

While Helene has weakened to a post-tropical cyclone, it has continued to wreak havoc with heavy rains that the National Hurricane Center (NHC) said would result in "catastrophic and potentially life-threatening flash and urban flooding."

More evacuations were ordered overnight into Saturday as flooding threatened to breach dams in North Carolina and Tennessee.

The National Weather Service (NWS) warned an eastern Tennessee dam was on the verge of failure and urged downstream communities to "move immediately to higher ground."

Record-breaking river flooding hit several southern states, the NHC said, with massive flooding reported in Asheville, a city in western North Carolina.

"This is one of the worst storms in modern history for parts of western North Carolina," state Governor Ray Cooper said in a briefing Friday night.

In Cedar Key, an island city of 700 people just off Florida's northwest coast, the full destructive force of the hurricane was on view.

Several pastel-colored wooden homes were completely destroyed, victims of storm surge and ferocious winds.

"I've lived here my whole life, and it breaks my heart to see it," said Gabe Doty, superintendent of Cedar Key's water and sewer district. "We've not really been able to catch a break around here."



- 'Gut punch' -



Up to 12 inches (30 centimeters) of rain was forecast in the Appalachian mountains, with isolated spots even receiving 20 inches.

In South Carolina at least 20 people have died, including two firefighters, officials said. Among the deaths were six residents of Spartanburg County, according to county coroner Rusty Clevenger.

Georgia Governor Brian Kemp's office confirmed 15 people were killed in his state, including an emergency responder. Kemp warned that the city of Valdosta had identified 115 heavily damaged structures with multiple people trapped inside.

Florida's toll stood at seven. Governor Ron DeSantis said the damage from Helene exceeded that of hurricanes Idalia and Debby, which both hit the same Big Bend region southeast of Tallahassee in the last 13 months.

"It's a real gut punch to those communities," DeSantis told Fox News.

In Perry, near where Helene slammed ashore bearing winds of 140 miles (225 kilometers) per hour, houses lost power and the gas station was flattened.

"I am Floridian, so I'm kind of used to it, but it was real scary at one point," said Larry Bailey, 32, who sheltered in his small wooden home all night with his two nephews and sister.

Four hundred miles to the north in the Tennessee town of Erwin, a dramatic rescue operation unfolded, as more than 50 patients and staff were trapped on a hospital roof as floodwaters raged around them, local television footage showed. Helicopters were deployed in the rescue.

In neighboring Virginia, Governor Glenn Youngkin confirmed one fatality related to Helene. "This storm is not over," he warned in a video message.

Local media reported multiple deaths in North Carolina.



- 'It looks bad' -



With typhoon Yagi battering Asia, storm Boris drenching Europe, a deadly new hurricane damaging Mexico's Acapulco and extreme flooding in the Sahel, September so far has been an unusually wet month around the world.

Scientists link some extreme weather events to human-caused global warming.

"Helene traveled over exceptionally warm ocean waters in the Gulf of Mexico," Andra Garner, a climate scientist at Rowan University in New Jersey, told AFP.

"It's likely that those extra warm ocean waters played a role in Helene's rapid intensification."

"Storm surges are getting worse," Garner said, "because our sea levels are rising as we warm the planet."

In the impact zone, residents had been warned of "unsurvivable" storm surge.

President Joe Biden and state authorities had urged people to heed official evacuation warnings before Helene hit, though some chose to stay in their homes to wait out the storm.

Vice President Kamala Harris said she and Biden "will continue to monitor the situation closely," adding the administration has mobilized 1,500 personnel to support impacted communities.

The head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Deanne Criswell, said "over 600 rescues" have been conducted.

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Storm Helene's toll rises as rescue and cleanup efforts gain pace



Cedar Key, United States, Sept 28 (AFP) Sep 28, 2024



The death toll from the passage of powerful Storm Helene reached at least 53 on Saturday, authorities said, as responders, hampered by washed-out bridges and debris-strewn roads, searched house-by-house for survivors in devastated regions of several eastern US states.

At least 22 people died in South Carolina, 17 in Georgia, 11 in Florida, two in North Carolina and one in Virginia, according to updated reports from local authorities tallied by AFP.

Helene slammed into Florida late Thursday as a Category 4 hurricane and surged north, gradually weakening but leaving a path of rare devastation.

Repair crews were already at work Saturday, and the National Weather Service said conditions would "continue to improve today following the catastrophic flooding over the past two days."

But it warned of possible "long-duration power outages."

Nearly three million customers were still without electricity across 10 states from Florida in the southeast to Indiana and Ohio in the midwest as of mid-afternoon Saturday, according to tracker poweroutage.us.



- 'It breaks my heart' -



Helene originally slammed into Florida's northern Gulf shore with powerful winds of 140 miles (225 kilometers) per hour. Even as a weakened post-tropical cyclone, it has wreaked havoc.

Record levels of flooding had threatened to breach several dams, but Tennessee emergency officials said Saturday that the Nolichucky Dam -- which had been close to breaching -- was no longer in danger of giving way and people downriver could return home.

Massive flooding was reported in Asheville, a city in western North Carolina. Governor Ray Cooper called it "one of the worst storms in modern history" to hit his state.

Some residents in South Carolina -- a state that is no stranger to hurricanes -- said Helene was the worst storm to hit in 40 years.

There were reports of remote towns in the Carolina mountains without power or cell service, their roads washed away or buried by mudslides.

In Cedar Key, an island city of 700 people just off Florida's northwest coast, the full destructive force of the hurricane was on view.

Several pastel-colored wooden homes were destroyed, victims of record storm surges and ferocious winds.

"I've lived here my whole life, and it breaks my heart to see it. We've not really been able to catch a break," said Gabe Doty, a Cedar Key official, referring to two earlier hurricanes in the past year.



- 'Gut punch' -



In South Carolina the dead included two firefighters, officials said.

Georgia's 17 deaths included an emergency responder, according to state officials.

Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida said the damage from Helene exceeded that of hurricanes Idalia and Debby, which both hit the same region southeast of Tallahassee in the last 13 months.

"It's a real gut punch to those communities," DeSantis told Fox News.

On affluent Anna Maria Island, south of the Florida city of Tampa, nearly every ground-level home was flooded, and a coastal road was buried in several feet of sand, the Sarasota Herald-Tribune reported.

And in the Tennessee town of Erwin, a dramatic rescue operation unfolded, as more than 50 patients and staff trapped on a hospital roof by surging floodwaters had to be rescued by helicopters.

Remnants of the weakened storm were dumping water Saturday over the lower midwest.



- 'Overwhelming' damage -



In a statement Saturday, President Joe Biden called Helene's devastation "overwhelming."

He said he was deploying additional response personnel, and he sent Deanne Criswell, administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Administration, to Florida on Saturday to survey damage. FEMA now has more than 800 people in the storm-hit states.

September has been an unusually wet month around the world, with scientists linking some extreme weather events to human-caused global warming.

bur-mlm/bjt/sw/mtp/bbk/jgc
(Reuters) - The United Auto Workers union asked the workers at Stellantis to authorize a strike, accusing the French-Italian car maker of breaking its contract promises, UAW President Shawn Fain said in a letter to the union's U.S. chapters on Friday.

"We unanimously recommend to the membership that every UAW worker at Stellantis prepare for a fight, and we all get ready to vote YES to authorize a strike at Stellantis," Fain wrote in the letter that the UAW shared in a post on Facebook.

The union's grievances center around Stellantis' product and investment commitments made during contract negotiations last autumn.

"We reviewed the serious violations of our contract and patterns of illegal behavior by Stellantis. The evidence is clear that CEO Carlos Tavares is steering Stellantis on a crash course that will cause our members tremendous harm," the letter on Friday added.

Stellantis reiterated that it has honored its commitments with the UAW under an agreement reached in 2023.

Chrysler-parent Stellantis' North American operations have been struggling and has attracted criticism from consumers and workers who have argued it has not done enough to invigorate demand.

The main sticking points for the UAW revolve around delays of a planned multibillion-dollar investment into a new battery plant and factory in Belvidere, Illinois and possible plans by Stellantis to move production of the Dodge Durango SUV out of the United States.

Fain said earlier this month that several of its union local chapters were laying the groundwork for strikes.

Tavares has said he is focused on improving Stellantis' performance in the U.S., and stated a willingness to shut down brands globally if they do not make money.

(Reporting by Devika Nair and Surbhi Misra in Bengaluru; Additional reporting by Shivani Tanna; Editing by Himani Sarkar)
ZURICH (Reuters) - UBS Chair Colm Kelleher warned on Sunday that the Swiss government's plans to strengthen capital requirements for big banks could damage the country's position as a financial centre.

The government earlier this year laid out plans for tougher capital requirements for UBS and Switzerland's three other big banks in a bid to make the financial sector more robust after the crash of Credit Suisse last year.

In an article published in the Swiss newspaper SonntagsBlick, Kelleher said he agreed with most of the 22 recommendations in the government's report, except for the proposal for more stringent capital requirements.

"What I really have a big problem with is the increase in capital requirements. It just doesn't make sense," he said about the so-called "too-big-to-fail" report.

Details of the exact capital requirements are yet to emerge, although Finance Minister Karin Keller-Sutter in April said estimates UBS will require another $15 billion to $25 billion were "plausible".

In a separate estimate, analysts at Autonomous Research said UBS may need to retain an additional $10 billion to $15 billion.

Kelleher declined to comment on figures, but said that excessive capital requirements would damage competitiveness and lead to less favourable prices on banking products for customers.

"We should focus on more important issues such as liquidity management and, above all, the full resolvability of a bank," Kelleher told the newspaper.

Swiss banks contribute to its role as the world's top financial centre, with some $2.6 trillion in international assets under management, according to a 2021 Deloitte study. However, competition is rising from Luxembourg and in particular Singapore, which has grown rapidly in recent years.

UBS - which has a balance sheet double the size of annual Swiss economic output - would pose dire risks for the Swiss economy if it were to collapse, experts have warned.

Kelleher downplayed the dangers, saying UBS held "significantly more" capital than comparable banks, while the bank's business model - based on wealth management and the Swiss domestic market - meant it was low risk.

UBS remained committed to Switzerland even if Bern demanded a big increase in extra capital, said Kelleher, who has been chair since 2022.

"Although we are a global bank, the heart of UBS is our Swissness," he said, adding there was "no question" the lender would quit its home country.

Still he warned if the bank had to raise its capital levels, it would be detrimental for Switzerland.

Story continues

"If politics forces us to massively increase our capital, then Switzerland has decided that it no longer wants to be a relevant international financial centre," Kelleher said.

"I think that cannot be in the country's interest."

The former Morgan Stanley executive said he was ready to speak with the government on its proposals.

(Reporting by John Revill; Additional reporting by Emma Farge; Editing by Clelia Oziel)
Twenty-three years ago, UK popstar Sophie Ellis-Bextor released the song Murder On The Dancefloor, setting off a chain of events that would eventually result in Sydney guitar pop duo Royel Otis receiving eight ARIA Nominations in 2024. Slightly confused? Lets unpack.

Excuse me, is it 2001?

No. Why?

Royel Maddell (L) and Otis Pavlovic (R) of the Group Royel Otis performs at Ypsigrock Festival 2024 on August 9, 2024 Credit: Corbis via Getty Images

Well, you mentioned Sophie Ellis-Bextor, so I could only assume.

Actually, I mentioned her in the context of Royel Otis, the Australian band currently conquering the world (and the ARIA Awards).

Royel who?

Royel Otis. You know, the band who swept the ARIA nominations this week, leading the field with eight nods, including album of the year, best group and song of the year.
Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Save articles for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time. Got it Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size From the moment you walk into Swamp 14 in the water catchment south of Sydney, it is clear that something is wrong. Where the ground should feel springy and spongy underfoot, it is dry and crunchy instead. In the area of densest vegetation, where it should be wettest, thickets of ferns are dying off from lack of water. Where there was once a creek and waterfall, there is nothing but bare rock. The site had been monitored since 2015 and was healthy in July 2020. It was literally undermined in August 2020, when a 305-metre wide longwall for coal mining was tunnelled underneath for almost two kilometres. By the following month, the swamp had fully drained. But for occasional bouts of heavy rain, it has been a dead zone ever since. Scientists say it cannot be restored. One more coastal upland swamp  supposedly protected as an endangered ecological community  has been lost forever.

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This is the legacy of coal mining in the water catchment. Groundbreaking research by the University of NSW and WaterNSW has finally provided conclusive evidence of the effects. Previously there was always debate about the impacts and the debate never progressed because of the lack of science, says UNSW Professor William Glamore. The implications are huge because draining the swamps also threatens the quality of Sydneys drinking water and heightens the risk of bushfires in dry peat. Longwall mining is a mechanised form of underground mining in which an entire seam of coal is cut out in a single slice using high-powered cutting machines and conveyors to move the coal out of the mine. The problem with the technique, Glamore says, is it creates a void that leads to subsidence. Once there are cracks, water will drain away. Its like a Jenga effect, Glamore says. You pull out enough blocks and, all of a sudden, the whole tower collapses.

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The peer-reviewed research supervised by Glamore, the principal research fellow at the Water Research Laboratory, and led by PhD candidate Joe Cairns was published in August in Journal of Hydrology. The team measured groundwater, the flow of water, rainfall and other weather at several sites over several years. They found swamps drained rapidly once undermined. The Sun-Herald was given rare access to the water catchment to view and document the damage. On a fine September day, we visited the Woronora Plateau west of Wollongong near Cordeaux dam, accompanied by Glamore, Cairns and staff from WaterNSW. Upland swamps are small pockets of wetlands that feed the headwaters of creeks. In NSW, they provide habitat for creatures such as the endangered giant dragonfly and the vulnerable Littlejohns tree frog. Its like a Jenga effect. UNSW Professor William Glamore Coastal upland swamps in the Sydney basin are listed as endangered. The main locations are Woronora, the Blue Mountains and Newnes near Lithgow. But many have already been undermined and destroyed, Glamore says, and restoration is impossible. Id have to literally move the entire wetland off to the side, find the cracks, fill the cracks somehow, and then try to bring the wetlands back, he says. Thats never going to happen. Western Sydney University water scientist Ian Wright describes the work of the UNSW team as fantastic. He has done similar research outside the water catchment, and seen the sad and pathetic results of attempts to restore a creek affected by mining near Picton.

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It is possible to see the cracks in a creek bed, but as Wright says, trying to glue it up is as futile as the kings horses and men trying to put Humpty Dumpty together again. Mining companies are largely focused on offsets. In the case of the Dendrobium mine affecting Swamp 14 and other upland swamps on the Woronora plateau, the mining company has transferred the 598-hectare Maddens Plains site just north of Wollongong to the NSW government for inclusion in the national park as a wildlife corridor. Glamore says this is absurd because upland swamps are supposed to be protected. Coastal upland swamps and temperate highland peat swamps on sandstone in NSW: Woronora (green), Blue Mountains (blue), Newnes (brown), Budderoo (orange), Gosford (pink), and Penrose (yellow). Credit: Fryirs and Hose We need to have a program that says, if we cant protect whats there, we shouldnt impact it, Glamore says. There is currently no way of fixing them. They dont regenerate on their own. They wont seal on their own, and were leaving the future generations much worse off for a very short term potential gain. Death by a thousand cuts Glamore will have another PhD student test for any changes to water chemistry downstream from Swamp 14, and he expects to see an increase in iron. The resultant red staining is evident in other waterways in the area near affected swamps.

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The impact on the quality of drinking water is death by a thousand cuts, Glamore says. The Metropolitan Special Area covers 90,239 hectares and protects the catchments of Cataract, Cordeaux, Avon and Nepean dams, which together supply a fifth of Sydneys drinking water. Wright says this is Sydneys best water and mining is having an adverse impact. Mining in the Sydney water catchment has been contentious since 1904. Credit: The Sydney Morning Herald The coal in the Illawarra escarpment is metallurgical coal  the kind used in steelmaking rather than power generation, so it will not be phased out as part of the energy transition. Wright says he understands mining in the Illawarra provides jobs and community benefits, but there are less sensitive areas to mine. If we just leave them alone, and look after the protected bushland around those [dams], theyre going to keep providing water sustainably for hundreds of years, Wright says. You take that pass of coal with a longwall, thats good for a few months, a few jobs, some dollars, but youve just degraded that beautiful, sustainable water supply. From carbon sink to carbon source

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Margie Woods is a fashion designer best known for her label, Viktoria & Woods. Here, the 50-year-old talks about her relationship with her father, her fond memories of her maths teacher, and finding love again after divorce.

Margie Woods: It took a while before I was ready to date again, but I fell into it relatively easily, which surprised me. Credit: Peter Rae

My maternal grandfather, Massie, was a teacher before he migrated to Australia in 1967 and spent his working life at Ford Motors in Melbourne. I spent a lot of time with my grandparents as a child while my parents worked long hours, and got to know him well. He was a quiet, reserved man who enjoyed reading. He did this weird thing where hed put a Teddy Bear biscuit in my bowl of cereal at breakfast as a surprise. He passed away when I was 16.

My dad, George, is one of seven children. He migrated to Australia at 20 in search of a better life and new opportunities. Nobody from his family came with him and I didnt really know that side of the family. He met and married my mum, Mona, when he was 31  they met through Mums brother. Dad is 10 years older than her.

I had a strange relationship with my dad. Im the eldest of four girls and was treated differently to my sisters, probably because I was a bit of a ratbag whod sneak out of the house. Dad worked a lot of night shifts in factories, then owned businesses and worked seven days a week.
Yes, my body has changed since having children, but I want to show my kids that I respect my body for all its been through and done. Doing shoots and working on creative content mean my life is organised chaos. Some days I nail it, other days its an absolute mess. The kids teach me patience and resilience. I had four miscarriages before we started our family, so being a mum to Jett, 7, Luca, 5, and Billie Rose, 2, is my top priority. VIOLETA ZUVELA Violeta Zuvela says being a model in her 50s is a thrill. I became a model at 17 but gave it up when I started a family at the age of 21. It was always family first and my career wasnt a priority.

After raising five children [she also has two stepchildren], I got back into modelling in 2022. I was part of a Virgin Australia campaign and through that I met fashion stylist Virginia Dowzer, who put me in touch with Chadwick modelling agency. I have more work now as a mum of grown children than I had when I was a young model. Being a model in my 50s is a thrill, and mature models are a trend I hope remains. I have four grown daughters and I want them to see me as me. Yes, looking young is fantastic, but I am all about embracing myself as I am. I dont have to hide imperfections because diversity is important. Im nearly 60 and have long hair  I tell other women not to worry about their hair length. My confidence is at its peak now. ROBYN LAWLEY Robyn Lawley says having a child brings her back to earth. Credit: Louise Kennerley

I began working as a model in the mid-2000s, appearing on covers of Dolly, Elle and Maire Claire. Working with fashion photographer Steven Meisel and make-up artist Pat McGrath for the cover of Vogue Italia in 2011 was the absolute career highlight for me. As a mother who continues to work as a model, my biggest problem is that Im based in upstate New York and often come back to Australia for work. I love the travel, but hate leaving my daughter Ripley behind. Before becoming a mum, Id travel weekly, but now I plan a few big overseas trips a year. Sometimes I bring Ripley with me, but shes nine and its not always easy. Luckily, I have a very supportive partner. When youre a young fashion model, the industry wants you to be obsessed with yourself, and to get where you have to get to, its all about you! Its humbling having a child; it brings you back to earth. One day, youre covered in diapers, the next youre wearing something designed by Karl Lagerfeld. Its that juxtaposition I love. MAGNOLIA MAYMURU

Magnolia Maymuru shot her first Vogue Australia cover with her daughter who was just four months old at the time. My first modelling job was walking at NT Fashion Week in 2015. A year later, I became the first Yolngu woman to make the finals of Miss World Australia. I shot my first Vogue Australia cover in 2021 with my daughter, who was just four months old. The cover makes me emotional to this day, seeing her tiny bald head. Since then, shes travelled a lot with me for work. We found the teething stage the hardest; shed stay with her dad in NT if I had to go to work in Sydney or Melbourne. Some days I look at my daughter and cant believe Im her mum. She represents how much I have achieved in my career, and she has been part of my journey. Im fortunate to be part of the Yolngu community, which is so big and inclusive. In our culture, when a woman gives birth, everyone helps. We moved back from Darwin to raise our daughter in Arnhem Land. I recently went to Hawaii for the Festival of Pacific Arts & Culture and modelled a few Indigenous brands like Lucy Simpson, Lillardia Briggs and Magpie Goose. It was special to go somewhere far from Arnhem Land but be with those who share the same cultural protocols.

Since becoming a mother, my work feels more profound and my purpose clearer. Its starting to sink in how much of an influence I can have on the next generation and that what I do will have an impact and inspire others, including my daughter. ELYSE KNOWLES Elyse Knowles is happy to sit and wait for the right opportunity. I started modelling when I was 10 years old. The jobs didnt always come in. There were many knockbacks. Persistence and love for the job counts for a lot. An early career highlight was my first Jay Jays campaign in Australia at 16. Thats when I moved to Hong Kong, based on advice from my agency that it was where I needed to be. I was there with Mum for a month, then on my own. Those formative years taught me what I wanted to do.
The experts say the key to travelling with only carry-on is neutral-coloured clothes. Vomit. Pack a lot of beige, and it will set the tone for your entire trip. Loading Its impossible to anticipate your mood on any given day, so why not bring the broadest colour palette that a checked-in luggage limit allows? With global warming shaking up weather patterns, clear-cut seasons are blurring and spells of extreme heat, cold, rain, storms and blizzards are more frequent. You simply cant pack only carry-on to travel to multiple climates without risking chilblains. The carry-on packing pros recommend taking just three or four bottoms, and a few tops that can be re-worn. Have they not seen the exorbitant hotel laundry prices?

And honestly, who wants to waste precious hours scrubbing garments in a hotel sink or traipsing around with a bag of dirty washing looking for a laundromat? Id rather be having an afternoon aperitif. Loading The hand luggage evangelists say it doesnt matter what you wear on your overseas sojourn because nobody will know you. But what they fail to comprehend is that all travellers are ambassadors for their homelands. Dress smart and look the part. Besides, all your friends living vicariously through Instagram will note you swanned about Europe looking like you were on a trip to Bunnings. You cant channel Emily in Paris or Audrey Hepburn vibes with such extreme clothing restrictions. Case in point: a waiter in Florence once mistook me for being Princess Beatrice of York because she said I was so well-dressed. As for the rule that you should only take one pair of comfortable walking shoes on tour  what happens when it rains and your only shoes start smelling like dead cats?

Whenever I travel beyond a weekend away, I pack a minimum of five pairs of shoes and at least three hats. And I never listen to the naysayers who denounce wearing heels on cobblestones. Royals do it all the time. Life is too short not to wear fabulous shoes in fabulous locations. (Just make sure you have travel insurance.) Loading The minimalist brigade is also doing you a disservice when they recommend leaving your activewear at home. If you intend to eat all the pizza and pasta in Italy, as well as enjoy a red wine with lunch (because its good for digestion, as the locals say), and a daily gelato then youve got to at least attempt to make your trip calorie neutral and hit the hotel gym. Many of these preachers of carry-on claim a key appeal is that you dont have to wait for your baggage at the arrivals hall. Its usually 20 minutes. Never mind that if youre a woman, youre likely to be waiting longer for a loo at the airport; my suitcase is usually waiting for me. For those anxious worrywarts fretting about their baggage not showing up  spring for one of those nifty bluetooth bag tags then you can track your suitcases location on your phone throughout the entire flight and transit for peace of mind.
They are critical minerals needed for renewable technologies, but a plan to dig them up in Victorias food bowl has been met with fierce resistance from farmers who fear it will kick up radioactive dust and damage the landscape.

But mining company VHM Limited insists its proposal is safe and the mineral sands and rare earths it intends to extract are crucial for the development of technologies used in renewable energy projects.

Farmland near the proposed mine site. Credit: Jason South

VHM wants to build the 1534 hectare Goschen Rare Earth and Mineral Sands Project about 25 kilometres south-west of Swan Hill, about 300 kilometres north-west of Melbourne. It intends to mine and process 5 million tonnes of heavy mineral sands annually.

The company is on a collision course with some farmers who argue contaminated dust from the project may drift across their crops  and onto the rooftops that provide their drinking water. Opponents are also concerned the project will drive a wedge in the community between those who support it and those who dont.
The City of Melbournes trial of rental electric scooters ended this week, on the grounds that they posed unacceptable safety risks. People tended to ride them illegally on footpaths, hassle older people, and not wear their helmets, leading to accidents  256 cases at the Royal Melbourne Hospitals emergency admissions in 2022.

Even more seriously, police have apparently reported seven deaths among riders since 2021  about two a year. But its not just the riders getting into serious scrapes  nine crashes involved pedestrians in 2022, most serious enough for them to be admitted to hospital.

The modern four-wheel drive is in your face and built, it seems, for the end of days. Credit: Hummer

You can see why people might object to scootering, certainly, on these figures. Whats less clear is why we dont use the same principles to assess our relations with cars. Even without taking over the pavement, cars do hit people rather a lot. Those two deaths on scooters can be compared with 36 pedestrian deaths in Victoria so far this year  a figure that has sharply increased but which we seem to accept with a stoic indifference. Drivers and passengers are also dying at higher rates, and we still just shrug. After a long decline, road death numbers are now trending up (an increase of about 5 per cent per head in 2023).

While terminating our 100-year trial of the private car would be a major step towards transport safety, I concede that its an unrealistic proposal. But there are valuable intermediate steps that we could take. We could, for example, drive smaller cars, and encourage other people to do that, instead of taking pride in moving the size gauge towards tank. Over the past decade or so SUV and light commercials have soared from 45 per cent of new vehicle sales to over 75 per cent. You cant tell me theyre all tradies carrying sacks of plaster or rural folk wanting a platform for their kelpie.
MILAN (Reuters) - UniCredit chief Andrea Orcel attended a virtual meeting the Italian bank held on Friday with Commerzbank after becoming the German lender's biggest private investor, a source with knowledge of the matter told Reuters.

Commerzbank's designated CEO Bettina Orlopp was also present on Friday's conference call, which a UniCredit source had previously described as the kind of meeting companies hold with their investors. UniCredit declined to comment.

Orlopp, who was appointed Commerzbank CEO earlier this week, told a financial conference in London on Thursday that the two banks would meet to "exchange views" now that UniCredit was a shareholder.

Italian newspapers on Saturday first reported Orcel's attendance. Il Sole 24 Ore daily also said Commerzbank's financial targets were discussed on the call, while no mention was made of any potential combination.

Orcel has said publicly a tie-up would be the best outcome after Italy's No. 2 bank this month built a potential 21% stake in the German rival, subject to supervisory clearance.

A merger, however, would require broad backing from all relevant stakeholders, according to Orcel, who has not ruled out selling UniCredit's stake - a move that would likely wipe out the 30% takeover premium built into Commerzbank shares since UniCredit bought the stake.

TENSIONS IN GERMANY

UniCredit's investment has sparked tensions in Germany where Commerzbank's management, employees and the country's chancellor, Olaf Scholz, have all voiced opposition.

The Italian government has so far adopted a more cautious stance, but Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini said this week he would not want UniCredit to shift its base to Germany as part of the deal.

A UniCredit spokesperson reiterated on Saturday that with UniCredit being simply an investor in Commerzbank there were no discussions on where a combined entity would be based.

"In any case, UniCredit's headquarters are in Italy, have always been in Italy, and there is no reason for this to change," the spokesperson added.

Reuters reported on Friday that UniCredit was discussing with unions plans to slim down its central offices by allowing up to 1,000 staff to retire early and retrain another 600 who would then be largely moved to branches.

A downsized corporate centre in Milan could prove an advantage if UniCredit were to pursue a deal.

Several sources familiar with UniCredit's long-standing plans to take over Commerzbank say the location of the headquarters has always proved a stumbling block, with Germany keen to defend Commerzbank's German roots and Italy worried about UniCredit "becoming too German".

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Germany would account for more than 55% of both customer loans and deposits in a combined group.

(Reporting by Valentina Za; Writing by Angelo Amante; Editing by Mark Heinrich and David Holmes)
Victoria Police wants to restrict CBD skyscraper heights to protect its emergency helicopters flight paths and access to the helipad at its Docklands headquarters, which is Australias tallest.

In an application to Planning Minister Sonya Kilkenny, police asked that she use her powers to impose controls in parts of the City of Melbourne and Port Phillip to limit building heights in the flight path of the helicopter that lands on the roof of its Spencer Street tower.

The proposed changes would affect skyscrapers being built along four flight paths, which form an X shape with the police headquarters at the centre.

In the zone directly around the headquarters heights would be limited to 154 metres, tapering up to 213 metres further afield in Parkville, Arden and Southbank.
He had previously rented through his friend, but was evicted because of the sale of the property and was homeless and had been couch-surfing. The father said he was unable to live with anyone else because his condition meant getting sick could be fatal. Loading The father had not applied for any rentals because he expected to be able to move into his daughters property and didnt think hed be successful in the private market. Peninsula Community Legal Centre lawyer Tanya Lakic represented April at the tribunal. She said the case came down to who would be worse off if the eviction went ahead. Hed rented from a good friend for many years. And they assumed that meant he couldnt get a property, she said. Well, the tribunal member was critical of that. He was of the view that the father was actually quite an attractive tenant because he was a male that was working, on his own, didnt have a bad rental history, and had considerable savings.

And I think that that was very important in the decision as well that they weighed up that he hadnt tried. The ruling noted that the landlords father had $250,000 in a savings account and $30,000 in shares. Tribunal member Robert Daly dismissed the application for the possession order. April says she feared she would not have long to live if she was made homeless by her landlord. Credit: Simon Schluter Its not the first time the test has been applied. Last year, a landlord who could no longer live at home with his wife and children, and was at times living in his car and hotels, was denied a possession order for his investment property because the multi-generational family of tenants could not find a new home despite applying for 80 rentals. The family of four had three disabled members  two children with autism and their mother, who had a disabling brain injury. The last tenant was the childrens grandmother. The landlord had not applied for any rentals.

It puts a human side to these decisions, Lakic said. I think its a good thing that tribunal members have the opportunity to consider peoples circumstances, and its not just a fact that if you serve a valid notice, theres an automatic  return of possession to the owner after 60 days. Loading Once a possession order is granted, a landlord can apply for a warrant and have their tenant forcefully evicted by police. April said it was not the first possession order she had fended off before the tribunal. She said she had been handed a notice to vacate months earlier; the reason given was intent to sell with vacant possession. The member said he wasnt going to vacate me and my son and make us homeless because the owner of the property wanted to sell the house untenanted, she said. But they hadnt provided evidence that if they sold the house untenanted, they would be able to get $50,000 more  Even if they had, the member would have had to weigh up the negative effects of putting the two people out of the home versus the positive effects on the landlord.

Lakic said landlords were often affronted by the reasonable and proportionate test. Its a very emotional area of law, she said. For the renter, its their home. For the landlord  I think they often see that theyve worked very hard, and theyve sacrificed to purchase this other property because theyve usually already got a home that theyre living in. April says the tight rental market is difficult to navigate because she is a single mother on a disability pension. Credit: Simon Schluter This is their investment property, but they feel that theyve sacrificed, and its theirs. April said: [The landlord] was flabbergasted. She was like, this is my property.

This masthead attempted to contact the landlord for comment; an email sent via their lawyer received no response. Loading Unpredictability and uncertainty Tenants Victoria chief executive Jennifer Beveridge said the case showed how the housing crisis could affect both sides of the tenant-landlord relationship. Increasingly, this is creating unpredictability and uncertainty for more and more people, she said. Its not just renters that its starting to affect, its the rental providers and, in this instance, their families as well. This is a whole-of-community problem now.

Australian Landlord Association president Andrew Kent agreed disputes over rental properties could become emotionally fraught. A lot of the time, the property they have does have a strong emotional connection. It might be the house they want to live in. It might be their parents house. There is an emotional connection to these places, theyre not shares, he said. [Landlords] say, how come the rules are so different between landlord and tenant? How come Im losing control of my property? Theres a sense  that we have control over the things that we own. Whether its a house, or car, or whatever. Beveridge said that the reasonable and proportionate test reduced a landlords formerly near-absolute control over their properties, but it had been successful in preventing tenants from becoming homeless.

No matter how any of us may view what happened in this case, its providing some framework for VCAT to be able to decide who is more susceptible and who would be subjected to greater harm, she said. Its testing the difference between a property as an asset and a home for someone, and were starting to understand the nuance of that a bit better. Kent said landlords shouldnt be expected to house the most vulnerable in society, and the state government had dropped the ball on building enough public and community housing to house the most in need. Its a sad state of affairs when the choices are so grim; it shouldnt be a choice between having a rental and being homeless, he said. April is looking for a new home, but remains concerned she could face another notice to vacate before finding somewhere else to live.
Keen first home buyers dropped a big, knock-out bid before buying a Maidstone townhouse for $700,000 in a brief yet competitive auction on Saturday.

The two-bedroom home at 3/3 Montgomery Street has a separate study downstairs, an outdoors living area and upstairs bedrooms.

Barry Plant agent and auctioneer Anthony Molinaro said buyers liked those features, which were difficult to find in one property.

Theyre definitely around, but to have all three of those [features]  Yeah, it is very rare, he said.
Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, whose death was announced on Saturday, led the Lebanese group through decades of conflict with Israel, overseeing its transformation into a military force with regional sway and becoming one of the most prominent Arab figures in generations - with Iranian backing.

Hezbollah said in a statement that Nasrallah had been killed, but it did not say how. The 64-year-olds death deals a huge blow to the group. He will be remembered among his supporters for standing up to Israel and defying the United States. To enemies, he was head of a terrorist organisation and a proxy for Irans Shiite Islamist theocracy in its tussle for influence in the Middle East.

Israel said earlier Nasrallah was the target of Israels latest strike in Lebanon.

The attack, a missile barrage that struck what the Israeli military described as Hezbollahs central headquarters in a residential area in the southern suburbs of Beirut, levelled between four and six buildings, according to Lebanons Health Minister Firass Abiad. Plumes of smoke could be seen 50 kilometres away, and the explosion shook homes across the city.
A war on the old and the poor: 70-year-old with $84K in student loan debt worries SAVE Plan will be scrapped

SAVE, the student-loan repayment plan the federal government rolled out in 2023, is in danger of being scrapped, leaving millions of Americans in a state of limbo. The Saving On A Valuable Education (SAVE) Plan bases monthly loan payments on income, meaning it lowers payments for most borrowers while providing a path toward loan forgiveness.

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But now, a federal court injunction has put the program on hold  perhaps permanently. That has left the plans 8 million enrollees in a state of limbo. Its also blocked parts of other income-driven repayment (IDR) plans that have been in place for years. Loans are being temporarily placed in interest-free forbearance, which means payments arent required while the issue works its way through the courts. However, that also means borrowers are not making any progress paying down their debt.

For those living on a fixed income while trying to pay off student loan debt, this has created a new source of stress.

It seems like a war on the old and poor, Sue, a 70-year-old woman who went back to school later in life, told Business Insider. Instead of enjoying her golden years, she is primarily living off her Social Security checks, and her student loan balance now stands at just over $84,000.

SAVE had reduced her student loan payments from $300 a month to less than $50. Now, shes not sure what the future holds or whether shell be able to stay afloat financially.

Considering that she supplements her Social Security checks with babysitting and dog walking, she could be facing a tight financial situation.

Older Americans are struggling with student debt

Americans have a collective $1.59 trillion in outstanding student loan debt, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. While ballooning student debt is often seen as a problem that affects younger Americans, it affects older people too  and not just those who are paying off federal Parent PLUS loans on behalf of their children.

The number of Americans approaching retirement age with student loan debt has skyrocketed by more than 500% in about 20 years, according to New America. The think tank reported that in 2022 3.5 million Americans over the age of 60 held $1.25 billion in student loan debt.

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In many cases, theyre still paying off loans for their own post-secondary education, according to the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO). Most owed less than $10,000 at the time of their initial offset, but thanks to accruing interest, those debts are following them into their golden years.

Read more: Rich, young Americans are ditching the stormy stock market  here are the alternative assets they're banking on instead

What happens next

With the SAVE program in limbo, many Americans are wondering what to do, if anything. For younger Americans, a pause on SAVE  which could be held up in the courts for months or even years  could give them some breathing room. But, while student loan payments are on pause, it also means borrowers arent able to earn IDR forgiveness credit.

For someone close to debt forgiveness, a buyback option from the Department of Education allows borrowers to make retroactive payments and receive credit for those payments (though this isnt an option for Sue, since shes not close to debt forgiveness). Borrowers could also consider switching to another repayment plan, but depending on their situation, it may make more sense to wait it out. If SAVE does get the axe, other IDR plans may still be an option.

During this time, while student loan payments are on pause, borrowers may want to use that money to pay off other debts (or put it aside in a high-interest savings account). But for older Americans on a fixed income, like Sue, their options may be more limited. While Sue could look for part-time work to bring in more money  something more reliable than babysitting and dog walking  she may also want to explore other avenues for loan repayment and stay up-to-date with SAVE Plan court actions.

What to read next

This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.
Southeast Asia is playing an ever-growing part in China's investment and diplomatic decisions, particularly as Beijing's rivalry with Washington heats up. In the third of a four-part series on China's ties with Asean, Orange Wang looks at how Beijing is using infrastructure to forge stronger links with the region.

When Vietnam's new top leader To Lam visited Beijing in mid-August, infrastructure was very much top of mind.

During the trip, China agreed to support a feasibility study for two standard-gauge railway projects and help in the planning of another one in the Southeast Asian country, inching it forward in updating its colonial-era railways so they can link with Chinese train lines.

Do you have questions about the biggest topics and trends from around the world? Get the answers with SCMP Knowledge, our new platform of curated content with explainers, FAQs, analyses and infographics brought to you by our award-winning team.

Two weeks before that, Cambodia broke ground on the China-sponsored Funan Techo canal, which will connect the Mekong River with the Gulf of Thailand.

The developments point to a Chinese infrastructure drive in Southeast Asia in high gear, and that analysts say is likely to give Beijing a geopolitical edge over Washington in a "critical battleground".

There are signs of movement elsewhere in the region, too. Bangkok launched passenger train services to Vientiane, Laos, three months after the approval of the second phase of a project in Thailand to connect high-speed railways in the three countries. The Laotian capital was first integrated into the Chinese high-speed railway network in December 2021, when a rail link to China's Yunnan province opened.

Meanwhile, Jakarta and Beijing have started discussions about extending a China-backed high-speed rail line in Indonesia, and a Chinese consortium has reportedly bid for contracts to build a high-speed rail project linking Kuala Lumpur and Singapore.

Nian Peng, director of the Research Centre for Asian Studies (RCAS) in Hong Kong, said there was an "accelerating trend" in infrastructure-based connectivity between China and Southeast Asia.

Citing the developments on the routes to Vietnam and Thailand, he said China's rail links with Southeast Asian countries had moved from nearly nothing before the China-Laos high-speed railway opened three years ago to "blossoming in multiple spots".

Peng predicted that this could help Beijing fend off the risk of the United States coaxing Southeast Asian countries into its orbit and pressuring them to decouple from the Chinese economy.

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"If we can achieve seamless docking of our infrastructure on land, including for highways, railways and aviation, we can put Southeast Asia firmly in a China-centred supply chain," he said.

"With the infrastructure connectivity between China and Southeast Asia advancing so rapidly, I think the US should be the most anxious one."

He added that the US and its ally Japan were unlikely to fully satisfy the region's huge appetite for infrastructure due to limitations in funding and decision-making mechanisms, leaving a lot of space for China.

However, Li Mingjiang, an associate professor at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, said the recent moves in China-Southeast Asia infrastructure cooperation were a "continuation" rather than an acceleration or a "new phase".

He noted that there had been no quantitative or qualitative leap compared to previous projects over the past decade.

Still, he described Southeast Asia as a "priority" for China's infrastructure engagement, adding that economic cooperation during the past three decades had helped put Beijing in a "leading position" over Washington in the region when it came to overall clout.

"We can expect such effects may continue to be seen in the future," Li said.

He added that growing infrastructure investment would benefit China's relations with members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) and help China compete for influence with other major powers in the region.

"Southeast Asian countries will also gain many benefits, such as for their long-term economic development," Li said, noting that they might leverage China's offers to bargain with other powers for more attention and support.

Building closer ties with Southeast Asian nations has become crucial for China in light of its fierce rivalry with Washington, a trade war that began under former US president Donald Trump and disruptions to global supply chains by the Covid-19 pandemic and Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Four years ago, the 10-member Asean bloc became Beijing's biggest trading partner, while China has been the grouping's top trading partner for 15 years straight.

In US dollar terms, China's exports to Asean grew by 10.6 per cent from a year earlier in the first eight months of 2024, and its imports from the bloc were up 3.5 per cent, according to the latest Chinese customs data on September 10.

Figures from the Chinese Ministry of Commerce showed that China's non-financial outbound direct investment to Asean jumped nearly 37 per cent in the first quarter of the year.

Many Chinese companies have begun channelling their shipments to the rest of the world through Southeast Asian countries or relocating parts of their production lines to the region to bypass trade restrictions, such as tariffs, imposed by the US and its allies.

The Asean countries have a population of nearly 700 million, representing a huge potential labour pool and a large consumer market for China to tap into.

In an article published by Foreign Affairs earlier this month, Lynn Kuok, the Lee Kuan Yew chair in Southeast Asian Studies at the Brookings Institution, said projects under China's Belt and Road Initiative were "generally welcomed" in the region.

Citing a survey by the Singapore-based ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute released in April, she warned that the drop in support for the US in the region should sound alarm bells in Washington, which "sees China as its main competitor and the Indo-Pacific as a critical battleground".

"Southeast Asia lies at the geographic heart of this vast and dynamic region," she added.

Several Washington-led plans cover Southeast Asian infrastructure development. They include the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity, the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment, the Build Back Better World initiative and the Blue Dot Network.

In an article published earlier this year, Yan Shaojun, a research fellow at the government-backed think tank China Centre for International Economic Exchanges, said that infrastructure had become a key element in great power competition.

Yan warned that the US and other Western countries were likely to continue their "interference" in the belt and road - Beijing's plan for building global trade and infrastructure links - and "neighbouring regions" including Southeast Asia would be a "top priority" for China in stabilising the strategy's foundation.

"[We] should further leverage the unique advantages of border provinces like Guangxi and Yunnan in opening up to Asean to promote cooperation between China and Asean in areas such as infrastructure," she wrote.

The Tegalluar Station in Bandung, Indonesia, is part of the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed railway, a landmark project under China's Belt and Road Initiative. Photo: Xinhua alt=The Tegalluar Station in Bandung, Indonesia, is part of the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed railway, a landmark project under China's Belt and Road Initiative. Photo: Xinhua>

The idea of bridging Southeast Asia and China through infrastructure is not new.

Eight years ago, Asean members adopted a master plan aimed at greater connectivity within the bloc by 2025. In 2019, Asean and Beijing agreed to align this plan with the belt and road strategy.

In 1995, Mahathir Mohamad, then prime minister of Malaysia, proposed building a pan-Asian railway network that runs from Singapore to southwest China's Kunming, passing through Malaysia, Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos.

Three decades later, the idea remains far from becoming a reality. But the proposed China-Vietnam rail lines, the completed China-Laos high-speed rail as well as the Thailand-China railway project and Malaysia's East Coast Rail Link - both backed by Beijing and under construction - are all viewed as steps towards that vision.

While China has become Southeast Asia's biggest infrastructure financing partner, an estimated US$50 billion pledged by Beijing for funding in the region has gone unfulfilled, according to a study by the Lowy Institute, an Australian think tank.

Wang Qin, a professor at the school of international relations at Xiamen University, said many Chinese-invested infrastructure projects in Southeast Asia were "not going so smoothly", partly due to issues such as political instability and land acquisition problems in recipient countries.

He added that as the Chinese economy was still recovering, the country was likely to be more cautious about investing in expensive projects across the region in the future.

He expected China would work on completing existing projects first, adding that the US$1.7 billion canal project in Cambodia was "not a huge investment" and was within China's engineering abilities.

"We may focus more on such smaller projects that contribute to the development and livelihood of a country," he said.

Li in Singapore also noted that Beijing had started to focus on "small but beautiful" projects and might not be as fixated on megaprojects as before.

He said Southeast Asian nations were keen to diversify their trade partners, inbound investment and industrial cooperation to reduce their economic dependence on China.

He added that though the supply chain connection between China and Asean countries would benefit from better transport links, it would also be influenced by other factors, notably trade wars.

Li said China and Southeast Asian nations should better manage South China Sea disputes while improving connectivity.

"If security issues continue to arise in the South China Sea, they could to some extent offset the positive impact of economic and infrastructure connectivity cooperation on China's relations with Asean countries," he said.

Peng of RCAS expected China's role in the region's infrastructure push to become increasingly important, with more breakthroughs in cooperative projects.

He said Southeast Asian demand for infrastructure investment from China would grow as they put greater emphasis on economic development in the aftermath of the pandemic.

China's Belt and Road Initiative appeared to be shifting from casting a wide net to focusing on places with strategic significance like Southeast Asia, he added, expecting the country to spend more resources to firm up its neighbourhood amid Washington's increasing presence there.

"The willingness on both sides is very high. The connectivity between China and Southeast Asia will certainly continue to grow in the future," he said.

This article originally appeared in the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the most authoritative voice reporting on China and Asia for more than a century. For more SCMP stories, please explore the SCMP app or visit the SCMP's Facebook and Twitter pages. Copyright  2024 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.

Copyright (c) 2024. South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.
EAM discusses reforms, global issues with UN top order





NEW YORK :

EXTERNAL Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and UN General Assemblys new President Philemon Yang here separately, exchanging views on global issues like the conflicts in West Asia and Ukraine while supporting Yangs vision of unity in diversity, peace and human sustainability. Jaishankar is in the US to attend the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly and met Guetteres and Yang on the sidelines of the UNGA session on Thursday. Always a pleasure to speak with @UN Secretary General @antonioguterres. Discussed the Pact for the Future, reforming multilateralism, AI, climate action, West Asia and Ukraine, Jaishankar said in a post on X. World leaders on Sunday adopted by consensus the Pact of the Future, promising to reform the 15-member UN Security Council, recognising the urgent need to make it more representative, inclusive, transparent, efficient, effective, democratic and accountable. They also agreed to enlarge the Security Council to be more representative of the current United Nations membership and reflective of the realities of the contemporary world. Pleased to meet new @un_pga Philemon Yang today in New York.

Assured him of Indias full support to his vision of Unity in Diversity, Peace, Human Sustainability and Dignity for everyone everywhere, Jaishankar said in a separate post. Yang also took to X after his meeting with Jaishankar, appreciating Indias role in promoting the interests of the Global South. I had the pleasure to receive Indias External Affairs Minister Dr S. Jaishankar today. We discussed the priorities and key issues for #UNGA79, and building on the outcomes of the Summit of the Future.

I also appreciated Indias role in advancing the interests of the Global South, he said. Meanwhile, on the sidelines of the UNGA session, he also met Belarusian Foreign Minister Maksim Ryzhenkov and discussed possibilities in health, education, technology and deepening economic linkages. Jaishankar met his Romanian counterpart Luminita Odobescu and took stock of our growing bilateral engagements in tourism, defence and mobility. Exchanged perspectives on Ukraine, he said in a post on X. Jaishankar also had a good first meeting with his Swedish counterpart Maria Malmer Stenergard. Spoke about deepening our bilateral relationship in fields of sustainable development, investments and skilled workers mobility. Exchanged perspectives on Ukraine and Indo-Pacific, he said in a separate X post. On the sidelines of the UNGA session, he also met Montenegros Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ervin Ibrahimovic. Our conversation focussed on advancing cooperation in business, health and tourism, he said on X. He met his Moroccan counterpart Nasser Bourita, with whom he discussed bilateral cooperation and our shared goal of reformed multilateralism. Jaishankar also had a warm first meeting with Egyptian Foreign Minister.
Israel strikes Hezbollahs headquarters in Beirut





BEIRUT :

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was the target of the strikes

THE Israeli military said on Friday it struck the central headquarters of Hezbollah in Beirut, where a series of massive explosions levelled multiple buildings, sending clouds of orange and black smoke billowing in the skies. Lebanese Health Ministry said at least two people were killed and 76 others wounded in the massive strikes. The strikes in the suburbs south of Lebanons capital came shortly after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the UN, vowing that Israels campaign against Hezbollah would continue. His comments further dimmed hopes for an internationally backed ceasefire aimed at preventing a spiral into all-out war. Three major Israeli TV channels said, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was the target of the strikes. But the unsourced reports could not immediately be confirmed by The Associated Press, and the army declined comment. But given the size and timing of the blast, there were strong indications that a high-value target may have been inside the buildings struck. To a degree unseen in past conflicts, Israel this past week has aimed to eliminate Hezbollahs senior leadership.

Fridays bombings were the most powerful yet seen in the Lebanese capital the past year. The Israeli army spokesman, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, said, it targeted the main Hezbollah headquarters, located beneath residential buildings. Four buildings in the Haret Hreik neighbourhood of Dahiyeh were reduced to rubble, Hezbollahs Al-Manar TV reported. The blast rattled windows and shook houses some 30 km (18 miles) north of Beirut. Ambulances were seen headed to the scene, sirens wailing. Israel dramatically intensified its airstrikes in Lebanon this week, saying it is determined to put an end to more than 11 months of Hezbollah fire into its territory. The scope of Israels operation remains unclear, but officials have said a ground invasion to push the militant group away from the border is a possibility. Israel has moved thousands of troops toward the border in preparation. Netanyahu cuts short US visit: PRIME Minister Benjamin Netanyahus office says, the Israeli leader is cutting short a visit to the US and returning home. The office made the announcement shortly after a massive Israeli airstrike on Hezbollahs headquarters in Beirut. Netanyahu, in New York to address the United Nations, had been scheduled to stay in the US until Saturday night, after the end of the Jewish sabbath.
Lokayukta FIR against Siddaramaiah, others





MYSURU :

LOKAYUKTA police here on Friday registered a First Information Report (FIR) against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and others in the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) site allotment case, following the court order, official sources said. A Special Court in Bengaluru on Wednesday ordered a Lokayukta police probe against Siddaramaiah in the case, setting the stage for filing an FIR against him. The order of the Special Court Judge, Santhosh Gajanan Bhat, came a day after the High Court upheld the sanction granted by the Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot to conduct an investigation against Siddaramaiah on the allegations of illegalities in the allotment of 14 sites to his wife B M Parvathi by MUDA. The Special Court exclusively to deal with criminal cases related to former and elected MPs/MLAs issued the order directing the Lokayukta police in Mysuru to initiate an investigation on the complaint filed by RTI activist Snehamayi Krishna.

The Court issued directions to take up the probe under section 156 (3) of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) (that gives a magistrate the power to order an investigation into a cognisable offense.) and file the investigation report by December 24. Acting under Sec.156(3) of Code of Criminal Procedure, the jurisdictional police i.E., Superintendent of Police, Karnataka Lokayukta, Mysuru is hereby directed to register the case, investigate and to file a report as contemplated under Sec.173 of Cr.P.C., within a period 3 months from today.. the court had said. It had listed offences punishable under Sec.120B (Punishment of criminal conspiracy), 166 (Public servant disobeying law, with intent to cause injury to any person), 403 (Dishonest misappropriation of property), 406 ( Punishment for criminal breach of trust), 420 ( Cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property), 426 ( Punishment for mischief), 465 (Punishment for forgery) , 468 (Forgery for purpose of cheating), 340 (Wrongful confinement), 351 (Assault) and other relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code. The court had also listed offences punishable under sections 9 and 13 the Prevention Of Corruption Act, 1988 and under Sec.3, 53 and 54 of the Prohibition Of Benami Property Transactions Act, 1988 and 3, 4 of Karnataka Land Grabbing Prohibition Act, 2011. Siddaramaiah's wife Parvathi, brother-in-law Mallikarjuna Swamy, Devaraju (from whom Mallikarjuna Swamy purchased land and gifted it to Parvathi) are named in the FIR, official sources said.

I am being targeted, says Ktaka CM

MYSURU,

KARNATAKA Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday claimed he was being targeted in the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) site allotment case as the Opposition is scared of him and said its the first such political case against him. The CM reiterated that he wont resign following the court ordering a probe against him in the case as he has done no wrong and asserted that he would fight the case legally. Accusing the Central Government of misusing central agencies like CBI, ED and also the office of the Governor in the opposition-ruled States across the country, he said there was a need for a national debate on Governors interference in administration.

I have done no wrong. This is for the first time a political case is being registered against me. This is a political case, please underline, Siddaramaiah told reporters here. Asked as to why he is being targeted, he said, because they (opposition) are afraid of me. Siddaramaiah arrived here on a three-day visit to a rousing welcome by party workers and supporters, even as the Lokayukta police appeared set to register an FIR against him following the Special Court order in connection with the case. Regarding BJP holding protests demanding his resignation, the CM said, why should I resign? If one has committed wrong he has to resign, when we are saying that no wrong was done, where is the question of resigning? Questioning JD(S) leader and Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy, Siddaramaiah said: He is on bail after FIR, why hasnt he resigned? He is a Minister in Narendra Modis government. Asked as to why he is being targeted, Siddaramaiah said: it is politics, it is being done to destabilise the Congress government, and asserted that he will fight the charges against him legally. Siddaramaiah, in response to a question regarding functioning of Governors in various states and whether there was a need for a national campaign against it, said: There should be a national debate. Governors should not interfere in the administration. That is what the Constitution says. Asked as to why he is being targeted, Siddaramaiah said: it is politics, it is being done to destabilise the Congress government, and asserted that he will fight the charges against him legally.
SC dismisses curative pleas of Centre, AAI Decks set for GMR to manage Nagpur airport





Staff Reporter :

This will power real take-off of MIHAN, says Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis

The Supreme Court, on Friday, closed the curative petitions of the Central Government and the Airport Authority of India (AAI), clearing the decks for GMR Airports to upgrade and operate Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport at Nagpur. Devendra Fadnavis, Deputy Chief Minister, expressed happiness over the development and said that this would power the real take-off of the ambitious Multimodal International Hub and Airport at Nagpur (MIHAN) project. A special four-judge bench of Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justices Sanjiv Khanna, B R Gavai, and J K Maheshwari closed the proceedings on the curative petitions against its verdict. The Supreme Court took note of the opinion of Solicitor General Tushar Mehta that the petition of the Central Government and the AAI did not fall under one of the legal parameters prescribed for entertaining such pleas. Central Government and AAI had filed curative petitions against the dismissal of their review plea by the top court. Reacting to the development, Fadnavis tweeted that he was extremely happy that the Supreme Court had cleared the way for construction of world-class International brownfield airport at Nagpur. It was my dream and had worked hard for the same. This will power the real take-off of MIHAN, he posted on X.

He had undertaken the new airport project during his tenure as Chief Minister of Maharashtra from 2014 to 2019. The proposed new airport will have two runways. GMR had emerged as the highest bidder in the tender process conducted by MIHAN India Ltd (MIL) in 2019 for Nagpur airport. In March 2019, a Letter of Award (LoA) also was issued. MIL had shortlisted GMR for development, operations and management of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport at Nagpur. The award was at a revenue share of 14.49 per cent of gross revenues. MIL had claimed that initially GMR had offered only 5.76 per cent revenue share to MIL while the private firm was to retain 94.24 per cent revenue. Since the MIL and project management consultant had found the offer financially low, not in public interest, and detrimental to public exchequer, GMR improved its offer during further negotiations and raised the financial bid to 14.49 per cent of gross revenue while it was to retain 85.51 per cent. In March 2020, the State Government had decided to cancel the tender process and MIL issued a letter annulling the bid process. MIL had justified termination of bids and decision to go for fresh bids claiming that it was cancelled due to poor revenue return projection and possible financial loss to the Government.

The matter went to the Nagpur Bench of the Bombay High Court. In the court, GMR had stated that it had planned to invest over Rs 1,200 crore over a period of time to fully transform Nagpur airport into a major aviation hub for which the capital expenditure would be Rs 1,685 crore of which equity requirement of Rs 500 crore to be funded by MIL and debt obligation of Rs 1,200 to be contributed by the concessionaire. In August 2021, the Nagpur Bench of the Bombay High Court set aside the cancellation of the bid process. Later, Central Government and AAI had filed a petition before the Supreme Court against the High Court judgment. Vide its order dated May 9, 2022, the Supreme Court upheld the High Court judgment. The Centre and the AAI then filed the curative petitions against the Supreme Court order of 2022. The special bench of the Apex Court had taken up the curative plea for hearing in an open court. The bench had said that since it was taking up the curative petition, it had to keep in mind the balance of equity as there were competing interests of the State and the private firm.

The bench had earlier directed the Ministry of Civil Aviation to submit the file notings pertaining to the tender process for the airport. The Supreme Court bench had sought dispassionate views of the Solicitor General as an officer of the court and not as a lawyer of the Centre and the AAI in the matter. In response, the Solicitor General told the bench that the curative petition might not fall under the 2002 judgement. The top court closed the curative petitions after the Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, in his personal capacity, said that it was his personal view that the curative petitions were not maintainable. He also made it clear that his submission was not based on any consultation with the Centre.
The S&P 500 just hit an all-time high, but only one "Magnificent Seven" stock is there with it.

That's Meta Platforms (NASDAQ: META), which has gone from a disaster just two years ago with a plunging stock price to a company that's leading the artificial intelligence (AI) transition and delivering blockbuster results in its core advertising business. Investors have taken notice, and the stock is up more than 500% from its collapse nearly two years ago to today.

Let's look at the factors driving the stock higher and why Meta could still gain from here.

Image source: Getty Images.

Grabbing the AI lead

Nvidia dominates the market for AI hardware, but there's more to it than just chips. There needs to be a product built on that hardware, of course, and arguably no company has built a more compelling ecosystem than Meta Platforms.

At the Meta Connect Conference this week, CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that Meta AI has nearly 500 million monthly active users, and it's on track to be the most-used AI assistant in the world, beating out competitors like ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, and Alphabet's Google Gemini.

Nearly half of the world uses one of Meta's platforms daily -- including Facebook, Messenger, Instagram, and WhatsApp -- giving the company a built-in advantage over competitors and an easy way of introducing new technology to its users.

With its own large language model, Llama, the company's vertical integration is hard to match.

Meta just rolled out a slew of new features, allowing users to talk to Meta AI, share photos with it, and provide customizable AI that businesses can use for customer service and other forms of assistance.

Over a million advertisers are also using its generative AI tools to build ads as well, showing how broad the reach of its technology is. Those ads even outperformed ones that didn't use AI.

The core business is on fire

Meta's advertising business foundered during the industry downturn in 2022 as businesses prepared for a recession that never happened.

But the advertising business has come roaring back since then thanks to the company's execution in new products like Reels, the proliferation of AI and commerce tools, and a user base that continues to grow.

In fact, Meta is outgrowing other major ad platforms. In the second quarter, its advertising revenue jumped 22% to $38.3 billion. By comparison, Alphabet reported just 14% growth at Google Search and 13% at YouTube, while its Google Network business serving ads on third-party sites declined.

Amazon, which had long outgrown Alphabet and Meta, reported 20% growth in the second quarter to $12.8 billion, and it beat smaller social media platforms like Pinterest and Snap.

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Why the stock could move even higher

Meta stock is arguably getting pricey at a price-to-earnings ratio of 29, but the company consistently beat earnings estimates in recent quarters, and it has several levers it can pull to drive its growth from here.

The company continues to spend aggressively on its Reality Labs segment, putting billions of dollars a year on the engine behind AI and projects like the metaverse. There's room to control some of that spending if investors demand it, as the company demonstrated during its "year of efficiency."

Meta continues to make strides in hardware with its Quest virtual-reality devices, a collaboration with Ray-Ban to make smart glasses, and the Orion augmented-reality (AR) glasses it just unveiled, though the company says those last ones are likely years away from being available to customers.

Meta believes that Orion is the most advanced pair of AR glasses ever made, and it promises that the billions it has poured into research and development will continue to yield new devices like Orion.

Investors might think of these new devices as moonshots, but only one of them needs to hit to pay off for Meta. And its current valuation doesn't seem to reflect the potential of its devices, but they could be a significant part of the business in five to ten years.

In the meantime, management is executing effectively in the advertising business, and the company looks well positioned to remain a leader in AI. Meta Platforms is undoubtedly headed for further growth, and as it delivers, the stock will move higher.

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Stark Reality





THE assertion by Israel Prime Minister Mr. Benjamin Netanyahu that his country would continue with anti-Hezbollah strikes with full force until all of its goals are reached, brings to fore once again the stark reality of the Middle-East situation. Even though many countries are pushing for a 21-day ceasefire as a holiday to conduct negotiations, the Israeli Prime Minister is insistent that there is not going to be any let-up in the military action. This stance may be interpreted in a dual manner -- one, it may be Israels ploy to force the other side to agreeing to certain conditions; or two as a direct No to any climbing down no matter the consequences. Under both conditions, the fact cannot be denied that the situation in Middle-East has become all the more complicated. This should actually bring the world to realising why Israel is refusing to climb down from its stated position. For, what is at stake is its survival as a Jewish nation that was carved out of an all-encompassing international arrangement more than 75 years ago (in tune with the historical reality of the existence of the ancient Jewish state).

The Islamic world has never accepted that agreement and has continued to defeat the very idea of Israel. So long as this Islamic resistance continues, Israel is not likely to back down. For record, the trigger that set off the current Israeli strikes is obviously about the Hezbollah action of capture of several Israeli people and holding them as hostages. So, the current Israeli military goal is to ensure a safe release of all of those unfortunate people. No one can deny the moral justification of the ongoing Israeli strikes. If the world expects Israel to effect a ceasefire, then it must also prevail upon Hezbollah and similar outfits to stop their hostilities against Israel posthaste. And this appears to be an impossible task for all the world powers. This is where the current crisis has got stuck -- with Israel having a substantial moral reason to continue. For, the current trouble was triggered not by Tel Aviv but by the other side. When State-sponsored terrorism is haunting Israel, it is not at all expected to back down and give up its fight back for survival. It is also obvious that Israel would not like to forget the massive missile attack launched by the Islamic groups (which attracted a fierce retaliation by Tel Aviv).

Given the various dimensions of the situation, the stance of the Israeli Prime Minister appears to have every justification. True, the world badly needs peace -- to begin with in the Middle-East. But when he refuses to listen to the international appeal, Mr. Netanyahu does not appear as a war-monger. Much to the contrary, he appears as a man who is willing to go full distance to protect and preserve his countrys integrity, security and survival. His stance is doubtless tough, but his moral justification may not have an answer with anybody. The international push for a ceasefire to initiate negotiations also has its justification, all right. But no negotiations can ever succeed when the peace is artificial and so fragile. What the Middle-East needs is a climbing down of the Islamic obstinacy vis-a-vis Israel and a long-term and active commitment to peace. If the Islamic side is not able to guarantee that, it is only in vain to expect Israel to back down. For, peace is a two-way process -- which the Islamic side has refused to see so far. Though we also will push for peace, we will not endeavour to call Israel a war-monger State. Looking at things from that angle, we are for a lasting Islamic agreement to the reality of Israel. And we also realise that this may be asking for too much. So, the current hostility promises to continue.
States first Kanhan to be hub of women-led industries





Maharashtra Industries Minister Uday Samant (Right) addressing the press conference as MLA Ashish Jaiswal also is seen. (Pic by Satish Raut)

Business Reporter :

Kanhan, near Nagpur, is poised to become a hub for women-led industries, thanks to the Maharashtra State Governments initiative to set up a dedicated MIDC industrial area specifically for women entrepreneurs. This pioneering project, announced by Maharashtra Industries Minister Uday Samant will be the States first area focused on empowering women entrepreneurs, marking a significant milestone in promoting inclusive economic growth. Samant said this while addressing a press conference held here on Friday. MLA Ashish Jaiswal and others also were present on the occasion. Samant was in the city to participate in Maharashtrachi Udyog Bharari organised by the Maharashtras Industries Department.

The proposed MIDC area will encourage women entrepreneurs and create new opportunities for inclusive development, Samant said. Samant said that the Government had initiated the process of acquiring about 3,000 hectares in the periphery of Nagpur for setting up new projects. Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) has identified land in Kanhan, Amadi and other places. We will offer red carpet to entrepreneurs and attract them to invest here, he said. It is important to note that Maharashtra is the first State to unveil a dedicated Industrial Policy for the Women Entrepreneurs with an aim to promote growth and employment of females. Uday Samant further highlighted the State Governments commitment to foster industrial growth in the Vidarbha region. We have made entrepreneur-friendly policies that are yielding encouraging results not only in Vidarbha but also in other parts of the State. Investment is happening all over - from Konkan to Gadchiroli, he said. Commenting on Gadchiroli, Samant said recent investment in Gadchiroli has changed its fate. It is no longer a naxal-affected area. On the contrary, Gadchiroli has become an industrial hub where investment is pouring in, he added.
Thousands of Gowaris march for reservation





Staff Reporter :

Thousands of Gowari community members marched to Samvidhan Square on Friday, demanding the immediate public release of the K L Wadne Committees report and the implementation of reservation for their community. The march started at Yeshwant Stadium and proceeded towards Tekdi Road, where it met a heavy police presence. The police halted the march to ensure that it did not lead to traffic disruptions as seen in previous protests held in January of this year. As the marchers reached Tekdi Road, police barricades were erected to halt their progress. This sparked a fierce demonstration as the protesters responded with loud slogans and chants. Despite some members attempting to breach the barricades, the extensive police presence effectively maintained order.





The crowd, which included a large number of women, protested on Tekdi Road for the whole day for the long-pending demand of reservation. The participants of the march donned yellow Dupattas and caps which created a vibrant sea of yellow as thousands gathered together at Tekdi Road. The protest was organised under the banner of the Adiwasi Gond Gowari Jamat Samvidhanik Hakka Sangharsh Kruti Samiti, led by President Kailas Raut, Madhavrao Kohale, Ramdas Neware and others. Members of the Gowari community have been on a hunger strike at Samvidhan Square for the past few weeks. Some groups from the community visited the square to meet with their fellow protesters. After their meeting, some groups attempted to launch a chakka jam at Samvidhan Square. However, police present at the scene apprehended them and took them away in police jeeps. Kailas Raut, President of the Kruti Samiti, told The Hitavada that the State Government constituted the K L Wadne Committee to understand the Supreme Courts judgment and submit a report on how to grant reservations to the Gowari community. According to the Government Resolution, the last date for submitting the report was September 6. However, the committee has not yet submitted the report, and the government has granted a two-month extension to it.

Another member, Ramdas Neware, questioned why the government extended the period by two months when the code of conduct for the forthcoming Assembly Elections would soon be enforced. He stated that once the code of conduct is in force, the reservation decision would not be implemented. The Government should immediately take steps to meet our demands based on the Supreme Court judgment, he asserted. In the evening, a delegation of community members met with the District Collector and submitted a memorandum. As a representative of the government, Additional District Collector Tushar Thombre issued a letter to the delegation, stating that a meeting regarding the reservation issue for the Gowari community would be held at the Deputy Chief Ministers office on September 30 at 1 pm, with relevant officers, the Tribal Commissioner, and the Secretary present. A delegation of 10 community members would be allowed to attend the meeting, the letter stated. After receiving the letter, the organisation leaders returned to Tekdi Road to read it aloud. They urged members to call off the protest and assured that the agitation at Samvidhan Square would continue. However, the protesters were unwilling to end the protest. The protest was called off around 7 pm after intervention by DCP Zone II Rahul Madne, DCP Special Branch Shweta Khedkar, and DCP Traffic Archit Chandak, who discussed the issue with the leaders.
Waqf Amendment Bill: JPC meets Guj Govt representatives, others





AHMEDABAD :

THE Joint Parliamentary Committee on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2024 on Friday met representatives of the Gujarat Government and those from other entities as part of its nationwide consultation on the proposed legislation. Gujarat Minister of State for Home Harsh Sanghavi presented the State Governments suggestions to the JPC, which is meeting representatives in a hotel here. Sanghavi refused to divulge details about the meeting but added the BJP Government in the State has already appreciated the Centres move to amend the act. A delegation of the Gujarat Government met the JPC and gave suggestions on the proposed amendment.

Our suggestions were in line with the interest of all citizens. Not just the State Government, but even common people have welcomed the Centres move to amend the act, Sanghavi told reporters. The JPC also met representatives of the Bar Council of Gujarat, Minority Coordination Committee as well as a delegation led by Congress MLA and State Waqf Board member Imran Khedawala. The Bar Council of Gujarats Vice chief Mukesh Kamdar said suggestions about changes that are necessary in the present act were submitted to the JPC.
Hezbollahs HassanNasrallah: IsraelHezbollah confirms his death





TEL AVIV :

ISRAEL said on Saturday that it has eliminated Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, dealing its most significant blow to the Lebanese militant group after months of fighting and Hezbollah confirmed on Saturday that its leader and one of its founders, Hassan Nasrallah, was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Beirut the previous day. A statement from Hezbollah group on Saturday said, Nasrallah has joined his fellow martyrs. Hezbollah vowed to continue the holy war against the enemy and in support of Palestine. Nasrallah is by far the most powerful target to be killed by Israel in weeks of intensified fighting with Hezbollah. Ali Karki, the Commander of Hezbollahs Southern Front, and additional Hezbollah commanders, were also killed in the attack, the Israeli military said. The military said, it carried out a precise airstrike on Friday while Hezbollah leadership met at their headquarters in Dahiyeh, south of Beirut. Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani, an Army spokesperson, said the airstrike was based on years of tracking Nasrallah along with real time information that made it viable.

He said Nasrallahs death had been confirmed through various types of intelligence, but declined to elaborate. Shoshani declined to say what munitions were used in the strike or provide an estimate on civilian deaths in the strike, only saying that Israel takesmeasures to avoid civilians whenever possible and clears strikes ahead of time with intelligence and legal experts. Israels Chief of Staff, Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi, said on Saturday that the elimination of Nasrallah was not the end of our toolbox, indicating that more strikes were planned. He said that the strike targeting Hezbollahleadership was the resultofalongperiodofpreparation. The Lebanese Health Ministry said six people were killed and 91 injured in the strikes on Friday, which levelled six apartmentbuildings.

The Israelimilitary saidit was mobilising additionalreserve soldiers as tensions escalate withLebanon,activating three battalions of reserve soldiers toserveacross thecountry.The call comes after it sent two brigades to northern Israel earlier in the week to train for a possible ground invasion. On Saturday morning, the Israelimilitarycarriedoutseveral strikesin southern Beirut and eastern Lebanons Bekaa Valley. Hezbollah launched dozens of projectiles across northern and central Israel and the Israel-occupiedWest Bank.InBeirutssouthernsuburbs, smoke rose and the streets were empty after the area was pummelled overnight by heavy Israeli airstrikes. IRAN SENIOR COMMANDERKILLEDWITH NASRALLAH: IRAN announced on Saturday that a prominent General in its paramilitary Revolutionary Guard sanctioned by the US died in an airstrike that killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut. Abbas Nilforushan, 58, was killed on Friday in Lebanon, IRNA news agency reported. The US Treasury had identifiedNilforushanas thedeputy commander for operationsin the Guard. It sanctioned him in 2022 and said he had led an organisation directly in chargeofprotestsuppression, whichhasplayedacriticalrole in arresting protest leaders during previous protests.
SAME LANGUAGE





PAKISTAN Prime Minister Mr. Shehbaz Sharif, as usual, has raked up theissue of Jammu and Kashmir at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). As Pakistans political character revolves around radical anti-India thoughts instead of developmental vision, this was expected too. But, there is more to what Mr. Sharif said at the UNGA. The language he spoke of echoed the expressions of the separatist, dynastic, and some of the Opposition leaders in India. The separatist elements within India, dynastic politicians of Jammu and Kashmir, and some of the Opposition leaders including Congress leader Mr. Rahul Gandhi have been directly or indirectly pushing for reversing the abrogation of Article 370. Despite the fact that the abrogation of Article 370 has brought in an era of freedom in Kashmir, with people feeling better integrated with India than they felt previously, certain elements have been pushing for reversing the historic step. Pakistan Prime Minister has spoken of the same thing -- reversing the abrogation of Article 370. Pakistan has no right to speak on internal lawful governance matters of India. Also, while speaking about Kashmir that is an integral and inseparable part of India, he should have first made it clear whether Pakistan would facilitate self-determination of the part of Kashmir it has occupied illegally.

Through its pursuit of radical and fundamentalist policies laced with hatred against India, Pakistan has lost all credibility internationally. It has become a failed state, a doomed economy, and an administration nonchalant about welfare of its people. What surprises an ordinary Indian, in the statements of Pakistan Prime Minister Mr. Sharif at UNGA, is the striking similarity between the language he has used and the language some political leaders and separatists in India have been using. This similarity becomes boldly visible against the backdrop of Mr. Rahul Gandhis meeting with Ms. Ilhan Omar, an anti-India Islamist US lawmaker, during his recent visit to the US. Ms. Omar had drawn sharp criticism in India over her visit to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and her anti-India statements over Kashmir. One wonders if all these developments are inter-linked. If the suspicion of all these developments proves to be true in time to come, it will mean that there is a specific nefarious design at work as far as Indian territory of Kashmir is concerned. Also, it will mean that such a design is a product of collaboration between anti-India forces operating from outside India and the frustrated Indian political segment.

Presently also, ordinary Indians have a strong suspicion if the Indian Opposition and dynastic politicians are serving the agenda of foreign forces for their own petty gains. Besides, ample evidence is available in public domain to reflect that the Indian Opposition parties have deteriorated their antiGovernment campaign into anti-India tirade. Either there is political immaturity among the Indian Opposition leaders, or there is a deliberate attempt to adopt a stand wherein all things Indian are projected in poor light. These leaders are projecting India as a nation also in poor light, within the country and abroad. Of course, they are doing this to their own peril. For, the common man in India may be simple but not a fool. He gives his democratic verdict through election. Since 2014, he has been giving his verdict against the anti-India tirade.
Accenture (NYSE:ACN  Get Free Report) issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday. The information technology services provider reported $2.79 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.78 by $0.01, Briefing.com reports. The business had revenue of $16.41 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $16.37 billion. Accenture had a return on equity of 27.48% and a net margin of 10.79%. Accentures quarterly revenue was up 2.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $2.71 EPS. Accenture updated its Q1 2025 guidance to EPS and its FY 2025 guidance to 12.550-12.910 EPS.

Accenture Stock Performance

Shares of Accenture stock traded down $6.11 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $349.70. 2,575,382 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,782,510. The stock has a market cap of $219.15 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 32.02, a PEG ratio of 3.69 and a beta of 1.24. The firms fifty day moving average price is $333.92 and its 200-day moving average price is $321.23. Accenture has a 12 month low of $278.69 and a 12 month high of $387.51.

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Accenture Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 15th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, October 10th will be paid a dividend of $1.48 per share. This is an increase from Accentures previous quarterly dividend of $1.29. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, October 10th. This represents a $5.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.69%. Accentures payout ratio is presently 47.25%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Accenture

Accenture announced that its Board of Directors has initiated a stock repurchase plan on Thursday, September 26th that authorizes the company to buyback $4.00 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the information technology services provider to repurchase up to 1.8% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback plans are generally a sign that the companys management believes its stock is undervalued.

In other news, CFO Kathleen R. Mcclure sold 3,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Friday, July 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $309.22, for a total transaction of $927,660.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 40,070 shares in the company, valued at $12,390,445.40. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. In other news, CFO Kathleen R. Mcclure sold 3,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, July 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $309.22, for a total value of $927,660.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 40,070 shares of the companys stock, valued at $12,390,445.40. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, insider Ellyn Shook sold 5,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, July 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $329.82, for a total transaction of $1,649,100.00. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 8,989 shares in the company, valued at $2,964,751.98. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 21,421 shares of company stock worth $6,912,635 over the last quarter. Corporate insiders own 0.07% of the companys stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts have recently issued reports on ACN shares. BMO Capital Markets increased their price objective on shares of Accenture from $380.00 to $390.00 and gave the stock a market perform rating in a research report on Friday. Susquehanna increased their target price on Accenture from $350.00 to $360.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a report on Friday. Mizuho boosted their price target on Accenture from $352.00 to $365.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Wednesday, September 18th. Royal Bank of Canada increased their price objective on shares of Accenture from $377.00 to $389.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research note on Friday. Finally, UBS Group lifted their target price on Accenture from $400.00 to $415.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Friday. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and fourteen have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Accenture presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $364.64.

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Accenture Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Accenture plc, a professional services company, provides strategy and consulting, industry X, song, and technology and operation services worldwide. The company offers application services, including agile transformation, DevOps, application modernization, enterprise architecture, software and quality engineering, data management; intelligent automation comprising robotic process automation, natural language processing, and virtual agents; and application management services, as well as software engineering services; strategy and consulting services; data and analytics strategy, data discovery and augmentation, data management and beyond, data democratization, and industrialized solutions comprising turnkey analytics and artificial intelligence (AI) solutions; metaverse; and sustainability services.

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Sezzle (OTC:SEZNL  Get Free Report) and OneMain (NYSE:OMF  Get Free Report) are both financial services companies, but which is the better investment? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their risk, profitability, valuation, dividends, earnings, institutional ownership and analyst recommendations.

Analyst Recommendations

This is a summary of current ratings for Sezzle and OneMain, as reported by MarketBeat.com.

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Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Sezzle 0 0 0 0 N/A OneMain 0 5 8 0 2.62

OneMain has a consensus target price of $55.25, suggesting a potential upside of 18.01%. Given OneMains higher possible upside, analysts plainly believe OneMain is more favorable than Sezzle.

Earnings and Valuation

Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Sezzle N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A OneMain $4.38 billion 1.28 $641.00 million $5.13 9.13

This table compares Sezzle and OneMains top-line revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

OneMain has higher revenue and earnings than Sezzle.

Profitability

This table compares Sezzle and OneMains net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Sezzle N/A N/A N/A OneMain 12.33% 20.63% 2.68%

Institutional & Insider Ownership

85.8% of OneMain shares are held by institutional investors. 0.5% of OneMain shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, endowments and large money managers believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.

Summary

OneMain beats Sezzle on 8 of the 8 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Sezzle

(Get Free Report)

Sezzle Inc. operates as a technology-enabled payments company primarily in the United States and Canada. The company provides payment solution at online stores and various brick-and-mortar retail locations that connects consumers with merchants. Its platform enables customers to make online purchases and split the payment for the purchase in four equal interest free payments over six weeks. Sezzle Inc. was incorporated in 2016 and is headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

About OneMain

(Get Free Report)

OneMain Holdings, Inc., a financial service holding company, engages in the consumer finance and insurance businesses in the United States. It originates, underwrites, and services personal loans secured by automobiles, other titled collateral, or unsecured. The company also offers credit cards; optional credit insurance products, including life, disability, and involuntary unemployment insurance; optional non-credit insurance; guaranteed asset protection coverage as a waiver product or insurance; and membership plans. It sells its products through its website. The company was formerly known as Springleaf Holdings, Inc. and changed its name to OneMain Holdings, Inc. in November 2015. OneMain Holdings, Inc. was founded in 1912 and is based in Evansville, Indiana.

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Illinois Tool Works Inc. (NYSE:ITW  Get Free Report) announced a quarterly dividend on Friday, August 2nd, Wall Street Journal reports. Investors of record on Monday, September 30th will be given a dividend of 1.50 per share by the industrial products company on Friday, October 11th. This represents a $6.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.27%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, September 30th. This is a positive change from Illinois Tool Workss previous quarterly dividend of $1.40.

Illinois Tool Works has increased its dividend by an average of 7.0% per year over the last three years and has increased its dividend annually for the last 55 consecutive years. Illinois Tool Works has a dividend payout ratio of 55.9% meaning its dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings. Equities analysts expect Illinois Tool Works to earn $10.74 per share next year, which means the company should continue to be able to cover its $6.00 annual dividend with an expected future payout ratio of 55.9%.

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Illinois Tool Works Price Performance

Shares of ITW traded up $1.97 on Friday, reaching $263.97. The stock had a trading volume of 1,066,451 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,101,868. The firm has a market capitalization of $78.37 billion, a PE ratio of 26.03, a PEG ratio of 4.09 and a beta of 1.10. The company has a quick ratio of 0.92, a current ratio of 1.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.17. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $247.31 and a 200 day moving average of $248.27. Illinois Tool Works has a twelve month low of $217.50 and a twelve month high of $271.15.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Illinois Tool Works ( NYSE:ITW Get Free Report ) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 30th. The industrial products company reported $2.54 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $2.45 by $0.09. Illinois Tool Works had a return on equity of 99.74% and a net margin of 19.15%. The business had revenue of $4.03 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $4.08 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $2.41 EPS. The companys revenue was down 1.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts expect that Illinois Tool Works will post 10.18 EPS for the current year.

A number of equities research analysts recently issued reports on the company. Truist Financial reduced their target price on Illinois Tool Works from $283.00 to $281.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, July 31st. Evercore ISI reduced their target price on Illinois Tool Works from $251.00 to $246.00 and set an in-line rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, August 19th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on Illinois Tool Works from $267.00 to $270.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 31st. Jefferies Financial Group reduced their target price on Illinois Tool Works from $275.00 to $240.00 and set a hold rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, July 11th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on Illinois Tool Works from $230.00 to $236.00 and gave the stock an underweight rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 31st. Three analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, four have assigned a hold rating, three have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $250.22.

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About Illinois Tool Works

(Get Free Report)

Illinois Tool Works Inc manufactures and sells industrial products and equipment in the United States and internationally. It operates through seven segments: Automotive OEM; Food Equipment; Test & Measurement and Electronics; Welding; Polymers & Fluids; Construction Products; and Specialty Products.

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Wedbush upgraded shares of Prosperity Bancshares (NYSE:PB  Free Report) from a neutral rating to an outperform rating in a research note released on Tuesday morning, MarketBeat.com reports. They currently have $90.00 price objective on the banks stock, up from their previous price objective of $75.00. Wedbush also issued estimates for Prosperity Bancshares Q3 2024 earnings at $1.29 EPS, Q4 2024 earnings at $1.36 EPS, FY2024 earnings at $5.05 EPS, Q1 2025 earnings at $1.34 EPS, Q3 2025 earnings at $1.52 EPS, Q4 2025 earnings at $1.58 EPS, FY2025 earnings at $5.85 EPS, Q1 2026 earnings at $1.53 EPS, Q2 2026 earnings at $1.56 EPS and FY2026 earnings at $6.35 EPS.

Other analysts have also issued research reports about the stock. Stephens upgraded shares of Prosperity Bancshares from an equal weight rating to an overweight rating in a research note on Wednesday, June 26th. Hovde Group boosted their target price on shares of Prosperity Bancshares from $80.50 to $82.50 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research note on Monday, August 26th. Truist Financial lowered shares of Prosperity Bancshares from a buy rating to a hold rating and lowered their target price for the company from $81.00 to $79.00 in a research note on Friday, September 20th. Royal Bank of Canada boosted their target price on shares of Prosperity Bancshares from $70.00 to $74.00 and gave the company a sector perform rating in a research note on Thursday, July 25th. Finally, Raymond James lowered shares of Prosperity Bancshares from a strong-buy rating to an outperform rating and set a $80.00 target price for the company. in a research note on Tuesday, September 17th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a hold rating and ten have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Prosperity Bancshares currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $77.58.

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View Our Latest Stock Report on Prosperity Bancshares

Prosperity Bancshares Trading Down 0.9 %

Shares of NYSE:PB opened at $70.80 on Tuesday. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $71.68 and a 200 day simple moving average of $65.39. The firm has a market cap of $6.79 billion, a PE ratio of 16.31, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.49 and a beta of 0.90. Prosperity Bancshares has a 12-month low of $49.60 and a 12-month high of $74.87.

Prosperity Bancshares (NYSE:PB  Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 24th. The bank reported $1.22 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.20 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $458.95 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $290.06 million. Prosperity Bancshares had a net margin of 25.10% and a return on equity of 6.32%. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $1.21 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Prosperity Bancshares will post 5.06 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Prosperity Bancshares Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, October 1st. Investors of record on Friday, September 13th will be issued a $0.56 dividend. This represents a $2.24 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.16%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, September 13th. Prosperity Bancsharess payout ratio is currently 51.61%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Prosperity Bancshares

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund acquired a new stake in Prosperity Bancshares in the second quarter worth about $540,000. Quarry LP lifted its holdings in Prosperity Bancshares by 533.3% in the second quarter. Quarry LP now owns 494 shares of the banks stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 416 shares during the period. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. lifted its holdings in Prosperity Bancshares by 135.1% in the second quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 10,480 shares of the banks stock worth $641,000 after purchasing an additional 6,022 shares during the period. Silver Lake Advisory LLC acquired a new stake in Prosperity Bancshares in the second quarter worth about $611,000. Finally, Algert Global LLC lifted its holdings in Prosperity Bancshares by 27.7% in the second quarter. Algert Global LLC now owns 43,415 shares of the banks stock worth $2,654,000 after purchasing an additional 9,415 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.69% of the companys stock.

Prosperity Bancshares Company Profile

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Prosperity Bancshares, Inc operates as bank holding company for the Prosperity Bank that provides financial products and services to businesses and consumers. It accepts various deposit products, such as demand, savings, money market, and time accounts, as well as and certificates of deposit. The company also offers 1-4 family residential mortgage, commercial real estate and multifamily residential, commercial and industrial, agricultural, and non-real estate agricultural loans, as well as construction, land development, and other land loans; consumer loans, including automobile, recreational vehicle, boat, home improvement, personal, and deposit account collateralized loans; term loans and lines of credit; and consumer durables and home equity loans, as well as loans for working capital, business expansion, and purchase of equipment and machinery.

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Singapore Telecommunications Limited (OTCMKTS:SGAPY  Get Free Report) was the target of a large growth in short interest in September. As of September 15th, there was short interest totalling 21,200 shares, a growth of 1,414.3% from the August 31st total of 1,400 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 69,400 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 0.3 days.

Singapore Telecommunications Trading Up 0.3 %

Singapore Telecommunications stock traded up $0.07 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $25.05. 17,557 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 58,775. The firms 50 day moving average price is $23.42 and its 200-day moving average price is $20.36. Singapore Telecommunications has a 1 year low of $16.38 and a 1 year high of $26.75. The company has a quick ratio of 1.31, a current ratio of 1.35 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45.

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Singapore Telecommunications Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, August 27th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 2nd were issued a $0.5649 dividend. This is a positive change from Singapore Telecommunicationss previous dividend of $0.36. The ex-dividend date was Friday, August 2nd.

Singapore Telecommunications Company Profile

Singapore Telecommunications Limited, together with its subsidiaries, provides telecommunication services to consumers and small businesses in Singapore, Australia, the United States, and internationally. The company operates through Optus, Singapore Consumer, Group Enterprise, NCS, Trustwave, and Amobee segments.

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Thomson Reuters Co. (TSE:TRI  Get Free Report) (NYSE:TRI) has been given a consensus recommendation of Moderate Buy by the eight research firms that are presently covering the firm, Marketbeat reports. Five analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, one has issued a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating on the company. The average 12 month target price among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is C$190.14.

Several analysts have recently commented on the stock. National Bank Financial raised shares of Thomson Reuters from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating in a report on Sunday, September 8th. TD Securities lifted their price objective on Thomson Reuters from C$230.00 to C$235.00 and gave the company a hold rating in a research note on Thursday, June 20th. Scotiabank upgraded Thomson Reuters from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 27th. Finally, National Bankshares lifted their price target on Thomson Reuters from C$219.00 to C$231.00 and gave the company a sector perform rating in a research report on Friday, August 2nd.

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Insider Activity

Thomson Reuters Price Performance

In related news, Senior Officer Mary Alice Vuicic sold 6,062 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Monday, September 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of C$235.62, for a total value of C$1,428,328.44. In other news, Senior Officer Kirsty Roth sold 5,310 shares of Thomson Reuters stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, September 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of C$234.93, for a total value of C$1,247,459.18. Also, Senior Officer Mary Alice Vuicic sold 6,062 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, September 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of C$235.62, for a total value of C$1,428,328.44. Insiders sold 12,110 shares of company stock worth $2,817,727 over the last three months. 69.79% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Shares of TRI opened at C$229.61 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 29.05, a current ratio of 0.88 and a quick ratio of 0.52. The companys fifty day moving average price is C$226.66 and its 200-day moving average price is C$223.84. Thomson Reuters has a 1-year low of C$163.01 and a 1-year high of C$242.92. The firm has a market capitalization of C$103.26 billion, a PE ratio of 32.80, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.64 and a beta of 0.40.

Thomson Reuters (TSE:TRI  Get Free Report) (NYSE:TRI) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 1st. The company reported C$1.16 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of C$1.10 by C$0.06. Thomson Reuters had a return on equity of 20.41% and a net margin of 33.65%. The business had revenue of C$2.38 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of C$2.38 billion. On average, equities research analysts predict that Thomson Reuters will post 5.753 EPS for the current year.

Thomson Reuters Cuts Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 10th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, August 15th were given a dividend of $0.20 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, August 15th. This represents a $0.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.35%. Thomson Reuterss dividend payout ratio is currently 41.86%.

About Thomson Reuters

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Thomson Reuters Corporation engages in the provision of business information services in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Asia Pacific. It operates in five segments: Legal Professionals, Corporates, Tax & Accounting Professionals, Reuters News, and Global Print. The Legal Professionals segment offers research and workflow products focusing on legal research and integrated legal workflow solutions that combine content, tools, and analytics to law firms and governments.

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The month of September has flown by and were rapidly approaching the Nov. 5 election.

In the weeks leading up to the election, The Tribune has coverage plans in place for local, statewide and national news, which I want to share with our readers.

Our front pages in the coming weeks will feature stories and information on uncontested races, including Joey Spellerbergs uncontested bid for reelection as Fremont mayor and background on the four candidates running uncontested for the Fremont City Council.

We will offer voter guides and questionnaires that candidates answer in their own words for contested races including State Legislature District 15, State Board of Education District 3, three seats on the Fremont Public Schools Board of Education, two seats on the Hooper City Council and two seats on the North Bend City Council.

Questionnaires will also be distributed to the two candidates vying for the District 2 seat on the Dodge County Board of Supervisors as well as the unopposed candidates for the boards District 4 and District 6 seats.

We'll also welcome election-related letters to the editor, although we're asking candidates to please refrain from submitting letters themselves. A form to submit letters can be found on our website. Letters can also be emailed to news@fremonttribune.com.

In both cases, please include contact information so we can verify your submission. Please note that letters are subject to editing and run at our discretion, so there is no guarantee that yours will be published. We are asking that all election letters be submitted by Wednesday, Oct. 23.

On Election Day, youll be able to follow along at fremonttribune.com for live local updates throughout the day, as well as find up-to-date results that evening as numbers come in.

Of course, well offer coverage of the presidential race as well as Congress, and statewide ballot issues including abortion, paid sick leave, medical marijuana and private school scholarships.

In the days following the election, all that information will be in available in our print editions along with our own analysis of how things went and whats next locally.

Our commitment to community journalism will be more evident than ever over the next few months and Im excited to see it all come together. Please reach out if you have any questions about our plans.
The latest circular by the city police banning illegal assembly of more than five people in areas between Bowbazar police station, Hare Street police station and Headquarters Traffic Guard  between K C Das and Victoria House as sparked debate as Calcutta High Court on Friday questioned the state about the rationale behind promulgating such an order during the pujas.

The Single Bench of justice Rajarshi Bhardwaj asked the counsel of the state if such a ban is enforced in those areas, what would be the fate of the pujas being organized there? The state counsel replied that the proposed ban, which was a renewal to an earlier order issued in 2023, is done every 6 months, which entailed only an assembly of over five people in the radius of 50-60 meters between areas stretching from K C Das and Victoria House. The hearing would continue next week.

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On World Tourism Day today, the Union ministry of tourism has launched Paryatan Mitra and Paryatan Didi, responsible tourism initiatives in 50 places across the country, including two tourism destinations in West Bengal, Kolkata and Darjeeling.

Through this initiative, the ministry aims to elevate the overall experience for tourists, by having them meet tourist-friendly people, who are proud ambassadors and storytellers. This is being done by providing tourism related training and awareness to all individuals, who interact and engage with tourists in a destination.

Through Paryatan Mitra and Paryatan Didi, special emphasis is being placed on the training of women and youth to enable them to develop new tourism products & experiences like heritage walks, food tours, craft tours, nature treks, homestay experiences, and other innovative tourism products based on the potential of the destination. It is also envisioned that locals leverage these skills to obtain gainful employment going forward as homestay owners, food & cuisine experience providers, cultural guides, natural guides, adventure guides, and other roles in tourism.

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Tourism-specific training is being followed by general training in digital literacy and digital tools to ensure that the experiences they create are discoverable and visible to tourists, nationally and globally. Since the pilot programme on 15 August, around 3,000 people have been trained in the six pilot destinations on the importance of creating a positive experience for tourists, thereby being a Paryatan Mitra.

The six tourist destinations across India are Orchha (Madhya Pradesh), Gandikota (Andhra Pradesh), Bodh Gaya (Bihar), Aizawl (Mizoram), Jodhpur (Rajasthan) and Sri Vijaya Puram (Andaman & Nicobar Islands).
Delhi Chief Minister Atishi on Saturday said that the Aam Aadmi Party will file a petition in the Supreme Court against the alleged illegal and unconstitutional election of the Standing Committee member conducted in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi.

The CM on Saturday hit out at the BJP, stating that the election conducted on Friday was unconstitutional and undemocratic, as the MCD Commissioner called a meeting on the orders of LG, while he has no such authority, she claimed.

She further called it a murder of democracy, as the presiding officer in the election was not the elected mayor or deputy mayor.

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Atishi said,Under Delhi Municipal Corporation Act 1957, many rules, laws and bylaws have been made by which the MCD is run, the most important of which is the Delhi Municipal Corporation Procedure and Conduct and Business Regulations 1958, that is, any action taken in the MCD will have to be done according to the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act and the regulations made under that Act, she added.

The CM emphasized that the power to decide the time, place and date of the house meeting is with the Mayor, who can only decide when the meeting of the corporation will be held, and its presiding officer will be the Mayor or Deputy Mayor, she added.

In a scathing attack on BJP, Delhi CM alleged that wherever the saffron party is unsure of winning elections, it tries to take the back door entry to form its government by overlooking the constitution and violating democratic process.

She dared the BJP to get the MCD dissolved and face AAP in elections to know as to what people actually want in the civic body, and which party they will elect to rule the corporation.

Meanwhile, the BJP won the last vacant seat of the corporations Standing Committee on Friday, after AAP and Congress councilors abstained from the election.
Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva on Saturday criticised Environment Minister Gopal Rai for praising Punjabs efforts to reduce crop burning, while claiming that the state has been reprimanded by the Supreme Court for failing to curb stubble burning, with over 800 incidents recorded in the past week alone.

Sachdeva further said that the central government provided Rs 3,333 crore last year, along with 1.5 lakh machines, to control pollution in Punjab, but these machines remain unused in warehouses.

The Delhi BJP chief questioned why these machines were not distributed among farmers to enable them to prevent pollution.

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He alleged that neither the Delhi government nor the Punjab government intends to reduce pollution or stop stubble burning even as the central government has proposed to use stubble as fuel in power plants in Panipat and Bathinda.

The saffron partys city unit chief claimed that approximately 2.5 million children in Delhi currently suffer from lung diseases, blaming the Delhi government for the negligence.

Sachdeva also criticised the AAP government for making grand announcements like 21-point pollution control projects every year without any tangible results on the ground.

He also asked the Delhi government how it plans to clean the large network of roads covered with dust, and how it manages to clear debris and sludge at intersections and drains, respectively.

Sachdeva also urged Gopal Rai to inform Delhi residents about the measures being taken to control vehicular pollution.

He also mentioned that under the central governments FAME II scheme, Delhi received 1,785 buses, and asked Kejriwal to explain how many electric buses his government has purchased.
Sardar Raja Iqbal Singh is a prominent politician in the Delhi BJP. He is Leader of Opposition in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD). Since he took over, he has been critical of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government and has raised issues concerning the people of the national capital.

He had served as the Mayor of the erstwhile North Delhi Municipal Corporation. In an interview with Santu Das of The Statesman, Singh talks about the political situation in Delhi following the resignation of Arvind Kejriwal from the post of Delhi Chief Minister, and BJPs preparations for the upcoming Assembly elections, due early next year.

Excerpts:

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Q: Atishi has taken over as the Chief Minister of Delhi following the resignation of Arvind Kejriwal. What are your expectations from her as the new CM?

A: I feel nothing will change because she was already a Minister in the Arvind Kejriwal-led government. She had not done any extraordinary work during Kejriwals tenure. Neither has she done anything good for schools (as an Education Minister) in the capital nor for the Delhi Jal Board (as a Water Minister). Her personality is belligerent and she will not do anything for the betterment of Delhi. So, nothing is going to be better in Delhi under her rule.

Q: AAP national Convenor Kejriwal held a Janta ki Adalat where he said he had resigned from the post of CM as he never had any greed for power, and had joined politics to serve the country. What is your take?

A: Arvind Kejriwals nautanki (drama) is known to everyone. People of Delhi are also aware of his drama. Earlier also he had done similar drama. Kejriwal does the opposite of what he says. He had said he wont avail government facilities, take security and was against VIP culture. He availed every facility. He made a sheesh mahal. He did not do anything for the public. His government (in Delhi) was the government of corruption. It was the most talked about government across the country.

Q: The AAP has been accusing BJP of leveling false allegations against its senior leaders in the alleged liquor scam. What would you like to say?

A: AAP is a party which is known for its drama headed by Kejriwal. BJP is fighting for the cause of the people of Delhi against the AAP government. Till all the accused are punished in the alleged liquor scam (in Delhi), we will continue our fight.

Q: How do you see the work of the AAP government as compared to the previous regime? What is the real reason for civic woes?

A: Kejriwal had not done any work for the people of Delhi. There was no development under his tenure. Contrary to that, works done under (former Delhi chief minister) Sheila Dikshit are still visible. Kejriwals every initiative, including Mohalla clinics, has failed. He had worked only to benefit his party leaders and workers. He had only minted money and lied to the public. That is his only achievement.

Q: Delhi Assembly elections are to be held within the next five months. How are the BJPs preparations for the polls and what are the issues that your party would take up in the elections?

A: BJP will try to live up to the expectations of the people of Delhi. Our main aim is to oust the corrupt AAP government in Delhi. Till, an honest government is formed in Delhi, there wont be any development in the capital. Because of the Union Territory, Delhi is dependent on the Central government. So, there should be better coordination with the Centre. AAP doesnt have good coordination with the Centre. Only BJP can develop Delhi with better coordination with the Centre under the leadership of Prime, Minister Narendra Modi. We will raise the issue of corruption of this government. All their MLAs are corrupt. The AAP government has failed to tackle the pollution issue in the nation. We will also raise this issue besides other issues concerning the public of the national capital. We will try to make Delhi corruption free.

Q: H ow many seats do you think the BJP will secure? Who is going to be the saffron partys chief ministerial candidate?

A: We will get an absolute majority and form the government. We will get more than 50 out of the 70 Assembly seats in Delhi.

Q: Being one of the prominent leaders of the Delhi BJP, will you also contest the Assembly elections?

A: We are all workers of the BJP. The party will decide who will contest. I will keep continuing my work for the party with dedication. Whatever role the party gives, I will work accordingly. It is not important for me whether I should contest the election, but it is important that BJP form the government in Delhi and work for the people of Delhi.

Q: Congress, which is a part of the INDIA bloc has been attacking the AAP government over different issues and accusing it of corruption. What is your take on this?

A: It is the AAP which ousted the Sheila Dikshit government in Delhi. The Congress is eyeing for its revival in Delhi. Congress should fight the elections solo. AAP will get below 20 seats and Congress will get four to five seats. We are confident that BJP will win this Assembly election
BJP leader Aparna Yadav, who is the vice-chairperson of Uttar Pradesh State Womens Commission, on Saturday, has demanded that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi should apologize to the nation for his statement on terming the consecration of Ram temple as a  Nach Gana programme.

It is very insulting to term such a big religious function as Nach Gana, she told media persons here.

Aparna Yadav, sister- in-law if Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav, questioned that there have been three Prime Ministers from his family, has any of them done such a thing?

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She alleged that Rahul Gandhi is trying to destroy the culture of the country.

Rahul Gandhi has raised questions many times that Dalits and tribals were not invited to the Pran Pratishtha program of Ram Temple. Even the President of the country was not invited.

Recently during election campaign in Haryana, Rahul Gandhi had again raised the issue with derogatory remark on the religious function.

Aparna Yadav said that Rahul Gandhi himself did not see this program and now he is raising questions. Prime Minister Narendra Modi showered flowers on the laborers who participated in the process of construction of Ram temple.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said the Congress will be rejected in the Haryana election in the same way as in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, as it is the countrys biggest party of cheats and dishonesty which makes promises and then tries to run away from them.

Addressing a rally in Hisar, PM Modi said the Congress made so many false promises in Himachal Pradesh, but after coming to power, it is running away from them. People are asking the party about its promises and the Congress replies who are you?

The Congress royal family spoke lies and landed people of the State in real trouble, Mr Modi said. Today the State government has no money to pay salaries and dearness allowance to its employees.

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The Prime Minister said wherever the Congress comes to power, there can be no stability. When a party cannot achieve unity among its leaders, how can it bring stability in a State, he said.

Mr Modi said there is fight in the Congress over who will be Chief Minister, if it wins in Haryana. Both father and son are laying claim. The two are trying to eliminate other claimants. Seeing this, people of the State are rejecting the Congress.

Some people who served the Congress in every possible way, want to know about their claims, the Prime Minister said. Every faction of the party is trying to outwit the other on every seat. The Congress does not welcome Dalits and backwards and hates the whole community because it knows the Dalits dont vote for them, Mr Modi said.

There were atrocities on Dalits during Congress rule, but the party kept quiet, he said. The Congress (party leader Rahul Gandhi) spoke in the US that it will end reservation for Dalits and backwards. The Dalit society cannot forget the atrocities under the Congress rule. Wherever I went, I saw that nobody welcomes the Congress, Mr Modi said.

The Congress spoke untruth on MSP also, he said. The truth is the BJP government in the State is buying 24 crops on MSP. In Congress States, only a couple of crops are bought on MSP. Can you trust such a government which cheats. Haryana trusts only BJP. In the last 10 years development has got pace in Haryana, he said.

Mr Modi said the State has got wide roads, five pairs of Vande Bharat trains are running. The Hansi-Rohtak line has been started and travel time for Rohtak has halved. The area is developing into a big commercial centre. Hissar airport will encourage new industry.

The BJP gave Mudra loans to Dalits without guarantee; Rs 6000 yearly under PM Kisan Nidhi to farmers, while the Hooda government of the Congress gave compensation of just Rs 2 only. The BJP ended the Congress system of jobs for youth on kharchi and parchi.

The Prime Minister told people that when the Congress talks of farmers welfare, they should ask its leaders about Karnataka, Telangana, Himachal Pradesh, where it is in power and what it is doing. They talk here but do not do anything in those States. Karnataka has Congress rule, hundreds of farmers have committed suicides. The Congress does not care for the lives of farmers, the Prime Minister said.

Todays Congress is under the control of urban naxals, he said. The Congress leaders go abroad and meet people who talk the language of Indias enemies. They speak what is liked by those opposed to Indias interests. Why are Congress policies liked by Pakistan, he asked.

The Congress says it wants to restore Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir; does it want to revive stone pelting there, PM said. The party wants the stone-pelting culprits released. Such a party like the Congress cannot expect love and affection from people in Haryana.

The Prime Minister said it is 28th September today. It was on the 28th night only India did the surgical strike, told Indias enemies that India will now enter homes and eliminate its enemies. The Congress wanted proof of surgical strikes and called the Chief of the Army Staff names. Will the country accept such a party, a party which denied the Army One Rank One Pension for decades.

As many as 1.50 lakh ex-servicemen in Haryana have got Rs 10,000 crores in their bank accounts under OROP, he said. At present, the biggest communal party in the country is the Congress, the Prime Minister said. For appeasement, the Congress is encouraging a mindset which allows attacks on women.

A Congress MLA said if Congress wins, people will have to leave their homes, Mr Modi said. The party is far away from power, but it is already thinking of committing atrocities on people, the Prime Minister said.
The CPI, a constituent in the ruling LDF, has upped the ante against Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan government, demanding the removal of ADGP, Law and Order, MR Ajith Kumar.

CPI Kerala secretary Binoy Viswam on Saturday said that M R Ajith Kumar is no longer eligible to continue as ADGP, Law and Order, and he should be removed from the position.

Speaking to media persons in Kottayam on Saturday, Binoy Viswam an officer who has RSS links can never be in charge of the law and order in an LDF government; he should be replaced.

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An ADGP in LDF-ruled Kerala should not have links with RSS. He met RSS leaders twice. So, the CPI has taken a firm stand to call for Ajith Kumars removal from the post, Binoy Viswam said.

ADGP Ajith Kumar held talks with prominent RSS leaders not once, but on two occasions. Nobody knows the purpose of the talks. This can never be approved. Just for these reasons the stand of the CPI for replacing the officer remains unchanged, he said.

At the same time Binoy Viswam condemned the CPI-M protest against MLA PV Anvar issuing threats.

On Friday, during a protest march, the CPI-M workers allegedly issued a death threat against PV Anvar and allegedly declared that they would chop off the MLAs hands and legs, if the party secretary MV Govindan gives an order.

Responding to this, Binoy Viswam said that hacking someone is not a Communist policy.

Ideologies are opposed using ideologies only. PI is sure about the strength of this ideology, he said.

The Kerala government on Wednesday ordered a probe into the controversial secret meeting of Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) M R Ajith Kumar with top RSS leaders. A team led by DGP Sheikh Darvesh Saheb will carry out the probe.

ADGP Ajith Kumar met two national leaders of RSS on two separate occassions, reportedly accompanied by state RSS leaders.

It is alleged that ADGP Ajith Kumar met RSS general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale at an RSS camp held in Thrissur in May 2023.

Later, the ADGP reportedly met RSS leader Ram Madhav at a conclave organized by a national media in Kovalam on June 2.
In a sharp rebuttal to Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharifs speech at the United Nations General assembly, New Delhi has made it clear to the neighbouring country that cross-border terrorism against India will inevitably invite consequences.

Pakistan has long employed cross-border terrorism as a weapon against its neighbours. It has attacked our Parliament, our financial capital Mumbai, market places and pilgrimage routes. The list is long. For such a country to speak about violence anywhere is hypocrisy at its worst, India diplomat Bhavika Mangalanandan said as India exercised its Right of Reply to the comments made by Mr Sharif in his speech.

Noting that the UNGA witnessed a travesty when Mr Sharif addressed the world body, she said it is surprising that a country, run by the military, with a global reputation for terrorism, narcotics trade and transnational crime has had the audacity to attack the worlds largest democracy.

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Ms Mangalanandan, First Secretary at the Permanent Mission of India to the UN, said it is even more extraordinary for a country with a history of rigged elections to talk about political choices, that too in a democracy. The real truth is that Pakistan covets our territory. And in fact, has continuously used terrorism to disrupt elections in Jammu and Kashmir, an inalienable and integral part of India, she added.

Noting that a reference was made to some proposal of strategic restraint by Mr Sharif, she said there can be no compact with terrorism.  It is ridiculous that a nation that committed genocide in 1971 and which persecutes its minorities relentlessly even now dare speak about intolerance and phobias. The world can see for itself what Pakistan really is, she added.

The Indian diplomat said Pakistan had for long hosted global terrorist Osama Bin Laden and said it is a country whose fingerprints are on so many terrorist incidents across the world.

Earlier Mr Sharif, in his speech, said India should reverse the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir and enter into a dialogue with Pakistan for peaceful resolution of the Kashmir issue.

Let me state in no uncertain terms, Pakistan will respond most decisively to any Indian aggression, therefore, to secure durable peace, India must reverse the unilateral and illegal measures it has taken since 5th of August 2019 and enter into a dialogue for a peaceful resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute in accordance with the UN Security resolutions and the wishes of the Kashmiri people, he claimed.

Mr Sharif claimed that India was engaged in massive expansion of its military capabilities, which are essentially deployed against Pakistan.

It (India) has engaged in massive expansion of its military capabilities, which are essentially deployed against Pakistan. Its war doctrines envisage a surprise attack and a limited war under the nuclear overhang. Thoughtlessly, India spurned Pakistans proposals for a mutual strategic restraint to the regime. Its leadership has often threatened to cross the line of control and take over Azad Kashmir, he said.

The Pakistani leader said, Instead of moving towards peace, India has resiled from its commitments to implement the Security Council resolutions on Jammu and Kashmir. These resolutions mandate the people of Jammu and Kashmir to exercise their fundamental right to self-determination. Since 5th August 2019, India has initiated unilateral illegal steps to impose what its leaders honestly call a final solution for Jammu and Kashmir.
India on Friday strongly criticized Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif over his remarks on Kashmir during the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), calling it hypocrisy at its worst.

India pointed out that Pakistan, a country with a long history of employing cross-border terrorism against its neighbors, was lecturing on violence. While delivering Indias Right to Reply at the ongoing UNGA session, the countrys First Secretary to the UN, Bhavika Mangalanandan, said, Pakistan has long employed cross-border terrorism as a weapon against its neighbors It (Pakistan) has attacked our parliament, our financial capital Mumbai, marketplaces, and pilgrimage routes. The list is long.

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Continuing, she said, For such a country to speak about violence anywhere is hypocrisy at its worst. It is even more extraordinary for a country with a history of rigged elections to talk about political choices, especially in a democracy. The Indian diplomat described it as a travesty that a nation run by its military, with a global reputation for terrorism, dared to criticise the worlds largest democracy. She also condemned Pakistan for using terrorism to disrupt elections in Jammu and Kashmir, reiterating that the region is an inalienable and integral part of India.

The truth is that Pakistan covets our territory and has continuously used terrorism to disrupt elections in Jammu and Kashmir, an inalienable and integral part of India. A reference has been made to some proposals of strategic restraint, she said.This assembly regrettably witnessed a travesty this morning. A country run by the military, with a global reputation for terrorism, narcotics trade, and transnational crime, has had the audacity to attack the worlds largest democracy, she remarked.

Her strong rebuttal came in response to Pakistan PMs call to raise the Kashmir issue at the UNGA. Sharif urged India to reverse the abrogation of Article 370 and demanded that New Delhi engage in dialogue with Islamabad for the peaceful resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir issue.

Let me state in no uncertain terms, Pakistan will respond most decisively to any Indian aggression. Therefore, to secure durable peace, India must reverse the unilateral and illegal measures it has taken since August 5, 2019, and enter into a dialogue for the peaceful resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute, in accordance with UN Security Council resolutions and the wishes of the Kashmiri people, said.
Harris walks fence at US-Mexico border as she works to project tougher stance on migration

Vice President Kamala Harris has used her first visit to the U.S.-Mexico border since becoming the Democratic presidential nominee to try to project a tougher stance on illegal migration
Members of the trust of a famous temple in Sehore district of Madhya Pradesh have submitted a memorandum to the Collector demanding immediate ban on the sale of laddus in packets with the temples logo, stating that the trust has not authorised the usage of the logo.

The trust Members of Salkanpur Temple in Sehore district have submitted the complaint against a group of women that sells the laddus as the temple prasad.

According to the trust Chairman Mahesh Upadhyay, they have received complaints from devotees about the quality of the laddus being sold as prasad by a women self-help group in the temple premises.

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Upadhyay said they have demanded the Sehore Collector to order immediate ban on the use of the temple logo on the prasad packets and also on the sale of the laddus. He alleged that the quality of the laddus has not been tested by any lab.

The Salkanpur Temple, situated on a hillock, is a very famous temple of Hindu deity Vindhayvasini Bijasan Devi, considered an incarnation of Goddess Durga.
The Centre on Saturday claimed that it has unveiled a series of groundbreaking initiatives designed to strengthen the nations healthcare and education sectors in the 100 days of the Modi government during its third term.

These ambitious programmes focus on improving healthcare accessibility, medical education, research, and technological advancement. From expanding the benefits of Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) to senior citizens, to launching innovative platforms like the U-WIN Portal for digitized vaccination services, the government has prioritised building a healthier and better-educated society. Also, initiatives like the establishment of the National Medical Register Portal, the creation of 75,000 new medical seats, and policy reforms in cancer treatment and biotechnology reflect a long-term vision to create a self-reliant and resilient nation.

The Union Cabinet approved the health coverage to all the senior citizens aged 70 years and above irrespective of income under the flagship scheme Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) on September 11, 2024. This initiative aims to benefit approximately 4.5 Crore families with six crore senior citizens with 5 Lakh rupees free health insurance cover on a family basis.

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The U-WIN Portal, developed for the complete digitisation of vaccination services, maintains vaccination records for pregnant women and children from birth to 17 years under the Universal Immunization Programme. The citizen-centric services of the digital platform include Anytime Access and Anywhere vaccination services, self-registration by citizens using the U-WIN web-portal or the U-WIN citizen mobile application, automated SMS alerts, universal QR-based eVaccination Certificate and utility to create their Ayushman Bharat Health Account (ABHA) ID for themselves and Child ABHA ID for their children.

The National Medical Register (NMR) Portal of the National Medical Commission (NMC) was introduced for registration of all the MBBS doctors who are eligible for practice in India. Three cancer medicines were exempted from customs duty, benefiting 27 lakh cancer patients in the country. The three cancer drugs namely Trastuzumab Deruxtecan (Breast Cancer), Osimertinib (Lung Cancer) and Durvalumab (Lung Cancer and Biliary Tract Cancer) are used for different tumor types. The custom duty rates on X-ray tubes and flat panel detectors were also revised. These revised rates are expected to positively impact the X-ray machine industry by enhancing component availability at lower costs. This change is anticipated to boost the domestic medical device sector, contribute to component availability at lower costs and reduced healthcare costs, making advanced medical imaging more accessible and affordable.

Aiming to further strengthen Indias healthcare system, the government also announced the creation of 75,000 new medical seats over the next five years. This aims to enhance the countrys medical education capacity and address the growing demand for healthcare professionals.

The Prime Minister inaugurated the new campus of Nalanda University at Rajgir, Bihar on June 19, 2024. The University is conceived as a collaboration between India and East Asia Summit (EAS) countries.

The Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) was established with Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) Act 2023. It aims to seed, grow and promote research and development (R&D) and foster a culture of research and innovation throughout Indias universities, colleges, research institutions, and R&D laboratories. Vigyan Dhara is another comprehensive scheme introduced to promote scientific research, innovation, and technological development. This unified approach aims to strengthen the countrys Science, Technology, and Innovation (STI) ecosystem and contribute to Indias overall development.

The governments recent initiatives, launched in the early days of PM Modis third term, underscore a commitment to building a robust healthcare and education system that meets the needs of an evolving society, an official release said.
Predicting a BJP government with absolute majority for the first time in Jammu and Kashmir, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said that the heavy voting in the first two phases has indicated that the mood of the people was in favour of the BJP.

Addressing a largely attended poll rally here ahead of the third and final phase of voting for 40 assembly seats on October 1, the PM said the people want peace and a better future for their children, and that is the reason they want a BJP government in J&K.

There has been a strong turnout in favour of the BJP in both phases. Now, we will witness formation of BJPs first government with an absolute majority in J&K, the PM said.

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He further said that the results of J& K Assembly elections will be declared on October 8 during the auspicious Navratri.

This time Vijayadashami will be an auspicious beginning for all of us. Be it Jammu, Samba or Kathua, only one slogan is echoing everywhere and that is of bringing BJP into power in J&K, he declared.

In this election, people are scripting a new chapter. For decades, only Congress, National Conference, and PDP leaders and their families thrived here, while you faced destruction. The Congress party is primarily responsible for the destruction of our generations, he said.

The Prime Minister also said that the people of Jammu never had this opportunity before, and for the first time, a government of the peoples choice of Jammu is going to be formed. This is the city of temples, and do not let this opportunity go out of your hands.

Jammu has suffered gross indiscrimination at the hands of the Congress, National Conference and PDP, and BJP will remove that discrimination, he said, adding, I am filled with a great feeling of patriotism when I visit Jammu. Maharaja Hari Singh, Mehr Chand Mahajan and Pandit Prem Nath Dogra have been produced by this land. Today is also the birth anniversary of Martyr Bhagat Singh, I salute his martyrdom.

Lashing out at the Congress, the PM said Todays Congress is completely in the clutches of urban Naxals. When infiltrators come here from abroad, Congress seems to welcome them, seeing them as part of their vote bank, while mocking the pain of their own people. Congress, the National Conference, and PDP are the biggest enemies of the Constitution drafted by Baba Sahib Ambedkar.

We gave voting rights in assembly elections to the Balmikis and West Pakistani Refugees who were denied this for the past 75 years by the dynastic parties. We have reserved six seats in the assembly for the scheduled tribes.

Modi said remember that time when bullets were fired from Pakistan and the Congress used to wave white flags. When the BJP government responded to the bullets with shells, the people on that side came to their senses.

On this day in the year 2016, on the night of 28th September, a surgical strike was carried out that sent a message that the BJP government will enter their houses to eliminate terrorists.

You must never forget the Congress partys attitude. Congress is the party that demanded evidence of the surgical strikes from our Army. Congress is the party that still speaks the language of Pakistan regarding the surgical strikes, Modi added.
Patanjalis advanced soil testing machine, Dharti Ka Doctor, developed under the leadership of Yoga Baba Ramdev, has been officially certified by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) through its Central Soil Salinity Research Institute (CSSRI). On this occasion, Baba Ramdev stated that Dharti Ka Doctor is a state-of-the-art soil testing machine that allows for precise soil analysis, yielding results at low cost and in a short time.

He emphasized that the indiscriminate use of chemicals is making agricultural land, which provides food and medicine, barren. Timely testing with this machine can rectify the issue. He further stated that this soil testing machine would prove to be extremely beneficial in our commitment to doubling farmers income.

Acharya Balkrishna mentioned that the Dharti Ka Doctor machine tests 12 essential parameters of soil health, including primary nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, along with secondary nutrients like boron, iron, zinc, copper, and manganese. This machine has received patents and CE certification from the Government of India.

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He stated that it is developed by Patanjalis scientists after extensive research and offers the best possible solutions for farmers. Acharya further added that the machine is very easy to use and can provide chemical, organic, and mixed types of fertilizer recommendations according to the specific crop.

Dr. Rajendra Kumar Yadav, Director of the Central Soil Salinity Research Institute, remarked that Dharti Ka Doctor will be a highly useful machine for the farmers of the country and for the Government of Indias soil health initiative. He pointed out that our health is linked to the health of the Earth, and soil health is determined by 12 parameters that assess soil quality. Our team conducted thorough testing of this machine and found it to be the first of its kind in the country, capable of accurately testing all 12 parameters.

On this occasion, Dr. Arvind Kumar Rai, Head Scientist and Head of the Department at the Central Soil Salinity Research Institute, along with Dr. Ashok Kumar Mehta from Patanjali, Dr. Rishi Kumar, from Bharuwa Agri Science, and other prominent scientists including Vikrant Verma, Hemant Tyagi, and Dr Ashutosh Gupta were present.
Lamenting the fact that a poor person does not get the same access to justice as a rich person, President Droupadi Murmu on Saturday said this unfair situation must change for the better. She urged young legal professionals to be the agents of change. The President was addressing the 21st convocation of NALSAR University of Law at Hyderabad.

Our Constitution contains the ideals of our freedom struggle: justice, liberty, equality and fraternity. The ideal of equality, enshrined in the Preamble and Fundamental Rights, also finds expression in one of the Directive Principles of State Policy concerning justice delivery. The Directive seeks to provide equal justice and free legal aid. It makes the State responsible to ensure that opportunities for securing justice are not denied to any citizen by reason of economic or other disabilities, President Murmu noted.

She told the students that as advocates, they would have a duty to assist the court in dispensing justice, apart from taking care of the interests of their clients. She stated that whatever role they choose as a legal professionals, they should always stick to the values of integrity and courage. Speaking truth to power makes them more powerful, she added.

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The President was happy to note that NALSAR has taken the lead in several areas. Appreciating the efforts of NALSAR in taking care of issues concerning disability, access to justice, prison and juvenile justice, and legal aid, she was also happy to note that NALSAR has set up an Animal Law Centre. She said that the younger generation is expected to protect animals and birds, trees and water-bodies as necessities for the well-being of humanity and NALSARs Animal Law Centre is a good step in that direction.

She also said that every segment of society is a stakeholder in promoting the safety of women. She urged NALSAR, including its alumni, to enlist the support of all stakeholders and help in setting up a nationwide network of women advocates and law students. The President expressed confidence that this network will work with the mandate to make concerted efforts to prevent atrocities against women and deal with cases of such atrocities.
Senior Samajwadi Party leader and Lok Sabha member from Ghosi seat Rajeev Rai has alleged threat to his life and claimed that he is continuously receiving threats.

Threats were received several times even before the Lok Sabha elections. I informed the police but no cognizance was taken. On September 20, 2024, I again received a threat over the phone. This time the call had come from a Pakistani number but from the language and manner of conversation it seemed that the caller was calling from India. He told his name as Vijay and while speaking in Hindi, threatened that your days are over, the Ghosi MP told media persons here on Saturday.

He has demanded that the government to seriously investigate the matter and take action.

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Rai said that this government makes many claims about the security of the people but as long as he kept complaining as a common citizen, the police did not take any cognizance. He expressed concern for his safety.

The SP MP said that in the past too, he had received Y-category security before 2017 on the basis of intelligence input, but the security was removed as soon as the BJP government came to power in the state.

He said that one should not play with anyones security for political reasons. In view of this, if any untoward incident happens then the police administration and the state government will be held accountable for it.

He said that he has also written a letter to the Union Home Minister regarding the issue of threats received recently and will appeal wherever necessary regarding the investigation of this matter.
Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal stated on Saturday that Uttar Pradesh has emerged as a model of multifaceted development under Chief Minister Yogi Adityanaths leadership, significantly contributing to Indias status as the fastest-growing economy in the world.

Speaking as the chief guest at the trade shows valedictory ceremony, Goyal said, The success of this trade show showcases Uttar Pradeshs increasing strength.

The Union Minister stated that the influx of buyers expressing interest in the products will elevate the countrys industrial development to new heights.

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He emphasised the state governments commitment to skill development, stating that the rise in skilled employment is benefiting entrepreneurs. The effective implementation of central schemes by the Yogi government is also noteworthy, he added.

Goyal further pointed out that the states focus on skill development, improving the ease of doing business and developing smart cities has made Uttar Pradesh a source of pride for the nation.

During the event, Rakesh Sachan, the Minister for Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises, Khadi and Village Industries, Handloom and Textiles for the Government of Uttar Pradesh, remarked that the current atmosphere in the state is attracting investors.

He stated, In 2017, exports stood at just Rs 88,000 crore, but today that figure has more than doubled. The government has set an ambitious target of reaching Rs 3 lakh crore in exports within the next two years. This growth is driven by MSMEs and the One District One Product (ODOP) initiative. Under Yogi jis leadership, the state is creating new avenues for development across all sectors, including law and order, infrastructure, rail connectivity, and new airports.

He added that the policies implemented by the state government in 2022 will undoubtedly benefit entrepreneurs, positioning Uttar Pradesh as both an Udyam Pradesh and Uttam Pradesh, with the aim of achieving a $1 trillion economy by 2025.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has warned that the world is facing a pivotal moment and business as usual could lead to a breakdown of the world order. The world must heed his warning. Even though we are not in the midst of a World War, what we have is a world at war. The post-fascist universe is expanding. Democracies too are facing a crisis of electoral legitimacy. Historian Anne Applebaum and British journalist and author Peter Pomerantsev argue that the end of democracy has already begun. The world order that has largely kept relative peace and stability is under threat.

Footloose capitalism has given way to what former Greek finance minister Yanis Varoufakis calls technofeudalism. Apple, Facebook and Amazon, he contends, have changed the economy beyond recognition. It now resembles Europes medieval feudal system. To Varoufakis, the tech giants are the lords, while everyone else is a peasant, working their land for not much in return When the technological future becomes unpredictable, policy makers drive in the dark. The rules-based world order is constantly fragmenting. Today, there are multiple tipping points in international politics and global development. Multipolarity has increased but multilateralism has decreased.

How do we describe the global order? Is it multipolar? There are some who argue that we are now living in a multimatrixed world. Amitabh Acharya of American University, Washington, asserts that the existing world order is not multipolar but multiplex. Acharya defines the world order in terms of multiplexity. Multiplex world has four characteristics. First, there is no global hegemony by one or small group of countries. Second, interdependence encompasses governance, sustainable development, security and connectivity. Third, it contains a multilateral global governance architecture. Fourth, cultural, ideological and political diversity ensure peace and stability.

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Humanity is facing multiple challenges and multiple risks. These risks ~ climate crisis-related and unregulated technological advances ~ are interacting with geopolitics in increasingly unpredictable ways. The ever-widening gulf bet ween the rich and the rest isnt accidental. Governments world wide are making deliberate political choices that enable and en courage this distorted concentration of wealth, while hundreds of millions of people live in poverty. A fairer economy is possible, one that works for us all. What is needed are concerted policies that deliver fairer taxation and support for everyone, not just the privileged. There is another concern. The world has become transactional and less ideological. It prioritises development, partnerships and coalition building but not human rights and democracy, etc. An epochal tectonic shift is on the horizon. German Chancellor Olaf Scholtz calls itzeitenwende (historical turning point).

China and India are not the only ones to assert themselves on the world stage. There are many powers who are positioning themselves for a bigger role. As Sergey Radchenko, a historian of the cold war, says, We are moving more in the direction of diffuse centres of power. The two blocs system is not acceptable to most. Another analyst describes this shift as a coming of age process of development. It means attainment of prominence and what is being increasingly used as actorness in the context of the EUs international functioning. Are we witnessing cold war 2.0? The world looks more like the 1930s. American historian Paul N Hehn called that period a low dishonest decade which triggered conflict and uncertainty. Economic forces are again reshaping many basic relationships. The rise of tech giants has created many new challenges.

Elon Musk has warned that there will come a point where no job would be needed. One doesnt know whether to laugh or cry when AI godfather Geoffrey Hinton advises us to get a job in plumbing. Such alar mism steers us away from both an egalitarian and libertarian dream. The Global South faces its own set of challenges. The old matrix of donor-recipient relationships is no more relevant. No donor only gives and no recipient only receives. Given the AI onslaught, no institution will be future safe. Over-connectedness poses multiple challenges. What disaster researchers call a tightly coupled system is true of diplomacy and multilateral relations. Multilateralism is a means to an end, but it is also an end in itself. Multilateralism fa ces serious threats. Those who are attacking multilateralism today were the ones who created these institutions.

Only through multilateralism, can slowing global economic growth, recurring global financial crises and growing inequality be addressed. The world needs a new multilateralism which is shared prosperity. Multilateralism alone provides the political impetus for global cooperation and comprehensive dialogue which is the pragmatic template for enhancing global governance. The Global South is also divided. Various regional platforms hold discussions in separate bubbles. As a matter of fact, spaces for true dialogue and cooperation are narrowing by the day. For example, the fierce competition among countries to join the BRICS poses a new set of problems. If you oppose a countrys entry, you may be prepared to face its consequences bilaterally. We need an army of ideas.

The Global South needs a radical manifesto for our time. Building a new world order requires not merely diplomacy or strategic allies but a blueprint for a new world ~ climate, future of work, migration, AI etc. Another agenda should be the future of food; what we eat, where it comes from and how we get it needs to be re-imagined. We need a new world order which will prioritise the challenges of shared prosperity and the policies that could bring about a more inclusive economy. The Global South must create institutions and mechanisms that will ensure technologies benefit all and reduce the gap between emerging and developed economies. We are living in a poly-crisis.

The world is facing the ssimultaneous and overlapping crises concurrently. The Global South has a world to win. The enormity of the task requires even bigger ideas, strategies and traction. No more nibbling around the edge. It is time to seize the moment. The Global South needs to reimagine our world and reimagine world organisations. It needs to be compos mentis, able to think clearly. It must also become a geographical disruptor. At pivotal moments, not just poets and philosophers but also organisations and institutions must invent the age and invent the metaphor.

(The writer is director, Institute of Social Sciences, Delhi)
The decision by India to invite foreign diplomats to observe the elections in Jammu and Kashmir marks a strategic shift in New Delhis approach to the region. After five years of significant political changes, including the revocation of its semi-autonomous status, this move appears to be a clear attempt to showcase normalcy and democratic governance in a region often seen through the lens of conflict and unrest. The elections, the first since 2014, are not just a domestic affair ~ they hold international significance, particularly in light of Indias territorial dispute with Pakistan and the regions history of insurgency.

For India, allowing foreign diplomats from 15 countries to witness the electoral process is both a diplomatic and symbolic gesture. The international community has frequently raised concerns about the human rights situation in Jammu and Kashmir, especially following the 2019 decision to revoke Article 370, which granted special status to the region. By showcasing a peaceful and organised election, New Delhi seeks to address these concerns head-on and present Kashmir as a region moving towards stability and development under its governance. This decision also fits into a broader pattern of increasing international engagement in Kashmir. Hosting diplomats is not an isolated event; it follows the high-profile G20 tourism meeting held in the region last year.

These steps indicate that India is keen on projecting an image of Kashmir as a key part of its national fabric, rather than a region in turmoil. By allowing diplomats to witness the election, India seeks to counter international narratives that might be overly focused on the conflict and highlight that democratic processes are alive and functioning in the valley. But the invitation to observe elections in a region that has been at the heart of Indias internal policy raises questions about the timing and necessity of such a move. Critics argue that the involvement of foreign observers in domestic electoral processes can be contradictory. Historically, India has asserted that Jammu and Kashmir is an internal issue, resisting any international interference.

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This sudden openness to foreign observation may be perceived as inconsistent with that stance. Moreover, opposition figures from within the region have pointed out that there is no need for external validation of Indian elections, which are robust and well regarded globally. Despite these criticisms, it is essential to recognise the delicate balance the government is attempting to strike. On the one hand, India seeks to assure its citizens and international partners that the democratic process in Kashmir is functioning. On the other hand, it aims to underline its sovereignty by showing that these elections are entirely an Indian affair, even if foreign diplomats are present as observers.

The situation in Kashmir remains complex, but voter turnout seen in two phases, so far, signals that many in the region are willing to engage in the democratic process. Whether it succeeds in changing perceptions or not, it reflects Indias determination to present itself as a nation that upholds democracy, even in its most sensitive region.
Hezbollahs top leader Hassan Nasrallah has been killed in Israeli air strikes in Beirut on Friday night, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed on Saturday.

Hassan Nasrallah will no longer be able to terrorize the world, the IDF said in a post on X.

According to a report by Times of Israel, the Israeli Air Force struck Hezbollahs main headquarters in Beirut, with Nasrallah believed to have been at the command center at the time of the air strike.

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Quoting a government official, the Israeli English daily said it was very hard to imagine Nasrallah surviving a strike of such magnitude.

Israeli officials had suspected that Nasrallah was in the bunker that was hit by the IAF, and they believed anyone inside would hardly survive.

The IDF has now officially confirmed that Hassan Nasrallah was killed in the airstrike.

Additionally, the strikes also reportedly claimed the life of Nasrallahs daughter, Zainab. Another Israeli media outlet reported that Zainab was among the dead in the airstrikes targeting her father.

Hezbollah is yet to confirm or deny the reports of its leaders death.
Though thwarted well before the assailant could get off a shot, reports of a second attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump caused quite the shock, even if it did not make for a complete surprise.
Supporters of imprisoned former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan held a protest demanding his freedom on Friday while Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif was speaking inside the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).

Gathering behind a huge flag with a picture of Khan, the participants in the protest organised by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) sympathisers demanded Khans release and an end to crackdown on the opposition.

Separated from them by a group of yellow-clad anti-Beijing regime protesters from the Falun Gong movement, a bigger group gathered to show their support to Muhammad Yunus, the de facto prime minister of Bangladesh.

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Wearing teeshirts proclaiming their allegiance to the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, they waved Bangladesh flags and held aloft posters with pictures of the partys leader Khaleda Zia and Yunus welcoming the interim leader.

Sharif spoke before Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, launching a vicious attack on him and his country.

Sharifs motorcade took a route far from the protesters, which he could not see.

Bhutans Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay and Yunus spoke later in the morning session.

Imran Khan is in prison after his conviction on corruption and state secrets violation charges.

Several members of his party are also in detention, either convicted, on trial or as a preventive measure.

Imran Khan was banned from contesting the February elections. The protesters demanded scrapping the election results as it was rigged.


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Members of the Colorado Supreme Court took comments on Tuesday about proposed changes to the rules governing magistrates, where they heard that the attempt to streamline protocols still presents challenges for litigants and for the trial judges who review magistrate decisions.
Veteran Malayalam actor-director Balachandra Menon accused a female actor and her lawyer of threatening him with bogus sexual assault allegations. The 70-year-old Mollywood icon filed a complaint against the duo with the Kerala DGP and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Saturday.



In light of the release of the Hema Committee report, several Malayalam movie artists were accused of sexual misconduct by their female colleagues. A woman had accused Balachandra Menon of similar offences in a Facebook post recently. It is the same actor against whom the National Award winner has now filed the complaint. Menon claimed that the social media post naming him was published on September 14, Saturday, a day after he received the call from the advocate.

What did Balachandra Menon say?

According to Menon, ahead of the female artist accusing him of misconduct via Facebook, her lawyer had made contact. Calling on the personal number of Balachandra Menon's wife, the lawyer threatened him, the actor alleged.

"Her lawyer threatened me over the phone that three allegations of sexual misconduct would be made against me very soon. He called me on my wife's number on September 13. The following day, the actor made a Facebook post against me," Balachandra Menon was quoted as saying in the complaint by Manorama Online.

The director of noted films like 'Kuruppinte Kanakku Pustakom', 'Ammayane Sathyam' and 'Arante Mulla Kochu Mulla' included the call details in his complaints, the daily added.

Mollywood #MeToo movement

Multiple FIRs have been registered against several high-profile Malayalam film personalities following allegations of sexual harassment against various directors and actors, sparked by revelations in the Justice K Hema Committee report. The list includes two-time MLA Mukesh, senior actor Siddique, Jayasurya and director Ranjith, among others.
The Mumbai police has summoned the technical head and CEO of ticketing platform BookMyShow over investigation into alleged black marketing of much anticipated Coldplay concert tickets in Mumbai. Police have initiated the probe based on the complaint of a Mumbai-based lawyer.



The Economic Offences Wing of Mumbai police will reportedly record the statements of BookMyShow chief executive officer and co-founder Ashish Hemrajani and the company's technical head on Saturday. The advocate alleged the platform facilitated black marketing of the concert tickets, scheduled to be held at DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai on January 18-21 next year.

A senior police officer told PTI, Based on the complaint a preliminary enquiry has begun. The CEO and co-founder of BookMyShow Ashish Hemrajani along with the company's technical head have been summoned. Their statements will be recorded on Saturday."

British band Coldplay added a third show to the Mumbai leg of the "Music of the Spheres World Tour 2025" due to the phenomenal response in India.

Due to phenomenal demand, a third Mumbai date has been added at DY Patil Stadium for 21 January, 2025. Tickets on sale at 2PM IST today, at https://t.co/4CTfg2kbGU pic.twitter.com/ScYDrRkDIc  Coldplay (@coldplay) September 22, 2024

The tickets for the Coldplay concert were sold out within minutes of opening the booking. While the original ticket prices ranged between Rs 2,500 and Rs 35,000, they were resold for exorbitant prices on a few reselling platforms. In a post on X on Tuesday, BookMyShow said they had no association with ticket reselling platforms and ticket scalping was punishable under law.

We have filed a complaint with police authorities and will provide complete support to them in the investigation of this matter. Any tickets bought from unauthorised sources will be at the risk of the consumer, and can turn out to be fake tickets, it said.

Meanwhile, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Anand Dubey wrote to Chief Minister Eknath Shinde demanding a probe into alleged black market sale of the tickets. Dubey alleged despite the official ticketing partner BookMyShow declaring the show being sold out, there were other "unofficial channels" through which the tickets were being made available at "exorbitant prices, ANI reported.
Delhi Chief Minister Atishi accused the BJP on Saturday of "murdering" democracy and claimed that the election of a member of the MCD's standing committee was "illegal and unconstitutional".

At a press conference here, Atishi said the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) will approach the Supreme Court against the election held on Friday.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won the vacant seat of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi's (MCD) 18-member standing committee unopposed as the councillors of the ruling AAP abstained from voting.

Atishi dared the BJP to get the MCD dissolved and face the AAP in an election to see who according to people should rule the civic body.

"The country runs by the Constitution and laws, not by hooliganism. So the BJP should stop murdering democracy," she said, adding that the standing committee member's election was held in violation of the Delhi Municipal Corporation (DMC) Act, 1957.

According to rules, only the mayor can decide the date and place for the election of the MCD standing committee members. Only the mayor can preside over a meeting of the MCD councillors for the election, the chief minister said.

"Flouting democracy, Constitution and laws, and on the lieutenant governor's instructions, the election of the standing committee member was conducted by making an additional commissioner of the MCD the presiding officer instead of the mayor," she claimed.

The BJP has no regard for the Constitution or rules and regulations and it is not bothered about ripping off democracy, Atishi alleged.

"The LG or the officers do not have the power to call a meeting of the House, yet the LG gave the order, the commissioner obeyed it and called a meeting of the corporation for the election. And instead of the elected mayor, an IAS officer became the presiding officer," she said.

Reacting to Atishi's allegations, Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva said the chief minister's remarks were "completely driven by political self-interest" and aimed at spreading "confusion".

"Atishi should know that under section 45 of the DMC Act, the formation of the standing committee is mandatory. Under section 487, the LG and the municipal commissioner have the authority to convene a meeting of the corporation under special circumstances and they can appoint a presiding officer for the meeting," Sachdeva said.

He added that Atishi should also explain why the AAP is not allowing the appointment of a Dalit mayor in the MCD in the third year of its tenure, as mandated by the DMC Act.

"She is attempting to divert public attention from the AAP's loss in the standing committee election and the lack of unity among the party's councillors," Sachdeva said.

The BJP leader claimed that the AAP did not even want the standing committee election to be held. The election took place only due to a Supreme Court order passed on August 5 and pressure from the Delhi High Court, Sachdeva claimed.

The chief minister should explain why the MCD had, in an affidavit, assured the high court that the process of constituting the standing committee would be completed by the last week of September, he said.

The municipal commissioner and the mayor called a meeting on September 26 for the election of the standing committee member. However, under "pressure" from AAP leaders, the mayor postponed the meeting to October 5, which is a direct violation of the affidavit given to the high court, Sachdeva said.
Three Army personnel and ASP Kulgam were injured in a gunfight with terrorists during an encounter in Jammu and Kashmir's Kulgam district, local media reported.

Following specific intelligence inputs about terrorists hiding in Adigam Devsar, the security forces began the encounter on Saturday morning. Two terrorists are believed to be trapped during the search and cordon operation, which began in Adigam Devsar area of the district.

This comes a day after Jammu and Kashmir police arrested six terrorist associates in Pulwama. Arms and ammunition were recovered from them.

The arrests came after police received tipoff that a a Pakistan-based Kashmiri terrorist belonging to Jaish-e-Mohammad was recruiting youths who were motivated to join its ranks.

Some of these youths, who were part of this module, were from Tral area of Awantipura and Kulgam, said officials. They were given pistols, grenades, IEDs and other explosives to commit terror attacks with the help of an over-ground worker (OGW) in jail.

In order to join the terror ranks, these youth were told to carry out terror attacks by resorting to target killing, detonating IEDs or hurling grenades in public places, on security forces and non-local labourers.

The seized arms and ammunition include five IEDs with remotes, 30 detonators, 17 IED batteries, two pistols, three pistol magazines, 25 live pistol rounds and four hand grenades. Rs 20,000 in cash was also recovered.
Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar on Saturday expressed his concern over the urban voter apathy and said efforts are being made to ensure maximum polling in the ensuing Maharashtra assembly elections.



Addressing a press conference in Mumbai after reviewing poll preparedness for the Maharashtra assembly elections, Kumar singled out areas like Colaba and Kalyan in and around Mumbai which recorded among the lowest voter turnout in the Lok Sabha polls held this year.

Daily wage earners and others in the unorganised sector should be informed by the administration that voting day will be a paid holiday for them, he said. Our effort will be to ensure that there is maximum enrolment and voting in Maharashtra assembly elections, he said.

We have asked the Maharashtra government to shift officials who have served in their home district or current posting for over three years, Kumar said, adding he has asked for a compliance report for the same in the next couple of days. The CEC said it is the right of voters to know if any candidate has a criminal background.

The political parties should also inform people of reasons for fielding such candidates, he added. There will be checking of all helicopters (during electioneering) to ensure inducement-free assembly elections in Maharashtra, he said. Wrapping up his two-day visit to the state, Kumar said those spreading fake news and using deep fake tech on social media ahead of Maharashtra polls will be dealt with sternly. Kumar also said it is the right of voters to know if any candidate has a criminal background.

In such cases, political parties should also inform the voters about their inability to field anyone else, he added. I am confident Maharashtra will contribute to the ensuing festival of democracy (assembly elections), Kumar said. We met all the stakeholders, including political parties and officials during our stay in Mumbai, he said.

Political parties told us to keep in mind festivals like Diwali, Dev Diwali and Chhath Puja before announcing the dates of the elections, Kumar said. To a query on whether the Maharashtra elections will be in a single phase or multiple phases, he said, You will come to know that later. There will be 1,00,186 polling booths in the Maharashtra assembly elections, the CEC said. We met the leaders of 11 parties including BSP, AAP, CPI(M), INC, MNS, SP, Shiv Sena (UBT), Shiv Sena, he said. Election Commissioners Gyanesh Kumar and Dr Sukhbir Singh Sandhu were also present at the press conference. Maharashtra assembly elections have to be held before November 26 as the term of the 288-member House ends on that date.
For the first time, there will be a BJP government in Jammu and Kashmir with a full majority, stated Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday, while addressing a rally in Jammu ahead of the last phase of the assembly election in Jammu and Kashmir on October 1.



There would be a full majority government of the BJP, the prime minister said, adding, This will be a historic verdict." He said this was his last rally, as the elections would conclude in J&K on October 1.

#WATCH | Jammu and Kashmir: Prime Minister Narendra Modi says, "...Remember that time when bullets were fired from that side and the Congress used to wave white flags. When the BJP government responded to the bullets with shells, the people on that side came to their senses. pic.twitter.com/BUTBq37XTW  ANI (@ANI) September 28, 2024

Referring to the 2016 surgical strikes by the Army in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (POK), he said the strikes had shaken the enemy. He said that no one would dare to hatch conspiracies against the country now, as the "mentors of terrorism know Modi will trace them wherever they hide.

Today is September 28, the anniversary of the historic surgical strikes against Pakistan, Modi said. It was on this day we hit the enemy right in their homes. He added the strikes showed the world that this was the new India, that could no longer be taken for granted.



Attacking Congress for demanding proof of the strikes, Modi charged, "Congress stooped so low that it demanded evidence of surgical strikes. Do they deserve votes?" He also said today was the birth anniversary of freedom fighter Bhagat Singh. "I pay rich tributes to this fallen hero," he said.

The prime minister said that in his travels across Jammu and Kashmir in the past few weeks, he observed widespread enthusiasm for the BJP. He claimed that people were tired of Congress, People's Democratic Party and the National Conference. People dont want the bad old days of corruption and backdoor appointments to return, he said. They dont want terrorism, separatism, and bloodshed to return. People want peace. They want a better future through the governance of the BJP, he said. "In the last two phases, peoples mood suggests they have voted in favour of the BJP," Modi claimed.

He assured the people of Jammu that they would, for the first time, have a government of their choice. This is a city of temples. You should not lose this last opportunity. A BJP government would take care of all their worries," he said.

Modi also addressed the sense of discrimination in Jammu, saying that the region had been subjected to disparity and injustice, which only he could rectify. He recalled a time when bullets and shells were routine in the area. We responded to bullets with artillery shells, and that sent a message across, he said.

Modi also criticized Congress for disrespecting fallen soldiers and failing to implement One Rank, One Pension. Soon after taking the reins of the country, I announced 'One Rank, One Pension' for soldiers and their families, he said. "Recently, this scheme was enhanced to provide more facilities to the families of soldiers," the prime minister added.

He further claimed that Congress was now under the control of urban naxals. When foreign intruders come to India, it feels good to Congress. They see vote banks in them but are least bothered about our own people," Modi charged.

He called the Congress, PDP, and NC the biggest enemies of the Indian Constitution. They are the ones who didnt allow the implementation of B.R. Ambedkars Constitution, he said.

Lastly, Modi announced the BJPs Tika Lal Taplu scheme for the rehabilitation of Kashmiri Pandits, which would be implemented after government formation in J&K.
Darjeeling and Kalimpong in North Bengal and Sikkim have been severely affected by devastating landslides caused by relentless rain over the past few days. Several roads, including Sikkims lifeline National Highway 10, have been shut down even as the Durga Puja tourist season is near. The Teesta River has risen above the danger level, even breaching the bank at some locations.

Since Wednesday, heavy rainfall has led to power outages in various areas of Darjeeling and Kalimpong districts. The situation worsened with landslides beginning on Friday and continuing into Saturday morning due to overnight rain. In response, the Kalimpong district administration has issued guidelines and temporarily closed National Highway 10.

Besides the National Highway, landslides have affected areas including Darjeeling College, Rimbik, and Sukhiapokhri in the Darjeeling district, as well as Bhalukhop and Melli in Kalimpong. Furthermore, the release of water from multiple dams in the Teesta River has worsened the crisis.

The Teesta Bazar area in Kalimpong has experienced flooding due to Teestas overflowing. In the downstream Jalpaiguri district, the government has been alerting the residents in Takmari and Malbazar sub-division about possible flood dangers.

Yogita Chhetri, a member of the local Teesta gram panchayat in Kalimpong, told THE WEEK over the phone, The situation is so bad that even the PWD is struggling to work properly. On Friday PWD workers arrived with a JCB to remove boulders but due to heavy rain and fresh landslides they stopped midway.

Meanwhile, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has planned a visit to Siliguri on Sunday to evaluate the situation in North Bengal. She is expected to conduct an administrative meeting during her visit.

The situation in Sikkim is similarly dire, with the India Meteorological Department issuing a red alert. Reportedly North Sikkims Mangan has been cut off from the rest of the state, and numerous homes in Soreng districts Daramdin have been damaged.

Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang urged residents to refrain from non-essential travel and to avoid areas prone to flooding and landslides. He reassured the public that the state government is closely monitoring the situation and implementing all necessary precautions.

Since October of last year, the regions along the Teesta riverbed in Sikkim and Darjeeling have been grappling with severe distress. This began with a catastrophic glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) from South Lhonak Lake, which caused extensive damage to both public and private infrastructure, affecting over 80,000 people. Earlier this year, during the pre-monsoon period, the area experienced further challenges with flooding and landslides.

A recurrence of this situation just before the peak tourist season in the festive month of October and the upcoming winter could negatively impact the region, where tourism drives the economy.
The Hill Line police on Thursday arrested Riya Arvind Barde, a Bangladesh adult film star, for illegally staying in India by using fake documents.

The Hill Line police station in Ulhasnagar conducted raids in several parts of Navi Mumbai following a tip-off about some women staying illegally in India. Police arrested eight Bangladeshi women from Thane district in separate cases.

A team from the NRI police station raided the residential premises at Karave village in Navi Mumbai on Tuesday evening and took the women in custody.

According to officials, the women, who worked as domestic helpers in the country had entered India illegally and were residing without any valid documents.

Who is Riya Arvind Barde?

Bangladeshi national Riya Arvind Barde, known as Aarohi Barde, was accused of cheating and forgery.

According to the police, the investigation into Riya Barde's identity had begun a year ago when they received a complaint about her credentials. The probe revealed that her birth certificate, school leaving certificate and passport were listed in three different places of birth- West Bengal's North 24 Parganas, Hooghly and Achalpur in Maharashtra's Amravati district.

An FIR was registered against the accused under IPC sections related to cheating, forgery and common intention, along with the Foreigners Act.

The police are also searching for the four accomplices of the woman who were also involved in the cheating and forgery case.

Reportedly, Riya Barde was illegally living in India with her mother Anjali Barde/ Ruby Sheikh, her brother Ravindra/Riyaz Sheikh and sister Ritu/ Moni Sheikh.

Police officials told The Times of India that her mother allegedly married Arvind Barde from Amravati so they could continue residing within the country. Currently, her parents are residing in Qatar.

TOI also reported that she was an adult film actress who had been employed in projects done by Raj Kundra Productions. She also acted in several movies.

Riya Barde was previously arrested by police in Mumbai in connection with a case related to prostitution under the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act.
Two mass shootings that took place in a rural town in South Africa claimed 17 lives. Police have launched a massive search for the suspects on Saturday.

National police spokesperson Brig. Athlenda Mathe in a statement said 15 women and two men were killed in the shootings. One person got critically injured.

The shootings took place on Friday night in the town of Lusikisiki in Eastern Cape province in southeastern South Africa.

WATCH || 17 people killed in mass shootings at two homes in a village in South Africa's Eastern Cape province and police said on Saturday they had launched a manhunt for the suspects. Police said in a statement that the shootings occurred in two separate homes in the village of pic.twitter.com/liW9WOVr0W  DD India (@DDIndialive) September 28, 2024

Video of the shooting released by the police showed the incident took place at two houses in the same neighbourhood.

According to the police, 12 women and a man were killed in one house, while three women and a man were killed in the other house. A 13-year-old boy is among those killed in the mass shooting.

Police are yet to reveal the details of the suspects.

Reportedly, the victims were packing goods and presents, including furniture, for the event when the attack occurred on Friday night. The group had gathered at the houses to attend a traditional mourning ceremony for a mother and daughter, who were murdered a year ago.

"The gunmen came and shot randomly," a local was quoted by News outlet Dispatch Live.

South Africa's homicide rate is around 45 per 100,000 people, compared to around 6.3 per 100,000 in the United States. South Africa recorded more than 27,000 homicides in the 12 months from March 1, 2023, to February 28, 2024.
"His eminence, the master of resistance, the righteous servant, has passed away to be with his lord who is pleased with him as a great martyr. The leadership of Hezbollah pledges ... to continue its jihad in confronting the enemy [Israel], supporting Gaza and Palestine, and defending Lebanon and its steadfast and honourable people," a statement by the mighty Lebanon-based Shia organisation read about the passing of its general secretary Hassan Nasrallah. An Israeli airstrike targeting Hezbollah's underground headquarters in Beirut claimed Nasrallah's life, his comrades said on Saturday.



While civilians rejoined his death in Israel, Hezbollah's allies including Iran strongly criticised the Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon. Nasrallah's killing, who commanded the respect and loyalty of the Lebanese public, is a major blow to Hezbollah which has been under immense pressure from the IDF ever since the recent offensive began.

ALSO READ | Iran Supreme Leader next? Tehran moves Ayatollah Khamenei to secure spot after IDF says Hezbollah chief killed

Who was Hassan Nasrallah? How did he evolve from a poor family in Beirut to the political chambers of the Hezbollah network and thereby to the IDF and Mossad hit lists? Here are five things you may like to know about the late Iran-backed strongman:

1. Humble beginnings: Hassan Nasrallah was born in 1960 as the son of a poor vegetable seller in a Shia Beirut neighbourhood. He was the eldest of the nine kids in the family.



Inspired by the new Islamist ideologies taking wings in the Middle East in his youth, he joined the Islamic Amal, a Shia militia formed shortly before the Lebanon Civil War of 1975. However, at the beginning of the 1980s, Nasrallah left Amal in search of radical alternatives, The Guardian said in a report.

2. Hezbollah career: In the years that followed, Iran sponsored and orchestrated a coalition of Islamist groups that led to the founding of Hezbollah. Nasrallah rose among its ranks, sharpening his leadership and oratory skills over time. In 1992, he was chosen as the movements new secretary-general after Israel assassinated Abbas al-Musawi.

ALSO READ | Nasrallah killed in Lebanon: How Israel Air Force penetrated Hezbollah's underground HQ in Beirut? Meet the 'bunker-busters'

3. Direct face-off with 'zionist' regime: Against Israel, Hassan Nasrallah led Hezbollah twice (ahead of the ongoing crisis). First, he witnessed the IDF withdrawing from Lebanon in 2000, which he claimed to be the "first Arab victory against Israel." In 2006, his fighters launched cross-border attacks on the IDF, killing wight and taking two hostage. This escalated into a 34-day conflict that claimed the lives of 1,125 Lebanese and 164 Israeli people.

He stood for the independence of entire Lebanese territories held by Israel including the Shebaa Farms area, BBC said in a report.

ALSO READ | Politics over peace? Netanyahu's speech at UN decoded

4. Hezbollah gets a political facelift: In 2009, Nasrallah released a new political manifesto reportedly highlighting Hezbollah's "political vision". The reference to an Islamic republic, which featured in the 1985 founding document of the orgnaisation, was dropped. Earlier, Hezbollah had declared the obliteration of Israel and antagonism towards the Soviet Union and the United States among its principles. In the new manifesto, Israel and the US were named as enemies by Nasrallah, while reiterating that Hezbollah had reasons to keep its weapons despite a UN resolution against it.

5. Role in Syrian war: In 2013, Nasrallah's Hezbollah sent thousands of its fighters into Syria to support the regime of Bashar al-Assad against rebel push. This was critical in changing the course of the brutal Syrian civil war in favour of Tehran-backed Bashar. "It is our battle, and we are up to it," Nasrallah had said.
With Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallahs death in Israels Beirut strike, the militant group has suffered a major loss. Nasrallah played a significant role in transforming the Lebanese group into a military force with regional sway. Hezbollah is one of the most powerful paramilitary forces in the Middle East.

After the chiefs death, now the spotlight has fallen on Hezbollahs second in command, Hashem Safieddine. With Israel intensifying its attacks on Hezbollah and its other commanders killed in the Beirut strike, choosing a successor has become a very complicated task for the militant group.

ALSO READ | Lebanon: Hezbollah confirms chief Hassan Nasrallah's death, vows to continue battle

Nasrallah became the head of Hezbollah in 1992 after his predecessor Abbas al-Musawi was killed in an Israeli air strike.

Who is Hashem Safieddine?

Safieddine is a cousin of Nasrallah and bears a striking resemblance to the slain leader. He currently heads the executive council of the militant group and oversees its political affairs. He also sits on the Jihad Council which manages the military operations of Hezbollah.

ALSO READ | Nasrallah killed in Lebanon: How Israel Air Force penetrated Hezbollah's underground HQ in Beirut? Meet the 'bunker-busters'

Reportedly, Iran's first vice president Mohammad Reza Aref said the killing of Nasrallah will bring about Israels destruction.

"We warn the leaders of the occupying regime that the unjust bloodshed...especially of Hezbollah's secretary general, martyr Seyyed Hassan Nasrallah, will bring about their destruction, Aref was quoted by Irans Isna news agency.

The Houthi movement in Yemen joined others in mourning the Nasrallahs death and has vowed the support will grow stronger and bigger.

Iran's foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani said the strike was a "war crime" for which both Israel and the US should be held accountable.

Iraq's prime minister announced three days of mourning and said Israel has crossed "all red lines" through the killing of Nasrallah.

The US-France ceasefire proposal was to bring down the heat in the region and reduce the risk of the conflict spreading further across the Middle East. However, with Israel's intensifying attack on Hezbollah a wider Middle East war is looming.

Meanwhile, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) spokesperson Daniel Hagari said Nasrallah was "among the biggest-ever enemies of Israel".

Israel's army is currently attacking Hezbollah infrastructure in Lebanon, said Hagari. Its not over, Hezbollah has more capabilities, Hagari said, adding that the Israeli military remains at peak alert around the clock.

Hagari also added, "Our war is not with the Lebanese people, our war is with Hezbollah.

As Hezbollahs retaliation looms, In northern Israel more severe limitations remain in place, with gathering limited to 10 people in the open and 150 inside, and work and educational activities only allowed with shelter facilities at hand.
Iran Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has been moved to safer place within the country and security has been beefed up after Israeli military said Tehran-backed Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah was killed in the Beirut strike, said a report.

The sources quoted by Reuters said Iran was in constant touch with Hezbollah to decide on its next move.

ALSO READ: Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah DEAD in Beirut strike, claims IDF

Iran's move comes after Israeli army chief said the IDF has not emptied its "toolbox" with Nasrallah's assassination. Chief of the General Staff Herzi Halevi said "the message is simple: Anyone who threatens the citizens of Israel  we will know how to reach them."

Hezbollah leadership was meeting at their undrground headquarters in south Beirut when the Israeli military launched its precision attack.

Hezbollah is yet confirm if Nasrallah has been killed. Earlier, a spokesperson of the group said the Hezbollah chief was fine and not in the targeted location.

Reports also said Nasrallah's daughter Zainab Nasrallah, Hezbollah missile unit commander Muhammad Ali Ismail and his deputy Hossein Ahmed Ismail were also killed in IDF strikes.

Israel had activated three batallions of reserve soldiers amid recent attacks in Lebanon.
Israel upped the ante in its ongoing war with Hezbollah, by targeting its headquarters in Beirut, Lebanon, in a series of massive airstrikes, which have, reportedly, killed six and injured more than 90 people, according to the Lebanese health ministry.

The airstrikes, which destroyed several high-rise residential buildings, came shortly after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's much-awaited speech at the United Nations General Assembly, where he had vowed to continue the fight against Hamas and Hezbollah. Soon after the strikes, Netanyahu abruptly cut short a visit to the United States to return home.

ALSO READ: Politics over peace? Netanyahu's speech at UN decoded

As Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu came to address the 79th session of the UN General Assembly, many delegations walked out in protest. pic.twitter.com/xZ2R99ND7P  Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) September 27, 2024

The target of the airstrikes was the main Hezbollah headquarters, Israeli army spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari confirmed, who added that the headquarters were located underneath the residential buildings. Around five apartment buildings were completely destroyed in Haret Hreik. The toll in the attack on the densely populated and predominantly Shiite district is expected to go up as rescue workers were seen combing through the debris even as smoke billowed up from the site.

Who is Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah? Is he alive?

Though the IDF has not confirmed it, AP quoted sources as saying that it was targeting Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. It is not yet known if he was at the headquarters, and the Hezbollah has not commented on the attacks either.

Reuters quoted a source close to Hezbollah as saying that Nasrallah was unreachable following the airstrikes, but is believed to be alive. Though Iran's Tasnim news agency has said that Nasrallah is safe, a senior Iranian security official told Reuters that Tehran was checking his status.

Jesus fucking Christ. I have never seen anything like this in south Beirut, not since 2006. This is a carpet bombing of an area with hundreds of thousands of people.pic.twitter.com/tBYODZ71ep  Seamus Malekafzali (@Seamus_Malek) September 27, 2024

Hezbollah's missile unit commander Mohammad Ali Ismail has, reportedly, been killed in the attack.

The pager and walkie-talkie blasts earlier this month were, reportedly, aimed to eliminate the top leadership of the Hezbollah group, but the targeting of Nasrallah is expected to escalate the tensions to critical levels.

Hezbollah, which has Iran's backing, had been firing rockets into Israel since Hamas' October 7 attack on Israel, in a show of support for the Palestinians. It has led to the IDF hitting back with massive airstrikes in Lebanon, in a bid to push Hezbollah away from the border, while continuing its offensive against the Hamas in Gaza.

Nasrallah has been the rallying point for the 'Axis of Resistance' against Israel, which comprises Hezbollah, Hamas and Yemeni and Iraqi groups. Following the recent attacks by Israel in Lebanon, he had vowed revenge.

Nasrallah's family hails from Bazouriyeh, a village in Lebanon's predominantly Shi'ite region. He grew up in Beirut's Karantina district. Inspired by Iran's Islamic Revolution in 1979, he used to fight with guerrillas against Israel's occupation forces. In 1992, at just 35, Nasrallah became the secretary general of Hezbollaha group founded by Iran's Revolutionary Guards a decade ago to fight Israeli occupation forces.

His son Hadi died in battle five years later.

Under Nasrallah's leadership, Hezbollah finally managed to drive away the Israeli forces from southern Lebanon in 2000, after almost two decades.

A charismatic orator, Nasrallah built a reputation for standing up to the Israeli forces. But, his growth coincided with the increased hostilities between regional powers in the Gulf.
Lebanon's Hezbollah group on Saturday confirmed the death of its leader Hassan Nasrallah in an Israeli airstrike in Beirut.

A statement released by Hezbollah said Nasrallah had joined his fellow martyrs. The statement also added the group will continue its battle.

"His eminence, the master of resistance, the righteous servant, has passed away to be with his lord who is pleased with him as a great martyr. The leadership of Hezbollah pledges ... to continue its jihad in confronting the enemy [Israel], supporting Gaza and Palestine, and defending Lebanon and its steadfast and honourable people," the statement read.

ALSO READ | Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah DEAD in Beirut strike, claims IDF

Nasrallah has led Hezbollah for more than three decades since the mid-1980s. Nasrallah is by far the most powerful target to be killed by Israel since its intensified strikes targeting Hezbollah.

Israel's military had said it had carried a precise airstrike on Friday while Hezbollah leadership met at its headquarters in Dahiyeh, south of Beirut. Israel's spokesperson had said Hezbollah command centres were legitimate military targets under international law.

In the wake of the recent events, Lebanon's cabinet is set to convene an emergency session on Saturday evening.

Israel's strike on Hezbollah leader is an alarming escalation in the conflict.

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in a Saturday message said "The resistance movement, headed by Hezbollah, will decide the fate of the region, in a statement read on state TV.

Khamenei urged all regional forces to stand by and support Hezbollah. He added that Hezbollah was strong enough to withstand Israeli attacks. Iran is the main supporter of Lebanese Hezbollah and other militant groups in the region.
When the Chief Justice of Pakistan, Qazi Faez Isa, who has functioned as a servile toady of the Pakistan Establishment ever since he became the CJP on 17/9/2023, went with his family recently to a bakery (Crusteez Donuts) in Islamabad to buy donuts, an employee of the bakery asked ''Are you Faez Isa ?'' and before the former could reply said ''Laanat hai aap par '' ( 'May curses be upon you' or 'Shame on you' ).



It may be noted that the bakery employee did not address the CJP as 'Qazi Faez Isa' but only as 'Faez Isa'. Since the word Qazi means a judge, it is obvious that the employee did not even regard the CJP as a judge, owing to his numerous misdeeds. These culminated in (1) his recent attempt to get an extension (he is due to retire on 25/10/2024 on attaining the age of superannuation of 65 ) by getting the Constitution amended to form a Constitutional Court which he will head, and where he can continue till 68, and (2) his removal of one of the best judges of Pakistan, Justice Munib Akhtar, who has the highest reputation of integrity and legal knowledge, and is number 3 in seniority, from the committee for constituting benches of the Supreme Court, and replacing him with his henchman, Justice Aminuddin Khan, who is number 5 in seniority, only because Justice Munib Akhtar disagreed with the CJP in some cases and issues.

ALSO READ | OPINION: Shameless Chief Justice of Pakistan

Most people are supporting that employee (who has gone into hiding ), saying that he has expressed the thoughts of the 240 million people of Pakistan.

I have written many articles on the misdeeds of Qazi Faez Isa, who has disgraced the judiciary and functioned like the 'hanging judge' Judge Jeffreys in England, who was a toady of King James II, or like the Nazi judge Roland Freisler.

Now people of Pakistan want a 'Donut Revolution'.

One person tweeted ''People should start selling donuts at every traffic signal, every bus stop, and every railway station, and make a Donut Revolution, like Georgia's 'Rose Revolution'"

Another edited Crusteez Donuts menu card to include 'L wala donut' (L standing for Laanat).

One person said on instagram ''That ONE EMPLOYEE literally did what every single Pakistani should be doing''. Another told Crusteez to raise the salary of that employee, instead of firing him, because ''he single-handedly caused your revenue and customer loyalty to jump through the roof''.

Yet another said ''The whole of Pakistan, except zameer faroshes and patwaris, stand behind that Crusteez' employee. That guy represented our collective emotions''

A crowd gathered outside Crusteez Donuts with placards stating ''The people have spoken ''.

It seems that all hell has broken out in Pakistan. The people of Pakistan had been terrified and silenced by the guns of the Pakistan army after the events of 9th May 2023 (which many people say were stage-managed), but that young employee (who has disappeared) has expressed the voice of the people and may cause the floodgates to burst open.

As for Qazi Faez Isa, I am reminded of a shloka in the Bhagavad Gita where Lord Krishna tells Arjun (see Gita, chapter 2, shloka 34)

 

-   -  -   -  

'' Sambhaavitasya cha akeerti, maranaat atirichyate ''

i.e.

''For a self-respecting man, death is preferable to dishonour ''

But I doubt Qazi Faez Isa has even heard of the Gita.

Justice Markandey Katju retired from the Supreme Court in 2011

The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of THE WEEK.
The Iranian Mehr news agency confirmed that Abbas Nilforoushan, a senior commander in Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and Quds Force, was eliminated in the IDF strike on Beirut on Friday that killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.

He was described as the Revolutionary Guards deputy operations commander and the commander of the Quds Force in Syria and Lebanon.

Nilforoushan, 58, was directly involved in various military and security operations, including suppressing protests within Iran. He also served in Syria, supporting Syrian President Bashar Assad against Syrian rebels. Syrians in the northwest part of the country celebrated Nasrallahs death on Saturday and previously celebrated the exploding devices operation.

The US Treasury sanctioned Nilforushan in 2022 for human rights abuses, saying he headed an organization directly in charge of protest suppression.

Meanwhile, Irans Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei released a statement following Nasrallahs assassination threatening to avenge his death and claiming that the resistance forces will determine the fate of the region. All resistance forces stand by Hezbollah.

Two officials told Reuters that Khamenei has been transferred to a safe location inside Iran and security measures around him have been tightened.

(YWN Israel Desk  Jerusalem)
Residents of northwest Syria celebrated the news of the elimination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah with great joy.

Syrians opposed to Assads regime detest Hezbollah and Iran for supporting Assad and committing atrocities against the Syrian people.

Last week, Syrians celebrated the deaths and maiming of Hezbollah members in the exploding devices operation.

(YWN Israel Desk  Jerusalem)
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Flat rate costs of fast and rapid charging have nudged higher in recent months, according to latest analysis.

The cost of charging at fast chargers has increased by 2p, while the cost of rapid charging has risen by 1p in August, AA's EV Recharge Report shows.

The motoring organisation is now calling for more rural rapid chargers to be installed, to prevent remote areas falling behind in the national charging rollout

The AA's EV Recharge Report for August found the cost of charging at fast chargers has increased by two pence, while the cost of rapid charging has risen by a penny

Department for Transport stats show that just 14.9 per cent of chargers can be found in rural areas, despite a 37 per cent increase in devices between October 2023 and July 2024

While fast and rapid charging costs went up slightly, August saw peak charging rates at slow chargers fall by 1p.

This will help EV drivers who use slow charging to recharge their cars because they don't have access to off-road parking and a home charger.

All other charging prices remained level for the third consecutive month.

The AA is advising motorists to shop around to take advantage of the cheapest possible charging rates; shopping around for cheap peak ultra rapid charging will save an average of 24 per cent, while off-peak savings are even more at 34 per cent.

Jack Cousens, head of roads policy for The AA, said; 'Even with the slight price increase, there are big savings to be had. Planning stops at ultra-rapid chargers during off-peak hours means driver could save a tenner compared to using a flat rate alternative.'

The organisation is also calling on industry and government to improve the provision of public charging in rural areas.

FLAT EV CHARGING RATES AUGUST Charge Type Speed Aug Ave (p/kWh) July Ave (p/kWh) Difference(p/kWh) Cost to charge to 80% Pence per mile(p/mile) Domestic Up to 7kW 22 22 0 8.80 4.97 Slow Up to 8kW 51 51 0 20.40 11.53 Fast 8-49kW 58 56 2 23.20 13.11 Rapid 50-149kW 74 73 1 29.60 16.72 Ultra-rapid +150kW 77 77 0 30.80 17.4 PETROL 142.10 ppl 145.10 ppl -2.8 ppl 45.54 12.65 Source - AA Recharge Report, August 2024 . * Calculations based on adding 80% to a Vauxhall e-Corsa, 50kW, with a WLTP range of 221 miles

OFF-PEAK AND PEAK CHARGING RATES AUGUST Charging Type Speed Aug Ave (p/kWh) July Ave (p/kWh) Difference(p/kWh) Cost to charge to 80% Pence per mile(p/mile) Slow Off-Peak Up to 8kW 42 42 0 16.80 9.49 Slow Peak Up to 8kW 58 59 - 1 23.20 13.11 Fast Off-Peak 8-49kW 75 75 0 30.00 16.95 Fast Peak 8-49kW 79 79 0 31.60 17.85 Rapid Off-Peak 50-149kW 75 75 0 30.00 16.95 Rapid Peak 50-149kW 79 79 0 31.60 17.85 Ultra-rapid Off-Peak +150kW 51 51 0 20.40 11.53 Ultra-rapid Peak +150kW 59 59 0 23.60 13.33 PETROL 142.30ppl 145.10ppl -2.80 ppl 45.54 12.65 Source - AA Recharge Report, August 2024 . * Calculations based on adding 80% to a Vauxhall e-Corsa, 50kW, with a WLTP range of 221 miles

Jack Cousens, head of roads policy for The AA, said: 'Drivers leaving busy, urban areas will have discovered that the nation's charging infrastructure needs more investment in rural locations. Away from popular attractions, finding a chargepoint can be more challenging.

Recent statistics released by the Department for Transport show that just 14.9 per cent of chargers can be found in rural areas, despite a 37 per cent increase in devices between October 2023 and July 2024.

In July there were 8,255 devices, up from 5,992 in October 2023.

Cousens said: 'Drivers leaving busy, urban areas will have discovered that the nation's charging infrastructure needs more investment in rural locations. Away from popular attractions, finding a chargepoint can be more challenging.

'Meanwhile the fictional village of Ambridge is in the process of opening its own EV charging hub, complete with a cafe and possible hairdressers. If The Archers can build a charging station then others can make it a reality.'

How does each UK country rank for charging rollout?

Your browser does not support iframes.

Scotland is the best country in the UK for charger availability, with 103 devices per 100,000 people living there.

This puts it above the average provision in the UK, which is 96 per 100,000.

England is second with 97 per 100,000, and Wales has a device-to-inhabitant ration of 88 per 100,000 people.

Northern Ireland though, is well behind with installations: there are only 32 chargers per 100,000 residents.

This follows reports at the start of the year that officials from Northern Ireland are 'concerned' about its lack of charging points which is causing NI to 'fall behind the rest of the UK'.

The average charging point provision in the UK is 96 per 100,000, but Scotland leads the way when analysed by country with 103 per 100,000. For cities and geographical areas London is miles ahead with 23

There's also a North-South divide showing up within England.

London has the highest availability of EV charging points anywhere across England.

Official records show there are 234 chargers per 100,000 population, which is streaks ahead of the rest of the country for infrastructure.

The South East averages 82 devices per 100,000, with the South West just behind with 80.

The West Midlands has a better ratio than both with 92 chargers for every 100,000.

In comparison, Yorkshire and the Humber has only 56 chargers per 100,000. And the North West doesn't fair much better with 60 chargers per 100,000.

However the North East fairs better overall with 72 per 100,000, yet is the only area of the UK to not see an increase in devices in the last quarter.
Investment fund T. Rowe Price US Structured Research Equity might have a rather unwieldy name, but investors looking for exposure to the US stock market shouldn't be put off.

It's a 1.4billion fund that was launched 25 years ago and has weathered rather well.

Available to UK investors since December, the fund is run out of Baltimore by a company that has $1.5trillion (1.1trillion) of assets under its wing.

The investment strategy, as with many actively managed funds, is to outperform a specific stock market benchmark  in this case it's the Standard & Poor's 500, a barometer of the market fortunes of the US's 500 largest listed companies.

US-based: Available to UK investors since December, T. Rowe Price US Structured Research Equity is run out of Baltimore by a company that has $1.5 trillion of assets under its wing

Yet what makes it stand apart from the madding crowd is the investment process that sits under the fund's bonnet  there is no single manager responsible for running the portfolio.

Instead, 30 of the company's top analysts are given 'sleeves' of the fund's assets to manage, according to their specific sector specialism (for example, healthcare).

Their job is to pick the best stocks with the amount of money under their wing determined in part by the importance of their sector to the S&P500. In some of the big sectors, such as IT, there are multiple analysts.

Above these stock pickers sits a six-strong 'oversight' team whose role is to monitor performance and ensure they are abiding by the fund's risk-control rules.

All rather formulaic, but it works. Analysis of quarterly rolling one-year periods since the fund launched in 1999 indicates that it has outperformed the S&P500 85 per cent of the time.

Alexa Gagliardi is part of the oversight team. Her role, she says, is to scrutinise the portfolio daily  'the eyes and ears'  ensuring everything is ship shape.

She adds: 'The idea is to deliver a fund that has the same look and feel as the S&P500 while offering investors the chance of a higher return.

'What has made the fund successful is our ability to pick up the nickels and dimes along the way from across the breadth of the stock market. We don't bet big on one stock.'

The fund currently has nearly 300 holdings, with the biggest positions being in big-branded tech stocks such as Apple, Microsoft and Nvidia. But these are broadly in line with their representation in the S&P500.

This is because the oversight team ensures no benchmark holding is more than 100 basis points larger or smaller than its contribution to the index.

So, for example, a 7.7 per cent fund stake in Apple compares to the company's 6.8 per cent index weighting.

Although most of the fund's stakes are in S&P500 companies, analysts are allowed to invest outside the index ('off benchmark'), but individual positions can represent no more than 0.5 per cent of the fund's assets.

Gagliardi says that 49 'off benchmark' stocks are currently held, comprising a mix of US and overseas companies.

These include US financial companies Renaissancere Holdings and Corebridge Financial  as well as AstraZeneca in the UK and Swiss pharma giant Novartis.

T. Rowe Price's success in managing assets on a 'US structured research strategy' basis is reflected in the $83 billion of clients' money in has now invested this way.

It has also resulted in interest outside the US  hence the fund being made available in the UK and Gagliardi visiting Hong Kong and South Korea in recent days to market it.

'We see it as a better alternative to a fund that tracks the S&P500,' she says. Ongoing annual charges are 0.42 per cent.
The luxury goods sector has struggled in recent times amid economic uncertainty and slowing trade in China, but one well-known brand is defying the wider gloom.

Birkenstock just posted its best quarterly performance ever, with revenues soaring 19 per cent to 565million (471million) in the three months ending June.

The historic German shoemaker enjoyed bumper demand for its 'closed-toe silhouettes', including its famous clunky clogs, as well as double-digit percentage growth across all key regions, especially Europe and the Americas.

Nice result: A Nottingham Forest fan wearing red Birkenstock shoes at a Carabao Cup match (pictured). The German shoemaker celebrates its 250th anniversary this year

The sandal seller's time in the sun comes exactly 250 years since cobbler Johannes Birkenstock founded the namesake brand.

While not the world's oldest shoe designer - Munich-based Ed Meier began in 1596 - Birkenstock's gradual ascent to become a multi-billion dollar fashion powerhouse despite a reputation for 'ugly' products confirms the group's iconic status.

But how did the group become the global fashion phenomenon it is today?

A brief history of Birkenstock

Birkenstock had to wait at least a century after its founding until its first eureka moment in 1897, when Johannes' great-grandson, Konrad, developed a three-dimensional last - a foot-shaped mechanical device used by shoemakers to manufacture and repair.

This was followed by a contoured insole made of cardboard, leather and cork five years later.

At a time when most insoles were flat, these two features intended to replicate the human foot's shape more closely, thereby making walking more comfortable.

About two decades afterwards, Konrad registered the 'footbed' trademark for his flexible insoles and opened a factory in Friedberg, Germany, from where products were exported all across mainland Europe.

The Second World War significantly boosted trade as many injured ex-servicemen sought to ease their chronic foot pain.

Konrad's grandson, Karl, eventually broadened the firm's reach into sandals making, releasing his first model in 1963.

Later renamed the 'Madrid', the first Birkenstock sandals had an insole with a heel cup and toe grip.

They did not immediately sell well, but their international popularity took off after Margot Fraser discovered them in 1966 while on a German spa holiday.

Impressed by how they relieved her foot pain, Fraser started selling Birkenstocks to American customers, gaining an audience during the 1970s with hippies and health food stores.

Birkenstocks later became sported by new subcultures, including surfers, skaters, and grunge fans, then made a foray into high fashion as supermodels like Kate Moss and Heidi Klum became associated with the brand.

Big names: Supermodel Kendall Jenner and Actress Gwyneth Paltrow sporting Birkenstocks

The Birkenstock family gave up control of the business in 2012. A year later, it was restructured from 38 companies into three units to become the Birkenstock Group.

Today, the shoemaker is predominantly owned by L Catterton, a private equity firm backed by French luxury conglomerate LVMH and its market cap stands at roughly $9.1billion.

Birkenstock's greatest strengths

With a strong heritage and a name synonymous with comfy sandals, Birkenstock is one of fashion's most globally recognised brands.

Women comprised 72 per cent of its customer base as of last year, with major celebrities, from Gwyneth Paltrow to Kendall Jenner and Sienna Miller, helping to drive demand.

But Birkenstock is not just a sandals designer; consumers can buy ankle boots, ballet flats, trainers, and slippers from the company's stores and website.

A broader product range shields the business from a potential slowdown in sandal sales while also securing additional shelf space with its key wholesale partners.

Young girls and women no longer see delicate stilettos and high heels as the ideal Fiona Cincotta, City Index Group

Sam North, a market analyst at eToro, noted the brand has 'good relationships' with retailers like Office Holdings and Foot Locker, enabling Birkenstock to reach 'a wide range of shopping destinations'.

Among the major British high street names that stock Birkenstock's shoes are Next, JD Sports, and John Lewis & Partners.

North added that Birkenstock has benefited from collaborations with iconic fashion houses, such as Dior, Valentino, or Manolo Blahnik, some of which have sold out.

Such designs have helped to expand the brand's popularity among more high-end shoppers and slowly transformed its reputation from unattractive functionality to affordable luxury.

Analysts are also reassured by Birkenstock's management team led by Oliver Reichert, a former war correspondent who took over as chief executive in 2013 as the group's first boss from outside the founding family.

Under his leadership, the company's revenues have grown by an average annual rate of 20 per cent, while total sales more than quintupled from 292million in 2014 to approximately 1.5billion in 2023.

Why are Birkenstock's sales booming while so many luxury brands are struggling?

Lockdown restrictions put a rocket under the firm's revenues as the surge in working from home encouraged consumers to value comfort and casualness over style.

Covid-related curbs now seem a distant memory, but the appetite for comfortable fashion brands has not abated.

Fiona Cincotta, senior market analyst at City Index Group, says: 'Young girls and women no longer see delicate stilettos and high heels as the ideal, and instead, chunky and comfortable are top of the list.'

Birkenstock's sales jumped by 30 per cent to 1.1billion in the financial year ending September 2023. In the following nine months, revenue increased by around 21 per cent year-on-year to more than 1.3billion.

Please decide: In the Barbie movie, 'Stereotypical Barbie' is pressured by 'Weird Barbie' (played by Kate McKinnon, pictured) to choose the Birkenstock over a pink high-heel so she could 'know the truth about the universe'

Trading received an unlikely uplift from the Barbie movie, the world's highest-grossing film of 2023.

In a scene reminiscent of The Matrix, 'Stereotypical Barbie' (played by Margot Robbie) is pressured by 'Weird Barbie' (Kate McKinnon) to choose the Birkenstock over a pink high-heel so she could 'know the truth about the universe.'

The exposure provided by the film helped Birkenstock shrug off a broader slowdown affecting the global luxury sector caused partly by cost-of-living pressures and weaker demand in the Americas and Asia, especially China.

Burberry just fell out of the FTSE 100 after its shares more than halved since the year began amid plunging sales and profit warnings.

Hugo Boss, Burberry and Gucci owner Kering also recently declared profit warnings, while LVMH - the world's biggest luxury goods seller - saw first-half operating profits decline by 14 per cent.

Can Birkenstock continue its impressive growth?

Birkenstock has continued to sustain healthy sales growth since going public on the New York Stock Exchange in October 2023.

Yet in its initial public offering prospectus, the company cautioned of numerous risk factors that could derail its expansion.

These included the threat of counterfeit or knock-off products, where copycats design shoes similar to those made by Birkenstock but sell them at a cheaper price.

Birkenstock has often been reluctant to sell its wares on third-party platforms like Amazon and Instagram due to counterfeiting issues, causing the firm to miss out on extra sales and hurting its brand reputation.

Huge growth: Birkenstock's total annual sales more than quintupled from 292million in 2014 to around 1.5billion in 2023

It also expressed concern about the 'intense competition' it faces, particularly in the Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Africa regions, where Birkenstock is a relatively new market entrant.

eToro's North suggests Crocs and Dr Martens could eat into the firm's market share, given their reputation for comfortable footwear.

The two groups assemble most of their products in Asia, where cheaper labour costs give them more room to sell their goods at cheaper prices.

By contrast, Birkenstock almost exclusively makes shoes in Germany, which means higher production costs and different risks from supply chain disruption.

Birkenstock marks its 250th birthday with much to celebrate.

The group's ability to halt a sudden reversal in the tides of fashion may be limited, but it could help maintain its momentum by blunting rivals' competitive edge.

Natasha Nair, an analyst at Third Bridge, recommends that the business manufacture their products 'closer to crucial end markets' like China and the United States.

But, Nair warns: 'The key will be maintaining product quality and their premium, handmade brand image as they scale up production'.
Tony Hetherington is Financial Mail on Sunday's ace investigator, fighting readers corners, revealing the truth that lies behind closed doors and winning victories for those who have been left out-of-pocket. Find out how to contact him below.

S.M. writes: The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) laid down enforcement rules for whisky investment companies some months ago.

However, Riverside Whisky Partners Limited is still blatantly breaching those rules. Why will no one hold them to account?

Dram Riverside Whisky Partners Limited has been accused of breaching new rules for whisky investment companies

Tony Hetherington replies: Selling casks of whisky as an investment needs no vetting, authorisation or regulation and has no compensation scheme if anything goes wrong.

A growing number of companies have moved into this sector, and the City of London Police has urged investors to be cautious, quoting the Trading Standards advice: 'Casks are being sold as a long-term investment because whisky takes time to mature in the cask.

'This means it could be several years before investors realise their investments aren't performing.'

They were not referring specifically to Riverside Whisky Partners (RWP). However, RWP did clash with the ASA over claims that investors could expect 'annual returns of 13 per cent to 20 per cent tax free'.

The ASA's Enforcement Notice, issued to all whisky investment firms, made clear that any such claims needed documentary evidence.

When the ASA stepped in, RWP withdrew its forecast. But other claims remained.

When I looked at RWP's website, it displayed the names and logos of the Forces charity SSAFA, Dementia UK and the King's College Hospital Charity, with the claim that RWP sponsored them.

Dementia UK told me: 'Riverside Whisky Partners has never been a sponsor of Dementia UK. We have followed up with the firm to request our logo is removed.'

A manager at the hospital charity said: 'I can confirm that Riverside Whisky Partners is not a sponsor of King's College Hospital Charity.'

And a spokesman for SSAFA told me: 'There is no record of SSAFA ever having a relationship with Riverside Whisky Partners.'

RWP's website also had a section headed 'Awards', displaying the names and logos of three whisky industry bodies.

The organisers of the World Whiskies Awards told me that RWP had not won any such honour, adding: 'We have written to RWP asking for the logo to be removed, and have been ignored on several occasions.'

Roy Duff, co-founder of the Online Scotch Whisky Awards, told me RWP had won no award and did not have permission to use its logo. He described RWP's promotion as 'misleading and a misuse of our brand'.

And the Scottish Whisky Awards told me they have made no awards to RWP, saying: 'We first requested our logo be removed from this website in November 2022.'

The ASA has also warned whisky investment firms not to claim they have featured in the Press unless those articles are genuine, saying: 'If you have paid to be featured, that is likely to be considered misleading.'

Under the heading 'Recently in the Press', RWP provides links to three publications. Two are dead while the third leads to an article written by RWP, described as 'sponsored', meaning it is simply an advertisement.

I put all this to RWP boss Neil Cahillane, who insisted that donations had been made to the charities but may have been from him personally or a connected company.

He said the logos would be removed, adding: 'I must personally apologise, as a director, for this mistake.'

He accepted that the Press coverage consisted of 'advertorials', but told me this had been approved by a marketing company.

He did not mention the ASA warning on the subject and offered no comment on the misuse of the whisky industry awards logos.

None of this has anything to do with the price at which Cahillane's company sells its casks. And it certainly does not touch on whether the value of that whisky will rise or fall over the many years before it is bottled and sold.

But it does raise the question of whether I would rely on RWP's sales pitch. The answer is no.

Account's wake-up call

D.A. writes: I am getting in touch on behalf of a local transport history society which allowed its Santander account to become dormant after being advised that reviving it would be simple. This has turned out not to be the case, now that the society wishes to use its funds again. I wonder if you can help?

Tony Hetherington replies: The society had three trustees, however one died and the other two are elderly. None was replaced and the society became dormant. Some of its supporters, yourself included, want to revive it and merge with a similar local history organisation. I asked Santander to help and it told me it needed proof of identity from the remaining trustees.

This was no problem with one trustee, but the other is 87 and has no passport or driving licence. His travel pass was accepted when he voted in the recent elections but was not acceptable to Santander.

I suggested he apply for a driving licence  even though he wouldn't use it  as this would be acceptable.

However, I am pleased to say Santander accepted a letter from HMRC as ID proof. The account is now unblocked and the two trustees can use it and approve the merger.
Labour will abandon plans to build support ships for the Royal Navy in Northern Ireland, with the loss of 500 jobs, and transfer the work to Cadiz in Spain, The Mail on Sunday can reveal.

Belfast-based Harland & Wolff, which built the Titanic, was hired last year alongside Navantia, a Spanish state-owned shipbuilding giant, to build three Navy vessels in a 1.6 billion deal.

Anger that some of the work went to Spain was assuaged by the promise that much of it would go to Northern Ireland.

Under the original plans, H&W and Navantia would each have constructed various sections of the ships, known as blocks, in their respective yards.

On the brink: Belfast-based shipbuilder Harland & Wolff has called in administrators with Whitehall making it clear it will not provide support

These blocks would then have been taken to Belfast for final assembly, with the first vessels entering service in 2031 and the last by 2033.

But Harland's decision to call in administrators on Friday has plunged the project into crisis and could result in all the work being moved to Cadiz.

The plans are being drawn up by Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds and Defence Secretary John Healey.

H&W has appointed restructuring specialist Teneo to find buyers for the dockyard and other operations.

Hopes are a UK company with deep pockets such as Babcock International  which runs the naval yards at Devonport in Plymouth and Rosyth in Scotland  can still save H&W and the project.

But Whitehall has made it clear it will not provide support for H&W. Earlier this year the company revealed its financial plans were built on the assumption that it would receive a state guarantee for a 200 million loan that would tide it over until the money started to flow in from support ships and other contracts.

After lengthy negotiations, the company finally admitted in July that the Government had turned it down.

That triggered the exit of boss John Wood and the appointment of caretaker managers, including restructuring expert Russell Downs. The support ships are urgently needed for the Royal Navy to make best use of its new aircraft carriers, HMS Queen Elizabeth and Prince of Wales.

The only support ship still afloat, RFA Fort Victoria, built by H&W in 1990, is undergoing a lengthy refit. A senior Downing Street source said this was yet another problem that Labour had inherited from the Tories. He said: 'There are several options which include UK companies buying the company, but they will want to re-negotiate the work which will cost the UK taxpayer and likely delay production and delivery of the ships.

'The preferred option is for Navantia, who have the contract to now fabricate, assemble and deliver the ships on time and within budget.'
Shadow business secretary Kevin Hollinrake has called for his party to re-think its position on non-dom status  in an apparent swipe at Jeremy Hunt.

As Chancellor, Hunt announced earlier this year that the status of 'non-domiciled' UK resident  with its tax advantages  would be abolished.

But speaking ahead of the Conservative Party conference, Hollinrake said: 'I'm not sure we got it right.'

The comments are likely to be well received in the City, where many are worried about wealth creators fleeing the UK.

Re-think: Shadow business secretary Kevin Hollinrake has called for his party to re-think its position on non-dom status

But the remarks may be seized on by Labour  which has long called for the status to be abolished  as evidence that the Tories are in hock to the super-rich.

It comes amid speculation that Chancellor Rachel Reeves may be ready to abandon an even tougher crackdown on non-doms.

Hollinrake told The Mail on Sunday: 'I think it's something we should look at. We don't want people deterred from coming here and investing in the UK.'

Non-dom status is a concession for those who are tax residents of the UK but whose main 'domicile'  the place they regard as their permanent home  is abroad.

It enables them to avoid paying UK tax on income or capital gains they have made overseas for 15 years, provided that that money is not brought into the country.

It is due to be abolished in April next year.

Former Bank of England chief economist Andy Haldane said last week that a crackdown risked deterring 'the flow of finance we need to get growth going'.
Point72 Asia Singapore Pte. Ltd. boosted its stake in shares of Plymouth Industrial REIT, Inc. (NYSE:PLYM  Free Report) by 431.0% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 9,447 shares of the companys stock after purchasing an additional 7,668 shares during the quarter. Point72 Asia Singapore Pte. Ltd.s holdings in Plymouth Industrial REIT were worth $202,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. New York State Teachers Retirement System purchased a new stake in shares of Plymouth Industrial REIT during the first quarter worth approximately $89,000. Garner Asset Management Corp purchased a new stake in shares of Plymouth Industrial REIT in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $98,000. EntryPoint Capital LLC raised its holdings in shares of Plymouth Industrial REIT by 33.9% in the 1st quarter. EntryPoint Capital LLC now owns 4,997 shares of the companys stock valued at $112,000 after purchasing an additional 1,266 shares in the last quarter. Blue Trust Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Plymouth Industrial REIT during the 2nd quarter worth $207,000. Finally, Daiwa Securities Group Inc. grew its stake in shares of Plymouth Industrial REIT by 8.6% during the first quarter. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. now owns 11,838 shares of the companys stock worth $266,000 after purchasing an additional 939 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.67% of the companys stock.

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Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, major shareholder Mirelf Vi Reit Investments Iv, sold 563,438 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $23.58, for a total value of $13,285,868.04. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 4,474,292 shares of the companys stock, valued at $105,503,805.36. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. 1.30% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Plymouth Industrial REIT Price Performance

Plymouth Industrial REIT Dividend Announcement

Shares of NYSE PLYM opened at $22.77 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $1.03 billion, a P/E ratio of 52.95, a P/E/G ratio of 1.71 and a beta of 1.36. Plymouth Industrial REIT, Inc. has a twelve month low of $19.21 and a twelve month high of $25.55. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $23.52 and a two-hundred day moving average of $22.07. The company has a current ratio of 0.16, a quick ratio of 0.16 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.49.

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 31st. Investors of record on Monday, September 30th will be paid a dividend of $0.24 per share. This represents a $0.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.22%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, September 30th. Plymouth Industrial REITs dividend payout ratio is currently 223.26%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have weighed in on the company. BMO Capital Markets cut their price target on Plymouth Industrial REIT from $26.00 to $25.00 and set a market perform rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, August 28th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on Plymouth Industrial REIT from $24.00 to $23.00 and set an underweight rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, July 10th. Barclays increased their price target on shares of Plymouth Industrial REIT from $22.00 to $25.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 14th. Truist Financial boosted their price objective on shares of Plymouth Industrial REIT from $26.00 to $27.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 28th. Finally, B. Riley increased their target price on shares of Plymouth Industrial REIT from $26.00 to $27.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Monday, August 5th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $25.57.

View Our Latest Report on Plymouth Industrial REIT

About Plymouth Industrial REIT

(Free Report)

Plymouth Industrial REIT, Inc (NYSE: PLYM) is a full service, vertically integrated real estate investment company focused on the acquisition, ownership and management of single and multi-tenant industrial properties. Our mission is to provide tenants with cost effective space that is functional, flexible and safe.

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Point72 Asia Singapore Pte. Ltd. purchased a new stake in Nordstrom, Inc. (NYSE:JWN  Free Report) during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm purchased 8,983 shares of the specialty retailers stock, valued at approximately $191,000.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of JWN. Point72 Hong Kong Ltd acquired a new position in shares of Nordstrom during the 2nd quarter valued at $71,000. Point72 DIFC Ltd purchased a new position in Nordstrom in the second quarter valued at about $1,174,000. Marshall Wace LLP lifted its stake in shares of Nordstrom by 38.4% during the second quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 1,479,414 shares of the specialty retailers stock worth $31,393,000 after purchasing an additional 410,152 shares in the last quarter. Ensign Peak Advisors Inc boosted its position in shares of Nordstrom by 27.2% in the second quarter. Ensign Peak Advisors Inc now owns 59,347 shares of the specialty retailers stock worth $1,259,000 after buying an additional 12,700 shares during the period. Finally, Intech Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Nordstrom in the second quarter valued at about $273,000. 88.73% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Insider Activity at Nordstrom

In other Nordstrom news, COO Alexis Depree sold 20,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $23.20, for a total value of $464,000.00. Following the sale, the chief operating officer now directly owns 169,331 shares of the companys stock, valued at $3,928,479.20. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Insiders own 5.78% of the companys stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms recently commented on JWN. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their price target on Nordstrom from $19.00 to $21.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 28th. BMO Capital Markets boosted their target price on shares of Nordstrom from $20.00 to $22.00 and gave the stock a market perform rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 28th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on shares of Nordstrom from $19.00 to $20.00 and gave the company an underweight rating in a report on Wednesday, August 28th. Telsey Advisory Group boosted their price objective on shares of Nordstrom from $23.00 to $24.00 and gave the stock a market perform rating in a report on Wednesday, August 28th. Finally, KeyCorp downgraded Nordstrom from an overweight rating to a sector weight rating in a research note on Thursday. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have assigned a hold rating and one has given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $20.23.

Get Our Latest Analysis on Nordstrom

Nordstrom Trading Down 0.8 %

NYSE:JWN opened at $22.46 on Friday. Nordstrom, Inc. has a 52 week low of $12.88 and a 52 week high of $24.03. The company has a quick ratio of 0.41, a current ratio of 1.07 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.76. The company has a market cap of $3.68 billion, a PE ratio of 12.27 and a beta of 2.61. The businesss 50 day moving average is $22.17 and its two-hundred day moving average is $21.04.

Nordstrom (NYSE:JWN  Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 27th. The specialty retailer reported $0.96 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.71 by $0.25. The firm had revenue of $3.89 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.88 billion. Nordstrom had a negative net margin of 1.44% and a negative return on equity of 21.26%. The firms revenue was up 3.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.84 earnings per share. On average, analysts predict that Nordstrom, Inc. will post 1.9 EPS for the current year.

Nordstrom Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, September 18th. Investors of record on Tuesday, September 3rd were issued a $0.19 dividend. This represents a $0.76 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.38%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, September 3rd. Nordstroms dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 41.53%.

Nordstrom Company Profile

(Free Report)

Nordstrom, Inc, a fashion retailer, provides apparels, shoes, beauty, accessories, and home goods for women, men, young adults, and children. It offers a range of brand-name and private-label merchandise through various channels, such as Nordstrom branded stores and online at Nordstrom.com; Nordstrom.ca; Nordstrom stores; Nordstrom Rack stores; Nordstrom Locals; ASOS; Nordstromrack.com; mobile application; and clearance stores under the Last Chance name.

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Point72 Asia Singapore Pte. Ltd. bought a new position in shares of Eldorado Gold Co. (NYSE:EGO  Free Report) (TSE:ELD) during the second quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm bought 12,888 shares of the basic materials companys stock, valued at approximately $191,000.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. CANADA LIFE ASSURANCE Co increased its holdings in Eldorado Gold by 130.6% during the 1st quarter. CANADA LIFE ASSURANCE Co now owns 63,246 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $890,000 after purchasing an additional 35,820 shares during the period. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC bought a new stake in shares of Eldorado Gold in the second quarter valued at about $2,238,000. Gabelli Funds LLC raised its holdings in shares of Eldorado Gold by 2.8% in the first quarter. Gabelli Funds LLC now owns 2,020,000 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $28,421,000 after acquiring an additional 55,000 shares in the last quarter. Invenomic Capital Management LP lifted its stake in Eldorado Gold by 28.1% in the first quarter. Invenomic Capital Management LP now owns 1,738,044 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $24,454,000 after acquiring an additional 380,982 shares during the period. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. grew its holdings in Eldorado Gold by 0.6% during the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 6,812,900 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $95,858,000 after acquiring an additional 38,630 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 69.58% of the companys stock.

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Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. CIBC upped their price target on shares of Eldorado Gold from $18.00 to $22.50 and gave the stock an outperformer rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 10th. Scotiabank upped their target price on Eldorado Gold from $18.00 to $20.00 and gave the stock a sector perform rating in a report on Monday, August 19th. StockNews.com upgraded Eldorado Gold from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report on Monday, July 1st. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada upped their price objective on Eldorado Gold from $20.00 to $22.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research note on Tuesday, September 10th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $19.38.

Eldorado Gold Price Performance

Shares of EGO opened at $18.48 on Friday. The company has a 50 day moving average of $17.00 and a two-hundred day moving average of $15.68. The company has a market cap of $3.78 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 32.42 and a beta of 0.95. The company has a quick ratio of 2.65, a current ratio of 3.62 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20. Eldorado Gold Co. has a twelve month low of $8.30 and a twelve month high of $18.85.

Eldorado Gold (NYSE:EGO  Get Free Report) (TSE:ELD) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 25th. The basic materials company reported $0.33 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.26 by $0.07. Eldorado Gold had a return on equity of 5.82% and a net margin of 15.67%. The firm had revenue of $297.14 million during the quarter. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $0.09 EPS. As a group, analysts predict that Eldorado Gold Co. will post 1.4 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Eldorado Gold Profile

(Free Report)

Eldorado Gold Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the mining, exploration, development, and sale of mineral products primarily in Turkey, Canada, Greece, and Romania. The company primarily produces gold, as well as silver, lead, and zinc. It holds a 100% interest in the Kisladag and Efemcukuru mines located in Turkey; Lamaque complex located in Canada; and Olympias, Stratoni, Skouries, Perama Hill, and Sapes gold mines located in Greece, as well as the 80.5% interest in Certej development projects located in Romania.

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Point72 Asia Singapore Pte. Ltd. acquired a new position in Grindr Inc. (NYSE:GRND  Free Report) in the 2nd quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm acquired 15,439 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $189,000.

Other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Marshall Wace LLP grew its holdings in Grindr by 124.0% during the second quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 627,879 shares of the companys stock valued at $7,685,000 after purchasing an additional 347,626 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its holdings in Grindr by 5.7% in the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 570,351 shares of the companys stock worth $5,778,000 after acquiring an additional 30,574 shares in the last quarter. Federated Hermes Inc. purchased a new position in Grindr during the second quarter valued at approximately $3,640,000. Squarepoint Ops LLC boosted its position in shares of Grindr by 264.4% in the second quarter. Squarepoint Ops LLC now owns 260,814 shares of the companys stock worth $3,192,000 after purchasing an additional 189,237 shares during the period. Finally, Discovery Capital Management LLC CT purchased a new stake in shares of Grindr in the second quarter worth $3,179,000. 7.22% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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Grindr Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE GRND opened at $12.16 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $2.14 billion, a P/E ratio of -67.55 and a beta of 0.35. Grindr Inc. has a 52-week low of $5.63 and a 52-week high of $12.83. The firms fifty day moving average is $11.79 and its two-hundred day moving average is $10.81.

Insiders Place Their Bets

Grindr ( NYSE:GRND Get Free Report ) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 8th. The company reported $0.07 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.05 by $0.02. The firm had revenue of $82.35 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $77.40 million. Grindr had a negative return on equity of 234.28% and a negative net margin of 25.67%. As a group, analysts forecast that Grindr Inc. will post 0.25 EPS for the current fiscal year.

In other news, CAO Kye Chen sold 16,187 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, September 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $11.68, for a total transaction of $189,064.16. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 138,604 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,618,894.72. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 76.40% of the companys stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. JMP Securities restated a market outperform rating and set a $17.00 target price on shares of Grindr in a research note on Monday, July 15th. TD Cowen upped their price objective on Grindr from $12.00 to $14.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Thursday, June 27th. Finally, Raymond James increased their target price on Grindr from $14.00 to $15.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research report on Thursday, June 27th.

Check Out Our Latest Stock Report on Grindr

Grindr Company Profile

(Free Report)

Grindr Inc operates social network and dating application for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) communities worldwide. Its platform enables LGBTQ people to find and engage with each other, share content and experiences, and express themselves. The company offers ad-supported service and a premium subscription version.

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Hitachi Kokusai Electric Inc (OTCMKTS:HTKKY  Get Free Report)s stock price traded down 2.2% during trading on Wednesday . The stock traded as low as $53.89 and last traded at $53.89. 100 shares traded hands during trading, an increase of 0% from the average session volume of 100 shares. The stock had previously closed at $55.10.

Hitachi Kokusai Electric Stock Down 2.2 %

The businesss 50-day moving average is $53.89 and its two-hundred day moving average is $53.89.

About Hitachi Kokusai Electric

(Get Free Report)

Hitachi Kokusai Electric Inc provides video and wireless network, and eco-and thin film processing solutions in Japan, the United States, Taiwan, Korea, other Asian countries, Europe, and internationally. The company offers wireless communications and information systems, such as infrastructure for mobile telecommunications, disaster-preventive administration radio systems, radio systems for transportation, land mobile radio communication products, and wireless broadband systems.

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The Walmart store on East Platte Avenue near Chelton Road was closed Friday afternoon because of a bomb threat.

The Colorado Springs Police Department confirmed that the store received an anonymous call about a bomb in the store around 12:20 p.m. Friday. Police initially evacuated the store, but declared the store clear of explosives.

The store reopened at 2:25 p.m. according to police.

Police spokeswoman Caitlin Ford said the store was evacuated out of an abundance of caution while the department's bomb squad swept the store, particularly the bakery, where the threat stated the bomb to be located.

Investigators are continuing to investigate the origin of the call, according to the department's crime blotter.

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NuShares ESG International Developed Markets Equity ETF (BATS:NUDM  Get Free Report)s stock price traded down 0.4% during mid-day trading on Wednesday . The stock traded as low as $33.31 and last traded at $33.39. 33,525 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, The stock had previously closed at $33.53.

NuShares ESG International Developed Markets Equity ETF Stock Performance

The company has a market capitalization of $463.47 million, a PE ratio of 17.50 and a beta of 0.85. The stocks fifty day simple moving average is $32.37 and its 200-day simple moving average is $31.53.

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Hedge Funds Weigh In On NuShares ESG International Developed Markets Equity ETF

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. increased its stake in shares of NuShares ESG International Developed Markets Equity ETF by 41.8% during the 1st quarter. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. now owns 31,304 shares of the companys stock valued at $972,000 after acquiring an additional 9,224 shares during the last quarter. Whittier Trust Co. grew its holdings in NuShares ESG International Developed Markets Equity ETF by 56.4% in the first quarter. Whittier Trust Co. now owns 31,076 shares of the companys stock valued at $965,000 after purchasing an additional 11,207 shares during the period. Mascoma Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in NuShares ESG International Developed Markets Equity ETF during the second quarter worth approximately $112,000. Prism Advisors Inc. increased its position in NuShares ESG International Developed Markets Equity ETF by 8.1% during the first quarter. Prism Advisors Inc. now owns 24,665 shares of the companys stock worth $766,000 after purchasing an additional 1,838 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Corundum Group Inc. purchased a new position in NuShares ESG International Developed Markets Equity ETF during the first quarter worth approximately $240,000.

About NuShares ESG International Developed Markets Equity ETF

The Nuveen ESG International Developed Markets Equity ETF (NUDM) is an exchange-traded fund that is based on the MSCI TIAA ESG International DM index. The fund tracks an index of companies from developed countries, excluding the US and Canada, that align with various environmental, social, and governance principles.

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Atresmedia Corporacion de Medios de Comunicacion, S.A. (OTCMKTS:ATVDY  Get Free Report) shares dropped 3.4% during trading on Wednesday . The company traded as low as $5.12 and last traded at $5.12. Approximately 140 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 92% from the average daily volume of 1,784 shares. The stock had previously closed at $5.30.

Atresmedia Corporacion de Medios de Comunicacion Price Performance

The companys 50 day simple moving average is $5.06 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $4.89.

About Atresmedia Corporacion de Medios de Comunicacion

(Get Free Report)

Atresmedia Corporacion de Medios de Comunicacion, SA, an audiovisual company, engages in the television, digital and multimedia development, advertising, cinema, radio, and events organization businesses in Spain and internationally. The company is involved in the production, distribution, dissemination, and marketing of audiovisual content; management of copyright and music rights; development and operation of digital content; and local digital terrestrial television business.

Further Reading

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Telecom Italia S.p.A. (OTCMKTS:TIIAY  Get Free Report)s share price was down 2.2% during trading on Wednesday . The company traded as low as $2.61 and last traded at $2.61. Approximately 5,378 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 88% from the average daily volume of 44,817 shares. The stock had previously closed at $2.67.

Telecom Italia Stock Down 0.9 %

The business has a 50 day moving average of $2.51 and a 200 day moving average of $2.46.

Telecom Italia Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Telecom Italia S.p.A., together with its subsidiaries, engages in the provision of fixed and mobile telecommunications services in Italy and internationally. The company operates through Domestic, Brazil, and Other Operations segments. It offers fixed and mobile voice and Internet, and public telephony services, as well as products managed and developed for individuals and families; and voice, data, and Internet services and products, and information and communications technology solutions for top, public sector and large account customers.

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Shares of Eaton Vance Senior Income Trust (NYSE:EVF  Get Free Report) traded up 0.7% during trading on Wednesday . The company traded as high as $6.19 and last traded at $6.18. 106,755 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 40% from the average session volume of 76,006 shares. The stock had previously closed at $6.14.

Eaton Vance Senior Income Trust Price Performance

The businesss 50-day moving average is $6.23 and its two-hundred day moving average is $6.33.

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Eaton Vance Senior Income Trust Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a monthly dividend, which was paid on Friday, September 20th. Shareholders of record on Friday, September 13th were issued a $0.054 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, September 13th. This represents a $0.65 annualized dividend and a yield of 10.50%.

Institutional Trading of Eaton Vance Senior Income Trust

About Eaton Vance Senior Income Trust

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Cetera Advisors LLC grew its stake in Eaton Vance Senior Income Trust by 24.1% in the first quarter. Cetera Advisors LLC now owns 18,000 shares of the companys stock valued at $114,000 after acquiring an additional 3,500 shares during the period. Ameritas Advisory Services LLC bought a new position in shares of Eaton Vance Senior Income Trust during the 2nd quarter valued at about $67,000. Finally, Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. grew its position in shares of Eaton Vance Senior Income Trust by 6.4% in the 2nd quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 295,146 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,871,000 after purchasing an additional 17,776 shares during the period.

(Get Free Report)

Eaton Vance Senior Income Trust is a closed-ended fixed income mutual fund launched and managed by Eaton Vance Management. The fund invests in the fixed income markets of the United States. It seeks to invest in the securities of companies operating across the diversified sectors. The fund primarily invests in senior secured floating rate loans.

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Select Equity Group L.P. lessened its holdings in shares of Rollins, Inc. (NYSE:ROL  Free Report) by 55.2% in the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 1,992,258 shares of the business services providers stock after selling 2,458,738 shares during the period. Select Equity Group L.P. owned 0.41% of Rollins worth $97,202,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Lighthouse Investment Partners LLC bought a new position in shares of Rollins in the 2nd quarter worth $3,067,000. Millennium Management LLC boosted its holdings in Rollins by 54.8% during the second quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 439,043 shares of the business services providers stock worth $21,421,000 after buying an additional 155,476 shares during the last quarter. MBB Public Markets I LLC boosted its holdings in Rollins by 378.8% during the second quarter. MBB Public Markets I LLC now owns 23,328 shares of the business services providers stock worth $1,138,000 after buying an additional 18,456 shares during the last quarter. BRITISH COLUMBIA INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT Corp grew its position in shares of Rollins by 61.2% during the 2nd quarter. BRITISH COLUMBIA INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT Corp now owns 55,604 shares of the business services providers stock worth $2,713,000 after buying an additional 21,104 shares during the period. Finally, Marshall Wace LLP bought a new stake in shares of Rollins in the 2nd quarter valued at about $3,788,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 51.79% of the companys stock.

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Insider Buying and Selling

In other Rollins news, insider Elizabeth B. Chandler sold 4,685 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $50.74, for a total value of $237,716.90. Following the sale, the insider now owns 89,338 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,533,010.12. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. In other news, insider Elizabeth B. Chandler sold 4,686 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $47.82, for a total transaction of $224,084.52. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 95,023 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,543,999.86. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, insider Elizabeth B. Chandler sold 4,685 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $50.74, for a total value of $237,716.90. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 89,338 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $4,533,010.12. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 4.69% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Rollins Stock Down 1.4 %

Rollins stock opened at $50.04 on Friday. The company has a 50 day moving average of $49.36 and a 200-day moving average of $47.63. The company has a quick ratio of 0.72, a current ratio of 0.78 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41. Rollins, Inc. has a twelve month low of $32.19 and a twelve month high of $51.96. The stock has a market capitalization of $24.23 billion, a PE ratio of 56.22 and a beta of 0.70.

Rollins (NYSE:ROL  Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, July 24th. The business services provider reported $0.27 earnings per share for the quarter, hitting analysts consensus estimates of $0.27. The firm had revenue of $891.90 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $895.02 million. Rollins had a net margin of 14.23% and a return on equity of 40.10%. The companys revenue for the quarter was up 8.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $0.23 EPS. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Rollins, Inc. will post 1 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Rollins Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 10th. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 12th were given a dividend of $0.15 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, August 12th. This represents a $0.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.20%. Rollinss dividend payout ratio is currently 67.42%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

ROL has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Wells Fargo & Company began coverage on shares of Rollins in a report on Monday, August 12th. They set an overweight rating and a $54.00 price objective for the company. StockNews.com cut shares of Rollins from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Tuesday. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada restated an outperform rating and issued a $52.00 price objective on shares of Rollins in a research report on Thursday, July 25th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Rollins currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $47.83.

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About Rollins

(Free Report)

Rollins, Inc, through its subsidiaries, provides pest and wildlife control services to residential and commercial customers in the United States and internationally. The company offers pest control services to residential properties protecting from common pests, including rodents, insects, and wildlife.

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Fred Alger Management LLC raised its stake in Novartis AG (NYSE:NVS  Free Report) by 7.6% during the 2nd quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 26,295 shares of the companys stock after buying an additional 1,852 shares during the period. Fred Alger Management LLCs holdings in Novartis were worth $2,799,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Semmax Financial Advisors Inc. boosted its stake in Novartis by 4.0% during the 2nd quarter. Semmax Financial Advisors Inc. now owns 11,238 shares of the companys stock worth $1,265,000 after acquiring an additional 432 shares during the last quarter. Providence Capital Advisors LLC raised its holdings in Novartis by 1.2% in the second quarter. Providence Capital Advisors LLC now owns 35,533 shares of the companys stock worth $3,783,000 after purchasing an additional 416 shares during the period. Xponance Inc. bought a new position in shares of Novartis during the second quarter worth $233,000. Bank of Montreal Can grew its holdings in shares of Novartis by 343.5% in the 2nd quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 657,903 shares of the companys stock valued at $70,652,000 after buying an additional 509,567 shares during the period. Finally, Integral Health Asset Management LLC increased its position in shares of Novartis by 33.3% in the 2nd quarter. Integral Health Asset Management LLC now owns 300,000 shares of the companys stock valued at $31,938,000 after buying an additional 75,000 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 13.12% of the companys stock.

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Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

NVS has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Jefferies Financial Group lowered Novartis from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Tuesday, September 3rd. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a neutral rating and set a $121.00 price objective (up previously from $119.00) on shares of Novartis in a report on Thursday, September 5th. Barclays raised Novartis to a strong sell rating in a research note on Monday, June 24th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a hold rating on shares of Novartis in a report on Friday, July 19th. Finally, Bank of America cut shares of Novartis from a buy rating to a neutral rating and reduced their price target for the company from $135.00 to $130.00 in a report on Wednesday, September 11th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have given a hold rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $120.70.

Novartis Price Performance

NYSE NVS opened at $115.61 on Friday. The firms 50 day moving average is $114.55 and its 200-day moving average is $105.80. The company has a quick ratio of 0.72, a current ratio of 0.93 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.47. Novartis AG has a 12-month low of $92.19 and a 12-month high of $120.92. The company has a market capitalization of $236.31 billion, a PE ratio of 15.60, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.74 and a beta of 0.57.

Novartis (NYSE:NVS  Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 18th. The company reported $1.97 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.87 by $0.10. Novartis had a return on equity of 34.56% and a net margin of 33.76%. The company had revenue of $12.87 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $12.24 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $1.83 EPS. Equities research analysts anticipate that Novartis AG will post 7.5 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Novartis Company Profile

(Free Report)

Novartis AG engages in the research, development, manufacture, and marketing of healthcare products in Switzerland and internationally. The company offers prescription medicines for patients and physicians. It focuses on therapeutic areas, such as cardiovascular, renal and metabolic, immunology, neuroscience, and oncology, as well as ophthalmology and hematology.

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First County Bank CT lessened its stake in Salesforce, Inc. (NYSE:CRM  Free Report) by 6.1% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 6,282 shares of the CRM providers stock after selling 407 shares during the period. First County Bank CTs holdings in Salesforce were worth $1,615,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in CRM. Ruedi Wealth Management Inc. raised its position in shares of Salesforce by 186.7% in the 1st quarter. Ruedi Wealth Management Inc. now owns 86 shares of the CRM providers stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 56 shares in the last quarter. Piscataqua Savings Bank grew its stake in Salesforce by 2,400.0% in the second quarter. Piscataqua Savings Bank now owns 100 shares of the CRM providers stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 96 shares during the last quarter. Clear Investment Research LLC raised its holdings in Salesforce by 816.7% in the second quarter. Clear Investment Research LLC now owns 110 shares of the CRM providers stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 98 shares in the last quarter. Red Tortoise LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Salesforce during the first quarter valued at about $33,000. Finally, Stephens Consulting LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Salesforce by 3,125.0% in the 2nd quarter. Stephens Consulting LLC now owns 129 shares of the CRM providers stock valued at $33,000 after buying an additional 125 shares in the last quarter. 80.43% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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Salesforce Stock Performance

Shares of Salesforce stock opened at $275.67 on Friday. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $255.68 and a 200-day simple moving average of $265.79. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.15, a quick ratio of 1.04 and a current ratio of 1.04. Salesforce, Inc. has a one year low of $193.68 and a one year high of $318.71. The company has a market cap of $263.54 billion, a PE ratio of 49.58, a P/E/G ratio of 2.39 and a beta of 1.29.

Salesforce Dividend Announcement

Salesforce ( NYSE:CRM Get Free Report ) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, August 28th. The CRM provider reported $2.56 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.36 by $0.20. The firm had revenue of $9.33 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $9.22 billion. Salesforce had a return on equity of 12.01% and a net margin of 15.44%. The firms revenue was up 8.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.63 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Salesforce, Inc. will post 7.54 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, October 8th. Investors of record on Wednesday, September 18th will be paid a dividend of $0.40 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, September 18th. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.58%. Salesforces dividend payout ratio is currently 28.78%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

CRM has been the topic of several research analyst reports. UBS Group boosted their target price on shares of Salesforce from $250.00 to $275.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research report on Thursday, August 29th. Raymond James boosted their price objective on shares of Salesforce from $325.00 to $350.00 and gave the company a strong-buy rating in a report on Thursday, August 29th. Morgan Stanley raised their target price on Salesforce from $320.00 to $330.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research note on Thursday, August 29th. TD Cowen lifted their price target on Salesforce from $285.00 to $290.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a research report on Thursday, August 29th. Finally, Bank of America restated a buy rating and issued a $325.00 price objective on shares of Salesforce in a research note on Friday, September 6th. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twenty-seven have assigned a buy rating and three have given a strong buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Salesforce currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $307.73.

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Insider Activity at Salesforce

In other news, CFO Amy E. Weaver sold 897 shares of Salesforce stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, July 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $255.78, for a total transaction of $229,434.66. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 51,109 shares in the company, valued at $13,072,660.02. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In other news, CFO Amy E. Weaver sold 897 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, July 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $255.78, for a total transaction of $229,434.66. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 51,109 shares in the company, valued at $13,072,660.02. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, insider Parker Harris sold 4,200 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Tuesday, July 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $252.75, for a total transaction of $1,061,550.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 116,693 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $29,494,155.75. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 63,015 shares of company stock valued at $16,174,717 over the last ninety days. Insiders own 3.20% of the companys stock.

Salesforce Profile

(Free Report)

Salesforce, Inc provides Customer Relationship Management (CRM) technology that brings companies and customers together worldwide. The company's service includes sales to store data, monitor leads and progress, forecast opportunities, gain insights through analytics and artificial intelligence, and deliver quotes, contracts, and invoices; and service that enables companies to deliver trusted and highly personalized customer support at scale.

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Select Equity Group L.P. lifted its stake in shares of Fortive Co. (NYSE:FTV  Free Report) by 6.8% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 2,641,314 shares of the technology companys stock after buying an additional 168,368 shares during the quarter. Select Equity Group L.P. owned approximately 0.75% of Fortive worth $195,721,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company grew its holdings in Fortive by 78.0% during the 2nd quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 853,187 shares of the technology companys stock worth $63,221,000 after acquiring an additional 373,957 shares in the last quarter. MBB Public Markets I LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Fortive during the 2nd quarter worth $1,845,000. D. E. Shaw & Co. Inc. grew its stake in shares of Fortive by 1,053.5% during the second quarter. D. E. Shaw & Co. Inc. now owns 382,707 shares of the technology companys stock worth $28,359,000 after purchasing an additional 349,530 shares in the last quarter. Daymark Wealth Partners LLC purchased a new position in Fortive in the second quarter valued at $711,000. Finally, APG Asset Management N.V. raised its stake in Fortive by 31.2% in the second quarter. APG Asset Management N.V. now owns 162,049 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $11,204,000 after buying an additional 38,517 shares in the last quarter. 94.94% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on FTV shares. Wolfe Research cut Fortive from an outperform rating to a peer perform rating in a research report on Friday, September 6th. Morgan Stanley assumed coverage on shares of Fortive in a research note on Friday, September 6th. They issued an overweight rating and a $89.00 price target on the stock. Truist Financial reduced their price objective on shares of Fortive from $89.00 to $82.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, July 25th. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Fortive from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report on Friday, September 13th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada reiterated a sector perform rating and set a $77.00 price target on shares of Fortive in a research note on Friday, September 6th. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Fortive presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $86.38.

Fortive Price Performance

Shares of FTV opened at $78.54 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32, a quick ratio of 0.95 and a current ratio of 1.23. Fortive Co. has a fifty-two week low of $63.05 and a fifty-two week high of $87.10. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $72.39 and a 200-day simple moving average of $76.02. The company has a market capitalization of $27.65 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.04, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.22 and a beta of 1.11.

Fortive (NYSE:FTV  Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 24th. The technology company reported $0.93 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.92 by $0.01. The company had revenue of $1.55 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $1.57 billion. Fortive had a return on equity of 12.32% and a net margin of 14.39%. The firms revenue for the quarter was up 1.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.85 EPS. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Fortive Co. will post 3.82 earnings per share for the current year.

Fortive Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 27th. Investors of record on Friday, September 13th will be given a $0.08 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, September 13th. This represents a $0.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.41%. Fortives dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 12.65%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Fortive

In other news, CFO Charles E. Mclaughlin sold 6,864 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Friday, September 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $74.03, for a total value of $508,141.92. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 73,391 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,433,135.73. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. In other news, SVP Jonathan L. Schwarz sold 14,223 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, September 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $73.80, for a total transaction of $1,049,657.40. Following the sale, the senior vice president now owns 68,161 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $5,030,281.80. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CFO Charles E. Mclaughlin sold 6,864 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Friday, September 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $74.03, for a total value of $508,141.92. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 73,391 shares in the company, valued at $5,433,135.73. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 1.01% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Fortive Company Profile

(Free Report)

Fortive Corporation designs, develops, manufactures, and services professional and engineered products, software, and services in the United States, China, and internationally. It operates in three segments: Intelligent Operating Solutions, Precision Technologies, and Advanced Healthcare Solutions. The Intelligent Operating Solutions segment provides advanced instrumentation, software, and services, including electrical test and measurement, facility and asset lifecycle software applications, and connected worker safety and compliance solutions for manufacturing, process industries, healthcare, utilities and power, communications and electronics, and other industries.

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Scientech Research LLC acquired a new position in BJs Wholesale Club Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:BJ  Free Report) during the 2nd quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund acquired 19,709 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $1,731,000.

Several other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the business. Shellback Capital LP bought a new stake in shares of BJs Wholesale Club in the second quarter worth $2,196,000. D. E. Shaw & Co. Inc. grew its stake in shares of BJs Wholesale Club by 201.8% in the second quarter. D. E. Shaw & Co. Inc. now owns 591,596 shares of the companys stock worth $51,966,000 after purchasing an additional 395,573 shares during the last quarter. Daymark Wealth Partners LLC bought a new stake in shares of BJs Wholesale Club in the second quarter worth $209,000. AQR Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of BJs Wholesale Club in the second quarter worth $1,254,000. Finally, AXA S.A. bought a new stake in shares of BJs Wholesale Club in the second quarter worth $2,112,000. Institutional investors own 98.60% of the companys stock.

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Insider Buying and Selling at BJs Wholesale Club

In other BJs Wholesale Club news, EVP Jeff Desroches sold 28,842 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, July 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $89.86, for a total value of $2,591,742.12. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 58,452 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,252,496.72. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this link. In other BJs Wholesale Club news, EVP Jeff Desroches sold 28,842 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, July 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $89.86, for a total value of $2,591,742.12. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 58,452 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,252,496.72. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, CEO Robert W. Eddy sold 11,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $79.40, for a total transaction of $873,400.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 445,792 shares of the companys stock, valued at $35,395,884.80. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 79,438 shares of company stock worth $6,980,938. Insiders own 2.00% of the companys stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages have commented on BJ. Roth Mkm upped their price target on shares of BJs Wholesale Club from $68.00 to $75.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research report on Friday, August 23rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised shares of BJs Wholesale Club from an underweight rating to a neutral rating and upped their price target for the company from $76.00 to $78.00 in a research report on Monday, August 26th. Melius Research began coverage on shares of BJs Wholesale Club in a research report on Monday. They set a buy rating and a $90.00 price target on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company raised shares of BJs Wholesale Club from an equal weight rating to an overweight rating and upped their price target for the company from $75.00 to $92.00 in a research report on Friday, August 23rd. Finally, Loop Capital upped their price target on shares of BJs Wholesale Club from $80.00 to $85.00 and gave the company a hold rating in a research report on Thursday, July 11th. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $86.31.

View Our Latest Report on BJ

BJs Wholesale Club Trading Down 0.1 %

BJ opened at $82.06 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.24, a current ratio of 0.76 and a quick ratio of 0.15. BJs Wholesale Club Holdings, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $63.08 and a fifty-two week high of $92.37. The firm has a market capitalization of $10.89 billion, a PE ratio of 21.31, a P/E/G ratio of 3.02 and a beta of 0.24. The companys 50-day moving average is $83.47 and its 200 day moving average is $82.16.

BJs Wholesale Club (NYSE:BJ  Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, August 22nd. The company reported $1.09 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.00 by $0.09. The company had revenue of $5.21 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.15 billion. BJs Wholesale Club had a net margin of 2.62% and a return on equity of 36.12%. The firms revenue was up 4.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $0.97 EPS. As a group, research analysts predict that BJs Wholesale Club Holdings, Inc. will post 3.83 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

BJs Wholesale Club Profile

(Free Report)

BJ's Wholesale Club Holdings, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, operates warehouse clubs on the eastern half of the United States. It provides groceries, general merchandise, gasoline and other ancillary services, coupon books, and promotions. The company sells its products through the websites BJs.com, BerkleyJensen.com, and Wellsleyfarms.com, as well as the mobile app.

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Toronto Dominion Bank reduced its stake in shares of AMETEK, Inc. (NYSE:AME  Free Report) by 14.0% in the 2nd quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 129,565 shares of the technology companys stock after selling 21,005 shares during the period. Toronto Dominion Banks holdings in AMETEK were worth $21,600,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted its holdings in AMETEK by 48.4% during the first quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 7,075,565 shares of the technology companys stock worth $1,294,121,000 after buying an additional 2,306,535 shares in the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp boosted its stake in shares of AMETEK by 34.6% during the 2nd quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 3,602,753 shares of the technology companys stock worth $600,615,000 after acquiring an additional 926,657 shares in the last quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. grew its position in shares of AMETEK by 256.3% during the 2nd quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 976,808 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $162,844,000 after acquiring an additional 702,674 shares during the period. Maren Capital LLC purchased a new position in shares of AMETEK in the 4th quarter valued at about $64,284,000. Finally, Dixon Mitchell Investment Counsel Inc. acquired a new position in AMETEK in the 1st quarter worth about $46,343,000. 87.43% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Insider Activity

In related news, Director Steven W. Kohlhagen sold 1,460 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, September 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $171.59, for a total transaction of $250,521.40. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 23,349 shares in the company, valued at $4,006,454.91. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.61% of the companys stock.

AMETEK Stock Performance

AME opened at $171.94 on Friday. AMETEK, Inc. has a twelve month low of $136.89 and a twelve month high of $186.32. The firm has a market capitalization of $39.81 billion, a PE ratio of 30.22, a PEG ratio of 2.81 and a beta of 1.17. The company has a current ratio of 1.26, a quick ratio of 0.76 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20. The firms 50-day moving average price is $166.37 and its 200 day moving average price is $171.12.

AMETEK (NYSE:AME  Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, August 1st. The technology company reported $1.66 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.64 by $0.02. AMETEK had a return on equity of 17.41% and a net margin of 19.51%. The business had revenue of $1.73 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $1.78 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $1.57 EPS. The businesss revenue for the quarter was up 5.4% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that AMETEK, Inc. will post 6.77 EPS for the current fiscal year.

AMETEK Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 30th. Stockholders of record on Monday, September 16th will be issued a dividend of $0.28 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, September 16th. This represents a $1.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.65%. AMETEKs dividend payout ratio is presently 19.68%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have recently commented on the company. StockNews.com cut AMETEK from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 6th. TD Cowen cut their price target on shares of AMETEK from $165.00 to $158.00 and set a hold rating for the company in a report on Monday, August 5th. Robert W. Baird decreased their price objective on shares of AMETEK from $171.00 to $166.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, August 7th. Royal Bank of Canada cut their target price on shares of AMETEK from $216.00 to $215.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research note on Friday, August 2nd. Finally, Wolfe Research raised shares of AMETEK to a hold rating in a research note on Wednesday, September 18th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, four have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $186.29.

Check Out Our Latest Report on AMETEK

AMETEK Profile

(Free Report)

AMETEK, Inc manufactures and sells electronic instruments and electromechanical devices in the North America, Europe, Asia, and South America, and internationally. The company's EIG segment offers advanced instruments for the process, aerospace, power, and industrial markets; process and analytical instruments for the oil and gas, petrochemical, pharmaceutical, semiconductor, automation, and food and beverage industries; instruments to the laboratory equipment, ultra-precision manufacturing, medical, and test and measurement markets; power quality monitoring and c devices, uninterruptible power supplies, programmable power and electromagnetic compatibility test equipment, and sensors for gas turbines and dashboard instruments; heavy trucks, instrumentation, and controls for the food and beverage industries; and aircraft and engine sensors, power supplies, embedded computing, monitoring, fuel and fluid measurement, and data acquisition systems for aerospace and defense industry.

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The Morphew case still turns.

A federal judge has dismissed Barry Morphews $15 million civil lawsuit against at least 19 defendants who investigated and prosecuted a murder case against him in 2021, saying that though there were problems with the investigation, there was probable cause to arrest him in connection with his wifes murder.

U.S. District Judge Daniel D. Domenico granted seven different motions filed by the defendants to dismiss the claims against them.

Morphews complaint alleged that the arrest affidavit made misleading statements and omissions to establish probable cause, in effect, maliciously conspiring to prosecute him.

Though he dismissed the lawsuit, the judge wrote the prosecution had infuriating flaws.

Morphew was arrested May 5, 2021, almost a year after his wife, Suzanne Morphew, 49, disappeared. He met with investigators 60 times, according to the arrest warrant, and has maintained his innocence since the beginning. The case was dismissed without prejudice in April 2022 and Morphew filed his lawsuit a year later.

His wifes remains were found in September 2023 in Moffat, Colorado, around 45 minutes to the south of the Morphew family home.

Domenico said that though there should be consequences for omitting significant evidence and failing to follow up on several unanswered questions  damages are not one of those.

In his 33-page ruling, Domenico stated: All of Mr. Morphews asserted causes of action suffer from one or more legal deficiencies. Chief among those deficiencies is that despite the failings of the investigation and prosecution, there was still probable cause to arrest and charge him with murder. For this and the other reasons set forth below, Plaintiffs claims must be dismissed.

In her response, Morphews civil attorney Iris Eytan said that Barry Morphews legal battle is far from over.

Noting that in Domenicos order  he wrote that Morphew should not have been arrested at the time that he was  she added that he should not have been arrested at all, not at any time. She said Morphew was wrongly prosecuted, has no recourse to get the costs of the damage to him back from the offending prosecutors because they cannot be sued in the United States.

Among those sued were Chaffee County Undersheriff Andy Rohrich, Chaffee County Sheriffs Investigator Alex Walker, 11th Judicial Assistant District Attorney Mark Hurlbert, former Colorado Bureau of Investigation Director John Camper and six CBI agents who worked on the case, the Chaffee County commissioners, and Chaffee County.

Also sued were defendants listed as John and Jane Does 1-10, who were described as any other unknown employees who may have worked with the Chaffee County sheriffs department or the 11th Judicial District Attorneys office.

Domenico took issue with that, writing that claims against unnamed defendants were vague and failed to meet the pleading standards.

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What now?

The case is now in fresh hands, transferred to the 12th Judicial District, which operates out of Alamosa, Colorado.

Twelfth Judicial District Attorney Anne Kelly has been working with the Colorado Bureau of Investigation. This August, she told The Denver Gazette in an email that the case is ongoing.

Suzanne Morphews autopsy report, released in April 2024, revealed chemicals in the marrow of her femur bone that are used to euthanize wild animals. The coroner determined her death to be homicide by undetermined means in the setting of butorphanol, azaperone, and medetomidine intoxication, a mixture referred to in laymans terms as BAM.

The 129-page arrest affidavit mentioned a theory that Morphew controlled his wife by injecting her with a poison dart and killed her later.

Domenico noted in his ruling that Morphew, 56, used BAM, Telazol, and Xylazine as tranquilizers and that he brought these chemicals, which he knew to be controlled substances, from Indiana.

Regarding the tranquilizer theory, the judge also noted in the order that several exculpatory facts were not mentioned in the affidavit.

The tranquilizer gun is the only method by which to shoot a tranquilizer dart and Plaintiffs tranquilizer gun, which was stored in a locked gun safe, was inoperable and had not been used in a long time, he noted, for instance.

Nearly two-and-a-half years after Suzanne Morphews case was dismissed, the Colorado Supreme Court has advised to disbar Linda Stanley, the former 11th Judicial District Attorney who led the original Barry Morphew prosecution.

Four-and-a-half years after Suzanne Morphew went missing from her Salida-area home, the case remains unsolved.

In a text Wednesday, her sister, Melinda Moorman Balzer, wrote: My desire remains the same  justice for my beautiful sister Suzanne Morphew.

Similarly, the last paragraph of Domenicos ruling, he noted: Suzanne Morphew certainly deserved better.

This story was originally published on Sept. 24 at 8:35 a.m.
Point72 Hong Kong Ltd reduced its stake in Louisiana-Pacific Co. (NYSE:LPX  Free Report) by 22.6% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 7,589 shares of the building manufacturing companys stock after selling 2,211 shares during the quarter. Point72 Hong Kong Ltds holdings in Louisiana-Pacific were worth $625,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Eminence Capital LP lifted its holdings in shares of Louisiana-Pacific by 31.4% in the 4th quarter. Eminence Capital LP now owns 2,056,991 shares of the building manufacturing companys stock worth $145,697,000 after acquiring an additional 491,641 shares during the last quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD lifted its holdings in shares of Louisiana-Pacific by 11.3% in the 1st quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 1,740,249 shares of the building manufacturing companys stock worth $146,026,000 after acquiring an additional 177,132 shares during the last quarter. Marshall Wace LLP lifted its holdings in shares of Louisiana-Pacific by 92.4% in the 2nd quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 1,255,474 shares of the building manufacturing companys stock worth $103,363,000 after acquiring an additional 602,803 shares during the last quarter. William Blair Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in Louisiana-Pacific during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $91,053,000. Finally, Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. increased its stake in Louisiana-Pacific by 6.7% during the 1st quarter. Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. now owns 925,514 shares of the building manufacturing companys stock worth $77,660,000 after buying an additional 57,966 shares during the period. 94.73% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on LPX shares. Truist Financial reaffirmed a buy rating and set a $105.00 target price (up from $101.00) on shares of Louisiana-Pacific in a research note on Thursday, August 8th. Royal Bank of Canada upped their target price on shares of Louisiana-Pacific from $101.00 to $112.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research note on Thursday, August 8th. DA Davidson upped their target price on shares of Louisiana-Pacific from $98.00 to $110.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Friday, June 14th. Bank of America upped their target price on shares of Louisiana-Pacific from $73.00 to $75.00 and gave the stock an underperform rating in a research note on Thursday, September 12th. Finally, StockNews.com downgraded shares of Louisiana-Pacific from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Friday, September 13th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have issued a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $92.67.

Louisiana-Pacific Trading Up 1.5 %

Shares of NYSE:LPX opened at $106.87 on Friday. Louisiana-Pacific Co. has a 52 week low of $49.47 and a 52 week high of $108.50. The companys 50 day moving average is $96.50 and its two-hundred day moving average is $87.82. The company has a current ratio of 3.38, a quick ratio of 1.95 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.21. The company has a market cap of $7.66 billion, a PE ratio of 29.36, a P/E/G ratio of 4.95 and a beta of 1.88.

Louisiana-Pacific (NYSE:LPX  Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 7th. The building manufacturing company reported $2.09 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.86 by $0.23. The company had revenue of $814.00 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $797.26 million. Louisiana-Pacific had a net margin of 15.22% and a return on equity of 27.09%. The companys quarterly revenue was up 33.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $0.55 EPS. Equities analysts predict that Louisiana-Pacific Co. will post 5.04 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Louisiana-Pacific Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 3rd. Investors of record on Tuesday, August 20th were given a $0.26 dividend. This represents a $1.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.97%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, August 20th. Louisiana-Pacifics dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 28.57%.

Insider Activity at Louisiana-Pacific

In related news, Director Lizanne C. Gottung sold 2,500 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, September 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $98.30, for a total value of $245,750.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 21,005 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $2,064,791.50. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. In related news, Director Lizanne C. Gottung sold 2,500 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, September 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $98.30, for a total transaction of $245,750.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 21,005 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,064,791.50. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CEO William Bradley Southern sold 32,600 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $93.44, for a total transaction of $3,046,144.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 596,886 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $55,773,027.84. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 35,900 shares of company stock valued at $3,368,774 in the last ninety days. Insiders own 1.26% of the companys stock.

About Louisiana-Pacific

(Free Report)

Louisiana-Pacific Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, provides building solutions primarily for use in new home construction, repair and remodeling, and outdoor structure markets. It operates through Siding, Oriented Strand Board, LP South America, and Other segments. The Siding segment offers LP SmartSide trim and siding products, LP SmartSide ExpertFinish trim and siding products, LP BuilderSeries lap siding products, and LP Outdoor Building Solutions; and engineered wood siding, trim, soffit, and fascia products.

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Point72 Asia Singapore Pte. Ltd. bought a new position in Advanced Drainage Systems, Inc. (NYSE:WMS  Free Report) in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm bought 1,716 shares of the construction companys stock, valued at approximately $275,000.

Several other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in WMS. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. boosted its stake in Advanced Drainage Systems by 319.4% in the 1st quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 151 shares of the construction companys stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 115 shares during the period. West Oak Capital LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Advanced Drainage Systems by 133.3% in the second quarter. West Oak Capital LLC now owns 175 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares in the last quarter. Blue Trust Inc. boosted its position in shares of Advanced Drainage Systems by 1,472.7% in the second quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 173 shares of the construction companys stock worth $30,000 after buying an additional 162 shares during the period. Rise Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Advanced Drainage Systems during the first quarter valued at $32,000. Finally, National Bank of Canada FI purchased a new position in shares of Advanced Drainage Systems during the second quarter valued at $45,000. 89.83% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have commented on WMS. StockNews.com lowered Advanced Drainage Systems from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 17th. Barclays lowered their price objective on shares of Advanced Drainage Systems from $202.00 to $194.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, August 9th. Robert W. Baird dropped their price objective on shares of Advanced Drainage Systems from $200.00 to $187.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, August 9th. Oppenheimer reissued an outperform rating and set a $192.00 target price on shares of Advanced Drainage Systems in a research note on Thursday, August 15th. Finally, Loop Capital dropped their price target on shares of Advanced Drainage Systems from $188.00 to $180.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, August 12th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $190.14.

Advanced Drainage Systems Stock Performance

WMS stock opened at $156.82 on Friday. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $154.76 and a two-hundred day moving average of $162.35. Advanced Drainage Systems, Inc. has a 12 month low of $102.32 and a 12 month high of $184.27. The company has a market capitalization of $12.16 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.35, a P/E/G ratio of 1.30 and a beta of 1.53. The company has a quick ratio of 1.90, a current ratio of 2.89 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.04.

Advanced Drainage Systems (NYSE:WMS  Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 8th. The construction company reported $2.06 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.98 by $0.08. The firm had revenue of $815.34 million during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $828.00 million. Advanced Drainage Systems had a net margin of 17.09% and a return on equity of 43.60%. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Advanced Drainage Systems, Inc. will post 6.95 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Advanced Drainage Systems Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, September 13th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 30th were issued a dividend of $0.16 per share. This represents a $0.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.41%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, August 30th. Advanced Drainage Systemss dividend payout ratio is 9.94%.

About Advanced Drainage Systems

(Free Report)

Advanced Drainage Systems, Inc designs, manufactures, and markets thermoplastic corrugated pipes and related water management products, and drainage solutions for use in the construction and agriculture marketplaces in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and internationally. The company operates through Pipe, International, Infiltrator, and Allied Products & Other segments.

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Petropavlovsk PLC (LON:POG  Get Free Report) shares crossed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Wednesday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of GBX 1.20 ($0.02) and traded as high as GBX 1.65 ($0.02). Petropavlovsk shares last traded at GBX 1.20 ($0.02), with a volume of 26,359,045 shares.

Petropavlovsk Price Performance

The firm has a market capitalization of 47.51 million and a PE ratio of 120.00. The company has a current ratio of 1.86, a quick ratio of 0.46 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 79.95. The company has a fifty day moving average price of GBX 1.20 and a two-hundred day moving average price of GBX 1.20.

Petropavlovsk Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Petropavlovsk PLC operates as a gold mining company in the Far East of Russia. It principally holds interests in the Pioneer, Albyn, and Malomir mining assets, as well as holds various gold licenses located in Amur region. The company also produces silver deposits. In addition, it provides construction, project and engineering, research, repair and maintenance, and transportation services; and operates educational institutes.

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QinetiQ Group plc (LON:QQ  Get Free Report) crossed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Wednesday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of GBX 417.10 ($5.59) and traded as high as GBX 466.40 ($6.25). QinetiQ Group shares last traded at GBX 449.40 ($6.02), with a volume of 587,520 shares trading hands.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on QQ shares. Citigroup reiterated a buy rating and issued a GBX 530 ($7.10) target price on shares of QinetiQ Group in a research note on Tuesday, June 11th. Shore Capital reiterated a buy rating on shares of QinetiQ Group in a research note on Thursday, July 18th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, QinetiQ Group currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of GBX 457.50 ($6.13).

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QinetiQ Group Trading Up 0.5 %

Insiders Place Their Bets

The stocks 50 day simple moving average is GBX 465.60 and its 200 day simple moving average is GBX 417.62. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 42.47, a quick ratio of 1.15 and a current ratio of 1.15. The firm has a market cap of 2.55 billion, a PE ratio of 1,876.67, a PEG ratio of 1.47 and a beta of 0.48.

In related news, insider Steve Wadey sold 155,335 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, July 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of GBX 442 ($5.92), for a total transaction of 686,580.70 ($919,363.55). In related news, insider Ross McEwan CBE acquired 20,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, July 22nd. The stock was purchased at an average price of GBX 475 ($6.36) per share, for a total transaction of 95,000 ($127,209.43). Also, insider Steve Wadey sold 155,335 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, July 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of GBX 442 ($5.92), for a total value of 686,580.70 ($919,363.55). Insiders bought a total of 20,098 shares of company stock valued at $9,545,004 over the last quarter. 12.10% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

QinetiQ Group Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

QinetiQ Group plc operates as a science and engineering company in the defense, security, and infrastructure markets in the United Kingdom, the United States, Australia, and internationally. The company operates through EMEA Services and Global Solutions segments. It offers advanced materials and manufacturing products; artificial intelligence, analytics, and advanced computing technologies; cyber and electromagnetic technologies; human protection and performance systems; novel systems, and weapons and effects; platform, and system design and assessment products; power sources, and energy storage and distribution products; robotics and autonomy services; secure communications and navigation systems; and sensing, processing, and data fusion systems.

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Shares of Hansteen Holdings plc (LON:HSTN  Get Free Report) crossed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Wednesday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of GBX 116.20 ($1.56) and traded as high as GBX 116.20 ($1.56). Hansteen shares last traded at GBX 116.20 ($1.56), with a volume of 5,099,403 shares.

Hansteen Stock Down 0.2 %

The company has a market capitalization of 498.20 million and a PE ratio of 10.38. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 53.41, a quick ratio of 2.37 and a current ratio of 2.83. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of GBX 116.20 and a 200-day simple moving average of GBX 116.20.

About Hansteen

(Get Free Report)

Hansteen Holdings PLC is a company which was incorporated in the United Kingdom and registered in England and Wales on 27 October 2005. The Company is required to comply with the provisions of the Companies Act 2006. The address of the registered office is 1st Floor, Pegasus House, 37-43 Sackville Street, London W1S 3DL.

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Kingfisher plc (LON:KGF  Get Free Report) shares crossed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Wednesday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of GBX 260.81 ($3.49) and traded as high as GBX 329.10 ($4.41). Kingfisher shares last traded at GBX 321.60 ($4.31), with a volume of 8,035,841 shares.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

KGF has been the topic of a number of research reports. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a hold rating and issued a GBX 250 ($3.35) price objective on shares of Kingfisher in a research report on Friday, July 12th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft boosted their price target on shares of Kingfisher from GBX 310 ($4.15) to GBX 350 ($4.69) and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Wednesday, September 18th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. restated an underweight rating on shares of Kingfisher in a report on Friday, July 12th.

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View Our Latest Analysis on KGF

Kingfisher Trading Up 0.0 %

Kingfisher Cuts Dividend

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 37.01, a quick ratio of 0.27 and a current ratio of 1.26. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of GBX 285.09 and a 200 day moving average price of GBX 262.07. The company has a market cap of 5.95 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 1,805.56, a P/E/G ratio of 3.61 and a beta of 0.95.

The company also recently declared a dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 15th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, October 10th will be paid a GBX 3.80 ($0.05) dividend. This represents a yield of 1.31%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, October 10th. Kingfishers dividend payout ratio is currently 6,666.67%.

Insider Transactions at Kingfisher

In other Kingfisher news, insider Thierry Garnier sold 382,415 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, September 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of GBX 324 ($4.34), for a total value of 1,239,024.60 ($1,659,111.68). 0.71% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

About Kingfisher

(Get Free Report)

Kingfisher plc, together with its subsidiaries, supplies home improvement products and services primarily in the United Kingdom, Ireland, France, and internationally. It also operates retail stores under the B&Q, Castorama, Brico Depot, Screwfix, TradePoint, and Koctas brands. The company sells its products through stores and e-commerce channels.

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AQR Capital Management LLC increased its position in shares of Target Co. (NYSE:TGT  Free Report) by 711.2% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 876,531 shares of the retailers stock after buying an additional 768,479 shares during the period. AQR Capital Management LLC owned about 0.19% of Target worth $129,762,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Washington Trust Advisors Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Target by 56.1% in the 1st quarter. Washington Trust Advisors Inc. now owns 178 shares of the retailers stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 64 shares in the last quarter. Williams Jones Wealth Management LLC. increased its holdings in Target by 0.6% during the first quarter. Williams Jones Wealth Management LLC. now owns 10,773 shares of the retailers stock valued at $1,909,000 after buying an additional 68 shares during the period. Beacon Capital Management LLC raised its stake in Target by 20.8% in the second quarter. Beacon Capital Management LLC now owns 400 shares of the retailers stock worth $59,000 after buying an additional 69 shares in the last quarter. Integral Investment Advisors Inc. lifted its holdings in Target by 5.3% during the second quarter. Integral Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 1,382 shares of the retailers stock worth $203,000 after buying an additional 69 shares during the period. Finally, Haverford Trust Co lifted its holdings in Target by 0.3% during the first quarter. Haverford Trust Co now owns 27,472 shares of the retailers stock worth $4,868,000 after buying an additional 70 shares during the period. 79.73% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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Target Stock Up 0.5 %

Shares of TGT stock opened at $155.91 on Friday. Target Co. has a twelve month low of $102.93 and a twelve month high of $181.86. The stock has a market cap of $71.82 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.51, a P/E/G ratio of 2.00 and a beta of 1.24. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $148.57 and a 200 day moving average of $154.64. The company has a current ratio of 0.90, a quick ratio of 0.27 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.95.

Target Announces Dividend

Target ( NYSE:TGT Get Free Report ) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, August 21st. The retailer reported $2.57 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.18 by $0.39. Target had a net margin of 4.18% and a return on equity of 33.10%. The firm had revenue of $25.02 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $25.19 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $1.80 EPS. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 1.0% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Target Co. will post 9.53 EPS for the current year.

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 10th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, November 20th will be given a $1.12 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, November 20th. This represents a $4.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.87%. Targets dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 50.28%.

Insider Transactions at Target

In related news, CAO Matthew A. Liegel sold 1,000 shares of Target stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $153.13, for a total value of $153,130.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer now owns 7,276 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,114,173.88. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. In other news, insider Brian C. Cornell sold 45,000 shares of Target stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $158.67, for a total value of $7,140,150.00. Following the sale, the insider now owns 303,843 shares in the company, valued at $48,210,768.81. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CAO Matthew A. Liegel sold 1,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $153.13, for a total transaction of $153,130.00. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 7,276 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $1,114,173.88. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Corporate insiders own 0.23% of the companys stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have recently commented on TGT. UBS Group boosted their price target on Target from $185.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Thursday, August 22nd. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on shares of Target from $160.00 to $180.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Thursday, August 22nd. Daiwa America upgraded shares of Target to a strong-buy rating in a report on Monday, August 26th. Melius Research began coverage on shares of Target in a research report on Monday. They issued a buy rating and a $180.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, Citigroup increased their target price on shares of Target from $180.00 to $188.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Thursday, August 22nd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have assigned a hold rating, nineteen have issued a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Target presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $179.69.

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Target Company Profile

(Free Report)

Target Corporation operates as a general merchandise retailer in the United States. The company offers apparel for women, men, boys, girls, toddlers, and infants and newborns, as well as jewelry, accessories, and shoes; and beauty and personal care, baby gear, cleaning, paper products, and pet supplies.

Further Reading

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Toronto Dominion Bank reduced its stake in Prudential Financial, Inc. (NYSE:PRU  Free Report) by 10.6% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 188,037 shares of the financial services providers stock after selling 22,251 shares during the quarter. Toronto Dominion Bank owned approximately 0.05% of Prudential Financial worth $22,036,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of PRU. Creekmur Asset Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Prudential Financial by 78.8% during the 1st quarter. Creekmur Asset Management LLC now owns 245 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $29,000 after acquiring an additional 108 shares during the period. Lynx Investment Advisory bought a new position in shares of Prudential Financial in the second quarter worth approximately $29,000. Crewe Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Prudential Financial during the 1st quarter valued at $33,000. ESL Trust Services LLC purchased a new position in shares of Prudential Financial during the 1st quarter valued at $34,000. Finally, Riverview Trust Co bought a new position in Prudential Financial in the 1st quarter worth $37,000. Institutional investors own 56.83% of the companys stock.

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Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Caroline Feeney sold 1,110 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $119.97, for a total transaction of $133,166.70. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 10,175 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,220,694.75. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. In other news, EVP Ann M. Kappler sold 2,839 shares of Prudential Financial stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $113.43, for a total transaction of $322,027.77. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 14,535 shares of the companys stock, valued at $1,648,705.05. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Caroline Feeney sold 1,110 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $119.97, for a total value of $133,166.70. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 10,175 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,220,694.75. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 0.31% of the companys stock.

Prudential Financial Stock Performance

NYSE PRU opened at $120.54 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $43.27 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.50, a P/E/G ratio of 0.96 and a beta of 1.30. The businesss 50 day moving average price is $117.45 and its 200-day moving average price is $116.55. Prudential Financial, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $87.95 and a fifty-two week high of $128.52. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.65, a quick ratio of 0.13 and a current ratio of 0.13.

Prudential Financial (NYSE:PRU  Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, August 1st. The financial services provider reported $3.39 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $3.43 by ($0.04). Prudential Financial had a net margin of 4.86% and a return on equity of 16.00%. The firm had revenue of $13.84 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $13.78 billion. Sell-side analysts predict that Prudential Financial, Inc. will post 13.3 earnings per share for the current year.

Prudential Financial Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, September 12th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, August 20th were given a dividend of $1.30 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, August 20th. This represents a $5.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.31%. Prudential Financials dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 88.44%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

PRU has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Barclays started coverage on Prudential Financial in a research report on Wednesday, September 4th. They issued an equal weight rating and a $118.00 price objective on the stock. Argus raised Prudential Financial to a strong-buy rating in a report on Thursday, August 8th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reiterated a market perform rating and set a $121.00 price objective on shares of Prudential Financial in a research report on Wednesday, August 21st. Morgan Stanley dropped their target price on shares of Prudential Financial from $123.00 to $122.00 and set an equal weight rating for the company in a research report on Monday, August 19th. Finally, Citigroup lifted their price target on shares of Prudential Financial from $104.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a report on Tuesday, July 23rd. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eleven have issued a hold rating, one has assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Prudential Financial presently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $120.83.

Check Out Our Latest Analysis on PRU

Prudential Financial Company Profile

(Free Report)

Prudential Financial, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, provides insurance, investment management, and other financial products and services in the United States and internationally. It operates through PGIM, Retirement Strategies, Group Insurance, Individual Life, and International Businesses segments.

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AQR Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Global Payments Inc. (NYSE:GPN  Free Report) by 188.1% in the second quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 1,157,728 shares of the business services providers stock after purchasing an additional 755,898 shares during the quarter. AQR Capital Management LLCs holdings in Global Payments were worth $109,857,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. New Covenant Trust Company N.A. purchased a new stake in shares of Global Payments during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $31,000. LRI Investments LLC bought a new stake in Global Payments during the 1st quarter valued at $32,000. POM Investment Strategies LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Global Payments during the second quarter worth $32,000. West Paces Advisors Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Global Payments by 54.5% in the first quarter. West Paces Advisors Inc. now owns 309 shares of the business services providers stock worth $41,000 after acquiring an additional 109 shares during the period. Finally, North Star Investment Management Corp. grew its position in shares of Global Payments by 154.7% in the first quarter. North Star Investment Management Corp. now owns 354 shares of the business services providers stock valued at $47,000 after purchasing an additional 215 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 89.76% of the companys stock.

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Global Payments Stock Up 0.6 %

Shares of NYSE GPN opened at $97.67 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $24.93 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.38, a PEG ratio of 0.71 and a beta of 0.98. Global Payments Inc. has a one year low of $91.60 and a one year high of $141.77. The firms 50 day simple moving average is $105.63 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $109.61. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68, a current ratio of 0.92 and a quick ratio of 0.92.

Global Payments Dividend Announcement

Global Payments ( NYSE:GPN Get Free Report ) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, August 7th. The business services provider reported $2.93 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.90 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $2.57 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.32 billion. Global Payments had a net margin of 14.26% and a return on equity of 11.93%. The firms quarterly revenue was up 4.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $2.48 EPS. As a group, analysts expect that Global Payments Inc. will post 11.07 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 27th. Investors of record on Friday, September 13th will be issued a dividend of $0.25 per share. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.02%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, September 13th. Global Paymentss dividend payout ratio is presently 19.84%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Global Payments news, CAO David M. Sheffield sold 1,651 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $100.73, for a total value of $166,305.23. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer now owns 20,531 shares in the company, valued at $2,068,087.63. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. 0.98% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages recently issued reports on GPN. BMO Capital Markets dropped their price objective on Global Payments from $126.00 to $122.00 and set a market perform rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday. Wells Fargo & Company began coverage on shares of Global Payments in a report on Wednesday, June 12th. They issued an equal weight rating and a $100.00 price target on the stock. Seaport Res Ptn lowered shares of Global Payments from a strong-buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Tuesday. B. Riley decreased their target price on shares of Global Payments from $204.00 to $194.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday. Finally, BNP Paribas raised shares of Global Payments to a strong sell rating in a report on Wednesday, September 4th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have given a hold rating and sixteen have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $141.36.

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About Global Payments

(Free Report)

Global Payments Inc provides payment technology and software solutions for card, check, and digital-based payments in the Americas, Europe, and the Asia-Pacific. It operates through two segments, Merchant Solutions and Issuer Solutions. The Merchant Solutions segment offers authorization, settlement and funding, customer support, chargeback resolution, terminal rental, sales and deployment, payment security, and consolidated billing and reporting services.

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AQR Capital Management LLC grew its position in Robert Half Inc. (NYSE:RHI  Free Report) by 101.0% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 1,564,247 shares of the business services providers stock after acquiring an additional 786,031 shares during the quarter. AQR Capital Management LLCs holdings in Robert Half were worth $99,439,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Blue Trust Inc. increased its position in Robert Half by 489.4% in the second quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 389 shares of the business services providers stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 323 shares during the last quarter. Fidelis Capital Partners LLC bought a new position in Robert Half during the first quarter valued at $26,000. Versant Capital Management Inc purchased a new position in shares of Robert Half in the 2nd quarter worth $35,000. Family Firm Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Robert Half in the 2nd quarter worth about $45,000. Finally, Parallel Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of Robert Half by 55.7% during the 4th quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 646 shares of the business services providers stock valued at $57,000 after buying an additional 231 shares in the last quarter. 92.41% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Insider Buying and Selling at Robert Half

In other news, Director Dirk A. Kempthorne sold 1,300 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $63.09, for a total transaction of $82,017.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 13,342 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $841,746.78. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. 3.00% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Robert Half Trading Up 2.1 %

Shares of RHI opened at $67.35 on Friday. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $63.00 and a 200-day moving average price of $67.27. The firm has a market capitalization of $7.07 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.16 and a beta of 1.23. Robert Half Inc. has a 12-month low of $57.05 and a 12-month high of $88.39.

Robert Half (NYSE:RHI  Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 24th. The business services provider reported $0.66 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.71 by ($0.05). The company had revenue of $1.47 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $1.49 billion. Robert Half had a net margin of 5.26% and a return on equity of 20.41%. Robert Halfs quarterly revenue was down 10.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.00 earnings per share. Analysts predict that Robert Half Inc. will post 2.51 earnings per share for the current year.

Robert Half Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, September 13th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 23rd were issued a dividend of $0.53 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, August 23rd. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.15%. Robert Halfs payout ratio is currently 63.47%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages have issued reports on RHI. Truist Financial decreased their price objective on Robert Half from $72.00 to $62.00 and set a hold rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, July 26th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price target on Robert Half from $74.00 to $70.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, July 25th. BMO Capital Markets dropped their price objective on shares of Robert Half from $72.00 to $64.00 and set a market perform rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, July 25th. BNP Paribas upgraded shares of Robert Half from an underperform rating to an outperform rating and set a $80.00 price objective on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, June 11th. Finally, StockNews.com lowered shares of Robert Half from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Friday, July 5th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, four have assigned a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $67.86.

Read Our Latest Report on RHI

Robert Half Company Profile

(Free Report)

Robert Half Inc provides talent solutions and business consulting services in North America, South America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. The company operates through Contract Talent Solutions, Permanent Placement Talent Solutions, and Protiviti segments. The Contract Talent Solutions segment provides contract engagement professionals in the fields of finance and accounting, technology, marketing and creative, legal and administrative, and customer support.

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The Colorado Springs Police Department is investigating a reported shooting that occurred Friday afternoon in the southeast area of town.

At approximately 5:45 p.m., officers with the Sand Creek Division were dispatched to the area of 2100 Delta Drive for a report of shots fired. According to the department, several people called in to report the gunshots.

While on the way to the scene, police received an additional call reporting that a male was chasing a female and shooting at her.

Officers arrived within minutes of the newest call, but reported all parties had already left the scene.

At this time, no victims have been identified; two men are believed to be involved.

The investigation is continuing, police said Friday night on the blotter website.
AQR Capital Management LLC increased its stake in Federated Hermes, Inc. (NYSE:FHI  Free Report) by 88.3% during the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 2,689,488 shares of the companys stock after purchasing an additional 1,261,097 shares during the quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC owned approximately 3.20% of Federated Hermes worth $87,866,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. AXA S.A. bought a new stake in shares of Federated Hermes in the second quarter valued at $6,200,000. Bank of Montreal Can increased its holdings in Federated Hermes by 102.7% in the 2nd quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 282,995 shares of the companys stock worth $9,308,000 after acquiring an additional 143,363 shares during the last quarter. Continental Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Federated Hermes by 39.2% in the 2nd quarter. Continental Advisors LLC now owns 184,967 shares of the companys stock worth $6,082,000 after acquiring an additional 52,057 shares during the last quarter. Prospector Partners LLC raised its stake in Federated Hermes by 0.5% in the 2nd quarter. Prospector Partners LLC now owns 241,836 shares of the companys stock valued at $7,952,000 after acquiring an additional 1,290 shares during the period. Finally, Pacer Advisors Inc. lifted its holdings in Federated Hermes by 36.7% during the second quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc. now owns 22,150 shares of the companys stock valued at $728,000 after purchasing an additional 5,942 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 75.94% of the companys stock.

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Insider Buying and Selling

In other Federated Hermes news, VP John B. Fisher sold 79,830 shares of Federated Hermes stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $32.71, for a total transaction of $2,611,239.30. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now directly owns 442,570 shares in the company, valued at $14,476,464.70. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. 3.70% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Federated Hermes Stock Up 0.4 %

Shares of NYSE:FHI opened at $37.11 on Friday. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $34.32 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $34.00. The company has a market cap of $3.07 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.54, a PEG ratio of 1.44 and a beta of 1.16. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34, a current ratio of 2.75 and a quick ratio of 2.09. Federated Hermes, Inc. has a one year low of $30.23 and a one year high of $37.43.

Federated Hermes (NYSE:FHI  Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 25th. The company reported $0.96 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.89 by $0.07. The company had revenue of $402.60 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $400.35 million. Federated Hermes had a return on equity of 28.60% and a net margin of 15.90%. The firms quarterly revenue was down 7.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $0.81 earnings per share. Analysts anticipate that Federated Hermes, Inc. will post 3.62 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Federated Hermes Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, August 15th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, August 8th were issued a dividend of $0.31 per share. This is a positive change from Federated Hermess previous quarterly dividend of $0.28. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, August 8th. This represents a $1.24 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.34%. Federated Hermess payout ratio is presently 35.23%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

FHI has been the subject of several recent research reports. UBS Group reduced their target price on shares of Federated Hermes from $36.00 to $35.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, July 10th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on shares of Federated Hermes from $46.00 to $47.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Thursday, July 11th. Evercore ISI dropped their target price on Federated Hermes from $37.00 to $36.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, September 5th. TD Cowen cut their price target on Federated Hermes from $34.00 to $33.00 and set a hold rating for the company in a report on Monday, July 29th. Finally, StockNews.com lowered Federated Hermes from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Wednesday, September 4th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $37.67.

Get Our Latest Analysis on Federated Hermes

Federated Hermes Profile

(Free Report)

Federated Hermes, Inc is a publicly owned investment manager. Through its subsidiaries, the firm provides its services to individuals, including high net worth individuals, banking or thrift institutions, investment companies, pension and profit sharing plans, pooled investment vehicles, charitable organizations, state or municipal government entities, and registered investment advisors.

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SoftBank Group Corp. (OTCMKTS:SFTBY  Get Free Report) saw a significant increase in short interest in the month of September. As of September 15th, there was short interest totalling 103,600 shares, an increase of 131.8% from the August 31st total of 44,700 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 878,300 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 0.1 days.

SoftBank Group Stock Performance

Shares of OTCMKTS SFTBY traded down $1.42 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $29.88. 623,496 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 548,522. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $28.88 and a 200 day simple moving average of $29.15. The company has a current ratio of 0.79, a quick ratio of 0.78 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.82. The stock has a market cap of $87.85 billion, a P/E ratio of 337.22 and a beta of 1.16. SoftBank Group has a 1 year low of $18.19 and a 1 year high of $37.19.

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SoftBank Group (OTCMKTS:SFTBY  Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, August 7th. The technology company reported ($0.40) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. SoftBank Group had a net margin of 0.92% and a return on equity of 0.50%. The company had revenue of $10.92 billion during the quarter. On average, research analysts forecast that SoftBank Group will post 2.13 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Separately, Jefferies Financial Group raised shares of SoftBank Group from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report on Tuesday, June 11th.

Check Out Our Latest Research Report on SFTBY

About SoftBank Group

(Get Free Report)

SoftBank Group Corp. provides telecommunication services in Japan and internationally. It operates through Investment Business of Holding Companies, SoftBank Vision Funds, SoftBank, Arm, and Other segments. The company offers mobile communications and solutions to enterprise customers, and broadband services to retail customers; and sells mobile devices and software tools, as well as related services.

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West Coast Community Bancorp (OTCMKTS:SCZC  Get Free Report) was the target of a large drop in short interest during the month of September. As of September 15th, there was short interest totalling 400 shares, a drop of 50.0% from the August 31st total of 800 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 12,400 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 0.0 days.

West Coast Community Bancorp Stock Down 0.5 %

SCZC stock traded down $0.20 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $39.00. The company had a trading volume of 10,293 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,789. The stocks 50-day simple moving average is $39.24 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $34.04. The stock has a market capitalization of $329.16 million, a P/E ratio of 9.26 and a beta of 0.77. West Coast Community Bancorp has a one year low of $24.25 and a one year high of $40.00.

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West Coast Community Bancorp (OTCMKTS:SCZC  Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 23rd. The financial services provider reported $1.00 earnings per share for the quarter. The firm had revenue of $21.27 million during the quarter.

About West Coast Community Bancorp

West Coast Community Bancorp operates as the bank holding company for Santa Cruz County Bank that provides a range of commercial and personal banking services to residents and businesses in the United States. It offers checking, savings, money market, certificate of deposits, and health savings accounts; and individual retirement account and retirement plans.

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Standard Bank Group Limited (OTCMKTS:SGBLY  Get Free Report) saw a significant growth in short interest in September. As of September 15th, there was short interest totalling 102,900 shares, a growth of 151.0% from the August 31st total of 41,000 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 75,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 1.4 days.

Standard Bank Group Stock Performance

SGBLY stock traded down $0.12 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $14.52. The companys stock had a trading volume of 19,062 shares, compared to its average volume of 29,276. The firms 50-day moving average is $12.95 and its 200-day moving average is $11.22. Standard Bank Group has a 12 month low of $8.69 and a 12 month high of $14.68.

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Standard Bank Group Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a dividend, which was paid on Thursday, September 26th. Stockholders of record on Monday, September 16th were issued a dividend of $0.314 per share. This represents a dividend yield of 4.53%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, September 13th. This is an increase from Standard Bank Groups previous dividend of $0.29. Standard Bank Groups dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 40.39%.

Standard Bank Group Company Profile

Standard Bank Group Limited provides banking and financial products and services in South Africa and internationally. It offers transactional accounts and digital banking platforms; personal and business lending solutions to enhance cash flow; finance for buying, building, and maintaining home; foreign exchange services; trusts and third-party administration accounts; workplace solutions, such as payroll and HR, financial planning, and employer value banking; merchant solutions, including point-of-sale, ecommerce, digital payments, payment processing, and small business support; and cash management services.

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Shares of ASOS Plc (LON:ASC  Get Free Report) passed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Wednesday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of GBX 366.81 ($4.91) and traded as high as GBX 436 ($5.84). ASOS shares last traded at GBX 433.20 ($5.80), with a volume of 144,338 shares traded.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages have commented on ASC. Barclays cut shares of ASOS to an underweight rating and decreased their price target for the stock from GBX 300 ($4.02) to GBX 290 ($3.88) in a research note on Monday, September 9th. Berenberg Bank restated a buy rating and set a GBX 490 ($6.56) price target on shares of ASOS in a report on Thursday, September 5th. Finally, Shore Capital reaffirmed a sell rating on shares of ASOS in a report on Tuesday, September 10th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, two have given a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of GBX 391 ($5.24).

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ASOS Trading Up 0.8 %

ASOS Company Profile

The stock has a market cap of 512.17 million, a P/E ratio of -216.58, a P/E/G ratio of -1.26 and a beta of 2.86. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 158.84, a quick ratio of 0.39 and a current ratio of 1.51. The stocks fifty day moving average is GBX 382.97 and its 200 day moving average is GBX 367.22.

(Get Free Report)

ASOS Plc operates as an online fashion retailer in the United Kingdom, the United States, Australia, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Sweden, the Netherlands, Denmark, Poland, and internationally. It offers womenswear and menswear products. The company sells its products under the ASOS Design, ASOS Edition, ASOS Luxe, ASOS 4505, Collusion, Reclaimed Vintage, Topshop, Topman, Miss Selfridge, HIIT, AsYou, Dark Future, UNRVLLD/SPPLY, Crooked Tongues, Daysocial, Actual, and Weekend Collective brands, as well as through third-party brands.

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Employees Retirement System of Texas acquired a new stake in Harmony Gold Mining Company Limited (NYSE:HMY  Free Report) during the second quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm acquired 32,139 shares of the mining companys stock, valued at approximately $295,000.

Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in HMY. Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in Harmony Gold Mining in the second quarter valued at about $41,000. St. Johns Investment Management Company LLC bought a new position in shares of Harmony Gold Mining in the 1st quarter valued at $52,000. GAMMA Investing LLC increased its holdings in Harmony Gold Mining by 29.2% in the 1st quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 6,622 shares of the mining companys stock worth $54,000 after purchasing an additional 1,496 shares in the last quarter. Atlas Capital Advisors LLC bought a new position in Harmony Gold Mining in the first quarter valued at about $61,000. Finally, BI Asset Management Fondsmaeglerselskab A S acquired a new stake in shares of Harmony Gold Mining during the first quarter valued at about $77,000. 31.79% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Separately, JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price target on shares of Harmony Gold Mining from $5.80 to $4.80 and set an underweight rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, July 3rd.

Harmony Gold Mining Stock Performance

Harmony Gold Mining stock opened at $10.82 on Friday. Harmony Gold Mining Company Limited has a 52-week low of $3.51 and a 52-week high of $11.37. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.04, a quick ratio of 1.07 and a current ratio of 1.56. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $9.71 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $9.17.

Harmony Gold Mining Cuts Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a Semi-Annual dividend, which will be paid on Monday, October 21st. Stockholders of record on Friday, October 11th will be paid a $0.042 dividend. This represents a dividend yield of 1.2%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, October 11th.

Harmony Gold Mining Company Profile

(Free Report)

Harmony Gold Mining Company Limited engages in the exploration, extraction, and processing of gold. The company explores for uranium, silver, copper, and molybdenum deposits. It has eight underground operations in the Witwatersrand Basin; an open-pit mine on the Kraaipan Greenstone Belt; and various surface source operations in South Africa.

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Earnest Partners LLC lowered its stake in HDFC Bank Limited (NYSE:HDB  Free Report) by 3.1% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 1,209,944 shares of the banks stock after selling 39,126 shares during the quarter. Earnest Partners LLCs holdings in HDFC Bank were worth $77,836,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Ridgewood Investments LLC bought a new stake in HDFC Bank during the 2nd quarter valued at $36,000. Northwest Investment Counselors LLC purchased a new position in shares of HDFC Bank in the first quarter valued at about $34,000. Janiczek Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of HDFC Bank during the first quarter valued at about $35,000. GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its holdings in shares of HDFC Bank by 56.0% during the second quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 903 shares of the banks stock worth $58,000 after purchasing an additional 324 shares during the period. Finally, LRI Investments LLC bought a new stake in shares of HDFC Bank in the first quarter worth about $56,000. Institutional investors own 17.61% of the companys stock.

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Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have recently issued reports on HDB. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut HDFC Bank from an overweight rating to a neutral rating in a research note on Monday, July 22nd. StockNews.com downgraded shares of HDFC Bank from a hold rating to a sell rating in a research report on Thursday, June 13th.

HDFC Bank Stock Performance

Shares of HDB opened at $65.78 on Friday. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $61.13 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $59.53. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.37, a current ratio of 0.51 and a quick ratio of 0.51. The firm has a market capitalization of $122.35 billion, a PE ratio of 20.18, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.76 and a beta of 0.92. HDFC Bank Limited has a one year low of $52.16 and a one year high of $67.44.

HDFC Bank (NYSE:HDB  Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Monday, July 22nd. The bank reported $0.78 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.51 by $0.27. HDFC Bank had a return on equity of 12.64% and a net margin of 14.69%. The company had revenue of $14.03 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $4.81 billion. On average, analysts anticipate that HDFC Bank Limited will post 2.97 EPS for the current fiscal year.

HDFC Bank Company Profile

(Free Report)

HDFC Bank Limited provides banking and financial services to individuals and businesses in India, Bahrain, Hong Kong, and Dubai. The company operates in three segments: Wholesale Banking, Retail Banking, and Treasury Services. It accepts savings, salary, current, rural, public provident fund, pension, and demat accounts; fixed and recurring deposits; and safe deposit lockers, as well as offshore accounts and deposits, and overdrafts against fixed deposits.

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Earnest Partners LLC decreased its stake in Bancolombia S.A. (NYSE:CIB  Free Report) by 2.6% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 2,555,079 shares of the banks stock after selling 69,184 shares during the quarter. Earnest Partners LLC owned approximately 1.06% of Bancolombia worth $83,423,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Leith Wheeler Investment Counsel Ltd. purchased a new position in shares of Bancolombia during the 1st quarter valued at $1,519,000. Capital Wealth Planning LLC bought a new position in shares of Bancolombia in the first quarter worth about $2,080,000. Ballentine Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Bancolombia during the first quarter worth about $448,000. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. raised its stake in Bancolombia by 6.6% during the 4th quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 9,644 shares of the banks stock valued at $297,000 after purchasing an additional 599 shares during the period. Finally, Banco BTG Pactual S.A. purchased a new position in Bancolombia in the 4th quarter worth approximately $3,017,000.

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Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price objective on shares of Bancolombia from $36.00 to $35.00 and set an underweight rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, August 12th. The Goldman Sachs Group downgraded shares of Bancolombia from a neutral rating to a sell rating and reduced their price target for the company from $34.00 to $32.00 in a report on Tuesday, August 20th. Finally, Bank of America downgraded shares of Bancolombia from a neutral rating to an underperform rating and dropped their price objective for the company from $38.00 to $34.00 in a report on Thursday, August 29th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and two have issued a hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of Reduce and an average target price of $32.40.

Bancolombia Trading Up 0.9 %

CIB stock opened at $33.00 on Friday. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $32.63 and a 200 day moving average price of $33.59. Bancolombia S.A. has a fifty-two week low of $24.15 and a fifty-two week high of $37.85. The firm has a market cap of $7.94 billion, a PE ratio of 5.19, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.25 and a beta of 1.23. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40, a quick ratio of 1.03 and a current ratio of 1.03.

Bancolombia (NYSE:CIB  Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 8th. The bank reported $1.44 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.43 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $1.77 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $1.82 billion. Bancolombia had a net margin of 13.73% and a return on equity of 15.68%. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Bancolombia S.A. will post 5.99 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Bancolombia Cuts Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, October 11th. Shareholders of record on Friday, September 27th will be paid a dividend of $0.8456 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, September 27th. This represents a $3.38 annualized dividend and a yield of 10.25%. Bancolombias payout ratio is currently 53.14%.

Bancolombia Company Profile

(Free Report)

Bancolombia SA, together with its subsidiaries, provides banking products and services in Colombia and internationally. The company operates through nine segments: Banking Colombia, Banking Panama, Banking El Salvador, Banking Guatemala, Trust, Investment Banking, Brokerage, International Banking, and All Other.

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Earnest Partners LLC reduced its stake in Vornado Realty Trust (NYSE:VNO  Free Report) by 0.9% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 2,562,881 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock after selling 23,275 shares during the period. Earnest Partners LLC owned approximately 1.35% of Vornado Realty Trust worth $67,378,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Point72 Asia Singapore Pte. Ltd. bought a new position in Vornado Realty Trust during the 2nd quarter valued at about $48,000. Fidelis Capital Partners LLC bought a new position in Vornado Realty Trust in the 1st quarter valued at $55,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Vornado Realty Trust by 61.0% in the first quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 2,686 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $77,000 after acquiring an additional 1,018 shares during the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its stake in shares of Vornado Realty Trust by 17.6% in the 1st quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 5,000 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $144,000 after purchasing an additional 750 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Clear Street Markets LLC acquired a new stake in Vornado Realty Trust during the 4th quarter worth $147,000. 90.02% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts recently commented on VNO shares. Compass Point upped their price objective on Vornado Realty Trust from $27.00 to $32.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a report on Wednesday, August 7th. Scotiabank increased their target price on shares of Vornado Realty Trust from $23.00 to $33.00 and gave the stock a sector perform rating in a report on Wednesday, September 4th. Truist Financial upped their price objective on shares of Vornado Realty Trust from $26.00 to $31.00 and gave the company a hold rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 27th. StockNews.com raised Vornado Realty Trust to a sell rating in a research note on Saturday, July 20th. Finally, Piper Sandler upgraded Vornado Realty Trust from an underweight rating to a neutral rating and increased their price target for the stock from $22.00 to $30.00 in a report on Thursday, August 8th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have given a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $30.43.

Insider Activity at Vornado Realty Trust

In other Vornado Realty Trust news, Director Russell B. Wight, Jr. sold 2,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Thursday, July 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $28.19, for a total transaction of $56,380.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 3,034 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $85,528.46. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. 8.14% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Vornado Realty Trust Price Performance

VNO stock opened at $38.84 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.78, a current ratio of 5.21 and a quick ratio of 5.21. The stock has a market capitalization of $7.40 billion, a P/E ratio of 258.95 and a beta of 1.65. Vornado Realty Trust has a fifty-two week low of $18.36 and a fifty-two week high of $39.91. The business has a 50-day moving average of $33.14 and a 200-day moving average of $28.51.

Vornado Realty Trust (NYSE:VNO  Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Monday, August 5th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.18 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.55 by ($0.37). The firm had revenue of $450.27 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $439.28 million. Vornado Realty Trust had a return on equity of 3.21% and a net margin of 4.51%. The companys revenue was down 4.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned $0.72 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Vornado Realty Trust will post 2.17 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Vornado Realty Trust Company Profile

(Free Report)

Vornado is a fully integrated real estate investment trust (REIT) with a portfolio of premier New York City office and retail assets and the developer of the new PENN DISTRICT. While concentrated in New York, Vornado also owns the premier assets in both Chicago and San Francisco. Vornado is a real estate industry leader in sustainability, with over 27 million square feet of LEED-certified buildings and over 23 million square feet at LEED Gold or Platinum.

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ESS Tech, Inc. (NYSE:GWH  Free Report)  Stock analysts at Roth Capital lowered their Q3 2024 earnings per share estimates for shares of ESS Tech in a report issued on Tuesday, September 24th. Roth Capital analyst J. Clare now expects that the company will earn ($1.85) per share for the quarter, down from their previous forecast of ($1.80). Roth Capital currently has a Strong-Buy rating on the stock. The consensus estimate for ESS Techs current full-year earnings is ($6.74) per share. Roth Capital also issued estimates for ESS Techs Q4 2024 earnings at ($1.23) EPS, FY2024 earnings at ($6.54) EPS, Q1 2025 earnings at ($1.27) EPS, Q3 2025 earnings at ($1.18) EPS, Q4 2025 earnings at ($0.98) EPS, FY2025 earnings at ($4.63) EPS and FY2026 earnings at ($3.22) EPS.

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A number of other research firms have also weighed in on GWH. Canaccord Genuity Group cut their price objective on shares of ESS Tech from $0.08 to $0.07 and set a hold rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, August 16th. TD Cowen cut their price target on ESS Tech from $0.13 to $0.10 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, August 15th. Roth Mkm started coverage on ESS Tech in a research note on Friday, July 12th. They set a buy rating and a $0.10 price objective for the company. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lowered their target price on ESS Tech from $0.08 to $0.06 and set a hold rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, August 16th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, three have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $0.10.

ESS Tech Trading Up 1.5 %

Shares of NYSE:GWH opened at $6.62 on Friday. ESS Tech has a twelve month low of $5.20 and a twelve month high of $31.65. The company has a market cap of $78.05 million, a PE ratio of -14.71 and a beta of 1.48. The companys 50 day moving average is $2.88 and its 200 day moving average is $1.03.

ESS Tech (NYSE:GWH  Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 14th. The company reported ($0.12) earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of ($0.11) by ($0.01). ESS Tech had a negative net margin of 982.87% and a negative return on equity of 77.52%. The firm had revenue of $0.35 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.24 million.

Insider Transactions at ESS Tech

In other ESS Tech news, Director Sandeep Nijhawan sold 7,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, September 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $5.72, for a total value of $40,040.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 15,537 shares of the companys stock, valued at $88,871.64. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 1.80% of the companys stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On ESS Tech

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Green Alpha Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of ESS Tech by 11.7% during the 1st quarter. Green Alpha Advisors LLC now owns 219,440 shares of the companys stock worth $159,000 after purchasing an additional 23,022 shares during the last quarter. Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of ESS Tech during the second quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Paloma Partners Management Co purchased a new position in shares of ESS Tech in the first quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Point72 DIFC Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of ESS Tech in the second quarter worth approximately $32,000. Finally, CWM LLC purchased a new stake in shares of ESS Tech during the second quarter worth approximately $34,000. 46.77% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About ESS Tech

(Get Free Report)

ESS Tech, Inc, an energy storage company, designs and produces iron flow batteries for commercial and utility-scale energy storage applications worldwide. It offers energy storage products, which include Energy Warehouse, a behind-the-meter solution; and Energy Center, a front-of-the-meter solution. The company was founded in 2011 and is headquartered in Wilsonville, Oregon.

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By Supantha Mukherjee and Anna Tong

STOCKHOLM/SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - In the early years, getting AI models like ChatGPT or its rival Cohere to spit out human-like responses required vast teams of low-cost workers helping models distinguish basic facts such as if an image was of a car or a carrot.

But more sophisticated updates to AI models in the fiercely competitive arena are now demanding a rapidly expanding network of human trainers who have specialized knowledge -- from historians to scientists, some with doctorate degrees.

"A year ago, we could get away with hiring undergraduates, to just generally teach AI on how to improve," said Cohere co-founder Ivan Zhang, talking about its internal human trainers.

"Now we have licensed physicians teaching the models how to behave in medical environments, or financial analysts or accountants."

For more training, Cohere, which was last valued at over $5 billion, works with a startup called Invisible Tech. Cohere is one of the main rivals of OpenAI and specializes in AI for businesses.

The startup Invisible Tech employs thousands of trainers, working remotely, and has become one of the main partners of AI companies ranging from AI21 to Microsoft to train their AI models to reduce errors, known in the AI world as hallucinations.

"We have 5,000 people in over 100 countries around the world that are PhDs, Master's degree holders and knowledge work specialists," said Invisible founder Francis Pedraza.

Invisible pays as much as $40 per hour, depending on the location of the worker and the complexity of work. Some companies such as Outlier pay up to $50 per hour, while another company called Labelbox said it pays up to $200 per hour for "high expertise" subjects like quantum physics, but starts with $15 for basic topics.

Invisible was founded in 2015 as a workflow automation company catering to the likes of food delivery company DoorDash to digitize their delivery menu. But things changed when a relatively unknown research firm called OpenAI contacted them in the spring of 2022, ahead of the public launch of ChatGPT.

"OpenAI came to us with a problem, which is that when you were asking an early version of ChatGPT a question, it was going to hallucinate. You couldn't trust the answer," Pedraza told Reuters.

"They needed an advanced AI training partner to provide reinforcement learning with human feedback."

OpenAI did not respond to request for comment.

Generative AI produces new content based on past data used to train it. However, sometimes it can't distinguish between true and false information and generates false outputs known as hallucinations. In one notable example, in 2023 a Google chatbot shared inaccurate information about which satellite first took pictures of a planet outside the Earth's solar system in a promotional video.

AI companies are aware that hallucinations can derail GenAI's attractiveness to businesses and are trying various ways to reduce it, including using human trainers to teach the concept of fact and fiction.

Since getting onboard with OpenAI, Invisible says it has become AI training partners to most of the GenAI companies, including Cohere, AI21 and Microsoft. Cohere and AI21 confirmed they are clients. Microsoft did not confirm it is a client of Invisible.

"These are all companies that had training challenges, where their number one cost was compute power, and then the number two cost is quality training," Pedraza said.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

OpenAI, which started off the frenzy around GenAI, has a team of researchers aptly named "Human Data Team" that works with AI trainers to gather specialized data for training its models like ChatGPT.

OpenAI researchers come up with various experiments like reducing hallucinations or to improve writing style and work with AI trainers from Invisible and other vendors, a source familiar with the company's processes said.

At any point, dozens of experiments are being run, some with tools developed by OpenAI and others by tools of vendors, the person said.

Based on what the AI companies want - from getting better at Swedish history or doing financial modeling - Invisible hires workers with relevant degrees for those projects, reducing the burden of managing hundreds of trainers by the AI companies.

"OpenAI has some of the most incredible computer scientists in the world but they're not necessarily an expert in Swedish history or chemistry questions or biology questions or anything you can ask it," Pedraza said, adding that over 1,000 contract workers cater to OpenAI alone.

Cohere's Zhang said he has personally used Invisible's trainers to find a way to teach its GenAI model to find relevant information from a big data set.

COMPETITION

Among the competitors in this space is Scale AI, a private start-up last valued at $14 billion which provides AI companies with sets of training data. It has also ventured into the area of providing AI trainers, and counts OpenAI as a customer. Scale AI did not respond to requests for an interview for this story.

Invisible, which has been profitable since 2021, has raised only $8 million of primary capital,

"We are 70% owned by the team, and only 30% owned by investors," Pedraza said. "We do facilitate secondary rounds, and the most recent traded price was at a half a billion dollar valuation." Reuters could not confirm that valuation.

Human trainers first got into AI training through data-labelling work that required less qualification and was also paid less, sometimes as low as $2, mostly done by people in African and Asian countries.

As AI companies launch more advanced models, the demand for specialized trainers and across dozens of languages is on the rise, creating a well-paid niche where workers from a variety of subjects could become AI trainers without even knowing how to code.

Demand from AI companies is leading to the creation of more companies that are offering similar services.

"My inbox is basically inundated with new firms that pop up here and there. I do see this as a new space where companies hire humans just to create data for AI labs like us," Zhang said.

(Reporting by Supantha Mukherjee in Stockholm and Anna Tong in San Francisco, editing by Kenneth Li and Claudia Parsons)
Zhejiang Expressway Co., Ltd. (OTCMKTS:ZHEXF  Get Free Report) was the target of a large decrease in short interest in September. As of September 15th, there was short interest totalling 3,462,300 shares, a decrease of 20.8% from the August 31st total of 4,372,300 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 1,200 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 2,885.3 days.

Zhejiang Expressway Stock Up 4.8 %

ZHEXF opened at $0.63 on Friday. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $0.63 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $0.65. Zhejiang Expressway has a one year low of $0.57 and a one year high of $0.78.

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About Zhejiang Expressway

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Zhejiang Expressway Co, Ltd., an investment holding company, constructs, operates, maintains, and manages roads in the People's Republic of China. It operates through Toll Operation, Securities Operation, and Others segments. The Toll Operation segment operates and manages high grade roads; and collects expressway tolls.

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Long Focus Capital Management LLC cut its holdings in shares of J.Jill, Inc. (NYSE:JILL  Free Report) by 41.9% in the 2nd quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 76,320 shares of the specialty retailers stock after selling 55,000 shares during the period. Long Focus Capital Management LLCs holdings in J.Jill were worth $2,669,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the business. Renaissance Technologies LLC grew its stake in J.Jill by 7.0% during the 2nd quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 480,056 shares of the specialty retailers stock valued at $16,788,000 after purchasing an additional 31,400 shares in the last quarter. Resolute Capital Asset Partners LLC bought a new stake in shares of J.Jill in the second quarter worth $1,749,000. Privium Fund Management UK Ltd acquired a new stake in J.Jill in the second quarter valued at $1,097,000. Divisadero Street Capital Management LP bought a new position in J.Jill during the 2nd quarter valued at $7,120,000. Finally, Anchor Capital Advisors LLC acquired a new position in J.Jill during the 2nd quarter worth $1,020,000. 40.71% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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J.Jill Price Performance

NYSE JILL opened at $24.62 on Friday. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $31.91 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $31.37. J.Jill, Inc. has a 52 week low of $23.06 and a 52 week high of $40.61. The stock has a market cap of $371.27 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 7.35 and a beta of 0.61. The company has a current ratio of 0.89, a quick ratio of 0.44 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76.

J.Jill Announces Dividend

J.Jill ( NYSE:JILL Get Free Report ) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, September 4th. The specialty retailer reported $1.05 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.94 by $0.11. J.Jill had a return on equity of 90.61% and a net margin of 6.70%. The firm had revenue of $155.24 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $155.13 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.10 EPS. Analysts forecast that J.Jill, Inc. will post 3.31 EPS for the current year.

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, October 2nd. Investors of record on Wednesday, September 18th will be given a $0.07 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, September 18th. This represents a $0.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.14%. J.Jills dividend payout ratio is presently 8.36%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CFO Mark W. Webb sold 1,352 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, July 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $33.74, for a total transaction of $45,616.48. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 108,576 shares in the company, valued at $3,663,354.24. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. In related news, CFO Mark W. Webb sold 1,348 shares of J.Jill stock in a transaction dated Thursday, September 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $27.10, for a total transaction of $36,530.80. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 105,112 shares of the companys stock, valued at $2,848,535.20. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CFO Mark W. Webb sold 1,352 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Monday, July 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $33.74, for a total transaction of $45,616.48. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 108,576 shares in the company, valued at $3,663,354.24. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders have sold 27,538 shares of company stock worth $947,187. 6.70% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts have recently commented on the stock. BTIG Research initiated coverage on shares of J.Jill in a research report on Wednesday, July 10th. They set a buy rating and a $44.00 price target on the stock. TD Cowen decreased their target price on J.Jill from $37.00 to $32.00 and set a hold rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, September 5th. Jefferies Financial Group dropped their price target on J.Jill from $44.00 to $40.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, September 4th. Lake Street Capital boosted their target price on shares of J.Jill from $38.00 to $44.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Monday, June 10th. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group reiterated a market perform rating and set a $38.00 price objective on shares of J.Jill in a research note on Wednesday, September 4th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $39.33.

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J.Jill Profile

(Free Report)

J.Jill, Inc operates as an omnichannel retailer for women's apparel under the J.Jill brand in the United States. It offers apparel, footwear, and accessories, including scarves and jewelry. The company markets its products through retail stores, website, and catalogs. J.Jill, Inc was founded in 1959 and is headquartered in Quincy, Massachusetts.

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Logan Stone Capital LLC raised its position in General American Investors Company, Inc. (NYSE:GAM  Free Report) by 69.3% in the second quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 64,946 shares of the investment management companys stock after purchasing an additional 26,595 shares during the quarter. Logan Stone Capital LLCs holdings in General American Investors were worth $3,229,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the business. BNP Paribas bought a new position in General American Investors during the 1st quarter worth $35,000. Integrated Capital Management Inc. bought a new position in shares of General American Investors in the 2nd quarter valued at $206,000. Matisse Capital acquired a new position in General American Investors during the first quarter worth about $247,000. Cetera Advisors LLC bought a new position in General American Investors in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $343,000. Finally, Janney Montgomery Scott LLC boosted its holdings in shares of General American Investors by 56.1% during the 4th quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC now owns 10,760 shares of the investment management companys stock valued at $462,000 after acquiring an additional 3,868 shares in the last quarter. 36.85% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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General American Investors Stock Performance

NYSE GAM opened at $53.66 on Friday. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $51.72 and a 200 day simple moving average of $49.07. General American Investors Company, Inc. has a twelve month low of $39.12 and a twelve month high of $54.19.

General American Investors Profile

General American Investors Company, Inc is a publicly owned investment manager. The firm invests in the public equity markets of United States. It invests in growth stocks of companies. It makes investments in Information Technology, Financials, Consumer Staples, Consumer Discretionary, Retailing, Communication Services, Industrials, Health Care, Energy and Materials.

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Logan Stone Capital LLC trimmed its position in shares of Invesco Municipal Trust (NYSE:VKQ  Free Report) by 60.4% in the second quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 292,443 shares of the investment management companys stock after selling 445,295 shares during the period. Logan Stone Capital LLCs holdings in Invesco Municipal Trust were worth $2,913,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in VKQ. Karpus Management Inc. boosted its holdings in Invesco Municipal Trust by 30.3% during the first quarter. Karpus Management Inc. now owns 2,703,952 shares of the investment management companys stock valued at $26,228,000 after purchasing an additional 628,699 shares in the last quarter. Robinson Capital Management LLC boosted its position in Invesco Municipal Trust by 19.3% in the first quarter. Robinson Capital Management LLC now owns 614,403 shares of the investment management companys stock valued at $5,766,000 after buying an additional 99,443 shares in the last quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp increased its holdings in shares of Invesco Municipal Trust by 5.5% during the first quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 441,667 shares of the investment management companys stock worth $4,284,000 after buying an additional 22,902 shares in the last quarter. Hennion & Walsh Asset Management Inc. raised its stake in shares of Invesco Municipal Trust by 7.1% in the first quarter. Hennion & Walsh Asset Management Inc. now owns 294,349 shares of the investment management companys stock valued at $2,855,000 after acquiring an additional 19,600 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Advisors Asset Management Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Invesco Municipal Trust by 93.1% in the 1st quarter. Advisors Asset Management Inc. now owns 176,750 shares of the investment management companys stock worth $1,714,000 after acquiring an additional 85,239 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 32.00% of the companys stock.

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Invesco Municipal Trust Stock Down 0.1 %

VKQ stock opened at $10.19 on Friday. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $10.11 and a 200 day moving average price of $9.83. Invesco Municipal Trust has a fifty-two week low of $7.94 and a fifty-two week high of $10.47.

Invesco Municipal Trust Announces Dividend

Invesco Municipal Trust Company Profile

The business also recently disclosed a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 30th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, September 17th will be issued a dividend of $0.0628 per share. This represents a $0.75 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 7.40%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 17th.

(Free Report)

Invesco Municipal Trust is a closed-ended fixed income mutual fund launched by Invesco Ltd. The fund is co-managed by Invesco Advisers, Inc, INVESCO Asset Management (Japan) Limited, INVESCO Asset Management Deutschland GmbH, INVESCO Asset Management Limited, Invesco Hong Kong Limited, INVESCO Senior Secured Management, Inc, and Invesco Canada Ltd.

Further Reading

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WESCO International (NYSE:WCC  Free Report) had its price objective lifted by Loop Capital from $190.00 to $210.00 in a research report released on Friday morning, Benzinga reports. They currently have a buy rating on the technology companys stock.

Other research analysts also recently issued research reports about the company. StockNews.com lowered WESCO International from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 2nd. Royal Bank of Canada cut their price objective on shares of WESCO International from $175.00 to $171.00 and set a sector perform rating on the stock in a report on Friday, August 2nd. Robert W. Baird lowered their target price on shares of WESCO International from $195.00 to $172.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a report on Friday, August 2nd. KeyCorp cut their price target on shares of WESCO International from $205.00 to $195.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, August 2nd. Finally, Stephens restated an overweight rating and issued a $190.00 price objective on shares of WESCO International in a research note on Monday, August 5th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, WESCO International has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $189.86.

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Read Our Latest Analysis on WESCO International

WESCO International Stock Down 0.3 %

Shares of WESCO International stock opened at $171.52 on Friday. WESCO International has a 52-week low of $122.30 and a 52-week high of $195.43. The company has a 50 day moving average of $161.63 and a 200 day moving average of $166.33. The company has a quick ratio of 1.34, a current ratio of 2.28 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.07. The company has a market capitalization of $8.72 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.28, a P/E/G ratio of 1.38 and a beta of 2.03.

WESCO International (NYSE:WCC  Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, August 1st. The technology company reported $3.21 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $3.48 by ($0.27). WESCO International had a return on equity of 14.44% and a net margin of 3.30%. The firm had revenue of $5.48 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.55 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $3.71 EPS. The businesss revenue for the quarter was down 4.6% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts forecast that WESCO International will post 12.14 EPS for the current fiscal year.

WESCO International Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 30th. Shareholders of record on Friday, September 13th will be paid a $0.4125 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, September 13th. This represents a $1.65 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.96%. WESCO Internationals dividend payout ratio is presently 13.74%.

Insider Transactions at WESCO International

In related news, Director Steven A. Raymund sold 5,819 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Thursday, September 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $171.56, for a total value of $998,307.64. Following the transaction, the director now owns 27,004 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,632,806.24. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Insiders own 3.10% of the companys stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Pacer Advisors Inc. grew its position in WESCO International by 23,727.4% in the 2nd quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc. now owns 1,589,048 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $251,896,000 after buying an additional 1,582,379 shares during the last quarter. Lyrical Asset Management LP lifted its stake in shares of WESCO International by 2,583.9% in the 4th quarter. Lyrical Asset Management LP now owns 765,124 shares of the technology companys stock worth $133,040,000 after acquiring an additional 736,616 shares during the period. Bank of New York Mellon Corp boosted its holdings in shares of WESCO International by 2.1% in the second quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 413,156 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $65,494,000 after acquiring an additional 8,641 shares in the last quarter. Clearbridge Investments LLC acquired a new position in shares of WESCO International during the second quarter worth about $52,782,000. Finally, Davis Selected Advisers raised its holdings in WESCO International by 1.5% during the second quarter. Davis Selected Advisers now owns 193,646 shares of the technology companys stock worth $30,697,000 after purchasing an additional 2,824 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 93.76% of the companys stock.

WESCO International Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

WESCO International, Inc provides business-to-business distribution, logistics services, and supply chain solutions in the United States, Canada, and internationally. It operates through three segments: Electrical & Electronic Solutions (EES), Communications & Security Solutions (CSS), and Utility and Broadband Solutions (UBS).

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Armadale Capital Plc (LON:ACP  Get Free Report)s stock price traded down 13.8% during trading on Thursday . The stock traded as low as GBX 0.24 ($0.00) and last traded at GBX 0.24 ($0.00). 804,661 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 45% from the average session volume of 1,467,847 shares. The stock had previously closed at GBX 0.28 ($0.00).

Armadale Capital Stock Performance

The stock has a 50-day moving average of GBX 0.31 and a 200 day moving average of GBX 0.56. The stock has a market cap of 1.81 million, a PE ratio of -27.50 and a beta of 1.14. The company has a quick ratio of 41.47, a current ratio of 0.74 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 11.23.

About Armadale Capital

(Get Free Report)

Armadale Capital Plc, an investment company, focuses on natural resources projects in Africa. It holds 100% interest in the Mahenge Liandu Graphite project located in Tanzania. The company was formerly known as Watermark Global Plc and changed its name to Armadale Capital Plc in July 2013. Armadale Capital Plc was incorporated in 2005 and is headquartered in Esher, the United Kingdom.

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Ethernity Networks Ltd. (LON:ENET  Get Free Report) shares were down 16.8% during trading on Thursday . The stock traded as low as GBX 0.26 ($0.00) and last traded at GBX 0.26 ($0.00). Approximately 33,354,039 shares were traded during mid-day trading, an increase of 61% from the average daily volume of 20,737,373 shares. The stock had previously closed at GBX 0.32 ($0.00).

Ethernity Networks Stock Down 1.8 %

The business has a 50 day moving average of GBX 0.49 and a two-hundred day moving average of GBX 0.68. The stock has a market capitalization of 1.02 million, a PE ratio of -9.00 and a beta of 0.58. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 20.33, a quick ratio of 1.37 and a current ratio of 1.07.

Ethernity Networks Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Ethernity Networks Ltd. provides technology solutions for telecom, mobile, security, and data center markets in Asia, Europe, Israel, and the United States. The company develops and delivers data processing technology and solutions for carrier Ethernet switching. It provides ENET flow processors for telco/cloud network; ACE-NIC40 SmartNIC, an open flow enabled software acceleration NIC; ACE-NIC50 SmartNIC, which offers 10/25G Ethernet connectivity and field-programmable gate array (FPGA) acceleration; and ACE-NIC100 SmartNIC that provides flexible 10/25/40/100G Ethernet connectivity and programmable FPGA acceleration.

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WESCO International (NYSE:WCC  Free Report) had its target price raised by Royal Bank of Canada from $171.00 to $187.00 in a report published on Friday, Benzinga reports. Royal Bank of Canada currently has a sector perform rating on the technology companys stock.

WCC has been the subject of a number of other reports. StockNews.com cut shares of WESCO International from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 2nd. KeyCorp dropped their target price on WESCO International from $205.00 to $195.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research report on Friday, August 2nd. Stephens reiterated an overweight rating and issued a $190.00 price target on shares of WESCO International in a report on Monday, August 5th. Robert W. Baird decreased their price target on WESCO International from $195.00 to $172.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a research note on Friday, August 2nd. Finally, Loop Capital upped their price objective on WESCO International from $190.00 to $210.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Friday. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $189.86.

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View Our Latest Report on WESCO International

WESCO International Trading Down 0.3 %

Shares of WCC stock opened at $171.52 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $8.72 billion, a PE ratio of 14.28, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.38 and a beta of 2.03. WESCO International has a 1 year low of $122.30 and a 1 year high of $195.43. The stocks 50 day simple moving average is $161.63 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $166.33. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.07, a current ratio of 2.28 and a quick ratio of 1.34.

WESCO International (NYSE:WCC  Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 1st. The technology company reported $3.21 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $3.48 by ($0.27). The company had revenue of $5.48 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $5.55 billion. WESCO International had a net margin of 3.30% and a return on equity of 14.44%. The businesss quarterly revenue was down 4.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $3.71 EPS. Research analysts predict that WESCO International will post 12.14 earnings per share for the current year.

WESCO International Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 30th. Shareholders of record on Friday, September 13th will be issued a $0.4125 dividend. This represents a $1.65 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.96%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, September 13th. WESCO Internationals dividend payout ratio is 13.74%.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Steven A. Raymund sold 5,819 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Thursday, September 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $171.56, for a total value of $998,307.64. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 27,004 shares of the companys stock, valued at $4,632,806.24. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Insiders own 3.10% of the companys stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On WESCO International

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Rise Advisors LLC purchased a new position in WESCO International during the first quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. increased its holdings in shares of WESCO International by 71.1% in the 2nd quarter. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. now owns 166 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 69 shares during the period. GAMMA Investing LLC raised its position in shares of WESCO International by 65.4% in the 2nd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 253 shares of the technology companys stock worth $40,000 after acquiring an additional 100 shares in the last quarter. Innealta Capital LLC purchased a new stake in shares of WESCO International during the 2nd quarter worth $152,000. Finally, TimesSquare Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in WESCO International during the first quarter valued at about $463,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 93.76% of the companys stock.

WESCO International Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

WESCO International, Inc provides business-to-business distribution, logistics services, and supply chain solutions in the United States, Canada, and internationally. It operates through three segments: Electrical & Electronic Solutions (EES), Communications & Security Solutions (CSS), and Utility and Broadband Solutions (UBS).

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AQR Capital Management LLC grew its stake in shares of ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP  Free Report) by 25.2% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 615,172 shares of the energy producers stock after acquiring an additional 123,834 shares during the period. AQR Capital Management LLC owned 0.05% of ConocoPhillips worth $70,363,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the stock. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC increased its stake in ConocoPhillips by 45.8% in the first quarter. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 261 shares of the energy producers stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 82 shares in the last quarter. Astoria Portfolio Advisors LLC. grew its holdings in shares of ConocoPhillips by 4.0% in the 1st quarter. Astoria Portfolio Advisors LLC. now owns 2,232 shares of the energy producers stock valued at $291,000 after buying an additional 85 shares during the period. Manchester Capital Management LLC increased its position in shares of ConocoPhillips by 22.1% in the 1st quarter. Manchester Capital Management LLC now owns 475 shares of the energy producers stock valued at $60,000 after buying an additional 86 shares in the last quarter. Adirondack Trust Co. raised its stake in ConocoPhillips by 3.1% during the 4th quarter. Adirondack Trust Co. now owns 2,990 shares of the energy producers stock worth $336,000 after buying an additional 90 shares during the period. Finally, Mayfair Advisory Group LLC lifted its holdings in ConocoPhillips by 3.5% during the first quarter. Mayfair Advisory Group LLC now owns 2,627 shares of the energy producers stock worth $334,000 after acquiring an additional 90 shares in the last quarter. 82.36% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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ConocoPhillips Price Performance

NYSE:COP opened at $104.71 on Friday. The stocks 50-day simple moving average is $108.85 and its 200 day simple moving average is $116.31. ConocoPhillips has a 52-week low of $101.29 and a 52-week high of $135.18. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34, a quick ratio of 1.19 and a current ratio of 1.33. The company has a market cap of $121.59 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.86, a P/E/G ratio of 0.86 and a beta of 1.22.

ConocoPhillips Cuts Dividend

ConocoPhillips ( NYSE:COP Get Free Report ) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 1st. The energy producer reported $1.98 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.96 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $14.14 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $14.96 billion. ConocoPhillips had a return on equity of 20.81% and a net margin of 18.18%. The firms revenue for the quarter was up 9.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $1.84 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that ConocoPhillips will post 8.14 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 3rd. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 12th were paid a dividend of $0.58 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, August 12th. This represents a $2.32 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.22%. ConocoPhillipss dividend payout ratio is presently 26.27%.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Timothy A. Leach sold 55,500 shares of ConocoPhillips stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $108.11, for a total transaction of $6,000,105.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 455,909 shares in the company, valued at $49,288,321.99. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 0.34% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages have issued reports on COP. Bank of America restated a buy rating and issued a $147.00 price target on shares of ConocoPhillips in a report on Friday, June 14th. Susquehanna lowered their target price on ConocoPhillips from $154.00 to $147.00 and set a positive rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, September 4th. Argus raised shares of ConocoPhillips to a strong-buy rating in a research note on Friday, June 7th. StockNews.com cut shares of ConocoPhillips from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Wednesday, July 17th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada restated an outperform rating and set a $140.00 price objective on shares of ConocoPhillips in a report on Friday, September 13th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twelve have given a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $141.24.

Read Our Latest Research Report on COP

ConocoPhillips Company Profile

(Free Report)

ConocoPhillips explores for, produces, transports, and markets crude oil, bitumen, natural gas, liquefied natural gas (LNG), and natural gas liquids in the United States, Canada, China, Libya, Malaysia, Norway, the United Kingdom, and internationally. The company's portfolio includes unconventional plays in North America; conventional assets in North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia; global LNG developments; oil sands assets in Canada; and an inventory of global exploration prospects.

Further Reading

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iShares MSCI Spain ETF (NYSEARCA:EWP  Get Free Report) hit a new 52-week high on Thursday . The stock traded as high as $35.56 and last traded at $35.50, with a volume of 19601 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $34.93.

iShares MSCI Spain ETF Trading Down 0.3 %

The firm has a market cap of $1.11 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.75 and a beta of 0.76. The companys 50-day moving average is $33.15 and its two-hundred day moving average is $32.46.

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Institutional Investors Weigh In On iShares MSCI Spain ETF

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Strategic Financial Concepts LLC increased its stake in iShares MSCI Spain ETF by 3,175.5% in the 2nd quarter. Strategic Financial Concepts LLC now owns 1,027,298 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $31,000 after buying an additional 995,935 shares during the last quarter. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. purchased a new stake in iShares MSCI Spain ETF in the 2nd quarter valued at about $36,000. Sunbelt Securities Inc. purchased a new stake in iShares MSCI Spain ETF in the 2nd quarter valued at about $75,000. SG Americas Securities LLC purchased a new stake in iShares MSCI Spain ETF in the 2nd quarter valued at about $190,000. Finally, Connectus Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in iShares MSCI Spain ETF in the 4th quarter valued at about $227,000.

About iShares MSCI Spain ETF

iShares MSCI Spain Capped ETF, formerly iShares MSCI Spain Index Fund, is an exchange-traded fund. The Fund seeks to provide investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance, before fees and expenses, of publicly traded securities in the Spanish market, as measured by the MSCI Spain Index (the Index).

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By Jaspreet Kalra

MUMBAI (Reuters) - The overseas arm of India's National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) will build a digital payments system for Trinidad and Tobago, modelled after India's United Payments Interface (UPI), according to a statement on Friday.

The NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL) said its deal with the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Trinidad and Tobago is to build a payments platform for both person-to-person and person-to-merchant transactions.

The NPCI, a quasi-regulator under the central bank, is a public non-profit organisation that oversees India's retail payment systems, including UPI, the country's most popular mode of digital payments.

Earlier in the year, NIPL had agreed to develop digital payments systems for Peru and Namibia, using UPI as a blueprint.

The NPIL, carved out of the NPCI to promote the adoption of India's payment systems overseas, is also in talks with African and South American countries to help them build payments systems, Reuters reported earlier this week.

(Reporting by Jaspreet Kalra; Editing by Savio D'Souza)
The North West Company Inc. (TSE:NWC  Get Free Report) announced a quarterly dividend on Wednesday, September 4th, Zacks reports. Stockholders of record on Monday, September 30th will be paid a dividend of 0.40 per share on Tuesday, October 15th. This represents a $1.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.17%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, September 30th. This is a positive change from North Wests previous quarterly dividend of $0.39.

North West Price Performance

Shares of TSE NWC opened at C$50.55 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 60.00, a current ratio of 2.22 and a quick ratio of 0.64. North West has a 1 year low of C$33.72 and a 1 year high of C$52.23. The companys 50-day moving average is C$46.54 and its 200 day moving average is C$42.19. The stock has a market capitalization of C$2.41 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.45, a P/E/G ratio of 1.11 and a beta of 0.64.

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North West (TSE:NWC  Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, September 4th. The company reported C$0.73 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of C$0.71 by C$0.02. North West had a return on equity of 19.76% and a net margin of 5.25%. The business had revenue of C$646.49 million during the quarter. On average, sell-side analysts expect that North West will post 3.4255464 earnings per share for the current year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms have recently commented on NWC. BMO Capital Markets increased their price target on shares of North West from C$44.00 to C$56.00 in a report on Friday, September 6th. TD Securities boosted their price target on North West from C$52.00 to C$59.00 in a research note on Friday, September 6th. CIBC increased their price objective on North West from C$43.00 to C$44.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research report on Thursday, June 6th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada boosted their target price on North West from C$40.00 to C$47.00 in a research report on Friday, September 6th.

Get Our Latest Analysis on NWC

Insider Activity at North West

In related news, Senior Officer David Michael Chatyrbok sold 3,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, September 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of C$51.65, for a total transaction of C$154,950.00. In related news, Senior Officer David Michael Chatyrbok sold 3,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Thursday, September 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of C$51.65, for a total transaction of C$154,950.00. Also, Senior Officer Michael Beaulieu sold 3,522 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Monday, September 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of C$50.78, for a total transaction of C$178,847.16. 0.12% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

North West Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

The North West Company Inc, through its subsidiaries, engages in the retail of food and everyday products and services to rural communities and urban neighborhood markets in northern Canada, rural Alaska, the South Pacific, and the Caribbean. The company operates Northern stores, which offers food, financial services, and general merchandise; NorthMart stores that provides fresh food products, apparel, and health products and services; and Quickstop convenience stores that provides ready-to-eat food products, and fuel and related services.

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Canada Pension Plan Investment Board purchased a new position in shares of Sweetgreen, Inc. (NYSE:SG  Free Report) during the 2nd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund purchased 33,800 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $1,019,000.

Other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Quest Partners LLC acquired a new position in Sweetgreen in the second quarter valued at approximately $76,000. Versor Investments LP purchased a new stake in Sweetgreen in the second quarter valued at $217,000. Perigon Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Sweetgreen during the 1st quarter worth $223,000. Thoroughbred Financial Services LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Sweetgreen during the 2nd quarter worth about $233,000. Finally, Moloney Securities Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in Sweetgreen in the 2nd quarter valued at about $256,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 95.75% of the companys stock.

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Sweetgreen Stock Performance

SG stock opened at $35.95 on Friday. Sweetgreen, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $8.64 and a fifty-two week high of $38.53. The companys 50 day moving average price is $31.52 and its 200 day moving average price is $28.40. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.10 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -38.66 and a beta of 2.32.

Insider Buying and Selling at Sweetgreen

Sweetgreen ( NYSE:SG Get Free Report ) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 8th. The company reported ($0.13) earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of ($0.11) by ($0.02). The firm had revenue of $184.60 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $180.79 million. Sweetgreen had a negative net margin of 14.33% and a negative return on equity of 19.34%. Sweetgreens revenue for the quarter was up 21.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted ($0.20) earnings per share. Equities analysts forecast that Sweetgreen, Inc. will post -0.75 EPS for the current fiscal year.

In related news, CTO Wouleta Ayele sold 2,831 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $36.31, for a total value of $102,793.61. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief technology officer now directly owns 144,649 shares of the companys stock, valued at $5,252,205.19. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. In other Sweetgreen news, insider Adrienne Gemperle sold 3,868 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $36.31, for a total transaction of $140,447.08. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 114,842 shares of the companys stock, valued at $4,169,913.02. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CTO Wouleta Ayele sold 2,831 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $36.31, for a total value of $102,793.61. Following the completion of the sale, the chief technology officer now directly owns 144,649 shares of the companys stock, valued at $5,252,205.19. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 426,061 shares of company stock worth $15,071,720 over the last ninety days. Corporate insiders own 21.52% of the companys stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

SG has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on shares of Sweetgreen from $25.00 to $27.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a research report on Friday, August 9th. Oppenheimer upped their price target on Sweetgreen from $36.00 to $40.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research note on Thursday, August 15th. Bank of America lifted their price objective on Sweetgreen from $39.00 to $43.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Monday, August 19th. Citigroup increased their target price on Sweetgreen from $30.00 to $32.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research note on Friday, August 9th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on Sweetgreen from $32.00 to $37.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research report on Friday, June 14th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $38.20.

Read Our Latest Analysis on SG

About Sweetgreen

(Free Report)

Sweetgreen, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, operates fast food restaurants serving healthy foods at scale in the United States. The company also accepts orders through its online and mobile ordering platforms, as well as sells gift cards that do not have an expiration date and can be redeemed. The company was founded in 2006 and is headquartered in Los Angeles, California.

Further Reading

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding SG? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Sweetgreen, Inc. (NYSE:SG  Free Report).

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MidWestOne Financial Group Inc. reduced its position in shares of Barclays PLC (NYSE:BCS  Free Report) by 17.1% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 138,439 shares of the financial services providers stock after selling 28,495 shares during the period. MidWestOne Financial Group Inc.s holdings in Barclays were worth $1,483,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in BCS. Kathmere Capital Management LLC increased its position in shares of Barclays by 10.2% during the second quarter. Kathmere Capital Management LLC now owns 35,153 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $376,000 after purchasing an additional 3,241 shares in the last quarter. Duquesne Family Office LLC grew its holdings in shares of Barclays by 97.4% during the second quarter. Duquesne Family Office LLC now owns 2,075,455 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $22,228,000 after buying an additional 1,024,100 shares in the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC raised its position in shares of Barclays by 74.2% in the second quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 178,988 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $1,917,000 after buying an additional 76,247 shares during the last quarter. Squarepoint Ops LLC lifted its stake in shares of Barclays by 636.0% in the second quarter. Squarepoint Ops LLC now owns 85,310 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $914,000 after buying an additional 73,719 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Bank of Montreal Can boosted its position in Barclays by 16.3% during the second quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 514,518 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $5,510,000 after acquiring an additional 72,110 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 3.39% of the companys stock.

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Barclays Trading Down 0.4 %

Shares of BCS opened at $12.30 on Friday. Barclays PLC has a 12-month low of $6.23 and a 12-month high of $12.49. The firm has a market capitalization of $45.03 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.18, a P/E/G ratio of 0.66 and a beta of 1.43. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $11.77 and a 200 day moving average price of $10.88. The company has a current ratio of 1.39, a quick ratio of 1.39 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.98.

Barclays Increases Dividend

Barclays ( NYSE:BCS Get Free Report ) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 1st. The financial services provider reported $0.42 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.40 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $7.98 billion during the quarter. Barclays had a net margin of 16.83% and a return on equity of 5.94%. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $0.43 EPS. Sell-side analysts forecast that Barclays PLC will post 1.68 EPS for the current year.

The firm also recently declared a semi-annual dividend, which was paid on Friday, September 20th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 16th were paid a $0.2684 dividend. This represents a dividend yield of 3.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, August 16th. This is a positive change from Barclayss previous semi-annual dividend of $0.27. Barclayss dividend payout ratio is 22.39%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

BCS has been the topic of a number of research reports. Kepler Capital Markets initiated coverage on shares of Barclays in a research note on Thursday, September 5th. They issued a buy rating on the stock. StockNews.com upgraded Barclays from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 9th.

View Our Latest Stock Analysis on BCS

Barclays Profile

(Free Report)

Barclays PLC provides various financial services in the United Kingdom, Europe, the Americas, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. The company operates through Barclays UK and Barclays International division segments. It offers financial services, such as retail banking, credit cards, wholesale banking, investment banking, wealth management, and investment management services.

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MidWestOne Financial Group Inc. raised its holdings in General Electric (NYSE:GE  Free Report) by 1.1% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 7,583 shares of the conglomerates stock after acquiring an additional 85 shares during the quarter. MidWestOne Financial Group Inc.s holdings in General Electric were worth $1,205,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Newport Trust Company LLC bought a new position in General Electric during the 2nd quarter worth $2,613,332,000. Capital World Investors increased its stake in shares of General Electric by 2,818.1% in the first quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 12,749,560 shares of the conglomerates stock valued at $2,237,930,000 after buying an additional 12,312,648 shares during the period. Capital International Investors raised its position in shares of General Electric by 9.9% during the first quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 59,100,643 shares of the conglomerates stock worth $10,373,936,000 after acquiring an additional 5,309,543 shares during the last quarter. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board lifted its stake in shares of General Electric by 221.6% in the first quarter. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board now owns 7,121,741 shares of the conglomerates stock worth $1,250,079,000 after acquiring an additional 4,907,530 shares during the period. Finally, Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA bought a new stake in General Electric in the second quarter valued at approximately $580,200,000. Institutional investors own 74.77% of the companys stock.

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General Electric Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:GE opened at $185.39 on Friday. General Electric has a twelve month low of $84.42 and a twelve month high of $190.88. The stocks 50 day moving average is $171.51 and its 200-day moving average is $170.35. The company has a quick ratio of 0.85, a current ratio of 1.14 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.95. The firm has a market capitalization of $202.93 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 60.78, a PEG ratio of 1.87 and a beta of 1.18.

General Electric Announces Dividend

General Electric ( NYSE:GE Get Free Report ) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 23rd. The conglomerate reported $1.20 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.99 by $0.21. General Electric had a net margin of 7.66% and a return on equity of 16.07%. The firm had revenue of $9.09 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $8.44 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $0.68 earnings per share. The businesss revenue was up 3.9% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts forecast that General Electric will post 4.2 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, October 25th. Investors of record on Thursday, September 26th will be given a $0.28 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, September 26th. This represents a $1.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.60%. General Electrics payout ratio is 36.72%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

GE has been the subject of several analyst reports. Jefferies Financial Group raised their price target on shares of General Electric from $185.00 to $190.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Friday, June 28th. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their target price on shares of General Electric from $175.00 to $190.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 24th. Barclays upped their price target on shares of General Electric from $175.00 to $200.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 30th. Sanford C. Bernstein began coverage on General Electric in a research report on Tuesday, September 10th. They issued an outperform rating and a $201.00 price objective for the company. Finally, StockNews.com downgraded General Electric from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Monday, July 29th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and fourteen have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $191.36.

Check Out Our Latest Stock Report on GE

General Electric Profile

(Free Report)

General Electric Company, doing business as GE Aerospace, designs and produces commercial and defense aircraft engines, integrated engine components, electric power, and mechanical aircraft systems. It also offers aftermarket services to support its products. The company operates in the United States, Europe, China, Asia, the Americas, the Middle East, and Africa.

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MidWestOne Financial Group Inc. cut its position in Delta Air Lines, Inc. (NYSE:DAL  Free Report) by 1.6% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 36,879 shares of the transportation companys stock after selling 607 shares during the quarter. MidWestOne Financial Group Inc.s holdings in Delta Air Lines were worth $1,750,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Strategic Financial Concepts LLC bought a new position in Delta Air Lines during the second quarter worth about $36,000. Rise Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Delta Air Lines by 122.5% in the 1st quarter. Rise Advisors LLC now owns 821 shares of the transportation companys stock worth $39,000 after buying an additional 452 shares during the period. Unique Wealth Strategies LLC purchased a new position in Delta Air Lines in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $40,000. Richard W. Paul & Associates LLC grew its stake in Delta Air Lines by 68.7% in the 2nd quarter. Richard W. Paul & Associates LLC now owns 877 shares of the transportation companys stock valued at $42,000 after buying an additional 357 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Scarborough Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Delta Air Lines during the 4th quarter valued at $43,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 69.93% of the companys stock.

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Insider Activity

In other news, Director Willie Cw Chiang acquired 10,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Friday, July 12th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $43.90 per share, for a total transaction of $439,000.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director now owns 20,000 shares in the company, valued at $878,000. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 0.96% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages have recently weighed in on DAL. Sanford C. Bernstein reduced their price target on Delta Air Lines from $66.00 to $62.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research report on Friday, July 12th. Jefferies Financial Group decreased their price target on Delta Air Lines from $58.00 to $56.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, June 28th. TD Cowen cut their price objective on shares of Delta Air Lines from $61.00 to $59.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, July 17th. Finally, BNP Paribas raised shares of Delta Air Lines to a strong-buy rating in a research note on Thursday, September 19th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, eleven have issued a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of Buy and an average target price of $61.52.

View Our Latest Stock Analysis on DAL

Delta Air Lines Trading Down 0.6 %

Shares of DAL opened at $51.52 on Friday. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $42.79 and a 200-day moving average price of $46.50. Delta Air Lines, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $30.60 and a fifty-two week high of $53.86. The firm has a market cap of $33.25 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 7.41, a PEG ratio of 0.90 and a beta of 1.34. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.21, a quick ratio of 0.35 and a current ratio of 0.40.

Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL  Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, July 11th. The transportation company reported $2.36 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.37 by ($0.01). Delta Air Lines had a return on equity of 36.02% and a net margin of 7.46%. The company had revenue of $15.41 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $15.45 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $2.68 earnings per share. The companys revenue for the quarter was up 5.4% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Delta Air Lines, Inc. will post 6.18 earnings per share for the current year.

Delta Air Lines Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 31st. Stockholders of record on Thursday, October 10th will be given a $0.15 dividend. This represents a $0.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.16%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, October 10th. Delta Air Liness dividend payout ratio is currently 8.63%.

Delta Air Lines Company Profile

(Free Report)

Delta Air Lines, Inc provides scheduled air transportation for passengers and cargo in the United States and internationally. The company operates through two segments, Airline and Refinery. Its domestic network centered on core hubs in Atlanta, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Detroit, and Salt Lake City, as well as coastal hub positions in Boston, Los Angeles, New York-LaGuardia, New York-JFK, and Seattle; and international network centered on hubs and market presence in Amsterdam, Bogota, Lima, Mexico City, London-Heathrow, Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Sao Paulo, Seoul-Incheon, and Tokyo.

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Public Sector Pension Investment Board increased its stake in PROG Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:PRG  Free Report) by 3.6% during the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 95,016 shares of the companys stock after acquiring an additional 3,342 shares during the quarter. Public Sector Pension Investment Board owned approximately 0.22% of PROG worth $3,295,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the company. DekaBank Deutsche Girozentrale acquired a new stake in PROG during the 1st quarter worth about $59,000. Blue Trust Inc. increased its position in shares of PROG by 2,015.1% in the second quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 1,967 shares of the companys stock worth $68,000 after acquiring an additional 1,874 shares in the last quarter. nVerses Capital LLC purchased a new position in shares of PROG in the second quarter worth approximately $73,000. Meeder Asset Management Inc. raised its holdings in shares of PROG by 28.8% during the second quarter. Meeder Asset Management Inc. now owns 7,060 shares of the companys stock valued at $245,000 after acquiring an additional 1,578 shares during the period. Finally, Diversified Trust Co lifted its position in shares of PROG by 8.4% in the 2nd quarter. Diversified Trust Co now owns 7,329 shares of the companys stock valued at $254,000 after acquiring an additional 569 shares in the last quarter. 97.92% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Analyst Ratings Changes

PRG has been the topic of several research analyst reports. KeyCorp lifted their price objective on shares of PROG from $46.00 to $55.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research report on Tuesday, September 10th. BTIG Research started coverage on PROG in a report on Friday, June 7th. They set a neutral rating on the stock. TD Cowen increased their price objective on PROG from $40.00 to $47.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Thursday, July 25th. Finally, Loop Capital upgraded PROG from a hold rating to a buy rating and raised their price objective for the stock from $41.00 to $55.00 in a research report on Monday, August 19th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $47.20.

PROG Trading Down 0.1 %

NYSE PRG opened at $48.19 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $2.04 billion, a PE ratio of 19.67 and a beta of 2.11. PROG Holdings, Inc. has a 1-year low of $26.39 and a 1-year high of $50.28. The company has a current ratio of 3.87, a quick ratio of 1.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02. The firms fifty day simple moving average is $44.77 and its 200-day simple moving average is $37.91.

PROG (NYSE:PRG  Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 24th. The company reported $0.92 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.70 by $0.22. The company had revenue of $592.16 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $573.23 million. PROG had a return on equity of 26.30% and a net margin of 4.57%. The businesss quarterly revenue was down .1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business earned $0.92 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that PROG Holdings, Inc. will post 3.34 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

PROG Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 3rd. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, August 20th were given a $0.12 dividend. This represents a $0.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.00%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, August 20th. PROGs dividend payout ratio is 19.59%.

PROG Profile

(Free Report)

PROG Holdings, Inc (NYSE:PRG) is a financial technology holding company based in Salt Lake City, Utah with three business segments: Progressive Leasing, which offers lease-to-own transactions primarily to credit-challenged consumers through e-commerce and point-of-sale retail partners, via online, mobile, and in-store solutions; Vive Financial, which provides consumers who may not qualify for traditional prime lending with a variety of second-look, revolving credit products through private label and branded credit cards; and Four Technologies, which provides consumers of all credit backgrounds Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) options through four interest-free installments via its platform, Four.

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Xponance Inc. trimmed its holdings in shares of RenaissanceRe Holdings Ltd. (NYSE:RNR  Free Report) by 25.4% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 5,730 shares of the insurance providers stock after selling 1,954 shares during the quarter. Xponance Inc.s holdings in RenaissanceRe were worth $1,281,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the business. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC grew its stake in RenaissanceRe by 19.8% during the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 272 shares of the insurance providers stock valued at $63,000 after purchasing an additional 45 shares in the last quarter. CWM LLC grew its position in shares of RenaissanceRe by 8.7% during the first quarter. CWM LLC now owns 610 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $143,000 after buying an additional 49 shares in the last quarter. State of Alaska Department of Revenue increased its stake in shares of RenaissanceRe by 0.9% in the first quarter. State of Alaska Department of Revenue now owns 5,714 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $1,342,000 after buying an additional 50 shares during the last quarter. Hilltop National Bank raised its holdings in RenaissanceRe by 14.9% in the second quarter. Hilltop National Bank now owns 400 shares of the insurance providers stock valued at $89,000 after acquiring an additional 52 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC boosted its stake in RenaissanceRe by 1.5% during the 4th quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 4,926 shares of the insurance providers stock valued at $965,000 after acquiring an additional 73 shares during the last quarter. 99.97% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Insider Activity at RenaissanceRe

In other RenaissanceRe news, EVP David E. Marra sold 1,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Thursday, September 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $269.00, for a total transaction of $269,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 83,044 shares in the company, valued at approximately $22,338,836. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. In other RenaissanceRe news, CFO Robert Qutub sold 2,500 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Friday, July 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $224.56, for a total transaction of $561,400.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 73,915 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $16,598,352.40. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP David E. Marra sold 1,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, September 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $269.00, for a total transaction of $269,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 83,044 shares of the companys stock, valued at $22,338,836. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 4,500 shares of company stock worth $1,060,400 in the last three months. 1.30% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

RNR has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Morgan Stanley dropped their target price on shares of RenaissanceRe from $257.00 to $240.00 and set an equal weight rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, July 10th. UBS Group cut their price objective on RenaissanceRe from $251.00 to $248.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, July 9th. Citigroup lifted their target price on RenaissanceRe from $262.00 to $298.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Tuesday, September 10th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on RenaissanceRe from $265.00 to $267.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a report on Thursday, July 25th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price objective on RenaissanceRe from $288.00 to $280.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, July 26th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have given a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $272.60.

View Our Latest Analysis on RenaissanceRe

RenaissanceRe Price Performance

Shares of NYSE RNR opened at $269.40 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.21, a current ratio of 1.38 and a quick ratio of 1.38. The firm has a market capitalization of $14.05 billion, a PE ratio of 5.95, a P/E/G ratio of 1.44 and a beta of 0.38. RenaissanceRe Holdings Ltd. has a 1-year low of $188.24 and a 1-year high of $271.80. The businesss fifty day moving average price is $246.67 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $232.55.

RenaissanceRe (NYSE:RNR  Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 24th. The insurance provider reported $12.41 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $10.88 by $1.53. The firm had revenue of $2.95 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.93 billion. RenaissanceRe had a net margin of 25.38% and a return on equity of 27.74%. On average, research analysts expect that RenaissanceRe Holdings Ltd. will post 39.01 EPS for the current year.

RenaissanceRe Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 30th. Investors of record on Friday, September 13th will be issued a $0.39 dividend. This represents a $1.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.58%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, September 13th. RenaissanceRes dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 3.45%.

About RenaissanceRe

(Free Report)

RenaissanceRe Holdings Ltd., together with its subsidiaries, provides reinsurance and insurance products in the United States and internationally. The company operates through Property, and Casualty and Specialty segments. The Property segment writes property catastrophe excess of loss reinsurance and excess of loss reinsurance to insure insurance and reinsurance companies against natural and man-made catastrophes, including hurricanes, earthquakes, typhoons, and tsunamis, as well as winter storms, freezes, floods, fires, windstorms, tornadoes, explosions, and acts of terrorism; and other property class of products, such as proportional reinsurance, property per risk, property reinsurance, binding facilities, and regional U.S.

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Xponance Inc. trimmed its stake in A. O. Smith Co. (NYSE:AOS  Free Report) by 7.0% during the second quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 16,056 shares of the industrial products companys stock after selling 1,203 shares during the quarter. Xponance Inc.s holdings in A. O. Smith were worth $1,313,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Bank of Montreal Can boosted its stake in A. O. Smith by 37.6% during the 2nd quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 185,768 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $15,409,000 after purchasing an additional 50,798 shares during the period. Public Sector Pension Investment Board boosted its holdings in shares of A. O. Smith by 65.3% in the second quarter. Public Sector Pension Investment Board now owns 4,649 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $380,000 after acquiring an additional 1,836 shares in the last quarter. 1832 Asset Management L.P. raised its holdings in A. O. Smith by 0.3% during the second quarter. 1832 Asset Management L.P. now owns 1,000,835 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $81,848,000 after purchasing an additional 2,545 shares in the last quarter. Ensign Peak Advisors Inc lifted its position in A. O. Smith by 0.7% in the second quarter. Ensign Peak Advisors Inc now owns 377,465 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $30,869,000 after purchasing an additional 2,800 shares during the period. Finally, Thrivent Financial for Lutherans boosted its stake in A. O. Smith by 28.0% during the 2nd quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans now owns 69,669 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $5,697,000 after purchasing an additional 15,258 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 76.10% of the companys stock.

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Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, SVP Samuel M. Carver sold 14,705 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $81.00, for a total value of $1,191,105.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 2,399 shares in the company, valued at approximately $194,319. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 2.70% of the companys stock.

A. O. Smith Stock Performance

Shares of AOS opened at $90.59 on Friday. A. O. Smith Co. has a one year low of $64.86 and a one year high of $92.44. The company has a 50-day moving average of $82.04 and a two-hundred day moving average of $84.03. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07, a current ratio of 1.70 and a quick ratio of 1.07. The stock has a market cap of $13.21 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.47, a PEG ratio of 2.34 and a beta of 1.15.

A. O. Smith (NYSE:AOS  Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 23rd. The industrial products company reported $1.06 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $1.07 by ($0.01). A. O. Smith had a return on equity of 31.04% and a net margin of 14.67%. The firm had revenue of $1.02 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.01 EPS. The companys revenue for the quarter was up 6.6% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts expect that A. O. Smith Co. will post 4.07 earnings per share for the current year.

A. O. Smith Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, August 15th. Investors of record on Wednesday, July 31st were paid a $0.32 dividend. This represents a $1.28 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.41%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, July 31st. A. O. Smiths dividend payout ratio is currently 33.16%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have recently commented on AOS. Stifel Nicolaus raised A. O. Smith from a hold rating to a buy rating and boosted their price objective for the stock from $97.00 to $98.00 in a research note on Wednesday, July 24th. UBS Group boosted their target price on shares of A. O. Smith from $73.00 to $75.00 and gave the stock a sell rating in a report on Monday, July 8th. Robert W. Baird cut their target price on shares of A. O. Smith from $92.00 to $90.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, July 24th. Finally, StockNews.com upgraded shares of A. O. Smith from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 13th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have assigned a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $89.67.

Get Our Latest Research Report on AOS

A. O. Smith Company Profile

(Free Report)

A. O. Smith Corporation manufactures and markets residential and commercial gas and electric water heaters, boilers, heat pumps, tanks, and water treatment products in North America, China, Europe, and India. The company offers water heaters for residences, restaurants, hotels, office buildings, laundries, car washes, and small businesses; boilers for hospitals, schools, hotels, and other large commercial buildings, as well as homes, apartments, and condominiums; and water treatment products comprising point-of-entry water softeners, well water solutions, and whole-home water filtration products, and point-of-use carbon and reverse osmosis products for residences, restaurants, hotels, and offices.

Further Reading

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Comptoir Group PLC (LON:COM  Get Free Report)s share price hit a new 52-week low on Thursday . The company traded as low as GBX 4 ($0.05) and last traded at GBX 4 ($0.05), with a volume of 183 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at GBX 4.25 ($0.06).

Comptoir Group Price Performance

The company has a market capitalization of 5.21 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -212.50 and a beta of 0.95. The business has a 50 day moving average price of GBX 4.60 and a 200-day moving average price of GBX 5.71. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 594.60, a quick ratio of 1.24 and a current ratio of 1.02.

Comptoir Group Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Comptoir Group PLC owns and operates restaurants under the Comptoir Libanais and Shawa brand names in the United Kingdom. The company offers Lebanese and Eastern Mediterranean cuisine dining. It operates 27 restaurants that includes 5 franchises. The company was formerly known as Levant Restaurants Group Limited and changed its name to Comptoir Group PLC in June 2016.

Further Reading

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Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (TSE:CM  Get Free Report) (NYSE:CM)s stock price hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Thursday . The company traded as high as C$84.23 and last traded at C$84.06, with a volume of 880086 shares. The stock had previously closed at C$83.62.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have recently issued reports on CM. TD Securities dropped their price objective on shares of Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce from C$93.00 to C$91.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, August 30th. Cormark raised shares of Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce from a market perform rating to a buy rating and upped their price objective for the company from C$75.00 to C$83.00 in a research report on Friday, August 30th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upgraded Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce from a hold rating to a moderate buy rating in a research note on Monday, June 3rd. Royal Bank of Canada increased their price target on Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce from C$69.00 to C$74.00 and gave the company a sector perform rating in a report on Friday, August 30th. Finally, Desjardins raised their price objective on Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce from C$77.00 to C$83.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Friday, August 30th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of C$79.15.

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Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce Stock Performance

The company has a market capitalization of C$78.22 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.00, a P/E/G ratio of 3.01 and a beta of 1.12. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of C$75.47 and a 200 day simple moving average of C$69.69.

Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (TSE:CM  Get Free Report) (NYSE:CM) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 29th. The company reported C$1.93 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of C$1.75 by C$0.18. Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce had a return on equity of 12.37% and a net margin of 29.56%. The company had revenue of C$6.60 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of C$6.31 billion. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce will post 7.5778986 earnings per share for the current year.

Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, October 28th. Investors of record on Monday, October 28th will be issued a dividend of $0.90 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, September 27th. This represents a $3.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of ?. Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerces dividend payout ratio is 52.10%.

Insider Transactions at Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce

In related news, Senior Officer Hratch Dikran Panossian sold 5,530 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, September 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of C$79.89, for a total value of C$441,791.70. In other news, Senior Officer Hratch Dikran Panossian sold 5,530 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Thursday, September 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of C$79.89, for a total value of C$441,791.70. Also, Director Harry Kenneth Culham sold 50,000 shares of Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, September 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of C$81.87, for a total transaction of C$4,093,500.00. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 202,257 shares of company stock worth $16,756,689. Insiders own 0.02% of the companys stock.

About Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce

(Get Free Report)

Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, a diversified financial institution, provides various financial products and services to personal, business, public sector, and institutional clients in Canada, the United States, and internationally. The company operates through Canadian Personal and Business Banking; Canadian Commercial Banking and Wealth Management; U.S.

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By Kanishka Singh

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Justice Department said on Friday it filed a lawsuit against Alabama over a program the state said was aimed at removing non-citizens from its election rolls, alleging that it violated federal law because it was implemented too close to the Nov. 5 elections.

In mid-August, less than three months before the Nov. 5 elections, Alabama Secretary of State Wes Allen announced a "process to remove non-citizens registered to vote in Alabama," citing over 3,200 people who he said registered to vote and were not U.S. citizens.

"The Quiet Period Provision of federal law exists to prevent eligible voters from being removed from the rolls as a result of last-minute, error-prone efforts," the Justice Department said in a statement on Friday announcing the lawsuit.

The Quiet Period Provision requires states to complete systematic programs aimed at removing the names of ineligible voters from voter registration lists by no later than 90 days before federal elections.

The Justice Department said its review found that both native-born and naturalized U.S. citizens have received letters stating that their voter record has been made inactive and that they have been placed on a path for removal from Alabama's statewide voter registration list.

"I was elected Secretary of State by the people of Alabama, and it is my Constitutional duty to ensure that only American citizens vote in our elections," Allen told the media in response to the lawsuit.

The Nov. 5 elections include those for president, the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives.

Republican former President Donald Trump faces Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris in the Nov. 5 election, in what polls show to be a tight race for the White House.

(Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington; Editing by Nick Zieminski and Leslie Adler)
Texas Capital Bank Wealth Management Services Inc raised its holdings in Zoetis Inc. (NYSE:ZTS  Free Report) by 7.5% during the second quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 40,991 shares of the companys stock after purchasing an additional 2,859 shares during the quarter. Texas Capital Bank Wealth Management Services Incs holdings in Zoetis were worth $7,106,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Asset Dedication LLC raised its holdings in Zoetis by 4.8% in the 2nd quarter. Asset Dedication LLC now owns 1,174 shares of the companys stock valued at $204,000 after buying an additional 54 shares during the period. Angeles Wealth Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Zoetis by 3.5% during the 4th quarter. Angeles Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,640 shares of the companys stock worth $324,000 after purchasing an additional 56 shares during the period. Forza Wealth Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Zoetis by 1.8% during the 2nd quarter. Forza Wealth Management LLC now owns 3,313 shares of the companys stock worth $574,000 after purchasing an additional 58 shares during the period. L. Roy Papp & Associates LLP increased its holdings in Zoetis by 2.8% in the 2nd quarter. L. Roy Papp & Associates LLP now owns 2,221 shares of the companys stock valued at $385,000 after purchasing an additional 60 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Edge Capital Group LLC raised its position in Zoetis by 3.7% in the second quarter. Edge Capital Group LLC now owns 1,786 shares of the companys stock valued at $310,000 after purchasing an additional 64 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.80% of the companys stock.

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Zoetis Stock Down 0.1 %

ZTS stock opened at $194.70 on Friday. Zoetis Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $144.80 and a fifty-two week high of $201.92. The companys 50 day moving average price is $186.04 and its 200 day moving average price is $174.84. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.32, a quick ratio of 2.09 and a current ratio of 3.45. The firm has a market capitalization of $88.84 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 37.51, a PEG ratio of 2.97 and a beta of 0.88.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Zoetis ( NYSE:ZTS Get Free Report ) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 6th. The company reported $1.56 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.49 by $0.07. The business had revenue of $2.36 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.31 billion. Zoetis had a net margin of 26.29% and a return on equity of 50.67%. The companys revenue was up 8.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business earned $1.41 EPS. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Zoetis Inc. will post 5.84 EPS for the current fiscal year.

ZTS has been the subject of a number of research reports. BTIG Research lifted their price objective on Zoetis from $220.00 to $225.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Monday, August 12th. Stifel Nicolaus lifted their target price on Zoetis from $200.00 to $210.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Wednesday, September 18th. Argus raised shares of Zoetis to a strong-buy rating in a research report on Friday, August 9th. Finally, Piper Sandler lifted their price objective on shares of Zoetis from $195.00 to $210.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Wednesday, August 14th. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of Buy and an average price target of $220.38.

Read Our Latest Analysis on ZTS

Zoetis Profile

(Free Report)

Zoetis Inc engages in the discovery, development, manufacture, and commercialization of animal health medicines, vaccines, and diagnostic products and services in the United States and internationally. The company commercializes products primarily across species, including livestock, such as cattle, swine, poultry, fish, and sheep and others; and companion animals comprising dogs, cats, and horses.

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Shangri-La Asia Limited (OTCMKTS:SHALY  Get Free Report)s share price hit a new 52-week high during trading on Thursday . The stock traded as high as $14.17 and last traded at $14.17, with a volume of 159 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $11.91.

Shangri-La Asia Price Performance

The company has a 50-day moving average price of $13.87 and a 200 day moving average price of $13.97. The company has a quick ratio of 0.97, a current ratio of 0.99 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.93.

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Shangri-La Asia Cuts Dividend

The firm also recently announced a dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, October 16th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, September 25th will be given a $0.1283 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, September 25th.

About Shangri-La Asia

Shangri-La Asia Limited, an investment holding company, develops, owns/leases, operates, and manages hotels and associated properties. It operates through Hotel Properties, Hotel Management and Related Services, Investment Properties, and Property Development for Sale segments. The company develops, owns, and operates office and commercial properties, and serviced apartments/residences; and operates restaurants and amusement parks.

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Point72 Asia Singapore Pte. Ltd. bought a new position in KBR, Inc. (NYSE:KBR  Free Report) in the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund bought 2,567 shares of the construction companys stock, valued at approximately $165,000.

Several other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Fifth Third Bancorp grew its position in shares of KBR by 17.5% in the 2nd quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 1,204 shares of the construction companys stock worth $77,000 after buying an additional 179 shares during the last quarter. CWM LLC boosted its stake in KBR by 39.4% in the second quarter. CWM LLC now owns 817 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $52,000 after acquiring an additional 231 shares in the last quarter. Harbour Capital Advisors LLC grew its holdings in KBR by 0.5% in the first quarter. Harbour Capital Advisors LLC now owns 54,135 shares of the construction companys stock worth $3,412,000 after purchasing an additional 265 shares during the last quarter. Blue Trust Inc. increased its position in shares of KBR by 27.7% during the second quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 1,457 shares of the construction companys stock worth $93,000 after purchasing an additional 316 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Rise Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of KBR during the 1st quarter valued at $25,000. 97.02% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have weighed in on KBR shares. StockNews.com raised KBR from a buy rating to a strong-buy rating in a report on Saturday. DA Davidson reiterated a buy rating and issued a $78.00 target price on shares of KBR in a research note on Tuesday, June 25th. Finally, TD Cowen lowered shares of KBR from a buy rating to a hold rating and set a $72.00 price target on the stock. in a research note on Friday, September 6th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of Buy and an average target price of $75.50.

Insider Transactions at KBR

In related news, insider Jalal Ibrahim sold 35,000 shares of KBR stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $66.56, for a total transaction of $2,329,600.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 106,550 shares in the company, valued at $7,091,968. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 1.08% of the companys stock.

KBR Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:KBR opened at $64.17 on Friday. KBR, Inc. has a twelve month low of $49.37 and a twelve month high of $69.50. The company has a current ratio of 1.10, a quick ratio of 1.10 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.35. The company has a market cap of $8.62 billion, a PE ratio of -33.42, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.32 and a beta of 0.90. The companys 50 day moving average is $65.18 and its 200 day moving average is $64.54.

KBR (NYSE:KBR  Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 24th. The construction company reported $0.83 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.79 by $0.04. The firm had revenue of $1.86 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.88 billion. KBR had a net margin of 2.77% and a return on equity of 27.92%. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that KBR, Inc. will post 3.25 EPS for the current year.

KBR Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, October 15th. Stockholders of record on Monday, September 16th will be issued a $0.15 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, September 16th. This represents a $0.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.94%. KBRs dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently -31.25%.

About KBR

(Free Report)

KBR, Inc provides scientific, technology, and engineering solutions to governments and commercial customers worldwide. It operates through Government Solutions and Sustainable Technology Solutions segments. The Government Solutions segment offers life-cycle support solutions to defense, intelligence, space, aviation, and other programs and missions for military and other government agencies in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia.

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Axa S.A. increased its position in shares of Molson Coors Beverage (NYSE:TAP  Free Report) by 5.2% in the 2nd quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 281,666 shares of the companys stock after purchasing an additional 13,819 shares during the period. Axa S.A.s holdings in Molson Coors Beverage were worth $14,317,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Czech National Bank lifted its stake in Molson Coors Beverage by 0.5% during the 1st quarter. Czech National Bank now owns 32,580 shares of the companys stock worth $2,191,000 after acquiring an additional 149 shares in the last quarter. Empirical Finance LLC boosted its stake in shares of Molson Coors Beverage by 3.5% in the first quarter. Empirical Finance LLC now owns 6,772 shares of the companys stock valued at $455,000 after purchasing an additional 226 shares during the period. BI Asset Management Fondsmaeglerselskab A S boosted its stake in shares of Molson Coors Beverage by 1.6% in the first quarter. BI Asset Management Fondsmaeglerselskab A S now owns 14,867 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,000,000 after purchasing an additional 231 shares during the period. Affinity Investment Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Molson Coors Beverage by 2.9% in the first quarter. Affinity Investment Advisors LLC now owns 8,616 shares of the companys stock valued at $579,000 after purchasing an additional 246 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Private Advisor Group LLC increased its stake in Molson Coors Beverage by 0.8% during the 1st quarter. Private Advisor Group LLC now owns 31,508 shares of the companys stock worth $2,119,000 after buying an additional 250 shares during the period. 78.46% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages have commented on TAP. UBS Group raised their price target on shares of Molson Coors Beverage from $55.00 to $58.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 7th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upped their price target on Molson Coors Beverage from $56.00 to $57.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a report on Wednesday, August 7th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on Molson Coors Beverage from $54.00 to $57.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 7th. Bank of America lowered their price objective on Molson Coors Beverage from $62.00 to $54.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, July 10th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on shares of Molson Coors Beverage from $50.00 to $54.00 and gave the company an underweight rating in a report on Wednesday, August 7th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have assigned a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $60.53.

Molson Coors Beverage Stock Up 2.7 %

Shares of NYSE TAP opened at $56.83 on Friday. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $54.03 and a 200 day moving average price of $56.64. The stock has a market cap of $12.04 billion, a PE ratio of 11.37, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.38 and a beta of 0.81. The company has a quick ratio of 0.75, a current ratio of 0.95 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.46. Molson Coors Beverage has a 52-week low of $49.19 and a 52-week high of $69.18.

Molson Coors Beverage (NYSE:TAP  Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 6th. The company reported $1.92 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.68 by $0.24. The business had revenue of $3.25 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.18 billion. Molson Coors Beverage had a return on equity of 9.58% and a net margin of 8.27%. The companys revenue was down .4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $1.78 earnings per share. Equities research analysts forecast that Molson Coors Beverage will post 5.75 earnings per share for the current year.

Molson Coors Beverage Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, September 20th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 30th were paid a $0.44 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, August 30th. This represents a $1.76 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.10%. Molson Coors Beverages dividend payout ratio is presently 35.20%.

About Molson Coors Beverage

(Free Report)

Molson Coors Beverage Company manufactures, markets, and sells beer and other malt beverage products under various brands in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Asia Pacific. The company offers flavored malt beverages including hard seltzers, craft, spirits and energy, and ready to drink beverages.

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Axa S.A. decreased its holdings in Omnicom Group Inc. (NYSE:OMC  Free Report) by 77.8% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 148,553 shares of the business services providers stock after selling 520,330 shares during the period. Axa S.A.s holdings in Omnicom Group were worth $13,325,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the business. Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. grew its position in shares of Omnicom Group by 319.6% in the first quarter. Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. now owns 1,450,160 shares of the business services providers stock valued at $140,317,000 after purchasing an additional 1,104,566 shares in the last quarter. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. acquired a new stake in shares of Omnicom Group in the 4th quarter worth $93,634,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp increased its stake in shares of Omnicom Group by 37.0% in the 2nd quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 3,307,882 shares of the business services providers stock worth $296,717,000 after acquiring an additional 892,494 shares during the last quarter. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Omnicom Group during the 2nd quarter worth $56,177,000. Finally, Morningstar Investment Services LLC boosted its position in shares of Omnicom Group by 98.7% during the 4th quarter. Morningstar Investment Services LLC now owns 1,199,557 shares of the business services providers stock valued at $104,037,000 after acquiring an additional 595,746 shares during the last quarter. 91.97% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Omnicom Group Price Performance

OMC stock opened at $102.68 on Friday. The businesss fifty day moving average price is $97.22 and its 200 day moving average price is $94.33. Omnicom Group Inc. has a 12-month low of $72.20 and a 12-month high of $104.80. The company has a market capitalization of $20.11 billion, a PE ratio of 13.88, a P/E/G ratio of 2.38 and a beta of 0.94. The company has a current ratio of 0.93, a quick ratio of 0.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.31.

Omnicom Group Dividend Announcement

Omnicom Group ( NYSE:OMC Get Free Report ) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 16th. The business services provider reported $1.95 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.88 by $0.07. Omnicom Group had a net margin of 9.55% and a return on equity of 37.51%. The business had revenue of $3.85 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $3.83 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.81 earnings per share. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 6.8% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Omnicom Group Inc. will post 7.88 EPS for the current year.

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, October 11th. Shareholders of record on Friday, September 20th will be given a $0.70 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, September 20th. This represents a $2.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.73%. Omnicom Groups dividend payout ratio is presently 37.84%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms recently issued reports on OMC. Macquarie restated an outperform rating and set a $110.00 price objective on shares of Omnicom Group in a research report on Wednesday, July 17th. UBS Group lifted their price target on shares of Omnicom Group from $117.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Thursday, July 18th. Finally, Bank of America increased their price objective on Omnicom Group from $87.00 to $89.00 and gave the stock an underperform rating in a research report on Thursday, September 5th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has assigned a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Omnicom Group presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $106.30.

View Our Latest Report on OMC

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Linda Johnson Rice sold 488 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Friday, July 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $90.88, for a total transaction of $44,349.44. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 10,356 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $941,153.28. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. In related news, VP Rochelle M. Tarlowe sold 3,000 shares of Omnicom Group stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $99.17, for a total value of $297,510.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now owns 15,375 shares in the company, valued at $1,524,738.75. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director Linda Johnson Rice sold 488 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, July 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $90.88, for a total transaction of $44,349.44. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 10,356 shares in the company, valued at $941,153.28. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 1.30% of the companys stock.

Omnicom Group Company Profile

(Free Report)

Omnicom Group Inc, together with its subsidiaries, offers advertising, marketing, and corporate communications services. It provides a range of services in the areas of advertising and media, precision marketing, commerce and branding, experiential, execution and support, public relations, and healthcare.

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Global X Southeast Asia ETF (NYSEARCA:ASEA  Get Free Report) shares dropped 0.2% during mid-day trading on Thursday . The stock traded as low as $17.65 and last traded at $17.73. Approximately 387,180 shares were traded during trading, an increase of 1,654% from the average daily volume of 22,080 shares. The stock had previously closed at $17.76.

Global X Southeast Asia ETF Stock Down 0.9 %

The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $16.30 and a 200-day simple moving average of $15.40. The stock has a market cap of $51.66 million, a P/E ratio of 13.58 and a beta of 0.54.

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Institutional Inflows and Outflows

An institutional investor recently raised its position in Global X Southeast Asia ETF stock. Cetera Investment Advisers grew its holdings in Global X Southeast Asia ETF (NYSEARCA:ASEA  Free Report) by 4.8% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 77,151 shares of the companys stock after acquiring an additional 3,565 shares during the quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers owned 2.62% of Global X Southeast Asia ETF worth $1,120,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

About Global X Southeast Asia ETF

The Global X FTSE Southeast Asia ETF (ASEA) is an exchange-traded fund that is based on the FTSE\u002FASEAN 40 INDEX index. The fund tracks a market-cap weighted and -selected index of the 40 largest and most liquid stocks from Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines. ASEA was launched on Feb 17, 2011 and is managed by Global X.

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AQR Capital Management LLC decreased its stake in shares of Edison International (NYSE:EIX  Free Report) by 1.3% in the 2nd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 885,788 shares of the utilities providers stock after selling 11,952 shares during the quarter. AQR Capital Management LLCs holdings in Edison International were worth $63,538,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Equitable Trust Co. increased its stake in Edison International by 0.9% during the 2nd quarter. Equitable Trust Co. now owns 15,424 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $1,108,000 after buying an additional 132 shares during the period. TIAA Trust National Association lifted its stake in shares of Edison International by 2.0% in the second quarter. TIAA Trust National Association now owns 6,723 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $483,000 after acquiring an additional 134 shares in the last quarter. Farmers & Merchants Investments Inc. boosted its holdings in Edison International by 53.8% in the second quarter. Farmers & Merchants Investments Inc. now owns 400 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 140 shares during the last quarter. Asset Dedication LLC grew its stake in Edison International by 37.5% during the 2nd quarter. Asset Dedication LLC now owns 550 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $39,000 after purchasing an additional 150 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Carson Advisory Inc. increased its holdings in Edison International by 0.3% during the 1st quarter. Carson Advisory Inc. now owns 54,625 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $3,864,000 after purchasing an additional 152 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 88.95% of the companys stock.

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Insider Activity at Edison International

In other Edison International news, CEO J Andrew Murphy sold 1,362 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $85.00, for a total transaction of $115,770.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 19,850 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $1,687,250. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. In other Edison International news, VP Natalie K. Schilling sold 2,341 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, July 31st. The stock was sold at an average price of $80.00, for a total value of $187,280.00. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now directly owns 6,338 shares in the company, valued at $507,040. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CEO J Andrew Murphy sold 1,362 shares of Edison International stock in a transaction on Friday, August 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $85.00, for a total value of $115,770.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 19,850 shares in the company, valued at $1,687,250. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 89,099 shares of company stock worth $7,223,342 over the last ninety days. 1.03% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms recently issued reports on EIX. Royal Bank of Canada reaffirmed an outperform rating and issued a $94.00 price target on shares of Edison International in a report on Monday, September 16th. Barclays lifted their price target on Edison International from $80.00 to $91.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a research note on Wednesday, September 4th. Morgan Stanley lifted their target price on Edison International from $68.00 to $72.00 and gave the stock an underweight rating in a research report on Wednesday. UBS Group upped their price target on Edison International from $86.00 to $89.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research report on Wednesday, September 4th. Finally, Evercore ISI lifted their price objective on shares of Edison International from $82.00 to $88.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a report on Wednesday, August 14th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have given a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $86.17.

Read Our Latest Analysis on EIX

Edison International Stock Up 0.6 %

EIX stock opened at $86.80 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $33.52 billion, a PE ratio of 38.07, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.99 and a beta of 0.91. The firms 50-day simple moving average is $83.24 and its 200 day simple moving average is $75.95. Edison International has a fifty-two week low of $58.82 and a fifty-two week high of $88.77. The company has a quick ratio of 0.96, a current ratio of 1.03 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.04.

Edison International (NYSE:EIX  Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 25th. The utilities provider reported $1.23 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.05 by $0.18. Edison International had a return on equity of 13.01% and a net margin of 6.60%. The company had revenue of $4.34 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $4.12 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.01 earnings per share. The businesss revenue for the quarter was up 9.4% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Edison International will post 4.97 EPS for the current year.

Edison International Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 31st. Stockholders of record on Monday, October 7th will be issued a dividend of $0.78 per share. This represents a $3.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.59%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, October 7th. Edison Internationals dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 136.84%.

Edison International Company Profile

(Free Report)

Edison International, through its subsidiaries, engages in the generation and distribution of electric power. The company supplies and delivers electricity to approximately 50,000 square mile area of southern California to residential, commercial, industrial, public authorities, agricultural, and other sectors.

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APG Asset Management N.V. decreased its holdings in Amcor plc (NYSE:AMCR  Free Report) by 1.8% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 3,183,438 shares of the companys stock after selling 56,900 shares during the period. APG Asset Management N.V.s holdings in Amcor were worth $29,050,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Riverview Trust Co purchased a new position in shares of Amcor in the 1st quarter valued at $28,000. Quent Capital LLC increased its holdings in Amcor by 51.8% in the 2nd quarter. Quent Capital LLC now owns 3,638 shares of the companys stock valued at $36,000 after purchasing an additional 1,241 shares in the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC raised its position in Amcor by 132.8% in the first quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 4,416 shares of the companys stock valued at $39,000 after purchasing an additional 2,519 shares during the period. UMB Bank n.a. lifted its stake in shares of Amcor by 38.7% during the second quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 4,656 shares of the companys stock worth $46,000 after purchasing an additional 1,299 shares in the last quarter. Finally, ORG Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Amcor in the second quarter worth about $47,000. 45.14% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Amcor Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:AMCR opened at $11.35 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $16.40 billion, a PE ratio of 25.22, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.73 and a beta of 0.85. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $10.84 and a 200 day simple moving average of $10.08. The company has a current ratio of 1.17, a quick ratio of 0.69 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.67. Amcor plc has a 12-month low of $8.45 and a 12-month high of $11.48.

Amcor Announces Dividend

Amcor ( NYSE:AMCR Get Free Report ) last released its earnings results on Thursday, August 15th. The company reported $0.21 earnings per share for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $0.21. The company had revenue of $3.54 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.30 billion. Amcor had a net margin of 5.35% and a return on equity of 25.45%. The companys revenue was down 3.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $0.19 EPS. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Amcor plc will post 0.75 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, September 26th. Shareholders of record on Friday, September 6th were issued a dividend of $0.125 per share. This represents a $0.50 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.41%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, September 6th. Amcors dividend payout ratio is presently 111.11%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages recently commented on AMCR. Citigroup raised their target price on Amcor from $10.00 to $11.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a report on Tuesday, August 20th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on shares of Amcor from $10.00 to $11.10 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 13th. Robert W. Baird upped their target price on shares of Amcor from $10.00 to $11.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Friday, August 16th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on shares of Amcor from $9.80 to $10.50 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a research note on Friday, August 16th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus assumed coverage on shares of Amcor in a research report on Tuesday, July 9th. They issued a hold rating and a $10.80 price objective for the company. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and one has issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $10.73.

Read Our Latest Research Report on AMCR

Amcor Company Profile

(Free Report)

Amcor plc develops, produces, and sells packaging products in Europe, North America, Latin America, Africa, and the Asia Pacific regions. The company operates through two segments, Flexibles and Rigid Packaging. The Flexibles segment provides flexible and film packaging products in the food and beverage, medical and pharmaceutical, fresh produce, snack food, personal care, and other industries.

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Earnest Partners LLC lifted its holdings in iShares MSCI South Korea ETF (NYSEARCA:EWY  Free Report) by 4.0% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 28,938 shares of the exchange traded funds stock after acquiring an additional 1,116 shares during the period. Earnest Partners LLCs holdings in iShares MSCI South Korea ETF were worth $1,913,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Wakefield Asset Management LLLP increased its holdings in iShares MSCI South Korea ETF by 3.4% in the first quarter. Wakefield Asset Management LLLP now owns 9,428 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $633,000 after purchasing an additional 314 shares in the last quarter. Patten Group Inc. increased its stake in shares of iShares MSCI South Korea ETF by 7.2% in the 2nd quarter. Patten Group Inc. now owns 5,703 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $377,000 after acquiring an additional 382 shares in the last quarter. Founders Capital Management acquired a new position in shares of iShares MSCI South Korea ETF during the 1st quarter valued at $27,000. Headlands Technologies LLC bought a new position in iShares MSCI South Korea ETF during the second quarter worth $29,000. Finally, Boltwood Capital Management grew its holdings in iShares MSCI South Korea ETF by 10.5% in the first quarter. Boltwood Capital Management now owns 5,250 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $352,000 after purchasing an additional 500 shares during the period.

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iShares MSCI South Korea ETF Trading Down 1.1 %

Shares of NYSEARCA EWY opened at $66.34 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $5.27 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.60 and a beta of 1.25. The firms 50-day moving average price is $64.02 and its 200-day moving average price is $64.84. iShares MSCI South Korea ETF has a 1-year low of $54.49 and a 1-year high of $69.51.

iShares MSCI South Korea ETF Company Profile

iShares MSCI South Korea Capped ETF (the Fund) is an exchange-traded fund (ETF). The Fund seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance, before fees and expenses, of the MSCI Korea 25/50 Index (the Index). The Index consists of stocks traded primarily on the Stock Market Division of the Korean Exchange.

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First Trust North American Energy Infrastructure Fund (NYSEARCA:EMLP  Get Free Report)s share price passed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Thursday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $30.85 and traded as high as $33.63. First Trust North American Energy Infrastructure Fund shares last traded at $33.20, with a volume of 106,256 shares trading hands.

First Trust North American Energy Infrastructure Fund Price Performance

The company has a market cap of $2.74 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.22 and a beta of 0.52. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $32.51 and a 200 day moving average price of $30.88.

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Institutional Investors Weigh In On First Trust North American Energy Infrastructure Fund

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Triad Wealth Partners LLC bought a new stake in First Trust North American Energy Infrastructure Fund during the 2nd quarter valued at $60,000. Register Financial Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of First Trust North American Energy Infrastructure Fund in the 1st quarter worth about $107,000. Larson Financial Group LLC lifted its position in First Trust North American Energy Infrastructure Fund by 588.6% in the 2nd quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 3,870 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $118,000 after acquiring an additional 3,308 shares in the last quarter. Saxon Interests Inc. acquired a new position in First Trust North American Energy Infrastructure Fund during the 1st quarter valued at about $207,000. Finally, Unionview LLC acquired a new position in First Trust North American Energy Infrastructure Fund during the 1st quarter valued at about $209,000.

First Trust North American Energy Infrastructure Fund Company Profile

The First Trust North American Energy Infrastructure Fund (EMLP) is an exchange-traded fund that is based on the Alerian MLP index. The fund is an actively managed fund that invests in North American energy infrastructure MLPs and LLCs. EMLP was launched on Jun 21, 2012 and is managed by First Trust.

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Senate Democrats are ramping up pressure against the Supreme Court just weeks before Election Day, introducing a bill that would expand the number of justices from nine to 15 over the course of 12 years.

Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) on Thursday announced his latest legislation, which also seeks to implement stricter requirements on the Supreme Court for rulings that overturn laws and proposes mandatory audits of justices tax returns. Wyden's proposal comes amid other Democratic-led legislative attempts to change the high court, including Vice President Kamala Harris's recent openness to break the filibuster, as the 2024 election draws nearer.

Wydens bill represents one of the most ambitious proposals to date as Democrats fume over the 6-3 Republican-appointed majority on the high court, installed with the help of former President Donald Trump and then-Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY).

The measure aims to restore balance between the three branches of government, Wyden said after announcing the bill. Under the legislation, each president would appoint new justices in their first and third years of office, with the goal of preventing one party from dominating the court by stacking it with their nominees.

But Wydens bill is unlikely to pass in its entirety, as Republicans, who control the House, are largely opposed to efforts to overhaul the court. Even Democrats face an uphill battle, with some party members hesitant to support such sweeping changes.

And other conservatives and court reform skeptics argue the bill represents little more than a politically motivated attempt to pack the court. Carrie Severino, president of the conservative judicial advocacy group JCN, described the proposal as "a blank check for people who want to harass justices" and a continuation of efforts to intimidate the court.

Another potential deterrent for Democrats to support Wyden's bill is how unpopular court packing has become. While a USA Today-Ipsos poll from August found that 75% of people support a binding ethics code for justices, only 40% approved of expanding the court from nine to 15 justices.

Its still very unpopular, and yet it continues to be their go-to. I am floored as to why they would decide this is their closing argument here, as were approaching an election," Severino said.

The bill also includes provisions to make it harder for the court to strike down laws. Wyden proposed requiring a two-thirds vote by the justices or circuit courts to overturn congressional legislation, arguing that narrow majorities have been too quick to curtail established rights.

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The introduction of the bill comes amid a broader Democratic push to reform the Supreme Court. Other recent proposals include implementing 18-year term limits for justices and introducing an enforceable ethics code. These efforts follow a series of Democratic-driven ethics scandals involving justices, including Justice Clarence Thomas, who reportedly failed to disclose luxury travel and gifts funded by billionaire Harlan Crow.

The debate over the Supreme Courts composition also resurfaced during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Tuesday, where lawmakers examined the courts recent decision finding former presidents enjoy some immunity from prosecutions. The Trump v. United States ruling is only one of the latest decisions to become a political flashpoint for Democrats who claim the Supreme Court needs measures to rein it in.

Wydens bill also seeks to address what he described as the politicization of the judicial appointment process. One provision would require the Senate to vote on Supreme Court nominees within 180 days, preventing the type of delay seen in 2016, when McConnell blocked former President Barack Obamas nomination of Merrick Garland.

However, critics such as Severino argue that these changes, such as requiring the IRS to audit the justices' tax returns each year, would only exacerbate political tensions surrounding the court.

This is just an attempt to amplify the intimidation campaign against the court, she said. If you knew you could file frivolous motions to waste justices time, guess how many more would be filed?

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

While Wyden hopes that elements of the bill can gain traction, the likelihood of its full passage remains slim, with both parties sharply divided in the debate over the courts future.

The senator's effort marks yet more evidence of how far Democrats are wiling to go to offset the Republican-leaning court under Chief Justice John Roberts, as Harris has said her willingness to skirt the filibuster would be for the purpose of restoring the Democratic-backed precedent of Roe v. Wade, which was overturned by the current high court in 2022.
Phoenix New Media Limited (NYSE:FENG  Get Free Report)s stock price passed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Thursday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $2.57 and traded as high as $3.18. Phoenix New Media shares last traded at $2.88, with a volume of 39,082 shares traded.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, StockNews.com started coverage on Phoenix New Media in a research report on Friday. They set a hold rating on the stock.

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Check Out Our Latest Analysis on FENG

Phoenix New Media Price Performance

The firms 50 day moving average price is $3.13 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $2.58. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.02, a current ratio of 2.86 and a quick ratio of 2.86. The stock has a market cap of $36.39 million, a PE ratio of -3.72 and a beta of 0.75.

Phoenix New Media (NYSE:FENG  Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 13th. The information services provider reported ($0.06) earnings per share for the quarter. Phoenix New Media had a negative net margin of 6.60% and a negative return on equity of 3.95%. The business had revenue of $23.16 million during the quarter.

About Phoenix New Media

(Get Free Report)

Phoenix New Media Limited provides content on an integrated Internet platform in the People's Republic of China. The company operates through two segments, Net Advertising Services and Paid Services. It offers content and services through PC channel, mobile channel, and telecom operators, as well as transmits content to TV viewers, primarily through Phoenix TV.

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Maverick Capital Ltd. grew its stake in DXC Technology (NYSE:DXC  Free Report) by 414.4% during the 2nd quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 62,317 shares of the companys stock after acquiring an additional 50,203 shares during the period. Maverick Capital Ltd.s holdings in DXC Technology were worth $1,190,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Fifth Third Bancorp raised its holdings in DXC Technology by 40.1% in the 2nd quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 1,954 shares of the companys stock valued at $37,000 after acquiring an additional 559 shares during the period. Mather Group LLC. increased its stake in shares of DXC Technology by 55.0% during the second quarter. Mather Group LLC. now owns 1,637 shares of the companys stock worth $35,000 after purchasing an additional 581 shares during the period. United Services Automobile Association lifted its holdings in DXC Technology by 5.0% during the 2nd quarter. United Services Automobile Association now owns 14,333 shares of the companys stock worth $274,000 after purchasing an additional 679 shares during the last quarter. Covestor Ltd boosted its stake in DXC Technology by 2.5% in the 1st quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 33,110 shares of the companys stock valued at $702,000 after purchasing an additional 820 shares during the period. Finally, SummerHaven Investment Management LLC grew its holdings in DXC Technology by 3.9% in the 2nd quarter. SummerHaven Investment Management LLC now owns 26,573 shares of the companys stock valued at $507,000 after buying an additional 995 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.20% of the companys stock.

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Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, EVP Mary E. Finch sold 31,047 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $19.36, for a total value of $601,069.92. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 325,665 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,304,874.40. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. In other DXC Technology news, EVP Mary E. Finch sold 31,047 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $19.36, for a total value of $601,069.92. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 325,665 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $6,304,874.40. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, SVP Christopher Anthony Voci sold 2,500 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, September 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $21.37, for a total value of $53,425.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 83,746 shares of the companys stock, valued at $1,789,652.02. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 0.54% of the companys stock.

DXC Technology Stock Performance

NYSE DXC opened at $20.72 on Friday. The firms 50 day simple moving average is $20.15 and its 200 day simple moving average is $19.45. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.74 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 56.00, a P/E/G ratio of 1.83 and a beta of 1.67. The company has a current ratio of 1.21, a quick ratio of 1.21 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.21. DXC Technology has a 1 year low of $14.78 and a 1 year high of $25.14.

DXC Technology (NYSE:DXC  Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 8th. The company reported $0.74 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.57 by $0.17. DXC Technology had a return on equity of 19.20% and a net margin of 0.60%. The company had revenue of $3.24 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.14 billion. As a group, research analysts expect that DXC Technology will post 2.89 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have recently weighed in on DXC. BMO Capital Markets lifted their target price on DXC Technology from $17.50 to $22.00 and gave the stock a market perform rating in a report on Friday, August 9th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on shares of DXC Technology from $19.00 to $22.00 and gave the company an underweight rating in a report on Friday, September 6th. Susquehanna increased their target price on shares of DXC Technology from $15.00 to $19.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 12th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada lifted their price target on shares of DXC Technology from $18.00 to $20.00 and gave the company a sector perform rating in a research report on Friday, August 9th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and seven have assigned a hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, DXC Technology has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $20.30.

Read Our Latest Analysis on DXC

DXC Technology Profile

(Free Report)

DXC Technology Company, together with its subsidiaries, provides information technology services and solutions in the United States, the United Kingdom, rest of Europe, Australia, and internationally. It operates in two segments, Global Business Services (GBS) and Global Infrastructure Services (GIS).

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Maverick Capital Ltd. grew its position in Webster Financial Co. (NYSE:WBS  Free Report) by 327.4% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 27,060 shares of the financial services providers stock after acquiring an additional 20,728 shares during the quarter. Maverick Capital Ltd.s holdings in Webster Financial were worth $1,180,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Earnest Partners LLC raised its position in Webster Financial by 0.4% in the 2nd quarter. Earnest Partners LLC now owns 3,086,111 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $134,524,000 after purchasing an additional 13,487 shares during the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC increased its stake in Webster Financial by 8.0% in the second quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 250,025 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $10,564,000 after purchasing an additional 18,627 shares during the period. Point72 Asia Singapore Pte. Ltd. purchased a new stake in shares of Webster Financial in the second quarter valued at about $319,000. Point72 Hong Kong Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of Webster Financial in the second quarter valued at about $69,000. Finally, Point72 Asset Management L.P. boosted its stake in shares of Webster Financial by 64.9% during the second quarter. Point72 Asset Management L.P. now owns 1,604,198 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $69,927,000 after buying an additional 631,080 shares during the period. 85.58% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, insider Charles L. Wilkins sold 5,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Friday, July 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $49.07, for a total value of $245,350.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 45,157 shares in the company, valued at $2,215,853.99. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this link. In related news, insider Charles L. Wilkins sold 5,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Friday, July 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $49.07, for a total value of $245,350.00. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 45,157 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,215,853.99. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, CEO John R. Ciulla sold 8,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Monday, July 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $48.04, for a total transaction of $384,320.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 237,049 shares of the companys stock, valued at $11,387,833.96. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 14,650 shares of company stock worth $706,098. 0.88% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Webster Financial Stock Performance

Shares of WBS opened at $46.39 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.85, a current ratio of 0.85 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.44. Webster Financial Co. has a 52-week low of $36.36 and a 52-week high of $53.39. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $45.90 and a 200-day simple moving average of $45.58. The company has a market capitalization of $7.96 billion, a PE ratio of 9.51, a P/E/G ratio of 0.69 and a beta of 1.28.

Webster Financial (NYSE:WBS  Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, July 23rd. The financial services provider reported $1.26 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $1.34 by ($0.08). Webster Financial had a net margin of 19.81% and a return on equity of 11.81%. The company had revenue of $1.02 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $671.91 million. During the same period last year, the business posted $1.50 earnings per share. Equities research analysts predict that Webster Financial Co. will post 5.27 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Webster Financial Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, August 8th. Investors of record on Monday, July 29th were issued a dividend of $0.40 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, July 29th. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.45%. Webster Financials dividend payout ratio is presently 32.79%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have commented on WBS shares. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reduced their price objective on Webster Financial from $58.00 to $55.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, July 9th. Royal Bank of Canada cut their price target on Webster Financial from $54.00 to $51.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, July 24th. Jefferies Financial Group lowered their price objective on shares of Webster Financial from $56.00 to $51.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, July 3rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price objective on shares of Webster Financial from $63.00 to $58.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, June 27th. Finally, Barclays lowered their target price on shares of Webster Financial from $65.00 to $60.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a report on Monday, June 24th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $55.36.

Check Out Our Latest Analysis on WBS

About Webster Financial

(Free Report)

Webster Financial Corporation operates as the bank holding company for Webster Bank, National Association that provides a range of financial products and services to individuals, families, and businesses in the United States. It operates through three segments: Commercial Banking, HSA Bank, and Consumer Banking.

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Maverick Capital Ltd. boosted its position in shares of Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Limited (NYSE:TEVA  Free Report) by 13.8% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 65,483 shares of the companys stock after purchasing an additional 7,938 shares during the period. Maverick Capital Ltd.s holdings in Teva Pharmaceutical Industries were worth $1,064,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. New Covenant Trust Company N.A. acquired a new position in Teva Pharmaceutical Industries in the first quarter worth approximately $28,000. EntryPoint Capital LLC bought a new position in shares of Teva Pharmaceutical Industries during the 1st quarter valued at $30,000. Beach Investment Counsel Inc. PA acquired a new stake in shares of Teva Pharmaceutical Industries in the 2nd quarter valued at $48,000. Byrne Asset Management LLC bought a new stake in Teva Pharmaceutical Industries in the second quarter worth $52,000. Finally, Industrial Alliance Investment Management Inc. acquired a new position in Teva Pharmaceutical Industries during the first quarter worth $54,000. 54.05% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

TEVA has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. UBS Group boosted their price target on Teva Pharmaceutical Industries from $24.00 to $26.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Tuesday, September 3rd. Barclays upped their target price on Teva Pharmaceutical Industries from $21.00 to $22.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research report on Thursday, August 1st. StockNews.com lowered shares of Teva Pharmaceutical Industries from a strong-buy rating to a buy rating in a research report on Monday, September 23rd. Jefferies Financial Group raised their target price on shares of Teva Pharmaceutical Industries from $19.00 to $23.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Thursday, June 27th. Finally, Argus upgraded shares of Teva Pharmaceutical Industries from a hold rating to a buy rating and set a $20.00 price target for the company in a report on Wednesday, July 10th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $18.89.

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Stock Down 1.6 %

NYSE TEVA opened at $17.46 on Friday. Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Limited has a twelve month low of $8.06 and a twelve month high of $19.08. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.52, a quick ratio of 0.59 and a current ratio of 0.89. The stock has a market cap of $19.78 billion, a PE ratio of -42.59, a PEG ratio of 1.23 and a beta of 0.88. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $17.75 and a 200 day simple moving average of $16.18.

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries (NYSE:TEVA  Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 31st. The company reported $0.58 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.55 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $4.16 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $3.99 billion. Teva Pharmaceutical Industries had a negative net margin of 2.73% and a positive return on equity of 39.66%. On average, research analysts forecast that Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Limited will post 2.33 EPS for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, insider Eric A. Hughes sold 24,537 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $17.25, for a total value of $423,263.25. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 45,060 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $777,285. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Corporate insiders own 0.55% of the companys stock.

About Teva Pharmaceutical Industries

(Free Report)

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Limited develops, manufactures, markets, and distributes generic medicines, specialty medicines, and biopharmaceutical products in North America, Europe, Israel, and internationally. It offers generic medicines in various dosage forms, such as tablets, capsules, injectables, inhalants, liquids, transdermal patches, ointments, and creams; sterile products, hormones, high-potency drugs, and cytotoxic substances in parenteral and solid dosage forms; and generic products with medical devices and combination products.

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Seabridge Gold Inc. (TSE:SEA  Get Free Report) (NYSE:SA) crossed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Thursday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of C$21.04 and traded as high as C$24.05. Seabridge Gold shares last traded at C$23.91, with a volume of 367,566 shares traded.

Seabridge Gold Trading Down 2.6 %

The businesss 50-day moving average price is C$22.80 and its two-hundred day moving average price is C$21.10. The company has a market capitalization of C$2.08 billion, a P/E ratio of 258.67 and a beta of 1.11. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 57.06, a current ratio of 2.11 and a quick ratio of 3.34.

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Seabridge Gold (TSE:SEA  Get Free Report) (NYSE:SA) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August 13th. The company reported C$0.51 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of C$0.04 by C$0.47. As a group, analysts forecast that Seabridge Gold Inc. will post -0.31 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Seabridge Gold

About Seabridge Gold

In other news, Senior Officer Christopher Justin Reynolds sold 2,123 shares of Seabridge Gold stock in a transaction on Monday, July 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of C$23.06, for a total transaction of C$48,956.38. In related news, Senior Officer Christopher Justin Reynolds sold 2,123 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Monday, July 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of C$23.06, for a total value of C$48,956.38. Also, Senior Officer Julie Rachynski sold 1,396 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of C$21.45, for a total transaction of C$29,944.20. Insiders have sold a total of 3,819 shares of company stock valued at $86,386 over the last three months. 2.78% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

(Get Free Report)

Seabridge Gold Inc, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the acquisition and exploration of gold properties in North America. The company also explores for gold, copper, silver, and molybdenum deposits. Its principal projects are the Kerr-Sulphurets-Mitchell property and Iskut project located in British Columbia, Canada; Courageous Lake property situated in Northwest Territories, Canada; Snowstorm project situated in the Nevada; and 3 Aces project located in the Yukon Territory.

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Breedon Group plc (LON:BREE  Get Free Report) crossed above its two hundred day moving average during trading on Thursday . The stock has a two hundred day moving average of GBX 394.47 ($5.28) and traded as high as GBX 430 ($5.76). Breedon Group shares last traded at GBX 423 ($5.66), with a volume of 306,570 shares trading hands.

Breedon Group Price Performance

The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of GBX 413.16 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of GBX 394.89. The firm has a market cap of 1.47 billion, a PE ratio of 1,532.14, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.56 and a beta of 1.29. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 44.85, a quick ratio of 1.12 and a current ratio of 1.44.

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Breedon Group Cuts Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 1st. Shareholders of record on Thursday, September 26th will be paid a dividend of GBX 4.50 ($0.06) per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, September 26th. This represents a dividend yield of 1.1%. Breedon Groups payout ratio is currently 5,000.00%.

About Breedon Group

Breedon Group plc, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the quarrying, manufacture, and sale of construction materials and building products primarily in the United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, and internationally. It offers various aggregates, such as crushed rock, high polished stone value, sand and gravel, self-binding gravels, decorative aggregates, recycled aggregates, white limestone products, agricultural lime, granular mineral fillers, and welsh slates for use in the construction market.

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Rogers Communications Inc. (TSE:RCI.B  Get Free Report) (NYSE:RCI)s share price crossed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Thursday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of C$53.69 and traded as high as C$54.50. Rogers Communications shares last traded at C$54.00, with a volume of 1,194,645 shares traded.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

RCI.B has been the topic of several analyst reports. Royal Bank of Canada boosted their price target on shares of Rogers Communications from C$65.00 to C$66.00 in a report on Thursday, September 19th. TD Securities lowered their price objective on shares of Rogers Communications from C$74.00 to C$70.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, July 22nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price objective on shares of Rogers Communications from C$80.00 to C$69.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, July 10th. Canaccord Genuity Group lowered shares of Rogers Communications from a buy rating to a hold rating and lowered their price objective for the stock from C$59.00 to C$57.00 in a research report on Thursday, July 25th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets lifted their price objective on shares of Rogers Communications from C$67.00 to C$70.00 in a research report on Thursday, September 19th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Rogers Communications currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of C$69.63.

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View Our Latest Stock Report on RCI.B

Rogers Communications Price Performance

Rogers Communications Announces Dividend

The company has a market cap of C$22.95 billion, a PE ratio of 33.13, a PEG ratio of 0.92 and a beta of 0.62. The stocks 50 day moving average price is C$54.12 and its 200-day moving average price is C$53.61. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 436.50, a quick ratio of 0.58 and a current ratio of 0.65.

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 3rd. Stockholders of record on Thursday, October 3rd will be paid a $0.50 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, September 9th. This represents a $2.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of ?. Rogers Communicationss dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 122.70%.

Rogers Communications Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Rogers Communications Inc operates as a communications and media company in Canada. It operates through three segments: Wireless, Cable, and Media. The Wireless segment offers wireless voice and data communication services to individual consumers, businesses, governments, and other telecommunications service providers; postpaid and prepaid wireless services under the Rogers, Fido, and chatr brands; and wireless devices, services, and applications to consumers and businesses.

Further Reading

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Earnest Partners LLC cut its holdings in EOG Resources, Inc. (NYSE:EOG  Free Report) by 4.9% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 1,612 shares of the energy exploration companys stock after selling 83 shares during the period. Earnest Partners LLCs holdings in EOG Resources were worth $203,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of EOG. Riverview Trust Co bought a new position in shares of EOG Resources during the second quarter worth approximately $27,000. MFA Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in EOG Resources during the second quarter worth approximately $28,000. Gladius Capital Management LP bought a new position in EOG Resources during the 2nd quarter worth $30,000. Triad Wealth Partners LLC acquired a new position in EOG Resources in the 2nd quarter valued at $35,000. Finally, Norwood Financial Corp bought a new stake in shares of EOG Resources during the 1st quarter valued at $37,000. 89.91% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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Insider Transactions at EOG Resources

In related news, EVP Michael P. Donaldson sold 11,037 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $129.50, for a total transaction of $1,429,291.50. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 74,250 shares in the company, valued at approximately $9,615,375. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In other EOG Resources news, COO Jeffrey R. Leitzell sold 4,000 shares of EOG Resources stock in a transaction on Friday, August 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $126.48, for a total value of $505,920.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer now directly owns 35,058 shares of the companys stock, valued at $4,434,135.84. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP Michael P. Donaldson sold 11,037 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $129.50, for a total transaction of $1,429,291.50. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 74,250 shares in the company, valued at approximately $9,615,375. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 21,537 shares of company stock valued at $2,751,612. Corporate insiders own 0.30% of the companys stock.

EOG Resources Trading Up 1.7 %

NYSE EOG opened at $122.43 on Friday. EOG Resources, Inc. has a 12 month low of $108.94 and a 12 month high of $139.67. The company has a current ratio of 2.12, a quick ratio of 1.89 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11. The firm has a market capitalization of $70.36 billion, a PE ratio of 9.67, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.27 and a beta of 1.28. The businesss 50-day moving average price is $124.94 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $126.72.

EOG Resources (NYSE:EOG  Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, August 1st. The energy exploration company reported $3.16 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $2.98 by $0.18. EOG Resources had a net margin of 30.33% and a return on equity of 25.42%. The business had revenue of $6.03 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.07 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $2.49 EPS. The companys revenue for the quarter was up 8.1% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts expect that EOG Resources, Inc. will post 11.91 EPS for the current year.

EOG Resources Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 31st. Shareholders of record on Thursday, October 17th will be issued a dividend of $0.91 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, October 17th. This represents a $3.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.97%. EOG Resourcess payout ratio is currently 28.75%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts recently commented on the company. Piper Sandler dropped their price target on EOG Resources from $154.00 to $147.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, August 15th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on shares of EOG Resources from $143.00 to $135.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a report on Thursday, September 12th. StockNews.com cut shares of EOG Resources from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Monday, September 16th. Scotiabank decreased their price objective on shares of EOG Resources from $155.00 to $150.00 and set a sector perform rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, July 12th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada restated a sector perform rating and set a $147.00 target price on shares of EOG Resources in a research note on Wednesday, July 10th. Fourteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $142.89.

View Our Latest Stock Report on EOG

About EOG Resources

(Free Report)

EOG Resources, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, explores for, develops, produces, and markets crude oil, natural gas liquids, and natural gas primarily in producing basins in the United States, the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago and internationally. The company was formerly known as Enron Oil & Gas Company.

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Daymark Wealth Partners LLC lessened its holdings in shares of Otis Worldwide Co. (NYSE:OTIS  Free Report) by 2.5% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 7,435 shares of the companys stock after selling 193 shares during the period. Daymark Wealth Partners LLCs holdings in Otis Worldwide were worth $716,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the business. Meeder Asset Management Inc. lifted its stake in Otis Worldwide by 264.9% in the second quarter. Meeder Asset Management Inc. now owns 270 shares of the companys stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 196 shares in the last quarter. Jamison Private Wealth Management Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Otis Worldwide by 5,720.0% during the second quarter. Jamison Private Wealth Management Inc. now owns 291 shares of the companys stock worth $28,000 after acquiring an additional 286 shares during the period. Cranbrook Wealth Management LLC lifted its position in Otis Worldwide by 675.7% in the 2nd quarter. Cranbrook Wealth Management LLC now owns 287 shares of the companys stock valued at $28,000 after acquiring an additional 250 shares in the last quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. bought a new stake in Otis Worldwide in the 2nd quarter valued at $29,000. Finally, LifeSteps Financial Inc. acquired a new position in Otis Worldwide in the 1st quarter worth $31,000. 88.03% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Otis Worldwide Trading Up 1.0 %

NYSE OTIS opened at $104.44 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $42.23 billion, a P/E ratio of 30.18 and a beta of 1.03. The firms fifty day moving average price is $94.39 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $96.08. Otis Worldwide Co. has a 1 year low of $73.32 and a 1 year high of $105.24.

Otis Worldwide Dividend Announcement

Otis Worldwide ( NYSE:OTIS Get Free Report ) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, July 24th. The company reported $1.06 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.03 by $0.03. Otis Worldwide had a net margin of 10.35% and a negative return on equity of 31.65%. The company had revenue of $3.60 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $3.74 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.92 EPS. Otis Worldwides quarterly revenue was down 3.2% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts anticipate that Otis Worldwide Co. will post 3.88 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, September 6th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 16th were paid a dividend of $0.39 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, August 16th. This represents a $1.56 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.49%. Otis Worldwides dividend payout ratio is currently 45.09%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts recently issued reports on the company. Royal Bank of Canada reiterated an outperform rating and set a $110.00 price objective on shares of Otis Worldwide in a report on Thursday, September 19th. Morgan Stanley began coverage on shares of Otis Worldwide in a report on Friday, September 6th. They set an equal weight rating and a $97.00 target price for the company. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company cut their price target on shares of Otis Worldwide from $100.00 to $95.00 and set an equal weight rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, July 25th. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Otis Worldwide has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $100.00.

Read Our Latest Report on Otis Worldwide

About Otis Worldwide

(Free Report)

Otis Worldwide Corporation engages in manufacturing, installation, and servicing of elevators and escalators in the United States, China, and internationally. The company operates in two segments, New Equipment and Service. The New Equipment segment designs, manufactures, sells, and installs a range of passenger and freight elevators, as well as escalators and moving walkways for residential and commercial buildings, and infrastructure projects.

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Mackenzie Financial Corp grew its holdings in Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. (NYSE:BR  Free Report) by 0.5% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 383,765 shares of the business services providers stock after buying an additional 1,997 shares during the quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corps holdings in Broadridge Financial Solutions were worth $75,602,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the business. LifeSteps Financial Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Broadridge Financial Solutions in the first quarter valued at about $32,000. EdgeRock Capital LLC purchased a new position in Broadridge Financial Solutions in the second quarter valued at about $32,000. Rothschild Investment LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Broadridge Financial Solutions during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $32,000. New Covenant Trust Company N.A. purchased a new stake in shares of Broadridge Financial Solutions during the 1st quarter worth approximately $34,000. Finally, Family Firm Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Broadridge Financial Solutions in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $37,000. 90.03% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Broadridge Financial Solutions Stock Performance

NYSE:BR opened at $212.00 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.55, a current ratio of 1.08 and a quick ratio of 1.08. The firm has a market cap of $25.05 billion, a PE ratio of 36.18 and a beta of 1.05. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $210.87 and a 200-day simple moving average of $203.61. Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. has a 1-year low of $166.73 and a 1-year high of $223.81.

Broadridge Financial Solutions Increases Dividend

Broadridge Financial Solutions ( NYSE:BR Get Free Report ) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August 6th. The business services provider reported $3.50 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.49 by $0.01. Broadridge Financial Solutions had a return on equity of 42.77% and a net margin of 10.73%. The company had revenue of $1.94 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.96 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $3.21 EPS. Broadridge Financial Solutionss revenue was up 5.7% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts expect that Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. will post 8.51 EPS for the current year.

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 3rd. Shareholders of record on Thursday, September 12th will be issued a $0.88 dividend. This is a boost from Broadridge Financial Solutionss previous quarterly dividend of $0.80. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, September 12th. This represents a $3.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.66%. Broadridge Financial Solutionss payout ratio is 60.07%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have commented on BR. StockNews.com upgraded Broadridge Financial Solutions from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report on Tuesday, September 10th. DA Davidson reiterated a neutral rating and issued a $185.00 price objective on shares of Broadridge Financial Solutions in a research report on Tuesday, June 11th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on shares of Broadridge Financial Solutions from $224.00 to $225.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a report on Tuesday, August 20th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada upped their price target on shares of Broadridge Financial Solutions from $239.00 to $246.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Wednesday, August 7th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $213.33.

Check Out Our Latest Stock Report on BR

Insider Activity

In related news, VP Laura Matlin sold 673 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $216.00, for a total value of $145,368.00. Following the sale, the vice president now directly owns 5,530 shares of the companys stock, valued at $1,194,480. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. In other news, President Christopher John Perry sold 17,534 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $213.41, for a total transaction of $3,741,930.94. Following the completion of the sale, the president now owns 50,237 shares in the company, valued at approximately $10,721,078.17. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, VP Laura Matlin sold 673 shares of Broadridge Financial Solutions stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $216.00, for a total transaction of $145,368.00. Following the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 5,530 shares in the company, valued at $1,194,480. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 134,386 shares of company stock valued at $28,112,824 in the last 90 days. 1.60% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

About Broadridge Financial Solutions

(Free Report)

Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc provides investor communications and technology-driven solutions for the financial services industry. The company's Investor Communication Solutions segment processes and distributes proxy materials to investors in equity securities and mutual funds, as well as facilitates related vote processing services; and distributes regulatory reports, class action, and corporate action/reorganization event information, as well as tax reporting solutions.

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 Flash

At least 8 people were killed and 95 others injured in an attack by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on Friday in El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur State in western Sudan, a local official stated.

"The RSF shelling targeted the Souq Al-Mawashi (livestock) market, south of El Fasher, which was crowded with civilians," Ibrahim Khatir, director-general of North Darfur State's health ministry, told Xinhua.

The RSF has not yet commented on the attack.

Since May 10, fierce clashes have raged in El Fasher between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the RSF.

According to UN estimates, El Fasher is home to about 1.5 million people, 800,000 of whom are internally displaced persons.

Since April 15, 2023, Sudan has been embroiled in a violent conflict between the SAF and the RSF. The conflict has resulted in approximately 20,000 deaths, thousands of injuries, and the displacement of millions of people, according to the most recent estimates by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
DOUGLAS, Arizona  In her most forthcoming comments to date on immigration, Vice President Kamala Harris vowed to increase security at the U.S.-Mexico border and prevent illegal border crossings, promising to go further than President Joe Biden's recent successful actions to stem the flow.

The Democratic presidential nominee charmed the several hundred supporters on-site at Cochise College in southeastern Arizona with a major speech that provided the most significant indication of how she would handle immigration and border policy if elected in November.

"I will do more to secure our border, to reduce illegal border crossings. I will take further action to keep the border closed between ports of entry," said Harris. "Those who cross our borders unlawfully will be apprehended and removed and barred from reentry for five years."

Harris faces a huge challenge overcoming her association with the worst-ever illegal immigration crisis the country has seen during the Biden-Harris administration's first three years, particularly given immigration's status as one of the top issues voters care about nationwide.

The Harris plan

Harris's stance on some of the more recent policies that Biden has implemented, which has led to a massive drop in illegal border crossings this year, has remained a mystery in the month since she accepted her party's nomination in August.

On Friday evening, she revealed she would keep the border restrictions in place and go further, even making punishments more severe for repeat illegal border crossers.

"If someone does not make an asylum request at a legal point of entry and instead crosses our border unlawfully, they will be barred from receiving asylum," said Harris.

Harris vowed to go further on Biden's June asylum restriction rule. The Biden executive order would not only remain in effect unless the weekly average of migrant arrests went below 1,500 per day for three weeks and the average stays under 2,500  a senior campaign official said ahead of the speech that she will drop it even lower.

The Senate border bill revived

Harris said she would revive a bipartisan Senate border bill that failed to pass Congress last winter after former President Donald Trump directed Republicans not to approve it.

"Even though Donald Trump tried to sabotage the border security bill, it is my pledge to you that as president of the United States, I will bring it back up and proudly sign it into law," Harris said Friday evening.

But Sen. James Lankford (R-OK) preemptively issued a statement Friday morning that called out Harris should she make such a claim.

"Frankly, she was not a part of it, even though that she said publicly that she and Joe reached out to conservative Republicans to work on this bill, she never actually reached out," said Lankford, top Republican on the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Subcommittee on Government Operations and Border Management. "She was never a part of the negotiations, nor were any of her staff ever a part of those negotiations around the bill."

The Senate border bill included funding for better technology at ports of entry to screen for fentanyl in vehicles, as well as hiring more than 1,500 federal police stationed at the border.

James Massa, CEO of NumbersUSA, said boosting staffing levels was not the solution because it would only allow federal police to more quickly process, and potentially release into the country, illegal immigrants  not deter illegal immigration in the first place.

"Harris plan will call for more resources for the border, which many believe would be used to facilitate the entry of a minimum of 500,000 illegal immigrants every year, not to secure the border from fentanyl trafficking," Massa said in a statement.

Fentanyl flooding America

Harris arrived in Tucson early Friday afternoon and flew down to the border in an Osprey. She toured the port of entry, where vehicles are inspected entering the country from Mexico. Harris skipped over the nearby Nogales port of entry, which saw more fentanyl seized in 2023 than any of the 327 ports of entry nationwide.

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Fentanyl entering the United States comes from China, then is made into the final product by criminal groups in Mexico, who move it into the U.S. and distribute it, Harris told the crowd.

"Our administration demanded that China crack down on the companies that make those chemicals," said Harris. "But they need to do more. And as president, I will hold them to their commitment to significantly reduce the flow of precursor chemicals coming from China."

Anne Fundner, a mother who lost her 15-year-old son, Westin, to fentanyl poisoning and spoke with reporters before the speech, said her son's death "lies squarely on Kamala Harris' shoulders."

"As the border czar ... her reckless, do-nothing approach directly resulted in the death of my son and countless other Americans as illicit fentanyl has flooded over our open borders," Fundner said in a Trump campaign call with reporters ahead of the Harris event in Douglas.

"She is late coming to the table on this. At any point, she could do something. She could reinstate 'Remain in Mexico.' She can end catch and release," said Fundner. "But she doesnt."

Harris tours border for first time in more than three years

Before she took the stage at Cochise College, Harris spent several hours on the ground in Douglas meeting with U.S. Customs and Border Protection senior officials, where she learned about fentanyl entering the country through the vehicle lanes at ports of entry and human smuggling that happens between the ports. It was her first visit to the border in more than three years.

Harris was escorted by two Tucson Border Patrol agents along a portion of border wall that was installed between 2011 and 2012 during the Obama administration. The wall was not as tall as the 18- to 30-foot portions approved by Congress during the Trump administration

Theyve got a tough job and they need, rightly, support to do their job. They are very dedicated. And so I'm here to talk with them about what we can continue to do to support them. And also thank them for the hard work they do," Harris told reporters who traveled with her on the border.

Harris did not disclose the details of her conversations with federal police at the border, but reiterated during her remarks later that employees needed more technology, personnel, and resources.

Why immigration matters as an issue

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump has, for weeks, been losing his edge on immigration to Harris since her nomination and simultaneous shift toward the middle on the issue.

Polling conducted since Harris replaced Biden a month ago revealed that the candidate whom Republicans have decried as an ineffective border czar has the backing of a growing share of voters on an issue that Trump has been most vocal on since 2015.

But her plan may be hard for voters to accept given that she presided over the worst illegal immigration crisis in American history, with more than 10 million migrants encountered at the border and another 2 million known "gotaways," individuals who made it in without getting arrested.

House Homeland Security Chairman Mark Green (R-TN) blanched the border visit as a "little more than the arsonist returning to the scene of the fire."

Harris's sudden passion for the issue comes despite not visiting Arizona ever as vice president and not stepping foot on the border since June 2021, more than 1,000 days, despite being put in charge by Biden of stopping illegal immigration causes that prompt Central Americans to flee north.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

Harris has fought to change her image as a progressive lawmaker to a more centrist Democrat after a 2019 American Civil Liberties Union questionnaire resurfaced, exposing her far-left views on immigrant detention and transgender surgeries despite her recent pivot toward the center after announcing her presidential campaign.

"I will reach across the aisle, and I will embrace common sense approaches and new technologies to get the job done," said Harris.
Rayonier (NYSE:RYN  Get Free Report) and Ashford Hospitality Trust (NYSE:AHT  Get Free Report) are both construction companies, but which is the superior investment? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their profitability, earnings, risk, institutional ownership, valuation, analyst recommendations and dividends.

Analyst Ratings

This is a breakdown of recent recommendations and price targets for Rayonier and Ashford Hospitality Trust, as reported by MarketBeat.

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Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Rayonier 0 2 0 0 2.00 Ashford Hospitality Trust 0 1 0 0 2.00

Rayonier presently has a consensus target price of $32.50, suggesting a potential upside of 1.09%. Ashford Hospitality Trust has a consensus target price of $2.50, suggesting a potential upside of 233.33%. Given Ashford Hospitality Trusts higher probable upside, analysts plainly believe Ashford Hospitality Trust is more favorable than Rayonier.

Dividends

Earnings and Valuation

Rayonier pays an annual dividend of $1.14 per share and has a dividend yield of 3.5%. Ashford Hospitality Trust pays an annual dividend of $0.24 per share and has a dividend yield of 32.0%. Rayonier pays out 101.8% of its earnings in the form of a dividend, suggesting it may not have sufficient earnings to cover its dividend payment in the future. Ashford Hospitality Trust pays out -7.6% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Ashford Hospitality Trust is clearly the better dividend stock, given its higher yield and lower payout ratio.

This table compares Rayonier and Ashford Hospitality Trusts top-line revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Rayonier $1.06 billion 4.53 $173.49 million $1.12 28.71 Ashford Hospitality Trust $1.28 billion 0.02 -$178.49 million ($3.17) -0.24

Rayonier has higher earnings, but lower revenue than Ashford Hospitality Trust. Ashford Hospitality Trust is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Rayonier, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Volatility and Risk

Rayonier has a beta of 1.04, indicating that its share price is 4% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Ashford Hospitality Trust has a beta of 2.35, indicating that its share price is 135% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Insider & Institutional Ownership

89.1% of Rayonier shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 41.0% of Ashford Hospitality Trust shares are owned by institutional investors. 0.8% of Rayonier shares are owned by company insiders. Comparatively, 1.2% of Ashford Hospitality Trust shares are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, hedge funds and endowments believe a company is poised for long-term growth.

Profitability

This table compares Rayonier and Ashford Hospitality Trusts net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Rayonier 14.78% 3.00% 1.53% Ashford Hospitality Trust 2.25% -10.52% 0.82%

Summary

Rayonier beats Ashford Hospitality Trust on 8 of the 14 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Rayonier

(Get Free Report)

Rayonier is a leading timberland real estate investment trust with assets located in some of the most productive softwood timber growing regions in the United States and New Zealand. As of December 31, 2023, Rayonier owned or leased under long-term agreements approximately 2.7 million acres of timberlands located in the U.S. South (1.85 million acres), U.S. Pacific Northwest (418,000 acres) and New Zealand (421,000 acres).

About Ashford Hospitality Trust

(Get Free Report)

Ashford Hospitality Trust is a real estate investment trust (REIT) focused on investing predominantly in upper upscale, full-service hotels.

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Lighthouse Investment Partners LLC purchased a new position in shares of Rio Tinto Group (NYSE:RIO  Free Report) in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor purchased 72,957 shares of the mining companys stock, valued at approximately $4,810,000.

Several other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in RIO. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in Rio Tinto Group during the second quarter worth about $26,000. Northwest Investment Counselors LLC acquired a new position in Rio Tinto Group during the first quarter worth about $26,000. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. grew its position in Rio Tinto Group by 55.4% during the first quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 415 shares of the mining companys stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 148 shares during the period. YHB Investment Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in Rio Tinto Group during the first quarter worth about $29,000. Finally, LifeSteps Financial Inc. acquired a new position in Rio Tinto Group during the first quarter worth about $33,000. 19.33% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Rio Tinto Group Stock Performance

Shares of RIO opened at $71.20 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.23, a current ratio of 1.70 and a quick ratio of 1.16. The companys 50 day simple moving average is $63.38 and its 200 day simple moving average is $65.83. Rio Tinto Group has a 1 year low of $59.35 and a 1 year high of $75.09.

Rio Tinto Group Cuts Dividend

Analyst Ratings Changes

The company also recently disclosed a semi-annual dividend, which was paid on Thursday, September 26th. Investors of record on Friday, August 16th were paid a dividend of $1.77 per share. This represents a dividend yield of 6.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, August 16th.

RIO has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Rio Tinto Group from a buy rating to a strong-buy rating in a research report on Friday, September 6th. Berenberg Bank lowered shares of Rio Tinto Group from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Thursday, June 27th. Hsbc Global Res upgraded shares of Rio Tinto Group to a strong-buy rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 23rd. Royal Bank of Canada upgraded shares of Rio Tinto Group to a hold rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 31st. Finally, HSBC upgraded shares of Rio Tinto Group from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 23rd. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, four have given a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy.

Check Out Our Latest Report on RIO

About Rio Tinto Group

(Free Report)

Rio Tinto Group engages in exploring, mining, and processing mineral resources worldwide. The company operates through Iron Ore, Aluminium, Copper, and Minerals Segments. The Iron Ore segment engages in the iron ore mining, and salt and gypsum production in Western Australia. The Aluminum segment is involved in bauxite mining; alumina refining; and aluminium smelting.

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Lighthouse Investment Partners LLC lessened its holdings in Urban Edge Properties (NYSE:UE  Free Report) by 54.8% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 210,000 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock after selling 255,000 shares during the period. Lighthouse Investment Partners LLC owned about 0.17% of Urban Edge Properties worth $3,879,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of UE. Point72 Hong Kong Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of Urban Edge Properties during the second quarter valued at about $50,000. Signaturefd LLC grew its holdings in Urban Edge Properties by 91.6% during the 2nd quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 2,755 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $51,000 after acquiring an additional 1,317 shares during the last quarter. EntryPoint Capital LLC acquired a new position in Urban Edge Properties in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $171,000. Mackenzie Financial Corp increased its position in Urban Edge Properties by 7.4% in the 2nd quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corp now owns 11,978 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $221,000 after acquiring an additional 822 shares during the period. Finally, Custom Index Systems LLC bought a new position in shares of Urban Edge Properties during the second quarter valued at $259,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.94% of the companys stock.

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Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts recently weighed in on the stock. StockNews.com raised shares of Urban Edge Properties from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research note on Friday, August 2nd. Evercore ISI increased their price target on Urban Edge Properties from $21.00 to $22.00 and gave the company an in-line rating in a research note on Monday, September 16th.

Urban Edge Properties Price Performance

Shares of NYSE UE opened at $21.09 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $2.51 billion, a PE ratio of 9.17 and a beta of 1.55. The company has a quick ratio of 2.11, a current ratio of 2.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.19. Urban Edge Properties has a twelve month low of $14.36 and a twelve month high of $21.66. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $20.46 and a 200 day simple moving average of $18.46.

Urban Edge Properties (NYSE:UE  Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, July 31st. The real estate investment trust reported $0.26 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.32 by ($0.06). Urban Edge Properties had a net margin of 66.89% and a return on equity of 24.65%. The business had revenue of $106.36 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $110.34 million. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Urban Edge Properties will post 1.31 EPS for the current year.

Urban Edge Properties Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 30th. Stockholders of record on Friday, September 13th will be paid a $0.17 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, September 13th. This represents a $0.68 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.22%. Urban Edge Propertiess dividend payout ratio is currently 29.57%.

Urban Edge Properties Company Profile

(Free Report)

Urban Edge Properties is a NYSE listed real estate investment trust focused on owning, managing, acquiring, developing, and redeveloping retail real estate in urban communities, primarily in the Washington, DC to Boston corridor. Urban Edge owns 76 properties totaling 17.1 million square feet of gross leasable area.

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Lighthouse Investment Partners LLC purchased a new stake in iShares MSCI USA Value Factor ETF (BATS:VLUE  Free Report) in the second quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund purchased 27,000 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $2,793,000.

Other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. State of Michigan Retirement System boosted its holdings in iShares MSCI USA Value Factor ETF by 41.1% during the first quarter. State of Michigan Retirement System now owns 456,400 shares of the companys stock worth $49,433,000 after buying an additional 132,900 shares in the last quarter. Deane Retirement Strategies Inc. acquired a new position in shares of iShares MSCI USA Value Factor ETF in the first quarter worth about $8,270,000. Cetera Investment Advisers boosted its stake in shares of iShares MSCI USA Value Factor ETF by 954.7% during the 1st quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 76,644 shares of the companys stock worth $8,301,000 after acquiring an additional 69,377 shares in the last quarter. Stonehearth Capital Management LLC grew its position in shares of iShares MSCI USA Value Factor ETF by 20.7% during the 1st quarter. Stonehearth Capital Management LLC now owns 327,147 shares of the companys stock valued at $35,433,000 after acquiring an additional 56,166 shares during the period. Finally, Strategic Financial Concepts LLC purchased a new position in shares of iShares MSCI USA Value Factor ETF in the 2nd quarter valued at about $44,000.

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iShares MSCI USA Value Factor ETF Trading Up 0.5 %

BATS VLUE opened at $109.08 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $7.37 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.26 and a beta of 0.87. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $105.47 and a 200 day moving average of $104.51. iShares MSCI USA Value Factor ETF has a twelve month low of $71.21 and a twelve month high of $89.40.

iShares MSCI USA Value Factor ETF Profile

The iShares MSCI USA Value Factor ETF (VLUE) is an exchange-traded fund that is based on the MSCI USA Enhanced Value index. The fund tracks an index of large- and mid-cap US equities. Stocks are selected and weighted using fundamental metrics (earnings, revenue, book value and cash earnings), aiming for exposure to undervalued stocks in each sector.

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Shares of ECN Capital Corp. (TSE:ECN  Get Free Report) passed below its 50 day moving average during trading on Thursday . The stock has a 50 day moving average of C$2.06 and traded as low as C$2.05. ECN Capital shares last traded at C$2.10, with a volume of 72,600 shares changing hands.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on the company. National Bankshares upped their target price on ECN Capital from C$2.25 to C$2.50 in a research report on Thursday, August 8th. BMO Capital Markets raised their target price on shares of ECN Capital from C$2.00 to C$2.35 in a research note on Friday, August 9th. Finally, CIBC boosted their target price on shares of ECN Capital from C$2.00 to C$2.25 in a research report on Thursday, August 8th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, According to MarketBeat, ECN Capital currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of C$2.48.

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ECN Capital Price Performance

The firm has a market cap of C$598.79 million, a P/E ratio of -6.45, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.24 and a beta of 1.35. The stocks 50-day moving average is C$2.07 and its 200-day moving average is C$1.95. The company has a quick ratio of 3.81, a current ratio of 10.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 383.08.

ECN Capital (TSE:ECN  Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 7th. The company reported C$0.04 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of C$0.04. ECN Capital had a negative net margin of 55.01% and a negative return on equity of 33.69%. The company had revenue of C$79.37 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of C$75.42 million. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that ECN Capital Corp. will post 0.2455726 EPS for the current fiscal year.

ECN Capital Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, October 1st. Investors of record on Tuesday, October 1st will be given a $0.01 dividend. This represents a $0.04 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.88%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, September 13th. ECN Capitals dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently -12.12%.

About ECN Capital

(Get Free Report)

ECN Capital Corp. originates, manages, and advises on credit assets on behalf of its partners in North America. It operates in two segments, Manufactured Housing Finance; and Recreational Vehicle and Marine Finance. The company offers consumer loans, including manufactured housing, recreational vehicle, and marine loans; and commercial loans, such as inventory finance or floorplan loans.

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Security National Bank of Sioux City Iowa IA lowered its position in Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT  Free Report) by 1.6% in the second quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 16,768 shares of the healthcare product makers stock after selling 266 shares during the period. Security National Bank of Sioux City Iowa IAs holdings in Abbott Laboratories were worth $1,742,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in ABT. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its position in shares of Abbott Laboratories by 0.5% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 156,467,081 shares of the healthcare product makers stock worth $17,222,332,000 after buying an additional 701,740 shares during the last quarter. Sanibel Captiva Trust Company Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Abbott Laboratories during the 4th quarter worth approximately $16,764,000. Garde Capital Inc. lifted its position in shares of Abbott Laboratories by 16.4% during the 4th quarter. Garde Capital Inc. now owns 1,858 shares of the healthcare product makers stock worth $205,000 after buying an additional 262 shares during the last quarter. Sectoral Asset Management Inc. lifted its position in shares of Abbott Laboratories by 31.4% during the 4th quarter. Sectoral Asset Management Inc. now owns 68,998 shares of the healthcare product makers stock worth $7,595,000 after buying an additional 16,500 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio increased its holdings in shares of Abbott Laboratories by 0.9% in the 4th quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio now owns 894,797 shares of the healthcare product makers stock valued at $98,490,000 after acquiring an additional 8,224 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 75.18% of the companys stock.

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Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

ABT has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Piper Sandler Companies initiated coverage on shares of Abbott Laboratories in a report on Thursday, September 19th. They issued an overweight rating and a $131.00 target price on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a hold rating and issued a $120.00 target price on shares of Abbott Laboratories in a report on Thursday. Edward Jones cut shares of Abbott Laboratories from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Tuesday, July 30th. Citigroup lifted their target price on shares of Abbott Laboratories from $119.00 to $127.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Thursday, August 22nd. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada reaffirmed an outperform rating and issued a $125.00 target price on shares of Abbott Laboratories in a report on Tuesday, June 4th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $124.00.

Abbott Laboratories Stock Performance

Shares of ABT opened at $112.43 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33, a quick ratio of 1.18 and a current ratio of 1.68. Abbott Laboratories has a 1 year low of $89.67 and a 1 year high of $121.64. The stock has a market capitalization of $195.59 billion, a P/E ratio of 35.02, a P/E/G ratio of 2.86 and a beta of 0.72. The companys fifty day moving average is $111.57 and its two-hundred day moving average is $108.36.

Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT  Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 18th. The healthcare product maker reported $1.14 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.10 by $0.04. Abbott Laboratories had a net margin of 13.65% and a return on equity of 20.18%. The business had revenue of $10.38 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $10.37 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.08 EPS. The businesss revenue for the quarter was up 4.0% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Abbott Laboratories will post 4.66 earnings per share for the current year.

Abbott Laboratories Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 15th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, October 15th will be paid a dividend of $0.55 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, October 15th. This represents a $2.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.96%. Abbott Laboratoriess dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 68.54%.

Insider Transactions at Abbott Laboratories

In related news, CEO Robert B. Ford sold 141,679 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Thursday, September 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $116.41, for a total value of $16,492,852.39. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 220,059 shares in the company, valued at approximately $25,617,068.19. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Corporate insiders own 1.10% of the companys stock.

Abbott Laboratories Profile

(Free Report)

Abbott Laboratories, together with its subsidiaries, discovers, develops, manufactures, and sells health care products worldwide. It operates in four segments: Established Pharmaceutical Products, Diagnostic Products, Nutritional Products, and Medical Devices. The company provides generic pharmaceuticals for the treatment of pancreatic exocrine insufficiency, irritable bowel syndrome or biliary spasm, intrahepatic cholestasis or depressive symptoms, gynecological disorder, hormone replacement therapy, dyslipidemia, hypertension, hypothyroidism, Meniere's disease and vestibular vertigo, pain, fever, inflammation, and migraine, as well as provides anti-infective clarithromycin, influenza vaccine, and products to regulate physiological rhythm of the colon.

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Smith Thornton Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Novo Nordisk A/S (NYSE:NVO  Free Report) in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor acquired 1,583 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $226,000.

Several other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. First PREMIER Bank acquired a new stake in Novo Nordisk A/S in the 1st quarter valued at $25,000. 1620 Investment Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Novo Nordisk A/S in the second quarter valued at about $25,000. Dixon Mitchell Investment Counsel Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Novo Nordisk A/S during the first quarter worth about $26,000. Orion Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Novo Nordisk A/S during the 1st quarter worth about $26,000. Finally, Gilliland Jeter Wealth Management LLC lifted its stake in Novo Nordisk A/S by 200.0% in the 2nd quarter. Gilliland Jeter Wealth Management LLC now owns 180 shares of the companys stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 120 shares in the last quarter. 11.54% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts have commented on the company. Cantor Fitzgerald reiterated an overweight rating and set a $160.00 price objective on shares of Novo Nordisk A/S in a research note on Monday, September 16th. StockNews.com upgraded Novo Nordisk A/S from a buy rating to a strong-buy rating in a research report on Wednesday, September 18th. BMO Capital Markets decreased their price objective on Novo Nordisk A/S from $170.00 to $160.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, August 8th. Finally, Argus lifted their target price on shares of Novo Nordisk A/S from $125.00 to $160.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Monday, June 10th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, six have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Buy and a consensus target price of $145.17.

Novo Nordisk A/S Price Performance

NYSE:NVO opened at $120.76 on Friday. Novo Nordisk A/S has a one year low of $86.96 and a one year high of $148.15. The stock has a market cap of $541.91 billion, a PE ratio of 41.64, a P/E/G ratio of 1.35 and a beta of 0.42. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.46, a quick ratio of 0.75 and a current ratio of 0.94. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $131.97 and a 200 day moving average price of $133.00.

Novo Nordisk A/S (NYSE:NVO  Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 7th. The company reported $0.65 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.71 by ($0.06). The company had revenue of $9.82 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $9.91 billion. Novo Nordisk A/S had a return on equity of 87.43% and a net margin of 34.86%. Equities research analysts expect that Novo Nordisk A/S will post 3.11 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Novo Nordisk A/S Cuts Dividend

The company also recently announced a semi-annual dividend, which was paid on Monday, August 26th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 16th were issued a $0.5126 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, August 16th. This represents a yield of 0.7%. Novo Nordisk A/Ss payout ratio is 24.83%.

Novo Nordisk A/S Profile

(Free Report)

Novo Nordisk A/S, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the research and development, manufacture, and distribution of pharmaceutical products in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, North America, and internationally. It operates in two segments, Diabetes and Obesity Care, and Rare Disease.

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Peloton Wealth Strategists lessened its stake in Box, Inc. (NYSE:BOX  Free Report) by 12.4% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 136,250 shares of the software makers stock after selling 19,250 shares during the quarter. BOX accounts for about 1.5% of Peloton Wealth Strategists investment portfolio, making the stock its 27th biggest holding. Peloton Wealth Strategists owned about 0.09% of BOX worth $3,602,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in BOX. TFO Wealth Partners LLC increased its holdings in BOX by 62,000.0% during the 4th quarter. TFO Wealth Partners LLC now owns 1,863 shares of the software makers stock worth $48,000 after purchasing an additional 1,860 shares in the last quarter. Toronto Dominion Bank bought a new position in shares of BOX during the second quarter worth about $53,000. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC raised its position in BOX by 31.7% in the 2nd quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 2,627 shares of the software makers stock valued at $69,000 after buying an additional 632 shares during the last quarter. Quest Partners LLC bought a new stake in BOX in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $95,000. Finally, Covestor Ltd boosted its position in BOX by 27.3% during the 1st quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 4,312 shares of the software makers stock worth $122,000 after acquiring an additional 924 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 86.74% of the companys stock.

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Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Royal Bank of Canada reiterated an underperform rating and issued a $21.00 price objective on shares of BOX in a report on Wednesday, August 28th. Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on shares of BOX from $30.00 to $33.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a research note on Thursday, September 5th. UBS Group increased their price objective on shares of BOX from $31.00 to $34.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 28th. Monness Crespi & Hardt raised BOX to a hold rating in a research report on Friday, August 16th. Finally, StockNews.com upgraded BOX from a buy rating to a strong-buy rating in a report on Thursday, August 15th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have given a hold rating, seven have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $31.22.

BOX Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE BOX opened at $32.76 on Friday. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $30.02 and a 200 day moving average price of $27.96. Box, Inc. has a 52 week low of $23.29 and a 52 week high of $33.95. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.73 billion, a PE ratio of 44.87 and a beta of 0.85.

BOX (NYSE:BOX  Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 27th. The software maker reported $0.44 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.40 by $0.04. BOX had a negative return on equity of 14.41% and a net margin of 13.94%. The company had revenue of $270.04 million during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $269.52 million. During the same period last year, the firm posted $0.01 earnings per share. The businesss revenue was up 3.3% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts forecast that Box, Inc. will post 0.23 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity

In other news, CFO Dylan C. Smith sold 13,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, July 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $24.97, for a total value of $324,610.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 1,526,661 shares of the companys stock, valued at $38,120,725.17. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. In other news, Director Jack R. Lazar sold 7,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $32.68, for a total transaction of $228,760.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 29,197 shares in the company, valued at $954,157.96. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CFO Dylan C. Smith sold 13,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, July 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $24.97, for a total value of $324,610.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 1,526,661 shares in the company, valued at approximately $38,120,725.17. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 73,260 shares of company stock valued at $2,113,560 over the last three months. Insiders own 4.10% of the companys stock.

About BOX

(Free Report)

Box, Inc provides a cloud content management platform that enables organizations of various sizes to manage and share their content from anywhere on any device. The company's Software-as-a-Service platform enables users to work with their content as they need from secure external collaboration and sharing, workspaces and portals, e-signature processes, and content workflows improving employee productivity and accelerating business processes.

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Susquehanna Portfolio Strategies LLC reduced its holdings in Jacobs Solutions Inc. (NYSE:J  Free Report) by 74.4% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 23,263 shares of the companys stock after selling 67,748 shares during the quarter. Susquehanna Portfolio Strategies LLCs holdings in Jacobs Solutions were worth $3,250,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Security National Bank of SO Dak increased its stake in Jacobs Solutions by 1.5% in the second quarter. Security National Bank of SO Dak now owns 23,574 shares of the companys stock valued at $3,294,000 after purchasing an additional 355 shares in the last quarter. Scientech Research LLC bought a new stake in Jacobs Solutions in the 2nd quarter valued at about $293,000. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company increased its position in Jacobs Solutions by 1.1% in the 2nd quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 81,036 shares of the companys stock valued at $11,322,000 after buying an additional 878 shares in the last quarter. MBB Public Markets I LLC acquired a new position in Jacobs Solutions during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $1,302,000. Finally, Daymark Wealth Partners LLC boosted its holdings in Jacobs Solutions by 67.2% in the second quarter. Daymark Wealth Partners LLC now owns 3,258 shares of the companys stock worth $455,000 after acquiring an additional 1,310 shares in the last quarter. 85.65% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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Jacobs Solutions Stock Performance

J stock opened at $155.59 on Friday. The business has a 50 day moving average of $146.56 and a 200-day moving average of $144.31. The firm has a market cap of $19.48 billion, a PE ratio of 30.04, a P/E/G ratio of 1.70 and a beta of 0.72. Jacobs Solutions Inc. has a 12-month low of $120.71 and a 12-month high of $156.31. The company has a quick ratio of 1.14, a current ratio of 1.14 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31.

Jacobs Solutions Dividend Announcement

Jacobs Solutions ( NYSE:J Get Free Report ) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, August 6th. The company reported $1.96 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $1.96. The firm had revenue of $4.23 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.39 billion. Jacobs Solutions had a return on equity of 14.76% and a net margin of 3.72%. The businesss revenue was up 1.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm posted $1.82 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Jacobs Solutions Inc. will post 7.98 earnings per share for the current year.

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 22nd. Shareholders of record on Friday, October 25th will be paid a $0.29 dividend. This represents a $1.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.75%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, October 25th. Jacobs Solutionss payout ratio is 22.39%.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Christopher M.T. Thompson sold 1,898 shares of Jacobs Solutions stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $150.85, for a total value of $286,313.30. Following the sale, the director now owns 42,069 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $6,346,108.65. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. In related news, Director Christopher M.T. Thompson sold 1,898 shares of Jacobs Solutions stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $150.85, for a total value of $286,313.30. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 42,069 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $6,346,108.65. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, insider Steven J. Demetriou sold 7,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $146.88, for a total transaction of $1,028,160.00. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 527,138 shares in the company, valued at $77,426,029.44. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 21,516 shares of company stock valued at $3,132,273 in the last three months. Company insiders own 1.00% of the companys stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have recently commented on the company. Truist Financial restated a hold rating and set a $158.00 price objective (up previously from $153.00) on shares of Jacobs Solutions in a report on Wednesday, August 7th. StockNews.com began coverage on shares of Jacobs Solutions in a research note on Tuesday. They set a buy rating for the company. Robert W. Baird dropped their price objective on shares of Jacobs Solutions from $163.00 to $160.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, August 7th. UBS Group lifted their price objective on shares of Jacobs Solutions from $161.00 to $165.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Wednesday, August 14th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada upped their target price on shares of Jacobs Solutions from $161.00 to $167.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a report on Wednesday, August 7th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $161.67.

Check Out Our Latest Stock Report on J

About Jacobs Solutions

(Free Report)

Jacobs Solutions Inc provides consulting, technical, engineering, scientific, and project delivery services for the government and private sectors in the United States, Europe, Canada, India, Asia, Australia, New Zealand, the Middle East, and Africa. It operates through Critical Mission Solutions, People & Places Solutions, Divergent Solutions, and PA Consulting segments.

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Susquehanna Portfolio Strategies LLC lowered its holdings in shares of The Charles Schwab Co. (NYSE:SCHW  Free Report) by 40.4% during the 2nd quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 202,266 shares of the financial services providers stock after selling 137,208 shares during the quarter. Susquehanna Portfolio Strategies LLCs holdings in Charles Schwab were worth $14,905,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Country Trust Bank bought a new position in shares of Charles Schwab during the second quarter valued at about $26,000. American Capital Advisory LLC purchased a new position in shares of Charles Schwab during the second quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Fortitude Family Office LLC raised its holdings in shares of Charles Schwab by 97.5% during the second quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC now owns 389 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $29,000 after acquiring an additional 192 shares in the last quarter. CGC Financial Services LLC purchased a new stake in Charles Schwab in the second quarter worth $29,000. Finally, Mizuho Securities Co. Ltd. bought a new stake in Charles Schwab in the second quarter valued at $29,000. Institutional investors own 84.38% of the companys stock.

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Analyst Ratings Changes

SCHW has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Jefferies Financial Group raised their target price on shares of Charles Schwab from $85.00 to $88.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Monday, July 8th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price target on shares of Charles Schwab from $82.00 to $78.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, July 17th. Morgan Stanley reduced their price target on shares of Charles Schwab from $71.00 to $70.00 and set an equal weight rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, August 16th. Piper Sandler cut shares of Charles Schwab from an overweight rating to a neutral rating and reduced their price target for the company from $80.00 to $64.00 in a research report on Monday, July 29th. Finally, JMP Securities reduced their price target on shares of Charles Schwab from $85.00 to $82.00 and set a market outperform rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, July 23rd. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have assigned a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $73.31.

Insider Transactions at Charles Schwab

In other news, Director Carolyn Schwab-Pomerantz sold 9,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, July 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $61.96, for a total value of $557,640.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 567,057 shares in the company, valued at $35,134,851.72. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. In related news, Chairman Charles R. Schwab sold 67,386 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, July 31st. The shares were sold at an average price of $65.11, for a total transaction of $4,387,502.46. Following the transaction, the chairman now owns 60,619,371 shares in the company, valued at $3,946,927,245.81. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Carolyn Schwab-Pomerantz sold 9,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, July 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $61.96, for a total transaction of $557,640.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 567,057 shares in the company, valued at approximately $35,134,851.72. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 99,636 shares of company stock worth $6,457,104. Corporate insiders own 6.60% of the companys stock.

Charles Schwab Price Performance

Shares of SCHW opened at $64.42 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $114.57 billion, a PE ratio of 26.95, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.21 and a beta of 0.97. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.65, a quick ratio of 0.42 and a current ratio of 0.42. The Charles Schwab Co. has a fifty-two week low of $48.66 and a fifty-two week high of $79.49. The firms 50-day simple moving average is $64.10 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $69.81.

Charles Schwab (NYSE:SCHW  Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, July 16th. The financial services provider reported $0.73 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.72 by $0.01. The firm had revenue of $4.69 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.68 billion. Charles Schwab had a net margin of 26.30% and a return on equity of 18.14%. The businesss revenue was up .7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.75 earnings per share. Analysts anticipate that The Charles Schwab Co. will post 3.05 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Charles Schwab Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 23rd. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 9th were paid a $0.25 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, August 9th. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.55%. Charles Schwabs dividend payout ratio is presently 41.84%.

Charles Schwab Company Profile

(Free Report)

The Charles Schwab Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a savings and loan holding company that provides wealth management, securities brokerage, banking, asset management, custody, and financial advisory services in the United States and internationally. The company operates in two segments, Investor Services and Advisor Services.

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Israels military assassinated Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in airstrikes in Beirut, Lebanon on Friday, the Israel Defense Forces confirmed. Hours later, Hezbollah acknowledged the killing of its leader.

An Israeli military spokesman said the strike targeted Hezbollah's "central headquarters," which was located "under residential buildings in the heart" of Dahiyeh, in Beirut. Videos circulated online of the destruction the airstrike caused, hours before word of Nasrallah's death was confirmed.

The IDF posted a graphic on X, which showed all of Hezbollah's senior leadership being wiped out, saying: "We searched up 'dismantled' on the internet, this is the picture that came up."

We searched up dismantled on the internet, this is the picture that came up: pic.twitter.com/C5p3jmhwIZ

 Israel Defense Forces (@IDF)

Nasrallah, 62, had been Hezbollah's leader since Israel assassinated his predecessor, Abbas al-Musawi, who was killed in an Israeli airstrike in 1992. Over his more than three decades leading Hezbollah, he oversaw the significant development of the U.S.-designated terror group's arsenal, while also further cementing itself within Lebanon's political sphere, and by advancing Iran's "axis of resistance" mission.

In recent years Nasrallah had played an increasing role in Iran's nexus of proxies that include Hezbollah, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, militias in Iraq and the Houthis in Yemen. Nasrallah and Hezbollah in general had coordinated closely with Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad and Iran. Nasrallah helped fill the shoes left by the death of IRGC Quds Force head Qasem Soleimani in 2000. Therefore, if Nasrallah has been killed, it would leave a major hole in Iran's operations in the region, Seth Frantzman, an adjunct professor fellow with the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told the Washington Examiner.

Israel's extraordinary intelligence success

Nasrallah's death is seemingly the culmination in an extraordinary intelligence success for Israel, which began with the dramatic remote explosions of pagers less than two weeks ago. It also marks a dramatic escalation in the conflict that has engulfed the Middle East promulgated by both Iran's proxies attacking Israel, and Israel's escalating responses. The conflicts have gone on for nearly a year but the killing of Nasrallah will could result in an Iranian response.

Nasrallah was believed to be one of the group's last remaining leaders. Last week, Israel targeted and killed Ibrahim Aqil, the head of Hezbollahs operations and the commander of their Radian Force, while they previously targeted and killed Fuad Shukr, the highest ranking military commander in Hezbollah, Wissam al-Tawil, Abu Hassan Samir, Taleb Sami Abdullah, and Mohammed Nasser. With their senior leadership now gone, it's unclear whether Hezbollah can or will maintain its attacks on Israel.

"Iran will have to weigh its options now. It does not want to confront Israel directly and risk retaliation. Iran now knows Israel is serious, after the killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh. Iran will know that Israel is in no mood to mess around after a year in which Iran sought to wage a multi-front war using proxies against Israel," Frantzman added.

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned that Israel will "regret their actions'.

"The fate of this region will be determined by the forces of resistance, with Hezbollah at the forefront," he said.

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Ali Karki, the commander of Hezbollah's southern front, was also killed in the strike, as were other hezbollah commanders, according to the IDF. The strikes likely resulted in civilian casualties given they targeted the HQ, which was under what used to be buildings.

Israel's Air Force continued to carry out strikes in southern Lebanon on Saturday following the one that killed Nasrallah targeting what it said was Hezbollah's arsenal, while Hezbollah fired projectiles into Israel.

The strike occurred as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was in New York for the United Nations General Assembly. During his address Friday morning, the Israeli leader warned his country's enemies, Iran in particular, that they would continue to militarily defend themselves against attacks.

Hezbollah began attacking Israel on Oct. 8, in solidarity with Hamas, who a day earlier, carried out the largest terror attack in Israel's history.

Amid possible Israel-Saudi normalization efforts last fall, Hamas carried out the largest terror attack in Israel's history to thwart that progress toward normalization with Israel. Hamas terrorists overpowered the southwestern border and poured into Israeli communities where they killed about 1,200 people and kidnapped about 250 others.

While about a hundred hostages remain in Gaza, Israeli forces have significantly degraded both Hamas's senior ranks, as well as their arsenal. Israel's military has also destroyed much of Gaza's infrastructure and has killed tens of thousands of civilians.

Over the last year, Israeli officials have said Hezbollah has launched about 8,000 projectiles mainly into northern Israel. Israel evacuated more than 50,000 people from northern Israel who remain displaced from their homes, while leaders now say their recent escalation is designed to end Hezbollah's continuous fires and allow the Israeli civilians to return to their homes.

Hezbollah refused to stop its attacks on Israel, saying it would only do so if Israel and Hamas agreed to a ceasefire deal but U.S. officials said it was Hamas's leader, Yahya Sinwar, who was the impediment to an agreement. The U.S. put out a joint statement with several other leaders calling for a three-week ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah before the Nasrallah strike.

Iran has funded and supported several proxy forces and terror groups in the Middle East, all of which seek the destruction of the State of Israel. Hezbollah is widely considered to be Iran's most formidable fighting force, and is positioned along Israel's northern border. But, Israel has significantly degraded Hezbollah's senior level ranks over the last several weeks.

Hezbollah, unlike Hamas, has a significant arsenal of guided and unguided missiles that could be used to target Israeli cities that infrequently come under assault including Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. Earlier this week, Israel's air defense intercepted a Hezbollah-fired ballistic missile over Tel Aviv, which could be a foreshadow of Hezbollah's response to the death of its leader.

Israel and Hezbollah have been enemies for decades, with the latter group forming 1982 in response to Israel's invasion into southern Lebanon amid the Lebanese civil war. Hezbollah began participating in the Lebanese government in 1992.

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The two sides most recently went to war in 2006, which was prompted when Hezbollah conducted a cross-border raid in which three Israeli soldiers were killed and two others were kidnapped. Israeli forces then invaded southern Lebanon. The war lasted for about a month and resulted in the deaths of more than 1,100 people on both sides, more than 4,400 people were injured, while hundreds of thousands of Lebanese civilians had to flee their homes, according to the Red Cross.

After the war ended, Nasrallah admitted that if he knew the snatching of the Israeli troops wouldve led to such a war, he would absolutely not done it.
Kansai Paint Co., Ltd. (OTCMKTS:KSANF  Get Free Report) was the target of a large drop in short interest in the month of September. As of September 15th, there was short interest totalling 878,400 shares, a drop of 20.3% from the August 31st total of 1,102,100 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 0 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently ? days.

Kansai Paint Trading Up 0.9 %

Shares of KSANF stock traded up $0.15 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $17.55. The companys fifty day moving average is $16.19 and its two-hundred day moving average is $15.97. Kansai Paint has a 52-week low of $13.93 and a 52-week high of $17.55.

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About Kansai Paint

(Get Free Report)

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Kansai Paint Co, Ltd., together with its subsidiaries, manufactures and sells paints and coatings in Japan, India, Asia, Africa, Europe, and internationally. The company offers decorative coatings for protecting exterior and interior of buildings; automotive refinish coatings for dents and scrapes; and industrial coatings that are used in agricultural machinery, special-purpose vehicles, exterior building materials, metal products, beverage cans, and precoated metals used in metallic building materials and home appliances.

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Susquehanna Portfolio Strategies LLC reduced its position in Extra Space Storage Inc. (NYSE:EXR  Free Report) by 0.7% in the 2nd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 75,377 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock after selling 537 shares during the quarter. Susquehanna Portfolio Strategies LLCs holdings in Extra Space Storage were worth $11,714,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its position in shares of Extra Space Storage by 0.5% during the first quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 33,686,389 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $4,951,899,000 after buying an additional 170,380 shares in the last quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA lifted its stake in Extra Space Storage by 4.7% during the second quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 3,549,231 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $551,586,000 after purchasing an additional 157,763 shares during the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lifted its stake in Extra Space Storage by 1.5% during the second quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 3,127,012 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $485,973,000 after purchasing an additional 45,717 shares during the last quarter. Diamond Hill Capital Management Inc. lifted its stake in Extra Space Storage by 7.2% during the second quarter. Diamond Hill Capital Management Inc. now owns 2,965,638 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $460,890,000 after purchasing an additional 198,888 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Centersquare Investment Management LLC lifted its stake in Extra Space Storage by 1.3% in the first quarter. Centersquare Investment Management LLC now owns 2,546,475 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $341,941,000 after buying an additional 32,591 shares during the last quarter. 99.11% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Insider Buying and Selling at Extra Space Storage

In other Extra Space Storage news, Director Kenneth M. Woolley sold 6,647 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Friday, September 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $177.23, for a total value of $1,178,047.81. Following the sale, the director now owns 404,306 shares of the companys stock, valued at $71,655,152.38. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In other news, Director Kenneth M. Woolley sold 6,647 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Friday, September 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $177.23, for a total value of $1,178,047.81. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 404,306 shares in the company, valued at $71,655,152.38. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Joseph D. Margolis sold 7,500 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Monday, July 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $152.58, for a total value of $1,144,350.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 31,690 shares in the company, valued at $4,835,260.20. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 18,970 shares of company stock valued at $3,172,757. Insiders own 1.36% of the companys stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages have weighed in on EXR. Truist Financial boosted their price objective on Extra Space Storage from $152.00 to $167.00 and gave the company a hold rating in a research note on Friday, August 16th. Barclays boosted their price objective on Extra Space Storage from $158.00 to $188.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Thursday, August 22nd. Bank of America cut Extra Space Storage from a neutral rating to an underperform rating and reduced their price objective for the company from $172.00 to $155.00 in a research note on Monday, August 5th. KeyCorp boosted their price objective on Extra Space Storage from $172.00 to $178.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Monday, September 9th. Finally, StockNews.com upgraded Extra Space Storage from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 23rd. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have issued a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $170.93.

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Extra Space Storage Trading Up 0.4 %

Shares of EXR stock opened at $177.23 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76, a current ratio of 0.20 and a quick ratio of 0.20. The firm has a market capitalization of $37.52 billion, a PE ratio of 39.47, a P/E/G ratio of 2.67 and a beta of 0.86. Extra Space Storage Inc. has a 1-year low of $101.19 and a 1-year high of $184.87. The businesss fifty day moving average price is $171.25 and its 200 day moving average price is $155.65.

Extra Space Storage Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 30th. Shareholders of record on Monday, September 16th will be issued a $1.62 dividend. This represents a $6.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.66%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, September 16th. Extra Space Storages dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 144.32%.

About Extra Space Storage

(Free Report)

Extra Space Storage Inc, headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah, is a self-administered and self-managed REIT and a member of the S&P 500. As of December 31, 2023, the Company owned and/or operated 3,714 self-storage stores in 42 states and Washington, DC The Company's stores comprise approximately 2.6 million units and approximately 283.0 million square feet of rentable space operating under the Extra Space, Life Storage and Storage Express brands.

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Ninepoint Partners LP lifted its position in shares of Digital Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE:DLR  Free Report) by 2.5% during the second quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 8,156 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock after purchasing an additional 200 shares during the quarter. Ninepoint Partners LPs holdings in Digital Realty Trust were worth $1,240,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its position in shares of Digital Realty Trust by 2.0% during the first quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 48,503,593 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $6,986,458,000 after purchasing an additional 951,567 shares during the period. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board raised its position in shares of Digital Realty Trust by 3.1% during the second quarter. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board now owns 4,826,432 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $733,859,000 after purchasing an additional 146,183 shares during the period. Legal & General Group Plc raised its position in shares of Digital Realty Trust by 2.8% during the second quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 4,730,168 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $719,222,000 after purchasing an additional 129,799 shares during the period. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. raised its position in shares of Digital Realty Trust by 16.8% during the second quarter. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. now owns 4,725,971 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $718,584,000 after purchasing an additional 678,165 shares during the period. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP raised its position in shares of Digital Realty Trust by 5.3% during the second quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 4,541,327 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $690,498,000 after purchasing an additional 228,585 shares during the period. 99.71% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

DLR has been the topic of a number of research reports. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on Digital Realty Trust from $155.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 23rd. Royal Bank of Canada increased their price target on Digital Realty Trust from $144.00 to $160.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research report on Monday, June 3rd. Mizuho initiated coverage on Digital Realty Trust in a research report on Thursday, July 11th. They issued an outperform rating and a $170.00 price target for the company. TD Cowen lowered their price target on Digital Realty Trust from $122.00 to $120.00 and set a hold rating for the company in a research report on Friday, July 26th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised Digital Realty Trust from a neutral rating to an overweight rating and increased their price target for the company from $150.00 to $175.00 in a research report on Friday, June 28th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have given a hold rating, ten have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $154.00.

Digital Realty Trust Stock Down 0.6 %

Shares of NYSE DLR opened at $161.14 on Friday. Digital Realty Trust, Inc. has a 52 week low of $113.94 and a 52 week high of $165.17. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $152.44 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $147.67. The company has a quick ratio of 1.78, a current ratio of 1.78 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.81. The company has a market cap of $50.34 billion, a P/E ratio of 44.76, a P/E/G ratio of 5.14 and a beta of 0.60.

Digital Realty Trust (NYSE:DLR  Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, July 25th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.20 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.63 by ($1.43). Digital Realty Trust had a return on equity of 5.93% and a net margin of 20.58%. The company had revenue of $1.36 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.38 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $1.68 EPS. The firms revenue for the quarter was down .7% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts anticipate that Digital Realty Trust, Inc. will post 6.65 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Digital Realty Trust Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 30th. Shareholders of record on Friday, September 13th will be issued a $1.22 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, September 13th. This represents a $4.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.03%. Digital Realty Trusts payout ratio is currently 135.56%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Digital Realty Trust

In other Digital Realty Trust news, Director Jean F. H. P. Mandeville sold 600 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $150.26, for a total value of $90,156.00. Following the sale, the director now owns 9,055 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $1,360,604.30. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.17% of the companys stock.

About Digital Realty Trust

(Free Report)

Digital Realty brings companies and data together by delivering the full spectrum of data center, colocation, and interconnection solutions. PlatformDIGITAL, the company's global data center platform, provides customers with a secure data meeting place and a proven Pervasive Datacenter Architecture (PDx) solution methodology for powering innovation and efficiently managing Data Gravity challenges.

Further Reading

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Hezbollah announced on Saturday that it launched missiles from Lebanon toward the area of Jerusalem, a day after its leader was assassinated.

Shortly after 3 p.m. ET, the IDF posted on X that sirens went off near Jerusalem, primarily to the east of Israel's capital city.

One missile landed in the West Bank, specifically the area of Mitzpe Hagit, the IDF posted on Telegram. The IDF also said fire and rescue services were working to extinguish fires caused by the missile.

The missile launches come after Israels military assassinated Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in airstrikes in Beirut, Lebanon, on Friday. An Israeli military spokesman said the strike targeted Hezbollahs central headquarters, which was located under residential buildings in the heart of Dahiyeh, in Beirut.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

The death of Hezbollah's longtime leader, who led the terrorist group for more than three decades, threatens to significantly escalate a conflict that has engulfed the Middle East promulgated by both Irans proxies attacking Israel, and Israels escalating responses.

The conflict has gone on for nearly a year, but the killing of Nasrallah could result in an Iranian response.
Former President Donald Trump vowed to keep autoworker jobs in Detroit as he focused on the economy and cars in a town hall before Michigan voters Friday night.

Trump appeared at the town hall in Warren alongside Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), where he spoke about tariffs on foreign-imported cars with a goal of retaining production within the United States.

"Year by year, all the time, we're losing our companies that make our cars, make the autos. A lot of them are going to Mexico now, and it's Mexico through China because China owns the factories; they're building big factories. They wouldn't have done it with me. ... They think they're gonna make the cars and sell them in and close up Detroit, close up everything in this area," Trump said.

"It's not going to happen because we're going to put very heavy tariffs on those cars coming across the border, and we're not gonna let that happen," Trump concluded.

Michigan is known for being an auto worker hub. Ford Motor Company is one of the largest employers in the state.

Trump also touched on electric vehicle mandates, a key issue among Republican voters who prefer gas or hybrid alternatives. The Biden administration has been shifting the car industry toward phasing in electric vehicles.

Trump also chuckled as Blackburn had arguably the line of the night, albeit one cribbed from Michigan Senate candidate Mike Rogers.

"The most expensive vehicle you drive in 2024 is the grocery cart," Blackburn said. "And Donald Trump is going to get those grocery prices down."

As @MikeRogersForMI says, the most expensive vehicle that Americans drive in 2024 is the grocery cart.

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President Donald Trump will get those grocery prices down! pic.twitter.com/lxjuK0roBr

 Marsha Blackburn (@VoteMarsha)

Trump emphasized his drill, baby, drill initiative toward cheaper energy prices in response to a voter question about the rising cost of living.

Overall, Trump touched on critical voter issues without appearing to stray too far from the point in his Michigan campaign stop.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

Warren is a city in Macomb County, part of the Detroit metro area. Macomb County was the largest red-voting county in 2016 and 2020 and is a critical area for the Trump campaign to draw high turnout against overwhelmingly blue Detroit.

Trump faces an extremely close race in Michigan, a state that narrowly voted for him in 2016 but turned blue in 2020. He trails Vice President Kamala Harris in the RealClearPolitics polling average in the state, 49.1% to 47.3%.
This was probably the most important literary event of 2024 and the crowd was so impressive that organizers were forced to find a bigger venue.

Even better . . .

We appreciate the renowned author's perspective on the modern day function of the library which is so much more informed and intelligent than our constant jokes about hobos washing their junk in the sinks at these hallowed repositories of knowledge . . . Check-it:



One point of view might be another should be allowed to read. Youre not neutral in respect to that. But otherwise, I think a library is a library, says the award-winning novelist. The library isnt a school. A library is a place where people read books by themselves that they have chosen. Its an institution that creates our choice.



Atwoods impassioned words reign especially true nowas Sept 22-28 is nationally recognized as Banned Books Week. The Handmaids Tale author proved to be quite popular in Missouris small corner of the worldthe original venue, at the Kansas City Public Library, sold out in just minutes; this being the reason for a change to the Plaza.

Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . .

Margaret Atwood discusses censorship, dystopias during celebration of KCPL's 150th anniversary Award-winning novelist Margaret Atwood discusses censorship, dystopias, and more at Unity Temple on the Plaza this Banned Books Week

Related . . .

KC literary community pushes back on censorship during Banned Books Week 2024 Members of the literary around the Kansas City metro give their thoughts on censorship during Banned Books Week 2024.

Developing . . .
We were surprise about so many middle-class tears over the closing of a constantly troubled champagne bar but a KICK-ASS TKC READER helped us better understand the drama.

Here's the perspective from our blog community . . .



"Another tick on Qs list of failures. Nobody who will spend the $$ to go to cava will go to Westport anymore. "



Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . .
As the plane touched down in Houston, I meticulously planned out my quick-fire trip to the Menil Collection. I had two hours to spare before a party I was attending started, so I caught a taxi straight from the airport to the museum and dragged my suitcase inside, looking forward to gazing upon the awe-inspiring venue and pieces from the likes of Man Ray, Pablo Picasso and Andy Warhol. But, sweaty and tired, with the budget airline smell still on me, I was too uncomfortable to absorb the magnificent works.

I didnt take in the art; I looked past it while other thoughts raced through my head. I kept checking the time. I left disappointed at my failure and wondered, what could I have done differently? How do you look at art in the right way?

I dont think there is one way for people to visit a museum, says Damon Reaves, head of education at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. I dont like to feel rushed. I want to take my time so I can feel relaxed when I think about pieces. You should be relaxed every time you come to a museum.

Reaves will patiently meander around the galleries, looking at different pieces, waiting for something that sparks his interest. I come at it very much from an emotional space.

When a painting or sculpture catches his attention, its not always because Reaves finds the art beautiful or mesmerizing. It could be something that Im super confused by, or feel I dont like. I allow my emotional response to take me to intellectual curiosity. I look to figure out why I had that reaction or why it grabbed my attention.

David Anderson, a professor of museum education at the University of British Columbia, always asks three questions when looking at a painting: Whats going on in it? What do you see that makes you think that? What more can you find? This approach originated in Visual Thinking Strategies, a teaching method by cognitive psychologist Abigail Housen and museum educator Philip Yenawine. It helps me transcend the facts of a piece into a much deeper engagement, adds Anderson.

Similarly, Reaves will constantly consider questions as he gazes. If hes intrigued by a portrait, hell wonder if its the way the subject is dressed. Maybe its their expression. It could just be the time period. Hell then look at the description for more information and context.

Many art galleries, though, dont want to contaminate visitors with interpretation, says Anderson. They want people to see the artwork, appreciate and understand, and then seek interpretive information.

To help visitors enjoy their work, some artists advise people on how to look at it. Influential British artist David Hockney, for example, encourages them to spend 30 minutes to an hour with his paintings.

Susanna Avery-Quash, a curator at the National Gallery in London, U.K., notes that many creatives would like the viewer to focus on one work at a time, and not be scared to look at a picture over and over again, to look longer, deeper, harder, she explains. A sustained engagement creates, over time, a sense of attachment and intimacy between the viewer and the picture.

Before going to any museum, Anderson recommends taking into account why youre actually visiting. You might want to restore or refresh yourself. Maybe youre there seeking knowledge. Thats what most people do when theyre in a new city. Maybe youre there socially with your wife, children or grandkids. Knowing why youre there helps frame the experience youre going to have.

If theres a specific piece you want to see, go to it around 15 minutes after you arrive  after youre oriented to your surroundings but before any tiredness  Anderson suggests. About an hour into a visit, people tend to start considering what they should be seeing and doing there, before the inevitable hunger and fatigue kicks in, and their level of intense engagement with the art drops.

Ultimately, though, only you can decide how to get the best out of a museum, says Reaves. See what you can. You should give yourself permission to experience whatever you experience. Feel what you feel. In my opinion, pieces are completed by your interaction with them. Your experience and interpretation will always be valid and important.
Vice President Kamala Harris is making a campaign stop in the border town of Douglas, Arizona, and will deliver remarks at 7:45 pm Eastern time.

Harris is visiting the U.S.-Mexico border as she tries to close the polling gap on the border and immigration, a topic in which former President Donald Trump leads her.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

The town of 16,000 is one of the quieter border towns as it does not have the capacity to accommodate mass migration and has seen less than other border cities in recent years. Violent crime in Douglas is well below the national and state averages.
Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) and Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN) will go head-to-head Tuesday evening for the first and only vice-presidential televised debate.

The event, moderated by CBS News, will feature 90 minutes of live discussion between the running mates of former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris just three weeks after the nominees held their own debate.

Recent Google Search trends on politics and elections offer a window into some of the topics voters are most interested in.

Some of those topics, according to the Associated Press and Google Trends, include the economy, crime, healthcare, immigration, abortion, and Social Security.

Heres where Vance and Walz stand on each of those subjects heading into their debate. Many of their positions reflect that of the candidates at the top of their respective ticket.

The economy

Under Walz, Minnesota has expanded a host of social safety nets while supporting increased tax policies targeting wealthier residents and corporations.

He approved a state child tax credit and a free school meal program that was offered regardless of income. The state has also increased K-12 funding, allocated funds for affordable housing development, implemented universal paid family and medical leave, and expanded protections for unions.

Walz has cited drug prices and housing affordability as some of the most pressing economic problems.

Kamala Harris and I know something about it. Being middle-class folks, our families sat at the table trying to pay the bill, Walz told a local Georgia TV outlet during a recent campaign visit. We know coming out of the COVID pandemic with prices where they were, that people need to see some relief.

Vance has propped up Trumps desire for across-the-board tariffs as high as 20%, a plan to boost domestic manufacturing that many economists say would lead to the increased prices of imported goods being passed down to consumers.

The economics profession is fundamentally wrong about both immigration and about tariffs," Vance told the New York Times in May. "Yes, tariffs can apply upward pricing pressure on various things  though I think it's massively overstated  but when you are forced to do more with your domestic labor force, you have all of these positive dynamic effects."

Like Trump, Vance has pit blame for rising costs on migrants for things such as housing. He has also supported an $11 hourly minimum wage, suggested the economy could benefit from a weaker dollar, and deregulating more industries.

Crime

In Congress, Vance has supported legislation to raise sentences for those convicted of killing or assaulting police officers. On the campaign trail, he has vowed a tough-on-crime agenda, particularly as it pertains to illegal immigration, and accused Harris of enabling weaker crime laws as a former prosecutor and California senator.

The contrast  between President Trumps policies and Kamala Harriss policies, its really just unbelievable, Vance said at a recent rally in Wisconsin, a battleground state. Kamala Harris wants to suspend deportations. Donald Trump wants to reimplement deportations.

Walzs handling of the racial justice riots in 2020 following the killing of George Floyd has been elevated by Vance and Republicans since joining Harris on the ticket as evidence that the centrist-congressman-turned-progressive-governor would be weak on crime nationally. Walzs delay in calling in the National Guard to quell rioting in Minneapolis and elsewhere sparked backlash.

Last year, Walz signed into law a public safety bill that included gun control measures and a separate $300 million measure to boost public safety agencies.

I'm a veteran, a hunter, and a gun owner," Walz posted to social media this summer. "But I'm also a dad. And for many years, I was a teacher. It's about keeping our kids safe. I had an A rating from the NRA. Now I get straight F's. And I sleep just fine.

Immigration

Vance has echoed Trump on illegal immigration by vowing a sweeping crackdown on mass deportations and border crossings. He has blamed Harris and President Joe Biden for enabling a record influx and exacerbating the flow of illegal drugs, including fentanyl, into the U.S. Biden tapped Harris as a de facto border czar in 2021 to tackle the causes of mass migration from Central America.

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It's hard to believe until you see with your own eyes just how bad the policies of the Kamala Harris administration have been when it comes to the southern border, the GOP vice presidential candidate said during a recent trip along the southern border.

Vance has more recently sparked backlash for spreading debunked conspiracy theories of Haitian migrants in Springfield, Ohio, eating the pets of local residents.

Walz has taken a progressive approach in Minnesota with migrants by expanding benefits afforded to those in the U.S. illegally, such as drivers licenses, and free healthcare and state college tuition for those who qualify. In 2021, he urged congressional Democrats to create a citizenship pathway for "Dreamers" who were brought to the U.S. illegally as children by their parents.

Vance opposed a bipartisan Senate border deal that failed earlier this year, while Walz said he would have supported it.

You stop this using electronics, you stop it using more border control agents, and you stop it by having a legal system that allows for that tradition of allowing folks to come here, just like my relatives did to come here, be able to work and establish the American dream, Walz told CNN prior to becoming the vice-presidential nominee. Hes not interested in that. He wants to demonize.

Abortion

Vance considers himself "pro-life" and has previously supported a national abortion ban with exceptions for the life of the mother, rape, and incest. He has more recently backed off more hard-line positions, such as comparing abortion to slavery. Vance has vowed that a Trump-Vance administration would not support a national ban and echoes Trump in saying that abortion should be left to the states.

I can absolutely commit that, Vance told NBCs Meet the Press last month on opposing a national ban. Donald Trumps view is that we want the individual states and their individual cultures and their unique political sensibilities to make these decisions because we dont want to have a nonstop federal conflict over this issue.

As Minnesota's governor, Walz has expanded access and signed into law a bill codifying the right to abortion and other reproductive care. He also signed a shield bill into law offering legal protections for patients and providers who seek abortion in Minnesota from a state where its banned or restricted.

Do you like the [policy] where women die because they cant get healthcare that they should be able to get if they need reproductive care? Walz said during a recent campaign stop in Georgia.

Healthcare

Walz has backed giving the federal government the authority to negotiate Medicare drug prices and signed into law as governor legislation to make the out-of-pocket costs for insulin no more than $35 for those who qualify. He also signed into law a bill legalizing recreational marijuana use for adults and rolling back related criminal convictions.

The Trump-Vance ticket has vowed to change Obamacare to address increasing insurance costs, but so far, the campaign has declined to offer many details. At his debate with Harris, Trump said he had concepts of a plan to replace the healthcare law, which is also known as the Affordable Care Act. Vance has expressed a desire to deregulate the law.

Were going to actually implement some regulatory reform in the healthcare system that allows people to choose a healthcare plan that works for them, Vance said at a recent campaign rally.

Social Security

Under Walz, Minnesota enacted a policy that exempted most seniors from state income taxes on Social Security. Minnesota is one of the few states that tax such benefits. In Congress, Walz backed legislation to raise benefits and prolong Social Securitys solvency timeline by raising taxes on those earning more than $400,000 annually.

The work weve done over the last five months will make a generational impact on our state  it will lower costs, improve lives, and cut child poverty, Walz said last year when he signed into law a budget that included the tax policy.

Vance has mirrored Trump's arguments that a more robust workforce and economy will bolster Social Security. Vance told the New York Times he opposed cutting benefits and indicated he was against raising taxes. Trump has called for the elimination of federal income taxes on benefits.

You get more revenue, yes, from tariffs, but from more people being in the labor force, from higher productivity growth, from higher wages, from transitioning young people who are not working into the workforce, Vance told the outlet prior to being tapped as Trumps running mate.

You can get some revenue out of raising taxes on wealthy Americans," he continued. "But there's no way that you can run an economy at a structural growth rate of around 1% with demographics that are getting worse and worse and worse and solve the problem by taxing rich people.
Learn the science behind Alaskas spooky plants, bats, insects

Photo by Jozef Slowik

Learn about bats, carnivorous plants, spooky insect behavior and other creepy crawlies, like this spider peeking over the edge of a coffee cup, in a series of free webinars in October.

Carnivorous plants, bats, spiders and zombie insects are the subjects of a series of free spooky science webinars hosted by the University of Alaska Fairbanks Cooperative Extension Service in October.

On Wednesday, Oct. 2, from noon-1 p.m., naturalist Bob Armstrong will guide participants through the world of Alaskas carnivorous plants. A Juneau-based author and photographer for more than 60 years, Armstrong will explore the connections between these plants and their prey and how they survive in Alaska.

On Wednesday, Oct. 9, from noon-1 p.m., wildlife ecologist Jesika Reimer will talk about Alaskas bats. Where do these nocturnal animals go in the summer when theres very little night, where do they go in the winter, how far north do they range, and can they survive without human-built structures? Reimer has been studying bats in northern latitudes in Alaska and Canada for 15 years.

On Wednesday, Oct. 16, from noon-1 p.m., the topic will be spiders. Arachnologist and UAF integrated pest management technician Jozef Slowik will talk about spiders and why people shouldnt be afraid of them. Hell cover spiders important role in the environment, their biology and some of the more common species found in Alaska. Hell also touch on many of the spider myths he gets asked about.

Dont forget the zombies. On Wednesday, Oct. 23, from noon-1 p.m., entomologist Alex Wenninger will discuss Alaskas insect zombies (parasitoid wasps and entomopathogenic fungi), haunted houses (gall-making insects), undertakers (carrion beetles) and costume parties (spooky-themed bug fashion). And finally, dont forget the treats. Wenninger, an integrated pest management technician for the Cooperative Extension Service, will also describe candies made from insect products.

Register for one or all of the webinars via an online form.

For more information, contact Molly Johansson at 907-786-6313 or mjohansson@alaska.edu.

Accommodation requests related to a disability should be made five business days in advance to Johansson. Language access services, such as interpretation or translation of vital information, will be provided free of charge to individuals with limited English proficiency upon request to amnorris2@alaska.edu.

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President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky said that soon in Germany, in the Ramstein format, Ukraine will discuss steps together with its allies and appropriate decisions will be made.

According to Ukrinform, the head of state said this in his evening address.

According to him, many tasks were accomplished during the visit to the United States.

The Head of State thanked President Biden for the largest support package ever - almost USD 8 billion. This includes weapons for the frontline, air defense for Ukrainian cities, and the expansion of the F-16 training mission.

Video: Office of the President

I presented the Victory Plan, and we agreed that we would soon discuss our steps with our allies in Germany in the Ramstein format. October is the time for decisions, Zelensky emphasized.

The President added that it was important for Ukraine to meet with both US presidential candidates.

The meeting with Kamala Harris - all the important accents were voiced, almost an hour-long conversation. The meeting with Donald Trump is our second meeting since the nineteenth of the year, and it is now so important. Thank you for your attention to the details of our Victory Plan, Zelensky emphasized.

He emphasized that life is based on principles and law when it cannot be destroyed by violence.

That is why unity is so important. The unity of allies, the unity of the world to stop Russia, this war and guarantee a real honest peace. The peace that Ukraine wants more than anyone else in the world, and which will definitely come, the head of state assured.

As Ukrinform previously reported, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky was on a visit to the United States, where he took part in high-level events of the UN General Assembly and held nearly three dozen meetings.

Photo: OP
Austria supports the reform of the UN Security Council, which would include expanding its composition and limiting the veto power of permanent members.

Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg said this in an interview with APA, seen by Ukrinform.

"The Security Council that we have now reflects the world of 1945. This is the world of the past. If we cannot change it, the UN will eventually lose its relevance. The Security Council should include African, Latin American, and Asian nations. And secondly, we must limit the veto and there must be a regular review process. If we reform now, we must be ready to review this in 50 years," he said.

According to Schallenberg, Austria wants "the UN to be relevant, effective, and efficient", but this is not the case at the moment.

"The UN is blocked. Be it in Ukraine, in the Middle East, or in African conflicts. If this prevails, then at some point the UN will lose its relevance. None of us can want that," the Austrian minister said.

Commenting on the fact that major powers, such as Russia or China, will not be satisfied with limiting their exclusive positions in the UN Security Council, Schallenberg stated that it is no longer possible to simply say "niet" (no  ed.) as every veto must be justified.

"There has already been a development where states have to justify their right to veto. It's not like before when you just said 'niet' and the story is over. So there is progress. Actually, I think Moscow, Washington, and other capitals realize: if they persistently reject reform, they will eventually find themselves at the helm of an organization that will become irrelevant," said the head of the Austrian Foreign Ministry.

As Ukrinform reported earlier, the UN General Assembly approved the main document of the Summit for the Future on September 22, despite the opposition from Russia, whose representative tried to put forward his amendments, threatening to snub the consensus document.

The 42-page Pact for the Future contains a list of countries' intentions for addressing global issues - from military conflicts and climate change to governing artificial intelligence and reforming the UN and global institutions.
This weeks White House Report Card may be the worst yet for President Joe Biden and his administration, a rare double F from our conservative and Democratic graders.

Pollster John Zogby wasted no words blasting Bidens wet noodle approach to the Middle East war. This week has been marked by a total foreign policy failure by the Biden administration, he wrote for our report card.

Conservative analyst Jed Babbin cited other blundering by the hard-to-find president, writing that he has the brainpower of a potato.

America's youngest voters turn right https://t.co/AeVlhui2dk

 JohnZogbyStrategies (@zogbystrategies)

Biden has been AWOL for weeks, even skipping his long naps on the Delaware beaches in his chaise lounge, where he spent a large chunk of his presidency before Democrats kicked him out of his reelection campaign.

Kamala Harris falsely accused CBP agents of whipping illegal immigrants and compared ICE to white supremacy, and now shes strutting around praising them and pretending she has their back.

Disgusting politics. pic.twitter.com/ex7UVGEkln

 Bonchie (@bonchieredstate)

He did find time to make his last address to the United Nations, which was mostly ignored, meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, though the war-time leader's meeting with former President Donald Trump won more headlines, and sign a largely ceremonial gun control order.

Meanwhile, Vice President Kamala Harris has been strutting on the campaign trail as if she were president, a scary thought to many. Her big move this week was to give a minutes-long photo op at the border, likely just to get some campaign advertising video. That was countered by a horrific new report that she and the president have overseen a border policy that let in 30,000 illegals linked to murders and rapes.

She did say something smart this week, though, as Babbin noted in his report. Harris said that it is time to move past the failed past four years of the Biden-Harris era.

John Zogby

Grade F

This week has been marked by a total foreign policy failure of the Biden administration.

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The president is supposed to be the head of the free world and all the superpower status and authority that allegedly accompanies that title.

In many ways, good riddance that we seem to not live in that world anymore. There are plenty of regional superpowers flexing their muscles and influence to challenge the U.S. But for America to sit idly by and allow the destruction of sections of Lebanon is not simply weakness. It is inhumane.

President Joe Bidens administration barely lashed with a wet noodle at the Israeli government that broke all kinds of international law in its asymmetric warfare in Gaza, enabled armed and fanatical illegal settlers to launch an ethnic-cleansing campaign in the West Bank, and now indiscriminately bomb southern Lebanon and Beirut.

Of course, Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran are culprits but the U.S. has done nothing but standby while allowing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whose only ideology is political survival, to launch a genocide on tens of thousands of innocent people. Where is Vice President Kamala Harris?

Jed Babbin

Grade: F

Campaign watchers were amused this week by Vice President Kamala Harriss statement that American voters need to move on from the "failed policies" that "we have proven don't work," in an address on the economy on Wednesday.

We do need to move on from the Biden policies  especially Bidenomics  which has wrecked the economy. Harris has endorsed Bidenomics and said theres more to do on it. That followed an equally correct statement by her running mate, Gov. Tim Walz, that we cant afford more years of this a few days earlier. Walz, for once, was correct.

Only the most brazenly false incumbent can run on a reform ticket, and thats exactly what Harris is doing. Are American voters dumb enough not to hold her responsible for the policies that she and President Joe Biden have pursued since 2020?

The Biden crews rhetoric on former President Donald Trump appears to be advocating his assassination. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said this week, in response to a question about womens rights and who would be the better protector, How did we get here? Lets extinguish him for good. As the two assassination attempts on Trump have proved, this sort of rhetoric can inspire crazies to take another shot at Trump. Maybe thats what the Democrats want.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was campaigning for Harris. He knows, or thinks he knows, that Trump will end aid to Ukraine if Trump is reelected in November. Both Biden and Harris met with Zelensky and promised undying support. All this comes after Russian President Vladimir Putins endorsement of Harris (which Putins spokesman now says was a joke).

Another joke (?) is Harriss new motto, forward together. Which, in Chinese, is gung ho, which has been the motto of the Chinese Communist Party since the days of Mao.

And Old Joe is still pretending to be in charge. In New York, he told a crowd, Welcome to Washington, and in Washington, he forgot who he was supposed to introduce  Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He has the brainpower of a potato, and the Democrats still leave him in power. Will the October Surprise be his removal and installation of the vice president as commander-in-chief?

SEE THE LATEST POLITICAL NEWS AND BUZZ FROM WASHINGTON SECRETS

John Zogby is the founder of the Zogby Survey and senior partner at John Zogby Strategies. His latest book, Beyond the Horse Race: How to Read Polls and Why We Should, was just released. His podcast with son and managing partner and pollster Jeremy Zogby can be heard here. Follow him on X @ZogbyStrategies.

Jed Babbin is a Washington Examiner contributor and former deputy undersecretary of defense in the administration of former President George H.W. Bush. Follow him on X @jedbabbin.
Several elite U.S. universities are receiving millions of dollars in financial support from fossil fuel companies, new research shows.

According to The Guardian, reports released Wednesday highlight six schools  American University, Columbia University, Cornell University, Princeton University, the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, and the University of California, San Diego. These reports were put together by student activists working with Campus Climate Network, a global student-led group pushing schools to cut ties with big oil.

To trace fossil fuel funding, the researchers dug into tax records, looked at university boards for members linked to the fossil fuel industry, and checked academic publications for conflict of interest statements, the outlet reported.

The full extent of fossil fuel funding remains murky, as most universities don't disclose their backers. However, a 2023 analysis by Data for Progress estimated fossil fuel companies have funneled at least $700 million to 27 U.S. universities over the past decade.

Some schools are pushing back against calls for transparency. And a 65-page federal report published earlier this year shows companies often attach strings to their grants, requiring academic cooperation.

For example, Princeton University has come under fire for its ties to Petrotiger, a British Virgin Islands-based oil company linked to bribery and corruption scandals. Notably, a number of its former executives were charged with plotting to bribe Colombian officials in order to obtain contracts. Despite Princeton's 2022 pledge to divest from certain fossil fuel companies, the school still received about $140 million from Petrotiger and another $70 million from other fossil fuel firms between 2013 and 2023, the students' research found.

Other reports shared by The Guardian showed that American University had received over $1 million from the fossil fuel sector in the past decade. Additionally, it took in around $1.41 million from the Koch Foundation, a philanthropic foundation owned by the petroleum company Koch Inc., which has a long history of challenging climate research.

Meanwhile, Columbia University has received nearly $44 million in funding from fossil fuel interests since 2005 and has published 784 papers with industry sponsorship, the reports found.
The chairwoman of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce had some strong words for Harvard University after the latest disciplinary records showed that the school allegedly failed to discipline students involved in pro-Palestine campus protests.

"Harvard failed, end of story," U.S. Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-N.C., said Thursday.

Between Oct. 7 and the establishment of an encampment on campus in the spring, Harvard did not formally punish any students for engaging in antisemitic behavior, including taking over a campus building or using bullhorns to interrupt classes, the committee found.

According to university documents released by the committee, Harvard referred 68 undergraduate students and six separate graduate schools for disciplinary action because of their involvement in the encampment. Out of those 68 students, the Harvard College Administrative Board overturned five initial suspensions and shortened probationary terms, leaving 52 in good standing, 15 on probation, and one on leave.

"These administrators failed their Jewish students and faculty; they failed to make it clear that antisemitism will not be tolerated, and in this case, Harvard may have failed to fulfill its legal responsibilities to protect students from a hostile environment," Foxx added.

The committee has threatened to withhold federal funding from Harvard several times since December, but on Thursday it explicitly accused the school of possibly violating Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, which prohibits institutions that receive federal assistance from discriminating based on race, color or national origin.

In a statement to the Harvard Crimson, a university spokesperson said the university has "updated and strengthened disciplinary procedures, allowing for common fact-finding in matters involving students across multiple schools."

"Harvard's leaders have made clear to the community our rules, norms, and expectations for civil dialogue and responsible conduct, and we unequivocally condemn antisemitism and all forms of hate and bias, which have no place in our community," the spokesperson added.

The committee has been particularly critical of Harvard's handling of antisemitism on campus, including the Harvard College Administrative Board's decision to decrease sanctions imposed on students who participated in the pro-Palestine encampment, as well as the inconsistent disciplinary procedures throughout the institution's many colleges.

The committee wrote that Harvard's graduate schools decided not to impose any "meaningful sanctions."

The group also condemned the university's decision to relaunch the Harvard Palestine Solidarity Committee as an official student club for the current term, following its suspension last semester.

Harvard hasn't made it clear yet if it will follow on the recommendations made by the committee.
(@FahadShabbir)

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 28th Sep, 2024) Chairman Kashmir Committee Rana Muhammad Qasim Noon Saturday reaffirmed Pakistan's commitment to a peaceful resolution of the Kashmir dispute, underscoring the need for a diplomatic solution aligned with the UN Charter and international law.

Prime Minister in his main speech at 79th session of UNGA has very effectively advocated the Kashmir cause warned India of strong response in case of any aggression towards Pakistan, he said while speaking to Radio Pakistan.

After the abrogation of special status of Kashmir on August 5, 2019, India is using different tactics to change the demography of Kashmir, he further mentioned.

He stressed that it is the responsibility of international community to take notice of Indian atrocities in occupied Kashmir and implement UN resolutions by giving right of plebiscite.

We also denounce the so-called elections being held in Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir because such measures can never pacify the oppressed Kashmiris who were stripped of their special status and rights by Indias constitutional terrorism on August 5, 2019, he added.

"Pakistan has always morally, politically and diplomatically supported the Kashmir cause and highlighted this issue on all international forums," he concluded.
(@ChaudhryMAli88)

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 28th Sep, 2024) To enhance bilateral ties and promote youth collaboration, Chairman of the Prime Minister's Youth Programme (PMYP) Rana Mashhood Ahmed Khan, met with the Ambassador of the Republic of South Korea, His Excellency Park ki Jun here on Saturday.

According to the PMYP office, the discussions focused on strengthening relations between Pakistan and South Korea, emphasising empowering the youth of both nations.

Both dignitaries expressed their mutual commitment to enhancing youth development initiatives during the meeting.

They discussed various strategies for youth engagement, skills development, and digital empowerment, particularly through educational and cultural exchange programs.

Chairman PMYP Rana Mashhood highlighted Pakistan's ongoing initiatives, including the Smart Pakistan Scheme and the National Innovation Award, which aim to equip the younger generation with essential tools for the future.

His Excellency Park ki Jun expressed keen interest in fostering greater cooperation in the areas of technology, culture, and education.

He also underscored the significance of building stronger ties through collaborative youth programs that can benefit both nations in areas such as innovation and entrepreneurship.

Both leaders expressed enthusiasm for the upcoming Korean Cultural Week, set to take place in October 2024 which aims to promote cultural exchange and deepen understanding between the two countries. The cultural week will include performances, exhibitions, and workshops that celebrate the rich cultural heritage of both Pakistan and South Korea.

Chairman Rana Mashhood Ahmed Khan reaffirmed Pakistan's commitment to expanding opportunities for youth collaboration, stating that the event will be a testament to the strong and growing relationship between the two countries.

"This is an exciting opportunity to not only celebrate our cultural ties but to also open new doors for the youth of both nations," he remarked.

The meeting concluded with both sides expressing optimism about the future of Pakistan-Korea relations, particularly in the field of youth empowerment.
(@ChaudhryMAli88)

KARACHI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 28th Sep, 2024) Chief Minister Sindh Syed Murad Ali Shah has said that journalism was playing its positive role contrary to such an environment in which social media had become the basis for the growth of false statements.

In a message on World News Day, he said that today, World News Day was being observed with the theme 'Choose Truth'.

The Chief Minister said that clickbait and sensationalism on social media had overwhelmed careful and verified information.

He said that news with research, verification and transparency improved the quality of journalism.

Murad said that choosing the truth in the news should be the commitment of journalists.

Access to verified news was mandatory to maintain the integrity of journalism, he said adding that it was the responsibility of a journalist and news agency to bring out the facts through news.

He further said that the Sindh government believed in freedom of press.
(@ChaudhryMAli88)

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 28th Sep, 2024) The World Right to Information Day here on Saturday is an occasion to reflect on the critical importance of the Right to Information (RTI) and the progress made and the issues faced in the implementation of the landmark legislation namely Right to Information Act-2017 was passed by the parliament over seven years ago.

In a statement today ex-senator Farhatullah Babar president Human Rights Cell of the PPPP said that democracy is not merely holding of periodic elections and political parties taking turns. It is a governance structure that rests on the pillars of rule of law, transparency, right to information and accountability.

The 18th Amendment introduced for the first time Article 19-A which states, Every citizen shall have the right to access to information in all matters of public importance subject to regulation.. Under it the RTI Act 2017 was enacted by the Parliament and Pakistan Information Commission also set up to address complaints against non compliance with the law.

He said that although great strides have been taken there are serious challenges in the implementation of the law. The Tosha Khan case exposing uncomfortable truths was the result of information disclosed under the RTI. Initially the Supreme Court declined to disclose information under it but later it graciously recognized a citizens right to information and willingly provided the information asked from it.

He said that under the law the parliament also is required to provide information but it has been reluctant.

Some years ago the senate secretariat refused to disclose information about the appointments in it and even an aborted attempt was made to exempt it from the RTI legislation.

Farhatullah Babar deplored that defene establishment has refused to comply with the law and even refused to comply with unambiguous orders by the independent Pakistan Information commission (PIC).

In one case, he said, the PIC even ordered that the information asked must be placed on its web site but in vain. The impunity with which it continues to defy the RTI law and the orders of the PIC is unsettling and does not shine any bright light on all those involved.

The President HR Cell of the PPP urged all media persons to make extensive use of the RTI law in the interest not only of democracy but also their professionalism.

There are more than 220 public and private universities in the country with more than 2 million students and tens of thousands of academics. If only 1% of them asked just one question under RTI once in two months the total number of disclosures made will exceed one hundred thousand a year. And if only 1% of the disclosures made revealed irregularities and corruption it will immeasurably serve the cause of transparency, accountability and democracy, he said.

Let today every citizen pledge to use the RTI tool to tear apart the shroud of secrecy and promote transparency, accountability and democracy without fear.
(@ChaudhryMAli88)

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 28th Sep, 2024) A two-day event titled "Nutrition Care Synergies Experience Sharing and Innovations Showcase" was held at Shah Abdul Latif University (SALU), Khairpur, by International Rescue Committee (IRC) in collaboration with Department of Health Sindh, Accelerated Action Plan Taskforce (AAP TF), Strengthening Participatory Organization (SPO) and Medical Emergency Resilience Foundation (MERF).

The Nutrition Exhibition and experience sharing event brought together experts and stakeholders from various government, UN, and International, national and local non-government organizations to discuss strategies, innovations, and experiences in combating malnutrition in Pakistan, a news release said.

Organized in the frame of the EU funded Project Strengthening Local Civil Society and Community-based Organisations and their Capacity in the Nutrition Sector in Sindh with the aim of fostering collaboration and learning, the event provided a platform for sharing best practices in nutrition care and service delivery.

The event featured keynotes and presentations from leading experts and community leaders, including representatives from the Department of Health Sindh, Accelerated Action Plan Taskforce (AAP TF), Lady Health Worker Department, PPHI, UNICEF, WHO, Agha Khan Health Service, Pakistan, VIAMO, Aga Khan University, IRC, SPO, MERF, SRSO and SIEHSs who deliberated on indigenous and innovative solutions. The event also provided opportunity to local civil society organizations, service departments, communities, youth and other humanitarian actors to share their experiences and learning around nutrition programming in Sindh. The event provided an opportunity to exchange learning through stalls from various organizations, CSOs, academia, theater performance, seminars and interaction with experts.

Speaking at the event, Mr Carlo De Rosa, Development Advisor for Rural Development and Nutrition at the EU delegation to Pakistan, noted that The exhibition highlights the critical need for synergy among all partners and Civil Society Organizations involved in nutrition programming. By sharing experiences and integrating innovative technologies, we can better address malnutrition." He further noted that the role of academic institutions is crucial in bringing forth innovative ideas and adds immense value to programming.

Dr Sahib Jan Badar, representing AAP TF presented an overview of Accelerated Action Plan Taskforce achievements and reaffirmed the support of Government of Sindh and stated The European Union funded CSO strengthening initiative is aligned with the Government of Sindh multi-sectoral Accelerated Action Plan for improved nutrition. Local CSOs are the heart and soul of our communities, and it is through their tireless efforts that we can collaboratively combat malnutrition.

Dr. Farhana Memon, Director Lady Health Worker Program highlighted the importance of nutrition among children and pregnant and lactating mothers and highlighted that now its time to deliver results with commitment.

She shared experiences in strengthening services and assured full support to combat malnutrition.

Vice Chancellor (SALU) Professor Dr. Yousuf Khushk applauded this initiative for bringing together diverse stakeholders to address the critical issue of malnutrition in Pakistan. He assured commitment to not only fostering research but also piloting academic courses on malnutrition to equip future generations with the knowledge and skills needed to combat this pressing challenge.

A panel discussion on leveraging technology to combat malnutrition through the innovations to access hard-to-reach areas and leveraging upon technology showcased on real-world experiences, shared insights from the field. In conjunction to the importance of tech solutions the IRC under EU funded project presented 250 Android Tablets for Strengthening Information Management System to PPHI Sindh.

The exhibition featured a range of interactive activities aimed at fostering collaboration and raising awareness about nutrition care. One of the key highlights was the exhibition of stalls and booths where participants from civil society organizations, UN agencies, I/NGOs, government departments, and private sector companies displayed their programming and services. This provided attendees with a comprehensive look at the diverse efforts being undertaken to address malnutrition.

Additionally, service and product demonstrations offered participants hands-on insights into nutrition-related services and innovations. These interactive sessions allowed attendees to explore practical solutions that could be implemented to improve nutrition care. Educational materials such as brochures and leaflets were also distributed to raise awareness and inform stakeholders about best practices in nutrition service delivery.

Dr Ranomanl Lohano, Program Coordinator at IRC, reflected on the need for community-driven solutions and said, "Malnutrition is a complex issue that requires not only technical interventions but also the engagement of local communities. Our work highlights the importance of grassroots involvement in tackling this crisis and ensuring sustainable improvements in health outcomes."

In Pakistan, the European Unions support to nutrition commenced with humanitarian assistance after the 2010 floods. Since 2013 this assistance has taken a long-term and sustainable perspective by assisting public departments to deliver nutrition services, within a clear and efficient policy framework. The EU assistance has greatly contributed to the improvement of nutrition. Through the EU supported Strengthening Local Civil Society and Community-based Organisations and their Capacity in the Nutrition Sector in Sindh Project, IRC, MERF and SPO are reinforcing the capacity of 15 local organizations through technical and financial support to foster policy dialogues aimed at informing policy makers with evidence-based findings to shape policies that ultimately help improve health and nutrition services for the most deserving communities.
ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 28th Sep, 2024) Senior All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) leader and Vice Chairman Jammu Kashmir National Front Altaf Hussain Wani has expressed his profound gratitude to Pakistan Prime Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif for raising the Kashmir issue in a befitting manner during his speech to the UN General Assembly.

In his statement issued here today, Wani said that the prime minister Sharif won hearts and minds of Muslims all around the world by highlighting the plight of Kashmiri and Palestinian people profusely at the highest forum.

He said that the speech not only reflected the true sentiments of the Kashmiri people but of the entire Muslim Ummah.

While praising Pakistan for its consistent support to Kashmir and Palestinian cause, the APHC leader said, "Pakistan has been a staunch supporter of the proposal for the creation of an independent Palestinian state, and a strong proponent of Kashmiris' right to self determination guaranteed to them by the international community.

"

Prime Minister Sharif's courageous stance on the issue of Kashmir, he said, "Amply demonstrated the Pakistans unwavering commitment towards the cause of Kashmir and its earnest desire to seek a just and peaceful settlement of the lingering dispute."

The people of Kashmir deeply appreciate Pakistans continued support and its efforts to seek an amicable solution to the Kashmir conflict , Wani said.

"Despite facing many daunting challenges, Pakistan has never shied away from advocating the Kashmiris legitimate cause at important world forums," he added.

He expressed the optimism that Pakistan would continue to extend its moral, political and diplomatic support to Kashmiris till they achieve their cherished goal of freedom from Indias illegal occupation.
(@FahadShabbir)

Madrid, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 28th Sep, 2024) A boat carrying migrants capsized off Spain's Canary Islands overnight, killing at least nine and leaving 48 missing, the national maritime rescue service said on Saturday.

Eighty-four people were on board and 27 were saved after rescuers responded to a distress call received shortly after midnight from off El Hierro, one of the islands in the Atlantic archipelago, a statement said.

This follows the death of 39 migrants in early September when their boat sank off Senegal while attempting a similar crossing to the Canaries, from where migrants hope to reach mainland Europe.

Thousands of migrants have died in recent years setting off into the Atlantic to reach Europe onboard overcrowded and often dilapidated boats.

The latest tragedy "again underlines the dangerousness of the Atlantic route", Canaries regional president Fernando Clavijo wrote on X.

"We need Spain and the EU to act decisively in the face of a structural humanitarian tragedy" as lives are lost "metres from Europe's southern border", he added.

In late August, Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez visited Mauritania and The Gambia to sign cooperation agreements to crack down on people smugglers while expanding pathways for legal immigration.

As of August 15, 22,304 migrants had reached the Canaries since the start of the year, up from 9,864 in the same period the previous year.

Almost 40,000 migrants entered the Canaries in 2023, a record on course to be broken this year as easier navigation conditions from September tend to lead to a spike in crossing attempts.

The Atlantic route is particularly deadly, with many of the crowded and poorly equipped boats unable to cope with the strong ocean currents. Some boats depart African beaches as far as 1,000 kilometres (620 miles) from the Canaries.

The International Organization for Migration, a UN agency, estimates that 4,857 people have died on this route since 2014.

Many aid organisations say that is a massive undercount, with Caminando Fronteras, a Spanish NGO that aids migrants, saying 18,680 have died trying to reach Europe.
Paris, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 28th Sep, 2024) Airlines should avoid Lebanese and Israeli airspace for the coming month, the European Union said Saturday, amid an escalation in air strikes and rocket fire between Israel and Hezbollah.

The European Commission and European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) warned in a statement of "an overall intensification of air strikes and degradation in the security situation".

They issued an official recommendation "not to operate within the airspaces of Lebanon and Israel at all flight levels".

Provisionally lasting until October 31, the Conflict Zone Information Bulletin (CZIB) "can be reviewed earlier and adapted or withdrawn", the statement added.

"EASA will continue to closely monitor the situation, with a view to assess whether there is an increase or decrease of risks for EU aircraft operators as a result of the evolution of the threat," the body said.
A Charles City woman is days away from realizing a yearslong dream of opening her own beauty salon, which will be made easier thanks to her $250,000 Iowa Lottery win.

"I couldn't believe it, I was just so nervous, like, 'We have all this! What are we going to do with it?'" stated Linsey Koenigs in a press release from the Iowa Lottery.

Koenigs, 39, split the $250,000 prize with two family members. Her father-in-law purchased their winning ticket at Kum & Go, 818 Iowa Highway 105 in Northwood. Koenigs claimed their prize Tuesday at the lottery's Mason City office, according to a press release.

The money comes at the perfect time for Koenigs, who is opening the Beard & Beauty Bar salon Oct. 1 in Charles City.

"I've been doing hair for 13 years, so I was like, I want to do my own thing," Koenigs said.

She said her share of the winnings will help pay for the many expenses that come with opening a new business.
(@FahadShabbir)

Beirut, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 28th Sep, 2024) A new Israeli strike hit a building in Hezbollah's south Beirut bastion Saturday, a Lebanese security official told AFP, after Israel earlier said it killed group leader Hassan Nasrallah during intense bombardment.

"A new Israeli strike targeted Beirut's southern suburbs," the official said, requesting anonymity to discuss sensitive matters.

The strike hit the second and third floors of a building, the official said.

In addition to bombardment on Hezbollah strongholds in Lebanon's south and east, Lebanon's National news Agency reported Saturday Israeli strikes outside the group's traditional bastions, including in the Keserwan area north of Beirut.

But Israel has in recent days shifted the focus of its operation from Gaza to Lebanon, where heavy bombing has killed hundreds and displaced around 118,000.
ISLAMABAD, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 28th Sep, 2024) The Pakistan Education academy (PEA) hosted its Academic Excellence Award Ceremony at the Oud Metha auditorium in Dubai to acknowledge the remarkable achievements of exceptional students and teachers.

In his keynote speech, the Chief Guest, Consul General of Pakistan Hussain Muhammad, praised the academic achievements of the students and teachers, emphasizing the importance of education in shaping future leaders, according to a press release received here.

He extended his heartfelt congratulations to the award-winning students and high-performing teachers, commending their dedication and hard work. He also acknowledged the unwavering support of families, friends, and faculty members in the success of the students.

During his address, the Consul General emphasized that the achievements recognized were only the beginning of a journey filled with limitless potential.

He encouraged the students to continue pursuing knowledge in a rapidly evolving world, driven by technological advances. He urged them to remain curious, keep learning, and become change-makers for a better future.

Hussain also underscored the value of education, stating that it equips individuals with the tools to create a more just, peaceful, and sustainable world. He reminded the students that true success is not only measured by personal accomplishments but also by the positive impact one has on others.

The event also featured an engaging cultural segment, where young school children performed on national songs of Pakistan.

The Consul General congratulated Muhammad Rashid Ashraf, Chairman of ETC Group, Hasan Hukal, Chairman of the PEAs Cultural board, Madam Shamaela Ahmad Principal, and the entire management of PEA for arranging the event for acknowledgment of hardworking teachers and students.
Beirut, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 28th Sep, 2024) Thousands of residents in Beirut's densely-packed southern suburbs camped out overnight in streets, public squares and makeshift shelters after Israel ordered them out before its jets attacked the Hezbollah stronghold.

"I expected the war to expand, but I thought it would be limited to (military) targets, not civilians, homes, and children," said south Beirut resident Rihab Naseef, 56, who spent the night in a church yard.

AFP photographers saw families spend the night in the open, scenes unheard of in Lebanon's capital since the Iran-backed Hezbollah and Israel last went to war in 2006.

"I didn't even pack any clothes, I never thought we would leave like this and suddenly find ourselves on the streets," Naseef said.

Israeli jets pounded Beirut's south and its outskirts throughout the night, and Beirut woke up to the aftermath of a night at war, smoke billowing from blazes in several places.

- 'What will happen?' -

"I'm anxious and afraid of what may happen. I left my home without knowing where I'm going, what will happen to me, and whether I will return," Naseef said.

Despite a night of intense strikes, the extent of the devastation and the casualty toll was still unclear early Saturday.

Hezbollah's Al-Manar television broadcast footage from southern Beirut that showed flattened buildings, streets filled with rubble and clouds of smoke and dust above the area known as Dahiyeh.

Israel on Friday said it attacked Hezbollah's south Beirut headquarters and weapons facilities.

Both Israeli and US media reported that Hezbollah's leader Hassan Nasrallah was the target, although a source close to the group said he was "fine".

The group has not officially confirmed that he is still alive.

Martyrs' Square, Beirut's main public space, was filled with exhausted and worried families camping out in the open.

"The bombing intensified at night and our house started shaking," said an angry Hala Ezzedine, 55, who slept in the square after fleeing the Burj al-Barajneh neighbourhood in Dahiyeh where strikes took place.

- 'Children's screams' -

"What did the (Lebanese) people do to deserve this?" she asked, adding that her home had been destroyed by Israeli strikes during the 2006 war.

"They want to wage war but what wrong did we do?" she said after nearly a year of cross-border violence between Israel and Hezbollah which says it is acting in support of its ally Hamas in Gaza.

"We don't have to go through what happened in Gaza," Ezzedine said of Israel's campaign against the Hamas-run Palestinian territory that has left more than 41,500 dead, according to the health ministry there.

Israel's military offensive came in response to Hamas's October 7 attack that resulted in the deaths of 1,205 people on Israeli side, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official figures that include hostages killed in captivity.

When Ezzedine began to criticise Hezbollah's actions, her husband quickly interrupted.

"We are patient, but we shouldn't be the only ones to pay this price," he said.

Hawra al-Husseini, 21, described a "very difficult night" after fleeing Dahiyeh to sleep in Martyrs' Square with her family.

"Missiles rained down over our home. I will never forget the children's screams," she told AFP.

"We're going back home (in the southern suburbs), but we're scared," she added.

"It's impossible to live in this country any more."
Sanaa, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 28th Sep, 2024) Yemen's Huthis said on Saturday that the killing of Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of their Lebanese ally Hezbollah, in an Israeli strike would strengthen their determination to confront "the Israeli enemy".

"The martyrdom of... Hassan Nasrallah will increase the flame of sacrifice, the heat of enthusiasm, the strength of resolve," said a statement from the leadership council of the Huthi rebels, vowing to achieve "victory and the demise of the Israeli enemy".
Russia's foreign minister reinforced the Kremlin's disagreements with the West in his United Nations General Assembly remarks Saturday and showed no interest in a genuine peace with Ukraine.

"I'm not going to talk here about the senselessness and the danger of the very idea of trying to fight to victory with a nuclear power, which is what Russia is," Sergey Lavrov said.

Earlier this week, Russian President Vladimir Putin revised his government's nuclear doctrine, in a clear attempt to discourage the West from lifting its restrictions on Ukraine using long-range weapons to strike inside Russian territory.

Lavrov dismissed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's 10-point peace formula as "doomed," and said a resolution of the conflict is not possible unless the root causes of the crisis, as Moscow sees them, are addressed.

The veteran diplomat also took the opportunity to repeat complaints about NATO, Washington, London and the European Union.

His speech came a few hours after Lebanese Hezbollah acknowledged the death of their leader, Hassan Nasrallah, following a series of targeted Israeli airstrikes in Beirut.

"We are particularly concerned by the now almost commonplace practice of political killings, as once again, took place yesterday in Beirut," he told the assembly.

At a news conference following his speech, Lavrov expressed concerns about a wider regional war.

"A lot of people say that Israel wants to create the grounds to drag the U.S. directly into this," he said. "And so, to create these grounds, is trying to provoke Iran and Hezbollah. So the Iran leadership, I think, are behaving extremely responsibly, and this is something that we should take due note of."

War in Ukraine

In February 2022, Russia and China declared a "no limits partnership," just days before President Putin launched his full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

The United States has repeatedly accused China of assisting the Kremlin with its war.

"China, another permanent member of this council, is the top provider of machine tools, microelectronics, and other items that Russia is using to rebuild, to restock, to ramp up its war machine and sustain its brutal aggression," U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Tuesday at a high-level U.N. Security Council meeting on Ukraine that President Zelenskyy attended.

Beijing denies the charge and has sought to distance itself publicly from Moscow on the war.

"The top priority is to commit to no expansion of the battlefield, no escalation of fighting, and no provocation by any party, and push for de-escalation of the situation as soon as possible," Foreign Minister Wang Yi told the General Assembly on Saturday.

Beijing says it is committed to playing "a constructive role" in ending the conflict.

China and 'multipolar world'

On the margins of the annual U.N. meetings, China and Brazil launched what they are calling the group of friends for peace for Ukraine, which includes several other countries from the global south.

In a sign of China's desire to be recognized as a global economic and political power, Wang said international relations should be "more democratic."

"Gone are the days when one or two major powers call the shots on everything," he said. "We should advocate an equal and orderly multipolar world and see that all countries, regardless of their size, have their own place and role in the multipolar system."

Wang also called for full U.N. membership for the Palestinians and urged implementation of a two-state solution.

"There must not be any delay in reaching a comprehensive cease-fire, and the fundamental way out lies in the two-state solution," he said.

Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi asked the assembly how the international community could believe Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's claim on Friday that "Israel yearns for peace."

"Yesterday, while he was here, Israel conducted an unprecedented, massive air attack on Beirut. Prime Minister Netanyahu wants the war to continue. We must stop that! I repeat, we must stop that! We must pressure Israel to come back to a political solution for a two-state solution," she said to much applause.

Saudi Arabia's foreign minister also expressed concern about regional stability following the escalation in Lebanon.

"We call on all parties to show wisdom and to show restraint in order to avoid a true war breaking out in the region," Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud said.
The Israeli strike that killed Hezbollah's Hassan Nasrallah was a "measure of justice" for victims of a four-decade "reign of terror," President Joe Biden said Saturday.

The comments came after Lebanon's Hezbollah group confirmed earlier Saturday that Nasrallah, one of the group's founders, was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Beirut the previous day.

Biden noted that the operation to take out Nasrallah took place in the broader context of the conflict that began with Hamas' massacre of Israelis on October 7, 2023.

"Nasrallah, the next day, made the fateful decision to join hands with Hamas and open what he called a 'northern front' against Israel," Biden said in a statement.

He also noted that Hezbollah under Nasrallah's watch has been responsible for the deaths of thousands of Americans, Israelis and Lebanese.

Hezbollah attacks against U.S. interests include the truck bombing of the U.S. Embassy and multinational force barracks in Beirut in 1983 and the kidnapping of the Central Intelligence Agency chief of station in Beirut, who died while held captive. The U.S. said Hezbollah leaders armed and trained militias that carried out attacks on U.S. forces during the war in Iraq.

The White House sees the death of Nasrallah as a huge blow to Hezbollah. At the same time, the administration has sought to tread carefully as it has tried to contain Israel's war with Hamas, which, like Hezbollah, is backed by Iran, from exploding into an all-out regional conflict.

The White House and Pentagon were quick Friday, shortly after the strike, to say publicly that Israel offered it no forewarning of the operation.

"President Biden and I do not want to see conflict in the Middle East escalate into a broader regional war," Vice President Kamala Harris said in a statement Saturday that echoed Biden's description of a "measure of justice." She added, "diplomacy remains the best path forward to protect civilians and achieve lasting stability in the region."

The confirmation of Nasrallah's death comes during a week that began with Biden's top national security aides working on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly to build support for a 21-day Israel-Hezbollah cease-fire that they hoped might also breathe new life into stalled efforts to secure a truce in Gaza.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered a defiant speech Friday to the United Nations, vowing to keep up operations against Hezbollah until tens of thousands of Israeli citizens displaced by rocket attacks can return home. Shortly after, Israel carried out the strike that killed Nasrallah.

Biden reiterated Saturday that he wants to see cease-fires both in Gaza and between Israel and Hezbollah.

"It is time for these deals to close, for the threats to Israel to be removed, and for the broader Middle East region to gain greater stability," Biden said.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian accused the United States of supporting the killing that took out Nasrallah and dozens of others.

"The world community will not forget that the order of the terrorist strike was issued from New York and the Americans cannot absolve themselves from complicity with the Zionists," Pezeshkian was quoted as saying in a statement read on Iranian state television.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Friday that China's words and actions regarding ending Russia's war on Ukraine do not "add up," as the Beijing government continues to allow Chinese companies to "fuel Russia's war machine."

The United States and China are planning a call between President Joe Biden and President Xi Jinping in the coming days, with China's material support for Russia in the war on Ukraine expected to be a key topic on the U.S. agenda.

Friday afternoon, Blinken held talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly in New York.

Ukraine

Following talks that lasted more than an hour, Blinken told reporters at a news conference that any peace plan to end Russia's war on Ukraine must be based on the principles of the U.N. Charter, particularly territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence.

"A peace in which the aggressor gets everything that it sought, and the victim does not have its rights upheld, is not a recipe for a lasting peace, and certainly not a just one," Blinken said when asked about a peace proposal by China and Brazil.

Earlier on Friday, China and Brazil pushed forward with efforts to rally developing countries behind a plan to end Russia's war in Ukraine, despite Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's rejection of the initiative, viewing it as favorable to Moscow's interests.

The meeting between Blinken and Wang came amid growing U.S. concerns over Chinese firms supplying semiconductor chips and drones to Moscow, which have significantly bolstered Russia's battlefield capabilities in its war against Ukraine.

Blinken said, "Roughly 70% of the machine tools that Russia's importing, coming from China, Hong Kong. Ninety percent of the microelectronics, from China, Hong Kong. And this is materially helping the Russians produce the missiles, the rockets, the armored vehicles, the munitions that they need to perpetuate the war, to continue their aggression."

In New York, Wang told reporters that China had discussed with other countries the importance of preventing escalation in Russia's war on Ukraine.

"Russia and Ukraine are neighbors that cannot be moved away from each other and amity is the only realistic option," Wang said, emphasizing that other nations should support an international peace conference involving Russia and Ukraine.

Taiwan

On Friday, Blinken said he also "emphasized the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait" during the meeting with his Chinese counterpart.

Rick Waters, former deputy assistant secretary of state for China and Taiwan, said the United States and China share an interest in maintaining diplomatic and military communication.

"You're not going to resolve disputes over Taiwan or the South China Sea in those channels, but I don't think either leader wants a military mishap to put them in a corner where they might have to contend with escalation or, even worse, conflict," Waters, now managing director of Eurasia Group's China practice, said in a recent interview with VOA.

The People's Republic of China (PRC) will celebrate its National Day on Tuesday, commemorating the founding of the country in 1949.

Taiwan celebrates October 10, known as "Double 10," as the anniversary of the founding of the Republic of China (ROC) in 1912. The Republic of China is Taiwan's formal name.

Taiwan has been self-ruled since 1949, when Mao Zedong's communists took power in Beijing after defeating Chiang Kai-shek's Kuomintang nationalists in a civil war, prompting the nationalists' relocation to the island.

PRC leaders usually carefully watch the speeches from leaders in Taiwan during its Double 10 celebrations.

Since Taiwan's democratically elected President Lai Ching-te took office in May, Beijing has increased military pressure against Taiwan. The PRC has deemed Lai a separatist.

U.S. officials have stressed to their Chinese counterparts that the more pressure China applies to Taiwan, the more it risks pushing Taiwan further away, according to sources familiar with recent diplomatic discussions between Washington and Beijing.

Analysts indicate they do not expect Lai to advocate for issues considered taboo by China in the coming months.

"Taiwan President Lai has been quite careful not to touch China's red lines in his public remarks since becoming the president of Taiwan," Dennis Wilder, senior fellow for the Initiative for U.S.-China Dialogue on Global Issues at Georgetown University, told VOA. "I would guess that he will try again to reach out to Beijing and do not expect him to push independence themes."

Wilder added, "The Chinese leadership came to the conclusion long ago that because of Lai's deep green background they would never be able to trust him. Thus, there is very little he can do, as was the case as well with former President Tsai [Ing-wen], to convince Beijing that they should improve cross-strait relations while he is in office." He was referring to Taiwans political coalition known for its pro-independence platform.

VOA's Mandarin Service contributed to this report.
China has urged Japan to maintain a "healthy and stable" relationship with Beijing after former Japanese Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba won the ruling Liberal Democratic Party's leadership race Friday.

Ishiba is set to become Japans next prime minister when Japanese lawmakers convene on October 1.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian told reporters Friday that the "sustained, sound and steady" development of China-Japan relations is in both countries interests, characterizing the path as "the only right choice."

China, he said, hopes Japan will "have an objective and right perception of China, take an active and rational China policy, take concrete efforts to comprehensively advance the strategic relationship of mutual benefit, and work with China to promote the sustained, sound and steady development" of bilateral relations.

Beijings remarks come amid rising tension between China and Japan. China has increased the frequency of its military activities in waters and airspace near Japan in recent weeks, sailing its aircraft carrier Liaoning through the "contiguous zone" near Japans westernmost island of Yonaguni on September 18 and conducting large-scale military exercises near the Sea of Japan.

Meanwhile, a Japanese battleship sailed through the Taiwan Strait for the first time Wednesday, prompting Beijing to reiterate its strong opposition to such "freedom of navigation" operations.

Japan also expressed concern after China test-fired an intercontinental ballistic missile into the Pacific Ocean for the first time in 40 years Wednesday. The Japanese government said Beijing did not notify it before the missile test and described Chinas increasing military activity in the region as "a serious concern."

Analysts say the Chinese Foreign Ministry statement shows Beijing remains cautious about Ishibas stance on relations with China.

"Beijing is very cautious and concerned about Ishibas stance because he has been very assertive and hardline about Japans security policy," Kyoko Hatakeyama, an international relations professor at the University of Niigata Prefecture, said in a phone interview with VOA.

Before Fridays leadership election, Ishiba proposed the creation of an "Asian NATO," which he said could pave the way for a nuclear-sharing arrangement among like-minded countries or a return of U.S. nuclear tactical weapons to the Indo-Pacific region.

During a live debate held by Japans Fuji News Network on September 22, Ishiba said it is time to allow Japans Self-Defense Forces to fire warning shots at foreign forces intruding Japans territorial airspaces and waters.

Hatakeyama said Ishiba would likely continue to deepen Japans defense and security relationship with like-minded democracies, including the United States, South Korea, Australia, and the Philippines.

Unlike outgoing Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, she said, Ishiba wants Japan to have more autonomy in shaping its security policies.

"He thinks its not good for Japan to follow Washingtons lead and he believes Japan should become more independent in working with other like-minded countries in the region," Hatakeyama told VOA by phone.

Some Chinese analysts say Beijing should keep an eye on Ishibas policies toward China, based on his previous remarks and proposals.

"China needs to stay alert to Ishiba as he reportedly had called for creation of an 'Asian NATO' by combining the U.S.-Japan alliance and U.S.-South Korea alliance," Da Zhigang, director of the Institute of Northeast Asian Studies at Chinas Heilongjiang Provincial Academy of Social Sciences, told Chinas state-run tabloid Global Times.

Xiang Haoyu, a research fellow at the China Institute of International Studies, told Global Times he expects Japan to keep using "the Taiwan question" and its alignment with the U.S. to "contain China."

While Ishiba will likely uphold Japans current defense and security policies, some experts say he may also seek to adjust Tokyos overall policies toward China.

"In his recently released book, Ishiba said some members of the Japanese government play up the idea of the China threat and the need for more military without really explaining them to the Japanese people," Jeffrey Hall, an expert on Japan studies at Kanda University of International Studies.

He said while Ishiba has highlighted the need for Japan to maintain deterrence against China, the incoming Japanese prime minister will try to put less emphasis on threats by China to help Japan avoid "a security dilemma."

"He has many big ideas about it, but in the next year, he will continue foreign policy as it was under Kishida," Hall told VOA in a video interview.

While Ishiba may seek to adjust Japans policies toward China, Hall said he will also continue Tokyos approach of maintaining close relations with Taiwan, as it did under Kishida and deceased former prime minister Shinzo Abe.

"Ishibas visit to Taiwan in August was strategically timed because he wanted to show conservatives in Japan that he would stand with Taiwan if he becomes prime minister," he told VOA, adding that Ishiba will not sacrifice commitment to Taiwan for the sake of friendlier relations with China.

Despite the heightened tension between Japan and China, caused mainly by Beijings military actions and the death of a 10-year-old Japanese boy in the Chinese city of Shenzhen, Hatakeyama said Tokyo and Beijing will both try to play a balancing act in managing bilateral relations in the near future.

"China has recently agreed to gradually resume imports of Japanese seafood and Japans Cabinet Office didnt declare the Japanese warships passage through the Taiwan Strait, which signals that Tokyo and Beijing both want to prevent bilateral tensions from further escalating," she told VOA.
 Flash

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, meets with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session in New York, Sept. 27, 2024. (Xinhua/Li Rui)



Instead of having it both ways by seeking containment on one hand and requesting cooperation on the other, the United States should derive its China policy from a rational perception about China, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in New York on Friday.

"The United States should not always approach China with two faces: On the one hand encircling and suppressing China brazenly, and on the other hand, having dialogue and cooperation with China as if nothing is wrong," said Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee.

"Since the United States has expressed multiple times that it has no intention to have conflict with China, then fundamentally, it needs to establish a rational perception of China, and find the right way to get along with it," said the veteran Chinese diplomat.

"The United States needs to carry out dialogue with respect, advance cooperation in the spirit of reciprocity, and address differences with great prudence, rather than act willfully as it sees fit from a position of strength or use previous mistakes as excuses to make more mistakes," Wang said on the sidelines of the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly.

On the Taiwan question, Wang said that "if the United States truly hopes to see peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, it should abide by the one-China principle, implement the three China-U.S. Joint Communiques, stop arming Taiwan, publicly oppose 'Taiwan independence,' and support the peaceful reunification of China."

Wang went on to say that China "is firmly opposed to U.S. suppression in trade and technology," and that China "will never accept finger-pointing by human rights preachers, still less interference in China's internal affairs under the pretext of human rights."

Highlighting the importance of people-to-people exchanges between China and the United States, Wang urged the U.S. side to "remove obstacles with real actions."

Wang articulated China's firm position on the South China Sea issue. He said that China remains committed to resolving differences through dialogue and consultation with countries directly concerned.

The United States should not stir up trouble in the South China Sea, or undermine regional countries' efforts to safeguard peace and stability there, Wang added.

On the Ukraine issue, Wang said China's position is aboveboard. China has been committed to promoting talks for peace and has been making its efforts toward peaceful settlement.

The United States should stop smearing, scapegoating and arbitrarily imposing sanctions on China, and stop using this issue to create antagonism and incite camp-based confrontation, Wang said.

The two sides agreed that the meeting was candid and substantive, and that China and the United States need to find a way to live alongside one another in peace in the indefinite future.

The two sides will continue to implement the important common understandings of the two presidents in San Francisco in last November, engage in dialogue and cooperation, and properly manage differences to work toward stable, healthy and sustainable development of bilateral relations.

The two sides agreed to maintain communication on international and regional hotspot issues, and hold a new round of consultations on Asia-Pacific affairs in due course.
Bunuel

Because migrant workers are typically not hired by any one employer for longer than a single season, migrant workers can legally be paid less than the minimum hourly wage that the government requires employers to pay all their permanent employees. Yet most migrant workers work long hours each day for eleven or twelve months a year and thus are as much full-time workers as are people hired on a year-round basis. Therefore, the law should require that migrant workers be paid the same minimum hourly wage that other full-time workers must be paid.



The pattern of reasoning displayed above most closely parallels that displayed in which one of the following arguments?





(A) Because day-care facilities are now regulated at the local level, the quality of care available to children in two different cities can differ widely. Since such differences in treatment clearly are unfair, day care should be federally rather than locally regulated.



(B) Because many rural areas have few restrictions on development, housing estates in such areas have been built where no adequate supply of safe drinking water could be ensured. Thus, rural areas should adopt building codes more like those large cities have.



(C) Because some countries regulate gun sales more strictly than do other countries, some people can readily purchase a gun, whereas others cannot. Therefore, all countries should cooperate in developing a uniform international policy regarding gun sales.



(D) Because it is a democratic principle that laws should have the consent of those affected by them, liquor laws should be formulated not by politicians but by club and restaurant owners, since such laws directly affect the profitability of their businesses.



(E) Because food additives are not considered drugs, they have not had to meet the safety standards the government applies to drugs. But food additives can be as dangerous as drugs. Therefore, food additives should also be subject to safety regulations as stringent as those covering drugs.

OFFICIAL EXPLANATION

(E) Yes.

(A) No. The point of the passage is that although migrant workers do not meet the exact criteria for being full-time employees they work as much as full-time employees and therefore should receive some of the same benefits. However, nothing in this answer choice indicates that locally regulated day-care facilities are essentially the same as some other type of federally regulated facility.(B) No. The point of the passage is that although migrant workers do not meet the exact criteria for being full-time employees they work as much as full-time employees and therefore should receive some of the same benefits. However, nothing in this answer choice indicates that the building codes of larger cities are determined by other authorities (e.g., country, state) which also have authority over rural towns.(C) No. The point of the passage is that although migrant workers do not meet the exact criteria for being full-time employees they work as much as full-time employees and therefore should receive some of the same benefits. However, nothing in this answer choice indicates that the different counties have the same reasons for regulating gun sales.(D) No. The point of the passage is that although migrant workers do not meet the exact criteria for being full-time employees they work as much as full-time employees and therefore should receive some of the same benefits. This answer-choice does not indicate that club and restaurant owners are treated differently from other parties with whom these owners share some essential characteristic.The point of the passage is that although migrant workers do not meet the exact criteria for being full-time employees they work as much as full-time employees and therefore should receive some of the same benefits. Similarly, the point of this answer-choice is that although food additives do notmeet the exact criteria for being drugs they can be as dangerous as drugs and therefore should be regulated in the same way._________________
China 's Foreign Minister Wang Yi warned Saturday against the expansion of the war in Ukraine, which has accused Beijing of assisting Russia in its war.

Kyiv has been particularly scornful of Beijing's calls for talks to resolve the conflict, but Wang reiterated China 's offer to help broker an end to fighting.

The top priority is to commit to no expansion of the battlefield, no escalation of fighting, and no provocation by any party, and push for de-escalation of the situation as soon as possible, he told the U.N. General Assembly.

"China is committed to playing a constructive role, engaging in shuttle mediation and promoting talks for peace, not throwing oil on the fire or exploiting the situation for selfish gains."

Wang also called for an immediate cease-fire in the fighting between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, but only noted the resumption of fighting in Lebanon without commenting on the death of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed in an Israeli strike.

There must not be any delay in reaching a comprehensive cease-fire, and the fundamental way out lies in the two-state solution, Wang said.

"China has always been a staunch supporter of the just cause of the Palestinian people to regain their legitimate national rights, and a staunch supporter of Palestine's full U.N. membership."
Satellite imagery showed that Chinas newest nuclear-powered attack submarine sank alongside a pier while under construction, a senior U.S. defense official said Thursday.

The sinking of China's first Zhou-class submarine represents a setback for Beijing as it continues to build out the world's largest navy. Beijing has become increasingly assertive in pursuing its claim to virtually the entire South China Sea, which is crucial to international trade.

Meanwhile, China faces longtime territorial disputes involving others in the region including Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam. The United States has sought to strengthen ties to its allies in the region and regularly sails through those waters in operations it says maintains the freedom of navigation for vessels there, angering Beijing.

The submarine likely sank between May and June, when satellite images showed cranes that would be necessary to lift it off the bottom of the river, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to provide details about the submarine loss.

China has been building up its naval fleet at a breakneck pace, and the U.S. considers Chinas rise one of its main future security concerns.

A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Friday he was not familiar with the topic and did not provide any information when asked about it at a Beijing press conference.

The U.S. official said it was not surprising that China's navy would conceal it. The submarine's current status is unknown.

The identification of the sunken nuclear submarine was first reported by The Wall Street Journal. Thomas Shugart, a former U.S. Navy submariner and an analyst at the Center for a New American Security, first noticed the incident involving the submarine in July, though it wasnt publicly known at the time that it involved the new Zhou-class vessel.

Satellite images from Planet Labs PBC analyzed by The Associated Press show what appears to be a submarine docked at the Shuangliu shipyard on the Yangtze River before the incident.

An image taken June 15 appears to show the submarine either fully or partially submerged just under the rivers surface, with rescue equipment and cranes surrounding it. Booms surround it to prevent any oil or other leaks from the vessel.

A satellite image taken August 25 shows a submarine back at the same dock as the submerged vessel. It's not clear if it was the same one.

It remains unclear if the affected submarine had been loaded with nuclear fuel or if its reactor was operating at the time of the incident. However, there has been no reported release of radiation in the area in the time since.

China as of last year operated six nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines, six nuclear-powered attack submarines and 48 diesel-powered attack submarines, according to a U.S. military report.

News of the submarine's sinking comes as China this week conducted a rare launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile into international waters in the Pacific Ocean. Experts say it marked the first time Beijing had conducted such a test since 1980.
Massive rains from powerful Hurricane Helene left people stranded, without shelter and awaiting rescue, as the cleanup began from a tempest that killed at least 64 people, caused widespread destruction across the U.S. Southeast and knocked out power to millions of people.

"I've never seen so many people homeless as what I have right now," said Janalea England of Steinhatchee, Florida, a small river town along the state's rural Big Bend, as she turned her commercial fish market into a storm donation site for friends and neighbors, many of whom couldn't get insurance on their homes.

Helene blew ashore in Florida's Big Bend region as a Category 4 hurricane late Thursday with winds of 225 kph.

From there, it quickly moved through Georgia, where Gov. Brian Kemp said Saturday that it "looks like a bomb went off" after viewing splintered homes and debris-covered highways from the air. Weakened, Helene then soaked the Carolinas and Tennessee with torrential rains, sending creeks and rivers over their banks and straining dams.

Western North Carolina was isolated because of landslides and flooding that forced the closure of Interstate 40 and other roads. All those closures delayed the start of the East Tennessee State University football game against The Citadel because the Buccaneers' drive to Charleston, South Carolina, took 16 hours.

There have been hundreds of water rescues, none more dramatic than in rural Unicoi County in East Tennessee, where dozens of patients and staff were plucked by helicopter from a hospital rooftop Friday. And the rescues continued into the following day in Buncombe County, North Carolina, where part of Asheville was under water.

"To say this caught us off guard would be an understatement," said Quentin Miller, the county sheriff.

Asheville resident Mario Moraga said it was "heartbreaking" to see the damage in the Biltmore Village neighborhood and neighbors have been going house to house to check on each other and offer support.

"There's no cell service here. There's no electricity," he said.

While there have been deaths in the county, Emergency Services Director Van Taylor Jones said he wasn't ready to report specifics, partially because downed cell towers hindered efforts to contact next of kin. Relatives put out desperate pleas for help on Facebook.

The storm, now a post-tropical cyclone, was expected to hover over the Tennessee Valley on Saturday and Sunday, the National Hurricane Center said.

It unleashed the worst flooding in a century in North Carolina. One community, Spruce Pine, was doused with over 0.6 meters of rain from Tuesday through Saturday.

And in Atlanta, 28.24 centimeters of rain fell over 48 hours, the most the city has seen over two days since record keeping began in 1878.

President Joe Biden said Saturday that Helene's devastation has been "overwhelming" and pledged to send help. He also approved a disaster declaration for North Carolina, making federal funding available for affected individuals.

With at least 25 killed in South Carolina, Helene is the deadliest tropical cyclone for the state since Hurricane Hugo killed 35 people when it came ashore just north of Charleston in 1989. Deaths also have been reported in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and Virginia.

Moody's Analytics said it expects $15 billion to $26 billion in property damage. AccuWeather's preliminary estimate of the total damage and economic loss from Helene in the U.S. is between $95 billion and $110 billion.

Evacuations began before the storm hit and continued as lakes overtopped dams, including one in North Carolina that forms a lake featured in the movie Dirty Dancing. Helicopters were used to rescue some people from flooded homes.

Among the 11 confirmed deaths in Florida were nine people who drowned in their homes in a mandatory evacuation area on the Gulf Coast in Pinellas County, Sheriff Bob Gualtieri said.

None of the victims were from Taylor County, which is where the storm made landfall. It came ashore near the mouth of the Aucilla River, about 30 kilometers northwest of where Hurricane Idalia hit last year at nearly the same ferocity.

Taylor County is in Florida's Big Bend, went years without taking a direct hit from a hurricane. But after Idalia and two other storms in a little over a year, the area is beginning to feel like a hurricane superhighway.

"It's bringing everybody to reality about what this is now with disasters," said John Berg, 76, a resident of Steinhatchee, a small fishing town and weekend getaway.

Climate change has exacerbated conditions that allow such storms to thrive, rapidly intensifying in warming waters and turning into powerful cyclones sometimes in a matter of hours.

Helene was the eighth named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, which began June 1. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has predicted an above-average season this year because of record-warm ocean temperatures.
U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris walked a scrubby stretch of fence line along Arizona's border with Mexico on Friday, seeking to project an image of strength against illegal migration as she confronts one of her biggest vulnerabilities in the November election.

In her first trip to the international boundary since becoming the Democratic presidential nominee, Harris chatted with local Border Patrol leaders as they strode along a rust-colored stretch of wall built during Barack Obama's presidency. Temperatures in Douglas, Arizona, neared 37.7 degrees Celsius during a conversation that lasted about half an hour.

"They've got a tough job, and they need, rightly, support to do their job," Harris said of the Border Patrol as she entered the Douglas port of entry for a briefing on efforts to block the flow of fentanyl across the border. "They are very dedicated. And so I'm here to talk with them about what we can continue to do to support them. And also thank them for the hard work they do."

Later, she was expected to call for further tightening asylum restrictions, moving beyond President Joe Biden's policy on an issue where her rival, former President Donald Trump, has an edge with voters. Hundreds of people packed into a gymnasium to hear her speak.

Trump and his fellow Republicans have pounded Harris relentlessly over the Biden administration's record on migration and fault the vice president for spending little time visiting the border during her time in the White House.

Harris will outline her plan to crack down further on asylum claims and keep the restrictions in place longer compared with the executive order that Biden signed this summer, according to a campaign official who spoke on condition of anonymity because Harris had not yet made the announcement. The official briefed reporters aboard Air Force 2 en route to Arizona.

Harris arrived by helicopter in Douglas, where she met with Mayor Donald Huish, Cochise County Sheriff Mark Dannels and County Supervisor Ann English, along with Senator Mark Kelly and Attorney General Kris Mayes.

Immigration and border security are top issues in Arizona, the only battleground state that borders Mexico and one that contended with a record influx of asylum-seekers last year. Voters favor Trump on migration, and Harris has gone on offense to improve her standing on the issue and defuse a key line of political attack for Trump.

In nearly every campaign speech she gives, Harris recounts how a sweeping bipartisan package aiming to overhaul the federal immigration system collapsed in Congress earlier this year after Trump urged top Republicans to oppose it.

"The American people deserve a president who cares more about border security than playing political games," Harris plans to say, according to an excerpt of her remarks previewed by her campaign.

After the immigration legislation stalled, the Biden administration announced rules that bar migrants from being granted asylum when U.S. officials deem that the southern border is overwhelmed. Since then, arrests for illegal border crossings have fallen.

Harris will also use her trip to remind voters about her work as attorney general of California in confronting crime along the border. During an August rally in Glendale, outside Phoenix, she talked about helping to prosecute drug- and people-smuggling gangs that operated transnationally and at the border.

"I prosecuted them in case after case, and I won," Harris said then.

The vice president's trip to Douglas thrusts the issue of immigration into the brightest spotlight yet less than six weeks before Election Day.

Trump didn't wait for her to arrive there before pushing back. He pointed Friday to purported data about criminals entering the U.S. illegally in a bid to link Harris to violent crimes committed by migrants. In a scathing diatribe, he said "blood is on her hands."

"These are hard, tough, vicious criminals that are free to roam in our country," Trump said at a manufacturing plant in Michigan.

Earlier in the week, he told voters that "when Kamala speaks about the border, her credibility is less than zero."

The Trump campaign has also countered with its own TV ads deriding the vice president as a failed "border czar."

"Under Harris, over 10 million illegally here," said one spot. However, estimates on how many people have entered the country illegally since the start of the Biden administration in 2021 vary widely.

Harris also never held the position of border czar. Instead, her assignment was to tackle the "root causes" of migration from three Central American nations  El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras  that were responsible for a significant share of border crossers.

The vice president took a long-term approach to an immediate problem, helping persuade multinational corporations and Latin American businesses to invest in the region. That, she argued, would create jobs and give locals more reasons to stay home rather than take the arduous trek north.

Still, Trump has continued to decry an "invasion" of border crossers.

Douglas, where Harris appeared, is an overwhelmingly Democratic border town in GOP-dominated Cochise County, where the Republicans on the board of supervisors are facing criminal charges for refusing to certify the 2022 election results. Trump was in the area last month, using a remote stretch of border wall and a pile of steel beams to draw a contrast between himself and Harris on border security.

The town of 16,000 people has strong ties to its much larger neighbor, Agua Prieta, Mexico, and a busy port of entry that's slated for a long-sought upgrade. Many locals are as concerned with making legal border crossings more efficient as they are with combatting illegal ones.
Lebanese media is reporting that Hezbollah has named its deputy leader, Naim Qassim, to succeed Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed after Israeli planes bombed the organization's headquarters in Beirut's southern suburbs Friday.

It wan't clear if the interim appointment would be revised, amid reports that another Hezbollah leader, Hashim Safieddine, is seeking the position.

Hezbollah officially announced the death of its veteran leader Hassan Nasrallah on Saturday, after initially denying reports that he had been killed Friday in an Israeli attack on the group's bunker in Beirut's southern suburbs.

Iran's Revolutionary Guard also told Iranian media that Quds Force Deputy Commander Abbas Niloforoshan was killed alongside Nasrallah and several other top Hezbollah commanders, including the group's rocket expert, Ali Karaki, during the Israeli bomb attack Friday.

Iranian media reported that Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was moved to a more secure location, amid fears that Israel might target him, as well. Israel assassinated Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran in August.

More than 200,000 Lebanese reportedly have fled their homes in parts of the country to escape possible Israeli attacks, and many are sleeping in parks and outdoor locations according to Lebanese media.

UNHCR head Filippo Grandi wrote in a post on social media platform X that 20,000 Lebanese also have fled to Syria. Lebanese media showed video of the Syrian border post along the highway from Beirut to Damascus overwhelmed by Lebanese and Syrians fleeing Lebanon.

Lebanese Health Minister Firaas Abiad told hospitals in Beirut and north of the capital "not to take unessential cases during the next week" in order to deal with the current wave of casualties from Israeli attacks.

Abiad also told Arab media that Lebanon has a four-month supply of medicine and other hospital necessities to deal with the current emergency but that it was requesting aid from other countries to deal with possible shortages.

The Lebanese army reportedly has deployed in many parts of the country that have been Hezbollah strongholds in recent years, but it wasn't clear if the government received a green light from the group to do so.
World leaders meeting in New York this week for the U.N. General Assembly were contending with multiple escalating global conflicts. Israeli Prime Minister vowed to continue targeting Hezbollah militants in Lebanon, dimming hopes for a ceasefire and raising fears it could spiral into an all-out regional war. The speech came a day after Palestinian President Abbas urged the UN to stop the war in Gaza, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy traveled to New York to sit down with Former President Donald Trump after meetings with President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.
Israel and Iran traded barbs at the United Nations General Assembly meetings this week, with each accusing the other of responsibility for the deadly violence in Lebanon and Gaza.

While each side pressed its case in strong language, Irans framing distorts what precipitated the Israel-Hamas war and whitewashes Tehrans decadeslong effort to destroy the state of Israel via proxy forces.

In his speech to the assembly Friday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed what he called "the lies and slanders leveled at my country by many of the speakers at this podium."

Netanyahu said Iran, not Israel, was responsible for the ongoing war in Gaza. He vowed to "continue degrading Hezbollah until all our objectives are met," and warned Tehran there is no place in the Middle East "that the long arm of Israel cannot reach."

Irans state officials and allies of the country voiced narratives at the United Nations painting Tehran as a constructive force "in the evolving global order" and Israel as an aggressor and an outcast.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian used the General Assembly platform to accuse Israel of portraying what he called "genocide" against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip as "legitimate self-defense."

By contrast, he claimed Iranian foreign policy was intended to "safeguard its own security" and "not to create insecurity for others."

Addressing an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council on September 26, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Israel "does not deserve membership in the U.N."

He claimed Israel had driven the Middle East to "the brink of a broader conflict" due to its "aggression and heinous crimes against nations of the region."

"Now more than ever, Israel has become a serious threat to international peace and security," Araghchi said.

Reporting on Araghchis comments, Irans state-run Press TV framed Israels incursion into the Gaza Strip as a "brutal military onslaught against the coastal sliver."

While Iran accuses Israel of being the aggressor force, the war in the Gaza Strip started when militants from Hamas, Islamic Jihad and other groups attacked towns and settlements in southern Israel, killing 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking some 250 hostages.

Iran has provided Hamas and Islamic Jihad with weapons, funding and training.

A day after the October 7 attack, Hezbollah began launching missiles into Israel, often into residential neighborhoods. Those actions have displaced tens of thousands of Israelis.

Hezbollah, an Iran-backed Shiite Muslim political party and militant group, has been instrumental in the decadeslong Iran-Israel proxy conflict and the Israel-Lebanon conflict, including the 2006 Lebanon War, during which it launched indiscriminate attacks against Israeli civilians.

The Wall Street Journal, citing senior members of Hamas and Hezbollah, reported on October 8, 2023, that Iran helped plot the Hamas attack, and gave a "green light for the assault."

Iran denies it played any role in the October 7 events.

On September 26, CNNs Christiane Amanpour asked Javad Zarif, Iran's vice president for strategic affairs, if he supported Hamas October 7 attack on civilians. Zarif replied that "nobody supports actions against civilians" but added that "history did not start on October 7."

He continued, " its not for us to decide whether the price that the Palestinians are paying is worth the fight."

Irans support for anti-Israel forces extends beyond Israels immediate neighbors.

The Houthis, a Shiite Islamist political and military organization in Yemen, has also targeted Israel. Houthi attacks have paralyzed vital world commercial traffic in the Red Sea since the Israel-Hamas war began.

On September 26, Reuters, citing U.N. sanctions monitors, reported that Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps had helped the Houthi rebels grow "from a localized armed group with limited capabilities to a powerful military organization."

The Revolutionary Guards external operations arm, the IRGC-Quds Force, has been instrumental in supporting this so-called "axis of resistance," which by some estimates entails over 100 Shiite militias sowing instability throughout the Middle East.

The multipronged attack Israel is facing reflects what Israeli leaders and analysts have described as Irans "ring of fire"  an Iranian-backed network of militias based in states surrounding Israel.

This ring of fire allows Iran to strike Israel via proxies, while maintaining plausible deniability. The level of influence Tehran maintains over these groups it spent billions of dollars creating is unclear, and analysts argue the militant groups risk dragging Iran into a war with Israel.

Israel has faced legitimate criticism for the rising casualties of its military operations in Gaza, with the death toll reaching 41,534 people as of September 26.

These death statistics come from the Hamas-run health ministry and have not been independently verified. The ministry does not distinguish between combatant and civilian deaths.

Likewise, Lebanese officials say 700 people have been killed amid Israels intensifying bombing campaign since September 23.

International Criminal Court, or ICC, Prosecutor Karim Khan is seeking arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, as well as several Hamas leaders, for crimes against humanity.

Israel has questioned the ICCs jurisdiction in the proceedings, claiming they have not been given the opportunity to investigate the allegations. Israel is not a state party to the ICC, which is a court of last resort, meaning it can only exercise its jurisdiction when the accused country will not or cannot investigate the alleged crimes.

On September 20, Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesperson Oren Marmorstein said Israel remains committed to the rule of law but would also "continue to defend its citizens" against attacks from Hamas and "Irans other terrorist arms."
Media watchdogs and journalists in Kazakhstan have raised fears that new regulations governing reporters, adopted outside a new media law, leave room for authorities to obstruct access to information and limit journalists ability to work.

President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed the media law in June, expanding the definition of media subject to the law to include internet resources without specifying what that means. Many journalists distribute information on such channels as Telegram, YouTube and Facebook, which are separate from their accredited outlets.

The law allows the Culture and Information Ministry, which oversees media, to set the rules for accrediting journalists. The regulations, which came into force last month, limit journalists to publishing information in outlets to which they are accredited, preventing them from publishing it in other outlets, and require them to comply with new and unspecified rules and regulations established by accrediting organization.

Two violations of the rules can lead to suspension of accreditation for six months.

Any document adopted by a government body, including the Ministry of Culture and Information, undergoes legal expert examination. This means all provisions, all points, comply with the constitution and dont contradict laws, Culture and Information Minister Aida Balayeva told journalists this month after they raised concerns over the legality of the new regulations.

When we see that we drift away from the topic of a press briefing and, in fact, our briefings and news conferences shift to some other planes  when there is improper behavior by journalists  here we need regulation, she said.

Astana-based freelance journalist Tamara Vaal, who writes for the countrys leading vlast.kz news site and other outlets, said in a Facebook post that the rules are a violation of the constitution, direct censorship and a ban on the trade of journalist.

In addition, she said, what the ministry is doing is nothing but ultimately killing the profession  journalists in Kazakhstan frequently must supplement their regular income with work for outlets other than the news organizations to which they are accredited.

Not only do these rules ban us from raising additional income, but also they deprive us of our job because just two violations of rules and regulations and you lose your accreditation for six months, Vaal told VOA.

Vaal said in her post that journalists write for several outlets because they want to have children, save up for home and live a life at the end of the day, but this is not possible, unfortunately, on just one wage.

Vaal and others VOA spoke to cite the constitutional provisions banning censorship and ensuring citizens rights to access information and to work.

Ainur Koskina, another Astana freelance journalist, said she believes the requirement that journalists write for only their accredited outlets would hurt journalists working outside the current and former capitals of Astana and Almaty.

They write for several outlets, and thanks to this, they can ensure a decent existence for themselves. This opportunity has now been taken away from them. I am afraid local journalism will go extinct, first of all, because of these accreditation rules, Koskina told VOA.

In a statement issued in July when the rules were put up for public discussion, the Almaty-based Adil Soz International Foundation for Freedom of Speech Protection said the new accreditation rules implied that information received from government bodies was not the public domain and was protected by copyright, so it should not be distributed to third parties.

Adil Soz believes that the rules regulating the work of journalists and media should facilitate access to information, not complicate it, the statement said.

Karlygash Jamankulova, the head of Adil Soz, told VOA that media outlets and journalists  as employers and employees, respectively  could regulate their labor relations themselves and decide whether journalists could work for other outlets. She suggested that while the new rules were vague, it remains to be seen how they would be implemented and how they would affect journalists.

This kind of issue cannot be disputed by public organizations, she said. It should be journalists themselves who can take it to court, and if we will have this kind of journalist in Kazakhstan, we are ready to stand by [that journalist] and provide all required legal support.

The head of the Media Qoldau, or Support, legal service, Gulmira Birzhanova, cited what she believes is a recent tendency toward tightening media legislation in Kazakhstan.

Accrediting organizations, which are state-owned companies along with government bodies, will establish their own rules and regulations, and I am afraid this could be used against journalists in the future, Birzhanova told VOA.

Vaal concluded: This is a very bad trend, and I dont know what future holds for Kazakh journalists.
On the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly, Kenyan President William Ruto sat down with VOAs Peter Clottey for an in-depth conversation Thursday.

Ruto discussed his recent visit to Haiti, where he met with the top police commanders leading efforts to combat gangs and restore order in the Caribbean nation. He also addressed the proposal for Africa to secure two permanent seats on the U.N. Security Council, as well as the growing protests by Kenyas Gen-Z demanding reforms in the East African country.

The following has been edited for length and clarity.

VOAs Peter Clottey: Thank you very much, Mr. President, for having us this morning. What was your overarching message during your speech at the U.N. General Assembly?

Kenyan President William Ruto: Three messages: the ravaging war around the world, tensions and conflict  you know, from Ukraine, Darfur, Sudan, DRC [Democratic Republic of the Congo]  and the failure of the multilateral system, especially the U.N. General Assembly and specifically the U.N. Security Council, to be a force of good and a place where we resolve issues.

In fact, it has become a gridlock and part of the problem. There is urgency in reforming the U.N. Security Council so that it reflects the dynamics and responds to the urgency of the situation that we face at the moment. It is our position that the U.N. needs to be reformed yesterday  to make it democratic, representative and agile  so that it can respond to the times of challenges of our time.

Number two is the challenge we have about the debt situation, the economic situation globally, and the fact that many countries in the Global South, many countries are facing the possibility of debt default. And a need to reform the international financial system, deal with credit rating agencies, ensure that there is longer-term financing, there is concessional financing, there is financing that is at scale to make sure that countries can be able to push their development programs, pay for social services and manage the serious challenges of debt.

Thirdly, climate change and the huge potential and opportunity that we have, especially in the Global South, and more particularly in Africa, for the huge resources, energy resources that we have, mineral resources that are in plenty, and the human capital that exists, that we can use to turn the climate change that is ravaging the world into an opportunity for Africa to industrialize, to create jobs, and to decarbonize the whole world. So, these were my very three pointed messages. Of course, not forgetting the challenge we have in Haiti and what Kenya is doing about it.

VOA: You were there recently and met with Kenyan police officers. What were your observations, and what did the Kenyan police officers tell you about the challenges they face in Haiti?

Ruto: I met with Haiti's political leadership, and we had a candid conversation. I was supposed to be there for an hour but stayed for four. I also met the commanders of the Kenyan contingent, the Multinational Security Support Mission [MSS] and the Haitian police leadership. My assessment was more positive than I initially thought. The reports I received indicated that the pessimists and critics who saw no hope in Haiti are changing their tune. The airport, which used to be under gunfire, is now safe, with more flights coming in and out. The palace is secure, the National Hospital is in good hands, and the National Police Academy, which had been overrun by gangs, is now training officers. I see a very positive trajectory.

The Kenyan commanders on the ground and the Haitian police confirmed this to me, though they still face logistical challenges and need more resources and personnel.

VOA: Will Kenya provide that additional support?

Ruto: I immediately made the decision that Kenya is going to have another 600 security officers sent to Haiti to add on to the 400 already there  300 next month, and 300 in November. And I am going to mobilize the rest of the global community to make sure that by January, we have 2,500 police officers so that we can execute the mandate that was given to us by the U.N. resolution setting up the MSS in Haiti.

VOA: There are suggestions that perhaps the U.N. should lead this effort. Where does Kenya stand on that?

Ruto: Whichever way we go, so long as we deploy the requisite personnel on the ground, mobilize resources necessary, the logistics that are needed for us to do the job in Haiti, whatever name we call it, whatever color we give it, my position is that we must focus on making sure that within a year.

VOA: What is your plan for the youth of Kenya in terms of listening to them instead of coming up with specific plans to meet their calls and demands? And how do you react when they said, "Mr. President must go. He has not kept his promises. He has to go"?

Ruto: Kenya is a robustly democratic country. I mean, because we are a democracy, I see people even in New York here demonstrating and making all manner of statements, and that is the beauty, that is the diversity of democracy.

I have a very clear, elaborate plan on job creation, our housing plan. Our digital footprint plan, our plan on export of labor. We just signed today here in New York a bilateral labor agreement with Austria, where Kenyan young people, the best resource we have, will find jobs in Austria. I came last week from, the other week, from Germany, doing the same thing, creating opportunities for the young people of Kenya to work in Kenya and to work abroad.

This is my plan. It is elaborate, understood, and I'm rolling out, and I'm confident that before leaving Nairobi, I launched Climate Works. That is going to hire another 200,000 young people across Kenya on climate action and make sure that we deal with the environmental issues and climate change that is threatening humanity and having significant adverse effects on the people of Kenya swinging from drought to floods, and that program is now on its way beginning 1st of October.

This Q&A originated in VOAs English to Africa Service.
Actors, collaborators and fans who worked with Maggie Smith are paying tribute to the award-winning actor, known for her roles in the "Harry Potter" movies and "Downton Abbey." She died Friday at 89.

"It's a very sad day for the whole culture of theater and cinema in England.  She was one of the greatest actresses of the past century, without a doubt,"  actor Helen Mirren said in an interview with The Associated Press.

"Anyone who ever shared a scene with Maggie will attest to her sharp eye, sharp wit and formidable talent. She was a true legend of her generation and thankfully will live on in so many magnificent screen performances. My condolences to her boys and wider family,"  actor Hugh Bonneville, who starred alongside Smith in "Downton Abbey," said in a statement to the AP.

"Maggie Smith was a truly great actress and we were more than fortunate to be part of the last act in her stellar career. She was a joy to write for, subtle, many-layered, intelligent, funny and heartbreaking. Working with her has been the greatest privilege of my career, and I will never forget her,"  Julian Fellowes, who created, wrote and produced "Downton Abbey," said in a statement to the AP.

"The first time I met Maggie Smith I was 9 years old, and we were reading through scenes for 'David Copperfield,' which was my first job. I knew virtually nothing about her other than that my parents were awestruck at the fact that I would be working with her. The other thing I knew about her was that she was a Dame, so the first thing I asked her when we met was 'Would you like me to call you Dame?' at which she laughed and said something to the effect of 'Don't be ridiculous!' I remember feeling nervous to meet her and then her putting me immediately at ease. She was incredibly kind to me on that shoot, and then I was lucky enough to go on working with her for another 10 years on the Harry Potter films.

"She was a fierce intellect, a gloriously sharp tongue, could intimidate and charm in the same instant and was, as everyone will tell you, extremely funny. I will always consider myself amazingly lucky to have been able to work with her, and to spend time around her on set. The word legend is overused but if it applies to anyone in our industry then it applies to her. Thank you Maggie,"  actor Daniel Radcliffe, star of the "Harry Potter" franchise, said in a statement to the AP.

"Maggie Smith was a great woman and a brilliant actress. I still can't believe I was lucky enough to work with the 'one-of-a-kind.' My heartfelt condolences go out to the familyRIP,"  actor Whoopi Goldberg, who starred in "Sister Act" with Smith, posted on Instagram.

"She's given so much to the world. There's never been anyone like Maggie. There's never been anyone who followed the beat of her own drum as much as she has done, as a person and an actor,"  actor Saoirse Ronan said in an interview with the AP.

"My wife and I were deeply saddened to learn of the death of Dame Maggie Smith. As the curtain comes down on a national treasure, we can join all those around the world in remembering with fondest admiration and affection her many great performances and her warmth and wit that shone through both on stage and off."  King Charles III, posted on Instagram.

"Dame Maggie Smith introduced us to new worlds with the countless stories she acted over her long career. She was beloved by so many for her great talent, becoming a true national treasure whose work will be cherished for generations to come. Our thoughts are with her family and loved ones. May she rest in peace,"  British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, posted on X, formerly Twitter.

"Maggie Smith was the wittiest woman I ever met in my life. Some of the very funny things she said you would not be able to print. I regret she wasn't in more of my films,"  filmmaker James Ivory, who directed Smith in "Quartet" and "A Room with a View," said in a statement to the AP.

"I had the unforgettable experience of working with her; sharing a two-shot was like being paired with a lion. She could eat anyone alive, and often did. But funny, and great company. And suffered no fools. We will never see another,"  actor Rob Lowe, posted on X.
Myanmar's military has called on ethnic armed groups and anti-junta resistance forces to end their armed struggle and participate in proposed national elections. While this call to cease fighting was quickly rejected by opposition forces, it marked a significant development in Myanmar's three-year civil war.

Ye Myo Hein, a senior expert on Myanmar at the United States Institute of Peace, said the military's call to cease fighting, made public in a statement Thursday, was aimed to appease China.

"The SAC [State Administration Council] is making overtures to Beijing," he posted on social media, pointing out recent statements in which the military referred to China as Myanmar's closest ally.

The statement posted by the SAC, Myanmar's military regime, proposed that ethnic groups, including the People's Defense Forces (PDF)  the armed wing of the anti-junta movement  resolve political issues through peaceful means and electoral participation.

Though the SAC did not mention the National Unity Government (NUG), the PDF is largely aligned with the shadow government formed by former lawmakers and junta opponents. The SAC argued that the ongoing conflict has caused significant losses to the country.

"Considering the losses of the state due to armed struggle and terrorism, ethnic armed organizations and PDF terrorists are invited to contact the state to resolve political issues through party politics," the SAC stated.

Opposition response

Opposition leaders swiftly dismissed the military's appeal to cease fighting.

Sui Khar, foreign minister of the Chinland government, which controls much of Chin state in western Myanmar, and vice chairman of the NUG-affiliated Chin National Front, told VOA the military's statement was not a genuine invitation, as it was limited to political parties and elections.

"It sounded like they were forcing others to join their own agenda," Sui Khar said.

The NUG also rejected the junta's invitation, calling it a ploy to create disunity among resistance forces, and vowed to continue the Spring Revolution  the resistance movement against military rule  and to work toward establishing a federal democratic union.

Soe Thuya Zaw, a commander of the Mandalay PDF, described the offer as deceptive. "It's like hanging a goat's head but selling dog meat," he wrote on Facebook, using a Myanmar proverb to highlight the military's history of broken promises.

Escalation in Lashio

The Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA), an ethnic armed group with close ties to China, has frustrated the military by capturing key territories along the Myanmar-China border. Despite the junta's attempts to negotiate, ongoing airstrikes cast doubt on the prospects for peace.

On Friday, fighter jets bombed Lashio, a major city in northern Shan state and a critical trade route to China, currently under MNDAA control. According to the MNDAA, the strikes targeted civilian areas, killing two people and injuring six.

"They talk about resolving political problems through dialogue, yet continue bombing. So, the offer is impossible," said Tu Maung Nyo, a writer and political analyst based on the Thailand-Myanmar border. "The military is calling for negotiations because they can't win on the battlefield. It's just a way out of a crisis."

China's role in path forward

Analysts say Beijing has been pressuring both Myanmar's SAC and ethnic armed groups to stabilize the situation, primarily to protect its interests along the shared border and safeguard investments. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi's visit to Myanmar earlier this year signaled Beijing's desire for a stable Myanmar under military control without prolonged conflict.

"China wants stability," said Hla Kyaw Zaw, a China-Myanmar relations expert based in China. "Their top priorities are ensuring bombs don't fall near their territory, preventing refugees from crossing into China, and protecting Chinese investments in Myanmar. China also wants to ensure the safety of its people in Myanmar."

But the situation remains complicated. While China provides political and economic backing to the junta, analysts argue that it also covertly supports some ethnic armed groups along its border. The MNDAA, for example, is widely believed to receive Chinese support. The military's recent warmth toward China is seen by many as a survival tactic.

Tu Maung Nyo said the stakes are high for China. Beijing seeks stability but recognizes that as long as the SAC remains in power, peace may be elusive.

Although China continues to support the military, it is likely applying pressure behind the scenes for a resolution, especially as regional powers, including the Quad nations  Australia, India, Japan and the United States  express concern over Myanmar's future.

"China may even use its leverage by withholding weapons sales or cutting off the military's jet fuel supply," Hla Kyaw Zaw said, noting that such actions would align with recent calls from the Quad members.

Tu Maung Nyo said outside influences have always played a role in Myanmar, which occupies a strategic position on the Indian Ocean.

"The events in Myanmar, from the start of the civil war to today, have always seen the participation of major powers. While some may call it interference, I see it as inevitable participation," he said. "But now, the military seems to have a big problem deciding which side to rely on."
Lebanon's Hassan Nasrallah, who died in an Israeli airstrike, has led Hezbollah through decades of conflict with Israel, overseeing its transformation into a military force with regional sway and becoming one of the most prominent Arab figures in generations  with Iranian backing.

The Iran-backed Hezbollah has confirmed the death of Nasrallah, who has led the group for 32 years.

The Israeli military said it killed Nasrallah in an airstrike on the group's central headquarters in the southern suburbs of Beirut a day earlier.

The Israeli military "eliminated ... Hassan Nasrallah, leader of the Hezbollah terrorist organization," Israeli army spokesperson Avichay Adraee wrote in a statement on X.

Nasrallah will be remembered among his supporters for standing up to Israel and defying the United States. To enemies, he has been the head of a terrorist organization and a proxy for Iran's Shiite Islamist theocracy in its tussle for influence in the Middle East.

His regional influence has been on display over nearly a year of conflict ignited by the Gaza war, as Hezbollah entered the fray by firing on Israel from southern Lebanon in support of its Palestinian ally Hamas.

Yemeni and Iraqi groups followed suit, operating under the umbrella of "The Axis of Resistance."

"We are facing a great battle," Nasrallah said in an August 1 speech at the funeral of Hezbollah's top military commander, Fuad Shukr, who was killed in an Israeli strike on the Hezbollah-controlled southern suburbs of Beirut.

Yet when thousands of Hezbollah members were injured and dozens killed as their communications devices exploded in an apparent Israeli attack last week, that battle began to turn against his group.

Responding to the attacks on Hezbollah's communications network in a September 19 speech, Nasrallah vowed to punish Israel.

"This is a reckoning that will come, its nature, its size, how and where? This is certainly what we will keep to ourselves and in the narrowest circle even within ourselves," he said.

He had not given a broadcast address since then.

Israel has meanwhile dramatically escalated its attacks, killing several senior Hezbollah commanders in targeted strikes and unleashing a massive bombardment in Hezbollah-controlled areas of Lebanon, which has killed hundreds of people.

Recognized even by his enemies as a skilled orator, Nasrallah's speeches were followed by friend and foe alike.

Wearing the black turban of a sayyed, or a descendent of the Prophet Mohammad, Nasrallah used his addresses to rally Hezbollah's base but also to deliver carefully calibrated threats, often wagging his finger as he did so.

He became secretary general of Hezbollah in 1992 at age 35, the public face of a once shadowy group founded by Iran's Revolutionary Guards in 1982 to fight Israeli occupation forces.

Israel killed his predecessor, Sayyed Abbas al-Musawi, in a helicopter attack. Nasrallah led Hezbollah when its guerrillas finally drove Israeli forces from southern Lebanon in 2000, ending an 18-year occupation.

'Divine victory'

Conflict with Israel largely defined his leadership. He declared "divine victory" in 2006 after Hezbollah waged 34 days of war with Israel, winning the respect of many ordinary Arabs who had grown up watching Israel defeat their armies.

But he became an increasingly divisive figure in Lebanon and the wider Arab world as Hezbollah's area of operations widened to Syria and beyond, reflecting an intensifying conflict between Shiite Iran and U.S.-allied Sunni Arab monarchies in the Gulf.

While Nasrallah painted Hezbollah's engagement in Syria  where it fought in support of President Bashar al-Assad during the civil war  as a campaign against jihadists, critics accused the group of becoming part of a regional sectarian conflict.

At home, Nasrallah's critics said Hezbollah's regional adventurism imposed an unbearable price on Lebanon, leading once friendly Gulf Arabs to shun the country  a factor that contributed to its 2019 financial collapse.

In the years following the 2006 war, Nasrallah walked a tightrope over a new conflict with Israel, hoarding Iranian rockets in a carefully measured contest of threat and counterthreat.

The Gaza war, ignited by the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel, prompted Hezbollah's worst conflict with Israel since 2006, costing the group hundreds of its fighters, including top commanders.

After years of entanglements elsewhere, the conflict put renewed focus on Hezbollah's historic struggle with Israel.

"We are here paying the price for our front of support for Gaza, and for the Palestinian people, and our adoption of the Palestinian cause," Nasrallah said in the August 1 speech.

Nasrallah grew up in Beirut's impoverished Karantina district. His family hails from Bazouriyeh, a village in the Lebanon's predominantly Shiite south, which today forms Hezbollah's political heartland.

He was part of a generation of young Lebanese Shiites whose political outlook was shaped by Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Before leading the group, he used to spend nights with frontline guerrillas fighting Israel's occupying army. His teenage son, Hadi, died in battle in 1997, a loss that gave him legitimacy among his core Shi'ite constituency in Lebanon.

Powerful enemies

He had a track record of threatening powerful enemies.

As regional tensions escalated after the eruption of the Gaza war, Nasrallah issued a thinly veiled warning to U.S. warships in the Mediterranean, telling them: "We have prepared for the fleets with which you threaten us."

In 2020, Nasrallah vowed that U.S. soldiers would leave the region in coffins after a U.S. drone strike in Iraq killed Iranian General Qassem Soleimani.

He expressed fierce opposition to Saudi Arabia over its armed intervention in Yemen, where, with U.S. and other allied support, Riyadh sought to roll back the Iran-aligned Houthis.

As regional tensions rose in 2019 following an attack on Saudi oil facilities, he said Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates should halt the Yemen war to protect themselves.

"Dont bet on a war against Iran because they will destroy you," he said in a message directed at Riyadh.

On Nasrallah's watch, Hezbollah also clashed with adversaries at home in Lebanon.

In 2008, he accused the Lebanese government  backed at the time by the West and Saudi Arabia  of declaring war by moving to ban his group's internal communication network. Nasrallah vowed to "cut off the hand" that tried to dismantle it.

It prompted four days of civil war pitting Hezbollah against Sunni and Druze fighters. The Shi'ite group took over half the capital, Beirut.

He strongly denied any Hezbollah involvement in the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri, after a U.N.-backed tribunal indicted four members of the group.

Nasrallah rejected the tribunal  which in 2020 eventually convicted three of them in absentia over the assassination  as a tool in the hands of Hezbollah's enemies.
Seventeen people, including 15 women, were killed in two mass shootings that took place near each other in a rural town in South Africa, police said Saturday.

A search was under way for the suspects, national police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe said in a statement. The victims were 15 women and two men, she said. One other person was in critical condition in the hospital.

The shootings took place Friday night in the town of Lusikisiki in Eastern Cape province in southeastern South Africa. Video released by police showed that the shootings occurred at two houses in the same neighborhood, which is a collection of rural homesteads on the outskirts of the town.

Twelve women and a man were killed in one house, and three women and a man were killed in the other house, police said.

Four women, one man and a 2-month-old baby survived.

A manhunt has been launched to apprehend those behind these heinous killings, Mathe said.

Local media reported that the people were attending a family gathering at the time of the shooting, but the motive for the killings remains unknown.

Police minister Senzo Mchunu told media on Saturday that a team of detectives and forensic experts had been deployed.

We have full faith and confidence in the team that has been deployed to crack this case and find these criminals. Either they hand themselves over or we will fetch them ourselves, Mchunu said.

South Africa, a country of 62 million, recorded 12,734 homicides in the first six months of this year, according to official crime statistics from the police. Thats an average of more than 70 a day. Firearms are by far the biggest cause of deaths in those cases.

Mass shootings have become increasingly common in recent years, sometimes targeting people in their homes.

Ten members of the same family, including seven women and a 13-year-old boy, were killed in a mass shooting at their home in the neighboring KwaZulu-Natal province in April 2023.

Firearm laws are somewhat strict in South Africa, but authorities have often pointed to the large number of illegal, unregistered guns in circulation as a major problem.
The death toll in Poland from recent floods rose to nine after two more bodies were found, the national police chief said Saturday.

One person is still missing, police chief Marek Boron said during a government meeting on the effects of the floods that hit southwestern Poland earlier this month.

The floods following torrential rains inundated houses and damaged bridges and roads in the towns of Stronie Slaskie, Nysa and many villages in the area. More than 20 people have died in Poland and elsewhere in Central Europe from the floods.

A German citizen is among the dead in Poland, Prime Minister Donald Tusk said earlier this week.

In the wake of the floods, Poland's 2025 draft budget will set aside $836 million as a reserve for dealing with natural disasters, the government said Saturday.

The worst floods in at least two decades left many towns in southwestern Poland submerged, and the government plans to free up millions of dollars from the budget and European Union funds to deal with the aftermath.

The deluge has also compounded the financial worries of a government facing the prospect of EU budget discipline measures.

In a statement published after the government adopted the 2025 budget with changes due to the floods, it said that the reserve for counteracting and removing the effects of natural disasters would be increased.

It said that around $5 million in EU funds would be allocated to helping regions affected by the floods.

Finance Minister Andrzej Domanski said that no decision has been made on whether changes to the 2024 budget would be necessary.
U.S. intelligence agencies this week emphasized that Russia, Iran and China remain the primary external forces attempting to influence American voters ahead of the November presidential election.

The Office of the Director of National Intelligence reported that the Kremlin is the most active player, using artificial intelligence, fake accounts and fabricated images to promote narratives favorable to Donald Trumps candidacy.

In contrast, China has not sought to directly influence the outcome of the 2024 presidential race. Sarah Cook, an independent analyst specializing in disinformation, noted that this restraint stems partly from a strong bipartisan consensus in Washington regarding the threat posed by China's authoritarian government.

With less than 40 days remaining until the U.S. elections, what narratives is China promoting on social media, and how might these affect American voters?

Amplifying polarization

A joint investigation by Voice of America and the Doublethink Lab, a Taiwanese social media analytics firm, is tracking 201 China-related accounts on the social media platform X. One of the main themes of these accounts is amplifying controversial domestic issues in the United States, aiming to deepen societal polarization and sow distrust.

Through both genuine and AI-generated images and videos, Chinese operatives are intensifying divisive social issues, including LGBTQ+ rights, abortion, immigration, race, gun control and crime rates.

One prominent account, CongCong, frequently originates posts that are then shared by others, describing herself as a sweet and salty little girl who takes life seriously and shares positive energy.

However, her posts are far from positive. One pinned post features a provocative image of a gun pointed at Gaza, captioned with claims of genocide, depicting Israel as the gunman, the U.S. as the weapon, and the EU as the silencer.

The post was amplified by 40 accounts in the network of China-related accounts VOA is tracking.

Another so-called seeder account, Little Sister Muxi, shared a comparative graphic highlighting the burdens faced by Americans, such as student loans and health care costs, versus the benefits enjoyed by Israelis.

The Israel-Gaza conflict has become a sharply polarizing issue in the U.S. Some Americans support Israel's right to self-defense, while others express strong discontent with what they see as excessive violence.

Recently, the network has sought to amplify discussions surrounding Intel's announcement of a 15% workforce reduction, with seeder account CongCong asserting, "This is the decline of the United States, a recession created by the United States itself." This message was shared by 36 accounts.

Other examples include sharing cartoons from Chinas state-owned Global Times that mock the U.S. for its financial support of Ukraine.

AI-generated images depict homeless Americans, implying that U.S. citizens are neglected while the government spends billions on overseas conflicts.

Fake videos illustrating America's drug epidemic are also common, pushed by the Spamouflage network  a much larger state-sponsored operation aimed at supporting the Chinese government while undermining critics.

This approach mirrors Russia's tactics during the 2016 U.S. elections, employing information warfare to fracture Western alliances and deepen societal divisions.

MAGAflage

Our investigation has uncovered two "MAGAflage" networks consisting of a total of 25 accounts posing as supporters of Republican candidate Trump, seeking to engage with real American voters.

One network, labeled MAGAflage 1 and consisting of 10 accounts, began sharing pro-Trump content extensively following a July 13 assassination attempt. Using stolen bios and sourced photos, these accounts focused on pro-China content and polarizing U.S. issues while promoting Trump as the savior of America. After VOAs report, X suspended these accounts for violating Xs rules.

Whereas the seeder account in the MAGAflage 1 network aggressively posted pro-China content and frequently cited state media outlets, the seeder of MAGAflage 2 takes a more careful approach. Apart from a few exceptions, this person rarely posts about topics directly related to China and stays closer to U.S. election topics.

All accounts use emoticons in their usernames. Twelve of the 15 accounts use the American flag as one of the emoticons.

They criticize the Biden administrations immigration policy, promote conspiracy theories and claim that former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is responsible for the January 6 Capitol riot.

These accounts are noteworthy because they go to a great extent to pretend to be American citizens and tried to hide their connection to China, Jasper Hewitt, a digital intelligence analyst at Doublethink Lab, told VOA Mandarin.

Notably, these accounts do not promote anti-Israel content that other trolls frequently share. Trump recently touted himself as Israels protector, warning Jewish voters against supporting Vice President Kamala Harris.

I think this shows that the people behind these operations have a good understanding of the type of content that might resonate with the users they are trying to interact with, Hewitt added.

Meanwhile, researchers continue to uncover accounts attacking candidates from both parties. Microsoft recently reported a Chinese-linked threat actor, Storm-1852, which has engaged with election-related content on social media, emphasizing a highly interactive approach that includes reposting content, replying to comments and polling users.



This network does not appear to favor any specific candidate.

It is true that most of the Spamouflage content we have seen so far expresses criticism for both candidates. However, the fact that we found two MAGAflage networks and have not yet encountered any similar accounts that support Harris is still very relevant, Hewitt from Doublethink Lab added.

Local candidates

In their latest assessment, the U.S. intelligence officials have said most Chinese efforts are aimed not at Trump or Harris, but at state and local candidates perceived as hostile to Beijing.

Our investigation identified a TikTok video criticizing Republican U.S. Senator Josh Hawley, mocking his persistent questioning of Intel executives about forced labor in Xinjiang and labeling him an anti-China senator. Hawley is up for re-election this year.

Another video ridicules Democratic U.S. Representative Jerry Nadler from New York, suggesting he appeared to doze off during a hearing while victims' families testified.

Alongside the presidential election, all 435 House seats and 33 Senate seats will be contested this year. Lawmakers critical of China are likely to become targets of online influence campaigns.

These include members of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China, or CECC. Its chair, Massachusetts Representative Jim McGovern, has been outspoken about human rights abuses in China and was barred from entry to China this past July.

New Jersey Republican Representative Chris Smith, co-chair of the commission, has long focused on human rights and religious freedom in China.

In the Senate, Ohio Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown is seeking re-election this year and has faced attacks from Chinese state media for advocating a ban on Chinese-made electric vehicles.
The rhino population around the world has increased slightly but so have the killings, mostly in South Africa, as poaching fed by huge demand for rhino horns remains a top threat, conservationists said in a recent report.

The number of white rhinos increased from 15,942 in 2022 to 17,464 in 2023, but numbers of the black and greater one-horned rhino stayed the same, according to the report published by the International Rhino Foundation ahead of World Rhino Day, observed each year on September 22.

Another subspecies, the northern white rhino, is technically extinct with only two females being kept in a secure private conservancy in Kenya, known as Ol Pejeta. A trial is ongoing to develop embryos in the lab from an egg and sperm previously collected from white rhinos for transferring into a surrogate female black rhino.

A total of 586 rhinos were killed in Africa in 2023, most of them in South Africa  which has the highest population of rhinos at an estimated 16,056. The killings increased from 551 reported in 2022, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

With all five subspecies combined, there are just under 28,000 rhinos left in the world, from 500,000 at the beginning of the 20th century.

Poaching is top threat

Rhinos face various environmental threats like habitat loss due to development and climate change, but poaching, based on the belief that their horns have medicinal uses, remains the top threat.

Philip Muruthi, the vice president for species conservation at the Africa Wildlife Foundation, said protection has played a big role in increasing rhino population. In Kenya, their numbers rose from 380 in 1986 to 1,000 last year, he said. "Why has that happened? Because the rhinos were brought into sanctuaries and were protected."

Muruthi advocates for a campaign that will end the demand for rhino horn as well as adoption of new technology in tracking and monitoring rhinos for their protection while also educating communities where they live on the benefits of rhinos to the ecosystem and the economy.

Known as mega herbivores that mow the parks and create inroads for other herbivores, rhinos are also good for establishing forests by ingesting seeds and spreading them across the parks in their dung.

Murithi lamented that the northern white rhino should have never gotten so close to the brink of extinction.

"Don't get the numbers to where it's very expensive to recover and we are not even sure that it will happen," he said.

The body of the last male northern white rhino  named Sudan  that died in 2018 has been preserved and displayed at the Museums of Kenya in Nairobi.

A research scientist and curator of mammals at the museum, Bernard Agwanda, said preserving Sudan will tell the story of how the species lived among humans and why conservation is important.

"So we expect that the northern white rhino behind us here is going to live for one or two centuries to be able to tell its story for generations to come," he said.
Sudans warring parties are using sexual violence as a weapon of war, and gender-based violence has increased more than two-fold since the conflict erupted in April 2023, according to U.N. Women, a United Nations agency that focuses on womens rights and social progress, in its new report.

Sexual violence is being used as a weapon of war throughout this conflict, Hodan Addou, U.N. Womens regional director for East and Southern Africa, told journalists in Geneva at the launch of the report Friday.

The ongoing violent conflict has exacerbated the risks faced by women and girls in Sudan, with rising reports of conflict-related sexual violence, sexual exploitation and abuse, particularly in Khartoum, Al Jazeera, Darfur and Kordofan states, she said, speaking from South Sudan via a video link.

Authors of the report have issued what they call a Gender Alert to highlight the catastrophic impacts of Sudans conflict on women and girls. They note that nearly 5.8 million internally displaced women are particularly vulnerable, with many cases of sexual violence going unreported due to fear of stigma, retribution and the lack of adequate support.

'It is ... despicable'

Addou observed that rape and sexual violence is used as a way of breaking communities and tarnishing the social fabric of a community by targeting the most vulnerable.

It is a despicable and human rights violation, she said. The impact this conflict has had on the lives of women and children is horrendous.

Many of them are seeing their loved ones killed in front of their eyes. They have seen brutal sexual violence against children, against women used as a way of putting more trauma, more fear on communities.

The report finds more than 6.7 million people needed services related to gender-based violence by December 2023, underscoring that this figure is estimated to be much higher today.

While men and boys also are victims of gender-based violence, most of these cases involve women and girls, it says.

The United Nations calls Sudan one of the worlds worst humanitarian crises. Since rival generals of the Sudanese Armed Forces and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces plunged the country into war more than 17 months ago, an estimated 20,000 people have been killed and tens of thousands injured.

Some 10.8 million people are displaced inside Sudan and an additional 2 million as refugees in neighboring countries, making Sudan the largest displacement crisis in the world. According to the U.N., Sudan now is also the worlds largest hunger crisis, with nearly 26 million people facing acute hunger.

'Women and girls are eating least and last'

Addou said women and children are suffering most from the looming famine gripping the country.

With 64% of female-headed households experiencing food insecurity compared to 48% of male-headed households in 10 states, women and girls are eating least and last, she said, adding that they also are disproportionately affected by the lack of safe and easily accessible water, sanitation and hygiene.

The World Health Organization reports people lack access to health care services because of insecurity, attacks on medical facilities and a shortage of medicines and medical supplies.

The U.N. health agency says critical services, including maternal and child health care, the management of severe acute malnutrition, and the treatment of patients with chronic conditions have been discontinued in many areas because 70% to 80% of hospitals are not functional.

Across Sudan, women are dying from pregnancy or childbirth-related complications, whether or not those pregnancies are a result of gender-based violence, or whatever, Dr. Margaret Harris, WHO spokesperson, said. Women are not getting the standard care that saves your life and saves the life of your child during childbirth or before childbirth.

She added that childhood vaccinations have been disrupted, as have disease surveillance and vector control, and this has created the perfect conditions for the spread of disease outbreaks.

'Calling for protection'

U.N. Women is calling for urgent action to protect women and girls and to provide them with access to food, safe water, and sexual and reproductive health services.

We are calling for protection for all women and girls, in particular the retributions that they need to address. We are calling for accountability and the provision of justice to all of the victims, Addou said.

The high-level sexual violence and exploitation being used as a weapon of war is preventing women from accessing much-needed resources  and the psychosocial support they need because of the chaotic nature of this conflict.

All those engaged in this violent conflict must be held to account, she said. We cannot let Sudan become a forgotten crisis.
Taliban leaders in Afghanistan have defended their Islamist rule amid intensified accusations of "gender-based" discrimination against women and girls at this week's U.N. General Assembly.



"The situation is not as it is portrayed and propagated abroad," Maulavi Abdul Kabir, the Taliban deputy prime minister for political affairs, asserted in an interview with an Afghan television channel aired Friday.



Kabir's comments came a day after nearly two dozen countries jointly supported Germany, Canada, the Netherlands and Australia in their initiative to hold the Taliban accountable for their alleged campaign to systematically exclude women from public life since the Taliban regained power in 2021.

The de facto Afghan rulers have imposed a strict interpretation of Islamic law, known as Sharia. The enforcement includes banning girls' secondary school education, prohibiting Afghan women from most workplaces, and requiring them not to speak aloud and to cover their faces and bodies in public.

Kabir, while speaking to the local Ariana News station on Friday, asserted that Western allegations of the Taliban driving women out of public spaces were misplaced, insisting that the human rights of all Afghans are protected under Islamic principles.



"Education for girls beyond the sixth grade and at universities is currently suspended," he responded when asked when secondary schools would reopen for girls. "The Islamic Emirate has not decided to keep them closed indefinitely, nor has the cabinet approved any such policy," Kabir reiterated, using the official title of their government in Kabul.



However, the Taliban deputy prime minister said that women are allowed to pursue education in religious seminaries, known as madrassas, across Afghanistan, including in the capital.



"There are female teachers. It is a single-sex Islamic educational system that requires hijab under the prevailing societal norms. It also permits women to pursue medical education," Kabir stated.



He said that the Taliban government employs 85,000 women in health, immigration, education, passport and other departments. "There are hospitals in Kabul being run by female directors," Kabir said.

Nations urge Taliban to address concerns



Countries such as Spain, Sweden, Belgium, Bulgaria, Chile, Croatia, Finland, Honduras, Ireland, Iceland, Latvia, Luxembourg, Malawi, Morocco, Moldova and Romania are supporting the four-nation push to start proceedings against the Taliban at the International Court of Justice in The Hague.

The United States in not a member of the ICJ.



In their joint statement issued in New York on Thursday, these countries urged the Taliban to respect international treaties on eliminating discrimination against women, to which Afghanistan is a party.



They hailed the initiative spearheaded by Germany, Australia, Canada and the Netherlands to push proceedings against the Taliban, urging the de facto Taliban authorities to address international concerns or face the legal challenge.



"This action is without prejudice to our firm position that we do not politically recognize the Taliban de facto authorities as the legitimate representation of the Afghan population," the statement stressed. "Afghanistan's failure to fulfill its human rights treaty obligations is a key obstacle to normalization of relations."



The Taliban government is not formally recognized by any country, nor is it allowed to represent Afghanistan at the United Nations, mainly over human rights concerns.



U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on the sidelines of this week's General Assembly that the Taliban's treatment of women can be compared to "some of the most egregious systems of oppression in recent history."



"We will continue to amplify the voices of Afghan women and call for them to play a full role in the country's life, both inside its borders and on the global stage," he said.



Kabir criticized the U.N. for not granting the Afghanistan seat at the world body to the Taliban.



"We have met our obligations," he said. "The Islamic Emirate controls the entire geographical territory of the country. People are satisfied with us, and we are governing with the help of the people."
As Thailand faces a growing influx of refugees from Myanmar following the military coup, MP Rangsiman Rome, chair of the Thai House Committee on National Security and deputy leader of the Peoples Party, emphasizes the need for urgent reform.

"The immediate step is to register the people," Rome tells VOA, citing corruption and the lack of legal recognition that leave many refugees vulnerable. "By recognizing them, we can give them access to education and work, while ensuring they contribute by paying taxes."

In this exclusive interview with VOA, Rome discusses Thailands challenges with migration, corruption and the need for coordinated government action to address the crisis.

The following interview has been edited for length and clarity.

VOA: What are your criticisms of the governments handling of this crisis, and what should they do differently?

Rangsiman Rome: The civil war in Myanmar is devastating, forcing many to flee into Thailand. Unfortunately, Thailand wasnt prepared, and refugees now live in the shadows without legal status. We cant return them due to international and domestic laws, so weve been working with [nongovernmental organizations] to provide humanitarian aid, but a long-term solution is necessary.

Thailand shares a 2,400-kilometer border with Myanmar, and instability there allows for illegal activities like drug smuggling and human trafficking, affecting Thailand and the region. ASEAN [the Association of Southeast Asian Nations] must pressure the State Administration Council [SAC], Myanmars junta, to support peace and democracy in Myanmar.

In the short term, Thailand must register the 6 million Myanmar people here, providing them with legal status, work and education. Right now, the governments policy on this issue remains unclear.

VOA: What immediate steps should be taken?

Rome: Registering the Myanmar people who are in Thailand would be a good first step. One of the problems that we are facing is corruption. A lot of refugees have to pay the money to the police or other authorities in order to work. If the Thai government would recognize these people living in Thailand, it would make it so they can not only access health care and education, but also they will be able to work and therefore have the responsibility to pay taxes. At the same time, we need to reach out to our friends like Japan, the U.S. and Australia for help with managing this situation, such as humanitarian aid.

VOA: A recent Lower House report highlighted legal loopholes contributing to human rights violations. What changes do you propose?

Rome: When we register them, we can make sure that our law will protect them. Abuses can happen because we dont recognize them. So, [if] anything happens to them, they cannot report it; but if they are registered, they can earn, can live like normal people in Thailand.

At the same time, if you want to solve this, we have to talk about how it starts. In Myanmar we find out that as many as 2 million refugees are in the IDP [internally displaced people] camps because of the ongoing bombardment by the SAC. If everyone in the international community would come together to pressure the SAC to stop this, maybe a million refugees could return to their homes again. So, we need to not just manage the refugees in Thailand, but we have to deal with the situation in Myanmar.

VOA: Ministries have been criticized for working in silos. How do you plan to improve coordination?

Rome: As chair of the National Security Committee, I ensure that our recommendations benefit Thailand. We aim to play a larger role in the U.N. Human Rights Council, but we must manage the refugee situation appropriately to maintain our reputation.

We are working with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to ensure Myanmar refugees can live safely in Thailand. Additionally, the SAC has been using Thailands banking system to launder money for weapons, and weve been pushing the foreign minister to take action on this.

VOA: Access to health care, education and basic services for migrants remain major issues. How do you assess the governments efforts, and what would you do differently?

Rome: The policy around education in Thailand is not very clear. For example, there have been cases where the government closed a day care because they were singing a song to the children in Burmese and they found that unacceptable. The problem is that its very hard for refugee children to access school in Thailand and not every school has the same policies.

The people at the border, they cannot have a Thai education, so the Thai authority is trying to create a separate Burmese program for them, but it doesnt make sense to me. How can the Thai government make a Burmese program?

I think one of the very important things is we need to change this policy. Kids are innocent. They should have access to the Thai education system, and actually, we have space for them. We are an aging society. Schools are actually closing due to a lack of enrollment because of low birth rates. I think Thailand must change, and if I controlled the government, absolutely we would open the education system for Myanmar people to study in Thailand. I believe that if they are better educated, it benefits not only themselves but all of Thailand.

VOA: There was a protest in front of the Myanmar Embassy a few days ago where protesters were complaining about the large number of Myanmar refugees in Thailand. What do you think is driving this protest?

Rome: Thailands struggling economy has led to job losses, and with over 6 million Myanmar refugees here, tensions are rising. Corruption adds to the issue, with refugees forced to pay bribes just to live. Crimes involving Myanmar refugees are often publicized more, worsening relations between Thai and Myanmar people.

Registering the refugees would reduce corruption and ensure equal treatment under the law. Right now, Thai law restricts foreigners from working in many sectors, but if managed properly, Myanmar workers could contribute significantly to our economy. They are essential to Thailand and bringing them out of the shadows will help us all.

VOA: Given the current situation, what message would you like to share with the Myanmar migrants living in Thailand?

Rome: I understand that the people from Myanmar seek peace and safety here, hoping to provide for their families. The crisis in Myanmar forced them to flee and find opportunities elsewhere.

As an MP, I want Thailand to uphold human rights, but thats difficult due to many factors  history, education and the economy. Still, I believe that Myanmar and Thailand, as neighbors, must work together. Real change requires improving the situation in Myanmar. I know the Myanmar people want peace and democracy, and I hope we can achieve that together.
Russia attacked a hospital in Sumy in northeastern Ukraine early Saturday, killing nine people and injuring at least 19 others, Ukrainian and United Nations officials said.

Danielle Bell, head of the U.N. Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, said "loitering munitions"  or suicide drones  hit the Saint Panteleimon Clinical Hospital in two attacks 45 minutes apart.

"Most of the fatalities occurred during the second strike, which hit as first responders arrived at the site and patients attempted to evacuate," she said.

Sumy City Council said 22 people sought medical help and 20 were listed as injured in the drone attacks, which it said damaged nine high-rise buildings in addition to the hospital.

By late Saturday, its website said 14 people were in hospital, six of them in a serious condition.

Bell said she had been in Sumy last week following up on a deadly September 19 attack on a geriatric center in which at least one civilian had been killed and 13 injured. That attack was similar to an August 13 attack on another hospital complex in the city.

"Medical facilities are protected under international humanitarian law and are entitled to special protection. They must not be the object of attack," she said, adding that 33 civilians had been killed and 132 injured in Sumy city and the surrounding region since August 6.

'Peace through force' is only way, says Zelenskyy

Ukrainian prosecutors said that at the time of the Saturday morning attacks 86 patients and 38 staff members were in the hospital.

"The first attack killed one person and damaged the ceilings of several floors of the hospital," Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said on Telegram.

The State Emergency Service of Ukraine said on Facebook that nine people were killed, including an employee of the national police, and 20 others were injured.

"Everyone in the world who talks about this war should pay attention to where Russia is hitting. They are fighting hospitals, civilian objects and people's lives," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Telegram. "Only force can force Russia to peace. Peace through force is the only right way."

Judge killed in Kharkiv attack

Southeast of Sumy, two Russian attacks in Ukraine's Kharkiv region killed four people Saturday, including a Supreme Court judge who was delivering aid to residents in a civilian car, Ukrainian officials said.

Regional Governor Oleh Syniehubov said an air attack killed three people and injured at least three others in the village of Slatyne, which lies about 25 kilometers north of the city of Kharkiv, the regional capital. Local official Vyacheslav Zadorenko said Russian forces had used KAB-guided aerial bombs.

"The enemy hit civilian infrastructure, damaged educational institutions, shops," Syniehubov said on the Telegram messaging app. "People were outside at the time."

Some 25 kilometers farther north, in the village of Kozacha Lopan, an attack by a Russian drone killed the 61-year-old judge and injured three women who were in the car he was driving, the regional prosecutor's office said.

Ukraine's Supreme Court identified the judge as Leonid Loboyko.

Reuters could not immediately verify the details of the attacks.
Residents who want a regional bus service to take them to places like South Boston, Martinsville and Greensboro can let local officials know in a survey.

The Danville-Pittsylvania Regional Industrial Facility Authority is seeking public opinion on whether a regional bus service is needed in the area.

The survey is to gauge interest of the public to possibly offer the services, Danville Transportation Director Marc Adelman said.

Its part of a broader Regional Public Transportation Feasibility Study being conducted by the KFH Group, a consulting firm based in Rockville, Maryland, that specializes in the transit industry.

RIFA is paying the firm $75,826 for the study.

Areas under consideration for the bus service include the Southern Virginia and northern North Carolina region, with a focus on the Danville area, according to a news release from Arnold Hendrix, the citys public information officer.

Planned local destinations include the Southern Virginia Megasite at Berry Hill in Southwestern Pittsylvania County, where officials hope to attract a major manufacturer and thousands of jobs; Caesars Virginia on West Main Street in Danville; and the Danville Transit hub on Spring Street.

Other possible destinations include Martinsville, South Boston and Lynchburg, and Greensboro, North Carolina.

Persons from all participating communities can also complete an electronic survey, Adelman said.

Survey results will be provided to KFH to evaluate and gauge interest in the service. If respondents want the regional bus service, the survey results will be shared with the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation and used to pursue federal and state money to expand bus operations, Adelman said.

As for the overall study, KFH will examine whether the city has enough resources to support the expansion of bus service and determine what is needed to offer it, Adelman said.

For example, the consultant is charged with contacting transit systems and other private transportation/charter bus companies to evaluate whether drivers may be available to offer service, he said. Danville Transit is currently at capacity and could not accommodate a significant service expansion at this time.

Other aspects to be studied include vehicle maintenance, communications and storage of buses to respond quickly to possible wrecks or other incidents, he said.

KFH will also look at the number and types of buses needed to offer the regional service. Adelman said the service would involve 12 to 15 hours of service per day, with about 190,000 miles traveled per year per service area including Martinsville, Lynchburg, South Boston and Greensboro.

In addition, the consultant will identify possible funding sources for the service.

The study is unique because service could potentially be provided to North Carolina, and other funding sources may need to be pursued than through the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation, Adelman said.

The study began earlier this month with the development of the survey and a draft is expected to be complete early next year.

A previous plan initiated by the Southern Virginia Higher Education Center pursued an expanded bus service to other parts of Pittsylvania County and the region several years ago. But that proposal never came to fruition.

Grants received for operating assistance to provide service were returned because Danville Transit was unable to hire additional drivers to expand service, Adelman said. As a result, the scope of service for the current regional bus feasibility study involves determining whether other transportation providers can supply bus drivers to offer service.

Anyone interested in participating in the survey can go to https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/DanvilleRegionalBus.

In addition, Danville Transit will provide surveys to passengers on all buses Tuesday through Oct. 31, Adelman said.

Those without computer access can also pick up paper copies of the survey at the Danville Transfer Center at 522 Spring St.
The armed forces of five countries conducted joint maritime exercises in a portion of the South China Sea on Saturday as China carried out its own military drills in the disputed waterway.

The exercises involving the Philippines, United States, Australia, Japan and  for the first time  New Zealand took place in Manila's exclusive economic zone and sought to improve the militaries' interoperability, the Philippine armed forces said in a statement.

Saturday's exercises included a Philippine warship, the United States' USS Howard, Japan's JS Sazanami and New Zealand's HMNZS Aotearoa, the statement said.

Australia's Department of Defense said the drills demonstrated "our collective commitment to strengthen regional and international cooperation in support of a peaceful, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific."

The exercises follow a series of air and sea encounters between the Philippines and China, which have sparred over disputed areas of the South China Sea, including the Scarborough Shoal, one of Asia's most contested features. The shoal has been occupied by China's coast guard for more than a decade.

On Wednesday, naval vessels from New Zealand and Australia sailed through the Taiwan Strait, part of the South China Sea.

China, which claims democratically governed Taiwan as its own, says it alone exercises sovereignty and jurisdiction over the strait. The U.S. and Taiwan say the strait  a major trade route through which about half of global container ships pass  is an international waterway.

Australia has "consistently pressed China on peace and stability in the South China Sea and Taiwan Strait," Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said in a speech to the U.N. General Assembly on Saturday.

"We have welcomed the resumption of leader- and military-level dialogue between the U.S. and China," Wong said, according to a transcript.

Chinese air and naval forces conducted maneuvers in a disputed area of the sea hours after the country's top diplomat discussed ways of reducing regional tension with his U.S. counterpart.

China claims nearly all of the South China Sea, despite overlapping maritime claims by Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam, angering its neighbors.
For decades, politicians in both parties have bemoaned a U.S. immigration system that virtually all call broken. Attempts at comprehensive reform have failed and popular emotion and partisan rancor have hit a new high over the last two years as cities and towns struggled to accommodate migrants.

With emotions high, Republican-led states have bused new arrivals to Democratic-led cities. The presidential election now has shifted the spotlight to a city whose latest residents are legally in the country.

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump and running mate Ohio Senator JD Vance have jumped on disproven rumors that Haitian migrants in Springfield, Ohio, are eating household pets.

The bottom line: Immigrants are coming and staying in this country through a mix of methods and programs that are not easily captured or acknowledged in political rhetoric, but fearmongering over immigration is nearly as old as the country itself.

Many routes to US

The roughly 15,000 Haitians residing in Springfield are in the U.S. legally. Most of them have temporary protected status, which allows them to stay and work. Trump and Vance have failed to make that distinction, which many critics see as part of Trump's long history of targeting Black people. Last weekend at a rally in Las Vegas, the Republican presidential nominee said the city has "been taken over by illegal migrants."

Trump would not be able to legally deport Haitians who have protected status.

His supporters such as Vivek Ramaswamy have falsely stated that the federal government transported Haitians to Springfield's front doorstep. In reality, migrants who have legal status or who have been granted asylum have to foot the bill for their own transportation. The Haitian population there grew mainly because migrants went where they could find family, housing and work.

Benefits of immigration

Historically, immigrants or people with temporary protected status come to the U.S. to work and often take jobs that Americans reject, filling a need in the workforce as older generations retire and fewer babies are born. And many American cities' cultural, economic and religious identities were shaped by migrants.

"Most Americans are fundamentally immigrants, and so it's always just kind of crazy when this gets called into question, and there's some idea that immigration is not a strength," said Republican Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt.

One in five Oklahoma City residents are Latino, Holt said, and the restaurants and small businesses they operate have become an integral part of the city of about 700,000 people. In the 1970s and 1980s, thousands of Vietnamese immigrants flocked to the city, and today their community a few miles west of the state Capitol is known for its bustling markets and many restaurants.

"Their culture and their food are now very much a part of what makes Oklahoma City unique," Holt said.

After the evacuation of Afghanistan in 2021, Holt welcomed more than 2,000 Afghan refugees to the city. One of them, Feroz Bashari, swore Holt in for his second term as mayor.

Bashari had been the spokesperson for the Afghan government before the U.S. withdrew. He fled with his family when the government was toppled.

"A friend of mine who came before me told me it's a nice place for living, raising your children," Bashari said. "It's a conservative place, they believe in God, they're very religious. They have almost the same religious culture we have."

Immigrants can revitalize little populated neighborhoods and decaying streets by setting up businesses and paying taxes. Miami's Little Havana, San Francisco's Chinatown or Chicago's Polish Triangle are fixtures touted to visitors. But migrants also change the fabric and the culture of a city, as well as the country, in ways that longer-term residents find hard to accept.

Complications of immigration

A census survey conducted from July 2022 to July 2023 found that Ohio's foreign-born population included 5,442 people from Haiti. In comparison, Florida and New York had populations of over 370,000 and 119,000 Haitian-born residents, respectively.

Springfield officials have placed the figure today at between 15,000 and 20,000, and they say the size of the influx combined with the language barrier has created delays in receiving health care, accessing social services and using everyday government services, like getting a license. Traffic accidents involving death or injury also have increased in town, as have pressures on the housing stock.

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine has deep ties to Haiti, having traveled there with his wife more than 20 times in support of a tuition-free school named after their late daughter. DeWine, who was born in Springfield and is a lifelong resident of the area, said Haitians who have landed in the city are hard workers and have helped close labor shortages in factories and warehouses.

But he said that a sudden influx of Haitians in a city of 58,000 has also stretched the city's resources. Some of those frustrations spilled out at a Springfield City Commission meeting last week.

A school bus driver said he and other bus drivers are forced to take evasive maneuvers every day to avoid "people who can't drive." A man spoke of a friend who was kicked out of his home by a landlord who then tripled the rent. Other residents complained about overcrowded schools and an increase in homelessness among longtime residents.

"I feel like there should be a no-vacancy sign right now," one man said.

DeWine, at a news conference this week, said that, "Yes, we have challenges."

"But we're going to meet those challenges," he said. "We may not meet them overnight, but we're going to work at those challenges and those problems."

Earlier this month, DeWine announced the city would get $2.5 million over the next two years for health care demands.

History of fears

Trump has alleged that migrants have caused skyrocketing crime rates in cities like Springfield and Aurora, Colorado, although authorities in both cities have debunked that. Many studies show that crime is lower among immigrants compared with native-born residents.

Nearly 200 years before Trump and Vance perpetuated unfounded fears that Haitians in Springfield, Ohio abduct and eat dogs and cats, Chinese laborers in California faced similar demonization. Many Chinese men came to the West in the 1850s  first to dig for gold and then to build the transcontinental railroad. Propaganda at the time fostered fears that the Chinese were a "yellow peril" who smoked opium and ate strange foods. This sentiment led Congress to pass the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882. It was the first law restricting immigration based on ethnicity.

In 1924, the U.S. established a comprehensive immigration law with a quota system based on nation of origin. It heavily favored immigrants from northern and western Europe. The intention was to limit immigrants from Asia as well as Jews and others fleeing Europe.

A monumental change came in 1965 with the Hart-Celler Immigration Act, which abolished the quotas and was intended to help immigrants bring family members with them to the U.S., a practice known as chain migration that first benefited Europeans and now aids people from Asia and Latin America.
Drone companies from Taiwan and the United States are exploring ways to work together in a market dominated by China, bringing together Taiwanese enterprises and more than two dozen American companies and officials this week in Taipei.

Attacks by swarms of drones have become an almost daily occurrence in Russias war in Ukraine, with Kyiv and Moscow using unmanned aerial vehicles, or UAVs, to carry out strikes and defend themselves from attacks.

As the threat China poses to Taiwan grows, many see drones playing a crucial role in a potential conflict there as well. Chinas leader, Xi Jinping, has tasked his troops to be prepared for an invasion of Taiwan by 2027.

And with Chinese companies dominating the market and critical resources used in making drones, analysts say it is important for Taiwan and the U.S. to find ways to create a China-free supply chain.

At a drone expo at National Taiwan University in Taipei this week, hundreds of Taiwanese producers met with several officials from the U.S. Department of Defense and Raymond Greene, director of the American Institute in Taiwan, which serves as the de facto U.S. embassy on the island.

Patrick Mason, the deputy assistant secretary of the Army for defense exports and cooperation, and Andrew Hong, deputy director of the cyber portfolio of the Defense Department's Defense Innovation Unit, or DIU, spoke at the expo. Mason spoke about The Pathway to U.S.-Taiwan Defense Industrial Cooperation and Hongs remarks centered on Defense Innovation with Taiwan.

For U.S. drone companies, the forum offered the potential to expand business ventures with Taiwan and grow the bilateral trade partnership, according to a statement from the American Institute in Taiwan on Wednesday.

Demand for drone technology in Taiwan is large, especially given Chinas drone production prowess. Chinese drone company DJI held 76% of the consumer market for household drones in 2021. These drones have also been deployed on the battlefield in places like Ukraine and Myanmar, a practice that the Chinese government and DJI have condemned.

Hsu Chih-hsiang, an assistant researcher at the Institute of National Defense and Security Research in Taipei, described drones as combat force-multipliers, and explained that, even in peacetime, China has already begun sending large drones into Taiwanese territory and even uses small civilian drones to hover in Taiwanese airspace in the Kinmen Islands.

In 2022, former Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen made the drone industry a development priority in Taiwan. Since then, Taiwan has established the Drone National Team program, subsidizing domestic production of these systems.

Taiwanese Minister of National Defense Wellington Koo revealed in mid-September that Taiwan would procure 3,422 units of six types of domestically produced military drones, including mini-drones, before 2028, and that Taiwan would also separately acquire two types of missile-type attack drones, totaling 976 units, before 2026, to enhance precision strikes and anti-armor capabilities.

Wang Shiow-wen, who is also an assistant researcher at the Institute of National Defense and Security Research, said American support of Taiwanese drone modernization presents an opportunity for Taiwan to break through barriers in production capacity and ensure the security of the supply chain for drones.

Taiwans government has set a goal for domestic manufacturers to produce 15,000 drones per month by 2028. That is three times current production levels, according to Taiwans government-funded Central News Agency.

Ja Ian Chong, a political scientist at the National University of Singapore, said the three most important considerations for the U.S. and Taiwan in the future of drone production without Chinese components are cost, mass production capacity, and the impact that this might have on American and Taiwanese budgets, technology transfer and scientific development.

China strongly opposes collaboration and engagement between Taiwan and the United States, and it was watching the gathering in Taipei closely.

Chinese state media criticized the visit to Taiwan by the delegation of American companies and defense officials, as well as efforts to create a "China-free" drone supply chain.

Liu Heping, a Chinese commentator, said that by attempting to make Taiwan the democratic drone supply chain center, the United States and Taiwan were preparing for a vigorous arms race with China.

Katherine Michaelson contributed to this report.
Former President Donald Trump met Friday with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in New York, where Trump repeated claims that he will be able to end the war in Ukraine by making a deal with Russia. White House Bureau Chief Patsy Widakuswara has this report.
Nobody Wants This Bat Mitzvah Crashers Season 1 Episode 10 Editors Rating 4 stars * * * *  Previous Next  Previous Episode Next Episode  Photo: Saeed Adyani/Netflix

Okay, lets run through Morgan and Joannes makeup because you could kind of tell exactly how it was going to go down. Our very tall weirdo Sasha is quite sweet even if he tries to be hard, and he was never going to keep that secret!

When Noah forbids him from telling him any gossip (no fun! He doesnt realize how juicy this is!), Sasha decides to hell with it; he needs to tell Morgan. I need some sweet release from these chains! he tells her while on speakerphone with Joanne in the room. (Shes there to record a podcast, not because she wants to be.) Her cover was blown the entire time; Rebecca was lying. Good on Joanne, she apologizes immediately. I mean, Morgan makes her do it again, this time on her knees, and more sincere, but she does it. She tells Morgan that not only is she sorry for what she said but that shes an amazing business partner and her best friend. She loves her. One thing Im really digging about Nobody Wants This is that, unlike a lot of shows, the characters here own up to their mistakes pretty quickly. Nobody is perfect, but everyone, eventually, owns that. Its refreshing! Like Sasha, I, too, enjoy the sweet release of those chains that come with watching people go out of their way to keep a lie going or the problems that arise from miscommunications that could be solved with a simple conversation. This show gives us the simple conversations. Very refreshing.

Its perfect timing, really, since once Morgan hears that its not just Rebecca trying to tank her sisters relationship with Noah, its his entire family and they are all currently at a bat mitzvah together, Morgan has exactly zero time for this shit. They are going to that bat mitzvah, no one fucks with her sister except for her!!

Poor Miriam. We already know she hates her bat mitzvah theme (Miriam Take A Bite Out of the Big Apple) and her dress (hideous), and we know Binas the boss here, but, like, not one person said, can we cool it with the giant basket of apples our tiny 13-year-old daughter is supposed to carry through the crowd? No one needs this. Of course she trips. Of course, we later find her upset in the bathroom, cutting her dress into something even semi-cute. (Thankfully, by that point, her mother is more than happy to assist.) This is supposed to be Miriams day, guys!

The fall isnt totally bad. I mean, its definitely embarrassing, but right after she gets up, Joanne and Morgan bust through those doors all dolled up, and I guess no one has seen blonde women in dresses before because everyone is looking in awe at them. Weird, if true! And while this is Miriams thing and I did legitimately clap when Noah tells her that today she becomes an adult but its not as overwhelming as it sounds because it turns out it mostly just involves canceling dinner plans, and that is so true it hurts, were really here to wrap up this thing with Joanne and Noah.

Joanne has big news: After brunch with her friends and about thirty seconds of Googling, she has decided to convert to Judaism. If Nobody Wants This gets a season two, which I am not opposed to, I hope we iron out Joannes character. Sometimes, she reads as a type A, deeply passionate, smart person, and other times, she is the exact opposite. Her speech to Noah that she wants to be a part of his world and that she would do anything for him is very romantic, but she couldnt she have done a little more research? When Noah is understandably ecstatic about this  hey, men really can have it all!  says that she really wants this for herself too, right, and that shes committed to the spiritual journey it will entail, like, of course Joanne looks terrified. She hasnt thought through any of this! She does, however, go right up to Bina and give her a hug to let her know that shes not going anywhere, and honestly, Bina had that coming.

Although, hands down the best actually, fuck you moment comes from Morgan bumping into Rebecca and asking her if shes finished Where the Crawdads Sing, the book she was reading at the bar, and when she says no, Morgan responds, Great, um, Kyas the murderer, so and bops away. Thats master-level bitchiness, and I bow down at Morgans feet.

Joanne seems to be having a great time at the bat mitzvah, tearing up the dance floor with her sister, getting in on some Hava Nagila, and slow dancing with her guy as he completely overwhelms her with what converting to Judaism will consist of because he is just so completely, wildly happy. But a few things happen, and the evening takes a turn.

Joanne notices Rebecca get upset and leave. She tracks her down outside of the party, seemingly to see if theres a fence to mend there, or maybe she just senses Rebeccas hurt and wants to be kind. Whatever it is, I love that Nobody Wants This gives Rebecca this moment. It allows her to be much more fully dimensional. Shes not some bitter woman obsessed with getting married; she is someone who had dreams and hopes for her future, and they all got crushed. She apologizes for lying to Morgan; that wasnt her, although it felt good. Youre the opposite of what hes always wanted, she tells Joanne. Rebecca is just confused as to how someone like Joanne would fit into Noahs life. When she tells Joanne that being married to the head rabbi comes with a whole host of responsibilities, responsibilities that Joanne hasnt even begun to think about, she isnt being cruel; she is being honest. Joanne does seem overwhelmed by the pressure of it all. It should feel like good pressure, you know? Rebecca tells her. It should feel like an honor and a privilege to represent the temple and to be the head rabbis wife, but Joanne doesnt get any of that. I hope its what you want, she says before walking away. Again, none of it is mean or catty; shes the one person telling Joanne the truth about this huge decision shes making. Its not all romance and joy, and its going to be difficult, too.

Right after that conversation, Joanne sees Noah talking with Rabbi Cohen, who basically tells him that, yes, the board has to approve, but he basically has this in the bag. She sees how happy Noah is  this is his life-long dream coming true. She has to pull him aside.

Its always felt like we would end up with some version of this conversation, but that doesnt make it any less sad or tragically romantic. Like, just punch me right in the heart, Bell and Brody! Joanne loves Noah (and he loves her, too), but it is because she loves him that she cant convert. She isnt ready, and she doesnt know if she will ever be. Desperate, he tells her they can slow things down and that he doesnt want to lose her. You need me to be something that I cant promise that I can be. If I falter even a little bit, your whole life blows up. Thats not fair to you. It is very mature and sincere. Would any of her podcast listeners ever believe she was having this conversation?

Joanne tells Noah something he already knows: He cant have both things. He cant have her and his dream job, his dream life. And I would never make you choose, she tells him before leaving and ordering him not to follow her.

It should be the happiest night of Noahs life. Word is spreading that hes sure to get the gig and people are congratulating him. When his dad sees him sad sacking at a table, he reminds him that this is what you wanted your whole life, he should be proud and excited. But you can see it all over my mans face: Maybe this isnt the dream anymore. Maybe something (someone!!) else has become the dream. I do not care how cheesy that is, friends; I fucking live for the thrill of the end of a romantic comedy, okay? Let me have this! You know he is going to go to her!!

Joanne takes the shuttle to the parking lot, in tears. At one point, she thinks he has followed her, but its a rando kid. Its really over, shes thinking.

But Noah is waiting for her in the parking lot. NOAH IS WAITING FOR HER IN THE PARKING LOT. Of course she wanted him to follow her, but she still has no idea how this could ever work. Youre right, he tells her, I cant have both. And then he takes her and he kisses her and it is so unbelievably good. Guys, she might get pregnant! I might get pregnant! He cant have both and he is choosing her.

This ending is perfect because if this is all we get of Joanne and Noahs story, it is a satisfying conclusion. But it also 100 percent sets up a second season  there would be so much to mine from this turn of events. Well have to wait and see. For now, Im going to take it upon myself to rewind to all of the kissing scenes because, Im not sorry to say, nobody is kissing like Kristen Bell and Adam Brody are kissing. That might be (it definitely is) a weird thing to say, but Im standing by it.
Lee Pace and Catinca Untaru in The Fall (2006). Photo: Mubi

It took 20 years for Tarsem Singh to figure out why he made The Fall, and when that insight arrived, it came from his childhood friends. After his family moved to Iran when Singh (who goes by only Tarsem professionally) was three, he and his brother were sent to boarding school in the Himalayas. For nine months of the year, Singh was surrounded by the majestic splendor of the mountain range and the natural landscape; for the three winter months when hed return to Iran, he would soak up television, mostly American films dubbed into Persian, a language he didnt yet speak well. (He now speaks it fluidly and enthusiastically.) Singh didnt understand what the actors were saying, and the movies were stripped of laugh tracks, so he was unsure of tone, too. But there was a rhythm to the storytelling that appealed to him, and that he mimicked when hed recount the movies to his classmates. Just not always accurately.

I would come back and tell the stories, and they were whatever I wanted them to be, Singh says. I used to tell them about Get Smart. He was just a really cool spy to me that could call on his phone, which was in his shoe. And they were thinking, That was supposed to be a comedy, you idiot. My friends, years later, said, Oh, The Falls like that, because the stories that you told were completely fucking bizarrely different then.

Singhs 2006 cult classic, the long-awaited 4K restoration of which began streaming Friday on MUBI, is more intentional in its genre experimentation. Loosely based on the 1981 Bulgarian film Yo Ho Ho, its set in a Los Angeles hospital in the 1920s and centers the unlikely friendship between patients Alexandria (eight-year-old Catinca Untaru), a young Romanian immigrant nursing a broken arm and grieving her father, and Roy (Lee Pace, before his Pushing Daisies breakout), a stuntman recovering from a fall gone wrong and a devastating breakup. Alexandria immediately bonds with Roy, in whom she sees a father figure, while Roy is planning his death by suicide, and manipulates Alexandria into stealing the morphine pills hell need to do it. To convince her, he tells her a story about a group of bandits traveling the world to battle a dastardly governor, with the characters played by people Alexandria sees around the hospital. Reality and fiction blend on screen, with Roys narration and Alexandrias imaginings coming together into a mesmeric story about mythmaking, misunderstanding, and creativity as a reciprocal process.

When the film premiered at TIFF, critics were divided; Roger Ebert was (and remained) a strong defender, but there were vociferous pans, too. It took two years for the film to get picked up by Roadside Pictures for a limited theatrical run, and after The Falls initial release on physical media, it seemed to disappear. It wasnt streaming or available for digital rental, so second-hand DVDs and Blu-rays regularly went for hundreds of dollars online and pirated copies passed through cinephile circles. When MUBI announced in July that they had acquired Singhs 4K remaster, it felt like a movie was coming back from the dead.

In this gorgeously colored, crisply rendered version, The Fall practically vibrates off the screen. (MUBI confirms that a physical release of the film is in the works for 2025.) The Fall was filmed over four years, with various production singularities that have since become infamous among the films devoted fanbase. Dialogue and story developments were written on the fly, like the scene where Alexandria brings Roy only three morphine pills  inspired by Untaru misreading the letter E in morphine as the number three  and Roy and Alexandria having different ethnic definitions of the term Indian. Singh credits Pace with helping flesh out the films theme about the two-way nature of storytelling, and hes full of recollections and anecdotes.

Talk to me about the timeline for this 4K restoration project. What inspired you to do this?

Last year I took Dear Jassi to Toronto, and I was kind of mobbed by people. Anybody who would interview me about Dear Jassi, they would be like, Why cant we see The Fall? And I would go, Yeah. Why cant I answer that? I was like, Where were you when we were trying to get people to take this movie for fucking free? Nobody wanted it. I had to spend another two years working to get it out into like 10, 12 theaters so that people would remember it for the future, and not remember it as a small film that they saw on their computer. I realized that there was this whole critical mass that had evolved around it, and everybody wanted it. A film that I really loved, Jonathan Glazers Birth, was with my film at 50 percent on the Tomatometer. That means people will love it and will kill for it, and then there are people who think its shit. Unfortunately for me now, The Fall has started going up on the Tomatometer because a lot of the old critics fortunately have died  I hope horribly. And the newer generation that saw it, they go, Actually, this was nowhere near as bad as advertised.

The third festival we were in, in Saudi Arabia, I met Efe Cakarel from MUBI. He literally said, I love the film. I said, Its yours. You just tell me what it will take to get eyeballs on it. If streaming goes away after some years, I want to make sure it is available on Apple or anything like that. I didnt mind where people were getting the movie, but they were downloading it from these horrible sites in China and in Russia. When MUBI came along, it was a match made in heaven because I could see that that team really liked it. Then the problem was that the 4K that I knew was around could not be found. When we started looking for it, there was just a whole bunch of corrupted materials. So we did another version. There was a shot I remember of Catinca that was out of focus. I had to kill myself trying not to use it, but I did use it. And now when I see it on the big screen, I go [gnashes his teeth, grimaces]. Shes not even moving. Shes lying in the bed, and her eyes are soft. Its the last thing I want to ever notice. Nobody even blinks looking at that shot. They dont even see it. And all I can think is, Its big and massive and its soft. And I just get angry.

Photo: Mubi

Before the MUBI deal, did you explore streaming it on another service?Im not particularly Internet savvy. [Laughs.] Like I say, if it wasnt for porn and chess, I would have never discovered the Internet. I only watch stuff on Apple TV. I was just telling my lawyer, I want people to be able to buy it if they want. She said, Oh, you want streaming? And I was just like, Whatever that is, do it. She had said, Ill approach Criterion. I wouldnt say they said no. They just never, never, never responded from any channel that I went through.

You said something that was important to you about going with MUBI was that the film could be purchased digitally. Are you planning another physical release?

We are finishing that. I want there to be, because otherwise people will keep complaining that they bought it for $300 on eBay. That was the reason I went for this. We are producing it on Blu-ray. I will follow up with them, because that was the one of the main things for me, getting it streaming and then physically making it available for people. Its got the kind of following that likes having it around.

There are some changes in this version, including two restored deleted scenes. Why were those deleted, and why did you decide to add them back in?

After Toronto, everybody told me, Youve got to make a slight change in the film, so you can say it wasnt the film that the critics had seen. There is one scene that I should have never touched. I just arbitrarily said, I need to get rid of two scenes, because I need to lose a minute and a half. Ive been an atheist since I was in my preteens. The priest character, hes the guy who Alexandria throws the oranges at in real life, and then later on, he comes out as the villain. In between, there was a scene which helps make more clear whos really the author of the story: the storyteller or the person whos listening to it? Roy starts to introduce the priest as a bad guy, and Alexandria goes, Whoa! But the priest is a good guy! And he goes, Uh  yeah. The priest has a stick in his hand, and hes walking toward the child, and Roy goes, The stick was for  a snake! And the line of the priest shouting and saying, Darwin! because thats his arch-enemy, evolution. [Laughs.] I always loved that scene, and when I was losing it, I said, Lets get it done. Ive gone bankrupt almost twice. Lets take it out. That was it for me. But this time, I looked at it, and I said, No, that scene needed to be in there.

The other scene I could live without showed the landscape in the Himalayas. I took the biggest crane we could get up there, and did this crane move. I took it out because needed to [snaps fingers to as if to say hurry up]. Nico Soultanakis and I had written a shooting script. Thats all I wanted to do. But Dan Gilroy came in and he made a really good point. He said, Theres a way you can make this more commercial. Its the Hitchcock line. You can have a really boring conversation, as long as in the beginning, you cut under the table and theres a bomb. And now, whenever these people talk, your attention is there. And Dans thing was, Roys got an agenda. Hes trying to commit suicide. Introduce that earlier, and therell be a lot more forgiven. And I thought about it, and I said, No. First, I want it to be about a meander. Thats what people complain about, that the fucking thing goes all over the place. I say, Yes. Have you tried talking to a five-year-old? And you need something from the five-year-old? Its like pulling hens teeth. So for me, I said, No. It should look like the film is about the meander, and then you realize, actually, its got a direction. He said, That alls fair, and then Dan left. But it was a wonderful point that he made. That particular scene, the long crane one, I just thought, Take that out, maybe I can help a little bit by getting to his agenda earlier. But now, the kind of people that will go to see the film, they already are expecting something unusual.

That crane shot is beautiful. I had wanted to ask you about that scene.

It was a 360. Its when Luigis on the horse and the Mystic starts eating the map. In the beginning of that now, there is a massive crane move before you arrive there. Then theres the 180 that goes down into the greens. But I brought the biggest crane in the world to this inhospitable place in the Himalayas. I said, I got to do another shot, and I did that shot. I didnt know where the story was going to go, but I loved the landscape. I just wrote the dialogue out there, where the Mystic says, Follow me to the greener pastures! When he goes down and I cut to Bali, and its the greenest valley you can imagine.

And the film now opens with a title card, Los Angeles, Once Upon a Time.

This was the original title. I wanted to make sure you understand this is not the story that the guy told. Its the childs perspective, remembering it later on in life. I thought about introducing an old person, and then you realize that theyre remembering their story. Initially when we made the film, I had the whole black-and-white sequence, then tried having an old woman speaking, and it just looked so tacky up front that you lost me before the movie started. I thought, People can see that its a childs perspective. Ill just put once upon a time. I wanted to write Hollywood, once upon a time, but then I thought, Does it not work? Because English is not really my first language. I was always trying to say, this is somebody remembering the story from back then. Its a little girl. I needed that license, and I lost the license with a lot of the audience by not having that voiceover up front and not getting the title right. This is a compromise that hopefully helps.

What I dont want to happen, and what could have made me money initially, is to dub this film. Categorically, no matter how much money they offer me, nobody is allowed to dub this film. The dialogue is how it is. If you cant hear the nuances of a person who is actually trying their best to communicate with you, but struggles because its not her first language  thats what the movies about. If youre gonna dub it, I cant trust that.

Photo: Mubi

Have you stayed in touch with any of the actors from the film, or got in touch to tell them about the streaming release?

I just yesterday wrote to Lee Pace. I do keep in touch with Lee every now and then, because hes in upstate New York. Whenever Im going down there, I try to drive by and see him. Its not as often as I would like, but we do meet up. Catinca, yes, because we almost lost touch and then we got in touch again. I love her. Also Julian Bleach, the Mystic. Most of the other actors, not really. I will try to reach out to them. Im sure theyll find it, because Im sure theyve been like, I acted in this film. Where can we see it?

In a 2008 interview, when talking about how this is Alexandrias version of what happened to Roy, you said, He might have succeeded after she left. Or made it out alive. As far as shes concerned he made it out and did those stunts forever. All the answers are there and I hope that when the DVD comes out people will freeze the picture to see whether its Roys face or not.

I wish I wouldnt have said freeze the frame. [Laughs.] I would just say, if youre an optimist, the guy made it out alive. But if youre anywhere near a pessimist, youll go the other extreme. Buster Keaton did all his stunts, so thats obviously not Roy in 90 percent of those shots. Whos to say none of those are him? Whos to say after she left, he probably killed himself? And this girls mother, to get her over it, said, Now he does stunts, and she moved on with life, basically preferring Michael Bay films to any arthouse films because she thinks he does the stunts. So for me, that was kind of the answer: Whatever you want it to be. Dont freeze it  because I dont know if its Roy. [Laughs.]

I did freeze it, and I feel like it is Lee Paces face, but maybe I convinced myself.

[Laughs.] Number two.

Will you tell me if he filmed anything for that sequence?

Im not gonna tell you. Now when I watch it, I say I ran it four times too many. But the thing in my favor is that, because I shot with a hand-cranked camera, so you can never really get a clear look between frames. I should not have said freeze the frame. Look at it, and whatever mood youre in, thats what happened.

Photo: Mubi

Youve talked about The Fall being a movie you felt like you could only make at that time in your life. If you were to make the film now, would you do anything differently?

I thought of it for 27 years, and every year, if Id made it, it would have been a different film. The practical issues that come up are different. And that kind of financial situation would never happen again. I had so much money from making 20 years of award-winning commercials. David Fincher, who co-produced, tried his best to get me to talk to executives. And I realized nobody could finance this film. It doesnt have a script, its got an essence box. I used to go around with Catincas box, saying, These are things that she stole, and trying to tell the story. But thats not how you sell a film. Theyd say, Where do you shoot? Id say, I dont know. Maybe starting with 10 countries, might become more. It became 28. Fincher said, Everybody who makes money through advertising always talks about this personal film theyll never make. You are the guy who made it. I said, I am the idiot that made it. And it happened at the right time. My Italian girlfriend dumped me. I met Catinca, and Id been looking for the child, boy or girl, for the film for seven years. I thought, We make the movie now, or like my brother used to say, well be two old guys with a lot of money that are talking about a movie that theyll never make. I told my brother, Sell everything. I want to have nothing. Ill never be in that position again, because now I have a son. You gotta give him something to carry on and carry on. But back then, it was like, Fuck it, burn the bridges behind me. Lets go make this.

In the original script, even until a few weeks before we went out to shoot, the main villain in the film is the hypochondriac Walt. But when I was all heartbroken, I was talking to Nico, and Nico said, The villain should be somebody Roy makes the villain, who isnt even a bad guy. And I thought, Yes, the guy who stole his girl. The guy, Sinclair, is a movie star and a really good guy, but Roy makes him bad. I told Sean Gilder, If youre coming in, just know that youre not the big part anymore. He was fine. All those things changed as we went along. Now, I might do them differently. A thing that would have made this the darling of critics is an assembly that I might do in 10 years or 20 years. When I assembled the movie, we had just shot the hospital in sequence, and I turned to the editor and said, If we release this, it will win every award. It needs no fantasy. Its just two people in a bed, and the manipulation going on. I am 100 percent sure Im right. If I take out all the fantasy and just leave it on these two particular people, thats what the critics would have seen as something like My Dinner with Andre. A lot of peoples anger was like, How much damn money does this guy have, that hes gone and done all that? And my answer was, What else is money for? [Laughs.] I burned it all. They call it indulgent. But when it works for them, then they call it auteur. I just go, Well, it was indulgent. But I needed to get this devil off my back.

You recently shared that a 4K of your first film The Cell is coming. What is the status of that?

Its done. Its actually going to be shown for the first time at Beyond Fest in LA on October 3.

How did you feel revisiting it?

Paul Laufer, my cameraman from that one and my college professor, weve been saying, Can we do something? He had finished this thing in HD, but when Warners was handling the Blu-ray, they took the non-HD version and released it. Last year, he was telling me, Look at this. It was his version of the 4K, and I just said, Oh my God, it looks nothing like that! Lo and behold, about two and a half, three months ago, I got a call from Arrow Films. I put them in touch with Paul, and if theres anybody that can tire you out on technicalities, thats him. They had an incredible conversation. They might even be putting out some behind-the-scenes thing. It should be coming out soon.

My original commentary interview was horrendously hilarious. When I saw the film, which was about three months ago, I was like, Wow, they really gave me a lot for a first film. When I was doing it, I was used to nobody touching a frame of what I did in commercials or in music videos. When we did that film, there was a little bit of a compromise, which was understandable. And then when they changed one shot on the trailer, I said, Im done. I was in India when Vincent DOnofrio, who was the original bad boy, called me. He said, Were doing the junket here in San Pedro. Everybody wants to know and meet the director. How come youre not here? And I said, They changed a shot on the trailer without telling me. And he went, Oh, you have so much to learn. And I was like, Ooh. I guess that was the wrong thing. [Laughs.] He was supposed to be the difficult one. When he said that, I said, I must have come off really bad.
Michael Bolton

Members of the public have called on the Government to implement the Occupied Territories Bill in response to the actions of Israel in Gaza.

Documents seen by Breakingnews.ie under the Freedom of Information Act show there were 57 messages on the issue to the Department of Foreign Affairs since January 2023.

The Occupied Territories Bill seeks to ban trade with illegal settlements in territories deemed occupied under international law.

The Bill went through the Dail five years ago, but was dropped for the 2020 Programme for Government.

In correspondence to the Department for Foreign Affairs, people raised their concerns with the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Micheal Martin, over Israel.

In February 2023, one person said: "In May 2021, Ireland became the first EU country to recognise the 'de facto annexation' of Palestinian land. Despite this important step, Ireland is still trading with settlements that are illegal under international law.

"Enacting the Occupied Territories Bill would make Ireland the first EU country to ban trade with illegal Israeli settlements in Palestine."

In January of this year, three months after Israel's war in Gaza began, concerns were expressed that the bill would not be implemented before the next general election.

One person who contacted the department said: "The Occupied Territories bills must be moved before the Dail goes into summer recess and before this government is dissolved before the next general election."

Another person took issue with Ireland's lack of action on what has been happening in Gaza, despite receiving praise for statements.

Writing to the Minister, the person said: "I was delighted to hear your colleague and one of my representatives, Ivana Bacik, again call for the immediate passing of the Occupied Territories Bill.

"Your government has sat on this bill for far too long. As Francesca Albanese said in presenting her report last week for the UNHRC, Ireland talks a big game when it comes to opposing the genocide in Gaza but, in reality, has taken no action to actually oppose it."

The Government was also called on to do more to work towards a ceasefire. "I am asking you to do more to advocate for a ceasefire on the global stage and to ensure accountability for crimes against humanity. Ireland should lead by example and implement the Occupied Territories Bill and do all that we can for the EU to review its relationship and agreements with Israel."

There were also calls for the use of Shannon Airport by the US army to be stopped.

One person, contacting the department earlier this month, said: "You will see this morning the devastating bombings on approximately 20 tents in Khan Younis (AlMawasi, a so- called safe zone) where Palestinian families were sleeping overnight.

"Paramedics on the scene are searching through 30 metre sand craters for body parts and survivors. Eyewitnesses say it has to be bunker buster bombs that were dropped.

"Please condemn these daily horrific attacks and without delay enact the Occupied Territories Bill and inspect the planes going through Shannon."
Federal police have quietly dropped a years-long investigation into an Australian mining company once accused of bribing government officials in the Republic of Congo.

Sundance Resources was under investigation following revelations in this masthead almost a decade ago that the firm may have bribed the countrys president, as well as the mines and geology minister, to progress an iron ore venture that was set to be one of the biggest projects in Africa.

The Mbalam-Nabeba project was set to be the biggest iron ore venture in Africa. Credit: Sundance Resources

During Operation Downton, AFP investigators encountered several difficulties in gathering evidence that would be admissible during criminal proceedings in Australia regarding the alleged historical offending, an AFP spokeswoman said.

This included identifying, accessing and obtaining historical records and data, and the deaths of several potential witnesses/persons of interest in a plane crash in June 2010, prior to the start of the AFPs investigation. This investigation did not establish sufficient, admissible evidence to refer a brief of evidence to the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions.
Renters in Melbourne are being given more choice than their Sydney counterparts as the build-to-rent sector takes off in the southern state, leaving the rest of the country to play catch-up.

While traditional high-density development is in the doldrums, build-to-rent apartments have almost doubled in the past year, swelling to more than 40,000.

Build-to-rent projects could account for a sizeable proportion of much-needed apartment projects. Credit: Darrian Traynor

Well over half (58 per cent) are under development in Melbourne, JLL research suggests. Brisbane and then Sydney make up the majority of the remainder. If enough projects finish this year, they will make up about 10 per cent of an average years new apartment supply.

Australias housing crunch is putting pressure on all levels of government.
Long-time best mates, marketeer Peter Manwaring, 57, and hatter Robert Carroll, 54, used to talk about retiring to a hacienda in Mexico. But it was an Australian country town that stole their hearts in the end.

Robert Carroll and Peter Manwaring. Most of Molong thought we were a gay couple, says Carroll. I think they still do. Credit: Pip Farquharson

Peter: I was going through the obligatory self-destructive phase after splitting with my wife when I first met Robbie in Sydneys Strand Arcade in 2000. He ran this shop called Strand Hatters  an institution, really  and I worked in the office next door. Hed run around yelling Ciao! to anyone within earshot while I drank coffee, feeling sorry for myself. Everyone called him Roberto with an Italian accent and a rolling r. I didnt know he wasnt actually Italian until years later. Actors, musicians and models all wore his hats  but his creative schtick was clashing with the corporate style of the shops new owners [Akubra]. I gave him some advice, helped him communicate his worth.

I thought hed never leave the shop but, in 2018, he moved back to Dubbo to be with his dad, who had dementia. A couple of years earlier, Id bought this grand old building in Molong [120 kilometres south of Dubbo]  a residence with a shop on the ground floor. Ive got plans to develop it into a creative hub for independent musicians and artists. Anyway, I asked him to move in for a while because when he wasnt looking after his dad, he was at his twin sisters farm, lying on the couch watching too much trashy reality TV. I joined him when Sydney went into lockdown.

Robbies a brilliant cook and cleaner, so the whole idea was a stroke of genius on my part. Hes also very caring and generous  a touch neurotic, perhaps, but always lots of fun. He took to poking his head into my Zoom meetings and became widely known as Petes gay butler. Its not all roses, though. Leave a bottle of gin around and it can quickly disappear.
In later years, she further cemented herself in popular affection as imperiousness personified playing Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of Grantham, in ITVs stately-home drama Downton Abbey, though she revealed that she never watched the series and was relieved when it finished. Although her performances in the theatre were inevitably passing wonders  fading from shared cultural memory as generations have gone by  she may perhaps be best remembered for playing the part of Miss Mary Shepherd, the elderly, cantankerous down-and-out who ended up living in a battered van on the Camden driveway of playwright Alan Bennett for 15 years. Bennetts memoir-play  The Lady in the Van  opened to a blaze of glowing reviews at the Queens Theatre in late 1999. Her comic timing is irresistible, her vocal delivery lethal in its precision, the Telegraph raved. Better still, there are sudden moments when Smith seems to peer deep within, capturing a terrifying sense of anguish and fear. A performance that again proved she could inhabit lower-class characters with the same ease as she did the aristocracy, it was immortalised in a popular 2015 film version, directed by Nicholas Hytner. The youngest of three children, Margaret Natalie Smith was born in Ilford, Essex, on December 28 1934; she had identical twin brothers, six years her senior. When she was four the family moved to the outskirts of Oxford, where her Newcastle-born father, Nathaniel, was employed as a lab technician at the Dunn School of Pathology.

Her biographer Michael Coveney characterised her early years as Spartan, though certainly not deprived. According to her brother Ian, however, it was a very rigid, inflexible upbringing and a humourless childhood. That Maggie managed to break out of it as she did is all the more remarkable. She was educated at Oxford High School for Girls, but left aged 16 to train for the stage at the Oxford Playhouse Theatre School. After jobs with the repertory company at Oxford Playhouse, she made her stage debut aged 18 as Viola in Twelfth Night for the Oxford University Dramatic Society and her professional debut, in New York, in the revue New Faces of 56. Following other revues at the Edinburgh Festival and the Watergate Theatre, London, she found herself as the leading comedienne opposite Kenneth Williams in Bamber Gascoignes revue Share My Lettuce (Lyric, Hammersmith, and Comedy, 1957). After a small (but typically telling) part in Warren Chetham-Strodes The Stepmother (St Martins), she joined the Old Vic Company. As Lady Plyant in Congreves The Double Dealer, Celia in As You Like It (to Barbara Jeffords Rosalind), the Queen to John Justins Richard II, Mistress Ford in The Merry Wives of Windsor and Maggie in What Every Woman Knows, she proved more than just another revue actress trying to go straight.

In 1960 she replaced Joan Plowright in Ionescos Rhinoceros when it transferred to the West End from the Royal Court. Later that year she was cast as the talkative blonde mistress of a Home Office baronet in Beverley Crosss second play, a nuclear-warning farce, Strip the Willow, which folded at Golders Green on its pre-West End run. She was to marry the author some 15 years later. Her first major West End success  and it glittered  came as Lucile in Jean Anouilhs The Rehearsal (Globe, Queens and Apollo, 1961), a Bristol Old Vic production in which she played a young girl employed to care for orphans in a chateau who is callously seduced by the debauched hero. The Daily Mail hailed the seduction scene as one of the most affecting things to be seen in London at the moment, while Harold Hobson in The Sunday Times found her touching, sincere and sometimes devastating. Soon afterwards came Peter Shaffers equally popular double-bill, The Private Ear and The Public Eye (Globe). In the first, she played Doreen, an office typist on a first date; in the second, the young wife of a jealous accountant who sets a peculiar private detective on to her  the latter part bringing her face to face again with her old revue sparring partner, Kenneth Williams. According to the director Peter Wood: They were like greyhounds, the speed at which they could bat and ball it. For the double-bill the Evening Standard judged her Best Actress of 1962, the first of five ES awards.

The next season brought another prize, from the Variety Club, as best actress for her performance in Jean Kerrs Mary, Mary (Queens, 1963), after which she joined Laurence Oliviers first National Theatre season at the Old Vic. As Silvia to Robert Stephenss Captain Plume in The Recruiting Officer in 1963 she gave the first of many performances with that actor (whom she married in 1967), though as a Restoration actress in her own right her talent was exceptional. In his autobiography, Knight Errant, Stephens recalled their early encounters: She impressed me then as being a miserable, rather forlorn creature. But she struck across my bows in those opening months of the National like a salt-sprayed sea breeze. A stagehand is said to have warned him: Watch out for her, she drinks like a fish and swears like a trooper. A publicity still from Othello, in 1965, showing Maggie Smith as Desdemona. Credit: BFA / Eagle Films / Alamy Stock Photo Maggie Smiths Desdemona to Oliviers Othello was surprisingly moving for an actress of such natural, comic instinct; the celluloid incarnation earned her an Oscar nomination. Her stave-carrying, head-scarved Hilde Wangel in The Master Builder, and her vampish Myra (to Stephenss Sandy Tyrell) in Noel Cowards production of Hay Fever at the Old Vic in 1964, reminded everyone of her range beyond the favoured smart snarl or drawling put-down. In her third season with the new National Theatre, in 1965, she confirmed her serious-mindedness, first with an elegantly superior Beatrice to Stephenss battling Benedick in Much Ado About Nothing, then with a thoroughly modern Clea in Shaffers Black Comedy, and lastly as Strindbergs Miss Julie, these two one-act dramas forming a double-bill at Chichester Festival which transferred to the Old Vic in 1966. Her elder son Christopher was born in 1967; her younger, Toby, arrived two years later.

In the midst of this came one of her biggest triumphs, as the Edinburgh schoolmistress Jean Brodie in the Ronald Neame-directed adaptation of Muriel Sparks novel The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, which resulted in her first Oscar. After repeatedly stealing other peoples pictures, she now becomes a star in her own right, said the Mail. Coveney argues that she modelled the anti-heroine in part on the icy temperament and brusque organisational manner of her Scottish Presbyterian mother Meg (Margaret). In a scene from Tea with the Dames. As Margery Pinchwife in Wycherleys The Country Wife at Chichester in 1969 she seemed as much at home as ever in Restoration comedy. Encouraged, she returned to the Old Vic in 1970 as Mrs Sullen (to Stephenss Archer) in William Gaskills revival of Farquhars The Beaux Stratagem. As a London beauty bored by rustic tedium, she made the treasurable most of her disastrous marriage to a drunken squire. When she came to advise a countrywoman to treat her husbands sore leg by boning, seasoning and baking it, her deadpan delivery enriched the line with sly spite. In Ingmar Bergmans revival for the National Theatre of Ibsens Hedda Gabler (Cambridge, 1970, with Stephens as Loevborg), she created as chilly a heroine as any could recall, a glacial malice glittering beneath her politeness.

She won the Variety Club award for best actress as the acidic divorcee Amanda in Cowards Private Lives (Queens, and Globe), playing opposite her husband, Stephens; their success, however, was piquant, drawing on the disintegration of their marriage. As Stephens recalled in his memoir: It was just how we talked to each other at home. He claimed that the couples malaise had set in during the filming of The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, when she took an amphetamine called Drinamyl, making her intolerable to live with, but his affairs  at one point he had three women on the go, one of them their secretary  took a major toll. A year later, in 1973, ever keen to demonstrate versatility, she played, without a trace of snideness, the title role in Peter Pan (Coliseum), and then Connie Hudson in the sex comedy Snap! (Vaudeville, 1974), a flop that coincided with her final break-up with Stephens; their divorce went through in April 1975, and in June she married the playwright Beverley Cross. Then, determined to have a damned good try at a lot of things that I would probably never be cast for in England, she spent three classical seasons at Stratford, Ontario. There she played Cleopatra in Antony and Cleopatra; Millamant in Congreves The Way of the World; Masha in Chekhovs Three Sisters; Titania and Hippolyta in A Midsummer Nights Dream; Queen Elizabeth in Richard III; Rosalind in As You Like It; and Lady Macbeth. Bolstered by these experiences, back in London in 1979 she took over from Diana Rigg in Tom Stoppards Night and Day (Phoenix), returning to Stratford, Ontario, to play Virginia Woolf in Edna OBriens Virginia (seen later at the Haymarket, London), Beatrice in Much Ado About Nothing and Masha in The Three Sisters.

In the 1980s her London stage performances indicated a marked preference for modern character rather than for classical acting, starting with Ronald Harwoods Interpreters (1985). As a refugee from Warsaw in Stephen Poliakoffs Coming in to Land (1986) the actress showed National Theatre audiences a sterner and refreshing side to her talent. In Lettice and Lovage (1987), Shaffers satire about a stately-home tour guide who embellishes her descriptions with fictions to keep the punters engaged, and gets found out, she revelled in a subversive, eccentric role specially written for her. Maggie Smith stands her ground as The Lady in the Van. Credit: Lindy Percival If some pointed out that the performance restored some of the semaphoring tricks and vocal mannerisms from earlier days, they were widely welcomed, all the same, and when the show crossed the Atlantic she won a 1990 Tony Award  further proof, if proof were needed, that she excelled at isolated characters whose strangeness generated a funny-peculiar charm. In 1988, she was diagnosed with Graves disease, for which she had radiotherapy treatment and optical surgery. Her stage appearances became less frequent in the ensuing decades, but made no less impact for that.

She triumphed, as expected, as Lady Bracknell in The Importance of Being Earnest (1993, Aldwych), then starred in a string of major Edward Albee productions. In Three Tall Women (1994) at Wyndhams, she played an autocratic but bedbound elderly woman and then a slightly less aged version of her, joining with two younger incarnations to survey her life. Ten years later, she proved her theatrical powers remained undimmed as the mysterious titular character in Albees The Lady From Dubuque. With more than 50 film credits to her name, only a handful can be mentioned. She first drew praise (and a Bafta nomination) for the crime film Nowhere to Go (1958). She was Oscar-nominated for her portrayal of the flamboyant Aunt Augusta in Travels with My Aunt (1973). In 1978 she appeared with Alan Alda, Michael Caine and Jane Fonda in California Suite (1977), in which her performance as an actress who loses out on Oscar night secured her a second Academy Award after The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (for best supporting actress). She was also nominated for Oscars for her roles as Charlotte Bartlett, the chaperone of Helena Bonham Carter in A Room with a View (1986), and as Lady Trentham in Robert Altmans Gosford Park (2002). Other notable successes included Oh! What a Lovely War (1968); Death on the Nile (1978); Clash of the Titans (1981); Quartet (1981); Evil Under the Sun (1982); The Missionary (1982); A Private Function (1984); The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne (1989); Hook (1991); Sister Act (1992); and Tea with Mussolini (1999). In the popular The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2012) and its sequel, she joined an illustrious older cast, playing an enterprising former family-help who gets cured of her racism when she is packed off to India for a hip replacement. In My Old Lady (2014) she played a refined elderly sitting tenant in a Parisian apartment whose young American owner grows to admire and like her.

Her television performances included playing a resentful vicars wife in A Bed Among the Lentils (part of Alan Bennetts Talking Heads series), Much Ado About Nothing, Man and Superman, On Approval and Home and Beauty. She was nominated for an Emmy for her performance as Betsey Trotwood in David Copperfield (1999) opposite the future Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe. Loading I think there is an accepted way that a face should be, and Im not like that, she once said, but audiences begged to differ. A somewhat reluctant celebrity, and seldom enthusiastic newspaper interviewee, she published no diaries or memoir. According to her son, Chris Larkin, she was almost terrifyingly sanguine about critics, success, failure. She doesnt worry at all and simply says you can only do what you do. It can be accounted one of her undersung successes that despite being in the public eye for more than six decades, she retained an essential, almost regal, mystique to the last. She was appointed Commander of the British Empire in 1970, made a Dame in 1990 and a Companion of Honour in 2014 .
SPRINGFIELD  A Taylorville woman has been ordered to pay $600,000 restitution to the Christian County YMCA.

Lori Zeitler, 65, who previously pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to five counts of wire fraud, was sentenced Thursday. In addition to the restitution she was sentenced to three years of probation.

The impact of the defendants deception is wide reaching, as the money she stole deprived the Christian County YMCA of funds that should have gone towards needed facility improvements and to support programs for members, Assistant U.S. Attorney Sierra Senor-Moore said. The restitution order is a just result that will help the YMCA to continue their mission in serving the community.

At the sentencing hearing, the government presented evidence that Zeitler took advantage of her position of trust at the YMCA, where she worked for 32 years in various roles, and stole at least $292,336.29 and was responsible for $600,000 in loss.

Zeitlers theft was discovered when the YMCA switched to an internet-based accounting software.

U.S. District Judge Sue E. Myerscough found that in addition to the money Zeitler took from the YMCA, she also broke the trust between the organization and the community. Myerscough noted that Zeitlers crimes against the YMCA were almost unbelievable.

As a YMCA employee of 32 years, Lori Zeitler developed a long-time pattern of embezzlement, using her position of trust to steal from her employer, and ultimately shortchanging the community the YMCA serves, said FBI Springfield Special Agent in Charge Christopher Johnson. We at the FBI and our law enforcement partners will always pursue justice in an effort to preserve the publics trust in its valued institutions.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Springfield Field Office; the Taylorville Police Department; and the Illinois State Police investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Senor-Moore represented the government in the prosecution.

Photos: Notable deaths in 2024 Glynis Johns Adan Canto Bud Harrelson Dejan Milojevic Jack Burke Mary Weiss Norman Jewison Charles Osgood Melanie Safka Chita Rivera Carl Weathers Wayne Kramer Ian Lavender Toby Keith Henry Fambrough Bob Edwards Don Gullett Lefty Driesell Andreas Brehme Golden Richards Richard Lewis Nikolai Ryzhkov Brian Mulroney Akira Toriyama Iris Apfel Andy Russell Ed Ott Chris Mortensen Steve Lawrence Naomi Barber King Paul Alexander Thomas P. Stafford Chris Simon M. Emmet Walsh Laurent de Brunhoff Obit Angelos Baseball Joe Lieberman Louis Gossett Jr. Joe Flaherty John Sinclair Larry Lucchino Christopher Durang Jerry Grote Schappell Twins Peter Higgs Ralph Puckett Jr. O.J. Simpson Eleanor Coppola Robert MacNeil Faith Ringgold Steve Sloan Ken Holtzman Carl Erskine Whitey Herzog Bob Graham Dickey Betts Mandisa David Pryor Roman Gabriel Andrew Davis Terry Anderson Bill Gladden Duane Eddy Paul Auster Dick Rutan Steve Albini Jimmy Johnson Sean Burroughs Roger Corman A.J. Smith David Sanborn Alice Munro Dabney Coleman Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi Jim Otto Ivan Boesky Jan. A.P. Kaczmarek Carlie Colin Morgan Spurlock Richard M. Sherman Bill Walton Albert Ruddy Larry Allen Janis Paige Parnelli Jones Chet Walker The Rev. James Lawson Jr. Jerry West Ron Simons Bob Schul Willie Mays Donald Sutherland Bill Cobbs Kinky Friedman Martin Mull Robert Towne Vic Seixas James Inhofe Joe Bonsall Shelley Duvall Dr. Ruth Westheimer Richard Simmons Jacoby Jones Shannen Doherty James Sikking Pat Williams Lou Dobbs Bob Newhart Cheng Pei-Pei Abdul 'Duke' Fakir Bernice Johnson Reagon John Mayall Erica Ash Jack Russell Chi Chi Rodriguez Susan Wojcicki Frank Selvy Wally Amos Gena Rowlands Peter Marshall Alain Delon Phil Donahue Al Attles James Darren James Earl Jones Frankie Beverly Joe Schmidt Chad McQueen Tito Jackson JD Souther Dan Evans Mercury Morris Maggie Smith
New York: European, Arab and Islamic nations have launched an initiative to strengthen support for a Palestinian state and its institutions, and prepare for a future after the war in Gaza and escalating conflict in Lebanon, Norways foreign minister said.

Espen Barth Eide said there is a growing consensus in the international community from Western countries, from Arab countries, from the Global South, that we need to establish a Palestinian Authority, a Palestinian government, a Palestinian state  and the Palestinian state has to be recognised.

Palestinian supporters protest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Times Square, New York, during the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly. Credit: AP

Eide said many issues need to be addressed, including the security interests of Israel and the Palestinians, recognition and normalisation of relations after decades of conflict and the demobilisation of Hamas as a military group.

These are pieces of a bigger puzzle, Norways chief diplomat said. And you cant just come in there with one of these pieces because it only works if all the pieces are laid in place.
A Swinford man who is raising money for two well-deserved charities is coming towards the end of a mammoth 2,200km trek across mainland Europe, which has brought him from Canterbury in the UK almost all the way to the Vatican City in Rome.

Cathal Kelly set off from Canterbury Cathedral on Sunday, June 16, to walk the Via Francegina pilgrimage across southern England, France, the Swiss Alps and Northern Italy before reaching his destination at the Vatican on Thursday, October 10.

Cathal undertook this challenge to raise money for two well deserved Irish charities, Mayo Parkinsons Association and Childrens Health Foundation, Crumlin.

Both of these charities hold a special and emotional place in my heart and that of my family," said Cathal. I strongly believe the research undertaken at the National Childrens Research Centre in Crumlin changes childrens lives and the Mayo Parkinsons Association offers an invaluable care and assistance to our family and so many more throughout the county.

There have been ups and downs for Cathal on his walk, lonely days through the French countryside, vending machine pizzas and rainy treks, but they have been balanced off by people from home joining him for sections of his walk. Big Tom Byrne and his daughter Katie from Kiltimagh were the most recent to join him in the Tuscany region.

Boosted by constant messages and support from home, Cathal has met some wonderful characters along his walk and has built up a following along the way as other pilgrims have noted they heard about the Irishman walking the entire Via Francigena in one go.

With about 200km left, the Swinford man has taken all expectations and hopes and smashed through them as he nears his destination and his family are urging people to support him in any way possible as he reaches his goal.

Cathals brother Mike is hoping for a boost in donations.

We are all so proud of everything Cathal has achieved so far and are willing him over the line as he closes in on the Vatican. Hearing the stories back from those who have joined him along the way and from speaking to him regularly we know it has been a tough but fun adventure.

Hopefully, people can see the effort that has gone into what he has done and will donate whatever they can to boost the overall donation to two fantastic and well deserved charities.

You can donate via Cathals website at kellyswalk2rome.ie and follow his progress on his Instagram page @kellyswalk2rome.
Families of the 43 students from a rural teachers college abducted 10 years ago in southern Mexico marked the painful anniversary Thursday disillusioned after a decade of unfulfilled government promises. The anniversary falls just four days before the departure of President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, whose election in 2018 generated hope among the families. His administration made some early advances, established a Truth Commission and declared the disappearances a state crime. But when the investigation stalled without the cooperation of the military, the president closed ranks with the generals.
Rescuers race to free people trapped by Hurricane Helene after at least 40 killed in 4 states
English Academy Ama Ata Aidoo Memorial Lecture

When: Monday, 30 September 2024 Where: Online Event

Start time: 15:00 Enquiries: naomi.nkealah@wits.ac.za RSVP: englishacademy@societies.wits.ac.za

Ways of Teaching: African Feminism as Pedagogy

The English Academy of Southern Africa will be hosting an online lecture in honour of Ama Ata Aidoo, the Ghanaian author, poet, playwright, politician, and academic who passed away in 2023. The lecture is titled Ways of Teaching: African Feminism as Pedagogy and will be presented by Dr Naomi Nkealah from the Wits School of Education. The lecture will take place on Monday, 30 September 2024, at 15:00. Should you wish to attend the lecture, RSVP by 20 September to Karin Basel englishacademy@societies.wits.ac.za.
John Hancock Financial Opportunities Fund (NYSE:BTO  Get Free Report) saw a large growth in short interest during the month of September. As of September 15th, there was short interest totalling 26,500 shares, a growth of 273.2% from the August 31st total of 7,100 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 62,200 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 0.4 days.

John Hancock Financial Opportunities Fund Stock Up 0.9 %

Shares of BTO traded up $0.29 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $32.55. The stock had a trading volume of 40,201 shares, compared to its average volume of 55,660. John Hancock Financial Opportunities Fund has a 12 month low of $22.96 and a 12 month high of $33.66. The companys 50-day moving average is $32.11 and its two-hundred day moving average is $29.51.

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John Hancock Financial Opportunities Fund Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 30th. Investors of record on Friday, September 13th will be issued a $0.65 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, September 13th. This represents a $2.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 7.99%.

Institutional Trading of John Hancock Financial Opportunities Fund

John Hancock Financial Opportunities Fund Company Profile

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of BTO. Cornerstone Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of John Hancock Financial Opportunities Fund during the 2nd quarter worth about $2,727,000. Wedbush Securities Inc. boosted its stake in shares of John Hancock Financial Opportunities Fund by 8.7% in the 2nd quarter. Wedbush Securities Inc. now owns 8,738 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $245,000 after buying an additional 700 shares during the last quarter. Shaker Financial Services LLC boosted its stake in shares of John Hancock Financial Opportunities Fund by 92.5% in the 2nd quarter. Shaker Financial Services LLC now owns 40,840 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $1,144,000 after buying an additional 19,629 shares during the last quarter. Wolverine Asset Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of John Hancock Financial Opportunities Fund by 400.0% in the 2nd quarter. Wolverine Asset Management LLC now owns 39,148 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $1,097,000 after buying an additional 31,319 shares during the last quarter. Finally, International Assets Investment Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of John Hancock Financial Opportunities Fund in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $51,000. 19.55% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

(Get Free Report)

John Hancock Financial Opportunities Fund is a closed-ended equity mutual fund launched and managed by John Hancock Investment Management LLC. It is co-managed by John Hancock Asset Management. The fund invests in the public equity markets across the globe. It seeks to invest in the stocks of companies operating across the financial services sector.

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AKITA Drilling Ltd. (OTCMKTS:AKTAF  Get Free Report) was the recipient of a large drop in short interest during the month of September. As of September 15th, there was short interest totalling 5,800 shares, a drop of 50.4% from the August 31st total of 11,700 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 10,700 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 0.5 days.

AKITA Drilling Stock Performance

OTCMKTS AKTAF traded up $0.01 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $1.08. 5,500 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 5,225. The businesss 50 day simple moving average is $1.03 and its 200-day simple moving average is $1.06. AKITA Drilling has a 1 year low of $0.86 and a 1 year high of $1.35.

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About AKITA Drilling

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AKITA Drilling Ltd. operates as an oil and gas drilling contractor in Canada and the United States. It is involved in the drilling oil and gas wells, potash exploration and development wells, geothermal wells, disposal wells, and carbon storage wells, as well as wells to be developed into storage caverns for gas.

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Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria, S.A. (NYSE:BBVA  Get Free Report) has been assigned a consensus recommendation of Moderate Buy from the four brokerages that are presently covering the firm, MarketBeat.com reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, one has issued a hold recommendation, one has assigned a buy recommendation and one has given a strong buy recommendation to the company.

Several analysts recently issued reports on BBVA shares. BNP Paribas downgraded Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria from a neutral rating to an underperform rating in a report on Wednesday, June 12th. Royal Bank of Canada upgraded Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria to a moderate buy rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 31st. Finally, Citigroup upgraded shares of Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria to a strong-buy rating in a research report on Friday, August 9th.

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Institutional Investors Weigh In On Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria

Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria Price Performance

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Russell Investments Group Ltd. lifted its stake in shares of Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria by 139.8% in the 4th quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 3,906 shares of the banks stock worth $36,000 after acquiring an additional 2,277 shares during the period. Rothschild Investment LLC bought a new position in Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria during the 2nd quarter valued at $40,000. Financial Management Professionals Inc. increased its position in shares of Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria by 295.3% during the 1st quarter. Financial Management Professionals Inc. now owns 4,076 shares of the banks stock valued at $48,000 after purchasing an additional 3,045 shares during the period. Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC bought a new stake in shares of Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria in the 2nd quarter worth $43,000. Finally, Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria by 567.5% in the first quarter. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. now owns 4,646 shares of the banks stock valued at $55,000 after buying an additional 3,950 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 2.96% of the companys stock.

Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria stock opened at $11.07 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $64.60 billion, a PE ratio of 7.53, a P/E/G ratio of 1.03 and a beta of 1.30. Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria has a 12 month low of $7.76 and a 12 month high of $12.20. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $10.37 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $10.65.

Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria (NYSE:BBVA  Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 1st. The bank reported $0.51 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.48 by $0.03. Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria had a net margin of 27.55% and a return on equity of 16.40%. The business had revenue of $9.93 billion during the quarter. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $0.36 EPS. Equities research analysts anticipate that Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria will post 1.75 earnings per share for the current year.

Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a dividend, which will be paid on Friday, October 25th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, October 9th will be issued a dividend of $0.3244 per share. This is a positive change from Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentarias previous dividend of $0.11. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, October 9th. Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentarias dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 45.58%.

About Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria

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Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria, SA provides retail banking, wholesale banking, and asset management services in the United States, Spain, Mexico, Turkey, South America, and internationally. The company offers savings account, demand deposits, and time deposits; and loan products, such as residential mortgages, other households, credit card loans, loans to enterprises and public sector, as well as consumer finance.

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CarMax (NYSE:KMX  Get Free Report) issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday. The company reported $0.85 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.86 by ($0.01), Briefing.com reports. The business had revenue of $7.01 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.83 billion. CarMax had a return on equity of 6.64% and a net margin of 1.55%. The businesss quarterly revenue was down .9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.75 EPS.

CarMax Price Performance

Shares of KMX opened at $77.29 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.95, a current ratio of 2.50 and a quick ratio of 0.60. The companys fifty day moving average price is $79.71 and its 200-day moving average price is $76.37. CarMax has a 1-year low of $59.66 and a 1-year high of $88.22. The firm has a market capitalization of $12.06 billion, a PE ratio of 30.19, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.56 and a beta of 1.69.

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Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CEO William D. Nash sold 120,000 shares of CarMax stock in a transaction dated Thursday, July 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $79.62, for a total transaction of $9,554,400.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 181,683 shares of the companys stock, valued at $14,465,600.46. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. In other CarMax news, EVP Mohammad Shamim sold 25,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, July 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $82.26, for a total transaction of $2,056,500.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 11,738 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $965,567.88. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CEO William D. Nash sold 120,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Thursday, July 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $79.62, for a total value of $9,554,400.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 181,683 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $14,465,600.46. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 184,012 shares of company stock worth $14,803,843 in the last 90 days. Insiders own 1.66% of the companys stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have recently commented on KMX. Truist Financial boosted their price target on CarMax from $70.00 to $75.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a research report on Monday, September 23rd. Morgan Stanley reissued an overweight rating and set a $80.00 price target on shares of CarMax in a research report on Friday, June 21st. StockNews.com raised shares of CarMax to a sell rating in a research report on Friday, July 26th. Royal Bank of Canada increased their target price on shares of CarMax from $75.00 to $82.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research report on Friday. Finally, Wedbush reaffirmed an outperform rating and issued a $95.00 price target on shares of CarMax in a report on Tuesday, September 17th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have given a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, CarMax has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $78.92.

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About CarMax

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CarMax, Inc, through its subsidiaries, operates as a retailer of used vehicles and related products in the United States. It operates in two segments: CarMax Sales Operations and CarMax Auto Finance. The CarMax Sales Operations segment offers customers a range of makes and models of used vehicles, including domestic, imported, and luxury vehicles, as well as hybrid and electric vehicles; used vehicle auctions; extended protection plans to customers at the time of sale; and reconditioning and vehicle repair services.

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Hudson Pacific Properties, Inc. (NYSE:HPP  Get Free Report) has been assigned an average recommendation of Hold from the twelve brokerages that are covering the company, MarketBeat.com reports. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation, eight have given a hold recommendation and two have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 12-month price objective among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $6.95.

A number of analysts have issued reports on the company. Piper Sandler downgraded Hudson Pacific Properties from an overweight rating to a neutral rating and decreased their price target for the stock from $7.00 to $6.00 in a report on Thursday, August 8th. Wolfe Research cut Hudson Pacific Properties from an outperform rating to a peer perform rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 14th. Bank of America dropped their price target on shares of Hudson Pacific Properties from $4.50 to $4.00 and set an underperform rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, August 22nd. The Goldman Sachs Group cut their price objective on shares of Hudson Pacific Properties from $6.50 to $4.70 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, August 14th. Finally, Morgan Stanley cut shares of Hudson Pacific Properties from an equal weight rating to an underweight rating and lowered their target price for the company from $6.00 to $4.25 in a report on Wednesday, July 10th.

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Insider Buying and Selling

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Hudson Pacific Properties

In other Hudson Pacific Properties news, COO Andy Wattula sold 9,356 shares of Hudson Pacific Properties stock in a transaction on Friday, September 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $5.28, for a total value of $49,399.68. Following the transaction, the chief operating officer now directly owns 61,068 shares in the company, valued at $322,439.04. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website . In other news, COO Andy Wattula sold 9,356 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, September 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $5.28, for a total value of $49,399.68. Following the transaction, the chief operating officer now owns 61,068 shares of the companys stock, valued at $322,439.04. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website . Also, Director Jonathan M. Glaser sold 9,287 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $5.20, for a total value of $48,292.40. Following the sale, the director now owns 3,713 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $19,307.60. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . 2.95% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of HPP. State Board of Administration of Florida Retirement System raised its holdings in Hudson Pacific Properties by 225.5% during the first quarter. State Board of Administration of Florida Retirement System now owns 168,807 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $1,123,000 after purchasing an additional 116,945 shares in the last quarter. GRS Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Hudson Pacific Properties during the 4th quarter worth approximately $18,489,000. GSA Capital Partners LLP raised its stake in shares of Hudson Pacific Properties by 167.2% during the 1st quarter. GSA Capital Partners LLP now owns 302,179 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $1,949,000 after buying an additional 189,104 shares in the last quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD lifted its holdings in shares of Hudson Pacific Properties by 405.7% in the 1st quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 309,272 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $1,995,000 after buying an additional 248,117 shares during the period. Finally, Scion Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Hudson Pacific Properties in the second quarter valued at approximately $5,505,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 97.58% of the companys stock.

Hudson Pacific Properties Stock Down 1.7 %

HPP stock opened at $4.69 on Monday. Hudson Pacific Properties has a fifty-two week low of $4.26 and a fifty-two week high of $9.85. The companys 50 day moving average price is $5.14 and its 200 day moving average price is $5.37. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.41, a quick ratio of 1.47 and a current ratio of 1.47. The firm has a market capitalization of $661.97 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -2.93, a PEG ratio of 0.88 and a beta of 1.31.

Hudson Pacific Properties (NYSE:HPP  Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 7th. The real estate investment trust reported ($0.33) earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.17 by ($0.50). The firm had revenue of $218.00 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $216.08 million. Hudson Pacific Properties had a negative net margin of 25.42% and a negative return on equity of 7.41%. Hudson Pacific Propertiess revenue for the quarter was down 11.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $0.24 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Hudson Pacific Properties will post 0.62 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Hudson Pacific Properties Company Profile

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Hudson Pacific Properties (NYSE: HPP) is a real estate investment trust serving dynamic tech and media tenants in global epicenters for these synergistic, converging and secular growth industries. Hudson Pacific's unique and high-barrier tech and media focus leverages a full-service, end-to-end value creation platform forged through deep strategic relationships and niche expertise across identifying, acquiring, transforming and developing properties into world-class amenitized, collaborative and sustainable office and studio space.

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Japan Airlines Co., Ltd. (OTCMKTS:JAPSY  Get Free Report) was the target of a large growth in short interest in September. As of September 15th, there was short interest totalling 29,600 shares, a growth of 228.9% from the August 31st total of 9,000 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 87,700 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 0.3 days.

Japan Airlines Price Performance

Shares of OTCMKTS JAPSY traded up $0.05 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $8.90. 22,874 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 68,296. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.82, a quick ratio of 1.33 and a current ratio of 1.39. The company has a market cap of $6.00 billion, a PE ratio of 11.71 and a beta of 0.67. The companys fifty day simple moving average is $8.19 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $8.49. Japan Airlines has a 1-year low of $7.27 and a 1-year high of $10.17.

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Japan Airlines (OTCMKTS:JAPSY  Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 31st. The company reported $0.10 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. Japan Airlines had a net margin of 5.38% and a return on equity of 9.59%. The business had revenue of $2.72 billion for the quarter. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Japan Airlines will post 0.8 EPS for the current year.

Japan Airlines Company Profile

Japan Airlines Co, Ltd., together with its subsidiaries, provides scheduled and non-scheduled air transport services in Japan, Asia, Oceania, North America, and Europe. The company operates through Air Transportation and Other segments. It offers passenger, ground handling, cargo and mail handling, and maintenance services.

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Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD  Get Free Report) has been given a consensus rating of Moderate Buy by the ten analysts that are covering the stock, MarketBeat.com reports. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and six have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12-month price objective among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $338.00.

A number of equities analysts recently commented on LAD shares. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price target on Lithia Motors from $300.00 to $335.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research note on Friday, August 2nd. Stephens initiated coverage on Lithia Motors in a research report on Thursday, September 12th. They issued an overweight rating and a $360.00 target price for the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on Lithia Motors from $315.00 to $375.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Tuesday, September 10th. Bank of America raised their price objective on Lithia Motors from $320.00 to $330.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Monday, July 22nd. Finally, Guggenheim raised shares of Lithia Motors from a neutral rating to a buy rating and set a $338.00 price objective for the company in a report on Friday, August 9th.

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Insider Activity at Lithia Motors

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Lithia Motors

In other Lithia Motors news, Director Shauna Mcintyre sold 306 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $289.65, for a total value of $88,632.90. Following the sale, the director now owns 1,922 shares in the company, valued at $556,707.30. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website . In related news, Director Shauna Mcintyre sold 306 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $289.65, for a total value of $88,632.90. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 1,922 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $556,707.30. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link . Also, Director Sidney B. Deboer sold 10,777 shares of Lithia Motors stock in a transaction on Friday, September 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $275.93, for a total value of $2,973,697.61. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 35,352 shares in the company, valued at approximately $9,754,677.36. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . Insiders have sold a total of 23,021 shares of company stock worth $6,534,617 in the last ninety days. 1.79% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Cadian Capital Management LP acquired a new stake in shares of Lithia Motors in the 4th quarter worth approximately $105,370,000. Barrow Hanley Mewhinney & Strauss LLC raised its holdings in Lithia Motors by 14.7% during the second quarter. Barrow Hanley Mewhinney & Strauss LLC now owns 1,700,893 shares of the companys stock worth $429,390,000 after purchasing an additional 217,867 shares in the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lifted its position in Lithia Motors by 25.0% in the second quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 1,016,520 shares of the companys stock worth $256,621,000 after purchasing an additional 203,543 shares during the period. Bridges Investment Management Inc. lifted its position in Lithia Motors by 118.9% in the second quarter. Bridges Investment Management Inc. now owns 160,860 shares of the companys stock worth $40,609,000 after purchasing an additional 87,362 shares during the period. Finally, Wellington Management Group LLP boosted its stake in Lithia Motors by 413.6% during the 4th quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 65,142 shares of the companys stock valued at $21,450,000 after purchasing an additional 52,458 shares in the last quarter.

Lithia Motors Price Performance

LAD stock opened at $320.83 on Monday. The stocks 50 day moving average is $284.70 and its two-hundred day moving average is $272.12. Lithia Motors has a 52-week low of $231.36 and a 52-week high of $331.96. The company has a market capitalization of $8.79 billion, a PE ratio of 9.47, a P/E/G ratio of 0.30 and a beta of 1.64. The company has a quick ratio of 0.30, a current ratio of 1.19 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.26.

Lithia Motors (NYSE:LAD  Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 1st. The company reported $7.87 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $7.09 by $0.78. The firm had revenue of $9.23 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $9.29 billion. Lithia Motors had a net margin of 2.52% and a return on equity of 13.84%. The firms quarterly revenue was up 13.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $10.91 earnings per share. Analysts predict that Lithia Motors will post 28.78 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Lithia Motors Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 23rd. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 9th were given a dividend of $0.53 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, August 9th. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.66%. Lithia Motorss dividend payout ratio is currently 6.26%.

Lithia Motors Company Profile

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Lithia Motors, Inc operates as an automotive retailer worldwide. It operates in two segments, Vehicle Operations and Financing Operations. The companys Vehicle Operations segment sells new and used vehicles; provides parts, repair, and maintenance services; vehicle finance; and insurance products. Its Financing Operations segment provides financing to customers buying and leasing retail vehicles.

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Modine Manufacturing (NYSE:MOD  Get Free Report) and Gestamp Automocion (OTCMKTS:GMPUF  Get Free Report) are both auto/tires/trucks companies, but which is the better investment? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their dividends, profitability, valuation, risk, institutional ownership, earnings and analyst recommendations.

Insider and Institutional Ownership

95.2% of Modine Manufacturing shares are owned by institutional investors. 2.4% of Modine Manufacturing shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, endowments and hedge funds believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

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Profitability

This table compares Modine Manufacturing and Gestamp Automocions net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Modine Manufacturing 6.70% 24.92% 10.58% Gestamp Automocion N/A N/A N/A

Analyst Recommendations

Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Modine Manufacturing 0 0 4 0 3.00 Gestamp Automocion 0 0 0 0 N/A

This is a breakdown of recent ratings for Modine Manufacturing and Gestamp Automocion, as provided by MarketBeat.

Modine Manufacturing currently has a consensus target price of $143.33, indicating a potential upside of 8.82%. Given Modine Manufacturings higher probable upside, equities analysts plainly believe Modine Manufacturing is more favorable than Gestamp Automocion.

Valuation and Earnings

This table compares Modine Manufacturing and Gestamp Automocions gross revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Modine Manufacturing $2.45 billion 2.82 $161.50 million $3.03 43.47 Gestamp Automocion N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A

Modine Manufacturing has higher revenue and earnings than Gestamp Automocion.

Summary

Modine Manufacturing beats Gestamp Automocion on 8 of the 8 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Modine Manufacturing

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Modine Manufacturing Company provides thermal management products and solutions in the United States, Italy, Hungary, China, the United Kingdom, and internationally. It operates through Climate Solutions and Performance Technologies segments. The company offers heat transfer coils, including heat recovery and round tube plate fin coils; gas-fired, hydronic, electric and oilfired unit heaters; roof-mounted direct- and indirect-fired makeup air units; duct furnaces; infrared units; perimeter heating products; single packaged unit ventilators; modular chillers; air handler and condensing units; ceiling cassettes; evaporator unit coolers, remote condensers, fluid coolers, gas coolers, and dry and brine coolers; and motor and generator cooling coils, transformer oil coolers, radiators, dryers, and industrial heat exchangers. It also provides data center products consisting of IT cooling solutions, including precision air conditioning units for data center applications; computer room air conditioning and handler units; hybrid fan coils; fan walls; chillers; condensers; condensing units; and liquid cooling solutions for high-density computing, as well as replacement parts, maintenance service and control solutions for existing equipment and new building management controls and systems. In addition, the company offers powertrain cooling products, such as radiators, condensers, engine cooling modules, charge air coolers, fan shrouds, and surge tanks; cooling module generator sets; aluminum and stainless steel engine oil coolers, exhaust gas recirculation coolers, liquid charge air coolers, transmission and retarder oil coolers, and chillers; battery thermal management systems, electronics cooling packages, battery chillers, battery cooling plates, coolers and casings for electronics cooling, and coolers for electric axles; and coatings products and application services. Modine Manufacturing Company was incorporated in 1916 and is headquartered in Racine, Wisconsin.

About Gestamp Automocion

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Gestamp Automocion, S.A. designs, develops, manufactures, and sells metal automotive components in Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Mercosur, North America, and Asia. The company offers body-in-white products, such as bonnets, roofs, doors, and mudguards, as well as other surface and assembly parts; and structural and crash-related elements that include floors, pillars, rails, and wheel arches. It also provides chassis parts, such as systems, frames, and related parts consisting of front and rear axles and couplings, control arms, and integrated couplings; and mechanism parts, including hinges, door checks, electrical systems, and powered systems, as well as driver controls. In addition, the company offers hydraulic presses and dies. Further, it researches and develops new technologies. The company serves vehicle manufacturers. The company was incorporated in 1997 and is headquartered in Madrid, Spain. Gestamp Automocion, S.A. is a subsidiary of Gestamp 2020, S.L.

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Permian Basin Royalty Trust (NYSE:PBT  Get Free Report) announced a monthly dividend on Friday, September 20th, Wall Street Journal reports. Investors of record on Monday, September 30th will be paid a dividend of 0.0507 per share by the oil and gas producer on Tuesday, October 15th. This represents a $0.61 annualized dividend and a yield of 5.10%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, September 30th.

Permian Basin Royalty Trust has raised its dividend by an average of 36.7% annually over the last three years.

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Permian Basin Royalty Trust Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE PBT opened at $11.91 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $555.11 million, a PE ratio of 19.23 and a beta of 0.56. Permian Basin Royalty Trust has a 52-week low of $10.14 and a 52-week high of $21.97. The firms 50 day moving average price is $11.17 and its 200-day moving average price is $11.80.

Permian Basin Royalty Trust Company Profile

Permian Basin Royalty Trust ( NYSE:PBT Get Free Report ) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 8th. The oil and gas producer reported $0.18 earnings per share for the quarter. Permian Basin Royalty Trust had a return on equity of 15,940.96% and a net margin of 96.28%. The company had revenue of $8.83 million for the quarter.

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Permian Basin Royalty Trust, an express trust, holds royalty interests in various oil and gas properties in the United States. The company holds a 75% net overriding royalty interest in the Waddell Ranch properties, including Dune, Sand Hills (Judkins), Sand Hills (McKnight), Sand Hills (Tubb), University-Waddell (Devonian) and Waddell fields in Crane County, Texas.

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Premium Brands Holdings Co. (TSE:PBH  Get Free Report) has received a consensus rating of Moderate Buy from the nine analysts that are presently covering the stock, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average twelve-month price objective among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is C$112.30.

A number of research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. National Bankshares dropped their price objective on shares of Premium Brands from C$111.00 to C$101.00 in a report on Friday, August 9th. BMO Capital Markets dropped their price objective on shares of Premium Brands from C$115.00 to C$111.00 in a report on Friday, August 9th. Royal Bank of Canada dropped their price objective on shares of Premium Brands from C$101.00 to C$100.00 and set a sector perform rating for the company in a report on Monday, August 12th. Finally, TD Securities raised their price objective on shares of Premium Brands from C$125.00 to C$129.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Monday, August 12th.

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Premium Brands Stock Down 0.8 %

PBH stock opened at C$95.05 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of C$4.22 billion, a P/E ratio of 37.42, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.10 and a beta of 0.98. The company has a current ratio of 1.56, a quick ratio of 1.16 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 161.28. Premium Brands has a 12 month low of C$84.66 and a 12 month high of C$97.28. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of C$89.87 and a 200-day moving average price of C$89.88.

Premium Brands (TSE:PBH  Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, August 8th. The company reported C$1.28 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of C$1.32 by C($0.04). The company had revenue of C$1.70 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of C$1.70 billion. Premium Brands had a return on equity of 6.43% and a net margin of 1.78%. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Premium Brands will post 6.1078494 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Premium Brands Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, October 15th. Shareholders of record on Monday, September 30th will be issued a dividend of $0.85 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, September 30th. This represents a $3.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.58%. Premium Brandss payout ratio is 133.86%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Premium Brands news, Senior Officer William Dion Kalutycz sold 7,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of C$86.30, for a total transaction of C$604,100.00. Company insiders own 2.01% of the companys stock.

Premium Brands Company Profile

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Premium Brands Holdings Corporation, through its subsidiaries, manufactures and distributes food products primarily in Canada and the United States. It operates in two segments, Specialty Foods and Premium Food Distribution. The company provides processed meat, deli products, meat snacks, beef jerky and halal, sandwiches, pastries, specialty and gourmet products, entrees, panini, wraps, subs, hamburgers, burgers, salads and kettle products, muffins, breads, pastas, pizza, and baking and sushi products.

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Teck Resources Ltd (TSE:TECK.B  Get Free Report) has earned a consensus recommendation of Buy from the twelve research firms that are currently covering the stock, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Twelve analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating. The average twelve-month price target among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is C$76.40.

Several equities analysts have commented on the stock. Eight Capital increased their price target on shares of Teck Resources from C$72.00 to C$75.00 in a research note on Thursday, July 11th. TD Securities lifted their price target on shares of Teck Resources from C$78.00 to C$80.00 in a research note on Tuesday, July 16th. CIBC set a C$80.00 price target on shares of Teck Resources and gave the company an outperform rating in a research report on Friday, July 12th. Bank of America dropped their price objective on Teck Resources from C$88.00 to C$87.00 in a report on Friday, July 5th. Finally, Scotiabank reduced their target price on Teck Resources from C$84.00 to C$78.00 in a report on Monday, August 19th.

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Teck Resources Stock Performance

About Teck Resources

Shares of Teck Resources stock opened at C$70.89 on Monday. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of C$64.11 and a 200-day simple moving average of C$65.42. The company has a market cap of C$36.30 billion, a PE ratio of 25.43, a P/E/G ratio of -0.38 and a beta of 1.36. Teck Resources has a one year low of C$47.47 and a one year high of C$74.37. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 37.46, a quick ratio of 0.97 and a current ratio of 1.48.

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Teck Resources Limited researches, explores for, develops, and produces natural resources in the Asia Pacific, the Americas, and Europe. It operates through five segments: Steelmaking, Coal, Copper, Zinc, Energy, and Corporate. The company's principal products include steelmaking coal; copper concentrates and refined copper cathodes; refined zinc and zinc concentrates; energy products, such as bitumen; and lead concentrates.

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BEIJING, Sept. 27 (Xinhua)  Chinese President Xi Jinping will award national medals and honorary titles at a ceremony to be held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing at 10 a.m. Sunday ahead of the 75th founding anniversary of the People's Republic of China (PRC).

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, will deliver an important speech at the ceremony.

Three types of awards  the Medal of the Republic, the Friendship Medal and medals of national honorary titles  will be granted at the ceremony.

The event will be broadcast live by China Media Group and Xinhuanet. It will also be relayed simultaneously on leading central news websites including people.cn, cctv.com and china.com.cn, as well as on new media platforms such as mobile apps run by the People's Daily, Xinhua News Agency and China Central Television.

Xi signed a presidential order on Sept. 13 to award national medals and national honorary titles to 15 individuals on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the founding of the PRC. China celebrates its National Day on Oct. 1.

(Source: Xinhua)

Editor: Wei Xuanyi
Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, delivers an important speech at a grand meeting to honor role models for ethnic unity and progress in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 27, 2024. [Xinhua/Xie Huanchi]

BEIJING, Sept. 27 (Xinhua)  Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday called for consolidating and developing the unity of the Chinese nation.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the call at a grand meeting in Beijing to honor role models for ethnic unity and progress.

He urged efforts to advance the building of the community for the Chinese nation.

Premier Li Qiang presided over the meeting. Top political advisor Wang Huning announced the central authorities' decision to award the models. Senior leaders Zhao Leji, Cai Qi, Ding Xuexiang and Li Xi attended the event.

A total of 352 groups and 368 individuals were honored. Xi and other senior leaders presented the awards to representatives of the models.

Addressing the meeting, Xi said the CPC has always attached great importance to ethnic affairs. Over the past more than a century, it has blazed a correct path of handling ethnic affairs with a distinctively Chinese approach.

Along this path, Xi said, the CPC has made new advances in developing ethnic relations of equality, solidarity, mutual assistance and harmony, and promoted economic and social development of ethnic areas and the lives of ethnic minority groups to register unprecedented progress.

Since the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012, the Party has taken fostering a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation as the focus of its work related to ethnic affairs, and achieved new historic success, he said.

Xi highlighted key aspects of the path of handling ethnic affairs with a distinctively Chinese approach, which include maximizing cohesion among all ethnic groups, adhering to the principle of equality for all ethnic groups, opposing ethnic oppression and discrimination, and properly balancing the safeguarding of national unity with the implementation of regional ethnic autonomy.

The path has helped build a stronger sense of shared identity and unity within the Chinese nation, Xi said.

The Chinese nation is a great nation with a civilization history of over 5,000 years, said Xi, stressing that the formation and development of the Chinese national community is the will of the people, the trend of the times, and a historical inevitability.

He called for efforts to guide all ethnic groups toward firmly embracing the concept of a community for the Chinese nation.

He emphasized the importance of enhancing education in patriotism, collectivism, and socialism, as well as strengthening historical and cultural education for young people.

Additionally, he urged efforts to fully promote the use of the standard Chinese language.

Xi pointed out that in advancing Chinese modernization and achieving common prosperity, no ethnic group should be left behind.

He called for the promotion of high-quality development in areas with large ethnic minority populations, stronger economic ties between regions, and increased exchanges and interactions among ethnic groups.

Xi emphasized that ethnic affairs must be handled in accordance with the law.

He urged Party committees and governments at all levels to prioritize ethnic affairs on their agendas and to foster a supportive social environment for related work.

A grand meeting to honor role models for ethnic unity and progress is held in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 27, 2024. Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, and other senior leaders including Li Qiang, Zhao Leji, Wang Huning, Cai Qi, Ding Xuexiang and Li Xi attended the event. [Xinhua/Xie Huanchi]

A grand meeting to honor role models for ethnic unity and progress is held in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 27, 2024. Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, and other senior leaders including Li Qiang, Zhao Leji, Wang Huning, Cai Qi, Ding Xuexiang and Li Xi attended the event. [Xinhua/Xie Huanchi]

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, and other senior leaders present the awards to representatives of the models at a grand meeting to honor role models for ethnic unity and progress in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 27, 2024. [Xinhua/Ju Peng]

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, and other senior leaders present the awards to representatives of the models at a grand meeting to honor role models for ethnic unity and progress in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 27, 2024. [Xinhua/Ju Peng]

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, and other senior leaders present the awards to representatives of the models at a grand meeting to honor role models for ethnic unity and progress in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 27, 2024. [Xinhua/Li Xueren]

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, and other senior leaders present the awards to representatives of the models at a grand meeting to honor role models for ethnic unity and progress in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 27, 2024. [Xinhua/Li Xueren]

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, and other senior leaders present the awards to representatives of the models at a grand meeting to honor role models for ethnic unity and progress in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 27, 2024. [Xinhua/Li Xueren]

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, and other senior leaders present the awards to representatives of the models at a grand meeting to honor role models for ethnic unity and progress in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 27, 2024. [Xinhua/Li Xueren]

(Source: Xinhua)

Editor: Wei Xuanyi
 Flash

A reception was held here on Friday to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China and the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Bulgaria.

At the event, Bulgarian Vice President Iliana Iotova spoke highly of the development of bilateral ties and recalled Bulgaria joining the Belt and Road Initiative.

"Due to Bulgaria's strategic geographic location, it serves as a bridge between Europe and Asia," she said, adding that Bulgaria can play a crucial role in strengthening relations between the countries of Central and Eastern Europe and China.

She also said that the most direct path to getting to know each other was through culture, and she is pleased that Bulgaria and China have active cooperation in this area.

"I hope that we can continue to promote the development of cultural ties between the Bulgarian and Chinese people," she said.

Chinese Ambassador to Bulgaria Dai Qingli called on both sides to take the 75th anniversary of China-Bulgaria diplomatic ties as a new opportunity to further promote the development of bilateral relations.

"I firmly believe that the China-Bulgaria friendship will grow even stronger and be everlasting," she said.
Smoking cause of over 10 per cent of deaths in Wales, new report shows

Smoking is responsible for more than one in ten deaths of people aged over 35 in Wales, according to a new report from Public Health Wales.

New analysis has found that an average of 3,845 deaths in Wales in 2022 were due to smoking in Wales every year between 2020 and 2022

The findings highlight the significant health impact of smoking across the country and the stark inequalities between the most and least deprived communities.

The rate of deaths attributable to smoking is three times higher in the most deprived areas compared to the least deprived.

In addition to being the leading cause of preventable illness and death, the analysis also showed that, on average, more than 17,000 hospital admissions each year in Wales were attributable to smoking, adding significant pressure to the healthcare system.

Rates of smoking-related hospital admissions were also twice as high for residents of the most deprived communities compared to those in the least deprived.

Chris Emmerson, Consultant in Public Health at Public Health Wales, said: These statistics are a stark reminder of the devastating impact that smoking continues to have on the health of the Welsh population, particularly in our most deprived communities.

Despite the real progress we have made in reducing the numbers taking up smoking and supporting smokers to quit, its clear that we need to make every effort to tackle smoking if we are to address these huge health and financial costs for the people of Wales.

Public Health Wales has welcomes the announcement in the Kings Speech that the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, first introduced by the previous UK government, will return to Parliament in the current term.

Health officials have welcomed the provisions of the previous Bill, including banning the sale of tobacco to everyone born after 1 January 2009 as an important step towards reducing the harms of smoking to the Welsh population.

This new analysis highlights the benefits that ambitious policies to prevent young people from starting to smoke could deliver, Mr Emmerson added.

Help Me Quit, our national NHS smoking cessation service, helped over 16,000 people last year and is ready to provide free, friendly and effective support to every single smoker who is ready to quit.

All smokers in Wales can receive free, non-judgemental support to quit, including free stop-smoking medication. Visit https://www.helpmequit.wales/ or call 0800 085 2219.
Targets conspicuously absent from new first ministers priorities

Opposition members criticised a lack of targets in Eluned Morgans statement of priorities, accusing Wales new first minister of empty rhetoric.

Rhun ap Iorwerth warned milestones, timescales and targets for delivery were conspicuously absent from Baroness Morgans statement of priorities last week.

The Plaid Cymru leader criticised the first ministers summer listening exercise, saying it identified problems in health, education and the economy already obvious to everyone.

He asked: Where have Labour-led governments been for 25 years?

He told the Senedd 20% of the population is waiting for treatment, key industries are shrinking, the economy lags other UK nations and education standards are slipping.

Inexcusable

Leading a Plaid Cymru debate, he accused Labour of listing problems without any real notion of new solutions after a quarter of a century in power.

The Ynys Mon politician criticised the Welsh Governments pretty inexcusable commitment to set out details of how the priorities will be delivered in due course.

Mr ap Iorwerth said: What is the purpose of having ambiguous priorities without any attempt to offer us a route towards delivery?

The truth is empty rhetoric and a lack of direction  have led us into some sort of no-mans land in so many different areas that are hugely important to the people of Wales.

The former journalist also criticised a totally ambiguous plan for cross-border cooperation on health which was unveiled at Labours conference . No detail whatsoever, he warned.

Hypocritical

Mark Isherwood said it is regrettable the Welsh Government could not identify peoples priorities without conducting a summer listening exercise despite 25 years in power.

The Conservative described the motion as hypocritical at best as he accused Plaid Cymru of propping up Labour since 1999 and backing draconian policies such as 20mph.

Mr Isherwood urged Welsh ministers to press the UK Government for HS2 consequential funding and go ahead with electrification of the north Wales main line.

He said: The previous first minister waxed lyrical during the general election campaign about the benefits that two Labour governments at each end of the M4 would bring.

The North Wales representative also criticised mammoth NHS waiting lists, which reflect very badly on the Welsh Governments stewardship.

Meek acceptance

Heledd Fychan warned fair funding was not among the first ministers priorities

Pointing to previous Labour demands, she urged ministers in Cardiff Bay to call on the new UK Government to cough up cash for coal-tip safety and rail infrastructure.

The Plaid Cymru MS for South Wales Central said: The meek acceptance of the insufficient lot we receive from Westminster typifies the lack of drive at the heart of this government.

Labours Jenny Rathbone said Eluned Morgans government has recognised the importance of improving NHS performance by putting iechyd da (good health) top of the priorities.

The Cardiff Central MS recognised frustration expressed in the UK general election, pointing out that Reform rather than Plaid Cymru finished second in 13 of 32 Welsh constituencies.

Minister for delivery

Julie James was appointed minister for delivery this month and said Welsh ministers will prioritise practical changes in the 18 months to the end of the Senedd term.

Ms James, who is responsible for internal oversight of the delivery of the priorities, pointed to examples of early progress in health, education, social housing, transport and the economy.

She said: We will set out in due course more detail on how we will be delivering on those priorities and commit to providing regular updates to the Senedd on the progress.

Ms James, who is also counsel general, Wales chief legal adviser, told the debating chamber or Siambr that there has been palpable and real change in Westminster.

Following the debate on September 25, Senedd members voted 41-10 against the Plaid Cymru motion. The Welsh Governments amended version was agreed, 27-24.

By Chris Haines, ICNN Senedd reporter
UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer had a two-hour dinner with Donald Trump at the fascist Republican presidential candidates New York residence, Trump Tower.

Accompanied by Foreign Secretary David Lammy, Starmer had just spoken at the United Nations General Assembly where he continued proselytising for stepped-up war with Russia, including by allowing Ukraine to use Storm Shadow missiles on Russian targets.

There he took pains to hint at his disagreements with Trump, who has said he wants to bring an end to the Ukraine war with a negotiated settlement, opposes further subventions to the Zelensky regime and will not allow US troops to fight therean position based on a toxic mixture of American isolationism and a belief that the main rival of US imperialism is China and not Russia.

People talk about an age of polarization, impunity, instability and an unravelling of the UN charter, said Starmer. And I feel a sense of fatalism has taken hold. But our task is to say no  This is the moment to reassert fundamental principles and our willingness to defend them. To recommit the UN to internationalism, to the rule of law.

Keir Starmer and Donald Trump [Photo by British government / Gage Skidmore / CC BY-SA 2.0

On Wednesday, Starmer had attacked Russia at the UN Security Council, accusing Moscow of violating the UN charter, and saying it should not be at the meeting despite being a permanent member.

Moreover, while he was at Trump Tower, Democrat presidential candidate Kamala Harris and President Joe Biden were at the White House meeting with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who was seeking US permission to use Storm Shadow missiles.

But even such fundamental considerations of imperialist foreign policy did not cause Starmer to balk at accepting Trumps invitation. With the possibility of Trump winning the presidency in November very real, Starmer was intent on making clear to Britains ruling elite that Labour would do whatever it takes to defend the specific interests on British imperialism under all conditions.

In the spirit of Lord Palmerstons declaration, We have no eternal allies, and we have no perpetual enemies. Our interests are eternal and perpetual, Starmer told the press that weve obviously had a special relationship with the US for a long time, forged in really difficult circumstances. That always sits above whoever holds the particular office, either in the US or the UK The US people will decide who they want as their president, and we will work with whoever is president, as you would expect.

Proving this ability to work with Trump is important for Starmer, after years in opposition when Labour could reinforce its pro-NATO, anti-Brexit and tattered progressive credentials by attacking Trumpincluding Lammy calling him a dangerous clown, a racist KKK and Nazi sympathizer and a woman-hating, neo-Nazi sympathising sociopath.

Even this week at the Labour Party conference Border Security Minister Angela Eagle, tasked with implementing the governments vicious clampdown on migrants, denounced Trump for emboldening the far right in the US, Britian and internationally with his toxic anti-immigration, anti-immigrant rhetoric.

On Eagles part this is the most degraded hypocrisy, but it is truewith Trump telling the press the day he met with Starmer that the US faced a mass invasion and sudden, suffocating inundation by millions of illegal immigrants thanks to Harris.

However, for Starmer, who once said that Trumps endorsement by Boris Johnson tells you everything you need to know about why he isnt fit to be Prime Minister that was then and this is now. While Lammy was at the meeting after he said of Trumps vice-presidential running mate J.D. Vance, We share a similar working-class background And were both Christians, so I think I can find common ground with J.D. Vance. With Trump also.

Trump was not one to miss the political opportunity of embarrassing the Democrats and Harris, telling the press, I actually think [Starmer] is very nice. He ran a great [election] race he did very well. Its very early but he is popular.

That he most certainly is not. However, Starmer is not seeking popularity but to prove he can work with anyoneincluding fascists such as Trump and Italian premier Giorgia Meloni, who he has already embracedwhenever this is called for. And that Labour, as he never tires of stating, is no longer the party of protest but one that puts the nation first.

Starmers every action confirms the reality behind such soundbites. Labour is a right-wing, pro-austerity, xenophobic, anti-migrant party, as well as a defender of genocide and advocate for a war on Russia which is at the very centre of his present alliance with Biden and Harris. It confronts the working class as not only a vicious opponent but as a mortal threat.
Petrochemical company Petroineos has confirmed its long-telegraphed plan to close the century-old Grangemouth oil refining operation. The move threatens 400 workers jobs, over 80 percent of the current workforce, by early next year.

Workers in Scotland are posed with taking the struggle to defend their livelihoods out of the hands of the trade union apparatus, official and government bodies claiming to represent their interests.

Petroineos first announced its proposal to close down all processing operations and convert the site to an import depot for petrol, aviation fuel, kerosene and liquid petroleum gas, last year. Only 100 jobs will be retained by Petroineos, which is a joint venture run by PetroChina and UK based Ineos.

Grangemouth refinery, Soctland [Photo by Scotland By Camera / Flickr / CC BY-ND 2.0

PetroChina is the worlds fourth largest oil company, 80 percent owned by the state-owned China National Petroleum Corporation, and one of the worlds largest and wealthiest corporations. It employs around 376,000 workers worldwide. Ineos, whose CEO is billionaire Jim Ratcliffe, employs 26,000 workers in 171 sites worldwide, many of which are joint operations with other companies.

Petroineos also owns the Lavera refinery near Marseilles, France, employing around 675 workers. Lavera is a site of similar vintage to Grangemouth, although the company appears for the moment to be committed to keeping the Lavera site open while parent company Ineos is investing in large operations nearby. Ineos is also investing hugely in a new ethane cracker facility, Project One, near its base in Antwerp, Belgium, hailed as the largest new petrochemical plant in Europe in the last 30 years.

The Grangemouth decision comes only a few years after Petroineos was handed a huge government loan package during the Covid-19 pandemic. At the time, Petroineos insisted the site was a viable long-term business, while it shut down two smaller refining process at the cost of 200 jobs. Petroineos have clearly concluded that, in a global oil industry with nearly 700 refineries, many of which have much larger capacity than Grangemouth, and faced with the huge instabilities and price swings endemic in the industry, the aging, investment-deprived Scottish facility is not making enough money for the shareholders.

The town of Grangemouth is a product of the earliest days of the industrial revolution, founded at the eastern end of the Forth and Clyde Canal as accommodation for workers digging out the canal. The port grew over the 19th century with the rapid industrial expansion in Scotland as a port for iron-based commodities exported worldwide. Oil refining was initiated in 1924 by the Anglo-Persian Oil Company, later BP, processing oil imported from the Middle East.

Over the decades, a complex of petrochemical manufacturing and processing operations developed around the refinery. These survived the closure and destruction of most of Scotlands industrial base since the 1970s, including the BMC commercial vehicle factory in nearby Bathgate, closed in 1986, and Motorolas plant in neighbouring Livingston which was shuttered in 2001. Grangemouth remains a highly concentrated location of industrial workers.

The closure will impact on what remains of the Grangemouth petrochemical complex which hosts a range of processing and storage operations and employs some 2,000 workers. It will also impact local small businesses who depend on wages from refinery workers for much of their trade.

The refinery currently produces most of the aviation fuel and much of the petrol and diesel used in Scotland, the North of England and Northern Ireland. Up to 150,000 barrels of crude oil, pumped from the North Sea via the Forties Pipeline System or from the Finnart Ocean Terminal on Loch Long 60 miles away, can be processed. Grangemouth is one of only six major oil refineries in the UK and the only one in Scotland.

Grangemouth workers, particularly in alliance with colleagues across the industry, have the potential industrial strength to bring transport and aviation to a rapid standstill across much of the UK and beyond in a fight to defend their jobs.

In 2008, 1,200 Grangemouth workers struck, with 98 percent support, against Ineos decision to slash payments to the final salary company pension scheme inherited when the refinery was bought from BP in 2005. Unable to entirely prevent the strike, Unite the Union limited action to two days and gave the company plenty of time to minimise the impact to fuel supplies. Even so, the strike, the first in 73 years, led to closure of the undersea pipe system feeding oil from the North Sea to the UK, and to a spike in world oil prices.

Ineos, rather than the unions, escalated the dispute to press for government action against refinery workers, but was forced to back down in the face of panic buying of petrol and widespread support for the striking workers.

In 2013, following an 81 percent strike vote, workers struck in defence of union convenor Stephen Deans, and in opposition to further attacks on pension rights. In the face of Ineos threat to wreck the plant via a cold shutdown, Unite officials backed down and allowed the plant to re-open on Ineos terms which included a pay freeze and the end of the final salary scheme.

Then Unite leader, Len McCluskey said, We have to say to the company that the survival plan is something we are prepared to embrace and go along with and got the backing of the Scottish government, then led by Alex Salmond, and the UK government under Tory leader David Cameron. Unite imposed a three-year strike ban.

Eleven years of trade union alliance with Ineos management has resulted in the entire refinery facing closure. Preventing workers taking meaningful action in defence of their livelihoods is viewed as critical by the UK Labour and devolved Scottish National Party governments and their allies in the trade union apparatus.

After calibrated expressions of outrage and threats to the Scottish and UK governments, the trade unions have made clear they will do nothing to defend Grangemouth workers.

Derek Thomson, Unite Scottish Secretary, postured, The sole objective for Unite remains that the jobs at the refinery and thousands more in the supply chain are protected by any means. Any means except the mobilisation of the working class. Unite have not called a strike vote, nor even a time-wasting consultative vote for fear of revealing an overwhelming willingness to fight.

Unite General Secretary Sharon Graham complained that this dedicated workforce has been let down by PetroIneos and by the politicians in Westminster and Holyrood who have failed to guarantee production until alternative jobs are in place. She continued by absurdly suggesting the Labour government might help workers: This is now the last chance for this Labour government to show whether its really on the side of workers and communities. The road to net zero cannot be paid for with workers jobs.

Unite, the GMB union and the Scottish TUC have joined the Grangemouth Future Industry Board which comprises the Scottish and UK governments, enterprise boards and local authorities, Ineos, Petroineos and other Grangemouth petrochemical and distribution employers. The groups purpose appears to be to cover the closure of the refinery in greenwash about a just transition to net zero.

The same day as the closure was confirmed, the Scottish and UK governments announced a 100 million Falkirk and Grangemouth Growth Deal. Billed as offering support for the community and its workers, the package appears to offer handouts to locally based energy companies, potentially including Petroineos, if they can come up with a sustainable investment project.

Projects include a proposed bioeconomy plant using waste from whisky and food production, low-carbon hydrogen production and sustainable aviation fuels. Tax breaks for what might become a corporate bonanza if any of these schemes come to fruition are available through the Forth Green Freeport which incorporates Grangemouth, also a container port, Leith and Burntisland.

Workers, on the other hand, will get career support and tailored adviceeuphemisms for drilling them into taking whatever low-paying jobs are on offer.

No illusions should be placed in the pro-company trade unions whether or not they adhere to net zero targets. Nor should workers accept their jobs and living standards being destroyed in pursuit of the utopia of a capitalist-controlled transition to sustainable production. Capitalism is based in the nation state and on the maximisation of private profit, regardless of the social and environmental cost. It is incapable of the urgently necessary, globally organised, democratically discussed and scientifically verified planning necessary to stabilise the planetary climate.

Independent rank-and-file committees are required in every workplace, including those at Grangemouth. These must fight to link the day-to-day struggle in defence of workers rights, wages and conditionbased on the broadest possible mobilisation of workers in the energy industry, the local community and internationallywith the struggle for world socialism. Contact the SEP today to open a discussion on these urgent questions.
Thousands of people in multiple demonstrations throughout New York City have protested the appearance of Israeli Prime Minister and war criminal Benjamin Netanyahu at the United Nations 79th General Assembly Friday and on previous days this week. New York Police Department (NYPD) cops have provoked, hospitalized and arrested large numbers of people throughout the week.

Palestinian supporters march near the United Nations headquarters at a protest against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during the 79th session of the UN General Assembly, Thursday, Sept. 26, 2024, in New York [AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson]

Protests against Netanyahu took place throughout Friday in the face of a massive deployment of police at the United Nations. There were also protests at multiple campuses, including one at Columbia University. On Thursday night cops rushed a march from Grand Central Station to the Loews Regency hotel on Park Avenue where Netanyahu was staying in preparation for his speech at the UN and kept up constant provocation by driving into the mass of protesters with mopeds and bicycles.

The march, organized by the pro-Palestine group Within Our Lifetime (WOL), also raised the demand that Mayor Eric Adams, a former NYPD officer now indicted on corruption charges, resign. Adams is widely held by New Yorkers to be responsible for months of NYPD repression of protesters. Protesters chanted, Netanyahu, were gonna get you!

One protester on X/Twitter noted the provocative role of the NYPDs anti-terrorism unit, the Strategic Response Group (SRG), which has been active in harassing demonstrators: NYPDs strategic response group bicycle squad riding their bikes into protestors [sic] from behind. No orders or warnings have been given by police; theyre just intermittently riding vehicles into people. First mopeds, now bikes.

At least one woman was knocked unconscious by police. Police left it to protesters to call an ambulance. An estimated 50 protesters were arrested.

The New York Civil Liberties Union noted on its Twitter/X feed: Last nights protest was peaceful before the NYPDSRG escalated by driving their bikes + [sic] mopeds dangerously close to protesters. Officers shoved someone so hard she hit her head and lay unconscious on the ground for 20 mins. The SRGs chaotic + violent conduct endangers NYers.

On Tuesday, NYPD cops violently attacked protesters organized by WOL at another rally in Manhattan protesting Netanyahus bombing of Lebanon. Police sent several protesters to the hospital and arrested at least 25 people. Among those hospitalized was Abdullah Akl, one of the leaders of Within Our Lifetime. He was arrested at his bedside after police refused to allow his lawyers to give him his prescribed medication. The District Attorneys office declined to pursue charges.

In a statement , WOL noted:

While [New York City Mayor] Adams undergoes investigation for corruption, his police force terrorizes us on our streets. The NYPD has spared no expense to expand its surveillance and policing capacity for the hoard of incoming leaders of a world complicit in the genocide of Palestine. The NYPD is deploying a fleet of armored SUVs, drones, helicopters, riot cops, and undercover cops. These events serve as a reminder of the shared technologies and tactics of oppression among colonial forces, from the NYPD to the IOF [Israel Occupation Forces].

Indeed, the NYPD has escalated its repression of protests systematically since October 7, in what is unquestionably its largest effort at political repression since its Demographics Unit began systematic spying on and harassment of Muslims in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. WOL has documented nearly 20 incidents of egregious NYPD violence and surveillance against its protests since October.

Adams, a former NYPD officer, has played an active role in managing attempts to suppress the protests of both left-wing groups such as WOL and the campus protests at Columbia University, New York University, and the City University of New York, against the Israeli massacre of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians and against its American facilitators. He does this with the full backing of the Democratic Party both locally and with the Biden Administration. It was widely understood that would be his modus-operandi when he received broad support in the party for his nomination for office in 2021.

Adams has largely fulfilled that role. In addition to the brutality against anti-genocide protesters for months, the NYPD has conducted an occupation of the New York subway system and a crackdown on so-called fare-beaters because of the near bankruptcy of the system. On September 15, cops perpetrated a mass shooting in a subway station in one of the poorest neighborhoods in the city when they confronted and shot a man who allegedly entered the subway station without paying his $2.90 fare. Two bystanders were also shot, one critically.

Both the attacks on antiwar protesters as well as the poor who are unable to pay for the financial crisis of the largest transit system of the United States, are two sides of the same coin. The ruling class, particularly the section led by the Democratic Party, is preparing for a massive expansion of war in the Middle East, and against Russia and China as well as the austerity to pay for it.

Adams has been charged with corruption by federal authorities, primarily for taking campaign contributions from foreign nationals, and appeared in court Friday morning. While nearly the entire Democratic establishment in New York has called for his resignation, it is not because he has failed to implement attacks on workers and those protesting the escalation of war, but because his corruption is seen as a liability to carry forward this program.

In another attack on democratic rights, emanating from the highest levels of the state, the House Ways and Means Committee formally asked the Internal Revenue Service to revoke the non-profit status of several organizations associated with protests against the Gaza genocide. Among these is the Peoples Forum, based in Manhattan, and associated with the Party for Socialism and Liberation.
The International Youth and Students for Social Equality (IYSSE) at Western Sydney University (WSU) in the working-class western suburbs of Australias largest city has launched a Special General Meeting (SGM) of students to discuss the way forward in the fight against the Gaza genocide and imperialist war.

We have successfully initiated this meeting after gaining nearly 300 signatures from WSU students to petition the Student Representative Council to call the SGM.

Details for the meeting are below:

WHEN: 1 p.m. Tuesday, 8 October

WHERE: PS-EA-G-19

Parramatta South campus

WSU students should register your attendance at this critical meeting today!

The meeting will also be accessible via video link, which will become available to students after registration.

The genocide in Gaza has raged for almost an entire year, with the official death toll over 40,000, but likely to be much higher. In July, the prestigious medical journal the Lancet estimated that the actual toll could be 186,000 or more. Now, the Zionist regime in Israel is expanding its assault into the West Bank and has launched its war against Lebanon, with hundreds killed and thousands injured in attacks this month.

Israels genocidal onslaught could not take place without the funding, arming, and political support of the United States and other imperialist powers, including Australia. The Albanese Labor government has been among the most vocal proponents of justifying the slaughter on the basis that Israel has the right to defend itself. It has also viciously attacked the free speech and democratic rights of anti-genocide and anti-war protests, labelling them antisemitic and supporters of terrorism.

Tens of thousands of innocent Palestinian civilians have been murdered with the support of imperialist governments worldwide. These governments have also contributed to the destruction of all aspects of civilisation in Gaza, including a deliberate campaign of starvation and death via disease and lack of healthcare.

Workers and young people worldwide have voiced their anger and opposition in response to this barbarism. These are the largest and most sustained anti-war demonstrations since the Vietnam War. Protests have taken place in Sydneyas in other major cities around the countryevery single weekend since the beginning of the genocide.

Yet the protest movement has failed to put an end to the genocide. This is because the perspective of the leaders of this movement is reduced to appeals to the very establishment parties who are responsible for the genocide in the first place.

Far from ending the genocide, Israel and its imperialist paymasters have continued the genocide against Palestinians in Gaza and are now threatening to plunge the entire Middle East into an all-out war.

To forge a way forward, students need a new perspective: a revolutionary and socialist strategy to fight for the mobilisation of the international working class to overthrow capitalismthe cause of war and genocide.

At the Special General Meeting, the IYSSE will present a perspective to fight for an end to the genocide in Gaza, which is intimately linked to the eruption of imperialist violence globally, including the US-NATO war against Russia in Ukraine and US-led preparations in this region for war against China which threaten nuclear world war.

These conflicts are three fronts in a global strategy by the imperialist powers to redivide the world in their interests. This underscores the necessity of building an anti-war movement based on anti-capitalism and for world socialism.

Our motion to the meeting will endorse the call of the Palestinian trade unions to block the shipment of goods to Israel. The fact that unions in Australia have failed to do so after 11 months is bound up with their role in suppressing the class struggle and in propping up the pro-war, big business Labor party under Albanese. Our motion urges workers to immediately take matters into their own hands and undertake independent action.

We say to students and youth: fight for this perspective among workers at the docks, factories, warehouses, hospitals, schools, transport, logistics and other workplaces.

You must turn to the building of a socialist movement of the working class internationally against the outmoded capitalist system, which offers only a future of barbarism and nuclear catastrophe.

Only this perspective can stop the brutality of genocide and imperialist war and establish a world based on the fulfillment of human needs and not a drive to profit at the expense of working and living conditions and millions, if not billions, of lives.

Join our campaign to build this crucial meeting during which there can be a democratic discussion about the way forward in a world descending into a global conflagration.

We need 100 students to reach a quorum.

Contact us to find out how you can get involvedwhether through campaigning, leafleting, postering, sharing on social media, or contributing your ideas. We welcome your support in any form.

Get in touch with the IYSSE:

Email: iysseaus@gmail.com

Facebook: facebook.com/IYSSEaustralia

Twitter: @IysseA

Instagram: @iysse.aus
CHARLESTON  The Illinois State Police has reported that a driver was killed in a two-vehicle crash Friday afternoon on the Westfield Road in southeast Coles County.

The Coles County Coroner's Office has since identified the driver as Faith M. McCullough, 19, of Casey. She died in the emergency room at an area hospital.

A news release from ISP Troop 7 stated that the crash occurred at approximately 1:48 p.m. near County Road 2400 East Road, just west of Westfield and the Clark County line.

This section of Westfield Road was still closed late afternoon Friday for the crash investigation. Troop 7 reported that is not releasing further information at this time. The names and conditions of the other motorists involved in this crash have not been released yet.

Close Gold Star 500 bicyclists wave to motorists on East Raab Road late Thursday on their way to spend the night at Normal Community High School. A group gathered to support the Gold Star 500 bicyclists when they arrived at Normal Community High School on Thursday. Gold Star mother Judy Hopper, a native of Montrose, displays a business card in memory of her son, Marine Sgt. Nickolas Hopper, during a dinner for Gold Star 500 cyclists and volunteers Wednesday evening at the Mattoon American Legion. Rico Suave of Washington, D.C., fist bumps other Gold Star 500 riders as they arrive at the Mattoon Area Family YMCA on Wednesday. "The most important thing to me is keeping the memory alive," said Suave, who served active duty in the Army. Eastern Illinois University ROTC Panther Battalion students set up cots Wednesday afternoon in the Mattoon Area Family YMCA's Bock Gym in preparation for Gold Star 500 cyclists staying overnight there as they pedal across the state in memory of fallen military service members. The students pictured, from left, are Zach Butler of Arcola; Eric Prado of Des Plaines; Trendan Campbell and Isabel Spear, both of Mattoon; and Logan Weber of Newton. Photos: Gold Star 500 in Mattoon, Normal Cyclists in the 2024 Gold Star 500 endurance ride stayed overnight in Mattoon and Normal as they pedaled across Illinois in memory of fallen military service members. Gold Star 500 bicyclists wave to motorists on East Raab Road late Thursday on their way to spend the night at Normal Community High School. A group gathered to support the Gold Star 500 bicyclists when they arrived at Normal Community High School on Thursday. Gold Star mother Judy Hopper, a native of Montrose, displays a business card in memory of her son, Marine Sgt. Nickolas Hopper, during a dinner for Gold Star 500 cyclists and volunteers Wednesday evening at the Mattoon American Legion. Rico Suave of Washington, D.C., fist bumps other Gold Star 500 riders as they arrive at the Mattoon Area Family YMCA on Wednesday. "The most important thing to me is keeping the memory alive," said Suave, who served active duty in the Army. Eastern Illinois University ROTC Panther Battalion students set up cots Wednesday afternoon in the Mattoon Area Family YMCA's Bock Gym in preparation for Gold Star 500 cyclists staying overnight there as they pedal across the state in memory of fallen military service members. The students pictured, from left, are Zach Butler of Arcola; Eric Prado of Des Plaines; Trendan Campbell and Isabel Spear, both of Mattoon; and Logan Weber of Newton.
Sri Lankas big business lobbies have hailed the new president, Anura Kumara Dissanayake, the leader of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP)/National Peoples Power (NPP) while emphasising the need to adhere completely to the International Monetary Fund (IMF)-dictated reform program.

NPP presidential candidate JVP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake addressing Business Forum on September 4, 2024 [Photo: NPP Facebook]

The rapacious Sri Lankan elites see the IMFs harsh austerity demands, including privatisation, a wage freeze, mass public sector job destruction and the wiping out of subsidies for workers, as encouraging greater foreign direct investment (FDI) and expanding their opportunities for boosting profits.

The Ceylon Chambers of Commerce (CCC), Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Sri Lanka (FCCISL) and Joint Apparel Association Forum (JAAF) have all issued statements congratulating Dissanayake while making their own demands on the new government.

The JAAF, representing manufactures and exporters of apparel and textiles, the countrys main export sector, warmly congratulated Dissanayake and expressed its fullest support.

The FCCISL declared it was optimistic about the opportunities that lie ahead under his leadership. The Sri Lanka Banks Association sent their best wishes assuring its full commitment to ensure financial stability is sustained.

The Hotels Association of Sri Lanka (THASL) and the Sri Lanka Association of Inbound Tour Operators (SLAITO) also expressed their very best wishes to Dissanayake in leading the country and assure him of the fullest support to take the country forward to the next level.

As well as congratulating the government, the CCC went one step further and included a list of ten demands. Above all, it insisted that the IMF agenda had to be implemented without alterations.

During the election campaign, Dissanayake reassured big business that he would carry out the IMF program, but would attempt to renegotiate the IMFs terms for its $3 billion bailout. He created the illusion that negotiations were possible in order to dupe working people into believing that the hated austerity measures could be eased.

The CCC message was that there is no room to manoeuvre. There had to be complete external debt restructuring and the continuation of arrangements already announced with commercial creditors.

Big business is concerned to ensure that the upcoming third IMF review be successful and that the fourth tranche of the bail-out loan be disbursed. If the government fails to measure up, then not only will the fourth tranche of $331 million be jeopardised, but loans expected from other international institutions could also become problematic.

NPP's Business Forum meeting in Colombo, September 4, 2024 [Photo: NPP Facebook]

The CCC also called on Dissanayake, who has installed himself as finance minister, to implement legislation already passed to ensure the IMF program proceeds, including the Economic Transformation Act, Public Debt Management Act, Public Financial Management and Sri Lanka Electricity Act. These laws, enacted by the Wickremesinghe government, cannot be changed unless the JVP/NPP achieves a majority in parliamentary elections announced this week.

The CCC also urged the new government to follow through with the Government Action Plan that was prepared based on the IMF Governance Diagnostic Assessment. The assessment focused on fiscal governance is to monitor and ensure the maximum is squeezed from working people through taxes and cuts to essential services to pay back foreign creditors.

The CCCs proposals were not requests or suggestions but the demands of big business to the Dissanayake government as the condition for its unstinted commitment and wholehearted support to engage productively with the newly elected President

The CCCs stance has been clear from the outset. When the IMF program was signed in 2023, it declared: We believe this is a crucial point for the economy, with the implementation of long overdue economic reforms The country cannot afford any pauses in the program

In August this year, the IMF team visited Sri Lanka and postponed its third review of the countrys financial situation until after the presidential election. The IMF mission chief Peter Breuer, however, warned: With Sri Lankas knife-edged recovery at a critical juncture, sustaining the reform momentum and ensuring timely implementation of all program commitments are critical [to] put the economy on a firm footing.

In other words, the IMF has already made clear in advance that all program commitments must be implemented. Thus modifications, if any, will be purely cosmetic.

In particular, Breuer specified that the 2025 budget would need to be underpinned by appropriate revenue measures and continued spending restraint to ensure a medium-term primary balance surplus of 2.3 percent of GDP from a primary surplus of just 0.6 percent in 2023.

This means higher taxes on working people and small businesses, a fire sale of state-owned enterprises, the destruction of half a million public sector jobs and the slashing of public health, education and welfare programs. All of this must be continued and accelerated to restore Sri Lankas debt sustainabilityin other words, to repay the international loan sharks.

In his address to the nation Wednesday night, Dissanayake reassured big business and international finance capital on his commitment to the IMF austerity program. We plan to begin negotiations with the International Monetary Fund immediately and proceed with activities related to the extended credit facility, he said.

The Socialist Equality Party (SEP) warns workers that this governments trajectory is clear and there is no room for wishful thinking or illusions. The IMF and big business have laid out the governments economic agenda, which it will ruthlessly implement and brook no opposition.

Dissanayake and Public Security Minister Vijitha Herath are preparing to crack down on any opposition from working people. Herath instructed top police officers on Tuesday to maintain law and order independently without being subject to politicians interventions.

The working class needs to devise its own strategy to fight for its social and democratic rights. None of the capitalist parties or their stooge trade unions is on the side of workers or the rural masses. The working class and rural poor need to build their own independent fighting organisations.

The Socialist Equality Party calls on workers to organise their own action committees at every workplace, factory, plantation and neighborhood independent of the capitalist parties and trade unions. The rural poor also need to form such committees in their areas.

The allies of the working class in Sri Lanka are workers across the world who are facing similar attacks on living conditions. The action committees here need to link up with the International Workers Alliance of Rank-and-File Committees initiated by the International Committee of the Fourth International as part of an international struggle against global corporate giants and international finance capital.

Behind the veil of democracy, parliament is filled with the corrupt and venal representatives of the bourgeoisie and is dedicated to upholding its stranglehold on political power. Working people need their own power base to devise and implement a strategy to defend their class interests.

The SEP calls for the establishment of a Democratic and Socialist Congress of Workers and Rural Masses based on democratically-elected delegates from action committees across the island. None of the problems facing working people can be resolved within the framework of capitalism and the nation state. That is why we advocate a workers and peasants government to implement socialist policies as the basis for a struggle against the Dissanayake government as it rapidly implements the austerity demands of the IMF.
Momodou Taal

Cornell University international student and graduate instructor Momodou Taal faces imminent final suspension and deportation for participating in protests against the genocide in Gaza.

The International Youth and Students for Social Equality (IYSSE), the student and youth organization of the Socialist Equality Party, denounces this outrageous assault on democratic rights. It must be opposed by all students and the entire working class.

On Friday, Taal submitted a final appeal of his suspension to Cornells provost, following the rejection of his appeal by the vice president of Student and Campus Life on Thursday. If this appeal fails and he is suspended from the university, Cornell knows this will entail a revocation of his F-1 visa, requiring that he leave the United States.

The moves against Taal are a massive escalation in the year-long campaign to suppress opposition on campuses that is setting a very dangerous precedent. As Taals immigration lawyer Eric Lee said in a statement on the case, Cornell is blurring the line between academic institution and enforcement arm of the Department of Homeland Security.

Taal, a British-Gambian student, was suspended on Monday for his participation in a peaceful protest on September 18, where he demonstrated against US military contractors recruiting on campus. The protest specifically targeted Boeing and L3Harris, two companies that profit from US imperialism and Israels genocidal war on Gaza.

The universitys claim that the suspension was based on violations of campus policies is a transparent cover for its real motivation: suppressing opposition to the Israeli regimes war on Gaza.

As Taal wrote in a letter to the Cornell Office of Global Learning Thursday, I am a scholar, and I am under threat here in America because I am defending the basic human rights of the people of Palestine while participating in peaceful protests on a university campus. I have a valid visa. I have a right to be at Cornell and I have a right to express myself.

Taal has received widespread support from students and faculty. On Wednesday, more than 130 students and supporters gathered outside Cornells administration building to demand the reversal of his suspension.

The move to suspend and deport Taal is part of a broader assault on democratic rights under conditions of escalating global war.

On Friday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the UN General Assembly, defending the genocide in Gaza, which is now expanding into the West Bank and Lebanon. Shortly after Netanyahu spoke, Israel launched a massive bombing campaign targeting buildings in Beirut, Lebanons capital.

At the same time, the US and NATO powers are discussing allowing Ukraine to use long-range NATO missiles to target Russian territory, which threatens to provoke an uncontrolled escalation of global war. As the WSWS wrote on Thursday, any retaliation by Russia would be the means to orchestrate a massive escalation of the war, accompanied by sweeping attacks on democratic rights, akin to the September 11, 2001 terror attacks, but on an even greater scale.

Over the past year, mass protests and student-led demonstrations against US-backed Israeli war crimes have been met with repression and violent crackdowns. The campuses have opened in the fall semester amidst a police-state atmosphere, with major new restrictions placed on basic democratic rights across the country.

In Michigan, the Democratic Party-led state government is pressing felony charges against 11 students and residents for participating in pro-Palestinian demonstrations at the University of Michigan. And local police have banned Socialist Equality Party supporters from distributing leaflets on the campus.

The University of California has banned the wearing of face masks, used both for COVID-19 protection and to prevent protesters from being identified and victimized, while Columbia University has imposed a total ban on encampments and restricted campus access to individuals with university IDs. New York University has updated its policies to conflate criticism of Zionism with antisemitism, effectively banning protests against Israels genocidal actions, while Rutgers University now requires a Free Expression Notification Form to protest and has blacklisted Students for Justice in Palestine.

The Democrats and Republicans, the two parties of the corporate and financial oligarchy, fully support the escalation of the attack on opponents of genocide and war. They have both participated in the slander of protests as antisemitic, while state and local governments under Democratic and Republican governors and mayors have sent cops onto campuses to arrest and beat up students.

While Trump is seeking to build a fascist movement centered on attacking immigrants and refugees, the Biden-Harris administration has financed, armed and politically justified the ongoing genocide in Gaza and is now escalating the war against Russia in Ukraine.

The experiences of nearly one year of protests against the genocide in Gaza must be assimilated. The perspective, promoted by various organizations of the middle class in and around the Democratic Party, that mass opposition will force a change in course by the ruling elites, has led to a dead end. The bitter lesson of the anti-war movements of the past is that any movement that is subordinated to the Democratic Party and limited to the framework of middle class protest politics will inevitably be manipulated by the bourgeoisie.

The escalating assault on democratic rights on campuses is motivated by a fear within the ruling class that opposition to the war will be connected to the growing struggles of workers in the United States and internationally. The measures being taken against students will be used to suppress and criminalize all opposition to the policies of the corporate and financial oligarchy.

The victimization of Taal for protesting Cornells ties to military contractors, including Boeing, takes place amidst an ongoing strike by 33,000 Boeing workers. The strike followed a vote by more than 94 percent to reject a contract backed by the IAM union apparatus, revealing the enormous opposition in the working class to the escalating assault on jobs and wages.

Five hundred workers at another military contractor, Eaton, in Michigan, are on strike after rejecting two contracts backed by the UAW. And this coming week, a contract for 45,000 dockworkers across the US East Coast expires and a strike would pose a serious threat to the global operations of American imperialism.

The IYSSE calls on all students at Cornell and at campuses throughout the country to oppose the attack on Taal. We demand his immediate reinstatement and an end to all threats to revoke his visa. We call for the dropping of all charges against pro-Palestinian protesters across the country and an end to the criminalization of free speech.

The defense of democratic rights and opposition to war, however, can only be successful through the mobilization of that social force that has the power to oppose the capitalist ruling elite--the working class--in the US and throughout the world.

The IYSSE, as the student movement of the SEP (US) and the International Committee of the Fourth International, is fighting to build a new, socialist anti-war movement, firmly grounded in the principles of revolutionary Marxism and dedicated to mobilizing the international working class against capitalism and for socialism.
The Japan navy on Wednesday sailed a warship through the Taiwan Strait for the first time, which is a highly provocative move that deliberately heightens tensions with Beijing. It goes hand-in-hand with Tokyos ongoing remilitarization and involvement in the US-led war preparations against China.

Japanese navy destroyer JS Sazanami [Photo: Seaforces.org]

The JS Sazanami, a Maritime Self-Defense Force destroyer, sailed south through the strait. The same day, naval vessels from Australia and New Zealand, the HMAS Sydney and HMNZS Aotearoa respectively, also made the voyage together. The three were traveling to take part in naval exercises in the South China Sea which has been transformed by the US and its allies into another dangerous flashpoint for conflict with China.

A spokesman for the New Zealand navy told the media that its decision to send a naval vessel through the Taiwan Strait for the first time since 2017 was to assert the right of freedom of navigation. Australia last sent a warship through the strait in November 2023. Germany also sought to provoke China with the recent passage of two of its naval vessels on September 13 for the first time in 22 years.

According to Japans Asahi Shimbun, a government source stated outgoing Prime Minister Fumio Kishida gave the green light for the Sazanamis mission. The source stated, We made the decision considering Chinas recent actions and Japans domestic political situation, referencing the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) leadership election that took place Friday. Right-wing war hawk Shigeru Ishiba was selected as its new president and will become next prime minister.

The comment is to blame to Beijing for the rising danger of war. On Thursday, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi referenced a brief incursion by a Chinese Y-9 surveillance aircraft into Japanese airspace around Japans Danjo Islands in the East China Sea southwest of Kyushu on August 26. China also sailed its Liaoning aircraft carrier on September 18 between Japans Yonaguni and Iriomote Islands, which lie just east of Taiwan. The vessel allegedly passed through Japans contiguous zone, between 12 and 24 nautical miles from the coast, which is not part of a countrys territorial waters.

Japans naval provocation in the Taiwan Strait was not a spur of the moment decision. Rather, it would have been carefully planned and coordinated with Washington. Tokyo no doubt seized on Chinese actions to justify the transit while also sending the message that no matter who replaced Prime Minister Kishida, the new government would continue its aggressive anti-China policies.

The Japanese militarys involvement around Taiwan recalls its violent history in the region. Tokyo forced China to cede the island to Japan in 1895 following the First Sino-Japanese War. Japan then conducted a brutal colonization of the island, a fact often covered up or denied today by the decendents of collaborators in the Taiwanese bourgeoisie. Japan used the island as a military base for carrying out attacks on China and Southeast Asia in the 1930s and 1940s before its defeat in World War II.

Today, Tokyo is carrying out a program of remilitarization that will allow it to fully return its armed forces to the region. The Japanese government has pledged to carry out a de facto doubling of its military spending by 2027. This includes acquiring offensive weaponry capable of striking China, in clear breach of Article 9 of Japans constitution. Tokyo circumvents this by claiming it has the right to engage in so-called collective self-defense, meaning to take part in wars alongside an ally.

Japan now joins the US and its allies in sailing naval vessels through the Taiwan Strait. This is despite the fact that Beijing claims the strait as its territorial waters based on the fact that Taiwan is not an independent country, but a part of China. This is the One China policy, to which all of the nations in question, including the US and Japan, formally adhere by diplomatically recognizing only Beijing.

Chinas Foreign Ministry Spokesman Lin Jian responded on Thursday, stating, The Taiwan question concerns Chinas sovereignty and territorial integrity. It is the political foundation of China-Japan relations and a red line that must not be crossed. Lin urged Japan to act prudently on the Taiwan question, and refrain from causing disruption to its relations with China and peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.

The sailing of warships through the strait is an obvious challenge to Beijings red line and the One China policy that can only further stoke war. Beijing is opposed to Taiwanese independence as it would set a precedent for the further carving up of Chinese territory. It would also open the door for US imperialism to establish military bases on the island, which at its narrowest point of the Taiwan Strait is only 130 kilometers (81 miles) from the mainland.

Washington and Tokyo have also emboldened pro-independence forces on Taiwan, including current President Lai Ching-te. In November last year, retired Japanese Lieutenant General Koichiro Bansho revealed plans for Japans participation in a conflict, stating Tokyo would funnel weapons and supplies into Taiwan.

To cover up these plans, Washington often cites the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)which it hypocritically has failed to ratifyas justification for passage through the Taiwan Strait. However, while permitting transits of a strait, UNCLOS specifically bans any type of behavior that threatens a country bordering the strait.

After the transit, General Yoshihide Yoshida, who heads the defense ministrys Joint Staff, declared: We will continue to monitor (Chinas) activities, gather information, and analyze it for the enhancement of surveillance. In other words, the naval transit could have been in part a military intelligence gathering operation.

Furthermore, from Beijings perspective, the sailing of multiple naval vessels through the Taiwan Strait could presage far more provocative political or military moves by the US and its allies. The broader uncertainty in the region no doubt contributed to Beijings decision to test fire an intercontinental ballistic missile on Wednesday.

Blame for this dangerous situation ultimately lies with the US, which over the last 15 years has deliberately whipped up territorial disputes in the East and South China Seas as the potential pretexts for war with China. Tokyo played its part, heightening tensions with China over the disputed and uninhabited Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands and militarizing its southern islands in the Ryukyu Island chain.

Just as Washington and NATO did in provoking Russia into conflict in Ukraine, the US and its allies in the Indo-Pacific are dangerously goading China into war.
Five death row inmates were put to death in the US over the past week, a pace unprecedented since July 2003. These executions demonstrate the myriad ways in which this barbaric practice is meted out, whether through disregard of a signed affidavit that the condemned was not present at the crime, execution of a man whose childhood was plagued by poverty and abuse, the killing of an innocent man, an execution despite the recommendation of clemency by the pardon board, or by the utilization of a new torturous method.

There is no humane way to carry out a state killing. As the World Socialist Web Site recently wrote:

The continued existence of the death penalty in the United States is yet another confirmation of the criminality and violence of the capitalist political and economic system, which oozes filth out of every pore.

Officials escort Alan Eugene Miller away from the Pelham City Jail in Ala., on Aug. 5, 1999 [AP Photo/Dave Martin]

Alan Eugene Miller had an extensive family history of mental illness and court records say that his fathers drug use led to physical and psychological abuse. Barbara Miller, his mother, spoke of the familys poverty, describing the familys various homes as junky, rat-infested, roach-infested, just falling in.

During Millers sentencing hearing a forensic psychiatrist testified that Miller was mentally ill at the time of the murders, but that his condition did not meet the level of mania necessary to establish an insanity defense in Alabama.

Miller survived a previous execution attempt by lethal injection in September 2023. Prison officials abandoned the execution when Millers veins couldnt be accessed within 30 minutes of his death warrants expiration. Miller claimed in a lawsuit that prison workers poked him for 90 minutes trying to start an IV. The attempt to execute Miller came two months after Alabama spent three hours executing another death row prisoner, Joe Nathan James, mangling his body in the process.

Millers execution by gassing took place at the William C. Holman Correctional facility in Atmore. According to AL.com, after the curtains opened to the witness viewing room at 6 p.m. [Central Time] and the warden read the death warrant, Miller stated, I didnt do anything to be on death row, before a prison officer checked the seal of the gas mask fitted to Millers face and shut the mask valve that had been opened to allow him to speak.

Abraham Bonowitz, executive director of Death Penalty Action, and other death penalty opponents hold a demonstration outside the Alabama Capitol in Montgomery, Ala., Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2024, asking the state to call off the scheduled execution of Alan Miller [AP Photo/Kim Chandler]

AL.com wrote:

The gas appeared to start flowing into the mask at 6:16 p.m. His fingers moved slightly on the gurney as his spiritual advisor approached him and touched his leg, praying over Miller. Miller then took deep breaths and lifted his head off the gurney several times at 6:18 p.m. He struggled against the restraints on the gurney, shaking and trembling for about two minutes. Then, Miller gasped off and on for about six minutes. At 6:23 p.m., a correctional officer leaned down and listened to Millers breath. The curtains closed at 6:32 p.m. Prison officials said Millers official time of death was 6:38 p.m.

Alabama Department of Corrections Commissioner John Hamm stated to reporters following the execution: Theres going to be involuntary body movements as the body is depleted of oxygen, so that was nothing we did not expect.  Everything went according to plan and according to our protocol.

Miller was the second person put to death with this torturous method. The first person executed by nitrogen suffocationin Alabama and the nationwas Kenneth Eugene Smith on January 25, 2024. The Montgomery Advertiser described what happened after the nitrogen began to flow:

He took deep breaths, his body shaking violently with his eyes rolling in the back of his head.  Smith clenched his fists, his legs shook under the tightly tucked-in white sheet that covered him from his neck down. He seemed to be gasping for air. The gurney shook several times during this time.

Emmanuel Littlejohn [Photo: Federal Public Defender for the Western District of Oklahoma]

Also on Thursday, September 26, Emmanuel Littlejohn was executed by lethal injection in Oklahoma. Littlejohn, 52, was convicted and sentenced to die for his role in the shooting death of convenience store owner Kenneth Meers during a robbery in 1992. He was put to death despite a 3-2 vote recommending Republican Governor Kevin Stitt spare his life and convert his sentence to life without parole.

Littlejohn admitted to his involvement in the robbery, but said that his accomplice Glenn Bethany pulled the trigger, killing Meers. Bethany was sentenced to life in prison at an earlier trial, where the prosecution argued that Bethany was the shooter, something the jury in Littlejohns case never heard.

Governor Stitt refused to commute Littlejohns sentence. A jury found him guilty and sentenced him to death, he said. As a law-and-order governor, I have a hard time unilaterally overturning that decision.

Littlejohn received a lethal injection at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary. As he was strapped to a gurney with an IV in his right arm, he looked toward his mother and daughter, the Associated Press reported. Ceily Mason, his mother, sobbed quietly and clutched a cross necklace during the execution, which began shortly after 10 a.m. Central Time. He was pronounced dead at 10:17 a.m.

Marcellus Williams [Photo: Courtesy of Marcellus Williams' legal team]

Marcellus Khaliifah Williams died by lethal injection Tuesday, September 24 at the Potosi Correctional Center Mineral Point, Missouri. He was pronounced dead at 6:10 p.m. Central Time. As the WSWS wrote:

None of the physical evidencebloody fingerprints, footprints and hairstied him to the crime scene. Rather, he was implicated by a former cellmate and an ex-girlfriend who were seeking a $10,000 reward for information leading to a conviction. The jury in his trial never heard evidence that Gayles laptop, found in the trunk of his car, was likely planted by the former girlfriend.  His execution was opposed by Gayles family, jurors who originally sentenced him to death and the prosecutors office which convicted him and had sought to undo the conviction.

Williams defense argued that the prosecution had excluded all but one African-American juror, that Williams trial attorney had failed to raise exculpatory evidence, and that the prosecution recklessly mishandled the murder weapon, contaminating DNA evidence that could have proved Williams was not the perpetrator.

Two of Williams previous dates with death were called off due to questions concerning his guilt. But Missouri Attorney General Andrew Baily, a rabid pro-death penalty Republican, vigorously sought his execution and Republican Governor Mike Parson refused to commute his death sentence.

Both the Missouri courts and six black-robed fascists on the US Supreme Court also gave their assent to Williams state killing. After the high courts ruling, Tricia Rojo, Williams attorney, stated:

Tonight, Missouri will execute an innocent man, Marcellus Khaliifah Williams.  The prosecutors office that convicted and sentenced him to death has now admitted they were wrong and zealously fought to undo the conviction and save Mr. Williams life. More than one million concerned citizens and faith leaders implored Governor Parson to commute Marcelluss death sentence. Missouri will kill him anyway. That is not justice. And we must all question any system that would allow this to occur. The execution of an innocent person is the most extreme manifestation of Missouris obsession with finality over truth, justice, and humanity, at any cost.

Williams died by lethal injection at the Potosi Correctional Center Mineral Point, Missouri. He was pronounced dead at 6:10 p.m. Central Time.

Travis Mullis [Photo: Texas Department of Corrections]

Also on Tuesday, September 24, Travis Mullis, 38, was put to death at the state penitentiary in Huntsville, Texas. Mullis was convicted and sentenced to death for the sexual assault and stomping death of his three-month-old son Alijah in 2008.

Like so many inmates on death row, Mullis lived a life of poverty and abuse. He was orphaned at 10 months old and adopted by his uncle and aunt. His uncle Gary Mullis sexually abused him for three years, up to age six, and was convicted and incarcerated for molestation.

After age four, Travis Mullis often received psychiatric treatment for psychological problems, including suicidal and homicidal behavior. He reportedly heard voices and had flashbacks of his childhood sexual abuse whenever he molested young children. He was sent to a school for emotionally troubled juveniles at age 13.

Mullis had waived his right to appeal his death sentence. Before his lethal injection, he said, I dont regret this decision, to legally expedite this process.  I do regret the decision to take the life of my son. He was pronounced dead at 7:01 p.m. Central Time.

Freddie Owens [Photo: South Carolina Department of Corrections]

The first to die in the week of executions was Freddie Eugene Owens, on Friday, September 20, in South Carolina. Owens, 46, who had taken the name Khalil Divine Black Sun Allah in prison, was convicted and sentenced to death for armed robbery and the murder of convenience store cashier Irene Graves in 1997.

Owens was put to death days after a key witness for the prosecution, Steven Golden, his former friend and co-defendant, filed a sworn statement saying Owens was not at the store when Graves was killed. Golden said he was pressured by police to name Owens as the shooter and feared that if he named the real shooter he might be killed.

Prosecutors never found the murder weapon and there was no forensic evidence linking him to the crime. However, this lack of evidence and Goldens statement failed to sway the South Carolina Supreme Court, Republican Governor Henry McMaster or the US Supreme Court that his life should be spared.

Freddie Owens did not kill Ms. Graves. His death tonight is a tragedy, Gerald Bo King, his attorney, said in a statement. [His] childhood was marked by suffering on a scale that is hard to comprehend. He spent his adulthood in prison for a crime that he did not commit. The legal errors, hidden deals and false evidence that made tonight possible should shame us all.

Owens was put to death in the states death chamber at Broad River Correctional Institution in Columbia. His execution began at 6:35 p.m. Eastern Time and he was pronounced dead at 6:55 p.m. He was the first South Carolina inmate to be executed in 13 years.

With the deaths of Owens, Mullis, Williams, Littlejohn and Miller, the US has now executed 1,600 people since the US Supreme Court reinstated the death penalty in 1976. There are an estimated 2,250 prisoners currently languishing on death rows across the US, according to the Death Penalty Information Center.

Joseph Kishore, the Socialist Equality Partys candidate for president, wrote on X after the execution of Marcellus Williams:

The Socialist Equality Party demands the immediate abolition of the death penalty and an end to all forms of state-sanctioned murder.  The fight against the death penalty is part of the broader struggle against capitalism, a system that thrives on inequality, exploitation, and violence. Abolishing the barbaric institution of capital punishment requires overturning the rule of the criminal capitalist oligarchy and ending the capitalist system that the state exists to defend.
As we have noted before, there is official world public opinion, which largely supports the imperialist-backed slaughter in Gaza, the West Bank and Lebanon and slanders any opposition to the mass terror as antisemitismand there is the public opinion of tens of millions around the world, whose sentiments dont count in the eyes of the establishment and the media, who are horrified by the genocide.

In these tumultuous conditions, certain artists are demonstrating principle.

Irish bestselling novelist Sally Rooney (born 1991) was in London September 25 at the Southbank Centre for the launch of her fourth novel, Intermezzo. In 2021, Rooney refused an offer from an Israeli publisher to translate Beautiful World, Where Are You into Hebrew, referring to her support for the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement.

Intermezzo, Sally Rooney

On Wednesday, Rooney told her audience in London, to wholehearted applause, that in Gaza

countless heritage sites, museums, libraries, schools and mosques, as well as arts venues and cultural centres, much like this one, have been irretrievably destroyed. And that is not even to speak of over 40,000 people confirmed dead, each one a precious and irreplaceable life, each one loved and mourned. It is difficult to avoid the conclusion that we are witnessing an unfolding genocide.

The violent death of any civilian in Israel, in Lebanon, in Palestine or anywhere is a terrible tragedy and an outrage. And the roots of this particular tragedy are in the illegal Israeli occupation of Palestine and the apartheid system under which Palestinians are forced to live.

As we are lucky enough to be here tonight in London, in these beautiful surroundings, for what I hope will be an evening of celebration and community, I want to make clear that we are also here in solidarity with the people of Palestine. And I want to urge you all, just as I also urge myself, not to turn away, not to give in to despair or fatigue, to keep protesting, to keep speaking out, to keep demanding an end to this horrifying war. It is the least that we can do. Thank you.

On September 20, during a press conference at the San Sebastian Film Festival, where he picked up an award for career achievement, celebrated Spanish actor Javier Bardem condemned the Israeli governments actions. Bardem came under attack in 2014 for antisemitism, along with his wife Penelope Cruz, for sharply criticizing Israeli actions in Gaza.

Javier Bardem, 2018 [Photo by Carlos Delgado / CC BY 4.0

This week he commented,

I welcome [the award] with great joy but I am not in the mood for celebrations.  What is happening in Gaza is totally unacceptable, it is terrible, it is dehumanizing. I believe that this Israeli government is the most radical government that Israel has ever had. Israel is committing crimes against humanity and international law.

Obviously, the atrocious, terrible, and reprehensible attacks on October 7 do not justify this massive punishment that the Palestinian population is suffering.

The impunity that the current Israeli government enjoys in its actions in Gaza and the West Bank has to change. I think that countries like the United States, Germany and England in particular have to rethink their unconditional support when we see crimes. Prohibiting the entry of food, water, medicine and electricity, as UNICEF says, is a war against children, and continues this trauma for generations.

The actor asserted that

what I say or dont say will not change anything, but I think society is beginning to understand that the legitimate right to criticize any government has nothing to do with, in this case, the false accusation of anti-Semitism.  We have the right and moral and ethical obligation to denounce that which we consider unjust.

Israels extreme right-wing nationalist government is not at all representative of the Jewish community or Israeli society. It is our responsibility to be able to observe and denounce those situations that we consider unacceptable, and to ask the International Criminal Court, the international justice of the United Nations, to condemn and judge those responsible. In this case, Netanyahu. To give unconditional support [to Israel] is more than giving wings to the abuse of international law.

Bardem was given a rousing round of applause from the journalists in the room, according to one report, following his statement.

Artnet reported September 26 that

Pulitzer Prize-winning author Jhumpa Lahiri has turned down an award from the Noguchi Museum citing the Queens institutions new policy banning staff from wearing political dress, including the keffiyeh, a traditional Middle Eastern head scarf that has come to symbolize solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.

As the WSWS has reported, the Noguchi Museum terminated three workers in early September because they refused to remove, according to a suddenly imposed policy, the Palestinian scarves. They wore the latter in solidarity with the Palestinian people and in opposition to the genocide being committed by Israel and funded by the United States.

Jhumpa Lahiri, 2015 [Photo by librairie mollat / CC BY 3.0

The firings, as we noted, came after weeks of turmoil, during which Noguchi museum employees and supporters protested the new policy with walkouts and demonstrations. The museum, like many cultural institutions around the world, refused to budge on its ban of symbols of opposition to the genocide and continues to take funds from Zionist and pro-war sources.

The fired workers had courageously refused to remove the keffiyehs or submit to the museums reactionary policy, clearly aimed at accommodating right-wing, pro-Zionist elements. As one of the workers explained to the WSWS, When I wear a keffiyeh I am trying to draw attention to horrifying genocide in Palestine that is being conducted with our tax dollars.

Lahiri, the daughter of Indian parents, is a British-American novelist (born 1967), short story writer and essayist. Her first collection of stories, Interpreter of Maladies (1999), won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and the PEN/Hemingway Award.

The writer was scheduled to be honored alongside Korean artist Lee Ufan at the museums October gala with the Isamu Noguchi Award.

Jhumpa Lahiri has chosen to withdraw her acceptance of the 2024 Isamu Noguchi Award in response to our updated dress code policy, the Noguchi Museum said in a hypocritical statement on Wednesday. We respect her perspective and understand that this policy may or may not align with everyones views.

Artnet adds that Lahiri, who could not be reached for comment,

was one of the signatories in May of an open letter from scholars calling on university presidents to honor students peaceful protests against Israels war against Gaza following the October 7 Hamas attacks, which killed 1,200 people and took some 250 hostages. The letter spoke of the unspeakable destruction being carried out by Israel, with a death toll that has since topped 40,000.
Bjork, 2022. - Credit: Santiago Felipe/Getty Images/ABA

A clip from Bjorks upcoming concert film, Cornucopia, made its debut at Climate Week on Friday, according to Deadline. The movie presents the artists performance in Lisbon last year on the final leg of her Cornucopia world tour, which supported her activism in fighting the climate crisis. Details about the films release are forthcoming.

In a statement, stacked like a poem, that Bjork submitted to Deadline, she described the climate crisis as an emergency and called the Paris climate accord a modern utopia. Lets imagine a world where nature and technology collaborate and make a song about it, a musical mockup, then move into it, she said. Lets write music for our destination. In mythologies around the world, after a disaster, one captures the spirit with a flute and starts anew.  Our past is on loop, turn it off. Lets be intentional about the light. Imagine a future. Be in it.

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Rolling Stones review of the Cornucopia tour in New York described how video of Greta Thunberg, then 16, played during the set. It was a poignant passing of the torch from artist to activist, and it put the datastorm complexity of what came earlier into stark, simple, fittingly scary perspective, the review said.

The artist has long thrown her support behind environmental causes. In 2015, she called out the rednecks running Iceland at the time, who were looking to capitalize on the countrys natural resources. Last year, she raised awareness for the way that the countrys fish farms were contaminating Icelands water supplies with harmful, mutant fish. She believed the damage was reversible, so she released a special single, a poppy duet with Rosalia called Oral, to raise money for an effort to lobby against fish farms.

One of the reasons were going on this campaign is we can actually change this, Bjork told Rolling Stone at the time. We asked all the scientists and environmental lawyers, and it is still possible to reverse the damage. Its important in all the environmental news that you read: There could be a happy ending.

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Shot over a decade ago, guerilla-style in Estonia, the low-budget horror musical Chainsaws Were Singing is a pastiche of genre tropes that its filmmaker spent years completing nearly by himself. Sander Maran stretches the definition of multi-hyphenate in Neil Breen fashion; as the movie's writer, director, composer, cinematographer, sound designer, colorist, and VFX artist, Maran turns in a work that, while often repetitive in its humor, has a fair amount of charm.

While the movie echoes cheap grindhouse pictures and horror B-movies of the '70s, it also functions as an inadvertent throwback to when it was first filmed in 2013. That's due to its outdated, often snarky tone, which feels reminiscent of the era's burgeoning web humor. Its gestation period makes it a fascinating time capsule, but the film is also, in its own way, an homage to low-budget, DIY creativity, even if it often feels like peering in on half-formed in-jokes from afar.

What is Chainsaws Were Singing about?

Martin Ruus in "Chainsaws Were Singing."

Credit:  Marani Bros 2024

With its cheap, bright-red blood galore, Chainsaws Were Singing tells you exactly what kind of film it is  and what it's aping  right out the gate. A young woman named Maria (Laura Niils) is having a particularly terrible day, involving the loss of her job, and the death of her family and even her dog in quick succession. She meets a man named Tom (Karl-Joosep Ilves), whose own misfortunes have led him to a suicide attempt. Their eyes lock just as Tom contemplates jumping off a bridge, which sends them into a sweet duet that's quickly interrupted by a chainsaw-wielding maniac (Martin Ruus).

This killer  named "Killer" by his cruel, overbearing mother (Rita Ratsepp), a la Psycho  is perpetually soaked in blood and spends much of the movie cartoonishly spilling the guts, eyeballs, and gonads of anyone he can get his hands on. Maria ends up his prisoner, which sends Tom on a lengthy hunt to find her. Along the way, he enlists the help of an idiosyncratic driver with whom he hitchhikes, Jaan (Janno Puusepp), who seems grating at first but whose loyalty makes him a lovable character.

Along the way, the unlikely heroes come across all sorts of oddities of the "LOL, random!" variety that truly hammers home the movie's vibe of friends hanging out with a video camera and shooting on weekends. They're kidnapped, at one point, by a jungle tribe who call themselves the Bukkake  a Japanese word for a specific pornographic act  and in rescuing Maria, they have to contend with a pair of incestuous male cousins, whose incest and queerness aren't so much the platform for any other jokes as they are the punchline themselves.

How much music does this horror musical have?

A scene from "Chainsaws Were Singing."

Credit:  Marani Bros 2024

Chainsaws Were Singing can't help but feel a tad retrograde and written on the fly, though perhaps the more pressing disappointment is that the movie's "horror musical" promise goes largely unfulfilled. Running nearly two hours  much longer than something with the feel of an extended CollegeHumor sketch ought to  it features few actual musical numbers. However, they're major highlights when they finally do appear.

The hefty, largely silent Killer goes on violent rampages, but the movie also affords him surprisingly tender moments that craft a lengthy, tongue-in-cheek backstory. His tale is reminiscent of villains from well-known horror landmarks, from Psycho's Norman Bates to The Texas Chain Saw Massacre's Leatherface (the latter being a key stylistic reference throughout). Ruus makes for the movie's most, and perhaps only, dearly sincere element  not to mention its most lively, when Killer performs a "chainsaw solo," fiddling with his mechanical murder device as though it were an electric guitar.

The problem inherent to Chainsaws Were Singing  a title that screams "Horror Musical!" at full volume  is that apart from Killer's solo number, the songs are mostly ironic, with a wink and a nudge towards the screen. This insincerity may be typical of genre farce, which the movie most certainly is, but its constant irreverence becomes especially demanding at feature length. There's a reason such parodies were relegated to online shorts in the 2010s, after all. The film emerges from a period of irony proliferation; when it began filming, Deadpool was still a few years away, and the likes of YouTube and Vine had recently granted low-budget creators the opportunity to flex their artistry, but Maran feels too talented to keep insisting that it's all a lark.

Perhaps he would do things differently today. The footage is, after all, a decade old, and its sardonic bent has made it a genre festival favorite; it recently won the Fantastic Fest award for Best Horror Feature. But Maran's work also features sparks of genuine inspiration and deft stylistic imitation, which almost make one wish for a more condensed feature  if not an extended short  which had streamlined his parodic approach.

Chainsaws Were Singing is a mix of too many styles and eras.

A scene from "Chainsaws Were Singing."

Credit:  Marani Bros 2024

The movie's affinity for styles and textures of the past is its central comedic bit, and this is wielded awkwardly at times. Its grindhouse throwback element is ever present, thanks to the movie's battered film print look and blown-out highlights, which perfectly imitate withered celluloid. However, what's being presented on screen is distinctly modern despite its many references, as though the film's central nostalgia weren't for The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and exploitation horror but for the act of watching and revisiting such works many years later.

It's effectively tailor-made for the midnight genre audience, but it's often rendered an exercise in nostalgia for nostalgia itself. Its jokes have little to say about the kind of films it's spoofing, especially when it briefly strays into what feels like found-footage territory; there's no self-reflexivity involved, despite the movie constantly breaking its own fiction for the occasional gag.

However, on the rare occasions when the movie is sincere, it also becomes stylistically dialed-in, in a way its other '70s homages are not. When Maria sings a lament from her prison cell, her song may be laced with jokes, but enough of the environment falls into shadow that modern designs are no longer visible. She ends up lit with an ethereal glow reminiscent of films from the era, as though this brief sequence were ripped from a movie made not 10 but 50 years ago. It's wonderful, if fleeting.

Maran's goofy spark is delightful in its own right, even though the humor of repetition eventually becomes repetitive itself. It would all be easier to digest if it didn't feel so endless. Still, as a DIY project shot with practically no budget, the long-gestating parody justifies is own existence as a curio of a simpler time, when new filmmaking tools had imbued micro-independent cinema with a sense of optimism, as though the democracy of digital tech would even the playing field for all. More so than the movie's ironic bent, this is perhaps its most wistful throwback.

Chainsaws Were Singing was reviewed out of its U.S. premiere at Fantastic Fest.
In 2007, Mihai Malaimare Jr. was a 29-year-old cinematographer working in Romania when he got his filmmaking dream job: shooting Youth Without Youth for Francis Ford Coppola as Coppola returned to the directors chair for the first time in 10 years. Coppola wanted to reinvent himself and was looking for a partner who wouldnt be afraid of trying new things, and in Malaimare, he found a willing and eager co-conspirator. Even when he had what I thought was a crazy idea, I thought, Well, its Francis Coppola so I better try it,' Malaimare told IndieWire. Then you try it and realize how much better the scene looks.

Malaimare became Coppolas cinematographer of choice on the movies that followed: Tetro, Twixt, and now Megalopolis, all of them self-financed experiments with which Coppola has attempted to find his own unique style after over 60 years of filmmaking. On Megalopolis, Coppolas boldest roll of the dice yet, the director often found himself at odds with collaborators committed to more conventional methods of production. We were in a studio in Georgia where a lot of Marvel pictures are made, and Marvel movies are very scene-centric, Coppola told IndieWire. I didnt want it to be scene-centric. I wanted it to be image-centric.

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While Coppolas differences of opinion with his original art department led to that team leaving the movie, he knew he always had one partner he could depend on. No matter what kinds of constraints Im operating under, or what kinds of pressures I put on Mihai, he always comes up with beautiful images, Coppola said. You know youre always going to love the result. For Malaimare, Megalopolis is the logical extension of method he and Coppola developed on Youth Without Youth. Its a really interesting dynamic, because secretly I enjoy being pushed out of my comfort zone, Malaimare said. Sometimes I find myself waiting for it to happen and craving any crazy idea Francis can send my way, because it always produces interesting results.

Coppola has famously been thinking about and talking about Megalopolis for decades, and its been a part of his discussions with Malaimare right from the beginning of their association. The idea with Youth Without Youth was to use what were then new digital cameras, Malaimare said. Among the cameras Malaimare considered was the Sony F900, which Ron Fricke had used to shoot second-unit footage of New York for an abandoned early incarnation of Megalopolis. Fricke shot hours and hours of establishing shots and second unit, and I remember watching that footage to see what the F900 could do visually. Even though it was for a different project, I was becoming familiar with Megalopolis and Francis concepts for it.

Megalopolis Lionsgate

Over the years as they worked on other films, Coppola would mention Megalopolis or share sketches and references for it. Pieces of information came my way, but not necessarily with the purpose of Lets prep this film,' Malaimare said. By the time Coppola was ready to begin serious discussions about Megalopolis around a year before they started shooting, Malaimare was ready. We already had a certain visual style established and it was about trying to improve on that foundation that we already had. On Youth Without Youth, Tetro, and Twixt, Coppola employed a style heavily influenced by Yasujiro Ozu in which the camera rarely moved; if characters left the frame, the image would cut to a different shot instead of having the camera follow them.

The idea seemed restrictive, but it forced us to compose better, more like still photography, Malaimare said. For Megalopolis, Coppola wanted to retain that sense of beauty and discipline in the image but bring more movement into it in the form of floating crane moves and dolly shots. He also wanted an increased sense of scale, which led to the decision to shoot for IMAX screens. We did quite a few camera tests [and] watched all those tests at IMAX headquarters in L.A. The idea was to get familiar with such a huge canvas and try to take advantage of it and figure out what would be the best tool for that. We went through a bunch of cameras and landed on the Alexa 65 as the right tool for such a big screen.

For Malaimare, one of the pleasures of Megalopolis was applying the sense of freedom and experimentation that he felt on smaller films like Youth Without Youth and Tetro to a sweeping American epic of the type that made Coppolas reputation in the 1970s. A driving sequence in which several characters are following each other stands out in Malaimares mind as an example of Coppolas organic, playful sensibility. We started shooting it poor mans process, with just some moving lights outside of the car, he said. That evolved into adding a few pieces of moving sets outside the car. Then we added miniatures and statues, and some exterior shots from Ron Fricke. It became a much more complex and interesting approach.

It makes Megalopolis a more interesting experience for the audience as well, as the film is filled with shots unlike any that have ever been seen before on screen. Its amazingly rewarding when you find yourself doing something thats never been done before, Malaimare said, noting that what makes Coppola interesting is this combination of innovation with a respect for film history. Francis remembers all these interesting shots from movies of the 1940s, and hell show them to me in prep and say, Isnt it amazing what they did back then? Lets try to do it as well. Its great when youre able to do something new and fresh, but combining it with such old techniques.

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Vogue Portugal commands our attention here at theFashionSpot on the regular. Throughout 2024 alone, a whole multitude of the magazines front covers has received our praises loud and clear  starring the likes of Ashley Graham, Jourdan Dunn, and Adit Priscilla. The Big Books of Trends is Vogue Portugals theme for September 2024, celebrating the trends of the coming season  and a whopping 400 pages. To commemorate the magazines most important issue on the print calendar, Sofia Lucas bestows upon us a total of four covers. Cover one goes to Coco Rocha, wrapped up in an Alaia coat and photographed by Domen & Van de Velde. Andrew Yee captured Daisy Bradford (decked out in Philosophy di Lorenzo Serafini) while Christie Lenkevych is ravishing in red Naeem Khan via the lens of Elio Nogueira for cover three. A pair of star-shaped heels from Coperni make the fourth and final cover, complete with photography from Luca Anzalone.

The September 2024 Covers of Vogue Portugal:

IMAGES | VOGUE.PT

Read below the reactions of theFashionSpots forum members:

I love the third cover, exclaimed forum member caioherrero.

Stunning. Love the first two covers, Kimy Jo chimed in.

I like them all for different reasons but I think that my favorite is the second one. I just love the color palette and whimsy vibe, admired kokobombon.

Cocos cover is absolutely stunning. So elegant, enthused fangora.

Vogue28 ultimately agreed. Im with you, he replied. The Coco Rocha cover is the clear standout here. As always with Vogue Portugals multi-cover strategy, theres always one that stands out amongst the rest. The one with the Coperni heels looks more suited to a supplement cover.

The last one is unnecessary. The first one [with Coco Rocha] is lovely and I also like the one with the cat, shared oaklee91.

Which cover do you prefer  if any? See more from Vogue Portugal September 2024 and join the conversation over on theFashionSpot forums, here.

The post Coco Rocha & Others Help Vogue Portugal Celebrate Its Biggest September Issue Yet appeared first on theFashionSpot.
It's been a big week for the United Kingdom. First, Prince Harry, Sarah Ferguson and Princess Beatrice all convened in New York City for the annual Climate Week summit, where they were supporting various organizations, including Princess Eugenie's The Anti-Slavery Collective and Prince Harry's The Archewell Foundation.

Then, news broke that Dame Maggie Smith (of Harry Potter and Downton Abbey fame) passed away at age 89 on September 27. That all coincided with the 25th anniversary of the Scottish Parliament. Whew.

@theroyalfamily on Instagram

King Charles, stalwart that he is, was of course hard at work. He penned a personal note on Instagram Stories, writing, "My wife and I were deeply saddened to learn of the death of Dame Maggie Smith. As the curtain comes down on a national treasure, we join all those around the world in remembering with the fondest admiration and affection her many great performances and her warmth and wit that shone through both on and off the stage." He signed it, "Charles R."

Smith died in a London hospital on Friday, per The Associated Press. After starting her career in the '50s, she went on to win two Academy Awards (Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress), four BAFTAs, a Tony, three Emmys, a Golden Globe and a slew of other nominations.

After offering his condolences, the King then sped to Scotland, where he attended the 25th anniversary of the Scottish parliament and gave a moving speech. In July 1999, King Charles had accompanied his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II, and his father, the Duke of Edinburgh, to the official opening of the parliament.

"We are all, at the end of each day, united by our love of Scotland," he said in his address. "Because of its natural beauty, of course, but also because of its strength of character, based as it is on the extraordinary diversity of its peoples, whose range of ideas, skills, energy, passions, and frequently deeply-held beliefs, never cease to inspire me. From the central belt, to the North Highlands, across the islands, in Ayrshire, in the Borders, the cities, towns, and villages, or the coastal communities, who, I wonder, could not fail to be moved by this complex Caledonian Kaleidoscope?"

What fitting tributes, King Charles.

Kate Middleton Gave Her Kids' Hand-Me-Downs to Her Brother, James
Prince Harry To Visit Lesotho Without Wife Meghan, As He Continues His Solo Endeavors

Prince Harry will visit Lesotho for the first time in over six years to promote his charity, Sentebale, and he might do so without his wife, Meghan Markle.

The Duke of Sussex co-founded the charity with Lesotho's Prince Seeiso in 2004, when he spent two months there at age 19.

Prince Harry's trip to Lesotho follows his and Meghan Markle's visit to Colombia and Nigeria on what many have branded a "quasi-royal" tour.

Prince Harry Is Visiting Lesotho For The First Time In Years But Without Meghan

MEGA

According to a report, Harry will travel to Lesotho for the first time in over six years, but his wife Meghan will likely not accompany him on the trip.

The duke's trip to Lesotho is scheduled for early next month. During his time there, Harry will meet with local stakeholders, business leaders, and philanthropists as he promotes the work of his youth-focused charity, Sentebale.

Harry co-founded the Sentebale with Lesotho's Prince Seeiso, who said the community is overjoyed to welcome back Mohale. "Mohale" is the royal name given to Harry, which means "warrior."

Speaking about the trip, Harry said: "As we head towards our 20th anniversary, our ambition has grown, giving us the confidence to bring our skills and experience in designing solutions with young people, and to leveraging our convening power to engage with leading regional players and global funders so we can add Sentebale's voice to addressing the challenges faced by the next generation in southern Africa."

The Duke Spent Two Months In Lesotho In 2004

MEGA

Harry reportedly developed the idea of Sentebale in 2004 after spending two months in Lesotho. The experience during his gap year left a huge impact on Harry, who was just 19 years old at the time.

During the visit, Harry met with AIDS orphans, traumatized youths, and herd boys living in remote mountain areas.

The prince visited Lesotho at the invitation of Seeiso, a friend of his mentor at the time, ex-Army officer Mark Dyer. The Sentebale charity was founded in 2006 and started off in Lesotho before expanding operations into Botswana.

According to the Daily Mail, Sentebale operates in four primary areas: providing access to health and social services, building individuals' skills and quality of life, strengthening the well-being of those living with HIV, and driving the growth of youth advocacy.

Harry hasn't been to the region to promote Sentebale since his visit to the capital, Maseru, in 2018, the year he and Meghan tied the knot.

Prince Harry And Meghan Markle Recently Visited Colombia And Nigeria

MEGA

Harry's trip to Lesotho follows his and his wife Meghan's highly publicized trips to Colombia and Nigeria.

In August, the duo visited Colombia at the invitation of the country's vice president, Francia Marquez.

The four-day visit saw the couple stop by a local school, participate in a summit on building a safer digital landscape, and engage with emerging voices in Colombia. Harry also took time to interact with Colombian Invictus Games athletes in Bogota.

In May, they visited Nigeria for three days after being invited by the country's highest-ranking military official, the Chief of Defense Staff.

During the trip, they heavily promoted themes of mental health and women's empowerment while engaging with local charities, wounded veterans in hospitals, and students.

Prince Harry Has Been Making Solo Trips Since His 40th Birthday

MEGA

After Harry's birthday, he embarked on an eight-day visit to New York and London alone.

The duke first attended a dinner put together by the World Health Organization to honor survivors of childhood violence.

At the event, he met other notable dignitaries, including actor Forest Whitaker, several UN Agency Heads, and Queen Mathilde of Belgium, whom he greeted warmly upon arrival.

During his trip to the Big Apple, Harry supported pet charities and organizations like African Parks, The HALO Trust, and The Diana Award.

The duke will then fly to London this weekend for his annual visit to support WellChild at their awards ceremony, still without Meghan.

Is There A Meaning Behind The Duke's Decision To Fly Solo?

MEGA

Royal Biographer Phil Dampier recently suggested that Harry turning 40 has made him see things from a different perspective.

"Harry sometimes feels like a spare part and he often looks unhappy when he's out with Meghan at events in California," Dampier told the Daily Mail. "I think he has reached a point where he wants more for himself. He's turned 40 and must be asking himself what the future holds."

"I think he's desperate to find some new meaning to his life, and that seems to involve branching out on his own more," he shared.

Dampier went on to claim that the duke is looking for something new he can throw himself into "and give his life some purpose" amid Meghan's alleged decision not to return to the UK due to security issues.
Prince Harry is having a busy autumn.

Fresh off the Duke's New York City trip, Sentebale announced that Harry will be visiting Lesotho and South Africa in early October. It will mark his first return to the region since his and Meghan Markle's visit in 2019, and he will be joined by Sentebale co-founding patron Prince Seesio.

"It fills me, the team, and our wider community with joy to welcome Prince Harry or Mohale as we affectionately refer to him by his Sesotho royal name which means 'warrior,'" Prince Seeiso said. "Now more than ever, as we look to the challenges of our young generation here in Lesotho, the collective energy of both local and international individuals and organizations who see the potential in these youth, is embraced. We know that there are bright futures at stake, and we continue to approach our work with the vision that all children can be empowered, healthy and resilient through sustainable solutions that can ultimately be locally driven."

Chris Jackson - Getty Images

"Through its work in Lesotho and Botswana, Sentebale has developed a profound understanding of local youth  their passions, their concerns, and their extraordinary creativity," Prince Harry said in a statement about the visit. "These young adults are eager and capable of driving meaningful change, yet significant barriers still stand in their way. As we head towards our 20th anniversary, our ambition has grown, giving us the confidence to bring our skills and experience in designing solutions with young people, and to leveraging our convening power to engage with leading regional players and global funders so we can add Sentebales voice to addressing the challenges faced by the next generation in Southern Africa."

On the trip, the group (which includes corporate foundations and philanthropists) will head to Lesotho "to witness Sentebales programs at work." In Lesotho, Prince Harry and Prince Seeiso will meet with local leaders and youth advocates. After, they will go to Johannesburg, South Africa for working sessions with "leading Southern Africa-based business leaders, foundations and organizations already active in the youth sector." Per Sentebale, "these sessions will explore collaborative strategies to deploy expertise and innovative capital to reduce the digital divide and ensure youth access to healthcare, education, entrepreneurship, and employment opportunities."

Jenna Jones

Earlier this week, Prince Harry spoke alongside Lesotho's Queen Masenate Mohato Seeiso at an event on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. "I would like to start by extending my deepest gratitude to Their Majesties for their continued friendship," Harry said. "The Lesotho royal family, as well as Lesotho itself, has been a pillar of strength for me over the last 20 years, welcoming me with open arms and such kindness."

He added, "The beautiful mountain kingdom feels like a home away from home, that friendship has only grown stronger as we've worked together to tackle some of the most pressing challenges facing the pursuit of people and the wider world. It all began two decades ago, when my dear friend Prince Seeiso first gave me a tour of your special country. I was struck by the strength and courage of your people amidst the immense challenges they face."



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The couple tied the knot at the same church where the bride's parents were married 60 years earlier

Europa Press / MEGA Princess Theodora and Matthew Kumar.

Princess Theodora of Greece is celebrating her long-awaited wedding to American attorney, Matthew Kumar, marking a milestone nearly six years in the making.

On Sept. 28, Theodora, the daughter of the late King Constantine and Queen Anne-Marie, married her American fiance in a Greek Orthodox wedding ceremony in Athens, Greece. Theodora, 41, announced her engagement to the Los Angeles attorney in November 2018. Their wedding had been postponed twice  first in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and again following the death of Theodora's father in January 2023 at age 82.

The couple exchanged vows at the Metropolitan Cathedral of the Annunciation, the same church where Theodora's parents were married on Sept. 18, 1964. King Constantine and Queen Anne-Marie shared nearly 60 years of marriage and five children  Princess Alexia, Crown Prince Pavlos, Prince Nikolaos, Princess Theodora and Prince Philippos  before the King's death.

Related: Will Members of the British Royal Family Be Attending the Upcoming Wedding of Princess Theodora of Greece?

Theodora and Matthew, 34, were married by His Eminence Metropolitan of Syros, Dorotheos II, with several family members serving in the wedding party, according to an official statement.

The bride's brothers Crown Prince Pavlos, 57, and Prince Phillipos, 38, were tapped to act as groomsmen, as was Crown Prince Pavlos and Crown Princess Marie-Chantal's second son Prince Achilleas-Andreas. Meanwhile, Pavlos and Marie-Chantal's daughter, Princess Maria-Olympia, and Princess Alexia's eldest daughter, Arrietta Morales de Grecia, were asked to be bridesmaids.

The announcement of Princess Theodora and Matthew's nuptials provided insight into their decision to wed in Athens.

"The couple's desire to have their wedding in Athens reflects their love for Greece, the strong ties they maintain with the country and their desire to share Greek culture and hospitality and identity with their guests," the statement said.

Europa Press / MEGA Princess Theodora and Matthew Kumar.

Related: Meet the Greek Royals: All About the Modern Princes and Princesses of the Former Monarchy

Princess Theodora and Matthew had a busy week before their wedding. Theodora, Matthew and her mother Queen Anne-Marie had an audience with the Archbishop of Athens on Sept. 24, Hello! reported. They also stepped out at their wedding venue, the Metropolitan Cathedral, on Sept. 27.

That night, the bride and groom threw a pre-wedding event at the Byzantine Museum, according to Hello!.

Nieboer/DDP via ZUMA Press Princess Theodora.

Can't get enough of PEOPLE's Royals coverage? Sign up for our free Royals newsletter to get the latest updates on Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and more!

Princess Theodora's late father Constantine was the last King of Greece before the monarchy was abolished in 1973, though his descendants still represent the country as princes and princesses.

Theodora posted a heartfelt statement to Instagram after her wedding to Matthew was postponed for the first time, along with a close shot of them holding what looked like glasses of champagne.

"On what should have been our wedding weekend - the love and support from friends and family have been so appreciated. We cant wait to celebrate with all of you in Greece once its safe xx," Princess Theodora said in May 2020.



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How to watch the 2024 MotoGP Indonesia Grand Prix online for free

All products featured here are independently selected by our editors and writers. If you buy something through links on our site, Mashable may earn an affiliate commission.

Gabriel Bouys/AFP via Getty Images

TL;DR: Watch the 2024 MotoGP Indonesia Grand Prix for free on ServusTV. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The 2024 MotoGP season is going down to the wire as Jorge Martin and Francesco Bagnaia battle it out for the title. There are only a handful of races left this season, so every meeting really matters. Next up is the Indonesia Grand Prix, and you can watch all the action without spending anything.

If you're interested in watching the 2024 MotoGP Indonesia Grand Prix for free from anywhere in the world, we've got all the information you need.

When is the 2024 MotoGP Indonesia Grand Prix?

The MotoGP Indonesia Grand Prix takes place at the Pertamina Mandalika Circuit. The 2024 MotoGP Indonesia Grand Prix race starts at 3 a.m. ET / 8 a.m. BST on Sept. 29.

How to watch the 2024 MotoGP Indonesia Grand Prix for free

Every MotoGP 2024 race is available to live stream for free on ServusTV.

ServusTV is geo-restricted to Austria, but anyone can access this free streaming platform with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Austria, meaning you can bypass geo-restrictions to access ServusTV from anywhere in the world.

Unblock ServusTV by following this simple process:

Sign up for a VPN (like ExpressVPN) Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more) Open up the app and connect to a server in Austria Connect to ServusTV Watch MotoGP for free from anywhere in the world

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Credit: ExpressVPN

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$99.95 at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee)

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The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but they do tend to offer free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can access MotoGP live streams without fully committing with your cash. This clearly isn't a long-term solution, but it does mean you can watch the 2024 MotoGP Indonesia Grand Prix before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for MotoGP?

ExpressVPN is the top choice for unblocking ServusTV, for a number of reasons:

Servers in 105 countries including Austria

Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more

Strict no-logging policy so your data is protected

Fast streaming speeds free from throttling

Up to eight simultaneous connections

30-day money-back guarantee

A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $99.95 and includes an extra three months for free  49% off for a limited time. This plan also includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Watch the 2024 MotoGP Indonesia Grand Prix for free with ExpressVPN.
A waterpark in Switzerland hosts an annual dog swim day at its waterslide adventures every year, and it's so cute to see the happy pups!

On September 19, 2024, Zurich Restaurants, Bars, Events & Parties (@spazurich) shared a video of their annual dog swim day, and it looks like everyone had the absolute best time. Take a look!

In a really fun video shared on Instagram, we get to live vicariously through a bunch of dogs who are having the best day at the waterpark!

Related: Water-Loving Golden Retriever Hilariously Changes His Tune When Bath Time Rolls Around

"Yearly dog swimming in Zurich, Switzerland," the text on the video reads as we follow a Golden Retriever and a Labradoodle into the waterpark. When the two dogs and their parents enter the park, we see just how many puppies were at the yearly dog swimming and how much fun they all looked to be having.

Dogs had fun swimming in the pools and playing with the toys in the water. We watch a brave dog go down the waterslide, and the pup looks like they had the absolute best time!

There was one Goldendoodle who looked like they tried the slide a few times and it looked like they were having the best time. Some of the silly dogs tried to climb up the slide, and it was also fun to watch them look like baby deer who were just figuring out how their legs worked.

Another pup was getting some great speed, and once they all figured out the best method to get down the slide with speed, it was so fun to watch.

In the comments, it's clear that people enjoyed watching the dogs have so much fun. Also, this looks like an event that is absolutely worth the trip if you're not local.

One wrote, "Best swim ever! I don't have a dog... But I think I would come only to see this happy dogs!"

Another shared, "So bummed I missed it. My lab wouldve loved this."

Someone added, "Cutest thing ever. So sad Kitsune (Shiba Inu) doesnt like water."

One joked, "Probably the only time the pool doesnt smell like pee."

Someone wrote, "Happiest dogs ever."

Important Water Safety Reminders for Dog Parents

It's so much fun to play at the waterpark, and even though many dogs know how to swim and seem very comfortable, there are some water safety reminders that dog parents should always brush up on if they're planning to take their dogs out for some water fun.

According to the American Animal Hospital Association, if you plan to have your dog in the pool, you should ensure there are safe ways to get in and out of the water.

"A pet-friendly ramp or steps for pools are also important," they note. "Teaching your pet to use these can help them exit the water easily and safely, reducing the risk of panic or drowning if they become tired or disoriented."

You should always be close to your dog when they're in the water and start slowly, even if they're seasoned swimmers.

"Before letting your pet dive in, assess their swimming skills in a controlled environment. Start in shallow water and gradually increase the depth as they become more comfortable," the association suggests.

"Regardless of your pets swimming prowess, always watch them closely when they are in or near water, as even experienced swimmers can become tired or encounter difficulties."
Al Roker is in Delaware forecast. How to see him this fall

Al Roker, America's beloved weatherman, is on a mission to cook up good vibes when he talks about his new recipe book at Wilmington Public Library on Friday, Oct. 25.

The price for this ticketed event includes his new book "Al Roker's Recipes to Live By," a book signing, and free food samples from Roker's cookbook prepared by popular Black-owned Wilmington restaurant Oath 84.

Who is Al Roker?

Al Roker attends the premiere of "Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire" at AMC Lincoln Square Theater on March 14, 2024, in New York City.

Roker, 70, is a rock-star weatherman. He's the meteorologist on NBC's "Today Show" and co-anchor of the "3rd Hour of Today." Roker's career spans more than 40 years on TV and 14 Emmy awards. He's also written over a dozen books, according to his bio.

Al Roker celebrates weight loss on Instagram

The meteorologist was known for being much heavier back in the day. In 2022, Roker celebrated the 20th anniversary of his gastric bypass surgery by making an Instagram post that featured him showing off a huge pair of jeans he used to wear.

"Hard to believe it was 20 years ago today, I wore these size 54 Levi jeans to my #gastricbypass at 340 lbs and here I am today," Roker posted on March 15, 2022. "Its still a struggle but Im never going back. I have setbacks and struggle every day, but I never forget how far Ive come."

What recipes are in Al Roker's new cookbook?

Roker's new cookbook "Al Rokers Recipes to Live By" will be released on hardcover Oct. 15, according to Amazon.

The book features 100 original and kitchen-tested dishes written by Roker and his daughter Courtney Roker Laga. His book's summary on Amazon says their recipes include:

Sunrise burritos

Shrimp and grits with bell peppers and bacon

Smothered chicken

Coffee and spice-rubbed pork chops

Christmas morning cinnamon rolls

Bourbon apple pie milkshakes

Tuscan Polenta

Silky cauliflower puree

Lemon meringue crumb crust pie

Hoda leaving Today Show

From left: Craig Melvin, Savannah Guthrie, Hoda Kotb and Al Roker appear on the 'Today Show' set on Aug. 5, 2024 in Paris, France.

Roker's "Today Show" colleague Hoda Kotb announced she's stepping down in early 2025, but she'll still be a part of the NBC family, according to an article by Today.com.

The article says on Thursday, Sept. 26, she tearfully reminisced about how her 60th birthday celebration in August inspired her to make a change:

"I realized that it was time for me to turn the page at 60, and to try something new," Kotb said. "I remembered standing outside looking at these beautiful bunch of people with these gorgeous signs, and I thought, 'This is what the top of the wave feels like for me.' And I thought it can't get better, and I decided that this is the right time for me to kind of move on."

Al Roker's recipes inspire Delaware restaurant

Justin Womack, chef and owner of Oath84 in Wilmington, will prepare dishes inspired by famous weatherman Al Roker's new cookbook, 'Recipes to Live By,' when Roker is in town on Friday, Oct. 25

Not only will Roker sign copies of his new cookbook and have a discussion in Wilmington, but guests also will have a chance to munch on food.

After Roker's talk, Justin Womack, chef and owner of Oath 84, will host the crowd at his restaurant (902 N. Market St., Wilmington). Folks can head over there, where Womack and his team will serve food samples inspired by the epic weatherman's new cookbook, which is also included in the price of Roker's ticketed event.

Rapper Flavor Flav drawn to Delaware: Hip Hop Summit launches fall 2024

Hackers attack Delaware libraries: They demand a ransom

When is Al Roker coming to Delaware?

Wilmington Public Library (10 E. 10th St., Wilmington) at 6 p.m. Friday, Oct. 25. Tickets are $30. To register, visit tinyurl.com/RokerBookSigning. For more info, visit facebook.com/WilmingtonLibraryDE or wilmington.lib.de.us or call (302) 571-7400.

If you have an interesting story idea, email lifestyle reporter Andre Lamar at alamar@gannett.com. Consider signing up for his weekly newsletter, DO Delaware, at delawareonline.com/newsletters.

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Delaware forecasts Al Roker is coming this fall with new cookbook
Beauty queen suffers 2nd-degree burns after pressure cooker explosion: They are very dangerous

A Dominican beauty queen sustained second-degree burns after her pressure cooker exploded during a sautee session gone awry.

I was the victim of a pressure cooker explosion, Debbie Aflalo, 31 exclaimed in a video uploaded for her 131,000 followers on Instagram, per Jam Press.

The bombshell, who won Miss Dominican Republic in 2021, had reportedly been using the appliance when the silicone ring of the pot flew off.

It was a very traumatic moment, exclaimed Aflalo. Newsflash

Aflalo won Miss Dominican Republic in 2021. Newsflash

Aflalo shows the 2nd-degree burn she sustained in the accident. Newsflash

This caused liquid to splatter her abdomen, chest, and arms, leaving her with second-degree burns, as shown in the clip.

Aflalo was subsequently rushed to the hospital for treatment, and is thankfully on the mend, Hola! reported.

Thankfully, no damage was done to the beautys face, meaning that she can still continue to model.

Liquid splattered on her abdomen, chest, and arms, leaving her with second-degree burns, as shown in the clip. Newsflash

Thanks to my mothers prayers and divine intervention, I am recuperating well, said the bandage-bearing Aflalo.

In light of the freak accident, the beauty warned others about the inherent hazards of the dangerous device.

I suggest you better not use them and that if you are going to use them, be very careful, the social media star, who recently released a swimwear line, cautioned. Leave the kitchen and come back when it is ready.

Turn it off and let it sit there until it cools down, she added.

In a March study on pressure cooker risks, researchers from Turkey wrote that the automated food flamers can pose hazards if not used properly, leading to severe burns.

Common reasons for pressure cooker explosions include overfilling, which hampers steam release, and premature lid opening, they warned. Attempting to open the lid immediately after cooking without proper deaeration and cooling increases the risk of explosion.

In 2018, a food worker was hospitalized after a pressure cooker blew its stack at a school cafeteria in India.
An old-fashioned shrimp and grits recipe is as classic and comforting as a meal can get, but even a reliable standard warrants a bit of an upgrade now and then. Think of a basic shrimp and grits recipe as a type of canvas your culinary whims can rest upon. The dish can be served simply with a side salad or be doled out with honey sage skillet cornbread for a feast that will leave no crumbs behind. For those hurried and uninspired days when you simply can't muster any sort of creative prowess in the kitchen, however, we spoke to chef Art Smith from Reunion in Chicago for easy, quick ways to bump up the flavor on this sturdy meal. With a simple spoonful of seasonings or drizzle of sauce, you can be well on your way to serving up and enjoying a delicious meal made with little fuss.

"You can't go wrong with ancho chile for a little kick," Smith helpfully suggests. Ancho chile is made from poblano peppers and offers just enough flavor to keep recipes interesting without bowling over unsuspecting diners with heat. Not only can ancho chile add taste, the quick inclusion can punch up the aromatic attraction of a dish as it builds layers of an approachable earthiness. For the heat adverse and cooks working in kitchens devoid of all things spicy, Smith offers alternatives.

Read more: 13 Different Ways To Cook Fish

You Don't Need Much To Spice Up Your Life

garnished shrimp and grits - Tanveer Anjum Towsif/Shutterstock

If you're reluctant to dump chile powder into your shrimp and grits meal, Art Smith recommends reaching for a different kind of seasoning. "Old Bay or hot sauce always does the trick," he says. A spoonful of that zesty blend is frequently found in East Coast seafood recipes, and the ready-made version is all that is needed to turn up flavor dials on a simple dish. Even if you don't have it stocked and ready to go in your kitchen cupboards, you can make your own Old Bay seasoning and adjust the ingredients to suit your palate.

Lastly, should time have gotten the best of you and you find yourself with plain-looking plates to set upon the dinner table, a fast squeeze of your favorite sauce can be the finishing touch your meal needs. Whether you prefer reaching for sriracha, chili crisp, or a sweeter hot sauce to dress up your dishes, an easy drizzle can turn an average presentation into a more flavorful dish. If you're not a hot sauce lover, give yourself permission to experiment with other kinds of flavored sauces -- barbecue sauce, soy sauce, or a tomato-based sauce can help convert your shrimp and grits into a more interesting experience. When seafood is paired with the right kind of grits, you're in for a satisfying meal that is finger-licking good.

Read the original article on Tasting Table.
The pie is a beloved American icon. Originally brought over by the Pilgrims in the 1600s, it quickly became part of the fabric of American cuisine. Today, there's a pie for just about everyone, from key lime to strawberry rhubarb to the infamous Texas trash pie. One state that's particularly passionate about pies is Oregon. The Pacific Northwest, perhaps more than anywhere else in America, is passionate about eating locally sourced food  and that's reflected in Oregon's official state pie: the marionberry pie.

The what berry? You'd be forgiven for your confusion. The marionberry isn't particularly well-known outside of the Pacific Northwest, where it grows. For the uninitiated, it's essentially a combination of various blackberry species  but that description doesn't do it justice. It's dark, sweet, floral, and earthy all at once, with a flavor profile closer to a well-aged wine than most fresh berries. In pie form, those flavors are amplified, resulting in a beautifully balanced dessert that deftly walks the line between syrupy and tart.

Read more: 19 Tips You Need To Bake Better Muffins

The Origins Of Marionberry Pie

freshly picked marionberries - Zigzag Mountain Art/Shutterstock

Though the marionberry pie is a Pacific Northwest classic today, it would have been unknown back in the 1930s. That's because the marionberry itself didn't exist yet  it was created in 1948 at Oregon State University by horticulturist George F. Waldo. A cross between Chehalem and Olallie blackberries, the marionberry (named after Marion County, where it was developed) was bigger, sweeter, and tarter than its predecessors  and it instantly became popular. In a state like Oregon, which is known throughout America (if not the world) for its berry production, that was no small feat.

Of course, as soon as there were marionberries, people started putting them into pies  it's human nature, after all. And just like that, the people of Oregon had a new favorite summer dessert. The marionberry's season is extremely short, lasting only a few weeks a year, and it only grows in the Pacific Northwest. This uniqueness, combined with its legendary status in Oregon (per NPR, the state produces up to 33 million pounds of marionberries annually, and most are eaten before they ever leave the region), made it the perfect choice to be officially named the state pie in 2017.

How To Make Marionberry Pie

taking pie out of oven - New Africa/Shutterstock

Making a marionberry pie is a delightfully simple process. Follow the steps you'd take to make any other berry pie. Just combine fresh berries, citrus juice, cane sugar, butter, cornstarch, and a pinch of salt, et voila  you have your filling. If you want to reduce the bake time (and bring out a little more caramel-like sweetness), throw everything in a pot and cook it down for about 15 minutes. This will reduce all that juice into a lovely syrupy mess, perfect for a truly decadent pie. Then, pour the filling into a buttery, flaky pie crust and bake until golden. Delicious.

For serving, why not follow the advice of the experts? In this case, we mean the Oregon state legislature itself, which recommends enjoying marionberry pie either on its own or with a dollop of whipped cream. For berry lovers, it doesn't get much better than that.

Want more food knowledge? Sign up to our free newsletter where we're helping thousands of foodies, like you, become culinary masters, one email at a time.

Read the original article on Food Republic.
On Wednesday, October 2 from 4 p.m. until 6 p.m., thousands of people across the state of Iowa will go outside and take a walk for 30 minutes to promote a statewide initiative thats all about being active and connecting with your community.

You can join this effort by heading to Kiwanis Park, 4223 Greenbrier Drive, where the City of Bettendorfs Parks & Recreation Department is hosting the Healthiest State 14th Annual Walk, part of the Iowa Healthiest State Initiative.

During this event, you can take a stroll on one of Bettendorfs beautiful trails, get a sneak peek inside some of Bettendorfs Public Works Trucks, visit with Bettendorf Police Officers and Firefighters, play games with the Bettendorf Parks & Rec Department, Bettendorf Public Library and Family Museum. You can also learn how to play pickleball with the Quad Cities Pickleball Club.

The Healthiest State Initiative is a great way to get the family outdoors, enjoy one of our many awesome Parks and explore what the City of Bettendorf has to offer our citizens, Kim Kidwell, Culture & Recreation Director, said.

About the Iowa Healthiest State Initiative

The Iowa Healthiest State Initiative is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization driven by the goal to ensure every Iowan can live their healthiest life. By engaging worksites, communities, schools, retail food, organizations, institutions and individuals, they work to create awareness and integrate solutions to improve the physical, social and emotional well-being of Iowans.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WHBF - OurQuadCities.com.
In Cuba, this sandwich needs no distinction. Known as a sandwich mixto in Havana, its city of origin, it became the Cubano at end of the 19th century, following a migration of Cuban workers to Tampa and Miami to take up jobs in the local cigar factories. Hearty Cuban sandwiches served mainly from street vendors became a go-to lunch for Cuban workers, and have remained a staple in Tampa and Miami ever since, with delicious variations in both cities.

We've consulted a chef on how to make the perfect Cuban sandwich, and the same criteria applies for a good Cubano anywhere you order one. The best Cubanos have their flavors marinated in tradition, filled with ham, roasted pork, and sometimes salami, then topped with Swiss cheese, tangy pickles, and mustard. The bread is just as important as the toppings, perhaps more so. Traditionally cooked with lard to be crisp on the outside but tender on the inside, both elements of the bread's texture should come through when a Cuban sandwich is pressed and cut on the diagonal before serving. The ingredients alone are a mouthwatering description, which is why the Cuban sandwich is one of many Cuban foods we all need to try.

Fortunately, eateries across the United States are whipping up authentic and innovative Cubanos in all corners of the country. Here are 12 eateries at the top of the list with reviews that rank their Cuban sandwiches among the absolute best in the US.

Read more: The Ultimate Ranking Of American Fast Food Restaurants

La Segunda Bakery And Cafe (Tampa, FL)

La Segunda Cuban sandwich - Preston & Farley Real Estate Services / Facebook

Dating back to 1915, La Segunda Bakery and Cafe makes one of the original Cubanos. The bread is also the source of many Cubanos nationwide, as the bakery distributes it across the country. As one Google reviewer stated, "It is the most perfect expression of Cuban bread I've ever tasted in my entire life." Fittingly so, as La Segunda Bakery still bakes its bread the traditional way, using palmetto leaves to create the seam typical of Cuban-style bread, thereby ensuring each loaf is baked evenly.

La Segunda's Cubano reflects Tampa's take on the classic sandwich, including Genoa salami in addition to the usual sandwich fillings. While purists may debate this ingredient as lacking authenticity, it's a Tampa tradition which adopts the Italian influences that also settled in the region. Customers like La Segunda's Tampa twist on the Cuban sandwich, with bold flavors and generous toppings, and they aren't shy about giving this place 5 star sandwich reviews. Another reviewer summed up La Segunda's Cubanos very succinctly: "They make the best Cuban sandwich period! Loved the flavours and each sandwich was handmade with love."

lasegundabakery.com(813) 248-15312512 N 15th St, Ybor City, FL 33605

Cafecito (Chicago, IL)

Cafecito Cuban sandwich - Cafecito

Visitors may flock to Chicago eateries for the Italian beef, but the Windy City lays claim to some succulent Cubanos too, with Cafecito drawing attention as a local favorite. With multiple locations in downtown Chicago, Cafecito is the place to go for a lunch break, as it's known for serving a Cubano that's highly affordable and filling. The place has a habit of making regular customers and usually has a lunch hour line out the door, but they're still efficient, something reviewers haven't failed to note. As one Google reviewer affirmed, "They are quick, cozy and polite. The food is always tasty."

Customers could come back for a different Cuban sandwich each time, as Cafecito's menu boasts about 20 different Cuban sandwich varieties. No matter which kind patrons opt for with this choose-your-own adventure for the tastebuds, reviewers affirm that Cafecito's "...Cuban sandwiches are tasty and reliable," and regulars make a point of stopping by when they're downtown. Reviews affirm that the best course of action is to pair one of Cafecito's Cubanos with a cafe con leche for an irresistible combination.

chi.iheartcafecito.com(312) 263-4750Various locations in downtown Chicago

Cochon Butcher (New Orleans, LA)

Cuban sandwich from Cochon Butcher - Marylyn R / TripAdvisor

Though New Orleans may be better known for its muffulettas, the city's sandwich scene also has a go-to place when it comes to Cubanos. For a more upscale Cuban sandwich experience, Cochon Butcher has one that customers rave about. A gourmet plate set at a higher price point may not fit many purists' description of authentic or traditional, but reviews insist that this NOLA Cubano is a must try.

"They have their own take on it and it's the best Cuban sandwich I've ever had!," one reviewer on Google said, hinting that Cochon Butcher takes care in selecting every layer of sandwich ingredients. While other reviewers laud the side of pickles as adding something special to Cochon Butcher's take on the sandwich, the restaurant's Cubanos have an originality far beyond that. With bread made fresh from a nearby sister restaurant, cheeses and produce sourced from local farmers, all condiments made from scratch, and meats cured in-house, Cochon Butcher has some advantages that come from a commitment to quality. The combination of all these ingredients led another reviewer to conclude, "Seriously the Cubano was way better than it had any right to be. My apologies to my friends from Miami."

cochonbutcher.com(504) 588-7675930 Tchoupitoulas St, New Orleans, LA 70130

Columbia Restaurant (Tampa, FL)

Tampa's Columbia Restaurant Cubano - hi_hangry / Instagram

The oldest and largest restaurant in Florida, Columbia Restaurant is an institution enjoyed by locals and tourists alike. The restaurant now has several locations throughout the region, but its epicenter remains in Ybor City, Tampa, with seating for 1,700 people. Taking up an entire city block, the Columbia Restaurant's size and ambiance will take guests back to another place and time -- though if the decor doesn't do it, the food certainly will. The humble and reasonably-priced Cuban sandwich, popularly paired with the house 1905 salad, remains a favorite menu item amongst regulars and first-timers who aspire to be regulars. As one first time customer said in their Google review, "We tried the Tampa-style Cuban sandwich with salami, which was absolutely to die for."

Local Florida publication Jacksonville Restaurant Reviews backs up customer appreciation to emphasize the Cuban sandwich as a must-order item at Columbia, because "you can taste each ingredient separately in each bite but no ingredient is overpowering." Perhaps Columbia's bread, which comes directly from La Segunda Bakery a few blocks away, adds further authenticity to the prodigal sandwich. Whatever the secret, Columbia Restaurant's Cubano was also a recipient of Southern Living's 2024 South's Best Awards for the best Cuban sandwich in all of Florida. This Cubano in the heart of Tampa is certainly worth a taste, though you'll probably need a reservation before you get there.

columbiarestaurant.com(813) 248-49612117 E 7th Ave, Tampa, FL 33605

El Cubano To Go (Shoreline, WA)

close up on Seattle Cubano - issa_sandwich / Instagram

El Cubano To Go, less than 20 minutes north of Seattle, is known for its flavors imported straight from Havana. This is another Cuban sandwich hotspot that sources its bread all the way from La Segunda Bakery in Tampa for added authenticity. They are so authentic, in fact, that customers declare a single bite is enough to take them back to its origins. "Being Cuban myself, I'm always on the hunt for food that takes me back to my roots, and I can confidently say this place is as close to authentic Cuban cuisine as it gets," one reviewer wrote. "Every bite of the Cuban sandwich transported me straight back to Havana, with perfectly seasoned pork, fresh bread, and that unmistakable flavor that's hard to replicate. The care and love put into every dish were evident, and the flavors were simply outstanding."

A small location without much place to sit, El Cubano To Go is precisely what the name suggests, and gives you a taste of Cuba to take with you. "The Cuban Sandwich is exceptional," another reviewer stated, "and if you close your eyes, you'll think you're in Miami, Tampa, Orlando, etc."

elcubanotogowa.com(206) 629-444319920 Aurora Ave N, Shoreline, WA 98133

La Pola (West New York, NJ)

La Pola sandwich counter - Kevin Bobe' / Facebook

Among its locally-beloved sandwiches like the New Jersey Sloppy Joe and Taylor ham, Jersey boasts what may be the best Cuban sandwich in the nation, according to Food Network personality, Carl Ruiz, via NJ.com. Ruiz's proclamation met some backlash from sandwich aficionados in Tampa and Miami, but he's not the only one giving high praise to a no-frills Jersey sandwich counter. The best Cubano in the US is certainly a tall order, but reviews back up the claims that La Pola is a must-try hotspot. Enjoyed by locals and culinary professionals alike, the restaurant simply offers a good sandwich for a decent price which keeps customers coming back. Another local chef, Gustavo Gutierrez, also gives the sandwich his seal of approval. While taste-testing La Pola in a video for HudPost, he described the first bite: "Every time I eat this sandwich I feel like I'm eating it for the first time."

Customers state that La Pola's sandwiches are flavored with old-school energy, and have a special quality. One reviewer admitted, "Whatever their secret is, it makes a difference in a good way and somehow puts their Cuban sandwich above the rest." As for the secret? Bread from a local bakery and sweet ham mixed with marinated and roasted pork might have something to do with it. The place is undeniably old-school, so be sure to bring cash.

facebook.com/lapolacubansandwich(201) 867-60285400 Palisade Ave, West New York, NJ 07093

Porto's Bakery And Cafe (Los Angeles, CA)

Porto's Cubano sandwich - Portosbakery / Instagram

With humble origins in Southern California, Porto's Bakery and Cafe grew from the baking passions of its founder, Rosa Porto. Porto baked cakes for her community back in Cuba and continued to do so when her family came to the United States. Now, nearly 50 years later, the business and menu have expanded to include multiple locations in the LA area and numerous Cuban specialties -- both sweet and savory.

Ever popular, there's often a line at Porto's, but the restaurant's delicacies are worth the wait. While locals love all pastries from the bakery, their go-to sandwich is usually the Cuban. Porto's Cubanos are constructed on bread baked in-house, they come at an affordable price, and get plenty of 5-star, delightedly hyperbolic reviews. "The Midnight Cuban might be the greatest sandwich ever made," one reviewer said, while another declared, "Highly recommend...Great Cubano sandwich." Porto's is such a fixture for many LA residents that grabbing a Cubano there is a local rite of passage.

portosbakery.comVarious locations in Los Angeles

Sanguich De Miami (Miami, FL)

Sanguich de Miami Cubano - Titus Ruscitti / Facebook

Listed as one of Miami New Times' 100 essential restaurants in the city, locals have appointed Sanguich de Miami as the best place for a Cuban sandwich in Miami. But it's a secret locals want to share with out-of-towners too -- the restaurant joined the 2022 Michelin Guide and was awarded the Bib Gourmand for its reasonably priced but high quality food.

Sanguich's commitment to the homemade has rightly earned the eatery these accolades. Sanguich de Miami's specialty flavors no doubt come from the sandwich toppings that are carefully prepared in house, from the ham that is specially brined to the mustard that ferments for 20 days. For an extra touch of crispness, sandwich bread is brushed with lard before going into the sandwich press. The overall result is a symphony of perfect textures and has garnered some very positive reviews from all manner of clientele. One Reddit review describes this restaurant as a "hidden gem" serving "mouthwatering sandwiches that are bursting with flavor." Other reviewers continually emphasize that Sanguich's Cubanos are the best thing to order. "Forget the rest of the menu, it's all about the sandwiches," another customer mentioned in a Google review. "Rich, juicy, stuffed full of meat... You won't be disappointed."

sanguich.com305-539-09692057 SW 8th St, Miami, FL 33135

Havana Sandwich Shop (Atlanta, GA)

Havana Sandwich Shop Cubano - Havana Sandwich Shop / Facebook

An unassuming yellow building painted with green palm trees, Havana Sandwich Shop is Atlanta's oldest Cuban restaurant. The eatery has had some time to perfect its Cuban sandwich, and it remains a favorite item on the menu of Cuban classics. Locals know it as a lunch spot, and there may be frequent lines around lunch hour, but Havana churns out tasty sandwiches with efficiency that keeps coming back again and again. "Went right during lunch hour and didn't wait longer than 7 minutes for our food," one reviewer wrote in describing their positive experience. "I haven't had too many Cuban sandwiches in my life but this was still the best one. Huge size and packed with meat. I will 100% be back!"

Customers are fans of the textural perfection found in Havana's Cuban sandwiches, which are equal parts crisp and tender due to well-pressed bread and carefully prepared pork. For this reason Atlanta's Havana Sandwich Shop places high in the rankings, with one review enthusiastically stating: "Simply the best Cuban sandwich in town," and another declaring, "The very best Cuban sandwich north of Miami!"

havanaatlanta.com(404) 636-40942905 Buford Hwy NE, Atlanta, GA 30329

Havana's Cuisine (St. Louis, MO)

Cuban sandwiches in baskets - Tamara Landeiro / Facebook

Getting its start as a food truck, Havana's Cuisine in St. Louis, Missouri, has long been a passion project of chef and owner Tamera Landeiro. Landeiro moved her family from Cuba to St. Louis to foster her daughter's promise as a chess prodigy, but the opportunities a new life afforded were lacking the flavors of home. Her plans for bringing Cuban cuisine to the community have since grown from local catering to a successful food truck to a brick and mortar restaurant that opened in the fall of 2021 and serves some of the best Cuban food in the Midwest. But the Cuban sandwiches are the true star of Havana's Cuisine, superior in the region because of Landeiro's commitment to quality and authenticity.

Patrons acknowledge with delight that Havana's Cuisine serves flavors straight from Cuba's capita. As one reviewer described, "I found this hidden gem in downtown St Louis. The food is amazing, flavors are very close to food from Cuba."

Another restaurant that sources its Cuban bread from La Segunda Bakery in Tampa, Havana's Cubanos are filled with ingredients that do not sacrifice time for authenticity. The slow-cooked pork is mixed with the perfect combination of spices and is cooked for up to 12 hours each day. Customers can't question the quality of these sandwiches, which was what led another reviewer to describe the Cubano at Havana's Cuisine as, "The perfect Cuban sandwich, loaded with meat and with a delicious side sauce."

facebook.com/food.havanas.cuisine/(314) 312-500512 S Euclid Ave, Central West End, MO 63108

Soy Cubano (Nashville, TN)

sliced Cubano sandwich on table - Downtown Confidential - Michele Trueba / Facebook

It began in 2020 as a pop-up at various corners of Nashville, and Soy Cubano has since been delighting locals with its Cuban cuisine, especially its Cubano sandwiches. "Personally, I would give a five star rating solely based upon their Cuban sandwich. It's pretty outstanding -- it has to be one of the best in the Nashville area," one reviewer described, going on to explain, "The first thing that you're gonna notice is the exterior crunch -- absolutely perfect complement to the goodness on the inside."

The vision of owner Javier Salado, who was born to Cuban parents and raised in Miami, Soy Cubano is now a restaurant with roots as firmly rooted in Nashville's foodie culture as its flavors are rooted in Cuba's heritage. Frequenters of the restaurant are passionate advocates for the hot spot's authenticity and its superior Cuban sandwiches. "Take it from an actual Cuban," another reviewer proclaimed, "do yourself a favor and eat here whenever you can. This is the most authentic you will ever get besides having [an] Abuela in your kitchen throwing it down. The Ropa Vieja and Cubano is fire. Everything is phenomenal."

eatsoycubano.com(615) 301-18421101 McKennie Ave, Nashville, TN 37206

En Vida PDX (Portland, OR)

En Vida Cubano on plate - En Vida PDX / Facebook

Though geographically quite far from the origin of such flavors, Portland's En Vida PDX has been dishing up Cubanos that are converting the locals. Lauded as the Best Cubano in Portland by Portland Monthly, this restaurant's received rave reviews from happy customer, one of whom noted that En Vida's Cubanos are "My new benchmark for Cuban Sandwiches!" A textural marvel, En Vida's Cubanos have everything one should look for in a Cuban sandwich, and diners are fans of the mojo pork that goes into them.

The restaurant's colorful murals and warm ambiance also contribute to diners' preference for the place, making the locale worth stopping for to sit down and savor the Cubanos too. Offering a four-dimensional experience to enjoy a Cuban sandwich, En Vida PDX has a plethora of enthusiastic regulars. One reviewer summed up their experience best, "An absolute gem of a place... Cubano was a melt in your mouth delight. Quality ingredients and perfected cooking techniques make this a 10 in my book."

envidapdx.com(503) 384-20941303 NE Fremont St, Portland, OR 97212

Methodology

Cuban sandwich and pickle - Fudio/Getty Images

To determine the eateries offering the best Cuban sandwiches across the US, we sought out online forums, food and travel blogs, chef testimonials, and direct customer reviews, as well as local and nationwide guides and publications. While a list of worthy Cuban sandwich eateries could easily be much longer, we have selected our top choices based on the factors of authenticity, flavor, quality, and well-adapted innovation, cross-referenced with resoundingly positive customer reviews that speak to these parameters. We also took into account the experiences diners have had with times and general service.

Ultimately, each of these restaurants made the list because of their commitment to quality service and sandwiches, with a determination to go to great lengths to source or prepare ingredients that are exactly right. No matter which place on the list might be nearest to you, they're all establishments that regularly serve 5-star Cuban sandwiches, and with them, a special taste of Cuba.

Read the original article on The Daily Meal.
To complete their life cycles, Nearctic-Neotropical migrants such as this male summer tanager photographed in Costa Rica need breeding habitat in North America, wintering habitat in the Neotropics, and migratory (or stopover) habitat in between for food and refueling energy reserves.

Birders and bird guides refer to our birds, meaning the birds like Carolina chickadee, tufted titmouse, and northern cardinal that we see in our backyards  birds that know us and expect us to feed them or provide habitat for their nesting. We also see our resident birds while out on our favorite hiking trails or driving along the roads through Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

But we dont always see the same birds in these places. Sometimes there are other surprise visitors to our yards, trails and roadsides.

Who are these guests whose unusual calls and colors grab our attention? They are our Neotropical migrant birds. Long-distance travelers like scarlet tanager, rose-breasted grosbeak, ruby-throated hummingbird, and the North American wood warblers  the migratory jewels of the forest  are beloved by residents and visitors to the Smokies alike.

Nearctic-Neotropical migrant birds breed here  or migrate through the Smokies on their way farther north  during our summer months, then migrate south to the Caribbean, Central and/or South America during our winter. This female ruby-throated hummingbird was photographed in Mexico.

They are technically Nearctic-Neotropical migrants, which specifically refers to our birds that breed here  or migrate through the Smokies on their way farther north  during our summer months, said Travis Knowles. They then migrate south to the Caribbean, Central, and/or South America during our winter.

Knowles is biology professor at Francis Marion University (FMU) near Florence, South Carolina. He also manages Wildsumaco Biological Station in the Ecuadorian Andes, a veritable birding paradise where he and fellow instructor Jim Costa of Western Carolina University hosted a class of 10 college students this past July.

Justin V. Bartolon, a junior biology major at Francis Marion University near Florence, South Carolina, took up bird watching on a trip to Ecuador as part of the course Comparative TemperateTropical Ecology and Biogeography, which started at WCUs Highlands Biological Station.

The trip to Ecuador was the first time Justin V. Bartolon of Latta, South Carolina, had ever been on a plane. A junior biology major at FMU, Justin didnt know how transformative the course and trip would be.

When we arrived at Wildsumaco, I discovered bird watching, and that has changed me forever, he said. Spotting my entry bird, the channel-billed toucan, made me feel alive again. I never wouldve guessed how exciting it would be to find new birds every day.

The channel-billed toucan is the Neotropical bird that provided the entry point for Justin V. Bartolon to get excited about birding.

Knowles, who started birding at age eight upon seeing his first evening grosbeak, relived that initial excitement vicariously by observing his students instantaneous fanaticism. The moment a lecture ended, Justin would rush out of the biological station, seeking a trogon, tanager or tropical kingbird on which to focus the spotting scope.

From the front porch of Wildsumaco Biological Station, Justin V. Bartolon trains a spotting scope on a Neotropical bird while Jameel Montgomery scans the horizon.

Costa and Knowles call their course Comparative TemperateTropical Ecology and Biogeography, and this was the third time theyd offered it. Starting at WCUs Highlands Biological Station, which Costa directs, the students ventured to several sites in Great Smoky Mountains National Park including Twin Creeks Science and Education Center where they saw preserved avian specimens  some of which had flown thousands of miles in their lifetimes.

I have seen scarlet and summer tanagers, cerulean warblers, Swainsons thrushes, mourning warbler, and other species at WildSumaco in December and January, Knowles said.

To complete their life cycles, these Nearctic-Neotropical migrants need breeding habitat in North America, wintering habitat in the Neotropics, and migratory (or stopover) habitat in between for food and refueling energy reserves.

Disruptions to any of that habitat diminishes populations, he said. If we dont care about wintering and stopover habitats for these Smokies treasures, we can lose them.

The Comparative TemperateTropical Ecology and Biogeography students ventured to Twin Creeks Science and Education Center in Great Smoky Mountains National Park where they saw preserved avian specimens such as this rose-breasted grosbeak.

Some other Neotropical migrants that can be found both in the Smokies and Ecuador include broad-winged hawk, eastern wood-pewee, red-eyed vireo, barn swallow, American redstart, and warblers such as black-and-white, Blackburnian, blackpoll, Canada, and Tennessee warbler. Knowles said some familiar and beloved birds of the Smokies, like the wood thrush with its beautiful flute-like song, dont overwinter in Ecuador but still need wintering habitat in other parts of the Neotropics.

Many of the same threats that impact biodiversity in the tropical Andes biodiversity hotspot also threaten the Southern Appalachian biodiversity hotspot, Knowles said. They include deforestation, the decline of insects as sustenance for migratory birds due to overuse of pesticides and fertilizers, light pollution, and many other human impacts such as road building  which fragments habitats and disrupts species movements  and of course climate change.

A fairly common summer resident of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the broad-winged hawk is a Neotropical migrant that can also be seen in Ecuador. From mid to late September, hundreds of broad-winged hawks travel in large groups called kettles circling higher and higher into the air currents and moving south along the Blue Ridge Mountains. This one was photographed in Mexico.

Justin said bird watching has increased his love for animals everywhere and will help him discern his future career path.

As complex as rainforests can be in terms of layers and biodiversity, he said, that doesnt mean there isnt any diversity in the Carolinas and in the Great Smoky Mountains. Now, every time that I see a bird for the first time or for the millionth time, its like looking at art  natures living art.

Some familiar and beloved birds of the Smokies dont overwinter in Ecuador but still need wintering habitat in other parts of the Neotropics, such as Guatemala, where this wood thrush was photographed.

On all four flights of the trip, Justin was coincidentally seated next to another first-time flyer, Aislinn-Anne Brown of Selma, North Carolina. Both admitted to nervousness before the plane ride, but now both want to fly again to experience more of the worlds biodiversity.

Aislinn-Anne Brown of Selma, North Carolina, a senior biology student concentrating on ecology and evolution at WCU, learned from the trip to Ecuador how to better appreciate her home environment.

A senior biology student of Costas concentrating on ecology and evolution at WCU, Aislinn-Anne said the course gave her an appreciation for bird identification as well as for how quickly habitats can change when you take elevation into account. She was delighted to find two dozen hummingbird species in the cloud forest at elevation 9,000 feet, then discover a whole different assembly of hummers at an altitude of 4,500 feet in the shadow of Sumaco Volcano. These tiny high-strung birds feed on flowering plants that are specific to the different elevations.

In Ecuador, I learned to be constantly observant and constantly amazed by my surroundings, she said. I would see a bird and immediately pull out my binoculars to try and identify it. I looked at all the different things growing on the trees and the ground.

Yet, once she returned to the routines of school and home in Western North Carolina, Aislinn-Anne had to remind herself to pay attention to the spectacular backdrop of clouds and mountains, plants and birds  the reasons we all love living here.

Birds often travel together, such as this flock of two golden tanagers, two silver-beaked tanagers, a chestnut-bellied seedeater, and a black-throated mango hummingbird. Aislinn-Anne Brown captured the image by placing a phone camera over the viewing lens of a spotting scope in Ecuador.

Back here at home, everything is so familiar that I dont even notice it, she said. My time in Ecuador has reminded me to actually process what I see around me and to be amazed by it, rather than ignoring it.

Aislinn-Anne learned from the trip to Ecuador how to better appreciate her home environment.

Our mountains may not be as large as the Andes, but theyre so much older, she said. Every time Ive seen a bird since getting back, Ive found myself reaching for binoculars to see if I can identify it. Ive regained my wonder for the world around me.

It's easy to become so accustomed to our species in Southern Appalachia that we might be tempted to take them for granted. Its hard for us to get as excited about seeing a northern cardinal in our backyard as we might be to spot a cock-of-the-rock in a Neotropical rain forest. But by the same token, there can be a tendency to see our own local flora and fauna as superior to that of other biogeographical areas.

On the deck of Wildsumaco Lodge, students learn about hummingbirds from instructor Travis Knowles of Francis Marion University. Their final exam tested their understanding of ecological concepts rather than identification of species. Justin V. Bartolon is seated closest to the camera on the deck at left and Aislinn-Anne Brown is seated on the small platform and wrapped in a blue shirt.

We often tend to become prideful about our biodiversity, meaning the species we routinely (or occasionally) encounter in our own ecoregion. Thats only natural, Knowles said. But he points out that whatever diminishes one ecological system diminishes another, perhaps several others.Coming to see global biodiversity as a collective heritage seems fundamental to generating an enduring and effective conservation ethic, he said. The biodiversity of the Neotropics belongs, in a heritage sense, to people who live near, or travel to, the Smokies, just as the Smokies biodiversity belongs to the people of Ecuador.

Comparative TemperateTropical Ecology and Biogeography will be offered again in 2026 and is open to students from any university. Highlands Biological Station of Western Carolina University and Wildsumaco Biological Station of Francis Marion University are committed to the study and protection of biodiversity as well as research and education for students, faculty and citizens of the United States, Ecuador and the global community. To learn more or discuss opportunities to visit these stations, contact Jim Costa at costa@wcu.edu and Travis Knowles at tknowles@fmarion.edu.

Frances Figart

Frances Figart is the creative services director for the 29,000-member Smokies Life, a partner supporting Great Smoky Mountains National Park by providing educational products and services such as this column. For more information, visit SmokiesLife.org.

This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Word from the Smokies: Students learn about birds in Smokies and Ecuador
WALKER, Mich. (WOOD)  One person was arrested after they bypassed a vehicle checkpoint at former President Donald Trumps campaign rally on Friday in Walker.

The United States Secret Service told News 8 that the person was arrested by the Walker Police Department.

The Walker Police Department said that the person was outside the rally at FALK Production in Walker on Friday and drove around a checkpoint, ignoring police orders. A short police chase followed before the person pulled into a neighboring business parking lot and was taken into custody.

Former President Trump talks immigration, economy in Walker

A comment about a possible explosive device was made but officers didnt locate one, the police department said.

They are expected to be arraigned on Monday. The police department said the Kent County Prosecutors Office authorized the following charges: one count of a false report or threat of terrorism, one count of explosives-possession of bombs with unlawful intent, one count of fleeing a police officer  third-degree and one count of resulting/resisting/obstructing a police officer.

We are grateful for their support as we collectively work to safeguard the former President, the Secret Service said in a statement.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WOODTV.com.
London Heathrow, which sees the most passengers eligible for compensation due to a disrupted flight this summer compared to other European airports (Getty Images)

More than12.8 million travellers across the globe were entitled to compensation following a summer of flight disruptions, with one-fifth of them UK passengers, according to new research.

This summer saw a large amount of air travel chaos, such as the UK flight industry being hit by mass airport staff strikes after a series of planned walkouts occurred over shift pattern dissatisfaction and pay.

Thousands of passengers were also hit by one of the largest global IT outages ever in late July, with around 100,000 estimated to have had their flights disrupted by the IT outage over one weekend, with major airlines such as British Airways and easyJet cancelling or grounding flights at Heathrow.

Travel technology company AirHelp has revealed that during this chaotic period, almost half (42 per cent) of the 78 million total passengers who departed or arrived in the UK between June and August this year experienced disruptions.

Read more: What are your rights when a flight goes wrong?

This is around 33 million travellers in total running into issues with their flights, with a further three million people having their flights cancelled and 872,000 passengers missing their connecting flights.

Out of the 12.8 million passengers across the globe who are entitled to compensation, 2.4 million of these travellers were from the UK.

Along with strikes and outages, large weather events such as hurricanes were among some of the biggest factors that have hindered air traffic itineraries across the globe.

The airport that experienced the highest number of passengers eligible for compensation was those flying from London Heathrow at 263,000, while the month of August had the highest volume of passengers eligible at 843,000.

Looking more broadly at the the eligibility of compensation across Europe, Heathrow still holds the top spot as the airport with the largest number of travellers who can seek compensation for their flight disruptions, comparing to all EU and UK airports.

Londons busiest airport is closely followed by Germanys Frankfurt and Paris Charles de Gaulle in France, with 249,000 and 245,000 passengers eligible for compensation, respectively.

London Gatwick was not far behind, with 230,000 travellers who could claim compensation from their airlines this summer.

Across Europe, 112 million people who departed or arrived on the continent this summer faced some sort of flight disruption, while six million had their flight cancelled and two million missed connecting flights.

AirHelp predicts that more than 7.4 million passengers in Europe were eligible for compensation between June and August this year.

The travel technology company says that under UK261 and EC261 regulations, UK passengers are eligible for flight compensation of up to 520 when faced with cancellations less than 14 days before departure, delays of more than three hours, or denied boarding due to overbooking, all of which can be made a case for where the airline was at fault.

Tomasz Pawliszyn, CEO of AirHelp, explained that union strike action and conflicts with flight schedules are among the many reasons why this summer air travel has been plagued with large amounts of disruption across the world.

He said: 85 per cent of passengers worldwide do not know their rights, and our mission is to better inform them of the regulations that protect them when travelling.

This summer has had unprecedented levels of disruptions due to strikes, aeroplane shortages and scheduling conflicts, so it has never been more important for passengers to understand how they can claim for the compensation they are entitled to now and in the future.

For more travel news and advice, listen to Simon Calders podcast
Salisbury police are looking for whoever shot and killed a 14-year-old Friday night.

Police said they responded to the 300 block of North Fulton Street after receiving reports about a shooting.

At the scene, police found a 14-year-old male with gunshot wounds. The teen was taken to an area hospital, where he later died, according to police.

ALSO READ: War zone: Innocent woman hit when bullets fly in Shelby drive-by shooting

Although officers found the victim on North Fulton Street, they believe he was shot on North Ellis Street.

Channel Nines Glenn Counts spoke with neighbors there, who are upset with the violence.

We were hanging out on my porch and just having a good time and then all of a sudden we just heard some gunshots and it sounded like cannons it was so loud, the neighbor said.

An investigation revealed that the victim was walking along North Ellis Street when he was shot by unknown individuals. He managed to make it to North Fulton Street before collapsing, according to police.

The teens murder has had a devastating effect on this community.

Its happening way too often and its sad and I just send my prayers out to the family because its horrible, the neighbor said.

Police said no one has been arrested in connection with this incident. Anyone with information regarding this shooting is asked to call Lt. Casper at 704-638-5333.

VIDEO: War zone: Innocent woman hit when bullets fly in Shelby drive-by shooting












165K without power in Charlotte area as Helene-swollen lakes threaten to flood

At least 165,000 Charlotte-area Duke Energy customers remained without power Saturday morning, including 45,000 in Mecklenburg County, after former Hurricane Helene knocked down trees and power lines across the region on Friday.

The risk of flooding remains a threat. Those who live along lakes or rivers or in flood-prone areas should follow directions from emergency management and pay close attention to changing conditions, according to a Duke Energy statement.

It could take until noon Monday for power to be restored in all parts of Mecklenburg County, according to the company outage map.

Duke Energy crews cut the number of Mecklenburg County outages in half overnight, from 90,000 on Friday, company spokesperson Logan Stewart said.

The roots of a tree downed by Helene on Tuckaseegee Road in Charlotte on Friday.

Due to the severity of damage experienced and ongoing flooding challenges, we expect a multi-day restoration effort, Duke Energy officials said. We greatly appreciate the patience of all those affected and will continue to provide updates.

At 7:45 p.m. Friday, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Emergency Management warned that floodwaters will continue to rise, even without rain, as Duke Energy moved water from Lake Norman to Lake Wylie.

From Chopper 9: The flood gates at Cowans Ford Dam are open. Officials are warning Mountain Island Lake will quickly rise @wsoctv pic.twitter.com/4zP2BRv9qy  Joe Bruno (@JoeBrunoWSOC9) September 27, 2024

A shelter opened Friday at Tuckaseegee Recreation Center, 4820 Tuckaseegee Road. It will remain a shelter through Sunday evening. Emergency officials released no update Saturday morning.

Mountain Island Lake saw rising water levels and flooding Friday evening when the floodgates at Cowans Ford Dam opened around 7 p.m., according to the county. Lake Wylie in South Carolina and the Catawba River would be hit next, emergency officials said.

Rock Hill and Charlotte firefighters worked early Friday morning to pull a couple from a home on Poinsett Drive in Rock Hill that was crushed by a large tree.

The storm that came ashore as Hurricane Helene knocked out power to a million Duke Energy customers in the Carolinas on Friday.

Western North Carolina was especially hard hit. All roads should be considered closed Saturday in the mountains, according to the N.C. Department of Transportation.

Helene deaths

One person was killed in northwest Charlotte and a second had life-threatening injuries when a tree fell on a house in the 4200 block of Brookway Drive, MEDIC reported shortly after 6 a.m. Friday.

A 4-year-old girl died in a Catawba County head-on wreck during heavy rains Thursday morning, State Highway Patrol Trooper Christopher Casey said.

Children ages 2 and 12 who were passengers were hospitalized with life-threatening injuries, Casey said. Both drivers were transported to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

Helene has killed at least 43 people across five states since making landfall in Floridas Big Bend area late Thursday as a Category 4 hurricane that rapidly changed to a Category 2, The Associated Press reported. At least 13 people have died in South Carolina, 11 in Georgia and seven in Florida.

Over 100 swift-water rescues have occurred, although we know there will be many more, Gov. Roy Cooper said at an 11 a.m. news conference Friday.

Outages remained widespread in the mountains on Saturday.

In Buncombe County, where Asheville is the county seat, 102,000 of Duke Energys 149,000 customers had no power at 10:30 a.m. Saturday.

EnergyUnited, the Statesville-based electric coop, said Saturday that crews have restored power to 20,000 of its member customers, while 10,000 remained without electricity.

Power should be restored to customers in Mecklenburg, Cabarrus and Rowan counties by 11 p.m. Monday. Restoration will take until 11 p.m. Tuesday for customers in Iredell, Gaston, Lincoln and six other counties, according to the company.

The floodgates at Cowans Ford dam are open in Denver NC and its become quite a tourist attraction.

I had to get across bridge to get home and sat in a 2-mile line.

Pretty, though. Some people are circling around to see it twice.

Cops wont allow anyone to stop. Probably wise. pic.twitter.com/ImxaWlcxF9  Scott Fowler (@scott_fowler) September 28, 2024
In total, 15 women and two men were killed in the shootings, which also sent one additional person to the hospital in critical condition. Photo courtesy of South African Police Service/EPA-EFE

Sept. 28 (UPI) -- A manhunt is underway after at least 17 people died in shootings in a small village in South Africa on Saturday.

Police confirmed the deaths occurred at two separate rural properties in Lusikisiki, a town of around 4,000 people in South Africa's Eastern Cape Province.

"This morning, we woke up to the news of 17 family members who were shot and killed in Ngobozana village in Lusikisiki. This callous attack took place at two homesteads in the same street, during the early hours of this morning," the SA Police Service posted on X.

"[A] manhunt that has been launched to apprehend those behind these heinous killings."

In one home, 13 people were killed, with four others found dead on the second of the two properties, which sit slightly over a half-mile apart, the country's national police service said on X.

In total, 15 women and two men were killed in the shootings, which also sent one additional person to the hospital in critical condition.

Four adult women, one man and a 2-month-old baby survived, according to police.

Authorities have not elaborated on a potential motive behind the crimes.

"A very sad incident took place overnight there, where unknown people shot and killed 17 people in two separate houses," South African Police Minister Senzo Mchunu told reporters at a news conference updating the situation.

Mchunu did not elaborate on the search for a suspect or suspects.

"[South African Police Service National] Commissioner [Sehlahle Fannie] Masemola has acted and quite quickly, sending teams of forensic investigators and other investigators on a specialized basis who started doing the work there. We hope that we will find some clues in terms of who did these heinous crimes. We'll spare no moment to bring them to justice," the minister told reporters.

"We want to send a very strong message to communities that police are not izangoma ababhuli [traditional doctors]. They [police] need active community members to report. We need that from the toll-free number. We've given them [community members] our numbers in the offices. We've said they must approach police. If they don't trust them, they can use the toll-free number.

Statistics provided by police in South Africa show over 6,000 murders took place in the country between April and June.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation said almost 20 people were arrested after a multi-agency drug trafficking investigation in southwest Georgia.

Working with multiple police departments and sheriffs offices, the GBI said people were arrested in several counties for their roles in a drug trafficking conspiracy in the region.

Overall, the GBI said the investigation took roughly nine months and thousands of grams of narcotics were seized, including methamphetamine and marijuana.

While 18 people were arrested over the course of the investigation, including 10 on Tuesday alone, three people are still wanted in connection to the investigation.

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Heres who was arrested on Tuesday, Sept. 24, and what charges theyre facing according to the GBI:

Austin Ray Johns, age 43, of Colquitt, Georgia, charged with Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute.

Brandy Leigh Temples, age 45, of Donalsonville, Georgia, charged with use of a Communication Facility in Commission of a Felony Involving Controlled Substances, Trafficking Methamphetamine, and 3 counts of Conspiracy to Traffic Methamphetamine.

Brittany Shanay Richardson, age 33, of Camilla, Georgia, charged with Conspiracy to Traffic Methamphetamine and Use of a Communication Facility in Commission of a Felony Involving Methamphetamine.

Craig Willingham, age 34, of Pelham, Georgia, charged with Use of a Communication Facility in Commission of a Felony Involving Methamphetamine and Conspiracy to Traffic Methamphetamine.

James David Gowan, age 41, of Colquitt, Georgia, charged with Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute and Conspiracy to Possess Methamphetamine with the Intent to Distribute.

Michael Dupree, age 43, of Donalsonville, GA was charged with Use of a Communication Facility in Commission of a Felony involving controlled substances.

Phillip Charles Scott, age 39, of Donalsonville, Georgia, charged with Use of a Communication Facility in Commission of a Felony Involving Controlled Substances.

Savannah Morgan Nelson, age 25, of Donalsonville, GA was charged with Use of a Communication Facility in Commission of a Felony Involving Controlled Substances.

Stephen Wayne Gould, age 52, of Brinson, Georgia, charged with Use of a Communication Facility in Commission of a Felony Involving Controlled Substances.

Matthew Barrentine, of Pelham, GA, charged with Use of a Communications Facility in Commission of a Felony Involving Methamphetamine. Barrentine is in custody at the Berrien County Jail.

Earlier in the months-long investigation, the following people were arrested:

Corena Austin, age 29, of Albany, Georgia, was charged with Possession of a Schedule III, IV, or V controlled substance with Intent to Distribute, Use of a Communication Facility in Commission of a Felony Involving Controlled Substances, and Conspiracy to Traffic Methamphetamine, Marijuana, and other illegal drugs.

Marquez Antron Marcus, age 37, of Baconton, Georgia, was charged with Trafficking in Cocaine, Illegal Drugs, Marijuana, or Methamphetamine and Conspiracy to Traffic Methamphetamine.

Mary Elizabeth Phillips, age 40, of Donalsonville, GA, was charged with Trafficking Methamphetamine and Conspiracy to Traffic Methamphetamine.

Roderick Brandon Haire, age 38, of Donalsonville, GA, was charged with Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute and two counts of Trafficking Methamphetamine and Conspiracy to Traffic Methamphetamine.

Jeffery Brian Richardson, age 40, of Pelham, GA, was charged with Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute, six counts of Trafficking Methamphetamine, Conspiracy to Traffic Methamphetamine, and Use of a Communication Facility in Commission of a Felony Involving Controlled Substances.

Marquez Antron Marcus, age 37, of Baconton, GA, was charged with Trafficking Methamphetamine, Use of a Communication Facility in Commission of a Felony Involving Controlled Substances, Tampering with Evidence, and Conspiracy to Traffic Methamphetamine.

Timothy Dewayne Littlefield, age 45, of Donalsonville, GA, was charged with five counts of Trafficking Methamphetamine and Conspiracy to Traffic Methamphetamine.

Kervin Bernard Harrison, age 35, of Thomasville, Georgia, charged with Use of a Communication Facility in Commission of a Felony Involving Controlled Substances and Possession of Marijuana with Intent to Distribute.

Heres who the GBI is still looking for, and what charges they face:

Kervin Bernard Harrison, age 35, of Thomasville, GA, charged with Use of a Communication Facility in Commission of a Felony Involving Controlled Substances, Trafficking Marijuana and Possession of Marijuana with Intent to Distribute.

Jody Benton, age 49, of Ochlocknee, GA, charged with Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute.

David Lee Bentley, age 47, of Pelham, GA, charged with Trafficking Methamphetamine and Use of a Communication Facility in Commission of a Felony Involving Controlled Substances.

During the investigation, the GBI worked with the Albany Dougherty County Drug Unit (ADDU), the Seminole County Sheriffs Office, the Camilla Police Department, the Mitchell County Sheriffs Office, the Thomas County Sheriffs Office, and the Miller County Sheriffs Office.

The GBI said the investigation is still active and that so far theyve seized about 778 grams of suspected meth and 9,000 grams of suspected marijuana.

Anyone with information about where Harrison, Benton or Bentley are is asked to call the Southwestern Regional Drug Enforcement Office at 229-420-1254.

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IN OTHER NEWS:
One person was killed after an SUV and school bus collided head-on in Lancaster Friday. It was one of two fatal crashes involving school buses in Los Angeles County that morning. (OnScene.TV)

Two people were killed in separate, unrelated collisions involving school buses in Los Angeles County on Friday morning, authorities said.

About 7 a.m., a gray SUV traveling east on Avenue M in Lancaster swerved into oncoming lanes of traffic and collided head-on with a school bus east of 20th Street West, according to Deputy Veronica Fantom, a spokesperson for the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.

The driver of the SUV was pronounced dead at the scene, Fantom said.

There were no children on the school bus at the time of the crash, she said, but KTLA reported that two adults on the bus were hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries.

It is currently unknown if alcohol, drugs or speed played a role in the crash, Fantom said.

The second deadly crash took place at the intersection of Del Amo and Norwalk boulevards in the vicinity of the border between Lakewood and Cerritos, when a vehicle ran a red light and collided with a school bus about 8:30 a.m., Fantom said.

After hitting the bus, the vehicle then veered onto a nearby sidewalk  colliding with an elderly female bicyclist, Fantom said. L.A. County Fire Department paramedics responded and pronounced the cyclist dead at the scene, she said.

No children were aboard the bus and there were no other known injuries, she said.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Two Georgia police officers were injured during a shootout with a suspected gun store burglar just after midnight Saturday morning.

Smyrna and Cobb County police responded to a 911 call at 12:16 a.m. regarding a burglary at the Adventure Outdoors gun store along South Cobb Drive, Smyrna Police Department Chief Keith Zgonc said during an early morning press conference. The expansive 80,000 square foot store and range is about 13 miles northwest of Downtown Atlanta.

When officers arrived, they encountered an armed gunman that was inside the store at the time, Zgonc said. Gunfire erupted between the gunman and officers on scene.

Georgia School Shooting: New Audio Of Alleged Shooter, Father Encounter With Police Over 2023 Online Threats

Police at the scene of the shooting where two police officers were shot and injured.

Officers from the Smyrna Police Department and the Cobb County Police Department returned fire, killing the suspect. His identity has not been revealed.

Two Smyrna Police Department officers were shot and injured during the shooting. They were both transported to a local area hospital where they are recovering from their non-life-threatening injuries.

Read On The Fox News App

A SWAT team was subsequently brought in to secure the store and ensure there was no one else inside.

Smyrna Police Department Chief Keith Zgonc, left, and Cobb County Police Chief Stuart VanHoozer, right.

Who Is The Alleged Georgia School Shooter? What We Know

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is on the scene and is investigating the incident, Zgonc said.

Zgonc said police were unsure if the suspect had broken into the store to steal weapons. The store was closed at the time.

Cobb County Police Chief Stuart VanHoozer said it is very concerning that a suspect would shoot at police, noting that two officers have been killed in metro Atlanta the last few weeks.

A police officer looks on at the scene of the shooting where two police officers were shot and injured.

He said there was a massive police response given the recent police shootings in the area and the nature of the store, which has about 18,000 guns in stock, according to the companys website. The store touts itself as the "actual largest gun store in the world."

"We had a lot of officers come and thats the reason that they came," VanHoozer said.

"Im angry, it angers me that we have people that want to do this," Zgonc added.

"They want to take shots at police officers. They want to do us harm and clearly, this individual that was involved in this criminal act necessitated our response."





Original article source: 2 Georgia police officers shot responding to gun store burglary, suspect dead
21-year-old indicted twice for drug-soaked paper possession at Cook County Jail: officials

(On right) Pictured is 21-year-old Jacob Ouimette.

CHICAGO - A 21-year-old man in custody at the Cook County Jail has been indicted twice this month for possession of contraband after authorities found drug-soaked paper in his inhaler and pants.

Jacob Ouimette was first indicted Sept. 19 for an incident on May 16th, according to the Cook County Sheriff's Office.

Investigators said they found a plastic bag in Ouimette's inhaler that contained pieces of narcotic-soaked paper.

The paper pieces were sent to the Illinois State Police lab for further testing, where they tested positive for buprenorphine, a synthetic opioid, according to the Cook County Sheriff's Office.

Ouimette was indicted for a second time on Sept. 23, for an incident on June 11.

Authorities said they found a small, wrapped package in his pant leg that had drug-soaked paper and "green leafy material."

After further testing from ISP, the paper came back positive for synthetic cannabinoids. The "green leafy material" was positive for cannabis.
On Tuesday, a group of 22 Republican attorneys general, led by Idaho Attorney General Raul Labrador, sent a letter to the president and vice president of the American Academy of Pediatrics, accusing the organization of violating consumer protection laws by endorsing the use of puberty blockers. The letter also demands answers to 14 probing questions and extensive access to internal documents. While the letter carries no legal authority, states have increasingly used vague and broad consumer protection laws to investigate the records of gender-affirming care and abortion providers, often with little to no judicial oversight.

The letter, bearing the seal of the Idaho Attorney General's office, seeks to prohibit the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) from endorsing puberty blockers as a form of reversible gender-affirming care for transgender teenagers, using consumer protection laws as the basis. "Statements made by medical trade organizations, like the AAP, are subject to state consumer protection laws misleading and deceptive statements of medical trade associations are connected to commerce and reach consumers," the letter states, asserting the authority of Republican-controlled states to challenge the AAPs endorsement of puberty blockers and justify extensive investigations into the organization's documents.

The letter leans on flawed science and previous hit pieces from far-right, anti-transgender think tanks that have struggled to gain credibility in scientific and medical communities. It criticizes the organization for describing puberty blockers as reversible, a stance supported by several medical and scientific organizations, backed by studies, and decades of use in treating precocious puberty and other conditions. A review by the Sax Institute found that two systematic reviews reported that puberty suppression treatment is reversible, and that the treatment is effective, safe, well tolerated, and reversible.

The letter heavily references the Cass Review. On the second page, for example, it asserts that the claim puberty blockers are reversible is false, beyond medical debate. To support this assertion, it cites the Cass Review, which identifies several "possible" irreversible consequences, such as interference with neurocognitive development, bone density, and blocking normal pubertal experience and experimentation.

These claims, however, are not well-supported by evidence. For instance, the assertion regarding neurocognitive development in the Cass Review is entirely speculative. In contrast, the Sax Review found that transgender youth who received gender-affirming hormone therapy demonstrated better cognitive development compared to those who did not, meaning that gender affirming care actually improved the cognitive development for many trans youth through a reduction in negative psychological symptoms. It likewise states that one study making this assertion did not control for ASD and anxiety, which have proven impacts on cognitive development. Other studies on brain development primarily focus on sheep or on youth experiencing precocious puberty.

Similarly, bone density concerns are frequently cited to justify bans on puberty blockers. However, the Sax Review notes that bone density reductions are within one standard deviation of normal, and that bone density is restored once puberty resumes. Additionally, most youth in the studies showing bone density reductions were deficient in vitamin D, according to the Sax Review. This is why the informed consent form for puberty blockers addresses this risk and its mitigation, stating, It is important that patients on Lupron Depot take other measures to protect their bones: keeping active and ensuring good calcium and Vitamin D intake.

The final claim, that puberty blockers block normal pubertal experience and experimentation, is also entirely speculative. Advocates of this position often highlight the high rate of continuation onto gender-affirming hormone therapy (as does the letter itself). However, this could be viewed as evidence of effective treatment protocols rather than evidence of blocked sexual or identity development, especially considering the low detransition rates among youth who proceed with hormone therapy.

The letter extensively cites far-right think tanks, fringe journal articles, and even the New York Times to support its argument that the AAP should not endorse puberty blockers as being well-supported by evidence. For example, it references Leor Sapir and City Journal to make inaccurate claims about detransition rates. City Journal, notably, is a conservative online publication operated by the Manhattan Institutean organization that has received a significant grant from a billionaire donor to oppose transgender care. The letter also draws on the misleading WPATH Files, anti-trans expert Steven Levine, and articles in the New York Times by Azeen Ghorayshi.

After threatening that the AAP could face prosecution for supporting gender-affirming care for transgender youth, the letter demands answers to 14 probing questions. These include requests for all internal communications regarding the WPATH Standards of Care, any communications with the Biden administration about transgender care, and all drafts of its public statements. The letter also asks why the AAP "continues to cite the standards of care released by WPATH even after the release of the WPATH Files," a highly editorialized and misleading document that contains 216 instances of errors and misrepresentations.

While these probing questions do not carry legal authority, many of the state attorneys general could use consumer protection laws to attempt to seize records under a more formal process. This tactic has already been employed to target transgender care in Texas and Missouri, as well as demands targeting Planned Parenthood records. The use of civil investigative demands under consumer protection laws has been controversial, as they do not require the same level of judicial oversight. If the AAP refuses to respond, the attorneys general could threaten lawsuits across multiple states, potentially bankrupting the childrens medical organization in legal fees simply for supporting transgender youth.

The AAP has not yet released a statement on the demands and whether or not it will comply.

This article originally appeared on Erin in the Morning.
ATLANTA, Ga. (WSAV)Georgia Power released a statement at 7 p.m. Friday and said that more than 250,000 customers have had power restored, but approximately 620,000 customers remain impacted due to Helene.

Read Georgia Powers statement below:

ATLANTA  September 27, 2024  Georgia Powers response to Hurricane Helene continued through the day Friday with teams working safely and quickly to restore power to more than 250,000 customers since the beginning of the storm. As of 7 PM on Friday, approximately 620,000 customers remain impacted due to the storm.

The company continues to bring more resources from outside of its system and currently has 14,000+ personnel engaged in response, including support from Alabama Power, Mississippi Power and dozens of other companies. The response force currently engaged is larger than the companys response to other major hurricanes including Michael, Irma and Zeta.

Georgia Power teams have worked throughout the day not only restoring power to customers, but also conducting damage assessment which is an essential part of efficient restoration and helps the company identify where resources are best utilized to return power to customers quickly. Damage assessment teams enter the field and begin the restoration process as soon as conditions allow. Given the inaccessibility of many areas, teams are utilizing drones and other technology to patrol damaged lines. These damage assessment teams are then followed by repair crews.

Friday evening, teams were continuing this effort and providing details that allow the company to post estimated restoration times for customers where possible. Estimated restoration times (ERTs) are currently available on Georgia Powers Outage Map for multiple communities including Albany, Alpharetta, Americus, Atlanta, Austell, Canton, Carrollton, Cartersville, Columbus, Dalton, Jonesboro, Lawrenceville, Newnan, Rome, Smyrna and Tucker.

The company appreciates the importance of accurate information for customers as they make plans for their families and is committed to publishing up to date information throughout the remainder of the storm response. Additional evaluation is occurring as areas are accessible across southern, coastal and eastern Georgia, where communities experienced hurricane force winds leading to extensive damage. New ERTs will be posted to the companys Outage Map as they are available.

Hurricane Helene poured more than seven inches of rain overnight onto communities across the state, which combined with 80-100 mph winds to cause hundreds of road closures statewide and catastrophic damage to hundreds of structures with the greatest concentration in the south and east regions of the state. Teams continue to navigate these challenging conditions to repair damage and restore service to customers.

As always, the company encourages customers to keep safety first following Hurricane Helene:

Watch for Georgia Power crews working across the state. If driving, move over one lane for utility vehicles stopped on the side of the road  its the law in Georgia.

Watch for downed wires. Downed power lines may be hidden by debris or fallen trees.

Never touch any downed wire or attempt to remove tree branches from power lines  it can kill.

Dont step in standing water or saturated ground where downed lines may be present. They could be electrified.

Avoid chain link fences. They may be electrified by a downed line out of sight and conduct electricity over great distances.

Never attempt repairs to electric service connections. Customers should also note that if their home, including the meter box or mast/connection point, is severely damaged by the storm repairs may need to be made by an electrician before Georgia Power can reconnect power. 

Track power outages amid severe weather, list

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WSAV-TV.
3 easy mistakes can be deadly after a hurricane: What to know

The deadly effects of Hurricane Helene have left lingering dangers even in areas where the rain has stopped falling.

The storm has brought over 2 feet of rain in some locations, and even pushed a Tennessee dam to the brink of catastrophic failure Saturday two days after the storm made landfall as a category 4 hurricane in Florida. Dozens have died in the hurricanes wake, including those far away from the Gulf of Mexico.

With flooded roads to widespread power outages, residents face imminent risks as days of cleanup lie ahead. Here are three important tips for staying safe after a major storm.

Mistake 1: Driving into floodwaters

A car in a flooded street is seen after Hurricane Helene made landfall in Atlanta, Georgia, on September 27, 2024. Hurricane Helene weakened on September 27 hours after it made landfall in the US state of Florida, with officials warning the storm remained "extremely dangerous" as it surged inland, leaving flooded roads and homes in its wake.

Never drive through flood water or go around barriers, officials in North Carolinas Mecklenburg County, which contains Charlotte, warned in a social media post.

Put more simply, the post said, Turn around, dont drown.

Most deaths in flooding occur in cars, the National Weather Service said. Even a foot of water can sweep a car off the road.

In western North Carolina, officials have conducted over 130 water rescues, the Asheville Citizen Times reported. All roads in the region should be considered closed, and interstate freeways are impassible in multiple locations. Over 400 roads are still closed across North Carolina, state transportation officials announced.

I cannot stress enough how important it is to stay away from the water, Kevin Tipton, fire marshal for Buncombe County, which includes Asheville, said. There are down power lines in the water, sewage in the water, and an incredible amount of debris. It is not safe.

Mistake 2: Not being careful with a generator

Carbon monoxide deaths often increase after natural disasters like hurricanes, the Federal Emergency Management Agency said. This is because running generators emits the toxic gas from combustion that's odorless and colorless.

Do not place generators in enclosed areas, such as a garage. Instead, place them outside, away from windows or doors by at least 20 feet.

Mistake 3: Missing warnings from officials

Approaching noon Saturday, the NWS issued a flash flood emergency for towns and cities below the Nolichucky Dam. Dam operators warned excessive water flow over the dam led to a risk of "imminent" failure, which would lead to flooding downstream for thousands of people.

If you are in low-lying areas below the Nolichucky Dam, you should move to higher ground immediately, the NWS said. This is an extremely dangerous and life-threatening situation. Do not attempt to travel unless you are fleeing an area subject to flooding or under an evacuation order.

Look for alerts and conditions from local emergency management authorities, FEMA and NWS. FEMAs site also has a list of local officials, from Alabama to Tennessee, who are responding to the crisis. If in an emergency, call 911.

People should be ready to evacuate if ordered to do so. For people who have to move, the Red Cross recommends to-go kits with three days of supplies. A stay-at-home kit should have supplies for two weeks, given that stores and pharmacies could be shuttered for days.

Contributing: USA TODAY, Asheville Citizen Times

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Staying safe after Helene: 3 life-saving safety tips
34-year-old woman killed in shooting in Greenville; Neighbors surprised by what happened

A man is in jail after allegedly shooting a woman in Greenville on Thursday, marking the first homicide in more than a year.

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Thursday night, the Greenville Police Department responded to a call from a home on Martin Street about a shooting.

Officers found 34-year-old Brianne Otley suffering from a gunshot wound, but no suspect. Neighbors were told to stay inside as police searched.

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There was one call for shelter-in-place for everybody in this perimeter and a couple of streets over just to kind of stay in the house while the suspect is still on the loose, Marlee Veisner, of Greenville, said Thursday night.

The suspect, Zachery Gilbert, was located and taken into custody several blocks from the scene.

Gilbert, Zachery Sean (07/14/1999) - Held in custody of Darke County Jail with booking number 17309 on 09/26/2024 at 11:42 PM. Unclassified Felony - Murder (Initial Appearance);

Otley later died from her injuries.

As shown on News Center 7 at 5:00, we went back to the neighborhood to talk to people about the shooting. Some neighbors along Martin Street said they didnt hear gunshots, so they were surprised when officers shut down the street.

Greenville Police said Gilbert is being held in the Darke County Jail on a preliminary charge of murder. The Darke County Prosecutors Office is reviewing the case as the investigation continues.

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38-year sentence handed down to man who robbed suburban convenience store, gas station on same day while on parole

38-year sentence handed down to man who robbed suburban convenience store, gas station on same day while on parole

DUPAGE COUNTY, Ill.  A man who robbed a convenience store and a gas station at gunpoint on the same day in 2021 was handed a 38-year prison sentence this week.

According to DuPage County States Attorney Robert Berlin, 31-year-old Robert Howard, a former Chicago resident who was out on parole for two armed robberies out of Cook County, was handed the nearly four-decade sentence on Thursday after entering a blind plea of guilty to two counts of armed robbery with a firearm in late July.

Prosecutors said the charges stemmed from two armed robberies that unfolded less than an hour apart on the same day.

Read more: Latest Chicago news and headlines

It all started after Downers Grove police were called to the scene of an armed robbery at a Speedway gas station in the 5004 block of Fairview Avenue in Downers Grove, just after 2:40 p.m. on June 15, 2021.

Following an investigation, authorities said Howard had entered the store and removed an item from the cooler before walking to the counter where the register was located. He then revealed to the clerk that he was armed with a gun and walked behind the counter and demanded she open one of the cash registers.

Prosecutors said after removing money from the register, Howard then pulled out the gun and pointed it at her before he said Open the register, Im gonna shoot you if you dont give me the money.

The clerk was unable to open the second register and prosecutors said that was when Howard took two packs of Newport 100 cigarettes and fled from the scene on foot.

An investigation later revealed that less than an hour later, at around 3:38 p.m., Howard robbed a 7-11 at gunpoint in Oakbrook Terrace.

According to police, Howard entered the convenience store along 14th Street and requested a job application. He then filled it out as he waited for the store to clear out.

According to DuPage County States Attorney Robert Berlin, 31-year-old Robert Howard, a former Chicago resident who was out on parole for two armed robberies out of Cook County, was handed the nearly four-decade sentence on Thursday after entering a blind plea of guilty to two counts of armed robbery with a firearm in late July.

Howard then approached the store clerk, pulled out a gun and took around $400 from the cash register before fleeing the scene.

After the first robbery, authorities identified Howard as a suspect in the case and executed a search warrant at his home on June 21, 2021.

Prosecutors said while authorities were at the home, Howard arrived for a meeting with his parole officer that was scheduled for the same day.

LATEST CASES: Missing people in Chicagoland

After spotting officers at his home, Howard attempted to flee the scene on foot, but he tripped and fell and was taken into custody.

At the time of his arrest, authorities said they recovered a loaded semiautomatic handgun from his waistband that matched the description of the weapon used in the Speedway robbery.

Authorities were later clued into the second robbery following his arrest.

On parole for less than seven months, Mr. Howard has no business being in possession of a loaded handgun, let alone terrorizing two hard-working individuals at gunpoint to commit two armed robberies, Berlin said. Mr. Howards repeated criminal behavior demonstrates his complete disregard for the rule of law and public safety. Judge Guerins thirty-eight-year sentence, however, sends the message that in DuPage County, we respect the law, and anyone found guilty of armed, violent criminal behavior will be held accountable. I commend the Downers Grove and Oakbrook Terrace Police Department for their outstanding efforts in this case which ultimately led to a significant sentence of thirty-eight years behind bars. I thank Assistant States Attorney Alyssa Rabulinski for her efforts in preparing a strong case against Mr. Howard.

Howard appeared in court for a sentencing hearing on June 23, 2021, where Judge Daniel Guerin denied his bond. He has since remained in custody at the DuPage County Jail.

Due to his criminal history, Howard was extended term eligible, so his sentencing range for the two robberies was 21 to 60 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections.

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Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida as a Category 4 storm earlier this week

Joe Raedle/Getty People walk in the wind and rain next to Tampa Bay as Hurricane Helene churns offshore on September 26, 2024, in St. Petersburg, Florida.

New details have emerged about the victims of Hurricane Helene, which made landfall as a Category 4 storm late on Thursday, Sept. 26.

Among those killed in the storm include first responder Vernon Leon Davis, an assistant chief with the Blackshear Fire Department, who had been responding to calls and helping to clear out downed trees and power lines when a tree fell on his truck around 1:30 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 27, according to NBC News, First Coast News and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (AJC).

Blackshear Police Chief Christopher Wright described Davis to NBC News as one of the greatest folks that Blackshear had," adding, Were all better for having known him. He would do anything for anybody.



A 4-year-old girl, identified as Luna Jade Gaddis, was also killed in North Carolina after her family's car collided with another car around 8:10 a.m. amid heavy rain conditions caused by Hurricane Helene, the North Carolina State Highway Patrol told NBC News and The Charlotte Observer.

A 2-year-old toddler and a 12-year-old also in the vehicle were hospitalized with life-threatening injuries, the outlets reported.

Joe Raedle/Getty Hurricane Helene approaches Florida

Other deaths, which have yet to be identified, include a 78-year-old husband and his 74-year-old wife who were killed in Aiken County, S.C., due to a tree falling down on their home, Coroner Darryl Ables told the Associated Press.

A 27-year-old mother and her two-month-old twins  who were not identified by name  were killed in Georgia, when a tree fell onto their mobile home while they were in bed, McDuffie County Coroner Paul Johnson told the AJC, The New York Post and the AP.

Elsewhere, a 7-year-old boy and 4-year-old girl, who have yet to be identified, were also killed when a tree fell on their burning home, according to 13 WMAZ and WRDW.

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Over 40 people have died in the storm, The New York Times and The Weather Channel reported  marking a death toll that has steadily risen.

NOAA GOES Image Viewer Hurrican Helene tracker shows the eye of the hurricane.

Helene was a Category 4 storm when it made landfall around 11:10 p.m. local time near Perry, Fla., and has since been downgraded to a tropical storm, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Before Helene made landfall, the National Hurricane Center warned it could bring life-threatening storm surge, damaging winds and flooding rains to much of Florida and parts of the southeastern U.S.

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400+ roads closed in NC mountains after 2 feet of Helene rain wipes out highways, villages, homes

RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN/AP)  Catastrophic flooding from more than two feet of rain in the North Carolina mountains from Hurricane Helene has closed more than 400 roads in the western part of the state on Saturday morning, North Carolina officials and the National Weather Service said.

All roads in Western NC should be considered closed, the N.C. Department of Transportation said just after 11 a.m. Saturday.

Helene rainfall totals top 30 inches in NC mountains  get full list

Western North Carolina was essentially cut off because of landslides and flooding that forced the closure of Interstate 40 and other major roads.

Interstate 40 near the Tennessee border where the westbound lanes collapsed into the Pigeon River. NCDOT photo

Video shows sections of Asheville underwater and a large section of the village of Chimney Rock was wiped out by flooding.

A map of rainfall totals from the National Weather Service showed areas of 23.29 inches of rain and 22.63 inches of rain in some North Carolina counties.

EF3 tornado from Helene hit Rocky Mount Friday; 15 injured, fire chief says

As of Saturday afternoon, more than 900,000 households statewide are without power, according to North Carolina Emergency Management. Two people in North Carolina have lost their lives to the storm with 14 injured by a tornado in the Rocky Mount area.

A mudslide in the Appalachian Mountains washed out part of an interstate highway at the North Carolina-Tennessee state line.

Another slide hit homes in North Carolina and occupants had to wait more than four hours to be rescued, said Ryan Cole, the emergency services assistant director in Buncombe County. His 911 center received more than 3,300 calls in eight hours Friday.

This is something that were going to be dealing with for many days and weeks to come, Cole said.

I-40 near Old Fort in North Carolina hit by a mudslide. NCDOT image

Francine Cavanaugh said she has been totally unable to reach her sister, son, or friends in the Asheville area.

My sister checked in with me yesterday morning to find out how I was in Atlanta, she said on Saturday. The storm was just hitting her in Asheville, and she said it sounded really scary outside.

I-40 above US 74 flooding in Buncombe County. NCDOT image

Cavanaugh said her sister had no idea how bad the storm would be there. She told Cavanaugh she was going to head out to check on guests at a vacation cabin and thats the last I heard of her. Ive been texting everyone that I know with no response. All phone calls go directly to voicemail.

She saw video of a grocery store near the cabins that was completely flooded.

I think that people are just completely stuck, wherever they are, with no cell service, no electricity.

NCDOT image of I-40 turned into a river Friday.

Authorities warned residents to evacuate, and many did, but some stayed behind.

In North Carolina, a lake featured in the movie Dirty Dancing overtopped a dam and surrounding neighborhoods were evacuated, although there were no immediate concerns it would fail. People also were evacuated from Newport, Tennessee, a city of about 7,000 people, amid concerns about a dam near there, although officials later said the structure had not failed.

Tornadoes hit some areas, including one in Nash County, North Carolina, that critically injured 4 people and 10 others.

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At least 10 people dead in Western NC from Helene, 200 rescued from floods

At least 10 people died in western North Carolina after extreme rain from remnants of Hurricane Helene raised floods, gouged roadways and toppled trees, Gov. Roy Cooper revealed Saturday.

The death toll will very likely increase, Cooper told Spectrum News in a recorded interview. This is catastrophic, he stressed.

Many badly pummeled communities in the western part of the state have been isolated since heavy rains struck, due to power outages, missing cell phone signals and absent internet connections.

Flood waters from Helene severely damaged roads, buildings and infrastructure in the town of Hot Springs, N.C., northwest of Asheville, leaving the residents cut off from assistance.

In a state familiar with the power of hurricanes along its long coast, the level of devastation seen so far in North Carolinas mountains, hundreds of miles inland, is sobering.

Images from newsrooms and social media show houses floating down a muddied French Broad River, submerged cars and the town of Chimney Rock seemingly erased by a mudslide.

More than 200 people were rescued from flood waters, according to Coopers office, with North Carolinas search and rescue teams helped by 19 federal and out-of-state teams.

Many mountain locations were pelted with rain totaling more than 10 inches, some as much as 29 inches. That brought catastrophic flooding, Coopers office said, with winds that gusted up to hurricane strength.

More than 320,000 homes in North Carolina  and about 550,000 in South Carolina  remained without without electricity Sunday morning in the aftermath of a tropical storm that started as Hurricane Helene, according to Duke Energys outage map.

Theres still no timeline for when power will be restored to many of those homes.

According to the Department of Transportation map drivers use to check road conditions, the entire western third of the state appeared closed for business Saturday.

See photos and video from Helenes devastation in the mountains of western NC

People scramble for necessities

Traveling west from Charlotte, problems got visible around Shelby, where power was spotty and the few places that had it were overrun with customers trying to buy gas, ice and beer.

Terri Morrin drove 1.5 hours from Adawehi Wellness Village in Columbus, N.C. to a BP in Gastonia to get gas for her neighbors generators. They expected to be without power for a week on Saturday morning.

Terri Morrin had already driven more than 30 miles from her home in Columbus, near Tryon, zooming by the queues of traffic that reached all the way down the exit ramps to the travel lanes of Interstate 85, and decided to skip Shelby. She want further east to Gastonia to fill 13 portable gas tanks for herself, friends and family.

One neighbor had five trees fall on their house, Morrin said, and some of the gas she was taking back would fill the chain saws needed to cut those into pieces.

Some of the gas would also power generators to run fans to dry out that neighbors house, or someones refrigerator or CPAP machine until the power comes back on.

Duke Power is saying it will be at least a week.

Several lanes of I-40 in N.C. near the Tennessee line washed out and collapsed during catastrophic flooding from Helene. The North Carolina Department of Transportation said I-40 was closed in multiple locations between Asheville and eastern Tennessee due to washouts and debris.

Governor seeks more help

Gov. Roy Cooper has asked the federal government for a major disaster declaration for 38 North Carolina counties and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians that would expand access to assistance to governments, some nonprofits, and individuals.

There were more than 400 closed roads across the state Saturday, according to the North Carolina Department of Transportation, which expects closures to hinder efforts to help those harmed.

The entire emergency response effort will be hampered by the damage to roads and powerlines, said said NCDOT spokesman Jamie Kritzer.

The French Broad River breaks its banks Asheville on Friday, Sept. 27, 2024 as the remnants of Hurricane Helene caused flooding, downed trees, and power outages in western North Carolina.

Those closures include multiple sections of Interstates 40 and 26 around Asheville, the main arteries for traveling through the mountainous region. One section of the eastbound lane of I-40, three miles from the Tennessee border, washed out and fell into the Pigeon River.

At this point, were still advising people not to travel in Western North Carolina, said NCDOT spokesman Jamie Kritzer. Were still assessing what the damage looks like but in many spots, the recovery effort will be long term and labor intensive.

Of the 400 closed roads, Kritzer said 64 were primary roads, the states designation for significant roadways, including highways and interstates. Those closures could impact recovery efforts.

The French Broad River breaks its banks in Asheville on Friday, Sept. 27, 2024 as the remnants of Hurricane Helene caused flooding, downed trees, and power outages in western North Carolina.

Water supply down, outages widespread

In Buncombe County, I-40 and I-26 were impassable in multiple locations, emergency officials said at a news conference Saturday morning.

A boil-water advisory continues for Asheville. The county also has no cellular coverage, with no estimated restoration time.

Jessica OBrien has lived in the Asheville area for 25 years, and what she saw this week was much worse than the flooding she saw in 2004 after Hurricane Frances, she said.

She doesnt expect to get running water back until next week. And when her boss in another state questioned why she couldnt open the store she manages, she drove to Marshall to prove a point.

She took videos and pictures  the courthouse flooded, businesses flooded, everything flooded.

It was fully engulfed, she said.

The French Broad River breaks its banks in Asheville on Friday, Sept. 27, 2024 as the remnants of Hurricane Helene caused flooding, downed trees, and power outages in western North Carolina.

In one of Fridays most harrowing moments in western North Carolina, an alert was sent out Friday afternoon that the Lake Lure Dam in Rutherford County was set to fail at any moment, with residents below the 100 foot structure ordered to evacuate.

Hours later the Lake Lure Dam continued to hold.

Water levels throughout the Western region reached historic levels of flooding. The Pigeon River crested at more than 25 feet near the Canton station.

People living through the chaos on Saturday were doing what they could to cope.

In the town of Hot Springs, where the swollen French Broad river had closed the Bridge Street Bridge, residents met at Sara Joes Gas Station Saturday morning to try and figure out a way around the road closures. The gas station had posted on its Facebook page Friday afternoon that there was free ice in the cooler and that people could take some if they needed it.

Vehicles line up to get gas at a 7 Eleven in Shelby on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024

A few hours after that message the French Broad River rose to more than 20 feet, reaching major flood level, according to a water data station in Hot Springs. On Saturday afternoon, the river remained at 15 feet deep.

At the Asheville station, the French Broad peaked at 24.67 feet Friday evening, a level surpassing the Great Flood of 1916, which the city says crested at 21 feet and killed 80 people.

Soco Creek in Cherokee rages on Friday, Sept. 27, 2024 as the remnants of Hurricane Helene caused flooding, downed trees, and power outages in western North Carolina.

An eye on getting to work

With interstate highways, local routes and even favored back roads closed by fallen trees or errant rivers, working people in Western North Carolina who need to be on the job on Monday were like bees in flight on Saturday.

Billie Bradley said she planned to stay in or near Shelby until the power comes back on at her house near Fletcher a week from now. Or two weeks. Who even knows, Bradley said.

She and her neighbors chainsawed their way out of the neighborhood and lit out for the homes of friends or family with spare rooms and city water. Rural wells need pumps and pumps need electricity.

Bradley had to piece together a route to her job in Asheville at the Department of Motor Vehicles.

Were going to make a test run tomorrow, said said, pondering a map with her husband outside the Taco Bell in Shelby Saturday afternoon.

Itll be fine, she said, relieved that no one in her neighborhood was hurt.

Well figure it out.

Charlotte Observer Staff Writer Ames Alexander contributed.

Tomas Quiroz shovels mud from his porch steps in Clyde on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024 after massive flooding damaged dozens of homes and businesses. The remnants of Hurricane Helene caused widespread flooding, downed trees, and power outages in western North Carolina.

Brandon Patterson points to the water line inside a flooded home in Clyde on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024 after massive flooding damaged dozens of homes and businesses. The remnants of Hurricane Helene caused widespread flooding, downed trees, and power outages in western North Carolina.

Alan Tabor shovels mud from a flooded home in Clyde on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024 after massive flooding damaged dozens of homes and businesses. The remnants of Hurricane Helene caused widespread flooding, downed trees, and power outages in western North Carolina.

Blake Nelson, 11, and his father Mitch Nelson clean up a flooded salon in Clyde on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024 after massive flooding damaged dozens of homes and businesses. The remnants of Hurricane Helene caused widespread flooding, downed trees, and power outages in western North Carolina.

Amy Russell assesses damage to her dog training and pet food business in Clyde on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024 after massive flooding damaged dozens of homes and businesses. The remnants of Hurricane Helene caused widespread flooding, downed trees, and power outages in western North Carolina.

To the residents of the western Carolinas and northeast Georgia: pic.twitter.com/uUNP5UVWFo  NWS GSP (@NWSGSP) September 28, 2024
RACINE  Three Harbors Council of Boy Scouts of America has recognized Dan Oakes with the Distinguished Citizen Award.

The award is given to a community leader who has made a strong impact on the greater Racine and Kenosha community.

Oakes, CEO of A.W. Oakes & Son, received the award at a luncheon Wednesday at the Racine Country Club, 2801 Northwestern Ave.

In addition to supporting the Racine Zoo, the citys parks departmentand Gateway Technical College, Oakes has donated heavy equipment and operators for Three Harbors Councils Camp Oh-Da-Ko-Ta, helping the camp complete improvement projects.

Very quickly, Dan rose to the top as a candidate because of all he does for our community, for numerous organizations across the Racine area, and also because of what hes done to support scouting in our Camp Oh-Da-Ko-Ta in Burlington, Scout Executive Andrew Hardin said.

Previous winners include former Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, former Racine Police Chief Art Howell and Dr. Bryan Albrecht of Gateway Technical College.

Im very glad to be here today, and I would like to thank the Scouts  for giving me this very distinguished award today. I appreciate it very much, said Oakes during his address, adding that he wouldnt be here without Bob Preston.

Preston, who works for Oakes, also was recognized at the event as the Good Scout Award Recipient.

Addressing the crowd, Preston thanked the Oakes family.

And everybody else, thank you all very much for attending, he said. I like to see this many people here in support of a very good boss and a very good man for Racine County.

Since 2010, Oakess contributions to the Scouts have allowed the organization to complete various projects at the camp.

This work includes laying concrete to put buildings down, inserting culverts for drainage, and removing trees that were diseased or affected by the emerald ash borer, said Mike Foley, chair of the Distinguished Citizen Award Luncheon.

More work will be done on the camp during October, such as painting, electrical and plumbing work.

Its the philanthropic efforts that affect us.  For us, the Boy Scouts are a not-for-profit, Foley said. Every month, all the money that comes in flows out in our operations, so there isnt excess funds to hire equipment. This equipment can be $800 an hour with an operator, so the value has got to be in the hundreds of thousands of dollars for the camp and what weve been able to do.

Hardin said Oakes and his company have made an incredible impact on Racine.

You look at the list of all the organizations they have supported through the years. Its quite significant, and really what makes a community strong is leaders like Dan and Oakes construction and giving back to organizations in the community where they live, Hardin said.

A.W. Oakes & Son has been in the community since 1948.

Its not I, its we. We at Oakes, as a team, as a family.  Were all here to do work and give back to the community, and the community is great. Were here in Racine. I live in Racine, Oakes said. Seventy five years weve been in business here, and were looking for quite a few more years in all kinds of businesses, whatever they are, to support Racine or southeastern Wisconsin.
A man wades through an area flooded by the overflowing Bagmati river following heavy rains, in Kathmandu. Dipen Shrestha/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa

At least 66 people have died and scores of others are missing in Nepal due to severe floods and landslides triggered by late monsoon rains, authorities said.

According to Nepal police spokesperson Dan Bahadur Karki, at least 69 people remain missing across various regions of the Himalayan nation since late Friday.

He said a total of 60 have been injured. "We have rescued 1,053 people affected by floods and landslides to safety in the Kathmandu Valley, but we are still awaiting data from the rest of the country," Karki told dpa.

Senior officials held an emergency meeting on Saturday to assess the situation and intensify search, rescue, and rehabilitation efforts.

The rains, which began Thursday, have wreaked havoc on infrastructure, damaging roads and bridges and disrupting domestic flights. The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal has suspended several domestic flights due to rain and low visibility. Vehicular movement on key highways is being halted at night due to the risk of landslides.

In Kathmandu, swollen rivers have inundated thousands of homes, and major roads leading to the capital remain blocked by landslides. Authorities have predicted further rainfall this week, prompting flood alerts for communities near major rivers.

Water levels in the Koshi and Gandak rivers are exceeding danger levels, posing a significant risk of flooding and severe damage in Nepal and the neighbouring Indian states of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, a recurring issue each year.

Nepal's mountainous terrain and numerous rivers make the country particularly vulnerable to natural disasters.

Security force members use an inflatable raft to bring residents to safety from a flooded area near the bank of the overflowing Bagmati River following heavy rains, in Kathmandu. Dipen Shrestha/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa
FORT WORTH, Texas - Fort Worth ISD is investigating after a 5-year-old student was left at a museum after a field trip.

When the boy's mom arrived at Carroll Peak Elementary School for pick-up around 3 p.m., teachers and staff could not find him.

Kler Lay, the young boy's uncle, says he received frantic calls from his crying sister-in-law.

"They didn't know where he was. They asked him, he came to school today, and then they dont know where he was," Lay recalled.

There is a language barrier in this case.

Lay's brother and sister-in-law moved to the U.S. from Thailand about 8 years ago and they are working to become fluent in English.

Around 4:40 p.m., Lay joined his sister-in-law at the school during the frantic search. He says by then it had been determined his nephew attended a field trip earlier with classmates to the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History.

Lay says at that point he followed the principal as they all drove to the museum at 5. His nephew was safe with a security employee.

"They had people holding him," he said. "They dont know which school was hes with. He didn't have a name tag or anything like that."

Fort Worth ISD has responded to the incident with a statement.

"This is unacceptable, and as soon as the district was made aware, an immediate investigation was launched. The safety and well-being of our students is our top priority. We are taking this matter very seriously and are working to determine how this occurred to prevent any future incidents," the district wrote, in part.

"I just want this not to happen again to other kids, because this is so scary and it can happen anytime, but I know its possible to fix this," said Lay.

The museum has also issued a statement. They say what happened is an extremely rare occurrence and as soon as they realized the child was in the museum unattended, they contacted his school and made sure he was safe.
Torrential rains from the remnants of Hurricane Helene washed away a section of Interstate 40 in western North Carolina on Saturday as the region remained essentially cut off from the outside world due to "historic" levels of damage. Photo courtesy North Carolina Department of Transportation/X

Sept. 28 (UPI) -- Road closures caused by surging rivers, disrupted Internet and downed cellphone connections in the wake of Hurricane Helene on Saturday isolated western North Carolina in what officials are calling a "catastrophic natural disaster."

Communications, includes landlines, cellphone signals and internet access, remained completely down in hard-hit Buncombe County, located about 120 miles southeast of Knoxville, Tenn., according to local officials.

Emergency calls are "being triaged as they come in, with prioritization for critical, life-threatening emergencies," according to emergency officials in Black Mountain, Tenn., while all the county's rivers remained at "major flood stage" due to rainfall totals in parts of the region reaching as high as 30 inches.

"Please continue to be patient as we work through this unprecedented natural disaster and slowly get our communication systems back up in town and county-wide," local officials said.

The storm forced the closure of Interstate 40 between Asheville, N.C., and Knoxville due to mudslides, causing several pavement failures on a 4-mile near the Tennessee border,

Hurricane Helene devastated St. Pete Beach, Fla., after making landfall Thursday night as a Category 4 storm with winds up to 140 mph. Photo via Pinellas County Sheriff's Office/UPI

Both I-40 and Interstate 26 remained closed as of Saturday evening, state transportation officials said, hindering efforts to reach flooding victims.

"We cannot say this enough: DO NOT TRAVEL IN OR TO WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA," they warned in a Facebook post at 5 p.m. EDT Saturday.

Members of the Atlanta Fire Rescue Department's Swift Water Rescue Team wait for one of their boats to return in the flood waters of Peachtree Creek in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene on Friday. Photo by Erick Lesser/EPA-EFE

Across the southwestern United States, Hurricane Helene killed more than 50 and plunged millions of homes and businesses into darkness with power outages that could last several weeks across 10 states.

As of Saturday evening, 975,000 utility customers in South Carolina, 605.000 in North Carolina, 677,000 in Georgia and 289,000 in Florida remained without power, according to Poweroutage.us.

Rescuers out of USCG Air Station Clearwater saved a man and his dog on Thursday during Hurricane Helene after his 36-ft sailboat became disabled and started taking on water approximately 25 miles off Sanibel Island. Photo via U.S. Coast Guard/UPI

"The devastation we're witnessing in Hurricane Helene's wake has been overwhelming. Jill and I continue to pray for all of those who have lost loved ones and for everyone impacted by this storm," President Joe Biden said in a social media post.

Vice President Kamala Harris announced Saturday that emergency declarations for Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee had been approved by the White House.

"My heart goes out to everyone impacted by the devastation unleashed by Hurricane Helene," she said. "Doug [Emhoff] and I are thinking of those who tragically lost their lives and we are keeping all those who loved them in our prayers during the difficult days ahead."

Many of Helene's victims were killed when trees fell onto their homes while others died due to the severe weather in coastal areas in which evacuation orders were issued. Many sought shelter in their attics but were overwhelmed by the storm surge.

While the storm had degraded into a post-tropical cyclone, its lingering effects have been so severe that emergency officials and residents had only begun to calculate the damage by late Saturday.

Local residents near endangered dams in Tennessee and North Carolina were evacuated due to the potential for collapses as new flood warnings continued to be posted Saturday.

Residents in eastern Knox County and Sevier County near the North Carolina border were warned that French Broad River could rise by up to 2.5 feet as water is released to prevent the Douglas Dam from buckling.

Authorities on Friday successfully airlifted more than 50 people stranded by fast-moving floodwaters from the roof of Unicoi County Hospital in Erwin, in eastern Tennessee. The hospital is closed.

Rising waters topped the Lake Lure Dam in North Carolina's Rutherford County, but the dam remained intact as waters began to recede by 6 p.m. Friday.

The Nolichucky Dam in eastern Tennessee posed a danger of a catastrophic failure early Saturday morning, causing authorities to urge local residents to evacuate the area and move to higher ground.

Tennessee Emergency Management Agency Chief of Staff Alex Pellom said his agency worked with Tennessee Valley Authority "to confirm that the Nolichucky is not in that state anymore and that we have no dam failures that are reported at the moment.

Biden approved advance emergency relief for affected areas in Florida, Georgia and North Carolina prior to Helene making landfall as a Category 4 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 140 mph when it made landfall at 11:10 p.m. EDT in Florida's Big Bend region.

FEMA officials are surveying the storm's aftermath in Florida and other states to determine the extent of damage and destruction. Administrator Deanne Criswell was on the ground in Florida and said the agency has more than 800 staffers deployed in affected areas.

Early damage estimates in Florida indicate Hurricane Helene caused more damage than the combined totals caused by the recent Hurricane Debby and last year's Hurricane Idalia.

Flights have been disrupted including the hubs, including 430 cancellations so far Saturday afternoon at Charlotte Douglas International Airport and 185 cancellations at Hartfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta, according to Flight Aware. The Charlotte airport was No.; 1 in the nation and Atlanta airport No. 2 for most cancellations.
Kathmandu residents climb on the rooftops as their neighbourhood is submerged in flood waters after the Bagmati River overflowed following heavy monsoon rains (PRAKASH MATHEMA) (PRAKASH MATHEMA/AFP/AFP)

Floods and landslides triggered by heavy downpours in Nepal killed at least 59 people across the Himalayan country, with rescue teams searching for 44 missing, police said Saturday.

Rain-related disasters are common in South Asia during the monsoon season from June to September, but experts say climate change is increasing their frequency and severity.

Large swathes of Nepal have been inundated since Friday, prompting disaster authorities to warn of flash floods in multiple rivers.

"So far, there are 59 dead, 36 wounded and 44 missing," Nepal police spokesman Dan Bahadur Karki told AFP.

Karki said more than 200 incidents of flood and landslides have been reported and that the toll was likely to increase further.

Rivers around the capital Kathmandu burst their banks, inundating nearby houses.

"It's scary. I had never seen such kind of devastation in my lifetime before," said Mahamad Shabuddin, 34, who runs a motorbike workshop in the city near the swollen Bagmati river.

Survivors were seen standing on top of buildings or wading through murky waters to get to safety.

"When I went outside in the middle of the night, the water had reached up to my shoulders," Hari Mallah, a 49-year-old truck driver, told AFP.

"My truck is completely under water."

Basanta Adhikari, a spokesman for Nepal's National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority, said authorities were working to rescue and get relief to those impacted by the floods.

More than 3,000 security personnel were deployed to assist rescue efforts with helicopters and motorboats.

Rescue teams were using rafts to pull survivors to safety.

Landslides have blocked several highways, leaving hundreds of travellers stranded.

"We have around eight locations, all of them have been blocked due to landslides in different sections of the road," said Kathmandu traffic police officer Bishwaraj Khadka.

All domestic flights out of Kathmandu were cancelled from Friday evening, affecting more than 150 departures.

The summer monsoon brings South Asia 70-80 percent of its annual rainfall.

Monsoon rains from June to September bring widespread death and destruction every year across South Asia, but the numbers of fatal floods and landslides have increased in recent years.

Experts say climate change has worsened their frequency and intensity.

A landslide that hit a road in Chitwan district in July pushed two buses with 59 passengers aboard into a river.

Three people were able to escape alive, but authorities managed to recover only 20 bodies from the accident, with raging flood waters impeding the search.

More than 220 people have died in Nepal in rain-related disasters this year.

str-pm/mtp
An 'abomination' of a sub  and the boss convinced Titan was safe

The view from inside Titan at the surface of a previous Titanic dive [BBC]

"I saw five people smiling, looking forward to their journey."

That was Renata Rojas' recollection of her time on a support ship with five people bound for the Titanic wreck. They were about to climb into a submersible made by Oceangate.

Just 90 minutes later, these five would become the victims of a deep sea disaster: an implosion. Images from the depths of the Atlantic show the wreckage of the sub crushed, mangled, and scattered across the sea floor.

The photos were released by the US Coast Guard during an inquiry to establish what led to its catastrophic failure in June 2023.

The inquiry finished on Friday and over the past two weeks of hearings, a picture has emerged of ignored safety warnings and a history of technical problems. We have also gained new insight into the final hours of those on board.

It has shown us that this story won't go away any time soon.

Passengers unaware of impending disaster

British explorer Hamish Harding and British-Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood, whod brought his 19-year-old son Suleman along, had paid Oceangate for a dive to see the Titanic which lies 3,800m down.

The sub was piloted by the companys CEO Stockton Rush with French Titanic expert Paul-Henri Nargeolet as co-pilot.

Once the craft had slipped beneath the waves, it could send short text messages to the surface. A message sent from about 2,300m said All good here.

Clockwise from top left: Stockton Rush, Hamish Harding, Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman, and Paul-Henri Nargeolet were all onboard the Titan [Supplied via Reuters / AFP]

About an hour and a half into the dive, from 3,346m, Titans final message reported it had released two weights to slow its descent as it neared the sea floor.

Communications were then lost - the sub had imploded.

The US Coast Guard said nothing in the messages that indicated that the passengers knew their craft was failing.

The implosion was instantaneous. There would have been no time to even register what was happening.

[BBC]

Unorthodox sub was flawed from the start

Mr Rush proudly described the Titan as experimental. But others had voiced their concerns to him about its unconventional design in the years prior to the dive.

At the hearing David Lochridge, Oceangates former director of marine operations, described Titan as an abomination".

In 2018, hed compiled a report highlighting multiple safety issues, but said these concerns were dismissed and he was fired.

Titan had several unusual features.

The shape of its hull - the part where the passengers were - was cylindrical rather than spherical so the effects of the pressure were not distributed evenly.

A window was installed but only considered safe down to 1,300m. The US Coast Guard also heard about problems with the joins between different parts of the sub.

The hulls material attracted the most attention - it was made from layers of carbon fibre mixed with resin.

Roy Thomas from the American Bureau of Shipping said carbon fibre was not approved for deep sea subs because it can weaken with every dive and fail suddenly without warning.

The National Transportation and Safety Board (NTSB) presented an analysis of samples of Titans hull left over from its construction.

It showed areas where the carbon fibre layers had separated - a known problem called delamination - as well as wrinkles, waviness and voids within its structure.

This suggests the material contained imperfections before the sub had even made a dive.

The NTSB team also saw this delamination in wreckage found on the seafloor.

Most of the hull was destroyed, but in the pieces that survived, the carbon fibre has split into layers and in some places had cracked.

Officials are not currently saying the hulls failure caused the implosion, but its a key focus of the investigation.

[BBC]

Loud bang - a missed warning sign

A place on the sub cost up to $250,000 (186,000)  and over the course of 2021 and 2022 Titan made 23 dives, 12 of which successfully reached the wreck of the Titanic.

But these descents were far from problem free. A dive log book recorded 118 technical faults, ranging from thrusters failing, to batteries dying - and once the front dome of the sub fell off.

The investigation focused on a dive that took place in 2022, when paying passenger Fred Hagen heard an alarming noise as the sub was returning to the surface.

We were still underwater and there was a large bang or cracking sound, he said.

We were all concerned that maybe there was a crack in the hull.

He said Mr Rush thought the noise was the sub shifting in the metal frame that surrounded it.

The US Coast Guard inquiry was shown new analysis of data from the subs sensors, suggesting the noise was caused by a change in the fabric of the hull.

This affected how Titan was able to respond to the pressures of the deep.

Phil Brooks, Oceangates former Engineering Director, said the craft wasnt properly checked after that dive because the company was struggling financially, and instead it was left for months on the dockside in Canada.

Boss was convinced his sub was safe

Im not dying. No-one is dying on my watch - period.

These were the words of Mr Rush in a 2018 transcript of a meeting at Oceangate HQ.

When questioned about Titans safety, he replied: I understand this kind of risk, and I'm going into it with eyes open and I think this is one of the safest things I will ever do.

According to some witnesses Mr Rush had an unwavering belief in his sub. They described a dominating personality who wouldnt tolerate dissenting views.

Stockton would fight for what he wanted and he wouldn't give an inch much at all, said Tony Nissen, a former engineering director.

Most people would just eventually back down from Stockton.

Passenger Fred Hagen disagreed, describing Mr Rush as a brilliant man.

Stockton made a very conscious and astute effort to maintain a perceptible culture of safety around a high risk environment.

[BBC]

US authorities knew of safety concerns

Former employee David Lochridge was so worried about Titan that he went to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).

This is the US government body that sets and enforces workplace safety standards.

Correspondence reveals that he provided extensive information about the subs problems - and was placed on OSHAs whistleblower witness protection scheme.

But he said OSHA were slow and failed to act, and after increasing pressure from Oceangates lawyers, he dropped the case and signed a non disclosure agreement.

He told the hearing: I believe that if OSHA had attempted to investigate the seriousness of the concerns I raised on multiple occasions this tragedy may have been prevented.

Sub safety rules need to change

Titan heads into the deep on a previous dive to the Titanic [BBC]

Deep-sea subs can undergo an extensive safety assessment by independent marine organisations such as the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) or DNV (a global accreditation organisation based in Norway).

Almost all operators complete this certification process, but Oceangate chose not to for Titan. At the hearing, some industry experts called for it to become compulsory.

I think as long as we insist on certification as a requirement for continued human occupied exploration in the deep sea we can avoid these kinds of tragic outcomes, said Patrick Lahey, CEO of Triton submarines.

Story isn't over yet

Witnesses at the hearing included former Oceangate employees, paying passengers whod made dives in the sub, industry experts and those involved in the search and rescue effort.

But some key people were noticeably missing.

Mr Rushs wife Wendy, who was Oceangates communications director and played a central role in the company, did not appear. Nor did director of operations and sub pilot Scott Griffith or former US Coast Guard Rear Admiral John Lockwood, who was on Oceangates board.

The reasons for their absences were not given and their version of events remain unheard.

The US Coast Guard will now put together a final report with the aim of preventing a disaster like this from ever happening again.

But the story will not end there.

Criminal prosecutions may follow. And private lawsuits too - the family of French diver PH Nargeolet is already suing for more than $50 million.

The ripples from this deep sea tragedy are likely to continue for many years.

More on this story
A rally for abortion rights outside the US Supreme Court in June 2024 (Jim WATSON) (Jim WATSON/AFP/AFP)

Despite being liberalised in scores of countries over recent decades, women's access to abortion remains a precarious right globally with numerous countries restricting the procedure or outlawing it altogether.

Traditional Catholic bastions such as Ireland and Mexico have lifted bans in recent years, but the United States has abolished nationwide access and some states maintain total bans.

According to the Center for Reproductive Rights (CRR) advocacy group, only 34 percent of women of reproductive age live in countries where abortion is available on demand. It says backstreet abortions lead to 39,000 deaths per year.

On International Safe Abortion Day, here is a summary of rules on the procedure in various countries:

- Easing access -

Over the past 30 years, more than 60 countries have changed their laws to facilitate access to abortion.

In March 2024, France became the first country to enshrine the right in its constitution.

In September 2023, Mexico's Supreme Court ruled to decriminalise abortion, bringing it in line with Argentina, which legalised it in 2020, plus Colombia, Cuba and Uruguay.

Ireland, a longtime bastion of Catholicism, legalised abortion in 2018 following a resounding yes vote in a referendum that overturned a constitutional ban.

Northern Ireland decriminalised it in 2019 -- the last part of the United Kingdom to do so -- as did South Korea.

New Zealand, Thailand and the west African state of Benin have since followed suit. The leadership of Sierra Leone has also approved its decriminalisation.

- Clamping down -

Abortion remains banned in around 20 countries, mostly in Africa and Latin America, according to the CRR.

El Salvador adopted a total ban in 1998 -- even applying to cases where the woman's or foetus's life is in danger -- with prison sentences of up to eight years.

Honduras hardened its total ban in 2021 by writing it into its constitution.

In Argentina, President Javier Milei, while running for office in 2023, promised to hold a referendum on banning abortion.

In Europe, only Andorra and the Vatican have total bans. Malta allows abortion only in cases where the mother's life is in danger or the foetus has no chance of survival.

Poland's constitutional court sparked protests in 2020 after ruling against abortion in cases where the foetus is malformed.

Abortion in the staunchly Catholic country is only permitted in cases of rape, incest or if the mother's life is in danger. Recent efforts to liberalise the law there have failed.

Hungary tightened its abortion law in 2022, obliging women contemplating the procedure to observe the foetus's "vital functions" such as the heartbeat.

In Brazil and Chile, abortion is only allowed in case of rape, risk to the mother and serious malformation of the foetus.

Proposals have been made in Brazil to apply jail terms of up to 20 years for aborting after 22 weeks of pregnancy, even in cases of rape.

- US U-turn -

In 2022, the conservative-dominated Supreme Court of the United States overturned the landmark 1973 "Roe v Wade" decision that had enshrined a woman's right to a termination for half a century.

The court ruled that individual states can permit or restrict the procedure themselves.

Some 20 states, mainly in the south and centre, have since decreed bans or heavy restrictions on abortion.

States on the eastern and west coast have, by contrast, expanded access to terminations.

doc-ot-paj/rlp/jhb
The U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization in June 2022 ended federal abortion rights. (Photo by Sofia Resnick/States Newsroom)

Editors note: This five-day series explores the priorities of voters in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin as they consider the upcoming presidential election. With the outcome expected to be close, these swing states may decide the future of the country.

Dr. Kristin Lyerlys placenta detached from her uterus when she was 17 weeks pregnant with her fourth son in 2007. Her doctor in Madison, Wisconsin, gave the devastated recent medical school graduate one option: to deliver and bury her dead child. But she requested a dilation and evacuation abortion procedure, knowing it would be less invasive and risky than being induced. And she couldnt fathom the agony of holding her tiny dead baby.

But Lyerlys doctor declined, giving her a direct window into the many ways Americans lack real choice when it comes to their reproductive health decisions. At the time of this miscarriage, Lyerly was getting a masters degree in public health before beginning her residency. She was able to get a D&E at the same hospital by a different doctor. As an OB-GYN, she soon would learn how much abortion is stigmatized and limited throughout the country, but also regularly sought after and sometimes medically necessary, including among her many conservative Catholic patients in northeastern Wisconsin.

And then, on June 24, 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court ended federal abortion rights, prompting states such as Wisconsin to resurrect dormant abortion bans from the 19th and 20th centuries. Lyerlys job changed overnight. She stopped working as an OB-GYN in Sheboygan and moved her practice to Minnesota. She became a plaintiff in a lawsuit over an 1849 Wisconsin feticide law being interpreted as an abortion ban, which has since been blocked.

When a congressional seat opened in a competitive Wisconsin district this year, the 54-year-old mother of four joined the post-Dobbs wave of women running for office to restore reproductive rights, which this election cycle includes another OB-GYN and a patient denied abortion care. Lyerlys decision to run is emblematic of the nationwide backlash against the Dobbs decision, which altered the reproductive health care landscape, with providers, patients, and advocates turning to the ballot box to change the laws to restore and broaden access.

Wisconsin is among seven swing states expected to determine the countrys next president and federal leaders. And in many ways, theyre being viewed as referendums on how much the right to have an abortion can move the needle in a tight presidential election.



What weve seen in every election since the Dobbs decision is that abortion is at top of mind for voters  and its not just helping voters decide who or what to vote for. Its actually a turnout driver, said Ryan Stitzlein, vice president of political and government relations at national lobbying group Reproductive Freedom for All. The group is investing in down-ballot races in conservative districts such as Lyerlys, buoyed by cash and momentum from Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris reproductive-rights-focused campaign.

Anti-abortion money is also flowing through the swing states, led by lobbying groups Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America and Women Speak Out PAC. Some of their messaging, adopted by Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump and many GOP candidates, often paints Democrats as champions of infanticide, focusing on the rarest and most controversial type of abortions, those performed in the third trimester.

But aside from that rhetoric, many Republican candidates have been quiet on an issue that for years motivated their staunchest supporters.

SBA Pro-Life America declined an interview for this story but shared a press release outlining the organizations strategy trying to reach 10 million voters in Montana, Ohio, and all of the battleground states except for Nevada. The group endorsed 28 House candidates total this cycle, and six of them are in North Carolina. One of North Carolinas endorsed candidates in a toss-up race is Republican GOP challenger Laurie Buckhout, who does not mention her abortion stance on her campaign website and did not return a request for comment.

Our field team is talking to persuadable and low propensity pro-life voters to urge them to cast their votes against the party that endorses abortion in the seventh, eighth, and ninth months, said SBA national field team director Patricia Miles in the press statement.

But throughout this election cycle, polls in the swing states have shown bipartisan support for abortion rights, especially when voters are educated about what abortion bans do. Voters in more than half of the states expected to determine the presidential winner have, to varying degrees, lost access to abortion. And abortion-rights activists across these states told States Newsroom they are determined to protect that access, or to get it back.

Arizona sees backlash after GOP upholds Civil War-era abortion ban

In Arizona, the Dobbs decision resurrected a Civil War-era ban that allowed abortions only to save a pregnant patients life.

Legislators repealed the law, but abortion-rights supporters fought for more certainty. This fall, Arizonans will vote on a proposed ballot measure that would protect access until fetal viability, around 24 weeks of pregnancy.

Now, two of the judges who upheld the abortion ban  Justices Clint Bolick and Kathryn King  are up for reelection, in races infused with national cash by groups such as RFA and Planned Parenthood. Also on the ballot is Proposition 137, which would give lifetime appointments to state judges. The Republican-initiated measure has garnered controversy in part because it is retroactive to this years election so, if approved, any retention bids would be nullified even if the majority votes to unseat the judge.

Ballot organizers turned in more than 800,000 signatures, double the required number, and overcame opponents legal challenges to qualify the abortion-rights ballot measure, Proposition 139. Abortion is legal up to 15 weeks of pregnancy, but there are many state restrictions that the Arizona Abortion Access Act would eliminate, such as a ban on any abortions sought for fetal genetic abnormalities and a blocked law from 2021 granting personhood status to fertilized eggs.

Recent deaths reignite controversy over Georgias abortion ban

This month, ProPublica reported on the deaths in 2022 of two Georgia women who suffered rare complications after they obtained mifepristone and misoprostol for early-term medication abortions. Both were trying to navigate a new state law that banned abortions at about six weeks of pregnancy and threatened medical providers with up to a decade in prison.

In one case, doctors at an Atlanta-area hospital refused for 20 hours to perform a routine dilation and curettage, a D&C, to clear the patients uterus when her body hadnt expelled all the fetal tissue. In the other, a woman who had ordered the pills online suffered days of pain at home, fearful of seeking medical care. Both women left children behind.

Georgias law permits abortion if the patients life is at risk, but medical providers have said the laws language is unclear, tying their hands and threatening the health of patients who have high-risk pregnancies.

Their cases, which a state medical review committee found to be preventable, have galvanized activists in the state.

Harris spoke at length about the women, Amber Nicole Thurman and Candi Miller, at a recent campaign event in Atlanta. She blamed their deaths on Georgias law, calling it the Trump abortion ban, because the former president appointed three justices hed promised would overturn Roe v. Wade.

This is a health care crisis, and Donald Trump is the architect of this crisis, Harris said. Understand what a law like this means: Doctors have to wait until the patient is at deaths door before they take action.  Youre saying that good policy, logical policy, moral policy, humane policy is about saying that a health care provider will only start providing that care when youre about to die?

Trump has not commented on the deaths. He has repeatedly said this year that abortion access should be left to the states. He has dismissed the idea of a federal abortion ban, but during the presidential debate he refused to say whether he would veto such legislation.

At a recent rally in North Carolina, Trump addressed our great women (a demographic hes trailing among), saying, you will no longer be thinking about abortion, because it is now where it always had to be, with the states and with the vote of the people.

Abortion was a driving concern in this springs qualifying process for Georgias 2024 legislative elections  the first opportunity for aspiring state lawmakers to jump on the ballot in response to their states severe abortion restrictions.

Melita Easters, the executive director and founding chair of Georgia WIN List, which endorses Democratic women who support abortion rights, was already calling this years general election Roevember back when President Joe Biden was still the partys presumptive nominee.

But Easters told States Newsroom that having Harris on the ticket instead has elevated the issue of reproductive freedom even more and has breathed new life into down-ballot campaigns. Easters said she is especially encouraged after a Democratic state House candidate in Alabama who ran on abortion rights flipped a Huntsville seat during a special election in March.

Michigan Democrats continue betting on abortion after 2022 successes

Michigan was one of the earliest states post-Dobbs to show that abortion rights could be a strong election-winning issue.

Months after the Supreme Courts ruling, Michiganders overwhelmingly approved a ballot measure to protect abortion rights in the state constitution; reelected Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who vowed to prioritize reproductive freedom; and voted for Democratic majorities in both chambers, giving the party a legislative trifecta for the first time in 40 years. In 2023, the legislature repealed a 1931 abortion ban that was still on the books and passed the Reproductive Health Act, expanding abortion access in the state.

This year, state and national abortion-rights groups have campaigned in toss-up congressional districts across Michigan, warning that a federal ban would supersede the states protections.

State judicial races, meanwhile, have attracted millions of dollars, as they could determine partisan control of the Michigan Supreme Court. Democrats secured a slim 4-3 majority on the state Supreme Court in 2020 after Republican-nominated justices controlled the court for most of the last few decades.

Nevada reproductive rights activists hope ballot initiative improves turnout

In Nevada, abortion remains legal through 24 weeks and beyond for specific health reasons. In 2023, the states Democratic-led legislature passed a law shielding patients and providers from out-of-state investigations related to abortion care; it was signed by Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo.

Seeking to cement these rights in the state constitution, reproductive health advocates mobilized a ballot initiative campaign, which they hope will drive voter turnout that would affect the presidential and down-ballot races. Constitutional amendments proposed through an initiative petition must be passed by voters twice, so if voters approve Question 6 in November, they will have to approve it again in 2026.

In the states closely watched U.S. Senate race, Democratic Sen. Jacky Rosen edges Republican Sam Brown, who has had inconsistent positions on abortion and reproductive rights but opposes the abortion-rights measure.

National anti-abortion groups Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America and Students for Life of America have notably not focused on Nevada in their campaign strategies.

Growing Latinx voting bloc in North Carolina

In North Carolina, many Democrats are campaigning in opposition to a 12-week abortion ban that the Republican-majority legislature passed last year after overriding Democratic Gov. Roy Coopers veto.

In a high-profile race for governor, Democratic Attorney General Josh Stein faces Republican Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, who has previously said he believes there is no compromise on abortion, according to NC Newsline. The lieutenant governor is faces calls to withdraw from the race over comments made on a pornography website years ago, and Stein has started racking up endorsements from prominent state Republicans.

Iliana Santillan, a political organizer who supports abortion rights, has focused on mobilizing Latinos, a growing voting bloc in the state. The executive director of progressive nonprofit El Pueblo and its political sister group La Fuerza NC told States Newsroom shes talked to many young women motivated to secure their own reproductive rights, including her college-age daughter.

She said the Latinx community faces additional reproductive care barriers such as language and transportation, with immigrants in the country without legal authorization scared to cross state lines without a drivers license.

Santillan said theres a misconception that all Latinos are against abortion because theyre Catholic, when in reality opposition to abortion skews among older voters.

With older folks, the messaging that weve tested that has worked is: We dont want politicians to have a say in what we do with our bodies, Santillan said.

Motivated voters in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania, with its 19 electoral votes, is the largest swing state and considered essential to win the White House.

In a poll conducted this month by Spotlight PA and MassINC Polling Group, abortion ranked as the fifth most-important concern in the presidential race for likely voters, with 49% naming it as among their top issues.

The issue is far more important to Democrats, however, with 85% calling it a top issue compared with 17% of Republicans. Among those who arent registered with either major party, 49% called it a top issue.

In 2022, voters surprised pundits by sending enough Democrats to the state House to flip it blue. Voters were responding to the Dobbs decision, Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro told Pennsylvania Capital-Star at a recent Harris campaign event.

Shapiro also won in 2022, and so far his administration has supported over-the-counter birth control pills and ended the states contract with a network of anti-abortion counseling centers. He said his administration would not defend a state law that prohibits state Medicaid funding from being used for abortions.

Abortion isnt protected under Pennsylvanias state constitution, but it remains legal up to 24 weeks gestation, and clinics there have seen an influx of out-of-state patients.

Wisconsin abortion services resume

After more than a year without abortion access, reproductive health clinics in Wisconsin resumed abortion services in September 2023, shortly after a judge ruled that the 1849 state law that had widely been interpreted as an abortion ban applied to feticide and not abortion. A state Supreme Court race a few months earlier saw Justice Janet Protasiewicz win in a landslide after campaigning on reproductive freedom.

Seven months later when Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Gallagher announced his resignation, Lyerly threw her hat in the ring, running as the only Democrat in the 8th District. She now faces businessman Tony Wied. Although in the past it was considered a swing district, it has leaned conservative in recent election cycles. With the redrawn maps and national support, Lyerly said its a competitive race.

We have the potential to really fix, not just reproductive health care, but health care, Lyerly told States Newsroom. Bring the stories of our patients forward and help our colleagues understand, build those coalitions and help to gain consensus thats going to drive forward health care reform in this country.

Wieds campaign website does not mention abortion or his policy proposals related to health care, although the words Trump-endorsed appear prominently and abundantly throughout the site. Wied hasnt said much about abortion beyond that it should be a state issue.

The only OB-GYNs who serve in Congress oppose abortion. If Lyerly wins in November, she would not only change that (potentially alongside Minnesota Sen. Kelly Morrison) but also could help flip party control in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Most Wisconsin voters oppose criminalizing abortion before fetal viability, according to a poll this year by the University of Marylands Program for Public Consultation.

Patricia McFarland, 76, knows what its like to live without abortion access. For more than 50 years, the retired college teacher kept her pre-Roe abortion a secret, having grown up in a conservative Irish Catholic family like many of her suburban Milwaukee neighbors.

McFarland told States Newsroom she has been politically active most of her life, but the Dobbs ruling dredged up the physical and emotional trauma from the illegal procedure she had alone in Mexico City. Now, McFarland rarely leaves home without her Roe Roe Roe Your Vote button, engaging anyone who will talk to her about the dangers of criminalizing pregnancy.

The mother and grandmother said shes been canvassing and doing informational sessions with her activist group the PERSISTers, as well as the League of Women Voters. As she has warned fellow Wisconsities about the federal power over their reproductive freedom, she said the enthusiasm for abortion rights in her state is palpable.

For women my age, McFarland said, we dont want our grandchildren to lose their ability to decide when to become a mother.

Georgia Recorders Jill Nolin contributed to this report.

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In Acapulco and across Mexico, violence poses huge test for new president

A member of the National Guard at the police headquarters in Acapulco (ALFREDO ESTRELLA) (ALFREDO ESTRELLA/AFP/AFP)

Gunfire, murders and threats -- insecurity is part of everyday life across much of Mexico and one of the main challenges awaiting Claudia Sheinbaum when she becomes president on Tuesday.

A shooting this month in the Pacific resort city of Acapulco left two people wounded in a seafront bar. In late August, a human head was thrown in front of the establishment.

When contacted about the incident, a bar manager cut the questioner short.

Locals speculated that he had refused to pay "rent" to one of two local gangs.

Farther back from the seafront, the El Progreso neighborhood is one of those most affected by violence in Acapulco.

A man was killed in a cobblers shop a few days ago, a resident said. "It's a daily occurrence," he added with a sigh.

"Six murders in Acapulco" was the headline in the newspaper El Sur on September 10.

"That's a total of 26 crimes this month, presumably linked to organized crime," the local newspaper said, without naming the two rival gangs involved in extortion and drugs.

Acapulco, once a playground for the rich and famous, has lost its luster over the last decade as foreign tourists have been spooked by bloodshed that has made it one of the world's most violent cities.

The insecurity is hardly unique to the city in the southern state of Guerrero.

Spiraling criminal violence, much of it linked to drug trafficking and gangs, has seen more than 450,000 people murdered in the Latin American nation since 2006.

But in the heart of El Progreso, the mood on a recent day was one of celebration at the municipal police headquarters.

Under a blazing sun, Mayor Abelina Lopez Rodriguez handed out new uniforms to officers.

Giving a speech, she made no mention of violence, preferring to talk about year-end bonuses instead.

"Acapulco is a paradise," she told AFP.

"We must continue working to create better opportunities for our police officers and for society," added Lopez Rodriguez, a lawyer by profession.

"Peace is built in hearts," she added.

Corruption comes from another level of government, her entourage explained off-camera.

"Of course" municipal police can be infiltrated by gangs, the new head of public security, Eduardo Bailleres Mendoza, told AFP.

He wants officers to undergo random drug testing "to prevent staff from also being victims of the use of toxic substances" -- and thus susceptible to the influence of organized crime.

A municipal police officer earns just 14,000 pesos ($710) per month, he said.

- Drones and bombs -

On the eve of the Independence Day holiday weekend in mid-September, hoteliers were optimistic.

Tourists will come, they said.

But when the area has been in the headlines recently, it has not been for good news.

In nearby Coyuca de Benitez, at the foot of the Sierra Madre mountain range, a candidate was murdered on the eve of June 2 municipal elections.

Some 150 kilometers (90 miles) north of Acapulco, the inhabitants of Santa Rosa de Lima said they are living under pressure from local cartel La Familia Michoacana.

The gang has been using drones against communities that resist extortion.

"On April 21, they lobbed bombs, more than 20. Several hectares of forest were burned," said Azucena Rosas Garcia, leader of the mountain community of San Antonio Texas.

She showed images that she said were recovered from the memory card of a downed drone. An investigation was opened months later.

Suddenly, as she spoke, armed men drove by in a red pickup truck.

They were self-defense militias, explained Victor Espino, a local community leader who said that he himself was arrested by the police in possession of a weapon.

"When it suits them, the law exists. When it doesn't suit them, they don't apply it," the avocado farmer said.

"They don't defend us, nor let us defend ourselves," he added.

Nearly 200,000 people have been murdered in six years under outgoing President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, who prioritized tackling the root causes of crime -- a strategy he calls "hugs, not bullets."

President-elect Sheinbaum, who comes from the same left-wing party, has pledged to continue that approach while improving coordination between security forces and state prosecutors.

In the northwestern state of Sinaloa, cartel infighting has left dozens of people dead in recent weeks, underscoring the magnitude of the task facing Sheinbaum.

st/dr/bbk
Achievement First Linden Middle School in Brooklyn celebrates opening of new building

Achievement First Linden Middle School in Brooklyn celebrates opening of new building

BROOKLYN, N.Y. (PIX11)  Achievement First Linden Middle School in Brooklyn celebrated the grand opening of its new, state-of-the-art building on Friday.

The spacious four-story facility provides a much-needed upgrade for the schools 343 students in grades 5-8, addressing overcrowding issues and offering modern amenities.

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The new building on Pitkin Avenue features a gym, dance room, and science labs, giving students ample space to learn and grow. Sixth grader Rochelle Abbott shared her excitement about the move, noting that the previous building was very crowded.

There was fifth grade and sixth grade on one side and seventh and eighth grade on the other side, Abbott said. I think its really good now that we have more space, and we have four floors and there are more bathrooms.

Principal Stephanie Blieka emphasized the importance of the new building in addressing the challenges faced in the previous location. Our relationship with our other schools in the building was fantastic, but its really challenging to compete for space, Blieka said.

The move brings significant improvements for students and staff, including more space for learning and improved facilities. We went from one singular hallway to five floors where kids can actually transition and not stay in the same classroom all day long, Blieka said.

Students like Abbott are already enjoying the benefits of the new building. Its just bigger and better than the old one, Abbott said.

For more information, click here.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PIX11.
AUSTIN (KXAN)  The Austin Police Department arrested a 41-year-old man in connection with a January 2020 assault that led to the victims death two years later, an arrest warrant affidavit said.

Court records identified that man as Justin Maurice Agnew.

KXAN has reached out to Agnews attorney. We will update this story if a statement is received.

The assault happened on Sabine Street in downtown Austin on Jan. 31, 2020 shortly after 2 a.m., court documents said. Agnew allegedly assaulted Rene Luevano as he was leaving a bar near Sabine Street.

Justin Agnew, 41 (Courtesy Austin Police Department)

Witnesses told investigators Agnew and Luevano were regulars at the bar. As both men talked throughout the night, witnesses said the conversation between them became increasingly heated, according to the affidavit. One witness said Agnew took a swing at Luevano, and he was kicked out of the bar.

However, whenever Luevano walked out of the bar, another witness with him said Agnew punched Luevano, which knocked him out cold, court documents said. Agnew then stomped him on the head before he ran away from the area, according to the affidavit.

Luevano was hospitalized after the assault happened and was diagnosed with a fractured skull, among other injuries, court records said. He began experiencing seizures months after the assault, and medical records indicated Luevano cited his seizures happened only after he was assaulted by Agnew, according to the affidavit.

Luevano lived with a family member in El Paso shortly after his assault in Austin, and court records said he eventually moved to Chicago, Illinois.

On May 3, 2022, the Chicago Police Department responded to an emergency call at a residence Luevano lived at in Chicago. Officers found him unconscious on the couch, and he was pronounced dead at the hospital, according to the affidavit.

An examination performed by the Cook County Medical Examiners Office concluded in March 2023 that Luevanos cause of death was complications of multiple remote craniocerebral injuries due to assault, court records said. Additionally, the examination said Luevano developed seizures after a traumatic brain jury and classified his death as a homicide, according to the affidavit.

The investigation with APD continued until Agnew was arrested and booked into the Travis County Jail on a manslaughter charge on Sept. 23. He bonded out on Sept. 24, according to jail records.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KXAN Austin.
On September 26, 2024, the U.S. Air Forces last KC-10 Extender took off from Travis Air Force Base, California, for long-term storage at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona. In a farewell ceremony to the aircraft, Travis AFB and Air Mobility Command marked the end of the aircrafts over 40 years of service. Travis AFB will have the honor of bidding farewell to an aircraft that has been a vital component of the U.S. militarys global reach and power projection capabilities for more than four decades, AMC said in a statement.

The crew make their way to the aircraft for the KC-10s farewell flight (U.S. Air Force)

The KC-10 first entered service in March 1981. Based on the McDonnell Douglas DC-10 airliner, the Extender features a visually-distinct triple-engine layout. Developed from the Advanced Tanker Cargo Aircraft Program, the KC-10 was tasked with both aerial refueling and transport duties throughout its service. Developed to supplement the Boeing 707-based KC-135 Stratotanker, 60 KC-10s were produced for the U.S. Air Force.

A KC-10 refuels another Extender (U.S. Air Force)

Notably, the DC-10 competed against Boeings 747 to become a military tanker/transport. The DC-10s ability to operate from shorter runways was a major factor in its selection. Although the KC-10 features military-specific equipment to support its refueling and transport duties, the aircraft shares 88% commonality with the commercial variant. This allowed the Air Force to operate the Extender at a lower cost and opened up a worldwide market of support systems.

051024-N-5088T-001 Persian Gulf (Oct. 24, 2005)  A F-14D Tomcat, assigned to the Blacklions of Fighter Squadron Two One Three (VF-213), prepares to refuel from a U.S. Air Force KC-10 Extender, assigned to the 60th Air Mobility Wing, during a mission over the Persian Gulf region. Two F/A-18C Hornets, assigned to the Golden Warriors of Strike Fighter Squadron Eight Seven (VFA-87), also wait their turn for aerial fueling. VF-213 and VFA-87 are assigned to Carrier Air Wing Eight (CVW-8), currently embarked aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71). U.S. Navy photo by Lt.j.g. Scott Timmester (RELEASED) Lt.j.g. Scott Timmester

In 1986, the KC-10 performed its first combat operations supporting airstrikes against Libya during Operation El Dorado Canyon. Five years later, the Extender played a vital role in the air campaigns of Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. Along with the KC-135, the KC-10 conducted over 51,000 separate refueling operations and delivered 125 million gallons of fuel; not a single scheduled rendezvous was missed. Moreover, thousands of troops and thousands of tons of cargo were delivered in support of the massive coalition buildup.

A KC-10 refuels a B-52 Stratofortress bomber (U.S. Air Force)

Following the terror attacks on September 11, 2001, KC-10s flew more than 350 missions over the U.S. in support of Operation Noble Eagle. During the Global War on Terror, KC-10s flew over 1,390 missions in support of Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom refueling both U.S. and allied Coalition aircraft. As the Boeing 767-based KC-46 Pegasus neared introduction, the first KC-10 was retired in July 2020. The next year, while KC-10 squadrons began converting to the KC-46, Extenders played a vital role in the evacuation of Afghanistan under Operation Allies Refuge.

The last KC-10 takes off from Travis AFB (U.S. Air Force)

With the 60 KC-10s retired, the Air Forces aerial refueling fleet now consists of nearly 80 KC-46s and over 370 KC-135s. As of its retirement, three examples of the Extender are on static display: aircraft 79-0433, the first to be produced, is at the Air Mobility Command Museum at Dover Air Force Base, Delaware; aircraft 84-0185 is at the March Field Air Museum at March Air Reserve Base, California; and aircraft 84-0191 is at the National Museum of the United States Air Force in Dayton, Ohio.
Alaska Supreme Court Justice Jude Pate, right, asks a question during oral arguments in a case concerning correspondence education allotments, on June 27, 2024, in the Boney Courthouse in Anchorage. (Photo by Andrew Kitchenman/Alaska Beacon)

Alaska Supreme Court Justice Jude Pate, right, asks a question during oral arguments in a case concerning correspondence education allotments, on June 27, 2024, in the Boney Courthouse in Anchorage. (Photo by Andrew Kitchenman/Alaska Beacon)

In a first-of-its-kind ruling, the Alaska Supreme Court said Friday that the COVID-19 pandemic does not qualify as physical loss or damage under common commercial insurance policies.

The decision likely means that insurance companies will not have to pay most claims related to business losses caused by COVID-19.

The ruling came in response to an unusual certified question request from Alaskas U.S. District Court. All 49 other state supreme courts have considered similar questions about COVID-19 liability, but until Friday, Alaskas had not.

Even with our insured-friendly approach to interpreting insurance contracts, we conclude that neither the presence of the COVID-19 virus at an insured property nor operating restrictions imposed on an insured property by COVID-19 pandemic-related governmental orders is direct physical loss of or damage to property. Direct physical loss of or damage to property requires a tangible or material alteration of property, wrote Justice Susan Carney on behalf of the court.

The courts decision, rendered unanimously, has major financial implications: If the court had decided differently, the ruling could have allowed businesses to collect millions of dollars from their insurance policies to cover the costs of COVID-mandated closures and health restrictions.

In an amicus brief, the American Property Casualty Insurance Association said insurance premiums would rise as a result if insurers were required to pay out more.

The Supreme Court was asked to rule after Baxter Senior Living filed suit two years ago against its insurance company, Zurich American.

Baxter operates a senior home in Anchorage and spent money to enact anti-COVID procedures that also limited its operations. Local anti-COVID rules also restricted its operations. The company filed a claim in 2020 with Zurich American, but the company denied the claim.

At the time, Zurich American said Baxters policy covered direct physical loss of or damage to property, and it argued that (n)either the mere presence of the COVID-19 virus  or any generalized threat from its presence constitutes the direct physical loss of or damage to Baxters property under the policy.

Baxter challenged the denial in state court, and the insurer moved the case to federal court, which then asked the Alaska Supreme Court to decide whether the presence of COVID-19 constitutes direct physical loss or damage to property, and whether governmental orders pertaining to COVID-19 also constitute that loss or damage.

Our answer to both questions is no, Carney wrote in Fridays published order.

Explaining at length, the order says that meeting the policys standard language requires a physical alteration of property, and COVID-19s presence on a surface doesnt alter its property.

An analogy between the COVID-19 virus and water illustrates this point, Carney wrote in Fridays order. COVID-19 is to property what water is to a plastic sheet: water does nothing to a plastic sheet but at most, it stays on it or attaches to it. But water transforms, alters, or changes the state of dry paper into a wet mush or makes it much easier to tear.

We conclude that direct physical damage requires physical alteration of property. But because COVID-19 does not physically alter property and merely attaches to it, the presence of COVID-19 on property does not constitute direct physical damage.

Fridays order marked the first time since 2021 that the court had been asked to consider a certified question from the states federal court.

With the question resolved, the case returns to federal court for further proceedings.

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A long commercial strip in Queens, New York City, has become such a hotbed for open-air prostitution that when police raided a brothel there last week, the same cathouse was open for business again within 24 hours, an astonishing Fox News Digital video shows.

Fox News Digital visited the seedy strip of Roosevelt Avenue in Queens  part of which encompasses Democratic Squad Member Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortezs district  to report on the law-breaking behavior in the area and was conducting an interview outside the nearby brothel when an alleged sex worker and her client walked out of the building.

The building, a former beauty salon, appears closed due to metal shutter doors covering the storefront, but a makeshift door has been cut out of it. Two CCTV cameras are stationed overhead.

Aoc's 'Red Light' District Overrun With Prostitutes As Locals Call Out Mia 'Squad' Member

An alleged sex worker walks out of a brothel, left, a sex worker in AOC's district texting.

The woman, wearing tight gym shorts and a black top, briefly looks at the Fox News Digital camera and then makes a dash towards Roosevelt Avenue with her young client fixing himself and then following closely behind her.

The woman in the video was allegedly later seen soliciting sex along with other women around the corner from the Case Street brothel. The alleged sex workers are understood to pick up clients on the busy street and then take them to the brothel around the corner, which leads into a residential neighborhood.

Read On The Fox News App

The NYPD confirmed that three arrests were made during the Sept. 18 raid on the building. It is unclear why it wasnt immediately padlocked.

The woman, second from the left, was seen allegedly soliciting sex with other sex workers around the corner from the Case Street brothel.

The Queens District Attorneys Office tells Fox News Digital it is in the process of shutting the brothel down and says it understands that the NYPD is separately seeking a "parallel nuisance abatement order against the establishment."

Ramses Frias, a local resident turned activist who was being interviewed as the pair walked out, said he was not surprised that the building was operational again, given that the alleged sex workers advertise their bodies in the open during all hours of the day and night with few repercussions.

"This area has been run rampant with prostitution, especially on this corner," Frias said. "This block itself, it's just been out of control and the lawlessness continues to happen. This [raid] was done yesterday and as you can see, it looks like it's still operational."

Aoc District Neighborhood Labeled 'Third World' As Migrants Clog Streets And Prostitutes Overrun Every Block

WATCH: NEW YORK CITY STREET LINED WITH ALLEGED PROSTITUTES SOLICITING SEX

Known to locals as the "Avenue of the Sweethearts," residents say the prostitution situation reminds them of the red-light district streets of Bangkok. Additionally, illegal vendors also overrun the sidewalks cooking hot food or selling used clothes "third world" conditions.

On one block along Roosevelt Avenue, Fox News Digital cameras recorded a line of no less than 19 alleged sex workers on the sidewalk. Around the corner, there were at least seven more, and a woman on the next block was witnessed soliciting sex for $60.

Frias says that the alleged prostitutes and their pimps continue to flout the law with little repercussions, while many elected leaders do nothing to stop the lawlessness.

Prostitution is illegal in New York.

In January, the NYPD raided six establishments in the area allegedly engaged in prostitution, which were issued closing orders.

The raid was well publicized, with embattled New York City Mayor Eric Adams and local Democratic City Council member Francisco Moya present. However, the Queens District Attorney's Office confirmed that no arrests were made, saying it was strictly carried out to serve court closure orders of nuisance abatement over which the NYPD has jurisdiction.

Curtis Sliwa, founder of the Guardian Angels and a Republican candidate for mayor, slammed it as a "show raid" and said there were no arrests.

"They didn't arrest the johns, prostitutes, madams; they never went after the landlords, and they were back in business the next day," said Sliwa, who joined Fox News Digital and Frias on a walking tour of the area. "This would never be tolerated in Manhattan. They tolerate it because it's  a poor and impoverished area in the eyes of many New Yorkers, but that doesn't give you a reason to allow this to exist."

Alleged rostitutes line Roosevelt Avenue in Queens.





Original article source: Alleged sex worker and john exit NYC brothel 24 hours after police raid it: video
Almost 40 civilians from three oblasts sustain injuries in Russian attacks over past day

A total of 38 civilians, including two children, have sustained injuries in Russian attacks on Kherson, Kharkiv and Donetsk oblasts over the past 24 hours. Moreover, one person has been killed.

Source: Donetsk Oblast Military Administration; Kharkiv Oblast Military Administration; Kherson Oblast Military Administration

Details: Russian forces killed one resident of Donetsk Oblast on 27 September in the village of Nove.

Seven people were wounded in Dobropillia, four in Kostiantynivka, two in Sloviansk and one in Myrnohrad, bringing the total number of those who sustained injuries in Donetsk Oblast to 14.

Donetsk Oblast Prosecutors Office added that Russian troops had hit high-rise buildings and houses in Dobropillia, where men aged 30 to 79 and women aged 72 and 65 were injured in their own homes.

Russian attacks injured three people in the city of Kharkiv and Kharkiv Oblast on 27 September.

However, a house was damaged in a Russian attack on the village of Novoosynove at 05:20 on 28 September. A 68-year-old man and a 68-year-old woman sustained injuries.

A total of 19 people, including two children, were wounded in Kherson Oblast over the past day.

The Russians struck critical infrastructure facilities, an administrative building, educational institutions, a shop, residential areas, two high-rise buildings and 63 houses.

In addition, Russian forces hit outbuildings, agricultural machinery and cars.

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Nearly one in two British Airways flights have been delayed this year because of disruption linked to a staffing crisis at UK air traffic control.

The flag carrier said 42pc of services had been hit by interventions from Britains air traffic control provider NATS so far in 2024, a sharp rise from the 24pc recorded in 2019, the most recent year to see a similar number of flights.

The level of disruption is significantly higher than that suffered by rivals Air France, Lufthansa and KLM, the airline said.



BA revealed the extent of the upheaval in a message to staff explaining how heavy downpours on Thursday had led to turmoil after NATS, formerly known as National Air Traffic Services, failed to cope with the situation.

The carrier said that it had secured an extension to operations at Heathrow in order to ensure that passengers were still able to get away, only for many of its aircraft to be denied timely clearance to depart.



It said: The primary driver of this was air traffic delays to departing flights, which left us with no choice but to cancel those flights at late notice. This was incredibly frustrating for us and tough on our customers.



BA said in the message, obtained by The Telegraph, that the disruption amounted to one of the toughest days we and our customers have faced for many months.



It added that the upheaval marked the culmination of a difficult summer and said it was working with NATS to boost resilience.



The airline said that 16 of its short-haul flights were cancelled at Heathrow on Thursday, while 73 services suffered delays of 30 minutes or more, of which 17 were held up for at least an hour.



Across all of Heathrows airlines, some 103 flights were listed as behind schedule at the height of the disruption, the airline said. A further 19 cancellations were anticipated at BA on Friday.

British Airways comments mark an escalation in the crisis surrounding NATS, which has previously been attacked by discount airlines while avoiding direct criticism from Britains dominant long-haul operator.



BA is becoming increasingly exasperated with the situation because it has poured 106m into bolstering resilience at Heathrow and hired 600 extra operational staff.



Ryanair boss Michael OLeary has repeatedly called on NATS chief executive Martin Rolfe to quit since staff shortages at the air navigation provider during last years August bank holiday forced the carrier to cancel 370 flights at a cost of $25m (18.7m).



EasyJet joined in the criticism earlier this month, with boss Johan Lundgren demanding that the NATS board sack Rolfe for downplaying problems at the company and providing misleading information about disruption.

NATS chairman Warren East said at the time he was confident Mr Rolfe had done everything possible to address the issues. The company has struggled to recruit and train sufficient staff to make up for shortages.



NATS, which manages airspace over the UK and eastern Atlantic, as well as at a number of airports, is a public-private partnership owned by the Government, pension funds and a group of airlines including BA and easyJet.



BA said disruption to its schedules has been compounded by delays to the delivery of engines and parts for its Boeing 787 wide-body jets from Rolls-Royce.



The issues around the Trent 1000 engines have led the carrier to cancel 11 roundtrip services normally flown by 787s between July and the end of September, with further flights set to be stood down before the end of the year.

BA said in the memo to staff that its working with Rolls to ensure the supplier understands the impact of the cancellations on customers and to seek reassurance of a prompt and reliable solution.

A NATS spokesman said: Thursdays weather was, as everyone knows, shocking and so there were weather-related air traffic control regulations in place.

These temporary restrictions are only ever applied to maintain safety. Our chief operating officer met with British Airways and Heathrow on Monday and we have all committed to do an open book data analysis to mutually understand how our operations can work together to minimise disruption during challenging operational days.

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HONOLULU (KHON2)  The Aloha Festivals celebration wraps up this weekend with the 76th annual floral parade, featuring a vibrant procession of intricate floats making their way through Waikiki.

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Chris Latronic from WakeUp2Day went live from Pier 23 to give viewers a sneak preview of the floats and share details about the parade. He spoke with Tyler Gomes, Chief Administrator of Kilohana by CNHA, who discussed the organizations involvement in the festivities and their first float in the parade.

Hawaii Pacific University hosts Go Baby Go event to support local keiki

Monte McComber, Aloha Festivals Board Member and Cultural Director of the Royal Hawaiian Center, shared insights about this years event and the various materials used to create each float. The theme for this years parade, Aa I Ka Hula Dare to Dance, celebrates the resilience and dedication of ancestors and kumu hula in preserving the art of hula.

Bacon made from flowers? Its mind-blowing

Its a celebration of the art of hula and its importance in our cultural heritage, said Makana McClellan, Aloha Festivals Parade Chair. Mahealani Mika, Creative Director and Producer of Na Lei Aloha, also highlighted their involvement in the parade, including their debut float.

Hawaii town ranks 95 out of 100 for this. Do you agree?

KHON2 will broadcast the 76th annual Aloha Festivals Floral Parade live on Saturday, September 28, 2024, from 10 AM to 12 PM.

Download the free KHON2 app for iOS or Android to stay informed on the latest news

The parade will also be available for viewing on KHII and KHON2.com, with rebroadcasts on KHII on September 29 and on KHON2 on October 4.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KHON2.
In a newly released statement, President Joe Biden said he is deeply saddened by the loss of life and devastation caused by Hurricane Helene.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

Pres. Biden said he and Vice President Kamala Harris will remain focused on life-saving and life-sustaining response and recovery efforts.

I am being regularly briefed by my team on the ongoing response efforts, and my Administration is in constant contact with state and local officials to ensure communities have the support and resources they need, Biden said.

According to The White House, FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell will travel throughout the southeast to assess the damage alongside other state and local officials.

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While the recovery may be long, Pres. Biden said his administration will be with you every step of the way.

Were not going to walk away. Were not going to give up. As we turn toward recovery efforts, we will make certain that no resource is spared to ensure that families, businesses, schools, hospitals, and entire communities can quickly begin their road to rebuilding, the president said.

Biden said he and First Lady Jill Biden are praying for those who lost loved ones and those whose homes, businesses and communities were impacted by the hurricane.

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PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD)  Lending a helping hand for those in need.

Right now, the deadly Hurricane Helene is flooding the southeast with homes being destroyed and widespread power outages.

Ameren Illinois and Ameren Missouri are standing by in case they are requested for what is called Mutual Assistance.

What is Mutual Assistance?

Mutual Assistance is a process including a power company requesting resources and workers from Ameren, and Ameren assessing if they have the resources and workers needed.

If these are available, Ameren would send what is needed down to the southeast.

What workers do during inclement weather

Brian Bretsch, a spokesman for Ameren Illinois, shares what crews face when traveling to sites with inclement weather.

We will meet immediately with the host utility just to get a scope of the job at hand, he said. Normally, when they request, they will ask for crews anywhere from from 3 to 7 days. We will always tell our folks to pack enough clothes for at least a week of work.

Bretsch said those who are sent to assist in hurricane relief would not be taken from sites in Illinois that are in need or are being worked on.

If we have weather in our area like were having today, and weve had some higher winds down south, we will not send crews from those areas, he said. We want to make sure that our customers understand that they are our first priorities.

As of right now, the American Red Cross has eight volunteers from the Illinois region, two of those from central Illinois, who are deployed or are standing by to deploy in northern Florida to assist in hurricane relief efforts.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to CIProud.com.
Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu hold signs as he addresses the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Friday, Sept. 27, 2024. | Pamela Smith

Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu in a heated speech Friday to the United Nations General Assembly said Israel seeks peace but will continue to defend itself against its enemies.

His address comes nearly one year after the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks in Israel by Hamas that killed more than 1,200 people, including 45 Americans. Another 239 people were taken hostage that day.

I want to assure you, we will not rest until the remaining hostages are brought home too, Netanyahu said.

Netanyahu spoke about the expanding war and accused the United Nations of antisemitism. He also spoke about his idea of what the Middle East could be with the right alliances.

Here are four things he spoke about.

1. The war is expanding on all fronts, Netanyahu says

The Israeli prime minister said his country is defending itself on six different war fronts, organized by Iran. Shiite militias in Syria and Iraq are targeting Israelis, and Houthis in Yemen are launching drones and strikes, including the one on Thursday aimed at Tel Aviv, Netanyahu said.

And last April, for the first time ever, Iran directly attacked Israel from its own territory, he said, referring to when Iran fired drones, cruise missiles and 120 ballistic missiles toward Israel.

I have a message for the tyrants of Tehran: If you strike us, we will strike you, he said. There is no place  there is no place in Iran  that the long arm of Israel cannot reach. And thats true for the Middle East.

His comments come on the same day the Israeli Defense Forces targeted Hezbollah leader Hassan Hasrallah in a strike.

The Pentagon said it is still assessing the strike and will determine whether the attack was an escalation of war, The Jerusalem Post reported.

Hezbollah in Lebanon turned vibrant towns in the north of Israel into ghost towns, Netanyahu said. So I want you to think about this in equivalent American terms. Just imagine if terrorists turned El Paso and San Diego into ghost towns.

Netanyahu continued, How long would the American government tolerate that? A day, a week, a month? I doubt they would tolerate it even for a single day. Yet Israel has been tolerating this intolerable situation for nearly a year.

2. Netanyahu blasted the United Nations over antisemitism

Netanyahu called on the U.N. Security Council to reinstate sanctions against Iran in its upcoming deliberations.

For decades, Ive been warning the world against Irans nuclear program, he said. Our actions delayed this program by perhaps a decade, but we havent stopped it.

He criticized the U.N. for singling out Israel while siding with Palestinians, calling the rhetoric within the U.N. a swamp of antisemitic bile.

Since 2014, this body condemned Israel 174 times, he said. Meanwhile, all other counties were condemned 73 times. What hypocrisy. What a double standard. What a joke, Netanyahu added.

3. Hamas has to be defeated, Netanyahu says

Netanyahu said the Israeli Defense Force has killed or captured more than half of these terrorists, destroyed over 90% of their rocket arsenal, and eliminated the key segments of their terror tunnel network. He reiterated the focus remains on bringing back the hostages.

Still, the fight against Hamas needs to be a total victory and there are no substitutes, he said, adding, If Hamas stays in power, it will regroup, rearm and attack Israel again and again and again, as it has vowed to do.

The terrorist group steals food sent into Gaza, and upcharges people for it to fund its operations and stay in power, he said. Netanyahu advocated for a demilitarized and de-radicalized Gaza.

We see this moral confusion when Israel is falsely accused of deliberately targeting civilians, he said.

The Israeli president said his forces do a lot to minimize civilian casualties, despite Hamas using them as human shields. According to the Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza, the death toll is more than 41,000.

We drop flyers. We send text messages. We make phone calls by the millions to ensure that Palestinian civilians get out of harms way. We spare no effort in this noble pursuit.

4. Netanyahus path to peace

Netanyahu proposed the idea of a new Middle East without the threats of terrorism, and noted that the Abraham Accords, an agreement between the United Arab Emirates and Israel, paved the path for this idea four years ago. But the work must continue, Netanyahu said.

Above all, this means achieving a historic peace agreement between Israel and Saudi Arabia, he said. It would help transform the Middle East into a global juggernaut.

He added, It would usher in a historic reconciliation between the Arab world and Israel, between Islam and Judaism, between Mecca and Jerusalem.
Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the General Assembly of the United Nations in New York on Friday, just before giving the go-ahead for the air strikes that killed Hassan Nasrallah - Eduardo Munoz/Reuters

Benjamin Netanyahu has long spoken of achieving a decisive victory against Israels enemies.

It is a phrase that has been dismissed in Washington and by Yoav Gallant, the prime ministers own defence minister.

But following the assassination of Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah, the hawks within Israel are celebrating  and even Mr Netanyahus critics are wondering if a decisive blow has been struck against the terrorist group.

Yoav Gallant, the Israeli defence minister, pictured in the war room where Israeli commanders directed the strikes that killed Nasrallah on Friday, has been among those sceptical of talk of decisive victory - Israeli Defense Forces/Anadolu via Getty Images

Could the violent series of strikes by Israel reshape the countrys position in the Middle East, pushing Irans proxy forces back from the border and seeing Tehran shy away from conflict?

Israels hawks have long argued that only such bombastic military action can protect Israel.

They see a world where Hezbollah and Hamas are degraded to the point they pose no threat to Israel. And one in which Iran is sufficiently cowed that it stops funding its so-called axis of resistance for fear of inviting Israeli strikes on its ports and fragile water infrastructure.

That world remains a long way away, even though Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Iranian supreme leader, has reacted to the carnage wrought upon Hezbollah by Israel in recent days without the blood-curdling threats of old.

Hassan Nasrallah was mourned by protesters on the streets of Tehran yesterday, but Irans leaders have held back from threats following his death - Atta Kenare/AFP via Getty Images

In his speech on Saturday, he merely called on Muslims to stand up to the Zionists and insisted, despite growing evidence to the contrary, that Hezbollah is far too strong for the Israeli army to damage in any meaningful way.

His call for the 57 countries of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation to come together and hold an emergency meeting on the Zionist threat is also unlikely to immediately concern Israels generals.

What seems clear is that Iran has miscalculated badly. Its strategy of surrounding Israel with a so-called ring of fire - proxy groups in Gaza, Yemen, Iraq, Syria and Lebanon - has been directly challenged, and, so far, Tehran has not hit back.

There are limits, it seems, to relying on militias in bankrupt states, with only varying levels of capability.

Israeli tanks gathering by the Lebanon border on Saturday. Military leaders have said the killing of Nasrallah will not be the end of their action - Ilia Yefimovich/DPA/Cover Images

According to reports, Hezbollah last week asked Iran to respond to Israel on its behalf, but was refused. Relations between the regions principal sponsor of terror and its terrorist proxies may be about to unravel, or so the hawks hope.

We have reestablished our deterrent after Oct. 7 when it seemed to our enemies it was lost, said Sima Shine, the director of the Iran and the Shiite Axis research programme at the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) in Tel Aviv.

Iran now has a huge problem. Everyone in the regime is in shock. They have no option but to recalibrate.

Iran and its proxies understand now Israel is not in the mood for an attack from anyone any more and that if it comes, there will be consequences.

Onlookers view the destruction caused in the southern suburbs of Beirut by the Israeli air strikes on Saturday - Hussein Malla/AP Photo

Israels strike on Hezbollahs nerve centre may have fundamentally altered Irans strategic ambitions in the region, added Avi Melamed, a former Israeli intelligence official.

He said: This incident offers the Lebanese  previously held hostage by Hezbollah  the chance to liberate themselves from Iranian influence, while also likely compelling Iran to reevaluate its plans for regional control.

No wonder then that Mr Netanyhus popularity ratings are once again approaching a historic high, the turning point being his first assassination of an Iranian general in Damascus in April.

Taking the fight to the enemy works for him because it distracts from the disaster that was Oct 7, notes Dahlia Scheindlin, the respected Israeli pollster .

All this will be hard to take for the doves  most notably Joe Biden and Antony Blinken, his secretary of state. But it would be dishonest not to give some credit to the hawks strategy.

Of course, the war is not over yet, and much could change in the coming days and months. Iran might, for example, choose to invest in its nuclear ambitions more heavily, now that its deterrent by proxy strategy appears to be hanging by a thread.

Israels defence establishment typically avoids Mr Netanyahus talk of decisive victory, operating more in shades of grey.

For example, the Israeli navy is over the moon about Friday nights much less publicised destruction of Hezbollahs land-to-sea missile capability, something it has feared for years, not just as a threat to its ships, but to Israels offshore gas production.

The defence establishment of course welcomes the destruction of Hezbollahs military capability. But this is not the same as its terror capacity. This is where the politicians and the generals differ, said one Israeli analyst.

The threats facing Israel have not disappeared but have been transformed added Orna Mizrahi, a retired lieutenant colonel now a Lebanon and Hezbollah specialist at INSS.

It is essential for Israel to understand these evolving threats in order to prepare effectively and to identify opportunities that offer strategic advantage.

There are few modern wars that have been settled decisively with brute force, with perhaps Sri Lankas terrible but decisive victory over the Tamil Tigers in 2009 being the most recent example.

Of course, the Wests misadventures in Iraq  where George W Bush got carried away with his own shock and awe and celebrated his own victory far too early  show the other side of the coin.

Following what were supposed to be overwhelming and, yes, decisive, interventions in Afghanistan and Iraq against the axis of evil, the US and its allies spent two decades fighting Islamic State and other terrorist insurgents.

Its something that British and American troops are still very much involved in to this day.

But Israels future need not follow the same path.

Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
The state Supreme Court ruled Friday that Robert F. Kennedy's name will stay on Wisconsin's presidential election ballot, dealing a significant blow to the former independent presidential candidate's effort to scrub his name from the battleground state's November ballot.

The Wisconsin Supreme Court dismissed Kennedy's lawsuit, which he filed in August against the Wisconsin Elections Commission in an effort to remove his name from the ballot or require clerks to place a sticker on each ballot to cover it up.

Kennedy, who has suspended his campaign and endorsed former President Donald Trump, has chosen to leave his name on the ballot in other states where votes cast for him are unlikely to change the outcome of the election.

The state's highest court last week agreed to bypass Wisconsin's appellate court and take up the case directly, noting plans to issue a decision "as expeditiously as possible" due to strict state and federal deadlines that Wisconsin's more than 1,800 local clerks must follow to mail absentee ballots out to voters. More than 425,000 absentee ballots had already been mailed or prepared to be mailed as of Thursday, according to the Wisconsin Elections Commission. More than 42,000 absentee ballots have already been returned to local clerks.

The push to remove Kennedy from the ballot comes after polling by the Marquette Law School found more Republicans than Democrats were considering voting for Kennedy  an outcome that could sink Trump's hopes in the battleground state given Wisconsin's notoriously close statewide elections.

President Joe Biden defeated Trump in Wisconsin in 2020 by fewer than 21,000 votes, while Trump won the state by less than 23,000 votes in 2016  the same year Green Party candidate Jill Stein secured more than 31,000 votes.

Dane County Circuit Judge Stephen Ehlke ruled last week that Kennedy's request to be removed from the ballot was simply too late. Party-affiliated candidates had until 5 p.m. Sept. 3 to certify their presidential nominee, while independent candidates like Kennedy only had until Aug. 6, the deadline to file nomination papers, to withdraw.

Attorneys for Kennedy argued in court filings the state's deadlines "hamstring independent candidates, while giving Democrats and Republicans a greater opportunity to disassociate from a candidate or for a candidate to dissociate from the campaign."

Ehlke also sided with the election commission's reading of state law that, once a candidate files nomination papers and a declaration of candidacy, the only way to be removed from the ballot is to die.

Wisconsin statute states, "Any person who files nomination papers and qualifies to appear on the ballot may not decline nomination. The name of that person shall appear upon the ballot except in case of death of the person."

"Kennedy is not asking for much," Kennedy's attorney wrote in court filings. "Hes seeking equal treatment under the law  thats it. That equal treatment cannot be washed away by simply ignoring his rights or adopting a 'once you declare, youre forever there' reading of the statute."
APD: One person dead after shooting at northeast Austin H-E-B

AUSTIN (KXAN)  One person is dead after a report of a shooting at a northeast Austin H-E-B that happened Friday, the Austin Police Department told KXAN.

Officers responded to a trespass call at the H-E-B at 500 Canyon Ridge Drive. While en route to the grocery store, multiple 911 calls came in referencing a shooting that happened, APD said during a media briefing Friday.

This embedded content is not available in your region.

When officers arrived around 3:47 p.m., they found a man with obvious signs of trauma, police said during the briefing. First responders attempted life saving measures on the man. He was then transported to the hospital by EMS where he was later pronounced dead at 6:20 p.m., according to police.

APD said during the briefing that homicide detectives were actively conducting an investigation, and a person was detained for questioning.

Austin Police are investigating after one person was shot at a northeast Austin H-E-B on Sept. 27, 2024. (KXAN Photo/Andy Way)

Austin Police are investigating after one person was shot at a northeast Austin H-E-B on Sept. 27, 2024. (KXAN Photo/Andy Way)

Austin Police are investigating after one person was shot at a northeast Austin H-E-B on Sept. 27, 2024. (KXAN Photo/Andy Way)

Austin Police are investigating after one person was shot at a northeast Austin H-E-B on Sept. 27, 2024. (KXAN Photo/Andy Way)

Police said this was not an active shooter incident, and there was no further threat to the public.

This is now being investigated as Austins 47th homicide, according to police. Anyone who has any details on the shooting can contact APDs homicide unit at 512-477-3588.

No other details were released Friday.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KXAN Austin.
Carol Lewis believes exposure to asbestos at the Port of Tilbury caused her husband's death [Leigh Day]

The widow of a dockyard worker has appealed to his former colleagues to support an investigation into his death.

Raymond Lewis died from mesothelioma, an asbestos-related cancer, having worked at the Port of Tilbury, in Essex, for 27 years.

His wife, Carol, said she was seeking witness evidence confirming the presence of asbestos in building roofs at the dockyard.

Mrs Lewis believed her 89-year-old husband's work as a sheeter for the Port of London Authority led to him dying of the disease in December 2023.

Mr Lewis died following a series of inconclusive tests regarding his ill health, and his true cause of death was only uncovered during a post-mortem examination.

He had worked on roof coverings and related fittings in his role at the dockyard from 1961 until 1988 and lived in Tilbury.

Mr Lewis worked at the Port of Tilbury between 1961 and 1988 [Forth Ports Group]

Leigh Day solicitors said it was representing Mrs Lewis in her appeal to find people who may have been aware of the presence of asbestos at the port, or who knew Mr Lewis.

"Raymond told his family how he sawed asbestos sheets to size for roofs of buildings at Tilbury Docks," personal injury solicitor Claire Spearpoint said.

"He passed before his diagnosis was confirmed and any evidence could be taken.

"We would like to speak to anyone who worked for the Port of London Authority at Tilbury between 1961 and 1988."

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ST. LOUIS  The Vatican has rejected an appeal from parishioners to save St. Lawrence Parish in Lawrence, Missouri. This final decision clears the way for the parish to consolidate with St. Agnes Parish in Bloomsdale.

The closure is part of the Archdiocese of St. Louiss All Things New initiative, which aims to merge or close several parishes. The archdiocese cited declining numbers of priests, lower Mass attendance, and a shift in the Catholic population in St. Louis as reasons for the decision.

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The Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce's signature annual event highlighted the Latino population's growing economic and political clout but also provided some sobering data on the high numbers of Latinos experiencing hunger or lack of access to nutritious food.

As the Latino population continues to grow, "that purchasing power is only going to get bigger, and we are going to keep the economy going," said Monica Villalobos, the president and CEO of the Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, during the DATOS event, held Thursday in front of a capacity crowd at the 2,200-seat Symphony Hall in downtown Phoenix.

The release of the chamber's yearly DATOS report coincides with National Hispanic Heritage Month, which spans Sept. 15 to Oct. 15. The report is intended to provide the community with data to help inform decisions about economic opportunity, education and health care.

One in three Arizonans are Latino, and one in four eligible voters are Latinos, Villalobos said.

Monica Villalobos, president and CEO of the Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, presents data at Phoenix Symphony Hall during the 28th annual DATOS event on Thursday, Sept. 26, 2024.

In metro Phoenix, Latinos make up an even greater share of the population  40%, Villalobos said.

According to Villalobos, within K-12 schools, nearly one in two students are Latino, and Latinos represent the future workforce of the state.

Gov. Katie Hobbs, who spoke at the event, praised the more than 100,000 Hispanic small businesses in major markets in Arizona.

Hispanic Heritage Month 2024: Ultimate guide to celebrating Latino culture in Arizona

"Small businesses are the backbone of our economy," said Hobbs, who highlighted that her administration recently relaunched the Greater Arizona Economic Authority to support small businesses. The authority has devoted $5 million to provide loans to micro businesses, Hobbs said.

This year's DATOS event also focused on the high numbers of Latinos who have faced food insecurity.

In 2022, following the pandemic, food insecurity rates among Latinos reached the highest levels since 2013, Villalobos said, citing national data. Villalobos said nearly 13% of Americans that year did not have access to quality, affordable food.

Latinos and Black people have the highest food insecurity rates of any race or ethnic group, according to a U.S. Department of Agriculture report included in the DATOS report. Food insecurity among Latinos and Black people was higher than white people in nine out of 10 U.S. counties, the report found.

In Arizona, the Latino food insecurity rate was higher than the overall rate in every county except Apache, Villalobos said.

"We need to ensure we continue to bring that number back down," Villalobos said.

Villalobos said the increase in food insecurity is concerning because it came as poverty levels among Latinos decreased and despite a significant amount of the food produced in America being wasted.

Villalobos implored the audience, made up of many of Arizona's movers and shakers, to take action.

"We want to make sure this is actionable for you," Villalobos said.

Reach the reporter at daniel.gonzalez@arizonarepublic.com.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce highlights Latino economic impact
Photo via Getty Images

Opponents of a ballot measure that would end partisan primaries in Arizona said a trial court judge misinterpreted state law when he ruled earlier this month that the proposals backers gathered enough signatures to qualify for the ballot  and said that, even if the signatures were short of the threshold needed, its too late to bar voters from considering the measure.

Partisan critics of Proposition 140, known as the Make Arizona Elections Fair Act, asked the Arizona Supreme Court to order that any votes for the measure should be ignored and not counted.

Backers of Prop. 140, meanwhile, told the states seven justices that there isnt a case at all, since the proposition is already on ballots that have been mailed to overseas and military voters, and will be sent to in-state early voters early next month.

The Make Elections Fair Arizona Act is on the ballot. Under long standing precedent, that means Plaintiffs lawsuit to keep the Initiative off the ballot is moot, and became moot a month ago, when ballots were printed, attorneys representing the committee said in a filing Friday.

The saga surrounding Prop. 140 has now extended more than a month past the ballot-printing deadline that has for decades served as a practical  though informal  deadline to resolve legal challenges to ballot measures. The situation was created by the Arizona Supreme Court, which sent a case challenging the signatures for the Make Elections Fair Act back to the trial court for further review just a day before that ballot-printing deadline.

The high court reasoned that Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Frank Moskowitz had wrongly excluded evidence that the partisan critics of Prop. 140 said proved nearly 40,000 voters had signed the initiative petitions twice, leaving it with too few signatures to make the ballot.

In the weeks after ballots were sent to the printer, with Prop. 140 on them, Moskowitz and the trial court evaluated those signatures, nearly all of which were, indeed, duplicates.

But Moskowitz ultimately ruled that the measure both qualified for the ballot and, even if it had fallen slightly short, there was no constitutional way to ignore votes for or against it. The judge said the opponents of Prop. 140 could only prevail if some of the signatures they submitted as evidence were counted  and declared invalid  twice. Some of the signatures had already been invalidated by county elections officials during the signature-verification process that every initiative measure goes through.

Moskowitz ruled that the double counting of invalid signatures would violate the state and U.S. constitutions, and it would unconstitutionally increase the threshold of signatures a ballot initiative needs from 15% to 15.2% of voters. Ballot initiatives are required by the Arizona Constitution to file signatures of at least 15% of the number of votes cast for governor during the last cycle in order to qualify for the ballot.

Moskowitz also ruled that an injunction against counting votes for Prop. 140 would be moot, considering the challenge has gone on well past the Aug. 23 deadline for ballots to be sent to the printer. Previous rulings cited by the proponents showed that, despite there being no statutory requirement to resolve challenges before the deadline, many courts have erred on making sure to promptly decide cases due to that deadline.

The judge further said the court has no authority to issue an injunction that would disallow votes from being counted if the initiative was found to be lacking the required amount of signatures, adding that the law that allowed for the signature challenge doesnt contemplate such a remedy.

Partisan opponents of the measure, led by the conservative Arizona Free Enterprise Club, quickly appealed to the Arizona Supreme Court. In a filing this week, they told the court that Moskowitz erred in his conclusion that eliminating petition signatures twice was unconstitutional.

[T]he Sixth and Ninth Circuits have upheld the constitutionality of Michigan and Oregons random-sampling verification laws, which provides further support that (the law) does not unreasonably hinder or restrict the right to initiative as a matter of Arizona law, attorneys representing Arizona House Speaker Ben Toma and Senate President Warren Petersen said in a brief filed with the court.

The attorneys for the lawmakers also contended that a threshold of 15.2% would not have overly burdened the committee in gathering signatures.

Other than the mathematical consequence of minimal double counting, which the Committee inflicted upon itself by submitting invalid signatures, the Committee provided no other evidence that (the law) inhibits or restricts the right to initiative, despite it being in operation for 34 years, the brief said. Its expert did not do any analysis about the actual practical burden on a committee to collect 15.2% versus 15%.

The Free Enterprise Club made similar arguments, and asked the Supreme Court court to reverse the ruling and enter an injunction barring counting of votes for Proposition 140.

To be sure, an injunction against the counting of ballots is a second-best remedy compared to not placing the proposition on the ballot in the first place, the AFEC attorneys said. But here, such an injunction is the only available remedy because the Superior Court unnecessarily delayed, and repeatedly committed reversible error, in resolving this case.

The group argues that the courts ruling of mootness is a way for it to insulate its decision from appellate review because there simply was no time left to correct its errors.

Meanwhile, the campaign backing Prop. 140 told the high court that, not only is the case moot, but the challengers can only prevail in their signature challenge by eliminating some voters signatures twice, which it says violates the states constitution by increasing the 15% threshold.

Regardless, the Court could not and should not countenance the remedy Plaintiffs seek: an order throwing out the votes Arizonans cast for the Initiative, the attorneys wrote. Plaintiffs call that remedy modest. Far from it. No Arizona court has ever ordered such a remedy, and this Court should not be the first.

Proponents also argued that applying Arizona law in the way the opponents are asking would violate the Equal Protection Clause of the United States constitution by giving greater weight to some signatures over others.

Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer also filed a brief in support of the proposition being on the ballot. A brief by Attorney General Kris Mayes took no position, but said that any future challenges must be completed by the start of the ballot-printing process.

Former Secretary of State and Republican state Sen. Ken Bennett and with former Maricopa County Recorder Helen Purcell filed a brief with the court that took no stance, but argued that the court should uphold the lower courts ruling and let the voters decide, saying that the ballot-printing deadline should have marked the end of the challenges.

The court is expected to issue a ruling on the case over the weekend.

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LITTLE ROCK, Ark.  While Arkansas is experiencing the remnants of Helene, some Arkansans experienced the brunt of the storm firsthand.

The wind and rain of Hurricane Helene hit Florida Thursday night where Ryan Rucker visited his family earlier this week.

Even in the room sometimes it sounded like someone was banging on the window because it was blowing so hard with it, Rucker said. You had to like brace yourself. If you werent paying attention it couldve knocked you over, definitely.

PHOTOS: Helene brings flooding, damage as storm barrels ahead

He ended up helping his mother get her out of her home and into a hotel room as the hurricane got closer to land, hoping her home and belongings would still be there the next day.

We tried to get everything up on the couches and beds, Rucker said.

When preparing for the storm, flooding was a main concern. Thankfully he said they havent seen too much of that where they are, but with damage like trees down and debris everywhere, theyve only been able to get about five miles away from their hotel.

Rucker said some members of his family dont have power.

I talked to my niece not too long ago and theyve been out for 17 hours now, Rucker said.

Arkansas Storm Team Blog: Helene to bring rain & wind to Arkansas Friday

Teena Johnson is vacationing in Fort Walton Beach, just west of where the storm really hit. While they werent in the direct path, she said they were ready to evacuate if needed.

We had a plan, that if we needed to leave, we could pack up and leave and come home, Johnson said.

Johnson and Rucker are safe but both said they feel for the thousands of people whose lives are forever changed.

Yeah were very lucky that no one in my family got hurt, Rucker said.

Hurricane Helene is unusual  but its not an example of the Fujiwhara Effect

Both will be heading back to Arkansas soon. This weekend theyre hoping theyll be able to make it back safely.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KARK.
(KRON)  A SWAT team found armor-piercing ammunition inside a Richmond mans home after the man allegedly threatened to carry out a mass shooting, police said.

The South San Francisco Police Department said the man threatened to target a victims workplace in South San Francisco.

Detectives worked diligently on the investigation as the suspect continued to make threats against the victim, the police department wrote.

CPS sued for death of 6-year-old Jordan Walker in San Jose

After a search warrant was granted, the North Central Regional SWAT Team entered the mans house.

(Photo courtesy South San Francisco Police Department)

During the search of the residence officers located armor piercing ammunition. The suspect was placed under arrest for violations of criminal threats, the police department wrote.

Police did not release the mans name. He was booked into a San Mateo County jail.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRON4.
Editors note: A version of this story appeared in CNNs Wonder Theory science newsletter. To get it in your inbox, sign up for free here.

Today, the lush, green valley surrounding the Tollense River in northeast Germany appears to be a serene place to appreciate nature.

But to archaeologists, the Tollense Valley is considered Europes oldest battlefield.

An amateur archaeologist first spotted a bone sticking out of the riverbank in 1996.

A series of ongoing site excavations since 2008 has shown that the thousands of bones and hundreds of weapons preserved by the valleys undisturbed environment were part of a large-scale battle 3,250 years ago.

The biggest mysteries that researchers aim to uncover are why the battle occurred and who fought in it. These are questions that they are now one step closer to answering.

A long time ago

Years of excavations in the Tollense Valley have uncovered evidence that the site was the scene of Europe's oldest battlefield 3,250 years ago. - S. Sauer

Dozens of bronze and flint arrowheads recovered from the Tollense Valley are revealing details about the able-bodied warriors who fought in the Bronze Age battle.

The research team analyzed and compared the arrowheads, some of which were still embedded in the remains of the fallen. While many of these weapons were locally produced, some bearing different shapes came from a region that now includes modern Bavaria and Moravia.

The outliers presence suggests that a southern army clashed with local tribes in the valley, and researchers suspect the conflict began at a key landmark along the river.

Back to the future

Scientists are harnessing the power of artificial intelligence to detect hidden archaeological sites buried below the sand of the sprawling Rub al-Khali desert.

The desert spans 250,000 square miles (650,000 square kilometers) on the Arabian Peninsula, and its name translates to the Empty Quarter in English. To unravel the secrets of the desolate terrain, researchers are combining machine learning with a satellite imagery technique that uses radio waves to spot objects that may be concealed beneath surfaces.

The technology will be tested in October when excavations assess whether predicted structures are present at the Saruq Al Hadid complex in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

Separately, an AI-assisted analysis uncovered a trove of ancient symbols in Perus Nazca Desert, nearly doubling the number of known geoglyphs, or stone and gravel arranged into giant shapes that depict animals, humans and geometric designs.

Across the universe

Black holes gobble up just about every celestial object that strays too close, but they also release jets of particles and radiation  and astronomers just observed the most gargantuan black hole jets ever seen.

The pair of jets span 23 million light-years in length, and they stream from a black hole in a distant galaxy 7.5 billion light-years from Earth. Researchers nicknamed the megastructure Porphyrion after a giant from Greek mythology.

We are talking about 140 Milky Way diameters in total, said Martijn Oei, a postdoctoral scholar at the California Institute of Technology. The Milky Way would be a little dot in these two giant eruptions.

The colossal scale of the jets is causing astronomers to rethink how the features can shape and affect the structure of the universe.

Once upon a planet

Thousands of years ago, Bronze Age people known as the Xiaohe lived in the now inhospitable Taklamakan Desert in northwest China  and they made their own cheese.

Researchers found pieces of 3,600-year-old cheese scattered on the heads and necks of mummies of the enigmatic desert dwellers, who buried their dead in unusual boat graves.

Arid conditions preserved not only the human remains but also the cheese, which allowed scientists to extract and sequence its DNA. The analysis revealed what kind of cheese the Xiaohe people made from goats and cattle.

The ancient cheese remnants showed how the Xiaohe were able to use microbes to improve their food  and may hint that they were buried with snacks for the afterlife.

Fantastic creatures

A species of sea robin called Prionotus carolinus studied by researchers used their leglike appendages for walking, digging and sensing the seafloor. - Anik Grearson

Harvard and Stanford researchers were understandably amazed the first time they encountered a walking fish called a sea robin.

The unusual animal has a fishs body, delicate fins that resemble a birds wings and six leglike appendages similar to those of a crab.

When the scientists decided to study the sea robins on a genetic level, they encountered a surprise in the lab: While some sea robins use their legs just to walk, others use them to dig for prey on the seafloor.

The team captured video of the digging sea robins, whose specialized appendages are covered in sensitive taste buds akin to those on a human tongue to detect prey.

The wonder

Catch up on these fresh finds:

 New footage has shown the matriarch of a mysterious orca group hunting a dolphin and sharing the meal with her pod off coastal Chile.

 The remains of a 32,000-year-old woolly rhino unearthed from Siberias permafrost are so well-preserved that its skin and fur are still intact, providing key insights into the extinct species.

 Marine biologists discovered a species of ghost shark, named the Australasian narrow-nosed spookfish, in the deep ocean waters near Australia and New Zealand.

 Scientists found evidence of a 30 million-year-old leafy forest trapped in peat on the Falkland Islands near Antarctica, where trees havent grown for tens of thousands of years.

Like what youve read? Oh, but theres more. Sign up here to receive in your inbox the next edition of Wonder Theory, brought to you by CNN Space and Science writers Ashley Strickland and Katie Hunt. They find wonder in planets beyond our solar system and discoveries from the ancient world.

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BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET)  The California Department of Housing and Community Development gave over $3 million to the city of Arvin for street repairs Friday.

After conducting multiple public outreach events, the city of Arvin determined the communitys need for road and street construction was a priority. The funds received were from a 2023 application to the State CDBG non-entitlement competitive grant program.

BPD seeks help identifying Dos Tacos robbery suspect

City officials say Haven Drive is a main street, that intersects with multiple school zones, which was chosen as the road that will will be improved. Haven Drive will be repaved between Meyer Street and S Comanche Drive.

Funding will also be used to improve sewer lines and connections, according to officials.

We are pleased to announce this grant award, which has been in process with HCD for over a year, said Arvin Mayor Daniel Borreli. The bids and specs are ready to bid, and we will move forward with this project quickly now that we have the official award. We want residents to know that we hear their voices.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KGET 17.
(COLORADO SPRINGS)  Academy School District 20 (ASD20) is in the process of submitting information requested by the Colorado Secretary of States Office in response to a Fair Campaign Practices Act complaint.

According to a statement from the district, the complaint was in reference to a page on the Districts website containing information regarding the 2024 Bond ballot measure. The bond measure would ask for up to $70 million from voters to support the rebuilding of Air Academy High School (AAHS) and other key projects, in collaboration with federal funding.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Academy District 20 seeks ballot funds to rebuild Air Academy High School

Academy District 20 takes this matter seriously and is committed to full compliance with all applicable laws and regulations governing our operations, said D20 in its statement.

The district said it has worked to gather and submit the information requested, and while the Secretary of State has not found the district in violation of the law, the district said it is conducting further review of the information on its website.

We take our responsibility of sharing balanced and educational information very seriously, said Chief Communication Officer Mark Belcher. Upon being made aware of this complaint, the District took swift action to gather relevant materials, further review information, and implement appropriate changes to the Districts platforms, including the website.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX21 News Colorado.
In recent weeks, Vice President Kamala Harris has attempted to insulate herself from claims that she would target Second Amendment rights as president. But her own prior statements and actions over the past four years give gun owners reason for alarm.

Since becoming the Democrat nominee, Harris has repeatedly stated that she is "not taking anybody's guns away." In her first solo interview, Harris said that she "supports the Second Amendment," and during her debate with Donald Trump she even claimed that she is a gun owner  raising eyebrows nationwide.

"I own a gun for probably the reason a lot of people do  for personal safety," she said. "I was a career prosecutor." (Voters are apparently supposed to ignore the fact that Harris hails from the most notoriously anti-gun state in the country in California, where law-abiding gun owners are routinely arrested for the "crime" of defending their lives and their property from violent intruders.)

As far as the corporate media is concerned, Harris is now a veritable Second Amendment champion. She has carefully repeated the Democrat lines of wanting "common-sense gun reform" and believing that "Americans should have the freedom to live safe from gun violence." .....
Utility line crews headed to East Tennessee to help those impacted by Hurricane Helene

ATHENS, Ala. (WHNT)  Both Athens Utilities and Fayetteville Public Utilities said they have sent line crews to East Tennessee to help with damage from Hurricane Helene.

Athens Utilities wrote that a six-man line crew was sent to Erwin, Tennessee, to help the line crew with all the damage from Hurricane Helene. At the time of the call, Athens Utilities Electric Department Manager Blair Davis said they were unsure how extensive the damage was.

CANCELED: Huntsville Parks and Recreations Fall for All Festival at Big Spring Park East

You can read the full statement from Athens Utilities below:

Athens Utilities received a call for assistance this morning, and a crew from the Electric Dept. is headed to Tennessee. Here is the note From Electric Department Manager Blair Davis: We received a mutual aid request to help Erwin Utilities in Erwin Tennessee (NE of Knoxville near Johnson City). We sent a 6 man line crew to help them out; they left at 6 this morning. When I spoke with the Manager at Erwin last night, they were still assessing the situation and were unsure how extensive the damage was there. Equipment: Digger Derrick, Bucket Truck, Flatbed Truck We appreciate our crew for responding, and send our thoughts and prayers to all those impacted by Hurricane Helene. Athens Utilities

President Biden approves Emergency Declaration for Tennessee

Fayetteville Public Utilities in Lincoln County, Tenn. also said they sent a crew of eight men to help in East Tennessee. The area where the men are being sent borders North Carolina, which has also been significantly damaged from Hurricane Helene.

A spokesperson with Fayetteville Public Utilities said the state of Tennessee has over 100,000 people without power and utility crews will work internally before being sent to help neighboring states.

You can read the statement below:

Power restoration efforts are underway as the remnants of Hurricane Helene move through Tennessee. The damage in eastern Tennessee is significant, and ongoing flooding is hampering restoration efforts. During situations like this, the hard work and dedication of electric lineworkers cannot be overstated. Fayetteville Public Utilities and several additional cooperatives are sending crews to the area this weekend. Fayetteville Public Utilities

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WHNT.com.
RANKIN COUNTY, Miss. (WJTV)  The defense for the Rankin County teen who was convicted of killing her mother has filed a motion for a new trial.

The motion was filed by Carly Greggs attorneys on Thursday, September 26 in the Rankin County Circuit Court.

Carly Gregg found guilty of killing mother

According to the court document, new evidence and material was recently discovered that could produce a different result at a new trial. The defense said Gregg did not receive a fair and impartial trial.

Carly Gregg motion for new trialDownload

Gregg was found guilty of first-degree murder, attempted murder and tampering with evidence on Friday, September 20. She was sentenced to life in prison for first-degree murder and attempted murder. She was sentenced to 10 years in prison for tampering with evidence. The sentences will run concurrent.

Gregg is currently being held at the Youthful Offender Facility while in the custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections (MDOC).

The fatal shooting happened just after 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, March 19, 2024, in the 200 block of Ashton Way.

Child airlifted to hospital after rollover crash in Rankin County

When deputies arrived at the location, they found Health Smylie suffering from a gunshot wound to the shoulder. He told deputies that he arrived home and found his wife deceased from an apparent gunshot wound. He claimed his 14-year-old step-daughter was armed with a pistol.

Ashley Smylie (Courtesy: Rankin County School District)

According to Rankin County Sheriff Bryan Bailey, Health Smylie stated Gregg shot him in the shoulder. He was able to take the weapon from Gregg, who then ran into the backyard and jumped over a fence.

Bailey said additional deputies responded to the scene, along with the Mississippi Highway Patrols (MHP) helicopter. Just after 5:30 p.m., Gregg was located not far from the residence and taken into custody without incident.

During her initial court appearance, Gregg pled not guilty to the charges.

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Augusta Fire-EMS crews responding to emergency calls, GA Power units being deployed to Augusta-Richmond Co.

AUGUSTA-RICHMOND COUNTY, Ga. (WJBF)  Augusta Fire and EMS teams are currently out responding to emergency calls.

According to authorities, emergency crews are handling multiple fire incidents, assessing damage, ensuring safety, assisting with debris removal, clearing roadways, and making sure essential services continue.

Georgia Power states it has deployed 10,000 units to Congressional District 12 with 1,000

units being deployed to Augusta-Richmond County, and units are expected to arrive

tomorrow morning.

ALSO ON WJBF: CSRA Hurricane Helene storm damage gallery

Residents are being encouraged by officials to shelter-in-place for the next 24-36 hours as crews work to remove downed trees, clear blocked roads, and restore power, and residents that need to travel should proceed with caution. With many traffic lights are out, drivers are to treat intersections as a four-way stop.

Augusta Solid Waste will be closed on Saturday, September 27, and due to challenges stemming from Hurricane Helene, Augusta Utilities Department is experiencing difficulties repairing water main breaks in the system, and residents are urged to conserve water as there may be delays in making repairs.

For non-emergency concerns, such as reporting downed trees or power lines, please use 311 or submit requests through the Augusta 311 App or website. This will help ensure that critical services are delivered to those who need them most. Residents are encouraged to utilize 911 only in case of emergency.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WJBF.
The review of Aurigny's fleet and performance is costing taxpayers 65,000 [BBC]

A report looking at the resilience of Aurigny's fleet and management decisions during the last year of disruption will be released in October.

President of the States Trading Supervisory Board (STSB), Deputy Peter Roffey said "by the end of next month we will have released the report".

The review is being done by a former chief pilot for British Airways and an ex-finance director for one of the airline's subsidiaries, and is costing 65,000.

It was commissioned following a disruption to Aurigny's services this year, which Roffey has labelled as "unacceptable".

The review has looked at the make up of Aurigny's fleet after its embraer jet was removed from service earlier this year.

Aurigny's plan is to replace the jet with a fleet of five smaller ATR aircraft.

The last of these five planes is set to arrive in Guernsey in mid-October according to the airline's CEO Nico Bezuidenhout.

Roffey told an audience from the Institute of Directors the review had been done in two parts with the first being forward looking to help plan for the airline's upcoming schedules.

The second part would look at "what went wrong, why it went wrong and should it have been anticipated", Roffey said.

Aurigny's CEO said the recent disruption had been out of the airline's control [BBC]

Aurigny CEO - 'We've let passengers down'

Mr Bezuidenhout blamed three technical issues throughout the year for the disruption the airline has faced.

"We've let our passengers down. But this is down to things we could not control.

"It has been a challenging year for passengers and our staff, but it is getting better."

To minimise disruption the airline has wet-leased a fifth ATR aircraft which is currently supporting the four currently operated by Aurigny.

"We now have five aircraft in the skies, our punctuality ratings are back higher than the UK average and our performance is back to normal."

Follow BBC Guernsey on X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook. Send your story ideas to channel.islands@bbc.co.uk.

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AUSTIN (KXAN)  A new electricity startup company in Austin is working to bring more grid reliability to Texans, one battery at a time.

Zach Dell is the co-founder and CEO of Base Power, an electricity provider company that launched in May and is built around installing batteries that offer on-site storage capacity for customers. After several years of working as an investor with technology companies, he said he wanted to tap into new solutions for Texas grid concerns.

Austin is the place where innovation is happening. I think were seeing a lot of technology companies, a lot of hardware companies in particular coming to Austin, and as a born and raised Austinite, its just incredibly fun to see, he said. And Im just really excited for the next decade of growth in Austin and building the company here and attracting the best and brightest to the city.

How does the Base Power battery work?

Justin Lopas, Base Powers COO and co-founder, provided a simplified view of Texas grid as a line between the energy producer and the home. When a homeowner turns on their lights or an appliance, energy runs through the transmission and distribution line into the home.

The grid is sized for peak load, or heightened demand periods when residents across the state are using their appliances and electricity at the same time. This is especially relevant during Texas summers, when its more than 100 degrees outdoors and demand is elevated as residents try to keep cool and use their electricity.

If you have batteries, youre able to store energy when theres not a lot of demand, therefore sort of increasing demand, and then youre able to discharge the battery into the home or onto the grid to reduce demand, Lopas said. And so that battery enables the grid to be more efficient.

Base Power is an Austin-based startup company that launched in May and is built around distributed batteries that offer on-site storage capacity for customers. (Courtesy Base Power)

Base Power is an Austin-based startup company that launched in May and is built around distributed batteries that offer on-site storage capacity for customers. (Courtesy Base Power)

Base Power is an Austin-based startup company that launched in May and is built around distributed batteries that offer on-site storage capacity for customers. (Courtesy Base Power)

The Base Power battery system is built from lithium iron phosphate with the capacity to hold 20 kilowatt-hours of energy. These are designed to withstand more localized outages, or those caused by downed trees or animals chewing through a wire.

Dell added that while the grid is up and running, the batteries are used to support the power grid; when the grid goes down, thats when the battery kicks into gear and provides electricity to the attached home.

If something happens at the distribution level, youre going to have outages, so putting batteries on homes is just the most reliable form of power you can have, he said. And so thats why we decided to take that approach.

Base Power now has hundreds of customers in the greater Austin area whove leased Base Powers on-site batteries. The installation fee runs around $3,000, compared to some smaller generators running for a couple thousand dollars and other batteries marketed in the tens of thousands of dollars.

Story continues

Pflugerville City Council Member Rudy Metayer is one of Base Powers customers, having leased his battery back in June. He said he was initially attracted to the product because of Dells name, but also due to power outage issues that have become more prevalent in cities like Pflugerville.

If anything Ive learned from [Winter Storm] Uri, from the numerous heat advisories, from the brownouts that we have right here is that Texans just want reliable energy, he said. They want an ability to make sure that theyre able to take care of themselves when it comes to heating or air conditioning and whatever services they have at home, we should be able to provide that.

How Base Power is building its infrastructure to support a range of power outages

Reliability exists on a spectrum, Dell said; some people want to be able to work from home and join a Zoom meeting without fears of outages, while others have medical devices and are dependent on electricity to stay safe. Most power outages happen in shorter windows and last closer to 30 minutes to two hours, which could still spell crisis for those with medical dependencies.

While a battery on its own wont be able to sustain a customer through a near-weeklong outage similar to the 2021 winter storm, there are means of pairing those batteries with solar systems or a portable generator system to sustain that coverage. Dell said Base Power will soon launch a generator-integrated product for those more long-lasting outage events.

The company is also expanding its customer horizon, already moving into the Dallas-Fort Worth region before eventual expansions into the greater Houston area, Dell said.

As it grows, Metayer said he hopes to see more public-private sector collaborations to make the product as accessible as possible to a wide range of residents from various regional and socio-economic backgrounds. Texas growth shows no sign of stopping, Metayer said, adding expansions to energy capabilities are critical.

[We need to look at] what we can do from a public policy standpointhow do we advocate for the working class who may not have the means right now to get something like this, but are the ones who would benefit the most from its implementation and its adoption across our state, he said.

Dell echoed those sentiments, adding Base Powers work is centered around building out affordable, reliable power to its customers. As the Texas Legislature is set to convene in January, he added Base Power is poised to advocate on behalf of its product and the importance of grid reliability to lawmakers.

Weve seen over the last couple of years the grid become more of a focus in the legislative arena, and we want to have a seat at the table. Were involved in the solution, and we want to be a part of the discussion, Dell said. So theres a lot of progress being made. I think Texas is an amazing place. Its a free market, right? Its a competitive market. Youve got a lot of companies that are working to develop solutions, and we want to make sure that the legislative arena is a place where progress can be made, just like we can make progress on the technology side and with customers.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KXAN Austin.
Austrian Social Democrat head slams far right as danger to democracy

Social Democratic Party (SPO) leader Andreas Babler, poses for a photo during an ORF TV 'elephant round' with all the leading candidates ahead of the upcoming National Council elections, set to take place on 29 September. Georg Hochmuth/APA/dpa

A day before Austrians head to the polls, the Social Democratic (SPO) lead candidate Andreas Babler called the far-right Freedom Party of Austria (FPO) a danger to democracy in an address to supporters on Saturday.

"We are the firewall against everything that endangers this democratic republic," Babler told supporters at the party's final campaigning event in Vienna ahead of Sunday's parliamentary election.

Pollsters predict the far-right party is set to gain the most support in the election.

Babler said that the entire Freedom Party of Austria, not just its chairman Herbert Kickl, would shake the foundations of democracy.

Babler said his party would not allow general suspicion to be cast on people who have lived in the country for three or four generations, "who have built up this prosperity side-by-side" with Austrians.

The Freedom Party of Austria intends to crack down on immigration with full force if it takes over the government, and also accelerate the deportation of migrants to their home countries.

Babler was addressing people in Favoriten, the working-class district of Vienna, a strategic choice in his campaigning.

On Sunday, nearly 6.4 million citizens in Austria are eligible to elect a new parliament.

Polls show the Social Democrats could win 20.6% of the vote, below their previous record low in 2019 when they garnered 21.2%.

Pollsters say the far right would gain 27%.

Chancellor Karl Nehammer's conservative Austrian People's Party (OVP) would gain 25%, according to polls.

The Greens, currently governing in coalition with the Austrian People's Party, are expected to secure around 9% of the votes, as are the liberal NEOS party.
The officers who fatally shot a suspect wanted in connection with the killing of a 66-year-old artist in St. Paul this week have been identified.

According to the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, 29-year-old Seantrell Tyreese Murdock was killed when two St. Paul Police Department officers fired at him as he exited his Belle Plaine home.

On Friday, the officers were identified as Aaron Bohlen and Lance Christianson. Bohlen has been with the department for ten years, while Christianson has been with the department for 20 years.

Both officers were placed on standard critical incident leave, according to the BCA.

Murdock was wanted in connection with a Wednesday shooting in St. Pauls Lowertown neighborhood that left 66-year-old Carrie Kwok dead. Kwok was shot outside of the Lowertown Lofts Artist Cooperative, where she was a member.

Police have since described Kwok's killing as random in nature, with St. Paul Police Chief Axel Henry calling it "cold-blooded." It has since been reported that Murdock suffered from bipolar disorder as well as substance abuse issues that last year led to an attempt by his mother to have him civilly committed.

Murdock had reportedly left the scene of the shooting in a car. He was later tracked by police to a home on the 100 block of Meridian Street in Belle Plaine.

An investigation from the BCA found that Murdock was approached by investigators near the intersection of South Chestnut and East Prairie streets on Thursday morning. An altercation then took place, leading officers to fire.

Officers on the scene provided medical aid until paramedics arrived. Murdock was then taken to Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis, where he later died.

St. Paul PD said that Murdock was armed when the officers opened fire. The BCA says a handgun was recovered from the scene.

The incident is currently under investigation.
ONEIDA TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WOOD)  A woman and two young children with Lake Odessa ties were killed Thursday in a crash in Eaton County, authorities say.

It happened around 8 p.m. at Mt. Hope Highway and Cochran Road in Oneida Township, according to a release from the Eaton County Sheriffs Office.

This embedded content is not available in your region.

Deputies say a van was heading west when it failed to stop at the stop sign. The van entered the intersection and was hit by a northbound semi-truck, according to the sheriffs office.

The vans driver and two of her children died on scene, deputies say. They say a third child was taken to the hospital with injuries that were not considered life-threatening.

The driver of the semi-truck was also taken to the hospital with injuries that were not considered life-threatening.

The Lake Odessa Fire Department identified the people who died as Emily, Amalia and Shiloh Root, family members of a volunteer firefighter.

It is with broken hearts we extend our deepest heartfelt condolences, to our Brother in Service, on the loss of his beloved Wife and 2 young children, the Lake Odessa Fire Department wrote in a social media post.

Meal delivery is being organized for the family.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WOODTV.com.
Should Avila Beach have an offshore wind port? What Harbor Commission candidates think

Ballots are on the way to San Luis Obispo County residents for the November election, and the question of offshore wind development in Avila Beach is a hot topic in the Port San Luis Harbor Commission race.

Three seats are open on the Port San Luis Harbor Commission, but only one race will appear on the ballot this November.

Two incumbents are running unopposed for the Division 1 and 4 seats on the commission. Those seats will not appear on the ballot and the candidates will be appointed to the commission.

Those candidates are Bill Barrow for Division 1 and Robert Vessely for Division 4.

Meanwhile, two candidates are competing for the Division 2 seat on the Harbor Commission: retired city executive Katie Lichtig, 63, and commercial fisherman Richard Rosario Scangarello Sr., 75.

To help as you make your decision, The Tribune has compiled a 2024 Election Voter Guide, meant to give easy access to some of the candidates basic facts and stances.

Here are responses from the Division 2 Harbor Commission candidates, organized by candidate and in alphabetical order.

Editors note: Some responses have been edited for length or clarity.

Katie Lichtig is competing for an open seat on the Port San Luis Harbor Commission in November 2024.

Katie Lichtig

Who are your top campaign contributors?

Janet Hollander, Joan Borger and Debra Wacker.

What is your vision for what Port San Luis should look like in five years? 10 years?

Port San Luis should look similar to today while evolving incrementally to better support and enhance current operations. This includes clean and safe beaches, commercial fishing, sport fishing and other recreational activities. Specifically, the Avila Pier will be rehabilitated and reopened, existing infrastructure will be better maintained, and the commission will develop, approve and implement a plan for the reuse of the Harford Pier, which was formerly used for a restaurant. In order to achieve this, I believe it is critical to address the districts more than $8.5 million of deferred maintenance, balance the budget, ensure the highest level of public safety by supporting collaboration between the Harbor District, the San Luis Obispo County Sheriffs Office and Cal Fire, and attract and retain well-trained and motivated staff.

What do you believe is the most important issue facing the harbor district today, and what will you do to address it?

1. Balance the budget. This fiscal year, the Harbor Commission plans to spend $800,000 more than it will take in, and it faces more than $8.5 million of deferred maintenance. I bring experience and creativity to the difficult decisions ahead.

2. Rigorously assess the impact of a proposed wind energy operations and maintenance port. The process must be thorough, transparent and informed by experts, key stakeholders and public input. We must understand the scientific, financial, environmental and social impacts of a port in order to make a thoughtful decision.

3. Support existing facilities and activities. The Harbor Commission is duty bound to support commercial fishing, sport fishing and other coastal-dependent recreational activities like clean and safe beaches. Bringing the budget into balance and deciding whether to provide operational and maintenance support to wind energy must not distract from the Harbor Commissions core responsibilities.

Do you support the development of an offshore wind operations and maintenance port in San Luis Bay? Why or why not?

It would be disrespectful to all Harbor District taxpayers if I were to state a position before the current feasibility study is completed and public hearings are held. Residents deserve to know as much information as possible before the Harbor Commission makes such a big decision.

In general, we should be open to change that improves the Harbor Districts overall financial health and bolsters current commercial and recreational activities.

I look forward to being on the Harbor Commission when the report is completed so I can contribute to a thoughtful debate about whether wind energy facilities will sufficiently benefit the Harbor Districts mission.

Will SLO County beach town get offshore wind port? Developer shares vision at tense meeting

Richard Scangarello is competing for an open seat on the Port San Luis Harbor Commission in November 2024.

Richard Rosario Scangarello Sr.

Who are your top campaign contributors?

Scangarello and his wife.

What is your vision for what Port San Luis should look like in five years? 10 years?

Develop the end of the pier, entice new business and most importantly prevent the wind farm project from changing the port. Port San Luis is one of the few remaining small commercial fishing ports in California and it needs to be protected.

What do you believe is the most important issue facing the Harbor District today, and what will you do to address it?

Offshore wind development

Do you support the development of an offshore wind operations and maintenance port in San Luis Bay? Why or why not?

No!

Meet the candidates

The League of Women Voters of San Luis Obispo County will moderate a forum for the harbor district candidates on Oct. 16 from 6 to 6:40 p.m.

The forum will be conducted by Zoom and livestreamed at https://www.youtube.com/@lwvsloco/streams.

People can submit questions for the forum to candidateforums@lwvslo.org by Oct. 8
The woman who claims Netflix hit show Baby Reindeers stalker Martha was based on her has scored a major legal victory over the streaming service.

Fiona Harvey is suing Netflix for $170 million in damages, claiming her life has been ruined by people connecting her to Martha, who stalks and sexually assaults failing comedian Donny Dunn. Dunn is played by the shows creator Richard Gaddwho says that Martha was inspired by his real-life experience of being obsessively stalked by a woman 20 years his senior. The show opens by saying This is a true story.

In real life, Harvey says she is a Scottish lawyer 20 years older than Gadd who met him in a London pub where he worked while he was a failing comedian, asked him to hang my curtains, then pursued him obsessively with direct messages and emails littered with spelling errors which called him Baby Reindeeran almost exact parallel to the show. But Harvey claims the show wrongly portrays her as a convicted stalker who served time in prison, stalked a police officer, both sexually and physically assaulted Gadd and sat outside his home 16 hours a day.

Richard Gadd Lands New HBO Show While Still Embroiled in Baby Reindeer Lawsuit

After the show launched she went public to say she believed she was Martha.

Despite living in the UK she turned to courts in America to pursue the case, opening up the possibility of a much larger compensation payment. The show was a major worldwide hit for Netflix and this month won its creator, Gadd, two Emmys.

On Friday Harvey scored her first victory, when a federal judge in California ruled against Netflixs bid to have the case thrown out.

The opening of Baby Reindeer says This is a true story, then shows Martha meeting Donnie Dunn in a London pub, just like what happened in real life. Ed Miller/Netflix

The streamer had claimed no reasonable person could conclude that Martha was Harvey but Judge Gary Klausner dismissed this claim. Critically, he ruled that portraying Martha as being twice convicted when Harvey was not, as well as a violent sexual assaulter, could open Netflix up to a reasonable chance of losing a defamation case. Netflix had used expert evidence from an English lawyer to claim that Harveys own conduct towards Gadd could have resulted in a five-year prison term. But in real life, Harvey had been warned by police in London against stalking Gadd, but never arrested, charged or convicted.

And Gadd himself had called the series emotionally true in a written court statement.

The judge also ruled that Netflix had portrayed Harvey as committing sexual assault on Gadd because of a scene in which Martha rubbed Dunns crotch, which Netflix has claimed was inappropriate touching.

Netflix had also claimed that the dramatic portrayal of the stalking meant it was obvious it was not factual, but the judge also dismissed that claim. And Harvey highlighted that when Gadd first performed a play based on his experience, he described it as Based on a true storybut when Netflix turned it into the hit show, it said, This is a true story.

Harvey now faces the next round in the case, which will be to show that Netflix actually defamed herwhich experts warn could be a tougher battle given that she admits in the legal documents to stalking Gadd.

Gadd plays the stalked failing comedian Donny Dunn in the show but the parallels with his own life are so close that Netflix lost the first round of the landmark case brought by the woman who stalked Gadd in real life. Ed Miller/Netflix

The case is a landmark for television and movies which have long based shows on real-life experiences. But Baby Reindeer was unusually close to the real-life experience of Gadd, and Harveys U.S. lawyers had seized on comments he made in interviews publicizing the show that he disguised his stalker as Martha rather than using his own experience as the basis for fiction.

Netflix did succeed in having parts of Harveys claims dismissed by the judge, which would limit potential damages if she won to less than the $170 million she has claimed.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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1. Yes. They look better and require less maintenance. Most high-end housing areas have them.

2. Yes. Wood fences can weather and look unsightly, plus masonry walls help to block sound.

3. No. Residents should have a choice of what kind of barriers are put up near their homes.

4. No. Allowing a variety of materials will be better for aesthetics, and costs may be lower.

5. Unsure. Its hard to say. Masonry walls may be sturdier, but mandating them is problematic.

Vote

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LAKE OZARK, MO.  This November, Missouri voters will decide on expanding casino gaming in the Show-Me State.

When Missouri gaming facilities were approved in the 1990s, the law limited the number of venues to 13 statewide, and they could only be on the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers. Now, in a few weeks, voters will be deciding on Amendment Five. The measure asks if the state should issue a license for a 14th casino and allow it to be built on the Osage River, a tributary of the Missouri River.

This week, developers and the Yes On 5 campaign shared new renderings with Ozarksfirst highlighting the proposed Ballys Casino. The venue would be built in Lake Ozark, below Bagnell Dam where U.S. 54 crosses the Osage River. The multi-story tower will include a hotel, casino, and space for other amenities like retail and restaurants.

The Amendment 5 ballot language states annual gaming tax revenue of $14.3 million would be generated. It reads, All state revenue derived from the issuance of the gambling boat license shall be appropriated to early childhood literacy programs in public institutions of elementary education.

There has been some confusion from some voters about whats in store for the casinos. The Ballys project hinges on the ballot measure passing. However, there is another nearby casino plan in the works that does not rely on a vote of the people.

The Osage Nation plans to construct a separate gaming complex off Business 54 at Horshoebend Parkway. It would be the first tribe-owned and operated casino in Missouri.

Because it is a tribal project, it does not fall under the same state license limitations, nor does it have to be on or near the river. However, it does have to be approved by the U.S. Department of the Interior and signed off on by the state governor.

The tribe says its casino, hotel, and convention center would generate a $60 million investment in the region, which would result in new jobs, tourism, and economic benefits for the Lake of the Ozarks area.

Since the Osage is a sovereign nation, there are no stipulations tied to how revenue is spent. In addition, the venue will not have to pay federal taxes. On its website, the Osage Nation says it uses revenues from its other casinos to fund tribal government, programs, and economic development, and provide for the welfare of its members, support charitable organizations.

Approval from the Department of Interior is still pending. OzarksFirst reached out to the Osage Nation about the process but has not heard back.

As for Ballys plan, Yes On 5 says if voters approve the amendment, construction would begin after the regulatory process is completed. Work would take about 18 months.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOLR - OzarksFirst.com.
FILE - Poland displays its growing and modernising military during annual observances on Poland's armed forces holiday in Warsaw, Poland, on Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski, File)

HELSINKI (AP)  NATO members Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland will seek European Union funding to build a network of bunkers, barriers, distribution lines and military warehouses along their borders with Russia and Belarus, Estonias officials said Saturday.

The three Baltic countries initially announced the plan for a Baltic Defense Line in January. In May, Poland announced a similar project called the Eastern Shield with a purpose to strengthen its borders with the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad and with Belarus.

The need for a (Baltic) defense line stems from the security situation and supports NATOs new forward defense concept, Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur said in a statement, adding that it is extremely important to coordinate our activities with Poland.

At the same time, it strengthens the security of the European Union and the military defense of its borders, which is why we clearly see that the EU could also financially support the project, he said.

The defense ministers of the four European countries located on NATO's eastern flank met in the southeastern Latvian city of Daugavpils on Friday to discuss the project's funding.

They didnt specify how much financial aid they would be seeking for the project from Brussels but noted in a joint statement that Russias war against Ukraine has shown that creating physical obstacles on an open ground with no natural defensive cover is paramount even in technologically advanced warfare.

The ministers said that external threats at the Baltic-Polish frontier are increasing and ramping up fortifications along the border with Russia and Belarus "remains a high-priority contributing to our pledge to defend every inch of (NATO) territory.

The defense line excludes coastal defenses on the Baltic Sea that is shared by the four countries.

In Estonia, the smallest of the four countries with a population of 1.3 million, the establishment of the border defense line is planned in three stages starting in 2025, the Defense Ministry said.

Officials in Tallinn said earlier this year that Estonia is to construct up to 600 bunkers along its 333-kilometer (207-mile) border with Russia in the coming years at an estimated cost of 60 million euros ($67 million). The project is likely, however, to face difficulties and delays because the bunkers will have to be built on private land.

Poland is expecting the defense line to be operational in 2028 at the cost of some 2.3 billion euros ($2.6 billion) while the cost in Lithuania is expected to reach 300 million euros ($335 million.)

No mines, barbed wire, anti-tank weapons or other such devices will be deployed in peacetime along the border fortifications, according to Estonias defense officials.
Six months after the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, the Baltimore Museum of Industry has begun documenting the stories of the people whose lives it touched.

Community artist Maria Gabriela Aldana, co-founding director of Baltimore-based Art of Solidarity, is collecting oral histories as part of Echoes from the Key Bridge, a project recording firsthand accounts of what happened when the Dali struck the bridge March 26.

Aldana is conducting and recording interviews with relatives of the construction workers who died, port workers impacted by the bridges disappearance and first responders who helped in the aftermath. She plans to share more about her work so far during a Dec. 3 event at the museum.

Originally from Nicaragua, Aldana and her family fled to the U.S. in the 1980s. Baltimore has been her home for 25 years, and when the bridge fell, she said she felt pain as a member of the Latino and immigrant community.

It just really hurt my soul and I could feel this collective pain that so many were experiencing, she said.

In early September, Aldana had an intimate meeting with some relatives of the Key Bridge victims along with advocates like Catalina Rodriguez-Lima, founding director of the Baltimore Mayors Office of Immigrant Affairs and Giuliana Valencia-Banks, Baltimore Countys chief of immigrant affairs.

Aldana said she approaches the oral history conversations thoughtfully, taking care to empower people and allow them to choose what to share and what to keep private. When she listens to their memories and grief, she doesnt hold back her tears.

The greatest pattern I see is the love that has come out between longshoremen who came out to support each other, the first responders, the social workers, the firefighters, the volunteers, strangers who have come up to some of these family members and just cried with them, the sense of spirituality and love. Aldana said. I hope that we capture that in how we display this information back to the public.

Aldana said she hopes to eventually create a feature-length documentary that serves as a memorial to those who died and speaks to the thousands of other workers affected by the bridge collapse.

Collecting oral histories takes significant time and resources, but they serve as an important tool for making history interesting to the public, said Glenn T. Johnston, director of Stevenson Universitys Center for the Study of the Port of Baltimore.

When history is just dry and factual, its actually not very interesting. But when youre able to get history tied to human lives and emotions and compelling stories, that makes it kind of a different kind of history, Johnston said. The oral part is the ability to capture the human emotions associated with the history.

The museum also continues to collect objects for an eventual Key Bridge exhibition that the museum expects to complete in 2026.

The Maryland Transportation Authority has promised the museum a hunk of steel that was once part of the bridge, said Anita Kassof, the museums executive director, and it plans to include a mural by Texas artist Roberto Marquez that stood as a memorial and gathering spot on Fort Armistead Road for more than a month after the collapse.

Kassof said the museum hasnt received many artifacts so far, but thats not surprising given her experiences with similar multi-year community projects. The Key Bridge project, which is funded by grants from the Baltimore Community Foundation and the Baltimore National Heritage Area, is modeled on a similar exhibit chronicling the work and workers of Bethlehem Steels Sparrows Point plant.

What we found was when we began to talk to people and they started to tell their stories, they realized that some of the things that people dont necessarily think are worthy of being in a museum or museum artifacts are really the things that tell the most interesting stories, Kassof said.

Those includes humble things, like uniforms, job IDs or ephemera, she said.

One Key Bridge object the museum does have is Baltimore artist Javier Beruffs acrylic painting of 12 white doves against a blue sky, framed by objects resembling segments of marble columns.

Called Para Los Doce, the artist wrote that the painting depicts not only the eight workers working on the bridge on March 26, including two who survived, but also the six construction workers who died in a fatal crash on Interstate 695 last year.

Six doves  representing Maynor Suazo Sandoval, Miguel Angel Luna, Alejandro Hernandez Fuentes, Dorlian Castillo Cabrera, Carlos Daniel Hernandez Estrella and Jose Mynor Lopez  fly in the foreground alongside loose feathers, while the six doves representing the 695 workers hover in a circle, high up. One is colored pink to represent Sybil DiMaggio, the only woman killed in the car crash, Baruff wrote.

Aldana said in the weeks following the Key Bridge collapse, she learned much about the bridge as an object but heard less about the people involved.

We focus so much on property in terms of constructing our value and those things are replaceable, whereas people are not, she said.

People with direct experiences related to the bridges collapse and its aftermath who wish to share their stories can contact Maria Gabriela Aldana at maldana@thebmi.org.
Ukraine narrowly won the battle of Irpin in the war's earliest days.

Russia's assault on Kyiv was a surprise and Ukraine's defenses near the capital were thin.

A businessman suggested a scheme that helped slow Russia's advance.

Russia came dangerously close to capturing Kyiv in the early days of the Ukraine war. But a depleted Ukrainian army brigade, hastily mobilized volunteers, and a businessman who blew up a dam saved the city  and Ukraine from losing the war.

That's the conclusion of American and British experts who examined the fighting along the Irpin River northwest of Kyiv. Based on extensive interviews with Ukrainians who fought at the Irpin, they describe an epic battle won by the narrowest of margins.

"The Battle of Irpin River was a close-run thing," wrote Richard Sladden, Liam Collins and Alfred Connable in an article in British Army Review, a British military magazine.

The story begins on February 24, 2022, when Russia invaded Ukraine. Paratroopers in helicopters launched an air assault to seize Hostomel Airport, aiming to create an airhead that would allow large transport planes to ferry in the reinforcements and heavy weapons needed to seize nearby Kyiv.

At the same time, Russian armored columns stationed in Belarus, on Ukraine's northern border, advanced south, aiming to seize Kyiv. One Russian assault group advanced down the eastern bank of the Dnipro River, and the other down the western bank.

This caught Ukrainian troops dangerously out of position. "Russia's attack on Kyiv from the northwest was a shock but not a surprise," according to the British Army Review article. "Ukrainian commanders had to make difficult resource allocation choices. An attack on Kyiv from Belarus was the most dangerous course of enemy action, but because it was audacious it was also deemed least likely. An attack in the east and south of Ukraine was the most likely course of action, therefore Ukrainian forces were primarily arrayed against this."

Thus the understrength Ukrainian 72nd Mechanized Brigade was one of the few units left to defend Kyiv. Even then, the brigade was mainly positioned to stop an attack on Kyiv from the east. The exact strength of the 72nd isn't clear, but a full-strength Ukrainian brigade might have around 3,000 personnel  and the 72nd was far from full strength. Many soldiers were armed with just rifles, backed by a few armored vehicles, anti-tank missiles and guns, and multiple rocket launchers.

They faced a Russian force roughly estimated at 10,000 soldiers, well-equipped with tanks, infantry fighting vehicles and artillery. This should have made it easy for the Russian column on the west bank of the Dnipro to quickly reach Hostomel Airport  also known as Antonov Airport, just 80 miles away  to link up with the paratroopers, and then advance southeast to Kyiv. But to reach Kyiv, they would have to cross the Irpin River, a tributary that arcs through the city's outskirts and meets a dam by the Kyiv Reservoir.

"The defensive line around Kyiv was thin," the article said. "The 5th Company of the 72nd Brigade deployed with only 22 soldiers. Numbers swelled over the initial days of the invasion as newly mobilized troops arrived, but the company and many of its sister units were persistently understrength compared to the Russian units across the [Irpin] river. That the bridges along the river were not destroyed on the morning of the invasion nearly cost Ukraine its capital."

In many ways, the Russian plan resembled Operation Market Garden in 1944, a bold plan to use American and British paratroopers to seize bridges across several rivers in Holland, creating a corridor for British armored divisions to cross the Rhine River and into Germany.

Market Garden proved "a bridge too far," doomed by sloppy planning, rough terrain, lack of aggressiveness by Allied tanks, and unexpectedly tough German resistance. Then, as now, paratroopers were a shock force that lacked the armor, heavy artillery and supplies needed to dislodge fortified positions. The same issues afflicted the Russian drive on Kyiv.

For starters, the Russian paratroopers failed to capture Hostomel Airport against determined Ukrainian resistance, with several helicopters shot down; 1,000 Russian reinforcements in a fleet of 18 transport planes were turned away, possibly over concerns they would be downed. It wasn't until February 25th that the westernmost ground column secured the airport, by which time the Ukrainians had rendered the runways unusable.

Meanwhile, a Kyiv businessman named Andriy (a pseudonym) realized that blowing the dam 14 miles north of Kyiv would cause the Irpin to flood its banks and slow the Russian advance. A hastily arranged meeting with Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskyi, then the commander of Ukraine's ground forces, garnered a ton of explosives and an engineering officer. The result was dumping 31 billion gallons of water into the Irpin, which restricted Russian maneuver.

Nonetheless, Russian troops could have "bounced" the Irpin while Ukrainian defenses were weak by using undamaged bridges or building their own pontoons. "The Russians easily could have crossed the Irpin had they been more aggressive," Liam Collins, a former US Army Special Forces officer who co-authored the article, told Business Insider. "They should have crossed on the 25th, as soon as the leading edge of the column reached the city's outskirts. But since they had no plan for meeting Ukrainian resistance, it completely stalled them, and they had to stop and build the plan which they should have already had. This gave the Ukrainians time to blow the bridges, establish their defense, and mobilize."

"The Russians believed they would advance on the capital in what was basically a parade formation and not a combat movement," said Collins, who has advised the Ukrainian military. "So they had to completely regroup."

Russian forces weren't prepared to rapidly deploy pontoon bridges to replace those across the Irpin River that Ukrainian troops had blown up. Oleksii Chumachenko/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

Russian columns eventually tried to cross the Irpin at the end of February and into March. But it was too late. "Russian commanders had no option but to push forward in linear columns with ill-prepared forces into still thin, but now far more robust and prepared defenses," the British Army Review article said.

The attempted crossings were halted by the 72nd Mechanized Brigade, some Ukrainian tanks and artillery, and hastily mobilized volunteers who learned how to operate their deadly Western-made Javelin and NLAW anti-tank missiles on the spot. "In my company, if a position had a Javelin, one soldier dug a hole while the other watched a YouTube video on how to fire it," recalled one Ukrainian officer.

These guided missiles and artillery shredded Russian tanks and perceptions of their inpregnability.

By the end of March, Russian forces withdrew back to the north. If Russian tanks had managed to cross the Irpin and entered Kyiv, the war could have essentially ended in Russian victory within the first week.

No plan survives contact with the enemy, and unexpected snafus  what the German military philosopher Carl von Clausewitz called the "friction of war"  inevitably disrupt the cleverest of strategies, which the Kyiv assault was not. Ukraine also displayed a remarkable ability to quickly mobilize volunteers who proved effective.

Nonetheless, Collins blames the Russian failure on shoddy preparation. "It was 100 percent sloppy planning, a lack of preparation, and unexpected Ukrainian resistance that should have been anticipated," Collins said. "The mechanized forces should have rolled through this minimal defense like a hot knife through butter."

Michael Peck is a defense writer whose work has appeared in Forbes, Defense News, Foreign Policy magazine, and other publications. He holds an MA in political science from Rutgers Univ. Follow him on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Read the original article on Business Insider
The documentary shows footage recorded by both victims and Hamas terrorists, pictured floating over the border with Israel using motorised paraglider

The BBC has been criticised for airing a documentary about the Oct 7 Nova music festival massacre without describing Hamas as terrorists.

This week, the corporation showed a different version of the acclaimed 90-minute film, Surviving October 7: We Will Dance Again, to the original one aired in America and around the world.

It features a chronological reconstruction of the massacre, in which more than 360 were murdered, using footage recorded by both victims and Hamas terrorists, interspersed with survivor interviews.

In the original, the opening title states: The IDF says that 3,000 terrorists breached the 40-mile-long border 

However, this does not appear in the BBC version.

The corporation has come under heavy criticism in the last year for refusing to refer to Hamas as terrorists, despite the group being designated terrorists by dozens of countries.

The documentary features a chronological reconstruction of the massacre in which more than 360 were murdered - TYRONE SIU

A spokesman for the Campaign Against Antisemitism described the BBCs decisions around airing the documentary as shameful.

The BBC not only declines to call Hamas terrorists itself but it censors others from doing so as well, they said.

The BBC said the film carried multiple descriptions of the Islamist group as terrorists directly from survivors.

However, in an interview with Hollywood Reporter last week, Yariv Mozer, the award-winning director behind the documentary, said: The BBC, the version theyll air wont describe Hamas as terrorists.

It was a price I was willing to pay so that the British public would be able to see these atrocities and decide if this is a terrorist organisation or not.

The filmmakers worked with more than twenty survivors of the festival, filming their testimonies about their own ordeal and that of friends who were killed.

The documentarys director Yariv Mozer said the BBCs decision to cut the line was a price I was willing to pay - Jesse Grant

Mozer has previously made films about Adolf Eichmann, a senior Israeli general, and about gay Palestinians.

He attended a screening of the Nova documentary film in London last week, which was also attended by prominent BBC figures, at which he thanked the corporation for getting behind the documentary.

However, the CAS spokesman said: A filmmaker making a film about the massacre of music festival-goers by a proscribed antisemitic genocidal organisation is prevented from calling them terrorists? It defies reason.

This approach does not represent accuracy and impartiality, but the very opposite. Our national broadcaster is putting its thumb on the scales.

The British public should be able to expect better.

The directors took the decision to blur victims faces after they were hit while showing the atrocities committed by Hamas.

Aner Shapiro and Hersh Polin Goldberg (second and third from left) with friends before the Hamas attack. Shapiro was killed at the event and Goldberg taken hostage and killed in Gaza earlier this month - Sarel Botavia

Mozer has stressed that the film is apolitical.

Its opening title states that: The human cost of the Hamas massacre in Israel and the war that followed in Gaza has been catastrophic for both Israelis and Palestinians, adding: This film cannot tell everyones story.

The film depicts the Hamas assault beginning at the climax of the trance party, with survivors candidly recounting the added confusion many of them suffered having recently taken drugs.

A statement by the BBC said: The BBC Storyville film shows in unsparing detail the way in which Hamas set out to slaughter as many people as possible at a music festival on Oct 7. It is entirely focused on their stories, told in their own words without commentary, and their descriptions of Hamas as a terrorist organisation have of course not been changed.

It said the editorial guidelines regarding labelling groups or people as terrorists had been in place for many years.

Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
New Bedford Fire Department responds to fire in mill building late Friday night

NEW BEDFORD  The cause of a fire late Friday night in a four-story mill building is under investigation, according to the New Bedford Fire Department.

The fire on the west side of the building at 27 Healey St. was first reported through 911 calls initially followed by a fire alarm activation, according to a post on the department's Facebook page.

"A large volume of fire had extended up the exterior wall of this four story mill building from a large loading dock which was used for storage. Interior fire attack crews located fire extending into the building on all four floors. A ladder company also reported the fire had extended onto the roof as well," according to the NBFD Facebook post.

New Bedford Fire Department crews responded to a late-night fire in a four-story mill building at 27 Healey St. Sept. 27, 2024.

The nearby residences did not suffer any fire damage. .

New Bedford Fire Department crews responded to a late-night fire in a four-story mill building at 27 Healey St. Sept. 27, 2024.

City of New Bedford Emergency Management, City of New Bedford Police Department (Official), New Bedford EMS, the Special Signal Fire Association / Providence Canteen, and the Massachusetts Department of Fire Services provided assistance on scene. No injuries were reported.

Mutual aid assistance was provided by Acushnet Fire and EMS, Fairhaven Fire-EMS, Dartmouth Fire District 1, and Dartmouth Fire District 2 .

New Bedford Fire Department crews responded to a late-night fire in a four-story mill building at 27 Healey St. Sept. 27, 2024.

The cause of the fire is being investigated by the NBFD Fire Investigation Unit and the state Fire Marshals Office.

This article originally appeared on Standard-Times: NBFD: Fire in mill building extended to four floors
The practice of exorcism is well-established in Belgium, where bishops across the country's eight Catholic dioceses have each mandated a priest to offer sessions (Simon Wohlfahrt) (Simon Wohlfahrt/AFP/AFP)

Thierry Moser, Catholic priest and exorcist, has a twin mission: to ease people's torment through prayer -- and challenge old cliches about a practice he sees as an answer to very modern ills.

Originally trained in clinical psychology, Moser was ordained priest in 2009 and officiates in Belgium's capital where he performs exorcisms for around 200 faithful each year -- and struggles to keep up with demand.

What do they have in common? "All feel under attack from the devil, and are looking to be set free," he told AFP in an interview coinciding with Pope Francis' visit to the country.

Interest in exorcism has rebounded in recent decades.

In 2014, a year after Francis was elected, the Vatican formally recognised the International Association of Exorcists -- in what experts say amounts to a papal blessing.

Today, the practice is well-established in Belgium, where bishops across the country's eight Catholic dioceses have each mandated a priest to offer exorcism sessions.

There is no overall figure for the number of people who have resorted to exorcism in the country.

But the Flemish abbey of Averbode in Belgium's northeast has emerged as something of an epicentre, fielding more than 1,000 requests each year according to Kristof Smeyers, who researches the history of magic, science and religion at the Catholic University in Leuven.

People from all walks of life come to Moser for help, he says. Some are Catholic, but others are not.

Moser receives them in a space made available by religious authorities in the working-class Marolles area of Brussels, with a team of five staffing his "ministry of exorcism" set up with blessing from the Catholic hierarchy.

"Our first concern is to welcome people without judgement," he said.

Their "demons" take many shapes.

Many are dealing with setbacks in their personal or professional lives. Others struggle with phobias, nightmares, or physical symptoms ranging from unexplained pain to tinnitus.

"I feel like we are a kind of field hospital for the Church," mused Jacques Beckand, a deacon who was trained to perform exorcisms in the French city of Lyon and joined Moser's team a year ago.

"We see people who are grappling with tough spiritual challenges, with temptations, and we try to bring them healing as best we can."

- 'Not magicians' -

Dating back to the earliest days of Christianity, the practice of casting out demons through exorcism was used by Jesus Christ and his disciples according to the Gospel.

It fell out of favour with the Church during the 20th century -- until it was catapulted back into public view with the release of William Friedkin's chilling blockbuster "The Exorcist" in 1973.

"In the immediate aftermath of that film coming into cinemas, there's a sudden incline of people demanding exorcisms or feeling possessed -- or thinking that someone in their family is possessed," said Smeyers.

A second factor behind the resurgence was the rise since the 1980s of US televangelism, with highly theatrical exorcisms performed in public by ministers of various Protestant faiths.

"The Catholic Church felt that pressure a little bit from the evangelical movement" with its "idea that you can be delivered from evil if you feel you live a sinful life", said Smeyers.

Within Moser's team in Brussels, an exorcism follows a set pattern.

First a preparatory prayer between the officiants, who work in teams of two.

After that, the prayer session continues to include the person seeking help, with chanting sometimes incorporated as well.

At the heart of the practice is the solemn reading of a text known as the Rite of Major Exorcism, which can only be proclaimed with express permission from the Catholic hierarchy.

"We are not magicians," said Beckand. "We don't have magic tricks or formulas. But what we do is place people back in their relationship with God."

mad/ec/ub/imm
The mastermind and militia leader behind the 2012 deadly attack on a U.S. consulate in the Libyan city of Benghazi was resentenced Thursday to 28 years in prison.

The sentence handed down to Ahmed Abu Khatallah, 53, came despite requests from federal prosecutors that he be sentenced to 60 years in prison. They argued his original sentence of 22 years was "unreasonably low."

Khatallah was convicted of four counts in 2017, including providing material support to terrorists and destroying U.S. property, but he was acquitted on the most serious charges.

Four Americans, including U.S. Ambassador to Libya Christopher Stevens, were killed in the attack on a U.S. diplomatic compound and a CIA complex in Benghazi, Libya, Sept. 11, 2012.

Benghazi Hero Kris 'Tanto' Paronto Shares Lessons Learned From 2012 Terror Attack

A man waves his rifle as buildings and cars are engulfed in flames inside the U.S. consulate compound in Benghazi Sept. 11, 2012. Four Americans were killed in the attack, which also targeted a CIA annex about a mile away from the consulate.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit ruled in 2022 that 22 years in prison is not long enough for Khatallah "given the gravity of such an assault on an American diplomatic facility and the district courts own recognition of the vital need to deter such crimes."

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Khatallah was a leader of Ubaydah bin Jarrah, an extremist militia, and sought to incite violence against the United States because of its presence in Libya, the Justice Department said. The group began stockpiling weapons in early 2012 in anticipation of committing an attack.

Benghazi Legend Mark Geist Presents K9 Service Dog To Combat Veteran In N.j.

U.S. Ambassador to Libya J. Christopher Stevens, Department of State employee Sean Smith and CIA contractors and former Navy SEALs Glen Doherty and Tyrone Woods were killed Sept. 11, 2012, in Benghazi, Libya.

The militia attacked the consulate Sept. 11, 2012, set fires inside the compound and broke into buildings. Hours after it started, Stevens, State Department employee Sean Smith and CIA contractors and former Navy SEALs Glen Doherty and Tyrone Woods were killed in the fighting.

Benghazi soon became a divisive political issue.

Congressional Republicans accused President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton of intentionally misleading the public by suggesting the attacks were a backlash against the film "Innocence of Muslims."

Several years of congressional inquiries followed, but the final report ultimately did not place blame on any specific individual.





Original article source: Benghazi mastermind resentenced to 28 years in prison for attack that killed 4 Americans
Book of Job

A Berkeley computer scientist is raising alarm bells about the state of the labor market for new college graduates struggling to find work.

In a LinkedIn post, UC Berkeley's James O'Brien said that even his students who achieved top-tier grade point averages are failing to find work post-graduation.

"Previously, a Berkeley [computer science] graduate, even if not a top student, would receive multiple appealing job offers in terms of work type, location, salary, and employer," the professor and 2015 Academy Award winner for technological achievement wrote. "However, outstanding students, like those with a 4.0 in-major GPA, are now contacting me worried because they have zero offers."

O'Brien's post was made in response to a recent Wall Street Journal report about the sorry state of the tech hiring sector, which contained a brutal anecdote about one desperate worker who began posting QR codes pointing to his LinkedIn outside the Manhattan headquarters of companies like Facebook and Google.

"Lately, I'm [hearing] similar narratives from students," the professor wrote. "I suspect this trend is irreversible and likely part of the broader trend impacting almost every employment sector."

No Joking Matter

Indeed, earlier this year, the National Association of College and Employers released survey results that found hiring forecasts for new grads were six percent down from 2023.

When it comes to underemployment, or working jobs that one is overqualified for, those numbers were starker: four in ten, or 40 percent, of recent college grads self-reported that they were underemployed in 2024, per the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

Between mass layoffs across the tech sector  more than 130,000 this year alone per the Layoffs.fyi tracker  and the lowest hiring rate in a decade, things have gotten so bad that people are now making viral jokes about how rough it is out there.

"As an avid job quitter," one X user wrote, "Im telling yall right now: this is NOT a quitting economy."

Back on LinkedIn, O'Brien expressed his own worries about the state of the job market.

"I hate to say this, but a person starting their degree today may find themself graduating four years from now into a world with very limited employment options," the Berkeley professor wrote. "Add to that the growing number of people losing their employment and it should be crystal clear that a serious problem is on the horizon."

"We should be doing something about it today," O'Brien aptly concluded.

More on labor woes: Employee Found Dead in Cubicle After Apparently Dying There Days Earlier
Beth Israel Lahey Health announced Friday the healthcare company is making layoffs.

A spokesperson for Beth Israel told Boston 25 News the layoffs are occurring in the face of significant cost increase, a limited reimbursement environment and changing patient care trends.

Despite these challenges, BILH remains committed to our mission of delivering high-quality care in the communities we serve, a Beth Israel spokesperson. At the local level, hospital leaders have identified opportunities to restructure staff roles, including eliminating some positions, to best meet local healthcare needs in a sustainable way. We continue to prioritize patient care and make investments that deliver on our commitment to community health.

The spokesperson declined to state which facilities would be subject to the cuts or the positions that would be cut.

Beth Israel Lahey Health oversees 14 hospitals across Massachusetts and New Hampshire, including Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and New England Baptist Hospital in Boston and Mount Auburn Hospital in Cambridge. According to its website, it has a workforce of 39,000 employees.

Beth Israel Lahey reported a $110 million operating loss for a 9-month period ending in June 2024, according to their most recent quarterly financial report.

Boston 25 News has reached out to the Massachusetts Nurses Association for comment.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.

Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
President Biden issued a statement Saturday calling the death of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed a day before in an Israeli strike on Lebanons capital city, a measure of justice.

Hassan Nasrallah and the terrorist group he led, Hezbollah, were responsible for killing hundreds of Americans over a four-decade reign of terror, Biden wrote in a statement Saturday. His death from an Israeli airstrike is a measure of justice for his many victims, including thousands of Americans, Israelis, and Lebanese civilians.

The strike that killed Nasrallah took place in the broader context of the conflict that began with Hamass massacre on October 7, 2023, he added. Nasrallah, the next day, made the fateful decision to join hands with Hamas and open what he called a northern front against Israel.

His comments come after Hezbollah confirmed early Saturday that Nasrallah was killed in an Israeli strike on the Lebanese militant groups headquarters in Beirut. The president also reiterated the U.S. support for Israel amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

The United States fully supports Israels right to defend itself against Hezbollah, Hamas, the Houthis, and any other Iranian-supported terrorist groups, he wrote, while referencing a new agreement between the U.S. and Israel for an $8.7 billion aid package to reduce the risk of a broader regional war.

Israels two-day bombing campaign in recent days has killed more than 500 people. The latest strike also comes after the Israeli military was accused of detonating pagers and walkie-talkies used by the groups fighters, which killed at least 37 people in Lebanon, injured thousands and sparked fear that a wider war is inevitable.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also recently rejected a U.S. and France-led temporary cease-fire in Lebanon, which would allow for a 21-day truce in the region. In his speech before the United Nations General Assembly Friday, Netanyahu sparked a defiant tone, decrying to curse of the Iran-backed groups and vowed to continue fighting.

Biden said Saturday that the ultimately goal is to de-escalate fighting in Lebanon and Gaza through diplomatic means. Cease-fire negotiations between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas also appear to be stalled.

It is time for these deals to close, for the threats to Israel to be removed, and for the broader Middle East region to gain greater stability, he wrote.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
President Joe Biden speaks the the media after stepping off Air Force One at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware, Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, to spend the weekend at his beach home in Rehoboth Beach, Del. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

REHOBOTH BEACH, Del. (AP)  The Israeli strike that killed Hezbollahs Hassan Nasrallah was a measure of justice" for victims of a four-decade reign of terror, President Joe Biden said Saturday.

The comments came after Lebanons Hezbollah group confirmed earlier Saturday that Nasrallah, one of the groups founders, was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Beirut the previous day.

Biden noted that the operation to take out Nasrallah took place in the broader context of the conflict that began with Hamas massacre of Israelis on Oct. 7, 2023.

Nasrallah, the next day, made the fateful decision to join hands with Hamas and open what he called a northern front against Israel, Biden said in a statement.

He also noted that Hezbollah under Nasrallahs watch has been responsible for the deaths of thousands of Americans, Israelis and Lebanese.

Hezbollah attacks against U.S. interests include the truck bombing of the U.S. Embassy and multinational force barracks in Beirut in 1983 and the kidnapping of the Central Intelligence Agency chief of station in Beirut, who died while held captive. The U.S. said Hezbollah leaders armed and trained militias that carried out attacks on American forces during the war in Iraq.

The White House sees the death of Nasrallah as a huge blow to the group. At the same time, the administration has sought to tread carefully as it has tried to contain Israel 's war with Hamas, which, like Hezbollah, is backed by Iran, from exploding into an all-out regional conflict.

The White House and Pentagon were quick on Friday, shortly after the strike, to say publicly that Israel offered it no forewarning of the operation.

President Biden and I do not want to see conflict in the Middle East escalate into a broader regional war, Vice President Kamala Harris said in a statement Saturday that echoed Biden's description of a measure of justice. She added, Diplomacy remains the best path forward to protect civilians and achieve lasting stability in the region.

The confirmation of Nasrallah's death comes during a week that began with Bidens top national security aides working on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly to build support for a 21-day Israel-Hezbollah cease-fire that they hoped might also breathe new life into stalled efforts to secure a truce in Gaza.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered a defiant speech Friday to the United Nations, vowing to keep up operations against Hezbollah until tens of thousands of Israeli citizens displaced by rocket attacks can return home. Shortly after, Israel carried out the strike killing Nasrallah.

Biden reiterated on Saturday that he wants to see cease-fires both in Gaza and between Israel and Hezbollah.

It is time for these deals to close, for the threats to Israel to be removed, and for the broader Middle East region to gain greater stability, Biden said.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian accused the United States of supporting the killing that took out Nasrallah and dozens of others.

The world community will not forget that the order of the terrorist strike was issued from New York and the Americans cannot absolve themselves from complicity with the Zionists, Pezeshkian was quoted as saying in a statement read on Iranian state television.

The State Department on Saturday ordered the departure of the families of U.S. diplomats who are not employed by the embassy in Beirut and authorized the departure of those who are, as well as nonessential employees because of the volatile and unpredictable security situation in Lebanons capital.

The U.S. embassy in Beirut also posted a link to an online form that Americans in Lebanon can complete if they are interested in possible assistance leaving the country.

The embassy stressed that it was not organizing evacuations and that there are still commercial means to leave, but the request for information appeared to suggest that such plans may be in the works.

The State Department has previously advised American citizens to consider leaving Lebanon and reiterated its warning against all travel to the country.

Due to the increased volatility following airstrikes within Beirut and the volatile and unpredictable security situation throughout Lebanon, the U.S. Embassy urges U.S. citizens to depart Lebanon while commercial options still remain available, the department said in a statement Saturday.

The State Department routinely orders or authorizes the departure of nonessential embassy staffers and the families of diplomats when security conditions deteriorate in the country where they are posted.

An ordered departure is not technically an evacuation but does require those affected to leave. An authorized departure allows those affected to leave the country voluntarily at government expense.

Biden, who was spending the weekend at his vacation home in Delaware, and Harris, who was campaigning in California, held a call with national security aides on Saturday to discuss the situation in the Middle East.

In a brief exchange with reporters as he left church on Saturday, Biden did not directly respond to questions about the conflict potentially escalating further.

Its time for a cease-fire, he said.

The president on Friday directed the Pentagon to assess and adjust as necessary the U.S. force posture in the region to enhance deterrence, ensure force protection and support the full range of U.S. objectives.

He called for the assessment after the Pentagon earlier in the week announced it was sending an unspecified number of additional U.S. troops to the region because of rising tensions.
Secretary-General of Lebanon's Iran-allied Hezbollah movement Hassan Nasrallah delivers a televised speech to mark the third anniversary of the assassination of Qassem Soleimani, commander of the elite Quds Force of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the deputy head of the predominantly Shia Muslim Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF). Marwan Naamani/dpa

US President Joe Biden called Israel's killing of the leader of Lebanese Shiite Hezbollah militia, Hassan Nasrallah, a "measure of justice" for the victims of his four decades of terror, in a statement issued on Saturday.

"Hassan Nasrallah and the terrorist group he led, Hezbollah, were responsible for killing hundreds of Americans over a four-decade reign of terror," Biden said, a day after the deadly Israeli attack on the southern suburbs of Beirut.

"His death from an Israeli airstrike is a measure of justice for his many victims, including thousands of Americans, Israelis and Lebanese civilians," the statement said.

Washington "fully supports Israels right to defend itself against Hezbollah, Hamas, the Houthis, and any other Iranian-supported terrorist groups," Biden said.

"Ultimately, our aim is to de-escalate the ongoing conflicts in both Gaza and Lebanon through diplomatic means.

"In Gaza, we have been pursuing a deal backed by the UN Security Council for a ceasefire and the release of hostages.

"In Lebanon, we have been negotiating a deal that would return people safely to their homes in Israel and southern Lebanon.

"It is time for these deals to close, for the threats to Israel to be removed, and for the broader Middle East region to gain greater stability."
TENNESSEE (WJHL)  President Joe Biden approved an Emergency Declaration for Tennessee to receive aid from FEMA on Saturday following Fridays devastating flood event.

A news release from FEMA said federal disaster assistance is now available to the State of Tennessee to supplement response efforts to flooding regionwide.

The Presidents action authorizes FEMA to coordinate all disaster relief efforts to alleviate the hardship and suffering caused by the emergency on the local population and to provide appropriate assistance to save lives, to protect property, public health and safety and to lessen or avert the threat of a catastrophe, the release states.

According to FEMA, federal funding is also available for eligible local governments and certain private non-profit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency protective measures limited to direct federal assistance and reimbursement for mass care including evacuation and shelter support for Cocke, Hawkins and Washington counties.

The release said federal funding is also available for emergency protective measures including direct federal assistance for Carter, Johnson and Unicoi counties.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WJHL | Tri-Cities News & Weather.
Biden believes ceasefire still possible despite Israel defying his calls for peace deal

Joe Biden told allies that he believed the Israeli leader had engaged with him over peace talks - AP Photo/Susan Walsh

Joe Biden still believes his plans to end the violence in the Middle East are on track despite Israel defying his attempts to broker a peace deal.

The Telegraph understands that the US president insists Israeli assassination of Hezbollahs leader has weakened the terror organisation enough that a ceasefire deal is still possible.

On Saturday, Mr Biden celebrated the death of Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed in an air strike on Hezbollahs underground headquarters just outside Beirut.

His death from an Israeli airstrike is a measure of justice for his many victims, including thousands of Americans, Israelis, and Lebanese civilians, the president said in a statement.

It came despite reports suggesting Mr Biden had been humiliated and embarrassed by Benjamin Netanyahu during discussions over Washingtons Middle Eastern peace plans.

The US president told allies that he believed the Israeli leader had engaged in a back-and-forth over a ceasefire despite having no intention to stop the strikes against Hezbollah, Politico reported.

A White House spokesman dismissed the accounts of a potential row between the US and Israel.

Mr Netanyahu had privately told US officials that he supported a pause in the fighting with the Lebanon-based terror group.

But he has publicly rejected a US proposal for a 21-day ceasefire with Hezbollah, and has vowed to continue the fighting.

In a speech at the United Nations on Friday, the Israeli prime minister said his armed forces would not stop hitting targets in Lebanon until we achieve all of our objectives.

I wonder about the timing of Israels recent onslaught against Hezbollah and how much is linked to Netanyahu seeing Biden as a quasi-lame duck. This was a small window for Israel to act without any substantive or meaningful pushback from the White House. Perfect storm of factors, Colin P Clarke, director of research at the Soufan Group, said.

On Saturday, Mr Biden said he wanted to end fighting in both Lebanon and Gaza through diplomatic means.

It is time for these deals to close, for the threats to Israel to be removed, and for the broader Middle East region to gain greater stability, he added.

It came as Israel killed Hassan Nasrallah, Hezbollahs leader, in an air strike on the organisations underground headquarters near Beirut.

Protesters in Tehran after the death of Hassan Nasrallah in an Israeli air strike - Abedin Taherkenareh/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

His death marks a significant escalation in Israelis operations to dismantle the terror group, but could also undermine Mr Bidens attempts to prevent a wider conflict across the Middle East.

A senior general in Irans Revolutionary Guard was also killed in the strike, state media reported on Saturday.

Mohammad Reza Aref, Irans vice-president, said Nasrallahs death would lead to the destruction of Israel, in a sign that the air strikes could drag Tehran further into the conflict.

Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, Iraqs prime minister, also condemned the assassination as a crime, another suggestion that Israels operations are destabilising the region.

The US has said it is determined to prevent an all-out war between Israel and Hezbollah.

Lloyd Austin, the defence secretary, said a ground incursion by Israeli forces into Lebanon could trigger a wider regional conflict.

He also warned that casualties would equal or exceed the number in Gaza.

An all-out war between Lebanese, Hezbollah and Israel would be devastating for both Lebanon and Israel. And again, we anticipate that wed see a number of people displaced, casualties that, you know, equal or exceed what weve seen in Gaza, Mr Austin told CNN.

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"It's time for a ceasefire," US President Joe Biden said, after a reporter asked whether an Israeli ground invasion into Lebanon was inevitable (Brendan SMIALOWSKI) (Brendan SMIALOWSKI/AFP/AFP)

The United States on Saturday offered clear support for Israel's bombing campaign against Hezbollah in Lebanon, including a strike that killed the group's longtime leader, but also said the time has come for ceasefires there and in Gaza.

President Joe Biden called the killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah "a measure of justice for his many victims, including thousands of Americans, Israelis and Lebanese civilians."

In a statement one day after an Israeli air strike on a southern Beirut suburb killed Nasrallah, Biden reiterated US support for "Israel's right to defend itself against Hezbollah, Hamas, the Huthis, and any other Iranian-supported terrorist groups."

Vice President Kamala Harris, who is running for president in November, called Nasrallah "a terrorist with American blood on his hands."

The strong support from Washington, Israel's top ally, came as Russia, several European countries and the United Nations warned of the killing's potential repercussions.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was "gravely concerned by the dramatic escalation of events in Beirut in the last 24 hours," spokesman Stephane Dujarric said.

"This cycle of violence must stop now, and all sides must step back from the brink. The people of Lebanon, the people of Israel, as well as the wider region, cannot afford an all-out war."

In his statement, Biden underscored the need for a diplomatic solution.

"Ultimately, our aim is to de-escalate the ongoing conflicts in both Gaza and Lebanon through diplomatic means," he said, mentioning a ceasefire proposal in Gaza and negotiations on allowing the safe return of residents to Israel and southern Lebanon.

"It is time for these deals to close, for the threats to Israel to be removed, and for the broader Middle East region to gain greater stability," he said.

Speaking to reporters after leaving church on Saturday, Biden said "it's time for a ceasefire" after one asked whether an Israeli ground invasion was inevitable.

- 'Postured to protect US forces' -

In the meantime, Washington was reviewing its military presence in the region.

Biden said he had directed Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to "further enhance the defense posture of US military forces in the Middle East region to deter aggression and reduce the risk of a broader regional war."

Austin spoke twice with his Israeli counterpart Yoav Gallant on Friday, stressing that "the United States is determined to prevent Iran and Iranian-backed partners and proxies from exploiting the situation or expanding the conflict," a Pentagon spokesperson said.

"The secretary made it clear that the United States remains postured to protect US forces and facilities in the region and committed to the defense of Israel."

Also on Saturday, the State Department ordered family members of its diplomats in Beirut to leave, while authorizing the departure of some staff "due to the volatile and unpredictable security situation in Beirut."

The agency also urged US citizens to leave "while commercial options still remain available."

Military officials in Israel announced Saturday that Nasrallah, who headed Hezbollah for more than three decades, died in a bombardment targeting the group's headquarters in the southern suburbs of Beirut late Friday.

Hezbollah confirmed the death hours later.

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Biden says killing of Hezbollah leader in Israeli airstrike is measure of justice for his victims

President Joe Biden called the death of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah a measure of justice for the thousands of civilians that he and the terrorist organization killed over the last three decades.

Hassan Nasrallah and the terrorist group he led, Hezbollah, were responsible for killing hundreds of Americans over a four-decade reign of terror, Biden said in a statement. His death from an Israeli airstrike is a measure of justice for his many victims, including thousands of Americans, Israelis, and Lebanese civilians.

The presidents statement arrives after Lebanons Hezbollah group confirmed that Nasrallah, 64, was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Beirut on Friday.

Vice President Kamala Harris echoed Bidens statement, saying, Today, Hezbollahs victims have a measure of justice.

Nasrallah took leadership in Hezbollah in 1992, helping create and maintain a Shia political and military army that launched bombings and attacks around the world, killing thousands of civilians in their path in the name of destroying Israel.

For decades, Hezbollah, under Nasarallahs leadership, fought wars against Israel and participated in conflicts in neighboring countries like Syria.

President Joe Biden reaffirmed the U.S.s support for Israel after Hezbollah confirmed its leader was killed in an airstrike (AP)

Since October 7, the organization has supported Hamas and condemned Israel for its war in Gaza. Hezbollah has launched attacks on Israel, demanding a ceasefire. Recently, Israel launched attacks in Lebanon to push Hezbollah back from the northern border and destroy Hezbollahs infrastructure.

Those deadly attacks, which have killed at least 1,000 people, are ultimately what killed Nasrallah.

Biden said Nasrallahs death is part of the broader IsraelHamas conflict given Hezbollahs decision to support Hamas. The president reaffirmed support for Israel to defend itself against the terrorist organizations and directed the Secretary of Defense to enhance the U.S. military forces defense posture.

Yet, Biden also added that the ultimate aim is to diplomatically de-escalate the conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon  where Israel is conducting deadly airstrikes.

The U.S. has given Israel at least $12.5 billion in military aid since October 7.

Lebanon's Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, photographed in November 2013, was killed on Friday in an Israeli airstrike (REUTERS)

The escalating conflict in the Middle East has led to warnings from leaders around the world about the potentially devastating consequences for more civilians. Already, more than 40,000 Palestinians have been killed as a result of Israels war in Gaza, according to the Gazan health ministry.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Saturday he was concerned about the escalating violence, warning that the people of Israel, as well as the wider region, cannot afford an all-out war.

The U.S. has issued a warning to all Americans to leave Lebanon, if possible, due to the increased volatility following airstrikes within Beirut and the volatile and unpredictable security situation throughout Lebanon.

All U.S. citizens are urged to leave while commercial options still remain available.
BIG SPRING, Texas (KMID/KPEJ)  The Big Spring Police Department and Crime Stoppers are looking to identify a sticky fingers theft suspect.

According to Crime Stoppers, on Saturday, September 21, the suspect went behind the counter at EZ Pawn, located on Gregg Street, and touched a $300 phone which appears to have stuck to his fingers!! Instead of asking for help to remove the phone from his fingers it appears as if he shoves it into his pocket utilizing the friction to remove it from his fingers. Obviously embarrassed of his condition he exits the store without paying for the phone.

Local official, stores discuss ongoing retail theft surge

If you recognize this individual, or have any information, please contact Crime Stoppers at 432-263-TIPS or through the P3 Tips mobile app and reference case number 2-24-02774. The first tip made to Crime Stoppers that leads to an arrest or case closed may be eligible for a cash reward.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Yourbasin.
As the charges mount against Sean Diddy Combs, Bill Maher wants to know how he got away with it for so long.

On Fridays episode of Real Time with Bill Maher, the comedian caught up with writer Fran Lebowitz about various current events, including Combs recent arrest by FBI agents in New York City and how it reflects on the music industry.

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Ive been asking this question for seven years, since 2017 when the #MeToo thing happened, he said. Why why not the music industry? I mean, they went after NPR pretty bad. They got like, four, five guys from NPR, like old guys who posted, like, an outrageous limerick on the doorway of the bookshop.

The music industry is this open cesspool of misogyny, and frankly, rape and sexual harassment, and somehow, the angel of death has just flown over them. Why do you think that is? asked Maher.

Lebowitz offered, I think because this is a capitalist country, and the music industry is much more lucrative than NPR. That would be my guess.

Sean Diddy Combs attends 2023 Invest Fest at Georgia World Congress Center on Aug. 26, 2023 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Paras Griffin/Getty Images)

A lot of the stories about everybody starting with #MeToo, Id heard a lot of these stories for many years, she continued. So, Puffy, this was not exactly a state secret. But it was a state secret apparently to them.

After Combs ex Cassie Ventura previously filed a rape and abuse lawsuit against him last November, several other men and women have come forward with more allegations. Combs was arrested last week in connection to an FBI raid on his LA and Miami homes in March.

On Friday, another Jane Doe filed a lawsuit against Combs, claiming he intimidated her, drugged her, raped her and impregnated her over several years starting in 2021.

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(Bloomberg) -- The party led by billionaire former Prime Minister Andrej Babis won the most seats in an election for one-third of the Czech Republics Senate in voting that ended on Saturday.

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Babis ANO party won eight out of the 27 seats being contested in parliaments upper house, after clinching six of them in run-off votes. It was the first time his party has held the most seats in the 81-member Senate, but still isnt enough for control; the ruling coalition of Prime Minister Petr Fiala still holds a majority.

The victory comes a week after Babis populist party dominated regional elections, winning control in 10 out of 13 contests.

Both results are seen as a boost for him ahead of general elections expected in 2025. Polls show ANO in the lead, and Babis has already said hell seek to again become the prime minister, having held the post from 2017 to 2021.

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The bipartisan committee charged with supporting democracy and human rights in post-Soviet states is pushing for the United States to dump the post-Cold War status quo in its relations with Russia and label Moscow as a persistent threat to global security.

The report from the Helsinki Commission, which was obtained by The Hill ahead of publication, argues that Washington must reframe its thinking in how it approaches Russia, as it has with China over the past few years, and allocate resources accordingly.

A priority focus of the reports strategy is to ensure Ukraines victory in its defensive war against Russia, calling for massive military and humanitarian assistance for Kyiv and allowing Ukraines armed forces to strike deep into Russia with U.S. provided weapons.

The reports policy proposals go further than the Biden administrations commitments to Ukraine and clash with positions held by former President Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, and his allies in Congress.

Trump has long argued the U.S. is spending too much on European security. And he is campaigning on making a deal between Ukraine and Russia through direct negotiations with their leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin.

However, the Helsinki committees Republican chair, Rep. Joe Wilson (S.C.), dismissed the potential of Trump striking a deal with Putin.

No question to me that Donald Trump is going to see the insincerity of war criminal Putin, Wilson told The Hill in a brief conversation about the report.

Putin is not anybody that you can reach an agreement with, that would be substantive, that would hold.

Vice President Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, has largely outlined a continuation of President Bidens policy for Ukraine. Ukraine hawks in both parties say the administration has been too slow in supplying Kyiv with the weapons it needs to repel Russia.

But while the presidential race will surely factor into U.S. policy toward Ukraine and Russia in the years ahead, attitudes in Congress will also be crucial to setting priorities globally.

Even as there is growing opposition to providing military and economic support to Ukraine in the Republican Party, GOP leaders focused on foreign policy are largely bullish on supporting Ukraine, ensuring commitments to NATO and bolstering democracy in post-Soviet states.

This includes Wilson, but also the chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas); chair of the House Select Committee on Intelligence, Mike Turner (R-Ohio); Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky); and ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee James E. Risch (R-Idaho), to name a few.

These lawmakers are likely to embrace the reports conclusions that the United States must prepare for long-term contestation, understanding that Russia has a centuries-long history of violent imperialism toward its neighbors, Europe, and the world more broadly.

The conclusions seem obvious given the scope of Moscows violations of international laws and norms: seizing Crimea and occupying the Donbas in 2014; the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022; its invasion and occupation of Georgia in 2008; the Kremlins attack on political dissidents at home and abroad; its interference in U.S. and other democratic elections; the ransoming of Americans jailed in Russia.

Yet foreign policy orthodoxy changes slowly, and the prevailing wisdom since the end of the Cold War has been that cooperation with Russia and economic incentives would moderate its behavior. The Helsinki report seeks to bury that thinking.

I think the fundamental message is that we are breaking from 30 years of flawed policy, said a congressional aid familiar with the report.

One doesnt need to look far to see that every single president within the first few months of their administration, goes and meets with Putin.

The U.S. and its allies in Europe are still figuring out how to deal with Russia more than 2 1/2 years since it launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The Biden administration has generally shunned Russia diplomatically and sought to isolate it economically while maintaining some channels of communication to avoid escalations and deal with issues of mutual interest, such as negotiations to free prisoners.

Some Republicans, frustrated by nearly three years of war and some $175 billion in U.S. support, have called for the U.S. to directly intervene in negotiations to end the war. And they warn against dismissing Russias nuclear threats as Ukraine takes the fight across the border.

The Biden administration has delivered military support to Ukraine in small increments as a way to probe Russias redlines and guard against triggering Putin to follow through on his threats to deploy nuclear weapons.

But Trump-aligned isolationists dont want the U.S. involved at all. In an op-ed by former independent presidential contender-turned-Trump supporter Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Donald Trump Jr., the two argue that direct negotiations with Putin will end the war in Ukraine and prevent nuclear devastation.

The Ukrainians and Kyivs most stalwart supporters have criticized this line of thinking, saying that Ukraine has repeatedly crossed what Russia has laid out as their red lines without spurring nuclear war.

They further argue that Putin is a disingenuous negotiator and any deal that concedes Ukrainian territory to Russia will embolden the Russian leader to relaunch an expansionist war in Ukraine, further pursue aggression in neighboring, post-Soviet states and potentially attack NATO member states in which Moscow is already carrying out hybrid-warfare.

The Helsinki reports recommendations are that Russias nuclear saber-rattling cannot simply be dismissed but that the solution to this brinkmanship is to address it with sound reasoning.

We cant let fear dominate how we think about this kind of stuff, the congressional aide explained about the reports recommendations  calling for laying out a plan to address and respond to possible nuclear threats and attacks.

The report wants to shift Washingtons thinking away from viewing Russia as a superpower and near-peer of the U.S. just because it holds nuclear weapons.

And overall, the report argues for a U.S. that is fully engaged with allies across the world, in particular those countries on the front lines of Russian efforts at aggression, manipulation and coercion  an argument that pushes back against growing trends of isolationism, particularly in the GOP.

This includes calls for increased military support, economic investment, development support and focus on soft power such as education and people-to-people exchanges. The U.S. should have a long-term strategy to support democratic governance and rule of law in countries vulnerable to threats from Russia, the report states.

Through persistent efforts geared towards fostering prosperity and democracy and countering Russias authoritarian influence, we can minimize Russias ability to threaten free societies, the report states.

This report will provide a roadmap for minimizing and containing Russias destructive behavior until the emergence of internal forces necessary to fundamentally change Russia emerge.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed strong U.S. concerns to Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Sept. 27 regarding China's support for Russia's defense industry, saying that Beijing's claims of seeking peace in Ukraine "don't add up."

During their meeting on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly in New York, Blinken also criticized China's "dangerous and destabilizing actions" in the South China Sea and emphasized the need for improved communication between their militaries, Reuters reported.

At a press conference, Blinken said that he and Wang also discussed strategies to curb the flow of drugs into the U.S. and addressed the risks associated with artificial intelligence.

Blinken highlighted that approximately 70 percent of the machine tools and 90 percent of the microelectronics Russia is importing come from China and Hong Kong. That was materially helping Moscow to produce the missiles, rockets, armored vehicles and munitions needed to perpetuate its war, he said.

"So when Beijing says that, on the one hand, it wants peace, it wants to see an end to the conflict, but on the other hand, is allowing its companies to take actions that are actually helping (Vladimir) Putin continue the aggression, that doesn't add up," Blinked said.

Wang said his country's position on the war in Ukraine had always emphasized the need for peace through talks, China's foreign ministry said in a statement.

Read also: Ukraine war latest: Zelensky meets with Trump in New York, shows him his victory plan

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US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly (Heather Khalifa) (Heather Khalifa/POOL/AFP)

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Friday questioned China's sincerity in seeking peace in Ukraine as he directly pressed his counterpart over exports that boost Russia's military.

Blinken met Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, the latest talks as the two powers look to dial down once-soaring tensions.

While crediting the diplomacy with bringing progress, Blinken warned that the United States would not back down on concerns over China's exports to Russia and made clear that Washington could impose more sanctions.

Blinken said that China is fueling the "war machine" of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

"When Beijing says that, on the one hand, that it wants peace, it wants to see an end to the conflict, but on the other hand is allowing its companies to take actions that are actually helping Putin continue the aggression, that doesn't add up," Blinken told a news conference.

"Our intent is not to decouple Russia from China. Their relationship is their business," he said.

"But insofar as that relationship involves providing Russia what it needs to continue this war, that's a problem for us, and it's a problem for many other countries, notably in Europe," Blinken added.

The top US diplomat said that China has provided 70 percent of machine tools and 90 percent of microelectronics needed by Russia for military production that includes rockets and armored vehicles.

Wang told Blinken during the meeting that China's position on the Ukraine conflict was "open and aboveboard, always advocating for peace and dialogue, and working towards a political solution", Beijing's foreign ministry said in a statement on Saturday.

"The US should stop smearing and sanctioning China and refrain from using the issue to create divisions and provoke bloc confrontations," Wang added.

China says it has not directly provided weapons to Russia and draws a contrast with the United States, which has shipped billions of dollars in weapons to Ukraine since the 2022 invasion by Russia.

Wang told a Security Council session on Tuesday that China was "not a creator of the Ukraine crisis, nor are we a party to it. China has all along stood on the side of peace."

- Keeping up peace push -

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in a UN address criticized China and Brazil for promoting negotiations to end the war, saying that forcing Ukraine to accept a peace deal was akin to colonialism.

The two countries kept up the drive on Friday, leading a statement with other emerging powers that calls for a "comprehensive and lasting settlement" through diplomacy.

But in a thinly veiled criticism of Putin's recent saber-rattling, the emerging powers called on all sides to refrain "from the use or the threat of weapons of mass destruction."

South Africa and Turkey were among the powers that also signed the statement.

Putin this week threatened to use nuclear weapons in the event of a major attack on Russian soil as Ukraine, looking to hit back against the invasion, seeks Western weapons to strike deeper across the border.

- Fruits of diplomacy -

Since Blinken and Wang last met in July at a regional conference in Laos, China has pleased the United States by releasing an American pastor imprisoned for years, although other Americans are detained.

Chinese President Xi Jinping, during a summit in November 2023 with counterpart Joe Biden, agreed to key US demands of restoring military communication between the two powers.

He also agreed to take action against producers of ingredients in fentanyl, the painkiller behind an overdose epidemic in the United States.

But a wide range of disagreements remain.

Blinken said he warned Wang against Beijing's "dangerous, destabilizing actions" on the South China Sea, where tensions have risen sharply between China and US ally the Philippines.

On the disputed waterway, Wang urged the US to "stop stirring up trouble...and undermining the efforts of regional countries to maintain peace and stability".

Wang also slammed US "suppression" of China's trade, technology, and economy and told Blinken that Washington should pursue "dialogue with respect".

"Since the US has repeatedly expressed that it does not intend to confront China, it should establish a rational understanding of China at its core, create a proper way of coexistence, (and) engage in dialogue with respect," Wang told Blinken.

The latest meeting came ahead of the November 5 election in which Republican candidate Donald Trump has vowed to take a harder line on China.

Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, who is running against Trump, have said that they seek dialogue to avoid conflict between the two powers, although their administration has also taken a hard line.

Blinken's deputy, Kurt Campbell, recently told a congressional hearing that China posed a broader challenge to the United States than the Soviet Union did during the Cold War.

sct-isk/cwl
Blinken says China's words about peace in Ukraine and its actions do not match  Reuters

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has emphasised serious US concerns regarding China's support for Russia's defence industrial base during talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Friday. He has stated that Beijing's rhetoric on peace in Ukraine "doesn't add up".

Source: Reuters

Details: Blinken also addressed "dangerous and destabilising actions" by China in the South China Sea and discussed improving communication between US and Chinese military forces during their meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.

Blinken mentioned at a press conference that they also discussed ways to stop the flow of drugs into the US and the risks associated with artificial intelligence.

Blinken pointed out that around 70% of machine tools and 90% of microelectronics imported by Russia come from China and Hong Kong, which materially aids Moscow in producing the missiles, armoured vehicles and ammunition necessary to continue the war.

Quote from Blinken: "So when Beijing says that, on the one hand, it wants peace, it wants to see an end to the conflict, but on the other hand, is allowing its companies to take actions that are actually helping Putin continue the aggression, that doesn't add up."

Details: Blinken also added that "pressing Iran, North Korea and China... to stop providing weapons, artillery, machinery and other support" to Russia is crucial to achieving lasting peace in Ukraine.

Previously: China continues to stand by its position that what is needed to end the war in Ukraine (which it refers to as a "crisis") is an immediate ceasefire, negotiations, and avoidance of sanctions and economic pressure.

Background:

In late May 2024, the governments of Brazil and China proposed a six-point plan.

The first point states that Ukraine and Russia should "call on all relevant parties to observe three principles for de-escalating the situation, namely no expansion of the battlefield, no escalation of fighting, and no provocation by any party".

On 21 September 2023, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with Brazilian leader Lula da Silva to discuss efforts to restore peace.

Brazil is one of the countries that did not sign the final communique of the Global Peace Summit, which took place on 15-16 June in Switzerland.

In an interview with Ukrainska Pravda, Ukraine's Ambassador to Brazil, Andrii Melnyk, said that Brazil had not warned Ukraine of its intention to present a peace plan with China to end Russia's war against Ukraine.

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A Bluffton man was arrested Saturday morning in connection with a shooting that took place that killed another man earlier that day on Hilton Head Island.

Charles Barron, 25, was arrested by Beaufort County Sheriffs Office after they responded to reports of a shooting at Fiddlers Cove just before 2:30 a.m., according to a county sheriff Nixle alert. Deputies arrived to find 25-year-old Cory McKie, Jr. of Bluffton dead from a gunshot wound.







Barron was taken into custody and charged with murder and possession of a weapon during a violent crime. He is being held at the Beaufort County Detention Center.

The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division is assisting with the ongoing investigation.







Anyone with information is encouraged to contact Corporal Ray at 843-255-3423 or the non-emergency line at 843-524-2777. Tips can also be submitted online at BCSO.NET.
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN)  An attempt to block a fast food chains development of a Portland metro-area burger joint has been struck down.

On Aug. 19, the Oregon Land Use Board of Appeals rejected a petition against a new In-N-Out Burger in unincorporated Washington County. The order affirmed an independent hearings officers prior approval of an application for the restaurant on 10565 SW Beaverton Hillsdale Highway.

Portland Thorns star Christine Sinclair announces retirement

A Beaverton resident filed a notice of intent to appeal the decision in early May.

According to LUBAs final order and opinion on the case, the petitioner argued the previous decision would allow the restaurant to operate during hours that are not permitted in Office Commercial (OC) Districts. The proposed site is split between a Commercial Business District (CBD) and OC District  the latter of which prohibits drive-thru queuing.

However, the board determined the hearings officer has authorized parking, maneuvering, and cross-circulation access for non-conforming use in the OC. The officer already established the drive-thru lines should remain in the CBD.

The petitioner also argued the previous decision was not supported by substantial evidence, which is defined as evidence a reasonable person would rely upon to reach a decision. For example, the resident claimed drive-thru lines at In-N-Outs Keizer location have exceeded what was initially anticipated in the chains traffic analysis.

They further argued the traffic analysis was based on research from a consulting services firm, rather than public testimony. LUBA said this analysis was addressed in In-N-Outs first appeal for the restaurant, but the petitioner did not participate in that stage of the process.

Award-winning Hillsboro arcade debuts X-Men game from oldest pinball machine designer

Petitioner therefore did not challenge the hearings officers findings that the expert analysis is more compelling and thus given more weight than statements from the public or explain why the expert analysis is not substantial evidence on which a reasonable person would rely, the board said. Petitioner may not raise this assignment of error now.

Residents are no longer permitted to file an appeal against the burger chain. The companys application is still approved, but subject to conditions of approval, according to county documents.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOIN.com.
Boardman police looking for man they say was involved in crash, then left

BOARDMAN, Ohio (WKBN)  Police in Boardman are looking for a man they say hit another car, then left.

The crash happened in the 4000 block of South Avenue  which is close to the Midlothian Boulevard intersection  on Monday.

Officers are asking the public for help to identify the man.

His vehicle is a black GMC SUV, according to police.

If you have any information, youre asked to call 330-726-4144.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKBN.com.
Michael Shufeldt was "one of the friendliest, most humble and most enjoyable people Ive had to pleasure to call my friend," a friend of the victim wrote

kgw news Boat Captain Missing and Presumed Dead

A boat captain who recently went missing after his vessel capsized in the Oregon River is now presumed dead.

On Thursday, Sept. 26, the Hood River County Sheriffs Office shared a statement regarding a victim who has been identified as Michael Shufeldt of Woodland, Wash.

According to the sheriffs office, The search for a missing boater that began at 11:39AM yesterday [Wednesday, Sept. 25] has now been characterized as a recovery mission.

Shufeldts boat was found with the assistance of the Skamania County Dive Team around 2 p.m. local time in the Columbia River at a depth of approximately 40 near the mouth of the White Salmon River. Efforts to recover the boat from the water remained ongoing as of Thursday.

The sheriffs office added that Shufeldt was not located in the vicinity of the vessel and is presumed deceased.

Related: Man Died a 'Hero' as He Tried to Save Passengers After Boat Capsized on Lake Michigan, Wife Says

Rescue teams have tried to locate the victim using additional efforts such as underwater remotely operated vehicles (ROV), but the searches have been unsuccessful thus far.

As the investigation continues, authorities believe Shufeldts boat may have sank as a result of rapidly deteriorating weather conditions.

The commercial guide boat capsized after taking a large wave over the stern. Conditions at the time of the accident were treacherous, and preliminary evidence suggests a tragic accident, the statement said.

Never miss a story  sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Hood River County Emergency Dispatch Center was first alerted to the incident after receiving a phone call reporting a capsized boat in the Columbia River near the mouth of the White Salmon River at approximately 11:39 a.m. on Wednesday, per the press release.

Within 15 minutes, law enforcement agents had arrived on the scene and multiple other law enforcement agency boats assisted with the search.

There were seven people onboard, including Shufeldt. Of those seven, two people were transported to the hospital, authorities said, adding that certain details were withheld: Out of respect for the families of those aboard, names will not be released at this time.

Related: Naked Rower Saved After 14 Hours Clinging to Capsized Boat in Pacific: Holding on for Dear Life

Hood River County Sheriffs Office, Columbia River Intertribal Fisheries Officers, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, the Skamania County Sheriffs Office and multiple civilian vessels aided in the search from day one, per the HRCSO. Additionally, the sheriffs office airplane and the U.S. Coast Guard helicopter from the Astoria Station joined in as well.

Related: Chef Who Died in Sicily Yacht Sinking Loved His Job and Used Money to Help His Parents, Friends Say

On Thursday, before the victim had been identified by the sheriffs office, Shufeldt friend Josiah Darr shared a Facebook post expressing his grief.

Theres not enough good things to say about Michael Shufeldt. He was one of the friendliest, most humble and most enjoyable people Ive had to pleasure to call my friend, he began.

The post contained seven photos of Shufeldt, who was seen smiling while spending time outdoors in all but one of the photos. For the one that he wasnt in nature, he was in a kitchen holding on to a laughing toddler.

He absolutely wrecked fish too, but that never seemed as important to him. He was much more likely to be talking about his kids or his wife. Some things just dont make sense and never will. I love you buddy, Darr concluded.



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Body of man who disappeared on Dogtown Lake still not recovered

Search and Rescue teams search for missing man on Dogtown Lake on Friday

A man went missing in the waters of Dogtown Lake in Williams on Friday, and authorities report that he has yet to be found.

A witness at the scene, who tried to rescue him, said that a gust of wind might have caused the man's kayak to capsize, according to Williams Police Department. The kayak and a cell phone have since been recovered.

First responders from the William's Police Department, Williams Fire Department, Lifeline Ambulance and Coconino County Sheriff's Office responded to the distress call reporting the incident.

Recovery efforts have been suspended for the day. According to a press release, Maricopa County Search and Rescue will deploy a specialized dive team and an underwater robot to the lake on Saturday morning.

As the search continues, authorities are urging the public to avoid the area. The Williams Police Department is withholding the mans identity until his family and next of kin have been notified.

13 people have drowned in Arizona lakes this summer.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Kayaker still missing from Dogtown Lake in Williams
Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency officers recovered the body of John Michael Jackson from Kentucky Lake at about 6:30 p.m. on Friday evening, following a dayslong search, Henry County Sheriff's Office reported.

Jackson, 22, was a soldier in the 101st Airborne Division. He was reported missing in Henry County on Wednesday after his vehicle was found parked on the side of the bridge at Paris Landing, but Jackson was missing.

Search and rescue efforts were made by HCSO, TWRA, and the Henry County Rescue Squad on Wednesday night and into Thursday before heavy rain required a pause. Recovery efforts were limited by inclement weather on Friday.

TWRA officials were checking the shoreline of Kentucky Lake at Gray's Landing on Friday at around 6:15 p.m. when they spotted Jackson's body.

Jackson joined the U.S. Army as a Network Communication Systems Specialist in August 2023, and has served at Fort Campbell since May 2024.

Reach Vivian Jones at vjones@tennessean.com or on X @Vivian_E_Jones.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Body of missing Fort Campbell soldier recovered from Kentucky Lake
Boeing workers in the Seattle-area walked off the job on September 13 after overwhelmingly voting down a contract offer (Jordan GALE) (Jordan GALE/AFP/AFP)

The union for striking Boeing workers said Friday that talks with the aviation giant "broke off" without agreement, after some 33,000 US employees walked out this month.

Workers in the Pacific Northwest region walked off the job on September 13 after overwhelmingly voting down a contract offer, effectively shutting down assembly plants for the 737 MAX and 777.

"Talks broke off, and we have no further dates scheduled at this time. We remain open to talks with the company, either direct or mediated," the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) said on its website.

Boeing said it was prepared to meet again with the union.

"We remain committed to resetting our relationship with our represented employees and negotiating in good faith, and want to reach an agreement as soon as possible," the company said in a statement.

Boeing on Monday announced its "best and final offer" aimed at appeasing demands: lifting wages for striking workers by 30 percent and reinstating an annual bonus.

An end-of-day Friday deadline was put in place for striking workers to sign off the deal, but the IAM said the proposal did not go far enough.

The union said in a Friday message that it had engaged in "frank discussions" with Boeing along with mediators of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS).

"While conversations were direct, we did not make progress on the pension issue. The company remains adamant that it will not unfreeze the defined benefit plan," the IAM said, citing a key issue for some workers.

It added that the company "would not engage substantively" on other issues including higher pay, quicker wage progression and more paid time off.

jul/lpa/bjt/rsc
Former White House national security adviser John Bolton suggested Friday that U.S. support for Ukraine will likely dwindle if former President Trump is elected in November, saying Its toast.

His comments came after Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met briefly at Trump Tower in New York City. During the visit, the former president claimed he could quickly broker a deal to end the Russia-Ukraine war.

Asked by CNNs Kaitlan Collins why the two met, Bolton pointed to political reasons.

I think for political reasons. I think he knew that obviously Zelensky had been in Washington. He had met with President Biden. He had met with Vice President Harris, Bolton told Collins, the host of The Source, in an interview. I think its designed, to calm the nerves of some Republicans  who despise Trump and dont want to vote for him but are afraid of the radicalism of the Democratic Party, and theyre rationalizing, in their own minds.

Surely Trump wont sell out Ukraine, he continued. So, that this is the kind of picture that helps convince them that indeed, Trump wont be so bad.

Bolton added, Id just like to break that bubble, because I think its, in terms of American support for Ukraine, if Trump wins, I think its toast.

Trump, following his meeting with the Ukrainian president and despite his deep skepticism of continued aid to the country, said it was an honor to speak with Zelensky. He lauded the relationship between the two leaders, and said he would work with Ukraine and Russia to get this settled.

Were going to work very much with both parties to try and get this settled, Trump said Friday. I think that we can work out something thats good for both sides. Its time. By the way, the president [Zelensky] knows that too. He wants to get something done. He doesnt want to do this.

The former president signaled that Russian President Vladimir Putin would also like to stop the war. Asked if he agrees, Bolton said absolutely.

Look, I think Putin knows that he has, although hes doubled the amount of territory in Ukraine that Russia controls, since 2014, they have paid a high price for it, he said Friday. Hed like to  draw a line under this, so he can help recover the Russian economy, convince the Europeans to buy natural gas from Russia again, and re-equip and retrain his army, so that he can go after Ukraine again, in a few years.

And that is exactly what he will do if theres a cease-fire, along the lines Trump is talking about, Bolton added.

Zelenskys visit with Trump came a day after he was welcomed to the White House by President Biden and Vice President Harris. During the meeting in Washington, which followed Bidens announcement of an estimated $8 billion aid package for Ukraine, he laid out his victory plan for ending the nearly-three-year war.

The Ukrainian leader also met with lawmakers on Capitol Hill.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Watch the official trailer for Bombs to Booze in the video player above.

(MONUMENT, Colo.)  September is National Suicide Prevention Month and a documentary highlighting a veteran turned moonshine distiller in Monument, which explores the mental health struggles our veterans face and the resources to help, is now available to watch on Prime Video.

Bombs to Booze follows the life of Mike Girard, a retired Army Bomb Tech turned owner of 3 Hundred Days Distilling in Monument, whose passion is rooted in helping veterans find the mental health support they need after returning to civilian life.

Courtesy: Lauryn Ritchie

Courtesy: Lauryn Ritchie

Courtesy: Lauryn Ritchie

Director Lauryn Ritchie explained that Girard mastered the art of distilling moonshine while deployed in Afghanistan, and initially, this is what she thought the storys focus would be.

He used an old, gutted-out IED [improvised explosive device], and made his first batch of moonshine while he was deployed using that IED as a still, and then he came back and it turned into a business, added Ritchie.

The three-gallon pressure cooker IED that was used to make the first batch of Girards moonshine. Courtesy: FOX21

Ritchie said that while Girard believed that 3 Hundred Days Distilling was his transition back into civilian life, he quickly learned that something was still missing.

Keeping alive the history and tradition of Colorado moonshine

He started to realize that he hadnt transitioned out of the military as well as he thought he had, she said. And thats when talking to friends and family and reaching out to different resources, that he realized he needed to get help and he did.

Courtesy: Lauryn Ritchie

Ritchie said as she spoke more with Girard about his own struggles and what he did to get help, it became apparent that the documentarys focal point would be on mental health.

Its something that I am very passionate about, even prior to going into this documentary, mental health is very close to my heart, she explained. Ive had my own struggles with it, and so, it was something that Mike and I were immediately able to relate on and bond over.

Bombs to Booze goes into Girards story before and after treatment and how it quite literally changed his life and gave him his life back, Ritchie said.

Bombs to booze

Ritchie grew up in Colorado Springs and is a Colorado State University Alum, and said her first film post-grad hits especially close to home as her dad is in the Air Force and her parents live in Monument.

They were so excited. My dad has been so integral in being that look into the veteran community, she said. My parents have known Mike for a long time, knew of the story of 3 Hundred Days, and when I graduated, they were like, Hey you should just meet with him, and here we are.

Ritchie said there was always a higher purpose for Girard. He said, Well, if youre going to make something, I want it to have a purpose behind it and I dont want it to be about me, I want it to be about mental health.'

As Ritchie reflects on the documentary she first began working on in December of 2021, she had these words for veterans who may need help:

Youre not broken, youre not damaged, she said. There are resources out there that exist purely to help you, and its important that you reach out to them.

Program offers resources for veterans mental health

As for the documentary, Bombs to Booze can be watched now on Prime Video. As for the name, heres what Ritchie had to say: I sat down, I was brainstorming and I looked at their website, and in their About Us page, the first line is, Mike Girard, from bombs to booze, and I texted him and said, Can I steal that? And he said, Sure, and that was literally it.

Courtesy: FOX21 News

3 Hundred Days Distilling is located at 279 Beacon Lite Road, Suite G in Monument.

If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. The 988 suicide and crisis lifeline can be reached 24 hours a day, 7 days a week by phone, chat or text. Call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX21 News Colorado.
Boston police are seeking the publics help with the search for a missing Charlestown 10-year-old

The Boston Police Department is asking for the publics help in the search for 10-year-old Ayesha Adam of Charlestown.

Ayesha is a thin build, Black female with black curly hair, brown eyes, and approximately 40. She was last seen in the vicinity of Bunker Hill Street in Charlestown.

Boston 25 crew was at the scene as police are actively searching for the girl.

Ayesha was last seen wearing a light-colored t-shirt and floral pants with orange and pink flowers, with no shoes. She may be area of North Station, as she is known to visit parks.

According to Boston police, Ayesha suffers from mental health issues.

If you have any information, please contact 911 or Area A-1/A-15 Detectives at 617-343-4571.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.

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POLAND, Ohio (WKBN)  A new shop opened in Poland on Friday, tailor-made for single moms.

Its a big day for Heather Fronk after starting Clothed in Strength about a year ago. Friday she cut the ribbon on a brand new boutique, a new space to help serve single mothers in the Mahoning Valley.

I think that its easy to hear that we help single mothers, Fronk said. We want to focus on the single mothers because theyre going to be the heart and the soul behind the family.

The shop offers everything from clothing, shoes and diapers to home goods and toys.

The new space that was once a single-family home right in the heart of Poland is filled entirely by donations.

I think when we set the standard higher that if I wouldnt put it on my child, Im not going to put it on yours. Then it changes the mindset of people and how they give, Fronk said.

But its not just physical goods. The boutique will offer workshops and literacy classes, including help for domestic violence victims and much more.

Ive walked through it, Fronk said. Even though the situation might not be the same between me and that mother, I can empathize with her and find her the resources that are out there.

Sarah Orr grew up in the house along Main Street, selling it to Heather to help launch her boutique. Her parents fostered more than 150 children over 34 years.

They started when I was four years old, its the best, Orr said. This house went to exactly who it shouldve gone to.

Her childhood home now in Heathers hands, but shes confident her touch offers the proper care to those in need.

It was very hard for myself and my siblings to let the house go, Orr said. But knowing what shes doing, its just an honor, and I think my parents would just be so proud.

A labor of love with new mission of helping mothers make ends meet.

To know that so many kids have been given love here. And that we in our own way through our mission are going to do the same thing, Fronk said.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKBN.com.
It is time to stop talking about the Middle East being on the brink of a much more serious war. After the devastating Israeli attack on Lebanon  which Israel says killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah  it feels as if theyre tumbling over it.

It was a huge series of blasts, according to people who were in Beirut. A friend of mine in the city said it was the most powerful she had heard in any of Lebanons wars.

As rescue workers searched among the rubble, Hezbollah remained silent on the fate of their leader, and have not confirmed his death.

The Israeli claim to have killed Nasrallah will reinforce their belief that this is their greatest triumph yet against their great enemy.

They have mobilised more soldiers, and seem to want to pick up the pace. They may even be thinking about a ground incursion into Lebanon.

It is a massively escalatory action. Over the last eleven months there has been an ongoing tit-for-tat between both sides, though with more pressure from the Israelis.

But now they have decided they are going to push.

They will be delighted with what they have done because  unlike the war against Hamas, which they did not expect  they have been planning this war since 2006. They are now putting those plans into effect.

There are huge challenges for Hezbollah, whether or not this report from the Israeli military regarding their leader is correct.

Their rockets landed again in Israeli territory on Saturday morning, targeting areas further south, so they are pushing back, but this is an uncertain period.

That uncertainty is part of the danger. The predictability of the war of attrition that went on for months and months meant people knew where they were - they absolutely do not now.

This embedded content is not available in your region.

Earlier on Friday there had been hopes, admittedly faint ones, that Israels Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was at least prepared to discuss a proposal for a 21-day ceasefire. It came from the US and France and was backed by Israels most significant Western allies.

But in a typically defiant and at times aggressive speech to the UN General Assembly in New York, Netanyahu did not talk about diplomacy.

Israel, he said, had no choice but to fight savage enemies who sought its annihilation. Hezbollah would be defeated  and there would be total victory over Hamas in Gaza, which would ensure the return of Israeli hostages.

Far from being lambs led to the slaughter  a phrase sometimes used in Israel to refer to the Nazi Holocaust  Israel, he said, was winning.

The huge attack in Beirut that occurred as he finished his speech was an even more emphatic sign that a truce in Lebanon was not on Israels agenda.

It seemed more than feasible that the attack was timed to follow up Mr Netanyahus threats that Israel could, and would, hit its enemies, wherever they were.

The Pentagon, the US defence department, said it had no advance warning from Israel about the raid.

A photo released by the prime ministers office in Jerusalem showed him at a bank of communications equipment in what looked like his hotel in New York City. The images caption said it showed the moment that he authorised the raid.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken defended the policy he has worked on for months. He said there was still room for negotiation. That assertion is looking hollow.

The Americans have very few levers to use against any side. They cannot, by law, talk to Hezbollah and Hamas as they are classified as foreign terrorist organisations. With the US elections only weeks away, they are even less likely to put pressure on Israel than they have been in the last year.

Powerful voices in the Israeli government and military wanted to attack Hezbollah in the days after the Hamas attacks last October. They argued that they could deal their enemies in Lebanon a decisive blow. The Americans persuaded them not to do it, arguing that the trouble it might set off across the region offset any potential security benefit for Israel.

But in the course of the last year Netanyahu has made a habit of defying President Joe Bidens wishes about the way Israel is fighting. Despite providing Israel with the aircraft and bombs used in the raid on Beirut, President Biden and team were spectators.

Workers dig through the debris for survivors following the latest strike [Reuters]

His policy for the last year, as a lifelong supporter of Israel, was to try to influence Netanyahu by showing solidarity and support, delivering weapons and diplomatic protection.

Biden believed that he could persuade Netanyahu not just to change the way Israel fights  the president has said repeatedly that it is imposing too much suffering and killing too many Palestinian civilians  but to accept an American plan for the day after that rested on creating an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel.

Netanyahu rejected the idea out of hand and has ignored Joe Bidens advice.

After the attack on Beirut, Blinken repeated his view that a combination of deterrence and diplomacy had staved off a wider war in the Middle East. But as events spiral out of US control, he is not sounding convincing.

Big decisions lie ahead.

First of all, with or without Nasrallah, Hezbollah is going to have to decide how to use its remaining arsenal. Do they try to mount a much heavier attack on Israel? If they dont use their remaining rockets and missiles in storage, they might decide Israel will get around to destroying even more of them.

The Israelis also face highly consequential decisions. They have already talked about a ground operation against Lebanon, and while they havent yet mobilised all the reserves they might need, their military said on Saturday that they were ready for a wider escalation.

Some in Lebanon believe that in a ground war Hezbollah could negate some of Israels military strengths.

Western diplomats, among them Israels staunchest allies, were hoping to calm matters, urging Israel to accept a diplomatic solution. They will now be looking at events with dismay and also a sense of powerlessness.
Boy, 7, Nearly Loses Foot After Car Crashes into Home: 'He Went Face First Through a Wall,' Says Dad

Taurean Reign DeNoto has since had seven surgeries to address the damage done to his foot, which is now reattached

GoFundMe Taurean Reign DeNoto

A 7-year-old boy is recovering from serious injuries after a car crashed into his familys home in Hawaii.

Taurean Reign DeNoto was hit by a car that slammed into the family's Kaumana Drive home in Hilo on Thursday, Sept. 5, according to ABC affiliate KITV.

Ralph Hilton, Taurean's father, told the station that a neighbor had pulled into our driveway to pick up our other neighbor, whom they share a driveway with, when the incident occurred.

Hilo police said that it appeared the man was about to leave the residence on Kaumana Drive when he unintentionally drove his vehicle toward the residence, striking the child and crashing through the residence.

He went face first through a wall, Ralph told KITV of his son, noting that the boy's foot was nearly completely severed as a result. I had to put his foot in my pocket to carry him outside," added the dad.

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Police said that due to the child's substantial injuries, he was transported to the hospital.



He has since had seven surgeries to address the damage done to his foot, which has since been reattached, KITV reported.

Police, who did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for additional information, said they arrested the driver for negligent injury on the day of the crash.

Related: Teen Mom Heading to Pick Up 4-Month-Old Daughter Is Killed When 'Large Bird' Flies Into Windshield: Official

The vehicle that crashed through the Hilo home has since been pulled from the living room and kitchen, according a GoFundMe campaign started by Taureans neighbor Lindsay Moore.

The online fundraiser aims to help the family pay for any medical, travel, and additional expenses they are currently experiencing.

Added the organizer, "We ask for prayers and healing for the beautiful Ohana at this time. Mahalo."



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The official profile of the X platform on the screen of a smartphone and on the display of a laptop, the white letter X can be seen on a black background. Monika Skolimowska/dpa

Brazil's Supreme Court on Friday rejected lifting a ban on tech billionaire Elon Musk's social media platform X in the country.

Judge Alexandre de Moraes ordered X be taken offline at the end of August, after the platform let a court-imposed deadline to appoint a legal representative pass. The company also refused to block the accounts of right-wing activists who spread conspiracy theories and misinformation.

On Thursday X said it had complied with the demands and asked that a ban on the service be lifted, local media reported. X had, as requested, appointed a legal representative and blocked the profiles of several users under investigation, the company said.

In addition, a fine of 18.35 million reais ($3.37 million) was collected from the bank accounts of Musk's companies X and Starlink.

However, de Moraes said that X would only be reactivated in Brazil if an additional fine of 10 million reais was paid.

The penalty was imposed because X did not respect the court-ordered shutdown for two days and some users in Brazil had access to the platform despite the nationwide ban.

The court's ruling also stated that both companies must give their consent to the transfer and withdraw all appeals. In addition, the company's appointed legal representative must pay a fine of 300,000 reais.

Musk, a prominent supporter of former US president Donald Trump in the US election campaign, portrays himself as a defender of free speech. He has accused de Moraes of attacking freedom of expression and called him an "evil dictator."
Brazilian judge Alexandre de Moraes (R) has been engaged in a long feud with Tesla and SpaceX owner Elon Musk (ETIENNE LAURENT) (ETIENNE LAURENT/AFP/AFP)

A Brazilian judge locked in a legal row with X owner Elon Musk on Friday said he would reinstate the social network in Brazil if a fine of around $1.8 million was paid.

Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes last month ordered X to be shut down in Brazil, after Musk refused to remove dozens of right-wing accounts and then failed to name a new legal representative in the country as ordered.

Moraes said that for X to be reactivated it must pay a fine of 10 million reais ($1.84 million), after denying a request to lift the suspension.

He also said Friday that the platform will be penalized for failing for two days to comply with an order to suspend the use of a server that allowed it to temporarily circumvent the nationwide ban.

High-profile judge Moraes has been engaged in a long feud with Tesla and SpaceX owner Musk as part of his drive to crack down on disinformation in Brazil.

The clash between the Brazilian court and the iconoclastic billionaire has morphed into a high-stakes tussle testing the limits of both freedom of expression and corporate responsibility in South America's largest country.

X had more than 22 million users in Brazil before the ban, which came into place on August 31.

The company has in the last week started complying with the Brazilian court's conditions to get reactivated, such as appointing a legal representative in the country.

Musk has repeatedly hit out at Moraes in social media posts, calling him an "evil dictator" and dubbing him "Voldemort" after the villain from the "Harry Potter" series.

rsr/ag/bjt/rsc
Alerts Issued for Our Region

Flood Warning in effect until 3:15 AM for Bland and Tazewell counties.

Flood Warning until 7:45 AM Saturday for Tazewell County.

Flood Warning for Giles County until 9 AM.

Flood Warning continues until Saturday afternoon for the Clinch River near Richlands. The river is forecast to rise just above flood stage tonight and fall below flood stage after midnight.

Flooding Warning for the New River at Glen Lyn affecting Giles, Monroe, Mercer and Summers counties through Sunday evening. Major flooding is expected at Glen Lyn, which is forecast to be six feet above flood stage Saturday night and continue to remain above flood stage until Sunday evening.









Saturday is a mainly quiet weather day. Breezy but partly sunny conditions will be followed by increasing clouds during the afternoon with isolated chances for showers. Wind gusts up to 25 mph are still possible with highs in the mid 70s. Our eyes will be watching the New River above the Bluestone Dam. The New River at Glen Lyn is expected to reach its second highest crest on RECORD Sunday, six feet above flood stage. Flooding below the dam is not expected.

Sunday brings the shower activity back into the picture as Helenes remnants march back east into the region from Kentucky. Though the low pressure system will move nearly over the region, strong wind gusts and heavy rainfall are NOT expected. Gusts as high as 25 mph are possible, with a quarter to a half inch of rain is expected under generally gloomy mostly cloudy skies.

Monday continues the high risk for light shower activity, as Helenes remnants continue to spin nearby. Were not expecting much accumulation, but the gloomy weather will continue, with showers likely and highs in the low 70s. Flooding once again is not expected.

PHOTOS: Helene brings flooding, damage as storm barrels ahead

Tuesday yet again is a gloomy day with Helenes remnants still lingering. A few light showers under mostly cloudy skies are once again expected as high temperatures reach the low 70s. Once again, flooding is not expected.

Wednesday sees a cold front move through the region from west to east, pushing Helenes remnants away from the area. Well see a few isolated showers and its a cooler day on the way with high temperatures only in the upper 60s.

Slideshow: First documented tornado confirmed in Pocahontas County Wednesday

Thursday features mostly sunny skies with high pressure in control. This is the beginning of another dry stretch in our region, with a northerly breeze keeping us seasonal with highs in the low to mid 70s.

Friday sees our high pressure system move overhead and then to the east, which will warm us up. Well see high temperatures in the mid 70s under mostly sunny skies.

Looking ahead in your extended forecast, we are DRY with upper level ridging once again returning to the two Virginias. We look dry Saturday, Sunday and Monday with mostly sunny skies expected each day and high temperatures in the mid 70s.

TONIGHT

Breezy, clearing skies. Lows in the mid to upper 50s.

SATURDAY

Partly sunny, increasing clouds with isolated showers late. Breezy. Highs in the mid 70s.

SUNDAY

Mostly cloudy with showers likely. Breezy. Highs in the low 70s.

MONDAY

Mostly cloudy with showers likely. Highs in the low 70s.

TUESDAY

Scattered showers. Still gloomy. Highs in the low 70s.

WEDNESDAY

Isolated showers. Clearing skies. Cooler. Highs in the upper 60s.

THURSDAY

Mostly sunny. Highs in the low 70s.

FRIDAY

Mostly sunny. Highs in the mid 70s.

SATURDAY

Mostly sunny. Highs in the mid 70s.

SUNDAY

Mostly sunny. Highs in the mid 70s.

MONDAY

Mostly sunny. Highs in the mid 70s.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WVNS.
Amazon is in talks with Brian Williams, the former NBC News and MSNBC anchor, to host an election night special for the streaming service, according to two sources familiar with the plans.

The special would be the first major high profile project for Williams, who exited his popular MSNBC show The 11th Hour in 2021.

More from Deadline

The deal is not done, and a source cautioned that the special should not be a signal that Amazon Prime Video is moving into news. The special would feature a mix of contributors, with the goal that the special would be non-partisan.

That said, the special would mark Amazons first foray into a live news event, at a time when linear networks are also trying to gain a foothold in streaming. All major broadcast networks have streaming channels, while MSNBC, CNN and Fox News have taken various approaches in platforms. Election night is likely to be one of the most watched nights of the year, when broadcast and cable networks and news streaming channels will be firing on all cylinders to analyze the results.

When Williams exited, there was immense speculation over his future plans, but he has yet to make a return to the airwaves. Variety and Puck first reported on plans for the special.

Williams served as anchor of NBC Nightly News from 2004 to 2015, when he was removed amid reports that, in talk show appearances, he embellished some of his experiences covering the war in Iraq. He was then assigned to anchor for MSNBC, and in 2016 became the host of the networks The 11th Hour, which established a following, in part for Williams wit and unique takes during the Trump presidency.

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Brian Williams surprise return to the anchor chair is imminent, and the veteran newsman is set to sign a deal with Amazon Prime Video for an Election Night special, a source close to the discussions told the Daily Beast.

Williams, 65, has not anchored a program since he abruptly resigned from NBC in 2021. Now, his surprising return from the television wilderness appears set to take place at Amazon as the e-commerce giant makes its first foray into the breaking news space.

Its a reimagining of a traditional election night, the well-placed source told the Daily Beast, adding that the program would not call the results of the 2024 election, but would include comprehensive coverage with access to the same exit polling information as traditional news organizations.

The Amazon election special, first reported by Dylan Byers of Puck, aims to deliver a non-partisan discussion of that evenings events, according to the insider. Viewers will be able to stream the program which will originate from Amazon MGM Studios in Los Angeles. The live special will begin at 5 p.m. ET with a pre-game show, and then cover the election from 6 p.m. till the final results are tallied.

The election special raises the tantalizing prospect of Amazon entering the highly competitive news business, where traditional networks have faced declining ratings and increasing financial pressure.

With more than 200 million Prime subscribers worldwide, Amazon would be able to reach a global audience of desirable consumers. Amazon has already expanded its streaming offerings into sports and entertainment, spending billions on rights for football, basketball, soccer, and cricket, and billions more on original programming, including more than $700 million on its Lord of the Rings streaming series.

But one insider familiar with Amazon's strategy told The Wall Street Journal "the election special shouldnt be seen as a sign that the company is now looking to have a regular presence in news."

Booking guests and experts for the election special, the Beast's inside source said, is underway, noting that many notable pundits are available because the traditional networks have cut back on contributors.

138232482 The broadcast news legend spent 28 years at NBC Universal before leaving in 2021. Virginia Sherwood/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images

Election night coverage is something that (Williams) has specialized in and loved doing, and the opportunity to do it in a new environment, but with a an eye towards the tradition and the future at the same time, I think he finds appealing, the source said.

Williams, who spent 28 years at NBC News, was suspended from the #1 rated NBC Nightly News program in 2015 after misrepresenting his coverage of the Iraq war in 2003.

For years, Williams had claimed that he was riding on a Chinook helicopter in Iraq that came under enemy fire and was forced to land in dangerous territory. When Iraq veterans challenged this account, Williams retracted the story and apologized.

After an NBC News internal investigation revealed at least 10 "exaggerations and embellishments" in his accounts of his reporting exploits, Williams was removed from his anchor chair at NBC News and banished to MSNBC.

At the cable network, Williams launched The 11th Hour program and spent five years rebuilding his reputation as a skilled interviewer and breaking news specialist. His coverage of the 2020 presidential election and the Capitol insurrection earned credit with viewers and critics.

Amazon did not respond to a request by the Daily Beast for comment in time for publication.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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Astrophotographer Max Inwood captured this long-exposure photo of the comet over Lake Pukaki, New Zealand [ Max Inwood]

Astronomy fans, get your telescopes and cameras ready - it's possible an unusually bright comet is set to grace the night skies.

It should be visible in the northern hemisphere from about now, though it will be very low on the horizon before dawn.

But the best views are expected in mid-October, when it may even become visible to the naked eye.

Soon after it was first spotted there was speculation it could be one of the brightest comets in years. That excitement is fading, but it should still be something worth seeing.

The comet was first noticed in January 2023, by the Tsuchinshan Observatory in China, and later independently detected by Nasa's Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS).

That helps explain its full name C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS). People are calling it Comet A3 for short.

Since then, astronomers have been tracking its progress, watching as it brightens and edges closer to its peak visibility.

Unlike asteroids, which are entirely made of rock, comets are composed of ice, rock, and gas.

As they approach the Sun, the warmth causes their ice to change into gases and release dust particles trapped in the ice, which is what causes their beautiful tail.

This latest comet has been visible in the Southern Hemisphere, and is now coming into view for the Northern Hemisphere too.

But it is notoriously difficult to guess how bright each comet will become.

Robert Massey, Deputy Executive Director of the Royal Astronomical Society, says: "Bright comets are quite rare, so if you do get a chance to see one, take a look, even if you have to use a pair of binoculars to pick out the tail and features. They're absolutely beautiful,"

Dr Massey remains sceptical about some of the expectations of this particular comet.

"Is it going to be the brightest comet in 100 years? I really doubt that," he says.

Will you be able to see the comet and how?

Dr Massey recommends looking for the comet during two periods.

For the next week or so it should be visible in the northern hemisphere low in the eastern sky before dawn, though you may need binoculars or a telescope.

There will be a better chance from around 12 October, this time after sunset in the western sky.

With some luck, you might even then spot the comet with a naked eye.

"You could go outside and say, 'Wow, theres a comet!' without even needing binoculars," Dr Massey says.

"Comets are unpredictable, but we dont know when the next one will appear, so dont miss this chance," he adds.

With clear skies and the right conditions, this comet could provide one of the most captivating astronomical events of the year.

Although the comet may become as bright as Comet Neowise, which was a striking sight during the pandemic in 2020, scientists say it is unlikely to exceed that brightness.
A Brockton man has been found dangerous after allegedly sexually assaulting a 13-year-old girl walking home from school,

Following a hearing at Brockton District Court on Friday, Marckenson Beauge, 22, has been found dangerous and to be held without bail. Beauge is being charged with one count each of Rape of a Child with Force, Indecent Assault and Battery on a Child Under 14, and Kidnapping of a Child.

On Sept. 18, officers responded to West Middle School after a female student reported to a faculty member that she had been sexually assaulted by a man while walking home from school, the day prior.

The student could make out the mans clothes and features, telling the police that he was missing his front teeth and was riding a blue bicycle.

Brockton police launched an investigation and interviewed multiple people before deeming Beauge a person of interest. Police gained a search warrant for Beauges residence but was not home.

He was later found working at a fast-food restaurant in Easton, and taken into custody.

Beauge is currently scheduled for a probable cause hearing on October 29.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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Two Wisconsin brothers who spent the last 25 years in prison after being wrongfully convicted of killing a woman in 1987 have been released after DNA evidence tied the murder to another suspect, the Wisconsin Innocence Project announced Friday.

David Bintz, 69, and his younger brother, Robert Bintz, 68, were sentenced to life in prison in 2000 after prosecutors claimed they killed Sandra Lison, 44, a mother of two, the Green Bay Press Gazette reported.

Lisons body was found near a trail in the Machickanee Forest about 30 miles from Green Bay on Aug. 4, 1987, according to Robert Bintzs motion to vacate. Detectives noticed Lisons slip and nylons had been removed and most of the buttons on her dress were undone, and they determined she had been beaten, strangled and sexually assaulted.

Robert Bintz, left, and David Bintz are seen in photos, via Ueda Photography and the Wisconsin Innocence Project / Rachel Burg. Ueda Photography / Rachel Burg Attorney Handout

Semen was recovered from Lisons body via vaginal swabs and from her dress, which also had been stained with blood. This DNA evidence did not match the Bintzes, according to the Wisconsin Innocence Project, but after the case went cold for a time, the Brown County District Attorneys Office in 1998 charged the two brothers with killing her.

Prosecutors alleged at the Bintzes trial that the two killed Lison during a robbery at the Good Times Tavern, a bar she worked at, the night before her body was discovered, according to the motion to vacate.

Prosecutors also depended on testimony from David Bintzs cellmate in a jail where he had been serving time for an unrelated crime. The cellmate told guards about nightmares David Bintz was having, claiming he yelled Make sure shes dead in his sleep, according to the Investigative Genetic Genealogy Center. The cellmate also said David Bintz later admitted to helping his brother kill Lison.

In their closing statement at the Bintz brothers trial, prosecutors argued that its clear that this was not a sexual assault and that there is no evidence to suggest the person who left the semen also killed Lison.

In 2023, the Great North Innocence Project, with the help of the Investigative Genetic Genealogy Center at New Jerseys Ramapo College, found that the DNA evidence at the scene came from another man, William Joseph Hendricks. Hendricks, who is now dead, had been convicted of similar crimes.

The brothers were released on Wednesday following a hearing.

Judge Donald Zuidmulder told the court, Sandra Lison will rest in peace, because her true murderer is now known, according to reports by NBC affiliate WGBA.

When asked how the brothers could have been sentenced to life in prison despite the lack of evidence, Brown County District Attorney David Lasee told the TV station that officials followed the evidence that they had at that time and that conviction was sound.

Christopher Renz, Robert Bintzs attorney, told HuffPost in an email that he and his colleagues are thrilled that Roberts sentence has been vacated.

It is an injustice that can never be fully corrected, but we are glad to have obtained this relief when we were able so that he can enjoy the freedom that should never have been taken, Renz said.

The Great North Innocence Projects James Mayer and David Bintzs legal team have launched GoFundMe fundraisers to help Robert Bintz and David Bintz rebuild their lives after 25 years in prison.

Innocent exonerees like Bobby come out of prison with almost nothing  no savings, no bank account, no drivers license, no credit or rental history, no recent employment history, nowhere to live, Mayer wrote. All this to go with the trauma of a quarter-century of wrongful imprisonment.

Related...
The man charged with setting off a home-made bomb at a court had a small arsenal in his car, the US government says (Samantha Laurey) (Samantha Laurey/AFP/AFP)

A California man who allegedly set off a small homemade bomb in a court had a small arsenal of weaponry in his car when he was arrested, the US government said Friday.

Nathaniel McGuire was due in court on firearms charges when he allegedly threw a bag inside the building in Santa Maria, 150 miles (250 kilometers) northwest of Los Angeles on Wednesday.

Five people were hurt in the small blast that followed, as McGuire ran to his car, the Department of Justice said.

As he was tackled by law enforcement, "McGuire allegedly yelled that the government had taken his guns and that everyone needed to fight, rise up, and rebel," the DoJ said in a release.

"Inside the car, a deputy saw ammunition, a flare gun, and a box of fireworks. A search of the car revealed a shotgun, a rifle, more ammunition, a suspected bomb, and 10 Molotov cocktails."

Further bomb-making equipment was found at his home, the DoJ said.

A witness to the Wednesday incident told AFP the suspect had been "screaming that over 900,000 people a year are being killed" by the Food and Drug Administration, the branch of the US government that regulates medication.

The 20-year-old is charged with maliciously damaging a building by means of explosive, and could face up to 40 years in prison if convicted.

The United States is on heightened alert weeks ahead of a bitterly contested presidential election that has already featured a raft of conspiracy theories about supposed "deep state" plots to harm citizens.

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Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill that establishes a long-term funding source for supporting crime victim services in counties like Stanislaus.

Advocacy groups said the new California Crime Victims Fund will provide lifesaving support for people needing shelter after fleeing domestic violence, rape victims who need mental health counseling, victims of child abuse and other individuals.

Those services have relied on federal Victims of Crime Act funding that has dramatically declined over the years. This past year, crime victim groups lobbied hard for a state funding stream to prevent serious cuts to programs in California.

Assembly Member Jesse Gabriel, D-Encino, wrote AB 2432, which will create a crime victims fund absorbing fines when corporations are convicted of wrongdoing. The legislation creates a criminal enhancement with an additional fine in misdemeanor and felony cases of white-collar crime.

The court could order a major corporation to pay a maximum $25 million fine. In cases of theft from a person or business entity, the corporation could be ordered to pay two times the value of the money taken, with the funds deposited in the state crime victims fund.

I am extremely grateful to Gov. Newsom and all the advocates who worked tirelessly for this law to be made possible, May Rico, executive director of Modesto-based Healthy Alternatives to Violent Environments, said in an email Friday. Like many other agencies, HAVEN has felt the pressure of funding for crime victims in our community not keeping up with the needs of survivors who reach out to us every day.

Rico said she hopes the state fund can grow and provide stable financial support for services.

Nonprofit service providers that assist crime victims have faced staffing cuts and program closures, as the federal VOCA money has dwindled. HAVEN and other groups have made adjustments to continue legal assistance for domestic violence survivors who need restraining orders.

The Stanislaus County District Attorneys office said in May that 87% of funding for its victims services unit came from the federal VOCA source.

The California Partnership to End Domestic Violence said in a news release Friday that building the state crime victims fund will take time, so short-term state funding will be necessary to support programs.

Other groups that supported AB 2432 included the Childrens Advocacy Centers of California, the Legal Aid Association of California and ValorUS.
There is an ancient saying in politics that the strong do what they can and the weak suffer what they must.

It appears that Gov. Gavin Newsom has taken this motto to heart when it comes to the issue of solitary confinement in California. Despite his supposed commitments to criminal justice reform, Newsom has demonstrated a callous disregard for the dark history of this problem in our state, and even undermined prospects for true reform.

I am a survivor of solitary confinement. I spent decades in isolation at the notorious Pelican Bay State Prison, not far from the Oregon border.

There are few forms of torture worse for the human soul than isolation. Solitary confinement is used to break people, and many who are exposed to it suffer permanent harms. It has been found to be damaging to the body, and the mind, and ultimately results in broader societal harms that have been documented.

That is why solitary survivors like myself have been advocating for this issue for more than a decade, dating back to the massive prison hunger strikes in 2011, 2012 and 2013. Our organizing and advocacy efforts helped expose the long history of solitary confinement in California, and resulted in the landmark Ashker legal settlement that imposed new restrictions.

But the fight was not over.

While California inched forward, many other states took significant steps. The best example is New York, where the HALT Act abolished the use of solitary confinement for specific populations. The law also provided trauma-informed alternatives that help reduce violence and aid rehabilitation.

Two years ago, inspired by New York and other states, the California Mandela Campaign formed as a coalition of advocates, solitary survivors and civil rights organizations. In partnership with Assemblymember Chris Holden, the California Mandela Act was introduced, aiming to place clear limits on the use of solitary confinement  consistent with international standards  and emulate effective policies from other states.

The bill included a 15-day limit on the use of solitary and a complete ban on the practice for specific populations, such as pregnant people and the elderly.

Despite receiving broad support in the Legislature, Newsom killed the California Mandela Act twice  once with a veto and the second time this year, before it even reached his desk.

While Newsom blocked Assembly Bill 280, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, which he oversees, was quietly gutting AB 2527, a separate reform by Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan. AB 2527 originally started out as a bill to ban the use of solitary confinement against pregnant people in jails and prisons. Just days before it was amended, she told Politico that, To be pregnant, to remain healthy, I really, truly believe that restrictive housing shouldnt be a part of the equation.

However, solitary confinement was added to the equation in the form of 11th hour amendments that took place in the Senate Appropriations Committee, with no debate or transparency. The bill changed from protecting pregnant people in jails and prisons, to only covering people in CDCR custody, which by some estimates is less than 10 people. Shockingly, the amendments included a loophole that said that CDCR could unilaterally choose to place a pregnant person in solitary for five days if there is a security concern.

To be clear, that means that CDCR can place a pregnant person in solitary confinement if they are threatened by someone else. There is no requirement for consent. No oversight by a medical provider. No process for documentation, appeals or due process. Nothing in the bill prevents someone from being cycled in and out of solitary after a five-day limit.

Seemingly overnight, the bill went from an abolition of solitary to carte blanche for CDCR.

A coalition of advocates, including myself, met with Bauer-Kahans offices and reiterated that the amendments moved California backward on an issue that should be simple. One staffer told us that the community does not have power on this issue.This is the sentiment we face. But thats not true.

In the short time since AB 2527 was quietly amended, people have organized and mobilized. A letter of opposition with more than 60 organizations has been circulated to the governor, and continues to get longer. Solitary survivors who were isolated while pregnant have spoken out. One of the main sponsors of AB 2527 also withdrew support and issued a sharp rebuke.

Newsom and the legislature will not dishearten us with backroom deals or the facade of reform. They should be held accountable for their policy choices and challenged for blocking real change.

Jack Morris is a program director at St. Johns Community Health helping formerly incarcerated people re-enter society.

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: How California lawmakers undercut solitary confinement reforms
Everyone agrees its a problem, but no ones doing anything about it: Article 34 of the California Constitution is widely viewed today as a stain on the states history, and for good reason  the ballot measure was championed by the real estate industry in 1950 as a tool to combat socialism at the height of McCarthyism and approved by voters fearful of racial integration.

Article 34 banned the use of public funds to construct low-rent housing without the consent of city voters in an attempt to stop people of color and poor people from moving into white neighborhoods. Media outlets have reported that no other state constitution in the country requires the same voter approval for public housing.

Opinion

Thats why we were dismayed to read recently that state lawmakers will not be putting Article 34 up for voter consideration in 2024. State Sen. Ben Allen, D-Santa Monica, said the presidential ballot was already too crowded and the repeal measure he authored didnt seem to be anyones top priority.

It just doesnt feel like the right time, he told the Los Angeles Times in June.

But if not now, then when? Article 34 has stymied the production of affordable homes in California for decades, and the disparity between affordable and market rate housing is now reaching a crisis point. There are few issues as urgent as this one.

In 2021, the California Housing Partnership concluded that the state needs to build 1.2 million affordable homes to meet the needs of low-income renters. The state has made progress since then, tripling the production of affordable homes. But its still only meeting 20% of its long-term affordable housing goals.

When confronted with these numbers, officials have been quick to note that there are workarounds to building affordable housing. There are, for example, federal and state tax credits that can be showered on developers. But the workarounds are inadequate, as evidenced by the growing deficit in affordable housing.

Even if no one wants to say it out loud, solutions like tax credits produce a minimum of affordable housing while amplifying developers profits. The conclusion is painfully obvious: We cant build ourselves out of an affordability crisis with tax giveaways.

No doubt there are plenty of people who will read about the lack of affordable homes, shrug their shoulders and say, Oh well, California is an expensive place. But as time goes by, whos going to care for your children, cook your meals, take out your trash and drive you to the airport? The sprawling, segregated society that the cynics excuse is wholly unsustainable for the vast majority of people.

Abolishing Article 34 wouldnt solve everything overnight, but it would get rid of a barrier born of fear and greed, and push us to fight for every possible unit of affordable housing.

As advocates today, our options are limited  even on city-owned land.

Consider an example in San Diego: The Mariners Cove Apartment Complex is a mixed-income community about a mile from the ocean and home to almost 300 working-families, many of them first-generation immigrants and refugees. A developer is proposing that all 500 units at Mariners Cove be demolished and replaced with 772 units. We support more housing, but the latest iteration of the plan available for public inspection shows that the ratio of affordable to market rate homes on site will flip after construction.

Since the 1980s, the owner of the apartment complex was required to keep 60% of the units affordable. After construction, however, the total amount of affordable housing would drop to 40%, and nearly all of the new units would be reserved for above-moderate income renters and anyone capable of paying market rate.

This is what happens when public leaders throw up their hands and cede control over public infrastructure to private interests at the mercy of market fluctuations: The affordable housing gap widens bit by bit.

There are, however, encouraging signs of dissent. In 2022, Oakland abandoned plans for a market-rate tower on an empty one-acre lot, and, instead, pushed through two low-income apartment buildings after tapping a new nonprofit developer with access to state funds. For years, activists rallied around the site and even drew up a peoples proposal for 100% low-income housing.

We should be pushing to remove obstacles on all fronts. If were serious about building more affordable housing, repealing Article 34 is a good first step.

Ramla Sahid is the founder and executive director of the nonprofit Partnership for the Advancement of New Americans (PANA). Rahmo Abdi is PANAs director of campaigns and organizing.
The owner of the two Hollywood Hills mansions that have been taken over by squatters and taggers has issued an apology and vowed to rectify the situation.

"I would like to apologize to the people of Los Angeles, and especially to my neighbors. Whats happened to the two properties I own is unacceptable, and no matter what caused it, I own the houses," John Powers Middleton, film producer and son of the Philadelphia Phillies owner John S. Middleton, said in a statement sent to Fox News Digital.

"I also want to set the record straight  a lot of the stories have left out important facts," Middleton continued.

The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) previously told Fox News Digital that the Hollywood Hills area has received and responded to 17 calls for service in the 1700 block of Sunset Plaza Drive so far this year.

Squatters Take Over Second Abandoned Hollywood Hills Mansion Owned By Son Of Phillies Owner

John P. Middleton, film producer and son of Philadelphia Phillies owner John S. Middleton, issued an apology for his abandoned Hollywood Hills mansions that were taken over by squatters.

Police said they have received eight calls for prowler suspects, six calls for possible burglary suspects and three calls for service for vandalism.

Read On The Fox News App

In his statement, Middleton said that both homes had a property manager and/or security in place, including drive-by security.

"We have caught or thwarted numerous break-in attempts, including graffiti trespassers at both houses. But the attackers, especially the squatters, have been relentless, and our security people were overwhelmed," Middleton continued.

L.A. City Councilwoman Nithya Raman told Fox News Digital previously that they are closely monitoring both homes and working with the LAPD to address the issues inside both homes.

Squatters Turn Hollywood Hills Mansion Into 'Eyesore' With Graffiti: Video

Taggers and squatters have targeted another abandoned mansion on Sunset Boulevard.

"Our office has been in close contact with the Los Angeles Police Department as well as the Department of Building and Safety regarding the ongoing situation at both 7571 Mulholland Drive and 1754 N Sunset Plaza Drive. These properties are both owned by the same individual, who is in egregious violation of the law," Raman said in a statement.

Middleton says he has now beefed-up security - 24/7, armed - at both properties and has several painting, construction and other crews in both houses working to make repairs.

"Im doing my best to make the houses secure and fix them up, with the intent to sell each as soon as possible. Im disappointed to note that even as I have worked this week to paint over the graffiti, vandals still managed to break in and paint over the newly cleaned walls. Given the persistence of the numerous trespassers, its a struggle," Middleton said.

"Whats happened to my property is criminal, and I hope everyone caught will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. No one in Los Angeles should have to put up with squatters and vandalism that are out of control," Middleton continued.

'Squatter Hunter' Warns Worst Intruders In America Are Those Who Have 'Nothing To Lose'

The abandoned mansion is legally owned by film producer John Powers Middleton, known for his work on "The Lego Movie."

In addition to the repairs, Middleton added that he would also be compensating the community for any fees that have burdened residents because of his homes.

"I will also repay any and all taxpayer funds used to gate, fence or board the houses and to pay all tax bills. I want to thank the city of Los Angeles for working with me to rectify this horrible situation," Middleton said.

Raman said that neither situation is being taken lightly, and that the city is working to combat the issue.

"This is a public safety issue with serious consequences for both neighbors and the surrounding community. Irresponsible property owners must take accountability for their property or face action from the city," Raman previously said.

John Powers Middleton is best known for his work on the films "Oldboy" (2013) and "Manchester by the Sea" (2016).

Fox News Digital's Jasmine Baehr contributed to this report.





Original article source: California owner of squatter-infested Hollywood Hills mansion apologizes, offers to repay taxpayer funds
ARCADIA, Wis.  Ashley Furniture Industries and the Ronald & Joyce Wanek Foundation awarded more than $470,000 in scholarships to 139 exceptional students for the 2024-25 academic year.

The Ashley Grants-in-Aid scholarships give financial support to high school senior dependents of Ashley employees or students employed by Ashley.

Growing up, I was told if your dreams dont scare you then they are not big enough, and one of the biggest fears I have had of college is paying for it, stated Nathaniel Gill, Ashley Grants-in-Aid Recipient. With the help of this scholarship, it has allowed me to just focus on my education and not be afraid. Thank you to Ashley for providing this opportunity.

Recipients from eight statesWisconsin, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Mississippi, Florida, Texas, Montana, and Californiawill benefit from these scholarships. They were invited to a special presentation and tour of Ashleys facilities, offering an inside look at the companys commitment to innovation and nurturing talent.

The foundations dedication to education is evident through their longstanding support of various initiatives. Since 1997, they have invested over $4 million in over 2,100 student scholarships.

Their efforts not only support students but also facilitate partnerships that benefit K-12 and post-secondary schools across the country. These scholarships are a testament to Ashleys promise to invest in the minds and dreams of tomorrows leaders.

The Ronald and Joyce Wanek Foundation Inc. is a philanthropic organization committed to supporting STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) education and other community initiatives. The foundation was established by Ronald Wanek, founder and chairman of Ashley Furniture Industries, LLC, and his wife, Joyce.
Campaign says Robinson in good spirits after being hospitalized, treated for burns

Campaign says Robinson in good spirits after being hospitalized, treated for burns

North Carolina Lt. Gov Mark Robinson (R) was hospitalized and treated for burns Friday after a campaign incident, according to the gubernatorial candidates campaign.

This evening following an incident at a campaign appearance at the Mayberry Truck Show in Mt. Airy, Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson was treated at Northern Regional Hospital for second-degree burns, Mike Lonergan, the campaigns communications director, said in a statement.

He is in good spirits, appreciates the outpouring of well wishes, and is excited to return to the campaign trail as scheduled first thing tomorrow morning, he added.

Robinsons campaign told NewsNation  which is owned by The Hills parent company Nexstar Media Group  that Robinson was discharged and will be back campaigning in the Tar Heel State Saturday. The lieutenant governor burned his hand after leaning against a truck at a truck show in Mt Airy, according to a Washington Post reporter.

The health incident comes shortly after Robinson started receiving backlash following the publishing of CNNs explosive report about the candidate, detailing a flurry of inflammatory comments he apparently made on a porn site messaging board over 10 years ago, including calling himself a black NAZI. In those posts, the lieutenant governor described his pornography preferences and said he would take Adolf Hitler over any of the s thats in Washington.

A number of his campaign staff left in the wake of the reports. He has also lost support from the Republican Governors Association, which said they did not have any future ad reservations backing the candidate in the governors race against state Attorney General Josh Stein (D).

Some of his top government office staff also indicated they would resign from their posts. Some Republicans have distanced themselves from Robinson, with many suggesting he should disprove the allegations in the report or possibly halt his gubernatorial run.

Robinson said on Tuesday that he had hired Binnall Law Group, a law firm, to probe the false smears in the report and has vowed to stay in the race.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Miles Morrisseau

ICT

When the whistleblower broke the news that hundreds of Indigenous children were dying from the criminal disregard of the Canadian government, the story was denied by the government, the churches and Canadas most famous poet.

It was over 100 years ago, when Dr. Peter Bryce, the leading medical expert on Indigenous peoples reported that children were dying by the dozens and ultimately hundreds at residential schools and other government and church-run institutions for Indigenous children.

Bryce had served as the Chief Medical Officer for Canadas Department of Interior and the Department of Indian Affairs and when his own reporting was ignored he quit the government and blew the whistle on the government when he self-published his findings in A National Disgrace in 1922.

He had visited 15 schools operated by the government in partnership with one of the churches  Catholic, Anglican, United and other orders that were in charge. He discovered an unconscionable amount of death that occurred in the schools. He wrote in that report that 24 percent of all the pupils [who] had been in the schools were known to be dead, he also noted one school on the File Hills reserve where 69 percent of students who had attended the school since its opening in 1889 were dead by 1907.

Dr. Kisha Supernant, Director the Institute of Prairie and Indigenous Archaeology. (Photo by John Ulan)

Bryces words would go unheeded and shouted down by the country's most powerful institutions: the government and the churches. He had also felt the ire of Duncan Campbell Scott renowned as one of Canadas Confederation poets who was appointed the head of the Department of Indian Affairs in 1913. Scott stood against efforts to improve the survival rate of the children in the schools stating the high mortality rate, Does not justify a change in the policy of this department, which is geared towards a final solution of our Indian Problem.

Related: A boarding school legacy

The Indian Residential School system would continue until the late 1990s. In addition to the schools abuses and death in other institutions that were run by the government and the churches have come to light.

Now, over a hundred years after Bryces detailed and first hand accounts were published there are still loud and influential voices that deny these atrocities.

One of the English-speaking world's most well-respected journals, The New York Times continues to promote voices of residential school denialism, Theres, so far, no evidence of any remains of children buried around residential schools, Thomas Flanagan told the Times in an article published on Sept. 20.

Flanagan was the darling of the anti-Indigenous rights movement for years and a paid expert for the governments of Canada and provinces who were fighting against Indigenous land claims. During a speaking engagement in February 2013, he was asked to clarify his position that child pornography was just pictures. His response was captured on video and posted to YouTube, It is a real issue of personal liberty to what extent we put people in jail for doing something in which they do not harm another person, reported the Globe and Mail. His distinction between child-porn content creators and child-porn consumers did not go over.

He was dropped by Albertas Wild Rose Party, one of Canadas most right-leaning political parties, the federal government issued a statement calling his words, repugnant and soon his high-profile speaking engagements were being cancelled.

Flanagan is the lead voice for the Times article promoting the voices of Indian Residential School Denialism and challenging the true death count of the children who never came home. Nobody disputes that children died and that the conditions were sometimes chaotic. But thats quite different from clandestine burials, he told the Times.

On Sept. 26, Leah Gazan, member of parliament introduced a bill that would make Residential School Denialism a hate crime in Canada. The representative of Winnipeg Centre is of Lakota descent and when speaking to Canadas House of Commons related the harms caused by this rhetoric.

Survivors and their families deserve to heal from this intergenerational tragedy and be free from violent hate. We cannot allow their safety and well-being to be put further at risk, Gazan told the house. All parliamentarians must stand firm against all forms of damaging hate speech, including the denial of the tragedy of residential schools in Canada. At a time of increasing residential school denialism, including from some parliamentarians, I note that survivors, their families and communities need protection and a platform to share our history.

Dr. Kisha Supernant, Director the Institute of Prairie and Indigenous Archaeology. (Photo by John Ulan)

Gazans bill would make it illegal to wilfully promote hatred against Indigenous peoples by condoning, denying, justifying or downplaying the harm caused by the residential school system in Canada.

Kimberly Murray, Mohawk, is nearing the end of her term as Special Interlocutor for Missing Children and Unmarked Graves. She believes that denialism continues to grow in Canada.

It's just gotten worse. I actually have a whole chapter on this in my final report, and I continue to get threats. My life has been threatened, Murray told ICT. It's disturbing, this constant release of misinformation and disinformation.

With her mandate coming to an end she believes that the government of Canada is not providing communities the support they need.

They don't treat it as an obligation, an international legal obligation to provide proper reparation to the community, and if they did, then all these barriers that we see would no longer exist because Canada would be replying in a way that's providing the proper restitution and reparations for the harms, Murray said.

Murray had no power to compel any of the churches or institutions to provide access to documents.

In my final report, I write about how I did a request for information from all the church entities, Murray said. It was a very small response rate, especially from the Catholic entities I had asked specifically about what processes they've put in place to support communities getting access to the archives. And so many didn't even acknowledge receipt of my request. Others sort of just deflected and said, You know, it's not relevant.

Dr. Kisha Supernant, Metis/Papaschase/British is the director of the Institute of Prairie and Indigenous Archaeology at the University of Alberta. Her team has been working with communities that are searching for the remains of the children who never made it home. She supports the bill to have residential school denialism categorized as a hate crime.

We need to have a mechanism to hold these people responsible for those comments. And one of the things that I find really challenging in this is the people who are the most vocal about residential school denialism, I don't think we're ever going to change their minds, Supernant told ICT. You literally could put the body of a child in front of them, and they would still make an excuse as to why it wasn't as bad as everyone makes it seem, but there's a lot of people who are listening to them, right?

Suprenant says that the work they are doing is not about proving that hundreds of children died in these institutions.

The work that's going on right now in terms of ground searches, we're not out to prove that children died. We already know this, right? Supernant says. This is something that there is already substantial evidence for, both from community knowledge, but also from archival and historical knowledge. You know, the work that's being undertaken right now is trying to figure out where those children are, right, not if they died.

Dr. Kisha Supernant, Director the Institute of Prairie and Indigenous Archaeology. (Photo by John Ulan)

As Canada marks the fourth year that Sept. 30 is commemorated as a federal holiday and the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, Supernant believes that the truth must still be lifted up.

On our national day for truth and reconciliation, we can't forget that the truth needs to come first, Supernant said. There can be no reconciliation without a full understanding of the truth. And that's really a lot of the work that's happening right now is bringing that truth to the forefront.

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Cancer leaflet given to NHS patients says removing body parts can be gender-affirming

Cancer patients are being told that surgery to remove body parts containing tumours can be gender-affirming.

Leaflets given to NHS patients at cancer centres and made by charity Macmillan, tell patients that surgery could be an opportunity to remove a body part that you prefer not to have anyway.

A leaflet available for patients at Weston Park Cancer Centre in Sheffield has been described as staggeringly inappropriate and insensitive.

A charity said it was disgusting that a health centre was promoting some kind of two-for-one deal on life-changing cancer surgery.

The materials are not made by Weston Park or the NHS but were on display to cancer patients at the centre. They say they were made in partnership with LGBT cancer charity Outpatients, and replicate statements found on the Macmillan website.

Sometimes surgery to treat cancer is also gender-affirming. Surgery to remove the cancer may remove a body part that you prefer not to have anyway, it said. Again, it is helpful if your team understands how you feel about this, so they can support you and plan your treatment well.

There are multiple cancers that could involve surgery to remove a body part associated with one sex.

The leaflet tells patients that surgery could be an opportunity to remove a body part that you prefer not to have anyway - Macmillan

Breast cancer patients can sometimes require a mastectomy to remove one or both breasts, to treat the tumour and also reduce the chance of it returning.

Women with ovarian or womb cancer can also sometimes require a hysterectomy to remove the uterus, which also means they can no longer get pregnant.

For men, the testes or prostate can be surgically removed as a way of treating those cancers too.

The materials offer other advice to LGBT patients on taking cross-sex hormones while having treatment and the risks of radiotherapy if a patient wants to or has had genital surgery.

It also explains that some side effects can be upsetting because they cause changes that do not reflect how you identify.

For example, hair loss or a change in your weight or body shape may be upsetting if your appearance is an important part of your gender identity, it reads. Some treatments might change part of your body that you have worked hard to align with your gender.

Helen Joyce, director of advocacy at human-rights charity Sex Matters, said: Trying to put a positive gender-affirming spin on mastectomies is staggeringly insensitive and inappropriate from Weston Park Cancer Centre.

Female survivors of cancer have been saying for years that trans activists promotion of elective mastectomies as a treatment for gender distress is deeply upsetting.

For a health centre to suggest that life-saving surgery for cancer patients might offer some kind of two-for-one deal, with gender affirmation thrown in, is frankly disgusting.

Particularly disturbing

Kate Barker, the chief executive of LGB Alliance, said: Mastectomies are life-changing and its shocking to see them treated with such flippancy.

Its particularly disturbing to see this message targeted at lesbian and bisexual women, implying that this group might be affirmed by losing their breasts.

Prof Chris Morley, the chief nurse at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, which runs Weston Park Cancer Centre, said: A large number of organisations, including Macmillan, provide information that is valuable to our patients.

We recognise that there has been feedback on the content of this booklet, and we do not want anyone to be distressed by anything we have available, so we have raised this with the authors to make them aware of the concerns.

A Macmillan spokesman said: Macmillan wants to make sure that everyone, whoever they are and whatever their circumstances, gets the care they need when they are diagnosed with cancer, without judgment or prejudice.

We are proud to have many partnerships with patient groups who help shape our cancer resources and ensure we meet the specific needs of different communities with tailored information and support that is right for them.

In this case, the booklet and supporting content on our website was produced in partnership with Outpatients, a charity that works with and for people who are LGBTQ+ and have cancer, to support them through their diagnosis and treatment.

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A car smashed into the front of a martial arts studio Friday morning in Seattles Interbay neighborhood.

The Seattle Police Department says it happened just after 13:30 a.m.

Officers say a white SUV crashed into the front of Framework BJJ Seattle on Elliot Avenue West, which teaches Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

Police and firefighters say they found blood inside of the vehicle and the airbags deployed, but the driver was nowhere to be found.

Another driver stayed on the scene until police arrived. He told them that he witnessed the vehicle sideswipe his car and crash into the building at a high rate of speed.

Officers say they collected surveillance video from the area and will be reviewing it for clues as to who was behind the wheel at the time of the crash.

No arrests have been made.
NEWPORT, Tenn. (WATE)  The City of Newport remains underwater after the Pigeon River flooded Friday.

Alarms from businesses were still ringing Friday night as downtown was inundated with water. Residents who live in the area are stunned by the devastation.

How to help Cocke County, East TN with donations after Helene

I have never seen it like this. Even my mother and granny, people who are 60, 70 years old have never seen it, Newport resident Shannon Stewart said. I spoke to many people, I was at Rankn Bridge earlier, there were at least 15 propane tanks, roofs there was a whole portable building that youd have outside. It was coming down the river.

As the flood waters quickly rose in downtown, a decision needed to be made about evacuations.

Downtown Newport is completely covered with water, Cocke County Sheriff C.J. Ball said. We have done a complete evacuation of the Cocke County Jail Annex, the old jail and the courthouse. Everything Downtown was evacuated pretty quick. We were able to get all the inmates transfered to Sevier County and the Jefferson County facility.

Shannon Stewart said this type of devastation could take years to rebuild from.

You dont expect it to happen in this small town, he said. I mean its Newport, weve had it flood but its never been this bad. This is catastrophic. For Newport, this is going to them back quiet a bit.

Proposals sought for the future of the Smokies Stadium in Kodak as team moves to Knoxville

Agencies from multiple counties have made their way to the Newport area to help in any way they can. The assistance is something Sheriff Ball said he is grateful to see.

We cannot thank them enough. The resources coming in, Unicoi County is getting hit pretty hard too, Sheriff Ball said. Weve got all East Tennessee law enforcement, all the way from Nashville reaching out to us, Hamilton County and Chattanooga theyve reached out. Mostly, its just unbelievable the amount of support we have gotten but the big thing is weve got people out there that need to be rescued and we are trying to get to them.

Some Newport Utilities customers under Boil Water Alert

The area in Newport and across Cocke County is a scene of devastation from the floods. Sheriff Ball told 6 News as of 7:00 p.m. Friday, roughly 50 rescue attempts have been made. He added that there have been a total of nine vehicles have been lost in the flood: seven Cocke County Sheriffs cruisers, one fire truck and one rescue squad truck.

Saturday afternoon, multiple local officials held a press briefing to share new information on the flooding damages and recovery efforts. Watch the full video below.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WATE 6 On Your Side.
Pope Francis is pictured during a papal visit to meet Belgian clergy at the National Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Koekelberg, Brussels. Nicolas Maeterlinck/Belga/dpa

Pope Francis addressed the Belgian victims of clerical sexual abuse again on Saturday offering words of contrition in a speech at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Koekelberg.

"Abuse generates atrocious suffering and wounds, undermining even the path of faith," the pope told the congregation gathered in the church.

"One of the roots of violence stems from the abuse of power when we use the positions we have to crush or manipulate others," he added, vowing that the Catholic Church would learn from the victims.

The pontiff was speaking after a bruising welcome to Belgium from the Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo and the Belgian King Philippe on Friday over sexual abuse within the church.

The Belgian king told the pope that "it has taken far too long to begin looking for ways to repair the irreparable."

The Belgian prime minister meanwhile told the head of the Catholic Church that words are not enough and that "concrete steps must also be taken."

"The victims must be heard. They should be at the centre. They have a right to the truth," De Croo said in his speech to welcome the pope.

The pope met in private with a group of 15 victims of clerical sexual abuse on Friday in Brussels along with two translators and two psychologists.

The meeting lasted two hours and was an "open, difficult and also emotional conversation," a participant told the Belgian news agency Belga afterwards.

The pope will later visit the Catholic University in Louvain-La-Neuve.

Archbishop Luc Terlinden (L) and Pope Francis are pictured during a papal visit to meet Belgian clergy at the National Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Koekelberg, Brussels. Nicolas Maeterlinck/Belga/dpa
Pope Francis is pictured during a papal visit to meet Belgian clergy at the National Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Koekelberg, Brussels. Nicolas Maeterlinck/Belga/dpa

Pope Francis addressed the Belgian victims of clerical sexual abuse again on Saturday, offering words of contrition in a speech at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Koekelberg.

"Abuse generates atrocious suffering and wounds, undermining even the path of faith," the pope told the congregation gathered in the church.

"One of the roots of violence stems from the abuse of power when we use the positions we have to crush or manipulate others," he added, vowing that the Catholic Church would learn from the victims.

The pontiff was speaking after a bruising welcome to Belgium from Prime Minister Alexander De Croo and King Philippe on Friday over sexual abuse within the church.

The Belgian king told the pope that "it has taken far too long to begin looking for ways to repair the irreparable."

The Belgian prime minister meanwhile told the head of the Catholic Church that words are not enough and that "concrete steps must also be taken."

"The victims must be heard. They should be at the centre. They have a right to the truth," De Croo said in his speech to welcome the pope.

The pope met in private with a group of 15 victims of clerical sexual abuse on Friday in Brussels along with two translators and two psychologists.

The meeting lasted two hours and was an "open, difficult and also emotional conversation," a participant told the Belgian news agency Belga afterwards.

The pope later visited the Catholic University in Louvain-La-Neuve to celebrate the 600th anniversary of its foundation.

However, in a conversation on stage with the university's students and professors about the role of women in society and the Church, a major disagreement emerged.

The university students and staff pressed the pope and the Church to recognize that the position of women has advanced beyond the role of a carer.

The pope in response to the university described the role of a woman as that of a "fruitful, welcome, nurturing and life-giving dedication."

A press release circulated by the university after the conversation noted with "incomprehension and disapproval of the position expressed by Pope Francis regarding the role of women."

The university added in the statement that the pope's position was "deterministic and reductive."

The university's rector, Dr Francoise Smets, later told dpa that the Church's position was "very much conservative" but that the university appreciated the opportunity to speak with the pope.
Central Florida first responders deploy to help those hit by Helene

Central Florida first responders are helping residents in North Florida after Hurricane Helene made landfall Thursday night.

Emergency response teams across counties extended their support with equipment and personnel.

Crews from the Volusia County Fire Rescue and Volusia Sheriffs Office traveled to Floridas Panhandle to help.

During these challenging times, it is vital that resources are available to quickly respond and assist in the areas most impacted by the storm, said Joe King, Fire Chief of Volusia County Fire Rescue. By working together on this Joint Emergency Response Team, were not just responding to emergencies; we are looking out for each other and ensuring other communities get the help they need.

Read: Channel 9 brings you closer to Hurricane Helenes impact across Florida

Crews from the Volusia County Fire Rescue and Volusia Sheriffs Office traveled to Floridas Panhandle to help.

Crews from the Volusia County Fire Rescue and Volusia Sheriffs Office traveled to Floridas Panhandle to help.

Crews from the Volusia County Fire Rescue and Volusia Sheriffs Office traveled to Floridas Panhandle to help.

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

Orlando Fire Department

Orlando Fire Department

Orlando Fire Department

Orlando Fire Department

Orlando Fire Department

Orlando Fire Department

Orlando Fire Department

Orlando Fire Department

Jacksonville Police Department

Jacksonville Police Department

Jacksonville Police Department

Jacksonville Police Department

Polk County Fire Rescue

Polk County Fire Rescue

Polk County Fire Rescue

Polk County Fire Rescue

Lake County Sheriff's Office

Lake County Sheriff's Office

The Osceola County Sheriffs Office sent support to Levy County. The emergency response team included 18 members, a mechanic, two airboats, and a high-water rescue vehicle.

This team is being deployed because this is a critical time of need for our fellow Floridians in Levy County, the Sheriffs Office said. And the Osceola County Sheriffs Office fortunate enough to be able to help while remaining fully operational within Osceola County.

Polk County Sheriffs Office is helping first responders in Perry with a mobile command center.

Read: Helene aftermath: Waste collection services resume in these counties

Orange County Fire Rescue sent Task Force 4 to Pasco County, where they will assist in rescues.

Flagler County sent five members of its county Emergency Management Team to Dixie County, one of the areas Helene affected.

Dixie County is west of Gainesville on the Gulf Coast of Florida.

Our hearts go out to them, said Flagler County Fire Rescue Chief Mike Tucker. The state called for resources and assistance, and we immediately took a look at our roster. We are glad to be able to send Lt. Guerin and Firefighter Loertscher, along with a (water) tender truck to help Dixie County in its time of need.

Read: AAA offers safety and insurance tips to help those who suffered damage from Helene

James Wilder, 55, of New Port Richey, Fla., walks along a flooded street from Hurricane Helene at Green Key Road near US 19 Friday, Sept. 27, 2024 in New Port Richey. (Chris Urso/Tampa Bay Times via AP)

A boat rests on a street after being relocated during flooding caused by Hurricane Helene Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, in Hudson, Fla. (AP Photo/Mike Carlson)

Chase Allbritton flies a drone near downed trees in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, in Perry, Fla., Friday, Sept. 27, 2024. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Ronda Bell looks on after an Oak tree landed on her 100-year-old home after Hurricane Helene moved through, Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, in Valdosta, Ga. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

An airboat transports residents rescued from floodwaters in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene on Friday, Sept. 27, 2024 in Crystal River, Fla. (Luis Santana/Tampa Bay Times via AP)

A damaged 100-year-old home is seen after an Oak tree landed on it after Hurricane Helene moved through the area Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, in Valdosta, Ga. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

Vehicles move slowly around trees that have fallen after of Hurricane Helene moved through the area, Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, in Valdosta, Ga. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

Staff of the Inn On The Gulf clean up after their restaurant flooded with surge from Hurricane Helene Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, in Hudson, Fla. (AP Photo/Mike Carlson)

Debris cover the street in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene at Harbor Lights Club mobile home park in Pinellas County, Fla., Friday, Sept. 27, 2024. (Tampa Bay Times via AP)

People and pets are rescued from flooded neighborhoods in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene on Friday, Sept. 27, 2024 in Crystal River, Fla. (Luis Santana/Tampa Bay Times via AP)

A boat rests on a street after being relocated during flooding caused by Hurricane Helene Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, in Hudson, Fla. (AP Photo/Mike Carlson)

Suzanne Whelehar holds hands with Nancy Parker, as they assess the damage that Hurricane Helene wrought on Parker's home at Harbor Lights Club mobile home park in Pinellas County, Fla., on Friday, Sept. 27, 2024. (Tampa Bay Times via AP)

People make their way to safety in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, Friday, Sept. 27, 2024 in Crystal River, Fla. (Luis Santana/Tampa Bay Times via AP)

Clarissa Lucky gives a tour of her home that flooded from Hurricane Helene near DeSoto Park, Fla., on Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, in Tampa. (Jefferee Woo/Tampa Bay Times via AP)

Residents are rescued from floodwaters in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, Friday, Sept. 27, 2024 in Crystal River, Fla. (Luis Santana/Tampa Bay Times via AP)

A Citrus County Firefigher carries 11-year- old, Michael Cribbins, while conducting rescues from floodwaters in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene on Friday, Sept. 27, 2024 in Crystal River, Fla. (Luis Santana/Tampa Bay Times via AP)

Vehicles move slowly around trees that have fallen after Hurricane Helene moved through the area, Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, in Valdosta, Ga. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

Staff of the Inn On The Gulf clean up after their restaurant flooded with surge from Hurricane Helene Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, in Hudson, Fla. (AP Photo/Mike Carlson)

This photo provided by Lee County Sheriff's office shows floodwaters by Hurricane Helene in Fort Myers Beach, Fla., on Thursday, Sept. 26, 2024. (Lee County Sheriff's Office via AP)

Vehicles move slowly around trees that have fallen after Hurricane Helene, Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, in Valdosta, Ga. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

Faisal Bakkal, an employee of a Marathon gas station, walks away from damage in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, in Perry, Fla., Friday, Sept. 27, 2024. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

A man walks out of a street with water flooded from Hurricane Helene Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, in New Port Richey, Fla. (AP Photo/Mike Carlson)

Andrew Lucky, 54, speaks about the water damage to his house caused by a flood from Hurricane Helene near DeSoto Park, Fla., on Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, in Tampa. (Jefferee Woo/Tampa Bay Times via AP)

Faisal Bakkal, an employee of a Marathon gas station, looks at damage in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, in Perry, Fla., Friday, Sept. 27, 2024. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Members of the Ohio Task Force 1 urban search and rescue team rest after conducting high water rescues from flooding caused by Hurricane Helene Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, in Hudson, Fla. (AP Photo/Mike Carlson)

Jamir Lewis wades through floodwaters with his two daughters, Nylah and Aria, in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene on Friday, Sept. 27, 2024 in Crystal River, Fla. (Luis Santana/Tampa Bay Times via AP)

A damaged 100-year-old home is seen after an Oak tree landed on it after Hurricane Helene moved through the area Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, in Valdosta, Ga. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

ATLANTA, GEORGIA - SEPTEMBER 27: A car is submerged in the floodwaters in the Buckhead neighborhood in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene on September 27, 2024 in Atlanta, Georgia. Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida's Big Bend region as a category four hurricane, and has brought flooding inland as the storm system moves over Georgia, heading into the Carolinas. (Photo by Megan Varner/Getty Images)

STEINHATCHEE, FLORIDA - SEPTEMBER 27: Floodwaters at Steinhatchee Rivergate in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene on September 27, 2024 near Steinhatchee, Florida. Hurricane Helene made landfall nearby last night as a category four storm but has weakened as it moves inland. (Photo by Sean Rayford/Getty Images)

ATLANTA, GEORGIA - SEPTEMBER 27: A car is submerged in the floodwaters in the Buckhead neighborhood in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene on September 27, 2024 in Atlanta, Georgia. Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida's Big Bend region as a category four hurricane, and has brought flooding inland as the storm system moves over Georgia, heading into the Carolinas. (Photo by Megan Varner/Getty Images)

ATLANTA, GEORGIA - SEPTEMBER 27: Floodwaters at the Buckhead neighborhood in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene on September 27, 2024 in Atlanta, Georgia. Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida's Big Bend region as a category four hurricane, and has brought flooding inland as the storm system moves over Georgia, heading into the Carolinas. (Photo by Megan Varner/Getty Images)

STEINHATCHEE, FLORIDA - SEPTEMBER 27: Members of law enforcement use a special vehicle in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene on September 27, 2024 near Steinhatchee, Florida. Hurricane Helene made landfall nearby last night as a Category four. (Photo by Sean Rayford/Getty Images)

ATLANTA, GEORGIA - SEPTEMBER 27: A car is submerged in the floodwaters in the Buckhead neighborhood in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene on September 27, 2024 in Atlanta, Georgia. Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida's Big Bend region as a category four hurricane, and has brought flooding inland as the storm system moves over Georgia, heading into the Carolinas. (Photo by Megan Varner/Getty Images)

STEINHATCHEE, FLORIDA - SEPTEMBER 27: Emergency responders share information in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene on September 27, 2024 near Steinhatchee, Florida. Hurricane Helene made landfall nearby last night as a category four storm but has weakened as it moves inland. (Photo by Sean Rayford/Getty Images)

ATLANTA, GEORGIA - SEPTEMBER 27: Floodwaters in the Buckhead neighborhood in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene on September 27, 2024 in Atlanta, Georgia. Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida's Big Bend region as a category four hurricane, and has brought flooding inland as the storm system moves over Georgia, heading into the Carolinas. (Photo by Megan Varner/Getty Images)

TARPON SPRINGS, FLORIDA - SEPTEMBER 27: Flood waters inundate the main street after Hurricane Helene passed offshore on September 27, 2024 in Tarpon Springs, Florida. Hurricane Helene made landfall Thursday night in Florida's Big Bend with winds up to 140 mph and storm surges. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

TARPON SPRINGS, FLORIDA - SEPTEMBER 27: Flood waters inundate the main street after Hurricane Helene passed offshore on September 27, 2024 in Tarpon Springs, Florida. Hurricane Helene made landfall Thursday night in Florida's Big Bend with winds up to 140 mph and storm surges. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

STEINHATCHEE, FLORIDA - SEPTEMBER 27: Members of law enforcement use a special vehicle in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene on September 27, 2024 near Steinhatchee, Florida. Hurricane Helene made landfall nearby last night as a category four storm but has weakened as it moves inland. (Photo by Sean Rayford/Getty Images)

A resident leads his pig through a street flooded in the passing of Hurricane Helene, in Batabano, Mayabeque province, Cuba, Thursday, Sept. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)

Vehicles move slowly around trees that have fallen after Hurricane Helene moved through the area, Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, in Valdosta, Ga. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

Residents wade through a street flooded in the passing of Hurricane Helene, in Batabano, Mayabeque province, Cuba, Thursday, Sept. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)

A woman looks at her dogs sitting on a sofa, as she stands inside her home that was flooded in the passing of Hurricane Helene, in Batabano, Mayabeque province, Cuba, Thursday, Sept. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)

Vehicles move slowly around trees that have fallen after Hurricane Helene, Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, in Valdosta, Ga. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

This photo provided by Lee County Sheriff's office shows floodwaters by Hurricane Helene in Fort Myers Beach, Fla., on Thursday, Sept. 26, 2024. (Lee County Sheriff's Office via AP)

Lee County Sheriff's deputies dispatch a rescue boat to search for people trapped by floodwaters by Hurricane Helene in Fort Myers Beach, Fla., on Thursday, Sept. 26, 2024. (Lee County Sheriff's Office via AP)

Vehicles move slowly around trees that have fallen after of Hurricane Helene moved through the area, Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, in Valdosta, Ga. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

A damaged 100-year-old home is seen after an Oak tree landed on it after Hurricane Helene moved through the area Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, in Valdosta, Ga. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

A person looks over a flooded street due to Hurricane Helene late Thursday, Sept. 26, 2024 in New Port Richey, Fla. (Danielle Molisee via AP)

Ronda Bell looks on after an Oak tree landed on her 100-year-old home after Hurricane Helene moved through, Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, in Valdosta, Ga. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

A man lights charcoal to cook dinner in his flooded home after the passage of Hurricane Helene in Guanimar, Artemisa province, Cuba, Sept. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)

ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA - SEPTEMBER 2: A capsized boat washes ashore as Hurricane Helene churns offshore on September 26, 2024 in St. Peteersburg Florida. Already a Category 3 storm, Helene was expected to gain further strength before making landfall this evening on Floridas northwestern coast. Flash flood warnings extend to northern Georgia and western North Carolina. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

ST. PETE BEACH, FLORIDA - SEPTEMBER 26: A surfer rides a wave kicked up as Hurricane Helene churns offshore on September 26, 2024 in St. Pete Beach, Florida. Later today, Helene is forecast to become a major hurricane, bringing the potential for deadly storm surges, flooding rain, and destructive hurricane-force winds along parts of the Florida West Coast. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA - SEPTEMBER 2: People walk in the wind and rain next to Tampa Bay as Hurricane Helene churns offshore on September 26, 2024, in St. Petersburg, Florida. Already a Category 3 storm, Helene was expected to gain further strength before making landfall this evening on Floridas northwestern coast. Flash flood warnings extend to northern Georgia and western North Carolina. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

ST PETE BEACH, FLORIDA - SEPTEMBER 26: A road is empty of traffic as Hurricane Helene churns offshore on September 26, 2024, in St. Pete Beach, Florida. Already a Category 3 storm, Helene was expected to gain further strength before making landfall this evening on Floridas northwestern coast. Flash flood warnings extend to northern Georgia and western North Carolina. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

ST. PETERSBURG, FLORIDA - SEPTEMBER 26: Tanner Flynn stands in shallow water near crashing waves as Hurricane Helene passes offshore on September 26, 2024, in St. Petersburg, Florida. Helene is forecast to become a major hurricane, bringing the potential for deadly storm surges, flooding rain, and destructive hurricane-force winds along parts of the Florida West Coast. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

ST. PETERSBURG, FLORIDA - SEPTEMBER 26: Tanner Flynn stands in shallow water near crashing waves as Hurricane Helene passes offshore on September 26, 2024, in St. Petersburg, Florida. Helene is forecast to become a major hurricane, bringing the potential for deadly storm surges, flooding rain, and destructive hurricane-force winds along parts of the Florida West Coast. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

ST PETE BEACH, FLORIDA - SEPTEMBER 26: The Gulf of Mexico's water pushes up against the beach as Hurricane Helene churns offshore on September 26, 2024 in St. Pete Beach, Florida. Later today, Helene is forecast to become a major hurricane, bringing the potential for deadly storm surges, flooding rain, and destructive hurricane-force winds along parts of the Florida West Coast. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

ST PETE BEACH, FLORIDA - SEPTEMBER 26: Neil (who did not want to provide their last name) visits the beach as Hurricane Helene churns offshore on September 26, 2024, in St. Pete Beach, Florida. Later today, Helene is forecast to become a major hurricane, bringing the potential for deadly storm surges, flooding rain, and destructive hurricane-force winds along parts of the Florida West Coast. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA - SEPTEMBER 2: A capsized boat washes ashore as Hurricane Helene churns offshore on September 26, 2024 in St. Peteersburg Florida. Already a Category 3 storm, Helene was expected to gain further strength before making landfall this evening on Floridas northwestern coast. Flash flood warnings extend to northern Georgia and western North Carolina. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

ST PETE BEACH, FLORIDA - SEPTEMBER 26: People visit the beach as Hurricane Helene churns offshore on September 26, 2024 in St. Pete Beach, Florida. Later today, Helene is forecast to become a major hurricane, bringing the potential for deadly storm surges, flooding rain, and destructive hurricane-force winds along parts of the Florida West Coast. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

ST PETE BEACH, FLORIDA - SEPTEMBER 26: Neil (who did not want to provide their last name) visits the beach as Hurricane Helene churns offshore on September 26, 2024, in St. Pete Beach, Florida. Later today, Helene is forecast to become a major hurricane, bringing the potential for deadly storm surges, flooding rain, and destructive hurricane-force winds along parts of the Florida West Coast. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

ST PETE BEACH, FLORIDA - SEPTEMBER 26: Waves from the Gulf of Mexico crash on shore as Hurricane Helene churns offshore on September 26, 2024 in St. Pete Beach, Florida. Later today, Helene is forecast to become a major hurricane, bringing the potential for deadly storm surges, flooding rain, and destructive hurricane-force winds along parts of the Florida West Coast. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

CRAWFORDVILLE, FLORIDA - SEPTEMBER 26: Utility crews repair a line damaged by an outer band of Hurricane Helene on the morning of September 26, 2024 near Crawfordville, Florida. Hurricane Helene is forecasted to make landfall nearby along the gulf coast this evening. (Photo by Sean Rayford/Getty Images)

ST. PETERSBURG, FLORIDA - SEPTEMBER 26: A vehicle is stranded in floodwaters as Hurricane Helene passes offshore on September 26, 2024, in St. Petersburg, Florida. Already a Category 3 storm, Helene was expected to gain further strength before making landfall this evening on Floridas northwestern coast. Flash flood warnings extend to northern Georgia and western North Carolina. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

ST PETE BEACH, FLORIDA - SEPTEMBER 26: Waves from the Gulf of Mexico push up against the shore as Hurricane Helene churns offshore on September 26, 2024 in St. Pete Beach, Florida. Later today, Helene is forecast to become a major hurricane, bringing the potential for deadly storm surges, flooding rain, and destructive hurricane-force winds along parts of the Florida West Coast. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

ST PETE BEACH, FLORIDA - SEPTEMBER 26: People look out at the waves from the Gulf of Mexico pushing up against the shore as Hurricane Helene churns offshore on September 26, 2024 in St. Pete Beach, Florida. Later today, Helene is forecast to become a major hurricane, bringing the potential for deadly storm surges, flooding rain, and destructive hurricane-force winds along parts of the Florida West Coast. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

ST PETE BEACH, FLORIDA - SEPTEMBER 26: The Gulf of Mexico water pushes up against the shore as Hurricane Helene churns offshore on September 26, 2024 in St. Pete Beach, Florida. Later today, Helene is forecast to become a major hurricane, bringing the potential for deadly storm surges, flooding rain, and destructive hurricane-force winds along parts of the Florida West Coast. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

ST. PETE BEACH, FLORIDA - SEPTEMBER 26: Vehicles drive along a flooded street as Hurricane Helene churns offshore on September 26, 2024 in St. Pete Beach, Florida. Later today, Helene is forecast to become a major hurricane, bringing the potential for deadly storm surges, flooding rain, and destructive hurricane-force winds along parts of the Florida West Coast. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

ST. PETE BEACH, FLORIDA - SEPTEMBER 26: In this aerial view, vehicles drive through a flooded street as Hurricane Helene churns offshore on September 26, 2024 in St. Pete Beach, Florida. Later today, Helene is forecast to become a major hurricane, bringing the potential for deadly storm surges, flooding rain, and destructive hurricane-force winds along parts of the Florida West Coast. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

ST PETE BEACH, FLORIDA - SEPTEMBER 26: Water from the Gulf of Mexico floods a road as Hurricane Helene churns offshore on September 26, 2024 in St. Pete Beach, Florida. Already a Category 3 storm, Helene was expected to gain further strength before making landfall this evening on Floridas northwestern coast. Flash flood warnings extend to northern Georgia and western North Carolina. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Tree falls down in Leesburg. Courtesy of FG.

Tree falls down in Pine Hills. Courtesy of Chanda Laird.

Tree falls down in Pine Hills. Courtesy of Chanda Laird.

Shed collapses in Winter Haven. Courtesy of Montana.

Hurricane Helene tree falls in Apopka. Courtesy of Mathue Brown.

Hurricane Helene tree falls in Apopka. Courtesy of Mathue Brown.

Hurricane Helene tree falls in Apopka. Courtesy of JJ

Jacksonville Police Department

Jacksonville Police Department

Jacksonville Police Department

Jacksonville Police Department

Strong winds from Hurricane Helene push over Traffic Light in Downtown Orlando

Strong Winds from Hurricane Helene push over a Traffic Light in Downtown Orlando

Strong Winds from Hurricane Helene push over a Traffic Light in Downtown Orlando

Strong Winds from Hurricane Helene push over a Traffic Light in Downtown Orlando

Strong Winds from Hurricane Helene push over a Traffic Light in Downtown Orlando

Strong Winds from Hurricane Helene push over a Traffic Light in Downtown Orlando

Strong Winds from Hurricane Helene push over a Traffic Light in Downtown Orlando

Strong Winds from Hurricane Helene push over a Traffic Light in Downtown Orlando

Strong Winds from Hurricane Helene push over a Traffic Light in Downtown Orlando

Orlando Fire Department

Orlando Fire Department

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

Orlando Fire Department

Orlando Fire Department

Fallen tree in Plymouth. Credit: Rachelle Young

Fallen tree in Plymouth. Credit: Rachelle Young

Orlando Fire Department

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

Orlando Fire Department

Orlando Fire Department

Orlando Fire Department

Orlando Fire Department

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

Edgewater residents prepare for the worst as Hurricane Helene approaches Florida

Workers with multiple utility companies are getting ready to respond as Hurricane Helene is expected to make landfall in the Big Bend region later Thursday evening.

Sumter County officials ask residents to review their housing options ahead of Hurricane Helene.

Edgewater, haunted by recent flooding, prepares for Helene

Marion County residents fill up sandbags ahead of Tropical Storm Helene.

Marion County residents fill up sandbags ahead of Tropical Storm Helene.

Marion County residents fill up sandbags ahead of Tropical Storm Helene.

Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH)  Central Ohioans are helping in the southeast in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene.

Search and rescue teams from all over the country are in the region lending a hand. Ohio Task Force 1 (OH-TF1) is one of those teams. Two Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center doctors, including Dr. Nicholas Kman, are on the task force.

Watch: Crews helping with Helene recovery

The storm surge, water carries with it so much capacity to damage structures that I think we expect to see that once we start moving, Kman said.

Kman is the medical team manager of the task force. When he talked with NBC4 Friday morning, the task force was north of Tampa Bay.

Wildlife agency asks residents to report deer behaving abnormally to track disease

Our job as a federal asset is to come in and help the local teams and what we heard from them is that there are a lot of people that had to wait out the storm on the roof of their house because the storm surge was so strong, Kman said.

The task force started working overnight and made several stops by late morning. Kman said they go from property to property looking for victims and helping those in need. Another focus in the southeast is getting the lights back on. The storm knocked out power for at least 4 million people. J.J. Savage and a team from Westerville Electric are among the crews working on power restoration in Florida.

Honestly its the rewarding part of our job is when you put all this work in especially in this area, somebody has just been devastated, if you can put a smile on their face just because they can go in their house and turn a light switch on, it makes it so worth it, Savage said.

Its his third time on a trip like this and Kmans sixth.

You never want somebody to suffer property damage or heaven forbid illness or injury or even worse than that but thats why were here, Kman said.

At this point, how long theyll be away has not been determined. Itll depend on the work which needs to be done.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to NBC4 WCMH-TV.
Friedrich Merz, Christian Democratic Union of Germany (CDU) Federal Chairman and CDU parliamentary group leader, speaks at the 46th state party conference of the CDU North Rhine-Westphalia. Guido Kirchner/dpa

Fractured politics and the rise of populist parties means Germany's democracy is facing its "toughest test in recent decades," conservative opposition leader Friedrich Merz said on Saturday.

Merz, the leader of the centre-right Christian Democrats (CDU), referred to a chaotic political stalemate in the central German state of Thuringia, where the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) made breakthrough gains in a September 1 election and took more than a third of seats in the state parliament.

In Thuringia, the CDU is now struggling to put together a governing majority in the deeply divided parliament with other parties, including the upstart populist Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW).

Gridlock in Thuringia is "just a small foretaste" of what could come elsewhere in Germany in the near future, Merz told fellow party members at a gathering in the western German city of Munster.

Merz appealed to the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD), the Greens and the pro-business liberal Free Democrats (FDP) to defend democracy during next year's national elections even as each party campaigns hard.

Despite deep political differences, the parties must show "that cooperation, collaboration and standing together are possible in the broad democratic centre of our country," Merz said.

"We will not let these people destroy our democracy in Germany," Merz said.
CEO of hospital operator facing Senate scrutiny will step down following contempt resolution

BOSTON (AP)  The CEO of a hospital operator that filed for bankruptcy protection in May will step down after failing to testify before a U.S. Senate panel.

Steward Health Care CEO Ralph de la Torre has overseen a network of some 30 hospitals around the country. The Texas-based companys troubled recent history has drawn scrutiny from elected officials in New England, where some of its hospitals are located.

A spokesperson for de la Torre said Saturday that he has amicably separated from Steward on mutually agreeable terms and will continue to be a tireless advocate for the improvement of reimbursement rates for the underprivileged patient population.

Vermont U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, who chairs the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, said earlier this month that Congress will hold Dr. de la Torre accountable for his greed and for the damage he has caused to hospitals and patients throughout America.

De la Torres resignation is effective Oct. 1. The Senate approved a resolution on Wednesday that was intended to hold him in criminal contempt for failing to testify before a committee.

The Senate panel has been looking into Stewards bankruptcy. De la Torre did not appear before it despite being issued a subpoena. The resolution refers the matter to a federal prosecutor.

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MARTIN COUNTY, Texas (KMID/KPEJ)  The Faces of Freedom Clay Shoot came to town on Friday, helping raise money to connect service dogs with veterans here in the Basin, and across the nation. We caught up with the organizers and some of the recipients at Windwalker Farms.

This is a fundraiser for our veteran side of the house to raise money so that we can provide more service dogs to more veterans out there in the community and across the country. Good boy, yes. It warms my heart and it almost brings tears to my eyes knowing that theres so many good people in the world and that people really care, said Chris Boyer, Veteran Services Coordinator and Combat Marine Veteran.

Honoring local veterans: These two local men gave their lives in service

So, she helps me with like medical issues and its pretty amazing and I mean its definitely life-changing to have you know someone you can rely on 24-7 and shes definitely my battle buddy and I love that. Well, I got involved as a client so Im a combat marine. I served in the first Gulf War, and I have PTSD and I was at a fairly low point in life, and I made a decision to get a service dog and I got my service dog through Freedom Service Dogs and that changed my life, said Jayni Whitefield, Army Veteran and Service Dog Recipient.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Yourbasin.
Child hospitalized after being hit by school bus in Bremerton

A young boy playing with another child has been hospitalized after being hit by a school bus.

Around 3:25 p.m. on Friday, the Kitsap County Sheriffs Office (KCSO) was called to the 4800 block of Chico Way Northwest in Bremerton for a car versus pedestrian call.

When deputies arrived, they found a boy injured after being hit by a school bus.

According to deputies, the boy was riding in a cart and was being pulled up a hill by another child when he lost control and let the cart go. The cart rolled down the hill and onto Chico Way Northwest. As the cart entered the road a school bus crashed into the cart with the child inside.

The child was taken to Mary Bridge Childrens Hospital in Tacoma for care.

There is no word on how fast the bus was going during the crash but the KCSO is investigating.

Deputies said no kids were on the bus during the crash and no one else was injured.

No information was made available on the condition of the child.
One major-party candidate wrote a memoir that focuses on how growing up the child of a single mother shaped the person theyve become and how they see the world.

Im not talking about JD Vance.

Yes, his bestselling Hillbilly Elegy did all of that, and went on to become a political and cultural phenomenon. The books fame, including a movie adaptation, boosted Vance in his successful U.S. Senate bid from Ohio, which in turn put him in position to become Republican Donald Trumps vice presidential running mate in the 2024 campaign.

But Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris also wrote a memoir, 2019s The Truths We Hold. It didnt become a movie, but it did sell pretty well. And, like Hillbilly Elegy, the book describes parents divorcing when the author was very young and what its like to grow up primarily with a single mother.

Thats where the similarities between the two stories end  and the insights into one of this presidential campaigns most important divides begin.

The divide plays out every day on the campaign trail, in the form of policy arguments about everything from abortion rights to child care. But behind those fights is a more fundamental clash over changes in gender roles and family structure in the past 50 years, and to what degree society should embrace them.

Harris welcomes these shifts; Vance argues for going back to the way things were before. And if their memoirs are indicative, both views have something to do with the circumstances of the candidates respective upbringings  or, at least, how they remember them.

For Harris, Hope From A Happy Childhood

Harris mother, Shyamala Gopalan, was a cancer researcher who came from India to study at the University of California, Berkeley. Juggling school and then work with parenting must have been tough, especially in the 1960s and early 1970s, when there was still a ton of stigma around divorce and divorced women in particular.

But if these challenges made Gopalans life difficult in ways that filtered down to Harris or her sister, Maya Harris, there are no signs of it in The Truths We Hold. On the contrary, Kamala Harris writes, Those early days were happy and carefree. Even Harris recollections of her parents divorce are gentle. Her parents simply stopped being kind to each other, she writes. I knew they loved each other very much, but it seemed theyd become like oil and water.

A big factor in Harris childhood, according to the memoir, was the support Gopalan got from neighbors and others  especially Regina Shelton, a family friend whom Harris describes as a second mother. Shelton fostered several children and ran a small nursery school in her home, the memoir says. Sheltons residence was where Maya and I would spend our afternoons. We simply called it going to the house. There were always children running around at the house; lots of laughter and joyful play, Harris says.

But the person Harris really singles out is Gopalan herself  for her love, support and inspiration, too. She was extraordinary, Harris writes, going on to explain that she had only two goals in life: To raise her two daughters and to end breast cancer. She pushed us hard and with high expectations as she nurtured us. And all the while, she made Maya and me feel special, like we could do anything we wanted to if we put in the work.

Kamala Harris speaks during a visit to an early childhood education center in Washington, D.C., in June 2011. JIM WATSON via Getty Images

These gauzy recollections likely leave out a lot. Memoir authors are not always the most faithful narrators. Thats especially true if they are politicians with aspirations for higher office, as Harris would have been in early 2019, when she was a first-term senator about to launch a presidential bid.

But however rose-colored Harris memoir might be, it also seems to be a genuine expression of her values. A through line of Harris career in politics is a push for programs and laws that could enable more people to do what her mother did  thrive personally and professionally, even if they dont conform to traditional expectations of gender roles and family structure.

You can see this impulse in Harris history of support for government programs to fund child and elder care, and to ensure paid leave. You can also see it in Harris fight for reproductive and LGBTQ+ rights, which in their own, different ways make it easier to form families that defy the 1950s stereotype of a man earning a living while a woman stays home to cook, clean and change diapers.

Harris is still promoting these ideas. Her policy agenda includes calls for guaranteed paid leave and capping child care expenses at 7% of household income, along with the staunch defense of reproductive rights.

All of this is standard Democratic dogma. Most of her ideas are longtime party positions or come straight out of budgets from President Joe Bidens administration. The 7% child care cap was part of the Build Back Better legislation that Democrats tried unsuccessfully to pass in 2021.

But Harris has consistently given these issues prominent billing in her speeches, frequently tying them to her own personal experiences  like she did this past week in Pittsburgh, where she described caring for her mother in her final days before linking support for caregivers to the ability of women to stay in the workforce.

When we lower the costs and ease the burdens people face, we will not only make it then easier for them to meet their obligations as caregivers, Harris said in the Pennsylvania city. We will also make it more possible for them to go to work and pursue their economic aspirations.

For Vance, Scars Of A Difficult Youth

Vance in his memoir paints a much bleaker picture, of a difficult, tumultuous childhood in a broken home that he barely escapes.

The main source of instability is his mother, Beverly Aikins, who cycles through jobs, addictions and male partners. The main source of rescue, eventually, is Aikins mother, Bonnie Vance. Bonnie Vance is the one who ultimately raises JD Vance, he writes, although he notes that Mamaw had her own history of addiction and her own tempestuous relationship with his grandfather. Once, she doused Papaw with gasoline, Vance recounts in one of the memoirs most memorable stories, and lit him on fire.

But there is one important difference between his mother and grandmother. Bonnie Vance stayed with her husband, in a way that JD Vance found admirable  and still does. My grandparents had an incredibly chaotic marriage in a lot of ways, he told a high school audience in 2021, but they never got divorced, right? They were together to the end, till death do us part. That was a really important thing to my grandmother and my grandfather.

In those comments, Vance was making a larger point about modern society  and where, in his view, it has gone wrong. This is one of the great tricks that I think the sexual revolution pulled on the American populace, he said, which is this idea that, like, Well, OK, these marriages were fundamentally, you know, they were maybe even violent, but certainly they were unhappy. And so getting rid of them and making it easier for people to shift spouses like they change their underwear, thats going to make people happier in the long term.

JD Vance poses in front of the U.S. Capitol in January 2017, right as the attention on "Hillbilly Elegy," his bestselling memoir, was turning him into a national political figure. Photo by Astrid Riecken For The Washington Post via Getty Images

Conservatives have been making arguments like these for decades, as a way to push back against the scientific, cultural and legal changes  like the development of hormonal birth control, and the spread of no-fault divorce laws  transforming American family life. In the 1970s, the importance of protecting traditional families was a rally cry for opponents of universal child care and the Equal Rights Amendment, and decades later it united people fighting against same-sex marriage too.

That particular crusade eventually failed, to the point where same-sex marriage now enjoys robust, widespread approval. The same has happened with other major societal changes, like women having the freedom to pursue work outside the home. It was a controversial idea in the 1960s, when Gopalan was looking at cancer cells under a microscope. And as late as 1987, nearly a third of adults in the country thought women should return to their traditional role in society, according to the Pew Research Center. That figure was under 20% in more recent years.

But plenty of conservatives have not made peace with these shifts away from traditional family structures. Vance appears to be one of them. In addition to making that suggestion about violent marriages, he infamously told then-Fox News host Tucker Carlson that the Democratic Party was in the thrall of a bunch of childless cat ladies who are miserable at their own lives and the choices that theyve made, and so they want to make the rest of the country miserable, too.

Vance tried to dispel the controversy over those remarks by saying they were a joke and taken out of context, though he never sufficiently explained what was supposed to be funny or what context was missing, or why hed made similar comments other times as well. And hes not the only influential voice on the political right who thinks these things, or is trying to translate them into policy.

Republicans in some heavily Republican-leaning states have advocated for endingno-fault divorce, for example. Project 2025, a proposed governing agenda from the right-wing Heritage Foundation, calls for reversing Biden-era policies focusing on LGBTQ+ equity, subsidizing single-motherhood, disincentivizing work, and penalizing marriage  because, the document explains, families comprised of a married mother, father, and their children are the foundation of a well-ordered nation and healthy society.

For America, A Stark Choice About Policy  And Family

As strange as it sounds, its possible to imagine a world in which liberals who see things as Harris does and conservatives who think like Vance does could find some common ground, and even learn a thing or two from one another.

It could happen on an issue like child care: Conservatives note accurately that different families benefit from different care settings, with some preferring that a parent stay at home, while liberals point out correctly that whether parents want or need to work, the reality is that many cant afford outside help without the kind of financial assistance that would require dramatically more government spending.

Theres actually been some modest bipartisan progress on child care in recent years, with both major political parties agreeing to increase funds for the existing federal program that underwrites subsidized child care for poor families. Theres also been on-again, off-again discussion of Democrats and Republicans coming together on some kind of direct cash benefit for families with young children  something that was used temporarily during the COVID-19 pandemic, and for a while brought child poverty rates down to record lows.

Harris has called for reinstating a version of that program. Vance has said he too would like to see some kind of cash allowance for families with children, although he skipped the vote when Senate Democrats brought forward a bill about the issue in August. And however real or imaginary the prospect for bipartisan action on such causes might be, its obviously not possible when it comes to issues like reproductive or LGBTQ+ rights.

What families should look like, how gender roles should or shouldnt keep shifting  the visions of the two parties are as different as the stories Harris and Vance tell about themselves. Its upside versus downside, enthusiasm versus dread. Come November, voters get to decide which narrative speaks to their own experience more.
Childless GOP Candidate Posed With Friend's Wife And Kids For Campaign Video: NYT

Republican Derrick Anderson, who is running for Virginia's seventh congressional district, poses in a photo with a family that is not his. National Republican Congressional Committee

A Republican running for office in Virginia apparently wanted to give voters the impression hes a family man after using an image of himself with a woman and her three children for his campaign.

But theyre not his family.

Derrick Anderson, a former Army Green Beret, is running for an open seat in Virginias Seventh District. Anderson was featured in a New York Times article on Friday headlined G.O.P. Candidates, Looking to Soften Their Image, Turn to Their Wives.

The article discusses the GOPs push to be seen as the family-values party in a year when reproductive health care access has become a focal point among voters.

Andersons campaign used footage of the candidate posing with a woman and her three daughters in what could easily be mistaken for a family photo shoot, as the Times article discusses.

The woman and three girls featured in the video  which was uploaded to Andersons YouTube channel and posted on a website paid for by the National Republican Campaign Committee  are instead the family of one of Andersons longtime friends. Anderson announced earlier this month that he is engaged and lives alone with his dog, per the Times. He has no kids.

In a separate scene filmed for a possible campaign ad, Anderson is seen sitting around a dining room table with the same woman and three girls, the Times reported.

A spokesperson for Anderson told the Times that the footage simply shows Anderson posing with female supporters and their kids.

Derricks opponent and every other candidate in America are in similar pictures and video with supporters of all kinds, the spokesperson said.

In a follow-up statement to HuffPost, a spokesperson for Anderson called it a normal campaign video.

The false, politically-motivated reporting on Derrick  who is happily engaged and very proud of/vocal about his family  appearing in a normal campaign video with female supporters and their kids is both hilarious and sad, the spokesperson said in an email.

The statement also took aim at Andersons opponent in the race, Yevgeny Eugene Vindman, a retired Army colonel who once raised concerns about Donald Trumps actions toward Ukraine during the Republicans presidency.

Derricks opponent and every other candidate in America are in similar pictures and video with supporters of all kinds, and ... [Yevgeny] Vindman features similar shots in his own campaign videos, the statement said, while accusing Vindman of misleading voters on multiple fronts.

Anderson celebrated the overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022, posting on Twitter that SCOTUS finally got it right, and overturned a 50 year decision of federalizing abortions.

The photo portraying Anderson as a family man may have been his campaigns attempt to skirt around one of the GOPs recent talking points: that childless pet owners have less of a stake in the countrys future than parents.

Trumps running mate, JD Vance, blasted the childless left in 2021 remarks, adding that Vice President Kamala Harris is one of the childless cat ladies who are miserable.

Read the full story at The New York Times.

Related...
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD)  A chili cook-off on Saturday will help raise money to restore Sullivan Field in Grand Rapids.

It is the fourth year the chili cook-off has been held at the historic ballpark, also known as Valley Field.

The ballpark has played host to the likes of Al Kaline, Satchel Paige, Kirk Gibson and Willie Horton.

We make some money but its really more about awareness, bringing awareness to the ballpark and our efforts here, said Paul Soltysiak, the co-founder of Fans of Valley Field. And its paid off because weve gotten the attention of some very generous donors and both public and private funding.

The organizations initial engineering assessments of the grandstands cast doubt on if they could be saved because of rot and structural concerns.

It almost looked for a while like it was going to need to be torn down and luckily, found an engineering firm that did a study came up with a plan to save it. Were very thrilled about that, Soltysiak said.

Sullivan Field rallies again: Grandstands will be restored

Final numbers are still being calculated, but they will go beyond the original $4.25 million that has been raised.

The chili cook-off is part of that effort but also a chance to see what needs to be done.

It really gives people a chance to enjoy it and just soak up the historic atmosphere, Soltysiak said.

The event is a continuation of the chili cook-off Dan and Lisa Verhil held when they were owners of the Cottage Bar. This marks their 40th year of holding a chili cook-off competition.

A lot of the same people that cooked in my cook-off downtown have all, most of them come back, probably more than half. And they love it, said Dan Verhil. And I love seeing them again and I love the whole atmosphere. Its festive.

Gates open at 10 a.m. Saturday, and the event wraps up at 7 p.m. For information about the event and tickets, visit the cook-offs website.

*Correction: A previous version of this article misspelled Verhils last name. We regret the error, which has been fixed.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WOODTV.com.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has indirectly condemned the escalation between Israel and the Lebanese Shiite Hezbollah militia in his speech at the United Nations General Debate.

"Fighting has started in Lebanon again, but might cannot replace justice," Wang said in New York just hours after the confirmation of the death of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in an Israeli airstrike. He did not explicitly mention Israel.

"Palestine's long held aspiration to establish an independent state should not be shunned anymore, and the historical injustice suffered by the Palestinian people should not be ignored anymore," Wang said.

There is a need for a ceasefire in Gaza and work towards a two-state solution, he said. "China has always been a staunch supporter of the just cause of the Palestinian people to regain their legitimate national rights, and a staunch supporter of Palestine's full UN membership, we have recently helped to bring about breakthroughs in intra-Palestine reconciliation," Wang said.

Wang was referring to a meeting in Beijing in July when a total of 14 Palestinian groups, including bitter rivals Hamas and Fatah, reportedly signed a declaration to strengthen Palestinian unity with the aim of forming a unity government.
Wang called for an immediate ceasefire in the fighting between Israel and Hamas in Gaza (Bryan R. SMITH) (Bryan R. SMITH/AFP/AFP)

China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi warned on Saturday against the expansion of the conflict in Ukraine, which has accused Beijing of assisting Russia in its war.

Kyiv has been particularly scornful of Beijing's calls for talks to resolve the conflict, but Wang reiterated China's offer to help broker an end to fighting.

"The top priority is to commit to no expansion of the battlefield, no escalation of fighting, and no provocation by any party, and push for de-escalation of the situation as soon as possible," he told the UN General Assembly.

"China is committed to playing a constructive role, engaging in shuttle mediation and promoting talks for peace, not throwing oil on the fire or exploiting the situation for selfish gains."

Wang also called for an immediate ceasefire in the fighting between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, but only noted the resumption of fighting in Lebanon without commenting on the death of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed in an Israeli strike.

"There must not be any delay in reaching a comprehensive ceasefire, and the fundamental way out lies in the two-state solution," Wang said.

"China has always been a staunch supporter of the just cause of the Palestinian people to regain their legitimate national rights, and a staunch supporter of Palestine's full UN membership."

gw/md
China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi cautioned on Sept. 28 against the escalation of the war in Ukraine, amid accusations from Kyiv that Beijing is supporting Russia. Kyiv has expressed skepticism towards Beijing's calls for negotiations, yet Wang reiterated China's willingness to assist in brokering a resolution.

"The top priority is to commit to no expansion of the battlefield, no escalation of fighting, and no provocation by any party, and push for de-escalation of the situation as soon as possible," he said during the U.N. General Assembly, according to Agence France-Presse.

"China is committed to playing a constructive role, engaging in shuttle mediation and promoting talks for peace, not throwing oil on the fire or exploiting the situation for selfish gains."

China's support for Russia's defense industry has played a significant role in shifting the battlefield momentum in Ukraine in Moscow's favor.

This assistance encompassed a range of critical elements, including the supply of crucial components and materials to Russia's military-industrial complex, the provision of dual-use technologies that have both civilian and military applications, and the delivery of chips, design features, and capacities associated with explosive manufacturing.

China has also been instrumental in supporting the development of unmanned aerial vehicles that Russia has deployed in Ukraine, enhancing its battlefield capabilities.

Russia has secretly established a development and production program in China for attack drones to be used in the war in Ukraine, Reuters reported on Sept. 25 citing European intelligence sources and documents reviewed by the outlet.

Read also: West should not fight to victory against nuclear state, Russian FM says at UN

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
China's missile arsenal may soon rival the US. Here are the leading missiles it's stockpiling for a big fight.

China's missile arsenal is rapidly growing and represents a clear threat to the US military.

Beijing's Rocket Force recently launched an ICBM on a rare test flight in the Pacific Ocean.

Here are the major missiles in China's arsenal that pose a threat to adversaries near and far.

A reminder of China's growing might streaked across much of the Pacific on Wednedsay.

The showy test of an intercontinental ballistic missile is part of the vast and advanced missile force China is building to threaten neighbors and negate the US military's edge in the air and at sea.

The US believes that China's Rocket Force has doubled the stocks of many of its missiles in recent years.

While China hasn't revealed the size of its nuclear arsenal, the country's nuclear arsenal is growing faster than any other country. A Pentagon report estimated that the country's arsenal has more than 500 operational nuclear warheads  more than half of which are ICBMs.

The report also projected that China will have more than 1,000 warheads by 2030, potentially able to deploy the same number of ICBMs as the US.

Here are the major known missiles in China's arsenal that the country is stockpiling amid heightened tensions in the Indo-Pacific.

The Carrier Killer

A model of DF-21D ballistic missile is on display at an expo in China. Ma Yue/VCG via Getty Images

A formidable threat to the US Navy's prized flattop fleet, China's infamous anti-ship Dong-Feng 21 missile has been nicknamed the "carrier killer"; Dongfeng means "east wind" in Chinese.

First introduced to service in 1991, the DF-21 is a medium-range ballistic missile with several versions, including a newer conventional anti-ship variant that could pose a threat to aircraft carriers over 1,000 miles from shore.

About the size of a city bus, the high-speed missile has a terminal homing warhead  accurate within about 65 feet of its target  that is powerful enough to at least inflict a "mission kill," damaging a carrier enough to disable flight operations, according to Air Force Magazine.

The missile poses a serious threat to the US Navy's fleet, but naval fighters like F/A-18 Super Hornets and F-35C Lighting fighters can also counter it.

US Navy Rear Adm. Carlos Sardiello, commander of the Carl Vinson carrier strike group, said he was confident his ships and squadrons could "operate these complex, contested domains and be lethal and survivable, and execute the mission regardless of what the threat is."

The Guam Express

Crowds gather to observe a military parade featuring DF-26 ballistic missiles. Xinhua/Lin Yiguang via Getty Images

China's DF-21 missiles aren't the only anti-ship munition capable of threatening the US naval fleet. China's Rocket Force has a growing stockpile of intermediate-range ballistic missiles known as Dong Feng-26.

The DF-26 can be armed with nuclear or conventional warheads, engaging targets on both land and sea. The IRBM's range of up to nearly 1,900 miles allows the ballistic missile to strike US bases in Guam, earning the nickname "the Guam Express."

During a July panel, Lt. Gen. Robert Rasch, the director of the Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office at Alabama's Redstone Arsenal, said the growing Chinese missile threat "requires us to think differently."

"We're looking at a pacing threat of China that has offensive capabilities, unlike anything we've been seeing," Rasch said.

Hypersonic glide vehicle

Vehicles carrying DF-17 missiles seen during a military parade. GREG BAKER/AFP via Getty Images

China is ahead of Russia and the US in the race to develop hypersonic weapons.

Air defenses project a missile's flight path and fire interceptors to hit it on that track. But this new class of weapons is designed to defeat them by flying an erratic path after the missile re-enters the Earth's atmosphere.

A US senior defense analyst said China has the world's "leading hypersonic arsenal," which includes the medium-range Dong Feng-17 ballistic missile equipped with a hypersonic glide vehicle.

In service since 2019, the road-mobile missile can be armed with conventional or nuclear warheads. US intelligence estimated that, when equipped with a hypersonic warhead, the DF-17 can reach speeds of Mach 5 to 10 and have a range of up to 1,550 miles.

The missile is key to China's efforts to deter US intervention in the Asia-Pacific region, and claims that an anti-ship variant is in development.

Meanwhile, the US is still scrambling to field its own hypersonic missile, conducting its first hypersonic weapon test with a hypersonic cruise missile in the Pacific earlier this year.

"Of course, one US test won't shift China's hypersonic trajectory, nor will it resolve serious concerns regarding China's perceived hypersonic edge," Craig Singleton, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told CNN. "But it reaffirms that the US is not just an observer in the hypersonic domain, it's a formidable player, and one committed to matching pace with China and Russia."

The US also partnered with Japan, a vital ally in the Pacific, to develop a defense system to counter China's hypersonic weapons.

Threat to Taiwan

DF-15B ballistic missiles are seen atop military vehicles in Beijing. GREG BAKER/AFP via Getty Images

China's missile arsenal poses as much of a threat to global adversaries as it does to its neighbors with short-range ballistic missiles like the DF-15.

The short-range, road-mobile missile has a maximum range of about 560 miles  capable of striking Taiwan with conventional and explosive warheads with relative ease.

China's first ICBM

Military vehicles carrying DF-5B intercontinental ballistic missiles were showcased in a military parade at Tiananmen Square in Beijing. GREG BAKER/AFP via Getty Images

China's missile arsenal also includes an older-generation international ballistic missile, the Dong Feng-5, capable of carrying nuclear warheads to strike as far as the continental US and Western Europe.

With a range of over 8,000 miles, the silo-based ICBM can be equipped with up to 10 warheads capable of hitting different targets.

In 1980, the PLA test-launched a DF-5 missile into the South Pacific  a rare occurrence as China usually test-fires ballistic missiles in the Bohai Sea or the remote northwest region of Xinjiang.

Off-road global deterrent

A screen shows a formation of military vehicles carrying DF-31A missiles. Simon Song/South China Morning Post via Getty Images

Another ICBM in China's missile arsenal is the Dong Feng-31  a three-stage, solid-fueled missile with a tractor-trailer-based launcher  that can go off-road, expanding its potential launching area and improving the weapon's survivability.

It can be armed with a singular warhead, capable of hitting targets with an accuracy of 500 to 1,000 feet. So far, the PLA's Rocket Force only operates one DF-31 brigade of six launchers based in China's Shaanxi Province, according to the CSIS Missile Defense Project.

China's most advanced ICBM

Chinese soldiers stand near military vehicles carrying DF-41 intercontinental ballistic missiles. Kevin Frayer/Getty Images

The most advanced intercontinental missile in China's arsenal is the Dong Feng-41 ICBM, capable of reaching the US and designed for nuclear deterrence.

The DF-41 has a range of up to 9,320 miles, making it China's longest-range missile, and is reportedly capable of carrying multiple warheads that can hit different targets.

Satellite images taken in 2021 showed more than 100 new silos for nuclear missiles were being built in China, suggesting the country's efforts to expand its "silo-based force," according to the Pentagon.

As of October 2022, the PLA has more ICBM launchers than the US, US Air Force Gen. Anthony Cotton told lawmakers in February 2023, though he noted that the US military continues to hold the upper hand in nuclear power.

For the first time in over four decades, China on Wednesday test-fired an intercontinental ballistic missile carrying a dummy warhead into the Pacific Ocean. While it's unclear what missile variant the PLA was testing, the launch could likely be a show of force to the US and its allies and a demonstration of the country's advancing missile capabilities.

"There is no other potential audience, as China does not expect to have to confront the EU or the UK militarily," Steve Tsang, director of the SOAS China Institute in London, told the Associated Press.

Read the original article on Business Insider
If China's citizens don't 'love national heroes, the country will be in danger', Feng told AFP (GREG BAKER) (GREG BAKER/AFP/AFP)

His car laden with boxes of brightly-coloured communist memorabilia, Feng Gang places one more Chairman Mao figurine in the back seat then steps back to admire his life's work.

Feng is one of China's leading "red collectors", hoarders of ephemera mass-produced in the country's turbulent first decades as a communist state up until the death of founding leader Mao Zedong in 1976.

This month, Feng joined hundreds of red collectors in the capital city showing off their wares ahead of the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1.

"I started to love red collecting in the third grade, starting with one memorial badge of Chairman Mao," Feng, 53, told AFP at his home in Baotou, Inner Mongolia.

"We had loudspeakers in the countryside at that time," he said of his youth in the poor, arid northwestern province of Gansu.

Feng was five years old when Mao died, bringing an end to a reign during which tens of millions of people died in brutal political persecution and economic policies that caused mass starvation.

"We could hear people talking about Chairman Mao from the loudspeakers, and we grew up singing 'The East Is Red'," Feng said, referring to one of China's most famous revolutionary songs.

Feng continued collecting badges, posters, statues of leaders and everyday items emblematic of the revolution and Mao era throughout a long career in the military.

Now heading a "red culture" sub-branch under the China Association of Collectors, in his retirement, Feng can devote even more time to his passion: promoting patriotic education of the nation's youth.

"If a citizen lacks conviction and doesn't love national heroes, the country will be in danger," Feng said.

- Red nostalgia -

China has in recent decades witnessed a resurgence of nostalgia for the Mao era -- despite its horrors -- due in part to its utopian official outlook and fervent patriotic spirit.

In Beijing's Panjiayuan, a sprawling commercial hub home to the city's top antiques market, hundreds of collectors from across China convened for an annual celebration of red culture.

Behind glass cases were displayed porcelain portraits bearing Mao's serene smile and badges once ubiquitous on clothing during his rule.

During the four-day event, enthusiasts and members of the public milled through an upstairs exhibition hall, gazing at the relics and reminiscing on a bygone era.

Dong Zhongchao, 60, told AFP he'd gathered the collectables "from all corners of the country" -- and claimed to have been offered 30,000 yuan ($4,273) for some "one-of-a-kind" items, which he turned down.

"In 30 years, I've been to more than 250 places across China, big and small," he said.

To Dong, the collection reminds him of his youth.

Another visitor, a 55-year-old surnamed Xiao, said he had been coming to the market every year for two decades.

He enjoys smaller nicknacks from the Mao era, like old coins and items bearing images of leaders and national heroes.

He points to one such figure, Men He, a soldier revered as a model communist during Mao's bloody Cultural Revolution of the 1960s and 70s, as a model for today's youth.

"What he did for the revolution -- a lot of people are unaware of it," said Xiao.

"Young people should understand this patriotism," he added, his 28-year-old daughter listening by his side.

- 'Enlightening society' -

Emily Williams, an expert on Maoist material culture, told AFP that the red collection movement had its roots in the eighties, when sweeping reforms ushered in a new era of rapid economic development.

"For some of the collectors, there was a feeling that if everything was changing so quickly, there was this danger that they would forget the path they had taken in order to get there," she said.

Many of the collectors are the "children" of the Mao era, she explained.

"They believe in the socialist values that were taught to them at the time," she said.

Feng, the collector from Inner Mongolia, said it was devotion to his motherland that had driven him across the country in search of relics.

"Basically all my time and energy outside of work were spent on collecting red items," said Feng.

"(I travelled) all over the country using my annual leave, including holidays. I had no time to spend with my family."

But he sees his work as a nobler pursuit than the collection of humdrum antiques.

"They have an educational function: enlightening society."

pfc/oho/je/cwl
The European Union's office in Hong Kong told AFP that Hong Kong passport holders can still enter the bloc visa-free, rejecting Chinese social media posts that falsely claimed it had cancelled the policy. The posts -- shared hundreds of times -- included a report about a new travel authorisation scheme for 60 visa-exempted countries. The EU clarified the pre-travel screening was intended to mitigate security, irregular immigration and public health risks.

"Hong Kong has finally caught up with the mainland," read a post in simplified Chinese shared on X on August 29, 2024.

The post included a screenshot of an article from news aggregator NetEase, with a simplified Chinese headline that read: "The EU has cancelled the visa-free policy for Hong Kong passports! [Now] they share the same treatment as mainland China!"

It added this would take effect in June 2025.

Screenshot of the false post, taken September 26, 2024

A similar false claim was also shared on X here and here and Facebook here and here.

Hong Kong's international standing has fallen in recent years after authorities quashed massive and at times violent protests in 2019 that pushed for more autonomy from Beijing. To quell dissent, China imposed a security law in 2020 that has effectively silenced opposition in Hong Kong.

The city has since enacted a second security law, colloquially referred to as "Article 23", in March to "plug" legislative gaps, targeting other offences such as sedition and espionage.

Social media users left comments suggesting the EU had cancelled the visa-free policy for Hong Kong due to its weakening autonomy.

"Hong Kong finally enjoys the benefits it received after the handover," one comment said.

"Same standard," another wrote.

However, the EU has not removed visa-free travel to the bloc for Hong Kong passport holders, its office in the territory told AFP.

Travel authorisation

Reverse image and keyword searches on Google using the image seen in the false post led to an article by Hong Kong's South China Morning Post on June 19, 2024, with the headline "Hong Kong visitors to EU will need travel authorisation from next year" (archived link).

Below is a screenshot comparison of the image in the false post (left) and the SCMP article (right):

Below is a screenshot comparison of the photo in the misleading post and the SCMP report.

The report states the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) would apply to visitors from 60 visa-exempt countries, including Hong Kong, for a short-term stay.

The new system was meant to boost the internal security of the EU by pre-screening travellers, making travel to the bloc smoother for tourists.

Thomas Gnocchi, ambassador and head of the Office of the European Union to Hong Kong and Macau, told SCMP at the time that the door to Europe remained open to Hong Kong residents and that the "visa-free regime is not being changed whatsoever".

The EU's Hong Kong office also confirmed the ETIAS is not a visa.

It told AFP on September 25: "We can confirm that the visa-free policy toward Hong Kong SAR passport holders will indeed not change."

"ETIAS strengthens Europe's internal security by conducting pre-travel screening of visa-free travellers from third countries for security, irregular immigration and public health risks," the EU office said.

It added that the system would facilitate smooth border crossings by reducing administrative requirements.
AIKEN, S.C. (WJBF)  The City of Aiken, South Carolina government is addressing the rumors about the city of Aiken shutting off the water.

According to City of Aiken, South Carolina Government Facebook page, officials are simply requesting that customers use water for essential household uses such as drinking water, bathing, flushing toilets, washing dishes, etc., due to the power outages.

ALSO ON WJBF: Augusta mayor debunks water rumors

City leaders are asking residents to refrain from irrigating lawns, washing cars, and other non-essential activities that require large amounts of water until power is fully restored, and they add that this is a proactive request because of the extenuating circumstances that everyone is dealing with from Hurricane Helene.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WJBF.
EL PASO, Texas (KTSM)  The El Paso City Council passed on Tuesday, Sept. 24 an action plan to add new school zones and improve existing infrastructure across the City.

City officials said they want to encourage more walking and biking to school in El Paso.

The action plan details infrastructure improvements, safety education curriculum and adding new school zones to some needed areas, City officials said.

During a recent meeting, City Rep. Josh Acevedo raised concerns about Paisano Drive near Jefferson High School.

As we previously reported, on Sept. 18, four high school students were hit by a car in that area. The crash happened on Paisano Drive and Val Verde Street during the middle of the school day.

4 students injured after crash in South-Central El Paso

As of Friday, Sept. 27, two of those students are still in a local hospital, according to a family members Instagram post.

City officials say this action plan is meant to prevent another incident like that from happening again.

We did include a section about the Paisano study. And we are working with text and communicating with them what we think needs to be prioritized there, said Anna Mesa-Zendt, the bicycle and pedestrian program manager for Elevate El Paso.

Outside of that, what youre saying about addressing these fatalities, I think theres a lot of room underneath our Vision Zero plan. And this ultimately will fall under the Vision Zero initiative, where we can do improvements where those fatalities are occurring, she said.

Acevedo added: Right in front of Jefferson (high school) and going over the Raynolds Bridge, that has been a very dangerous road as well.

KTSM reached out to the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) on whether they were planning on making any improvements to the Paisano Drive area.

They sent us a statement that reads in part:

We are currently removing the underutilized pedestrian bridges on Paisano at Francis, and at Tobin and will be replacing them with ADA-compliant, at-grade mid-block pedestrian hybrid beacon crosswalks including installation of overhead school zone flashers for a school zone from Washington St. to Val Verde St.

According to TxDOT, they want to start these improvements in about five months.

KTSM also spoke with several students at Jefferson High School who said they do not like crossing the street in that area.

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GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KREX)  The Orchard Mesa Community Pool will continue operating for at least the next two years.

The Grand Junction City Council and Mesa County Valley School District 51 Board of Education announced Friday they signed a joint agreement to keep the pool open through December 2026.

We are grateful for our partnership with the City of Grand Junction and their collaboration throughout this process, District 51 Superintendent Dr. Brian Hill said in the press release. Together, our organizations and governing bodies worked toward a collaborative agreement that prioritizes community needs while being fiscally responsible.

Grand Junction Mayor Abram Herman said, The City of Grand Junction is appreciative of our partners at Mesa County Valley School District 51 and to continue operation of the Orchard Mesa Community Pool to serve the community. This agreement reflects the commitment to providing recreational spaces for families, children and seniors while anticipating the opening of the new Community Recreation Center in 2026.

The city said in the release that continuing operations gives both entities time to plan for the future.

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GALAX, Va. (WFXR)  Residents in the City of Galax are being told to boil tap water.

The Galax Police Department posted an advisory Saturday from the Virginia Department of Health in conjunction with the Mount Rogers Health District and the City of Galax Water System. Residents should boil tap water before drinking it, freezing it, or cooking with it.

This precaution is necessary because Galax experienced a loss of water due to the water plant losing power as a result of Hurricane Helene on September 27-28, 2024, the advisory says.

Bring your water to a rolling boil and boil for one minute before consumption.

If you cannot boil your tap water, the advisory recommends:

 An alternative method of purification for residents that do not have gas or electricity available is to use liquid household bleach to disinfect water. The bleach product should be recently purchased, free of additives and scents, and should contain a hypochlorite solution of at least 5.25%. Public health officials recommend adding 8 drops of bleach (about  teaspoon) to each gallon of water. The water should be stirred and allowed to stand for at least 30 minutes before use.

 Water purification tablets may also be used by following the manufacturers instructions.

WFXR will provide an update when its safe to drink tap water again. The advisory asks residents to share this information with neighbors and friends. Drinking unboiled water could leave you with stomach or intestinal illness.

For more information: call the City of Galax Water Treatment Plant at 276-236-3831

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFXRtv.
Elon Musk dreams of colonizing Mars in his lifetime, but the clock is tickingand he knows it.

This is evident from a recent string of X posts about the precise timing required for interplanetary travel, and the pesky regulations standing in his way.

The rising anxiety adds up to what the Wall Street Journal called a classic midlife crisis for Musk.

Musk is insistent that his goal is of the utmost importance for all on Earth. Becoming multiplanetary is critical to ensuring the long-term survival of humanity and all life as we know it, he posted to X earlier this week.

A window for travel from Earth to Mars opens up only around every 26 months, and Musk wont be ready for the earliest alignment, which is in October of this year.

The first Starships to Mars will launch in 2 years when the next Earth-Mars transfer window opens, he said earlier this month. These will be uncrewed to test the reliability of landing intact on Mars. If those landings go well, then the first crewed flights to Mars will be in 4 years.

But some experts say his aggressive projected timeline for building a city on Mars just isnt realistic.

Christopher Combs, an aerodynamics professor at the University of Texas at San Antonio, told the Journal that, more probably, it could be 15 to 20 years before a rocket carrying humans reaches Mars.

The trouble is the infrequent travel windows and the many technical problemsfor one, how to return from Marsthat still remain.

Peter Hague, who writes a newsletter on space travel, shared a skeptical stance on Musks timeline, although he thought that manned travel to Mars is a less distant prospect. In an X post, he suggested that humans could reach the red planet by 2033, if not 2031.

This is happening and youll get to see it, he added.

Musk has acknowledged that his ambitious timeline could again slip if his team faces challenges.

Attempting to land giant spaceships on Mars will happen in that timeframe, but humans are only going after the landings are proven to be reliable, he posted earlier this month. 4 years is best case for humans, might be 6, hopefully not 8.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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PERRY, Fla. (AP)  Hurricane Helene caused dozens of deaths and billions of dollars of destruction across a wide swath of the southeastern U.S. as it raced through, and more than 3 million customers went into the weekend without any power and for some a continued threat of floods.

Crews are beginning cleanup efforts on Saturday, more than 24 hours after Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida.

According to National Hurricane Center, a disturbance is being monitored that could form over the Western Caribbean over the next week.

The area of low pressure has a 40% chance of development, resembling a path similar to Hurricane Helene.

Blowing Rock families struggle to get to Boone amid road washouts

Helene blew ashore in Floridas Big Bend region as a Category 4 hurricane late Thursday packing winds of 140 mph (225 kph) and then quickly moved through Georgia, the Carolinas and Tennessee, uprooting trees, splintering homes and sending creeks and rivers over their banks and straining dams.

Western North Carolina was essentially cut off because or landslides and flooding that forced the closure of Interstate 40 and other roads. There were hundreds of water rescues, none more dramatic than in rural Unicoi County in East Tennessee, where dozens of patients and staff were plucked by helicopter from the roof of a hospital that was surrounded by water from a flooded river.

The National Hurricane Center states that the storm, now a post-tropical cyclone, was expected to hover over the Tennessee Valley on Saturday and Sunday. Several flood and flash flood warnings remained in effect in parts of the southern and central Appalachians, while high wind warnings also covered parts of Tennessee and Ohio.

Among the at least 44 people killed in the storm were three firefighters, a woman and her 1-month-old twins, and an 89-year-old woman whose house was struck by a falling tree. According to an Associated Press tally, the deaths occurred in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia.

When the water hit knee-level in Kera ONeils home in Hudson, Florida, she knew it was time to escape.

Theres a moment where you are thinking, If this water rises above the level of the stove, we are not going to have not much room to breathe, she said, recalling how she and her sister waded through chest-deep water with one cat in a plastic carrier and another in a cardboard box.

More from QCNEWS

Helene Fallout

Evacuations and record rainfall

In North Carolina, a lake featured in the movie Dirty Dancing overtopped a dam and surrounding neighborhoods were evacuated, although there were no immediate concerns it would fail. People also were evacuated from Newport, Tennessee, a city of about 7,000 people, amid concerns about a dam near there, although officials later said the structure had not failed.

Tornadoes hit some areas, including one in Nash County, North Carolina, that critically injured four people.

Atlanta received a record 11.12 inches (28.24 centimeters) of rain in 48 hours, the most the city has seen in a two-day period since record keeping began in 1878, Georgias Office of the State Climatologist said on the social platform X. Some neighborhoods were so badly flooded that only car roofs could be seen poking above the water.

Moodys Analytics said it expects $15 billion to $26 billion in property damage.

Climate change has exacerbated conditions that allow such storms to thrive, rapidly intensifying in warming waters and turning into powerful cyclones sometimes in a matter of hours.

Big Bend region hit hard

Floridas Big Bend is a part of the state where salt marshes and pine flatwoods stretch into the horizon, and where the condo developments and strip malls that have carved up so much of the states coastlines are largely absent.

Its a place where Susan Sauls Hartway and her 4-year-old Chihuahua mix Lucy could afford to live within walking distance of the beach on her salary as a housekeeper.

At least, until her house was carried away by Helene.

Friday afternoon, Hartway wandered around her street near Ezell Beach, searching for where the storm may have deposited her home.

Its gone. I dont know where its at. I cant find it, she said of her house.

Born and raised in rural Taylor County, Hartway said there is nowhere in the world she would rather be, even after Helene. But shes watched as wealthier residents from out of state have bought up second homes here. She wonders how many of them will sell out  and what will happen to the locals who have nowhere else to go.

Theres so many people down here, they dont have any place to go now. This was all they had, she said.

The community has taken direct hits from three hurricanes since August 2023.

All five who died in one Florida county were in neighborhoods where residents were told to evacuate, said Bob Gualtieri, the sheriff in Pinellas County in the St. Petersburg area. Some who stayed ended up having to hide in their attics to escape the rising water. He said the death toll could rise as crews go door-to-door in flooded areas.

More deaths were reported in Georgia and the Carolinas, including two South Carolina firefighters and a Georgia firefighter who died when trees struck their trucks. Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin reported at least one death in his state.

Power loss and infrastructure damage

President Joe Biden said he was praying for survivors, and the head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency headed to the area. The agency deployed more than 1,500 workers, and they helped with 400 rescues by late Friday morning.

Officials urged people who were trapped to call for rescuers and not tread floodwaters, warning they can be dangerous due to live wires, sewage, sharp objects and other debris.

In Georgia, an electrical utility group warned of catastrophic damage to utility infrastructure, with more than 100 high-voltage transmission lines damaged. Officials in South Carolina, where more than 40% of customers were without power, said crews had to cut their way through debris just to determine what was still standing in some places.

The hurricane came ashore near the mouth of the Aucilla River, about 20 miles (30 kilometers) northwest of where Hurricane Idalia hit last year at nearly the same ferocity. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said the damage from Helene appears to be greater than the combined effects of Idalia and Hurricane Debby in August.

The destruction extended far beyond Florida.

Historic flooding expected

A mudslide in the Appalachian Mountains washed out part of an interstate highway at the North Carolina-Tennessee state line.

Another slide hit homes in North Carolina and occupants had to wait more than four hours to be rescued, said Ryan Cole, the emergency services assistant director in Buncombe County. His 911 center received more than 3,300 calls in eight hours Friday.

This is something that were going to be dealing with for many days and weeks to come, Cole said.

Forecasters warned of flooding in North Carolina that could be worse than anything seen in the past century. The Connecticut Army National Guard sent a helicopter to help.

Helene was the eighth named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, which began June 1. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has predicted an above-average season this year because of record-warm ocean temperatures.

___

Payne reported from Tallahassee, Florida, and Hollingsworth reported from Kansas City, Missouri. Associated Press journalists Seth Borenstein in New York; Jeff Amy in Atlanta; Russ Bynum in Valdosta, Georgia; Danica Coto in San Juan, Puerto Rico; Andrea Rodriguez in Havana; Mark Stevenson and Maria Verza in Mexico City; and Claire Rush in Portland, Oregon, contributed.

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Close confidante to Eric Adams gets raided, then goes on radio to talk about it

NEW YORK  Law enforcement officials were waiting at JFK Airport Friday for New York City Mayor Eric Adams closest confidante to return from an overseas vacation.

They seized her phone and raided her Brooklyn home  a dramatic episode that escalated their investigations into the mayors innermost circle on the same day he was arraigned on federal corruption charges.

Ingrid Lewis-Martin, the chief adviser to Adams whose friendship with the mayor stretches back four decades, was served a subpoena by federal agents with the Southern District of New York, her lawyer Arthur Aidala said. Her devices were given to state agents with the Manhattan District Attorneys office, he said.

Later Friday, in a surreal moment, Lewis-Martin described the encounter in a broadcast interview with Aidala, a celebrity criminal attorney who moonlights as a talk radio host.

Lewis-Martin maintained her innocence  as well as the mayors  but left open the possibility they acted outside the law.

We are imperfect, but were not thieves, she said on AM 970. And I do believe that in the end that the New York City public will see that we have not done anything illegal to the magnitude or scale that requires the federal government and the DAs office to investigate us.

Videos circulated by news outlets Friday showed agents carrying boxes from Lewis-Martins row house. She was not home at the time of the raid, she said.

Fridays raid served as a reminder that the scope of the investigations into the Democratic mayors orbit extends beyond the fraud and bribery charges he pleaded not guilty to on Friday.

Lewis-Martin will cooperate fully with investigators and is not the target of any case of which we are aware.

Reporters started milling around outside Lewis-Martins house on a quiet central Brooklyn street as soon as news broke of the search. Drivers slowed to scope out the hubbub as they passed TV crews filming live hits. There was no sign of Lewis-Martin herself and no one answered the doorbell Thursday evening.

City Hall declined to comment and referred POLITICO to Lewis-Martins attorney.

Lewis-Martin has been traveling with Jesse Hamilton, another Adams loyalist and a leader in the Department of Citywide Administrative Services.

She admitted on Aidalas show that she briefly scuffled with the agents who took her phone while describing them as professional and trying to do their job.

I have to admit that I wasnt as polite as I normally am, because I was annoyed, and I was like, Well, I need a phone. I need something. Youve to give me something back. And I got a little vociferous, she said, adding that she later apologized to the officer.

Neither Aidala nor Lewis-Martin disclosed what airline she flew to and from Japan.

Lewis-Martin has not been accused of wrongdoing.

Adams pleaded not guilty in Manhattan on Friday to five counts including fraud and bribery. Federal prosecutors allege he accepted lavish travel perks, illegal campaign contributions and other benefits from Turkish officials in exchange for fast-tracking the approval of the Turkish consulate in Manhattan.

Joe Anuta contributed to this report.
CLOVIS, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE)  Clovis East High School students say they need convertibles and their drivers for their homecoming ceremony  in order to continue their traditions, they decided to call on the community for support.

On Tuesday, Clovis East announced on social media that the convertibles that were originally meant to be used in the pre-game parade were no longer available.

Clovis East Associates Student Body Representatives Makai Labadie and Briley Laret say without the convertibles Homecoming would still happen, but it would lose a once-in-a-lifetime mystique for the students meant to be in the parade.

[Riding in the convertibles] just adds on to the experience of being nominated by your peers for such a quite surreal thing, Labadie said.

According to Briley, five convertibles are needed to carry the schools royalty, including:

The Grand Marshall

Freshman Homecoming Prince and Princess

Sophomore Homecoming Prince and Princess

Junior Homecoming Prince and Princess

Senior Homecoming King and Queen Nominees

Briley says they understand they are asking for a big favor from convertible owners but want those owners to know their cars will be in good hands.

We take special care of these cars because we know that they are super valuable to these community members, Briley said. We laid blankets out on the car so that people arent getting like sequins and sparkles and like people stepping on the seats in the paint.

Briley says drivers can also drive their own car in the parade and students say they are even willing to make drivers gift baskets to thank them.

Anyone in the community with a convertible willing to donate their car or their time is asked to reach out to Clovis East High School on social media.

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TAIPEI, Sept 27 (Reuters)  The U.S. Coast Guard is watching an uptick in Chinese and Russian navy activity around Alaska and the northern Pacific but encounters to date have been very professional, a senior commander said on Friday.

Vice Admiral Andrew J. Tiongson, U.S. Coast Guard Pacific Area Commander, noted on a call with regional reporters while visiting Japan that his country and Russia share a maritime boundary line between Alaska and the Russian Far East

Russian naval vessels, certainly weve seen an uptick in their presence in that particular region. And then what we also see is an uptick in PLAN, the PRC Navy, and the Russian navy working together in that region, he said, referring to the Peoples Republic of China.

And we have been seeing that over this last couple of years. And they are conducting operations, Tiongson added.

Trump and Zelenskyy meet in New York as election holds high stakes for US support for Ukraine

Occasionally those ships cross into the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone, he said.

So what we do is we meet presence with presence. So when they go out there, we ensure they know that we are there, we establish communications. Sometimes they tell us that theyre just transiting through and theyll be out of our EEZ very soon, and other times we sit and we watch and shadow them as they go forth.

The U.S. Coast Guard exchanges information with the U.S. military as well as Canada, he said, but added encounters with the Russians or Chinese had all to date been professional.

Tiongson also addressed questions about the Philippines and Chinas off-on confrontation around Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea, where Chinas Coast Guard has been active in the standoff over resupplying a beached Philippine navy ship there.

Tiongson said the U.S. Coast Guard had not been asked to provide escort to Philippine vessels, but had been advising and assisting in other ways. So when I say advise and assist, we provide to the Philippine coast guard and others is what we would do in this situation. And we assist them in coming up with some of their plans, but we do not accompany.

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Defence Intelligence of Ukraine (DIU) has reported that Russian Armed Forces Colonel Alexei Kolomeitsev was killed in the city of Kolomna in Russia's Moscow Oblast on 27 September.

Source: DIU

Details: DIU noted that Kolomeitsev, 51, served as the head of the 924th State Centre (military unit No. 20924) for uncrewed aircraft within Russia's Defence Ministry. This unit is responsible for training specialists in the combat use of drones, including the Shahed UAVs commonly employed in attacks on Ukraine, and personnel for UAV maintenance.

The Ukrainian intelligence service emphasises that the colonel was directly involved in the full-scale Russian invasion and war crimes against Ukraine.

Quote: "DIU stresses that every war crime will be punished with justice."

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COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH)  Educators and administrators from school districts in the Columbus area got the chance to learn more about Hispanic and Latino culture through ESC of Central Ohios cultural immersion event on Friday.

Many of the students and their families are still in the process of learning English and understanding American culture, so leaders of the event said its important for teachers to know how to help them feel more comfortable.

Watch: Latino and Hispanic cultural immersion event

During the day-long event, attendees were fully immersed in Latin culture.

The group visited a number of spots around Columbus that are important to local students and their families, including a grocery store where many of them shop and a church where they worship.

Wildlife agency asks residents to report deer behaving abnormally to track disease

A little bit about their lives, their traditions and learn more about their culture to create a welcoming environment and that sense of belonging that the children and their families need in our school districts, said Elizabeth Curtis with ESC of Central Ohio.

Attendees were also treated to a lunch with authentic food from El Salvador, Puerto Rico and Nicaragua. Then, a dance group from Mexico performed for the audience and showed the educators what a traditional Mexican dance looks like.

Overall, the goal was to help educators better understand how to speak with their students and families, and to see what its like to spend a day in the shoes of a Hispanic or Latino immigrant in central Ohio.

It just gives us a look at our students and families day-to-day lives and some of the parts of their culture that maybe we dont interact with every day in our day-to-day lives even though were in the same neighborhoods, said Amy McKinney, the coordinator of English-learner services at Pickerington Schools.

Fridays event was just one of many that ESC of Central Ohio puts on to help educators learn more about different cultures. In the past, theyve held immersion events on Ukrainian and Afghan cultures.

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COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH)  The Columbus VA hosted its first-ever Centenarian Recognition Ceremony for veterans who are 100 years or older on Friday morning.

Reaching the age of 100-years-old is a milestone that many people hope to reach one day. The ceremony celebrated the veterans military career while also celebrating their birthdays.

Watch: Ceremony for veterans who have reached 100

Its our opportunity to thank them for their service to our country, for the enormous contributions theyve made to preserving our freedoms, said Dr. Marc Cooperman, the Columbus VAs medical center director.

Many of the 100-year-olds present were World War II veterans. People from the VA gave them certificates thanking them for their dedication to our country.

Wildlife agency asks residents to report deer behaving abnormally to track disease

Of the centenarians, many come to the VA for doctors visits and check ups, but it was special for them to be recognized for all that theyve accomplished over the last century.

Its great to see so many of them here and to see so many of them in really good shape, Cooperman said.

World War II veteran William Rogers told stories about his time in the war overseas and shared how he survived everything he encountered.

Well I made it out and didnt get hurt, Rogers said. I never got a scratch. I was just plain lucky, thats all.

This was the first Centenarian Recognition Ceremony but Columbus VA leaders said they plan to continue the event for years to come.

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SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI)  A state bill allowing community colleges to offer bachelors degrees in nursing was vetoed by Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday.

Senate Bill 895, introduced by state Sen. Richard Roth (D-Riverside), sought to expand on a recently implemented law that opened up the door for community colleges to offer baccalaureate degrees by adding bachelors of science in nursing (BSN) degrees to the mix.

The bill was lauded as a potential game-changer for nursing education, making the often expensive pursuit more accessible to low-income students while addressing a critical shortage of working nurses that has placed significant stress on local hospitals.

Gov. Newsom signs formal apology for Californias role in slavery

While Californias community colleges were behind the bill, the states four-year university systems were not, arguing the bill would create competition for teaching resources and impede other efforts already underway to expand access to existing nursing bachelors programs.

In his veto letter, Newsom agreed with the California State University and University of California, saying a pause should be taken to understand the full impact before giving community colleges the ability to create baccalaureate nursing programs.

The governor specifically points to a $60 million per year grant program on nursing workforce development, which can be used to expand partnerships among higher education institutions to increase transfers of associates in nursing students into a public bachelors of science program.

I appreciate the authors commitment to expanding access to baccalaureate nursing degree programs for community college students, Newsom wrote. All segments of higher education should continue to focus on building these programs together, and I am concerned this bill could inadvertently undermine that collaboration.

A spokesperson for San Diego City College, one of the schools hoping to be selected for the baccalaureate nursing program, said they are disappointed with the governors decision especially after the considerable support both bills received in the Legislature.

Our nursing students deserve access to affordable BSN degrees, the spokesperson continued.

Nursing as an educational route is currently one of the most expensive and impacted degrees at universities across California.

State-imposed restrictions on class sizes often complicate community college students efforts to make the jump from their associate degree program.

Given limited spaces in public universities nursing programs, many nursing students are forced to turn to the higher-cost programs at private or independent institutions  educational settings that charge significantly more in tuition, pricing out lower-income students.

And yet holding a BSN is becoming more of a requirement to work as a nurse, despite not being legally mandated.

Chris Crane, associate professor of nursing at San Diego City College, explained many hospitals are now prioritizing BSN-prepared nurses to obtain and maintain Magnet Recognition.

California bill to curb hate littering signed into law

The hiring process has changed, said Chris Crane, associate professor of nursing at City College. Crane is also an alumni of the colleges nursing program. It is required at this point that these students obtain a BSN.

More nurses are still urgently needed in local hospitals, who are facing an average vacancy rate of over 30%, according to the Hospital Association of Southern California. This shortfall is estimated to be around 36,000 licensed nurses, a figure expected to grow even more by 2030.

Experts say the shortage leads to higher rates of burnout among working nurses, which is a leading reason why they leave the field. The shortage also impacts patient care, leading to more errors, higher morbidity and mortality rates.

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DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN)  Despite the rain on Saturday, dozens of people came out to Day Air Ballpark to walk and raise awareness for heart health.

Rain does not stop us because heart health, heart education, that does not stop, Stephanie Yenn, executive director for the American Heart Association, said.

Dayton Heart Walk participants formed teams and wore matching t-shirts to honor a friend or family member impacted by heart disease or stroke.

We are walking today in memory of one of our distinguished community person who passed away this January, walk participant Sunita said. He has been part of Dayton community for the last 65 plus years. His heart is in Dayton.

The annual Dayton Heart Walk raises money for heart health research, community education and CPR training in the Dayton area.

This year brought in nearly $380,000 ahead of the walk.

Most people know someone, unfortunately, that has some heart story, Yenn said. Were hoping that all of those end in happy endings that we can get them the proper support and medical attention.

According to the American Heart Association, nine out of ten people who suffer cardiac arrest outside of the hospital die, and in most cases a bystander did not perform CPR.

Thats why a goal of this years walk is making sure people are educated about how to perform CPR and save lives.

Our mission is to get out there and say it is not hard, call 911 and then begin pressing, Yenn said.

To learn more about the American Heart Association and CPR training resources, click here.

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In an aerial view, solar panels are seen at MCE Solar One solar farm in Richmond, California. Credit - Getty Images

(To get this story in your inbox, subscribe to the TIME CO2 Leadership Report newsletter here.)

This Climate Week, I did something crazy. In the middle of a packed week of panels, roundtables, and interviews in New York, I hopped on a plane across the country and spent a day at the MINExpo conference in Las Vegas for a forthcoming story. In the giant halls, alongside trucks the size of jet planes, companies gathered at the mining equipment conference promised to decrease their customers' carbon footprints and allow them to operate their mines more sustainably.

The public narrative around private sector climate action is one of deep skepticism. Many advocates have decried it as greenwashing, claiming that companies are using climate goals as a branding exercise. Many companies have pulled back their commitments, saying they no longer feel they are feasible. And businesses have grown reluctant to talk about their environmental workfearful that it might cause backlash in conservative states and with a potential future Republican president.

In Vegas, where the target audience was the sea of men in suits and company polo shirts who buy mining equipment, I couldnt help but think something has shifted. For a variety of reasons, just outside of the public eye, the private sector continues to move forward on decarbonization. Corporate customers across sectors and geographies are demanding lower-carbon solutions, and the promise of continued regulatory pressure has not dissipated. Instead of focusing on splashy commitments, many companies are taking a grounded approach to chart an actual decarbonization roadmap.

Business is now really taking a very pragmatic approach, not giving up on the goal of where we need to go, but really managing it step by step, Peter Bakker, who heads the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, told me in New York.

Over the course of the week, I heard similar messages over and over again from executives. George Oliver, CEO of HVAC giant Johnson Controls, said that emissions reduction had become a core initiative for many of the companys customers, advancing its business making buildings more energy efficient. Pedro Pizarro, the CEO of utility giant Edison International, touted demand for the company's advisory business, which just ahead of Climate Week launched a partnership with auto giants to help decarbonize their supply chains. They're seeing a lot of continued client interest, he said.

And, over and over again, executives told me that the European Unions climate disclosure ruleknown in shorthand as CSRDwould act as a game changer. The regulation , which took effect this year for some firms already and will expand to more in the coming years, requires companies that do substantial business in Europe to disclose not only financially material information about how climate change affects their operations but also the ways that their operations materially affect the environment. While many remain up in arms over the various reporting demands, which require time and resources, they expressed a sense that the standards would create new momentum when the dust settles. You hear some businesses complain about the effort it takes to get those frameworks done, says Bakker. But once that transparency emerges, then it becomes a tool that puts sustainability at the core of competitiveness.

All of these conversations in New York contributed to the sense that the transition is indeed movingno matter the public narrative. At a TIME100 panel I moderated on Monday, Fatih Birol, the head of the International Energy Agency, described that progress as irreversible.

To be clear, none of this is enough. Away from the corporate folks, inside the security perimeter of the United Nations, some government leaders pushed the need for countries to amp up their policy agendas. In the first days of Climate Week, which coincides with the United Nations General Assembly, countries agreed to a Pact for the Future which calls for continued efforts to phase out fossil fuels with the ambition of keeping global temperature rise well below 2C.

To get there, countries are supposed to create new climate action plans in the coming months to drive a climate policy step change. Movement in the private sector is heartening, but it could also use a step change.

Write to Justin Worland at justin.worland@time.com.
Old Man Yells

During a characteristically rambling speech from Trump Tower in New York City on Thursday, former president Donald Trump made the mind-meltingly dumb assertion that we should be more worried about "nuclear warming" than actual global warming.

"What happened to the environment?" he told a room full of reporters. "They don't mention it. They don't mention that the ocean's going to rise a quarter of an inch of the next 500 years... what they should start mentioning is nuclear warming."

The dumbfounding comment raises numerous questions. Who exactly is "they"? And what the hell is "nuclear warming"?

It's not the first time the infamous climate change denier has referred to the invented term. During what has been described as the "dumbest climate conversation of all time" with multi-hyphenate billionaire Elon Musk last month, Trump argued that we should be talking about nuclear warming, not climate change.

Musk tried to make sense of the utterance, arguing that "theres the bad side of nuclear, which is a nuclear war, very bad side."

At the time, Trump also argued that melting glaciers would create "more oceanfront property," an equally harebrained argument that has no grounding in reality whatsoever.

Double Threat

It's entirely unclear what the former reality TV host means when he's talking about nuclear warming. Given his comments during a December interview with Fox News host Tucker Carlson, there's a chance he's referring to the threat of a nuclear war with Russia  which has little to do with the climate crisis.

At the time, he referred to nuclear as the "n-word," which usually refers to a different word sometimes used by Trump's supporters.

"The biggest problem, Trump says, is nuclear warming," Mother Jones' David Corn tweeted at the time. "What is he talking about?"

"Nuclear warming? Is this along the same lines as when the wind stops blowing your TV goes off?" another user commented. "And windmill noise causes cancer?"

As always, making any sense of Trump's incoherent rambling is a fool's errand, especially when it comes to the climate crisis.

And the same goes for Musk, who has gradually emerged as a full-blown Trump supporter, in spite of leading the charge on the electrification of cars.

During his mind-numbing conversation with Trump last month, Musk argued that the only reason we should ditch fossil fuels is that the wells will eventually run dry and that the only fallout would be a rise in "headaches and nausea" due to higher carbon dioxide levels.

He also asserted that it was wrong to "vilify" the oil and gas industry, yet another idiotic argument given the industry's massive contributions to global emissions.

"It is sad that Elon Musk has become a climate change denier, but thats what he is," climate scientist Micahel Mann told The Guardian last month. "Hes literally denying what the science has to say here."

More on climate denial: Scientists Discover the Villains Destroying the Planet
They could not believe Hezbollah leader was dead  then the news left them in tears

A woman in Beirut reacts with despair after hearing Hezbollahs confirmation that its leader Hassan Nasrallah had been killed - Hussein Malla/AP

For hours, Beiruts Shia Muslim residents had been staring into their phones, waiting for news.

The Israelis were claiming to have killed Hassan Nasrallah, the Hezbollah leader, but this was surely a lie.

It was typical of the Israelis and their nonsense, one woman scoffed. Nasrallah could hardly die. God would protect him. Others around her nodded in agreement.

Israel has failed to kill him so they are trying to lure him into a trap, said one man, who gave his name as Jaffar. They want to force him to appear on television so they can try again to assassinate him.

But then phones began to ping and a ripple of horror spread through Martyrs Square in central Beirut, where many Shia Muslims had fled Israels bombing of the citys southern districts the night before.

The message they received was clear and unquestionable. Hezbollah was confirming what Israel had said all along: the man they revered as sayyid or master was indeed dead.

Crowds paraded a poster of Hassan Nasrallah through the streets of Beirut after the confirmation of his death - Houssam Shbaro/Anadolu via Getty

His Eminence, the Master of Resistance, the righteous servant, has passed away to be with his Lord, the message said. Nasrallah, it continued, was a great martyr, a heroic, daring, brave, wise, insightful and faithful leader who was joining the caravan of the martyrs eternal.

One woman burst into tears. A second sank to her knees, wailing.

Ya Allah! Ya Allah! she whimpered repeatedly: Oh God! Oh God!

Many in the square feared they had lost their homes as Israel stepped up its bombing campaign in southern Beirut, but this was somehow worse. They had lost the man they revered as their guiding star.

For those in the square, Nasrallah was a resistance hero who had liberated the Shia heartlands of southern Lebanon from Israeli military occupation in 2000 and then repelled Israeli forces when they tried to come back six years later.

They also regarded him as their saviour and champion, chosen by God to give Lebanons downtrodden and marginalised Shia minority a political voice, religious leadership and earthly comforts in the form of services and welfare.

Without him, they were bereft. As the women continued to weep, many Shia menfolk responded with anger, firing their rifles in the air across the city.

Already jittery after days of Israeli bombardment, the gunfire was too much for many Lebanese, still scarred by the memories of the sectarian civil war that raged between 1975 and 1990.

Families have gathered in Martyrs Square in Beirut after fleeing the Israeli air strikes on the southern suburbs - Bilal Hussein/AP

Many shuttered their shops and restaurants and retreated to the safety of home. By late afternoon, the streets of the capital were mostly deserted.

Fearful of how enraged Shias might act, Lebanese soldiers in armoured personnel carriers took up positions on a bridge separating the Shia district of Khandaa Al-Ghami from Christian Achrafieh.

Some spoke quietly of relief

Nasrallah, like Hezbollah itself, was a deeply polarising figure in Lebanon. While anger with Israel crosses sectarian lines, some Christians and Sunni Muslims also spoke quietly of their relief that Nasrallah was dead.

It is a step in the right direction, said Nasri, a shopkeeper in predominantly Christian eastern Beirut.

What we are going through and will go through is painful and difficult but Nasrallah was a stumbling block to Lebanons progress. Without him we have a chance to be a nation again.

For years, Hezbollah has exploited Lebanons political and economic decay to become the most powerful force in the countrys sectarian landscape.

Its militia is better armed, organised and funded than the army, while its political faction has, together with its allies, contributed to political paralysis in the country by preventing the appointment of a president or functioning government over the past two years.

By weakening the state, Hezbollah has strengthened its own position to the extent that few in Lebanon dare challenge it.

Yet that image of unassailability both within Lebanon and in the broader Middle East has taken a battering over the past fortnight and the movement has been laid even lower by Nasrallahs death.

A moment of danger

The humbling of Hezbollah is seen as a potential opportunity to normalise Lebanese politics but as a moment of danger, too.

A young girl sleeps under an umbrella among the families forced on to the streets by the Israeli bombardment - Marwan Naamani/Avalon

If a wounded Hezbollah is no longer able to present itself as a leader of the resistance against Israel, its domestic position is also at risk and it may be tempted to use force as a leverage to shore up its waning power, one MP said, asking not to be identified given the sensitivity of the topic.

A recalibration of Lebanese politics would be welcomed by many in the countrys Christian, Druze and Sunni Muslim communities, but Shias would undoubtedly fear that they would come out the losers from it.

Shia civilians, since they live in Hezbollah strongholds, have borne the brunt of Israels attacks on the movements positions.

Already nearly 200,000 had fled before Israel escalated its assault on southern Beirut on Friday.

More have fled the southern suburbs and are now sleeping rough in squares, parks and on beaches as the Lebanese government and aid agencies scramble to open up schools for them as temporary shelters.

I have nowhere else to go, said Maryam Tfaili, sitting on a mat with her two children in Martyrs Square. Going home is out of the question because it is too dangerous. Israel has reduced us to beggars on the street.

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A count in progress: Helene damage to North Carolina, by the numbers

North Carolina is still adding up the damage done by the powerful tropical storm that started as Hurricane Helene.

The day after the extreme rain and winds stopped, the full tally was unknown. But even the partial count is eye-popping.

Deaths: 2.

Landslides: 11.

Roads closed: 418 state-maintained roads, mostly due to flooding, including Interstates 26 and 40 around Asheville and dozens of closures along several other U.S. and N.C. highway routes.

Flood water rescues: More than 200 people.

The French Broad River breaks its banks Asheville on Friday, Sept. 27, 2024 as the remnants of Hurricane Helene caused flooding, downed trees, and power outages in western North Carolina.

People with no power: More than 700,000.

State of emergency declarations: 29 counties, 52 towns.

Search and rescue teams from others states: 19.

Federal search and rescue teams: 3.

Top wind gust: 106 mph, Mt. Mitchell State Park.

NCDOT employees and contractors dispatched: More than 1,600.

Flight disruptions: Over 2,000 at Charlotte Douglas International Airport since Wednesday.

Shelters opened: 16.

People sheltered Friday night at least 1,100.

Most rainfall: 29.5 inches, Busick Raws, Yancey County. (Many mountain locations saw at least 10 inches.)

Rocky Mount EF-3 tornado: 140 mph, 100 yards wide, quarter-mile-long path near Rocky Mounts Tiffany Boulevard.

Major disaster declaration request counties: 38, plus the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.

Sources: Gov. Roy Coopers office; Duke Energy; North Carolina Department of Public Safety; North Carolina Department of Transportation; National Hurricane Center; National Weather Service, Greer, South Carolina, and Raleigh offices; Flight Aware.com; North Carolina State Highway Patrol; North Carolina Emergency Management.
A county in the South Carolina Midlands has extended a mandatory curfew for residents after Hurricane Helene blew through the state Thursday evening and Friday morning.

Under an emergency declaration, Aiken County Sheriff Michael Hunt announced that Aiken Countys curfew, first implemented on Friday, would extend through Sunday morning.

Curfew will begin again on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. until 7:30 a.m.

Essential workers for local businesses and services working scheduled hours are an exception, as are first responders. Those who are traveling to predetermined locations and events and traveling to and from work are also exempt.

It is important (sic) we keep the roadways clear of any unnecessary vehicle and pedestrian traffic, especially in our heavily damage areas, the sheriffs office said in a news release. We encourage everyone to avoid areas that have been impacted by the storm and if possible stay off the roadways so utility services and responders can continue helping those in the greatest needs.

Helene made landfall in Florida late Thursday night as a category 3 hurricane, and then traveled inland into Georgia and North and South Carolina. Helene was listed as a tropical storm as of 6 a.m. Friday, but the damage she left in her wake classified her as one of the strongest storms on record. The National Weather Service in Columbia clocked winds at 67 mph at the Columbia Metropolitan Airport at 6:12 a.m. Friday. More than a million South Carolinians were still without power as of Saturday afternoon.

Violaters and looters, officials said, will be arrested.

This is a breaking story and will be updated.
It will be Lord Ponsonby's first official visit to the Channel Islands since he was appointed in July [BBC]

The UK government minister responsible for the Crown dependencies will visit two of Guernsey's smaller islands this week.

Lord Ponsonby, the parliamentary under-secretary of state for justice, will visit Alderney on Wednesday and Sark the following day.

It will be his first official visit to the Channel Islands since he was appointed by the new Labour government in July.

William Tate, the States of Alderney's president, said he planned to "emphasise the importance of [Alderney's] long-standing allegiance to the Crown" while he escorted the government minister on a tour of the island.

Mr Tate said he would accompany Lord Ponsonby on an orienteering trip around the island before meeting politicians at Island Hall, while his wife would take Lady Ponsonby around Saint Anne, Alderney's main town.

Lord Ponsonby will then visit Sark on Thursday and will be greeted by the Seigneur, Christopher Beaumont, and members of Chief Pleas, the island's parliament.

Lord Ponsonby recently met a delegation of deputies from Guernsey at the Labour Party conference in Liverpool.

With about a population of about 2,150, Alderney is the bailiwick's second most populous island, while Sark has about 560 inhabitants, making it the third largest.

What are the Crown dependencies?

The Bailiwick of Guernsey is one of three Crown dependencies, along with Jersey and the Isle of Man.

All three territories maintain a unique relationship with the UK and the British Crown with their own governments, laws, languages and traditions.

Lord Ponsonby is the junior minister responsible for the UK's relationship with them.

The UK oversees international affairs and is responsible for ensuring the islands have "good government" and the Crown, through the Privy Council and the islands' lieutenant-governors, ratifies laws passed by each island's States.

Both Jersey and Guernsey have legal traditions based on Norman French law, though legislation has been updated in recent decades to align them closer to UK law.

Follow BBC Guernsey on X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook. Send your story ideas to channel.islands@bbc.co.uk.

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(COLORADO SPRINGS)  According to the Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD), on Friday, Sept. 27, Colorado State Parole located a parolee wanted on two felony warrants, near Astrozon Boulevard and Jet Wing Drive. After a struggle in which the suspect wrestled with K9 Riggs and bit an officer, he was arrested with help from multiple law enforcement entities.

CSPD reported that on Friday, Sept. 27, at 5:30 p.m., Colorado State Paroles Fugitive Task Force learned that parolee Christopher Wesson, allegedly wanted on two felony warrants, was in the 4200 block of Morley Drive. With the assistance of the Metro Motor Vehicle Theft Unit detectives, parole officers watched the home.

According to CSPD, due to his history with weapons and escape attempts, officers requested assistance from CSPDs Tactical Enforcement Unit (TEU), an Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) officer, and the K9 Unit.

CSPD said that around 6:15 p.m., parole officers approached the residence, and the UAS officer observed Wesson attempting to escape through a small bathroom window. He was unable to exit and returned inside. The people who lived in the home tried to call Wesson out of the house, but he refused. They then gave CSPD officers and the K9 unit permission to search the house.

Tactical Enforcement Unit officers initially cleared most of the house, narrowing Wessons location to a few rooms filled with clutter, which created multiple hiding places and hazards for the officers. They called for Wesson to surrender, but according to CSPD, he remained hidden. K9 Officer Lofgren and his K9, Riggs, entered the residence, and Lofgren warned Wesson several times that a police dog would be released if he did not surrender, and that K9 Riggs would find him and bite him.

CSPD reported that after giving Wesson several minutes to comply, K9 Riggs was released to search the rooms. The dog found Wesson hiding under a pile of clothes between a bed and a wall. Riggs bit Wesson on the shoulder, and Wesson began wrestling with the dog. Tactical officers moved in to assist, but Wesson allegedly resisted and bit one of the officers on the hand, taking out a small chunk of skin.

Wesson received medical attention from AMR personnel for minor injuries caused by K9 Riggs and was taken to the hospital for treatment. After being medically cleared, he was booked into the Criminal Justice Center on his warrants and placed on hold for assaulting a peace officer. Additional charges are pending. The injured officer was treated for minor hand injuries.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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Dare to Ukraine | Odesa: Summer by the sea during war

In the third episode of Dare to Ukraine, we travel to Odesa, the pearl of the Black Sea. Known for its stunning architecture, rich maritime history, and unmistakable charm, Odesa has long been a cultural and economic hub of Ukraine.

Despite being scarred by Russias full-scale war, the city continues to draw locals and tourists. Join our host, Masha Lavrova, as she explores Odesa for the first time, discovering its hidden courtyards, sunny beaches, and legendary nightlife.

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Erika Mahoney, whose father, Kevin Mahoney, was killed in a 2021 supermarket attack in Boulder, Colo., is interviewed in Boulder County, Colo., Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Thomas Peipert)

DENVER (AP)  In the moments before a gunman leaned on a car to steady his aim at her father, killing him as well as nine others during a 2021 mass shooting at a Colorado supermarket, a fellow shopper loading her groceries next to Erika Mahoney's dad made him laugh when she teased him about his automatic door closing button.

When the story was retold by Jenny Jacobsen during a trial that ended this week with the shooter found guilty and sentenced to life in prison, it provided Erika Mahoney with some solace during a difficult two weeks focused on what happened that day in the college town of Boulder.

The thought of her father, Kevin Mahoney, having one final moment of joy has provided Erika Mahoney some peace of mind ever since Jacobsen first reached out last year to share the story. It has also led to a bond with Jacobsen, who she calls her earth angel."

Erika Mahoney said the story sounded exactly like her father, a retired hotel development executive, who loved everyone and appreciated a good joke.

What more could you wish for, that before the most horrific thing, there was laughter and a moment of peace, she said.

It is one of several bonds Erika Mahoney, a journalist and mother of two, has formed with people impacted by the shooting that have comforted her and provided answers about what happened to her father. Those ties deepened during the trial, which she also faced with the support of all the victims families, a tight-knit group after many court delays.

This tragedy proves how connected we all are, she said. We have to find a way to love another more."

Since the night of the shooting, she has thought a lack of love could be to blame for it.

I wish the young man behind the gun had received more love in his life because maybe this wouldnt have happened, she told the judge during Ahmad Alissa's sentencing.

Erika Mahoney, 34, became a soul sister to another young woman who lost her mother in the shooting: Olivia Mackenzie. Her mother, Lynn Murray, was working as an Instacart shopper when she was killed at a checkout stand. Her father later died of a heart attack, which she believes was caused by the shooting. They bonded the year after the shooting when they met at a coffee shop and both jumped when a loud car passed by, which helped Erika Mahoney realize it was a sign of the trauma she had been suffering.

During this months trial, they went to a yoga class filled with mostly older people. Erika Mahoney said it felt like being in a room with parents.

"We felt so loved and connected to each other, Mackenzie, 28, said.

During the trial, Erika Mahoney got to see her fathers last terrifying moments for the first time. Before, she had thought that maybe he was shot without knowing what was happening. But in court she saw surveillance video of her father, her protector, running from the gunman in the parking lot, trying to get back to the store. He finally fell in the main driveway leading to the store.

Shaken by the image, she stayed home from court the next day but watched online as witnesses testified, including police officer Richard Steidell, who ended the attack by shooting and wounding the gunman.

Steidell's testimony provided another bit of comfort for Erika Mahoney: He told jurors that he later moved Kevin Mahoneys body out of the parking lot so it would not be run over by an armored vehicle being brought in to help protect police before Alissa eventually surrendered.

Erika Mahoney had previously believed that her fathers body was left where it had fallen, alone, for hours in the aftermath of the shooting and investigation. Hating the idea, she said she had sometimes imagined herself being on the ground with her father, holding his hand, to reimagine how he died.

She got Steidell's number and reached out by text to thank him.

Its funny the things we become grateful for, she wrote.

Steidell said seeing and moving the bodies of Mahoney and a woman shot near the entrance was something he had struggled with after the shooting. So her gratitude provided consolation to him too.

It helped me tremendously, he said.

During the trial, Jacobsen explained what led to that final laugh with Kevin Mahoney in March 2021, when social distancing measures were still in place because of the COVID-19 pandemic. She said she had been absentmindedly following him too close as they left the store, so she apologized and he smiled. She gave him more space but then realized they were parked next to each other.

They smiled at each other and put their groceries in the trunk at the same time. After Kevin Mahoney hit a button that beeped to close his trunk, Jacobsen teased him by saying Ooh, fancy, causing him to laugh loudly, throwing his head back, before he left to return his shopping cart. Seconds later he would be dead.

She also shared on the stand how she crouched underneath her steering wheel to hide after hearing the shooting begin. She jumped at each shot, she said, and her body shook, fearing she would be shot. She thought about her daughter. When she finally looked out her window, she said she made brief eye contact with Alissa and then saw him focus on and shoot the woman near the entrance, Tralona Bartkowiak, before going inside its sliding doors.

The only thing that separated us that day is that he had a cart and I didnt have a cart, she said later.

Jacobsen said she thinks Erika Mahoney will be in her life forever now.

I could tell her that story every day if she wanted me to, she said.

Erika Mahoney said it broke her heart to hear Jacobsen thinking about her daughter as she hid. Jacobsens experience also made her think again about her fathers final moments, in light of the fatal chase of her father seen on the video. She now believes her father was also thinking about his family in his final moments.

He fought hard to live," she said. He had some time to think about life.
The David and Nicole Tepper Foundation has announced it will be donating $3 million to Hurricane Helene relief efforts across the Carolinas.

The effort will be in partnership with the Carolina Panthers and Charlotte FC.

The organization said the funds will support both immediate and long-term humanitarian aid and recovery efforts in North and South Carolina.

ALSO READ: Rescue operations, supplies coming to Western NC

This follows the devastation left by Hurricane Helene.

The David & Nicole Tepper Foundation, Carolina Panthers, and Charlotte FC stand alongside all those who have been affected by Hurricane Helene and the devastation it has wrought across the southeast, and particularly in our backyard throughout the Carolinas, said David and Nicole Tepper. This is our home, and we are committed to supporting relief efforts throughout the region by providing critical resources and aiding the efforts of our heroic first responders. The impact on our community has been severe, but Carolinians are resilient and courageous, and together, we will rebuild and recover.

The David and Nicole Tepper Foundation said it will also assist a number of food banks and pantries, local community foundations, and other service-providing agencies in the Carolinas.

VIDEO: Historic flooding in aftermath of Hurricane Helene




Heavy rains in Acapulco from Hurricane John have left parts of the city underwater (Francisco ROBLES) (Francisco ROBLES/AFP/AFP)

Hurricane John, which made landfall twice on Mexico's Pacific coast, has now left eight people dead, all of them in southern Guerrero state, home to the beachside city of Acapulco, authorities said Saturday.

John first slammed into the shore earlier this week as a Category 3 hurricane, churning along the coast for several days and intensifying before striking land again, this time as a tropical storm.

"We regret the loss of eight lives due to landslides caused by heavy rains," President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said on social network X, formerly Twitter.

Local media gave a higher number, but the government did not officially confirm those figures.

Guerrero state was the worst affected, especially Acapulco, which was ravaged in October 2023 by Hurricane Otis, which claimed dozens of lives.

While the rains have now stopped, the streets of Acapulco were still flooded on Saturday, as residents waited for emergency aid or wandered around with the few belongings they were able to salvage from their homes.

sem/sst/jgc
This combination image made from two photos show tents set up by pro-democracy protesters at an occupied area outside government headquarters in Hong Kong's Admiralty district in Hong Kong Friday, Nov. 14, 2014, top, the same place on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Vincent Yu, Chan Long Hei)

HONG KONG (AP)  Scores of red Chinese flags now flap near the Hong Kong government headquarters in preparation for Chinas national day as police patrolled the area thousands of demonstrators occupied a decade ago to protest Beijings restrictions on candidates running for the citys top job.

In Sept. 2014, protesters fended off polices pepper spray using their umbrellas in a 79-day face-off, and the largely peaceful Umbrella Movement saw more people join an encampment around the two nearby bridges.

The movement, also known as Occupy Central, catalyzed a profound political awakening among many young Hong Kongers and shaped the huge anti-government protests in 2019, the biggest challenge to Beijing since the former British colony returned to Chinese rule in 1997. Beijing, in return, imposed a sweeping national security law that critics say cracked down on freedoms and saw many activists jailed while others fled the territory.

Many leading activists have been prosecuted, including some former leaders of the 2014 movement. Legal scholar Benny Tai, dubbed Occupy co-founder, awaits sentencing over an unofficial primary in the citys biggest national security case. The movements then-student leaders Joshua Wong and Lester Shum also remain in custody.

Nathan Law, another former student leader, was forced into self-exile and is among a group of overseas-based activists targeted by police bounties. Two other Occupy co-founders  scholar Chan Kin-man and Rev. Chu Yiu-ming  moved to Taiwan. Another former student leader Alex Chow is pursuing a doctoral degree in the United States.

Dozens of civil society groups were disbanded. Apple Daily and Stand News, news outlets known for their critical reports of the government, were forced to shut down after the arrests of their top management.

Activist Raphael Wong, who was jailed over his role during the 2014 protests told The Associated Press Saturday he misses his fellow political party member Leung Kwok-hung, Tai and other political activists who were prosecuted.

The protests 10 years ago, Wong said, held immense significance for him and Hong Kong.

If I have to put it in the simplest terms, Id say it enlightened many Hong Kong people about civil disobedience and inspired the later anti-extradition bill movement in 2019, he said.

While large-scale public commemorations are unlikely to occur in the city, some overseas-based Hong Kongers organized events to remember the movement in Britain, Canada, Taiwan, Australia and the Netherlands this month. Others recounted their memories of the protests on social media.

China-endorsed Hong Kong Secretary for Security Chris Tang on Thursday rejected that the citys freedoms have shrunk over the past decade, insisting that the citys 2020 security law and a new security law enacted in March provide sufficient safeguard for human rights.
For a decade, he was the man mourning a missing fiancee. Then he was charged with her murder.

Katelyn Markham had dated John Carter for five years, and they had been engaged for one, when she went missing in 2011.

John Carter seemed desperate to find his missing fiancee.

On the night of Aug. 14, 2011  less than 24 hours after Katelyn Markham had last been seen in the Cincinnati suburb where she lived  Carter dialed 911 and reported her missing. In the months and years that followed, he repeatedly provided information to police. He spoke out to local and national media, pleading for her return, and, in one interview, he told NBCs TODAY show he was still calling her cellphone daily.

Thats all Ive been doing is hoping, he said then.

But, last year  more than a decade after Markhams remains were discovered in a makeshift dump in Indiana  Carters portrayal of himself as a desperate partner unraveled with a stunning development: He was indicted on two counts of murder in Markhams death.

Weeks before his trial was set to begin this June, there was more startling news: Prosecutors had agreed to drop the charge if Carter pleaded guilty to the lesser crime of involuntary manslaughter.

On July 18, a judge sentenced Carter, 36, to the maximum prison term allowed under Ohio law  three years.

John Carter with Katelyn Markham.

In an interview with Dateline, Butler County Prosecuting Attorney Michael Gmoser detailed why he chose to pursue charges against Carter after more than a decade  and why he agreed to drop them in exchange for a plea to crime that carried a far less severe punishment.

I know that theres a number of people that will condemn me for taking a plea that only allows them to go to prison for three years, Gmoser said, adding: To me, whether its one day or six days or six months or six years or 60 years, it was more important to me to get justice by an admission of guilt for Katelyn Markham.

Carters defense team and family wouldnt comment on the plea agreement. Carter didnt discuss the agreement at his sentencing; one of his lawyers said his client had taken accountability and responsibility for Markhams death.

Katelyn Markham.

In an interview with Dateline, Markhams father, Dave, described the moment he learned of the deal as painful and shocking but said he understood that a single juror could have halted a possible conviction had the case gone to trial.

There was a chance John could walk, and I didnt want that, he said.

The night she vanished

When she vanished, Katelyn Markham, a 21-year-old student known for her bold personality and artistic talent, had dated Carter for five years, and they had been engaged for one. They planned to move to Colorado, and in a media interview shortly after she disappeared, Carter  then a Papa Johns pizza delivery driver  called her the love of my life.

In interviews with police, Carter provided his account of their last night together. A friend stopped by the Fairfield home where Markham lived before Carter left for another friends gathering, according to video of an interview Carter gave to the Fairfield Police Department. Markham stayed home, Carter told authorities.

Carter said that around 2 a.m., he went to his mothers home, where he lived, and watched a favorite show before he fell asleep around 4 a.m., according to the video. When he hadnt heard from his fiancee by the next night, he said, he panicked and dialed 911.

Detectives confirmed that Carter had been at the gathering, according to notes from the police departments case file, and on his computer they found he had watched episodes of White Collar.

Detectives believed Carter had been accounted for that night, according to a report on the case from the FBI, which Fairfield police had sought advice from.

But years later, an investigator in Gmosers office who was re-examining the case found reasons to doubt Carters account.

Doubts begin to emerge

One possible eyewitness account came from two teenagers who were in Carters neighborhood early Aug. 14, 2011, the night Markham vanished. After her skeletal remains were discovered at the dump site nearly two years later, on April 7, 2013, the teens contacted police and told them that theyd seen something strange at Carters home, according to summaries of their interviews in the case file.

They had sneaked out to go to a party, they said, and around 2 a.m., two cars slowly pulled up to Carters home, including one they recognized as Carters red Ford, the file shows. Neither cars lights were on. Roughly five minutes later, one of the teens said, Carters car emerged from the garage and the two cars drove off, according to the file.

Rebecca Ervin, the lead detective who originally investigated the case, described their accounts as suspect, partly because Carters computer activity had established his whereabouts, according to the file.

Katelyn Markham.

But investigators in Gmosers office uncovered details that challenged that element of Carters account, as well: Carters online search history from the day he reported Markham missing indicated hed been looking around the web for synopses of the shows he said hed watched, Gmoser said.

Gmoser said he believed Carter read the summaries in an effort to build an alibi.

When the investigators in Gmosers office re-interviewed the witnesses who said theyd seen Carters red Ford without its lights on, they provided the same account they had in 2013, and in Gmosers view, what they said they saw that morning was a critical piece of evidence potentially linking Carter to the case.

Ervin was convinced that Carter wasnt involved, Gmoser said. She was wrong.

Ervin, who still works for the Fairfield Police Department and has the rank of major, declined to speak with "Dateline" about the case. In an email, Fairfields current police chief, Stephen Maynard, disputed Gmosers comments.

Maynard said Carter was never eliminated as a suspect, and he provided what he described as a more accurate statement: Detective Ervin did not believe there was sufficient evidence to conclude Carter was responsible for Markhams death, he wrote.

She must die

By early 2023, Gmoser believed his investigators and prosecutors had assembled a case against Carter that they thought wouldnt get any stronger. On March 13 of that year, a grand jury indicted Carter on murder charges in Markhams death. He pleaded not guilty.

During a subsequent hearing in a Butler County courtroom, Gmoser revealed that investigators found disturbing poems in Carters journal: Deep down I love her, he said Carter wrote. You want to kill her. But I love her. She must die.

And: I know Ill bury the body in the backyard, no Ill bury it under the trailer and wait until the grass grows over it an leave before anyone reports it missing.

Katelyn Markham.

In a search warrant unsealed that April, prosecutors identified a possible motive in her death. Even though Carter had described Markham as the love of his life, before she disappeared Markham told a friend that she was tired of her relationship and reconsidering the coming move to Colorado.

Someone inside Johns core group made the statement to me that if Katelyn was to break up with John, it would be catastrophic to John, Paul Newton, lead investigator for the Butler County Prosecutors Office, told Dateline.

Prosecutors also learned that a onetime neighbor of Markhams  their apartments shared a wall when she disappeared in 2011  recalled hearing an altercation in Markhams apartment on the night of Aug. 13, 2011. According to video of an interview Newton conducted with the woman, she said she heard a woman shout stop it on the other side of the wall  then a thump.

Yet all of the evidence investigators had uncovered was circumstantial. There was no forensic, eyewitness or video evidence that provided a direct link between Carter and Markhams death, Gmoser said. Nor could prosecutors say much about how she was killed.

Even though Markhams remains had been found and the medical examiners office concluded she died by homicide, the officials couldnt determine a cause of death, according to the case file.

A litany of questions remained, Gmoser told Dateline. Was Markham killed in Indiana? Did she go there voluntarily? Did she leave her apartment on her own?

Those are all open questions, he said.

A guilty plea

Gmoser said no one in his office discussed the possibility of a plea deal with Carters attorneys. Weeks before his trial was scheduled to begin this summer, a defense lawyer asked prosecutors whether theyd consider allowing Carter to plead guilty to a third-degree felony  involuntary manslaughter, or causing anothers death by means of a misdemeanor crime.

I told him take it, Gmoser said. It was almost that quick.

He made the decision in only a few minutes, Gmoser said, but it was something that had evolved over months while he examined every piece of circumstantial evidence on how it would be attacked, how I wouldve attacked it as a defense attorney.

I knew what was coming, Gmoser said.

Because the statute of limitations on other possible crimes, like tampering with evidence or desecration of a body, had passed, manslaughter was the only available charge his office could pursue as part of the agreement, he said.

Gmoser could have required Carter to provide an account of Markhams death. But that, Gmoser said, would have prompted a negotiation. And he wanted to be certain that prosecutors got a guilty plea, he said.

I got an acceptance of responsibility, Gmoser said. Ill take that.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
DECATUR, Ala. (WHNT)  Six crew members from Decatur Utilities leave early Saturday morning for Winchester, South Carolina to help restore power from the storms.

South Carolina requested help in restoring power from surrounding states in light of storm damage.

Hurricane Helene kills at least 44 and cuts a swath of destruction across the Southeast

Joe Holmes with Decatur Utilities said that serving and helping communities is a pillar in the companys values.

Weve had local utilities, utilities from far off come help us, Holmes said. And, its just a brotherhood that we want to give back and help our other brothers and sisters when theyre in need. Just a way to, kind of, live out our values here and thats just to help each other and serve.

The crew will be out there for several days.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WHNT.com.
How the definition of grooming led to the dismissal of the Nathan Chasing Horse case

How the definition of grooming led to the dismissal of the Nathan Chasing Horse case

LAS VEGAS (KLAS)  In its Sept. 26 order dismissing the Las Vegas criminal indictment against an accused sexual predator, the Nevada Supreme Court stated prosecutors improperly provided the definition of grooming to the grand jury.

Nathan Chasing Horse, 48, is accused of victimizing indigenous underage girls and women for approximately two decades. Alleged survivors have told the 8 News Now Investigators the Dances with Wolves actor developed a bond with them before manipulating and victimizing them.

Prosecutors to refile charges against Nathan Chasing Horse after Nevada Supreme Court dismissal

Grooming is the criminal activity of becoming friends with a child in order to try to persuade the child to have a sexual relationship, according to the Cambridge Dictionary.

Chasing Horse was charged with 18 counts in Clark County District Court in connection with alleged sexual abuse against two women, one of them when she was underage.

Nathan Chasing Horse stands in court. Monday, Feb. 6, 2023, in North Las Vegas, Nev. Nathan Chasing Horse appeared in court for the second time after his arrest on charges of sexual assault and human trafficking. (AP Photo/Ty ONeil)

Accused sex predator Nathan Chasing Horse gets another chance at Nevada Supreme Court

In February of 2022, a Clark County grand jury indicted Chasing Horse on a total of 19 counts. This included 10 counts of sexual assault against a minor under the age of 16, six counts of sexual assault, along with open and gross lewdness, first-degree kidnapping of a minor, and trafficking in a controlled substance. Clark County District Court Judge Carli Kierny later dropped one drug charge.

Prosecutors presented the grand jury with a definition of grooming.

Nevada high court orders dismissal of Chasing Horse sex abuse case

We conclude that it is error for the State to give the grand jury an instruction that is unsupported by the evidence and does not address a necessary element of an offense, the Nevada Supreme Court order stated.

The order allowed prosecutors to return to the grand jury.

Clark County District Attorney told the 8 News Now Investigators Thursday that prosecutors would seek another indictment against Chasing Horse within weeks and would follow the dictates of Nevadas High Court.



The order was signed by Justices Douglas Herndon, Elissa Cadish, Lidia Stiglich, Kristina Pickering, Patricia Lee, and Linda Bell. Justice Ron Parraguirre dissented.

Las Vegas crimes case against actor Nathan Chasing Horse continues to stall

Chasing Horse, a self-proclaimed Medicine Man led a group known as The Circle, according to Las Vegas Metro police.

As of Friday, Chasing Horse remained in custody in the Clark County Detention Center in downtown Las Vegas. He declined a request for an interview.

Breaking the Circle: Nathan Chasing Horse Exposed

Clark County Public Defender Kristy Holston, who represents Chasing Horse, also declined to comment.

In January of 2023, Las Vegas Metro Police investigated Chasing Horse and executed a search warrant at his North Las Vegas home, where he lived with several women who were referred to as his wives. He was taken into custody.

The 8 News Now Investigators have learned that similar allegations against Chasing Horse have previously been made but did not result in an arrest.

The Las Vegas case is the first of several to move forward against Chasing Horse. He faces federal charges and warrants in Montana and Canada. He has also previously been banned from several reservations.

To reach investigative reporter Vanessa Murphy with any tips or information, email vmurphy@8newsnow.com.

To contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline, call 1-800-656-4673.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS.
The victim of a fatal single-vehicle crash in Dover has been identified by Delaware State Police.

Twenty-eight-year-old Cassidy Ramsey of Dover was killed after being ejected from her compact crossover SUV around midnight on Friday.

She was driving a Mazda CX5 when it failed to turn on a curve. The vehicle struck a mailbox and then a utility pole before overturning and striking a tree and an unoccupied car, according to state police.

The crash happened on the 3900 block of Hazlettville Road approaching Artis Drive.

The Delaware State Police Troop 3 Collision Reconstruction Unit continues to investigate this crash.

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Victim of fatal single-vehicle crash near Dover identified by police
Delta to launch new route at Memphis airport. Here's where it will go

Memphis is getting a new nonstop Texas flight beginning in 2025.

On Saturday, Memphis International Airport (MEM) announced Delta Air Lines is launching a daily nonstop flight between MEM and Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS). The flight will begin operating May 7.

We appreciate Delta expanding its service here at MEM and know that passengers will be excited to have nonstop connectivity to Austin, said Michael Keeney, chairman of the Board of Commissioners for Memphis-Shelby County Airport Authority, in a news release.

People walk through Concourse B at Memphis International Airport on Monday, Aug. 5, 2024.

Delta will use a 76-seat Embraer 175 aircraft for the route. Tickets are on sale at www.delta.com.

The Austin flight brings Deltas number of destinations at MEM to eight, joining Atlanta, Boston, Detroit, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, New York (LGA) and Salt Lake City, according to the news release.

NEW MEMPHIS FLIGHTS: Don't want to drive from Memphis to Nashville? A new Southwest flight will take you there

Delta's Memphis-to-Austin flight schedule

*Note: Schedule is subject to change

Memphis to Austin

Departs: 7:05 a.m. CST

Arrives: 9:05 a.m. CST

Austin to Memphis

Departs: 7:59 p.m. CST

Arrives: 9:05 p.m. CST

MANE STREET MEMPHIS: Memphis Airport to fill in 1970s tunnels; new Midtown development planned

Neil Strebig is a journalist with The Commercial Appeal. He can be reached at neil.strebig@commercialappeal.com, 901-426-0679 or via X/Twitter: @neilStrebig.

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Memphis airport lands new Delta flight to Austin: Here's the schedule
To help inform voters about the Nov. 5, 2024, election, this candidate questionnaire is available to be republished by local publications in North Carolina without any cost. Please consider subscribing to The News & Observer to help make this coverage possible.

Name: Daniel T. Blue, Jr.

District/seat: Senate District 14

County or counties represented: Wake

Political party: Democrat

Age as of Nov. 5, 2024: 75

Campaign website: DanBlueforSenate.org

Current occupation: Lawyer and state legislator

Professional experience: Lawyer, practicing attorney, legislator.

Education: B.S. in Mathematics from NCCU, J.D., Duke University Law School

Please list any notable government or civic involvement: Past Speaker of the NC House of Representatives, chairman of a number of legislative committees, served three terms as President of the National Conference of State Legislatures, served on the executive committee of the Southern Legislative Conference, past chairman of the Duke University Board of Trustees.

What would be your top priority if elected?

Adequately funding our public education system and providing necessary improvements.

By percentage, what raises should state employees, school staff and teachers receive in the next state budget?

Salary increases for state employees and teachers et al; all would be subject to availability. Id like to see at minimum a salary increase of around 7% and would consider greater increases for hard-to-fill positions in various agencies and greater increases for our public school system personnel.

What legislation would you support to improve Triangle transportation, housing or infrastructure? Please be specific.

Light rail, affordable housing, and improvements to current roads and bridges.

Do you think the legislature should fund about $500 million for private school vouchers through the Opportunity Scholarship program? Why or why not?

No. Funds should be used in the public school system.

Is there an issue on which you disagree with your party? What is your position on that issue?

Housing bill. We must improve housing for everyone and make it more affordable for everyone.

Under the Dome

Get the latest news about North Carolina politics from The News & Observer's award-winning team. Get the free digest sent to your inbox by signing up here.
STAFFORD COUNTY, Va. (DC News Now)  The Stafford County Sheriffs Office (SCSO) said a group of teenagers was arrested for trying to run from a car crash into a railing.

SCSO said on Sept. 26, just before 3 a.m., deputies responded to Smith Lake Park, located at 360 Doc Stone Road, for a car crash. Deputies were told that the car had smashed into the parks gate and hit a sign as the driver was trying to get away.

Injured Canadian Goose in Stafford County sent to rehabilitation center for recovery

There, deputies saw the creamed fence and three people who immediately ran off into the woods.

(Photo courtesy of the Stafford County Sheriffs Office)

(Photo courtesy of the Stafford County Sheriffs Office)

(Photo courtesy of the Stafford County Sheriffs Office)

(Photo courtesy of the Stafford County Sheriffs Office)

At the crash site, deputies found alcohol.

The trio was found on Cliff Circle and detained. Two of the suspects were 18 and the other was a juvenile who had been reported missing, SCSO said.

The 18-year-old man was identified as the driver and SCSO said he was showing signs of intoxication. He did not have a drivers license and he said he was running for the fun of it.

He was charged with driving under the influence, hit and run, driving without a license and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. He is being held at the Rappahannock Regional Jail.

PHOTOS: Stafford County deputies rescue pet boa constrictor from sump pump

SCSO said the other 18-year-old woman was also found to be intoxicated. She was charged with public intoxication, failure to report a crash and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. She was held until she became sober.

Deputies returned the missing juvenile to her home.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to DC News Now | Washington, DC.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced plans to restore Anna Maria Islands main road two days after Hurricane Helene battered Manatee County as it stormed through the Gulf of Mexico.

The barrier island  a popular area that many locals call home and a world-renowned tourist attraction  is nearly unrecognizable after the Category 4 hurricane demolished roads, homes and businesses.

Helene piled up to 5 feet of sand along Gulf Drive and the islands neighborhood roads. And the hurricanes powerful, record-setting storm surge tore through doors, busted windows and crushed furniture.

On Friday, Manatee County Commissioner Mike Rahn described the conditions on Anna Maria Island as, all bad.

Sand is blocking streets. Sand is in buildings. Sand is in homes, said Rahn. So its going to be a long recovery to be able to get back out there for citizens.

In at least one case, the storm lifted an entire building from its foundation and tossed it down the street.

Pictures show hurricane damage in Bradenton Beach

The dunes that fronted the beach have been flattened. The sea grape shrubs that lined them have been uprooted and displaced as well.

Parts of Gulf Drive have been torn to shreds, with pieces of asphalt lying warped and disfigured like a scattered puzzle where the roadway used to be.

Hurricane Helene ripped parts of Gulf Drive on Anna Maria Island into pieces as the Category 4 stormed past Manatee County in the Gulf of Mexico.

Numbers of the colorful beach bungalows that dot the island now look like shipwrecks of splintered wood, spilling out a trove of belongings caked in wet sand.

The insides of island restaurants are scrambled, with dining rooms and kitchens reduced to a chaotic jumble of tables, chairs and appliances.

The Gulfs surge stripped away entire walls from dwellings. Now receded and calm, the water thrums gently in the distance.

But a full-blown recovery has already begun. Heavy duty equipment has cleared much of the road, and a plan is underway to install a temporary road in less than a week, DeSantis announced Saturday.

DeSantis announces Helene recovery plan for AMI

The goal is five days. I always tell them to try to do better than that, DeSantis said, highlighting the emergency repair contract. That work is undergone. As soon as we saw the damage, we moved to get this done.

Over the next several days, crews will work to install a temporary road that allows residents to navigate the island. DeSantis said the state plans to build a permanent road at a later date, but he did not provide a timeline.

DeSantis said he has already traveled to other parts of the state that have been severely impacted by Helene, but the amount of sand on Anna Maria Island is the worst hes seen so far.

A beach access entry at Cortez Beach sustained damage after Hurricane Helene battered Anna Maria Island as a Category 4 storm in the Gulf of Mexico.

Mounds and mounds of sand

I have not seen this much sand in any other part (of Florida) that I have visited so far, so this is pretty significant, DeSantis said.

He also offered encouragement for the residents, workers and visitors facing a lengthy recovery before they can truly enjoy Manatee Countys slice of paradise again.

Its going to take a lot of grit. its going to take a lot of determination. Its going to require resiliency. Its not easy, but it will (come back), DeSantis said. This is just too nice an area not to.

Up to 5 feet of sand covers Gulf Drive after Hurricane Helene battered Anna Maria Island as a Category 4 storm in the Gulf of Mexico.

Florida Department of Transportation Secretary Jared Perdue also pledged to support the construction project as Anna Maria Island recovers from Helenes aftermath.

Were standing here on State Road 789, which sustained significant damage from Hurricane Helene, along with just mounds and mounds of sand. One of our goals here at FDOT is to get this community back to normal as quickly as possible.

As of Saturday afternoon, Anna Maria Island remains closed to visitors, but residents and business owners with re-entry tags are allowed to enter the island between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m.

An island-wide curfew is in effect, and the city of Bradenton Beach remains closed due to impassable roads, officials say.

Several Manatee County lifeguard towers were damaged or toppled by Hurricane Helene as the Category 4 hurricane battered Anna Maria Island.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis visited Bradenton Beach on Sat., Sept. 28, 2024, to announce a plan to install a temporary road to replace Gulf Drive, which was destroyed by Hurricane Helene, on Anna Maria Island.

Hurricane Helenes storm surge tore through homes on Anna Maria Island, crushing furniture, smashing windows and leaving up to 5 feet of sand along the roadway.

Hurricane Helene flooded Anna Maria Island with a record-setting storm surge that left up to 5 feet of sand along Gulf Drive.

Hurricane Helene destroyed several homes on Anna Maria Island after battery Manatee County as a Category 4 storm in the Gulf of Mexico.
One major need for residents of Taylor County, where three hurricanes have hit in a 13 month-span, is what Hurricane Helene swept away: shelter.

Gov. Ron DeSantis, in Dekle Beach Saturday morning, stressed the need for housing assistance for the people whose homes washed away after at least 15 feet  perhaps as much as 20 feet  of storm surge washed away homes and more Thursday evening.

You see some homes that are now just rubble, DeSantis told reporters. If this is your primary residence youre going to be displaced. Theres going to be a need for a housing mission.

DeSantis spoke in Taylor County, where the category 4 storm made landfall, amid a backdrop of wooden pillars pointing upwards from the ground that once held a house.

Its a familiar scene along that piece of the Big Bend coastline, which in the last 13 months has been hit by Hurricane Idalia (which topped out as a category 4), Hurricane Debby (category 1) and now Hurricane Helene.

For immediate shelter, DeSantis said residents in need can go to Visit Floridas emergency accommodations portals with Expedia and Priceline. But he also noted that for Taylor County, a sparsely populated area without many hotel or motel options nearby, more help will be needed.

Florida emergency management director Kevin Guthrie, who was with DeSantis, outlined three programs residents can take advantage of  a state home repair program, a state-run trailer housing program and another trailer program run by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

The repair program, Guthrie stressed, will provide minimal  but crucial  repairs to remove muck and debris from homes. The states trailer program is available for six to 12 months, but the FEMA program could provide a trailer for up to 18 months.

Those trailers, however, cant be placed close to the coast, Guthrie added, but said that some are already on the way to Taylor County.

We want to move you into some type of housing program immediately, Guthrie said. We want to get you to that point as fast as we possibly can.

DeSantis noted the toll the storms have taken on Taylor County, which also endured the closing of a paper mill plant shortly after Idalia swept through last year.

More: Georgia Pacific keeping Perry mill closed as it studies 'another business opportunity'

The governor said as of Saturday morning there were 11 deaths during the storm but none in Taylor.

Losing a home is huge, losing an economic engine is huge, DeSantis said, but he thinks the area will rebound.

The folks here are very gritty and very resilient. Its not going to be easy  but (the recovery) will happen.

Gray Rohrer is a reporter with the USA TODAY Network-Florida Capital Bureau. He can be reached at grohrer@gannett.com. Follow him on X: @GrayRohrer.

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: DeSantis: Housing crucial for residents in path of Helene
The front page of the Deseret News on Sept. 28, 1981, as convicted killer Joseph Paul Franklin is sentenced to two life sentences in Salt Lake City.

A look back at local, national and world events through Deseret News archives.

On Sept. 28, 1981, Joseph Paul Franklin, avowed racist and domestic terrorist, was sentenced to life imprisonment for killing two Black joggers in Salt Lake City.

But Franklins swath of terror and murder was much bigger. His spree of robbing banks to fund his racially-motivated killing spanned the late 1970s into 1980. He also targeted Jewish people.

Franklin was convicted of several murders and received four life sentences, as well as two death sentences. He also confessed to the attempted murders of magazine publisher and pornographer Larry Flynt in 1978 and civil rights activist Vernon Jordan in 1980. Franklin was not convicted in either of those highly publicized cases, and he made his confessions years after the crimes had occurred.

Franklin was on Missouris death row for 15 years for the 1977 murder of Gerald Gordon. He was executed by lethal injection on Nov. 20, 2013.

The murders in Utah  the sniper-slayings of Black men Ted Fields, 20, and David Martin, 18, in Salt Lake Citys Liberty Park on Aug. 20, 1980  shocked the community.

Franklin was arrested in September in Kentucky, briefly escaped, and was captured for good a month after that in Florida.

On Sept. 28, 1981, 3rd District Judge Jay Banks sentenced Franklin to consecutive life prison terms. He had also been convicted in civil court for violating the civil rights of his victims.

Security was tight at his sentencing. Two days earlier during a recess as the trial wrapped up, while he was in a holding area on the fifth floor in the Hall of Justice in Salt Lake City, Franklin had tampered with a key-operated elevator and rode to the third floor, where he used a sharpened piece of metal to remove the pins of a door. However, a locking device kept the door shut, and he was apprehended about 15 minutes later.

Franklin, 63, was finally executed on Nov. 20, 2013, at the state prison in Bonne Terre, Missouri, for killing a man in a sniper shooting at a suburban St. Louis synagogue in 1977.

Here are articles from Deseret News archives about the Salt Lake City portion of Franklins spree and trial:

Facts back up details given by racist in 1980 slayings

Franklin admitted killing 2 teens

Joseph Paul Franklins racist murders shattered Salt Lakes innocence, investigators say

Joseph Paul Franklin was full of hatred, evil in 1980, attorney says

Missouri executes white supremacist serial killer Joseph Paul Franklin

Franklin linked to many race-related shootings, bombing

Joseph Paul Franklin is surrounded by security as he appears in court in Salt Lake City in 1980. | Tom Smart, Deseret News
A Detroit man was arraigned Friday on murder and sexual assault charges in the case of a missing teen, who was last seen in January.

Prosecutors allege that Jarvis Ramon Butts, 41, killed then-13-year-old Na'Ziyah Harris, whose body has not been found, after finding out she was pregnant with his child. Butts is charged with first-degree murder, second-degree criminal sexual conduct and child sexually abusive activity in the case, according to the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office.

He was arraigned Friday in Detroit's 36th District Court and is due back in court Oct. 4.

Jarvis Butts, 41, of Detroit, is led out by security after he was charged with the murder of 13-year-old NaZiyah Harris in front of Magistrate William Burton at the 36th District Court in Detroit on Friday, Sept. 27, 2024. Harris disappeared on Jan. 9, 2024, and her body has never been found.

Were confident in these charges moving forward that the evidence will show that Jarvis Butts not only sexually assaulted and impregnated NaZiyah Harris, but that he ultimately killed her in order to cover up the ongoing assault and pregnancy, Assistant Prosecutor Tina Ripley said during the hearing Friday.

More: Detroit man charged in homicide, sexual assault of missing teen Na'Ziyah Harris

Reached after the hearing, Kendrick Riggins, one of the attorneys representing Butts, said he had no comment.

Butts was also arraigned Friday on sexual assault charges involving two other victims, whom prosecutors have alleged he assaulted when they were children.

Prosecutors have said Butts is charged with one count of first-degree criminal sexual conduct and three counts of second-degree criminal sexual conduct, accused of assaulting a victim, now age 20, from April 2012 to April 2014 at a home in Detroit, and with one count of second-degree criminal sexual conduct for allegedly assaulting a now-13-year-old at a home in Detroit from July 2015 to July 2017.

Butts had allegedly been sexually assaulting Na'Ziyah since at least the fall of 2022, Ripley said in court.

Na'Ziyah was last seen getting off a school bus Jan. 9 in the area of Cornwall Street and Three Mile Drive on Detroit's east side, police have said.

The day she went missing, Na'Ziyah met up with Butts and his co-worker after she got out of school and went to their auto repair shop, according to a news release from the Prosecutor's Office on Thursday. The three of them were together in the co-worker's car when they went to Ypsilanti and then returned to the shop, the news release says.

That night, prosecutors said, Butts checked into a motel and the next day he was allegedly in the Rouge River area in Detroit  the same area where clothing the teen was last seen wearing was found.

Jarvis Butts, 41, of Detroit, listens as he was charged with the murder of 13-year-old NaZiyah Harris in front of Magistrate William Burton at the 36th District Court in Detroit on Friday, Sept. 27, 2024. Harris disappeared on Jan. 9, 2024, and her body has never been found.

Ripley said during the hearing Friday that Butts was due to turn himself in on Jan. 9 to serve a yearlong sentence in another case involving a weapons charge, but that date was ultimately moved to Feb. 7. During the hearing Friday, Butts was remanded to the jail without bond. Riggins said the defense was not going to object because Butts is currently serving that sentence and not eligible for release.

Contact Gina Kaufman: gkaufman@freepress.com

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Man arraigned on charges in case of missing teen, two other victims
CAYCE, S.C. (WCBD)  An estimated 2,700 Dominion Energy employees and contract workers are working tirelessly to restore power across South Carolina after Tropical Storm Helene knocked out power to approximately 386,000 customers. Within 24 hours of the storms arrival, power was restored to 200,000 customers, but about 180,000 are still without power.

Severe winds and heavy rain caused significant damage across the state, toppling trees, power lines, and poles from the Midlands to the coast. The hardest-hit areas include the Midlands and the western parts of Dominion Energys service territory. Restoration efforts in these regions may last into next week due to the massive, labor-intensive work required.

We made significant progress in the first 24 hours, but those numbers dont mean a lot for our customers who woke up in the dark today, said Keller Kissam, president of Dominion Energy South Carolina. With widespread, severe damage reminding you of Hurricane Hugo 35 years ago, we understand customers will be frustrated until lights are back on and their lives return to normal. I am thankful for every one of our fellow South Carolinians for their resilience, patience, and understanding as we work hard to rebuild our system in the days ahead.

The restoration team includes 125 Dominion Energy Virginia workers, along with additional help from Alabama, Georgia, Illinois, North Carolina, and Texas. Dominion Energy has also opened a spill gate at the Lake Murray Dam to manage water levels, with personnel monitoring the situation closely.

Safety Tips for Customers:

Report outages via the Dominion Energy app, website, or by calling 800-251-7234.

Check the outage map for real-time updates on restoration efforts.

Avoid downed power linesalways assume they are live and dangerous. Report downed lines to 888-333-4465.

Follow Dominion Energy on social media for ongoing updates and safety tips.

For homes requiring repairs to storm damage, such as the weatherhead or meter base, an electrician must complete repairs before power can be reconnected.

For more information, visit Dominion Energys Outage Restoration & FAQs page.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WCBD News 2.
PRAIRIE DU CHIEN  Former President Donald Trump returned to western Wisconsin Saturday to give remarks in Prairie du Chien, a city of about 5,500 people along the Mississippi River that has gotten big attention from Republicans as they continue messaging to voters on immigration.

The campaign stop was held indoors at the Prairie du Chien Area Arts Center, though the campaign initially planned an outdoor event before the Secret Service raised concerns about its ability to secure the event due to staffing shortages. The auditorium sat around 300 people, but a few hundred more people waited outside to get into the venue than were let in.

Trump spent much of his speech criticizing Vice President Kamala Harris over immigration. Harris visited the U.S.-Mexico border Friday for the first time since becoming the Democratic presidential nominee and the second time as vice president.

What shes done is a total disqualifier, Trump said. We had four years of incompetence. We cant have another four years of incompetence.

Trump said illegal immigration is more important than anything having to do with the economy  this is something bigger, in a sense, because this is the fabric of our country.

Trump at one point acknowledged his hour and 15 minute speech was dark, saying hed get to celebratory Make America Great Again cheers later in the speech. In characteristically rambling and sometimes disconnected remarks, Trump railed on President Joe Biden's trips to the beach and labeled Harris "a very dumb person" and "mentally impaired."

If Kamala is reelected, your town and every town just like it all across Wisconsin and all across our country, the heartland, the coast, it doesnt matter  will be transformed into a third-world hell hole, Trump said.

Trump's visit comes 37 days until Election Day. Both Trump's and Harris' campaigns have been crisscrossing the state with candidates and surrogates. Trump will be back in the state Tuesday to visit the Democratic strongholds of Milwaukee and Dane County, while second gentleman Doug Emhoff will campaign in Milwaukee the same day.

Republican U.S. Rep. Derrick Van Orden, who is from Prairie du Chien, said he wished the former presidents visit was under better circumstances.

But leaders show up where they need to be, Van Orden said.

More: Trump, Harris are ramping up their travel in Wisconsin. See all the places they've been

Republicans focus on case involving suspected Venezuelan gang member

In the past few weeks, Trump and Republicans running for Congress in Wisconsin have circulated a case in which Prairie du Chien police say a man with ties to Tren De Aragua, a Venezuela-based transnational criminal organization, sexually assaulted a woman and attacked her daughter earlier this month.

Unlike widely debunked claims from Trump and running mate Ohio U.S. Sen. JD Vance about Haitian migrants eating pets in Springfield, Ohio, most of Republicans' claims about Prairie du Chien have been accurate.

Police have said the victim and suspect knew each other, which is common in sexual assault cases, and that they have not come into contact with other members of the gang. According to the criminal complaint, the suspect and victim had been living together and dating for three weeks.

But Republicans have also made distortions about the case, including claims that police in Madison arrested and released the suspect in 2023. Both the Madison Police Department and Dane County Sheriff's Office confirmed he was never in their custody.

Madison Chief of Police Shon Barnes said officers tried to arrest him before he fled to Minnesota, where he was arrested and later released. Madison detectives continued working with federal law enforcement partners to apprehend him, Barnes said.

More: Was a Venezuelan gang member arrested in Prairie du Chien? Here's what's accurate and not.

Prairie du Chien Chief of Police Kyle Teynor, part of a panel of speakers before Trump appeared on stage, reiterated the department has not had contact with any other members of the gang before or after the incident.

Violence knows no nationality, it knows no immigration status, it knows no race and it knows no political affiliation, Teynor said, ending his speech by encouraging attendees to use your voices in November.

Teynor and Crawford County Sheriff Dale McCullick also spoke of fentanyl posing a challenge to the community, with McCullick endorsing Trumps border policies.

State Rep. Travis Tranel, left, and Prairie du Chien Chief of Police Kyle Teynor listen to former president Donald Trump at a campaign event Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024, in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin.

William Garcia, the state Democratic Party chair of the 3rd Congressional District, told the Journal Sentinel it was sad that (Republicans) chose to exploit a terrible incident to really divide a community."

"For Trump and Van Orden's visit to come try and turn Prairie du Chien as a place filled with crime and violence is completely false. It's a totally false narrative," Garcia said.

Sexual assault is pervasive; immigrants not more likely to commit crime

Ian Henderson from the nonpartisan Wisconsin Coalition Against Sexual Assault noted that sexual violence is a pervasive problem and that survivors and perpetrators "come from all walks of life."

"Narratives that might lead people to believe that immigrants, for example, are more likely to commit sexual violence are not helpful," Henderson said. "Anything that reinforces myths or biases that aren't grounded in what we know to be true about sexual violence, those are not helpful."

Neither are narratives that promote the "stranger myth," when in fact "most victims know the person who harmed them," he said.

About one in three women and one in five men in Wisconsin have experienced sexual violence in their lifetime, according to the state Department of Health Services.

A recent study funded by the National Institute of Justice using data from Texas  the only state that documents immigration status in criminal records  found that undocumented immigrants are arrested at less than half the rate of native-born U.S. citizens for violent and drug crimes. That includes lower rates for assault and sexual assault.

More: What we found when we reviewed 178 recent homicides related to domestic violence in Milwaukee

Democrats see opportunity in competitive western congressional race

Crawford County, where Prairie du Chien is located, voted about 53% for Trump and 46% for Biden in 2020. The western part of the state is home to the competitive 3rd Congressional District, where Van Orden faces Democratic challenger Rebecca Cooke.

The Midwest has been so powerful for us. This area has been so powerful for us, Trump said, encouraging people to vote early.

The district is "where a lot of our moderate and swing voters live, it's where you can actually change minds, is here in western Wisconsin," said Garcia.

Cooke recently released an ad positioning herself as moderate and saying in part that she will "stand up to Democrats to fight for a secure border."

More: National Democrats shift Derrick Van Orden race onto priority 'Red to Blue' list

Garcia said he does hear from voters who are concerned about immigration, but it's mixed with concerns about the potential loss of undocumented workers supporting Wisconsin's dairy and agricultural sectors.

"It's very odd when you have this talk of just closing the border completely and deporting every undocumented person. That would destroy the Wisconsin economy," he said. "And Republicans don't seem capable of giving us a plan that addresses both things at once."

(This story was updated to change or add a photo or video.)

More: Farmers, factories, at the center of the immigration debate. Trump has vowed mass deportations.

Where to find help for sexual assault and domestic violence

The National Domestic Violence Hotline is 800-799-7233.

The Sojourner Family Peace Center in Milwaukee operates a 24-hour confidential hotline at 414-933-2722.

The Womens Center in Waukesha has a 24-hour hotline at 262-542-3828.

We Are Here Milwaukee provides information on culturally specific organizations at weareheremke.org.

End Domestic Abuse Wisconsin has a statewide directory of resources at endabusewi.org/get-help.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Trump delivers a dark speech on immigration in Prairie du Chien
Former President Donald Trump will return to Wisconsin Tuesday with stops in Dane County and Milwaukee, two of the most Democratic areas of the state.

Some Republicans in the swing state, most notably former Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson, have encouraged Trump to come to the blue areas to counter Democrats margins and reach more voters.

Trump will deliver remarks at Dane Manufacturing in Waunakee, about 13 miles north of Madison, at 1:30 p.m. Republican U.S. Senate candidate Eric Hovde, who is challenging incumbent Tammy Baldwin, recently held a campaign appearance at the metal fabrication facility.

Trump will then speak at Discovery World, a science museum along Lake Michigan, in Milwaukee at 5 p.m. Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance gave a speech at the same venue during the Republican National Convention.

Trump is in Prairie du Chien this weekend as both campaigns ramp up travel with less than 40 days until Election Day. He is expected to deliver remarks on immigration Saturday and focus on the economy in his stops next week.

Doug Emhoff, the husband of Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris, will also campaign in Milwaukee on Tuesday. No location has been announced yet for his visit. Harris held a rally in Madison on Sept. 20.

"If Trump is reelected, his extreme Project 2025 agenda would give him virtually unchecked power to do whatever he wants, including his plans to enact a Trump Sales Tax that would spike costs for families by nearly $4,000 a year," said Wisconsin Democratic Coordinated Campaign Rapid Response Director Kristi Johnston in a statement Saturday.

"Vice President Harris is offering a new way forward instead of Trumps extremism: Shes fighting to lower costs for middle-class families, protect our fundamental freedoms, and keep our communities safe," Johnston said in the statement.

(This story was updated to add new information.)

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Trump schedules campaign stops in Wisconsin Democratic strongholds
Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump threatened to prosecute Google for displaying bad stories about him and good stories about his opponent Kamala Harris, should he win the election this November.

The former president took to his Truth Social platform on Friday to express his displeasure with the tech giants search results.

It has been determined that Google has illegally used a system of only revealing and displaying bad stories about Donald J. Trump, some made up for this purpose while, at the same time, only revealing good stories about Comrade Kamala Harris, he wrote in the post.

Trump did not cite any evidence to support the claim.

This is an ILLEGAL ACTIVITY, and hopefully the Justice Department will criminally prosecute them for this blatant Interference of Elections, he added. If not, and subject to the Laws of our Country, I will request their prosecution, at the maximum levels, when I win the Election, and become President of the United States!

Some news outlets have suggested that Trump may be responding to a study from the conservative Media Research Center (MRC), which allegedly found that search engine results for Donald Trump presidential race 2024 showed news stories favoring Harris.

Google denied that it manipulates search results to favor either candidate, the New York Times reported.

Both campaign websites consistently appear at the top of search for relevant and common search queries, a spokesperson told the Times.

It is only the latest instance this week of Trump vowing to prosecute an opponent if he wins the presidency.

Trump Is Obsessed With RFK Jr.s Sexting Scandal

Over the past two days, Trump has separately said that Nancy Pelosi, former speaker of the House, should be prosecuted for both alleged insider trading and security lapses that allowed his supporters to storm the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

Earlier in the month, Trump made wide-ranging and vague threats of prosecution against lawyers, political operatives, donors, illegal voters, & corrupt election officials who had cheated himor anyone involved in unscrupulous behavior.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now.

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BINGHAMTON, N.Y. (WIVT/WBGH)  A luxurious evening of wine, food, and friends is coming to Downtown by Chef Jay Pisculli.

Downtown by Chef Jay is hosting a wine pairing dinner on October 2.

Those in attendance will receive five glasses of specially curated wine from all over the world, one with each course, and will have the chance to try out unique foods that are not currently on the restaurants menu. Dishes will feature black truffles from Italy, black garlic, cavier, sea scallops, prime steak, and more.

This is the first of what Executive Chef Jay Pisculli hopes to be monthly events.

Pisculli calls the event a blank canvas and says it gives customers the chance to try something that they never have before.

Its like a night of luxury. Its a really beautiful night out and you get to be around people that care about food, care about drinks. My favorite thing is as the night goes on, the room starts to crescendo, and it gets louder and lively and everybody gets a little wine in them. Its just fun. Its a fun night out, said Pisculli.

Downtown will be closed on October 2 for the event.

The dinner will begin at 5:30.

Tickets are $125 per person.

Click here to purchase tickets.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WIVT - News 34.
Dozens of buildings razed in Israeli strikes on south Beirut: AFP

Lebanese soldiers gather over the rubble of a levelled buildings, following Israeli air strikes in the Haret Hreik neighbourhood of Beirut's southern suburbs (Ibrahim AMRO) (Ibrahim AMRO/AFP/AFP)

Dozens of buildings in Beirut have been completely destroyed by intense Israeli strikes overnight after Israel said it had killed Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah, an AFP photographer on the ground reported Saturday.

Thousands of people left the usually densely packed residential southern suburbs of the Lebanese capital following Israeli evacuation orders.

Some buildings were still burning on Saturday morning, with smoke billowing over several locations in south Beirut, also known as Dahiyeh.

Rubble and twisted metal filled the streets, clogging roads in some areas.

Even Lebanese army checkpoints at the entrance of the suburb were deserted, the photographer said.

Israel's military announced Saturday that Nasrallah was killed in an Israeli air strike on Beirut the previous night.

"Hassan Nasrallah is dead," Israeli military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani announced on X.

There has been no official confirmation of his death from the Iran-backed group.

Israeli jets pounded Beirut's south and its outskirts throughout the night in the most intense attacks on the Hezbollah stronghold since the group and Israel last went to war in 2006.

Thousands of residents camped out overnight in streets, public squares and makeshift shelters after Israel late Friday ordered them out.

Israel said it was attacking the Iran-backed group's headquarters and weapons facilities in the Lebanese capital.

pho-at/aya/srm
At least 64 dead and millions without power after Helene's deadly march across the Southeast

Elsie Hicks looks at the destruction of the home she has loved in for 25 years, in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, in Horseshoe Beach, Fla., Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

PERRY, Fla. (AP)  Massive rains from powerful Hurricane Helene left people stranded, without shelter and awaiting rescue Saturday, as the cleanup began from a tempest that killed at least 64 people, caused widespread destruction across the U.S. Southeast and left millions without power.

Ive never seen so many people homeless as what I have right now, said Janalea England, of Steinhatchee, Florida, a small river town along the states rural Big Bend, as she turned her commercial fish market into a storm donation site for friends and neighbors, many of whom couldnt get insurance on their homes.

Helene blew ashore in Floridas Big Bend region as a Category 4 hurricane late Thursday with winds of 140 mph (225 kph).

From there, it quickly moved through Georgia, where Gov. Brian Kemp said Saturday that it looks like a bomb went off after viewing splintered homes and debris-covered highways from the air. Weakened, Helene then soaked the Carolinas and Tennessee with torrential rains, sending creeks and rivers over their banks and straining dams.

Western North Carolina was isolated because of landslides and flooding that forced the closure of Interstate 40 and other roads. All those closures delayed the start of the East Tennessee State University football game against The Citadel because the Buccaneers' drive to Charleston, South Carolina, took 16 hours.

There have been hundreds of water rescues, none more dramatic than in rural Unicoi County in East Tennessee, where dozens of patients and staff were plucked by helicopter from a hospital rooftop Friday. And the rescues continued into the following day in Buncombe County, North Carolina, where part of Asheville was under water.

To say this caught us off guard would be an understatement, said Quentin Miller, the county sheriff.

Asheville resident Mario Moraga said its heartbreaking to see the damage in the Biltmore Village neighborhood and neighbors have been going house to house to check on each other and offer support.

Theres no cell service here. Theres no electricity, he said.

While there have been deaths in the county, Emergency Services Director Van Taylor Jones said he wasnt ready to report specifics, partially because downed cell towers hindered efforts to contact next of kin.

Relatives put out desperate pleas for help on Facebook. Among those waiting for news was Francine Cavanaugh, whose sister told her she was going to check on guests at a vacation cabin as the storm began hitting Asheville. Cavanaugh, who lives in Atlanta, hasn't been able to reach her since then.

I think that people are just completely stuck, she said.

The storm, now a post-tropical cyclone, was expected to hover over the Tennessee Valley on Saturday and Sunday, the National Hurricane Center said.

Catastrophic flooding

It unleashed the worst flooding in a century in North Carolina, where Gov. Roy Cooper described it as catastrophic as search and rescue teams from 19 states and the federal government came to help. One community, Spruce Pine, was doused with over 2 feet (0.6 meters) of rain from Tuesday through Saturday.

And in Atlanta, 11.12 inches (28.24 centimeters) of rain fell over 48 hours, the most the city has seen over two days since record keeping began in 1878.

President Joe Biden said Saturday that Helene's devastation has been overwhelming and pledged to send help. He also approved a disaster declaration for North Carolina, making federal funding available for affected individuals.

With at least 25 killed in South Carolina, Helene is the deadliest tropical cyclone for the state since Hurricane Hugo killed 35 people when it came ashore just north of Charleston in 1989. Deaths also have been reported in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and Virginia.

Moodys Analytics said it expects $15 billion to $26 billion in property damage. AccuWeathers preliminary estimate of the total damage and economic loss from Helene in the U.S. is between $95 billion and $110 billion.

Climate change has exacerbated conditions that allow such storms to thrive, rapidly intensifying in warming waters and turning into powerful cyclones sometimes in a matter of hours.

Evacuations and overtopped dams

Evacuations began before the storm hit and continued as lakes overtopped dams, including one in North Carolina that forms a lake featured in the movie Dirty Dancing. Helicopters were used to rescue some people from flooded homes.

And in Newport, Tennessee, Jonah Wark waited so long to evacuate that a boat had to come to the rescue. Definitely a scary moment, Wark said.

After touring the damage by helicopter, a stunned U.S. Rep. Diana Harshbarger said, Who would have thought a hurricane would do this much damage in East Tennessee?

Among the 11 confirmed deaths in Florida were nine people who drowned in their homes in a mandatory evacuation area on the Gulf Coast in Pinellas County, where St. Petersburg is located, Sheriff Bob Gualtieri said.

None of the victims were from Taylor County, which is where the storm made landfall. It came ashore near the mouth of the Aucilla River, about 20 miles (30 kilometers) northwest of where Hurricane Idalia hit last year at nearly the same ferocity.

If you had told me there was going to be 15 feet to 18 feet of storm surge, even with the best efforts, I would have assumed we would have had multiple fatalities, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Saturday.

Taylor County is in Floridas Big Bend, went years without taking a direct hit from a hurricane. But after Idalia and two other storms in a little over a year, the area is beginning to feel like a hurricane superhighway.

Its bringing everybody to reality about what this is now with disasters, said John Berg, 76, a resident of Steinhatchee, a small fishing town and weekend getaway.

Timmy Futch of Horseshoe Beach stayed put for the hurricane before driving to high ground when the water reached his house. many homes in the town, which his grandfather helped found, were reduced to piles of lumber.

We watched our town get tore to pieces, Futch said.

The aftermath

About 60 miles (100 kilometers) to the north, cars lined up before sunrise Saturday at a free food distribution site in Perry, Florida, amid widespread power outages.

Were making it one day at a time, said Sierra Land, who lost everything in her fridge, as she arrived at the site with her 5- and 10-year-old sons and her grandmother.

Thousands of utility crew workers descended upon Florida in advance of the hurricane, and by Saturday power was restored to more than 1.9 million homes and businesses. But hundreds of thousands remain without electricity there and in Georgia.

Chris Stallings, director of the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency, said crews were focused on opening routes to hospitals and making sure supplies can be delivered to damaged communities.

Helene was the eighth named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, which began June 1. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has predicted an above-average season this year because of record-warm ocean temperatures.

___

Payne reported from Perry, and Hollingsworth reported from Kansas City, Missouri. Associated Press journalists Seth Borenstein in New York; Travis Loller in Nashville, Tennessee; Jeff Amy in Atlanta; Susan Haigh in Hartford, Connecticut; and Freida Frisaro in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, contributed.
WACO, Texas (FOX 44)  The Dr Pepper Museum is gearing up to celebrate the Worldwide Day of Play, an initiative designed to encourage children to unplug from screens and engage in outdoor activities.

This marks the museums first participation in the event, which has been a staple in childrens programming for over 20 years.

Joanna Able, a museum employee who fondly recalls the day as a child, expressed her excitement for the upcoming activities.

I would watch TV and see that things were shutting down on Nickelodeon, but I never saw anyone actually doing anything for it. Its really cool that we have events celebrating this, she said.

Autumn Outlaw, the museums Director of Marketing and Development, emphasized the importance of community engagement.

We want to ensure were part of this initiative. Being a museum about a soft drink, its essential to encourage people to be active and connect with their community. Were really excited for Waco to enjoy something different, Outlaw stated.

Tomorrows celebration will feature a variety of activities, including a free yoga session and a Liquid Labs Extravaganza in the courtyard, as well as arts and crafts on the museums third floor.

Resident Lexia Teran, a frequent visitor, believes the events will be enjoyable for children, I think tomorrows activities will be really fun for the kids and a great way for them to interact.

Looking ahead, the Dr Pepper Museum plans to expand its participation next year, aiming for an even bigger celebration to engage the community.

For more information about the event, you can visit the Dr Pepper Museums website.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KWKT - FOX 44.
State Attorney Melissa Nelson announced that a Duval County jury has found Davonte Benner guilty of four counts of Attempted Second-Degree Murder. Benner now faces up to four sentences of 30 years in Florida State Prison. The Honorable London Kite will sentence Benner at a later date.

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The charges stem from a shooting that occurred on July 31, 2022. Jacksonville Sheriffs Office patrol officers responded to the 8300 block of Gullege Drive after gunshots were reported.

Shortly after, a white sedan with four occupants, including a juvenile male with a gunshot wound to the neck, arrived at Baptist North Hospital. The vehicle had multiple bullet holes.

Police recovered shell casings from the crime scene, and surveillance footage from a nearby building captured part of the incident. The footage showed the white car turning onto Gullege Drive, followed by a gold SUV. Two masked men with firearms were seen running from the gold SUV toward the white car. One man carried a rifle, while the other kept his hand in his jacket. A third man acted as a lookout. Moments later, the men fled back toward the SUV.

Additional surveillance footage from a convenience store, recorded shortly after the shooting, showed Benner and co-defendants in the same clothing as the masked men. Benner is a documented gang member.

The case was investigated by the Jacksonville Sheriffs Office and prosecuted by Assistant State Attorneys Trey Atkinson and Shaina Ruth.

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How Early Is Too Early To Prep for Thanksgiving?

Get your apron on: New research suggests that you should start your Thanksgiving preparations more than four weeks in advance.

A recent survey of 5,000 Americans, conducted by Talker Research for the Jennie-O brand, looked into the best strategies and preferences for planning, cooking, and enjoying the perfect Thanksgiving meal.

The results found that planning both the guest list and the menu takes nearly two weeks, with cooking preparations adding on an additional three days.

Menu, Guest List, and Prep Time by State

It also involves an additional five hours of actual cooking and preparing on the day of the feast.

The longest prep time award goes to Delaware, averaging 17 days of guest list planning and another 19 days of menu building.

Next in line is Virginia, where Americans spend almost 16 days picking guests (15.7) and nearly 17 days (16.6) on the menu, third only to North Carolina which averages a little more than 17 days (17.4) on their menu.

Overall, Americans are evenly divided over whether they prefer to assume the role of host or guest; though Californians, Floridians, Hawaiians, as well as those in Minnesota and New Jersey overwhelmingly prefer to be a guest.

How the meal tastes was also found to be one of the most important priorities when it came to Thanksgiving (35%), according to the research.

Nearly a quarter of respondents (23%) said that having a variety of food options was important, while 16% care more about who attends the meal, highlighting the holidays reputation as a time for food, family, and friends.

Americas Favorite Thanksgiving Foods

the poll also settled hot debates such as whether its best to brine a turkey (its not, according to 63% of respondents) and whether cranberry sauce has a place at the table (for 55% of respondents, it does).

The survey found that baked is best and is considered the right way to cook a turkey (66%). Still, respondents in Oklahoma would rather their turkey be smoked (20%) more than any other state.

One-third of Americans also admit that they dont stick to the same turkey recipe or prep every year, looking for inspiration in family recipes (70%), cookbooks (33%), and online (23%).

But for all the turkey talk, 39% of Americans are likely to have ham on the table as well, and nearly one in 10 (9%) prefer it as the main dish.

According to respondents, a Thanksgiving ham should be baked (68%), smoked (18%) or slow-cooked (18%).

While 61% of Americans believe that the main dishes on the table are the star of the meal, a little more than two in five respondents in Idaho (43%) and Kansas (41%) believe that the side dishes are the unsung heroes.

Stuffing (77%), rolls or biscuits (66%), classic mashed potatoes (60%), and cranberry sauce (55%) are all must-haves when it comes to Thanksgiving sides.

Southern Americans, however, are looking for mac and cheese on the table, with Georgians leading the charge (62%), followed by Mississippi (58%) and South Carolina (55%).

But on the other hand, collard greens (41%), Brussels sprouts (37%), creamed corn (22%), and green bean casserole (18%) are not worthy of a place on the table.

Most Americans (61%) are cooking their Thanksgiving meals from scratch, and while only 10% opt for prepared foods, 30% admit they do a mix of both.

Its clear that Americans across the country take their Thanksgiving spreads seriously, especially since 82% believe that planning the menu, guest list and cooking preparations are imperative to the overall success of the holiday, explains Kim Anderson, Senior Brand Manager. Whether youre cooking from scratch or cutting down on time with prepared foods, having a variety of options for everyone is sure to make this Thanksgiving one to remember.

When its all said and done, clean-up averages only about two hours, which may be why 57% would rather help with post-meal aftermath than help with cooking or preparation (37%).

Cherished Traditions and Leftovers

Almost every American surveyed (96%) enjoys Thanksgiving leftovers  44% will turn them into a Ross Geller from Friends-style sandwich, while others incorporate them into other meals (41%), recreate the actual Thanksgiving meal (32%) or will enjoy each food individually (25%).

About one in five (22%) would even rather keep their leftovers for themselves rather than send some home with their guests.

Sharing meals together (65%), spending time with extended family or old friends (52%), and cooking together (27%) are the top three most cherished Thanksgiving traditions.

And theyve certainly earned the title, as 70% of Americans have been celebrating these traditions for more than 21 years.

Thanksgiving is one of those holidays that just keeps on giving, with coveted leftovers making their way onto Americans plates even after the main meal is all said and done, says Anderson. Whether you prefer to cook or clean, the holiday is really about spending time with loved ones and being thankful for what you have.

Americas Favorite Thanksgiving Side Dishes

Stuffing  77%

Rolls/biscuits  66%

Classic mashed potatoes  60%

Cranberry sauce  55%

Green bean casserole  38%

Sweet potato casserole  30%

Mac and cheese 28%

Loaded mashed potatoes  14%

Best Ways To Cook a Thanksgiving Ham

Bake  68%

Smoke  18%

Slow cook  18%

Fry  5%

Best Ways To Cook a Thanksgiving Turkey

Bake  66%

Smoke  9%

Slow cooker  7%

Fry  5%

Survey Methodology:

Talker Research surveyed 5,000 American cooks (100 in each state); the survey was commissioned by Jennie-O and administered and conducted online by Talker Research between July 26 and August 7, 2024.

It is worth noting that this survey was only available to individuals with internet access, and the results may not be generalizable to those without internet access.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WSAV-TV.
NASA astronaut Andre Douglas raises an American flag as NASA astronaut Kate Rubins looks on during their first simulated moonwalk in a week-long field test consisting of four simulated moonwalks and six advanced technology runs in the San Francisco Volcanic Field in Northern Arizona on May 13, 202

Reddish-brown rocks as far as the eye can see, not a plant in sight. A frigid and barren wasteland, with a summer high temperature around 40F and sheets of ice that last year round. No human civilization to be found. This might sound like Marsbut its actually a remote island in Northern Canada called Devon Island. Our planet contains multitudes, and astronauts use these weird places that resemble other worlds (but with breathable air, of course) to train for living beyond Earth. Lets take a look at five locations on Earth that astronauts use to prep for space travel.

Volcanos, Iceland

CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut and Artemis II crew member Jeremy Hansen uses a rock hammer and chisel to break a sample off a large boulder during a geology field training exercise in Iceland. Credit: ROBERT MARKOWITZ NASA-JSC

NASAs upcoming Artemis program (the big American return to the Moon) recently sent astronauts to trek across the volcanic landscape of Iceland. This particular place on Earth has actually been used for space training since the Apollo days, where astronauts described it as one of the most lunar-like training locations that they went to in their training according to NASA Artemis geology training lead Cindy Evans. It has the landscape; it looks like the moon. And it has the scale of features astronauts will both be observing and exploring on the moon, she added.

Plus, the rocks in Iceland are the same type as those on the moon: basalts, which are formed by cooling magma (from volcanoes on Earth and impacts on the moon), and breccias, which are a sort of frankenstein rock made of various chunks fused together. With this lunar-like landscape, astronauts practice their geologist skills using classic tools like hammers, scoops, and shovels to take samples.

Underwater, the Florida Keys

NEEMO  the NASA Extreme Environment Mission Operations project  is a NASA analog mission that sends groups of astronauts, engineers and scientists to live in Aquarius, the worlds only undersea research station, for up to three weeks at a time. Credit: NASA

We obviously dont have the vacuum of space here on Earthpretty much anywhere we go on the surface has air for us to breathe, and we can walk around without a specialized suit (although youll need warm clothes for the Arctic). The ocean, however, is just about as hostile as outer space. To go into its depths, you need to carry your oxygen with you, keep your body safe from dangerous pressures, and learn how to navigate without the familiar downwards pull of gravity.

[ Related: Astronauts and aquanauts: What does the sea have to do with space? ]

The Aquarius habitat and research station, run by NASA and Florida International University, is about 3.5 miles away from Key Largo and almost 20 meters below the surface. In Aquarius, so-called aquanauts live and work in their analog spacecraft, testing new techniques for spacewalks and other tech for living in space.

Concordia & other stations, Antarctica

Near the Concordia station. Credit: IPEV/PNRA/ESA-J. Studer

Living in space is stressful. Youre extremely far away from help and the rest of civilization, youre isolated in a small space, and the outside will literally kill you if youre not sufficiently prepared to brave it. Earth does have a place that meets those three criteria: Antarctica. Its frigid and icy terrain are definitely dangerous for humans, and there are no major cities in sight (or even an easy drive or flight away). Some research stations are on the coast of the continent, which is a bit easier to access, like McMurdo Station. There, astronauts test out robots that will eventually explore other planets like Mars and scientists have studied how the lack of sunlight in the full nights of Antarctic winter affects astronauts.

Over 600 miles away from the coastal stations, theres also the Concordia station run by French and Italian science organizations. At Concordia, the astronaut crew members are truly isolatedsome will even spend an entire winter there to see what they can learn about the stresses of isolation and how to mitigate them.

Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea, Hawaii

Near the HI-SEAS: the Hawaii Space Exploration Analog and Simulation. Credit: Michaela Musilova/HI-SEAS

Atop the Mauna Loa volcano at over 8,000 feet above sea level, there sits a little research station known as HI-SEAS: the Hawaii Space Exploration Analog and Simulation. In this little habitat, so-called analog astronauts have experienced 4 to 12 month missions to simulate what it might be like to live on Mars. To make it as realistic as possible, theres even a communication delay built in between the HI-SEAS inhabitants and their ground control closer to sea level, designed to imitate the 20 minute light travel time between Earth and Mars. That is, if you send a message from Mars to Earth, itll take 20 minutes to get thereand then another 20 minutes to receive a reply after its sent!

Plus, one of the big challenges of space travel is that you have to bring everything you need with you: oxygen, food, water, you name it. Being able to make those necessary items at your destination would help a lot with lightening the load on your spacecrafts luggage! Thats where systems known as in-situ resource utilization come in. These incredible gadgets pull out water and carbon dioxide from volcanic rocks, and might be useful for finding and using water on the moon someday. Currently, NASA tests this tech (along with the Canadian Space Agency) on the volcanic mountains of Hawaii, as the rocks and soil there are also a good analog for lunar geology.

San Francisco Volcanic Field, Arizona

NASA astronauts Kate Rubins and Andre Douglas push a tool cart loaded with lunar tools through the San Francisco Volcanic Field north of Flagstaff, Arizona, as they practice moonwalking operations for Artemis III on May 13, 2024. Credit: NASA/Josh Valcarcel

The deserts of Arizona are another long-time favorite analog astronaut destination, used since the Apollo era. Similar to Icelands volcanic plains, Arizonas San Francisco Volcanic Field (located near Flagstaff) has moon-like geology thats great for practicing moonwalks and astronauts geology skills. Earlier this year, Artemis program astronauts tried a series of simulated moonwalks, testing out the rigorous plans for future excursions at the Lunar South Pole. Field tests play a critical role in helping us test all of the systems, hardware, and technology well need to conduct successful lunar operations during Artemis missions, said field test director Barbara Janoiko in a NASA press release. This simulation gives us an opportunity to practice conducting geology from afar in real time, added NASA Goddard science officer Cherie Achilles.
J'rgen Treutler, right, AfD member of parliament and senior president, congratulates Christian Democratic Union's Thadaus Konig on his election as state parliament president during the constituent session of the Thuringian state parliament in Erfurt, Germany Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. (Martin Schutt/dpa via AP)

BERLIN (AP)  Lawmakers elected a mainstream conservative as speaker of the state parliament in eastern Germany's Thuringia region on Saturday, putting aside a convention that the strongest party gets the job after the far-right Alternative for Germany won a regional election for the first time.

The center-right Christian Democratic Union's Thadaus Konig was elected in a parliamentary session that stretched over two days, punctuated by a court ruling against the conduct of the far-right politician who chaired the proceedings.

It underlined the prospect of a very bumpy parliamentary term after the Sept. 1 election in which Alternative for Germany, or AfD, finished first with nearly one-third of the vote  the first far-right win in a state election in post-World War II Germany. However, it fell well short of a majority, and no other party wants to govern with it.

The legislature in Erfurt was supposed to elect its speaker on Thursday. In Thuringia, as in other German states, the first session after an election is chaired by the oldest lawmaker  in this case, AfD's Jurgen Treutler.

Treutler drew criticism in a turbulent and often-interrupted meeting for refusing to allow lawmakers to speak, put forward motions or debate allowing all parties, not just AfD, to put forward candidates for the speaker's job.

The CDU protested to Thuringia's constitutional court, which ruled Friday that the rules of procedure can be changed before a speaker is elected.

In a calmer session Saturday, lawmakers elected Konig over AfD candidate Wiebke Muhsal by 54 votes to 32, with one abstention. AfD has 32 lawmakers.

By convention, thought not by law, the speakers job usually goes to the strongest party. But other parties had said they wouldn't elect an AfD candidate and also objected to Muhsal, as she was fined for fraud years ago.

It remains to be seen whether and when parties will manage to put together a state government. No one wants to work with AfD. The domestic intelligence agency has the party's Thuringia branch, led by prominent hard-right figure Bjorn Hocke, under official surveillance as a proven right-wing extremist group.

The only alternative is an improbable alliance of the CDU, a new party led by a prominent leftist and the center-left Social Democrats. That would be one seat short of a majority and would probably need some kind of help from the Left Party, which has communist roots.
On Saturday, the Texas Department of Public Safety Officers Association confirmed the death of a state trooper injured in a crash earlier this month in Ector County.

According to previous A-J reporting, A Texas state trooper was airlifted to a Lubbock hospital with serious injuries after he was hit by a car on duty on Sept. 17 in Ector County.

Texas DPS Trooper Kevin Ramirez Vasquez, U.S. Army veteran and a 2023 DPS graduate, died from his injuries received during a Sept. 17 crash in Ector County.

At the time, the trooper's name was not released; however, the Texas DPS Officers Association has identified the trooper as Kevin Ramirez Vasquez.

DPSOA Regional Director released a statement Saturday afternoon, saying, "Vasquez acceded to his injuries with his loving family by his side."

Vazquez was a 2023 DPS graduate stationed in Odessa and was a Veteran of the U.S. Army. DPSOA asked the public to keep Vasquez's family in their thoughts and prayers during this time.

"Trooper Ramirez Vasquez is a man of valor, honor, purpose, and a true servant leader, he will never be forgotten," reads the statement. "Today, in his final lifesaving act, Trooper Ramirez Vasquezs organs were donated to save others."

To help the family of Vazquez, DPSOA asked the public to make donations to Help A Hero, which has a campaign under the name of Trooper Kevin Ramirez Vasquez.

This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: DPS Trooper dies from injuries suffered in Ector County crash
LAS VEGAS (KLAS)  The University of Nevada, Las Vegass annual Sunrise Ceremony, held by the schools American Indian Community, provided a moment for the community to reflect on what they say are strides and challenges faced in education.

The ceremony, which featured songs and chants from tribal members, marked the beginning of the academic year. Flags of the Moapa Band of Paiutes and the Las Vegas Paiute Tribe waved in the wind, setting the scene for reflection and tradition.

The group also participated in a smudging ceremony, a cleansing ritual practiced by many Indigenous people, intended to release negative energy and welcome a fresh start.

Kyle Ethelbah, a UNLV staff member who oversees programs for low-income and first-generation students, led the ceremony. Ethelbah, who grew up on the Fort Apache Indian Reservation in Arizona, spoke about the challenges he faced leaving the reservation for college.

I was raised by a very loving and capable family infrastructure, Ethelbah said. The poverty and the trauma of the reservation was still there.

At 18, Ethelbah left for college, his first time living off the reservation. He said it was his only way out.

There was a lot of fear and uncertainty, said Ethelbah, adding that he wondered if he would be accepted for who he was and what he represented.

While conditions for Native American students have improved, gaps remain, Ethelbah said, pulling to focus the need for access to resources the community requires for success. Richard Savage, the Clark County School Districts (CCSD) Indian education coordinator, said his group is working to make the change.

We help students with applications and scholarships, Savage said.

A member of the Chemehuevi Indian Tribe, Savage knows the struggle, saying that he lacked a role model at school during his youth.

For me, it was my mom, uncle, and grandpa, Savage said, pointing to the importance of Native American students telling their stories. Its those stories he hopes are encouraged by the districts efforts in the classroom.

Savage drew attention to Native American cultures and traditions that start with familial ties; those traditions that Savage worries are being lost.

Its a worry, but I think having strong community connections can also help keep that alive, Savage said. As relatives get older, its really important you reach out to them and ask them questions because if they ever go away, then those stories could all be lost.

Savage and Ethelbah agreed that American Indian voices are strengthening as resources become more widely available. However, Ethelbah emphasized the need for greater Indigenous representation in higher education, noting that American Indians hold very few administrative leadership roles across U.S. institutions.

According to the Postsecondary National Policy Institute, only 15 percent of American Indian or Alaska Native individuals in the U.S. aged 25 and older have earned a bachelors degree or higher, compared to the national average of about 32 percent.

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(NewsNation)  An elderly Steinhatchee woman is braving Helene and surviving the wild conditions engulfing north Florida.

Ellen Denny spoke to NewsNation from her home Thursday, and again Friday after a wave of responses online to check on her well-being.

At the time of writing, 35 people have died as a result of the category 4 hurricane. The deaths extend beyond Florida and into the Carolinas and Georgia.

How to donate and assist Helene victims and survivors

Denny has survived several hurricanes and at this time, has no plans to leave her trailer home despite the dangers. One sleepless night has not put her off leaving her abode.

Thank you people for all the prayers and everything else, because I guess prayers do a whole lot of stuff because its unimaginable, Denny told NewsNation on Friday.

So many people, my friends my age, have lost their homes. I mean, with trees going on them and water damage and stuff, I am so fortunate. I really am.

For a trailer, a 30-year-old trailer, to withstand what was thrown at it last night. Im very fortunate, I really am. You know, theres stuff that gets broken, the front porch and stuff. Its all replaceable.

Ive been through a couple of these things and I just feel more comfortable, Denny, a 30-year Steinhatchee resident, said Thursday.

At this age. Its not that easy to just pick up and leave. I dont think Im being stupid. Thats what people have said But this is my decision, and its just, I just want to stay in my home, she added.

Areas of Tennessee are also affected by Helene, with some residents in the aforementioned states without power and experiencing flooding.

In Florida, more than 1.24 million people are without power. One million outages have been reported in Georgia, alongside more than 1.1 million in South Carolina and more than 400,000 in North Carolina.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to NewsNation.
The Maryland Supreme Court building. File Photo by Bennett Leckrone.

State elections officials are asking the Supreme Court of Maryland to overturn a lower court ruling that would block them from counting votes on a Baltimore City ballot question, and could derail the redevelopment of the Inner Harbor area.

In a 63-page brief filed Friday, attorneys for the Maryland State Board of Elections said a group of city voters waited too long to challenge the ballot question, Question F, in court.

The voters could have brought their challenge much sooner, because the Baltimore City solicitor drafted and certified the language of Ballot Question F on August 2, 2024, 37 days before the voters filed, attorneys for the state board wrote in their brief filed Friday. And the mayor and City Council enacted the resolution creating the charter amendment that the voters assail as inappropriate charter material six months earlier, on March 11, 2024.

The plaintiffs are a group of city voters led by Anthony J. Ambridge, a former Baltimore City Council member, who wanted to block a ballot question that, if approved by voters, would allow for the private redevelopment of Harborplace.

Plaintiffs filed their challenge in Anne Arundel County  as is required by law for cases involving elections  days after ballots had been printed. Those ballots are now reaching voters.

The opponents argued that Question F was not charter material, suitable for a ballot question, but is a zoning issue that should be handled by the Baltimore City Council.

Anne Arundel County Circuit Court Judge Cathleen Vitale last week agreed with the opponents that Question F should not be on the ballot. Because ballots had already been printed and mailed, however, she did not order that the question be stricken from the ballot, only that election officials not certify the results for Question F when counting ballots.

The elections board last week appealed Vitales ruling, and the case has been fast-tracked for a hearing before the Supreme Court in less than two weeks.

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The ongoing legal battle has the potential to confuse voters, state Elections Administrator Jared DeMarinis said last week.

Attorneys for the state board also argue that Vitale erred when she sided with those plaintiffs and ordered the Baltimore City Board of Elections not to count votes on the issue.

Built by The Rouse Company, the Inner Harbor pavilions opened in 1980 and signaled a renaissance for the downtown area. But those pavilions today are a shadow of their former selves.

City officials and MCB Real Estate want to replace the current buildings with mixed-use retail and residential. Question F would clear the way for the public land to be privately redeveloped.

Critics see it as a developer giveaway. They fear public access to the waterfront will be eliminated.

The state board of elections is joined in its appeal by Baltimore City and MCB HP Baltimore LLC, the developer of the proposed Harborplace project.

This court need not and should not reach the merits of either the charter material issue or the ballot language issue. Neither were properly before the circuit court because of the lateness, Timothy Maloney, a former state delegate and attorney for the developer, wrote in a brief filed Friday.

Attorneys for the city argue in their brief that Vitales order is both procedurally improper and legally incorrect. The brief goes on to argue that Vitales substantive rulings were legally erroneous and that Ambridge and his group waited too long to challenge the ballot question.

Briefs from attorneys representing Ambridge are due on Oct. 3, with any reply briefs due on Friday, Oct. 4. Oral arguments on the case are set for Monday, Oct. 7, a little more than four weeks before Election Day.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faced a largely hostile audience at the UN General Assembly Friday but the killing of one of Israel's top foes in an air strike just hours later shored up his domestic standing (Charly TRIBALLEAU) (Charly TRIBALLEAU/AFP/AFP)

The killing of Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah is a major boost for embattled Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has faced huge protests at home and growing criticism from abroad, analysts said Saturday.

Yet Israeli officials stressed their fight against the Lebanese militant group was not over, again teasing the possibility of a ground incursion even as they crowed about the death of one of their country's "greatest enemies".

Hezbollah confirmed on Saturday afternoon that Nasrallah, the group's leader for more than three decades, died in an Israeli strike on its bastion in Beirut's southern suburbs on Friday.

It is by no means Israel's first high-profile targeted killing since Hamas's October 7 attack on southern Israel triggered war in Gaza.

In July, a bombing widely blamed on Israel killed Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in a Tehran guesthouse, shortly after another Israeli strike in Beirut killed Fuad Shukr, a top Hezbollah operations chief.

Major powers including the United States, Israel's most important military backer, have pointed to the risks of all-out war, but Nasrallah's death can only strengthen Netanyahu's position domestically, analyst Kobi Michael said.

"There is very broad consensus among the vast majority of the Israeli society for finalising the problem with Hezbollah," said Michael, researcher for the Institute for National Security Studies and Misgav think tanks.

"And if it requires an all-out war, then let it be an all-out war."

The killing has the added benefit of providing a stark warning to Israel's foes, said Middle East expert James Dorsey.

"The killing of Nasrallah is icing on the cake," he said.

"If you are Iran, if you are Syria, if you are the Huthis, if you are an Iraqi Shiite group and frankly a lot of other groups in the Middle East, you are going to look into your security very closely."

- 'Common enemy' -

In recent months, Netanyahu has faced mounting pressure from domestic critics who accuse him of not doing enough to seal a truce deal that would free hostages seized on October 7.

Far-right coalition partners, whose support he depends on to stay in power, have rejected any such agreement, demanding the prime minister stick to his stated war aim of destroying Hamas.

Fierce opposition from the same far-right parties and others forced him into an 11th-hour U-turn Thursday on a proposed 21-day ceasefire with Hezbollah which had been coordinated between Israel and the United States, the left-leaning Haaretz newspaper reported.

Netanyahu has also faced growing isolation on the world stage, which was on vivid display at the United Nations General Assembly, where a host of other world leaders used their speaking time to condemn the Israeli military's actions in Gaza.

A defiant Netanyahu brushed off the criticism in his own address on Friday, saying the Israeli military's campaign against Hamas would ultimately benefit even some of his country's harshest critics.

"Yes, we're defending ourselves, but we're also defending you against a common enemy that, through violence and terror, seeks to destroy our way of life," he said.

"So there should be no confusion about this, but unfortunately, there is a lot of it in many countries and in this very hall, as I've just heard."

Israeli officials sounded similar notes before and after Nasrallah's killing.

A landmark normalisation deal with Saudi Arabia -- seen as a real possibility just a year ago -- has been at least temporarily derailed by the widespread death and destruction in Gaza.

Yet an Israeli security official pushed back on the notion that the war was undermining Israel's partnerships in the Middle East, saying many of the region's rulers were grateful Israel was going after militant groups.

"The region is watching the war... They watch very, very carefully," said the official, who briefed journalists on condition of anonymity.

"They know that we are now fighting their war."

Retired Colonel Miri Eisen, a senior fellow at Israel's International Institute for Counter-Terrorism at Reichman University, told AFP on Saturday that Nasrallah's death should be welcomed by "every single person who is against terrorism worldwide".

She added: "This isn't about Israel and Israelis."

- Job not done -

Just as Israel's 1992 attack which killed Nasrallah's predecessor Abbas al-Musawi did not eliminate the Hezbollah threat, Friday's air strike does little to address the group's considerable arsenal, Israeli officials said on Saturday.

"We've seen Hezbollah carry out attacks against us for a year, and it's safe to assume that they are going to continue carrying out their attacks against us, or try to," military spokesman Nadav Shoshani told journalists.

Lieutenant Colonel Shoshani did not rule out the possibility of a ground incursion into Lebanon, describing it as one of "a wide set of tools" that could be used even with Nasrallah gone.

Eisen similarly described Nasrallah's death as "a game-changer at the command level" while noting that ground operations still might be necessary.

"Hezbollah still has many many assets. They don't disappear because of the disappearance of the top command," she said.

"They have lots of other commanders who are going to step in. They built themselves for the long term."

rcb/jd/kir
YOSEMITE, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE)  Every year, since 1994, national parks around the country celebrate National Public Lands Day on Sept. 28 with free park entrance and the nations largest single-day volunteer effort.

The annual event makes the national parks around the country more accessible to visitors by dropping admission fees, which are usually $35 per vehicle.

Although entrance fees are waived, certain national parks will still require reservations  including Yosemite National Park. If entering between 5 a.m. and 3 p.m., parkgoers will be required to purchase a $2 reservation. Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks do not require reservations.

Visitors who want to help preserve and restore the outdoors have the opportunity to do so in both Yosemite and Sequoia National Parks. Yosemite is hosting its 21st annual Yosemite Facelift between Sept. 25 and Sept. 29.

Those who want to volunteer can register here. Sequoia National Parks cleanup efforts will take place on Sept. 28 at the Lodgepole Campground from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Volunteers can sign up here.

According to the National Park Service, those who volunteer on National Public Lands Day could receive a free one-day pass to any national park.

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EL PASO, Texas (KTSM)  El Paso Health and the University Medical Center Foundation of El Paso (UMCF) announced a $60,000 sponsorship for its Car Seat Safety Program.

According to the news release by the health organizations, this will be the eighth year of the partnership to serve hundreds of families in the community to provide proper childrens car seats.

The $60,000 sponsorship from El Paso Health will fund the 2024-2025 program, which is managed by UMCF and has served hundreds of families in the community since 2014.

The sponsorship will be used to purchase car seats for conventional car seats and car seats for

children with special needs who cannot travel safely in a conventional car seat, according to the health organizations.

In addition, the funding will cover the programs fees and monthly car seat safety events that are rotated in East, Central and West El Paso.

The first programs first event will be from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 28 at the El Paso County Coliseum, located at 4100 E Paisano Dr.

Guests interested in attending the event need to register with their information on their website here.

According to the agencies, the program will not ask for your income or residency.

El Paso Health is proud to partner with the UMC Foundation by sponsoring the Car Seat Safety program and hosting installation events at our office location. We are always excited when we can provide additional staffing and support to such a meaningful program, said El Paso Health President and CEO Carol Smallwood. As El Pasos only local health plan, we are dedicated to serving our community.

The Car Seat Safety Program teaches parents and caregivers how to properly install a car seat and which seats to use that are appropriate for the childs age, height and weight, according to the health organizations.

Last year, the program has served nearly 400 families in El Paso to help them correctly use car seats and child passenger safety education. Also in the past year, over 600 kids have been evaluated for safe travel and over 500 car seats have been provided to families in need, according to the health organizations.

The El Paso Health Car Seat Safety Program is grateful for the hundreds of families who attend our events to learn about child passenger safety, and ensure their children have the appropriate car seat for their childs age, height and weight, said UMCF Program Director Carolyn Williams. With the support of El Paso Health, our volunteers and certified child passenger safety technicians, we are empowering parents with the knowledge and resources they need to ensure safer travel for children throughout our community.

According to the National Safety Council, about half of childrens car seats are not properly installed. When used correctly, car seats can reduce the risk of death by as much as 71 percent for infants and 54 percent for toddlers.

Motor vehicle crashes are one of the leading causes of preventable deaths and injuries to children in the U.S., according to the health organizations.

As a Level 1 Trauma Center, we see the injuries that can be caused from improper use or installation of child car seats in vehicles. Providing the community with the proper education, and in some cases, the appropriate car seat, is something we are extremely proud of. This partnership is just one example of how we work as a Hospital District to provide El Paso with the resources needed to keep all members of our community safe, said Jacob Cintron, president and CEO of the El Paso County Hospital District.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTSM 9 News.
EL PASO, Texas (KTSM)  El Paso Water says it will be working with City of Socorro officials after finding out that one of its properties had been infested with red flour beetles, the utility said in a press release on Friday, Sept. 27.

Socorro: Working diligently to combat red flour beetle

The utility says it learned this past Thursday, Sept. 26, that one of its utility properties located on Socorro Road had been infested with red flour beetles.

The utility will be working with agriculture experts to determine the best way to remove the beetles along with pecan hulls within the property.

The utility says it began applying locally sourced pecan shells on the property several years ago in an effort to respond to community complaints about dust and weeds.

The utility also says it does not believe its property was the original cause of the city-wide infestation as an August report from the Texas Department of Agriculture confirmed there was no beetle infestation.

The utility property is one of the many impacted areas throughout Socorro dealing with the issue, and we are committed to being part of the solution by taking action within EPWater property, EP Water said.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTSM 9 News.
EPA asked to review fluoride recommendations after a judge says it can hurt babies health

Scott Paxman, Weber Water Basin Conservancy District general manager and CEO, shows how the fluoridation station works at the Fairfield Well in Layton on Friday, Sept. 27, 2024. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News

A U.S. District Court judge in California said earlier this week that adding fluoride to drinking water presents an unreasonable risk to young children, and especially babies.

That ruling earlier this week in a judgment against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency directs the federal government to come out with new regulations on adding fluoride to drinking water

Judge Edward Chen on Tuesday said: The optimal water fluoridation level in the United States of 0.7 milligrams per liter is nearly double that safe level of 0.4 milligram per liter for pregnant women and their offspring. In all, there is substantial and scientifically credible evidence establishing that fluoride poses a risk to human health.

The judge did say he could not say with certainty that adding fluoride to water was dangerous, according to NBC News.

In response to the judges ruling, the American Dental Association said it still supports adding fluoride to drinking water.

The American Dental Association (ADA) remains staunchly in support of community water fluoridation at optimal levels to help prevent tooth decay, the statement said. The district court ruling against the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) provides no scientific basis for the ADA to change its endorsement of community water fluoridation as safe and beneficial to oral health.

Based on the ruling, the EPA is required to take a regulatory action, but the ruling did not ban or in any way limit the addition of fluoride to public drinking water supplies, the statement said.

But if local Utah lawmakers in two counties want to limit fluoride based on the finding until more testing can be done, they might be in a bind because of voter initiatives requiring the fluoride to be added.

Scott Paxman, general manager of the Weber Basin Water Conservancy District, said the district supplies drinking water to every city in Davis County that is fluoridated.

In a statement put out by the district, there was a call to stop the practice.

Out of an abundance of caution and to prioritize the publics health above all else, the addition of fluoride to the drinking water supplied by the district in Davis County, Utah, will be paused. This pause will allow for the National Toxicology Program (NTP), the Department of Health and Human Services, EPA, and other appropriate federal agencies, to conduct a comprehensive review of the safety and efficacy of water fluoridation in light of the new information, the statement said.

Scott Paxman, Weber Water Basin Conservancy District general manager and CEO, shows the fluoridation station at the Fairfield Well in Layton on Friday, Sept. 27, 2024. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News

Helpless to help

The problem is Paxman says he is powerless to stop fluoridating the water and the issue keeps gettin bumped from one agency to another with no answers available.

Because it was approved by a voter initiative, he says he cant stop the delivery of fluoride. He informed the Utah Division of Drinking Water and made them aware of the situation. That group, in turn, alerted the Utah Attorney Generals Office.

Drinking water division director Nathan Lunstad said the state is waiting on guidance from the EPA.

In the interim, Paxman thinks delivery of fluoride in drinking water systems should stop sooner, rather than later, instead of waiting for the federal government to act.

But, he said hes been informed that any unilateral decision by the district to halt delivery could result in criminal charges.

An analysis provided by the district court in California concluded that a one point drop in IQ of a child is to be expected for each 0.28 milligrams per liter of fluoride in a pregnant mothers urine.

This is highly concerning, the judge noted, because maternal urinary fluoride levels for pregnant mothers in the United States range from 0.8 at the median up to 1.89.

There is little dispute in this suit as to whether fluoride poses a hazard to human health. Indeed, EPAs own expert agrees that fluoride is hazardous at some level of exposure. And ample evidence establishes that a mothers exposure to fluoride during pregnancy is associated with IQ decrements in her offspring, the judge said.

The United States National Toxicology Program (NTP)  the federal agency regarded as experts in toxicity  undertook a systematic review of all available literature near the time of publication considering whether fluoride poses cognitive harm, reviewing 72 human epidemiological studies considering this question, the court said.

Is the right amount of fluoride safe?

The NTP concluded that fluoride is indeed associated with reduced IQ in children, at least at exposure levels at or above 1.5.

Scott Paxman, Weber Water Basin Conservancy District general manager and CEO, shows a screen monitoring fluorosilicic acid tank levels at the fluoridation station at the Fairfield Well in Layton on Friday, Sept. 27, 2024. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News

The EPA argues the hazard level and the precise relationship between dosage and response at lower exposure levels are not entirely clear. These arguments, the court said, are not persuasive.

The 0.7 dose is what Weber Basin delivers to Davis County cities, with the exception of Woods Cross that opted out of the initiative.

Salt Lake County is in the same predicament, having a voter initiative approved in 2020 that was implemented three years later. Some areas opted out in that county, such as Holladay and White City.

Salt Lake County Health Department spokesman Nicholas Rupp said fluoride is recognized as safe at the appropriate level and has been endorsed by U.S. Surgeon Generals, the American Dental Association, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Academy of Pediatrics. The fluoridation of drinking water in Salt Lake County, he added, has been well received by the public.

But in 2019, an overfeed of fluoride entered the systems drinking water,, prompting a review of its 11 injectors. The failure was blamed on a heavy snowstorm that caused a power outage, triggering a malfunction in one of the injectors.

The city was criticized for how it handled the response, notifying the public of the issue 10 days later that mentioned concerns over exposure to lead and copper.

The city was ultimately fined by the state, and a report said more than 200 people were sickened by the incident. The concentrate in its undiluted form is classified as a hazardous, poisonous material that, while it contains fluoride, also contains arsenic, lead, copper, manganese, iron and aluminum. It is a byproduct from phosphate mining operations.

Fluoride was detected at 40 times the federal limit after the accidental release in 2019 in Sandy.

Scientific evidence also shows that the maternal urinary fluoride levels were approximately two times higher for pregnant women living in fluoridated regions compared to nonfluoridated regions, the court noted.

The environmental group Food & Water Watch brought the suit years ago.

In the aftermath of the Sandy incident, Davis County commissioners had their own discussions, with Lorene Miner Kamula visiting some of the injector sites within the countys purview.

She said Friday she expects there will be discussions now with the commission and with the health department in light of the ruling.
Eric Adams' Federal Indictment, Haitian Bridge Alliance Files Charges Against Donald Trump And J.D. Vance, Jasmine Crockett Pops Off At Oversight Committee Hearing, Mark Robinson's Latest Controversy And More

Image: Nathan Congleton; Saul Loeb (Getty Images)

Megyn Kelly was fired from NBC for defending blackface, but it seems she just cant help but continue to speak on Black people and Black issues any chance she gets. In the latest edition of who even asked you?!, Kelly took to her podcast to give her MAGA-minded viewers an unsolicited opinion on Oprah Winfrey following the Unite for America Rally with Vice President Kamala Harris. - Phenix S Halley Read More

Photo: Michael M. Santiago (Getty Images)

For week, presidential hopeful Donald Trump and his running mate have been spreading the racist lie that Haitian immigrants in Ohio are stealing and eating peoples pets. Now, a Haitian nonprofit organization in Springfield has decided to fight back by filing criminal charges against them. - Candace McDuffie Read More

Photo: Allison Bailey (Getty Images)

Americas favorite fiery Texan is back sticking it to right yet again. At a hearing called to lambast the Biden-Harris campaign, Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) flipped the script and silenced several Republicans on the stand. - Phenix S Halley Read More

Photo: Tom Brenner for The Washington Post (Getty Images)

If you thought youd seen the last of NC Lt Gov. Mark Robinson and all his MAGA foolishness, youd better think again. This time, Robinson is catching flak for yet another case of his alleged compromised morals, and its clearly hurting his campaign. - Phenix S Halley Read More

Photo: Paras Griffin (Getty Images)

Last week, Texas Democratic Rep. Jasmine Crockett once again went viral during a House Oversight Committee hearing. When committee chair James Carr deemed the Biden administrations Broadband Equity Access and Deployment program as another DEI initiative, she gave Carr a piece of her mind. - Candace McDuffie Read More

Photo: New York Daily News (Getty Images)

This story is developing. Check back for updates.

Thursday, federal prosecutors just unsealed the indictment filed against New York City Mayor Eric Adams. Heres what we know. - Kalyn Womack Read More

Photo: Joe Raedle (Getty Images)

On Wednesday, Vice President Kamala Harris will outline her economic policy for Black America. In just four years, the Biden-Harris administration has had an array of successes when it comes to fighting the racial wealth gap. - Candace McDuffie Read More

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Eric Adams insisted he was cooperating with the FBI. The 57-page indictment tells a different story

As federal investigations swirled around Eric Adams over the past year, the New York City mayor stuck to a familiar script.

As a former member of law enforcement, I expect all members of my staff to follow the law and fully cooperate with any sort of investigation  and I will continue to do exactly that, he said on Nov. 9, 2023.

Three days later, Adams sounded a similar refrain: I have not been accused of wrongdoing, and I will continue to cooperate with investigators.

And this past August, as the drumbeat of investigations grew louder, the mayor said: Were not going to interfere with the process. Were going to cooperate with the process.

But the federal indictment unsealed Thursday tells a different story. Adams and his staffers didnt fully cooperate with federal investigators  they conspired to hamper the foreign bribery and corruption probe in ways that ranged from clumsy to clownish, the indictment says.

In one instance, an unidentified Adams staffer agreed to an interview with FBI agents. But during the meeting, the indictment says, she excused herself to use the bathroom. While there, she deleted the encrypted messaging app she used to communicate with Adams and his alleged Turkish co-conspirators, prosecutors allege.

Then, on Nov. 6, 2023, FBI agents armed with a search warrant approached the mayor after an event in Manhattan and moved to seize his electronic devices. Adams was carrying two cellphones but not the personal phone he used to communicate with his co-conspirators, according to the indictment. When he produced it the next day in response to a subpoena, he said he couldnt remember the new password he had created, the indictment says.

As the federal investigation into the criminal conduct of Eric Adams, the defendant, continued, so did efforts to frustrate that investigation, the indictment says.

Eric Adams and his lawyer Alex Spiro outside Gracie Mansion in New York on Sept. 26.

Now, Adams, a Democrat, is fighting for his political life. Hes accused of nearly a decade of graft involving Turkish businesspeople and at least one government official.

Since 2015, Adams received more than $100,000 worth of free or discounted plane tickets and luxury hotel rooms  as well as illegal campaign cash  in exchange for doing the bidding of his benefactors, the indictment says.

He pleaded not guilty Friday to five counts  including bribery, wire fraud and solicitation of a contribution by a foreign national. This is not even a real case, his lawyer Alex Spiro said after the hearing.

But some political experts see no way forward for Adams, a former NYPD captain who swept into office three years ago on a promise to tackle crime and disorder in Americas largest city.

Stick a fork in him, said Doug Muzzio, a retired Baruch College political science professor with extensive knowledge of New York politics. Hes cooked.

Rep. Jerry Nadler on Friday became the latest prominent Democrat in New York to call on Adams to resign, joining a list that includes Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Rep. Nydia Velazquez.

As he maneuvers to stay in office, Adams must also contend with at least three other federal probes and the resignations of multiple top officials.

False paper trail

The indictment alleges that Adams didnt just fail to disclose the travel perks he received from the Turkish nationals, which included free or discounted flights and upgrades to places like India, France, China and Ghana. The mayor created a false paper trail to make it look like he had indeed paid for his travel, the indictment says.

In one instance, Adams sent an email to his scheduler suggesting that he had paid for the Turkish Airlines business class flights he took during an extensive trip in the summer of 2017. Along with a relative and staff member, the mayor traveled to Nice, France; Istanbul; Colombo, Sri Lanka; and Beijing, according to the indictment. One ticket alone was worth $10,000, prosecutors said.

I left you the money for the international airline in an envelope in your top desk draw, Adams wrote, misspelling the word drawer, according to the indictment. Please send it to them.

But records from the airline confirmed that Adams did not pay the airline, in cash or otherwise, because the tickets were complimentary, the indictment says.

As the indictment makes clear, thats just a clumsy cover-up, U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said Friday.

Another episode described in the indictment illustrates an alleged effort to conceal misconduct. In March 2019, an Adams staffer was exchanging text messages with the then-Brooklyn borough president about another possible trip to Turkey.

To be o[n the] safe side Please Delete all messages you send me, the staffer wrote Adams, according to the indictment.

Always do, Adams replied, the indictment says.

Those incidents occurred before the multiple probes came to light and Adams began insisting on his cooperation.

But this past June, after the mayor had repeatedly said he was assisting the investigators, another incident occurred that prosecutors say underscores the effort by Adams and his team to hinder the probe.

FBI agents interviewed a New York businessman who prosecutors say was a straw donor  an individual who funnels someone elses money to hide its source  to Adams 2021 mayoral campaign. The businessman then reached out to the Adams employee who had asked him to make the straw donation, the indictment says.

Later that day, the Adams staffer visited the businessman at his office and said he had just met with the mayor. The staffer instructed the businessman to lie to the investigators, according to the indictment. The staffer also took photos of the subpoena issued to the businessman to send to Adams, the indictment says.

The next day, the Adams staffer again met with the businessman. In a somewhat confounding admission, the staffer said when he had met with Adams the previous day, they had left their cellphones outside the room so that it would be safe to talk, according to the indictment.

The staffer then explained that although Adams was upset that law enforcement had approached the businessman, the mayor believed that the man would not cooperate with law enforcement, the indictment says.

Elegant Oakey

The sprawling criminal case marks the first time in 150 years a sitting New York City mayor has been charged with a crime. Before Adams, there was Oakey Hall.

Hall was indicted in the early 1870s during an investigation involving William Boss Tweed, the powerful leader of the Tammany Hall political machine. Elegant Oakey, as he was known, was ultimately acquitted but never sought office again, according to the Museum of the City of New York.

Adams has remained defiant in the wake of the indictment, vowing to fight the charges and stay on as mayor.

Hours after a swarm of FBI agents showed up at Gracie Mansion, the mayors official residence, early Thursday and seized his phone yet again, Adams held a press conference outside the historic estate.

He said that he had been demonized for the past 10 months and that he always followed the law.

He also seemed to suggest, once again, that he had done all he could to assist the investigators.

When you look at our whole cooperation, and our attempts to sit down and cooperate, Adams said, when you look at what has taken place, its been a narrative of ... that there was something improper that was done, and it was just wrong.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
Erie Arts and Culture welcomed the community inside its new space in the citys downtown.

That new location is on the second and third floors of the historic Cashiers House, 417 State St.

43rd North East Wine Fest kicks off

Anne ODell, the executive director, said the move took place Aug. 5 with the space being transformed into a place that features regional artists, arts education programs and more.

She added that visitors would see many different art forms at the new space. Their opening featured hats from African tradition and multimedia arts.

Erie WWII army veteran celebrates his 100th birthday

We really wanted a place that we could welcome the community into. We want to be as accessible as possible to the people were here to serve while were also going out into the six counties that we serve in northwestern Pennsylvania to continue to build relationships and serve people through arts and culture and to really create a vibrant network in the region, she explained.

ODell also said this also allows Erie Arts and Culture to support creative entrepreneurship and thriving communities.

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EU chief diplomat outraged by Trump's remarks on lack of EU aid to Ukraine

Josep Borrell, the EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, has responded to remarks made by Donald Trump, a US presidential candidate, regarding Europes insufficient involvement in supporting Ukraine.

Source: Ukrinform and European Pravda with reference to Borrells press conference

Details: Borrell stated that the assistance provided by the EU to Ukraine since the outbreak of Russia's full-scale invasion is far from negligible.

Quote: "I was listening the other day to one of the US candidates saying, Oh Europeans are not doing their part. Well, if I add up all we are doing for Ukraine  militarily, economically, financially, and humanitarian  it is more than what you [Americans]. In more than 130 billion."

More details: Borrell also pointed out that the military aid provided by EU countries totals 45 billion, which, while less than what the US contributes, is still a significant amount.

Additionally, he emphasised that politically, the EU has granted Ukraine candidate status and a prospect of membership, which would have been unthinkable before the outbreak of Russia's full-scale war.

Borrell noted that the EU is currently providing significant assistance to Ukraine, having taken in nearly five million refugees.

Background: Recently, Trump reiterated the repeatedly debunked claim that the US has provided Ukraine with nearly US$300 billion, while Europe has contributed only a small fraction of that amount. He also accused President Joe Biden of not even attempting to address the situation.

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(Bloomberg) -- The European Union is planning to vote Oct. 4 on whether to impose tariffs as high as 45% on imported electric vehicles made in China, according to people familiar with the matter.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Member states have received a draft of the regulation for the proposed measures, the people said. The vote among the blocs member states was slightly delayed amid last-minute negotiations with Beijing to try to find a resolution that would avoid the new levies.

Talks between the two sides can continue even if member states adopt the tariffs, Bloomberg previously reported. The new date could still change, said the people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

The vote comes after a probe by the European Commission, the EUs executive arm, found that China unfairly subsidizes its EV industry and that tariffs are needed so that European manufacturers arent at a disadvantage.

China denies any unfair activity on its part, and has threatened retaliatory tariffs on European products such as dairy, brandy and pork, as well as cars with large engines.

The vote would pave the way for new duties as high as about 35% to kick in from November for five years unless a qualified majority  15 member states representing 65% of the the blocs population  opposes the move. The new tariffs would be on top of the existing 10% rate.

Member states including Germany and Spain have warned against imposing the tariffs, saying it could trigger a trade war. China is Europes second-largest trading partner and the two did 739 billion ($825 billion) in trade last year.

European officials are confident the bloc has the numbers to approve the tariffs, Bloomberg reported earlier this week, but are wary about making predictions after Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez spoke out against the levies, while Germany has kept pressing for a deal with Beijing.

I am not a fan of countervailing duties because this will likely lead to countermeasures and involve us in a tariff dispute, perhaps a tariff war, with China, German Economy Minister Robert Habeck said on Monday. I am working to find a political solution that will not drive us into a tariff war with China.

The EU and China are discussing a negotiated solution that would include a mechanism to control prices and volumes of exports instead of the tariffs.

The EU has so far rejected proposals offered by China. The blocs executive arm has frequently said that any solution would have strict requirements: it would need to be in line with World Trade Organization rules, address the impact of Chinas subsidies, and be something the EU can monitor for compliance.

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

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UNITED NATIONS (AP)  European, Arab and Islamic nations have launched an initiative to strengthen support for a Palestinian state and its institutions, and prepare for a future after the war in Gaza and escalating conflict in Lebanon, Norways foreign minister said Friday.

Espen Barth Eide told The Associated Press that there is a growing consensus in the international community from Western countries, from Arab countries, from the Global South, that we need to establish a Palestinian Authority, a Palestinian government, a Palestinian state  and the Palestinian state has to be recognized.

Eide said many issues need to be addressed, including the security interests of Israel and the Palestinians, recognition and normalization of relations after decades of conflict and the demobilization of Hamas as a military group.

These are pieces of a bigger puzzle, Norways chief diplomat said. And you cant just come in there with one of these pieces, because it only works if all the pieces are laid in place.

Traction with Netanyahu is unlikely

But even if the puzzle is completed, it's unlikely to gain traction with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Still, Eide believes that after decades of failed or stalled negotiations, we need to take a new approach to achieving an independent Palestinian state.

To accelerate work on these issues, Eide said almost 90 countries attended a meeting Thursday on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assemblys current gathering of world leaders. He and Saudi Arabias foreign minister co-chaired the session to launch The Global Alliance for the Implementation of a Palestinian State and a Two-State Solution.

We have to see how we can come out of this deadlock and try to use this deep crisis also as an opportunity to move forward, Eide told a U.N. Security Council meeting on Gaza later Friday.

Norway is the guarantor of the 1993 Oslo Accords, hailed as a breakthrough in the decades-long conflict between Arabs and Jews, which created the Palestinian Authority and set up self-rule areas in the Palestinian Authority. Eide said more than 30 years later, Israels occupation is continuing, and there there are no negotiations leading to a final settlement and an independent Palestinian state  which led to Norways decision in May to recognize a Palestinian state.

Now, 149 of the U.N.s 193 member nations have recognized a Palestinian state. Eide urged all countries to contribute to universal recognition and strengthen Palestinian institutions so they live up to the expectations of people in the West Bank and are prepared to return to Gaza: We want one Palestine, not different Palestines, he said.

Eide brought up the alliance again Saturday during his address to the annual meeting of world leaders at the U.N. General Assembly, stressing that while cease-fires in Gaza and Lebanon are most urgently needed, ending hostilities must not be confused with lasting solutions.

He again called on the 44 U.N. member nations that havent done so to recognize the state of Palestine and allow it to become a full member of the United Nations.

And he called on everyone who can, to help to build Palestines institutions, and on regional actors to help embed a political settlement in a broader regional framework.

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud told the U.N. Security Council on Friday that his country, the joint Islamic-Arab ministerial committee, Norway and the European Union launched the alliance because we feel responsible to act to change the reality of the conflict without delay.

He told the assembly Saturday that the coalition aimed to promote the two-state solution, calling on all countries to join the group and to recognize the Palestinians as an independent state.

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell urged all countries to take practical measures to bring about the free Palestine next to a secure Israel.

First meetings will be in Saudi Arabia and Belgium

Borrell said on X that the first meetings of the alliance would be in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and Brussels. Borrell asked rhetorically of anyone who opposes a two-state solution: What is the solution, and can it be implemented? He stressed that work on this initiative will move ahead quickly.

Eide said this new effort is built on the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative, but updated to todays reality.

The 2002 initiative, endorsed by the Arab League and the 57-member Organization of Islamic Cooperation, offered Israel normalized relations in exchange for a full withdrawal from territories captured in 1967.

He said efforts started long ago to build the institutions of a Palestinian state.

Its difficult, Eide said. Their hands are tied in many ways. Were seeing an increasing amount of illegal settlements and settle violence.

But still, there is an embryonic institution there that we have to strengthen, he said.

Eide said he chaired a meeting Thursday of the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee for the Building of Palestinian Institutions, with the United States, Canada, the EU and many Mideast and European countries contributing.

None of these tools will solve the problem on their own, and we never pretended that, but were trying to build a body of instruments that will take us forward to a peaceful settlement, Eide said. And I am convinced it will happen here.

___

See more of APs coverage of the U.N. General Assembly at https://apnews.com/hub/united-nations
(COLORADO SPRINGS)  The Colorado Springs Fire Department (CSFD) announced on social media that several law enforcement and emergency responders will be conducting a full-scale evacuation exercise in the Broadmoor Bluffs area on Saturday, Sept. 28.

According to CSFD, the exercise will begin at 10 a.m. and will involve the Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD), El Paso County Sheriffs Office (EPSO), Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW), Pikes Peak Regional Office of Emergency Management (PPROEM), Cheyenne Mountain Fire, and American Medical Response (AMR).

CSFD said that the community can expect a heightened number of public safety personnel in the area, but emphasized that there is no emergency.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX21 News Colorado.
(UPDATE)  The Deerfield Mobile Home Park remains under an evacuation order as of Sunday.

SEVIER COUNTY, Tenn. (WATE)  An evacuation order has been issued for the Deerfield Mobile Park and the lower side of Bingham Island subdivision in Sevier County, according to the Sevier County Emergency Management Agency.

According to the EMA, flood waters from the French Broad, Pigeon, and Nolichucky rivers, Douglas Lake will be rising within the next 24 hours to near full pool level. Douglas Dam is also discharging significant water.

Proposals sought for the future of the Smokies Stadium in Kodak as team moves to Knoxville

Sevier County EMA said residents and property owners on the lake should ensure all docks, boats, and loose items are secured. Residents along the river French Broad River should also secure items and have a plan to evacuate if needed, the EMA said.

On Friday, all residents in South Hamblen County along the Nolichucky River were ordered to evacuate due to the imminent failure of the Nolichucky Dam in Greene County, according to the Morristown-Hamblen Emergency Medical Service. Saturday morning, the TVA shared that the Nolichucky River had crested, and the dam was still intact.

Evacuations were also issued Friday afternoon in Cocke County due to the flooding risk. In Carter County, people in Roan Mountain were evacuated Friday morning as flooding occurred across the region. The storms also led to several school and road closures throughout the area.

Downtown Newport ordered to evacuate, State of Emergency declared for Cocke County

Saturday morning, President Joe Biden approved an Emergency Declaration for Tennessee, allowing the state to receive assistance through FEMA. The day before, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee issued an executive order requesting the president to approve an Emergency Declaration, after Helene brought heavy rain to the state and caused flash flooding around the Great Smoky Mountains, causing substantial damage.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WATE 6 On Your Side.
TOPEKA, Kan. (KSNW)  Evergy says around 120 linecrews and support staff left Saturday morning to restore power in the wake of Hurricane Helene.

Helene made landfall late Thursday as a powerful category 4 storm. It continued on a destructive path across the southeast before weakening to a tropical storm. The storm has killed dozens and left millions without power.

Evergy tells KSN News crews left before dawn this morning and are en route to Eastern Kentucky to assist AEP in restoring power to the mountainous region. In addition, around 200 contractors who work with Evergy are headed to Indiana to assist with power restoration there.

How to help victims of Hurricane Helene

Evergy is supporting the second wave of the storm, says Ryan Mulvany, Vice President of Distribution. The first wave hit Florida, Georgia and South Carolina. There was a lot of staging in that part of the country. As the storm moved north, were now backfilling resources that had already gone down to support the southeast.

The workers are just part of the over 50,000 from 30 states, Washington D.C, and Canada, who have responded to help restore power to the region.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KSN-TV.
Everyone CAN Win: CANstruction Orlando turns food into art to fight hunger

Teams of architects and engineers are using their skills to help fight hunger in Central Florida.

On Saturday, Sept. 21, CANstruction Orlando brought five teams of local architecture and engineering firms together to create food displays around the theme of the Olympic games.

Everyone CAN Win: CANstruction Orlando turns food into art to fight hunger

Everyone CAN Win: CANstruction Orlando turns food into art to fight hunger

Everyone CAN Win: CANstruction Orlando turns food into art to fight hunger

Everyone CAN Win: CANstruction Orlando turns food into art to fight hunger

Everyone CAN Win: CANstruction Orlando turns food into art to fight hunger

Everyone CAN Win: CANstruction Orlando turns food into art to fight hunger

Everyone CAN Win: CANstruction Orlando turns food into art to fight hunger

The event is to help raise awareness about hunger while providing resources to Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida for relief efforts.

This years theme is Everyone CAN win  Lighting the way to no hunger.

Read: How to Watch: ABC season premieres re-air dates for 9-1-1, Greys Anatomy & Doctor Odyssey

Displays will be de-CANstructed on Sunday, September 29, and the nonperishable items will be donated to Second Harvest Food Bank for distribution to its network of more than 750 nonprofit feeding partners across Orange, Osceola, Lake, Seminole, Brevard, Marion and Volusia counties.

CANstruction occurs during Hunger Action Month, a national campaign designed to raise awareness about hunger in America and inspire action nationwide.

Read: Skateboarding takes a spin at Orlando Museum of Art exhibit

De-CANsruction of displays will happen at ICON Park in Orlando.

Participating teams include:

Cuhaci Peterson

FK Architecture

L2 Studios

Walt Disney World

Whiting Turner

Read: Downton Abbey, Harry Potter actress Maggie Smith dies

Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
Tangerines are one of the main festive attributes of the New Year. Children especially like this fruit - they can get so carried away that you won't even notice when the product runs out. Some parents restrict kids, while others allow them to eat to their heart's content. This controversial issue needs to be sorted out.

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Certified nutritionist Victoria Hovorukha told us how often children can be given tangerines on her Instagram page.

The expert notes that children should eat no more than two tangerines a day despite their love for the bright fruit. The reason is that the fruit contains a large amount of vitamin C, which is considered one of the biggest allergens. It also contains a lot of acids, to which a child's body can react differently.

Adults should also not overeat such fruits. The daily allowance is no more than 4-6 pieces.

ADVERTISIMENT

What are the benefits of tangerines and when should you eat them?

To maximize the benefits of tangerines, it is recommended to eat them before or half an hour after the main meal. And if you have heavy, fatty meals for lunch (breakfast or dinner), tangerines will help you digest such food faster. Tangerines should not be eaten on an empty stomach because of the aforementioned high concentration of acids. Otherwise, the delicacy can provoke heartburn or flatulence.

In addition to the high content of vitamin C, tangerines are rich in vitamins K, B1, and B2, as well as special essential oils, which together have a positive effect on the elasticity of blood vessels. Therefore, a serving of this fruit a day helps prevent cardiovascular diseases.

ADVERTISIMENT
Herbert Wise, 53, was described as an experienced climber, who was on a solo hiking trip along the Rock of Ages trail"

Hal Wise/Facebook Herbert Wise

A hiking trip came to a tragic end after a man fell hundreds of feet to his death in Colorado.

On Wednesday, Sept. 25, the San Miguel County Sheriffs Office and the San Miguel County Search and Rescue responded to a call about an injured climber on Wilson Peak, approximately 15 miles SW of Telluride, the sheriffs office said in post.

The Rochester, New York, resident, 53, was described as an experienced climber, who was on a solo hiking trip along the Rock of Ages trail and, while ascending, fell approximately 300-400 feet suffering a head injury, officials said.

San Miguel County Sheriff/Facebook Wilson Peak Colorado

Never miss a story  sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Related: 75-Year-Old Hiker Dies After Falling About 100 Ft. Over 'Extremely Steep' Cliff on Mount Baldy

Representatives from the San Miguel County Sheriffs Office did not immediately respond to PEOPLEs request for comment.

Once search and rescue officials found the man, later identified by USA Today as Herbert "Hal" Wise, they tragically discovered that he had succumbed to his injuries and was transferred to the San Miguel County Coroner.

San Miguel County Sheriff/Facebook Wilson Peak Colorado

Per the outlet, the San Miguel County Coroner, Emil Sante, said that when Wise fell off the mountain, he sustained a massive head injury.

Related: Hiker Falls to His Death, 5th Body on Famous Mountain Peak in 1 Day

Wises hiking expertise dates back to the mid-2000s, when he climbed several mountains, including the Adirondack Mountains, Mount Hood, all the White Mountains and several peaks in states such as California, Arizona and Texas. He also published three books documenting his hiking history.

San Miguel County Sheriff/Facebook Wilson Peak Colorado

His mother, Kathryn Wise, told the outlet that following his leave of absence in June to hike, Wise had climbed 26 peaks.

Related: Hiker Dies After Falling Over 30 Feet from Popular Phoenix Mountain Overlook: Report

Following Wises death, the San Miguel County Sheriffs Office and the San Miguel County Search and Rescue offered their condolences, saying in a statement they extend our deepest sympathies to the victim's family.

For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.
On Sep. 23, 2024, election officials in Madison, Wisconsin, announced they had mistakenly sent duplicate absentee ballots to around 2,000 voters. "The Clerk's office has been contacting voters individually to inform them of the error, caution them to submit only one ballot, and to destroy the second one to avoid any confusion," their initial statement read.

The disclosure was amplified by conservative media, which suggested the incident could allow for duplicate voting and presented evidence of a link between potential voter fraud and mail-in voting.

The most-significant questions revolved around the possibility of people voting twice, thanks to receiving multiple ballots. In their initial statement, Madison officials said this was not possible because the barcodes on the ballots were identical:

Because the duplicate ballots have identical barcodes, in the unlikely event that a voter submits two absentee ballots, only one can be counted. Once that barcode is scanned, the voting system does not allow a ballot with the same barcode to be submitted.

On Sep. 25, Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany of Wisconsin, whose district does not include Madison, posted a picture of a ballot on X, suggesting he had caught election officials in a lie over the existence of a barcode:

As Madison officials later clarified, the aforementioned barcode is on the envelope used to return the ballot by mail, not the pages on which voting selections are made. "They claimed it was on the ballot, and only changed their quote after we exposed it," Tiffany stated in response to backlash about his barcode claim.

As reported by The Associated Press, election officials say it is common to refer to use the term "ballot" as inclusive of the envelope:

Kevin Kennedy, who was Wisconsin's top elections official for 33 years and is currently a member of three nonpartisan boards that work in elections, said using the term "ballot" when actually referring to the envelope is commonly done both by election workers and the public. "If that's the strength of your argument, focusing on someone misspeaking, that's not the issue," Kennedy said. "It probably says more about the motives of the speaker if that's what they're going to focus on."

On X, Snopes asked Tiffany why he felt such a distinction was meaningful, given the fact that absentee ballots are not complete without the identifying barcode, and that an envelope is necessary for a ballot to be counted. He did not respond to our request for comment.

How Did This Happen?

Madison officials say they discovered the problem when voters alerted them that they had received more than one ballot. After investigating, they found that human error during a data importation caused the duplicates to be sent to 2,215 voters across 10 voting wards.

"The affected ballots were limited to a single file with a single header code. We have checked and verified that no other batches were duplicated, nor have we received any reports from other voters," the Madison Clerk's Office said in response to Tiffany's inquiries.

How Does Absentee Voting Work in Wisconsin?

In Wisconsin, anyone can request an absentee ballot for any reason. Those who choose this can use "the pre-addressed, postage-paid envelope included with your ballot packet" to send the ballot to election officials, drop it off in person at the county clerk's office or physically take it into the voting precinct on Election Day. Voters must have a U.S. citizen witness sign that same envelope:

Before you begin, line up a witness who can verify that you filled out your own ballot. Choose an adult U.S. citizen who is not a candidate in the upcoming election. Next, fill out your ballot carefully. Once your ballot is complete, place it in the certified envelope. Then seal and sign the certificate envelope, and make sure your witness adds their address and signature, too.

The necessity of an envelope is not some new invention, nor is the notion that a completed ballot explicitly includes an envelope. The photo below is an envelope from a 2020 Wisconsin election (barcode in red):

State law explicitly references the envelope as a requirement for absentee voting:

The absent elector, in the presence of the witness, shall mark the ballot in a manner that will not disclose how the elector's vote is cast. The elector shall then, still in the presence of the witness, fold the ballots so each is separate and so that the elector conceals the markings thereon and deposit them in the proper envelope.

"No ballot is counted without being enclosed in a certificate envelope," Madison Clerk Maribeth Witzel-Behl said in an email.

What Prevents Duplicate Voting?

Merely possessing a duplicate ballot, in other words, does not afford someone the ability to vote twice. If someone sent in both of their ballots before the election  as Madison officials have already clarified  the first ballot would be scanned and the voter would be recorded in the ward poll book as having voted.

Any additional ballot would also be assigned the same number in the poll book, and it would not be counted. "Once a ballot from a voter has been marked as returned on the poll list," Witzel-Behl told Snopes, "any subsequent ballot from the same voter would be rejected."

Some people online claimed there is a loophole if you return your absentee ballot on Election Day itself. Under this theory, someone could return a completed envelope to a polling place and vote prior to it being scanned by the system.

This, too, is impossible. That's because absentee ballots received on Election Day are not scanned until after in-person voting is over. Your in-person vote would be logged in the poll book, thus preventing the counting of the absentee ballot. Witzel-Behl explained:

If a ballot is delivered directly to the polling place, the barcode is not scanned on Election Day but is scanned after Election Day to track voter participation and the status of the ballot. The election inspectors read the name and address that the Clerk's Office preprinted on the return envelope and check that against the poll book. Once a ballot from a voter has been marked as returned on the poll list, any subsequent ballot from the same voter would be rejected.

The Bottom Line

There is no way to vote twice in Wisconsin, even if you have two copies of the same absentee ballot.

The claim that county officials lied about the existence of barcodes on ballots is belied by the long-documented history  and legal requirement  that Wisconsin absentee ballots include an outer envelope with a witness statement. The envelope, which contains a unique barcode, is an explicit element of the ballot under state law.

Despite the Madison office's administrative error, two systems are in place to prevent duplication  a barcode that is unique to each absentee voter and a poll book that records receipt of each voter's participation, as described by Witzel-Behl:

Each ward has two copies of the poll book. Two poll workers check each voter, including absentee voters, into the poll book. They assign each voter a sequential number (the number on the voter slip you are given), and write the number in the poll book. If you have a number next to your name on the poll book, that means you have voted in person or your absentee ballot has been processed by the poll workers. Poll workers write the letter A after a voter slip number for an absentee voter, indicating that the voter was an absentee voter.

Any registered voter, regardless of the manner in which they voted, gets only one entry in the poll book. "You can only be checked into the poll book once," Witzel-Behl told Snopes, "You can only get assigned one voter slip."

Sources:

Madison Clerk's Office Correcting Duplicate Ballots | Mayor's Office | City of Madison, WI. 23 Sept. 2024, https://www.cityofmadison.com/news/2024-09-23/madison-clerks-office-correcting-duplicate-ballots.

Response to Rep. Tiffany's Letter to the Madison Clerk's Office | Mayor's Office | City of Madison, WI. 25 Sept. 2024, https://www.cityofmadison.com/news/2024-09-25/response-to-rep-tiffanys-letter-to-the-madison-clerks-office.

Vote Absentee. https://myvote.wi.gov/en-us/Vote-Absentee-Guide. Accessed 27 Sept. 2024.

"Wisconsin City's Mailing of Duplicate Absentee Ballots Raises Confusion, Questions over Elections." AP News, 27 Sept. 2024, https://apnews.com/article/wisconsin-election-absentee-ballot-madison-1b194e7dad29ffeecc8f73c564c4a3b4.

Wisconsin Legislature: 6.87. https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/statutes/statutes/6/iv/87/. Accessed 27 Sept. 2024.
Explosions on a railway bridge in Russia's Samara Oblast have damaged the concrete structures supporting the track, the Russian Telegram news channel Baza reported on Sept. 28.

An "unknown device" exploded at around 1:30 p.m. local time near the city of Kinel, Baza reported. The explosion set off car alarms in neighboring villages.

A freight train was traveling along the bridge at the time of the explosion, but was not derailed. No casualties have been reported.

The explosion damaged two concrete structures supporting the railway bridge.

Eyewitnesses claimed they saw a suspicious vehicle driving away from the bridge shortly after the explosion, Baza reported.

A number of sabotage attacks have been carried out against Russian railways since the beginning of the full-scale war. Earlier this month, on Sept. 11, Ukrainian reconnaissance and special forces reportedly blew up a railroad in Russia's Belgorod Oblast.

In January 2024, sabotage attacks targeted train tracks in multiple cities in western Russia. Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR) did not say whether it was involved in the attacks but said the actions would disrupt Russian military logistics.

In November 2023, HUR claimed responsibility for a joint operation against train lines in Moscow Oblast.

Around the same time, an explosion on Russia's far-eastern Baikal-Amur railway line was linked to the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU).

Read also: Ukraine war latest: Zelensky meets with Trump in New York, shows him his victory plan

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Eyewitness alleges group of horses were seen starved and malnourished near Havasupai

A group of horses on the Havasupai Indian Reservation was reportedly found starving and malnourished, leading tribal officials to launch an investigation.

SAVE Havasupai Horses, an advocacy group for the well-being of pack horses in the area, posted a photo on Facebook showing several emaciated horses in a rocky environment, with their ribs and hip bones painfully visible.

The photo was taken by hiker Sarah Cattan after she survived heavy flooding near on the Havasupai Reservation on Aug. 22, which forced her and others to be evacuated by the Arizona National Guard.

"Going through that flood, the worst thing that sticks with me is witnessing these animals," said Cattan.

An investigation about the allegations and eyewitnesses' claims were under review by the Havasupai Tribe's Animal Control office, along with the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Havasupai Tribe told The Republic in response to the allegations.

"Horses remain a vital part of the lives of the Havasupai People, as they provide many of the day-to-day necessities, which are unique to the living in Havasupai Canyon," read the statement.

Here's why the horses on the Havasupai Reservation are significant and why animal rights advocates believe these animals are being neglected.

Why are pack horses important to life on the Havasupai Indian Reservation?

Havasupai tribal members privately owned horses for packing supplies into the Havasupai Village, according to the tribe in a statement provided by Abbie Fink, spokesperson for the tribe.

It was not uncommon for horses to be part of multi-generational ownership that developed "expert knowledge required to care for packing horses," the statement read.

Packers provided their services to travelers carrying backpacks and camping supplies into the canyons, a tempting option given the approximately eight-mile hike to the renowned Havasupai Falls area.

Eyewitness shares encounter with Havasupai horses after the floods

SAVE expressed concern for the horses' well-being after Cattan's images showed a protruding hip bone on one of the horses, which advocates claim indicates starvation. The group learned about the horses from Cattan following her survival of severe flooding in the area, which left 100 hikers stranded and resulted in one death.

The photo shows several horses wearing bridles, which are typically used for attaching reins or linking the horses to a line of other pack animals.

"I'm from Kentucky and I will tell you that these horses were hundreds of pounds underweight of the horse that I see normally around here," said Cattan.

Cattan told The Republic that she witnessed several pack horses collapse while navigating the hills of the Havasupai Reservation during her trip.

"I refused to give them my pack... I'm not going to let an animal that can't even eat take my pack," said Cattan.

After a night in a hillside cave to take refuge from the floodwaters, Cattan headed to the Havasupai Village where she was surprised to see the condition of the horses there.

"A lot of the tribe takes pride in their animals, but a lot do not," said Cattan, who was later evacuated by the Arizona National Guard.

Katy Walsh, a tourist who witnessed the alleged neglect, traveled to the reservation in fall 2023 to fulfill plans that were originally canceled due to a temporary closure of the reservation during the coronavirus pandemic.

"I noticed that there were quite a few horses and mules tied up that just looked pretty poor, bones sticking out, they just didn't look well at all," said Walsh.

A group of wild horses who an eyewitness says are starved and malnourished on the Havasupai Reservation near the Grand Canyon, days after flash flooding temporarily closed the area.

Walsh described the pack animals as lethargic and visibly unwell, noting that she observed them frequently approaching empty water troughs. She also mentioned seeing horses tied to the same post for three consecutive days during her time on the reservation.

"That's when I started to realize what was happening," said Walsh.

Walsh claimed that she took a moment to examine what was beneath the packs on the horses.

"You can see where the skin is rubbed raw," said Walsh.

Havasupai Indian Reservation responds to allegations of pack horse mistreatment

Havasupai Tribe spokesperson Abbie Fink responded last week to The Republic's request for comment on SAVE's allegations, confirming that the tribe was aware of the photos and was investigating the claims of animal neglect.

"The Havasupai Tribal Council is aware of photos being circulated on social media that allege animal abuse in Havasupai. The Havasupai Tribe has its own laws, including a Tribal Animal Welfare Code which serve the purpose of protecting horses and other animals on the Havasupai Reservation," read the tribe's statement.

"Havasupai packing horses are not pets or companions because they are working animals, making them healthy and naturally lean. Horse owners understand how to rotate their horses so that each horse receives the necessary time to rest and feed," the statement added.

A sovereign nation, laws and regulations on the reservation - including those impacting animals - are independent of oversight from federal and state government.

The tribe's statement acknowledged that the August 2024 flooding impacted pack animals.

"During the flood, a pack of horses carrying tourist gear and tribal supplies were caught. For the safety of the horses, all gear was removed, and all were able to reach safety," read the tribe's statement.

No horses died as a result of the flood, according to the tribe.

The tribe asked for and received donations after the flooding, which included horse feed and pellets. The tribe statement added that a portion of monetary donations were used to provide food for companion animals and horses on the reservation.

Who is behind animal advocacy group SAVE Havasupai Horses?

Susan Ash founded SAVE Havasupai Horses and has advocated for the horses for nearly 10 years, sharing eyewitness accounts and images on a website managed by her and other animal advocates.

Ash stated that the horses shown in photos taken after the recent flooding in Havasupai were working horses in urgent need of rehabilitation.

"Those horses are making them a lot of money, you would think that they would take care of them. Logically that does make sense, but in the real world, it does not work that way, especially when horses are cheap," said Ash.

Ash said that Healing Hearts, a horse sanctuary based in Queen Creek, had previously agreed to provide care to the pack horses depicted in Cattan's photos.

State and federal officials stay quiet in response to allegations

Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs, Senator Mark Kelly, and the Bureau of Indian Affairs did not respond to The Republic's request for comment regarding the allegations of animal abuse on the Havasupai Reservation.

Ash noted that Arizona Representative Eli Crane's office, along with Governor Katie Hobbs, had previously listened to her reports of abuse; however, she was unable to make any progress in investigating her allegations.

History of animal abuse allegations in Havasupai area

There were allegations of abuse and mistreatment of Havasupai area horses in 2016, the same year Ash started SAVE, which prompted a response from the tribe who confirmed that some horses had been neglected.

In summer 2016, Leland Joe, a member of the Havasupai Tribe, was arrested by the FBI for animal abuse-related charges for the mistreatment of a horse he owned, according to a news report by AZ Daily Sun.

In October 2017, Cecil Watahomigie, a packer in Havasupai, was arrested on misdemeanor charges including intentional and reckless neglect of one of his horses, along with failing to provide medical attention for the horse.

In May 2018, a social media post depicted a pack horse that was allegedly kicked in the head after the animal fell on a trail in the Havasupai area.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Animal rights advocates say horses near Havasupai are starving
A Maricopa County Superior Court judge removed herself from a second-degree murder case on Friday, just before sentencing.

Vincent Acosta pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the deaths of three Grand Canyon University students: Magdalyn Ogden, 18; Abriauna Hoffman, 18; and Hunter Balberdi, 19. In October 2022, Acosta, allegedly under the influence, drove the wrong way on I-17 and collided with the students' vehicle, killing all three.

Family and friends of the victims filled the courtroom, only for the hearing to last less than three minutes as the judge announced her recusal without explanation.

In August, the Maricopa County Attorneys Office reached an agreement with Acosta, in which he pleaded guilty to three counts of second-degree murder.

According to the plea agreement, each count of second-degree murder carries a potential sentence of 18 to 22 years in prison.

Earlier this week, it became apparent that Maricopa Superior Court Judge Pamela Dunne planned to recuse herself from Fridays scheduled sentencing after the victims families were informed that sentencing might be delayed.

"The court does need to recuse and have a new judge assigned. The court does extend apologies to everyone on both sides who traveled here today for this, and given the legal nature of this, because this court's no longer going to be on the case, I don't think it's an appropriate form for any comments, because this court will not be keeping his case at this point," Dunne said on Friday.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Maricopa judge recuses herself at sentencing in GCU fatal crash case
Some of fastest winds during Friday storms logged at Cincinnati airports, report shows

The National Weather Service in Wilmington released a report of the highest wind gusts for each forecast location in the office's coverage area Friday night.

The highest wind gust was reported in Wilmington, Ohio, at the Wilmington Air Park in Clinton County, according to the National Weather Service. Winds reached 67 mph at 3:53 p.m. Friday.

Cincinnati was home to the second- and third-fastest wind speeds in the region. Cincinnati Municipal Airport Lunken Field experienced winds traveling at 64 mph at 3:30 p.m. Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG) experienced winds at 62 mph at 3:09.

The Wilmington office covers southeastern Indiana, southwest Ohio and Northern Kentucky, according to its website.

Here are the highest wind gusts throughout the region Friday:

The numbers and letters that follow these locations refer to the number of miles and in which direction the observation was taken. For example, "Vanceburg 6 W" means the observation was taken 6 miles west of Vanceburg.

Wilmington Air Park, 67 mph, 3:53 p.m. Cincinnati Municipal Airport Lunken Field, 64 mph, 3:30 p.m. Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, 62 mph, 3:09 p.m. Dayton Wright Brothers Airport, 62 mph, 4:11 p.m. Springfield-Beckley Airport, 58 mph, 5:29 p.m. Chillicothe, 56 mph, 4:44 p.m. Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, 56 mph, 5:24 p.m. Vanceburg 6 W,* 55 mph, 12:30 p.m. Dayton International Airport, 55 mph, 5:00 p.m. Fleming-Mason Airport, 54 mph,12:35 p.m. Warren County Airport, 53 mph, 3:55 p.m. Butler County Regional Airport, 52 mph, 4:10 p.m. Fayette County Airport, 51 mph, 4:55 p.m. Columbus John Glenn International Airport, 48 mph, 4:54 p.m. Ross County Airport, 48 mph, 5:15 p.m. Maysville 3 SW,* 48 mph, 1:15 p.m. Falmouth Gene Snyder Airport, 47 mph, 1:44 p.m. Columbus Rickenbacker International Airport, 47 mph, 3:55 p.m. Middletown Hook Field, 47 mph, 4:35 p.m. Columbus Ohio State University, 46 mph, 4:47 p.m. Burlington 4 S,* 45 mph, 3:40 p.m. Richmond Municipal Airport, 45 mph, 4:55 p.m. Crittenden, 44 mph, 1:56 p.m. Fairfield County Airport, 44 mph, 3:24 p.m. Madison County Airport, 44 mph, 5:35 p.m. Owenton 5 E,* 44 mph, 2:15 p.m. Big Oaks,* 43 mph, 3:47 p.m. Alexandria 5 NW,* 43 mph, 12:50 p.m. Xenia Greene County Airport, 41 mph, 5:15 p.m. Versailles Darke County Airport, 40 mph, 5:15 p.m.

Observations come from a variety of automated stations, the National Weather Service told The Enquirer. Some weather instruments are owned by county airports, not the weather service, but the weather service has access to the data.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Cincinnati airports log fastest winds in region amid Helene storms
Fate of Hezbollah chief unknown after he was targeted in Israeli strike, 2 Hezbollah leaders killed

The fate of Hezbollah's leader Hassan Nasrallah is unknown following the Israeli Defense Forces' "targeted attack" against the central headquarters of Hezbollah in Beirut, Lebanon.

Fox News has learned the target of the attack was Nasrallah, but Hezbollah has since claimed that he is "fine and well" following the strike.

"His Eminence the Secretary-General is fine and well and was not in the targeted location," Hezbollah Media Relations Officer Hajj Muhammad Afif said on Iranian television.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has not provided an official status update on Nasrallah's whereabouts.

Israel Targets Hezbollah Leader Nasrallah In Strike On Beirut Headquarters

Lebanon's Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah gives a televised address at a memorial ceremony to mark one week since the passing of Mohammad Yaghi, one of the powerful armed groups figures, in Baalbek, Lebanon January 5, 2024.

Elijah J. Magnier, a Brussels-based veteran and a senior political risk analyst, said that the group's normal practice "is that they either want him to be in a safe place, and they are moving him, or he is dead, and they want to wait until they find his body."

Read On The Fox News App

Israel-hezbollah War: Netanyahu 'Did Not Even Respond' To Us Cease-fire Deal, Pledges To Fight 'Full Force'

On Friday night, the IDF announced that two of Hezbollah's leaders  Muhammad Ali Ismail and Hussein Ahmad Ismail  were killed in the strike.

"Muhammad Ali Ismail, the Commander of Hezbollahs Missile Unit in southern Lebanon, and his deputy, Hussein Ahmad Ismail, were eliminated in a precise IAF strike," the IDF announced in a X post.

The Israeli agency said that Ali Ismail was responsible for "directing numerous terrorist attacks" and "the firing of rockets towards Israeli territory and the launch of a surface-to-surface missile towards central Israel on Wednesday."

The IDF's announcement of the elimination of the two terrorist leaders came after Ibrahim Muhammad Qabisi, Head of Hezbollah's Missiles and Rockets Force, as well as other senior commanders of this unit, were previously killed.

WATCH:

Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh previously said that the U.S. was not involved in this operation and had no advance warning.

"Minister [Yoav] Gallant spoke with Secretary Austin as the operation was already underway," Singh said. "This operation has happened within the last few hours. We are still assessing the event."

The Pentagon also declined to speculate on whether the Hezbollah leader was still alive.

Fox News Digital's Michael Dorgan, Fox News' Trey Yingst and The Associated Press contributed to this report.





Original article source: Fate of Hezbollah chief unknown after he was targeted in Israeli strike, 2 Hezbollah leaders killed
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (WAVY)  Newport News Shipbuilding says its discovered that faulty welds may have knowingly been made to submarines and aircraft carriers under construction at the shipyard.

Newport News Shipbuilding President Jennifer Boykin made the announcement on Friday afternoon, calling it very serious and disappointing news.

Fortunately, this issue was brought to light by shipbuilders who did the right thing and came forward by either self-reporting or calling the HII OpenLine, Boykin said. I thank them for their honesty and bravery.

There are still few details about the scope of the issues at this time, but USNI News reported the defective welds were made on non-critical components of the subs and carriers.

Boykin says after the shipyard investigated and confirmed the reports, they immediately put together a team made up of both internal and independent engineering and quality subject matter experts to determine the root causes, bound the issue and put in place immediate short-term corrective actions as we work through longer-term solutions.

NNS also notified the Navy and Department of Justice, Boykin says, and is providing regular updates for transparency.

I cannot over stress that individual actions and behaviors either strengthen  or weaken  our ethical culture in an instant, Boykin said. Every choice you make as a shipbuilder has long lasting impact. Ask for help when you are unsure. And speak up if you see questionable behavior or actions by others. Speak to your supervisor or report it, 24/7, through the HII OpenLine by calling 1-877-631-0020.

We will fix this. We will learn from it. We will come back stronger, Boykin said.

The Navy said in a statement that it is aware of the issue and a thorough evaluation is underway to determine the scope.

The House Armed Services Committee also sent out a statement on Friday about the news, calling the matter deeply concerning.

The House Armed Services Committee is investigating how this occurred, the statement says. The safety of our sailors is our top concern, and we need to immediately understand any risks associated with the faulty work. The Department of Defense needs to immediately provide our committee with answers and a plan for how they will protect U.S. Navy vessels against tampering. Absolute transparency with Congress is essential. These vessels are critical to U.S. defense in the Indo-Pacific  we must ensure that these vessels are protected against any bad actors seeking to put U.S. national security or our service members at risk.

10 On Your Side has reached out to Newport News Shipbuilding to see what vessels may have been impacted, and if anyone was fired after the issues came to light.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WAVY.com.
As the remnants of Hurricane Helene bore down on Central Kentucky Friday, wind gusts reached 50 to 60 mph, and residents statewide reported downed trees and power outages. Many schools shut down, or like state and city governments, opted for early dismissal.

Fayette County Public Schools in Lexington was the exception, only canceling after school activities. That decision prompted online criticism from families, some of whom said their children were sitting at school in the dark.

Just after 6:30 p.m. Friday, Fayette Superintendent Demetrus Liggins sent families a message explaining why he kept schools open. The decision to close school is never an easy one, Liggins said.

With more than 42,000 students and 9,000 employees in our district, it impacts the entire community when we change our school schedule. We have heard loud and clear from our families that they want us to maximize the time our students have in the classroom, Liggins said.

Liggins said he carefully weighed the potentially negative impacts of closing against the possible downsides of remaining open.

In the case of todays decision, we anticipated issues such as downed tree limbs, intermittent power outages, and delays in bus routes. As expected, many of these occurred, but our established systems and our dedicated Operations and Support teams ensured that any school or program needing additional assistance received it promptly and efficiently, he said.

Liggins said some families chose to keep their children home from school, but others were depending on schools to stay open while they went to work. Students who needed it were also able to take food home to eat during fall break, which is next week, he said. School resumes Oct. 7.

On Friday, Liggins said principals across the district have reported that our teachers kept the focus on student learning, bus drivers safely delivered students to and from school, child nutrition workers provided meals, and our support staff kept everything running smoothly.

Thank you to all of the building custodians for the extra mopping, to the staff working in the wind and rain to make the car rider line go smoothly, and everyone else who went above and beyond today, Liggins said.
BRIDGEPORT, W.Va. (WBOY)  Runners hit the pavement early Saturday morning to participate in the 2024 Jerry Dove Memorial 5k at the FBI Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) Complex.

The 5k is held each year to honor the heroic actions of the late special agent Jerry Dove, a native West Virginian who died in a shootout near Miami in 1986. The 5K is also meant to remember all other law enforcement officers, firefighters and military personnel who have been killed while serving in the line of duty.

Preston County native remembers her son who was poisoned by fentanyl

Tim Ferguson, Acting Assistant Director of CJIS Division discussed why he cares so much about the event.

Having the ability to celebrate the life and legacy of a native son of West Virginia is very, very important to me, but overall, just to spend time with law enforcement officers and other family and friends of law enforcement officers is extremely important to me, Ferguson said. We have a very close community, and its important that were taking the time to stop and celebrate that together.

This year the Jerry Dove Memorial 5k beat its annual participation record with a total of 155 runners and walkers.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WBOY.com.
The same day Mayor Adams was indicted on wire fraud and bribery charges, two FBI agents probing the NYPD showed up at the downtown Manhattan office building where two top mayoral advisors, both former cops, work, police sources said.

The feds were looking for records, sources said, and signed the visitors log at around 1:30 p.m. Wednesday on the 16th floor of 375 Pearl St., otherwise known as the Verizon Building.

NYPD Deputy Mayor Phil Banks and mayoral aide Timothy Pearson work on that floor. There is a records room, and legal and budget offices on that floor.

The US Attorneys Office for the Southern District of New York declined to comment on whether the agents were executing a search warrant or seizing records.

While Mayor Eric Adams was indicted on wire fraud and bribery charges, FBI agents probing the NYPD raided the Verizon building on 375 Pearl St. in downtown Manhattan, where his two top mayoral advisors, who are ex-cops, work. AP

A spokesman for Mayor Adams denied agents went to the building as part of the probe.

City Halls additional offices at 375 Pearl Street were not raided by federal law enforcement on Wednesday as was inaccurately reported earlier and there is no record of them visiting our team that day, Adams spokesperson said in a statement.

The building has many other tenants and we cannot speak to whether anyone else in the building had a scheduled meeting with federal law enforcement on Wednesday, but, again, there is no indication that any federal law enforcement was present in our offices that day, they added.

Banks also denied the report in a post on X.

The feds are also looking at whether bribes were paid for NYPD promotions and transfers, another source familiar with the investigation said.

Both Pearson and Banks have been involved with promoting and transferring officers, according to multiple police sources.

Promotions and transfers are referred to as contracts in the NYPD and are known to sometimes involve preferential treatment for friends and family, in a profession that prides itself in being passed down through generations.

The Wednesday visit to the Verizon Building, a stones throw from NYPD headquarters at One Police Plaza, occurred amid multiple federal probes into the Adams administration.

The mayor was indicted Thursday on charges of bribery and wire fraud for allegedly accepting campaign donations and free travel from foreign business people and a Turkish government official in exchange for favorable treatment.

The feds were looking for records on the 16th floor of the building where NYPD Deputy Mayor Phil Banks and mayoral aide Timothy Pearson work on the same floor. Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office

Banks, Pearson and former Police Commissioner Edward Caban all had their phones seized by the feds earlier this month. Caban resigned Sept. 12 following pressure from City Hall after a federal raid on his Rockland County home.

Federal agents also got phones or phone records from six other NYPD officials who worked closely with the police commissioner, including Cabans chief of staff Raul Pintos, two precinct commanders, a lieutenant and two detectives who work on Cabans detail.

No one in the Police Department has been arrested or charged.

Earlier this year, the NYPDs Technical Assistance Response Unit began receiving regular requests from brass at One Police Plaza to sweep their offices for bugs, according to another NYPD source and a source familiar with the probe.

No comment was made on the records search by the US Attorneys Office for the Southern District of New York. Imogen Brown

Its shady if youre being investigated by the feds, the source with knowledge of the investigation said.

Federal agents served the NYPD with a preservation letter on Sept. 6, ordering them not to destroy any electronic files  as investigators looked for evidence of alleged influence peddling by Cabans brother, James, at Big Apple nightclubs, according to police sources.

Bar owner Shamel Kelly, who owns Juice & Moore on Mermaid Avenue in Coney Island, told NBC New York he went to City Hall seeking a break from a heavy police presence at his establishment and that a mayoral staffer introduced him to James Caban, himself a former NYPD officer.

Kelly alleged the commissioners twin told him hed take care of his problems with the police if Kelly paid $2,500.

On Sept. 14, federal investigators subpoenaed phones from a group of NYPD officers responsible in part for fielding complaints about bars, according to police sources.

The cops had allegedly been told to take it easy on bars that were clients of James Caban. Do not do enforcement, just mediate, the cops were told, according to a source.

Pearson, who was in charge of migrant services contracts, allegedly told workers in the newly-created Municipal Service Assessment unit he runs that he was looking to line his own pockets, according to an April lawsuit.

People are doing very well on these contracts, Pearson said, according to the lawsuit. I have to get mine. Where are my crumbs?

The Cabans, Pearson and Banks havent been charged.

Adams appointed Police Commissioner Thomas Donlon on Sept. 13, and on Sept. 21, Donlons home was searched by the feds. He said they seized materials unrelated to his work with the NYPD and he has not commented on the probe.
U.S. District Court Judge James Sweeney II, of the southern district, ruled in favor of the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press and a coalition of other journalism groups and media outlets. (Getty Images)

A federal judge late Friday blocked a law creating a 25-foot buffer zone around law enforcement officers during certain activities.

U.S. District Court Judge James Sweeney II, of the southern district, ruled in favor of the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press and a coalition of other Hoosier journalism organizations and media outlets.

The Indiana Attorney Generals Office had sought to dismiss the case, which the judge denied.

Simply being within twenty-five feet of a police officer is not a crime, and indeed, important First Amendment rights are regularly exercised within twenty-five feet of law enforcement every single day, Sweeney said.

But he focused his ruling on a 14th Amendment vagueness claim.

This is not specific enough to allow the general public or reporters to know how to conduct themselves to avoid receiving an order to move, the 26-page decision said.

Lawmakers passed the law in April 2023, under which officers engaged in lawful duties can order someone to stay 25 feet away or risk a Class C misdemeanor. Supporters at the time said some situations become more volatile when people are too close to the officers.

Members of the press and the public argue the so-called buffer zone limits their ability to hold law enforcement accountable, especially when it comes to public recordings.

The media plaintiffs argued in the case that the law was too vague because it contains no limiting standards for police officers to follow or indications of what type of conduct will prompt an officer to order someone to move back.

The Buffer Law is clear about what conduct may lead to an arrest: refusing to obey an officer after being told to move when one is within twenty-five feet. However, the constitutional vagueness analysis requires more when a law criminalizes failing to obey such an order, as due process requires a warning about the behavior that will prompt that order, the ruling said.

There is a second ongoing parallel case challenging the law, and it was also in court on Friday.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Indiana filed a lawsuit in August 2023 on behalf of South Bends Donald Nicodemus, whose YouTube channel captures his interactions with the local police force, saying the law infringed on his constitutional rights.

Nicodemus has previously encountered controversies as a citizen journalist and captured video of an officer ordering Nicodemus to stand 25 feet away.

But U.S. District Court Judge Damon R. Leichty appeared not to sympathize with the ACLUs arguments and found the law constitutional. He operates in Indianas northern district.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit heard arguments in that case on Friday with a ruling expected soon.

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(KRON)  A Mountain View man, Omar Naziry, was indicted with mail fraud on Wednesday for falsely stating he was in the military to obtain pay benefits, the Department of Justice announced.

According to the DOJ, Nazirys former company had a policy  first instituted following the 9/11 terrorist attacks and later expanded to cover all forms of military leave  of paying a differential to employees who went on military leave.

In August 2016, Naziry, 40, allegedly requested differential pay from his company on the reported basis that he was deployed with the U.S. military in support of Operation Inherent Resolve, a U.S. military command established in October 2014 to fight ISIS.

Naziry allegedly sent false military orders and a false military leave and earnings statement, the DOJ said. Naziry was then offered differential pay by his company and allegedly continued to repeat the same act over the next five years on the purported basis that his deployment had been extended, Nazirys indictment alleges.

About five years later, in December 2021, Nazirys former employers informed him that they were denying his requests for additional pay on the basis that he had exhausted the five-year differential pay limit, the DOJ said.

In response, Naziry allegedly sent a letter to his former employers authored by a friend and army officer stationed in Hawaii that wrote in part:

I highly recommend you overturn this decision youve made or at least have a plan in place for how to mitigate the negative effects of the story once its [sic] public . . . . I hope you can take timely action to avoid this PR disaster.

If Naziry is convicted of all mail fraud charges, he faces a maximum sentence of 20 years and a fine of $250,000, the DOJ said.

The Mountain View native is also charged in a separate indictment from 2024, in which, according to prosecutors, he wrongfully obtained approximately $35,093 in housing assistance payment to which he was not entitled.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRON4.
Felon suspected of theft at Walmart arrested for having gun and warrant in Spanaway

Around 8:40 p.m. on September 24, deputies from the Pierce County Sheriffs Office were at the Walmart in Spanaway when loss prevention requested their help to remove a man suspected of stealing.

After the deputies saw the man taking tags off clothing they approached the man.

According to deputies, when they asked the man to walk to the loss prevention office to talk, the hesitant man began to walk with the deputies before bringing the bag he was carrying to his chest.

The man reached for his bag, but before he could open it, deputies stopped him and forced him to the ground when he resisted.

Deputies handcuffed the man, then took him into the office and searched his bag, where they found a gun with a 31-round magazine.

After looking into the mans history, deputies found a warrant for his arrest and a felony conviction.

The man was arrested for first-degree unlawful possession of a gun.
WASHINGTON -- Together with state, tribal and federal partners, FEMA is actively supporting Hurricane Helene response efforts. Although the immediate threat of the storm is passing, there are still post-storm hazards that can be life-threatening. Everyone in affected areas should continue to follow instructions from local officials to stay safe.

FEMA is not waiting to begin its work assessing impacts. Working with our state partners, we have requested that multiple teams begin flying aerial imaging missions.

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At the direction of President Biden, FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell is on the ground in Florida today surveying damage and assessing the need for federal resources.

FEMA has more than 800 deployed staff supporting states affected by the hurricane. Our distribution centers are fully stocked and ready to provide commodities and equipment to any impacted state as required.

FEMA is coordinating a federal force of more than 3,200 personnel each contributing their expertise and manpower to this mission.

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas activated the Surge Capacity Force (SCF). The SCF makes rostered federal employees available to support FEMAs response and recovery missions.

Urban Search and Rescue (US&R) Urban Search and Rescue (US&R) deployed a total of 24 teams (over 1,270 personnel) to affected states. In Florida, eight US&R teams are actively responding. All teams are equipped with Swift Water Rescue Capabilities. In Georgia, two teams are deployed to support rescue operations. In North Carolina there are four teams. Additional teams and four Swift Water Mission Ready Packages are in route to the impacted areas.

U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) crews continue to respond with vessels and aircraft to assist search and rescue and damage assessment activities. Coast Guard personnel are working response activities, including assessing damage to USCG infrastructure and providing opportunity for USCG personnel to assess impacted personal and family property. The Coast Guard continues to respond to urgent distress to save lives, assist those impacted by the storm and support the rapid reopening of impacted ports.

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) has teams positioned to provide temporary emergency power, with others prepared to deploy if needed. In addition to temporary emergency power, personnel assist the states with assessments of critical infrastructure including water/wastewater treatment facilities, debris management and road and bridge inspections as needed. They have activated six emergency operation centers in the region to coordinate operations.

Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has Public Health Emergencies in effect for Florida and Georgia to address the health impacts of Hurricane Helene. The declarations give the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) health care providers and suppliers greater flexibility in meeting emergency health needs of Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries. Their staff on the ground have begun initial assessments of the public health and health care infrastructure. The Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR) has positioned medical responders who can move to impacted communities in the region. These personnel include Health Care Situational Assessment teams and National Disaster Medical System (NDMS) Disaster Medical Assistance Teams along with several tons of medical equipment and supplies to provide medical surge support.

Department of Energy (DOE) activated the Energy Response Organization (ERO) and is closely monitoring impacts and restoration efforts related to Helene, including power, fuel and supply chain interruptions. The ERO and field responders are in contact with industry partners and local officials. DOE responders deployed to the Florida Emergency Operations Center, Georgia Emergency Operations Center and the North Carolina Emergency Operations Center.

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is working closely with federal, state, local and Tribal partners to help water systems, prepare for debris management and ensure facilities, including Superfund sites, maintain critical public health and environmental protections. The agency has personnel on the ground in regional and national operations centers who are offering technical assistance and guidance to those affected by Helene.

American Red Cross (ARC) has more than 540 Red Cross responders deployed to affected areas with another 350 responders are in route. As of Saturday morning, reporting indicates that at least 1900 people are still in just over 80 shelters as evacuation orders are lifted. We anticipate this number may change in the coming days and are transitioning from evacuation centers to emergency shelters where needed. There are more than 30 Emergency Response Vehicles currently supporting this event and 2 dozen additional are en route. ARC is prepared to support mass fatality and reunification efforts as well as emergency feeding. Anyone who needs a safe place to go can find information on redcross.org or download the free Red Cross Emergency app by texting GETEMERGENCY to 90999.

Salvation Army is in Georgia providing meals at six emergency shelters. In Florida, they have a total of 17 mobile feeding units that will serve Tallahassee (5 units) and Perry (12 units). They have teams in Perry, FL, serving the impacted areas with hot meals. Local service delivery is underway to affected communities, including shelter feeding and two feeding locations. The Salvation Army is also responding to requests for cleanup kits and blankets. In North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Kentucky, the Salvation Army is responding to requests for meal service to communities affected by the storm. More information is on helpsalvationarmy.org.

USA.gov published a one-stop-shop for hurricane information.

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EMERALD ISLE, N.C. (WNCT)  Known for its beaches, Emerald Isle is also a great place for fishing.

The Emerald Isle Fishing Tournament is set to take place Sunday after being moved from its original Saturday start due to weather.

But the weather didnt postpone the tournaments captains dinner where visitors and locals could come eat, drink and participate in a live and silent auction.

Tonight is what its all about, our sponsors are the companies and individuals who have come together and bought all kinds of great things for our silent auction and live auction, Director/Commissioner of Emerald Isle Fishing Tournament Mark Taylor said. They donated and spent their time volunteering. No one gets paid, everyone just steps forward just to do right by the community, and thats what this tournament is all about.

Many gathered for food and fellowship in preparation for this tournament but it wasnt just only people in Emerald Isle.

I just registered a lady from Greensboro and we had a couple who come down from Virginia, Taylor said. This is our sixth year and word is getting out that this is really all about community and family, and this right here is a small, family-organized tournament.

The captains dinner also raises money to help local children with scholarships. Many said participating in the dinner and tournament is a perfect way to give back and maybe even win the first place prize.

Come out, fish all the day long, even if you dont catch a fish, youre gonna spend some wonderful time on our Crystal Coast, Taylor said. Come out and enjoy Emerald Isle, fish with us and maybe walk away with some money. If not, you will definitly help some kids go to school next year.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WNCT.
Former President Trump visited the key battleground of Michigan on Friday for a town hall conversation in which he attacked Vice President Harris over policies he says have hurt the states auto industry.

Trump sat for a conversation moderated by Tennessee GOP Sen. Marsha Blackburn and took questions from the audience, but the night felt more reflective of the Republican nominees signature rallies filled with his most diehard supporters.

In his responses, Trump slammed Harris and Democrats for policies on energy, economics and immigration.

Here are five takeaways from the event:

Trump hones in on key blue wall state

The former presidents visit on Friday night to Warren, a suburb of Detroit, is just the latest he has made in Michigan, a major battleground that helped hand him the presidency in 2016 before flipping back to vote for President Biden in 2020.

Trump has increased his visits to Michigan and the other half-dozen swing states with less than six weeks to Election Day.

The Great Lakes State is one of three of the contested blue wall states  along with Wisconsin and Pennsylvania  that could clinch the presidency for Trump or Harris in November. Both candidates have made frequent visits trying to appeal especially to blue-collar workers in suburban areas who are more often swing voters.

Trump made a stop in the state earlier Friday, visiting a manufacturing facility in the suburbs of Grand Rapids in the western part of the state.

Harris leads Trump by just more than 1 point in Michigan in the polling average from Decision Desk HQ/The Hill.

EVs draw attacks

Trump has often made electric vehicles (EVs) a target of his speeches when addressing voters in states like Michigan, pointing to a Biden administration policy that he has argued amounts to a mandate.

They have an electric mandate, Trump said Friday. Every car is going to be electric, they say. I will terminate that  on day one.

The policy from the Environmental Protection Agency technically does not require automakers to produce electric vehicles or any specific technology but imposes pollution limits for their vehicle fleets. But the stringent standards will likely require shifting the market toward electric vehicles or at least lower-carbon options, like hybrid vehicles.

The rule would require 56 percent of new vehicles to be electric, 29 percent gas-powered and 13 percent plug-in hybrids by 2032. It is expected to prevent 7.2 billion tons of carbon dioxide emissions by 2055.

Trump often attacked electric vehicles as inefficient but on Friday argued consumers should have a choice of which vehicles to purchase.

He also went after Shawn Fain, the president of United Auto Workers (UAW) who endorsed Harris, accusing him of letting Biden go through with the policy. UAW has said it wants to ensure workers are protected but did not oppose a shift to electric vehicles.

Trump doubles down on tariffs

The Republican candidate repeatedly defended his tariff policy as the way to give U.S. businesses a leg up against those around the world.

Trumps willingness to raise tariffs on other countries was a key part of his term in office, and he began a trade war with China that has seen both countries issuing tariffs on each other and continues to today.

During the event, Trump called for using a smart plan to use tariffs wisely to protect American business interests. He argued the countrys adversaries and allies have all taken advantage of the country and that the steel industry thrived because of tariffs he placed on China.

Trump also praised former President William McKinley, who was a proponent of tariffs and advocated for a tariff that raised rates to nearly 50 percent for a wide range of products. Republicans throughout much of the partys early years were proponents of tariffs before adopting free trade policies as the 20th century progressed.

But Trump has marked a return to support for protectionism for the GOP not seen in many decades before him.

We need a smart series of tariffs and taxes, he said.

Immigration is central

Trump also took the opportunity to pounce on Harris as the vice president visited the U.S.-Mexico border in Arizona on Friday evening. She called for more resources for border officials and reiterated her support for the bipartisan border legislation that failed in the Senate after Trump called on Republicans to oppose it.

Trump said Harris always complains and doesnt do anything. He acknowledged Harriss visit to the border, saying what a day for the border today.

Immigration has been a hot topic in the 2024 election, with voters often listing it as the second-most important issue facing the country after the economy. Polling has shown it to be a weakness particularly for President Biden but a potential vulnerability for Harris and Democrats.

Survey respondents have said they trust Trump to handle immigration more than Harris.

Trump vowed if elected, he would finish construction of the border wall he pledged to build and close the border, accusing those coming across illegally from taking jobs away from Americans.

A town hall that felt more like a rally

The event was set up like a town hall where a candidate would take questions to hear what issues are on voters minds, but the night resembled a more choreographed version of one of Trumps rallies.

He sat with one of his most ardent supporter in Congress, Blackburn, who often praised Trump for various policies he implemented as president and has pledged to enact. He was also surrounded by an enthused crowd of supporters who regularly applauded his responses to the handful of questions he received.

Trump has participated in several of these town halls with top surrogates asking questions, but he has mostly avoided traditional town halls with undecided voters. He has held several press conferences recently in which he has taken various questions from reporters.

Harris has also engaged in limited media appearances outside of her own rallies and has occasionally answered questions from the press since launching her candidacy.

But she has recently signaled an increase in media engagements, participating in her first solo interview on MSNBC as the Democratic nominee this week and sitting for interviews with local outlets.

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This story has been updated to include new information and new photos.

Rescue efforts remain ongoing in Northeast Tennessee after flooding from Tropical Storm Helene devastated communities in that area. Helene has caused at least 39 deaths in the Southeast since making landfall in Florida on Thursday evening.

President Joe Biden has approved federal disaster assistance for Tennessee to supplement response efforts due to emergency conditions resulting from Tropical Storm Helene, the Federal Emergency Management Agency announced Saturday morning.

FEMA is authorized to coordinate all disaster relief efforts and provide appropriate assistance to save lives and protect property.

Federal funding is available for emergency protective measures, including direct federal assistance for Carter, Johnson and Unicoi counties.

Rain showers are expected to continue in Middle Tennessee throughout Saturday and into the evening, according to the National Weather Service.

Direct federal assistance and reimbursement for evacuation and shelter support is available for Cocke, Hawkins, and Washington Counties. Darryl L. Dragoo has been named the Federal Coordinating Officer for federal recovery operations in the affected area.

Gov. Bill Lee on Friday signed an executive order requesting a Major Disaster Declaration from FEMA for victims of property damage and evacuation orders related to severe weather and flooding events.

Brave locals look at the Nolichucky Dam in Greeneville, Tenn., on Saturday, September 28, 2024. The TVA said that the Nolichucky Dam remains intact after previously warning for an Imminent Breach at the Dam around midnight.

Emergency Responders with the Tennessee Helicopter Aquatic Rescue Team rescued about 25 people from flood waters in Unicoi County on Saturday, the Nashville Fire Department reported.

The team is made up of members from the Nashville Fire Department, Tennessee Highway Patrol, and Tennessee National Guard.

Our members of the TN-HART Team with members of NFD, @TNHighwayPatrol and @TNMilitaryDept returned from a mission assignment to Unicoi County to assist with specialized water rescues. The team rescued about 25 people from the dangerous flood waters. #TNHART #NFDProud pic.twitter.com/0lu0eg9ony  Nashville Fire Dept (@NashvilleFD) September 28, 2024

TBI sets up hotline to report missing persons

Tennessee Bureau of Investigations has established a hotline to report missing persons affected by severe flooding in Northeast Tennessee, the agency announced Saturday afternoon.

To report individuals believed to be missing in affected areas, contact 1-800-TBI-FIND. Callers should be prepared to provide identifying information, names, phone numbers, vehicle information, and last known whereabouts.

TBI asks that individuals not use the hotline to inquire about the status of property in the area.

NEWS ALERT: We've established a hotline for the public needing to report a missing person in the ongoing East Tennessee flood emergency: 1-800-TBI-FIND.



MORE DETAILS: https://t.co/uKB0s84BQ7#TNFloods #Helene pic.twitter.com/3kAJH3Vf8N  Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (@TBInvestigation) September 28, 2024

TEMA not accepting volunteers until life saving measures complete

Tennessee Emergency Management Agency will not be accepting volunteers or physical donations until life saving efforts are complete. Emergency responders warn residents not to self-deploy to disaster areas.

While heavy rains have stopped, TEMA advises that flooded areas can remain potentially hazardous. Do not visit disaster areas, and do not drive around barricades.

In true Volunteer Spirit, we have received many questions on how individuals and organizations can help Tennesseans impacted by Helene.



TEMA is not accepting volunteers or material donations until the life safety mission is complete. We will share information when we are able to pic.twitter.com/vTchcJszaq  Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA) (@TennesseeEMA) September 28, 2024

Cumberland River dams, locks operating normally

Amid elevated water flow, ten dams and four locks in the Cumberland River Basin are operating as designed and reservoirs have adequate storage capacity for more rain expected through the weekend, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced late Friday. Flooding is not expected along the Cumberland River.

Cheatham Dam, near Ashland City, began spilling early Friday. J. Percy Priest Dam, east of Nashville, and Wolf Creek Dam in southeast Kentucky will begin spill operations on Monday.

Storm causes damage in middle, east TN

Overnight Saturday, about 100,000 east Tennessee residents were told to seek higher ground as the Nolichucky Dam in Greene County was on the brink of failure. A flash flood warning in Cocke, Greene, and Hamblen Counties in East Tennessee remains in effect until noon Saturday. Tennessee Valley Authority announced Saturday morning that the Nolichucky River has crested and the dam remains intact.

(Nolichucky Dam Update) The Nolichucky River has crested, and the dam remains intact. Water is currently receding by approximately one foot per hour. Our Dam Safety teams are in the process of assessing the condition of the dam to determine next steps.

We are estimating water pic.twitter.com/gacmrPmr9Y  Tennessee Valley Authority (@TVAnews) September 28, 2024

On Friday afternoon, 54 people were rescued from Unicoi County Hospital roof by helicopter after flooding left them stranded. Tennessee emergency responders and National Guard coordinated with Virginia State Police.

On Friday, the entire downtown area of Newport, Tennessee was evacuated after another dam was determined at risk of "catastrophic" failure. By Friday afternoon, authorities said it was a false alarm.

Rain showers are expected to continue across Middle Tennessee throughout Saturday and into the evening, according to the National Weather Service.

A flood watch issued for Middle Tennessee was canceled Thursday as heavy rain and flooding from Tropical Storm Helene ended Friday, according to the National Weather Service, after the hurricane remnants dumped 4.40 inches of rain on Nashville.

Metro swiftwater rescue team deploys to Carter County

Nashvilles Swiftwater Rescue Team deployed to Elizabethton, Tennessee, on Friday evening with boats, drones, and extrication tools to help with ongoing rescue efforts in flooded areas of Carter County.

The rescue team is a collaboration between the Metro Nashville Police Department and Nashville Fire Department. The team was expected to arrive late Friday.

Members of Nashville's Swiftwater Rescue Team from the MNPD & NFD have just left for Elizabethton in East Tennessee to help rescue persons in flooded areas of Carter County. They will arrive late tonight. The team is equipped with boats, drones & extrication tools. pic.twitter.com/yl7qGZAgGf  Metro Nashville PD (@MNPDNashville) September 27, 2024

More storm coverage:

Reach Vivian Jones at vjones@tennessean.com or on X @Vivian_E_Jones.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Flood rescue efforts continue as Biden approves emergency for Tennessee
Mandatory evacuation orders were in effect south of Mountain Island Lake Saturday afternoon as completely flooded homes braced for several more feet of floodwater.

Roads near the lake and Catawba River were closed and under evacuation orders as Duke Energy pushed water through its system and into South Carolina. The Catawba River drains water from a basin that starts in western North Carolina, where Tropical Storm Helene produced floodwater that destroyed or cut off hundreds of roads. Helene also produced untold damage across the western half of the state because cellular and internet access remained limited

The mandatory evacuation order near Charlotte included areas of Riverside Drive, Lake Drive, Riverhaven Drive and some of Beagle Club Road and Hart Road, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Emergency Management said Saturday afternoon. Areas near Allison Ferry Road, Arthur Auten Drive, Drake Cove Road, Neck Road, Ballypat Lane, Johnson David Road and Latta Springs were under a voluntary evacuation order.

Things might get worse before they get better. Residents near shorelines need to stay alert to changing conditions. Flood waters will rise, even without rain, a statement from emergency management said Saturday morning. Water will continue to rise rapidly causing flooding along the shorelines of lakes and rivers throughout the day.

A speed limit sign is wrapped in fencing as floodwater from the Catawba River passes near the intersection of Lake Drive on Saturday, September 28, 2024.

CharMeck ALERT: All residents who live along the shoreline of Lake Norman, Mountain Island Lake, the Catawba River, and Lake Wylie need to be aware of rising water levels and take caution. As of 12:40pm on Sept 28th, there are three areas with active evacuation orders until later pic.twitter.com/RDIldrkpi2  Charlotte-Mecklenburg Emergency Management (@CharMeckEM) September 28, 2024

Police at the scene said around noon the water could rise another 4 to 5 feet as Duke Energy opened another floodgate at Cowans Ford Dam. Flooding began Thursday morning, police said, and Duke began opening floodgates Friday evening, a post by emergency management said.

Duke had opened four floodgates as of 3:30 p.m. Saturday and expected to open more, according to statements from Gaston County and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Emergency Management.

We remain highly concerned about flooding along the shoreline of Mountain Island Lake and the Catawba River System, from Lake Norman to Lake Wylie. The flooding is ongoing, with significant amounts of water still moving downstream, Paige Grande, spokesperson for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Emergency Management, said in an email to The Charlotte Observer.

Gaston County has a shelter open at Belmont Middle School, located at 1020 South Point Road in Belmont. Tuckaseegee Recreation Center also is serving as a shelter at 4820 Tuckaseegee Road in Charlotte.

Flooding is seen at Lake Dr. and Harwood Lane in Mt. Holly Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024

Mountain Island Lake area residents

Residents gathered at the end of Harwood Lane on Mountain Island Lake alongside first responders from the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department and the Charlotte Fire Department watching the water rise. Multiple residents said they were not prepared for flooding this bad.

Susan Covington, a resident of Lake Drive, called the flooding a catastrophic event.

Im so sad. Im devastated. I had just bought my house in 2018 and spent the year remodeling when the last flood happened. I moved in in 2019 and lived in the house for three weeks when the flood happened in June, she said. We blame Duke Energy for that one, but this is a catastrophic event.

Record on Mountain Island Lake

Brad Panovich, chief meterologist for WCNC Charlotte, said on X Saturday afternoon Mountain Island Lake, sitting around 107 feet at noon, approached record water levels set by the historic 1940 flood.

Jeff Brooks, a spokesperson for Duke Energy, said in a video posted to X the company was working with local emergency management teams to manage the large amounts of water dropped by the storm.

There is a significant amount of water in our system right now because of the heavy rainfalls, he said while standing in front of the Cowans Ford Dam. What were doing now is trying to manage those water levels by moving water through the system in a controlled capacity.

Brooks urged residents to stay updated on lake levels and alerts by local county officials.

A drone image shows homes submerged in flood water from the Catawba River Saturday, September 28, 2024.

Dave Mooney a local resident on Harwood Lane, watches as floodwater from the Catawba River passes by on Saturday, September 28, 2024.

A mailbox is submerged in flood water near the intersection of Hart Rd. and Riverhaven Drive on Saturday, September 28, 2024.

A drone image shows homes submerged in floodwater on Saturday, September 28, 2024.

As floodwater continued to rise, Jesse Riggins, left, and friend Matthew DePaola, right, carried household items from Riggins home on Riverside Drive to a pickup truck on Saturday, September 28, 2024.

A small out building is submerged in floodwater from near the intersection of Lake Drive on Saturday, September 28, 2024.

A group of mailboxes are still visible above the floodwater from the Catawba River near the intersection of Hart Rd. and Riverhaven Drive on Saturday, September 28, 2024.

A small building is submerged in the floodwater on Riverside Drive on Saturday, September 28, 2024.

A resident stands at the end of Hart Rd. and Riverhaven Drive near Mountain Island Lake on Saturday, September 28, 2024.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE)  Officials in East Tennessee communities were sharing updates over the weekend as the impacts and damage from Fridays widespread flooding were assessed.

Several communities, especially in Cocke, Sevier, Jefferson, Greene and Unicoi counties, have been impacted by extreme flooding or excess floodwaters since Fridays storms rolled through from a tropical system with Hurricane Helene. President Joe Biden has approved an emergency declaration for Tennessee due to the flooding, while the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has set up a missing persons hotline. Governor Bill Lee was expected to visit the impacted areas on Saturday.

Proposals sought for the future of the Smokies Stadium in Kodak as team moves to Knoxville

In Cocke County, leaders shared updates during a press conference in Newport, which experienced extreme flooding. Newport city administrator James Finchum said on Saturday that there had been some damage to city hall and the police department, vehicles had been lost, but most of the streets in downtown had reopened. He also said there had never been a flood like this, and residents will have water again once the river recedes from the water operations building.

Cocke County Sheriff CJ Ball said they had made more than 50 rescues. Inmates at the Cocke County Jail were also transported to Jefferson and Sevier county jails.

How to help Cocke County, East TN with donations after Helene

In Sevier County, some residents were ordered to evacuate due to rising floodwaters from the French Broad, Pigeon and Nolichucky rivers, as well as Douglas Lake.

In Greene County, Nolichucky Dam is reportedly stable and secure, according to Tennessee Valley Authority officials in an update on Saturday, Sept. 28. The Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA) said that on Friday, TVA had reported a Condition Red for the Nolichucky Dam; however, overnight levels have crested, and the dam remains intact. There are no reports of dam failures to date.

In Knox County, he Knoxville-Knox County Emergency Management Agency (KEMA) said Saturday afternoon that potential flooding could impact East Knox County via the French Broad River. KEMA officials issued an urgent notice to residents in communities along the French Broad River in East Knox County regarding potential flooding, a news release stated, due to increasing the release of swell water from Douglas Dam.

The Tennessee Emergency Management Agency said the state is currently in a level three state of emergency due to the severe floods in parts of the state; more flooding could be anticipated as swell waters are released.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WATE 6 On Your Side.
Macaus sole candidate for Chief Executive, Sam Hou Fai, unveiled a comprehensive policy agenda this morning aimed at regulating the gaming sector while fostering development in other industries.

Speaking at his policy platform presentation, he emphasized the importance of strict enforcement of the law to ensure orderly growth in the city. Sam, the former head of the Court of Final Appeal, stated that the implementation of a new gaming law will be crucial for maintaining a healthy and regulated industry. He expressed a commitment to combat illegal activities and prioritize the development of non-gaming elements in Macaus economy.

We will strictly implement a new gaming law to regulate the industry and ensure its healthy, orderly development, said Sam, poised to be the next city leader. In addition to regulating gaming, Sam aims to broaden the citys appeal to international tourists. He highlighted the potential of attracting middle-class visitors from Southeast Asia and South America, describing them as a market of one billion potential spenders who typically enjoy extended stays and contribute to cultural exchange.

Currently, visitors from outside mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan make up only 7% of the 16.7 million tourists who visited Macau in the first half of this year. To enhance this, Sam proposed that Macaus gaming operatorswho have committed around USD 13 billion to non-gaming investmentsshould establish tourism promotion offices in key markets, including Brazil and other Southeast Asian countries.

These gaming firms, including global players like MGM, Wynn, and Sands China, have extensive networks. We need to leverage these connections to encourage them to invest in tourism promotion alongside the Macau government, said Sam.

During his inaugural press briefing last month, he stated that the wild expansion of casino resorts had depleted Macaus resources. Sam said that just relying on the gaming industry is not enough. Otherwise, how could we handle it if big disasters arise? he asked.

Sam, 62, is widely expected to secure the leadership in next months vote, during which a 400-member committeemostly dominated by establishment figureswill pick the leader.

In late August, Sam articulated his vision for a balanced economic future, stating that having only the gaming industry dominate is detrimental to Macaus development. He highlighted the necessity of integrating into the national development blueprint, asserting that the Special Administrative Region (SAR) must capitalize on its unique advantages as the One Centre, One Platform, and One Base. He underscored that economic diversification is a critical issue that cannot be ignored, adding that there is no turning back and emphasizing the importance of developing in a diversified manner.

Earlier today (Saturday), Sam reiterated that his vision seeks not only to regulate the gaming industry but also to position Macau as a vibrant hub for international tourism and trade, particularly in promoting exports from the Greater Bay Area to Portuguese-speaking nations.

*Full coverage in Mondays newspaper
WARSAW (Reuters) - Poland's 2025 draft budget will set aside 3.2 billion zlotys ($835.88 million) as a reserve for dealing with natural disasters, the government said on Saturday, after devastating floods wreaked havoc in the country.

The worst floods in at least two decades left many towns in southwestern Poland submerged in the last two weeks, and the government has said it will free up a total of 23 billion zlotys from the budget and European Union funds to deal with the aftermath.

The deluge has also compounded the financial worries of a government facing the prospect of EU budget discipline measures.

In a statement published after the government adopted the 2025 budget with changes due to the floods, it said that the reserve for counteracting and removing the effects of natural disasters would be increased by 2.194 billion zlotys and would now amount to 3.191 billion zlotys.

It said that around 20 billion zlotys of EU funds would be allocated to helping regions affected by the floods.

Finance Minister Andrzej Domanski said that no decision had yet been made on whether changes to the 2024 budget would be necessary, but reiterated that the floods made it more likely.

In August it announced that according to the assumptions of the 2025 budget, the general government deficit would rise to 5.5% of GDP. This would arise from increased defence spending and the dropping of some practices of the former administration that critics said kept costs off the books.

The state budget deficit will amount to 288.77 billion zlotys in 2025, the government said on Saturday.

The government also adopted the Public Finance Sector Debt Management Strategy for 20252028.

The ratio of general government debt to GDP will be 54.6% in 2024 and 58.4% in 2025. In 2026 it will rise above the EU cap of 60% of GDP. It will be 61.3% in 2027 and 61.2% in 2028.

($1 = 3.8283 zlotys)

(Reporting by Alan Charlish; editing by Mark Heinrich and Clelia Oziel)
Monroe County Fire Rescue fired the head of its helicopter-ambulance department Friday following her indictment last month in connection with an investigation into stolen medication.

The county released a statement Friday afternoon saying Division Chief Andrea Thompsons termination is effective immediately. It comes on the heels of a recommendation by her superiors during a predetermination hearing this month. They concluded she violated county policy, which constituted a breach of the public trust, particularly given her leadership role.

Monroe County remains committed to maintaining the highest standards of integrity and accountability, Monroe County Administrator Christine Hurley said in a written statement. We want to ensure public trust and safety throughout Monroe County Fire Rescue and all County departments.

Thompson is among three high-profile county officials indicted by a grand jury in August as part of an ongoing investigation into the alleged theft of narcotics from the Trauma Star helicopter-ambulance department by its former chief flight nurse in 2022. None of the three high-profile figures is accused of stealing the drugs.

READ MORE: Top leaders of Florida Keys air-ambulance department indicted by grand jury in stolen-drugs case

The indictments also swept up former County Administrator Roman Gastesi Jr., who has worked for Monroe for 16 years. Gastesi, 61, is charged with one count of official misconduct, a third-degree felony punishable by up to five years in prison.

Monroe County Division Chief Andrea Thompson receives an award for 20 years of service in October 2021.

Thompson, 45, is charged with two counts of official misconduct, one count of providing false information to law enforcement, two counts of evidence tampering, three counts of witness tampering and one count of altering patient records.

Dr. Sandra Schwemmer, 72, the medical director of the countys Fire Rescue and Trauma Star ambulance program, is charged with one count of official misconduct, one count of providing false information to law enforcement and one count of altering patient records.

All three indictments stem from the criminal investigation of Lynda Rusinowski, Trauma Stars veteran chief flight nurse accused of stealing medical-grade narcotics  including fentanyl, dilaudid, versed, ketamine and morphine  from Trauma Stars hangar

Thompson, Gastesi and Schwemmer have pleaded not guilty in their pending cases. While prosecutors have not released specifics of the accusations against Gastesi and Schwemmer, they say they pertain to either their actions or inaction during the investigation into the medication thefts.

Monroe County Administrator Roman Gastesi addresses a Big Pine Key audience in January 2018. Gastesi was indicted by a Florida Keys grand jury Thursday, Aug. 17, 2024.

The county fired Gastesi and Schwemmer following their indictments.

READ MORE: Grand jury indicts Monroe Countys top administrator. Hes third Keys official charged

The grand jury indicted Rusinowski this summer on 36 counts, including 10 counts of grand theft. The other 26 counts are related to Rusinowski allegedly falsifying records to conceal the theft of the drugs.

Her alleged crimes first came to light on July 25, 2022, when colleagues confronted her with discrepancies in inventory records. According to the Monroe State Attorneys Office, she admitted to stealing the drugs and said she needed help for addiction.

Thompson then drove her to a detox facility in Palm Beach County, prosecutors say, adding that she also removed medical equipment from Rusinowskis truck.

Rusinowski, 58, resigned from Monroe County Fire Rescue in August 2022, and the sheriffs office arrested her a month later on felony grand-theft and fraud charges.

In this April 2022 photo posted on Monroe County Fire Rescues Facebook page, Lynda Rusinowski, left, is being commended for five years of service with the Trauma Star air ambulance program in the Florida Keys. At the time, she was the chief flight nurse.

Thompson, whose annual salary was $151,127.87, was hired in July 2001.

Her attorney, Sean Parys, released a statement to the Herald on Friday saying his client is innocent.

The decision to terminate Andrea Thompsons employment was made solely based on her arrest and indictment, without consideration of the actual evidence in the case, Parys said. As she has throughout her career, Thompson acted with professionalism and integrity during this incident, and all decisions were made by or with her colleagues and superiors. When the actual evidence is tested in court, it will show Andrea Thompson is innocent.
Residents in Florida returned to their homes with shock and sadness Friday as they began picking up the pieces from Hurricane Helene's trail of destruction.

Keaton Beach, located north of Clearwater, took a very hard hit, with boats being tossed like toys and then stranded in the middle of flooded streets.

PHOTO: Hurricane Helene destroyed entire blocks in Keaton Beach, Florida. (WPLG)

Fonda Neel, a Keaton Beach resident, told ABC News that her home, which she called her happy place, was now gone.

PHOTO: Hurricane Helene destroyed entire blocks in Keaton Beach, Florida. (WPLG)

"Its devastating," she said. "Its hard to think."

MORE: Hurricane Helene live updates

Further south, a 10-foot storm surge tore apart sections of Cedar Key. In Treasure Island, located on a barrier island adjacent to St. Petersburg, the storm sent boats over 200 yards to come to rest on a four-lane causeway.

In the town of Perry, about an hour southeast of Tallahassee, the storm destroyed power transformers and ripped the roofs off of houses.

PHOTO: Scott Bembry talks with ABC News' Victor Oquendo about the damage caused by Hurricane Helene. ()

Scott Bembry, a Perry resident, stayed in a church shelter to ride out the storm, a decision that he said he would never make again.

"I wouldn't advise anybody to stick around for one of these storms. Evacuate when its time to evacuate," he told ABC News.

Florida residents pick up pieces after Hurricane Helene destroys homes originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
CEDAR KEY  On Saturday, two days on from devastating winds churning up a record-breaking storm surge, the cavalry started arriving on Cedar Key, bearing hot meals for the powerless.

The state, as part of its disaster planning, contracts with Mercy Chefs, based in Portsmouth, Va. And on their first day on the ground in Cedar Key, founder Ann LeBlanc expects her organization will have delivered more than 10,000 hot meals to zones Hurricane Helene cut off from electricity. Five hundred were brought Saturday to Cedar Key, one of the state's hardest-hit towns.

Preparations to mobilize start almost as soon as a named storm appears on the National Hurricane Centers website.

Were not only chefs, were storm chasers, LeBlanc said, as she slid behind the wheel of an SUV to begin pacing around Cedar Keys battered streets.

Ann LeBlanc of Portsmouth, Va.-based Mercy Chefs delivers a meal Saturday to Sonya Jurdy, 87, a retired schoolteacher in Cedar Key.

Delivered in white clamshell containers, island residents here were offered jambalaya, spiced carrots and a biscuit. The meal was made in Newberry and then driven in. The organization has a mobile kitchen thats able to operate in powerless places. But power was close enough to assemble the meals there, LeBlanc said.

A load of them were left at the First Baptist Church of Cedar Key. But anyone spotted roaming the street was proffered one by LeBlanc, wearing a shirt with her organizations logo and trailed by a marketing crew filming her street mission.

Sonya Jurdy, 87, was on the receiving end of one. After giving her guests a tour of her homes ruined stairs that she had just paid someone to replace the day before Helene arrived, the retired schoolteacher and real estate agent sat down with a view of the gulf and ate with gusto. She pronounced it delicious.

LeBlanc hopped back into her SUV and declared, I love it when people say its good.

Mercy Chefs pack up and leave as soon as a communitys power comes back on, LeBlanc said.

When grocery stores and restaurants are open and operating, it actually does damage to a community trying to rebuild if we interfere with free meals, LeBlanc said. We try to help residents get back to normal.

Anne Geggis is the insurance reporter at The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach her at ageggis@gannett.com. Help support our journalism. Subscribe today.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Va.-based mobile kitchen delivers food to Cedar Key residents
Disclaimer: All persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

NEW ORLEANS (WGNO)  Mayor Latoya Cantrell appears to be once again in the federal governments crosshairs. Former city inspector Randy Farrell has been indicted in a case that appears to be heavily connected to her.

According to the indictment, Farrell is accused of bribing Public Official Number One, who is believed to be Mayor Cantrell, in order to get her to fire a city employee. Those alleged bribes include saints tickets, an iPhone and a meal at a steakhouse.

Louisiana Red Cross sends volunteers to Florida for Hurricane Helene

For someone to receive something of value and then for Public Official Number One to therefore do something in her position, that is corruption, Metropolitan Crime Commission Vice President Michelle Foster said.

According to the indictment, Farrell wanted this employee fired because she had reported an alleged scheme in the department of safety and permits, where Farrell worked at the time.

Farrell was soliciting and accepting bribes and kickbacks to apply and receive permits in the name of licensed electricians, and caused a submission of fraudulent inspection reports knowing they werent performed by licensed electricians, Foster said.

Now, Farrell is facing 25 federal charges and faces up to 20 years in prison for each, however, WGNO legal analyst Cliff Cardone says a plea deal for Farrell is potentially in play.

New documentary about Americas oldest principal, Mr. Wayne Warner

Well I think this is going to provide Mr. Farrell an opportunity to possibly turn some state evidence against the mayor. She is public figure number one, so I presume thats her. I think he has the opportunity to turn states evidence against her, Cliff Cardone said.

Cardone now believes an indictment against Cantrell may be just a couple of months away.

Shes in serious jeopardy. The federal prosecutors dont put those in indictments unless they are serious about indicting public official number one, Cardone said.

Stay up to date with the latest news, weather and sports by downloading the WGNO app on the Apple or Google Play stores and by subscribing to the WGNO newsletter.

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Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WGNO.
WEWOKA, Okla. (KFOR)  A Seminole County jury found former Wewoka youth pastor and middle school principal Cody Barlow not guilty on all counts on Friday.

Barlow, 35, was charged with two counts of indecent acts and four counts of indecent proposals to a child under 16 after three victims came forward.

On day four of the trial, Barlow took the stand in his own defense, and was asked to explain videos found in his office that showed him spanking students and pulling up their pants.

Barlow explained that he was just roughhousing with the students, and that while it may be unprofessional his actions were not criminal.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Jury watches forensic interviews in Cody Barlow day 3 trial

After two hours of deliberation by the jury, they reached a verdict of not guilty, bringing the four-day trial to a close.

We are irretrievably devastated said Tara Portillo, Seminole County Assistant District Attorney.

Portillo told News 4 the family members of the victims are beyond devastated, and that she wants to know why the jury made their decision.

I think this sends a message to people that ask questions why do sex offenders get probation. This is exactly why, Portillo said. Because the word of three children that this man abused them was not enough in a court of law in Oklahoma so he walks out the door a free man.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KFOR.com Oklahoma City.
Fossils Reveal The True Origin of The Oldest Tombstone in The US

In Jamestown, Virginia  the first permanent English settlement in America  there's a distinctive black tombstone thought to mark the resting place of a knight. Now, researchers think they've figured out where the stone came from.

While the stone marker is described as "marble" in historical documents, at the time this term was often applied to any kind of rock that could be polished. Dating from 1627, the slab of mineral is actually limestone.

The research team, from Dickinson College in Pennsylvania and the California Geological Survey, looked at the tiny shells of single-celled organisms embedded in the sedimentary rock to help place its source, using the microfossils to determine it originated from Belgium.

A full view of the tombstone. (Jamestown Rediscovery/Key and Rossi, International Journal of Historical Archaeology, 2024)

"Wealthy colonists in the Tidewater region of the Chesapeake Bay at this time preferentially selected black 'marble' for their gravestones that was actually polished, fine-grained, black limestone," the researchers write in their published paper.

"The iconic knight's tombstone at Jamestown is one such stone. The goal of this project was to determine the source of this stone to help understand trade routes at this time."

It's unlikely Jamestown's English settlers would have had either the tools or skills to make tombstones of this nature, suggesting the highly-polished ornament would have been imported.

An analysis of tombstone fragments revealed fossilized remnants of a diverse group of shelled protist called foraminiferans, including the species Omphalotis minima, Paraarchaediscus angulatus, and Paraarchaediscus concavus, and one more each from the Endothyra, Omphalotis, and Globoendothyra genuses that weren't identified to the species level.

The combination of co-occurring microfossils excluded North America as an origin of the limestone slab, pointing instead to a place over the Atlantic, most like somewhere like Ireland of Belgium.

With similar colonial tombstones around the Chesapeake Bay having previously been sourced from Belgium, and the fact the European country had been been well established as a hub for exporting black 'marble' ever since Roman Times, the researchers were confident an artisan in this region had crafted the grave marker.

As far back as the Middle Ages, the members of the wealthy upper class in England had been commemorating their dead using these pricey tombstones, something the Jamestown settlers would have known about.

Four of the microfossils discovered on tombstone fragments. (Key and Rossi, International Journal of Historical Archaeology, 2024)

"Little did we realize that colonists were ordering black marble tombstones from Belgium like we order items from Amazon, just a lot slower," first author and geoscientist Markus Key from Dickinson College told Sandee Oster at Phys.org.

Because of its age and prominent position in the local church, experts have long thought the grave belonged to the knight Sir George Yeardley, who arrived in Jamestown in 1610. He quite possibly ordered the tombstone as a mark of his status and wealth.

Though the study wasn't focused on the tombstone's owner, the fact the stone was shipped from Belgium further confirms the hypothesis the grave belonged to Yeardley, who would've been looking to follow the fashions of his homeland.

"It is hoped that the results of this study help refine the geography and timing of the seventeenth-century North Atlantic trade routes between Continental Europe (especially Belgium), England, and colonial Virginia," write the researchers.

The research has been published in the International Journal of Historical Archaeology.

Related News
Four appear at court over fatal stabbing of teen

Police say Kalvin Taylor's body had laid in the flat for several days [Norfolk Police]

Four people charged in connection with the fatal stabbing of a 19-year-old man have appeared in court.

Three are charged with the murder of Kalvin Taylor, whose body was found in the ground-floor flat on Lefroy Road in Mile Cross, Norwich, on 21 September.

A post-mortem examination found Mr Taylor died from a single stab wound to the chest, and police believe his body laid in the flat for eight days.

All four defendants appeared at Norwich Magistrates' Court and are due to appear again at Norwich Crown Court on Wednesday.

Leon Bangura, 22, of Old Kent Road, London, is charged with murder and threatening another person with an offensive weapon.

He is also charged with possession of a bladed article, being concerned in the supply of Class A drugs and possession with intent to supply.

Adam Dugdale, 55, of Shorncliffe Avenue, Norwich, and Carrie-Anne Hall, 51, of Lodge Breck, Drayton, near Norwich, are charged with murder.

Matthew Holmes, 51, of Bowthorpe Road, Norwich, is charged with assisting an offender.

All four spoke only to confirm their names, addresses and dates of birth.

Mr Bangura, Mr Dugdale and Ms Hall have been remanded in custody.

Mr Holmes was released on bail.

Officers were called to the flat in Norwich on 21 September [Andy Trigg/BBC]

Follow Norfolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.

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Lincoln Elementary principal Dan Dinkel talks about how much the National Blue Ribbon award means to him and his students. Lincoln Elementary was one of four Kansas elementary schools to receive the National Blue Ribbon honor this year. (Kansas Reflector screen capture from Geary County Schools)

Four Kansas elementary schools are being recognized nationally for efforts to improve local learning.

The U.S. Department of Education announced that the schools are in this years cohort of more than 300 National Blue Ribbon Schools. They are Garfield Elementary in Augusta, Herington Elementary in Herington, Lincoln Elementary in Junction City and Sunflower Elementary in Paola.

Officials at each of the schools hosted all-class assemblies to announce their Blue Ribbon designations. In Paola, Sunflower Elementary principal Staci Wokutch said the atmosphere of the school was pretty electric after she told students the news.

We did a quick assembly at the end of the day, and we kind of built up the story, Wokutch said. I played a bit of a video that shows the schools being honored. When Sunflower popped up, the kids cheered and clapped.

Wokutch has served as Sunflower Elementary principal for almost 20 years. She said the Paola school district is tight-knit and that now she has the good problem of planning an event to further celebrate the schools Blue Ribbon honor.

More than 400 schools nationwide were nominated to be National Blue Ribbon Schools. Only 356 were chosen. Officials from each submit a written application detailing the schools culture and programs, as well as professional development opportunities and community involvement. Schools are recognized for high academic performance among students, and for school leaders abilities to close achievement gaps.

Garfield Elementary principal Trever Lockamy said his school previously received the Blue Ribbon award in 2006 for the category of closing achievement gaps. This year, he said the Augusta school received the honor for high academic performance.

I actually student taught in Garfield, and had the honor to come back as principal, Lockamy said. When I left student teaching, I just knew this was the place I wanted to be, and I got lucky.

He said the students at his school are pumped about the Blue Ribbon honor.

Theyve always had pride in their school, Lockamy said. I think thats been evident way before me, and this is my 10th year here.

Dan Dinkel is in his first year as principal of Lincoln Elementary in Junction City. He said the Blue Ribbon designation is an achievement educators strive for because its a tremendous recognition.

The students were unaware, as we told them we were having an awards ceremony, he said. Then our mascot presented letter cards, and we had kids hold up the cards  and revealed Blue Ribbon to everyone.

This years honor marks the 12th time Geary County Schools has received recognition from the U.S. Department of Education as Blue Ribbon schools.

Just being able to tell people that your kids go to a Blue Ribbon school, there is great pride in that, and it makes you feel good, Dinkel said.

In Herington, Nick Morgan is in his seventh year as principal of Herington Elementary. He holds a doctorate in educational leadership. He said he wants to show the students how big of a deal receiving the Blue Ribbon recognition is.

The staff and community understand the magnitude of winning something this prestigious, Morgan said. Well plan some fun stuff for students later on.

Morgan said a celebration event is being set for Oct. 11 at the school.

A flag naming the school as a National Blue Ribbon award winner will be hung in each schools entryway or flagpole outside.

In a statement, U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona said this years National Blue Ribbon Schools are raising the bar for student achievements and school-community collaboration.
Four killed by falling trees in Greenville County on Friday

GREENVILLE COUNTY, S.C. (WSPA)  Four people were killed by falling trees in Greenville County on Friday.

According to Greenville County Coroners Office, coroners responded to four weather-related fatalities on Friday.

At 7:17 a.m., coroners and other first responders were called to Cedar Avenue after a tree fell on a home. Inside the home, responders found Lornder Lee Palmer, 56, who had become trapped inside the residence. She was pronounced dead on the scene.

At 9:43 a.m., coroners and first responders were called to Chestnut Ridge Road in Marietta. On scene they found Aaron Marshall Lance, 40, outside of a home. He had reportedly been struck by a fallen tree. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

At 9:20 a.m. coroners and first responders were called to Cleveland Street extension in Greenville after a tree fell onto a home. Charles Daly Dean III, 59, was pronounced dead shortly after 10 a.m. He had been inside the home when the tree fell and struck him.

At 9:54 a.m., the coroners office and first responders were called to Ridge Road after a man was reportedly struck by a falling tree branch. The coroners office said Moreno Arnez Maddox, 68, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WSPA 7NEWS.
Former President Donald Trump will visit Dane County next week for his first-ever campaign stop in the liberal bastion. The former president is set to hold a "messaging event" at Dane Manufacturing, a metal fabricator in Waunakee, at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, according to his campaign.

The event will have limited public availability and will mainly be open to media, the Trump campaign said. Campaign staff did not offer further details.

Waunakee is one of the more conservative areas of the liberal county. In 2020, Trump won nearly 36% of the vote in Waunakee, compared with just under 23% countywide.

Trump is already due to be in Wisconsin this weekend for a campaign stop in Prairie du Chien on Saturday. The Dane County visit comes as GOP strategists are urging Trump to court the pivotal conservative voting bloc in the Democratic stronghold.

Despite the liberal majority in Dane County, the area is home to the third-largest share of Republican voters in the battleground state, making it crucial for the party to rally voters here.

A Trump visit to Dane County would show voters that the former president is "not afraid" of entering the Democratic "lion's den," Wisconsin Republican Party chair Brian Schimming told the Wisconsin State Journal last week.

Dane County GOP chair Brandon Maly said Republicans need to pick up at least 23% of the vote in Dane County in order to give Republicans on the statewide ballot a fighting chance.

Democrats, meanwhile, are looking to squeeze even more votes out of Dane County, known for its unusually high voter turnout.

Last week, Vice President Kamala Harris rallied more than 10,000 people at the Dane County Coliseum in Madison, her fourth time in the battleground state since becoming the Democratic presidential nominee in August.

In a statement Saturday, the Harris campaign castigated Trump's presidency as "a disaster for Wisconsin" that resulted in jobs being shipped overseas and tax cuts for the wealthy.

"If Trump is reelected, his extreme Project 2025 agenda would give him virtually unchecked power to do whatever he wants, including his plans to enact a Trump Sales Tax that would spike costs for families by nearly $4,000 a year," spokesperson Kristi Johnston said, referring to one estimate of the average increase in the cost of goods under Trump's proposed blanket tariffs on imports.

The vice presidential debate between JD Vance and Tim Walz is set for Tuesday evening, the same day as Trump's visit to Waunakee.

Recent polling shows that the Democratic ticket is holding onto a narrow lead in the state. A Marquette Law School poll found that among likely voters and registered voters, 48% preferred Trump while 52% preferred Harris, although the results are within the margin of error for both groups.
Bristol Community Ferry Boats is offering the tours throughout the winter [Bristol Community Ferry Boats ]

A city ferry company is launching free tours for community groups this winter.

Bristol Community Ferry Boats has announced a new initiative to support groups working with city residents, giving them a chance to access the city's waterways.

Running once a week, the tours are designed to offer groups a unique way to learn more about Bristol's maritime history and enjoy the sights from the water.

Roisin Tobin-Brooke, co-director of the ferry company, said the scheme was about "giving back to the community that has supported us for so many years".

The tours take in Bristol's maritime history [Bristol Community Ferry Boats ]

"Our boats are an integral part of Bristol's identity, and we want to ensure that everyone, especially those who might not usually have the opportunity, can experience the joy of Bristol harbour," she added.

Changes Bristol, a mental health charity providing a support network for those suffering mental distress, is one of the groups which has previously taken part in the community trips.

Project worker Jen Witts said: Many of our members are life long Bristol residents, yet many had not been on the ferry before.

"We've had several amazing trips out around the harbour and everyone enjoys them so much.

"They get to see the city from a different perspective, learn interesting and entertaining facts and have a wonderful social time with the other members."

Sara Ahmed-Qureshi, activity groups coordinator for Aid Box, an organisation supporting refugees and people seeking asylum in Bristol said: A boat ride helps create positive memories and experiences, an environment that can reduce anxiety and depression, providing a temporary escape from their worries.

"These outings encourage interaction with local communities and help build friendships, where families and friends come together and share positive experiences that strengthen family ties after stressful events."

Community groups interested in getting involved are asked to contact the company as soon as possible to book in for the trips that will run from November to February.

Follow BBC Bristol on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630.

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Free at-home COVID-19 tests available: What to do if yours says it's expired

Starting Monday, American households can now apply to receive four free at-home COVID-19 tests from the U.S. government, though they might appear to be expired.

Once again, the U.S. government is rolling out free at-home COVID-19 tests for all Americans, offering four tests per household, delivered for free by the United States Postal Service. Consumers receiving the tests, though, may discover they have a past-due expiration date printed on them.

Government officials have noted that some of the tests rolling out may appear to be expired, but are still functional. Here's what you need to know to make sure you get accurate results with your free at-home tests:

How to find the new expiration date

On an online Frequently Asked Questions page, the FDA acknowledged that some tests in American households may have passed their printed expiration date. In most cases, the FDA advises to not use expired tests. However, they have published an online list of different types of tests which have had their expiration dates extended.

A COVID-19 at-home test kid that was sent to Linda Bauer of Clinton Township from the federal government rests on the table at her home in Clinton Township on February 9, 2022. Bauer has been unable to order the tests for her elderly neighbor.

A full list of the tests and their expiration dates can be found here. Under the "expiration date" tab, check if your tests have an extended timeline.

If the chart for your test reads "Expiration Date: See box label," the expiration date has not been extended. If there is a link to a new expiration date, click on it, find the lot number on your test kit and corroborate it on the file to know the new expiration date for your tests.

Sick? Business groups lay out proposed changes to Michigan's paid sick time

Skyla Butts, 59 of Southfield, said she just registered for the next batch of free tests. In the past, Butts has received expired tests from the free test program. She was able to check the dates herself after learning the tests had a past-due expiration date.

"Based on the lots, I compared them to the list and discovered they were still valid, you've just got to be careful," Butts said.

After placing an order for free tests this fall, Butts said she received a confirmation email with a link to the list of tests that are still valid despite being past their printed expiration date. If she gets expired tests on her doorstep, she knows where to look.

While she will still use the tests, Butts wondered if they will be as accurate. She said she always adheres strictly to expiration dates on food items and is hesitant to take a more relaxed approach to COVID-19 tests with inconsistent expiration dates.

"I mean, what is this information based on?" Butts said. "Can we trust these expiration dates?"

Absentee voting begins in Michigan: When ballots will arrive, how to request or track one

How does it work?

In an emailed statement, the FDA explained that when many COVID-19 tests were first manufactured, studies indicated the products would have a shorter shelf life than they do. Many test kits were manufactured with these shorter expiration dates printed on them.

As studies have progressed, though, test manufacturers have learned their products are just as effective on a longer timeline.

"COVID-19 test manufacturers perform studies to show how long after manufacturing COVID-19 tests perform as accurately as the day the test was manufactured," the FDA wrote, quoting from their Frequently Asked Questions page.

"The dates printed on the box were determined based upon stability data that was available when the test was manufactured. ... Once the test manufacturer has more stability testing results, such as 12 or 18 months, the test manufacturer can contact the FDA to request that the FDA authorize a longer shelf-life," the FDA wrote.

The application portal to order free tests opened on Thursday. To order a test, visit COVID.gov/tests. Beginning Monday, USPS will begin shipping the tests for free.

Breaking news reporter Liam Rappleye can be reached at LRappleye@freepress.com

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: COVID-19 test expiration dates: How to see if yours has been extended
French news agency Agence France-Presse (AFP) has been hit by a cyberattack, the agency said in a statement on Saturday.

The attack on AFP's IT system, which partly affected transmission technology to customers, was discovered on Friday.

It is unclear who was behind the attack.

AFP's technical department, assisted by the National Cybersecurity Agency of France (ANSSI), is handling the incident and the authorities have been notified, the company said.

Although the attack temporarily impaired transmission, AFP's worldwide reporting continued as usual, it said.

The attack on the news agency follows a major cyber incident in March which affected several French ministries and state institutions.

Pro-Russian hackers claimed responsibility for the attack, according to media reports, though the French authorities did not confirm this at the time.

France accuses Russia of increasing destabilization attempts since the beginning of the Kremlin's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

The state-owned Polish news agency PAP was also hacked in May, and the government in Warsaw said it blames the incident on Russian intelligence services.
How gas prices have changed in Mississippi in the last week

Prices at the pump have remained relatively unchanged, on average, across the country over the past week.

Domestic oil production remains high compared to a year ago, as demand has remained flat and declined in other parts of the world, like China, where electric vehicles are making up a larger share of the market. Analysts have said American commuters could see the national average price for gas fall below $3 by the end of the yeara level not seen in years.

That stagnant price trend could change, however, for some drivers as the catastrophic Hurricane Helene wreaked havoc on the Florida panhandle late this week with 140-mph wind speeds; now categorized as a tropical storm, Helene continued to make its way up the East Coast on Friday.

Stacker compiled statistics on gas prices in Mississippi. Gas prices are as of September 27.

Mississippi by the numbers

 Gas current price: $2.71

 Week change: -$0.01 (-0.4%)

 Year change: -$0.55 (-16.9%)

 Historical expensive gas price: $4.53 (6/12/22)

 Diesel current price: $3.21

 Week change: -$0.01 (-0.3%)

 Year change: -$0.91 (-22.1%)

 Historical expensive diesel price: $5.38 (6/19/22)

Metros with most expensive gas in Mississippi

#1. Jackson: $2.70

#2. Hattiesburg: $2.67

#3. South Haven  Olive Branch: $2.67

#4. Biloxi-Gulfport-Pascagoula: $2.58

States with the most expensive gas

#1. California: $4.71

#2. Hawaii: $4.60

#3. Washington: $4.08

States with the least expensive gas

#1. Mississippi: $2.71

#2. Texas: $2.78

#3. Louisiana: $2.78

This story features writing by Dom DiFurio and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 50 states.

You may also like: Best public high schools in Mississippi

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SACRAMENTO, California  Gov. Gavin Newsom on Saturday signed legislation that will require public universities in California to update their codes of conduct and train students on how to protest with civility, a response to pro-Palestinian demonstrations that erupted across the state last spring.

Universities will also have to add mandatory antidiscrimination training for students under the laws, which were introduced by Jewish lawmakers with the aim of counteracting antisemitic harassment that has reportedly spiked on college campuses since Hamas Oct. 7 attack on Israel last year.

Both parties in the state Legislature broadly supported the proposals, despite opposition from pro-Palestinian activists and the ACLU. And Newsom endorsed updating university codes of conduct even before the bill was on his desk. The Democratic governor traveled to Israel soon after the attacks and released a plan targeting antisemitism in April as university protests were peaking.

We know that tensions are high following the Oct. 7 attack on Israel by Hamas, state Sen. Steve Glazer, author of the codes of conduct bill, told reporters earlier this year. Even in these difficult circumstances, all students should be able to freely express themselves without threat or intimidation, especially on college campuses.

Protests have not yet exploded on California campuses the way they did last spring. And public university leaders have promised not to tolerate pro-Palestinian encampments that were raised up on several California campuses last year.

Much of the last academic year was marked by turmoil over the war. Jewish students at Berkeley had to be evacuated from an event as counter protesters forced open a door at the venue. Cal Poly Humboldt demonstrators occupied an administrative building for days. And counter protesters, some of them still unidentified, viciously beat occupants of a pro-Palestinian encampment at the University of California Los Angeles.

The Legislatures Jewish Caucus members, all Democrats, were frustrated by the responses of university leaders  and responded with legislation. At first, they sought more sweeping changes, including a ban on calls for genocide, but that provision and others that tested free speech rights were removed.

The states public universities havent fought the changes, and some campuses have already begun steps such as code of conduct updates.

Yet the ACLU contested some of the proposals, arguing in one letter to lawmakers that the codes of conduct change would be duplicative and only serves to chill the speech of students. Also opposed were the United Auto Workers 4811, a campus workers union at the UC that went on strike last spring in protest of the systems response to pro-Palestinian demonstrations. That work stoppage caused some Jewish lawmakers to reject legislation that would have provided unemployment benefits to striking workers.

In addition to this round of legislation, Newsom also signed a bill meant to prevent hate littering  the distribution of flyers and other materials on private property that threaten or harass people based on their identity.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom rejected a blueprint to give undocumented immigrants unemployment benefits on Saturday, vetoing a politically sensitive measure that conservatives seized on weeks before the presidential election.

It was the third bill aimed at supporting noncitizens that Newsom has vetoed in as many weeks, as immigration continues to be a top issue in the election. The latest veto comes as the Democratic governor continues campaigning for fellow Californian Vice President Kamala Harris, who is facing attacks from former President Donald Trump on progressive policies in her home state.

In his veto message, Newsom contended the bill "sets impractical timelines, has operational issues and requires funding that was not included in the budget." The governor pivoted to the federal level, stating that Congress should not "abandon its responsibility to advance solutions that provide an earned pathway to citizenship for longstanding residents who hove contributed significantly and seek the opportunity to work and live without constant fear and uncertainty."

"California has taken important steps to advance inclusion and equity for undocumented workers and mixed-status families who contribute significantly to California's economy and local communities - all while bottling fear and uncertainty due to decades of inaction by Congress and cruel and false anti-immigration narratives," Newsom wrote.

Newsom added that "we can have a fair immigration system that works for families, U.S. workers, and employers, and also have a safe border."

Two weeks ago, Newsom cited funding concerns when he killed a proposal that would have made some undocumented immigrants eligible for state-sponsored home loans. He also rejected a bill that would require public universities to hire undocumented students without work permits, warning of legal risks.

The unemployment benefits measure would not have automatically given undocumented immigrants unemployment. Instead it would have required the states Employment Development Department to plan for a permanent program that would provide cash assistance to those workers, who are prohibited from receiving unemployment insurance under state law.

Newsom vetoed a similar bill in 2022 that would have created a pilot program, also citing funding. His finance department had opposed an earlier version of this years measure.

A coalition of more than 120 immigrant and worker rights organizations had pushed for the program to be enacted in an original version of the measure, but the proposal was reduced to a study bill after funding was not included in the budget for the second straight year.

The original version of the bill would have made the estimated 1.1 million undocumented workers in the state eligible for $300 a week in cash payments for the periods they were unemployed in 2025, provided that they meet a number of qualification requirements.

Research from the Community and Labor Center at UC Merced found that undocumented workers contribute billions of dollars annually in state and tax revenues. Advocates contend it is unfair they dont receive benefits from the crucial safety net they are paying into.

California has helped undocumented immigrants who were out of work in the past, though only during emergency situations  the state provided Covid-19 disaster relief assistance in 2020 and aid to undocumented families impacted by winter storms in 2022 and 2023.
Annalena Baerbock, German Foreign Minister, takes part in a press statement on the sidelines of the 79th General Debate of the UN General Assembly. Michael Kappeler/dpa

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock described the situation in the Middle East after the death of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah as "extremely dangerous" and expressed clear criticism of Israel's actions.

"There is a risk of destabilizing the whole of Lebanon. And that is in no way in Israel's security interest," the Green politician told public broadcaster ARD on Saturday.

She asserted that there was a danger of the whole region being further dragged into a spiral of violence. Therefore, she said, Germany, together with the United States, France and several Arab countries, demanded a 21-day ceasefire in the Middle East on Thursday in New York to achieve a diplomatic solution to the conflict.

"The opposite has now happened," Baerbock said. "And now with the recent reports, it must be said clearly: The military logic, that is one thing, in view of the destruction of Hezbollah terrorists. But the security logic is another."
FILE - Visitors pass the Chinese Communist Party flag at the museum of the Communist Party of China in Beijing, Oct. 19, 2023. (AP Photo/Louise Delmotte, File)

WASHINGTON (AP)  When veteran U.S. diplomat Kurt Campbell traveled to the Solomon Islands to counter Beijing's influence in the South Pacific country, he quickly saw just how far China would go to spread its message.

The Biden administrations Asia czar woke up one morning in 2022 to a long article in the local press about the U.S. running chemical and biological labs in Ukraine, a claim that Washington calls an outright lie. Started by Russia, the false and incendiary claim was vigorously amplified by China's vast overseas propaganda apparatus.

It was another example of clearly effective Russian and Chinese disinformation," Campbell told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in July.

Two years later, the claim still reverberates online, demonstrating China's sprawling effort to reshape global perceptions. The campaign, costing many billions per year, is becoming ever more sophisticated thanks to artificial intelligence. China's operations have caught the attention of intelligence analysts and policymakers in Washington, who vow to combat any actions that could influence the November election or undermine American interests.

The key tactic: networks of websites purporting to be legitimate news outlets, delivering pro-China coverage that often parallels official statements and positions from Beijing.

Shannon Van Sant, an adviser to the Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong Foundation, tracked a network of dozens of sites that posed as news organizations. One site mimicked The New York Times, using a similar font and design in what she called an attempt at legitimacy. The site carried strongly pro-Chinese messages.

When Van Sant researched the site's reporters she found no information. Their names didn't belong to any known journalists working in China, and their photos bore telltale signs of being created with AI.

Manipulation of the media is ultimately a manipulation of readers and the audience, and this is damaging to democracy and society, Van Sant said.

Liu Pengyu, spokesman for the Chinese Embassy in the U.S., said allegations that China uses news websites and social media to spread pro-Beijing information and influence public opinion in the U.S. are full of malicious speculations against China, which China firmly opposes.

In addition to its state media, Beijing has turned to foreign players  real or not  to relay messages and lend credibility to narratives favoring the Communist Party, said Xiao Qiang, a research scientist at the School of Information at the University of California, Berkeley. Xiao also is editor-in-chief of China Digital Times, a bilingual news website that aggregates information from and about China.

Beijing's methods are wide-ranging and links to the government are often difficult to prove, Xiao said. But whether it's journalists with American-sounding names or an Indian influencer, the consistently pro-Beijing messages give them away.

"The implicit message is the same  that the Chinese Communist Party works for its people, Xiao said.

Analysts at the cybersecurity firm Logically identified 1,200 websites that had carried Russian or Chinese state media stories. The sites often target specific audiences and have names that sound like traditional news organizations or defunct newspapers.

Unlike Russia or Iran, which have displayed clear preferences in the U.S. presidential campaign, Beijing is more cautious and focused on spreading positive content about China.

While the sites aren't owned by China, they run Chinese content. When Logically looked at content specifically about the U.S. election, 20% could be traced back to Chinese or Russian state media.

There's a decent likelihood that these articles could influence U.S. audiences without them even knowing where it comes from, said Alex Nelson, Logically's senior manager for strategy and analysis.

According to the Gallup World Poll, more countries surveyed view the U.S. positively, but the share of countries where views of both the U.S. and China are negative overall is higher than 15 years ago, signaling the U.S. doesnt appear to be making gains over China.

Some U.S. officials want to increase spending to even the playing field. The House of Representatives this month approved a bill that would authorize $325 million annually through 2027 to counter Chinas global influence, including its disinformation campaigns. The measure still needs Senate approval.

We are in a global competition for influence with China, and if you want to win it, then you cannot do it on a middle-power budget, said Rep. Gregory Meeks, a Democrat from New York.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has demanded a systematic buildup of Chinese narratives that would give his country a global voice commensurate with its international stature.

Beijing has invested in state media such as the Xinhua news agency and China Central Television to convey its messages to global audiences in various languages and platforms. Media groups at the local level are creating international communication centers to build an overseas presence with websites, news channels and social media accounts.

Beijing also has struck media partnerships worldwide, and the article Campbell read in the Solomon Islands is likely a result of those.

Chinas outreach is tied to the global race for economic dominance in electric vehicles, computer chips, AI and quantum computing, said Jaret Riddick, a senior fellow at Georgetown University's Center for Security and Emerging Technology.

The countries that lead on emerging technologies will be the countries that have a great advantage going forward, Riddick said.

To tell its story, Beijing has not shied away from using fake personas. A 2023 State Department report detailed the case of a published writer named Yi Fan, originally described as a Chinese foreign ministry analyst. Yi morphed into a journalist, then became an independent analyst.

Yi's details changed, but the message did not. Through published commentaries and writings, Yi trumpeted close ties between China and Africa, praised Beijings approach to environmental sustainability and argued that China must counter distorted Western narratives.

Then there was Wilson Edwards, a supposed Swiss virologist quoted in Chinese media as a COVID-19 expert who criticized the U.S. response. But Swiss officials found no evidence he existed.

If you exist, we would like to meet you! the Swiss Embassy in Beijing wrote on social media.

___

AP writer Amelia Thomson-DeVeaux contributed from Washington.
Golden Alert canceled for man last seen in London

LONDON, Ky. (FOX 56)  Authorities provided an update late Friday regarding a Golden Alert.

According to the London Police Department, 60-year-old Jerry J. Stewart was located safe around midnight.

LATEST KENTUCKY NEWS:

Previous story:

London police are searching for a missing man.

The London Police Department is asking people to keep their eyes open for 60-year-old Jerry J. Stewart. He was reportedly last seen around 2:30 p.m. on Friday at the Comfort Inn and Suites.

 MISSING IN KENTUCKY

He is described as being 6 feet tall and weighing 200 pounds with gray or partially gray hair, a long beard, and blue eyes.

Police said Jerry recently suffered a stroke, is in the early stages of dementia, and is mostly non-verbal.

He had a two-day-old bus ticket to Knoxville, Tennessee, so authorities said he might have been trying to travel there.

Read more of the latest Kentucky news

Anyone with information about Stewarts whereabouts is asked to contact the London-Laurel County 911 Center at 606-878-7000 or your local law enforcement agency.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 56 News.
Governor Ron DeSantis Saturday morning provided an update on Floridas ongoing response and recovery efforts following Hurricane Helenes impact on the Big Bend region and Gulf Coast.

>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<

Joined by Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM) Executive Director Kevin Guthrie and FEMA Administrator Deanna Criswell in Dekle Beach, the governor outlined the states progress and resources available to affected residents.

As of this morning, 457,858 Floridians remain without power, though the state has already restored power to 1,945,127 accounts. Governor DeSantis also reminded Floridians of Executive Order 24-209, which amended EO 24-208 and declared a state of emergency for 61 counties on September 24.

Statewide Response and Preparedness Efforts:

The Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM) has activated the State Emergency Operations Center to Level 1.

Over 2,000 missions have been launched by the State Emergency Response Team, focusing on staging response resources, protecting critical infrastructure, and coordinating personnel across Florida.

Seven Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) task forces are deployed, having already assisted 560 survivors and rescued 13 individuals.

A Point of Distribution Site (POD) will open today in Leon County, with 34 others planned across the state to distribute essential supplies.

The Florida National Guard (FLNG) has mobilized nearly 3,900 Soldiers and Airmen, rescuing 30 residents so far. The FLNG is also providing critical support with 15 route-clearing teams and 13 rotary-wing aircraft. Mississippi is sending three additional aircraft today.

Florida State Guard (FSG) Deployment:

Personnel and Equipment Ready:

250+ Soldiers prepared for deployment

10 shallow water vessel boat teams

7 flat-bottom flood rescue skiffs

2 amphibious rescue vehicles

2 K-9 search and rescue teams

12 Utility Task Vehicles (UTVs)

15 cut and toss crews

7 search and rescue teams

2 UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters for aerial assessments and logistics

Law Enforcement Coordination:

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) Mutual Aid team is coordinating search and rescue missions and ensuring fuel supplies for first responders.

Status calls are being conducted with the Department of Management Services (DMS) to maintain operational radio communications for law enforcement.

FDLEs Aviation Unit has completed seven aerial survey missions using five aircraft to assess damages in affected counties.

Wildlife Conservation Response:

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) has mobilized over 100 officers and support staff.

Two Special Operations Group teams with 15 officers are assisting residents in Franklin and Gulf counties.

FWC is conducting welfare checks and rescues in coastal communities, successfully rescuing 11 people and six pets in Charlotte County.

[DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks]

Transportation and Infrastructure:

Over 2,100 Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) team members are actively responding to the storms impacts.

61 cut and toss crews worked through the night to clear debris, completely reopening I-10 in under six hours post-landfall.

FDOT has cleared over 12,000 miles of roadway and inspected nearly 1,400 bridges in the impacted areas.

Several key bridges, including the Gandy, Howard Frankland, and Sunshine Skyway, have reopened for traffic.

Damage assessment continues on heavily affected roadways, including a 10-mile stretch of State Road 789, which remains inaccessible due to extreme damage.

Airports:

Status: All airports have reopened.

Note: Travelers should check with airlines directly for specific flight statuses and potential delays.

Rail Services:

Passenger Rail:

Amtrak is operating; passengers should check directly with Amtrak for any service impacts. SunRail is operational.

Freight Rail:

Railroads in impacted areas are currently assessing damage and conducting necessary inspections.



Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA):

AHCA is coordinating health facility reporting to assess evacuation status and resources.

Ninety healthcare facilities have reported evacuations, including nursing homes and hospitals.

All long-term care facilities have generators, and 145 facilities statewide are currently operational with generator power.

AHCA has waived prior authorization requirements for critical Medicaid services and conducted 79 onsite assessments.

Additional Resources:

858 generators, 49 pumps, 262 pieces of heavy equipment, and five Intelligent Transportation System trailers are deployed for response efforts.

The Road Ranger service has been expanded to assist motorists along critical roadways.

NEVER drive through flooded areas. The area of the roadway beneath the water may be washed out or may conceal debris or power lines.

Real-time updates on road closures can be found at FL511.com. Below are specific closures reported:

As recovery efforts continue, residents are reminded to prioritize safety and stay informed through official channels regarding road conditions and available resources.]

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While Vice President Kamala Harris has been riding a wave of Democratic enthusiasm since she launched her campaign in July, she faces an uphill battle among some Democratic voters whose main concern is the Israel-Hamas war, Palestinian advocates say.

One of her biggest challenges is convincing enough of the more than 48,000 Wisconsin voters who cast uninstructed votes in the Democratic primary to protest President Joe Bidens handling of the war that she can do better. Voting uninstructed (or in some states uncommitted) is an option for those who want to vote in the primary but dont support any of the candidates on the ballot.

Those protest votes are significant because Biden beat former President Donald Trump in Wisconsin by just over 20,000 votes in 2020. Barring a shift in party allegiance or a significant change in turnout, those voters who chose uninstructed in the primary could sink Harris campaign if they continue to oppose her.

Opponents of the war want a ceasefire, but an arms embargo would be a significant first step, leaders of the uninstructed movement say. Stopping a war that has cost thousands of innocent lives is a pretty low floor for morality and a pro-peace agenda, said Halah Ahmad, a Milwaukee Palestinian and a spokesperson for Listen to Wisconsin, a group leading the uninstructed voter charge.

The group is urging voters to go to the polls in November but is not promoting either candidate.

I think people are in a really difficult position, thats for sure, Ahmad said. And people feel conflicted in some ways, because, on the one hand, uninstructed voters voted in the Democratic primary. ... But I think people, and in general, dont want to see another Trump presidency.

Ahmad said many voters in the movement are Muslims or from Muslim backgrounds and have seen anti-Muslim and anti-Palestinian incidents increase in the past year, adding they know that Trump represents another threat to our communities.

But they also see the current administration sending billions of dollars in aid to another divisive leader, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, to continue prosecuting the war, Ahmad said.

Weve made it clear that were not trying to make the Harris campaign lose or make Trump win, right? she said. Were trying to make sure that voters dont get erased, voters of conscience dont get erased, and that their demands dont get erased.

Roman Fritz, the lone Wisconsin delegate to the Democratic National Convention to vote present during the nomination of Harris last month, said the vice president needs to produce a coherent plan for a ceasefire.

You know, she says she calls for it, but then again, she turns around and she says her support for Israel is ironclad, Fritz said. She says that shell just keep giving them the exact same military aid, shell continue weapons sales to Israel. And I just think that a ceasefire wont happen with that plan, because Israel wants the war to keep going.

Still, Fritz also said he plans to vote for Harris in November; he just doesnt plan to campaign for her.

I think shes obviously a better option on Gaza than Trump, but Im just not enthusiastic about her and I dont think young people are enthusiastic about her because of the lack of a coherent plan for a ceasefire and an arms embargo on Israel.

For many Muslims, Harris position feels like a betrayal, said Wajiha Akhtar-Khaleel, the assistant director of the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute who also works to amplify the voices of fellow Muslim staff.

But Akhtar-Khaleel also said she saw an incredibly sympathetic candidate in Harris while attending the convention in Chicago as a Wisconsin delegate. She noted Harris has personally called many families who have lost loved ones in Gaza to express her sympathy.

Suffering in Gaza heartbreaking

In her acceptance speech, Harris offered stalwart support for Israel but added: What has happened in Gaza over the past 10 months is devastating.

The scale of suffering is heartbreaking, she said. President Biden and I are working to end this war such that Israel is secure, the hostages are released, the suffering in Gaza ends and the Palestinian people can realize their right to dignity, security, freedom and self-determination.

Gazas Health Ministry has said Israel has killed more than 41,000 Palestinians since the war began on Oct. 7, more than half of whom are women and children. The ministry does not differentiate between Hamas military combatants and civilians. Israel says its killed more than 17,000 enemy combatants during the war.

Hamas fighters killed about 1,200 in the Oct. 7 attacks in Israel, most of them civilians. They took about 250 others hostage and still hold about 100, many of them believed to be dead.

Israel and Hamas have accused each other of undermining proposals to achieve a ceasefire and exchange hostages, arguing each side has made new and untenable demands. The U.S. also recently approved more than $20 billion in military aid to Israel, including more than $18 billion for F-15 fighter jets.

The issue flares up routinely at Harris events. During Harris speech on the second day of the Democratic National Convention, Rabeeha Shawar yelled out, Stop genocide in Gaza if you care about children!

The 73-year-old Franklin resident who was born in Ramallah in the West Bank, Shawar said she may vote independent unless I see something else from Kamala.

Even at the West Allis rally that marked her first major public appearance after officially launching her campaign, Harris faced criticism.

What about Palestine? a man shouted during Harris speech, asking whether 30,000 dead Palestinians mattered to her. The man was escorted from the venue.

And more recently at Harris rally in Madison last week, a group of pro-Palestinian protesters with banners reading No funding for war crimes and fund housing not genocide were escorted out of the event by Dane County sheriffs deputies.

Most support a ceasefire

The Cato Institutes recent poll of 1,500 voters in the battleground states of Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania found 80% of the 500 Wisconsinites polled favor an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. In Michigan and Pennsylvania, 74% and 77% of respondents, respectively, had a similar view.

The poll, conducted Aug. 15-23, also found an even split between likely voters in Wisconsin who favor and oppose sending money and weapons to Israel, at 41% each, with 18% of respondents saying they neither favor nor oppose money and weapons to Israel.

A majority of likely voters in the state also said they support conditions on military aid to Israel or dont support aid at all.

When asked if the U.S. should put any conditions on military aid to Israel, 44% said yes while 22% said no. The rest said they either didnt support aid at all or had no answer.

But a majority of likely voters said the U.S. should send less military aid to Israel or stop sending aid entirely, with 33% saying the U.S. should send less, 25% saying the country should stop sending it altogether. Some 30% said they approved of the current levels of aid, while 12% said aid should be increased.

Likely voters in Wisconsin were also largely split when asked if the current U.S. relationship with Israel does more to strengthen or weaken national security. A slight plurality, 37%, said the current relationship strengthens U.S. security, while 33% said it weakens security. The remaining 31% saw no significant impact in national security.

A large percentage of likely voters, 45%, also had a very or somewhat favorable view of Israel, while 24% had a very or somewhat unfavorable view and 30% said they had neither a favorable nor unfavorable view.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN)  Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee has declared a state of emergency after catastrophic flooding hit swaths of East Tennessee courtesy of Hurricane Helene.

Helene dumped dozens of inches of rain across the Volunteer State Friday, Sept. 27, prompting multiple road closures around Middle and East Tennessee, starting flash floods around the Great Smoky Mountains and causing substantial damage.

Helene made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane late Thursday, Sept. 26 off the panhandle of Florida and into Georgia before weakening to a tropical depression over Tennessee-North Carolina border.

Death toll climbs after Helene slams the South

The governor issued Executive Order No. 105 Friday afternoon. The declaration states Tennessee has requested an Emergency Declaration from the President of the United States, in part, and declared a major disaster and state of emergency beginning at 12:01 a.m. Friday.

During the state of emergency, certain state laws can be suspended to expediate relief efforts in the affected areas, including providing healthcare to individuals harmed by the storms, providing prescription medications, participating in health programs, waiving fees for licenses for people needing photo identification, allowing more vehicles transporting relief supplies to travel on ordinarily closed roads as needed, and more.

The state of emergency lasts until 11:59 p.m. Central Time on Nov. 10, per the executive order.

Multiple road closures were reported in Cocke, Carter and Unicoi counties, where flooding has impacted routes the most.

Dozens of people had to be rescued from the roof of Unicoi County Hospital as flood waters nearly overtook the Ballad Health facility.

Ballad Health: Everyone rescued from Unicoi County Hospital

U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) issued a letter to President Joe Biden asking him to swiftly approve the governors disaster declaration. The letter urges the president to provide the approval as soon as possible, citing the catastrophic flash flooding that has devastated communities across East Tennessee.

Blackburn said some areas of the state received 6 to 10 inches of rain in just 48 hours, mentioning the Unicoi County Hospital rescue operation and more than 75,000 power outages reported in the wake of the storm.

The senator said more rainfall is expected over the weekend in Middle and West Tennessee, warning that more damage is coming to the state.

Blackburns letter was also signed by the entire Tennessee Congressional delegation, including U.S. Sen. Bill Hagerty (R) and U.S. Reps. Chuck Fleischmann (R), Mark Green (R), Tim Burchett (R), Steve Cohen (D), Scott DesJarlais (R), David Kustoff (R), Diana Harshbarger (R), Andy Ogles (R) and John Rose (R).

On Saturday, Sept. 28, Biden approved the Emergency Declaration for Tennessee.

 Read todays top stories on wkrn.com

The Tennessee National Guard has also been activated and is responding in East Tennessee to support state, county and local emergency responders in flood-stricken areas.

Our priority is to rapidly deploy to the affected areas and assist emergency responders with rescue operations, said Tennessees Adjutant General Maj. Gen. Warner Ross. We are monitoring the situation and prepared to support as long as needed to ensure the safety of our fellow Tennesseans.

The Tennessee National Guard earlier deployed to Unicoi County to rescue the physicians, staff and patients trapped on the roof of Unicoi County Hospital Friday. Within an hour of receiving the call for assistance, Tennessee National Guardsmen assigned to the 1-230th Assault Helicopter Battalion in Knoxville assembled three UH-60L Blackhawk helicopters and crew for aerial rescue operations.

All staff and patients were transported to a local high school, and the mission was completed at approximately 3:08 p.m., according to the Tennessee Military Department.

Dont forget to take the power and reliability of the WKRN Weather Authority with you at all times by downloading the News 2 Storm Tracker app.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRN News 2.
A California bill requiring that gas stoves carry labels warning of heath risks posed by harmful levels of nitrogen dioxide and other pollutants was vetoed Friday by Gov. Gavin Newsom. File Photo by S K/Pixabay

Sept. 28 (UPI) -- Calling its provisions "highly prescriptive," Calif. Gov. Gavin Newsom has vetoed a state measure requiring consumer health warning labels to be placed on gas stoves beginning next year.

Assembly Bill 2513, approved by the California Legislature earlier this month, would have required all gas stoves sold in California to display a warning label detailing the health risks associated with pollutants emitted from gas stoves starting on Jan. 1, 2025.

The measure's backers, led by Democratic Assemblymember Gail Pellerin of San Jose, point to evidence indicating gas stoves emit harmful levels of nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, methane, benzene and other pollutants.

One recent study conducted by Stanford University found that increased long-term exposure to indoor nitrogen dioxide emitted from gas stoves has likely caused around 50,000 current cases of pediatric asthma.

The proposed warning label would have read: "WARNING: Gas stoves can release nitrogen dioxide, benzene, carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, and other harmful pollutants into the air, which can be toxic to people and pets. Stove emissions, especially from gas stoves, are associated with increased respiratory disease. Young children, people with asthma, and people with heart or lung disease are especially vulnerable to the toxic effects of combustion pollutants. To help reduce the risk of breathing harmful gases, allow ventilation in the area and turn on a vent hood when gas-powered stoves and ranges are in use."

Newsom, however, said the bill's language was unduly restrictive and stated he was worried that it could have only been changed through another act of the Legislature should the scientific evidence on the health risks evolve.

"While I appreciate the author's intent to provide consumers with information about the products they purchase, I am concerned that this bill codifies highly prescriptive labeling content that could only be changed by a future statutory amendment," he wrote in his veto message.

"This static approach falls short in enabling timely updates to the labeling content that should align with the latest scientific knowledge so that consumers are accurately informed about their purchases."

Environmental activists said they were disappointed by Newsom's veto.

"Gas stove emissions increase the risk of childhood asthma and other respiratory problems, but most people are unaware of this threat," said Jenn Engstrom, director of the California Public Interest Research Group. "Consumers deserve the truth when it comes to the danger of cooking with gas.

"While the governor's veto is a blow for consumers, we will continue to do our part to educate Californians about the risks of gas stove pollution so they can make informed decisions for their homes," she added.
GPS tracking and public tours: The extreme measures the US is taking to prove elections are safe

GPS tracking and public tours: The extreme measures the US is taking to prove elections are safe

Four years after Donald Trump and his loyalists repeated groundless claims of election fraud, counties across the United States are working to ensure 2024 wont be a repeat of 2020 by taking extreme measures to demonstrate that US elections are not rigged.

His allegations about how the 2020 election was stolen spread on social media, resulting in baseless theories circulating, and which left much of the public with residual distrust of the vote-counting process. Those fears havent subsided since 2020 and Trump continues to push the idea that the voting process in 2024 will be flawed.

Officials across the country are now trying to restore voters trust by promoting transparency. Some of those measures include GPS trackers on machines, offering public tours, providing 24/7 video surveillance and educating voters.

The best way to create trust in our election system is to make it as transparent as possible and ensure the public is involved in supporting that process, Colorados Mesa County recorder Bobbie Gross told The Independent.

The pro-Trump district in Colorado is working particularly hard to restore voters trust after one of the countys former clerks, Tina Peters, was charged in August with seven counts related to a security breach during the 2020 election.

The secure rooms, where the countys election equipment lives, are now only accessible with a badge, and even then, workers have to enter in pairs for accountability, Ms Gross said. The county keeps 24/7 camera surveillance on this equipment, including ballot boxes, to ensure security  even when theres not an election going on. If anyone requests video footage, the county will provide it, Ms Gross said.

Recount observers watch ballots during a Milwaukee hand recount in November 2020 (AP)

The county also holds open houses, including one planned for election day, allowing the public to witness the process, inspect the equipment and ask questions, Ms Gross said. Providing the public tours is important, she added, because theres a lot of things that I think the public is not aware of  how an election was conducted and what our checks and balances are  so we really try to make sure that we can get that out to the public.

Perhaps no county was as heavily scrutinised after the 2020 election as Maricopa County, Arizona. Mr Trump won the district in 2016, but famously lost it in 2020, making it the perfect scapegoat for his rigged election claims.

Maricopa County, home to 62 per cent of people who live in Arizona, has become a crucial battleground that can help decide presidential elections.

The county also offers tours of its election area to the public. Before the nearly two-hour tour, individuals are asked to take a survey, rating their confidence in the election system on a scale of one to 10.

We ask them to bring your greatest election fears, bring your greatest election conspiracies: we will address them all, Taylor Kinnerup, the Maricopa County Recorders Office communications director, told The Independent. At the end of the tour, they retake the survey, and people usually give a significantly higher rating.

If going in person isnt an option, Maricopa County also has a transparency tab on its website, offering a virtual tour of the facility.

In Pinal County, Arizona, a historically pro-Trump district southeast of Phoenix, officials took the mission to be more transparent quite literally.

A wall of windows, dubbed the fishbowl, allows onlookers a 360-degree view to easily watch ballots being counted and is part of a new $32m election centre. The 53,000 sq ft centre was constructed in just 16 months to be ready before the July primary election.

When you know in your soul there is nothing to hide, being open about the process is a no-brainer, Pinal County recorder Dana Lewis told The Washington Post. Even when you pull the curtain back, there are still people who lurk in the shadows, but we are going to continue to try with logic, accuracy and reason to combat the narrative of distrust in the elections process.

Pinal Countys fishbowl gives onlookers a 360-degree view to easily watch ballots being counted (Pinal County)

In addition to giving the public more access to their election facilities, counties have implemented measures that appear to put an end to baseless election fraud theories that Trump and his supporters pushed.

Trumps claimed that mules drop off hundreds of fake ballots at drop boxes. Now Pinal County and Maricopa County have installed video cameras to monitor the boxes.

Social media claims of a suspicious bus carrying voting machines spread. But Pinal County has put GPS trackers on the cages that transport election devices, the Post reported. Since election officials know the routes they are supposed to be travelling on, if all the sudden they stop moving  we know theres an issue, Ms Lewis said.

To demonstrate its equipment is not connected to the internet (and therefore cannot be hacked) the wires in Maricopa Countys tabulation centre are exposed. We also have port blockers on all of our machines so [nobody can] put in a stray USB drive and either pull something out or put something in, Ms Kinnerup said.

Mr Trump also promoted a debunked claim that people were stuffing ballot boxes with fake ballots. But printing off fake ballots that result in votes is just not possible, Ms Gross said. Each envelope boasts a signature, which goes through a verification process, and each envelope also contains the individuals voter ID, giving the person voter credit. At the end of the election, Mr Gross said three components have to match: I have to have the same amount of voter credit as I do envelopes to ballots tabulated.

If a ballot is flagged as suspicious, the ballot is not counted, but referred to the district attorney for review.

I would never tell anybody that fraud doesnt happen in the election, because we typically see fraud in every election. Is it to the point that would change the outcome of an election? No, I have not seen it on that scale, Ms Gross said.

Mesa County, Arizona, is working on another project to ensure more trust. Voters may soon be able to hand-count the ballots at home  digitally. Once any personal information is redacted, the image of the ballot can be posted online, showing how it was marked and read.

People line up to vote in Atlanta in 2020 (Getty)

While trying to bolster voters trust that elections are fair and safe, counties have also enhanced measures to ensure election workers are safe.

I think the more seeds of doubt that are sowed in public sentiment, the greater the risk is to the safety of those who are performing the work, Ms Kinnerup said.

Since the rhetoric that swirled during the 2020 election, threats against election workers have mounted. Four secretaries of state have received death threats since 2020 while a recent Brennan Center for Justice survey showed that 38 percent of local election officials experienced threats, harassment or abuse for doing their jobs.

The threats have been so severe that Cobb County, a swing district in Georgia, is considering introducing panic buttons; Mesa County will employ security at its central counting facility on election day; Maricopa County has installed a black iron fence surrounding the building, requiring badge access for entry.

In 2023, envelopes containing fentanyl and other substances were sent to election offices across the country. Now, Ms Gross said Mesa County is offering personal protective equipment for those opening ballot envelopes.

Given these new measures, counties seem hopeful that they will have debunked any conspiracy theories before they crop up.

Going into this election, were going to be more on offence rather than defence, Ms Kinnerup said. In 2020, we had never been faced with this level of questions. We had never experienced this amount... this amount of distrust. And I think now that weve spent the past four years kind of preparing for that.
ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC)  Two Buffalo men have been arrested after an AR-15-style rifle, which had been stolen from a Greece Police officers personal vehicle, was recovered in Buffalo.

According to GPD, the rifle was stolen on July 9 from the officers vehicle between 10:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. when it was parked at an ESPORTA on West Ridge Road in Greece.

Stolen Greece Police rifle found in Buffalo

Officers say 41-year-old Pierre McCullen and 53-year-old Christopher McCullen have been charged with three counts of Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the third degree, Grand Larceny in the third degree, and Criminal Mischief in the fourth degree.

Photos curtesy of GPD

Greece Police say both men had prior criminal convictions. The arrests were made as a result of an ongoing investigation by Greece Criminal Investigation Division Detectives with assistance from the Buffalo Police Department.

News 8 has reached out to Greece Police Department to determine whether or not any disciplinary actions will be taken against the officer who had the weapon stolen from his vehicle and have not yet received a response.

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SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO)  The 2024 homeownership application period for Habitat for Humanity of Greater Sioux Falls opens on October 1st.

Every year, the organization helps families get into affordable homes. Elizabeth Denoyer has been the proud owner of her Habitat home for a year now.

Honoring McCrossan Boys Ranchs Berniece, Jerry Mayer

A three bedroom house is just not affordable on one income in Sioux Falls, so yeah thats one thing thats good about Habitat. They make it very affordable, Denoyer said.

So were kind of serving a segment of our community that can afford a mortgage but cant afford todays market, Lisa Ross, homeowner services coordinator with Habitat for Humanity of Great Sioux Falls, said. So they cant afford the homes that are for sale with a traditional bank loan. Theres a whole lot of people in that category.

Now Habitat for Humanity wants to help even more people.

Everybody has seen that the cost of living has definitely increased over the past few years, Ross said. So, in order for people to afford the homes that were selling, right now weve had to bump up our income range. So, were serving people 45 to 75 percent of area median income.

Denoyer is glad she made the decision to apply for a house with Habitat, adding the experience has given her more than just a new home.

You help build your home or other peoples homes, Denoyer said. You learn how to work with tools and they teach you, you go through classes and you learn financial, you go through financial classes and stuff. Its quite a learning process and its good things to learn.

If youd like to learn more about the application process, Habitat will be at the Downtown Siouxland Library on Monday, Sept. 30th, from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and 4 to 6:30 p.m. If you cant make it next Monday, theyll be back at the library on Monday, October 7th.

To learn more about the program and the income guidelines, click here.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KELOLAND.com.
Half-naked sex fiend charged with NYC attempted rape was once given just 15 days behind bars for public sex crimes

The half-naked sex fiend charged with attempting to rape a woman in a Manhattan subway was free to commit the brutal attack after he was given just 15 days in jail last year for two public sex crimes, The Post has learned.

Lamel Batten, 44  a homeless career criminal and gangbanger with 51 prior busts  got the 2023 wrist slap in connection to a pair of separate lewd acts he committed on Manhattan trains, the DAs Office said.

Lamel Batten served just 15 days for allegedly pleasuring himself in front of women in March of 2023 and December of 2022. Obtained by NY Post

That wasnt the only time that Batten could have been taken off the street for an extended period but wasnt, as he was busted this year for stealing two laptops but only spent four months in jail, despite his dozens of previous arrests.

In fact, the reputed gang member had five open warrants at the time he allegedly tried to rape a woman at the 116th Street/Columbia University subway station around 11:45 p.m. Wednesday, sources said.

How do we say were the safest big city in America when a guy like this is walking around on the streets doing this to innocent, unsuspecting women? one law enforcement source told The Post.

When do we say enough is enough when we put somebody like this away?

The 15-day sentence stemmed from two cases. The first was for allegedly pleasuring himself in front of a woman inside the 145th Street No. 1 train station on Dec. 21, 2022.

That woman snapped his photo and reported the sicko to police, according to a criminal complaint.

In the second case, Batten allegedly masturbated in front of a 31-year-old woman on an uptown No. 1 train approaching the 181st Street train station on March 15, 2023, cops said.

In a March 24, 2023 global disposition on both cases, Batten pleaded guilty to two counts of public lewdness, a class B misdemeanor, and was handed the two-week sentence.

Then on March 6 of this year, Batten was sentenced to just six months behind bars for allegedly stealing two laptops from an Upper West Side Citizens Bank, according to the Manhattan DAs Office.

He spent time in lock-up from March 14 through July 12, a rep from the citys Department of Correction said.

Batten has a total of 51 prior busts, mostly for public lewdness, resisting arrest and narcotics possession, sources said. NYPD

He also has five bench warrants in connection to disorderly conduct and petit larceny cases in the Bronx, all issued on April 24, according to sources.

He continued his pervy antics just weeks ago  when he was caught masturbating on the No. 1, 2, 3 platforms at the 96 Street and Broadway station around 8 p.m. on Sept. 4, according to a criminal complaint.

The charges were not bail-eligible and Manhattan prosecutors requested supervised release.

Then came the most recent, most violent crime

Batten allegedly pounced on a 21-year-old woman as she got off a platform bench at the 116th Street  Columbia University subway station around 11:45 p.m. Wednesday.

Batten  naked with his pants down  allegedly threw the victim against a wall in the No. 1 train station before he violently snatched her shirt down and shoved his face between her breasts, sources said.

The perv then allegedly tried to take off her pants, but the victim managed to break away and ran to the mezzanine level of the station, where she told cops about the disgusting attack, according to sources.

Batten was arrested at the scene and charged with attempted rape, cops said.

His arraignment in connection to the sick offense was still pending Friday evening.

Batten, a member of the violent street gang Nine Trey, has a rap sheet of 51 prior busts  mostly for public lewdness, resisting arrest and drug possession, sources said.

He served his first state prison stint from October of 2010 to March of 2012 on charges related to drug sales, Corrections records show.

He was back behind bars in December of 2017 for criminal possession of a controlled substance and was granted parole less than a year later.
New Hampshire State Police searching for missing woman near Ossipee

New Hampshire State Police issued a silver alert Friday night as they searched for a missing woman last seen near Ossipee.

Carol Gemmiti, 66, is described as 56 and 120 pounds, according to New Hampshire State Police.

Police say she was last seen wearing gray sweatpants and a sweater on Bay Point in Ossipee.

Anyone who sees Gemmiti or has information about her whereabouts should notify the Ossipee Police Department at (603) 539-2284.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.

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-The following comments were made to Reuters after Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah was killed by the Israeli military in a powerful airstrike in Beirut.

Hezbollah confirmed he had been killed, without saying how.

ROSEMARY KELANIC, DIRECTOR OF MIDDLE EAST PROGRAM AT DEFENSE PRIORITIES

"The killing of Hassan Nasrallah, Hezbollahs leader, by an Israeli airstrike in Lebanon will not fundamentally alter the course of this conflict. Decapitation strikes against terrorist leaders almost never result in an organizations collapse. Collapse is especially unlikely when the targeted organization is old, entrenched, and far-reaching, as in the case of Hezbollah. Killing Nasrallah does not substitute for having a theory of victory for how this conflict ends.

"Nasrallahs death doesnt change anything for the United States either, except that it further complicates American efforts to negotiate a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah to prevent more bloodshed. The U.S. has no direct national security interest in this conflict. Washington should work more on staying out of the regions troubles and less on trying to manage it with arms and troop deployments."

MEHRAN KAMRAVA, PROFESSOR OF GOVERNMENT AT GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY, QATAR

"There's a mixture of apprehension in the region's Arab capitals, and also a sense of joy  hidden joy  because, as you know, none of the conservative Arab states have been particularly fond of Hezbollah. In the regional capitals in particular, there is kind of an apprehension that (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu's expansion of the war would indeed succeed. He already has brought in Lebanon, and there is also some kind of relief that Hassan Nasrallah has been removed."

"From Tehran's perspective, even if the worst-case scenario has already happened, they are not going to act. Tehran has a doctrine called strategic patience, whereby they play the long game. And I think that doctrine will continue. They are reluctant to engage Israel in any direct way."

AZIZ ALGHASHIAN, SAUDI ANALYST SPECIALISING IN GULF-ISRAEL TIES

"There is clearly no love lost between Saudi Arabia and Hezbollah. They find Hezbollah very disruptive in the region ... With that said, the Saudis are not thinking short-term or shortsightedly. Yes, he may be gone, yes there is no love lost, but the Saudis are not thinking emotionally, they are thinking rationally. They are thinking now with concern about how this will have ramifications in the region. Moreover, they are probably wondering what the opportunities are that could come up from this. The reality is time will tell ... These are unbelievable developments. We are seeing things we did not think to see in a while."

ABDULLAH BAABOOD, NON-RESIDENT SCHOLAR AT CARNEGIE MIDDLE EAST CENTRE AND CHAIR FOR ISLAMIC AREA STUDIES AT WASEDA UNIVERSITY, JAPAN:

"I doubt if Iran will respond because Iran withstood an even much more obvious attack on its soil and did not respond directly. I think Iran would want to avoid doing that at all costs ... They understand that Netanyahu wants to implicate them and also, by extension, get them into an open conflict or open war with the United States."

MOHANAD HAGE ALI OF THE CARNEGIE MIDDLE EAST CENTER

His assassination could mean many things. It depends, basically, on how the transition happens within the organization. It might fall down, into someone who's unknown. It's all up in the air, but as an organization, it has been significantly downgraded in terms of reputation, military capability, leadership. I think the ability to spring back and stand on their feet has been significantly diminished.

"This is a huge organization. Nasrallah was basically keeping them together. It was the glue of the organization."

(Reporting by Pesha Magid in Ryadh, Andrew Mills in Doha, Samia Nakhoul in London and Andrea Shalal in Washington DCEditing by William Maclean and Frances Kerry)
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO)  If youre looking to step out of the ordinary this weekend, a world of pop culture and fandom awaits at the Sioux Falls Convention Center.

Costumes will be a common sight at SiouxperCon, especially princes and princesses, as Happily Ever After is the theme of this years event.

The richest rodeo in South Dakota is now even richer

In South Dakota, with only three comic book shops, we couldnt be just a comic book convention so we created a fan festival. Family Day, Kids Zone, you name it we try to touch everything for people to just come out and feel empowered, celebrate that inner child and have a great time, SiouxperCon Director Shane Gerlach said.

Fairytales are just the tip of the iceberg, as more than 160 vendors have set up shop for the three-day event.

Everything from woodwork to plushies to candles to things youre not going to find as your usual stores around this area, Gerlach said. To name all of them, wed be here until the 10:00 news (laugh), Gerlach added.

As soon as someone ignites one, the look on their face, their eyes just light up and theyre just like oh my gosh, this is awesome, WC Sabers owner Mike Chaffin said. WC Sabers is in Des Moines, Iowa.

Chaffin has been building lightsabers since 2018.

Were going to have a lot of lightsabers here. Were actually going to have it where people can actually build lightsabers over to the left here. Weve also got handcrafted signs that my wife does, a lot of custom signs, and its all based off of geek and nerdom, so all the fanbase stuff, Chaffin said.

The event doesnt end with vendors. There are cosplay contests, a film festival, panels, even professional wrestling, but at its core SiouxperCon is a fundraiser.

Fifty-five staff members, none of us get paid, so all of us have full-time jobs and we do this to raise money for Make-A-Wish, the JY6 Foundation, and Reach Literacy, so after we pay the bills we give away all the money and then come out in the community and beg you all for money so I can throw a party again next year, Gerlach said.

The opening day of SiouxperCon runs until midnight Friday night, and continues Saturday and Sunday at the Sioux Falls Convention Center and Arena.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KELOLAND.com.
Vice President Harris pledged to sign a new version of the failed bipartisan Senate border deal at a campaign event in Douglas, Ariz., on Friday, touting a law enforcement vision of border management and panning former President Trump for politicizing the issue.

In her first visit to the U.S.-Mexico border in three years, Harris told supporters at Cochise College Douglas Campus that she would further strengthen the asylum restrictions that have played a part in reducing border crossings since May.

It was the strongest border security bill we have seen in decades, Harris said. It was endorsed by the Border Patrol union, and it should be in effect today, producing results in real time right now for our country. But Donald Trump tanked it. He picked up the phone and called some friends in Congress and said, stop the bill, because, you see, he prefers to run on a problem instead of fixing a problem, and the American people deserve a president who cares more about border security than playing political games and their personal political future.

And so even though Donald Trump tried to sabotage the border security bill, it is my pledge to you that as president of the United States, I will bring it back up and proudly sign it into law.

Harris also proposed a 5-year bar on reentry for people who cross the border between ports of entry as well as heightened criminal penalties for repeat border crossers.

But Harris also pledged to work toward immigration reform among other measures by improving the asylum system and granting a path to citizenship for longtime undocumented residents.

We need clear legal pathways for people seeking to come into our country, and we must make our current system work better. For example, it can take years for asylum claims to be decided. Well, this is a problem we can solve, including by hiring more asylum officers and expanding processing centers in peoples home countries, and as president, I will work with Congress to create, at long last, a pathway to citizenship for hard, working immigrants who have been here for years, for years, she said.

Harris, who was preceded at the podium by Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) and Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes, delivered her remarks at a campaign event on Friday evening in Arizona, a time when the East Coast has mostly checked out for the weekend.

Harris was introduced by Teresa Guerrero, a native Arizonan who told the audience that her son Jacob died of accidental fentanyl poisoning.

When I heard what Vice President Harris had to say at the Oprah town hall, I knew she was going to be a fighter for me, for Jacob and for families like ours, who have lost our loved ones. Vice President Harris understands what fentanyl has done to families and to kids in this country, said Guerrero.

Thats why she backed the bipartisan border deal, the one Trump tanked, that would have allowed us to stem the flow of fentanyl, and its why shes here in Douglas, a town that my husband grew up in, and where we have so much family.

Harriss message was crafted for a border state with a Senate race where Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) is running far ahead of GOP nominee Kari Lake, while neither Harris nor Trump has managed to get a clear lead in the state.

I think this is for Arizona. They want to play there. They want to win, said Kristian Ramos, a Democratic strategist.

Kelly touted the bipartisan infrastructure law, which expanded Douglas ports of entry to separate personal and commercial traffic, a unique border issue thats usually overlooked on a national stage.

[The border] creates opportunities, opportunities with cross-border trade and exchange that helps fuel the economy here and across our entire state, said Kelly.

But heres the thing, it also creates some challenges. And we know that. But border communities and border states like Arizona deserve leaders who are focused on solving those challenges.

Harris also touted the expansion of border crossings in her remarks, as well as increased overtime pay for Border Patrol agents.

Most polls show Harris lagging behind Trump when it comes to immigration  a recent Ipsos poll found that 44 percent of voters said Trump has a better plan on immigration than Harris, who got the nod from 33 percent of respondents.

In Arizona, a USA Today/Suffolk University poll released Friday found Trump with a 6-point lead in the state. The Decision Desk HQ average of polls has Trump ahead by 0.8 percent in Arizona.

Harris has tried to make up that difference by portraying Trump as opportunistic on the border, often using the defunct bipartisan Senate border deal as a cudgel.

Hayes also pushed that message, driving home the idea that Trump and Republicans have sought to benefit from an image of a dangerous and chaotic border, a portrayal that often irks border communities.

And I dont need to tell you, but the alternative could not be worse. Donald Trump and JD Vance do not care about fighting for a safe America. They said no to securing the border because they thought it would help them politically. On every issue, from the economy to the border, theyve made clear that they are in it for themselves, not for you, said Mayes.

Harris also used Trumps record on immigration as an attack line.

In the four years that Donald Trump was president, he did nothing to fix our broken immigration system. He did not solve the shortage of immigration judges. He did not solve the shortage of border agents. He did not create lawful pathways into our nation. He did nothing to address an outdated asylum system, and did not work with other governments in our hemisphere to deal with what clearly is also a regional challenge, she said.

Harriss immigration policy prescriptions were the most detailed of her presidential campaign so far.

Still, her defense of the Senate deal is a double-edged sword: Harris has successfully sold the idea that Trump scuttled the deal because he believed it would work, but the deals asylum restrictions remain divisive among Democrats.

Members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) remain opposed to the deal, which was crafted behind closed doors without the groups input.

If this bill is going to come in any form, it has to go through the CHC first, said CHC Chair Rep. Nanette Barragan (D-Calif.) in a recent interview with The Hill.

The bipartisan deal provided for tough limitations on asylum for migrants who cross the border between ports of entry; the Biden administration implemented many of those restrictions via executive fiat in June, and is reportedly planning on making those limits permanent before the end of President Bidens term in office.

The asylum restrictions, coupled with harsh immigration law enforcement in Mexico, have resulted in much lower border crossings, but immigrant advocates say those lower numbers have come at the cost of increased human rights violations.

In the Tucson Border Patrol Sector, where Douglas is located, Border Patrol apprehensions fell to 11,992 in August  the lowest number since January 2021  from a peak of 80,184 in December.

Crossings at legal ports of entry in the sector, including Douglass Raul H. Castro Port of Entry, have risen since 2021, but remained relatively stable during fiscal year 2024, registering 3,759 encounters in August.

Encounters at ports of entry include migrants who apply for humanitarian programs and those who have made appointments through the CBP One app, but not immigrants and non-immigrant foreign nationals crossing the border with visas.

Harris earlier Friday visited the Raul H. Castro facility for a briefing on stopping fentanyl, and talked to two Border Patrol agents along a section of border wall that was built under former President Obamas watch in 2012.

Republicans attempted to pre-empt Harris remarks publishing a letter addressed to Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-Texas) by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) acting Director Patrick Lechleitner.

The letter contained data on the number of foreign nationals in the United States who are either convicted or are pending criminal charges, including those detained by ICE and those at large.

According to Lechleitner, there are 425,431 foreign national convicts and 222,141 foreign nationals pending criminal charges not detained by ICE.

Weve known for far too long that the Biden-Harris border crisis poses a direct threat to Americans. The truth is clearillegal immigrants with a criminal record are coming into our country. The data released by ICE is beyond disturbing, and it should be a wake-up call for the Biden-Harris administration and cities across the country that hide behind sanctuary policies, said Gonzales in a statement.

The ICE data does not refer only to undocumented immigrants, nor people who have entered the United States during the Biden administration, rather to the number of people among the population of more than 46 million non-citizens who have either been convicted of or charged with crimes.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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Watch: What Harris didnt tell you about her immigration plans

Kamala Harris speaks at a campaign event at Cochise College Douglas Campus in Arizona during her border visit on Friday - Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Kamala Harris stepped out of her motorcade and on to a dusty desert road to view a stretch of Americas border wall with Mexico.

Surveying the scene, dressed informally in light brown jacket and sunglasses in the 37C heat, she may well have contemplated the significance of the tall, rust-coloured railings to her hopes of winning the White House on Nov 5.

If the US vice-president loses to Donald Trump, voters concerns around her ability to address border security and immigration levels will have a great deal to do with it.

In travelling to southern Arizona on Friday, Ms Harris hoped to confront her biggest electoral vulnerability head-on.

Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris tours the border wall with Border Patrol agents, near Tucson, in Douglas, Arizona on Friday - Kevin Lamarque/Reuters

With Trump painting her as the face of the Biden administrations unpopular legacy on immigration, this was an attempt to shake off suggestions she has been absent on the issue and take the fight to her Republican opponent.

While she was focused on commonsense solutions for immigration reform, she told supporters in the battleground state, Trump was playing the same old political games.

In her tour of the border wall, she met with patrol agents in the border town of Douglas and described the tough job they were doing. And so Im here to talk with them about what we can continue to do to support them, she said, as well as thanking them for their hard work.

US Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona with Kamala Harris at the Bisbee Douglas International Airport in Douglas, Arizona - Rebecca Noble/AFP

Speaking at a rally on a college campus in the small town later, Ms Harris promised tough new action to tighten the numbers of people entering the country.

The measures involved imposing stricter, and longer-lasting restrictions on asylum claims than her boss, Joe Biden.

I will take further action to keep the border closed between ports of entry, she said. Those who cross our borders unlawfully will be apprehended, removed and barred from re-entering for five years,she said, pledging severe punishments for repeat offenders.

The proposal is an attempt to claw back ground from Trump, who polls show is handily beating her on the issue with voters with stringent proposals including a mass deportation programme.

Ms Harris painted her Republican rival as an opportunist, responsible for sabotaging bipartisan efforts to pass the strongest border security bill we have seen in decades to deny Democrats a victory on the issue in an election year.

Donald Trump tanked it, she said, because he prefers to run on a problem instead of fixing a problem. She promised to bring back the legislation and sign it into law.

Kamala Harris speaks with media at the Douglas Port of Entry at the US-Mexico border - Rebecca Noble/AFP

The reality, however, is more complicated. Many of the levers to reduce immigration  both legal and illegal  already exist. They simply lack enforcement.

Moreover, the power to enact the sweeping border legislation she promises does not rest in her hands, but in the US Congress, a body so polarised it has been crippled with inaction for years.

The political will of members of Congress to revive and push through border legislation remains hard to predict. The new balance of power on Capitol Hill will be determined by Novembers elections.

Immigration  always a difficult topic for Democratic candidates  has been a particular millstone for Ms Harris since Mr Biden made it a part of her portfolio.

She carved out a brief that involved addressing a root cause of illegal immigration: the upward travel from central America. It has proved somewhat successful  figures show migration from El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras to the US has fallen by 35 per cent in the Biden administration.

It has not stopped Republicans branding Ms Harris a failed border tsar, with migration from other countries increasing, and the US reaching a record two million illegal crossings in a year under the Biden administration.

While border apprehensions have since fallen dramatically, Republicans were quick to point out that Ms Harriss trip to the southern border on Friday is only her second as vice-president, and her first in more than three years.

But it signalled her willingness to rebuff Republican attacks, and highlight Trumps role in the collapse of a bipartisan bill that would have poured billions of dollars into border security.

He did nothing to fix [the situation], she told a crowd of several hundred supporters at her rally.

Behind her hung a large American flag and two all-capital signs reading: BORDER SECURITY AND STABILITY.

Some of the audience at the Harris rally in Douglas, Arizona - Rebecca Noble/AFP

The location for Ms Harriss visit was carefully selected. Douglas, a small Democrat-leaning town of around 16,000 in the battleground state of Arizona, is one of the busiest sections of Americas roughly 2,000-mile border with Mexico.

Its port of entry also happens to have received a $400 million cash injection thanks to the Biden administrations infrastructure package. The stretch of border wall Ms Harris toured was built not under Trump, but the Obama administration.

Amid the tough rhetoric, there were attempts to tread a delicate balance as Ms Harris accused Trump of fanning the flames of fear and division.

She went on to reference the so-called dreamers  the undocumented immigrants given a pathway to citizenship under Mr Obama.

I reject the false choice that suggests we must either choose between securing our border or creating a system of immigration that is safe, orderly and humane, she said. We can and we must do both.

It was a pitch that may appeal to Hispanic voters, an increasingly influential demographic in Arizona  a state that will be critical to determining the White House  and where Trump still holds a narrow lead.

Donald Trump listens to questions during a Town Hall event at Macomb Community College in Warren, Michigan, on Friday - Emily Elconin/Getty Images

From Trump Tower in Manhattan, the Republican former president noted his opponent keeps talking about how she supposedly wants to fix the border.

We would merely ask, why didnt she do it four years ago? Its a very simple question, he added.

The National Border Patrol Council (NPBC), which represents around 18,000 border agents, appeared to agree. She goes down there for 20 minutes for a photo op and decides to repeat some of the things the NPBC has said before. But again, where has she been the last 3 years, it said in a tweet.

As Ms Harris departed in her motorcade, ready to return to Air Force Two, the trail of cars once again conjured a cloud of dust along the desert road.

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Kamala Harris has stretched her lead over Donald Trump in the US presidential election race, the latest polling averages show, even while the two candidates appear to be running neck-and-neck in most battleground states.

The Guardians newest poll tracker, based on a range of surveys conducted across a 10-day period, shows the vice-president and Democratic nominee at 48.2%, compared with 44.4% for Trump, the Republican candidate and former president  giving Harris a 3.8-point advantage.

Thats one point up from the lead she held a week ago and broadly consistent with most  though not all  recent survey findings.

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To put it in perspective, the polling analysis website 538, also known as Five Thirty Eight, gave Harris a 2.9-point advantage on Friday morning, smaller than the Guardians advantage but within range. The site translated that into Harris having a 58% chance of winning Novembers election, against 42% for Trump.

The caveat with national polls is that the election outcome is almost certain to be decided by who wins certain key swing states under Americas electoral college system.

Nevertheless, the fact that Harriss national poll lead may be increasing  even by small margins  may turn out to be significant.

Polling suggests that Harris is likely to win the popular vote  Democratic candidates have done so in five out of the past six presidential elections in the 21st century, yet Republicans eked out a victory in two of those contests.

The first was in 2000, when George W Bush edged out Al Gore  despite losing the nationwide tally by around 540,000 votes  after a weeks-long court battle to decide who had won Florida, where thousands of ballots were disputed.

More recently, Trump triumphed in the electoral college in 2016 thanks to wafer-thin victory margins in the three blue-wall states of Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin despite gaining about 2.7m fewer votes than Hillary Clinton across the nation.

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The prospects of a repeat 2016 scenario are a recurring nightmare in the minds of many Democrats.

However, Harry Enten, CNNs data analyst, painted a rosier outlook for Harris stemming from her range of national poll leads. Although his own networks latest survey gave her only a narrow, one-point advantage, Enten acknowledged that other polls reflected a bigger lead, some as large as six points.

We talk about these national polls, but the bottom line is, its a race to 270 [electoral college votes], he said. One way you can kind of get at this is: [what are] Harriss chances, given a popular vote margin? And whats the chance you win the electoral college?

Continuing the theme, Enten argued that Trump would have an electoral college advantage if the national vote were tallied with the CNN poll that gave Harris a single-point lead  but that this would disappear if she were to win the national vote by a wider margin as suggested by other polls and reflected in the Guardian tracker.

If you model it out, and we sort of get where that CNN poll is  plus one  I think Donald Trump would be favoured in the electoral college. Harris would just have a 33% chance of winning, he said. But if you get closer to where the average poll is, a plus-two to plus-three margin, then Harris is a slight favourite in the electoral college.

The longstanding assumption underpinning that argument  common to pollsters and political partisans alike and reinforced by Trumps 2016 winning-while-losing feat  is that Republicans have a natural advantage in the electoral college, meaning that a Democratic candidate needs to win the popular vote by a significant margin to be sure of securing the 270 electoral votes essential for victory.

Nate Cohn, the New York Times chief poll analyst, argued that there was evidence that this GOP advantage was being eroded.

Cohn detected the trend, counterintuitively, in a New York Times/Siena poll that showed Harris and Trump tied nationally at 47%  while the Democratic nominee is leading by an impressive four points in Pennsylvania, arguably the most important swing state of all.

Theres growing evidence to support a surprising possibility: [Trumps] once formidable advantage in the electoral college is not as ironclad as many presumed. Instead, it might be shrinking, Cohn argued.

He went on: According to the New York Times polling average, it does not seem that Kamala Harris will necessarily need to win the popular vote by much to prevail.

The reason, roughly summarised, is that while Harris is sustaining narrow leads in Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin  three states that would be enough to get the vice-president to the coveted 270 electoral votes  Trump is polling better than four years ago in states he still has little chance of winning.

On the one hand, Ms Harris is holding her own in Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, Cohn wrote, while cautioning that her lead was tenuous. The second half of the explanation, oddly, is that Mr Trump is gaining in non-competitive states like New York, improving his position in the national popular vote without helping him in the most important states.

With just over five weeks to go before polling day, none of this is predictive of a final outcome. But it may just suggest a scenario where the candidate destined for the White House is the one who wins the most votes  which, after all, is how democracy is meant to work.

 This article was amended on 29 September 2024. An earlier version said that Kamala Harris had a 3.6-point advantage instead of 3.8. It was also amended to clarify that 538s prediction was not based only on national polling.
Kamala Harris talks with John Modlin, the chief patrol agent for the Tucson sector of the U.S. Border Patrol, right, and Blaine Bennett, the border patrol agent in charge of the Douglas station, on Friday. (Carolyn Kaster / Associated Press)

Amid relentless criticism from former President Trump that she is responsible for out-of-control illegal immigration, Vice President Kamala Harris on Friday made her first visit to the U.S.-Mexico border since 2021, announcing more stringent measures she would take as president to restrict border entry.

The United States is a sovereign nation, and I believe we have a duty to set rules at our border, and to enforce them, Harris told a crowd in Douglas, Ariz., gathered in a small auditorium at Cochise College Douglas Campus, where the stage was flanked by large signs that read, "Border security and stability." We are also a nation of immigrants. The United States has been enriched by generations of people who have come from every corner of the world to contribute to our country and to become part of the American story.

Harris said she would go beyond Biden administration policies to further restrict border access outside of official ports of entry.

Earlier in the afternoon, Harris visited a port of entry less than 10 miles from the campaign event. Two Border Patrol agents walked with her along the towering fence, which was built during the Obama administration. Harris later told reporters that she had thanked them for their work.

Read more: Iranian operatives charged in the U.S. with hacking Trump's presidential campaign

Theyve got a tough job and they need, rightly, support to do their job. They are very dedicated," she said. "And so I'm here to talk with them about what we can continue to do to support them."

She advocated for hiring more officers and adding more fentanyl detection systems at border entry points.

"I reject the false choice that suggest we must either choose between securing our border or creating a system of immigration that is safe, orderly and humane," Harris said. "We can and we must do both."

Immigration reform has bedeviled presidents of both parties for decades.

A bipartisan proposal earlier this year that combined increased funding for border security and foreign aid for Ukraine appeared to be the first breakthrough until it was derailed when Trump urged Republicans to oppose it.

Kamala Harris speaks at Cochise College Douglas Campus in Douglas, Ariz., on Friday. (Carolyn Kaster / Associated Press)

That deal fell short of comprehensive plans discussed for decades that would revamp the asylum system and the legal immigration process and provide a pathway to citizenship for an estimated 11 million people in the country without legal authorization, including those who arrived as children. Harris on Friday mentioned farm workers and immigrants who arrived as children, known as "Dreamers."

As president, I will put politics aside to fix our immigration system and find solutions to problems which have persisted for far too long, Harris said.

In advance of Harris' visit to the border, Trump pointed to reports that there are more than 425,000 convicted criminals who are in the country illegally but not detained by federal authorities, according to data provided by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in response to a lawmaker's request.

That includes more than 13,000 convicted of homicide and more than 15,800 convicted of sexual assault, according to the ICE data shared on X, formerly Twitter, by Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-Texas).

Trump said Thursday that 21 million people entered the country illegally in just the last four years. He framed the bipartisan effort that he helped defeat as her atrocious border bill.

It was not a border bill. It was an amnesty bill ... , he said at a news conference in Manhattan. Fortunately Congress was too smart for it.

The bill would not have provided a path to citizenship for people who lack legal status.

The GOP nominees appearance at Trump Tower was reminiscent of his 2015 campaign announcement there, notably his references to other nations purposefully sending criminals to the United States.

His remarks included multiple falsehoods, such as saying Harris approved a raft of changes to the nations immigration policies that as vice president she had no control over, and that she was the Biden administrations "border czar." She had been charged with trying to improve conditions in Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras to stop those nations' residents from fleeing their homelands.

That assignment has been a political headache for Harris  drawing criticism from the left and right.

In a 2021 visit to Central America, Harris told would-be migrants that they would be deported if they crossed the border, angering allies of immigrants who said they were fleeing poverty, corruption and violence.

Do not come, she said at the time. You will be turned back.

On the same trip, Harris laughed off questions in a nationally televised interview about why she had not yet visited the border as vice president, inflaming critics on the right.

Both political parties are hyper-focused on immigration because while the presidential race is very tight in the polling, Trump has a double-digit edge on the issue of border security. That edge has narrowed, however, since President Biden decided not to seek reelection and Harris garnered the support to become the Democratic presidential nominee.

Border stops hit a record in December, with agents making nearly 250,000 arrests. As the political problem raged, Biden signed an order in June to heavily restrict asylum claims, prompting a sharp drop in border encounters, to fewer than 60,000 in July and August.

Read more: Trump's rhetorical walkabouts: A sign of 'genius' or cognitive decline?

Republicans have been hammering the issue, with GOP members of Congress filing a resolution that strongly condemns the Biden Administration and its Border Czar, Kamala Harriss, failure to secure the United States border one day after the president announced he would not seek reelection.

While some of the former president and his allies claims are demonstrably false and have been denounced by GOP elected officials, such as allegations that Haitian migrants are eating pets in Springfield, Ohio, concerns among some voters about the impact of an insecure border on the economy, crime and the fentanyl crisis are palpable in many communities.

Friday's visit was Harris' second to Arizona since she became the Democratic presidential nominee, according to the Harris-Walz campaign. While Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff and others have swung through the southwestern battleground state, Harris has focused much of her in-person campaigning in critical states farther east, such as Pennsylvania, Michigan and Georgia.

Hours before the vice president landed in Arizona, Republicans held a press call featuring two mothers whose daughters were raped and killed by immigrants who were in the country illegally and the mother of a teenage son who overdosed on fentanyl. The women lambasted Harris for the administration's immigration policy and for visiting the border so close to the election.

"I'm trying very hard not to cry. We live 1,800 miles away from the border," said Patty Morin, the mother of Rachel Morin, a mother of five who was brutally attacked while walking a bucolic and well-traveled public trail in Maryland. Her body was discovered in a drain pipe.

"No one is safe in America, no one is safe. If you have a sanctuary city in your state, you're not safe," she said. "They have bused, flown, trained illegal immigrants to literally every nook and cranny and every tiny town in the whole of the United States."

Such fears are among the reasons the Harris campaign released an ad about immigration in Arizona on Friday, and visited the Southern border less than a month and a half before election day. As vice president, she previously visited the region once in 2021, when she toured the port of entry and border operation in El Paso.

Mehta reported from Phoenix and Pinho reported from Douglas. Times staff writers Noah Bierman and Andrea Castillo contributed to this report from Washington, D.C.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Harris Tries To Blunt Trumps Strongest Issue Against Her With Visit To Southern Border

Vice President Kamala Harris worked to turn the tables on border security, Donald Trumps strongest issue against her in the coming presidential election, promising Friday to take a harder line on those who cross the border illegally and accusing the former president of deliberately sabotaging legislation that would have helped solve the problem.

It was the strongest border security bill that we have seen in decades. And it should be in effect today, the Democratic presidential nominee said in a 24-minute speech near a port of entry in southern Arizona. But Donald Trump tanked it. He prefers to run on a problem instead of fixing a problem.

Harris said she would continue President Joe Bidens new policy that has dramatically cut illegal border crossings by ending asylum requests for those who did not come into the country at an authorized port of entry once such crossings exceeded 2,500 per day over seven straight days. And she said she would increase criminal penalties on repeat offenders.

I believe we have a duty to set rules at our border and to enforce them, she said.

Harris was introduced by a mother who lost a son to a fentanyl overdose, and she spent several minutes discussing the scourge of that drugs effects on Americans. She reminded her audience that as a two-term attorney general of California, she prosecuted Mexican smuggling gangs.

I walked through tunnels that traffickers used to smuggle contraband into the United States, she said. Ive seen tunnels with walls as smooth as the walls of our living room, complete with lighting and air conditioning, making very clear that it is about an enterprise that is making a whole lot of money in the trafficking of guns, drugs and human beings.

Harris also criticized Trump for making no effort to reform the immigration system during his four years in office, and she said she would make that a priority, particularly to offer a path to citizenship for those who were brought into the country illegally as children.

Biden, before he ended his reelection campaign, had been polling far behind Trump on the issue of illegal immigration, but Harris has managed to close that gap somewhat in recent polls. She has aggressively blamed Trump for scuttling the measure that would have added 1,500 more Border Patrol agents and paid for 100 new machines to detect fentanyl at ports of entry, which is where the vast majority of it has been coming into the country.

Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris visits the Mexico border Friday with U.S. Border Patrol Tucson Sector Chief John Modlin in Douglas, Arizona. REBECCA NOBLE/AFP via Getty Images

That Trump persuaded his GOP allies to stop the legislation early this year is not in dispute.

Sen. James Lankford of Oklahoma, the lead negotiator for Republicans on the bill, supported it, saying his party was getting much of what they wanted on border security. He told Fox News that Trump personally lobbied his colleagues to kill the bill in an effort to help his campaign to regain the White House.

Trump said dont fix anything during the presidential election. Its the single biggest issue, dont resolve this. Well resolve it next year, Lankford said.

And Trump himself acknowledged at the time that he did not want the bill to pass. Please blame it on me. Please, he said at a Jan. 27 rally.

Since Harris became the presumptive Democratic nominee after Biden dropped out in July, Trump has accused her of failing to solve the illegal immigration problem despite being the border czar.

Shes done the worst job, probably in the history of any border, not just our border, he said in remarks to reporters Thursday in an attempt to rebut Harris Arizona visit in advance.

Harris has correctly noted, though, that her brief was to find and address the root causes of migration flows from Latin America into the United States, not to secure the border.

Harris has proved since becoming Trumps opponent to be a more effective communicator than Biden. In her Sept. 10 presidential debate with Trump, for example, she answered an immigration question by making it entirely about Trump, accusing him of blocking the border bill solely to keep it alive as a campaign issue.

She then tangentially noted that Trumps rally-goers leave his events before he has finished speaking, which then drew from him an angry response that devolved into his now infamous lies that Haitian immigrants were eating their neighbors pets in Ohio.

The coup-attempting former president, who is now also a convicted criminal awaiting sentencing, made illegal immigration a cornerstone of his 2016 presidential campaign and repeatedly promised he would force Mexico to pay for a massive border wall of reinforced concrete.

Upon election, however, Trump made no effort to get Mexico to pay and ultimately raided money earmarked for housing and schools for military service members and their families to build his promised wall, which by then had morphed into a slightly taller version of the steel border fence that been started by President George W. Bush and continued under President Barack Obama.

By the time Trump left office, there were only 52 new miles of fence built where there previously had been no barrier along the 1,954-mile border. An additional 400 miles of 18-to-30-foot steel fence was constructed to replace older fencing.

Related...
Vice President Harris leads former President Trump by two points as the two battle for a narrow win in Pennsylvania, a Friday Fox News poll shows.

Harris edged out Trump, 50 percent to his 48 percent of support among registered voters, while the race is tied among likely voters.

The Republican nominee resonates with Keystone State voters on issues like immigration and the economy, with more than half of voters reporting hed do a better job on those issues than Harris, according to the polling.

Eighty-six percent of Trumps supporters are certain of their vote compared to 92 percent of Harriss supporters. Over the past two months, Harris has made gains with women voters increasing her favorability by 9 points and has proven to resonate with college students and recent graduates.

Since July, voters under the age of 30 have seen a 17 point spike in support of Harris, as per the Fox News poll.

Trumps most passionate demographic are men, white without a college degree and rural voters. Fridays Fox News poll says Trump has nearly doubled his lead among men and independents since July.

Pennsylvania is not breaking open and shouldnt be expected to. Both candidates have a little way to go to consolidate their bases and whoever does a better job there could determine who wins the state, said Chris Anderson, a Democrat who conducts Fox News surveys alongside Republican Daron Shaw.

Polling from The Hill and Decision Desk HQ shows Harris with a 1.3 percent lead in the Keystone State, citing a three point gain among voters last week, according to a Morning Consult/Bloomberg poll.

The Fox News poll was conducted between Sept. 20-24 with 1,021 randomly selected Pennsylvania registered voters under the joint direction of Beacon Research (D) and Shaw & Company Research (R).

Respondents either spoke with interviewers via phone or completed an online survey after receiving a text. Results were within the margin of sampling error of plus or equal to 3 percentage points and for the subsample of 775 likely voters it plus or equal to 3.5 percentage points.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
New polling shows that Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump remain neck-and-neck in key battleground states that could determine the course of the race, with just weeks until Election Day.

According to a New York Times/Siena College poll released Saturday, Trump and Harris are virtually tied in a survey of likely voters in Michigan, with Harris polling at 48 percent and Trump polling at 47 percent. In Wisconsin, Harris leads Trump 49 percent to 47 percent. And in Ohio, Trump is edging slightly ahead of Harris  50 percent to her 44 percent.

Two Fox News polls of likely voters in Pennsylvania and North Carolina published Friday paint a similar picture, with the candidates tied at 49 percent in the Keystone State and Trump carving out a small lead on Harris in the Tar Heel State of 50 percent to 49 percent.

The Fox poll also shows Democrat Josh Stein strengthening his substantial lead on embattled Republican Mark Robinson in North Carolinas gubernatorial race by 5 points since last month, with Stein polling at 56 percent compared to Robinsons 40 percent. Robinsons campaign became enmeshed in scandal after the Republicans old posts on a pornography website resurfaced earlier this month.

Saturdays polling comes just five days after a NYT/Siena survey showed Trump pulling slightly ahead of Harris in the Sun Belt states Georgia, Arizona and North Carolina. Harris in August led Trump in the Arizona and North Carolina battlegrounds, but Trump has since worked to close that gap.

But Trumps pull doesnt appear to be carrying down the ballot. According to Saturdays NYT/Siena poll, three Trump-endorsed Republican challengers are trailing behind Democratic incumbents in key Senate races in Wisconsin, Michigan and Ohio.

In Wisconsin, 50 percent of likely voters said they would vote for incumbent Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin, compared to 43 percent who threw support behind challenger Republican Eric Hovde. In Michigan, 47 percent of likely voters backed Democratic Rep. Elissa Slotkin over 42 percent for Republican Mike Rogers for the state's open Senate seat. And in Ohio, 47 percent of voters said they planned to vote for incumbent Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown, compared to 43 percent who said theyd vote for challenger Republican Bernie Moreno.

Democrats are facing an uphill battle to maintain their majority in the Senate, with Browns race in Ohio and Sen. Jon Testers race in Montana widely viewed as keys to the partys success on the Senate map. Both states decisively voted for Trump in 2020, with Ohio now polling at 50 percent for Trump, compared to Harris 44 percent.

The new polls come at the end of a summer punctuated by a series of dramatic political events, from President Joe Bidens withdrawal from the race to multiple apparent assassination attempts on Trumps life. Trump and Harris also faced off in a tense debate earlier this month that was widely considered a strong performance by the Democratic nominee. Vice presidential candidates Tim Walz and JD Vance are set to face off on Oct. 1.

The NYT/Siena College poll was conducted via phone interview among 688 likely voters in Michigan, 687 likely voters in Ohio and 680 likely voters in Wisconsin between Sept. 21 and 26. The polls margin of error among likely voters is roughly +/- 4 percentage points for each poll, and roughly +/- 2.5 percentage points when the three statewide polls are combined.

Fox News Pennsylvania poll was conducted between Sept. 20-24 via call or online survey among 775 likely voters. The margin of error is +/-3.5 percentage points. Foxs North Carolina poll was conducted in the same period and with the same margin of error among 787 likely voters.

CORRECTION: A previous version of this report misstated the incumbent Michigan senator. The Michigan Senate seat being contested this fall is now held by Democratic Sen. Debbie Stabenow.
(Bloomberg) -- Vice President Kamala Harris vowed to take additional steps to prevent border crossings between ports of entry and ramp up prosecutions of repeat offenders as she sought to address one of her biggest political vulnerabilities in the race against Republican Donald Trump.

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Harris on Friday made her first visit to the southwest border since becoming the Democratic partys nominee  a bid to neutralize an election issue which polls show is a top concern for voters and where they prefer Trumps approach.

Her address highlighted the political tightrope facing her, as she argued for both strengthening border security while providing legal pathways to citizenship for migrants already in the country  a priority for many voters on the left  and sought a draw a stark contrast between her approach and Trumps.

The United States is a sovereign nation, and I believe we have a duty to set rules at our border and to enforce them, Harris said in Douglas, Arizona. We are also a nation of immigrants.

I reject the false choice that suggests we must either choose between securing our border or creating a system of immigration that is safe, orderly and humane, she added. We can and we must do both.

Harris said that if elected she would take further action to keep the border closed between ports of entry and that those who cross US borders unlawfully would be removed and barred from reentering for five years. She also vowed to pursue more severe criminal charges against repeat violators and bar those who do not make asylum requests at legal points of entry and who cross the border illegally from receiving asylum.

While we understand that many people are desperate to migrate to the United States, our system must be orderly and secure, and that is my goal, Harris said.

Arizona is a crucial border and battleground state likely to determine the election outcome and where communities have been strained by the migrant crisis. Harris is visiting Arizona as part of a western swing that will also take her to Nevada, part of a bid to shore up her standing among Latino voters.

Harris actions would make it harder to lift the asylum restrictions put in place by President Joe Biden to deal with the migrant surge, according to a campaign official who detailed the vice presidents plans ahead of her address.

Harris will propose an additional step that will require border encounters to fall to a lower threshold than 1,500 before relaxing asylum restrictions in place, the official said.

Trump Contrast

Harris sought to lay the blame for the immigration crisis directly on Trump, saying that he had tanked a bipartisan bill to surge resources to the border because he prefers to run on a problem, instead of fixing a problem.

In the four years that Donald Trump was president, he did nothing to fix our broken immigration system, Harris said.

And she excoriated him over his rhetoric on immigration.

He is still fanning the flames of fear and division, Harris said. We should not permit scapegoating instead of solutions.

Biden and Harris have rebuked Trump for his language on immigration, including saying that migrants are poisoning the blood of our country and for unfounded claims that Haitian migrants were eating their neighbors dogs and cats in an Ohio town.

Trump has sought to pin the blame for the crisis on Harris, labeling her the border czar and highlighting incidents of violent crime committed by migrants or where they are suspects. While Harris did hold a portfolio that included addressing the root causes of migration from some Central American countries earlier in the administration, other officials such as Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas have held more direct responsibility over the border.

The former president derided Harris earlier Friday at a campaign event in Michigan, saying Harris is only going to Arizona and speaking about migration because she is getting killed on the border.

Trump has vowed that if elected he will finish building the border wall, bring back his travel ban that barred people from predominantly Muslim countries and institute mass deportations of illegal immigrants.

Polls show voters trust Trump more on immigration, with a Bloomberg News/Morning Consult survey this month finding he has a 14-point advantage over Harris among voters across seven swing states, including Arizona, on the issue. In Arizona, voters trusted him by 11 points over Harris on immigration. Overall, the poll shows Harris leading Trump 50% to 47% among likely voters in that state.

Trump won Arizona in 2016 but lost it narrowly to Biden in 2020 by fewer than 11,000 votes. This year, the state also hosts a key Senate race as Democrats look to defend their hold of the upper chamber.

Fentanyl Crackdown

Harris also vowed to make it a top priority to disrupt the flow of fentanyl across the border. That includes surging support to law enforcement for more personnel and technology, including 100 new inspection systems that can detect fentanyl and the chemical tools used to make it and by doubling resouces for the Department of Justice to extradite and prosecute transnational criminals.

And she vowed to hold China to their commitment to significantly reduce the flow of precursor chemicals.

The vice president touted her own background as as attorney general of California  noting it was also a border state  and saying her team helped target drug trafficking operations, including opioid pill mills, and that she had seen firsthand the heartbreak and loss from illicit drugs.

Earlier in the day, Harris toured a portion of the border and spoke with border officials. She also stopped at the Raul H. Castro Port of Entry in Douglas, where she received a briefing from Customs and Border Protection officials, including on the agencys drug enforcement operations.

Theyve got a tough job, Harris told reporters. Im here to talk with them about what we can continue to do to support them.

--With assistance from Josh Wingrove, Maria Paula Mijares Torres and Hadriana Lowenkron.

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Vice President Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D), are set to take a bus tour through central Pennsylvania next week, her campaign announced Saturday.

The visit Wednesday to the critical swing state of Pennsylvania highlights the Harris campaigns focus on winning the Keystone State. The bus tour, which will involve multiple stops and talking to voters, will be the first time the two Democrats campaign together in central Pennsylvania.

The Keystone State is considered one of, if not the most, important battleground states in the 2024 presidential election, carrying with it the prize of 19 Electoral College votes.

Former President Trump and Harris are largely neck-and-neck in the state, with Harris carrying a 1.3 percentage point lead over Trump, 49.2 percent to 47.9 percent, according to The Hill/Decision Desk HQ aggregation of polls.

Harris and Walz embarked on a bus tour last month through southeast Georgia, which is another crucial state to win this cycle. On that trip, which was a way for them to reach more rural parts of the Peach State, they stopped at a high school and spoke to students and then ended in Savannah, Ga., for a rally.

The Harris campaign also launched a bus tour focused on reproductive rights, which involved surrogates like second gentleman Doug Emhoff and Minnesota first lady Gwen Walz. It started in Palm Beach, Fla., which is Trumps hometown.

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(Bloomberg) -- Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah, the most powerful Iranian-backed militant group in the Middle East, was killed by Israeli forces. He was 64.

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Israels military said Nasrallah was killed in an air strike on Beirut Friday evening, and Hezbollah confirmed his death a few hours later. Israel Defense Forces spokesman Daniel Hagari said that a precise strike targeted a command center under residential buildings where Nasrallah was believed to be holed up in the Lebanese capital.

Nasrallah had remained deep in hiding as Israel escalated air strikes on Hezbollah positions in Lebanon in recent weeks. In a show of solidarity with Hamas following that groups Oct. 7, 2023 attacks on Israel, Hezbollah began firing rockets and missiles on a near-daily basis at Israel in a bid to tie down Israeli forces.

In response, Israel in recent weeks escalated its efforts to push back on Hezbollah, killing dozens of the organizations high-ranking commanders and senior figures, including its military chief, Fuad Shukr. Hours before announcing Nasrallahs death, Israel said its strikes had killed two top leaders of Hezbollahs missile unit.

In addition, thousands of rank-and-file Hezbollah members were injured, and dozens killed, when their pagers and walkie-talkies exploded in September. Israel hasnt confirmed or denied having sabotaged the devices.

Nasrallahs death is a devastating blow to Hezbollah  the crown jewel of Irans axis of resistance in the Middle East  but it could also be a catalyst to an escalation of conflict in the region.

In a taunting speech broadcast on Sept. 19, Nasrallah dared Israel to invade southern Lebanon. We are waiting for your tanks, and we will see this as a historic opportunity, he said. He had long said Israel was not a legitimate state and set as his goal its elimination.

Read: Why Hezbollah Is More Worrying to Israel Than Hamas: QuickTake

Schooled in Shiite Islam at seminaries in Iran and Iraq, and known for his fiery speeches and finger-wagging when assailing his enemies, Nasrallah was a divisive figure in Lebanon and the Arab world.

Idolized by many for leading the armed resistance to Israels 1982 invasion of southern Lebanon  ultimately forcing the Israeli military to retreat in 2000  Nasrallah also triggered a month-long war in 2006 with a surprise cross-border raid that killed three Israeli soldiers and captured two others.

He is the shrewdest leader in the Arab world and the most dangerous, Israels then-ambassador to the US, Daniel Ayalon, told the Washington Post in 2006.

Nasrallahs image appears on billboards and on gadgets in souvenir shops in Lebanon, Syria and other Middle Eastern countries. His supporters saw him as a religious and political icon, decoding his every move during televised speeches, from the color of his cloak to his smirks and fervent warnings to Israel. There are numerous social media pages dedicated to replaying excerpts of his speeches, interviews and sermons.

State Within a State

Yet he also faced opposition among Lebanese who accused him of tying their countrys fate to Iran, which supplies most of Hezbollahs funding, training and weaponry. According to that view, Nasrallah oversaw a state within a state, one that weakened Lebanons governance and embroiled the country in foreign conflicts.

Shiite Muslims in Lebanon formed what would become Hezbollah  party of God  in 1982, in reaction to Israels occupation of the countrys south. The movement was inspired by the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran, a Shiite-majority country. The US considers Hezbollah a terrorist organization.

Under Nasrallah, Hezbollah turned from a resistance group focused on liberating south Lebanon from Israels occupation to a political party with a powerful arsenal at its disposal.

Hezbollah members ran for and won seats in parliamentary elections, became ministers in governments and gradually developed a social welfare network that offered members health care, education and financial services.

The number of fighters grew from a couple thousand to an estimated 100,000 as Lebanons government offered little to remote regions including parts of the Bekaa Valley and south Lebanon, where Hezbollah has a strong presence.

Paul Salem, vice president for international engagement at the Middle East Institute in Washington, said Nasrallahs death would be a major blow to the future of the movement.

Since there is no obvious figure to take over immediately with the charisma, Iran would have to do a lot, Salem said in an interview before Nasrallahs death was announced.

Regional Influence

Nasrallah was close to Irans supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and was integral in expanding and deepening Tehrans network of proxy forces in the region. Hezbollah mended Hamas ties with Iran and Syria, and reportedly trained Houthi rebels battling a Saudi-backed government in Yemen who have  also in support of Hamas  disrupted shipping in the Red Sea with missile and drone attacks.

In Israel, Nasrallah was viewed as canny and determined, given his ability to manage the most formidable enemy force while remaining far from public view for the better part of two decades.

His speeches were often monitored and commented on live by Israeli broadcasters, an indicator of the degree to which he was regarded as credible.

Hassan Nasrallah was born on Aug. 31, 1960, the first of nine children in a poor Shiite family from Al-Bazourieh, a village near Tyre in south Lebanon. He was raised in East Beirut, but when a civil war began in 1975, his family moved to south Lebanon, where he finished secondary school.

According to a profile assembled by the Council on Foreign Relations, Nasrallah then went to study in a seminary in Najaf, Iraq, where he met Abbas Musawi, who several years later would become the second secretary general of Hezbollah. The first, Subhi Tufayli, was later ousted and continues to oppose Iran to this day.

Resisted Invasion

Back in Lebanon in 1978, Nasrallah studied and taught at a religious school established by Musawi and won a following for his impassioned sermons. When Israel invaded Lebanon in 1982, Nasrallah was among the Shiite leaders who organized armed resistance, their efforts evolving into the creation of Hezbollah.

As Hezbollahs chief, Musawi designated Nasrallah to represent him at some public ceremonies and speeches. That made Nasrallah the natural successor when, in 1992, Musawi was killed in a missile attack by Israeli helicopters on his motorcade in southern Lebanon.

Nasrallah initially established his political influence through an alliance with another Shiite group lead by House Speaker Nabih Berri. He also signed a strategic partnership in 2006 with popular Christian leader Michel Aoun, who was elected president 10 years later with Hezbollahs support.

Nasrallah won admirers across the Arab and Islamic world after the 2006 war between Hezbollah and Israel in which he claimed a divine victory.

But things changed in the following decade when Hezbollah fought alongside Syrian President Bashar al-Assad  with Iran and Russia  to crush what was seen by many Arabs as a legitimate uprising against a brutal dictatorship. Nasrallah characterized Assads regime, a conduit for Iranian weapons transfers to Hezbollah, as his movements backbone.

As for the legacy of Nasrallah, the Middle East Institutes Salem, said it will be a very negative one in which he dragged the country and his people to historic displacement, death and suffering and defeat.

--With assistance from Bill Faries.

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Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, shown in a rare public appearance in 2013, had for decades played a cat-and-mouse game with Israel. He was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Lebanon, the group confirmed Sept. 28, 2024. (Bilal Hussein / Associated Press)

Hassan Nasrallah was for a long time one of the worlds most hunted men.

A founder of the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah and its longtime secretary general, Nasrallah had for decades played a cat-and-mouse game with Israel, living a life mostly in the shadows  while transforming a band of Shiite guerrillas into a powerful paramilitary faction.

Nasrallah, who was assassinated in an Israeli airstrike on Beirut on Friday, was admired or loathed throughout the Middle East and beyond. The Iranian-backed Hezbollah and Israel have long been committed to each other's destruction.

Under his stewardship, the group evolved beyond its militia roots to become a powerful political party, able to decide the fate of Lebanons leaders and governments. Its social and educational branches provided better services than the Lebanese state, running schools, health clinics and youth programs for an often-neglected Shiite community. Its armed force, at least until the recent hostilities, was viewed as more capable than the Lebanese army, with an arsenal of rockets, missiles and drones. It has long been considered Israels top regional adversary.

Nasrallah also oversaw the export of Hezbollah's military capabilities beyond Lebanon, turning the group into Irans most potent proxy among its regional network of militias and governments arrayed against the U.S. and Israel. Its fighters bolstered the flagging forces of Syrian President Bashar Assad in 2011, and trained other Iranian-backed militias in Iraq and Yemen.

Read more: Israel's assassination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah brings grief or grim satisfaction

The U.S. State Department designated Hezbollah a terrorist organization in 1997. In 2012, the U.S. Treasury Department named Nasrallah and other top Hezbollah leaders to its specially designated global terrorist list.

Last year, Hezbollah began striking northern Israel almost immediately after the Gaza-based Palestinian militant group Hamas' deadly cross-border attack in southern Israel on Oct. 7.

Hezbollah claimed it would stop the cross-border attacks if Israel agreed to a cease-fire in Gaza. But Israel refused to link the two conflicts, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has refused to accept a cease-fire on both fronts, vowing just Friday at the United Nations to ratchet up the fight against Hezbollah.

"The world is a safer place" without Nasrallah, the Israeli military proclaimed.

Read more: Giant blasts rock Beirut as Israel says it hit Hezbollah headquarters

In official Washington on Saturday, no tears were being shed for Nasrallah, but there were widespread fears the conflict will spread. President Biden and other administration and congressional leaders said his death represented a "measure of justice" for Hezbollah's victims through the years.

Russia condemned the killing, as did Iran. "The blood of the martyr shall not go unavenged," Iranian Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said.

Born in 1960 into a large family in the mixed-religion Beirut neighborhood of Burj Hammoud, Nasrallah was 15 when he joined Amal, a Lebanese Shiite political movement and paramilitary organization fighting in Lebanon's civil war.

Read more: What to know about the Israel-Hezbollah conflict, which could bring unprecedented destruction

He then traveled to a seminary in Najaf, Iraq, for religious studies, but two years later he and other Shiite students and clerics were expelled by Saddam Husseins government. He returned to Lebanon and taught in a school run by Abbas Musawi, a leader of Amal.

When Musawi broke away from Amal to form Hezbollah, Nasrallah followed him as a co-founder. Nasrallah took over the leadership after Musawi was killed in an Israeli airstrike in 1992; it was a role he would keep until his death.

Some of those who would eventually become Nasrallah's top lieutenants  and many of whom were killed by Israel in recent months  were involved in the Islamic Jihad Organization, seen as the precursor to Hezbollah and linked to the 1983 suicide bombings in Beirut of the U.S. Embassy, in which 63 people were killed, and Marine barracks, which killed 241 American military personnel. (Nasrallah consistently denied those links.)

Under Nasrallah, Hezbollahs guerrilla campaign forced Israel to end its occupation of south Lebanon in 2000;in 2006, a 34-day war with Israel ended with wide swaths of Lebanon destroyed but left the militant group intact. It cemented Hezbollahs reputation as the only Arab force to have fought Israel successfully.

Hezbollah played on the popularity of Nasrallah, a skilled orator who spoke with a lisp and would crack the occasional joke and use slang. Even though for years he avoided public appearances, speaking to lieutenants through a secure landline network and to supporters via video link, the party faithful assembled in convention halls across Lebanon to hear his speeches. Posters on the streets showed him in various poses, and his likeness covered Hezbollah-branded mugs, buttons, T-shirts and ornate wooden boxes given as gifts.

Read more: In Lebanon, a search for safety and sanity as half a million are displaced

Despite his reputation for shrewd calculation, critics say Nasrallah  and Hezbollah with him  misread the situation with Israel. Though the group had calibrated its cross-border attacks for the last 11 months to fall short of full-on war, it assumed Israel would do the same.

Others say the group relied too much on the idea of deterrence established after the 2006 war, with Nasrallah vowing to strike Israeli cities whenever Israel hit Lebanese cities. But Hezbollah rarely followed through on those threats, said Michael Young, an analyst at the Carnegie Middle East Center, a think tank in Beirut.

Read more: Israeli barrage kills nearly 500 people in Lebanon

"What the Israelis realized quickly was that, even as Israel was beginning to transgress the red lines, Hezbollah was sticking very studiously to the rules of engagement, he said.

When Israel kept crossing the supposed red lines with little of the long-feared ballistic barrage from Hezbollah, the Israelis saw past the notion of deterrence, Young said.

The thinking was, why not call their bluff and escalate?

With Nasrallahs death, the group suffers a seismic blow, with little clarity as to who in the groups leadership is left to take his place. Some point to Hashem Safieddine, who heads Hezbollahs mostly political executive council and sits on the groups Jihad Council.

Read more: News Analysis: An imperiled Hezbollah faces the prospect of all-out war with Israel

Safieddine, like his cousin Nasrallah, wears the black turban declaring him a descendant of the prophet Muhammad. But it is unclear whether Safieddine survived the recent Israeli strikes, and some analysts point to his lack of experience as a military leader.

Nevertheless, some analysts believe the group can continue to operate without Nasrallah.

Israel used new military capabilities, technology and warfare in a new way, presenting great challenges for the party," said Kassem Kassir, an analyst close to Hezbollah. But, he added, "despite the size of the strikes, Hezbollah is a cohesive and strong organization and will grow stronger.

Tracy Wilkinson in Washington contributed to this report.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
HONOLULU (KHON2)  Hawaii Pacific Universitys (HPU) Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD) program is gearing up for an exciting series of events in early October, highlighted by the Go Baby Go event.

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This initiative, part of a national movement, aims to provide modified ride-on cars for local keiki with disabilities, helping them gain mobility and enjoy playtime with their peers.

The event is set for Friday, October 4, 2024, from 12:30 to 3:00 PM at HPUs Graduate College of Health Sciences lab. Families and children will come together with HPU students from occupational therapy, physical therapy, and engineering to customize up to five cars, tailored to meet each childs unique needs.

Local media are invited to join; for more details, please reach out to Gregory Fischbach.

Go Baby Go is a fantastic way to malama our local keiki, giving them independence and joy, said Dr. Tracey Recigno, the program director and assistant professor. Its about more than just mobility; its about bringing our community together. Our students feel honored to be part of this journey with the families.

Originally started by Professor Cole Galloway at the University of Delaware, the Go Baby Go movement has grown globally.

These modified cars allow children with mobility disabilities to explore their surroundings, which is essential for their cognitive, social, and motor development.

Hawaii AD Angelos says the New Aloha Stadium project cant be pushed down the road

Leading up to the main event, HPU students will engage in hands-on activities to deepen their understanding of assistive technologies.

On Thursday, October 3, theyll adapt electronic toys for children with disabilities from 1:00 to 2:00 PM at the Graduate College of Health Sciences lab.

Later that day, from 2:45 to 5:00 PM, students will explore adapted gaming technologies at HPUs eSports Arena and visit the nearby Makerspace to learn about 3D-printed assistive devices.

Additionally, on Wednesday, October 2, HPUs OTD program will partner with Shriners Childrens Hospital in Oahu for Camp Hoomana, the first-ever camp for children with congenital hand differences.

This event will take place from 2:00 to 6:00 PM at HPUs lab, featuring games, activities, and music to create a joyful and supportive environment.

HPUs OTD program in Honolulu is the only doctoral occupational therapy program in Hawaii, reflecting the universitys commitment to addressing the unique needs of local communities.

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Located downtown, the program offers students hands-on experience in state-of-the-art simulation labs and opportunities to collaborate with other health programs, all under the mentorship of respected faculty members in the field.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KHON2.
HONOLULU (KHON2)  The Hawaiian Humane Society is calling on the community for immediate action as it faces a spike in canine parvovirus (CPV) and feline panleukopenia (FPV) cases, particularly among puppies and kittens.

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Over the past two weeks, the organization has reported an alarming increase in these highly contagious diseases at its Kosasa Family Campus at Hoopili.

These illnesses, spread through fecal contamination, can lead to severe symptoms like vomiting, diarrhea, dehydration, and weakened immune systems. If left untreated, they can be fatal.

Bacon made from flowers? Its mind-blowing

All pets entering our shelters receive vaccinations upon admission, but many have not been vaccinated before arriving, explained Dr. Becca Boronat, a National Shelter Medicine Veterinarian. The stress of the shelter environment makes them more vulnerable to infections.

To help combat this outbreak, the Hawaiian Humane Society is urging the community to pause owner surrenders unless its an emergency.

Hawaii town ranks 95 out of 100 for this. Do you agree?

They are also promoting their Home to Home platform, which allows pet owners to find new homes for their pets directly, helping ease the burden on shelters.

For those considering adoption, now is a great time.

Owner of Oahu physical therapy clinics pleads guilty to health care fraud

All adoption fees for dogs and cats are waived until September 30, thanks to Best Friends Animal Society.

Every adoptable pet is spayed/neutered, vaccinated, microchipped, and given preventive care.

Foster homes are urgently needed for healthy animals to minimize the risk of disease spread in shelters.

To encourage fostering, the first ten families matched with medium or large dogs will receive a $200 Visa gift card after a two-week commitment.

The society also encourages pet owners to take steps to reunite lost animals with their families before bringing them to shelters. If you find a stray, file a Found Pet Report and have the animal scanned for a microchip.

Finally, its crucial to keep pets up-to-date on vaccinations and to spay or neuter them to help reduce overpopulation.

Whats happening in the shelters reflects whats happening in the community, Dr. Boronat emphasized. We need everyone to step up and help get as many healthy pets adopted or into foster homes as possible.

The Hawaiian Humane Societys Kosasa Family Campus and Moiliili Campus remain open for adoptions and fostering, implementing strict disease prevention protocols.

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The communitys immediate action is essential to contain this outbreak and save lives.

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For the latest Helene updates, click here.

(NewsNation)  At least 92 are dead following Hurricane Helenes sweep across Americas southeast, inundating Floridas Big Bend Region, trapping thousands in Asheville, North Carolina, and stirring up tornadoes as it moved eastward.

As of Sunday, millions remain without power days after Helene made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane, reaching up to 140 mph wind speeds.

The system was downgraded to a post-tropical cyclone Saturday, with catastrophic flooding a concern as it continues its march on Sunday.

Helene causes multi-day power outages in the Carolinas

Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia experienced heavy rainfall and severe flooding on Friday and Saturday. Each governor declared a state of emergency to receive federal assistance.

Multiple deaths across those states have been attributed to drowning, while some were the result of downed trees or other hurricane-related incidents, like carbon monoxide poisoning from generators.

Photos: At least 50 stranded on Tennessee hospital roof

Some of the worst destruction occurred in the storms center in Floridas Big Bend region and South Georgia. Inland cities like Atlanta and Asheville were not shielded from the storms impact, with flooding trapping residents and leaving them isolated from contact.

A capsized boat washes ashore as Hurricane Helene churns offshore on September 26, 2024 in St. Peteersburg Florida.

Moodys Analytics, a company that analyzes economic research, estimates up to $26 billion in property damage caused by Helene so far.

Around 2.7 million people still dont have power as of Sunday, three days after landfall. 3.8 million people were without electricity on Saturday, the majority of which were in South Carolina with just over 1 million. Floridas emergency services worked speedily, lowering the number of outages.

Helene in Tennessee

One of the hardest hit areas, Unicoi County, was the site of a dramatic rescue on Friday when 54 people were saved from the roof of a hospital.

Officials say, as of Sunday, 73 people remain unaccounted for in Unicoi.

Emergency Management in the county confirmed deaths following flooding in the county on Saturday, though Incident Management Team member Myron Hughes clarified during a Sunday press conference that no official flooding deaths have happened.

The countys wastewater treatment plant is inoperable and adding to the flooding, with wastewater flowing directly into waterways.

Click the links below for coverage from NewsNation affiliates on the ground.

In Tennessee:

Helene in North Carolina

In North Carolina, floodwaters have also rendered cell service and local roads useless in the states largest mountain city, Asheville. On Sunday, officials reported that 30 people were killed due to the storm.

Supplies are being airlifted to the region, according to AP. Sources tell NewsNation there are no plans yet for public distribution of food and water, due to delays in supply relief. There are hourslong lines for bottled water at the few open grocery stores.

Rescue efforts include saving 41 people in one mission north of Asheville and an infant. The teams were finding people through both 911 calls and messages on social media, North Carolina Adjutant General Todd Hunt said.

Ive seen houses float down the river, Ive seen campers float down the river, Ive seen automobiles float down the river, one resident told NewsNation.

Keaton Beach, Florida, unrecognizable in Helenes wake: Resident

At least five tornadoes across the state have also been confirmed, according to NewsNation local affiliate WNCN. One, an EF-3 that tore through Rocky Mount, injured 15 people and destroyed a shopping center with winds of 140 mph.

I was looking out over here and I just started seeing like a giant dust bowl. And all the leaves, like, around here started circulating on the ground, a resident told WNCN.

Click the links below for coverage from NewsNation affiliates on the ground.

In North Carolina:

Elsie Hicks looks at the destruction of the home she has lived in for 25 years, in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, in Horseshoe Beach, Fla., Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

An aerial view of flood damage along the Pigeon River left by Hurricane Helene, Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024, in Newport, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

An aerial view of flood damage along the Pigeon River left by Hurricane Helene, Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024, in Newport, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

Fallen pine trees litter the grounds of Waukeenah Methodist Church in Monticello, Fla. on Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Kate Payne)

A group from St. Augustine, Fla. that arrived to help storm victims, who did not want to give their names, pray outside the damaged First Baptist Church in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, in Horseshoe Beach, Fla., Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

A group from St. Augustine, Fla. that arrived to help storm victims, who did not want to give their name, pray outside the damaged First Baptist Church in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, in Horseshoe Beach, Fla., Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

A group from St. Augustine, Fla. that arrived to help storm victims, who did not want to give their names, pray outside the damaged First Baptist Church in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, in Horseshoe Beach, Fla., Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Chris Jordan, maintenance manager for Horseshoe Beach, tries to find a water shutoff valve amid the rubble of the destroyed city hall in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, in Horseshoe Beach, Fla., Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Chris Jordan, maintenance manager for Horseshoe Beach, tries to find a water shutoff valve amid the rubble of the destroyed city hall in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, in Horseshoe Beach, Fla., Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Chris Jordan, maintenance manager for Horseshoe Beach, tries to find a water shutoff valve amid the rubble of the destroyed city hall in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, in Horseshoe Beach, Fla., Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

A group from St. Augustine, Fla. that arrived to help storm victims, who did not want to give their names, walk to the damaged First Baptist Church to pray in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, in Horseshoe Beach, Fla., Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

A loose dog walks past a group from St. Augustine, Fla., who did not want to give their name, that arrived to help storm victims, as they walk to pray outside the damaged First Baptist Church in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, in Horseshoe Beach, Fla., Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

A group from St. Augustine, Fla. that arrived to help storm victims, who did not want to give their names, walk to the damaged First Baptist Church to pray in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, in Horseshoe Beach, Fla., Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

An American flag flies amid destruction in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, in Jena, Fla., Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Workers clean up a dock where a boat shed was destroyed in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, in Jena, Fla., Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

A tattered American flag hangs on a rope on a now closed road in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, in Jena, Fla., Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Workers clean up a dock where a boat shed was destroyed in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, in Jena, Fla., Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Susan Merritt, of Knoxville, Tenn., tries to clean and salvage pots and pans from her aunts destroyed home in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, in Steinhatchee, Fla., Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Daniel Dickert walks to plant an American flag on is property were his boat shed was destroyed and his home damaged in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, in Jena, Fla., Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Susan Merritt, of Knoxville, Tenn., tries to clean and salvage pots and pans from her aunts destroyed home in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, in Steinhatchee, Fla., Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Daniel Dickert plants an American flag on is property were his boat shed was destroyed and his home damaged in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, in Jena, Fla., Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Daniel Dickert plants an American flag on his property were his boat shed was destroyed and his home damaged in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, in Jena, Fla., Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Workers pile debris in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, in Jena, Fla., Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Workers clean up a dock where a boat shed was destroyed in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, in Jena, Fla., Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Workers clean and gut a property that was flooded from the storm surge, in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, in Steinhatchee, Fla., Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Jose Salazar dumps debris as he helps gut a property that took on a storm surge in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, in Steinhatchee, Fla., Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Jose Salazar dumps debris as he helps gut a property that took on a storm surge in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, in Steinhatchee, Fla., Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Workers clean and gut a property that was flooded from the storm surge, in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, in Steinhatchee, Fla., Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Helene in Georgia

Georgia Emergency Management Agency confirmed that 25 people had died in the state as of Sunday.

Intense flooding has left multiple counties under water boil advisories and without power on Sunday, a constant refrain for the Peach State since Helenes arrival.

Within 48 hours, Atlanta received a record 11.62 inches of rain, according to the National Hurricane Centers Weather Prediction Center data. Asheville received 13.15 inches of rain.

Valdosta, Georgia, was directly hit. A 135-year-old shopping mall, which housed over 50 businesses, was torn apart brick by brick. The owner told NewsNation that rebuilding is not an option.

One Georgia resident, Aaron Jameson, told NewsNations Mills Hayes that Helene has impacted his community more than 2023s Hurricane Idalia.

Residents are lining up at the few open gas stations to get fuel, water and, potentially, food.

Everything is pretty much down. They got a lot of food trucks kicking up, but most everybody Ive seen is pretty much outdoor grilling and stuff, Jameson said. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp toured Valdosta on Saturday.

The winds were really, really strong and picked up a lot of trees  motorcycles, cars were moving around, said Valdosta resident Vonquez Garland. Houses were shaking. Its a lot of oak trees completely out of the ground.

When I woke up, there was stuff everywhere. I aint never seen anything like this, not since the last time (Hurricane Idalia in 2023), but this one was worse, said Valdosta-area resident Rodrick Steward.

The Associated Press reports at least two died from a suspected tornado in Georgia.

How to donate and assist Helene victims and survivors

Click the links below for coverage from NewsNation affiliates on the ground.

In Georgia:

Helene in Florida

Some residents are returning to their communities on Sunday, three days after Helene first made U.S. landfall in Florida. At least 11 people passed in the state, NewsNation local affiliate WFLA reports.

Many of the reopened communities, like Longboat Key, still have curfews like in, water boil advisories and only partial power. At nearby Anna Maria Island, residents must show proper documentation and ID in order to access their now-destroyed homes.

It was shocking driving in and seeing all the piles of sand, and seeing how much sediment was moved by the surge. Its shocking to see what has happened, resident Chad Bannick said.

Worst Ive ever seen. We had sandbags over a foot high, and the water came in up to 2 feet in our house and took everything out, another neighbor said.

Hurricane Helene rescues stretch resources

The entire community in Taylor County, Florida, still does not have power. Andrew Morgan, the countys emergency management public information officer, said crews have worked tirelessly to clear 90% of all major roads, and once the roads are clear, they can begin fixing power lines.

Were going to continue to just move forward and clear out the debris and keep searching and well get back to where we were before this, Morgan said.

Click the links below for coverage from NewsNation affiliates on the ground.

In Florida:

Helene in South Carolina

According to NewsNations local affiliate WSPA, two dozen deaths across seven counties have been confirmed by local coroners offices. Gov. Henry McMaster corroborated that number on Sunday, telling officials there are 25 confirmed deaths so far.

Those include the death of a security officer at the Macon County courthouse and a deputy from Madison. A man in Spartanburg County passed away after running a generator inside his home, while another person died after their vehicle became submerged in the extensive floods.

Affiliate WSPA reports that more than 500 National Guard soldiers have completed 100 rescue operations in the last two days in Western North Carolina, according to Major Gen. Todd Hunt with the North Carolina National Guard.

As of this morning, our soldiers and airmen have conducted numerous rescues. And a lot of those have been air rescues, Hunt said. Of those we rescued over 119 citizens of NC and their pets.

Search and rescue crews logged 252 hours of flight time on Friday and Saturday. They continued on Sunday.

Even as the rain and winds have subsided, the challenges for people there increases. People are desperate for help and we are pushing to get it to them, a massive effort, Cooper said at Sundays press conference.

More than 667,000 customers remain without power in the impacted area, with provider Duke Energy warning customers to expect multi-day outages. Many upstate schools have closed on Monday and Tuesday.

Click the links below for coverage from NewsNation affiliates on the ground.

In South Carolina:

Helene in Virginia

West Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkins office reports 70 rescues across the Commonwealth in the wake of Helene, and one confirmed death.

Flooding, dangerous storms and deadly tornadoes have ransacked the southwest portion of the state.

Weve immediately started the initial damage assessment process necessary to request a federal disaster relief declaration and I will immediately make that request once this work is completed. The grit, courage, and perseverance of Southwest Virginians will guide us through this difficult time, Youngkin said during a visit to Damascus on Saturday.

Theres a lot of work ahead, but together, I know Southwest Virginia will rebuild stronger than ever. May God continue to be with everyone affected, and may we continue to uplift and support one another in this time of need, he added.

Click the links below for coverage from NewsNation affiliates on the ground.

In Virginia:

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to NewsNation.
The remnants of Helene continue to slam the southeast Friday with more than 3 dozen people dead across multiple states and several others trapped in rubble after the storm made landfall in Floridas Big Bend region late Thursday night as a monster Category 4 hurricane with winds of 140 mph.

At least 38 deaths have been reported so far, including 11 in Georgia , seven in Florida , two in North Carolina and 18 in South Carolina , and officials fear that number could continue to climb.

We're tracking Helene live in the media player above. Click here for live radar.

Here's a look at Helene's path, maps and the aftermath from impacted communities.

Where is Helene now?

Latest on Helene. (FOX Weather)

As of 4 p.m. Friday, Helene had ripped through the Carolinas and is now hovering over Kentucky and West Viriginia.

Helene's path

Forecast cone for Helene. (FOX Weather)

Helene made landfall about 10 miles west-southwest of Perry , Florida, at 11:10 p.m. ET Thursday, with wind gusts in Florida and southern Georgia clocked as high as 100 mph. Impacts have been felt across the Southeast and into portions of the mid-Atlantic as the monster storm pushes farther inland.

Helene's winds weakened to tropical storm levels as it moved well into Georgia, but its onslaught of torrential rains led to extreme and catastrophic flooding.

Twenty Flash Flood Emergencies  the most dire flood alert issued by the NWS  were spread across Georgia, western North Carolina from Asheville to the Charlotte area, and portions of South Carolina and Virginia. That included the first-ever Flash Flood Emergency in Atlanta, where the city broke a 138-year-old record for two-day rainfall at 11.18 inches. The 20 Flash Flood Emergencies issued Friday is the most in a single day.

In North Carolina, record rains have flooded the Broad River to levels that have overtopped the Lake Lure Dam , threatening its failure. Officials have issued emergency evacuation orders downstream concerned about deadly flash flooding. As much as as 20 inches of rain could fall in the area by the end of the weekend.

The rainfall forecast for the Southeast through Friday. (FOX Weather)

Will its remnants affect New York?

As of Friday morning, the New York City area is not expected to be impacted by the storm. We can, however, expect a rainy weekend.

Helene's aftermath

Hurricane Helene left an enormous path of destruction across Florida and the entire southeastern U.S. on Friday, killing at least 40 people in four states, snapping trees like twigs, tearing apart homes and sending rescue crews on desperate missions to save people from floodwaters.

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp said dozens of people were still trapped in buildings damaged by the Category 4 hurricane. The storm had maximum sustained winds of 140 mph (225 kph) when it made landfall late Thursday in a sparsely populated region in Floridas rural Big Bend area, home to fishing villages and vacation hideaways where Floridas Panhandle and peninsula meet.

The damage extended hundreds of miles to the north, with flooding as far away as northeast Tennessee, where a "dangerous rescue situation" was unfolding after 54 people were moved to the roof of the Unicoi County Hospital while rapid waters flooded the facility, according to Ballad Health.

In North Carolina, a lake used in the movie "Dirty Dancing" overtopped a dam. People in surrounding neighborhoods were evacuated, although there were no immediate concerns it was about to fail.

Multiple hospitals in southern Georgia were without power, and authorities were "having a hard time getting to places," so teams with chainsaws were "working to free up roads," Kemp told a news conference. Tornadoes also were confirmed.

WATCH: FOX WEATHER METEOROLOGIST RESCUES WOMAN FROM RUSHING FLOODWATERS IN ATLANTA

Other storms to watch

Meanwhile, Hurricane John weakened again into a tropical storm Thursday evening after strengthening back to a Category 1 hurricane earlier the same day. The so-called "zombie storm," a storm that weakens and then strengthens again after returning to warm waters, brought flooding and landslides to Mexicos southwest coast.

#huracanjohn en #Acapulco en un martes 24 en un mes diferente, casualidad ? pic.twitter.com/7Lb2ipdpuV  CARLOS RODRIGUEZ (@CARLOS_ROD1) September 24, 2024

Forecasters said Tropical Storm Isaac strengthened on Friday into a hurricane in the open waters of the Atlantic Ocean and could cause dangerous waves in parts of Bermuda.

This story includes reporting from FOX Weather and the Associated Press.


Helene made landfall Thursday night in Floridas Big Bend region as a record-breaking Category 4 hurricane. It hit the state with 140 mph winds and ultimately blew through five states, flattening communities and bringing life-threatening floods. Now, on Saturday morning, at least 50 deaths have been reported as a result of the storm, while NBC News reports nearly 3.3 million customers woke up without power in South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia, Florida and Ohio.

Meanwhile, more than 400 roads remain closed in Western North Carolina.

On Saturday morning, President Joe Biden approved an emergency declaration for Tennessee, among other states, after the remnants of Hurricane Helene are expected to stall over the region this weekend, bringing an additional 1 to 2 inches of rain on top of already-catastrophic flooding that has left swaths of the Southern United States underwater. Although rainfall amounts will be light, areas that received excessive rainfall from Helene may see isolated aggression of excessive runoff, the National Weather Service office in Greenville-Spartanburg said Saturday morning.

This comes after about 100,000 residents were already urged to seek higher ground overnight as the Nolichucky Dam in Greene County  which is on the North Carolina border  was on the brink of imminent breach, according to USA Today.

Per CNN, National Guardsmen have already begun rescue efforts across Florida, North Carolina, Georgia and Alabama, while the Biden administration has also mobilized more than 1,500 federal personnel to support communities affected by Helene.
How can I help those affected by Hurricane Helene? Here are ways you can donate

Hurricane Helene brought heavy rainfall, intense winds, damaging debris, and flooding to several Southern states on Thursday and Friday.

Hurricane Helene made landfall late Thursday as a Category 4 hurricane in the Florida Big Bend, leaving flooding, damage, and destruction along Florida's Gulf Coast before speeding north, causing damage and power outages in Georgia and threatening dam breaks Friday in Tennessee as a downgraded tropical depression.

Helene made landfall with 140 mph winds in Taylor County, Florida, just east of the mouth of the Aucilla River, about 10 miles west-southwest of Perry, Florida.

According to the USA TODAY power outage map, there were 372,227 total outages reported in Florida on Saturday afternoon.

Another hard-hit state was North Carolina. In many areas, like Chimney Rock and Asheville, residents saw heavy rain. The highest reported rainfall was 29.5 inches in Busick Raws, Yancey County, North Carolinas Gov. Roy Coopers office said. The state reported 635,887 total outages on Saturday.

As states begin to pick up the pieces of Helene's destruction, relief efforts and funds are being created to help.

Here are some organizations you can donate to if you want to help those who were impacted by Hurricane Helene.

See photos, videos of damage: Helene brings heavy rain, flooding to North Carolina

Hurricane Helene: What are some organizations I can donate to help?

American Red Cross

The Red Cross offers food, shelter, supplies, and emotional support to victims of crisis. It already has hundreds of workers and volunteers in Florida and has opened dozens of shelters for evacuees. You can contribute to the national group's Helene relief efforts.

The Salvation Army

The Salvation Army provides food, drinks, shelter, emotional and spiritual care and other emergency services to survivors and rescue workers. You can donate to Helene efforts online.

United Way

Local United Way organizations are accepting donations to help relief efforts for both short-term and to to continue helping residents later. You can find your local chapter on the organization's website.

GoFundMe

Hurricane Relief Fund "was created to provide direct relief to people in need after a hurricane," the fundraising platform said.

World Central Kitchen

When there is a disaster, Chef Jose Andres is there with his teams to set up kitchen facilities and start serving thousands of meals to victims and responders. You can help by donating on their website.

There are also many other organizations providing specialty care and assistance:

All Hands and Hearts

This volunteer-based organization works alongside local residents to help by rebuilding schools, homes and other community infrastructure. It has a Helene fund started.

Americares

Americares focuses on medical aid, helping communities recover from disasters with access to medicine and providing personal protective equipment and medical supplies. To help Hurricane Helene victims, Americares has set up a donation page.

Operation Blessing

This group works with emergency management and local churches to bring clean water, food, medicine and more supplies to people with immediate needs in disaster areas. Donate to their Helene fund on their website.

Save the Children

This organization works to get child-focused supplies into the hands of families hardest-hit by the storm including hygiene kits, diapers and baby wipes as well as classroom cleaning kits to schools and assistance in restoring child care and early learning centers. Donate to the Children's Emergency Fund.

Contributing: John Gallas and Kim Luciani, Tallahassee Democrat.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Hurricane Helene aftermath: Here's how you can help those in need
Rescue workers gather at the site of a massive Israeli air attack on pro-Iranian Hezbollah headquarters in the southern suburbs of Beirut. Marwan Naaman/dpa

Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of the Lebanese Hezbollah militia, was killed in an Israeli strike on a Beirut suburb on Friday, the Israeli military said on Saturday.

Hezbollah has so far not confirmed the death of Nasrallah.

"Hassan Nasrallah will no longer be able to terrorize the world," the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) wrote in a post on social media platform X.

The Hezbollah commander responsible for southern Lebanon, Ali Karaki, was also killed, it said.

Fears that mutual attacks between Israel and Hezbollah could escalate into an all-out war have been heightened since Israel launched a massive aerial campaign on Hezbollah targets across Lebanon on Monday, killing hundreds of people so far.

The killing of Nasrallah, who has been leading the powerful militant group based in Lebanon for 30 years, would be the heaviest blow dealt by Israel to Hezbollah.

Israel said Friday's attack on Beirut was a targeted strike on the Hezbollah headquarters said to have been located underneath residential buildings.

According to the Lebanese Health Ministry, at least six people were killed and 91 injured in the attack. However the death toll is expected to rise further as several buildings were completely destroyed, according to state media.

Explosions are seen after a massive Israeli air attack on the southern suburbs of Beirut. Timothy Wolfer/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa

Rescue workers gather at the site of a massive Israeli air attack on pro-Iranian Hezbollah headquarters in the southern suburbs of Beirut. Marwan Naaman/dpa
Rescue workers gather at the site of a massive Israeli air attack on pro-Iranian Hezbollah headquarters in the southern suburbs of Beirut. Marwan Naaman/dpa

Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of the Lebanese Hezbollah militia, was killed in an Israeli strike on a Beirut suburb on Friday, the Israeli military said on Saturday.

Hezbollah has so far not confirmed the death of Nasrallah or commented on the Israeli claims.

"Hassan Nasrallah will no longer be able to terrorize the world," the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) wrote in a post on social media platform X.

The Hezbollah commander responsible for southern Lebanon, Ali Karaki, was also killed, alongside other high-ranking commanders, it said.

The killing of the 64-year-old Nasrallah, a cleric who has lead Hezbollah for 30 years and built the Lebanese militant group into a powerful force, would be one of the heaviest blows ever dealt by Israel to Hezbollah.

It's difficult to predict how Hezbollah might respond, or what the consequences for the ongoing conflict with Israel and the broder region might be.

Fears that mutual attacks between Israel and Hezbollah could escalate into an all-out war have been rising since Israel launched a massive aerial campaign on Hezbollah targets across Lebanon on Monday, killing hundreds of people so far.

Hezbollah continued to attack Israel on Saturday, taking responsibility for several missile attacks on the neighbouring country, but did not make any comment on the Israeli claims about Nasrallah's death.

A group of Israeli soldiers was attacked by artillery shells in northern Israel, the Iran-backed Shiite militia said.

A rocket salvo was fired at the northern Israeli kibbutz of Sa'ar, according to Hezbollah.

Further missiles were launched at the village of Rosh Pina in retaliation for "the brutal Israeli attacks" on Lebanon, it said.

Meanwhile, Israel also continued its attacks on Lebanon overnight and during the day on Saturday, with reports of new airstrikes hitting the southern suburbs of Beirut in the afternoon.

Israel said Friday's attack on a southern Beirut suburb was a targeted strike on the Hezbollah headquarters said to have been located underneath residential buildings.

After the attack in the neighbourhood of Haret Hreik near the airport, thick clouds of smoke could be seen, followed by large piles of rubble.

According to the Lebanese Health Ministry, at least six people were killed and 91 injured in the attack. However the death toll is expected to rise further as several buildings were completely destroyed, according to state media.

The Israeli army said it was currently not aware of any civilian casualties from the strike, according to military sources.

The assessment that Nasrallah had been killed in the attack was based on a combination of secret service information, they said.

The Israeli military had obtained information that Nasrallah and other Hezbollah commanders convened in the headquarters, among other indications, according to the sources.

Israel's military chief issued a threat to other enemies of the country shortly after announcing the death of Nasrallah.

"The message to all those who threaten the citizens of the state of Israel is simple: we will know how to reach them. In the north, in the south and in more distant places," Israel's Chief of General Staff Herzi Halevi said.

He said that the attack on Friday which reportedly killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah had been prepared for a long time.

"It came at the right time and in a very sharp manner," Halevi said.

Nasrallah joined Hezbollah, which means "the party of god," in 1982. Following the Israeli assassination of his predecessor, Abbas al-Mussawi, in 1992, he became the group's leader.

He built the Shiite militia into a formidable military force and helped forge very close ties with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the group's most important backer and supplier.

He saw the withdrawal of Israeli troops from southern Lebanon in 2000, which had been occupied since 1982, and also led Hezbollah through the 2006 Israeli invasion, which he described as a "divine victory" for his forces.

Hezbollah has also been hit hard by massive strikes by Israel in recent weeks. It has been significantly weakened in terms of its leadership, its means of communication and probably also its fighting morale.

Pagers and radios used by Hezbollah fighters exploded in a series of coordinated attacks earlier this month believed to have been carried out by Israel, which killed dozens and left thousands injured.

Explosions are seen after a massive Israeli air attack on the southern suburbs of Beirut. Timothy Wolfer/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa
Rescue workers gather at the site of a massive Israeli air attack on pro-Iranian Hezbollah headquarters in the southern suburbs of Beirut. Marwan Naaman/dpa

The Lebanese militant group Hezbollah confirmed on Saturday that its long-time leader, Hassan Nasrallah, was killed in an Israeli strike on a suburb of Beirut.

The killing of the 64-year-old Nasrallah, a cleric who has lead Hezbollah for more than 30 years and built the Lebanese militant group into a powerful force, is one of the heaviest blows ever dealt by Israel to Hezbollah.

Under Nasrallah's leadership, the Shiite organization built huge political influence in Lebanon as well as a military arm that is considered a significant force in the region. He also helped forge close ties with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the group's most important backer and supplier.

Hezbollah called Nasrallah "a great martyr" and said he was killed in a "treacherous Zionist" attack on Friday.

The Iran-backed Shiite movement pledged "to continue its jihad in confronting the enemy, in support of Gaza and Palestine, and in defence of Lebanon and its steadfast and honourable people."

The group did not immediately comment on who would succeed Nasrallah.

Shortly after Hezbollah made the announcement, heavy gunshots into the air could be heard around Beirut, particularly in suburbs that are controlled by Hezbollah.

Shiite militia supporters drove through the city in cars and scooters with Hezbollah flags and images of Nasrallah.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) first announced Nasrallah's death, claiming that he was killed alongside senior Hezbollah commanders in an Israeli airstrike on a Hezbollah complex on Friday.

"Hassan Nasrallah will no longer be able to terrorize the world," the IDF wrote in a post on social media platform X.

The Hezbollah commander responsible for southern Lebanon, Ali Karaki, was also killed, alongside other high-ranking commanders, it said.

In parts of Beirut, crowds gathered clad in black for mourning after Nasrallah's death was announced. One women was hitting her head in grief, screaming "our pillar has died," as scores of journalists filmed the crowds.

"There was one Nasrallah but now all of us are Nasrallah," one man said.

The southern suburbs of Beirut, meanwhile, were largely deserted as most residents have fled from heavy Israeli airstrikes that have targeted the area.

It is difficult to predict how Hezbollah might respond, or what the consequences for the ongoing conflict with Israel and the broader region might be.

Fears that mutual attacks between Israel and Hezbollah could escalate into an all-out war have been rising since Israel launched a massive aerial campaign on Hezbollah targets across Lebanon on Monday, killing hundreds of people so far.

Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei described Hezbollah as "unconquerable" in remarks on Saturday but did not directly address reports of Nasrallah's death.

"The criminal Zionists (Israelis) should know that they are incapable of damaging the stable structure of Hezbollah as the leader of the resistance front," Khamenei said, according to the IRNA state news agency.

Hezbollah continued to attack Israel on Saturday, taking responsibility for several missile attacks and artillery shelling on the neighbouring country.

Meanwhile, Israel also continued its attacks on Lebanon overnight and during the day on Saturday, with reports of new airstrikes hitting the southern suburbs of Beirut in the afternoon.

The IDF said Friday's attack that killed Nasrallah targeted a Hezbollah headquarters said to have been located underneath residential buildings.

After the attack in the neighbourhood of Haret Hreik near the airport, thick clouds of smoke could be seen, followed by large piles of rubble.

According to the Lebanese Health Ministry, at least six people were killed and 91 injured in the attack. However the death toll is expected to rise further as several buildings were completely destroyed, according to state media.

Israel's military chief issued a threat to other enemies of the country shortly after announcing the death of Nasrallah.

"The message to all those who threaten the citizens of the state of Israel is simple: we will know how to reach them. In the north, in the south and in more distant places," Israel's Chief of General Staff Herzi Halevi said.

He said that the attack on Friday had been prepared for a long time.

"It came at the right time and in a very sharp manner," Halevi said.

Nasrallah joined Hezbollah, which means "the party of god," in 1982. Following the Israeli assassination of his predecessor, Abbas al-Mussawi, in 1992, he became the group's leader.

He saw the withdrawal of Israeli troops from southern Lebanon in 2000, which had been occupied since 1982, and also led Hezbollah through the 2006 Israeli invasion, which he described as a "divine victory" for his forces.

Hezbollah has also been hit hard by massive strikes by Israel in recent weeks. It has been significantly weakened in terms of its leadership, its means of communication and probably also its fighting morale.

Pagers and radios used by Hezbollah fighters exploded in a series of coordinated attacks earlier this month believed to have been carried out by Israel, which killed dozens and left thousands injured.

Explosions are seen after a massive Israeli air attack on the southern suburbs of Beirut. Timothy Wolfer/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa
Hezbollah confirmed Saturday that the Lebanese militant groups leader, Hassan Nasrallah, was killed in a deadly strike in Beirut and pledged that it will continue its fight against Israel.

Israel claimed early Saturday that a strike on Hezbollahs headquarters killed Nasrallah, who has led the group since 1992, a development that is likely to escalate an already spiraling conflict in the Middle East.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in messages posted to social media that Nasrallah was killed in the airstrikes on the Dahieh suburb of the Lebanese capitol, which targeted a command center used by Hezbollah.

Hassan Nasrallah will no longer be able to terrorize the world, the IDF said in a brief statement on social platform X.

Speculation had mounted since the strike that Nasrallah was killed after it was reported he was a target of the attack.

Nasrallah, the secretary general of Hezbollah, was a founding member of the group formed in 1982, and he helped form the militant group into the lethal force it is today, including with the establishment of the elite special forces unit the Radwan Force.

Nasrallahs death is a major blow to the organization, especially after Israel has chopped off most of the command chain, including the top military chief, Fuad Shukr, in a July strike.

Still, Hezbollah is likely to continue its attacks against Israel, and morph into a restructured organization with the backing of its primary sponsor, Iran.

Irans Supreme Leader Sayyed Ali Khamenei said in a speech Saturday shared by the Lebanese state-run National News Agency that Israel did not cause any significant harm to the strong structure of the Lebanese Hezbollah.

All resistance forces in the region stand beside Hezbollah and support it, Khamenei said, calling for all Islamic fighters to stand with the Lebanese militant group.

Iran on Saturday called for a special meeting of the intergovernmental organization, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, which is dominated by Muslim-majority countries, to address the conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon.

Burcu Ozcelik, a senior research fellow for Middle East security at the Royal United Services Institute said Hezbollah was Irans strategically significant asset and main deterrent against Israel.

This has been severely degraded now and how Iran chooses to respond will be highly consequential as the conflict evolves, he said in an email statement.

Hezbollah will not vanish overnight as a significant actor inside Lebanon and the region despite the pummelling it has endured, he added. The militant group may believe it is no longer restrained given the targeting of its senior command structure, and that it must act decisively otherwise it may not survive.

The Israeli strike Friday comes after intense escalation in the 11-month conflict with Hezbollah, which began firing over the border at Israel in support of Palestinian militant group Hamas a day after the war in Gaza broke out on Oct. 7.

Israel has pounded Hezbollah with airstrikes, killing more than 500 people in a Monday attack and earlier this month detonating pagers and walkie-talkies used by the groups fighters, which killed at least 37 people in Lebanon and injured thousands.

Israel has set a war goal of returning its some 60,000 residents displaced from the border with Lebanon.

The escalation has deeply concerned the U.S., which has been pushing for months for a diplomatic deal that could resolve the crisis and prevent an all-out war. The U.S. and France led a proposal this week for a 21-day truce that would also lead to negotiations for a permanent peace, but Israel rejected it.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken reiterated that it was vital for Israel to reach a diplomatic solution in Lebanon.

The question is what is the best way to achieve its objectives, to reach enduring security, he said at a press conference Friday. And in this instance, with regard to Lebanon, whats the best way to achieve the stated objective of creating an environment in northern Israel that gives people confidence to return to their homes? As I said, we believe the diplomatic course is the best one.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin warned in a Friday interview with CNN that a Lebanon war could be much worse with casualties that equal or exceed what we have seen in Gaza.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to keep fighting against Hezbollah in a Friday speech before the United Nations General Assembly in New York, just hours before his military conducted the operation against Hezbollah, reportedly while high-level officials were gathering in Beirut.

Former Israeli Intelligence official and regional analyst Avi Melamed said Israel dealt a significant blow to Hezbollahs dominance in Lebanon.

This incident offers the Lebanesepreviously held hostage by Hezbollahthe chance to liberate themselves from Iranian influence, while also likely compelling Iran to reevaluate its plans for regional control, he said in an email.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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Are you getting sick of seeing bad faith attacks on the Idaho Republican Party and our upcoming Presidential Caucus? I know I am. Its quite frankly downright disgusting, and Im going to call out the bad actors who are behind it.

The power brokers of Idahos political establishment took a beating at the state convention in Twin Falls in 2022 and they havent recovered. They would rather destroy the party than see it led by myself and our current leadership, who actually listen to the grassroots. The last few weeks they have really ramped up their attacks on the Presidential Caucus because they think if it fails, then Ill take the blame and they can regain power.

There has been a concerted effort to spread lies, slander, and misinformation about me and the caucus.

They say I unilaterally got rid of the primary. Not true! The Secretary of State proposed a bill that removed the presidential primary, the Legislature passed it, and the Governor signed it.

They say that the Caucus disenfranchises those who cannot attend on Saturday. Not true! The Legislature disenfranchised everyone by removing the presidential primary, and the Caucus re-enfranchised as many Republican voters as possible.

They say that the caucus will be in backyards and barns, with no election security. Not true! The Caucus will be held in 210 locations, primarily churches, schools, and community centers across the state. We have worked hard to make sure your votes are secure and accurately counted with paper ballots, with multiple security features, and hand counted before the entire caucus assembly.

Its disappointing to see these groups intent on misrepresenting so many facts. They think theyre hurting me, but theyre really hurting the Idaho Republican voters, the grassroots, the salt of the earth folks who care about keeping Idaho a conservative state. Its unfortunate that these groups have been sending unauthorized and unsigned bulletins and flyers that seem designed to sow division and misinform rather than foster understanding. This intentional misrepresentation only serves to deepen animosity within the party. We encourage those sowing division to strive for clarity and honesty in their discourse, rather than smears and mudslinging as theyve been doing.

Frankly, this is all unconscionable. It borders on election interference, trying to confuse and disenfranchise voters a second time by spreading misinformation about the Caucus in the hopes that nobody will show up.

Just last week a new mailer went out accusing me of unilaterally disenfranchising veterans. It even purported to be Republican supported by quoting a former Republican legislator. Yet the man behind the mailer is not even a Republican at all, but a newly appointed Democratic representative named Todd Achilles. In addition to being a Democrat, he is also one of the activists behind the ranked choice voting initiative. Talk about wolves in sheeps clothing!

Remember that this whole situation came about because the Secretary of State, Legislature, and Governor chose to remove the March presidential primary without consulting the party. The Idaho GOP had worked together with the Legislature after the 2012 caucus to create the March primary.

Guess what?! Theyre back at it again, pushing a new bill to consolidate the presidential and legislative primary elections in April. Not only would this not solve the problem of making Idaho relevant in the presidential campaigns, it would also seriously impact sitting legislators who will have mere days to run their own campaigns once the session adjourns. This is a compromise that pleases nobody, which we could have told the sponsors had they bothered to ask.

This attempt to sabotage the Caucus will not succeed. Our team has been working hard to make this a great and successful event, as have the thousands of volunteers throughout the state. On Saturday, Republicans will come together to make their voices heard in a spirit of community to support their Presidential nominee.
Secretary-General of Lebanon's Iran-allied Hezbollah movement Hassan Nasrallah delivers a televised speech to mark the third anniversary of the assassination of Qassem Soleimani, commander of the elite Quds Force of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the deputy head of the predominantly Shia Muslim Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF). Marwan Naamani/dpa

The Lebanese militant group Hezbollah on Saturday afternoon confirmed the death of its leader Hassan Nasrallah in an Israeli airstrike.

Hezbollah called Nasrallah "a great martyr" and said he was killed in a "treacherous Zionist" attack on a southern suburb of the Lebanese capital Beirut.

The Iran-backed Shiite movement pledged "to continue its jihad in confronting the enemy, in support of Gaza and Palestine, and in defence of Lebanon and its steadfast and honourable people."

Shortly after Hezbollah made the announcement, heavy gunshots into the air could be heard in Lebanon.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said earlier on Saturday that Nasrallah and several high-ranking Hezbollah commanders were killed in an airstrike on Friday.

Rescue workers gather at the site of a massive Israeli air attack on pro-Iranian Hezbollah headquarters in the southern suburbs of Beirut. Marwan Naaman/dpa

Rescue workers gather at the site of a massive Israeli air attack on pro-Iranian Hezbollah headquarters in the southern suburbs of Beirut. Marwan Naaman/dpa
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Longtime Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was killed in an Israeli airstrike, the Iranian-backed Lebanese militant group confirmed. (Associated Press)

The assassination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah  confirmed by both Israel and the Lebanese militant group on Saturday, a day after the massive air raid that killed him  set off furious grief among his followers and prompted grim satisfaction in Israel, redoubling fears of a widening regional conflict.

The 64-year-old Nasrallah, who had led the Iranian-backed group for more than three decades, died in a devastating Israeli strike Friday evening in Beiruts southern suburbs, according to announcements issued hours apart by the Israeli military and Hezbollah, the paramilitary force and political party he helped found.

For more than 24 hours after Friday's air raid, Israeli warplanes continued to pummel Hezbollah-dominated neighborhoods on the citys southern outskirts, leaving the Lebanese capital shrouded in choking smoke and lending an apocalyptic air to the open-air encampments of airstrike-displaced people that sprang up overnight.

Israel was on high alert for retaliation and placed restrictions on large public gatherings. At the same time, it vowed more strikes, with its military chief of staff, Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, declaring in a video message that Israel aimed to destroy Hezbollah.

Men hold portraits of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah during a protest in the southern port city of Sidon, Lebanon, on Saturday. (Mohammed Zaatari / Associated Press)

While protests erupted in Tehran and some Lebanese wept in the streets, Israelis, by and large, rejoiced. Nasrallah, said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, "was not just another terrorist  he was the terrorist."

President Biden said the U.S. wanted to de-escalate conflicts in both Lebanon and the Gaza Strip. At the same time, however, he said Israel had a right to self-defense, and that Nasrallahs death represented a measure of justice for his victims, including Americans killed in Hezbollah terrorist attacks in the 1980s. The State Department, bowing to what it called the volatile and unpredictable security situation" in Lebanon, ordered the departure of some nonessential U.S. Embassy employees and dependents. The department had previously issued its strongest warning against travel to the country by U.S. citizens, and urged Americans to leave while commercial travel was still available.

In Beirut, thousands who fled waves of thunderous blasts bedded down for a second night outdoors, huddling where they could in parks, squares and on walkways near the seafront promenade. A flotsam of discarded water bottles, soda cans, coffee cups and cigarette packs surrounded them.

The death of Nasrallah represents the most staggering blow yet to the Iranian-backed group by Israel, which over a span of nearly two weeks turned a low-level campaign of retaliatory cross-border strikes into an all-out effort to decapitate the group.

The Israeli military initially disclosed the death in a terse statement posted on social media: Hassan Nasrallah will no longer be able to terrorize the world.

Later, it posted a graphic depicting 11 high-ranking members of Hezbollahs military chain of command. Ten, including Nasrallah, had the word Eliminated alongside their pictures.

Flames rise after an Israeli airstrike in the southern suburbs of Beirut on Saturday. (Hussein Malla / Associated Press)

Hezbollah responded with a barrage of rockets into Israel. The Israeli military reported no casualties from what it said were at least 90 projectiles fired mainly at the country's north.

In Beirut, the Israeli strikes caused widespread panic, with thousands of people carrying backpacks, duffel bags, roller suitcases and pet cages as they fled their homes in the densely populated suburb of Dahieh and the nearby Burj al Barajneh refugee camp.

Khaled Mustafa, a 45-year-old Syrian tailor from Aleppo who lived with his family for the last nine years in Haret Hreik, a neighborhood with many Hezbollah administrative offices, sat cross-legged in the shade of a palm tree on a sidewalk overlooking the Mediterranean. After Friday evening's raid, he left his apartment without taking any belongings.

I sent my family back to Syria last night. Eight people. Im alone here, Mustafa said. Though he did not feel safe returning to Syria, a country embroiled in a civil war since 2011, it was still better than being in Dahieh, he said. Where can I go? What can I do? Sit on the streets here with no food, no water? Is this good?

Hezbollah posted on its official social media channels a flier with phone numbers that could facilitate transportation to Syria for those wanting to leave Lebanon.

People who fled the southern suburbs of Beirut amid ongoing Israeli airstrikes settle at a park in downtown Beirut on Saturday. (Hussein Malla / Associated Press)

Along Beirut's famed Corniche, where people normally stroll by the seaside, hundreds of the displaced set up a makeshift encampment, with cars double-parked on both sides of the highway. The more enterprising strung up clotheslines between palm trees and hung bedsheets for impromptu shelters. Others lay on mattresses, smoking waterpipes.

A drive through Dahieh, the strikes' epicenter, revealed a ghost town, with a few cars and scooters racing through abandoned thoroughfares, pausing at columns of smoke rising from attack sites before they sped off. Even Hezbollah security officials, normally a constant presence on the streets here, were scarce, with only a few stragglers posted near stricken areas. Checkpoints normally manned by Lebanese army soldiers stood empty. After darkness fell, only a few people walked about with their belongings, the occasional shop sign providing the only illumination.

At the site of the wrecked residential compound that had overlaid the targeted underground headquarters, black smoke still belched from the basement level.

After this, how can we feel anything? asked a 26-year-old Hezbollah security man who identified himself only as Ziyad.

His companion Zain, another 26-year-old, appeared almost tearful, saying: The future is gone.

According to the Lebanese health ministry, Friday's strike killed 11 people and injured 108 others, with the toll expected to rise as bodies were recovered. In all, the ministry said, more than 1,000 people had been killed in Lebanon since mid-September.

A man at a Beirut park distributes food Saturday for people who fled Israeli airstrikes. (Hussein Malla / Associated Press)

The ministry also said in an update on Saturday that Dahieh hospitals were to be evacuated, adding that medical facilities in other parts of the city would suspend non-urgent cases until the end of next week.

Hezbollah has long been viewed as Israels top regional adversary. The group began a campaign of cross-border attacks almost immediately after the Palestinian militant group Hamas attacked southern Israel Oct. 7, killing about 1,200 people and seizing around 250 hostages.

Over the last 11 months, parallel to the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, Israel and Hezbollah engaged in an escalating series of strikes, mainly confined to the frontier region and always falling short of full-scale conflict. On both sides of the border, tens of thousands fled their homes  some 90,000 Lebanese were displaced from the countrys south, and about 60,000 were driven from northern Israeli communities.

But Israels calculus changed in recent weeks, with Netanyahu saying his government would make the ability of northern residents to return home a formal war objective. In the days following, Israel staged a two-day wave of detonations with booby-trapped pagers and walkie-talkies used by Hezbollah, followed by intensive airstrikes and the targeted assassinations.

Read more: What is the Iran-backed 'Axis of Resistance' and what does it mean for Israel?

Analysts said Nasrallahs death represents a body blow to Hezbollah, but not a fatal one  particularly if Iran continues to train, supply and arm it.

The root of the organization remains, in the sense that there is still the narrative of the belief in the cause, said Mohanad Hage Ali, a Hezbollah expert at the Carnegie Middle East Center. I fail to see how the core organization would just go away and sit at home after this.

Hezbollah, he said, can continue to cause harm to the Israelis in the next phase, especially in the event of a ground incursion. Earlier this week, the Israeli military sent two brigades to the countrys north to train for such a potential scenario, and said additional reservists have been mobilized.

Others, though, saw the latest Israeli strikes as a decisive moment. Analyst Kobi Michael, a senior research fellow at the Institute for National Security Studies in Tel Aviv, called Nasrallahs death a game changer. Without him, the entire organizational framework of Hezbollah is harmed in a very significant manner, he told reporters.

Nasrallah was not the only top Hezbollah leader to die in Friday's strike. Ali Karki, the commander of Hezbollahs Southern Front and other commanders were also killed, the Israeli military said.

In Iran, demonstrators hold portraits of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah that read, "At your service Nasrallah," in a gathering at Palestine Square in Tehran on Saturday. (Vahid Salemi / Associated Press)

And Iran, chief sponsor of Hezbollah and other anti-Israel paramilitary forces in the region, was also caught up in Friday's strike. Iran's official IRNA news agency said Saturday that Abbas Nilforushan, a prominent general in its paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, had been killed as well.

On Saturday, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei denounced the Zionist entity  a reference to Israel  and said that what he called the resistance, a coalition of Iranian regional proxies, would prevail.

That encompasses forces including Hezbollah, the Palestinian groups Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Houthi rebels in Yemen, various Syrian and Iraqi militias, and the Syrian government.

Aaron David Miller, a veteran Middle East expert and former envoy to the region, said Nasrallah's killing could force Hezbollah, Iran and perhaps Hamas to a decision point.

"Whether it leads to escalation and regional war or deescalation and transactional diplomacy isn't yet clear," he wrote on X.

Houthi rebels, who unsuccessfully launched a ballistic missile toward Israel's main international airport as Netanyahu was returning to the country early Saturday from an appearance at the United Nations, said in a statement that "the resistance will not be broken."

Hamas, still locked in combat with Israel in Gaza, sent condolences to Hezbollah. It said the deaths of Nasrallah and other commanders only left it and allied groups "more valiant, stronger, and more determined to continue the confrontation."

Bulos reported from Beirut and King and Wilkinson from Washington.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Hezbollah continues to attack Israel, but no comment on Nasrallah

Damages are seen on a building after a rocket from Lebanon hit a house in Safed. Ilia Yefimovich/dpa

The Lebanese Hezbollah militia has taken responsibility for several missile attacks on Israel, after the Israeli military announced the death of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in an airstrike on Beirut.

But Hezbollah did not make any comment on the Israeli claims about Nasrallah's death.

A group of Israeli soldiers was attacked by artillery shells in northern Israel, the Iran-backed Shiite militia said.

A rocket salvo was fired at the northern Israeli kibbutz of Sa'ar, according to Hezbollah.

Further missiles were launched at the village of Rosh Pina in retaliation for "the brutal Israeli attacks" on Lebanon, it said.

People inspect damages after a rocket from Lebanon hit a house in Safed. Ilia Yefimovich/dpa
In his last broadcast speech, Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah, vowed a reckoning will come with Israel over its attacks on his fighters.

Its nature, its size, how and where? That is certainly what we will keep to ourselves, he said.

In the end, the reckoning came for him in the form of a huge Israeli bombardment targeting Hezbollahs headquarters on Friday night.

The arch-foe of Israel was eliminated after more than 30 years of leading Hezbollah in its wars against the Jewish state.

Among supporters, Nasrallah was lauded for standing up to Israel and defying the United States. To enemies, he was head of a terrorist organisation and a proxy for Irans Shiite Islamist theocracy in its tussle for influence in the Middle East.

Nasrallah was eliminated after more than 30 years - NurPhoto

His regional influence was on display over nearly a year of conflict ignited by the Gaza war, as Hezbollah entered the fray by firing on Israel from southern Lebanon in support of its Palestinian ally Hamas, and Yemeni and Iraqi groups followed suit, operating under the umbrella of The Axis of Resistance.

Wearing the black turban of a Sayyed, or a descendent of the Prophet Mohammad, Nasrallah used his addresses to rally Hezbollahs base but also to deliver carefully calibrated threats, often wagging his finger as he did so.

He became secretary general of Hezbollah in 1992 aged just 35, the public face of a once shadowy group founded by Irans Revolutionary Guards in 1982 to fight Israeli occupation forces.

Israel killed his predecessor, Sayyed Abbas al-Musawi, in a helicopter attack. Nasrallah led Hezbollah when its guerrillas finally drove Israeli forces from southern Lebanon in 2000, ending an 18-year occupation.

A fiery orator viewed as an extremist in the United States and much of the West, he is also considered a pragmatist compared to the militants who dominated Hezbollah after its founding in 1982, during Lebanons civil war.

Despite the power he wields, Nasrallah has lived largely in hiding for fear of an Israeli assassination.

Conflict with Israel largely defined his leadership. He declared Divine Victory in 2006 after Hezbollah waged 34 days of war with Israel, winning the respect of many ordinary Arabs who had grown up watching Israel defeat their armies.

But he became an increasingly divisive figure in Lebanon and the wider Arab world as Hezbollahs area of operations widened to Syria and beyond, reflecting an intensifying conflict between Shiite Iran and U.S.-allied Sunni Arab monarchies in the Gulf.

People and firefighters gather at the scene of Israeli air strikes in the Haret Hreik neighbourhood of Beiruts southern suburbs - IBRAHIM AMRO

While Nasrallah painted Hezbollahs engagement in Syria - where it fought in support of President Bashar al-Assad during the civil war - as a campaign against jihadists, critics accused the group of becoming part of a regional sectarian conflict.

At home, Nasrallahs critics said Hezbollahs regional adventurism imposed an unbearable price on Lebanon, leading once-friendly Gulf Arabs to shun the country. This contributed to its 2019 financial collapse.

In the years following the 2006 war, Nasrallah walked a tightrope over a new conflict with Israel, hoarding Iranian rockets in a carefully measured contest of threat and counter-threat.

The Gaza war, ignited by the Oct 7 Hamas attack on Israel, prompted Hezbollahs worst conflict with Israel since 2006, costing the group hundreds of its fighters including top commanders.

Nasrallah grew up in Beiruts impoverished Karantina district. His family hails from Bazouriyeh, a village in Lebanons predominantly Shiite south which today forms Hezbollahs political heartland.

He was part of a generation of young Lebanese Shiites whose political outlook was shaped by Irans 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Nasrallah (pictured centre) became secretary general of Hezbollah in 1992 aged just 35 - RAMZI HAIDAR

Before leading the group, he used to spend nights with frontline guerrillas fighting Israels occupying army. His teenage son, Hadi, died in battle in 1997, a loss that gave him legitimacy among his core Shiite constituency in Lebanon.

He had a track record of threatening powerful enemies.

As regional tensions escalated after the eruption of the Gaza war, Nasrallah issued a thinly veiled warning to U.S. warships in the Mediterranean, telling them: We have prepared for the fleets with which you threaten us.

In 2020, Nasrallah vowed that U.S. soldiers would leave the region in coffins after Iranian general Qassem Soleimani was killed in a U.S. drone strike in Iraq.

As regional tensions rose in 2019 following an attack on Saudi oil facilities, he said Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates should halt the Yemen war to protect themselves.

Dont bet on a war against Iran because they will destroy you, he said in a message directed at Riyadh.

Boys scouts carry a picture of Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah during the funeral of Hezbollah member Ali Mohamed Chalb - AZIZ TAHER/REUTERS

On Nasrallahs watch, Hezbollah has also clashed with adversaries at home in Lebanon.

In 2008, he accused the Lebanese government - backed at the time by the West and Saudi Arabia - of declaring war by moving to ban his groups internal communication network. Nasrallah vowed to cut off the hand that tried to dismantle it.

It prompted four days of civil war pitting Hezbollah against Sunni and Druze fighters, and the Shiite group to take over half the capital Beirut.

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Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, who led the terror group for more than 30 years, was killed in an Israeli airstrike.

Nasrallah, 64, was killed during a massive airstrike on the Iran-backed group's "central headquarters" in Beirut, Lebanon on Friday, the Israel Defense Forces said in a statement.

Hezbollah confirmed Nasrallah's death, saying its longtime leader "has joined his fellow martyrs." Two U.S. officials also confirmed his death to CBS News.

The strike also killed Ali Karki, the commander of Hezbollah's southern front, and other Hezbollah leaders, the IDF said. The leaders were in a command facility "embedded under a residential building," the IDF said. An Israeli military official said real-time intelligence on an operational opportunity allowed them to carry out the strike.

The afternoon strike was part of a series of large explosions targeting leaders of the militant group, which has been firing rockets and drones across Lebanon's southern border into Israel for nearly a year amid the war between Israel and Hamas.

People stand near a picture of Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah during the funeral of Hezbollah member Ali Mohamed Chalbi, in Kfar Melki, Lebanon, Sept. 19, 2024. / Credit: Aziz Taher / REUTERS

Hassan Nasrallah's background

Nasrallah was born in Beirut in 1960, the ninth of 10 children in a Shia family. His family was poor and lived an in impoverished northern suburb of Sharshabouk; his father sold vegetables. The city was then known as the "Paris of the Middle East," but when Lebanon's civil war broke out in 1975, the city deteriorated into disaster.

During that time, Nasrallah's family fled Beirut. He joined a Shia militia called the Amal Movement, which later evolved into Hezbollah, which means "Party of God." The group has been backed by Iran since its inception, according to Israeli and U.S. officials, with Iran training fighters and sending hundreds of millions of dollars annually.

Nasrallah studied in Iran for a time, then returned to the group and became Hezbollah's secretary general after Israel assassinated his predecessor, Abbas al-Musawi, in a 1992 helicopter strike.

He held the title of "sayyid," an honorific meant to the Shiite cleric's lineage dating back to the Prophet Muhammad, the founder of Islam, according to the AFP.

Hezbollah under Hasrallah's leadership

Under Nasrallah's fiery and charismatic leadership, Hezbollah crystallized its threats to destroy Israel and the U.S. presence in Lebanon. Washington declared the organization a terror group in October 1997, five years after Nasrallah took control.

Supporters saw Nasrallah as a charismatic and shrewd strategist who strengthened bonds with leaders in Iran and militant groups like Hamas, the AFP reported, while the West and some oil-rich Gulf Arab countries saw him as an extremist.

The group's military wing has been linked to the mass casualty bombings of two U.S. embassy buildings in the 1980s. The bombings killed more than 80 people and wounded hundreds more. Hezbollah has also been linked to airplane hijackings, kidnappings, suicide bombings and espionage around the world.

Nasrallah was credited with leading the war of attrition that led to the withdrawal of Israeli troops from South Lebanon in 2000, after an 18-year occupation, the AFP reported. He also spearheaded Hezbollah's 34-day war against Israel in 2006.

Nasrallah also got the group heavily involved in neighboring Syria's brutal conflict in 2011. Hezbollah fighters sided with Syrian President Bashar Assad's forces, even as the rest of the Arab world ostracized him, the AFP reported. Hezbollah, and other key allies like Russia and Iran, helped Assad stay in power and retake territory lost earlier in the conflict.

Hezbollah has also expanded politically under Nasrallah's leadership. After Lebanon's civil war came to an end in 1990, Nasrallah gradually turned the organization into a "state within a state," according to the AFP, with an elaborate social welfare network that provided schools, clinics, and housing in the impoverished and predominantly Shiite parts of Lebanon. Hezbollah continued to grow throughout the country, eventually winning elected seats in the nation's parliament.

Nasrallah's death leaves a void of leadership in the strongest paramilitary force in the Middle East.

Nasrallah feared assassination

Nasrallah's public appearances became rarer, even as the profile of Hezbollah grew. Afraid of assassination, he chose to deliver speeches via video from secret locations. The messages were broadcast on Hezbollah's own radio and satellite TV station, leading to his status as an icon in Lebanon and throughout the Arab world, according to the AFP.

In his last televised remarks, on September 19, he blamed Israel for an exploding pager and walkie-talkie attack that killed dozens of Hezbollah soldiers and wounded several thousand more. In his final words, he vowed that "retribution will come."

Nasrallah is survived by his wife, Fatima Yassin, his three sons Jawad, Mohammed-Mahdi and Mohammed Ali, and several grandchildren, according to the AFP. His eldest son, Hadi, was killed in 1997, while fighting against Israeli forces, and his daughter Zeinab was reportedly killed in the Beiruit airstrike on Friday.

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Hassan Nasrallah has been in charge of Hezbollah for three decades [Reuters]

Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Lebanon's militant Shia Islamist Hezbollah movement, is one of the best known and most influential figures in the Middle East.

Nasrallah has not been seen in public for years because of fears of being assassinated by Israel.

And on Saturday, Israeli military said they killed Nasrallah in a strike on Beirut. Hezbollah is yet to comment.

A shadowy figure with close personal links to Iran, he played a key role in turning Hezbollah into the political and military force it is today - and remains revered by the group's supporters.

Under Nasrallah's leadership, Hezbollah has helped train fighters from the Palestinian armed group Hamas, as well as militias in Iraq and Yemen, and obtained missiles and rockets from Iran for use against Israel.

He steered Hezbollah's evolution from a militia founded to fight Israeli troops occupying Lebanon into a military force stronger than the Lebanese army, a powerbroker in Lebanese politics, a major provider of health, education and social services, and a key part of its backer Iran's drive for regional supremacy.

Born in 1960, Hassan Nasrallah grew up in Beirut's eastern Bourj Hammoud neighbourhood, where his father Abdul Karim ran a small greengrocers. He was the eldest of nine children.

He joined the Amal movement, then a Shia militia, after Lebanon descended into civil war in 1975. After a short spell in the Iraqi holy city of Najaf to attend a Shia seminary he rejoined Amal in Lebanon before he and others split from the group in 1982, shortly after Israel invaded Lebanon in response to attacks by Palestinian militants.

The new group, Islamic Amal, received considerable military and organisational support from Iran's Revolutionary Guards based in the Bekaa Valley, and emerged as the most prominent and effective of the Shia militias that would later form Hezbollah.

In 1985, Hezbollah officially announced its establishment by publishing an "open letter" that identified the US and the Soviet Union as Islam's principal enemies and called for the "obliteration" of Israel, which it said was occupying Muslim lands.

Nasrallah worked his way up through Hezbollah's ranks as the organisation grew. He said that after serving as a fighter he became its director in Baalbek, then the whole Bekaa region, followed by Beirut.

He became leader of Hezbollah in 1992 at the age of 32, after his predecessor Abbas al-Musawi was assassinated in an Israeli helicopter strike.

One of his first actions was to retaliate to the killing of Musawi. He ordered rocket attacks into northern Israel that killed a girl, an Israeli security officer at the Israeli embassy in Turkey was killed by a car bomb and a suicide bomber struck the Israeli embassy in Buenos Aires, Argentina, killing 29 people.

Nasrallah also managed a low-intensity war with Israeli forces that ended with their withdrawal from southern Lebanon in 2000, though he suffered a personal loss when his eldest son Hadi was killed in a firefight with Israeli troops.

Following the withdrawal Nasrallah proclaimed that Hezbollah had achieved the first Arab victory against Israel. He also vowed that Hezbollah would not disarm, saying that it considered that "all Lebanese territory must be restored", including the Shebaa Farms area.

There was relative calm until 2006, when Hezbollah militants launched a cross-border attack in which eight Israeli soldiers were killed and two others kidnapped, triggering a massive Israeli response.

Israeli warplanes bombed Hezbollah strongholds in the South and in Beirut's southern suburbs, while Hezbollah fired about 4,000 rockets at Israel. More than 1,125 Lebanese, most of them civilians, died during the 34-day conflict, as well as 119 Israeli soldiers and 45 civilians.

Nasrallah's home and offices were targeted by Israel warplanes, but he survived unscathed.

In 2009, Nasrallah issued a new political manifesto that sought to highlight Hezbollah's "political vision". It dropped the reference to an Islamic republic found in the 1985 document, but maintained a tough line against Israel and the US and reiterated that Hezbollah needed to keep its weapons despite a UN resolution banning them in southern Lebanon.

"People evolve. The whole world changed over the past 24 years. Lebanon changed. The world order changed," Nasrallah said.

Four years later, Nasrallah declared that Hezbollah was entering "a completely new phase" of its existence by sending of fighters into Syria to help its Iran-backed ally, President Bashar al-Assad, put down a rebellion. "It is our battle, and we are up to it," he said.

Lebanese Sunni leaders accused Hezbollah of dragging the country into Syria's war and sectarian tensions worsened dramatically.

In 2019, a deep economic crisis in Lebanon triggered mass protests against a political elite long accused of corruption, waste, mismanagement and negligence. Nasrallah initially expressed sympathy with the calls for reforms, but his attitude changed as the protesters began demanding for a complete overhaul of the political system.

On 8 October 2023 - the day after the unprecedented attack on Israel by Hamas gunmen that triggered the war in Gaza - previously sporadic fighting between Hezbollah and Israel escalated.

Hezbollah fired at Israeli positions, in solidarity with the Palestinians.

In a speech in November, Nasrallah said the Hamas attack had been "100 percent Palestinian in terms of both decision and execution" but that the firing between his group and Israel was "very important and significant".

The group launched more than 8,000 rockets at northern Israel and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. It also fired anti-tank missiles at armoured vehicles and attacked military targets with explosive drones.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) retaliated with air strikes and tank and artillery fire against Hezbollah positions in Lebanon.

In his most recent speech, Nasrallah blamed Israel for detonating thousands of pagers and radio handsets used by Hezbollah members, which killed 39 people and wounded thousands more, and said it had "crossed all red lines". He acknowledged the group had suffered an "unprecedented blow".

Shortly afterwards Israel dramatically escalated attacks on Hezbollah, launching waves of bombing that killed nearly 800 people.
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and other commanders were killed in Israeli airstrikes on Beirut, the group and Israeli officials confirmed on Saturday. After his death was confirmed, Israel continued firing strikes on the city.

An Iranian Revolutionary Guard general, Abbas Nilforoushan, was also killed in the Israeli strike that killed the Hezbollah leader, Iranian state media announced Saturday. Nilforoushan was the deputy commander for operations of the IRGC, and was sanctioned by the U.S. for his role in suppressing protests in Iran.

Israel is preparing for a limited ground incursion into Lebanon, according to a senior U.S. official. Israel has rejected a cease-fire proposal from the European Union -- even a short one, according to the official, and have not maintained communication with the Biden administration.

The U.S. and Israel believe they have eliminated around 30 top Hezbollah leaders over the last several weeks. Of the remaining Hezbollah leaders, there is worry about spies among their ranks, a senior U.S. official told ABC News.

Israel said it struck over 140 Hezbollah targets overnight and into Saturday morning.

Israel also hacked the control tower system at the Beirut Airport on Saturday to warn an Iranian passenger plane that was headed for Beirut not to land there, a senior official at the Lebanon Ministry of Transport confirms to ABC News. The Lebanese Minister of Transportation then told the plane not to enter Lebanese airspace.

MORE: Israel kills Hezbollah commander in Beirut strike, Netanyahu vows to continue 'with full force'

PHOTO: FILES-LEBANON-ISRAEL-PALESTINIAN-CONFLICT-NASRALLAH (Anwar Amro/AFP via Getty Images)

Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the assassination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah "settled accounts" for those who had a hand in killing. Netanyahu said he came to the decision that what Israel had done to Hezbollah was "not enough" earlier this week when he gave the order to assassinate Nasrallah, but issued a warning.

"The work is not yet complete. In the coming days we will face significant challenges ... There is no place in Iran or the Middle East that the long arm of Israel will not reach, and today you already know how true this is," Netanyahu said. "We are determined to continue to strike at our enemies, return our residents to their homes, and return all our abductees."

President Joe Biden called Nasrallah's death "a measure of justice for his many victims, including thousands of Americans, Israelis, and Lebanese civilians," in a statement Saturday.

"The United States fully supports Israels right to defend itself against Hezbollah, Hamas, the Houthis, and any other Iranian-supported terrorist groups," Biden said.

"Ultimately, our aim is to de-escalate the ongoing conflicts in both Gaza and Lebanon through diplomatic means," he added.

Israel used bunker busters -- a munition designed to penetrate targets underground -- in the strike that killed Nasrallah, targeting a location underground embedded under a residential building in the area of Dahieh in Beirut, according to an Israel official familiar with the strike. Israel said the strike was conducted while the group's senior chain of command were operating from their headquarters.

"Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of the Hezbollah terrorist organization and one of its founders, was eliminated by the IDF, together with Ali Karki, the Commander of Hezbollah's Southern Front, and additional Hezbollah commanders," the IDF said in a statement issued on Saturday morning.

"During Hassan Nasrallah's 32-year reign as the Secretary-General of Hezbollah, he was responsible for the murder of many Israeli civilians and soldiers, and the planning and execution of thousands of terrorist activities," the IDF statement read. "He was responsible for directing and executing terrorist attacks around the world in which civilians of various nationalities were murdered. Nasrallah was the central decision-maker and the strategic leader of the organization."

PHOTO: Smoke rises from a damaged building following an Israeli strike in the southern suburbs of Beirut, Lebanon, Sept. 28, 2024. (Wael Hamzeh/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock)

The IDF said that they will continue to operate "against anyone who promotes and engages in terrorism against the State of Israel and its people."

Hezbollah called the killing of its leader and the targeting of residential buildings in Beirut "a cowardly terrorist act, a massacre and a heinous crime." The group vowed to "continue its jihad in confronting the enemy, supporting Gaza and Palestine, and defending Lebanon and its steadfast and honorable people."

Despite the strike targeting Nasrallah on Friday and massive overnight strikes on Lebanon, Hezbollah continues to fire rockets and missiles into Israel. So far, they have released seven statements on attacks toward Israel on Saturday.

U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin spoke to his Israeli counterpart, Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant, twice regarding the strikes on Lebanon and "expressed full support for Israel's right to defend itself and its people against Iranian backed terrorist groups," Pentagon spokesperson Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said in a statement Saturday.

"The Secretary made it clear that the United States remains postured to protect U.S. forces and facilities in the region and committed to the defense of Israel," Ryder said.

Tensions have continued to rise between Israel and Hezbollah in recent days with Israeli officials saying they are preparing for a ground invasion into Lebanon. Israel has targeted and killed several high level Hezbollah officials since it began its attacks on Lebanon.

PHOTO: An Iraqi volunteer holds a picture of Lebanon's Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, who has been killed, in Basra, Iraq, on Sept. 27, 2024. (Essam Al-Sudani/Reuters)

Netanyahu said in recent days Israel will continue fighting against Hezbollah "with full force," warning Iran -- which backs Hezbollah -- and the entire Middle East.

MORE: Israel targets Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in strike on Beirut: Senior US official

"If you strike us, we will strike you," Netanyahu said at the United Nations General Assembly, addressing Iran.

PHOTO: Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addresses the 79th United Nations General Assembly at U.N. headquarters in New York, Sept. 27, 2024. (Sarah Yenesel/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock)

The leader of Iran, Ayatollah Khamenei, released a statement that didn't comment on the death of Nasrallah, but insisted that "the resistance" will not be destroyed. The "fate of the region" will be decided by the "resistance forces and at the head of them is Hezbollah," he said in a statement.

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah killed in Israeli airstrikes on Beirut originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
The Israeli military said on Saturday that it had killed Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah, dealing what would be a crippling blow to a movement already reeling from Israels ferocious 12-day assault on Lebanon.

A devastating round of airstrikes on Friday evening targeted what Israel said was Hezbollahs secret underground headquarters, hidden beneath high-rise buildings in the Shia Muslim suburbs of southern Beirut.

If Israels account is to be believed, Nasrallah was at the site.

Hassan Nasrallah will no longer be able to terrorise the world, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said in a brief statement posted on X, formerly Twitter.

Hezbollah has yet to comment publicly on whether its leader has survived unscathed, with sources initially offering contradictory information  itself an indication of the turmoil within the group.

Hassan Nasrallah, the head of Hezbollah, was reportedly killed in an Israeli airstrike in Beirut - ANWAR AMRO/AFP

Lebanese supporters of the Iran-backed movement, which draws fanatical support from much of the countrys long-marginalised Shia minority, refused to believe the Israeli claims.

Israel failed to kill him and so they are trying to lure him into a trap, one man said. They want to force him to appear on television so they can try again to assassinate him.

The killing of Nasrallah would provide Benjamin Netanyahu, the prime minister of Israel, with a moment of triumph after a torrid 11 months of attritional warfare against Hamas in Gaza.

While Nasrallahs death would cause grief across the Shia Muslim parts of the Middle East, particularly in Lebanon and Iran, there is little doubt it would be welcome elsewhere.

Even before the IDF gave its first assessment that Nasrallah was dead, there were celebrations taking place in Tel Aviv nightclubs and on the streets of northwest Syria, where flag-waving residents were filmed singing and clapping as news of the strike emerged.

Israel launched attacks on Beiruts southern suburb of Dahiyeh, saying it was targeting Hezbollah weapons stored under civilian buildings - XINHUA/ALAMY

Hezbollah, whose intervention in the Syrian civil war helped ensure the survival of Bashar al-Assad, the countrys president, is widely loathed in Sunni Muslim regions.

The targeting of Nasrallah appeared to signal a new phase of Israels Operation Northern Arrows campaign, at least as far as the capital is concerned.

Defying mounting international pressure for a ceasefire, Israel escalated its assault on Hezbollahs strongholds in the south of Beirut. It launched dozens of airstrikes against the citys Dahiyeh district on Saturday morning, in the wake of the attempt to kill Nasrallah.

Buildings were destroyed in Beiruts southern suburbs, leaving many civilians forced to flee - HUSSEIN MALLA/AP

Thousands of terrified civilians have been pouring out of the area as a result.

While Israeli forces have this week unleashed some of the most devastating air attacks on Lebanon since 2006, Beirut itself has mostly been spared.

Most of the attacks on its southern districts had been targeted assassinations, which succeeded in killing many of Nasrallahs top lieutenants, and which may now have eliminated Nasrallah himself.

Killing the man who has led Hezbollah since 1992 would strike the biggest symbolic blow yet against a movement that is still reeling from a sustained series of attacks on its leadership and its rank and file.

Over the past 12 days, Israel has killed many of the movements senior leaders, building on an assassination strategy that has gathered pace since late last year.

Last week, the synchronised sabotage of the movements pagers and walkie-talkie radios wounded thousands of its mid-ranking members, incapacitating a large number of important battlefield fighters and severely disrupting its ability to communicate as well.

This week, Israeli airstrikes on Lebanon have killed at least 800 people, civilians and fighters alike, destroying some of Hezbollahs vast rocket arsenal in the process.

The group has been tepid in response, although it remains unclear whether this is because it is unwilling to be sucked into a war, as its leaders claim, or that it has been so effectively weakened that it cannot mount a significant counterattack.

Amid the escalation, civilians are again paying the price.

Within minutes of the attempt to kill Nasrallah on Friday evening, thousands of people began walking out of Dahiyeh, making their way through the darkened streets with their children at their side and whatever they could stuff into the rucksacks they wore on their backs.

Few had any idea where they were heading or where they would sleep.

We just had to get to safety, said Fatima, sitting on a mat with her two young children on a street off Martyrs Square in central Beirut. If we stayed we would be dead now, I feel sure.

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The death of Hassan Nasrallah has caught President Joe Biden in a bind: While no one in the White House shed any tears for the longtime Hezbollah leader, the Israeli airstrike that took him out has only worsened fears of an escalating conflict, something Biden says hes actively working to avoid.

In the immediate aftermath of the operation, Biden was quick to alert the public that he hadnt received any advance warning and wasnt involved. It was only 24 hours later, after both Israel and Hezbollah had confirmed Nasrallah was killed, that Biden released a carefully worded statement declaring the death a measure of justice but repeating that his aim is to de-escalate.

For Biden, the moment amounts to another high-tension balancing act  this time, only six weeks before a US presidential election. Already at odds with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the nearly yearlong war in Gaza, the president is now working to calm two fronts at a moment when his influence on Netanyahus decision-making appears to be at an all-time low.

Ahead of Fridays strike, Netanyahu brushed off a ceasefire proposal brokered by the United States and France that called for a 21-day pause in fighting across the Israel-Lebanon border, infuriating American officials who had been led to believe he was on board.

Israel informed the US it was launching its major operation in Beirut only after it was underway  to the frustration of some American officials, who have grown weary at what they view as repeated examples of Netanyahu defying Bidens public and private entreaties for restraint.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addresses the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly on September 27, 2024. - Pamela Smith/AP

Speaking to reporters in Delaware on Friday, Biden emphasized he knew little about the operation.

Were still gathering information, the president said. He repeated his fears  which have ebbed and flowed over the course of the past year, but are now at a high point  that a wider conflict could be on the horizon: Im always concerned about that, he said.

Yet for all that concern, Israels target was undoubtedly someone the White House wanted dead.

Its welcome, one senior administration official told CNN after both the Israel Defense Forces and Hezbollah confirmed Nasrallahs death.

Nobody here is mourning Nasrallah, another senior administration official said, referring to the Hezbollah leader as a terrorist and killer.

Hassan Nasrallah was a terrorist with American blood on his hands, wrote Vice President Kamala Harris in a statement released midday Saturday.

As of Saturday morning, it was simply too early to know what implications Nasrallahs death would have in the region and on the looming possibility of a major escalation, one of the officials said.

The American posture for now is to be prepared for a range of possible retaliations  if and when they come  but whether such retaliation would come from Hezbollah, Iran or both was unknowable for now, they said.

The biggest question and concern for the Biden administration is what implications Nasrallahs death will have in the coming days and weeks in the region, where the risk of escalation and a widening conflict was already high.

Had the events of the past few days taken place six months ago, the risk of a second major war might have been even greater, the first senior administration official said. But Hezbollah has been decimated, and Iran  which backs the militant group  has also been much weakened, the official said.

Over the last month, Israel has taken out Hezbollah weapons depots and seriously deteriorated its communication infrastructure, including in attacks on pagers and walkie-talkies.

Another senior US official previously told CNN that the US believes Iran will intervene in the conflict if its leaders determine that they are about to lose Hezbollah, Irans most powerful proxy group.

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah delivers a televised speech during a gathering to commemorate Ashura, in the southern suburbs of Beirut on July 29, 2023. - Anwar Amro/AFP/Getty Images/File

As of Saturday, the US had not seen indications that Iran was preparing for a major, sustained reprisal, according to officials, but acknowledged it was still early.

Ultimately, our aim is to de-escalate the ongoing conflicts in both Gaza and Lebanon through diplomatic means, Biden wrote in his statement, released midday Saturday. In Gaza, we have been pursuing a deal backed by the UN Security Council for a ceasefire and the release of hostages. In Lebanon, we have been negotiating a deal that would return people safely to their homes in Israel and southern Lebanon.

It is time for these deals to close, for the threats to Israel to be removed, and for the broader Middle East region to gain greater stability, he said.

Biden on Saturday held a call with Harris and their national security team on the developments in the Middle East, the White House said.

President Biden convened a call with Vice President Harris and their national security team to receive an update on the situation in the Middle East, review the status of US military force posture in the region, and direct continued diplomatic efforts to coordinate with allies and partners and deescalate the ongoing conflicts, the White House said.

In a sign of US fears the situation could deteriorate quickly, the State Department on Saturday ordered certain employees and their family members to depart Lebanon as the conflict threatens to break out into all-out war.

The ordered departure of nonemergency personnel is not an evacuation of the entire embassy, but it does reflect the increased volatility in the country and its capital of Beirut.

People and rescuers stand amid the rubble of a building destroyed in an Israeli air strike in the Haret Hreik neighbourhood of Beirut's southern suburbs on September 27, 2024. - Ibrahim Amro/AFP/Getty Images

The departure orders came only days after American officials voiced optimism at a breakthrough proposal they hoped would end the violence across the Israel-Lebanon border.

American officials confidence in announcing the proposal had been derived, in part, because they were dealing with Ron Dermer, one of Netanyahus closest confidants, as they wrote and revised the statements text. Discussions on the ceasefire began with a conversation Monday between Dermer and Jake Sullivan, Bidens national security adviser.

The impression the US officials received was that Netanyahu would support a pause in fighting, and they were encouraged to work with French officials to complete a statement that urged a 21-day ceasefire.

Top Biden administration officials were furious Thursday after Netanyahu brushed off the plan, prompting them to demand that the Israelis put out a public statement to remedy the diplomatic embarrassment.

Angry senior US officials were convinced that Netanyahu was reacting to backlash at home from far-right members of his government. Israeli officials, meanwhile, attributed the confusion to a miscommunication.

Whatever the case, by Friday any talk of an imminent ceasefire had quieted as Israeli warplanes dropped bombs on Hezbollahs headquarters in Beirut.

CNNs Samantha Waldenberg contributed to this report.

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The Philippines conducted joint maritime drills with forces from Australia, Japan, New Zealand, and the United States on Saturday, Armed Forces of the Philippines chief of staff Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. said.

Brawner said the five-country drills  officially called the Multilateral Maritime Cooperative Activity  demonstrated a collective commitment to strengthen regional and international cooperation in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific.

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The naval and air force units of participating nations will operate together enhancing cooperation and interoperability between our armed forces. The activity will be conducted in a manner consistent with international law and with due regard to the safety of navigation and the rights and interests of other States, he said.

The AFP did not provide further details on the military assets deployed and location except that it was within the countrys Exclusive Economic Zone.

This developed as Chinese naval and air forces conducted patrols around Bajo de Masinloc, also known as Scarborough Shoal, in the West Philippine Sea, coinciding with the multilateral exercises.

Beijing claims almost the entire South China Sea, brushing off rival claims of several Southeast Asian countries, the Philippines among them, and an international ruling that its assertion has no legal basis.

Its claims include the waters around Scarborough Shoal  which Beijing seized from Manila in 2012  where the Chinese militarys Southern Theater Command said Saturday it held air and sea patrols.

The triangular chain of reefs and rocks is 240 kilometers west of Luzon and nearly 900 kilometers from the nearest major Chinese land mass of Hainan.

Beijing said the training activities around the shoal included reconnaissance, early warning, and air-sea patrols.

Certain countries outside the region are stirring up trouble in the South China Sea, creating instability in the region, the Southern Theater Command said in a statement.

For its part, Japans defense ministry said in a statement Saturday the joint drills involving the five countries took place in the South China Sea.

Its maritime destroyer Sazanami participated in the exercises, the ministry said.

In its own statement, the United States said the maritime exercises conducted with its allies demonstrated a collective commitment to strengthen regional and international cooperation in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific.

Australias defense department separately confirmed Saturday that the HMAS Sydney and a Royal Australian Air Force P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft were participating in exercises aimed at upholding the right to freedom of navigation and overflight.

Tensions between China and the Philippines have flared in the past few months during a series of confrontations in the waters around Ayungin Shoal and Escoda Shoal.
WASHINGTON  Hassan Nasrallah, the revered and reviled longtime leader of Hezbollah, was killed Friday in an Israeli airstrike, the Israeli Defense Forces said.

Nasrallah, "the leader of the Hezbollah terrorist organization and one of its founders, was eliminated by the IDF," the Israeli military said in a statement Saturday.

"Following precise intelligence," the statement said, fighter jets "conducted a targeted strike on the Central Headquarters of the Hezbollah terrorist organization, which was located underground embedded under a residential building in the area of Dahieh in Beirut."

Hezbollah confirmed Nasrallah's death, saying it would continue its battle against Israel "in support of Gaza and Palestine, and in defense of Lebanon and its steadfast and honorable people."

Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah gives a televised address, Lebanon, September 19, 2024, in this screenshot taken from a video.

An underground meeting, and a massive crater

The decapitation attack on Israel's strongest neighboring foe was a political earthquake for the region, threatening an armed response against Israeli and U.S. targets from Iran and its proxies in Iraq, Syria, and Yemen.

"Its huge," said Mohamad Bazzi, director of the Kevorkian Center for Near East Studies at New York University. "Its a tremendous blow to Hezbollah. It's a blow to Iran."

Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said Nasrallah's blood "will not go unavenged."

A senior member of Iran's Revolutionary Guards was also killed in the attack, Iranian media reported on Saturday.

Nasrallah was among the most important leaders in the Middle East, commanding tens of thousands of fighters and armed with missiles supplied by the Shia Islamist movement's patron, Iran. Hezbollah governs southern Lebanon and its nearly 1 million residents independent of the weak Lebanese government.

"The strike was conducted while Hezbollahs senior chain of command were operating from the headquarters and advancing terrorist activities against the citizens of the State of Israel," the Israeli statement said.

Friday's airstrike on Dahiyeh shook Beirut. A security source in Lebanon told Reuters the attack  a quick succession of massively powerful blasts  had left a crater more than 20 yards deep. It was unclear how many people were killed.

It was followed on Saturday by further airstrikes on Dahiyeh and other parts of Lebanon. Huge explosions lit up the night sky, and more strikes hit the area Saturday morning. Smoke rose over the city.

The death of the militant movement's longtime leader came after a week of Israeli attacks that Tel Aviv said were meant to neuter Hezbollah's military capabilities and allow 60,000 residents of northern Israel to return to homes evacuated due to months of rocket fire from over the Lebanon border.

More: Netanyahu vows to continue Hezbollah attacks, rails against Israel's critics in UN speech

An image of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah is seen during the funeral of a Hezbollah member in Kfar Melki, Lebanon, on Sept. 19, 2024, after handheld pagers and walkie-talkies detonated.

For almost a year, the Iran-backed militant group has intensified firing of rockets into northern Israel. Tensions on that border have increased since the October 7 attack by Hamas on Israel that killed 1,200 people. Israel responded by launching military strikes on Gaza that have killed about 40,000 Palestinians, according to the Hamas-run Gazan Health Ministry.

U.S. officials are concerned that a ratcheting up of tensions could lead to a broader regional conflict in the Middle East and have been trying to negotiate a cease-fire.

More than 1,500 people have been killed in Lebanon in the last week, and more than 90,000 displaced, on top of 100,000 forced to flee since October.

Related: Middle East tensions flare: What to know about escalating Israel-Hezbollah fighting

A key figure in the 'Axis of resistance'

Among supporters, Nasrallah has been lauded for standing up to Israel and defying the United States. To enemies, he was head of a terrorist organization and a proxy for Iran's Shia Islamist theocracy in its tussle for influence in the Middle East.

"No doubt, he is a particularly important figure," Bazzi told USA TODAY. "Hes very charismatic, an excellent orator."

Still, Bazzi said, "His star has fallen in the Middle East since Hezbollah's involvement in the Syrian civil war," when Hezbollah fighters were key to the survival of Bashar al Assad's brutal government.

Nasrallah's regional influence has been on display over nearly a year of conflict ignited by the Gaza war, as Hezbollah entered the fray by firing on Israel from southern Lebanon in support of its Palestinian ally Hamas, and Yemeni and Iraqi groups followed suit, operating under the umbrella of an Iran-led "Axis of Resistance."

"We are facing a great battle," Nasrallah said in an Aug. 1 speech at the funeral of Hezbollah's top military commander, Fuad Shukr, who had been killed in an Israeli strike.

More: Israel shoots down first Hezbollah missile aimed at Tel Aviv as group says it targeted spy agency

Pager blasts and a change in fortune

Yet when thousands of Hezbollah members were injured and dozens killed, when their pagers and walkie-talkies exploded in an apparent Israeli attack last week, that battle began to turn against his group.

Responding to the attacks on Hezbollah's communications network in a Sept. 19 speech, Nasrallah vowed to punish Israel.

"This is a reckoning that will come, its nature, its size, how and where? This is certainly what we will keep to ourselves and in the narrowest circle even within ourselves," he said.

He has not given a broadcast address since then.

More: U.S., EU and nine other nations call for 21-day cease-fire on Israel-Lebanon border

Israel has meanwhile dramatically escalated its attacks, killing several senior Hezbollah commanders in targeted strikes and unleashing a massive bombardment in Hezbollah-controlled areas of Lebanon, which has killed hundreds of people.

Israel said Friday's strike also killed Ali Karki, who it identified as the commander of Hezbollahs southern front, and other leaders.

Iran on Friday accused Israel of using U.S.-made "bunker buster" bombs in the attack.

'Serious security breaches'

"There have clearly been serious security breaches in Hezbollah," Bazzi said. "It begs the question of how and why he was moving around at this point."

"This is severe, decapitating in some ways." Still, Bazzi added, "They are also set up  Nasrallah has made this point himself  as an organization that will continue as leaders get killed."

Recognized even by his enemies as a charismatic orator, Nasrallah's speeches were followed by friend and foe alike.

Wearing the black turban of a sayyed, or a descendent of the Prophet Mohammad, Nasrallah used his addresses to rally Hezbollah's base but also to deliver carefully calibrated threats, often wagging his finger as he did so.

He became secretary general of Hezbollah in 1992 at 35, the public face of a once shadowy group founded by Iran's Revolutionary Guards in 1982 to fight Israeli forces in southern Lebanon.

Israel killed his predecessor, Sayyed Abbas al-Musawi, in a helicopter attack. Nasrallah led Hezbollah when its guerrillas finally drove Israeli forces from southern Lebanon in 2000, ending an 18-year occupation.

Hezbollah and Israel fought to a standstill in a 2006 war.

(This story has been updated with new information and a new video.)

Contributing: Reuters

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Hassan Nasrallah of Hezbollah dies in Israeli airstrike
Hezbollah leader's death is 'measure of justice' for his victims, Biden says

Supporters of Lebanon's Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah carry his pictures as they gather in Sidon

By Andrea Shalal

REHOBOTH BEACH, Delaware (Reuters) -U.S. President Joe Biden on Saturday called Israel's killing of Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah "a measure of justice" for his many victims, and said Washington fully supported Israel's right to defend itself against Iran-supported groups.

In a statement released by the White House, Biden said he had directed Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to further enhance the defense posture of U.S. military forces in the Middle East to deter aggression and reduce the risk of a broader war.

Ultimately, Biden said, the U.S. aimed to de-escalate ongoing conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon through diplomatic means.

Israel on Thursday rejected global calls for a ceasefire with the Iran-backed Hezbollah movement, defying Washington and pressing ahead with strikes that have killed hundreds in Lebanon and heightened fears of an all-out regional war.

Biden underscored his full-throated support for Israel's strike on Nasrallah, which occurred while Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was in New York for the United Nations General Assembly and Biden and others were trying to broker a ceasefire deal.

"Hassan Nasrallah and the terrorist group he led, Hezbollah, were responsible for killing hundreds of Americans over a four-decade reign of terror. His death from an Israeli airstrike is a measure of justice for his many victims, including thousands of Americans, Israelis, and Lebanese civilians," Biden said.

He noted that Nasrallah had also supported Hamas the day after its attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas gunmen killed some 1,200 people and abducted about 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.

Since then, Israel's military has leveled swaths of Gaza, driving nearly all of its 2.3 million people from their homes, giving rise to deadly hunger and disease and killing more than 41,000 people, according to Palestinian health authorities.

Biden administration officials have pushed unsuccessfully for months to end the Gaza war, and more recently, to halt the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, which flared after hand-held radios and pagers used by Hezbollah detonated, killing dozens and injuring nearly 3,000.

"The United States fully supports Israel's right to defend itself against Hezbollah, Hamas, the Houthis, and any other Iranian-supported terrorist groups," Biden said. He said the U.S. was seeking diplomatic solutions to end the conflicts, but stopped short of any criticism of Israel's actions.

"It is time for these deals to close, for the threats to Israel to be removed, and for the broader Middle East region to gain greater stability," he said in a statement issued as he vacationed in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware.

RISK OF BROADER WAR

The escalation has increased fears the conflict could spin out of control, potentially drawing in Iran, Hezbollah's principal backer, as well as the U.S.

Biden told reporters on Friday, before Hezbollah confirmed Nasrallah's death, that the U.S. had no knowledge of or participation in the Israeli military action that killed the militant leader.

Over 600 people have been killed in Lebanon since Monday.

Biden did not address the civilian deaths or comments from Iranian officials saying Nasrallah's death would be avenged.

Vice President Kamala Harris, who was in California for two campaign fundraisers, echoed Biden's support for Nasrallah's killing in a separate statement and reiterated her "unwavering" commitment to the security of Israel.

"President Biden and I do not want to see conflict in the Middle East escalate into a broader regional war," the Democratic presidential candidate said. "Diplomacy remains the best path forward to protect civilians and achieve lasting stability in the region."

(Reporting by Andrea Shalal in Rehoboth Beach and Ismail Shakil in Ottawa; Editing by Bill Berkrot and Paul Simao)
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Week 4 is in the books and oh my there's a lot of panic on these fantasy streets. Scott Pianowski joins Matt Harmon for another edition of the 'People's Panic Meter' to answer all of your listener submissions. The duo examines the situations for Breece Hall, Bijan Robinson and many more.
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah (L) is seen here with Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei (R) in Tehran in July 2000. For the past two decades, he has rarely been seen in public and records his speeches in undisclosed locations (Atta KENARE) (Atta KENARE/AFP/AFP)

Slain Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah, whose death was confirmed Saturday by his Iran-backed movement, wielded great power in Lebanon but led a life in hiding to avoid assassination by his group's arch-enemy, Israel.

Lebanon's most powerful man and the only one in the tiny Mediterranean country with the power to wage war, Nasrallah was killed aged 64 in a wave of Israeli strikes on Friday on Hezbollah's main bastion in south Beirut.

With Nasrallah's cult status among his Shiite Muslim supporters, the influence he had over Lebanon's institutions and Hezbollah's formidable arsenal, his death is bound to have ripple effects across the country and the wider region.

Nasrallah was rarely seen in public since his movement fought a devastating 2006 war with Israel.

In 2011, he showed up at a religious procession in Beirut's southern suburbs and briefly greeted supporters before addressing the crowd on video from an undisclosed location.

In a 2014 interview with Lebanon's pro-Hezbollah newspaper Al-Akhbar, Nasrallah said that "the Israelis are pushing the idea... that I live far from people, that I don't see them or communicate with them."

"The point of security measures is that movement be kept secret, but that doesn't stop me from moving around and seeing what is happening."

Very few people were believed to know where Nasrallah lived, and the vast majority of his speeches over the past two decades were pre-recorded before being broadcast from a secret location.

A gifted public speaker, Nasrallah was a master of cadence, swinging from humour to belittle his enemies to rage to fire up his 100,000-man militia.

The bearded, bespectacled cleric was never seen without traditional robes and the black turban that marked him out as a descendant of the Prophet Mohammed.

He was elected secretary-general of Hezbollah in 1992, aged just 32, after an Israeli helicopter gunship killed his predecessor, Abbas al-Musawi.

Hezbollah is the only group that refused to give up its weapons after Lebanon's 15-year civil war ended in 1990, and Nasrallah had insisted that Israel remains an existential threat.

Since Hezbollah's Palestinian ally Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, Hezbollah has exchanged fire with Israeli forces almost daily across the Lebanon-Israel border.

- Political force -

Born in Beirut's impoverished northern suburb of Burj Hammud on August 31, 1960, Nasrallah was one of nine children of a poor grocer hailing from the tiny southern village of Bazuriyeh.

He studied politics and the Koran for three years at a seminary in Iraq's Shiite holy city of Najaf, before being expelled in 1978 when the Sunni-dominated government turned on Shiite activists.

He then became heavily involved in Lebanese politics and gained much of his early experience in the Shiite Amal militia during the civil war.

But he broke away from Amal when Israeli troops marched on Beirut in 1982 to become one of the founders of Hezbollah.

He acquired his cult status in Lebanon and across the Arab world after Israel withdrew its troops from south Lebanon under relentless Hezbollah attack in May 2000, ending 22 years of occupation of the border strip.

Nasrallah's years at the helm of Hezbollah -- or Party of God -- saw the group expand from guerrilla faction into the most powerful political force in Lebanon.

Hezbollah is admired by many Shiites in the country for supporting local charities, building up health and education services in its strongholds and assisting the needy among its supporters.

But in divided Lebanon, the movement is also widely hated, including by those who dream of a nation free from sectarianism and in which the rule of law prevails.

Nasrallah's personal popularity soared across the Arab world after a UN-brokered ceasefire ended Hezbollah's 2006 conflict with Israel.

But it suffered a blow later when he sent fighters into neighbouring Syria to prop up President Bashar al-Assad's regime after civil war broke out there in 2011.

bur-ami/srm
HONOLULU (KHON2)  The Hawaii State Department of Education (HIDOE) is actively exploring new options for the rebuilding of King Kamehameha III Elementary School, which was severely damaged in the August 2023 wildfires.

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Following community feedback sessions held over the summer, the Department is now considering a possible fourth site in Lahaina Town.

No final decision has been made yet. The initial three proposed locations each came with challenges, and the community feedback indicated that the site previously viewed as the most promising was actually the least favored by stakeholders.

In May, HIDOE hosted two community meetings in Lahaina to discuss the original three sites.

Bacon made from flowers? Its mind-blowing

These included the schools original location on Front Street, which was damaged beyond repair, Pulelehua near the schools temporary location, and the Kaanapali site at Puukolii Village Mauka.

At the time, the Pulelehua site appeared to be the only option that could meet the target timeline of opening in the next three to five years.

Hawaii town ranks 95 out of 100 for this. Do you agree?

Feedback from about 300 community members revealed that 67% preferred the Front Street location, while 54% opposed rebuilding at Pulelehua and 74% were against the Kaanapali site. The results were shared in June 2024.

While the Front Street site was popular among participants, it has been deemed unfeasible due to various factors, including the discovery of iwi kupuna (ancestral remains) during debris removal, as well as environmental and space constraints.

Hawaii Pacific University hosts Go Baby Go event to support local keiki

The original site is approximately 5.5 acres, but new elementary school sites require at least 12 acres.

Complex Area Superintendent Rebecca Winkie and HIDOE Public Works Administrator Jadine Urasaki attended Maui Countys Lahaina Community Weekly Disaster Recovery Meeting on September 25 to provide updates on plans for a new site for the existing King Kamehameha III Elementary students and staff, currently located at the temporary FEMA site at Pulelehua.

At that meeting, Keeaumoku Kapu from Na Aikane o Maui Cultural Center shared that iwi fragments were found at the original school site during debris removal. No matter how small it is, thats still iwi kupuna to us, he emphasized.

Kapu, who has previously served on the Maui/Lanai Burial Council, mentioned efforts to place a burial crypt at the former school site, which he described as part of the sacred royal compound of Kamehamehas dynasty.

Currently, HIDOE is working with the state Department of Land and Natural Resources and the County of Maui to return the original school land.

Recently, a potential fourth site near Lahaina Town was brought up at the county meeting. Were gathering more information to assess this sites potential, Winkie said. Right now, we dont have the landowners permission to share details publicly. If this becomes a viable option, were committed to engaging the community to provide updates and gather input.

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Once more information is available, HIDOE plans to organize a community meeting to discuss the options being considered.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KHON2.
LAS VEGAS (KLAS)  The high-speed train between Las Vegas and Southern California took a big step forward this week when $3 billion in funding got an important signature.

The Federal Railroad Administration signed off on the Brightline West agreement on Thursday, sending the money to the Nevada Department of Transportation. A spokesman said Friday that keeps Brightline on pace to begin construction in early 2025.

Initial estimates indicate the high-speed train project will cost $12 billion. The train will run on tracks in the median of Interstate 15 and serve four stations  Las Vegas, and three stations in California at Victor Valley, Hesperia and Rancho Cucamonga, where it will connect to existing Metrolink lines to Los Angeles.

A rendering of Brightline Wests Las Vegas train station. (Brightline)

Brightline West is expected to carry passengers in time for the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, scheduled to begin in mid-July of 2028.

The all-electric trains are expected to reach speeds over 200 mph, making the trip in two hours. Officials call it Americas first true high-speed rail project.

Brightline West halfway to $12 billion funding for Las Vegas high-speed train

This $3 billion federal investment is a transformative step forward in shaping the future of Nevadas transportation, Tracy Larkin Thomas, director of the Nevada Department of Transportation, said.

With this funding, were closer than ever to making high-speed rail a reality  offering a fast, sustainable alternative to car travel between Las Vegas and Southern California. This project will stimulate economic growth and create jobs, providing lasting benefits for both our state and the region, Larkin said.

Map of proposed rail sites (Brightline)

Gov. Joe Lombardo said, Im pleased to see Brightlines continued development with the finalization of the Federal Railroad Administration grant. Brightline West represents a historic public-private partnership opportunity, and the State of Nevada looks forward to its ongoing progress.

Brightline officials say the project will create more than 35,000 jobs, including 10,000 union construction jobs. When completed, daily operations will support about 1,000 jobs.

A rendering shows a Brightline West high-speed train. (Brightline)

A recent truck crash on I-15 in California brought attention to the heavy traffic along the corridor. Officials closed the highway for nearly two days as a truckload of lithium batteries burned. Although its unclear how such a crash would impact operations of a high-speed train, officials said the situation demonstrated the need.

The train is expected to reduce traffic congestion on I-15, removing 3 million cars from roadways and eliminating more than 400,000 tons of emissions annually, according to Brightline. The electric trains will be built in a New York factory, the company announced earlier this month.

This is a historic commitment that will jumpstart the high-speed rail industry in America, creating thousands of jobs all across the country, Brightline CEO Michael Reininger said. Brightline West will be American made and American built, and will serve as the blueprint for connecting city pairs that are too close to fly but too far to drive.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS.
ASHEVILLE, N.C.  A historic village in western North Carolina is underwater after experiencing devastating flooding damage from Helene.

Tree branches, logs and a dumpster floated across Ashevilles Biltmore Village, renowned for being built and owned by a single individual.

Resident Tammy Borgesen was among the dozens of people standing outside a downtown hotel, one of the few places with Wi-Fi access, hoping to connect with loved ones.

Weve been trying to get an email or a text out to just let everybody know were OK, said Borgesen, who had water but no power at her home.

She said she plans to wait out the storm and hope for the best.

Were in a weird limbo, Borgesen said.

Water levels reached several feet, with some areas nearing the tops of street signs. Fast-moving water surged above front-door steps, inundating buildings and small businesses as Asheville appeared nearly flattened by Helene.

We knew the flooding was coming but we didnt know it was going to be this catastrophic, one woman at the scene told NBC News. All of the loss and destruction is just heartbreaking.

More than 200 people have been rescued from floodwaters in North Carolina, Gov. Roy Coopers office said in a statement Saturday. The Department of Transportation said more than 400 roads are closed in the state, impeding travel and rescue efforts.

The French Broad River rises above its banks in the River Arts District on Sept. 26 in Asheville, N.C.

Asheville, with a population of 95,000 residents, is about 140 miles west of Charlotte.

This blows my mind, and Im really worried about friends, neighbors and businesses down here by the river, a man told NBC News, while partly blaming climate change for the destruction. Its just a reminder to me that climate change is going to affect all of us. No one is safe from the impacts of climate change and we really need to take action now.

Floodwaters from the French Broad River cover the River Arts District in Asheville, N.C., on Saturday

The devastation comes as Hurricane Helene landed in Georgia Thursday night, leaving widespread devastation throughout the Southern U.S.

At least 53 people have been confirmed dead as of Saturday and about 3 million customers were without power in South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia, Florida and Virginia, according to Poweroutage.us.

The storm, now a post-tropical cyclone, has severely impacted the Southeast.

More than 50 people were stranded Friday at an eastern Tennessee hospital on Friday due to fast-rising water and high winds, after several attempts to airlift them failed during a dangerous rescue operation.

President Joe Biden has already approved emergency declaration requests from the governors of several Southern states affected by Helene.

A tree had fallen on Hazel Mill Road, blocking all travel along a central route to West Asheville during Tropical Storm Helene.

Georgia, Florida, Alabama, North Carolina, Tennessee and South Carolina will receive a variety of federal assistance from the government after the storm made landfall as a highly destructive Category 4 hurricane.

Biden has also ordered more than 1,500 federal personnel to be deployed to the region, including search-and-rescue teams, medical teams and power restoration teams.





This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
A crazed groundhog set its sights on a fallen jogger in New Jersey, only to be thwarted by a quick-thinking teen.

A crazed groundhog set its sights on a fallen jogger in New Jersey, only to be thwarted by a quick-thinking teen.

The hogwild drama unfolded on the morning of July 19 when Cait Lostan was confronted by the hostile hog on a trail behind the Bernards Township Police Department.

I was running in the woods on the path behind the police station and high school this morning when I came upon a groundhog that looked injured, the 36-year-old posted to the BaskingRidgeMoms Facebook group.

It must have been startled when I made a call on speakerphone because it charged at me screaming and lunging.

I ended up on my back kicking at it and screaming for about a minute, she continued.

Ridge High School ninth-grader Caleb Morris was hailed as a hero for preventing a groundhog attack on a jogger. J.C. Rice

The stunned jogger flung her cell phone at the crazy critter, who then started gnawing at it.

Ridge High School student Caleb Morris had just finished a cross country run when he heard screaming.

He made his way up the path and right in front of my eyes lay a woman on the ground, shouting and screaming, and looked as if she was trying to fight something off, the ninth-grader told The Post.

I never thought that a groundhog could be as aggressive as this one, Morris said, theorizing the animal was rabid.

I was sort of frozen. I was stunned by the fact that I was watching viral YouTube video-worthy content in real time.

But Morris took a pass on Internet fame.

The hogwild drama unfolded on the morning of July 19 when a New Jersey jogger was confronted by the hostile hog on a trail behind the Bernards Township Police Department. Orion Pictures Corp/Courtesy Everett Collection

He said the woman in distress was still on her back, kicking at the groundhog and screaming as loud as she could at the same time.

Shockingly, he said, groundhogs can scream even louder . . .the groundhogs screams were even more unsettling!

I never thought that a groundhog could be as aggressive as this one, Caleb said, theorizing the animal was rabid. J.C. Rice

The jogger got back onto her feet and Morris realized she couldnt call the cops since the gopher had eaten her phone.

With the power of Hey Siri, Call the police!, I was immediately put on the phone with a [911] operator, Morris recalled.

Caleb Morris said he came to the aid of the distressed jogger after hearing her screams. Orion Pictures Corp/Courtesy Everett Collection

The cops arrived a short time later and found the groundhog still snacking on the womans phone.

The cops thanked Morris and instructed him to get going while they finished things up, Lostan posted.

Bernards Township Mayor Jennifer Asay honored the teen on Sept. 10 with a proclamation.
A walk of fame similar to that in Hollywood has been suggested for Henley as a way to boost footfall and tourism.

PR consultant Michael Hodges, 64, who lives in Greys Hill, Berkshire, said more should be done to celebrate notable residents the Oxfordshire town is known for past and present.

Henley-on-Thames was once home to Dusty Springfield, George Orwell and George Harrison, while it is now home to Liam Gallagher, Mary Berry and James Cracknell.

Mr Hodges said: "It's not to do with glitter and glamour, it's about celebrating local people in a fun, memorable and meaningful way."

Michael Hodges says it would be "relatively easy" to implement a "walk of fame" [BBC]

He said he got the idea after staying at a hotel in Hart Street which reminded him of Henley's "historical influence".

He said: The names of the hotels rooms were connected to figures from history including Charles I, who visited in 1632 and 1642.

"It occurred to me when people visit now, how many know and appreciate just how much history there is here.

He said he would like to see the likes of rower Cracknell celebrated for his "enormous legacy" as well as Thunderbirds creator Gerry Anderson.

Mr Hodges has contacted Henley Mayor Rory Hunt with the idea of embedding five-pointed star-shaped brass plaques into the pavement in Market Place.

He explained it would be "relatively easy" to take up some of the existing paving stones and "cut them so that they could set within a plaque of some sort".

He said: "It could be made of brass, it has to be durable so that it can stay as a tourist attraction.

You could then have a leaflet available to anybody going to Henley which explains a little bit more about each individual and what its all about."

Henley Mayor Rory Hunt said the town council "welcomes ideas from residents and encourages them to bring forward suggestions through the proper channels".

But he added: "While we appreciate the enthusiasm surrounding the recent 'Walk of Fame' proposal, we would like to remind residents that any ideas must be formally submitted.

"It is worth noting that a similar proposal was reviewed by the council a few years ago but was ultimately rejected- due to concerns over cost, administrative burden, and planning implications."

You can follow BBC Oxfordshire on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.

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Detroit Medical Center entrance sign surgical suite with medical equipment on the table during procedure

A Black gay Michigan man has filed suit against his former employer, claiming he was subjected to racist and homophobic taunts and later fired for reporting disturbing unsanitary conditions at two Detroit hospitals.

Keep up with the latest in LGBTQ+ news and politics. Sign up for The Advocate's email newsletter.

Jerrell Atkins said he was fired as an operations manager with Crothall Healthcare and Compass Group after he reported the life-threatening, unsanitary conditions. His former employers, who were subcontractors of Tenet Healthcare, provided cleaning services to the Detroit Medical Center and Childrens Hospital of Michigan.

This lawsuit is in direct response to Defendants concerted effort to intentionally retaliate and discriminate against Whistleblowers, like Plaintiff, who only wished to ensure the health, safety, and welfare of the public, Muneeb M. Ahmad, an attorney with Just Right Law, which filed the lawsuit, said in a statement.

Atkins claims that unsterile and dirty machinery and equipment used to clean up feces and raw sewage was then used elsewhere in the facilities, including surgical operating rooms and exposing patients to life-threatening infections and disease.

He also claims that old and corroded blood was left in surgical rooms used for delivering babies and performing c-sections, and that blood and urine were left uncleaned from floors for extended periods of time elsewhere in the hospitals.

For his efforts at safeguarding patients, Atkins alleges he was subjected to a retaliatory campaign of racist and homophobic intimidation before he was fired.

The suit claims management and others ridiculed him for his sexual orientation and regularly used sexually discriminatory and derogatory remarks and slurs referring to homosexuals as f*gs, f*gg*ts, and h*m*s.

He also claims he was subjected to racist slurs such as the n word and monkeys.

Rather than correcting the deficiencies, Atkins alleges his employers falsified records, further endangering patients.

In addition to Compass and Crothall, the suit also specifically sues Healthcare General Manager Kimberly Mullins, Assistant Director Teresa Thomson, and Regional Operations Director Travis Leap.

Ahmad said he hopes not just to hold Compass and Crothall accountable, but also give hope to other potential whistleblowers.

This lawsuit is a beacon of hope to other employees who may be afraid to speak up and is meant to give a voice against this retaliatory and discriminatory behavior, Ahmad said.
Nearly 90% of McDowell County residents are without power, and many residents are unable to leave their homes due to high floodwaters from Tropical Storm Helene.

McDowell County 911 received over 760 calls for service during this storm, according to a release from McDowell County Emergency Management issued Friday evening.

Multiple areas in McDowell are still inaccessible to emergency personnel, emergency management said. Mutual aid agencies from all across North Carolina are assisting McDowell County respond to this disaster. A mass casualty bus, multiple out-of-county ambulances, National Guard personnel, Urban Search and Rescue Teams, swift water rescue teams and state law enforcement are supporting local fire, rescue, EMS, and law enforcement. Heavy construction equipment is also being used to access several critical incidents.

Officials added, Emergency personnel will not stop until every person is rescued. Please help us by staying off the roads unless you have an emergency.

Cellphone towers and other infrastructure continue to have outages.

I-40 mudslide

The North Carolina Department of Transportation reported a mudslide on Interstate 40 near Old Fort.

The interstate is closed from exit 66 to exit 77, according to DriveNC.gov.

NCDOT reported eight road closures in McDowell County as of 1 p.m. Saturday.

Roads closed NCDOT reported closures on these roads: Bat Cave Road

Harmony Grove Road

North Cove School Road

Little Mountain Road

Parker Road

Simmons Road

Good Road

Oakdale Road

Two emergency shelters open

Glenwood Baptist Church, 155 Glenwood Baptist Church Road, Marion, NC 28752

McDowell County Senior Center, 100 Spaulding Road, Marion, NC 28752

The National Weather Service said portions of western McDowell County received around 9 inches of rain from Tropical Storm Helene.

Burke County

City of Morganton water customers are without water, and approximately 75% of the county is without power.

Duke Energy officials are saying it may be 3-4 days before power is restored.
Eric Weaver was unable to get his renter out. Then the tables turned (Getty Images)

An Airbnb host in Florida rented a room to a guest who allegedly wouldnt pay, refused to leave, then had him arrested on bogus assault charges when he tried to evict her, landing the homeowner in criminal court for nearly a year as he attempted to clear his name.

Eric Weaver, 60, is now suing Airbnb for gross negligence in what he says was the platforms failure to properly vet his renter  who stiffed at least two other landlords in recent years and has an extensive criminal history, according to a lawsuit obtained by The Independent.

Weaver, a civil engineer with patents on, among other things, a rainwater-capture greenhouse and a continuously moving sidewalk transport system, says his nightmare began in early 2023, when he accepted an Airbnb reservation from Lauren Dawn Chehouri, 47.

Taking Airbnb at its word, Weaver relied on the companys apparent promise to screen all guests, according to the suit.

Specifically, when deciding whether a guest or host is suitable, Defendant performs a background check on the user by submitting identifying information to one of their approved background check providers who checks the persons identity against public records or publicly available databases, the lawsuit says.

So, on February 28, 2023, it says Weaver accepted Chehouris reservation to stay at his home for the month of March. (St. Petersburg all but prohibits short-term rentals for less than 30 days.)

But as March ended and April got underway, Chehouri was still living in Weavers house. Making matters worse, she owed Weaver nearly $4,000 in unpaid rent. On April 19, at a stalemate, Weaver told Chehouri she needed to leave, the lawsuit states.

Lauren Chehouri booked a stay at Eric Weavers home in St. Petersburg, Florida, then refused to leave, he claims (AFP via Getty Images)

However, Chehouri, refusing to vacate the premises when asked to do so, falsely accused Mr. Weaver of battery, the suit continues. As a result of the false accusations, Mr. Weaver was arrested and forced to pay to defend himself in a court of law where he was found not guilty on February 6, 2024.

The trumped-up charges also damaged Weavers earning potential on Airbnb, as he no longer felt safe accepting guest referrals from the platform after the hellish situation he had endured with Chehouri, according to the lawsuit.

A subsequent review of court records revealed the Guest had an extensive criminal record, including two other eviction actions and two actions for delinquent payments on rent in Pinellas County, Florida, the suit contends, arguing that Airbnb neglecting to apprise Weaver of Chehouris problematic past before letting him rent to her constitutes a conscious disregard of the consequences.

An Airbnb spokesperson declined to comment, citing active litigation. Chehouri could not be reached for comment. However, a source with direct knowledge of the situation told The Independent that Chehouri made the original reservation through Airbnb for one night, after which the two went off-platform to extend her stay, creating what they said was a third-party matter between Weaver and Chehouri.

Public records do show Chehouri has a lengthy rap sheet. A licensed practical nurse whose license expired in 2015, Chehouri was first arrested in 1993 for driving with improper plates on her car. She pleaded guilty in 1997 to DUI and possession of drug paraphernalia, pleaded guilty in 2002 to passing bad checks and another DUI, pleaded guilty again in 2018 to possession of paraphernalia, and pleaded no contest the following year to a petty theft charge, for which she was sentenced to 50 hours of community service and ordered to attend Shoplifters Anonymous meetings, court records show.

Chehouri failed to complete any of the requirements, and did not pay the mandated court fees, probation supervision fees, or drug testing fees, according to a 2022 probation violation affidavit filed in Pinellas County.

On the civil side, Chehouri has been evicted twice and was dragged into court in 2008 and 2016 for defaulting on her rent at properties in Bradenton and St. Petersburg.

Airbnb had a duty to properly investigate potential guests, prior to recommending said guests to Mr. Weaver, to make sure said guests did not pose a threat or safety risk to others or themselves.

Weaver is demanding Airbnb make good on $3,691.80 in rent Chehouri never paid, plus reimbursements for lost rental revenue and the cost of hiring a lawyer to defend himself in court against the phony battery charge. In all, Weaver wants Airbnb to fork over $414,694.45 in compensatory damages, plus $406,110.22 in punitive damages.

Airbnb has not yet filed a formal response to the allegations.
Hundreds demonstrate near US embassy in Iraq after Nasrallah killing

Hassan Nasrallah, Secretary-general of Hezbollah, speaks via a video link, during an event to mark the "Wounded Resistance Fighter Day". Marwan Naamani/dpa

Following the killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in an Israeli airstrike in Lebanon, hundreds of supporters of Shiite parties demonstrated in Iraq on Saturday.

Gathering in Baghdad at the entrance to the so-called Green Zone, where the US embassy and government buildings are situated, they carried Iraqi and Lebanese flags as well as photos of the slain secretary general of the Lebanese Shiite militia, eyewitnesses reported.

In their slogans, they demanded retaliation against Israel.

Security forces cordoned off the area to prevent a storming of the Green Zone.

The news website Rudaw published footage showing security forces using a water cannon to try to push the crowd back.

Iranian-supported Shiite parties and militias have significant influence in Iraq. The also Iranian-aligned Hezbollah movement has aided militias in Iraq since the 2000s, helping with the training of fighters to enhance their attacks on US targets and expand Iran's influence in the country.

Hezbollah has also provided financial and arms support to the militias.
In March, French lawmakers voted to make terminating a pregnancy a 'guaranteed freedom' in the constitution, a world first (Ian LANGSDON) (Ian LANGSDON/AFP/AFP)

Hundreds of people rallied in defence of abortion rights on Saturday in Paris and other cities in France -- the first country to enshrine the right to abortion in its constitution.

Saturday marked International Safe Abortion Day, with women's access to abortion remaining a precarious right globally, with numerous nations restricting or outlawing the procedure, while others ease access.

In March, French lawmakers voted to make terminating a pregnancy a "guaranteed freedom" in the constitution, a world first.

On Saturday, hundreds of demonstrators rallied in support of the procedure in Paris and other cities.

"Including abortion in the constitution is not enough, it is a freedom but not a right", said Marie Chureau, a 22-year-old student at the Paris rally.

In the southern city of Toulouse, protesters carried signs reading "My body, my choice", while in the northern city of Lille, one read "The right to choose is vital".

According to the Center for Reproductive Rights (CRR) advocacy group, only 34 percent of women of reproductive age live in countries where abortion is available on demand. It says backstreet abortions lead to 39,000 deaths per year.

burs/yad/jj
Demonstrators hold a banner reading: Abortion is a fundamental right, as they march in support of the right to abortion for women across the world, in Paris, Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

PARIS (AP)  Hundreds of people came out in Paris on Saturday, marching in support of the right to abortion for women across the world, just six months after France became the first country to guarantee in its constitution a woman's right to voluntarily terminate a pregnancy.

The protest, organized by civil society groups to mark International Safe Abortion Day, also called for greater and easier access to abortion in France, denouncing budget cuts, staff reductions and the closure of abortion centers and maternity wards, which organizers say all contribute to penalizing women.

Sarah Durocher, president of Frances not-for-profit family planning services, said French women sometimes have to travel to another region to access the medical services needed to abort, denouncing the obstacle course they sometimes face.

Thibault Thomas, 28, said the ongoing trial of a man who has confessed to drugging his wife so that dozens of men could rape her while she was unconscious, was one of the reasons that motivated him to attend the protest on Saturday.

Theres a mood in France, a particular context with the Mazan trial, he said, referring to the name of the small Provence town where the couple had bought their retirement home, and where the repeated rapes occurred.

This sweeps away all the excuses, or all the mitigating circumstances that we thought could have existed before, Thomas said. In fact it is something broader, generalized.

Earlier this year, France became the only country to explicitly guarantee a womans right to voluntarily terminate a pregnancy, when lawmakers overwhelmingly approved a bill to enshrine abortion rights in the constitution.

Abortion in France has been legal since 1975 and enjoys wide support across most of the political spectrum.

Enshrining the right in the Constitution sought to prevent the kind of rollback seen in the United States in recent years.

Still, many in the protest Saturday said the right to abort could never be taken for granted, especially at a time when far-right nationalist parties are gaining influence, in France and other European countries.

Every time the far right comes to power, sexual and reproductive rights are threatened. I dont see why there would be a French exception, said Durocher, stressing that every nine minutes, a woman dies somewhere in the world for not having been able to access safe abortion.. So obviously these rights are threatened.

Also in the march on Saturday was a small organization representing Colombian women in Paris, carrying a large purple banner with a feminist sign.

In France, fortunately, it is enshrined in the constitution. But we know that when we exert pressure in France or in Latin America, we also help all women to say, We are not alone,'" said 49 year-old Talula Rodriguez. "Were all going to fight for rights, rights over our bodies. Its our choices.
Hurricane Center storm outlook, Florida Helene recovery. What you need to know in a minute

Tight on time or don't have power? This story is for you. It's an abbreviated, text view at what's happening and how to find help after Hurricane Helene's landfall in Florida. Click here for more details.

Post-Tropical Cyclone Helene, what was Florida's devastating Hurricane Helene, continued Saturday morning to cause several flood warnings and advisories, along with flash flood warnings across portions of the southern and central Appalachians, the Southeast, and the Ohio Valley.

Meanwhile Hurricane Center forecasters were continuing to track active systems Hurricane Isaac, Tropical Storm Joyce, and a tropical wave with a chance to develop next week. Isaac is not expected to threaten the US and Joyce is forecast to weaken at sea. The place to watch is the Western Caribbean, where an area of low pressure could form by the early part of next week and enter the Gulf of Mexico.

How to find help after Hurricane Helene

If you are in immediate danger call 911.

State Assistance Information Line: 800-342-3557. Find information on available resources. English, Spanish and Creole speakers are available to answer questions.

You can find information on open shelters here.

How to find licensed contractors to help with damage

Disaster Contractors Network: Find licensed contractors to help with your post-hurricane repairs.

Price gouging? Here's who to call

If you suspect price gouging, report it to the Florida Attorney Generals Office by visiting MyFloridaLegal.com or calling 866-9NO-SCAM (7226).

How you can help

Money is key in the early going, so if you plan to donate you should do some research. Here's a list of some places that have been vetted in the past.

Expect storm surge to be Gulf Coast problem for awhile

Expect flooding to be a problem for days or even weeks in many Florida counties.

Flooded roads, along with homes and businesses with structural damage, have been reported. Floating debris is common in flooded areas and some locations may be uninhabitable for an extended period.

Sewer system in St. Petersburg shut down

St. Petersburg's Northeast Sewer Plant has been shut down because of flood damage, and inspections that must be completed. The part of the city that is affected is north of 30th Avenue North and east of Haines Road or Interstate 275.

Do not drain water out of sinks, tubs, or toilets; sewage could back up into homes.

Drinking water is still available.

How to document hurricane damage

Before you start cleaning up, though, you should document all of the damages as-is. Take video as you walk through your home, including checking drawers and closets.

How long do you have to file an insurance claim?

You have only one year to file an insurance claim for hurricane damage. So you have until Sept. 26, 2025, to file a claim for Hurricane Helene damage.

When can you return home if you evacuated?

It can take hours for floodwaters from a major hurricane like Helene to recede. If youve evacuated because of the storm, you should only return home when officials say its safe.

How to save books, photos, important documents from flood waters

The Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Smithsonian Institution have some tips to help you try, with luck, to save and preserve your precious belongings.

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Hurricane Florida recovery continues, tropical outlook for next week
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER  Its not a rescue mission, but the two astronauts left behind by Boeings Starliner at the International Space Station will soon welcome their new ride home with the arrival of a SpaceX Crew Dragon that made a historic launch from Cape Canaveral Space Force Base on Saturday.

A Falcon 9 topped with the Crew Dragon Freedom launched from Canaverals Space Launch Complex 40 at 1:17 p.m. marking the first human spaceflight from the pad, a feat accomplished after SpaceX spent nearly two years building out a new crew tower at the site. All previous SpaceX Crew Dragon launches have been from KSCs Launch Pad 39-A.

The pads first two space travelers were NASA astronaut and Space Force Col. Nick Hague flying with Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov.

It was a sweet ride, Hague said after Dragon made it into orbit. Im pretty sure my youngest son would say it was sigma.

Show Caption1 of 42

NASA astronaut Nick Hague, commander, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, mission specialist, launch from Space Launch Complex-40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft named Freedom, on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. ..As part of the Crew-9 crew, Hague and Gorbunov will join NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who arrived to the space station in June...(Ricardo Ramirez Buxeda/ Orlando Sentinel)

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The mission flew with just two instead of four so that NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who arrived to the ISS on board Starliner back on June 6, could have a ride back to Earth when the Crew-9 mission ends in February 2025.

NASA opted to send Starliner home without crew because of thruster and helium leak concerns on that spacecrafts propulsion system during its flight up to the station.

That decision meant two of Crew-9s original members, who had been training for 18 months for the flight, had to be left behind. Zena Cardman, who would have been flying for the first time, had originally been tapped as commander while Hague trained as pilot. Veteran NASA astronaut Stephanie Wilson was supposed to fly as mission specialist.

With the need to drop two crew members, NASA opted to drop rookie Cardman and give the command to Hague, a veteran of two previous launches and one long-term stay on board the ISS.

Cardman and Wilson, though, joined NASAs mission commentary ahead of launch from KSC.

Its bittersweet, but its a really beautiful thing, Cardman said ahead of liftoff. I think any launch is a testament to the power of collaboration, and this launch maybe even more so than usual. I think, from my perspective, its a privilege and a choice to take part in something thats larger than yourself, and thats a choice that I make today and the next day and the next day.

Wilson, one of NASAs oldest active astronauts who had flown three times on the space shuttle, echoed the emotions of Cardman.

Were always excited for our colleagues to have an opportunity to launch into space. Of course, we wish we could be with them. We have trained with them, for this time. We, of course, wanted to be together. We have built friendship and camaraderie, and learned for the roles for the Crew Dragon and for the International Space Station. But Im very excited for them, looking forward to hearing their stories from space.

The rocket took off through hazy, cloud-covered skies in a break from dicey rainstorms that had dumped torrents on the pad just hours before liftoff. Hurricane Helene had forced a delay of the original planned launch that had been targeting Thursday.

The first-stage booster made its second flight, and returned for a landing at Canaverals Landing Zone 1 sending a sonic boom across the Space Coast.

Upon reaching orbit, Hague revealed the traditional zero-G indicator, a small stuffed baby falcon named Aurora that had actually flown with Hague on his last flight to space in 2019.

The Crew Dragon now has about a 28-hour ride to rendezvous with the ISS and join the nine people already on the station. Wilmore and Williams have another five months on board before they can take their saved seats for the ride back home.

Hague and Gorbunov had donned their spacesuits by 9 a.m. before leaving KSCs Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building where they had been in quarantine since arriving last Saturday. The duo said goodbye to family and NASA officials including Administrator Bill Nelson. They then climbed into the traditional ride provided for SpaceX launches, this time a black Tesla sporting the mission-specific custom license plate that read READY4IT.

The ride to the pad, though, drove through KSC but didnt stop at the normal destination, but instead the caravan of support vehicles continued pas Launch Complex 39-A and traveled over the bridge to the nearby Cape Canaveral.

They got to christen the white room at the top of the new launch tower, becoming the first to write their names on the wall under a SpaceX logo. KSCs white room in comparison, is getting crowded, now with 54 signatures from the 14 previous Crew Dragon missions flown with humans since May 2000.

With two empty seats, Dragon flew up with mass simulators to equal the normal flight weight.

The Crew-9 patch for the mission was adjusted to remove the original four names slated to fly.

As we have modified this mission to save two seats for Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams on the downhill, we removed the names from the patch, Cardman said. This was a gesture too. Its not just the people on the rocket who are a part of this mission. It takes an entire team too, including my crewmate, Stephanie Wilson, myself, and all of the people who have gotten Nick and Alexander ready for this launch today.

Wilson was supposed to have been the ISS commander, which would have made her the first Black woman to hold the role.

Instead command of the ISS went to Williams who took on the duties during a ceremony last week that marked the end of Expedition 71 and beginning of Expedition 72 aboard the station that has had continuous human presence for nearly 24 years.

The Starliner flight marked Williams third visit to the ISS for what was supposed to be an eight-day stay, but will end up being more than eight months.

Weve got a ride home, and you know, were looking forward to the next couple months, and doing a lot of stuff for the International Space Station, she said in a recent interview.

Crew-9s arrival will grow the stations population to 11, but just for a short time. The four members of Crew-8, who have been on board since March, will remain on the station during a handover period of five to seven days before they ride their Crew Dragon Endeavour home for a splashdown return off the coast of Florida.

Cardman gave her thoughts about being left behind.

Its complex, but so is spaceflight, Cardman said about the loss of her ride to space, but shes happy NASA made the call to keep Starliners astronauts safe. I personally think its a good decision to always prioritize safety of the crew members.

Hague earlier this week praised his two crewmates that will have to wait for their next flight.

This mission is bigger than any one crew. Its bigger than any one person, and so weve got a dynamic challenge ahead of us, Hague said. Ive never felt closer to my crewmates. You know that bond that youve built, you know that we built for the better part of a year and a half with Zena and Stephanie is as strong as ever, as theyre working side by side with us, helping, getting us ready.

The mission is slated to work through more than 200 science, technology and research experiments during the remaining five months before the flight home.

Crew Dragon Freedom made its fourth trip to space having flown first on the Crew-4 mission in 2022 followed by the Axiom Space Ax-2 and Ax-3 commercial missions, all having docked to the ISS.

SpaceX remains the only certified provider for ferry service to the International Space Station from the U.S. as Boeings Starliner has faced years of hurdles to complete its first crewed flight test.

This is only the second time Dragon has flown with just two crew. Hague this week said breaking up those responsibilities has been a challenge.

Some of that is how you respond to emergencies, he said. A lot of that we practice over and over. How do I respond to a potential fire? How would I respond to a potential depressurization event?

He said the crew has to respond reflexively, and everyone already understands their role and responsibility.

So weve in the past three weeks had to adapt that response and ingrain that response so that were ready, he said. If you know something unfortunately like that would happen, were going to be able to keep ourselves safe.

Hague said hes anxious to introduce Williams and Wilmore to their ride home.

Thats going to be top priority when we get there, and while we have a period of handover the first week or so is having that dedicated time to help them understand what theyre going to need to do to operate as part of the Crew-9 crew, he said.

Even though they were trained on Starliner, the fact they are test pilots and his previous opportunities to work alongside them at NASA gives his confidence.

We know each other and were professionals, and we step up and do whats asked of us, so Im looking forward to working with them, and I think were going to pull together without a problem, he said.
HINTON, WV (WVNS)  The weather we are receiving from Hurricane Helene is causing issues for everyone in its path.

This foul weather has the potential to damage some local farms and hinder farmers work, especially as we head into the harvest season. However, farmer Mark Meador of Hinton told 59News that it is quite the opposite for his farm. He said this rain has brought relief to his farm after a long season of drought.

It has helped a whole lot. Everything had dried up. The pasture is coming back. Until it freezes, the pasture will be pretty good for a while. It has turned green in the past three days, said Meador.

It has even revived a creek that ran along his farm. He said his water supply is now overflowing.

What to know about Hurricane Helene and the flooding the storm left across the Southeast US

This much needed rain does come with a lot of hiccups. Meador told 59News there are a few trees down on the farm, thankfully none of which harmed his livestock.

See in the distance here, they have torn fences down. Probably for about three weeks or a month I will be busy cutting trees off of fences and patching fences, said Meador.

Meador said he will be proactively checking on his livestock to ensure their safety through the storm.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WVNS.
SHREVEPORT, La. (KTAL/KMSS) Nine Shreveport firefighters have been deployed with Louisiana Task Force 3 (LA-TF3) to assist in emergency Hurricane Helene efforts.

According to the Shreveport Fire Department, they will join other Louisiana state firefighters to create one team. The LA-TF3 are trained and highly specialized in rescue response, structural collapse response, swift water rescue, and other techniques.

The 22 personnel traveling to South Carolina are representatives of Shreveport Fire,

Caddo Fire Districts 1 and 4, Bossier City Fire, Pineville, VA Fire Alexandria, and the Louisiana State Fire Marshals Office, details the news release.

Louisiana Task Force 3 (Courtesy of the Shreveport Fire Department)

SFD details that the Shreveport Department is scheduled to arrive today with the Louisiana Task Force 3.

They thank the Alabama Fire College in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, for the hospitality and for hosting the Task Force, allowing them to rest ahead of todays travel and preparation.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTALnews.com.
MIAMI  Gov. Ron DeSantis has effectively inserted himself into some of the most high-profile fights in the nation, from Covid to immigration.

But the latest battle he faces that has thrust Florida into the national spotlight is something he didnt choose: Hurricane Helenes wreckage. So far, at least eleven people in Florida died, DeSantis said Saturday morning, and the storms sheer size brought massive destruction to Floridas Gulf coast and to the Big Bend region which already got battered twice in the last year.

While it is very early in the states recovery, which will take weeks or even months, the hours and days after the storm has passed are critical. Rescuers are rushing to reach those who may be stranded, and first responders and line workers race to clear roads and restore power for the hundreds of thousands still in the dark.

On top of the humanitarian toll, storm response can make  or break  the legacy of Florida chief executives. Helene isnt the most destructive or deadly hurricane DeSantis has responded to as governor, but its the largest since he dropped out of the presidential race. And it comes as the term-limited DeSantis enters the final two years of office, with some signs that his influence has already slipped in the state.

Responding effectively to a natural disaster will certainly increase the governors popularity and favorability ratings, which translates into political capital  which can be spent in the future if needed, said Justin Sayfie, a partner at Ballard Partners who was a policy adviser to former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush. DeSantis himself isnt on the ballot this November, but his response to the storm could still affect how the public views him  and stall or fuel his agenda during his last two years as governor and beyond. An effective response would allow him to show donors and voters how he can lead, and how he can balance priorities and show empathy in moments of tragedy. It could become a story of success or failure, especially if he runs for president in the future, which he hasnt ruled out.



DeSantis has blanketed the state, both before the storm hit and soon after the hurricane left the state. On Thursday, the day the storm made landfall, he appeared on Fox and Friends, both Sean Hannitys radio and primetime Fox News shows and the Weather Channel. He addressed reporters from Tallahassee as the storm was making landfall late at night on Thursday, and toured damage sites at Perry, St. Pete Beach and Cedar Key on Friday.

Former North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory said he thought DeSantis had good instincts for crisis management and said communicating during a natural disaster was hugely important, while miscommunication is the biggest danger that can have long-term political ramifications.

If you make the wrong call, he added, you pay for it politically.

McCrory had to contend with the response to Hurricane Matthew just weeks before Election Day in 2016. Though he lost his reelection, he fell short just narrowly, by far less than the polls had predicted, in what many attributed to his response to the storm. Showing empathy and action are key qualities for leadership during a disaster, he said.

If any politicians are thinking about politics during a crisis, they're going to fail, and I mean that seriously, he said.

DeSantis reaped the political benefits after his response to Hurricane Ian, which tore through Gulf communities roughly six weeks ahead of his 19-point reelection victory in 2022. Though the storm caused billions of dollars in damage and killed 140 Floridians  and the governor was forced to defend late local evacuation orders in certain areas  he also benefited from saturated coverage that showed his command of state bureaucracy and how he could calmly and clearly deliver updates about the response.

Following Ian, DeSantis surveyed the devastation alongside Florida first lady Casey DeSantis, President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden, in a show of bipartisan unity that ditched, at least temporarily, the partisan pugilistic nature that had rocketed him to fame. When he did return to the campaign trail and often after, he talked about how he got the causeway to Sanibel Island repaired ahead of schedule.

During the 2024 presidential primary, DeSantis again left the campaign trail at a critical time and canceled donor events, this time to respond to Hurricane Idalia. But he did not appear alongside Biden because he said the security preparations would be too disruptive to the recovery efforts.



Even after his failed presidential bid, DeSantis has looked to reinsert himself into the national narrative. He took a hard line on pro-Palestine campus protests  which did not break out to any significant degree in the state  and opened a state investigation into the apparent assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump.

Regardless of other issues Florida faces, however, hurricanes batter the state so frequently that they often define and shape the governors who oversee their preparation and response. Asked on Friday morning to reflect on the differences between this hurricane response and others he presided over, the governor said responders were able to get into the storm to help rescue people faster.

While many people across the country were sound asleep, he said, you had these folks that were putting themselves on the line and helping their fellow Floridians.

Other prominent politicians are already using Hurricane Helene to criticize each other, even if DeSantis has not waded in. Vice President Kamala Harris presidential campaign clipped a video on Friday of Ken Cuccinelli  a former senior Trump DHS official and Project 2025 contributor, a favorite punching bag of the campaign  talking about shrinking FEMA, the agency responsible for the federal response to disasters like hurricanes, warning that their plan is to cut assistance for hurricane victims.

And Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.), who has been very involved in hurricane response, on Fox News The Faulkner Focus on Friday attacked Harris for being at the U.S.-Mexico border for a campaign event rather than coming to Florida to ensure the state had the federal resources it needed. (Trump, a Florida resident, was at a campaign event in Michigan on Friday.)

All she wants to do is win an election, Scott said. She doesnt care about American citizens.

Gary Fineout contributed to this report.
The Israel Defense Forces announced on Saturday morning that Hezbollah head Hassan Nasrallah was killed in a series of strikes the day prior on a Hezbollah command center in southern Beirut.



The IDFs operation, which began around 6:30 p.m. local time, targeted a compound in the Hezbollah stronghold of Dahiyeh where Nasrallah was believed to be meeting with senior officials from the U.S.-designated terror group.



Also killed in the strike was senior Hezbollah commander Ali Karaki, who had survived an assassination attempt days before Fridays operation.



Israeli fighter jets could be heard over Tel Aviv and Haifa into the early morning hours as Israel conducted additional strikes on Hezbollah targets in Lebanon.



Nasrallahs assassination comes a week and a half after pagers and walkie-talkies carried by the Iran-backed terror groups operatives were targeted in a wide-ranging operation that saw simultaneous detonations of the devices on consecutive days, killing several dozen people and injuring thousands.



Nasrallah, who rarely appears in public, had led the terror group since the 1992 assassination of his predecessor, Abbas Al-Musawi, during a time when Hezbollah was tied to attacks around the world, including the 1992 bombing of the Israeli Embassy in Argentina, in which 29 people were killed, and the bombing of the AMIA Jewish community center in Buenos Aires two years later that killed 85 people. In 2012, Bulgarian officials alleged that the group was behind the bombing of a tourist bus in the resort city of Burgas that killed five Israelis as well as a Bulgarian bus driver.



This story is developing.





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The argument about the origins of COVID has always been heated, and nowadays it feels more like a brawl than a scientific debate.

Some say that ground zero for the pandemic was a live animal market in Wuhan, China. Others argue that SARS-CoV-2 (the coronavirus that causes COVID) leaked from a nearby laboratory that was studying similar viruses. Both are plausible scenarios.

Proponents of the market hypothesis have been aggressively vocal in recent weeks. In August, an anonymous editorial in a leading medical journal talked about the "hubris needed to underpin alternative hypotheses" and "fanciful ideas  more in keeping with popular movies."

A commentary in another journal lamented that scientists were being harassed for rejecting the lab leak hypothesis. With breathtaking hypocrisy, the same commentary then attacked a junior researcher who favors that hypothesis, dismissing her work as "conjecture, correlation and anecdote."

We can at least agree that the virus was present in the Wuhan market. Samples collected from market stalls and drains in early January 2020 contain SARS-CoV-2 genetic material. A recent analysis of this material, published in the journal Cell, claimed to show that the common ancestor of the viruses at the market was the common ancestor of the whole pandemic.

That sounds compelling, until you realize that all of these samples were collected weeks after the pandemic began and none came from a live animal. Unaccountably, no samples were collected before the market was closed and the animals destroyed. Primarily for this reason, most commentatorsincluding meconsider these latest results suggestive but not definitive.

The lack of samples from animals is a problem. No one believes that this virus originated in Wuhan. The natural reservoirs of SARS-like coronaviruses are horseshoe bats, and no infected colonies have been found within 1,500km of the city.

So it must have been brought into the market from somewhere. Yet no SARS-CoV-2 has been found along the supply chains for the animals sold there.

Could a person rather than an animal have brought SARS-CoV-2 into the market in late 2019? That's entirely possible. Many of the viruses near the base of the SARS-CoV-2 ancestral tree came from people with no links to the market. Several, including a cluster from Guangdong Province, were not even from Wuhan.

Despite the many uncertainties and unanswered questions, it would be much easier to accept the market hypothesis if the pandemic had begun in one of the hundreds (or possibly thousandsno one seems to know for sure) of other Chinese cities that had similar markets in 2020.

After all, the 2002 outbreak of the original SARS coronavirus (a very close relative of SARS-CoV-2) began in a market selling civet cats and other animals in, as it happens, Guangdong.

Yet the epicenter of the COVID pandemic was less than 20 kilometers from China's pre-eminent coronavirus research lab, the Wuhan Institute of Virology. That is an extraordinary coincidence, and you'd need compelling evidence that the market was the source (or that the lab wasn't) to dismiss it. The evidence we have simply isn't that strong.

That said, there is no evidenceat least, not that the Chinese authorities have sharedthat SARS-CoV-2 was present in the Wuhan Institute of Virology, though some closely related viruses were. I cannot know if it was or wasn't, but it didn't have to be.

Scientists from the institute went on coronavirus-hunting expeditions to places such as Guangdong. Scientists from the Wuhan Center for Disease Control and Preventionjust a five-minute walk from the marketwere making their own expeditions, too. There's an obvious and plausible alternative route to the first human case.

Dismissed as a conspiracy theory

Yet as far back as March 2020, on a bare minimum of evidence, the idea that a lab was involved in any way was already being dismissed as a conspiracy theory.

Two years ago, one of the most strident proponents of the market hypothesis claimed that his latest research "lays to rest the idea that the virus escaped from a laboratory." An author of the new analysis in Cell says alternative explanations are "fanciful" and "absurd."

Who is all this bombast supposed to win over? Not scientists who can read the research papers, take note of the caveats and make their own judgments. Not politicians who have taken an ideological stance on the issue, particularly in the US. And not the intelligence agencies who many believe are our best hope for getting at the truth.

I have studied the origins of human viruses for 25 years but, having examined the evidence, I still don't know how the COVID pandemic began. I do know that the question is important and that debating it should be encouraged, not stifled.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
DEKALB, Ill. (WTVO)  DeKalb Police arrested Matthew Martin, 43, after a short standoff for allegedly robbing the Illinois Community Credit Union.

On July 31, around 8:21 a.m., police arrived at the credit union located at 1500 Barber Greene Road for reports of an armed robbery. The suspect forced his way into the bank and ordered employees to open the safe, according to a press release.

The man fled with $50,000 in a duffle bag, according to authorities.

After investigations, officials went to the 11200 block of South King Drive in Chicago to arrest Martin on September 27, around 6 a.m. After a brief standoff, Martin was taken into custody and taken to DeKalb Police Department for processing.

Martin is charged with armed robbery, armed habitual criminal and unlawful possession of a weapon by a felon.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to MyStateline | WTVO News, Weather and Sports.
Lung cancer kills more people in the UK than any other form of the disease each year - DA-KUK/E+

Incurable lung cancer could soon become treatable, according to experts conducting a world-first trial on the NHS.

Doctors at The Christie, the cancer specialist hospital in Manchester, are using novel radiotherapy technology to more precisely target the deadliest form of cancer.

It is the first trial in 20 years to look at how radiotherapy could benefit patients with late-stage lung cancer.

The trial, known as the thoracic umbrella radiotherapy study (TOURIST), will also be the first to repurpose new radiotherapy tools such as the volumetric modulated arc therapy that has previously only been used to treat patients with early-stage cancer that has not spread.

This type of radiotherapy uses a rotating machine delivering multiple beams of radiation at different strengths directly on to the tumour, rather than a single beam. It means more cancer cells can be killed while also sparing healthy tissue around the organ.

By using this newer technology in combination with immunotherapy drugs or chemotherapy, doctors hope it could change the face of lung cancer treatment.

Dr David Woolf, a consultant oncologist at The Christie and joint chief investigator for the study, told the Telegraph the trial could change global practice for treating advanced lung cancer.

While the focus of the trial is to extend and improve the quality of life of patients, Dr Woolf believes it could also improve the cure rate.

Approximately 85 per cent of lung cancer cases are classified as non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and almost half of these are diagnosed at stage four when it has spread and is considered incurable.

This means about 20,000 people a year are diagnosed with this incurable form of lung cancer, for which treatment options are limited and focus on preserving life. Despite this, more than nine in 10 people die within five years of being diagnosed.

This trial will use newer technology in combination with immunotherapy drugs or chemotherapy - MARK KOSTICH/ISTOCKPHOTO

Lung cancer kills more people in the UK than any other form of the disease each year, accounting for about 21 per cent of annual cancer deaths.

This is the first time we have delivered a trial in radiotherapy for stage four NSCLC patients for two decades so its a big deal, Dr Woolf told The Telegraph. Techniques have advanced to such an extent in this time that we believe that radiotherapy can bring additional benefit to patients undergoing their standard treatments.

He added: This study aims to provide enough evidence to change clinical practice globally and could help up to a million people a year worldwide.

The trial will give patients targeted radiotherapy in the thorax alongside a combination of new drugs, building on the current standard of treatment.

The hypothesis is that precise radiotherapy administered earlier will help to kill cancer cells and shrink the tumour, making it easier for immunotherapy drugs, which typically provoke a response from the immune system to attack the tumour, to do their job.

It will be offered early in a patients treatment, before any symptoms arise. Typical symptoms of advanced lung cancer can include a cough, with or without blood, breathlessness, and pain.

Prevention and delay

Dr Woolf said: We hope giving radiotherapy earlier will help prevent or delay these [symptoms] from occurring. Also if we reduce the size of the cancer, this can lead to less fatigue and increased well-being.

By reducing the size of the cancer, we can increase survival rates. This can allow drug therapy to be more successful.

The trial is already under way, but the doctors are looking to recruit about 1,000 participants through the NHS, and anyone with a recent diagnosis can enquire with their cancer consultant about taking part.

Professor Matthew Hatton, an honorary professor of oncology at The University of Sheffield and the other joint chief investigator for the TOURIST trial, said: We really need to determine if, using modern radiotherapy techniques, we can improve outcomes for these patients. Our aim with this trial is to improve the quality of life, reduce symptoms associated with this disease and extend life expectancy.

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New York City mayor Eric Adams, right, appears outside Manhattan federal court after an appearance, Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

For months, New York City Mayor Eric Adams  a former cop  refused to criticize the federal authorities investigating his administration.

Not anymore.

The day news of his indictment on corruption charges broke, Adams defiantly suggested, without providing evidence, that U.S. prosecutors had gone after him because he had criticized President Joe Biden's immigration policies.

Despite our pleas, when the federal government did nothing as its broken immigration policies overloaded our shelter system with no relief, I put the people of New York before party and politics, he said. I always knew that if I stood my ground for all of you, that I would be a target  and a target I became."

The accusation from Adams marked a sharp turn for a retired police captain turned politician, whose commitment to law-and-order has been a calling card during his time in office.

The rhetoric was also similar to that of other politicians who have found themselves facing various accusations.

After he was indicted on corruption charges by the same U.S. attorney prosecuting Adams, former U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez blamed his prosecution on forces behind the scenes that had repeatedly attempted to silence my voice.

Former President Donald Trump blamed the lawsuits and criminal charges against him on a political witch hunt orchestrated by Democrats.

Adams echoed some of that rhetoric after he was charged with accepting illegal campaign contributions and free travel perks from Turkish officials and businesspeople looking to buy his influence.

He suggested prosecutors had been told to smear him. By who, he didn't say.

We should ask them, Who gave the directive to carry out what we have witnessed over the last 10 months?" Adams told reporters.

The White House has pushed back on the idea that Adams was targeted because of his complaints about not getting enough help from the federal government dealing with an influx of international migrants. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters the administration had nothing to do with the Department of Justice's decision to bring charges.

The president was clear, even when he was running in 2020, that he was going to make sure that DOJ is independent and the DOJ is handling this case independently, she said.

Before he was indicted, Adams consistently said he was cooperating with the investigations and stressed that he was following the law. He would laugh off questions from reporters about various aspects of the probes. And he would refuse to criticize the investigators, saying that as a former law enforcement official, he understood they had a job to do.

Richard Briffault, a professor at Columbia Law School in New York with a specialty in government ethics, described Adams' current defensive posture as a standard technique."

Hes not discussing any of the charges. Hes just saying the people who brought the charges dont like him," he said. If the facts are against you, move onto something else. If the facts are against you, try to go after the prosecutors. If the facts are against you, go after your opponent."

Speaking at a news conference announcing the indictment, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, Damian Williams, dismissed the idea that the case was political.

The Southern District of New York remains committed to rooting out corruption without fear or favor and without regard to partisan politics," Williams said. We are not focused on the right or the left, we are focused only on right and wrong.

Williams leads a large office of prosecutors so famous for its independence that it has long been nicknamed The Sovereign District.

Appointed by Biden in 2021, Williams has overseen other several other big, news-making prosecutions. His office won its case against Menendez, who is awaiting sentencing. It recently brought a sex trafficking indictment against Sean Diddy Combs, who pleaded innocent and is awaiting trial. It also brought an indictment against cryptocurrency entrepreneur Sam Bankman-Fried, who was convicted of fraud.

The mayor and his lawyer, Alex Spiro, have yet to provide evidence backing the theory that Adams was being persecuted for being a thorn in Biden's side.

Wednesday night, just hours before the first news reports of the indictment, Adams spent part of his evening attending a reception for United Nations General Assembly leaders hosted by Biden and First Lady Jill Biden.

Adams' suggestion that the charges are politically motivated drew comparisons to Trump. The former president, at an unrelated news conference Thursday, told reporters that he wishes Adams luck with the case and said he saw the charges against the mayor coming.

I watched about a year ago when he talked about how the illegal migrants are hurting our city, and the federal government should pay us, and we shouldnt have to take them," said Trump. "And I said, You know what? Hell be indicted within a year. And I was exactly right."
In Nazi Germany, Hertha Reis, a 36-year-old Jewish woman, performed forced labor for a private company in Berlin during World War II. In 1941, she was evicted by a judge from the two sublet rooms where she lived with her son and mother  she was unprotected as a tenant because of an anti-Jewish law.

In plain daylight, in front of the courthouse in the heart of the Nazi capital, she protested in front of passersby.

We lost everything. Because of this cursed government, we finally lost our home, too. This thug Hitler, this damned government, these damned people, she said. Just because we are Jews, we are discriminated against.

Historians knew of clandestine acts of resistance, of course, and of armed group resistance, such as the Warsaw ghetto uprising. But in the dominant understanding of the Nazi period until now, the act of speaking out publicly as an individual against the persecution of Jews seemed unimaginable, especially for the Jews.

But in July 2008, I stumbled on the first trace of such public acts of resistance in the logbook of a Berlin police precinct, one of the few chronicles of its kind that had survived in the Berlin State Archive.

The entry, bearing the label political incident, was written by a police officer who had arrested a Jewish man protesting against the Nazi anti-Jewish policies. At the time of the discovery, I had studied the persecution of German Jews intensively for almost 20 years, but I had never heard of anything like this.

Intrigued, I started investigating. Subsequently, finding more and more similar stories of resistance in court records and survivor testimonies began to shatter my established scholarly beliefs.

Challenging traditional views of Jewish resistance

Historians, including myself, had long painted a picture of passivity of the persecuted. When discrimination in Nazi Germany gradually increased, the Jews slowly adapted, so went the argument. More generally, an assumption still exists today that defiance, especially individual protest, is rare in authoritarian regimes.

The astonishing evidence from the Berlin police files resonated deeply with me on a personal level. I grew up behind the Iron Curtain in East Germany. The communist regime persecuted even mild expressions of individual opposition as threats. This personal experience of living in a dictatorship until the age of 28 provided me with a distinct sensitivity that enabled me to recognize day-to-day forms of resistance.

Knowing from history that the treatment of the political opposition in Nazi Germany was so much more brutal, how much more serious must the Hitler regime have perceived any signs of resistance coming from their No. 1 racial enemy, the Jews?

Still, today the public and many scholars understand Jewish resistance during the Holocaust mostly in terms of rare armed group activities in the Nazi occupied East, for example ghetto uprisings or partisan attacks.

By including individual acts and, thus, broadening the traditional definition of Jewish resistance, over a dozen years of systematic research I was able to unearth many new sources  from police and court records of various German cities to video testimonies of survivors  that documented a much greater volume and variety of resistance acts than could ever have been imagined.

The astonishing results change the view of Jewish resistance during World War II dramatically. The story of Hertha Reis and many other potent tales of individual defiance and courage contradict the common misconception that Jews were led like sheep to slaughter during the Holocaust.

A 17-year-old challenges the Nazi regime

Searching the Hesse Main State archive in Wiesbaden, I found the story of Hans Oppenheimer. He left his four-story apartment house every night for weeks in 1940, breaking the curfew for Jews. Not a single light illuminated the street in front of him. The city of Frankfurt had ordered a brownout to protect it from Allied air raids.

A few blocks away from his home, Hans hid in a doorway. With the entire city, Hans waited anxiously for the bombs to fall.

Persecuted because he was Jewish, as a 17-year-old, Hans had already toiled as a forced laborer for a year and a half, most recently unloading stones and cement bags from river barges for 10 hours every day. He earned only pennies and felt constantly harassed.

Hans had never been to a movie or a play, because those were prohibited for Jews in Frankfurt. As a Jewish adolescent, he saw no future in Nazi Germany. Because the war prevented him from leaving, he had decided to do something.

Every night, he waited in the dark, anxious and excited. When the sirens started to blare, announcing that the Allied bombers were closing in, Hans set off fire alarms to divert the German firefighters from the actual bombing sites. In December 1940, after he had set off dozens of false alarms, the police finally manage to catch Hans red-handed.

The Frankfurt prosecutor indicted Hans Oppenheimer and put him on trial. Since the court could not prove treason, the now 18-year-old received only three years in prison for sabotaging the war effort.

Incarcerated and isolated, Hans suffered from severe depression and physical debilitation. When the prison officials did not respond to his repeated complaints, the young man attempted to take his own life twice. At the end of 1942, the Gestapo deported all Jewish prison inmates from Germany to Auschwitz. Hans Oppenheimer did not survive there for long, because of his weakened state. He died on Jan. 30, 1943, just days after he had turned 20 years old.

A new history of Jewish resistance

Forgotten until now, between 1933 and 1945 hundreds and hundreds of Jewish women and men performed individual acts of resistance in Nazi Germany proper. I present many of their stories in my new book, Resisters. How Ordinary Jews Fought Persecution in Hitlers Germany.

They destroyed Nazi symbols, protested in public against the persecution, disobeyed Nazi laws and local restrictions and defended themselves from verbal insults as well as physical attacks.

Amazingly, Jews of all ages, educational backgrounds and professions resisted in many ways. Some did it repeatedly, others just once. The fact that so many Germans and Austrians individually resisted the Nazis and their policies obliterates the common misconception of the passivity of the persecuted Jews.

Instead, such widespread individual acts of resistance during World War II provide a new view of history: that Jews showed agency in fighting their persecution by the Nazis. And this, in turn, demonstrates that individual resistance is possible under even the worst genocidal circumstances.

This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit, independent news organization bringing you facts and trustworthy analysis to help you make sense of our complex world. It was written by: Wolf Gruner, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences

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Wolf Gruner does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Inmate imprisoned for murder is beaten and killed by other inmates at California prison

California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation officials are investigating the death of prisoner Alberto Martinez at Calipatria State Prison as a homicide. (California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation)

A convicted murderer was killed this week in an assault by other inmates at a Southern California prison, authorities said.

Staff at Calipatria State Prison in Imperial County witnessed the beating death of Alberto Martinez, 46, in the prison yard on Thursday, authorities said.

Inmate Tyler A. Lua struck him, knocked him to the ground and continued to hit him, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation said in a news release.

Two other inmates, Jorge D. Negrete-Larios and Luis J. Beltran, began hitting Martinez as he lay motionless, and staff stopped the incident using pepper spray and one baton strike, the department said.

The department said Martinez had injuries consistent with an incarcerated-manufactured weapon, and two such weapons were found where the attack occurred.

Read more: From Californias death row, a phone gave them a love connection. It led to murder

Medical staff attempted to treat Martinezs injuries, but he died within an hour. Prison officials say they are investigating his death as a homicide.

The Imperial County Coroner will determine the exact cause of death.

Martinez had been sentenced to death in 2010 after being convicted of first-degree murder for his role in abducting and killing a man in exchange for payment from the mans sister.

Martinez described himself in court as an associate of the Mexican Mafia. He was featured in a 2023 Los Angeles Times article detailing how members of the prison-based crime syndicate use smuggled cellphones to collect money and order murders on city streets.

Though Martinez was initially on death row, he was among the condemned prisoners who were moved to the general population after Gov. Gavin Newsom imposed a moratorium on executions in 2019.

Read more: Gavin Newsom's huge achievement: Closing death row. But does it play in 2024?

According to the Department of Corrections, Martinez was also serving a life sentence for attempted first-degree murder, as well as another two-year sentence for street gang activity.

The three inmates who were involved were placed in restricted housing pending an investigation, the department said.

Lua and Negrete-Larios are both serving sentences for attempted second-degree murder and other convictions. Beltran was sentenced in 2023 to life in prison for first-degree murder.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
The long-simmering standoff between City Hall and Chicago Public Schools leadership that just blew up in the public eye leaves Mayor Brandon Johnson caught between the union that bankrolled his campaign and the school system hes charged with leading.

The latest strife at CPS, stemming from the mayors unprecedented push to oust CEO Pedro Martinez in the midst of stalled contract negotiations with the Chicago Teachers Union, raises questions about longer-term political fallout for Johnson, whos already fighting on several fronts.

His effort to bounce Martinez could have come to a head as soon as Thursday evenings Chicago Board of Education meeting, but board members opted not to take up the issue. That means the power struggle between the Chicago Teachers Union-backed mayor and Martinez continues, while the school board and the families who send their kids to CPS schools wait to see how the fight plays out.

Sources from both sides say the schools chiefs days on the job appear numbered. The only question is a matter of how soon he gets canned by the seven-member school board, which was handpicked by Johnson and will remain controlled by mayoral appointees following the January transition to a hybrid elected school board.

At stake are CPS $9.9 billion budget  and its structural deficit that remains a liability; the teachers unions ambitious hopes for its next contract; and a nascent five-year educational plan with sweeping implications for the districts 320,000 students.

With November elections to Chicagos first elected school board looming, the mayors handling of the situation has emboldened political opponents who see a perfect opportunity to tag him as beholden to the powerful teachers union, where he once worked.

The school tempest also threatens to imperil Johnsons other goals as he tries to get a 2025 budget through a deeply divided City Council where many members are backing the beleaguered schools CEO, and deals with harsh criticism about his decision to shut down the ShotSpotter gunshot detection system.

Johnson, for his part, has kept mum on specifics despite a flurry of movement from allies behind the scenes to ratchet up the pressure against Martinez.

This is really not about discussing personnel issues, Johnson said Thursday when asked what the CPS chief did to lose his support. Martinez has said the mayor asked for his resignation the previous week after he refused to take on a high-interest loan to cover a pension payment for CPS retirees as well as the upcoming CTU contract.

Pressed to elaborate, the mayor said: The individuals who have been responsible for the upheaval in this city, they no longer have a place, and so of course theyre going to try to create tension. But the people of Chicago voted for me to transform this school district, and that is what Im going to do.

Uncharted territory

The relationship between Martinez, a holdover appointed by former Mayor Lori Lightfoot in 2021, and Johnson, who came up in politics as a CTU organizer, began on a promising enough note.

Martinez had CTU President Stacy Davis Gates endorsement to stay on when the transition took place in May 2023 and developed an unexpected rapport with Johnson at first.

But things soured during the spring session when it became apparent Gov. JB Pritzker would not budge on the unions demand for $1.1 billion in additional funds as contract negotiations heated up. The CTU blames Martinez for not doing enough to lobby Springfield.

The Johnson administration instead pivoted to a plan to issue a high-interest loan that would cover some of the upcoming teachers raises as well as a city pension payment that goes toward nonteacher CPS employees. The district flatly refused, and the CBOE sided with Martinez during its July vote to pass the 2025 budget  a stunning rebuke of the mayor.

After several weeks of City Hall turning up the heat on CPS to reverse course in a budget amendment, Johnson last week asked for an amicable separation from Martinez, sources told the Tribune.

The resulting furor has been anything but amicable, shining a spotlight anew on the close relationship between Johnson and the CTU.

Theres only one reason why Pedro is being asked to resign right now, and thats because hes unwilling to do the bidding, former CPS CEO Janice Jackson said. Doing this now in the middle of negotiations, beyond being unprecedented, I think its just reckless and irresponsible.  What is the responsibility to the taxpayers if you have everybody at the table negotiating and they all have one thing in mind, or one goal, which is to get the best contract despite not being able to afford it?

Martinezs refusal was followed by a flurry of political maneuvering that included the CTU accusing him of exploring closing schools, which Martinez denied. The school board on Thursday adopted a moratorium on school closings until 2027 in order to blunt that attack.

Martinezs situation became messier still when his office released a statement attributed to CPS and the school board that board President Jianan Shi said he knew nothing about.

Now all eyes are on the Johnson-appointed board to see if they will cave before their terms are up in January. Shi still has not said publicly how he leans on firing Martinez, though he echoed the mayors refusal to discuss confidential or personnel matters publicly during Thursday nights meeting.

Meanwhile, Johnson opponents are lining up to publicly back Martinez, further complicating the political calculus for the mayor.

The campaign to save Martinez has included a letter of support with 24 aldermen as well as Jackson and Arne Duncan, another former CPS chief and ex-U.S. Education Secretary.

Its a little hard to understand. The goal of any school district is to improve student achievement, accelerate student learning, and Chicagos done that collectively extraordinarily well, Duncan told the Tribune. It reminds me a little bit of when the 90s Bulls broke up. They were winning, and they imploded from the inside, and never won like that again.

CTUs Davis Gates, however, described Martinezs backers as the last gasp of neoliberal education.

You see people fighting to continue to harm the children of the Chicago public schools, and in particular, Black children, Davis Gates said in an interview, alluding to the mass school closures under Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Duncan. Its like going backwards. Its like going back to 2013.

State Comptroller Susana Mendoza, who ran unsuccessfully for mayor in 2019, released her own long statement Tuesday lauding Martinezs leadership and saying she and other elected officials stand in firm opposition to Mayor Brandon Johnsons request for CEO Pedro Martinezs resignation.

Davis Gates has denied playing a hand in Martinezs attempted ouster even as she called him a clown show CEO as recently as Tuesday, and the CTU leadership team has given aldermen the full-court press on why Martinez is a poor schools chief.

In late August, amid rumors the mayor wanted Martinez gone, members of the City Councils Latino Caucus attempted to mobilize a majority to issue a statement of confidence in Martinez. The effort was quashed after CTU officials caught wind and began calling caucus members who expressed sympathy for Martinez in the group chat that day, sources told the Tribune.

Among progressive aldermen opposed to firing Martinez were Alds. Daniel La Spata, 1st, and Andre Vasquez, 40th, the latter of whom argued: It would also be a concern that the CEO would be used as a scapegoat for such a loan, just to be cut anyway.

But Johnson ally Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa, 35th, told the Tribune the real fiscal malfeasance is his colleagues ignoring the need to account for the pension payment toward the Municipal Employees Annuity and Benefit Fund.

The $175 million MEABF obligation used to be the citys until Lightfoot shifted the burden onto CPS, a move initially opposed by Johnson but now one he is fighting to preserve as he faces a nearly $1 billion budget gap in 2025 and a $223 million one at the end of this year. The school district did not include the MEABF payment in its budget passed in July, punting the responsibility back to Johnson and aldermen.

Its up to Pedro to ensure theres not turmoil in the school district. Hes failing to do that, Ramirez-Rosa said. The CEO of CPS has to come up with a plan to pay the CPS pension payments. If a loan is the best way to do that, then unfortunately that is the best way to do that.

Ticking financial and political bomb

The school board in July passed the districts $9.9 billion budget that balances a $505 million deficit but does not answer how to pay for future collective bargaining costs from the CTUs 30,000 members and the Chicago Principal Administrators Associations over 1,200 members. A budget amendment will be needed.

CPS most recently offered CTU salary increases of 4% to 5% over the next four years in its counteroffer to the unions April demand for 9% annual raises. District Chief Budget Officer Mike Sitkowski said at an August public bargaining session with the union that the CTU has submitted more than 700 contract proposals, and just 52 of them would produce a deficit of $2.9 billion next school year, growing to nearly $4 billion by the 2028-29 school year.

The mayors team urged CPS to issue $300 million in long-term bond debt to cover the start of the 4% raises as well as the MEABF payment in the 2025 budget but was shot down by the district, which charged in an internal memo: This strategy would be counter to our Districts commitment to fiscal responsibility.  This could be thought of as putting your credit card payments that you can no longer afford on your mortgage payments.

In the July document obtained by the Tribune, district officials warn that issuing long-term debt with no revenue source could lead to more borrowing down the line, triggering a new cascade of downgrades from credit rating agencies at a time at which CPS remains the largest junk bond issuer in the U.S. and faces higher borrowing rates as a result.

Davis Gates did not answer directly when asked whether she supports the $300 million bond debt plan. No one is asking for a loan, she said. Chicago Teachers Union is asking for a vision of how you fund our public school system.

She added that Martinez is not serious about securing more revenue or filling 1,200 teacher vacancies.

This obsession only with our contract and only with this loan means were missing the bigger picture, which is why I refuse to talk about the loan, Davis Gates said. Talking about the loan is Pedros way of distracting us from the fact that he doesnt have a plan.  In fact, talking about financing our contract is a distraction from the finances of the district as well. We got bigger challenges than a loan.

CTU messaging against Martinez has pointed to loans taken out during his time as CFO of the district from 2003 to 2009. But the memo argues the main driver of the districts current structural deficit comes from 2014 to 2017, when CPS filled deficits with several years of crisis borrowing in lieu of cutting expenses.

If CPS takes five years to pay the proposed $300 million back, it could cost over $434 million and grow the 2026 budget deficit to $951 million, the memo estimates, though that speculation hinges on unknown factors such as more funding coming from the state.

Thats an extremely expensive way to close a budget gap, and it pushes a lot of the costs on to taxpayers 10 to 20 years from now, said Justin Marlowe, director of the Center for Municipal Finance at the University of Chicago. I think CPS was wise not to use that strategy, and I hope they dont use it.

The road from here

All of this is playing out under the backdrop of Chicagos first elected school board races this November, which will be seen as a referendum on Johnson and the CTUs education agenda as candidates are sure to face questions on Martinez and the loan on the campaign trail.

There are two more school board meetings in 2024 before Januarys hybrid board is installed, with 10 elected members and 11 appointed by the mayor. The body will be fully elected come 2027.

To lose his position, Martinez would have to be voted out by the full school board. If the body fires him without cause, he would be entitled to stay on for six months and receive 20 weeks of severance pay, but the dynamic with the board would surely be contentious. If the board were to fire Martinez for cause, his contract would be terminated immediately without severance pay.

But uncertainty remains over whether the latter path could blow back in the boards faces via a messy legal battle with Martinez.

Both school board and district leadership are concerned that the high-profile bid to remove Martinez is distracting from the districts five-year strategic plan to shift resources into neighborhood schools and underinvested communities, a longtime promise of Johnsons. In addition, departing CEOs often take their cabinets with them, leading to challenging turnover in the midst of the school year.

Ensuring the governor and state legislators dont get spooked by the dysfunction in Chicago is also critical, as Johnson and the CTU have seen their political capital in Springfield dwindle this year. Still, they continue to clamor for increased state funding for CPS.

Pritzker distanced himself from the turbulence this week while also appearing resigned to its outcome.

It seems challenging to change out the players in the middle of a negotiation, the governor told reporters Wednesday. But having said that, it is the prerogative of the Board of Education and the mayor to make a recommendation.
The residents, divers and marine biologists of Koh Tao are working tirelessly to keep the tiny island, its waters and shores, clean and green for future generations.

Visitor numbers are up by 40 per cent in Koh Tao this year, compared to 2023. I shouldve guessed that by clocking the pyramid of backpacks that practically barricades us in on the short ferry ride over to the tiny Thai island. Tao is the baby of the beloved trinity archipelago in the Gulf of Thailand; neighbouring Koh Phangan and Koh Samui, and measuring just 8 square miles  its one of the countrys smallest islands thats continually inhabited year-round.

Koh Tao has always been described to me as a hub for divers, with incredible reefs and idyllic beaches. Thats what all my scuba-loving friends here in Thailand claim, and theres no denying it is still that. Its just really, really busy. While it might be one of the dinkiest, the tropical paradise island Koh Tao is home to Asias largest pub crawl, which sees up to 250 travellers a night, four nights a week, gather for a booze sesh that equates to a human roadblock along the shores and thin backstreets of Sairee Beach.

Luckily theres huge marine conservation efforts going on and eco-tourism targets quietly rolling out, under the radar and, in many cases, under the sea. While the rowdy revellers sleep off their hangovers, committed divers and dive shop workers clean the beaches daily, with a determined commitment to save the reefs and famously diverse sea life that made the island popular in the first place.

Large conservation efforts are being carried out on Koh Tao keep their white sandy beaches clean (Aim-on Piriyapanish)

Read more: Why you should visit Thailand during the off-season

When I first moved here in 1994, 750 people lived on the island, now we have half a million visitors a year muses Devrim Zahir, co-founder of New Heaven Dive School, which opened in 1995 and is one of the longest serving schools in Koh Tao, known for leading the way with their approach to marine conservation ingrained in everything they do. Its just common sense, its obvious to give something back.

I ask him if the spike in tourists coming to the island contributed to the regions nasty coral bleaching this summer but hes not convinced. These numbers are putting pressure on the natural resources, but coral reefs are facing problems worldwide. The main issue really is ocean acidification, caused by sea temperatures rising.

Daily beach cleans are undertaken each day as part of eco-tourism targets (New Heaven Dive School)

Read more: Thailand travel guide

Alongside the extensive marine research and data collection projects run by the New Heaven Reef Conservation team (which includes their marine biologist and dive staff, plus interns from universities around the world, and visitors to their short and long study marine conservation programmes) they also work on boosting the local coral through mineral accretion, using artificial frame structures to give extra nutrition and energy to the coral using electrolysis.

New Heaven is one of eight dive schools on Koh Tao, out of the 65 currently open, who are dedicated to conservation, Aim-on Piriyapanish tells me. Shes a long-time Koh Tao resident who works for WWF Thailand, assisting the Koh Tao Tourism Association with annual eco-events like Spotlight Koh Tao, where I first meet her. Aim is extremely excited as two new projects have been approved by the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources.

Weve got a community science, observational project to support the blacktip p sharks of Koh Tao, but more exciting is the international project of satellite tagging whale sharks, who local marine biologists have been monitoring using photography for a long time, she says.

We catch up after World Ocean Day, which she co-delivered and saw 300 people attend a clean-up that collected 1.5 tonnes of debris from the sea in just one day.

Boutique store Plas-tao creates household items and accessories from recycled plastic (Plas-tao)

Debris that is going to good use at Plas-tao, a boutique store that sells swirly, colourful coasters, plant pots, jewellery and shark shaped bottle openers - all made from recycled plastic. Owner Witchuda Damnoenyut, known to her friends as May Kasahara, sources the plastic from the beach clean-ups and the collection points outside of her shop, or by buying plastics from locals. She also founded May and Co. over the road, an entirely eco-friendly store where you can use the refill station to buy organic toiletries or pick up some rustic, wooden homewares, and most importantly  grab yourself a tube of reef-safe sunscreen.

Read more: How Thailands elephant camps are transitioning to a cruelty-free future

Pin Tananya Preawpanich and her partner Tui are also using the sea debris collected at their creative workshops at Baan Talay, a wonderfully peaceful eco-resort away from the crowds, where yoga, homemade food, ice baths and art sessions are on the menu, as are sweeping views of my favourite beach on the island, Ao Leuk. Anyone can book to attend their sessions, whether youre staying there or just popping in. Tui is extremely patient while he teaches me how to macrame knot a bracelet using sky blue wax string and weathered sea glass. Hes also an artist and silversmith  I wish Id had him teach me how to make a ring and vow to next season.

Creative workshops offer run eco-friendly activities, such as creating bracelets from sea glass and string (Baan Talay)

Koh Tao is the first place in Thailand to ban plastic bags, Pin tells me. Shes just got back from a beach clean-up herself. Looking after our island home is a Koh Tao thing, we do it all year. But like me, she wishes the short-stay tourists would take care of the environment too.

I ask her for some tips for the bar crawl tourists and she laughs, but then says quite seriously: I know people know this but please dont litter on the beach, especially cigarette buts. Take your cups and bottles back to the bar or the street, away from the ocean. Dont forget to use reef-safe sunscreen, regular sunscreen kills coral. And dont step on the coral reefs when youre out snorkelling, I know you might feel tired but the coral takes many many years to grow back. Think about yourself a bit less and think about the environment a bit more.

Four simple tips that seem easy enough to remember to me, I hope next seasons visitors to Koh Tao do, too.

Find out more about ethical and sustainable travel options, and other ways to support local communities and protect the environment during your stay at Responsible Thailand
Maria Paula Rubiano A.

Grist

This story is published in partnership with Mutante and El Espectador. It was supported by the Rosalynn Carter Fellowship for Mental Health Journalism in Latin America.

The panic button hanging around Marcos neck evokes the death threat that pulled him out of the Mexican mountain forests of the Sierra de Manantlan and dragged him to the outskirts of Guadalajara. After years of intimidation, he fled his hometown after the body of his 17-year-old son was found lying on the side of a road. The boy was killed, the lawyers on the case say, because, like his father, he opposed the activities of the Pena Colorada mine, which since 1975 has been squeezing the Sierra in search of iron. Over the decades, the iron mine, Mexicos largest, has depleted the regions water reserves, deforested its hills, polluted its air, and created divisions in the community.

At the end of each day, after wandering a city with walls, monuments, and kiosks covered with the faces of missing people, Marcos, who is part of the Indigenous Nahua peoples, takes off his panic button, a direct line to the local police. He rarely sleeps. My head pounds, Marcos, whose real name Grist has decided to withhold due to recent death threats against him, said. He thinks of his wife, still at their farm in Ayotitlan, of the fallen fences, of the corn that nobody takes to town, of the coffee beans that rot because there is no one to pluck them, of his remaining children, of the cars that menacingly circle their house. The memory evoked by the device on his bedside table cannot be removed. It is a noose around the neck of a man who feels hes been sentenced.

More than 13 defenders  mostly Indigenous  of the Sierra de Manantlan have been murdered since 1986, according to the nonprofit organization Tskini, which works with Marcos community to defend their lands and people. For centuries, the regions residents have been massacred and disappeared for demanding their right to inhabit their ancestral lands. In recent decades, this task has gotten harder, as extractive industries plundered the mountains.

According to a report released this month from the watchdog group Global Witness, more than two-thirds of the 18 activists killed in Mexico last year were Indigenous, opposed to mining operations along the Jalisco-Colima-Michoacan Pacific coast, where the Sierra de Manantlan is located. The report named Latin America the deadliest region for environmental activists, accounting for 85 percent of the 196 land defenders murdered globally in 2023.

But while public discourse and policy have focused on addressing the most egregious cases of violence against environmental activists  such as assassinations, threats, or forced disappearances  little to no attention has been paid to the invisible traumas and mental health impacts experienced by those who defend the lives of rivers, mountains, ecosystems, animals, and the communities that live within their bounds.

Around the world, those who oppose the abuse of their homes and lands are met with violence and intimidation, the Global Witness report reads. Yet, the full scope of these attacks remains hidden.

Latin Americas environmental activists live amid a constant threat of violence that permeates their days and bodies and that, like polluted air, tears their insides apart.

Leaders experience insomnia, anxiety, paranoia, panic attacks, depression, isolation, and suicidal ideation, said Mary Menton, an assistant professor at Heriot-Watt University who works with environmental leaders in Brazil. Some are unable to speak for days at the peak of a panic attack, she added. A global study of 110 human rights workers, many of whom simultaneously identify as or work with land defenders, found they suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder, demotivation, conflicts with peers, family problems, alcoholism and drug abuse, and somatization, or the physical expression of psychiatric problems. An earlier online survey found that close to 20 percent of human rights defenders met all the criteria for post-traumatic stress disorder and that nearly 15 percent had symptoms of depression.

In some of the Latin American countries where attacks against environmental defenders are particularly high  Mexico, Brazil, Colombia, and Honduras  governments have created protection mechanisms, providing bodyguards, satellite cell phones, and bulletproof vests, among other methods, to guarantee activists physical safety. Support for mental health in these systems, however, is close to nonexistent, said Lourdes Castro, coordinator of the Somos Defensores program, which monitors violence against human rights defenders in Colombia. Instead, psychological care falls to private or nonprofit organizations, which dont have the resources to meet the growing need  in the rare cases when land defenders are open to, and trusting of, that kind of care. We talk about the problem, the solution, the hearings, that there is going to be a meeting, but rarely about this, Marcos said.

Most [activists] dont have the money to pay for it. And even if they did and had access to somebody, said Menton, then theres also the resistance to it. Some people, for understandable reasons  they dont trust very easily. Added to this are the challenges of getting in and out of their territories  usually located in remote areas  or the unstable connection to the internet and telephone signal for virtual care.

As a response, psychologists, social workers, and lawyers have been building a network of safe houses and temporary shelters throughout Latin America that support the mental health of social leaders and human rights defenders and, increasingly, threatened environmental leaders. These shelters have become one of the few safe spaces to deal with individual and collective grievances, Menton said. Beyond addressing an individuals mental state, the therapy in these spaces aims to address collective trauma, said Clemencia Correa, a Colombian psychologist exiled in Mexico since 2002 because of her work with civil war victims.

While the need to keep the locations of these places secret makes it impossible to have clear figures regarding their existence, there are at least 10 shelters in Central and South America that make up this growing regional support network. Through theater, art, and handicraft workshops, among other methods, their psychosocial approach is expanding beyond the shelter walls and slowly permeating the work of environmental organizations as well.

Its normalized to live under constant stress with mental health issues, said Adriana Sugey Cadena Salmeron, a lawyer working with Marcos. In 2020, she and her colleague Eduardo Mosqueda founded Tskini, the organization that works with leaders of the town of Ayotitlan and places psychological health as a core priority. If we start to pay attention, to care for each other, then I think well be stronger, she said.

Starting in the 1940s, Marcos community, the Nahua, watched as logging companies, supported by local and national governments, shaved the mountainous forests and grasslands of their ancestral Sierra de Manantlan. The regions name comes from the Nahuatl word amanalli, which means place of springs or weeping waters, and it provides drinking supplies to almost half a million people across western Mexico.

Marcos father-in-law and Nahua leader spent decades defending the Sierra de Manantlan and advocating for the recognition of Indigenous lands. He was sent to jail in 1993 after leading one of those protests. Marcos helped organize a rally to demand his immediate release in Telcruz, in the Mexican state of Jalisco. Police broke up the demonstration with gunfire. Two of those bullets found a place to bury themselves: the bodies of Juan Monroy Elias and Jose Luis, Marcos younger brother. He was just 22 years old.

In parallel to this struggle for land recognition, and after decades of pressure from environmental organizations and Indigenous leaders, the loggers eventually left in 1987, when most of the Sierra was declared a protected area. But one major extractive industry remained: the Consorcio Minero Benito Juarez-Pena Colorada iron mine, opened in 1975. The open pit mine, which spans over 96,000 acres, including nearly 3,000 of Nahua collectively owned lands, disfigured the landscape, replacing green mountains with mounds of crumbled stone. According to company numbers, the mine produces 3.6 million tons of iron pellets every year, and 4.1 million tons of iron concentrate, providing 30 percent of Mexicos industrys needs. Steel giants ArcelorMittal and Ternium  which own and operate the mine  didnt respond to multiple requests for comment.

Murders, Menton said, are just one of the violent actions environmental leaders face around the globe. Several organizations report that leaders are increasingly facing threats, intimidation, judicial persecution, smear campaigns, repression, and daily microaggressions. In fact, Global Witness found that criminalization is now the most used tactic to silence environmental defenders. Marcos has been detained three times, the longest one lasting six days, during which he was beaten by police in Guadalajara, he said.

The intersection of all these forms of violence  that happen across time, space, and even generations  creates a feeling of permanent aggression, Menton wrote in 2021. Living under this constant threat creates what we have called atmospheres of violence or climates of horror, a slow violence that often goes unnoticed.

From the 1990s onwards, at least eight people throughout the Sierra were killed for their activism. Despite the creation of an ejido  legally recognized and collectively owned lands  in 1963, outsiders have infiltrated decision-making positions that govern the territory. After a controversial election process in 2005, Jesus Michel Prudencio, a Pena Colorada employee, became the ejidos legal representative, known as the ejidal commissariat, and authorized the expansion of the mine. Subsequently, leaders from the community have been pressured to drop their campaigns against company-friendly candidates, sometimes being murdered for not doing so. Paramilitaries soon began to prowl the Sierra openly, and the criminal syndicate Jalisco New Generation Cartel began opening illegal mines on top of its drug trafficking activities.

For 23 years, Marcos juggled his work as a school teacher with advocacy, sometimes teaching the kids of those in the community working for the Jalisco New Generation Cartel. He led protests demanding payment from the mine for their use of community lands, pleaded with government officials for justice and collective protection, and was the face of lawsuits denouncing outside interference in the governing of Nahua lands. But that balancing act ended on the morning of October 26, 2020, after his eldest, then 17, dropped him off at school. Hours later, Marcos saw his body lying on the side of the road in the community of Rosita. The high school boy had begun to speak up on social media about the shady dealings of the ejidal commissariat. I made the mistake of talking about the abuses, which obviously bothered him, Marcos said. A year later, he left Ayotitlan. He arrived in Guadalajara, Mosqueda, his lawyer, said, like a scared little mouse.

I almost lost my mind, Marcos recalled. He couldnt sleep. When he slept, he had nightmares. And he feared  and still fears  persecution against him. I had to talk to priests, psychologists, [it was] hard. I am getting over it, but very little  I walk around all day with problems, the feeling that something will happen.

An activist overlooks the El Tezoyo quarry, where tezontle and other stones are extracted, in Mexico State, Mexico, in 2018. (Pedro Pardo / AFP via Getty Images/Grist)

Two more land defenders have been killed in the Sierra de Mantatlan since 2020. One of them was part of the National Mechanism for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders and Journalists program, which provided physical security measures. The other murder hasnt been prosecuted. In 2023, Marcos received new threats, and a pick-up van parked outside his home for four hours.

Marcos receives counseling from a psychologist paid for by Tskini, as well as takes medication. He is also in graduate school, studying for his masters in educational pedagogy. He sees his wife and children every two or three months, when his wallet and safety conditions allow. Police visit during the day, but at night they leave, and the criminals are still free, he said. The Jalisco prosecutors office investigating his sons murder declined to comment on an active investigation.

Despite its limited resources, Tskini works with a mental health professional who cares for Marcos, the organizations two lawyers, who also face threats through their work with leaders from Ayotitlan, and a second leader who also had to leave his home and settle in Guadalajara. Without the organizations support, Marcos could not pay the taxi and bus fare to the appointment, or buy the medications prescribed by the specialist.

Marcos said defenders used to organize to demand the release of their leaders, or they would go as far as Mexico City or Guadalajara to expose abuses. Not anymore. Today, no one wants to sign the police report requesting an investigation into the death of Jose Isaac Santos Chavez, his colleague assassinated in 2021. No one wants to associate their name with the struggle for the Sierra. They are afraid, he said. They know theyll be harassed or forced to disappear.

In Purepecha language, from the central Mexican state of Michoacan, Tskini means from where something sprouts, Cadena Salmeron said. In a climate of horror, she said, we have to be well, we have to be focused, we have to have peace of mind.

In a humble neighborhood south of Bogota, Colombia, there is a house so unremarkable that it is easy to walk past. Except for the cat that wanders the nearby rooftops, its residents rarely go out and never after 8 pm. They are discreet, almost as nondescript as the building itself.

There is fierce persecution against those who live there  threatened social and environmental leaders. Military helicopters have overflown previous versions, looking for its inhabitants. Unknown men have entrenched themselves outside. Thats why, every now and then, the residents move and occupy another unassuming building.

Behind the metal door, however, it is anything but bland. In the back, in a colorful mural, a capybara, a jaguar, a snake, and a cup of coffee surround children playing in the sun; two women weave the map of Colombia; flowers, roots, birds, guitars, and flutes sprout from a heart. Photos and posters of assassinated leaders hang on the sky-blue walls of a room that doubles as a music space and library. A faded declaration of human rights hangs on the wall leading to a huge hall in the back.

Inside, the residents  who usually stay for up to three months  sleep in bunk beds, cook and clean for each other, and spend their hours resting, reading, and talking to each other and the therapists in the organization. Some days, they go to the sewing room and work through their traumas by using their hands. Not all days are good: Sometimes someone wakes up screaming at dawn with a panic attack, in which case one of the psychologists rushes to the house to help them through it.

Weve seen many generations grow, said Jaime Absalon Leon Sepulveda, founder and director of the Corporacion Claretiana Norman Perez Bello, which runs the home and has been sheltering human rights defenders from all over Colombia since 2003. At first it was about saving people from being killed and having a safe place where they could breathe, be with their family and begin to grieve. But he soon realized they needed therapeutic spaces, collective and individual, to deal with the crises.

The work in the house south of Bogota is based, above all, on a branch of psychology born between the bullets of the Central American civil wars in the 70s and 80s. Called liberation psychology or psychosocial therapy, it is a therapeutic alternative to traditional clinical work, focusing on conversations and tools like theater, painting, writing, and other artistic endeavors that allow patients to put their individual suffering within a political context. The method later spread throughout Latin America, serving victims of Colombias armed conflict; young people in the Brazilian favelas, or informal settlements; relatives of the disappeared; and torture survivors of the Chilean and Argentinian dictatorships.

Soon, centers focused on the mental health of human rights activists and land defenders started cropping up. In 2013, Correa, the Colombian psychologist, founded Aluna, an organization focused on this type of therapy in Mexico, where shes been living in exile since 2002.

Correa left Colombia after helping to uncover a military intervention, known as  Operation Genesis, that had been planned by paramilitaries and the Colombian army to access the fertile lands  perfect for agribusiness  and forests in the Colombian Caribbean, an area known as Uraba and close to the Darien Gap. At first, she recalls, no one was able to tell them what had happened. People said, We dont know, the bad guys kicked us out, Correa says. They couldnt name it.

Everyones sense of identity was shattered, separated from the land they had long called home. Little by little, information started to trickle in: Bodies began appearing on the streets of Turbo, located before the start of the Darien Gap. At least two local officials disappeared. Days before the displacement in 1997, army helicopters dropped bombs over the area. The monsters are here, the children had said. The military came to some villages to tell them that if they didnt leave in three days, they were going to kill them all. Then the paramilitaries came in. They burned down the houses. They dismembered the body of Afro-Colombian leader Marino Lopez Mena in his small village on the banks of the Cacarica River.

When we retraced these events with people, it was very painful. But being able to name it allowed us to try to understand so that this would not be totally hushed up, explained Correa. Correa and her colleagues connected the operation to logging interests over the fertile lands of the Uraba region  a fact recognized a decade later by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights and, more recently, by Colombias Truth Commission. With the allegations came threats to Correa and others. And then, exile.

When she landed in Mexico, Correa immediately contacted environmental and social organizations. She learned that although the country had not suffered decades of bloody civil war like Colombia, since the late 1950s, when guerrilla groups started to appear across the country, the government had waged a low-intensity war that, with the excuse of stopping rebel organizations, attacked government opponents, leftist leaders, students, and rural and Indigenous people. Correa saw how this dirty war was based on the same terror tactics used in Colombia: arbitrary detentions, torture, selective assassinations, massacres, and forced disappearances. And, like in Colombia, victims felt guilty, oscillating between apathy and paranoia. Some did not sleep, others lived in fear. A few drank excessively. All were terrified.

Traditional psychology, developed through carefully manufactured and controlled experiments on college campuses in the United States, did not conceive the depth of these victims and activists wounds, Correa said. Nor did it know how to heal them. We rely on communities capacities to build resilience, which more than resilience is resistance to keep on living, Leon Sepulveda explained about this line of work.

Correas organization, Aluna, instead applies an approach to victim support proposed by Ignacio Martin-Baro in the 1970s. The Spanish psychologist and priest, who graduated from Chicago University, devoted his life to unraveling the impacts of political violence in El Salvador, where a string of military governments and conservative presidents violently repressed any protest against social and economic inequality. Above all, Martin-Baro wanted to find ways to rebuild communities. His liberation psychology, as its known, states that if the causes of a wound are from an oppressive political and social context, to heal, people and communities should first understand that context and its key players. Then, after facing the impacts of that violence with psychosocial support, victims may shed their trauma and reaffirm themselves as political actors.

This new way of understanding their reality allows them to rebuild themselves personally and collectively, enabling them not only to discover the roots of what they are, but also the horizon of what they can become, Martin-Baro wrote in 1985. Under this method, healing is understood as a political act of freedom. Four years later, in 1989, Martin-Baro was assassinated by the Salvadoran army at the Central American University, where he was the head of the psychology department.

After the priests assassination, his thinking spread across Latin America. In 1998, the first International Congress of Liberation Psychology was held in Mexico City, then held annually until 2005 (since 2008, it was held every two years until 2016). Professionals from all over the region gathered to exchange ideas, experiences, and techniques. In 2008, Correa joined the gathering to talk about counseling victims of sexual torture. Around that time, Leon Sepulveda had opened the doors of the first safe house of the Norman Perez Bello Corporation, furnished with a couple of armchairs and beds donated by the Roman Catholic Claretian order, which he had abandoned. The earliest residents were victims of Colombias internal conflict, but throughout the years, it has hosted LGBTQ+ rights activists, youth advocates protesting the lack of opportunities in cities, victims of state violence and, more recently, environmental defenders.

In practice, psychosocial counseling takes many forms, said Ajax Sanhueza, director of Colectivo Casa, a human and environmental rights advocacy group working with Indigenous leaders in Bolivia since 2008. They worked with women from the Red Nacional de Mujeres en Defensa de la Madre Tierra, or the National Network of Women in Defense of Mother Earth, who decided they wanted to create short videos in which handmade dolls dressed as Bolivian cholas, representative of the threatened Indigenous leaders that voice them, denounce how mining activities threaten the water supplies of many Indigenous tribes, as well as calling for womens self-care.

People must understand what has happened to them, on individual, collective, and historical levels, Correa explained. Suppose people dont understand, for example, that their territory is an attractive place for certain industries or illegal economies. In that case, it is difficult for them to make sense of the terror they experience and take the appropriate steps to protect themselves, she noted.

Its hard to tell how many organizations have used or currently use this type of therapy in Latin America. Mark Burton, a social psychologist who has studied this trend since its inception, wrote in 2004 that practicing psychologists do not systematize their experiences. Correa said that the lack of academic production is due, in part, to the fact that Latin American universities have not been interested in the practice for more than a decade. Diploma courses and lectures on the subject, such as the Martin-Baro International Seminar at the Javeriana University in Colombia or the diploma course for forcefully disappeared missing persons at the Autonomous Metropolitan University, Cuajimalpa, do not permeate the curriculum of psychology faculties, she said. Theres a lot of prejudice against talking about a political approach, as though it would take away from the rigor of psychology, she explained. Correa noted that such a position negates the fact that traditional psychology already carries ideological baggage. One of Martin-Baros missions is the liberation of psychology itself.

But networks do exist. As violence against environmental leaders in Brazil escalates, this issue of mental health support and psychotherapy kept coming up again and again and again, Menton said. Existing protocols are insufficient. If youre in the middle of a crisis, the last place you want to be is in a cold hotel room in a city where you dont know anyone, and you dont have a support network, she said. We were wondering, how do we create spaces to heal? This is all growing under the surface, and the idea of a house was there, like a dream.

In 2018, after years of ruminating, Menton led the purchase of a property in the Brazilian Amazon with the organization Not1More and the Ze Claudio and Maria Institute. Aluna contributed its expertise by training volunteers in Brazil on psychosocial principles. Casa La Serena, a shelter located in Mexico City, has helped Menton and her colleagues imagine what amenities the house should have so that its inhabitants feel safe, she said, feel that this is a place to breathe, sleep and rest. So far, at least four adults have stayed in Casa de Respiro, and dozens have participated in workshops on self-care and holistic strategies for dealing with trauma, Menton added.

At the Corporacion Claretiana house south of Bogota, a sewing workshop has been the main vehicle for providing support, Leon Sepulveda said. Residents gather in a small space next to the large mural room every Saturday to talk and sew. The names [of the activities] here are all about reactivating the possibilities of life. [That space is called] Mending our history, weaving hope, Leon Sepulveda said. People talk, there is a catharsis there.

In 2023, after 20 years in exile, Correa was reunited in Bogota with Leon Sepulveda, whom she had first met when he was young student priest who often gave refuge to rural farmers, Indigenous peoples, and Afro-Colombians fleeing war. Convened by the international organization Bread for the World, about 10 mental health shelters located in Colombia, Mexico, Brazil, Costa Rica, Honduras, and Guatemala are part of an effort, still in its infancy, to relocate the most at-risk leaders throughout the region. Also, Correa said, they are looking to create safe havens in rural areas, as one of the biggest challenges for leaders is adapting to a city lifestyle.

Caring for those who care for their communities and territories is a risky and sometimes traumatic job. Leon Sepulveda has been threatened several times, and some of his closest collaborators have been killed. To cope with the burden, the defender plays Andean music with his children and friends, works in the fields, and writes poetry. Like the houses inhabitants south of Bogota, he cannot imagine abandoning his mission.

This article was first published by Grist.
Six Eastern Iowa counties jointly signed a resolution to form the Ports of Eastern Iowa Authority, a press release says. This authority will operate within the Mississippi River Ports of Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois region.

This formal coordination will expand the Corn Belt Ports footprint and reinforce its critical role in national commerce, transportation and defense. This recognition by the federal government highlights the strategic importance of the region, which now ranks as one of the top 100 U.S. ports by freight tonnage.

The Port Authority will serve six Iowa Counties including Dubuque, Clinton, Jackson, Louisa, Muscatine and Scott.

The first organization meeting of the Ports of Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois will be held on October 10 at the Western Illinois University Riverfront Campus in Moline, Ill. The meeting will be open to the public.

The Mississippi River Ports of Eastern Iowa encompasses key military facilities, including the Rock Island Arsenal in Illinois and the Iowa Army Ammunition Plant in Iowa, both of which are served by Marine Highway 35. This region has long been a cornerstone of U.S. defense infrastructure, and today, it continues to operate as the Midwests premier hub for defense logistics, manufacturing, engineering and training. The ports enhanced capacity and federal recognition will further solidify its critical role in supporting national defense and economic security.

A Crucial Economic and Defense Hub

As one of the most important economic and defense regions in the Midwest, the Mississippi River Ports of Eastern Iowa serve as a lifeline for the states economy and play a pivotal role in maintaining the competitiveness of U.S. industries on the global stage. The port provides direct access to national and international markets, supporting a wide range of industries, from agriculture and manufacturing to defense and logistics.

The formation of the Ports of Eastern Iowa Authority is a significant milestone for our region and reflects the vital role that the Mississippi River Ports of Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois play in both our national defense and our economy, Ryan Sempf, Executive Director of Government Affairs for the Quad Cities Chamber of Commerce, said. Our multi-modal ports are not only key to moving critical goods across the country but are also integral to supporting the U.S. militarys efforts to maintain readiness and strategic capabilities.

Mike Thoms, Chair of the Rock Island Regional Port District, added that this was a win for the bi-state region.

We are excited about the Ports of Eastern Iowa Authority getting established, Thoms said. It will help unify the current regional multimodal port activities going on across the Upper Mississippi River from each other in Illinois and Iowa. The Rock Island Regional Port District was approved by the Illinois State Legislature last year, and we have already seen the benefits of officially being recognized as a multi-modal inland port. We expect the Ports of Eastern Iowa Authority will see similar benefits. This is a win for the bi-state region

Dr. Brad Bark, Mayor of Muscatine, Iowa, and President and CEO of the Greater Muscatine Chamber of Commerce & Industry, noted that this was an important first step for the region.

Muscatine has been thought of for decades as the Port City of the Corn Belt, Bark said. But being officially recognized as a multi-modal inland port is the first step in realizing our regions full economic potential.

Jim Irwin, Clinton County Supervisor, emphasized the strengths of working together.

The Ports of Eastern Iowa are much stronger united and working together to achieve common regional economic development objectives, Irwin said. Our counties look forward to collaboratively partnering with public and private entities to advance our mutual, multi-modal infrastructure needs that will enable us to reach national and global markets at reduced cost and risk.

A Strategic Asset for the Future

The Corn Belt Ports continue to expand their influence across the Midwest, and the addition of the Mississippi River Ports of Eastern Iowa as a newly recognized federal statistical port will enable the region to tap into new opportunities for economic growth and development. With this designation, the regions importance to both state and national economies, as well as its role in national defense, will only continue to grow.

The Corn Belt Ports are committed to leveraging this new federal designation to secure additional funding, attract new industries, and further develop the regions multi-modal transportation and natural infrastructure to support commerce and defense for decades to come, Chris Smith, Director of Operations for the Corn Belt Ports, said.

About Corn Belt Ports

Corn Belt Ports is the federally recognized ports within the Corn Belts Lock and Dam System. Through continued investment and innovative organizing, Corn Belt Ports supports the integrity and sustainability of our supply chain. The Corn Belt Ports handle nearly 100 million tons of freight annually, which is expected to increase year after year. Since its inception in 2019, Corn Belt Ports have helped attract over $2 billion of investment in multi-modal and natural infrastructure from multiple sources.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WHBF - OurQuadCities.com.
Iran says US also to blame for death of Hezbollah leader Nasrallah

Hassan Nasrallah, Secretary-general of Hezbollah, speaks via a video link, during an event to mark the "Wounded Resistance Fighter Day". Marwan Naamani/dpa

Iran has condemned the Israeli attack on Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah as a war crime.

"The Zionist [Israeli] attacks are a clear war crime and the West's response to it is a disgrace," President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Saturday, according to the presidential office's web portal. He alleged that the US approved the attack and thus bears partial responsibility for Nasrallah's death.

"This terrorist act by the Zionists [Israel] has indeed left a deep wound but has further strengthened the resistance," the president said.

He stated that Iran continues to stand by Hezbollah and the anti-Israel resistance front. As Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei had said earlier Saturday, Pezeshkian described Hezbollah as invincible.

A state-organized mourning ceremony for Nasrallah took place in the capital, Tehran, on Saturday afternoon. During the funeral procession, the Hezbollah leader was honoured as "immortal."

Thousands chanted "revenge, revenge" and demanded a resolute response from the Iranian government against Israel. Hezbollah is one of Iran's most important allies in the fight against Israel.
This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility:

Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

Six people have been killed in Rwanda in an outbreak of Marburg virus, a highly infectious hemorrhagic fever similar to Ebola, the country's health ministry said on Saturday.

The highly virulent microbe causes severe fever, often accompanied by bleeding and organ failure.

Some 20 patients were being treated for the illness, Health Minister Sabin Nsanzimana told local media.

"Those infected and the deceased were mainly health workers," he said, adding that efforts were underway to trace and test those who had come in contact with them.

Marburg is part of the so-called filovirus family that also includes Ebola, which has wreaked havoc in several previous outbreaks in Africa.

Neighboring Tanzania reported cases of the disease in 2023, while Uganda experienced its last outbreak in 2017. The three countries share porous borders.

The suspected natural source of the Marburg virus is the African fruit bat, which carries the pathogen but does not fall sick from it.

The virus takes its name from the German city of Marburg, where it was first identified in 1967 in a lab where workers had been in contact with infected green monkeys imported from Uganda.

The animals can pass the virus to primates in close proximity, including humans, and human-to-human transmission then occurs through contact with blood or other body fluids.

Fatality rates in confirmed cases have ranged from 24 percent to 88 percent in previous outbreaks, depending on the virus strain and case management, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

There are currently no vaccines or antiviral treatments, but potential treatments, including blood products, immune and drug therapies, as well as early candidate vaccines, are being evaluated.

 2024 AFP
Irans supreme leader has said the death of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah "will not go unavenged", a day after he was killed in an Israeli air strike in Lebanon.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei announced five days of mourning in Iran in response to what he called the "martyrdom of the great Nasrallah", describing him as "a path and a school of thought" that would continue.

Iranian media reported that a Iranian Revolutionary Guards general was also killed in the Israeli strikes in Beirut on Friday.

Israels military said Nasrallah had "the blood of thousands... on his hands", and that it targeted him while he was "commanding more imminent attacks".

There are fears that the strike could plunge the wider region into war, after nearly a year of cross-border fighting between Israel and Hezbollah sparked by the 7 October attacks and war in the Gaza Strip.

Key to what happens next in the Middle East is what Ayatollah Khamenei decides.

So far, he and other senior Iranian figures have refrained from vowing to retaliate for the series of severe and humiliating blows that Israel has dealt Hezbollah in recent weeks, seemingly because Iran does not want a war with its arch-enemy.

Iran also has not carried out its threat to avenge the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran in July, which Iran and Hamas blamed on Israel.

Both Hezbollah and Hamas are designated as terrorist organisations by Israel, the US, UK and other countries.

Earlier on Saturday, Ayatollah Khamenei urged Muslims to stand by Hezbollah "with their resources and help" but did not promise to retaliate for the strike that killed Nasrallah.

"The fate of this region will be determined by the forces of resistance, with Hezbollah at the forefront," he said.

Reuters news agency meanwhile cited two regional officials as saying that the supreme leader had been transferred to a secure location inside Iran with heightened security measures. They also said Iran was in constant contact with Hezbollah and other allies to determine their next steps, according to the report.

Ayatollah Khamenei - pictured last week - has expressed condolences to the family of Nasrallah [Reuters]

Fridays Israeli strike levelled several buildings in Beiruts southern suburb of Dahieh, underneath which the Israeli military said Hezbollahs central headquarters was located.

Hezbollah confirmed Nasrallahs death on Saturday. But it did not comment on the Israeli militarys claim that Ali Karaki, the head of the groups Southern Front, and other commanders were killed alongside Nasrallah.

Gen Abbas Nilforoushan, deputy commander of operations for Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC), was also "martyred" in Dahiyeh on Friday, according to the IRGC-linked Saberin News outlet.

It provided nor further details, although the moderate Didban news website said he was "assassinated along with" Nasrallah.

However, there has been no official confirmation from Iranian authorities.

Iran uses the IRGC to provide Hezbollah with most of its funding, training and weapons, which have allowed the Shia Islamist group to build a military wing stronger than the Lebanese army.

The US says the IRGC also oversees the co-ordination of Irans network of allied armed groups across the Middle East, which are all opposed to the US and Israel and sometimes refer to themselves as the Axis of Resistance. Besides Hezbollah, they include Hamas, the Houthis in Yemen and Shia militias in Iraq and Syria.

On Saturday, there were air raid sirens in the Israeli city of Tel Aviv after the Houthis launched a missile in support of Hezbollah. The Israeli military said the missile was intercepted.

The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella group of Iraqi militias, also claimed new drone attacks on northern Israel and the occupied Golan Heights.

Sanam Vakil, director of the Middle East programme at the UK-based think tank Chatham House, said Irans reputation among its allies was "certainly damaged" and that it would be looking for some way to turn the tables and save some face.

This could result in a co-ordinated axis response, including from Iraq and the Houthis, or another direct Iranian strike on Israel itself," she said.

By maintaining pressure or even escalating, Tehran is aware that this will invite further attacks, but it will choose to do so keep pressure on Israel."
Iranian-America indicted for spying on U.S. for Iran

The U.S. Department of Justice says Abouzar Rahmati lied to gain entry into the United States and become a naturalized citizen who obtained employment with an FAA contractor and shared non-public documents with Iran. Photo by the U.S. Department of Justice

Sept. 28 (UPI) -- A naturalized U.S. citizen lied to obtain employment with a contractor and gain access to sensitive information that he shared with the Iranian government, the Department of Justice said.

Former Federal Aviation Administration contractor Abouzar Rahmati, 42, formerly was an officer in Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and on Friday was indicted for allegedly acting and conspiring to act as an agent of the Iranian government in the United States.

Rahmati "conspired with Iranian officials and intelligence operatives, even lying to obtain employment as a U.S. government contractor only to then share sensitive government materials with Iran," Assistant Attorney General Matthew Olsen said in a news release.

The DOJ said Rahmati conspired with Iranian government officials and intelligence operatives from at least December 2017 through June 2024 by meeting with Iranian intelligence officers in Iran and communicating with co-conspirators.

Rahmati allegedly used a cover story to hide his activities and gain employment with an FAA contractor that had access to sensitive and non-public information on the U.S. solar industry, which Olsen said he shared with Iranian intelligence.

Rahmati "is charged with infiltrating a U.S. agency with the intent of providing Iran with sensitive information vital to our national security," U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves said.

Rahmati resided in Great Falls, Va., and was a first lieutenant in the IRGC from June 2009 to May 2010 and lied to U.S. government officials to enter the United States and gain employment with a federal contractor, DOJ said.

The indictment said Rahmati in August 2017 offered his services to the Iranian government and in December 2017 traveled to Iran to meet with Iranian intelligence operatives and government officials.

The Iranian government allegedly tasked Rahmati with learning about the U.S. solar industry and providing public and non-public information to Iran.

Rahmati then applied for several positions with U.S. government entities and private contractors to access sensitive information.

He gained employment with a company that supported the FAA's National Airspace System by providing power and electrical architecture.

Rahmati also is accused of obtaining information regarding solar energy, solar panels, the FAA, U.S. airports and air traffic control towers, which he allegedly provided to his brother, who is an unnamed co-conspirator, according to the DOJ.

Rahmati "betrayed his country by transferring sensitive U.S. information to a foreign power," FBI executive assistant director Robert Wells said. "This alleged betrayal not only undermines our national security but also puts U.S. jobs and livelihoods at risk."

The federal indictment was filed in the U.S. District Court for Washington D.C., where Rahmati appeared Friday afternoon for his arraignment hearing.
A man walks in front of damaged buildings targeted by Israeli air raids at a street in Beirut southern suburb. Stringer/dpa

A brigadier general in Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) was among those killed in Israeli strikes on a headquarters of the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, according to Iranian media reports.

Multiple Iranian news outlets reported on Saturday that Brigadier General Abbas Nilforushan, the deputy head of operations of the IRGC, suffered martyrdom alongside Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said that Nasrallah and senior Hezbollah commanders were killed on Friday in airstrikes on a compound located beneath residential buildings in a suburb of the Lebanese capital Beirut.

A Syrian refugee family that fled Beirut southern suburb rest under a makeshift tent at a street pavement at Beirut martyrs square. Hundreds of Syrian and Lebanese family left the southern suburb, a hot bed for pro-Iranian Hezbollah party, after Israel conducted massive air raids attacks that targeted leader Hassan Nasrallah. Marwan Naamani/dpa

A firefighter douses fire from a building after Israeli air raids at a street in Beirut southern suburb. Stringer/dpa

A man inspects damages after Israeli air raids at a street in Beirut southern suburb. Stringer/dpa
Benjamin Netanyahu hailed the assassination of Hezbollahs leader as a historic turning point that would transform the balance of power in the Middle East.

Israels prime minister said Hassan Nasrallah was not a terrorist, he was the terrorist in a statement on Saturday night.

While warning of difficult days ahead, Mr Netanyahu said the killing was a necessary step towards Israels goal of returning citizens to their homes in the north and changing the balance of power in the region for years to come.

It came after Joe Biden called Nasrallahs assassination justice for his many victims, while Iran confirmed one of its top generals died alongside the Hezbollah leader.

The US president said Washington fully supports Israels right to defend itself and the air strike in Beirut that killed Nasrallah was revenge for the deaths of thousands of Americans, Israelis and Lebanese civilians.

Mr Biden, 81, has ordered the deployment of more US forces to the Middle East in an effort to prevent any retaliation from Iran.

The assassination of one of Israels leading foes has sent shockwaves through the region and raised fears of a spill-over into all-out war.

But on Saturday, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the supreme leader of Iran, Hezbollahs key sponsor, suggested he would not escalate the conflict.

Mr Khamenei, who went into hiding after Nasrallahs death on Friday afternoon, called on Muslims to stand by the people of Lebanon but made no specific threat to mobilise Irans own forces.

On Saturday evening Mr Biden was asked by a reporter whether an Israeli ground invasion was inevitable. He said: Its time for a ceasefire.

Also on Saturday, Irans state-news service confirmed that Abbas Nilforushan, a top general in its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) who led operations in Lebanon, was also killed in the bombing in the southern suburbs of Beirut.

Abbas Nilforushan led operations in Lebanon for Irans Revolutionary Guards - IRNA

Lt Gen Herzi Halevi, Israels top army general, said Israel would continue its efforts to destroy Hezbollah and its other enemies altogether.

This is not the end of our toolbox, he said. We have more capacity going forward. Anyone who threatens the state of Israel, we will know how to reach them.

On Friday, Israel hacked the air traffic control tower of Beiruts international airport to warn a plane arriving from Iran to turn back.

The IDF warned it was prepared to shoot down any aircraft bringing in cargo or weaponry for Hezbollah.

Israeli jets carried out another air strike on Saturday targeting a warehouse near the airport.

Jihad will continue

In a statement confirming the death of Nasrallah, Hezbollah said it would continue its jihad in confronting the enemy, in support of Gaza and Palestine.

Hezbollah fired several small volleys of rockets at Israel on Friday but caused no damage. Yemens Houthis, another Iranian proxy group, also fired missiles at Israel that were intercepted by air defence systems.

The welter of blows Israel has delivered to Hezbollah in recent weeks have the potential to reshape the Middle East, analysts said.

The recent strikes have broken the back of the Islamic Republics most powerful proxy force, just as Israel has done with Hamas, Mohsen Sazegara, one of the founders of the IRGC, told The Telegraph.

Nasrallahs killing is going to cause irreversible damage for Hezbollah and I dont think it will be able to recover from it, added Lina Khatib, associate fellow at Chatham House, the international affairs think tank.

I think we are seeing both a historic shift in Hezbollahs power and a historic shift in the trajectory of Irans influence in the Middle East.

Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, the Israeli Defence Forces chief spokesman, said the world was a safer place after Nasrallahs death.

In 1994, two years after Nasrallah took control of Hezbollah, he ordered a suicide attack on a Jewish community centre in Buenos Aires, killing 85 people and wounding more than 300.

In Beirut, supporters of Hezbollah broke down in tears when news of his death was confirmed. Oh God! one woman said in Martyrs Square in the centre of the Lebanese capital as she fell to her knees.

Opponents of the Lebanese terror groups hold on the nation disagreed. It is a step in the right direction, said Nasri, a shopkeeper in predominantly Christian eastern Beirut.

Mr Bidens statement of support for the strike, which killed at least 11 people according to Lebanons health ministry, and flattened several high-rise buildings, followed pressure from Israel. Thirty-three people were killed and 195 wounded in Saturdays strikes, Lebanons health ministry said.

Israel requested US backing

On Friday, Yoav Gallant, Israels defence minister, requested that the US issue public statements and deploy troops to warn Tehran against retaliation, the Israeli website Walla News reported.

On Saturday, the Pentagon issued a statement saying: Defense Secretary [Lloyd] Austin emphasised that the United States is determined to prevent Iran and its partners from taking advantage of the situation or expanding the conflict in the region.

In his statement, Mr Biden also repeated his calls for Israel, Hezbollah and Hamas to come to a peace agreement. It is time for these deals to close, for the threats to Israel to be removed, and for the broader Middle East region to gain stability, he said.

Hezbollah possesses a large arsenal of long-range missiles, but Israels strikes have destroyed a significant proportion and Iran is reported to want to keep the weapons in reserve for any conflict involving threats to its own safety.

05:01 PM BST

Thats all for today

Smoke billows over Khiam, amid ongoing cross-border hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel - REUTERS/Karamallah Daher

Thank you for following the developments. The latest updates were:

It was confirmed that the Israeli military had killed Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah, in a strike in Beirut on Friday. The IDF said that they carried out a precise airstrike while Hezbollah leadership was meeting at their headquarters in Dahiyeh.

Israels army chief vowed on Saturday to reach anyone who threatens Israeli citizens. This is not the end of our toolbox. The message is simple, anyone who threatens the citizens of Israel  we will know how to reach them, Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi said.

An Israeli military statement said its strikes had also killed Ali Karake, who they identified as commander of Hezbollahs southern front, and an unspecified number of other Hezbollah commanders. The IDF later said that most senior leaders of Hezbollah had now been killed.

A senior commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps was also killed alongside Hasan Nasrallah, Iranian media has reported. Abbas Nilforushans death further ratchets up pressure on Iran to respond.

Irans supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was reportedly transferred to a secure location inside the country with heightened security measures in place. Khamenei later said that Israel cannot destroy Hezbollah, and added that Israeli criminals should know that they are too small to cause significant damage to the strong construction of Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Hamas said Nasrallahs death would only fuel the fight against Israel.

Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that Israel was committing a genocide in Lebanon after Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah was confirmed among hundreds killed in Israeli strikes this week. Russia also strongly condemned the killing, calling it yet another political assassination.

Ettie Higgins, Unicefs deputy representative in Lebanon, said thousands and thousands of people had fled southern Beirut, while hospitals were overwhelmed and water pumping stations had been destroyed.

The UN high commissioner for refugees, Filippo Grandi, said more than 50,000 Lebanese and Syrian people living in Lebanon have now crossed into Syria fleeing Israeli airstrikes.

04:44 PM BST

Iran announces five days of national mourning

Irans supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has declared five days of national mourning across Iran following Nasrallahs death.

04:40 PM BST

Israeli military says it conducted strike in Beiruts Dahiyeh area

The Israeli military said on Saturday that it conducted a strike in the Dahiyeh area of Beirut.

04:34 PM BST

Hardliners in Tehran accuse Mullah regime of being too passive

After Israel has repeatedly crossed Irans red lines, hardliners in Tehran are accusing the Mullah regime of being too passive.

Tehran says Israel has crossed multiple red lines, including launching a ground operation in Gaza, a suspected Israeli airstrike on the Islamic Republics consulate building in Damascus, and assassinating Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh.

Yet, nearly two months after Haniyehs death, Iran continues to threaten retaliation but has done little in response.

With the air strike that killed Nasrallah on Friday, yet another Iranian red line has been crossed.

The Iranian government now finds itself in a difficult position.

Following the air strike in Damascus, Iran responded by attacking Israel with missiles and suicide drones.

However, a faction of more radical officials within the Islamic Republic criticised the governments response as asymmetric and said that it failed to restore Irans damaged deterrence.

They say that Irans lack of action has emboldened Israel to escalate tensions rapidly, meaning further attacks on Iranian positions are inevitable.

The regional implications of Irans silence are affecting its proxy groups too.

Irans proxy groups are being targeted by Israel one after another, and they see little practical support coming from Tehran.

The ongoing pattern could significantly undermine what Iranian authorities refer to as their regional power tools.

04:29 PM BST

In pictures: Lebanon on Sept 28

Children sleep after being internally displaced by Israeli airstrikes - Carl Court/Getty Images

Passengers wait to board their flight at Beiruts International airport - AMANDA MOUAWAD/AFP via Getty Images

Smoke billows over Khiam, as pictured from Marjayoun - REUTERS/Karamallah Daher

04:17 PM BST

Russia condemns Israels killing of Hezbollah leader Nasrallah

Russia strongly condemns Israels killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in the Lebanese capital Beirut, the foreign ministry said on Saturday, calling it yet another political assassination.

This forceful action is fraught with even greater dramatic consequences for Lebanon and the entire Middle East, the ministry said in a statement.

The Israeli side could not fail to recognise this danger, but took the step of killing Lebanese citizens, which would almost inevitably provoke a new outburst of violence. Thus, it bears full responsibility for the subsequent escalation.

04:11 PM BST

US determined to prevent Iran from expanding Mideast conflict, Austin tells Israels Gallant

The United States is determined to prevent Iran and Iran-backed groups from exploiting the situation in Lebanon or expanding the conflict, Lloyd Austin, the US defense secretary, told Israeli counterpart Yoav Gallant in calls on Friday.

Mr Austin expressed full US support for Israels right to defend itself and made it clear that the United States remains postured to protect US forces and facilities in the region and committed to the defense of Israel, Pentagon spokesperson Pat Ryder said in a statement on Saturday.

03:57 PM BST

Explosion after sirens sound in central Israel

Reuters is reporting that an explosion has been heard in central Israel after sirens sounded in the region.

Large bangs were heard after a missile was fired from Yemen and intercepted, according to the Israeli military.

The IDF have confirmed that sirens sounded across the centre of the country after a ballistic missile was fired from Yemen.

The sirens sounded in Tel Aviv and surrounding areas.

03:27 PM BST

Calls for revenge in Iran

Irans state TV has been broadcasting live footage of regime supporters gathering across the country.

Hey leader, we are ready, we are ready, one group was heard shouting, expressing their readiness for revenge.

Calls for retaliation have also been made by state TV presenters, with one saying: There is no difference between Baghdad and Tehran, or Beirut and Tehran, the [Israeli] regime will go for all of these locations.

Now we should wait for them, he added. Netanyahu does not understand dialogue  he only understands one language, and thats missiles, ballistics, and all sorts of drones.

Some regime supporters in Iran have also called for the impeachment of Irans president Masaoud Pezeshkian over his failure to secure Irans proxy forces in the Middle East.

03:22 PM BST

Israeli foreign minister says Nasrallah killing justified counter-terrorism act

Israeli foreign minister Israel Katz said on Saturday that slain Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah deserved to die and that the Israeli air raid on Beirut that killed him was justified.

The elimination of arch-terrorist Nasrallah is one of the most justified counter-terrorism actions Israel has ever taken, Mr Katz said in a post on X, adding that the Lebanese militant leader deserved to be taken down, and its a good thing he was.

03:19 PM BST

Nasrallahs death will lead to Israels destruction, says Irans vice president

Irans vice president has said that the death of the Hezbollah leader will lead to the destruction of Israel.

The unjustly shed blood of the oppressed on the path of resistance, particularly that of Seyyed Hassan Nasrallah, the secretary general of Hezbollah in Lebanon will lead to the destruction of the Zionist regime, said Mohammad Reza Aref.

The world must unite against the Zionist regime, he added. We stand resolutely with the resistance, he added.



03:12 PM BST

Who was the IRGC commander killed with Nasrallah?

Irans Brigadier General Abbas Nilforushan, who was killed alongside Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, is the most senior Iranian commander to have been killed in recent months.

He was one of the prominent commanders of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) during the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq war, and led several operations.

Nilforushan served as the deputy commander of IRGC ground force operations from 2005 to 2007.

Between 2010 and 2014, he held the position of commander at the IRGC command and headquarters, and since 2019 has served as the IRGCs deputy of operations. Nilforushan also headed the IRGC command and headquarters college, and was deputy commander at Imam Hossein Camp.

In April, he was appointed as the IRGCs deputy director of operations in the Middle East, succeeding Mohammad Reza Zahedi by order of Major General Hossein Salami, the IRGC commander-in-chief.

Zahedi was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Damascus. In response to Zahedis death, Iran launched around 300 suicide drones and missiles at Israel.

Nilforushan played a significant role in managing and supporting Irans regional allies, including Lebanese Hezbollah and Hamas.

03:09 PM BST

Erdogan says Israel committing genocide in Lebanon

Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Saturday that Israel was committing a genocide in Lebanon after Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah was confirmed among hundreds killed in Israeli strikes this week.

Lebanon and the Lebanese people are the latest target of a policy of genocide, occupation and invasion carried out by Israel since October 7, Mr Erdogan wrote on X.

02:32 PM BST

Hezbollah leader killed due to security breach, Iranian official says

An Iranian official has said on state television that Hezbollah leader Hasan Nasrallah was killed due to a security breach.

Mohammad-Javad Larijani, the international deputy for the chief justice and secretary of the high council for human rights in Iran, said on state TV: The pager attacks and recent strikes were a result of infiltration, something the Supreme Leader had already warned about.

He added: This gap will soon be filled, and when it is, Hezbollah will emerge even stronger.

02:22 PM BST

Who was Hezbollahs leader Hassan Nasrallah?

An image of Hassan Nasrallah  with a black stripe for mourning  is aired on a private Lebanese station in Beirut - JOSEPH EID/AFP via Getty Images

In his last broadcast speech, Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah, vowed a reckoning will come with Israel over its attacks on his fighters.

Its nature, its size, how and where? That is certainly what we will keep to ourselves, he said.

In the end, the reckoning came for him in the form of a huge Israeli bombardment targeting Hezbollahs headquarters on Friday night.

The arch-foe of Israel was eliminated after more than 30 years of leading Hezbollah in its wars against the Jewish state.

Among supporters, Nasrallah was lauded for standing up to Israel and defying the United States. To enemies, he was head of a terrorist organisation and a proxy for Irans Shiite Islamist theocracy in its tussle for influence in the Middle East.

Read more here

02:14 PM BST

Iran says Hezbollah leaders path to continue despite his killing

Irans foreign ministry has said the path of Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah will continue despite his killing in an Israeli air strike in Beirut.

The glorious path of the leader of the resistance, Hassan Nasrallah, will continue and his sacred goal will be realised in the liberation of Quds (Jerusalem), God willing, foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani said in a post on social media X.

02:11 PM BST

Yemens Houthis say resistance will not be broken

The Houthi movement in Yemen has mourned the death of Hezbollah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, its ally in an Iran-backed alliance opposing Israel.

The resistance will not be broken, and the Jihadist spirit of the Mujahideen brothers in Lebanon and on all fronts of support will grow stronger and bigger, the group said in a statement.

02:09 PM BST

Iran cancels flights to Beirut

Iran has cancelled flights to Beirut.

A spokesman for the Islamic Republics IranAire announced that all flights to Beiruts Rafic Hariri Airport have been suspended until further notice.



02:06 PM BST

IRGC senior commander killed in strike that targeted Hezbollah leader

A senior commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps was killed alongside Hasan Nasrallah, Iranian media has reported.

Guards Brigadier General Abbas Nilforoushan was martyred in Israels attack on Beirut along with Martyr Seyed Hassan Nasrallah, IRNA news agency reported.

Nilforoushan, the IRGCs deputy commander for operations in Lebanon, was killed during a meeting with the Hezbollah leader.

Nilforoushans death marks Irans most significant loss since April, when his predecessor, Mohammad Reza Zahedi, was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Damascus.

In response to Zahedis death, Iran launched around 300 suicide drones and missiles at Israel.

02:02 PM BST

Iraq PM says Israel crossed all red lines with Nasrallah killing

Iraqs prime minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani has condemned the Israeli killing of Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah as a crime.

The Friday attack on Hezbollahs south Beirut stronghold that killed the Iran-backed groups leader was a shameful attack and a crime that shows the Zionist entity has crossed all the red lines, Sudani said in a statement, calling Nasrallah a martyr on the path of the righteous.

02:00 PM BST

Over 50,000 people living in Lebanon have crossed into Syria, UN says

The UN high commissioner for refugees, Filippo Grandi, said more than 50,000 Lebanese and Syrian people living in Lebanon have now crossed into Syria fleeing Israeli airstrikes.

Well over 200,000 are displaced inside Lebanon, he added in a post on X. Relief operations are underway, including by UNHCR, to help all those in need, in coordination with both governments.

More than 50,000 Lebanese and Syrians living in Lebanon have now crossed into Syria fleeing Israeli airstrikes. Well over 200,000 are displaced inside Lebanon.



Relief operations are underway, including by UNHCR, to help all those in need, in coordination with both governments. pic.twitter.com/Qcvdw79z8A  Filippo Grandi (@FilippoGrandi) September 28, 2024

01:52 PM BST

Israels war is not with the Lebanese people, defence minister says

Israels war is not with the Lebanese people, defence minister Yoav Gallant said on Saturday, after confirmation Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah had been killed in an Israeli airstrike in Beirut.

He (Nasrallah) was the murderer of thousands of Israelis and foreign citizens. He was an immediate threat to the lives of thousands of Israelis and other citizens, Mr Gallant said in a statement. To the people of Lebanon, I say: Our war is not with you. Its time for change.

01:42 PM BST

Civilians in central Israel given new guidelines

Israel has changed the guidelines for civilians living in central Israel with immediate effect.

Outdoor gatherings and services can only be held up to 10 people, beaches will be closed to the public, and educational activities are prohibited, among other amendments.

01:34 PM BST

More than 80 bombs dropped to kill Nasrallah, Israeli officials say

A report by the New York Times has said that Israeli leaders had been aware of Hassan Nasrallahs whereabouts for months and decided to strike him last week because they believed he would soon disappear to a different location.

Two senior Israeli defence officials told the newspaper that more than 80 bombs were dropped over a period of several minutes to kill him.

The officials said that the operation had been planned earlier in the week, as Israeli political leaders spoke with their American counterparts about the possibility of a cease-fire in Lebanon, and before Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, left Israel to give a speech at the United Nations

01:26 PM BST

Hamas says Nasrallah assassination will only strengthen resistance

Hamas has said Nasrallahs death would only fuel the fight against Israel.

Crimes and assassination by the occupation will only increase the determination and the insistence of the resistance in Palestine and Lebanon to go forward with all their might, bravery and pride on the footsteps of the martyrs...and pursue the path of resistance until victory and the dismissal of the occupation, Hamas said in a statement.

We reaffirm our absolute solidarity and standing with the brothers in Hezbollah and the Islamic Resistance in Lebanon, who are taking part in the battle of the Al-Aqsa Flood to defend Al-Aqsa mosque, alongside our people and our resistance, Hamas added.

Islamic Jihad, another Iranian-backed Palestinian group, said in a statement: Sooner or later, the resistance forces in Lebanon, Palestine, and the region will make the enemy pay the price of its crimes, and taste defeat for what its sinful hands have done.

01:17 PM BST

Mood sours in Beirut

The mood has dramatically soured in Beirut. While women are weeping, Shia men in different parts of Beirut are expressing their emotion by firing into the air.

01:15 PM BST

Hezbollah chiefs death fantastic news, say Israelis

Israelis rejoiced Saturday at the news that Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah had been killed.

Absolutely fantastic news, it should have been done a long time ago, said David Shalev, a resident of Israels commercial hub told AFP.

Although he cast doubt on whether Nasrallahs killing would end the fighting in the north, he said it sent a clear message to Israels foes in the region: Dont screw with us.

In the coastal city of Rishon LeZion in central Israel, Shuli Diaz called Fridays strike on Nasrallah an amazing move.

She said she hoped the Hezbollah leaders death would bring peace after more than a year of war triggered by the October 7 attack.

I think that the elimination of Nasrallah will bring an end to the war, Diaz said. I believe that this will bring some sort of political resolution. I at least hope so.

We are celebrating the death of the number one terrorist in the world, said Rami Steiner, another resident of Rishon LeZion. This is an opportunity for a new era, a better world without terrorists.

01:09 PM BST

Extraordinary scenes in Beirut

Some extraordinary scenes here in Beirut as Hezbollah confirms the death of Hassan Nasrallah. One Shia woman has burst into tears, while another has sank to her knees, repeating: Oh God! Oh God.

Many people, including a Christian woman, are trying to console them.

Hassan Nasrallah was a deeply polarising figure in Lebanese society and across the Middle East.

For the marginalised Shia minority in Lebanon he was a resistance hero who, as far as they are concerned, liberated their heartlands from Israeli military occupation in 2000. They also regarded him as their saviour and champion  the man who fought for Shias to have a political voice in Lebanon and ensured they had access to services and welfare.

A woman reacts after hearing the news of the death of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut - AP Photo/Hussein Malla

Many Shias I spoke to before the news was confirmed had flatly refused to believe the Israeli claims that Nasrallah had died. It was a trick, they insisted, to get him to surface on TV with the hope of striking him again. To say that Lebanons Shia community is now in shock would be an understatement.

But for Lebanons other communities  Christians, Sunni Muslims and Druze  the reaction is likely to be more ambivalent.

Some still view Nasrallah favourably for standing up to Israel, but many blame him and his movement for contributing to Lebanons political paralysis and economic crisis, as well as for dragging them into a conflict with Israel that few of them would have wanted.

12:55 PM BST

Hamas says it mourns Hezbollah leader

Hamas said in a statement it mourned the death of Lebanons Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah.

12:52 PM BST

In pictures: Tehran protests

Iranian protestors holding Palestine and Hezbollah flags participate in an anti-Israeli protest at Palestine Square in Tehran - ABEDIN TAHERKENAREH/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

Hundreds of people gather in Palestine Square in Tehran, the capital of Iran, to protest Israels attacks in Lebanon - Fatemeh Bahrami/Anadolu via Getty Images

12:37 PM BST

Hezbollah admits leader Nasrallah killed after Israeli strike

Hezbollah has confirmed that its leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah was killed and vowed to continue the battle against Israel.

Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, Secretary General of Hezbollah, has joined his great, immortal martyr comrades whom he led for about 30 years, Hezbollah said in a statement.

The Israeli military announced the assassination earlier on Saturday. Hassan Nasrallah is dead, military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani said.

The IDF said that it carried out a precise air strike while Hezbollah leaders met at its headquarters in Dahiyeh, south of Beirut, and vowed to reach anyone else who threatens Israel.

Nasrallah led the militant group for more than three decades. His death could dramatically reshape conflicts across the Middle East.

12:14 PM BST

France says it has information confirming Hezbollah chief Nasrallah is dead

Frances foreign ministry said that according to its information Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah was indeed dead, after Israel said it had killed him a day earlier.

The Iran-backed Hezbollah has yet to issue any statement on the status of Nasrallah, its leader for 32 years.

According to the information we have, Hassan Nasrallah, secretary general of Hezbollah, would indeed have died, the French foreign ministry said in a statement.

12:12 PM BST

Israel planned Nasrallahs assassination for years

A senior Israeli official has told The Telegraph that Israel planned the assassination of Nasrallah for years.

The last thing Nasrallah did was watch the Israeli prime minister on TV in the UN. He was sure he knew the Israelis, but didnt understand what is coming, the source said.

The Iranians used Lebanon and abandoned it at the first opportunity. The whole world sees that the Iranians are a paper tiger. When the Lebanese soldiers started paying the price for Iran, Khamenei simply abandoned them. The Iranians used Lebanon and now have left it behind. Khamenei exploited Lebanon and discarded it, the official added.

11:51 AM BST

New Israeli strike on south Beirut

A new Israeli strike hit a building in Hezbollahs south Beirut bastion Saturday, a Lebanese security official told AFP, after Israel earlier said it killed group leader Hassan Nasrallah during intense bombardment.

A new Israeli strike targeted Beiruts southern suburbs, the official said, requesting anonymity to discuss sensitive matters, adding it hit a building.

11:45 AM BST

Israel cannot destroy Hezbollah, Irans supreme leader says from hiding

Irans supreme leader has insisted that Israel cannot destroy Hezbollah, in his first remarks after the IDF said it had killed leader Hassan Nasrallah.

In a statement, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Israeli criminals should know that they are too small to cause significant damage to the strong construction of Hezbollah in Lebanon.

He added that the fate of this region will be determined by the forces of resistance, with Hezbollah at the forefront and called on Muslims to stand by the people of Lebanon and the proud Hezbollah with whatever means they have and assist them in confronting the ... wicked regime (of Israel).

He also denounced the killing of defenceless civilians in Lebanon, saying it showed the short-sightedness and foolish policies of the leaders of Israel.

Khamenei has reportedly been transferred to a secure location inside the country with heightened security measures in place after Israel vowed to reach anyone who threatens Israel.

11:43 AM BST

Israeli officials say Nasrallahs death could lead to a pivot

Israel hopes Hassan Nasrallahs death could significantly degrade the group and prevent the need for a ground invasion to stop Hezbollahs rocket, missile and drone attacks across the border, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal.

His powerful leadership is different, a senior Israeli official told the newspaper. Some people are irreplaceable.

Our preference is to not have a ground invasion, the senior Israeli official added. This could be a pivot.



11:39 AM BST

Pictured: Israeli tanks gather by the Israeli-Lebanon border

Israeli military tanks gather by the Israeli-Lebanon border - Ilia Yefimovich/DPA/Cover Images

11:32 AM BST

Israeli strikes continue on Beiruts southern suburbs, witnesses say

Israeli airstrikes on Beiruts southern suburbs are ongoing, witnesses told Reuters on Saturday, saying smoke was visible rising from the affected area.

11:27 AM BST

Israel army says more than 140 Hezbollah targets struck since last night

The Israeli military said on Saturday it had struck more than 140 Hezbollah targets in Lebanon since the previous night.

Since last night, the IDF (military) struck over 140 Hezbollah terror targets, including launchers aimed at Israeli civilians, buildings in which weapons were stored, strategic weaponry, weapons production facilities, and additional terrorist infrastructure sites, some embedded underneath residential buildings in the area of Beirut, the military said in a statement.

11:23 AM BST

Watch: Israel says Hezbollah leader Nasrallah killed in Beirut strike

11:16 AM BST

Lebanon blocks Iranian plane from entering airspace after Israeli threats

Lebanons transport ministry told an Iranian aircraft not to enter its airspace after Israel warned air traffic control at Beirut airport that it would use force if the plane landed, a source at the ministry told Reuters.

The source said it was not clear what was on the plane.

The priority is peoples lives, the source added.

11:09 AM BST

Israel army says most senior Hezbollah leaders eliminated

Israels military said Saturday that most senior leaders of Hezbollah had been killed, after it announced the death of Hassan Nasrallah, the head of the group, which has not provided confirmation.

Most of the senior leaders of Hezbollah have been eliminated, military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani told an online press briefing.

10:56 AM BST

Israel army posts image of eliminated Hezbollah leaders

The IDF has posted an image on social media of Hezbollahs military chain of command, with eliminated written over the photographs of those it says has been killed.

We searched up "dismantled" on the internet, this is the picture that came up: pic.twitter.com/C5p3jmhwIZ  Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) September 28, 2024

10:53 AM BST

Israel on alert after Nasrallah killing, army spokesperson says

Israel is on high alert for a broader conflict after the elimination of Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut, but hopes his death will cause the Iran-backed group to change course, a military spokesperson said on Saturday.

We hope this will change Hezbollahs actions, Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani said in a media briefing after the military confirmed it had killed Nasrallah.

But he said there was still a ways to go in degrading Hezbollahs capabilities.

Weve seen Hezbollah carry out attacks against us for a year. Its safe to assume that they are going to continue carrying out their attacks against us or try to, he said.

10:46 AM BST

Hezbollah says it targets Israeli sites in response to Israeli attacks on civilians

Lebanons Hezbollah said it had targeted Israeli sites including Rosh Pina in the north with missiles in response to Israeli attacks on Lebanese cities, villages and civilians.

10:30 AM BST

Details of attack released

The attack that the IDF said killed Hassan Nasrallah was undertaken by F-15i jets from squadron 69, the Ream squadron.

The planes dropped about 85 bunker-penetrating bombs weighing a ton of explosives each, says Israels Channel 12 news.

10:27 AM BST

Pictures from Lebanon

A displaced child carries styrofoam pieces to use for shelter in Beiruts central Martyrs Square - REUTERS/Louisa Gouliamaki

The remains of a factory targeted in an overnight Israeli airstrike in the town of Chouaifet, south of Beirut - ANWAR AMRO/AFP via Getty Images

Displaced families gather after fleeing the overnight Israeli strikes in southern Beirut - REUTERS/Louisa Gouliamaki

10:20 AM BST

Irans supreme leader moved to secure location after Hezbollahs Nasrallah killed

Irans supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has reportedly been transferred to a secure location inside the country with heightened security measures in place.

It comes after Israel announced it had killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah on Friday and vowed to reach anyone who threatens Israel.

This is not the end of our toolbox. The message is simple, anyone who threatens the citizens of Israel  we will know how to reach them, Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi said in a statement.

Iran has been Hezbollahs ally since the Lebanese armed groups establishment in 1982. Khamenei, a former president of Iran, is the countrys head of state, responsible for the Revolutionary Guards Corps.

The Middle East is on tenterhooks over whether the conflict will now spill over into all out war.

10:03 AM BST

Analysis: Israeli military hawks cockahoop as Nasrallahs death confirmed

Not surprisingly, Israels military hawks are cockahoop this morning.

Hassan Nasrallah, leader of Hezbollah and a lethal terrorist foe of more than 40 years, is no more, according to the IDF.

But its not just revenge that Israels defence establishment is celebrating, but confirmation that its hawkish take-the-fight-to them strategy is working.

Israels strike on Hezbollahs nerve centre in Dahiyeh may have fundamentally altered Irans strategic ambitions in the region, says former Israeli Intelligence official Avi Melamed.

This incident offers the Lebanese  previously held hostage by Hezbollah  the chance to liberate themselves from Iranian influence, while also likely compelling Iran to reevaluate its plans for regional control, he added.

Despite heavy collateral damage and damage to Israels reputation, Hamas has all but been destroyed as a military force in Gaza. And now there can be little doubt that Hezbollah has been seriously degraded.

So is the hawks approach really working in the face of continued US and other dovish opposition? Is there blowback yet to come? Or does history really favour the brave?

Time will tell but its been a long time since military hawks were this bullish  about 20 years in fact.

Seeing the faces of liberated Iraqis, you have to say this is a very good day, Mr Rumsfeld said at a Washington press conference in 2003.

We are seeing history unfold. Saddam Hussein is now taking his rightful place alongside Hitler, Stalin, Lenin and Ceaucescu in the pantheon of failed, brutal dictators.

09:55 AM BST

At least 41,586 Palestinians killed in Israels Gaza offensive

At least 41,586 Palestinians have been killed and 96,210 others injured in Israels military offensive on Gaza since Oct 7, the health ministry in the Hamas-run Gaza Strip said.

09:44 AM BST

Israels army chief says it has not emptied toolbox with killing of Hezbollah chief

The Israeli armys chief of staff said on Saturday it had not emptied its toolbox with the targeted killing of Lebanons Hezbollah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah.

This is not the end of our toolbox. The message is simple, anyone who threatens the citizens of Israel - we will know how to reach them, Herzi Halevi, the chief of the general staff, said in a statement.

09:37 AM BST

IDF says strikes killed unspecified number of other Hezbollah commanders

An Israeli military statement said its strikes have also killed Ali Karake, who they identified as commander of Hezbollahs southern front, and an unspecified number of other Hezbollah commanders.

During Hassan Nasrallahs 32-year reign as the Secretary-General of Hezbollah, he was responsible for the murder of many Israeli civilians and soldiers, and the planning and execution of thousands of terrorist activities, the statement said.

He was responsible for directing and executing terrorist attacks around the world in which civilians of various nationalities were murdered. Nasrallah was the central decision-maker and the strategic leader of the organisation.

09:32 AM BST

Unicef says Lebanons hospitals overwhelmed

Displaced families gather near a church after spending the night there, fleeing the overnight Israeli strikes in southern Beirut - REUTERS/Louisa Gouliamaki

Ettie Higgins, Unicefs deputy representative in Lebanon, said thousands and thousands of people had fled southern Beirut, while hospitals were overwhelmed and water pumping stations had been destroyed.

She told the BBCs Today programme: Even the most basic essential services of healthcare and water are now being rapidly, rapidly depleted.

There was already a humanitarian crisis in Lebanon given that its been hosting over 1 million refugees from Syria for over a decade, so its rapidly escalating into a catastrophe.

She added that 50 children had already been killed, and said she expected that figure to rise as the air strikes continued.

09:28 AM BST

Britons urged to leave Lebanon

Britons have been urged to leave Lebanon amid warnings the country faces a humanitarian catastrophe following the latest round of Israeli air strikes.

On Friday, the Foreign Office warned that British nationals should leave now as series of massive explosions levelled multiple apartment buildings in Beirut.

In a statement, the Foreign Office said it was working to increase capacity and secure seats for British nationals on flights out of the country.

09:23 AM BST

Israel army chief vows to reach anyone who threatens Israel after Nasrallah reported killed

Israels army chief vowed on Saturday to reach anyone who threatens Israeli citizens, after the military said Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah had been killed.

This is not the end of our toolbox. The message is simple, anyone who threatens the citizens of Israel  we will know how to reach them, Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi said in a statement.

09:22 AM BST

Source close to Hezbollah says contact with Nasrallah lost since Friday night

A source close to Lebanons Hezbollah said that contact had been lost since Friday evening with chief Hassan Nasrallah.

Contact with Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah has been lost since Friday evening, the source told AFP, requesting anonymity to discuss sensitive matters. He did not confirm whether Nasrallah had been killed.

09:20 AM BST

Nasrallah will no longer be able to terrorize the world, says IDF

In a post on X, the Israeli Defense Forces said Hassan Nasrallah will no longer be able to terrorize the world.

Hassan Nasrallah will no longer be able to terrorize the world.  Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) September 28, 2024

09:15 AM BST

Who was Hassan Nasrallah, the Hezbollah leader?

Hassan Nasrallah speaks on July 25, 2014, during a rare public appearance - ANWAR AMRO/AFP via Getty Images

Hailed as a national hero for his role in ending the Israeli occupation of southern Lebanon, Hassan Nasrallah was once likened in the country to revolutionary leaders like Che Guevara.

Born in a Beirut suburb in 1960, Nasrallah was 15 when civil war broke out in Lebanon, forcing the family, including his nine siblings, to flee the capital for their ancestral home in Bazouriye, a southern village.

By 1982, with the civil war underway, he organised for five years an armed resistance to the Israeli occupation of Lebanon, before travelling to Iran for further study.

He would only return once his mentor Abbas al-Musawi had come to power in Hezbollah, replacing him as leader when he was killed by the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) in 1992.

Under Nasrallahs leadership, Hezbollah built up support among the long under-represented Shia Muslims in Lebanon, offering welfare services like interest-free loans and food deliveries during Ramadan.

Meanwhile, its attacks on the Israeli occupation of south Lebanon forced the Israeli army out of the country in 2000, following 15 years of occupation.

When the Israelis withdrew, Nasrallahs popularity in the Arab world shot through the roof. In 2006, Hizbollah would clash again with Israel after sending gunmen across the border in a lethal raid. That war ended with more than 1,000 Lebanese and 165 Israelis dead, and a UN-brokered agreement for Israel to lift its naval blockade of Lebanon.

Read more here

09:03 AM BST

Israels military says Hezbollah leader killed in Beirut strike

The Israeli military said they have killed Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah, in a strike in Beirut on Friday.

Hassan Nasrallah is dead, military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani announced on X. Military spokesman Captain David Avraham also confirmed to AFP that the Hezbollah chief had been eliminated.

The military said that they carried out a precise airstrike while Hezbollah leadership was meeting at their headquarters in Dahiyeh, south of Beirut.

Nasrallah has led Hezbollah for more than three decades. The Iran-backed Hezbollah has yet to issue any statement on the status of Nasrallah, who has led the group for 32 years.

The military said the strikes also killed Ali Karake, who the statement identified as commander of Hezbollahs southern front, and an unspecified number of other Hezbollah commanders.

08:39 AM BST

People flee southern Beirut for other districts

News agencies are reporting that hundreds of people slept in the streets of the Lebanese capital overnight as they sought to escape the parts of the city that were being targeted in the Israeli strikes.

Agence France-Presse reports that families slept in Martyrs Square in the centre of the city or on the waterfront, with many sleeping in their cars.

Israel had warned residents to leave parts of the densely populated Dahiyeh district ahead of its bombing raid on Saturday morning.

Families sit on the ground in Martyrs square after fleeing the Israeli airstrikes in Beiruts southern suburbs on Saturday. - (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)/(AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)

08:11 AM BST

IDF calls up three reserve battalions

The Israeli army has said it is calling up three reserve battalions to its central command, which operates in the West Bank area.

The IDF said that the call up was for the purpose of operational missions and bolstering defenses.

07:58 AM BST

IDF strikes hit Beiruts southern suburbs overnight

Reuters reports that Israeli strikes hit the southern suburbs of Beirut, which are Hezbollahs stronghold, over a five hour period overnight.

Witnesses reported more than 20 air strikes before dawn. At least six people were killed and 91 were wounded, Lebanons health ministry said

The IDF also confirmed that it had struck targets in the Bekaa Valley region and the south of the country.

According to the Israeli military, the sites include ammunition storage facilities and rocket launching sites.

Lebanese civil defense teams conduct a search and rescue operation following the Israeli attacks on the south of Beirut. - Houssam Shbaro/ Getty Images

Smoke rises from the site of an airstrike in the El Leylaki area located south of Beirut on Saturday. - Houssam Shbaro/Anadolu via Getty Images

07:47 AM BST

Rockets fired at area east of Haifa

The IDF says that five rockets were fired from Lebanon this morning at the Jezreel Valley, an area to the east of Haifa in the north of the country.

Sirens were set off in towns east of the port city.

The IDF said it intercepted some of the rockets. No injuries have been reported.

07:40 AM BST

IDF claims death of Hamas leader in Syria

Israels army has announced that it killed Ahmad Muhammad Fahd, who they say was the head of Hamas operations in southern Syria.

Overnight (Friday), the IAF struck and eliminated Ahmad Muhammad Fahd, head of the Hamas terrorist network in southern Syria, the IDF said in a statement.

The IDF said that Fahd was killed in a strike by Israels air force while planning to carry out an imminent terror attack.

He was responsible for carrying out attacks on Israeli soldiers and firing projectiles toward the Golan Heights area, the statement continued.

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Joe Biden has hailed Israels assassination of Hassan Nasrallah as justice for his many victims, as Iran confirmed one of its top generals died alongside the Hezbollah leader.

The US president said Washington fully supports Israels right to defend itself, and the air strike that killed Nasrallah was revenge for the deaths of thousands of Americans, Israelis and Lebanese civilians.

Mr Biden, 81, has ordered the deployment of more US forces to the Middle East in an effort to prevent any retaliation from Iran.

The assassination of one of Israels leading foes has sent shockwaves through the region and raised fears of a spill-over into all-out war.

But on Saturday, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the supreme leader of Iran, Hezbollahs key sponsor, suggested he would not escalate the conflict.

Khamenei, who went into hiding after Nasrallahs death on Friday afternoon, called on Muslims to stand by the people of Lebanon but made no specific threat to mobilise Irans own forces.

Also on Saturday, Irans state-news service confirmed that Abbas Nilforushan, a top general in its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) who led operations in Lebanon, was also killed in the bombing.

Lt Gen Herzi Halevi, Israels top army general, said Israel would continue its efforts to destroy Hezbollah and its other enemies altogether.

This is not the end of our toolbox, he said. We have more capacity going forward. Anyone who threatens the state of Israel, we will know how to reach them.

On Friday, Israel hacked the air traffic control tower of Beiruts international airport to warn a plane arriving from Iran to turn back.

The IDF warned it was prepared to shoot down any aircraft bringing in cargo or weaponry for Hezbollah.

Israeli jets carried out another air strike on Saturday targeting a warehouse near the airport.

In a statement confirming the death of Nasrallah, Hezbollah said it would continue its jihad in confronting the enemy, in support of Gaza and Palestine.

Hezbollah fired several small volleys of rockets at Israel on Friday but caused no damage. Yemens Houthis, another Iranian proxy group, also fired missiles at Israel that were intercepted by air defence systems.

The welter of blows Israel has delivered to Hezbollah in recent weeks have the potential to reshape the Middle East, analysts said.

The recent strikes have broken the back of the Islamic Republics most powerful proxy force, just as Israel has done with Hamas, Mohsen Sazegara, one of the founders of the IRGC, told The Telegraph.

Nasrallahs killing is going to cause irreversible damage for Hezbollah and I dont think it will be able to recover from it, added Lina Khatib, associate fellow at Chatham House, the international affairs think tank.

I think we are seeing both a historic shift in Hezbollahs power and a historic shift in the trajectory of Irans influence in the Middle East.

Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, the Israeli Defense Forces chief spokesman, said the world was a safer place after Nasrallahs death.

In 1994, two years after Nasrallah took control of Hezbollah, he ordered a suicide attack on a Jewish community centre in Buenos Aires, killing 85 people and wounding more than 300.

In Beirut, supporters of Hezbollah broke down in tears when news of his death was confirmed. Oh God! one woman said in Martyrs Square in the centre of the Lebanese capital as she fell to her knees.

Opponents of the Lebanese terror groups hold on the nation disagreed. It is a step in the right direction, said Nasri, a shopkeeper in predominantly Christian eastern Beirut.

Mr Bidens statement of support for the strike, which killed at least 11 people according to Lebanons health ministry, and flattened several high-rise buildings, followed pressure from Israel.

On Friday, Yoav Gallant, Israels defence minister, requested that the US issue public statements and deploy troops to warn Tehran against retaliation, the Israeli website Walla News reported.

On Saturday, the Pentagon issued a statement saying: Defense Secretary [Lloyd] Austin emphasised that the United States is determined to prevent Iran and its partners from taking advantage of the situation or expanding the conflict in the region.

In his statement, Mr Biden also repeated his calls for Israel, Hezbollah and Hamas to come to a peace agreement. It is time for these deals to close, for the threats to Israel to be removed, and for the broader Middle East region to gain stability, he said.

Hezbollah possesses a large arsenal of long-range missiles, but Israels strikes have destroyed a significant proportion and Iran is reported to want to keep the weapons in reserve for any conflict involving threats to its own safety.

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DUBAI (Reuters) - Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has been taken to a secure location inside Iran amid heightened security, sources told Reuters, a day after Israel killed the head of Iran-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah in a strike on Beirut.

The move to safeguard Iran's top decision-maker is the latest show of nervousness by the Iranian authorities as Israel launched a series of devastating attacks on Hezbollah, Iran's best armed and most well-equipped ally in the region.

Reuters reported this month that Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards Corps, the ideological guardians of the Islamic Republic, had ordered all of members to stop using any type of communication devices after thousands of pagers and walkie-talkies used by Hezbollah blew up.

Lebanon and Hezbollah say Israel was behind the pager and walkie-talkie attacks. Israel neither denied nor confirmed involvement.

The two regional officials briefed by Tehran and who told Reuters that Khamenei had been moved to a safe location also said Iran was in contact with Hezbollah and other regional proxy groups to determine the next step after Nasrallah's killing.

The sources declined to be identified further due to the sensitivity of the matter.

As well as killing Nasrallah, Friday's strikes by Israel on Beirut killed Revolutionary Guards' deputy commander Abbas Nilforoushan, Iranian media reported on Saturday. Other Revolutionary Guard's commanders have also been killed since the Gaza War erupted last year and violence flared elsewhere.

Khamenei issued a statement later on Saturday, following Israel's announcement that Nasrallah had been killed, saying: "The fate of this region will be determined by the forces of resistance, with Hezbollah at the forefront."

"The blood of the martyr shall not go unavenged," he said in a separate statement, in which he announced five days of mourning to mark Nasrallah's death.

Nasrallah's death is a major blow to Iran, removing an influential ally who helped build Hezbollah into the linchpin of Tehran's constellation of allied groups in the Arab world.

Iran's network of regional allies, known as the 'Axis of Resistance', stretch from Hezbollah in Lebanon to Hamas in Gaza, Iran-backed militias in Iraq and the Houthis in Yemen.

Hamas has been fighting a war with Israel for almost a year, since its fighters stormed into Israel on Oct. 7. The Houthis, meanwhile, have launched missiles at Israel and at ships sailing in the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea along the Yemeni coast.

Hezbollah has been engaged in exchanges of fire across the Lebanese border throughout the Gaza War and has repeatedly said it would not stop until there was a ceasefire in Gaza.

After the pager and walkie-talkies strikes, one Iranian security official told Reuters that a large-scale operation was underway by the Revolutionary Guards to inspect all communications devices. He said most of these devices were either homemade or imported from China and Russia.

The official said Iran was concerned about infiltration by Israeli agents, including Iranians on Israel's payroll and a thorough investigation of personnel has already begun, targeting mid and high-ranking members of the Revolutionary Guards.

In another statement on Saturday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said the United States had played a role in Nasrallah's killing as a supplier of weapons to Israel.

"The Americans cannot deny their complicity with the Zionists," he said in the statement carried by state media.

(Reporting by Dubai newsroom; Editing by William Maclean and Edmund Blair)
The IDF has warned that they would shoot down planes flying in to supply Hezbollah with weapons - HUSSEIN MALLA/AP

Israel hacked Beirut International Airports control tower to warn an Iranian plane not to land, The Telegraph understands.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on Friday night said that they would shoot down planes ferrying Iranian weapons to support Hezbollah.

Earlier, IDF jets had carried out an airstrike that killed Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of the Lebanese terror group.

With the Iranian plane in the air, Lebanese authorities intervened and ordered it to turn back so it would avoid being fired upon by Israeli forces.

Reuters first reported the story, citing a source at Lebanons transport ministry saying that Israel threatened to use force and that the priority of the ministry is peoples lives.

On Saturday, the Islamic Republics Iran Air announced that all flights to Beiruts Rafic Hariri International Airport have been suspended until further notice.

Beiruts Rafic Hariri International Airport - SARY CHMAYTELLI/AFP

A flight tracker meanwhile showed an airplane affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) making a U-turn over Syria.

Its unclear if this was the plane that was ordered not to land in Beirut, but the IRGC has sent weapons and munitions to Hezbollah in Lebanon for years, often using airplanes.

IRGC generals and advisors also regularly fly between Tehran and Beirut.

Israel has launched thousands of attacks against Iranian militants and convoys smuggling weapons to Lebanon from Iran, through Iraq and Syria. Israel has also attacked areas believed to be used for arms smuggling near Damascus airport numerous times in the past decade.

Dror Doron, the senior advisor at United Against Nuclear Iran who also served as a senior analyst in the Israeli prime ministers office, told the Telegraph that the smuggling of ballistic missiles and other long-range precision-guided missiles caused Israel to launch a campaign of airstrikes in Syria in 2014 to target convoys carrying the missiles.

Mr Doron said: Israel identified Syria as being a critical element in the route of supplying those missiles.

On Saturday, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Irans supreme leader, said that Israel could not destroy Hezbollah.

He said: [Israeli] criminals should know that they are too small to cause significant damage to the strong construction of Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Tehran has so far sought to avoid being drawn into a wider conflict with Israel, and Mr Khameneis statement appeared to continue that effort, making no mention of all-out war.

A senior Israeli official told The Telegraph that Israel planned the assassination of Hassan Nasrallah, the Hezbollah leader, for years.

The official added that the last thing Nasrallah saw was Benjamin Netanyahu speaking at the UN on TV. He said: He was sure he knew the Israelis, but he didnt understand what was coming.

The Iranians used Lebanon and abandoned it at the first opportunity. The whole world sees that the Iranians are a paper tiger. When the Lebanese soldiers started paying the price for Iran, Khamenei simply abandoned them. The Iranians used Lebanon and now have left it behind. Khamenei exploited Lebanon and discarded it.

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The IDF has warned that they would shoot down planes flying in to supply Hezbollah with weapons - HUSSEIN MALLA/AP

Israel hacked Beirut International Airports control tower to warn an Iranian plane not to land, The Telegraph understands.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on Friday night said that they would shoot down planes ferrying Iranian weapons to support Hezbollah.

Earlier, IDF jets had carried out an airstrike that killed Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of the Lebanese terror group.

With the Iranian plane in the air, Lebanese authorities intervened and ordered it to turn back so it would avoid being fired upon by Israeli forces.

Reuters first reported the story, citing a source at Lebanons transport ministry saying that Israel threatened to use force and that the priority of the ministry is peoples lives.

On Saturday, the Islamic Republics Iran Air announced that all flights to Beiruts Rafic Hariri International Airport have been suspended until further notice.

Beiruts Rafic Hariri International Airport - SARY CHMAYTELLI/AFP

A flight tracker meanwhile showed an airplane affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) making a U-turn over Syria.

Its unclear if this was the plane that was ordered not to land in Beirut, but the IRGC has sent weapons and munitions to Hezbollah in Lebanon for years, often using airplanes.

IRGC generals and advisors also regularly fly between Tehran and Beirut.

Israel has launched thousands of attacks against Iranian militants and convoys smuggling weapons to Lebanon from Iran, through Iraq and Syria. Israel has also attacked areas believed to be used for arms smuggling near Damascus airport numerous times in the past decade.

Dror Doron, the senior advisor at United Against Nuclear Iran who also served as a senior analyst in the Israeli prime ministers office, told the Telegraph that the smuggling of ballistic missiles and other long-range precision-guided missiles caused Israel to launch a campaign of airstrikes in Syria in 2014 to target convoys carrying the missiles.

Mr Doron said: Israel identified Syria as being a critical element in the route of supplying those missiles.

On Saturday, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Irans supreme leader, said that Israel could not destroy Hezbollah.

He said: [Israeli] criminals should know that they are too small to cause significant damage to the strong construction of Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Tehran has so far sought to avoid being drawn into a wider conflict with Israel, and Mr Khameneis statement appeared to continue that effort, making no mention of all-out war.

A senior Israeli official told The Telegraph that Israel planned the assassination of Hassan Nasrallah, the Hezbollah leader, for years.

The official added that the last thing Nasrallah saw was Benjamin Netanyahu speaking at the UN on TV. He said: He was sure he knew the Israelis, but he didnt understand what was coming.

The Iranians used Lebanon and abandoned it at the first opportunity. The whole world sees that the Iranians are a paper tiger. When the Lebanese soldiers started paying the price for Iran, Khamenei simply abandoned them. The Iranians used Lebanon and now have left it behind. Khamenei exploited Lebanon and discarded it.
DUBAI (Reuters) - Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has been transferred to a secure location inside the country with heightened security measures in place, two regional officials briefed by Tehran told Reuters.

The sources said Iran was in constant contact with Lebanon's Hezbollah and other regional proxy groups to determine the next step after Israel announced that it had killed Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah in a strike on south Beirut on Friday.

(Dubai Newsroom)
Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei described the Lebanese Hezbollah militant group as "unconquerable" on Saturday in comments after its leader, Hassan Nasrallah, was confirmed dead in an Israeli airstrike.

"The criminal Zionists (Israelis) should know that they are incapable of damaging the stable structure of Hezbollah as the leader of the resistance front," Khamenei said in a statement, according to the IRNA state news agency.

Khamenei did not address the death of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, which was announced by Israel and confirmed by Hezbollah later on Saturday.

Iran is a major supporter of Hezbollah, alongside other Islamist groups like the Palestinian militant group Hamas, the Houthis in Yemen and other armed groups in Iraq and Syria.

Khamenei said the entire Islamic world should now stand by Lebanon and Hezbollah and continue the fight against Israel.

However, he did not say how Iran would react to Nasrallah's death.

Hassan Nasrallah, Secretary-general of Hezbollah, speaks via a video link, during an event to mark the "Wounded Resistance Fighter Day". Marwan Naamani/dpa

Black smokes billows from Beirut southern suburb after an early morning Israeli air raid. Marwan Naamani/dpa

Rescue workers gather at the site of a massive Israeli air attack on pro-Iranian Hezbollah headquarters in the southern suburbs of Beirut. Marwan Naaman/dpa
This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility:

Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

Evidence is mounting that food packaging and plastic tableware contain toxic chemicals absorbed by humans, a public health risk largely ignored by federal officials charged with protecting the nation's food supply.

During the past week alone, a new study detailed how more than 3,600 chemicals in food-related materials have been detected in people worldwide.

A companion review of recently published research confirmed 189 chemicals linked to breast cancer have been found in the materials, 76 of which migrate out of packaging and utensils during normal use.

Many of these chemicals were approved decades ago by the Food and Drug Administration with little, if any, oversight.

"Some have never been reviewed by the FDA at all because food and chemical companies are exploiting a loophole that lets them, rather than the FDA, decide whether a chemical is safe," said Melanie Benesh, vice president for government affairs at the Environmental Working Group, one of several nonprofit organizations that have repeatedly petitioned the agency to ban toxic substances in food and packaging.

"It's no surprise that consumer confidence in food chemical safety is falling," Benesh said.

Years of legal and political pressure are just now forcing changes in an arm of the government long dominated by industry priorities rather than public health concerns.

After decades of denial, the FDA is vowing to overhaul its review processes and conduct more rigorous reviews of food chemicals already on the market.

Details remain slim. Agency officials cautioned Wednesday their budget to assess chemicals doesn't come close to the amount necessary to conduct a robust safety program.

"You have to start somewhere," Jim Jones, the FDA's first-ever deputy commissioner for human foods, said during a public discussion about the agency's plans.

Jones, who formerly ran the chemical safety office at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, noted that several states have banned certain food additives and food contact chemicals.

To build a strong national food safety system, Jones said, the FDA needs to step in with "a systematic approach for chemical reassessment," something he acknowledged has never existed at the nation's chief food safety agency.

Absent further direction from Congress, though, it will likely take years to determine the fate of chemicals that researchersand in some cases the FDA itselfalready have flagged because they are suspected of posing significant health hazards.

One example is bisphenol A, or BPA, a hormone-scrambling chemical used in food can linings, food containers and water bottles. BPA has been linked to birth defects and behavior disorders in infants and children. In adults, the chemical can trigger diabetes, heart disease, erectile dysfunction, cancer and early death.

Other than banning BPA in baby bottles and infant formula cans, FDA officials have said the chemical is safe for approved uses. But in 2021, the European Union determined BPA is harmful at levels far below what once was considered safe. A year later, nonprofit groups petitioned the U.S. food safety agency to take action; the FDA has yet to respond.

Other chemicals routinely found in food packaging and plastics are PFASper- and polyfluoroalkyl substancesused to repel oil and grease and withstand high temperatures.

Known as forever chemicals because they don't break down in the environment, PFAS are in the blood of almost every American, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Researchers have urged physicians to screen pregnant women and other sensitive groups for breast cancer, unhealthy cholesterol levels and high blood pressure when the amount of PFAS in their blood exceeds 2 parts per billionequivalent to a couple of drops of water in a swimming pool.

Then there are phthalates, plastic-softening chemicals added to food containers that have been linked to genital malformations in boys and lower sperm counts and testosterone levels in men. Studies also suggest the chemicals contribute to childhood obesity, asthma, cardiovascular issues, cancer and premature death in people ages 55 to 64.

Illinois trails other states that have banned certain food-related chemicals. Senate-passed legislation stalled in the Illinois House during the spring. It mirrored a new California law banning food additives including brominated vegetable oil, red dye No. 3, propylparaben and potassium bromate.

One of the champions of the proposed legislation is Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias, a former U.S. Senate candidate who said he got involved because his office oversees the state's organ donor registry.

"The bottom line is we need to put food safety first," Giannoulias said during a webinar organized by the Environmental Working Group. "We need the FDA to do its job developing a rigorous review program that puts our health first and addresses the impact of chemicals in our food."

Maria Doa, another former EPA chemical safety analyst, said agencies in the U.S. and Europe have given the FDA a road map to identify which chemicals should be assessed first. She urged the FDA to evaluate the cumulative impacts of exposure to multiple chemicals in food contact materials rather than addressing one at a time.

"We think they should be focusing on chemicals that are a concern for children, developmental toxicants, chemicals that are carcinogens, those that cause neurotoxicity," said Doa, now senior director for chemical policy at the nonprofit Environmental Defense Fund.

Trade groups for chemical and food companies have defended their members by saying they follow FDA regulationsthe same regulations widely condemned as ineffective.

"The U.S. has a robust federal regulatory system in place for managing food safety, including chemical safety, and it is for this reason that the U.S. is consistently ranked as having one of the highest-ranked food safety systems in the world," the American Chemistry Council says on its website.

Scientists have long known that chemicals can leach out of plastics and treated paper products, in particular when food containers and packaging are heated in a microwave or oven.

More sophisticated sampling methods and testing equipment are enabling researchers to determine the scope of potential risks to humans.

Both of the new studies tabulating the number of chemicals in food-related materials relied on a database of research compiled by the Food Packaging Forum, a Swiss-based nonprofit created to raise public awareness about emerging science.

"The potential for cancer prevention by reducing hazardous chemicals in your daily life is underexplored and deserves more attention," said Jane Muncke, the group's managing director.

2024 Chicago Tribune. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
A man walks in front of damaged buildings targeted by Israeli air raids at a street in Beirut southern suburb. Stringer/dpa

The Israeli military said on Saturday that it has again attacked a southern suburb of the Lebanese capital Beirut. The army initially did not provide any further details.

According to initial reports from Lebanon, the suburb of Chiyah was hit.

At first, there was no information about damage or possible victims from the attack.

The Israeli military has repeatedly attacked the area south of Beirut since Friday. The densely populated residential area is considered a Hezbollah stronghold.

Scores of people have fled the area since the massive attacks began.
Israel calls on people in Lebanon to flee ahead of imminent attacks

A family that fled Beirut's southern suburb following heavy Israeli air raids takes refuge in Beirut's Martyrs' Square. Hundreds of Syrian and Lebanese families left the southern suburb, a stronghold of Hezbollah, after Israel conducted massive air raids that killed its leader, Hassan Nasrallah. Marwan Naamani/dpa

The Israeli military has urged people in parts of Lebanon to stay away from Hezbollah facilities and to seek safety until further notice.

The warning applies to residents of the Bekaa Valley in the east of the country, the southern suburbs of the capital Beirut and southern Lebanon, according to a call in Arabic released on Saturday by an Israeli military spokesman.

Many people in areas controlled by Hezbollah often do not know which buildings are used by the pro-Iranian Lebanese Shiite militia.

Such evacuation calls from the military are usually a sign of impending new Israeli attacks.

Already on Wednesday, the Israeli military had issued a specific warning for the southern suburbs of Beirut. This was followed by several attacks in the area, which is considered a Hezbollah stronghold.
The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) have officially announced the assassination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah as a result of yesterday's airstrike by the Israeli army on Beirut.

Source: IDF

Details: It is reported that Nasrallah, the leader and one of the founders of Hezbollah, was killed alongside Ali Karki, commander of Hezbollah's Southern Front, and other Hezbollah commanders.

Quote: "Following precise intelligence from the IDF and Israeli security establishment, IAF fighter jets conducted a targeted strike on the Central Headquarters of the Hezbollah terrorist organisation, which was located underground embedded under a residential building in the area of Dahieh in Beirut.

The strike was conducted while Hezbollahs senior chain of command were operating from the headquarters and advancing terrorist activities against the citizens of the State of Israel."

For reference: Nasrallah held the position of Secretary-General of Hezbollah for 32 years.

He was responsible for leading and carrying out terrorist attacks worldwide, which resulted in the deaths of civilians.

Nasrallah was a central figure in decision-making and the strategic leader of the organisation.

The terrorist organisation Hezbollah joined Hamas in the war against Israel on 8 October 2023.

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Israel defence minister holding talks on possible expansion of offensive

FILE PHOTO: Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant pictured during a July visit to the United States

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant was holding talks late on Saturday on possibly expanding Israel's military offensive on its northern front, his office said in a statement.

"Minister of Defence Yoav Gallant is currently conducting an operational situation assessment regarding the expansion of IDF (Israel Defence Forces) activities in the northern arena," his office said.

(Reporting by Maayan Lubell; editing by Jason Neely)
Israel has exposed the lie at the heart of Starmer and Bidens foreign policy

Hassan Nasrullah, Hezbollahs Secretary General, died on Friday, courtesy of an Israeli air strike. Irans Ring of Fire strategy, unfolding militarily against Israel across the Middle East since last October 7, has suffered a major setback.

Jerusalem has already nearly destroyed Hamass organised military capabilities in Gaza and, combined with Operation Grim Beeper just over a week ago, has repeatedly imposed shock and awe on Hezbollahs top cadres and infrastructure.

Since Nasrullah met his maker, Israeli forces have pounded Hezbollah strongholds by air and are readying a ground attack, likely aiming to clear out all terrorist threats south of Lebanons Litani River.

Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu flatly ignored President Joe Bidens pressure not to escalate military action against Hezbollah, and also Prime Minister Keir Starmers speech to the United Nations.

The BBC derided Israels efforts, headlining that Netanyahu was trying to chase victory Israel, however, clearly signalled its resolve against Iran, a quality much lacking in recent US and UK policy. Hezbollah and, more importantly, its paymasters in Tehran, should recognize that Israel is determined to do what it takes to establish its security, notwithstanding enormous external pressure.

Also on Friday, Yemens Houthi rebels attacked US Navy vessels in the Red Sea, the latest example of Irans year-long campaign via its Houthi proxies to close the Suez Canal-Red Sea passage to all but friendly vessels. The Houthis openly declared they would support Hezbollah without limits. Showing solidarity with its mates, the Houthis again launched missiles against Israel itself.

These terrorist groups, like their allies Hamas and Shia militias in Iraq and Syria, have been armed, equipped, trained and financed by Iran for decades, as part of Tehrans Ring of Fire strategy. Tehran is now arranging for Moscow to arm the Houthis with anti-ship missiles, evidence of Irans growing Russian ties.

Both the White House and 10 Downing Street need to lift their eyes to the strategic level. The barbaric Hamas October 7 attacks constituted but one facet of Irans multifront threat against Israel.

Britain and America once understood what it meant to fight a multi-front war. They did so together successfully in two World Wars, and then again during the Cold War.

Today, Messrs Biden and Starmer have trouble with this concept. Fortunately, Israels leaders do not. For the good of the West as a whole, Israel is now decimating our terrorist enemies in the Middle East.

Although Jerusalem still receives military aid from Washington, London has turned icy, and Bidens White House is growing more frigid. Neither Americas Secretary of State nor its UN Ambassador attended Netanyahus General Assembly speech. And that was before Israels strike at Nasrullah.

Despite pro-terrorist propaganda, and the media echo chamber of supporters, the current conflict was never a war of Palestinians against Israeli oppressors. From the start, it has been an Iranian war against Israel.

Failure to grasp this bigger picture, a failure common to the national-security departments and agencies in Washington and London since October 7, persists in their opposition to Jerusalems determination to at the very least neutralise the serious terrorist threats it faces.

Certainly, Israel has made its share of mistakes over the past year, along with the West generally, and can be faulted for allowing the terrorist menace to grow to its present levels.

We have all repeatedly dealt fecklessly with Irans efforts to create nuclear weapons. But now that the reality of present danger has become crystal clear, quibbling about Israels determination to survive is quite unbecoming to the Wests leaders.

Failed and misbegotten diplomacy toward Iran and Hezbollah particularly has helped produce the current conflict. I know personally because of my service as US Ambassador to the UN during and after the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah War.

Although the inadequacies of Security Council Resolution 1701, which brought that conflict to a halt, were evident even as the Council was voting unanimously to approve it, recent years have shown it to be wholly ineffective. Resolution 1701s central objective was to prevent the rearmament of Hezbollah after Israels devastating retaliation for combined Hamas-Hezbollah attacks from Gaza and Lebanon (sound familiar?).

To say the least, this UN diplomacy facilitated exactly the opposite result. It did not strengthen an independent Lebanese government, with the backing of enhanced UN peacekeeping forces, to stand against Hezbollah. Instead, Hezbollah in effect took over the Lebanese government.

As with Hamas in Gaza, not until Hezbollah is eliminated will the truly innocent civilians have a chance for representative government.

Todays real issue is Iran. Far from being eager to aid now-beleaguered Hamas and Hezbollah, Iran is clearly worried it will face direct, devastating retaliation from Israel. Indeed, there were reports even before Israels elimination of Nasrullah that Iran was dodging Hezbollah entreaties for Iran to come to its defence.

Iran has been visibly nervous about responding to Israels killing of Hamas leader Ismael Haniyah on July 31, and Nasrullahs exit will only make the ayatollahs more nervous.

The fear that this time Netanyahu will not succumb to American pressure to take the win, as Israel did in April after Irans unsuccessful missile and drone attack, is clearly chilling Irans leadership. As well it should.

While the future is decidedly murky, Israelis undoubtedly remain determined to defend themselves. Too bad the current United Kingdom and the United States governments are not proud to stand with them.

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Israel-Hamas war in Gaza the deadliest on record for journalists who describe killings, attacks and arrests

JERUSALEM  Almost 12 months of unbridled war, death, destruction and suffering in Gaza have proved the deadliest conflict on record for journalists. One year in, NBC News has spoken to 21 media professionals and organizations in the region who described killings, attacks and arrests by Israeli forces.

As of Aug. 31, 116 journalists had been killed since Oct. 7, according to statistics from the Committee to Protect Journalists, a nonprofit based in New York. The majority, 111, were Palestinians killed in Gaza, three were Lebanese and two were Israeli journalists killed by Hamas militants on Oct. 7. Another 35 have been injured. Other monitoring groups have compiled far higher figures.

The Israeli military has said it takes all operationally feasible measures to mitigate harm to civilians including journalists and it does not deliberately shoot at civilians, including journalists.

But based on their personal experiences in the field or managing colleagues from outside Gaza, some journalists have come to believe that Israel is targeting media workers.

Among them are Christina Assi and Dylan Collins, who were wounded by shellfire on Oct. 13 while covering cross-border clashes between the Israeli army and armed groups near the village of Alma Al-Chab, in southern Lebanon.

Reuters journalist Issam Abdallah, 37, was killed instantly in the same strikes, which came just over 30 seconds apart. Condemning his killing, Reuters Editor-in-Chief Alessandra Galloni said the evidence shows that an Israeli tank crew killed our colleague.

Assi told NBC News last month that she immediately lost sensation in my legs so I started screaming for help. She added that Collins rushed over to help me, and then seconds later, we were attacked again.

Assi, a photographer with the Agence France Presse (AFP) news agency, had to have her right leg amputated.

Reports from Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and other rights groups, as well as an in-depth investigation into the strikes by the AFP, all concluded that the group had likely been targeted.

Video evidence, expert audio analysis, and witness accounts suggest that the group was visible to the cameras of a nearby unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that was most likely Israeli, within line of sight of five Israeli surveillance towers, and most likely targeted by at least one munition fired from the main gun of a tank from an Israeli military position approximately 1.5 km (just under a mile) southeast, Human Rights Watch said in a report.

Reuters' journalist Issam Abdallah in Saaideh, Lebanon, in 2023.

Amnesty International said it should be investigated as a war crime. In its report it said it had not found any indication that there were any fighters or military objectives at the site of the strikes, raising concerns that these strikes were likely direct attacks on civilians.

Assi said she believed they were targeted because they were journalists.

Collins, a videographer with the AFP, agreed with her assessment.

He said the group of journalists had been in position for about an hour before the attack, all of them wearing helmets and bulletproof vests marked with the word press. Their car was marked with TV, he added.

We were visible to multiple Israeli watchtowers, he said. There were drones circling us the entire time.

It was two strikes, 37 seconds apart from the same direction, and followed by nearly two minutes of sporadic bursts of 50 caliber weapon fire, he said. So thats not just a targeted attack. Its a sustained targeted attack against a group of journalists that I think was clearly intended not just to scare people away, not just to kill one person, but to kill all of us.

The Israel Defense Forces told NBC News that the strike was in response to Hezbollah fire.

Unlike Assi and Collins, many other journalists covering the story did not survive. The majority were killed in Gaza, including Al Jazeeras Ismail Al-Ghoul and his freelance cameraman Rami Al Refee, both 27. The pair were on assignment in northern Gaza when their car was struck by an Israeli drone on July 31.

In a statement to NBC News last month, the IDF said Al-Ghoul was a Hamas Nukhba terrorist who took part in the October 7th massacre and worked as a journalist for the Al Jazeera channel for the past few months.

The IDF also released a screenshot of a list of names that dates to 2021. It said was found on Hamas computers seized in the Gaza Strip, suggesting Al-Ghoul was an engineer in the Hamas Gaza brigade. The screenshot showed that Al-Ghoul received a military rank on 1 July, 2007, when he was 10-years-old. Another column on the list shows that he was recruited in 2014. NBC News has reached out to the IDF for comment on the discrepancy.

In a strongly worded statement shortly after the attack, Al Jazeera called the claim baseless adding that it highlighted Israels long history of fabrications and false evidence used to cover up its heinous crimes. Al-Ghoul was mentioned in memoriam at the News and Documentary Emmy Award competition on Wednesday.

Jodie Ginsberg, the CEO of the Committee to Protect Journalists, said that her organization had identified a similar pattern after the deaths of other members of the media.

Israel follows a familiar path whenever a journalist is killed in this way, she said. Often, initially they deny having killed the individual at all, then they will accuse the journalist of having either been a terrorist or engaged in militant activity.

She added that the CPJ had been keeping records for more than 30 years, and its the deadliest period ever for journalists.

Walid al-Omari, Al Jazeeras bureau chief in the occupied West Bank, said in an interview last month that Israel had allowed several of his correspondents to leave Gaza after accusing them of being a member of Hamas.

Speaking from the bureau in Ramallah, he said, If he was from Hamas, as they say in their accusations, then why did they let him go?

Since the first day of this war, we have counted the cost under this unbearable situation, he added. Five times I have to declare on TV that one of our colleagues or his family was killed in this war.

Wael Al-Dahdouh, the networks correspondent in Gaza, has lost five close family members including his son Hamza, who also worked for the network. He was killed in an Israeli airstrike in January, alongside freelance reporter Mustafa Thuraya.

In a statement to NBC News, the IDF said, The IDF considers the freedom of the press to be of utmost importance while clarifying that given the ongoing exchanges of fire, remaining in an active combat zone has inherent risks.

The IDF will continue to counter threats while persisting to mitigate harm to civilians, it added.

On Sunday, armed Israeli troops raided al-Omaris offices in Ramallah ordering the office to be shut for 45 days, alleging without providing evidence that the newsroom was being used to incite terror. Denouncing Israels claim as unfounded, Al Jazeera continued to broadcast from Jordan.

It followed an order issued in May that saw Israeli police raid Al Jazeeras broadcast position in East Jerusalem, seizing equipment there, preventing its broadcasts in Israel and blocking its websites. It was the first time Israel has ever shuttered a foreign news outlet operating in the country.

We finally are able to stop Al Jazeeras well-oiled incitement machine that harms the security of the country, Israeli Communication Minister Shlomo Karhi said after the raid.

Amid regular displacement and near-constant bombardment, for some the risk of covering a war became too high.

After sending her children to live in Egypt, Noor Harazeen stayed behind in Gaza to cover the war for the China Global Television Network, losing friends and colleagues as the fighting raged.

The thing is no one is safe in Gaza, she said last month when asked if she thought Israel was deliberately targeting journalists in Gaza. It doesnt matter if youre a man, a woman, a child, if youre a militant fighter, if youre a civilian, if youre a doctor, a journalist  As long as youre in Gaza, you can get targeted.

Health officials in Gaza say more than 41,000 people have been killed in Gaza since Hamas Oct. 7 terror attacks on Israel, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 250 people taken hostage, according to Israeli tallies.

And each time a media worker leaves they cannot be replaced, as Israel has blocked Israeli and international journalists from entering Gaza unless they are accompanied by the Israeli military  unprecedented in war coverage and a move widely criticized by news organizations worldwide.

Yarden Michaeli, an editor at Israels Haaretz newspaper, said that his country wouldnt be interested in getting entangled in a scandal, if one of those journalists died. But he said that as a result of the ban were getting a very diluted version of reality and missing out on a lot of information.

The IDF did not respond when NBC News asked when would foreign journalists be allowed into Gaza, but David Mencer, a spokesperson for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus office, defended the policy in an August interview with British broadcaster Sky News. He said that the enclave was a very dangerous war zone and Israel was keeping media workers out for their safety.

A tearful Harazeen said that, although her children were safe, she was not happy to be away from her home in Gaza and vowed to return one day.

I miss everything about my old life, she said.

Christina Assi still has months of therapy and pain in her long road of recovery, but she too has vowed to return to work.

Theyre trying to silence the journalists, she said. They dont want journalists to do their work.

But, she added, We can still speak and do the interviews and be the voice of the voiceless.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
How Israel killed Hezbollahs leader Nasrallah and crippled the enemy on its border

The plan had been years in the making, the target one of the most famous figures in the Arab world, and one of the most hated in Israel.

In the 11 days before it was implemented, Israel had conducted a military campaign of metronomic efficiency in Lebanon, each phase meticulously and ruthlessly executed, each blow delivered as Hezbollah was still staggering from the one that preceded it.

But then, at dusk on Friday, came the heaviest blow of them all  one that may forever cripple Hezbollah, weaken Iranian influence and potentially even reshape the Middle East itself.

Their detonations echoing across the Beirut skyline, more than 80 bunker-busting bombs pulverised not just four high-rise buildings above the ground but also the subterranean complex that housed Hezbollahs secret headquarters.

The synchronised sabotage of Hezbollahs communication devices and other assassinations in previous days had shown Israel was not short of accurate intelligence about a movement that it had clearly infiltrated at all levels.

But this was on a different scale. If previous attacks had systematically severed many of the spokes of the Iran-backed movement, this one was striking at its very hub.

Not only did Israel know the location of the secret bunker of a man who had not been seen in public for two decades, they knew where Hassan Nasrallah would be and that he would be meeting some of the few senior commanders who had survived the assassination strikes of the preceding weeks.

In fact, Israel had known for months, tracking Nasrallahs every movement until deciding to strike this week after learning that the Hezbollah leader planned to move to an unknown location, according to Israeli officials quoted by the New York Times.

As the plans were finalised, it was decided the operation should be mounted as Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, was in New York to address the United Nations General Assembly  something Israels military chiefs believed might persuade Nasrallah to lower his guard.

The ruse succeeded. As Mr Netanyahu addressed the press in New York following his speech, an aide whispered in his ear and the Israeli prime minister withdrew to give the command to attack.

Benjamin Netanyahu approved the strike on Nasrallah from New York, where he had just addressed the UN General Assembly - EPN/Newscom/Avalon

For hours afterwards neither side knew Nasrallahs fate but gradually, amid the chaos in southern Beirut, there was enough intelligence to confirm that he was indeed dead  something Hezbollah itself grudgingly conceded a few hours later.

Sweetening the triumph for Israel, the bomb did not just kill Nasrallah.

A general from Irans Revolutionary Guard was among the dead, as was Ali Karaki, a senior Hezbollah commander who survived a previous assassination attempt just days earlier.

Mr Netanyahu said on Saturday that Israel had settled the score with the killing of Nasrallah.

We settled the score with the one responsible for the murder of countless Israelis and many citizens of other countries, including hundreds of Americans and dozens of French, he said, adding that Israel had reached what appears to be a historic turning point in the fight against its enemies.

The Israeli prime minister also claimed the death of Nasrallah would help facilitate the return of Israeli hostages held in Gaza.

The more (Hamas leader Yahya) Sinwar sees that Hezbollah will no longer come to his aid, the greater the chances of returning our captives, he said, adding that Israel was determined to continue striking our enemies.

Israels military leadership also made it clear on Saturday that this was not the end of the assassinations, with remaining Hezbollah commanders still in their sights.

This is not the end of our toolbox, Lt Gen Herzi Halevi, Israels top army general, told reporters. We have more capacity going forward. Anyone who threatens the state of Israel, we will know how to reach them.

If this was a moment of unalloyed triumph for Israels military establishment and, so he hopes, a passage to possible political redemption for Mr Netanyahu, there is no question Hezbollah has suffered the most grievous in a litany of disasters.

The pager attacks on Hezbollah operatives, including this one in a Beirut street, were earlier evidence of Israels detailed knowledge of the terrorist group - X

Nasrallah might not have been involved in Hezbollahs day-to-day military operations but he was the centrifuge around which the movement spun. For many in the Middle East, perhaps more than any other of Israels foes, he was the embodiment of resistance to the Jewish state.

The son of a greengrocer, he climbed through Hezbollahs ranks until he reached the top after Israel killed his predecessor Abbas al-Musawi, one of the movements co-founders, in a missile strike on his motorcade in 1992.

Anti-Israel protesters displayed pictures of Hassan Nasrallah in Tehran on Saturday after his death was confirmed - Abedin Taherkenareh/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

Nasrallah proved a much more adept leader than Musawi, using his organisational skills and close ties to Iran to turn the movement into a formidable political and military force.

Having waged a guerrilla war that persuaded Israel to end its occupation in southern Lebanon in 2000, he was increasingly viewed as a hero by many in the Middle East.

He burnished that reputation when his fighters battled invading Israeli troops to a bloody standstill in the hills of southern Lebanon in 2006, a stalemate he successfully, if dubiously, portrayed as a great military victory to his fellow Shia Muslims in Lebanon and beyond.

Spinning Nasrallahs death and the turmoil of recent days will be far harder.

Even before the killing of Nasrallah, a growing number of analysts believed that Hezbollahs reputation as the worlds most powerful non-state armed group was withering.

Now, with its leader out of the equation, it may quite possibly be facing a slow but terminal decline. As its once formidable reputation shrinks so too might that of Iran, which created, nurtured, funded, armed and trained Hezbollah.

Irans ability to project influence through the region by means of proxy militias is now in question.

Yoav Gallant, the Israeli defence minister, left, was in a command room with Herzi Halevi, centre, the countrys military chief, and other officers during the air strike on Hezbollahs headquarters - Xinhua/Shutterstock

Despite warning Israel that it had opened the gates of hell against itself, Tehran appears to have abandoned Hezbollah to fend for itself, rebuffing calls from the movement to come to its rescue by attacking Israel directly.

Nasrallahs killing is going to cause irreversible damage for Hezbollah and I dont think it will be able to recover from it, said Lina Khatib, an associate fellow at Chatham House, the international affairs think tank.

I think we are seeing both a historic shift in Hezbollahs power and a historic shift in the trajectory of Irans influence in the Middle East.

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Demonstrators in Tehran's Palestine Square on September 28, 2024, after Hezbollah confirmed the killing of its leader Hassan Nasrallah (ATTA KENARE) (ATTA KENARE/AFP/AFP)

World leaders warned of potential repercussions on Saturday after Lebanese militant group Hezbollah announced its longtime leader Hassan Nasrallah was killed in an Israeli air strike on a suburb of Beirut.

The killing of the Iran-backed group's chief has intensified fears of all-out war in the Middle East.

US President Joe Biden welcomed "a measure of justice".

- Iran -

First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref warned Israel that Nasrallah's death would "bring about their destruction", Iran's ISNA news agency quoted him as saying.

The foreign ministry of Iran, which finances and arms Hezbollah, said Nasrallah's work will continue after his death. "His sacred goal will be realised in the liberation of Quds (Jerusalem), God willing," spokesman Nasser Kanani posted on X.

Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei announced five days of public mourning.

- United States -

Biden said Nasrallah's death was "a measure of justice for his many victims, including thousands of Americans, Israelis and Lebanese civilians".

Washington supports Israel's right to defend itself against "Iranian-supported terrorist groups" and the "defence posture" of US forces in the region would be "further enhanced", Biden added in a statement.

Vice President Kamala Harris said Nasrallah was "a terrorist with American blood on his hands" and said she would "always support Israels right to defend itself against Iran and Iran-backed terrorist groups such as Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis."

Leading Republicans in the House of Representatives also welcomed the end of a "reign of bloodshed, oppression, and terror" by "one of the most brutal terrorists on the planet".

- Russia -

Russia's foreign ministry said "we decisively condemn the latest political murder carried out by Israel" and urged it to "immediately cease military action" in Lebanon.

Israel would "bear full responsibility" for the "tragic" consequences the killing could bring to the region, the ministry added in a statement.

- Germany -

Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock told ARD television that the killing "threatens destabilisation for the whole of Lebanon", which "is in no way in Israel's security interest".

- Canada -

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau described Nasrallah as "the leader of a terrorist organization that attacked and killed innocent civilians, causing immense suffering across the region".

But he called for more to be done to protect civilians in the conflict, adding: "We urge calm and restraint during this critical time."

- Britain -

Foreign Secretary David Lammy said in a post on X that he had spoken with the Lebanese premier.

"We agreed on the need for an immediate ceasefire to bring an end to the bloodshed. A diplomatic solution is the only way to restore security and stability for the Lebanese and Israeli people," he said.

- France -

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot demanded Israel "immediately stop its strikes in Lebanon" and said it was opposed to any ground operation in the country.

France also "calls on other actors, notably Hezbollah and Iran, to abstain from any action that could lead to additional destabilisation and regional conflagration", the foreign ministry said in a statement.

- United Nations -

UN chief Antonio Guterres said he was "gravely concerned by the dramatic escalation of events in Beirut in the last 24 hours".

- Hamas -

Palestinian militant group Hamas, whose unprecedented October 7 attack on Israel sparked the devastating war in Gaza that drew in fellow Iran-backed groups including Hezbollah, called Nasrallah's killing "a cowardly terrorist act".

"We condemn in the strongest terms this barbaric Zionist aggression and targeting of residential buildings," Hamas said in a statement.

- Palestinian Authority -

Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas offered his "deep condolences" to Lebanon for the deaths of Nasrallah and civilians, who "fell as a result of the brutal Israeli aggression", according to a statement from his office.

- Huthis -

The Iran-backed Yemeni rebels, who have been firing on ships in the Red Sea in solidarity with Hamas, said in a statement that Nasrallah's killing "will increase the flame of sacrifice, the heat of enthusiasm, the strength of resolve" against Israel, with their leader vowing Nasrallah's death "will not be in vain".

- Turkey -

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, whose country maintains diplomatic relations with Israel but who has been a sharp critic of its offensive in Gaza, said on X that Lebanon was being subjected to a "genocide", without referring directly to Nasrallah.

- Cuba -

In a post on X, Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel called the killing a "cowardly targeted assassination" that "seriously threatens regional and global peace and security, for which Israel bears full responsibility with the complicity of the United States."

- Argentina -

Argentine President Javier Milei reposted on X a message from a member of his council of economic advisers, David Epstein, who hailed the killing.

"Israel eliminated one of the greatest contemporary murderers. Responsible, among others, for the cowardly attacks in #ARG," it said. "Today the world is a little freer".

- Saudi Arabia -

Saudi foreign minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud told the UN that "this escalation will have... negative repercussions for the entire region".

"We call upon all parties to show wisdom and to show restraint in order to avoid a true war from breaking out in the region."

- Venezuela -

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro expressed solidarity with Nasrallah and Lebanon.

"They want to justify it, but to assassinate him, they attacked buildings, housing estates and killed hundreds of people. There's a word for this: crime."

bur-yad/jj/dhw/ssy
Lebanese army soldiers and people gather at the scene of Israeli air strikes in the Haret Hreik neighborhood of Beirut, Lebanon, on Friday. A source close to Hezbollah said the massive Israeli strikes on Beirut's southern suburbs flattened six buildings. Israeli media reported the strike targeted Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah. Photo by Fadel Itani/UPI

Sept. 27 (UPI) -- Israel launched a pair of deadly airstrikes against Hezbollah targets near Beirut, Lebanon, on Friday, including an attack early in the day that reportedly targeted the militant group's leader, Hassan Nasrallah.

The day's first series of strikes were "very accurate" and hit the main Hezbollah headquarters located underground beneath residential buildings in the predominantly Shiite Muslim Beirut suburb of Dahiyeh, according to Israel Defense Forces spokesman Adm. Daniel Hagari.

"Moments ago, the Israel Defense Forces carried out a precise strike on the Central Headquarters of the Hezbollah terror organization ... taking the necessary action to protect our people so that Israeli families can live in their homes, safely and securely," he said in a video statement.

Witnesses said the city shook as six massive explosions rocked Beirut. Video posted on social media showed thick plumes of smoke rising from the targeted site and indicated Israel used ground-penetrating "bunker buster" missiles in the attack.

A source close to Hezbollah told UPI the massive Israeli strikes on Beirut's southern suburbs flattened six buildings.

Smoke rises over destroyed buildings after an Israeli in the Dahiyeh area region of Beirut, Lebanon, on on Friday. A source close to Hezbollah said the massive Israeli strikes on Beirut's southern suburbs flattened six buildings. Israeli media reported the attack targeted Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah. Photo by Fadel Itani/UPI

Israeli media reported the attack was an attempt to kill Nasrallah, a key ally of Iran in the Middle East. An unnamed U.S. official told ABC News the Hezbollah leader and some of his associates were in Beirut making "a quick visit" when the strike took place but it remained unclear if he survived the attack.

"Hard to believe he [Nasrallah] got out of it alive," an Israeli official told The Jerusalem Post, which reported Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu authorized the strike before addressing the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Friday.

Lebanese army soldiers and people gather at the scene of Israeli air strikes in the Haret Hreik neighborhood of Beirut, Lebanon, on Friday. A source close to Hezbollah said the massive Israeli strikes on Beirut's southern suburbs flattened six buildings, Israeli media reported the attack targeted Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah. Photo by Fadel Itani/UPI

More than 25 people were killed in Israeli airstrikes on Lebanon since Thursday night, Lebanon's Ministry of Public Health told reporters.

Israeli warplanes struck Dahiyeh again hours later, early Saturday morning local time, after issuing warnings to evacuate as it targeted three individual buildings in the area.

Lebanese army soldiers and people gather at the scene of Israeli air strikes in the Haret Hreik neighborhood of Beirut, Lebanon, on Friday. A source close to Hezbollah said the massive Israeli strikes on Beirut's southern suburbs flattened six buildings. Israeli media reported the attack targeted Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah. photo by Fadel Itani/UPI

"Hezbollah has over 150,000 rockets, meant to kill Israeli civilians, some are strategically placed beneath civilian populations," Hagari said in an update. "We have called on Lebanese civilians in specific buildings in the Dahiyeh neighborhood to move away from areas being used by Hezbollah."

Hezbollah responded to the Beirut strikes with a missile launch targeting the northern Israeli city of Safed while additional alarms were triggered in the region.
Explosions are seen after a massive Israeli air attack on the southern suburbs of Beirut. Timothy Wolfer/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa

Israel launched a series of airstrikes on Beirut's southern suburbs in the early hours of Saturday.

The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) called on residents in the Dahieh neighbourhood of Beirut to move away from Hezbollah assets and facilities.

"We will continue operating to precisely dismantle Hezbollah's offensive capabilities. Hezbollah has strategically embedded weapons in civilian areas, putting Lebanese civilians at risk in order to harm Israeli civilians," the IDF posted on social media platform X.

"Our war is with Hezbollah, not the people of Lebanon."

Hezbollah said in a statement that there was "no truth" to Israel's statements that there were weapons or depots in the targeted buildings.

There were initially no reports of casualties overnight.

Thousands of Lebanese congregated in parks in downtown Beirut and in seaside areas.

On Friday, at least six people were killed and 91 injured in Israeli attacks on the densely populated Beirut neighbourhood of Haret Hreik, in the Dahieh suburb, according to the Lebanese authorities.

The military said the strike was a targeted attack on the headquarters of the Hezbollah militia, located under a residential building.

Israeli media reported that Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah was the target of the attack, but that has not been confirmed by the government or military. His whereabouts were currently unknown.

The IDF said later it had killed Hezbollah's commander of its missile unit in an airstrike.

They said Muhammad Ali Ismail was responsible for firing rockets on Israel and for directing terrorist attacks. In addition to Ali Ismail, his deputy Hussein Ahmad Ismail was also killed, the IDF said.

Rescue workers gather at the site of a massive Israeli air attack on pro-Iranian Hezbollah headquarters in the southern suburbs of Beirut. Marwan Naaman/dpa
This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility:

The Pashupati Seal, dated to about 2500 BCE and discovered in 1928 in the Mohenjo-daro area of what is now Pakistan, is considered one of the first yogic depictions. Credit: Wikimedia Commons

As yoga enthusiasts across the country celebrate Yoga Awareness Month in September, it's difficult to ignore how much the practice has evolvedespecially in the West. Yoga, born as a spiritual and meditative practice rooted in centuries-old Indian traditions, has become a global phenomenon often centered on physical health and wellness.

A 2022 study by the Centers for Disease Control found that almost 17% of U.S. adults 18 or older had practiced yoga in the preceding 12 months, and about 57% of those who did incorporated meditation into their practice.

But even when it incorporates meditation and other mindfulness practices, how closely does modern yoga resemble the practice that was born millennia ago in India?

Loriliai Biernacki, a University of Colorado Boulder professor of religious studies who teaches a course called Yoga: Ancient and Modern, notes that what is taught in studios now may bear varying degrees of resemblance to yoga's origins.

Mental mastery to physical wellness

Yoga's traditional roots go far beyond the stretches and poses seen in most local studios and fitness centers today. According to Biernacki, the earliest yoga practitioners focused on mental mastery and spiritual growth. Historical documents also point to beliefs that accomplished "yogis" could acquire magical powers to read another person's mind or transform objects.

"The goals are essentially what we might think of as enlightenment," Biernacki explains, "with the terms 'moksha,' 'kaivalya,' and 'nirvana,'" which are Sanskrit words that describe yoga's founding ideals of liberation, detachment and karmic release.

In its original context, yoga emphasized learning to control the mind and finding peace rather than achieving physical fitness.

As described in the Sir Edward Arnold translation of the Bhagavad Gita, the yogi is one who:

Sequestered should he sit,

Steadfastly meditating, solitary,

His thoughts controlled, his passions laid away,

Quit of belongings. In a fair, still spot

Having his fixed abode,not too much raised,

Nor yet too low,let him abide, his goods

A cloth, a deerskin, and the Kusa-grass.

There, setting hard his mind upon The One,

Restraining heart and senses, silent, calm,

Let him accomplish Yoga, and achieve

Pureness of soul, holding immovable

Body and neck and head

However, modern yoga, especially as practiced in the West, has shifted its priorities.

"Yoga practice today is very much focused on bodily health if one goes to a studio to practice yoga," Biernacki notes. Poses, or asanas, are now central to most yoga classes, and the practice is commonly associated with physical wellness, flexibility and relaxation.

"Asana is not something we find in yoga as a practice in the early part of the first millennium, but by about the 12th century or so, we do begin to see an incursion of emphasis on a variety of different bodily postures in the practice of yoga," Biernacki explains.

This shift is no accident. Commercialization has played a significant role in transforming yoga from a spiritual journey into a global wellness trend. Biernacki points to the influence of marketing and the rise of yoga as a booming industry as key factors driving this shift.

"Of course, commercialization has played an outsized role. A great resource on this score is Andrea Jain's book on yoga transformation in the modern period, Selling Yoga," she says.

While physical health is undoubtedly valuable, evolving goals raise the question of whether modern yoga has strayed too far from its roots. The answer may lie in how individuals choose to practice yoga and whether there is room to reconnect with its original mental and spiritual aspects, Biernacki says.

Appropriation or evolution?

As yoga's popularity has grown in the West, so too have discussions around cultural appropriation. Some question whether certain modern adaptations of yogathose that have been commercialized or stripped of their spiritual componentsdisrespect the practice's origins.

Biernacki says she believes the issue isn't black and white: "It's probably a mix of cultural appropriation and some modicum of paying homage to the insight and wisdom that we find in these traditions of yoga."

On one hand, the commercialization of yoga can lead to a superficial understanding of a practice with centuries of spiritual depth, she says. Western yoga classes and studio branding may use terms like namaste or chakra without studying their spiritual significance.

On the other hand, Biernacki notes that some modern yoga instructors do attempt to preserve the roots of the practice. "I do find it interesting that there are a number of teachers who are, in fact, emphasizing connecting yoga with its literary roots in a way that does take the history of yoga seriously," she says. "Especially popular is the classic text 'Patanjali's Yoga Sutra,' which is keyed into yoga as a way of mastering the mind."

Ultimately, the question of cultural appropriation depends on how individuals and studios approach the practice, Biernacki says. For some, yoga may be a mindful homage that embraces historical context while adapting to modern needs. For others, yoga may simply be a brand or a lifestyle with beautiful aesthetics.

Balancing act

As yoga continues to evolve, it's unclear whether modern adaptations will dominate or if instructors and practitioners alike will seek a return to its traditional roots. Biernacki suggests that both trends will likely coexist.

"I suspect that traditional practices will probably be more popular, but there will be some modern adaptations," she says.

This resurgence echoes a broader cultural shift towards mindfulness, as an ever-growing body of research supports the benefits of yoga for conditions ranging from depression to back pain to cancer.

The rise of interest in traditional practices could signal a desire to reconnect with yoga's deeper spiritual roots. Biernacki points out that many instructors already strive to bring these philosophies into their practice and remind students that yoga is about more than just physical postures.
Israel launches new strikes on Hezbollah targets in eastern Lebanon

Smoke rises over Beirut southern suburb after an Israeli air strike. Marwan Naaman/dpa

The Israeli army has launched a new series of strikes on "terror targets" belonging to the Shiite Hezbollah militia in the Beqaa area in eastern Lebanon, the military said on Saturday morning.

The army did not give further details in its initial statement posted on Telegram.

Meanwhile, sirens sounded again in northern Israel, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said, after having previously reported renewed attacks from Lebanon.

The Israeli army also carried out attacks on Beirut and southern Lebanon overnight.

Rescue workers gather at the site of a massive Israeli air attack on pro-Iranian Hezbollah headquarters in the southern suburbs of Beirut. Marwan Naaman/dpa

Explosions are seen after a massive Israeli air attack on the southern suburbs of Beirut. Timothy Wolfer/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa
Israel may be poised to invade Lebanon as residents told to flee

Israel appears poised to launch a ground incursion into Lebanon, as its army chief Herzi Halevi said on Saturday that his forces were prepared for what was to come and Lebanese residents were told to flee to safety.

His comments came after Israel killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and several other senior members of the Lebanese Shiite militia.

"Challenging days lie ahead of us," Halevi said in a video released by the army. The Israeli army was "on high alert, both defensively and offensively, on all fronts," he said, adding they were prepared for what comes next.

The Hezbollah commander responsible for southern Lebanon, Ali Karaki, was also killed, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said.

Israeli forces said they killed a senior Hezbollah intelligence officer, Hassan Khalil Yassin, who was said to have led a unit involved in planning rocket attacks on Israel. He was "eliminated" in a strike on Beirut in a targeted airstrike, the IDF said.

A brigadier general in Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) was killed in Israeli strikes on a Hezbollah headquarters, according to Iranian reports.

Multiple Iranian news outlets reported that it was Brigadier General Abbas Nilforushan, the deputy head of operations of the IRGC.

Israel attacks southern Beirut again

The IDF attacked a southern suburb of Beirut, with initial Lebanese reports saying the district that was hit was Chiyah.

The IDF unleashed a massive wave of attacks on the area in the south of Beirut at the start of the week, a densely populated residential area considered a Hezbollah stronghold. Scores of people have fled the area.

In the evening, security sources said Israeli warplanes had hit an area very close to Beirut international airport.

Israel is repeatedly calling on people in parts of Lebanon to stay away from Hezbollah facilities and to seek safety until further notice.

The latest warning applies to residents of the Bekaa Valley in the east of the country, the southern suburbs of the capital Beirut and southern Lebanon, according to a call in Arabic released by an Israeli military spokesman.

Such evacuation calls from the military are usually a sign of impending new Israeli attacks. But many people in areas controlled by Hezbollah often do not know which buildings are used by the militia.

Lebanese death toll rising

The number of victims of Israel's attacks continues to rise, with 1,030 killed between September 16 and 27 alone, the Lebanese Health Ministry said. Some 6,300 people were injured.

The number of fatalities from Israel's massive attack on a Beirut suburb has reached 11, and 108 people were injured, the ministry said, but the figures are likely to rise as people are still buried beneath the rubble and many remain missing.

More than 50,000 Lebanese people have fled to civil war-torn Syria, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi posted on X. Meanwhile more than 200,000 people in Lebanon are internally displaced amid the attacks, he said.

World responds to Hezbollah leader's death

Beirut residents mourned Nasrallah's death, while Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati declared three days of official mourning.

The killing of Nasrallah, a cleric who led Hezbollah for more than 30 years and built the Lebanese militant group into a powerful force, is one of the heaviest blows ever dealt by Israel to Hezbollah.

Under Nasrallah's leadership, Hezbollah built huge political influence in Lebanon as well as a military arm that is considered a significant force in the region.

He also helped forge close ties with Iran's IRGC, the group's most important backer and supplier.

Hezbollah pledged "to continue its jihad in confronting the enemy, in support of Gaza and Palestine, and in defence of Lebanon and its steadfast and honourable people." It did not say who would replace Nasrallah.

Iran called the killing a war crime and ordered five days of mourning.

"The Zionist [Israeli] attacks are a clear war crime and the West's response to it is a disgrace," President Masoud Pezeshkian said. He alleged that the US approved the attack and thus bears partial responsibility for Nasrallah's death.

Iran continues to stand by Hezbollah and the anti-Israel resistance front and called Hezbollah invincible, he said, echoing earlier comments by Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

In Washington, US President Joe Biden said the United States "fully supports Israels right to defend itself against Hezbollah, Hamas, the Houthis, and any other Iranian-supported terrorist groups."

But Moscow vehemently condemned the deadly attack and demanded an immediate cessation of all hostilities from Israel. "This violent action bears potentially dramatic consequences for Lebanon and the entire Middle East," the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov called the killing a "political assassination" in comments to the UN General Assembly.

But Israel is insisting that the northern area must be safe for Israeli residents to return to and that Hezbollah withdraw approximately 30 kilometres north of the Israeli-Lebanese border, behind the Litani River, in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 1701 passed years ago.

Israeli military tanks gather by the Israeli-Lebanon border. Ilia Yefimovich/dpa
Whatever ones views on Israeli operations in Gaza and Lebanon hitherto, from a military and a security perspective the operation to take down the Hezbollah command and control networks is singularly extraordinarily impressive.

This is not some hastily-construed mission in the wake of the genocidal attacks by Hamas as witnessed in the immediate aftermath of October 7, but a highly sophisticated strike clearly coordinated with years of intricate and synchronised intelligence gathering  allowing Israel to map the terrorists from top to bottom.

We will probably never know the full extent of the intelligence behind the dismantling of the Hezbollah military network, but having been involved in similar operations against Al Qaeda, ISIS and the Taliban I know it will be deep, varied and comprehensive. No doubt the Human Intelligence operators, spies to you and me, have been embedded in Lebanon for years.

This is the indirect approach to military operations, devised by British tank commander Basil Liddell Hart, as a way to conduct operations and avoid the hideous level of casualties he experienced in WW1. At its heart is doing what the enemy will never expect, attacking weakness and reinforcing success.

The ability to force the terrorists off their mobile phones and onto pagers and push-to-talk radios was a flash of brilliance  and extraordinarily audacious. Not only did it injure thousands of terrorists, but also identified them and their commanders

This knowledge was then used by the Israelis who in the last 7 days have systematically taken out their leaders, culminating today with the announcement that Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah is no more. Equally impressive is the hold that the nation has over the Ayatollahs in Tehran, who have pretty much stood by and thrown Hezbollah under the proverbial Israeli juggernaut. They are no doubt fearful that Israel might take the fight to Iran, which the US would likely turn a blind eye to.

There will be many siren voices from the military academic community asking why, if Israel can manage to virtually obliterate a terrorist organisation, the UK failed to do the same in Iraq and Afghanistan. The answer is threefold. Firstly, the Israelis seem pretty much unencumbered by rules of engagement which always hamstrung our operations in the Middle East. Secondly, the IDF seem to be undeterred by their politicians who appear to accept extraordinary levels of civilian casualties and collateral damage. And thirdly, this is an existential fight for the survival of the Israeli state which was never the case in Iraq and Afghanistan for us.

However, the coalition operation led by the US and including the UK to defeat ISIS in Iraq and Syria between 2015 to 2017 was not dissimilar, and effectively culminated in the defeat of the jihadists. This time I was supporting the Iraqi Kurd military, the Peshmerga on the ground, rather than as a British soldier, with the coalition providing precision strikes and intelligence on an industrial scale without having boots on the ground. Again, with generous rules of engagement and all those around ISIS considered combatants, collateral damage and casualties were not significant issues.

The implications of todays action cannot be understated. Israel has seized the initiative in the most extraordinary manner, and this demonstration of military brilliance may well even convince Tehran to direct its other terror proxy Hamas to release the remaining hostages and sue for peace across the region. We can only hope.

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TEL AVIV, ISRAEL (AP)  Israel said Saturday that it killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, dealing its most significant blow to the Lebanese militant group after months of fighting. There was no immediate confirmation from Hezbollah.

If the claim is true, Nasrallah is by far the most powerful target to be killed by Israel in weeks of intensified fighting with Hezbollah. The military said it carried out a precise airstrike on Friday while Hezbollah leadership met at their headquarters in Dahiyeh, south of Beirut.

Fentanyl poisoning can happen to anybody at anytime

Israels Chief of Staff, Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, said Saturday that the elimination of Nasrallah was not the end of our toolbox, indicating that more strikes were planned. He said that the strike targeting Hezbollah leadership was the result of a long period of preparation.

The Lebanese Health Ministry said six people were killed and 91 injured in the strikes Friday, which leveled six apartment buildings. Ali Karki, the Commander of Hezbollahs Southern Front, and additional Hezbollah commanders, were also killed in the attack, the Israeli military said.

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Israel says it hit 140 Hezbollah targets in Lebanon in latest attacks

A man walks in front of damaged buildings targeted by Israeli air raids at a street in Beirut southern suburb. Stringer/dpa

The Israeli military said on Saturday that it is continuing to attack Hezbollah targets in Lebanon and has hit 140 sites in a wave of attacks since last night.

The Israeli air force struck more than 140 positions of the Lebanese militant group including buildings where weapons were stored, according to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).

Some 100 missiles were fired towards Israel from neighbouring countries since the morning, the IDF said.

Hezbollah claimed responsibility for several attacks on Israel.

There have been repeated rocket alerts there, especially in the north, but according to Israeli and Palestinian reports, a rocket was also intercepted over the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

Part of an exploded rocket hit a house in the Palestinian town of Huwara, according to Israeli media. There were initially no reports of injuries.

People inspect damages after Israeli air raids at a street in Beirut southern suburb. Stringer/dpa

Smoke billows from destruction of buildings targeted by Israeli air raids at a street in Beirut southern suburb. Stringer/dpa
(Bloomberg) -- Israel killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in an air strike on Lebanons capital Beirut, dealing a massive blow to the group and its sponsor Iran after days of intense attacks.

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Hezbollah confirmed the death of Nasrallah, 64, after an earlier statement by the Israel Defense Forces on Saturday. As questions swirled about how Hezbollah would respond, the group vowed to maintain the fight against Israel and reminded fighters of their pledge of loyalty, a stance echoed by Irans supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

The resistance forces will determine the fate of this region with the honorable Hezbollah leading the way, he said in a post on X. Lebanon will make Israel regret its actions, he added, an indication Tehran may not be planning a direct response.

Live blog: Israel Says It Killed Hezbollah Leader Nasrallah

Hezbollah began striking Israel from Lebanon on Oct. 8, a day after the ongoing Israel-Hamas war erupted in Gaza. A near-daily exchange of cross-border missile and drone strikes was largely contained until earlier this month, when Israel began a huge bombardment of large parts of Lebanon.

More than 1,000 people have been killed since Sept. 16, with thousands more wounded, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry, alongside some of Hezbollahs most senior commanders.

Israel targeted Nasrallah and other top members with an attack on Hezbollahs headquarters on Friday night. The IDF claimed the killing of a senior intelligence official from the group in a further assault Saturday, when bombing in Beirut continued alongside rocket fire on northern Israel by Hezbollah.

Israel said its escalation is necessary because diplomatic efforts by Western powers had failed to stop Hezbollahs strikes. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who ordered the strike after a defiant speech to the United Nations on Friday, said it was part of a strategy to allow Israelis to return to areas near the Lebanese border and to pressure Hamas into releasing hostages.

Eliminating Nasrallah is a necessary condition for achieving the goals we have set: returning the residents of the north safely to their homes, and changing the balance of power in the region for years, Netanyahu said Saturday evening in a televised statement after he returned to Israel from New York. In the coming days, we will face significant challenges.

The US, France and Arab countries have been trying to deescalate the situation in recent days and prevent an Israeli ground offensive on southern Lebanon, which they fear could trigger a region-wide war. They announced a proposal for a three-week cease-fire on Wednesday. In a speech to the annual UN General Assembly in New York on Friday, Netanyahu said Israel would keep hitting Hezbollah.

As long as Hezbollah chooses the path of war, Israel has no choice and Israel has every right to remove this threat, he said. We will continue degrading Hezbollah until all our objectives are met.

President Joe Biden said Saturday the US is committed to defending Israel, while reiterating calls for a cease-fire both in Lebanon and Gaza. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for an end to the cycle of violence.

Israel is prepared to send troops into Lebanon  and has amassed many on the border  but has yet to make that decision. Many analysts have warned of the risk of getting forces bogged down in a ground invasion, while the toll on Lebanon is likely to be huge after years of economic turmoil. The United Nations said more than 50,000 people have fled to Syria this week as a result of the Israeli strikes.

Nasrallahs most likely successor is widely viewed as Hashem Safieddine, a cousin of the former leader who has been head of Hezbollahs executive council since 1992. Born in Lebanon in 1964, Safieddine was named as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist by the US State Department in 2017.

Nasrallah started leading Hezbollah in the early 1990s and was close to Khamenei, the Iranian supreme leader, becoming integral to Tehrans network of proxy forces in the Middle East. Hezbollah is considered the crown jewel in whats often referred to as Irans axis of resistance against Israel and US forces in the region, which also includes Hamas and the Houthis in Yemen.

Nasrallah had been in hiding since 2006, when Israel and Hezbollah fought a devastating 34-day war. He has faced opposition among Lebanese who accused him of tying their countrys fate to Iran, which supplies Hezbollah  also a political party  with funding, training and weaponry.

Hezbollah, like Hamas, is considered a terrorist organization by the US and has vowed to destroy Israel. Hezbollah is the more powerful, with tens of thousands of fighters and missiles at its disposal.

Israels generals have in recent weeks increasingly turned their attention to the northern front. While the war in Gaza continues and truce talks remain stalled, the intensity of fighting has eased while Hamas has suffered heavy losses. That has allowed Israel to focus more on Hezbollah.

The conflict with Hezbollah is far from over, said Orna Mizrahi, a senior researcher at Tel Avivs Institute for National Security Studies and a former Israeli military official. The organization remains a powerful adversary threatening Israel from Lebanon. Even if Nasrallah is eliminated, many of its leaders, commanders and tens of thousands of militants remain active.

Strikes Continue

Iran has said the recent assaults on Hezbollah wont be unanswered, but theres been no indication of a repeat of when Tehran directly attacked Israel in April, firing hundreds of ballistic missiles and drones, almost all of which were intercepted.

Masoud Pezeshkian, elected Irans president in July, spoke at the UN earlier this week and while he criticized Israel, he said he wanted to improve relations with the West with the aim of easing economic sanctions on his country.

Lebanons health ministry said at least 11 people died in strikes Friday  including those which killed Nasrallah  with many more buried under rubble. The countrys media said six buildings in the densely populated Haret Hreik neighborhood were leveled, and footage showed rescue workers pulling children from the debris. TV showed substantial damage to parts of the city.

--With assistance from Omar Tamo and Arsalan Shahla.

(Updates with Netanyahu comments starting in seventh paragraph.)

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The Israeli military said it had launched a series of airstrikes on Hezbollah militia targets in Beirut suburbs on Friday.

At least six people were killed in Israeli attacks on the densely populated Beirut suburb of Haret Hreik, according to the Lebanese authorities.

At least 91 people were injured in the attacks, including 14 who required hospitalization, the Lebanese Ministry of Health said.

Rescue operations were ongoing, the ministry added.

The military said the strike was a targeted attack on the headquarters of the Hezbollah militia.

Israeli military spokesman Daniel Hagari said the headquarters was located under a residential building.

Israeli media reported that Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah was the target of the attack, but that has not been confirmed by the government or military. His whereabouts were unknown.

The Israeli military said it then struck the southern suburbs of Beirut in the early hours of Saturday.

The new airstrikes came after Hagari warned some residents in the Dahiya neighbourhood to evacuate, saying some buildings were being used by the militant Hezbollah group.

"The IDF is defending Israel from Hezbollah. We are not in conflict with the people of Lebanon," Hagari posted on social media platform X.

Hezbollah said in a statement that there was "no truth" to Israel's statements that there were weapons or depots in the targeted buildings.

Eyewitnesses in Beirut said there were at least seven airstrikes and a fire had broken out in one of the targeted buildings.

"I can see things exploding in the air," an eyewitness told dpa, adding that warplanes were still hovering over the suburb.

US President Biden briefed on developments

US President Joe Biden had been briefed several times by his national security team on the developments, the White House said in a statement.

"He has directed the Pentagon to assess and adjust as necessary U.S. force posture in the region to enhance deterrence, ensure force protection, and support the full range of U.S. objectives," the statement said.

Meanwhile, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said he had spoken to his Israeli counterpart Yoav Gallant.

"The United States was not involved in Israel's operation. We had no advance warning," Austin said in a statement.

"Diplomacy continues to be the best way forward  and it's the fastest way to let displaced Israeli and Lebanese citizens return to their homes on both sides of the border," he added.

Cross-border fighting continues

Elsewhere, 25 people were killed in Israeli attacks in Lebanon on Friday, according to the Lebanese authorities.

At a news conference, Health Minister Firass Abiad said there were many more injured, without giving an exact number.

Abiad emphasized that all sides were interested in a diplomatic solution, but "only one party wants to continue its indiscriminate attacks on civilians."

The state news agency NNA had previously reported that a family of nine was killed in an attack on the town of Shebaa near the border with Israel. Women and children were also among the victims, it said.

According to the authorities, more than 750 people have died since Israel's renewed heavy attacks on Lebanon.

Hezbollah, Houthis attack Israel

Hezbollah militants in Lebanon fired rockets at the Israeli city of Tiberias and other towns on the Sea of Galilee, causing one injury, the Israeli military reported.

According to the army, most of the 10 missiles were intercepted. The Iranian-backed Hezbollah militia confirmed the attack, during which a man was struck by falling debris.

Four drones approaching from Lebanon were also claimed to have been shot down near the border town of Rosh HaNikra on the Mediterranean Sea.

The port city of Haifa had previously been attacked with missiles, drawing retaliatory Israeli airstrikes on the launch sites and dozens of other Hezbollah targets, officials said.

Hezbollah asserted that they had attacked the Haifa region with Fadi-1 type rockets.

They have been bombarding Israel almost daily since the beginning of the Gaza war nearly a year ago.

The militia claims that it aims to support the Palestinian militant organization Hamas in the Gaza Strip in its fight against Israel and to achieve a ceasefire in the Gaza war.

Israel used to respond with similar force, but since the beginning of the week, the air force has been conducting massive airstrikes in Lebanon, resulting in hundreds of deaths. International efforts to establish a ceasefire have so far been unsuccessful.

Thousands displaced in Lebanon

Since the beginning of the heavy Israeli attacks in Lebanon, "significantly more" than 30,000 people have already fled to neighbouring Syria, according to UN reports.

About 80% are said to be Syrian citizens, the rest predominantly Lebanese, said Gonzalo Vargas Llosa, representative of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Syria.

He spoke on Friday from the Lebanese-Syrian border over videolink with reporters in Geneva.

That number had more than doubled from Thursday's official estimate of 13,500 people who had sought safety in Syria out of desperation.

"Both Syrians and Lebanese are crossing from a country at war to one that has faced crisis and conflict for 13 years - we cannot imagine what an incredibly difficult choice that is - over 30 000 have made that choice," he said.

In Lebanon, 110,000 people had already been displaced prior to the recent escalation, according to UN reports. Since last week, 118,000 more have joined them, said Imran Riza, the humanitarian UN coordinator in the Lebanese capital Beirut.

Netanyahu vows to press on

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered a forceful address to the United Nations on Friday in which he vowed to keep fighting the Lebanese militia Hezbollah "until all our objectives are met," rebuffing calls for a ceasefire.

He also blasted the UN as a "house of darkness" that reflexively takes an anti-Israel stance and a "swamp of anti-Semitic bile."

Shortly after the attack on the Hezbollah headquarters in Beirut, Netanyahu announced that he would cut short his US visit to head back to Israel.

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock continued to campaign for de-escalation in the Middle East.

"We must avoid Lebanon becoming the next Gaza, Baerbock said on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York. This cannot be in Israel's interest either, especially not in terms of security, she added.

Smoke rises over Beirut southern suburb after an Israeli air strike. Marwan Naaman/dpa
BEIRUT (AP)  The Israeli military struck Hezbollahs headquarters in Beirut on Friday in a series of massive explosions that targeted the leader of the militant group and leveled multiple high-rise apartment buildings. The biggest blast to hit the Lebanese capital in the past year appeared likely to push the escalating conflict closer to full-fledged war. At least six people were killed and 91 were wounded, Lebanons health ministry said.

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was the target of the strikes on the groups headquarters, according to two people familiar with the matter who requested anonymity, including one U.S. official. The Israeli army declined to comment on who it was targeting. It was not immediately clear if Nasrallah was at the site, and Hezbollah did not comment on the report.

The death toll is likely to rise significantly as teams are still combing through the rubble of six buildings.

After the strikes, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu abruptly cut short a visit to the United States to return home. Hours earlier, he addressed the U.N., vowing that Israels intensified campaign against Hezbollah over the past two weeks would continue  further dimming hopes for an internationally backed cease-fire.

News of the blasts came as Netanyahu was briefing reporters after his U.N. address. A military aide whispered into his ear, and Netanyahu quickly ended the briefing.

Israeli army spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said the strikes targeted the main Hezbollah headquarters, saying it was located underground beneath residential buildings.

The series of blasts at around nightfall reduced six apartment towers to rubble in Haret Hreik, a densely populated, predominantly Shiite district of Beiruts Dahiyeh suburbs, according to Lebanons national news agency. A wall of billowing black and orange smoke rose into the sky as windows were rattled and houses shaken some 30 kilometers (18 miles) north of Beirut.

Footage showed rescue workers clambering over large slabs of concrete, surrounded by high piles of twisted metal and wreckage. Several craters were visible, one with a car toppled into it. A stream of residents carrying their belongings were seen fleeing along a main road out of the district.

Israel provided no immediate comment about the type of bomb or how many it used but the resulting explosion levelled an area greater than a city block. The Israeli army has in its arsenal 2,000 pound American-made Bunker Buster guided bombs designed specifically for hitting subterranean targets.

Richard Weir, crisis and weapons researcher with Human Rights Watch, said the blasts were consistent with that class of bomb.

Israels air forces followed with a new set of strikes early Saturday shortly after an Israeli military spokesman warned residents of three buildings to evacuate, saying they were being used by Hezbollah.

To a degree unseen in past conflicts, Israel this past week has aimed to eliminate Hezbollahs senior leadership. But an attempt to assassinate Nasrallah  successful or not  would be a major escalation. The Pentagon said the U.S. had no advance warning of the strikes.

Nasrallah has been in hiding for years, very rarely appearing in public. He regularly gives speeches, but always by video from unknown locations. The site hit Friday evening had not been publicly known as Hezbollahs main headquarters, though it is located in the groups security quarters, a heavily guarded part of Haret Hreik where it has offices and runs several nearby hospitals.

Four hours after the strike, Hezbollah had still not issued any statement referring to it. Instead, it announced that it had launched a salvo of rockets at the Israeli city of Safed, which it said was in defense of Lebanon and its people, and in response to the barbaric Israeli violation of cities, villages and civilians. The Israeli military said a house and a car in Safed were hit, and officials said a 68-year-old woman suffered mild shrapnel wounds.

Israel dramatically intensified its airstrikes in Lebanon this week, saying it is determined to put an end to more than 11 months of Hezbollah fire into its territory. The escalated campaign has killed more than 720 people in Lebanon, including dozens of women and children, according to Health Ministry statistics. A predawn strike Friday in the mainly Sunni border town of Chebaa killed nine members of the same family, the state news agency said.

The scope of Israels operation remains unclear, but officials have said a ground invasion to push the militant group away from the border is a possibility. Israel has moved thousands of troops toward the border in preparation.

The White House said President Joe Biden was ordering his national security team to assess if further action is needed to beef up security for American interests in the Middle East.

Biden was briefed by national security aides several times on Friday following the strike on Hezbollahs headquarters. The president, according to the White House, has directed the Pentagon to assess and adjust as necessary U.S. force posture in the region to enhance deterrence, ensure force protection, and support the full range of U.S. objectives.

At the U.N., Netanyahu vowed to continue degrading Hezbollah until Israel achieves its goals. His comments dampened hopes for a U.S.-backed call for a 21-day truce between Israel and Hezbollah to allow time for a diplomatic solution. Hezbollah has not responded to the proposal.

Iranian-backed Hezbollah, the strongest armed force in Lebanon, began firing rockets into Israel almost immediately after Hamas Oct. 7 attack, saying it was a show of support for the Palestinians. Since then, it and the Israeli military have traded fire almost daily, forcing tens of thousands of people to flee their homes on both sides of the border.

An Israeli security official said he expects the campaign against Hezbollah would not last for as long as the current war in Gaza, because the militarys goals are much narrower.

In Gaza, Israel aims to dismantle Hamas military and political regime, but the goal in Lebanon is to push Hezbollah away from the border -- not a high bar like Gaza in terms of operational objectives, said the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity due to military briefing guidelines.

The Israeli military said it carried out dozens of strikes around the south Friday, targeting targeting Hezbollah rocket launchers and infrastructure. It said Hezbollah fired a volley of rockets toward the northern Israeli city of Tiberias.

In the southern Lebanese city of Tyre, civil defense workers pulled the bodies of two women  35-year-old Hiba Ataya and her mother Sabah Olyan  from the rubble of a building brought down by a strike.

Thats Sabah, these are her clothes, my love, one man cried out as her body emerged.

Israel says its accelerated strikes this week have already inflicted heavy damage on Hezbollahs weapons capabilities and its fighters. But the group boasted a large arsenal of rockets and missiles and its remaining capacities remain unknown.

Hezbollah officials and their supporters remain defiant. Not long before the explosions Friday evening, thousands massed in another part of Beiruts suburbs for the funeral of three Hezbollah members killed in earlier strikes, including the head of the groups drone unit, Mohammed Surour.

Men and women in the giant crowd waved their fists in the air and chanted, We will never accept humiliation as they marched marched behind the three coffins, wrapped in the groups yellow flag.

Hussein Fadlallah, Hezbollahs top official in Beirut, said in a speech that no matter how many commanders Israel kills, the group has endless numbers of experienced fighters. He vowed that Hezbollah will keep fighting until Israel stops its offensive in Gaza.

We will not abandon the support of Palestine, Jerusalem and oppressed Gaza, Fadlallah said. There is no place for neutrality in this battle.





This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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Israel went after Hezbollah's leader in a powerful strike on its headquarters

Israel said Friday that it carried out a strike against Hezbollah's headquarters in Beirut.

The strike reportedly targeted the military group's leader, Hassan Nasrallah.

Israel and Hezbollah have been trading fire for months, but the intensity of the fighting has increased lately.

Hezbollah's Hassan Nasrallah was confirmed by the group on 9/29/2024 to have been killed in the strike reported in this article. More details on Nasrallah's death are available here.

The Israeli military announced that it conducted a "precise strike" in the Lebanese capital of Beirut on Friday that targeted the central headquarters of the Hezbollah militant group.

The massive airstrikes, which obliterated several high-rise buildings and caused dozens of casualties, targeted Hassan Nasrallah, Hezbollah's longtime leader of more than three decades, per multiple reports, citing both Israeli and US officials. The strike raises questions about his fate.

It is unclear whether Nasrallah was at the site, but a former senior Israeli official told CNN that Israel had a "very high degree of certainty" he was there given the power of the attack.

If he was, it's unclear if he survived. Some Israeli media reports have reported growing confidence among officials that he was killed. A source close to Hezbollah told Reuters that senior leadership for the militant group has been unreachable.

A portrait of the Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah. Photo by Morteza Nikoubazl/NurPhoto via Getty Images

If Nasrallah was eliminated in the strike, it would mark a major blow to the Iran-backed group. Israel has increasingly targeted top Hezbollah officials and operatives over the past week, but killing its leader would be a significant and dramatic escalation.

Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, a spokesperson for the Israeli military, said that the headquarters struck Friday was located underneath residential buildings in Dahieh, a Beirut suburb. He called the facility "the epicenter of Hezbollah's terror."

Video footage of the strikes showed the explosions and smoke pouring out of a residential area. Photos of the aftermath revealed tremendous destruction, with multiple buildings completely reduced to rubble. Local authorities said at least two people are dead and dozens more injured. Those figures are likely to rise.

A Pentagon spokesperson said that the US was not given advanced warning before the strikes. However, she said Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin spoke with his Israeli counterpart as the operation was underway.

Israel has not publicly acknowledged that it specifically targeted Nasrallah, nor has it commented on his status.

Hours after the earlier strikes against Hezbollah's headquarters, the Israeli military said that it was carrying out additional strikes on Hezbollah weapons storage facilities in Beirut.

Destroyed buildings after an Israeli attack. FADEL ITANI/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images

"Over the past hour, IAF fighter jets struck dozens of Hezbollah launchers aimed toward Israeli civilians, as well as buildings in which weapons were stored in several areas in southern Lebanon," the Israeli military said shortly after 1 a.m. local time.

Israel and Hezbollah have traded cross-border strikes on a near-daily basis for the past year, but fighting between the two bitter enemies has escalated sharply over the past week after Israel's widespread pager and walkie-talkie attacks.

Israeli forces appear to be gearing up for a potential ground invasion of Lebanon, leading to fears that it could wind up in an all-out war against Hezbollah. US officials have expressed concern over a larger confrontation between the two.

Read the original article on Business Insider
First Hamas, now Hezbollah: in a matter of months, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has decapitated the two most powerful terrorist organisations in the world.

Rather than rejoice, however, the West has offered at best lukewarm support, at worst ostracism and obstruction.

Yet Israels ingenious military response shows that it has lost none of its capacity to astonish the world, just as it did in 1948, in 1967 and ever since.

Once again, and with remarkable panache, Israel has transformed defeat into victory. On Friday, it scored perhaps its most stunning victory so far. Hezbollah has confirmed that its leader, Hassan Nasrallah, perished in the rubble of his headquarters in Beirut. After three decades, he has finally paid the price for his crimes and for bringing ruin on his own country of Lebanon.

As the chief ideologist of Hezbollah (the Party of God), Nasrallah once said: If they [the Jews] all gather in Israel, it will save us the trouble of going after them worldwide. His death cult, like that of Hamas, subscribes to the same eliminationist anti-Semitism as the Nazis.

Nasrallah has not been the only terrorist mastermind in Israels sights. In recent days, the IDF has eliminated at least six of Hezbollahs senior commanders, including two who were involved in the 1983 Beirut bomb attack that killed more than 400 US Marines and other American and French personnel.

Israel is not the only target for either Hezbollah or Hamas  even if the BBC refuses to call the latter terrorists.

Just as IDFs precision strikes have taken out Hezbollahs command and control centres, so Mossad transformed their pagers into miniature bombs. This brilliantly planned and executed operation neatly turned the tables on the terrorists, some 1,500 of whom are reportedly out of action.

Even if Hezbollahs boasted strength of 100,000 men and 150,000 missiles is correct, its offensive capabilities have suffered a severe, perhaps irreparable blow. After dismantling Hamass forces in Gaza, Israel has now neutralised the two most immediate threats to its civilian population. Iran, which is responsible for unleashing the present conflict, has suffered a strategic defeat. And Israel-haters everywhere have been reminded that those who attack the Jewish people will not escape unscathed.

Yet we should not forget how grim, even desperate, Israels predicament appeared after the genocidal onslaught of October 7 last year. That day 6,000 Hamas terrorists invaded Israel, armed to the teeth. They killed almost 1,200 people in cold blood; most were civilians, including 36 children. Many were raped or tortured; 3,400 were wounded. Hamas took some 251 hostages: eight have been rescued by the IDF and 109 were released in exchange deals. The rest are still in captivity, or dead.

October 7 was Israels darkest day. Its military had become complacent and its failure to protect civilians came as a shock. They had come close to defeat in the Yom Kippur War of 1973 by falling for the myth of their own invincibility. Fifty years later, the IDFs hubris was again followed by nemesis. Israels enemies could not wait to exploit its apparent vulnerability. Hezbollah began firing rockets across the border almost immediately, forcing the evacuation of more than 60,000 civilians from northern Israeli cities such as Kiryat Shmona.

In Yemen, the Houthis began a campaign of piracy against Red Sea shipping which continues to this day. Last April, Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) launched a barrage of drones and missiles in its first direct assault on Israel.

None of this, nor even the horrors of October 7, intimidated the Israelis. They fought back to reduce the vast underground fortress that Gaza had become under Hamas rule, constructed largely with money diverted from aid.

Despite the difficulty of fighting a ruthless foe that shielded itself in hospitals, schools and apartment blocks, the IDF kept the ratio of civilian to military casualties in Gaza lower than in any comparable conflict.

Despite that, the global consensus turned against Israel. Even its allies in the United States and Europe have blown hot and cold, constantly blaming Israel for the humanitarian crisis that the terror regime in Gaza had brought upon its own people. Lately, the Labour government has gone further, accusing Israel of blocking food supplies to Gaza.

The Prime Minister has told the House of Commons that he is bound by law to prohibit certain arms exports to Israel. Both these claims are demonstrably false.

Israel has ignored this hostile consensus and carried on exercising its right to self-defence. It has routed two terror organisations which between them had more men under arms and bigger arsenals than many sovereign states.

Whether judged by military prowess or humanitarian scruples, the IDF is the most formidable fighting force on earth. Rather than preaching to the Israelis, we in the West should admire their daring, emulate their creativity and learn from their example. Like any nation state, Israel is not perfect, but it has survived and flourished in a dangerous region by its own efforts.

The ordeal of the past year has tested Israelis to the limit, but they have emerged all the stronger for it.

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By Maayan Lubell and Maya Gebeily

JERUSALEM/BEIRUT (Reuters) -Israel killed Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah in a powerful airstrike in Beirut, dealing a heavy blow to the Iran-backed group as it reels from an escalating campaign of Israeli attacks.

The Israeli military said on Saturday it had eliminated Nasrallah in the strike on the group's central command headquarters in Beirut's southern suburbs on Friday. Hezbollah confirmed he had been killed, without saying how.

Nasrallah's death is a major blow to both Hezbollah and Iran, removing an influential ally who helped build Hezbollah into the linchpin of Tehran's network of allied groups in the Arab world.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the killing of Nasrallah as a necessary step toward "changing the balance of power in the region for years to come."

"Nasrallah was not a terrorist, he was the terrorist," Netanyahu said in a statement, warning of challenging days ahead.

U.S. President Joe Biden described Nasrallah's death as a measure of justice for what he called his many victims, including thousands of Americans, Israelis and Lebanese, and said the U.S. fully supported Israel's right to self-defence.

But when asked if an Israeli ground incursion into Lebanon was inevitable, Biden told reporters on Saturday: "It's time for a ceasefire."

A senior member of Iran's Revolutionary Guards, deputy commander Abbas Nilforoushan, was also killed in the Israeli attacks in Beirut on Friday, Iranian media reported.

Sources told Reuters that Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had been moved to a secure location in Iran following Nasrallah's killing.

Iran later called for a United Nations Security Council meeting on Israel's actions in Lebanon and elsewhere in the region. It also warned against any attacks on its diplomatic facilities and representatives.

"Iran will not hesitate to exercise its inherent rights under international law to take every measure in defense of its vital national and security interests," Iran's U.N. ambassador, Amir Saeid Iravani, said in a letter to the 15-member council.

Israeli strikes in Lebanon killed 33 people and wounded 195 others on Saturday, the Lebanese health ministry said.

The strikes continued on Beirut's southern suburbs throughout the early evening on Saturday, according to a Reuters live broadcast, sending large clouds of smoke over the city.

One Israeli strike hit an industrial area 500 metres (yards) from Beirut airport buildings, a security source told Reuters. The airport continued to operate normally, according to Middle East Airlines boss Mohammad al-Hout.

More than 1,000 people have been killed and more than 6,000 wounded as a result of Israeli attacks in the past two weeks, the health ministry said, and about one million Lebanese have been displaced by the strikes, including hundreds of thousands since Friday, Nasser Yassin, the minister coordinating the government's crisis response, told Reuters on Saturday.

Israel said it killed a senior Hezbollah intelligence official in a strike on southern Beirut, naming him as Hassan Khalil Yassin. Hezbollah has made no mention of this.

In Israel, air raid sirens sounded across the centre of the country - including Tel Aviv - and large bangs were heard after a missile was fired from Yemen and intercepted, according to the Israeli military.

A projectile fired from Lebanon crashed in the occupied West Bank, sparking fires, the Israeli military said. There were no casualties, according to the Israeli ambulance service.

Hezbollah said in a statement that it would continue its battle against Israel "in support of Gaza and Palestine, and in defence of Lebanon and its steadfast and honourable people".

Iran's Khamenei said Nasrallah's death would be avenged and his path in fighting Israel would be pursued by other militants.

Lebanon's caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati said his country was facing the threat of danger, without mentioning the death of Nasrallah. His office later announced three days of mourning for the Hezbollah chief.

Hezbollah and Israel have been fighting a conflict in parallel with Israel's war against the Palestinian group Hamas in Gaza since Hamas' attack on Israel last Oct. 7, in a cross-border confrontation that has sharply escalated in recent days.

Hezbollah's Al-Manar TV aired verses from the Koran after Nasrallah's death was announced. Bursts of gunfire were heard in Beirut and Lebanon's army deployed tanks in the city centre, according to Reuters witnesses.

The Israeli military said Nasrallah was eliminated in a "targeted strike" on the group's underground headquarters below a residential building in Dahiyeh - a Hezbollah-controlled southern suburb of Beirut. It said he was killed along with senior Hezbollah official Ali Karaki and other commanders.

Nasrallah's death is by far the largest blow in a traumatic fortnight for Hezbollah, starting with a deadly strike on thousands of communications devices used by its members.

Days later, Israel significantly ramped up airstrikes in Lebanon, killing several top Hezbollah commanders and hundreds of other people across wide areas of the country.

SUCCESSION

Many Hezbollah supporters were in disbelief on Saturday.

"He was leading us. He was everything to us. We were under his wings," one supporter, Zahraa, told Reuters tearfully by phone from a school where she had been displaced to overnight.

Hezbollah gave no immediate indication of who might succeed Nasrallah. Senior Hezbollah official Hashem Safieddine has long been regarded as heir apparent. The group has not issued any statement on Safieddine's status or that of any other Hezbollah leaders - apart from Nasrallah - since the attack.

Hezbollah continued its cross-border rocket fire on Saturday, setting off sirens and sending residents running for shelter deep inside Israel. Israeli missile defences blocked some of them and there was no immediate report of injuries.

The escalation has increased fears the conflict could spin out of control, potentially drawing in Iran, Hezbollah's principal backer, as well as the United States.

Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said Israel's war was not with the Lebanese people, calling Nasrallah the "murderer of thousands of Israelis and foreign citizens". Gallant held talks late on Saturday about possibly expanding Israel's military offensive on its northern front, his office said.

Biden, who had no advance warning of the strike that killed Nasrallah, said the U.S. aimed to de-escalate the conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon through diplomatic means.

Hezbollah has said it would cease fire only when Israel's Gaza offensive ends. Hamas and other allies of Hezbollah issued statements mourning his death.

Russia said it strongly condemned Nasrallah's killing and urged Israel to stop hostilities in Lebanon.

LEBANON ASKS IRANIAN PLANE NOT TO LAND

Residents fled Dahiyeh, seeking shelter in downtown Beirut and other parts of the city.

"Yesterday's strikes were unbelievable. We had fled before and then went back to our homes, but then the bombing got more and more intense, so we came here, waiting for Netanyahu to stop the bombing," said Dalal Daher, speaking near Beirut's Martyrs Square, referring to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Israel says it has been attacking Hezbollah with the aim of allowing tens of thousands of residents evacuated from northern Israel to return home.

Lebanon's transport ministry asked an Iranian plane not to enter Lebanese airspace after Israel warned air traffic control at the Beirut airport that it would use "force" if it landed, a ministry source told Reuters. The source said it was not clear what was on the plane, adding: "The priority is people".

Late on Friday, Israeli military spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said Israeli air force planes would not allow "hostile flights with weapons to land" there.

(Reporting by Maya Gebeily, Timour Azhari, Laila Bassam, and Tom Perry in Beirut; James Mackenzie and Ari Rabinovitch in Jerusalem; Jana Choukeir, Nadine Awadalla, Adam Makary, Jaidaa Taha, Clauda Tanios and Tala Ramadan in Dubai; Michelle Nichols in New York; Andrea Shalal, Phil Stewart and Idrees Ali in Washington; Writing by Tom Perry, William Maclean and David Morgan; Editing by Angus MacSwan, Frances Kerry, Daniel Wallis and Deepa Babington)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (C) meets with Minister of Defence Yoav Gallant (L) and IDF Chief-of-Staff Herzi Halevi for a security assessment. Kobi Gideon/GPO/dpa

After the killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah by a targeted airstrike, Israeli army chief Herzi Halevi indicated the possibility on Saturday of an incursion into neighbouring Lebanon.

He said that he had completed an assessment of the situation and approved plans for the Northern Command of the armed forces at the commands headquarters in the northern Israeli city of Safed.

"Challenging days lie ahead of us," he added in a video released by the army. The Israeli army was "on high alert, both defensively and offensively, on all fronts," he said, adding they were prepared for what comes next.

Israel has long demanded that Hezbollah withdraw approximately 30 kilometres north of the Israeli-Lebanese border, behind the Litani River, in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 1701 passed years ago.

Israel aims to ensure the safety of its citizens in northern Israel through this move. Observers speculate that Israel could attempt to achieve this goal with a ground offensive in the neighbouring country.

The Israeli military killed Nasrallah, the leader of the Shiite Hezbollah militia in Lebanon, in a targeted strike in a suburb of Beirut on Friday.
Israel's military chief issued a threat to other enemies of the country, shortly after Israel claimed that the leader of the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah was killed in an airstrike on a suburb of Beirut.

"The message to all those who threaten the citizens of the state of Israel is simple: we will know how to reach them. In the north, in the south and in more distant places," Israel's Chief of General Staff Herzi Halevi said on Saturday.

He said that the attack on Friday which reportedly killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah had been prepared for a long time.

"It came at the right time and in a very sharp manner," Halevi said.

Earlier on Saturday, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) claimed that Nasrallah and other senior Hezbollah commanders were killed in the Friday airstrike.

Hezbollah has not confirmed Nasrallah's death or commented on the IDF's claims.

Rescue workers gather at the site of a massive Israeli air attack on pro-Iranian Hezbollah headquarters in the southern suburbs of Beirut. Marwan Naaman/dpa
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed the leader of the Hezbollah terrorist organization , Hassan Nasrallah, died in its strike Friday against the groups headquarters in Lebanon.

"This is not the end of our toolbox. The message is simple, anyone who threatens the citizens of Israel - We will know how to reach them," the IDF's Chief of the General Staff, Ltf. Herzi Halevi said of the elimination of Nasrallah.

The IDF attacked the Iran-backed terror proxys headquarters in southern Beirut, revealing that they had targeted Nasrallah. A Hezbollah media relations official initially claimed he was "fine and well," but the Israelis confirmed his death early the next morning.

Hezbollah later confirmed the death of its terror chief. In a statement supplied to Reuters, it said it would continue its battle against Israel "in support of Gaza and Palestine, and in defense of Lebanon and its steadfast and honourable people".

At least two other people were killed and dozens were wounded, Lebanons health ministry said.

Netanyahu Calls Mideast Conflicts Choice Between 'Blessing Or A Curse,' Warns About Israel's 'Long Arm'

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"The IDF announces that yesterday (Friday), September 27th, 2024, Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of the Hezbollah terrorist organization and one of its founders, was eliminated by the IDF, together with Ali Karki, the Commander of Hezbollahs Southern Front, and additional Hezbollah commanders," the IDF said in a statement.

"Following precise intelligence from the IDF and Israeli security establishment, IAF fighter jets conducted a targeted strike on the Central Headquarters of the Hezbollah terrorist organization, which was located underground embedded under a residential building in the area of Dahieh in Beirut, the statement added. "The strike was conducted while Hezbollahs senior chain of command were operating from the headquarters and advancing terrorist activities against the citizens of the State of Israel."

The IDF said Nasrallah was responsible for the murder of many Israeli civilians and soldiers, as well as the planning and execution of thousands of terrorist activities around the world. The IDF said Nasrallah was Hezbollah's central decision-maker and the strategic leader.

On Friday, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin told reporters, "The United States was not involved in Israels operation," noting there was "no advance warning," from the Israelis.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu cut short his trip to New York following his speech to the United Nations General Assembly where he warned Hezbollah about Israels right to go on the offensive.

"As long as Hezbollah chooses the path of war, Israel has no choice, and Israel has every right to remove this threat and return our citizens to their home safely and that's exactly what we're doing," he said.

After his speech the prime ministers office released a picture showing the Israeli leader in his New York hotel approving the operation against the terror chief.

Israel Targets Hezbollah Leader Nasrallah In Strike On Beirut Headquarters

The IDF said it is continuing to strike terrorist infrastructure sites belonging to Hezbollah.

"Since last night, the IDF struck over 140 Hezbollah terror targets, including launchers aimed at Israeli civilians, buildings in which weapons were stored, strategic weaponry, weapons production facilities, and additional terrorist infrastructure sites, some embedded underneath residential buildings in the area of Beirut," the IDF said.

"The IDF is continuing to operate to degrade and dismantle Hezbollahs terrorist infrastructure and capabilities," it added.

Rich Goldberg, a senior adviser at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told Fox News Digital that Nasrallahs death would prove a significant victory for Israel due to his close ties to Tehran.

"People don't appreciate that Nasrallah took over for Soleimani as senior strategist for Khamenei," Goldberg explained.

"Nasrallah had operational control of Lebanon and Syria: This is not just a strategic game-changer for Hezbollah, Lebanon and Syria , it's a strategic game-changer for Tehran," Goldberg explained. "We should assume that the IRGC is effectively in charge behind the scenes. Khamenei clearly had made a decision in recent weeks to avoid inviting Israeli strikes inside Iran."

"The calculus that led to that decision hasn't changed," Goldberg added. "Should Khamenei decide he's feeling lucky tonight and order a direct attack, we should reset all our assumptions about what Israel is willing to do inside Iran."

Reuters contributed to this report.





Original article source: Israeli military says Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah killed in Beirut strike
Experts from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) have suggested that even a few successful long-range strikes by Ukraine could significantly alter the course of the war. They have also noted that the Kremlin had been carrying out secret operations against Western nations well before discussions about Ukraine using Western-provided weapons to target Russia began.

Source: ISW

Quote: "Russian authorities appear to be expending a significant amount of effort to influence the Western debate about allowing Ukraine to use Western-provided weapons to conduct long-range strikes against military facilities in Russia.

This Russian effort suggests a deep concern with the operational pressures that such strikes into Russia would generate on Russian offensive operations in Ukraine, although US officials remain hesitant to permit Ukraine to conduct such strikes."

Details: The New York Times (NYT), with reference to its sources, said that US intelligence reports have been downplaying the potential impact that Ukrainian strikes on Russian territory could have if carried out using long-range missile systems provided by the US, the UK and France. This downplaying is linked to the limited supply of such weapons in Ukraine and the uncertainty around the future delivery of additional long-range systems.

The NYT noted that officials within the US military and the Biden administration, who are advocating for a change in policy, suggested that the Western-supplied weapons would enable Ukraine to hit more distant Russian military bases and ammunition depots. This would compel Russian forces to shift their ammunition depots, command posts, combat helicopters, and other key equipment out of the range of these Western missiles, which, as officials stated, would severely disrupt Russia's supply chains into Ukraine.

Quote: "Russian authorities are likely concerned about how moving ammunition depots and other critical storage facilities further away from the frontline and outside the range of Western-provided systems will impact Russian offensive capabilities in Ukraine and appear to be engaged in a significant rhetorical effort to prevent the West from allowing Ukraine to conduct another similarly significant strike campaign."

Details: Over the past few weeks, Russian leader Vladimir Putin has reinvigorated some of the Kremlin's most potent narratives within both Western and Russian public discourse. He has tailored his usual rhetoric to fit the current discussions in the West regarding the authorisation for Ukraine to carry out long-range attacks on Russia with the aid of weapons supplied by Western nations.

Quote: "The benefits of allowing Ukraine to use Western-provided long-range strike systems against Russia may outweigh the risk of Russian retaliation more than Western policymakers are currently considering."

More details: The NYT reported that the assessment suggests Russia may retaliate with increased force against the US and its allies, possibly employing covert operations aimed at American and European strategic facilities and military bases in Europe. This could occur if the West allows Ukraine to use the systems provided to launch strikes on targets in Russia.

Quote: "The Kremlin has been conducting covert operations against Western powers since long before the ongoing debate about Ukraine's use of Western-provided weapons to strike Russia and the Kremlin may intend to intensify these operations regardless of the West's decision as these operations support other Kremlin objectives to destabilise European countries and undermine NATO's military readiness."

To quote the ISWs Key Takeaways on 27 September:

Ukrainian forces repelled a reinforced battalion-size Russian mechanised assault on the Kupiansk front on 26 September  the first large Russian mechanised assault along the Kupiansk-Svatove-Kreminna line since the winter of 2024.

Russian forces may be intensifying their efforts to reach the Oskil River, although Russian advances on the east (left) bank of the Oskil River will likely continue to be relatively gradual.

The Russian military command has demonstrated that it will likely accept continued gradual gains along the Kupiansk-Svatove-Kreminna line, however.

Russias Western Grouping of Forces likely has limited capacity to maintain an intensified offensive effort along the Kupiansk-Svatove-Kreminna line or conduct effective combat operations that result in more rapid gains.

Russian authorities appear to be expending a significant amount of effort to influence the Western debate about allowing Ukraine to use Western-provided weapons to conduct long-range strikes against military facilities in Russia. This Russian effort suggests a deep concern with the operational pressures that such strikes into Russia would generate on Russian offensive operations in Ukraine, although US officials remain hesitant to permit Ukraine to conduct such strikes.

The benefits of allowing Ukraine to use Western-provided long-range strike systems against Russia may outweigh the risk of Russian retaliation more than Western policymakers are currently considering.

Russian Defence Minister Andrei Belousov met with Kremlin-affiliated milbloggers on 27 September, likely as part of the ongoing Kremlin effort to coopt Russian milbloggers and downplay recent backlash in the ultranationalist information space over the death of two prominent drone operators.

The People's Republic of China (PRC) announced a new initiative to draw international support for its alternative peace plan for Ukraine amid increasing cooperation with Russia.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy continued to meet with US officials about the war in Ukraine during his visit to the US on 26-27 September.

Russian and Ukrainian forces continued assaults in Kursk Oblast, but neither side made further advances.

Russian forces recently advanced within and around Toretsk and southeast of Pokrovsk.

Russian authorities continue to threaten Russian frontline soldiers' ad-hoc communications networks.

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Laura Mattarella, daughter of the Italian President, and Italian President Sergio Mattarella get out of a limousine in front of the Hotel Excelsior. Thomas Banneyer/dpa

As part of a three-day state visit to Germany, the Italian President Sergio Mattarella was visiting the state of North Rhine Westphalia on Saturday, including attending a climate conference in Bonn with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier.

Steinmeier said that cooperation was essential in the fight against global warming. "The recent floods in Poland, Romania, Austria and the Czech Republic, as well as the fires in Portugal and Greece, illustrate the urgency of this task," he said.

Italy and Germany are cooperating on a range of issues including the establishment of a climate-neutral European energy system. They are also collaborating in meteorology for better forecasting of extreme weather.

Afterwards, the two presidents boarded a ship to travel down the Rhine to Cologne, where their programme includes a visit to the cathedral and a meeting with representatives of the Italian community.

North Rhine Westphalian Premier Hendrik Wust noted in a statement that many people in his state have Italian roots. In the 1950s, many Italians came to the state as so-called "guest workers," particularly to the industrial Ruhr area and the city of Cologne.

Wust praised Mattarella as a thoroughly convinced European. "At a time when we need to stand together in Europe more than ever, President Mattarella lends his strong voice to this unity in Italy. Current European challenges such as migration, maintaining internal security and the future viability of the economy unite our two countries," said Wust.

Mattarella is considered one of the founding fathers of Italy's Social Democratic Party.

Politically, he is far removed from Italy's far-right Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and her Brothers of Italy party.

The German and Italian flags fly on the facade of the Hotel Excelsior. Thomas Banneyer/dpa
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier (L) and Italian President Sergio Mattarella wave from aboard a ship during the state visit. Christoph Reichwein/dpa

As part of a three-day state visit to Germany, the Italian President Sergio Mattarella was visiting the state of North Rhine Westphalia on Saturday, including attending a climate conference in Bonn with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier.

Steinmeier said that cooperation was essential in the fight against global warming. "The recent floods in Poland, Romania, Austria and the Czech Republic, as well as the fires in Portugal and Greece, illustrate the urgency of this task," he said.

Italy and Germany are cooperating, among other things, on the establishment of a climate-neutral European energy system. There is also collaboration in meteorology for better forecasting of extreme weather.

Afterwards, the two presidents boarded a ship to travel down the Rhine to Cologne, where their programme includes a visit to the cathedral and a meeting with representatives of the Italian community.

North Rhine Westphalian Premier Hendrik Wust noted in a statement that many people in his state have Italian roots. In the 1950s, many Italians came to the state as so-called "guest workers," particularly to the industrial Ruhr area and the city of Cologne.

Wust praised Mattarella as a thoroughly convinced European. "At a time when we need to stand together in Europe more than ever, President Mattarella lends his strong voice to this unity in Italy. Current European challenges such as migration, maintaining internal security and the future viability of the economy unite our two countries," said Wust.

Mattarella is considered one of the founding fathers of Italy's Social Democratic Party.

Politically, he is far removed from Italy's far-right Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and her Brothers of Italy party.

On Sunday, Mattarella and Steinmeier plan to continue their journey together to Italy, where they are scheduled to participate in a commemorative event in Bologna marking the 80th anniversary of the Marzabotto massacre.

The massacre is considered one of the most severe war crimes committed by German soldiers in Italy during World War II.

(L-R) Mona Neubaur, Minister for Economic Affairs, Industry, Climate Protection and Energy of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Italian President Sergio Mattarella, Laura Mattarella and Elke Buedenbender stand on board a ship during the state visit. Christoph Reichwein/dpa

The German and Italian flags fly on the facade of the Hotel Excelsior. Thomas Banneyer/dpa

Germany's President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and his wife Elke Buedenbender wave to spectators in front of the Hotel Excelsior. Thomas Banneyer/dpa
ITHACA, N.Y. (WETM)  An Ithaca man is facing multiple charges after two incidents on the Ithaca Commons on Friday evening.

Hodari L. Martin, 53, was arrested after police investigated a domestic incident and harassment reports. According to the Ithaca Police Department, officers received reports about a conflict between a man and a woman near Home Dairy Alley on the Commons at about 5:21 p.m. on Sept. 27. The man was gone when officers arrived, but the woman was still there.

Police say the woman told officers that Martin, her ex-boyfriend, used physical force to steal from her during a domestic incident. The woman also reportedly told police that her 9-year-old child tried to intervene, Martin grabbed the child, he threw the child to the ground, and the child hit their head on the ground. Martin fled the scene after the incident.

Ithaca man arrested at Apple Harvest Festival on arrest warrants

A couple of hours after this incident, officers got a complaint about a man harassing patrons on the Commons. According to the Ithaca Police Department, officers who responded to the scene found Martin, who was the suspect of the harassment complaint, and tried to question him about the domestic incident.

Police say Martin became physically combative with the officers who tried to question him. Officers were eventually able to arrest Martin, and he was taken to a local hospital to be treated for non-life-threatening injuries.

Ithaca man arrested, allegedly performed lewd acts outside windows

After Martin was released from the hospital, he was charged with third-degree robbery (a class D felony), third-degree attempted assault (a class B misdemeanor), third-degree menacing (a class B misdemeanor), two counts of endangering the welfare of a child (a class A misdemeanor), and resisting arrest (a class A misdemeanor).

Martins charges were read in the Ithaca City Court, and he was released on his own recognizance.

Anyone who may have witnessed either incident or who has more information is asked to contact the Ithaca Police Department using one of the methods listed below:

Police Dispatch: 607-272-3245

Police Administration: 607-272-9973

Police Tip line: 607-330-0000

Anonymous Email Tip Address: www.cityofithaca.org/ipdtips

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WETM - MyTwinTiers.com.
I've booked luxury stays around the world. This adults-only hotel in Wyoming, which costs $1,500 a night, was the best by far.

Hotel Yellowstone is the only hotel just for adults in Jackson, Wyoming. Joey Hadden/Business Insider

Hotel Yellowstone, Jackson Hole's adults-only hotel, opened in August.

The luxury hotel caters to guests 21 and older, with exceptions for 18 to 20-year-olds.

I spent one night at Hotel Yellowstone and was blown away by the luxury and grand views.

I've slept like a queen all over the world.

I've towered over South Beach, Miami, from a suite in the Versace Mansion. I've eaten fresh pasta in a king-sized bed at the Bulgari in Milan. I've booked rooms at the Vogue Hotel in Montreal and the top-rated hotels in Arizona's wealth enclave.

But none of those amazing accommodations impressed me as much as Hotel Yellowstone, a brand-new luxury boutique hotel in Jackson, Wyoming, for adults only.

Welcome to Hotel Yellowstone, Jackson Hole's adults-only hotel.

The main building of Hotel Yellowstone. Joey Hadden/Business Insider

When I landed in Wyoming, I took a cab from Jackson Hole Airport to the top of a winding hill, where Hotel Yellowstone sits on four acres overlooking the Teton Range.

Hotel Yellowstone opened in August for guests aged 21 and up. (Adults between 18 and 20 may stay when checking in with someone 21 or older.)

Its location was carefully selected to provide unobstructed views of the Tetons and Snake River Valley in a calming environment.

It's less than 15 minutes from downtown Jackson, but it feels worlds away from the hustle and bustle.

The hotel lobby's aesthetic gave me a sneak peek of the whole property's interior design style.

Inside the Hotel Yellowstone lobby. Joey Hadden/Business Insider

Hotel Yellowstone was designed to merge the American Western style with modern luxury, according to the company's website.

The lobby had a neutral color palette, with cozy seating, wooden detailing on the ceilings, and wide windows to sit and enjoy the view.

After checking in, I headed to my room.

The author's room keys. Joey Hadden/Business Insider

My room keys were made of wood that appeared to match the buildings on the property.

The four-acre property has nine guest room buildings with four units in each.

A wide view of the property. Joey Hadden/Business Insider

Each room is 600 square feet and includes a private balcony. The main difference between each room is the view.

My room blended modern luxury with Western flair.

Inside the author's room. Joey Hadden/Business Insider

I booked a Grand Teton Suite, which meant I had unobstructed views of the Teton Range. The room starts at $1,499 a night, though Business Insider received a media rate for the one-night stay.

My room, furnished by Restoration Hardware, had a king-sized bed, two sitting areas, a TV, a fireplace, a full bathroom, and amenities, including an espresso machine and a mini-fridge.

An AntlerWorx floor lamp and white, fluffy chairs gave the room a bit of Western flair in an otherwise modernized, luxury hotel room.

Smart controls made the room feel extra luxurious.

Hotel room controls on the wall (L) and tablet (R). Joey Hadden/Business Insider

My room had a ton of automatic controls, from mood lighting to sheer and blackout curtains. Each control had a labeled button on the wall to make it easy to navigate.

I could also control these functions from an in-room iPad that operated the TV and room-service needs.

The bathroom was coated in Calacatta marble.

Inside the author's bathroom. Joey Hadden/Business Insider

The bathroom felt like a mini spa with heated floors, a rainfall shower head, and a jumbo, free-standing tub with a sliding door. With the door open, I could bathe with a view of the Teton Range.

The bathroom also had towel heaters, robes, a hair dryer, and Byredo toiletries.

The best part of the room was the view from the private balcony.

The view from the author's balcony. Joey Hadden/Business Insider

At the back of the room, sliding glass doors led to a spacious balcony with a side table between two lounge chairs.

I watched the sunset out here. With no children on the property, it was quiet and calming. I listened to the whispers of the wind through the trees and the whistles of birds flying by as a soothing soundtrack to my evening.

After checking out my room, I headed to the communal spaces around the hotel.

The lobby's patio. Joey Hadden/Business Insider

The hotel lobby has an outdoor lounging area with fire pits overlooking the property and surrounding mountains.

In the gym, guests could feel like they're running toward the mountains.

The fitness room at Hotel Yellowstone. Joey Hadden/Business Insider

The fitness room at Hotel Yellowstone had smart Techno Gym Cardio equipment with virtual classes similar to Peleton. Treadmills and ellipticals were in front of wide windows overlooking the Teton Range.

There was also an indoor pool with retractable glass windows overlooking the mountain scene.

The Negative Edge Pool at Hotel Yellowstone. Joey Hadden/Business Insider

The Negative Edge Pool was long and shallow. At just 4 feet deep with jets and heating, it could be the ideal place to relax.

Next to the pool, there's a sauna.

The sauna at Hotel Yellowstone. Joey Hadden/Business Insider

A representative of Hotel Yellowstone told BI that the pool and sauna are open 24 hours a day.

The hotel's main building also had a spa.

Inside a spa treatment room. Joey Hadden/Business Insider

The spa at Hotel Yellowstone had an array of treatments, from red light and cold water therapy to massages and cold plunges.

For dinner, I went to the hotel restaurant, Olivia's.

Inside the hotel restaurant, Olivia's. Joey Hadden/Business Insider

Olivia's is an eclectic restaurant with locally sourced ingredients, a marble bar, cozy seating, and breathtaking views.

I went for dinner and breakfast (breakfast was included) and was surprised by the range of options.

I had what my server suggested for dinner  the house-made bao buns with short ribs, pickles, and candied jalapenos. The buns were soft, the ribs were moist, and the garnishes perfectly balanced the flavors in each bite.

For breakfast, I had steel-cut oats with fruit, nuts, and brown sugar. It was a healthy, hearty boost that helped me start my day off right.

Before checking out, I spotted a moose on the property. It was the perfect way to end my stay.

A moose strolls the property. Joey Hadden/Business Insider

While munching on oats at Oliva's the morning I checked out, I spotted a moose going for a stroll outside my window. I was mesmerized  I'd never seen a moose before.

I excitedly gestured toward my server to show them my discovery, and they told me that the moose was essentially a regular at Hotel Yellowstone. The moose has been seen rolling in the flower beds and swimming in the pond on the hotel's property.

This amazed me. And it made me think that part of the reason the moose feels so comfortable in a shared space with humans is the calming nature of the kid-free hotel.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Rail operator JR Central runs an "intense education" programme for future conductors, drivers and other team members (Philip FONG) (Philip FONG/AFP/AFP)

Her white-gloved, waistcoated uniform impeccable, 22-year-old Hazuki Okuno boards a bullet train replica to rehearse the strict protocols behind the smooth operation of a Japanese institution turning 60 Tuesday.

High-speed Shinkansen trains began running between Tokyo and Osaka on October 1, 1964, heralding a new era for rail travel as Japan grew into an economic superpower after its World War II defeat.

The service remains integral to the nation's economy and way of life -- so keeping it dazzlingly clean, punctual and accident-free is a serious job.

At a 10-storey, state-of-the-art staff training centre, Okuno shouted from the window and signaled to imaginary colleagues, keeping her cool when a video screen down the platform shows a flailing passenger stuck in a door.

The live-in facility southwest of Tokyo offers what rail operator JR Central describes as an "intense education" for future conductors, drivers and other team members.

"Thank you for riding," Okuno practised saying, bowing deeply after checking the time on her watch.

Each day nearly a quarter of a million passengers ride the Tokaido Shinkansen line, which stretches from Tokyo past Mount Fuji to Hakata around five hours away.

One top-speed Nozomi train arrives up to every five minutes.

JR Central says it has never had an accident resulting in death or injury on the bullet train, even in a country where earthquakes, typhoons and heavy snow are common.

Safety is "our top priority", Daisuke Kumajima, the company's PR officer, told AFP.

So "we take our education and training of our employees very seriously."

This month for the first time, on another line run by the company JR East, two linked bullet trains uncoupled, resulting in an emergency stop but no injuries.

- High-speed city growth -

With routes spanning the country, the Shinkansen's top speed of 320 kilometres (200 miles) per hour is no longer the world's fastest, having been outpaced by China.

But the original high-speed locomotive's streamlined nose and spacious interiors remain a symbol of Japanese engineering prowess and attention to detail.

It's also a tourist must-do and pop culture mainstay -- such as in Brad Pitt's 2022 blockbuster "Bullet Train".

A meticulous maintenance schedule means the trains are gleaming outside and in, with cleaners adjusting headrests and using brushes to ensure the seats are free of crumbs.

In some countries, train delays mean there is little time for such primping, said Christopher Hood who authored the book: "Shinkansen: From Bullet Train to Symbol of Modern Japan."

On the bullet train network, however, the average delay is less than a minute.

The growth of cities along Shinkansen routes over the decades shows its impact on the economy in Japan, where "face-to-face business is very, very important", added Hood, a researcher at Britain's Cardiff University.

In tandem the train has played a role in speeding up depopulation in rural Japan, according to Hood, leaving many elderly people isolated.

"People would rather live in the big cities... and then use the Shinkansen to go and visit relatives out in smaller cities if they need to," he told AFP.

- Future at 500 kph -

At a JR Central site, an engineer taps the inner machinery of a bullet train, listening closely for any unusual sounds that could reveal a loose part.

With ageing Japan increasingly facing labour shortages, the company is also researching a new digital inspection system that can analyse images of a train to spot dangers.

JR East, meanwhile, has said driverless bullet trains could be introduced from the mid-2030s.

There is also a huge project underway to build a high-speed maglev -- magnetic levitation -- line in Japan, long-delayed due to environmental opposition.

Maglev trains, which can run at 500 kilometres per hour, were meant to begin service between Tokyo and Nagoya in central Japan in 2027, but JR Central has pushed this back to 2034 or later.

The aim is to create a "dual system" with the Shinkansen, said Kumajima, to respond to demand and keep operations stable in the case of maintenance work or a big quake.

It's easy to take the Shinkansen for granted in Japan, which is a good thing, according to Hood.

But when Japanese people travel overseas, particularly in Europe or the United States, "they soon appreciate that 'yeah, the Shinkansen is a little bit special'," he said.

ap-mac-kaf/rsc
(Bloomberg) -- Imprisoned former Hong Kong media mogul Jimmy Lai has access to medical treatment, daylight and regular exercise, according to a statement from his lawyers that followed an appeal to the UN earlier this month.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Lais local legal representatives, Robertsons, said Lai wished it to be known that hes been receiving medical attention for his conditions, including diabetes. He also has access to daylight through the windows in the corridor outside his cell albeit he cannot see the sky, and exercises for an hour every day.

The former founder of the defunct pro-democracy Apple Daily newspaper is one of the highest-profile figures ensnared in a series of national security cases in the city. The 76-year-old faces the possibility of life in prison if hes found guilty of conspiring to collude with foreign forces to sanction China and the former British colony.

The statement was issued in response to media reports following an urgent appeal sent earlier this month by Lais international legal team to the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Torture. The lawers said Lai had limited human contact and was routinely imprisoned for 23 hours 10 minutes per day, with only 50 minutes for restricted exercise.

Lai was being denied access to specialized medical care and physicians of his choosing, according to the appeal. His international legal team also said earlier this month it was urging the US and UK to strike a deal for his release, after Beijing freed US pastor David Lin following about 20 years of detention.

Fridays statement also noted that Lai, a Catholic, understands special arrangements can be be made to receive Holy Communion but it would entail holding a mass solely for him. The priest has not requested for such special arrangements because of the inconvenience, it said.

Lais trial has drawn scrutiny from Western governments, with diplomats from the US, UK and European consulates regularly attending court to observe proceedings. The pro-democracy activist is expected to take the stand when the hearing resumes in November.

--With assistance from Julia Fioretti.

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2024 Bloomberg L.P.
Joe Rogan is weighing in on the future of America with Kamala Harris at the wheel!

The comedian sees a probability of free speech being a thing of the past if the vice president emerges victorious at the polls.

Joe Rogan joins a list of other celebrities who have come out to express a negative perception of Vice President Kamala Harris on the ticket and the looming dangers of her administration should she win the coveted seat of power.

Joe Rogan Sees Censorship Becoming The Norm Under Kamala Harris

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Joe Rogan (@joerogan)

According to the podcaster on his show "The Joe Rogan Experience," Harris and Tim Walz may have law enforcement agencies obstruct freedom of speech by increasing online censorship in America.

He added that a possible Harris/Walz administration would back up the "many wild things" they have said about censorship, free speech, and the First Amendment by enforcing censorship on platforms like Facebook and X.

Rogan quickly references a Walz interview with MSNBC in 2022, in which he established that "there's no guarantee to free speech on misinformation or hate speech, especially around our democracy."

The comedian disagreed with Walz's view and said that the First Amendment does not apply to misinformation and hate speech.

TMZ noted that Rogan's stance on the censorship issue also received a major endorsement from X CEO Elon Musk, who shared a clip from Rogan's podcast on X and added, "Joe Rogan is absolutely right."

Billie Eilish And FINNEAS Praise Harris' Leadership

MEGA

The Blast reported that the talented duo announced their endorsement on Billie's X page in a clip featuring FINNEAS, encouraging their fans and followers to vote early.

"Today is National Voter Registration Day, and we are asking you to please join us in going to Iwillvote.com to check your status and vote early like we do," said FINNEAS.

Billie then informed the viewers that they "are voting for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz because they are fighting to protect our reproductive freedom, our planet, and our democracy."

FINNEAS added that the American people "can't let extremists control our lives, our freedom, and our future. The only way to stop them and the dangerous Project 2025 agenda is to vote and elect Kamala Harris."

Aubrey Plaza Channeled Her Inner Taylor Swift For Harris/Walz Endorsement

MEGA

The "The White Lotus" actress also appeared on the gram to announce her support for the duo with a "Childless Cat Lady"-themed photoshoot, as a tribute to Swift and a protest to J.D.Vance's "Childless Cat Ladies" comment.

Vance was spotted in a 2021 interview, which has since resurfaced online and gotten viral describing female politicians without kids like the vice president: "A bunch of childless cat ladies who are miserable with their own lives and the choice they've made."

The 2-week-old post captioned "HARRIS us WALZ" gathered over 500k likes and comments from fans. Plaza donned a bright green sweatshirt paired with black side-swept hair as she held a grumpy old car against a backdrop of Christmas trees.

Oprah Winfrey Slammed Donald Trump's VP Choice

MEGA

Since Swift ended her famous endorsement post with the phrase, it has spread like wildfire among celebrities. The Blast reported that Winfrey seized the opportunity in her interview with Harris last Thursday to bash Donald Trump's running mate, Vance, for making such a controversial comment.

"When a house is on fire, we don't ask about the homeowner's race or religion. We don't wonder who their partner is or how they voted. No, we just try to do the best we can to save them," Winfrey declared. "And if the place happens to belong to a childless cat lady, well, we try to get that cat out too."

Winfrey has publicly supported the Harris/Walz ticket, and she even made a surprise appearance at the Democratic National Convention in August, where Harris was announced as the party's official candidate for the Oval Office.

Kamala Harris Spoke On Her Support For The Second Amendment

MEGA

During the Thursday event, the politician reiterated her support for the Second Amendment and confirmed that she is a gun owner who has no problem defending her home from invaders. In her words:

"If somebody breaks in my house, they're getting shot I probably should not have said that. But my staff will deal with that later."

However, the presidential candidate agreed that gun control measures were "common sense" in relation to the increasing number of school shootings throughout the United States.

Harris noted the need for gun laws to protect the community and opined that assault weapons like AK-style rifles had "no place on the streets of a civil society" as they were war-grade weapons.

The plot continues to thicken as Americans prepare to welcome a new administration. Will Kamala Harris receive more celebrity endorsements in the coming weeks?
How you can join the Walk to End Alzheimers

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO)  On Saturday, people will gather in Sioux Falls to fight a disease that affects families all over KELOLAND.

The annual Walk to End Alzheimers raises money for care and support and research to cure the disease.

SD Parkinson Foundation hopes Favres announcement inspires others

From yard signs to pinwheels, drive by Sandi Vietors home and youll know shes passionate about the fight against Alzheimers Disease.

In 2015, her husband Ken was diagnosed with young-onset Alzheimers at the age of 60.

She recalls a moment with her husband leading up to the diagnosis.

He handed me our checkbook and he said, I cant do this anymore. I cant balance the checkbook. I dont know if theres money in the account or not,' Vietor said.

Shortly after the diagnosis, Sandi sought the help of the Alzheimers Association of South Dakota.

I went to their office and they immediately provided me with resources and support Ive been using all the years, Vietor said.

80 years old still going 100, one mans drag race journey

On Saturday, people will lace up their shoes to help even more families like the Vietors and support research.

The Walk to End Alzheimers is really our largest support group because its really an opportunity for people to stand shoulder to shoulder with others in the community who understand what this disease is like, who want to see it ended, maybe if its too late for their own generation, theyre looking out for grandkids and children, Alzheimers Association of South Dakota State Executive Director Leslie Morrow said.

Sandis husband died in hospice in 2021.

Shell be taking part in the walk Saturday.

The more we can get a handle on early diagnosis and early treatment, the better the lives will be for people going forward. I dont want anybody to end up having to end their life as early as Ken did. He was so full of life until he wasnt, Vietor said.

You can register online or at 8:30 a. m. Saturday at Levitt at the Falls.

There will be an opening ceremony at 10 a.m., and then the walk will begin.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KELOLAND.com.
They joined the military thinking it was a path to citizenship  then they found out they were being deported

Military veterans Bienvenido Perez (left) and Juan Quiroz (right) were both deported following run-ins with the law. They are some of the thousands of undocumentary military vets in the US (Bienvenido Perez/Juan Quiroz)

Military veteran Bineveido Perez stood before a judge in May 2001. He joined the Army in 1972 and served believing he would have the same rights as a citizen when he left. He learned years later that, as an immigrant, he did not.

The realization came as he was cuffed, booked and months later appeared before the judge convicted of drug charges. That meant he had to leave the US. The fact he fought for the nation meant little, the law told him to get out.

I got the news that we dont care that youre a veteran, youre gonna have to go in front of a judge and hes going to decide whether you are deportable or not, he tells The Independent.

Perezs situation is not unique. There are roughly 94,000 immigrant veterans who have not been naturalized and vulnerable to deportation should they have run-ins with the law. Many believed that serving in the military would allow them to stay.

Through initiatives such as humanitarian parole exist to help repatriate veterans, many live in fear that one small mistake may result in them being taken from their families and deported from the lives they have built in the country they defended.

Immigration lawyers and veterans themselves say the immigration system is in serious need of a revamp, to offer better protection to those who have been willing to sacrifice their lives for their country even if they run into future legal problems.

Bienvenido Perez joined the miltary in 1972 and was deported almost three decades later following his incarceration on drug charges, despite fighting for the country (Bienvenido Perez)

Perezs situation started innocuously in September 2000 as he rode in a car on his way to a New York Mets game. The ride turned into a deserted parking lot where cops quickly swarmed the vehicle.

The next thing I know theres these black cars, everybody has guns, and theres a helicopter, he told The Independent. And I was like, damn, what the hell? Who the hell is this guy?

Unbeknown to Perez, the friend he was riding with was an undercover federal agent and the veteran was being arrested for drug-related crimes. After pleading guilty at trial, he was sentenced to six months in jail and a rehabilitation program.

He was later informed that due to immigration laws, the judge had no say in allowing him to stay in the country. In New York, drug trafficking is classified as aggravated felonies or crimes involving moral turpitude that result in deportation. Perez was deported to the Dominican Republic in 2004  the place he left at nine years old.

I had no knowledge of how I was going to survive, how I was going to make it, he says. I was put into exile This [the US] is the only country I really know We lost everything.

Perez was deported to the Dominican Republic in 2004 but was later permitted to return to the US on huminatarian parole (Bienvenido Perez)

He later returned on humanitarian parole  which allows certain non-US citizens to enter the country if they lack any legal basis for admission. However, parole does not provide any permanent pathway to remain in the United States and can expire at any time.

A 2020 report from the University of California Law School in San Francisco noted a backlog of over 730,000 applications for naturalization and that the delays are particularly pronounced for noncitizens in the military.

Like Perez, Juan Quiroz served in the US military and received an honorable discharge after joining in 2004. He worked as a track mechanic but served three years behind bars  also on drug-related crimes.

When I saw the judge I told her, Im a United States Army veteran, I have an honorable discharge, he recalled. She said, basically, If you were in the military, then you should have known better, youre going home. So she deported me, and I was gone for about 10 years.

Juan Quiroz (right) was deported and not allowed to return to the US for the funeral of his father, Emiliano (left), who died in 2021, following his arrest (Juan Quiroz)

Quiroz was sent back to Mexico and was not allowed to return, not even to attend the funeral of his father Emiliano, who died in the US in December 2021.

Like Perez, he was eventually learned about the humanitarian parole system and was allowed to return to the US temporarily.

He still lives in fear of being deported again. They told me as long as Im here taking care of my family and staying out of trouble, that I would have no reason to get deported, he says.

Im always worried and Im always stressed out. I get anxiety thinking that one day that theyre going to take me from my family once again I served this country, but I made one mistake, and they took everything from me.

Perezs naturalization is still in limbo because he is waiting for a final answer on whether he can stay. Right now, Im here undocumented, waiting on a decision, he says. When my humanitarian parole expires, my work authorization expires as well. So right now, I cant work, I cant do anything.

Quiroz has been allowed to return to the US on humanitarian parole, but still lives in fear of being deported again (Juan Quiroz)

For Perez, that limbo period is almost at an end. On Wednesday, he underwent what he expects to be one of his final interviews with United States Citizenship and Immigration Services before being officially naturalized.

But he worries for the fates of his veteran brotherhood, especially as the presidential election in November edges closer, referring specifically to comments about immigrants made by Donald Trump.

During his 2024 presidential campaign, the former president has said that illegal immigration is poisoning the blood of our nation and, more recently, has peddled baseless claims that migrant communities in Ohio are eating the pets of the people that live there.

Trump has also reportedly referred to US soldiers who have died in war as suckers and losers.

Perez has now been naturalized as a US citizen, but still harbors concerns for his fellow immigrant veterans and how they could face deportation despite their service (Bienvenido Perez)

It concerns me, Perez says. Not for myself, because I dont think he has anything that can turn back the hands of time, but I feel for many immigrants, not only veterans, because of the rhetoric and all [Trumps] buffoonish type of comments.

He added: The whole immigration system has to be revamped, to be more fair for everyone. But the consideration should always be that if you are willing to make the ultimate sacrifice for your country, then there should be certain exceptions.

Despite such unfairness and uncertainty, the pride of their service remains. I will always be proud of what Ive done, regardless, Quiroz told The Independent. I always tell everybody if I had the opportunity I would serve this country all over again.

But I do feel like Ive been let down. Ive been lied to. Because the oath that I swore is the same as the oath that you do when youre a citizen.
A judge in South Dakota has thrown out a lawsuit brought by dozens of neighbors in a Rapid City-area subdivision whose homes were built above an old, underground mine linked to sinkholes in the neighborhood.

Circuit Court Judge Eric J. Strawn in a ruling posted online Wednesday granted the states motion for summary judgment and dismissed all the claims, ruling that the state has sovereign immunity, a sort of legal protection against lawsuits.

The plaintiffs attorney, Kathy Barrow, said her Hideaway Hills clients will appeal to the state Supreme Court.

The plaintiffs are arguing that the states mining activities and the way it ultimately closed the mine created conditions ripe for sinkholes to develop. They also fault the state for failing to disclose the problematic conditions.

Giant sinkholes in a South Dakota neighborhood make families fear for their safety

The plaintiffs want the Supreme Court to sort out the blurred lines of the legal theory behind their claims, Barrow said.

An attorney for the state referred The Associated Press to Ian Fury, spokesman for Gov. Kristi Noem, who didnt reply to The APs email seeking comment.

The lawsuit was originally filed in 2020. That same year, a giant sinkhole opened in the neighborhood, which later revealed the extent of the mine beneath. About 150 neighbors in 94 homes are seeking $45 million. Other holes and sinkings have occurred since, imperiling houses, roads and utilities, according to the homeowners.

The former state cement plant mined gypsum for several years in the area decades ago. Attorneys for the state have argued that the cement plant did not mine underground and the collapse would have occurred regardless of the plants mining activities.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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A judge ruled Friday that the Netflix show Baby Reindeer did not live up to its billing as a true story, allowing the real-life Martha to pursue her defamation lawsuit.

The woman, Fiona Harvey, alleged that the series, created by Richard Gadd, falsely implied that she sexually assaulted Gadd and gouged his eyes, and had been sent to prison for stalking him.

More from Variety

Netflix filed a motion to throw out the suit in July. In his defense, Gadd revealed that Harvey had stalked him for years when he worked at a London pub, would sometimes pinch his buttocks, and had sent him thousands of disturbing emails and voicemail messages. He ultimately reported her to the police and got a harassment warning  though she was not criminally prosecuted or sent to jail.

In his ruling on Friday, Judge Gary Klausner noted that the series opens with the line This is a true story, inviting the viewer to take what follows as fact. But he found that Marthas behavior on the show is significantly worse than what Harvey is accused of in real life.

There is a major difference between stalking and being convicted of stalking in a court of law, the judge wrote. Likewise, there are major differences between inappropriate touching and sexual assault, as well as between shoving and gouging anothers eyes. While plaintiffs purported actions are reprehensible, Defendants statements are of a worse degree and could produce a different effect in the mind of a viewer.

Harvey was never named on the show, though online sleuths were quickly able to identify her based on digital breadcrumbs.

Gadd was an aspiring comedian when he worked in the Hawley Arms pub, and has said the Netflix series is based on his experience there. But he has also said that show, and the stage play on which it was based, were both fictionalizations, and not meant to be a beat-for-beat recounting of events.

The Sunday Times reported in June that Gadd had reservations about including the line This is a true story, but that it was included at Netflix request. The judge noted that article in his ruling, arguing that it could show actual malice  that is, that Netflix knew the show was fictionalized, but consciously chose to represent it otherwise.

Klausner did dismiss Harveys claims for negligence, violation of her publicity rights, and for punitive damages. But the judge allowed her to pursue a claim of intentional infliction of emotional distress, which applies to extreme and outrageous false statements.

It appears that a reasonable viewer could understand the statements about Martha to be about Plaintiff, the judge wrote. The Series states that Plaintiff is a convicted criminal who sexually and violently assaulted Gadd. These statements may rise to the level of extreme and outrageous conduct.

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'Jury still out' on new UK government, Michelle O'Neill says

The "jury is still out" on the new UK government, Northern Ireland's First Minister Michelle O'Neill has said.

The Sinn Fein vice-president was speaking at the party's annual ard fheis (conference) in Athlone.

It is Sinn Fein's first conference since O'Neill became first minister of the Northern Ireland Executive - the first Irish nationalist to hold the role.

Calling for a further devolution of powers to Stormont, she said the first actions of the new Labour government have been more "broken promises".

'Broken promises'

Northern Ireland's power-sharing institutions were restored in February after a two-year hiatus.

Addressing party members on Friday evening, O'Neill said the four parties in the devolved administration are "working together with a unity of purpose".

"And we are determined to deliver good public services, good governance, economic growth and strong communities that we all depend on," she added.

O'Neill said the change of government in July offers "an opportunity to improve Irish-British relations".

But she said "the jury is certainly still out" on how the government will meet its commitments under the Good Friday Agreement.

"Their initial actions demonstrate more of the same - failed austerity and broken promises," she added.

Criticising Labour's plans to cut winter fuel payments, she said that "financial limitations" placed on the Stormont executive "restrict our ability to be able to act".

"So further financial powers are required," the Sinn Fein deputy leader added.

"But it all points to one thing. That it's only through governing ourselves can we build a better future.

"All powers and all decisions should be taken here at home on this island."

'A united, inclusive Ireland'

In July, Sinn Fein became Northern Ireland's largest party at Westminster, although its MPs do not take their seats.

The Irish republican party is also the largest at Stormont and at local council level, and is the main opposition party in the Republic of Ireland.

It is aiming for a place in the Irish government for the first time following the next general election, which could be just months away.

But the party has slipped in recent opinion polls in the Irish Republic, and underperformed against expectations in June's local and European elections.

O'Neill said the party was "ready to fight the general election when its called".

She said the party's Westminster success "demonstrates that Sinn Fein can reaffirm our mission and that change can happen".

The Sinn Fein deputy leader said the party's "goal is a united, inclusive Ireland".

In her speech, O'Neill also called for the government's pledge to repeal the Troubles Legacy Act to be "delivered in full".

She also reaffirmed her party's commitment to the Casement Park GAA stadium project in west Belfast.

Sinn Fein president Mary Lou McDonald is due to give a keynote speech to close the ard fheis on Saturday.

You can watch Mary Lou McDonald's speech at the Sinn Fein Ard Fheis and follow live coverage on the BBC News NI website from 18:00 BST.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT)  The Justice Department announced that it has filed a lawsuit against the State of Alabama and the Alabama Secretary of State.

This is following a state program that aims to remove voters from the states election rolls too close to the Nov. 5 election, which violates the National Voter Registration Act of 1993.

Section 8(c)(2) of the NVRA is considered the Quiet Period Provision. This section requires states to complete programs that remove the names of ineligible voters from registration lists no later than 90 days before elections. States may remove names from lists of voters for various reasons, but this kind of systematic removal program may not carry on too close to a federal election.

Rep. Juandalynn Givan introduces bill prohibiting bump stock possession in Birmingham

The right to vote is one of the most sacred rights in our democracy, Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Departments Civil Rights Division said. As Election Day approaches, it is critical that Alabama redress voter confusion resulting from its list maintenance mailings sent in violation of federal law. Officials across the country should take heed of the National Voter Registration Acts clear and unequivocal restrictions on systematic list maintenance efforts that fall within 90 days of an election. The Quiet Period Provision of federal law exists to prevent eligible voters from being removed from the rolls as a result of last-minute, error-prone efforts. The Justice Department will continue to use all the tools it has available to ensure that the voting rights of every eligible voter are protected.

On Aug. 13, 84 days before the Nov. 5 general election, the Secretary of State announced a process to remove noncitizens registered to vote in Alabama.

The Justice Department discovered that both native-born and naturalized U.S. citizens received letters stating their voter records had been made inactive. These letters direct their recipients who are U.S. citizens to complete an attached State of Alabama Voter Registration Form, which in turn informs people that they may not register to vote in the 14 days before an election.

According to the Justice Department, this is a violation of the Quiet Period Provision.

The Justice Department aims for the restoration of the ability of impacted eligible voters to vote on Election Day. It also aims to prohibit future Quiet Period violations.

More information about voting and elections can be found here.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to CBS 42.
Kamala Harris goes on offensive with 'tough on border' message

US Vice-President Kamala Harris has made a rare trip to the US-Mexico border as she seeks to blunt Republican attacks on immigration.

Harris, who last visited the border in 2021, accused Donald Trump of being focused on "scapegoating instead of solutions" and "rhetoric instead of results".

Earlier on Friday, the Republican nominee argued Harris was "getting killed" on the issue and supports "the worst bill ever drawn" on border security.

Polls suggest more Americans trust Trump over Harris on handling the border and illegal immigration.

Cochise County, a conservative stronghold in Arizona that became a hot spot for record-high border crossings last autumn, provided a backdrop for the Democratic nominee to inspect the border wall, speak with local officials and project a message of toughness.

She claimed Trump "did nothing to fix our broken immigration system" as president, adding that Republicans were trying to force a "false choice" between border security and a "safe, orderly and humane" immigration system.

"We can and must do both," she told supporters at a campaign event in Douglas.

Harris vowed to further toughen asylum laws enacted earlier this year by President Joe Biden and to revive a bipartisan border security measure Trump helped block.

But Jim Chilton, a local rancher, said he has "seen the evidence" of what Harris would do in power.

"I've watched her and President Biden," he told the BBC. "We've had an open border policy. We now are understanding what that really means.

Every year, thousands of undocumented migrants walk through Mr Chilton's 50,000-acre ranch just south of Arivaca.

He has motion-activated cameras that show the procession of people, all dressed in near-identical camouflage, across his land. He is convinced drug dealers and gang members are among them.

Menacing signs threaten trespassers with death, but Mr Chilton has also installed drinking fountains so nobody dies making the hazardous journey.

Three corpses were found on his land last year.

A Trump supporter, Mr Chilton does not believe Harris will crack down on the flow of migrants.

She's changing her mind just to get votes and lie to us. It's outrageous," he said.

Migrants regularly cross rancher Jim Chilton's land [BBC]

Concerns over stemming the influx are ever present in tiny border towns like Douglas.

Homeowners here can see through miles of border fencing into Mexico when they step out onto their front porches.

One woman said her neighbours built brick walls around their homes to keep migrants from hiding out in their backyards.

Even some Democrats here who are voting for Harris said they preferred Trump's border approach and felt safer during his tenure.

Last year, a handful of churches and the town's visitor centre transformed overnight into makeshift shelters to house newcomers.

Since then, the Biden administration has enacted tougher restrictions on seeking asylum and migrant crossings have plunged to four-year lows.

Gail Kochorek is a dedicated volunteer who drives down to the wall to hand out food and water to people on the Mexican side, usually waiting until after dark to cross back into the US.

To her, the political approach to immigration is increasingly dehumanising to people hoping to making a better life in her country.

She is disappointed to hear Harris promising to crack down on migrants but, given a choice between her and Trump, the Democrat can count on Ms Kochorek's vote.

Laughing at Trump's pledges to secure the border, she showed the BBC gaps in Trump's wall and where people could cut through the steel fencing.

The former president has vowed to seal the border by completing construction of the barrier, increasing enforcement and implementing the largest mass deportation of undocumented migrants in US history.

But earlier this year, he urged Republicans to ditch a hardline, cross-party border bill that was endorsed by Biden and Harris.

"That's the worst bill ever drawn. It's a waste of paper," Trump told supporters earlier on Friday at a rally in Walker, in the swing state of Michigan.

Denying that he lobbied congressional allies to tank the piece of legislation, Trump claimed Harris "want to see if she could salvage it and make up some lies".

"She went to the border today because she's getting killed on the border," he said.

In a statement following Harris's event, the Trump campaign characterised the visit as a "drop-in" and "photo op".

The border crisis has been a major vulnerability for Harris.

As vice-president, she has not directly shaped border policy but was put in charge of addressing the root causes of migration from the Northern Triangle countries of Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras.

Her efforts targeted systemic issues like poverty, corruption, and violence, which for years have driven large numbers of people from these regions to make the treacherous journey to the United States.

It is too soon to tell if the two-part strategy - bolstering democratic institutions and coaxing business leaders to invest in the region - is working, but Harris has taken a lot of blame for upward trends in migration.

As a candidate, she has highlighted her experience as a prosecutor when she was attorney general of California, particularly in investigating transnational and cartel organisations, to emphasise her approach to tackling immigration-related challenges.

Her recent remarks have aligned closely with Biden's emphasis on border security and law enforcement, but also reflect how the politics of the issue have shifted notably to the right.

As she seeks to convince voters that she has a plan, her biggest challenge is finding an approach that balances the legal and humanitarian aspects of the immigration system.

[BBC]

More on the US election

SIMPLE GUIDE: Everything you need to know about the vote
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This year's vice presidential debate might have been the last best chance for either ticket to connect with a national audience before Election Day  and change minds, for better or worse.
WASHINGTON  Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris went on the offensive Friday during a visit to the U.S.-Mexico border, saying she would impose tougher asylum restrictions if elected president  as former President Donald Trump hammers her on the Biden administration's immigration policies.

Speaking from Douglas, Arizona, about 120 miles southeast of Tucson and home to the states second busiest port of entry, Harris said she will do more to reduce illegal border crossings. And, would take "further action to keep the border closed between ports of entry."

Although Harris did not discuss her plans in detail, a campaign official said Harris would work to make it harder to lift an emergency order put in place by President Joe Biden this year that authorizes the U.S. to turn away migrants who enter the country without legal permission when the border is overwhelmed.

"While we understand that many people are desperate to migrate to the United States, our system must be orderly and secure. And that is my goal." Harris, the vice president said.

More: Harris heads to southern border in Arizona  where she's losing ground to Trump

Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris (C) visits the US-Mexico border with US Border Patrol Tucson Sector Chief John Modlin (R) in Douglas, Arizona, on September 27, 2024.

Under executive action that Biden took in June, the U.S. is compelled to turn away asylum seekers anytime unlawful border crossings hit an average of 2,500 people a day in a given week  a threshold that was regularly met during the height of the nations migration surge earlier this year.

The existing policy requires the border to reopen when crossings dip below an average of 1,500 people a day over one week  a level still not reached even as border encounters have declined in recent months. But Harris' change would require the number of average illegal border crossings to drop further before a border reopening could occur.

"The United States is a sovereign nation, and I believe we have a duty to set rules at our border and to enforce them. And I take that responsibility very seriously," Harris said.

Vice President Kamala Harris holds a campaign event near the U.S.-Mexico border at Cochise College's Douglas Campus on Sept. 27, 2024, in Douglas.

Support for a 'pathway to citizenship'

Harris said migrants who cross the border illegally will be apprehended, removed and barred them from reentering the U.S. for five years. She also said her administration would pursue "more severe criminal charges against repeat violators," while barring individuals who enter the U.S. illegally from receiving asylum.

Despite taking a hardline stance on border security, Harris said she also supports a "pathway to citizenship" for undocumented migrants currently in the United States. She singled out farmer workers and undocumented individuals who were brought to the U.S. as children  known as Dreamers, based on legislation called the DREAM Act, which never passed Congress.

They are American in every way, Harris said. "I reject the false choice that suggests we must either choose between securing our border or creating a system of immigration that is safe, orderly and humane."

And she sought to distance herself from the the child-separation policies of Trump, accusing the Republican nominee of making the challenges at the border of worse and still "fanning the flames of fear and division."

"Let me be clear: That is not the work of a leader," Harris said.

More: Donald Trump holds lead over Kamala Harris in Arizona, exclusive poll finds

Trump, who has promised "mass deportations" of undocumented immigrants in a second presidency, has repeatedly slammed Harris for her role as Biden's point person assigned to address root causes of migration to the southern border.

"The worst border crisis in the history of the world," Trump said Thursday in New York. "And the architect is Kamala Harris."

Immigration  historically a losing issue for Democrats in elections  remains a liability for Harris. A USA TODAY/Suffolk University national poll this month found likely voters, by a 50%-47% margin, believe Trump would do a better job handling immigration than Harris A Quinnipiac University poll this week found Trump with a wider 53%-45% edge on immigration.

Ahead of her speech, Harris made an unscheduled stop to view a stretch of a border wall constructed under the Obama administration. She walked along the barrier for about 10 minutes and was briefed by John Modlin, chief patrol agent of the U.S. Border Patrol Tucson Sector and Blaine Bennett, the agent in charge for the Douglas Station Border Patrol.

Harris also met with Border Patrol officials to discuss disrupting the flow of fentanyl through the border.

"Theyve got a tough job and they need, rightly, support to do their job," Harris told reporters.

Harris introduced by mother whose son died from fentanyl

Harris trip came as shes lagging behind Trump in Arizona, a key battleground state. Trump is leading Harris by 6 percentage points, 48%-42%, among likely Arizona voters, according to a new poll released Friday by USA TODAY/Suffolk University. The margin of error is 4.4%.

Theresa Guerrero, whose son, Jacob, died from fentanyl in 2020, introduced Harris. Guerrero said her late-husband was from Douglas and that she believes Harris will fight for families to curb fentanyl from crossing the border.

It was devastating when he died, Guerrero said of her son. It still is, losing a child isn't something you get over, but I've made sure every single day since to make sure his death meant something, which is why I'm here.

US Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris (C) visits the US-Mexico border with US Border Patrol Tucson Sector Chief John Modlin (R) in Douglas, Arizona, on September 27, 2024.

With signs that said border security and stability flanking the stage, Guerrero said she believes that Harris is visiting the border because she cares about us, she cares about our families, and she cares about securing the border."

Continuing one of her central attacks on the campaign trail, Harris emphasized Trump's role in encouraging Republican senators to kill a bipartisan border bill this year that was packed with tough new border restrictions and funding for more Border Patrol agents and immigration judges.

"It was endorsed by the Border Patrol union, and it should be in effect today, producing results in real time right now for our country," Harris said. "But Donald Trump tanked it. He picked up the phone and called some friends in Congress and said, 'Stop the bill.' Because, you see, he prefers to run on a problem instead of fixing a problem."

Harris said the American people "deserve a president who cares more about border security than playing political games," promising to bring the legislation back if elected.

The visit marked Harris' second trip to the southern border as vice president and her first as the Democratic presidential nominee. Harris previously visited the southern border during a 2021 trip to El Paso, Texas. Trump campaigned at the U.S.-Mexico border last month in Sierra Vista, Arizona.

More: Kamala Harris needs Latinos to win these swing states. They say she has more to do

Reach Joey Garrison on X @joeygarrion and Rebecca Morin @RebeccaMorin_

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: VP Harris pushes tougher asylum restrictions during border visit
Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris talks with John Modlin, the chief patrol agent for the Tucson Sector of the U.S. Border Patrol, right, and Blaine Bennett, the U.S. Border Patrol Douglas Station border patrol agent in charge, as she visits the U.S. border with Mexico in Douglas, Ariz., Friday, Sept. 27, 2024. | Carolyn Kaster

With fewer than 40 days left until Election Day, Vice President Kamala Harris is passing through Arizona to make her pitch to critical swing state voters.

She first acknowledged the devastating Hurricane Helene that was moving across the eastern United States, before diving into her remarks in Douglas, Ariz., on Friday evening.

So Arizona, I think you all know, and this is why you are here, Harris said. There are consequential issues at stake in this election, and one is the security of our border.

This is Harris first border visit since her trip to El Paso, Texas, in 2021. The vice president has often received criticism for ignoring the problems at the southern border. Her latest visit was a chance to address one of her biggest vulnerabilities in the 2024 presidential election. Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., accompanied her to the border.

She said she spoke to border patrol agents at the port of entry in Douglas, who told her they need more resources to secure the southern border. Thats why last December, I helped raise the rate of overtime pay for border agents, and also why I strongly supported the comprehensive border security bill written last year.

This bipartisan border legislation would have allowed the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to hire more agents, install fentanyl inspection machines, and increase the number of immigration judges and asylum officers.

But Donald Trump tanked it. He picked up the phone and called some friends in Congress and said, Stop the bill, because, you see, he prefers to run on a problem instead of fixing a problem, Harris said. She pledged to bring back that bill and sign it into law, if elected.

What is Kamala Harris proposing for the border?

Harris proposed stricter asylum laws during her remarks, like apprehending migrants who cross the border between the legal ports of entry. Those individuals will be apprehended and removed and barred from reentering for five years, she said.

We will pursue more severe criminal charges against repeat violators, and if someone does not make an asylum request at a legal point of entry and instead crosses our border unlawfully, they will be barred from receiving asylum.

Harris promised to hand over state-of-the-art fentanyl-detecting technology to seaports and airports and to double the resources for the Department of Justice to pursue transnational criminal organizations and cartels.

She also called for targeting the entire global fentanyl supply chain by demanding that China crack down on the companies that make those chemicals.

Harris also rejected the notion that legal immigration reform that is orderly and humane cant go hand in hand with securing the border: We can and we must do both.

Republicans react to Kamala Harris border visit

Former President Donald Trump, at a campaign event Thursday, slammed Harris for perpetuating the overwhelming crisis at the border.

For nearly four years, we have been living through the worst border crisis in the history of the world, Trump said at Trump Tower in New York, as The Hill reported.

Theres never been anything like it, which has brought untold suffering, misery, and death upon our land. The architect of this destruction is Kamala Harris, he said.

Trump cited data on immigrants crossing the border who have criminal histories. Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, had requested the numbers of these migrants crossing the border. He received a letter from a senior official at the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

The letter, posted on Gonzales X account, states that as of July 2024, more than 662,000 noncitizens have criminal histories on ICEs national docket. More than 13,000 migrants have a homicide on their record, per his tweet.

Ahead of Harris arrival, the National Border Council Patrol, which endorsed Trump in the 2020 election, issued a statement critical of Harris.

After years of not just ignoring the problem, but helping create it, Vice President Kamala Harris is finally headed down to the border.

This is nothing more than for her to check the box, but what it is in reality is a slap in the face towards the men and women that put their lives on the line every day, and also a slap in the face to the American public, the statement, obtained by Fox News, said. Where has she been?

Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., also traveled to the border on Friday to show voters the reality instead of cleaned up fake rhetorical border, in a video he posted on X. Were east of a place called Sasabe, which is a port of entry, he said, noting he could see part of the wall built at the southern border under the Trump administration.

He continued, Good grief, its still a crisis. You had over 158,000 encounters last month.

In another post, Biggs said Harris visit was simply a photo op.

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris followed by Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., walks after arriving in Douglas, Ariz., Friday, Sept. 27, 2024. | Carolyn Kaster
TOPEKA (KSNT)  A Kansas City icon took a trip down to the capital city today to visit his most popular fan base.

KC Wolf, better known under the fur as Dan Meers, spoke to students at the Holy Family Catholic School in Oakland on some important lesson KC Wolf follows.

He shared his ABCs with students, attitude, behavior and character.

When he was talking about the ABCs of success, Relynn Ronoso, Principal of Holy Family Catholic School, said. He talked to the students about having a positive attitude, good behavior, and a good character you know that was really special and that really meant a lot to everybody.

Get a taste of Downtown Topeka this week

Students got to ask the pressing questions such as, how hot the costume is, who is favorite player is and if he has met Taylor Swift.

For more local news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news in northeast Kansas by downloading our mobile app and by signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track Weather app by clicking here.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KSNT 27 News.
A Kansas City man has been charged with ten felonies and misdemeanors, including murder, in a double-shooting that killed a man and injured a woman earlier this month.

Otis Wayne Brown, 48, was charged Friday in Jackson County Court with second-degree murder for his role in the shooting death of Shroy Lapsely, 39.

Other charges pending against Brown include four counts of armed criminal action, two counts of unlawful use of a weapon, one count of assault or attempted assault, one count of property damage and one count of interference with a legal process. All but the latter two charges are felonies.

On September 3 around 11:30 a.m.  just before the shooting  Kansas City police officers were called by employees at a Phillips 66 gas station at 5425 Prospect Avenue and asked to remove the two victims from the gas station, according to court documents. After officers ejected them from the gas station, the two walked south on E. 55th Street toward South Benton Avenue, court documents read, where the officers allegedly heard gunshots a few minutes later.

Officers responded to the intersection and found both victims lying in the street with gunshot wounds. Both were transported to Research Medical Center, where Lapsely was pronounced dead around 1 a.m. September 4.

While the woman was recovering from her gunshot wounds at Research Medical Center, she allegedly told officers that a man she identified as Brown had approached her and Lapsely at the intersection on foot and fired three shots at them.

The woman said that she immediately recognized Brown and that he would have been well acquainted with Lapsely, according to court documents.

Another witness familiar with both Brown and Lapsely told police that Brown and the woman had previously been dating, and that Brown had become upset when she began dating Lapsely, according to court documents.

After his arrest, Brown allegedly refused to allow detectives to swab his mouth for a DNA sample, according to court documents. Officers involved with Browns post arrest interview said that he threw furniture around the interview room and threatened to assault the various people in the room, court documents read.

Brown was previously convicted of unlawful use of a weapon in 2022, according to court records. He has also previously faced at least three charges related to resisting or evading arrest, court records show.

Brown is not currently eligible to be released on bond, according to court records. He will next appear in Jackson County court for a bond review hearing on October 3 at 10:00 a.m.

Lapselys murder was the 109th homicide reported in Kansas City, Missouri in 2024, according to data collected by The Star.

At the same time last year, 139 homicides had been reported in the city, according to Star data.

Reporting by The Stars Kendrick Calfee was used in this article.
The Kansas Supreme Court unanimously ordered a new trial in 2015 Hutchinson murder case because a Reno County District Court judge improperly forced the defendant to represent himself at trial. In addition, the Supreme Court set a precedent by declaring a defendant in Kansas could forfeit the right to court-appointed counsel by engaging in extreme misconduct. (Kansas Reflector screen capture from Kansas Supreme Court's website)

TOPEKA  The Kansas Supreme Court unanimously ordered a new trial for a Hutchinson man because a Reno County District Court judge violated the defendants constitutional right to assistance of an attorney during a 2019 murder trial.

The justices found Judge Trish Roses order that defendant Brennan Trass had to assume responsibility for his own defense violated the 6th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. Trass, 40, was accused of shooting to death Jose Morales during a 2015 methamphetamine transaction. It took more than three years to go to trial, in part, because 11 attorneys assigned to defend Trass were excused after clashing with Trass or due to a lawyers conflict of interest.

Rose, frustrated with pace of the case, issued an order that left Trass to defend himself at trial. He challenged that order in district court before he was convicted of felony murder in 2019 and subsequently through a direct appeal to the Supreme Court.

The Supreme Court decided Rose was wrong to declare Trass forfeited his right to a court-appointed attorney. In addition, the Supreme Court said Rose failed to advise Trass of the disadvantages of self-representation or to allow Trass an opportunity to modify his behavior to meet an acceptable standard.

The judge did have a standby attorney in the courtroom at trial, who was called upon at close of the trial when Trass asked to sit out the remainder of the proceeding in jail.

The district court violated Trass right to counsel under the Sixth Amendment to the United States Constitution, Justice Melissa Standridge said in the courts opinion. Because this violation constitutes structural error affecting the trial mechanism, we reverse his convictions for first-degree felony murder and criminal possession of a firearm and remand for a new trial before a different judge.

The opinion said violation of the Sixth Amendment right to counsel was an issue of fundamental fairness and required automatic reversal of the conviction.

Meanwhile, the state Supreme Court established precedent in the opinion by declaring a defendant in Kansas could forfeit the right to counsel by engaging in extraordinary misconduct.

Although we have never held as a matter of law that a criminal defendant in Kansas can forfeit the right to counsel through misconduct, we do so today, the opinion said.

In doing so, the state appellate court said Trass conduct didnt rise to the level necessary to warrant denial of counsel. The justices said Trass actions didnt amount to egregious misconduct or a course of disruption designed to thwart judicial proceedings.

Forfeiture is an extreme sanction in response to extreme conduct that jeopardizes the integrity or safety of court proceedings and should be used only under extraordinary circumstances as a last resort in response to the most serious and deliberate misconduct, Standridge wrote.

Prior to trial in March 2019, the opinion said, Rose told Trass that Im finding that you have waived your right to appointed counsel by your conduct. I am finding that appointment of new counsel would be an exercise in futility. She directed attorney Bobby Hiebert to be Trass standby counsel.

Reno County prosecutors filed a motion asking the judge to formally advise the defendant of the pitfalls of representing himself. At a subsequent pre-trial hearing, Rose declined to outline potential disadvantages of self-representation or explore Trass readiness to proceed in district court.

Before the trial started, Trass denied he forfeited or knowingly waived his right to counsel. He admitted to the shooting, but made the argument it was self-defense.

Trass did not expressly waive his right to counsel, so he could only implicitly waive the right through conduct or by forfeiting the right, the Supreme Court said. A review of the record reflects Trass did not implicitly waive his right to counsel based on his conduct.

The opinion also said: The courts failure to advise Trass about the disadvantages of self-representation  even after the state encouraged the court to hold a hearing to do so  precludes a finding that Trass knowingly, voluntarily and intentionally chose to relinquish his right to counsel.

In another finding by the Supreme Court, the justices said the lengthy period between the 2015 homicide and the 2019 trial didnt violate Trass right to a speedy trial.

The justices also said evidence presented at trial was sufficient to support the conviction of Trass on charges of felony murder and possession of a firearm. Originally, Trass was sentenced to more than 50 years in prison.
Kashmir hopes for a voice after first election in 10 years

Local elections are being held in Indian-administered Kashmir after a decade [Getty Images]

Nestled in the mountains of Indian-administered Kashmir, Shopian - once a hotbed of militancy - sees a steady stream of voters entering a polling booth.

The former state of Jammu and Kashmir - now divided into two federally administered territories - is holding its first assembly election in a decade. The third and last phase of voting is on Tuesday and results will be declared on 8 October.

Since the 1990s, an armed separatist insurgency against Indian rule in the region has claimed thousands of lives, including those of civilians and security forces.

Earlier, elections were marred by violence and boycotts as separatists saw polls as a means for Delhi to try and legitimise its control. The high voter turnout now signals a change - people here say they have waited long to be heard.

The level of poverty in our area is severe, says 52-year-old Mohammad Yusuf Ganai after casting his vote. He laments that the lack of jobs has forced educated young Kashmiris to "sit at home".

The last elections a decade ago resulted in a coalition government that collapsed in 2018. Before new polls could be held, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government revoked the region's autonomy and statehood, sparking widespread discontent among Kashmiris.

For five years, Jammu and Kashmir has been under federal control with no local representation, and this election offers people a long-awaited chance to voice their concerns.

We will finally be able to go to the elected official with our problems, says 65-year-old Mohammad Abdul Dar.

Engineer Rashid (third from left) has been in jail since 2019 but was granted interim bail to campaign for the election [Bilal Kuchay]

Nearly 150km (93 miles) away in Uri, the last town near the Line of Control - the de facto border with Pakistan-administered Kashmir - newly elected MP from the Awami Ittehad Party (AIP) Engineer Rashid addresses a frenzied crowd. In jail since 2019 on terror funding charges that he denies, Rashid was granted interim bail to campaign for the election.

People flock to his motorcade, one seeking a selfie, another offering a jacket, as Rashids personal struggles appear to resonate deeply with voters.

"I want development and a resolution to the Jammu and Kashmir issue," Rashid says. Being part of the system now as a lawmaker, he adds, will help him raise these issues in Delhi.

Civil engineer Tanvir Chalkoo, 29, listens intently to Rashid.

Calling the scrapping of autonomy the worst kind of injustice, Tanvir asks why as an Indian he should be treated any differently.

People have been deprived of their rights for the last 10 years, he says.

BJP candidate Engineer Aijaz Hussain (centre) says people in Kashmir have faith in the election process now [Saraskanth TK]

The BJP government insists that scrapping the regions special status and placing it under direct rule has brought peace and development, with Prime Minister Modi announcing $700m (523m) in projects during a visit in March. Its now up to BJP candidate Engineer Aijaz Hussain in Srinagar's Lal Chowk to convince voters of this message.

Previously, no one would go door to door [to campaign]. Today, they are. This is our achievement, isnt it? says Aijaz.

He points to the increased voter turnout as proof of faith in the election process, with the recent parliamentary elections seeing record participation. Yet, despite these claims, the BJP did not contest those elections and is now only fielding candidates in 19 of the 47 assembly seats in the Kashmir valley.

The partys stronghold remains the Hindu-dominated Jammu region with 43 seats, where it is hoping to score well.

Our organisation is weak in other constituencies, admits Aijaz.

The Hindu nationalist BJP has been trying to make inroads in the Muslim-majority Kashmir valley, where it has had little presence.

Aijaz's cavalcade of nearly 50 BJP-flagged cars drove through Srinagar's narrow lanes, a show of strength unimaginable in Kashmir just a few years ago.

While some come out of their homes to greet Aijaz with sweets, others refrain. The BJP is still seen by many here as the party in Delhi which took away their autonomy.

Maleha Sofi, 24, is disillusioned with the BJP, believing the touted peace has come at the cost of personal liberties, and has decided not to vote. We are not allowed to say anything, she says.

Legacy parties like the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have made this central to their campaign.

This election is an act of self-preservation for Kashmiris, says Waheed Para, the partys candidate from Pulwama. Its a step to reclaim what was lost and preserve what we have.

In 2020, Para was jailed for nearly two years, accused of aiding banned separatist groups. India has long faced accusations of human rights violations in Kashmir - it denies this - but critics say this has intensified in the past few years.

Maleha Sofi, 24, says she doesn't want to vote [Saraskanth TK]

Ahead of the assembly election, Amnesty International accused the government of fostering a "climate of fear" and urged an end to arbitrary detentions under strict anti-terror laws used to silence dissent on Jammu and Kashmir.

But the BJP government in Delhi has always taken a hard line on this. Aijaz says all those people who are with separatists will be dealt with very seriously.

While regional political parties promise change and say they are fighting for the rights of Kashmiris, how much influence will they have after these elections?

Lawyer Zafar Shah anticipates friction between the federal administration and the elected government which will soon assume charge.

Before 2019, when Jammu and Kashmir was a state, the chief minister could enact laws with the consent of the governor, who was bound by the state cabinets recommendations.

Now, as a federal territory under a Lieutenant Governor (LG), the chief minister must get the LG's approval, especially on sensitive issues like public order, appointments and prosecutions. Power has shifted, says Mr Shah, as the LG wont act without clearance from the federal home ministry.

Whether the LG can create hurdles in the governments working, thats a matter to be seen when an actual situation arises, adds Mr Shah.

Despite the challenges, many in Kashmir hope these elections will give them a chance to finally have their own representatives to voice their concerns.

Read more India stories
Kate Gallego, a Democrat, became the mayor of Phoenix in 2019 and is up for reelection in 2024.

The 42-year-old mayor was elected to the City Council in 2013 as the council representative for District 8, part of downtown and south Phoenix. She drew support by campaigning for a more environmentally friendly and urban city and enhanced public transportation. Gallego was the first white person elected to represent District 8, a majority-minority area that, while mostly Latino, elected the council's only Black councilmember for decades.

Gallego was reelected to represent District 8 in 2017 after running unopposed, but she quickly vacated the seat to run for mayor in 2018 after Greg Stanton resigned from the post to run for Congress. She and Daniel Valenzuela were the top vote-getters in November 2018. Gallego defeated him in the March 2019 runoff, then ran again in November 2020 and won her first full term.

Phoenix City Council races 2024: Who's running and what to know

Before joining the City Council, Gallego worked in economic development for Salt River Project, one of the state's largest utility providers, and for Gov. Janet Napolitano, a Democrat. She has one son and was formerly married to Ruben Gallego, D.-Ariz., a U.S. Representative for Arizona's 3rd District who is currently running for U.S. Senate against Kari Lake, a Republican.

Gallego graduated from Harvard University and received an MBA from the University of Pennsylvania.

She earns a salary of $88,000 annually as mayor. However, she could see an 18% raise to $103,840 if Phoenix voters approve Proposition 489 in the Nov. 5, 2024, election.

Financial disclosure documents from 2024 show Gallego is worth at least $351,000 through investment and retirement accounts.

On City Council, Gallego has advocated for more economic development with a focus on high-wage jobs. She has championed workforce training programs at the Maricopa County Community Colleges.

Gallego has also made a name for herself advocating for the expansion and advancement of Phoenix's bioscience industry. Under her leadership, the city has invested millions in the Phoenix Bioscience Core downtown. The city's General Obligation bond program approved by voters allocates millions to the new Arizona State University medical school.

Taylor Seely covers Phoenix for The Arizona Republic / azcentral.com. Reach her at tseely@arizonarepublic.com or by phone at 480-476-6116.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Who is Kate Gallego, mayor of Phoenix?
Katie Piper was attacked with acid in 2008, arranged by an ex-boyfriend [Zac Walton]

Model and campaigner Katie Piper has taken on highest peak in Wales with fellow burns survivors to raise money for charity.

The group hiked up Yr Wyddfa - also known as Snowdon - on Saturday for the Katie Piper Foundation.

Hiker Adele Bellis, who lost her right ear, half of her hair, and suffered extensive scarring from an acid attack, said the charity helped her create "a life I didn't think I could ever have".

So far the charity has raised 11,000 of its 15,000 target.

Piper, 40, from Andover in Hampshire, was left with serious injuries and permanent scarring after an acid attack in 2008.

She had hundreds of surgeries to repair damage to her face and eyesight following the attack on the orders of her ex-boyfriend.

Ex-boyfriend Daniel Lynch and Stefan Sylvestre, the man who threw the acid, were jailed for life in 2009.

Piper lost sight in one eye but doctors at the Queen Victoria Hospital, in East Grinstead, restored it.

She set up her foundation in 2010, and the charity is celebrating having helped 99 burns survivors, and provided residential rehab to 20.

"I think a burn injury is incredibly difficult to cope with, and it's not the case of having treatment, you're cured and everything's OK, it's physically very debilitating," Piper said.

"Once you meet us, there's no limit - you never have to leave us, we're here for you forever."

Adele Bellis has received care and support through the Katie Piper Foundation [Adele Bellis]

Yr Wyddfa was chosen because the variety of routes mean fundraisers of all abilities can take part, Piper said.

The hike is also a "bucket list moment" for her, because despite visiting family in Neath a lot, she has never done it.

Hiking with her is Ms Bellis, 32, from Suffolk, who was attacked with sulphuric acid in 2014, arranged by an ex-boyfriend.

Ms Bellis said: "I remember being in hospital, wishing he killed me instead, just because I couldn't see a way forward."

Adele Bellis was on the phone when she was attacked with acid on the orders of her ex-boyfriend [Adele Bellis]

Anthony Riley, of Raglan Road, Lowestoft, was jailed for life. A friend he paid to attack her and two others were also jailed.

This year marked the 10-year anniversary of the attack.

Ms Bellis said she wanted to "celebrate just how far I've come" and to give back to the "amazing charity" without which "I don't know where I'd be".

She said the charity has done many things over the years for her, including organising counselling and a place at a French rehab centre.

"I accept who I am, if anything, my scars represent my freedom, my strength and the person I am now," Ms Bellis said.

Ms Piper and others climbed up Yr Wyddfa on Saturday [Katie Piper Foundation]

Fellow hiker Stuart Cooper woke up on fire in his flat in Cornwall in October 2019.

The next time he opened his eyes, it was December, he was in Morriston hospital in Swansea, and Covid meant everyone was wearing masks.

The father-of-four, 49, from Penzance said the accident "is still a mystery" because his flat was powered by electric, but a gas heater could have been the source.

Stuart Cooper says he has had a book published full of his poems about his accident and the "world-class care" he received [Katie Piper Foundation]

Before Mr Cooper woke up from his coma, his eldest son was told "there was no hope".

"I was in a coma for six weeks, the coma didn't win," he said. "Since waking up it's been basically nothing but a mission to prove people wrong."

He said the Katie Piper Foundation has been invaluable.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE)  As East Tennessee communities are still assessing the damage after Fridays storms and flooding, the Knoxville-Knox County Emergency Management Agency (KEMA) said Saturday afternoon that potential flooding could impact East Knox County via the French Broad River.

READ: More top stories on WATE.com

KEMA officials issued an urgent notice to residents in communities along the French Broad River in East Knox County regarding potential flooding, a news release stated, due to increasing the release of swell water from Douglas Dam. The French Broad River is projected to rise between two and two-and-a-half feet during the swell water discharge, KEMA stated.

The release of water is necessary to maintain the integrity of the dam as water flows downstream from affected areas in Northeast Tennessee, the release stated.

KEMA is continuing to monitor the situation. If evacuations are recommended, emergency response agencies and KEMA will notify the affected communities as quickly as possible. Residents are advised to take the following precautions:

Stay informed  monitor local news, and the social media accounts of local emergency response agencies and local governments.

Be prepared  potential flooding and possible evacuation can occur.

Avoid driving  especially through flooded areas, since gauging the depth of floodwaters, as well as the condition of the roads, can be difficult.

Several communities, especially in Cocke, Sevier, Jefferson, Greene and Unicoi counties, have been impacted by extreme flooding or excess floodwaters since Fridays storms rolled through from a tropical system with Hurricane Helene. President Joe Biden has approved an emergency declaration for Tennessee due to the flooding, while the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has set up a missing persons hotline. Governor Bill Lee is expected to visit the impacted areas on Saturday.

This is a developing story. Download the WATE 6 News app or sign up for our email alerts for updates.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WATE 6 On Your Side.
Kentuckys attorney general is suing the pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) Express Scripts over its role in worsening the states opioid crisis.

In the complaint filed in state court, Attorney General Russell Coleman (R) argued Express Scripts is at the center of the opioid dispensing chain that helped fuel the crisis.

Coleman claimed the company and its affiliates colluded with manufacturers in deceptive marketing practices to increase opioid sales. He said Express Scripts also ignored evidence of addiction and misuse found in its own claims data.

Defendants ignored evidence of misuse, addiction, and diversion and used their data to boost Express Scripts profits and manufacturers sales at the expense of public health and safety, the complaint stated.

Coleman said Kentucky has been at the epicenter of the opioid crisis and has some of the highest rates of overdose deaths. Last year alone, 1,984 Kentuckians died of a drug overdose, he said.

The role of Express Scripts in causing the opioid epidemic has been largely concealed from public view, the complaint stated.

But it has now become clear that, for no less than the last two decades, Express Scripts has had a key role in facilitating the oversupply of opioids through intentional conduct that disregarded needed safeguards in order to increase the prescribing, dispensing, and sales of prescription opioids.

Express Scripts said it has a long history of working with its health plan sponsor clients across the country.

We will vigorously contest these baseless allegations in court, the company said in a statement to The Hill.

In recent years, lawmakers and regulators have increasingly scrutinized the business practices of PBMs, the opaque intermediaries in the center of the pharmaceutical distribution system.

PBMs negotiate the terms and conditions of access to prescription drugs for hundreds of millions of Americans. They are responsible for negotiating prices with drug companies, paying pharmacies and determining which drugs patients can access and how much they cost.

Colemans lawsuit follows one filed by Arkansas, which in July sued Express Scripts and Optum, alleging PBMs contributed to the dramatic rise in the abuse of painkillers.

Kentuckys lawsuit says the state is entitled to $2,000 for each willful violation of the Kentucky Consumer Protection Act.

Express Scripts and the other pharmacy benefit managers amassed an unprecedented level of power, using it to push opioid pills and conceal unlawful activity, Coleman said in a statement. They must be held to account for profiting off Kentucky families pain.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Kids are being sexually assaulted by people they meet on social media. Heres how to prevent it

Editors note: Kara Alaimo is an associate professor of communication at Fairleigh Dickinson University. Her book Over the Influence: Why Social Media Is Toxic for Women and Girls  And How We Can Take It Back was recently published by Alcove Press. Follow her on Instagram, Facebook and X.

Most parents probably wouldnt let their kids go to bars and nightclubs where they could meet adults who might harm them. But many parents do let them use social media, where some children are connecting with predators who go on to sexually assault them, say researchers slated to speak about these findings Sunday at the 2024 American Academy of Pediatrics National Conference and Exhibition in Orlando.

The new study, to be presented at the conference, found that about 7% of children ages 10 through 18 who were treated for sexual assault at a California hospital between 2018 and 2023 said that social media had facilitated their communication with their perpetrator. When the researchers looked only at cases of sexual assault by perpetrators who werent related to their victims, the number was even higher: Twelve percent of the children said their communications with their perpetrator led to their sexual assault.

The average age of the victims in the study was 13, and 89% of them were female, while about 80% of the perpetrators were adult men.

Lead study author Dr. Shalon Nienow said follow-up research that she is conducting with more recent data suggests the percentage of sexual assaults of children by acquaintances tied to social media apps is now significantly greater.

Social media is a ubiquitous form of communication for children and adolescents that can breed a false sense of security and friendship with those that they meet online, said Nienow, medical director of the Chadwick Center for Children and Families at Rady Childrens Hospital-San Diego.

It is our experience that in cases of acquaintance sexual assault, social media plays a significant role in facilitating communication and connection between victims and their perpetrators.

Talking to kids about online safety and consent

The threat from social media has changed the ways parents need to protect their kids.

In the past, knowing where your children were was usually enough, but now sexual harassment and predation can happen in our homes without parents knowing it, said Anna Akerman, an associate professor in the department of communications at Adelphi University in New York, who studies the impact of media on children. Sexually victimized adolescents are often reluctant to share their experiences due to feelings of guilt, fear and shame. She was not involved in the new study.

Such feelings are why its important for parents to talk about these risks with their children. Parents need to explain to their kids how predators could contact them online, why they should get a parents permission before meeting up offline with someone they first connect with online, and why they should say no if they are asked to do something that makes them uncomfortable.

Early and open communication regarding body autonomy, safety and consent issues is imperative to creating a sense of mutual trust and understanding between parents and children and to empower children to discuss any concerns that may arise, said Nienow, who is also an associate clinical professor of pediatrics at the University of California, San Diego.

Keeping tabs of accounts kids are messaging

Its also important to keep track of whom your children are talking to on social networks. Many parents presume that this is a violation of their childs privacy, Nienow said. However, use of phones and social media is a privilege that comes with responsibility.

This month, Instagram launched new safety features that allow parents to see what accounts their children recently messaged. These safeguards are a promising way for parents to keep tabs on whom kids are in contact with without reading the content of their messages.

Instagrams new settings for users younger than age 18 allow them only to receive messages from people with whom theyre already connected. However, 16- to 17-year-olds have the option to change their settings, so its important for parents to ensure that they dont do so and that children have accurately reported their ages so that their accounts are marked as teen accounts.

Teaching kids about appropriate content

Its also important for parents to pay attention to the content their kids are posting on social media, Akerman said.

Research suggests that teens often inadvertently put themselves at risk by posting images and/or words that could be interpreted as provocative, she said. Unfortunately, they are often unaware of the implications of their communications given their naivete, still developing judgment skills and more limited personal experiences when compared to adults.

One way that teenagers may endanger themselves is by posting sexualized images of themselves. In my research, I found that girls often try to make themselves look hot for pictures because they find its one of the easiest ways to rack up likes on social platforms. Its therefore important to talk to children about how posting such images could make them targeted by predators. Parents should also follow what their kids post.

Of course, children often find ways to get around their parents rules and safeguards. One girl I interviewed for my book told me her mom didnt allow her to post pictures of herself in a bikini. Her mom followed her on Instagram to make sure she followed the rule. So, when she was 14 years old, she instead shared her bikini pictures on a different platform. Then she realized that the photos had been reposted on another social media platform  on an account she said seemed to be used for trafficking girls.

I was scared they could find me and take me, the girl said.

Thankfully, she went to her mom for help. But, as Ive warned before, many kids are afraid to approach their parents when they get into scary situations because they are worried about having their phones taken away. Thats why the most important thing parents can tell their children is that, even if they mess up, they can still turn to them for help.

The ability for sexual predators to connect with kids on social media poses a serious danger.

But, as Akerman said, there are commonsense ways parents can teach their children how to protect themselves and keep on top of what they are doing on social networks.

To the extent that we can monitor what teens do on these platforms and create healthy, open dialogues about their risks we can certainly mitigate this very real, and constantly evolving, risk, Akerman said.

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My kids cage-dived with sharks on vacation. People may judge my parenting, but I don't want my children to live in fear.

My kids cage-dived with sharks on vacation. People may judge my parenting, but I don't want my children to live in fear.

Monet Hambrick, an avid traveler, documents her family vacations on her blog, The Traveling Child.

Her kids, Jordyn, 10, and Kennedy, 8, have done activities like hang-gliding, which she's scared of.

She's gotten flak online for the activities she lets them do, but she believes fear is taught.

This as-told-to essay is based on conversations with Monet Hambrick, a 36-year-old travel blogger based in Florida who shares itineraries and tips for traveling with children on her blog, The Traveling Child . Monet shares two daughters with her husband James Hambrick: Jordyn, who is 10, and Kennedy, who is 8. Monet has been to 50 countries so far in her life, while her daughters have been to over 35. The following has been edited for length and clarity.

When I was in high school, I got a scholarship for a program called The Experiment in International Living.

For the summer, I lived in Botswana with a host family in a village who treated me like their own daughter.

Learning about their culture, their food, their language  and then also having the opportunity to explore and go camping in the Okavango Delta and go to Chobe National Park  truly made an impact on how I choose to travel with my family now.

My husband and I met in college at the University of Florida. From the start of our dating, we traveled together.

When we had kids, everyone was like, "Oh, you're never going to be able to travel anymore now that you have kids." And we were like, "Have you met us?"

Travel is instilled in us, in who we are.

I let my kids do adventurous activities I wouldn't dare try

I am definitely the person who plans our trips.

Adventure stuff? That's my husband.

I don't do crazy things. I don't like roller coasters. I don't like heights.

We went zip-lining in Costa Rica quite a few years ago. Halfway through the zip line, there was this Tarzan swing where they hook you in and then they let you go. I was nearly crying during the zip line, so I was definitely not doing the Tarzan swing.

Our eldest daughter was like, "I want to do it."

Monet's husband took their daughters shark-cage diving to see great white sharks in South Africa. The Traveling Child

We let her do it. When she finished, she was like, "It kind of hurt my stomach a little, but I'm glad I got to do it."

When we went to Cape Town in 2022, my husband and daughters went shark cage diving. They were six and eight.

I stayed on the boat  I took photos and videos from the safety of the boat.

Monet doesn't want her daughters, who have been zip-lining and hand-gliding on their travels, to share her fears. The Traveling Child

They were five and seven when they did hang gliding in Orlando.

Typically, with hang gliding, you run and go off a mountain. There are no mountains in Florida.

How they go hang gliding there is they literally attach the hang glide to those single-propeller planes. The plane takes off and takes the hang glider in the air. Then, when you get to a certain height, the guide un-attaches the hang glider from the plane, and then they start their free-falling descent.

I did not do that, but they loved it. When my youngest daughter came down, she was like, "I want to go again."

People can judge, but I don't want my kids to share my fears

In certain situations, my fear has hindered me from having some amazing experiences because I'm terrified.

If something is deemed safe and my children want to do it, we'll let them.

Sometimes I've gotten flak online about it.

But if it's something that they can do safely, we want to let them have those experiences. That's been our philosophy.

If we keep saying no just because we're scared, eventually, in the future, they're going to be scared of doing everything that they once weren't scared of.

I am a firm believer that fear is taught. The last thing I wanted to do was instill fear in my kids just because I'm scared of something.

Read the original article on Business Insider
The Public Health Department for Seattle and King County is investigating a series of illnesses linked to a Seattle Sushi restaurant.

On Friday, September 27, the health department alerted the public that five people got sick after eating at the Fuji Sushi restaurant at 520 South Main Street in downtown Seattle.

The five people, who were part of the same group, complained about stomach illness after dining at the restaurant on September 16.

Four days after dining at the restaurant, each person in the group started experiencing symptoms.

All five people had one or more signs consistent with a bacterial infection, including feeling sick, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pain, and chills, but other causes cannot be ruled out, The health department wrote.

On September 25, the Health department inspected the restaurant and found unsafe practices on how the food was handled and prepared.

We found many unsafe food safety practices including restaurant staff not washing their hands properly and not wearing gloves when touching different food items. We also found the restaurant prepared food items in a way that allowed for ready-to-eat foods to be contaminated by raw foods, the health department wrote. Because of the many unsafe food safety practices seen at the restaurant, we closed Fuji Sushi immediately and they will not reopen until we revisit the restaurant to make sure they have fixed these problems.

Employees were instructed to stay home if experiencing stomach sickness and return to work only after 24 hours without symptoms.

The health department has not determined which specific food or drink caused the illness.
King Charles has warned there is "much more to be done" to combat climate change as he marked the "important" 25th anniversary of the Scottish Parliament.

The monarch fondly recalled his late mother's love for Balmoral Castle in Aberdeenshire - where she spent her final days - in his speech, and said Scotland held a "uniquely special" place in his heart.

After his speech the King - who has been undergoing treatment for cancer since February - met a number of "local heroes", who were recognised for the impact they have made in their communities.

MSPs also heard speeches from party leaders and musical performances from a variety of acts.

'The most Scottish of values'

During his speech the King, who was joined by the Queen on his visit, told the Parliament that when it reconvened in 1999 it marked a "new dawn" for the country.

He said that the values inscribed on the mace his mother had given the Parliament 25 years ago - wisdom, justice, compassion and integrity - were the "most Scottish of values".

He added: "We are often told that we live in an era of polarisation and division.

"If that is so, then it is perhaps even more important, not less, that in the vital areas of representation, of political debate, of policymaking and of discourse, these values - together with hope, civility, and generosity of spirit - are never far from the heart of even the most difficult of issues."

However, the King later added action would be needed to handle the challenge of climate change.

He said: "Today is an important milestone. As we look ahead to the next quarter of a century and beyond, there remains much more to be done, for Scotland, for the United Kingdom and, equally, in addressing the challenges we all share as inhabitants of a planet whose climate is changing dangerously and whose biodiversity is being seriously depleted."

The King was greeted by well-wishers outside the Scottish Parliament [PA Media]

The King attended the Scottish Parliament opening in 1999 - when he was Prince Charles, and has attended several times since then.

He recalled that it was an "extraordinary occasion" 25 years ago and it was a "great, somewhat daunting" responsibility for MSPs to take on.

However, he said that everyone there was "united by our love of Scotland" and praised the nation's "extraordinary diversity".

He said: "From the central belt, to the North Highlands, across the islands, in Ayrshire, in the Borders, the cities, towns, and villages, or the coastal communities, who, I wonder, could not fail to be moved by this complex Caledonian kaleidoscope?

"Speaking from a personal perspective, Scotland has always had a uniquely special place in the hearts of my family and myself.

"My beloved grandmother was proudly Scottish, my late mother especially treasured the time spent at Balmoral, and it was there in the most beloved of places, where she chose to spend her final days."

The King shares a laugh with Presiding Officer Alison Johnstone [PA Media]

The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, Sistema Scotland, Gaelic song chorus Coisir Alba and mandolin and guitarist Calum McIlroy - who won the BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician prize this year - all performed.

Following the King's speech the leaders of Scotland's political parties all spoke.

First Minister and SNP leader John Swinney said the event celebrated "25 years in which the Scottish Parliament has changed lives for the better" and that it had been "at the heart of the nation" since 1999.

He cited several achievements, such as marriage equality, as having helped make Scotland a fairer society.

He said: "I hope Scotland will continue to shine as a beacon of enlightenment across stormy seas, a refuge for reason in the world, a wellspring of modern thought and creativity."

In his first speech since becoming Scottish Tory leader on Friday, Russell Findlay called on the Parliament to "realign" with the public and said that too many people felt "detached" from the chamber.

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar said he believed "Scotland's best days lie ahead of us" and Alex Cole-Hamilton of the Scottish Liberal Democrats described the Parliament as a "cathedral of ideas" which had shown it could be "transformative" for people's lives.

However, Scottish Greens co-leader Patrick Harvie warned that the Parliament's "journey is far from complete".

Outside, a group of republicans peacefully demonstrated against the monarchy, chanting "Not My King and waving yellow and black Down with the Crown placards as the royals were driven to the Scottish Parliament.
King Charles has been urged to go for an island vibe - Tim Graham Photo Library

The King has been urged to ditch his suit in favour of a more laid-back island vibe when he attends a major Commonwealth meeting in Samoa next month.

He may also leave the country as an island chief, after a local mayor revealed plans to bestow an honorary title on the monarch.

Samoas Prime Minister, Fiame Naomi Mataafa, has urged all delegates heading to the island nation for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), which kicks off on Oct 21, to dress down.

She said she had been frank in her discussions with London in particular, as she sought to prepare her VIP royal visitors for what to expect.

King Charles has been urged to ditch the summer suit - Tim Graham Photo Library

I had an audience with the King, she said of their meeting at Buckingham Palace earlier this year.

Octobers very hot in Samoa. Were not really keen for people to wear suits and be hot and uncomfortable.

You know, we want to encourage more of an island vibe (but) just because its an island doesnt mean were on holiday. It just means that people have to be comfortable so we can have a good meeting.

The King, whose sartorial choices are often hailed by fashion industry experts, tends to opt for cream or beige tones in the summer months.

However, he is rarely seen in anything but a suit and tie, a uniform he is expected to stick to throughout his forthcoming visit to Australia and Samoa.

He once said that it was his duty on royal tours abroad to showcase what he could of British tailoring.

However, he is not averse to giving a sartorial nod to his host country. While the traditional male attire  a wraparound skirt known as a lavalava  is likely off the cards, the King may opt for a more subtle acknowledgement of local custom.

The King has, on occasion, proved willing to ditch his tie.

In his younger years, he was photographed in an array of colourful outfits during foreign tours, donning safari suits, turbans, feathered headdresses, tropical shirts and kaftans.

Ms Mataafa, who boasts Samoan royal lineage herself and is the islands first female prime minister, has insisted it will be a CHOGM like no other.

This is going to be an island CHOGM, she said in a separate video message released earlier this year.

Can I tell you its warm in October, so please dont wear your suits in your packing please do consider that you are coming to an island, and we want you to be comfortable.

We look forward to welcoming you in true island style and we will show you a part of the world that possibly many of you have never travelled to before.

Meanwhile, local mayor, Tofaeono Atuaia Kitiona, revealed that the monarch could be heading home with a new title to add to his collection.

Given the Kings imminent arrival, it is only fitting that we confer upon him a chiefly title that befits his stature, he told the Samoan Observer.

He said the area where the King and Queen will stay has its own traditional kings, with matai family chieftain titles handed down through generations.

A meeting has been held to discuss which matai title would be most fitting for the monarch, with two options under consideration, Le Toaiga-o-Tumua, which translates as The Near East, and Asomua-o-le-malama, meaning Dawn of the Light.

Mr Kitiona said his village was deeply honoured to be hosting the King.

We are meticulously preparing for this visit, understanding that our performance as the host will reflect on the entire nation, he said. We have been entrusted with the important task of ensuring the Kings stay is seamless and exemplary.

Our efforts are focused on making sure that everything is perfect because failing in this duty would mean failing Samoa as a whole.

Anyone responsible for anything untoward faces potential banishment from the village.

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DENVER (KDVR)  It is kokanee salmon spawning season in Colorado and Colorado Parks and Wildlife will be deploying aquatic biologists and hatchery staff to prepare for the upcoming collection of eggs that will keep them busy through the next month.

Kokanee have been in Colorado since they were first introduced in 1951. They are similar to sockeye salmon but will never know the freedom of the sea. They rapidly grow to about 10 to 13 inches in length and typically have a lifespan of about four years.

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Across eight different kokanee spawning locations, CPW was able to gather an estimated 8.3 million kokanee eggs last year. The eggs collected will be raised in hatcheries, and when matured, the salmon will eventually be released into 24 separate bodies of water in the spring.

Fitting so many salmon into these areas requires that not all of them make the journey. In an attempt to make sure all of the remaining salmon do not get wasted, CPW hosts a kokanee giveaway. During this giveaway, they will be distributing thousands of salmon.

In order to participate in the giveaway, recipients must possess a valid Colorado fishing license. Up to four youths may receive salmon if they are accompanied by a licensed adult. Members of the Southern Ute and Ute mountain tribes may show a Tribal ID card, Brunot fishing license or state fishing license.

The giveaways will be hosted in several different locations. The number of salmon given away will be determined by the number of salmon spawned during the previous week. It is advised to bring a small cooler or another similar container to transport them in. The kokanee are available on a first come first serve basis.

In some recent years, weve had issues with too many people showing up to receive a small number of kokanee, said CPWs Dan Brauch. There have been days where we had almost as many people show up as we had fish, so its best for people to call ahead so they dont travel too far for a small amount of fish.

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Some locations may not have the amount of salmon they desire and the giveaways may be canceled. Conversely, new giveaways may be scheduled that are not in the initial release of locations and dates. To check for updates on the availability of salmon or added dates those interested can reach out to the individual locations to hear about their status.

We have had great runs the last few years at Dolores, and Lake Nighthorse has been pretty consistent in recent years, said Senior Aquatic Biologist Jim White. I think we will have a reasonable number of fish for those scheduled giveaways. Recipients should always bear in mind that giveaways vary based on the natural run of the salmon, number of people that show up and size of the fish. Nighthorse fish are little hot dogs compared to Blue Mesa. Keep in mind, these fish are not going to taste like an ocean-run salmon

Giveaways will be hosted at these locations

Roaring Judy Fish Hatchery(North of Gunnison)  Oct. 11, 18, 25 and Nov. 1, 8.

Attendees should be in line by 9 a.m. to receive their salmon. Kokanee numbers are expected to be low this year. To check on the status of the location call 970-641-0190 or 970-641-7070.

Lake Nighthorse(Durango)  Nov. 8, 15, 22.

These giveaways will begin at 3 p.m. Staff will usually allow access to the parking area around 2 p.m. To check on the status of the location call 970-247-0855.

Joe Rowell Park(Dolores)  Oct. 24, 31.

These giveaways will also begin at 3 p.m. and it is encouraged to get there early. To check on the status of this location call 970-247-0855.

Other possible locations 

There are several locations that have the potential to host giveaways depending on circumstances.

Grandby or Shadow Mountain  To receive the status of these locations call 970-725-6200.

Wolford Mountain Reservoir  To receive the status of this location call 970-725-6200.

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Those interested in the kokanee salmon giveaways can find additional information in the 2024 Kokanee Salmon Regulations brochure.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX31 Denver.
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (WJHL)- The year of planning and putting together a full military funeral service for Major Sergeant David Paul Sluder seems minuscule in comparison to the 73 years his family has waited to find out what happened to him.

My only memory of my uncle was when I was ten years old, said Sluders niece Gerri Hayden.

The army man served in World War II and re-enlisted when the Korean conflict began.

He was fighting at Rum River with the 63rd division and 24th infantry, said Hayden. There was a communication outage that day so his commanding officer sent him to the little village nearby to warn the American soldiers that were there and the village people that the enemy was coming Unfortunately, the enemy was already there.

But his family only recently learned of what led to his final moments, thanks to fellow Sergeant James Bolt, through the Korean War Project.

He kept a daily diary of all of the events daily and published of the Korean War and published his memoirs, Hayden said of Bolt.

Sluders daughter, Mary, whom he had never had the chance to meet, put out a plea begging anyone with information to share it.

This James Bolt sent her an email. I know him. Thats Paul Sluder. He was my friend. I fought with him. I know exactly what happened to him,' said Hayden. He told her that the village chief had told him that he watched the enemy kill the man with the three stripes on his uniform and where he was.

His daughter took that to the Army Liaison. Family members gave DNA to see if it matched any remains.

On September 27, 2023, they got the call that Sluders remains had been buried at the Punchbowl National Cemetery in Hawaii.

[His daughter] had gone over to Hawaii and got to see the remains of her father and her words were, I have finally met my father, said Hayden. And when she told me that, it just it just broke my heart.

It finally gave the family answers as to what happened on July 14, 1950.

It really gives you a feeling of peace to know that hes found. Hes been identified, Hayden said. Were not guessing. Hes definitely been identified.

This Sunday, September 29, a little more than a year after the official confirmation, Sluder will be laid to rest with full military honors in a true celebration of his life for giving the ultimate sacrifice for his country.

His coming home has brought so many people together, said Hayden.

This weekend will be the first time Sluders daughter and her children will meet his family in person.

She will be going up there and they will get to see her children will get to see where their grandfather was born and raised, said Hayden. So maybe they can have a connection there.

His service is set for 2 p.m. on Sunday at the Gazebo on the grounds of the James H. Quillen Veterans Affairs Medical Center.

Several people will give remarks and there will even be a flyover. It is open to the public.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WJHL | Tri-Cities News & Weather.
Natasha Ahmeds patient had miscarried her pregnancy and was bleeding. Using an ultrasound, Ahmed, an obstetrician-gynecologist based on the Kansas side of the metro, judged that some tissue remained in the womans uterus.

They talked through her medical treatment options and together decided on a course of misoprostol, a drug commonly used for miscarriage management, to expel the remaining tissue.

Ahmed sent a prescription to a Walgreens pharmacy across the state line, in Grandview, and wrapped up her Monday.

The next morning she found a fax response with a message from an employee at the store: Under Missouri law medication abortion is now illegal. Please advise patient to fill across Kansas border.

Misoprostol is a drug that can be used for medication abortions, but, as Ahmed pointed out, thats not what this prescription was for. The drug is also used for ulcers and procedures like intrauterine device (IUD) insertion and endometrial biopsies, and, as in this case, for miscarriage management, Ahmed said. Its one shes prescribed commonly in the past.

Why wasnt her prescription being filled in this case?

Ahmed called and spoke to another employee at the pharmacy who determined the earlier worker had been wrong for not filling the prescription. They checked to see if there had been any errors in the diagnosis code sent to the pharmacy, and determined there hadnt been any. The employee filled the prescription.

It wasnt like there was any error on anyones part, its just that the pharmacist who was there that evening prior, I suppose, took it upon himself to refuse the medication, Ahmed said in an interview with The Star.

It was the right dosage, it was for the right (reason), she added.

I think that unfortunately pregnancy has become very politicized and people are having opinions and making decisions on the care of women when they dont have a right to, but also shouldnt need to, Ahmed said.

Increased risk for no reason

Ahmed called back to the pharmacy later to speak with the first employee who rejected the prescription. He relayed that he hadnt known the diagnosis code, which led him to refuse the medication, she said.

Ahmed said the issue was resolved quickly enough that it didnt affect her patients care, but noted that the condition of a patient dealing with an issue like blood loss or an infection can change quickly.

We had an educational conversation about why its important to get patients the medications they need, especially ones that are time-sensitive, because youre putting her at increased risk for no reason, she said.

In an email to The Star, Fraser Engerman, a spokesperson for Walgreens, said because of privacy concerns the company doesnt comment on individual patients, but said it was investigating the incident.

In the event of any prescription error, our first concern is always for a patients well-being, Engerman said. Our multi-step procedure includes several safety checks to minimize the chance of human error and we review this process with our pharmacy staff in order to prevent such occurrences.

Ahmed said it hasnt been until recently that she has seen hurdles like this one in getting patients routine medications. She believes people being uninformed about pregnancy care and fear of making mistakes related to abortions are contributing factors.

In one case, she prescribed an anti-depressant for a pregnant patient, who later called her in tears after a pharmacist pulled her aside and said the drug was unsafe for her baby, she said.

Everybody has an opinion about abortion and even though this has nothing to do with abortion, its sort of leaching out, Ahmed said.

Managing someones depression in pregnancy should not be something political. Managing someones miscarriage should not be political. I am certainly not someone who will speak up politically for anything, but patient care is something that, of course, Im passionate about because we deal with it on the daily.
AUSTIN (KXAN)  A missing teen from Kyle was found safe, the Kyle Police Department said Saturday.

The teen was last seen Thursday, the agency said on social media.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KXAN Austin.
A former spokesperson for Kyle Rittenhouse says he became disillusioned with his ex-client after learning that he had sent text messages pledging to fucking murder shoplifters outside a pharmacy before later shooting two people to death during racial justice protests in Wisconsin in 2020.

Dave Hancock made that remark about Rittenhouse  for whom he also worked as a security guard  on a Law & Crime documentary that premiered on Friday. The show explored the unsuccessful criminal prosecution of Rittenhouse, who killed Joseph Rosenbaum and Anthony Huber in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

As Hancock told it on The Trials of Kyle Rittenhouse, the 90-minute films main subject had a history of things he was doing prior to [the double slaying], specifically patrolling the street for months with guns and borrowing peoples security uniforms, doing whatever he could to try to get into some kind of a fight.

Hancock nonetheless said he initially believed Rittenhouses claims of self-defense when he first relayed his story about fatally shooting Rosenbaum and Huber. Yet that changed when he later became aware of text messages that surfaced as part of a civil lawsuit filed by the family of one of the men slain in Kenosha demanding wrongful death damages from Rittenhouse.

Rittenhouse sent the texts from the phone he had the night of the 25 August double slaying in Kenosha, according to what Hancock says in the new film. The texts were in response to seeing shoplifters at a CVS pharmacy on 10 August, a little more than two weeks before the deadly shooting in Kenosha.

The world is disgusting, read one of the texts, as shown in a preview of The Trials of Kyle Rittenhouse provided to the Guardian. Another said: It makes me [fucking] sick.

Others read: I wish they would come into my house.

I will fucking murder them.

Commenting on the texts while speaking to Law & Crimes chief investigative correspondent Brian Ross, Hancock said: This is where his heads at  you know what I mean?

He also said: My first impression was a scared kid, arrogant, oblivious to the world around him. When he was telling me about the story, I believed he was being sincere.

I believed things he told me that I now understand to be one of his many lies. And that hurts. That sucks.

About two weeks later, Rittenhouse  then 17  traveled 20 miles from his home in Antioch, Illinois, to Kenosha as protests erupted after a white police officer shot Jacob Blake, who is Black. Blakes shooting was about three months after a white Minneapolis police officer murdered George Floyd, who is Black, in plain view of a cellphone recording video.

While he roamed Kenoshas streets with other armed men who appointed themselves as security guards, Rittenhouse used a rifle to fatally shoot Rosenbaum, 36, and Huber, 26. He also wounded a third man and was charged with five felonies, including first-degree intentional homicide.

Rittenhouse maintained to the jury seated for his criminal trial that he carried out the shootings in self-defense and was justified in his actions. Jurors ultimately found Rittenhouse not guilty of all charges against him in November 2021, with far-right politicians and pundits hailing the verdict as an important legal victory and civil rights activists decrying the outcome.

The wrongful death lawsuit against Rittenhouse remains pending.

Hancock served as Rittenhouses spokesperson and security guard beyond the criminal acquittal.

Shortly after the verdict was read, Hancock spoke at length with news media reporters, saying: You are going to see some good things out of Kyle coming up, because he is very pragmatic about what has happened.

Hancock also was involved in efforts to publicize a book by Rittenhouse, characterizing the volume as a story of a young mans very unorthodox journey into adulthood, what it took to make it and the lessons he learned along the way.

Yet Hancock had moved on from those positions by the time The Trials of Kyle Rittenhouse debuted.

Rittenhouses book reportedly bombed on Amazons Kindle platform. More recently, the self-styled gun rights activist announced he would not be supporting Donald Trump in Novembers White House election before vitriol on social media successfully put pressure on him into endorsing the former president.

The Trials of Kyle Rittenhouse is scheduled for rebroadcast on Sunday at 8pm ET on Law & Crime, which airs on basic cable packages and streaming services such as YouTube TV and Peacock. It is also available on demand, a network spokesperson said.
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Straw bales were on fire in St Margaret's at Cliffe, Kent Fire and Rescue Service said [Monty Head ]

A large straw bale fire in Dover is being treated as suspicious, according to Kent Fire and Rescue Service.

The public were advised at 19:07 BST on Friday to keep their windows and doors closed due to a large amount of smoke in the Upper Road area in St Margaret's at Cliffe.

Two fire engines attended and extinguished approximately 100 straw bales that were on fire, the service said. The farmer told the BBC it was around 300 bales.

There were no reported injuries and the cause is being treated as suspicious, a spokesman added.

Earlier advice for people to keep their windows and doors has ended.

Firefighters left the scene at 20:54.

The blaze is being treated as suspicious, Kent Fire and Rescue Service said [Monty Head ]

Follow BBC Kent on Facebook, on X, and on Instagram. Send your story ideas to southeasttoday@bbc.co.uk or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250.

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CODY, Wyoming (ABC4)  After a year-long legal battle, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints broke ground on the Cody Wyoming Temple on Friday, Sept. 27.

The temple was announced in the Oct. 2021 General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, headquartered in Salt Lake City. This will be the states third temple. Other temples include the Casper Wyoming Temple and Star Valley Wyoming Temple.

This groundbreaking comes after a citizen challenge was appealed and dismissed earlier this month in Wyoming District Court, putting an end to a year-plus-long legal battle. Last year, the group Preserve Our Cody Neighborhoods decided to sue the city over the permit being given to the Church to build the temple with a 101-foot spire.

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Wyoming Public Media reported that the group felt the Planning and Zoning board had violated city codes. [The neighborhood group] said the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints plans to build the Temple presents several issues.

Earlier this year, the same group sued for a second time, claiming the city was stonewalling the process. The Cowboy State Daily reported the neighborhood group stated that the now-former city planner Todd Stowell manipulated Planning and Zoning Board members. Stowell resigned earlier this year amidst the controversy, he cited different reasons for leaving his position that didnt pertain to the Cody Temple.

The outlet reported members of the Cody Planning and Zoning Board suspected the city planner and attorney had conflicts of interest with the church that influenced the advice they gave. The filing further accused Stowell showed bias toward the church to gain approval for a temple being considered by the board. Stowell is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Several filings were made in the year-plus legal battle between residents and the church.

At the end of August, the courts ruled in favor of the Church.

In late August, the court ruled in favor of the citys zoning process, and the citizen challenge was dismissed, preliminary construction work is now underway, the church said in a statement earlier this month.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC4 Utah.
At least six killed by bomb blasts in Somalia

Explosion on a bomb-rigged car that was parked on a road near the National Theatre in Hamarweyne district of Mogadishu

Explosion on a bomb-rigged car that was parked on a road near the National Theatre in Hamarweyne district of Mogadishu

MOGADISHU (Reuters) - At six people were killed and 10 injured on Saturday by bomb explosions in Somalia's capital Mogadishu and a town in the country's Middle Shabelle region, police and witnesses said.

It was not immediately clear who had carried out the attacks, although Islamist militant group al Shabaab frequently orchestrates bombings and gun attacks in Mogadishu and elsewhere in the Horn of Africa country.

The blast in Mogadishu involved a bomb-rigged car that was parked on a road near the National Theatre in Mogadishu, about one kilometre away from the president's office.

It detonated, killing five people and injuring seven, a policeman at the scene, who asked not to be named because he was not authorised to speak to the press, told Reuters. The casualty figures were confirmed by another policeman in the area.

A police spokesperson did not pick up a Reuters' call seeking comment.

In a separate incident, a bomb planted in a livestock market in Jowhar city in Somalia's Middle Shabelle region killed one person and injured three other civilians, Jowhar police commander Bashir Hassan told a press conference.

Al Shabaab has been fighting for years to topple Somalia's central government and establish its own rule based on its strict interpretation of Islamic sharia law.

(Reporting by Abdi Sheikh; editing by Elias Biryabarema and Mark Heinrich)
Leave George W. Bush alone: His decision not to endorse for president is principled | Opinion

During every election cycle, cross-party endorsements snag a few headlines.

There is something oddly satisfying about the once-politically faithful finding their respective partys candidate so deficient that it compels them to publicly voice their protest before crossing the aisle on Election Day.

Donald Trump has driven that sentiment to another level, with almost daily defections of former Republican administration officials hitting the chyron.

But the one prominent Republican voice that has been notably absent from the current political fray is that of former President George W. Bush.

Indeed, hes said nary a word about the election, instead keeping his head down and his focus on the good work of his Dallas-based foundation and library.

When asked whether he planned to endorse in this election cycle  a likelihood some thought would increase after his former Vice President Dick Cheney and his former attorney general, Alberto Gonzales, threw their support behind Vice President Kamala Harris  Bushs office simply said no.

President Bush retired from presidential politics years ago, his office added.

The former president hasnt endorsed any candidate since Sen. Mitt Romney in 2012, and that was little more than a passing comment offered from an elevator just before the doors slid shut. Hardly an attempt to assert political influence in the presidential race.

Theres something undeniably refreshing about a politician who recognizes that his or her role as an influencer should have a shelf life.

And after carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders for so many years while receiving mostly criticism for it in the media, it doesnt seem unfair or unpatriotic for Bush to wish to live out his post-presidential days in apolitical peace.

Indeed, it is rather fun to imagine Bush in his library offices housed on the Southern Methodist University campus, characteristically chuckling to himself as he reads the daily paper, delighted to not be one of its regular subjects.

Alas, some people are trying to get him back into the headlines, dogging him mercilessly for his silence on the candidacy of Trump and insisting that he take a stand.

By the way, shouldnt Springfield, Ohio, be the final straw for George W. Bush, who refused to demonize immigrants? wrote Bill Kristol, the founder of the now defunct conservative magazine The Weekly Standard, following the recent presidential debate in which Trumps comments about Haitian migrants went off the rails.

By the way, shouldn't Springfield, Ohio, be the final straw for George W. Bush, who refused to demonize immigrants? It's time for the ex-president to denounce Trump and endorse Harris.  Bill Kristol (@BillKristol) September 14, 2024

Speaking at the Atlantic Festival in Washington recently, Kristol told an audience pointedly: George W. Bush really should say hes voting for Kamala Harris, insisting that his endorsement, as compared to Cheneys backing, perhaps, would have some sway.

That may be true. After so many years of relative silence on national politics, Bush weighing in could have an impact on the small crop of undecided moderate voters in swing states who will likely decide the election.

But at what cost to his own principles?

Kristol is a long-time Never Trumper, a position to which many true conservatives  like Bush  can relate, given Trumps proven lack of principles on conservative policy issues, from abortion to foreign affairs.

His distaste for Trump, however, has manifested in other, less relatable ways. One is his endorsement of Harris, a candidate whose record in the Senate was among the most progressive  lest we forget that on issues from health care to fracking, Harris record belies her sudden attempt at political moderation.

But some former conservatives seem to think the two  denouncing Trump and endorsing his opponent  are indivisible, that one must naturally follow the other.

And for his part, Kristol seems to have made it his personal mission to get the former president to agree.

To be clear, Bush and Trump are hardly friendsm and Bush has criticized Trump for past comments and actions.

The former president was not present at the GOP convention in August.

But its one thing to denounce Trump for his personal transgressions, his lack of fitness for office, or whichever of the mans vices strike you on a given day.

It is another entirely to endorse a candidate who stands for policies and values that are diametrically opposed to your own and those that you pursued (and presumably maintain) as your lifes work.

Bush and the former first lady, Laura Bush, reportedly supported neither of the major party candidates in the 2016 or 2020 presidential elections. George W. Bush told People magazine in 2021 that he wrote in the name of his former national security adviser and secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice, in 2020.

He could do so again next month with his conscience clear.

In the meantime, everyone should just leave him alone.

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Pouring over the news from his native Lebanon has become a daily ritual for Shahed Naji, who has watched as the country is hit by increasingly deadly attacks from Israel.

Naji has been living in Berlin for nearly 10 years now, coming to attend university and eventually working as a yoga instructor before founding two yoga studios in the German capital.

For him and his friends and family back in Lebanon, the crisis hits close to home.

"Kind of panicking, waking up in the middle of the night to check the news," says Naji of his daily routine.

"This is the first time that real bombing starts happening, north of Beirut, and my family comes from the north. So I was just on a call with them and they said they can hear fighter jets very low, Naji said.

Najis nephew, Yahya Naji, fled from Beirut where he was attending university studying computer science, to the north for safety. He was already looking to go to school in Germany and says that now the motivation to leave Lebanon is even stronger.

The attacks have a wide range, and includes the possibility of you being next if you just go around the corner. So you have to leave, Yahya said.

After the October 7 attacks in Israel, the German government allowed Israeli visitors to stay temporarily without applying for a residence permit or an extension.

Euronews asked if such a program would be prepared for Lebanese citizens, however Germany's Interior Ministry responded that, currently, such regulations do not exist for Lebanese citizens.

Refugees wait in front of an information screen before going to an administrator at the central reception center for asylum seekers in Berlin, Germany, Tuesday, March 3, 2015. - Markus Schreiber/AP

More than 47,000 Lebanese nationals currently live in Germany, but others might have a tougher time entering the country as Germany looks towards tightening its stance on migration.

The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, who campaigned to increase deportations, came in first in a state election this month in a party first.

Although the AfD are not in a position to impact legislation, Germany's ruling coalition government has seemingly tightened controls on migration in response to the AfD's success  including imposing border checks on the country's frontiers.

The Interior Ministry says statistics are not yet available for this month on how many Lebanese nationals have applied for asylum.

But Naji says the political atmosphere gives him little hope his family can join him in safety.

I would definitely try to get them to Germany, if it's possible. But again, with the current policies and what's happening within Germany and the last elections results, I don't think this is possible... unless something drastic changed, and Germany, or the EU decided to open asylum for people escaping from the war in Lebanon, Naji said.
More commercial flights are on offer this weekend to get Britons out of Lebanon, after the UK Government urged them to escape an Israeli military campaign against Hezbollah.

An estimated 5,000 Britons holding dual nationality and their relatives have remained in Lebanon despite the warnings, including several hundred who hold only UK citizenship.

It is understood that the Government does not believe it needs to organise an emergency evacuation yet, given the availability of commercial flights and ships, but UK armed forces in Cyprus remain on standby with 700 troops returning to the region this week.

Airlines are already laying on extra flights to accommodate increased demand out of Beirut.

But officials say there is no large-scale exodus out of the country entirely, with internal movement confined to people fleeing the Israeli offensive in the south of Lebanon to head further north.

UK citizens are being urged by the Foreign Office to register their presence. The UK visa office in Beirut meanwhile remains open for relatives of Britons who wish to join them on flights to Britain.

The fighting between Israel and Hezbollah has the potential to spill into a wider war that no one can control, Sir Keir Starmer warned at the United Nations in New York on Thursday.

But Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to fight on, as he prepares to deliver his own speech later on Friday to the UN General Assembly.

Emily Thornberry, chairwoman of the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee, warned that any full-scale ground invasion by Israel into southern Lebanon could play into Hezbollahs hands.

Speaking on BBC Radio 4s Today programme, she said that Netanyahus Right-wing government should pay heed to a call from Western and Gulf countries to cease fire with Hezbollah as part of a wider truce with Hamas in Gaza.

We dont know whether or not Israel is bluffing about a ground war, the Labour MP said.

We do know that in 2006 that they got very bogged down [in Lebanon], that at the moment they may be ahead because theyre using air power and surprise, but a ground war may well be different.

And actually, the poor Lebanese, who you know many of whom do not want Hezbollah in the bottom of their country, certainly dont want to have the Israelis.

And Hezbollah may well end up with more legitimacy as a result of that ground invasion.
BEIRUT (Reuters) - Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, whose death was announced on Saturday, led the Lebanese group through decades of conflict with Israel, overseeing its transformation into a military force with regional sway and becoming one of the most prominent Arab figures in generations - with Iranian backing.

Hezbollah said in a statement that Nasrallah had been killed, but it did not say how. The Israeli military said earlier it had killed Nasrallah in an airstrike on the group's central headquarters in the southern suburbs of Beirut on Friday.

Nasrallah's death deals a huge blow to the group. He will be remembered among his supporters for standing up to Israel and defying the United States. To enemies, he was head of a terrorist organisation and a proxy for Iran's Shi'ite Islamist theocracy in its tussle for influence in the Middle East.

His regional influence was on display over nearly a year of conflict ignited by the Gaza war, as Hezbollah entered the fray by firing on Israel from southern Lebanon in support of its Palestinian ally Hamas, and Yemeni and Iraqi groups followed suit, operating under the umbrella of "The Axis of Resistance".

"We are facing a great battle," Nasrallah said in an Aug. 1 speech at the funeral of Hezbollah's top military commander, Fuad Shukr, who was killed in an Israeli strike on the Hezbollah-controlled southern suburbs of Beirut.

Yet when thousands of Hezbollah members were injured and dozens killed, when their communications devices exploded in an apparent Israeli attack last week, that battle began to turn against his group.

Responding to the attacks on Hezbollah's communications network in a Sept. 19 speech, Nasrallah vowed to punish Israel.

"This is a reckoning that will come, its nature, its size, how and where? This is certainly what we will keep to ourselves and in the narrowest circle even within ourselves," he said.

He had not given a broadcast address since then.

Israel has meanwhile dramatically escalated its attacks, killing several senior Hezbollah commanders in targeted strikes and unleashing a massive bombardment in Hezbollah-controlled areas of Lebanon, which has killed hundreds of people.

Recognised even by his enemies as a skilled orator, Nasrallah's speeches were followed by friend and foe alike.

Wearing the black turban of a sayyed, or a descendent of the Prophet Mohammad, Nasrallah used his addresses to rally Hezbollah's base but also to deliver carefully calibrated threats, often wagging his finger as he does so.

He became secretary general of Hezbollah in 1992 aged just 35, the public face of a once shadowy group founded by Iran's Revolutionary Guards in 1982 to fight Israeli occupation forces.

Israel killed his predecessor, Sayyed Abbas al-Musawi, in a helicopter attack. Nasrallah led Hezbollah when its guerrillas finally drove Israeli forces from southern Lebanon in 2000, ending an 18-year occupation.

'DIVINE VICTORY'

Conflict with Israel largely defined his leadership. He declared "Divine Victory" in 2006 after Hezbollah waged 34 days of war with Israel, winning the respect of many ordinary Arabs who had grown up watching Israel defeat their armies.

But he became an increasingly divisive figure in Lebanon and the wider Arab world as Hezbollah's area of operations widened to Syria and beyond, reflecting an intensifying conflict between Shi'ite Iran and U.S.-allied Sunni Arab monarchies in the Gulf.

While Nasrallah painted Hezbollah's engagement in Syria - where it fought in support of President Bashar al-Assad during the civil war - as a campaign against jihadists, critics accused the group of becoming part of a regional sectarian conflict.

At home, Nasrallah's critics said Hezbollah's regional adventurism imposed an unbearable price on Lebanon, leading once friendly Gulf Arabs to shun the country - a factor that contributed to its 2019 financial collapse.

In the years following the 2006 war, Nasrallah walked a tightrope over a new conflict with Israel, hoarding Iranian rockets in a carefully measured contest of threat and counter threat.

The Gaza war, ignited by the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel, prompted Hezbollah's worst conflict with Israel since 2006, costing the group hundreds of its fighters including top commanders.

After years of entanglements elsewhere, the conflict put renewed focus on Hezbollah's historic struggle with Israel.

"We are here paying the price for our front of support for Gaza, and for the Palestinian people, and our adoption of the Palestinian cause," Nasrallah said in the Aug. 1 speech.

Nasrallah grew up in Beirut's impoverished Karantina district. His family hail from Bazouriyeh, a village in the Lebanon's predominantly Shi'ite south which today forms Hezbollah's political heartland.

He was part of a generation of young Lebanese Shi'ites whose political outlook was shaped by Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Before leading the group, he used to spend nights with frontline guerrillas fighting Israel's occupying army. His teenage son, Hadi, died in battle in 1997, a loss that gave him legitimacy among his core Shi'ite constituency in Lebanon.

POWERFUL ENEMIES

He had a track record of threatening powerful enemies.

As regional tensions escalated after the eruption of the Gaza war, Nasrallah issued a thinly veiled warning to U.S. warships in the Mediterranean, telling them: "We have prepared for the fleets with which you threaten us."

In 2020, Nasrallah vowed that U.S. soldiers would leave the region in coffins after Iranian general Qassem Soleimani was killed in a U.S. drone strike in Iraq.

He expressed fierce opposition to Saudi Arabia over its armed intervention in Yemen, where, with U.S. and other allied support, Riyadh sought to roll back the Iran-aligned Houthis.

As regional tensions rose in 2019 following an attack on Saudi oil facilities, he said Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates should halt the Yemen war to protect themselves.

"Dont bet on a war against Iran because they will destroy you," he said in a message directed at Riyadh.

On Nasrallah's watch, Hezbollah also clashed with adversaries at home in Lebanon.

In 2008, he accused the Lebanese government - backed at the time by the West and Saudi Arabia - of declaring war by moving to ban his group's internal communication network. Nasrallah vowed to "cut off the hand" that tried to dismantle it.

It prompted four days of civil war pitting Hezbollah against Sunni and Druze fighters, and the Shi'ite group to take over half the capital Beirut.

He strongly denied any Hezbollah involvement in the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri, after a U.N.-backed tribunal indicted four members of the group.

Nasrallah rejected the tribunal - which in 2020 eventually convicted three of them in absentia over the assassination - as a tool in the hands of Hezbollah's enemies.

(Editing by William Maclean, Andrew Heavens, Angus McDowall, Sharon Singleton, Rosalba O'Brien and Frances Kerry)
Orchards and farmland at the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley in Kern County are seen in 2019. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

To the editor: California's Sustainable Groundwater Management Act was enacted in 2014. Ten years later, wells in the San Joaquin Valley are still going dry, water quality is poor, and land subsidence is still happening. ("California cracks down on another Central Valley farm area for groundwater depletion," Sept. 21)

Water use in the Central Valley is a complicated topic. However, there are two identifiable reasons why a sustainable groundwater management system has not been adopted.

First, in multi-party negotiations over water use, if one party is satisfied with the status quo, there will be no meaningful, enforceable and verifiable agreements. Large-scale agriculture is more than satisfied with the status quo, because it can pump water faster and from deeper wells than smaller farms and communities. Large-scale agriculture can still pump water long after other wells have gone dry.

Second, there is a generational difference in attitudes between the old farmers and new ones.

The older generation operates according to the old adage, "You've got to make hay when the sun shines." The rising generation, on the other hand, understands it should plan for generations after it. Its members want people in the future to be able to farm just as their parents did.

Unfortunately, so far, power and influence still rest with the older generation. Therefore, it's hard to get meaningful, enforceable and verifiable agreements on groundwater use.

Jim Holloway, San Clemente

Greg Collins, Visalia

The writers are retired longtime city planners and co-authors of a book on water use in the San Joaquin Valley.

..

To the editor: A farmer is quoted as saying that the groundwater law is bringing changes "at a breakneck pace."

California's groundwater management law went into effect in 2014. Water agencies have had 10 years to come up with acceptable plans. They do not have to be fully implemented until 2040.

How is that a "breakneck pace"?

Meanwhile, several large agribusiness farms have sunk wells 2,500 feet below ground level and deeper. It would seem like the plan is to pump out all of the groundwater and walk away with the profits from the pistachios and almonds, leaving somebody else to deal with the disaster created.

The state Water Board must vigorously enforce the groundwater law, assuming that it is not hamstrung by the courts.

Noel Park, Rancho Palos Verdes

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Letters to the Editor: Israeli aggression won't defeat Hezbollah. Only a cease-fire in Gaza will work

Emergency workers try to clear the rubble at the site of an Israeli strike near Beirut on Sept. 21. (Bilal Hussein / Associated Press)

For the record:

11:59 a.m. Sept. 30, 2024: A Sept. 28 letter stated that the exploding pagers targeting Hezbollah were not only purchased by Hezbollah, but also ordinary civilians. Reports do not substantiate the claim that the pagers were sold to ordinary civilians. According to reports, the devices were distributed to Hezbollah fighters and its civilian workers.





To the editor: Mohamad Bazzi clearly summarizes the recent actions of Israel against Lebanon. ("Israel's growing war with Hezbollah is traumatizing Lebanon. There's only one path to peace," Opinion, Sept. 23)

First, Hezbollah does not want to start a war with Israel. Just like the U.S. is helping Israel, Hezbollah is helping the Palestinians and has said it will stop bombing Israeli territory once there is a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, however, has no intention of stopping the bombing for his own political life.

Lebanon has suffered so many disasters in the past. The indiscriminate pager explosions brought extreme trauma to civilians and the fear that Israel will again invade Lebanon. The pagers were not only purchased by Hezbollah, but also ordinary civilians.

Israel will not find peace by continuing its uncontrolled aggression. As long as Israel continues to occupy Palestinian lands, Hezbollah will fight for as long as it takes to bring freedom to the Palestinians.

Israelis and Palestinians want to live in peace, but their leaders have their own interests in conducting this war. Netanyahu must accept a cease-fire, and Hamas can never govern the Gaza Strip.

Israel will have peace only when the Palestinians have their own state and dignity. The Israeli right wing's attempt to drive out the Palestinians through terror and killings will never succeed.

George Mouro, Rancho Mirage

..

To the editor: I disagree with Bazzi about President Biden pushing for an end to the war.

There is only so much Biden can do to bring a cease-fire to Gaza. Several other countries, including Qatar and Egypt, have also made attempts to bring home the hostages held by Hamas in exchange for a cease-fire.

There are only two people who can bring this about: Netanyahu and Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar. Without their honest participation, there will be no hostage exchange and no peace in Gaza.

Jacquie Sampson, Los Angeles

..

To the editor: Maybe because I'm older, I question Bazzi's piece.

In the summer of 1981, I spent a month on a kibbutz near Kiryat Shmona, close to the border with Lebanon. The constant nightly rocket attacks from the Palestine Liberation Organization in Lebanon ruined the summer peace and terrorized me for the 10 nights I slept in a bomb shelter.

The naivete from all who talk about peace, and how childlike people can be when discussing issues of hatred and war, stun me. It will take a heck of a lot more than words to bring peace to that beautiful but troubled part of the world.

First end the hatred, and maybe then peace will follow.

Ellen Goldenberg, Seal Beach

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Liberal journalist ripped for complaining about flight attendant wishing her a blessed night: 'Grow up'

Social media users mocked Mother Jones editor-in-chief Clara Jeffery after she publicly complained about a flight attendant wishing her and other passengers a "blessed" night at the end of a recent flight.

Jeffery ridiculed the flight attendant in a recent X post, saying her sendoff was evidence of "creeping Christian nationalism" in the country and pointing out all the other less Christian adjectives she could have used.

"How sad and impoverished is your life that youre offended by someone blessing you? Get a grip," wrote Washington Post columnist Marc Thiessen in response to Jefferys post.

Harris Dodges Question On Lowering Prices By Describing 'Middle-class' Roots: Neighbors 'Proud Of Their Lawn'

A liberal journalist recently blasted an Alaska Airlines flight attendant for wishing passengers a "blessed" night before they disembarked.

The Mother Jones journalist went after the flight attendant on the social media platform Friday night, writing, "Creeping Christian nationalism alert: @AlaskaAir flight attendant just wished us a blessed night as we landed in SFO (!) to groans. Other adjectives that would have sufficed: great, awesome, fabulous, amazing, fantastic"

She added, "As my rowmate said, this aint Montgomery, sweetie."

Read On The Fox News App

The critical post went viral, getting over three million views on X in a few hours, as well as a deluge of comments from prominent users  both conservative and liberal  outraged that Jeffery could find fault with someone being polite.

Click Here For More Coverage Of Media And Culture

Kamala Harris campaign fundraiser Armand Domalewski rebuked Jeffery, writing, "Respectfully, Im a pretty left-leaning guy and I wish folks a blessed day fairly often. Its just a nice thing to say."

His comment prompted a response from the editor-in-chief, who replied, "Eh. Its a matter of respect for the audience before you. Respecting their space and norms and wishes. Dominant cultures always feel they have a right to enforce their norms and intents. Andway off @AlaskaAirs brand."

However, Domalewski disputed her point, adding, "As a practicing Catholic, I dont feel like being publicly Christian is really the dominant culture here in SF lol." Jeffery did not fire back.

Click Here For More Coverage Of Media And Culture

Mother Jones editor-in-chief Clara Jeffery accused the flight attendant of promoting Christian nationalism.

The Blazes Jessica ODonnell slammed the editor-in-chief, posting, "You have issues greater than a flight attendants well wishes."

Canadian conservative activist Billboard Chris shared old posts of Jefferys in which she herself used "God bless" or praised others for using similar language.

In the list he shared was Jefferys post from 2020 in which she praised former President Obamas use of the phrase "God Bless" in a speech honoring the late Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga.

"God bless you all, God bless America, God bless this gentle soul that pulled it closer to its promise. Now that's a kicker," she wrote at the time.

The Dispatch editor-in-chief and L.A. Times columnist Jonah Goldberg ripped Jeffery, writing, "This is a bizarre and pretty indefensible overreaction, imo."

Pollster Frank Luntz asked the journalist, "Do you get alarmed if people say bless you after you sneeze?"

The Washington Examiner contributor Kimberly Ross denounced Jefferys post, stating, "This is not creeping Christian nationalism. This is someone showing kindness to others. Its not offensive. Its not a demand for religious conversion. The issue here is you processed it as a problem that requires a public complaint while tagging the airline. Time to grow up."

Click To Get The Fox News App





Original article source: Liberal journalist ripped for complaining about flight attendant wishing her a blessed night: 'Grow up'
In 2017, Marissa LeCounts mind was an overwhelming place to be.

The Sonoma County native was living with her boyfriend in Terra Linda, driving between Mills College, deep in East Oakland, and her part-time sales job at Sunrise Furniture in San Rafael.

She was 28 years old, and she wanted kids, a husband and a career.

Her boyfriend had encouraged her to go back to school. The couple would smoke weed together and muse about plans to open a weed and tea cafe. Voters the year before had passed a bill legalizing recreational marijuana in California, so LeCount started taking business classes. Meanwhile, another ballot result, the election of Donald Trump to the presidency, filled her with dread.

It was a lot.

LeCount wasnt much of a partier and spent most weekends at home, catching up on rest.

But one February evening, she attended a friends birthday celebration. She drank, smoked weed and let herself get a little looser than normal.

I did karaoke seriously for the first time, she said. I sang Bobby McGee by Janis Joplin, and I was really committed.

The next day, she attended her boyfriends company party at the Chabot Space and Science Center. Toward the end of the evening, the lights of the planetarium dimmed and starry projections illuminated the room to the sound of Pink Floyds Dark Side of The Moon.

Listening to the whole album, and letting my mind go with it, felt incredible, she said.

When she got home, she didnt feel ready to go to sleep, so she didnt. Instead, she laid awake in bed and texted every friend she could think of. She expressed how much she loved them and shared random thoughts that felt profound to her in the moment.

All these inputs were swirling around, and I couldnt stop it, she said. I couldnt get to a restful place.

She barely slept all week, and during that time, no thought was a bad thought.

On Tuesday, she wandered barefoot around a rock formation on the Mills College campus and felt a sacred connection.

On Wednesday, she quit her job and proposed to her boyfriend by leaving clues throughout their house that led him to find her down on one knee, holding a Ring Pop.

On Saturday, she went to brunch with her new fiance in Fairfax. By that point she was convinced she was a polyglot and spoke to the server in what she thought was Spanish, reinforcing her gibberish with nonsensical sign language. Her fiance recognized that something was wrong. He ushered her out of the restaurant and drove her to a Kaiser hospital in San Rafael.

Inside the emergency room, LeCount lost control of her mind and began writhing on the floor. EMTs transported her to the Santa Clara Behavioral Health Center later in the day. In the ambulance, she rambled about wolves and noted a feeling of God's presence.

She fought with the hospital staff as they escorted her to her room, and howled at the moon along the way. Then, before LeCount could process what was going on, hospital staff gave her a shot and her mind shut off for the first time in a week.

Its not uncommon for symptoms of psychosis to simmer invisibly until the moment they become inescapably visible. In LeCounts case, her bipolar disorder managed to pass for a mood shift for several days before it boiled over into a psychotic episode.

Once youre in it, youre in it, she said. It's kind of like you're in a dream, an awakened dream, but you don't realize it. And the normal social inhibitions that you have and, like, things that hold you back from doing things aren't there.

No one knows for sure how many people in Napa County experience psychosis each year. But one Napa program working to detect early signs of psychotic disorders says patient referrals have been up since the end of 2020, the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The program is called SOAR, short for Supportive Outreach and Access to Resources, and aims to catch early signs of bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and other conditions that can cause psychosis in people ages 12 to 30.

Two years into the pandemic, patient referrals to SOAR more than doubled, from 13 in 2020 to 30 in 2021. SOAR received 23 referrals in 2022 and 18 referrals in 2023.

While psychotic disorders are often related to an individuals genetics, a variety of factors that increased for many people during the pandemic  stress, trauma, isolation, substance use  can bring on symptoms and even psychotic episodes.

If you were estranged from your friends and peer connection, if you (were) isolating in a home that maybe is an unsafe home, then that can certainly trigger more symptoms for people, said Sarada Oglesby, SOARs clinical director.

Oglesby said she could not draw a direct line between the conditions of the pandemic and the spike in referrals to SOAR. Still, Kerry Ahearn, CEO of Aldea Children and Family Services, which runs SOAR in Napa, Solano, Sonoma and Marin counties, said the increase in referrals is a good thing.

If you intervene, then the outcomes for these people are fantastic, Ahearn said. But if you dont intervene early, as we see, theres a lot of people with substance use disorders, homelessness, in jail, that sort of thing.

Researchers at UC Davis studying early psychosis across California have estimated that in Napa County, about 56 people between the ages of 10 and 39 will experience a first episode of psychosis each year. Most of SOARs clients are in their late teens or early 20s.

Stressors are quite high when youre transitioning out of high school or maybe starting college, moving away from home, thinking about becoming independent, Oglesby said. Its historically kind of a high-stress time.

She said that early symptoms can be difficult to articulate. Instead, an individual might withdraw from friends and family, or start skipping school or work.

Often, the person themselves will express, sometimes after the fact, that it was just a really confusing time, and they didn't really know what was happening or what was going on, Oglesby said.

Part of Oglesbys work is to train schools, public health agencies and nonprofits to recognize early signs of psychosis. For example, she encourages teachers and mental health workers to pay close attention to young people experiencing mood swings, or reporting that they see shadows in their peripheral vision or hear mumbling when no one is in the room.

The clinical criteria to receive services from the SOAR program include experiencing a first psychotic episode within the past five years, mild psychotic symptoms, and a family history of psychotic disorders with an observable inability to deal with stress.

Still, Oglesby said, its not always that clear-cut.

Its complex, she said. Its never black and white, its always kind of complicated and has to do with the context.

They didnt understand psychosis

One summer night in 1990 around 2 a.m., police pulled over 18-year-old Brandon Staglin for reckless driving. He had been weaving in and out of traffic on the freeway and police suspected that he was drunk or high.

But Staglin passed his breathalyzer test. What police didnt know was that he had been driving with his eyes shut. Later, he said he had been trying to find a part of himself he felt he had lost.

Police took Staglin to a station in Martinez, kept him in jail overnight and gave him a bus pass to get home the next morning.

They didnt treat me very well, Staglin said. They didnt understand psychosis.

Staglin had experienced his first psychotic episode, which had begun the night before at his parents home in Lafayette. He was back from his freshman year at Dartmouth College and his parents were away on vacation.

The night before he was arrested, he had tried to sleep but was troubled by an overwhelming sense of anxiety and self-loathing that seemed to come on in an instant.

The floodgates opened and this vortex world of dread was present, Staglin said. The rest of that night I couldnt sleep and I couldnt feel like myself. My experienced reality was wrong.

Over the next few days, Staglin wandered around Lafayette and Walnut Creek, feeling lost. He was terrified by his inability to sleep and by the third night was convinced he was going to die. He called an ambulance for himself, though when he got to the hospital he was unable to describe to a nurse what was wrong with him.

She said, Well, you got to tell me why you're here. What's your health complaint? Staglin recalled. I couldn't explain it to her in a way that she would understand.

A high school friend picked Staglin up from the hospital to take care of him and convinced him to go to a psychiatric hospital.

I didnt want to go, Staglin said. I thought of it as the end of the line, over the cuckoos nest and never coming back.

To avoid being forcibly committed by doctors, Staglin agreed to voluntarily commit himself.

A doctor helped give me medication, but not until after I had panicked, acted up, been placed in an isolation room and injected forcibly, Staglin said. I was just so scared.

The experience inspired Staglin and his family to start One Mind, an organization that funds research, works with scientists and policymakers on mental health issues, and counters stigmas associated with mental health disorders.

Personally, I can't think of any morally acceptable way to live my life other than to give back to the community and society that helped me recover from this horrible illness, said Staglin, now 52. We understand how vast the problem is in our world and want to do something about it.

Early intervention was a major focus of One Mind from the start. Staglin remembers that, while at Dartmouth before his first episode, he had developed early symptoms of schizophrenia, which included hearing voices.

(They were) saying things to me, infantilizing things like, Baby Brandon, youre a mixed-up kid, Staglin recalled. It was really concerning to hear these things. Do I need to heed this? Is there something wrong with me?

By 2008, Staglin had moved to Napa County and had learned of the work of Dr. Tara Niendam, a clinical psychologist at UC Davis who was helping to develop a clinic in Sacramento focused on psychosis and early intervention. The Staglins wanted to implement something similar in Napa.

In 2014, One Mind and Niendam joined with Aldea and secured the funding to start SOAR.

Niendam, who is now the executive director of UC Davis early psychosis programs, said that Napa officials were initially uncertain that the program would serve enough people locally to justify funding it.

Theres often a misconception that it is rare, that its not that many people  why should we spend money on this? Niendam said.

The view that psychotic disorders were rare was, at the time, common across the state. But according to a review of early psychosis programs, led by Niendam in 2023, over 20,000 people between the ages of 10 and 34 are estimated to experience a first psychotic episode in California each year.

We just hold so much stigma around this disorder, that a lot of people are confused at first, why we're sort of asking for this special funding for a special program, Niendam said.

In a 2019 paper, The Rise of Early Psychosis Care in California: An Overview of Community and University-Based Services, Niendam found that there was little coordination among California programs aimed at catching and treating early signs of psychosis. At that time, 41% of Californias counties had developed early psychosis programs and 21% were in the process of developing them.

What we learned from that evaluation was that everyone was doing something different, Niendam said. There was very little harmony.

Since then, shes created a database to track outcomes for more than 600 people in California who have experienced symptoms of psychosis and are receiving care from SOAR or similar programs.

Its a huge number, considering we had no data on anybody, anywhere, Niendam said.

The power of peers

LeCount never married her fiance. They split about a year after her first psychotic episode. After a stint working in the weed industry, she decided it wasnt right for her. Since 2017, she has been hospitalized three more times. With the help of medication, she hasnt experienced an episode since 2020.

Today, LeCount works as a peer counselor for SOAR. Shes 36 now, and says shes learned a lot about taking care of her mental health. She meditates, moderates her drinking and smoking, and journals to check in with herself. Because her work is so intimately tied to her experience, she sometimes has trouble with the clinical criteria used to understand and describe her and her peers.

It's very hard for me, being on this side of the couch, to follow that and not push up against it and feel like it's all a spectrum, she said. It's going to look different for everybody.

Still, the job has changed her life. She says the benefits of peer support work go both ways, and that working with people who understand what psychosis feels like, and how it can affect ones life, has been a part of her own healing.

Its just that moment of shared experience, LeCount said. Being able to connect on that and feel youre not alone in that, that youre not crazy, thats really powerful.

Photos: Napa Valley Faces and Places, September 28, 2024
LIST: Counties calling on residents and businesses to conserve water

TRI-CITIES (WJHL)  Counties are asking residents and businesses to conserve water after flood damage throughout the region.

Below is a list of counties in Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia that have declared water emergencies.

Greene County

The Chuckey Utility District asked residents to conserve water after the Greeneville Water Commission intake pump was compromised. In a release, the district said no water would be distributed until the pumps were repaired and bulk water distribution points were in the works.

The Greeneville Chief of Police posted on social media asking residents and businesses to conserve water. The post said nonessential businesses need to shut down, and water will run out temporarily.

Unicoi County

Erwin Utilities asked residents to conserve all water after a systemwide water outage due to power loss.

Erwin Utilities also urged all Unicoi Water Utility District customers to conserve all water.

Washington County, Tenn.

The Town of Jonesborough said in a social media post that the Jonesborough Utility System has shut off all water services. The system is working with the Washington County Emergency Management Agency to distribute water to affected areas.

Carter County

The South Elizabethton Utility District received main line breaks and will experience system-wide water outages.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WJHL | Tri-Cities News & Weather.
Lithuania delivers ammunition, other support to Ukraine in military aid package

A military aid package that includes ammunition, computers, and logistical supplies will arrive in Ukraine this week, the Lithuanian government announced on Sept. 28.

Lithuania has emerged as one of Kyiv's staunchest supporters amid Russia's full-scale war. The Baltic nation has provided Ukraine with helicopters, drones, armored vehicles, and air defense equipment along with extensive humanitarian support.

"Lithuania continues to provide military support to Ukraine. Logistics, ammunition, laptops and other support for its military will arrive in Ukraine this week," the government said in a statement.

According to Vilnius, Lithuania has already delivered 155 mm ammunition, M577 and M113 armored vehicles, anti-drone systems, anti-tank weapons, remote detonation systems, and other equipment since the beginning of this year.

The delivery comes as Ukraine's front-line troops work to recover from the devastating effects of a spring ammunition shortage. The shortage was brought on in large part by delays in U.S. military assistance.

Lithuania on Sept. 23 signed a memorandum with the U.S. Northrop Grumman Corporation, a leading global aerospace and defense technology companies, to produce and supply medium-caliber ammunition.

Earlier in September, Lithuania announced plans to allocate 10 million euros ($11 million) to buy new Ukrainian-made Palianytsia missile-drones for Kyiv.

Since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion, Lithuania has provided Ukraine with military support worth over 683 million euros (approximately $763 million).

Read also: Too dangerous to ignore  Russias malicious activity in the Baltics set to test NATO resolve

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Lithuania delivers new batch of military aid to Ukraine  photo

A new batch of military aid to Ukraine from Lithuania. Photo: Lithuania's Defence Ministry

Lithuania announced the transfer of a new batch of military aid to Ukraine on Saturday, 28 September.

Source: a statement from Lithuania's Defence Ministry, as reported by European Pravda

Details: The ministry noted that the new batch of aid for Ukraine contains logistics equipment, ammunition, laptops, and more.

A new batch of military aid to Ukraine

Photo: Lithuania's Defence Ministry

"Our support is unwavering and our resolve is clear: Ukraine will win because freedom always wins. Together to victory," the Lithuanian Defence Ministry stressed.

Background:

Reports indicated that Lithuania was exploring the option of sending 17 fire engines to Ukraine. These vehicles were impounded in Klaipeda last year due to sanctions and were initially destined for Zimbabwe.

Earlier, Lithuanian Defence Minister Laurynas Kasciunas reported that his country plans to provide Ukraine with another 40-50 million in aid this year.

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Hurricane Helene flooded Anna Maria Island with a record-setting storm surge that left up to 5 feet of sand along Gulf Drive.

Manatee Countys coastal communities are still reeling from Hurricane Helenes storm surge Saturday as damage assessments and recovery efforts continue.

Some Anna Maria Island residents were allowed back onto the island starting Saturday morning, where Helene left a trail of epic destruction.

Gov. Ron DeSantis visited Anna Maria Island Saturday afternoon with state and federal emergency officials. At a press conference, he said rebuilding efforts will begin immediately, including a plan to install a temporary main road for Anna Maria Island.

Residents return to Anna Maria Island; boil water notice in effect

As of 10 a.m. Saturday, Anna Maria and Holmes Beach residents and business owners were allowed onto the island to check on their properties and begin recovery. Bradenton Beach is still closed due to impassable roads, law enforcement said.

Entry is only allowed between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. at the Anna Maria Bridge on Manatee Avenue.

An island-wide curfew is in effect from dusk until dawn, Holmes Beach Police Department said.

Manatee County Government began restoring water service to Anna Maria Island and Longboat Key on Saturday.

A boil water notice is in effect for all drinking water on Anna Maria Island until further notice, the county said.

This advisory does not mean that the water is contaminated but rather that it could be contaminated, Manatee County said in a news release. Because the water quality is unknown, customers should assume the water is unsafe to drink and take the appropriate precautions.

The county is offering free bottled water at GT Bray Park, 5502 33rd Ave. Dr. W., Bradenton, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily.

 4 p.m.

Gov. Ron DeSantis to visit Anna Maria Island

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced that he will hold a press conference on Anna Maria Island Saturday afternoon, two days after Hurricane Helene battered Manatee County.

Local officials say the barrier island along the Gulf of Mexico suffered extensive damage. As of Saturday morning, floodwater is standing in several roads, and Helenes record-setting storm surge left feet of sand in homes and businesses.

Its all bad. There are still flooded streets. Sand is blocking streets. Sand is in buildings. Sand is in homes, Manatee County Commissioner Mike Rahn said Friday. So its going to be a long recovery to be able to get back out there for citizens.

DeSantis will be joined by Florida Division of Emergency Management Director Kevin Guthrie, Florida Department of Transportation Secretary Jared Perdue and FEMA Director Deanna Criswell, according to a news release.

 10:40 a.m.

This developing story will be updated. Stay tuned to Bradenton.com for the latest Hurricane Helene coverage.
KINSTON, N.C. (WNCT)  Electric employees from several parts of eastern North Carolina travelled to the western part of the state to help communities dealing with the aftermath of Hurricane Helene.

Saturday morning, two Kinston electric employees shipped out to Kings Mountain, one of the hard hit areas., according to a Facebook post from the city of Kinston.

Photo: Kinston Public Services

Were very proud of Scott and Zachary for volunteering to help our fellow public power communities, Steve Miller, Director of Kinston Public Service, said.

On Friday, a large contingent of Greenville Utilities electric employees travelled to the western end of the state to assist other power crews in the wake of floods. Those crews travelled to Morganton and Drexel.

Our crews will work alongside others from across the country who operate under mutual aid agreements. These agreements allow community agencies to come together following disasters where system damage is widespread and significant, Greenville Utilities said on Facebook.

Photo: Greenville Utilities

Several local electric cooperatives in the east have sent help to other hard hit communities, as well, including Tri-County Electric and Four County Electric.

Image: Four County Electric Membership Corporation

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WNCT.
WICHITA FALLS (KFDX/KJTL)  Wichita Falls firefighters hit the streets with their boots in hand on Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, to kick off the annual Muscular Dystrophy Association Fill-the-Boot campaign.

Firefighters from the Wichita Falls Professionals Firefighters were out at the intersection of Kemp Boulevard at Midwestern Parkway, raising money for the multi-day event, with all funds raised going to MDA research.

The partnership between MDA and firefighters has been in effect since 1954 when IAFF signed a proclamation designating MDA as its charity of choice. Since then, the partnership has raised more than $690 million, with over 334,000 firefighters involved nationwide.

INTERVIEWS: Beautiful brindled girl excited to find her soulmate

The coordinator of Wichita Falls Professional Firefighters, Blake Gulley, said the volunteers who contribute to this fundraiser work tirelessly to raise awareness and funds for this cause.

These guys are out here both on duty and off collecting money for Fill the Boot with MDA. Its the original Fill the Boot and all that money, we dont take a dime of it. We kind of eat the administration cost for it, and we send every dime that goes in these boots off to MDA, and it goes to research, treatment summer camps for, mostly kids that deal with any kind of muscular dystrophy.

If you would like to donate to Fill the Boot, volunteers will collect at the intersection of Midwestern Parkway at Kemp on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. Gulley said volunteers will also collect at various intersections around town.

You can also donate online here.

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SPRINGFIELD, Mo.- At least 42 people have died after a catastrophic category-four hurricane made landfall in Floridas big bend region last night. 20-foot storm surges and over a hundred-mile-per-hour winds have left millions across four states without electricity, but utility crews from Missouri left earlier this week to prepare for this situation.

Hurricane Helene made landfall nearly 24 hours ago and people in the southeastern region have been without power since. Now volunteers and utility crews are doing everything they can to get people back on their feet

Nearly four million people across Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas have been without power since Hurricane Helenes 130-mile-per-hour winds caused devastation overnight Thursday and into Friday.

We started out this morning with 52,000 customers out of power as of 6:00 this morning, and presently have them right at 15,000, Keith Kubik said.

Kubik is from Springfield and has been a lineman for 40 years. He arrived in Tallahassee, Florida, just northwest of where Helene made landfall, on Wednesday. He says they are seeing debris but it could have been much worse.

I would say that if this would have been a direct hit to Tallahassee, this place would have been destroyed, Kubik said. But, from all the customers that weve been talking to, that they are so blessed, you know, by God that they didnt get hit by this.

Whenever disaster strikes, City Utilities has an agreement with the Missouri Public Utility Alliance where linemen such as Kubik travel to serve these communities. The agreement also would send crews to the Ozarks if the time ever came.

City Utilities is very good at doing that because we want to be able to have somebody come help us out, too, when we get our ice storms or our tornadoes up in our neck of the woods, Kubik said.

For the third time this year, the Missouri-Arkansas chapter of the American Red Cross has launched rapid relief efforts for those in the path of natural disasters. 13 volunteers from the state of Missouri left earlier this week in hopes of being settled before the storm hit.

The Red Cross has been tracking this now for a couple of weeks. We have 18 semi-trucks that have come. They were positioned in a safe place outside the predicted storm area, ready and waiting to go, Kim Mailes said. I arrived here Tuesday ahead of the storm, and they flew a leadership team in before the hurricane.

Kim Mailes is a volunteer from right here in the Ozarks who has been with the Red Cross since 2021. He has deployed to eight disasters just this year and is

Theres a good bit of destruction there. Last night I worked all day long and into the night hours, getting plans ready for today, Mailes said. It was fast. It didnt linger and drop tons of rain like it often does. Thats the only thing good you could say about the storm.

Georgia, North and South Carolina have all been dealing with extreme flooding Friday as Helene has been downgraded to a tropical depression. Mailes is expecting recovery efforts to be set up for weeks to come.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOLR - OzarksFirst.com.
LONDON, Ky. (WATE)  Police in London, Kentucky have found a man who was reported missing.

According to London Police, Jerry J. Stewart, 60, was located at 11:57 p.m. after he was last seen around 2:30 Friday afternoon.

Proposals sought for the future of the Smokies Stadium in Kodak as team moves to Knoxville

Jerry J. Stewart. (London Police Department)

Stewart is 6 tall and weighs around 200 pounds. He has grey hair and blue eyes, and when he was last seen, he had a longer beard and was wearing a ball cap.

London Police said Stewart recently suffered a stroke and is in the early stages of dementia. While he is mostly non-verbal, he can say a handful of words, London Police added. They also shared that Stewart had a two-day-old bus ticket to Knoxville and may have tried to travel there.

Anyone who has information on where Stewart may be is asked to contact the London-Laurel County 911 Center at 606-878-7000 or local law enforcement.

How to help Cocke County, East TN with donations after Helene

Authorities say nearly 400 people go missing in Tennessee each year. Thats five people for every 100,000. Check this list of people missing from East Tennessee to see if you can help locate someone.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WATE 6 On Your Side.
City dignitaries were ushered into Shreveport's new Amazon fulfillment center Friday morning as Caddo Heights Elementary School's marching band performed.

It was a bright and sunny fall morning on Sept. 27, and people from all over Shreveport were excited to take their first peak inside the 2.5 million-square-foot facility.

"This is big, big, big stuff," Shreveport Mayor Tom Arceneaux said. "We are thrilled to have all of the workers and members of the Amazon team who are here to carry out their purpose and their mission."

Inside the Amazon Fulfillment Center SHV1 Friday morning, September 27, 2024, in Shreveport.

This facility is named SHV1, after the nearest airport, Shreveport Regional Airport.

SHV1 is one of the two state-of-the-art robotics Amazon centers in Louisiana and has over 1,000 full-time employees. Safety is paramount to Amazon, and according to Abhishek Gowrishankar, Shreveport Amazon fulfillment center general manager, these robots help improve the safety of Amazon employees.

He said, "A lot of things that the robots do in any of our Amazon robotics, sortable buildings in North America is to assist humans. So that the humans are able to take care of actions and movements in their ergonomic areas, power zone areas, thereby reducing the need for people to walk a really long distance or reducing the need for people to lift something that's too heavy, pull something too heavy, push something too heavy."

Inside the Amazon Fulfillment Center SHV1 Friday morning, September 27, 2024, in Shreveport.

These employees work day in and day out as the first stop for many Amazon packages. SHV1 is considered the "first mile" networkit is the first point for packages in the flow of materials within the supply chain.

In this facility, employees and machines sort and package items. They are then passed along to the "middle mile" centers and a delivery service provider to be dropped off at the customer's doorstep.

According to Gowrishankar, SHV1 will be shipping several million units of packages a week. He said, "that is pretty impressive."

SHV1 has been in operation for a little over a month and during that time Amazon has gotten involved in the community. On Friday, Amazon presented two $25,000 checks to local community members -- Caddo Parish Schools and Every Warrior Network.

Gowrishankar said, "one of the things that we are very focused on is how do we give back to this community who is supporting us so much."

Over the past 14 years, Amazon has invested $3 billion in Louisiana through infrastructure and compensation for its employees. These investments have added $2.9 billion to the Louisiana GDP.

More: North Louisiana school received a donation from Amazon Tuesday

Makenzie Boucher is a reporter with the Shreveport Times. Contact her at mboucher@gannett.com.

Inside the Amazon Fulfillment Center SHV1 Friday morning, September 27, 2024, in Shreveport.

Inside the Amazon Fulfillment Center SHV1 Friday morning, September 27, 2024, in Shreveport.

This article originally appeared on Shreveport Times: Take a look inside the Amazon fulfillment center in Shreveport
'It looks like hell': Hurricane Helene leaves Georgia community in ruins as families brace for long power outages

'It looks like hell': Hurricane Helene leaves Georgia community in ruins as families brace for long power outages

VALDOSTA, Ga.  Fear lingers in this hard-hit city, where trees toppled onto houses and several downtown buildings were destroyed. Anxious families worry their community could be without power for weeks in the wake of Hurricane Helene.

Valdosta residents seeking bottled water, ice, tarps and food passed through an ever-growing line of cars Saturday morning at the Lowndes County Civic Center.

The biggest concern, some said, was the massive power outage in their city and the uncertainty of when the lights would return.

Its so widespread because we got a direct hit, Ronney Bythwood, 71, said after his truck was loaded up with supplies.

More than half a million customers statewide are without power, Gov. Brian Kemp said Saturday in Valdosta near the civic center.

Bythwood said that after Hurricane Idalia last August, he and his wife lost power at their home for five days. But given the extent of the damage he saw in his community and beyond, he is worried they could now be without power for weeks.

A 100-year-old home in Valdosta, Ga., is damaged by an oak tree after Hurricane Helene moved through the area on Sept. 27.

Its going to take a lot longer. Weve got a lot, a lot of damage, he said. This is like a war zone.

As of Saturday, nearly all of Lowndes County remained without power. Pitch-black businesses lined streets, traffic lights were down, and people searched for miles for the few gas stations open that could provide fuel for their generators.

Nekisha Williams, 34, said she and her family had no lights, no power and no running water.

Concerned for her mother and children, she drove to the civic center for help with whatever they can give.

Williams said her roof and siding were badly damaged by the storm.

All thats gone, she said.

The aftermath of Hurricane Helene in Valdosta, Ga., on Saturday.

In the citys downtown, several buildings were destroyed, including a two-story building that once housed dozens of vendors. The roof caved in and an entire wall of bricks was blown away, scattering hundreds of red bricks on the ground.

Roy Rhodes, 73, arrived Saturday morning at the destroyed building where his wife once had a booth selling refinished furniture about where that roofs caved in on the structures second floor.

I dont even know if shell be able to get to her stuff. Were trying to salvage anything we can, he said.

Rhodes said there was no power in the neighborhood where his family lives.

Quite a few houses were hit by trees, he said.

Our daughter lives about 2 miles from us in town and we went to her house yesterday, and we saw about 10 houses that had trees on top of them, he said. A lot of houses torn up.

Rosana Baluss, 35, was living in a hotel with no power.

Thats the biggest concern right now, she said.

A view of storm damage at Chez What in Valdosta, Ga., on Sept. 28 in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene.

She was working to salvage property for vendors whose booths had also been in the building, an attempt to make a bit of money while her workplaces were closed.

Its really sad, Baluss said. I just want things to return to normal for everyone.

The damage left in Helenes wake has longtime resident Bill Parmelee considering the idea of relocating.

Id like to pack up and move, he said when asked his thoughts on the destruction. It looks like hell.

Large tree limbs and branches littered Parmelees yard, and the roof of his home was damaged. He said Helenes winds sounded like a freight train as the hurricane tore through the area.

Parmelee, who has lived in his home for 26 years, estimated that about 15 trees in his yard either fell or were damaged. To make matters worse, the hurricane struck after Parmelee and his wife had just finished rebuilding their back porch, which was destroyed last year during Idalia.

The process starts all over again, he said.

Helenes destruction stretched beyond Lowndes County and resulted in 17 storm-related deaths, officials said at a news conference Saturday.

From a statewide perspective, this storm spared no one, Kemp said.

The governor said it would take days to get traffic signals back up as there were thousands out throughout the state.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
STEINAHATCHEE  Five members of the flock, the pastor and his wife rode out Hurricane Helene at First Baptist Church of Steinhatchee  within sight of an angry river  and came through the dark night of the storm into sunlight.

But only after some flooding.

Four feet of water came into the parsonage where the group was sheltering from the storm, so they adjourned to the tan concrete churchs sanctuary. Brenda Nawlin, 57, the Rev. Paul Nawlins wife, said it was scary when water started seeping in.

Ive been through storms before, and this one was the worst, she said, describing the Helenes sound as howling.

The Lord gave me peace, Brenda Nawlin said, of what came over her when the group went to the sanctuary.

On Friday afternoon, a part of the church door was blocked with some piles of plywood and the church yard was full of tree branches and other debris, like a table fan, but the building was appeared largely unscathed.

He was very gracious and merciful to us, Brenda Nawlin said.

Anne Geggis is the insurance reporter at The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach her at ageggis@gannett.com. Help support our journalism. Subscribe today.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Hurricane Helene storm damage in Steinhatchee, Florida Big Bend region
Louder Than Life Festival - Credit: Stephen J. Cohen/Getty Images

Louder Than Life was forced to cancel the Friday lineup of the weekend-long Louisville, Kentucky festival due to weather conditions spurred on by Hurricane Helene.

While the festival managed to stage its opening day on Thursday, wind gusts reaching 55 miles per hour and heavy showers from Helene entered the area Friday, according to the Courier-Journal. Gov. Andy Beshear also declared a state of emergency for eastern Kentucky amid the historic rainfall that swept the Southern states.

More from Rolling Stone

The festival initially planned on soldiering through the weather Friday, as the lots were opened in anticipation of the fest that afternoon. However, three hours after lots opened, a shelter in place warning was issued for festival goers who made it to Highland Festival Grounds. Soon after, the second day of the festival was canceled.

Louder family, were heartbroken to share this, but the weather just isnt in our favor today. Weve been working closely with our meteorologists and local authorities, holding on to hope that we could open doors, but the continuous wind gusts simply make it impossible for us to proceed safely, Louder Than Life organizers said on social media.

Throughout the day there were moments where it seemed possible, but in the end, Mother Nature won this round.

The reunited Slayer, Evanescence, Anthrax, Tom Morello and the U.S. debut of Rammsteins Till Lindemann as a solo artist were among the acts impacted by Fridays cancelation.

We know how disappointing this is  its gut-wrenching for us too. But you safety, along with the safety of our artists and crew, will always be our number one priority, organizers added.

While rain is still in the forecast for the Louisville area Saturday, the strength of it, as well as the winds, are expected to subside, the Courier-Journal added. Organizers also said they fully intend to rock out Saturday, which  if the weather holds  is set to include Motley Crue, Disturbed, Dropkick Murphys, Three 6 Mafia, and Mastodon playing Leviathan in its entirety.

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RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN)  Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson has been treated for burns, his campaign confirmed.

Robinson, the Republican nominee for North Carolina governor, was hospitalized following the burn incident at an event at Mount Airy on Friday, according to his campaign.

RELATED: Robinson calls campaign stronger than ever following mass resignations

Mike Lonegran, the communications director for Robinsons campaign, issued the following statement:

This evening following an incident at a campaign appearance at the Mayberry Truck Show in Mount Airy, Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson was treated at Northern Regional Hospital for second-degree burns. He is in good spirits, appreciates the outpouring of well wishes, and is excited to return to the campaign trail as scheduled first thing tomorrow morning.

During a campaign appearance in Davie County the following day, Robinson explained his burn came from accidentally touching the exhaust pipe of a tractor-trailer at the truck show Friday.

Robinson said he was balancing climbing down from the truck without falling on supporters who gathered around him when he reached out to grab the pipe for support. A small bandage was seen on Robinsons left hand during the event as he made light of the incident.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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MILWAUKEE - A Waukesha County judge sentenced an 18-year-old Chicago man to two years in prison and two years of extended supervision in connection with the February theft of high-end SUVs.

Prosecutors initially charged Calvin Valentine with four felonies. He reached a plea deal in July and was convicted of burglary of a building or dwelling and operating a motor vehicle without the owner's consent. The other two charges were dismissed.

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Case details

According to a criminal complaint, Waukesha police were dispatched to a car dealership on Moreland Boulevard on Sunday morning, Feb. 18. The operators of the dealership reported multiple vehicles had been stolen.

When officers arrived at the dealership, they spotted broken glass in the parking lot, a garage door that was a quarter of the way open and another garage door that was completely destroyed "as if a vehicle had been driven through it," the complaint said.

The general manager of the car dealership shared surveillance video of what happened. That video showed a silver minivan pull up to the garage door on the east side of the building, per the complaint. Approximately nine people  all wearing gloves and masks  got out and pushed the garage door open. The group made their way into the dealership, pried open a lock box, grabbed keys and "then went about finding the vehicles associated with the keys throughout the dealership."

Prosecutors said the group got into a Land Rover Velar and used it "as a battering ram" to drive through the garage door. It caused "substantial" damage to the SUV and the garage door. The group then took a second Land Rover and drove through the same door. The first Land Rover was left behind, and a group drove off in the second. It was found in Chicago later that morning.

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In total, officials said there were nine vehicles that were taken without consent from the Land Rover dealership. Those vehicles include:

2021 Land Rover-Range Rover Westminster

2023 BMW X5 M50i

2021 Jaguar F Type R-Dynamic

2023 Range Rover Sport P440

2019 Porsche Macan

2024 Range Rover Velar (2)

2024 Land Rover Discovery Dynamic

2020 Land Rover-Range Rover

Officials said the total value of these vehicles was $583,339.

One of the vehicles crashed on I-94 just before WIS165

The day after the vehicle thefts, a detective was alerted that one of the suspects  Valentine  was taken into custody in West Allis. The complaint said he was taken into custody after a police chase and crash involving a 2021 Land Rover-Range Rover Westminster. It was a vehicle valued at $73,998.

In an interview, prosecutors said Valentine told police he was picked up in the Chicago area. He said "his friend gave him a key and he got in the white SUV" that he crashed during the pursuit  and he was just "doing kid's stuff."

Valentine told police he didn't know what people would do with the cars, according to the complaint. He said he did not know where he was going when he was driving and claimed to have never stolen a car before  stating "I'm not gonna lie, I stole the car." He said he took the key off the rack inside the car dealership, but that "he only took one key."
Lyerly, Wied spar in sole debate in the race to replace former Rep. Mike Gallagher

Democratic OB-GYN Kristin Lyerly clashed with Trump-backed businessman Tony Wied on Friday during the sole debate in the race for an open Wisconsin House seat that heavily favors Republicans.

The pair sparred over abortion, the U.S.-Mexico border and the economy, among other issues.

At stake Nov. 5 is the northeastern Wisconsin House seat previously held by Republican Rep. Mike Gallagher, who retired from Congress earlier this year before the end of his term.

Here are three takeaways from the debate at the the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay's Mauthe Center:

Dr. Kristin Lyerly acknowledges her supporters April 4 during her campaign announcement at Hinterland Brewery in Ashwaubenon.

Lyerly goes on offensive on abortion

Lyerly, an OB-GYN who commutes to Minnesota to provide reproductive care, went on the offensive on a key issue for Democrats.

She accused Wied of dodging questions about his stance on abortion as Wied suggested he supported the 2022 overturning of Roe v. Wade, saying he believes the issue should be decided by individual states.

"The Supreme Court made the decision that the right of abortion is within the states' hands. Where it was before, it is now," Wied said. "And I believe it should continue to stay as a state's right issue."

Asked to clarify his position, Wied said it was "never the intent of our Constitution to be sorting these things out at the federal level." He added: "If you're so passionate about this, why don't you run for state Assembly like you did once before."

Lyerly said calling abortion a decision for the states is "a cop-out." She listed statistics showing higher mortality rates for mothers in states with strict abortion laws.

"We all know the person who pulls Tony Wied's strings is proud of taking Roe v. Wade down," Lyerly said. "And yeah, I'm passionate about it because it's killing my patients."

Republican 8th Congressional District candidate Tony Wied speaks during a JD Vance campaign stop on Aug. 28 at AmeriLux in De Pere.

On the border, a divide that mirrors Congress

The two candidates' responses to the situation at the southern border largely mirrored the months-long debate that has played out on Capitol Hill.

Wied, who was endorsed by Trump before he officially announced his run for the seat, praised Trump's handling of the southern border and attacked the Biden administration for leaving the border "wide open." He called for reinstating the "Remain in Mexico" policy, which required asylum seekers to stay in Mexico until their immigration court date, and for finishing Trump's border wall.

Lyerly, meanwhile, noted Republicans in Congress earlier this year killed a bipartisan border proposal led by a conservative senator and called for its passage, pointing out it provided for more border security agents.

That effective immigration policy is sitting there just waiting to be signed, but we all know the people who pull my opponents strings said no," Lyerly said in a shot at Wied.

Wied argued the border bill "didn't go far enough."

"You can't have a country without control of your border," Wied said.

Comments on polarization, bipartisanship

The current Congress is marred by division and inaction, how would the candidates attempt to change that?

Wied distanced himself from the bomb throwers on Capitol Hill, saying he's "not one to scream and attack people. I'm one to attack problems." He leaned on his business background  he led the Green Bay-based gas station and convenience store chain Dino Stop until 2022  and said he's willing to "sit down and work with anyone."

"We worked with folks from all different races and all different economic backgrounds, and we loved each other," Wied said. "You have to show more love towards each other and actually work together to solve problems because there's too much at stake right now in this country."

Lyerly said Congress has a "take my ball and go home mentality instead of sitting down, having a beer, figuring out  like the bipartisan border bill. That's a great example of something that could have happened but didn't because of politics."

Lyerly said she grew up in the district as a Republican and didn't vote for a Democrat until she was in her 30s and didn't become a Democrat until she decided to run for office  she lost a bid for state Assembly in 2020.

"I'm an independent," Lyerly said Friday. "I'm an independent thinker."

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Kristin Lyerly, Tony Wied spar in 8th Congressional District debate
Madison County Manager Rod Honeycutt presents during the annual opioid funding meeting, in which he announced a one-year pilot program, Madison Recovery Pathways, to be funded by the opioid settlement money.

MARSHALL - Madison County unveiled a number of new developments in the county's response to local residents' substance use disorder and treatment and recovery.

In September, local stakeholders met at A-B Tech's Madison campus in Marshall for an annual opioid funding meeting, after Madison County agreed in 2022 to receive court-awarded settlements stemming from a state settlement with opioid manufacturers and distributors.

Madison County Manager Rod Honeycutt joined Mark Snelson, Madison Medics director, and Heather Sharp, Madison Mental Health and Substance Awareness Coalition director, in presenting to local stakeholders in attendance.

As outlined by Sharp and Honeycutt, the settlement's Memorandum of Agreement offers local governments two options. Under Option A, a local government may fund one or more strategies from a shorter list of evidence-based, high-impact strategies to address the epidemic. An example of Option A includes the Madison County Health Department's MOUD (Medications for opioid use disorder)/MAT (Medication-assisted therapy) program. Medications for opioid use disorder include buprenorphine, or Suboxone, an evidence-based, proven medication used to combat opioid use disorder.

"There were a lot more opportunities in Strategy A and a lot more freedom, if you will, to address the needs that were more specific to Madison County, as opposed to jumping on board to something that maybe everybody's using in a different community," Sharp said.

"We said, whatever we do, we need to be data-driven. We need to be sure that whatever we choose, we are choosing it because it is going to matter and impact the people of Madison County. We want to make sure we are good stewards of this funding and maybe touch on something that hasn't been done before."

As part of this process, Sharp and a team of local stakeholders performed an inventory of assets and programs. Sharp pointed to the county health department's MOUD/MAT program, which has been active since 2019. Hot Springs Health Program also operates a medications for opioid use disorder program.

Additionally, RHA Health Services also offers resources in Marshall.

"What we found when we were doing this inventory is that perhaps one of the projects that we should undertake is making sure that more people in Madison County know what we actually have, because when we do check in with some of them, we find out that, in some cases, they're underutilized," Sharp said.

As revealed in the inventory, the number of services available to residents is not the issue, Sharp said, citing SMART Recovery Program and a mental health support group through the National Alliance on Mental Illness. The county also has a number of early intervention practices, including Madison Patriots Prevention Partnership through Madison Middle School.

But where the county falls short is in recovery housing, according to Sharp.

"With our reentry program, after you have been incarcerated or even after you have spent time in longer-term rehabilitation, you can't always return to the place where you have all those connections where you were struggling with use," Sharp said.

"Yet, we've got to help these folks reenter into the community and be linked to these resources that will set themselves up with success, not throwing them back into that cycle of addiction, or potentially crime and overdose. And so, that is one thing that we don't have a lot of prime resources on. So, by doing this assessment, we were able to data-driven inform us of what the next steps are, and what strategies we were going to start with."

Uses for funding

An opioid input survey received 184 responses, including from 176 Madison County residents. The top three prioritized Option A strategies include:

Collaborative strategic planning.

Evidence-based addiction treatment.

Recovery support services.

According to Honeycutt, the county was awarded $801,000 that had gone unused after the state intervened and said the county did not offer the correct guidance on how to spend the funding.

The county passed a special project ordinance in July to receive the funds. With the funds, the county is unrolling a recovery support service called Madison Recovery Pathways, which will provide services to individuals by coordinating treatment support, recovery assistance and resources to improve their health and wellbeing, according to Honeycutt.

The program will be implemented by the community care coordinator, and the opioid funding will cover the coordinator's salary and the one-year pilot program.

Delaney Whitson has been named the community care coordinator of the program.

The proposed budget for the Madison Recovery Pathways one-year pilot is just shy of $143,000, including more than $71,000 in program expenses and more than $71,500 in the community care coordinator position expenses, factoring for position benefits. The pilot program will be covered entirely by the $801,000 received through the settlement funding.

"It's exciting, because we watched this sit still for almost a year, and now we're getting ready to move to that next step," Honeycutt said.

"This has been a group effort with a work group consisting of the Madison County Sheriff's Office, the Madison County Health Department and the county commissioners. This was very involved. This was a rather detailed, lengthy process. They really made us go through Option A and Option B before they selected something, and I think Option A provided us with the most latitude of how we could help this community."

Overdose deaths decreasing

In 2024, a number of news organizations have reported that the number of overdose deaths has dropped throughout the country.

On Sept. 21, the New York Times reported that between April 2023 and April 2024, overdose deaths declined by about 10% nationally to roughly 101,000, according to preliminary data published recently by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That amounted to the largest decrease on record, according to the Biden administration. Nonfatal overdoses are also down more than 10%.

The data suggests that some of the tools used to combat opioid overdoses, such as naloxone, were having a significant impact. Still, researchers and federal and state health officials have been puzzled over the exact reasons for the decrease, including why overdoses have fallen so much in recent months.

According to Sharp, VIA Health Partners, the county health department's local management entity, has been a huge supporter and supplier of the county's naloxone, also known by its manufacturer name, Narcan, the overdose-reversing medication.

Rachel Potter, the Madison County Health Department's MOUD/MAT program coordinator, was also on hand for the September meeting.

According to Potter, in 2023, the county health department distributed more than 1,630 kits of naloxone. Each kit is nasal and has two nasal aspirators in it.

Potter and Sharp recognized the work of local harm reduction advocacy organization Holler Harm Reduction in distributing naloxone. Holler Harm also provides transportation to support services, and also is a provider for syringe services.

"We are all working to keep people alive, and it shows in our low overdose death rates," Potter said. "It's still too many."

In North Carolina, there were 4,156 suspected overdose deaths in 2023, a 4% decrease from the 2022's record 4,243 suspected overdose deaths, according to the North Carolina Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.

Potter cautioned that this reported decrease could be a "red herring" though, as the availability of naloxone has contributed to the decrease.

Snelson is director of Madison Medics, the company contracted to carry out the county's EMS operations since 2020.

According to Snelson, many of the calls he and his team respond to involve youths who have gotten into their family members' medications.

"One kid could affect three or four, when it comes to stuff like that and bringing it to the schools," Snelson said.

More: County considers how to use funds Opioid settlement: Madison County officials consider how to spend federal funds

More: Madison's MAT program gets grant Madison Health Department receives grant for medication-assisted treatment program

More: Local youths say no to drugs Madison Middle School students helping peers say no to drugs during Red Ribbon Week

More: 'Don't Asheville our Madison Co.' 'Don't Asheville our Madison County': Residents concerned about opioid settlement options

Still, the majority of the naloxone Madison Medics administers is to adult patients, Snelson said, citing the example of Madison County Department of Social Services employees requiring naloxone in September after being exposed to narcotics while responding to a call at a home in the county.

"It can happen just brushing up against something," Snelson said.

According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, fentanyl is approximately 100 times more potent than morphine and 50 times more potent than heroin as an analgesic. Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid drug approved by the Food and Drug Administration for use as an analgesic (pain relief) and anesthetic.

This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: County announces one-year pilot program, Madison Recovery Pathways
A condemned inmate at a Southern California prison was beaten to death by three other inmates this week, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation said.

According to a CDCR media release, prison staff at Calipatria State Prison in Imperial County observed one inmate, 25-year-old Tyler A. Lua, strike another inmate at 1:23 p.m. Thursday.

The inmate who was attacked, Alberto Martinez, fell to the ground where Lua continued to hit him; Lua eventually stepped away from the victim, and two other inmates  Jorge D. Negrete-Larios and Luis J. Beltran  began beating Martinez as he lay motionless on the ground.

Staff were able to stop the attack using pepper spray and one baton strike, CDCR said.

[Martinez] was transported to the prisons triage and treatment area for a higher level of careat 2:20 p.m., he was pronounced deceased, authorities stated. He had injuries consistent with an incarcerated-manufactured weapon.

Officials identify second student from Southern California school to die by suicide this month

Two inmate-made weapons were found at the scene, CDCR added. No staff or other inmates were hurt in the incident.

Movement throughout the yard where the attack occurred was limited, and the three suspects were all moved into restricted housing pending an investigation.

Martinez, 46, was most recently received from Orange County on Aug. 17, 2010, and placed on condemned status for first-degree murder. He was also sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole for attempted first-degree murder with enhancement for street gang activity and an additional two years for street gang activity; that sentence was to be served concurrently with his condemned sentence.

According to the Orange County Register, Martinez acted as the getaway driver in a botched plot to kidnap and murder a Buena Park businessman that was orchestrated by the businessmans sister. A Los Angeles Times article indicates he was a powerful member of the Mexican mafia who orchestrated murders while on death row and communicated  and fell in love with  a woman from Mexico through the use of an illegal cell phone.

Lua was received from San Bernardino County on Jan. 31, 2019, after being sentenced to 19 years in prison for attempted second-degree murder with an enhancement for use of a firearm; while incarcerated, he was sentenced to two additional years for possessing a controlled substance in prison.

Negrete-Larios, 33, was sentenced to 32 years and four months in prison for attempted second-degree murder with enhancements for inflicting great bodily injury, discharge of a firearm and street gang activity in commission of a violent felony. He was received from Riverside County on July 5, 2016.

Beltran was received on April 6, 2023, from L.A. County; the 31-year-old was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for first-degree murder with enhancements for intentional discharge of a firearm causing great bodily injury or death and possession of a firearm as a felon.

Southern California thieves drill into vehicles to steal gasoline

CDCR records indicate there are 623 total individuals with condemned sentences throughout California prisons.

In March 2019, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed an executive order instituting a moratorium on the death penalty in California. The bill also called for the repealing of the states lethal injection protocol and the immediate closing of the states execution chamber at San Quentin State Prison.

The last person to be executed in California was Clarence Ray Allen in 2006.

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"Real Time" host Bill Maher took aim at rapper Macklemore over his "F--- America" declaration at an anti-Israel event.

The Grammy-winning artist went viral this week for his appearance at Seattle's "Palestine Will Live Forever Festival" which raised money for various groups, including the controversial agency known as the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), which Israeli officials have declared is strongly tied to Hamas, leading to the firing of nine UNRWA staffers allegedly involved in the Oct. 7 terrorist attack.

Israeli officials have declared that UNRWA is strongly tied to Hamas in the Gaza Strip. The U.N. itself announced in August that nine UNRWA staffers would be fired due to possible involvement in the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terror attack on Israel.

"Straight up, say it. I'm not gonna stop you. I'm not gonna stop you," Macklemore said, appearing to reference chants from the crowd.

"Yeah, F--- America," he said, sparking cheers from the audience.

Bill Maher: Trump Is Right About The Dangerous Rhetoric Aimed At Him, But He Is A Threat To Democracy!

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Macklemore went viral this week for declaring "f--- America" at a Seattle concert.

That didn't sit well with Maher, who addressed the rapper's declaration during his closing monologue.

"I'm sure it was a big hit with the Queers for Gaza crowd, literally advocating for a government that would imprison you or kill you for being queer from the safety and security of a country that doesn't do that," Maher said.

"Yes, America. The only place in the world where a White guy from the suburbs could become a millionaire rapper because here, every person, regardless of race, class or gender has the right to be talent-free," he added.

Bill Maher Trashes Kamala Harris For Being Full Of S--- On Israel, Middle East: Just Shut Up

"Real Time" host Bill Maher tells Maureen Dowd he's bored by the Trump-dictator narrative during an interview.

In a follow-up statement on Instagram, Macklemore seemed to back down from his attack on America: "My thoughts and feelings are not always expressed perfectly or politely." He added, "Sometimes I slip up and get caught in the moment. Saturday night was one of those times. I strive to always lead with love in an effort to bring people together and never to create more division."

He concluded, "Unfortunately, the historic event in my hometown that brought thousands of people together to raise awareness and money for the people of Palestine has become overshadowed by two words. I wish I had been in a better place with my grief and anger. But the truth is I'm not ok. I haven't been."

Maher began his monologue by praising Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz for helping Democrats be more patriotic at this year's DNC convention, but lamented their sentiment hasn't resonated with younger people.

"The protests that started off as justice for Palestine have morphed into a broader kind of America is the problem, We f---ed up the whole world' thing," Maher said.

"Guess what document allows you to chant Hey hey, ho ho followed by something really stupid," Maher asked them before answering with the Constitution.

Bill Maher Makes This Bold 2024 Prediction After Trump-harris Debate

After citing a study alleging four out of ten Gen Zers believe the Founding Fathers are "better described as villains," Maher noted that how young some of them were including 18-year-old James Monroe, 21-year-old Alexander Hamilton and 25-year-old James Madison.

"They were the Gen Z of their day, and when they were your age, they started a country. What the f--- have you done?" Maher asked.

Maher told the "Queers for Palestine" crowd they'd be imprisoned or killed in Gaza for being queer.

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"History is complicated, and Gen Z reasoning is not. They think they're pure, but they're really just simplistic. They know two things: White people did some very bad things and- no, that's it. That's all they know," Maher said, later adding "The citizens of Gaza cannot assemble in protest of their own government, cannot do or say what they want or practice whatever religion they want, or have a free press, all rights guaranteed in just our First Amendment! The irony in all of this is that the world the founders birth, flawed though it may be, provides the bedrock for everything that makes life good for the very people who hate them so much."

"It's so easy to take for granted individual liberty, a bill of rights, the rule of law, checks and balances, getting a trial by jury, the peaceful transfer of power, protecting minority rights and democracy itself, but those are the things that make our pampered, privileged, bratty lives so relatively cushy. No one starves here, even our poor people are fat," he continued. "Why do millions of people every year risk their lives to come here? Because they want what we got! The founders were flawed, but they did build a place the whole world wants to break into. No one is paying a coyote to smuggle them into India or Russia. Immigrants don't see us as the problem. They see us as a solution. And there's a reason they kill themselves to get here."

Fox News' Danielle Wallace contributed to this report.





Original article source: Maher rips rapper's profanity-laced tirade against USA: Sure it was a big hit with the Queers for Gaza crowd'
Main Czech opposition party wins most seats in election for a third of Senate

A man votes in the second round of voting for a third of the seats in Parliaments upper house. at a polling station in Otrokovice, Czech Republic, Friday Sept. 27, 2024. (Dalibor Gluck/CTK via AP)

PRAGUE (AP)  The main Czech opposition group led by former populist Prime Minister Andrej Babis won an election Saturday for a third of the seats in Parliaments upper house, the Senate.

The ruling coalition of Prime Minister Petr Fiala still retained a majority in the Senate.

With all the votes from the two-day ballot counted, Babis ANO, or YES in English, won eight of the 27 seats up for grabs in the 81-seat Senate in the two-round election.

Its the first time the centrist movement won that many seats in the chamber. The results are a boost for Babis ahead of next years parliamentary elections. ANO has been the most popular party and is favoured to win that vote.

The candidates linked to the coalition won 15 seats.

Parliaments lower house dominates the legislative process, but the Senate plays an important role in passing constitutional amendments and approving Constitutional Court judges.

In a separate vote last week, ANO dominated Czech regional elections, winning 10 of the 13 regions contested.

The current Czech government firmly stands behind Ukraine after it was invaded by Russia. The country has donated arms, including heavy weapons, to the Ukrainian armed forces and is behind a plan to acquire artillery shells Ukraine badly needs from countries outside the European Union. Some 320,000 refugees from Ukraine currently live in Czechia.
This article was originally published in Maine Morning Star.

There were two crates waiting for Valerie Smith, an elementary school librarian, when she arrived at the Sanford School Departments central office on Monday. In one was a collection of 30 picture books featuring experiences of modern-day immigrants and their families, along with discussion prompts. In the other, a custom display built by Maine businesses to highlight the books.

For the district that has recently seen an influx of immigrants from Central Africa, Smith said it was the perfect fit. With tightening school budgets, the new Maine Department of Education initiative to send the diverse and inclusive collection to every district in the state will benefit all students, she said.

The Portland-based nonprofit, Im Your Neighbor Books, that developed and distributed the collection nationwide said after almost three years of widespread bans targeting books on similar topics, this project strengthens Maines commitment to inclusive, diverse education. Smith, who hasnt personally been targeted by the attacks on librarians through the book banning movement but has been wary of them, echoed the importance of the positive educational opportunities the collection will bring to her district.

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Thats what we do in libraries. We want kids to see themselves in our books, she said.

Being able to enhance our collection, or widen it, with these books is going to be super  not only for those new Mainers or kiddos from different cultures coming to our schools, but are also great for our kiddos, who have been here all their life, because they can learn about some of those experiences by reading those books.

The collection features books highlighting representation, inclusion and belonging of immigrants and first-through-third generation families that Im Your Neighbor books has distributed to schools across the country. They include titles written by and about immigrants from different parts of the world, such as Abuelita and Me by Leonarda Carranza, about a girl and her grandmother experiencing racism, In My Mosque by M.O. Yuksel, a book highlighting mosques as gathering places, and Priya Dreams of Marigold & Masala by Meenal Patel, a book containing colorful descriptions of India.

Peaks Island author Anne Sibley OBriens book, Im New Here, about three immigrant childrens experiences in an English-speaking elementary school, is also featured in the collection.

However, the partnership with the Maine DOE, dubbed The Pine Project, is the first of its kind, distributing the organizations Welcoming Library collection to every public school district with almost $650,000 in federal pandemic relief funds, according to Kendra Carter, an education marketing coordinator for the DOE.

The initiative will put almost 6,200 total books in circulation across the state, to be used as districts see fit, said Kirsten Cappy, executive director of Im Your Neighbor Books.

If we do not add in a collection of books about modern migrants and new generation communities, were leaving out what our classrooms and communities actually look like, Cappy said about the importance of the collection, which she thinks will significantly diversify the titles available to Maine teachers.

The presence of these books changes teaching, and it changes minds.

The goal of the project, according to the Maine DOE, is to enhance students understanding of diverse experiences and foster inclusive school environments, Carter said in an email. The department will also offer an online training on September 30 to help educators teach the topics the books cover, which includes social emotional learning.

Maine Morning Star is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Maine Morning Star maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Lauren McCauley for questions: info@mainemorningstar.com. Follow Maine Morning Star on Facebook and X.
CORONADO, Calif. (FOX 5/KUSI)  A man was arrested Friday afternoon after Coronado Police said he attempted to kidnap a teenage girl near the library.

The city of Coronado Police Department said a 16-year-old girl called 9-1-1 Friday around 1:30 p.m. to report an attempted kidnapping near the Coronado Public Library.

According to police, the girl was waiting for the bus when a man parked nearby and demanded that she get into his car.

Sheriffs deputy injured in National City shooting; one suspect dead

When the girl refused, the man grabbed her arm but she was able to escape and call 9-1-1, according to police.

Officers were able to find the suspect in his car about a block away, police stated.

The suspect was identified by police as Nan Wang, 45, of Trona, Calif. He was arrested and charged with attempted kidnapping and annoying or molesting a child. Wang has been taken to San Diego Central Jail, according to Coronado Police.

Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to contact Coronado Police at 619-522-7350.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego & KUSI News.
Man arrested in California in connection with shooting in South Boston

A man has been arrested in California in connection with a shooting in South Boston in May.

According to police Twaldo Baez, 18, of South Boston, is being charged with two Counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.

On Wednesday, May 22, around 12:05 a.m. officers were advised that two people shot had self-transported to a local hospital.

Upon arrival, officers were advised that the victims suffered non-life-threatening injuries.

According to police after further investigation, the shooting was determined to have occurred on Joyce Hayes Way in South Boston.

With help from the Fugitive Unit, officers were able to provide U.S. Marshals with the suspects location and arrest him in Los Angeles.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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Man arrested after fight leads to stabbing in New Haven

NEW HAVEN, Conn. (WTNH)  A man was arrested after assaulting someone with a knife last night in New Haven.

Friday night at 10:18, officers with the New Haven Police Department responded to 351 Whalley Ave. where they located 34-year-old Yannick Williams. Williams told officers he was struck in the head with a bottle, and while receiving medical attention, a bloody knife was located inside his socks.

Shortly after, officers were notified of a 27-year-old male stab victim who arrived at Yale New Haven Hospital.

The victim says he, Williams, and others were together when Williams became disrespectful. A physical fight began and the victim used a bottle to defend himself, says authorities.

During the altercation, Williams stabbed the victim several times, stole his belongings, and fled the scene.

Williams was charged with assault in the second degree and larceny in the third degree. He is being held on a $50,000 bond.

The victims injuries were non-life-threatening.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WTNH.com.
Idaho man charged in pistol-whipping death pleads guilty to some charges against him

One of the men charged after the pistol-whipping death of a Caldwell man last year pleaded guilty this month.

The man, Kyle McGinnis, was the only one of three men to be charged with murder last year after they allegedly attempted a violent robbery, according to Statesman reporting. However, all three were charged with conspiracy to commit robbery, burglary, aggravated assault and a weapons enhancement.

The plea agreement said that McGinnis will plead guilty to voluntary manslaughter with a weapons enhancement and burglary, with specific language that he entered the home with the intent to commit aggravated assault.

This homicide does not define Caldwell, nor does it represent the tens of thousands of amazing men and women who make Caldwell their home, said Caldwell police chief Rex Ingram in a release at the time. Justice will be served in this matter, and I am confident that the next time these individuals want to invade another persons castle, they will think twice!

McGinnis is scheduled to be sentenced on January 23.

The prosecutions maximum sentencing recommendation would be 25 years fixed, followed by 15 years indeterminate, court records show. The defense will be able to argue for less time.

Caldwell Police responded in August 2023 to a shooting and found 44-year-old Jeremy Jones with life-threatening injuries, according to previous Statesman reporting. Jones died while en route to the hospital, police said at the time.

During the incident, the three men were shot at and two were later detained after they went to the hospital with gunshot wounds, according to previous reporting.
MEMPHIS, Tenn.  A man is dead after Memphis Police say he got shot in the Methodist North parking on Friday night.

At 8:42 p.m., officers responded to a shooting at 3960 New Covington Pike.

When they arrived, they found a male victim in the parking lot who had been shot. He was pronounced deceased.

Suspect dead, resident shot in MS home invasion

Police say the suspects fled in a white sedan.

If you have any information that could help police, call CrimeStoppers at 901-528-CASH.

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A man was found guilty of killing an IUP student in 2020.

Indiana County District Attorney Robert Manzi says Terrion Gates was found guilty of second-degree murder, robbery and conspiracy to robbery on Friday in the shooting death of Jayden Wright, 20, in October 2020.

Manzi says the jury returned a verdict in two and a half hours after a three-day trial where they were presented with expert witnesses, video recordings, cell phone records and other evidence.

Prosecutors say Gates and three others conspired to rob Wright at the Carriage House Apartments. Manzi says the three other co-defendants only planned to rob Wright, but Gates escalated the situation by bringing a gun and says he fired the fatal round.

Gates will be sentenced on Nov. 15. He faces a mandatory life sentence without the possibility of parole.

The cases for Gates co-defendants, Isaiah Moore, Delmar Chatman and Isabella Edmonds, are still ongoing.

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LOGAN, Ohio (WCMH)  A man convicted of a fatal stabbing in a Hocking County rental cabin will serve at least 18 years in prison.

On Aug. 26, a Hocking County jury found 21-year-old Isaac Pence guilty of murder, felonious assault and obstruction of justice for the murder of 22-year-old Charles Starner. Pence, of Carroll, and Starner, of Lancaster, were staying in a rental cabin on Sullivan Road, east of Clear Creek Metro Park and north of Rockbridge Nature Preserve.

One dead, another hospitalized after Deshler Park shooting

According to the Ohio Attorney Generals Office, Pence stabbed Starner during a party at the cabin on April 23, 2023. Starner was flown to Grant Medical Center, where he was later pronounced dead.

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Two days later, Pence and 21-year-old Sabra Flagg were found in Fairfield County and arrested. Flagg was charged with obstruction of justice, though both received a bond of $1 million.

Isaac Pence (left) and Sabra Flagg (right) were arrested and charged in connection to the fatal stabbing of a 22-year-old man at a rental cabin in Hocking County. (Courtesy Photo/Hocking County Sheriffs Office)

On Wednesday a Hocking County judge sentenced Pence to life in prison with the possibility of parole in 18 years.

Flaggs attorney recently filed a motion for a change of plea hearing, which is to take place on Monday, according to court records.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to NBC4 WCMH-TV.
Man killed in Martin Co after crashing into back of semi

MARTIN COUNTY, Texas (KMID/KPEJ)  An Oklahoma man was killed in a crash with a semi-truck early Thursday morning.

According to a report from the Texas Department of Public Safety, at about 6:45 am on Thursday, September 26, a 1993 Kenworth truck with trailer was stopped on State Highway 176, attempting to turn on to County Road 3600. A 2012 Hyundai Elantra was travelling behind the semi-truck when the driver failed to control his speed and hit the trailer of the semi from behind.

Local officials provide tips to prevent semi-truck crashes

44-year-old Dee Jay Moler, of Westville, Oklahoma, was pronounced dead at the scene. Investigation showed Moler was not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash. This crash remains under investigation.

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TOPEKA (KSNT)  A man accused of sexually abusing young girls for several years received his sentence on Friday.

Katie Garceran with the Shawnee County District Attorneys Office said in a press release that 31-year-old Zachery R. Nelson will receive a life sentence with the possibility of parole after 1,758 months, just over 146 years have been served on Sept. 27. He was initially convicted in a six-day trial on June 13, 2022 of the following charges:

Attempted Murder in the First Degree.

Criminal Discharge of a Firearm at an Occupied Vehicle.

Criminal Discharge of a Firearm at an Unoccupied Dwelling.

Aggravated Assault

Criminal Damage to Property.

Criminal Threat

Aggravated Criminal Sodomy of a Child under 14.

2 counts of Aggravated Indecent Liberties with a Child under 14.

Rape of a Child under 14.

Aggravated Indecent Liberties of a Child 14-16.

Battery

Garceran said Nelsons charges stemmed from sexual abuse of girls from 2016 to 2021 along with attempted murder and criminal threat for his response to these crimes being reported to law enforcement in 2021. He was initially arrested by the Shawnee County Sheriffs Office in January 2021.

Retention bonus approved for Shawnee County dispatchers

Law enforcement was called to the 4100 block of Northwest Beecher Road on Jan. 7, 2021 regarding reports of gunshots in the area. Investigators found Nelson appeared in that area at the home of a family friend and tried to shoot the person Nelson believed was responsible for reporting the sexual abuse to the authorities.

Nelson was gone by the time law enforcement arrived at the home with no injuries reported at the scene. He was arrested a few days after the shooting.

For more crime news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news in northeast Kansas by downloading our mobile app and by signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track Weather app by clicking here.

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SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI)  A man was sentenced in federal court Friday to five years in prison after he admitted that he illegally sold 23 firearms, including five ghost guns, to undercover agents, the office of U.S. attorney Tara McGrath stated.

According to a release Friday, 24-year-old Omar Jauregui, of Brawley, had five transactions, one of which involved selling a machinegun conversion device to undercover agents.

Prop. 36 faces intense review as North County residents gather for informative session

When integrated with a semiautomatic firearm, the device would be converted to fire in a fully-automatic capacity and therefore is defined as a machinegun under federal law, the attorneys office stated.

According to the attorneys office, ghost guns are not made by firearms manufacturers but instead assembled into a firearm using different parts and specialized tools. They also lack serial numbers which makes them virtually untraceable, the attorneys office said.

Jauregui was charged with dealing in firearms without a license and the maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine per count.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego & KUSI News.
MOUNT VERNON, Ohio (WCMH)  A man charged in a double murder that occurred last month has changed his plea and was given a lifetime sentence, according to court records.

Documents with the Knox County Court of Common Pleas show that Cameron Moore, 24, pleaded guilty to two counts of aggravated murder. The plea was reached one month after the case was bound over from Mount Vernon Municipal Court.

Moore waived his right to a trial by jury and entered a plea of guilty on Tuesday. He was immediately sentenced to life in prison, with no possibility of parole, on both murder charges.

Whitehall mother may face murder charge after 9-month-old dies

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The charges stem from a welfare check on Aug. 14, in which officers visited an apartment in the 100 block of South Gay Street in Mount Vernon. Police found two adults, one man and one woman, dead inside the residence.

Police did not release any information on the circumstances surrounding their deaths, but later announced that Moore was arrested and charged with two counts of aggravated murder.

Mount Vernon police said Moore acted alone and that no other individuals appeared to be involved. The victims names continue to be withheld until the family gives consent to their release or other judicial proceedings are made public.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to NBC4 WCMH-TV.
Man shot near Nationals Park during game against Phillies; police searching for suspect

WASHINGTON - Police are investigating a shooting that took place Friday evening near Nationals Park, where the Washington Nationals were playing against the Philadelphia Phillies.

The shooting occurred in the 1300 block of South Capitol Street S.W., just blocks from the stadium.

The call came in at approximately 6:51 p.m., minutes after the first pitch, according to the Metropolitan Police Department.

Upon arrival, MPD said its officers found a man who was "conscious and breathing." His current condition has not been released.

So far, the Nationals have not commented on the incident outside the stadium. This game is the third-to-last of the Nationals' season.

Police are searching for a suspect described as a man with a beard, wearing all dark clothing. The suspect was last seen heading southbound in the 1500 block of South Capitol Street S.W.

According to police, the victim of the shooting has died. This is now a homicide investigation.

Authorities are asking anyone with information to contact the police.
Brent Scott Garber was arrested and charged with arson and trespassing after allegedly trying to cremate his dog Rocket's remains

Telluride Fire Protection District via AP Bucktail Fire in western Colorado on Aug. 1, 2024

One man has been arrested after allegedly trying to cremate his dog and then starting a wildfire, named the Bucktail Fire, in Nucla, Colo., in early August, according to the Associated Press, The Denver Post and The Montrose Daily Press.

Brent Scott Garber, 63, was arrested on Sept. 5, according to Montrose County Sheriff's Office. He was charged with arson and trespassing. He was identified as a suspect after a commander with the sheriff's office saw him driving away on an ATV just minutes after the fire started, The Denver Post reported, citing an arrest affidavit.

The commander then met with state fire investigators and discovered a dug-out cave in the spot where the fire originated. A partially burned dog's body was found in the cave, along with a large rock with the words Oct. 2017 July 2024, Rocket Dog, Rest in Peace Buddy in bone glued on the surface, according to the outlet.

Related: Power Lines May Have Ignited the Largest Wildfire in Texas History, Forest Service Says

Montrose County Sheriff's Department Montrose County wildfire map

Rocket, who was later confirmed to be Garber's dog, had been ordered by a judge to be euthanized after he got into a fight with another dog, according to the affidavit.

The affidavit alleged Garber put his dog in a pit with wood and lit it on fire before tossing a spray can into the flames, which blew out and hit a nearby tree.

Garber lived in a camper near the fires initial starting point. Witnesses later told investigators that Garber told them he accidentally started the fire.

Getty Stock image of people looking at a forest fire.

Related: Calif. Man Accused of Starting Wildfire Currently Burning Nearly 35,000 Acres and Prompting Evacuations

Garber appeared at the Montrose County Courthouse on Wednesday, Sept. 25, according to USA Today. His preliminary demand hearing is scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 23.

The Bucktail Fire, one of Colorados largest fires this year, caused around $300,000 in damage across public and private property. It burned more than 7,200 acres. No evacuations were issued, and no injuries were reported, per USA Today.

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The Montrose County Sheriff's Office did not immediately respond to PEOPLEs request for more information on Friday.



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Read the original article on People.
If you walk into a grocery store and pick up a six-pack of nonalcoholic beer, you might be caught off guard by an unexpected request to show your ID to the cashier. As a matter of inventory protocol, nonalcoholic beers are often categorized under similar stock-keeping unit (SKU) numbers as regular beer, which can result in a would-be buyer automatically getting carded at the register. But what might be an occasional, if annoying, quirk of modern retailing could soon become a government mandate.

Various "experts" are calling on state governments to impose age restrictions on the sale of nonalcoholic drinks, according to CNN. This is being pushed under the guise of protecting against underage alcohol consumption, based on the argument that products like nonalcoholic beer could be a gateway to the real thing. The reality is that imposing age restrictions on nonalcoholic beverages could actually result in more youth drinking, not less.

The experts quoted by CNN cite research surveys conducted abroad that supposedly show that youths who drink nonalcoholic beverages are more likely to also drink alcoholic beverages. One of the studies, for instance, polled Japanese adolescents and found consumption of nonalcoholic beverages "was strongly associated with alcohol use in high school students."

This sounds pretty damning until one reads the next sentence of the researchers' conclusions, in which they have spectacularly buried the actual results of their work: "concerns that [nonalcoholic beverage] use would lead to increased alcohol use were not supported because [nonalcoholic beverage] consumption usually started after adolescents began consuming alcohol" [emphasis added]. In other words, the adolescents first started drinking booze, then started drinking alcohol-free options, not vice versa.

Perhaps expecting journalists, much less researchers themselves, to understand the difference between correlation and causation is too high of an ask, but it only gets worse. A researcher from Australia is also interviewed about focus groups and surveys he conducted of Australian youth drinking and the potential interplay of nonalcoholic beverages. According to the researcher, "a few teens mentioned they had gotten used to the taste of beer by drinking zero alcohol versions, which suggests that zero alcohol beverages can acclimatise young people to the taste of alcoholic beer."

Setting aside the obvious evidentiary shortcomings of what "a few teens" said in a focus group, a look at the final research paper provides as much or more evidence that teenagers are using nonalcoholic beverages in place of alcoholic beverages, rather than as an on-ramp to real drinking. Although the researchers note that "respondents who consumed alcohol [were] 1.8 times more likely to use [nonalcoholic beverages] compared to alcohol abstainers," it again was admitted that alcohol use could have preceded any use of nonalcoholic alternatives.

More interestingly, the results also show that teenagers are incredibly deft in their ability to substitute nonalcoholic beverages in lieu of actual boozeand in fact use the availability of nonalcoholic alternatives to circumvent peer pressure to drink the hard stuff. Of the adolescents surveyed, 63 percent said nonalcoholic beverages could help individuals drink less alcohol, while 54 percent said such drinks could enable people to pretend they are drinking alcohol when they are not. Another 51 percent said nonalcoholic drinks made it easier for underage individuals to say no to alcohol, and 45 percent agreed they allowed underage people to "fit in" with others who were drinking alcohol.

In reality, teenagers are doing exactly what many a parent would want them to do: find ways to creatively sidestep peer pressure from friends and older acquaintances who might push them to drink. In fact, it turns out that by far the most common way the teens surveyed procured nonalcoholic beverages was from their parents.

While no nationwide studies of American youths have been attempted, the states CNN lists as having more stringent age restrictions on nonalcoholic drinks (such as Florida, Georgia, Idaho, and Kansas) have not seen noticeably different changes in youth drinking rates than those without such restrictions.

Lost in this discussion is any mention of numbers that show a decadeslong decline in youth drinking. In America, underage drinking rates have plummeted since the 1980s. Gen Zers are already being labeled as a notoriously antibooze generation and their nonalcoholic preferences correlate with the rise of the "sober-curious" and "mindful mixology" movements, which emphasize no-alcohol or low-alcohol alternatives to the fully leaded stuff. (It should also be pointed out that no ID is required to buy products like kombucha, which contain trace amounts of alcohol that can sometimes even exceed that of nonalcoholic beer).

It's almost likejust as the surveys from teens themselves suggestthe free market of nonalcoholic beverage options is helping reduce underage drinking, not increase it. Clamping down on access to nonalcoholic drinks could worsen the very problem it is intended to solve.

The post Mandatory ID Checks for Nonalcoholic Beer? appeared first on Reason.com.
Eighteen people have been killed in a mass shooting in a remote South African town with a manhunt under way to find the perpetrators, police say.

Two homesteads on the same street in the town of Lusikisiki, in the Eastern Cape, were targeted, police said, with 12 women and one man killed in one location, and three women and one man at a second location.

The 18th victim died in hospital on Sunday, the South Africa Police Service said.

Police Minister Senzo Mchunu said the motive for the shootings was unknown.

In a statement on Sunday, police said that apart from the death of the 18th person, there were no other new developments. No arrests have been made so far.

Officials said the victims were relatives and neighbours in Nyathi village, Ngobozana in Lusikisiki.

South African media reported the victims had been gathered at the houses to prepare to attend a traditional mourning ceremony for a mother and daughter who were murdered a year ago.

They had been packing goods and presents, including furniture, for the event when the attack occurred on Friday night, according to the media reports.

"We heard gunshots and doors that were kicked," Nomnikelo Ndlovu, one of the residents who was able to hide during the attack, told state broadcaster SABC.

"We tried to hide and three people were shot. We are still traumatised."

In a statement on Saturday, the police minister said that there had been a total of 19 people sleeping in two homes in the same yard at one of the shooting locations.

Mchunu added that there had been six survivors at that homestead - four women, a man, and a two-month-old child. A police spokesperson said earlier that the child was uninjured, but had been taken to hospital as a precaution.

There were no survivors at the other homestead.

Mchunu said a team of detectives and forensic experts, including crime scene managers from Pretoria, had been deployed "to piece all [the] evidence together in a bid to apprehend these brutal criminals".

Regional cabinet member for community safety Xolile Nqatha told SABC that he hoped the critically injured man would make a "speedy" recovery, as "his recovery can help us shed more light" on the shooting.

He also suggested that the assailants may have been known to the victims.

South Africa has one of the highest murder rates in the world, according to the latest figures from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.

There were more than 27,000 murders in 2022 - amounting to 45 people per 100,000, out of a population of almost 60 million. By comparison, the US rate is six per 100,000.

Additional reporting by Aleks Phillips

[BBC]

More about crime in South Africa:
The Supreme Courts divided decision this week allowing Missouri to execute a man for a 1998 murder even though his conviction was contested by prosecutors has heaped renewed scrutiny on the courts approach to the death penalty.

Marcellus Williams, convicted in 2001 of killing former newspaper reporter Felicia Gayle, was executed Tuesday evening, a little more than an hour after the Supreme Courts conservatives declined to intervene over the objection of the three liberal justices. The execution drew sharp criticism from the NAACP and other groups who claimed Williams was innocent.

Some of that blowback has been directed at the Supreme Court, which for decades has only rarely granted last-minute reprieves for death row inmates. The court has stepped in twice in the past two years to stop executions out of more than two dozen emergency appeals, according to data compiled by the Death Penalty Information Center.

Its very troubling the way that the Supreme Court is approaching capital cases these days, said Cliff Sloan, a professor at Georgetown Law who won a significant case at the Supreme Court in 2017 involving an intellectually disabled death row inmate. In any fair and just society, a freestanding claim of innocence should be recognized as an important constitutional claim.

When dissents are noted in capital case petitions, they invariably come from the courts liberal wing. And when the appeals make their way onto the courts docket for further review, the outcome tends to divide the liberals and conservatives into separate camps.

The Supreme Court has a limited role to play death penalty cases, said Paul Cassell, a University of Utah law professor who is representing a victims family in another death penalty case before the high court this year. Those cases, Cassell said, are handled primarily by state authorities with limited oversight from the federal courts.

The death penalty will continue to feature prominently at the Supreme Court in coming weeks, with several defendants up for review when the justices meet Monday to consider appeals that piled up over the summer. One involves an Oklahoma woman convicted of killing her husband who says prosecutors sex-shamed her during her trial, referring to her in court as a slut puppy and holding up her underwear for the jury.

Another involves an Alabama man who claims he is intellectually disabled and therefore ineligible for execution under Supreme Court precedent.

Glossip appeal to be heard next month

The court is already set to hear arguments about Richard Glossip, a death row inmate in Oklahoma. The case involves the 1997 killing of Barry Van Treese, the owner of a motel in Oklahoma City. Justin Sneed, who worked at the motel, was convicted of that murder but, in exchange for avoiding a death sentence, implicated Glossip as orchestrating and hiring Sneed to carry out the crime.

Glossip is asking the court to set aside his conviction after the state acknowledged its case was rife with errors. Prosecutors, for instance, failed to disclose records showing that Sneed, who was the key witness against Glossip, was treated for a psychiatric condition. Oklahomas attorney general, Republican Gentner Drummond, who has defended the death penalty, is siding with Glossip, citing troubling evidence of grave prosecutorial misconduct.

Williams, whose execution promoted outrage on social media, tried to liken his situation to Glossips, noting that prosecutors had similarly raised serious concerns about his trial. Among other problems, St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell said that his predecessor had contaminated the murder weapon by handling it without gloves. Bell, a Democrat, is running for Congress.

In Williams case  unlike in Glossips  the state was still firmly in favor of an execution. Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey, a Republican running for reelection, dismissed Williams theory that DNA testing of the knife might have exonerated him had it been handled more carefully by prosecutors. Instead, Bailey said, the evidence was consistent with the testimony of a crime scene investigator that the killer wore gloves based on glove marks left at the crime scene.

The two cases have enough overlap that some believe the outcome for Williams could signal problems for Glossip.

When you have a catastrophic failure by the state courts to address these issues, youd expect the US Supreme Court to step in, especially when you have an (appeal) that is filed jointly by the trial prosecutors office and the defense, said Robert Dunham, director of the Death Penalty Policy Project, who has also represented death row inmates at the Supreme Court. It becomes very difficult to come up with a justification for what happened.

Cassell, who is representing the Van Treese family in the Gossip appeal, said that those supporting the defendants claims have made themselves willfully blind to the facts of the case here and are basing their concerns on a few snippets in the prosecutors notes.

The Supreme Court didnt explain its reasoning in denying Williams request. The courts three liberals  Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson  noted their dissent but also did not write to explain their position.

Sotomayor, in particular, has made her opposition known in some past death penalty appeals.

In January, when the Supreme Court allowed Alabama to execute Kenneth Smith with nitrogen gas, Sotomayor wrote a strongly worded dissent.

Having failed to kill Smith on its first attempt, Alabama has selected him as its guinea pig to test a method of execution never attempted before, she wrote. Once the nitrogen is flowing into the mask, his executioners will not intervene and will not remove the mask, even if Smith vomits into it and chokes on his own vomit.

Smith was executed in late January.

In a landmark 1972 decision, the Supreme Court ruled that the way states were carrying out the death penalty represented cruel and unusual punishment in violation of the Eighth and 14th Amendments. While the decision vacated hundreds of death sentences, it did not ban the practice completely. Instead, a majority of states enacted new laws that restored executions in a way that was consistent with the courts ruling.

The courts general reluctance to review last-minute death penalty appeals is based in large part on its role within the federal judiciary. The justices are looking for clear errors made by lower courts, not new evidence raised by defendants.

The Supreme Courts approach to death penalty appeals is to correct severe misapplications of constitutional law by Americas state court systems, said Seth Kretzer, a Texas attorney who has represented death row inmates at the Supreme Court.

The court, Kretzer said, will not stop an execution in a discrete case just because that inmate adduces new evidence at the last minute.

New cases in the pipeline

The high court will make clear in coming weeks whether the current pending cases will meet that high bar or not.

In one pending appeal, lawyers for Alabama death row inmate Joseph Smith is fighting his sentence on the grounds that he should be considered intellectually disabled. A series of tests put Smiths IQ at just over 70, a threshold referenced in an earlier Supreme Court decision.

But the 11th US Circuit Court of Appeals said that the number isnt a strict cutoff and that deviation in testing could put his actual IQ slightly below 70. Alabama is appealing that decision to the Supreme Court and has been waiting more than year for an answer.

In Oklahoma, Brenda Andrew faces the death penalty for the 2001 shooting death of her estranged husband. In her appeal to the Supreme Court, Andrew said the prosecutions use of plainly irrelevant sexual history, should knock out her conviction.

By stripping Ms. Andrew of her humanity as a whole person, the state instead offered the jury an archetype of a slut and depraved adulterer, her lawyers told the Supreme Court.

Oklahoma officials countered that the evidence indicated that Andrew hated her husband, and she made no secret of her desire to see him dead.

CNNs Devan Cole contributed to this report.

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(NewsNation)  North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson was treated for second-degree burns on a hand Friday night after suffering the injury at a campaign event in Mt. Airy. His campaign tells NewsNation that Robinson was discharged and will return to the campaign trail Saturday.

Robinson was burned when he put his hand on a truck at the event, according to a Washington Post journalist posting on X.

Robinson has been under intense pressure to quit his campaign for governor, and even to resign his current post, since reports surfaced of old online posts in which Robinson referred to himself as a black NAZI; said he enjoyed transgender pornography; said in 2012 he preferred Hitler to then-President Barack Obama; and slammed the late Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. as worse than a maggot.

Mark Robinson threatens CNN for bombshell report

Brian LiVecchi, Robinsons chief of staff and general counsel, will resign effective next Tuesday, according to a friend. Over the weekend, Robinson announced that four key staff members on his gubernatorial campaign staff had left their jobs.

Robinson denied writing the messages that CNN says were from more than a decade ago. He said Tuesday that his campaign has hired a law firm to help investigate how what Robinson calls false smears originated. But that hasnt stopped top Republicans from distancing themselves from the lieutenant governor.

Former NBA star says Eric Adams ghosted him on Turkeys orders

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump endorsed Robinson before the March primary and has let Robinson speak at the former presidents in-state rallies. But he was not involved in Trump rallies Wednesday in suburban Charlotte or last weekend in Wilmington.

Robinson was attending the Mayberry Truck Show in Mt. Airy, the small town that was the hometown of actor Andy Griffith, and the inspiration for the fictional town of Mayberry, the setting of the beloved 1960s comedy The Andy Griffith Show.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to NewsNation.
Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson speaks to supporters at a campaign event at Brantley's Village Restaurant in Oriental, North Carolina on Aug. 29, 2024. (Photo: Galen Bacharier)

Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson went to the hospital Friday evening after being burnt during a campaign event.

Matt Hurley, a political consultant recently hired onto Robinsons campaign, wrote on social media that the Republican gubernatorial candidate was currently being treated for burns following an incident at a campaign event in Mt. Airy. The Washington Post reported on X that Robinson attended a truck show and burned his hand while leaning against a truck.

He is in good spirits, Hurley added.

Another staffer later confirmed that Robinson was treated for second-degree burns at Northern Regional Hospital, and would be back on the campaign trail Saturday.

He is in good spirits, appreciates the outpouring of well wishes, and is excited to return to the campaign trail as scheduled first thing tomorrow morning, communications director Mike Lonergan said.

Robinson returned to the campaign trail for a series of stops Friday, competing with severe storms and aiming to move past a CNN story that has rocked his campaign.

He was scheduled to speak at the Moore County Republican Headquarters in Pinehurst, a Golden Corral in Laurinburg, and a Mexican restaurant in Rockingham before attending the truck show and parade in Mount Airy.
Sinn Fein President Mary Lou McDonald told delegates during her address to Be in no doubt  unity referendums are coming [PA Media]

Sinn Fein says the next Irish government will have a minister for reunification if its part of the administration.

Addressing the annual Sinn Fein ard fheis (annual conference) in Athlone on Saturday evening, party leader Mary Lou McDonald told delegates Be in no doubt  unity referendums are coming.

Its time to plan and prepare," she told party members.

"That means a green paper on Irish unity, a citizens assembly, a minister for reunification at the Department of An Taoiseach, a new government with a clear-cut commitment to holding referendums.

'Casement Park must be delivered'

The Sinn Fein leader also praised the restoration of the executive at Stormont but warned that the power-sharing administration needs more funding.

The British government must now act to fund services, infrastructure, and progress, she said.

Casement Park must be delivered.

Ahead of an impending Irish general election, Sinn Fein has faced questions about its position on immigration during recent controversies around an increasing number of immigrants arriving in the Republic of Ireland.

McDonald told party delegates that accommodation problems must not be imposed on communities.

Community, fairness, and common sense must be at the heart of how we manage immigration. IPAS (international protection accommodation services) centres must not be located in working class communities struggling to survive. Thats not reasonable or fair, she added.

On Friday, Sinn Fein vice-president and Northern Ireland's First Minister Michelle O'Neill told delegates at the conference that the "jury is still out" on the new UK government.

It is Sinn Fein's first conference since O'Neill became first minister of the Northern Ireland Executive - the first Irish nationalist to hold the role.

Calling for a further devolution of powers to Stormont, she said the first actions of the new Labour government have been more "broken promises".
The judge overseeing Mayor Eric Adams corruption case is a Biden-appointed newbie to the federal bench who previously worked for the ACLU and NAACP fighting for racial and voter justice.

Southern District of New York Judge Dale Ho, who is in his 40s, randomly landed the historic case Thursday by the spin of wooden wheel used to assign judges inside a Manhattan courtroom  a stroke of happenstance that thrusts him into the spotlight after barely a year on the bench.

That will be a new experience for him on the bench  he hasnt had years and years of high-profile cases  but I think hell just work very hard and try to do the right thing, Shira Scheindlin, a former Southern District judge, told The Post on Friday.

Federal Judge Dale Ho was randomly selected to preside over Eric Adams corruption case. AFJ

Of course, its very high-profile, hell be in the spotlight, she said.

Its a criminal charge of corruption, and I think one would expect him to be a fair and impartial judge.

But while Ho may lack judicial experience, the longtime lefty lawyer arguably is no stranger to high-profile attention  or pushback for his activist stances.

After President Biden submitted Hos nomination to the Senate in 2021, the jurist waited nearly two years to be confirmed by a razor-thin, party-line 50-49 vote.

Adams has lambasted prosecutors in the case. GC Images

Eric Adams indicted: Live updates after NYC mayor hit with indictment

Republicans objected to Hos past statements  including once describing himself as a wild-eyed sort of leftist who is accused of sometimes seeing racial discrimination everywhere I look, The National Law Journal reported.

They also looked askance at his comments calling the Electoral College and Senate anti-democratic.

I very much regret the tone that Ive taken on social media from time to time, particularly if its given anyone the impression that I wouldnt be impartial, Ho contritely told senators.

Ho was confirmed by the Senate in a narrow vote to serve on the federal bench in Manhattan. Paul Martinka

A Princeton University and Yale Law grad, Ho clerked in the Southern District of New York and New Yorks Court of Appeals before serving as assistant counsel with the NAACPs legal defense fund.

He became director of the American Civil Liberties Union Voting Rights Project in 2013  a job that brought him Hollywood notoriety.

Hos battle against former President Donald Trumps proposed citizenship on the US Census was featured in the Kerry Washington-produced documentary The Fight, which premiered at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival.

Hos past racial justice work could arguably be a boon for Adams. Penske Media via Getty Images

Adams has already recieved the support of prominent black leaders, including the Rev. Al Sharpton, and NAACP president Hazel Dukes. REUTERS

Stay updated with the New York Posts coverage of Mayor Eric Adams indictment

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Self-admitted overheated rhetoric aside, Ho ultimately made it onto the Southern Districts bench in 2023.

Soon afterward, he recounted to a group of lawyers that US Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor  who served in the Southern District  said it takes as many as five years for new judges to stop feeling like theyre drowning, Bloomberg Law reported.

Ho has now been thrown in the judicial deep end, although his past racial justice work could arguably be a boon for Adams.

Adams has received the support of prominent black leaders such as the Rev. Al Sharpton and NAACP president Hazel Dukes, who have echoed Hizzoners laments that his prosecution smacks of a racial double standard.
Embattled New York City Mayor Eric Adams' chief adviser, Ingrid Lewis-Martin, had her home searched and was issued a federal subpoena Friday.

Lewis' attorney, Arthur Aidala, confirmed to Fox News Digital that Adams' senior adviser was served a subpoena by the Southern District of New York.

Along with the subpoena, Lewis' cellphone was seized by the New York County District Attorney's office.

"She will cooperate fully with any and all investigations and Ms. Lewis is not the target of any case of which we are aware," Aidala said.

Lewis-Martin, was reportedly met at the airport Friday by investigators after she got off a flight from Japan and issued the subpoena, according to the Associated Press.

Nyc Mayor Eric Adams Arrives To Turn Himself In To Face Charges In Federal Corruption Case

Read On The Fox News App

New York City Mayor Eric Adams sits next to chief adviser Ingrid Lewis-Martin during a press conference at City Hall last year.

The federal subpoena and search of her home comes a day after an indictment against Adams was unsealed to reveal fraud, bribery and corruption charges.

Feds Seize Eric Adams' Phone After Nyc Mayor's Indictment

On Friday, he arrived at the federal court in Manhattan to surrender to authorities and pleaded not guilty.

The mayor, 64, is accused of soliciting illegal campaign donations from foreign entities and falsifying paper trails to cover it up, according to a 57-page indictment unsealed Thursday. As part of the plot, he allegedly defrauded taxpayers for $10 million over the past decade and frequently took free or steeply discounted vacations bankrolled by his foreign benefactors.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams departs federal court following his arraignment in Lower Manhattan on Friday. Adams faces five federal charges, including alleged conspiracy, wire fraud, two counts of solicitation of a contribution by a foreign national and bribery.

Adams denied the allegations in a video statement, saying any charges filed against him are "entirely false, based on lies" and insinuating that his criticism of the Biden administration's disastrous border policies made him a target for retaliation.

"The federal government did nothing as its broken immigration policies overloaded our shelter system with no relief," he said. "I put the people of New York before party and politics."

Fox News Digital's Michael Ruiz contributed to this report.





Original article source: Mayor Eric Adams' chief adviser, Ingrid Lewis-Martin, issued federal subpoena, has cellphone seized
NEW YORK (PIX11)  New York City Mayor Eric Adams, quietly issued a new executive order changing the line of succession for First Deputy Mayor, on the same day his federal criminal charges were unsealed.

In the order issued on Thursday, Adams outlined that in the event the First Deputy Mayor is unable to fulfill the functions of the mayor, the Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services would be next in line.

What we know about the investigations surrounding New York Citys mayor

This order only applies if the mayor is temporarily suspended or is unable to serve for some other reason. In the event that the mayor resigns or is removed by the Governor, the public advocate would still be next in line to take over the position, followed by the comptroller.

The citys current Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services is Anne Williams-Isom. The Queens-native is a Fordham University alumna who previously worked in child welfare.

Mayor Adams indictment: Timeline of federal investigations

FBI agents raided the home and seized devices from First Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright, and her partner, New York City Schools Chancellor David Banks on Sep. 5. However the raids did appear to be related to the mayors federal indictment charges.

The former Brooklyn borough president is accused of accepting $100,000 worth of lavish gifts from foreign donors, including free business-class airline tickets, upgraded hotel suites, and millions in foreign campaign contributions.

On Friday, Adams pleaded not guilty to charges of bribery, wire fraud, solicitation of a contribution by a foreign national, and conspiracy to defraud the United States.

Dominique Jack is a digital content producer from Brooklyn with more than five years of experience covering news. She joined PIX11 in 2024. More of her work can be found here.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PIX11.
UPDATE 9/30/2024  A McDonald County High School employee accused of hiding a camera into the girls locker room has been charged with three felonies.

According to online court records, Rodger D. Copeland is charged with sexual exploitation of a minor, possession of child pornography, and invasion of privacy.

A probable cause statement from the McDonald County Sheriffs Office (MCSO) says deputies went to the school on Sept. 27 after someone reported finding the camera. After a search warrant was obtained, MCSO identified Copeland on camera footage.

In a post-Miranda interview, the probable cause statement says Copeland admitted to putting the camera up and says he did it because it had to do a lot with him being lonely.

Original story:

McDONALD COUNTY, Mo.  A school employee is behind bars tonight after police say he snuck a hidden camera into the girls locker room at McDonald County High School.

The Sheriffs Office says students found the hidden camera today and alerted school police who traced it back to a school employee who is not a teacher.

The employee was arrested, but OzarksFirst is holding off on naming him until charges are filed.

The Sheriffs Office says the camera will be sent to a computer lab for testing.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOLR - OzarksFirst.com.
Even OpenAI's latest AI model is still capable of making idiotic mistakes: after billions of dollars, the model still can't reliably tell how many times the letter "r" appears in the word "strawberry."

And while "hallucinations"  a conveniently anthropomorphizing word used by AI companies to denote bullshit dreamed up by their AI chatbots  aren't a huge deal when, say, a student gets caught with wrong answers in their assignment, the stakes are a lot higher when it comes to medical advice.

A communications platform called MyChart sees hundreds of thousands of messages being exchanged between doctors and patients a day, and the company recently added a new AI-powered feature that automatically drafts replies to patients' questions on behalf of doctors and assistants.

As the New York Times reports, roughly 15,000 doctors are already making use of the feature, despite the possibility of the AI introducing potentially dangerous errors.

Case in point, UNC Health family medicine doctor Vinay Reddy told the NYT that an AI-generated draft message reassured one of his patients that she had gotten a hepatitis B vaccine  despite never having access to her vaccination records.

Worse yet, the new MyChart tool isn't required to divulge that a given response was written by an AI. That could make it nearly impossible for patients to realize that they were given medical advice by an algorithm.

The tool, which relies on a version of GPT-4, the OpenAI large language model that powers ChatGPT, pulls in data from material including medical records and drug prescriptions.

The tool even attempts to simulate the "voice" of the doctor, making it all the more insidious.

"The sales pitch has been that its supposed to save them time so that they can spend more time talking to patients," Hastings Center bioethics researcher Athmeya Jayaram told the NYT. "In this case, theyre trying to save time talking to patients with generative AI."

Critics worry that even though medical professionals are supposed to go over these drafts, the AI could introduce mistakes that could slip through the cracks.

There's plenty of evidence that could already be happening. In a July study, researchers found "hallucinations" in seven out of 116 AI-generated draft messages by MyChart's tool.

While that may not sound like a lot, even a single error could have disastrous consequences.

A separate study found that GPT-4 repeatedly made errors when tasked with responding to patient messages.

Some patients may never find out that they're getting advice from an AI. There are no federal rules about messages needing to be labeled as AI-generated.

"When you read a doctors note, you read it in the voice of your doctor," Jayaram told the NYT. "If a patient were to know that, in fact, the message that theyre exchanging with their doctor is generated by AI, I think they would feel rightly betrayed."

More on medical AI: An AI Event Hired John Mulaney to Do a Comedy Set and He Brutally Roasted Them Onstage
Hampton Roads community groups are hosting debates and forums with candidates ahead of the Nov. 5 elections. Heres a list of events scheduled for Sept. 29-Oct. 5.

___

Senate

The only televised debate between U.S. Senate candidates Sen. Tim Kaine (D) and challenger Hung Cao (R) is Wednesday. The debate takes place at 7 p.m. on the campus of Norfolk State University with news anchors Tom Schaad and Deanna Allbrittin serving as moderators. The event is not open to the general public but will be aired live on WAVY-TV 10.

___

Multiple cities

Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority and Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity will host a town hall and candidate forum on Oct. 5 at Norfolk State University. Candidates running for the U.S. House of Representatives 3rd District; Chesapeake, Norfolk, and Virginia Beach mayor; and Chesapeake, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Suffolk and Virginia Beach city councils have confirmed attendance. The free event takes place at 1 p.m. at the Student Center, Dorothy B. Brothers Auditorium, located at 700 Park Ave. in Norfolk.

757 Votes: The Virginian-Pilot and Daily Press 2024 election guide

___

Chesapeake

The Chesapeake branch of the NAACP and the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Chesapeake-Virginia Beach Alumnae Chapter are hosting virtual forum for mayoral candidates on Wednesday. The virtual mayoral forum is from 7 to 8 p.m. on Oct. 2. People can register to attend the Zoom meeting at https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZckc-2sqzsqGdE1TeX8fH27a7Iw3ln_sGHD#/registration.

The Womens Division of the Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce is hosting two Chesapeake forums: a mayor and City Council forum on Monday and a School Board forum on Tuesday. Both events are from 6 to 8 p.m. at Chesapeake City Hall, located at 306 Cedar Road in Chesapeake.

___

Williamsburg

A town hall meeting for Williamsburg City Council candidates will be held Thursday. The event is 5:30-7:30 p.m. in the Williamsburg Library auditorium, located at 515 Scotland St. Questions from the audience are encouraged.

If your organization is hosting a candidate debate or forum and would like to publicize it in The Virginian-Pilot and Daily Press, please send details to government and politics editor Andrea Noble at andrea.noble@virginiamedia.com.
CHICOPEE, Mass. (WWLP)  The first annual Angela Santiago Memorial Ride brought the community to the Moose Lodge in Chicopee to honor the legacy of one rider who passed away in a motorcycle accident in 2020.

Big E fairgoers celebrate Salute to Chicopee Day

I would rather her be here, but we have to celebrate her life and honor her, and we are making it happen, expressed Shavonne Santiago, Angels Sister.

According to the Angela Santiago Foundation, the event will honor the legacy of Angela to support the foundation established in her name. All proceeds will be donated in the form of scholarships to a total of two Chicopee High and two Chicopee Comp High School seniors.

Santiago says the event is all about keeping her memory alive, My main mission for me is for people to continue to talk about her and that keeps her spirit here in presence. Outside of that, its to continue her mission to keep the community together, and to keep strengthening and empowering the youth. The big thing is to raise money to help the kiddos in our community.

Sergeant Joseph Conroy with the Chicopee Police Department worked with Angela Santiago. He said she was all about helping out those in the community.

Angela was an amazing girl. She did so much for the community, expressed Conroy. She was very active at the Boys & Girls Club and an event like this, just in her memory to remember her, to give back to the community in her name, just means the world.

The event will feature a motorcycle memorial ride, followed by an after-party with live music by the band Unleashed, local vendors, and family-friendly activities. Registration ran from 9 a.m. until 10:45 a.m. with the ride set for 11 a.m.

Angela Santiago, the 33-year-old Chicopee police officer, was killed in a motorcycle accident in 2020 on Interstate 91 in East Windsor, Connecticut. Angela was also a veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The Angela Santiago Foundation aims to continue its work by empowering and inspiring children through education, sports, fitness, and recreation.

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A Metropolitan Police officer has been sacked after a misconduct panel found he assaulted a 12-year-old child by "spanking her bare bottom on numerous occasions".

The hearing found Ross Benson had been accused of smacking the girl between April and August 2018, the Met said.

The force added the child was known to him and that there was a sexual element to the spanking, which happened when he was off duty.

Following the disciplinary hearing, Mr Benson was dismissed without notice and placed on the barred list held by the College of Policing.

He had worked in the North West Basic Command Unit in London.

The Met said Bedfordshire Police arrested Mr Benson on suspicion of sexual assault in November 2020, but in September 2021 he was informed no further action would be taken.

Bedfordshire Police then contacted the Mets Directorate of Professional Standards and a misconduct investigation was launched which concluded on Friday that Mr Benson had breached the standard of professional behaviour at the level of gross misconduct, the force said.

Det Supt Will Lexton-Jones said: "My thoughts are first and foremost with the victim who displayed courage in reporting this.

"PC Benson's abhorrent behaviour has led to his immediate dismissal, which is a decision I fully support.

"I hope this outcome demonstrates how we are rooting out those who do not demonstrate the high standards we demand from our officers."

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FILE - A man rides his bike through the Mexican port of entry in San Luis Rio Colorado, Mexico, July 29, 2010. (AP Photo/Guillermo Arias, File)

MEXICO CITY (AP)  Mexican authorities said Friday they have detected and seized 24 drug cartel surveillance cameras fixed to telephone and light posts in the border city of San Luis Rio Colorado.

The city on the border with Arizona has suffered years of violence between drug cartels fighting for control of the border crossing, where they can smuggle drugs.

Prosecutors in northern Sonora state said the cameras had been placed there by falcons, the name commonly used in Mexico for drug cartel lookouts seeking to keep tabs on the movements of soldiers and police.

Army troops removed the devices, and photos suggested they were common porch-style cameras wrapped in duct tape. They were found in three different neighborhoods, and some were even found attached to palm trees.

San Luis Rio Colorado, located across from Yuma, Arizona, is best known as a border town where Americans go for inexpensive prescriptions and dental work. But it has increasingly been hit by drug cartel violence.

It is not the first border city where cartels have installed their own surveillance networks.

In 2015, a drug cartel in the northern state of Tamaulipas used at least 39 surveillance cameras to monitor the comings and goings of authorities in the city of Reynosa across the border from McAllen, Texas.

The cameras were powered by electric lines above the city streets and accessed the internet through phone cables along the same poles, and included modems and were capable of operating wirelessly or through commercial providers lines.

Several of the cameras were trained on an army base, while others captured movement outside a marine post, offices of the attorney general and state police as well as shopping centers, major thoroughfares and some neighborhoods.

Over the course of 2015, authorities also discovered 55 radio communication antennas between the nearby border cities of Matamoros and Miguel Aleman.
Mexicos incoming president Claudia Sheinbaum is sending the wrong signals before taking office: She has scared U.S. investors by actively supporting a controversial judicial reform, added fuel to a pointless spat with Spain, and invited the dictators of Cuba and Venezuela to her Oct. 1 inauguration.

Sheinbaum, a left-of-center protege of outgoing populist president Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, can hardly afford to pick fights with Mexicos business community, or with its top trade partners. Thanks to the outgoing presidents ineptitude, the countrys economic growth has been recently downgraded by Mexicos central bank to a meager 1.5 % in 2024, and 1.2 % in 2025.

More importantly, Mexico is scheduled to start negotiations next year to update its free trade agreement with the United States and Canada, which comes up for a revision in 2026. More than 80% of Mexicos exports go to the U.S. market.

If anything, Sheinbaum should have remained silent about Lopez Obradors populist judicial reform. The judicial overhaul will in effect allow the president to control the judicial branch, which has triggered fears among investors that they will have no legal protections against potential expropriations or unfair government measures.

But instead of remaining quiet about it, Sheinbaum has enthusiastically embraced the judicial reform, even after Moodys credit risk agency and major banks such as Morgan Stanley warned it may scare away investments. U.S. ambassador to Mexico Ken Salazar has said that the judicial reform threatens the historic commercial relationship between Mexico and the United States.

In an interview last week, Mexicos Senate President Gerardo Fernandez Norona, a firebrand leftist member of Sheinbaums ruling Morena party, told me that investors have nothing to fear about the judicial reform.

But the fact is that, regardless of what Mexican authorities say, investors lend much more credence to what credit risk agencies and financial media say. The Wall Street Journal reported before the judicial reform became law that U.S. multinationals could freeze $35 billion in planned investments in Mexico because of it.

Likewise, Sheinbaums invitations to foreign dictators to her inauguration raises questions about her priorities. While she invited the dictators of Cuba, Venezuela and Russia, she did not extend invitations to the king of Spain or the presidents of Ecuador and Peru.

Although Russias president Vladimir Putin  who has an international arrest warrant against him  has already said he wont be able to attend, he will send a top official in his place. Cubas dictator Miguel Diaz-Canel is scheduled to accept the invite and receive the same red-carpet welcome as democratically-elected leaders. Venezuelas ruler Nicolas Maduro has not yet confirmed his attendance, but may very well appear at the last moment.

Sheinbaum has not invited Spains King Felipe VI because he has not responded to a 2019 Lopez Obrador letter demanding that Spain ask forgiveness for crimes committed during the Spanish conquest of Mexico. The Spanish government responded that the kings exclusion was absolutely unacceptable, and that it would not send any official delegation to the incoming presidents inauguration.

It makes little sense for Sheinbaum to exclude the Spanish king for crimes that took place 500 years ago, while at the same time giving a royal welcome to dictators who are committing major human rights abuses nowadays. And yet, Sheinbaum has celebrated the escalation of tensions with Spain as a major victory for Mexico, claiming on Sept. 25 that Spains refusal to ask forgiveness for its abuses during the Conquest is an offense to the Mexican people.

Just as inconsistent, if not more, is the fact that Sheinbaum has not invited the constitutionally elected presidents of Ecuador and Peru. Lopez Obrador has falsely claimed that they are not legitimate, and Sheinbaum has in effect bought that lie.

Amazingly, Sheinbaums inaugural guest list suggests that she considers the dictators of Cuba and Venezuela more legitimate than those of Ecuador and Peru. Thats absurd. As politically difficult as it may be for her, she should take distance from her predecessor, and focus on attracting investments and reducing poverty.

Dont miss the Oppenheimer Presenta TV show on Sundays at 9 pm E.T. on CNN en Espanol. Blog: andresoppenheimer.com
(Bloomberg) -- Mexicos Lower House plans to spend the first few days of Claudia Sheinbaums administration next week discussing an energy reform proposed by President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, according to remarks by Ricardo Monreal, leader of the ruling Morena party in the chamber, in a video posted on his X account.

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The reforms main aims include giving state-owned utility CFE priority over private companies in distributing electricity. Opposition lawmakers have raised concerns that the bill could install a state monopoly.

Incoming lawmakers in both chambers, where the ruling coalition holds large majorities, spent recent weeks approving a slew of key constitutional reforms proposed by Lopez Obrador, including a judicial overhaul to elect all federal judges by popular vote.

The Lower House will also debate a constitutional reform regarding the railway use for passenger trains next week, Monreal said.

President-elect Claudia Sheinbaum, whose inauguration as the countrys first woman president takes place Oct. 1, could also send a package of initiatives to Congress, he said.

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FARMINGTON, N.M. (KRQE)  A New Mexico high school student is facing charges after police claimed he made a social media threat against his school.

According to Farmington police, a 15-year-old student at Piedra Vista High School posted a picture to social media holding a firearm and included a threatening message.

The student was arrested and is now facing charges of interference with the education process and unlawful possession of a gun by a person under 19.

Story continues below

The student is being held in the San Juan County Juvenile Detention Center.

This comes as New Mexico Attorney General Raul Torrez said state laws against children making threatening claims at schools are not strong enough.

Several schools also received threats last week, including some in Las Cruces, Albuquerque, and Raton. No injuries were reported in any of the incidents.

School threats are taken very seriously. Posting such content on social media is neither funny nor harmless and we will attempt to prosecute to the fullest extent of the law possible. We urge parents to speak with their children about the importance of responsible online behavior and the potential ramifications of threatening actions. We will continue to work with Farmington Municipal Schools to ensure the safety of all our children, said Farmington police.

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NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN)  After several days of severe weather, conditions in East Tennessee have stabilized, allowing for the start of full-scale rescue operations.

Rescue groups from across the state are teaming up to help those who may be caught in the aftermath of severe floods.

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Saturday, an aquatic rescue team comprised of the Nashville Fire Department and the Tennessee Highway Patrol Aviation Unit announced they had conducted 24 search and rescue missions in flood-impacted areas.

Meanwhile, Lawrence County Fire and Rescue and the Lawrenceburg Fire Department said their personnel have been involved in search and rescue efforts in the Doe Creek area , as well as an entrapment in the Roan Mountain area of Carter County.

The McMinnville Fire Department said it is taking donations to help those impacted by the storm damage in Helene. Community members are encouraged to drop off bottled water, packaged food items, personal care items, household cleaning items, tarps, flashlights, batteries, garbage bags, etc. at Station 1 or Station 2 by Oct. 4.

Do not visit disaster areas: TEMA warns of floodwater danger

Law enforcement agencies in Middle Tennessee have also begun to extend their services out east.

Deputies from the Sumner County Sheriffs Office told News 2 they are sending bottled water to affected areas, while the Sumner County EMS is in the process of sending ambulances to Unicoi County.

Unicoi County has reportedly requested services from the Humphreys County Sheriffs Office, which managed the aftermath of the deadly Waverly flood in 2021.

In Dickson County, the sheriffs office will be collecting bottled water from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Dickson Plaza. Once the trailer has been filled, they will be delivering the bottles to East Tennessee.

 Read todays top stories on wkrn.com

The Tennessee Emergency Management Agency has advised civilians to avoid visiting disaster areas until conditions become safer. The agency has asked those who want to get involved with clean-up efforts to wait until guidance is given by local officials.

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has opened a hotline to report those who may be missing in the aftermath of the floods. The TBI said callers should be prepared to share as much information in their report as possible, including names, phone numbers, vehicle identification and last known location. The TBI asks callers to refrain from inquiring about personal properties that may have gone missing in the area. To make a missing person report, call 1-800-TBI-FIND.

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What might Hezbollah, Israel and Iran do next?

Israels assassination of Hassan Nasrallah, the long-standing leader of Hezbollah, is a major escalation in its war with the Lebanese militant group.

It has, potentially, brought the region one step closer to a much wider and even more damaging conflict, one that pulls in both Iran and the US.

So where is it likely to go from here?

That largely depends on three basic questions.

What will Hezbollah do?

Hezbollah is reeling from blow after blow.

Its command structure has been decapitated, with more than a dozen top commanders assassinated. Its communications have been sabotaged with the shocking detonations of its pagers and walkie-talkies, and many of its weapons have been destroyed in air strikes.

The US-based Middle East security analyst Mohammed Al-Basha says: "The loss of Hassan Nasrallah will have significant implications, potentially destabilising the group and altering its political and military strategies in the short term."

But any expectation that this vehemently anti-Israel organisation is going to suddenly give up and sue for peace on Israels terms is likely to be misplaced.

Hezbollah has already vowed to continue the fight. It still has thousands of fighters, many of them recent veterans of combat in Syria, and they are demanding revenge.

It still has a substantial arsenal of missiles, many of them long-range, precision-guided weapons which can reach Tel Aviv and other cities. There will be pressure within its ranks to use those soon, before they too get destroyed.

But if they do, in a mass attack that overwhelms Israels air defences and kills civilians, then Israels response is likely to be devastating, wreaking havoc on Lebanons infrastructure, or even extending to Iran.

What will Iran do?

This assassination is as much of a blow to Iran as it is to Hezbollah. It's already announced five days of mourning.

It's also taken emergency precautions, hiding away its leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamanei, in case he too gets assassinated.

Iran has yet to retaliate for the humiliating assassination in July of the Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in a Tehran guesthouse. What has happened now will be causing hardliners in the regime to contemplate some kind of response.

Iran has a whole galaxy of allied heavily-armed militias around the Middle East, the so-called "Axis of Resistance".

As well as Hezbollah, it has the Houthis in Yemen, and numerous groups in Syria and Iraq. Iran could well ask these groups to step up their attacks on both Israel and US bases in the region.

But whatever response Iran chooses, it will likely calibrate it to be just short of triggering a war that it cannot hope to win.

What will Israel do?

If anyone was in any doubt before this assassination, they wont be now.

Israel clearly has no intention of pausing its military campaign for the 21-day ceasefire proposed by 12 nations, including its closest ally, the United States.

Its military reckon they have Hezbollah on the back foot now, so it will want to press on with its offensive until the threat of those missiles is removed.

Short of a capitulation by Hezbollah - which is unlikely - it is hard to see how Israel can achieve its war aim of removing the threat of Hezbollah attacks without sending in troops on the ground.

The Israel Defense Forces have released footage of its infantry training close to the border for this very purpose.

But Hezbollah has also spent the last 18 years, since the end of the last war, training to fight the next one. In his final public speech before his death, Nasrallah told his followers that an Israeli incursion into south Lebanon would be, in his words, "a historic opportunity".

For the IDF, going into Lebanon would be relatively easy. But getting out could - like Gaza - take months.

A man looks at the damaged caused by an Israeli air strike south-east of Beirut [EPA]
That might be the silliest letter to the editor Ive ever read in my entire life | Opinion

Biking commies leap from river

In response to the Letter to the Editor about communist bicycles: Theyre right, you know.

Just last weekend on Sept. 22, I saw thousands of communist bicyclists ascend from the water and jump on their communist bicycles tying up intersections and roads for hours before they jumped off their communist bicycles to descend on the parks along the Columbia. Oh, whats that you say, you need to go to Home Depot for your weekend project?

No, you dont. The communist bicyclists have this intersection blocked. Oh, but what about an alternate route? Well, absolutely not because at that intersection you can only turn right, and you needed to turn left.

Communist bicyclist, coming to you from the same deluded minds that brought you windmills cause cancer, the Earth is flat and who could forget the 2020 election was stolen. I swear you cant make this stuff up.

Or I guess maybe you can.

Rylan Grimes, West Richland

Someone taking Harris yard signs

Does it seem like there are fewer yard signs for Kamala Harris around town this election season, compared to the signs in years past for, say, Joe Biden or Barack Obama? There is support for Harris in our community, but the other side doesnt want you to know that. So theyre going around and stealing Harris signs from peoples yards. They stole two from mine.

But in the yard across the street from me, they left the signs for Donald Trump, Jerrod Sessler and Pete Serrano.

Stealing political signs is criminal and against democracy. Its certainly not making America great again. In the good ol days when I was growing up, you worked hard to own a home, took pride in mowing the lawn and keeping the weeds out, and you could put out political signs for the candidates of your choice and abide if neighbors displayed different ones.

Campaigns that resort to stealing yard signs and storming the capitol to prevent certification of votes dont care about democracy. Theyre interested in seizing power in the fashion of countries like Venezuela and Russia.

Joe Chapman, Richland

EVs sensible for Tri-City drivers

Buying or leasing an electric vehicle is a smart investment in the Tri-Cities. EVs require virtually no maintenance and are much cheaper to drive than internal-combustion engine (ICE) vehicles. In the Tri-Cities, the cost of electricity is only 60% of the national average and gas prices are 20% higher than the national average.

The 5-year cost of EV ownership is less than for ICE vehicles in all but two states, according to J.D. Powers, especially here. New and used EV inventories have increased in recent months, and prices have dropped. Thanks to the $7,500 federal tax credit, the Washington sales tax exemption on new and used EVs, and the Washington EV instant rebate program, the purchase or lease price is comparable with ICE vehicles in many cases.

Because Washington has the cleanest electricity in the nation the life cycle carbon footprint of EVs in the Tri-Cities is less than for comparable ICE vehicles after only the first 15,000 miles driven.

As part of National Drive Electric Week, Tri-Citians will have an opportunity to talk with EV owners about their EVs and ownership experiences, view EVs up close, and take test drives on Sept. 28 at the Reach Museum in Richland.

Bruce Rathbone, Richland

Help available for victims of bullies

In 2023, over 30% of sixth- and eighth-grade students in Benton County reported that they had been bullied at school, according to the Washington State Healthy Youth Survey.

Bullying is a repeated aggressive behavior that involves an imbalance of power, in which one individual intentionally harms or intimidates another, either physically, verbally or socially. Bullying causes detrimental effects on its victims, including loss of self-esteem, increased anxiety and depression. October is National Bullying Prevention month, and this gives us all an opportunity to reflect on how we can take action to foster safe and supportive environments for our community.

Helping kids understand bullying, modeling healthy behaviors and checking in with your kids often are ways that we can help prevent bullying and recognize its warning signs. Here at SARC, we believe that everyone has the right to live in a community that is free of harassment and bullying, and everyone can help to put a stop to bullying.

We have an amazing prevention team that provides anti-bullying education to schools and other organizations in the Tri-Cities. If you have been a victim of bullying and harassment and are seeking support, please call our hotline at 509-374-5391  available 24/7.

Veronica Simmons, Richland

Harris sign taken, so he got 3 more

With just 44 days until election day, I placed my Harris-Walz yard sign in my front yard to show my support for who I think would be best for the job. Just over 24 hours later, the sign was stolen while I was not home.

To whoever stole that sign, I hope you post it with pride and you can know I ordered three more just in case the Tri-Cities cannot maintain its decency.

To my dear neighbors and fellow citizens: You can support your candidate without touching others property. I see plenty of Trump signs with no such harm coming to them.

Andrew Louviere, Pasco

Keep commission role nonpartisan

As a former chair of the Walla Walla County Republican Party, Ive learned from retired commissioners Pam Ray, Gregg Loney and Jim Johnson that the office of commissioner is meant to be administered in a non-biased manner. This office is meant to serve all residents of Walla Walla County, not special-interest groups.

Ninety percent of the responsibilities of a county commissioner are not partisan in nature. This same lesson was learned while serving on the Walla Walla City Council for eight years. The ability to work with all of your constituents all of the time is paramount. Bertha Clayton has chosen to run No Party Preference to ensure politics are set aside while she functions in this role, and she has earned my full support.

I worked with Bertha during COVID-19, facilitating online candidate forums. As our moderator, I was extremely impressed with Berthas courtesy to and respect of all candidates. I learned that she is thoughtful, hard-working and juggles a busy career and home life. She truly is the definition of grace under pressure.

By electing Bertha to the office of District 1 County Commissioner, there will be a return of professionalism, respect and integrity to this position.

Shane Laib, Walla Walla

Cast 4th District vote thoughtfully

Rep. Dan Newhouse is facing Jerrod Sessler, a Trump-backed Republican, in the 2024 general election. Sessler has lived in Burien, a suburban city just south of Seattle, most of his adult life. Given the MAGA outrage over Newhouses vote to impeach Trump, and sensing an opportunity to unseat him in 2022, Sessler drove his motorhome over the pass and parked it in an empty lot on the outskirts of Prosser, giving the term carpetbagging new meaning.

A MAGA component of the Republican electorate, urged on by Trump, attacked the U.S. Capitol and attempted to overturn the 2020 Election. Sessler brags that he was there and argues that the attack was simply a peaceful protest.

Sessler didnt make it through the top two primary in 2022, but hes back for another try, and this time Sessler not only made it through a crowded primary, he outpolled Newhouse by almost 15,000 votes. In order for Dan to survive another challenge from Sessler, hell need to draw in Democratic votes as he did in defeating Clint Didier in 2014 and 2016.

If Democrats vote for the new write-in candidate, Cherissa Boyd, a politically unknown California transplant, Sessler might well beat Newhouse this time.

Richard Badalamente, Kennewick
Why did the Conservatives not lower immigration? After all, we promised to do so at each election and yet the numbers kept going up. The answer is threefold:

First, we assumed simply instructing civil servants to lower immigration was enough. A naive belief that all officials are thirsting to deliver the governments agenda. In reality, many actively obstructed it.

Second, we left limiting migration solely in the hands of the Home Office. Other departments like the Treasury and Education were actively demanding more immigration as a way to deliver growth. The fact that we have high immigration and low growth has still not defeated this argument.

Third, there is a feeling amongst politicians from all parties that talking about immigration in terms of culture as opposed to economics is controversial. The fear of being labelled xenophobic or culture warriors leads many to say People dont mind immigration as long as it is legal and those who come here work hard and stay out of trouble. This is a very low bar for deciding who comes into our country.

I speak as someone from an immigrant background. Being born in the UK was like Charlie Bucket finding a golden ticket in his chocolate bar. I really did win the lottery. I love Britain with the knowledge of how special this country is and how many opportunities it gave me. I also have a hard-nosed view on immigration.

Migrants wave to a smuggler's boat in an attempt to cross the English Channel

The qualities which make Britain special mean that there will always be more people wanting to come to this country than we can reasonably support. Many of them have no particular interest in the future and success of the UK. Its just a better place to be. So, as citizens and taxpayers, we must have rules.

We need to demand that those who come here love this country and will maintain and uphold its traditions, not change them. It is not enough that they work hard and avoid crime.

A proper immigration strategy should start off with three principles: Numbers matter. Culture matters even more. Leadership starts from the top. Our points-based immigration system failed on all three counts.

You cannot police, plan or provide public services if you dont know how many people are in your nation or due to come. Theres a reason that infrastructure seems to be creaking  despite the amount weve spent. Its because demand has shot up faster. A migrant can arrive with their possessions and their skills but cant bring a new home, hospital bed or school place.

What they can bring is their culture.

Culture is more than cuisine or clothes. Its also customs which may be at odds with British values. We cannot be naive and assume immigrants will automatically abandon ancestral ethnichostilities at the border, or that all cultures are equally valid. They are not. I am struck for example, by the number of recent immigrants to the UK who hate Israel. That sentiment has no place here. We must recognise that the world has changed. When I moved back to this country 30 years ago, it was impossible to communicate quickly with my family. Letters would take weeks to arrive, I had to schedule calls with the few people who had working telephones let alone mobiles.

Todays immigrants, even those arriving on boats come with WhatsApp and Instagram. Their feet may be in the UK, but their heads and hearts are still back in their country of origin. We need an integration strategy that takes this into account.

Our country is not a dormitory for people to come here and make money. It is our home. Those we chose to welcome, we expect to share our values and contribute to our society. British citizenship is more then having a British passport but also a commitment to the UK and its people.

This is why leadership matters. We have lost trust because we promised again and again to lower migration and failed to do so. Without trust, more promises to cap migration, or leave the ECHR are not credible. Who can be trusted to solve this issue? The answer is someone who has a record of delivery, not failure. As Business Secretary, I removed the European Court of Justices supremacy from UK Law in December 2023 and 4,000 EU regulations we did not want with it. This was one of the most difficult bills to pass in the last parliament, but I got the job done.

I can do the same with our immigration challenge. And unlike others, I have a record of saying winning arguments against the left-wing establishment like I did against Keir Starmer and Nicola Sturgeon on extreme gender ideology, forcing them to reverse their policies.

The next Government must change all aspects of our approach to migration. As an engineer, I know that pulling one lever is often not enough. If elected, I will develop the fullest and most detailed plan to control immigration that any political party has ever proposed. It starts with domestic not international legislation. That means fixing the problems with the Human Rights Act and returning to the principle that politicians decide and judges interpret. We must fix the broken system that means ministers and MPs dont know how many have come into the country in real time. This is madness. We need to deal with the culture in our public sector that does not like doing difficult things.

We will end illegal migration by proper enforcement and inserting whatever deterrent is necessary into the system. And, yes: if necessary, we will leave, international frameworks like the ECHR which were built for another age and are being bent out of shape by legal activism. But that will be part of a full plan, not just a throwaway promise to win a leadership contest. Reducing immigration is our objective. We lost sight of that in government.

On top of an immigration strategy we will develop a full integration strategy, both for those here and those yet to come. We must never allow our tolerance to be taken advantage of by those who arrive, only to undermine the very values that have allowed us to succeed.

Unfortunately, we will have to endure up to five years of a Labour government first. I will not waste that time and will be ready whenever an election is called. We tried but did not succeed in reducing migration. Labour will not even try.

I am tired of hearing political promises that never get delivered. Dont look at those making promises. Look at the person who has principles and a plan. If we want a different kind of politics, were going to have to vote for it.

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WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR)  Congresss temporary spending plan, the continuing resolution passed this week, avoids a government shutdown but U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin warns it delays missions, undermines readiness and puts the U.S. military at a strategic disadvantage.

The continuing resolution forces the government to spend at exactly the same levels as last year, with little flexibility. U.S. Army Secretary Christine Wormuth wrote a letter to Congressional leaders, telling them, the continuing resolution delays more than $8 billion in planned investments.

Congress has not gotten enough of its work done, said House Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Cole (R-Okla.).

Cole explained the challenges of maintaining spending at previous levels.

If we order 65 Abrams tanks last year, youve got to pay for 65 this year, Cole said. Even if you need 100, you can only go to 65. If you only need 35, youre still at 65.

House Science, Space and Technology Committee Chairman Frank Lucas (R-Okla.) said maintaining spending at previous levels hurts agencies like NASA, too, who are at the cutting edge of research.

Things are changing so fast, last year could almost be ancient history, Lucas said.

Because of those drawbacks, a continuing resolution is not popular among lawmakers, but neither is a government shutdown.

There was no agreement on the top line spending numbers, so we had no choice, said House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.).

This continuing resolution funds Congress through Dec. 20.

Its my hope that when we come back after Election Day, in the lame duck, the body can focus again on legislating, not just campaign season, Lucas said.

The Secretaries of Defense and the Army have urged Congress to pass a long-term spending bill.

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EL PASO, Texas (KTSM)  The City Council approved $750,000 on Tuesday, Sept. 24 to go to the El Paso Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) as part of a grant application for the I-10 Deck Plaza Design Project.

The El Paso MPO is applying for $5 million in federal funds from the U.S. Federal Highway Administration, but the program requires a 50 percent match.

On Aug. 26, the El Paso County Commissioners Court approved $1 million in matching funds for the grant application. Funds were also sourced from the MPO and Deck Plaza Foundation. Altogether, commitments total $5.75 million.

However, not all El Paso leaders have backed the large commitment sums.

During the Aug. 26 Commissioners Court, County Commissioner Iliana Holguin voted against providing the Countys $1 million in matching funds due to the countys current financial position.

At that same meeting, we adopted a budget based on the no-new revenue tax rate, which means that we will not be raising taxes for our residents. In order to be able to do that, we had to really make a lot of budget cuts, very significant budget cuts. We had to cut about $40 million from our budget, Holguin said.

El Paso County adopts no-new-revenue tax rate for upcoming fiscal year

Its not that Im against the (deck) plaza itself. I think green space is always a good thing for our community. My worry is the financial impact to our taxpayers. I do not think that our taxpayers should be shouldering the burden of having to construct a potentially $207 million project, which will, in truth, probably cost more than that once you add all the buildings and all the amenities that are supposed to be on the plaza, she said.

Two City Council members also voted no to providing funds to the MPO during Tuesdays meeting. City Reps. Joe Molinar and Chris Canales were the dissenting minority, and Rep. Cassandra Hernandez was not present to vote.

In a statement to KTSM, Canales said:

Before voting to approve this, the Council amended the resolution to change the source of the funds from the Impact Fund, a non-taxpayer funded source of development money paid by El Paso Electric as part of their franchise agreement with the City, to Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone No. 5 funds, which is local taxpayer money. The appointed Citizen Advisory Board for the TIRZ5 funds had voted unanimously to not recommend their use for this purpose, but the majority of the Council went against their recommendation. I voted against it for this reason, but it was approved 6-2. I made clear in my comments before the vote that I support the general concept and the idea that it makes sense to develop the plan to the point where we can apply for federal construction grants, but also that we should not use local taxpayer money for this purpose when we have other funds available.

Canales sits on the El Paso MPO board and voted in favor of the $3.75 million allocation but said the money available was state Category 7 Surface Transportation Program funds, not taxpayer funds.

According to the Downtown Deck Plaza Foundation, the benefits of the design project include the ability to apply for additional grants programs, provides more detailed cost estimates for construction and serves as a basis for discussions on land use agreements and development capacity.

The deadline for the USDOT grant application is Sept. 30.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTSM 9 News.
MILWAUKEE - A 31-year-old Milwaukee woman is accused of pointing a firearm at a neighbor  and firing a shot inside an apartment building where there were children nearby. The accused is Ebony Jordan  and she faces the following criminal counts:

Second-degree recklessly endangering safety

Endangering safety by use of a dangerous weapon (pointing)

According to the criminal complaint, Milwaukee police were dispatched to a residence near 16th and Fond du Lac on Tuesday evening, Sept. 24 for a "subject with weapon" complaint.

Officers spoke with a neighbor of the defendant who indicated Jordan "came to (the neighbor's) door armed with a firearm. The defendant was complaining about noise (the neighbor) was making, and a loud argument ensued. During that argument, the defendant pointed the firearm at (the neighbor) multiple times," the complaint says. The neighbor told police she tried to close the door to her apartment but Jordan "tried to prevent her from closing the door." Eventually, she got the door closed -- and as she was walking away from her closed door, the neighbor "quickly heard a gunshot," the complaint says. The court document indicates the neighbor's three children were inside the apartment.

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The complaint says officers located a bullet strike to interior walls in the apartment building near where the argument took place. "Next to the bullet strike were numerous indentations, and what appeared to be gun powder burn marks," the complaint says. Officers also located one spent 9mm brass casing marked "GFL 9mm Luger."

Officers knocked on the door of the defendant. Initially, there was no response. But the complaint says eventually, she came to the door. Jordan was arrested. The complaint says Jordan gave verbal consent for the officers to go into the apartment to retrieve the firearm that was used. They located the weapon and there "was a live round in the chamber of that firearm. That live round was marked 'GFL 9mm Luger," the complaint says.

Online court records indicate Jordan made her initial appearance in Milwaukee County court on Friday, Sept. 27.
ROCK HILL, S.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS)  A Rock Hill man ends Friday with a very different perspective than he had in the morning when he woke up beneath a tree in his bed during severe weather.

By the grace of God, I am the recipient of a miracle today, said David Hamner, about 15 minutes after returning home from a surprisingly short hospital stay. Even the doctors, when we got there, they were kind of shaking their head that things werent more serious, and so Im very grateful and thankful.

PREVIOUS | Resilience and strength: Crews work for over an hour to free trapped man after large tree falls on York County home

At about 6 a.m. Friday, Hamner, his wife, and their three daughters were asleep at the home on Poinsett Drive when the tree crashed through the roof into the master bedroom.

A Charlotte Fire Department photo captured him giving a thumb up as he was rescued after some two hours with a towering oak tree lying on his chest. CFD was one of several local agencies assisting in the effort.

Hamner says the gesture was to reassure his loved ones, who all made it out of the house safely.

I knew she was upset and concerned, and I was mainly just for [my wife], a little bit for the rescuers let them know Im okay, do what you got to do, he explained.

Photos: Charlotte Fire

Photos: Charlotte Fire

Photos: Charlotte Fire

Photos: Charlotte Fire

Two people rescued after tree falls on Rock Hill home (York County Sheriff)

Two people rescued after tree falls on Rock Hill home (York County Sheriff)

Thats exactly what it was, says Deputy Trent Faris, public information officer for the York County Sheriffs Office. When you see something like that, you fear the worst, but you hope for the best. And were glad the entire family got out safe.

Throughout Friday afternoon, neighbors stopped to show their support, relieved that Hamner was okay. The family, still in shock, made plans to stay with friends.

One look at the structure and you may find it implausible that Hamner has sore ribs but no severe injuries.

VIDEO: Blowing Rock families struggle to get to Boone amid road washouts

You might think hes one lucky guy, but he says it more than good fortune. David admits the painful hours of waiting for emergency workers to remove the tree from his body made him wonder about his mortality.

I did have a few conversations with God, Hamner said. There was a moment or two when I was questioning Is this really it?

He believes a higher power intervened.

To rescuers, folks on social media, and neighbors, his thumb up was an inspiring show of strength.

So much so, that theres a good chance many would give him two thumbs up.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News.
JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV)  Attorney General Lynn Fitch (R-Miss.) has joined 28 other states in filing an amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court.

The brief asks the court to take up the case of Snope v. Brown in which the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld Marylands ban on hundreds of styles of firearms, including the AR-15.

The language of the Second Amendment is unambiguous and clear. The Fourth Circuits decision undermines both individual rights and the very principles of our Second Amendment, said Fitch. I am proud to stand with AG Labrador and my colleagues from across the country in defense of this fundamental freedom.

In May 2024, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear a challenge to Marylands law.

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Rodger Copeland  McDonald Co. Sheriffs Office mugshot

McDONALD COUNTY, Mo.  A McDonald County man is arrested for allegedly filming students in a high school locker room via hidden camera.

Earlier Friday, McDonald County High School faculty contacted the sheriffs office after students turned in a hidden camera they found in the girls locker room. Detectives were immediately assigned to the case and assisted the schools SRO.

Authorities obtained a warrant for the device and say they traced its ownership back to Rodger Copeland, 53, of Neosho. On Copelands LinkedIn page, Copeland lists himself as a custodian with the school district.

He was arrested by Neosho Police and MCSO detectives and transported to the McDonald County Jail where he remains without bond.

Late this afternoon the district released a statement saying Copeland was no longer employed. Additionally, they said they cannot comment further due to the ongoing investigation.

The investigation remains ongoing, with a forensic analysis of the device pending. Charges have yet to be filed.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KSNF/KODE | FourStatesHomepage.com.
ST. LOUIS  Missouri Task Force 1, one of only 28 urban search and rescue teams in the country, deployed a second team to assist with hurricane relief efforts Friday.

Several task force members are from the St. Louis area. Missouri Task Force 1 is based out of the Boone County Fire Protection District in mid-Missouri. Members deployed include those with expertise in swift water rescues.

Boone County has done a great job in the state of Missouri to collaborate with partners from across the state to get great people that are able to deploy, said Assistant Chief Scott Barthelmass, Eureka Fire Protection District.

John Mozeliak out as Cardinals President of Baseball Operations after 2025 season

He said one task force team is already in Georgia. The additional team headed to North Carolina.

This was a very powerful, a major hurricane that came in with high winds, flooding, and theres a lot of people that are in peril right now, Barthelmass said.

He deployed in 2022 to help with disaster relief efforts following Hurricane Ian.

Barthelmass said some of the challenges include being in areas you are unfamiliar with. There are also unexpected challenges, including the images from Hurricane Helenes aftermath.

I saw an image of a house that was burning in Florida in the floodwaters, Barthelmass said.

He said members make a 14-day commitment for deployments but added sometimes missions end sooner or last longer.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 2.
Money Gambians send home from Europe is a lifeline for their families but the sacrifices take a toll

Moustapha Sabally displays a photo of his son who is a doctor in America on his mobile phone in the village of Kwinella, Gambia, on July 27, 2024. ( AP Photo/Annika Hammerschlag)

KWINELLA, Gambia (AP)  Binta Bah met her husband last year on a dating app and instantly fell in love. They spent hours every day glued to their mobile phones and soon got married on a video call.

But they've met in person only once, when Suleyman Bah came home to Gambia for a visit, months after the wedding. He is one of tens of thousands of West Africans who have undertaken the perilous journey to Europe, and is now working in a factory in Germany.

Every month he sends money home. He is not alone  Gambians abroad send hundreds of millions of dollars a year in remittances, according to the World Bank. The remittances account for a fourth of the tiny country's economy  the highest such proportion on the African continent.

Even as European countries increase their efforts to keep migrants out, Gambians and other West Africans keep risking the dangerous route, known locally as the backway, in unsafe boats across the Atlantic Ocean  or trek hundreds of miles across the Sahara Desert and then cross the Mediterranean Sea.

Almost 10% of Gambias population of 2.7 million has left the country, most of them young men from rural areas. The money they send is an economic lifeline for their families but their absence weighs heavily on their communities.

Its difficult to be apart, the 24-year-old Binta Bah said of her long-distance marriage. But its good when the other person takes care of you.

Whenever I need something, like to see a doctor, he sends the money straight away, added Bah, who lives with her mother-in-law.

Life is increasingly difficult in their village of Kwinella, where villagers for centuries grew rice, maize, millet and peanuts to make a living. But ravages of climate change and outdated farming practices have made their traditional lifestyle unsustainable.

Moustapha Sabally, deputy chief of Kiang Central province, which includes Kwinella, said the rains have become unpredictable for farming, which is still done by hand and without tractors. Few young men are around to do that work, he said, and estimated that about 70% of them left the province for the capital, Banjul, or for Europe.

That leaves women and older people who struggle with the long and laborious work on the land, forcing the community to depend on remittances, Sabally said.

Without the remittances, "life would be very difficult, he said.

Gambia, the smallest country on the African mainland, is surrounded by Senegal except for a sliver of the coast where the Gambia River flows into the Atlantic Ocean. According to the World Bank, 75% of its population lives in poverty and there is virtually no industry. The economy relies on imports, and living costs have skyrocketed since the coronavirus pandemic.

Nearly 60% of Gambians are under 25, and nearly half of them are unemployed. Despite European Union's efforts in West Africa to reduce the number of migrants, the lack of jobs reinforces the conviction of many that leaving is their only option.

Last year alone, over 8,000 Gambians arrived in Europe, according to the International Organization for Migration.

Many others die trying. Earlier this year, a boat carrying 300 migrants, mostly from Gambia and Senegal, capsized off Mauritania; more than a dozen were killed and at least 150 others went missing. Last year, a young man from Kwinella drowned on his way to Europe.

Because the journey is so risky, most young men slip away for Europe without letting their loved ones know they're leaving.

Musukebbe Manjang's 39-year-old husband left Kwinella for Italy 10 years ago, after he could no longer make enough money from construction work. She never encouraged him to leave, the risk was just too high, she said.

One evening, when Manjang was pregnant with their third child, her husband's younger brother called him from Italy, and he simply disappeared without a word. He later called to say he had left for Europe.

Then she heard nothing for nine months, and her anger turning to fear. When he finally arrived in Italy, he called and explained that he had been kidnapped in Libya, long a key starting point for many Mediterranean crossings to Europe.

These days, Manjang's husband sends around 14,000 dalasi, or $200, a month, enough to cover the children's school fees, food and clothes, she said. But on a personal level, it's been difficult.

He misses all the important moments, she said. He hasn't even met our youngest daughter.

Gambia's central bank says remittances amounted to over $730 million last year but experts warn that the rising costs of living will push more men to migrate abroad.

Eliman Jallow, 42, the Gambia-born founder of a U.K.-based company that facilitates sending money home to Africa, says his clients are a mix, from highly skilled workers to manual laborers.

The son of Ansumana Sanneh from Kaiaf, a village not far from Kwinella, was a teacher. He left for Europe because he could barely make a living on a teacher's monthly salary of 5,000 dalassi, about $70.

His journey was cut short when he was kidnapped by a Libyan militia and Sanneh paid the equivalent of $700 in ransom before his son was freed and returned home.

Sanneh believes the dreams of the young village men are fueled by the misguided idea of Europe as a promised land. But with rising costs of living in European countries, migrants today are able to send less money home than in the past, he said.

The gamble is simply not worth the risks, Sanneh said.

But stories of success journeys and evidence of what remittances can do often outweigh such words of caution  large concrete village homes built with money sent back are solid; images posted on social media by migrants who work in Europe appeal to the young men still in the village.

Despite his ordeal, Sanneh's son hopes to find a way to leave Gambia again.

Not far from their home, a group of teenagers practiced a dance routine in front of a stylish brick house, its driveway lined with spotless pink tiles. The teens were recording a video for TikTok, they said, and chose the prettiest  and largest  village house for the background.

The house, they said, belongs to a family whose young man migrated to the United States, for many, the most coveted migrant destination.

___

For more news on Africa and development: https://apnews.com/hub/africa-pulse

___

The Associated Press receives financial support for global health and development coverage in Africa from the Gates Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content. Find APs standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.
Editors note: This article first appeared on The War Horse, an award-winning nonprofit news organization educating the public on military service. Subscribe to their newsletter.

The White House claimed that thousands of veterans could benefit when President Biden announced this summer he was issuing pardons to gay veterans who were forced out of the military because of their sexual orientation and have carried the burden of this great injustice for decades.

But three months later, only eight veterans have applied for pardons  six from the Air Force, two from the Army, and none from the Coast Guard, Navy, or Marines.

The dismally low numbers are disappointing advocates who say the promise of Bidens pardons raised hopes that thousands of LGBTQ veterans would not only lose the stigma of courts-martial but also qualify for long-denied veterans benefits.

The War Horse discovered only eight veterans have applied for pardons since Bidens June 26 announcement after reaching out over the last two weeks to each branch of the military. The White House did not respond to questions about the lack of applicants or whether it was doing anything more to promote the pardons.

Steve Marose, an Air Force veteran who lives in Seattle, is among the eight whove applied, and his case is still under review.

Marose said he was shocked by the response and wondered if the pardons limitations have discouraged other veterans. Only those convicted in a military court of consensual sodomy qualify, but experts say many LGBTQ veterans were forced from the military for decades simply under the threat of a court-martial.

Steve Marose poses in his Air Force mess dress uniform before heading to a formal event. (Photo courtesy of Steve Marose)

It sounds like its very broad, that thousands of people will be positively impacted, Marose says. When you look under the hood, he said, it seems doubtful that such a large number of veterans will benefit.

Marose was convicted in 1990 of two counts of conduct unbecoming an officer in addition to three counts of consensual sodomy, so he is worried he may not receive a full pardon but decided to submit an application anyway.

His case is not unique. As The War Horse has reported, gay service members who wound up in a military court often faced other charges, including misconduct or conduct unbecoming, putting their eligibility for the pardon in question.

Michael Wishnie, a professor at Yale Law School and veteran law expert, was also surprised to learn that so few have jumped at the opportunity to apply for a pardon.

Its early, but these numbers are disappointing, he told The War Horse.

Bidens pardons still fall short for many LGBTQ veterans

Neither the Biden administration nor the Department of Defense could tell The War Horse how they came up with the claim that thousands of veterans would be eligible.

In July, The War Horse submitted a Freedom of Information Act request for Defense Department memos or reports that informed the White House that thousands of veterans would benefit from Bidens act of clemency. However, the agency denied the request, saying the documents were part of the decision-making process, and therefore protected.

This week, The War Horse is filing a lawsuit to compel each branch of the military to turn over court-martial records that will help determine how many service members were convicted for consensual sex or other charges that criminalized their sexual orientation.

Hopefully this lawsuit will make it easier for thousands of service members to receive some measure of recognition for how they were unfairly treated  and also allow the public to fully appreciate the scale of this injustice, said attorney Joel Richert, an associate with Davis Wright Tremaine, a law firm that represents The War Horse.

The Department of Defense had no comment about the lawsuit.

Wishnie and other attorneys familiar with the military justice system believe that some veterans have likely found the pardon process too cumbersome. Veterans must gather documents related to their conviction, and submit a personal statement of why a pardon is being sought. If a pardon is granted, theres also an entirely separate process for upgrading dishonorable discharges and earning VA eligibility for benefits including health care.

The pardon Biden issued this past summer is known as a mass pardon, meaning individuals arent named. That places the onus on veterans to work out whether theyre eligible and then commit to the application process.

Wishnie and other advocates say the Defense Department should take the lead in identifying veterans who were harmed and automatically upgrade their discharges. Until then, he said, little progress will be made in the effort to rectify the harms of past anti-LGBTQ policies.

Rather than do the work itself to correct the Pentagons wrongdoing, the administration put the burden on veterans to prepare lengthy applications, Wishnie said. These low figures are the natural and foreseeable result of that choice.

A Defense Department official told The War Horse that it isnt practical to notify every person who is eligible for a pardon. Because the pardon period spans 60 years  from the end of World War II up until the repeal of dont ask, dont tell in 2011  a majority of the court-martial records are not digital, meaning thousands of cases would have to be reviewed one by one. Instead, the same official said, veterans who think they may be eligible are encouraged to apply.

In 2013, a House bill to upgrade discharge records for LGBTQ troops indicated that between the end of World War II and the repeal of dont ask, dont tell, about 114,000 service members were involuntarily separated based on sexual orientation.

Army vet still paying the price for bad paper discharge for being gay

A class action lawsuit filed last year in the Northern District of California found more than 29,000 service members were booted between 1980 and 2011 without receiving an honorable discharge due to real or perceived homosexuality or sexual perversion. That case seeks automatic discharge upgrades for gay veterans forced to leave the military.

Many of those like Army veteran Mona McGuire wont qualify for the pardons. Earlier this year, The War Horse told the story of McGuire, a military police officer who in 1988, at the age of 20, was outed by a fellow soldier, taken into custody and told she either had to accept an other than honorable discharge or face a court-martial and possibly prison. She chose the less than honorable discharge in lieu of court-martial and gave up VA benefits and her dream of a career in the Army.

Without an actual court-martial, she doesnt qualify for Bidens pardons.

There is still hope for some veterans who are not eligible.

Last September, the Defense Department announced it would proactively review about 2,000 military records of service members who served during the dont ask, dont tell era and whose sexual orientation resulted in a separation. An update to this effort is expected sometime this fall. But it appears that too wont help McGuire or Marose, who were discharged before dont ask, dont tell, a 1993 policy that forced gay service members to stay quiet about their sexual orientation or face punishment.

President Barack Obama signed the repeal of dont ask, dont tell in December 2010. (Photo provided by The White House)

In 1990, Marose, a former Air Force second lieutenant, was sent to federal prison at Fort Leavenworth for 18 months following his convictions for consensual same-sex relationships and sharing an apartment with a fellow airman.

Marose is pursuing every possible path to clear his record and access VA benefits. Along with his pardon application, hes appealed his case directly to an Air Force Board for Correction of Military Records, which cant forgive his convictions but can upgrade his dishonorable discharge. Hes also made his case directly to the VA, which has become increasingly accepting of veterans who did not separate from the military with spotless records.

More than 30 years after Marose was kicked out of the military for his sexual orientation, he understands why some LGBTQ veterans are not up for the lengthy process that may only lead to frustration or disappointment. And there is also the added question about who will be in the White House in the fall and how that could impact the pardon process.

I have a lot of balls in the air, and I was hoping something would land, Marose says, but instead I feel like Im constantly having to argue and defend and hope and pray.

This War Horse investigation was reported by Anne Marshall-Chalmers, edited by Mike Frankel, fact-checked by Jess Rohan, and copy-edited by Mitchell Hansen-Dewar. Abbie Bennett wrote the headlines.
More than 440,000 Georgians power restored following Tropical Storm Helene

Georgia Power has gotten almost half of a million customers power back on after Tropical Storm Helene.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

The companys first full day of restoration began Saturday.

Around 3 p.m. on Friday, more than 1,000,000 people across the state were without power.

With Georgia Powers new smart grid technologies, over 440,000 customers power had been restored.

TRENDING STORIES:

As of Saturday mid-morning, 540,000 customers remained impacted by Hurricane Helene.

The company said its also managing the potential for more power outages that could occur due to the saturated ground and weakened trees.

According to the outage map, more than 2.7 million customers have been served across Georgia.

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Here are ways to stay safe after Tropical Storm Helene:

Watch for Georgia Power crews working across the state.

Watch for downed wires.

Never touch any downed wire or attempt to remove tree branches from power lines  it can kill.

Dont step in standing water or saturated ground where downed lines may be present.

Avoid chain link fences.

Never attempt repairs to electric service connections.

IN OTHER NEWS:




"We can help," says Wayne Preece from Hydro Industries [Getty Images]

A water treatment company boss has accused the Welsh government of failing to do enough to tackle river pollution.

Wayne Preece, chief executive of Carmarthenshire-based Hydro Industries, said it was "incredibly frustrating" it had not engaged with the firm or others tackling river and sea pollution.

The Welsh government did not respond to Mr Preece's comments but has said previously it was working with the UK government to clean rivers, lakes and seas.

A multimillion dollar water treatment plant established by Hydro Industries in Ecuador, South America, was officially opened on Friday.

It has been designed to clean more than 190,000 tonnes of landfill leachate - polluted water - which is at risk of leaking into a river in the city of Quito.

Mr Preece said technology used by his company there, and at other sites across the globe, could be used to protect Welsh rivers and watercourses.

"Some of the pollution in Wales related to things like legacy mines - lead, zinc and cadmium, all of which we're taking out here - whether it's around things like sewage discharges into rivers and streams, that's pretty straightforward stuff," he told Newyddion S4C.

"It is incredibly frustrating that we're not engaged, that we're not doing more in Wales and, as I said, I'll repeat to the politicians in Wales to please engage with us because we can help."

Wayne Preece says companies like his can help the Welsh government to cut water pollution [BBC]

The company has claimed to have offered the Welsh government to remove phosphates from a river in Monmouthshire free of charge, but it wasn't taken up.

Friends of the Earth Cymru's Jenny Lloyd also criticised the Welsh government, saying more needed to be done to address river pollution

"This not only has a big impact on our environment, it also affects our health and wellbeing," she said.

"The authorities should be given the finances and resources they need to clean up our rivers and watercourses and protect the environment.".

Neither the Welsh-government nor Natural Resources Wales responded to the comments made by Hydro Industries and Friends of the Earth.

However, Deputy First Minister Huw Irranca-Davies said earlier this month that the Welsh government was funding a multimillion, multi-year project to address issues such as contamination from former metal mines and was working with the UK government to improve water quality.

Related Stories
Hassan Nasrallah, Secretary-general of Hezbollah, speaks via a video link, during an event to mark the "Wounded Resistance Fighter Day". Marwan Naamani/dpa

Russia has vehemently condemned the deadly Israeli attack on Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and demanded an immediate cessation of all hostilities from Israel.

"This violent action bears potentially dramatic consequences for Lebanon and the entire Middle East," a statement from the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Saturday.

The ministry stated that Israel had recognized this danger but still proceeded with the attack, "which will almost inevitably provoke a new outbreak of violence." As a result, they said, Israel fully bears the responsibility for any subsequent escalation.

Israel is called upon to halt hostilities immediately, it said. "This would end the bloodshed and create the conditions for a political and diplomatic solution," the statement continued.

The secretary general of the Lebanese Shiite militia Hezbollah was killed on Friday in an Israeli airstrike.
The Most Sophisticated AIs Are Most Likely to Lie, Worrying Research Finds

Beware the smart ones: they seem to have all the answers, but can also weave the most convincing lies.

It seems that this logic also applies to large language models, which are becoming more powerful with each iteration. New research suggests that this smarter crop of AI chatbots are actually becoming less trustworthy, because they're more likely to make up facts rather than avoiding or turning down questions they can't answer.

The study, published in the journal Nature, examined some of the leading commercial LLMs in the industry: OpenAI's GPT, and Meta's LLaMA, along with an open source model called BLOOM created by the research group BigScience.

While it found that their responses are in many cases becoming more accurate, they were across the board less reliable, giving a higher proportion of wrong answers than older models did.

"They are answering almost everything these days. And that means more correct, but also more incorrect [answers]," study coauthor Jose Hernandez-Orallo, a researcher at the Valencian Research Institute for Artificial Intelligence in Spain, told Nature.

Mike Hicks, a philosopher of science and technology at the University of Glasgow, had a harsher assessment.

"That looks to me like what we would call bullshitting," Hicks, who was not involved in the study, told Nature. "It's getting better at pretending to be knowledgeable."

The models were quizzed on topics ranging from math to geography, and were also asked to perform tasks like listing information in a specified order. The bigger, more powerful models gave the most accurate responses overall, but faltered at harder questions, for which they had a lower accuracy.

According to the researchers, some of the biggest BS-ers were OpenAI's GPT-4 and o1, which would answer almost any question thrown at them. But all of the studied LLMs appear to be trending this way, and for the LLaMA family of models, none of them could reach a level of 60 percent accuracy for the easiest questions, the study said.

In sum, the bigger the AI models got  in terms of parameters, training data, and other factors  the bigger the percentage of wrong answers they gave.

Still, AI models are getting better at answering more complex questions. The problem, other than their propensity for BS-ing, is that they still mess up the easy ones. In theory, these errors should be a bigger red flag, but because we're impressed at how the large language models handle sophisticated problems, we may be overlooking their obvious flaws, the researchers suggest.

As such, the work had some sobering implications about how humans perceive the AI responses. When asked to judge if the chatbots' answers were accurate or inaccurate, a select group of participants got it wrong between 10 to 40 percent of the time.

The simplest way to combat the issues, according to the researchers, is to program the LLMs to be less eager to answer everything.

"You can put a threshold, and when the question is challenging, [get the chatbot to] say, 'no, I don't know,'" Hernandez-Orallo told Nature.

But honesty may not be in the best interests of AI companies looking to woo the public with their fancy tech. If chatbots were reined in to answer only stuff they knew about, it might expose the limits of the technology.

More on AI: Zuckerberg Says It's Fine to Train AI on Your Data Because It Probably Has No Value Anyway
WICHITA FALLS (KFDX/KJTL)  A 23-year-old Wichita Falls mother gets a suspended jail sentence for putting her four young children at risk.

Nyjaiah Battle was arrested in August after police said three of her toddlers, ages 1-3, were left home alone and the youngest was found wandering outside.

School threat suspect rejailed on higher bond

The fourth, a 5-year-old, was found with the stepdad in violation of a protective order.

Police became aware of the situation when they were called to the Murphys gas station on Lawrence Road about an aggressive panhandler who had a small girl with him.

Police said the 5-year-old was his stepdaughter and was listed as one of the protected persons he was not supposed to be around.

Police contacted Battle, the girls mother, who came to the scene, as did Child Protective Services because they had an open case involving all Battles children.

The CPS officer asked where the other three kids were, and the officers said Battle became confrontational.

After police handcuffed her, they said she told them her other three children were with her mother at an apartment off Taft. But when police contacted the childrens grandmother, she told them she was not with the children and, in fact, was traveling near Temple, TX.

Officers went to the apartment and found no one in it, but found the 1-year-old wandering alone outside.

CPS arrived and located the 2 and 3-year-olds alone in another apartment. They said all of them were in urine-soaked diapers.

CPS officials also said there was a strong odor of marijuana in the apartment, and there were burned marijuana butts scattered throughout.

Battle pleaded guilty Friday, September 27, to her three counts of child abandonment and was sentenced to 2 years state jail, suspended to 3 years probation.

This is a developing story. Stick with Texomas Homepage for updates as more information becomes available. All individuals charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

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HEALDSBURG, Calif. (KRON)  The Healdsburg Police Department (HPD) have arrested a 50-year-old man who they believe was under the influence of alcohol when his motorcycle caused a two-vehicle crash.

CPS sued for death of 6-year-old Jordan Walker in San Jose

HPD said they received multiple calls about the collision at 12:19 p.m. Thursday at the intersection of Healdsburg Avenue and Parkland Farms Boulevard.

Officers arrived to locate a male motorcyclist suffering from serious injuries who was taken to a nearby hospital. The driver of the vehicle had moderate injuries and received care at the scene, said police.

Investigators said they were able to determine that alcohol was a factor in the accident. Officials confirmed that the motorcycle driver, identified as Glenn Merrifield, of Windsor, was arrested for felony DUI causing injury and possession of a controlled substance. Merrifield was released on a citation with a future court date, due to his injuries, said HPD.

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Motorcyclist flown to hospital after being thrown from bike in Sheboygan County

MITCHELL, Wis. (WFRV)  On Saturday afternoon, a motorcyclist in Sheboygan County was flown by Flight for Life to a Wisconsin hospital after being thrown from their motorcycle while trying to navigate a turn.

According to the Sheboygan County Sheriffs Office, the incident happened around 1:05 p.m. on September 28 on CTH F at CTH W in the Town of Mitchell.

A witness reportedly told deputies that a motorcycle was traveling at a normal speed while passing in a designated zone. After passing, the motorcyclist lost control on a gravel shoulder on a turn as they tried to move back into the westbound lane.

Driver crashes after speeding through road closed barricades in Outagamie County, extricated with Jaws of Life

Before getting back onto the road, the motorcycle reportedly hit the entrance to a driveway and culvert area, throwing them off of the bike.

The driver was taken to Froedtert Hospital by Flight for Life. They were reportedly wearing a helmet during the crash.

Local 5 will update this story when more information is provided.

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Rosie Duffield has told the BBC that Sir Keir Starmers team cares "more about greed and power than making a difference" in her first broadcast interview since resigning from the Labour Party.

In her resignation letter, published by the Sunday Times, the Canterbury MP lambasts the prime minister for accepting gifts worth tens of thousands of pounds while scrapping the winter fuel payment and keeping the two-child benefit cap.

In an interview appearing on tomorrows Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, Duffield said Labour voters and MPs are being "exploited" and "taken for granted".

Duffield, who will now sit as an independent MP, said leaving the party was not at all where I wanted to be".

Speaking to the BBC, Duffield said Labour was "in my heart and in my soul".

"It is so profoundly disappointing to me as a Labour voter and an activist... to see this is what we have become," she added.

She said after days of revelations about donations and the leaderships refusal to apologise, that the leadership seemed more about greed and power than making a difference I just cant take any more".

Duffield, who has clashed previously with the party leadership over womens rights, resigned on Saturday.

She said: "We all had our faith in Keir Starmer and a Labour government, and I feel that voters and activists and MPs are being completely laughed at and completely taken for granted."

Resignation letter

In her letter she said the revelations since the change of government in July had been staggering and increasingly outrageous.

"I cannot put into words how angry I and my colleagues are at your total lack of understanding about how you have made us all appear."

First elected in 2017, Duffield's decision to quit the party follows the suspension of seven other Labour MPs who rebelled on the King's Speech by voting for a motion calling for the two-child benefit cap to be abolished.

The total number of independent MPs in parliament is now 14.

Duffield's letter said she intended to sit as an independent MP "guided by my core Labour values".

In July, the government said the winter fuel payment to pensioners would now be made only to those on low incomes who received certain benefits, prompting an outcry from MPs and campaigners.

It has come under criticism - internally and externally - over the move to means-test the payments, with the Unite union winning a non-binding vote at the party's conference last week. But ministers argue "difficult decisions" had to be made because of "undisclosed" overspending by the previous Tory government.

The prime minister came under fire after it initially emerged he had received more than 16,000 for work clothing and spectacles for him, and further donations for his wife, from Labour peer Waheed Alli.

Sir Keir has also defended accepting 20,000 worth of accommodation from Lord Alli during the election campaign so his son could revise for his GCSEs without the media outside his home.

In her resignation letter Duffield continued: "The sleaze, nepotism and apparent avarice are off the scale. I am so ashamed of what you and your inner circle have done to tarnish and humiliate our once proud party.

She added: "Someone with far-above-average wealth choosing to keep the Conservatives' two-child limit to benefit payments which entrenches children in poverty, while inexplicably accepting expensive personal gifts of designer suits and glasses costing more than most of those people can grasp - this is entirely undeserving of holding the title of Labour prime minister."

[Reuters]

Duffield and Sir Keir have long had a strained relationship.

But that she has chosen to go so soon into his premiership, and with such bitter criticism of him, is a surprise and certainly damaging for the prime minister.

Her letter is not prefaced by any of the niceties that sometimes accompany such departures. Instead it is deliberately, publicly cutting about him, his leadership, his policies and his behaviour.

Those around Sir Keir were certainly hoping that the criticism over donations was dying down, and that his Downing Street could move on and focus on "delivery".

Duffield's letter has placed that issue, and the disquiet among Labour MPs over means-testing the winter fuel allowance, right back in the spotlight.

It has given ammunition to Sir Keirs critics. Conservatives will no doubt quote them liberally at their Party Conference this week.

Ms Duffield may prove to be a lone dissenter choosing to resign so soon after Labours landslide.

But the manner of her departure will have repercussions that reverberate for some time.

In her letter, Duffield also criticised the prime minister for promoting people with "no proven political skills" and said he had been "elevated immediately to a shadow cabinet position without following the usual path of honing your political skills on the backbenches".

Sir Keir was given a shadow home office cabinet role in 2015, just two months into his time as an MP, and in turn appointed several newly-elected MPs to junior ministerial positions in 2024.

One of those, Foreign Office minister Hamish Falconer, is the son of Sir Keir's first shadow attorney general Lord Falconer, while Liam Conlon, son of Number 10 chief of staff Sue Gray, was made a parliamentary aid to Department for Transport.

Duffield relationship with senior figures in the party has especially been strained over her views on trans issues - where she had used social media to outline her own position.

She believes there should be protected spaces where those born male are not allowed to go, like domestic violence refuges and prisons, and she is against people being able to self-identify as trans to gain access to those spaces.

Differences with Sir Keir surfaced again during this years general election campaign, when he was questioned about his past criticism of her stance on trans issues.

She was previously placed under investigation by the party after she liked a tweet from comedy writer Graham Linehan.

In January 2024 she said the party's National Executive Committee "completely exonerated" her of allegations of antisemitism and transphobia.

Responding to Duffields resignation, Nadia Whittom, Labour MP for Nottingham East, said: "It is deeply disappointing that she has been allowed the privilege of resigning, as she should have lost the whip a long time ago.

But Dr Simon Opher, Labour's MP for Stroud, said he was "really sorry" the party had lost her.

"While I may not share all her politics, I know that we have everything to gain by working together.

Tory leadership contender Tom Tugendhat said Duffield "made her point very clear... Labour Party and Keir Starmer government is not about service. It's not about delivering for the British people. It's about self service."

Asked by the BBC if Duffield would be welcomed into the Conservative Party, Tugendhat said: "That's really a decision for her... but I strongly suspect she won't be asking".

Fellow Tory leadership challenger James Cleverly, who like Tugendhat is arriving in Birmingham for the Conservative Party conference, told the BBC: "She's said it all."

Tory leadership rival Robert Jenrick declined to comment.
WASHINGTON (DC News Now)  The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) said it arrested a woman who is now being investigated for being involved in a possible hate crime at a Chipotle in Columbia Heights.

Police said that on Sept. 23 at about 6:20 p.m., it was dispatched to the 3100 block of 14th St. for a simple assault and threat in progress.

When officers arrived at the scene, the victim, who works at Chipotle, told them that it all started when the suspects mother had slipped and fallen on the sidewalk outside of the business.

The victim then said the suspect came back into the business and wanted to speak with the manager about her mothers fall.

The suspect then got into an argument with the victim because the victim was speaking Spanish with another worker.

According to the police report, thats when the suspect started making threatening statements, saying things like she would shoot this b**** up and we will come back and wait for you outside.

The security guard at the business attempted to remove the suspect multiple times. Still, the suspect refused to leave and started making racially discriminatory statements against the victim, who is Latina.

DCs Fiesta Parade: Parking restrictions, street closures

The suspect said statements like they dont speak English, they dont understand, you arent even born here, you are not a citizen, and that she is going to vote for Trump, according to police.

She also said, this is America, learn English.

Soon after, police arrested the woman.

MPD identified the woman as 32-year-old Chanae Ridian Watson of Northwest D.C. Authorities charged her with Threats to Kidnap or Injure A Person with a suspected Hate/Bias motivation and Unlawful Entry.

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MUSCLE SHOALS, Ala. (WHNT)  The Muscle Shoals Fire Department has just opened a brand new state-of-the-art fire station, and it creates a brand new opportunity for the county.

The Engine 4 station is located on Old Highway 20 near Gargis Lane. It has a brand new kitchen, rooms for the firefighters to sleep  with their own bathrooms  a safe house bunker room for severe weather and even a brand new fire truck to add to their fleet.

ADPH launches #ClearTheCribCampaign for infant sleep safety

Aside from the bells and whistles, this new station will also house the very first baby box in Colbert County.

Judge Chad Smith came up with the idea of having a baby box at this location.

MSFD Public Information Officer Brian Stafford says the department needed this engine in this particular location as the city continues to grow.

This area is just a little further for response time, in the years past, and the new development and more of the commercial properties went in, so the highway is super busy, we have a ton of people that drive through this area, so it was a 7 or 8 minute response time from downtown so we just needed to cover this area and now the guys are just a few minutes from anywhere around this location Stafford said.

The station will host a public open house on Thursday, October 3rd, at 3:30 p.m.

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ZANESVILLE, Ohio (WCMH)  A Muskingum County man was sentenced to prison for spitting on a police officer.

Shawn R. Ridenbaugh, 45, of Adamsville, will spend a total of nine years in prison  three years for spitting on the officer and six years for his role in a drug overdose death.

According to the Muskingum County Prosecutors Office, while he was in custody at the county jail, Ridenbaugh tested positive for hepatitis C, a life-threatening infection that can be spread through bodily fluids. At one point while he was being restrained, Ridenbaugh, who had blood in his mouth at the time, spit into an officers face.

Ridenbaugh was being held at that time for his role in the February death of Matthew Palmer.

According to the prosecutors office, Ridenbaugh lied twice when questioned by police about his about his girlfriend Tashia D. Stevens selling Palmer the drugs that led to his death. Stevens pleaded guilty to felony involuntary manslaughter and trafficking in a fentanyl-related compound.

In July, Ridenbaugh pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice in the Palmer case; he pleaded guilty in August to felony harassment with a bodily substance. He was sentenced on Wednesday.

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North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson was hospitalized on Friday night following an incident at a campaign event at the Mayberry Truck Show and Parade in Mount Airy, according to Mike Lonergan, the communications director for Robinsons gubernatorial campaign.

As first reported by NewsNation and later verified by CNN, Robinson  who is North Carolinas Republican nominee for governor  was treated for second-degree burns at Northern Regional Hospital. Law enforcement told CNN the burns stemmed from an accident at the automotive show and no foul play was involved. His appearance at the Mayberry Truck Show and Parade was one of several events Robinson attended on Friday.

According to Robinsons team, the candidate is in good condition and good spirits.

Robinson has chosen to continue his campaign amid the fallout of a bombastic CNN report that revealed the lieutenant governor identified himself as a "Black Nazi" in a series of lewd posts he made on a pornographic website, where he also defended slavery.

Throughout his campaign, former president Donald Trump has supported Robinson, whom he once described as Martin Luther King on steroids, and has yet to withdraw his endorsement of the candidate. However, as multiple outlets reported, Trump did not mention Robinson during a recent campaign stop in North Carolina.






SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO)  NAACP is condemning the upcoming appearance and speech of North Carolina Lt. Governor Mark Robinson at a Victory Gala hosted by Dakota First Action PAC in Sioux Falls on October 1.

A flyer for the event with a photo of Robinson says the 2024 Victory Gala will be the largest gathering of South Dakota Conservatives.

According to the NAACP Sioux Falls Branch 4102-B Facebook post and public statement, Robinson has made anti-gay, anti-Semitic and pro-Nazi remarks.

NAACP is urging community members, state authorities, law enforcement and elected officials to take a stand against this event.

The organization is deeply concerned about the rise of hatred in South Dakota.

NAACP calls for solidarity in the fight for equality and says people need to stand up against racism and bigotry.

Republican Mark Robinson declared Thursday he planned to stay in the North Carolina governors race after CNN linked him to comments he made on a porn site about 10 years ago. CNN reported that roughly 10 years ago he said he was a black Nazi on a porn site and posted comments that he enjoyed transgender pornography and called himself a perv.

Robinson has publicly denied the comments described by CNN.

Event in Sioux Falls set to feature Mark Robinson

Dakota First Actions mission as written on its website is to: support and elect bold conservative Republicans at every level of South Dakota government, and to champion and enact true conservative policies that put America and South Dakota FIRST.

The Dakota First Action website also lists endorsed candidates for South Dakota races and Republican Donald Trump for president.

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(KRON)  Speaker Nancy Pelosi, representing Californias 11th congressional district in San Francisco, welcomed President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine to her office in Washington, D.C., this week.

In a statement, the speaker said she had the opportunity to express her immense admiration and respect for the courage of the Ukrainian people as they defend democracy in the face of Russias unprovoked aggression.

Pelosi revisited Zelenskyy after their last meeting in 2022 when the speaker made an impromptu trip to Ukraine. This encounter marked the highest-ranking U.S. member to meet with the president since the war against Russia first began.

KYIV, UKRAINE  MAY 1: (-EDITORIAL USE ONLY a MANDATORY CREDIT  UKRAINIAN PRESIDENCY / HANDOUT  NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS  DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS-) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (R) awards the Order of Princess Olga to US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi (L) during their meeting in the capital Kyiv, Ukraine on May 1, 2022. (Photo by Ukrainian Presidency/Handout/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

Many of us in the Congress are continuing to work alongside the Biden-Harris Administration and our allies to support Ukraine and hold Russia accountable for its atrocities and its unprovoked war, Pelosi said. We are inspired by their courage, their commitment to democracy, and their love of country.

This week, the Biden-Harris administration announced a new security assistance package committing an additional $2.4 Billion in support of Ukraine to the estimated $62 billion the US has sent to Ukraine so far, according to the Council on Foreign Relations.

US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) (R) and US Vice President Kamala Harris (L) present Ukraines President Volodymyr Zelensky an American flag after receiving a Ukrainian national flag from him following his address to the US Congress at the US Capitol in Washington, DC on December 21, 2022. Zelensky is in Washington to meet with US President Joe Biden and address Congress  his first trip abroad since Russia invaded in February. (Photo by Mandel NGAN / AFP) (Photo by MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images)

We know that the fight for freedom in Ukraine is the fight for freedom itself, and supporting Ukraine is not only an investment in global security  it is an investment in Americas economic security, Pelosi said.

Aside from President Zelenskyy, Pelosi also welcomed Andriy Kostin, Prosecutor General of Ukraine, and Oksana Markarova, Ambassador of Ukraine to the United States, to her office in San Francisco.

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NASA Insists It Didnt Do Much Work on the Titanic Sub That Imploded, Killing Its Crew

Submersive Distancing

As the US government works to get to the bottom of last summer's Titan submersible tragedy, NASA wants the record to reflect that it mostly wasn't the agency's fault.

During public testimony before the US Coast Guard this week, per ABC News, NASA materials engineer Justin Jackson said that although the agency was originally slated to do more work on the imploded OceanGate submersible, those plans never fully came to fruition.

Those plans, Jackson explained, dated back to early 2020 when OceanGate's then-CEO reached out to the agency to build a composite hull for the seacraft slated to explore the ruins of the original Titanic shipwreck. A contract under the Reimbursable Space Act Agreement was signed, but ultimately NASA wasn't able to build the hull due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ultimately, NASA only ended up doing remote consultation on a mockup of the submersible, but cooperation between the agency and OceanGate broke down in 2021 over marketing disagreements.

Fake Collab

As ABC News reported last summer, the agency was opposed to OceanGate saying on its marketing materials that the Titan sub had been "designed... in collaboration [with] experts from NASA."

"It was the language they were using was getting too close to us endorsing," Jackson told military investigators. "So it was, our folks had some heartburn with the endorsement level of it."

Ultimately, it seems that refusal to co-sign was pretty prescient.

Prior to its tragic final launch, company CEO Stockton Rush  who died along with four others when the Titan imploded under the weight of the ocean  told CBS in 2022 that that seemingly exaggerated collab made the whole endeavor safe.

"The pressure vessel is not MacGyvered at all because that's where we worked with Boeing and NASA, [and] University of Washington," Rush told CBS reporter David Pogue. "Everything else can fail. Your thrusters can go, your lights can go. You're still going to be safe."

Obviously, those assurances were empty in the end  and NASA, along with an embattled Boeing, wants none of that heat.

More on the Titan: Doomed Titanic Sub's Hull Made Terrible Sound During Previous Dive
By Samia Nakhoul, Parisa Hafezi and Maayan Lubell

(Reuters) - In the wake of Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah's killing, Hezbollah faces the enormous challenge of plugging the infiltration in its ranks that allowed its arch enemy Israel to destroy weapons sites, booby-trap its communications and assassinate the veteran leader, whose whereabouts had been a closely guarded secret for years.

Nasrallah's killing in a command HQ on Friday came barely a week after the deadly detonation of thousands of booby-trapped Hezbollah pagers and hundreds of radios - attacks widely blamed on Israel but which it has not claimed. His assassination was the culmination of a rapid succession of strikes that have eliminated half of Hezbollah's leadership council and decimated its top military command.

In the days before and hours after Nasrallah's killing, Reuters spoke to more than a dozen sources in Lebanon, Israel, Iran and Syria who provided details of the damage Israel has wrought on the powerful Shi'ite paramilitary group, including to its supply lines and command structure. All asked for anonymity to speak about sensitive matters.

One source familiar with Israeli thinking told Reuters, less than 24 hours before the strike, that Israel has spent 20 years focusing intelligence efforts on Hezbollah and could hit Nasrallah when it wanted, including in the headquarters.

The person called the intelligence "brilliant," without providing details.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his close circle of ministers authorized the attack on Wednesday, two Israeli officials told Reuters. The attack took place while Netanyahu was in New York to speak at the U.N. General Assembly.

Nasrallah had avoided public appearances since a previous 2006 war. He had long been vigilant, his movements were restricted and the circle of people he saw was very small, according to a source familiar with Nasrallah's security arrangements. The assassination suggested his group had been infiltrated by informants for Israel, the source said.

The Hezbollah leader had been even more cautious than usual since the Sept. 17 pager blasts, out of concern Israel would try to kill him, a security source familiar with the group's thinking told Reuters a week ago, citing his absence from a commanders' funeral and his pre-recording of a speech broadcast a few days before.

Hezbollah's media office did not respond to a request for comment for this story. U.S. President Joe Biden on Saturday called Nasrallah's killing "a measure of justice" for his many victims, and said the United States fully supported Israel's right to defend itself against Iranian-backed groups.

Israel says it carried out the hit on Nasrallah by dropping bombs on the underground headquarters below a residential building in southern Beirut.

"This is a massive blow and intelligence failure for Hezbollah," Magnus Ranstorp, a veteran Hezbollah expert at the Swedish Defence University. "They knew that he was meeting. He was meeting with other commanders. And they just went for him."

Including Nasrallah, Israel's military says it has killed eight of Hezbollah's nine most senior military commanders this year, mostly in the past week. These commanders led units ranging from the rocket division to the elite Radwan force.

Around 1,500 Hezbollah fighters were maimed by the exploding pagers and walkie talkies on Sept. 17 and Sept. 18.

On Saturday, Israel's military spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani told reporters in a briefing that the military had "real-time" knowledge that Nasrallah and other leaders were gathering. Shoshani did not say how they knew, but said the leaders were meeting to plan attacks on Israel.

Brigadier General Amichai Levin, commander of Israel's Hatzerim Airbase, told reporters that dozens of munitions hit the target within seconds.

"The operation was complex and was planned for a long time," according to Levin.

DEPLETED

Hezbollah has shown the ability to replace commanders quickly, and Nasrallah's cousin Hashem Safieddine, also a cleric who wears the black turban denoting descent from Islam's Prophet Mohammed, has long been tipped as his successor.

"You kill one, they get a new one," said a European diplomat of the group's approach.

The group, whose name means Party of God, will fight on: by U.S. and Israeli estimates it had some 40,000 fighters ahead of the current escalation, along with large weapons stockpiles and an extensive tunnel network near Israel's border.

Founded in Lebanon in 1982, the Shi'ite paramilitary outfit is the most formidable member of Iran's so-called Axis of Resistance of anti-Israel allied irregular forces, and a significant regional player in its own right.

But it has been materially and psychologically weakened over the past 10 days.

Thanks to decades of backing from Iran, prior to the current conflict Hezbollah was among the world's most well-armed non-conventional armies, with an arsenal of 150,000 rockets, missiles and drones, according to U.S. estimates.

That is ten times the size of the armoury the group had in 2006, during its last war with Israel, according to Israeli estimates.

Over the past year, even more weapons have flowed into Lebanon from Iran, along with significant amounts of financial aid, a source familiar with Hezbollah's thinking said.

There have been few detailed public assessments of how much this arsenal has been damaged by Israel's offensive over the past week, which has hit Hezbollah strongholds in Bekaa Valley, far from Lebanon's border with Israel.

One Western diplomat in the Middle East told Reuters prior to Friday's attack that Hezbollah had lost 20%-25% of its missile capacity in the ongoing conflict, including in hundreds of Israeli strikes this week. The diplomat did not provide evidence or details of their assessment.

An Israeli security official said "a very respectable portion" of Hezbollah's missile stocks had been destroyed, without giving further specifics.

In recent days, Israel has struck more than 1,000 Hezbollah targets. The security official, when asked about the military's extensive target lists, said Israel had matched Hezbollah's two-decade build up with preparations to prevent it launching its rockets in the first place - a complement to the Iron Dome air defence system that often downs missiles fired at the Jewish state.

Israeli officials say the fact that Hezbollah has only been able to launch a couple of hundred missiles a day in the past week was evidence its capabilities had been diminished.

IRAN CONNECTION

Before the strike on Nasrallah, three Iranian sources told Reuters Iran was planning to send additional missiles to Hezbollah to prepare for a prolonged war.

The weapons that were to be provided included short-to-medium-range ballistic missiles including Iranian Zelzals and an upgraded precision version known as the Fateh 110, the first Iranian source said.

Reuters was unable to reach the sources after the Nasrallah assassination.

While Iran is willing to provide military support, the two Iranian sources said it does not want to be directly involved in a confrontation between Hezbollah and Israel. The rapid escalation in hostilities over the past week follows a year of skirmishes tied to the Gaza war.

Iranian Revolutionary Guards' deputy commander Abbas Nilforoushan was killed in the Israeli strikes on Beirut on Friday, Iranian media reported on Saturday, citing a state TV report.

Hezbollah may need certain warheads and missiles along with drones and missile parts to replenish those destroyed by Israeli strikes across Lebanon last week, a senior Syrian military intelligence source added.

Iranian supplies have in the past reached Hezbollah by air and sea. On Saturday, Lebanon's transport ministry told an Iranian aircraft not to enter its airspace after Israel warned air traffic control at Beirut airport that it would use "force" if the plane landed, a source at the ministry told Reuters.

The source said it was not clear what was on the plane.

Land corridors are currently the best route for missiles, parts and drones, through Iraq and Syria, with the help of allied armed groups in those countries, an Iranian security official told Reuters this week.

The Syrian military source, however, said Israeli drone surveillance and strikes targeting convoys of trucks had compromised that route. This year, Israel stepped up attacks on weapons depots and supply routes in Syria to weaken Hezbollah ahead of any war, Reuters reported in June.

As recently as August, an Israeli drone hit weapons concealed in commercial trailers in Syria, the source said. This week, Israel's military said its warplanes bombed unspecified infrastructure used to transfer weapons to Hezbollah at the Syria-Lebanon border.

Joseph Votel, a former army general who led U.S. forces in the Middle East, said Israel and its allies could well intercept any missiles Iran sent by land to Hezbollah now.

"That might be a risk they're willing to take, frankly," he said.

(This story has been corrected to rectify details on pager explosions in paragraph 2 and the location of Hezbollah's founding to Lebanon, not Tehran, in paragraph 21)

(Additional reporting by James Mackenzie in Jerusalem, Laila Bassam in Beirut, Suleiman al-Khalidi in Amman and Phil Stewart in Washington; Writing by Frank Jack Daniel; Editing by Daniel Flynn.)
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, during her address at the Uzbekistan-India Business Forum on Friday, emphasised the vast trade opportunities between India and Uzbekistan. She pushed for increased trade and urged the chambers of commerce of both countries to create a roadmap to achieve the USD 3 billion trade target set by the leadership of the two countries. Sharing a post on X, the Ministry of Finance said, "Union Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs Nirmala Sitharaman addressed the Uzbekistan-India Business Forum after signing of a new Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT) between India and Uzbekistan, in Samarkand." "Addressing some notable companies from Uzbekistan, the Union Finance Minister encouraged meaningful interactions and collaboration between the industry members from the two nations," the post added. Sitharaman highlighted the significance of the newly signed BIT between India and Uzbekistan, and said that it is based on modern international investment standards. "Urging the business communities on both sides to take advantage of BIT as it catapults investment relationship to a new trajectory, FM Nirmala Sitharaman said that the new BIT is based on modern international investment standards, provides strong protections to investors on both sides, fostering an atmosphere of trust and confidence. The signing of this treaty will unlock new opportunities in various sectors," the post said. The post added, "FM Nirmala Sitharaman said that there are significant trade opportunities and urged the chambers of commerce on both sides to draw up a roadmap to achieve $3 billion trade target set by the leadership of two countries." On Friday, India and Uzbekistan signed BIT to assure appropriate protection to Uzbekistan investors in India and Indian investors in the Republic of Uzbekistan, the Ministry of Finance had said in a statement. The statement added that the treaty will increase the comfort level and boost the confidence of investors by assuring a minimum standard of treatment and non-discrimination, while providing for an independent forum for dispute settlement through arbitration. The BIT between both the counties provides for protection to investments from expropriation, and provides for transparency, transfers, and compensation for losses, as per the statement. As per the official figures on the website of the Indian embassy in Uzbekistan, India is among the top 10 trade partners of Uzbekistan with bilateral trade of USD 756.60 million. The major items of India's exports are pharmaceutical products, mechanical equipment, vehicle parts, services, frozen buffalo meat, optical instruments and equipment, and mobile phones, as per the embassy. India's import from Uzbekistan consists largely of fruit and vegetable products, services, fertilisers, juice products and extracts, and lubricants, as per the available information on the embassy's website. Total Indian investments in Uzbekistan amount to USD 61 million, as per the embassy's website. (ANI)
Was Nathan Wade Running From His Subpoena For Investigation into Fani Willis?

Well, well well: After nearly a week of seemingly evading a summons, former Donald Trump prosecutor Nathan Wade was finally served a congressional subpoena Thursday. The subpoena was initially issued on Friday by the Republican-led House Judiciary Committee.

The committee insisted that Wade provide closed-door testimony as part of their investigation into Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis and her prosecution of former President Donald Trump.

The election interference case was paused in June by a Georgia Court of Appeals pending the resolution of a court battle over Willis being allowed to remain on the case.

Wade apparently backed out of appearing voluntarily for a scheduled interview last week that he agreed to in July, according to The Washington Examiner. The fact that they were unable to find Wade at first was baffling.

The Judiciary Committee has served over 100 subpoenas this Congress. We have done so, for the most part, without controversy or the need to use the U.S. Marshals, said spokesman Russell Dye per 11Alive. Nathan Wades evasion of service is extremely unusual and will require the Committee to spend U.S. tax dollars to locate him.

For months, the Judiciary Committee has attempted to obtain documents and testimony from both Wade and Willis as it pertains to the ongoing Georgia election interference case against Trump and 18 other co-defendants.

Wade, who was a special lawyer in the case, was hired by Willis in 2021. He aided the prosecution until he was forced to withdraw from the case earlier this year after it was revealed that the pair allegedly had a romantic relationship.

The Judiciary Committee is now looking into whether Willis prosecution of Trump is motivated by political gain. Earlier this month, Willis skipped a Georgia state Senate hearing that sought her testimony.

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WEST SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP)  A showcase at the Big E is giving people the experience of Ireland and the Dingle Peninsula without taking a flight.

MGM employees help in building new habitat home

Inside the Young building, large crowds traveled through Irelands Dingle Peninsula Showcase, highlighting some of Irelands finest handcrafted products. All of which were made in Dingle, a corner of the island that maintains close connections to western Massachusetts.

22News spoke to the Director of Sales, Tim Garstka on whats it like to see the Irish culture on display for the course of the 17-day fair. You come in, you see the big smiles, the hugs, the laughter. Its part of the Irish way of life. And they bring it over with them across the Atlantic every year. And its its one of my favorite parts of the fair, said Garstka.

Dingle and West Springfield are sister cities and many residents of Irish decent can trace their ancestry back to the Dingle Peninsula or nearby Blasket Islands.

Local News Headlines

WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on WWLP.com.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WWLP.
NC Court of Appeals blocks UNCs digital IDs from being used for voting

The N.C. Court of Appeals has blocked elections officials from accepting digital IDs used by students and employees at UNC-Chapel Hill as a valid form of voter ID.

In a ruling issued Friday, the Court of Appeals granted a temporary injunction blocking the State Board of Elections from allowing UNCs One Card or any other image of a photo ID, either as a photocopy or a photo on a mobile device as outlined in a previous board memo, as an acceptable form of photo ID under the states voter ID law.

The One Card is a form of student identification available through a mobile app on iPhones and Apples Watches that allows students to access campus buildings and parking lots, make purchases, and enter sporting events.

Elections officials already approved more than 100 student and public employee IDs as valid forms of voter ID, but in August the Democratic majority on the Board of Elections voted to approve UNCs One Card, marking the first time a digital ID would have been allowed for voting.

The board memo quoted in the appeals courts ruling was sent last year by Karen Brinson Bell, the elections boards executive director. The memo stated, an image of a photo ID, either as a photocopy or a photo on a mobile device, is not one of the permitted forms of photo ID when voting in person.

When the board approved UNCs One Card last month, however, Brinson Bell said UNCs digital ID met all state requirements for voter ID. It was not merely a copy or a photocopy, but rather an issued (ID) with expiration dates displayed, she said.

UNC previously required students and employees who wanted a physical card instead of the One Card to pay a small fee, but the school recently said it would provide physical cards for free to anyone who wanted it for voting, the Associated Press reported.

Some voting rights advocates who opposed the GOPs lawsuit said UNCs digital IDs were as reliable and secure as physical IDs, and that blocking their use would create confusion among tens of thousands of students who use One Cards everyday.

Jeff Loperfido, chief counsel for voting rights at the Southern Coalition for Social Justice, said earlier this week a sudden reversal on the digital IDs would upend the voting plans of an entire community and risk silencing their voices.

The ruling by the Court of Appeals is a victory for Republicans, who sued the elections board earlier this month for approving UNCs digital ID, and appealed a decision last week by Wake County Superior Court Judge Keith Gregory, who denied the GOPs request for a temporary restraining order and refused to block the IDs from being used.

In their lawsuit, the Republican National Committee and N.C. Republican Party argued the digital ID doesnt qualify under the requirements laid out in state law.

Republicans said digital IDs shouldnt be allowed because they could be easier to alter, the screens could be hard to see, and network or hardware problems could prevent the ID from being used.

In a post on social media, N.C. GOP Chairman Jason Simmons said the ruling is a win for the people of North Carolina and for the rule of law.

When the NC State Board of Elections exceeds their statutory authority, we will use every available option to ensure elections in this state are safe, Simmons said.

Patrick Gannon, a spokesperson for the elections board, said the board did not have any comment on Fridays ruling.

Under the Dome

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NC Court of Appeals blocks UNC digital IDs from being used to vote

RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN)  The North Carolina Court of Appeals has overturned an order allowing University of North Carolina students and employees to use their digital IDs to vote.

The court ruled on Friday that the digital IDs do not comply with the states photo ID law. The North Carolina State Board of Elections will not be permitted to accept the digital IDs from anyone attempting to cast a ballot in the 2024 election.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: North Carolina judge wont prevent use of university digital IDs for voting

According to court documents, the vote to prohibit digital voting IDs was unanimous.

The Court of Appeals ruling overturns a decision from Wake County Superior Court Judge Keith Gregory last Thursday, which denied a temporary restraining order sought by the Republican National Committee and state GOP.

The groups sued last week to halt the use of the mobile UNC One Card at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill as a qualifying ID, saying state law only allows the State Board of Elections to approve physical cards.

The mobile UNC One Card was approved Aug. 20 by the boards Democratic majority, marking the first such ID posted from someones smartphone that the board has OKd.

The Democratic National Committee and a UNC-Chapel Hill student group joined the board in court to oppose the restraining order. They said the board rightly determined that the digital ID met the security and photo requirements set in state law in which to qualify.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: NCGOP files lawsuit to prohibit use of UNC digital IDs for student voting

In legal briefs, they also said there was nothing in the law that prevented the approval of a nonphysical card. The DNC attorneys wrote that preventing its use could confuse or even disenfranchise up to 40,000 people who work or attend the school.

The mobile UNC One Card is now the default ID card issued on campus, although students and permanent employees can still obtain a physical card instead for a small fee. The school announced this week that it would create physical cards at no charge for students and staff who received a digital ID but want the physical card for voting.

Voters already can choose to provide photo IDs from several broad categories, including their drivers license, passport, and military IDs The board also has approved over 130 types of traditional student and employee IDs that it says qualifies voting purposes in 2024, including UNC-Chapel Hills physical ID card. Only UNC-Chapel Hill mobile ID credentials on Apple phones were approved by the board.

Republicans said in the lawsuit they were worried that the mobile IDs approval could allow hundreds or thousands of ineligible voters to vote. They argued an electronic card was easier to alter and harder for a precinct worker to examine.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: NC Board of Elections approve use of digital ID cards for UNC-Chapel Hill students to vote

North Carolina is a presidential battleground state where statewide races are usually very close.

The ruling comes as potentially millions planning to vote in the fall elections havent had to show an ID under the states 2018 voter ID law. Legal challenges meant the mandate didnt get carried out the first time until the low-turnout municipal elections in 2023.

NCGOP Communications Director Matt Mercer celebrated the courts ruling on his X account.

Promise kept, Mercer wrote. HUGE Voter ID win!

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to CBS17.com.
North Carolina gubernatorial candidate Mark Robinson was hospitalized following an "incident" at a campaign event on Friday evening, Fox News Digital has confirmed.

It happened while Robinson was attending the Mayberry Truck Show in Mt. Airy, North Carolina.

"Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson was treated at Northern Regional Hospital for second-degree burns. He is in good spirits, appreciates the outpouring of well wishes, and is excited to return to the campaign trail as scheduled first thing tomorrow morning," Mike Lonergan, Robinson's campaign communications director told Fox News Digital.

It's unclear exactly how Robinson was burned.

Nc Gubernatorial Candidate Mark Robinson Hires Trump-friendly Lawyer To Investigate Porn Website Allegations

North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson was hospitalized Friday evening after he was burned at a campaign event, Fox News Digital confirmed.

Robinson, the current Republican lieutenant governor running against Democratic state Attorney General Josh Stein to replace Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper in the battleground state, was recently accused of making controversial comments on a porn website.

Read On The Fox News App

Robinson denies the allegations. He hired an attorney who previously worked for former President Trump. The Binnall Law Group from northern Virginia is investigating claims raised in a CNN report published earlier this week.

"Normally, something like this, an investigation, you know, run by the Department of Justice and the FBI would take months or years," Binnall previously told Fox News Digital. "We can't do that in this case because the voters need an answer before the election. And so we are going to move very quickly and still give them a very fulsome report."

"He absolutely denies saying any of the things that are in the CNN piece," Binnall said of Robinson. "What my investigation is going to do is we are going to follow the facts. We are going to investigate this strenuously. We are going to leave no stone unturned. We're going to be very, very aggressive. And the citizens of North Carolina deserve nothing less than a full investigation of this matter, which is what we are going to do."

Battleground State Republican Denies Involvement In Porn Scandal, Dismisses It As 'Tabloid Trash'

It's unclear how Robinson was burned.

The CNN report surfaced comments Robinson allegedly made more than a decade ago on a porn site messaging board, including describing himself as a "black NAZI;" saying he enjoyed transgender pornography; saying that he preferred Hitler to then-President Barack Obama in 2012; and criticizing the late Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. as "worse than a maggot."

Robinson has denied saying those words, but Republicans have begun to distance themselves from the candidate, who, if elected, would be North Carolina's first Black governor. Trump did not mention Robinson, who he endorsed before the March primary and has spoken at other Trump events, during the Republican presidential nominee's campaign rally in Wilmington, North Carolina , Saturday.

"The allegations against me are outright lies, fabricated to distract voters from Josh Steins disastrous record," Robinson previously said in a statement to Fox News Digital regarding the investigation. "The great people of North Carolina deserve the truth, and I am fully committed to ensuring they get it with complete transparency."

Fox News Digital's Danielle Wallace contributed to this report.





Original article source: NC gubernatorial candidate Mark Robinson hospitalized following 'incident' at campaign event
GREENVILLE, N.C. (WNCT)  The North Carolina Division of Transportation is urging people to reconsider any travel to western North Carolina.

The NCDOT released a statement on Saturday that western North Carolina should be considered closed to unnecessary travel due to the lengthy recovery efforts. Around 390 roads and dozens of highways remain closed because of flooding, downed trees, landslides and other damage from Hurricane Helene.

Our top priority is everyones safety and well-being, said state Transportation Secretary Joey Hopkins. People should still consider roads in western North Carolina to be closed and avoid travel unless it is absolutely necessary. Priority must be given to all the emergency responders, utility and transportation crews, and others who are working hard to help with what will be a lengthy response and recovery effort.

More than 1,600 people are working to repair roadways, though the department reports that efforts may take months as the damage is serious.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WNCT.
Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., spoke on bipartisan legislation he introduced Tuesday to warn parents about the harmful effects of social media, saying his efforts are "common sense."

Fetterman and Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., introduced the Stop the Scroll Act to create mental health warning label requirements for social media platforms.

The bipartisan act would ensure "all users, especially children and teens, are aware of the potential mental health risks associated with social media use" and would require social media companies to direct users toward mental health resources, according to a press release from Fetterman's office.

The War To Save Our Teens From Social Media

Discussing the legislation Tuesday on "Special Report" shortly after it was introduced, Fetterman said he and Britt crossed the aisle to partner on the act because their duty as parents to protect their children supersedes any political differences they might have.

Sen. John Fetterman walks through the Senate subway in the Capitol after a vote on May 15, 2024.

"It's common sense," Fetterman told "Special Report" anchor and executive editor Bret Baier. "It's what a parent would want. If you have a person that's spending hours and hours every day with one of your kids, you would want to know who that person is about."

Read On The Fox News App

"I've witnessed that with my own children, the negative impact that it's had on them, even in myself too," he added. "It's a conversation that we would be having as a parent  let alone as a senator  so I think it's an entirely appropriate conversation that we should be having at a national level."

Fetterman previously revealed that social media made his battle with clinical depression more difficult, saying in a "Meet the Press" interview in 2023 that reading comments about him and his family was a major part of the depression that resulted in six weeks of hospitalization.

"Its an accelerant, absolutely," Fetterman said at the time.

Social Media Warnings Won't Protect Kids, But Something Else Will

Britt cited the mental health crisis among teenagers in the United States as her motivation for the bill.

"John and I are approaching this not just as senators, but as parents  and we believe that parents need all the information," she told Baier.

"When children are on social media, their rate of anxiety and depression increases," she added, noting that many children average five hours on social media per day.

"It really is the defining issue right now for our children, and it's important that we do something  doing nothing is not an option," she said.

"This is a bipartisan issue. This isn't Democrat or Republican  this is an American issue, and it's one that we've got to get ahead of because it's already ahead of us," she later added.

Britt and Fetterman established a relationship in the Senate prior to working on the bill, they said. Britt visited Fetterman during his hospitalization, and their families have remained close ever since, they told Baier.

"I think some people think that we must hate each other's guts in D.C., [saying], 'Oh, you're a Republican, I'm a Democrat,' but it's just not true. It couldn't be further from the truth," Fetterman said.

The Stop the Scroll Act comes after U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy called for social media companies to be required to display mental health warnings to shield young people from "online harassment, abuse and exploitation and from exposure to extreme violence and sexual content that too often appears in algorithm-driven feeds."

"The mental health crisis among young people is an emergency  and social media has emerged as an important contributor. Adolescents who spend more than three hours a day on social media face double the risk of anxiety and depression symptoms, and the average daily use in this age group, as of the summer of 2023, was 4.8 hours. Additionally, nearly half of adolescents say social media makes them feel worse about their bodies," he wrote in a New York Times option article.





Original article source: 'Negative impact': Fetterman introduces Stop the Scroll Act to target social media harms
Happy Saturday! Heres another edition of my weekend column for WPRI.com  as always, send your takes, tips and trial balloons to tnesi@wpri.com and follow me on Twitter, Threads and Facebook.

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Nesi's Notes

1. Generational change is happening in Rhode Island, and that includes organized labor. Two longtime faces of the states union movement  AFL-CIO President George Nee, who is retiring, and the late Council 94 President Mike Downey, who died last month  are being succeeded by younger men, Patrick Crowley and Michael McDonald. Rhode Island has seen a decrease in union strength over recent decades, just like other states have: the share of Rhode Island workers who are union members fell from 23% in 1984 to 16% in 2022, with the AFL-CIO currently representing about 80,000 workers. As for labors political muscle  a source of pride to union leaders and consternation for their critics  Crowley suggests its not as overwhelming as sometimes portrayed. If it were true, there are a couple of things that I would change today, he said on this weeks Newsmakers, citing higher tax rates on upper-income residents as one example. Yet labor leaders insist theyre not anti-business, either, even if theyre often pitted against corporate lobbyists at the State House. Nee put it this way in his retirement letter: We achieve our maximum effectiveness when we are pro-business, pro-growth, pro-labor and pro-union. Crowley said he agrees with Nee on that. If we dont have a vibrant business community, were not going to have the jobs that our members perform, he said. Now, we may have different opinions on how to get there than the business community. But were not on opposite sides on major issues, because our members earn the wages they do because we have a vibrant business community.

2. It will be a little while before Rhode Islanders have more clarity on whether Hasbro will stay or go. Governor McKees team is meeting internally to craft a pitch for CEO Chris Cocks, with some in Pawtucket suggesting the old Apex as a new HQ, and Mayor Smiley floating Capital Center if the company wants to move to Providence. (McKee is out of state on vacation until Oct. 5, so dont expect any big news before he returns.) Meanwhile, state leaders lack of awareness about the thinking in the Hasbro C-suite has raised questions about whether theyre keeping tabs on CVS Health, the states biggest publicly traded company. CVS CEO Karen Lynch, like Cocks, lacks longstanding ties to Rhode Island  she spent years across the border in Hartford as a top executive at Aetna, now owned by CVS. And while Lynch and McKee came into their current positions almost simultaneously in early 2021, the governors office tells me the pair have never held an in-person meeting, only two phone calls. (One was at the end of this years legislative session, when Lynch successfully lobbied McKee to veto the noncompetes bill; the other was early on, about vaccinations.) Also like Hasbro, CVS is going through business challenges, recently announcing plans to cut costs by another $2 billion. But CVS spokesperson Mike DeAngelis dismissed any suggestion that the company would shift its home base out of Woonsocket, though it may add jobs elsewhere, too. Rhode Island will continue to be our headquarters, DeAngelis told me Friday. Weve also had corporate hubs in other states for many years. McKee spokesperson Olivia DaRocha added that McKee has a good relationship with CVS, noting that he worked with the company to significantly expand its footprint when he was mayor of Cumberland.

3. More business news: Cox Communications is suing the R.I. Commerce Corp. over how its allocating that big $108 million federal broadband grant, and Commerce isnt happy.

4. On the Washington Bridge, there remains a yawning gap between the public desire for concrete information and whats being said. Governor McKee joined Kim Kalunian for a live interview on 12 News at 4 on Tuesday, but had little new to offer beyond saying the bidding process for a new bridge could start within the next couple of weeks. He spoke hours after a front-page Boston Globe story on the bridge situation set off another round of debate over why the state has struggled so much to deal with the crisis. (McKee, RIDOT Director Peter Alviti and bridge point man Joe Almond all refused to be interviewed for the article.) While Rhode Islands four members of Congress have all stood by McKee publicly, the same isnt true of Massachusetts Congressman Jake Auchincloss, who represents the Bristol County communities most affected by the bridge closure. This far into this disaster, there needs to be much more clarity, and there needs to be much more confidence in leadership than were seeing right now, Auchincloss told my colleague Kayla Fish, echoing what he told the Globe team. At the same time, reporters are also struggling to get answers about what caused the pause in demolition of the old bridge and how long its going to be on hold. Both RIDOT and the attorney generals office denied an Access to Public Records Act request by our Tim White to release the letter ordering the pause, citing attorney-client privilege.

5. The Washington Bridge is hardly the only American infrastructure project that is taking a frustratingly long time. Byron Tau, a reporter at the new outlet NOTUS, is out with a piece examining why the United States struggles to build anything nowadays.

6. Providence state Sen. Sam Zurier was clearly taken aback by the ferocious pushback he received from AG Peter Neronha for suggesting the AG should use his position in the states Washington Bridge litigation to release documents about the topic. It was the latest example of Zurier, who was first elected in 2021, trying to force a public conversation even if it puts him at odds with other powerful individuals and groups. In another recent example, Zurier used one of his widely read weekly newsletters to push back on the arguments against a constitutional convention that are being advanced by left-leaning organizations he otherwise aligns with, like the AFL-CIO and the ACLU, ahead of this Novembers referendum. Zuriers fellow Senate Democrat Jonathon Acosta praised his colleague publicly for having at least started a conversation about a potential convention, something Acosta said the Rhode Island Democratic Party wants us to blindly oppose.

7. What the heck is going on with Coventrys town finances? Eli Sherman investigates.

8. Eye on Washington  Gina Raimondo drew criticism for saying voters should extinguish Donald Trump  Jack Reed is skeptical about Kamala Harriss proposed filibuster carve-out for abortion rights  Sheldon Whitehouse brought Joe Shekarchi to address a Senate Budget Committee hearing on housing affordability  Seth Magaziner and Gabe Amo split on the House GOPs Violence Against Women by Illegal Aliens Act, with Magaziner voting yes and Amo voting no; Jake Auchincloss and Bill Keating also voted no.

9. Governor McKee continues to keep up a regular fundraising schedule as he works to strengthen his position ahead of the 2026 election. On Monday, his office disclosed that he was headed to Boston in the evening for a private event, which the Projos Kathy Gregg later confirmed was organized in part by lobbyist and consultant Anthony Ravosa. McKees campaign is also selling tickets to what theyre billing as the First Annual Gov. Dan McKee Fall Barbecue, which will take place at Exeters Schartner Farms the day after McKee is due to return to Rhode Island.

10. All four of Rhode Islands bond referendum questions now have active campaigns underway to support them, following this weeks launch of a Yes on 5 effort to support the $10 million arts bond. The New Harbor Group is working on two campaigns  Question 2 (higher education) and Question 4 (environment and ports)  and the firms founder, David Preston, reports a Yes on 2 TV ad will air during this weekends Patriots game, just as a Yes on 4 spot did on Sept. 15. As part of its work, New Harbor commissioned the firm SocialSphere to conduct a poll of 600 Rhode Island voters in late August. The survey put Kamala Harris up 18 points over Donald Trump, and also found just 28% of Rhode Islanders think the state is moving in the right direction, while 42% think its on the wrong track and 24% say things are mixed. Prestons clients had to be happy with some of the other results: about 60% of voters view Quonsets Port of Davisville positively, while almost none view it negatively, and 62% support further development of offshore wind farms.

11. Lifespan will officially become Brown University Health on Oct. 15.

12. People in the news  Education Commissioner Angelica Infante-Green is poised to get a new three-year contract  members of the Providence City Council elected Pedro Espinal and Sue AnderBois as their new majority leader and deputy majority whip, respectively  URI President Marc Parlange hailed a year of tremendous growth and success at the school  Rhode Island Housing has hired Ben Frost as president of proactive development, a new job aimed at speeding up home construction.

13. Congratulations to our retired WPRI 12 colleague Sean Daly on his induction Thursday night into the Rhode Island Radio & TV Hall of Fame  you can watch Seans acceptance speech here. Congrats as well to Seans fellow inductees: Betty Jo Cugini-Greene, the late Chris Di Paola, Joe Hassett, Dan Yorke and Paul Zangari.

14. Mark your calendars for Oct. 23: Inside Elections editor/publisher Nathan Gonzales will join me on stage at RIPECs annual meeting for a closer look at the political outlook leading up Election Day. Join us!

15. Take a moment to remember two legends lost this week. If youve never seen Maggie Smith with Carol Burnett, youre in for a treat. And if youve never heard the Benny Golson album Just Jazz (with Bill Evans on piano), youre in for another one.

16. Set your DVRs: This week on Newsmakers  the AFL-CIOs Patrick Crowley and Council 94s Mike McDonald. Watch Sunday at 5:30 a.m. on WPRI 12 and 10 a.m. on Fox Providence, or listen on the radio Sunday at 6 p.m. on WPRO. You can also subscribe to Newsmakers as a podcast via Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. See you back here next Saturday.

Ted Nesi (tnesi@wpri.com) is a Target 12 investigative reporter and 12 News politics/business editor. He co-hosts Newsmakers and writes Nesis Notes on Saturdays. Connect with him on Twitter, Threads and Facebook.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WPRI.com.
Benjamin Netanyahu left Israel for New York to trick Hezbollahs leader into thinking he was safe, a senior Israeli official told The Telegraph.

Mr Netanyahus address to the UN was part of a diversionary plan intended to make Hassan Nasrallah believe Israel would not take drastic action with the prime minister out of the country.

Israel struck Beirut with a massive air strike on Friday that shook the Lebanese capital.

Mr Nasrallah was believed to be watching Mr Netanyahus speech and was then attacked by Israeli Air Force planes, the official said.

Netanyahu approved the strike before delivering his speech at the UN, the official added.

He went on to say that the Israeli assessment was that Mr Nasrallah was in the building at the time of the strike.

There are conflicting reports about his fate, however. Iran has said that the Hezbollah chief is in good health.

The attack came minutes after Mr Netanyahu vowed to continue operations against Hezbollah while addressing the UN chamber.

He struck a defiant tone, telling delegates that Israel would continue degrading Hezbollah until all our objectives are met.

Israels prime minister made little mention of the US-led peace plan that aims to establish a 21-day ceasefire between the IDF and Hezbollah.

He told the UN: We will not accept a terror army parked on our northern border...able to perpetrate another October 7th-style massacre.

On Friday night, the European Unions foreign affairs chief lamented that no world power, including the US, can stop Mr Netanyahu.

Josef Borrell told reporters that Israels prime minister seems determined to crush militants in Gaza and Lebanon with or without Western approval.

What we do is to put all diplomatic pressure to a ceasefire, but nobody seems to be able to stop Netanyahu, neither in Gaza nor in the West Bank, Mr Borrell said.

On Friday night Israel launched a new wave of air strikes on Beirut, targeting six suburbs in the south of the Lebanese capital that it said were being used by Hezbollah to store weapons.

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Coming off an armful of big Emmy wins earlier this month, Baby Reindeer and Netflix took a big hit today as a federal judge ruled the big bucks defamation case against the dark comedy and the streamer will go forward.

First filed by self-declared real life Martha in June, the $170 million action is still set for a May 6, 2025 trial start, as Netflix came up short on their free speech proclaiming anti-SLAPP defense of the so-called true story saga of a UK comedian stalked by a female Scottish lawyer in London. Citing the much watched and highly acclaimed Baby Reindeers creator and star, the streamer has pledged from Day One to defend this matter vigorously and to stand by Richard Gadds right to tell his story.

More from Deadline

To that, Netflix did manage to see off the claims of negligence and right of publicity and get punitive damages stripped from the case  but those may end up being small victories.

For, even though Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos recently dismissed the debate about how true the self-described based on a true story Baby Reindeer is as uniquely British, U.S. District Judge R. Gary Klausner today had little inclination to dismiss the heart of Harveys case.

Defendants argue that a reasonable person would not understand that Martha is, in actual fact, Plaintiff, such that any statements about Martha would be about Plaintiff, he wrote today about the Jessica Gunning portrayed character and how much she is or isnt based on Harvey. In particular, Defendants argue that the similarities between Martha and Plaintiff are so broad that a reasonable person would not have been able to identify her, Judge Klausner continues.

The Court disagrees.

This is not the typical case where a plaintiff happens to be one of hundreds of people that match a fictional characters broad characteristics, the federal judge goes on to say of Baby Reindeer and its characters.

Rather, Martha and Plaintiff have specific similarities that few others could claim to share. Specifically, Martha and Plaintiff are both Scottish lawyers living in London, twenty years older than Donny/Gadd, accused of stalking a lawyer in a newspaper article, who communicated with Donny/Gadd on social media, he lists in a manner than must have driven Netflixs Latham & Watkins lawyers nutty. While there may be numerous Scottish lawyers living in London of the same approximate age as Plaintiff, it is very likely that only Plaintiff has been accused of stalking a lawyer in a newspaper article while also communicating with Gadd on social media.

Netflixs high priced lawyers had previously insisted to the court that Harveys defamation claim fails because she does not allege a provably false statement of fact was made about her. They added in late July: None of the alleged statements can form a legal basis for defamation. In fact, Harvey is incapable of showing reputational harm. Her reputation was already tarnished by past news stories detailing her previous harassment and stalking of public figures. And as a public figure herself, she must allege actual malice.

Read the full court order denying Netflixs efforts to get the Baby Reindeer defamation suit dismissed here

Despite Gaads assertion in a partially redacted recent deposition that Martha Scott is not Fiona Harvey and Martha is a fictional character with fictional personality traits that are very different than Harveys, both the Baby Reindeer creator and Netflix had avoided addressing Harveys assertion in her suit that the multi-faceted series falsely portrayed her via the Martha character as a twice convicted stalker who was sentenced to five years in prison.

Oddly, away from U.S. courts and hidden from the world at large for several month, Netflix execs admitted in May in correspondence with the UK Parliaments Culture, Media and Sport Committee that Harvey had never ever been convicted as a stalker. They also, before Harvey had even taken the streamer to court, seemed to admitted that Harvey was in fact Martha. , I wanted to clarify our understanding that the person on whom the show is based  who we have at no point sought to identify  was subject to a court order rather than a conviction, wrote Benjamin King, Netflixs senior UK director of public policy, on May 23.

(L-R) Richard Gadd, Jessica Gunning in Baby Reindeer

Nowadays, Netflix and Gaad, who is not a defendant in the case, also stay away from parts of the series where Martha attacked Gaads Donny character sexually and tried to gouge out his eyes in a pub while brandishing a glass bottle.

Sidestepping that Judge Klausner homes in on:

None of these statements were true, however. Nonetheless, these viewers inundated Plaintiff with threatening and harassing messages. This harassment became so pervasive that it caused Plaintiff to suffer severe emotional distress in the f01m of anxiety, nightmares, panic attacks, shame, depression, nervousness, stomach pains, loss of appetite, and fear. Specific ally, a fear of going outside.

Defendants should have known that the statements and portrayals of Plaintiff through Martha were false, and that viewers would discover her identity and harass her based on these false statements and portrayals. Yet, Defendants made no effort to investigate the accuracy of these statements and portrayals or take further measures to hide her identity.

Backstage at the 76th Primetime Emmys just under two weeks ago, Gaad tried to refocus the show in a wide context. For charities in the UK, there has been an 80 percent increase [in donations] for sexual abuse charities, 53 percent of which cite Baby Reindeer, he said But nobody seems to be talking about that. The show has done some phenomenal things worldwide for so many people, Ill stand by that.

It should be noted that Netflix did not respond to request from Deadline today on the courts decision. If they do, this post will be updated.

Even as a trial date has been put on the books for next year, the parties earlier this month were nudged towards arbitration as a way to settle the matter. With todays ruling and the case moving ahead, settling may be something the streamer wants to take a lot more seriously now  and thats a really true story.

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NewsVoir New Delhi [India], September 28: AAHOA, the world's largest hotel owners association, welcomes OYO's recent acquisition of G6 Hospitality, which includes Motel 6 and Studio 6 brands. This acquisition signals a new chapter in the U.S. hospitality landscape. With an estimated 98 per cent of G6 Hospitality properties owned by AAHOA Members, this landmark deal marks a promising opportunity for continued growth, collaboration, and innovation in the budget hotel sector. OYO's acquisition of the Motel 6 and Studio 6 brands from Blackstone for USD 525 million positions the India-based hotel company for significant expansion in the U.S. market. "AAHOA looks forward to building a robust relationship with OYO, ensuring the continued success of the Motel 6 and Studio 6 franchise network," said Chairman Miraj S. Patel. "Our members have always valued the strong partnerships we've developed with G6, and we expect this new chapter with OYO to strengthen those ties. Together, we can continue to innovate and deliver high-quality experiences for guests." OYO's acquisition presents new opportunities for shared success, given its plans to maintain Motel 6/Studio 6 operations while infusing fresh ideas. "We are excited about what the future holds," said President & CEO Laura Lee Blake. "OYO's acquisition of G6 brings a unique combination of global expertise and local market understanding that we believe will benefit both our members and the broader hospitality community. At AAHOA, we remain committed to supporting our members through these industry shifts, ensuring they are equipped to thrive in an evolving marketplace." As OYO integrates the Motel 6 and Studio 6 brands, AAHOA remains committed to supporting its members and fostering productive partnerships that drive the industry forward. AAHOA is the largest hotel owners association in the nation, with Member-owned properties representing a significant part of the U.S. economy. AAHOA's 20,000 members own 60% of the hotels in the United States and are responsible for 1.7% of the nation's GDP. More than 1 million employees work at AAHOA member-owned hotels, earning $47 billion annually, and member-owned hotels support 4.2 million U.S. jobs across all sectors of the hospitality industry. AAHOA's mission is to advance and protect the business interests of hotel owners through advocacy, industry leadership, professional development, member benefits, and community engagement. (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by NewsVoir. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same)
By the time that Kamala Harris took the stage to speak about her visit to the southern border tonight, the chyrons were at the ready.

Her speech was billed as a major effort to make inroads on rival Donald Trumps signature issue and one that is perhaps her greatest weakness as a candidate.

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All three cable news networks carried the speech. Fox News, in the midst of Jesse Watters Primetime, went for some editorializing as Harris outlined her plans. Why Hasnt She Done This Yet? it read. CNNs read, Harris Speaks At Southern Border, Taking Trump Head On. MSNBCs read, Harris Hits Trump For Killing Bipartisan Border Bill.

It actually was a wide ranging and substantive speech from the policy end, MSNBCs Chris Hayes said just as Harris finished the 25-minute address, before going to guests with analysis.

While the economy is the top issue for voters, per Pew Research, Trump supporters also put immigration at the top of the list, while Harris supporters cite abortion. Harris decision visit to the border carried the risk of putting the Biden administration record in the spotlight, but also gave her the opportunity to try to turn the tables on her rival.

Harris has spent a great deal of her campaign hammering Trump on the overturning of Roe vs. Wade, but she also has attacked him for killing a bipartisan border bill. Trump came out against the legislation, all but ensuring that it would stall out in the Senate.

In her speech tonight, Harris said that Trump tanked it. He picked up the phone, and called some friends in Congress and said, Stop the bill, because, you see, he prefers to run on a problem instead of fixing a problem.

During her speech at Cochise College in Douglas, AZ, Harris promised to sign the border bill, beef up prosecution of gangs and fentanyl traffickers, and she said that she will take further action to keep the border closed between ports of entry. Those who cross unlawfully will be removed and barred from reentry for five years, while more severe criminal charges will be sought against those who are repeat violators. Those who do not make an asylum request at a legal port of entry will be barred from receiving asylum.

She also went after Trumps record on the border, telling the crowd, In the four years that Donald Trump was president, he did nothing to fix our broken immigration system. He did not solve the shortage of immigration judges. He did not solve the shortage of border agents. He did not create lawful pathways into our nation. He did nothing to address an outdated asylum system.

She added, He made the challenges at the border worse, and he is still fanning the flames of fear and division. She went on to call Trumps record a failure to lead. Trump has called for mass deportations of undocumented, and this week called for migrants in Springfield, OH to be sent back to their countries of origin, even though most of them are in the U.S. legally. You have to get them the hell out, he said at a rally.

Trump and his campaign spent much of the day attacking Harris and blaming her for the crisis. Kamalas last-minute trip to the border and empty calls for more security 39 days before the election will not rewrite the past 44 months of chaos, crime, and bloodshed caused by her open border policy, a campaign spokesperson said.

In casting herself as tough on transnational gangs, Harris cited her role as a local and state prosecutor in California, as she was district attorney in San Francisco and later the states attorney general. But she spent relatively little time on her role as vice president, as she was tasked to lead diplomatic efforts in Central America and Mexico, hoping to deal with the causes of migration. Trump and his allies, though, have labeled her the border czar, even though that was not her official title.

Coming out of her speech, Watters declared that Harris doesnt take it seriously at all. Its the first time shes ever been to the border. It was the first time of her campaign, as she did visit El Paso in 2021.

She says we must reform our immigration system, Watters said. The Democrats had the White House, Congress and the Senate for the first two years. They never touched it.

Trump still has a large lead in polling on who is better to handle the issue of immigration, which has been the source of his attacks since the start of his first presidential run in 2016.

Harris is presenting herself as offering common sense solutions, taking a much harder line than her 2020 presidential run and hoping to make gains in a key swing state. Will it work? On CNN, Margaret Hoover, the conservative commentator and host of PBS Firing Line, gave Harris credit for offering a more realistic plan.

Hes saying hes going to round up 11 million people and ship them, right? she said. You have to take both of them and what they are saying at face value, and consider whats real and whats not. What shes saying is far more credible than what he is saying.

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New legislation signed last week by Gov. Gavin Newsom makes it mandatory to ban or limit cell phone use during school hours beginning in the 2026 academic year. It was authored by Sacramento-area Republican Assemblyman Josh Hoover.

We know that excessive smartphone use increases anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues  but we have the power to intervene, Newsom said in a press release announcing his signature. This new law will help students focus on academics, social development, and the world in front of them, not their screens, when theyre in school.

Opinion

Though I am steadily creeping up on my 20-year high school reunion, I still have distinct memories of hiding my cell phone from my teachers so that I could text and play games on it in class. Everyone had a phone while I was in school, even back in the early 2000s, and Im told by my friends who are teachers that its only gotten worse.

According to EdSource, in some schools, students are required to put their phones in an electronic pouch that can only be unlocked by school staff with a special magnet. In other schools, students leave their cell phones in lockers or are asked to turn off their phones during class time.

The only problem with banning cell phones for teens during schools hours, is that  in case of an emergency like a school shooting  students would not have access to communication with the outside world or their families.

But that concern speaks to a greater need to end the scourge of school shootings than to keep cell phones with students at all times. We know from the data that constant cell phone use causes serious mental health concerns like anxiety and depression. Besides, the new law grants an exception during an emergency or perceived threat, or when a teacher grants permission.

An unwilling social experiment

My pink Razr flip phone certainly distracted me from school, and my iPhone continues to distract me to this day. The truth is that Im addicted to it: I average about eight hours a day, according to a weekly reminder that comes in the form of a bleak notification on Sunday mornings.

I wish someone had taken the phone out of my hands as a child  at least for a few hours  before I seemingly lost the ability to be without it.

According to a survey done by Pew Research a few years ago, almost all Millennials (nearly 100%) said they use the internet, and 19% of them are smartphone-only internet users  which is to say, they own a smartphone but do not have broadband internet service at home. MIllennials are often described as digital natives who grew up in a constantly-changing world and are therefore incredibly adaptable to new technologies, while Gen Z has never known a world without them.

Having the internet at our fingertips for most of our lives has made Millennials highly useful in the workplace but has also led to increased levels of anxiety, depression and other mental health issues.

In a recent New York Times op-ed by U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy last June, Murthy called for warning labels on social media platforms, like those on cigarette containers.

The Surgeon General said that Adolescents who spend more than three hours a day on social media face double the risk of anxiety and depression symptoms, and the average daily use in this age group, as of the summer of 2023, was 4.8 hours.

A surgeon generals warning label, which requires congressional action, would regularly remind parents and adolescents that social media has not been proved safe.

As I write this column, Ive checked my phone countless times. I just cant help myself. So if California can, even for a short while, try to ban cell phones from our schools, then its a worthwhile attempt to stem the anxiety, depression and addiction to our phones that plagues Millennials. After all, thats what new laws are supposed to do, right? Make life better for new generations, through the experiences of the old.
Workplaces in California could eventually be required to stock their first aid kits with naloxone or another medication that can stop an opioid overdose under a bill signed this week by Gov. Gavin Newsom.

Naloxone, commonly sold under the brand name Narcan, can prevent someone from dying of an opioid overdose if administered promptly by a bystander. The medicine binds to the same receptors in the brain as opioids such as fentanyl, which allows the medicine to displace the opioids and reverse their effects.

Assembly Bill 1976 requires California regulators to craft rules requiring first aid kits in workplaces to contain naloxone or any similar medication approved by the Food & Drug Administration. Such a proposal would have to go before a state board for possible adoption by Dec. 1, 2028.

The bill was proposed by Assemblymember Matt Haney (D-San Francisco) and supported by the California Emergency Nurses Assn. and a long list of law enforcement groups. Haney argued that it would dramatically increase the accessibility of naloxone, enabling more lives to be saved.

"If fentanyl continues to be more accessible than naloxone, were going to keep seeing an increase in overdose deaths in our communities," he said in a statement.

Earlier this summer, AB 1976 was opposed by the National Electrical Contractors Assn. and other groups tied to the construction industry. The groups argued that the decision should be left to the Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board, which could decide whether a mandate made sense for all employers. For instance, they raised concerns about storing Narcan safely at construction sites that are not temperature controlled.

In recent months, however, the bill was amended to only require the Occupational Safety and Health Board to consider such a proposal  not to mandate that such rules be adopted. After that and other changes, NECA and other industry groups dropped their opposition, according to a lobbyist for its California chapter.

The state board focused on occupational safety has already been weighing the idea: Earlier this year, it reviewed a petition from the National Safety Council, a group that aims to eliminate leading causes of preventable deaths, to require employers to provide naloxone at all work sites.

Cal/OSHA concluded that doing so would lead to a "significant reduction in opioid-related deaths in California," with deadly injuries resulting from overdoses at work having risen between 2018 and 2022 from 23 to 117, according to a state report. But staff of the Occupational Safety and Health Board cautioned that mandating naloxone in workplace first aid kits could be "unnecessarily burdensome" for some employers.

The state board decided that exceptions could be made for employers who face practical barriers to storing or administering the medication. In June, it asked Cal/OSHA to convene an advisory committee to consider changing the state rules in order to require "ready access by employees to opioid antagonists."

AB 1976 will push that process along, advocates said, by setting a deadline for the board to consider such changes.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
ASHLAND, N.Y. (WETM)  Newtown Battlefield State Parks protected land will be expanding thanks to a federal grant.

According to a Sept. 20 article from the National Park Service, the Town of Ashland was awarded $860,278 through a Battlefield Land Acquisition Grant from the National Park Service to preserve 322.09 acres of Newtown Battlefield. The town will use this grant to fully purchase two properties and then transfer the land to New York State. The state will incorporate the 322.09 acres as part of Newtown Battlefield State Park. This action will ensure that the historic battlefield and natural landscape are protected forever.

Rockwell Museum to reveal new Alley Art Project mural

The Newtown Battlefield is a treasured and historic gem in Chemung County, said Congressman Nick Langworthy about the land acquisition. This investment will allow the Town of Ashland to preserve this important part of our nations history for future generations while promoting local tourism and education. Preserving our historic battlefields also honors the sacrifice of those who gave their lives and ensures that their heroism is never forgotten.

Like its name suggests, Newtown Battlefield was the site of the Revolutionary Wars Battle of Newtown. American General John Sullivan led about 3,200 soldiers to victory against British, Loyalist, and Native American forces during the Aug. 29, 1779, battle, according to the American Battlefield Trust. The site of this Sullivan-Clinton Campaign battle is now home to cabins, pavilions, campsites, walking trails, a monument, and more.

The goal of Battlefield Acquisition Grants is to acquire and preserve threatened battlefields across the United States. Funding for the American Battlefield Protection Program comes from the Land and Water Conservation Fund, which gets its money from offshore oil and natural gas leasing revenue.

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NHC monitors another potential disturbance in Caribbean, expected to move toward Yucatan

NHC monitors another potential disturbance in Caribbean, expected to move toward Yucatan

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA)  This page has been archived and will no longer be updated. Click here for the latest updates.

The National Hurricane Center is monitoring an area of potential development in the Caribbean Sea, just as Hurricane Helene wreaked havoc on the southern United States this week.

According to the NHC, a low pressure area could form at the western Caribbean by the middle of next week.

Conditions favor slow development before it enters the Gulf of Mexico. However, models do not predict it as a threat to Florida like Helene was.

Environmental conditions will be conducive for slow development as this moves toward the Yucatan and the west central Gulf of Mexico, Max Defender 8 Meteorologist Eric Stone said. It has a 30% chance of development over the next 7 days and if it does happen to develop, early models indicate a weaker system moving well to the west of Floridas panhandle.

Another area of disturbance is expected in the eastern Atlantic. It has a 30% chance of development but will be far from the continental United States.

While Helene diminishes, Hurricane Isaac and Tropical Storm Joyce churn far off in the middle of the Atlantic, posing no threat to us.

Watch Tracking the Tropics on Tuesdays at 12:30 p.m. ET/11:30 a.m. CT.

Be prepared with the 2024 Hurricane Guide and stay ahead of tropical development with the Tracking the Tropics newsletter.

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NHS wants to sedate Downs syndrome patient for Covid jab against mothers will

The patient is the subject of a series of Court of Protection orders because he lacks capacity and cannot make decisions for himself

A mother has launched a legal battle to stop the state from spiking her Downs syndrome sons drinks with sedatives so he can be jabbed with the Covid vaccine, The Telegraph can reveal.

Cups of tea and glasses of orange juice have been secretly laced with sedatives to subdue the man, in his thirties, so he can be given the vaccine and booster jabs.

But his mother now is planning to prosecute her local NHS integrated care board (ICB) for forced vaccination, which she claims is tantamount to assault and a breach of his human rights.

Adam, whose name has been changed because he cannot be identified, is the subject of a series of Court of Protection orders because he lacks capacity and cannot make decisions for himself.

His ICB, which also cannot be named, obtained a court order in 2021 allowing the covert spiking so he can be given the AstraZeneca vaccine.

The court concluded the vaccine was in Adams best interests because he is in a clinical risk group due to his learning disabilities, autism, Downs syndrome and obesity.

The method of sedating him via a drink was chosen because it avoids the use of restraint or physical force and overcomes Adams needle phobia, legal papers seen by The Telegraph explain.

Catherine, his mother, is fighting a fresh application made by the ICB to allow care home staff to administer sedation and vaccines without having to seek court approval each time the Government issues new vaccine guidance.

The pandemic is over

The pandemic is over and Covid is now treated as little more than the common cold, his mother, who is in her 60s and from the home counties, said. But my son is being categorised as at the same risk as those with life-threatening diseases.

It is terrifying that this is happening years after the pandemic and at a time when we are not required to wear masks or socially distance.

As Adams mother, I know what is best for him. I think this excessive state intervention is unfair, particularly now the Covid landscape has changed so drastically.

The mother and her legal team have set up a crowdfunding campaign called Stop Sedate-to-Vaccinate to raise funds for her to fight the NHS application for forced medical treatments.

A court previously heard that Adam struggled to follow social distancing rules because he liked to hug people.

His carers, including his doctor and a solicitor assigned by the court to represent him, believe he needs the vaccine because Government guidelines classify him as vulnerable due to his chronic neurological disease.

Benefits outweigh risks

The 2021 ruling by Judge Brown concluded that although Adam finds health interventions distressing the benefits of the vaccine far outweigh the risks.

But his mother, a devout Christian, claims administering the vaccine against his will has meant he will not be able to trust people and his life will be filled with fear, adding that it amounts to unlawful use of restraint.

She also claims he has lost weight and is healthier than the average person who hardly gets a cold and has already had Covid which was mild.

The judge concluded she was in no position to rule on the efficacy of the vaccine or some of the other theories about it which were based on extraordinary and dangerous misinformation.

In her ruling allowing the initial vaccination, Judge Brown wrote how she understood genuine and legitimate concern from some, about the administering of a new vaccine to combat a new virus, adding how some people legitimately and in good faith, raise questions about its efficacy and possible side effects.

Waste of public money

The mothers lawyer, Stephen Jackson of Jackson Osborne Solicitors, said Adams four years of good health without vaccination since the pandemic speaks volumes for his natural immune system.

This is a scandalous waste of public money. The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation assesses they need to jab approximately 10,500 people like Adam to avoid just one non-severe visit to the hospital.

At 25 a shot, thats 262,000 that could be better spent, leave aside the cost of these proceedings.

A spokesman for the UK Health Security Agency, the government body responsible for public health protection, said it would be inappropriate to comment on a specific case.

He added: Vaccination is voluntary on the basis of informed consent. Where an adult is unable to consent for themselves it is a matter for their doctors to consider their best interests in collaboration with relatives.

The integrated care board, which insists Adams sedation and vaccination are legal, declined to comment because of patient confidentiality.

The case will be heard at the Court of Protection in November.

Inside the secret sedation plot

As a thank you for having a mug of breakfast tea and a glass of orange juice brought into his room, Adam invariably hugged the staff he trusts so implicitly at his care home.

Unbeknown to him, on five separate occasions over the last 16 months those drinks were laced with a covert anxiolytic medication  a powerful sedative. Twice he became groggy before eventually succumbing to a deep sleep.

Each time, a team of senior carers, a nurse and the homes manager stood quietly outside the room awaiting the nod to enter. One of them was armed with a syringe  kept well hidden due to Adams needle phobia - loaded with the Covid vaccine.

When the sedatives worked, Adams sleeve was quickly rolled up, the antiseptic wipe swiped over his upper arm and the needle inserted deep into his muscle as the plunger was pressed emptying the syringe barrel of its viscous contents. One carer made copious notes in readiness for a report which would be sent to the Court of Protection explaining how the procedure had gone.

On two occasions, in November 2023 and June 2024, the primary dose and booster were administered, one carer then had the arduous task of telephoning Adams mother to inform her that despite her opposition her son had been vaccinated.

Foiled plot

Three times the secret sedation plot was foiled by Adam. In May 2023, he poured the drink down the sink, legal papers show. In June this year, the oral sedative (Lorazepam) was not effective.

The Court of Protection orders approved the use of one of three possible sedatives; 30mg of Temazepam, 4mg of Lorazepam or 10mg of Diazepam.

One document states that AD [Adam] has not suffered any complications or side-effects following the administration of the vaccine and/or sedation.

At the height of the pandemic, his carers had attempted to assess how capable he was of expressing his opinions about whether or not he wanted to be vaccinated. Four times they went through a special pack created by Mind, the mental health charity, that explained how the vaccine works and can be administered.

Adam said no

On all occasions when a picture showing a vaccine being administered was used, AD [Adam] shook his head and said no, one ruling notes.

It adds: However, he demonstrated limited understanding of the information given to him about the Covid-19 virus.

A judge concluded that Adam should have the jab because the benefits far outweigh the risks. She approved the covert sedation process because it prevented restraint and the use of force.

Adams mother, who visits her son at his special care home nearly every day and attends church with him on Sundays, believes the drugging and injection of her son represents an assault.

Adam wont take tablets, his mother says. So, they have had to hide the sedatives in either a cup of tea, glass of orange juice or even Coke. It is very upsetting.

I am not alerted to when it happens. I get one telephone call after the event.

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NI on track to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2032

A new report forecasts a 33% decrease in greenhouse gas emissions by 2032 [Reuters]

Northern Ireland is on track to significantly reduce its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, with a new report forecasting a 33% decrease by 2032.

The change has mostly been driven by a move away from coal in the energy sector.

But it falls well short of the at least 48% reduction required by the Climate Change Act 2022.

The figures are based on the latest data from the Northern Ireland Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2021).

Emissions in 2021 stood at 22 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (MtCO2e), a 23% reduction from the 29 MtCO2e emitted in 1990, the base year.

Shift from coal-fired to gas and renewable energy

Agriculture emissions are set to decrease by only 1% [Getty Images]

The report, published by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA), projects that emissions will further decrease to 20 MtCO2e by 2032.

This represents a 13% reduction from current levels as Northern Ireland continues its push towards a more sustainable future.

A key driver of the decline is the shift from coal-fired to gas and renewable energy in the energy supply sector.

By 2032, energy-related emissions are expected to decrease by 49%, contributing significantly to the overall reduction.

However, not all sectors are seeing such progress.

Emissions from agriculture, Northern Irelands largest sector, are projected to decline by only 1%, leaving it responsible for an even larger share of overall emissions.

Meanwhile, transport emissions are expected to fall by just 7%, despite the rise of electric vehicles and biofuel use [Getty Images]

Meanwhile, transport emissions are expected to fall by just 7%, despite the rise of electric vehicles and biofuel use.

The report also highlights the Northern Ireland Climate Change Act, which commits the region to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.

Interim targets have been set, including a 48% reduction in emissions by 2030, though experts caution that additional policies will be needed to meet these goals.

On Friday, Northern Irelands first Environmental Improvement Plan (EIP) was approved by the Northern Ireland Executive.

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NILES, Ohio (WKBN)  A Niles man is headed to Florida to help with the devastating aftermath of Hurricane Helene.

Richard McCulloughs bags are packed and loaded. Hes traveling to Tallahassee, Florida Friday as a volunteer with the American Red Cross.

What we try to do is ease the pain to everybody on what theyre going through right now, McCullough said. I dont really know what Im going to get into, but there are different positions once I get down there. Whatever they tell me to do I will help out the best I can.

This is McCulloughs 12th deployment with the Red Cross. Hes helped out after wildfires, floods and other hurricanes. He says its rewarding work.

I know what theyve gone through, what theyre going through. And when they come up to us and thank us, we know we made a difference. Thats the most important part, McCullough said.

McCulloughs been volunteering for about four years. He said when he retired, he realized he needed to do something.

When I saw some of this on the news for different places, I decided its something I want to do and after doing it a couple of times, I realized I really like doing this.

At this point, McCullough doesnt know what to expect when he gets to Florida or where hell be sent from Tallahassee, but he knows hell be there for at least two weeks.

Theyre saying this one is one of the worst ones in a long time, so I think were gonna be down there, some of the people or the Red Cross, will probably be down there for a couple of months or more, he said.

Hurricane Helene left an enormous path of destruction across Florida and the entire southeastern U.S. on Friday, killing at least 40 people in four states, snapping trees like twigs, tearing apart homes and sending rescue crews on desperate missions to save people from floodwaters.

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EL PASO, Texas (KTSM)  New Mexico State University (NMSU) is ranked No. 244 in the nations top universities list published by the U.S. News and World Reports Best Colleges for 2025.

Although NMSU tied at No. 244 for one of the top universities, here are some other spots NMSU ranked nationwide, according to the U.S. News and World Report:

No. 135 out of 225 top public schools

No. 139 out of 209 of the best undergraduate engineering programs

No. 149 (tied) out of 686 best nursing programs

No. 255 (tied) out of 318 best economics programs

No. 106 out of 433 top performers on social mobility Social mobility is the enrolling and graduating disadvantaged students with Pell Grants, whose gross family income is under $50,000



NMSU offers best-value programs with student success as the primary goal, said Lakshmi Reddi, interim provost. Although ranking systems differ in their criteria, which may not include student success, we recognize the need to know how we compare with our peers. Many of our programs are moving up in rankings, and I congratulate our faculty and staff for their drive to excel.

According to U.S. News and World Report, to determine a ranking of colleges and universities they use a wide range of data sources and calculate more than 80 Best Colleges rankings with the intent of enabling students and their families to identify colleges that best meet their needs. The colleges highlighted in these rankings excel in areas such as value, social mobility, teaching, veterans needs and more.

To read the full ranking and lists, you can visit the U.S. News and World Report website here.

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ROBINSON, Texas (FOX 44)  The Rockets beat Hillsboro thanks to another offensive explosion 48-22.

Robinson is back in action on Friday, October 11th against Lorena.

Hillsboro will look to get back on track on Friday, October 11th at Venus.

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NewsVoir Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], September 28: The Indo-French Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IFCCI) organized its 47th Annual General Meeting, themed "Partnership for the Planet", at Sofitel in Mumbai. The event was graced by the presence of Chief Guest Piyush Goyal, Union Minister of Commerce & Industry and Thierry Mathou, Ambassador of France to India; alongside 300+ C-level business leaders from the Indo-French business ecosystem. IFCCI is India's most active bilateral chamber, promoting mutually beneficial trade relations between India and France. Addressing the gathering, Piyush Goyal, Union Minister of Commerce & Industry, said, "There is a potential to expand trade and investments between the two countries - Investments not only to capture the large Indian market but also to take India to the rest of the world. I think now is the time we should all collectively resolve to take this relationship to the next level irrespective of what is the outcome of other agreements or discussions are taking place. We are very keen to consider setting up an Invest India office, our trade wing, in Paris. I'm also happy to look at a dedicated township, as an Indo-French joint endeavour. We can work together on innovation, investment, education, technology, tourism and culture. Let us work together to get the best out of the Indo-French relations, and no better organization than the IFCCI to lead this initiative." The AGM featured two strategic panel discussions on the themes, Driving India's Transition to Decarbonization and Leveraging AI for Business Efficiency, led by CEOs of top French companies successfully and sustainably operating in India. The discussions emphasized how, with the support of the Indian Government, French companies were able to execute successful business models in India while adhering to decarbonization goals through ESG and AI. Dr Thierry Mathou, Ambassador of France to India said, 'It is a pleasure to join the 47th Annual General Meeting of IFCCI, themed 'Partnership for the Planet. The strategic partnership between our two nations, which marked its 25th anniversary last year, has demonstrated the immense potential of French and Indian collaboration in business, technology, and innovation. Today's discussions on driving India's transition to decarbonization and leveraging AI for business efficiency are powerful reminders of how French expertise and Indian innovation can come together to address global challenges. I am confident that this Indo-French partnership will continue to grow stronger, paving the way for a future where economic progress and environmental responsibility are intrinsically linked." India and France celebrated 25 years of strategic partnership in 2023. Over the past 25 years, French companies have invested heavily in India and created sustainable and viable employment opportunities across various states. The bilateral relationship reflects a significant and longstanding partnership, characterized by dynamic political and economic collaboration over the past three decades. Speaking on the occasion, Jean Touboul, MD of Pernod Ricard & President of IFCCI, said, "As we gather for this year's Annual General Meeting of IFCCI, themed 'Partnership for the Planet,'it is a reminder of the critical responsibility that businesses carry in shaping a sustainable future. Today, more than ever, sustainability is not viewed as an obligation, but an opportunity to innovate, to forge meaningful collaborations, and to lead in shaping a future where business growth and environmental responsibility go hand in hand. The Indo-French relationship stands as a testament to what can be achieved when we unite for a common cause. Together, as businesses, governments, and communities, we can transform challenges into opportunities for lasting impact." The event also featured special remarks via a video message by Amitabh Kant, India's G20 Sherpa, who said, "It is clear that the future of India France relations is filled with promise and as we embark on the next chapter of this partnership, we will build a better, more sustainable and a more peaceful world for future generations. One area where India and France will increasingly cooperate will be that of Artificial Intelligence. India leads among 13 Asia Pacific countries in both the use and adoption of AI. And as we now push for the AI mission in a big way, this pivotal moment calls for strategic vision, robust investment, and a proactive approach to adopting trustworthy AI. We look forward to working with France very closely in many of these areas so that we can influence global standards and policies and align AI development with social good." On the sidelines of the AGM, IFCCI organized joint Committee meetings between the IFCCI CFO & CSR and IFCCI Technology and Supply Chain Committees. IFCCI currently has 17 Committees across various sectors and functions, led by top CXOs of French companies in India, focusing on creating meaningful dialogues, sharing best practices, and collectively resolving key advocacy issues faced by French companies in India. The Indo-French Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IFCCI), India's most active bilateral chamber, is also one of the most active chambers in the global network of French Chambers, CCI France International, which includes 125 chambers across 95 countries. IFCCI won its 5th international award in May this year, received by Payal S. Kanwar, Director General, in Paris. Established in 1977, the Indo-French Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IFCCI) is part of a global network of 125 French Chambers (CCIFI) across 95 countries, representing over 37,000 companies. As one of the most active bilateral chambers in India, IFCCI is a private association dedicated to fostering mutually beneficial trade relations between India and France. IFCCI serves as a dynamic business platform for over 750 member companies, with a broader network of more than 7,000 individual members. Headquartered in Mumbai, IFCCI operates six offices in New Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai, Pune, and Hyderabad. (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by NewsVoir. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same)
An 80-percent drop in GDP in a decade under Nicolas Maduro has pushed more than seven million Venezuelans to seek a better life elsewhere (MARTIN BERNETTI) (MARTIN BERNETTI/AFP/AFP)

Oswards Ruiz said he had no choice but to flee Venezuela after President Nicolas Maduro claimed reelection in a July election the opposition says he stole.

Seated on the ground next to a flimsy tent in a jungle in Panama, the 39-year-old said that, after the vote, he started receiving death threats for supporting the opposition.

"The people achieved what we wanted: to win the election. But they stole it from us," he told AFP.

"We were beaten up by the 'colectivos' (pro-Maduro armed groups), and we had to flee... I left my country because they wanted to kill me."

So Ruiz and a companion traded one life-threatening situation for another, opting for an arduous trek through the Darien jungle separating Colombia from Panama, from where they hope to reach Central America, Mexico, and ultimately the United States.

"That jungle is the worst thing that can happen to a human being," Ruiz said of the crossing, adding he had seen several corpses along the way.

A few meters from his tent, Rosa Perez, a 40-year-old fellow Venezuelan, sat crying.

A family member who had accompanied her and her son Matias, 11, on the journey, was swept away by a river in the Darien.

"When they were crossing the river, they slipped and he (her son) managed to get out because his backpack floated. The other one did not," Perez said, showing a photo of the missing man, 25-year-old Reiner Jimenez.

- 'Illusions are gone' -

An 80-percent drop in GDP in a decade under Maduro pushed more than seven million Venezuelans -- almost a quarter of the population -- to seek a better life elsewhere in recent years.

Many had hoped to return under a new, opposition-led government, which polls had predicted.

But the prospect of another six years of Maduro -- whose re-election claim has been rejected by dozens of countries, including the United States -- has pushed more to leave instead.

Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado had warned on election day that another "three, four, five million" people would likely leave if Maduro "grabs power."

In an interview with AFP over Zoom on Friday, she warned that "some people can't wait" for the situation to improve.

"When you are starving, when you cannot enroll your child in school, when you cannot afford medicine... you cannot wait for these processes to consolidate."

At a migrant reception center in Lajas Blancas, a jungle hamlet some 250 kilometers (155 miles) east of Panama City, hundreds of people sleep in wooden barracks or tents.

The Panamanian government, with international assistance, provides basic services that allow migrants to recover their strength before starting the next leg of their journey, to Costa Rica.

In 2023, a record 520,000 people crossed the Darien, risking life and limb in treacherous terrain dotted with pumas, jaguars and other wild animals as well as criminal gangs.

So far this year, the number stands at about 260,000 -- some two-thirds of them Venezuelans.

The number is down from last year due, Panama says, to it closing several jungle routes.

A Venezuelan soldier, who asked to be identified only as Jose for fear of reprisal, told AFP in Lajas Blancas he left before the July 28 vote, with his family and their pet dog.

"Very few soldiers decided to stay. I was one of those who decided to leave my country, because I do not agree with the things happening there," he said.

"We had hoped this government would end and we could return," but now, "all those illusions are gone."

- 'People are going to starve' -

At the UN General Assembly in New York this week, Panama's President Jose Raul Mulino held up Venezuela as a "concrete example" of the political instability he said was driving "massive migration."

Since taking office in July, Mulino's government has expelled dozens of migrants from Colombia, Ecuador and India on flights financed by the United States.

Washington has pledged $6 million for migrant repatriations from the Central American nation in the hopes of reducing irregular crossings at its own southern border in an election year.

Panama is allowing Venezuelans through, however, given the dire political and economic situation in their country.

Ruiz's travel companion, Marcos Arcilla, predicted more Venezuelans will leave "because people are going to starve there."

"Nobody goes through there (the jungle) because they want to," added Perez.

jjr/fj/mel/mlr/cb/mlm
No time for shoes as Asheville family flees by boat, fearing they lost everything

ASHEVILLE, N.C. - Kuroe Grays first step Friday morning was straight into ankle-deep water.

The high school freshman woke up around 8 a.m. to the sound of her father yelling for her to get dressed because their home was flooding. Kuroe, 14, didnt even have time to grab a pair of shoes before boarding a rescue boat, she told the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA TODAY Network.

By the time she evacuated, water was halfway up the family's front door.

Earlier this week, Western North Carolina saw a "predecessor" rainfall event that brought up to 8 inches in many areas. And then on Thursday and Friday, the hurricane-turned-tropical-storm Helene delivered even more rain to the already swollen French Broad and Swannanoa rivers. The storm also brought high winds that knocked down trees and electrical lines across Buncombe County, leaving more than 100,000 Duke Energy customers without power that morning.

On Friday, the French Broad River in Ashevilles River Arts District covered Lyman Street, flooding the greenway and partially submerging surrounding buildings. That morning, area residents stood on the bridge that spans the river, watching debris float away atop the rushing water. A flock of pigeons tried to brave the wind but were pushed back to a roost beneath the bridge.

At River Ridge Apartments in East Asheville, where Kuroe lives with her father, David Gray, 58, and next door to her grandmother, Sharon Gray, 83, the Swannanoa River forced the family members from their homes.

Sharon Gray told the Citizen Times the water that flooded her apartment washed away her wheelchair and walker. When the rescue crew moved her, it was so painful she thought she might die.

The French Broad River reached over 16 feet by 11 am on Sept. 27, flooding most of the River Arts District, seen here from the Haywood Road bridge.

I havent walked for over a year, she said. So, there I was, walking, actually walking so that I could get to the boat.

Her son, David, said the family lost almost everything. All he could save was the family guinea pig, Brown, his mothers cat, Ellie, and medications.

And its not like the Gray family wasnt ready for the storm.

I prepped for losing power and for being able to flush the toilet  filling up the tubs, stocking up on water and food, David Gray said. I had portable battery packs and camping gear for cooking.

But how much can a family really prepare for what one county official described as a "500-year-flood?"

This morning, when the water was coming up closer and closer, I was like, this looks worse than I thought, he said. And before you know it, I guess they opened up the dam and water started coming in.

FEMA, National Guard step aiding in flooding devastation

In the early morning hours on Friday, Buncombe County ordered a mandatory evacuation order from the North Fork Reservoir, where water breached the spillway, to Biltmore Village along the Swannanoa River.

Crews working in the area have conducted more than 40 swift-water rescues, according to county spokesperson Lillian Govus. Additional teams from Illinois, New Jersey and other locations in North Carolina have arrived to support the effort, she said.

More: River levels in WNC: Flooding recorded at French Broad, Swannanoa; rivers still rising

The French Broad River rages in downtown Marshall Thursday afternoon as Hurricane Helene approaches Western North Carolina.

An 82-person urban search and rescue team from the Federal Emergency Management Agency was also assisting with rescue efforts, the City of Asheville said in a news release. The National Guard was also providing support.

Evacuated from River Ridge, the Gray family was at Harrahs Cherokee Center, where the city set up an emergency shelter in the early morning hours.

By the time the Gray family arrived, the rain and wind had ended. Tourists strolled Haywood Street surveying damage, snapping photographs of broken tree limbs covering sidewalks and streets.

Soon, the sun came out.

More: Tropical Storm Helene evacuees head to Harrah's Cherokee downtown Asheville for shelter

Meanwhile, the Gray family stood inside the lobby of Harrahs, where more than 400 people evacuated by the late afternoon, assuming they had lost everything and wondering what they would do next.

Brown, the guinea pig, was in the familys Toyota across the street, which David feared would be towed. Harrahs parking garage didnt offer enough clearance for him to enter.

For a moment, Ellie, the cat, appeared to be missing. Fortunately, they discovered she was still resting in her carrier next to her owner.

And Kuroe was still in her bare feet.

Jacob Biba is the county watchdog reporter at the Asheville Citizen Times. Reach him at jbiba@citizentimes.com.

New videos were added to this story.

This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Asheville family flees, fearing all was lost to Helene flooding
LAKELAND, Fla.  NOAA announced it has ordered two advanced hurricane hunter aircraft that are expected to enter service by 2030.

The agency said it awarded the contract to Georgia-based Lockheed Martin Aeronautics, which will produce the specialized C-130J Hercules aircraft.

According to a budgetary report, the total cost of a new plane will be cheaper to operate and maintain than the currently used P-3D Orion aircraft.

"NOAA is continuing to make critical investments to help protect lives and property," NOAA Administrator Rick Spinrad, said in a statement. "These new aircraft will be filled with state-of-the-art technology developed by NOAA and our partners, greatly enhancing our ability to gather critical data on hurricanes, atmospheric rivers and our changing climate."

Next generation Hurricane Hunter aircraft

This Hurricane Hunter Plane Uses 3 Radars To See Storms In Unique Ways

The new C-130Js are scheduled to replace the aging WP-3D Orions, which have been in service since the mid-1970s.

"As demand for specialized weather data continues to grow, modernizing NOAAs aircraft fleet is deemed essential for meeting future operational and scientific needs," the agency stated.

During Hurricane Helene, a combination of aircraft from NOAA and the United States Air Force flew dozens of missions over the Gulf of Mexico to investigate the hurricane and the surrounding atmosphere.

The missions led to the cyclone being upgraded to a Category 4 on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale before its landfall southeast of Tallahassee.

Forecasters say data collected by aircraft helps improve forecast tracks by 15-20% and intensity forecasts by 10-15%, which can lead to longer lead times for emergency management agencies.

Death Toll Rises As Helene Unleashes Catastrophic Flooding Across Southeast, Knocks Out Power To Millions

"Both new aircraft will be customized with the same Multi-Mode Radar as the P-3s, as well as new automated dropsonde launchers, high speed internet connectivity, vertically scanning doppler radar and instrument ports for a variety of research instruments for surface winds, waves and oceanographic sensing. The C-130Js will also be able to launch and control uncrewed aircraft systems that expand the reach of the aircraft into new and under-measured areas of the storm environment," the agency stated.

The new planes will be based at NOAAs operations center in Lakeland, Florida, and will be used to investigate a variety of weather events outside of hurricane season.

In addition to its own planes, NOAA often requests flights be conducted by the Air Forces 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron based in Biloxi, Mississippi.

The Air Force currently has 10 WC-130J aircraft that provide data on tropical cyclones and winter storm systems off both coasts of the United States.

According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, it expects to purchase additional C-130Js once congressional funding is approved.





Original article source: NOAA orders next generation of hurricane hunter aircraft
WASHINGTON COUNTY, Tenn. (WJHL)  Lamar residents Penny Smith and Shane Gardner had just crossed the Nolichucky River via Taylor Bridge a half hour earlier, but looking back toward Jonesborough, the structure was overtaken by the rivers rising flood Friday afternoon.



The couple was suddenly on an island with dozens, if not hundreds, of people. The route to Erwin through Embreeville was also impassible thanks to the river breaching low-lying sections of Highway 81. On the way back west on Route 107 towards Greene County, News Channel 11 had just passed covered soybean fields, a church with water four feet up its foundation and a swollen river twice its width carrying everything from a camper to drowning cattle. In a low spot on 107, water had rapidly risen three feet under.

Men work to rescue cattle from the rising floodwaters of the Nolichucky River as a house lies in the floodwaters behind in Washington County, Tenn. Sept. 27, 2024. (Photo: WJHL)

For Smith, it meant she couldnt see her brand new grandchild born a day earlier in Johnson City. And with the flooding widespread regionally, it meant the babys mother, Smiths daughter, didnt know whether the Doe Rivers raging waters might have swept away her car at her home in Hampton.

She just now called me crying, and shes at the hospital. up in Hampton where she lives the water is coming in. She doesnt know where her cars at. She dont know if its under water or if its been flooded off. The inability to travel was a minor inconvenience as the toll of the flooding began to be evident. The river gage at Embreeville still hadnt peaked, but was already threatening to exceed levels of a 1977 flood that old timers recalled as they watched the wide fields south of the river channel that had become part of the Nolichucky. The scene reminded Smith of flash floods that took more seven lives in Carter County in the 1998, but she said this seemed worse.

Nothing like this ever, she said as the river continued raging over the bridge behind her. I lived over in Elizabethton for 28 years, whenever they had that big flood when it came from Roan Mountain, when the snow melted and stuff. I saw that and that was very devastating. From what Im hearing, its a lot like that again. Just up the highway toward Taylor Bridge Road, Marty Johnson was trying to get his cattle to high ground. Several relatives and friends were helping. But 30 minutes later up at the crossroads store near the bridge, Johnson  who also represents the area on the Washington County Commission  reckoned he may have lost about 20 head. An older man pointed to a large camper floating down the river. He said a Vietnam Veteran who is battling the effects of Agent Orange lived in the camper at Riverview Campground with all his personal belongings.



The mail carrier sat in his vehicle at the store, stuck as was everyone after the 107 route back to Greeneville closed off and sealed everyones fate until the waters receded.

People gazed at the torrent where a bridge had been an hour earlier. The waters had risen that fast, and they werent letting up. Tens of thousands of dollars worth of personal goods were rushing past, but Smith said people would recover from those losses.

Everybody does need to pray, and they need to know that God is still in control and that material things can be replaced and lives cannot, Smith said. And just be glad that youve got your family and your friends and everybody still around. Nobodys perished yet and everythings good.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WJHL | Tri-Cities News & Weather.
NORFOLK, Neb. (KCAU)  On Monday, the Norfolk City Council will hold a special meeting about the police department.

City documents indicate the purpose of the meeting is to talk with outside counsel on litigation in regards to personnel matters in the police department.

Sioux City school district hires recruiter for superintendent search

The public meeting is set for Sept. 30 at 10 a.m. in the council chambers located at 309 North 5th Street. It will be open to the public.

City officials say Chief of Police Don Miller, Captain Chad Reiman, and Lieutenant josh Bauermeister have been placed on administrative leave due to an investigation into allegations regarding the work environment at the Norfolk Police Division. They are on leave pending the results of the investigation.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to SiouxlandProud | Sioux City, IA | News, Weather, and Sports.
Pregnant mom of two is completely trapped in her North Carolina home

No power. No food. And no functioning roads to safely leave the homes in which they are stranded.

These are the conditions some North Carolina residents face amid the worst of the flooding caused by tropical depression Helene.

Jennifer Replogle, a pregnant mother of two young children, is completely trapped at her home above Boone in Tater Hill, North Carolina, elevation 4,200 feet, where severe flooding from tropical storms is not the norm.

We werent prepared for this, she said via text early Saturday morning. The roads are gone, like completely gone.

Power has been out since early Friday, she said. She is among 700,000 North Carolina residents without power as of Saturday morning, according to poweroutage.us., including 19,226 in Watauga County, where Tater Hill is located.

Replogle said she has no food and is running out of water.

The few narrow, winding roads from the mountain into Boone are impassable, she said.

Our basement flooded yesterday. If they dont get somebody to us soon, I really dont know what to do, Replogle said.

She is worried about the plumbing and water services business she and her husband own. They have seen a photo of the business flooded parking lot and fear we have lost most of everything.

Their employees are also trapped at home or staying with friends, Replogle said.

Watauga County authorities have declared a curfew from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m., according to a post on the countys Emergency Services Facebook page. The post cited dangerous conditions, compromised roads and ongoing emergency operations.

And the town of Boone issued a boil water advisory Friday due to multiple water breaks, according to the towns Facebook page.

Helene first made landfall in Florida Thursday night as a Category 4 hurricane, destroying homes and buildings and knocking out power across the Southeast. The storm has left at least 59 people dead across five states.

Residents talk after having canoed the flooded South Fork New River for 32 minutes and landing at a washed out road on September 27, 2024 in Boone, North Carolina. - Melissa Sue Gerrits/Getty Images

Helene is one of the worst storms in modern history for parts of North Carolina, Gov. Roy Cooper said. More than 2 feet of rain fell in the states mountainous region from Wednesday morning to Friday morning, with Busick, a small unincorporated area in Yancey County, along the western border with Tennessee, recording 29.58 inches in just 48 hours.

More than 400 roads remain closed in western North Carolina, the state Department of Transportation said Saturday morning. All roads in Western NC should be considered closed, the post on X says.

The storm has exposed other North Carolina residents to life-or-death situations.

Sofia Grace Kunst, an 18-year-old performing a mission trip in Black Mountain, told CNN a landslide shattered through a window and poured into her dining hall on Friday morning.

It wasnt just like trickling down like it had momentum! It was going! Maybe between like five, six feet, Kunst said of the mud.

Kunst was playing the card game Uno with six of her friends in a small room within the dining hall when the landslide broke through the window.

You look back and you just see it pouring into the room and youre like, oh my goodness, I was there two seconds ago, Kunst told CNN.

She ran into the main room of the dining hall only to see that the wall had completely caved in too.

Kunst and her friends ultimately decided to trek through flood water to get to a parking lot on higher ground, where their vans were located. She was so scared for her life that she sent a text to her parents, she said.

I did actually send a text saying like, Hey, so this storm is not so fun anymore. I love you, Kunst said. Obviously you cant regret anything if youre dead, but I would regret it if I didnt say anything.

Eventually, Kunst and her friends were able to cross through a body of water, holding onto a rope as they crossed from one end to the other. Kunst was still barefoot at this time.

Pure chaos

Asheville resident Matt Lewis described the pure chaos left in the aftermath of the storm.

He saw a semi-truck floating down the French Broad River Friday, he told CNN, which he described as pretty wild.

Lewis said he doesnt have any power or cell service. He is relying on radio as the only source for updates on the devastation.

He said he saw about 400 people in line when he went to the grocery store.

They were letting them in, I think, probably 15 to 20 people at a time, Lewis said.

Another North Carolina resident, Patrick McNamara, the owner of a small milk distribution business in Asheville, told CNN his business was torn apart by flood waters when the storm struck.

As the day broke Saturday, McNamara was able to take a first look at the destruction left in Helenes wake. The floodwaters were four feet above the dock, McNamara told CNN. So the entire building has been wiped out.

The facilitys machinery was strewn across the warehouse, milk spoiled, and inches of mud pilled all over the floor. He estimates he will have to get rid of thousands of milk gallons. Heres our cooler, that is whats left of the inventory thats not in the middle of the road out there, McNamara said as he walked through the warehouse.

He says his biggest problem is cleaning up the mud that flooded into the warehouse. That was two or three inches solid, he said, taking a shovel and beginning to push mud across the floor. You know, its not an easy cleanup job.

Floodwaters broke over the five-foot-tall loading dock and flooded the building with an estimated four feet of water, according to McNamara. It is unknown when resources like water and electricity will come online again. McNamara said they may have to consider temporarily relocating the business to another facility.

Were seeking some places in Asheville. Were gonna stay right here, but its a tough and unique business, said McNamara. So not everybody has the facilities that will accommodate what were looking for.

Over the weekend, totals of up to 1 inch of rain are expected for some parts of western North Carolina, including Asheville. The governor said Saturday morning that significant danger from this storm still exists in a post on X.

In McDowell County, which neighbors Yancey, over 20 air rescues have been conducted since early Saturday morning, according to local authorities.

McDowell Countys emergency center is being inundated with calls every hour, many of them involving patients who are entrapped with severe trauma, running out of oxygen or essential medical supplies, the agency said.

In many areas, responders are unable to reach those in need due to massive landslides, downed trees, power lines, and severely flooded roads, the agency added.

CNNs Caroline Jaime, Zoe Sottile, Taylor Galgano, Rafael Romo, and Emma Tucker contributed to this report.

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North Korea says US military aid to Ukraine is 'incredible mistake'

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, meets with a delegation led by Sergei Shoigu, Secretary of the Security Council of Russia

SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea, which has been accused of illegally supplying weapons to Russia, said on Sunday that U.S. military aid worth $8 billion to Ukraine is "an incredible mistake" and playing with fire against nuclear superpower Russia.

U.S. President Joe Biden announced the new aid as Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy visited Washington to help Kyiv defend itself, including longer-range weapons that will upgrade its ability to strike Russia from safer distances.

Kim Yo Jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, said Washington is escalating the Ukraine conflict and driving all of Europe to the brink of a nuclear war.

"The United States and the West should not dismiss or underestimate Russia's serious warning," Kim said in a statement published by state news agency KCNA.

"Are the United States and the West really able to handle the consequences as they recklessly play with fire against Russia, which is a nuclear superpower?" she said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned he could use nuclear weapons if Russia was hit with missiles and would consider any assault against it that is backed by a nuclear power to be a joint attack.

Helping Zelenskiy continue a military adventure is a dangerous and irresponsible gamble and announcing the new $8 billion in military aid was "an incredible mistake and foolish act," Kim said.

Kim, who holds a position in North Korea's ruling Workers' Party, often makes statements on Pyongyang's position on political and security matters believed to be authorized by the country's supreme leader.

North Korea and Russia have dramatically upgraded their ties in the past year with their leaders meeting twice and agreeing on a "comprehensive strategic partnership" that includes a mutual defence pledge.

North Korea has shipped at least 16,500 containers of weapons to Russia since September last year and Russia has fired missiles from those shipments against Ukraine, the United States has said.

Both North Korea and Russia deny any illegal arms trade.

(Reporting by Jack Kim; Editing by Deepa Babington and Daniel Wallis)
HALEIWA, Hawaii (KHON2)  Beach erosion has been an issue for decades. In 1961, Governor William Quinn asked a beach erosion board from the U.S. Army Engineers to review the states erosion problems, specifically in Haleiwa and Waikiki.

Check out whats going on around the nation on our National News page

A Nov. 21, 1961 Star-Bulletin article quotes the then-Governor saying, In trying to cope with these problems we find, we are faced with beach erosion that is unique to Hawaii and have no adequate information of factual data available.

For decades, the state allowed sand mining at beaches across the islands. For North Shore, tons of sand were taken from places like Waimea Bay, Kahuku and Ke Iki.

Demolition begins on eroding home near Sunset Beach

The state eventually outlawed taking sand from beaches in the 1970s but by then, homes were already built along the shoreline.

When you buy a piece of coastal property, you assume the exposure to hazards that comes with it, explained the Interim Dean of the School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology.

In the 1980s, the homes along the stretch of Ke Nui Road between Rock Pile and Off the Wall were at risk of falling into the ocean.

The seven homeowners at the time didnt wait for permits and went ahead with building a 700-foot rock revetment to save their homes. In exchange, the homeowners gave the city 23,000 square feet of private land in front of their homes so todays bike path could be built. Over time, the beach came back.

Experts argued thats not the solution for all other homeowners.

Shoreline hardening has been shown to contribute to beach erosion by interfering with the natural flow of sand along the coast, and by impounding sand behind seawalls. Studies have shown that sites with a natural coastal dune can recover after erosion events, while sites with hardened shorelines do not recover as quickly. In some cases they do not recover at all. Act 16 (HB 1176), passed in 2020, prohibited the construction of new, private seawalls at sites having sandy beaches. Michael Cain, Administrator of the Office of Conservation and Coastal Lands in a statement

Its an absolute disaster unfolding in front of our eyes: North Shore homes collapse into the ocean

The state and the county dont have any legal obligation to protect coastal homeowners from sea level rise, tsunami, hurricanes or coastal erosion, Fletcher explained.

He said the state does have an obligation to protect public resources and said the best thing to do is remove the properties along the coast and let the sand return to the beach.

The ocean is inexorably rising, we cannot stop it, its going to continue for centuries and centuries, and all coastal homes are ultimately doomed by erosion, Fletcher added.

A North Shore beach management plan was passed last legislative session for the University of Hawaii Sea Grant program to study and find other options for homeowners from Ke Iki to Sunset while also helping to protect the public trust.

The management plan will be focused largely on how we manage the sand, and what can we do to stabilize the beach, better manage the beach, things like dune restoration, explained Dolan Eversole, Hawaii Sea Grants Coastal Management Specialist and project lead.

He said it will include community meetings as well.

It will look at these various parts of the beach and if this particular stretch gets hit by particular swell, then this particular house gains sand, so we have to be thoughtful of each particular home and land and what it means to be resilient in the future, said environmental activist Denise Antolini who lives on North Shore.

Eversole said it will also look at short and mid-term solutions for homeowners, while also protecting public beaches.

But, in the longer term, 50 year plus, its looking a lot like if we desire a beach on the North Shore, were going to have to get out of the way, he said. Were going to have to give accommodation space for that beach to naturally migrate landward.



Hawaii Sea Grant will have until December 2025 to develop recommendations to the state.

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SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KCAU)  FEMA has announced that the Disaster Recovery Center in North Sioux City will be permanently closing next week.

FEMA says the center located at 305 South Derby Lane will close on Oct. 4 at 6 p.m.

Flood recovery continues in Sioux Citys Riverside neighborhood

People can still go and get help from the agency in-person on Saturday, Sept. 28 from noon to 4 p.m. It will be closed on Sunday but will be open from Sept. 30 to Oct. 3 from 10 a.m. until 7 p.m. The last day is from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The Disaster Recovery Center in Canton will also close on Oct. 4.

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LAS VEGAS (KLAS)  If you succeed in avoiding this weekends full closure on Interstate 15, just know that theres plenty more of the same on the schedule.

Tonight (Friday, Sept. 27), northbound I-15 will close from the 215 Southern Beltway all the way to Hacienda Avenue. The closure starts at 9 p.m. and ends on Monday, Sept. 30, at 5 a.m. Southbound I-15 will remain open.

Next weekend (Friday, Oct. 4), the closure goes to southbound I-15, shutting down the freeway all the way to the 215 Southern Beltway. The closure starts at 9 p.m. and ends on Monday, Oct. 7, at 5 a.m.

And if thats not enough, the demolition of Tropicana Las Vegas the night of Tuesday, Oct. 8, will bring ramp closures that are so unpredictable that the Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) isnt offering an estimate on will they will end.

NDOT has been warning valley residents for weeks that the full closures for the next two weekends were coming. For travelers arriving at Reid International Airport or driving in from Southern California  surprise! The closures are likely to snarl traffic on the 215 Beltway and major streets in the area.

The weekend closures, which come along with a long list of associated ramp closures and lane reductions, are part of ongoing phases of NDOTs work to rebuild the Tropicana Avenue interchange. A website dedicated to news and updates on the project is at https://www.i15trop.com/.

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NewsVoir Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], September 28: Sancta Maria International School is proud to announce that three of its exceptional students - Nishi, Aanya, and Raunak - have been awarded Merits at the prestigious John Locke Institute's 2024 Global Essay Prize. The John Locke Institute Global Essay Prize is a prestigious competition aimed at young students to encourage independent thought, critical analysis, and clear reasoning. It invites participants to write essays on a wide range of subjects, including Philosophy, Politics, Economics, History, Psychology, Theology, and Law, extending beyond the regular school curriculum. Essays are judged by senior academics from top universities such as Oxford and Princeton. Winners are selected in each subject category, with a Grand Prize awarded to the best overall essay. Additionally, a junior category prize is awarded to outstanding writers under 15 years old. From Sancta Maria, Nishi received a Merit in the Junior category for her essay, demonstrating a deep understanding of her subject and the ability to research and articulate her thoughts with clarity and insight. Aanya and Raunak, both recognised for their essays in the Politics, showcasing their strong analytical skills and passion for political thought. The awards ceremony, held at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London, saw nearly 2,000 attendees, including the competition's finalists, their families, and distinguished guests. The evening was marked by a keynote address from former UK Prime Minister, Liz Truss, who congratulated the young scholars on their achievements. The event provided an inspiring opportunity for students to celebrate their hard work alongside peers from around the world. Hema Sanjay, Principal of Sancta Maria, congratulated the students, "We are incredibly proud of Nishi, Aanya, and Raunak for this remarkable achievement. Their success on the global stage is a testament to their dedication, curiosity, and critical thinking. At Sancta Maria, we believe in nurturing these qualities and encouraging our students to push their intellectual boundaries. We hope this experience motivates them to continue exploring new perspectives and ideas." The winning essays will be published later this year, allowing a broader audience to appreciate the insightful work of these young scholars. This achievement adds to Sancta Maria's growing list of accolades in academic and extracurricular domains, reaffirming its commitment to fostering excellence in every student. To know more about Sancta Maria and its offerings, visit sanctamaria.in or call us on 97050 03222. (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by NewsVoir. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same)
Number of deaths from floods in Poland rises to nine

People walk on debris from destroyed road as massive flooding affected tourist resorts in southern Poland. Dominika Zarzycka/SOPA Images via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa

While the water levels of rivers in Poland are falling again, the country's authorities are taking stock of the victims and damage from the devastating floods.

Nine bodies have been found so far, police chief Marek Boron said following a Cabinet meeting in Warsaw. He said the number of confirmed fatalities has thus increased by two. In addition, one person is still missing.

The identity of the two most recently found bodies has not yet been clearly established, Boron said.

In the areas most threatened by floods, residents are still in danger from the after-effects, warned Boron.

In the last 24 hours, he said, another 20 people have been evacuated from their homes due to the risk of collapse. In total, 4,778 people have had to leave their homes at least temporarily because of the floods.

According to the PAP news agency, the government has so far released 623 million zloty ($163 million) in flood aid for those affected.

Thanks to the deployment of police and army helicopters, "199 lives" have been saved from immediate danger, said Boron. In addition, psychologists have been sent to assist those affected on-site.

The floods temporarily blocked 89 roads. According to Boron, the police have also documented 22 cases of looting and other crimes, in which the plight of many people was exploited. These included fake fundraisers for supposed victims.

Men look at debris from destroyed buildings as massive flooding affected tourist resorts in southern Poland. Dominika Zarzycka/SOPA Images via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa

Debris from destroyed buildings is seen as massive flooding affected tourist resorts in southern Poland. Dominika Zarzycka/SOPA Images via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa

Debris from destroyed buildings is seen as massive flooding affected tourist resorts in southern Poland. Dominika Zarzycka/SOPA Images via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa
The superintendent of Staten Island public schools was abruptly removed from her post amid ongoing accusations of lashing out against staff and vowing No more white principals, The Post has learned.

Marion Wilson, who led District 31 schools for three and a half years, was swept out of her office on Sept. 20, and told to report to the Department of Educations Tweed headquarters in Manhattan.

Wilson will be transitioning to a central team, Danika Rux, deputy chancellor for school leadership, said Monday in an internal announcement, without any explanation for the swift and stunning ouster.

Sources said she will keep her $230,000 salary and serve as facilitator in the Leaders in Education Apprenticeship Program (LEAP), which prepares teachers to become principals with a focus on racial equity.

DOE officials refused to explain Wilsons removal, but a school insider said she was caught on tape denouncing district employees.

Marion Wilson, who led District 31 schools for three and a half years, was removed from the office and given a new role at city Department of Education headquarters.

The text exchange, purportedly involving Marion Wilson, was included in a lawsuit filed by principal Heather Jansen. Obtained by The New York Post

She apparently went off on a Zoom or Teams call demeaning her own principals and staffers, and didnt know she was unmuted, the insider said.

Wilson is also dogged by accusations she has made racially offensive comments.

Last year, the Special Commissioner of Investigation for city schools was asked to investigate widely circulated screenshots of texts purportedly written by Wilson.

No more white principals on my watch! said one text.

I need to clean up this island, another reads.

Jansen claimed in a pending race-discrimination lawsuit against the DOE that Wilson unfairly removed her as principal of mid-island PS 46 in June 2023. Obtained by The New York Post

White folks need to recognize this is not the boys club anymore. A strong black woman runs this bitch now, and they can either get on board or get out.

Wilson filed a police report claiming she received threats stemming from false accusations that she wrote the texts.

The NYPDs Hate Crimes Task Force said it would investigate, and gave Wilson a police escort for some time. The investigation is ongoing, an NYPD spokesman said Friday.

Wilson allegedly discussed Jansens ouster in texts, screenshots of which were included in Jansens lawsuit. Obtained by The New York Post

The SCI closed its case several months later after the texts came to light, saying investigators failed to identify who wrote them, a spokesperson told The Post.

Since then, recordings have emerged purportedly catching Wilson making racially charged remarks to black parents, according to a complainant who sent audio clips to the The Post.

I said no more white principals. I meant it, a woman the complainant identified as Wilson says in one recording. In another, she says, Us black folks got to stick together. Aint nobody helping us.

The SCI says it did not investigate the recordings, but referred them to the DOEs Office of Equal Opportunity.

The cases involving these allegations were not substantiated, said DOE spokesman Nathaniel Styer.

Wilson did not return a request for comment on the recordings.

Meanwhile, a white principal, Heather Jansen, claims in a pending discrimination lawsuit against the DOE that Wilson unfairly removed her as principal of PS 46 in June 2023.

She probably didnt know what hit her when they pulled her white ass out, Wilson allegedly texted, according to a screenshot Jansen submitted as evidence.

In January, Jansen told the judge she filed a police report claiming she was threatened by a man who showed up at her home in Monroe Township, NJ, and warned, If you know whats good for you, youll drop the case against Marion.

Monroe Township detectives were unable to identify a suspect, a spokesman said this week.

Wilson leaves the Staten Island community with mixed feelings about her tenure.

Nobody saw this coming. Nobody wanted it, said Liz Cianfrone, a volunteer family advocate who works for students with special needs and their parents.

Cianfrone praised Wilson as a role model, inspiration and true advocate for children, saying she helped kids and tackled problems that other district officials ignored.

In her three years as superintendent, I have only known Dr. Wilson to be professional with me and my staff and an ally for our public schools and an advocate for students, parents, and teachers, said State Assemblyman Michael Reilly, who added he doesnt know why she was removed.

But Wilson made such a concerted effort to fill vacancies with Black administrators, some principals say, it drove other candidates to leave the district.

Race was the most important criteria in selecting professionals on her team, one said.
Outgoing Schools Chancellor David Banks and his decade-plus partner First Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright planned to finally tie the knot this weekend, as a federal corruption probe ensnares the Banks family, three sources familiar with their nuptial plans tell the Daily News.

The wedding ceremony between two of Mayor Adams top aides, on Marthas Vineyard, was reportedly first scheduled for August 2023  but postponed until the most tumultuous week of the Adams administration as the mayor faces federal bribery and foreign campaign donation charges.

Its not clear at which venue the wedding was slated to take place or how many people were expected to attend. But the nuptials were believed to be a very small, tight-knit affair, one source said.

We have been talking about this for a while and now living in Harlem together, and I said its time, Banks said in an interview with New York Magazine in fall 2022, when the pair got engaged.

Their union comes as Banks earlier this month announced his retirement by the end of the year, and Wright is also rumored to be heading out the door. Earlier this week, Adams issued an unusual executive order that eases Wrights ability to delegate her duties.

Mayor Adams, who on Wednesday at Banks retirement press conference in the Bronx referred to the departing schools chancellor as his brother, did not plan to attend.

The mayors in town the whole weekend, Deputy Mayor for Communications Fabien Levy said Saturday. Levy declined to say if any taxpayer dollars are being spent on the wedding weekend, but said Wright does not have her own security detail and pays for her own personal travel.

Banks and Wright had their phones seized and Harlem apartment raided by the FBI on Sept. 4. Sources told The News the feds are looking at Davids younger brother, Terence Banks, a government relations consultant who has clients with business before the Department of Education and also got his devices taken and home searched by the feds earlier this month.

Terence Banks clients also have business before agencies under the purview of a third Banks brother, Philip Banks, Adams deputy mayor for public safety whose home was raided and devices seized by the feds earlier this month, too.

None of the Banks brothers have been publicly accused of wrongdoing by the feds.

Adams, the only member of the administration criminally charged to date, pleaded not guilty in Manhattan Federal Court on Friday to charges that he solicited and accepted bribes and illegal campaign contributions from Turkish nationals and government officials in exchange for city government favors.

While theres no indication Banks and Wright are getting hitched for marital privilege, their union could provide them legal cover if prosecutors try to force husband and wife to testify against each other.

Folks can write whatever the hell they want to write. But I know  that is my beloved, Banks said at his retirement press conference at Bronx School for Law, Government and Justice in Concourse Village, where he planted three kisses on Wright. I know my truth. I know my truth.
CORONA, Queens (PIX 11)  PIX11 News went inside an NYPD sting operation Friday as undercover detectives raided an alleged illegal brothel that police said was operating under the guise of a massage parlor in Corona.

On the inside of what appeared to be a massage parlor at 98-07 Roosevelt Avenue, NYPD officers found small, dimly lit rooms and three beds, revealing what they say is the businesss true nature.

More Local News

When we pulled up, we were met by applause and cheers because the people in this neighborhood are tired of seeing this type of behavior, said Kaz Daughtry, NYPD Deputy Commissioner. Theyre tired of seeing scantily clad women walk up and down the block, aggressively asking people for sex.

According to Daughtry, several months of investigation found that Chuns Spa had long been operating as an illegal brothel despite being registered as an eatery with the citys Department of Buildings.

The department of buildings will do a work-on with that and see if we can do something to bate this place civilly and shut it down so this community doesnt have to deal with this, said NYPD Chief of Patrol John Chell.

The alleged brothel, located steps away from a school, has raised concerns among residents and business owners, who are glad to see it shut down. Lelo Peregrina, who works at the nearby tattoo parlor Art Assassins, expressed relief, saying the alleged prostitution activity made customers hesitant to patronize the shop.

Why would you want to come and get tatted there when you see that next door? Peregrina said. He also added, Especially at night. Imagine you out here getting harassed by random people like, Aye, come in here. You dont want to be out here.

In the past six months, the NYPD says they have shut down 15-16 illegal brothels citywide, including a raid last week on another storefront in Jackson Heights.

Friday, officers arrested a man for soliciting prostitution. At the same time, a woman found working as a sex worker, believed to be a trafficking victim, will receive support services rather than face charges. Detectives are searching for the individual behind the operation and are committed to ensuring this brothel stays closed.

If they do open up again, the desk officers at the precinct will send a police car here expeditiously to shut them back down again, Daughtry said.

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OAKLAND, Calif. - Oakland police on Friday said they are investigating the city's 69th homicide this year, which they noted was tragic, but a nearly 30% drop from last year at the same time.

At a news conference, Deputy Chief Fred Shavies said the person was shot to death on Wilson Avenue just after 5:45 p.m. on Thursday.

Shavies didn't have many other details, including the name of the victim or the motive behind the shooting.

But he did note that there were 96 homicides in Oakland at the same time in 2023.

"So, this is a reduction," Shavies said. "But again, it's 69 too many this year."

Police Chief Floyd Mitchell added that the number of aggravated assaults is down 14%, as are rapes and sexual assaults. Robberies are down 24%.

Mitchell credited the work of the Ceasefire program, and the work of detectives and patrol officers.

He also said that community members have been willing to help and identify people involved in crime.

"It's a number of things," Mitchell said.

Ceasefire is a program that focuses on focusing efforts on reducing violence perpetrated by 0.3% of Oakland's population.

Operation Ceasefire, initially implemented in Oakland in 2011, became a national model in tackling gun violence, boasting a remarkable 42% reduction in homicides from 2012 to 2017.

The city abandoned the program during COVID, and Mayor Sheng Thao brought it back earlier this year.

Shavies emphasized that Ceasefire isn't just enforcement.

It's one-on-one communication between police, the Department of Violence Prevention and community organizations, such as Faith in Action East Bay, to tell people who might be involved in crime to "put the guns down."

These people are then offered services, such as counseling, housing, or other types of help.

"I think we're seeing a huge rate of return in this short time," Shavies said.
ODNR: Leaving this Halloween decoration out can be dangerous for deer

ODNR: Leaving this Halloween decoration out can be dangerous for deer

***Video above: A tender moment between white deer and fawn in Northeast Ohio***

CLEVELAND (WJW)  Fall is in full swing and plenty of Ohioans have already decked out their properties with Halloween decorations, but wildlife experts say that one decoration in particular can be harmful to deer in the area.

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife is urging Ohioans against leaving plastic Halloween pumpkin buckets outside.

Halloween buckets

The Division of Wildlife posted the warning on Facebook Friday afternoon, stating that every year they receive reports of deer getting their heads stuck in the buckets.

Watch for deer behaving abnormally in NE Ohio

Wed appreciate it if you kept these pumpkins indoors, but if they are part of your outdoor spooky spread, please snip the black handles from them, the Division of Wildlife said in the post.

Wildlife officials said the plastic handles tend to get stuck on their heads by the ears, making it impossible for the deer to remove them without help.

An ounce of prevention goes a long way here, the division said in the post. There are very few good options for tranquilizing, netting or otherwise capturing a wild deer.

FOX 8 has reported on similar cases in the past, including one in Mentor in 2014.

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Officer charged with death of Saudi Lee turns himself in

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV)  Former Savannah Police officer Ernest Ferguson has turned himself in to authorities at the Chatham County Jail.

Officials tell WSAV Ferguson turned himself over to police around 3:30 p.m. on Friday with his attorney with him. He will appear in court sometime next week for a bond hearing.

On Wednesday, the Chatham County District Attorney officially charged Ferguson with the murder of Saudi Lee, a Black man who was shot and killed during a police chase in 2022.

The body cam footage of the shooting may play a major role in the trial.

WSAV has been following this case since day one. Follow the full saga on wsav.com/saudilee.

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Officials identify second student from Southern California school to die by suicide this month

Officials overnight identified the teenager who tragically died by suicide on a Southern California bridge on Thursday, the second student from the same high school to do so in a two-week span.

Shirin Connor Furutan, 17, died on the 210-Freeway at the Haven Avenue in Rancho Cucamonga overpass early Thursday morning, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriffs Department. He was pronounced dead at the scene at about 1:30 a.m.

Furutans death took place near the same overpass where Emily Gold, also 17, was found dead on Sept. 13. Both teens were students at Los Osos High School in Rancho Cucamonga.

We cant begin to express the depth of our grief over the heartbreaking loss of another student from Los Osos High School, a portion of a statement by Chaffey Joint Union High School District Superintendent Dr. Mathew Holton stated Thursday. Our deepest condolences go to the families and friends of both students lost in recent weeks. We stand united in supporting our community through this difficult time.

Officials have not yet drawn a connection between the two deaths, although they took place in the same area.

Emily Gold

According to an online obituary, Furutan was born in Trencin, Slovakia. Rather than asking for flowers, Furutans family asked people to donate to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. The link to the donation page can be found here.

A GoFundMe page was set up to help Golds family pay for funeral expenses.

The students deaths come during national suicide prevention month. A suicide and crisis hotline is available 24 hours a day to anyone in need of support and can be reached by dialing 988.

Tony Kurzweil and Alexis Lewis contributed to this report.

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CHARLOTTE (QUEEN CITY NEWS)  Authorities are looking for information on a fire that was intentionally set in northwest Charlotte, according to the Charlotte Fire Department.

Around 12:05 a.m. on Saturday, crews responded to the 1400 block of Thriftwood Drive and saw smoke when they arrived. It took roughly 15 minutes for firefighters to control the blaze. Officials say the home was empty and no one was injured during the fire.

Investigators determined the fire was intentionally set causing $26,000 in damages. Anyone with information is asked to call CrimeStoppers at 704-334-1600.

This is a Developing Story . Check back for updates

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Oklahoma first responders rescue 98-year-old woman from flooding

Oklahoma first responders rescue 98-year-old woman from flooding

TREASURE ISLAND, Fla. (KFOR)  A team of Tulsa firefighters traveled to Florida to assist first responders during Hurricane Helene.

The Oklahoma Task Force One arrived and was dispatched to a home at Treasure Island.

How to help victims of Hurricane Helene

A 98-year-old woman was trapped in her house after the storm surge.

She wasnt able to use her walker because her house was flooded with five feet of water.

The Oklahoma team got her to safety.

Other team members have been evacuating people and rescuing pets all night.

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NewsVoir Pune (Maharashtra) [India], September 28: A lumpsum calculator is a useful tool that helps you manage your finances, especially when it comes to investments and savings. Understanding how to use this calculator can benefit you in many ways. In this article, we will discuss what a lumpsum calculator is, its benefits, and how to use it effectively. What is a lumpsum calculator? A lumpsum calculator is a simple online tool designed to help you estimate the future value of a one-time investment. Whether you are planning to invest a large sum of money for a specific period or want to know how much your investment can grow, this calculator provides quick results. You just need to input some basic information, and it will do the math for you. Benefits of using a lumpsum calculator Easy to use: One of the main advantages of a lumpsum calculator is its simplicity. You don't need to be a financial expert to use it. The interface is straightforward, and you can get results in just a few clicks. Time-saving: Manually calculating the future value of an investment can be time-consuming and complicated. A lumpsum calculator gives you instant results, saving you time and effort. Clear visualization: Many lumpsum calculators provide visual representations of your investment growth. This can help you understand how your money will grow over time, making it easier to plan for your financial goals. Better financial planning: Using a lumpsum calculator allows you to plan your finances more effectively. You can experiment with different investment amounts and time periods to see how they affect your future savings. This helps you make informed decisions about where to invest your money. Understanding compounding: A lumpsum calculator illustrates the power of compounding. It shows you how your investment can grow exponentially over time, helping you appreciate the importance of starting early and investing regularly. Goal setting: By using a lumpsum calculator, you can set clear financial goals. Whether you are saving for a house, a car, or retirement, you can determine how much you need to invest today to reach your desired amount in the future. How to use a lumpsum calculator? Using a lumpsum calculator is straightforward. Here's a step-by-step guide to help you get started: Find a reliable calculator: Start by searching online for a reputable lumpsum calculator. Enter the investment amount: The first step in using the calculator is to enter the amount of money you plan to invest. This is your initial lumpsum investment. Make sure to double-check the number to avoid errors. Choose the investment period: Next, you need to select the time period for which you plan to keep your money invested. This could be in years or months, depending on the calculator. Most calculators allow you to choose various time frames, so pick one that aligns with your financial goals. Input the expected rate of return: The next step is to enter the expected annual rate of return. This is the percentage you think your investment will grow each year. If you are unsure, many calculators provide average rates for different types of investments, such as stocks, bonds, or mutual funds. Click calculate: After entering all the required information, simply click the 'Calculate' button. The calculator will process the data and display the future value of your investment. Review the results: Once the results are displayed, take a moment to review them. The calculator will show you how much your investment will grow over time. Some calculators may also provide a breakdown of your investment growth year by year. Adjust variables as needed: One of the great features of a lumpsum calculator is that you can experiment with different scenarios. Try changing the investment amount, time period, or expected rate of return to see how it affects your future savings. This will help you find the best strategy for your financial goals. While a lumpsum calculator can be a valuable tool for planning one-time investments, it's helpful to compare it with SIP (Systematic Investment Plan) investments. SIP investment allows you to invest a fixed amount regularly, which can be beneficial for those who prefer to invest gradually rather than making a large upfront payment. Using a lumpsum calculator can help you see how a one-time investment stacks up against a SIP investment over time. By comparing both methods, you can determine which approach suits your financial goals better and helps you grow your wealth effectively. Conclusion A lumpsum calculator is a suitable tool for anyone looking to understand their investment options. It is easy to use, saves time, and helps you visualize the growth of your investments. By using this calculator, you can set realistic financial goals and plan for the future. Whether you are saving for retirement, a home, or just want to grow your wealth, a lumpsum calculator can guide you in making informed financial decisions. So, if you haven't tried one yet, give it a shot! It might just be the key to better financial planning and achieving your dreams. Mutual Fund investments are subject to market risks, read all scheme related documents carefully. (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by NewsVoir. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same)
Slates guide to the most important figures in politics this week.

Welcome to this weeks edition of the Surge, a newsletter that J.D. Vance (allegedly) described in a private chat as the worlds greatest media creation ever before publicly renouncing this position.





We might call this the (Allegedly) Edition, as the newsletter is refreshingly light on the drudgery of presidential polling but heavy on scandalmistresses, airplanes, cash, pornography, the Senate cloture rule, that kind of thing. We take a look at this years viral Halloween costume, Sexy Nebraska Electoral Vote, and give an overdue Surge introduction to one of the worst members of Congress. In the Surge Classified section: Mark Robinson needs staff, if youre looking for a very short-term gig.





But first, lets head to New York City, via a layover in Istanbul.

Photo illustration by Slate. Photo by Stephanie Keith/Getty Images.

1. Eric Adams

Does Turkish Airlines have a business lounge in federal prison?

New York Mayor Eric Adams was indicted this week by the Rat Deep State for requiring New Yorkers to put their trash in bins. But also, for an (alleged) level of straightforward corruption that makes for, well, a lively read. Adams, according to the indictment, used his powers as Brooklyn borough president and presumed incoming mayor to do favors for various Turkish businessmen or government agents, in exchange for business-class flight upgrades, lavish treatment on trips, and excessive campaign donations funneled through straw donors. The indictment released Thursday is littered with many text messages between the various players speaking quite openly about doing illegal things, as well as their alleged efforts to conceal evidencelike a staffer going to the bathroom during an interview with the feds to delete messages, or Adams saying he couldnt get into his phone after just having changed the password himself. Adams, who is already incredibly unpopular in New York City, may soon see his approval rating match that of colorectal cancer. One ally Adams may have, though, is Donald Trump, who said Thursday that Adams was targeted by the feds for criticizing the Biden administrations immigration policiesan opinion Adams may share. (Trump also said he predicted the whole thing.) How will this affect the 2024 election? We dont know, maybe it makes it into some House ads in New York, where several critical seats are up for grabs in November. Mostly, though, it is just Interesting.

2. Mike McDonnell

The Nebraska Republican who was very disrespectful (so rude) to Mr. Trump.

Ever since Republicans in the unicameral Nebraska Legislature earned a two-thirds supermajority in April, theres been intense pressure on them from the Trump campaign and the national party to allocate Nebraskas electoral votes by winner-take-all, rather than the hybrid system it has now. The single Nebraska electoral vote that Biden won in 2020, centered around Omaha, could prove pivotal this November. Were Kamala Harris to win that electoral vote again, along with Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania, but lose all other swing statesa distinct possibilityshe would win the presidency, 270 to 268. If Nebraska went winner-take-all, though, the same scenario would result in a 269-to-269 tie, throwing the election to the House and, consequently, Trump. The pressure finally came to a head this week in Nebraska. But ultimately, the very same Republican who gave Republicans their supermajority in April when he switched parties from the DemocratsMike McDonnellannounced he couldnt go along with the change. After deep consideration, it is clear to me that right now, 43 days from Election Day, is not the moment to make this change, McDonnell said in a statement. Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen called off the effort shortly thereafter. Trump let McDonnell off relatively easy, merely questioning whether he was a real Republican and calling him a Grandstander! He may have more words for McDonnellindeed, many Republicans will, yikes!if this actually does end up deciding the presidential election.

3. Mark Robinson

With friends like these 

All the North Carolina GOP candidate for governor (allegedly) did was write the worst possible take on every possible subject on a porn site message board, and suddenly people dont want anything to do with his political campaign. Cancel culture is out of control! Since last weeks revelation of Robinsons posting history on Nude Africafrom which there have been further revelations, such as his starred review of Mein Kampfthe lieutenant governor has been isolated. His top campaign staff quit over the weekend. The top staff in his lieutenant governors office will resign on Oct. 1. The Republican Governors Association has pulled the plug on his race, and the Republican governors of Georgia, Tennessee, and Virginia have also withdrawn their support. Trump, whose endorsement of Robinson was key to guiding him to the gubernatorial nomination, is playing dumb, saying at a press conference this week: I dont know the situation. Robinson was trailing his Democratic opponent, Attorney General Josh Stein, by 17 points in a poll conducted by CNN after the revelations. The Surge remains skeptical that Robinson can pull it off.

4. Joe Manchin

The Filibuster Cop is on the case.

In a Wisconsin radio interview this week, Kamala Harris said that she would support an exception to the Senate filibuster for restoring Roe v. Wade abortion rights protections, a central legislative pitch of hers on the campaign trail. This is both a position Harris has stated before and what common sense would tell you is Harris position on the matter. But the sound bite gave West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin an opportunity to get some attention, for old times sake, in the waning days of his Senate career. Shame on her, Manchin told CNN afterwards. She knows the filibuster is the Holy Grail of democracy. He added that an exception to the Senate filibuster, a procedure that is not in the Constitution at all, basically can destroy our country, and that he wouldnt support her for president after the comment. This is all ultimately a thought exercise. Republicans are favored to take control of the Senate, so an abortion rights bill is unlikely to see the light of day. And even if Democrats did hold on to the Senate by the slightest of margins, getting 100 percent of their caucus to agree to weakening the legislative filibuster could prove to be an insurmountable whip job. Plus, Harris is likely so shaken by Manchins remarks that she may no longer want to pursue such a destruction of the country.

5. Clay Higgins

An overdue introduction.

The Surge took a visit to our records warehouse (set on the most flammable floor of the Turkish House) and was shocked to see that weve published nothingnothingabout Louisiana Rep. Clay Higgins in this here newsletter. Lets just say that there are some Republicans in Congress who know better, some who dont know much at all, and then, a few rungs further down, theres Clay Higgins. If we had to pick one member who really believes deep down that the 2020 election was stolen from Donald Trump, it would be him. Just watch this video, and then read his Wikipedia page, specifically the sections about his early years in law enforcement and the personal life section. Now that youre adequately backgrounded: Higgins did a big ol racist tweet this week. In response to news that a Haitian nonprofit group was seeking charges against Trump and J.D. Vance for their racist comments about Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, Higgins posted the following: Lol. These Haitians are wild. Eating pets, vudu, nastiest country in the western hemisphere, cults, slapstick gangsters but damned if they dont feel all sophisticated now, filing charges against our President and VP. All these thugs better get their mind right and their asses out of our country before January 20th. In the ensuing controversy, Higgins, according to House Speaker Mike Johnson, prayed on it, and ultimately decided to delete the tweet. But he told CNN that he stood by his words. Its all true, he said. I can put up another controversial post tomorrow if you want me to. I mean, we do have freedom of speech. Ill say what I want. Yes  thats clear!

6. Anthony DEsposito

The other New York scandal.

Sex, and the having of it, continues to be in the news. The New York Times reported this week that New York Rep. Anthony DEsposito, a Republican representing a very competitive district on the south shore of Long Island, added a woman with whom he was having an affair to his payroll earlier this year. That may sound straightforwardly corrupt (allegedly), but look at it from his perspective: Giving his mistress an income probably made her happy? And besides, he also reportedly gave a job to his fiancees daughter, so he was taking care of people in both of his relationships. In a statement, DEsposito didnt deny the affair, but he called the reporting a partisan hit piece and political tabloid garbage, adding that my personal life has never interfered with my ability to deliver results for New York's 4th District, and I have upheld the highest ethical standards of personal conduct. The first part may be true. Is the second?

7. Mike Johnson

Averting the hell out of a shutdown.

Last week, House Republicans hotshot plan to insist that any short-term government funding include the SAVE Acta bill requiring proof of citizenship to register to votedidnt even get out of the starting gate, failing in the House before it even had the chance to die on arrival in the Senate. Republicans, including Trump, had insisted this was necessary if the Democrats wanted their precious government functions to continue operating. In reality, proving that such a bill could never pass was just a necessary step toward the endgame. The House and Senate quickly passed a clean bill this week to fund the government (and give the Secret Service more cash) for a few months, left town, and wont return to the Capitol until after the election. The key to getting this done for House Speaker Mike Johnson was convincing Trump that a shutdown would have damaged his chances at winning the election. You might think this is obviousthe party insisting on the extraneous demand in a shutdown game of chicken will always get the blamebut Trump, as the Bulwark reported, had been arguing that the presidents party always gets blamed for a shutdown. Once that misconception was cleared up, things went smoothly. The next government funding deadline is Dec. 20, in keeping with a D.C. tradition of leveraging the threat of missing Christmas to get members votes.
Many recent opinion pieces have been published claiming the caucus and convention system in Utah fails because it does not reflect the will of the people.

In the caucus and convention system, delegates are selected in neighborhood elections across every precinct in the state. This provides the grassroots input of active Republicans into party control. The delegates then evaluate the candidates for public office who seek the party endorsement.

These articles cite as evidence the occasions where the candidates who win the convention vote are not the same ones that win the primary vote. These opinions completely misstate the role of the caucus and convention system, and so they reach a wrong conclusion.

If we wanted to predict or mirror the results of the primary, we would simply skip the convention and go directly to a primary. Clearly, simple logic tells us that we do not go through the effort of the convention process just to imitate the primary.

The caucus system is meant to influence the primary result, not to predict it.

Most Utahns would agree that one thing wrong with politics is that elections are often overly influenced more by wealth and name recognition than by evaluation of the candidates support of correct Republican principles. Donations from special interests and from out of state have too much influence because many voters do not research the candidates beyond what they see in 30-second TV ads, mailers and billboards.

The caucus system is a counterbalance to money and fame in politics. With the support activities of the Utah County Republican Party, the convention nominees won 12 out of 18 primaries.

Even so, despite our best efforts as a political party towards merit-based elections, money and name recognition will sometimes win with massive and overwhelming spending.

For example, Gov. Spencer J. Cox, according to public records, spent twice as much ($2 million) through the primary campaign as did the convention nominee, Phil Lyman. Yet the primary results were fairly close  only 54% Cox to 45% Lyman. In other words, Cox spent much more money per vote than Lyman.

The Salt Lake Tribune reported that John Curtis spent 2.5 times his nearest opponent, but he did not get 2.5 times the number of votes  48% to 33% (only 15% more votes).

The convention-nominated candidates are very popular on their own merits, despite being massively outspent.

The caucus and convention system is actually doing its job of advocating for conservative candidates who are not beholden to large donors and special interest groups. Even when our candidates are outspent, our nominees help to publicize the message of Republican values. This helps to educate voters and remind the money-based candidates of the power of the Republican platform. This may influence our elected officials to have more loyalty to conservative principles, knowing they will be held accountable.

The delegates meet with candidates for personal conversations so they can get past the fluff of over-simplified media. They interview each candidate. A recent survey of Utah County Republican Delegates shows that 91% of delegates had a direct conversation with the candidates. How many primary voters do that? The average delegate spent over 60 hours during March and April investigating and vetting all of the candidates. Then, they give all the candidates a review in the form of a vote.

Many people would not dream of selecting something as trivial as a restaurant or a hotel without checking out the number of stars in online reviews. This is the service that the caucus and convention system provides, applied to our candidates. People who are highly engaged, who understand the Republican platform and who have firsthand experience interacting with each candidate rate the candidates according to which ones are best able to put the party platform into governance. Why would voters not value such a review on the important topic of who will serve in our government?

People who criticize the caucus and convention system fail to ask the important question, Compared to what? Compared to a primary-only system, heavily influenced by the money of special interests and by name recognition, the careful and thoughtful review provided by delegates is a far superior system for selecting candidates for the primary election.

The caucus and convention system provides an important voice in Utah politics that helps us to elect candidates that truly reflect Utah voters values.

Signed by Mike Carpenter, Cristy Henshaw, Mark Cluff, Keri Guinn, Brooks Benson and Wendy Hart of the Utah County Republican Party.

Kirby Glad is the secretary of the Utah County Republican Party.
Instead of some candidates using Springfield, Ohio for political purposes, the focus should be on helping people in need. We should support everyone in Springfield as the city copes with a surge in Haitian migrants and a strain on resources. We also cannot forget about the massive humanitarian crisis back in Haiti.

Anyone can help Springfield by donating to the Second Harvest Food Bank of Champaign, Clark, and Logan Counties in Ohio. This is the foodbank that assists Springfield and surrounding communities. Second Harvest is seeing increased demand for food assistance in Springfield, including from the Haitian community there.

Foodbanks can help families get through tough times and are a major source of stability. But it is always a challenge for foodbanks to keep supplied, especially when demand quickly increases like in Springfield. Monetary donations are usually best to help foodbanks so they can obtain the most supplies.

Pierre Eric Jean, heads home with his groceries in Springfield, Ohio, Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024. He said, We Haitian people are here to work hard and to help our family in Haiti. The area attracted national scrutiny after conservative figures, including former President Donald Trump and his running mate Sen. JD Vance, spread debunked claims that Haitians in the community were stealing and eating peoples pets.

Anyone can also write to their elected officials encouraging federal government support for Springfield, in addition to the aid just announced by Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine. Also needed is expansion of the federal food stamp program (SNAP) which would help families in Springfield and bring back pandemic relief programs like the expanded child tax credit.

We must not forget the tragedy occurring in Haiti itself. A series of natural disasters and gang violence have increased hunger and displacement within Haiti. The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) says that in Haiti "Approximately 8.3 million people, nearly 70% of the population, faced insufficient food consumption in May and June."

The UN World Food Program identified Haiti in its Hunger Hotspots report as one of the biggest crisis areas. Haitians have lost access to their farms and this worsens hunger. Children cant go to school because of the violence.

Opinion: Trump rocks down to Electric Avenue and into copyright infringement

As the World Food Program and other relief agencies provide food assistance in Haiti, they need more resources. Haiti's Humanitarian Response Plan is only 35% funded, according to a recent USAID report.

The USAID has been providing funding to help Haiti including a recent donation, and we need to increase this support with hunger escalating. The U.S. and the international community can all do more to help Haiti. Congress needs to boost funding for our global food aid programs to help Haiti and the many other countries in need. We have to realize how serious the crisis is within Haiti.

A man walks by tires set on fire after a general strike launched by several professional associations and companies to denounce insecurity in Port-au-Prince on Oct. 18, 2021. A nationwide general strike emptied the streets of Haiti's capital Port-au-Prince on Monday with organizers denouncing the rapidly disintegrating security situation highlighted by the kidnapping of American and Canadian missionaries at the weekend. The kidnapping of 17 adults and children by one of Haiti's brazen criminal gangs underlined the country's troubles following the assassination of president Jovenel Mose in July and amid mounting lawlessness in the Western hemisphere's poorest nation.

"You had mass hunger for years. That means mass unrest, civil strife, displacement and migration," said Jean-Martin Bauer, the UN World Food Program director in Haiti.

Opinion: Stop telling Springfield residents we're not allowed to be frustrated by Haitian influx

Sadly, this hunger in Haiti has largely been forgotten in the news, and very few people know what is happening. But Haitis hunger has implications that spread far and wide. Our focus now should be to prevent starvation and deadly malnutrition in Haiti. We must ensure the World Food Program and other relief agencies have the funding needed to fight hunger in Haiti.It's crucial we help Haiti overcome hunger and insecurity, to give people hope they can live in their homeland. We must expand programs that are feeding children and supporting agriculture.Playing politics wont help anyone in Springfield or Haiti. But Americas humanitarian spirit can bring relief to people in need.

William Lambers is an author who partnered with the UN World Food Program on the book "Ending World Hunger."

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Opinion: Springfield, Haiti wont be helped by playing politics
It is disturbingly clear that the Republican Party, captive to the whims of former President Donald Trump, is setting the stage to once again attempt to overturn a lawful American election.

Adhering to the Constitution and the laws that govern the United States is the fundamental duty of every member of Congress. Our legal and moral obligation to defend our democracy should never be stained by election denialism and conspiracy theories. Yet earlier this week, when asked if he would certify the results of the 2024 election, Speaker Mike Johnson said he would do so only if we have a free, fair and safe election. His implication was as obvious as it was disingenuous: that our election may not be free, fair and safe, despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary.

The 2024 presidential election is already well underway. Ballots have been sent to U.S. service members and voters living overseas, states have begun mailing absentee ballots, and some have begun early voting. As we begin the process so central and vital to our democracy, Americans should demand the highest ethical standards from our leaders. Unfounded insinuations intended to erode confidence in our election system make a mockery of those standards.

As the top Democrat of the Committee on House Administration, I lead my colleagues in conducting oversight of our federal elections. Our committee has held numerous hearings that demonstrate state and local election officials are prepared for Novembers elections and protections against potential fraud and election tampering remain strong and highly effective. Unfortunately, Speaker Johnson aims to sow the seeds of doubt, threatening our democracy and eroding voters confidence in our elections.

Speaker Johnsons recent comments are simply his latest effort in a pattern of misinformation and disinformation, questioning the results of an election that has only just begun. The lies being spread by Trump, Speaker Johnson, House Republicans and extreme right-wing conspiracy theorists about noncitizen voting have been repeatedly debunked. Yet they have persisted in a clear attempt to generate anxiety in the minds of voters, and to serve, come November, as the foundation for false claims of election fraud.

And Speaker Johnsons record of election denialism and refusing to commit to a peaceful transfer of power dates back to his efforts to overturn the 2020 election, which Trumps own Department of Homeland Security called the most secure in American history.

Congress duty to uphold the will of the people is embedded in the Constitution and federal law. We must defend the sanctity of an American democracy that for two and a half centuries has defined who we are as a nation. Congress must, in no uncertain terms, ensure Jan. 6, 2025, will not be a repeat of Jan. 6, 2021, as we certify the results of the Electoral College.

Every decision we make as elected officials will impact the future of this country, our society and our communities. This includes how we defend the republic that we are sworn to protect and the freedoms and liberties that we are mandated to uphold.

Speaker Johnson has a moral and legal obligation to support the orderly and peaceful transition of government and to ensure every American has confidence that their vote counts. His actions and comments fall well short of meeting this obligation. It is beneath the dignity of his office and betrays his oath as a member of the United States Congress.

We are at a critical moment in our nations history. When historians look back on Trumps Big Lie, Speaker Johnsons refusal to stand up for our American democracy will loom large. So too will the work of House Democrats to protect the truth and defend our democracy.

This article was originally published on MSNBC.com
An investigation led by Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden, D-Ore., has discovered what he sees as new red flags surrounding the equity fund of former President Donald Trumps son-in-law Jared Kushner. In three years of work, Kushners fund, Affinity Partners, has taken billions from foreign investors and made over $100 million in investment fees. Yet in that time, Wyden points out in a letter to Affinity, the firm has not distributed a penny of earnings back to clients. Wyden now warns that Kushners funds behavior is lending weight to suspicions that have existed since Affinitys founding: that it was a potential tool for foreign governments to curry favor with a possible future Trump administration.

Affinitys investors may not be motivated by commercial considerations but rather the opportunity to funnel foreign government money to members of President Trumps family, namely Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump, Wyden wrote in the letter to Affinity. Affinitys failure to deploy capital in a timely fashion while charging excessive fees has reinforced my view that Affinity is likely part of a compensation scheme involving U.S. political figures designed to circumvent the Foreign Agents Registration Act.

Chad Mizelle, Affinity Partners chief legal officer, has denied accusations that the fund has behaved inappropriately or failed to comply with any laws.

But Wyden is right to be raising questions about Kushners fund. According to The New York Times, of the $3 billion the fund has secured for investment, 99% comes from overseas sources  mostly the Saudi governments Public Investment Fund. As the Times reports, the private equity industry research firm PitchBook found that most private equity firms started to pay at least some profits within 2.5 years.

That Kushners fund hasnt distributed earnings yet doesnt necessarily mean it is doing something untoward, but it does raise questions  especially given the history of the fund. The nature of Saudi Arabias investment in Kushners fund set off alarm bells years ago. According to a 2022 Times report, a screening panel for the Saudi sovereign wealth fund expressed several concerns about investing in Kushners fledging private equity fund, including:

[T]he inexperience of the Affinity Fund management; the possibility that the kingdom would be responsible for the bulk of the investment and risk; due diligence on the fledgling firms operations that found them unsatisfactory in all aspects; a proposed asset management fee that seems excessive; and public relations risks from Mr. Kushners prior role as a senior adviser to his father-in-law, former President Donald J. Trump, according to minutes of the panels meeting last June 30.

But despite this laundry list of concerns about investing with Kushner  whose past experience was in real estate, not private equity  Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman went ahead and invested $2 billion anyway.

As I wrote at the time, the investment was so large and so financially imprudent that it prompted observers to ask whether it was the returning of a favor. Kushner and Salman, often known as MBS, reportedly formed a close relationship during the Trump administration, and Kushner reportedly defended MBS in the White House after Saudi government agents murdered journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.

At the same time, there is a question as to whether MBS could view the investment as a down payment on an extra Saudi-friendly future Trump administration.

Kushner has told the Times that any delay in investing funds was the result of market conditions. But given what we know, it is impossible to rule out an informal quid pro quo type of dynamic in the whole arrangement. Kushners fund is a convenient vessel for Saudi Arabia  and investors from other Gulf states, including Qatar and the United Arab Emirates  to signal support for Kushner, and thus his father-in-law. Kushner has said he wont serve in another Trump administration, but even if we can take him at his word, hes still part of Trumps family, and he has a direct line to Trump to advise him informally.

Kushners private equity fund continues to act as a potential instrument for autocratic foreign governments to quietly influence U.S. policy, and the odder its behavior as a fund, the more it will appear to serve as a possible de facto laundering operation. If Kushner wanted to avoid such concerns  because corruption comes not just from conflict of interest, but the appearance of it  he could have declined to do business with foreign investors from countries he worked with closely during his time in the White House. Instead, he has chosen to cash in, and the legitimacy of American democracy is footing the bill.

This article was originally published on MSNBC.com
In an age of lawfare, New York Attorney General Letitia James has always embraced the total war option. Her very appeal has been her willingness to use any means against political opponents.

James first ran for her office by pledging to bag Donald Trump on something, anything. She did not specify the violation, only that she would deliver the ultimate trophy kill for Democratic voters. James follows the view of what Prussian General Carl von Clausewitz said about war, law is merely politics by other means.

Yet, the political success of James in weaponizing her office has been in stark contrast with her legal setbacks in courts.

James earlier sought to use her office to disband the National Rifle Association, the most powerful gun rights organization in the country, due to self-dealing and corruption of executives. James notably did not target liberal groups accused of similar violations. The ridiculous effort to disband the NRA collapsed in court.

It did not matter. James knew that such efforts were performative and that New York voters did not care if such attacks failed. She will continue to win the lawfare battles, even if she loses the war.

This week, two of Jamess best-known campaigns were struggling in court.

James is best known for her fraud case against Trump, in which she secured a $464 million fine and a ban on Trump from the New York real estate business for three years. That penalty, which has now risen to $489 million with interest, was in a case where no one had lost a dime due to the alleged inaccurate property valuations in bank loans secured by the Trump organization. Not only where the banks fully paid on the loans and made considerable profits, but they wanted to make additional loans to the Trump organization.

In appellate arguments this week, Jamess office faced openly skeptical justices who raised the very arguments that some of us have made for years about the ludicrous fine imposed by Judge Arthur Engoron.

Justice David Friedman noted that this law is supposed to protect the market and the consumers  I dont see it here.

His colleague Justice Peter Moulton told her office The immense penalty in this case is troubling and added, How do you tether the amount that was assessed by [Engoron] to the harm that was caused here where the parties left these transactions happy?

The answer, of course, is the case was never about markets. It was about politics. The fact that the banks were happy is immaterial. Happiness in New York is a political, not legal calculus. The justices did not rule this week, but an opinion could be issued within a month.

In the same week, James faced a stinging defeat in another popular cause. James had targeted pro-life organizations for spreading supposed disinformation in not just opposing the use of mifepristone (the abortion pill used in the majority of abortions in the United States), but in advocating the use of reversal procedures if mothers change their minds before taking the second drug in the treatment regimen.

Critics charge that, while there are some studies showing successful reversal cases, the treatment remains unproven and unapproved. It remains an intense debate.

James, however, wanted to end the debate. She targeted pregnancy centers and was then sued by two pro-life ministries, Summit Life Outreach Center and the Evergreen Association.

Judge John Sinatra Jr. blocked Jamess crackdown as a denial of free speech. Notably, these centers were not profiting by sharing this information or advocating such reversal treatment.

James merely declared that people advocating such reversal treatments are engaged in spreading dangerous misinformation by advertisingwithout any medical and scientific proof.

It is a familiar rationale on the left and discussed in my latest book, The Indispensable Right: Free Speech in an Age of Rage. It is the same rationale that led to the banning and blacklisting of experts during the pandemic for views that have now been vindicated on the efficacy of masks and other issues. They were silenced by those who declared their viewpoints as dangerously unproven or unapproved, but who were themselves wrong.

James claimed a right to crack down on views that she deemed unproven, even by those who were seeking only to disseminate information rather than sell products.

It did not seem to matter to her that, in the 2018 in NIFLA v. Becerra, the Supreme Court rejected the effort by California Attorney General Xavier Becerra (now the secretary of Health and Human Services) to require crisis pregnancy centers to refer abortions. The court refused to create an exception for requiring speech from licensed professionals.

After the effort failed to force doctors to disseminate pro-abortion information in California, James sought to prevent others from disseminating pro-life information in New York. The court ruled that, under the First Amendment, government officials cannot simply declare certain views as disinformation as a pretext to censor disfavored speech.

If there are harmful or fraudulent products or practices, the government has ample powers to target businesses and professionals involved with them. James, however, was seeking to silence those who advocate for a treatment that is unproven but not unlawful.

Jamess legacy now includes an effort to disband a civil rights organization, deny free speech and secure confiscatory fines against her political opponents. Yet she is lionized by the media and politicians in an election that is billed as saving democracy.

In the end, James knows her audience, and it is not appellate judges. It does not matter to her if she is found to be violating the Constitution or abusing opponents. She has converted the New York legal system into a series of thrill-kills.

For some judges, however, the thrill may be gone.

Jonathan Turley is the Shapiro Professor of Public Interest Law at George Washington University and the author of The Indispensable Right: Free Speech in an Age of Rage.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
In September of 1962, John F. Kennedy famously told Americans, We choose to go to the Moon. Former President Donald Trump recently echoed this sentiment with Elon, get those rocket ships going because we want to reach Mars.

Trump has often talked about reaching Mars. We find his new challenge to be a continuation of the fruitful space initiatives of his first administration, complementary to the bold return to the moon under Artemis.

Still, many people question whether sending crew-capable spacecraft to Mars is achievable before Jan. 20, 2029. The fundamental physics says, Yes.

There would be two launch windows for an efficient Mars mission during a second Trump administration  in 2026 and 2028. The remaining requirements are technical and political.

Betting against Musk is a fools game. His electric cars hold their own against far more expensive Porsches and Ferraris and the Tesla Model Y was the worlds best-selling car.

When SpaceX first launched a Falcon 9 rocket in 2010, America held a big, fat zero percent of the global commercial launch market today. Today, most payloads are launched by SpaceX, which now flies more rockets than the entire planet did in 2010.

In 2010 there were about 1,000 active satellites in orbit. Today, Musks Starlink constellation operates more than six times that number, more than the rest of the commercial, military and governmental world combined.

Trumps space record is equally intimidating. No president has had a greater overall impact on U.S. space policy. Trump reestablished the National Space Council. He created the Space Force. He initiated NASAs return to the moon under Artemis.

Under his guidance, NASA and the Department of State initiated the Artemis Accords, which aligned dozens of nations with American goals in developing space resources. His team produced a plethora of space-related executive orders and policy directives addressing everything from space cybersecurity to orbital debris management.

Musk is testing his big Starship rocket down in Texas as often as the Federal Aviation Administration will allow. He recently said that he will send several uncrewed Starships to Mars in 2026, and if all goes well, follow that with crewed flights two years later.

We have no doubt that Starships will be standing on Mars by 2029 if the government doesnt get in Musks way. After several test flights, Starship is looking capable, and landing one on Mars is easier in some ways than the moon mission that NASA has contracted it for.

The Red Planet offers an atmosphere, useful for aerobraking and fuel production. This will reduce the need for pre-fueling missions inside Earth orbit. However, the returning crew will require an in situ fuel and oxidizer production process on Mars, which will be the biggest challenge. Perhaps our astronauts might not be back until 2030.

No worries  Starship is fully capable of delivering enough supplies to sustain and protect them from the harsh Martian environment and radiation for many years. They can spend that time doing amazing science if we only have the vision and courage to send them.

To achieve that, the second Trump administration must immediately streamline and simplify launch permit and license requirements. Musk has noted that launching each Starship requires multiple fish licenses, on top of FAA safety reviews. Requiring each launch to clear several hurdles is a waste of time we cannot afford in a globally competitive market.

China is ready to eat our freeze-dried astronaut lunch while we hobble ourselves. It is long past time to unburden space from what has been and adopt a pro-business, America-First attitude.

To that end, the Office of Commercial Space Transportation should be elevated out of the FAA and report directly to the Secretary of Transportation. It should be led by a business-savvy professional appointed by and accountable to the president.

Exploring Mars in no way precludes us from the priority of lunar development before China and Russia do. The tasks are complementary and our strategic economic, military and geopolitical interests dictate that we win that race against authoritarianism.

Developing the resources of the moon provides benefits for the Earth and is also complimentary with the eventual settlement of Mars. Learning to process local resources to sustain long-term habitats, grow food, avoid radiation and adapt to partial gravity are challenges faced in both locations.

Being just three days away gives the moon an initial advantage for that work while we also get on with Mars. Supporting a simple, commercially directed Starship to Mars program, with NASA as a science customer, makes that possible and affordable.

America has always been at its best facing a crisis or a challenge. When we have the will, we have always found bold leaders able to answer the clarion call. Trump and Musk are ready to go: Are we?

Greg Autry served as White House liaison to NASA in the Trump administration and is the co-author of Red Moon Rising: How America Will Beat China on the Final Frontier. Brett Mecum serves on the Arizona Space Commission.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Did you hear about the amazing space history just made? Two women traveled further from Earth than any woman ever had.

Elon Musk made that happen. Of course, the fact that he is behind that historic first is likely why you didnt hear about it.

Democrats, the far left and most of the liberal media loved Elon Muskuntil they didnt. Once he bought Twitter, turned it into X, and made it clear that he was against much of the censorship they had been pushing and for the free speech they opposed, many on the left and in the media turned against him with a vengeance.

Almost overnight, Musk became Public Enemy No. 2. He will obviously never reach the number one position, since the left has carved former President Donald Trumps name in granite for that title. But, as Musk also dared to endorse Trump for president, he has a lock on number two forever more.

The often-unhinged hostility directed at Musk by some on the left is disturbing. Again, just a few years ago, the left seemingly wanted to erect statues to Musk as they sang his praises and those of his companies Tesla and SpaceX. Now, aside from hurling ugly pejoratives at him, many on the left also want to cancel SpaceX, Tesla, the hated X and even arrest Musk.

Two years ago, I put out a book titled The 56: Liberty Lessons From Those Who Risked All to Sign the Declaration of Independence. The sole purpose of the book was to protect our Founding Fathers from threats of cancellation from some on the left.

While discussing the book at the time, I often equated Elon Musk with our Founding Fathers. Why? Because back in 1776, the vast majority of the wealthy American colonists sided with the tyrannical British Crown. They did not want to rock the boat. They did not want to risk their wealth and privilege. They were happy to be the useful idiots of the time for those robbing them of their own rights and freedoms.

On the other side were our Founding Fathers, most especially those who literally put their lives on the line to sign the Declaration of Independence. Many were the equivalent of billionaires of today. They could have kept silent, like most of the wealthy, and gone along with the Crown. But they did not.

Each looked himself in the mirror and asked the two most important questions of their lives: If not me, who? If not now, when? And because they did, the United States of America was created.

Like those billionaires of 1776, Musk could have kept going along to get along. As the wealthiest human on the planet, he needed for nothing and had every luxury at his disposal. But then, like our Founding Fathers, at some point, Musk  as well as Trump and RFK Jr.  also asked himself those two questions as he witnessed the rise of cancel culture and the elimination of free speech.

What is amazing about Musk (whom I have never met or spoken with) is that he has so many different interests and is blazing life-changing trails with all of them. As he fights to protect free speech, he is also desperately trying to figure out a way to move humans off the planet in a permanent way  to save humanity.

To that very quest, after NASA recently announced it was tracking a potential earth-killing asteroid, Musk posted on X: One of these days, a large comet will hit Earth and destroy almost all life, as has happened many times in the pastEither become a spacefaring civilization or die

Part of that drive was on spectacular display recently as SpaceX launched a four-person civilian crew on a trailblazing mission into Earths Van Allen radiation belts. It cant be stressed enough how jaw-dropping and incredible that mission was.

Back in the day, I authored a book about the 12 men who walked on the moon; I worked space issues for the Pentagon; and I worked as a consultant to NASA and the Space Shuttle team. Because of that background, I have followed the adventures of SpaceX since day one. I know that what Musk, SpaceX and the courageous four-person crew just accomplished is deeply significant to Musks ultimate goal of getting humanity to Mars and beyond.

This latest SpaceX launch  dubbed Polaris Dawn  set a number of firsts. It was the first all-private-citizen space launch; the first commercial spacewalk; the first all civilian spacewalk; and, again, it marked the farthest any woman has ever flown in space. Beyond that, it was the farthest humanity has flown from the Earth in more than 50 years.

Elon Musk and his once-in-a-century mind is behind all that.

While NASA continues to destroy itself from within with its focus on DEI programs, identity politics and climate change before all, Musk has taken the lead in space. The left can  and will  hate on him all they want because of his fight against their censorship, for free speech and because he dared to endorse the reviled Trump. But decades and even centuries from now, I believe history will record Musk as the driving force who permanently lifted humanity into the promise and protection of space.

Douglas MacKinnon is a former White House and Pentagon official.

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TALLAHASSEE, Florida  A former Republican candidate for Congress in Florida has been charged with threatening to send a hit squad to kill an opponent in the race, federal authorities said Friday.

William Braddock claimed in a recorded call with a local activist that he would send a Russian and Ukrainian hit squad to kill Anna Paulina Luna during the 2022 primary for a seat in the Clearwater area, the Department of Justice said. Luna went on to win the seat in the general election.

Braddock, 41, was extradited from the Philippines, where he moved after the primary, on a charge of interstate transmission of a true threat to injure another person. He made an initial appearance Thursday in federal court in Los Angeles.

The charges stem from the contentious Republican primary that was heating up after then Rep. Charlie Crist (D-Fla.) announced he was not going to run for reelection for his Pinellas County congressional seat.

POLITICO previously reported that a conservative activist recorded Braddock telling her to not support Luna  who had lost to Crist to 2020  because he had access to assassins.

I really dont want to have to end anybodys life for the good of the people of the United States of America, he said, according to the recording obtained at the time by POLITICO. That will break my heart. But if it needs to be done, it needs to be done. Luna is a fucking speed bump in the road. Shes a dead squirrel you run over every day when you leave the neighborhood.

At the time, Braddock denied to POLITICO via text to discuss the call and said he had not heard the recording. He also suggested the recording may even be altered and edited.

A judge later approved a temporary restraining order against him but did not grant a permanent injunction and local authorities declined to pursue charges. Pinellas-Pasco Executive Assistant State Attorney Kendall Davidson told the Tampa Bay Times back in 2021 that probable cause didnt exist to file charges in the case because Braddock didnt make the threat directly to Luna or her family and doesnt have the reasonable ability to carry out the threat.

The Justice Department said that the FBI investigated the case along with the St. Petersburg Police Department as part of the departments election threats task force. Florida Politics reported a year ago that Braddock had been arrested by authorities in Philippines in conjunction with the FBI. He faces up to five years in prison.

Luna, who was endorsed by former President Donald Trump, would go on to win the GOP primary in 2022 and win the congressional seat outright. She is running for reelection in the district, which includes a part of the state that experienced the effects of Hurricane Helene. Her office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Sycamore Gap tree was a symbol of the North East of England [ Emma Papworth / BBC]

A literary festival is marking the first anniversary of the loss of the Sycamore Gap tree.

Organisers of the Wigtown Book Festival, in Dumfries and Galloway, were inspired by the response to the felling of the tree to make the environment the theme of the annual event.

A memorial service is taking place later to commemorate the anniversary.

It is one of a number of events taking place all over the UK, with writer Kate Fox set to do a poetry performance at the Northumberland tree's stump.

The Sycamore Gap tree stood in a dip in Hadrians Wall, attracting visitors, proposals and was even featured in the Hollywood blockbuster Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves.

But on the morning of 28 September 2023, news spread internationally that the tree had been chopped down overnight.

Two men accused of damaging the tree and Hadrian's Wall both deny the offence.

The Sycamore Gap tree was popular with photographers throughout the seasons [PA / Owen Humphreys]

The Wigtown memorial service is one of four events at the 10-day festival which focus on the loss of the famous tree.

The festival's artistic director Adrian Turpin believes the destruction of one of the UK's most popular landmarks has reinvigorated the debate about humanity's relationship with the natural world.

He said the fate of the Sycamore Gap tree had become a symbol of wider nature loss.

"The fact there was such an outburst of rage and anger, and genuine sorrow when it was cut down, shows that we as a society haven't lost touch with nature," he said.

"When we see something like this, and it's something we've talked about when creating these events, you do wonder why anyone would destroy the tree, and we don't know.

"It's felt like an act of penance, like in the old days, an act of religious idolatry. So our events are about expressing the anger, the grief, what it represents on a wider scale in our relationship with nature."

Creatives 'inspired'

Alongside the festival, which has taken place annually in Scotland's national book town since 1999, a number of other arts and culture events are commemorating what had become a symbol of the North East.

Poet and performer Kate Fox will be at the tree stump at Hadrians Wall to read aloud and perform her poems dedicated to the tree, its legacy and future.

The author has written a book called A Celebration of the Tree We Lost and Those to Come.

She described it as "a book of growth, loss and renewal, a song from soil to soul, about how we all live where the earth meets the sky".

Ms Fox added: "It is for everyone who knew the famous silhouette of the tree that stood at Sycamore Gap."

Adrian Turpin is looking to mark the first anniversary of the Sycamore Gap tree felling [Colin Hattersley / Wigtown Festival Company]

Mr Turpin said many creatives had "felt inspired by the tree, and now feel inspired by its loss".

He added: "At this year's festival we're trying to tell stories about climate change and ecological change in new fresh ways.

"As a society if we're going to make a positive difference to the climate emergency then you need writers and artists to be telling those stories, and making it fresh.

"If we can tell new stories and engage the public, like through the travesty of the Sycamore Gap tree, then we can make a bigger difference."

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NewsVoir Greater Noida (Uttar Pradesh) [India], September 28: Galgotias University has once again proven its commitment to excellence and innovation by winning the prestigious Best Exhibition Award for the Academic Division in Uttar Pradesh at the UP International Trade Show 2024. Held from September 25 to 29 at the India Expo Centre & Mart in Greater Noida, this event has attracted over 100,000 B2B visitors and exhibitors from more than 60 countries. The inauguration was graced by the Vice President of India, Jagdeep Dhankhar, alongside Chief Minister, Yogi Adityanath. Galgotias University's student-led exhibition, which was a key highlight of the event, was instrumental in securing the top honor. Managed entirely by students from various departments, clubs, and councils, under the mentorship of professors, the exhibition showcased the university's dedication to hands-on learning and real-world experience. This unique initiative underscores Galgotias University's goal of empowering students through creativity, leadership, and innovation. The exhibition featured a diverse range of projects, with special emphasis on startups and incubation. Students proudly displayed advanced technologies, including alcohol detection systems designed to prevent drunk driving, electric bikes, and drones. These projects reflect the entrepreneurial mindset and technical expertise cultivated at Galgotias University. One of the standout themes was G-SCALE (Galgotias Student-Centered Active Learning Ecosystem), an educational transformation initiative developed in collaboration with NTU Singapore. This cutting-edge program aims to reshape active learning and solidify the university's status as a leader in educational innovation. Another source of pride for the university was the display of four Paralympic medals won by Galgotias students in archery and track events during the Paris Paralympic 2024 Games. Visitors could also engage in an archery setup, celebrating the university's exceptional athletes and its role in nurturing future champions. Aligning with the vision of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to transform Uttar Pradesh into a trillion-dollar economy, Galgotias University showcased numerous entrepreneurial and tech-focused projects. Engineering students demonstrated the use of 3D printers to create models in real time, highlighting their skills and the university's emphasis on practical learning. Galgotias University's iOS Development Centre, the first of its kind in a university setting in Uttar Pradesh, was another showstopper. It featured innovative apps and projects developed by students, showcasing the university's dedication to advanced technology and academic excellence. Visitors were further enthralled by interactive elements like a robot serving water and a photo booth, adding to the overall engaging and immersive experience of Galgotias University's exhibition. Building on last year's success, where Galgotias University was recognized as the Best Exhibitor, this year's also winning the award reinforces the university's standing as a leader in education, innovation, and student empowerment. With great pride, Dr Dhruv Galgotia, CEO of Galgotias University, emphasized, "Our participation in the UP International Trade Show exemplifies our commitment to not just educate but empower our students. By providing them with real-world experiences and a platform to showcase their talents, we are fostering a new generation of leaders and innovators who will drive the future of our economy and society." Galgotias University was proud to host two stalls at the trade show--one at the Academic Pavilion (Hall 6) and another in Hall 3--with students also presenting their work at the Youth Talent Exhibition Pavilion. As the university continues to foster talent and drive regional development, its transformative approach to education remains a benchmark of success. Galgotias University is committed to empowering students through a blend of academic rigor and real-world relevance. With 200+ programs across 20 schools, including Polytechnic, UG, PG, and PhD courses, and an A+ NAAC accreditation, we prioritize quality education. Our vibrant community of 40,000+ students and 80,000+ alumni excels globally, with achievements in international events like the Paralympics and national competitions. With 25+ active clubs, one of India's largest Student Councils offers leadership and collaboration opportunities. The university fosters entrepreneurship with 100+ student-led startups, supported by the Galgotias Incubation Centre. Ranked Top 3 in India and #1 in UP for patent filings, Galgotias boasts 300+ national and international awards. Cutting-edge infrastructure, experiential learning, and strong industry ties ensure our students are equipped for success. Galgotias University has received the prestigious QS 5-Star rating in Teaching, Academic Development, Innovation, Employability, and Facilities. Website: www.galgotiasuniversity.edu.in/ Facebook: www.facebook.com/GalgotiasUniversity/ LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/galgotias-university-18544b190/ Instagram: www.instagram.com/galgotias_university/ Twitter: twitter.com/GalgotiasGU YouTube: www.youtube.com/@GalgotiasUniversity_1 (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by NewsVoir. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same)
Outgoing NYC Chancellor David Banks car hit with 18 tickets for speeding in school zones

The schools chancellor needs some drivers ed.

City Department of Education boss David Banks, who once promised to ensure students safety both inside the classroom and in the communities that surround them, has been chauffeured around town by a security detail that has been slapped with 27 vehicular violations, including 18 for speeding in school zones.

To see the leader of our schools violating these speed limits is just unacceptable, Yiatin Chu, an education advocate and state Senate candidate in Queens, told The Post.

City Schools Chancellor David Banks has been chauffeured around by security detail that has been slapped 18 school zone speeding violations. Robert Miller

The safety of our children is of the most importance inside the school as well as around the school.

The DOE honchos taxpayer-funded Chevy Suburban was first caught on camera blazing down the citys streets in October 2022 in Forest Hills, just down the way from Our Lady Queen of Martyrs Catholic Academy, according to city records.

More recently, Banks metal behemoth was slapped with speed camera violations after his driver gunned the gas just around the corner from a KIPP Beyond middle school in Morningside Heights in July, and down the the block from Brooklyns Daily Discovery Pre-K Center in Gravesend in August.

Banks taxpayer-funded Chevy Suburban was caught tearing down the streets recently near Brooklyns Daily Discovery Pre-K Center. TOMAS E. GASTON

As the person tasked with ensuring our childrens safety, he should set a better example by ensuring his drivers obey the law, especially in school zones, said City Councilman Bob Holden (D-Queens).

DOE spokesman Nathaniel Styer said student safety is the departments utmost priority and that the chancellors security detail receives annual traffic law training.

When they receive tickets, they pay them and are held accountable  up to and including suspension of their driving responsibilities, he said.

Banks once promised to keeping students safe both in the classroom and in their surrounding communities. Dennis A. Clark

Banks isnt the only city official whos come under fire for school zone speeding violations. Comptroller and mayoral candidate Brad Lander has racked up 10 school zone speeding summonses over a decade using his personal vehicle, along with dozens of other traffic tickets.

The days of the chancellor having staff race him across the Big Apple at dangerous speeds are numbered, however, following this weeks announcement that he will step down from overseeing the nations largest school district.

His resignation came less than two weeks after federal authorities raided the Harlem home Banks shares with his partner, First Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright, and seized their electronics as part of sweeping federal corruption investigations into the Adams administration.

Additional reporting by Rich Calder.
More than 50 patients and doctors who were forced to evacuate to the roof of Unicoi County Hospital have been rescued by state police aircrafts

Virginia State Police/Facebook Unicoi County Hospital

Over 50 people who were left stranded on the roof of a Tennessee hospital due to flooding from Hurricane Helene have been rescued, police said.

After the Category 4 hurricane tore through several U.S. states on the night of Thursday, Sept. 26, many communities were left with severe flooding  including Unicoi County, Tenn. Patients and hospital staff at Unicoi County Hospital were forced to evacuate to the roof when the flooding began.

#VirginiaStatePolice aviation units out of Abingdon are currently assisting with rescues at the Unicoi County Hospital in Erwin, TN. 58 patients and staff have been trapped on the roof by flooding. pic.twitter.com/zYwqJMwki7  VA State Police (@VSPPIO) September 27, 2024

Related: At Least 40 Dead and Millions Without Power After Hurricane Helene Made Landfall: What We Know So Far

By the morning of Friday, Sept. 27, outlets including WCYB, WJHL and USA Today reported that Ballad Health, which operates the Erwin, Tenn. hospital, announced that 54 people were trapped on the roof, and seven others were nearby on boats. The hospital also said it had ceased operation around 10:45 a.m.

Law enforcement including the Erwin Police Department reported severe problems with the rescue operations and declared a state of emergency in the town, located on the border of North Carolina. The flooding was caused by rapidly rising water from the Nolichucky River, WJHL reported.

WCYB reported earlier on Friday that all roads with access to the hospital were "impassable" due to the flooding. Police cruisers and ambulances had been lost in the deep waters.

Virginia State Police/Facebook An aerial view of Unicoi County Hospital in Tennessee.

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Related: How to Help with Hurricane Helene Relief Efforts

The outlet also reported that a SWAT team happened to be training at the hospital at the time, and the team members were able to save medications.

Ballad Health wrote in a statement earlier on Friday that boats had been deployed to rescue the patients and staff, but the conditions quickly became too rough, per WJHL.

"Unfortunately, the water around the hospital, which had also begun intruding inside the hospital, became extremely dangerous and impassable and prevented the boats from safely being able to evacuate the hospital," Ballad stated in the release. Due to high winds, no helicopters could safely fly in an effort to help evacuate the hospital.

Law enforcement and other government agencies began working together to start rescue operations. By the early afternoon, Virginia State Police had reported that its aviation units had flown from Abingdon, Va. to Erwin to assist in the rescue, along with staff from Ballad Health and the Tennessee National Guard.

As of 4:40 p.m., Virginia State Police Aviation assets from Abingdon, Va., along with assets from Ballad Health and the Tennessee National Guard, have completed the rescue of approximately 54 people from the roof of the Unicoi County Hospital in Erwin, Tenn. pic.twitter.com/7O74lYGLnx  VA State Police (@VSPPIO) September 27, 2024

At around 4:40 p.m. local time, Virginia State Police announced that its team had successfully evacuated 54 people from the hospital. According to WJHL, Ballad Health said everyone had been successfully evacuated from the hospital, and patients in need of transferred medical care were taken to the Johnson City Medical Center about 20 miles away.



Ballad Health CEO Alan Levine said during a press conference held at a nearby high school after the rescue that the hospital building was "a complete write-off" due to the damage done by the flooding.

"Theres no way the buildings gonna survive this," he said, per WJHL. "Well take a look at it once the water goes down, but its a shame; its a brand-new hospital. But you know what? Its just a building. We can figure that out. Im just thankful to God and everybody that our people are safe."



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More than 71,000 Russian soldiers have been confirmed to have been killed in Ukraine amid the full-scale war, according to a report by independent Russian media outlet Mediazona on Sept. 27.

Mediazona, along with BBC News Russian, has been documenting the names of Russian soldiers killed in Ukraine through open-source research.

Since Mediazona's last update in mid-September, the names of 1,998 Russian soldiers have been added to the list of casualties.

The journalists note that the actual figures are likely significantly higher, as their verified information comes from public sources such as obituaries, posts by relatives, regional media reports, and statements from local authorities.

Since Russia began its all-out war against Ukraine over 4,100 officers have been killed in combat in Ukraine. The analysts also note that at least 13,175 Russian inmates have been killed on Ukraine's eastern front.

According to Mediazona's estimates, a majority of those killed in action come from Rostov, Sverdlovsk, Bashkiria, and Chelyabinsk oblasts, as well as the Buryatia republic. According to the journalist, a surge of recruitment by the Kremlin in the predominantly Muslim regions of Bashkortostan and Tatarstan have also showed an increase in those killed in action in recent months.

The last few month, amid the renewed Kharkiv offensive as well as Ukraine's incursion into Kursk Oblast, Russian forces have experienced some of its heaviest losses since the start of the full-scale war.

According to undisclosed sources and Western intelligence estimates, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on Sept. 17 that roughly 1 million Ukrainians and Russians have been killed or wounded since February 2022 - including civillians.

The WSJ also claimed that 80,000 Ukrainian soldiers had died during the war and around 400,000 wounded - a number some Ukrainian lawmakers have rebuked as "exaggerated."

In February of this year, President Volodymyr Zelensky said that 180,000 Russian troops had been killed since the start of the all-out war. The president said that over 31,000 Ukrainian soldiers were killed during the same time.

Western officials gave similar estimates about Russian battlefield losses.

As of Sept. 27, 2024, the Ukrainian military estimates Russian combat losses at 649,170 troops.

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Overshadowed by A and D, what about Utahs other 2024 constitutional amendments?

A voter drops off his ballot at the Salt Lake County Government Center in Salt Lake City as votes are cast in Utahs primary election on Tuesday, June 25, 2024. (Photo by Spenser Heaps for Utah News Dispatch)

Since theyve been overshadowed by legal fights over controversial constitutional amendments A and D, many Utahns likely havent heard much about the other questions that will appear on their Nov. 5 ballots.

Amendment D  which would have cemented the Utah Legislatures power over ballot initiatives  has been voided by the courts and any votes cast for it wont count. And now, Amendment A  which would remove the states earmark currently reserving income tax revenue for education  may be headed for the same fate.

But there are two other proposed constitutional amendments that Utah voters will be asked to weigh in on. That is, so long as they arent also legally challenged for failing to meet constitutional newspaper publication requirements, which is part of the reason why Amendment D was disqualified.

Up to this point, however, amendments B and C have been noncontroversial. But they would make changes that state officials have argued would be important  the first for the distribution of education funding, and the latter, to enshrine Utah sheriffs as an elected position in the Utah Constitution.

Heres how the questions will appear on your ballots and what you need to know about them.

Amendment B

Shall the Utah Constitution be amended to increase the limit on the annual distributions from the State School Fund to public schools from 4% to 5% of the fund?

If Utahns vote to approve Amendment B, it would raise the current cap on annual distributions from the State School Fund, an endowment created at statehood to support public schools. In May, Utah Treasurer Marlo Oaks announced that the fund had topped $3.3 billion.

Currently, the Utah Constitution caps annual distributions out of the State School Fund at 4%. During the 2024 school year, schools received about $106 million under that distribution requirement.

But had that cap been lifted to 5%, as Amendment B would do, Utah schools would have received roughly $13 million more, on top of that $106 million, according to the treasurer.

With HJR18, which the Utah Legislature approved unanimously in 2018, state leaders put Amendment B on the ballot, hoping voters would approve it to allow more budgetary flexibility for schools.

Raising the cap from 4% to 5% does not impact Utah taxpayers and augments traditional education funding, the Utah Land Trusts Protection & Advocacy Office said in a news release issued Thursday. Overseen by the Utah treasurer, that offices mission is to represent and protect beneficiaries of the School and Institutional Trust, which manages a portfolio of land investments to raise money for Utah schools.

The State School Fund has grown enormously over the past 30 years thanks to revenue produced from school trust lands, and prudent investment by the School and Institutional Trust Funds Office (SITFO), the Utah Land Trusts Protection & Advocacy Office said.

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The offices director, Kim Christy, said a recent SITFO analysis determined the State School Funds annual endowment is currently favoring future generations more so than our current generation of students.

Increasing the cap to 5% provides appropriate balance and will provide more money for todays students, while still allowing for growth and protecting this endowment for future generations, Christy said.

There is no known opposition to Amendment B currently. But several organizations have expressed support for it. They include the Utah PTA, the Utah Taxpayers Association, the Utah State Board of Education, the Utah School Boards Association, the Utah School Superintendents Association, and the Utah Rural Schools Association. Oaks also supports the amendment.

Not only does Amendment B mean more money for Utah students, these funds support teachers, and involve parents in determining how School LAND Trust Funds are used at their childs school, Utah PTA President Corey Fairholm said. Utah PTA encourages Utahns to vote FOR Amendment B this November.

Amendment C

Shall the Utah Constitution be amended to have the office of county sheriff be elected by voters?

This question may be confusing to Utah voters. Arent sheriffs already elected officials?

Yes, they are. Utah law already requires that. But when lawmakers passed HJR10 unanimously in 2023, their aim was to simply enshrine that in the Utah Constitution to ensure sheriffs remain an elected office throughout Utah well into its future.

Former House Speaker Brad Wilson, R-Kaysville, explained that in a legislative committee in February 2023 when he sponsored the resolution to put the question on the ballot. He noted other states have made this change in their constitutions, but Utah had not yet posed the question to its voters.

If voters pass Amendment C, it would add a provision to the Utah Constitution that specifies each county shall have an office of county sheriff. It would make clear they would be an elected office, and sheriffs terms shall be four years from the first day of January next after their election.

There is no known opposition to Amendment C.

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AUSTINTOWN, Ohio (WKBN)  There will be an OVI checkpoint in Austintown Friday night.

The checkpoint will be on N. Canfield Niles Road near Hollywood Gaming from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m.

The Mahoning County OVI Task Force will be working in conjunction with the Ohio State Highway Patrol and other police officers.

There will also be various saturation patrols throughout Mahoning County this weekend.

If youre planning to drink, drivers are encouraged to make arrangements to get home safely.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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HONOLULU (KHON2)  Stephen Timothy Wells, the owner of Oahu Spine and Rehab clinics, pleaded guilty in federal court on Wednesday to health care fraud charges involving false billings.

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Sentencing is set for January 29, 2025, before U.S. District Judge Jill A. Otake.

Wells, 41, admitted to defrauding health care benefit programs, including TRICARE, which serves U.S. military members and their families, as well as Medicare.

According to court documents, from July 2013 to early 2020, he submitted false claims for physical therapy services that were not actually provided by licensed professionals.

Police searching for attempted murder suspect

Instead of qualified staff, Wells used unlicensed workers, including massage therapists and personal trainers, to deliver services.

Bacon made from flowers? Its mind-blowing

He directed his clinic to file claims under the provider numbers of licensed doctors and therapists, falsely claiming they had personally treated patients.

As part of his plea agreement, Wells acknowledged that his actions resulted in losses between $250,000 and $550,000.

Hawaii town ranks 95 out of 100 for this. Do you agree?

He agreed to pay restitution totaling $392,157.20, with half due before sentencing. Both Wells and the United States have recommended a sentence ranging from probation to two years in prison.

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The investigation was conducted by the Defense Criminal Investigative Service and the Office of Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Mohammad Khatib leading the prosecution.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KHON2.
It was a packed house on Friday at the annual Erie County Recovery Month celebration hosted by St. Pauls Center in the City of Erie.

The event brings the community together to celebrate the efforts of people recovering from substance use disorders and mental health conditions.

UPMC Hamot hosts 7th annual nursing symposium

The Susan B. Esper Award was given to William Dunkerley for showing exceptional promise in his journey to sobriety.

Dunkerley was once incarcerated as a result of addiction and now works at Snug Harbor Rehabilitation and Recovery helping others.

Erie WWII army veteran celebrates his 100th birthday

I love my job. Its amazing to have guys who Ive been incarcerated with or who Ive used with come through our program, and I can be a role model for them and they can see that recovery is possible through me, said Dunkerley.

The event featured free food, music and giveaways. Dozens of vendors from local health and human service agencies were present to offer support to attendees.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WJET/WFXP/YourErie.com.
BAY COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB)  The Perry Police Department put out a request to the state for hurricane relief and the state reached out to local agencies to see who was ready to deploy at a moments notice. The Panama City Beach Police Department was ready to go.

Officers began immediately packing their mobile command center with supplies and equipment.

Thats what this profession is. It badges helping badges, brothers helping brothers, sisters helping sisters. One big community in the state of Florida. Were here to help, Police Chief J.R. Talamantez said.

Gulf County aftermath of Hurricane Helene

While in Perry, they will relieve officers who have been on active duty since the hurricane hit.

Talamantez said the infrastructure in Perry is intact, but they have no power and the coastal community is heavily damaged.

Well be patrol functions, answering calls, working traffic, doing whatever we need to do in a normal police function to provide them support, relief, and sort of help them get back on their feet.

Officers will stay in Perry for seven to ten days. If Perry still needs extra support after that time, the Panama City Beach Police Department will send out more officers.

Were there to offer help. You know, if we have to sleep in a hammock outside then thats what well do. Its something that we can handle for a short time because we know the long-lasting effects of the storm, Talamantez said.

Theyll be joined by police departments from Panama City and Fort Walton Beach. Combined, they will have about 20 officers available to provide assistance.

I saw the help that we were getting from all the outside agencies and I just really was like, man, I would like to return the favor to go and help the other agencies that are going to be affected by this storm, Patrol Officer William Turner said.

Tyndall Air Force Base declares all-clear after Hurricane Helene

They are bringing four all-terrain vehicles, chainsaws, light towers, generators, and a K-9 dog.

Panama City Beach officers are happy to help because they know Perry would help them if the roles were reversed. Many beach officers were quick to volunteer for deployment.

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PANAMA CITY, Fla. (WMBB)  Panama City Police are also contributing officers to the relief efforts.

Eight officers left just after 2 a.m. on Friday, heading for Perry in Taylor County.

Helene is the third hurricane to hit Perry in 13 months. Many Panama City officers have deployed there before and are familiar with the area.

Sheriff Tommy Ford Leads Hurricane Relief Efforts

The team set up a base camp and took over for Taylor County officers, patrolling the streets.

When I became chief three years ago, I made it kind of my pet project that we would be better prepared and that we would be better able to assist other agencies in need. So I bought a large amount of equipment through grants and forfeiture funds that ended up not costing the taxpayers of our city any you know, any cost. But it makes our job so much easier to do when we go when we have the proper services and equipment. But being able to go and help other agencies, thats what its about, Panama City Police Chief Mark Smith said.

The Panama City officers will remain in Perry for a week. A second team will replace them.

Chief Smith says theyll send officers as theyre needed.

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HALEIWA, Hawaii (KHON2)  Hawaiis palm trees are on the chopping block.

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Several palms were marked for removal after being damaged by invasive beetles on the North Shore of Oahu and experts said it is a troubling sign.

Longtime Haliewa resident Kali Bass said he first noticed the V-shaped fronds that indicate damage from coconut rhinoceros beetles at Alii Beach Park about two years ago. He said the trees were not always so shabby.

Mulch mishap spurs corrective action in Oahu beetle battle

Oh, no ways, Bass said. It just scares me that on this island, there wont be another coconut left in about four years or so!

The Honolulu Department of Parks and Recreation said marked trees could be removed as early as the week of Monday, Sept. 30 due to concern over heavy crowns falling on beachgoers.

The palms at Alii are not the first casualties of the beetle battle. Parks and Recreation officials said about 100 palms were previously cut down along the Leeward Coast.

Weve, of course, seen that in some parts of Oahu, but when it happens to the beach parks where people have gone for recreation and its a, its an important part of the look of the area, it really hits home. Unfortunately, I think on Oahu, thats probably going to be happening more frequently with trees dying on their own or having to be removed, CRB Response deputy incident commander Keith Weiser said. Yeah, its very troubling. One of the big risks is if a tree dies and it doesnt get removed and taken care of, it can become a breeding site and more beetles are going to come out of that decaying tree.

KHON2 counted about two dozen palm trees that were marked for removal at Alii Beach Park on Friday, Sept. 27. Residents and visitors alike said it will not feel the same after they are gone.

More than 900 CRB found in Hawaiis first-of-its-kind hunting tournament

Its a sad feeling, said Florida visitor Sandra Weber. You think of Hawaii, Florida, California, any of those tropical places, they have palm trees, different varieties, coconut trees, what have you. Its the symbolism of Hawaii!

Its what you really associate a tropical island paradise with, is coconuts! Coconut palms or whatever, Bass said. I believe that they should put more effort really into research, scientists going, whatever it takes to stop these things.

Weiser said they have seen evidence of banana, sugarcane and even taro being damaged by CRB.

And once palms are gone, theyre going to go for other things and keep going down their favorites list until they, you know, find something they can feed on, Weiser said.

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City officials said they have plans to cut down about 80 palms from Mokuleia to Haleiwa and will consider options to replant young trees in their place once they are gone.

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Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, who is on a five-day visit to Uzbekistan, met Bukhara city Governor Botir Zaripov on Saturday and called for strong tourism and people-to-people ties between the two countries. She said India has a lot to offer to Uzbekistan, particularly to the young population of Uzbekistan who can bring development solutions from Indian start-ups through bilateral collaboration. The Ministry of Finance said in a post on X that Sitharaman also spoke of the close collaboration of Indian Embassy in Tashkent with Bukhara State University. https://x.com/finminindia/status/1839950194051330099?s=48&t=CSE0glwGSDCXRHUtG7cLjw "Union Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs Smt. @nsitharaman met Mr. Botir Zaripov, Governor of the city of Bukhara, at Bukhara, today. Mentioning the historical and cultural ties of Indian travellers and traders with Bukhara, FM Smt. @nsitharaman said that the popularity of Bukhara as a tourist destination is growing amongst Indian and that she will encourage both sides to further strengthen tourism and people to people ties," Finance Ministry said in a post on X. "As a testament to the deepening educational partnership between the two nations, the Union Finance Minister mentioned the establishment of Acharya University in Bukhara 2023. FM also mentioned the close collaboration of Indian Embassy @amb_tashkent with Bukhara State University, especially the setting up of India Corner in the University. FM Smt. @nsitharaman also noted that several students and faculty members from the University visit India under ITEC training programme of Government of India," the Finance Ministry added. Botir Zaripov thanked the Union Finance Minister for visiting Bukhara and mentioned that her visit will further strengthen the ties between India and Uzbekistan. "As India is one of the largest and fastest growing #fintech ecosystems in the world, FM Smt. @nsitharaman mentioned that India has a lot to offer to Uzbekistan, particularly to the young population of Uzbekistan who can bring development solutions from Indian start-ups through bilateral collaboration," the Finance Ministry said in its post on X. "While appreciating the Union Finance Minister's proposed collaboration between the two countries in various fields such as pharma, IT, EV, healthcare etc. Mr. Zaripov hoped to host business delegations from India in Bukhara in future," it added. Sitharaman is on a visit to Uzbekistan from September 24 to 28 to attend 9th Annual Meeting of Board of Governors of AIIB and sign Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT) between India and Uzbekistan. The BIT, signed on Friday, assures appropriate protection to Uzbekistan investors in India and vice versa in light of relevant international precedents and practices. During her visit, the Finance Minister also held bilateral meetings with her counterparts. (ANI)
More than 50 people were stranded Friday at an eastern Tennessee hospital due to fast-rising water and high winds, after several attempts to airlift them failed during a dangerous rescue operation, Ballad Health officials said.

The high winds and water levels prevented helicopter crews from airlifting patients and staff from Unicoi County Hospital in Erwin, Tennessee, hospital officials said.

Some people were waiting on the hospital's roof to be rescued.

The situation at the hospital is very dangerous, Ballad Health said on X, adding the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency and National Guard were engaged in what can only be described as a dangerous rescue operation.

Patients and staff members are evacuated from Unicoi County Hospital on Friday.

All patients and team members have been rescued from the hospital and patients were transferred to another medical center, Ballad Health, which operates Unicoi County Hospital, said Friday night. Earlier in the afternoon it said 54 people were relocated to the roof of the facility and seven were in rescue boats.

Erwin Police Chief Regan Tilson said the rescue was a team effort.

We had a lot of support and a lot of help, he told NBC News Tom Llamas. We needed it. We were able to get the patients, the staff, and the first responders out with the help of the Tennessee National Guard. And, of course, the Virginia State Police sent two helicopters. And without their support and help, we would have been in more trouble than we were.

He said the rising floodwater took the community by surprise and made evacuating the hospital before the structure became an island virtually impossible.

The rescue mission comes as Hurricane Helene landed in Georgia, leaving widespread devastation throughout the southern U.S. More than 30 people are confirmed dead and millions are without power and electricity.

Rising water from the Nolichucky River.

The Unicoi County Emergency Management Agency notified Ballad Health early Friday of the need to evacuate due to rising water from the Nolichucky River, the post read.

County leaders in Unicoi initially deployed ambulances but unusually high flooding prevented medics from safely approaching, Ballad Health said.

The Tennessee Emergency Management Agency has been working with local emergency management agencies to deploy boats for hospital evacuations, but water surrounding and entering the building became dangerous and impassable.

Unicoi County Emergency Medical Services Director Adam Copas said some first responders were trapped inside the hospital with patients and were able to help them get to its rooftop, where helicopter crews from the Tennessee Army National Guard and Virginia State Police pulled them from harms way.

It was organized chaos, but there was a plan, and we executed it and affected that rescue the way that it should have been done and as safe as we possibly could, Copas told Llamas.

Though the historic flooding astonished some, Copas said the regions first responders have been subjected to flood scenario exercises, helping organization win over chaos.

Its a once-in-a-lifetime event, he said. This is what we practice for and train for.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
Federal prosecutors say Paul A. Bilzerian, a corporate takeover specialist, falsely portrayed himself as indigent to avoid paying a judgment stemming from his 1989 conviction in New York City. (Adam Stoltman / Associated Press)

Paul A. Bilzerian was indicted Thursday by a federal grand jury in California for allegedly dodging a decades-old judgment owed to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission that now exceeds $180 million.

Prosecutors say Bilzerian, described as a corporate takeover specialist, avoided paying the judgment even as he ran Ignite, a cannabis and lifestyle brand company purportedly helmed by his social media influencer son, Dan Bilzerian.

The elder Bilzerian allegedly funneled millions of dollars of his assets through shell companies to fund Ignite, whose investors he allegedly cheated, the Justice Department announced Friday.

"On paper, Ignites CEO was Bilzerians son D.B.  a professional poker player who gained notoriety on social media for his glamorous and ostentatious lifestyle," the U.S. attorney's office in L.A. said in a news release. "In fact, Bilzerian exercised de facto control of the company."

To avoid paying the SEC judgments, prosecutors say, Bilzerian falsely represented that he was indigent.

The indictment charges Bilzerian, 74; Ignite International Brands, a Canada-based cannabis company; and Scott Rohleder, Bilzerian's longtime accountant, with conspiracy to defraud the U.S., conspiracy to commit wire fraud and securities fraud and four counts of wire fraud.

The younger Bilzerian has not been charged and is identified only by his initials in the indictment.

Lawyers for the defendants could not immediately be reached for comment. Arraignment is set for Oct. 28.

This indictment alleges a long-running pattern of criminal behavior to avoid a regulators judgment, mislead investors, and cheat the IRS," U.S. Atty. Martin Estrada said in a statement.

The latest charges trace to 1989, when Bilzerian was convicted of securities and tax-fraud violations related to three failed takeover attempts. He was sentenced to four years in federal prison, but ultimately served 13 months.

The SEC then brought a civil action against Bilzerian and obtained judgments totaling more than $62 million in 1993. Since then, prosecutors say, Bilzerian has evaded enforcement.

In 2000, a federal court found Bilzerian in contempt and appointed a receiver to collect his assets, according to the U.S. attorney's office in Los Angeles. The SEC recovered only about $547,000.

Now, with interest, the judgments exceed $180 million.

Prosecutors allege that, from December 2018 to September 2024, Bilzerian, Rohleder and Ignite conspired to impede the SEC from collecting on the judgments. Bilzerian allegedly operated numerous shell companies, while concealing his interest in and control over those companies.

Bilzerian and Rohleder allegedly oversaw Ignites operations, strategy, marketing and fundraising, and held daily management meetings, according to the indictment. Bilzerian also had influence in decisions to hire and fire Ignites executives and members of its board of directors

After Bilzerian learned federal law enforcement knew of his involvement in Ignite, the company issued a news release characterizing Bilzerian and Rohleder as unpaid consultants," according to the indictment.

Prosecutors also allege that the defendants misled Ignites investors by inflating sales figures.

If convicted of all charges, Bilzerian and Rohleder would face up to five years in federal prison for each conspiracy count and up to 20 years for each wire fraud count. Rohleder would face up to three years for each tax fraud count.

On Friday, the SEC filed civil charges against Bilzerian, Rohleder and Ignite in connection with the facts alleged in the criminal case.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Pemex Board to Consider Ex-City Official as CFO Next Week

(Bloomberg) -- The board of Petroleos Mexicanos is set to consider a Mexico City finance official for the job of chief financial officer at the state-run oil company, according to people with knowledge of the matter.

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Juan Carlos Carpio Fragoso, a close ally of incoming Energy Minister Luz Elena Gonzalez, will be considered next week during a board meeting where several strategic nominations for Pemex will be discussed, the people said, requesting anonymity because the discussion isnt public.

Carpio was general director of financial administration for Mexico City when President-elect Claudia Sheinbaum was the mayor and Gonzalez was finance minister of the capital.

A spokesman for Pemex didnt immediately comment.

The incoming leadership of Pemex will face the gargantuan task of turning around production that has slumped to about half its peak 20 years ago. The companys debt burden stands at about $99.4 billion, making it the worlds most indebted oil producer. Its been saddled with deadly fires, oil spills and methane leaks in recent years as its infrastructure crumbles. It relies heavily on government handouts to stay afloat.

Sheinbaum, who takes office on Oct. 1, has echoed her predecessors policies of support for state-owned energy companies, but has also spoken of a need to refinance Pemexs debt next year before large maturities come due.

Sheinbaum named Victor Rodriguez Padilla, an energy economist and professor at the National Autonomous University of Mexico, for the companys top job in August.

Among nominations the board will consider next week are that of Nestor Martinez for head of production and exploration, and Carlos Lechuga for head of industrial transformation, the area that looks at refining and petrochemicals.

--With assistance from Alex Vasquez.

(Updates with additional names to be considered by the board in final paragraph.)

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Mothers of emperor penguin chicks leave them for weeks to hunt for food [Getty Images]

In May a huge iceberg broke off from an Antarctic ice shelf, drifted, and came to a stop - right in front of maybe the worlds unluckiest penguins.

Like a door shutting, the iceberg's huge walls sealed off the Halley Bay colony from the sea.

It seemed to spell the end for hundreds of newly-hatched fluffy chicks whose mothers, out hunting for food, may no longer have been able to reach them.

Then, a few weeks ago, the iceberg shifted and got on the move again.

Scientists have now discovered that the tenacious penguins found a way to beat the colossal iceberg - satellite pictures seen exclusively by BBC News this week show life in the colony.

But scientists endured a long, anxious wait until this point - and the chicks face another potentially deadly challenge in the coming months.

In August, when we asked the British Antarctic Survey if the emperor penguins had survived, they couldnt tell us.

We will not know until the sun comes up, said scientist Peter Fretwell.

It was still Antarctic winter so satellites couldnt penetrate the total darkness to take pictures of the birds.

This label of maybe the worlds unluckiest penguins comes from Peter, who has shared the penguins ups and downs for years.

These creatures teeter on the edge of life and death, and this was just the latest in a string of near-misses.

The Brunt Ice Shelf has been the site of several penguin disasters - but the colonies cling on [Getty Images]

Teetering between life and death

It was once a stable colony and with 14,000  25,000 breeding pairs annually, the second biggest in the world.

But in 2019, news came of a catastrophic breeding failure. Peter and his colleagues discovered that for three years the colony had failed to raise any chicks.

Baby penguins need to live on sea ice until they are strong enough to survive in open water. But climate change is warming the oceans and air, contributing to sea ice becoming more unstable and prone to sudden disintegration in storms.

With no sea ice, the chicks drowned.

A few hundred stragglers moved their home to the nearby MacDonald Ice rumples and kept the group going.

That is until A83 iceberg, which at 380 sq km (145 sq miles) is roughly the size of the Isle of Wight, calved off the Brunt Ice Shelf in May.

The Halley Bay penguin colony was once the second largest in the world [Getty Images]

Moment of truth for chicks

Peter feared a total wipe-out. It has happened to other penguin colonies - an iceberg blocked a group in the Ross Sea for several years, leading to no breeding success, he explains.

A few days ago, the sun rose again in Antarctica. The Sentinel-1 satellites that Peter uses orbited over Halley Bay, taking pictures of the ice sheet.

Peter opened the files. I was dreading seeing that there wouldn't be anything there at all, he says. But, against the odds, he found what he hoped for - a brown smudge on the white ice sheet. The penguins are alive.

It was a huge relief, he says.

But how they survived remains a mystery. The iceberg could be around 15m (49ft) tall, meaning the penguins could not climb it.

Theres an ice crack, so they might have been able to dive through it, he says.

The iceberg probably extends more than 50m beneath the waves, but penguins can dive up to 500m, he explains.

Even if there is just a small crack, they might have dived underneath it, he says.

More jeopardy for colony awaits

The sea ice close to the colony has begun to break up, threatening chicks that cannot yet swim [Copernicus Sentinel data processed by ESA]

The team will now wait for higher-resolution pictures that show exactly how many penguins are there.

Scientists at the British research base at Halley will visit to verify the size and health of the colony.

But Antarctica remains a rapidly changing region affected by our warming planet, as well as natural phenomena that make life difficult there.

The MacDonald Ice rumples where the penguins now live is dynamic and unpredictable, and Antarctic seasonal sea ice levels are close to record lows.

As A83 moved, it changed the ice topography, meaning the penguins breeding site is now more exposed, Peter says.

Cracks have appeared in the ice and the edge with the sea is getting closer day-by-day.

If the ice breaks up under the chicks before they are able to swim, in around December, Peter warns they will perish.

Theyre such incredible animals. It's a bit bleak. Like many animals in Antarctica, they live on the sea ice. But it is changing, and if your habitat changes then it's never good, he says.

More on this story
The water quality in Windermere is at the centre of the pilot scheme [ Reuters]

People are being asked to help monitor water quality at some of Britain's most popular bathing spots with the help of artificial intelligence.

Visitors can now share what they can see at lakes in Cumbria and Lancashire with the Environment Agency (EA) by scanning QR codes.

The pilot scheme, centred around Windermere in the Lake District and the River Ribble at Edisford Bridge, aims to improve water quality through citizen science.

Kelly Haynes, the EA's citizen science advisor, said: "This clever piece of modern technology will explain all the whys, whats and the what ifs of bathing water monitoring and our citizen science work."

The EA have partnered with Hello Lamp Post, a two-way AI communication platform, as part of the government-backed pilot project.

Signs and QR codes have been put up at a handful of locations [EA]

Interactive signs, including QR codes, have been placed on fences, benches and walls at four locations at Windermere Rayrigg, Windermere Millers Ground and the Ribble at Edisford Bridge.

People can use their phones to scan the code or text the number on the sign to share their findings and views, get information about local bathing waters and learn more about how to get involved in the EA's citizen science work.

The EA said the data would supplement that already being gathered, to help ensure as much information as possible was used to inform plans going forward.

The River Ribble at Edisford Bridge is a popular bathing spot [philandju]

Ms Haynes added: "We know how much our rivers and inland waters mean to communities across Cumbria and Lancashire, and we hugely value the contribution of Englands enthusiastic citizen scientists.

"This work is an important step in bringing that together to gather real-time observation of the water environment and how it is being used."

Previous water environment work in Cumbria and Lancashire has included the EA's Big Windermere Survey, and activity along the River Douglas in collaboration with the Douglas Catchment Partnership and Groundwork.

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PHOENIX - Resources from Arizona are heading towards the southeastern U.S. to help with recovery and rescue efforts after Hurricane Helene.

The Phoenix Fire Department helped send Arizona Task Force Team 1 to the southeast this afternoon.

The crew is driving half a dozen vans and a few trucks to the general area impacted by the hurricane, but they were not given an exact destination by the time they left. The information will be updated during their drive.

The Phoenix Fire Department caravan leaves to help Hurricane Helene victims.

HURRICANE HELENE: Resources across the state are heading towards the southeastern U.S. to help with recovery and rescue efforts. The Phoenix Fire Department sent AZTF-1 this afternoon. pic.twitter.com/yy8cPe2vSo  Lindsey Ragas (@LindseyRagas) September 27, 2024

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A Type 3 team is being sent by the Phoenix Fire Department, which includes 45 members of firefighters, search and rescue dogs, structural engineers and doctors.

They are also bringing several different types of gear and equipment so they are prepared for all rescue situations.

"There is technical rescue team members here that could do swift water rescues, structural collapse. There's hazardous material technicians that could help meter and detect gases and other various chemicals. A lot of paramedics with necessary equipment to offer and render medical aid. There's also like structural engineers and doctors in the event there needs to be more invasive medical treatment involved. So then we have heavy machinery, we got boats, we have generators," says Shaun DuBois.

The fire department says it is possible more resources are requested and they have more crews ready to respond if needed.
Madden Ritzer and her mom, Merry, drove through a hurricane to get to the Pilgrimage Music and Cultural Festival.

They set out from their home in Rock Hill, South Carolina on Friday for the drive to Tennessee that normally takes them six or seven hours. Instead, it took them 10.

They were met with the remains of Hurricane Helene as it broke over the region. They navigated their Toyota Highlander SUV through high winds, heavy rain, downed trees every few miles and a seemingly endless succession of blacked-out gas stations and businesses.

A portion of Interstate 40 even collapsed some time after they crossed it.

"It was really bad," Merry Ritzer said.

Fans wait at the main gate to enter The Park at Harlinsdale Farm in Franklin, Tenn., Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. The 2024 Pilgrimage Music and Cultural Festival was delayed due to the rain from the fallout of Hurricane Helene.

They laughed off the stress of the day by 12:30 p.m. Saturday as they took the third and fourth spot in line at the festival gates, which would remain closed until 2 p.m. after Pilgrimage organizers announced a delayed start.

Even though the lingering rain  also a byproduct of Helene across Middle Tennessee  delayed the gates opening by two hours, festival-goers started to gather well ahead of the time.

Madden, who's 16, said she's most excited to see Hozier and Noah Kahan perform. They plan to hit the road in the wee hours Monday morning to get home. They are looking forward to an easier drive this time around.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the festival, spearheaded by musician and Franklin resident Kevin Griffin. The annual music festival brings some of the biggest names in rock and roll, alt-country, bluegrass, jazz, indie, gospel, Americana and more.

While the last few years of the festival have gone off without a hitch, the rain had many worried that the event might be a repeat of 2018. That year, Pilgrimage was evacuated due to severe weather, including lightning, on the first day and ultimately canceled for the rest of the weekend.

Many festival-goers, such as Lisette Lafabe and Nicholas Royer, who drove 13 hours from Michigan, were understandably worried as they huddled at The Factory across the street from the festival grounds around noon. During their drive, their Airbnb reached out to notify them that the area in front had flooded due to the rain.

We were freaking out but quickly had to go and book another hotel, Lafabe said.

Pilgrimage lineup reshuffles after weather delays start

As many began to line up and brave the rain with smiles on their faces, only one thing was on their minds: Music.

Were excited to see Hozier, said Lafabe, echoing several others making their way to the festival grounds Saturday afternoon.

Festival organizers reshuffled the lineup to make sure the artists affected by Saturday's delay had a spot to play during the weekend. Updated set times for the weekend can be found at www.pilgrimagefestival.com.

The National Weather Service in Nashville said that rain will persist through Sunday but remain light. No severe weather is expected. As of press time on Saturday, plans for the festival were set to go forward.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Pilgrimage 2024: Music-lovers brave rain at 10th annual festival
Pilots from across the country have gathered in Gloucestershire [Tony Blake ]

Small planes are taking to the skies above the Cotswolds this weekend to mark the 90th anniversary of an epic air race.

Pilots from across the UK and beyond have gathered at the Cotswold Airport, known formerly as Kemble Airfield, to commemorate the 1934 London to Melbourne Air Race.

Celebrations are set to run over the weekend, with a formation flight planned for Sunday.

Organiser Tony Blake, secretary of the Bull Pup Flyers, said people had "come from all over" to take part, with the grandson of the original race winner attending to give a speech.

Many of the people attending the event have a personal connection to the 1934 race, as Mr Blake explained.

"We have one chap coming in an aircraft that's exactly the same as one that competed back in 1934," he said.

"He flew the entire distance 40 years ago to celebrate the 50th anniversary."

He added: "Another particularly important character is the grandson of the man who won the race in the first place, and he'll be there with a lot of his grandfather's memories and memorabilia."

A formation flight is planned for Sunday [Tony Blake ]

The original race was organised by the Australian state of Victoria to commemorate 100 years since its foundation, and had a prize of up to 10,000 for the winner as well as a gold cup.

All of the entrants were amateurs, apart from Dutch airline KLM who entered with a professional crew and "did extremely well, until they got lost and landed in a muddy racecourse in the middle of Australia", said Mr Blake.

The race also included US pilot Roscoe Turner, who often flew with a real tiger in the back of his plane to promote an oil company.

"Talk about self-promotion - he invented his own air force, invented his own uniform and promoted himself to colonel," said Mr Blake. "You can't do much more than that, can you?"

Eight planes failed to finish the race and two participants died when their plane crashed over Italy, but it was eventually won by English team C.W.A. Scott and T. Campbell Black.

Mr Scott's grandson, Tim Barron, is due to give a speech at a special dinner on Saturday evening.

While none of the pilots taking part in this weekend's event will have a live tiger in the back of their plane, Mr Blake explained that they retained a similar sense of adventure.

"The people who fly small aeroplanes today are very much the same kind of people who flew the small aeroplanes in the race," he said.

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After lows in the 60s, Sunday will be partly sunny with scattered showers and storms.

Most of Sundays rainfall will be late in the day and evening.

Our Futurecast shows scattered showers and storms are likely on Sunday and Monday.

Rain chances will continue Tuesday with the rest of the week likely dry.

Temperatures this week will be near normal in the afternoon and, on cloudy days, above normal in the morning.





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Staff at the University of Pittsburgh have voted to become members of the United Steelworkers union.

Staff members participated in a mail ballot election held by the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board over the past several weeks. USW says a strong majority voted in favor of joining the union.

This win belongs to every staff member who stood together for a stronger, more inclusive Pitt, said USW District 10 Director Bernie Hall. When workers have a voice, the entire university thrivesfrom the classrooms to the community that calls it home.

Roughly 6,300 staff members will join USW, one of the largest labor unions in North America with 85,000 members.

Faculty at Pitt unionized with USW in 2021 and ratified their first union contract in May. Pitt graduate workers have filed for their own union election with USW, but the vote has not yet been scheduled.

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SKYLIGHTS 2024: Week 5 high school football scores FBI investigating after man claims 3 people assaulted him in Oakland after seeing his Star of David Suspected drug dealer arrested in Homestead VIDEO: Pittsburgh music fan feeling impact of nationwide Ticketmaster scam DOWNLOAD the Channel 11 News app for breaking news alerts
Kriti Sanon made a stylish appearance at the IIFA Utsavam 2024. The actor who has given some successful movies this year including 'Teri Baaton Mein Aisa Uljha Jiya' and 'Crew', spoke about the pressure on artists because of social media. Kriti shared that she has seen the time when social media was not so relevant and also witnessed the era when it held a prominent place. However, despite its positive aspects, there are certain flaws as well. While speaking to the media at the IIFA Utsavam 2024, she said, " I think when we were artists back when there was no social media. I think I've been in the generation that has passed through it, like I started when there was no social media and then I entered the social media, so I've seen both. I think there's a lot more scrutiny on everything, what you're wearing, what you're seeing, where you're seen, where you're spotted and also I feel like people are just consuming data constantly and it also takes away from the excitement of seeing celebrities and actors as well, because you're seeing them like every now and right now." She continued, "I mean there are pros and cons of both. We can obviously connect to our fans a lot more easily. We probably do two films a year but then the rest of the time we can sort of connect with them. So, I think there are pros and cons both." The ace star is set to embrace a new role as a producer with her upcoming venture, 'Do Patti.' She got candid about the same and said, " 'Do Patti' is my first baby as a producer. I'm very excited but very nervous. I hope what we've tried to achieve, people really like it and connect with it and there is something that we're trying to say with the film, which I hope touches people's hearts and this is just the beginning. I consider myself a newcomer when you call me a producer, so it's been a learning experience. But creatively it's been satisfying and as an entrepreneur, I've been enjoying it..." The new edition of the International Indian Film Academy Awards (IIFA) is taking place in the Arab city from September 27 to September 29. The three-day celebration has kicked off with IIFA Utsavam, an event dedicated to the southern film industries--Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada. On the second day, stars including Shah Rukh Khan, Vicky Kaushal and Karan Johar will come on stage to entertain the audience with their hosting stint at the IIFA Awards night. Interestingly, the second day will see Rekha returning to the IIFA stage after a long time. Shahid Kapoor, Kriti Sanon, Ananya Panday, Janhvi Kapoor and Vicky will also be adding charm to the gala night with their performances. IIFA 2024 will be concluded on September 29 with the exclusive, invitation-only IIFA Rocks. Artists such as Honey Singh, Shilpa Rao and Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy will perform live for the audience. (ANI)
CRESCENT, Pa. (AP)  A propane system is believed to have been the source of a massive explosion that killed two people and destroyed a house in the Pittsburgh area near the Ohio River earlier this year, authorities said.

A spokesperson for the Allegheny County fire marshals office told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that the investigation of the March 12 blast in Crescent Township had been closed and will remain undetermined, but the source of the blast is related to the privately owned propane system.

The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commissions safety division said Tuesday it had concluded its probe and found no evidence linking the blast to natural gas service under public utility jurisdiction. The home had no public utility natural gas service, and while Columbia Gas has natural gas mains in the general area, there were no utility gas mains in the immediate vicinity and no utility gas leaks were found, the commission said.

The commission noted, however, that while there was no public utility natural gas service connected to the home, a private natural gas well and propane tank were located on the property  which are both outside the PUCs jurisdiction.

Aerial images from the scene in Crescent Township in the northwest Pittsburgh suburbs showed smoking ruins with the structure reduced to rubble and some large pieces lodged in trees above. Chief Andrew Tomer of the Crescent Township Fire Department said the blast was severe, absolutely extreme   you could feel it in your chest. The homeowners, 89-year-old David Mitchell and 87-year-old Helen Mitchell, were killed.

In August 2023, a blast in the borough of Plum about 25 miles (40 kilometers) away in the same county killed six people and destroyed three homes. Authorities said the cause was under investigation, but the explosion occurred inside one of the homes, ruling out an outside cause including wells, pipelines and other utilities.

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NEW YORK (PIX11)  History was made in New York City this week when Eric Adams became the citys first sitting mayor to be indicted on federal charges.

A federal indictment charged Adams with bribery, campaign finance and conspiracy offenses. He is accused of accepting bribes and illegal campaign contributions from foreign sources stemming from his 2021 mayoral campaign. Adams has pleaded not guilty.

PIX11 News reporter James Ford, THE CITY reporter Katie Honan, and John Jay College of Criminal Justice associate professor Susan Kang joined PIX on Politics to discuss the indictment against Adams and what could happen next.

Watch the video player for the full panel.

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Poland and Baltic states to ask EU for funding for fortifications on border with Russia and Belarus

Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland will ask the European Union to finance the construction of a network of bunkers, barriers, distribution lines and military depots along the borders with Russia and Belarus. This was agreed by the defence ministers of these four countries following a meeting in the Latvian city of Daugavpils.

Source: European Pravda, citing the press service of the Estonian Ministry of Defence.

Details: As the defence ministers of the Baltic states and Poland noted, Russia's war against Ukraine has shown that creating physical obstacles in open terrain without natural defensive cover is of paramount importance, even in a technologically advanced war.

They stressed that external threats on the Baltic-Polish border are increasing and that the reinforcement of fortifications along the border with Russia and Belarus remains a priority, contributing to their commitment to defend every inch of NATO territory.

"The need for a defence line stems from the security situation and supports NATOs new forward defence concept," said Estonian Defence Minister Hanno Pevkur, adding that "it is extremely important to coordinate our activities with Poland".

"At the same time, it strengthens the security of the European Union and the military defence of its borders, which is why we clearly see that the European Union could also financially support the project," he said.

The statement does not specify how much financial assistance Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland will request from the EU for the construction of the fortifications.

Back in January, the three Baltic states announced a plan to create a Baltic Defence Line, and in May, Poland announced a similar project called the Eastern Shield to strengthen its borders with Russia's Kaliningrad Oblast and Belarus.

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This photo provided by the state company Polish Waters shows the Oder River flood waters channelled into and contained by the newly-built Lower Raciborz Reservoir that has spared the cities of Opole and Wroclaw from flooding, in Raciborz, southwestern Poland, Sept. 16, 2024. (Polish Waters via AP)

WARSAW, Poland (AP)  The death toll in Poland from recent floods has risen to nine, after two more bodies were found, the national police chief said Saturday.

One person is still missing, police chief Marek Boron told a government meeting on the the effects of the floods that hit southwestern Poland earlier this month.

The floods following torrential rains inundated houses and damaged bridges and roads in the towns of Stronie Slaskie, Nysa and many villages in the area. More than 20 people had died in Poland and elsewhere in Central Europe from the floods.

Among the dead in Poland was a German citizen, Prime Minister Donald Tusk said earlier this week.
LAS VEGAS (KLAS)  Most of the 18 men arrested in an undercover operation this summer reported by the 8 News Now Investigators in early September 2024 thought they were talking to boys and girls ranging in age from 13 to 15 with the hopes of engaging in sexual activity, according to police reports and court documents.

The sting, run by the Nevada Internet Crimes Against Children  which included detectives from that task force and the FBIs Child Exploitation Task Force, as well as the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation, North Las Vegas Police Department, Henderson Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigation, and the Nevada Attorney General.

18 arrested in undercover North Las Vegas child sex predator operation

The men ranged in age from 22-60, all speaking with decoys posing as underage children. All 18 men face charges for Luring a Minor with a Computer to Engage in Sex.

Three of those cases are illustrative of most of the 18, including:

One man, 26, who thought he was meeting a 15-year-old girl to whom he spoke graphically of sex. He provided the decoy with photos of himself, but he told police, in his own defense, I knew what this was, and that he was there to catch the sick SOB. He told police he only said sexual things to the decoy because he was playing along, and wanted to catch her in another lie. He agreed to take a polygraph and wrote a letter of apology during his police interview. He is now out of jail on $20,000 bail.

Another man, 24 admitted to police the boy he was talking with  another decoy  said he was 13. When he got busted, he told police he brought condoms, but, for sexual encounters with older men. Additionally, according to the police report, he admitted to having an addiction to masturbation, and has a problem and needs help. Initially, he told police he wanted to get caught, and never intended on having sex with a 13-year-old boy. But, the police report says, he eventually told them he did want to have sex with the 13-year-old boy.

The oldest of the men arrested, 60, spoke with a decoy posing as the father of an 8-year-old girl. The police report details that the two discussed sexual contact with that girl that included taking off her clothing, touching her little body, and other disturbing acts. He told the decoy he wanted to talk about his side of the story, but that the interaction was all fantasy, the police report said. However, the report also says he told the decoy, fantasy is safer than reality but if you really are real, lets meet. That man declined a polygraph.

Still another man, 32, was diagnosed as HIV positive two years ago, the police report said. He is accused of using an online platform to speak with a decoy posing as a 15-year-old boy. The police report said he insists that his doctors have assured him that he is fine. He was discussing meeting the boy at a predetermined location and told him You just lay down and I will the rest [sic].

18 men arrested in undercover Las Vegas child sex predator operation

At least one of the 18 defendants has a closed case in which prosecutors advised that he would likely be indicted by a grand jury. Several others have had their cases bound over from North Las Vegas Justice Court to Clark County District Court and some of them have pleaded guilty. Others have open court dates in October in North Las Vegas Justice Court.

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AKRON, Ohio (WJW)  Steer clear! Officers with the Akron Police Department were able to catch a cow that was running loose through the city on Wednesday.

According to Akron police, officers responded after 911 dispatchers received several reports of a cow running around the Ellet area around 8:45 p.m.

Blessed to do it: Family delivers baby along I-71 in Strongsville

The department shared a photo on Facebook of the officers attempting to surround the cow.

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APD Officers were able to wrangle the runaway cow and get it safely back to its owner, police officials said in the post.

Cattle catching isnt something new for the department. In fact, as FOX 8 previously reported back in June, Akron police were called to help when a cow fell off a truck on the highway.

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PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN)  Police were delayed in responding to two-car crash in Northwest Portland which left one hospitalized early Saturday morning.

Authorities said an ambulance passing by the area of Northwest Glisan and 16th Avenue reported the crash just before 2:30 a.m. EMS soon responded and took one person to the hospital.

Person found dead after hit-run in East Portland

A PPB officer responded to the scene just before 4:30 a.m. and found those involved in the crash had left the area.

Officials say when the officer went to check on the the crash victim at the hospital, they had already been treated and released.

According to PPB, the delayed response to the crash was due to limited staffing and numerous calls which included a shooting.

No further information has been released at this time.

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The Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police has been encouraged by an animal rights group to phase out the use of dogs - Jeff J Mitchell/Getty

Police forces should not be allowed to use dogs to fight crime, animal rights campaigners have said.

Animal rights activists say the time has come to phase out the use of dogs in law enforcement following a spate of injuries to animals on the frontline during the summer riots.

The Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police has been encouraged to phase out the use of dogs amid rising risks to their welfare and improvements in technology that can replace their role.

With more technology at our disposal than ever before, theres no need to continue to use dogs  or any animal  to maintain law and order, Elisa Allen, vice-president of programmes at Peta, wrote in a letter to Sir Mark Rowley seen by The Telegraph.

Now is the time to make a change. Please, begin phasing out animals from police service.

Peta has called on police dogs to be phased out following injuries to animals in the summer riots - Behlul Cetinkaya/Anadolu/Getty Images

It is the first time the organisation has called on the police forces of the UK to reconsider the century-old practice of training and using canines.

The first formal police dogs began work in Britain in 1908 in Hull. Alsatians, also known as German shepherds, became the default police dog following the First World War after British officials saw the power, trainability and effectiveness of the breed when it was used by Germany during the war.

There are now more than 2,500 dogs used by police in the UK, according to estimates, with the Met alone having about 400.

Dogs are used by a range of forces for a host of purposes, including tracking suspects, riot control, bomb and drug detection, and search and rescue.

The Alsatian is still the most common general purpose police dog and some are also trained as specialist urban search and rescue dogs.

Spaniels, known for their sensitive noses, are a main choice for detection dogs - Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty

Spaniels and labradors, known for their temperament and sensitive noses, are the main choice for detection dogs.

Dogs in Britains police forces never signed up to risk their lives but are being battered on the front lines of riots and left to bake to death in hot cars, Ms Allen said.

Peta is urging the Metropolitan Police to end the use of dogs and adopt modern methods of maintaining law and order that dont subject animals to a lifetime of violence.

In the letter, she told Sir Mark that police forces have in recent months admirably protected the public from hateful, violent extremists but warned this unrest highlighted the risks to the police dogs.

Ike and Zoe, dogs used by Merseyside Police, were hit by bricks thrown by the unruly crowd, she said in the letter.

A third dog, Quga  who was bitten and strangled by an offender while on duty in July  sustained further injuries when her back leg was burned during the riots.

The Met Police was approached for comment.

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Nampa Police arrested a 24-year-old man after a car crash killed a woman on Friday night, police said in a news release.

The woman, 26-year-old Brook Taylor, was taken to the hospital where she died, police said.

The two-car crash happened near N. Middleton Road and Smith Avenue.

A young woman lost her life last night because a young man chose to drive impaired. In todays world, with so many ride options, there is no excuse for his decision to get behind the wheel, Nampa Police Chief Joe Huff said. Today, Ms. Taylors friends and family are left to face the stark reality of life without her.

The other driver, Shaeden Robinson, was taken to the hospital, treated and released to police custody, police said. He was charged with felony vehicular manslaughter and felony aggravated DUI, police said. His charges were not yet available on the states court record system.

In August, Robinson was charged with driving without privileges and failing to have car insurance.

He has multiple previous charges and convictions for driving without privileges or a valid drivers license, court records show.

There were 1,708 reported impaired driving crashes in 2023, a 5% decrease from the year before, according to the Idaho Transportation Department. The estimated economic cost of impaired crashes in Idaho last year was over $1.67 billion.

The penalty for an aggravated DUI is up to 15 years in prison, $5,000 fine, 5-year drivers license suspension and restitution, according to Canyon County.

For vehicular manslaughter, the penalty is up to a 15-year prison sentence, $15,000 fine, an indefinite license suspension, restitution and potential child support to the kids of the person who died.
BRONX, New York (PIX11)  An NYPD police officer was charged in connection with two separate incidents, according to the Bronx district attorney clerk.

Kenny Victoria, a 34-year-old officer with the 44th precinct in the Bronx, is accused of assaulting a suspect with a police radio and for lying on behalf of another officer who hit a motorcyclist with a patrol car.

More Local News

Court documents show Victoria was a passenger in a patrol car with another officer when they crashed into a motorcyclist in Dec. 2023 in Claremont. At the time, the biker was arrested and Victoria allegedly filed a report saying the motorcyclist was doing a wheelie and drove into the police vehicle, according to the clerk.

Investigators say they later found surveillance video that shows the police car sped up and turned into the motorcyclist when he was entering an intersection.

Two off-duty city employees charged with assaulting food cart operator: NYPD

In a second incident, Victoria allegedly hit a suspect in the head with his police radio during an arrest in April, the Bronx district attorney says. The man was taken to the hospital where he received staples in his head to stop the bleeding.

Victoria faces multiple charges including falsifying business records, assault, attempted offering of a false instrument, offering a false instrument for filing, and official misconduct.

Dominique Jack is a digital content producer from Brooklyn with more than five years of experience covering news. She joined PIX11 in 2024. More of her work can be found here.

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The film 'Dharmaveer 2' is based on the life of the late Shiv Sena leader Dharamveer Anand Dighe, who was CM Shinde's political mentor.

Earlier in July, actor and producer Bobby Deol unveiled the poster of the film 'Dharmaveer 2' alongside Chief Minister of Maharashtra Eknath Shinde and the film's cast and crew in Mumbai.

At the event, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde remarked, "Dighe Saheb's legacy was first introduced to audiences in the movie "Dharmaveer," but his contributions are so extensive that they cannot be encapsulated in just one film. Hence, the story has been expanded into two parts.

This new film aims to highlight crucial elements of his impactful past. We aspire to follow in the footsteps of Dighe Saheb and Balasaheb Thackeray, dedicating ourselves wholeheartedly to their legacy.

Dighe Saheb not only championed Hindutva but also protected the entire society, offering help to people of all religions, castes, and creeds without disappointment. No needy person ever left his presence without receiving assistance.

Chief Minister Eknath Shinde brought these cherished memories of Anand Dighe to light at the trailer launch of "Dharmaveer 2: Mukkam Post Thane."

Salman Khan added, "I had come for the first movie's screening and it was a big hit and I hope and pray that this one will be an even bigger hit".

The film was released on September 27. (ANI)
Police officer being searched under rubble in Kryvyi Rih

The scene of the Russian 28 September strike on Kryvyi Rih. Photo: Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Prosecutors Office

The search and rescue operation continues at the scene of the Russian 28 September strike on the police building in Kryvyi Rih.

Source: Ihor Klymenko, Minister of Internal Affairs

Details: According to available information, a police officer may be trapped under the rubble.

This marks the second consecutive day that Ukrainian police have suffered casualties among their ranks.

Background:

On Saturday, a police officer was killed during a second strike on a hospital in Sumy.

Three people were killed as a result of a Russian missile strike on Kryvyi Rih.

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PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN)  Multiple West Salem schools went into lockdown on Friday afternoon following reports of a student with a gun, authorities said.

A student has been located in connection to the case after a law enforcement search in the area surrounding West Salem High School, where initial reports of an armed student outside the school surfaced, Salem police said.

Oregon drivers are among the worst in the nation, Forbes says

Following the reports, the Salem Keizer School District activated their safety and security systems and worked with the police.

As additional reports came in that the student was on foot in the neighboring area, several Salem Police officers, and Polk County Deputies responded to look for the student, the Salem Police Department said in a release. In addition to officers searching the area on foot, canine officers and drones were deployed.

Officials said the student was located without incident and that the investigation is still ongoing.

Oregon Sen. Wyden introduces sweeping Supreme Court reform bill

It wasnt clear in the release whether the student had a gun when they were found or if they were facing criminal charges.

KOIN 6 News confirmed five schools went into lockdown but the lockdowns were all lifted later in the afternoon.

One of those schools was Harritt Elementary School, where Summer Staples six-year-old goes to school.

I was just in the middle of my shift at work around one oclock, I just checked my phone and saw that I had a text message, Staples told KOIN 6 News.

The message was from the Salem Keizer School District, notifying Staples of the lockdown at Harritt, where her son Wyatt attends as a student with special needs.

I called my husband after that, and we were both really worried, because at that point, you dont have any more information to go off of, Staples said.

The concerned parent checked social media for answers.

It was just a really stressful situation for everybody involved, Staples said.

The district said in a statement that West Salem High School, Straub Middle School, Kalapuya, Harrit and Chapman Elementary Schools all went into lockdown around 12:30 p.m. The lockdowns lifted just before 1:15 p.m.

Our minds immediately jumped to worst case scenario, Staples said, explaining she was worried there may have been an active shooter at the school hurting the children.

That turned out not to be the case Friday. Even still, Staples said she and her husband are already having difficult conversations when it comes to keeping their son safe.

My son, he wouldnt know that somebody was a danger. He would walk right up to somebody, even if they had a gun facing right in his direction, he wouldnt know. He wouldnt care. And thats a horrible thought and thing to have to live with, Staples said.

The Salem Keizer School District said in a statement Friday afternoon they have no additional information about the incident.

Stay with KOIN 6 as this story develops.

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South San Francisco, Calif. (KRON)  Police and fire units responded to a stabbing on campus at South San Francisco High School on Friday, according to the South San Francisco Police Department. According to police, officers and detectives responded to the school at 400 B Street at 12:01 p.m. on a report of a possible stabbing.

An investigation revealed a fight had led to a 16-year-old victim being stabbed. The victim, police said, was taken to an area trauma center with non-life-threatening injuries.

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The suspect, a 14-year-old, was found and taken into police custody for attempted murder.

Police called the stabbing an isolated incident and said there was no threat to the community. The school was placed on temporary Secure Campus status, according to the South San Francisco Unified School District, meaning that doors were closed and locked. Entering and exiting the campus was also temporarily restricted.

All I could describe this in one word is hectic, one student who witnessed the attack told KRON4 News, adding that he saw the victim faint. This was so hectic. All periods got shut down basically. Im still shocked from this event.

However, school officials said that students and staff were not under full lockdown protocols. Officials emphasized that there was no immediate threat to the school community and that they were working with law enforcement.

Investigators are asking anyone with information or videos of the attack to contact their Criminal Investigations Bureau at 650-877-8900 or email tips@ssf.net.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

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Police: Rockford man shoots two men, one fatally, near MaxMart

ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO)  Rockford Police arrested Murphy Doss, 51, for allegedly shooting two men, one fatally, at a MaxMart on Friday night.

Around 10:08 p.m., officials responded to the MaxMart at 922 Kilburn Avenue to find 34-year-old and 30-year-old victims suffering from gunshot wounds. Both were taken to local hospitals where the 30-year-old victim died.

Witnesses told authorities an argument was taking place between the suspect and a group of people. Doss then allegedly shot at the two victims and fled the scene, according to a RPD press release.

Later, Illinois State Police found the suspected vehicle at the Belvidere Oasis and Doss. A handgun and ammunition were found inside the vehicle, according to police.

The suspect was taken into custody and lodged in the Winnebago County Jail.

Doss is charged with two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of attempted murder and unlawful use of a weapon by a felon.

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HUBER HEIGHTS, Ohio (WDTN)  Police are investigating after a man was stabbed early Saturday morning.

Around 8:20 a.m., Huber Heights police and medics responded to the 6000 block of Chambersburg Road on reports of a stabbing.

Upon arrival, crews found a 26-year-old man with injuries. Police say he was alert and talking to officers while on scene, before being transported to Miami Valley Hospital for treatment.

While on scene, the victim identified a suspect to police, who had fled by the time officers arrived.

This case is under active investigation by Huber Heights Police Division.

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Police searching for thief who stole classic Chevy Corvette in West L.A.

Police are searching for a thief who escaped with a classic Chevrolet Corvette in West Los Angeles.

The theft occurred on Sept. 4 in the parking garage of a commercial building on the 12200 block of West Olympic Boulevard, according to Los Angeles police.

At around 8:40 p.m., the male suspect entered the underground garage and spotted the parked Corvette. The doors were unlocked which allowed him to quickly enter and drive the car away.

The suspect is described as a white man between 25 to 30 years old. He stands around 6 feet tall and was last seen wearing a gray t-shirt, dark shorts, gray/white shoes and a black backpack. He was also seen carrying a skateboard.

The stolen vehicle is a light blue 1958 Chevrolet Corvette with Rhode Island license plate number 1KJ358.

The stolen vehicle is a light blue 1958 Chevrolet Corvette with Rhode Island license plate number 1KJ358. (Los Angeles Police Department)

Security cameras captured the male suspect stealing a 1958 Chevrolet Corvette from a West L.A. parking garage on September 4, 2024. (Los Angeles Police Department)

Detectives have released images of the man captured by surveillance cameras hoping someone may recognize him.

Anyone with information is urged to call LAPD Auto Detectives at 310-444-1503. The public can also call the LAPD at 1-877-527-3247.

Anonymous tips can be provided to L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online at lacrimestoppers.org.

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Poll: West Michigan, what do you think of AI?

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD)  Many industries are still grappling with the ramifications of AI.

In West Michigan, health care providers like Corewell are using it to help save physicians time on documentation and for patient care. Professors at Western Michigan University are using it to help with group projects, while some local artists are using it as a tool for creativity.

Inside WOODTV.com: AI in West Michigan

It also has drawbacks. Local cybersecurity experts say it can be used for nefarious purposes, like creating deep fakes of politician and celebrities. Librarians and artists have concerns about protecting intellectual property and the environmental impact AI can have.

Still, it seems like AI will have  and is already having  a big impact on local companies and residents.

Take our poll to let us know what you think about AI. To find out how West Michigan industries are handling AI, click here.

The poll will stay open until Monday at 10 a.m. Come back Monday morning for the official results.

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Signage at an early voting center on September 23, 2016, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)

Days after President Joe Biden announced he would not be seeking re-election, and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris, polling organization Siena College Research Institute sought to learn how persuadable voters were feeling about Harris.

In their survey, a 37-year-old Republican explained that they generally favored Trump for his ability to get [things] done one way or another.

Who do you think cares about people like you? How do they compare in terms of caring about people like you? the pollster asked.

Thats where I think Harris wins, I lost a lot of faith in Trump when he didnt even contact the family of the supporter who died at his rally, the 37-year-old said.

Pollsters pressed this participant and others across the political spectrum to further explain their stances, and examine the nuance behind choosing a candidate. The researchers saw in real time how voters may sway depending on the issue, and asked follow-up questions about their belief systems.

But the persuadable voters werent talking to a human pollster. They were conversing with an AI chatbot called Engage.

The speed in which election cycles move, coupled with a steep drop of people participating in regular phone or door-to-door polls, have caused pollsters to turn to artificial intelligence for insights, both asking the questions and sometimes even answering them

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Why do we poll?

The history of polling voters in presidential races goes back 200 years, to the 1824 race which ultimately landed John Quincy Adams in the White House. White men began polling each other at events leading up to the election, and newspapers began reporting the results, though they didnt frame the results as predictive of the outcome of the election.

In modern times, polling for public opinion has become a business. Research centers, academic institutions and news conglomerates themselves have been conducting polls during election season for decades. Though their accuracy has limitations, the practice is one of the only ways to gauge how Americans may be thinking before they vote.

Polling plays a different role for different groups, said Rachel Cobb, an assistant professor of political science and legal studies at Suffolk University. For campaign workers, polling groups of voters helps provide insight into the issues people care about the most right now, and informs how candidates talk about those issues. Its why questions at a presidential debate usually arent a surprise to candidates  moderators tend to ask questions about the highest-polling topics that week.

For news outlets, polls help give context to current events and give anchors numbers to illustrate a story. Constant polling also helps keep a 24-hour news cycle going.

Voters trickle into a downtown Baton Rouge precinct Saturday, Oct. 13, 2023, for the statewide primary election. (Jonathan Peterson for Louisiana Illuminator)

And for regular Americans, poll results help them gauge where the race is, and either activate or calm their nerves, depending on if their candidate is polling favorably.

But Cobb said she, like many of her political science colleagues, has observed a drop in responses to more traditional style of polling. Its much harder and more expensive for pollsters to do their job, because people arent answering their phones or their front doors.

The time invested in getting the appropriate kind of balance of people that you need in order to determine accuracy has gotten greater and so and theyve had to come up with more creative ways to get them, Cobb said. At the same time, our technological capacity has increased.

How AI is assisting in polling?

The speed of information has increased exponentially with social media and 24-hour news cycles, and polls have had to keep up, too. Though they bring value in showing insights for a certain group of people, their validity is fleeting because of that speed, Cobb said. Results are truly only representative of that moment in time, because one breaking news story could quickly change public opinion.

That means pollsters have to work quickly, or train artificial intelligence to keep up.

Leib Litman, co-CEO and chief research officer of CloudResearch, which created the chatbot tool Engage, said AI has allowed them to collect answers so much faster than before.

Were able to interview thousands of people within a matter of a couple hours, and then all of that data that we get, all those conversations, were also able to analyze it, and derive the insights very, very quickly, he said.

Engage was developed about a year ago and can be used in any industry where you need to conduct market research via interviews. But its become especially useful in this election cycle as campaigns attempt to learn how Americans are feeling at any given moment. The goal isnt to replace human responses with AI, rather to use AI to reach more people, Litman said.

But some polling companies are skipping interviewing and instead relying on something called sentiment analysis AI to analyze publically available data and opinions. Think tank Heartland Forward recently worked with AI-powered polling group Aaru to determine the public perception of artificial intelligence.

Voters in Grand Rapids, Michigan, cast ballots during the states August primary. (Matt Vasilogambros/Stateline)

The prediction AI company uses geographical and demographic data of an area and scrapes publicly available information, like tweets or voting records, to simulate respondents of a poll. The algorithm uses all this information to make assertions about how a certain demographic group may vote or how they may answer questions about political issues.

This type of poll was a first for Heartland Forward, and its executive vice president Angie Cooper said they paired the AI-conducted poll with in-person gatherings where they conducted more traditional polls.

When we commissioned the poll, we didnt know what the results were going to yield, she said. What we heard in person closely mirrored the poll results.

Sentiment analysis

The Aaru poll is an example of sentiment analysis AI, which uses machine learning and large language models to analyze the meaning and tone behind text. It includes training an algorithm to not just understand literally whats in a body of text, but also to seek out hidden messaging or context, like humans do in conversation.

The general public started interacting with this type of AI in about 2010, said Zohaib Ahmed, founder of Resemble AI, which specializes in voice generation AI. Sentiment analysis AI is the foundation behind search engines that can read a request and make recommendations, or to get your Alexa device to fulfill a command.

Between 2010 and 2020, though, the amount of information collected on the internet has increased exponentially. Theres so much more data for AI models to process and learn from, and technologists have taught it to process contextual, between-the-lines information.

The concept behind sentiment analysis is already well understood by pollsters, says Bruce Schneier, a security technologist and lecturer at Harvard Universitys Kennedy School. In June, Schneier and other researchers published a look into how AI was playing a role in political polling.

Most people think polling is just asking people questions and recording their answers, Schneier said, but theres a lot of math between the questions people answer and the poll results.

All of the work in polling is turning the answers that humans give into usable data, Schneier said.

You have to account for a few things: people lie to pollsters, certain groups may have been left out of a poll, and response rates are overall low. Youre also applying polling statistics to the answers to come up with consumable data. All of this is work that humans have had to do themselves before technology and computing helped speed up the process.

In the Harvard research, Schneier and the other authors say they believe AI will get better at anticipating human responses, and knowing when it needs human intervention for more accurate context. Currently, they said, humans are our primary respondents to polls, and computers fill in the gaps. In the future, though, well likely see AI filling out surveys and humans filling in the gaps.

I think AI should be another tool in the pollsters mathematical toolbox, which has been getting more complex for the past several decades, Schneier said.

Pros and cons of AI-assisted polling

AI polling methods bring pollsters more access and opportunity to gauge public reaction. Those who have begun using it in their methodology said that theyve struggled to get responses from humans organically, or they dont have the time and resources to conduct in-person or telephone polling.

Being interviewed by an anonymous chatbot may also provide more transparent answers for controversial political topics. Litman said personal, private issues such as health care or abortion access are where their chatbot really shines. Women, in particular, have reported that they feel more comfortable sharing their true feelings about these topics when talking to a chatbot, he said.

But, like all methodology around polling, its possible to build flaws into AI-assisted polling.

The Harvard researchers ran their own experiment asking ChatGPT 3.5 questions about the political climate, and found shortcomings when it asked about U.S. intervention in the Ukraine war. Because the AI model only had access to data up through 2021, the answers missed all of the current context about Russias invasion beginning in 2022.

Sentiment analysis AI may also struggle with text thats ambiguous, and it cant be counted on for reviewing developing information, Ahmed said. For example, the X timeline following one of the two assassination attempts of Trump probably included favorable or supportive messages from politicians across the aisle. An AI algorithm might read the situation and conclude that all of those people are very pro-Trump.

But it doesnt necessarily mean theyre navigating towards Donald Trump, Ahmed said. It just means, you know, theres sympathy towards an event thats happened, right? But that event is completely missed by the AI. It has no context of that event occurring, per se.

Poll workers check in a voter at a polling station at David R. Cawley Middle School on Feb. 11, 2020, in Hookset, New Hampshire. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

Just like phone-call polling, AI-assisted polling can also potentially leave whole groups of people out of surveys, Cobb said. Those who arent comfortable using a chatbot, or arent very active online will be excluded from public opinion polls if pollsters move most of their methods online.

Its very nuanced, Ahmed said of AI polling. I think it can give you a pretty decent, high-level look at whats happening, and I guarantee that its being used by election teams to understand their position in the race, but we have to remember we exist in bubbles, and it can be misleading.

Both the political and technology experts agreed that as with most other facets of our lives, AI has found its way into polling and we likely wont look back. Technologists should aim to further train AI models to understand human sentiment, they say, and pollsters should continue to pair it with human responses for a fuller scope of public opinion.

Science of polling is huge and complicated, Schneier said. And adding AI to the mix is another tiny step down a pathway weve been walking for a long time using, you know, fancy math combined with human data.

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Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had a very different meeting with former President Trump compared to his meeting with President Biden and his opponent in the 2024 election.

In one case he was meeting with the vice president, who was in charge when tens of thousands of Zelenskys people in Ukraine were killed, Pompeo said Friday on Fox News about Zelenskys meeting with Vice President Harris.

And the other president had deterred Vladimir Putin for four years, he added about Trump.

Trump met with Zelensky at Trump Tower in New York on Friday, describing the relationship with the Ukrainian leader as very good. Recently, Trumps comments about the war in Ukraine have sparked controversy after he refused to say he wanted Ukraine to defeat Russia at the presidential debate.

Pompeo stressed that the country was stronger during the Trump administration, arguing that the former president was capable of deterring the Russian president despite the Russia hoax.

The United States of America stood strong, we were capable of deterring Vladimir Putin in spite of the fact that CNN and The Washington Post talked about President Trump as being a Russia puppet, Pompeo told anchor Jesse Watters.

Zelensky also met with both Biden and Harris this week, and the Biden administration announced about $8 billion in aid to support the Eastern European country. The Ukrainian president sought to present Trump, Biden and Harris with his peace plans as world leaders gathered in New York for the United Nations General Assembly this week.

Pompeo added that with Trump in office there would be fewer risks in the Middle East and Europe, and that the Republican administration would confront the Chinese Communist Party and secure U.S. borders.

With President Trump in office, we will achieve peace, Pompeo said. We will get a good outcome for the Ukrainian people and Vladimir Putin will again be deterred from the aggression we have seen.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
By Joshua McElwee

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Pope Francis was sharply criticised on Saturday by one of Belgium's Catholic universities over his stance on the role of women in society, in a strongly worded press release issued just moments after the pontiff spoke at the college.

Professors and students at UCLouvain, where the 87-year-old pontiff had made a speech on Saturday afternoon, said they wanted to express their "incomprehension and disapproval" about the pope's views.

"UCLouvain  deplores the conservative positions expressed by Pope Francis on the role of women in society," said the statement, in extraordinary language from a Catholic university about a pope.

Francis went to the university on Saturday to celebrate its upcoming 600th anniversary as part of a weekend trip he is making to Belgium. His speech largely called for global action on climate change, but he also responded to a letter to him from students and professors that had asked about the Catholic Church's teaching on women.

The pope emphasized that the Church was not run like a corporation. "A woman  is a daughter, a sister, a mother, just as a man is a son, a brother, a father," he said.

The pope also described women as having "a fertile welcome, care (and) vital devotion".

The university statement called the pope's position on women's roles in society "deterministic and reductive".

Francis has faced criticism during events throughout his trip to Belgium. The country's king and prime minister called on the pope to take more concrete actions to help survivors of abuse by Catholic clergy, and a rector at a different Catholic university asked him reconsider the Catholic Church's ban on ordaining women as priests.

UCLouvain is a French-speaking university in Belgium. It has some 38,000 students studying across 20 faculties.

The Catholic Church has an all-male clergy. Francis has created two commissions to consider whether women could serve as deacons, who, like priests, are ordained, but cannot celebrate Mass, but has not moved forward on the issue.

However, during his 11 years as pontiff, Francis has also changed the Vatican's primary governing document to allow women to lead departments, and has also allowed women to vote at major global meetings of bishops, known as synods, for the first time.

(Reporting by Joshua McElwee and Marine Strauss; Editing by Frances Kerry)
Hrithik Roshan is all hearts for his girlfriend, Saba Azad, after her big win at the Asian Academy Creative Awards 2024. Saba took home the award for Best Actor/Actress in a Comedy Role for her performance in the Amazon Mini TV series Who's Your Gynac. Sharing his excitement, Hrithik posted a sweet message on Instagram. "Yay. So proud of you, Sa! This was such an incredible performance. I think I called this one. Posted @withregram @theviralfever We're thrilled to announce that Saba Azad has been honoured as the National Winner in the category of Best Actor/Actress in a Comedy Role at the Asian Academy Creative Awards 2024 for her role of Dr Vidushi in Who's Your Gynac," he wrote. https://www.instagram.com/p/DAbag0JM1Aj/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA== In Who's Your Gynac, which premiered on 28 September last year, Saba plays Dr. Vidushi Kothari, a 28-year-old young OB-GYN juggling her personal life with her duties as a doctor. Hrithik confirmed his relationship with Saba at Karan Johar's 50th birthday celebration, entering the party hand-in-hand with her. Earlier, the actor was married to Sussanne Khan, and they have two sons, Hrehaan and Hridhaan. They divorced in 2014. Meanwhile, on the work front, Saba has started shooting for the second season of the medical comedy-drama 'Who's Your Gynac?'. On the other hand, Hrithik is currently filming in Italy for his upcoming movie 'War 2'. 'War 2' is being directed by Ayan Mukerji, who is best known for his films 'Wake Up Sid', 'Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani' and 'Brahmastra'. The film also stars Jr NTR. It is a sequel to the 2019 action thriller film 'War' which starred Hrithik Roshan, Tiger Shroff and Vani Kapoor in the lead roles. Directed by Siddarth Anand, this high-octane action drama minted Rs 200 crores within seven days of its release in 2019. It's touted to be one of the highest-grossing Hindi films of that year. (ANI)
By Marta Fiorin and Joshua McElwee

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The Catholic Church's failures in responding to sexual abuse by clergy have been in focus again during Pope Francis' visit this weekend to Belgium, with the pontiff facing calls from high-profile figures and survivors for more concrete action.

The country's king, prime minister and a Catholic university rector led the calls, and in a two-hour meeting on Friday with more than a dozen abuse survivors, Francis heard requests in particular to provide better financial compensation for victims.

"We didn't talk about amounts as such, but we are very clear on the fact ... that what has been achieved and obtained so far is totally insufficient," said Annesophie Cardinal, one of the survivors in the meeting at the Vatican's embassy in Brussels.

Cardinal, who was abused as a child, spoke emotionally about the encounter, calling it "very challenging". She said the survivors felt a responsibility "also to speak on behalf of all the people who couldn't meet him".

Jean-Marc Turine, another survivor who took part, expressed frustration. He said Francis "beat around the bush" and offered no concrete actions.

"He asks for forgiveness, he says he is ashamed and that it hurts his heart," Turine said. "Well, that doesn't help us much."

The Vatican provided few details about the meeting, as per its usual practice when the pope meets survivors. In a brief statement, it said Francis had listened to the Belgian victims and "expressed shame for what they suffered as children".

STRONG LANGUAGE

Francis' trip to Belgium is meant to focus on the 600th anniversary of two Catholic universities. But the Church's record on abuse has come to the fore.

At the pope's meeting with Belgian dignitaries early on Friday, both King Philippe and Prime Minister Alexander De Croo raised the issue in unusually strong language for a papal foreign visit.

In a meeting with local Catholics on Saturday at Brussels' national basilica, a church worker from the Flanders region told Francis the scandals had created feelings of "horror, sadness, and helplessness".

Belgian clergy abuse victims have received financial compensation through a Church-established mediation body following a 2010 investigation that uncovered widespread abuse over decades.

In total, the Arbitration Centre upheld 507 claims from victims of priests, awarding a total of three million euros ($3.4 million), a former member of the Centre's scientific committee told Parliament in 2016.

Settlements ranged from 2,500 euros ($2,800) to 25,000 euros ($28,000) depending on the severity of the abuse, but many survivors say the compensation was inadequate and the process lacked transparency.

Turine, 78, said survivors had asked Francis during Friday's meeting for more compensation to allow for better psychiatric treatment, and requested that any future amounts be managed by an outside entity, independent from church authorities.

He said he went to the meeting with Francis with "no expectations". Survivors, he said, are not listened to in the Church.

"Will the pope do something to change things drastically?" he asked. "Many things need to change."

(Reporting by Marta Fiorin, Joshua McElwee and Marine Strauss; Editing by Helen Popper)
Post-election violence is possible in U.S., academic says  and it could be worse than Jan. 6

Protesters enter the Senate Chamber on Jan. 6. Congress held a joint session to ratify President-elect Joe Biden's 306-232 Electoral College win over President Donald Trump. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Should Americans be bracing for bloodshed if Donald Trump loses the 2024 presidential election?

As a political scientist who studies American politics, I can easily imagine a repeat of the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol insurrection  or worse  following this Novembers presidential election.

Flashback to 2020

Four years ago, in an attempt to overturn his loss in the 2020 presidential election, then-President Donald Trump and his surrogates furiously challenged its results. Lodging 63 lawsuits, Trump and his surrogates tried to discredit or override vote counting, election processes and certification standards in nine states.

None of these attempts was successful. Many were dismissed as baseless  often by Trump-appointed judges  before they even saw trial. Simply put, there is no evidence of widespread fraud. Even a voter data expert hired by Trump concluded that the 2020 election was not stolen.

The U.S. legal system agreed, demonstrating that courts remain an important bulwark protecting American democracy. Yet the legal system cannot prevent political violence wrought by election denialism, as the country soon learned.

On Jan. 6, 2021, over 2,000 people stormed the United States Capitol to forcibly prevent Congress from certifying the 2020 presidential election. Four people died and 138 police officers were injured during the riot, which inflicted nearly US$3 million of damage. Four officers who responded to the riot would later kill themselves.

The mob was spurred, at least in part, by Trumps rousing speech at a rally in Washington, D.C., earlier that day. There, he reiterated his claims that the 2020 election had been stolen by emboldened radical-left Democrats and warned the crowd of approximately 53,000 that if you dont fight like hell, youre not going to have a country anymore.

Many legal scholars considered this to be incitement.

He clearly knew there were people in that crowd who were ready to and intended to be violent, legal scholar Garrett Epps told the BBC. He not only did nothing to discourage it, he strongly hinted it should happen.

Trump: A sore loser  and winner

Trump has a long history of denying the results of any contest whose outcome he does not like.

Before entering the political arena, Trump called the 2012 Emmys dishonest because his show, The Apprentice, did not win. In 2012, he dismissed then-President Barack Obamas reelection as a total sham and questioned the accuracy of vote tallies and voting machines. Unleashing a barrage of tweets, Trump urged citizens to fight like hell against a disgusting injustice.

As a presidential candidate in 2016, Trump called the Republican primaries fraudulent after his competitor Sen. Ted Cruz won in Iowa, tweeting that the Texan stole it.

Ultimately, Trump won the Republican primaries and the national presidential campaign against Hillary Clinton in 2016. Nonetheless, he falsely claimed that he only lost the popular vote  Trump fell 2 million short of Clintons 65.8 million votes  due to massive voting among illegal immigrants.

Attacking the 2024 election

Trump has doubled down on his election denial this election cycle. By May 2024, The New York Times had documented 550 such statements, up from roughly 100 in the entire 2020 campaign.

Continuing to insist that the 2020 election was rigged, Trump predicts a repeat in 2024.

This narrative of pervasive victimization has been bolstered by a flurry of lawsuits and criminal investigations brought against the former president. Since 2020, state and federal prosecutors have charged Trump with 94 crimes, including business fraud, mishandling classified documents and interfering with the federal election.

In New York, he was convicted of 34 counts of corporate fraud and found liable for sexual abuse in a civil case filed by author E. Jean Carroll.

Trump has cast these legal challenges as a deliberate attempt by President Joe Biden to interfere with the 2024 election over 350 times.

My legal issues, every one of them, civil and the criminal ones, are all set up by Joe Biden, Trump told a New York City crowd in January 2024. Theyre doing it for election interference.

His surrogates amplify this message. For instance, Mike Howell, director of the right-leaning Heritage Foundations Oversight Project, proclaimed on June 6, 2024, at a public Washington event that there is a 0% chance of a free and fair election.

From denialism to violence: Warning signs

Lying about election results is no mere tantrum. It is a cornerstone of Trumps strategy to paint himself as the victim of an elitist deep state  an image that appeals to his base, particularly among white working-class voters, some of whom feel that they are victims themselves of globalization and shadowy elites.

This strategy is working.

A September 2023 survey by the independent pollster PRRI showed that 32% of Americans believe that the 2020 election was stolen. Even though the question has been comprehensively litigated and dismissed in the courts, many American citizens simply do not believe, under any circumstances, that Trump can lose in a fair election.

That fact, combined with other statistics from the same poll, explains why I believe another Jan. 6 is possible.

About 23% of Americans and 33% of Republicans believe that true American patriots may have to resort to violence in order to save our country  a 5% increase among Republicans and 8% among the general public since 2021.

Meanwhile, 75% of Americans believe that American democracy is at risk in the 2024 election. That, too, may be something worth fighting for  especially when 39% of Trump supporters and 42% of Biden supporters report having no friends who support the opposing candidate. When people do not trust or socialize with people unlike them, violence between groups is more likely.

I fear little can be done to prevent such violence.

In 2022, Congress, acting in rare bipartisan fashion, approved the Electoral Count Reform and Transition Improvement Act of 2022, which closed many doors that President Trump attempted to use to thwart the 2020 election. Yet, as history shows, rule of law is not a certain brace against violence.

Given the perceived stakes of the election for most Americans, along with Trumps ever-sharpening incendiary rhetoric, it is hard to imagine that Jan. 6, 2021, was an isolated chapter in American history.

Indeed, it may have been just a prelude.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Alexander Cohen is an associate professor of political science at Clarkson University. Through its opinion section, Kansas Reflector works to amplify the voices of people who are affected by public policies or excluded from public debate. Find information, including how to submit your own commentary, here.

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UPDATE 8:05 p.m.: The roadway has been cleared by city officials.

COLUMBUS, Ga. (WRBL)  A powerline is down on Cherokee Avenue near Slade Drive and Shannon Drive.

Residents who live in the area say the power line is down and people are warning drivers coming from the direction of Lake Bottom Park in Columbus.

At this time no repair workers have been reported at the scene.

Drivers are encouraged to take alternate routes to get to their destinations.

WRBL will update this article when more information is made available.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WRBL.
(This story was updated to add new information.)

President Joe Biden on Saturday called the death of Hassan Nasrallah a measure of justice for the people who were killed during the longtime Hezbollah leader's four-decade reign of terror.

His death from an Israeli airstrike is a measure of justice for his many victims, including thousands of Americans, Israelis, and Lebanese civilians, the U.S. president said in a written statement. The United States fully supports Israels right to defend itself against Hezbollah, Hamas, the Houthis, and any other Iranian-supported terrorist groups.

Nasrallah, the leader of the Iran-backed terrorist group that governs southern Lebanon and its nearly 1 million residents, died on Friday in an Israeli airstrike, according to Israeli military. Hezbollah confirmed Nasrallah's death on Saturday morning, saying it would continue its battle against Israel "in support of Gaza and Palestine, and in defense of Lebanon and its steadfast and honorable people."

Israeli airstrikes on Hezbollah escalated this month and have killed about 500 people. For almost a year, the paramilitary group has intensified firing of rockets into northern Israel.

Supporters of Lebanon's Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah carry his pictures as they gather in Sidon, following his killing in an Israeli airstrike in Beirut's southern suburbs on Friday, Lebanon September 28, 2024.

Tensions on that border have increased since the Oct. 7, 2023, attack by Hamas on Israel that killed 1,200 people. Israel responded by launching military strikes on Gaza that have killed about 40,000 Palestinians, according to the Hamas-run Gazan Health Ministry. U.S. officials are concerned that a ratcheting up of tensions could lead to a broader regional conflict in the Middle East and have been trying to negotiate a cease-fire.

Israel's latest round of strikes took place in the broader context of the conflict of the Hamas attack, Biden said in his prepared statement, adding, Nasrallah, the next day, made the fateful decision to join hands with Hamas and open what he called a northern front against Israel.

Vice President Kamala Harris in a written statement said Nasrallah had American blood on his hands.

Across decades, his leadership of Hezbollah destabilized the Middle East and led to the killing of countless innocent people in Lebanon, Israel, Syria, and around the world, she said.

Harris also pledged her support for the security of Israel, saying it had a right to defend itself.

Hezbollah has been linked to numerous American deaths, including from bombings at two U.S. Embassy buildings in the 1980s which killed at least 85 Americans. The group has also killed Saudi diplomats in their residences, detonated bombs outside Israeli Embassies, hijacked airplanes and deployed suicide bombers.

Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md., chair of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, called the death of Nasrallah a "modicum of justice," for his victims in a statement sent to USA TODAY.

"The future of the people of Lebanon  a state he helped hold hostage  and the region is more hopeful without him," he said. "The people of Israel, Lebanon, Gaza, and the entire region have suffered enough."

Cardin said diplomatic efforts to prevent further escalation that would threaten the Middle East should be a priority and called for the negotiation of a "ceasefire that protects innocent Israeli and Lebanese citizens and secures a broader agreement to end the conflict in Gaza, surge humanitarian assistance, and bring the hostages home now."

Biden said hed asked his Secretary of Defense Lloyd James Austin to further enhance the defense posture of U.S. military forces in the Middle East region to deter aggression and reduce the risk of a broader regional war. The Pentagon earlier this week said it was bolstering forces in the region.

Earlier Saturday, Austin posted on X that he had spoken to Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant twice about the strikes in Lebanon and added that he expressed his support for Israel to defend itself against Iranian backed terrorist groups.

Biden said the goal of the United States is to de-escalate the ongoing conflicts in both Gaza and Lebanon through diplomatic means.

In Gaza, we have been pursuing a deal backed by the U.N. Security Council for a cease-fire and the release of hostages, the president said. Lebanon, we have been negotiating a deal that would return people safely to their homes in Israel and southern Lebanon. It is time for these deals to close, for the threats to Israel to be removed, and for the broader Middle East region to gain greater stability.

Contributing: Dan Morrison

Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy is a White House Correspondent for USA TODAY. You can follow her on X @SwapnaVenugopal

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Hezbollah leader's death: US supports Israel's right to defend itself
ALBRIGHT, W.Va. (WBOY)  At approximately 5:08 p.m. on Sept. 17, 2021, a group of fishermen found 23-year-old Jeffrey Uphold II dead in the Monongahela River with an immense amount of fentanyl in his systemenough that his death was ruled a homicide. More than three years later, his mother is still looking for answers as to how her son lost his life.

Joellen Uphold told 12 News that her son was an outgoing child who played various sports growing up like soccer, baseball and football. She said that her son had a big surrounding of friends, he was very likable.

If you knew Jeffrey, you loved him, said Uphold. He was one of those people that was fun to be around.

She said that her son dabbled in marijuana during his teenage years, but she never really worried about him getting into anything more. He worked, he was very good at anything he did, Uphold added. His dad was a mechanic, and he took after him on that, and was very good at that as well.

However, Joellen said that when Jeffrey landed a new job that paid him a ridiculous amount of money, in exchange for 15-16 hour days, seven days a week, he began using other drugs to help him get through it, a habit that started his path to addiction.

Joellen said that Jeffrey also struggled with depression, which may have also been a factor in his drug usage. But by the time Jeffrey finally came forward to his mother about his addiction, she said that he had been using for almost two years.

Why does fentanyl have such a hold on north central West Virginia?

Its a horrible, horrible thing for any parent to have to go through, Joellen said. Until youve dealt with addiction with your child or a family member or a loved one, you really dont understand it. It is a choice, that they make from the beginning, but once they make that choice, its no longer their choice.

At one point, Jeffrey even went to a rehabilitation facility in California to seek out help. But his mother said that when he returned to West Virginia, he began using again within two weeks.

Joellen last spoke to her son on Sept. 13, 2021, and said that after that, there was no activity on his phone.

Even in Jeffreys worst addiction, he always reached out to me within 24 hours, no matter what, she said. Whether I wanted to hear it or not, I always heard from him, and I knew there was something wrong.

On Sept. 15, Uphold filed a missing person report with the Morgantown Police Department. She told 12 News that the department usually wont file a report until the person of interest has been missing for a longer period, but the department helped because Jeffrey had developed a positive relationship with them.

For the rest of the week, the Morgantown Police Department helped Jeffreys family and close friends look for him but had no luck. That Friday evening, Jeffreys body was found.

He was down behind the arboretum, floating in the Mon River, Joellen said. They estimated that he had been there 24-36 hours.

Jeffreys body was taken to Charleston for an autopsy, which revealed an amount of fentanyl in his system so large that his case was able to be ruled a homicide. Its approximately enough to kill 27 people, said Joellen. Jeffrey was murdered, this was not an overdose.

Joellen told 12 News that the autopsy results also revealed that Jeffrey was dead for at least two hours before his body was thrown into the river. She also said that his phone was found in his pocket.

Buckhannon liaison helps police connect with those struggling with addiction: It takes down some of those walls

The fact that the way Jeffrey was taken from us, Ive never really got to grieve for Jeffreys death, Joellen said. It is a horror that you live every day. Its the first thing that I think of when I wake up, its the last thing I think of when I go to bed.

Joellen said that although its been more than three years since Jeffrey passed away, it doesnt get any easier for her. We didnt get to see our son. We had to look at him in recovery photos to believe that it was him, she said. I didnt get to touch him, I didnt get to hug him because we werent given the choice.

Although shes still living with constant pain from her sons death, Joellen has tried to align herself with other organizations that will allow her to share what happened to Jeffrey. Shes been active in one organization called Lost Voices of Fentanyl, occasionally traveling with the group to Washington D.C. to keep Jeffreys story alive.

Joellen also engages with an organization called Trail of Truth, which has a local branch in Morgantown. She told 12 News that she sometimes goes with them to paint headstones of local gravesites that belong to someone who passed away from drug use.

Once you go through this, you get connected with parents and become a group, said Joellen. To stop it from coming across the border, stop it from killing our children that are, you know, addicts or not even addicts.

Joellen said that she struggles every year from September to January as its the time period between when Jeffrey died and his birthday. She said that fall used to be her favorite time of year, but its been permanently soiled for her because it marks Jeffreys death date for her.

More stories about the fentanyl crisis

It makes me sick to my stomach now, Uphold said. Because whenever we have the cold night and the warm days, it makes me think of the days we searched for Jeffrey.

Joellen sometimes goes to the Monongahela River to honor her son.

I go to his recovery site on his angel-versary, to either send flowers or to just be there. It gives me peace, I think maybe because you know thats where God revealed him and brought him forth.

She added that its important for people to be careful when using recreational drugs, emphasizing the importance of carrying fentanyl test strips and Narcan.

It can happen to anyone, said Uphold. We need stronger laws. We need people that are selling this drug that is killing people not selling it to an addict for a high. Theyre killing people, they need to have harsher punishments.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WBOY.com.
Progress on high seas treaty, but change still far off

Campaign groups still hope the treaty will come into force in 2025, but the required number of ratifying countries remains a long way off (ERNESTO BENAVIDES) (ERNESTO BENAVIDES/AFP/AFP)

A year after a historic treaty to protect the high seas was opened to signatures, it has now received 13 ratifications -- leaving it still far from coming into force.

The treaty, which took 15 years of tough negotiating to be approved, aims to protect vital marine ecosystems that are threatened by pollution. It requires 60 ratifications before coming into force.

UN members finalized it in March 2023, then formally adopted it. The treaty received 70 signatures in last year's United Nations flagship week -- not ratifications, but indications of willingness to ratify it eventually.

That number has now reached 104.

Five new countries -- East Timor, Singapore, the Maldives, Bangladesh and Barbados -- ratified the treaty during this high-level week of the UN General Assembly, bringing total ratifications to 13.

Campaign groups still hope the treaty will come into force in 2025, but say ratifications are badly lagging.

"Whilst this week's progress is welcome, there is a sense of complacency from some countries, and we would have expected more to have taken the opportunity of ratifying this week," environmental campaigners Greenpeace said.

"It is important that political momentum is kept high and countries finalize their ratification processes as soon as possible."

- 'Incredible week for the ocean' -

"What an incredible week for the ocean," the conservation-minded High Seas Alliance said in a post on X.

But it was "time to step up the pace and sprint to the finish line," Rebecca Hubbard, director of the NGO coalition, said this week.

The high seas begin where the exclusive economic zones of countries end -- at a maximum of 200 nautical miles (370 kilometers) from shore -- and therefore fall under the jurisdiction of no state.

Although the high seas account for almost half the planet's surface area and over 60 percent of its oceans, they have long been ignored by environmental efforts.

The new treaty's flagship tool is the creation of marine protected areas.

Conservation measures currently cover just 1 percent of the high seas.

But in December 2022 in Montreal, at the UN's Conference of the Parties (COP15) on biodiversity, all of the world's nations pledged to protect 30 percent of the planet's landmass and oceans by a summit set for 2030.

Activists say the new treaty will be vital to meeting that goal, adding to the urgency of the quickest possible ratification.

abd-gw/bbk
A police officer works near the scene of a shooting at a subway station in the Brooklyn borough of New York City

This isnt the first time Americas coastal cities have felt entropic  soaring crime rates in the 1970s drove many people away. But then they were drawn back to cheap dwellings in large run-down brownstones and began gentrifying.

This, combined with an overhaul in policing and a much tougher approach to crime, turned the likes of New York and San Francisco into beacons of desirability.

But  and I speak as a passionate anti-Trumper  years of Democratic rule have destroyed the likes of New York and San Francisco, turning them into dystopias of anarchy, jamborees of unpunished violence, theft and vandalism.

In a particularly grisly turnaround, New York, once the most Jewish-feeling city outside of Israel, has become home to some of the Western worlds most disgusting anti-Israel activism, with marches, demonstrations and of course the staggeringly vile, criminal encampment at Columbia and others colleges.

Who would have thought that New York would become a city in which kids wearing surgical masks, wrapped in the garb of Islamic terrorists, would yell Zionists get out from the top of their lungs for months on end?

Nothing could be more symbolic of this grim and foolish descent than the arraignment last week of New York mayor Eric Adams on five counts of bribery, wire fraud and soliciting illegal foreign campaign donations.

Among other things, Adams, a former police officer who became mayor three years ago with a promise to be tough on crime, is alleged to have taken $100,000 (75,000) in luxury travel perks from a Turkish businessman and official in a cash-for-influence arrangement.

The truth is Ive never liked New York, but I could recognise its appeal for others. On a recent trip, though, I had the fright of my life on the subway in Brooklyn, with a maniac roaring through the subterranean walkway threatening anyone in his path, including me  he then leaped the turnstiles as the man behind the ticket desk watched, exclaiming without moving an inch.

The nutcase could well have been armed, and I had read about the trend of knocking women onto the subway tracks, and the guy who knifed the back of two womens legs in the same day on the subway in June 2023. My heart took a while to calm down.

The friend I was visiting at the time worked as an investigator in New York City she told me the threat of violence on public transport is so prevalent that she had taken to carrying her gun on her.

Much of this nonchalant criminality is down to woke officials, especially public prosecutor Alvin Bragg. Bragg has himself admitted to being frightened on public transport, but its thanks to his lax bail laws that so many of the systems criminals run free despite previous arrests.

Predictably, Bragg dropped criminal charges in June against the anti-Israel protesters who had been arrested after storming a Columbia campus hall and barricading themselves in.

Indeed, in the decade since my gun-carrying friend got her criminology degree and began her career in public service, she has gone from being a centrist to being a staunch Republican.

Her sister lives in San Francisco. The Democrats have destroyed New York and San Francisco, she wrote to me a week ago when I asked why she would never vote for Kamala, formerly a public prosecutor and attorney general of California. The progressive prosecutors, she said, have left no consequences for criminality, allowing looting and shoplifting so retailers leave the city, politicians have caved to pressure from BLM activists, police are no longer pro-actively policing, the migrant crisis is leading to more public disorder and homelessness, a culture of villainising police as bad guys and exalting perps as good guys/ victims and the end of broken windows allowing for increasing public disorder and small time crime which breeds bigger crime She could, she assured me, go on.

The root of the rot, then, is the rewriting of law and order as racist. Broken windows policing is the idea that police should punish even the smallest crimes, because crime loves itself, and will otherwise rise exponentially. Give an inch and a mile will be taken.

Meanwhile, in San Francisco, the crime, shoplifting, open drug taking, homelessness and tent encampments that might once have been the necessary downside of a famously progressive, dynamic city have consumed it.

There too the problem is hopelessly woke legislators. The terrifying pinnacle of social justice theory arrived in the form of Chesa Boudin, ex-district attorney elected in 2019 on a ticket of ending mass incarceration and racial discrepancies in arrest.

Boudins own background is tragic and interesting: descending from a long line of Marxist thinkers, his parents belonged to the extreme-Left Weather Underground, and were both arrested for murder in connection with an 1981 robbery (after their imprisonment he was raised by other Weather Underground extremists).

The disastrous consequences of Boudins decadent belief that crime should not be punished because some of the people who commit it are racial minorities were too great even for the highly progressive voters who elected him  and he was recalled after just three years in power.

America needed to root out racist policing, which I saw as a child even in progressive Boston. It was disgusting.

But under the influence of the most dangerous ideas in a generation, progressives have pulled off an over-correction which has ruined once-great cities, possibly for good.

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SILOAM SPRINGS, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA)  Public access at a Benton County lake is temporarily closed due to a harmful algal bloom, the Arkansas Game & Fish Commissions Fisheries Division announced on Friday.

This comes after the Arkansas Department of Energy and Environments Division of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) issued a harmful algal bloom advisory for Lake Flint Creek (also known as Lake SWEPCO) on September 24.

Lake SWEPCO (Courtesy: Arkansas Game & Fish Commission)

The Fisheries Division said AGFC and the Southwestern Electric Power Company explained the bloom was not detected in the lake itself but in a pond that discharges into the lake.

Harmful algal bloom advisory issued for Benton County lake

Shanda Hunter, corporate communications specialist for SWEPCO, released a statement to AGFC and said the discovery came from the lakes environmental team members monitoring the ponds after they became aware of algal blooms in nearby locations.

Algae was observed, and out of an abundance of caution, we engaged subject matter experts and specialized laboratory professionals. We have received confirmation from the lab that the algae in the pond is cyanobacteria, commonly known as blue-green algae. We are working closely with local leaders, state agencies and the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality to ensure public safety and have restricted public access to Flint Creek Lake and part of the Eagle Watch Nature Trail closest to the lake. Additional testing and monitoring are ongoing, and we will continue to update the public if the situation changes. Shanda Hunter with SWEPCO

Hunter also said the part of the Eagle Watch Nature Trail from the trailhead to the first pavilion will stay open, however, signs are in place to prevent access to the closed areas.

AGFC says blue-green algae blooms are common in Arkansas and usually short-lived.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KNWA FOX24.
Rep. John Duarte (R-Modesto) knocks on doors in Coalinga as part of his effort to win a second term in Congress. (Gary Kazanjian / For The Times)

On a scorching summer day in Fresno County, Rep. John Duarte (R-Modesto) stood in the shade of Axel Gomezs yard, making his pitch for a second term.

As Gomez's representative in Congress, Duarte said, he had partnered with housing groups to bring more affordable housing to the region to help attract families. More families would mean a stronger tax base to support towns such as Coalinga, which just two years ago nearly ran out of water after its primary source  piped in from a federal reservoir 90 miles away  was severely curtailed during a drought. The city had to buy water on the open market at exorbitant rates to keep residents' faucets flowing.

Gomez, a farmworker, spoke about Coalinga's need for housing, and for police accountability. He told Duarte that his employer, as well as his father's, had capped their hours to sidestep a state law that requires farms to pay laborers overtime if they work more than 40 hours a week.

This is the first time Ive had a congressman come by and take an interest in the people, observed Gomez, 28.

A few minutes later, his mother, Patricia, came out of the house and joined the conversation. She shared a copy of her latest electricity bill: $1,270.96. If the congressman could do something about lowering the rate and the price of everything, she said, he would earn her vote. While Duarte offered no clear answers, she was impressed he was out on foot talking to voters.

Pa delante, she said, offering a thumbs-up. Moving forward, Gomez translated.

I want to do the job. I'm not a career politician. I won't be here forever, but when I am here, we're doing the job, Duarte told them.

Rep. John Duarte (R-Modesto), left, talks with farmworker Axel Gomez in Coalinga. (Gary Kazanjian / For The Times)

The conversation took nearly half an hour  one of four he had over the course of an hour as he knocked on constituents' doors in late August to make his case for their vote.

Here in Congressional District 13, Duarte, 58, faces an uncertain path to reelection against his Democratic challenger, former state Assemblymember Adam Gray, 47. Both have raised millions of dollars to fuel their campaigns in one of several California districts considered key to whether Republicans are able to hold on to a razor-thin majority in the U.S. House of Representatives after November.

In 2022, Duarte bested Gray by just 564 votes. A recent poll by Cal State Long Beach, USC and Cal Poly Pomona found that Gray holds a 2-point lead over Duarte, a gap small enough to fall within the survey's margin of error.

On Oct. 25, the two will take the stage in Modesto for a debate hosted by the Maddy Institute.

Adam Gray points to a former cow pasture that will house a new medical education building because of funding he helped obtain while in the California Assembly. (Paul Kuroda / For The Times)

The district they are vying to represent is 67% Latino and spans a large swath of Central Valley agriculture. It encompasses all of Merced County and parts of Fresno, Madera, San Joaquin and Stanislaus counties, and includes the cities of Merced, Los Banos and Coalinga, as well as portions of Modesto and Turlock.

Duarte, a Central Valley native and fourth-generation farmer, casts himself as a moderate Republican who will break ranks with his party to represent the interests of his constituents. Unlike the deep blue congressional districts that surround the Bay Area and Los Angeles, the Central Valley often registers purple. It is home to the states highest concentration of conservative Democratic voters. In Congressional District 13, about 42% of voters are registered Democrats, compared with 29% registered as Republican and 22% registered with no party preference.

Being a Republican congressman in a district that leans Democratic can be a delicate dance. While Duarte has largely voted along Republican Party lines in his freshman term, he has expressed more moderate views on issues such as abortion and immigration, two topics that incite his party's base.

In 2023, House Republicans pushed through the Secure Our Borders Act, which, among other provisions, would have enacted stricter limits on asylum eligibility, revived construction of a U.S.-Mexico border wall, and required companies to verify that their employees were legally eligible to work in the U.S. using the federal E-Verify system.

Duarte was one of only two House Republicans to vote against the bill, citing concerns about the E-Verify program. The measure ultimately failed to pass the Democratic-led Senate.

Duarte also has broken ranks with GOP leaders to support immigration reform proposals that would create a pathway to citizenship for participants in Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, a federal program that gives qualified undocumented immigrants who came to the U.S. as children the ability to live and work here legally, through renewable permits.

On the issue of abortion, Duarte describes himself as pro-choice. But he has said he opposes a federal right to abortion and instead supports leaving abortion policy to individual states. He voted with House Republicans last year to support a bill that would threaten medical providers with prison time for failing to resuscitate infants born alive during an attempted abortion  an exceedingly rare occurrence that abortion rights proponents said was intended to discourage doctors from performing the procedure. The measure has yet to pass the Senate.

"A lot of people, they grew up working hard in the valley. Many of us worked on farms, either as farmworkers or farmers, or maybe truck drivers," Democratic candidate Adam Gray says of Congressional District 13. (Paul Kuroda / For The Times)

His opponent, Gray, describes himself as a centrist who worked across the aisle as a state Assembly member to pass bipartisan legislation. He founded the Problem Solvers Caucus and is quick to say both parties are to blame when it comes to Congress not getting enough done to help Americans.

Gray was born and raised in Merced and grew up working at his family's dairy supply and feed store. He makes his living working at a construction company and as a lecturer at UC Merced, teaching a course on the state Legislature.

Gray, who served in the state Assembly for 10 years, said he decided to run for office again when he saw the "complete dysfunction, chaos and an inability to do anything" in a Republican-led House.

Voters, he says, are concerned about the cost of living and housing and are frustrated with partisan politics. He said his work in the state Legislature speaks to his ability to get results: He helped secure $3 billion to build new water storage projects in the Central Valley and funding to establish a medical school at UC Merced.

He has bucked his own party on water conservation issues, opposing various Democratic-led efforts to curtail the amount of state and federal water flowing to San Joaquin Valley irrigation districts.

"A lot of people, they grew up working hard in the valley. Many of us worked on farms, either as farmworkers or farmers, or maybe truck drivers," he said.

And just as Duarte won a district where voters lean Democratic, there are staunch Republicans who appear ready to cross party lines to support Gray.

One of Merced Countys more well-known conservatives, Sheriff Vern Warnke, said his working relationship with Gray during Gray's time in the Assembly convinced him that Gray would be an advocate for law enforcement and Merced County communities.

Yes, I'm a cowboy, redneck, right-wing conservative, Republican, all of that, he said. I went person over party, and I do believe Adam getting in there would be a good fit. Itd be another voice to contact in Washington.

Rep. John Duarte (R-Modesto), left, talks to rancher Matt Toste before a town hall meeting in Coalinga. (Gary Kazanjian / For The Times)

In his own campaigning, Duarte has stressed his personal experience as a farmer who understands the burdens of what many locals see as overzealous environmental regulations when it comes to farming. In 2017, federal regulators fined Duarte $1.1 million for violations of the Clean Water Act after he cleared protected wetlands on property he owns in Tehama County to plant wheat. The case made him a hero among property rights activists.

During his August visit to Coalinga, Duarte held a town hall to update constituents on his actions in Congress and what more he hoped to achieve. He talked about working with local mayors to make sure their towns have access to "abundant, reliable, affordable" surface water. And he said he hoped to push through immigration reform that includes amnesty for DACA recipients.

He railed against the ballooning costs of the high-speed rail project that will cut through the Central Valley. And he spoke about successes: securing $5 million to repave roads in Mendota.

When it came time for questions, Coalinga City Councilmember Nathan Vosburg told Duarte he was concerned about the congressman's support for amnesty for undocumented residents and his no vote on the Secure Our Borders Act.

Wouldnt the congressman agree that employers should face criminal penalties for hiring immigrants who lack legal status and that illegal immigration negatively affects all Central Valley families, Vosburg pressed.

Duarte explained that the amnesty he supports would be a pathway to citizenship specific to DACA recipients and undocumented individuals who have worked in the U.S. for several years and have no criminal record.

I owe it to my district to vote for it, he said. This is a swing district, if there ever was one, and I'm going to exercise the advantages of that, meaning I can step into the middle of these issues.

Vosburg, a Republican, was unsatisfied. But he said he would vote for Duarte, reluctantly, because youre the guy we got.

Read more: Voters in this swing California district will cross party lines for 'best' candidate

City Councilmember Manny Ramirez chimed in, saying his parents, immigrants from Mexico, never took a cent from the state. Ramirez, also a Republican, said that as a child he watched his parents get taken away by Border Patrol agents, and that he appreciated Duartes support for a pathway to citizenship for undocumented residents.

Duarte, he said, had earned his vote.

"It's not about Republicans or Democrats," Ramirez said of District 13 voters. "We know what's right, and we know what's wrong."

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Violent rioters supporting then-President Donald Trump storm the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021. A former Republican legislative candidate who traveled to Washington for Trump's Stop the Steal rally was arrested Friday, July 21, 2023, and charged with federal crimes for his role in the U.S. Capitol riot, officials said. | John Minchillo, Associated Press

This article was first published in the On the Trail 2024 newsletter. Sign up to receive the newsletter in your inbox on Tuesday and Friday mornings here. To submit a question to next weeks Friday Mailbag, email onthetrail@deseretnews.com.

Hello, friends. 39 days until Election Day.

3 things to know

The big idea

The votes shall then be counted

All eyes are on Nov. 5, when millions of Americans will cast their votes. But equally important is January 6  when those votes will be certified by Congress.

In 2021, a push by Trump and his allies in Congress interfered with that process, delaying the certification of the election. This cycle, less than half of U.S. adults expect a peaceful transfer of power, according to one poll conducted in April.

In an effort to insulate against that possibility, Congress passed the Electoral Count Reform and Presidential Transition Improvement Act of 2022, which  in part  makes it harder for individual members of Congress to object to electoral votes: now, any objection must be supported by one-fifth of the Senate and one-fifth of the House. Previously, any single member of Congress was able to raise an objection.

The bill also clarified that the vice presidents position is solely ministerial, and has no power to overturn the votes. Trump pressured then-Vice President Mike Pence to unlawfully interfere with the election results, which Pence declined to do; this cycle, Harris will oversee the elections certification.

The new law solved a problem, Valerie Smith Boyd, the director of the Center for Presidential Transition, told me this week. But we wont know until January 6 if it works, she added: We will see in this cycle whether those were exactly the right answers.

Among House Democrats, Politico reports, there is a concern that Republicans will try to find other avenues to stymy the results if Trump loses. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana, led an effort to petition the Supreme Court to overturn election results in late 2021. If Republicans maintain control of the House, Democrats fear, Johnson will lead a similar effort.

But Rep. Blake Moore, R-Utah, feels confident that no such effort will be successful. Moore is vice chair of the House Republican Conference, and in an interview this week, he called the 2022 changes to the Electoral Count Act a good, solid reform.

I think that reduces the temptation for disingenuous members to make this a big thing every four years on January 6, he said.

It was Democrats, he reminded me, that objected to electoral votes in 2005 and 2017, the last two times a Republican candidate won the Electoral College. (Neither effort found support in the Senate.) But Moore sees no moral justification there. When some of his Republican colleagues justified their efforts to oppose the election in 2021 by saying Democrats had done the same in past cycles, Moore remembers chiding them. Thats just wrong, he said. Just because thats someone elses bar, its not my bar, right? ... Democrats did this in the last two elections. That is not a reason for us to do it, too. They were wrong, and I think we were wrong to do it.

The role of Congress, Moore notes, is to simply open the certificates from the states and count them. My firm understanding is, in the absence of two (slates of) electors that have been sent to the federal government, we have no role to play. We are to count the ballots, and thats it, he said. If theres two slates of electors, have at the debate. If not, I still believe its unconstitutional.

At present, polling indicates the presidential race will be decided by razor-thin margins; are any of Moores Republican colleagues gearing up to make objections should Trump lose? No, Im not hearing anybody talk about any specifics, he said.

What Moore fears more is the chance of violence surrounding the election. A Deseret News/HarrisX poll in August found that a majority of U.S. voters are concerned about political violence both before and after Election Day. I hope we get through it, he said. But yeah, before or after. It concerns me.

Weekend reads

Does Mike Pence have a place in the Republican Party? It depends on whether Trump wins, perhaps: Not in the Republican Party of today, said Sen. Mitt Romney. The Republican Party of tomorrow may be a different matter. Mike Pence quietly lays the groundwork for a post-Trump future (Shelby Talcott and Burgess Everett, Semafor)

The undecided voters arent all like Mike from North Carolina, who we met last week  highly engaged, highly informed, but hasnt decided who he trusts more to protect Social Security. Instead, most undecided voters are unengaged  theyre voters unlikely to cast a vote in the first place. That is guiding both campaigns ground games: theyre trying to convince people not just to vote for them, but to vote at all. Its a voter-registration and voter-enthusiasm race. The Undecided Voters Are Not Who You Think They Are (Ronald Brownstein, The Atlantic)

As Harris visits the border, this is a remarkable piece of journalism, in its scope alone: the Texas Tribune and The Associated Press teamed up to send journalists to five different spots along the U.S.-Mexico border simultaneously, and to document exactly what they saw. Many Americans say immigration is out of control, but 24 hours on the Texas-Mexico border showed a new reality. Will it last? (Texas Tribune and AP)

See you on the trail.

Editors Note: The Deseret News is committed to covering issues of substance in the 2024 presidential race from its unique perspective and editorial values. Our team of political reporters will bring you in-depth coverage of the most relevant news and information to help you make an informed decision. Find our complete coverage of the election here.
Kriti Sanon, who is all set to amaze everyone with her electrifying performance at the IIFA 2024 awards, surely knows how to turn heads with her fashion. She hit the green carpet in a mesmerizing blue gown. On Saturday, Kriti walked the green carpet in a stunning thigh-slit blue off-shoulder gown. https://www.instagram.com/p/DAd6pV9Mqgh/? She elevated her ensemble with minimal makeup and jewellery. She served fashion goals at IIFA Utsavam 2024 as well. While speaking to the media at the IIFA Utsavam 2024, she spoke about the pressure on artists because of social media. Kriti said, " I think when we were artists back when there was no social media. I think I've been in the generation that has passed through it, like I started when there was no social media and then I entered the social media, so I've seen both. I think there's a lot more scrutiny on everything, what you're wearing, what you're seeing, where you're seen, where you're spotted and also I feel like people are just consuming data constantly and it also takes away from the excitement of seeing celebrities and actors as well, because you're seeing them like every now and right now." She continued, "I mean there are pros and cons of both. We can obviously connect to our fans a lot more easily. We probably do two films a year but then the rest of the time we can sort of connect with them. So, I think there are pros and cons both." The ace star is set to embrace a new role as a producer with her upcoming venture, 'Do Patti.' She got candid about the same and said, " 'Do Patti' is my first baby as a producer. I'm very excited but very nervous. I hope what we've tried to achieve, people really like it and connect with it and there is something that we're trying to say with the film, which I hope touches people's hearts and this is just the beginning. I consider myself a newcomer when you call me a producer, so it's been a learning experience. But creatively it's been satisfying and as an entrepreneur, I've been enjoying it..." The three-day celebration kick-started on September 27 with IIFA Utsavam, an event dedicated to the southern film industries--Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada. Fans are waiting to witness the stars including Shah Rukh Khan, Vicky Kaushal and Karan Johar on the IIFA stage to entertain with their hosting stint today. Interestingly, the second day will also see Rekha returning to the IIFA stage after a long time. Shahid Kapoor, Ananya Panday, Janhvi Kapoor and Vicky will also be adding charm to the gala night with their performances. IIFA 2024 will be concluded on September 29 with the exclusive, invitation-only IIFA Rocks. Artists such as Honey Singh, Shilpa Rao and Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy will perform live for the audience. (ANI)
On Saturday, the Randolph Fire Department responded to a house fire at 37 North Harriette Street.

All residents vacated the home safely before multiple crews responded to the scene, including engines from Holbrook fire, and located the blaze in a bedroom within the basement of the 1 1/2-story home.

Firefighters swiftly extinguished the flames within 20 minutes of arriving on the scene and did so with no injuries.

Despite containing the flames, smoke and heat damage were spread amongst the house, leaving the six residents of the house to be displaced. The American Red Cross is currently assisting the residents.

Id like to commend our crews that responded to the scene and made quick work of the fire to contain it to a single room in the basement, Chief Cassford said. Thank you to our mutual aid partners who responded to the scene and provided station coverage during the incident.

Its believed that the fire may have been electrical as fire crews still search for causes.

An investigation is still ongoing

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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The above-average intelligence that octopi possess is displayed in myriad ways, from their problem-solving capabilities to their ability to use tools. However, new research has shed even more light on these keen animals, suggesting that the eight-limbed invertebrates not only hunt with packs of fish, but will actually resort to physical means to keep them in line.

The study, which was published in the journal Nature on Monday, focuses on the species of octopus cyanea maraud, also known as the big blue or day octopus, which were found to hunt with groups of fish; sometimes with even several species at once. And it should come as little surprise that the octopus were in charge of organizing these hunting expeditions, including the prey that was sought.

In coming up with the findings, researchers spent about a month diving at a reef off the coast of Eilat, Israel. Over the course of the study period, 13 octopuses were tracked using several cameras for a total of 120 hours. The team followed along for a total of 13 hunting sessions, and each time they observed group of anywhere between two and 10 fish working alongside each octopus.

The type of fish also varied, with the octopuses hunting with species such as blacktip groupers and goatfish. And while the animals did not necessarily lead the hunting groups, they were seen "punching" at the fish, particularly the groupers, to enforce social order and keep them moving.

Eduardo Sampaio, a postdoctoral researcher at the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior who also lead the study, told NBC News that the fish who got punched tended to be the "main exploiters" of the hunting groups. "These are the ambush predators, the ones that dont move, dont look for prey, Sampaio said.

If the group is very still and everyone is around the octopus, it starts punching," he explained. "But if the group is moving along the habitat, this means that theyre looking for prey, so the octopus is happy. It doesnt punch anyone."

As far as why the fish go along with these hunting groups, and the apparent abuse they suffer, the researchers believe that the fish benefit from the octopuses ability to reach into tight crevices where prey hides. On the other side of the coin, the octopus is able to simply follow the fish to the food source instead of engaging what the researchers refer to as "speculative hunting."

"For the octopus, its also an advantage because it doesnt need to sample or go around the environment. You can just look at the fish," Sampaio added.
One of the documents on display is this Rawdat al-saffa (Garden of Purity) by Muhammad bin Khawand Shah, dating to the 16th Century, from the Ottoman Empire [Cambridge University Library]

"Exceptionally rare" manuscripts from Asia and North Africa are going on display at a university library, some for the first time.

Visitors to the Cambridge University Library exhibition will be able to see a 730-year-old Persian commentary on parts of the Quran and the oldest known Malay Quranic Commentaries from Aceh, Indonesia.

Dr Chris Burgess, the library's head of public programmes, said: Ancient manuscripts are time machines, they take us back to other worlds."

They were collected by a Dutch scholar and printer Thomas van Erpe, known as Erpenius, and donated to the library in 1632.

Curator Dr Majid Daneshgar says "Erpenius demonstrated a genuine interest in the connections of language and faith" [ Cambridge University Library/Blazej Mikula]

Erpenius aimed to show the study of Islamic and Asian manuscripts was as important as that of Latin, Greek, Syriac, and Hebrew.

More than 15 languages and scripts feature in the exhibition, including Arabic, Aramaic, Classical Chinese, Hebrew, Javanese, Malay, Persian, Syriac, Telugu, Turkish and Yiddish.

Curator Dr Majid Daneshgar said Erpenius "paved the way for an inclusive approach to religious and textual studies".

In an era focused on the Bible and the Classical World, with an emphasis on Greek, Latin, and Hebrew, Erpenius believed that true global understanding could only be achieved through the study of world languages," he said.

His passion led him to build one of the great pioneering collections of manuscripts in Arabic, Malay, Persian, Turkish, Syriac, Hebrew and other languages."

The youngest object in the exhibition is 400 years old, while the oldest is more than 700.

A 15th Century Hebrew commentary on the Bible, possibly made in Greece, is another of the rare manuscripts on display [Cambridge University Library]

Erpenius died of the plague aged 40 and his widow sold the manuscripts to George Villiers, Duke of Buckingham, a favourite of James VI and I and his son Charles I.

After Buckingham's assassination in 1628, his widow Katherine became the first woman to donate manuscripts to Cambridge University Library.

Dr Burgess said other "exceptionally rare" exhibits included a 700-year-old copy of the Gospels in Arabic which "gives a sense of how Christians in Alexandria practised their faith" and "a royal copy of an Arabic book of language, dated 1274", which shows the type of material the rulers of ancient Shiraz (modern-day Iran) had in their library.

Endless Stories: Manuscripts, knowledge and translation in the 17th century runs until 22 February

Thomas van Erpe or Erpenius studied Arabic alongside his friend and collaborator Ahmad ibn Qasim al-Hajari and published an Arabic grammar book which remained in use for centuries after his death [Cambridge University Library]

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We received full support for our peace plan  Zelenskyy sums up results of his visit to US

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that in the United States, the Ukrainian delegation had implemented many tasks, and the Congress fully supported the Ukrainian strategy of bringing peace.

Source: Zelenskyy's evening address

Quote: "We are on our way home from the United States. Many tasks have been accomplished during this visit.

I thank President Biden for the largest support package ever  nearly US$8 billion. It includes weapons for the frontline, and air defence for our cities, and the expansion of the F-16 training mission.

I presented the Victory Plan, and we agreed that we will soon be discussing our next steps with our allies in the Ramstein format in Germany. October is the time for decisions. [...]

I thank the United States Congress for their unwavering bipartisan support and willingness to help us  to help us prevail. Senators, members of the House of Representatives  everyone who sees how much we can do together. We received full support for our strategy of approaching peace  peace through strength."

Details: Zelenskyy said he had met with both US presidential candidates.

At the meeting with Kamala Harris, he said, "all the important accents were voiced". Zelenskyy thanked Donald Trump for his attention to the details of the Victory Plan.

Quote: "I thank everyone who helps to stop Russian terror and who understands that only strength can force Russia to respect the rules and follow the basic documents of the world. Life is based on principles and law when it cannot be destroyed by violence. That is why unity is so necessary. Unity of the allies, unity of the world to stop Russia, this war, and to ensure a real fair peace. The peace that Ukraine wants more than anyone else in the world, and that will definitely come."

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Record-breaking Milky Way map showcases 1.5 billion objects: 'We have changed the view of our galaxy forever'

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Images of the Milky Way collected during the creation of the most detailed infrared map of our galaxy ever created. | Credit: ESO/VVVX survey

The most detailed infrared map of the Milky Way contains incredible images of over 1.5 billion objects within our galaxy.

The 200,000 images were collected by the Visible and Infrared Survey Telescope for Astronomy (VISTA) at the Paranal Observatory in Chile over the course of over 13 years, from 2010 to 2023, as part of the VISTA Variables in the Via Lactea (VVV) survey and its companion project, the VVV Extended Survey (VVVX). The images were combined to form the record-breaking map, which covers an area of the sky equivalent to 8,600 full moons (as seen from Earth). For context, it contains ten times more objects than a similar 2012 map released by the same team of scientists.

"We made so many discoveries we have changed the view of our galaxy forever," project leader Dante Minniti, an astrophysicist at the Universidad Andres Bello, said in a statement.

The Milky Way map from the survey with overlays showing different sections of the sky.

VISTA was successful in seeing features of the Milky Way in unprecedented detail thanks to the capability of its VIRCAM. VIRCAM managed to peer through the dust and gas that permeates our galaxy  it was therefore able to see the radiation from the Milky Way's usually hidden locations and painting a quite complete picture of our galactic surroundings.

Related: James Webb Telescope goes 'extreme' and spots baby stars at the edge of the Milky Way (image)

What can you see in the VISTA Milky Way map?

The new map of the Milky Way covers objects such as stellar nurseries packed with newborn stars still cocooned in their natal envelopes of gas and dust. These include the stellar nursery NGC 6357, also known as the "Lobster Nebula," located around 5,900 light-years away from Earth in the constellation Scorpius.

A sparkly area of the sky with purplish tendrils of gas cracked through the scene, concentrated in the center.

Another of the star-forming regions of the Milky Way observed by VISTA as part of the survey is Messier 17, also known as the "Omega Nebula." Located around 6,000 light-years from Earth in the constellation of Sagittarius, this cloud of star-forming gas is around 15 light-years wide, but it is part of a wider cloud of matter that is about 40 light-years wide.

A dark blue and black region of space with blueish stars scattered throughout. In the center, a gorgeous orange and purple nebula.

Also packed with bright young stars are the dual nebulas of NGC 3603, located around 20,000 light-years away, and NGC 3576, also known as the "Statue of Liberty Nebula," located just 9,000 light-years away. NGC 3603 sits on one of the spiral arms of the Milky Way and just so happens to be one of the most massive young star clusters in our galaxy.

NGC 3603 (left) looks slightly larger than NGC 3576 (right). Both look like glowing pink cracks against the sparkly background of space.

On the opposite end of the stellar age scale, the survey also captured images of more ancient stars.

Many of these are found in conglomerations called "globular clusters." There are around 150 of these tightly packed ancient stars located in the Milky Way, thought to have formed from the same collapsing clouds of gas and dust.

One example of a globular cluster seen by VISTA as part of the 13-year-long survey is Messier 22, also known as NGC 6656, located around 10,000 light-years away from Earth. The stars of Messier 22 are thought to be leftovers from the early universe. That makes them some of the oldest known stars.

Super small sparkles are seen in this image of space. In the center, a slightly glowing section.

Messier 22 has some features that make it stand out among other globular clusters, too. It is host to at least two stellar-mass black holes and six free-floating "rogue planets," that aren't orbiting parent stars.

Additionally, Messier 22 is one of only four globular clusters that have been found to contain a planetary nebula. Despite the name, these have nothing to do with planets; they are actually the wreckage of massive stars that have exploded in tremendous supernova explosions.

Related Stories:

 Early galaxies weren't mystifyingly massive after all, James Webb Space Telescope finds

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 James Webb Space Telescope strikes again, delivers new shining galaxy image

For the 420 nights that VISTA conducted the VVV and VVVX surveys, the telescope revised the same patch of sky repeatedly. This allowed scientists to precisely determine the positions of the objects above (and many others) and track how they move throughout the sky as well as how their brightnesses change over time. The result is a peek through the dust that often obscures our view of our own galaxy, and a revolutionary three-dimensional map of the Milky Way.

"The project was a monumental effort, made possible because a great team surrounded us," team leader Roberto Saito, an astrophysicist at the Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina in Brazil, said in the statement.

The team's research was published in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics. The VVV data can be accessed here, while the VVVX data is available here.
CHICOPEE, Mass (WWLP)  The American Red Cross of Massachusetts told 22News they have sent volunteers to Florida to help the victims of Helene.

Hurricane Helene made landfall late Thursday night as a category 4 hurricane and has already caused 30 deaths and widespread destruction.

How to help victims of Hurricane Helene

Red Cross volunteers are managing the many shelters created to help those in the path of the hurricane and making sure they have a safe place to sleep and food to eat.

Right now they just need people down there to assist the people affected by the storm. Nearly 3,000 spent the night in shelters in Florida, so those folks need people to take care of them, get them meals, and provide safety for them, said the Communications Manager for the American Red Cross of Massachusetts, Jeff Hall.

Hall told 22News that the best way to help people in Florida and Georgia is to donate to a charity of their choice. After the storm fully passes, volunteers will be out in the communities impacted providing relief efforts and assessing the damages.

Hall also said they are sending more volunteers down to help this weekend with relief efforts.

Local News Headlines

WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on WWLP.com.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WWLP.
(Reuters) -Following are reactions by regional politicians and others to the killing of Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah in an Israeli airstrike in Beirut on Friday:

IRAN'S FOREIGN MINISTRY

The ministry said in a statement that Nasrallah's "path will continue and his goal will be realised in Jerusalem's liberation".

PALESTINIAN PRESIDENT MAHMOUD ABBAS

Abbas offered his condolences to Lebanon and Hezbollah, the official Palestinian news agency WAFA said. "The President extended his heartfelt sympathies to the Lebanese government and the brotherly people of Lebanon over the civilian casualties resulting from the ongoing Israeli aggression," WAFA said.

YEMEN'S IRAN-ALIGNED HOUTHIS

The group said it mourned the killing of Nasrallah, adding: "The martyrdom ... will increase the strength of sacrifice ... determination and continuity."

MOHAMMED SHIA AL-SUDANI, IRAQ'S PRIME MINISTER

He said the killing of Nasrallah showed "the reckless desire to expand the conflict at the expense of all the peoples of the region and their security and stability".

HERZI HALEVI, ISRAEL'S CHIEF OF THE GENERAL STAFF

"Nasrallah indiscriminately murdered Israeli civilians and aimed to end this war with the destruction of the State of Israel. We made sure that did not occur. We eliminated him, and we will continue to grow stronger. Hezbollah has murdered innocent people worldwide, hiding his weapons under the homes of families, women and children and turning them into human shields. As we have shown, we will not allow such a threat to our citizens. We are determined to continue destroying the Hezbollah terrorist organization and to keep fighting."

MOQTADA EL SADR, IRAQI SHI'ITE MUSLIM POLITICIAN

He said he mourned Nasrallah as "his companion in resistance".

GEBRAN BASSIL, LEADING LEBANESE CHRISTIAN POLITICIAN

He said he mourned the death of Nasrallah as a major loss and said it was a hard time for all Lebanese, adding: "In the face of the Israeli enemy, we have no choice but to be together as Lebanese."

MICHEL AOUN, FORMER LEBANESE PRESIDENT

In a statement mourning Nasrallah, he referred to "the dangers our country is witnessing as a result of the ongoing Israeli aggression which requires rising to the highest level of national solidarity that protects and fortifies our unity because that is the true salvation".

SAAD AL-HARIRI, FORMER LEBANESE PRIME MINISTER

"The assassination of Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah has plunged Lebanon and the region into a new phase of violence. It is a cowardly act condemned in its entirety by us, who paid dearly for the lives of our loved ones when assassination became an alternative to politics. May God have mercy on Sayyed Hassan and my sincere condolences to his family and comrades. We often disagreed with the deceased and his party and met a few times, but Lebanon was everyone's tent. In this extremely difficult phase, our unity and solidarity remain the foundation."

TURKISH PRESIDENT TAYYIP ERDOGAN

In a post on X after the killing of Nasrallah but which did not name him, Erdogan said he condemned recent attacks in Lebanon as part of what he called an Israeli policy of "genocide, occupation, and invasion" and said the Muslim world should show a more "determined" stance.

(Editing by Edmund Blair and Helen Popper)
The Gateway Pundit, currently being sued over false election claims, has doubled down on conspiracy theories about the presidential election, according to a new analysis. Meanwhile, white supremacists continue to flee Telegram, the communications platform, after its founder and CEO was arrested in France last month. And a report claims TikTok is sowing racist tropes about Haitian immigrants to millions of people.

Its the week in extremism.

Nadine Seiler demonstrates outside of the E. Barrett Prettyman United States Courthouse before Former President Donald Trump arrives to be arraigned on four charges related to the 2020 election. Federal prosecutors are accusing the Trump of undermining American democracy by organizing a wide-ranging conspiracy to steal the 2020 election that prosecutors allege fueled a brazen and historic insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.

Gateway Pundit still spreading election falsities

A new report from analysts Advance Democracy, Inc., provided exclusively to USA TODAY, finds that the conservative news website the Gateway Pundit has doubled down in its spreading of false claims about the presidential election. Thats despite the site facing two lawsuits over false claims about the 2020 election.

ADI found that from Jan. 1 to Aug. 31 the Gateway Pundit published at least 128 articles containing keywords about fraud or election workers. The articles focused on tropes including that the Democratic party is working with election officials to steal the 2024 presidential election and is allowing non-citizens to vote. Examples included articles with headlines like PAY ATTENTION: Democrats Just Revealed How They Will Steal the 2024 Election  In Three Easy Steps.

The website is currently facing a defamation suit filed by a former voting software executive, who accuses the campaign of former president Donald Trump and multiple conservative media outlets of spreading false and baseless claims.

The site was also sued in 2021 by two election workers, who claim the site and its owners knowingly published false stories about them that instigated a relentless campaign of harassment and threats.

The claims made in recent stories often led to threats of violence, ADI found. The analysts monitored responses to the articles after they were posted on the site and on social media and found calls for civil war and calls for violence against Democratic lawmakers and election workers.

We are living in an incredibly polarizing and divisive political climate, and the threats of political violence we are tracking are significant and serious, ADI President Daniel J. Jones told USA TODAY. Our research details how calls for violence from the right can be traced back to false information being promoted by The Gateway Pundit.

A request for comment to the Gateway Pundit was not immediately returned.

Founder and CEO of Telegram Pavel Durov delivers a keynote speech during the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain February 23, 2016.

White supremacists spooked on Telegram app

White supremacists and neo-Nazis showed a surge of panic on the social media platform Telegram following a key policy change, according to a new report from ProPublica and FRONTLINE. Some called to abandon Telegram after CEO Pavel Durov announced the app would begin sharing identifying information of users who violate its policies with law enforcement.

Its not the first time extremists have been spooked on Telegram. As USA TODAY reported last month, the apps extreme right-wing users were roiled by Durovs arrest in France on charges in a wide range of crimes  related to Telegrams alleged complicity in allowing users to trade in child pornography, drugs and money laundering.

The ProPublica/FRONTLINE analysis found the news that the app would cooperate with law enforcement caused fresh consternation. Shut It Down, the report says one person posted in a white supremacist chat on Tuesday.

Durovs arrest was followed by the arrest earlier this month of two leaders of a group federal prosecutors called the Terrorgram Collective. The Justice Department accused the men of soliciting hate crimes, soliciting the murder of federal officials and conspiring to provide material support to terrorists, using the Telegram platform.

The logo of the social media platform TikTok is displayed on a mobile phone in Hanoi on October 6, 2023. Social media platforms operating in Vietnam including TikTok and Facebook removed nearly 800 posts containing "false or anti-state" information over the course of a month, state media said October 6, citing government figures. (Photo by Nhac NGUYEN / AFP) (Photo by NHAC NGUYEN/AFP via Getty Images)

Report: TikTok spreads Springfield pets claims

Racist tropes about the Haitian immigrant community, stemming from comments made by GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump and his running mate, Sen. JD Vance, are spreading to millions of people on TikTok, according to a new analysis from liberal watchdog group Media Matters for America.

Trump and Vance have both pushed the false claim that Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, have been killing and eating household pets.

According to Media Matters, users on TikTok searching for details about Springfield, Ohio, and Haitian immigrants are being served blatant misinformation by the platform. The high view count to low follower ratio on the videos also suggests that TikToks For You page algorithm is propelling this content.

The report lists several offensive and conspiracy laden videos that immediately appeared when a researcher searched for terms such as Haitians in Springfield.

Statistic of the week: 63 percent

Thats how much hate crimes against Jewish people in America increased from 2022 to 2023, according to the FBI.

While the FBI statistics are notoriously inaccurate, the bureau tallied a record number of 1,832 single-bias anti-Jewish hate crime incidents in 2023, the highest number ever recorded.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Gateway Pundit election claims continue amid lawsuits, report finds
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR)  A new annual report says the Oklahoma County Detention Center has set a new record low inmate population, despite being no stranger to controversy and tragedy over the years.

The data comes the Oklahoma County Criminal Justice Advisory Councils (CJAC) annual report. It cites population numbers studied by non-profit Crime and Justice Institute (CJI) that states the jail saw a 27-year low in December 2023 with less than 1,300 inmates. That was in comparison to Tulsa County which had a little less than 1,400 inmates in its jail according to the report.

Overall, since 2015, the study says Oklahoma Countys current inmate population has seen a steep decline from over 2,500 at its peak.

OKLAHOMA NEWS: Oklahoma County jail refuses entry to state health inspectors, fails ninth-straight inspection

CJAC Executive Director, Timothy Tardibono, attributes the decrease, in part, to the amount of programs individuals can be diverted into for more access. Those include mental health crisis centers, a diversion hub and collaboration with the District Attorneys office.

The last seven years have demonstrated that Oklahoma County stakeholders can and will address the challenges they face with the required determination to succeed, said CJI Policy Director, Leonard Engel, in the study.

The study does note room for improvement across a multitude of areas, noting that infrastructure and staffing challenges at the jail have made it difficult for attorneys to physically see their clients. Another recommendation in the study suggests creating deadlines and review points to make sure detainees are not in jail longer than necessary.

They found things that we need to do better and thats what, you know, these assessments are for, said Tardibono. They give you a progress report, but they also need to give you where to go. I mean, this is government. Its never going to be perfect, and you have to have goals.

News 4 employees pressed Tardibono on the safety of people in custody, pointing out that six detainees have already died under the jails care in 2024.

The jail has revamped their processes after one of these incidents occurred, to look at whats happening and the district attorney has gotten involved to make sure theres no wrongdoing, said Tardibono.

News 4 employees also pointed out a contrast of transparency between the report itself and an ongoing legal battle to block the Oklahoma State Department of Health (OSDH) inspectors from entering the jail for surprise checks. Jail officials have argued in the past that staffing is at the heart of the matter.

OSDH officials cite a state law they say very clearly allows their inspectors to show up unannounced, and bans jail officials from denying them entry. The Oklahoma County District Attorneys office took the jails side, now the issue has ended up in court.

Well see what the judges say as to whether the health department has the statutory authority to do what they want to do, said Tardibono. You know, theres two sides of the story. The health department is out there putting their side out. We know that the jail has staffing problems; and when you do an unannounced inspection like theyre doing, it takes three days and pulling staff away and theyre already stretched.

Tardibono said hes hopeful a new jail will raise morale and inspire recruitment efforts. The site chosen for the jail however, has created a separate legal battle of its own.

We have the personnel in place to move the system in the right direction, said Tardibono when asked what he wants people considering the negativity to know. Thats what I would just say for citizens to support your leaders and to, you know, let your voice be heard; but also recognize theyre trying.

You can read the full report below.

CJAC_FY24 Annual ReportDownload

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KFOR.com Oklahoma City.
Smoke billows from destruction of buildings targeted by Israeli air raids at a street in Beirut southern suburb. Stringer/dpa

The Israeli army has again attacked a densely populated suburb of the Lebanese capital Beirut, the latest in a series of massive Israeli strikes on the country.

Local media reported at least three attacks on the suburb of Chiyah, south of Beirut.

The Israeli military confirmed renewed attacks without providing further details.

According to Lebanese sources, the army had already carried out dozens of attacks in the southern suburbs of Beirut during the night.

The densely populated residential areas are considered a Hezbollah stronghold. Initial reports said at least three people were wounded.

A man walks in front of damaged buildings targeted by Israeli air raids at a street in Beirut southern suburb. Stringer/dpa

People inspect damages after Israeli air raids at a street in Beirut southern suburb. Stringer/dpa
Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha said on Friday that the state government has undertaken a multi-pronged plan for the development of tourism in Tripura. He said a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) worth Rs 692 crore has been signed by the Tripura Tourism Department for the construction of ropeways. Dr Saha made this announcement while addressing the World Tourism Day 2024 programme and felicitation of the unsung heroes of the recent floods in Tripura at Rabindra Shatabarshiki Bhawan. He elaborated that the MoU was signed between the Tripura Tourism Development Corporation Limited and National Highways Logistics Management Limited for the construction of ropeways connecting Udaipur Railway Station to Matabari, Maharani to Chabimura, Surmachara, and Jampui Hills, with a total investment of Rs 692 crores. The Chief Minister highlighted that the tourism industry is one of the key sectors driving economic growth in the country and the state. "The state government is working on a multi-pronged plan to develop tourism. This year, the host country for World Tourism Day is Georgia. The natural environment of Tripura is one of the state's tourism assets. Additionally, there are several temples and mosques that support religious tourism. Key religious tourist centers include Tripura Sundari Temple, Kasba Kalibari, Fourteenth Goddess Temple, Mangalchandi Temple of Amarpur, and Mahamuni Pagoda. Efforts are also underway to beautify Matabari in Udaipur. Narkelkunja and Dumbur have already been made more attractive to tourists," he said. Dr Saha also emphasised that the state's tourist infrastructure is being developed through various central schemes. "Tourism is one of the largest sources of employment and plays a crucial role in economic prosperity and poverty alleviation. Forty-one modern log huts have been constructed and commissioned at various tourist centres across the state," he noted. The Chief Minister further mentioned that through the Swadesh Darshan 1.0 project, infrastructure development at tourist centres like Agartala, Sepahijala, Melaghar, Udaipur, Amarpur, Mandirghat, Tirthamukh, Narkelkunja, Dumbur, Ambassa, Neermahal, and Baramura has been completed. "To further develop tourism infrastructure in the state, projects have been undertaken for the development of Chabimura, the Sonamukhi area of Kailashahar, the Chaturdash Devata Temple, and the Kasba Kali Temple area through the Asian Development Bank. Among these, work has already commenced in the Sonamukhi area and Chabimura," CM Saha said. "Approximately Rs 180 crores will be spent on the development of these tourist spots," he said. During the programme, Tourism Minister Sushanta Chowdhury, SC Welfare Minister Sudhangshu Das, Mayor Dipak Majumder, Secretary of the Tourism Department Dr. TK Debnath and TTDC Managing Director Prashant Badal Negi were also present. (ANI)
Robinson at a campaign rally in North Carolina in August [Reuters]

Mark Robinson, the embattled Republican candidate for North Carolina governor, has been treated for burns in hospital after an "incident" at a campaign event.

His representatives did not detail what had occurred but said Robinson was recovering from second-degree burns and in good spirits after an "incident at a campaign appearance at the Mayberry Truck Show".

It comes days after several senior advisers resigned from his campaign in the wake of allegations that more than a decade ago the candidate made racist comments on a porn website's message board under the username 'Black Nazi'.

Robinson, who is running to be the states first black governor and has previously been endorsed by Donald Trump, has denied the reports.

Robinson had been attending a campaign event in Mount Airy, a city located near the border of North Carolina and Virginia, at the time of the latest incident.

He was taken to hospital and treated for burn injures. Second-degree burns are the most common type of burns. While not as severe as third-degree burns, they are injuries causing pain redness swelling and blistering of the skin.

Robinson's representatives said he would resume public campaigning on Saturday.

The candidate has been campaigning this week - resisting pressure from state Republicans and also reportedly Trump's team to exit the race.

A CNN report published on 19 September said he had posted comments on a porn site's message board more than a decade ago, where he referred to himself as "black Nazi" and in one post allegedly said he preferred Hitler to then-President Barack Obama.

Robinson, who was elected North Carolina's first black lieutenant governor in 2020, branded the report "tabloid lies", and said those postings had not been his words.

Days after the report was published, his campaign manager, deputy campaign manager, finance director and senior adviser all resigned.

Robinson has previously received direct public support from Donald Trump, who had called him "Martin Luther King on steroids", but he has not been seen with the Republican presidential nominee since the release of the report.

Trump has held two rallies in North Carolina since then and on Thursday, when asked if he would withdraw his endorsement he told told reporters: "I don't know the situation."

Kamala Harris' campaign has also seized on the controversy around Robinson's campaign, releasing a video. Polling has shown Harris and Trump effectively tied among likely voters in the potentially pivotal swing state.
Search and rescue operations are underway across Western North Carolina following the devastating impact of Tropical Storm Helene.

Saturday afternoon, Governor Roy Cooper announced that more than 200 people have been rescued from flood waters. North Carolinas search and rescue teams have also been bolstered by teams from 19 states and three federal teams.

Many areas in the mountains received more than 10 inches and as much as 29 inches of rain, causing catastrophic flooding. High winds gusting up to hurricane strength also brought down trees, power lines, and cell towers across the region, according to officials.

This is a historic and catastrophic storm for Western North Carolina, and Im grateful to first responders working right now to save lives and evacuate residents, Governor Cooper said. Efforts are also underway to get power and communications restored, and were bringing in needed supplies by air.

Officials said more than 700,000 people remained without power as of Saturday morning, and utility crews are responding from across the country for immediate restoration and repair efforts. Sixteen shelters also housed approximately 1,100 residents Friday night.

ALSO READ: At least 52 dead and millions without power after Helene's deadly march across southeastern US

Cellular telephone service remains spotty west of I-77 due to significant infrastructure damage. Telecommunications partners have activated Disaster Roaming, which allows any phone on any cellular network to access any available network to connect to. Telephone service providers are working to restore communications across the area.

Cooper also announced that supplies were being brought into the region by air for residents in the area.

The State Emergency Response Team is working around the clock responding to severe impacts from Helenes devastation. We are grateful for our local, state, and federal partners and their teamwork to help North Carolinians hit hard by this storm, said North Carolina Emergency Management Director Will Ray. Please remain aware of hazards and follow directions from local officials to protect life and safety.

As of Saturday morning, about 418 state-maintained roads remained closed, mostly due to flooding. Across the area, 11 landslides have been reported. This includes major closures on Interstates 26 and 40 around Asheville and dozens of locations along several U.S. and N.C. highway routes, according to officials.

State transportation officials continue to urge residents to avoid traveling in western North Carolina and to consider all roads in that region closed due to damage from the storm.

North Carolina residents are encouraged to only call 911 for emergencies and dial 211 for other types of information.

VIDEO: Historic flooding in aftermath of Hurricane Helene
Destruction to the Faraway Inn Cottages and Motel is seen in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, in Cedar Key, Fla., Friday, Sept. 27, 2024. | Stephen Smith

Millions of residents in Florida, Georgia and neighboring Gulf Coast states are working to recover from the blast that Hurricane Helene delivered late Thursday and Friday.

Helene had been downgraded to a post-tropical cyclone, according to USA Today, as it swept through the Southeast on Friday, but the storm still inflicted flooding across multiple states, causing as many as 40 deaths and power outages affecting millions.

In Perry, Florida, residents were working to check on their neighbors and restore power after Helene struck late Thursday, tearing apart homes and sending rescue crews on desperate missions to save people from floodwaters, according to The Associated Press.

The Category 4 hurricane knocked out power to some hospitals in southern Georgia, and Gov. Brian Kemp said authorities had to use chainsaws to clear debris and open up roads, per AP.

In Erwin, Tennessee, safety officials were pressed into a helicopter mission to rescue dozens of staff and patients stranded on the roof of a flooded hospital. Rescue by boat was also deemed too dangerous.

Per the Fox Weather Channel, Waters from the swollen Nolichucky River began quickly rising at the Unicoi County Hospital early Friday morning, according to a statement from Ballad Health.

Hospital officials called for ambulances to come evacuate 11 patients, but flooding quickly worsened to the point where ambulances could no longer safely reach the hospital.

By midday, 54 people had made it to the roof of the building, while seven have managed to remain in rescue boats, according to Fox Weather.

The hospital has been engulfed by extremely dangerous and rapidly moving water, officials said. The situation at the hospital is very dangerous and (Tennessee Emergency managers) and National Guard resources are engaged in what can only be described as a dangerous rescue operation.

Helicopters were finally able to begin air evacuations just after 2 p.m., according to an X post by Tennessee Rep. Diana Harshbarger.

Ballad Health officials said all staff and patients had been safely evacuated by 4:40 p.m., with patients transferred to Johnson City Medical Center.

The storm is also causing widespread concern in Kentucky and Virginia as well as South and North Carolina.

Dustin Holmes, second from right, holds hands with his girlfriend, Hailey Morgan, while returning to their flooded home with her children Aria Skye Hall, 7, right, and Kyle Ross, 4, in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, in Crystal River, Fla. | Phelan M. Ebenhack

A damaged 100-year-old home is seen after an Oak tree landed on it after Hurricane Helene moved through the area, Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, in Valdosta, Ga. | Mike Stewart

A boat owner watches crews raise his boat from the side of the road after it was pushed by floodwaters from Hurricane Helene at the Ozona Shores Marina on Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, in Palm Harbor, Fla. | Mike Carlson

Foundations and steps to buildings that were destroyed by the storm surge from Hurricane Helene are seen along the shoreline in the aftermath of the storm, in Cedar Key, Fla., Friday, Sept. 27, 2024. | Stephen Smith

Cutler Trenary, left, Emma Crosby, and Cason Trenary make their way through a flooded neighborhood on a motorized boat in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, in Crystal River, Fla. | Phelan M. Ebenhack

Kegan Ward, assistant manager of Swami Spirits, surveys the debris of the damaged store in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, in Cedar Key, Fla., Friday, Sept. 27, 2024. | Gerald Herbert
By Maya Gebeily and AbdelHadi Ramahi

BEIRUT (Reuters) - When Israel began pounding the southern Beirut suburb of Dahiyeh in airstrikes that killed Lebanon's Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, the blasts were so powerful that a pregnant woman feared her baby could not withstand the force.

"I'm 8 months pregnant. The baby wasn't even moving in my stomach and I was so scared that something happened, God forbid. But finally I felt it," said Zahraa.

"God, the missiles we saw yesterday, the fires we saw. We could hear every single strike. We haven't even slept a wink. There's people sleeping in the streets or sleeping in their cars all around us."

Like other residents of Dahiyeh, a Hezbollah stronghold, the family -- Zahraa, her husband and two sons, aged 17 and 10 - quickly packed what they could and fled for other parts of the capital Beirut. The city shook with each explosion.

Many of the schools used as shelters in the capital were already full with the tens of thousands of people who had fled southern Lebanon in recent days. Those newly displaced overnight said they had nowhere to go.

Hezbollah confirmed that Nasrallah was killed and vowed to continue the battle against Israel.

Nasrallah's death marks a heavy blow to Hezbollah.

It also brings more uncertainty to the inhabitants of Dahiyeh and those who have left for shelter in downtown Beirut and other parts of the city, after an escalation of the nearly one-year-old war between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah.

Ali Hussein Alaadin, a 28-year-old Dahiyeh resident, seemed lost after some of the heaviest Israeli bombardment of Beirut in decades. He barely had enough time to grab his father's medicine. One of the strikes hit a building just beside them.

"I don't even know where we are. We've been going around in circles all night. We've been calling NGOs and other people since the morning," he said, adding that aid groups would make constantly changing recommendations about where to seek refuge.

"We called everyone and they keep sending us around, either the number is off or busy or they would send us somewhere. Since 1:00 a.m. we've been in the streets."

Dalal Daher, who slept out in the open in Martyrs Square in downtown Beirut, said Lebanese lives were considered cheap as Israel carries out relentless strikes.

"If a paper plane flew over to Israel, it will cause endless turmoil. But for us, everyone is displaced and the whole world is silent about it, the United Nations and everyone is silent, as if we are not human beings," she said.

(Writing by Michael Georgy, Editing by William Maclean)
LEXINGTON, Miss. (AP)  Some residents of a small Mississippi town where the Justice Department found severe problems with excessive and racially disproportionate policing said they were unaware of the ongoing issues, while others said harassment from officers was a part everyday of life.

In a report released Thursday on Lexington, about 60 miles (97 kilometers) north of Jackson, the Justice Department said it found a stunning pattern of racially disparate policing in a department where officers can relentlessly violate the law.

Mike Carr, an attorney based in Cleveland, Mississippi, represents several people charged with crimes in Lexington, a rural town of about 1,200 people, approximately 76% of whom are Black. He said residents are often charged with resisting arrest, failure to comply and disorderly conduct  which Carr derisively calls the holy trinity.

One of his clients, who is Black, was charged with those three counts after police saw him standing outside a nightclub with a beer in his hand. Officers shocked the man with a Taser and slammed him against a vehicle, Carr said.

Another one of his clients, Jill Collen Jefferson, said she was unlawfully arrested in 2023 while filming Lexington police conducting a traffic stop. Jefferson, who is Black, is also an attorney and president of JULIAN, a civil rights organization that filed a federal lawsuit against the Lexington Police Department in 2022 alleging its officers had terrorized local residents.

Lexington Police Chief Charles Henderson was not in the office Friday, an employee said. The Associated Press left a message for him.

Jefferson has been documenting cases of police abuse in Lexington for years, but she said she was unable to get state officials to take action. Carr commended Jefferson for keeping attention on police corruption in one of the poorest towns in one of the poorest states in the U.S., eventually leading to a federal investigation.

Lexington is a place that could easily be forgotten, Carr said.

Jefferson compared day-to-day life for Lexington residents to living under martial law.

Think about the people behind these findings and what they have had to deal with and the bravery its taken for them to speak out, she said. Theyve been retaliated against for just trying to get justice.

Similar to Lexington, more than half of police departments in the U.S. are small and lacking proper oversight, Jefferson said.

Theyre not being watched, but we are watching them now," she said. And were going to scale this change from Lexington to impact over 50% of police departments in America.

Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Department of Justices Civil Rights Division stopped in Lexington last year as part of a listening tour through the Deep South to learn where to direct federal resources and mount potential civil rights lawsuits.

The department said its investigation of Lexington is part of a broader effort to crack down on unconstitutional policing at small and mid-size police departments in the South. Last week, it announced it was opening a civil rights investigation into the Rankin County Sheriffs Department in Mississippi, where several officers were convicted in the torture of two Black men in a racist attack that included beatings, repeated use of Tasers and assaults with a sex toy before one of the victims was shot in the mouth.

Lexington residents owe police $1.7 million in fines, and the city court has issued bench warrants authorizing the arrest of more than 650 people  roughly half of the citys population  because of unpaid fines, the Justice Department said.

It is unconscionable that, in 2024, a local government would subvert the law to suppress citizens basic human rights," NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson said Friday. "Debtors' prisons, like dog whistles and state-sanctioned segregation, are reminiscent of Jim Crow-era policies. We refuse to go back."

Sherry Harris said she worked as a Lexington police officer for three weeks in August and September but quit because she didnt like the way officers were treating people. She said she was training on the job with the intention of going to a police academy later.

Harris, who is Black, said she saw her training officer pull Black drivers over for reasons she could not identify, often giving ticketing them for having obscured or dirty license plates.

The guy that was training me, he loved pulling people over, she said. If they look like theyre speeding  theyre going to pull them over for that, because you know they aint got no radar."

Harris said she brought her concerns about the officer, who is also Black, to the chief: I said, Look, he is not going to get me killed because hes just harassing people.

When it came it white drivers, Harris said she never saw officers issue tickets.

That aligns with what federal investigators found. The Justice Department said Black people committing traffic offenses were arrested by Lexington police while white people committing similar traffic offenses were not. Investigators also found Lexington police disproportionately targeted Black people for arrests, and reviews of body camera footage showed officers repeatedly used force against Black people but never against a white person.

Curdarrus Simpson, who lives in Lexington, said police will pull people over first and find a reason for doing so second. Simpson, who is Black, said he and a friend were pulled over Friday and falsely accused of running a stop sign.

Jane McCrory lives close to Lexington and said she comes into town daily. McCrory, who is white, said she had only been pulled over once by Lexington police, for a minor traffic violation, and she was let go without citation. She said she was unaware of the problems Black residents have reported they are having with local police but she wants the state and federal officials to respond to the many damning allegations in the Justice Departments report.

Anything they found that affects any of our citizens needs to be dealt with, McCrory said.

___

AP reporter Michael Goldberg contributed from Minneapolis. Brewer reported from Norman, Oklahoma.
Demonstrators hold pictures of slain Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah during a protest vigil in the southern Lebanese city of Sidon (Mahmoud ZAYYAT) (Mahmoud ZAYYAT/AFP/AFP)

Israel's killing of Hassan Nasrallah leaves Hezbollah under huge pressure to deliver a resounding response to silence suspicions that the once seemingly invincible movement is a spent force, analysts said.

Widely seen as the most powerful man in Lebanon before his death of Friday, Nasrallah was the face of Hezbollah and Israel's arch-nemesis for more than 30 years.

His group had gained an aura of invincibility for its part in forcing Israel to withdraw troops from south Lebanon in 2000, and after waging a devastating 33-day-long war in 2006 and opening a "support front" in solidarity with Gaza since October 2023.

But Nasrallah's killing in Hezbollah's southern Beirut bastion known as Dahiyeh was the culmination of two weeks of unprecedented blows to the Iran-backed group either claimed by Israel or blamed on it.

"If, at this point, Hezbollah does not respond with a strategic strike using its arsenal of long-range, precision-guided missiles, one must assume they simply can't," said Heiko Wimmen, project director for Iraq, Syria and Lebanon at the International Crisis Group.

"Either we see an unprecedented reaction by Hezbollah... or this is total defeat."

- 'Deterrent equation' -

Hezbollah has been the most powerful group in Lebanon for decades and the only one that has kept its arms after the end of the 1975-1990 civil war.

But after nearly a year of low intensity cross-border fighting, Israel has shifted the focus of its operation from Gaza to Lebanon, where heavy bombing since Monday has killed hundreds of people and displaced around 118,000.

This week's air assault followed pager and walkie-talkie blasts that targeted operatives of Hezbollah, killing 39 and wounding nearly 3,000.

And in the past week Israeli strikes on south Beirut have killed one top Hezbollah commander after the other.

For Sam Heller, an analyst with the Century Foundation, a lack of deterrence after such an important leader's killing could encourage Israel to press on even further.

In nearly a year of cross-border fighting with Israel, Hezbollah "haven't mustered the more dramatic capabilities that most of us had assumed it held in reserve", even as its foe intensified raids and conducted sophisticated operations, said Heller.

Hezbollah's capabilities may have been "oversold" or completely obliterated by Israel, he added.

Since the 2006 war in which Hezbollah "defeated the Israelis", the group had "maintained this long-time deterrent equation", Heller said.

"Now, it seems evident Hezbollah cannot protect... itself."

- 'Not a one-man show' -

With Lebanon's most powerful man gone and his Shiite Muslim community displaced and bereaved, its support base will expect more than just a symbolic response, analysts said.

Amal Saad, a Lebanese researcher of Hezbollah at Britain's Cardiff University, said that after the enormous blow to the now leaderless group, it would need to strike a delicate balance in choosing a response.

On the one hand, Hezbollah would seek to avoid triggering an Israeli "carpet bombing campaign against Beirut or all of Lebanon", while "at the same time raising the morale" of its supporters and fighters, she said.

Hezbollah would need to show it can protect its own people, exact revenge on Israel but also keep the peace among Lebanon's diverse religious communities.

Shiite Lebanese, which constitute the group's support base, are among the tens of thousands displaced from Lebanon's south, east and Dahiyeh by Israel's bombardment -- seeking shelter in areas where other religious communities live.

Mohanad Hage Ali, from the Carnegie Middle East Center, said Hezbollah had been "paralysed" by its recent reverses, but warned against writing the group off for good.

"It requires new leadership, a system of communications and to restore its narrative and speak to its support base," said Hage Ali.

But "it will be quite difficult to imagine the organisation wither away that quickly", he added.

Saad said that Hezbollah as an underground armed group was "designed to absorb shocks like this," citing the killing of top Hezbollah commander Imad Mughniyeh killed in a 2008 Damascus car bombing blamed on Israel.

"When the dust settles Hezbollah is not a one-man show," she said, adding that Nasrallah "is not a mythological figure. He's a person".

aya/ami
Sarasota Police Chief Rex Troche recently held a swearing-in ceremony with Sarasota Mayor Kyle Battie for seven new officers. Macy Clontz, Matthew Friedrich, Kaitlyn Marston, Tim Malak, Michal Banasiak, Maria Quinones, and Brian Slaughter Jr. joined the force as 2nd Class Probation officers and will participate in the Field Training Program for several months. For more photos, visit SPDs Facebook page (tinyurl.com/yvz97bkn).

Retired Navy officer, security expert to speak at luncheon

Bryan Gerard McGrath, a retired Navy officer, graduate of the U.S. Naval War College, and author of the Navy's 2007 Maritime Strategy "A Cooperative Strategy for 21st Century Seapower," will be the guest speaker at a luncheon hosted by the Sarasota Manatee Council of the Navy League on Oct. 3 at Laurel Oak Country Club in Sarasota.

Retired Navy officer Bryan Gerard McGrath regularly advises government and industry leaders on naval matters.

McGrath, an appointee to the House Armed Services Committee's National Commission on the Future of the Navy, will discuss the impact of the Navy's new NAVPLAN and explain why ships and shipbuilding investment are critical to maintaining the nations defense and global economic security.

"It's imperative that we recognize the urgent need to grow the fleet," McGrath says. "Given escalating global tensions and the nation's growing defense needs, the Navy must get bigger, more ready, and more lethal, all at once. I look forward to sharing ideas and drawing on insights from the Sarasota community and Sarasota-Manatee Council of the Navy League.

The luncheon (11:30 a.m.), which is open to the public, also will celebrate the 249th anniversary of the Navy. For more information and tickets, visit navyleague-sarasota-manatee.org.

SRQ Strong increasing impact with first executive director

SRQ Strong, a regional nonprofit committed to raising awareness about trauma and fostering healing and resilience, has hired Tom Edwards as its first executive director.

Tom Edwards has been named the first executive director of SRQ Strong.

Edwards will guide the transformation of a largely grassroots, volunteer effort into a sustainable, independent organization, the group said in a press release. SRQ Strong began as a program within the Center for Religious Tolerance to educate people about the impacts of trauma. Our vision is to create a community that cares for itself, where neighbors support each other, regardless of differences, said Dr. Andrea Blanch, founder and board chair of SRQ Strong. "Tom Edwards is the right leader to elevate our impact.

Edwards offers more than 40 years of entrepreneurial experience and 11 years of small business advocacy within the New York State General Assembly. Through education, advocacy, and leadership development ... we want to build a trauma-informed community, said Edwards, who has served on the Sarasota County School Board since 2020. SRQ Strong helps people understand why they and others sometimes struggle, and gives them tools to regulate their emotions and change their lives.

For more about SRQ Strong, including a schedule of upcoming workshops and activities, visit srqstrong.org or email sarasotastrong@gmail.com.

Free legal help is available for residents affected Debby

Disaster Legal Services is offering free legal assistance to Florida residents affected by Hurricane Debby who are not able to afford an attorney for their disaster-related needs.

Callers may get help with legal issues such as securing FEMA and other government benefits; home repair contracts and property insurance claims; replacing lost or destroyed wills and other important legal documents; consumer protection issues; landlord or tenant problems; and threats of foreclosure.

The DLS program is a partnership between the American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division, FEMA, The Florida Bar, Bay Area Legal Services and Three Rivers Legal Services Inc. DLS attorneys are not FEMA employees. The toll-free legal services hotline, 833-514-2940, is available between 9:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday.

Women in Philanthropy 'Soiree' to spotlight 12 changemakers

The Women in Philanthropy organization will honor 12 regional changemakers at their inaugural Women In Philanthropy Soiree on Nov. 9 at Cap Joie in Sarasota.

The honorees include Margery Barancik (1936-2019), Ariane Dart, Judith Economos (1940-2024), Mary Kay Henson, Marie E. Jonson-Colbert, Sherry Koski, Flora Major, Graci McGillicuddy, Elizabeth Moore, Lee Peterson (1926-2017), Nikki Sedacca, and Virginia Toulmin (1925-2010).

The event will pay tribute to the women's civic legacies in Sarasota and beyond. For more about the honorees and ticket information, visit womeninphilanthropyofsarasota.com or email wipsarasota@gmail.com.

Around and about

 The Parrish Fall Festival is coming to Parrish United Methodist Church (12180 US Highway 301 N.) on Oct. 13 from 4-7 p.m. Mote Marine, Sidewalk Science and JOY FM are new additions to the event, which includes games, music, treats, hayrides, a corn maze, games, pumpkin decorating, face-painting, and a photo booth. parrishumc.com.

 Tickets and sponsorships for the Florida Center for Early Childhoods Wonder Gala fundraiser in December are now available. The Florida Center provides therapeutic services and early education for children in Southwest Florida who are at-risk academically, socially, or economically. The event is Dec. 6 at The Ora, 578 McIntosh Road, in Sarasota. Thefloridacenter.org/schedule/the-wonder-gala.

Submissions by Monica Galeano-Bush, Andy Blanch, Justin Goldstein, FEMA Florida, Dayle Hoffmann, Ethel Pawley, and Angie Monroe.

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Retired Navy officer to speak at Sarasota Manatee Navy League luncheon
Eric Birkin was surrounded by friends and family in Frinton to celebrate his birthday and was joined by Ch Supt Claire Talbot and Det Ch Insp Rob Huddleston [Essex Police]

A retired police officer has been given a special award to mark his 100th birthday.

PC Eric Birkin was presented with a plaque by Essex Police. The force's Ch Supt Claire Talbot said he was "an inspiration to us all".

He first joined the force on 23 September 1954, and spent most of his career stationed in Billericay and Wickford, before retiring 29 years later in September 1983, aged 59.

He said he loved to go out on foot patrol and speak with members of the public, before returning to the station at the end of a shift for tea and cakes.

Mr Birkin was presented with a special award to mark his centenary by Ch Supt Claire Talbot and Det Ch Insp Rob Huddleston [Essex Police]

Mr Birkin joined Essex County Constabulary, as it was then known, four days after his 30th birthday, after serving for seven years in the Army in the Essex and Suffolk Regiments and five years as a storeman.

The centenarian then transferred to the Essex and Southend-on-Sea Joint Constabulary on 1 April 1969, which became Essex Police five years later.

His last role was custody officer at Billericay Police Station.

Ch Supt Talbot said: "Eric still has extremely fond memories of his time in policing but when I asked him the funniest memory he recalls from his career, he said there were 'too many to mention'.

"Eric is an inspiration to us all."

Det Ch Insp Rob Huddleston said: "It was amazing to hear Eric speak of his time walking the beat and as a jailer at Billericay, even fetching fish and chip suppers for detainees.

"His experiences certainly highlight the contrasts and many differences between policing 40 to 70 years ago and now."

Mr Birkin's grandson, Geoff Waddoup, followed in his footsteps and became a police officer "because of his love and passion for policing", Ch Supt Talbot added.

Follow Essex news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.

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NORTH KINGSTOWN, R.I. (WPRI)  Where Quidnessett Country Club meets Narragansett Bay stands a roughly 600-foot sea wall, and it has put the country club in the crosshairs of the Rhode Island Attorney Generals Office.

Jan Companies, which manages the country club, told 12 News the sea wall was built to protect the property from erosion.

The last 30 years weve lost over 47 feet, said Janice Mathews, the vice president of Jan Companies. And every time we lose more, we have to move the 14th fairway to the point where we cant move it anywhere else.

But the Attorney Generals Office and Save the Bay have called on the country club to take down the wall, saying it was illegally built.

You cant have individual property owners building walls that are poorly engineered, that arent permitted, said Jed Thorp, the director of advocacy at Save the Bay. Allowing them to keep the wall in place would set a terrible precedent for the rest of the state.

Mathews said the Jan Companies have spent millions trying to combat the erosion in ways that the Coastal Resource Management Council (CRMC) suggested, but none of them worked. So after a bad storm in December 2022, she said, they decided to build the wall.

But Thorp said the sea wall actually makes erosion worse for the clubs neighbors.

ALSO READ: RI beaches are eroding faster, putting Newport drinking water at risk

They have buried a section of coastal habitat under the rock wall, Thorp said. Theyve also cut off public access along that stretch of shoreline, which is a violation of state law.

Now the country club is asking the CRMC to change its water type so the club can keep the wall.

The ocean has changed so much over 40 years, and its the same laws today that it was 40 years ago, Mathews said. We need to keep up with this. We need to modernize everything.

But the Attorney Generals Office pushed back. Spokesperson Brian Hodge wrote in a statement, This is the classic case of knowingly violating the law and seeking forgiveness after the fact.

Last week the CRMCs staff recommended the clubs petition be denied, noting the potential negative impacts to the public shoreline.

This week the proposal went before the Planning and Procedures Subcommittee, where they decided they needed to hear more from the country club before making a decision.

The next meeting is scheduled for October 22 at 3 p.m.

NEXT: Boaters urged to avoid Charlestown Breachway if possible

Kate Wilkinson (kwilkinson@wpri.com) is a Target 12 investigative reporter for 12 News. Connect with her on Twitter and Facebook.

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Ocean, Bay & Beach // A look at the conditions at the coast 

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WPRI.com.
RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN)  Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson (R) told supporters his campaign is stronger than ever after the majority of the people working on it resigned over the weekend following a CNN report that said Robinson called himself a black Nazi on a pornography site more than a decade ago.

During an event on X, Robinson continued to deny writing the comments and made reference to the first assassination attempt against former President Trump earlier this year in Pennsylvania.

The presidents lead, were following it. When he put his fist up in Pennsylvania and said fight, doggone it thats what were here to do, said Robinson. Like President Trump always says, Im just the target that theyre shooting at, but what theyre aiming to stop is Republicans.

The campaign has not announced any new hires since the resignations last weekend. Half of Robinsons state government staff, including his chief of staff, are resigning as well.

Robinsons campaign released a video his wife Yolanda recorded addressing the CNN report.

Lord knows youve heard a lot of things about my husband Mark, she said. Despite growing up in poverty with an alcoholic father who abused his mother, Mark has been a wonderful husband, father and grandfather, always being there for our children and grandchildren.

The video is the first time Yolanda Robinson has spoken about the matter publicly.

He is known sometimes to raise his voice and to raise a ruckus. But, it is all because of the passion he has to protect North Carolina and to protect you, she said. Make no mistake: Josh Stein and his friends are attacking Mark to distract you from his record. While they are lying about Mark, he is out fighting for you.

As Hurricane Helene impacted North Carolina Friday, Robinson returned to the campaign trail.

He posted pictures on X of an event that show him standing near a cardboard cutout of former President Donald Trump and former First Lady Melania Trump.

While the former president has been to North Carolina twice since the story broke, Robinson was not invited to appear with him.

Trump was asked Thursday if hell withdraw his endorsement of Robinson.

I dont know the situation, Trump responded.

Earlier this week, U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis (R) told reporters he wanted Robinson to come forward by Friday with evidence showing the posts were not his, CNN said. Tillis backed one of Robinsons opponents in the Republican primary earlier this year.

If Mr. Robinson doesnt put forth facts as part of a lawsuit that would discredit the sources by this week, then weve got to move one. Weve got an election thats 40 days away, and weve got to move on, Tillis said, according to CNN.

While Robinson has hired attorney Jesse Bindall to look into the matter, there is no lawsuit or any new information that Robinson has made public to refute the story.

CBS 17 contacted Tilliss office for comment on the matter Friday but did not hear back.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to CBS17.com.
National Conference Vice President Omar Abdullah lashed out at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), stating that the party "doesn't know how to do politics without lying or cheating." Speaking to the media while campaigning for the third phase of the Jammu and Kashmir assembly polls on Friday, the candidate from the Budgam and Ganderbal constituencies said that the BJP had done nothing for the past 10 years for the union territory and alleged that they are trying to cheat people into voting them for them either in the name of religion, terror, or familism. "The BJP doesn't know how to do politics without lying and cheating. They have nothing to say about the last 10 years; therefore, they are trying to cheat people. In the name of either religion, terror, or familism. They are doing all this because they haven't done anything for Jammu and Kashmir," he said. Abdullah further called upon the party and questioned, "Why aren't they removing Article 371?" Under Article 371, which is part XXI of the Indian Constitution, certain states are granted certain temporary, transitional and special powers. Currently, 12 states, including Goa, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Nagaland, Assam, Manipur, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Sikkim, and Karnataka, have been granted power through this article, which varies from state to state. He further questioned the BJP on why they aren't removing Article 371 from the state where they are being implemented as they did with Article 370 for Jammu and Kashmir. "As they said everything will be fine in time, why can't they just remove 371 from the states where they are being implemented? As they did to Jammu and Kashmir to make the state equal, then they should also do it for states where 371 is being implemented. Why aren't they doing that? Is equality only for Jammu and Kashmir? The other states also deserve to be equal... It is good that JP Nadda said in time this will also be done; then I would also like to hear from the Prime Minister when the other states will also be given equal states," Abdullah added. Earlier, he hit out at the Bharatiya Janata Party-led centre government over the terror incidents in the Jammu region and also questioned who is responsible for the militancy in the region after 2014. Meanwhile, Union Minister JP Nadda hit back at the NC Vice President over his statement blaming the central government for 'lower voter turnout' in the second phase of the Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections. Nadda denied Omar Abdullah's claim and said that "he is bad in mathematics". Speaking at a press conference, JP Nadda said, "If one wants to see the poll percentage, it used to be 6 to 8 per cent but today it is 58 to 60 per cent. If he was bad in mathematics, what could I do? There was 60 per cent voting in the first phase and 58 per cent in the second phase." Jammu and Kashmir is voting for its 90-member assembly in three phases. The first and second phases of voting took place on September 18 and 25, respectively. The third and final phase of voting will take place on October 1, while the counting of votes will be held on October 8. (ANI)
One teen was killed and three others were injured in a crash in rural Johnson County, Missouri, Friday evening, according to a Missouri State Highway Patrol crash report.

Turner R. George, 18, of Warrensburg, was driving a 2004 Dodge pickup on Southwest 271st Road north of Southwest 1200th Road just before 9 p.m., when he lost control of the vehicle while accelerating through a curve, the crash report said.

The pickup truck left the road, went into a ditch, overturned and struck a fence, according to the report.

Paramedics responded, and a coroner pronounced George dead at the scene. Three other teenage passengers suffered minor injuries and refused medical treatment at the scene.

Georges body was transported to the Johnson County Coroners Office.
Families are set to face a tax increase at the end of next year because of the expiration of many of the Trump-era tax cuts. If the law lapses, families will receive a $1,000 tax credit per child instead of the current $2,000 per child.

But many politicians  including both Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump  have said they want to give more money back to families to help with the cost of having and raising children. But so far, Congress hasnt acted on the promise of delivering more assistance for families.

Sen. Mitt Romney has spoken out on this issue throughout the time hes been in the Senate. His first and only Senate term is set to end in January, but Romney is introducing legislation with the hope it will influence the debate on the child tax credit after he leaves office.

Romney says his plan, the Family Security Act, treats stay-at-home and working parents equally, promotes marriage and encourages work. He also says its deficit neutral  meaning it includes tax offsets that would raise taxes for some taxpayers.

The legislation would also provide a tax credit for pregnant mothers, who could receive monthly payments of up to $700 after 20 weeks of pregnancy.

Throughout my term, Ive fought for policies that support families raising kids. Im finally introducing my Family Security Act legislation to expand the (child tax credit) in a fiscally-responsible way. This should be the starting point for CTC negotiations in 2025, Romney said in a post on X.

With many of the provisions from 2017s Tax Cuts and Jobs Act expiring next year, taxes will go up for most individuals and businesses unless Congress acts, so taxes are expected to be a hot topic for federal policymakers in 2025.

What would Romneys Family Security Act do?

Romneys plan would:

Increase the child tax credit to $4,200 for families with children younger than 5, and $3,000 for families with a child between ages 6-17. Families could claim the credit for up to six children, and choose to get payments monthly.

Extend to pregnant mothers a tax credit of up to $2,800, which could also be paid in monthly installments starting at 20 weeks.

Provide benefits for families who earn at least $20,000 a year. The credit would start phasing out at $200,000 for single-filers and $400,000 for couples.

Pay for the cost of an extended child tax credit by simplifying the earned income tax credit, and through other offsets like capping state and local tax deductions at $30,000 and eliminating the head of household tax filing status.

Work to eliminate the marriage penalty for families that receive the EITC.

When the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 expires next year, the Child Tax Credit will be cut in half  leaving federal family policies inadequate, unpredictable, and scattered across the tax code, Romney said in a statement.

We must renew our commitment to support families raising children, and I urge my colleagues of the next Congress to do so in a fiscally responsible manner, he said.

Nikhita Airi, a research associate at the Tax Policy Center, wrote about an earlier version of Romneys Family Security Act, that also eliminated the head of household tax filing status. She said the change would raise taxes for some single parent households.

Under the head of household status, qualifying single parents can get a larger standard deduction, lower marginal tax rates, and increased eligibility for education and retirement savings credits than those who use single filing status, she wrote.

But a staff member from Romneys office said eliminating the head of household filing status is one way to reduce the marriage penalties found in the federal tax code, and said its benefits mostly go to higher income households.

Pro-life groups praise Romneys plan

In a statement to the Deseret News, Romney pointed out that Utah families would stand to gain from these changes.

Utah  out of all 50 states  has the highest number of children in each family, he said. And in todays economy, families are facing great financial strain. Congress should be looking for ways to support families raising kids, and increasing the Child Tax Credit will allow for parents to better plan for family expenses throughout the year.

Importantly, my proposal creates a new tax credit for expectant parents starting mid-pregnancy to help tackle the expenses that start before a baby is born, he continued.

Romneys plan is gaining praise from pro-family and pro-life groups, including for his proposal to start providing assistance to pregnant women that could be paid out monthly.

Family Policy expert Lyman Stone called Romneys plan an excellent proposal in a post on X.

It dramatically reduces marriage penalties in the EITC. It values fetal life, not just babies once they have their SSN. And it represents a huge (and not ruinously work-discouraging) expansion in support for family and childbearing, he wrote.

Marilyn Musgrave, a vice president at Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, said about the bill, We applaud Sen. Romney for introducing the Family Security Act. Building a culture of life takes creativity and rethinking the status quo. The Family Security Act takes great strides towards this culture by providing support for parents of unborn children.
When the state Legislature convened last January, there was one overriding priority: to prevent, if possible, a repetition of the horrendous events of last Oct. 25, when 18 Maine citizens were massacred by a disturbed gunman at a bowling alley and a bar in Lewiston.

There was some progress toward containing gun violence.

A 72-hour waiting period for gun purchases was enacted without the governors signature. It should be helpful, as it has been in other states, in reducing deaths by suicide, which are often impulsive acts.

The administration sponsored tightening of gun sale regulations, and tweaked the yellow flag law passed in 2019. That law, little used before Oct. 25, afterward saw a dramatic increase in individuals taken into protective custody by police pending a mental health evaluation.

Douglas Rooks

But the most obvious need, a red flag law allowing families as well as police to petition for gun removal, fell by the wayside. Its important to recall how that happened.

In 2018, after the Parkland, Florida, high school killings of 17 students and teachers, then-state Sen. Mark Dion (D-Portland) introduced a red flag bill that attracted broad support, including a 31-3 Senate roll call.

It was supported by then-Attorney General Janet Mills but ultimately vetoed by former Gov. Paul LePage, overridden in the Senate but sustained by the House.

The following year, Mills, now governor, changed course and worked with gun rights groups to craft a yellow flag alternative to the red flag laws already adopted in 21 other states.

Crucially, red flag laws authorize family members to initiate proceedings when they believe someone they know well may be intending violence.

That was crystal clear with Robert Card, whose family sought but didnt receive help long before he went on his murderous rampage.

Yes, the investigating commission concluded police failed in their duties by not persisting with a wellness check when Card wouldnt answer the door. And the Army also failed when it neglected to notify state officials after Card, a reservist, was hospitalized for acute psychological episodes, then released.

Card could have been deterred much earlier, however, had a red flag law been in place.

Gun rights groups accept the yellow flag, but not red flag concept. Its hard to understand why.

Under red flag principles, a judge can order gun removal after a hearing and without a full adversarial proceeding. Its temporary, though; if the seizure isnt justified, the individual can get the firearms back.

Under yellow flag rules, the person involved is locked up, losing their freedom for as long as it takes for evaluation and legal proceedings to conclude. Which version is actually more coercive?

Gun rights advocates adopted the peculiar position that its a greater infringement of personal liberty to remove a gun than to lock up a person. Its hard to believe those subject to these contrasting procedures would agree.

That logic prevailed at the State House, however. Democratic leaders didnt even introduce a bill initially and when, after dissent from their own caucus they finally did, it was too late to even bring the measure to the floor.

Now, voters will have the opportunity to rectify the failure of lawmakers and the governor to address a pressing public need. After Parkland but before Lewiston, many thought it cant happen here but they were wrong.

The Maine Gun Safety Coalition last week announced a signature-gathering effort to put a referendum question on the ballot in 2025, and should have no difficulty succeeding.

Some recent referendum questions have had constitutional and legal problems both before and after enactment, but a red flag law is exactly the kind of measure for which the initiative-and-referendum system was devised more than a century ago.

When lawmakers fail in their duty, the people can act to enact legislation.

There will be predictions that Maine, reputedly a pro-gun state, will balk at restricting firearms, citing an unsuccessful 2016 referendum to expand background checks for purchases.

That measure was criticized for being overly broad by including transactions among family members. The governors enacted legislation this year created exceptions.

In any case, the red flag issue is different. Mainers, and Americans, disagree on many aspects of fatalities caused by firearms, but theres a strong consensus about keeping guns out of the hands of those who demonstrably shouldnt have them.

After Lewiston, there can be no doubt a red flag law would better protect public safety, and above all ease justifiable fears of parents, students and teachers each day at school  or any public place.

On an off-off year election ballot the proposal will receive plenty of attention  and the result should be definitive.

Douglas Rooks has been a Maine editor, columnist and reporter for 40 years. He is the author of four books, most recently a biography of U.S. Chief Justice Melville Fuller, and welcomes comment at drooks@tds.net.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Rooks: Maine referendum allows people to decide Red Flag issue
BINGHAMTON, N.Y. (WIVT/WBGH)  Broome County is normalizing harm reduction and making it easier to access lifesaving medication with the placement of additional Narcan distribution boxes.

Central New York Rotary, the Broome County Health Department Overdose Prevention Program, and the county government announced that 24 Naloxboxes will be placed around the community. The project is made possible by a Global Rotary Grant of $53,000.

Additionally, Chenango County is getting 19 Naloxboxes and Delaware County will get 28.

Each Naloxbox contains free overdose prevention kits.

Narcan is a safe, easy to use, low-risk medication that enables a person to start breathing again, ultimately saving their life.

It is our hope that our efforts will give the public a better understanding how easily it is to save the life of a person who experienced an opioid overdose, said Rouff.

So far this year, Broome County has seen a suspected total of 169 overdoses.

Amanda Lewis is a Broome County resident who is in recovery. She has survived multiple overdoses because of naloxone and now works professionally with those who battle substance use disorder.

Lewis urges everyone to carry Narcan because you dont know when you might have to save a life.

When I was in active use, Naloxone wasnt as readily available. One thing I would like to note is the importance of carrying Naloxone. Individuals that are using substances that are in jeopardy of experiencing an overdose crisis are someones family member, friend, coworker, neighbor, and you have the opportunity to save a life, said Lewis.

The Naloxboxes will be placed on county government owned, rented, and operated facilities such as parks, the bus station, and senior centers. Business owners can also apply for a Naloxbox through the county.

News 34 will air an hour-long special on the Fentanyl crisis titled Saving a Generation It will air on WIVT News 34 next Wednesday at 10 p.m. and again on WBGH NBC-5 Thursday at 7.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WIVT - News 34.
The crew of a Royal Navy warship have released six rare turtles back into the wild after they washed up on UK shores.

The juvenile turtles were swept from the Caribbean or along the US east coast by strong winds and Atlantic currents, becoming "cold-stunned" near the British coast, experts said.

Four of the loggerhead turtles were found along the Cornish coast, one was found in Devon and another was rescued at Anglesey in Wales.

Portsmouth-based patrol vessel HMS Medway transported the turtles to the Azores islands, where they were released having been cared for by Newquay's Blue Reef Aquarium and Anglesey Sea Zoo.

The turtles were dropped back into the Atlantic [PA Media]

The turtles were named Jason, Perran, Gordon, Hayle, Holly, and Tonni.

Of the turtles rescued in Cornwall, Jason and Perran were found at Perranporth, Gordon at Bude and Hayle at Hayle.

Holly was found on Putsborough beach in Devon and Tonni was rescued at Moel-y-Don beach at Anglesey.

Experts believe the turtles would have died had they not been rescued.

They were dropped back into the sea by the ship's crew, who had gathered on the flight deck to watch.

Experts believe the turtles would have died had they not been rescued [PA Media]

Rod Jones, the Royal Navy's senior maritime environmental protection advisor, said: "As professional mariners, many of us are keen to do what we can to reduce the loss of biodiversity at sea.

"Encountering marine wildlife is one of the great joys of seafaring and if we can assist, even in a small way, to make that more likely in the future we are pleased to be able to do that."

'Grateful'

Steve Matchett, group curator for Blue Reef Aquarium, said the turtles were found in a weakened state.

"In many cases we were unsure if they were going to make it overnight," he said.

"All were dehydrated and emaciated. This is due to being too cold for a long period and being unable to feed/function properly.

"They have all prospered once we got them past the initial stages.

"We are very grateful to the Navy for stepping in to repatriate these rescued turtles."

Follow BBC Cornwall on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook and Instagram. Follow BBC Devon on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to spotlight@bbc.co.uk.

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Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) and Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) are set to go head-to-head in their first, and likely only, vice presidential debate Tuesday hosted by CBS News.

The two running mates have never locked horns before in a debate format, but they have continuously traded jabs on the campaign trail. Vance has specifically scrutinized Walzs military record while the Minnesota governor has consistently painted the senator and former President Trump as weird.

The debate, which will kick off at 9 p.m. EDT on Tuesday from the networks New York office, will be moderated by CBS anchor Norah ODonnell and Face the Nation host Margaret Brennan.

Both campaigns have agreed to CBSs rules for the debate, which were announced Friday.

Walz will be on the right side of the stage from a viewers standpoint, with Vance on the left. The Democratic vice presidential nominee, being the incumbent partys candidate, will be introduced first by the moderators, according to the outlet. Both candidates will remain at the podium for the entire length of the 90-minute showdown.

There will be no opening statements or live studio audience, similar to the debate earlier this month between Trump and Vice President Harris. The candidates will get two breaks, each lasting four minutes, according to CBS.

The candidates will have two minutes to answer each question. Then, two minutes will be given to their counterpart to push back. After that, the vice presidential hopefuls will each get one minute for rebuttals, the outlet said in its release. Both Vance and Walz will have a countdown clock to know how much time they have left.

The moderators will be seated during the debate. Microphones can be muted if the network decides, but they will be hot, CBS noted.

The candidates cannot use prewritten notes or have props, but they will be given a pen, paper and water. Staffers are also not allowed to engage with the vice presidential candidates during breaks.

The contenders will have two minutes for closing statements. Vance won a coin toss Thursday and opted to go second, thus being given the last word, CBS said.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Russian troops appear to be preparing for assault operations in the southeastern Zaporizhzhia Oblast, where "the enemy is amassing personnel," the Ukrainian military's Southern Command spokesman Vladyslav Voloshyn said on Sept. 28.

The statement comes as Russia continues to press forward on its offensives across the eastern front, primarily on the Pokrovsk, Vuhledar, and Toretsk axes in Donetsk Oblast, where the outnumbered and outgunned Ukrainian soldiers are forced to withdraw little by little.

Speaking on national television, Voloshyn said, citing the Ukrainian military's intelligence data, that Russia is massing personnel for what could be a new manoeuver in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, particularly near the Russian-occupied village of Pryiutne located on the border with Donetsk Oblast.

Voloshyn also said on television that Russian troops received 25 light buggies that could be used by small infantry groups for assaults.

"These are such signs of preparation for the fact that in the near future, assault actions will be carried out in the Zaporizhzhia direction," Voloshyn said, though stressing that it would require larger forces for a full-blown offensive.

The spokesman suggested that the potential operation may be Russia's attempt at improving its tactical position in the area, but there is no talk of an offensive yet.

The village of Pryiutne lies about 40 kilometers west of Vuhledar, a mining town that Russian troops have been trying to seize for more than two years. Russia has scaled up its offensive on Vuhledar in August, slowly gaining ground to encircle the town.

The defense of Vuhledar is strategic as capturing the town would allow Moscow to form the southern flank, which is needed as a staging ground for a bigger push onto Pokrovsk  a crucial Ukrainian-controlled logistic hub in the Donbas.

Pryiutne is located about 70 kilometers southwest of Pokrovsk.

Read also: As Russian losses in Ukraine surge, some military bloggers turn on Kremlin, military command

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Editor's Note: This is a developing story and is being updated.

Russian air strikes on the village of Slatyne in Kharkiv Oblast on Sept. 28 killed three people and injured six others, regional authorities reported.

Russia targeted Slatyne, a village 13 kilometers from the Russian border, with multiple air strikes on Sept. 28, Ukraine's State Emergency Service reported.

The attack targeted civilian infrastructure, hitting an educational institution and shops while people were walking on the street, Kharkiv Oblast Governor Oleh Syniehubov said.

The air strikes killed three people and injured six others. One of the victims, a woman, was reported to be in serious condition following the attack. No details have been reported on the remaining victims.

An educational institution and several houses were damaged. A non-residential building, a house, multiple outbuildings, a car, and dry grass in an open space caught fire after the attack.

Firefighters and rescue workers were dispatched to the scene.

Kharkiv Oblast borders Russia to the northeast. Repeated daily attacks are a fact of life for the residents of the embattled region. Another Russian attack in Kharkiv Oblast on Sept. 28 killed a Supreme Court judge.

Read also: Open letter: President Biden, this is how you can uphold your legacy by supporting Ukraine

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Aleksey Kolomeitsev, a Russian colonel who trained specialists in the use of attack drones, was killed in the city of Kolomna in Moscow Oblast, Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR) reported on Sept. 28.

Kolomeitsev, 51, led Russia's 924th State Center of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), a military unit responsible for training specialists to operate combat drones. The unit specialized in the use of Shahed drones, which Russia employs daily in mass aerial attacks against Ukraine.

Kolomeitsev was found dead in Russia on Sept. 27, HUR reported.

The Russian colonel was "directly involved in Russia's full-scale invasion and war crimes against Ukraine," HUR said.

While HUR did not disclose the details of Kolomeitsev's death or claim direct responsibility for the killing, the post said that "every war crime will be punished with justice."

Kolomeitsev is not the first Russian to die in similar circumstances in recent weeks  HUR said on Sept. 16 that a Kremlin propagandist had been killed in the Russian city of Belgorod.

In a post on Telegram, HUR claimed Aleksandr Korobov died on Sept. 15 after his skull was "crushed."

According to Russian news outlets, Korobov was heavily injured in an apparent assassination attempt.

Korobov  nicknamed "Crab"  appeared as a war correspondent on Kremlin state media channel, Russia 1, and HUR said he also headed its Belgorod branch.

"The propagandist not only prepared false materials about the war, but also personally participated in the commission of serious war crimes against Ukraine," military intelligence said, adding that Korobov regularly worked in occupied areas of Ukraine.

While HUR did not claim responsibility for the attack, the post included both current and former home addresses for Korobov, and noted he "periodically visited Moscow according to instructions."

The Kyiv Independent contacted HUR for confirmation of who was behind the attack on Korobov. It replied with a smiling face with sunglasses emoji.

Read also: As Russian losses in Ukraine surge, some military bloggers turn on Kremlin, military command

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Russian forces launched a double-tap strike on a hospital in the northeastern city of Sumy, killing 10 people and injuring 22, Ukrainian officials said on Sept. 28.

The initial attack claimed one life and caused extensive damage to several floors of the hospital, according to Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko. The second strike hit as rescuers and police arrived to evacuate patients to safety. Klymenko said in a Telegram post that among the killed victims and the wounded were two policemen.

As of 8 p.m. local time, the death toll had risen to 10 people, with 22 injured, according to local authorities. All patients of the targeted hospital have been evacuated to other healthcare facilities.

The regional military administration reported at around 8:30 a.m. local time that Russian troops targeted the healthcare facility with an airstrike and Iranian-made Shahed drones. About 10 minutes later, the Air Force confirmed that Russian forces had also conducted a powerful KAB-guided bomb attack in Sumy Oblast.

Expressing condolences for the loved ones of the victims killed in the attack in which Russia used Shahed drones to strike a hospital, President Volodymyr Zelensky said, "We are doing everything we can to provide our people with the help they need."

"Everyone in the world who talks about this war should pay attention to where Russia is hitting," Zelensky said, adding that 113 patients were evacuated from the Sumy hospital. "They are fighting hospitals, civilian objects, and people's lives."

"Only force can force Russia to peace. Peace through strength is the only right way. I thank everyone who helps us on this path."

In his Sept. 28 update, Klymenko noted it was the second consecutive day that Ukrainian police had suffered casualties. He added that search efforts were ongoing in Kryvyi Rih, where another worker might still be trapped beneath the rubble.

For more than two years, Russia has indiscriminately attacked civilian infrastructure across Ukraine, striking hospitals, schools, and residential buildings in a campaign seemingly designed to erode the nations morale.

Since Ukraine's surprise cross-border operation into Russia's Kursk Oblast in August, launched from Sumy Oblast, the fighting has intensified around Sumy. The region had seen relative calm following Russias withdrawal in the early months of the full-scale invasion.

Read also: Harris criticizes calls for concessions from Ukraine during joint press conference with Zelensky in Washington

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Ghaziabad Police has arrested four persons for allegedly forcing people to convert their religion. All four accused arrested on September 27 have been identified as Ashu (19), Paster Rasi Balram Singh (52), Polus Masih (43) and Chattu Kumar (34). As per Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Surendra Nath Tiwari, a woman named Sangeeta, a resident of Modinagar Police Station in Ghaziabad, lodged a complaint on September 22 with the police allegedly accusing her brother-in-law's son Ashu (19), his associates, and her in-laws who tortured her and her husband to forcibly convert their religion. When her husband protested, Ashu and his associates beat him and threatened to kill him, the police further added. "Sangeeta had informed us that her brother-in-law's son Ashu and her in-laws tortured them to convert their religion. We have arrested four people in the case after we received information. We are carrying out our investigation on this," said DCP Tiwari. On arrest and further interrogation, Ashu revealed that the four accused were involved with an organization, received Rs 3,500 per month and had so far forced 100 to 120 people to convert their religion. "On arrest, Ashu confessed that they worked for a Delhi-based organization and were receiving money from the same organization. We had arrested the accused yesterday. They also confessed that they trapped people into changing religion, and so far they have done the same with 120 people. They received Rs 3500 a month from the organization," DCP Tiwari added. "It might be possible that the gang has connections in several other states. Currently, we have retrieved the mobile data of the four accused so that the entire nexus is exposed. Further investigation is being carried out," the DCP said. (ANI)
The Kremlin is facing a backlash from Russian military bloggers outraged at reports of specialist troops being sent to storm Ukrainian positions in order to maintain pressure on the front lines.

Facing a shortage of manpower and a pressing need to maintain the grinding advances in eastern Ukraine, Russia has reportedly been throwing some of its most skilled troops into mass infantry attacks, and at very high costs.

"The past four months have proved the costliest for Russian forces since the war began in 2022," a U.K. Military Intelligence report on Sept. 23.

The report said Russian casualties, both killed and wounded, were averaging over 1,000 a day, and were 1,262 in May, 1,163 in June, 1,140 in July, and 1,187 in August, adding the total number since the start of the full-scale invasion was "likely over 610,000."

"It is expected that Russia's casualty rate will average more than 1,000 per day throughout September, as their soldiers are needlessly (killed) or wounded," it added.

As the losses mount, some pro-Kremlin Russian military bloggers (milbloggers) are accusing authorities of ignoring an apparently widespread practice of using specialist troops as cannon fodder in mass infantry attacks.

"Specialists, the handicapped, wounded, and so on are sent to storm one way, and in some cases they will not even make it to the assault  a needless death," prominent milblogger Anastasia Kashevarova said in a post on Telegram on Sept. 24.

The bodies of killed Russian soldiers in the Bakhmut area in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine on June 29, 2024 (Pablo Miranzo/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Despite hopes that Ukraine's incursion into Kursk Oblast would divert and slow Russian forces, Moscow's troops continue to make grinding advances in eastern Ukraine, leveraging in particular its advantage in manpower.

"Their tactics never change: they attack with quantity, and we fight them off with quality," one soldier defending the embattled town of Pokrovsk told the Kyiv Independent earlier this month.

"If we had that many people, that much ammunition, we would have fought all of them off a long time ago, but instead, we have shortages."

Steven Wolff, Professor of International Security at the University of Birmingham, told the Kyiv Independent that Russia's huge losses are indicative of a Russian military mindset that has not changed in decades.

"Russian military doctrine is Soviet-style, and it always relied on the depth of Russia and its enormous resources, including manpower resources," he said.

"The way in which Stalin just threw millions of people at the Nazis in the 1940s, it's not very different to what (Russian President Vladimir) Putin does in this terrible war of aggression against Ukraine."

In order to sustain this pool of manpower, Putin earlier this month signed a decree increasing the total number of Russian military personnel and staff by 180,000, to just under 2.4 million.

Read also: They attack with quantity: With Ukrainian soldiers desperately defending Pokrovsk

The Russian milblogger community has recently been highlighting numerous cases where skilled and specialized troops have been sent to the front in order to maintain the levels of men required to keep up pressure at the front.

Russian milblogger Roman Alekhine has described incidents in which Russian special forces officers, Aerospace Forces, and even sailors were being used to storm Ukrainian positions.

"Oh, yes, and rocket scientists too," he claimed in a post on his Telegram channel.

"And if they died in vain then it depends on us  bloggers, military correspondents, journalists to convey to the Defense Ministry and the Supreme Council the information about systemic problems at the front."

Ukraine's military has also noted a recent increase in specialist Russian troops taking part in infantry assaults.

Speaking to Espresso TV on Sept. 5, a commander with the 60th Brigade's 97th Battalion said waves of repelled assaults using "young and inexperienced soldiers" in the Lyman sector had led to large losses for Russian forces.

"New reinforcements have not yet arrived, so the enemy is forced to use trained and well-equipped special forces units for assaults," he added.

The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) also reported on the trend on Sept. 24, saying the "systematic misuse of Russian specialists indicates that Russia is struggling to meet the manpower demands of its war in Ukraine."

Russian military cadets take part in a rehearsal of next May 9's 79th anniversary military parade celebrating Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany in World War II, on April 23, 2024 (Olga Maltseva/AFP via Getty Images)

Destroyed Russian tanks are lying in a field near the village of Bohorodychne in the Donetsk region, Ukraine, on February 13, 2024. (Photo by Maxym Marusenko/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Compounding the high levels of losses, a recent scandal exposed the apparently common practice of transferring skilled and specialized troops to assault units and, in many cases, their deaths as punishment.

Earlier this month, two Russian reconnaissance drone specialists Dmitriy Lysakovskiy and Sergey Gritsay  call signs "Goodwin" and "Ernest" recorded a video in which they said their unit was being punished for reporting accurate information about the situation on the front lines.

"The entire long-range UAV drone unit was destroyed so that we'd stop receiving actual front line information, and sent into the assault," one of the men says in the video, adding: "Our regiment commander 'Zloy' already reported the capture of Lesovka, and obviously it's a lie. It's not taken."

"This situation is not unique, it happens all across the front line. Lies are an absolute norm. It's normal to lie about capturing places," he adds.

"And I record this because there is a high chance I won't return from this assault."

Both men were reportedly killed by a drone while storming Ukrainian positions.

A very curious incident occurred for Russians in the Pokrovsk direction. We've all heard when Russians send specialists like UAV operators and tankmen into meat assaults. In this case, one operator recorded a video before his death...

1/ pic.twitter.com/b893g7mF3w  WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated) September 13, 2024

The video gained traction among Russian milbloggers, prompting many to raise similar cases.

The milblogger North Channel said the practice "continues everywhere," while one of the most popular Russian milbloggers Rybar said it was endemic, and "scoundrel commanders remain in power while truth-telling soldiers and officers die."

"Note that all this is not happening in some backwater where the army could fall apart, but in the most important direction, in the Pokrovsk area (where) the success of the entire strategic campaign of the Russian Armed Forces depends right now," another milblogger, artjockey, said on Telegram.

"There is no more important place on the entire front right now," they added.

Read also: Crimean Bridge must come down, Ukraine says at Permanent Court of Arbitration

Such was the outcry that Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov initiated an investigation into the case of Goodwin and Ernest, the preliminary results of which were reported by a milblogger Alexander Kots earlier this week.

According to his report, the investigation found Goodwin and Ernest's commander did nothing wrong by disbanding their drone unit and sending them to the front as infantry.

Many milbloggers reacted to the report with fury, with one saying authorities were "not interested either in an objective investigation of this particular case, or in correcting the situation in the army."

But Wolff expects little to change, in large part because of a lack of outcry among the Russian public.

"There's also a particular mindset that makes that possible, where the Russian population just goes along with it because that's what they've always done," he said.

"You can go back all the way to the Napoleonic wars, there's just an enormous capacity for suffering, and that doesn't excuse it, but it just makes it so much more acceptable in a way."

A February poll from the Levada Center, an independent Russian polling organization, found that 77% of Russians supported the full-scale war in Ukraine, but a more recent survey suggests there may have been a shift in public mood in the months since.

According to polls conducted by independent pollsters ExtremeScan and Chronicles in September 2024, 49% of Russians support the immediate withdrawal of troops from Ukraine and peace talks with Kyiv.

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The aftermath of the Russian attack on Sumy. Photo: Sumy Oblast Military Administration

The local authorities have reported that the Russian attack on medical facilities in the city of Sumy in the morning left 9 civilians dead and 13 injured.

Source: Sumy Oblast Military Administration (OMA); Ukraine's Interior Ministry; Sumy Oblast Prosecutor's Office

The aftermath of the Russian attack on Sumy. Photo: Sumy OMA

Quote from Suma OMA: "The death toll from the morning enemy attack on medical facilities in Sumy has increased.

It has been established that 9 people have been killed and 12 more suffered injuries of varying severity."

Details: Sumy OMA revealed that Russian forces had carried out three airstrikes using Shahed loitering munitions, damaging two hospitals and nearby apartment blocks. At the same time, the reports from the Interior Ministry and the Prosecutor's Office mention one medical facility.

The aftermath of the Russian attack on Sumy. Photo: Sumy OMA

The Interior Ministry reported that one of the 9 dead was a police officer. The ministry noted that 10 people had been injured, including one police officer.

The aftermath of the Russian attack on Sumy. Photo: Sumy OMA

The explosions caused partial destruction of the ceiling between the ground and first floors, as well as damage to the third floor and the roof of the four-storey St. Panteleimon Clinical Hospital building. Efforts are underway to clear the rubble.

The prosecutor's office said 9 people had been killed and 13 injured.

The aftermath of the Russian attack on Sumy. Photo: Sumy OMA

Background:

On the morning of 28 September, Russian forces struck a healthcare facility in Sumy twice.

Later, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported that 8 people had been killed in the Russian Shahed UAV attack on a hospital in Sumy.

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Russians hit hospital in Sumy twice, killing at least six people  photos

The aftermath of the Russian attack on Sumy. Photo: Ukrainska Pravda

Russian forces carried out a strike on a medical facility in the city of Sumy on the morning of 28 September, using Shahed attack drones.

Source: Sumy Oblast Military Administration; Ukraine's Air Force; Ukraine's Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko; Sumy Oblast Prosecutors Office

The local authorities reported that there had been casualties.

Update: Later, Sumy Oblast Military Administration reported a repeat airstrike on Sumy.

The Russians targeted a residential area with Shahed drones.



The Air Force said the Russians had also dropped guided bombs on Sumy Oblast.

Later, Klymenko reported that the Russians had struck a medical facility in Sumy twice, killing six people.

As a result of the first attack, one person was killed and several floors of the hospital were damaged. The evacuation of patients and staff began immediately.

More updates on this news: Zelenskyy: Death toll in Sumy hospital rises to 8  photos

Rescue workers and police arrived at the scene to help, but the Russians launched a second strike during the evacuation.

As of now, six deaths have been confirmed, including a police officer. Another police officer was injured.

The aftermath of the Russian attack on Sumy.

Photo: National police

The prosecutors office later published the investigation data.

The Russians carried out airstrikes with Shahed attack drones on a medical facility in the city of Sumy at about 07:35.

At the moment, 86 patients were inside the hospital, including 15 with reduced mobility, and 38 workers.

Early reports indicate that one person was killed and 10 more sustained injuries in the first attack.

At about 08:25, when rescue workers and the police were assisting people after the strike, the Russians launched the second attack, killing five more people.





The aftermath of the Russian attack on Sumy.

Photo: Sumy Oblast Prosecutors Office

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A Russian drone struck a car in the settlement of Kozacha Lopan in Kharkiv Oblast on Saturday afternoon, claiming the life of a Ukrainian Supreme Court judge and leaving three women injured.

Source: Oleh Syniehubov, Head of Kharkiv Oblast State Administration, on Telegram; Kharkiv Oblast Prosecutor's Office

Quote from Syniehubov: "Around 13:00, the invaders attacked Kozacha Lopan in the Kharkiv district.

A drone hit a car. One civilian man has been killed. Information is being gathered. Three more women have been injured and taken to hospital."

Details: The Kharkiv Oblast Prosecutor's Office stated that the deceased man was a Supreme Court judge delivering humanitarian aid to local residents.

Quote from the prosecutor's office: "The investigation has revealed that an enemy First-Person View drone hit a civilian Mitsubishi Lancer vehicle in the village of Kozacha Lopan, Derhachi hromada, on 28 September. [A hromada is an administrative unit designating a village, several villages, or a town, and their adjacent territories]

The 61-year-old driver was killed right away. The man killed in the cynical attack was a judge of the Supreme Court who was delivering humanitarian aid to local residents.

 

photo: Kharkiv Oblast Prosecutor's Office

Three more women are also known to have been injured. Early reports indicate that they were also in the car. They have been taken to hospital."

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Vladyslav Voloshyn, spokesman for Defence Forces of Ukraine's South, has reported that Ukrainian intelligence and the military are aware of Russian plans to launch assaults on the Zaporizhzhia front.

Source: Voloshyn during the national joint 24/7 newscast

Quote from Voloshyn: "The Russians are preparing for assault operations on the Zaporizhzhia front, in particular, in the area of Pryiutne. Our intelligence data indicates that the enemy is assembling personnel to be used in assault operations.

In addition, a few days ago, the invaders received 25 light buggy vehicles from the motor transport depot of the Southern District of the Russian Federation, intended for use in assault operations involving small infantry units.

These are the signs of preparations for assault operations on the Zaporizhzhia front shortly."

Details: In addition, Voloshyn stressed that Russian forces are concentrating assault group personnel on the forward positions, so Ukrainian troops are expecting the Russians to intensify their activities in this area.

The spokesman explained that he was referring to assault operations, not offensive actions, which would require the concentration of larger forces. He added that Russia is attempting to improve its tactical position through these assaults.

Background: On 26 September, Voloshyn reported that Ukrainian intelligence had indicated that Russian troops were expected to increase their assault activities in Zaporizhzhia Oblast soon.

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Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergey Lavrov speaks during a Security Council meeting during the 79th UN General Assembly in New York. Bianca Otero/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has unequivocally rejected a restart of international relations.

"What global cooperation can we really speak of when the West has trampled on all these unwavering values of globalization, which it has been telling us about from this podium for so many years," Lavrov said in front of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

Recently, Russia distanced itself from the United Nations' future pact, which was supposed to be adopted unanimously by 193 UN members last Sunday.

At the same time, Lavrov categorically denied any responsibility on Russia's part for problems in the work of various United Nations bodies, such as the Security Council.

"The blame for this lies solely with the West," he declared. "The unprecedented level of arrogance and aggressiveness of Western policy towards Russia not only nullifies the idea of global cooperation propagated by the UN secretary general but also increasingly blocks the functioning of the entire world-order system, including the UN Security Council," Lavrov continued.

With regard to Russia's war against Ukraine, Lavrov detected a US-British conspiracy to destroy Russia. Secret plans had already envisaged the destruction of the then Soviet Union in 1945.

"But today's Anglo-Saxon strategists do not hide their plans," the Russian foreign minister claimed.

"They still count on defeating Russia through the hands of the illegitimate neo-Nazi regime in Kiev, but they are already preparing Europe to embark on a suicidal adventure."

In this context, he recalled the nuclear arsenals of the Russian armed forces and "the senselessness and danger of the idea of wanting to fight to the victory with a nuclear power, which Russia is."
By Simon Lewis and Michelle Nichols

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) -Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Saturday told the United Nations that it was senseless to ignore alternatives to Ukraine's peace proposals, warning the West of the danger of trying to "fight to victory with a nuclear power."

Addressing the U.N. General Assembly, Lavrov took aim at backers of Ukraine who support Kyiv's peace proposal.

Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. Nine months later Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy announced a 10-point peace plan to bring a just end to the war on the basis of the founding U.N. Charter and international law. Moscow rejected the plan.

"I'm not going to talk here about the senselessness and the danger of the very idea of trying to fight to victory with a nuclear power, which is what Russia is," Lavrov said.

"Equally senseless, the Western backers of Kyiv swearing that there is no alternative to negotiations based on the infamous peace formula."

Invoking Western allies' plans in the 1940s to "destroy" the Soviet Union, he accused the West of trying to deal a "strategic defeat" to Russia in Ukraine.

"The current Anglo-Saxon strategists are not hiding their ideas. For now they do, it's true, hope to defeat Russia using the illegitimate neo-Nazi Kyiv regime, but they're already preparing Europe for it to also throw itself into this suicidal escapade," Lavrov said.

Russia is not increasing its nuclear arsenal and while it had suspended participation in the New START treaty with Washington, it would remain guided by the treaty until it expires in 2026, Lavrov said.

"We suspended our participation in it, but we did say that we will comply with the levels, and we will exchange some types of information with the Americans," he said.

MIDEAST TENSIONS

Lavrov also challenged the United States over its support for Israel as the conflict with Lebanon's Hezbollah escalates and the war with Palestinian militants Hamas drags on in Gaza.

In a news conference at the U.N., he said the killing of Hezbollah's leader on Friday was a "political assassination" and raised concerns that Israel may be seeking to draw Iran into a direct conflict.

"My perception is that there are those who are looking to provoke Iran, to subsequently provoke the United States, and then to unleash a full blown war in the entire region there," Lavrov said.

Lavrov credited Iran's leadership for "behaving extremely responsibly" by not reacting to those provocations.

"It's important to just stop the bloodshed and stop using terrorist methods for political score settling," Lavrov said.

(Reporting by Simon Lewis and Michelle Nichols; Editing by Daniel Wallis, Paul Simao and Chizu Nomiyama)
(FOX40.COM)  An electric bike that was stolen from a 14-year-old boy on his birthday was returned to him by the Sacramento Police Department.

Earlier this week, SPD took a burglary report where an electric bicycle and several other items were listed as stolen. Police said the electric bicycle belonged to a boy named Josiah. Josiah is a twin and police said the incident happened on their birthday.

SPD officers reportedly searched the area and found Josiahs electric bike. Before returning the bike, officers picked up a birthday cake for the brothers and brought it to them.

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Above: A Nexstar Media video showing Hurricane Helene from space on Sept. 26, 2024.

SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI)  The San Diego Fire-Rescue Department is among several California agencies who deployed a search and rescue task force on Friday to the East Coast to help areas impacted by Hurricane Helene.

Governor Gavin Newsom announced Friday the deployment of California Urban Search and Rescue (US&R) teams to help in the aftermath of the Category 4 hurricane that made landfall on Floridas coast late Thursday.

LIVE COVERAGE: Surveying damage from Hurricane Helene in Tampa Bay

That storm so far has killed at least 40 people across four states and has caused widespread destruction, from flooding to power outages. Hurricane Helene weakened to a tropical depression over the Carolinas by early afternoon Friday and evacuations were in place Friday in areas of western North Carolina, the Associated Press reports.

Statewide, in coordination with FEMA, the California Governors Office of Emergency Services is deploying 151 firefighters and support personnel from California/FEMA US&R Task Force 5, 6 and 8 from the Orange County Fire Authority, Riverside Fire Department, and SDFD.

The deployment also includes California Swiftwater Task Force 1 from the Los Angeles Fire Department.

SDFD, who is the lead agency for the US&R Task Force 8 team, will be sending 46 personnel to North Carolina, where they will help aid in recovery efforts for some of the hardest hit areas in the state.

PHOTOS: Helene brings flooding, damage as storm barrels ahead

According to the department, the Task Force 8 team began traveling to the state on Friday and are driving semi trucks, vans and SUVs loaded with personnel and equipment.

With the extensive damage and destruction caused by Hurricane Helene, California is sending these additional specialized resources to help in these important response and recovery efforts. Were glad to extend a helping hand to all those impacted by Hurricane Helene, said Governor Gavin Newsom.

Governor Newsom says the task forces will assist with search and rescue efforts, incident management, and emergency operations in the hardest hit areas.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego & KUSI News.
LANSING, Mich. (WLNS)  Its OK if you dont believe. You can disconnect the line so I can go with the legal procedure. But once youre going to get arrested, and once youre going to lose each and everything. Then you cannot blame us that we have not tried to help you out.

Thats pressure point. That was how Acting Deputy Director of Customs and Border Protection Pete Flores was going to wrestle a payment or personal information from this reporter. The problem? Heres the real Flores in a press conference in El Paso three weeks ago:

Well, Good morning everyone. I am pleased really to be here today, in El Paso for this event.

The caller was a scam artist and part of what federal officials call a growing scam activity. The scammers call an unsuspecting person, identify themselves as someone whose name can be tracked on a website as a federal law enforcement agent and allege there is a warrant for their arrest for drug trafficking and money laundering.

Unfortunately for this scammer  the recipient of the call was a reporter who put the call on speaker and recorded the more than 41-minute call. The call audio was shared with Youssef Fawaz, a spokesman for the Detroit office of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection. He called the interaction wild and crazy. And while he says his office is getting about one call or email a day about this particular type of scam, this was the first time he has heard the scam in a recording.

(Getty Images)

Sadly, right people are being scammed by this and it makes me worry too because of the persistence that they have. Theyre constantly just going at you even after you told them that youre a reporter that you know this is a scam, they continued. You know their scam, they continue, he says. Thats what were concerned with is that the unsuspecting individuals that that are on the other end of that line may actually believe them because of the persistence. Its its truly concerning to us.

Despite being told multiple times that the reporter was recording the call and knew it was a scam  the scammers followed up with their threat to have Lansing Township Police arrest this reporter on the federal warrant  with another phone call. This time instead of a number in Idaho, the scammers spoofed the Lansing Township Police Department telephone number.

SCAMMER 2: I have called you to tell you that ah I have received the information from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers HEYWOOD: Yeah. SCAMMER 2: in the fight against you and I do believe that you are complete familiar about that, sir. HEYWOOD: Sure. SCAMMER 2: OK. So, why did you disconnected the line when the officers tried to speaking to you about the situation? HEYWOOD: I did not disconnect the line, but they told me you guys were going to come and arrest me. So, come get me. SCAMMER 2: [Phone disconnects] Transcript of scam phone call from Lansing Township Police Officer Jennifer

In the original, 41-minute plus phone call with the first scammer, the caller refused to hang up after promising the police were coming to arrest this reporter. Instead, the scammer tried to convince this reporter to hang up to prove the reporter was running away from the charges.

That first scammer threatened this reporter with arrest by the Ingham County Sheriff Department. Then, he said the information and warrant for charges of drug trafficking and money laundering had been sent to the Lansing Township Police Department.

Challenged on the change of agency the warrant was sent to, the scammer responded, Just wait for like 30 minutes, baby. You will get to know. Ultimately, the scammer ended the call.

That was shortly after 11 am Thursday. The second scammer, impersonating a non-existent Lansing Township police officer called about 1:40 p.m. That call lasted less than two minutes.

6 News recorded both phone calls. However, because they include personal details about the reporter the recordings wont be shared in full.

Both Joseph and Fawaz say scammers are getting better at getting your hard earned cash out of your bank account  and part of that is using the internet to collect public information about, your friends, your family, your work history  essentially anything you put on the internet could be fair game for the scammers.

These scammers are doing their homework. Theyre going on to public records websites and actually learning about the individual that theyre attempting to scam, says Fawaz.

Screenshot of data for 2024 collected by the Federal Trade Commission on Customs and Border Protection scam calls. (WLNS/Courtesy Federal Trade Commission)

The scam is officially called a government impersonation scam, and the Federal Trade Commission reports the Customs and Border Protection scam is the third most reported in the nation. Scam calls claiming to be the Social Security Administration or the Health and Human Services/Medicare are the first and second most common calls.

This year alone, the FTC has logged complaints for 9,194, with a total loss of $2.45 million. The median loss is $565  and thats down 2.4 percent from 2023.

So far in 2024, the FTC reports 127,660 scam call reports related to government impersonation. Thats resulted in $379.14 million, with a median loss of $1,000 per scam victim  but those scam calls over all are down 15 percent.

John Joseph is the Chief of Police for Lansing Township. He says residents in the township have fallen prey to these types of scams in the past.

Yeah, weve seen anything from a few thousand all the to over $150,000, he says of the money taken by scammers and reported to his agency. And, you know, those are significant losses for those people and, typically, what we see  because Im sure theres more cases that go unreported than that are that go reported because people are embarrassed. And they shouldnt be, because theyre just a number of a growing group of people, and without the information, they can provide, whether its to us or state or federal partners, you know, were not going to be able to put an end to this.

Three hours after the first call, a second scammer called and identified himself as Officer Jennifer from the Lansing Township Police Department. The scammer noted the previous call from Customs and Border Protection  and when challenged with the previous scammers own words that Lansing Township Police were coming to arrest the reporter and the reporter was waiting  the second scammer hung up. Joseph confirmed the department does not have an employee by the name of Officer Jennifer.

The second scam call came from the Lansing Township Police Department number. Thats known as spoofing a number and scammers have the technology to fake the number that shows up on a caller ID on your phone. If law enforcement is interested in coming to arrest you, you know, well show up at your door in full uniform with the police car, Joseph says.

The first number was from an Idaho area code telephone number. The scammer pretending to be Flores originally stated he was calling from Texas. Heres how he responded when challenged about having an Idaho number.

No, no, no, no, no, no. The number youre talking about  the number, right, which is showing to you, yeah, the first scammer said about the incongruency. We are calling you from the automated switchboard satellite phone.

Joseph says the scams are successful because they prey on the targets basic humanity. People, generally speaking, are good-natured and want to do the right thing, he says. And thats whats being taken advantage of here.

Both Joseph and Fawaz say the right response to there calls it to hang up the phone. If the scammers call back, block the number. And, both say, report the scam call immediately  to both your local law enforcement and to the Federal Trade Commission.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WLNS 6 News.
A contractual worker at the Rajasthan High Court identified as Manish Kumar Saini died by suicide by hanging himself in the premises of the court allegedly after not receiving his monthly stipend for a few months. Saini was working for the Advocate General's office as a clerk. The Advocate General's office announced yesterday that Rs 10 lakh will be given to the family by the state government. Additionally, Rs 1 lakh will be provided by the Advocate General's office. There is also assurance of employment to Seema Kumar Saini, wife of the deceased. Former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has urged the state government to ensure financial assistance to the family of the contract worker. "The suicide of contract employee Mr Manish Saini in Rajasthan High Court is very sad. I pray to God for peace of the departed soul and courage to the family members. Mr. Manish was a low-paid contract worker. The state government should ensure financial assistance to the victim's family," said the former Rajasthan CM. "During our government, contractual service rules were made and the screening process was started to secure the future of about one lakh ten thousand contract workers. The present government should immediately take the said process forward and regularise all contract workers and give them proper pay scale," he said. The family members of the deceased had staged a dharna in the court premises on Friday. The lawyers also staged a protest and blocked the roads outside the high court. The brother of the deceased, Ravish Saini said that the deceased wanted to become a regular employee of the High Court, and a case in the Supreme court was ongoing regarding payment of salary. "A case had been going regarding making him a regular employee of the High Court. The case is in Supreme Court, whenever he used to go for a hearing, he used to only get tareekh pe tareekh (date after date). He used to only get Rs 4000 to Rs 4.5 thousand salary, so all that was spent on travelling. So because of that he did this," he said. Moreover, the aunt of the deceased, Sunita Saini said that they got to know about the death of Manish after workers in the court informed them. "His suicide note is here, we got information from the workers after they called us that Manish has done this. We said that he left home in a good mood, he bought food too. He didn't say that he had any fight or enmity with anyone in work," she said. She also mentioned that Manish had said in the suicide note that he was very troubled by the case and the Rajasthan government not deciding on his employment. "We read his suicide note, in that he said that Rajasthan Government has not decided on my issue and I am very troubled by the case. He was in lakhs of rupees of debt, and because of that, he took this step," she said. She also demanded that the wife of deceased be given a job, Rs 1 crore as compensation and help with the education of her kids. "We demand that his widowed wife get a job, Rs 1 crore compensation and education for the children. We are demanding this for the past 8 hours, the administration is so slow that nobody is listening to us," she said. Moreover, the payment for contractual staff has been revised, effective from October 1, 2024. The salary of a stenographer has been increased from Rs 4,400 to Rs 17,000. The salary of junior clerk has been increased from Rs 5,600 to Rs 14,000, and the book lifter's salary's has been increased from Rs 4,400 to Rs 11,000. (ANI)
California Rep. Adam Schiff (D) introduced a bill on Friday that would prevent sitting presidents from dismissing criminal prosecution against themselves, including through coercion of an attorney general or anyone acting on the presidents behalf.

The Investigative Integrity Protection Act seeks to require a three-judge court hearing before any charges against a president are dropped, according to a release. The legislation would only allow the court to grant a dismissal after considering whether the attorney general was appointed with the intent of dismissing any criminal prosecution against the president.

A Department of Justice inspector general would also be inquired to investigate any inquiries and immediately report findings to Congress under the proposed bill.

Several years ago, we witnessed alarming attempts by a sitting president to obstruct justice and evade accountability. My bill would prevent a president from interfering in an investigation into, or prosecution of, their own misconduct, Shiff shared in a statement. This is a necessary step to ensure that our justice system remains independent and that no individual can place themself beyond its reach.

In July, the Supreme Court ruled that former President Trump has presumptive immunity for official acts while in office which was strongly opposed by Democratic members of Congress. Since then, some legislators have been working to limit presidential powers from permitting an escape from the rule of law.

Schiffs bill was co-sponsored by seven Democrats and endorsed by the California Grassroots Alliance, the League of Conservation Voters in addition to Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, among others.

The Investigative Integrity Protection Act would ensure presidents can be held accountable for breaking the law by stopping presidents from halting federal criminal prosecutions against themselves, said Brett Edkins, Stand Up Americas managing director of policy and political affairs. This bill is crucial to upholding the rule of law, especially after the Supreme Courts decision to give presidents immunity for official acts.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
New schizophrenia drug gets FDA approval, taking novel approach to treating brain disorder

New schizophrenia drug gets FDA approval, taking novel approach to treating brain disorder

A new drug has been approved for the treatment of schizophrenia in adults.

On Thursday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved COBENFY (xanomeline and trospium chloride), an oral medication that is manufactured by Bristol Myers Squibb in New Jersey.

This marks the first new class of medications for the brain disorder in several decades, according to a press release.

5 Myths About Schizophrenia, According To A Mental Health Expert: Huge Stigma

COBENFY is expected to be available in the U.S. in late October, the company noted.

A new drug has been approved for the treatment of schizophrenia in adults.

"Todays landmark approval of our first-in-class treatment for schizophrenia marks an important milestone for the community, where after more than 30 years, there is now an entirely new pharmacological approach for schizophrenia  one that has the potential to change the treatment paradigm," said Chris Boerner, PhD, board chair and chief executive officer at Bristol Myers Squibb, in the press release.

Read On The Fox News App

Study Reveals Heavy Marijuana Use Is Linked To Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is a serious mental illness that affects a persons thoughts, feelings and behaviors.

It often causes hallucinations, delusions, disordered speech and loss of touch with reality, Mayo Clinic states on its website.

COBENFY (xanomeline and trospium chloride) is an oral medication that is manufactured by Bristol Myers Squibb in New Jersey.

The disorder can also lead to lack of emotional expression, lack of motivation, cognitive dysfunction and social withdrawal.

Approximately 2.8 million people in the U.S. and 24 million people globally are living with schizophrenia.

Ai-discovered Drug Shows 'Enormous Potential' To Treat Schizophrenia: Real Need For Better Treatment'

The disorder has traditionally been treated with antipsychotic medications, but around 40% of patients do not respond to treatments and 60% experience "inadequate improvement" in symptoms or "intolerable side effects," studies have shown.

COBENFY is expected to be available in the U.S. in late October, the company noted.

COBENFY works differently than the currently available schizophrenia medications.

"Due to its heterogeneous nature, schizophrenia is not a one-size-fits-all condition, and people often find themselves in a cycle of discontinuing and switching therapies," said Rishi Kakar, MD, chief scientific officer and medical director at Segal Trials and investigator in the drug's clinical trials, in the release.

"The approval of COBENFY is a transformative moment in the treatment of schizophrenia because, historically, medicines approved to treat schizophrenia have relied on the same primary pathways in the brain."

"By leveraging a novel pathway, COBENFY offers a new option to manage this challenging condition."

Researchers Find Sources Of Four Brain Disorders, Which Could Lead To New Treatments

Sam Clark, founder and CEO at Terran Biosciences  a biotech company that develops treatments and technologies for neurological and psychiatric diseases in New York City  commented on the new approval in a statement sent to Fox News Digital.

"I am excited that the FDA has just approved [COBENFY] as a treatment for patients with schizophrenia, marking a big leap forward in the psychiatry space," he said.

"Todays landmark approval of our first-in-class treatment for schizophrenia marks an important milestone for the community," said Chris Boerner, PhD, board chair and chief executive officer at Bristol Myers Squibb.

"These patients live with a difficult disease, and this drug with a novel mechanism of action will surely make a significant impact," Clark continued.

Since the 1950s, antipsychotics have primarily targeted dopamine receptors in the brain, he said.

"Cobenfy is the first with a new target  the muscarinic receptors," he said. "These receptors play an important role in maintaining many of the brains other neurotransmitter systems."

"Cobenfy is also different in that it is a combination of two drugs  xanomeline, which exerts its beneficial effects in the brain, and trospium, which reduces side effects in the body."

The approval follows three phases of clinical trials in which COBENFY was shown to result in a "statistically significant improvement in illness."

Schizophrenia is a serious mental illness that affects a persons thoughts, feelings and behaviors and often causes hallucinations and delusions.

In terms of safety, the medications most common side effects during clinical trials were nausea, indigestion, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, hypertension, abdominal pain, accelerated heart rate, dizziness and gastroesophageal reflux disease, the release stated.

"Cobenfy is undoubtedly a major innovation, but it does have some unique limitations," Clark noted.

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"It needs to be dosed twice daily, it cannot be taken with food, and it is not currently available as a long-acting injectable, which is often preferred by many patients."

With the FDA approval, Clark said he expects to see future improved versions of the drug to overcome these limitations.

For more Health articles, visit www.foxnews.com/health

People should discuss potential complications with a doctor before starting the medication.

Fox News Digital reached out to Bristol Myers Squibb and the Schizophrenia & Psychosis Action Alliance requesting comment.





Original article source: New schizophrenia drug gets FDA approval, taking novel approach to treating brain disorder
Search ongoing for escaped inmate who walked away from Webster County jail

HENDERSON, Ky. (WEHT)  Kentucky State Police is actively searching for an inmate who escaped from the Webster County Detention Center early Saturday morning.

In a release from Kentucky State Police, it is said Gregory Munsell walked away from the jail in Dixon at approximately 6 a.m..

Munsell is said to be described as 511, 174 pounds, with brown hair and hazel eye.

Authorities say he was last seen wearing an orange jumpsuit and has a significant identifying cross tattoo on his left arm along with tattoos on his chest, back and ankle.

Police are asking anyone with information on Munsells whereabouts to contact (270) 676-3313 or submit tips through the KSP website.

Gregory Munsell (Courtesy: Kentucky State Police)

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Eyewitness News (WEHT/WTVW).
Search and rescue operations highlighted on final day of hearing into Titan tragedy

NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD)  For the final day of a top-level Coast Guard investigation into why an experimental submersible catastrophically failed diving to the Titanic wreck site, witnesses have dived into the search and rescue operations that began when the Titan sub lost contact with its support vessel the Polar Prince.

On June 18, 2023, the Titan submersible stopped responding to its mother ship, the Polar Prince, after it set sail from St. Johns in Newfoundland, Canada, to explore the Titanics remains.

On June 22, Odysseus, a remotely operated vehicle (ROV), found Titan debris, and the Coast Guard confirmed that the subs carbon fiber hull suffered catastrophic failure.

Coast Guard Sector Boston Commander Captain Jamie Frederick said the sector command received a call on June 18 at 5:40 p.m. EST reporting an overdue submersible at the sight of the Titanic. This put the responders in the distress phase.

Professional watchstanders immediately went through checklists, one for subsurface search and rescue and one for an overdue vessel, according to Capt. Frederick, the search was multidimensional for several reasons.

He said a U.S. Coast Guard C-130 was on deck in St. Johns and sent to conduct a surface search over the area. Planes flew nose-to-tail up until debris was found on June 22. Nose-to-tail means that as soon as one plane lands, another will take off to search the area, Capt. Frederick explained.

Responders sought remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) that could be at the incident location in a timely manner.

The nearest ROVs were on a ship called the Deep Energy, and they could only dive to 3000 meters. The ROVs were utilized, and one attempted to dive deeper than 3,000 meters but failed. Once a 6000-meter ROV responded, debris was found quickly.

Sonar sounds were detected coming from buoys near the incident site. However, when that data was sent to the Navy, they determined it was not sonar noise from humans.

When the ROV found the tail cone debris Thursday morning, Unified Command determined the incident to be a total loss. Capt. Frederick said.

Capt. Frederick said he has never had to conduct a subsurface search in his 30-year Coast Guard career. Multiple witnesses throughout the hearing said the last fatal submersible incident was in the early 1970s.

During the public hearing into the Titan loss, Capt. Frederick said he had learned more information than he knew at the time of the search and rescue (SAR) operation. He estimated the SAR team did not have a fraction of what has been revealed.

Below are the daily briefing slides used during the first districts SAR operation:

CG-065-USCG-DAILY-SEARCH-AND-RESCUE-RECOVERY-SLIDES-1Download

Following Capt. Frederick, Search and Rescue Specialist Scott Talbot, based out of Sector New Orleans, testified that he was tasked with conducting a case study on the Titan SAR operation.

Talbot said he gathered a team of five board members to analyze the operation, lessons learned, coordination practice, and challenges faced.

According to Talbot, the Coast Guards SAR was likely overwhelmed by this incident. His team identified issues in four main categories.

Critical Incident Communication: This communication was delayed nearly 18 hours, and Quick Response Cards, which are standard checklists to complete when incidents are reported, were not completed all the way. Case Documentation: There were several deficits, and Talbots team attributed them to the sheer volume of information coming in. The SAR team also used an outdated and archaic documentation system that could not be kept up. SAR System and Incident Command System Integration: These systems did not integrate properly, which impacted a few key decision makers and prohibited efficiency. On-Scene Presence: The Coast Guard representative sent was not trained correctly or suited for the role, which Talbot said likely happened because leadership was overwhelmed. The Polar Prince was initially designated as the On-Scene Coordinator. Capt. Frederick also acknowledged this was not ideal but necessary at the beginning of the SAR operation.

Talbots board determined that the Coast Guard is incapable of sub-surface search and rescue.

The U.S. Navy is the primary source for complex underwater SAR incidents. The Navys vessels would take a few days to get to the incident scene, so other options had to be considered, according to Capt. Frederick.

Below is the publicly releasable information from Talbots case study:

CG-089-USCG-TITAN-SAR-CASE-STUDY-AFTER-ACTION-REPORT-PRESENTATION-1Download

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WCBD News 2.
The largest bloc of registered voters in the city of Saginaw has yet to make a choice between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris, and probably never will. A majority of Black residents of the biggest city in the most closely contested county of the battleground state of Michigan simply dont vote.

To the frustration of civil rights activists and Democratic politicians struggling to secure every ballot in a state that the Harris campaign sees as crucial to victory, more than half of Saginaw citys population has long been unpersuaded that elections make much of a difference to their lives.

Now, against the backdrop of the drama of the USs knife-edge 2024 election, Black organizations and churches are once again making a determined push to turn out voters, helped by the first female Black candidate for president and changes to Michigan law making it easier to vote.

In what is expected to be a knife-edge US election decided by a few voters in a handful of key battleground states, the Guardian is exploring Saginaw, Michigan. It is a swing area in a swing state whose voters will bear an outsize influence on the outcome of the fight between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump. Chris McGreal is on the ground in Saginaw in the run up to November's election examining the issues that voters of all political backgrounds care about.

Saginaw voters: tell us which issues will decide the US election

But Terry Pruitt, president of the local National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) branch running voter education campaigns, said it was a struggle to generate enthusiasm in Saginaw.

Ive been here all my life. I grew up on the east side of Saginaw and I see the apathy. This is not something that they put at the top of the priority list when theyve got to figure out, can I get to work today? he said.

My church is on the south side of Saginaw, probably the lowest socioeconomic district in Saginaw county other than a couple of rural areas, and when I walk through the neighborhood and talk to people about why they dont vote, youd be surprised how many of them say, thats not important to me. These folks are going to go ahead and do what they want to do. They dont listen to me. They dont want to hear what I have to say.

Black residents account for nearly half of Saginaw citys 45,000 population with white people about one-third. Historically, a sharp racial divide was marked by the Saginaw river running through the heart of the city so that there were two downtowns on opposite banks.

Neighborhoods on the east side are overwhelmingly Black. The west side was mostly white but the population has become more mixed in recent years as large numbers of white people moved to neighboring Saginaw Township.

Voter turnout in the east of Saginaw city is consistently well below the other side of the river and anywhere else in the county. Many people are automatically registered to vote in Michigan when applying for a driving licence but do not vote.

In the 2020 election, which saw the highest turnout of voters in Michigan history at 70.5% as sharp divisions over Trump drew more people to the polls, less than half of registered voters in Saginaw city cast a ballot. In most Black neighborhoods the figure was even lower, falling below 40% in some precincts.

Even during Barack Obamas first run for the White House in 2008, turnout in the east of Saginaw, where the man who would become the USs first Black president picked up more than 95% of the vote in many precincts, was still much lower than elsewhere.

Some people, especially poorer people, they feel like their vote doesnt count Jeff Bulls

But the number that some Harris supporters in Saginaw are focused on is Trumps victory in Michigan in 2016 by fewer than 11,000 votes  only slightly more than the number of registered voters who did not cast a ballot in the city of Saginaw. Although Joe Biden narrowly won the state back four years later, Michigan is again on a knife edge. Michigan could help decide the whole US election, and Saginaw could help decide the whole of Michigan.

Jeff Bulls, the president of the Community Alliance for the People in Saginaw, which is running a get-out-the-vote campaign, said the low turnout was not easily overcome.

The numbers are stupid. Theyre really, really low. Some people, especially poorer people, they feel like their vote doesnt count. Or people have become jaded with government. A lot of them feel like government doesnt have any effect on their lives. Thats how people draw back from the process: Im going to go vote for what? A lot of people are disenchanted with the process. Thats not easy to change, he said.

Bulls said the sense of being overlooked by political leaders was especially evident in March, when Biden was still running for re-election. The president visited Saginaw city but failed to meet Black leaders or visit a Black church.

There was a lot of tension with people feeling like the president didnt really care about the Black vote. His visit was specifically to come here and meet with Black leaders in the community and Black clergy to address that sentiment. When he got here, everything changed. He ended up meeting with white liberal Democrats and that pissed a lot of people off and set off a firestorm, he said.

Pruitt demanded an explanation from Bidens campaign which, he said, apologized.

It left a bad taste in a lot of peoples mouths. It was clearly a mistake and, believe me, there were several of us who let him know that, he said.

Critics turned on the countys Democratic party and its chair, Aileen Pettinger. She shakes her head in despair on being asked about the debacle.

Unfortunately, because Im the party chair, I got the brunt of it. Honestly, we were only told the night before. In the past, they would ask our input. This time they did not listen to us at all, she said.

For some activists, the incident had echoes of Hillary Clintons failed 2016 campaign when her staff arrived in midwestern towns waving data sets and riding roughshod over local advice, helping to cost her the election.

Pettinger said the Harris campaign was a long way from that. Pruitt agreed.

Theres a school of thought that the Democratic party takes that vote for granted and really doesnt listen to what we really feel is important Terry Pruitt

Im pretty sure that that would not happen with Harris, he said.

But Pruitt said the incident threw a spotlight on the alienation many in the city feel from established political parties.

Theres obviously the tendency for us who do vote to vote Democratic. But theres a school of thought that the Democratic party takes that vote for granted and really doesnt listen to what we really feel is important, he said.

Pettinger said she recognised the problem.

We have heard that on the doors but Im seeing a huge shift out on the doors since Kamala has announced that she was running. Its a huge difference. I havent seen hope like this since Obama, I havent seen this excitement, she said.

Im not losing hope. I feel very energised about it. We just have to make sure it carries over and make sure we get people to the ballot box.

Pruitt agreed that Harris had injected some enthusiasm into the election.

I dont think it will drive it as much as Obama. I never had the slightest thought that Id see an African American be elected president of the United States, so that phenomenon has already occurred, he said.

But I see some people excited about the opportunity of a Black female being president and it will help drive our community to the polls. But in the end its the policies that matter to get people to vote. We have to help connect the dots for people. There has to be self-interest in voting which means you have to explain those two or three issues that you think are at the top of their list, and what we have to lose if were on the wrong side of voting on those things.

Pruitt said his get-out-the-vote campaign was focusing on the dangers Trump poses to the social safety network, including housing support, childcare assistance, and disability and social security payments.

As a national theme, abortion is out there and thats what the parties are running with. That may be on the list for the average Black woman on the east side of Saginaw but its much further down the list. But if we start talking about losing the department of education and how thats going to impact their children, that will hit home very quickly, he said.

Bulls said affordable housing was also a major issue in Saginaw even though the citys population has dropped sharply over recent decades. Saginaw is dotted with grass-covered spaces where abandoned houses have been torn down, but rents for what remains are high and the quality often substandard.

In Saginaw city, almost 70% of our housing is over 60 years old. Theres a lot of blight, a lot of houses that have already been torn down or need to be torn down. There havent been any new builds in the city, en masse, probably this century. So we just have a huge need for new housing, whether its single family housing or apartments, he said.

Then there is policing in a city with one of the highest crime rates in the country. Bulls said some of the alienation comes from frustration at the political decision to bring the state police into Saginaw.

Weve had a couple different community forums on it because people are really concerned. Theres a state programme called the secure cities partnership. It has largely brought a bunch of Michigan state police into the community. Its been basically a stop-and-frisk program. They dont answer 911 calls. They literally just patrol and pull people over. Theres a huge racial disparity on where they patrol and who they pull over. Its been a very, very tense issue here, and itll continue to be until its dealt with, he said.

Related: Saginaw: the swing county in the swing state that could decide the election

Still, campaigners see an opportunity in the introduction of nine days of early voting for this years presidential election which, they say, which will assist Black churches running souls to the polls initiatives to lead their congregations to vote after Sunday services.

Pruitt has also looked to other places for advice, including to Stacey Abrams, the Georgia politician who created voting rights organisations that proved crucial in the Democrats winning two key seats in the US Senate four years ago.

Weve had conversations with Stacey Abrams and people from Georgia because it was remarkable what she did. But when I started looking at how she did it, it takes an army of people and an awful lot of money to make it happen. Thats another side of this, the resources, because the frustration for people like me is marshalling the resources to get it done, he said.

Bulls feels the same constraints, and laments what he sees as the tendency of white politicians to leave it to Black organisations to get out the vote in their community.

It shouldnt be left to us but here we are. Its important to us so well do it anyway, but it shouldnt be just us, he said.

Get in touch

Wed like to hear from Saginaw residents about the issues that matter to them this election. You can get in touch with us here.
TRANSYLVANIA COUNTY, N.C. (WGHP)  The court battle between a North Carolina troubled teen camp and a former camper who says she was assaulted during her time there ends with a settlement.

On Thursday, the court reported that the plaintiff, a young woman who previously went to the camp, and the defendants, Trails Carolina and an individual counselor who worked there, had reached a settlement.

The details of the settlement were not readily available.

The lawsuit

The lawsuit, filed within days of another campers death, alleges that a female camper, who was 12 years old, was sexually assaulted at Trails Carolina in 2016.

Trails Carolina, by its corporate policies and practices, acts, failures, condonations and omissions, and [counselor] were directly responsible for, and created an environment that enabled [victims] abuse and neglect, as well as the abuse and neglect of other girls who are too victimized and afraid to allow their voice to be publicly heard, according to the lawsuit.

Former Trails Carolina camper recounts stay at embattled wilderness therapy camp; I have nightmares that Im still there

Trails Carolina camper death ruled homicide by asphyxiation, autopsy shows

The lawsuit says the then 12-year-old girl was gooned from her home in Vermont around May 5, 2016, when a man and woman who she didnt know took her by force and brought her to the North Carolina camp. She was in the legal custody of the camp until near the end of July.

Within a week of arriving, the lawsuit alleges, a girl in her group had been sexually assaulted.

When she told field staff of the assault, camp officials did not separate the perpetrator, identified only as Jane Doe, according to the lawsuit. Rather than moving the assailant to a different bunk, the counselor in charge of the victim reportedly dismissed the concerns, took away all of the childrens tent privileges and made them all sleep in a line under a

tarp instead, forcing the victim to sleep next to her assailant.

Another girl was allegedly assaulted by the same camper and was removed from the girls group for manipulative behavior after reporting it.

After the first assault, the counselor named in the suit was informed and, after the camp intercepted a private letter from the victim to her parents about the assault, dismissed her claims to the girls parents, reportedly saying, I have no legitimate concerns about any of [the victims] reports.

Despite the facade of providing a safe and therapeutic residential treatment center for children, Trails Carolina has failed to screen and assess the children in its legal custody and creates an environment where troubled children have and do sexually assault other children within Trail Carolinas custody and care, the lawsuit said. Further, Trails Carolina has failed to provide adequate medical care, food, and shelter for the children in its custody.

Former campers have also made allegations against the camp that counselors expected campers to do intense physical activity with inadequate food and drink dirty water from a stream filtered through a bandana. The camp allegedly denied proper first aid for injuries or illnesses.

More broadly, the lawsuit accuses Trails Carolina of failing to adhere to North Carolinas mandatory reporting laws and hiding incidents from parents who send their children to the camp.

Trails Carolina appeals after license revoked over campers death, calls NCDHHS decision detrimental to childrens health

Trails Carolina conceals incidents of physical neglect, child deprivation, injury, and sexual assault and battery between children from the public, including Plaintiff and her family, for the deceptive purpose of lulling parents into a false sense of security when entrusting their children to Trails Carolinas exclusive custody and care, the lawsuit said.

Describing the culture at the camp, the lawsuit says Trails Carolina conditions the children to adhere to the practice of strict obedience of its employees, and encourages an environment of breaking down the children, creating an environment of fear and silence, which creates an environment that fails to protect children from those with aggressive sexual urges.

On March 6, Trails Carolina responded to the Feb. 10 complaint denying all of the claims made in the lawsuit except for factual claims about advertising and whats on the camps now-blocked website.

These answering Defendants further expressly deny that they caused any harm to Plaintiff, the camp wrote in the document.

Earlier this summer, a judge denied a motion by the defendants to strike items in the plaintiffs complaint from the record and their request to have the case dismissed.

Trails Carolina had called on the judge to dismiss the lawsuit and strike parts of the amended complaint from the record, primarily parts focusing on the camps forced closure at the hands of the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services and news coverage of the recent death of a Trails Carolina camper after the initial complaint was filed. The defendants argued that the campers death was not relevant to the 2016 sexual assault of the plaintiff.

The judge disagreed.

Beyond Defendants threadbare assertion that some of Plaintiffs allegations are immaterial and prejudicial, Defendants offer no support for their Rule 12(f) motion, the judge said, stating that Trails Carolina has a high burden of proof to show that the claims are irrelevant and that they failed to meet that burden.  Trails Carolinas closure after two children died in their custody is obviously relevant to at least the duty and breach elements of Plaintiffs negligence claims and the aggravating factors that could support an award of punitive damages.

Inside Trails Carolina

The lawsuit describes Trails Carolina as a for-profit program run by (Wilderness Training & Consulting, LLC), which is part of an organization of for-profit affiliated businesses that does business as Family Help & Wellness.

Trails Carolina, WTC and Family Help & Wellness largely conform to the template of the troubled teen industry, which often involves teens being gooned away from home by force and taken to a wilderness camp over behavioral problems ranging from relatively minor issues, such as truancy, to more severe issues, such as sexually disordered behavior.

The camp charged up to $715 a day in tuition and a $4,900 fee for children to enroll, a price comparable to other similar programs.

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services ordered the camp to close in February and took custody of the children in the days following the young mans death. He was the second child to die while in the custody of Trails Carolina, almost ten years after a teenager died of hypothermia.

The medical examiner has ruled the boys death a homicide by suffocation, and Trails Carolina has appealed the closure. The NCDHHS says that the matter will be heard in February, 2025.

In September, the Trails Carolina property was listed for sale for $3.2 million.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX8 WGHP.
A report has suggested there has been a surge in anti-Semitic abuse at British universities - Heathcliff O'Malley

Seven in 10 Jewish students feel uncomfortable revealing their faith to university peers in the wake of the Israel-Hamas war, a survey has found.

In the first report of its kind since it was established earlier this year, a poll by the Intra-Communal Professorial Group (ICPG) found that 22 per cent of Jewish students are comfortable being open about their religion.

Meanwhile, 70 per cent said they were somewhat uncomfortable or very uncomfortable revealing their Jewish faith. The same survey suggested that as many as 79 per cent of Jewish students were at ease about disclosing their faith prior to the Oct 7 attacks.

The ICPG formed earlier this year in response to a significant rise of anti-Semitism across academia globally and in UK higher education. It is made up of Jewish academics and chaired by Professor Anthony Julius, chairman of law and the arts at University College London and deputy chairman of law firm Mishcon de Reya.

Jewish students said they had been subjected to harassment across campus over the past year - Jamie Lorriman

The group surveyed 500 Jewish students between May 29 and July 3, at the end of the last academic year. The ICPG said that while the poll was not a formal statistical sample of the population, making up about one in 18 of the 9,000 Jewish students in the UK, it claimed it was broadly representative of their experiences.

The report suggested there has been a surge in anti-Semitic abuse at British universities over the past year, with many Jewish students reporting feeling unsafe walking past pro-Palestian encampments.

Almost two-thirds  or 63 per cent  said they had witnessed fellow Jewish students being harassed because of their faith, including on social media and across campus. Fewer than three in 10 said they witnessed this prior to the outbreak of the conflict in the Middle East.

In total, 41 per cent said they had personally been subjected to such behaviour over the past year  almost double the 21 per cent who said they had experienced anti-Semitic abuse on campus in previous years.

Many Jewish students have reported feeling unsafe walking past pro-Palestian encampments - Penelope Barritt/Shutterstock

The report also found that small, but concerning numbers of Jewish students said they had been physically attacked because of their religion since Oct 7, with 5.2 per cent of those surveyed reporting this had happened to them.

Respondents also described details of anti-Semitic abuse they have experienced, including verbal insults, harassment, and the use of Nazi imagery.

One female masters student said she was spat at for wearing a JSoc [Jewish Society] jumper on campus, the report said.

A second-year undergraduate also claimed it was made abundantly clear every single day that as a Jewish person who supports Israels right to exist, I am not welcome on campus.

Since Oct 7, it has been exhausting to be Jewish on campus, to feel like I can only express my identity to other Jews, to have to keep silent in all my classes about my identity, and to feel like I have to hide, she added.

Other students reported being chased by a man with a large glass bottle, having rubbish thrown at them, being pelted by eggs after hearing the Chief Rabbi speak on campus, and having their Star of David necklaces grabbed from around their necks.

One undergraduate said they felt that I can only express my identity to other Jews - Geoffrey Swain /Avalon

The report also found that Jewish students were less likely to feel comfortable revealing their faith in universities with low numbers of Jewish students, with some hiding their kippahs and tzitzit  religious skullcaps and fringes on clothing worn by Jewish men.

Surge in anti-Semitism over past year

The ICPG said the survey results were unsurprising in that they confirm what many people in higher education have reported having witnessed or experienced as occurring within UK universities.

The data demonstrates the scale of the problem, underscoring the pressing need to combat the surge in anti-Semitism over the past year across UK universities, the group added.

It called on the Government to launch a special task force focused on combating anti-Semitism in UK universities, and for a systemic measure of the progress being made.

Bridget Phillipson, the Education Secretary, announced in July that she had pulled the plug on a new free speech law designed to protect academics over fears it could provide a platform for anti-Semitism on campus.

The Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act, a flagship Tory policy, was set to require universities, colleges and student unions to actively promote free speech on campus.

But Ms Phillipson said the legislation could expose students to harm and appalling hate speech on campuses, and that she will now consider repealing it.

Phil Rosenberg, president of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, said that while well-intentioned, [it] risked enabling anti-Semitic extremists to access university campuses by severely impacting the ability of universities to block their presence.

It comes amid fears that the return to university next month could see a resurgence in protests to coincide with the anniversary of the Oct 7 attacks.

Most encampments that were set up on British campuses last year demanding divestment from Israel-linked companies have now wound down, with a handful staying put over the summer.

Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
DENVER (KDVR) The Archdiocese of Denver announced they will close two K-8 schools and and consolidate two high schools.

In a press release, the Archdiocese stated that they operate their schools based on three pillars which include Catholic identity, educational vitality and financial stability.

Rare twin colts born unexpectedly at Colorado horse rescue

The Archdiocese also said serious financial issues have required tens of millions of dollars from the Archdiocese over the last decade.

I am deeply grateful for our schools devoted service to the community. Because of their generous fidelity to the Lord Jesus, countless students have encountered him, grown in intellect and faith, and learned to serve him and others. These families and our archdiocesan community are immeasurably better off for our schools efforts to bring about Gods kingdom here on earth, said Archbishop Aquila.

One of the reasons the changes are being made is the decline in enrollment. They believe the decision to restructure will help create more sustainability. The move to consolidate is expected to strengthen enrollment at several Catholic schools.

Closures

Wellspring Catholic Academy of St. Bernadette in Lakewood

Guardian Angels Catholic School in Denver

These schools will be closed Dec. 20 and at the end of the 2024-2025 school year.

Schools partnering

Denver schools Bishop Machebeuf High School and St. John Paul the Great High School will partner starting in the 2025-2026 school year.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX31 Denver.
(KRON)  A San Francisco resident, Gregory Finkeslon, was sentenced to a year in prison on Wednesday. The sentencing, according to the Department of Justice, was in connection with Finkelsons fraudulent receipts of more than $300,000 in low-income housing benefits.

According to the DOJ, from August 2006 to February 2020, Finkelson falsely received $340,000 in benefits from the Section 8 Certificate Program.

In his plea agreement, Finkelson, 64, admitted that he received the Section 8 benefits by falsely reporting that he did not own a house that he actually purchased in 2005 and by falsely claiming he was merely an employee of a company that he in fact owned and operated out of his residence.

The San Francisco resident, according to prosecutors, continued his fraudulent conduct even after the San Francisco Housing Authority acted to terminate his Section 8 benefits.

Finkelsons San Francisco residence is currently worth $2.4 million, according to the DOJ.

This defendant fraudulently obtained housing benefits designated for some of the neediest individuals in our society and used them to enrich himself, said United States Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey.

Feds: Mountain View man lied about military service, fighting ISIS

More specifically, the DOJ said Finkelson admitted to using the name of a Russian woman living in Russia to purchase his San Francisco home: claiming, wrongfully, that she was his landlord and that he made rent payments to her.

Finkelson also admitted to opening several bank accounts under the Russian womans name to conceal his use of the ill-gotten Section 8 subsidies, the DOJ wrote.

According to prosecutors, Finkelson used the funds to benefit himself with the following:

Funding his business

Paying his credit card bills

Making payments to a timeshare in Hawaii

I am proud of the work this Office does to prosecute those who defraud the government, particularly where, as here, it is low-income families who suffer the most as a result of the defendants selfish conduct, Ramsey said.

In addition to his prison sentence, Finkelson was ordered to pay $341,455 in restitution, which the DOJ says represents the total amount he admitted stealing from the government.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRON4.
Organizers with the National Action Network put up banners for a Get Out the Vote event as the prepare to depart on a bus tour toward Philadelphia in the Harlem neighborhood of New York on Friday, Sep. 27, 2024. (AP Photo/Noreen Nasir)

NEW YORK (AP)  A few dozen New Yorkers boarded a bus in Harlem on Friday with civil rights leader the Rev. Al Sharpton and members of the group formerly known as the Central Park Five, bound for Philadelphia, where they toured the city hoping to energize the youth vote ahead of the 2024 election.

With less than 40 days until Election Day, the choice of a battleground state for a get-out-the-vote bus tour made sense: whichever presidential candidate wins Pennsylvania is likely to do so by a slim margin and with a lions share of the Black vote. But it was a strategic choice to recruit speakers who many first knew as Black and Latino teenagers wrongly convicted in a case that former President Donald Trump supported so vociferously, Sharpton said.

There are polls saying that some Black men are moving toward Trump, he told The Associated Press on Friday. I dont know if thats true or not. But Black men need to hear some Black men saying, Let me tell you about the Trump I know.

The Trump that the Central Park Five knows is the one who took out a newspaper ad in New York City, in the aftermath of the 1989 attack on a white female jogger, calling for the teenagers execution. The case roiled racial tensions locally and later became a national symbol of racism in the judicial system.

And more than 34 years later, the group of men, now known as the Exonerated Five, see the former president as a convicted felon who passed through the same courthouse hallways when he was found guilty in a hush money trial in June.

Yusef Salaam, one of the exonerated men, said Friday that using his voice to encourage voter participation lines up with lessons his mother taught him as a teenager. His message to voters in Philadelphia was part condemnation of Trump and part championing doing ones civic duty.

We have to fight like the lives of our childrens, childrens children depend on it, said Salaam, who won a seat on the New York City Council last year. Will we be allowed to somehow appreciate the American dream, or will we be plunged further into the American nightmare?"

The jogger case was Trumps first foray into tough-on-crime politics that preluded his full-throated populist political persona. Since then, dog whistles as well as overtly racist rhetoric have been fixtures of Trumps public life.

But the Republican presidential nominee has been supportive of reforms that speak to flaws in the criminal legal system. As president, Trump signed a law eliminating harsh sentences for non-violent drug crimes that had filled the nations prisons and exacerbated racial disparities in incarceration. In 2018, he used his power to commute the sentences of people like Alice Marie Johnson, who served 21 years in federal prison on a drug trafficking conviction.

Salaam and the other wrongly convicted young men had their convictions vacated in 2002 after evidence linked another person to the brutal beating and rape of the Central Park jogger. Trump in 2019 refused to apologize to the exonerated men, and again defended his position on the case during a debate with Vice President Kamala Harris earlier this month.

Of the Exonerated Five  which includes Salaam, Antron McCray, Kevin Richardson, Raymond Santana and Korey Wise  just Salaam and Wise boarded the bus to Philadelphia. With Sharpton and more than 50 supporters, Salaam and Wise engaged residents and students at Sharon Baptist Church, the University of Pennsylvania and the Community College of Philadelphia.

Wise said the message he was bringing to Philadelphians was simple: Get out the vote, while were still here and while were still alive.

Of the Exonerated Five, Wise spent the most time in prison before his conviction was overturned. He wants people to vote as a way of preventing any other young person from experiencing what h did.

Im not doing this for me, Im doing this for little Korey whos not here no more, he said. Im representing him.

The bus tour was sponsored by Sharptons National Action Network, a nonprofit civil rights group that does not endorse political candidates. But Sharpton and the exonerated men have been outspoken this election year, calling out Trumps rhetoric around the Central Park jogger case, as well as his record on matters involving race.

In August, during the final night of Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Sharpton shared the stage with members of the Exonerated Five. From the stage, Salaam called out Trumps failure to apologize for his harmful rhetoric in the Central Park jogger case.

Weeks later, during the debate, Harris evoked the exonerated men in her own critique of Trumps decades-long history of stoking racial division. In the spin room after the debate, as Trump walked through speaking to journalists, Salaam flagged down the former president and confronted him.

Trump mistook him for a supporter, a moment that Salaam found bizarre. But he still walked away feeling proud, the councilman said.

These moments of standing for yourself, of speaking for yourself, also speaks life into others, Salaam told AP. It gives others the opportunity to see, if he could stand up, I could stand up. If he could still be here, I could be here.

Sharpton said Philadelphia was the first of other planned legs of his organization's voter engagement tour. In the coming weeks, he said he would make appearances in the battleground states of Ohio, Wisconsin and North Carolina.

The efforts success will be judged not just by the outcome of the election, but by the communitys turnout on Nov. 5, said Malcolm Byrd, National Action Networks chief operating officer.

This is not just a mobilization effort, just for us to go to say we did something, he said. We want to plant a fire in Pennsylvania, in Philadelphia.  Were going with a spark, with the hope that by Election Day itll be an inferno of justice.
In a major success for the Make in India initiative, Indian firm Tata will build 150 Wheeled Armoured Platform (WhAP) combat vehicles for the Moroccan defence forces. "The contract has been signed between the Indian firm and Morocco for building 150 of these vehicles for their armed forces," defence officials told ANI. The WhAP vehicles were developed by the Vehicles Research and Development Establishment in partnership with Tata. According to the contract, the vehicles will be supplied to the Moroccan forces over a period of three years. This will be the biggest contract for Indian-made armoured vehicles, both within and outside the country. The Indian paramilitary forces have also placed orders for the indigenous armoured vehicle. Trials of the vehicle have been ongoing in Morocco for the last several months. The manufacturers will work closely with DRDO teams to provide input for upgrades to the vehicles during the supply period, officials said. WhAP is an indigenously designed and developed amphibious wheeled combat vehicle. According to DRDO, the design philosophy of this platform aligns with global trends and focuses on modularity, scalability, and reconfigurability to adapt the platform for various roles. The WhAP can easily navigate through muddy or slushy terrain and has the capability to withstand mine blasts. Variants of the WhAP, including the Infantry Protected Mobility Vehicle (IPMV) and the paramilitary version, have been inducted into the Indian Army and paramilitary forces. (ANI)
Shasta County Board of Education candidates strayed from talking about the traditional subjects of reading, writing and arithmetic when they were asked about their views on such non-academic subjects as mental health, gender identity and religion in schools.

Five of the 10 candidates running for the board attended a forum Wednesday, Sept. 25, that was sponsored by the League of Women Voters Redding Area.

For those that attended the event, members of the audience submitted questions, which Sharon Brisolara of the league read out loud to candidates.

Questions covered such topics as getting the public more involved with the county board, providing mental health support to students, the role of religion in schools and candidates' thoughts on AB 1955, a state law that prohibits school districts from forcing educators disclose information related to a student's sexual orientation or gender identity.

On the topic of mental health and substance abuse education, several of the candidates acknowledged that children need support at schools due to emotional issues that arise from problems at home, such as violence, poverty and drug abuse.

"Students have been through a lot since 2018 in our community. We had the Carr Fire. We've had COVID where they were stuck at home. There is gun violence. I mean, they have reasons to need therapy," said Jessica French, who is running for a four-year seat representing Area 2 on the board. But she said schools need more mental health clinicians.

Shasta County Board of Education candidates attended a forum Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2024 in Redding.

Don Aust said he implemented a support program while principal/superintendent at Black Butte School District near Shingletown. That effort "changed the total culture of my school district in helping understand these students and giving them the support they needed," he said.

French and Aust are running for one of the two four-year seats up for election representing Area 2, which includes all of the school districts in the county, except for Enterprise Elementary, Grant Elementary, Redding Elementary and Shasta Union Elementary school districts. Those four districts are in Area 1.

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French and Cindy Vogt, who is seeking one of the two-year seats representing Area 2, both cited the county office of education's Community Connect program that refers families and students to mental health and other services.

"I wish that we could focus on reading, writing and arithmetic, but that's not the world we live in anymore," said Vogt. "So if we're not providing mental health services to our students and helping them emotionally regulate in the classroom, it's disruptive to all the students and the teachers in the classroom and substance use prevention education in the county is really gearing up," Vogt said.

Dolores Lucero, also seeking one of the four-year seats on the board, agreed that mental health services are needed for students.

Richard Gallardo, who is running against Lucero, French and Aust, supported substance abuse education, but said mental health services should not be provided by schools. He said mental health services detract from education.

"So the mental health, unfortunately the kids, they're taking advantage of this. There are some kids that do need some guidance, but then there are the smart kids that know that they can use any excuse they want (to get) an ACES (Adverse childhood experiences) score, let's say, to avoid responsibility for their actions and it's making the kids soft and it's damaging their upbringing and it's going to make them damaged adults," Gallardo said.

Four of the five who did not attend  candidates Amy Cavalleri, Michael Orlicky, Teresa Roberts and Michelle Tyson  submitted statements that Brisolara read out loud at the beginning of the event.

More: Redding City Council race: Hear from candidates vying for the 3 seats on November's ballot

Susan Wilson, who once served on the county board of education, said having 10 candidates running this year was an unusually high number. Wilson said she served on the board for 25 years and during that time faced opposition for reelection from only one person.

School boards have become more political, with many conservative candidates interested in using board positions to launch political careers, Wilson said.

In that regard, Shasta County is not unique.

Republican Party officials in California in 2022 started a program to recruit and train school board candidates to advance the party's political agenda, according to EdSource, an independent nonprofit news site that covers California education.

Shawn Steel, who represented California on the Republican National Committee, told EdSource that the party's initiative brought more attention to local school board races.

Its a kind of new exploration, Steel told EdSource. Most of the time, party folks have not looked at the so-called down-ballot races. Im so excited about what is happening in the schools.

Jason Sanchez: More Redding kids vape than you might think. How can we can help them quit?

The candidates also were asked at the Sept. 25 forum about their stance on AB 1955, a controversial issue that became a state law this year and prohibits public schools from forcing an educator to disclose a student's change in sexual orientation or gender preference without the students' consent.

The law was passed after several school districts around the state approved policies requiring teachers and other staff to inform parents when students wanted to be identified and treated as a gender other than the one listed on their birth certificate or other legal document.

French said school districts, students and families used to work together when students wanted to change their gender identity. The school district policy requiring employees to inform parents was an attempt to "create culture wars in our community," French said.

The Anderson Union High School District board of trustees passed a similar policy in August 2023. Four members of that board, including Jackie LaBarbera, voted in favor of that policy. LaBarbera is now a candidate for the county board of education to represent Area 2. She did not attend the Sept. 25 forum in Redding.

Vogt said she has worked 12 years in alternative education and has known students who transitioned to a different sexual identity, but none of them came to her for advice, guidance or referral for services  even though she would have been the person for them to consult with.

"So I think that when we think about all of the challenges that we have as school administrators and teachers etc, this is kind of on the low end of the ladder in terms of challenges," Vogt said.

Lucero said it is up to individual parents to know what is going on in their childrens' lives and help them. "I'm not going to rely on anybody else to do my job as a parent," she said.

Gallardo said schools should support involving parents in their child's education and if AB 1955 runs counter to that, he is against it.

Aust also said forced gender identity notification is "sort of a low-end issue" that will likely be worked out in the courts.

Candidates were also asked whether they thought prayer or religion had any place in publicly-financed schools.

Redding high school's dress code enforcement 'body shames' curvy girls, student says

Aust said schools should not get involved in prayer and religion during school hours. When he was a superintendent there were religion classes after school for students who wanted to attend, he said. During Christmas programs, students also sang songs, such as "Silent Night," that have religious themes, Aust said.

French said she didn't believe prayer or any one religion should be mandated, but students should learn about the various religions of the world. Students also should be able to pray on their own and form clubs for the religion they practice, she said.

Vogt said she was against religious instruction or indoctrination, but students should be given the opportunity to pray. She also supported teaching religious history.

Lucero said she would support religious education. "I believe that if there's any way that we could allow the children to have that available for them, to have a class or prayer, or if they want to learn of their culture, or about God," she said.

Gallardo also said he would support religion in schools, but he didn't think it was "an issue at all" because of U.S. Supreme Court rulings on religion in schools. "It's called freedom of religion, not freedom from religion." Gallardo said.

Reporter Damon Arthur welcomes story tips at 530-338-8834, by email at damon.arthur@redding.com and on Twitter at @damonarthur_RS. Help local journalism thrive by subscribing today!

This article originally appeared on Redding Record Searchlight: Where Shasta school board candidates stand on religion, gender issues
Shots in the air, wails and disbelief in Beirut after Hezbollah head killed

By Maya Gebeily, Emilie Madi and AbdelHadi Ramahi

BEIRUT (Reuters) -Armed men fired shots in the air and shut down shops in parts of Beirut and Hezbollah supporters said they were in a state of shock and disbelief on Saturday after the death of the Lebanese armed group's leader, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah.

Hezbollah confirmed on Saturday Nasrallah had been killed, issuing a statement hours after the Israeli military said it had eliminated him in an airstrike on the group's headquarters in Beirut's southern suburbs on Friday.

Nasrallah's death marked a devastating blow to Hezbollah as it reels from an intense campaign of Israeli attacks, and even as the news emerged some of the group's supporters were desperately hoping that somehow he was still alive.

"God, I hope it's not true. It's a disaster if it's true," said Zahraa, a young woman who had been displaced overnight from Hezbollah's stronghold in the southern suburbs of Beirut.

"He was leading us. He was everything to us. We were under his wings," she told Reuters tearfully by phone.

She said other displaced people around her fainted or began to scream when they received notifications on their phone of Hezbollah's statement confirming his death.

Nasrallah, who led Hezbollah since the Shi'ite Muslim group's previous leader was killed in an Israeli operation in 1992, was known for his televised addresses - watched carefully by both the group's backers and its opponents.

"We're still waiting for him to come out on the television at 5 p.m. and tell us that everything is okay, that we can go back home," Zahraa said.

In some parts of Beirut, armed men came into shops and told owners to shut them down, witnesses said. It was not immediately clear what faction the armed men belonged to.

Sprays of gunshots were heard in the Hamra district in the city's west as mourners fired in the air, residents there said. Crowds were heard chanting, "For you, Nasrallah!"

Such firing often accompanies processions of either mourning or celebration in the Middle East - in this case, the former.

Similar processions made their way through Beirut's southern suburbs, according to Hezbollah's Al-Manar TV.

TIGHTENED SECURITY

Other parts of the city were eerily quiet, with restaurants normally full on a sunny Saturday sitting abandoned.

Lebanon's army tightened security measures across the capital, a security source told Reuters, after having protectively deployed around the U.S. embassy north of Beirut.

Army tanks deployed in the city centre, known as Martyrs' Square, according to a Reuters live broadcast.

Dozens of people had spent the night there in the open after fleeing from the strikes on Beirut's southern suburbs.

"This is unbelievable. We got the news and our nerves are frayed," said a man who gave his name as Waleed. "There is nothing left now."

Another Lebanese man, Camelio Abdullah, said, "if God forbid he's been assassinated, then the core of the resistance in the Middle East is destroyed".

A second security source said Lebanon's security forces were preparing for a possible outbreak in sectarian tensions.

Lebanon is made up of a precarious balance of religious sects, including various Muslim and Christian communities, represented by rival political parties. Hezbollah, under Nasrallah, became the country's most powerful faction.

Hezbollah's Al-Manar TV played verses from the Koran to mourn the group's slain leader. A correspondent from MTV Lebanon, a station whose editorial line is typically anti-Hezbollah, offered her condolences on a live broadcast.

(Reporting by Maya GebeilyEditing by Frances Kerry and Helen Popper)
CADDO PARISH, La. (KTAL/KMSS)  A Shreveport man who fired more than a dozen shots into his girlfriends former boyfriend in the parking lot of a Highland neighborhood apartment complex was found guilty of manslaughter Friday.

According to the Caddo Parish District Attorneys Office, 29-year-ols Antonio LeCedric Ray Johnson, was unanimously convicted by the nine-woman, three-man jury in District Judge Chris Victorys court after deliberations lasting approximately three hours. The trial began Monday, September 23.

Two vehicle crash leaves 1 SPD officer dead, 1 injured

Officials say that after hearing witnesses, including the defendant, and assessing evidence, jurors determined that Johnson killed his romantic rival, Travarrius Adams, at the Oak Meadows apartments in the 1900 block of Centenary Boulevard on May 27, 2020.

Adams drove his girlfriends vehicle into the apartment complex, accompanied by her and her two young children, and parked next to a vehicle driven by his ex-girlfriend and in which Johnson was a front-seat passenger.

Officials say Johnson exited the vehicle armed with a 9mm handgun and fired at least 13 shots, 12 of which struck Mr. Adams. The victim was rushed to a local hospital, but succumbed to his wounds. Prosecutors presented eight witnesses and the defense offered two, including Johnson, who testified that he feared for his life when Mr. Adams parked near him but that he did not intentionally shoot the victim.

Johnson returns to court December 4, 2024, and prosecutors will file a habitual offender bill and seek to have him sentenced as a second-time felony offender. If so found, Johnson will face a sentence of 13 and 1/3 years to 80 years in prison.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTALnews.com.
SIOUX CITY, Iowa (KCAU)  Police have arrested a suspect in a Thursday robbery at a credit union in downtown Sioux City.

According to the Sioux City Police Department, Christopher Roberson, 51, of Sioux City, was arrested Friday. He has been charged with first-degree robbery.

One hospitalized with serious injuries after UTV crash near Sioux Center, sheriff says

Police said they were notified on Sept. 27 at 3:37 p.m. of a robbery at Sioux Valley Community Credit Union in the 1100 block of 6th Street. When officers arrived at the scene, employees said a male suspect had just robbed them.

The suspect allegedly walked in with his face covered and demanded money from one of the tellers. He then exited the bank and left the area with an undisclosed amount of money, the release states.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to SiouxlandProud | Sioux City, IA | News, Weather, and Sports.
SIOUX CITY, Iowa (KCAU)  The search for the next superintendent of the Sioux City Community School District is officially underway.

During a meeting Friday, the districts Board of Education voted 6-1 to hire GR Recruiting of Fountain Hills, Arizona to lead the search.

Board President Jan George told KCAU 9 that he feels GR Recruiting built up a level of trust with the board when it also guided the search for Dr. Paul Gausmans replacement.

Rod Earleywine was hired in Jan. 2023, but recently announced he plans to retire at the end of the current school year in June.

Sioux City Warming Shelter to stay open

George said it was important to get the search started, calling it prime hunting season for superintendents.

George added that the board could offer the position as early as January.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to SiouxlandProud | Sioux City, IA | News, Weather, and Sports.
SIOUX CITY, Iowa (KCAU)  The Siouxland Food & Nutrition Coalition will be hosting a Hunger Banquet at Morningside University.

According to a press release, this event aims to raise awareness about global hunger and poverty while fostering a sense of community and empathy among participants.

The Hunger Banquet will be an interactive event that brings statistics about poverty to life. Guests will be given tickets upon arrival at random. These tickets will assign guests to a high, middle, or low-income tier based on real-world income distribution.

During the event, the Siouxland Food & Nutrition Coalition aims to highlight the stark disparities in food access and living conditions faced by people living in Siouxland.

Sioux City Warming Shelter to stay open

The Siouxland Food & Nutrition Coalition, facilitated by the Siouxland District Health Department, will be holding the event on Oct. 1 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the Yockey Room of the Olsen Student Center at Morningside University.

Kristie Vermulm will be the MC for the evening with Dave Faldmo (SCHC), Val Peterson (Food Bank of Siouxland) Dr. Annie Kinwa-Muzinga (Morningside University) and Randy Ehlers (Gospel

Mission) serving on the panel.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to SiouxlandProud | Sioux City, IA | News, Weather, and Sports.
The Elgin Marbles are a collection of Greek sculptures procured from the Parthenon in Athens - Toby Melville/Reuters

Sir Keir Starmer wants a solution to the long-standing row over the Elgin Marbles, a former member of his shadow cabinet has claimed.

In an interview with Greek newspaper Ta Nea, Thangam Debbonaire, a former Labour MP and previously the shadow culture secretary, said the Prime Minister sees the two countries as allies.

Ms Debbonaire, who lost her previously safe seat in Bristol to the Green Party at the general election, described the removal of the marbles from Ottoman-ruled Athens in the early 19th century as an act of theft.

The way the Parthenon sculptures came to this country was, at best, unacceptable. I think we all know it was theft, she told Ta Nea.

If you stand in front of any of them in the British Museum, you are struck by whats missing.

Thangam Debbonaire says Sir Keir Starmer values the UKs alliance with Greece - Maja Smiejkowska/PA

The Greek government says that Lord Elgin, a British diplomat, stole the ancient sculptures from Athens, but the British Museum claims he was given written permission to take them in a decree issued by an Ottoman official.

Greece has contested this, suggesting that any legal documentation could be a forgery as the firman  a Sultans decree  exists only in Italian translation.

For decades Greece has been pushing for their return, but British law prevents treasures from being legally given away.

Labour has not said it will repeal the law, but in July Chris Bryant, the Culture Minister, praised an agreement which saw British museums loan several items back to their countries of origin as a success.

The Parthenon is a former temple on the Athenian Acropolis - Toni Aules/iStockphoto

He added that loaning objects from the British Museum was a matter for the trustees. In January last year the museums chair George Osborne was understood to be in talks with Greece to draw up a deal that could repatriate the statues as part of a cultural exchange.

Discussing Sir Keirs position, Ms Debbonaire said: Keir wants a solution. He wants a solution because were allies. Greece is the home of democracy. We are great celebrators of democracy in the Labour Party.

She added: This is a unique moment in history. The British Museum, with the new government, is in a really historic position to be able to tell a new story for these sculptures. I think were all going to be better off when a way is found for them to be viewed in whole and in Athens, which is such a historic setting.

Ms Debbonaire admitted she had not directly discussed the matter with Sir Keir in recent months, however. But said she was confident she would see the marbles returned to Greece in my lifetime.

The Elgin Marbles have caused controversy for decades - Mike Kemp/Getty

She said: I also know, and its a matter of public record, that the British Museum has moved a long way towards [plans for return].

[Ive] talked to Nick Cullinan, the Museums new director, about what his plans are for the British Museum. I am confident that I will see it in my lifetime. Id like it to be quite soon.

Sir Keir attacked former prime minister Rishi Sunaks hardline approach towards the Greek government last year, and criticised the last minute cancellation of a meeting with Greek prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis over the issue.

Mr Sunak was said to have been left frustrated in November last year after the Greek leader publicly lobbied for a change to his governments stance on the marbles during an interview with the BBC.

At the time, Sir Keir said Mr Sunak had tried to humiliate his Greek counterpart. Mr Sunak eventually met with Mr Mitsotakis later that month.

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DECATUR, Ala. (WHNT)  The Decatur Police Department (DPD) says a man was hit by a vehicle while riding a motorized skateboard Saturday afternoon.

According to police, officers, Decatur Fire and Decatur Morgan EMS were dispatched to the area of Sandlin Road SW and Bellmeade Street SW. at around 1:03 p.m. in response to a wreck.

Utility line crews headed to East Tennessee to help those impacted by Hurricane Helene

DPD said a vehicle was going south on Sandlin Road SW when the man entered the roadway from an alley on his motorized skateboard, causing a collision.

Authorities said the skateboarder was taken to Huntsville Hospital by ambulance where he remains in critical condition.

DPD said the driver of the vehicle stayed at the scene after the incident and that the roadway had reopened.

The investigation is ongoing.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WHNT.com.
Authorities are responding to Utah Lake outside of Provo, Utah after a small plane crashed into the body of water on Friday near the Provo Airport.

Sgt. Spence Cannon, public information officer for the Utah County Sheriffs Office said investigators believe two people were in the plane as it crashed. He said the first reports of the crash came in at around 10 a.m. local time.

We have seen video of the crash, based on how the crash happened we believe it would be very unlikely that any occupants of the plane would survive, Cannon said.

Cannon also said that the plane is currently submerged under eight and a half feet of water.

By Friday afternoon, a private barge as well as divers were attempting to pull the plane out of the lake, but officials had recovered some debris from the crash.

The crash is under investigation

In a post on X, the National Transportation Safety Board said its team is currently investigating the crash.

NTSB investigating Friday's crash of a Cirrus SR22 airplane into Utah Lake near Provo, Utah.  NTSB Newsroom (@NTSB_Newsroom) September 27, 2024

The NTSB identified the plane as a Cirrus SR22.

Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach him at fernando.cervantes@gannett.com and follow him on X @fern_cerv_.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Plane crashes into Utah Lake, rescuers seek pilot, passenger
(NewsNation)  Embattled North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson was rushed to a hospital Friday night, two sources told Queen City News sister station NewsNation.

One source says that Robinson, the Republican candidate for NC governor, quickly left a campaign event in Mount Airy and remains in the hospital tonight.

The news comes a week after a scandalous CNN report about Robinson alleging that he made several offensive comments on a pornographic website before his political career, and expressed support for reinstating slavery. After denying the claims, this week he announced he hired a law firm to battle the allegations.

Brian LiVecchi, Robinsons chief of staff and general counsel, will resign effective next Tuesday, according to a friend. Over the weekend, Robinson announced that four key staff members on his gubernatorial campaign staff had left their jobs.

This is a Developing Story . Check back for updates

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News.
Following a row over the alleged MUDA scam, BJP National Spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari on Saturday alleged that both the "Gandhi family" and Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah has indulged in the corruption because if they were honest, then they could have removed Siddaramaiah from his post. Accusing Congress of corruption, Bhandari said that only "Operation Corruption" is being run by the Congress to loot as much of public money as they can. "Karnataka High Court didn't comment anything on HD Kumaraswamy, it commented against Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah that he has taken Rs 55 crore. He himself went to the Karnataka HC against the Special Court order. When HC gave him relief against the governor's sanction, they accepted it, but, now, when it said that he is corrupt, then he termed it as 'Operation Lotus'," Bhandari said. "Only one operation is going on, that is 'Operation Corruption' by Congress to loot the public money as much as they can and provide a cut to the Gandhi family, because if they were honest, they could have removed him from the post. Both Gandhi family and Siddaramaiah is indulged in this corruption," the BJP leader said. Bhandari called CM Siddaramaiah "nervous" after he took back the general consent that is being given to the CBI. BJP National Spokesperson said, "The people of Karnataka see Siddaramaiah as a corrupt CM. After the ill benefit of Rs. 55 crores were given to his wife and son... the Karnataka CM has no right to be on his chair. He is so nervous that he has taken back the general consent that is being given to the CBI. Karnataka High Court has said against the Karnataka CM that prime facie he has given the benefit of Rs 55 crore of public money to his family, he is the prime accused in the MUDA scam...." He further demanded for inquiry accusing that cut money was being given to the Gandhi family. "It should also be enquired if the cut money was being given to the Gandhi family. The Gandhi family should be questioned that even if the High Court took cognizance of the case, why Siddaramaiah is still on the post. It is clear that Gandhi family promotes corruption because they are itself corrupt," he said. Meanwhile, a petition has been filed in the Karnataka High Court, demanding CBI probe against Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah in the alleged MUDA scam with Snehamayi Krishna, a petitioner in the case stating that the investigation must be handled by the central probe agency as Lokayukta works under the preview of the government and Chief Minister of Karnataka. A Special Court in Bengaluru on Wednesday passed an order directing Karnataka Lokyukta to conduct an investigation against Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on the allegation of illegalities in the allotment of 14 sites worth Rs 56 crore to his wife Parvathi by the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA). (ANI)
Jesus Pedraza, former South Bend Community School Corp. principal, poses for a portrait outside of Edison Middle School on Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2024, in South Bend.

SOUTH BEND  The South Bend Community School Corp. (SBCSC) human resources investigation about Jesus Pedraza, a former elementary school principal who was placed on leave, has ended with a recommendation that he be reassigned.

Pedraza will have the opportunity to address the SBCSC school board during an Executive Closed Session at 5:30 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 30, at the site of the district's new headquarters, Brown Community Learning Center. This means the meeting will be closed to community members and members of the press.

However, Pedraza said he would have preferred that the meeting take place during an open session at the next regularly scheduled board meeting on Oct. 7.

"Then we could have people come out and support me," he said. "As it is now, it's gonna be hard for me to get the word out for people to come out to Brown school  for this coming Monday."

Here's what we know.

Who is Jesus Pedraza?

Pedraza said he has been a SBCSC employee for over 20 years and served as principal of McKinley Elementary School for eight. While at McKinley, he said he established the school's Dual Language Immersion (DLI) program, growing the student population by more than 100 students.

This school year, as a result of the consolidation project seen across the district, McKinley merged with Edison Middle School to form a K-8 school. Pedraza said he was told by school officials that he would retain his position as K-5 principal, working alongside the 6-8 principal, Sean Dillon. However, shortly before the term began, he was told that had never been the plan and that he would be assistant principal to Dillon; Pedraza referred to this as a "demotion."

Why was Pedraza placed on leave?

Pedraza has been on paid administrative leave since Aug. 20, after Dillon filed an HR complaint against him alleging Pedraza had engaged in workplace intimidation.

'We feel lied to': Public concerned over former South Bend principal placed on leave

According to Pedraza, Dillon volunteered to take some back-to-school newsletters "downtown" to be sent to parents, providing them information about the start of school in both English and Spanish. The letters were never sent out, Pedraza said, meaning several Spanish-speaking students did not show up to school until the third day of classes due to confusion over when the term began.

The HR investigation report says Pedraza called Dillon into his office on Aug. 20 to ask why the letters were not sent, becoming "verbally aggressive, using profanity and unprofessional language, referring to colleagues at the district as liars." Pedraza denies the allegations, saying that while he was upset, he did not use profanity or threaten Dillon.

Dillon filed a complaint against Pedraza that same day, which began the HR investigation and meant Pedraza was placed on paid leave.

What is in the HR report?

Dated Sept. 16, the report summarizes the SBCSC HR department's findings from the investigation.

Findings include that Pedraza was told there would only be one Edison principal, and he would not be principal due to "long-standing performance deficits." However, Pedraza provided documents from SBCSC officials stating the opposite, including a document sent to McKinley families from Assistant Superintendent Diamond Robinson listing both Pedraza and Dillon as principals.

He added that the "performance deficits" refer to several issues between him and the district. Pedraza said he was written up by his district school leader twice, including for missing a meeting in order to help his staff work with "an irate parent."

Tribune exclusive: South Bend schools recommends popular principal's reassignment to administrative position

The report ends with the recommendation that Pedraza be reassigned from working in a school to overseeing the district's Bilingual Department. Under this plan, Dillon would remain the sole Edison principal, and the district would replace Pedraza as assistant principal.

What does the district say?

While The Tribune asked if Superintendent Todd Cummings, Assistant Superintendent Sarita Stevens or Dillon would talk about the situation or report, SBCSC officials declined to comment through a spokesman, saying the district does "not comment on personnel matters." However, the district did verify the authenticity of the HR report The Tribune obtained.

What's next?

After the school board approves the report, Pedraza will have the chance to speak to the board during an Executive Closed Session on Sept. 30. Following that, the board will vote on whether to accept HR's recommendation and reassign Pedraza.

The session does not appear on the district's website calendar, as it is not a regularly scheduled board meeting. It will be closed to community members and the media.

Email South Bend Tribune education reporter Rayleigh Deaton at rdeaton@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: What we know about HR investigation of former SBCSC principal
An Inland Empire resident is warning others after thieves targeted and drilled into her vehicle to steal gasoline.

The incident occurred on Sept. 19 as Heather Velasco parked her truck outside Kindred Hospital in Rancho Cucamonga where she works.

Later that day, she and a coworker were heading out to lunch when she approached her truck and noticed a strong gasoline odor.

Thinking it was emanating from a nearby diesel truck, they got into the car and began driving but immediately, Velasco knew something was wrong. Her truck was only three years old, so she was surprised anything would be malfunctioning.

We drove across the street and my car started sputtering, she recalled.

She eventually pulled over and thats when she discovered someone had drilled into her trucks fuel tank to empty the vehicle.

Heather Velasco shows KTLA her damaged gas cap after thieves drilled two holes into the fuel tank to steal gasoline. (KTLA)

The thieves drilled a hole into the trucks fuel tank from underneath the victims truck. (KTLA)

Heather Velasco is seen outside her truck and sharing her story with KTLAs Shelby Nelson after thieves drilled holes into her cars fuel tank to steal gasoline. (KTLA)

A suspect was arrested in Upland for attempting to steal gasoline from a box trucks fuel tank on Sept. 23, 2024. (Upland Police Department)

A suspect was arrested in Upland for attempting to steal gasoline from a box trucks fuel tank on Sept. 23, 2024. (Upland Police Department)

I just looked under and sure enough, there was a hole and it was leaking gas and then I looked up and I saw another hole, she said.

Velasco called the police and had her truck towed away. She was left with costly repairs in the aftermath  pay $4,000 upfront to fix the damages or pay a $1,000 deductible with an increase to her insurance premium. She chose to fix it by claiming her insurance.

She was also left without a car for a week which meant relying on others to drive her three children to school and at times, missing out on shifts at her workplace.

Its hard times, Velasco said. Were living in times where everything is inflated. Trying to raise a family and trying to do things right. Youre not getting anywhere because you got these criminals on the run and theyre just doing whatever they want.

Police noted there have been several cases of gas siphoning in the area since 2023.

In nearby Upland, police arrested a man on Sept. 23 for allegedly trying to steal gas from a box truck on the 800 block of North Mountain Avenue.

Velasco said shes thankful no one was hurt, but is now worried that she cant safely park her truck anywhere without fear of being targeted again.

We should be able to go in, clock in and feel like your stuff is safe out there, she said of parking at her workplace.

Local police recommend protecting your vehicle by having an active alarm system to deter thieves and parking near security cameras when possible.

If you have access to it, park in a secure location like a garage or gated area, then that would be best, but otherwise parking underneath a lit area [would also be helpful], said Upland Police Sgt. Eric DiVincenzo.

No suspects have been arrested so far as the incident remains under investigation.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA.
A SpaceX launch that is scheduled to take place late Sunday night could produce sonic booms that may be heard across parts of Southern California.

The Falcon 9 launch will take place at Vandenberg Space Force Base in Santa Barbara County and the launch window is slated to open around 11:54 p.m.

The launch will deploy 20 satellites for OneWeb, a satellite internet provider, into low-Earth orbit.

In this handout image provided by NASA, the NASA/German Research Centre for Geosciences GRACE Follow-On spacecraft launch onboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, Tuesday, May 22, 2018, from Space Launch Complex 4E at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. (Credit: Bill Ingalls/NASA via Getty Images)

Assuming a successful liftoff and deployment of its payload, the first stage of the Falcon 9 will return to Vandenberg to land on SpaceXs Landing Zone 4.

The landing is expected to take place about eight minutes after liftoff.

The first stage of the Falcon 9 will use its high-powered booster to slow its descent as its landing legs fold out and allow it to, ideally, land safely at its target.

As the booster slows down to below the speed of sound, itll be capable of creating sonic booms that can be heard for hundreds of miles, depending on weather conditions.

Cards Against Humanity is suing Elon Musk. Heres why:

The most likely areas to hear the sonic booms include the cities of Lompoc and Santa Maria near Vandenberg Space Force Base. But the sound waves have been known to travel further, going as far as north as San Luis Obispo and south as Ventura.

SpaceX says the likelihood of residents in other counties being able to experience the sonic booms is entirely dependent on weather and other conditions.

SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket returned to earth and made a pinoint landing on the spaceport drone ship, Of Course I Still Love You, in the Pacific Ocean on June 28, 2024. (SpaceX)

The rocket and space technology company plans to launch Sunday night, but a backup opportunity is available beginning 24 hours later.

SpaceX had a successful Falcon 9 launch Tuesday evening, in which 13 Starlink satellites were sent into low-Earth orbit. That first stage booster landed safely on a drone ship in the Pacific Ocean.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA.
WATCH: SpaceX & NASA set to launch Crew-9 mission after Helene delay

SpaceX and NASA said they plan to launch the ninth operational human spaceflight mission at the International Space Station.

NASA and SpaceX are targeting Saturday for the Falcon 9s launch of Dragons ninth operational human spaceflight mission.

The mission will send Crew 9 to the International Space Station from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

The launch is targeted to lift off at 1:17 p.m.

Read: Tropical Storm Helene: Crew-9 shifts to Saturday due to storm

The Dargon spacecraft, which is supporting this mission, previously flew the Crew-4, Ax-2, and Ax-3 missions to and from the International Space Station.

After the launch, SpaceX plans to land the rockets first stage on Landing Zone 1(LZ-1) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

If needed, there is a backup launch opportunity on Sunday at 12:54 p.m.

Read: How to Watch: ABC season premieres re-air dates for 9-1-1, Greys Anatomy & Doctor Odyssey

Channel 9 will monitor the planned launch and provide updates on Eyewitness News.

Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
Specialized team of Ogden firefighters heading to east coast to help with Hurricane Helene response

OGDEN, Utah (ABC4)  A specialized team of firefighters from the Ogden Fire Department are heading to the east coast to help with Hurricane Helene, according to Ogden City.

Today, five of our brave Ogden City firefighters are being deployed to the East Coast as part of Ogdens State Task Force 1 to provide much-needed assistance to those impacted by Hurricane Helene, a social media post from Ogden City states.

Utah mother diagnosed with Stage 4 small cell lung cancer, given 3 months to live

The specialized team will reportedly be on the ground for the next two to three weeks to help with disaster management and recovery efforts.

At least 52 people are dead and millions are without power after Helenes deadly path across the southeastern United States, according to the Associated Press. The powerful Category 4 hurricane has left countless people stranded, without shelter and awaiting rescue.

The hurricane came across Floridas Big Bend region Thursday evening, bringing with it 140 mph winds and massive rains. It moved across Georgia, the Carolinas and Tennessee, leaving behind a trail of destruction.

You can read more about Hurricane Helenes impact here.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC4 Utah.
Is your Spectrum TV app not working? If so, you're not alone

Customers are experiencing a nationwide issue logging into their Spectrum TV app, a Spectrum customer service representative told The Enquirer Saturday afternoon.

The issue began several days ago in Florida and has since spread to other parts of the country, the representative said.

They added the issue is related to the stormy weather caused by Hurricane Helene.

Engineers are currently working as quickly as possible to resolve the issue, they said.

A spokesperson for Spectrum told The Enquirer a reboot of one's modem and logging in and out of the TV app should resolve the issue.

For further assistance, visit the Spectrum website or contact customer service at 833-949-0036.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Spectrum experiencing nationwide outages amid Hurricane Helene
SPRINGFIELD, Mass (WWLP)  Local and state officials as well as Square One leaders, staff and even a few kiddos went to the site of the old Square One building in the South End for the announcement of a special gift.

Recently, Balise Auto donated $1 million and on Friday, the MassMutual Foundation announced another $1 million grant for a rebuilding project. MassMutual Foundation President and CEO, Dennis Duquette said they are happy to support Square One with their mission.

State Line Propane and Oil opens a show room in Westfield

This is a dream come true, said Square One President and CEO, Dawn DiStefano.

Some of the Square One children put on their construction vests and helmets and visited the construction site of the new Square One center. The site used to be home to the Square One center until it was destroyed in the 2011 Tornado that hit western Massachusetts.

The new 26,000-square-foot building will have indoor and outdoor learning areas and will cost about $15.5 million. Now, with some help from the state and community, they are rebuilding. Square One said both the city and state made early commitments to help and also private funders are a big help.

It wonderful to be able to support the children and their parents, remember the parents are very important too because they are working, they are building a great future for those kids and their families and Square One makes that all possible, said MassMutual Foundation President and CEO, Dennis Duquette.

Square One said they are happy to be back home on the site where their old building used to be watching their new one be built which will be able to help more children and more families.

It is reclaiming and coming home, but it is also the pride we have that we reflect the community, said DiStefano.

The non-profit organization will be able to help more families and children when this center opens up.

We will be serving 80 children at this site. We will be serving hundreds of families. Meeting the needs of not only the South End community, but the entire greater Springfield community said DiStefano.

The center is set to open in the spring of 2025. The Square One campaign is currently about $2 million shy of its goal.

Local News Headlines

WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on WWLP.com.

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ST. FRANCIS, Wis. - A St. Francis High School resource officer is accused of using a hidden camera to take pictures of a student.

Prosecutors charged 58-year-old Dimitri Kamolov with invasion of privacy and attempt to capture an intimate representation without consent  both involving a victim under the age of 18.

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According to a criminal complaint, Kamolov hid his cellphone in a room at the high school where the victim was changing. The victim noticed the phone propped up and recording. The victim went directly to the principal's office to report what happened.

The Wisconsin Department of Justice investigated the case. A special agent learned Kamolov was a part-time school resource officer and had been placed on administrative leave after the incident, at which time the police department collected his service weapon and badge. Kamolov also gave police his personal iPhone, which was the device used to record the victim.

St. Francis High School

A review of the cellphone found a video that showed Kamolov setting up the phone to record the victim, per the complaint. It confirmed what the victim told the special agent about what took place, including the moment when the victim saw the phone recording. A review of the phone also showed Kamolov texted or emailed himself the video multiple times.

Prosecutors said the Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation walked throughout the school with a specially trained dog looking for additional hidden cameras. None were found.

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In a statement, the St. Francis Police Department said it has started the process to fire Kamolov. He served 31 years with the department.

Kamolov made his initial court appearance on Friday, Sept. 27. His cash bond was set at $5,000.
ST. LOUIS  Cortez Darrell Sipes, 38, has pleaded guilty to shooting two police officers, resisting arrest, and drug trafficking in St. Louis. The incident occurred on February 2, 2023, in the Soulard neighborhood.

Two officers tried to stop Sipes truck, which matched the description of a wanted vehicle. Sipes fled, leading to a chase that ended when he crashed into Soulard Farmers Market. Sipes then fired at the officers, hitting both of them.

One of the officers, despite being shot, chased and caught Sipes. Sipes used a ghost gun with untraceable parts. Police found fentanyl, crack cocaine, and Xanax in Sipes possession.

Both officers recovered and returned to duty. For one of the officers, this was his second time being shot on duty. Sipes has a history of drug and firearms convictions.

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The council says it wants to scrap the split between commuter and leisure parking [Google Maps]

A new parking strategy is set to launch in an effort to standardise council car parking in Barnsley.

From 14 October, all car parks run by Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council will be priced at 1 per hour during the week and 5 for a maximum of 24 hours.

Free weekend parking for the first three hours in all off-street car parks, with the exception of the Glass Works and the Alhambra shopping centres, will remain, the local authority said.

The council said it wanted to ensure the town centre remains "an attractive and accessible destination" for all and wished to make parking charges consistent.

Under the scheme, any weekend parking over three hours will cost 1 per hour and 5 for a maximum of 24 hours across all car parks.

On-street parking will be 50p for the first 30 minutes and 1 per 30 minutes thereafter, with free parking on bank holidays.

The Glass Works and Alhambra multi-storey car parks will be priced at 1 for the first three hours.

The council said it hoped the new strategy, which follows a consultation, would allow the town centre to "continue to thrive and provide the best possible experience".

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A warden of a state government-run residential primary school in Shi-Yomi district in Arunachal Pradesh, has been handed a death sentence by a Special POCSO Court, for sexually abusing 21 children over a period of eight years. In a landmark judgment, the court in Yupia convicted three people in a high-profile case concerning the sexual abuse of 21 children from a government residential school in the Shi-Yomi district. The court found Yumken Bagra, Marbom Ngomdir, and Singtung Yorpen guilty of serious offences under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. Yumken Bagra, who had been the school warden from 2014 to 2022, was convicted under Sections 328 and 506 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) as well as Sections 6, 10, and 12 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, and received a death sentence due to the severity of his crimes. Marbom Ngomdir, a Hindi teacher at the school, was found guilty under Section 506 of the IPC and Sections 17 and 21(1) of the POCSO Act. Singtung Yorpen, the former headmaster of Karo Government Residential School, was convicted under Sections 17 and 21(2) of the POCSO Act. Both Marbom Ngomdir and Singtung Yorpen were sentenced to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment for their involvement in these offences. Superintendent of Police, Itanagar, Rohit Rajbir Sing said the verdict serves as a critical turning point for the broader societal awareness. "This ruling not only addresses the immediate issue at hand but also serves as a critical turning point for the broader societal awareness surrounding the protection of children, reinforcing the collective responsibility to safeguard their rights and welfare," he said. The initial investigation of the pivotal case received momentum under the leadership of Irak Bagra, SP of Shi-Yomi, along with his team, and Abhimanyu Poswal, SP of West Siang, and his staff, before it was handed over to the Crime Branch Police Station Special Investigation Team (SIT). The case was handed over to the SIT on November 24, 2022 and the SIT had submitted a charge sheet before the court. (ANI)
Id like to get back to work: Strike at Textron nears end of first week

Rick Haugen started putting aside $20 a week four years ago for this moment, just in case.

The 54-year-old has been with Textron Aviation for 26 years but this is the first time hes had to go on strike.

A majority of the roughly 5,000 members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers Local Lodge 774 voted Sept. 21 to reject the companys offer and go on strike, which started Monday.

Textron, which makes Beechcraft, Cessna and Hawker planes and jets, is one of the largest employers in Wichita.

Haugen, an interior installer, said they have a huge backlog of work.

So they need us, so its time to pay up, he said Friday while holding a picket sign among coworkers outside the companys location just east of Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport.

Strikers are at roughly a dozen areas around Textrons locations in west and east Wichita.

Workers will lose their health insurance starting Monday, but the union is working to make sure they still have coverage while the strike lasts. The union will start paying workers $200 a week starting the third week of the strike, if it goes that long.

As of Saturday, no date had been set for the union and Textron to restart negotiations, said Rosa Rosales, a Textron employee who worked as a union steward for 12 years.

Workers top complaints about Textrons proposed contract are that increases in insurance premiums cut into the proposed wage increases, proposed reductions in money the company gives employees for medical expenses, and concerns around retirement benefits, Rosales said.

Textron said its disappointed in the unions decision to strike.

The contract offer, which took six weeks of thoughtful and good-faith negotiations by both the Union and the company negotiating committees, provided a plan that aimed to protect the future of all Textron Aviation employees and the Wichita community, Textron said in a statement. No one benefits from a strike, and the company has made every effort to avoid one. However, as would be expected of any responsible business, the company has prepared for this scenario to ensure the business continues to operate for customers.

The contract offer included a 26% wage increase over the four years, increases in cost of living adjustment with a maximum increase from $700 to $1,500 per year, a guaranteed $3,000 lump-sum payment every year of the contract, and a maximum 3% increase annually on low- and high-deductible health insurance plans, according to Textron.

Employees under a single-person health insurance plan used to get $1,000 from the company to help with healthcare bills but the proposal reduced that to $500, Rosales said.

Rosales said the changes in health insurance, both in this contract and over the years, are a top concern.

Employees previously had more and better options for healthcare providers but now only have one, she said. Employees who started years ago, including her, also got a pension, which employees would like to see come back, she said.

Rosales has been one of the people running the operations of the strikers at the west location, which is operating out of the parking lot of the Plumbers & Pipefitters Local Union No. 441, located off of Kellogg in front of Towne West Square.

The east location headquarters is also using another unions facilities on Harry.

Striking Textron employees picket in front of the facility on Greenwich Rd. Around 5,000 members of the IAM Local 774 are on strike after rejecting the companys latest contract offer on September 21, 2024, and voted to go on strike.

Rosales helps make sure strikers are at the gates around the clock and that those strikers are fed and hydrated.

Donations have poured in from all over, she said Friday while waiting for a coworkers family to drop off Chinese food from the restaurant they own.

A food truck was also in the parking lot. She said on Friday that the owners had offered to serve free meals. And police patrolling the area brought McDonalds to strikers, she said.

Ive been amazed at the support everyone is giving us, she said.

They were using a donated van to shuttle workers to the gates, but it was having mechanical issues late Friday morning so they had to use other vehicles. A bus was donated to help transport workers as well.

Cessna Aircraft Co. workers last went on strike in 1976, according to Rosales. Cessna was acquired by Textron in 1992.

Beechcraft workers last went on strike in 2008, she said. Beechcraft was acquired by Textron in 2014.

Strikers said Textron is using non-union employees, such as managers, to try and cover, but its not going to be enough to keep up with demand.

But not all workers are as financially prepared as Haugen to wait it out.

He said not having a spouse or children makes it easier to strike, but knows that not everyone is in that position.

This company really dont want to give anywhere, just expect you to just take it and be happy, he said. But, obviously, nobody is happy.

Though he wants to get back to work.

Id like to get back to work, he said Friday. I thought Id never say that.
With the American Library Associations Banned Books Week coming to a close, many librarians and community members in Vermont are offering great banned-book recommendations to cap off the week.

In 2023, over 4,200 books were challenged across the United States, the most ever documented by the ALA. Titles range in genre, demographic, and more.

Picture books are often targeted by these bans, which is why weve chosen three of the many recommended titles to showcase here:

Bodies are Cool by Tyler Feder

Recommended by librarians at both South Burlington Public Library and Burnham Memorial Library, Bodies are Cool by Tyler Feder celebrates body diversity, race and LGBTQ+ identities. Burnham Memorial librarians, including Teen Librarian Meg Malone, wrote that This beautiful picture book published in 2021 shows over 100 different bodies just being joyful and accepting of one another. An incredible book celebrating so many types of bodies.

Julian is a Mermaid by Jessica Love

Recommended by Youth Librarian Hannah Peacock from Burnham Memorial Library, this 2018 picture-book is about Julian, a young boy who decides he wants to be a mermaid and compete in the annual parade. As boys should not be mermaids, according to the books opponents, Julian is a Mermaid has been challenged in many states, Burnham librarians wrote.

Worm Loves Worm by J. J. Austrian

Recommended by a South Burlington Librarian as my favorite on this list, this 2016 title is simply about two worms falling in love and getting married. This book is a celebration of love, and has been banned in many areas for LGBTQIA+ content.

According to the ALA, over 1,100 unique titles have already been targeted for censorship this year, many of which are YA and adult books. Below are four YA and adult books recommended by local librarians:

The Things They Carried by Tim OBrien

Recommended by Fletcher Free librarians, this semi-autobiographical novel follows the authors time serving in the Vietnam war. Published in 1990, the book has innumerable accolades and was a finalist for both the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Critics Circle Award. It is spellbinding, written in sparse, poetic prose, honest and unflinching about the realities of war to those fighting it. I read it over 20 years ago and it has stayed with me through the many conflicts since, wrote one Librarian.

Boys Arent Blue by George M. Johnson

Another title recommended by librarians at both South Burlington Public Library and Burnham Memorial Library, this memoir displays the authors unfolding life experiences as a black, queer person in America. One South Burlington librarian wrote that As the reader, you are invited to witness and explore questions of gender, masculinity, family and Black joy. The personal and honest stories are a reflection of our shared humanity. This 2020 title was named the second most challenged book of 2023 by the American Library Association.

Nickel and Dimed by Barbara Ehrenreich

Once again recommended by Fletcher Free Librarians, this journalistic work investigates first-hand experiences of low-wage workers following the 1996 US welfare reform act. One Fletcher Free librarian wrote that Barbara Ehrenreichs exploration of life as a low-wage worker is as insightful today as it was then. Maybe more so.

Looking for Alaska by John Green

The final book recommended by Fletcher Free Library is a 2005 title that takes place in a southern boarding school. The characters are relatable and the writing is beautiful. Capturing how love, angst, uncertainty, and the realness of being a teen while being taken through a story that is page-turner makes this book a classic, wrote a Fletcher Free librarian. Despite coming out in 2005, this title topped the most-challenged books list in 2015.

To learn more about Americas recent book ban data, and to see the top ten most banned books, check out the American Library Associations website. You can also check out many of these titles at local libraries across Vermont.

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A fertilizer used for decades by U.S. farms contains toxic chemicals that are being blamed for halting agricultural operations, killing animals, and endangering our food supply.

What's happening?

Across the United States, farmers have long been encouraged by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to spread municipal sewage onto their fields as a fertilizer. However, new research has shown that this "black sludge" can contain high concentrations of PFAS, also known as forever chemicals, The New York Times reported.

As states begin to test for concentrations of these chemicals on agricultural lands, some farmers have been forced to halt their operations in the interest of public health.

For instance, Jason Grostic is a third-generation cattle rancher in Michigan, whose property was found to be contaminated with sludge fertilizer in 2020, the Times detailed. The state subsequently placed a health advisory on his beef.

"This stuff isn't just on my land," Grostic told the Times. "People are scared to death that they're going to lose their farm, just like I did."

Why are these findings important?

These findings present a major threat to the livelihood of farmers and ranchers, as halting or stopping production means no revenue. For instance, one farm in Texas stopped sending its cattle to market after high concentrations of PFAS were found on the property. Now, they are forced to work odd jobs and care for a herd that they don't expect to ship, the Times reported.

Meanwhile, PFAS, which the publication notes can enter the human food chain through contaminated crops and livestock, has been linked with a number of health maladies, including certain types of cancer and increased cholesterol levels. Plus, research has documented how mothers-to-be can pass these dangerous chemicals on to their babies.

Contaminated food is far from the only example of how humans can come into contact with PFAS, which can be found in many everyday products like water-resistant fabrics and non-stick cookware. These chemicals also can be found in our water.

For instance, a recent study found concerning levels of these chemicals in waterways near textile manufacturing centers in Bangladesh and a global study found harmful levels of PFAS in water far from known contamination sites.

As for the contaminated field sludge, the Times reported that more than two million dry tons were used on 4.6 million acres of farmland in 2018.

What's being done about black sludge affecting farms?

In 2022, Maine banned the use of sewage sludge on agricultural fields, the Times reported. Meanwhile, other states are beginning to test for these chemicals systematically. However, the EPA continues to promote the use of sludge on farmland.

Also in 2022, the nonprofit Environmental Working Group issued a warning that around 20 million acres of U.S. farmland could be affected. EWG estimated at the time that about 5% of U.S. farms use wastewater sludge. Perhaps most concerningly for consumers, though, is a lack of visibility into whether any purchased food may come from a farm that uses the sludge or feeds its animals any feedstock that may have been grown with it.

Janine Burke-Wells, executive director of the North East Biosolids & Residuals Association, told the Times that banning is not the solution. She advocates instead for limiting the amount of PFAS entering wastewater in the first place by banning its use in consumer products or requiring industries to clean their effluent before sending it to treatment plants.

To that end, some states are working to reduce PFAS in consumer products. For instance, Colorado will ban many everyday products containing PFAS starting in 2026. And a Pennsylvania bill seeks to ban the use of these chemicals in goods such as cleaning products, dental floss, food packaging, and textiles by 2027.

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States Attorney: Police force used against Gounaris was determined to be justified

DIXON, Ill. (WTVO)  The Ogle County States Attorney Mike Rock announced authorities use of force against Jonathon Gunaris was justified on September 27.

Illinois State Polices Major Crime Investigation Unit conducted the investigation and States Attorney J. Hanley issued a memorandum concluding that the officers acted reasonably and lawfully.

Three Ogle County deputies were injured in June after suspect, Jonathon Gounaris, allegedly opened fire on them during a standoff situation at the Lost Lake community just outside of Dixon.

According to Ogle County Sheriff Brian VanVickle, on June 12, at 8:39 a.m., police were called to the 400 block of Wild Rice Lane.

VanVickle said a 911 call was made by a family member, claiming Gounaris had threatened them and himself.

Multiple agencies, including the Ogle County Sheriff and first responders from Dixon, Oregon, Mount Morris, and Polo, were called to the scene.

The SWAT team and hostage negotiators were called at 9:18 a.m., and repeatedly tried to make contact with the suspect, VanVickle said.

At 11:51 a.m., authorities made entry into the home and, immediately upon entering the house, our deputies received fire. Police returned fire, incapacitating the suspect.

Police said Gounaris was armed with multiple firearms, a fixed-blade knife, pepper spray and ballistic armor.

Two of the three deputies injured in the shooting were transported to KSB Hospital, according to Nancy Varga, Chief of Staff. The other deputy was flown to OSF St. Anthonys Hospital in Rockford and underwent surgery.

The suspect was also taken to the hospital where he underwent surgery.

Gounaris is in custody and his next court appearance is on October 17th in the Ogle County Judicial Center.

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The Wisconsin Supreme Court chambers. (Henry Redman | Wisconsin Examiner)

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. lost another round Friday in his effort to get off the Wisconsin presidential ballot in November.

The Wisconsin Supreme Court, in a seven-page opinion, ruled that Kennedy failed to demonstrate that a Dane County judge had erred when denying Kennedys petition for a court to remove him from the ballot.

Kennedy, running under a third-party banner, filed nomination papers in early August to be included among presidential candidates on the Wisconsin ballot.

Kennedy subsequently dropped out of the race, endorsing former President Donald Trump, the Republican presidential nominee.

Shortly before the Wisconsin Elections Commission met Aug. 27 to certify candidates, Kennedy wrote the commission seeking to withdraw as a candidate.

The commission voted 5-1 to deny his request. Commission Chair Ann Jacobs cited a state law that candidates who file nomination papers and qualify to run cannot withdraw and must remain on the ballot, unless they die.

Robert Kennedy

Kennedy sued in Dane County Circuit Court, asking the judge to review the commissions decision but also seeking a temporary injunction that would order the commission to remove his name from the ballot. Judge Stephen Ehlke denied Kennedys requests, ruling that state law does not allow a candidate to withdraw from the presidential race after filing nomination papers.

After Kennedys lawyer appealed the state Supreme Court approved the elections commissions request to bypass the appeals court.

In denying the temporary injunction, Ehlke ruled that it had failed to meet three of four required conditions: Kennedy wouldnt suffer irreparable harm, an injunction would not preserve the status quo and Kennedy was unlikely to succeed on the merits of his claim.

According to the Supreme Courts majority opinion, appellate briefs Kennedys lawyers filed in the case were inadequate for the court to review his claims of harm or of his potential for success.

Consequently, because there is no basis in this appeal on which we could determine that the circuit court erroneously exercised its discretion, we must affirm the circuit courts order denying Kennedys motion for a temporary injunction, the opinion states.

The opinion was unsigned, although it was accompanied by a concurrence signed by Justice Rebecca Bradley and joined by Chief Justice Annette Ziegler. Bradley said she did not disagree that the briefs from Kennedys lawyers were inadequate, but she also took a shot at the Court majority.

The timelines under which the elections commission and the high court operate hamstring candidates in Kennedys situation, Bradley wrote.

She added that while Kennedy could have gained more time by going to the Supreme Court initially with an original action petition this courts decisions to grant or deny original action petitions lack predictable standards, leaving parties to guess the right avenue for challenging the elections commission.

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A woman holds a newborn baby. Some states and hospital systems have updated their policies on drug testing for pregnant women and newborns, aiming to better support patients who are in recovery from substance use disorder and combat racial disparities in testing and reporting. John Moore/Getty Images

Some states and hospital systems have updated their policies on drug testing for pregnant women and newborns, aiming to better support patients treatment and recovery from substance use disorder and combat racial disparities in testing and reporting.

Under federal law, medical professionals must notify child protective agencies when an infant has been affected by the mothers substance use, including alcohol use. However, the federal rules  which were updated in 2016 in response to the opioid epidemic  emphasize that substance use disorder on its own doesnt constitute child abuse, and require states to develop their own plans of safe care to promote the long-term health of the newborn and the mother.

But federal law doesnt define affected, and testing and reporting policies vary from state to state and even from hospital to hospital. As the opioid crisis continues, some of the nations most prominent hospital systems and a handful of states have enacted or are considering less punitive approaches, as long as the baby is in no imminent danger.

One impetus for the shift is research showing that Black pregnant women are more likely to be drug tested and long-standing disparities in how Black and Indigenous families are treated by child welfare agencies. Mental health conditions and substance use have also emerged as leading causes of maternal death, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The data about bias in child welfare reporting related to pregnant/birthing peoples substance use has been around for decades, Sarah Roberts, a legal epidemiologist and professor at the University of California, San Francisco, wrote in an email to Stateline. Roberts tracks testing policies across the country.

Whats changed, Roberts said, is a growing awareness of the harms of over-testing and over-reporting to child welfare agencies.

Only two states, Minnesota and North Dakota, have laws that require drug testing of pregnant patients in certain circumstances, such as when there are complications during birth that point to the possible use of drugs or alcohol, according to an analysis by If/When/How, a reproductive justice nonprofit. And only four states (Louisiana, Minnesota, North Dakota and Wisconsin) mandate the drug testing of newborns in certain circumstances.

The data about bias in child welfare reporting related to pregnant/birthing peoples substance use has been around for decades.

 Sarah Roberts, a legal epidemiologist and professor at the University of California, San Francisco

But hospitals and clinicians are often confused about their own state laws, said Joelle Puccio, director of education at the Academy of Perinatal Harm Reduction, which provides information to pregnant women and parents who use drugs.

What actually happens is always more punitive, more surveillance than what is actually required by the law, and it always falls more heavily on Indigenous, Black and other families of color, said Puccio, who has worked as a registered nurse in perinatal and neonatal intensive care for two decades.

Mass General Brigham in Boston, one of the most highly respected hospital systems in the country, announced changes to its perinatal reporting policy in April as part of a broader effort to eliminate practices that might unwittingly perpetuate structural racism.

Provided the baby isnt in imminent danger, the hospital will now conduct toxicology testing only with written consent from the pregnant patient and will only report positive results to child welfare authorities if clinicians determine the baby is suffering or in imminent danger. Mass General Brigham also will move away from considering a babys exposure to drugs or alcohol  including a mothers medication treatment for opioid use disorder  as automatic grounds for reporting abuse or neglect. This is to combat the stigma pregnant patients often report facing while on such medication treatment, leading them to fear health care settings.

The single biggest deterrent for people engaging in care was the concern that if they went on buprenorphine or methadone, lifesaving treatment for their opioid use disorder, that they would have an open case with the Department of Children and Families, said Dr. Davida Schiff, director of perinatal and family-based substance use disorder care at Mass General Brigham. We know that buprenorphine and methadone reduce the risk of overdose.

Dr. Allison Bryant Mantha, an OB-GYN and associate chief health equity officer at Mass General Brigham, said one priority of the policy change was to lessen room for bias.

When you allow people to have a lot of their own discretion, that sometimes is where biases kind of creep in, she said. Sometimes minimizing variability gets you to equity.

Legislation has been introduced in the Massachusetts Senate that aims to protect parents from scrutiny from child welfare authorities or criminal prosecution when their infant has been affected by in-utero substance exposure.

Other states already have approved such policies. Since 2019, Connecticut has directed health care providers to shield the identity of the parents when reporting a positive test to child welfare authorities, and to instead offer supportive services. That year, New Mexico also passed a law that removes substance use disorder from being considered abuse or neglect on its own.

And in 2020, Colorado updated its definition of child abuse and neglect to exclude cases in which a newborn tests positive for substance or alcohol exposure and the mother is on medication-assisted treatment.

But hospital staff still express confusion about state law, said Britt Westmoreland, a doula and addiction recovery specialist at the University of Colorado College of Nursing.

Ive had hospitals have policies that are more punitive than state law, Westmoreland said, and I have addressed that directly by educating them on what the state law is.

Stateline is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Stateline maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Scott S. Greenberger for questions: info@stateline.org. Follow Stateline on Facebook and X.
Ralph de la Torre will step down from his role as CEO of Steward Health Care as the for-profit network of hospitals and healthcare providers continues to undergo bankruptcy proceedings, his personal spokesperson told Boston 25 News Saturday.

While Dr. de la Torre has amicably separated from Steward on mutually agreeable terms, he will continue to be a tireless advocate for the improvement of reimbursement rates for the underprivileged patient population, his spokesperson, Rebecca Kral said. Dr. de la Torre urges continued focus on this mission and believes Stewards financial challenges put a much-needed spotlight on Massachusettss ongoing failure to fix its healthcare structure and the inequities in its state system.

Senate approves criminal contempt resolution against Steward Health Care CEO

The news of de la Torres planned exit comes days after the United States Senate approved a resolution Wednesday intended to hold him in criminal contempt for failing to testify before a Senate panel.

The criminal contempt resolution refers the matter to the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia to criminally prosecute de la Torre for failing to comply with the subpoena.

In a letter sent to the committee ahead of last weeks hearing, Alexander Merton, an attorney for de la Torre, said the committees request to have him testify would violate his Fifth Amendment rights.

The Constitution protects de la Torre from being compelled by the government to provide sworn testimony intended to frame him as a criminal scapegoat for the systemic failures in Massachusetts health care system, Merton wrote, adding that de la Torre would agree to testify at a later date.

Massachusetts Senator Ed Markey said hoped that de la Torre will still held accountable in a court of law.

This resignation comes too late for the workers, patients, and communities that Mr. de Torre harmed and abandoned, said Senator Markey. He has extracted hundreds of millions from emergency departments, operating rooms, and intensive care units to buy luxury property, expensive vacations, and yachts, all while patients suffered and died and workers and hospitals went unresourced. As a physician and CEO of Steward, de la Torre knew the cost of his greed and mismanagement, and he allowed it to rot the financial security of an entire hospital system anyway.

Markey also called out Stewards senior leadership and board of directors, Cerberus Capital Management and Medical Properties Trust, who he dubbed de la Torres enablers.

Lets not forget that Dr. de la Torre is just one part of this tragedy, Markey detailed. And every private equity firm and corporate entity that stands to profit from Stewards bankruptcy and continued investment in hospitals across the country must understand that their profit-only gains cannot continue.

Senator Elizabeth Warren took to social media to say Good riddance to the embattled CEO.

Massachusetts communities are finally free from Ralphs destructive reign, but hes not off the hook yet  the authorities still must prosecute his contempt charge and investigate him for other possible crimes he may have committed as Stewards CEO, Warren wrote on social media.

Good riddance.



Massachusetts communities are finally free from Ralphs destructive reign, but hes not off the hook yet  the authorities still must prosecute his contempt charge and investigate him for other possible crimes he may have committed as Stewards CEO. https://t.co/vjUr5249sB  Elizabeth Warren (@SenWarren) September 28, 2024

Julie Pinkham, executive director of the Massachusetts Nurses Association, is also among those who wants de la Torre to be held accountable.

I think you have to take ownership of what happened, she told Boston 25 Saturday. However well intended his original ideas were, this has been truly chaotic and has upended thousands of lives.

She added, For the folks that are showing up still every day, its a convenience not to show up at a hearing... You cant brush this over. It will have an impact and continue to have an impact.

Massachusetts senator Ed Markey issued a statement reading in part, Ralph de la Torres resignation is not enough, and must be held accountable in the court of law. This resignation comes too late for the workers, patients, and communities that Mr. de Torre harmed and abandoned.

Texas-based Steward, which operates about 30 hospitals nationwide, filed for bankruptcy in May.

Steward has been working to sell a half-dozen hospitals in Massachusetts. But it received inadequate bids for two other hospitals, Carney Hospital in Boston and Nashoba Valley Medical Center in the town of Ayer, both of which have closed as a result.

A federal bankruptcy court approved the sale of Stewards other Massachusetts hospitals.

Steward said in August that it had entered into definitive agreements to sell certain hospitals. Terms of the asset agreements indicate that Rhode Island-based Lifespan will purchase Morton Hospital in Taunton and Saint Annes Hospital in Fall River, while Lawrence General Hospital will purchase Holy Family Hospital locations in Methuen and Haverhill.

These transfers of ownership are expected to go into effect on Oct. 1, state officials said.

Steward has also shut down pediatric wards in Massachusetts and Louisiana, closed neonatal units in Florida and Texas, and eliminated maternity services at a hospital in Florida.

Gov. Maura Healey on Friday formally seized St. Elizabeths Medical Center in Brighton through eminent domain to keep the hospital open.

The move will allow the state to take control of the property and transition operation of the hospital to a new medical services provider, Boston Medical Center, the governor said in a statement on Friday morning.

A passer-by walks past an entrance to St. Elizabeth's Medical Center, Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024, in the Brighton neighborhood of Boston. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

Boston 25 News has reached out to Steward for comment and has asked if de la Torre will remain a major shareholder in the company.

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MIDWAY, Ky. (FOX 56)  Heavy winds and rain have slammed central Kentucky, and Midway is no exception.

Midway resident Joyce Evans walked outside her front door Friday to find a very large tree crushing a car and tangled up powerlines.

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I was inside of the house, and I saw the light changing and realized the tree was falling. I squawked a little bit. I was on the phone with my daughter and rushed to the door, and sure enough, it was in the street by that time. It was so scary, Evans said.

Evans said a couple was in the car when it was crushed, but were thankfully rescued by law enforcement, and safely had a lift away from the situation. Evans didnt know the couple personally, but she witnessed the rescue and said it put her at ease.

They had great sense, more than I would have had. They stayed in the car till the sheriff who was close, got here quick and he got them out of the car and got them over to his car and everything went very smoothly for them. They were old, probably as old as me. They didnt have any trouble at all, Evans said.

While Evans is thankful to not have seen any injuries, shes joining a bunch of others who are still without power. Midway Mayor Grayson Vandegrift has been working to keep the community updated on cleanup and power restoration.

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More than half of town is without power right now. Some estimates say 8 p.m. tonight, but that could change. It feels like as soon as we fix one thing, another tree falls somewhere. Well just get through it, and then well talk more about cleanup and what comes next, Vandegrift said.

Everyone is urged to stay inside, while road crews, first responders, and other dedicated workers do what they do best.

Were thankful for you. Please be safe, and the fact that youre all out there doing this while were hunkered down just shows that now all heroes wear capes. Well get through this, and then well have a plan to get the town cleaned up. Just like we always do, well do it as a team, Vandegrift said.

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This storm spared no one: 17 people dead in Georgia after Helene

Georgia Governor Brian Kemp announced at a news conference on Saturday that 17 people died in the state during Helene.

>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<

This storm spared no one, he told the crowd.

In Blackshear, Assistant Fire Chief Vernon Leon Davis while responding to a call. According to Kemp, a tree fell on top of his vehicle.

In McDuffie County, a 27-year-old mother and her one-month-old twins were killed after a tree fell on their home.

[DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks]

A seven-year-old boy and a four-year-old girl were killed in Washington County. A tree fell on their home, and they were trapped inside a burning house.

A 57-year-old man died in Dublin after a tree crashed into his home, according to Kemp.

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Police investigate a stabbing at a high school in South San Francisco where one student stabbed and injured another on Friday, Sept. 27.

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. - A 16-year-old student was stabbed at South San Francisco High School Friday afternoon, resulting in the arrest of a 14-year-old student, police said.

The stabbing occurred around noon, and police learned that a teen was stabbed during a physical altercation at the school. They were taken to a local trauma center with non-life-threatening injuries.

During their investigation, police learned that a 14-year-old teen allegedly stabbed the older teen and was taken into custody.

The stabbing prompted the school to go into secure campus mode, restricting people coming on and off campus, the high school shared in a letter to parents.

"Our school campus is safe and there is no threat to our students or staff. School continues to be in session as regularly scheduled," said Shawnterra Moore, the district's superintendent.

Police called the incident isolated and said there was no threat to the community.

Police investigate a stabbing at a high school in South San Francisco where one student stabbed and injured another on Friday, Sept. 27.
Congress MP and Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Saturday paid tribute to the freedom fighter Bhagat Singh on his 117th birth anniversary, saying that his courage, sacrifice and martyrdom will always be a source of inspiration for all. "Humble tribute to the great revolutionary Shaheed-e-Azam Bhagat Singh ji on his birth anniversary. His courage, sacrifice and martyrdom will always be a source of inspiration for all of us," Rahul Gandhi posted on X. https://x.com/RahulGandhi/status/1839859192284266659 Sharing a quote by the Indian revolutionary Bhagat Singh, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge also paid tribute to him and said, even today, he is a source of inspiration for millions of youth. In a social media post on X, Kharge wrote, "I am writing the outcome of which...Tomorrow will be the start...Every drop of my blood...will bring revolution." ~ Martyr Bhagat Singh The tweet added, "On the birth anniversary of Shaheed-e-Azam Bhagat Singh ji, a great freedom fighter who sacrificed everything for the independence of the country, we pay our respects to him. Bhagat Singh wrote continuously against the divisive forces in society and raised his voice against inequality. Till date, he is a source of inspiration for millions of youth because of this thinking." https://x.com/kharge/status/1839862189496156654 Born on September 27, 1907, Bhagat Singh was a charismatic Indian socialist revolutionary who participated in the mistaken murder of a junior British police officer in what was to be retaliation for the death of an Indian nationalist. Bhagat Singh was born into a Punjabi Sikh family in the village of Banga in the Lyallpur district of the Punjab in what was then British India and is today Pakistan. He later took part in a largely symbolic bombing of the Central Legislative Assembly in Delhi and a hunger strike in jail, which turned him into a household name in the Punjab region, and after his execution at age 23 into a martyr and folk hero in Northern India. (ANI)
This article was originally published in The Texas Tribune.

A legal effort to block Texas from releasing school performance ratings has created a divide between district leaders who worry the scores are an inaccurate representation of their work and others who say parents need that information to make choices about their kids schooling.

A coalition of about 30 school districts recently sued the Texas Education Agency over the introduction of a computer system to grade the states standardized tests, which are used to calculate part of Texas schools performance rating. The year before, school districts filed a similar lawsuit arguing that the agency had raised too fast a benchmark that also goes into their score. Judges out of Travis County have sided with the school districts in both cases, ordering temporary injunctions that have kept the TEA from releasing the ratings for two consecutive school years.

The latest lawsuit has been met with wariness from some school leaders, a marked shift from when more than a 100 districts saddled up for the first suit to create a unified front against the TEA.

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While the states hands have been tied from releasing ratings this year, some school districts in Bexar, Dallas, El Paso and Harris counties have voluntarily released their own campuses forecast scores. One board trustee out of Midlands school district unsuccessfully filed a petition with the court to intervene in the lawsuit, saying time and money were wasted on standardized testing if the public could not access school performance ratings.

If Im going to put billboards up and Im going to put up a fancy website promoting our academic programs or early college high school programs, I believe I owe it to that same community, those same parents, [to] put out scores, said Xavier de la Torre, the superintendent of the Ysleta school district in El Paso.

The TEA grades every public and charter school in the state on an A-F scale. A failing grade can trigger state sanctions and it can lead the TEA to take over a district in the worst cases. Poor scores can also push families to leave the district and, since schools get money from the state based on enrollment, could lead to less funds.

Some school leaders criticized the automated computer system used to grade the statewide standardized test this year, saying a third party should have reviewed the tool before it was rolled out. They believe statewide drops in reading scores were due to errors with the system and would result in an unfair school rating.

School leaders also said they didnt get enough notice when TEA introduced stricter expectations for how schools show theyre preparing students for life after graduation. High schools can now only get an A rating if 88% of their seniors enrolled in college, pursued a non-college career or entered the military, up from 60%.

Bobby Ott, the superintendent of Temples school district, said he never saw the changes to the career readiness benchmarks coming.

It wasnt even a target we could prepare for, and that was just completely uncalled for, he said. In no real-time situation do you measure progress improvement by doing a ready, fire, aim approach. Theres no system built like that  Theres no chance to build to that goal.

But critics question if back-to-back lawsuits are the best means to raise concerns about the changes. Families have now gone five years without a full picture of how their schools are doing. Texas did not release school ratings in 2020 or 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic; in 2022, Texas lawmakers ordered the state to only release A-C ratings.

Ott agreed a legal fight wasnt the ideal way to settle disputes with the changes but he said lawmakers left districts no choice because they havent addressed their concerns.

The Dallas Independent School District was among the districts that joined in on the first lawsuit. A year later, it was one of the first to voluntarily release their own ratings.

Were all being held to that same calculation. So the fact that [the states rating system] is imperfect does not mean that we shouldnt measure it at all, said Dallas ISD Superintendent Stephanie Elizalde. I feel like I owe it to our community, and, frankly, to the state of Texas to say, here is where we are.

Elizalde said her district joined the first lawsuit because she wanted one more year to understand the new college and career readiness benchmarks before they went into effect. Now that that year had come and passed, Elizalde said her district needed to be transparent about its rating so her team could set performance goals  even if she does share some of the same computer scoring concerns listed in the latest lawsuit.

If I dont talk about where we are now, how can I explain how were improving? she said.

Dallas ISD expects to get a C rating this year, a drop from the B it earned in the 2021-22 school year.

Parents lean on A-F scores to understand how their local schools are performing and, if they have the resources, they can use that information to make decisions about where to send their kids to school.

In the El Paso area, school districts in that region are open enrollment, which means families can apply to enroll their child in any school within the district regardless of where they live. The Ysleta, Socorro and El Paso school districts all released their ratings so parents could make informed decisions.

Charter schools leaders say they also benefit from having that information out in the open since many parents find them after assessing local public schools and removing their kids when they are dissatisfied.

If parents and communities dont understand the levels of performance of the schools in their neighborhoods  across a state standardized metric, then parents are left in the dark, said Jeff Cottrill, the superintendent of IDEA Public Schools, Texas largest charter school.

The fissures forming between district leaders over the A-F accountability system come as next years legislative session looms near. Lawmakers are expected to propose new school voucher legislation, which would let families use taxpayer dollars to pay for their childrens private schooling. Districts are also expected to ask for a raise in the base amount of dollars they get per student after five years of no increases.

Elizalde in Dallas worries that withholding information about public schools performance might weaken their ask.

We know were going to be asking for funding for schools. Am I really in the position to say our schools need funding, but I dont want to tell you how were doing? It didnt sit right with me.

When asked about how he expects the lawsuit to impact superintendents legislative requests, Ott said he hopes the lawsuit will be a catalyst for overhauling the A-F system altogether.

Families in his district have lost trust in the standardized testing system, Ott said. Instead, they want school ratings to measure if schools are safe as well as the experience and tenure of teachers, he added.

There should be accountability and transparency, he said. But they have to be good, solid systems that people can trust and have credibility. And thats the problem right now. Its an antiquated system.

The Texas Tribune partners with Open Campus on higher education coverage.

Disclosure: IDEA Public Schools has been a financial supporter of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribunes journalism. Find a complete list of them here.

This article originally appeared in The Texas Tribune at https://www.texastribune.org/2024/09/23/texas-schools-accountability-ratings-lawsuit-split/. The Texas Tribune is a member-supported, nonpartisan newsroom informing and engaging Texans on state politics and policy. Learn more at texastribune.org.
Vice President Harris and former President Trump are racing toward the finish line with less than six weeks to go until Election Day and less than a week until the vice-presidential debate as tension in the Middle East continues to grow following the death of the Hezbollah leader. Both topics are likely to be discussed in this weeks Sunday shows.

House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.) is set to appear on ABCs This Week where he is likely to discuss how vice-presidential debate prep has been going with Trumps running mate, Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio). Two sources confirmed to The Hill last week that Emmer is standing in for Harriss running mate, Gov. Tim Walz (D), a Minnesotan politician like Emmer.

National Security Council (NSC) spokesman John Kirby will also be on ABCs This Week where he will likely talk about the tension between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon. He had told MSNBCs Morning Joe on Thursday that getting into a full-scale war is not the way to achieve Israels objectives.

Theres no way in that situation that people are going to be able to go back, he said, pushing for a diplomatic resolution that creates that environment to get people home, The Hill reported.

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper (D) will appear on CBSs Face the Nation after the state made headlines in recent weeks as gubernatorial candidate Mark Robinson (R) found himself in the center of attention following a bombshell report released by CNN, linking the states GOP lieutenant governor to an account that made many offensive statements on a porn sites message board.

Earlier this year, Cooper was floated as a potential running mate for Harris, but had dropped out of the race late July after saying it wasnt the right time for him to join the ticket. Trump leads Harris in the state by less than one point, 48.4 percent to 47.8 percent, according to polling from The Hill/Decision Desk HQ.

Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont (D), who knows Walz, will be discussing the vice-presidential debate on Fox Newss Sunday Morning Futures. Lamont will also talk more about the economic proposals of Harris and Trump.

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) is set to appear on CNNs State of the Union. Earlier this week, Graham criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskys trip to Pennsylvania, where he appeared with Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) in what many Republicans saw as a political event. Zelensky was in Washington las week meeting with members of Congress, and Harris and President Biden, which sparked criticism from a host of Republicans, including Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and House Oversight and Accountability Committee Chair James Comer (R-Ky.).

Second gentleman Doug Emhoff is set to appear on MSNBCs Inside with Jen Psaki. With less than six weeks until Election Day, The Hill reported on Friday that Emhoff slammed Trump for not disavowing past remarks from Robinson, including calling himself a Black Nazi.

Emhoff also condemned Trump last week for his remarks at an event raising awareness for combating antisemitism in which the GOP nominee suggested Jewish people will partly shoulder the blame if he loses in November.

Heres the full list of appearances on this weeks Sunday talk shows:

NewsNations The Hill Sunday  Gov. Ned Lamont (D-Conn.); Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.); Whit Ayres, founder and president of North Star Opinion Research; Michael Meehan, CEO of Squared Communications

CBSs Sunday Morning  President Biden will talk about former President Carters 100th birthday.

ABCs This Week  National Security Council spokesman John Kirby; Rep. Tom Emmer (R-Minn.); former Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.)

MSNBCs Inside with Jen Psaki  Second gentleman Doug Emhoff

NBCs Meet the Press  Sens. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.)

CBSs Face the Nation  Gov. Roy Cooper (D-N.C.); former Gov. Larry Hogan (R-Md.); Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.); Rep. Madeleine Dean (D-Pa.); retired Army Gen. Stanley McChrystal

CNNs State of the Union  Gov. JB Pritzker (D-Ill.); Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.)

Fox Newss Fox News Sunday  Sens. Katie Britt (R-Ala.), and Chris Coons (D-Del.); Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Deanne Criswell.

Fox Newss Sunday Morning Futures  Donald Trump Jr., Trump Organization Executive Vice President; Rep. Jason Smith (R-MO), House Ways and Means Committee Chairman; Kari Lake (R), Arizona Senate Candidate; Andrzej Duda, President of Poland; John Ratcliffe, former Director of National Intelligence

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
KANSAS CITY, Mo.  Friday evening police were called to a home near N. Farley Ave. and NE 110th Street to investigate a domestic assault.

When officers arrived, they located two victims who were critically injured. The suspect left the scene before the officers got to the scene.

The suspect was located, and officers tried to take him into custody when he pulled a gun and fire shots at police. The suspect entered a delivery truck and the truck left the area.

Officers tried to stop the vehicle, but the driver refused to stop. They continued to pursue the truck, due to the assault and the danger the suspect posed to the public. The suspect continued to fire shot at police and ran from the delivery truck around I-35 and 152 Highway.

The suspect was taken into custody after a short foot chase without further incident.

The delivery driver and officers were not injured during the incident and officers didnt fire their weapons at any time. No charges have been filed and the investigation continues.

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SMYRNA, Ga. - A suspected burglar was killed in a shootout with Smyrna and Cobb County police at the Adventure Outdoors gun store along South Cobb Drive.

Smyrna Police Chief Keith Zgonc said during an early morning press conference on Saturday that multiple 911 calls were received around midnight regarding a burglary at the gun store, with another call reporting shots fired near the intersection of South Cobb Drive and Windy Hill Road.

Chief Zgonc explained that when officers arrived at the scene, the suspect, who was inside the store, opened fire on them. An exchange of shots followed. Officers from both Smyrna and Cobb County police departments returned fire, resulting in the death of the man.

Two Smyrna police officers were injured during that shootout. The officers involved were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment. Both officers are expected to survive.

A SWAT team was subsequently brought in to secure the store and ensure there was no one else inside.

The motive behind the man's attempt to break into the store remains unclear. On Saturday morning, the GBI said the man remains unidentified and his body will be taken to the Cobb County Medical Examiners Office for an autopsy.

Police cars line South Cobb Drive at Windy Hill in Cobb County on Sept 28, 2024. (GDOT)

Police said the investigation is still in its early stages.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation has been requested to look into the use of force during the incident, which is standard procedure in most shootings involving police officers.

Adventure Outdoors touts itself as the world's largest gun store.

This story is developing. Check back for details. If you have additional information, pictures, or video email newstipsatlanta@fox.com.
Suspects indicted on capital murder charges in death of Mahogany Jackson in Birmingham

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT)  Suspects who had been arrested earlier this year in connection to the death of a 20-year-old woman in Birmingham are now facing capital murder charges.

On Sept. 13, a grand jury indicted Giovonnie Clapp, Blair Green, Teja Lewis, SiNya McCall and Airana Lashay Robinson on capital murder charges. Two other suspects, Brandon Pope and Jeremiah McDowell, had already been charged with capital murder.

Jackson, 20, was found shot to death in the woods on Feb. 26. According to the Birmingham Police Department, who claimed that Jackson was sexually assaulted before she died, all of the suspects were acquaintances of Jackson.

Evidence portal pushed to the public amid Birmingham mass shooting investigation

The facts of this case are deplorable and sickening, BPD Chief Scott Thurmond said at the time of the arrests. Saddest of all, they were made public by the suspects decision to videotape portions of this horrific act.

Gail Maddox Trotter, Jacksons mother, said the young mother was full of life and loved her family.

She had a baby and didnt deserve what happened to her, Trotter said in an interview with CBS 42s Sherri Jackson.

All suspects remain in the Jefferson County Jail on no bond.

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PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI)  After three days of witness testimony and evidence, two Providence men will remain held without bail in connection with last months deadly shooting that claimed the life of a 7-year-old girl.

Ahmari Cabrera, 19, and Shaheem Nathaniel, 26, are accused of shooting at a car on Florence Street on the night of Aug. 29, leading to the death of NyEil Pires.

The two men face 11 charges, including first-degree murder, and were ordered held without bail on Tuesday, Sept. 3.

During a three-day bail hearing, witnesses said the incident began at a 7-Eleven in Providence, where NyEils father, Nelson Pires, allegedly exchanged words with Nathaniel outside the store and later followed his car to a party.

Although the courtroom did not permit video or audio recordings, footage presented in court appeared to show Nelsons car speeding toward Cabrera and Nathaniel, who were standing outside.

VIDEO: Security footage shows events leading up to shooting that killed 7-year-old

Prosecutors said thats when Cabrera and Nathaniel jumped out of their vehicle and opened fire on Nelsons car, striking NyEil, who was seated in the back. She died at the hospital a few days later.

Prosecutors argued that Cabrera and Nathaniel are wannabe gangsters who had a premeditated plan to kill Nelson, saying the men, who were armed with ghost guns and wearing ski masks, continued to fire even as Nelson tried to flee.

Defense attorneys requested bail, arguing the suspects acted in self-defense in response to Nelsons alleged aggression and questioned whether first-degree murder was the appropriate charge.

However, the judge sided with the state, citing evidence of Cabrera and Nathaniels reckless actions.

Nelson is also being held on $50,000 surety bail for two counts of child endangerment and one count of driving with a suspended license.

MORE: Father of 7-year-old shooting victim charged with child endangerment

If convicted during trial, Cabrera and Nathaniel could face consecutive life sentences.

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Switzerland has voiced its support for the Sino-Brazilian "peace initiative" regarding Ukraine, despite its lack of reference to the UN Charter and omission of direct mention of Ukraine's territorial integrity.

Source: Nicolas Bideau, spokesperson for the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, as reported by European Pravda citing Swiss newspaper Blick

Details: Bideau stated that Switzerland backs the "peace initiative" proposed by China and Brazil because it advocates for a ceasefire and a political resolution to the conflict, providing an alternative to the "bellicose speeches" delivered by both the Ukrainian and Russian representatives at the UN.

The spokesperson also emphasised the necessity of referencing the UN Charter in any peace initiatives concerning Ukraine, highlighting that this was noted by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his address to the UN Security Council.

Background:

Switzerland, which hosted the inaugural Global Summit based on the Ukrainian Peace Formula in June, was among the few Western nations invited to a meeting organised by China and Brazil regarding their "peace initiative" during the UN General Assembly on 27 September.

Among European countries, Hungary has also expressed support for the Sino-Brazilian initiative.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had earlier called the Sino-Brazilian proposal "destructive", primarily because it had not been discussed with Ukraine.

EU diplomacy chief Josep Borrell also criticised the proposed "peace plan", noting that its participants "think in terms of surrender when they talk about peace".

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By Emma Farge

GENEVA (Reuters) -Switzerland's foreign affairs ministry voiced support for a Chinese-led peace plan to end the Ukraine war, saying on Saturday that its view on such efforts had significantly changed, a position Kyiv said was disappointing and illogical.

With Russia's invasion of Ukraine in its third year, the two sides to the conflict remain far apart on any future path to peace. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy is pursuing a "victory plan", while Russian President Vladimir Putin says any negotiations can only begin if Kyiv abandons vast swaths of territory and drops its bid to join NATO.

Ukraine's foreign ministry responded to the Swiss move, releasing a statement saying Zelenskiy's peace formula was "the only way to a comprehensive, just and sustainable peace."

It said Ukraine and Switzerland were still working to collect signatories for the communique arising from a global peace summit in June. "We cannot understand the logic of such a decision," the foreign ministry added.

Conflict mediator Switzerland, which hosted the June summit in Buergenstock, attended a 17-nation meeting on Friday on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly chaired by China's foreign minister, Wang Yi, and Brazilian foreign policy adviser Celso Amorim.

"We took part in this meeting as an observer and we support this dynamic," Nicolas Bideau, chief spokesperson for the Foreign Affairs Ministry told Reuters.

Bideau said Switzerland's view of the Chinese plan first issued in May has shifted since a reference was added to the U.N. Charter - the founding treaty of the global body which commits nations to upholding peace.

"For us, this translates into a significant change in our view of these initiatives," Bideau said. "A concrete diplomatic effort organised by the Sino-Brazilian group could be of interest to us."

The Buergenstock summit, to which Russia was not invited, was seen by some foreign policy experts as a Western-led effort to isolate Moscow and drew allegations that it was straying from its centuries' old tradition of neutrality.

Since then, diplomats say Bern has been pursuing talks to find a host for a sequel summit, with "global South" countries seen as the main candidates.

The Ukrainian foreign ministry restated its adherence to the principles of "nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine," and that proposals had to be based on the UN Charter and to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine within internationally recognized borders.

It called on Switzerland "and all countries that support international law and the UN Charter" not to participate in initiatives that "can only complicate the process of achieving a comprehensive, just and sustainable peace for Ukraine."

"Those initiatives that do not recognize the fact of Russia's unprovoked armed aggression against Ukraine, equate the victim and the aggressor, propose de-escalation at the expense of Ukraine's sovereignty and territories, cannot be supported by Ukraine," it added.

(Reporting by Emma Farge; additional reporting by Simon Lewis in New York, Yuliia Dysa in Kyiv, and Elaine Monaghan; editing by Jason Neely and Bill Berkrot)
One year after the famous Sycamore Gap tree was cut down a 7ft (2m) section of the trunk has returned home.

The piece is now the star-attraction in a new exhibition at The Sill visitor centre near Hexham, in Northumberland, which celebrates the life of the tree.

As part of the project, visitors will be asked to make pledges about how they can help protect the environment.

The National Trust has also launched an opportunity for people to request one of 49 Sycamore Gap saplings to be gifted to their communities around the UK, reflecting the 49ft (15m) height of the tree.

The tree, which was a much-loved subject for artists and photographers, was illegally felled exactly one year ago.

Two men have denied damaging the tree and are due to stand trial in December.

Nick Greenall, part of Cumbrian art collective Creative Communities who created the exhibition, said the aim was not just to "memorialise" the tree, but to "subvert it into positive action for nature".

He said the art collective wanted to turn the story of the sad demise of the tree into one of hope.

Nick Greenall says the aim of the exhibition is to encourage people to act [BBC]

He said: "We are going to get people to make pledges, how they think they can benefit the environment.

"So they could say, 'Im going to plant 10 trees a year for the rest of my life'.

"We very much wanted to harness that interest and goodwill - its very much an exhibition thats looking forward."

School involvement

Artist Charlie Whinney, who has a studio near Kendal in Cumbria, has created four wooden panels and the lengths of them, when added together, make up the 49ft (15m) height of the tree as it was.

Each of the panels represents a season and the piece of trunk sits in front of the autumn panel, as that was the time of year it was cut down.

The summer panel started off filled with a number of white paper sycamore-shaped leaves, which were painted by hundreds of school children during workshops earlier in the week, ahead of Saturday's opening.

People will be able to request one of 49 saplings, representing the tree's 49ft height [National Trust]

Mr Whinney said this was the panel he was most excited about completing.

"Weve got 300 kids coming in, theyre going to write an oath or a promise about what can grown-ups do better for the environment - Im worried about what theyre going to say."

The piece of trunk will become a permanent display at The Sill from the spring and the final design of how it will be shown will be developed from the ideas that are gathered throughout this exhibition.

To mark the first anniversary of the tree's felling, the National Trust says people can apply for one of the 49 Sycamore Gap saplings to grow into a tree in a space for their community.

Andrew Poad, general manager for the National Trust's Hadrian's Wall properties, said he hoped the project would help communities feel part of the tree's "wonderful legacy" and would help create "a new chapter in the life of this legendary tree".

The 49ft (15m) tree was illegally felled a year ago [PA Media]

He added: "The last 12 months have been a real rollercoaster of emotions, from the hopelessness and grief we felt when we discovered that the tree had been illegally felled, to experiencing the stories shared with us about just what the tree meant to so many."

As part of this Trees of Hope initiative, Henshaw Church of England Primary School in Hexham, which is closest to the Sycamore Gap, and all 15 UK national parks will receive a sapling.

Follow BBC North East on X and Facebook and BBC Cumbria on X and Facebook and both on Nextdoor and Instagram. Send your story ideas to northeastandcumbria@bbc.co.uk.

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The adage is old enough to have been lampooned in the title of Sinclair Lewis 1935 novel: It cant happen here.

That it back then was an imagined fascist takeover of the United States. Writing 13 years after Benito Mussolini seized power in Italy, barely a year after Adolf Hitler installed himself as dictator of Germany and just before Francisco Franco and his Nationalists overthrew the Spanish republic, Lewis spelled out in dystopian detail how it, indeed, could well have happened in America, too.

Nine decades later, that it is also what dozens of Republican donors, campaign consultants, pollsters and others interviewed by HuffPost say cannot possibly happen. They scoff at any analogy between former President Donald Trump, a man they support with varying degrees of enthusiasm, and the infamous dictators of the past. They insist that worries about Trump remaking the country as an autocracy are overwrought and designed solely to keep a Democrat in the White House.

This will be a short period in history and we will swing right back to the middle, said Hugh Culverhouse, a Miami lawyer who so far has given $500,000 toward Trumps reelection effort.

While authoritarianism experts and democracy advocates hope Culverhouse is right, they worry  deeply  that he is not.

It is, of course, impossible to know for certain what a second Trump presidency might bring or whether, should he manage to seize absolute power, his rule would come anywhere close to the depravity of the tyrants of the last century.

Still, no other presidential nominee in United States history has behaved with the contempt for democracy that Trump has already demonstrated or even hinted at the sorts of autocratic actions Trump promises if he is returned to power.

As he seeks to regain the White House, Trump has suggested terminating the Constitution and has accused those who have criticized him of committing treason. He has vowed to destroy the bureaucracy that might serve as a check on his power and promised to pardon his followers who took part in his Jan. 6, 2021, attempt to remain in office despite his election loss, which authoritarianism experts describe as an attempted auto-golpe, or self-coup. He has even pledged to round up upwards of 20 million people  one in every 15 U.S. residents  for deportation.

The idea that this couldnt happen here is a fantasy, warned Heather Cox Richardson, a Boston College history professor.

Despite the ominous echoes from the not-so-distant past, though, Trump supporters say there is no comparison  that Congress and the Supreme Court would never permit a rogue president to exceed his authority or try to stay in office beyond his term, and that American institutions are too strong for a president to break.

I think its a silly premise, said Mike Davis, a former Senate Judiciary Committee lawyer and now a vocal Trump supporter. He offers as proof the fact that Trump, in the end, voluntarily boarded Marine 1 the morning of Jan. 20, 2021, to vacate the White House. Trump left office.

Davis, however, neglects to mention that Trump only left office voluntarily because his attempt to overturn his election loss two weeks earlier  which wounded 140 police officers and led to the deaths of five  had failed.

To Amanda Carpenter, once an aide to Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz and now with the nonprofit United to Protect Democracy, such views are yet more examples of the general failure of imagination when assessing the risks Trump would pose should voters choose to return him to the White House despite his previous attempt to end American democracy.

Carpenter said she fails to understand how Republicans can believe that Trump will abide by laws and the Constitution this time around.

Normalcy bias? Willful blindness? These are the same people who believe Trump is just about to have a policy-focused campaign with a new tone, she said. Wish-casting is the most generous explanation.

The idea that this couldnt happen here is a fantasy.Heather Cox Richardson, history professor at Boston College

The Last Real Vote You Ever Get

Trumps campaign did not respond to HuffPosts queries for this story. Instead, his allies complain that critics comparisons of him to Hitler sparked the two assassination attempts against him this summer. Trump himself has said criticisms of his actions leading up to and on Jan. 6, 2021, and characterizations of him as a threat to democracy have led to the attempts on his life.

The Rhetoric, Lies, as exemplified by the false statements made by Comrade Kamala Harris during the rigged and highly partisan ABC Debate, and all of the ridiculous lawsuits specifically designed to inflict damage on Joes, then Kamalas, Political Opponent, ME, has taken politics in our Country to a whole new level of Hatred, Abuse, and Distrust. Because of this Communist Left Rhetoric, the bullets are flying, and it will only get worse! he wrote in a social media post earlier this month.

Clearly, there is no comparison between Trumps actions to date and those of Germanys Austrian-born dictator who sparked the bloodiest war in human history and is responsible for the genocide of 6 million Jews and millions of others.

Yet it does not require much imagination to think of scenarios in which Trump could try to remain in office beyond the prescribed four years  merely using his past behavior in several adjacent scenarios as a template.

As president, he suggested that because so much of his term had been consumed dealing with a federal probe into his willing acceptance of Russian help to win in 2016 and then his impeachment by the House over his attempted extortion of Ukraine to cheat in the 2020 election, he actually deserved a third term in office.

As president, he had launched a probe based on his conspiracy theory that migrants in this country had illegally voted en masse in the 2016 election for Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton. That task force, headed by Vice President Mike Pence, was quietly shut down when it could find zero evidence for his claims.

As president, he routinely accused those who criticized him or who defied his orders as having committed treason, and frequently pointed out that the punishment for treason was death.

As president, when polls in the summer of 2020 showed he was likely to lose to Democrat Joe Biden, Trump raised the possibility of postponing the November election because of the COVID pandemic.

And as president, even after Pence and congressional leaders blocked the Jan. 6 coup attempt, Trump took meetings in the Oval Office with those advocating he declare martial law to remain in power.

Carpenter and others point out that those in the White House and the administration who had checked Trumps worst autocratic impulses during his first term  among them former chief of staff John Kelly, former Defense Secretary Mark Esper, White House lawyers Pat Cipollone and Pat Philbin and, on Jan. 6, Pence himself  will not be anywhere near 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue in a second Trump term. Instead, Trump will almost certainly be surrounded by those whose first loyalty is to him personally, not to the Constitution.

So what, then, would prevent Trump from announcing in say, mid-2028, that radical Marxists had infiltrated the U.S. election systems and that he was declaring a national emergency and postponing the November election until such time that he could ensure that it could be carried out securely?

Zero, acknowledged one six-figure Trump donor, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

President Donald Trump leaves the White House on June 1, 2020, with Attorney General William Barr, Secretary of Defense Mark Esper and Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Milley put his own job on the line later by apologizing for being part of the entourage that accompanied Trump to a photo-op outside a church near the White House after peaceful protesters were forcibly removed from the area. AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, File

Indeed, the potential danger of putting Trump back in charge of the executive branch of the federal government, and particularly the national security agencies and the armed forces, has moved two of the most conservative leaders in Washington over the past several decades, former Vice President Dick Cheney and his daughter, former Wyoming congresswoman Liz Cheney, into endorsing Democratic nominee Kamala Harris for president in November.

In remarks to students at Dartmouth College earlier this year, Liz Cheney warned that an election that produces a Trump victory could be the nations last.

He wont leave office, she said. He already tried not to leave office once. ... It may well be the last real vote you ever get to cast. It will be that bad.

A Beneficiary Of Godwins Law

There is among pop historians a maxim known as Godwins Law, after the lawyer and writer who came up with it 35 years ago, a corollary of which is that one should never compare anyone to Adolf Hitler because no one in history was as evil and demented, and to do so trivializes the Holocaust.

The idea that only Hitler was capable of systematic mass murder, though, is disproven by history  some of it relatively recent. Joseph Stalin murdered as many as 9 million Soviet citizens during his quarter-century in power. Cambodian dictator Pol Pot murdered 2 million of his own people  25% of the countrys population  during his reign. And in the summer of 1994, militias allied with the Hutu-led government of Rwanda slaughtered more than a half million Tutsis, or 75% of the ethnic minoritys population in that country.

The never-compare-anyone-to-Hitler dictum further elides basic logic: Hitler had also never seized absolute power  right up until he did in 1934. He also had not committed mass murder  until he did, starting in 1941.

Indeed, in the years prior to taking power, Hitler had claimed he merely wanted to deport all Jews from Germany. The plan transformed into outright genocide only later.

The wealthy financiers of Hitlers Nazi Party campaign had no reason to imagine that his electoral success would mean the wholesale murder of 6 million Jews and the start of another world war.

No one could, or did, foresee such things, said Benjamin Hett, a historian at Hunter College in New York and author of The Nazi Menace.

There are, certainly, enormous differences between Germany of 1933 and the United States today.

That country was in the throes of the Great Depression, exacerbated by the requirement to pay hefty reparations for having started World War I two decades earlier. The United States, in contrast, today enjoys a relatively strong economy, with a booming stock market and low unemployment.

Whats more, the United States has maintained a constitutional republic for 236 years, even withstanding the four-year Civil War. The Weimar Republic was only a dozen years old when the Nazis came to power. In a Feb. 20, 1933, meeting with two dozen business leaders called to raise millions of reichsmarks for the coming parliamentary elections, ending German democracy and returning to an autocracy was a key point in the soon-to-be-tyrants rambling, 90-minute speech.

They had no qualms about taking out their checkbooks, said David de Jong, author of Nazi Billionaires: The Dark History of Germanys Wealthiest Dynasties.

While there are American political donors who are open about their disdain for democracy  Peter Thiel, for instance, and like-minded tech entrepreneurs who believe self-rule is not compatible with capitalism  most appear not to have even considered the possibility that supporting Trump might lead to an end of the American experiment.

That wholehearted support for Trump, in fact, creates another point of correlation with those German captains of industry nearly a century ago, Hett said.

Now, as then, he sees Republican donors and elites not particularly liking the radical nationalist movement that Trump has consolidated.

Establishment conservatives  dont like this movement and think it might be dangerous, but know that otherwise, they cant get votes for their agenda, and working with the radical movement might be a way of getting those votes, so they take the chance, he said.

For the German industrialists, that meant becoming party to Nazi death camps and the subsequent destruction of much of the country by the end of World War II. They did not want, and certainly did not foresee, the other consequences, Hett said.

I feel like the guy hijacked my party and Im kind of stuck with him.GOP donor

Americas Hitler

Godwins Law notwithstanding, among the first wave of Americans to see in Trump some of the same qualities as Nazi Germanys fuhrer, back in 2016 when Trump was still just the developer-turned-game show host who had improbably won the Republican nomination, was JD Vance.

I go back and forth between thinking Trump is a cynical asshole like Nixon who wouldnt be that bad (and might even prove useful) or that hes Americas Hitler. Hows that for discouraging? Vance wrote to a law school classmate.

Vance later won election to the U.S. Senate thanks to Trumps endorsement in the 2022 Ohio Republican primary, is now Trumps running mate, and years ago repudiated that and all of his other criticisms of Trump. Nevertheless, the remainder of that 2016 campaign, followed by Trumps four years in office and especially the years since Jan. 6, have only added to the Hitler comparison data points.

Hitler demonized communists. He embraced the use of violence as a political tool with his Sturmabteilung Brownshirts militia and eventually the dreaded SS Schutzstaffel secret police force. He was lazy and undisciplined, and gave long, meandering speeches to tens of thousands of his adoring followers.

Trump has also begun labeling all who oppose him as Marxists and communists. He praises, even salutes, the Jan. 6 rioters convicted of assaulting police officers. When, as the sitting president, he was asked to denounce the Proud Boys militia group, he instead instructed them to stand back and stand by, as if he were their leader. He rarely made it to the West Wing before noon or bothered to read briefing material. His typical rally speech clocks in at an hour and a half and, in recent years, has become increasingly incoherent.

Hitler scapegoated Jews as the cause of all of Germanys woes, and in the years before he came to power had pushed for their deportation.

Trump blames immigrants, both undocumented migrants as well as those here legally  such as the Haitians who have made a home in Springfield, Ohio  as the main reason that America is, in his view, a nation in decline, blaming them for everything from crime to higher housing costs. He has used Nazi-era language in his attacks, claiming immigrants are poisoning the blood of our country, and is promising to round up and deport all migrants here illegally, a number he claims is at least 21 million.

Hitler used his personal security force to silence domestic dissent. As president, Trump pushed the military and police agencies under his command to use lethal force against both migrants attempting to enter the country as well as American citizens protesting in the streets of American cities.

The Country Is Stronger Than Trump... Maybe.

A second six-figure GOP donor, who also spoke on condition of anonymity, said Trumps history and statements over the course of his current White House run do indeed trouble him.

Ive struggled with this, he said, but added that he ultimately decided to contribute to Trumps campaign. I feel like the guy hijacked my party and Im kind of stuck with him.

For the vast majority of the Republican political machine, though, Trumps autocratic tendencies and open admiration for Russias Vladimir Putin, Hungarys Viktor Orban and North Koreas Kim Jong Un are far outweighed by his promise to further cut business taxes and slash regulations.

The two parties are sufficiently different that there is no Democrat who wouldnt raise taxes on businesses to the point that its not sustainable, said anti-tax activist Grover Norquist. The hysterics about Trump being a dictator, thats just silly.

Major donors appear to agree.

According to Federal Election Commission records, 388 of them gave checks of at least $100,000 to the Trump 47 committee through the end of June, accounting for $113.8 million, according to a HuffPost analysis.

Another 128 donors gave at least $100,000 to Trumps Make America Great Again Inc. super PAC, totaling $249.4 million. More than half of that sum came from just one person: Timothy Mellon, a billionaire benefactor of right-wing causes who in his 2015 autobiography repeated racist stereotypes of Black people and called social welfare programs slavery redux.

A number of the donors initially gave to the super PAC backing Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in the Republican primaries but have since given to Trump after he clinched the nomination.

The most generous of that group is hotel and aerospace tycoon Robert Bigelow, who gave DeSantis Never Back Down committee $20 million and has subsequently sent Trumps MAGA Inc. $14.2 million.

Bigelow did not respond to HuffPosts queries, but in an interview with Reuters, he made it clear his donation to DeSantis was based on his post-Jan. 6 analysis that Trump would wind up going to prison and that a donation to him would be wasted money. I have to be sure that he does not have a position where the prosecution has a path to send him to jail, he told the wire service.

When the GOP primaries came and went and Trump still walked free, Bigelow sent eight figures his way, too.

Culverhouse, who also had previously given to DeSantis super PAC, said that he was personally horrified by the Jan. 6 assault on the Capitol  but nonetheless does not blame Trump for it. I dont know if I can make a connection between Trump saying something and that causing extreme people to crash in, he said.

Like Culverhouse, Republicans backing Trump said that others in the federal government, even those in his own administration, would in the end stop him from running amok.

I dont think the Supreme Court would give him a pass. I dont think Congress would give him a pass, said talk radio host Erick Erickson, who would have preferred someone other than Trump to win the nomination. The system is stronger than him.

And beyond the institutions are everyday Americans, who simply would not tolerate an attempt by Trump to remain in power beyond the four years of a second term, the GOP donor who felt he was stuck with Trump said.

The middle 20 percent of the country is not going to want more Trump in 2028, he said. They barely want him now.

Richardson and other critics said Republicans faith in the system  in the courts and in the federal bureaucracy  is misplaced. They argue that Trump already defied the U.S. Supreme Court once when he tried to stay in office after justices had already refused to take up a lawsuit overturning the election. They point out that his running mate, Vance, a Yale Law School graduate, has praised Andrew Jacksons open defiance of the courts as a model to emulate.

They also point out that the career Justice Department prosecutors and Pentagon officials who in theory would refuse to carry out Trumps potentially illegal directives would likely all be fired in the first days and weeks of a second Trump administration and replaced with Trump loyalists, whom Trump could also offer pardons.

The institutions are not going to hold, Richardson said. I dont think people understand how badly things can turn, and how quickly.
According to the Superintendent of Police of Theni, Shiva Prasad, the bus was going for a tour from the Kanyakumari district towards the Theni district.

The students and teachers were taken to the Theni Government Medical College Hospital for further treatment, the police official said

The injuries were not critical and the police have registered a case on the matter.

Further investigation is underway. (ANI)
For Tampa Bay, Helene was the worst storm in a century

Tampa Bays regulars  our barkeeps, retirees, refugees  all had the same reaction this week in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, no matter what part of the region they call home.

Surprise.

Never seen it this bad.

Never seen water so high.

Never seen it come anywhere close to our door.

No one expected this.

All my life and its never flooded.

Hurricanes arent new here. But late Thursday, after a long day in Tampa Bay of been-there-done-that winds, the Gulf of Mexicos midnight black saltwater, pushed for miles by Helenes force, finally ran out of room.

It unleashed over seawalls and into neighborhoods and homes, in some places reaching 7 feet above ground.

At least 11 people are dead in Tampa Bay, more than 1,000 were rescued and tens of thousands saw flooding at their homes.

Add it all up, and what its residents intuited is undeniable: Tampa Bay just had its worst hurricane in a century.

In living memory, plenty of major hurricanes have threatened this region before decimating other places, and plenty of unassuming tropical storms punched above their weight.

But for Tampa, St. Petersburg and every other waterfront community here, Hurricane Helenes impact is unmatched since 1921.

To make that determination, the Tampa Bay Times analyzed historical storm data, surge readings, building footprints in flood zones and government accounts of damage and death.

Helenes deadly cocktail  comprising ingredients that are each familiar to past Gulf storms  brewed record surge and historic damage. Even while the storms eye stayed 100 miles off shore.

Heres how it happened.

More at risk

Tampa Bays last direct hit was in October 1921. Decades before hurricanes had names, one beelined for Tarpon Springs, where it made landfall as a Category 3 storm. It damaged buildings from Pass-A-Grille to Ybor and drove 10 feet of surge into the bay. Eight people died in Florida.

Back then, Pinellas County had about 30,000 people. Hillsborough housed another 90,000.

Today, a dense metropolis drapes the bay, and much more is at risk.

The counties are home to 2.5 million people, having grown 20 times over. They live on flat land and barrier islands, along the gulfs shallow continental shelf, which serves as an onramp for flooding during storms.

Together, those characteristics make the region more vulnerable to storm surge than just about anywhere else in the nation.

Helene has already killed more people in Tampa Bay than the 1921 hurricane.

A strike on Tampa Bay has always been seen as a megadisaster for Florida, not only because of the geography, but also because of the very large population, said Jay Barnes, a hurricane historian in North Carolina.

The regions iconic beach bars and glitzy condos in flood zones form a disproportionate share of Floridas property tax base.

Our homes are a lot more expensive today than they were in 1921, said Barnes, who authored Floridas Hurricane History.

He agreed that was the last time a storm rivaled Helenes damage here.

Both storms developed in the western Caribbean, ambling through the Yucatan Channel and swelling into major hurricanes.

The initial carbon-copy routes of Helene and the 1921 storm split 150 miles west of Fort Myers.

There, Helene veered left, and her predecessor went right.

Helene, like every hurricane since, was not a direct hit on Tampa Bay. But two factors made up for that  an unprecedented combination of size and path.

An immense storm

The most well-known statistic about a hurricane is typically its wind speed at the eyewall. Those maximum winds, after all, determine its category.

But Helenes winds extended hundreds of miles. It was wider than 90% of recent Gulf hurricanes. It made recent storms, like Ian and Idalia, look small. Its size ranks among those that have become household names, like Katrina.

Helenes immense wind field pushed lots more water toward shore, said Matt Bilskie, a storm surge modeler and assistant professor at the University of Georgia.

Water swept toward Florida, then piled up along the Gulf Coast like dust in a dustpan.

Surge inundated Tampa Bay, setting records at all area water gauges, even one thats recorded data since the 1940s. Water peaked at 7.2 feet above normal high tide.

To estimate the scope of the damage, the Times analyzed detailed flood forecasts from Thursday evening, hours before landfall. The National Hurricane Center data shows, for any given location, reasonable worst-case flood levels. The Times compared those to maps of nearly every building footprint in Tampa Bay.

Of more than 330,000 buildings in Pinellas County, nearly 1 in 10 were on land set for serious flooding from Helene, the Times found. Those 33,000 structures were forecast to see up to 6 feet of water above ground  or more.

Not all counted buildings would have water inside; many homes and businesses near the water are elevated.

In Hillsborough and Pasco counties, 1 in 15 buildings were in such potential flood areas  totaling more than 60,000 properties at risk in the region.

Those numbers were even more stark in evacuation Zone A. Across the three counties, more than 4 in 10 buildings in the zone were on land facing 6-foot flooding potential or higher. Within Pascos zone, the number was even higher: 7 in 10.

Pinellas and Pasco modeled similar damage predictions.

After the storm, Pinellas officials said within St. Petersburg alone, 10,000 homes flooded. Throughout the rest of the county, theyve assessed about 5,000 structures so far with major or minor damage, including dozens that were deemed destroyed.

Pasco received over 8,700 damage reports. Hillsborough officials reported at least 1,200 damaged homes.

Officials say all the counts are preliminary, as of Saturday morning, and will increase.

The wrong track

Look at the images from the southeast of Helenes landfall, and its clear why its called the dirty side of a storm.

Hurricanes, spinning counterclockwise, blow air and water forward on their right side. At the same time, the storms move forward, making right-side winds and surge the strongest.

A track like Helenes  aiming toward Floridas Big Bend from Mexico  is particularly dangerous for our region.

Tampa doesnt need a direct strike, Bilskie said.

Landfalls to its north are the regions worst-case scenarios. Hurricane experts have long feared a medium-strength storm landing as far north as Cedar Key and catching Tampa Bay off guard.

Its a path that has scared this region again and again. As recently as August 2023, Hurricane Idalia barreled up the coastline and flooded thousands of homes. Debby took a similar path last month.

But Helene was the strongest storm on record to make landfall in the Big Bend.

Slight changes in track mean a world of difference in potential damage, but people dont always remember them. Hurricanes Irma and Charley headed toward Tampa Bay before turning inland to the south and largely sparing the region.

Those who benefit from last-minute turns might become complacent in the future, Barnes said.

People arent necessarily studying the meteorology. They weathered the storm, they made it out OK, they picked up some limbs, and they think they lived through a hurricane.

But Helene was different.

Toll only beginning

The water fell in Tampa Bay as the sun rose Friday. Those unscathed woke up to see the damage from drone photos and Instagram reels.

It was a first-in-a-lifetime sight for locals: one of Floridas biggest metros nursing its most severe injury in 100 years.

Water threatened area landmarks like the Vinoy hotel, the Don CeSar and Safety Harbors Municipal Fishing Pier. The storm thrashed beloved beach bars like Crabbys on the Pass and OMaddys Bar and Grille.

Overnight, across the region, hundreds of thousands went without power.

In St. Petersburg, people called for help 1,700 times. A half-dozen homes caught fire. Sixty-five power lines went down across the city along with 160 trees. Crews performed more than 80 water rescues.

In Hillsborough, 47 homes burned  a dozen at the same time. Two hundred fifty people called 911 for help, nearly half needing rescue.

Many evacuees still wait to inspect their own homes. The barrier islands reopened only to residents and business owners Saturday afternoon.

As the damage toll has grown, so has the number of deaths.

Eleven people across Hillsborough and Pinellas were confirmed dead in the storm as of Saturday afternoon. At least nine would be considered direct deaths  people who were hurt by the storm itself. At least seven drowned.

No direct storm deaths were reported in Hillsborough, Pinellas or Pasco as a result of Hurricanes Charley, Irma, Michael or Ian  the regions most notable storms.

Search and rescue crews continued to make their way through the wreckage Saturday.

Every government official speaking about damage has stressed that its still too early to understand the full extent. There are blocks they havent been to, homes they havent searched. The toll, they say, has only begun.

Times staff writers Lane DeGregory, Olivia George, Divya Kumar, Tracey McManus, Michaela Mulligan, Lauren Peace, Teghan Simonton, Christopher Spata and Dan Sullivan contributed to this story.
With many 2017 tax cuts expiring and cost of living a major challenge for Americans, tax policy has become a central issue in the 2024 presidential campaign. (Photo by Phillip Rubino/Getty Images)

This is one in a series of States Newsroom reports on the major policy issues in the presidential race.

WASHINGTON  With the clock ticking on former President Donald Trumps signature 2017 tax law, and high housing, food and child care costs darkening Americans mood, tax cuts have become the star of the 2024 presidential contest between Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris.

Trump wants to overall extend his tax provisions beyond the 2025 expiration date and then some, promising to lower the corporate tax rate even further and lift the cap on the state and local taxes deduction.

He argues the loss in federal revenue will be made up by imposing steep tariffs on imported goods.

Tariff is a beautiful word, he told a crowd in Savannah, Georgia, Tuesday night, one of the most beautiful words Ive ever heard.

We will take in hundreds of billions of dollars into our treasury and use that money to benefit the American citizens, he said.

Harris is running on an opportunity economy platform that keeps the Biden administrations promises to not raise taxes on those making less than $400,000 and enact a billionaire tax.

The vice president has also vowed to give tax deductions and credits to budding entrepreneurs and first-time homebuyers, and permanently expand the Child Tax Credit.

Under my plan, more than 100 million Americans will get a middle-class tax break that includes $6,000 for new parents during the first year of their childs life, Harris said Wednesday at a campaign speech in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Whoever wins the Oval Office will need a cooperative Congress to enact these policies  with the exception of tariffs, over which the president enjoys wide latitude.

What would it cost?

The barrage of proposals has kept economists busy with near-constant and evolving analyses of how much the tax cut promises would add to the nations ballooning federal deficit and change the economy.

Both candidates plans come with a price tag in the trillions of dollars, though Trumps is the more expensive of the two.

Models released in late August by the Penn Wharton Budget Model project Trumps plan would add up to $5.8 trillion to the deficit over 10 years, while Harris plan would increase the deficit by up to $2 trillion over the same time period.

I think that both candidates are missing the mark when it comes to fiscal responsibility and economic responsibility, the Tax Foundations Erica York told States Newsroom in an interview Monday.

Neither of them have really outlined a plan that would get us on a sustainable path in terms of debt and deficits, nor that would boost growth and opportunity in the economy. Both are likely to have a negative impact on the economy, said York, senior economist and research director for the foundation, which generally favors lower taxes.

Promise: No taxes on tips, overtime

Trump, followed by Harris, has proposed to nix taxes on tipped workers  though Harris has suggested limiting the benefit to workers in the service and hospitality industries who earn less than $75,000.

She has also said the tax break would not apply to payroll taxes, meaning the contribution workers pay toward Social Security and Medicare. Trump has not detailed any limits on his proposal for tipped workers.

Economists across the board warn Trumps plan could incentivize more tipped work. They also question whether Trump and Harris proposals would actually benefit low-income workers.

After all, tax benefits for lower income workers who have children phase in as the person earns income. Reporting less income means those taxpayers could ultimately see less help from the Child Tax Credit or the Earned Income Tax Credit.

If you work and you report income, you get these provisions. But if you dont, you dont get these provisions. Well, you add exemptions into the tax code that reduces the amount of earned income that you report to the IRS, you could potentially reduce the value of these credits for very low-income households, Kyle Pomerleau, senior fellow at the conservative-leaning American Enterprise Institute, told States Newsroom in an interview Monday.

For instance, a tipped worker who has one child and earns $24,000 annually, half of which comes from tips, could see a $300 decrease in refundable tax credits under this policy, Pomerleau and senior AEI fellows Alex Brill and Stan Veuger wrote in August.

The same principle for lower income taxpayers applies to Trumps recent promise to eliminate taxes on overtime.

There could be a negative effect there, depending on how this is structured, Pomerleau said Monday.

SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX

The nonpartisan watchdog Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget estimates an elimination of taxes on all overtime would cost the country $1.7 trillion in lost revenue over 10 years. With no guardrails preventing workers switching from salaried to hourly, the price tag could reach up to $6 trillion in the most extreme case, CRFB estimates.

Promise: No taxes on Social Security

Economists monitoring the nations Social Security coffers continue to sound alarm bells on the programs solvency  with little reaction on the campaign trail.

The fund that provides money to senior citizens and people with disabilities is on track to be depleted by 2035, and recipients would face an immediate 17% cut in benefits, as the Tax Foundations Alex Durante wrote Tuesday.

Trump has mentioned Social Security during campaign rallies and on his social media platform, but in the context of eliminating taxes on the benefit payments.

While low-income recipients do not pay taxes on their benefits, others do and are projected to contribute $94 billion this year back into the fund.

Nixing those taxes could speed up Social Securitys insolvency by one year, according to an analysis by the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget.

Promise: New corporate tax rates and tariffs

Trumps 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which cleared Congress strictly along party lines, permanently lowered the top corporate tax rate to 21% from 35%.

Harris has vowed, if elected, she will bump the rate up to 28%. Analyses from the CFRB, the Tax Foundation, Penn Wharton and the Yale Budget Lab estimate the increase would raise roughly $1 trillion to $1.2 trillion in federal revenue over the next decade.

The former president wants to cut the rate even further to 15%, a level not seen in the U.S. since the 1930s. Economists estimate the cut would reduce revenue anywhere from $460 billion to $673 billion over 10 years.

Here is the deal that I will be offering to every major company and manufacturer on Earth: I will give you the lowest taxes, the lowest energy costs, the lowest regulatory burden and free access to the best and biggest market on the planet, but only if you make your product here in America, Trump said in Georgia Tuesday.

Trump has big plans for products imported into the U.S. Hes planning to impose up to 20% tariffs on most imports, reaching as high as 60% on Chinese goods and 100% on countries that turn away from the U.S. dollar.

That could cost the typical American household about $2,600 a year as costs on consumer goods would shift to the customer, particularly affecting those with lower incomes, according to economists Kimberly Clausing and Mary Lovely at the Peterson Institute for International Economics.

Speaking at a farming roundtable in Pennsylvania Monday, Trump publicly warned John Deere that if the company moves manufacturing to Mexico, hell impose a 200% tariff on tractors coming back over the border.

Experts warn another downside is that the policy invites foreign retaliation.

So if we are, say, exporting Kentucky bourbon to China, China may say, well, to retaliate for the 60% tax on imports, were going to place taxes on this export, and thats going to have a direct impact on the incomes of Americans and make us poorer, Pomerleau said.

Promise: A billionaire tax

A familiar refrain from Harris and the Biden administration is that billionaires and wealthy corporations should pay their fair share.

The U.S. individual tax rate already progresses with an earners income, meaning that the higher your income, the higher your tax rate.

Both Harris and Trump want to keep individual tax rates that were lowered across the board in the 2017 law, but Harris is seeking to increase taxes on long-term capital gains, and levy a minimum tax on unrealized capital gains for very high earners.

For those earning upwards of $1 million a year, Harris proposed raising taxes to 28%, up from 20%, on profits made from the sale of an asset, like stocks, bonds, or real estate, that have been held by the owner for more than a year.

The vice president also proposes quadrupling the stock buyback tax to 4%, up from 1%.

For ultra-wealthy households that have more than $100 million in assets, Harris follows Biden in proposing a 25% tax rate  sometimes referred to as the billionaire tax.

Those high-wealth individuals would need to calculate their regular income tax liability and compare it to their total net worth, meaning income plus unrealized capital gains, multiplied by 25%.

Whichever is greater you pay, Pomerleau explains. So if you are in a situation where you have a low effective tax rate relative to this broader definition of income, the minimum tax will kick in and youll start paying increments.

The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget estimates the plan could raise $750 billion in revenue over ten years.

Promise: No SALT cap

Ahead of a mid-September campaign rally on Long Island, New York, Trump pledged to abandon the cap in his 2017 law on the state and local tax deduction  simply known in tax parlance as SALT.

As the law stands now, taxpayers can only deduct up to $10,000 of their state and local tax bill from their federal tax liability.

A full SALT deduction is more valuable for higher income taxpayers, and prior to the 2017 cap, 91% of taxpayers who claimed it lived in California, New York, New Jersey, Illinois, Texas and Pennsylvania, according to an analysis by the Tax Foundation.

Eliminating the cap would cut taxes by an average of more than $140,000 for the highest earning 0.1% of households, according to modeling by the Tax Policy Center, a collaboration between the left-leaning Urban Institute and Brookings Institution.

The Committee for a Responsible Budget estimates the move could cost $1.2 trillion over a 10-year budget window.
The Teamsters have a tentative deal with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers on a new casting agreement.

Locals 399 and 817 made the announcement Friday, just ahead of the current contracts expiration on September 30. The agreement will now go before all Los Angeles and New York casting directors, associate casting directors and casting assistants next week for ratification.

More from Deadline

The member-led negotiating committee fought until the bitter end for a tentative agreement that is being unanimously recommended for ratification, the union said in a statement.

Until the bitter end is right. As of two days ago, the deal was still in limbo. The Teamsters had scheduled a few days of additional bargaining for the beginning of the week, after failing to reach an agreement with the AMPTP in the originally allotted time in August.

But, on Wednesday, the union said the two parties still remained far apart on fair compensation across all classifications. Negotiations continued throughout the week.

Now, with a tentative deal in place, the Teamsters plan to hold an information meeting on Monday, prior to the start of the ratification vote.

Teamsters want to commend our Local 399 & 817 Casting Negotiating Committee. Over the past several months the committee has dedicated countless hours and long nights to fight on behalf of the entire Casting group, Fridays statement continued. The tentative agreement that was able to be achieved is in large part attributed to the hard work, passion, and fight from the committee. We also greatly appreciate the outpouring of support from all of Hollywood Labor throughout our fight and the commitment from many to #StandWithCasting.

The primary concerns for the union during this negotiation cycle were wage increases and protections, including establishing minimum rates for casting directors.

It was also the first round of bargaining since casting assistants voted to join the union, and codifying annual wage increases for that group was among the Teamsters priorities as well.

This news of the Teamsters deal comes after the Animation Guild (IATSE Local 839) spent another week bargaining with the AMPTP from September 16 to 20. However, the union said in an update on Friday that there were significant gaps between the parties, prompting the negotiating committee to extend the current contract again  this time until Nov. 1  to allow for talks to continue. Compensation, as well as artificial intelligence, are the biggest sticking points on that front.

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A teen suspect was arrested after leading deputies on a dangerous pursuit in San Bernardino County.

The suspect was only identified as a 17-year-old male Colton resident, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriffs Department.

On Sept. 26, deputies patrolling the area spotted the teen riding an off-road motorcycle near West Main Street and Iowa Avenue in Colton shortly before 3 p.m.

They attempted to pull him over for a vehicle registration and helmet violation, but he refused to yield, leading deputies on a pursuit.

The biker headed onto the northbound lanes of the 215 Freeway and led deputies on a four-mile chase before exiting in the Grand Terrace area.

While speeding on surface streets, the suspect drove recklessly, running red lights and traveling on the sidewalk at times, authorities said.

Carjackers taunt officers, hang out window during high-speed chase in Southern California

Air units eventually arrived to assist deputies on the ground. After about 20 minutes, the teen suspect was eventually stopped and taken into custody.

He was arrested for felony evading and transported to San Bernardino County Sheriffs Central Station where he was cited and later released to his parent.

Anyone with information on the case is asked to call Deputy Causey of the Central Sheriffs Station at 909-387-3545. Anonymous tips can be provided to We-Tip at 1-800-782-7463 or online at wetip.com.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA.
WASHINGTON (DC News Now)  The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) announced Friday that two teenage boys were arrested and charged for armed robberies that happened in August and September.

The first incident happened on Aug. 4 at about 8:05 a.m. in the 4200 block of Fort Dupont Terrace SE. There, the suspects  one of whom had a gun  approached the victims. They demanded property from the victims, who complied.

Fairfax County man accused of murdering wife, man with help of au pair denied bond

The two then fled the scene.

Over a month later, on Sept. 16, MPD connected the suspects to two incidents that happened minutes apart.

At about 10:28 a.m., the teens approached someone at gunpoint in the 5000 block of Kimi Gray Court SE. They assaulted the victim, robbed the person and fled.

Then, at about 10:30 a.m., the suspects approached the victims in the 5500 block of Nannie Helen Burroughs Avenue NE. One of them pulled out a gun and they assaulted the victims. They stole items from them and fled.

On Sept. 27, MPD said it arrested a 16-year-old and 15-year-old boy, both of Southeast D.C., and charged them with three counts of Armed Robbery (Gun).

Anyone with information is asked to call the police at (202) 727-9099 or text MPDs tip line at 50411.

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Teen hit by Elyria police cruiser, taken to hospital: PD

Teen hit by Elyria police cruiser, taken to hospital: PD

ELYRIA, Ohio (WJW)  A teenager was taken to the hospital after investigators say he was struck by an Elyria police cruiser Friday afternoon.

According to the Elyria Police Department, officers responded to an accident at the corner of West Avenue and 11th Street at 4:15 p.m.

Through the investigation, officers determined a Silver 2010 Honda Accord, believed to be involved in the crash, was speeding south down West Avenue.

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Investigators say the Honda driver lost control and hit a 2017 Ford Expedition head-on. That suspect then got out of the Honda and fled on foot, according to Elyria police.

Investigators say a 15-year-old boy who wasnt involved in the situation was standing behind the Honda. Investigators say he ran across West Avenue and was hit by a responding officer in an Elyria police cruiser.

The teen was taken by ambulance to University Hospitals. His condition is unknown at this time.

The Elyria Police Department wishes the 15-year old teenager a full and speedy recovery, Elyria police said in a press release Friday night.

New safety measures at Shaker Heights football game

The officer, who wasnt injured in the crash, was placed on administrative leave, per the police departments policy. The crash is being investigated.

Two people in the Ford suffered non-life-threatening injuries.

The suspect in the original crash hasnt been found, Elyria police officials said, and the investigation is ongoing.

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CHICAGO  A double shooting Friday on Chicagos Northwest Side left two Chicago teens wounded. Their injuries appear to be non-life-threatening.

According to police, around 5:10 p.m. Friday, in the 5000 block of W. Wrightwood Ave., an unknown vehicle drove up on two male teens, ages 14 and 16. Police said a male from inside the car displayed a gun and opened fire, striking both teenage victims in their upper extremities.

Both victims arrived at nearby hospitals in good condition.

No one is in custody.

Anyone with additional information may leave an anonymous tip at cpdtip.com.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WGN-TV.
By Alkis Konstantinidis

ATHENS (Reuters) - Princess Theodora of Greece and Denmark, the youngest daughter of the late King of Greece Constantine II, married her fiance in an Orthodox ceremony in Athens on Saturday.

Royals from both countries joined the service at the Metropolitan Cathedral of Athens where the funeral service for Constantine II, Greece's last king and second cousin of Britain's King Charles III, was held in January 2023.

Dozens of onlookers and enthusiastic admirers of the Greek royal family lined the streets outside the cathedral to watch Theodora, 41, in a white embroidered dress with a long veil attached to a tiara, walk down the aisle escorted by her older brother Pavlos, to marry Matthew Kumar, a Los Angeles-based lawyer.

Among the guests was Spain's former Queen Sofia, paternal aunt of Theodora.

"The couple's desire to have their wedding in Athens reflects their love for Greece, the strong ties they maintain with the country and their desire to share Greek culture and hospitality and identity with their guests," the Greek royal family said in a statement published on its website on Friday.

Constantine II was 27 and had been king for three years when he was forced into exile in 1967. The junta who seized power that year abolished the monarchy in 1973 and a referendum in 1974 rejected the monarchy again.

Born in London and holder of a bachelor degree in theatre arts, Theodora moved to Los Angeles in 2010 to become an actress. She made her debut in the TV soap opera The Bold and the Beautiful a year later.

(Writing by Angeliki Koutantou; editing by Jason Neely)
Soup was thrown at the paintings on Friday [PA Media]

Three people have been charged after food was thrown at two Vincent Van Gogh paintings in the National Gallery.

Orange-coloured soup was thrown at Sunflowers 1888 and Sunflowers 1889 in the highly acclaimed Poets and Lovers exhibition at the central London gallery.

Stephen Simpson, 61, and Mary Somerville, 77, both of Bradford, West Yorkshire, and Phillipa Green, 24, of Penryn, Cornwall, were arrested at the scene on Friday.

The Metropolitan Police said they had now been charged with causing criminal damage and would appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Monday.

The National Gallery said the two paintings targeted had been removed from public viewing for examination but were put back on display within hours after they were found to be undamaged.

The paintings form part of triptych of works which Van Gogh had wanted presented together [EPA]

The paintings form part of an exhibition of more than 60 pieces painted by the Dutch artist, who died in 1890 aged 37.

Along with a painting of a maternal figure, the two targeted sunflower paintings form part of a triptych of works being shown together.

Its presentation is significant as Van Gogh suggested having the paintings shown this way to his brother, Theo, before he died.

The exhibition has received rave reviews from critics, with The Times calling it a "once-in-a-century" show, while The Guardian said it was a "riveting rollercoaster ride".

It is the third time in recent years an artwork at the National Gallery has been targeted.

Listen to the best of BBC Radio London on Sounds and follow BBC London on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to hello.bbclondon@bbc.co.uk

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Three people stabbed after an altercation in Syracuse

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (WSYR-TV)  Around 5:30 on Friday evening Syracuse Police responded to Upstate Hospital after a report that three people walked in with stab wounds. Officers found a 36-year-old woman with a stab wound to her arm, a 14-year-old with a stab wound to her thigh, and a 19-year-old with a stab wound to her arm.

After an investigation Police determined the three women were stabbed during an altercation in the parking lot of the Burger King on South Salina Street. All three of the victims were brought to the hospital by private vehicles.

Anyone with information about this incident is encouraged to contact the Syracuse Police Department Criminal Investigations Division at (315) 442-5222.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WSYR.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said that it is almost certain that that the Bharatiya Janata Party will form its first government with full majority in Jammu and Kashmir. Addressing a rally in Jammu ahead of the last phase of polls in Jammu and Kashmir, the Prime Minister exuded confidence of the BJP government being voted into power be it Jammu, Kathua or Samba. "Brothers and sisters, the results will be announced on October 8 and we all have been brought up in the blessings of Mata Vaishno Devi and its Vijayadashmi on October 12. This Vijayadashmi will mark an auspicious beginning for all of us. Be it Jammu, Kathua or Samba, 'Jammu ke yahi pukar, aa rahi hai BJP sarkaar..." PM Modi said. The Prime Minister also hit out against the Congress for opposing the 2016 surgical strike against Pakistan and demanding proof for the same. "Yeh naya Bharat hai, yeh ghar mein ghuskar maarta hain...," said PM Modi recalling the armed forces strike against terrorist camps in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir. Prime Minister Narendra Modi says, "...Remember that time when bullets were fired from that side and the Congress used to wave white flags. When the BJP government responded to the bullets with shells, the people on that side came to their senses." "Today is 28th September. In the year 2016, on the night of 28th September, a surgical strike was carried out. India had told the world, 'Yeh naya Bharat hai, yeh ghar mein ghuskar maarta hain...Aatank ke aakao ko pata hai agar kuch bhi himaakat ki toh Modi paataal mein bhi unhe khoj nikalega'..." the Prime Minister said. He further lashed out at the Congress and said the same party "had asked for proof of surgical strike from our army." "You should never forget the behaviour of Congress, it is the party which had asked for proof of surgical strike from our army. Congress is the party which even today speaks the language of Pakistan regarding the surgical strike," the PM said. "Can you forgive such Congress? Congress can never respect those who die for the country. it is the same Congress who for four decades had obstructed the One Rank One Pension for our security personnel stating that it will be a burden the treasury. That's why we after forming the government in 2014 had passed OROP scheme and till date, around Rs 20 crore was given to the personnel," he said. The Prime Minister said that wherever he went to address, he witnessed that enthusiasm gripped the people of the territory in the favour of BJP. "This Jammu's rally is my last rally in Jammu and Kashmir in this legislative elections. In the past weeks, I had chance to visit different places in J-K. wherever, I went, I witnessed an enthusiasm for BJP." Hitting out at the Congress, National Conference and the PDP, the Prime Minister said that the people of J-K are troubled by the three families and now, they don't want terrorism, separatism, and violence in the region. Instead they want peace and prosperity and that's why they will chose BJP in these elections. "The people here want peace and prosperity. The people here want a bright future for their children. And for ensuring this, the people here want the BJP government. In the last two phases, the heavy voter turnout has told the mood of the people of J-K. in the both phases, the votes were cast in favour of BJP. BJP's first government of full majority is almost fixed," PM Modi said. Noting that the Congress, NC and PDP have always discriminated against the Jammu region for decades, PM Modi said that the BJP government that will be formed here will alleviate all the pain of the Jammu. PM Modi said, "Never before in the history has such an opportunity come for the people of Jammu region as has come in this election. Now for the first time, a government according to the wishes of the people of Jammu region is going to be formed. You must not miss this opportunity. Because the BJP government that will be formed here will alleviate your pain. And this (Jammu) is city of temples, we don't have to leave this chance. The BJP government that will form, will clear all the pains of the people of Jammu. The BJP will clear the discrimination that was happened with Jammu for decades." Elections are being held in three phases in Jammu and Kashmir. The first phase of Assembly polls was held on September 18 while the second phase of polling was held on September 25, in the six districts of Ganderbal, Budgam, Srinagar, and Jammu regions: Rajouri, Reasi, and Poonch. The third and final phase of polling is scheduled for October 1, while the counting of votes will take place on October 8. Assembly elections are being held in the Union Territory after a gap of ten years and are the first since the abrogation of Article 370. (ANI)
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN)  A Tigard mother and daughter were arraigned in federal court Friday for allegedly forcing three Haitian immigrants  including a minor  to work for little to no pay in an adult care foster home.

According to court documents, 66-year-old Marie Valmont and 30-year-old Yolandita Andrew owned and operated of Velidas Care Home in Tigard. In early 2023, they allegedly convinced two adults and a child from Haiti to come work for them.

Former St. Helens cheer coach indicted on additional charges of sexual abuse

When all three arrived in Portland in September 2023, they were taken to Velidas and reportedly forced to work long hours for little pay. Both Valmont and Andre also allegedly took the victims immigration paperwork and forbade them to leave the area.

The documents further state Valmont threw items at the victims, threatened to send them back to Haiti and have them killed. She also allegedly threatened to call police and make false allegations against them.

After the child reportedly disclosed her situation to her pediatrician in summer 2023, the Oregon Department of Justice intervened and placed her in foster care.

Husband and wife identified in Astoria murder-suicide

Both Valmont and Andre were arrested by the FBI on Thursday.

Both women were arraigned in federal court Friday on charges of conspiring with one another to commit forced labor, committing forced labor and benefitting from forced labor.

They plead not guilty and were released. However, officials say there will be further court dates in the future.

Officials say Valmont and Andre could each face up to 20 years in federal prison per count.

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A two-week hearing into OceanGate's Titan submersible concluded on Friday, as the U.S. Coast Guard investigates the unprecedented, catastrophic implosion that killed five people while on a deep-sea voyage to the Titanic wreckage.

The Coast Guard's Marine Board of Investigation heard from more than two dozen witnesses during its hearing. They included several former employees of OceanGate, whose co-founder and CEO, Stockton Rush, was among those killed in the June 2023 implosion.

The main purpose of the hearing was to uncover the facts related to the implosion and to make recommendations to prevent similar casualties, the Coast Guard said. The National Transportation Safety Board is also investigating the implosion and will make its own determination as to the probable cause.

PHOTO: This undated image courtesy of OceanGate Expeditions, shows their Titan submersible beginning a descent. (Handout/OceanGate Expeditions/AFP via Getty Images)

In addition to Rush, those killed in the implosion included French explorer and Titanic expert Paul Henri Nargeolet, British businessman Hamish Harding, Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his 19-year-old son, Suleman.

The submersible company suspended all exploration and commercial operations after the deadly implosion.

"There are no words to ease the loss endured by the families impacted by this tragic incident, but we hope that this hearing will help shed light on the cause of the tragedy and prevent anything like this from happening again," Jane Shvets with Debevoise & Plimpton, OceanGate's counsel, said during opening remarks.

Here are highlights from the hearing.

Last messages from the doomed dive

One of the last messages sent from Titan as the doomed submersible descended toward the ocean floor on June 18, 2023, was "all good here," according to an animation created by the Coast Guard that showed the text communications with the surface vessel, the Polar Prince.

The short text messages were the only means of communication between the Titan crew and the personnel on the Polar Prince as the vessel attempted to reach the Titanic, which sits 3,800 meters below sea level.

At approximately 2,274 meters, the Titan sent the message, "All good here," according to the animation.

The last communication from the submersible was sent at approximately 3,341 meters: "Dropped two wts," meaning drop weights, according to the Coast Guard.

All communications and tracking from the submersible to Polar Prince were lost at 3,346 meters, according to the Coast Guard.

Tym Catterson, a former contractor for OceanGate, testified that he believes the intention of shedding the two 35-pound weights was to slow the vessel down as it approached the ocean floor. He thought the weight was dropped a little earlier than is typical -- not due to any emergency but to ensure a smooth landing, he said.

Newly released footage of Titan

PHOTO: Remotely operated vehicle image of the Titan submersible tail cone on the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean presented by the U.S. Coast Guard during a marine board formal hearing, Sept. 16, 2024, in North Charleston, S.C. (Pelagic Research Services/U.S. Coast Guard)

Debris from the Titan was found on the ocean floor by a remotely operated vehicle following a four-day search.

The Coast Guard released footage during the hearing that shows Titan debris, including the tail cone, aft dome, aft ring, hull remnants and carbon fiber debris, on the seafloor. The footage was from a remotely operated vehicle.

PHOTO: The Coast Guard Marine Board of Investigation released remotely operated vehicle footage from the Titan submersible incident salvage operation conducted on June 26, 2023, during a hearing Sept. 23, 2024, in North Charleston, S.C. (Pelagic Research Services/USCG)

The Coast Guard also released footage of the Titan submersible's salvage captured by a remotely operated vehicle on June 26, 2023. The recovered wreckage was transported to a facility for analysis.

'Shudder' felt on Polar Prince around when Titan lost contact

Neubauer revealed during the hearing that the master of the Polar Prince said in hindsight he believes he felt the ship "shudder" around the time when communications with the sub were lost following the implosion.

The statement was provided to the board in October 2023, when the unidentified master was asked if he or crew members heard anything indicating the submersible imploded, Neubauer said.

"The answer from the master was, 'With the benefit of hindsight, I now believe I felt the Polar Prince shudder at around the time communications were reportedly lost, but at the time, we thought nothing of it. It was slight,'" Neubauer said.

Capt. Jamie Frederick with U.S. Coast Guard Sector Boston, who testified on the Titan search and rescue mission, said if that information had been reported immediately to the Coast Guard, that could have had a "drastic impact on the search efforts."

OceanGate whistleblower testifies

Several witnesses typically testified each day during the hearing, though the Coast Guard devoted one full day to the testimony of David Lochridge, the former director of marine operations for OceanGate.

Lochridge said the company only cared about making money and it wasn't interested in scientific research.

"I knew that hull would fail," he said. "It's an absolute mess."

Lochridge said he was fired days after he submitted a report in January 2018 outlining his safety concerns about the submersible's carbon-fiber hull, including imperfections, and he subsequently filed a complaint with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. His whistleblower retaliation case was closed in late 2018 after he and OceanGate entered a settlement agreement in their respective lawsuits, OSHA said. Lochridge's safety allegations regarding the Titan were referred to the Coast Guard, OSHA said.

Paying passengers address Titan risk

Two people who paid to go on dives to the Titanic on the Titan testified that they understood the risk of going on the experimental, unclassed vessel.

Fred Hagen, a commercial building contractor and developer, said that in conversations with people such as Nargeolet, he understood the risk if something went wrong during a dive to the Titanic shipwreck.

"The conversation as related to me was that there were few assets on Earth capable of getting to depth, and that if something went wrong, that, you know, we were all going to die," he said.

"That was the paradigm that we had to be comfortable with," Hagen added.

PHOTO: Renata Rojas, an OceanGate mission specialist, testifies during the U.S. Coast Guard's hearing on the Titan implosion, Sept. 19, 2024, in North Charleston, S.C. (United States Coast Guard)

Renata Rojas, a banker, testified that she knew the submersible was experimental but felt safe.

"For me, it was the drive of exploration," she said. "Exploration requires risks."

"Mission specialists," as the paying passengers were called by OceanGate, paid $250,000 for a seat on the Titan to see the famed Titanic shipwreck.

Rojas, who was volunteering and assisting the surface crew during the Titan's final, fatal expedition, got emotional recounting that day.

"They were just very happy to go," Rojas recalled of the passengers, crying during her testimony. "That's the memory I have. Nobody was really nervous. They were excited about what they're going to see."

Former employees say they wouldn't go on Titan

Two former OceanGate employees said they wouldn't go on the Titan due to concerns, while the company's co-founder said he never did because it didn't interest him.

Catterson testified that he would not have felt comfortable going to the depths of the Titanic wreckage in the vessel, saying he had questions about the integrity of its carbon fiber and titanium construction.

Tony Nissen, OceanGate's former engineering director, testified that Rush had asked him to be the pilot to run the Titanic missions and he turned him down.

"I told him, I'm not getting in it," Nissen said. "He asked me why, and I said, 'Because the operations crew, I don't trust them.'"

"He said, 'Well, what if I'm mission director?'" Nissen continued. "I said, 'You still have the same operations crew.' But I didn't trust Stockton either."

OceanGate co-founder Guillermo Sohnlein, who left the company in 2013, years before OceanGate began conducting dives with the Titan, said he was offered the chance to go to on the sub but never went because he wasn't interested in seeing the Titanic wreckage.

"Neither Stockton nor I were ever driven by tourism," Sohnlein said. "We were never motivated by going somewhere that people had already been before. The reason we got into this was because we both wanted to explore. We wanted to not only explore ourselves but create the technologies that would allow us to explore the ocean."

Sub experts on concerns

Several submersible experts testified about concerns they had with OceanGate and its operations.

Karl Stanley, the owner of the Honduras-based deep-sea diving expedition company Roatan Institute of Deepsea Exploration, went on one of the first crewed dives of the first prototype of the submersible in April 2019 in the Bahamas. During the dive to Titanic depth, he said the prototype carbon-fiber hull was "making noises," and the cracking sounds "amplified" the deeper they went.

Stanley said he raised his concerns about the noises in emails to Rush following the dive, writing that it seemed like there was a defect, and advised Rush to "gain more experience to mitigate risk." His emails noted that Rush told him indirectly not to speak about the noises he heard on the dive. Stanley said his emails with Rush ultimately strained their relationship.

A month after the dive, a crack was found in the carbon-fiber hull prototype, and it was not used for any Titanic dives, according to the Coast Guard.

"OceanGate came very, very close to killing me and had a severe impact on my business as well as an entire industry," Stanley said.

PHOTO: Karl Stanley testifies at the U.S. Coast Guard's Titan submersible hearing, Sept. 24, 2024, in North Charleston, S.C (U.S. Coast Guard)

William Kohnen, the CEO and founder of submersible maker Hydrospace Group, discussed a draft Marine Technology Society letter he wrote in March 2018 to Rush based on public safety concerns raised during a conference.

"This was considered an issue of where we as consensus, as professionals in this industry, had significant concerns -- not on one particular thing, but the overall approach of neglecting the years of experience and tradition and diligence that we applied," he said.

The letter was ultimately never sent but Rush somehow got ahold of the draft, Kohnen said.

Triton Submarines co-founder and CEO Patrick Lahey said that when he toured OceanGate's prototype Titan sub in the Bahamas in approximately March 2019, he "wasn't particularly impressed by what I saw and I told them."

"They were very nice people, and they seemed well-intentioned. I just said it looked to me like a lot of this stuff was not quite ready for prime time," he said.

He said he believes experimental vessels should not be taking people to the deep sea.

MORE: OceanGate co-founder says company didn't originally set out to build its own sub

Rush said he would 'buy a congressman': Ex-staffer

A former OceanGate employee testified that he resigned from the submersible company after Rush told him he would "buy a congressman" to make any problems with its Titan vessel go away.

Matthew McCoy was an active duty member of the U.S. Coast Guard prior to joining OceanGate in April 2017 as an operations technician as the company was building the first Titan prototype.

McCoy said he told Rush he was concerned about operating the experimental Titan vessel without a certificate of inspection and that it would not be inspected by the U.S. Coast Guard.

He said the conversation became "tense" and ended with Rush saying that "if the Coast Guard became a problem, that he would buy himself a congressman and make it go away."

"That will stand in my mind for the rest of time," McCoy said. "I've never had anybody say that to me directly, and I was aghast."

He said he quit a day after that conversation, in September 2017.

Issues and concerns with the sub

Issues and concerns with the Titan and its transport were revisited in testimony throughout the hearing.

During a 2021 dive, the forward dome detached while attempting to recover the Titan.

#TitanMBI has released Exhibit CG-102, showing a photo of the forward dome that detached after Titan dive 61 on June 30, 2021an incident noted in testimony from Mr. Hagan and Ms. Rojas, and also identified on Exhibit CG-52. Find more on the hearing https://t.co/YqgDikoekr pic.twitter.com/2iZZWFJgC4  USCG MaritimeCommons (@maritimecommons) September 22, 2024

In 2022, the thruster controls malfunctioned and caused the vessel to spin once it reached the Titanic depth, though the pilot was able to retrain it himself and they completed the dive. In another dive that year, a loud bang was heard as the Titan ascended. Don Kramer, the acting chief of the NTSB's materials laboratory, testified that his team determined that the hull's strain response changed after this loud bang incident in subsequent dives.

In 2023, the Titan partially sank four weeks before the implosion following a night of high seas and fog, according to the Coast Guard. Days before the implosion, passengers slammed against the vessel during resurfacing when the platform malfunctioned.

One former OceanGate employee testified that there were also concerns about having to tow the sub on the open seas when they switched to using the Polar Prince in 2023.

The Titan had 70 equipment issues in 2021 that needed correcting, and 48 more in 2022, according to the Coast Guard.

MORE: NTSB engineer says Titan submersible's carbon-fiber hull showed 'anomalies'

Engineering firm finds implosion cause 'indeterminate'

Kemper Engineering principal engineer Bart Kemper told investigators that his firm could not determine a root cause of the implosion at this time.

"There are multiple unmitigated single-mode failures, which means that all it takes is that one thing to go for the whole thing to do," he said.

Kemper said the fact that there was an unknown design life of the sub "is a huge factor in that."

"Conceivably, the number of dives that occurred with the Titan was its actual design life," he said. "Or it might have even been less by design and exceeded it. We do not know."

Titan implosion: Highlights from the Coast Guard's weekslong hearing originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
Dan Evans and his wife Nancy in Seattle, on Oct. 11, 1983, after Evans won the Republican primary for the Senate seat to replace Henry M. Jackson. (AP Photo/Barry Sweet)

Last week, we lost a giant of Washington state politics. Former Gov. Dan Evans leaves a rich legacy that warrants reflection. Dans story inspires me, and his influence on both politics and people cannot be understated. He was a man who liked to get things done. During his impressive political career, Dan advocated for civility, worked tirelessly to preserve wilderness areas, established the nations first community college system, and served as a mentor for young people.

Dan was the rare politician who walked away from power. In 1988, then-U.S. Sen. Dan Evans penned an op-ed to the New York Times announcing that he would not seek re-election. The piece, titled Why Im Quitting the Senate, excoriated members of both parties for the dysfunction of the higher body of our federal governments legislative branch. Evans lamented the use of procedural tactics to block important debates, sprawling spending bills that no one read (he insisted on individual appropriations bills to pass the budget), and schedules that did not allow senators to return home to meet and listen to their constituents.

If these concerns and issues sound familiar, its because many Americans today observe the same intransigence that caused a great public servant to leave elected office almost 30 years ago. We could sure use more people like Dan on both sides of the aisle in political office today.

Throughout the span of his political career, Governor Evans was known as a bipartisan bridge builder and regularly pled for greater civility. A saying I often heard from him was we can disagree, without being disagreeable.

In a time where toxic partisanship is rampant among politicians left and right, the political courage Dan showed sets a high standard we can all work toward achieving. Governor Evans crossed both Republicans and Democrats in many of his championed causes. From conservation efforts to the push to establish the states community college system, Dan worked with anyone who would join the cause to promote good public policy, regardless of party affiliation.

In 2019, I joined Governor Evans for a hike in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness Area outside of Leavenworth. I remember talking with Dan about the importance of civility and will always treasure not only his words, but his example. On the hike, a 93-year-old Evans led a small group of Cascade Conference attendees through the area which he was instrumental in protecting during his time as Governor. I was moved to see and hear Dans passion for nature and conservation, a passion which began at a young age exploring the Olympic Mountains as a Boy Scout.

Governor Evans was a lifelong champion for preserving wilderness, having a primary role in the creation of the North Cascades National Park, Ross Lake National Recreation Area, Lake Chelan National Recreation Area, and Pasayten and Glacier Peak Wilderness areas. In total, he led the effort to preserve approximately 1.7 million acres of land.

Dan Evans liked to remind us that the words conservation and conservative have the same root: conserve. He exemplified the Republican tradition of care for and protection of our land, air, and water. In 2017, Congress, on a bipartisan vote, recognized Evans dedication to conservation by designating most of Olympic National Park as the Daniel J. Evans Wilderness. Dan summited Mt. Olympus several times as a Boy Scout, and his namesake now sits astride that mountain.

In addition to his legacy as a bridge-builder and a land conservationist, I will always remember Dan as someone who genuinely cared for and took the time to mentor young people.

From stories of his staff during his tenure in public office to the mentorship he provided me and many other young people during his later years, Dan demonstrated an authentic commitment to fostering the next generation. I remember celebrating Governor Evans 95th birthday with him and a group of others. Aside from his impressive sharpness at that age, what struck me was how Dan took the time to listen and offer advice; he treated each of us as though we were a part of his inner circle.

Dan was a great political leader, and an even better man. The kindness with which he treated others, regardless of social status or political ideology, is something we need more of if we are to build bridges to cross todays partisan divide. His focus on meaningful solutions over performative politics, from preserving public lands to championing higher education, will need to be emulated if we desire to tackle the contentious issues of our day.

Governor Evans successfully navigated partisan environments to champion causes close to his heart. The ability to work together for the common good, regardless of party or background, should be what we look for in all of our elected officials. Dan Evans is no longer with us, but he leaves a legacy which can inspire us to a brighter future.
Tontitown man pleads guilty to Capitol riot charges

WASHINGTON, D.C. (KNWA/KFTA)  A Tontitown man connected to the Jan. 6 Capitol riot has changed his plea.

David Camden, 45, of Tontitown, pleaded guilty today to a felony charge of assaulting, resisting, or impeding officers under U.S. law during the breach of the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, according to a news release from the United States Attorney Office.

U.S. District Judge Tanya S. Chutkan scheduled sentencing for Jan. 10, 2025.

Camden allegedly forcibly assaulted, resisted, opposed, impeded, intimidated, and interfered with law enforcement officers as they performed their duties, Assistant U.S. Attorney Eli Ross said in court documents.

FBI arrest Tontitown man for allegedly assaulting officers during Jan. 6

Camden traveled to Washington, D.C., to attend the former presidents Stop the Steal rally and protest the results of the 2020 presidential election.

Following the rally, he entered restricted areas of the Capitol grounds, climbing a media tower and waving a flag.

Image 7: The subject atop a media tower waving a Three Percenters flag (US DOJ).

Footage shows a subject struggling with officers over the barricade in an attempt to breach the police barricade (US DOJ).

Footage showing the subject pushing a barricade into officers, according to the DOJ.

The subject deploying a fire extinguisher at police officers (US DOJ).

Around 1:20 p.m., Camden confronted a bike rack barricade separating police officers from rioters, yelling at officers and forcefully pushing the barricade into a line of U.S. Capitol Police Officers, according to the release. In response, officers used a chemical irritant to repel Camdens aggression.

Later, at approximately 2:11 p.m., Camden deployed a fire extinguisher toward a police line attempting to control the rioters. The FBI arrested him on July 1, 2024, in Arkansas.

Who is on the Arkansas presidential ballot?

The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorneys Office for the District of Columbia and the DOJs National Security Divisions Counterterrorism Section, with help from the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Western District of Arkansas.

The ongoing investigation is led by the FBIs Little Rock and Washington Field Offices.

Since January 6, 2021, over 1,504 individuals have been charged across nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the Capitol breach, according to the release.

Anyone with information is encouraged to call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KNWA FOX24.
A Chinese silk chicken named Betty White was thrown to her death in an alligator-filled pond by an Australian park guest (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

An Australian park guest pled guilty to taking a chicken from its enclosure and tossing it to its death in an alligator-infested pond on January 2024 at the Oakvale Farm and Fauna World at Salt Ash in New South Wales.

According to the Australian Associated Press (AAP), the guest  Peter Smith  reached over a concrete rock wall within a sanctuary at the farm to snatch a white Chinese silkie bantam chicken named Betty White. He then hid the animal inside his shirt as he went over to the alligator enclosure before throwing the beloved chicken into a pond where the reptiles live.

Court documents stated that the moment Betty White hit the water, two alligators immediately made their way towards the chook with one of them snapping the chook into its mouth, killing it immediately.

The incident shocked guests, who promptly informed the staff of what had transpired. Park owner Leanne Sansom later found footage of Smith on security footage sending the chicken careening to her death and shared it with park employees to track him down.

However, days after the incident, Smith reportedly went to the Singleton Police Station to give a formal statement, claiming he had good intentions. He explained to the authorities that he threw Betty White with the intention of feeding the alligator due [to] its living conditions.

Smiths defense lawyer, Bryan Wrench, claimed to the outlet that he just wanted to feed an alligator who was hungry, adding each year, approximately 750 million chickens are killed. Wrenchs comments downplaying his clients actions did nothing to quell Magistrate Kiralee Perrys concerns.

These are serious allegations, she told Wrench on Tuesday (24 September), underscoring the fact that Smith now potentially faces the maximum penalty for aggravated animal cruelty in New South Wales. If Smith is found guilty, he could spend up to two years in prison, with a fine of up to $24,084.

On 20 November, Smith will reportedly return to court to face trial.

This is the first time in our 43 years that we have had a member of the public [allegedly] engage in such cruelty in what is an animal sanctuary, Leannes husband and Oakvale Farm co-owner Kent Sansom said in a statement.

Betty White was hand-raised at the park and had played a crucial role in our endangered species breeding programme for the bush stone curlew and other species by providing surrogacy to the chicks, he continued.

Her quiet nature means she would not hesitate to approach a customer for some animal pellets, making her an easy target for a ruthless perpetrator.

The Oakvale Wildlife Park was established in November 1979 by Kents mother and father, Jeff and Elaine Sansom, who later passed it down to him in 1995. It has remained a family-owned and operated business in all of its 43 years, providing safe, educational, and fun experiences with nature for all ages.

Within its 25 acres, Oakvale Wildlife Park contains an endless menagerie of animals, from native to exotic creatures including koalas, kangaroos, Tasmanian devils, alligators, ostriches, and more.
ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC)  The Town of Brighton celebrated Hispanic Heritage Month Friday, honoring several people from the community.

The honorees included Andy and Carmen Bailey of Carmens Cooking, Captain Jose Caraballo of the Brighton Police Department, and Nydia Padilla-Rodriguez of Borinquen Dance Theater.

The celebration included a performance by the dance theater.

For me, I think its important to educate the community about who we are as a people, Padilla-Rodriguez said. Were very unique in terms of coming in all shades of color because of the influence of Taino Arawak indigenous, the African and the European Spanish influences that make us people who love to celebrate family values, principles of working together in unity, regardless of your race, regardless of your religion, regardless of your color. And thats what Hispanic heritage is really all about.

The celebration is part of the towns ongoing commitment to inclusion, diversity, and equity.

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Millions of dollars in federal pandemic aid have had a major impact across Erie County.

And on Friday, a White House official got first-hand proof.

Tom Perez, a senior advisor to President Joe Biden, visited Erie County for the day to tour several projects made possible by the county's and the city of Eries share of American Rescue Plan funds.

More: Erie County, Pa. has spent roughly $41 million in ARPA funds. Where did the funds go?

Perez, who serves as White House director of the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs, said Erie County was one of several places hes visited over the past year to observe the tangible impact of the $1.9 trillion relief package that Biden signed in 2021.

Erie County received roughly $52 million in ARP funds. The city of Erie received roughly $76 million.

Tom Perez, senior advisor to President Joe Biden, speaks outside the new Community Resilience Center at 450 E. 16th St. on Friday. At left is Erie County Director of Human Services John DiMattio and Erie County Executive Brenton Davis.

In both cases, Perez said, the county and city have made remarkable investments" that are now "paying dividends.

Throughout the day today, I have seen so many examples of investments that, in some cases, are bearing fruit immediately, Perez said. You are continuing to make transformational change in and around not just the city of Erie but the entire county.

Here are a couple takeaways.

Perez lauds new homeless overflow shelter

The new Community Resilience Center, at 450 E. 16th St., is funded by a $1 million ARP investment from the county.

Situated near the Erie County Prison, the building used to be the countys work release center. Starting this fall, the building, complete with 150 beds, will serve as an overflow shelter for homeless individuals, according to Erie County Public Information Officer Chris Carroll.

This specific investment is a story of hope, said Erie County Executive Brenton Davis, who joined Perez at a news conference outside the facility. This winter, for the first time, there will not have to be a single individual in Erie County that goes without a warm place to sleep.

Perez, in turn, praised the investment as remarkable and exciting."

Were proud of the fact that you are investing $1 million in ARP funding to make sure you have resilience here, he said.

Perez tours plastics tech at Behrend, upgraded Girard water tower

Perez also visited Penn State Behrend to tour its plastics technology lab and the proposed location for its Center for Manufacturing Competitiveness, a main component of Project Resolve, which received $5 million in ARP funds from the county.

You are building out the workforce of tomorrow, Perez said. You are building out the advanced manufacturing ecosystem for tomorrow. Those are very, very important and critical investments.

Tom Perez, senior advisor to President Joe Biden, center, tours a 3-D printing site at Penn State Behrend with Erie County Executive Brenton Davis and Amy Bridger, Behrend's assistant dean for innovation and corporate strategy.

Perez also visited the Borough of Girard to check out a water tower that was upgraded using ARP funds via the countys municipal infrastructure GAP funding.

That may not seem like a big deal for some but its essential to a small town, Perez said. Its equivalent to a tax cut to a small town because if you dont fund it with federal dollars, youre going to have to have all of those residents pay for it."

Perez tours EMI and other city sites

Perez was given a key to the city by Mayor Joe Schember before sitting for a roundtable discussion with public, private, nonprofit and community leaders who have benefited from the city's ARP funds.

Schember said the funds have been critical, allowing the city to invest in areas like infrastructure, housing, public safety, parks and public spaces and information technology.

Tom Perez, senior advisor to President Joe Biden, on left, tours the former Erie Malleable Iron Co. with a group including Erie County Redevelopment Authority CEO Tina Mengine, right.

Perez visited multiple city sites including

Perez later praised the city and the county for being "good stewards" of the ARP funds.

This was a relationship of trust," he said. "We didnt tell you how to spend this money. We said, We trust you to figure out whats best. And that trust has been well placed.

A.J. Rao can be reached at arao@gannett.com. Follow him on X @ETNRao.

This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: White House official Tom Perez tours Rescue Plan projects in Erie
DELAWARE, Ohio (WCMH)  The Delaware County Transit is expanding its same-day microtransit service to the City of Sunbury, Berkshire Township, and the Village of Galena starting on Oct. 14.

Its essentially an Uber-style public transit service. DCT first started its FLEX service in 2020.

Watch: Delaware County busing expansion

DCT Executive Director, Andy Volenik, said for the first time ever its adding this new zone. He said its a steppingstone into their larger plan, which is to service all of Delaware County with this style of service.

Sunbury is a growing community. That area has Tanger Outlets. It has lots of schools. It has a community thats ready for this style of service, but weve never done two zones at once, Volenik said. So, being able to do this in a community where we have some good control makes a lot of sense for us to do.

Volenik said the goal is to grow and perfect the service for when Intel is up and running.

This is a legacy service. And so, were able then to expand even farther east as those areas develop and we have a really good, robust service for that area to get to and from jobs, whether its Intel, whether its Intel adjacent, whether its within Sunbury, Volenik said. This allows us to grow with that community.

Volenik said the expansion was made possible through a grant from the Ohio Department of Transportation through the Office of Transit. He said the two biggest topics people talk about are housing and infrastructure, which is where transportation comes into play.

How do I get to my medical appointments? How do I get to my jobs? How do I get to my community services? And as we continue to grow, people want options, Volenik said.

Volenik said they have found that people want this style of service, and the demand is there.

This year were on schedule to break 150,000 trips, Volenik said. Our ridership is exploding in the Delaware area.

Volenik said in both July and August, they made over 13,000 trips and theyre on track to surpass that number again this month.

To schedule a trip, you can use the Delaware County Transit app or call the office.

Service will be Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Fare is $2 for one way and $1 for those who are 65 and older, 19 and younger, and disabled.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to NBC4 WCMH-TV.
NEW ORLEANS (WGNO)  Just days after Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida, the National Hurricane Center is warning residents on the Gulf Coast to monitor another tropical system.

A low-pressure system is expected to develop over the western Caribbean Sea in the next couple of days. Environmental conditions are forecast to support gradual development, and a tropical depression or tropical storm could form by the middle of next week. The chance of formation is up to 50 percent over the next seven days.

The system is anticipated to move northwest into the Gulf of Mexico later in the week. From there, it is too early to tell where the system may eventually go or how strong it may be.

Forecast model projections are likely to fluctuate significantly between different models and from one update to the next until the system actually begins to form. Because of this uncertainty, there is currently little to no confidence in any specific outcome at this time.

The National Hurricane Center says residents in the northwestern Caribbean and along the U.S. Gulf Coast should keep a close eye on its progress.

Stay up to date with the latest news, weather and sports by downloading the WGNO app on the Apple or Google Play stores and by subscribing to the WGNO newsletter.

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Tropical Storm Helene: U-Haul offers free month of storage for those in need

After Hurricane Helene left a path of destruction, many victims were left picking up the pieces of the aftermath. U-Haul announced Friday they are helping those in need by offering 30 days of free storage at more than 430 locations.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

Helene made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane on Thursday night along Floridas Big Bend and quickly moved north across Georgia. It was downgraded to a Category 1 storm shortly after moving into Georgia and was downgraded again to a tropical storm at 5 a.m. Saturday. At least 44 people were killed during the hurricane.

As a result, U-Haul is offering one month of free self-storage or U-Box portable container usage to those in need of a dry and secure space to keep their belongings during the storm clean-up.

U-Haul facilities across the Carolinas, Tennessee, Virigina and Kentucky have joined locations in Florida, Georgia and Alabama to participate in the disaster relief effort.

There are now 437 U-Haul stores providing disaster relief, including 70 stores in Georgia.

RELATED STORIES:

The disaster relief program applies to new self-storage and U-Box rentals and is based on availability at each store.

Below is a list of participating Georgia locations:

U-Haul Co. of Atlanta North (13 Stores)

Contact number: 770- 926-1340; Participating store locations: Alpharetta, Buford, Canton, Cumming, Jasper, Lawrenceville, Lilburn, Norcross, Rome, Snellville, Woodstock

U-Haul Co. of Atlanta West (12 Stores)

Contact number: 678- 608-4146; Participating store locations: Atlanta, Carrollton, Dallas, Douglasville, Kennesaw, Marietta, Smyrna

U-Haul Co. of Central Georgia (10 Stores)

Contact number: 404- 332-3180; Participating store locations: Atlanta, Chamblee, College Park, Decatur, Forest Park

U-Haul Co. of Georgia Northeast (11 Stores)

Contact number: 678-707-8383; Participating store locations: Athens, Buford, Clarkston, Conyers, Decatur, Oakwood, Snellville, Stone Mountain

U-Haul Co. of Southern Georgia (11 Stores)

Contact number: 706-569-3372; Participating store locations: Albany, Brunswick, Columbus, Kathleen, Macon, Warner Robins

U-Haul Co. of Western Georgia (13 Stores)

Contact number: 404- 767-0431; Participating store locations: College Park, Jonesboro, McDonough, Morrow, Newnan, Peachtree City, Riverdale, Stockbridge

Click here to learn more about participating stores in neighboring cities and states.

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Ahead of the third phase of Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir scheduled next week, apple growers associated with Asia's second-largest fruit mandi in Sopore district have demanded the establishment of a cold storage facility, a waiver on trade taxes, and subsidies on quality pesticides and fertilisers. The apple growers of Sopore, often referred to as the "apple town" of the Kashmir Valley, are urging the government to prioritise the horticulture sector and provide immediate relief through a Rs 3 lakh waiver on Kisan Credit Cards (KCC). The growers have suffered significant losses due to hailstorms and other natural calamities in recent years. According to the apple growers, the Sopore fruit mandi, located in North Kashmir's Baramulla district, generates an annual turnover of over Rs 13,000 crore and handles over 60% of Kashmir Valley's apple production. Given that horticulture is a major contributor to Jammu and Kashmir's Gross Domestic Product (GDP), Sopore plays a crucial role in the region's economy. Speaking to ANI, Zubair Ahmad Bhat, Accountant of Abdullah Fruits at Sopore Fruit Mandi, said, "This mandi is the business hub of Kashmir. Various varieties of apples are dispatched to almost every part of India, as well as Nepal and Bangladesh. At least 200 trucks are loaded here every day. This mandi generates significant employment, with over 2,000 people working here. We seek development, dignity, prosperity, and peace for the growth of the business amid the ongoing elections in Jammu and Kashmir. With many candidates in the fray, we will support and vote for the leader who has previously contributed to the development of the region and addressed the needs of the mandi." Rameez Malik, an apple grower and trader at Sopore Mandi, added, "This is Asia's second-largest fruit mandi. Over 5,000 boxes of fruits are dispatched daily across India, as well as to countries like Bangladesh and Nepal. Over 200 trucks transport fruits from here, and this number will increase to over 400 in the next five days. Sopore Mandi supplies fruits to 470 stations across India and exports more than 13 varieties of apples, including Delicious, American, Galamast, Hazratbali, and Kesari, along with other fruits like apricot, cherry, and palm. The mandi's annual turnover is around Rs 13,500 crore, and over 20,000 people are employed here." When asked about the Assembly elections, Malik said, "We are happy to have the constitutional right to elect our candidates. Several new faces are contesting in this election, and we will vote for those who support the growth of the horticulture sector, which will benefit apple growers. The upcoming government should focus on reducing taxes on apple boxes, establishing cold storage facilities, and providing quality pesticides and fertilisers. Shimla growers receive subsidies on pesticides and fertilisers, but we do not get the same benefits." Malik also highlighted the challenges faced by apple growers due to natural disasters, such as hail storms and floods, in recent years. "I appeal to the upcoming government to provide a waiver of Rs 3 lakh on KCC for apple growers. The government should also work to make our fruit exports to Bangladesh tax-free. The Bangladesh government imposes a 100 percent tax on our fruits, but if this tax is waived, growers could earn over Rs 1,000 per box, compared to the current Rs 600. Currently, a box of delicious apples earns Rs 800, but prices can rise to over Rs 1,500 in Bangladesh depending on market fluctuations. The government should ensure a fixed price of at least Rs 600 per apple box to protect growers from incurring losses", Malik added. Sopore's fruit mandi, the second-largest in Asia and the largest for apple trade, is linked to over 450 fruit mandis throughout India, with produce also being exported directly to countries like Bangladesh, Nepal, and Bhutan. (ANI)
A Troubled Mom Went Out Drinking with a Man. She Didn't Know He Was the 'Cannibal' Killer

The suspect in Julie Paterson's gruesome 1999 murder proudly confessed, but questions still remain 25 years later

Julie Paterson

Content warning: The following article contains disturbing details.

A British man remains behind bars more than 25 years after he was convicted in one of most harrowing murder cases in modern English memory.

David Harker, known in the media as the cannibal killer, was convicted in 1999 of murdering Julie Paterson, a 32-year-old mother of four whom he'd met just weeks prior.

The details of Harkers crime continue to shock and disturb roughly a quarter century after the gruesome murder took place in Teesside, about 70 miles north of Leeds.

PEOPLE is looking back at Patersons April 1998 murder, which occurred after she and Harker, then 24, met up at a local park to drink.

PA Images via Getty David Harker

A Troubled Mother

Paterson was a mother of four who was struggling with alcoholism and depression at the time she met Harker, according to The Teesside Gazette. Patersons partner Alan Taylor had reportedly told police that Paterson would often disappear on drinking binges, but would always show up at home afterwards.

However, when Paterson went to meet up with Harker to have a drink at a local park in April 1998, the mother never came back.

Harker Proudly Confessed  and Claimed More Victims

After Paterson went missing, police searched for a month hoping to find her body, according to The Guardian, but the mother of four was only found in pieces. It wasnt until questioning Harkers friends that investigators began to understand the brutal truth of what happened, the outlet reported.

Harker has told friends and psychiatrists at Ashworth hospital that he killed her, lead investigator Superintendent Barry Peart testified later in court, according to The Guardian. He also said he had eaten part of her thigh, fried it and eaten it with pasta and cheese.

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Harker had told friends he one day wanted to become a serial killer, according to the Gazette, which reported that he also read books about other murderers. He pleaded guilty in February 1999 after telling a psychiatrist that people like me dont come from those films, them films come from people like me," the outlet reported.

Owen Humphreys/PA Images via Getty The search for Julie Paterson's remains

Paterson's Remaining Body Parts Were Never Found

Harker was convicted of Patersons murder in 1999, but he has still never told authorities where he discarded Patersons head and limbs, according to The Northern Echo.

The outlet reports that Taylor, Patersons partner at the time, was tormented by not knowing where his loved ones remaining body parts were hidden and even once himself began digging around areas he believed his late partners body parts might be buried.

The Gazette reported that while in prison, Harker also withheld the information from Patersons first husband, who wrote a letter to his ex-wifes killer pleading with the convicted murder to tell investigators where the woman's head and limbs were buried.

You are correct when you speak of decency, I have none, Harker reportedly wrote to Patersons ex-husband Fred Newman, according to the Gazette. I have no inhibitions, remorse or regret, and therefore care not one bit if your wife has a full body burial or not.

BBC reported that Harker was denied parole in October 2021 under Helens Law, a law put in place to make it harder for convicted murderers to receive parole if they refuse to tell authorities where they discarded their victims remains.

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Read the original article on People.
OAKLAND COUNTY, Mich. (FOX 2) - A 37-year-old Troy man accused of having several explicit files of underage children was arraigned on Thursday.

Last week, Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald charged Kyle Robert Breitinger with six counts of aggravated possession of child sexually abusive material, according to a news release from the prosecutor's office.

"These charges stem from a tip received by the Michigan State Police from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children," the Oakland County Prosecutor's Office stated. "It is alleged that the phone number associated with the files belongs to the defendant and contained numerous explicit and graphic photos and videos of underage children."

Aggravated possession of child sexual abuse material is a felony that is punishable by a maximum of 10 years in prison in Michigan, and/or a fine of up to $50,000.

Breitinger's bond was set at $50,000, with a 10% provision.

"Any allegations involving the sexual exploitation of children are deeply troubling," McDonald said in the release. "My office takes these charges extremely seriously because we recognize the trauma and widespread ramifications associated with such charges."
Republican former President Donald Trump made a two-stop swing through Michigan on Friday, touting an economic message that he will slash corporate income taxes and bolster the domestic auto industry through an aggressive series of tariffs on foreign cars.

At a brief town hall meeting at Macomb Community College in Warren, Trump answered a series of questions from attendees who identified themselves as autoworkers, saying he plans to impose steep tariffs on any attempts to import autos into the U.S., targeting Chinese competition but also those from a trade ally, Mexico.

"They have to pay a price for that," Trump said at the town hall, which lasted for about a half hour and attracted an audience of 12,000, according to a campaign spokesperson. It was moderated by U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tennessee.

The Warren visit was preceded by a stop in west Michigan, where Trump  the Republican nominee for president who faces Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris in the Nov. 5 general election  spoke to supporters at a manufacturing facility in a Grand Rapids suburb.

In those remarks in Walker, Trump also focused on plans to boost manufacturing jobs, saying he intends to slash the federal corporate tax rate from 21% down to 15%, but only for companies that make their products in the U.S. At that event, he said he would also move to place tariffs of 100% to 200% on cars manufactured in Mexico to be imported into the U.S.

Such a plan, however, could run afoul of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade deal, negotiated by Trump and touted as a prime achievement of his administration before he left office after his first term. It allows Mexican-made autos to be imported into the U.S. without any tariffs as long as they meet certain rules for where the car was assembled and where its components and materials originated.

Many automakers currently have plants in Mexico, taking advantage of lower labor costs and trade provisions negotiated during Trumps presidency through the U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade agreement.

More: In Michigan Trump calls for slashing corporate taxes, hiking tariffs on foreign products

More: Watch replay: Former President Donald Trump holds town hall in Warren

In Warren, Trump also indicated that he would move ahead with his plans for raising tariffs and lowering taxes with or without the help of Congress. "If they won't do it, I have the authorization and the power to do it myself," he said.

While an administration does have certain powers to raise tariffs on items, especially if it is considered an issue of national security, income tax rates are set by law. Trump's plan for tying tax rates to the site of production also leaves out the very real question of where materials and components for that production come from if they are not readily available inside the U.S.

But Trump repeatedly referred back to tariffs, calling it "a beautiful word if used properly," even though tariffs are costs typically passed onto the consumers, resulting in higher prices.

Trump has been turning more to the town hall format. Last week, he held one in Flint with Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders.

Prior to Trump's visit Friday, Harris issued a statement saying Trump "makes empty promise after empty promise to American workers but never delivers" and noted that during his time in office, the U.S. lost hundreds of thousands of manufacturing jobs, though much of that happened due to the shutdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In Michigan, the number of auto industry jobs fell during Trump's tenure even before the pandemic. Auto manufacturing jobs have climbed steadily in the state during President Joe Biden's term, though employment for parts suppliers has declined.

Harris, while pushing plans of her own to provide first-term homebuyers and small business startups a tax break, has repeatedly said that Trump's plans will hike costs on consumers.

American workers deserve a leader who keeps their promises and stands with workers when it matters," she said. "As president, I will bring autoworker jobs back to this country and create an opportunity economy that strengthens manufacturing, unions, and builds prosperity and security for Americas future."

Trump, however, blasted Harris as "incompetent" and vowed to rescind what he and other Republicans call a Biden "mandate" to force the American public to purchase electric vehicles.

No such mandate exists but the Biden administration did enact rules that, if they remain in place, would virtually require more than 60% of all new cars sold by 2032 to be EVs, or automakers could face hefty fines. The policy doesn't specifically say automakers would have to sell EVs, however, if they could come up with other ways to meet the emissions standards.

"They have an electric mandate. Every car is going to be electric, they say," Trump said incorrectly. "We'll terminate that."

Trump also said he would get rid of the standards on his first day in office but any such change would have to run through a lengthy bureaucratic procedure to be enacted.

Macomb Community College was packed with hundreds of Trump supporters on their feet to hear from the former president. Messages from the Trump campaign blared from the jumbotron, urging them to vote early as attendees walked past a table encouraging them to sign up to work the election and request an absentee ballot.

Trump did answer one personal question put to him by an attendee in Warren. Asked what his favorite car was, he recalled how his father, real estate developer Fred Trump, bought Cadillacs.

"All he liked was Cadillac. ... It's a very good car," he said. "My father liked Cadillacs and that's good enough for me."

(This story was updated to add new information.)

Contact Todd Spangler: tspangler@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter@tsspangler.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Trump stumps Michigan with economic message in west Michigan, Warren
A team of Iranian hackers impersonated Ginni Thomas, the wife of conservative Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, in an effort to extract information from people close to former President Donald Trump, CNN reported.

An indictment unsealed on Friday alleges that the three Iranian men gained access to the email account of a Trump campaign official this summer, which allowed them to steal debate-preparation material and information on possible vice presidential candidates. The practice is known as spear phishing among hackers. Among the people whose accounts were compromised were Roger Stone, the veteran Republican dirty trickster previously pardoned by Trump before he left office.

The Justice Department also said that the men leaked some of the information they stole to the media in an effort to create discord in advance of the election. The first part of the leak was finally published on Thursday by independent reporter Ken Klippenstein, resulting in him being banned from X.

Ginni Thomas Praised Group Opposing Supreme Court Reform

Masoud Jalili, Seyyed Ali Aghamiri and Yasar Balaghi face charges of identity theft and wire fraud. The indictment says they were acting on behalf of Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

Although Ginni Thomas is not mentioned by name in the indictment, it says that the hackers created a fake email using the identity of a spouse of a sitting U.S. Supreme Court Justice.

CNN reported that this is Thomas.

The account was created in April 2020, but wasnt used in the hacking efforts until this year. Between April and May 2024, the email was used as part of a phishing campaign that targeted, among others, a former security adviser to a former president.

Ginni Thomas, pictured with husband Clarence at a Trump White House state dinner, is an arch conservative who previously made headlines with her support for Donald Trumps false election victory claims. Erin Scott/Reuters

In addition to being the wife of a Supreme Court justice, Thomas is a conservative activist. She made headlines for sending texts to Donald Trumps then Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, on Jan. 6, 2021, urging him to overturn the electionas Trump supporters stormed the Capitol.

One read, Biden and the Left [are] attempting the greatest Heist of our History.

Thomas, a conservative firebrand, claims that she does not influence her husband, a conservative firebrand.

Thomas was one of a number of identities fraudulently used by the hackers to target the Trump campaign. The others have not been named but the victims detailed by the Justice Department include a series which appear closely linked to Trump, suggesting that the use of names such as Ginni Thomas was a successful move by the Iranians. Among those who fell for the phishing scam were a former deputy director of the CIA, a former ambassador to Israel, an ex-State Department adviser who appears to have advised the failed Nikki Haley campaign for president, and a former presidential homeland security adviser.

Clarence Thomas Took More Undisclosed Trips on GOP Mega-Donors Jet: Senator

Attorney General Merrick Garland addressed the indictment on Friday.

The defendants own words make clear that they were attempting to undermine former President Trumps campaign in advance of the 2024 US presidential election, he told reporters.

These authoritarian regimes, which violate the human rights of their own citizens, do not get a say in our countrys democratic process, Garland said.

According to the FBI, the hackers tried to send some material to a member of the Biden-Harris campaign, who did not respond.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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When former President Donald Trump got on the presidential debate stage earlier this month and baselessly accused Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, of eating their neighbors pets, it was largely seen as the moment he lost the debate to Vice President Kamala Harris. After all, the rumors had already been proved false by local and state leaders, many of them fellow Republicans.

But instead of backtracking or apologizing, Trump and his running mate, Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio), ramped up the attacks. In the weeks following the debate, Vance would repeat the racist lie so many times that Springfield schools received bomb threats and Haitian immigrants lived in constant fear of intimidation and assault because they suddenly had a target on their backs.

Vance and Trump went on to accuse Haitian immigrants of being responsible for an increase of crime and a housing shortage, and their lies began to spread like a nasty infection. Now officials in Pennsylvania, Indiana and Alabama are combating an uptick in threats and hatred toward the Haitian immigrants who have long been part of their communities  much of which is spreading from unchecked rumors and misinformation online.

Its unsettling and its upsetting, Leonce Jean-Baptiste, a Haitian immigrant and the co-founder of the Haitian Association of Indiana, told HuffPost. You think because its not true, itll get debunked and itll go away. That was wishful thinking.

No One Is Taking Over Anything

Most Haitian immigrants are in the U.S. legally. There have been different periods of increased Haitian migration to the United States, including when political instability and violence forced tens of thousands of Haitians to flee their country in the 1980s and 1990s. In 2010, after a 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck the countrys capital, Port-au-Prince, killing up to 300,000 people, Haitians were granted Temporary Protected Status, which allows them to live and work legally in the U.S.

Then, in 2023, the Biden administration created a humanitarian parole program specifically for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans, which allows people to live and work in the country as long as they have a financial sponsor and pass a background check.

Haitian immigrants once gravitated toward cities like Miami and New York, but many began leaving these expensive cities to find good jobs, affordable housing and schools for their children elsewhere.

But Trump has never been one to let facts get in the way. Springfield was in the midst of dealing with bomb threats and evacuating its schools when Trump went to the borough of Indiana, Pennsylvania, for a rally and targeted another town.

The small, 4,000-person town of Charleroi, Pennsylvania. Charleroi. What a beautiful name. Its not so beautiful now, he said. [It] has experienced a 2,000% increase in the population of Haitian migrants under Kamala Harris.

Local leaders were confused by Trumps claims. There are an estimated 700 to 2,000 immigrants, mostly Haitians, living in Charleroi today, which represents up to a 50% increase, nowhere near 2,000%, in the last few years.

But conservatives quickly pounced. Chaya Raichik, who runs the LibsofTikTok account that frequently distributes misinformation, posted on X (formerly Twitter) to claim that the Biden administration was busing Haitian immigrants to Charleroi to take American jobs. She included a video that she said provided evidence, but it was actually a video of Haitian workers using company-provided shuttles to get to work.

It was shocking to us to hear the former president say [Haitian immigrants] are taking over our town, Joseph Manning, the borough manager of Charleroi, told HuffPost. Haitians have been here for a number of years. No one is taking over anything.

This is an inviting community, he added. We have good schools, affordable housing and people can put down roots here.

Some conservatives are fueling the flames of prejudice against Haitian immigrants, even if they arent outright disparaging them, by blaming President Joe Biden for their presence. Sean Logue, the Republican Party chair in Washington County, where Charleroi is located, has argued that U.S.-born citizens have no problems with Haitian immigrants in their community but that the supposed influx is straining local resources.

Let me be very clear: Nobody in Washington County is saying anything negative about the Haitians, he told NBC earlier this month.

But Logue said the federal government needed to provide his area with additional resources to help support the population.

Manning pushed back on the idea that Charleroi needed extra money for Haitian immigrants, most of whom are employed. Many Haitian migrants have also started businesses, giving a much-needed boost to towns that have suffered from job loss and population decline.

The federal government didnt dump anyone here. They came here legally and they are a part of our community, Manning said. We havent seen a rise in crime or any strain on our resources.

The Social Media Spread

Thanks in part to Trumps and Vances claims, residents in towns across the country are feeling more emboldened to make racist allegations.

The rumors about Springfield began when Erika Lee, a Springfield resident, posted on Facebook that a neighbors cat had gone missing and said the neighbor suspected her pet had been attacked by a Haitian immigrant.

Kimberly Newton, the neighbor who told Lee this story, later said Lee misstated the claim in her Facebook post and that Newton herself had heard the story third-hand. Lee has since said she regrets the post and did not intend to spread the racist rumor. (It turns out that a Springfield cat did go missing, but its owner found her pet hiding in her basement a few days after filing a police report.)

But now right-wing Facebook groups for small towns with a significant number of Haitians are now swamped in misinformation, rumors and outright racism.

On social media, claims that Biden purposefully put Haitian immigrants in these previously all-white communities permeate. Posters claim that the newcomers are taking jobs, committing crimes and spreading diseases  all while receiving government benefits that native-born Americans couldnt receive, even though immigrants do not qualify for most public assistance.

I have gotten phone calls from friends in Evansville and Washington, Jean-Baptiste said about two towns in Indiana that have seen an increase in Haitian immigrants in recent years. Theyre worried, and theyre feeling all this pressure.

These people are so vulnerable, he added. They didnt ask for any of this.

Jean-Baptiste said Trumps comments about Springfield simply gave people permission to vocalize the prejudiced beliefs they already had about Haitian immigrants.

For some people, this was like throwing red meat in front of them, he said. It feeds their soul.

Kayla Blakeslee, a right-wing radio host in Logansport, Indiana, began a series on her show called Is Logansport the New Springfield? The comments section of her Facebook page has become flooded with allegations that there are no jobs, no food, and no access to health care because of Haitian immigrants and that it was all a part of a nefarious plot of the Biden administration.

Chris Martin, the mayor of Logansport, responded to HuffPosts request for comment by emailing a lengthy public statement he had previously made.

In it, he said no government had asked the town to house a minority group, local funds werent being spent on one minority group and that the circumstances are being misrepresented.

We are a diverse community and have been for a very long time, he said in the statement. Our community is aware of a large number of immigrants. We have one of the best collaboration of leaders in the state working on this and we are doing our jobs to the best of our ability.

I will be formally asking the federal government to assist our community. Im asking that citizens please refrain from false statements, especially those that threaten the lives of others.

Assuming The Worst

Hundreds of miles away in Alabama, officials in the 12,000-person town of Sylacauga were dealing with residents who were suddenly demanding their leaders answer questions about busing in immigrants and who was watching them.

County officials estimate there are 60 Haitian immigrants in the town.

I want to welcome anyone to Sylacauga that wants to come to Sylacauga, City Council President Tiffany Nix said at a contentious council meeting. If youre here stimulating our economy, thank you.  If people arent breaking the law, theyre not causing any problems, I dont see what the issue is.

But that didnt stop residents from assuming the worst about the immigrants who settled in Alabama.

Do we know where the individuals were discussing are coming from? one unnamed resident asked. Where their point of origin is? Because youre treating them like lawful U.S. citizens, which they are not.

Nix ended the meeting after just 20 minutes, later saying she felt the questions were getting aggressive.

In another Alabama town, Fairhope, officials were accused of gaslighting residents when they announced at a city council meeting that despite the rumors they were seeing online, there was no evidence that the town of 25,000 was about to see a surge of Haitian immigrants.

Council member Kevin Boone cautioned residents against believing everything they saw on social media. You wont go far believing that junk, he said.

But Fairhope resident Jonathan Cutwright pushed back.

Dont make fun of people who are here, he said, according to AL.com. You know what is going on in Ohio. We are here, and I think most of us, we dont want that to happen here.

There doesnt appear to be any end in sight to the deluge of misinformation surrounding Haitian immigrants. Anti-Haitian sentiment is now widespread among the conservative movement, from the two men who might next be in charge of the country to everyday voters.

Trump, who has always been an extremist on immigration, has managed to up the ante for his third presidential run. At a news conference in California, he said he will begin his mass deportation plan in Springfield.

Then, at a Pennsylvania rally, he asked the crowd if they thought Springfield would ever be the same. You have to get them the hell out, he said of the Haitians.

His supporters responded by chanting: Send them back! Send them back!

When youre in Haiti and you think about going to the U.S., you dont think that youd ever be treated this way, Jean-Baptiste said. Its such an awful feeling for people who thought that being in the U.S. was the best thing that could ever happen to them.

Related...
Trump continues to warn about election 'cheating.' His supporters are ready to move on

Four years ago, some of former President Donald Trump's supporters were so certain he won that they sued or breached the U.S. Capitol to stop the certification of the election.

Courts, audits and other reviews have disproved Trump's claims of a stolen election in 2020, when President Joe Biden won the presidency. But in the heat of another election year, Trump has primed his supporters to reject the results of a tight race. While campaigning, Trump has repeatedly told them to turn out in droves and make the election "too big to rig."

He told supporters in Walker on Friday, "They cheat, that's the only way we're going to lose." And later in Warren, in a pre-recorded video played before he took the stage, Trump said, "Keep your eyes open, because these people want to cheat and they do cheat and frankly, it's the only thing they do well."

While Trump has yet to commit to accepting the outcome of the presidential election, several of his supporters who attended rallies in Michigan Friday said they're ready to do so even if he loses.

Trump 'screwed himself' 4 years ago

Jordan Walton, 24, of Warren, is a restaurant worker and Trump supporter who was too young to vote in 2016. In his first opportunity to participate in a presidential election, Walton backed the former president's reelection bid in 2020. But unlike some Trump voters, he accepted Trump's loss as legitimate that year.

"It sucks. But yeah, he lost," Walton said before heading into the town hall event in Warren.

Jordan Walton, 24, of Warren, poses before heading into former President Donald Trump's town hall event in Warren, Michigan September 27, 2024.

He said he expects a close election this time and would accept another Trump loss. "Ain't going to be happy, but you know, it is what it is," he said.

Walton plans to vote in person, but said Trumps past railing against absentee voting hurt the Republican presidential candidates chances four years ago. "Well, I think he kind of screwed himself to be honest, because he wasn't promoting among his voters vote-by-mail," Walton said.

Trump has shifted on the issue with his campaign now encouraging his supporters to vote absentee or early in-person.

1st-time voter 'wasn't a fan' of Jan. 6 riots, excited to cast ballot

Thomas Van Overloop, a 19-year-old currently studying at Cornerstone University in Grand Rapids, said he wanted to make sure his first vote in a presidential election is cast at the polls, likening it to a rite of passage.

Thomas Van Overloop speaks to the Free Press before former President Donald Trump delivers remarks at FALK Productions on Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, in Walker, Mich.

While Trump disputed, and continues to dispute, his 2020 electoral loss in Michigan, Van Overloop said he doesn't plan on contending any election results, should Harris win the state.

"I wasnt a big fan of (Jan. 6) and the stolen election thing," he said. "I think we've got to look to the future instead of looking back."

Van Overloop, part of the youth vote bloc both campaigns have courted, said many of his peers are similarly enthusiastic about voting this fall.

"Most people I know are pretty excited to vote for the first time, pretty excited to be involved in politics and the election."

Voter doesn't want to see 'crazy s****' like Jan. 6

Standing across from a table urging Trump voters to request an absentee ballot, David Ortez, 28, of Northville, said he plans to vote in-person on Election Day because he likes "the vibes." He said he likes going with other people in his life to go vote together, saying it feels like more of an "event" than absentee voting.

Ortez said he would accept another Trump loss and doesn't think the election was stolen four years ago. He said he's had conversations with other Trump supporters who disagree, but he said when that happens, he nods his head and tries to avoid an argument.

David Ortez, 28, of Northville, at Macomb Community College September 27, 2024 where former President Donald Trump held a town hall event in Warren, Michigan.

No matter who wins in what he expects will be a close presidential race, he said he hopes voters will accept the outcome and doesnt want to see a repeat of Jan. 6. No crazy s***. We dont need that. We have too much nonsense in the world right now, and we dont need more violence. Thats the last thing we need, said Ortez, who works at a hospital.

Trump voter says she won't 'lose my mind' over loss

While some Trump voters say theyre certain Trump's 2020 loss was illegitimate, Lauren Marougy, 38, of Commerce Township, hasn't made up her mind on the matter. "I don't know, like I really don't know. I think he won," she said after a long pause. Marougy said it'd be sad if Trump really did win the 2020 election but didn't end up in the White House. "I wouldnt really want to believe that," she said.

Lauren Marougy, 38, of Commerce Township, poses with her two daughters before a former President Donald Trump town hall event in Warren, Michigan September 27, 2024.

Marougy said she would accept a Trump loss in November. "I accepted it last time," she said. "I mean, what can I do? I'm not going to like lose my mind over it." She said she wouldn't protest his loss, "Because it wouldnt get me anywhere."

'I love my country,' says Republican poll worker

Josie Kornev said she has to vote ahead of Election Day, as she's an election worker in Kent County. Kornev, who ran for the Kent County Board of Commissioners earlier this year but lost in the Republican primary, said she will likely vote in early voting.

Josie Kornev speaks to the Free Press before former President Donald Trump delivers remarks at FALK Productions on Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, in Walker, Mich.

Although she was working at a poll in Grand Rapids in 2020, Kornev referenced absentee ballot counting on election night in Detroit that year, when Trump-aligned election challengers protested vote counting. Although claims about vote counting at the then-TCF Center being illegitimate ran rampant in the weeks after the 2020 election, those claims ended up being debunked.

Kornev said she doesn't plan on disputing the election results this year in the event of a Trump defeat.

"I'm not going to riot or anything," she said. "I love my country. I believe in voting and the freedom to vote. I would think people would be sorely regretful if they voted for Kamala Harris and policies that she wants to implement."

Trump voter likes absentee voting

Shawn Clapper, a 54-year-old contractor from Lincoln Park, said he voted absentee in 2020 and plans to do so again. "It's easier," he said.

Clapper said he doesnt believe Trump lost in 2020. "I think it was stolen. Most definitely. 100%," he said.

Shawn Clapper, 54, of Lincoln Park, inside Macomb Community College September 27, 2024 for a town hall with former President Donald Trump.

He pointed to the 2020 election to explain why he doesn't really think a Trump loss this time would be fair and square, saying he generally distrusts elections. But don't expect him to protest the outcome if Trump loses. "I'll let everybody else do that," he said.

Trump voter says he'd trust outcome if poll workers don't report suspicious activity

Ron Piskor, 75, of Warren is a retired engineer who plans to vote in person on Election Day. "I just trust it more so than any of the other systems that they got right now," he said.

He wouldn't say whether he would accept a Trump loss as legitimate. He's in a wait-and-see mode. It depends on what Trump  and other officials  have to say about how the election was run, Piskor said.

Ron Piskor, 75, of Warren, at Macomb Community College September 27, 2024 for a town hall with former President Donald Trump.

He said he suspects the 2020 election was stolen. But there's one thing that might make him believe that this upcoming election will be conducted fairly: "Just the fact that theres no poll workers reporting any suspicious activity or anything like that."

Piskor didn't publicly demonstrate against Trumps loss and 2020 and doesn't plan to do so again if his candidate is defeated. "Its useless," he said.

Manufacturer doesn't love absentee voting, but will have no issue with results

Matt Swift, who works for a Grand Rapids-area manufacturer building steel structures, said he plans on going to the polls to cast his ballot Nov. 5.

Matt Swift speaks to the Free Press before former President Donald Trump delivers remarks at FALK Productions on Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, in Walker, Mich.

"I don't trust the absentee, I don't know why," Swift said. "Maybe it's just in my head. I would rather be there with everybody knowing my vote counts."

Despite his stated distrust, Swift said he would have no issues with the outcome of the election should Trump not win. He said his support for the former president is largely based on his experience at work during the Trump presidency  he said his company had more projects available to bid on and the bidding margins were wider.

He's feeling confident about Trump's chances, though.

"I really do," Swift said. "I know it's going to be close. But I just feel like what I'm seeing, what I'm talking (about), what I'm hearing, I like the odds."

In 2020, President Joe Biden defeated Trump in Michigan by more than 154,000 votes, or close to three percentage points. In 2016, Trump beat Hillary Clinton by about 10,700 votes in Michigan. It was the closest margin of any state that year.

Contact Arpan Lobo: alobo@freepress.com. Contact Clara Hendrickson at chendrickson@freepress.com or 313-296-5743. Follow her on X, previously called Twitter, @clarajanehen.

Looking for more on Michigans elections this year? Check out our voter guide, subscribe to our elections newsletter and always feel free to share your thoughts in a letter to the editor.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Trump supporters ready to accept 2024 election results
Former President Donald Trump ratcheted up his hardline rhetoric on immigration on Saturday, accusing Vice President Kamala Harris and the Biden administration of welcoming criminals into the country and warning that without mass deportations, the U.S. will lose its culture.

Speaking to a crowd in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, Trump bashed Harris visit to the U.S.-Mexico border in Arizona on Friday, during which she vowed to go even further than President Joe Biden has in cracking down on illegal immigration. Flanked by posterboards featuring images of migrants convicted of crimes, Trump spun a grim vision of a U.S. overrun by violent terrorists, calling Harris mentally disabled and contending that the Biden administrations border policies are a betrayal of the American nation.

You gotta get these people back where they came from. You have no choice. Youre going to lose your culture, youre going to lose your country, youre going to have crime the likes of which nobody has ever seen before, Trump said, acknowledging that the speech was particularly dark, even by his standards.

The speech served as a direct response to Harris more aggressive posture on the border  and an amplification of an issue that has long animated Trumps base. In a close election with Harris, polls suggest immigration is a strong point for him.

On Saturday, Trump depicted Whitewater, Wisconsin, as a small, very beautiful town being flooded by an influx of migrants echoing the rhetoric hes used to describe Springfield, Ohio, and Aurora, Colorado, as victims of a migrant invasion.

If Kamala is reelected, your town, and every town just like it, all across Wisconsin and all across our country  the heartland, the coast, it doesn't matter  will be transformed into a third-world hellhole, he said.

In a statement to POLITICO, Harris campaign spokesperson Sarafina Chitika said Trump has "nothing inspiring to offer the American people, just darkness."

Trump and his allies have seized on new data from Immigration and Customs Enforcement in recent days, attacking Harris over the 425,000 undocumented migrants with criminal convictions who are not in ICE custody (they could still be serving a sentence in local, state or federal detention). The former president has said that these migrants were let into the country under the Biden administration, but DHS data from past years shows that Trumps statement is misleading.

The majority of these individuals with criminal convictions were already on the non-detained docket and living in the United States before Biden took office. There were 405,786 convicted criminals on the non-detained docket in June 2021, meaning this number has increased by less than 5 percent since Biden became president. Before Trump won the White House in 2016, this number was 368,000 as of April that year  a figure that would increase by more than 37,000 by June 2021.

Of the roughly 647,000 total non-detained, undocumented migrants on ICEs docket  categorized as convicted criminals or awaiting pending criminal charges  approximately 152,000 of them are for violent crimes, including murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assaults. The numbers also include nonviolent and petty crime  126,000 are for traffic violations, while 92,000 are for immigration-related crimes (like crossing the border illegally).

And while migrant crime has been a focal point of the 2024 race  an issue heightened by cases of U.S. women and girls allegedly murdered by immigrants in the country illegally  studies have shown that migrants are not more likely to commit crimes than U.S.-born Americans. Still, Trump has promoted falsehoods about immigrant communities, including the conspiracy theory that Haitian migrants were eating dogs and cats in Springfield, Ohio.

Kamala has allowed more than 20 million criminals into the country because everyone who illegally crosses the border and breaks our nations laws is, by definition, a criminal, Trump campaign national press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement to POLITICO. Kamala wants to give mass amnesty to rapists, murderers, and other violent illegal monsters. President Trump will begin the largest mass deportation in history on day one.

Trump himself is a convicted felon, found guilty earlier this year of 34 counts of falsifying business records to cover up a hush money payment to a porn star. He was also found liable for sexually abusing E. Jean Carroll and is barred from operating businesses in New York state after being found liable for massive business fraud. And Trump has been indicted in three other cases in which he is accused of sprawling criminal conduct before, during and after his presidency.
(The Hill)  Former President Trump topped Vice President Harris by 6 points in the likely battleground of Arizona, according to a new poll released on Friday.

The new USA TODAY/Suffolk University survey found Trump leads the vice president, 48 percent to 42 percent, in the Grand Canyon State. Green Party candidate Jill Stein and Libertarian Party nominee Chase Oliver got 1 percent each. Around 5 percent were undecided.

Trumps strength is driven by the two top issues in Arizona  the economy and immigration, said David Paleologos, the director of the Suffolk University Political Research Center. Trump is winning each issue by overwhelming margins.

Around 47 percent of Latino voters in Arizona said they back the vice president while 35 percent said they side with Trump. Arizona has around 1.3 million Latino-eligible voters, according to Pew Research Center.

The top two issues among the survey respondents were the economy, at 27 percent, and immigration, at 21 percent, and both topics are seen as the key issues in the 2024 presidential election. Over half of the polls respondents, 52 percent, said they were worse than they were four years ago.

The vice president garnered a 3-point edge in Arizona, according to a recent Bloomberg News/Morning Consult poll. But, the Democratic nominee trailed the ex-president in Arizona by three points in the recently released poll from Fox News.

Trump has a 0.8 percent lead, 48.5 percent to Harriss 47.7 percent, in Arizona according to The Hill/Decision Desk HQs latest aggregate of polls.

The ex-president amassed a 4-point lead in Maricopa County, a bellwether county, getting 47 percent to the vice presidents 43 percent. Around 8 percent of voters were undecided, according to the survey.

The statewide poll was conducted Sept. 21-24 among 500 likely voters. It has a margin of error of 4.4 percentage points. The survey focused on Maricopa County was done over the same time period among an additional 300 likely voters, with a margin of error of 5.65 percentage points.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News.
Donald Trump threatened on Friday to direct the justice department to pursue criminal charges against Google if he is elected president, claiming the company was unfairly displaying negative news articles about him but not his 2024 election opponent, Kamala Harris.

The complaint  the latest threat on the campaign trail from Trump to wield the power of the presidency in response to enemies real or perceived  came in an abrupt post on Truth Social.

It has been determined that Google has illegally used a system of only revealing and displaying bad stories about Donald J Trump, some made up for this purpose while, at the same time, only revealing good stories about Comrade Kamala Harris, Trump said in the post.

Related: Vance to talk at tour hosted by prophet who thinks Harris practices witchcraft

This is an ILLEGAL ACTIVITY, and hopefully the Justice Department will criminally prosecute them for this blatant Interference of Elections. If not, and subject to the Laws of our Country, I will request their prosecution, when I win the Election and become President of the United States.

Trump did not address the possibility that there have been more negative stories about his campaign than Harriss in recent weeks, and what prompted him to lash out at Google was not immediately clear.

Google has said it does not manipulate search results to benefit a particular party. Both campaign websites consistently appear at the top of Search for relevant and common search queries, the company said in a statement.

Still, conservatives have long complained that Googles search results unfairly favor Democrats. The rightwing Media Research Center, which bills itself as a media watchdog for conservatives, has previously issued reports claiming Google helped Democrats.

The Trump campaign has also bitterly complained about the Harris campaign using the sponsored feature on Google search results to promote positive news coverage from outlets, including the Guardian, but with headlines rewritten by the campaign to favor Harris.

Trumps post about the Google search results was the latest instance of him vowing to prosecute supposed opponents.

This month, Trump threatened in another Truth Social post to pursue criminal charges against any lawyers, donors, political operatives and a range of other people who he believes engaged in supposed election fraud against him if he wins the presidential election in November.

At a news conference on Thursday, Trump said former House speaker Nancy Pelosi should face criminal prosecution for not preventing the January 6 Capitol attack, which was caused by his own supporters rioting to stop the peaceful transfer of power after the 2020 election.

And at a campaign rally in Michigan on Friday, Trump called for an attorney general in a Republican territory to investigate Pelosi and her husband over reports that they had sold Visa stock before the justice department brought an antitrust lawsuit against the credit-card company.
Former President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks about immigration and border security near Coronado National Memorial in Montezuma Pass, Arizona, August 22, 2024. (Photo by OLIVIER TOURON/AFP via Getty Images)

Immigration is one of the top issues for voters heading into Novembers election. Donald Trump has discussed his platform on the matter on the campaign trail, but a new study shows that the former president is proposing more extreme immigration restrictions, including removing migrants within the nations workforce.

In a report from the Peterson Institute for International Economics , Trump has talked about carrying out the "largest domestic deportation operation in American history," targeting what he says are 15 million to 20 million unauthorized immigrants in the U.S., approximately 8.3 million of whom are thought to be in the workforce.

Researchers in the study created a model to compare the effect Trumps plan to deport 1.3 million unauthorized immigrant workers versus 8.3 million unauthorized immigrant workers would have on the nations economy.

RELATED: Immigration and Border Security: Harris vs. Trump

The study notes that the team assumes the deportations Trump is proposing may happen between 2025 and 2026, with the total number of deportations being enforced beginning in 2025.

According to the report, deporting 1.3 million unauthorized workers reduces the agricultural workforce by 2.5%. But the impact of deporting all 8.3 million unauthorized immigrant workers would be greater with reductions in the workforce specifically in the agriculture, mining, and manufacturing industries.

Trump in his plan has suggested using local law enforcement, the National Guard, and the standing army to implement this plan, "moving thousands of troops currently stationed overseas" to the US-Mexico border and invoking the Insurrection Act of 1807 to permit the military to arrest unauthorized immigrants.

RELATED: Keeping Families In Place: Bidens new immigration policy opens, what to know

According to the study, Trump wants to expedite deportations of unauthorized migrants by modifying ICE deportation policies, allowing ICE agents to perform workplace raids rather than arresting people individually.

Meanwhile, Trump wants to deny due process to unauthorized immigrants and suspected members of drug cartels and criminal gangs. To mitigate the burden placed on existing ICE detention facilities and plans to build massive detention facilities along the border to hold migrants while they await deportation.

The Peterson Institute for International Economics notes that Trumps plan for mass deportation is inspired by "Operation Wetback" a 1956 campaign under the Eisenhower administration that deported 1.3 million people. The campaign used "military-style tactics" to gather and remove Mexican immigrants from the U.S.




Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar, along with Election Commissioners Gyanesh Kumar and SS Sandhu, reviewed preparedness in Maharashtra on Saturday for the upcoming assembly elections in the State. All District Election Officers (DEOs), Superintendents of Police (SPs), Municipal Commissioners (MCs), Divisional Commissioners, Commissioners of Police (CPs), and Inspector General's (IGs) were present in the meeting. During the meeting, CEC Rajiv Kumar directed all DEOs and SPs to ensure minimum facilities and proper management of voter queues at polling stations. He instructed the DEOs to personally visit polling stations to check all arrangements. "Put up benches for voters in queue, provide drinking water, and take care of parking in congested areas," he directed. He added that multiple polling stations in one location should have proper signage and directions to guide voters. The Election Commission also sought updates on electoral offences related to FIRs from the Lok Sabha elections in 2024. CEC Rajiv Kumar insisted on a swift response to fake news on social media, directing that all cases related to personnel, Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), and social media be reviewed. In the review meeting conducted on Friday CEC Kumar queried why over 100 police inspectors are in key positions in Mumbai. He pointed out that despite a directive issued on July 31, 2024, to transfer officials who have been in their current posts for more than three years, the state administration has not completed this process. He asked the Chief Secretary why the state is reluctant to transfer revenue officers from key posts, expressing his displeasure at the non-compliance with Election Commission orders. Additionally, Kumar instructed the Excise Commissioner to stop the flow of illegal liquor from neighbouring states ahead of the elections. "Directed the Excise Commissioner to keep a close eye on the movement and distribution of any kind of illegal liquor in the state," sources reported. The CEC further directed enforcement agencies to check helicopters of all leaders and star campaigners, stating, "No favours to anyone and all to be treated equally." He warned against illegal cash movement disguised as police vans and ambulances, stressing that "agencies should closely monitor illegal cash movement." The CEC also ordered the Narcotics Control Bureau Director to watch for inter-border drug movement and ensure strict surveillance on critical routes. The ECI delegation led by CEC Rajiv Kumar is in Mumbai to oversee preparations for the assembly elections, which will be held in 288 constituencies, with election dates yet to be announced. The term of the Maharashtra assembly ends on November 26 and the upcoming elections are set to see a contest between the Maha Vikas Aghadi coalition and the Maha Yuti Alliance. (ANI)
Two children killed by fallen tree during Hurricane Helene in Sandersville

By Marc Liverman and Julie Fries, Photo by Marc Liverman

SANDERSVILLE, G.A. (WGXA)  Two children have died after being crushed by a tree overnight in Sandersville.

The family says a seven-year-old girl and four-year-old boy were sleeping when the tree crashed into the home on South Hospital Road around 4 AM Friday.

The family said the tree brought down a power line, which they believe sparked a fire at the home.

ALSO ON WJBF: Local coroners confirm 17 storm-related deaths across the CSRA

The parents and their 11-year-old daughter escaped. They were sleeping on the other side of the home, which was not damaged.

That tree and others in the area came down when Hurricane Helene made its way across Central Georgia.

Neighbors say they are already helping the family with clothes and other items.

WGXA is an ABC sister station.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WJBF.
Two Delta Airlines ramp agents were arrested for smuggling more than $3 million worth of ketamine through John F. Kennedy International Airport, federal authorities said.

Two Delta Airlines ramp agents were arrested for smuggling more than $3 million worth of ketamine through John F. Kennedy International Airport, federal authorities said.

Leandro Alleyne and Fabian Innis were collared after they were allegedly spotted grabbing backpacks and suitcases off a just-arrived flight Sept. 19, loading them onto a baggage transportation vehicle before ferrying the luggage to a deserted area of the tarmac, according to court papers.

Neither agent had authority to remove luggage, and Alleyne was not assigned to use the baggage vehicle at the time, authorities said.

Investigators for the US Department of Homeland Security spotted Alleyne, 38, of Brooklyn, and Innis, as they approached Flight 219, which had arrived from Copenhagen, Denmark, and later swooped in after the pair had started opening the bags, according to court documents.

They discovered each backpack contained multiple clear plastic bags containing a white crystallized substance, which field tests confirmed as ketamine. The pair were caught with 134 pounds of the drug, with a street value of $3 million, officials said.

Four of the suitcases bore luggage tags with the names of two different Flight 219 passengers, prosecutors said in Brooklyn Federal Court papers. The complaint did not specify if the passengers were part of the smuggling operation, but did say Alleyne and Innis were working with others.

Delta personnel told investigators there was no legitimate reason for Alleyne and Innis to transport baggage or remove the contents of any checked bags, the feds said in court papers. Getty Images

It appears that the backpacks were stowed away within the luggage. Somebody on the other side must have put the backpacks into the luggage after they went through customs, a source told The Post. It looks like an inside job.

Delta personnel told investigators there was no legitimate reason for Alleyne and Innis to transport baggage or remove the contents of any checked bags, the feds said in court papers.

Leandro Alleyne has been a baggage/ramp agent with Delta since 2011, according to his LinkedIn page. He notes, I am a hard worker, a team player, always on time for everything and I could get alone [sic] and work with anybody. Linkedin Leandro Alleyne

Innis allegedly confessed he has done this at least five to 10 times in the past with Alleyne and he knew the bags contained drugs based on conversations with Alleyne, but did not know the type of drug, authorities said in legal papers.

He was paid approximately $4,000 to $5,000 per flight, Innis said before he was arrested, according to federal authorities.

That is a very large amount of ketamine, Special Narcotics Prosecutor Bridget G. Brennan, who is not handling the matter, told The Post. If I were running that case, Id be more interested in where it was going rather than where it was coming from, because that is what would have the greatest impact on our community.

The US Attorneys Office in Brooklyn declined comment.

Authorities said they seized four backpacks containing ketamine. US District Court Easyet District of New York

Delta has zero tolerance for unlawful conduct by anyone at any place in our global operation and will always work with law enforcement to that end, a Delta spokesman said.

Both defendants pleaded not guilty to charges of drug importation and drug smuggling, and were each released on a $50,000 bond.

Ketamine, a decades-old surgical drug, has made headlines recently as a trendy psychedelic therapy which caused the death of Friends actor Matthew Perry.
ALEXANDRIA, Va. (DC News Now) The Alexandria Police Department (ADP) said two teen boys were shot while inside a car early Saturday.

In a post on X just before 3 a.m., APD said that it was dispatched to the 1100 block of Wythe St. due to a shooting.

When police arrived at the scene, they found two teen boys shot inside a vehicle.

Man killed in double shooting in Prince Georges County

Responders took both of them to the hospital.

One teen is in critical condition, and the other teen is in stable condition.

Anyone with information is encouraged to call police at 703-746-4444.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to DC News Now | Washington, DC.
Another court has ruled against former presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. in his quest to have his name removed from Michigan's presidential ballot ahead of the Nov. 5 election.

On Friday, the Cincinnati-based 6th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals declined to overturn a previous ruling from a federal judge in Detroit who agreed with both Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson and the Michigan Supreme Court that it was too late to have Kennedy's name removed from the state's presidential ballot.

Kennedy could still appeal the decision to the U.S. Supreme Court, which would be under no obligation to hear the case when justices return to the bench in October for their 2024-2025 term. But with absentee ballots already available to voters in Michigan, it's unclear how removing Kennedy's name could actually work.

The appeals panel ruled 2-1, with Circuit Judges Eric Clay and Rachel Bloomenkatz affirming a decision made by U.S. District Judge Denise Page Hood. Circuit Judge David McKeague dissented. Clay is an appointee of former President Bill Clinton; Bloomenkatz is an appointee of President Joe Biden and McKeague is an appointee of former President George W. Bush.

"The public interest is perhaps the most paramount here," Clay wrote. "By the time the district court ruled, at least 45 of Michigans counties, including its two largest ones, had begun to print ballots. Changing the ballot at this late a date would be even more disruptive. The ballots are now printed."

Kennedy dropped his bid for president on August 23, when he announced he was endorsing former President Donald Trump. In order to not take votes away from Trump, Kennedy's campaign sought to have his name removed from the ballot in 10 competitive states, including Michigan.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speaks in Walker at Donald Trumps rally on Friday, Sept. 27 at the FALK Production.

But Kennedy has had mixed success. While his name will no longer appear on presidential ballots in states like Pennsylvania, Arizona and North Carolina, he remains an option for voters in Michigan and Wisconsin.

Before Kennedy's announcement that he wanted to have his name removed from the ballot in Michigan, Benson's office had already stated it was too late. Kennedy originally obtained ballot access through a minor political party, the Natural Law Party of Michigan. But by the time he intended withdraw, the statutory deadline for minor political parties to nominate presidential candidates in Michigan had already passed, Benson's office said.

More: In Michigan Trump calls for slashing corporate taxes, hiking tariffs on foreign products

More: Watch: 'I dont want you to vote for me,' RFK Jr. tells Michiganders

In his dissent, McKeague wrote Kennedy was entitled to be removed from the ballot because he no longer is seeking the presidency, which is not conveyed by his remaining on the ballot.

"As it stands, the presidential ballot in Michigan conveys to the public that Kennedy is still seeking votes for the presidency. This is a message that Kennedy expressly disavowed on August 23, and yet it is now perpetuated by Secretary Bensons actions. Thus, her decision is subject to strict scrutiny, a test which she surely fails," McKeague wrote.

After Benson declined to remove Kennedy from the ballot, he filed a lawsuit in state court. A district judge sided with Benson, but Kennedy was successful at the Michigan Court of Appeals, only to have the Michigan Supreme Court side with Benson again. He then took the case to federal court, where he has so far again been unsuccessful.

Before suspending his campaign, Kennedy had obtained ballot access in Michigan after being nominated by the Natural Law Party of Michigan. In court filings, the party said it wanted Kennedy to remain on the ballot.

Kennedy is the nephew of former President John F. Kennedy, who was assassinated in 1963, and the son of Robert F. Kennedy, who was assassinated while running for president in 1968.

He was in Michigan Thursday and Friday, first holding an event in Bath Township, then appearing at Trump's rally in Walker.

He told supporters at the rally Friday he ended his presidential campaign because he didnt want to take votes away from Trump.

So far, theyve won that battle, Kennedy said of recent litigation. So, my name is going to appear on the Michigan ballot. But I dont want you to vote for me. I want you to vote for Donald J. Trump.

Election Day in Michigan is Tuesday, Nov. 5. The state is expected to be a key battleground in determining the outcome of the presidential election between Trump and the Democratic nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris.

Contact Arpan Lobo: alobo@freepress.com

Looking for more on Michigans elections this year? Check out our voter guide, subscribe to our elections newsletter and always feel free to share your thoughts in a letter to the editor.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: RFK Jr. loses federal appeal to be removed from Michigan ballot
U.S. army soldiers, part of the Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve, the U.S.-led coalition against the Islamic State, stand on duty at the K1 airbase northwest of Kirkuk in northern Iraq on March 29, 2020. Credit - Ahmad Al-RubayeAFP/Getty Images

After negotiating for most of the year, U.S. and Iraqi officials finally reached a deal on Friday over the U.S. presence in Iraqone that is frankly long overdue.

Although U.S. officials insist that Washington wont be pulling all 2,500 troops out of the country and are hesitant to use the term withdrawal, the U.S. will be thinning out its deployment over the next two years. According to the two-phase plan presented on Sept. 27, the U.S.-backed counter-Islamic State (IS) mission in Iraq will formally end by September 2025 and remove U.S. troops from certain bases in the country. In the second phase, Iraq has agreed to allow the U.S. military to continue using Iraq to support ongoing operations against IS in neighboring Syria, where some 900 American troops are based, through 2026, the Associated Press reported.

The announcement is likely to calm those in the national security establishmentlawmakers, commentators, and former generals alikewho are forever petrified about a full U.S. withdrawal and quick to argue it would be dangerous to U.S. interests. Earlier this month, House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Rogers wrote on X, Withdrawing from Iraq in this way would benefit and embolden Iran and ISIS. I am deeply concerned about the impacts such a decision would have on our national security. Retired Gen. Joseph Votel, a former commander of U.S. forces in the Middle East, also claimed that a U.S. departure would inevitably cause IS to resurge as it seeks to fill the vacuum left behind.

But these critiques dont hold up to scrutiny. The U.S. needs a clean break, not a conditions-based transition that could extend its mission for years to come. (The Biden Administration has refused to provide details on how many U.S. troops will remain in Iraq.)

First, its important to note that the U.S. has already achieved its counter-IS objectives in Iraq. From the moment the Obama Administration cobbled together a large coalition and began striking IS positions in September 2014, the U.S. mission was clear and measurable: eliminate IS territorial caliphate, which at its height was as large as Britain, encompassed approximately 8 million people, and earned around $1 million a day from oil sales on the black market. IS was a highly committed opponent at the time and one of the richest terrorist organizations in history, boasting tens of thousands of fighters from more than 80 countries.

IS, however, always had a fundamental weakness: it had no friends, let alone allies, and alienated everybody in its path. The groups utter depravity toward local populations as well as its desire to supplant governments was ultimately its undoing. The West, with the U.S. in the lead, viewed IS as a magnet for jihadists who sought to attack its people. Minorities like the Kurds and Yezidis saw IS as a bunch of messianic, bloodthirsty brutes who sought to wipe out their communities. And states that otherwise had intense geopolitical rivalries with each otherIran, Russia, Iraq, Syria, Turkey, and the Gulf states to name but a fewall agreed that destroying IS was in their collective interest.

The results speak for themselves. Courtesy of an intense three-year U.S. bombing operation, combined with a hard-fought ground campaign that included everybody from U.S. special operations forces and the Iraqi army to the Kurdish peshmerga and Iranian-backed Shia militias, IS advances were stopped and rolled back. By December 2017, the Iraqi government declared that IS territorial caliphate was in the ash heap of history (a similar declaration was made in Syria about 15 months later). The caliphate remains eliminated to this day, so much so that a senior U.S. official participated in a think-tank event earlier this year marking the 5th anniversary of its defeat.

Many in the Beltway argue that just because IS territorial caliphate is no longer around, that doesnt mean the threat is over. This is a legitimate concern; IS is reportedly on track to more than double the number of attacks in Iraq and Syria compared to last year.

Yet to think that the entire counter-IS effort will unravel absent U.S. troops is to leave all the other local actors without agency. The Iraqi government, the Turks, the Russians, and even the loathed Assad regime continue to have a self-interest in ensuring that IS doesnt rebuild its caliphate. Their military capabilities against IS are also better today than when the mission began a decade ago. The Iraqi army is as proficient at planning, organizing, and conducting independent operations against IS holdouts along the countrys periphery than it has ever been. The same thing can be said about the peshmerga, which according to the Defense Departments Inspector General for the counter-IS mission, has improved mission planning and counterinsurgency operations in their area of responsibility.

The U.S. would still have options even in the event of a full troop withdrawal. The U.S. intelligence community would surely remain laser-focused on the group and wont hesitate to take action in the event an imminent plot is detected or a high-profile terrorist rears his head. The U.S. has proven it can do both without a ground presence. In August 2022, a year after the U.S. withdrew from Afghanistan, Washington killed Al-Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahiri in a drone strike. This January, the U.S. warned Iran about a pending IS attack that eventually came to fruition. In March, the U.S. did the same with Russia, sharing highly specific intelligence on an IS-orchestrated plot in Moscow the Russians unfortunately failed to stop.

Is IS completely down and out? No, but thats the wrong question. The right question is whether U.S. interests are best served by staying put in Iraq in perpetuity, particularly when doing so presents even more security problems.

The U.S. ground presence is a gift to Iran and its allied militias in the Middle East. Thats because the presence of U.S. bases on foreign lands give them a rallying call and a nearby target; U.S. troops have been targeted more than 200 times since October in large part over Washingtons support for Israel. One of those attacks, in late January, killed three U.S. personnel at a small outpost in Jordan, near its border with Iraq and Syria.

President Biden retaliated by striking dozens of militia and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps positions in Iraq and Syria. Yet rocket attacks resumed in July, and in August, five U.S. troops were wounded as two rockets slammed into the al-Asad air base. The U.S., in other words, is taking unnecessary risk on behalf of a mission that was achieved years prior.

The Biden Administration has set the stage for a more normal, business-like relationship with the Iraqi government. The outstanding question, which is still to be determined, is whether the next President will finally realize that the U.S. has achieved all it can in Iraq. And if so, when?

Contact us at letters@time.com.
Georgia and John McGinty were seriously injured in an Uber crash in 2022 [Georgia McGinty]

A couple who were left with life-changing injuries after their Uber crashed have been told they cannot sue the company because of the terms they accepted when using the app.

Georgia and John McGinty, from New Jersey, in the US, are bound by a clause saying they could not take the case to a jury in a court of law.

State judges ruled they had clicked a "confirm" button on the app on more than one occasion when asked if they agreed with Uber's terms of use.

The McGintys argue they had not understood they were forfeiting their right to sue the company.

They told the BBC the most recent time the terms were agreed to was when their daughter, then 12, had accepted them prior to ordering a pizza on Uber Eats.

"How would I ever remotely think that my ability to protect my constitutional rights to a trial would be waived by me ordering food?" said Mrs McGinty.

Uber told BBC News: "Our Terms of Use are clear that these types of claims should be resolved in arbitration. Its important to highlight that the court concluded the plaintiff herself, not her daughter, agreed to Uber's Terms of Use on multiple occasions."

Arbitration means the dispute is settled through a third party rather than in court - in this case a lawyer appointed by Uber.

Legal experts say it tends to result in smaller financial settlements.

The case has parallels with Disney's attempt to avoid being sued over a death at Disney World - in its case over the terms of a Disney+ membership - before the company changed its mind.

Pain every day

In March 2022, Georgia and John McGinty were riding in an Uber in New Jersey when it crashed, and they suffered extensive injuries.

Mrs McGinty's injuries included spine fractures and traumatic injuries to her abdominal wall.

"I was in the critical care unit for a week," she told the BBC.

"I had a horrible post-operative infection and almost died during this time, I wasn't able to care for my child who was suffering from unrelated injury," she said.

John fractured his sternum and sustained injuries to his hand.

"I shattered my wrist, broke my hand, and I have a steel rod with about nine pins in it. I don't have full function of my left hand," he said.

"I am in pain every day."

He added that they "accumulated a tremendous amount of medical debt" and still need further medical treatment in the future, including a possible third operation for Georgia.

A photo of the Uber car in the scrapyard after the crash [Michael Shapiro]

The couple attempted to sue Uber over the crash, citing the seventh amendment of the US Constitution, which grants people the right to a trial by jury.

But the tech firm argued that the couple could not take the case in front of a jury because of a clause in Uber's US Terms of Use.

The Superior Court of New Jersey, Appellate Division agreed.

"We hold that the arbitration provision contained in the agreement under review, which Georgia or her minor daughter, while using her cell phone agreed to, is valid and enforceable," its judgement says.

The judgment found the child had clicked the button to say she was 18 despite not being.

Referring to her daughter's use of Uber Eats, Mrs McGinty says she does not know how it can be right that she is considered to have "authorised my child to waive our rights to go to a trial if we're injured in a car accident."

"I don't know how anybody makes that leap," she said.

How does arbitration work?

Arbitration clauses are "very common," especially when dealing with large corporations, said Ted Spaulding, a personal injury lawyer based in the state of Georgia.

An arbitrator is "most often a lawyer who does this for a living," he said, who can "act like a judge and a jury".

They decide on an outcome after weighing up arguments from both sides, and their fee is often split between both parties.

In the US, the enforceability of arbitration clauses differs state by state.

In its case, Disney used the arbitration clause in their terms to argue that a man whose wife died at Disney World could not sue them in a court of law.

Jeffrey Piccolo filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Disney after his wife, Dr Kanokporn Tangsuan, died following an allergic reaction at a restaurant, run by a third party, at Disney World Florida in 2023.

Disney said Mr Piccolo had waived his right to a jury trial when he signed up to a free trial of Disney+ in 2019.

Disney later withdrew its claim to arbitration and opted to proceed with a jury trial after media coverage of the lawsuit.

"We believe this situation warrants a sensitive approach to expedite a resolution for the family who have experienced such a painful loss," Disney executive Josh D'Amaro told the BBC in a statement in August.

Mr Spaulding says: "The law understandably says, 'Look, you have the duty to know what you're signing'," referring to the terms and conditions people often accept when using a product or a service.

However, he says "the scope should be within the transaction that you're agreeing to".

Georgia and John McGinty say the Uber case has been "absolutely devastating" to their family.

Georgia says their daughter, now 14, "suffered a lot of trauma as a result".

She had a separate physical health issue which she was going through at the time, which her parents found difficult to help with while going through their own injuries.

"Years of her life with her parents... were taken away," she says.

"Luckily, she's a fighter, like her parents are," says John.

"We are inadvertently teaching her adversity and strength and family and prayer and resilience."

Uber told BBC News: "The court concluded that on multiple occasions the plaintiff herself agreed to Uber's Terms of Use, including the arbitration agreement."

The company added: "We are dedicated to road safety."
The United Nations Security Council meets on the escalation in fighting in Lebanon between Israel and Hezbollah during the United Nations General Assembly

LONDON (Reuters) - British Foreign Secretary David Lammy said he had spoken with Lebanon's Prime Minister Najib Mikati on Saturday, following an Israeli airstrike on Beirut which killed Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah.

"We agreed on the need for an immediate ceasefire to bring an end to the bloodshed. A diplomatic solution is the only way to restore security and stability for the Lebanese and Israeli people," Lammy said in a statement on social media platform X.

Earlier in the week Lammy told the United Nations' General Assembly that there should be an immediate ceasefire between Lebanon's Hezbollah and Israel and that a full-blown war was not in the interest of the people in the region.

Britain's foreign ministry has advised its nationals to leave Lebanon as soon as possible.

(Reporting by David Milliken; editing by Jason Neely)
Starmer accepted free gifts and hospitality worth more than 100,000 (LEON NEAL) (LEON NEAL/GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/Getty Images via AFP)

The new government of UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer reeled from its first resignation Saturday, as lawmaker Rosie Duffield quit the Labour Party, accusing him of "hypocrisy" over his acceptance of free gifts.

In a blistering resignation letter, Duffield denounced Starmer for pursuing "cruel and unnecessary" policies.

"The sleaze, nepotism and apparent avarice are off the scale," she wrote, after it emerged earlier this month that Starmer had accepted more than 100,000 in gifts and hospitality while cutting an annual 300 winter heating payment to some 10 million pensioners.

"I am so ashamed of what you and your inner circle have done to tarnish and humiliate our once proud party.

Duffield said the "hypocrisy" of a leader enjoying expensive free clothing and outings while asking others to tighten their belts was "staggering".

She also attacked the prime minister's decision to maintain a cap on a benefit aimed at supporting families with children.

"Someone with far-above-average wealth choosing to keep the Conservatives two-child limit to benefit payments which entrenches children in poverty, while inexplicably accepting expensive personal gifts of designer suits and glasses costing more than most of those people can grasp - this is entirely undeserving of holding the title of Labour Prime Minister, she wrote.

Duffield said that she would in the future sit as an independent MP "guided by my core Labour values".

The row over the free gifts from rich donors had already cast a shadow over the party's first conference since they returned to government.

Labour ousted the Conservatives in a landslide election win in July after 14 years in opposition.

But instead of toasting their victory at the conference earlier this week, ministers found themselves on the backfoot and facing anger from the normally supportive unions.

- Financial 'black hole' -

All of the gifts accepted by Starmer had been declared and none fall foul of parliamentary rules.

But records show that Starmer accepted more than 100,000 ($132,000) in gifts and hospitality since December 2019, more than any other lawmaker.

It also emerged that Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner accepted the loan of a New York apartment for a holiday and that Chancellor Rachel Reeves accepted around 7,500 worth of clothing.

Reeves and the Labour party have defended the abolition of the 300 payment to many pensioners to help them heat their homes, citing a need to fill a "22 billion black hole" they say was left by the Conservatives.

Attacking Starmer's "managerial and technocratic approach" in her letter, first reported in The Sunday Times, Duffield also reproached Starmer for poor politics.

His "lack of basic... political instincts" had "come crashing down on us as a party after we worked so hard, promised so much, and waited a long 14 years to be mandated by the British public".

Starmer lost a symbolic vote at the conference demanding that he reverse the contentious policy.

The vote was non-binding but its outcome was nonetheless embarrassing for the premier.

It highlighted the strength of feeling among activists and union backers.

Delegates narrowly backed a union motion calling for the cut to be reversed.

"I do not understand how our new Labour Government can cut the winter fuel allowance for pensioners and leave the super rich untouched," said the Unite union general secretary Sharon Graham.

har/yad
Rubble in the aftermath of a double Russian drone strike on a hospital in the Ukrainian city of Sumy on Saturday is shown in a photo provided by military authorities. Ten people were killed and 22 were wounded in the strikes. Photo provided by Sumy Regional Military Administration/Telegram

Sept. 28 (UPI) -- Authorities said 10 people died and 22 were wounded in a "double-tap" airstrike on a hospital in the Ukrainian city of Sumy on Saturday as President Volodymyr Zelensky denounced what called Russia's "war" on medical facilities.

The Sumy Regional Military Administration said in a Telegram post that of the 22 wounded, 15 survivors were hospitalized, including five in serious condition and seven victims who were receiving outpatient treatment.

All of the hospital's patients were evacuated to other healthcare facilities, authorities said.

Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said the first of the two attacks killed one person, destroyed several floors of the structure and brought rescuers to the scene. Then, while first responders were evacuating victims, "the enemy struck again," he said.

The Ukrainian Air Force reported that Russian forces hit another part of Sumy Oblast with a powerful KAB-guided bomb attack on Saturday. The area is near the Russian-Ukrainian border and has become a constant target for Russian attacks in the wake of Ukraine's successful counter-offensive incursion into the neighboring Kursk Oblast of Russia,

Rubble in the aftermath of a double Russian drone strike on a hospital in the Ukrainian city of Sumy on Saturday is shown in a photo provided by military authorities. Ten people were killed and 22 were wounded in the strikes. Photo provided by Sumy Regional Military Administration/Telegram

Zelensky said help is being provided to the victims of the hospital attack.

Sumy. Russia hit one of the city's hospitals with "Shahed" drones. As of now, we know that 8 people have been killed. My condolences to their families and friends. Eleven others have been wounded, and 113 patients have been evacuated from the hospital. The rescue operation is... pic.twitter.com/liI6SVKvg7 Volodymyr Zelenskyy /   (@ZelenskyyUa) September 28, 2024

"The rescue operation is ongoing as we continue to address the aftermath and save lives," he wrote in a social media post. "We are doing everything possible to provide our people with the help they need.

"Everyone in the world who speaks about this war must pay attention to what Russia is targeting," he added. "They are waging war on hospitals, civilian objects, and people's lives. Only strength can force Russia into peace. Peace through strength is the only right way. I thank everyone who supports us on this path."
Ukraine says nine killed in Russia strikes on hospital

A fire that broke out after the Russian strikes was later contained, Ukrainian officials say [Zelenskiy / Official]

Nine people have been killed in twin Russian drone strikes on a hospital in Ukraine's north-eastern city of Sumy, Ukrainian officials say.

They say the building was hit on Saturday morning, and was struck again when rescuers were evacuating people.

At least 12 people were injured in the attack that destroyed several floors of the hospital and triggered a fire.

Ukraine's state emergencies service DSNS says 122 people have been evacuated.

Sumy, about 30km (19 miles) from the Russian border, has seen almost daily Russian attacks in recent weeks.

The Saint Panteleimon hospital in Sumy was hit by Shahed kamikaze drones, Ukrainian officials say, adding that dozens of patients and staff were inside at the time.

A nurse and a police officer who had been aiding the evacuation were among those killed in the strikes.

The DSNS said three floors of the four-storey building, as well as the roof were partially destroyed.

It said a fire that broke out after the strikes was later contained.

Several residential buildings in the area were also damaged.

Reacting to the Russian strikes, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urged the world to "pay attention to what Russia is targeting.

"They are waging war on hospitals, civilian objects, and peoples lives," he said in a statement on social media.

Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

In its latest operational update on Saturday, the Russian defence ministry says its forces carried out strikes on several Ukrainian brigades in the Sumy region.

The defence ministry did not comment on the reported hospital strikes.

Sumy borders Russias Kursk region, where Ukraine launched its surprise incursion in August, capturing at least one town and a number of villages.

The apparent aim of the offensive was to halt Russia's advance in eastern Ukraine by redeploying troops to Kursk.

However, Russian troops have since claimed to have captured several villages in Ukraine's Donetsk region, and are now threatening a key town of Vuhledar.

Saturday's strikes come a day after Zelensky met Donald Trump in New York. The Republican presidential nominee has repeatedly criticised the Ukrainian leader on the US campaign trail, and a meeting between the pair had seemed unlikely until hours before.

On Thursday, the Ukrainian leader met US President Joe Biden and Vice-President Kamala Harris at the White House to discuss his "victory plan", which he hopes will pressure Russia into agreeing a diplomatic end to the war.

Hours before, Biden had announced a further $7.9bn (5.9bn) package of military assistance to Ukraine.

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The Hathras Police registered a separate FIR against DL Public School and its owner Dinesh Bhagel for violating school norms, police officials confirmed on Saturday. The FIR is registered u/s 211/223/318(3)/318(4) of BNS and u/s 17 and 18 of RTE act at Sahpau police station. The father of the deceased Kishan Kushwaha said that he has not received any updates on the case from the police. "This incident is of September 23, since then I haven't gotten any information from the police, or any other update. Everything I have got to know is through the media itself," he said. He also said that according to him this is not a matter of 'black magic' "The post mortem report of my child clearly states that he was choked and also a hand was put over his mouth to stop him from breathing. He has been killed mercilessly. We can go, but this report can't go away," Kushwaha said. The father further demanded that the culprits be given the death penalty. "My child needs justice, so I want quick justice for my child and want the monsters responsible to be given the death penalty," he added. Earlier, Hathras Basic Siksha Adhikari (BSA), Swati Bharti, on Friday ordered to close the DL Public School in which an 11-year-old boy was allegedly murdered as part of the 'black magic ritual'. Hathras Additional Superintendent of Police, Ashok Kumar Singh, said, "On 23rd September, a student was murdered at the hostel of DL Public School under Sahpau PS. A case was registered under relevant sections on the basis of the statement of the complainant. Five accused, including the owner of the school, have been arrested. They have been sent to judicial custody. Police will take action by investigating all angles." The latest FIR has been registered under Section 211, 223, 318(3), 318(4) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), said the police. The school was reportedly being run 'illegally' till class 8 while having recognition till class 5 only. Bharti has also registered a case against the manager of the school on the allegation of murdering the student as part of the black magic for the progress of the school. According to the police, the boy was allegedly murdered on September 23 at the hostel of the school. The police have arrested the five accused. They are identified as Ramprakash Solanki, Dinesh Baghel, Jashodhan Singh alias Bhagat ji, Laxman Singh, and Virpal Singh alias Viru. Earlier, the mother of the deceased, Kamlesh, grieving the death of her son, said that the bulldozer should be run over the school. "Bulldozer should be run on the school. There should be a CBI inquiry in the case. The culprits should be hanged," Kamlesh said. Additionally, Congress leader Supriya Shrinate had also called for strict action against those involved in the alleged murder of the child. She expressed concern that the country seems to have regressed in recent years. "I can't believe that in the 21st century, 78 years after India's independence, we are witnessing such things...5 people from school are involved in this incident...we sent our children to school so that they can study and become something, so that they can be safe...there should be strict action against this...now it feels like in the past few years, our country has gone backwards," Shrinate said. (ANI)
Ukraine says 10 killed in Russian strikes on hospital

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned Moscow for "waging war on hospitals" after Russian strikes on a hospital in the border city of Sumy killed 10 people Saturday.

Ukrainian Interior Minister Igor Klymenko wrote on Telegram that the first strike "killed one person" and damaged several floors of the hospital.

"During the evacuation of patients, the enemy struck again," he added.

Sumy lies just across the border from Russia's Kursk region, where Kyiv launched a surprise offensive on August 6, aimed in part at creating a "buffer zone" inside Russia.

"Russia hit one of the city's hospitals with Shahed drones," Zelensky wrote on Telegram.

The attack hit the St Panteleimon Clinical Hospital near the city centre, officials said, with a nurse among the dead.

The attack comes as Zelensky is pressing Kyiv's Western allies to allow the use of long-range precision weapons to strike deep inside Russia.

"Everyone in the world who speaks about this war must pay attention to what Russia is targeting. They are waging war on hospitals, civilian facilities and people's lives," the president said.

Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmygal said the attack was "more evidence of Russia's war crimes".

Zelensky posted photos of smoke pouring from windows above the destroyed entrance to the hospital, rescuers carrying patients down the stairs and treating two policemen lying on the ground.

On Saturday morning, three drones attacked the regional capital city and two hit the hospital, Ukraine's air force said.

A first strike was followed by another around an hour later on Saturday morning, officials said, apparently targeting the rescue operation to maximise casualties.

- 'Lying on the street dead' -

Russia has destroyed or damaged at least 1,736 medical facilities in Ukraine since its February 2022 invasion, Human Rights Watch reported in July.

These have included a children's hospital in Kyiv in July and a maternity hospital in Mariupol in March 2022.

Regional prosecutors said the first attack took place at around 7:35 am (0435 GMT) and the second about an hour later.

Images posted by officials showed body bags lying on the pavement outside the four-storey building with a destroyed entrance and the roof partially ripped off.

The hospital's director Volodymyr Potseluyev told Suspilne media outlet that the hospital's admission department, casualty department and fourth floor were destroyed.

He said seriously injured patients had been transferred to intensive care units at other hospitals.

Regional authorities said the strikes also hit a residential area and posted images of flats with broken windows.

Dobrobat, a volunteer group that helps repair damaged homes, wrote on Facebook that its volunteers were working at the scene when the second strike came.

It posted a video showing thick smoke, explosions and people rushing to take shelter as sirens wailed.

"People are just lying on the street dead," a volunteer said, filming himself on his phone.

Ukraine's air force reported shooting down 68 Russian attack drones out of 73 in multiple regions overnight, including Sumy, and two out of four cruise missiles launched overnight by Russia.

In the central city of Kryvyi Rig, rescuers pulled another body from the rubble of a police office building struck by a missile on Friday, regional governor Sergiy Lysak said, taking the toll to four.

A drone strike in a border village in the eastern Kharkiv region killed one man and wounding three women, regional governor Oleg Synegubov said.

In Russia's Belgorod border region, governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said a local resident was killed Saturday morning by a drone attack.

Closing his visit to the United States, Zelensky released a statement later Saturday thanking US President Joe Biden for the latest military aid package of $8 billion, and the US Congress for its "unwavering" support.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov warned European countries against seeking confrontation with Moscow in a speech to the UN General Assembly in New York.

Western countries "hope to defeat Russia using the illegitimate neo-Nazi Kyiv regime, but they're already preparing Europe for it to also throw itself into this suicidal escapade," he said.

"I'm not going to talk here about the senselessness and the danger of the very idea of trying to fight to victory with a nuclear power."

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Admiral Robert Bauer, Chairman of the NATO Military Committee, believes that the Ukrainian operation in Russia's Kursk Oblast has created a strategic problem for Kremlin ruler Vladimir Putin.

Source: Bauer in an interview with Interfax-Ukraine news agency, as reported by European Pravda

Details: Commenting on the course of Russia's war against Ukraine, Bauer noted that both sides are dealing with similar challenges, such as personnel shortages, the training of new recruits, and the need to secure additional resources and ammunition.

Bauer predicted that the Russians would likely attempt to launch an attack when the time was right, and Ukraine would consider the possibility of counterattacks.

The official noted that Kursk is an excellent example of where a counter-offensive was launched and where Ukraine launched an incursion. "For the first time since 1941, a foreign power is on Russian soil. That is a strategic problem for Russia. And it also presents operational problems for Russia because of the logistic lines that go through Kursk," the admiral stated.

At the same time, he noted that "there are a number of successes" for Ukraine due to the Kursk counter-offensive, although some things are not happening most likely as planned, as intended.

"Perhaps Ukraine expected more troops to be drawn away from Donbas into Kursk Oblast to solve the problem in Kursk. And that has not happened as much as probably everybody thought," Bauer said.

He also explained that the operation in Russia's Kursk Oblast should be viewed in a layered manner, considering the strategic, operational, and tactical levels.

"If you look at the strategic level, Ukraine creates a strategic dilemma for Russia. When Putin says he defends the motherland, he is not successful because Ukraine is now in Russia. That's not good. So I think that is a smart move [by] Ukraine. Therefore, it led to a discussion in Russia about what we are going to do about this. Are we going to refocus from the Donbas to Kursk or not?" Bauer added.

He also stated that Russian forces are "slowly" making progress in Donbas "with heavy losses".

"[These arent] huge gains, but [theyre] gains. And Ukraine continues to defend itself very bravely and to the most extent very effectively," he said.

Background:

Earlier, Estonian Defence Minister Hanno Pevkur noted that the operation in Kursk Oblast could help Ukraine gain a better position for negotiations with Russia.

In his turn, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg believes that Ukraine has achieved "a lot" during the operation in Russia's Kursk Oblast.

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Ukraine's air defence responds to Russian drones on approaches to Kyiv and in Kyiv Oblast

Mobile fire group. Stock photo: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine

Ukraines air defence responded to Russian drones in Kyiv Oblast on the night of 27-28 September.

Source: Kyiv Oblast Military Administration; Kyiv City Military Administration

Quote: "Enemy UAVs were detected in the airspace. Air defence is responding to the airborne assets."

Details: An air-raid warning was issued in the city of Kyiv and Kyiv Oblast at around 02:00.

Updated: At 02:40, the all-clear was given in Kyiv.

At 03:35, an air-raid warning was issued again.

At 04:46, Kyiv Oblast Military Administration again reported an air defence operation, and explosions were heard in Kyiv.

At 04:54, Kyiv City Military Administration confirmed that air defence was responding in the oblast, near Kyiv.

The all-clear was given in Kyiv at 06:01.

Background: On the evening of 27 September, Russian attack drones entered Ukrainian airspace. An air-raid warning was issued in several oblasts.

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Leonid Loboyko, a judge on Ukraine's Supreme Court, was killed on Sept. 28 by a Russian drone strike in the village of Kozacha Lopan in Kharkiv Oblast.

A Russian FPV drone struck a civilian vehicle on Sept. 28, killing the driver immediately, the Kharkiv Oblast regional prosecutor's office reported.

The Supreme Court's press service later identified the victim as Loboyko.

Loboyko, 61, was a Supreme Court judge of the Cassation Criminal Court. He was reportedly delivering humanitarian aid to residents of the village at the time of the attack.

"In the hearts of all who knew Leonid Loboyko, he will always be remembered as a kind, wise and compassionate person," the Supreme Court's press office said in a statement.

Three women were also injured in the drone strike. They were in the vehicle when it was hit and have all been hospitalized.

Attacks on civilian targets are a daily reality in Kharkiv Oblast. On the same day Loboyko was killed, a Russian airstrike on the village of Slatyne killed three people and injured three others.

Read also: Russian gains near Pokrovsk put civilians in line of fire

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
By David Milliken

LONDON (Reuters) - Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said he ordered military chiefs to plan a raid on a Dutch factory in March 2021 to secure 5 million COVID vaccines that the European Union had threatened to bar from being exported to Britain.

Johnson said the deputy chief of Britain's defence staff at the time, Lieutenant General Doug Chalmers, had told him a raid using small boats to cross the Channel and navigate Dutch canals would be possible - but warned him of diplomatic repercussions.

According to Johnson, Chalmers - who has since retired from the military - told him it would not be possible to carry out the mission undetected and that "if we are detected we will have to explain why we are effectively invading a long-standing NATO ally".

"I secretly agreed with what they all thought but did not want to say aloud: that the whole thing was nuts," Johnson said in an extract from his memoirs that was published in Saturday's Daily Mail newspaper.

Britain's defence ministry had no immediate comment on the account. A spokesperson for Chalmers - who now serves as chair of the government's committee on standards in public life - said he was unable to comment on confidential security discussions.

The COVID vaccines under dispute were developed by the University of Oxford and AstraZeneca but doses were manufactured by subcontractors in the Netherlands and Britain.

In March 2021, the vaccines were widely used in Britain but doses made at the Dutch plant were still pending EU approval.

Both Britain and the EU had contracts with AstraZeneca for vaccines and the EU sought to hold back finished vaccines at the Dutch plant for its own future use.

Johnson - who won election in December 2019 on a promise to conclude drawn-out talks to leave the EU - said he believed EU officials were acting under pressure from French President Emmanuel Macron.

"After two months of futile negotiation I had come to the conclusion that the EU was treating us with malice and with spite ... because we were vaccinating our population much faster than they were," said Johnson, who was forced out of office in 2022 following scandals including breaches of COVID lockdown rules.

(Reporting by David Milliken; editing by Helen Popper)
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres speaks during a Security Council meeting during the 79th UN General Assembly in New York. Andrea Renault/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has again called for an urgent ceasefire in the Middle East, as Israel launched a series of airstrikes on Beirut.

"War in Lebanon could lead to further escalation involving outside powers," Guterres told the UN Security Council in New York on Friday.

He called for a temporary ceasefire to allow for the delivery of humanitarian relief and the resumption of peace negotiations.

"We need this ceasefire now. We cannot afford endless negotiations, as we have on Gaza," he told the meeting.

"We must avoid a regional war at all costs. Gaza remains the epicentre of the violence. And Gaza is key to ending it."

Guterres said international humanitarian law and civilians must be respected.

"The death spiral must end  for Gaza, for the people of Palestine and Israel, for the region, and for the world," Guterres said.

"And there must finally be accountability. The key to peace in the region is a political solution."

Guterres' speech came as fighting intensified between Israel and the Lebanese Shiite Hezbollah militia, with the death toll rising above 750 following a week of Israeli airstrikes.

Guterres has repeatedly criticized the conduct of the Israeli military in Gaza, and has said he now fears a similar approach in Lebanon.

The Hamas-controlled health authority in Gaza puts the death toll after nearly a year of Israeli attacks at more than 40,000. The figure does not distinguish between civilians and fighters.
A US airport made a confusing name change. Heres how its going

Editors Note: Sign up for Unlocking the World, CNN Travels weekly newsletter. Get the latest news in aviation, food and drink, where to stay and other travel developments.

In travel news: Hurricane Helene, a true Gulf of Mexico monster, disrupted air traffic and travel plans in the Southeast and beyond late this week while a different kind of storm has been slowing brewing in San Francisco Bay. Also: Flight attendants etiquette tips and the wonderful world of waffles.

The name game

In May, Californias Metropolitan Oakland International changed its name to San Francisco Bay Oakland International Airport  despite the fact that San Francisco International Airport is just 30 miles (48 kilometers) away. Theres been rancor ever since.

The Port of Oakland said the rebrands goal is to remind tourists that Oakland is an access point for visiting the Bay Area, but some people seem to have found themselves more confused than helped.

Some travelers have shown up at the wrong airport, according to San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu. Meanwhile, San Francisco has filed a trademark lawsuit against its neighbor, saying that the new Oakland airport name was part of a plan to intentionally and knowingly capitalize off of confusion.

In addition, San Francisco is asking for an injunction and for Oakland to pay its legal fees. The Port of Oakland has rebuffed the motion. Its attorney, Mary Richardson, accused Chius office of tactics rooted in publicity and anti-competitive bullying.

Whichever way the lawsuit goes, consider it a useful reminder to always triple-check the airport name and location before your flight, lest you end up in Bucharest when you meant to fly to Budapest.

News in the air

Instagram-style flat lays have come to the airport. - Maureen O'Hare/CNN

Mixing up similar-sounding airport names is just one of the things that can go wrong for travelers.

Lately, a social media trend of artfully arranging belongings in the security check-in bins has raised fears of longer lines in the departures terminal, despite being aesthetically pleasing.

Meanwhile, belonging to a frequent flyer program can give you access to airport lounges or help you score an upgrade. However, the lack of transparency around these miles and points can mean that you go from gold list to bottom of the pile.

Now, a Department of Transportation probe is looking into the biggest frequent flyer programs to prevent potential unfair, deceptive, or anticompetitive practices.

And who better to give travel etiquette tips than people who spend their lives in the sky? Hear from five flight attendants about what you should and shouldnt do on board.

One thing you can do to reduce stress at the airport is make sure your bag is under the weight limit before you check it. Our partners at CNN Underscored, a product reviews site owned by CNN, recommend these luggage scales.

Living the dream

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Picking up and moving to a new country is enough to challenge anyone. But this American couple did it not only once, but twice.

Patricia Mahan and Dan Matarazzo left Arizona for Mexico in 2006. Then they changed course and bought a $150,000 house in Greece in 2023.

Theres some soul searching about what it is youre looking for in the last third of your life, Mahan, a retired dancer and teacher, said.

Now, living in a former bakery in the town of Kritsa, Crete, the couple told CNN Travel how they chose the place they want to spend the rest of their lives.

Waffles are popular in North America and Europe. - Alexander Spatari/Moment RF/Getty Images

Wafflemania

Waffles are associated with diners and cozy weekend brunches. But did you know that they might trace their origins to the time of Caesar?

Giorgio Franchetti, author of the book Dining With the Ancient Romans, believes waffles are derived from a particular delicacy of ancient Rome.

They are very likely the descendants of the popular crustulum (crustula plural), which were sweet biscuits adored by the ancient Romans, Franchetti, a food scholar of ancient Rome, told CNN.

The term, in Latin, clearly suggests that these biscuits were crispy, with a crumbly crust that melted in the mouth.

Time to make a batch of waffles and cover them in whipped cream and fruit. For research, of course.

In case you missed it

Coffee is one of the most popular drinks in the world.

But one CNN Travel editor says he just doesnt get it.

A battle over reclining seats turned into a culture war.

The end result was a couple being banned from Cathay Pacific for life.

Surfing penguins, courting grouses and a sneaky owl.

Meet the winners of 2024s Bird Photographer of the Year Awards.

Want to visit the Great Barrier Reef?

You can get travel discounts by learning more about conservation.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin speaks during a press conference at the AUKUS Defence Ministers Meeting at Old Royal Naval College. Kin Cheung/PA Wire/dpa

US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin spoke twice with his Israeli counterpart Yoav Gallant on the day of the Israeli attack on Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, his department said in a statement on Saturday.

In the phone calls on Friday, Austin assured Israel of Washington's full support in its fight against Iranian-backed terrorist groups, the Pentagon said.

He also made it clear that the United States was determined to prevent Iran and its associated groups from "exploiting the situation or expanding the conflict."

He said that they were capable of protecting US troops in the region and remained committed to defending Israel.
The US is glad Nasrallah is gone, but bracing for more violence

The United States is bracing for an escalation of violence in the Middle East following the Israeli killing of Hezbollah's Hassan Nasrallah as it scrambles to salvage cease-fire talks even while lauding the death of the militant leader.

The initial reaction from inside the White House was positive, even though U.S. officials had been trying to convince Israel to pause its operations against Hezbollah, according to two senior administration officials.

The Biden team still believes that Hezbollah and potentially other Iranian proxies will at some point respond to the latest carnage, escalating the crisis further. But Nasrallahs death could temporarily cripple the militant group to a point where it cant launch any major retaliatory attacks. The officials, like others interviewed for this story, were granted anonymity to discuss internal views of the situation.

President Joe Biden in a statement on Saturday said Nasrallahs death brought a measure of justice for his many victims, including thousands of Americans, Israelis, and Lebanese civilians. But he also renewed his calls for diplomatic deals to end the fighting in both Gaza and Lebanon.

It is time for these deals to close, for the threats to Israel to be removed, and for the broader Middle East region to gain greater stability, Biden said.

In a separate statement, Vice President Kamala Harris called Nasrallah a terrorist with American blood on his hands and referred to the killing as a "measure of justice." However, she emphasized that President Biden and I do not want to see conflict in the Middle East escalate into a broader regional war and added that a diplomatic solution remains the best path forward to protect civilians and achieve lasting stability in the region.

News of Nasrallahs death sent shockwaves through the Middle East, alarm bells that grew louder as Israel said it had eliminated other Hezbollah figures as well in airstrikes on Beirut, the Lebanese capital. A top Iranian Revolutionary Guard commander, Gen. Abbas Nilforushan, was also killed in the same strike that eliminated Nasrallah, according to Iranian state media, raising the risk of a direct Iranian response to the Israeli offensive.

Israels extraordinary success in the past 24 hours leaves the United States, as well as many Arab countries, in something of a dilemma. The Israelis have struck devastating blows against both Hezbollah and Iran  which are major foes of America and its Arab partners. Hezbollah is responsible for killing Americans.

But Israel made the move despite the U.S. repeatedly asking that it show restraint against Hezbollah and agree to a cease-fire. Now the Biden administration will have to decide whether to change its tack as it prepares for potential reprisals by Iran-backed proxies in the region.

The State Department ordered the departure of some embassy personnel and their families from Lebanon and issued a new travel advisory warning U.S. citizens to avoid traveling there.

The likelihood of an Iranian response to the strikes is considerable, but not certain, said Firas Maksad, an analyst at the Middle East Institute think tank. I would expect a coordinated response from the various regional proxies, possibly including a direct Iranian component, he said. Their decision will be partially influenced by American actions, deterrence and diplomacy.

The U.S. is likely to continue its diplomatic efforts as it tries to avert a broader regional war that could draw in Washington. At the same time, Israels actions  which it has cast as escalating to de-escalate  could be tough enough that Hezbollah, Iran and their friends back down, at least for a while.

The deaths of Nasrallah and other senior commanders make it less likely the group can function with as much heft and sophistication in the short-term future, the senior officials said.

The Pentagon said Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke twice with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Friday about Israels moves in Lebanon. In those conversations, the secretary expressed full support for Israels right to defend itself and its people against Iranian backed terrorist groups, according to a statement.

As allies race to understand the dynamics in the region after the strike, British Chief of Defense Staff Adm. Tony Radakin and U.S. Vice Joint Chiefs Chair Adm. Christopher Grady also spoke by phone on Saturday morning to discuss options, a person familiar with the matter said.

A separate U.S. official familiar with the issue said a Cabinet-level interagency meeting of the Biden team was set for Saturday afternoon to discuss the situation.

Officials expect Irans other proxies to do what theyve done in months past  lob hundreds of missiles at Israel  in the coming days and weeks. This includes Hamas in Gaza, the Houthis in Yemen and other militant groups based in Iraq and Syria.

Hezbollahs rocket fire against Israel for nearly a year has already forced tens of thousands of Israelis to flee their homes in Israels north, one reason Israel was determined to push Hezbollah back.

Israels fight with Hezbollah coincides with its war against Iran-backed Hamas militants in Gaza, which began when those militants killed 1,200 people in Israel on Oct. 7. Hezbollah began its rocket fire the next day.

The Biden administration is also tracking Tehrans reaction through intermediaries and looking for any indications that Iran is prepared to insert itself directly into the conflict, the senior official said.

On Capitol Hill, lawmakers were less focused on the potential fallout of the attack, and more on the fact that a major U.S. enemy had been killed.

Justice has found Hassan Nasrallah, a terrorist, a leader of Irans murderous proxy Hezbollah, and an architect of killing Israeli men, women and children, House Intelligence Chair Mike Turner (R-Ohio) said in a statement.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) also issued a statement on Saturday calling Nasrallah a terrorist, without whom the world is a safer place."

Jeffries reaffirmed his support for Israel in the conflict, but stated that he backed Bidens efforts for de-escalation.Israel has a right to defend itself against the terror unleashed on its citizens by Hezbollah, Hamas, Iran and its proxies, he said. At the same time, I continue to support the efforts of President Biden and his administration to de-escalate the ongoing conflict in the Middle East through a diplomatic solution that secures the release of Israeli hostages, protects Palestinian civilians from the horrors of war and allows displaced Israeli citizens to return to their homes.

Florida Democratic Rep. Lois Frankel posted on social media: The U.S., Israel, and the world are safer without him.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has made clear in recent days that he plans to continue strikes on Lebanon, seeming determined to degrade Hezbollah as much as possible. That said, Israel has not declared the destruction of Hezbollah as a military aim the same way it has promised to do in its fight with Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip.

Top U.S. officials had once warned Israel  in October of last year  not to strike Nasrallah, the senior official said, warning it would increase the chances of a regional war. Now, the official said, the terrain in the Middle East is different.

The U.S. this week proposed a 21-day cease-fire between Israel and Hezbollah, one that could be extended during a negotiated peace process. The U.S. announced that proposal Wednesday, with officials saying they were confident both sides would agree.

But over the last several days, prominent Israeli officials have denounced the proposal and Netanyahu in a speech at the U.N. this week said he was against any such deal.

Nasrallahs killing could make that cease-fire deal even more moot, at least for now. Still, the two senior officials said the White House is frustrated by Israels response to the cease-fire plan. The Israeli government had asked the U.S. to put out the proposal publicly in order to pressure Hezbollah into diplomatic talks  yet then walked away from the deal in what was perceived as a rebuke to Biden, the senior officials said.

Its unclear if the Israeli leadership knew it was close to killing Nasrallah at the same time that the United States put out the proposal. U.S. officials have said they were not given a heads up about the operation.

It is also unclear if Israelis will soon be able to move back to their homes in their countrys north. Part of the negotiated cease-fire proposal was supposed to move Hezbollah back at least 10 kilometers from its positions in southern Lebanon to give Israeli citizens the confidence to return.

Robbie Gramer, Jonathan Lemire, Paul McLeary, Joe Gould, Eric Bazail-Eimil and Brittany Gibson contributed to this report.

CLARIFICATION: Due to inaccurate information provided to POLITICO, an earlier version of the story misstated which U.S. military leader spoke with their counterparts on Saturday. The leader was Joint Chiefs Chair Gen. C.Q. Brown.
Lebanese army soldiers secure an area in Beirut a few hours after the announcement of the death of Hassan Nasrallah, the secretary-general of Hezbollah, who was assassinated in an Israeli airstrike in Beirut. The Lebanese army deployed in several areas across Beirut in a bid to prevent tensions following Nasrallahs death. Marwan Naamani/dpa

Due to the escalation of the conflict between Israel and the Lebanese Shiite Hezbollah militia, the US government has ordered the evacuation of the family members of its diplomats in Lebanon.

The reason is "due to the volatile and unpredictable security situation in Beirut," the US State Department explained in a statement on Saturday.

Family members of US government employees are therefore required to leave the country unless they work for the government themselves. All employees whose tasks are classified as non-essential have been granted permission to leave.

Similar to Germany and many other Western states, the United States is also urgently calling on its citizens to leave Lebanon.

A family that fled Beirut's southern suburb following heavy Israeli air raids takes refuge in Beirut's Martyrs' Square. Hundreds of Syrian and Lebanese families left the southern suburb, a stronghold of Hezbollah, after Israel conducted massive air raids that killed its leader, Hassan Nasrallah. Marwan Naamani/dpa

Hassan Nasrallah, Secretary-general of Hezbollah, speaks via a video link, during an event to mark the "Wounded Resistance Fighter Day". Marwan Naamani/dpa

Smoke billows from destruction of buildings targeted by Israeli air raids at a street in Beirut southern suburb. Stringer/dpa

Smoke billows from destruction of buildings targeted by Israeli air raids at a street in Beirut southern suburb. Stringer/dpa
Following his meeting with Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal, Himachal Pradesh minister Vikramaditya Singh said that they would be forming an all-party committee to issue designated vending zones in the state. Speaking to ANI on Saturday, Singh said that the vending zones would be done following the instructions of the High Court as well as the Supreme Court. This came in the wake of a row over the mandatory display of the identity of street vendors in the state of Himachal Pradesh as announced by Singh on Wednesday, following which a meeting was called by Congress high command in the national capital on Friday. Singh clarified his statement and stated that they did not want to hurt anyone's sentiment and that people from every corner of the country were welcome to the state. "An all-party committee has been formed for the issue of vending zones, which will see how vending is to be done. There are many instructions of the High Court and the Supreme Court in this... We do not want to hurt anyone's sentiments; people from any corner of the country are welcome in the state... But it is also our responsibility to take care of the concerns of the local people and in this regard, I have told the party high command that the government will work together with the high command on this," he said. "Yesterday a good meeting was held; many issues were discussed in the context of Himachal Pradesh. This issue (regarding displaying the names of owners on restaurant boards) was also discussed and I assured him that it is our responsibility to follow the party's instructions and we are the party's dedicated workers. I have also told him that the government and the Chief Minister are making every effort to resolve this dispute that has been going on in Himachal Pradesh for a long time," the Himachal minister said. Following Singh's announcement, the Himachal Pradesh government clarified on Friday that no decision has been taken so far to make it mandatory for street vendors to display their identity cards. On being asked about the rumours regarding his resignation, he said that these were baseless news and that there was no need to react to them. Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee chief Pratibha Singh was also present at the meeting with the Congress General Secretary. Following the meeting, she said on Saturday, "Whenever we come to Delhi, we try to meet senior leaders and party high command. We follow their orders... Yesterday we met KC Venugopal, and we have spoken to him... Vikramaditya had some meetings of his department here... Many projects are funded by the Centre, so it is important to coordinate with them, with PM Modi and other leaders, because it is in the interest of the state and we have to look at the betterment of the state. Earlier, when the tragedy happened in Himachal Pradesh, we informed the central government and sought their help... We work only in the interest of the state." (ANI)
By Rich McKay, Joseph Ax and Andrew Hay

ATLANTA (Reuters) -Authorities across the southeastern U.S. faced the daunting task on Saturday of cleaning up from Hurricane Helene, one of the most powerful and perhaps costliest storms to hit the country, as the death toll continued to rise.

At least 47 deaths were reported by early Saturday, and officials feared still more bodies would be discovered across several states.

Damage estimates across the storm's rampage range between $95 billion and $110 billion, potentially making this one of the most expensive storms in modern U.S. history, said Jonathan Porter, chief meteorologist of AccuWeather, a commercial forecasting company.

Downgraded late on Friday to a post-tropical cyclone, the remnants of Helene continued to produce heavy rains across several states, sparking massive flooding that threatened to cause dam failures that could inundate entire towns.

"The devastation we're witnessing in Hurricane Helene's wake has been overwhelming," President Joe Biden said on Saturday. "Jill and I continue to pray for all of those who have lost loved ones and for everyone impacted by this storm."

Biden was briefed about the loss of life and storm's impact on multiple states by Deanne Criswell, administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and Liz Sherwood-Randall, the White House's homeland security adviser, the White House said.

The president directed them to continue to focus on speeding up support to storm survivors and accelerating recovery efforts, including the immediate deployment of additional search and rescue teams into North Carolina, it added.

At least 3 million customers remained without power on Saturday afternoon across five states, with authorities warning it could be several days before services were fully restored. The worst outages were in South Carolina with more than 1 million homes and businesses without power, and Georgia where 750,000 were without power.

Some of the worst rains hit western North Carolina, which saw almost 30 inches (76 cm) fall on Mount Mitchell in Yancey County, the National Weather Service's Weather Prediction Center reported.

Atlanta was hit with 13 inches of rain, and farmers in South Georgia were assessing the damage to the state's $1 billion cotton crop and $400 million pecan crop now in harvest season.

Before moving north through Georgia and into Tennessee and the Carolinas, Helene hit Florida's Big Bend region as a powerful Category 4 hurricane on Thursday night, packing 140 mph (225 kph) winds. It left behind a chaotic landscape of overturned boats in harbors, felled trees, submerged cars and flooded streets.

Police and firefighters carried out thousands of water rescues throughout the affected states on Friday.

More than 50 people were rescued from the roof of a hospital in Unicoi County, Tennessee, about 120 miles (193 km) northeast of Knoxville, state officials said, after flood waters swamped the rural community.

'CHIMNEY ROCK IS GONE'

The NWS issued flash flood warnings overnight for a swath of eastern Tennessee covering 100,000 residents, warning them to seek higher ground. The Nolichucky Dam in Tennessee's Greene County was on the brink of failure on Saturday, officials reported, adding that a breach could occur at any time.

In western North Carolina, Rutherford County emergency officials warned residents near the Lake Lure Dam that it might fail, although they said late on Friday that did not appear imminent.

Multiple people in and around Chimney Rock, North Carolina, described the village's downtown as washed out, with images online showing inches of mud and sediment, uprooted trees and snapped telephone poles and buildings turned into debris.

"All right folks, listen up, Chimney Rock is gone, Flowering Bridge is gone," somebody known as Touristpov posted on TikTok, showing videos of the destruction. "I don't know what they'll do to get us out of here."

In nearby Buncombe County, landslides forced Interstate Highways 40 and 26 to close and parts of them were washed out, the county said on X.

Mountain communities such as Boone and Burnsville, North Carolina, were cut off as highways were clogged with debris or washed out, said Rebecca Newton, who was scrambling to find anyone with cell service in the area who could check on her family home near Mount Mitchell.

"Towns are totally cut off," she said after spending her morning making dozens of calls to friends in the area. "They're using helicopters to get people out of Boone and Asheville."

"Spruce Pine is gone, nothing but rooftops poking out of water," she said of the mountain community about 50 miles northeast of Asheville.

Newton said a friend told her she had watched houses in her neighborhood slide one at a time into a river near Boone.

"It's unreal," she said.

The Burnsville Hub Facebook page is replete with people desperate to find anyone to check on relatives and friends cut off from telephone service.

One poster, Rachel Richmond, wrote, "I need any route that will get me as close as I can. I will walk the rest of the way. I need to get to my parents."

WAKING TO DISASTER

The extent of the damage in Florida began emerging after daybreak on Friday.

In coastal Steinhatchee, a storm surge - a wall of seawater pushed ashore by winds - of eight to 10 feet (2.4-3 meters) moved mobile homes, the weather service said. In Treasure Island, a barrier island community in Pinellas County, boats were grounded in front yards.

The city of Tampa posted on X that emergency personnel had completed 78 water rescues of residents and that many roads were impassable because of flooding. The Pasco County sheriff's office rescued more than 65 people.

A total of 11 people died in Florida, Governor Ron DeSantis said on Saturday, speaking in Perry, Florida, which saw 15-foot storm surges, larger than those seen in hurricanes in recent years.

"If you look around here, you can see that some homes are just rubble," he said. "This stuff comes in, it's fierce and it's just unstoppable."

FEMA's Criswell joined DeSantis on a tour of storm-damaged areas of the state. She will travel to Georgia on Sunday and North Carolina on Monday, the White House said.

"I just want to say on behalf of the president that we extend our deepest sympathies for those families that have lost loved ones," Criswell said.

Georgia Governor Brian Kemp's office reported 15 storm-related fatalities in that state, while North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper said there had been two deaths there.

At least 19 people died during the storm across South Carolina, the Charleston-based Post and Courier newspaper reported, citing local officials.

(Reporting and writing by Rich McKay; additional reporting by Joseph Ax, Andrew Hay, Brad Brooks, Ismail Shakil and Andrea Shalal; Editing by Bill Berkrot, Daniel Wallis and Paul Simao)
The State Department augmented its travel advisory in Lebanon after the death of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah from Israeli strikes, reupping calls for Americans to leave the country.

The updated advisory, issued on Saturday, ordered the departure of family members of non-mission-employed individuals and authorized for mission-employed family members and non-essential employees to leave the country.

Due to the increased volatility following airstrikes within Beirut and the volatile and unpredictable security situation throughout Lebanon, the U.S. Embassy urges U.S. citizens to depart Lebanon while commercial options still remain available, the statement reads.

Hezbollah leaders confirmed the killing of its leader on Saturday after the Israeli Defense Forces said Nasrallah was killed in airstrikes on Dahien, a suburb of the Lebanese capital city. The death of Nasrallahs death is a major blow to the terrorist organization, which has been attacking Israel since Oct. 8.

The embassy asked Americans remaining in Lebanon to prepare to shelter in place, and strongly encouraged citizens in Southern Lebanon to leave the region immediately in response to recent strikes.

As tensions in the Middle East mount, President Biden issued a statement declaring the death of Nasrallah as a measure of justice and reiterated his support for Israel.

Hassan Nasrallah and the terrorist group he led, Hezbollah, were responsible for killing hundreds of Americans over a four-decade reign of terror, Biden wrote. His death from an Israeli airstrike is a measure of justice for his many victims, including thousands of Americans, Israelis, and Lebanese civilians.

U.S. officials first urged Americans to leave Lebanon after a series of pager attacks in the region killed dozens and wounded thousands last week.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said that the US administration is studying Ukraines Victory Plan, which Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy presented to US President Joe Biden during their meeting at the White House in Washington.

Source: Antony Blinken's statement reports Voice of America; European Pravda

Details: When asked whether Kyiv would receive permission in the future to use Western weapons for long-range strikes on Russian military targets, Blinken said that the administration and Ukraine's partners are now studying the details of this plan and, if necessary, considering "additional actions" to help Ukrainians achieve victory.

Quote from Blinken: "And we are studying it [Victory Plan] very carefully, and that includes what, if any, additional things we or other partners of Ukraine would be called on to do in order to help them achieve that success. But the President has been very clear that hes committed to Ukraines success."

Blinken emphasised that President Biden "has been very clear that he is committed to Ukraine's success".

Quote from Blinken: "Hes committed to making sure that they have what they need to effectively defend themselves as well. Ive said it many times and Ill say it again: Every step along the way, weve adapted and adjusted to those needs, and Im convinced well continue to do so."

The Wall Street Journal reports that US President Joe Biden's administration is concerned that Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy's plan to win the war against Russia lacks a comprehensive strategy.

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Bella Vista Elementary kindergarten teacher Tamara Coombs began her 13-year education career in the library  the place where you really plant seeds of loving to read, she told the Deseret News.

Coombs later made the switch to teaching first grade and eventually pivoted to teaching kindergartners, whom she has taught for the past two years.

Coombs, who won the Teacher of the Year award for the 2022-23 school year at Bella Vista, an elementary school in Canyons School District, is known for passing on her love of reading to her students. One area of strength has been her ability to foster a deep love of reading, Bella Vistas site says of Coombs. Mrs. Coombs had such a positive influence on my daughter and helped her develop her love of reading. Mrs. Coombs encouraged my daughter to read new and different genres. She encouraged her to push herself and read books that might otherwise have seemed above her grade level, a parent said.

Coombs is not alone in fostering a passionate reading environment in her classroom, as hundreds of kindergarten teachers have helped to boost their students reading scores throughout Utah, which was ranked the second-best state in education, according to a 2024 report from U.S. News & World Report.

The Utah State Board of Education recently announced significant improvement in reading proficiency among Utahs kindergartners, according to data from Acadience Reading, an assessment tool utilized throughout the United States that measures basic early literacy skills and helps track student progress.

Whats behind kindergartners improved reading levels?

According to Acadience Reading, 70% of kindergartners in 93 Utah schools, spanning across 22 districts and including three charter schools, are at the above benchmark level in reading. Scoring above benchmark means a student has a 90-99 percent chance of meeting subsequent literacy benchmarks and may benefit from instruction on more advanced skills, per the USBE.

Heres are some key points from Acadience Readings data, provided by the USBE:

Post COVID-19, the data shows an 11% increase in kindergartners achieving at or above benchmark reading levels since the end of the pandemic.

Since the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a 16% increase in kindergartners achieving above benchmark reading levels, indicating the students are reading on grade level.

Over 70% of kindergartners have made typical or better growth on Acadience Reading, or in other words, nearly three-fourths of kindergarten students have shown improved reading levels when analyzing and comparing their scores at the beginning of a school year, mid-school year and at the end of a school year.

The USBE also requires kindergarten through third grade teachers to participate in a professional science of reading learning where they learn how the young mind is wired and how to implement best strategies for teaching students to read, Christine Elegante, a former elementary school teacher and a current K-3 literacy specialist with the board of education, told the Deseret News.

Bella Vista Elementary kindergarten student Emily Boren works in class in Cottonwood Heights on Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2024. | Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News

These achievements demonstrate the effectiveness of Utahs educational strategies in providing our youngest students with a strong foundation in literacy. By equipping students with essential reading skills early on, Utah is supporting long-term academic success and empowering students to reach their full potential, Sydnee Dickson, state superintendent of public instruction, said in the USBEs news release. As Utah continues to prioritize early literacy development, the state is positioned to continue its upward trajectory in reading proficiency and prepare students for academic challenges in the future.

Full-day kindergarten in Utah

Kindergartners improved reading skills, according to the USBE, are likely linked to the expansion of full-day kindergarten programs statewide and initiatives focused on enhancing reading instruction.

Last year, the Utah Legislature passed HB477, a bill that expanded access to full-day kindergarten options in Utah schools. Since March of 2023, when the bill passed, the Beehive State has seen a steady, significant increase in full-day kindergarten enrollment. This past school year, Elegante said, 77% of Utah kindergartners attended full-day kindergarten.

Coombs shared that having that extra time with students has dramatically improved the quality of their learning as a whole, not just their reading scores.

Elegante credits the full-day kindergarten expansion for having a big role in the reading gains. This wouldnt have been made possible if they hadnt invested the money, Elegante said of Utahs legislators. Full-day kindergarten, and having that funding available for anyone who wants to attend, she told the Deseret News, is one of the best things weve done in education.

The full-day schedule, Elegante said, offers a wide variety of student and teacher benefits, including:

With a longer school day, teachers are given more opportunities to spend time with students who may need additional help, and also provide extra enrichment for students who are already excelling. Time is the most precious commodity that a teacher could ever have with students, she said.

Children who have learning disabilities may thrive under the routine of being exposed to a structured, full-day schedule early on in their education.

If a students parent(s) work, the full-day kindergarten option offers a more flexible schedule that may work better for families.

The USBE is hoping to see kindergarten absenteeism improve with the full-day schedule. Kindergarten has been one of those grades that, historically, we see higher rates of absenteeism, Elegante said, mainly due to half-day schedules only being roughly 2 hours long.

When quantifying it, Elegante said that full-day kindergartners receive roughly an entire additional month of learning compared to their half-day peers, on average. Although kindergarten is an optional grade in the state of Utah, the earlier we invest in students, the better, Elegante said.

Dont underestimate our youngest learners. They are just so eager and they are so capable, she said.

Bella Vista Elementary kindergarten students Lexi Stanworth and Isabella Bailey work in class in Cottonwood Heights on Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2024. | Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News
OGDEN, Utah (ABC4)  A mother in Utah who has been fighting for her life after being diagnosed with a rare terminal cancer has now been given three months to live, and shes decided to spend it with her kids. People across the country have rallied around her, donating over $750,000 to her GoFundMe, which had an original goal of only $5,000.

Erika Carr, 30, is a single mother of two children  Jeremiah, 7, and Aaliyah, 5. She calls them her whole life, light and soul  and what keeps [her] going.

On May 7, 2022, Carr was diagnosed with Stage 4 Small cell lung carcinoma, a high-grade neuroendocrine carcinoma, she stated on her GoFundMe. Her diagnosis came the day before Mothers Day, and shes been battling for her life for over two years now.

Doctors told her, I hope you have a good support system at home because youre going to need it, you have a long and hard journey ahead of you.

Her condition had improved  positive scans giving her the opportunity to stop treatment and see how she progressed. During this time, on Jan. 17, 2024, she developed Cushings syndrome  a rare hormonal disorder that occurs when the body is exposed to too much cortisol for an extended period. It has had a multitude of difficult impacts on her body, including rapid weight gain and swelling, muscle and bone deterioration, high blood pressure, and Type 2 diabetes.

Though she restarted treatment, on Sept. 18, 2024, doctors told her that she had three months to live. Shes chosen to discontinue treatment and spend that time cherishing her two children.

Carrs been given the seemingly impossible task of planning her own funeral, and she decided to create a GoFundMe to help cover the costs. She set a modest goal, asking for only $5,000, hoping that maybe shed be able to leave some extra money behind for her children.

She has since received over $750,000.

There have been over 26,000 donations given to her cause. Shes now created a trust fund, and shes thankful her children will be okay when they grow up.

It happened overnight. I never expected that, she told ABC4. I never expected to have a big funeral service, or a lot of people reach out and help me. With the way its went, Im just in shock  just very grateful for everybody and everything thats been there.

Carrs GoFundMe can be found here.

Renisha Mall contributed to reporting.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance, the GOP vice presidential nominee, spoke at two events on opposite sides of Pennsylvania on Sept. 28, 2024. (Capital-Star photo by Peter Hall)

MONROEVILLE  U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio), the GOP vice presidential nominee, campaigned in Pennsylvania on Saturday, starting the day at an evangelical Christian conference in suburban Pittsburgh before heading to an evening rally in suburban Philadelphia.

Vance appeared at the Monroeville Convention Center for an event billed as a town hall, part of self-described prophet Lance Wallnaus Courage Tour. Wallnau is a major part of the religious movement seeking to secure Christian dominion over American society.

The Courage Tour has stops in seven swing states, and Wallnau is a supporter of former President Donald Trump, the GOP nominee for president.

But after emceeing much of the days activities Saturday and introducing other speakers, Wallnau did not join Vance on stage, or even introduce him, leaving that role to local pastor Jason Howard.

Vance stayed on message for the roughly 40-minute conversation, blaming Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, for policies that he viewed as having an adverse impact, several times referencing the southern border and immigration as problems caused by Harris and President Joe Biden.

The discussion began with an audience question about the substance use epidemic, and what Vance and running mate former President Donald Trump would do to address it. Vance has spoken at length about his mothers battle with addiction, and she was in attendance on Saturday. He blamed fentanyl for causing a lot of the current crisis.

I think what this fentanyl crisis has done is its deprived us of so many second chances, Vance said, citing the case of a woman he knew who was in recovery but had relapsed and taken something laced with fentanyl, which proved fatal. Weve got to get [fentanyl] out of our country and make our streets safer so that people can get clean and stay clean and if they backslide, it doesnt take their lives.

He added he would like to empower Christian charities to receive federal assistance. Unfortunately, sometimes our federal government says, if youre a person of faith we dont want you helping out. And I think our attitude ought to be. If youre a person of faith, we welcome you to help out because youre doing it for the right reasons. And thats what we want.

Another audience member who said she was homeschooling her children, expressed concern about socialism being pushed so strongly in our education system. She asked what Vance and Trump would do to save our schools and children.

Vance blamed the federal Department of Education for allowing radical groups to receive tax dollars and shape public school curriculum.

The American education system used to be the envy of the world, he said. Well, now weve got American children who cant add five plus five, but they can tell you that there are 87 different genders. And I think both of those things are related because were teaching kids radical ideas, were not teaching to the basics, were not teaching them reading, writing, arithmetic.

To get the creepy socialism out of schools, Vance said, the solution is to cut off tax dollars for radical organizations that are poisoning the minds of our kids.

Democratic National Committee spokesperson Aida Ross criticized Vances appearance at the Courage Tour event Saturday.

After planting himself firmly in an echo chamber of anti-choice extremism, election conspiracies, and hateful rhetoric, JD Vance is now campaigning with Lance Wallnau  a conspiracy theorist whose record includes accusing women of witchcraft, calling abortion apocalyptic, and being at the Capitol on January 6, Ross said, calling Vances appearance shameless pandering to the far-right.

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The Harris campaign expressed a similar sentiment in a statement Saturday. While Vance and Donald Trump are peddling lies, stoking division, and clinging to the past because they have no solutions to lead us forward, Kamala Harris is leading us into a future of opportunity for all Americans, said Harris campaign spokesperson Sarafina Chitika.

Vance also urged the audience members Saturday to not only vote but to get five friends to go to the polls in November as well.

Weve got to get Christians to the polls because if Christians arent out there voting Christians are not going to have a voice in this country, Vance said. And I think thats the worst possible outcome.

Shapiro blasts Vance for not being honest with himself

While Vance traveled from western to eastern Pennsylvania on Saturday, Democrats rallied in the Philadelphia suburbs to bang the drum for abortion access. Writer and producer Shonda Rhimes and Gov. Josh Shapiro headlined a reproductive freedom rally. Shapiro took particular aim at Vance, calling him Trumps sidekick and an absolute goofball.

Heres the thing about this guy, by the way, this is why hes so bad at his job, Shapiro said. Hes not being honest with himself, so he cant be honest with the American people. That is why hes making up bull everyday, attacking our communities, trying to put certain people down because hes not comfortable with himself, so he tries to bully others.

Shapiro said Trump and Vance shared a common purpose to take away freedoms.

Make no mistake, when the Senate and the House send them a bill to ban abortion nationwide, Donald Trumps gonna sign it and JD Vance is going to be clapping like a seal, behind him, when he signs it, Shapiro said. We dont want that in this nation.

Rallying supporters in Bucks County

During the rally in Bucks County, his first to that region of 2024, Vance promised that Trump would help the world and the American economy by providing strong leadership, deporting undocumented immigrants en masse, securing the Southern border, and allowing fracking to begin.

I have a very detailed plan for how were going to bring peace and prosperity, Vance told the audience at Newtown Sports Training Center at the Newtown Athletic Club. Its three words: Elect Donald Trump.

If you win Bucks County, keep the Southeast close, then you win Pennsylvania, said Jim Worthington, an ardent Trump supporter who owns the athletic club. He also founded the Trump 4 People PAC, which chartered buses to take people from the area to Washington, D.C. for Trumps rally on Jan. 6, 2021. Worthington has said that none of the people on his buses were involved in the attack on the Capitol that day.

Republicans touted the recent increase in registered Republican voters in Bucks County, which now gives the party an edge there. Pennsylvania Republican Party Chairman Lawrence Tabas said 55 of Pennsylvanias 67 counties now have more registered Republicans than Democrats, so its clear that the voters in this state are turning away from the Democrats.

Republicans may have gained advantages in Bucks and a few other counties, but Pennsylvania is still home to more registered Democrats than Republicans.

Democrats rallied for their nominees, presidential candidate Kamala Harris and vice presidential candidate Tim Walz, in other parts of the suburbs on Saturday. Gov. Josh Shapiro and television producer and screenwriter Shonda Rhimes spoke to supporters in Montgomery County, and state Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta (D-Philadelphia) and other local leaders spoke to supporters in Doylestown in Bucks County.

Vance, who was critical of Trump throughout his presidency, praised Trump on Saturday as the candidate of peace.

Strong American leadership and, more importantly, strong American diplomacy, is what keeps the peace, Vance said.

Vance said the economy will improve when America kicks out undocumented immigrants claiming that more jobs would become available to American citizens and employers would have to offer more competitive wages. He promised fracking would be a boon to Pennsylvanias economy.

Vance peppered his speech with conflicting criticisms of Harris, saying that she had no substance and no plan, then that she had bad policies, and then that he thinks Harris has been copying every one of [Trumps] opinions and shes going to show up to the next rally in a red MAGA hat.

Vances words were just what the crowd, many wearing their own red MAGA hats, wanted to hear. They responded with cheers and chants.

Rita Raudenbush, 77, of Bristol Township, said she believes in everything that Trump and Vance are saying.

I was much better off four years ago when [Trump] was in office, she said. The price of everything is just skyrocketing. And especially as a senior citizen and my age, being on Social Security, and Im a widow, every penny counts.

Everybody prospered under Trump, said Christine Brackin, 59, of Langhorne. Everybody did all the way down.

The Harris campaign pushed back on Vances remarks.

Donald Trumps health care record is defined by dangerous plans that will drive up the cost of insurance and prescription drugs for tens of millions of Americans, so Trump and Vance are resorting to blatant lies as their defense, said campaign spokesperson Joseph Costello.

In the White House, Donald Trump was a dutiful servant to Big Pharma, giving them billions in tax handouts, while sacrificing the health and financial security of working families and seniors. To quote JD: Thats exactly what hes going to do again.

This article was updated Sept. 28, 2024 with details from Vances rally in Bucks County and comments from Gov. Josh Shapiro.

John Cole of the Capital-Star staff contributed reporting

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Vance exuded calm during a tense debate stage moment. Can he keep it up when he faces Walz?

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP)  When two of his Republican rivals for an Ohio Senate seat nearly came to blows on live statewide television two years ago, JD Vance appeared unimpressed.

Sit down. Come on, said Vance, the youngest and least politically experienced of the remaining candidates sitting in a row on stage. This is ridiculous.

To many observers, his calm, self-possessed reaction gave Vance an adult-in-the-room authority over his opponents. When Ohio Right to Life endorsed him a couple of weeks later, the group cited his statesmanship among the reasons.

Vance's debating skills also caught the eye of Donald Trump, who endorsed him in that winning 2022 Senate bid and chose him to be his running mate in this year's presidential election. His early encounters offer a sense of how the Yale-educated senator could approach Tuesday night's vice-presidential debate, when he meets Kamala Harris' running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz. It is the only time the two are expected to meet during the campaign.

Vance is known for being informed, articulate and unflappable. Even his 2022 Democratic opponent, Tim Ryan, said, Hes a smart guy." He'll bring a style honed through verbal jousting with a gauntlet of television journalists, but not one that looks like Trump's.

Republican political consultant Terry Casey, who has regularly helped with GOP debate prep in Ohio, said Vance and Trump are night and day" when it comes to debating.

Hes a lawyer who, intellectually, likes to dig into subjects in a different way than Trump does, Casey said. Trump both missed opportunities and took the bait when he debated Kamala Harris. My guess is, with Vance, he wont fall into those traps or neglect those opportunities.

Vance said on a call with journalists this week that he feels no pressure to do anything similar to the extensive debate preparation being done by Walz.

I dont think we have to prepare that much because we dont have to hide our record from the American people, Vance said.

Still, Vance has spent the last month reviewing debate plans, strategies and potential questions, according to a person familiar with his preparations who requested anonymity to discuss strategy. In addition to online sessions, most of that work has been taking place at his home in Cincinnati  where his wife, Usha, and Trump campaign strategist Jason Miller have joined members of his inner circle to get Vance ready.

Minnesota U.S. Rep. Tom Emmer, the House majority whip, has been helping verse Vance in the Minnesota governors folksy Midwestern style, as the team pores over Walzs past debate performances, the source said. Its perhaps not as far a stretch for Vance  an Ohio native with Appalachian roots made familiar to many by the Hillbilly Elegy book and movie  as it might be for another candidate.

Vance comes into the event with solid debate performances from 2022 behind him.

One such performance, in Cleveland, elevated his profile in Trump world  and helped Vance land the former presidents coveted endorsement.

Vances Democratic rival that fall, the former 10-term congressman Ryan, said the senators vulnerability Tuesday could be in trying to deliver a performance that pleases Trump.

Hes got an audience of one, for sure, so that can also be his Achilles heel, Ryan said. Because Trump will want him to be aggressive, hell want him to try to portray Walz as super extreme and out of touch, which I think  given Walzs appearance, and demeanor, and sense of humor and everything  will be very difficult.

Ryan said he went into his debates with Vance trying to highlight his past controversial statements, and that can cause Vance to go off the rails a little bit.

Walz should be very aggressive in holding his feet to the fire and getting JD to really have to eat his own words, he said.

Casey said the two mens age difference  Walz is 60, Vance 40  will be apparent onstage, although with that comes a contrast in debate experience. Walz has honed his technique during 12 years in Congress and two runs for governor, while Vance has run in just a single political campaign  albeit a fiercely competitive one.

If history is any indicator, viewers can expect Vance to criticize Tuesdays moderators, CBS Norah ODonnell and Margaret Brennan, while the debate is underway. Since becoming Trumps running mate, Vance has been the Trump campaigns highest-profile attack dog and a fixture on weekend news programs  where he often pushes back at hosts and calls them out by name.

In one notable exchange with CNNs Dana Bash, Vance on Sept. 15 signaled his determination to stick by the false story that Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, were stealing and eating peoples pets, claims refuted by both local officials and Ohios Republican governor but amplified by Trump in his Sept. 10 debate with Harris. More than 30 bomb threats following those statements forced the city to evacuate schools and government buildings and some members of the Haitian community, who are in the U.S. legally, have said they feel unsafe.

Vance insisted to Bash that his statements about immigrants eating pets were based on things hed been told by constituents. He blamed problems involving crowded schools, hospitals and other services in Springfield on Kamala Harris open border.

Challenged by Bash about the facts behind his assertions, Vance gave no ground. Instead, he directly questioned Bashs objectivity.

Dana, would you like to ask me questions and let me answer them, or would you like to debate me on these topics? he asked.

Vances forceful pushback seems to delight the Trump base. In an interview this summer, Charlie Kirk, founder of the conservative activist group Turning Point USA, said such settings are Vances strong suit.

I say commonly that JD Vances superpower is his ability to go into adversarial media environments, be calm, cool and collected, and say things that are very persuasive without raising his voice, Kirk said.

Vance also has viewed those media sit-downs as excellent debate practice, the person familiar with his preparations said.

Under ordinary circumstances, its hard to find evidence that debates matter much, said Kevin Parsneau, a political science professor at Minnesota State University in Mankato. He said even the 1988 vice presidential debate  in which Democratic Sen. Lloyd Bentsen devastatingly told Republican Sen. Dan Quayle, Senator, youre no Jack Kennedy  didnt change the outcome. Vice President George H.W. Bush still went on to easily win the presidency.

But obviously the Biden-Trump debate mattered a lot, and there might be some evidence that the Trump-Harris debate mattered a little, Parsneau said. Vice presidential debates dont usually matter.

Yet, assuming this is the last debate of the 2024 campaign, the margins are so razor thin that you dont need to affect a lot, he said.

___

Staff writer Steve Karnowski contributed from Minneapolis.
In the closing months of a crowded Republican primary for a US Senate seat in Ohio, JD Vance found himself stuck in the middle of the pack.

He appeared badly damaged by a barrage of ads painting the venture capitalist and former Donald Trump critic as an anti-MAGA San Francisco liberal. The pollster for a supportive super PAC warned that Vances campaign was in precipitous decline, arguing that he had failed to convince Republican voters of his conservative bona fides and loyalty to the former president.

Vance needs a course correction ASAP, the pollster wrote in a February 2022 memo.

It arrived a month later. With the five main primary contenders meeting onstage for the umpteenth time, the two perceived front-runners nearly came to blows. As they stood nose to nose, one readied to fight while the other uttered a sexist expletive. Vance, seated at the edge of the stage, pounced.

Think about what you just saw. This guy wants to be a US senator and hes up here, Hold me back. Hold me back, Vance said to loud applause. What a joke. Answer the question. Stop playing around.

It was a breakthrough moment for Vance, one that led to a second look from GOP voters in his state and from Trump, who was closely watching the race but hadnt acquiesced to the voices in his party urging him to get involved. Clips of the exchange and other debate moments impressed Trump, sources told CNN, and played a role in Vance securing a race-defining endorsement from the former president.

It was a big moment for the campaign, said a person involved with Vances successful 2022 Senate bid, suggesting that the episode demonstrated his knack for seizing make-or-break opportunities on a debate stage.

On Tuesday, that ability will be tested once again. Vance, now the Republican nominee for vice president, will join his Democratic counterpart, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, for the first time on a debate stage in New York.

Vance, at just 40 years old and two years into his political career, is still a largely unproven commodity. Also unknown is whether he can successfully pick apart the Democratic ticket while improving  or at least not further jeopardizing  his likability among voters. And then theres Vances other audience of one, Trump, who often has his own benchmarks for a successful on-air performance.

The stakes of Vances head-to-head meeting with Walz are uncharacteristically high for an undercard showdown and illustrative of the exceedingly narrow battle for the White House. Not only is Tuesdays affair the campaigns lone vice presidential debate, but it is also likely the last time voters will see the two tickets side-by-side on national television. Trump has suggested it is too late for another debate with Kamala Harris, including one proposed by CNN that the vice president agreed to, and there arent any more scheduled between Vance and Walz, either.

(On this, Vance has broken from Trump and called for additional debates with Walz, arguing that you should have to earn this job.)

Vance has spent the past month engaging in intense prep sessions, including a mock debate this week with House Majority Whip Tom Emmer playing the role of Walz. On Tuesday, the Ohio Republican downplayed those efforts, asserting that the campaigns policies speak for themselves.

What were going to focus on is making sure that I make as concise and direct an appeal to the American people as possible about Donald Trumps successful policies and Kamala Harriss failed policies, Vance said.

Vance was chosen by Trump in part for this day. In the weeks leading up to Trumps running mate decision, the former president regularly commented to those around him how well Vance performed on television. Its a skill that matters deeply to Trump, one Vance first picked up in the Marines when he was assigned to the public affairs office. There, he learned to speak clearly and confidently with TV cameras shoved in my face, he wrote in his memoir Hillbilly Elegy.

Between touring to promote his book and launching a political career, Vance honed those capabilities. Some of Trumps allies tried to sway his vice presidential selection by showing him clips of Vances television interviews, sources told CNN. After Trump selected the Ohio senator, advisers told CNN that they were especially looking forward to a Harris-Vance debate, insisting his previous tape matched up favorably against the vice presidents.

That, of course, did not come to be. Instead, when President Joe Biden dropped out of the race and Harris stepped in, Vance lost his opponent, a change in circumstances that, he joked, left him pissed off.

I was told I was gonna get to be Kamala Harris and now President Trumps gonna get to debate her? he quipped in July.

Vances role leads to combative interviews

Vance enters the debate against Walz in the final weeks of a tight race and following an uneven introduction to Americans, marred by resurfaced clips of him denigrating childless adults and pushing strident anti-abortion views. When Vance was selected as Trumps running mate in July, his favorability rating was negative 6 points, according to a CNN poll, with nearly 4 in 10 registered voters saying they were unsure about the Ohio Republican. Since then, views of Vance have become more defined, with a CNN survey last week showing his net favorability getting worse, now 12 points underwater, while roughly a quarter of registered voters said they were unsure how they felt about him.

Trump and his advisers insist they are unbothered by Americas view of Vance, asserting that its partly a function of the role he has been assigned. The campaign has thrust Vance into less-than-friendly territory, tasking him to defend Trump on air in interviews that are often combative while also leveling increasingly antagonistic shots at the Harris-Walz ticket.

Hes an attack dog, one senior adviser said. Thats part of why he was brought on, and its what he does well.

Since selecting Vance, Trump has asked allies off and on how they think he is doing, a source familiar told CNN. The senior adviser, however, brushed off the idea that the question meant anything about Trumps opinion of his running mate.

He does that to everyone. Its just how he talks, the adviser said, joking that Trump had asked about the advisers performance as well.

Vances regular clashes with reporters have won him commendations from conservative pundits and online personalities, but its unclear whether that approach will yield dividends in front of the more general audience who will be tuning in for Tuesdays debate.

Advisers, though, say those encounters have sharpened his retorts, as well as his command of the issues. While Harris and Walz have approached the press with extreme caution, Vance has made it a point to appear accessible.

Since being selected as Trumps running mate, Vance has participated in dozens of interviews on network television from Meet the Press to Fox News to CNN to CBS Face the Nation, as well as lengthier sit-downs with Sirius XMs Megyn Kelly Show and far-right personality Tucker Carlson. At his campaign events  of which there have been about 30 so far  Vance regularly fields press questions and will gab openly with reporters traveling on his campaign plane between events.

I have to believe that if you want to be the American peoples president, you ought not be afraid of friendly American media, Vance said at a recent event in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Often, Vance takes questions with a friendly crowd behind him, who will boo reporters depending on their network or line of questioning and cheer on the senators answers  a home-field advantage he wont have inside the CBS New York City studio Tuesday. The debate will not have a live audience.

Vances daily practice talking to reporters on the trail has freed him to study up on Walz, who his advisers see as a skilled orator in his own right who shouldnt be underestimated. The senators team has met in person at Vances Cincinnati home, as well as on Zoom over the past several weeks, with a focus on helping him better understand Walz stylistically, as well as on familiarizing Vance with Walzs record as both a Minnesota congressman and governor, CNN previously reported.

On the campaign trail, though, Vance has largely moved on from attacking Walz  whom he needled regularly after the Minnesota governor became the Democratic vice presidential nominee  and instead has focused his attacks more on Harris at recent events. He suggested he intends to take a similar approach Tuesday.

Im going to use my debate opportunity to try to prosecute the case against Kamala Harris, Vance told CNBC earlier this month, because shes ultimately going to be the president if the American people elect her.

CNNs Alayna Treene contributed to this report.

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VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY)  The Virginia Beach Fire Departments Swiftwater Rescue Team VA-2 helped rescue two people, a dog and helped residents to shelter in place in southwestern Virginia amid flooding and damages to that region Friday.

The team had been assigned five missions throughout the day in Carroll County, Fries and in Galax.

In addition to the rescues, they also helped local firefighters, searched several homes around the area and helped with multiple tree removals for impassable roads.

The Swiftwater Rescue Team is expected to be active Saturday in that region.

Virginia Beach EMS will also be deploying with two ambulances that include career medics and four crews  including one volunteer crew  to western Virginia to help in the aftermath of Fridays storms for what is expected to be an extended deployment. They will leave from Virginia Beach Rescue Station 14 Friday night.

Theyre deploying as part of a statewide mutual aid request to all Virginia localities from the Virginia Department of Emergency Management seeking urgent help for Washington County due to devastating effects from the remnants of what was Hurricane Helene. They will provide advanced life support and other help as needed for emergency responses to townships within Washington County.

Virginia Beach Emergency Management Director David Topczynski got in touch with Virginia Beach EMS chief Jason Stroud to let him know of the request, and Stroud immediately authorized a mutual aid response.

Our hearts go out to the men and women who are fighting the flooding and damage from Hurricane Helene, Stroud said in a statement. EMS is a big family, and we are glad that we can provide mutual aid assistance to Washington County in their time of need.

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In Blackshear, Georgia, a dedicated firefighter died while trying to protect others from Hurricane Helene. In Catawba County, North Carolina, a 4-year-old who lit up every room she walked into was killed in a head-on car crash on a rainy road. And in Charlotte, North Carolina, a tree fell on a home, killing a resident.

Hurricane Helenes victims were still being counted Friday afternoon. But after it slammed into the Southeast overnight as a Category 4 storm, officials said it had killed more than three dozen people in Florida, Georgia, Virginia and the Carolinas.

In Georgia, Vernon Leon Davis and other firefighters had been setting up barricades in an area where a live power line had fallen, Blackshear Police Chief Christopher Wright said in an interview, citing a preliminary investigation. After Davis got into his pickup truck, the storm started to worsen and a tree landed on top of his truck, killing him early Friday morning, Wright said.

Wright said Davis, an assistant fire chief, had been a firefighter for more than 30 years, most of that time on a voluntary basis.

Wright remembered Davis, who went by his middle name, Leon, as one of the greatest folks that Blackshear had.

Were all better for having known him, Wright said. He would do anything for anybody.

Leon Davis.

On Thursday morning, Davis brother, James Carlas Davis, who lives in Mississippi, texted Davis, their two sisters and other family members in a group text chat and asked whether they were ready for Helene. He included a praying hands emoji and told them that he loved them.

James Davis said his brother responded: As ready as we can get and explained that he had prepared his generator to power his home, where his wife, Shirley, would be while he was out cutting up fallen trees and sandbagging peoples homes from the water.

That was my last communication with him, Davis said Friday afternoon, his voice breaking as he spoke.

Rellina Davis Lester said she takes some comfort in knowing that her older brother died while protecting others.

Its hard, but he was doing what he loved and that was his calling in life, she said.

'Her smile was infectious'

In North Carolina, officials said a resident of Charlotte was pronounced dead early Friday after wind and rain caused a tree to topple onto their home.

And a day earlier, in Catawba County, North Carolina, about an hour northwest of Charlotte, a young girl named Luna Jade Gaddis died when two families lives intersected under tragic circumstances.

The families vehicles got into a collision just after 8 a.m. ET Thursday when one car crossed the centerline of a road and collided head-on with the other, according to a statement from the North Carolina State Highway Patrol. The statement said the crash happened during heavy rain conditions and that in addition to killing 4-year-old Luna, it injured three other children who were passengers in the cars: a 12-year-old who was hospitalized with life-threatening injuries, a 2-year-old hospitalized with life-threatening injuries and a 4-year-old hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries.

The drivers of both cars, Lyndsey Nicole Gaddis, 32, of Catawba, and Tiffany Miner Sipe, 34, of Claremont, were also taken to the hospital, according to the North Carolina State Highway Patrol. The statement said that the initial investigation indicated that impairment was not a contributing factor in the collision but that charges were possible after the investigation is complete.

Lunas grandmother, Elizabeth Gaddis, described her granddaughter as a gift from God who gave the best hugs and could make the room light up when she walked in.

Her smile was infectious, her laugh was contagious and more times than not she would make you question who was right and who was wrong, Gaddis wrote in a statement she shared exclusively with NBC News.

Gaddis, who lives in Iredell County, North Carolina, added that her faith has helped her through the tragedy of losing Luna.

I dont understand why He wanted her back home so soon but she belonged to Him first, she said in her statement, and said that her family will be forever grateful for the four and a half years He blessed us with with Luna.

There were scant details Friday afternoon about other storm-related fatalities. Helene is blamed for at least 15 deaths in Georgia alone, according to the governors office. Wright, the Blackshear police chief, and Vernon Leon Davis siblings said Davis loved being a firefighter and helping others, including the inmates he oversaw in the decades he worked at Ware State Prison. While there, Davis had led a program that trained inmates in firefighting and they would respond to certain fires.

He was helping teach the prisoners a skill for whenever they got out, said Lester, who is 57 and lives in Culloden, Georgia.

According to his Facebook page, where his appreciation for life was apparent, Davis, 69, started at the prison in 1989. Among his surviving relatives are his wife, two adult sons, a brother and two sisters.

He loved his family. He helped anybody, anytime that he could, and he was just a man of integrity, Lester said.

James Davis, 71, said growing up, he and his siblings moved around a lot because their father was in the military. He said they lived in Germany twice; in Fort Knox, Kentucky; and in Fort Hood, Texas, now known as Fort Cavazos. But no matter where life took them, he and his brother were always close.

We were best buddies, he said. We did pretty much everything together.

In one of his last Facebook posts, his brother shared an image that read: Waking up to see another day is a blessing. Dont take it for granted. Make it count and be happy that youre alive.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai has announced a significant new initiative to open up vast opportunities for companies, institutions, and individuals involved in the travel and tourism industry. The Chief Minister declared on Friday that each year, on the occasion of the State's foundation day, those who demonstrate excellence in tourism will be honoured with special awards. The announcement was made during the Central India Connect Marketplace event held in Naya Raipur, co-hosted by the Chhattisgarh Tourism Board and the Chhattisgarh Travel Trade Association. The event was attended by several key representatives from the tourism and hospitality industry across Central India. This initiative is expected to attract the attention of travel and tourism companies, as they now have the chance to be recognised and rewarded for their outstanding performance by the state government. The initiative is seen as a major step towards elevating Chhattisgarh's tourism industry to new heights. Chief Minister Sai emphasised in the meeting the efforts of the government to make the state a prime tourist destination. "Chhattisgarh is rich in natural and cultural heritage, and the government is continuously working to position the state as a prime tourism destination," he said. He further noted that the government is not only taking significant steps to promote tourism but also ensuring that contributors to the sector are duly recognized and rewarded. Chhattisgarh was also recently honoured by the Government of India for its tourism achievements. Bastar's Dudmaras village received recognition for Adventure Tourism, while Chitrakote village was awarded in the Community Best Village category. Additionally, Sarodhhadar village secured a spot on the list of the Best Tourism Villages. In his address, Chief Minister Sai further highlighted that the government is actively working to promote tourism within the state. Chhattisgarh, known for its natural, cultural, and historical treasures, is focusing on the development of Wildlife Tourism, Rural Tourism, and Adventure Tourism, with the goal of establishing the state's tourism industry on the global stage. (ANI)
Vice President Kamala Harris, Tim Walz to campaign in Central Pennsylvania next week

YORK, Pa. (WHTM)  Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate Tim Walz will make their first joint campaign appearance in the region next week.

Details regarding how supporters can attend the event have not yet been released, however, theyre expected to make multiple stops and meet with voters on Wednesday.

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While this is Harris first visit to the region, she and her campaign have been traveling throughout the state. Walz was in Lancaster earlier this month and Governor Josh Shapiro has been a surrogate for the campaign on television and at events across the state.

On September 25 Harris appeared at at an event hosted by The Economic Club of Pittsburgh at Carnegie Mellon University and on September 17 she took questions from journalists in Philadelphia at an event with the National Association of Black Journalists.

Former President Donald Trump and his campaign have also been crisscrossing the critical battleground state. The former president held a rally in Indiana, Pennsylvania on September 23 and his running mate J.D. Vance appeared at an event in Hershey with Tucker Carlson.

Harris visit to the area comes one day before incumbent Democrat U.S. Senator Bob Casey will debate Republican Dave McCormick on abc27.

This is a developing story. Stay with abc27 News as more information becomes available

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A former Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) contractor was indicted Friday for acting as an illegal agent for the Iranian government, the Department of Justice said.

According to a DOJ release, from at least December 2017 through June 2024, 42-year-old Abouzar Rahmati allegedly met with Iranian government officials and acted on their behalf.

Rahmati, a naturalized U.S. citizen and resident of Great Falls, Virginia, previously was an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) 1st Lt., a branch of the Iranian Armed Forces, from June 2009 to May 2010. The IRGC is a designated terrorist group by the U.S. government.

After being discharged from the IRGC, the indictment alleges that Rahmati lied to the U.S. government regarding his military service with the IRGC in order to gain employment as a U.S. contractor.

3 Hackers With Ties To Iran Indicted In Plot Against Trump Campaign: Doj

Abouzar Rahmati has been indicted for acting as an agent of the Iranian government.

In Aug. 2017, prosecutors allege that Rahmati began communicating with a senior Iranian government official with whom he had previously attended college.

Read On The Fox News App

Four months later, Rahmati traveled to Iran and met with intelligence operatives. During the meetings, he agreed to obtain and provide them with information on the U.S. solar energy industry.

Following the initial meetings, Rahmati got to work as a spy for the Iranian government. Prosecutors said that he eventually became a contractor for FAAs National Airspace System (NAS), which allowed him to be privy to sensitive information.

Authorities alleged that in April 2022, Rahmati downloaded private documents related to the FAA and the NAS power and electrical architecture and passed them along to Iran's government.

Does Iran's Hacking Of The Trump Campaign Prove They Want Kamala Harris To Win The Election? Experts Weigh In

He also gave the Government of Iran additional information relating to solar energy, solar panels, the FAA, U.S. airports, and U.S. air traffic control.

"As alleged, the defendant conspired with Iranian officials and intelligence operatives, even lying to obtain employment as a U.S. government contractor only to then share sensitive government materials with Iran," Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Departments National Security Division said. "When undisclosed agents of Iran or any other foreign government seek to infiltrate American companies or government agencies, the Justice Department will use every available tool to identify them and bring them to justice."

Rahmani made his initial appearance in the District of Columbia on Friday afternoon.





Original article source: Virginia FAA contractor allegedly spied for Iran, shared private info on US airports, energy industry: DOJ
EL PASO, Texas (KTSM)  The community is invited to make a difference during a couple of blood drives at Cielo Vista Mall.

In partnership with Vitalant, the blood drives are from 1 to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 28 and Sunday, Sept. 29, at Cielo Vista Mall, 8401 Gateway Blvd., in the lower level near the JCPenney Court.

According to Cielo Vista Mall, participants in the event will help Vitalant provide blood to patients in need.

The mall will be hosting monthly blood drives to help increase blood supply, according to Cielo Vista Mall.

For more information on future events, you can visit Cielo Vista Malls website here.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTSM 9 News.
WICHITA FALLS (KFDX/KJTL)  Hurricane Helene made landfall Thursday night, causing devastating damage up the west coast of Florida through wind or flooding.

As what remains of the hurricane moves north into Appalachia, meteorologists and state officials expect the flooding to get worse.

Big Brothers Big Sisters receives national Dollar General Literacy Foundation grant

The Red Shield of the Salvation Army is a common sight at disasters around Texoma and the country.

Their most recent appearance is in North Florida, one of the earliest places hit after Hurricane Helene made landfall.

Major Joe Burton with the Wichita Falls Salvation Army knows disasters all too well, and he has connections to Texans making their way to Florida for hurricane relief.

I was unable to go, but my wife said, Here I am, send me! so she was ready to serve and to go at a moments notice. We usually have all of our disaster stuff ready and so if theres ever a call, all we have to do is get in the vehicle and go, Burton said.

Burtons wife, Lt. Karen Burton, is making her way to Live Oak, Florida, with the rest of the base camp group sent out of Arlington earlier this week. They will mostly be providing food to the victims of flooding and other storm damage, but thats only a small part of the Salvation Armys relief effort.

You never really know how devastating things such as hurricanes are until youre in the middle of them and people are very grateful the Salvation Army is ready to serve and love beyond the storm, Burton said.

As the hurricane continues to dump rain and cause floods all the way into Appalachia, more than just Florida will need relief.

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MINNEAPOLIS (AP)  Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Walz knows how to lean into abortion rights on the debate stage. He's done it before.

Just ask his Republican opponent in the 2022 Minnesota governor's race, Dr. Scott Jensen, who was on the receiving end of Walzs attacks  and saw firsthand how effective Walz could be in exposing an opponent's shifting positions on abortion.

Jensen's experience two years ago could provide insight into what to expect Tuesday when Walz debates GOP vice presidential candidate JD Vance on CBS. Jensen said in an interview that Walz would be smart to talk about abortion.

I think Tim Walz will say that loud and clear, and JD Vance needs to make it very clear that theres not going to be a federal ban on abortion, Jensen said. Thats what Trump has said, and they need to make that very clear.

The family practice physician and former state senator originally voiced support for an abortion ban in his 2022 campaign and picked a running mate with a record as an outspoken abortion opponent, former Minnesota Viking Matt Birk. That helped him get the Republican nomination, but it didn't play so well with the broader electorate.

By the time Walz and Jensen met for their second of three debates two years ago, Jensen was trying to play down abortion, insisting it wasnt on the ballot.

To Walz, it most certainly was.

My entire career Ive trusted women to make their health care decisions," Walz said as they met at the studios of KTTC-TV in Rochester in their only televised prime-time debate. I dont believe anybody who sits in this office should come between them.

Jensen had asserted that state courts had already decided that abortion rights were protected under the Minnesota Constitution and accused Walz of fearmongering by claiming they might be in danger. He said he wouldnt ban abortion because he couldnt  that it would take a constitutional amendment.

But Walz pointed out that former President Donald Trump's nominees to the Supreme Court voted to overturn the Roe v. Wade decision after suggesting in their confirmation hearings that it was settled law. In Minnesota, Walz noted, governors appoint state Supreme Court justices.

I just want to be absolutely clear: This is on the ballot, Walz said. It will impact generations to come.

Vance and Trump are treading carefully after their previous support for limiting access to abortion, saying they now want to leave it to the states.

Trump repeatedly declined to say during his Sept. 10 debate with Vice President Kamala Harris whether he would veto a national abortion ban, insisting that a ban would not pass Congress anyway. Yet he has often taken credit for appointing the three justices who helped overturn the constitutional right to abortion. Hes backed away from statements hed made as recently as March that hed support a national ban.

Vance himself had strongly opposed abortion in the runup to his 2022 senatorial election but aligned himself this year with Trump. Harris and Walz have been urging their audiences not to trust Trump and Vance on abortion rights.

Walzs comments on abortion rights from the 2022 debates with Jensen sound like lines he could try again in the clash with Vance, said Kevin Parsneau, a political science professor at Minnesota State University in Mankato. Despite Trumps and Vances comments that a national ban is off the table and the issue in the hands of the states, he said, Walz could point out that the next president and Congress could override whatever the states do.

Not only were abortion rights a winning issue in 2022 for Walz, who defeated Jensen by nearly 8 percentage points, the issue helped Democrats take control of both chambers of the Minnesota Legislature and the governors office for the first time in eight years. That trifecta let them enact a sweeping progressive agenda in 2023 that included stronger protections for abortion rights  and put Walz on Harris' radar when she needed a running mate.

Both Walz and Jensen were feeling scrappy by their third debate, on Minnesota Public Radio.

Walz basically ignored Jensens dig about his 1995 drunken driving arrest in Nebraska and Jensen calling him the godfather of the crime epidemic. Walz did lapse into some rambling answers, prompting Jensen to quip one point, when the moderator offered him a rebuttal, Thanks, I almost fell asleep.

Walz will make adjustments on the move, Jensen said, so Vance will need to frame his attacks carefully.

Tim Walz has an affable personality. I worked with him when I was in the Senate, Jensen said. Hes a jovial fellow. If you try to turn Tim Walz into something malignant, I dont think thats going to work. Because Tim Walz is not malignant. Hes a skilled politician whos learned on the job.

The Trump-Vance campaign has already criticized Walzs response to the rioting that accompanied protests over the 2020 murder of George Floyd, a Black man who died under the knee of a white Minneapolis police officer, and Vance could raise it again. While Trump praised Walz at the time, Republicans now say Walz should have moved faster to use the National Guard. The governor, in the KTTC-TV debate, said he was proud of how he and Minnesotas first responders reacted to the crisis no matter how much Im slandered by Scott.

Vance has already previewed attacks on Walzs military record. Walz served in the Army National Guard for 24 years but retired when he first ran for Congress in 2005 before his unit was deployed to Iraq. He has at times called himself a retired command sergeant major and did serve as one for less than a year. But his rank was reduced for benefit purposes to master sergeant because he had not completed the necessary coursework. His careless use of language included what struck some as a claim that he served in combat when he did not.

Vance, who served four years in the Marines, including six months as a military journalist in Iraq, has accused Walz of " stolen valor."

I am damn proud of my service to this country, Walz responded in a speech to a union convention. And I firmly believe you should never denigrate another persons service record. To anyone brave enough to put on that uniform for our great country, including my opponent, I just have a few simple words. Thank you for your service and sacrifice.

Vance thanked Walz for his service in a social media post but accused Walz of lying about his record.

Happy to discuss more in a debate, Vance posted.

An important challenge for Vance, Jensen said, will be making sure Walz answers the questions put to him.

You dont want to underestimate Tim Walz because he has an ability to speak rapidly and sincerely, and yet, without the audiences realizing it, a lot of times he can go on for a minute or two, and everything sort of checks out OK on the surface, but when you stop and ask, Did he answer the question? he didnt, Jensen said. Tim Walz will throw a word salad at you and you wont realize its even happening.
Months after the former superintendent decided she no longer wished to retire and sued the district alleging a hostile work environment, a new superintendent for the Westwood Regional School District was hired Thursday night.

The nine-member Board of Education unanimously, with one abstention, approved appointing Patrick McQueeney with a five-year contract running Nov. 1, 2024, through June 30, 2029.

McQueeneys salary for the 2024-25 school year will be $250,000, prorated, said Business Administrator Keith Rosado.

Heather Perin, who has a relative who works in the district, was the sole abstention due to a conflict of interest, but thanked her fellow board members who worked "so hard on this."

Patrick McQueeney will be the new superintendent of the Westwood Regional School District.

McQueeney currently works as the superintendent of the Wanaque School District. He thanked the Westwood board and said he is beyond thrilled to lead the Westwood schools.

Westwood is a great place that I want to be for a long time," he said. "I look forward to working with the community, the board, the administrative team, the teachers and, most importantly, our students and making sure they get the experience they deserve.

McQueeney has been superintendent of Wanaque since July 2021. Before that he was an assistant superintendent of curriculum and staff development for the Sparta Township school district, his LinkedIn page says. His former experience includes being a teacher and principal.

McQueeney earned a bachelor's degree in physical science from Rowan University, a master's in material engineering from Rutgers University, and an MBA and doctorate in education from Centenary University.

School board President Jay Garcia said McQueeney was the person to whom the school board had extended an offer earlier this year before the former superintendent, Jill Mortimer, decided she was not going to leave her position.

Board settled with Mortimer for $400,000

Mortimer originally announced last year that she planned to retire this year, but later said in April that she intended to remain. The school board had spent months doing a superintendent search before Mortimers abrupt reversal.

During the months-long search, the board had found Mortimer's replacement, but because the superintendent had never submitted a formal letter of registration, she stayed in her position.

Mortimer, who board members said had asked for a $1 million buyout, later sued the school district alleging a hostile work environment. The district agreed to a $400,000 settlement.

Bronwen Calderon, Westwood Regional's director of secondary education, was appointed as acting superintendent during a Sept. 5 meeting until the permanent replacement comes on board.

Board praise for McQueeney

Before Thursday's vote, board member Andrea Peck said she was excited to vote for McQueeney and to see the district move forward and come together.

Board member Loni Azzolina echoed Pecks sentiments and said the hiring of McQueeney represents a new and fresh start for our district thats been sorely needed for many, many years. Board member Jorge Pertuz said the board is on the cusp of starting something I think is really good.

Board member Kristen Pedersen said McQueeney is a truly confident and honest, very strong leader and the fact that the board unanimously agreed on hiring him was an absolute miracle and speaks volumes about Dr. McQueeney.

Garcia said that its no secret to anybody else that we have a lot of difficulty agreeing on just about anything as a board, but looking to hire McQueeney as the new superintendent had caused some great discussions that inspired Garcia when he saw how the board came together.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Wanaque school leader will head Westwood Regional district
By Simon Lewis and Michelle Nichols

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) -Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi sought to burnish his country's credentials as a global peacemaker at the United Nations General Assembly on Saturday, calling for a cessation of fighting in the Middle East and touting Beijing's diplomatic efforts on Russia's war in Ukraine.

Wang spoke after Israel killed the leader of Iran-aligned Hezbollah with a massive airstrike in Beirut on Friday, raising fears of a wider regional war in addition to the conflict between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas in Gaza that began nearly a year ago.

"The question of Palestine is the biggest wound to human conscience. As we speak, the conflict in Gaza is still going on, causing more casualties with each passing day. Fighting has started in Lebanon again, but might cannot replace justice," Wang said.

"There must not be any delay in reaching a comprehensive ceasefire, and the fundamental way out lies in the two-state solution."

The world's second largest economy, China has recently stepped up its involvement in various crises, seeking to rival Washington's traditional role as a global mediator.

In July, it hosted talks between Palestinian rivals including Hamas and Fatah in Beijing. President Xi Jinping helped broker a March 2023 deal to end a diplomatic rift between Saudi Arabia and Iran, leaving the U.S. on the sidelines.

"Peace is the most precious thing in our world today," Wang said at the U.N. "For the sake of peace, a single ray of hope is reason enough not to give up. The slightest chance deserves a hundredfold effort."

UKRAINE PEACE PLAN

Beijing's most significant peace effort is a proposal for talks to end the war in Ukraine.

With Russia's invasion in its third year, the two sides to the conflict remain far apart on any future path to peace.

China, along with Brazil, has proposed new talks involving Kyiv and Moscow and this week gathered Global South countries behind that plan.

At the U.N. General Assembly on Wednesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy dismissed China and Brazil's efforts, questioning why they were proposing an alternative to his own peace formula and warning: "You will not boost your power at Ukraine's expense."

"China is committed to playing a constructive role, engaging in shuttle mediation and promoting talks for peace, not throwing oil on the fire or exploiting the situation for selfish gains," Wang said.

Later on Saturday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told reporters at the U.N. he wanted to know concretely how China and Brazil's initiative will work toward peace, and said it is important their proposals are "underpinned by the realities" of the conflict.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Friday that China promoting its peace efforts on Ukraine while also helping Moscow to produce missiles, rockets, armored vehicles and munitions "doesn't add up."

Despite the global peace efforts, China is locked in maritime disputes with some of its neighbors, who fear an increasingly bold Beijing.

Xi has said China's "reunification" with Taiwan is inevitable, and China says it alone exercises sovereignty and jurisdiction over the Taiwan Strait, part of the South China Sea.

Both the U.S. and Taiwan say the strait - a major trade route through which about half of global container ships pass - is an international waterway.

"The complete reunification of China will be achieved," Wang told the assembly. "Taiwan will eventually return to the embrace of the motherland."

(Reporting by Simon Lewis and Michelle Nichols; Editing by Bill Berkrot and Deepa Babington)
A Palestinian artist has painted a mural on the remains of a flattened Gaza building, in a message of solidarity with Lebanon (Eyad BABA) (Eyad BABA/AFP/AFP)

Palestinians mourned Saturday the death of Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah in an Israeli strike, hailing the slain militant leader as a "rare" figure who backed his fierce rhetoric with determination to fight Israel.

Gaza City resident Khalil Youssef, 45, said that "the martyrdom" of Nasrallah, a powerful ally of Palestinian armed group Hamas, was "a great loss for us as Palestinians".

The Lebanese Iran-backed Hezbollah movement confirmed Saturday the death of Nasrallah, its leader for more than three decades, sending shockwaves across the region including in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip, where Palestinians have endured nearly a year of a relentless Israeli military campaign since the October 7 attack.

"He was a rare man who stood against the (Israeli) occupation and supported us," said Youssef.

"He never wavered in his resistance" to Israel, he added.

Hezbollah began firing rockets at Israel from Lebanon a day after the Hamas attack on southern Israel that triggered the ongoing war.

The near-daily cross-border clashes dramatically escalated this month, with intense Israeli bombings in Lebanon and retaliatory attacks by Hezbollah fighters. On Friday, a major Israeli air raid on Beirut killed Nasrallah.

"Gaza lost a rare resistance leader," said another Gaza City resident, 32-year-old Ali Tafesh.

"Nasrallah has been with us since the founding of Hezbollah, and especially since the beginning of the war on Gaza" in October, said Tafesh.

"He was the first to support Gaza and to fire rockets at the occupation in solidarity with Gaza."

Nearly a year of Israeli bombardment and fighting in the besieged territory's biggest city, where Tafesh lives, have caused widespread destruction and displaced many thousands of Palestinians.

But "the resistance will not stop until the victory of the Palestinians is achieved", said Tafesh.

For Youssef, Nasrallah's death would not stop the fight against Israel, and "there will be 1,000 Nasrallahs to replace him".

In the occupied West Bank, which is separated from Gaza by Israeli territory, Ramallah resident Abu Saleh Hisham said Nasrallah's killing in a strike on a densely-packed residential area of Beirut's southern suburbs was a case of Israeli "terrorism".

"This is Zionist aggression... and terrorism against the Lebanese people, against the heroic Lebanese resistance, against the leaders of the brave resistance," he said.

In Gaza's southern city of Khan Yunis, graffiti artist Jamil al-Baz painted a mural on cracked concrete slab by rubble, the remains of a building destroyed in the fighting, with a message of "solidarity with Lebanon", he told AFP.

The mural features the Lebanese and Palestinian flags along with the message: "Stop war."

"The war has been going on in Gaza for a whole year and it has started to spread", affecting people in other parts of the Middle East, said Baz.

"I do not want them to suffer as we did."

bur-jd-rcb-he/ami
Warning after rise in gonorrhoea and syphilis

The UK Health Security Agency South West is advising young people and students to use condoms [Getty Images]

Health officials have urged young people returning to university to use a condom when having sex with new or casual partners.

The UK Health Security Agency South West - which covers Devon, Cornwall, Somerset, Gloucestershire, Wiltshire and Dorset - said cases of gonorrhoea and syphilis had risen among people aged 15 to 24.

It said the most recent data showed there had been 51 cases of syphilis in 2023 (a rise of 24% in 2022) and 2,403 cases of gonorrhoea (a rise of 24.4% over the same period).

The agency said a drop in cases of chlamydia, herpes, genital warts had contributed to an overall decrease in sexually transmitted infections (STIs).

However, the agency warned cases "remain high and young people are urged not to be complacent".

The data for other STIs showed:

9,476 cases of chlamydia in 2023 (a decrease of 6.8% in 2022)

827 cases of herpes (a decrease of 10%)

420 cases of genital warts (a decrease of 27.7%)

Regular testing

Health officials reminded people STIs could spread easily and those aged 15 to 24 are especially at risk as they were more likely to have frequent partner changes.

Mark McNally, the agency's sexual health facilitator for the South West, said: "If you're having sex with someone new, or someone more casually, don't forget to use a condom.

"With higher STI rates in young people, having sex without a condom can increase your chances of an infection like, chlamydia or gonorrhoea.

"Getting tested regularly will also help detect any infections quickly and protect your own and your partners health."

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The waterfront at South Gare in Teesside was heavily hit by Storm Babet [Mick Garratt]

People are being warned to remove their vehicles ahead of the closure of a seaside car park that suffered an "extraordinary" amount of damage from Storm Babet.

Tourist and locals alike are being advised to clear the large car park at South Gare, near Redcar, which is popular for its views of the coast and rolling sand dunes.

The havoc wreaked by the freak weather in October left damage costing about 1.5m to the Teesside peninsula.

The adjacent Grade II-listed lighthouse, built in 1884, is one of only a few still operational in the UK, and continues to provide vessels with a safe entry into Teesport.

South Gare is a picturesque coastal spot overlooking the North Sea [Katie Lunn]

The closure for potential engineering works affects the road from the boundary of PD Ports private land, adjacent to Paddys Hole, to the tip of the breakwater.

Tenants and licence holders who use facilities on the Gare will still be able to gain access, although they have been warned of potential disruption.

PD Ports warned to whom it may concern they must move vehicles in advance of the closure, which begins on Sunday, and is expected to last three to four weeks.

Temporary closure

The Local Democracy Reporting Service understands that councillor Carl Quartermain met PD Ports representatives in Middlesbrough and there is no suggestion that there is to be a permanent closure with the area being historically used by the public.

PD Ports, and its predecessors, have been guardians of the River Tees breakwater and port entrance since 1852 as a statutory harbour authority.

Chief executive Frans Calje said 1.5m worth of repairs were required due to Storm Babet's extraordinary conditions.

He said: The scale of the forces that hit the structure that day are hard to imagine  huge concrete blocks were tossed about like pebbles.

We are looking at options beyond the immediate repair, to strengthen the breakwater and keep it operating.

The first phase of repair works saw 200 cubic metres of concrete injected into the voids left by the broken slabs to repair the immediate damage.

Follow BBC Tees on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to northeastandcumbria@bbc.co.uk.

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Air India issued an apology after a passenger on board from Delhi to New York had an unpleasant experience after finding a 'foreign object' in the inflight meal on September 17. The Air India spokesperson said on Saturday, that they have raised the issue with the catering service provider to investigate it further and ensured to take necessary actions to prevent any recurrence of such instances in the future. "We are aware of a social media post by a passenger regarding a foreign object in the onboard meal offered to them on AI 101 operating from DEL to JFK on 17 September 2024. Air India works with reputed caterers who supply to leading airlines globally and have stringent SOPs and multiple checks to ensure the quality of meals served to our guests," the spokesperson said in a statement. "We are concerned about the experience of the customer in the said instance and have taken it up with our catering service provider to investigate it further. We will take necessary actions to prevent any recurrence of such instances in future," the statement added. Earlier in June, a passenger, who was on an Air India flight from Bengaluru to San Francisco, shared a horrifying experience of finding an alleged metal blade in his flight meal. Taking to 'X', the passenger wrote, "Air India food can cut like a knife. Hiding in its roasted sweet potato and fig chaat was a metal piece that looked like a blade. I got a feel of it only after chewing the grub for a few seconds." "Thankfully, no harm was done. Of course, the blame squarely lies with Air India's catering service but the incident doesn't help the image I have of Air India. What if the metal piece was in the food served to a child? The first picture shows the metal piece that I spat out, and the second picture shows the meal before it put metal into my life," he added. The airline, in its response, claimed that the foreign object came from the vegetable processing machine. Rajesh Dogra, Chief Customer Experience Officer, Air India said, "Air India confirms that a foreign object was found in the meal of a guest aboard in one of our flights. After investigation, it has been identified as coming from the vegetable processing machine used at the facilities of our catering partner. We have worked with our catering partner to strengthen measures to prevent any recurrence, including more frequent checking of the processor especially after chopping off any hard vegetable." (ANI)
Warren Wilson, one of the first Black broadcast journalists in Los Angeles, has died. He was 90.

The former KTLA reporter died on Friday, Wilsons family announced in a statement shared with the outlet, where he worked for more than 20 years starting in 1984.

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Our beloved father Warren Wilson Papa died Friday, September 27th, 2024 in Oxnard, California, they announced in the statement. He was 90. His demeanor on the air as an iconic television journalist was just as authentic as he was a father, unsensational, sincere, a voice calming and eloquent.

After beginning his LA on-air news career in the 60s, Wilson went on to report some of the citys most significant moments of the past century, including the 1968 assassination of Robert F. Kennedy, the 1969 Manson family killings, the 1992 LA riots, the 1995 OJ Simpson trial and the 1997 North Hollywood Bank of America shootout. He earned multiple awards for his work, including several Emmy Awards and a Peabody.

Wilson was known for helping facilitate the safe surrender of multiple minorities accused of crimes. I guess I can identify with the underdog because of what Ive had to go through as a Black man working in a white world, he told the Los Angeles Times in 1993. I take some pride in thinking that maybe someone  a suspect or a police officer  stayed alive because of all this.

His fellow KTLA reporter Eric Spillman remembered him as a trusted reporter, adding, He was brave. During the riots, Warren went down to the South L.A. area and interviewed a shop owner who was trying to put out flames while standing on the roof of a burning building. I will never forget that.

Wilson is survived by six children and a stepdaughter.

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Warren Wilson, the former KTLA broadcast journalist who spent four decades covering some of the biggest stories in Los Angeles history, died Friday at his home in Oxnard, Calif. He was 90.

His son Stanley announced the news in a statement to KTLA, saying Our beloved father Warren Wilson Papa died September 27, 2024. His demeanor on the air as an iconic television journalist was just as authentic as he was a father, unsensational, sincere, a voice calming and eloquent.

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Over the course of his career, Wilson won six L.A.-area Emmy awards in addition to recognitions from the Society of Professional Journalists, the Los Angeles Press Club, the California Legislature, the American Civil Liberties Union, the L.A. County Board of Supervisors, the Los Angeles City Council and the Los Angeles Police Department.

Wilson was one of the first Black broadcasters in Los Angeles. During his time at KTLA, News at Ten became the top-rated primetime newscast and held the title for 21 years. He also played a crucial role in addressing issues of police brutality through his coverage of the 1965 and 1992 riots. Due to the trust and relationships he cultivated in minority communities, he was able to serve as an intermediary in arranging the the surrender of 22 fugitives wanted by law enforcement.

People knew that if Warren Wilson was involved, that there would not be an incident where a person would be mistreated, L.A. City Councilman Bernard Parks, who saw Wilson on crime scenes when he was chief of police, told The Los Angeles Times in 2005.

In addition to the L.A. riots, Wilson also reported on the 1968 assassination of Robert F. Kennedy at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles, the 1997 North Hollywood Bank of America shootout and the O.J. Simpson trial.

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Warren Wilson, whose trailblazing career saw him serve as a broadcaster in Los Angeles for more than 40 years, has died. He was 90.

Our beloved father Warren Wilson Papa died Friday, September 27th, 2024 in Oxnard, California, his son, Stanley Wilson, told KTLA, where his father spent 21 years as a reporter. His demeanor on the air as an iconic television journalist was just as authentic as he was a father, unsensational, sincere, a voice calming and eloquent.

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During his decades-long career, he covered some of the biggest news stories in L.A., like the Charles Manson killings, Robert F. Kennedys 1968 assassination, the 1992 L.A. riots and the O.J. Simpson trial. He won an Emmy Award for investigative journalism in 1979 and a Peabody Award for his coverage of the riots that followed Rodney Kings trial.

Early in his pioneering career as one of the first Black broadcasters in L.A., Wilson became known for being someone people who had been accused of crimes felt safe approaching in order to turn themselves in. According to the Los Angeles Times, he arranged for the surrender of 22 people who were wanted by law enforcement for different crimes.

Warren was a trusted reporter, and members of minority communities who were afraid to turn themselves in to police would often contact Warren and arrange to meet with him, and he would safely help them turn themselves in, KTLA reporter Eric Spillman told the network.

Wilson was the son of North Carolina sharecroppers. He told the L.A. Times that he inherited his strong moral compass and sense of equality from his father, who was once assaulted by Ku Klux Klan members.

He began his career in the 1950s at the U.S. Navy press office. From there, he went on to have jobs at the City News Service and the L.A. bureau of United Press International. Before joining KTLA in 1984, Wilson worked for KNBC and NBC network news for 15 years.

Survivors include his children, Pamela, Melissa, Elizabeth, Ronald, Stanley and stepdaughter Debra. His second eldest daughter, Kim, died in 2003.

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(Getty Images)

A state revenue forecast released Friday reinforces Washington lawmakers and the next governor may face difficult spending decisions next year.

The economy is projected to generate just under $66.5 billion in tax receipts for the budget cycle that runs through next June. Thats a drop of about $50 million from the forecast David Reich, Washingtons chief economist delivered to the Economic and Revenue Forecast Council three months ago.

When combined with the June revenue report  which showed revenues tumbling $477 million  tax receipts are now expected to be roughly $525 million below figures lawmakers and Gov. Jay Inslee relied on to pay for new spending in the current fiscal year.

Rep. Timm Ormsby, D-Spokane, the chair of the House Appropriations Committee, said he didnt anticipate a need for any large changes in the current budget to deal with less-than-anticipated revenue totals.

Were only going to be able to spend what we have, he said.

Meanwhile, work is underway on the 2025-27 operating budget which is also predicted to have less in tax collections than the Legislature anticipated earlier this year.

Inslee will put forth his proposal in December that will serve as a template for lawmakers and the next governor when they write spending plans in the 2025 session.

In recent days, the leader of one of Washingtons largest state employee unions said that in contract negotiations, state officials warned of a massive budget deficit in 2025.

Asked Friday about a potential deficit, Pat Sullivan, director of the Office of Financial Management, said the department is early in the process of developing the next spending plan.

He expressed more concern in a statement issued by his office following release of the forecast.

We will face significant challenges in meeting all our obligations in our next budget, he said. There are some tough fiscal choices ahead.

Meanwhile, voters could complicate the budget picture in November when they could approve a ballot measure to erase the capital gains tax, a source of several hundred million dollars a year. Fridays forecast assumes that wont happen but it does acknowledge it is a risk.
WATCH: Gov. DeSantis gives update on Hurricane Helene from Dekle Beach

Gov. Ron DeSantis will held a news conference Saturday morning to discuss the aftermath of Hurricane Helene.

DeSantis spoke at the Intersection of Good Times Drive and Delke Beach Boulevard at 9:45 a.m.

Joining DeSantis at the event will be:

Florida Division of Emergency Management Director Kevin Guthrie

FEMA Director Deanna Criswell

Major General John D. Haas, Adjutant General of Florida

Hurricane Helene made landfall here near Keaton Beach and brought devastating storm surge to Taylor County.



Fortunately, no storm-related fatalities have been reported in Taylor County. We urge residents to stay safe when returning to hurricane-affected areas, operate pic.twitter.com/LK7Eyt1GKD  Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) September 28, 2024

Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
How to watch SpaceX, NASA launch that will bring Starliner astronauts home in 2025

NASA and SpaceX are still targeting a Saturday launch for the Crew-9 mission, whose astronauts will head to orbit aboard a Dragon spacecraft that will bring the Starliner crew back to Earth next year.

Officials had been planning a launch window around the arrival of Hurricane Helene, which made landfall Thursday night in Florida in another part of the state from where rocket launches take place. The storm, the first known Category 4 storm to ever hit the Big Bend coast, was powerful enough to still send strong winds and heavy rain to the Cape Canaveral area where NASA's Kennedy Space Center is located.

The two Crew-9 astronauts, Nick Hague and Aleksandr Gorbunov, arrived last Saturday at the space center to begin preparations for the imminent launch, which will take place at the neighboring Space Force Station.

Here's how to watch the Crew-9 takeoff and what to know about the mission.

SpaceX Crew-9: What to know about the mission that will return Starliner astronauts

When is the Crew-9 mission scheduled for launch?

SpaceXs Falcon 9 rocket, with the Dragon spacecraft atop, is vertical at the launch pad of Space Launch Complex-40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2024, ahead of NASAs SpaceX Crew-9 launch to the International Space Station.

The Dragon is scheduled to launch atop a Falcon 9 rocket no earlier than 1:17 p.m. EDT Saturday from Space Launch Complex-40, NASA officials confirmed Friday during a news conference.

Once in orbit, the vehicle will separate from the rocket and power on to the International Space Station, where the crew will spent about five months. The mission, which was initially set for Aug. 18, was delayed for more than a month while NASA and Boeing officials worked to figure out what to do about the troubled Starliner spacecraft taking up the Dragon's docking port.

Now that the Boeing Starliner capsule has returned to Earth intact  albeit, without its crew  the Dragon has been cleared for takeoff. But Helene threw a new wrench into the plans, forcing NASA and SpaceX to scuttle the launch another three times this week.

How to watch the Crew-9 mission launch

The SpaceX Dragon Endurance crew ship, carrying four Crew-5 members, approaches the International Space Station with the Earths horizon in the background.

NASA will provide coverage of the launch, the subsequent docking and the activities that precede the mission.

On launch day, coverage begins at 9:10 a.m. EDT on NASA+ and the space agencys website.

Following the ascent, NASA will switch to audio only before coverage resumes at 3:30 p.m. Sunday when the Dragon prepares to dock and the hatch opens to welcome the astronauts aboard the station.

FLORIDA TODAY, part of the USA TODAY Network, will also provide live coverage at floridatoday.com/space.

What is the Crew-9 mission?

NASAs SpaceX Crew-9 crew members participate in a countdown dress rehearsal at the agencys Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2024, to prepare for the upcoming Crew-9 launch.

The SpaceX flight represents the ninth crew rotation mission to the station under NASA's commercial crew program as the agency shifts to paying private companies for missions it once would carry out itself.

Once aboard the space station, Hague and Gorbunov will become members of Expedition 72, where they will spend six months conducting experiments, research demonstrations and spacewalks to perform maintenance. Much of it will be to prepare for human exploration deep into the cosmos.

The Crew-9 astronauts will now not only relieve Crew-8, whose team have been at the space station since March, but will also arrive on the vehicle that will bring home Starliner astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore.

The NASA astronauts flew in June to the station aboard the Boeing Starliner for what was supposed to be a 10-day stay as part of the inaugural crewed test flight of the vehicle.

When Williams and Wilmore arrived on June 6 at the space station, engineers discovered that the Starliner craft had experienced multiple helium leaks and had issues with its propulsion system prompting NASA to eventually make the call to send the vehicle back to Earth without its crew.

The Starliner astronauts will now instead remain at the space station until February, when they will return with the Crew-9 team on the Dragon.

Meet the Crew-9 astronauts

For that reason, NASA and SpaceX will not be able to send a full contingent of four Crew-9 astronauts.

The astronauts of SpaceX Crew-9: Mission Specialist Aleksandr Gorbunov, left, and Commander Nick Hague. answer questions Saturday after their arrival at Kennedy Space Center. They are scheduled to launch to the International Space Station September 26. Craig Bailey/FLORIDA TODAY via USA TODAY NETWORK

Here are the two astronauts heading into orbit:

NASA astronaut Nick Hague , of Belleville, Kansas, will serve as crew commander, making this his third launch and second mission to the space station. Selected as a NASA astronaut in 2013, Hague, also an active-duty colonel in the U.S. Space Force, has spent 203 days in space and conducted three spacewalks.

Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov will embark on his first trip to the space station as a mission specialist. The Russian studied engineering at the Moscow Aviation Institute, graduating with a specialty in operating and repairing aircraft before his selection as a cosmonaut in 2018.

NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Stephanie Wilson, previously announced as crewmates for the mission, are eligible for reassignment on a future mission, NASA said.

Eric Lagatta covers breaking and trending news for USA TODAY. Reach him at elagatta@gannett.com

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: SpaceX, NASA launching crew to the space station: How to watch
WATCH: Tampa hospital uses AquaFence to keep storm surge out

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA)  Heavy storm surge from Helene left the streets of downtown Tampa looking more like the open ocean  except at the base of Tampa General Hospital, which employed a special fence to keep the water out.

Heavy rainfall floods roadways to Davis Islands

Video taken by a TGH employee showed the waters near the hospital, sloshing outside of the AquaFence, technology that was generating buzz on social media Friday.

Designed to protect the vulnerable area of our campus, the AquaFence is a water-impermeable barrier created to withstand storm surge up to 15 feet above sea level, the hospital wrote on social media. Since 2019, the technology has worked successfully through multiple rain events to prevent storm water from impacting hospital operations.

According to the AquaFence website, the fences are positioned in areas around the hospital due to the different elevation levels across the facility.

AquaFence barriers can be deployed around buildings or even city blocks to help keep water away from critical facilities. They can also be used to divert rivers away from urban centers.

Tampa police warned residents that the surge would peak before 3 a.m. Friday.

Between now and sunrise this is NOT the time to white water raft on Bayshore Blvd or take an amateur adventure through downtown, the department wrote on X.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News.
In this image from a Fox Weather broadcast, meteorologist Bob Van Dillen rescues a woman stuck in floodwaters caused by Hurricane Helene in Atlanta on Friday, Sept. 27, 2024. Credit - Fox WeatherAP

Tropical Storm Helene, which made landfall in Florida as a Category 4 hurricane on Thursday, has left a trail of devastation across the southeastern U.S., leaving millions without power and dozens dead.

As the media covers the catastrophic damage caused by Helene, one reporter took matters into his own hands on Friday, Sept. 27.

Fox Weather meteorologist Bob Van Dillen broadcasted live, reporting on flash flooding in Atlanta, Georgia. Behind him, a woman whose car was submerged in floodwater shouted for help. Van Dillon called emergency services and yelled back to let her know help was on the way, but the woman continued to call out.

Read More: Dozens Dead and Millions Without Power After Helenes Sweep Across Southeastern U.S.

Recognizing her panic, Van Dillen turned to the camera. Oh man, its a situation, he said, pausing his reporting. We will get back to you in a little bit. Im going to go see if I can help this lady out a little bit more, you guys.

Van Dillen then ventured into the floodwater, approached the woman in the car, unbuckled her seatbelt, and carried her out of the water on his back. In the video, viewers can see the water reach up to Van Dillens chest at its highest point.

A later part of the broadcast showed the woman and her husband reunited, at which point her husband hugged and thanked Van Dillen for helping.

On Friday, Atlanta was placed on a Flash-Flood Emergency and Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens officially declared a State of Emergency for the city. Early that morning, the city reported 22,000 power outages, 25 downed power lines, and 15 downed trees.

Read More: A Look at Damage From Hurricane Helene

After some time, Dillen returned to his live broadcast, telling the co-hosts of his mindset before saving the woman. It can often be dangerous to enter into floodwater due to potential exposure to chemicals and pathogens, as well as injury from objects swept under by rushing water.

I was obviously worried about the water temperature. I was worried about the current, but as soon as I started going there, I was like, Screw it, Im getting her, Van Dillen said. Everything worked out fine.

Contact us at letters@time.com.
Will Water Save You From a Hangover? Science Says Probably Not.

Of all the advice on preventing hangovers, drinking water to prevent dehydration seems like the most sensible. A new study has found no evidence to support claims that drinking a generous amount of water after a night of boozing alleviates the pain the next day.

An international team of researchers led by Utrecht University pharmacologist Marlou Mackus analyzed data collected in 13 previous investigations, searching for any hint of a relationship between dehydration and alcohol consumption or between drinking water and the intensity of a hangover.

While there's no single cause of hangovers, alcohol has a diuretic effect on our body, increasing the production of urine. This increases the risk of dehydration, which we might imagine to be behind the head and body aches, stomach-churning nausea, and general malaise of a hangover. Many people also report feeling thirsty and having a dry mouth in the morning after an evening on the booze the night before.

Naturally, topping up that lost fluid ought to stave off those symptoms.

While the data didn't rule out dehydration and hangovers occurring simultaneously, there was no evidence of the two being directly linked. One isn't causing the other, which means replacing any lost water won't have much of an effect on the worst parts of a hangover.

"This review concludes that hangover and dehydration are two co-occurring but independent consequences of alcohol consumption," the researchers write in their published paper.

One of the studies involved 826 students, some of whom tried to mitigate their hangovers by drinking water. However, the effectiveness of the water drinking was only very slight in terms of relieving hangovers.

In another study reviewed by the researchers, 29 participants aged between 18 and 30 reported on hangover severity and levels of thirst the day after a drinking session. It was shown that a feeling of dehydration didn't last as long as other hangover symptoms.

"While hangovers were typically relatively enduring, dehydration effects were usually mild and short-lasting," write Mackus and her team. "Survey data revealed that water consumption during or directly after alcohol consumption had only a modest effect in preventing a next-day hangover."

"Also, the amount of water consumed during a hangover was not related to changes of hangover severity and thirst."

It's important to bear in mind that each of the reviewed studies were based on relatively small numbers of people. What's more, they all studied different aspects of hangovers  such as why some people experience them more regularly than others  rather than focusing directly on drinking water as a hangover prevention method.

Despite the limitations, it appears necking a few glasses of water isn't going to save you from your hangover, a finding that's backed up by previous studies suggesting that while drinking water may counter some of the effects of dehydration, it won't clear up other hangover symptoms (like a pounding headache).

"Taken together, the discussed studies suggest that the consumption of water during or directly after the drinking session is not effective in preventing hangovers, and that the amount of water consumed during the hangover day is not significantly related to changes in hangover severity," write the researchers.

The research has been published in Alcohol.

Related News
Due to a potential Waterville Dam break from Hurricane Helene, the downtown area of Newport, Tennessee was ordered to evacuate by Cocke County Mayor Rob Mathis. The Waterville Dam, more formally known as the Walters Dam in western Northern Carolina, suffered a catastrophic failure according to an emergency update by Mathis on Facebook at 2:56 AM ET on Friday, September 27. He officially declared a state of emergency for the county at 3:24 PM ET.

What strained the Waterville Dam in North Carolina?

The Waterville Dam in North Carolina struggled against torrential rainfall from Hurricane Helene, now classified as a tropical storm, causing an overflow of the Pigeon River.

The dam, which is about 40 miles southeast of Newport, Tennessee, was originally declared as having a catastrophic failure. However, Duke Energy, the company that owns the dams, says that it has actually not failed, as noted by the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA). The company earlier stated, via local news outlet WVLT, that Spillway gates are open at the Waterville Dam. Expect dangerous high flow conditions downstream of Waterville Dam and Walters hydro station.

[Update  6:00 PM ET: Duke Energy has put out a statement to WLVT that reads Duke Energy currently has all gates open at the Waterville Dam and continues to pass water through the dam. Duke Energy can confirm that both the dam and our floodgates are performing as expected.]

The Lake Lure Dam in North Carolina experienced similar conditions today with failure of the dam imminent, according to officials.

[Image Credit: NOAA]

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the Pigeon River rose to about 27 feet at 1:00 PM ET on Friday. This is compared to just around 5.5 feet at 9:00 AM ET on Thursday, showing the intensity of the rainfall from Hurricane Helene.

A life-threatening Flash Flood Emergency was issued for Newport and Hartford by the National Weather Service, as posted on X (formerly Twitter). Fortunately, the agency said at 4:45 pm ET that there is no longer a risk of an imminent dam failure for Walters Dam. Still, it warns that major flooding continues, urging residents to heed evacuation orders and not to drive into flooded or closed roads.

There is no longer a risk of an imminent dam failure for Walters Dam on the Pigeon River. Major flooding continues, however. Continue to heed evacuation orders from local emergency management and law enforcement. Do not drive into flooded or closed roads. https://t.co/uOz6vCWPE2 pic.twitter.com/E3UJTSwxWO  NWS Morristown (@NWSMorristown) September 27, 2024

The Newport Community Center at 433 Prospect Avenue and the Liberty Church in Cosby have been designated as evacuation centers for the flood. Other open emergency shelters are available on TEMAs website.

The tropical storm that was once Hurricane Helene is expected to remain over Kentucky and Tennessee through to Sunday.

The post Waterville Dam Break Causing Newport Flooding From Hurricane Helene Explained appeared first on Mandatory.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aditya Thackeray-led Yuva Sena, the youth wing of the party, has won all 10 seats in the senate elections of the University of Mumbai. The elections in the university were held after a delay on September 24, following a Bombay High Court directive. Speaking on the occasion, Aditya Thackeray said, "All other organizations, including the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) affiliated to the BJP, were wiped out. There was a celebration in Matoshree. All this happened because of the loyal Shiv Sainiks. You all have shown what loyalty means. We will continue to serve the students." "We have begun the victory. Similarly, we continued this series of victory in the Assembly elections too. The government, out of fear, kept this election hanging for two years. People have faith in Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray. Thanks to all the voters, our workers," Thackeray added. People were seen celebrating with the Yuva Sena Chief at Matoshree, the residence of Uddhav Thackeray, after sweeping the polls. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut said that the Mumbai University is a very big historical institution, and for two years, the BJP and the Chief Minister have been trying to stop elections there. "The date of the election was announced twice but out of fear the government and ABVP kept postponing the elections, then the election was held by the order of the High Court and Shiv Sena won it. This shows that the youth of Maharashtra is standing with Shiv Sena, women are with Shiv Sena. This victory is also important because these votes cannot be bought. And here voting is done on the ballot paper and not on EVM, so no tampering can happen there," Raut said. Earlier, Terming the Maharashtra government "cowardly", Raut alleged that the Shinde Government postponed the elections after learning that Shiv Sena (UBT) was poised to win. "They have postponed the Mumbai University senate elections twice. The government got scared and postponed the elections. They don't have the guts to fight the elections," Raut stated. (ANI)
'We're not being given a choice' - pylon protesters

Protest organiser Nicole Gibson believes an offshore grid is an alternative to erecting pylons on land [Ella Harget-Dash/BBC]

Campaigners fighting plans for a 114-mile (184km) line of pylons across the East of England claim they have "not been given a choice" over the proposals.

The comment came at a protest against National Grid's scheme to erect pylons across Norfolk, Suffolk, and Essex to carry electricity from offshore windfarms.

Nicole Gibson, who organised Saturday's protest walk near Ingatestone in Essex, said: "Something had to be done."

The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero said the plan would help deliver "clean power by 2030".

Sir Keir Starmer recently said the overground pylons were needed to secure cheaper electricity.

Ms Gibson, 47, said: "We're not being given a choice."

"We've not had an option - it's basically there will be pylons.

"They are going to come straight through your home and your countryside, and there's nothing you can do about it.

"We've sent letters upon letters saying that we object and that we're happy to go off grid, that's how much we object."

'Suffering'

Paul and Jackie Thompson said they had been trying to sell their home, but had not been able to find a buyer [Ella Harget-Dash/BBC]

The walkers included Paul Thompson and his wife Jackie, both 58, from Coggeshall, in Essex.

"We've got the pylons coming across our land," Mr Thompson explained.

"We're going to have a road put in, our horses will have to be moved - we've got elderly horses that won't be able to take the stress and will have to be destroyed.

"Our mental health is suffering beyond anything I could have imagined."

Jenny Keen also wants an offshore scheme instead of pylons on land [Ella Harget-Dash/BBC]

Jenny Keen, 46, from Little Burstead, near Billericay, said she felt people did not "realise the destruction that's going to happen".

She said: "We're meant to be working toward protecting our environment, being aware of climate change and it feels completely at odds at what we should be doing as a country overall."

'A viable alternative'

Conservative MP for Brentwood and Ongar, Alex Burghart, said he would continue to support the fight against the plans [Ella Harget-Dash/BBC]

Alex Burghart, Conservative MP for Brentwood and Ongar, said: "Understandably, people are very frustrated because we know that there is a viable alternative."

He said he believed an offshore grid, or underground cables, were "perfectly workable ideas".

A Department for Energy Security and Net Zero spokesperson has said: Securing Britain's clean energy future will require improving infrastructure to get renewable electricity on the grid.

"Without this infrastructure, we will never deliver clean power for the British people.

"National Grid has put the Norwich to Tilbury proposals out for public consultation and local concerns will be engaged with through this process."

A spokesperson for National Grid added: "Every piece of feedback is being carefully reviewed and analysed to help inform the further development of our proposals, before submitting the Development Consent Order (DCO) application in 2025."

"The key topics raised in the consultation and our response to the feedback will be published in the Consultation Report, submitted as part of the DCO application."

Follow Essex news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.

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West should not 'fight to victory' against nuclear state, Russian FM says at UN

Ukraine and its Western allies should not try "to fight to victory with a nuclear power," Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov warned in a speech at the United Nations General Assembly on Sept. 28.

Since the launch of the full-scale invasion, Russia has repeatedly invoked the threat of its nuclear arsenal to deter Western military support for Ukraine.

In his General Assembly address, Lavrov called Western attempts to defeat Russia "a suicidal escapade."

"I'm not going to talk here about the senselessness and the danger of the very idea of trying to fight to victory with a nuclear power, which is what Russia is," Lavrov said.

Lavrov's remarks come days after Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed revisions to Moscow's nuclear doctrine at a U.N. Security Council meeting. Putin announced that Russia could respond to conventional missile strikes with nuclear weapons, and indicated that Moscow would treat any attack backed by a nuclear-armed country as a coordinated assault.

Lavrov also derided Ukraine's peace formula, calling it a "doomed ultimatum" while defending Russia's ongoing occupation of Ukrainian territory.

Russia's escalating nuclear rhetoric coincides with President Volodymyr Zelensky's visit to Washington, where he continued to push U.S. President Joe Biden to allow Ukraine to use American weapons to strike targets deep within Russian.

The U.S. announced around $8 billion in additional military aid for Ukraine during the visit, but did not signal any changes to its policy around long-range strikes.

Zelensky's spokesperson, Serhii Nikiforov, said during an interview on Ukrainian television that Russia would be "the first to know" if restrictions on long-range attacks were lifted.

"First, it is important to understand that the first to learn about the authorization to strike deep into Russian territory will be the Russians themselves," Nikiforov said.

"They will be the first to know it, and then there will be an official announcement."

Read also: Kremlin says recent adjustments to Russias nuclear policy intended as a message to Western nations

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
West obtains evidence that China supplied weapons to Russia for war against Ukraine, media says  The Times

Western officials believe they have obtained evidence of secret arms supplies from China to Russia, which could signify a major escalation in Beijing's involvement in the war in Ukraine.

Source: The Times, citing a Western official, as reported by European Pravda

Details: A source from The Times claims that the West has evidence of an unnamed Chinese company's involvement in supplying Russia with "a range of purpose-built military drones" used in Ukraine.

The source refused to disclose the company's name but clarified that the deal to supply drones to Russia was completed in 2023.

Quote: "While the Chinese government might not admit it, they are going to struggle to keep their increasing support under wraps," added the official.

However, the official confirmed a Reuters report stating that Russia has developed a weapons programme in China for the design and production of long-range strike drones used in the war against Ukraine.

A NATO representative told The Times that the new information about China's military support for Russia is "deeply concerning," and Alliance members are holding consultations on the matter.

Background:

On 10 September, US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell said that China is providing direct support to the Russian military apparatus, thus assisting it in its war against Ukraine.

The US has repeatedly warned China against supporting Russia's defence industry and has imposed hundreds of sanctions aimed at limiting Moscow's ability to use certain technologies for military purposes.

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West Virginia state senator asked to resign after second arrest in two months

A Republican state senator from West Virginia is being asked to step down by his local GOP party chair after being arrested on a drunk driving charge  his second arrest in as many months.

State Sen. Mike Maroney, who was first elected in 2016, was arrested in August on a charge of indecent exposure.

While the legal process must take its course, the perception of impropriety and the repeated legal entanglements surrounding Senator Maroney have brought discredit to the West Virginia Senate, Ethan Moore, chairman of the Monongalia County Republican Executive Committee, said in a statement. We believe it is in the best interest of Senate District 2 and the state for Senator Maroney to resign, restoring public trust and the integrity of the Senate.

Moores committee passed a resolution calling on Maroney to resign and urging Republican Gov. Jim Justice, who is seeking a U.S. Senate seat, to empower the the state Senate to expel or censure him if he does not voluntarily step down.

State Sen. Mike Maroney, R-W.Va.

Maroney did not immediately respond to an email for comment Friday night.

He was defeated in the Republican primary in May, and his term is set to expire in January.

Maroney had been chair of the state Senate Health and Human Resources Committee but was stripped of his post after he was arrested on Aug. 4 for allegedly exposing himself while inside the video lottery room at Gumbys Cigarette & Beer World in Glen Dale, The Associated Press reported.

On Monday, Maroney was arrested and charged with driving under the influence after being stopped for allegedly driving erratically in a school zone, WTRF.com reported, citing the criminal complaint.

Maroney was also arrested for allegedly soliciting prostitution in 2019, a charge that was later dropped, The Intelligencer & Wheeling News-Register reported, separately noting that he has pleaded not guilty in his two most recent arrests.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
SIOUX CITY, Iowa (KCAU)  Western Iowa Tech Community College will be hosting College Radio Day on Comet Radio in a day-long event.

According to a release, special programming will be broadcast all day from Comet Radio on October 4.

The Warming Shelter in Sioux City to stay open

There will be a wide selection of music from the Comet Radio studio, with different student DJs each hour.

The release noted that College Radio Day was founded in December 2010 at Saint Xavier University. The event is intended to raise awareness and provide financial assistance to college radio stations. Comet Radio has been participating in the event since 2017 and received the 2017 Spirit of College Radio Award.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to SiouxlandProud | Sioux City, IA | News, Weather, and Sports.
Torrential rainfall causes widespread flooding in the mountains

The western part of North Carolina received heavy rain from Tropical Storm Helene Friday morning, effectively shutting down travel for many drivers.

>>CLICK here for the latest weather alerts

The failure of a dam in the town of Lake Lure is imminent, emergency officials said just before 11 a.m. Friday. In a Facebook post, Rutherford County Emergency Management said anyone below the Lake Lure Dam needed to evacuate to higher ground as quickly as possible.

READ MORE: Evacuations ordered as Lake Lure Dam failure imminent, officials say

Channel 9s Jonathan Lowe visited Black Mountain, where the Swannanoa River was expected to bring even more dangerous flooding.

This comes after a low-pressure system came through Wednesday night into Thursday morning. This caused a flash flooding event that brought nearly two inches of rain.

Chopper 9 Skyzoom flew over Lake Lure and the Chimney Rock area on the evening of Sept. 27, 2024

Chopper 9 Skyzoom flew over Lake Lure and the Chimney Rock area on the evening of Sept. 27, 2024

Chopper 9 Skyzoom flew over Lake Lure and the Chimney Rock area on the evening of Sept. 27, 2024

Chopper 9 Skyzoom flew over Lake Lure and the Chimney Rock area on the evening of Sept. 27, 2024

Chopper 9 Skyzoom flew over Lake Lure and the Chimney Rock area on the evening of Sept. 27, 2024

Chopper 9 Skyzoom flew over Lake Lure and the Chimney Rock area on the evening of Sept. 27, 2024

Chopper 9 Skyzoom flew over Lake Lure and the Chimney Rock area on the evening of Sept. 27, 2024

Chopper 9 Skyzoom flew over Lake Lure and the Chimney Rock area on the evening of Sept. 27, 2024

Chopper 9 Skyzoom flew over Lake Lure and the Chimney Rock area on the evening of Sept. 27, 2024

Chopper 9 Skyzoom flew over Lake Lure and the Chimney Rock area on the evening of Sept. 27, 2024

Chopper 9 Skyzoom flew over Lake Lure and the Chimney Rock area on the evening of Sept. 27, 2024

Chopper 9 Skyzoom flew over Lake Lure and the Chimney Rock area on the evening of Sept. 27, 2024

Chopper 9 Skyzoom flew over Lake Lure and the Chimney Rock area on the evening of Sept. 27, 2024

Chopper 9 Skyzoom flew over Lake Lure and the Chimney Rock area on the evening of Sept. 27, 2024

Chopper 9 Skyzoom flew over Lake Lure and the Chimney Rock area on the evening of Sept. 27, 2024

Chopper 9 Skyzoom flew over Lake Lure and the Chimney Rock area on the evening of Sept. 27, 2024

Tropical Storm Helene then moved right in, which brought even more rain and flooding to the already damaged area. Channel 9 crews observed overflow from the Swannanoa River that was moving rapidly. This had a significant impact on low-lying areas.

Rapidly moving water is very dangerous because it could cause cars to be swept away. Residents are encouraged to avoid any standing body of water, even if it does not look deep.

Officials were worried about the water from the Swannanoa River overtaking this bridge as this is the only way in and out of the hotel parking lot. We are now on the safe side. @wsoctv @JonathanUpdates pic.twitter.com/Cyf0dbydOM  Coleman Montgomery (@colemanreports) September 27, 2024

Earlier

Western North Carolina was in a race Thursday night to prepare for potentially historic and catastrophic flooding.

If its as bad they say its going to get, it might hit our ceiling in here, said Anna Rowley, a store manager.

Managers at the Palm Village Lilly Pulitzer store in Ashevilles Biltmore Village arent taking any chances Thursday night.

If its as bad they say its going to get, it might hit our ceiling in here, said Anna Rowley, a store manager.

Buncombe County officials warned residents that flooding from Hurricane Helene could rival that of Ashevilles flood of 1916 when multiple dams were breached and 80 people were killed.

Hurricane Helene is now a Category 4. Heres how itll impact the Carolinas.

We are just bagging up all the product and taking it to another location, higher elevation and on the third floor, Rowley said.

Businesses and homes all along low-lying areas by the French Broad and Swannanoa rivers have doors barricaded with plastic tarps and sandbags.

Last night, there was a flash flood, and from what we understand its supposed to be worse than it was last night, Rowley said.

Some parts of the area were not passable Wednesday night due to a storm that wasnt related to the hurricane.

Ive been here like two years and I havent seen this happen yet, so Im kind of worried about tomorrow, said resident Liz Hauswirth.

Emergency management officials predict Hurricane Helene could impact at least 15,000 people in the area who have been urged to self-evacuate.

I have a new house, Hauswirth said. I just bought my house, so Im like, I want to get down in the crawlspace, see whats going on, but I do feel lucky that Im uphill.

The rivers arent even expected to crest until Friday night into Saturday morning.

In addition to the flooding threat, emergency officials are predicting the Asheville area could see some of the highest tropical storm force winds.
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH)  Millions of dollars are being spent on campaigns as election day grows closer and a new law to put restrictions on who can donate is in flux right now.

The law to create a foreign national and green card holder contribution ban to issue campaigns, like the Issue 1 in November, was recently enacted but quickly taken to court. Last month, a federal judge put it on hold. That judge took issue with the green card portion, which was a last-minute addition on the House floor.

Watch: Legal battle over issue campaign contributions

Representative Seitz, I like I call him the legendary Bill Seitz, was adamant, among others, about not putting the green card language into the foreign money bill, Speaker of the Ohio House Jason Stephens (R-Kitts Hill) said. When the Democrats voted not to table the amendment, I was hoping that maybe some people would figure out that theres a reason they were doing that.

The decision to hit pause on the law was appealed, and now it is in effect, until Oct. 8 at least. Secretary of State Frank LaRose said his office is ready to begin immediate enforcement.

How to check if your power goes out in Columbus and central Ohio

I think we have the right to say, no, youre not a U.S. citizen, but green card holders, we know based upon previous court decisions, have a different status, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said. They have a special status, and they certainly have certain rights.

Now, DeWine is calling for a new law to be passed at the statehouse, without the green card portion. DeWine believes that the law should be on the books and dealing with it legislatively would accomplish that goal much more quickly than waiting for things to play out in the courts.

The concern is the people who are not U.S. citizens and theyre sending money in here to influence an election, DeWine said. If you look at the problem that the legislature was trying to deal with, by exempting out green card holders, you can probably still get at most of the problem.

I think theres pretty much universal support for keeping foreign money out of elections, Stephens said. Its how its done and making sure that its done and will be effective, is really the challenge.

Democrats and Republicans at the statehouse agree on the premise that foreign money should be kept out of Ohio elections. They do not, however, agree about the law that is being debated in the courts right now. Those opposing the law said it is vague and the fines and penalties in it will have a chilling effect to organizers who want to put something on the ballot.

I really think its important when we pass things in the legislature that it really has an impact and an effect as opposed to oh that felt good or we showed them, and then the court kick it out a month or two later, Stephens said.

Wildlife agency asks residents to report deer behaving abnormally to track disease

Stephens said passing another bill is not out of the picture. In fact, there are still several bills in the statehouse that get at the issue, without the portion prohibiting green-card holders, who are lawful permanent residents, from participating in election donations.

There are still some bills that are in committee that could be addressed. I think on this kind of an issue, the less said the more powerful it is, Stephens said. If we were able to come to that to an agreement there, I think itd be great.

The legislature is not scheduled to be back to session until November, so that is the earliest to expect a legislative fix.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to NBC4 WCMH-TV.
WASHINGTON - Are there fake Special Police Officers working in Washington, D.C.?

FOX 5 has been checking with various officials on the matter after multiple whistleblowers and concerned community members raised these concerns with FOX 5.

One whistleblower who asked not to be identified, spoke on camera, alleging they were hired to work security at the Columbia Heights Village apartment complex, and named two companies that are not legally licensed to operate in the District.

The whistleblower named one company as "Off Duty Protection," claiming this company was an alleged subsidiary of "USEA Protective Services, LLC." The whistleblower says they left after learning of alleged legal issues.

This whistleblower is an actual licensed SPO, who claims one of the owners was working as an armed SPO at the Columbia Height Village apartment complex and others without a legal SPO license.

"I saw a lot of unethical processes or procedures such as the use of excessive force  essentially kidnapping. Because if someone is not a law enforcement officer, and theyre processing arresting people, that is kidnapping," the whistleblower said.

Columbia Heights Village apartment complex in Washington, D.C.

In the District, special police officers are essentially private officers hired to work security. They have similar powers to D.C. police, but those powers normally only extend to the property theyre protecting.

When FOX 5 reached out to management offices for the Columbia Heights Village apartment complex regarding the claims against both companies, we received this response from Spokesperson Ed Cafasso via email:

"Columbia Heights Village became aware of the company's licensing issues on April 23, 2024. Their contract to provide security to the community was terminated the next day, on April 24, 2024. Their contract to provide security on the property began November 20, 2023."

Cafasso would not name the company Columbia Heights Village held the contract with. He did confirm that a fake insurance certificate was used to obtain the contract and that they are currently working with a new security company, now identified as, PChange Protective Services.

The whistleblower who went on record told FOX 5 they filed claims with the DC Office of the Attorney General, the FTC, and the Department of Labor  also alleging that more than one SPO performed the security work but was not paid for their services.

D.C. police tell FOX 5 they are still investigating serious allegations made.

USEA Protective Services, LLC last held a license with D.C. in 2017, according to a city license search.

The citys Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection Spokesperson Charles Basham III wrote in one of multiple emails previously sent to FOX 5:

"The Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection (DLCP) aims to ensure all business entities in the District maintain accurate and up-to-date licenses. Off Duty Protection is currently not a registered or licensed agency in the District. On June 6, 2024, a complaint concerning Off Duty Protection was lodged with our agency; our policy is not to comment on matters under review."

Since airing a September 27th report, FOX 5 was contacted by the man who claims to be the owner of "Off Duty Protection." He says his company was never affiliated with USEAs contract and is denying having any part with any of the allegations made involving Columbia Heights Village or their security contact.

John Ayala, owner of Archangel Security and Training.

Separately, FOX 5 asked John Ayala, a long-time licensed D.C. SPO license and conceal carry instructor for the city, about the matter regarding concerns raised.

Ayala responded that he was not surprised.

Ayala owns his own security company, Archangel Security and Training.

He said there are likely more SPOs than current police officers working in D.C. and that he feels there needs to be more individual responsibility.

"Thats concerning because if they go out here and make an arrest and hurt somebody, then the city might even get sued, besides that person. So we have to, the companies themselves have to make sure if theyre going to hire people, they have to make sure theyre fully licensed. You cant just bring them in because they want a body  and thats what happens a lot of time," Ayala said in part of his conversation with FOX 5.

Ayala says he warns his students to stay away from any security companies that require the SPO to have their own (personal) firearm because thats not allowed in D.C.

Anyone can look up a license status on the Districts professional license search page here.

Whether there are any safeguards to prevent non-licensed contracts or non-licensed SPOs from operating, FOX 5 learned MPD has a very small branch that responds to SPO matters, when requested to do so. That branch is called the Security Officers Management Branch or SOMB.

D.C. police told FOX 5 theres no real entity that patrols these issues  and that this is something theyre now working on with the citys licensing department as the investigation into what happened at the Columbia Heights Village apartment complex continues.

This is a developing story. Check back with FOX 5 for updates.
Why are the flags flying at half-staff in Wisconsin on Saturday?

Flags are flying at half-staff across Wisconsin on Saturday.

The gesture, ordered by Gov. Tony Evers, is in honor of Wisconsin firefighters who have died in the line the duty. Here's what you should know about the occasion.

Why are flags at half-staff in Wisconsin on Saturday?

Wisconsin flags have been lowered Saturday, Sept. 28 to coincide with the Final Alarm Ceremony and Silent Procession at the Wisconsin Fire & EMS Memorial Park in Wisconsin Rapids, which is hosted by the Wisconsin Fire & EMS Memorial, and in honor of Wisconsin Firefighters Memorial Day, according to a news release from Evers' office.

The event is part of National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Weekend. It is intended to honor firefighters from Wisconsin who have given their lives in the line of duty.

Day in and day out, Wisconsins firefighters and emergency service professionals risk their own health and safety to keep us safe and serve us and our communities during our worst days, often at great personal risk and sacrifice, Evers said in a statement.

We will continue to honor the bravery and selflessness of those firefighters who have tragically fallen in the line of duty, on Firefighters Memorial Day and throughout the year, we remember their immense sacrifice.

How long will flags be at half-staff?

Flags will fly at half-staff from sunrise to sunset Saturday.

Where will flags be at half-staff?

According to Evers' order, the American flag and the Wisconsin state flag will fly at half-staff at all buildings, grounds and military installations belonging to the state of Wisconsin.

Why do flags fly at half-staff?

U.S. flags typically fly at half-staff in the wake of national tragedies or after deaths of government officials, military members or first responders. They also fly at half-staff on Memorial Day and other national days of remembrance, including 9/11.

"The United States flag flies at half-staff or at half-mast when the nation or a state is in mourning," USA.gov says. "The president, a state governor, or the mayor of the District of Columbia can order flags to fly at half-staff."

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Why are the flags at half-staff in Wisconsin today?
Why gene therapy for sickle cell is slow to catch on with patients

A view of paintings related to sickle cell on a table as Dominique Goodson, who has sickle cell and advocates for awareness about the disease, takes a phone call in her room at her home in the Brooklyn borough of New York City

A view of paintings related to sickle cell on a table as Dominique Goodson, who has sickle cell and advocates for awareness about the disease, takes a phone call in her room at her home in the Brooklyn borough of New York City

By Deena Beasley

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Student Zoe Davis, 20, was just weeks into her junior year when she landed back in the hospital with severe sickle cell pain earlier this month. She is doing what she can to prevent the crippling attacks in her arms, legs and abdomen that are becoming more frequent.

She knows new gene therapies may provide long-term relief to some of the 100,000 Americans like her who suffer from sickle cell disease. But she's holding off trying one.

"It is so new ... I wanted to see more success stories before I committed to it," said Davis, who is studying veterinary science at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University in Greensboro.

Her hesitation illustrates a common reason why take-up for the potentially life-changing treatments, which cost $2 million to $3 million in the U.S., is proving even slower than expected, interviews with half a dozen U.S. specialists and six sickle cell patients show.

Younger patients  weighing school schedules and reluctant to add more medical burden to their lives  have been less enthusiastic than predicted, said Dr. Leo Wang, hematologist-oncologist at City of Hope Children's Cancer Center near Los Angeles.

"Some kids are just not interested," he said, adding that patients between ages 20 and 40 are, but some have such severe disease that they are not good candidates.

The new one-time treatments, approved in the U.S. last December, have so far been used on around 100 people globally, including in clinical trials. They require chemotherapy, which raises the risk of cancer and can cause infertility.

Some patients say the time involved  up to a year  is a daunting prospect for anyone whose condition is not critical.

Worldwide, 8 million people are estimated to have sickle cell disease, an inherited disorder, according to the National Institutes of Health. Most of those in the U.S. are Black.

Sufferers' red blood cells have an abnormal "sickle" shape that can block their flow through blood vessels, causing excruciating pain and sometimes leading to strokes, organ damage and premature death. The mutation that causes sickle cell is most prevalent in places where malaria is endemic: A single copy of the gene has been shown to protect against malaria infection.

By September, at least 30 people worldwide had begun a one-time gene therapy outside trials, according to the two drugmakers whose therapies were approved in America.

Both treatments involve a months-long process to remove a patient's bone marrow stem cells and genetically modify them in a lab. Patients are given chemotherapy and admitted to hospital to be monitored for weeks after the cells are reinfused.

Doctors say use of the therapies could increase as more data emerges on safety and efficacy, but many patients are waiting on the sidelines - timing pregnancies, weighing the cost of fertility treatments or put off by the lengthy process. Others are seeking insurance approval: Hospitals need to confirm payments in advance.

Also, some younger patients' disease is still under control with standard medicines. Older ones are liable to complications, hematologists said. Those with significant organ damage, a history of stroke or infections such as HIV or hepatitis may not be eligible.

"You have to be sick, but not too sick," said Dr. Andrew Campbell, director of the Children's National Comprehensive Sickle Cell Disease Program in Washington D.C.

'NOT LIKE HOTCAKES'

The companies, doctors and analysts say that more than 80% of U.S. patients are not suitable for the therapies, which are approved only for those over 12 with a history of severe pain crises. Doctors and insurers have stricter criteria.

One of the drugmakers, Bluebird Bio, in August cut its forecast for use of all three of its gene therapy products this year to 85 at most, down from 105. Earlier this week, it said 10 patients had so far started its sickle cell regimen.

The other firm, Vertex Pharmaceuticals, said in August that 20 patients worldwide had begun its treatment process, but still called its therapy "a potential multi-billion dollar opportunity" for about 58,000 patients in the U.S., Europe, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.

Bluebird's shares are down about 64% this year at around 50 cents. Vertex has risen about 14% to around $463, on par with with gains in the S&P 500 Healthcare index.

Wall Street analysts, on average, expect sales of Vertex's Casgevy to reach $500 million by 2026, according to LSEG data. No consensus forecast is available in the data for Bluebird's treatment, Lyfgenia. This week the company said it would cut 25% of its workforce, mostly from research, to put more resources into selling its existing products.

Thomas Klima, Bluebird's chief operating officer, told Reuters sickle cell patients are "excited" about Lyfgenia, but the payer approval process and steps to clinical readiness take longer than for a typical drug treatment.

Vertex COO Stuart Arbuckle said in an email that the company has been pleased with the response from payers, physicians and patients, but "this was always going to be a foundational year" for Casgevy.

Of other gene therapies approved in recent years, only one has reached blockbuster sales of over $1 billion a year: Novartis' Zolgensma for spinal muscular atrophy in babies. Uptake of the rest, including one-time hemophilia therapies, has been slow.

The sickle cell therapies are "pretty awesome from a scientific standpoint," said Chris Bardon, co-managing partner of biotech investment firm MPM BioImpact, which has a portfolio that includes gene therapy companies.

But she said they are not expected "to sell like hotcakes," with early use seen mainly in patients with severe disease.

WEEKS OF PAIN

Debilitating sickle cell pains can strike any part of the body, but they most commonly occur in the hands, feet, chest, and back. They can last for a few hours to several weeks.

Existing treatments include blood transfusions, antibiotics for infections, opiates for severe pain and the generic drug hydroxyurea, an anti-cancer pill that helps red blood cells return to normal shape. Pfizer said this week it was withdrawing its sickle cell disease treatment, Oxbryta, citing risks of a painful complication and deaths.

Until now, the only potential cure for sickle cell disease was a bone marrow transplant, but it is hard to find matched donors for that procedure, which also requires chemotherapy. There is a risk of transplant rejection.

People living with the disease are advised to avoid sudden temperature changes, alcohol or smoking, high altitudes or strenuous exertion, and to steer clear of infection risks. Also, stress can bring on an acute attack that lands them in the emergency room.

Student Davis said moving to college from her home in Virginia heightened the disease progression that many experience as they age. She takes hydroxyurea and folic acid daily, but still her pain crises frequently need hospital treatment.

Kayla Smith Owens, a 25-year-old sickle cell advocate who describes her pain as "constant," was accepted in 2020 into a bone marrow transplant trial, but her donor fell through at the last minute.

She is interested in receiving gene therapy, which her doctors have recommended given that she is young with little to no organ damage. But her insurance coverage is uncertain.

"I turn 26 in November and will be dropped off of my mom's insurance," Smith Owens said. To avoid being cut off at that time, she and her medical team hope the insurer will grant an extension.

Health insurers that have outlined terms are adhering closely to them, said Jennifer Cameron, executive director for patient access at Children's National Hospital, whose job entails communicating with insurers.

"If they say there are 10 points that the patient must meet, they are holding us to those 10 points," she said, noting that insurers have turned down gene therapy coverage for some sickle cell patients whom doctors had recommended.

Vertex partnered with CRISPR Therapeuticsto develop its $2.2 million therapy Casgevy, the first U.S.-approved treatment using gene editing technology to trim faulty parts of a gene and allow patients to produce normal red blood cells.

Bluebird's Lyfgenia uses a viral envelope to deliver a healthy hemoglobin-producing gene. The company sells the $3.1 million therapy only in the U.S.

After infusion with Casgevy, trial data showed that 36 out of 39 patients did not have a severe pain crisis for at least 12 consecutive months. Bluebird's study showed that 32 out of 34 patients had not experienced a severe pain crisis after around three years.

FERTILITY BARRIER

Doctors say they are cautiously weighing the risks of the two gene therapies against the potential benefits.

If patients are doing well on current treatment, Dr. Michael DeBaun, director at Nashville's Vanderbilt-Meharry Center of Excellence in Sickle Cell Disease, questioned the logic of recommending a new gene therapy used so far on so few people.

"You wouldn't do that for cancer," he said. "You would only offer that to people who had the most severe disease who were likely going to die."

Dr. Mark Walters at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital in Oakland, California expects the therapies to initially be used for about 10% of sickle cell patients, noting the field is moving quickly as researchers aim for therapies that may not require chemo.

"The chemotherapy drug we use causes infertility in most," Walters said.

A cycle of egg freezing can cost up to $15,000, and storage up to $500 a year, according to the non-profit Alliance for Fertility Preservation. Sperm banking can cost up to $1,000 with another $400 a year for storage, the group estimates.

Sickle cell patient Dominique Goodson, 38 and pregnant with her first child, said she would like to get a gene therapy a year or so after she gives birth in December, but she needs to make sure she can preserve fertility options for a second child.

Both Vertex and Bluebird have programs to help with payment for fertility services, but these are not available to patients in the federal government's Medicaid plan for low-income individuals, which covers more than half of U.S. sickle cell patients.

Medicaid has proposed a pilot program starting next year that would include some fertility services, but Vertex is challenging the government's policy in court.

Goodson works with the non-profit Sickle Cell Consortium, focusing on the needs of the sickle cell community, and has participated in focus groups conducted by Vertex and Bluebird.

"I want to be able to live a normalish life ... just being able to enjoy the simple things," she said.

(Reporting By Deena Beasley; edited by Caroline Humer and Sara Ledwith)
The Delhi government has announced an ex-gratia Rs 1 crore to the families of each of the five Corona warriors who died during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Chief minister's office said on Saturday. The families of Pharmacist Sanjay Manchanda; Junior Assistant in Maulana Azad Medical College Ravi Kumar Singh; Sanitation Worker Virendra Kumar; Delhi Police Officer Bhawani Chandra; and Primary teacher Mohammed Yassen will receive the payment. All five people had passed away carrying out their duties during the pandemic. Speaking on the sacrifice made by the corona warriors during the pandemic, Delhi Chief Minister Atishi said that financial compensation "might not replace the loss to families but would help them live with dignity." "The Corona Warriors in Delhi protected humanity and society during the pandemic and sacrificed their lives without thinking about themselves. The Delhi Government honours their spirit. Though the financial assistance cannot replace the loss, it will help the families live with dignity," she said. Sanjay Manchanda was deployed as a pharmacist at a patient care facility during the pandemic, and he also visited containment zones with ASHA workers. Ravi Kumar Singh was deployed as a junior assistant at Maulana Azad Medical College. Virendra Kumar was in charge of sanitation at a hunger relief centre during the pandemic. Bhawani Chandra was deployed on duty at Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Hospital during the pandemic. Mohammad Yaseen was deployed on duty for ration distribution during the pandemic. Reaffirming the support for the families of the deceased, Atishi said, "The government will always support the families of these Corona Warriors. This scheme gives their families the confidence that the government and society stand with them." "The COVID-19 pandemic was a serious crisis for everyone. It created fear in people, but our Corona Warriors took risks to save Delhi. Thousands of Corona Warriors, like doctors, medical staff, support staff, and sanitation workers, worked day and night to fight the pandemic. Many of them lost their lives in service," she added. (ANI)
Why has a knitted tank rolled into Llandudno?

The life-size tank was created by a small army of knitters from the Ripon Community Poppy Project [Andrew Dobbs Photography]

A knitted life-sized tank has rolled into Llandudno after being created to commemorate the 80th anniversary of D-Day.

About 50 volunteers created the tank, measuring 24ft (7.3m) in length, 9ft (2.7m) in width and 7ft (2.1m) in height.

Another exhibit, dubbed a modern day Bayeux Tapestry, tells the story of the war-time landings in 80 woollen panels at the resort's Holy Trinity Church.

Hundreds of knitters from the UK, Europe, USA and New Zealand created panels for the Longest Yarn.

The knitted tank was created by Ripon Community Poppy Project in North Yorkshire.

And it was modelled on a Churchill AVRE tank which was built nearby.

Stuart Martin from the project said: "When we started the poppy celebrations we also wanted to promote Ripon and having them down in Llandudno can only be good thing."

The tank is on show at Victoria shopping centre from Saturday until 2 November, and the Longest Yarn between 2-28 October.

The D-Day landings saw more than150,000 Allied troops descend on the beaches of Normandy during World War Two in June 1944.

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Outside the steps of New York Citys Gracie Mansion, Mayor Eric Leroy Adams, surrounded by more than a dozen Black clergy members and civil rights activists, approached the podium to make a statement before his indictment on bribery and other charges. But a hefty male voice from the crowd interrupted.

Your policies are anti-Black. You are a disgrace for all Black people in this city, Hawk Newsome, co-founder of the Black Lives Matter-Greater New York chapter, yelled through a bullhorn during a press conference on Thursday.

Adams grinded uncomfortably in between Newsomes chants for him to resign. Once Adams was cleared to speak, he echoed previous remarks that he is innocent and will not resign.

We are not surprised. We expected this, Adams said Thursday following months of speculation after his cellphones and laptop were seized last November.

Hawk Newsome, co-founder of the Black Lives Matter-Greater New York chapter, joined other critics of New York City Mayor Eric Adams outside his residence at Gracie Mansion on Thursday after it was announced that Adams has been indicted in a federal corruption case. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

Across social media, memes of the hit Starz series Power were liked and reshared. Even the series franchises co-creator 50 Cent chimed in. Adams, a proud son of Brownsville, Brooklyn, and a retired New York Police Department captain, has a reputation for being eccentric, to say the least. But his relationship with Black New Yorkers has been complicated. Adams public safety plan included bringing back a controversial plainclothes anti-crime unit and stop-and-frisk that was banned because it disproportionately targets Black and brown people.

Adams is the second Black mayor in the citys history, but thats where he and the late David Dinkins similarities end, said Christina Greer, an associate professor of political science at Fordham University. (The one-term mayor was no stranger to criticism of his policies during racial tensions in 1990s New York  but he avoided scandalous headlines.)

As weve seen with Black mayors in places like  New Orleans, and Washington, D.C., and Baltimore, Greer said. As the mayor of New York City, as a Black man, as a Black politician, you cant always do the same things that other politicians do.

Black New Yorkers have been split about whether Adams has been a leader who has put their interests first. Theyve called out the former Brooklyn borough president for policies on policing, crime, the surge of migrants, the citys troubled jail system, and homelessness.

Lots of people were skeptical about him from the beginning, just because of the history of the NYPD and some of their more unsavory behaviors, Greer said.

Just remember that the same Eric Adams whos been indicted for stealing millions of dollars from New Yorkers and now demanding due process recently told us all it was ok for NYPD to shoot 4 people over $2.90 in unpaid subway fare, Olayemi Olurin, an attorney and political commentator, wrote on X.

Olurin, who clashed with Adams during an interview on The Breakfast Club in April, was referring to a shooting earlier this month. Officers shot at a man carrying a knife who was first stopped for fare evasion. Two bystanders, an officer and the man, were struck.

Ahead of his first court appearance on Friday in the U.S. Justice Departments Southern District of New York, the retired NYPD captain suggested that he was being targeted for his stance on the influx of asylum seekers into the city from the southern border.

I always knew that if I stood my ground for all of you, that I would be a target, and a target I became, Adams said in a Wednesday video.

Newsome said Adams wasnt addressing the Black and brown families in low-income communities like his hometown of the Bronx.

We refused to allow him to say that this was a Black thing. This isnt a Black thing. This is a justice thing.  Weve been victimized by him, weve seen his policies, his arrogance, Newsome told Capital B. The attorney and civil rights activist says he has an ongoing dispute with Adams that has escalated to where a permit application to host a Juneteenth event that included feeding a Bronx neighborhood was allegedly maliciously denied by the mayors office.

Do real New Yorkers really care?

New York Mayor Eric Adams, seen participating in the 55th annual African American Day Parade in New York City on Sept. 15, has had a complicated relationship with the citys Black and brown residents. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

Adams approval ratings from New York City voters dropped significantly at the end of his second year, according to a Quinnipiac University poll. Yet, he is still favorable amongst Black voters who were surveyed in that same poll and are mostly older, like the folks Adams was surrounded by on Thursday.

Shortly after Adams was sworn into office in January 2022, he quickly rose to the national spotlight. At first, New Yorkers thought it was comical that the former borough president was partying like a celebrity with the whos who of the citys nightlife, and becoming the butt of jokes on Saturday Night Live. Those moments followed by a flurry of Giphys, and hot takes from content creators for giggles and likes. Within months, those funny shares turned into a series of videos of everyday New Yorkers expressing their gripes about what seems like Adams questionable approach to governing one of the worlds most populated cities.

Adams entered a plea of not guilty Friday. The 64-year-old is accused in a five-count indictment of having 10 years worth of interactions with Turkish nationals that resulted in free business-class trips around the world on Turkish Airlines and more than $10,000,000 in public funds for Adams 2021 mayoral campaign, according to the indictment.

Adams is the first sitting mayor of New York City to be indicted by a federal grand jury for charges of bribery, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud to receive campaign contributions by foreign nationals, and solicitation of a contribution by a foreign national. If convicted, he faces up to 45 years in federal prison.

Ultimately, New Yorkers are not going to lean into the details of this indictment, Greer said, unless they understand how pocketing millions of illegally obtained campaign contributions funds from a foreign national in exchange for something could impact their lives.

But like, is he making my groceries go up? Did he get the money, or is it that the money was just there? I dont know if real New Yorkers really care if hes getting an upgrade on Turkish Airlines, Greer said.

Adams is accused of accepting contributions from Turkish foreign officials  who are prohibited from donating to U.S. political candidates  and then manipulating the citys matching funds program, designed to generously match small-dollar donations. Prosecutors claim that his campaign received over $10 million in matching public funds, which should only be available to candidates who comply with the rules, according to the indictment.

For decades in New York City and across the Hudson River in New Jersey, politicians at various levels of government have been forced to resign, plead guilty in exchange for a lower sentence, or become a cooperating witness for the prosecution, and few go to trial to make the chief prosecutors office prove their case to a judge or jury.

Its a sad day for New York in general, anytime something happens to a politician, Greer said. The only people who really lose out are the citizens of New York.

Greer agreed that calls for Adams to step down were premature, since the indictment is not a conviction. Plus, she asked, Why would he resign? If Bob Menendez, the senator of New Jersey, who had gold bars literally in his house didnt step down until after conviction, and if former President Donald Trump can still run for president with 34 felony convictions, then why would Adams step down.

If Adams were to step down, Jumaane Williams, the citys public advocate, would assume the acting mayoral role. Williams could run for a full term in 2025.

The post Why Mayor Eric Adams Scandal Doesnt Shock Black New Yorkers appeared first on Capital B News.
Tenn./Va./N.C. (WJHL)  Widespread road closures continue to plague Northeast Tennessee, Southwest Virginia and Western North Carolina.

News Channel 11 has reached out to state transportation agencies to obtain comprehensive lists of road closures in the region.

Dozens of families searching for missing loved ones as floodwaters begin to recede

The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) said in a post that all roads in Western NC should be considered closed.

As of this morning, over 400 roads remain closed in NC. All roads in Western NC should be considered closed.



Remember: As crews work to clear and inspect roads and bridges, please give them room.



Go to https://t.co/AGDVnBcrXk for the latest road information. pic.twitter.com/0XkeU3HErA  NCDOT (@NCDOT) September 28, 2024

According to the Virginia Department of Transportations (VDOT) traffic map, closures remain across the Southwest region as crews work to clear debris and fallen trees.

LIST: Boil water notices issued across the region

Realtime updates to traffic conditions and closures in Virginia can be found 24/7 at 511virginia.org.

VDOT 511 Traffic Map as of 1:20 p.m. Saturday.

The maps below were provided by TDOT spokesperson Mark Nagi. Traffic updates can also be found on TDOTs SmartWay Map. Notably, a portion of I-26 in Unicoi County and parts of I-40 in both North Carolina and Cocke County remain closed.

Helene-State-Route-Closures-Map-10-00AM-UpdateDownload

Helene-Closures-MapDownload

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WJHL | Tri-Cities News & Weather.
SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI)  Recent visitors of the San Diego Zoo Safari Park may have come in contact with a wild bat that later tested positive for rabies, according to county health officials Saturday.

The bat was found in the Escondido zoo on Monday, Sept. 23 around 2:15 p.m. The county notes it was not one of the bats residing in a habitat at the Safari Park.

According to the county, a Safari Park team member saw the bat fall from a roof and land in an employee section of the Africa Tram loading area, which is not accessible by the public. It was collected safely and transported to a local rehabilitation facility where it later died.

Subsequent testing during necropsy confirmed the bat was infected with rabies, the county said.

County officials are urging anyone in the area of the Africa Tram loading area around the time when the bat was found that came in direct contact with it to contact Public Health Services at 619-692-8499 as soon as possible.

Same-sex flamingo couple at San Diego Zoo Safari Park hatch chick

Symptoms of a rabies infection in a human can take weeks to months to develop after contact and are often fatal if left untreated, according to health officials. Those who do not have direct contact with a nearby rabid animal are not at risk.

Human rabies is usually fatal without prompt post-exposure vaccine and treatment, said Dr. Ankita Kadakia, interim public health officer for San Diego County. Rabies transmission can happen from a bat bite or if a bats saliva comes in contact with a cut or abrasion, or with mucous membranes, such as the eyes, nose or mouth.

Throughout 2024 thus far, five rabid bats have been detected in the San Diego region, according to the county.

While bats play a critical part in the ecosystem, it is important to appreciate the wildlife from a safe distance and avoid touching them.

People who do come in contact with a bat directly should wash the affected area thoroughly with soap and water before getting immediate medical attention, county health officials say.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego & KUSI News.
The Wisconsin Supreme Court rejected Robert F. Kennedy Jr.s efforts to remove his name from the states presidential ballot in a Friday ruling.

Last week, the Supreme Court accepted Kennedys appeal against the Wisconsin Elections Commission, which last month said the independent candidate was to remain on the ballot.

Wisconsins highest court pointed to a state law that prevents independent candidates who file nomination papers before the Aug. 6 deadline from being removed from the ballot unless they die. The states election commission citied the same statue in its August decision.

Kennedy suspended his campaign in August and endorsed former President Trump. Since then, Kennedy launched legal efforts to remove his name from ballots in battleground states with the goal to boost support for Trump.

The suits claimed the placement of Kennedys name on the ballot would cause harm in some states, such as Wisconsin and North Carolina. The former presidential candidate also sought to keep his name on the ballot in other states, such as New York, for the same reason.

Wisconsin circuit court rulings said Kennedys claims about his name remaining on the ballot causing harm were irrelevant as he should have known about the state law preventing his removal.

On Friday, the Supreme Court refused to place Kennedy on the New York presidential ballot after lower courts found he falsely claimed residency in the Empire State.

In Fridays court order, the Wisconsin Supreme Court noted purging Kennedys name from state ballots could inflict harm on the public, citing high costs associated with reprinting ballots and logistical problems in conducting an election with ballots on which stickers were placed to obscure Kennedys name, as he requested.

Vice President Harris narrowly leads Trump in swing states, including Wisconsin, where she leads 51 percent to the former presidents 48 percent.

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MEMPHIS, Tenn.  The federal trial for three former Memphis Police officers charged in the beating death of Tyre Nichols is capping off its third week with testimony from witnesses in the defenses case.

The prosecution rested on Thursday and the defense called their first witnesses to the stand.

Stephen Leffler, one of Demetrius Haleys lawyers called on Forensic Biology Expert Samantha Spencer, a former Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Special Agent Forensic Scientist.

Tyre Nichols trial: Prosecution rests, defense begins its case

Spencer said testing done on Demetrius Haley and Emmitt Martins boots, which were taken by the TBI the night of the Tyre Nichols beating, revealed Tyre Nichols DNA.

On Friday morning, use-of-force expert witness John Tisdale was called to the stand, hired by Tadarrius Beans legal team. Tisdale is a former Chief of Police in Gallatin, Tennessee, and Parker, Arizona. He also previously worked in Jackson, Mississippi.

He watched body camera and Skycop footage and analyzed the baton strikes and kicks to Tyre Nichols, comparing those to MPDs Use-of-Force Policy and also national policy standards.

Earlier in the trial, a trainer at the MPD academy presented a list of hours and classes required for MPD officers to graduate. On that list are four hours of handcuffing and using the police baton.

Tisdale mentioned in his testimony that officers need more than four hours of training in those areas.

He also testified that once a medical team arrives on a scene, officers need to get out of the way, and are not required to tell EMTs anything unless they are asked.

Beans attorney, John Keith Perry, asked Tisdale what would happen if a person like Officer Bean did not get out of his vehicle to respond to a dispatch call after he learned about it and encountered the suspect.

He wouldnt work for me anymore, said Tisdale. If you dont go after the suspect and at least try, you show no value.

Prosecutors questioned Tisdale on how he got involved in the case, and Tisdale stated that he was paid $14,000 for his work.

Tisdale confirmed to prosecutors that officers can not use force if they are angry or mad, and it would be wrong for an officer to encourage another officer to use force. But, he ended his testimony by stating that what he saw Bean specifically doing on the video, was not against MPD policy.

Next up on the witness stand was a former MPD officer and character witness who described himself as a very close friend of Tadarrius Bean  Bryant McKinney.

McKinney said he went through the police academy and graduated with Bean. He described Bean as humble, kind, a true servant leader, and always putting others before himself. McKinney also claimed Bean is the type of person who is by the book with no loopholes.

Prosecutors asked if putting others before yourself is the quality of someone who doesnt help in a medical emergency, doesnt tell medical providers about head trauma, and uses excessive force.

Garrett OBrien, a former Memphis Police Officer and MPD trainer, testified on behalf of Justin Smith.

OBrien told the jury that hammer blows and palm strikes are taught in the academy. hammer blows, which OBrien said are within MPD policy, was demonstrated as closed fist punches at a downward angle to the head.

He also testified that deadly force should only be used when the suspects resistance calls for deadly force, noting that force and resistance should be equal.

Don Cameron, a longtime California-based police trainer, was called to the stand by Demetrius Haleys counsel.

Attorney Michael Stengel asked Cameron hypothetical questions regarding what would and would not be considered an appropriate use of force. He stated that if a suspect is fleeing from the officer and actively resisting, a kick issued to the torso, which the defense is claiming took place, would be justified.

When asked if the force used on a suspect should be equal to the resistance from the suspect, Cameron agreed. But, when the prosecution asked if a kick to the head would be considered deadly force, Cameron answered, If it killed a person, yes.

Court adjourned around 4:30 p.m. Friday evening. The trial will pick back up on Monday morning with additional witnesses from the defense.

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Woman found shot to death on Far South Side

Woman found shot to death on Far South Side

CHICAGO  A woman was found shot to death on the citys Far South Side on Saturday morning, sparking a police investigation.

According to Chicago police, the woman, whose age has not been determined, was found fatally shot in the 9500 block of South Avenue North, just after 9:30 a.m.

Read more: Latest Chicago news and headlines

The woman had suffered more than one gunshot wound to her body and was pronounced dead on the scene.

Offices say the circumstances surrounding the womans death are currently under investigation.

Authorities have not yet identified the victim.

LATEST CASES: Missing people in Chicagoland

Anyone with information on the crime spree is asked to contact CPD Area Four Detectives at 312-746-8251 or dial 911.

Those with information that could help detectives in their investigation can also leave a tip at CPDtip.com. Tips can be filed anonymously.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WGN-TV.
Woman sentenced to 30 days in jail for buying gun for teen

NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY)  A 25-year-old woman was sentenced to serve 30 days in jail on Wednesday after she pleaded guilty to purchasing a gun on behalf of a teenager.

On Sept. 1, 2023, 18-year-old Samonte Hill-Smallwood was detained after Norfolk police discovered a Glock G23 .40 caliber handgun with an illegal 30-round extended magazine in a vehicle he was in. Hill-Smallwood told officers that Tiyana Monae Johnson purchased the Glock for him at a Norfolk gun shop as a gift.

Investigators confirmed with the gun shop that Johnson did in fact purchase the Glock in March of 2023 when Hill-Smallwood was 17-years-old. Johnson filled out the information and criminal history check form but used a card with Hill-Smallwoods billing information.

Initially, Johnson told investigators that the gun was stolen months following the purchase, but later admitted to buying the gun on Hill-Smallwoods behalf.

Police charged Johnson with purchasing a firearm with the intent to transfer it to an ineligible person.

Johnson entered an agreement on Wednesday to plead guilty to making a false statement on a firearms background check form. She also agreed to serve one month in jail with another one year and 11 months in prison suspended on the conditions that she complete two years of uniform good behavior and supervised probation after her release.

Hill-Smallwood was found guilty in December 2023 for possession of the illegal extended magazine attached to the Glock following a bench trial in Norfolk General District Court.

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Woman seriously injured after being hit by car in Inverness

A woman has been seriously injured after being hit by a car in Inverness.

The 71-year-old was struck by a red Mazda 3 car on Thornbush Road shortly after 17:20 on Friday.

She was taken to Raigmore Hospital for treatment.

The 18-year-old male driver of the Mazda has been arrested in connection with the incident.

Police Scotland have appealed for any witnesses to come forward.

Sgt Calum MacAulay said: We would be particularly keen to speak to a potential witness who was the driver of an unidentified silver or grey saloon style car which passed shortly before the incident happened, or to anyone who may have dashcam footage from the area."

No-one in the Mazda was hurt.
ST. CHARLES, Mo.  A woman is left in critical condition after being shot at Ameristar Casino early Saturday morning.

According to police, the 27-year-old woman was shot in the parking garage of the casino. Police say the woman was shot in the shoulder with an exit wound through the neck. The woman was able to identify her boyfriend as the shooter before being rushed into emergency surgery.

The shooting happened around 2:30 a.m. Saturday morning. The womans injuries are considered life-threatening, and she is currently still fighting for her life.

John Mozeliak out as Cardinals President of Baseball Operations after 2025 season

Police have arrested the suspect, identified as 50-year-old Calvin Koong of St. Louis. He is facing several serious charges, including assault, kidnapping, and armed criminal action.

Koong is being held in jail on a $500,000 cash-only bond. Police have confirmed the victim and suspect were in a relationship. Investigators havent released her name yet, but police say shes from Malaysia.

Police say the woman is communicating but not speaking. The victim is still in critical condition Monday morning.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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Rajasthan Education Minister Madan Dilawar lashed out at the Congress party, stating that the party is doing corruption in the name of Mahatma Gandhi. While addressing the media during his review visit to the Gandhi Vatika Museum in Jaipur, Dilawar alleged that the previous Ashok Ghelot-led Congress government had played tricks and committed corruption in building the Gandhi Vatika Museum. "The previous Ashok Gehlot government also played tricks and committed corruption in building the Gandhi Vatika Museum... Congress is committing corruption even in the name of Mahatma Gandhi," he said. He criticised the party for not upholding Gandhi's principle while building the museum, which according to him glorifies the British without any mention of Rajasthan's great men like Maharana Pratap and others. "Gandhiji's principles should be there in Gandhi Vatika, but they are not there. This Gandhi Vatika Museum, built during Ashok Gehlot's tenure, glorifies the British while there is no mention of Rajasthan's great men, Maharana Pratap and others. Gandhiji's name was used to the fullest; Congress made full use of Gandhi. We have not forgotten 1975, when the emergency was imposed. Indira Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi have no relation with Gandhiji," he added. Dilawar was on a review visit to the Gandhi Vatika Museum, which will be inaugurated on October 2, on the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, by Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma. The Vatika will be operated by the Tourism, Art and Culture Department following its inauguration. Notably, former Chief Minister and Congress leader Ashok Gehlot had earlier warned of staging a protest on Saturday against the operation of the Gandhi Vatika Museum, after which the government issued a press release announcing the opening of the museum on October 2. (ANI)
A woman was stabbed multiple times in Hollywood. Police have made an arrest

Earlier this month, a woman was stabbed multiple times on her neck, hip and hands during an early-morning attack in Hollywood.

Police have now made an arrest. On Thursday, officers arrested 42-year-old Chason Williams after detectives say they identified him through surveillance footage. Hes been charged with first-degree attempted homicide.

Police have not said what his relationship to the victim is or given any details on what led up to the stabbing.

Court records do not list an attorney for Williams, who remains at the Broward County Main Jail. His bond has not yet been set.

On Sept. 12, around 3:45 a.m., Hollywood Police arrived to the 1300 block of South Federal Highway to find a woman who had been violently attacked and stabbed multiple times, according to Deanna Bettineschi, a spokeswoman for the Hollywood Police Department.

The incident happened at a Chevron gas station, according to Miami Herald news partner CBS Miami.

The victim has since been released from the hospital but is still in recovery from the injuries, police say.
A small band of activists was ready when leaders of the Uncommitted movement in Wisconsin and Michigan issued a statement last week urging their followers to cast their ballots against Donald Trump. It was a step in the right direction, even if it stopped short of an outright endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris. On Monday, the band of activists released a video ad aimed at those same Uncommitted voters. The ad was designed to complete the logic of their leaders announcement, making explicit to those voters how important it is to cast their ballots for Harris.

The videos narrative is simple. A diverse group of adults young and old are out for a pizza dinner on election night. The festive mood is interrupted by a breaking news alert on TV: Its now looking likely that Trump has beaten Harris for the White House.

The newscaster then recounts a few likely scenarios for Inauguration Day  Trump saying hell be a dictator on Day One, terminating the Constitution, using the Justice Department to prosecute his enemies or Navy Seal Team Six to assassinate them. Woeful, a young woman at the table reacts: I should have voted.

Could a few activists producing a video affect an entire election by inspiring so-called uncommitteds to rethink their hesitation to vote atop the ticket? Yes, Virginia, politically engaged individuals working together to get other people to vote might just change history.

Heres the background. The Uncommitted movement organized this spring in Michigan and Wisconsin to persuade college students, progressives and Arab Americans to vote uncommitted in those states Democratic primaries, rather than for Joe Biden. They did so to protest Netanyahus bombing of schools, hospitals and homes in Gaza, and the Biden administration supplying the bombs to do it.

As the Washington Post reported last month:

In Michigan, home to the nations largest Arab American communities, 13.3 percent of Democratic primary voters selected uncommitted. In Wisconsin, where Biden won in 2020 by roughly 20,000 votes, more than double that number signaled the same status. And in Pennsylvania, where the margin is expected to be just as razor-thin, about 60,000 people wrote in some version of not-Biden. All three states carry outsize importance in determining Novembers winner.

Earlier this year Eva Paterson, a lifelong civil rights activist, watched the Uncommitted movement form and grow. With unerring foresight, she committed to producing a video for the general election aimed at these voters in key battleground states. Paterson built her little engine that could, a team of fellow activists that formed a tiny PAC they named Bardo  the Buddhist term for the transitional space between death and rebirth. On a shoestring budget of $150,000, Bardo did polling to test issues that most affected undecided voters, hired a scriptwriter, a production company and an animator, who collaborated with a playwright, civil rights attorneys, law professors and a young voter of color from a swing state to create the ad they called Election Night. They were delighted to see last weeks important announcement in which @uncommittedmvmt did three things:

Urged a vote against Trump whom they said would accelerate the killing in Gaza. Recommended against voting for third-party candidates like Jill Stein, a stalking horse for Republicans. And avoided recommending against voting for Harris, even though they declined to endorse her.

They wanted the vice president to separate herself from Bidens policy, but they simultaneously recognized that urging people not to vote for Harris could well elect Trump. They recognize that as president, he will only create more chaos, death and destruction.

Enter the Bardo video with its message that squares the circle: Those who want a ceasefire and peace that preserves Gaza have but one practical choice  to vote for Harris. Not voting wont do. Trump, by contrast, has told Netanyahu to finish the job.

The digital campaign is timed to reach these Uncommitteds, and other undecided younger voters, as early voting starts in Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania. The same audience will receive the video in Arizona, Nevada, North Carolina and Georgia. According to its developers, in the first three days after its release, the video reached 750,000 users on their mobile devices, tablets and connected TVs across thousands of websites, apps and streaming services, where young people get their news.

The cumulative result of all these efforts can be far greater than the sum of its parts: A Kamala Harris presidency offers the only hope for lasting peace, a two-state solution and the preservation of our own rights, including the right to vote, to speak freely and to make private family decisions without the governments intrusion. Like the Bardo activists, may all of us who care do something, small or large, to advance the rebirth of American freedom.
'It's the worst moment the country has passed through'

Madina Mustafa Ali (right) says she and her seven-month-old baby Amir will be staying on Beirut's Martyrs' Square as they have nowhere else to go [Goktay Koraltan / BBC]

Lebanon is a country that knows war all too well. And it is not eager for more.

It still bears the scars of 15 years of civil war between 1975 and 1990, and of the last war between Hezbollah and Israel in 2006.

But for some, including Beirut's Governor Marwan Abboud, Israels recent escalation already feels worse.

In the past 10 days, the country has endured mass casualties from exploding pagers and walkie-talkies, a wave of assassinations of Hezbollah military commanders, devastating air strikes - and the use of bunker-busting bombs in Beirut, which killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah on Friday.

Beirut Governor Marwan Abboud (right) told BBC's Orla Guerin (left) that it was "the saddest day of my life" [Goktay Koraltan / BBC]

"Its the worst moment that the country passed through," said Abboud, who has no connection with Hezbollah.

"I feel sad. I am shocked by the large number of civilian casualties. I am also shocked by the silence of the international community - as if whats happening here does not mean anything."

We spoke at the edge of Beiruts Martyrs Square, where many families slept in the open last night after fleeing Israels strikes in the southern suburb of Dahieh - Hezbollah's heartland.

They remain in the square today - unsure where to turn for safety, like many in Lebanon.

Asked what he thought Israels plan was, the governor replied: "I don't know but Israel wants to kill and to kill and to kill. May god protect this country."

His parting words were bleak. "Its the saddest day of my life," he said, his voice heavy with emotion.

A few steps away we met an extended family, sitting on bare concrete, under the harsh morning sun.

Madina Mustafa Ali was rocking her seven-month-old baby Amir in her lap and reliving the trauma of Friday night.

"There was an explosion, and we got scared, especially for the children. So we ran away and came here. This is where we slept," she said.

She told me the family will stay in the square for now because they have nowhere else to go.

Others are fleeing, some heading to the north of Lebanon. The south of the country is not an option - it's being hit hard.

A flag with a photo late Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut [Goktay Koraltan / BBC]

Driving through the city we saw families on the move, some crammed into cars with thin mattresses strapped to the roof, others piled onto motorbikes.

Here and there, we saw people on foot carrying a few belongings.

This is the new landscape of Beirut: boarded-up shops, fewer people, and more fear - especially since Nasrallahs killing was confirmed.

Throughout the day, plumes of dark smoke billowed from Dahieh. The Hezbollah stronghold looked much weakened today - the two busiest streets were largely deserted, and many apartment blocks looked empty.

We spotted Hezbollah members, guarding an air strike location, one brandishing a Kalashnikov. A sign of tension, or desperation - as normally the armed group doesn't show its weapons on the streets.

Hezbollah was not watching our every move today - they were more focused perhaps on the threat from above.

We, too, were keeping an eye on the skies, where there were drones.

At the location of one Israeli strike, we saw smoke still rising from the ruins of what appeared to be a factory. We were told it made kitchen roll, and there was plenty of that shredded on the ground.

Lebanon has been rendered a war zone, but there are risks growing for the entire Middle East. And plenty of questions.

Will Hezbollah hit back hard at Israel? Can it?

Will its Iranian backers intervene? Until now they have been in no rush.

And will Tehran's other regional proxies - in Iraq, Syria and Yemen - get more involved?
A Friday night crash in Virginia Beach stemming from a driver driving in the wrong direction has left a teenager and a 26-year-old man in critical condition.

Virginia State Police report that at approximately 11:24 p.m. Friday, there was a vehicle crash with injuries on Interstate 264 West, east of Rosemont Road.

Police said 26-year-old Davian Wallace was traveling eastbound in the westbound lanes of I-264 when his 2015 Chrysler 200 struck a 2024 Kia Soul, driven by a 16-year-old boy, head-on.

Upon impact, a 2012 Nissan Pathfinder rear-ended the Kia and pushed it into a 2009 Honda CRV.

Wallace and the 16-year-old driver suffered serious life-threatening injuries and were transported from the scene, according to police. The crash shut down all westbound travel lanes until around 4 a.m. Saturday.

Police are still investigating the crash and say it is unknown what factors caused it.

Police plan to update the public with more information.

Josh Janney, joshua.janney@virginiamedia.com
Rockets are intercepted on the sky by the Israel-Lebanon border. Ilia Yefimovich/dpa

Yemen's Iranian-allied Houthis on Saturday said they had targeted Ben Gurion airport in Israel with a ballistic missile and they had timed the attack to coincide with Israeli Prime Benjamin Netanyahu's arrival.

The alleged attack was announced hours after the Lebanese Hezbollah movement, an ally of the Houthis, confirmed the killing of its chief Hassan Nasrallah in an airstrike in the southern suburb of Beirut.

Houthi military spokesman Yehya Saree said the group would not "hesitate to raise the level of military escalation" against Israel.

"These operations will not stop until the [Israeli] aggression on Gaza and Lebanon stops," Saree added in a televised statement.

on Friday, the Houthis claimed two attacks, including one by a ballistic missile aimed at Israel in support of their Palestinian and Lebanese allies.

Following a fatal drone attack on Tel Aviv by the Houthis, the Israeli Air Force attacked the port city of Hodeidah in July, leading to a massive fire and six deaths. Houthi leaders subsequently announced a new phase in the fight against Israel.

The Houthi militants have also been attacking ships in the Red Sea, saying the attacks are intended to support the Palestinian Islamist Hamas group and force an end to the Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip.
CAIRO (Reuters) - The Houthi movement in Yemen on Saturday mourned the death of Hezbollah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, its ally in an Iran-backed alliance opposing Israel, in an Israeli airstrike in Beirut.

"The resistance will not be broken, and the Jihadist spirit of the Mujahideen brothers in Lebanon and on all fronts of support will grow stronger and bigger," the group said in a statement.

Hezbollah confirmed Nasrallah's killing after the Israeli military said it had eliminated him in an airstrike in Beirut on Friday.

Both Hezbollah and the Houthis are part of the Axis of Resistance, an alliance built up over years of Iranian support against Israel and U.S. influence in the Middle East.

The Houthis have launched repeated drone and missile strikes on ships they say are affiliated to Israel, in the crucial shipping channels of the Red Sea, the Bab al-Mandab Strait and the Gulf of Aden since November to show their support for Palestinians in the Gaza war.

The group, which controls northern Yemen, also fired missiles and drones at Israel repeatedly, some of which targeted central Israel for the first time.

(Reporting by Jaidaa Taha; Editing by Angus MacSwan)
A New York Times report admitted Thursday that televised interviews are a major "weakness" for Vice President Kamala Harris.

In a piece titled "Harris Has a Lot of Strengths. Giving Interviews Isnt One of Them," Times national politics reporter Rebecca Davis OBrien gave Harris credit for her debating and campaigning skills.

However, she went on to write that "one-on-one televised interviews with journalists have long been a weakness in her political arsenal. She often winds her way slowly toward an answer, leaning on jargon and rehearsed turns of phrase, using language that is sometimes derided as word salad but might be better described as a meringue."

Harris has an uneven history when it comes to unscripted media appearances, which she has largely avoided since becoming the Democratic presidential nominee.

New York Times Report Rips Vice President Harris' 'Friendly' Msnbc Interview: 'Roundabout Responses'

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris speaking about migrants heading to the U.S. at a news conference with Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei during her visit to Guatemala City, Guatemala June 7, 2021. REUTERS/Carlos Barria

Msnbc's Stephanie Ruhle Fawns Over Harris, Says Non-answers Are 'Okay': These Aren't 'Clear And Direct Issues'

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The avoidance was said by O'Brien to be "a calculation by her campaign" to shield her from "the risks of a prime-time spotlight."

She described "a nervousness that is palpable from the moment Ms. Harris takes her seat across from an interviewer, looking as if she were bracing for a hostile cross-examination  from the witness stand."

OBrien pointed to Harris time as a prosecutor and on the Senate Judiciary Committee as the culprit, arguing that while those experiences "prepared her to be the one asking difficult questions in high-stakes exchanges; she has had less experience on the other side of the microphone."

She then quoted Dan Morain, a California-based journalist who covered Harris career and wrote a biography about her in 2020.

"She can be very engaging, very quick; shes witty, a lot of eye contact," Morain said. "She was well briefed. She knew the issues. She was very good at answering questions, and very good at not answering questions."

He also mentioned Harris did not "go out of her way" to speak to the press, and assumed this will not change, asking, "Why would she take the risk?"

HOUSTON, TEXAS - SEPTEMBER 08: Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at the National Baptist Convention on September 08, 2022 in Houston, Texas.

Trump-vance Ticket Has Done Combined 59 Interviews Since Last Month Compared To 21 For Harris-walz

OBrien recalled Harris "clumsy" interview with NBC anchor Lester Holt about the southern border in 2021 that made her avoid interviews afterward.

"These days, when Ms. Harris gives an interview, she hews to a set of well-rehearsed talking points, at times swimming in a sea of excess verbiage," The Times writer said. "Her first answer is often the most unsteady, a discursive journey to the point at hand. Like all politicians, she sometimes answers the question she would prefer to address, rather than the one actually asked of her  but not always artfully."

She added further that Harris "tends to muddy clear ideas with words or phrases that do not have a precise meaning," recalling one example where the vice president had "used the word holistic three times in the space of one long sentence" when asked about building more affordable housing.

"She relies on rhetorical touchstones," OBrien said, listing a few examples, "'In many ways.' Lets be clear. And when she is asked about her economic agenda, in particular, she tends to begin with a familiar windup: I grew up in a middle-class family."

The reporter added further that prosecutors are trained to have an approach to questioning that is entirely different from politicians.

"Prosecutors are not expected, like a mayor or an elected political representative might be, to speak  let alone spar  regularly with the press, and they are constrained, by law, in what they can and cannot share with reporters," OBrien wrote. "While prosecutors in some places, like New York City, tend to engage more openly with the press, that is not the norm. The power dynamics are different, too: Reporters are eager for details about a case and might be more inclined to be solicitous of prosecutors, who hold the secrets, and the cards."

In 2023, "The View" co-host Sunny Hostin also defended Harris' word salads as being a product of her legal training.

"I would add that as a lawyer, youre generally told when youre speaking, that you speak in threes, because thats what people remember," Hostin said. "So if youre going to talk about a car, you talk about the car, the red car, the fast red car."





Original article source: New York Times report admits 'interviews are a weakness' for Kamala Harris
Young driver sentenced for killing woman. Her brother begged her not to go with him

Bryanna Campbell was just beginning to make plans for the rest of her life.

The 21-year-old had finished a pre-vet program at the Tri-Tech Skills Center and was starting barrel racing when she died after being thrown from a pickup truck on a rural road southeast of Kennewick.

The driver Jacob Reed was speeding after drinking at a bonfire party in February 2022 and lost control.

Its always on my mind, Reed, now 23, admitted in Benton County Superior Court recently in front of nearly 20 of Campbells relatives and friends. It never fades.

Reed pleaded guilty to the reckless driving vehicular homicide and apologized for Campbells death.

Her family, in a series of emotional statements to Judge Norma Rodriguez, described the painful loss of a young woman they described as a beautiful soul.

Campbell, whod lived in Finley almost her entire life, was a River View High grad and was working at Griggs Department Store in Pasco.

Her mother Kristy Finley spoke about the loss of her daughters laughter that used to fill their house and of her sons trauma of seeing his sisters fatal crash.

He had to come and tell me that his sister and her friend were in an accident that night, she said. He will never be the same. I not only lost one child, I lost two children.

Bryanna Campbell

Another family member said she hoped Reed would remember Campbell any time he has a major life event.

Youre going to have that life that you took from her and she is never ever going to have any of that, said the woman. I just hope that you did learn a lesson. I want you to suffer because you dont deserve to live a free and happy life.

Reed responded during the hearing that he doesnt need a special occasion to remember Campbell.

He remembers her every day, and all he can say is that hes sorry despite knowing that is not adequate.

Longer vehicular homicide sentence

Reed accepted a higher than normal sentence for the crime he pleaded guilty to.

Killing someone by driving recklessly normally carries a lighter sentence than a vehicular homicide death involving drunk driving.

Prosecutors explained that Reed was drinking at the party, but a blood test found he had a negligible amount of cocaine and a blood-alcohol level of 0.024% when it was measured. The legal limit for drunk driving is 0.08%.

Also, the trucks computer didnt track how fast Reed was going before he lost control.

Markings map out the scene of a rollover collision on East Toothaker Road near Hover Park in Finley that killed one passenger and seriously injured the driver. A GoFundMe has been set up for the family of Bryanna L. Campbell, the 21-year-old who died in the crash.

Prosecutors concluded that a jury could have trouble with a verdict, so they agreed to offer reducing the charge in exchange for a longer sentence.

Reed faced up to one year and eight months in prison for the reckless driving vehicular homicide.

But Deputy Prosecutor Andrew Clark and defense attorney Brian Roach reached an agreement that Reed would serve slightly over four years in prison.

Roach said his client has wanted to plead guilty since being released from the hospital.

We feel awful for what happened, said Brian Roach. We tried to approach this with honesty, responsibility and accountability.

Judge Rodriguez followed the recommendation, saying she felt that Reed was remorseful.

I want to thank the family for sharing about your beautiful (family member), she said. No time can make up for the time you lost. Im sorry that you dont have laughter in your house. I hope that someday that will return and that your hearts will heal.

2022 Hover Park party

Reed, Campbell and others were at a party at Hover Park on Feb. 12, 2022, when some of them decided to go to a late-night restaurant in Kennewick.

Loved ones have set up a memorial at the site of a rollover crash on East Toothaker Road near Hover Park in Finley that killed Bryanna L. Campbell, 21, over the weekend.

Campbell and Ryan Molina-Jaimes climbed into Reeds pickup. Campbells brother begged her to wait, according to family members.

She believed it was safe. Her brother was in a vehicle behind her as they drove away.

Reed, who was 20 at the time, waited for a train to pass in front of the park entrance before he went pedal to the floor, according to court documents.

He lost control on a curve, the tires went off the road and he overcorrected, rolling the truck several times. No one in the truck was wearing a seat belt, said investigators.

Campbell was thrown out, and bystanders werent able save her.

Molina-Jaimes was not seriously hurt and crawled out the broken windshield.

Reed was found lying partially outside the drivers side window  slumped over and yelling for help, court documents said.

He was critically injured and taken to the hospital, where a blood sample was taken for testing before he was sent to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.

Witnesses reported seeing Reed drink two beers before driving, and he smelled of alcohol after the crash, said officials.
KANEOHE, Hawaii (KHON2)  On Saturday, Sept. 28, Windward Mall will host a marketplace for Hawaiis youngest entrepreneurs at the Keiki Rise Makeke Pop-Up Event.

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Founded by 16-year-old Coen Cadinha, Keiki Rise aims to empower young business owners by providing them with a platform to showcase their creations.

The event features approximately a dozen young entrepreneurs, each displaying unique products ranging from handcrafted crafts to delicious baked goods.

New Scan if Found stickers help locate ocean gear, save a life

Among the participating vendors are Megan Ing of Little Loops Crochet Company and Quianna Mae Madayag of Treats by Mae.

Megan, a 15-year-old from Manoa, runs Little Loops Crochet Company, where she crafts intricate crochet plushies and bags.

Ive always loved art and crocheting, she said, showcasing her popular bunny plushies with removable hoods.

Quianna Mae, 19, a baker from Waipahu, specializes in custom desserts.

Her standout offerings included pumpkin spice cake pops and Ube tarts.

Keiki Rise has helped me gain confidence and connect with other entrepreneurs, she said.

The event, located at the center court near the food court, also features live music, performances from Hula Halau, and various promotions in partnership with Blessed Life.

Cadinha emphasized the importance of supporting young entrepreneurs, saying This event is about creating opportunities for our youth to grow and connect with their peers.

I like seeing what I do, and seeing how it impacts the community. I feel like entrepreneurship is like the first step into the real world as a child, so I think its really special, said Megan.

I like to say Im sweetening the world one dessert at a time, added Quianna Mae.

The Keiki Rise Makeke Pop-Up Event at Windward Mall will be held from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KHON2.
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN)  The Realty Building property has been leveled, and the debris cleared away.

Next door, the residents of International Towers have returned to their routines.

Friday, a picnic was held for those residents. Although theyve been back for nearly a month, this was a chance to reunite without the pressure of doing it while moving back in.

Its a blessing. You know, been through a lot since the explosion. You know, we had to evacuate. Weve been rough. So with them putting this party together, its a blessing, said Terrance Barnes.

There were smiles everywhere  from the people who had returned home in late August after being gone nearly three months to the people who were helping them.

We really wanted to do something to celebrate their sacrifice, and I think this was the best way to do it and come together, get them the resources, but also get them some food, said Roxann Sebest, vice president of the United Way.

The food was a bright spot, but there was also a mobile hope conference. Local agencies were set up to provide their expertise to the 170 residents who had been affected by the displacement.

We have folks that deal with mental health that are here today, so we wanted to deal with the whole person, so well feed them, let them have a good time, and thats very important, but more importantly, we have organizations and agencies who can assist them in getting back on track, said Guy Burney, of CIRV.

The residents had been separated after evacuation. Now theyre back together. The group is still settling in. This picnic was a way to let them know nobody had forgotten about them.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKBN.com.
The Delhi High Court has recently granted a lump sum ex gratia compensation of Rs. 2.5 lakh to a mother whose five-month-old infant was bitten to death by a stray dog in 2008. This case pertains to Tilak Nagar area in national capital. The High court observed that the stray dog menace in Delhi is a serious issue affecting human life and dignity. Undeniably, the relationship between humans and dogs is at times a relationship of compassion and unconditional love. The responsible authorities should endeavour to manage the menace with the same compassion to ensure equilibrium in the living conditions of both, humans and dogs. It cannot be gainsaid that the issue requires a multi-faceted response, fostering an environment of empathy and balanced co-existence, the High court said. Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav directed the Delhi Government to pay the compensation within three months. "The Court deems it appropriate to grant an ex-gratia lump sum amount of Rs. 2.5 Lakh, to be paid by GNCTD to the petitioner," Justice Kaurav said in the judgement passed on September 26. The High court said that the petitioner is also at liberty to pursue appropriate legal remedies in the Civil Court. If the petitioner does so, let the competent Civil Court to adjudicate the matter within one year from the date of institution of any such suit. It is further clarified that the ex-gratia amount awarded by this Court is independent of, and in addition to, any compensation that may be awarded by the Civil Court. The High court passed the order on a plea of a woman Seeking compensation of Rs. 50 lakhs, emanating from the tragic death of a 5- months old infant child who was fatally bitten by a dog. The petitioner is the mother of the deceased, who was residing in Tilak Nagar, New Delhi, along with her family comprising of herself, her husband, two daughters and the deceased son. On 16.08.2007, at around 6.15 A.M., when the petitioner's kids were sleeping in the house, a stray dog entered their room and started attacking the deceased. Upon realising the disturbance so made, the elder daughter woke up and saw the dog mauling the deceased. She raised an alarm and called for help from the petitioner's husband, who had gone out of the house to fetch water. By the time the petitioner and her husband rushed in, the dog had already severely injured the deceased's eyes, nose and cheeks. It was alleged that as soon as the husband of the petitioner saw the dog, he picked up the broomstick and started hitting the dog, who also tried to attack him but subsequently ran away. Thereafter, the deceased was immediately rushed to Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital, where he was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) but unfortunately, he succumbed to the injuries and died. A complaint on 16.08.2007 was recorded at Police Station Tilak Nagar and the body of the deceased was handed over to the parents. On 04.04.2008, a legal notice was sent by the petitioner to Delhi Government and Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) seeking compensation to the tune of Rs.5 lakh. The petitioner, thereafter, has filed the instant petition to agitate her grievance, primarily seeking the relief of compensation. Counsel for petitioner submitted that it is an incontrovertible fact that the petitioner's infant child was fatally bitten by a stray dog, resulting in his unfortunate death. He contended that the incident in question occurred as a direct consequence of the negligence on the part of the respondents and therefore, the respondents must be held liable for the negligence. It was emphasized that despite the sterilization measures purportedly undertaken by the MCD, the population growth of stray dogs remains a prevailing concern in nearly all the streets and colonies across the city. He averred that the Delhi Government and MCD have a duty to ensure that the areas inhabited by humans are adequately protected from any threats posed by street or stray dogs. According to the petitioner, the dereliction of this duty has resulted in the violation of the fundamental right to life enshrined under Article 21 of the Constitution of India, the bench noted. The counsel also referred to the Section 399 of the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act, which casts a duty on the MCD and its Commissioner to register and regulate dogs within its jurisdiction. According to him, the said measures have not been adopted by the MCD. He further submitted that the Central Government has established the Animal Birth Control (Dogs) Rules, 2001 and in adherence to the same, the MCD is required to play a significant role. According to these rules, the MCD is obligated to establish a sufficient number of dog pounds, including kennels and shelters managed by animal welfare organizations, and to provide an adequate number of dog vans equipped with ramps for the capture and transportation of street dogs, the counsel submitted. Each van must be staffed with a driver and two trained dog catchers, and an Ambulance-cum-Clinical Van must be provided as a mobile centre for the sterilization and immunization of dogs, he added. Advocate R.K Saini was appointed as the amicus curiae in the matter on 15.12.2014 and had submitted a report dated 15.01.2015. The report highlighted the alarming proportions of the stray dog menace and the increasing population in Delhi. It also stated some solutions adopted by other cities in India and recommended that the same be also adopted in Delhi. (ANI)
Migrating summer chum and Chinook salmon are seen on July 7, 2007, in the Tozitna River, a Yukon River tributary. (Photo by Jason Post/U.S. Bureau of Land Management)

Migrating summer chum and Chinook salmon are seen on July 7, 2007, in the Tozitna River, a Yukon River tributary. While salmon returns in the Yukon River continued to be weak this year, there were some signs of improvement, including a better-than-expected return of Chinook to Canada. (Photo by Jason Post/U.S. Bureau of Land Management)

Salmon numbers in the Yukon River and its tributaries remained low this year, continuing a yearslong trend of struggles and harvest closures, but there were some positive signs, according to late-season information from Alaska and Canadian fisheries managers.

The fall run of chum salmon, which usually comes into the river system from mid-July to October, is the third lowest in a record that goes back to the 1970s, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game said in a Yukon River update issued on Wednesday. It is expected to be less than a quarter of the historic average of about 900,000 fish, the update said.

Amid salmon crash, Alaskas Yukon River residents say a new pact with Canada leaves them behind

The Yukon River coho salmon run, which is typically smaller and of shorter duration, was also poor this year, the third lowest in a record that goes back to the 1990s, the departments update said.

However, the summer run of chum salmon, which arrived in the river system earlier, was strong enough this year to allow some subsistence harvests, albeit with various gear restrictions and a requirement that any Chinook salmon that were caught be returned to the water alive.

Subsistence fishing was allowed in both state-managed segments and federally managed segments of the Yukon River system. And it was allowed during the period when the two runs were overlapping.

Subsistence harvests of chum salmon from the summer run were allowed last year as well, after the return emerged as better than forecast.

While runs are low  and are failing to meet treaty targets for returns into Canada  there has been some marginal improvement since the worst period a few years ago, official reports show

We hit rock bottom in 2021 for all species on the Yukon, said Christy Gleason, an Alaska Department of Fish and Game area biologist for the Yukon River region.

There were upticks even for the rivers troubled Chinook salmon runs. As of Sept. 19, 24,112 of the fish had reached the Alaska-Canada border, according to the most recent update from Fisheries and Oceans Canada.

That is well below the goal of a 71,000-fish target in the U.S.-Canada Yukon River Salmon Agreement. But it is well above the 14,752 Chinook that made it that far up the river last year and the 13,000 total predicted in this years preseason forecast, according to the update.

rainbow arcs over the Yukon River near Eagle in this undated photo. Eagle is an Alaska community near the Canadian border. (Photo provided by U.S. Geological Survey)

Fewer fall chum salmon had reached the Yukon Rivers Canadian border than the total counted the same time last year, however, Fisheries and Oceans Canada said.

The summer chum salmon run, which generally returns in the period leading up to mid-July, has presented a brighter picture than the fall run, which generally starts in mid-July and runs to October.

The runs differ more in the timing of their entry into the Yukon River system, Gleason said.

The summer run is bigger and has a different age composition, she said. While both have a mix of 4-year-old and 5-year-old fish, the summer runs mix is more even while the fall run typically tilts heavily to the age-4 fish, she said.

That is important because the age-4 fish are part of an age group that was especially hard-hit by poor ocean conditions triggered by warmer temperatures, she said.

Federal and state scientists have found evidence that extreme marine heatwaves in the Bering Sea from 2014 to 2019 harmed the chum salmon that were in the ocean at the time.

Problems in the saltwater environment appear to be lingering, including for the age-4 salmon that are the offspring of the poor 2020 return, Gleason said. The ocean conditions arent really improving, so were not seeing improvement in the fall chum, she said.

Another difference between the summer and fall chum runs concerns spawning areas. The fall chum spawn much farther upstream in the Yukon River system, including in the Canadian headwaters, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

An additional factor hindering recovery of the fall chum salmon run could stem from that reliance on Canadian headwaters

An abrupt change in Canadian river habitat, resulting from extreme glacial retreat in 2016, created a case of what scientists termed river piracy that wiped out an important chum-spawning site.

That event is tied to climate change. It happened when Canadas Kaskawulsh Glacier retreated so much that it stopped sending water to one of the two rivers it previously fed. The Slims River, which fed the Yukon River system, was the loser, and the water was instead diverted to the Kaskawulsh River, which flows into the Gulf of Alaska rather than the Bering Sea.

Correction: The article has been corrected to clarify that the fall chum salmon run is typically dominated by age-4 fish, not age-5 fish.

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Zelenskiy says Trump assured him of support for Ukraine in war with Russia

Republican presidential nominee and former U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy meet in New York

(Reuters) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, in an interview with Fox News aired on Saturday, said he received "very direct information" from Donald Trump that the former U.S. president would support Ukraine in the war against Russia if he is reelected in the November presidential election.

Zelenskiy, who was in the United States for the U.N. General Assembly, presented his war "victory plan" to Trump during a closed-door meeting on Friday, after the Republican presidential candidate said he would work with both Ukraine and Russia to end their conflict.

Speaking to Fox News after that meeting, Zelenskiy said: "I don't know what will be after elections and who will be the president ... But I've got from Donald Trump very direct information that he will be on our side, that he will support Ukraine."

He has used his U.S. visit to promote his "victory plan," which a U.S. official described as a repackaged request for more weapons and a lifting of restrictions on the use of long-range missiles. The plan presupposes the ultimate defeat of Russia in the war, the official said. Some officials see the aim as unrealistic.

Zelenskiy, who also met with U.S. Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris and President Joe Biden, said he was seeking united U.S. support in its continuing war with Russia and was not backing either side in U.S. elections.

"I don't want to be involved to the election period ... I don't want to lose one or another part of Americans," Zelenskiy told Fox News.

On Friday, Trump said he was pleased to meet with Zelenskiy, a marked change in tone from some of his previous comments on the campaign trail.

Trump and Harris' differences on Ukraine echo splits in their respective Democratic and Republican parties, and their view of the U.S. role in the world.

Trump and some Republicans in Congress have questioned the value of U.S. funding and additional weapons for Ukraine's two-year battle against Russia, calling it futile, while Democrats led by Biden have pushed to punish Russia and bolster Ukraine, framing Ukraine's victory as a vital national security interest.

(Reporting by Ismail Shakil in Ottawa, editing by Deepa Babington)
Zelensky gives his 'victory plan' a hard sell in the US - did the pitch fall flat?

Zelensky during a meeting with Biden in the Oval Office [EPA]

It was billed as a decisive week for Ukraine.

A chance for President Volodymyr Zelensky to present his boldly named "victory plan" to Americas most powerful politicians, during a visit to the US.

But its unclear if Kyiv is any closer to getting any of the key asks on its wish list.

And Zelensky has antagonised senior Republicans, including Donald Trump.

Zelensky told the New Yorker magazine he believed Trump "doesn't really know how to stop the war", while he described his vice-presidential running mate JD Vance as "too radical".

His remarks about Trump and Vance were a "big mistake", says Mariya Zolkina, a Ukrainian political analyst and research fellow at the London School of Economics (LSE).

Separately, Zelensky's visit to meet top democrats at an ammunition factory in the swing state of Pennsylvania was labelled as election interference by a senior congressional Republican.

The backlash to the visit came as a "big surprise" to Zelenskys team, adds Ms Zolkina  an operation normally known for its slick PR.

Zelenskys much-hyped visit was carefully timed to try and secure crucial support for Ukraine's war effort from President Joe Biden, who has just months left in office.

But that also meant walking straight into a highly-charged US election campaign  a tightrope act.

After reports that Trump had decided to freeze Zelensky out, the pair did eventually meet on Friday at Trump Tower in New York City.

Standing side by side in front of reporters it was, at times, an awkward encounter.

Trump declared he had a "very good relationship" with both Zelensky and Russias Vladimir Putin  an equivalence that is painful to Ukrainian ears.

Zelensky gently interjected to say he hoped relations were better with him than with Putin - a remark laughed off by Trump.

Trump had already been busy at rallies that week praising Russias historic military record, while lambasting the current US administration for giving "billions of dollars" to Zelensky who he claimed had "refused to make a deal" to end the conflict.

Later Zelensky hailed the talks as very productive but theres little sign yet that he had managed to adjust Trumps fundamental approach.

Although he told Fox News on Saturday that he'd received "very direct information" from Trump that "he will be on our side".

At a rally in Michigan on Friday night, the Republican candidate again voiced his intention to quickly "settle" the war, a repeated claim thats led many to conclude he could cut aid to Kyiv and press Ukraine into ceding territory.

Meanwhile, in a thinly veiled attack on Trump, the Democratic candidate Kamala Harris said this week that those who would have Ukraine swap land for peace are supporting "proposals for surrender".

Standing alongside her was none other than Zelensky as he carried out a dizzying round of diplomatic speed-dating and media interviews all through the week  including at the United Nations.

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There was news of some further financial support ahead of a meeting with Biden at the White House - talks which were cordial but ambiguous in terms of their outcome, as Zelensky handed in his "victory plan" to end the war to the outgoing president.

Its contents have not been published but Ukraines request to be able to use Western-made long-range missiles to strike military targets deep inside Russia is widely thought to be one element.

Zelensky has for some time been asking Western countries for permission - but so far has not been given the green light.

Also thought to be in the plan is a plea for more robust security guarantees, including a longed-for invitation to join the Nato military alliance.

While the alliance makes encouraging noises about Ukraines future membership prospects, its been made clear that wont happen while the countrys still at war.

Moscows troops continue to be on the attack in Ukraines east, despite Kyivs surprise incursion into Russias Kursk region.

Hours before their meeting, Biden announced a further $7.9bn (5.9bn) in military aid for Ukraine [EPA]

Overall, the "victory plan" pitch is to bolster Ukraines position on the battlefield and push Putin towards a diplomatic peace.

But it was another political mismatch, believes the LSEs Ms Zolkina, with the suite of proposals failing to raise much enthusiasm".

"Ukraine has the idea that it should be doubling down on its ambitions," she says.

Zelensky is "sticking to the idea of getting an invitation to Nato but the US just isnt there yet," she adds.

On the permission to use long-range missiles, critics of Biden have accused him of getting cold feet as he tries to help Harris into the White House.

However Ms Zolkina says big announcements this week werent necessarily on the cards - although hopes remain that permission could yet come through, despite further nuclear threats from Putin.

Here in Kyiv, people continue to insist they cant conceive of giving up land to Russia - often on the basis that a truce would simply allow Putin to regroup and relaunch fresh attacks down the line.

However Ms Zolkina believes that conversation around a ceasefire could change if genuinely meaningful security guarantees were on the table.

If Ukraine was promised membership of Nato or if Ukraine signed a really strong security agreement with a big international player, this discussion about a possible tactical ceasefire would turn in a different way and the political resistance would not be as strong as it now.

It has been a week where Zelensky went and gave his "victory plan" a hard sell. But the reality is that Washington DC has yet to show great eagerness, while events in the Middle East continue to divert attention away from Russias bloody invasion.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that eight people had been killed as a result of a Russian Shahed attack on a hospital in Sumy.

Source: Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Facebook

Quote from Zelenskyy: "Eleven people were injured, and 113 patients were evacuated from the hospital. The search and rescue operation is underway. We are dealing with the aftermath and saving lives. We are doing our best to provide our people with the necessary assistance.





Aftermath of the Russian attack on Sumy.

Photo: Volodymyr Zelenskyy

Everyone in the world who talks about this war should pay attention to the targets Russia is hitting. They are fighting hospitals, civilian facilities and people's lives. Only force can force Russia to peace. Peace through force is the only right way."





Aftermath of the Russian attack on Sumy.

Photo: Volodymyr Zelenskyy

Background: The Russians attacked a hospital facility in Sumy twice, on the morning of 28 September.

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Zelenskyy's spokesman says Russians will be first to know if Ukraine gets permission for long-range strikes on Russia

Serhii Nykyforov, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's spokesman, has said that the Russians would be the first to know if Ukraine receives permission from its allies to strike deep into Russian territory with Western long-range weapons.

Source: Nykyforov on the air of the national joint 24/7 newscast on 28 September

Quote: "We must understand that the Russians will be the first to know about the permission to strike deep into Russian territory. They will be the first to know, and then an official announcement will be made."

Details: The spokesman noted that "there is no final unambiguous decision" on this issue yet, but Zelenskyy "held talks with all the parties on whom this decision depends and who can provide the appropriate opportunities  Italy, France, the UK and, of course, the US".

Nykyforov said that Ukraine has a "strong general request" to its partners "with arguments, with all the tasks and all the calculations of what this permission will allow us [Ukrainians  ed.] to achieve in practice."

"We have this huge request, and we hope that the partners will give in," he said.

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Zelenskyy's team says US has received Victory Plan "with great interest"

The spokesman of the Ukrainian Presidents Office, Serhii Nykyforov, said that during Volodymyr Zelenskyy's visit to the United States the American side showed "great interest" in the Victory Plan, despite media reports to the contrary.

Source: Nykyforov on the air of the national joint 24/7 newscast, as reported by European Pravda

Details: Nykyforov said that during the reaction to Ukraine's Victory Plan, "authoritative Western media picked up various epithets, such as accepted with coolness, accepted without enthusiasm, accepted sceptically."

Quote: "This is not true. It [the Victory Plan  ed.] was received with great interest, it was received constructively, it was put to work."

Details: He added that US President Joe Biden has promised to return with "some decisions and answers" on the plan on 12 October, when the Ramstein contact group meets at the level of leaders.

"So, the beginning is encouraging," Nykyforov concluded.

Background:

Bloomberg reported that some Western officials were trying to lower expectations of the Victory Plan, saying they did not see it as a breakthrough.

The Wall Street Journal reported that the Biden administration is concerned that Ukraine's Victory Plan for the war against Russia lacks a comprehensive strategy.

Media reports that the Victory Plan, which has not been publicly disclosed, includes an invitation to Ukraine to join NATO and a commitment by the United States to provide constant supplies of modern weapons.

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National Coffee Day is Sunday. Here's where to score some deals

Coffee purveyors and enthusiasts are celebrating National Coffee Day on Sunday, honoring the rich, aromatic brew that kickstarts the mornings and daily routines of many Americans.

From its origins in ancient Ethiopia to its status as a modern staple, coffee has become a cherished ritual for millions.

In the U.S., a lot more adults are drinking coffee now compared to a decade ago. Specifically, theres been a 37% increase in the number of adults who drink coffee, making it the highest rate of daily coffee consumption in over 20 years, according to a recent survey by the National Coffee Association (NCA).



As caffeine lovers seek out complimentary deals and promotions, weve compiled a list of some locations, including Dunkin, Starbucks (SBUX), and perhaps even Wendys, that are offering discounts to entice consumers. Notably, some chains are offering deals a little longer, as International Coffee Day arrives on Tuesday, Oct. 1.

Lets take a look, and happy sipping.

Dunkin

People line up at a Dunkin store inside Terminal A at Newark Liberty International Airport. - Image: Gary Hershorn (Getty Images)

The deal: Dunkin is offering a free medium hot or iced coffee to Dunkin Rewards members with any purchase made through the Dunkin app. The deal is limited to one member, and additional charges may apply. Cold Brew and Nitro Cold Brew are not included in the promotion.

Starbucks in New York City. - Image: Beata Zawrzel/NurPhoto (Getty Images)

The deal: Starbucks is offering a $10 discount on select blends for customers who spend $50 on Amazon through Sunday.

Meanwhile, Starbucks Coffee at Home is hosting a Twitch live DJ streaming set with Sofi Tukker on Sunday from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. PT / 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. ET. The event aims to bring fans together over music and coffee pairings from home, a tradition musician Tucker Halpern claims he started during the pandemic.



Krispy Kreme

People outside Krispy Kreme in London. - Image: Mike Kemp/In Pictures (Getty Images)

The deal: Krispy Kreme (DNUT) is offering a free hot or iced coffee with any purchase. The deal can be made in-store or via an online order for pickup using the promo code COFFEE.

Two cups of coffee on a table in a Peets Coffee store. - Image: Zhang Peng/LightRocket (Getty Images)

The deal: Participating locations are offering free drip coffee or cold brew through Sunday, along with 25% off select items available both in-store and online using the code NCD2024. Loyalty members can score a free upsize on their drinks.

Caribou Coffee

Caribou Coffee in Houston. - Image: Karen Warren / Houston Chronicle (Getty Images)

The deal: Customers can score a free medium cold press or hot coffee of the day with the purchase of any beverage (or a 16-ounce bag of coffee beans). Caribou is also launching its Perks Appreciation week on Monday for loyalty members, which will feature new special offers daily through its app until Friday, Oct. 4.

Blue Bottle Coffee

Barista Yana Powers pours drip coffee at Blue Bottle Coffee in San Francisco. - Image: Paul Chinn/San Francisco Chronicle (Getty Images)

The deal: 10% off all coffee, including whole bean coffee, coffee sets, and craft instant from Sept. 27 through Oct. 2. The discount will automatically be applied at checkout. On October 1, customers can score a free 12-ounce pour over with the purchase of a 12-ounce bag of whole bean coffee. That deal is limited to one guest and can only be made in-store.

Paris Baguette

Americano - Image: Courtesy of Paris Baguette

The deal: Loyalty members can score a free medium hot or iced coffee with any purchase from Friday, Sept. 27, to Sunday, Sept. 29. The chain says the coffee is handcrafted using premium Lavazza beans.

Tim Hortons

Lady drinking Tim Hortons coffee in a shop close to chinatown. - Image: Roberto Machado Noa/LightRocket (Getty Images)

The deal: Loyalty members can score a free medium hot or iced coffee with any purchase at participating U.S. locations.

Wendys coffee cup in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. - Image: Artur Widak/NurPhoto (Getty Images)

The possible deal: Between the start of National Coffee Day in 2023 until Oct. 1, Wendys offered a small hot or cold coffee for just a $1. The chain hasnt explicity said if it will participate this year, but for customers in need of something sweet, the chain is offering $1 Frostys through Sept. 29.

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Credit: Lev Radin/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images

The federal criminal indictment unsealed Thursday morning against New York City Mayor Eric Adams in the Southern District of New York reveals a great deal about the Democratic mayors alleged fondness for Turkish Airlines business class. But it also surfaces three security escapades much closer to home.

The indictments five counts of bribery, fraud, and campaign-finance offenses allege that Adams placed his thumb on government scales to help Turkish government and business interests in NYC, in return for which the mayor received more than $123,000 in free travel and other treats.

(Adams apparently enjoyed the Turkish Airlines inflight experience so much, per the indictment, that he asked if he could fly Turkish from New York to Easter Island. Sadly, that destination is not on the airlines route map.)

This 57-page United States of America v. Adams PDF describes attempts to conceal the alleged crimes that went beyond not disclosing the freebies and having Turkish interests launder illegal campaign donations through "straw donors."

First, federal investigators obtained message records that show Adams, a former NYPD officer, admitting that he conspired to delete other conversations by answering a staffers Please Delete all messages you send me request with a two-word reply: Always do. Its hard to think of messaging metadata more incriminating than a conversation confirming a plot to delete message records.

Second, the indictment recounts an additional case of message erasure in which the same staffer took a bathroom break during a voluntary interview with FBI agents and used that alone time to delete the encrypted messaging applications she had used to communicate with Adams, the Promoter, the Turkish Official, the Airline Manager, and others.

Many private messaging applications automatically back up content to cloud storage, but the indictment does not clarify if this was the case with whatever apps the staffer had used.

Third, the indictment accuses Adams himself of tampering with evidence in his own pocket by changing the passcode on his smartphone (it doesnt identify the model) from four to six digits and then telling investigators that those new numbers had fled his memory.

Adams had done this, he claimed, to prevent members of his staff from inadvertently or intentionally deleting the contents of his phone because, according to Adams, he wished to preserve the contents of his phone due to the investigation. But, Adams further claimed, he had forgotten the password he had just set, and thus was unable to provide the FBI with a password that would unlock the phone.

Had the mayor kept his phone locked with biometric security, he could have been compelled to unlock it that way. Thats why one of the most frequent bits of advice to protestors and to people crossing international borders is to use the Android and iOS shortcuts that disable biometric unlocking. But Adams could also have simply invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination.

If you use a biometric, you can be compelled to decrypt your device for law enforcement because a biometric is something you are, lawyer Riana Pfefferkorn said in a 2019 talk at the Defcon security conference. If you use a passcode to decrypt, typically, you cant be compelled to unlock, because a passcode is something that you know.

Her talk did not cover how claiming to have forgotten a passcode would affect those issues.

In either case, with Adams phone now in possession of federal investigators, he faces the risk of them determining the unlock code through other means, like using such third-party tools as Cellebrites unlocking kits to defeat the phones security.

In conclusion: PCMag does not endorse taking free travel from foreign interests in exchange for illicit influence on policy (should you want to fly like Adams, please research how frequent-travel miles and points can pay for those luxury experiences) but does advise awareness of the privacy risks involved in having so much of your life stored in devices you take everywhere.
Xbox boss Phil Spencer gets his hands on the PS5 Pro: "The X button's in the wrong place"

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Credit: Microsoft

Xbox boss Phil Spencer has been captured on video holding a DualSense and talking about the PS5 Pro, and he jokingly judged the controller for placing the X button in the wrong place.

The joke is in reference to the different position of the X button on the Xbox controller relative to the PS5 controller. In the video, you can see Spencer at this year's Tokyo Game Show playing something next to Xbox president Sarah Bond and examining the DualSense controller in his hands. He remarks, "So, the X button is in the wrong place" to laughter, adding, "The X button is supposed to be over there. Yeah, A, B, X, Y."

There's an obvious playful, jovial tone to Spencer's remarks, and in the past he's repeatedly praised the DualSense controller for both innovating and potentially inspiring future changes to the Xbox controller design.

Still, the official Xbox Twitter account was quick to double down on the gag with a post that reads, "ICYMI: This is where the X button goes," with an up-close image of the Xbox controller and an arrow pointing to the position of the button. Nothing like a little healthy competition in meme format.

Also, am I going to 'well, actually' Phil Spencer by pointing out that PlayStation controllers don't technically have X buttons, they have "Cross buttons"? Why yes, yes I am, and I'm not even a little bit sorry about it.

Now let's all get along and play the best PS5 games and the best Xbox Series X games available now.
Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha on Friday attended two blood donation camps, one at the Vivekananda Biyamagar on Gangail Road, and the other in the Ramnagar area organised on the occasion of the inauguration of the seven Ramnagar Mandal office. During his speech, Chief Minister Saha emphasised the importance of community involvement in ensuring a steady supply of blood. "To prevent any shortages, it is crucial for both men and women to come forward and donate," he stated. He reassured attendees that donating blood is safe and beneficial, noting that the body replenishes the donated blood within three months. Saha further called upon all citizens, regardless of their religious backgrounds, to participate in the noble cause. He discussed various aspects of blood donation, underscoring its significance in saving lives and fostering a sense of unity within the community. The Chief Minister's message resonated with many, as officials and volunteers rallied to encourage widespread participation in future blood donation festivals. Earlier in the month, a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 74th birthday, a mega blood donation camp was organised by the Maharani Tulsibati Welfare Trust at the Shaheed Bhagat Singh Yuba Abas in Agartala. Chief Minister Manik Saha addressed the gathering, highlighting the Prime Minister's various initiatives and discussing the importance of blood donation. The event commemorated the Prime Minister's birthday, which was on September 17, and emphasised the critical role of voluntary blood donation in saving lives. The camp received an overwhelming response from the community, showcasing solidarity and support for this noble cause. CM Saha also participated in a blood donation camp organised in celebration of PM Modi's birthday by the Bharatiya Janata Party Mandal Committee of Banamalipur at the Nazrul Kalakshetra Auditorium in the city. He also appreciated PM Modi's initiatives for improving healthcare, education, and infrastructure, urging attendees to support these programmes to drive progress in the region. (ANI)
Physicists question Albert Einstein's Theory of General Relativity by questioning the existence of black holes.

One of the greatest advances in Physics is Albert Einstein's General Relativity, which describes gravity as a distortion of space-time. With the theory of General Relativity, Einstein further expanded the field of Physics with the description of the most important interaction on an astronomical scale. In addition to gravity, Einstein's theory was able to describe objects in the Universe that he didn't even know about existed before.

The first case happened when Karl Schwarzschild found a solution to Einstein's equations that became known as Schwarzschild's metric. The interesting thing is that the metric described that for a given mass of an object, not even light could escape a given ray. Schwarzschild's solution described the Physics of an object that would later be known as a black hole. Not even Einstein or Schwarzschild believed that it would be possible for an object of the type to exist.

More than 1 century later, the EHT collaboration recorded the first two photos of black holes showing that these objects exist. However, a new work by a physicist at Ben-Gurion University argues that black holes may actually be frozen stars that interact in a similar way to what Schwarzschild described.And frozen stars could even solve several mysteries around black holes.

Black holes

When a massive star reaches the end of life, it enters a supernova process where part of its interior collapses at a point called singularity. The singularity would be where all mass would be collapsed and depending on the value of this mass, there is a radius that defines a region called the event horizon. This region determines the point that not even light could escape.

Generally, the radius that determines the event horizon is the Schwarzschild radius.

There are different classifications for black holes that are based on 2 properties: their mass and their spin. Base-based classifications involve supermassive and stellar black holes. Spin-based classifications involve Schwarzschild's black holes and Kerr's black holes. At the center of each galaxy, there is a supermassive black hole that is generally considered Kerr's black hole.

First photo of a black hole

In April 2019, the Event Horizon Telescope collaboration released the first image of a black hole. The black hole in the photo is called M87* and is located in the center of the Messier 87 galaxy approximately 55 million light years from the Milky Way. The black hole has an estimated mass of 7 billion times the mass of the Sun and previous records show that it has a relativistic jet indicating that it is possible to have spin.

The black hole M87* was registered by the EHT collaboration in 2017 and the photo was released in 2019. Credit: EHT

In 2022, the EHT released the second photo that was of the black hole Sgr A* in the center of the Milky Way. The two photos showed some of the dynamics of these objects in the center of the galaxies and giving a direct record of the existence of the objects that until then there were only indirect observations. Both articles discuss the Physics involved in each photo and argue how both records confirm Einstein's Theory of General Relativity.

Paradoxes

The existence of black holes also brings problems as paradoxes that have no solution. One of the most famous is the black hole information paradox that discusses how information is preserved. The information paradox happens because while information would be lost once inside the black hole, there are laws that say that information should be kept. This is an open problem within Physics.

Another problem in relation to black holes is the existence of singularity where the density and curvature of space-time tend to infinity. The big problem is that Physics does not deal well with infinites requiring other areas within Physics that are not established. One of these areas is Quantum Gravitation, which is proposed as the solution that describes the world of micro in situations of extreme gravity.

Frozen stars

To solve these paradoxes, a group of physicists proposes the idea that black holes would be frozen stars. These objects would be the remnant of massive stars that entered supernova and would not emit light. They would have phenomena identical to those of black holes but without the presence of a singularity inside. Even the event horizon would be similar to a frozen star.

Frozen stars would be identical to black holes except for having an internal structure.

Phenomena such as temporal dilation and extreme gravity would be similar and for an external observer, they could be seen as black holes. Since they would not have an event horizon, it would be possible for in-entering light to escape, also avoiding the information paradox. They would not be points of no return as the event horizon of a black hole is.

Do black holes exist?

Astronomer Carl Sagan once stated that extraordinary allegations require extraordinary evidence. The case of frozen stars is an example of this quote from Sagan. To confirm the hypothesis, extremely precise evidence and observations will be needed that can explain all the effects known to date.The Theory of General Relativity still remains a well-established theory and has gone through the scientific method several times.

News reference:

Bronstein et al. 2024 Thermodynamics of frozen stars Physical Review D
Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Saturday paid tribute to late CPI (M) leader Sitaram Yechury and said that whatever the latter did, was always in the interest of the country. "He was a person you could trust, he was a person you are sure - 100 per cent sure, that he wasn't compromised in today's situation. Whatever he did, he always did it in the interest of the country. Maybe my brothers on the Left might not like it, but every time his starting point was India and after that his political ideology and his political convictions. Whenever he would speak to me about the BJP and RSS, he didn't say that they were doing this and that, he used to say that look, this is a danger to the country," Rahul Gandhi said. Calling Sitaram Yechury a friend, Rahul Gandhi said that he was very flexible in politics. "For me, Sitaram Yechury was a friend, who operated in the political system. When people look at politics from outside, it's not easy to see the dynamics that plays inside. It brings out the worst in people, it's rarely you see the best come out in people through politics. He was flexible, he was on the opposite spectrum of the ideology. He was also close to my mother, they were better friends than he was to me," he added. Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge paid tribute to Sitaram Yechury and said that he played a huge role in the INDIA bloc. "Person who believed in parliamentary democracy, person who believed in equality. Sitaram ji used to say Kharge ji is our comrade," Kharge said. Earlier on September 21, Sitaram Yechury passed away at AIIMS Delhi after suffering from a respiratory tract infection. Sitaram Yechury joined the CPI(M) in 1975. He was arrested during the emergency for his political activities. He was elected to the Central Committee of the Party in 1985 at the 12th Congress, and he remained in the Central Committee till now. Yechury was elected to the Central Secretariat in 1989 and to the Polit Bureau in 1992 at the 14th Congress of the Party. He was elected as the General Secretary of the CPI(M) at the 21st Congress in 2015, a position he continued until now. Sitaram Yechury was a member of the Rajya Sabha for two terms from 2005 to 2017. He served as the leader of the CPI(M) group and was an effective parliamentarian. He was given the best parliamentarian award in 2017. (ANI)
New Delhi: The Centre lifted the ban on the export of non-basmati white rice on Friday with immediate effect, according to a notification. In July 2023, the government imposed the ban to ensure the domestic supply of rice and keep prices under control. Exporters hailed the decision, dubbing it a game-changer for the sector.

Indias bold decision to lift restrictions on non-basmati white rice exports is a game-changer for the agricultural sector, said Rice Villa CEO Suraj Agarwal. This strategic move will not only boost the income of exporters but also empower farmers, who can expect higher returns with the impending arrival of the new kharif crop, he said.

The government has also reduced the export duty on parboiled rice to 10 per cent from 20 per cent, the notification said. Another rice exporter, Keshab Kr Halder of Halder Group who was seeking immediate removal of the ban lauded the governments move.
National Conference Vice President Omar Abdullah mocked Prime Minister Modi's claim that the BJP would independently form the government in Jammu and Kashmir. Abdullah said, "Forming the government is far off. The BJP's Jammu and Kashmir president cant even retain his own seat. Just wait for October 8."

Omar's remarks came after the Prime Minister stated that the BJP would achieve a majority in Jammu and Kashmir. Abdullah said, The BJP isnt contesting all seats in Kashmir and wont win all in Jammu, so how can they claim a majority to form a government?

He further added that even if the BJP depends on its "A, B, C, and D teams" in the valley, it wouldnt alter the outcomes the Prime Minister claims.

Omar also addressed allegations from his former close aide, Davinder Singh Rana, who is now part of the BJP. Rana claimed that Omar had suggested a coalition with the BJP in 2014 and was willing to accept a Jammu Chief Minister role. Omar replied, If I had agreed to their Chief Minister position from Jammu, I must think they are extremely foolish. They left me and formed an alliance with the PDP, making Mufti Mohammad Syed the Chief Minister.

Omar has been actively campaigning with back-to-back rallies in three districts of North Kashmir ahead of the polls on October 1.
Patna: The flood situation in North Bihar has worsened due to continuous rainfall over the past few days. Ganga Rivers along with its tributaries are flowing above the danger level at several locations were exacerbated by heavy rainfall in the catchment areas of Nepal, leading to rising water levels in Bihar's rivers.

Since September 26, heavy rains have hit most of the river catchment areas in Bihar and forecasts suggest rains will continue for the coming days. The government has put all 38 districts in Bihar on alert, with varying intensities of rain expected across the region.

Districts like West Champaran, East Champaran, Sheohar, Sitamarhi, Supaul, Araria, Kishanganj, Purnia, Katihar, Gopalganj, Siwan, Bhagalpur, and Banka have already experienced significant rainfall, with some areas recording 205 mm of rain.

The data released by the Meteorological Department in Patna indicates that the situation is likely to worsen, raising concerns about severe flooding and the potential for widespread chaos across the state. The authorities are on high alert as the state braces for further challenges in managing the flood crisis.

In response to the worsening flood situation in North Bihar, the Water Resource Department has taken significant steps to manage the crisis. On Friday, 6 lakh cusecs of water were released from the Valmikinagar Gandak Barrage. Additionally, 6.81 lakh cusecs of water are expected to be released from the Kosi Barrage in Virpur Block.

Sanjeev Kumar Mall, Principal Secretary of the Water Resource Department, has instructed officials to closely monitor the flood situation and implement security measures to protect embankments and ensure timely rescue operations.

All executive engineers, junior engineers, and other officials have been asked to remain stationed at the embankments within their jurisdictions for the next 48 hours. Additionally, they have been asked to arrange flood control equipment such as sandbags to prevent soil erosion along riverbanks, Mall said.

To ensure full preparedness, all leaves for officers within the department have been cancelled, and round-the-clock vigilance has been mandated to safeguard vulnerable areas. This proactive approach aims to minimise the impact of the anticipated floods, ensuring the safety of both the infrastructure and the local population, he said.

According to the Water Resource Department, the water levels of major rivers in Bihar are fluctuating, with several crossing the danger mark due to continuous rainfall. The water level of the Ganga River, at Digha Ghat in Patna, was recorded at 86 cm which is below the danger mark but rainfall is expected to cause an increase.

At Hathidah, the Ganga is flowing 11 cm above the danger level. In Munger, the water level was 63 cm below the danger mark, while at Kahalgaon in Bhagalpur, it was 54 cm above the danger mark.

The water level of the Gandak River, at Dumria Ghat in Gopalganj, was recorded at 57 cm below the danger mark, but it's expected to rise by 38 cm by Sunday if 6 lakh cusec water is released from the Gandak Barrage.

Kosi River is flowing 84 cm above the danger level in Kursela of Katihar district. In Sonakhan (Sitamarhi), the Bagmati is 8 cm above the danger level. In Khagaria, the Burhi Gandak is 81 cm above the danger level.

Kamla Balan River, at Jay Nagar (Madhubani), is flowing 15 cm above the danger level.
In a stern warning to Pakistan, India on Saturday said that cross-border terrorism against it will "inevitably invite consequences." India also ruled out any agreement while the neighbouring country indulges in terrorism.

Bhavika Mangalanandan, a First Secretary in India's UN mission, delivered the strong message while exercising India's right of reply to Pakistan Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif's attacks on New Delhi during his address to the General Assembly's high-level meeting. "Pakistan should realize that cross-border terrorism against India will inevitably invite consequences," she said.

Mangalanandan, who is a 2015 batch Indian Foreign Service officer with an MTech degree from IIT Delhi, deals with counter-terrorism matters at the UN.

It was a "travesty" for "a country run by the military with a global reputation for terrorism, narcotics trade, and transnational crime" to have "the audacity to attack the world's largest democracy," she said.

Sharif asserted that New Delhi had spurned his offer of "a mutual Strategic Restraint Regime." Explaining India's rejection, Mangalanandan said, "There can be no compact with terrorism."

"Pakistan has long employed cross-border terrorism as a weapon against its neighbours; it has attacked our Parliament, our financial capital, Mumbai, marketplaces, and pilgrimage routes. The list is long," she said.

"The world can see for itself what Pakistan really is," she said. "We are talking about a nation that for long hosted (al-Qaeda terrorist organization's leader) Osama bin Laden, a country whose fingerprints are on so many terrorist incidents across the world, whose policies attract the dregs of many societies to make it their home."

"For such a country to speak about violence anywhere is hypocrisy at its worst," she said.

On the subject of hypocrisy, Managalanandan said, "It is even more extraordinary for a country with a history of rigged elections to talk about political choices that too in a democracy."

"The real truth is that Pakistan covets our territory and, in fact, has continuously used terrorism to disrupt elections in Jammu and Kashmir, an inalienable and integral part of India," she said.

Further stressing on the topic of hypocrisy, she added, "It is ridiculous that a nation that committed genocide in 1971 and which persecutes its minorities relentlessly, even now, dares speak about intolerances and phobias."

(With IANS Inputs)
The BJP is gearing up for the Jharkhand assembly polls. While it was earlier expected that the BJP and the All Jharkhand Students Union (AJSU) will contest the polls together, BJP leader and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that the Janta Dal (United) will also be a part of the alliance. Sarma, who is also the BJP's Jharkhand election co-in-charge along with AJSU president Sudesh Mahto held a meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah this evening to finalize seat sharing.

Speaking to the media earlier in the day, Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma said, "In the elections, there will be an alliance with Janta Dal (U) and AJSU Party. The seat sharing is almost final. Discussion for 1-2 seats is pending. We will announce the alliance after the Pitru Paksha ends."

Sarma stated that a formal announcement regarding this matter will be made after the conclusion of 'Pitri Paksha,' which ends on October 2. The elections for Jharkhand's 81-member assembly are scheduled to take place later this year.

  JMM-Cong         ,            pic.twitter.com/tQZx72WMEX  Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) September 28, 2024

Regarding Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren's letter to Union Health Minister JP Nadda, requesting assistance for an in-depth investigation into the deaths of recruitment aspirants during physical tests for excise personnel, Sarma emphasized that the investigation should be conducted by the state government.

The incident reportedly claimed the lives of 15 aspirants who participated in the physical assessments. The BJP has criticized Soren's administration, accusing it of mismanagement and holding the government responsible for the fatalities during the recruitment drive.

"As the deaths took place in Jharkhand, the first responsibility of investigation lies with the state government. If the chief minister thinks an extensive investigation is required, he should write to the Chief Justice of Jharkhand High Court for a judicial probe. We will welcome this," Sarma said.

Expressing concern over alleged infiltration into Jharkhand, Sarma said that 'infiltrators have hijacked' the state.
Two terrorists have been killed, and five security personnel were injured in an encounter in Jammu and Kashmir's Kulgam. The bodies of the terrorists, along with two AK-47 rifles and other ammunition, were recovered from the scene. This marks conclusion of another successful anti-terror operation in Adigam village of Kulgam district.

The bodies of the terrorists were also retrieved, though their identities are still being verified. Earlier, in the early hours of the morning, an operation was launched in the village after receiving intelligence about the presence of terrorists in the area. When security personnel began their search, the terrorists opened fire, injuring four army soldiers and a police officer of ASP rank.

The security forces retaliated effectively, leading to a prolonged encounter between the terrorists and the forces in the Adigam area of Kulgam. Additional reinforcements were called to the spot, and both the army and Jammu and Kashmir police sealed all entry and exit points.

A police officer in charge of the operation stated that the house where the terrorists were hiding was cordoned off. Seeing this, the terrorists attempted to flee but failed to break the cordon and took shelter in a cowshed.

Senior officers from the army and Jammu and Kashmir police visited the encounter site to oversee the operation.

Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kashmir, V. K. Birdhi, speaking to Zee News, said, "The operation was launched following specific intelligence regarding the presence of terrorists in the area." He mentioned that the encounter began in the Adigam Devsar area of Kulgam, and details about the terrorists will be shared after the operation concludes. He also noted that "The injuries occurred during the initial exchange of fire as security forces engaged the terrorists. The injured personnel, including an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), were evacuated to a nearby hospital, where their condition is reported to be stable."

Before concluding the operation, the area was thoroughly searched, and all arms, ammunition, and the terrorists' bodies were recovered.
Kerala Lottery Results Saturday 28-09-2024 LIVE: The Kerala Lottery Department, on behalf of the Keralan government, announces the "KARUNYA KR-673" Lucky Draw Result today Karunya Kr-673, September 28, 2024. The draw will be held at Gorky Bhavan near Bakery Junction in Thiruvananthapuram. The Kerala Lottery Result 2024 for "Karunya KR-673" will feature 12 series, with changes in series possible each week. A total of 108 lakh tickets are available for purchase weekly. The ticket prices may vary. Check the Karunya KR-673 results right here to see if youre the first-place winner of 80 Lakhs. Stay tuned to this website for the live update of Kerala Lottery Karunya KR-673 results today.

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Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir Assembly Elections 2024 Live Updates: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to address a public gathering in Jammu today ahead of the upcoming third phase of Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir, scheduled for October 1. Additionally, he will be speaking at a rally in Hissar, Haryana, ahead of the state elections on October 5.

On the other hand, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi will be holding rallies today in Bilawar, located in Kathua district, and Bishnah in Jammu. At a campaign rally on Friday, Amit Shah criticized the Congress on several issues, including corruption, reservations, and Article 370, accusing the party of seeking its reinstatement. Shah expressed confidence in the BJP's chances of securing a third consecutive win in Haryana's upcoming October 5 elections.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spotlighted alleged land scams involving Robert Vadra and former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, warning Haryana's voters that a Congress return would bring back the 'kharchi-parchi sarkar'  a phrase the BJP used in its manifesto to highlight corruption and land scam allegations during the Congress's tenure.
A day after Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's anti-India rhetoric at the UNGA, External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar today launched a scathing attack against Islamabad while addressing the UNGA's 79th session. Jaishankar asked Pakistan to vacate Occupied Kashmir and shun terrorism to improve relations with India.

"Many countries get left behind due to circumstances beyond their control but some make conscious choices with disastrous consequences. A premier example is our neighbour Pakistan. Unfortunately, their misdeeds affect others as well, especially the neighbourhood. When this polity instils such fanaticism among its people. Its GDP can only be measured in terms of radicalisation and its exports in the form of terrorism. Today, we see the ills it sought to visit on others consume its own society. It can't blame the world. This is only karma. A dysfunctional nation coveting the lands of others must be exposed and must be countered," said Jaishankar.

Hitting out at Pakistani PM Sharif over his anti-India remarks, Jaishankar said, "We heard some bizarre assertions from this very forum yesterday. Let me make India's position very clear - Pakistan's policy of cross-border terrorism will never succeed. And it can have no expectation of impunity. On the contrary, actions will certainly have consequences. The issue to be resolved between us is only the vacation of illegally occupied Indian territory by Pakistan and of course, abandonment of Pakistan long long-standing attachment to terrorism."

Jaishankar emphasised that Pakistan's radicalization and terrorism have not only affected others but are now consuming its own society, describing this as "karma." He called for the exposure and countering of a "dysfunctional nation" that covets the lands of others.

Reacting to the ongoing wars, he said, "The world is yet to recover from the ravages of covid pandemic. A war in Ukraine is well into its third year and the conflict in Gaza is acquiring wider ramifications."

(With ANI Inputs)
The 17-year-old boy involved in a fatal car crash in Pune is facing difficulties securing admission to a Delhi management institute due to the ongoing criminal case against him, according to his lawyer. The incident, which occurred in May, claimed the lives of two IT professionals and has left the minor's educational prospects in jeopardy.

Denial of College Admission

The teenager, who recently completed his 12th-grade exams, had applied for a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) course at a prestigious college in Delhi. However, his application was reportedly rejected because of the criminal proceedings tied to the Porsche crash. During a hearing before the Juvenile Justice Board (JJB), the boy's lawyer stressed the impact of the case on his education, urging the board to ensure that the minors future studies are not compromised due to ongoing legal issues.

Accident Details

The incident in question took place in the early hours of May 19 in the upscale Kalyani Nagar area of Pune. The minor was allegedly behind the wheel of a Porsche when it collided with a motorcycle, resulting in the deaths of two IT professionals, one of whom was a woman. The police allege that the boy was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the crash.

Legal Battle: Seeking Adult Trial

In addition to the ongoing investigation, Pune Police have filed a plea requesting that the 17-year-old be tried as an adult, given the severity of the incident. The Juvenile Justice Board is currently reviewing this request. Meanwhile, Special Public Prosecutor Shishir Hiray emphasized that education is a constitutional right and argued that the accused should be allowed to pursue higher studies despite the charges against him.

New Charges Filed: Destruction of Evidence

In a recent development, Pune Police submitted a supplementary report to the JJB, adding new charges of destruction of evidence, forgery, and violations under the Prevention of Corruption Act. Earlier in June, the police had charged the teen with 'culpable homicide not amounting to murder' under Section 304 of the Indian Penal Code.
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami launched the website of Pravasi Uttarakhand Cell at the Secretariat on Saturday, said an official statement. The website of Pravasi Uttarakhand Cell has been prepared through ITDA. Through the website, information about various policies, programs and activities of the state government will be provided to the migrants. The Chief Minister directed the officials to organise a grand conference by inviting migrants living in different states of the country in Dehradun on the occasion of the proposed Pravasi Uttarakhand Day on 7 November 2024. He said that everyone has a connection with their motherland. The effort of the state government is to take the cooperation of the migrants of Uttarakhand for the development of the state and to provide them all possible support to connect with their motherland, the release said. He said that the migrants of our Uttarakhand have made their own identity on the strength of their work in the country and the world. He said that we should have regular contact with all the people of Uttarakhand living in the country and the world. Our effort is to be a partner in every happiness and sorrow. The Chief Minister directed the officials to invite the migrant Uttarakhandis living abroad and organise a big conference in the state soon. The database of all the migrant Uttarakhandis living abroad should be kept updated. CM said that the way our migrant brothers and sisters are welcomed grandly during foreign trips clearly reflects their attachment to their ancestral land and their connection with their culture. The Migrant Uttarakhand Cell has been established in the state with the objective of making the state government reach out to the Uttarakhandi migrants residing in different countries and different states of India from the state of Uttarakhand and to connect the migrant Uttarakhandis with their motherland, to take advantage of their expertise, experience and financial capabilities in the development of the state and to honour the migrants with notable achievements. For the convenience of the migrants living abroad, links to the Ministry of External Affairs of the Government of India and its important schemes have also been given on the website. The cell has collected contact details of migrant organisations and eminent migrants working within the country and abroad from various sources. Till now, contact has been established with migrant Uttarakhandis living in 18 countries. (ANI)
Jaishankar At UNGA: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar today took a veiled swipe at China for supporting Pakistan-sponsored terrorism. Addressing the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Dr S Jaishankar said that sanctioning of global terrorists by the United Nations should also not be impeded for political reasons. In the past, China has vetoed India and other developed nations' bid to get Pakistan-based international terrorists sanctioned.

"The world cannot be fatalistic about the continuation of violence on a large scale, no more than be impervious to its broader consequences. Whether it is the war in Ukraine or the conflict in Gaza, the international community seeks urgent solutions. These sentiments must be acknowledged and acted upon...Terrorism is antithetical to everything that the world stands for. All its forms and manifestations must be resolutely opposed. The sanctioning of global terrorists by the United Nations should also not be impeded for political reasons," said Jaishankar.

Talking about the overconcentration of production, Jaishankar said that it has negatively affected many economies. "An important cause of many getting left behind has been the unfairness of the current globalization model. Overconcentration of production has hollowed out many economies, impacting their employment and social stability," said the EAM.

Jaishankar said that India is acting like a beacon of hope in these troubled times. "In these troubled times, it is necessary to provide hope and rekindle optimism. We have to demonstrate that big changes are possible...When India lands on the moon, rolls out its own 5G stack, dispatches vaccines worldwide, embraces fintech or houses so many global capability centres, there is a message here. Our quest for a Viksit Bharat or a developed India will understandably be followed closely," said Jaishankar.

Previously, China effectively blocked a proposal to designate Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorist Sajid Mir as a global terrorist. The proposal was jointly submitted by India and the United States to the United Nations Security Council's sanctions committee. Mir, wanted for his role in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, could not be listed as a global terrorist due to China's objection. Such proposals require unanimous agreement from all member nations for approval.
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis responded to social media posts and posters circulating across Mumbai, which glorified the police encounter of Akshay Shinde, the accused in the Badlapur sexual assault case. He emphasized that such incidents should not be celebrated, stating that while he doesnt support 'fake encounters,' the law should dictate appropriate punishment.

Fadnavis on the Encounter and Legal Process

Speaking to CNN-News18, Fadnavis said that the police took the action in self defense. He explained that Akshay Shinde, who had been in custody for sexually assaulting two four-year-old girls in a school toilet in Badlapur, attacked the police while being transported. "We had filed the charge sheet in record time," Fadnavis said, highlighting the legal progress in the case.

Shinde's attack took place while he was being brought from Taloja Central Jail to the Thane Crime Branch office under transit remand for further investigation. According to Fadnavis, Shinde seized a police revolver near the Mumbra bypass and opened fire, leading to the police retaliating and killing him during the shoot-out.

Social Media and Poster Campaign Sparks Debate

The encounter quickly sparked a wave of reactions on social media, with many praising the police action. Posters depicting Devendra Fadnavis wielding a revolver with the tagline "Badla Pura" (revenge completed) were plastered across Mumbai the day after the incident. Fadnavis addressed this, cautioning against glorifying such events. Social media can praise you and bring you down. We shouldnt praise such incidents, he remarked, stressing that justice should be served through legal channels rather than through extrajudicial means.
Ahead of the Maharashtra Assembly elections, ZEE NEWS hosted an "Ek Bharat-Shreshth Bharat" conclave in Mumbai on Saturday. Maharashtra's Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis was also present at the program, where he openly addressed a range of challenging issues, including amendments to the Waqf Bill, the performance of the Maha Yuti during the Lok Sabha elections in Maharashtra, dynastic politics, reconciliation with opposing ideologies and the recent tensions at a religious site in Dharavi.

Reacting to the opposition parties' political strategies, the BJP leader said that the opposition is playing the same card that benefited them during the Lok Sabha elections. He further emphasised that understanding the dynamics of the opposition's strategy is crucial for the coming assembly election and also suggested that the government needs to be proactive to counter the opposition effectively.

Deputy CM Fadnavis emphasised the impact of a "false narrative" created by the opposition, which fostered the belief that if the BJP secured 400 seats, everything would change. This led to significant polarization among the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, resulting in fewer seats for them.

Fadnavis mentioned the phenomenon of "vote jihad," citing that while his party were leading in five out of six assembly segments in Dhule, Congress managed to secure over a lakh votes in Malegaon alone, which hurt their overall performance.

Reacting to the Badlapur encounter, Maharashtra's Deputy CM clarified that they do not support encounters and stated that the police acted in self-defence. He accused the opposition of relying on "ultra-anarchist" elements and highlighted that Asaduddin Owaisi operates within his own ecosystem, distancing himself from Congresss "Bharat Jodo" campaign, which he claimed lacks sincerity.

Fadnavis emphasised that Maharashtra is a developed state and asserted that they set the narrative for development while accusing Congress of politicising every issue. He reiterated that their focus remains on law and order through proper legal channels rather than extrajudicial measures.

In response to questions about the Dharavi incident, he said, "The law is doing its job. It's a significant achievement that we have not allowed the situation to deteriorate."
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu on Friday lashed out at YSRCP chief Jagan Mohan Reddy and accused him of "spreading false information". This comes after Reddy claimed that the TDP government obstructed his visit to Tirumala.

"Police are on duty to maintain peace and order. Why is he spreading false information on this issue? Every religion has traditions and principles that deserve respect," Naidu said.

The Andhra Pradesh CM accused Reddy of misleading the public and laid emphasis on respecting religious traditions. He urged Reddy to respect Tirumala Tirupathi Devasthanams (TTD), saying, "Former CM Jagan Mohan Reddy claimed the government obstructed his visit to Tirumala. He emphasized that those who believe in Lord Venkateswara are welcome to worship and visit Tirumala."

His statement came after Naidu's TDP and its ally Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) demanded that Reddy sign a declaration meant for non-Hindus before visiting the temple.

According to the rules of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams, which manage the popular temple, foreigners and non-Hindus should declare their reverence for the presiding deity at the hill shrine, Lord Venkateswara, before their visit. However, faith declaration signboards have recently sprung up in Tirumala.

"TTD has its own traditions and principles that should be respected by everyone, regardless of their religion. No one has said that Reddy should not go to the temple. Due to recent controversies, Hindu sentiments have been hurt, and devotees are reportedly organizing protests. If he visits Tirumala, these groups have indicated they will mobilize as well," added Naidu.

CM Naidu continued to criticize Reddy's 'intentions' of visiting Tirumala temple and said that he has visited Tirumala by breaking its rules and regulations in the past, and it seems you intend to continue doing so.

"In the past, you (Jagan Mohan Reddy) have visited Tirumala by breaking its rules and regulations, and it seems you intend to continue doing so, which is unfair. While you say you will read the Bible at home and respect other religions, it's essential to respect religious traditions and follow TTD rules and regulations. As a Hindu, I perform pooja, and when I visit a church or mosque, I respect their traditions as well. We must maintain communal harmony," CM Naidu said.

The TDP chief further criticized Reddy for denying 'adulteration' and said that NDDB reports have exposed the 'truth'.

"Blatant lies are being spread. He claims that adulteration did not occur, but AR sent 8 tankers, of which 4 were consumed and 4 were rejected by the TTD Executive Officer, despite several warnings. Samples were sent to the NDDB lab, and the reports exposed the truth. The samples were collected from 4 trucks and sent to the labs, and we have seen the results," Naidu said.

Naidu also questioned Reddy for not declaring his 'faith' and 'avoiding' visit to Tirumala Temple.

"He (Jagan Mohan Reddy) is not interested in submitting a declaration; this is why he avoids visiting Tirumala to worship Lord Balaji. I have stated that we will bring an act requiring temples to be headed by leaders of the same religion, just as churches and mosques are led by their respective heads. We have not obstructed any Dalit from entering temples, and we have never made such statements. I feel very sad that they used 4 tankers of adulterated ghee in prasadam manufacturing. There have been no adulteration tests in TTD in the past. We initiated world-class testing equipment labs and will discuss with experts across the country. TTD Sanctity is our priority. I will not spare anyone who hurts the sentiments and traditions of temples," he said.

(With ANI Inputs)
Mumbai: Alleged conman Sukesh Chandrashekhar, currently lodged in a Mandoli jail in Delhi, has penned a note for his mother Mala Chandrashekhar on her birthday.

In the letter, Sukesh acknowledged his parents' unconditional love and support and conveyed his sincere gratitude to them.

He wrote, Mom, today I should confess you are the worlds best mother, and I am the luckiest to be your son. Mom, you and Dad have always given me the best, more than what you could afford, when I was growing up. However, like any other spoiled pampered brat, I let you guys down by giving you embarrassment at large, I am really sorry for all the pain, ma. But mom, you and dad have always given me strength and to believe in dreaming big and to have an attitude to never give up and most importantly, the unconditional love, thank you ma thank you so much, maa, the power of dreaming big you gave me.

When I was a little boy today, that little boy has achieved all his dreams, and no dream is big enough that cant be achieved by that little boy of yours today. I remember dad saying, there is no right or wrong in this world. Its just in or out. Thats so true I know today when I ask you what you want as your birthday present, the only thing you would ask is me standing vindicated from all these fake allegations and make you feel proud mom. I am promising you this, no matter what I will stand vindicated from all these baseless sham cases and will make you proud as the best son in this world. Mark my words, this will happen very soon. 

However, mom, I am giving you a very special birthday gift today, like how dad says your son is an extraordinary mom today. I am giving you a mansion on wings when I was 12 years old. I had promised. I would give you this and today I have made it a reality. Mom its a jumbo jet and proudly to say better than any other private jumbo plane in this country anyone owns privately I dont wanna break the interior surprise.

However, its nothing more than the interior of a super luxury designer villa. Now mom, you can fly feeling home to all your regular temple visits and fly non-stop to vacation, unlike how you had to stop over for refuelling on a small falcon. Mom, your gift is waiting for you for its first flight to Tirupati and then to Shirdi today.

He concluded his letter by saying, I love you, mom irrespective of the situation I am in mom, your little boy who has set an example today for all these young boys out there to never stop dreaming big, there is no right or wrong. Its only in or out, your destiny is in your hands. No dream is big enough. Mom once again happy happy birthday. Love you. Loads and loads. Enjoy your gift. Happy flying ma love your Sonny, Bobby

Sukesh was arrested on May 29, 2015, for offences under Sections 420 (cheating) and 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), and some sections of the Prize Chits and Money Circulation Schemes (Banning) Act and the Maharashtra Protection of Interest of Depositors (in Financial Establishments) Act.

He allegedly used illegal money to buy presents for Jacqueliene, as per the ED charge sheet filed in 2022.

Later, Jacqueliene was summoned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for questioning in a money laundering case involving Sukesh Chandrashekhar.

Earlier, to make Jacquelienes birthday a special day, Sukesh pledged a donation to Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan of Rs 15 crore and 300 homes for the families of the victims of the 2024 Wayanad landslide disaster.
In Good news for Punekars, the new Metro extension line between District Court to Swargate Line will be thrown open for public on Sunday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lay the foundation stone, inaugurate and dedicate to the nation various projects in Maharashtra worth over Rs 11,200 crore at around 12:30 PM on 29 September, through video conferencing. Prime Minister Modi will inaugurate the Pune Metro section of District Court to Swargate which will also mark the completion of the Pune Metro Rail Project (Phase-1).

The cost of the underground section between the District Court to Swargate is around Rs 1,810 crore. Prime Minister Modi will also lay the foundation stone for the Swargate-Katraj Extension of Pune Metro Phase-1 to be developed at the cost of around Rs 2,955 crore. This southern extension of around 5.46 km is completely underground with three stations namely Market Yard, Padmavati and Katraj.

"Passenger services on the underground metro corridor from District Court to Swargate will commence on Sunday, 29th September 2024, at 4:00 PM, after the virtual inauguration by Hon'ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi. From 4:00 PM, direct travel from PCMC to Swargate will be available, with interchange options for passengers from Vanaz and Ramwadi stations," said Pune Metro.

Inauguration of Passenger Services on Underground Metro Services from District Court to Swargate



Passenger services on the underground metro corridor from District Court to Swargate will commence on Sunday, 29th September 2024, at 4:00 PM, after the virtual inauguration by pic.twitter.com/lRh5s6RX7b  Pune Metro Rail (@metrorailpune) September 28, 2024

Pune Metro Phase-1 Line

This brings great relief to commuters from Pimpri-Chinchwad. Prime Minister Modi had laid the foundation stone for the Shivajinagar District Court to Swargate metro line in December 2016, which has now been completed.

Earlier, on March 6, 2022, the Prime Minister inaugurated two stretches of the metro: from the PCMC headquarters in Pimpri to Phugewadi (7 km with five stations) and from Garware College to Vanaz (5 km with five stations). Later, on August 1, 2022, he inaugurated the extensions from Phugewadi to the District Court, Shivajinagar (6.9 km with four stations), and from Garware College to Ruby Hall Clinic (4.7 km with seven stations).

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Iconic views of Pune Metro's Swargate underground station!

Opening soon for passenger services!#ReasonToSmile #Milestone #UndergroundMetroStation pic.twitter.com/ShBKsxC7oC  Pune Metro Rail (@metrorailpune) September 25, 2024

On March 6, 2024, Prime Minister Modi inaugurated the Ruby Hall Clinic to Ramwadi stretch, offering further relief to commuters from Pimpri-Chinchwad by providing quick access to Kalyaninagar and Vimannagar, bypassing traffic congestion.

With the completion of the Shivajinagar-Swargate stretch, Pimpri-Chinchwad commuters can now avoid the chaotic traffic and reach Swargate in just 40 minutes.

Other Projects On Unveil

Prime Minister Modi will also dedicate to the nation Bidkin Industrial Area, a transformative project covering an expansive 7,855 acres under the National Industrial Corridor Development Program of Govt. of India, situated 20 kms south of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar in Maharashtra. The project developed under Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor holds immense potential as a vibrant economic hub in the Marathwada region. Central Government has approved this project with an overall project cost of over Rs. 6,400 crore for development in 3 phases.

Prime Minister Modi will inaugurate the Solapur Airport which would significantly improve connectivity, making Solapur more accessible to tourists, business travellers and investors. The existing terminal Building of Solapur has been revamped to serve around 4.1 lakh passengers annually. The Prime Minister will also lay the foundation stone for the Memorial for Kranti Jyoti Savitribai Phules First Girls School at Bhidewada.
Tensions in the Middle East escalated as Israel launched a series of fresh airstrikes targeting Hezbollah strongholds in southern Beirut, Lebanon. The latest strikes have resulted in significant destruction and civilian casualties, further fueling unrest in the region. This comes as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was delivering an address at the United Nations General Assembly. The strikes drew global attention and led to diplomatic protests.

1. During Netanyahu's speech at the UN General Assembly, numerous diplomats walked out in protest. Netanyahu used the platform to defend Israel's actions, citing its right to self-defence and pledging to continue military operations against Hezbollah.

2. Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) launched a wave of airstrikes on Hezbollah-controlled areas in southern Beirut. These strikes marked a shift in Israels military focus from Gaza to Lebanon, leading to widespread destruction in densely populated neighbourhoods.

3. Hundreds of civilians were killed as buildings were flattened and neighbourhoods were reduced to rubble. The strikes led to mass evacuations, with local residents fleeing the targeted areas in fear.

4. Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, long considered the primary target of Israeli operations, was reportedly unharmed. While Israel focused on hitting Hezbollah's leadership, Hezbollah sources claimed Nasrallah was safe, though he remains in hiding.

5. In response to the airstrikes, Hezbollah launched rocket attacks on Israel, triggering warnings from Israeli authorities for civilians in Hezbollah strongholds to evacuate, further escalating the conflict.

6. Among those killed in the airstrikes were high-ranking Hezbollah officials, including Muhammad Ali Ismail, the commander of the groups missile unit in southern Lebanon. Israel asserted that these strikes crippled Hezbollahs leadership structure.



7. Netanyahu vowed to continue Israels military campaign until Hezbollah was neutralized along Israels northern border. He issued a stark warning to Iran, accusing Tehran of stoking violence through its support of Hezbollah.

8. While Israel claimed that it had targeted Hezbollahs weapons depots in southern Beirut, Hezbollah denied these accusations. The strikes led to significant destruction, with six buildings reportedly destroyed and dozens of people wounded.

9. The strikes, combined with the already devastating conflict in Gaza, drew widespread international condemnation. United Nations and humanitarian organizations raised alarms over the situation in Lebanon, describing it as one of the deadliest periods in the country in recent decades.

10. Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian strongly condemned the Israeli airstrikes, labeling them as war crimes. The attacks have further strained tensions in the region, with the potential for a broader conflict looming
Shortly after the Israeli Defence Military (IDM) on Saturday announced the killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in targeted strikes in Beirut, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei responded, asserting that the "Zionist criminals" should know that they are very small to cause damage to Hezbollah.



Zionist criminals should know that they are too small to cause significant damage to the strong structure of Hezbollah in Lebanon. All the resistance forces in the region are standing by Hezbollah and support it, in a post on X.

The Zionist criminals need to know that they are far too weak to be able to inflict any significant damage on the solid structure of Lebanons Hezbollah.  Khamenei.ir (@khamenei_ir) September 28, 2024

He further emphasised that all Muslims must stand with the people of Lebanon and the honourable Hezbollah, offering their resources and support as Hezbollah confronts the usurping and cruel Zionist regime.

"The Lebanese havent forgotten there was a time when the soldiers of the occupying regime were advancing toward Beirut, & Hezbollah stopped them & made Lebanon proud. Today too, by the grace & power of God, Lebanon will make the transgressing, malicious enemy regret its actions," the post read.

The Lebanese havent forgotten there was a time when the soldiers of the occupying regime were advancing toward Beirut, & Hezbollah stopped them & made Lebanon proud. Today too, by the grace & power of God, Lebanon will make the transgressing, malicious enemy regret its actions.  Khamenei.ir (@khamenei_ir) September 28, 2024

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin assured Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant that the United States is committed to preventing Iran and its backed groups from taking advantage of the situation in Lebanon or escalating the conflict.

Austin also expressed strong support for Israel's right to defend itself and stressed that the United States is determined to prevent Iran and Iranian-backed partners from exploiting the situation.

I spoke twice with Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant yesterday about events in Lebanon. I expressed my full support for Israels right to defend itself and its people against Iranian backed terrorist groups. I stressed that the United States is determined to prevent Iran  Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III (@SecDef) September 28, 2024

"I made it clear that the United States remains postured to protect U.S. forces and facilities in the region and committed to the defence of Israel," he said in a post on X.
The leadership of the Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party has urged the Virginia government to stop using Chinese drones that pose intelligence threats.

The SCCCP requested Congresspeople John Moolenaar and Raja Krishnamoorthi to stop using Chinese drones as the CIA, the Director of National Intelligence, and numerous government personnel stay in Fairfax County.

In a post on X, the SCCCP stated, "Rep. John Moolenaar, Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi, and Fairfax County must cease using Chinese military-linked DJI Global drones that pose an espionage risk. Fairfax County is home to the CIA, the Director of National Intelligence, and numerous government personnel."

The committee chairman's letter called on Fairfax County to reconsider its procurement and deployment of unmanned aerial systems (UAS) manufactured in or owned by the People's Republic of China (PRC). This caution arises from the presence of sensitive national security sites and interests in the area, as well as the threats posed by PRC-made drones.

The letter highlighted that the Select Committee has identified PRC-made drones as a threat to the national and economic security of the United States. Entities of concern include, but are not limited to, Shenzhen DJI Sciences and Technologies Ltd. (DJI/R) and Autel Robotics.

Over the years, the Executive Branch and Congress have taken numerous steps to address national security concerns related to the procurement and deployment of PRC drones and to protect sensitive data. This includes the January 2024 Joint CISA and FBI report on PRC-made drone technology.

The committee urged local governments like Fairfax County to seize the opportunity to safeguard residents from these threats. The letter also referenced a 2017 Department of Homeland Security intelligence bulletin highlighting concerns that DJI was likely transmitting sensitive US data to the Chinese government, raising significant national security concerns.

In December 2020, the Department of Commerce placed DJI on its "Entity List," citing its involvement in aiding China's human rights abuses against the Uyghur people in the Xinjiang region through biometric surveillance and tracking.

Furthermore, in July 2021, the Department of Defence emphasized the importance of addressing the threats posed by DJI drones, making it a priority for the Department and underscoring ongoing security risks to US interests. In December 2021, the Department of the Treasury identified DJI as part of the PRC Military-Industrial Complex and added it to its sanctions list, reinforcing the perception of a national security threat posed by PRC-manufactured drones in the United States.

As of May 2023, seven states have grounded their fleets of PRC-related UAS and banned future procurement due to legitimate concerns about proprietary data being sent back to the PRC. Such data could potentially be accessed by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) under the PRC's National Security Law, which mandates access to devices and programs through backdoors, also known as "embedded and reserved interfaces."

Fairfax County currently operates a mixed fleet of UAS. Public safety programs, emergency services, and the fire department utilize these platforms to carry out their missions. However, the use of China-made UAS platforms and sensors raises concerns as they collect high-resolution imagery of facilities and individuals, putting sensitive information at risk of being accessed by the CCP.
Lebanon's militant group Hezbollah has confirmed that its chief and one of the founders Hassan Nasrallah has been killed in a strike carried out by Israeli Defence Forces. The attack took place yesterday in Beirut. The development came after Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) launched precision strikes targeting Iran-backed militant group Hezbollahs headquarters in Beirut on Friday.

Who Was Hassan Nasrallah?

According to reports, Hassan Nasrallah was born August 31, 1960 in Beirut. He rose to prominence in 1992, taking over leadership of Hezbollah after his predecessor, Abbas al-Musawi, was killed by an Israeli missile strike. Nasrallah was known for his populist radical views which have helped him maintain a strong support base among Lebanon's Shiite population. Under his leadership, Hezbollah has grown into a formidable militant organisation.

Nasrallah was a key player in regional conflicts, especially in aligning Hezbollah with Iran's foreign policy interests. His role in Hezbollah's confrontation with Israel, particularly in the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah war, further cemented his image as a regional strongman.

Hezbollah, a militant group based in Lebanon, was formed with the assistance of Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The IRGC arrived in Lebanon in the early 1980s to bolster local resistance against Israeli forces, playing a key role in Hezbollahs founding and providing ongoing financial and military support.

Hassan Nasrallah, Hezbollahs current leader, suffered personal tragedy in 1997 when his eldest son, Hadi, was killed in combat against Israeli forces. Recently, reports surfaced alleging that his daughter, Zainab Nasrallah, may have been killed in an Israeli airstrike on September 27, targeting Hezbollah positions in Beirut. However, this claim remains unverified.
The hotel is well known for hosting prominent figures.

Local police and the bomb squad are at the scene and investigation is underway, said police.

More details into the matter are awaited. (ANI)
Bharatiya Janata Party leader Syed Shahnawaz Hussain on Saturday slammed Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah over his alleged involvement in the MUDA 'scam', and asked him to resign if he has "any morality left." Taking a jibe at Aam Aadmi Party national convenor Arvind Kejriwal, Hussain said the Karnataka CM should not implement the "Karnataka model." "Siddaramaiah cannot be saved in the MUDA scam now. Lokayukt has registered an FIR. Now even if a little bit of morality is left, then he should resign. He should not implement the Kejriwal model. Kejriwal did not resign after going to jail. The leaders of the INDI alliance think that that model can be implemented... But the people of Karnataka are demanding his resignation," Hussain told ANI. Earlier, BJP national spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari also attacked the Siddaramaiah government alleging that the "ill benefit" of Rs 55 crores was provided to him. Attacking the Gandhi Family, he said that had the Gandhi Family been honest, then they could have removed Siddaramaiah from his post. "The people of Karnataka see Siddaramaiah as a corrupt CM. After the ill benefit of Rs. 55 crores were given to his wife and son... the Karnataka CM has no right to be on his chair. He is so nervous that he has taken back the general consent that is being given to the CBI. Karnataka High Court has said against the Karnataka CM that prime facie he has given the benefit of Rs 55 crore of public money to his family, he is the prime accused in the MUDA scam," he said. Meanwhile, Congress MP Pramod Tiwari hit back at the BJP, accusing it of trying to snatch power from the ruling government in Karnataka by using central government agencies. He stated that Congress will "fight till the last breath" to stop them. "What happened in Jharkhand, what happened in Delhi, the same thing is going on in Karnataka, the same game is going on in Karnataka. Our CM Siddaramaiah is known for his integrity and work; false allegations are being levelled against him, and agencies are being misused. We are firm that he (Siddaramaiah) is innocent and we will fight till the last breath with the BJP government, which did not win the elections and wants to snatch power through these tactics," Tiwari told ANI. CPI MP P Sandosh Kumar also attacked the BJP accusing it of attempting to tarnish the image of important leaders of the opposition. "Law should take its own course so no political party or no organisation can prevent it... Those who are grabbing people's money should be punished... I think Siddaramaiah is not a corrupt man... They (BJP) want to tarnish the image of those leading politicians on the opposition front... Lokayukta has registered a case already so let them continue with it and there is no need of the resignation of Siddaramaiah," Kumar told ANI. Earlier, a Special Court in Bengaluru on Wednesday passed an order directing Karnataka Lokyukta to conduct an investigation against Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on the allegation of illegalities in the allotment of 14 sites worth Rs 56 crore to his wife Parvathi by the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA). Karnataka Lokayukta's Mysuru district police have to conduct the investigation and submit its report in three months. The Special Court's order came after the Karnataka High Court on Tuesday vacated its interim stay order granted on August 19, directing the court to defer the decision on the complaints against Siddaramaiah. The order came on the petition of social activist Snehamayi Krishna. (ANI)
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) National Convener Arvind Kejriwal held a roadshow in Pundri, Kaithal, on Saturday in support of the party candidate Narendra Sharma. The roadshow saw enthusiastic supporters moving alongside Kejriwal's procession, waving AAP flags, and chanting slogans in his support. Voting for the 90-member legislative assembly in Haryana will be held on October 5. Votes will be counted on October 8 along with that in Jammu and Kashmir Earlier, AAP MP Sanjay Singh said on Thursday that whatever the results of Haryana, the key to power will be in the hands of Arvind Kejriwal. While holding an election campaign in Haryana's Charkhi Dadri, Sanjay Singh said, "Whatever the result of Haryana, the key to power will be in the hands of Arvind Kejriwal. Our priority is to have electricity, water, education, and health facilities here. Women should get Rs 1000 per month, people should get free electricity." Earlier, Arvind Kejriwal accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of getting AAP leaders arrested in false accusations. Addressing an election rally in poll-bound Haryana, Kejriwal on Wednesday, announced his five guarantees for the people of the state including free electricity, free medical services, excellent government schools, Rs 1000 for women above the age of 18, and youth employment. "... Prime Minister thought that Kejriwal is doing a lot of work. He needs to be stopped. They arrested all our party leaders. They wanted to attack my honesty. They made false accusations, called me a 'Bhrashtachari' and a 'Chor'... I am roaming around in Delhi, people are saying that I can be anything but a 'Chor'... I resigned and said that the people of Delhi will decide if I am honest or not...," said Kejriwal in Meham constituency. On September 23, Kejriwal claimed that no government can be formed without the support of AAP in Haryana. "No government can be formed in Haryana without AAP. It is my responsibility that whichever government is formed with our support, we will ensure that electricity in Haryana is provided free of charge," said Kejriwal. (ANI)
Lauding the law and order system in Uttar Pradesh, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said on Saturday that there have been "no riots" in the state in the last seven and half years during his tenure and the rioters are "either in jail or have gone to hell." Addressing a public meeting in the Yamuna Nagar area of Haryana, CM Yogi said, "On the other side of Yamuna, there is Uttar Pradesh - what was the situation there before seven and half years back? Riots used to happen every three days. Curfew used to be there at places for months. Neither the businessmen nor the daughters were safe. But in these seven and half years, there have been no riots in the state. 'Dangaai ya to jail ke andar hain ya jahannum ki yatra par ja chuke hain'." He further targeted the Congress and said that on one side there is the Congress, which gives problems, and on the other side, there is the BJP, which provides solutions. "Congress ruled for 60 years after independence and gave only problems to the country. Issues like terrorism, naxalism, corruption, and casteism were given by Congress. When the country is moving forward with 'Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat,' we should not accept Congress, which is the inventor of problems," he said. "Ek taraf samasya dene wali Congress aur dusri taraf samadhan dene wali BJP (On one side is Congress which creates problems, while on the other hand is BJP which resolves it)," CM Yogi added. Targeting Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition, Rahul Gandhi, the Chief Minister said that the Congress leader criticizes Uttar Pradesh even in Haryana and Kerala. "If Rahul Gandhi comes to Uttar Pradesh, he will criticize Haryana; if he goes to Kerala, he will criticize Uttar Pradesh. And when he goes abroad, he criticizes India," he added. Meanwhile, the Congress Party on Saturday released its manifesto ahead of the Haryana assembly elections, with major promises ranging from free electricity, free medical treatment, financial assistance to women, MSP guarantee to the farmers and conducting caste census in the state. The manifesto was released in the presence of Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda, former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee (HPCC) President Udai Bhan. In the major highlights of the manifesto, the Congress party has promised to provide 300 units of free electricity and free medical treatment up to Rs 25 lakhs to every family in Haryana. On similar lines as Madhya Pradesh's 'Ladli Behen Yojana' and Maharashtra's 'Ladki Behen Yojana', the Congress has also promised to provide Rs 2000 per month to women, aged 18-60 in the state. The manifesto also promises to provide Rs 500 for Gas cylinders. Haryana goes to the polls on October 5 to elect a 90-member state legislative assembly to form its next government, with the counting set to take place on October 8. In 2019, the BJP emerged as the single-largest party with 40 seats. Congress won 30 seats. (ANI)
Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi has written a letter to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar requesting him to ensure the release of 37 Tamil fishermen by the Sri Lankan authorities. In the letter, the Congress leader has requested Jaishankar to take up this matter with the Sri Lankan authorities and ensure the early release of the fishermen and their seized boats. According to the letter, on September 21, the arrested fishermen had "attempted to rescue a Sri Lankan boat in distress." It was stated that despite contacting Sri Lankan authorities for assistance with the rescue, the fishermen were arrested on the ground of crossing the International Maritime Boundary Line. "I hope this letter finds you well. I am writing to you regarding the arrest of 37 Tamil fishermen, and the seizure of their boats by Sri Lankan authorities on September 21, 2024. Adv. R. Sudha, Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha) from Mayiladuthurai Parliamentary Constituency, informed me that the arrested fishermen are small-scale fisherfolk operating close to the coast and that on the day of the incident, they had attempted to rescue a Sri Lankan boat in distress," Rahul Gandhi stated in the letter. "It was stated that despite contacting Sri Lankan authorities for assistance with the rescue, the fishermen were arrested on the ground for crossing the International Maritime Boundary Line. Furthermore, the fishing boats seized were community property purchased through pooled resources. A copy of Adv. R. Sudha's representation is enclosed herewith," he added. The Congress leader further said that the recurring incidents of the Indian fisherfolk's arrest by Sri Lankan authorities "warrant strict condemnation." "The recurring incidents of small and marginal Indian fishermen being apprehended by Sri Lankan authorities, and the unjust seizure of assets and imposition of hefty fines by them warrant strict condemnation. I request you to kindly take up this matter with the Sri Lankan authorities and ensure the early release of the fishermen and their boats," the letter said. Notably, the arrests of Indian fishermen by the Sri Lankan Navy have been a concerning issue for both the Tamil Nadu government as well as the BJP-led central government. Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin has written to EAM Jaishankar multiple times. Responding to one of his letters, Jaishankar assured him of pro-active action by the Centre on the issue and said that the Indian High Commission in Colombo and the Consulate in Jaffna have been expeditiously and consistently taking up such cases for the early release of those detained. The issue was also discussed during the meeting of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and former Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe during the latter's visit to India in July last year. (ANI)
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav has taken a potshot at Leader of Opposition (LoP) in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi over his recent remark on Ram Mandir 'Pran Pratishtha' ceremony, saying he has no right to insult crores of Hindus and should apologise. The CM further said Congress national president Mallikarjun Kharge should ask the LoP not to say such things. "Rahul Gandhi has no right to insult crores of Hindus and he should apologise. Campaigning for his party during elections and putting his points is one thing, but after many years of struggle, Lord Ram entered his temple and the way he made fun of the entire ceremony was a very petty act. I strongly condemn it and hope that he should apologise," CM Yadav told reporters in Indore on Saturday. "The whole country is filled with anger and Hindus across the world have been deeply hurt. I hope that the National President of Congress will ask his party's ex-president (Rahul Gandhi) not to say such things. The way he behaves with Hindus, it is the reason that he is out of power for the third time," he added. Recently, Congress Leader Rahul Gandhi made the remark over the Ram Mandir 'Pran Pratishtha' ceremony while addressing a public gathering as part of the election campaign in Barwala, Hisar, Haryana. Meanwhile, CM Yadav also participated in the seminar organised on Colloquium on - Intellectual Property Rights in Indore on Saturday and held discussion on the protection-promotion and effective implementation of intellectual property rights along with innovations. Addressing the occasion, CM Yadav said, "I would like to thank PM Modi that for the first time, he made policy for intellectual property in 2016 and has guided us. We all have seen in tough times during Covid times, how we all adopted modern technologies. I would like to thank the judicial system that even in those tough hours, they continued their work of delivering justice." (ANI)
Activist Snehamayi Krishna, who is also a complainant in the MUDA scam case, has filed a complaint with the Enforcement Directorate against Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah, alleging irregularities and corruption related to MUDA. Earlier, a petition was filed in the Karnataka High Court, demanding a CBI probe against Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in the alleged MUDA scam with Snehamayi Krishna, a petitioner in the case, stating that the investigation must be handled by the central probe agency as Lokayukta works under the preview of the government and Chief Minister of Karnataka. Earlier in the day, Lokayukta Police filed an FIR against Siddaramaiah and others in connection with the alleged Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) land allotment 'scam'.The FIR has been filed by the Mysuru Lokayukta under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including 351, 420, 340, 09, and 120B among others, they said. The FIR mentions CM Siddaramaiah, his wife, brother-in-law and others as accused in the case, they added. This comes after the Special Court in Bengaluru passed an order directing Karnataka Lokyukta to conduct an investigation against Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on the allegation of illegalities in the allotment of 14 sites worth Rs 56 crore to his wife Parvathi by the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA). BJP has strongly demanded the resignation of the Karnataka CM. "If he wants a fair and free inquiry and further investigation since Lokayukta and all the police officers are still being posted by the Home Ministry, all the IPS officers are being transferred by none other than the Chief Minister himself. To have a fair inquiry, with this background. Lokayukta should be given a free hand by the present government by him resigning from his CM post," former Karnataka Chief Minister and BJP MP Basavaraj Bommai said. It is allegd that MUDA illegally allotted 14 sites to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's wife in the prime location of Mysuru city. (ANI)
Uttarakhand Director General of Police (DGP) Abhinav Kumar on Saturday honoured 12 officers for their excellent work and assured the citizens that the police department will work tirelessly to solve their problems. During his Kumaon tour today, DGP Abhinav Kumar took the guard's salute at Police Line Rudrapur. Thereafter, he visited the Quarter Guard, Armory, Gym and MT branch in the police line and directed them to clean the area regularly. DGP Kumar listened to the citizens and assured them that the police department will work seriously to solve their problems. "We are constantly working to make the campaigns run by the police successful with the cooperation of the public," he said. The DGP said that it is our aim to make Uttarakhand drug-free. He also appealed to the general public to cooperate in the campaign being run by him against drug abuse and suggested that the increasing effect of drug abuse can be stopped by counselling the children involved in drug abuse. He also honored 12 officers who did excellent work by giving them certificates and mementos. Earlier on Friday, Abhinav Kumar, during his Kumaon tour, visited Police Line Almora and inspected the ongoing construction works (administrative building, women's barracks, type 4 houses). During the inspection, DGP Kumar directed the officials of the implementing agency to maintain good quality of construction works and complete the work on time. He also directed SSP Almora Devendra Pincha to inspect the construction works from time to time. DGP said that cyber fraud has emerged as a challenge at present, which is extremely necessary to combat. People are falling prey to fraud and losing their lifelong earnings in one go. Every possible effort should be made to arrest cyber fraudsters by taking prompt action when cases of cyber fraud come to light. On September 20, DGP Kumar led a crucial meeting regarding the requirement and assessment of machines, equipment and plants under the requirements of the judicial process for the effective implementation of new criminal laws. (ANI)
As part of its nationwide consultation exercise on the proposed Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2024, the Joint Parliamentary Committee on Saturday held a meeting in Hyderabad with various stakeholders. Waqf Amendment Bill JPC Chairman Jagdambika Pal, BJP MP Aparajita Sarangi, AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi, Congress MP Imran Masood were among others who were present in the meeting held at Hotel Taj Krishna, Hyderabad. Speaking on the meet, the JPC chief said, "We held discussions with the Chhattisgarh Waqf Board chairman, Andhra Pradesh Waqf Board Chairman. Stakeholders from 42 organisations participated in the discussions. We are holding discussions with stakeholders across various cities. From here, we will go to Chennai and then Bangalore. Earlier, we went to Ahmedabad and Mumbai. We are also going to Delhi. We have to submit the report before next Parliament session and we will discuss with as many stakeholders as possible and make a comprehensive report." BJP MP and member of the Joint Parliamentary Committee on Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2024, Aparajita Sarangi, said that the JPC members received very good suggestions that will help to shape the bill. "The Joint Parliamentary Committee on Waqf matters met today in Hyderabad. We had a very long session today and the Chairman and all the members of JPC met around 42 organisations. We received very good suggestions. All these suggestions and grievances will help us shape the bill which has been given to us," Sarangi said. "So I think there would be a lot of work done before the bill is presented before the Speaker for further discussion in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha. I think all parts of the country are being covered. We are trying to make it as wide based as possible. I am sure we can shape the bill in the right shape with all the inputs we are receiving," she added. Notably, another meeting of the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2024 with the Gujarat government was held in Ahmedabad today. According to Jagdambika Pal, the meeting was attended by the Gujarat Home Minister, Gujarat's Waqf board officers, chairman, minority commission officials and Islamic scholars. The Waqf (Amendment) Bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha on Aug 8 and was then referred to a JPC after a heated debate. The JPC on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2024 is holding a series of informal discussions with various stakeholders till October 1. These consultations aim to refine the proposed amendments to the Waqf Act, which governs the management of over 600,000 registered waqf properties across the country. The Waqf Act, 1995, was created to regulate waqf properties, but it has long faced allegations of mismanagement, corruption and encroachments. The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, seeks to bring sweeping reforms, introducing digitisation, stricter audits, transparency, and legal mechanisms to reclaim illegally occupied properties. The committee has to submit its report to the Lok Sabha by the last day of the first week of the next parliament session. (ANI)
The Delhi High Court has dismissed the appeal filed by Delhi Police challenging the discharge of Syed Anzar Shah in a terror case in 2017 by the trial court. The High Court noted that a revision was filed in 2018 and withdrawn in 2023. The delay in filing was not condoned. Division bench of justices Prathiba M Singh and Amit Sharma dismissed the appeal filed in 2024. The division bench after considering the facts said, "Delay in this matter cannot be condoned and the appeal is liable to be dismissed. Accordingly, the application and the appeal are dismissed. The High Court had called for the physical file of Criminal revision filed in 2018. "From the record of the said revision petition, the Court notices that the revision petition was itself filed with a delay of 111 days after passing of the said order of 17th October, 2017 and there is no application for condonation of delay accompanying the revision petition," the High Court said in a judgement passed on September 26. Delhi Police had filed an appeal filed by the State under Section 21(1) of the National Investigation Agency Act, 2008 challenging the order of 17 October, 2017 passed by Patiala House Courts discharging Syed Anzar Shah. An FIR was registered at Police Station Special Cell, for offences punishable under Sections 18, 18-B and 20 of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 (UAPA) in 2015. The High Court said that a perusal of the order in the present case would show that the same is of 17th October, 2017. The criminal revision was filed on 2nd February, 2018. The same was withdrawn on 20th October, 2023. The present appeal has been instituted on 3rd January, 2024. Even if the Court gives benefit to the State for the period between 2nd February, 2018 to 20th October, 2023 under Section 14 of the Limitation Act, 1963, even then the filing of the present appeal is clearly beyond the time prescribed under Section 21 of the NIA Act, the High court said. On October 17, 2017 Accused Anzar Shah was discharged in Patiala House Court, New Delhi Delhi police had challenged this order by filing a criminal revision in Delhi High Court on February 2, 2018 after a delay of 111 days. On October 20, 2023 revision was withdrawn with a liberty to file a proper petition before the appropriate Court as per Law. January 3, 2024 the present appeals was filed after a delay of 77 days. (ANI)
Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday attacked Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party for not fulfilling the manifesto promises and said that wherever Congress has been in power in Haryana, the condition of the state has "worsened." Addressing a poll rally in Haryana, the Defence Minister said, "Earlier, Manohar Lal Khattar was the chief minister of Haryana, and now it is Nayab Singh Saini. I can assure you that none of our Chief Minister has ever faced any corruption charges. There has been nonstop development in Haryana, and wherever Congress has been in power, the condition has worsened. They have always misguided the public. You want to see Congress' work performance, look at your neighbor, Himachal Pradesh. They could not even fulfill a single promise. They promised moons and stars but could not fulfill any. The employees there are protesting for salary. CM and DCM are doing drama of not taking any salary. Women there were promised 1500 Rs but haven't received their money. Every basic necessity--water, electricity, petrol, diesel--is expensive in HP. Whenever Congress has come to power, the price for everything has increased. They have their government in Karnataka, Telangana, and if you look at their work, you can clearly see that Congress cannot fulfill their promise. Their CM in Karnataka is facing corruption charges, and now Lokayukta has also pressed charges," Singh said. He attacked the Congress party and asked the people not to trust Congress, adding that Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi always insults nations on foreign soil. "Rahul Gandhi said the BJP will end reservation, but I assure you that reservation is there and will always be there. Do not trust Congress. You saw when Rahul Gandhi went to foreign and what all he said. He tried to suly the image of our country. He said Sikhs face issues in going to Gurudwara and can't wear pagdi and kada. I want to ask you that is there any such restriction. He always tries to insult the image of Bharat on foreign soil. We respect the sikh gurus. We bow down to guru nanaka dev ji and the sacrifices Sikhs have made cannot be measured. We were in opposition for many years. Atal Bihari Vajpayee ji and LK Advani ji were also the opposition leaders and went to foreign countries, but they never made such remarks on foreign soil. I ask you that should such people be supported in forming the government who try to tarnish the image of their own homeland," he said. The Union Minister also took a jibe at the Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party and asked the people not to trust AAP. "AAP is also making promises just to win elections. Their motto is 'janta ka khazana Khali kro'. You will have to be on alert. They have government in Punjab and see its conditions. I appeal to you not to trust AAP," he said. Highlighting BJP's Sankalp patra, the Union Minister said that Rs 2100 will be provided to women under the Laaddo Lakshmi Yojana. "Families can avail health benefits worth Rs 10 lakh, and people aged over 70 can avail additional Rs 5 lakh for the same. Under Har Ghar Grahini Yojana, gas cylinder will be provided at an affordable price of Rs 500. Young girls going to college will be provided a scooty. Agniveer soldiers will get opportunity for service and at good positions," he said. The Union Minister highlighted the problem of farmers and said that "crops will be bought at MSP. To farmers in India, urea is provided at an affordable price of RS 300 per sack. In other countries it is RS 3000 per sack. Before the BJP came to power, there were no taps in many households, and now 70 per cent of them have tap water." Singh also emphasized on how India has come to rank 5 in terms of economy and aims to become developed nation by 2047. "Bharat in 2014 was 11th in terms of economy, and in the last ten years it has become the 5th largest economy. In the next few years, it will become the third-largest economy and a developed nation by 2047," Singh said. He further mentioned out the 'One Nation, One Elections' and said that "few months back we had Lok Sabha elections, and now we have Assembly elections in Haryana. Our party believes that Vidhan Sabha and Lok Sabha could have been conducted together. This would have saved money and time and that is why PM Modi has come up with One Nation, One Elections." Rajanth Singh was not able to reach Katihal, Haryana, today and addressed the rally on the phone. Earlier, the Union Cabinet approved the government's 'One Nation, One Election' proposal which proposes simultaneous Lok Sabha and Assembly elections, with urban body and panchayat polls to be held within 100 days. Voting for the 90-member legislative assembly in Haryana will be held on October 5. Votes will be counted on October 8 along with that in Jammu and Kashmir (ANI)
Acting on specific information from the Border Security Force (BSF), the officials of ZigZag Police Station apprehended 10 Bangladeshi nationals Friday, who were coming from the direction of Purakhasia, a press statement said.

According to the statement, based on specific information from the 50 Battalion BSF, combined troops of 100 Bn BSF, and police outpost, Purakhasia set up a mobile checkpoint on SH-12 between Dalu and Ampati.

However, they later learnt through the source that the Bangladeshi nationals had already crossed the area, immediately, the information was passed to the ZigZag Police Station, where they were apprehended the Bangladeshi nationals, the statement added.

The apprehended individuals were later produced in court.

Further investigation is underway.

Earlier, five people were arrested at the Agartala Railway station for entering India illegally from Bangladesh.

The arrest was done in a joint operation conducted by the Government Railway Police (GRP), Border Security Force (BSF) and Railway Protection Force (RPF).

The arrested include two Bangladeshi nationals identified as Nasim Molla (19) and Shathi Molla (33), one Rohingya Addus Salam (53) and two Indian touts Shabir Aarab (48) and Abdul Sakur Fakir Mahamad Khavra (40), as per information by Tapan Das, OC at the Agartala Rail Station.

Das confirmed on Friday that a case has been registered at the GRP Police Station. (ANI)
Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Kiren Rijiju on Saturday attended the 3rd India-Japan Education Conclave held in Guwahati. While addressing the attendees of the event, he highlighted the importance of India-Japan collaboration in education and culture. Organized by the Indo-Japan Business Council (IJBC) in collaboration with the Vivekananda Kendra Institute of Culture at Cotton University in Guwahati, the event was supported by the Embassy of Japan in India as part of the celebrated Japan Month, bringing together key figures from both the countries to strengthen educational, cultural, and research ties between the two nations. In his remarks, Kiren Rijiju said, "The India-Japan Education Conclave is a testament to the growing bond between our two nations. By fostering educational collaboration and cultural exchange, we are not only strengthening our diplomatic ties but also providing our students with opportunities to explore global education and careers. This initiative, rooted in the Japan-India Vision 2025, will shape the futures of countless young talents, especially in regions like North East India, where the potential is immense." Rijiju was joined by dignitaries like Dr. Ranoj Pegu, Minister of Education, Government of Assam, Jiro Kodera, Counsellor (Economy & Development), Embassy of Japan in India as Guest of Honour, Prof. Ramesh Ch. Deka, Vice Chancellor of Cotton University, Kumari Sayanti, Sangathak from Vivekananda Kendra Institute of Culture and Siddharth Deshmukh, President, Indo-Japan Business Council (IJBC). Dr. Ranoj Pegu in his address stated, "It is a privilege for Assam to host this significant event, which brings Japanese institutions closer to our students. By opening doors to higher education, research, and cultural exchange, we are empowering the youth of North East India to take part in global opportunities. This collaboration between India and Japan is a vital step forward for our region's educational and cultural development." Jiro Kodera, Counsellor (Economy & Development), Embassy of Japan in his address said that the enthusiasm from students and educators alike demonstrates the strong desire for deeper educational ties between Japan and India. "This event has laid the groundwork for future collaborations in the field of education and beyond," he said. The conclave featured a variety of activities aimed at promoting India-Japan academic cooperation and cultural exchange. Representatives from top Japanese universities, language schools, and research institutions interacted with students, providing insights into study opportunities in Japan. Moreover, participants engaged with Japanese traditional arts, anime, and pop culture, fostering deeper cultural understanding between the two nations. Apart from this, experts and educators from India and Japan discussed expanding joint research, student exchanges, and technology transfer programs in the conclave. With over 1,200 students and educators attended, the conclave provided a unique opportunity for students from North East India to connect directly with Japanese academic institutions. More than 70 per cent of attendees were from the North East region, demonstrating the keen interest among students in pursuing higher education, research, and career opportunities in Japan. The India-Japan Education Conclave also emphasized the potential for further collaboration between Indian and Japanese universities through joint research, technology transfer, and student exchange programs. The event aligns with the Japan-India Vision 2025, a roadmap set forth by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the late Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to enhance the Special Strategic and Global Partnership between the two nations. (ANI)
Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Ayush Prataprao Jadhav inspected the Ministry's premises and participated in various Swachhata activities as part of the ongoing 'Swachhata Hi Seva 2024 Campaign'. This initiative reinforces the Ministry's commitment to cleanliness and hygiene, a key priority under the Government's Swachh Bharat Mission, stated the Ministry of Ayush. On this occasion, Jadhav said, "Participating in the Swachhata Hi Seva campaign by personally cleaning the ministry was a humbling and rewarding experience for me. It reinforced the belief that true leadership is about leading by example. Swachhata Hi Seva is not just a campaign but a collective responsibility. Every small effort counts, and together, we can build a cleaner, healthier India." Notably, the Ministry of Ayush, in alignment with the national campaign, and has organised a total of 545 events, ensuring widespread public engagement and participation, stated the Ministry of Ayush. In addition to the Swachhata Hi Seva Campaign, the Ministry has been actively contributing to Special Campaign 4.0, focusing on a range of activities aimed at improving cleanliness and overall efficiency within the ministry. The targets to be achieved as of September 27, 2024 include: cleanliness campaigns, public grievances and record management activities, stated the Ministry of Ayush. The Minister's participation in these events has underscored the Ministry's dedication to maintaining cleanliness and fostering public engagement through a series of well-coordinated events under the Swachhata Hi Seva initiative, added the statement. The Ministry of Ayush remains committed to sustaining cleanliness efforts and contributing to the broader objectives of the Swachh Bharat Mission through collaborative and participatory measures, added the statement. (ANI)
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, who is in Mizoram to attend the 21st Conference of Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Zone III, performed Shramdaan at the Swachhta Abhiyan in Aizawl on Saturday. Speaking to ANI, Birla said that on the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, all the workers in Mizoram engaged in Swachhata Pakhwada. "Mizoram is a state where lakhs of workers run a campaign of doing Shramdaan every day. On the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, all the workers in Mizoram are engaged in Swachhata Pakhwada...They have considered cleanliness as an integral part of their life," Birla said. Birla also visited the Bada Bazaar in Aizawl, where he embraced the essence of 'Vocal for Local' by purchasing a bamboo hat and other unique regional products. In a nod to the future of India's economy, he promoted digital transactions by paying for these items via UPI, seamlessly scanning the QR code. This initiative not only supports local artisans but also strengthens India's digital growth. In a post on X, Birla said the digital revolution in India over the last decade has significantly improved the daily lives of people in both metro cities and the Northeast, especially in Aizawl in Mizoram, where over 80 per cent of local shop payments are now made through UPI. "The digital revolution that has taken place in India in the last 10 years has made the lives of common people easier in metro cities as well as in the Far Northeast region. While shopping for things rooted in the culture and traditions of the Northeast in Aizawl, the capital of Mizoram, payment was made through UPI. Local shopkeepers said that more than 80 per cent of their business payments come through digital means. Business has also increased with the advent of digital payment methods," Birla said in a post on X. Birla spent around 20 minutes walking through Bada Bazaar in Aizawl, engaging in meaningful conversations with local shopkeepers and craftsmen. During his visit, he explored the fruit and vegetable market, where he purchased local fruits and interacted with vendors. Responding warmly to requests from the public, Birla also took several photographs with the people, making the experience even more memorable for those present. After this, Birla interacted with the public representatives of the panchayat in village Falkun of Mizoram. They informed Birla about the development work in the village. Shri Birla invited them to come to Parliament House. Praising the development in the village, he urged them to continue with the good work. (ANI)
People's Democratic Party (PDP) chief and former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti has decided to cancel her election campaign for Sunday stating that she stands with "the people of Palestine and Lebanon in this hour of immense grief". The decision came a day after killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. "Cancelling my campaign tomorrow in solidarity with the martyrs of Lebanon and Gaza especially Hassan Nasarullah. We stand with the people of Palestine and Lebanon in this hour of immense grief and exemplary resistance," Mehbooba Mufti said in a post on X. Earlier in the day, Israel Defence Forces (IDF) confirmed the killing of Hassan Nasrallah in the airstrikes carried out by the Israeli military in Beirut. In a statement, IDF said, "Hassan Nasrallah will no longer be able to terrorize the world." The IDF said that alongside Nasrallah, the commander of Hezbollah's so-called Southern Front, Ali Karaki was also killed, along with other commanders, The Times of Israel reported. Nasrallah was targeted at Hezbollah's main headquarters in the southern suburbs of Beirut, a Hezbollah stronghold known as the Dahiyeh, on Friday. The headquarters is underground, beneath residential buildings in the Dahiyeh, according to the IDF. "The strike was carried out while the top brass of Hezbollah were at their headquarters and engaged in coordinating terror activities against the citizens of the State of Israel," the Israeli military said. The IDF also said that dozens of anti-ship missiles stored by Hezbollah under buildings in the Lebanese capital of Beirut were also destroyed in Israeli airstrikes overnight.Hezbollah was known by the IDF to be in possession of the Chinese C-704 and C802 missiles, as well as the Iranian Ghader, which have ranges of up to around 200 kilometres, as reported by The Times of Israel. (ANI)
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Saturday conducted searches across the Amabeda area of district North Bastar in the Kaker region of Chhattisgarh in connection with the brutal killing of an Indian Army personnel by terrorists of the banned CPI (Maoist), the agency said in a release. Several locations belonging to 11 suspects were extensively searched by NIA teams during the crackdown in villages Useli, Gumjhir, Badetevda, Umarkumta, and Amabeda. During searches, air guns, mobile phones, printers, laptops, hard discs, DVRs, motorcycles, incriminating naxal documents, and Rs 66,500 in cash have been seized, the NIA said. The case RC-13/2024/NIA-RPR relates to the fatal attack on Motiram Achala, who was on leave from his posting in the Indian Army when he was shot dead by a group of unknown cadres of CPI (Maoist) near Murga Bazar village Useli, PS Amabeda, in February 2023. He was at a local fair along with his elder brother Birajhu Ram Achala and his friends when he was attacked. After the murder, the assailants fled towards the nearby jungle, shouting slogans of "Lal Salam Jindabad." During the NIA investigation, names of CPI (Maoist) supporters/OGWs suspected to have been involved in the heinous crime came to light, leading to today's searches. NIA, which took over the case from the local police in March this year, is continuing with its investigation and has intensified its efforts to dismantle the Maoist ecosystem in the region, the agency added. (ANI)
Over 40 residents of Sonapur area of Assam have moved the Supreme Court, alleging willful violation of the court's interim order dated September 17, which directed that no demolition should take place across the country without prior permission. In a plea filed through advocate Adeel Ahmed, the petitioners sought to initiate contempt proceedings against the alleged contemnors "for committing gross, deliberate, and willful contempt" of the Supreme Court's order dated September 17. The Supreme Court had said earlier this month, as an interim measure, ordered that until the next hearing, no demolition should occur anywhere in the country without the court's permission. However, the court clarified that the order would not apply to unauthorised structures in public spaces, such as roads, streets, footpaths, railway lines, or water bodies, or in cases where a court had ordered demolition. The petitioners argued that local authorities violated the court's order by beginning the eviction process. They claimed that authorities had placed red stickers on their homes without providing any notice or formal communication regarding the eviction or demolition. The petitioners, including Faruk Ahmed, have stated that they have been living in the villages of Kachutoli Pathar, Kachutoli, and Kachutoli revenue village in Sonapur mouza, Kamrup Metro district, for many years. They added that they occupy the land under a deed of Power of Attorney executed by the original pattadars (landowners). Though they do not hold ownership rights, the petitioners emphasised that the Power of Attorney is legally valid, allowing them to reside on the land. The petition also referred to a Gauhati High Court order dated September 20, 2024, in which the Advocate General provided an undertaking that no action would be taken against the petitioners until their representations were disposed of, following the Supreme Court's February 3, 2020 order.Despite this, the authorities allegedly marked the petitioners' homes for eviction without prior notice, the plea said. The petitioners have claimed that they have peacefully lived on the land for over seven or eight decades, without any dispute with the neighbouring tribal or protected communities.The petitioners further asserted that, contrary to the authorities' claims that they are illegal occupiers of tribal land, they have been allowed to reside there by the original landowners, many of whom belong to protected classes. They clarified that the land was never sold to them, and they have never claimed ownership.According to the petitioners, they and their ancestors have been registered pattadars of the scheduled lands since the 1950s, well before the area was designated a Tribal Belt.The case is listed for hearing on September 30 before a bench comprising justices B.R. Gavai and K.V. Viswanathan. (ANI)
With a Bengaluru Court ordering registration of FIR against Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, TMC leader Kunal Ghosh said it is "serious development" and said that the opposition parties have been stating that the government has been misusing probe agencies. "This is a very serious development because the Court has ordered FIR against Nirmala Sitharaman over poll bond extortion allegation. We have been saying it from day one that the central government is misusing the central agencies... The responsibility must be taken by the union finance minister and also the PM," Ghosh told reporters. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said they will monitor the case. "We raised the issue in Parliament that they took electoral bonds by intimidating people through ED, CBI... Someone has taken the issue to the court. We will see what happens to the case," Kharge said. Earlier, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah called for Sitharaman's resignation following a Bengaluru Court order to file an FIR against the Union Minister and other leaders for allegedly extorting money through the now scrapped electoral bonds. Addressing a press conference on Friday, Siddaramaiah asked why Karnataka BJP had not been protesting against Sitharaman and asking for her resignation. "Addressing a press conference after Mysore district progress review meeting yesterday. The Court of People's Representatives has issued an order to file an FIR against Union Minister Nirmala Sitharamana in connection with the electoral bond scam. When will the leaders protest and march for her resignation, Karnataka BJP? If there is an impartial investigation into this case, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will also have to resign. Let Kumaraswamy, who is on bail, also resign," he said in a post in X. Kumaraswamy hit back at Siddaramaiah. "CM asking for my and Nirmala Sitharaman's resignation? Yes, the Court asked to file an FIR but did that electoral bond money go to her personal account? Why should she resign and why should I resign?" the former Karnataka chief minister said. Earlier on Friday, a Bengaluru court had ordered the filing of an FIR against Nirmala Sitharaman and others for allegedly extorting money through electoral bonds. This came in the wake of a petition filed by Adarsh Iyer of Janadhikar Sangharsh Parishad (JSP) to the Special Court of People's Representatives seeking a direction to take action against the Union Minister. Following the hearing, the court ordered the Tilak Nagar police station in Bengaluru to register an FIR. (ANI)
Purabi, Northeast India's largest cooperative dairy brand, has officially launched its new range of long shelf-life flavoured milk. "Purabi, Northeast India's largest cooperative dairy brand, has officially launched its new range of long shelf-life flavoured milk which will enable a significant brand expansion across geography," as per an official release. "The flavoured milk category is manufactured in the recently-inaugurated state-of-the-art facility in Purabi Dairy, Panjabari, developed under the World Bank-funded APART project of Assam government," the release stated. At a programme titled "Purabi Xondhiya" attended by leading intellectuals, artists, sportspersons and stakeholders, Assam's Minister for Cooperation, Nandita Gorlosa on Friday night introduced three exciting variants of flavoured milk: Mango, Strawberry, and Kesar under the brand Purabi. This initiative makes Purabi the first dairy cooperative in the region to offer flavoured milk under its bouquet of products. Going ahead, Purabi plans to introduce more exciting flavours in its portfolio in the near future. At the event, Minister Gorlosa said that - "Today is a very important day for the people of Assam. Purabi is not just a brand; it represents the heart of the Assamese people. It is the dream of our Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma, to uplift the farmers of the state. The launch of these new products will help us realise his vision of producing 10 lakh litres of milk daily in Assam." Principal Secretary Cooperation, Assam Government Dr Kalyan Chakravarthy congratulated Team Purabi on this occasion. This launch highlights the growth of Assam's dairy cooperative sector, under the Purabi umbrella, aligned with Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma's goal of reaching a target of handling 10 lakh litres per day in the organized sector within the state. As milk production increases in the state, there is a pressing need for products with extended shelf life and added value. Purabi Dairy is committed to realizing the chief minister's vision. Purabi, under the West Assam Milk Producers' Cooperative Union Ltd (WAMUL), has transformed the livelihoods of thousands of farmers across Assam. With the support of the Government of Assam and hand-holding by the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB), Purabi has emerged as a trusted and most loved brand of Assam. "We now even have East Assam Milk Producer's Cooperative Union Ltd (EAMUL) on a similar track of transformation and North East Dairy and Foods Ltd (NEDFL), a joint venture company formed between the Govt of Assam and NDDB, to add extra wings to Purabi's journey ahead," SB Bose, Managing Director, North East Dairy and Foods Limited (NEDFL), said. "We, as Team Purabi, feel encouraged to see the excitement, the support and belongingness of the people of our state towards Purabi. In fact, the affection of our consumers and their high expectation keep us motivated to deliver at all times," he added. SK Parida, Managing Director, WAMUL, said that "Following our successful launch of ice cream in March 2024, which has seen demand soar, we are excited to expand our product line further. We are also planning to introduce even more categories in the coming days. The new Purabi flavoured milk is not only tasty and nutritious but also visually appealing. This double-toned milk is healthier and produced from milk sourced from Assam's farmers. It is designed to attract both young children and grown-ups alike." Purabi Dairy's entry into this market is a strategic move towards creating products with a longer shelf life, allowing for greater market penetration and value addition to milk produced by its members. The flavoured milk will be available in convenient 180ml PP bottles with a shelf life of five months, facilitating increase depth of distribution in the market and also to reach new geographies which were not possible with fresh products. This new category of milk product could be stored in ambient temperature and conveniently transported without the need for cold chain maintenance. The new product launch will bolster the dairy cooperative by providing a new market for milk producers of Assam, creating additional opportunities for them. Their produce will now be accessible in remote areas, expanding their reach significantly. (ANI)
Maulana Yasoob Abbas, General Secretary of the All India Shia Personal Law Board (AISPLB), on Saturday strongly condemned the killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah by Israel. Maulana Yasoob Abbas, in a statement, paid tribute to Nasrallah and highlighted his important contribution in protecting the holy shrine of Hazrat Zainab, daughter of Imam Ali, during ISIS attacks. Maulana Yasoob Abbas described Hassan Nasrallah as a strong Shia-Muslim leader who always supported the oppressed people of Palestine against Israeli forces. He expressed deep grief over the death of Nasrallah, calling it a great loss for the Muslim world and held the Israeli forces responsible for his killing. Maulana Yasoob Abbas has appealed to the Shia community to observe three days of mourning and hoist black flags on the roofs of their houses. He urged the United Nations to put pressure on Israel to stop its aggression against the people of Palestine and Lebanon. He stressed that Nasrallah's death was an "irreparable loss" and that the world would remember him as a sympathiser of oppressed people. Meanwhile, a protest march was held in Jammu and Kashmir's Budgam on Saturday against the killing of Hassan Nasrallah by the Israel Defence Force (IDF). President, JK Anjuman-e-Sharie, Shian Aga Syed Hassan Mosavi Al Safavi, said, "No matter how much we mourn his (Hassan Nasrallah) death, it will always be less. He wanted Palestine to be free for the people of Palestine. I wanted to say to the entire humanity and Islamic people, that this will bring something extraordinary for which he has sacrificed his life. His loss can't be measured, but thousands of Nasrallah will be born from his blood and will take this mission forward and achieve success." Earlier in the day, Israel Defence Forces (IDF) confirmed the killing of Hassan Nasrallah in the airstrikes carried out by the Israeli military in Beirut. In a statement, IDF said, "Hassan Nasrallah will no longer be able to terrorise the world." The IDF said that alongside Nasrallah, the commander of Hezbollah's so-called Southern Front, Ali Karaki, was also killed, along with other commanders, The Times of Israel reported. Nasrallah was targeted at Hezbollah's main headquarters in the southern suburbs of Beirut, a Hezbollah stronghold known as the Dahiyeh, on Friday. The headquarters is underground, beneath residential buildings in the Dahiyeh, according to the IDF. "The strike was carried out while the top brass of Hezbollah were at their headquarters and engaged in coordinating terror activities against the citizens of the State of Israel," the Israeli military said. The IDF also said that dozens of anti-ship missiles stored by Hezbollah under buildings in the Lebanese capital of Beirut were also destroyed in Israeli airstrikes overnight. (ANI)
The operation was based on a confidential tip-off. The detained individuals, who had illegally entered India from Bangladesh, include three Rohingya men, one Rohingya woman, and one Bangladeshi man. The accused were identified as Amir Hakim, Yasmin Akhtar, Md Tarek, Mahamad Ulla and Sukur Ali.

A case has been registered at the Agartala GRP station regarding the illegal entry of these individuals into India. The detainees will be presented before the court tomorrow for further legal proceedings.

The GRP continues its vigilance and actions against illegal immigration in the region. (ANI)
Sharing a post on X, Yunus wrote, "Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus holds a bilateral meeting with the President of Maldives, Mohamed Muizzu, on the sidelines of the UN general assembly at UN headquarters in New York on Friday, September 27, 2024."

During the meeting, the key areas of collaboration included people-to-people exchange programmes to bolster ties between the two nations.

The Maldives President's Office said in a press release, "The two leaders discussed key areas of cooperation, including people-to-people exchange programmes, climate change adaptation, and strengthening ties in the blue economy and maritime transportation."

"President Dr Muizzu underscored the need to enhance educational ties, particularly through exchange programmes. He advocated for increased opportunities for Maldivian students, with special emphasis on internship programmes for medical students to gain valuable hands-on experience in Bangladesh," the release added.

In a display of unity, the leaders of Bangladesh and the Maldives reaffirmed their commitment and dedication to strengthening diplomatic ties and advancing strategic cooperation on issues of shared concern. "They reiterated their commitment to fostering deeper bilateral relations in the future," the release added.

Notably, Maldives and Bangladesh have a bilateral relationship characterised by mutual respect, cooperation, and shared interests. Both countries established diplomatic relations on September 22, 1978, according to the High Commission of Maldives in Bangladesh.

The Maldives established its diplomatic presence in Bangladesh in 2008, with Dr Abdul Samad Abdullah assuming the role of the first resident High Commissioner of Maldives to Bangladesh.

In 1998, Bangladesh established its High Commission in Maldives, with Major General Harun Ahmed Choudhury serving as the first resident High Commissioner from Bangladesh to Maldives. (ANI)
Sharing a post on X, Kwatra said, "Honoured to present my credentials to US President Joe Biden as Ambassador of India to the United States on September 18."

He added, "Look forward to further strengthening the India-US Strategic Partnership."

Notably, Kwatra assumed charge as the Ambassador of India to the United States on August 13.

Kwatra succeeds India's former envoy to the United States and BJP leader, Taranjit Singh Sandhu.

"Privileged to assume charge as the Ambassador of India to the United States of America. Team @IndianEmbassyUS will continue to work intensely to strengthen this crucial partnership," Kwatra had said in a post on X.

On July 14, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar bid farewell to outgoing Foreign Secretary Kwatra, acknowledging his profound contributions to India's foreign policy and national security over the past decade. Jaishankar had praised Kwatra for his strategic acumen in shaping and executing crucial policies during his tenure.

Kwatra has previously served at the Ministry of External Affairs, and Prime Minister's Office as Joint Secretary.

Kwatra has also served as Minister (Commerce) at the Embassy of India in Washington, DC, from May 2010 to July 2013. Between July 2013 and October 2015, Kwatra headed the Policy Planning and Research Division of the Ministry of External Affairs and later served as the head of the Americas Division in the Foreign Ministry, where he dealt with India's relations with the United States and Canada.

Kwatra has served in different positions in many of India's missions abroad and in India. Kwatra holds an experience of nearly 32 years in a range of assignments. (ANI)
Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh asserted that the partnership between India and the US is strong. She also said that the Quad alliance is built on the core principles of ensuring a free and open Indo-Pacific. The remarks by Singh came during a news briefing at the Pentagon on Thursday. On a question about US-India relations, and the way forward after the conduct of 2+2 in New Delhi and the Quad Summit in the US, Singh emphasised that the Quad is a coalition of like-minded nations united by their commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific region. "The Quad is a group of like-minded nations coming together because they believe in a free and open Indo-Pacific. That is one of the many purposes of the Quad. So in terms of where does the relationship go from here, look at the extensive amount of details that the president and the White House announced just last weekend from those high-level meetings that happened in Wilmington." She added, "... But I think the partnership between India and the United States is certainly strong. The engagement that you saw from the president with Prime Minister Modi and others within the Quad builds upon the foundation and principles that the Quad was founded on, which is, you know, one of them being to ensure the free and open Indo-Pacific." Notably, on September 17, US and Indian officials had gathered in New Delhi for the eighth US-India 2+2 Intersessional Dialogue, focusing on opportunities to strengthen bilateral cooperation. The US delegation was co-chaired by Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Donald Lu and Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defence for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs Jedidiah P Royal, an official press release by the US Department of State relayed. On the Indian side, Joint Secretary for the Americas Nagaraj Naidu from the Ministry of External Affairs and Joint Secretary for International Cooperation Vishwesh Negi from the Ministry of Defence led the discussions. "India and the US held the 2+2 intersessional with officials from India's Ministry of External Affairs and Defence, and the US State and Defense Departments. Key discussions covered bilateral strategic and defense priorities, alongside regional and global issues," the MEA had said in a post on X. During the meeting, both sides advanced key priorities, including defence cooperation, collaboration in space and civil aviation, and industrial and logistics coordination. Clean energy cooperation was also high on the agenda as the two countries aim to tackle global challenges together. Meanwhile, during his visit to the US from September 21-23, PM Narendra Modi attended the Quad Leaders Summit in US President Joe Biden's hometown, Delaware. He delivered remarks at the United Nations 'Summit of the Future' and held bilateral meetings with several leaders. (ANI)
The Israeli Air Force (IAF) has launched targeted strikes against Hezbollah terrorist strongholds in Beirut, following precise intelligence by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF). Sharing a post on X, the IDF wrote, "Following precise IDF intelligence, the IAF is currently conducting strikes on strategic terrorist targets belonging to the Hezbollah terrorist organisation in the area of Beirut." The IDF provided further details on the strategic targets struck in Beirut and said, "Among the targets struck are weapons production facilities, buildings used to store advanced weapons and key command centers of the terrorist organisation." Israel also issued a warning to residents of Dahieh neighbourhoods in Beirut, urging them to distance themselves from Hezbollah assets and facilities, asserting that their war is with Hezbollah and not Lebanese people. "The IDF calls on the residents of neighbourhoods in the Dahieh of Beirut to move away from Hezbollah assets and facilities.We will continue operating to precisely dismantle Hezbollah's offensive capabilities. Hezbollah has strategically embedded weapons in civilian areas, putting Lebanese civilians at risk in order to harm Israeli civilians. Our war is with Hezbollah, not the people of Lebanon," the IDF said on X. Reiterating its commitment to safeguard Israeli citizens, the IDF added, "Hezbollah's surface-to-sea missiles not only endanger our civilians, but also our seas. When our civilians are targeted, we will defend them--from land, air or sea." The IDF also claimed that Hezbollah has more than 1,50,000 rockets to kill Israelis. It said, "Hezbollah has over 1,50,000 rockets, meant to kill Israeli civilians, some are strategically placed beneath civilian populations." It added, "We have called on Lebanese civilians in specific buildings in the Dahieh neighbourhood to move away from areas being used by Hezbollah. The IDF is defending Israel from Hezbollah. We are not in conflict with the people of Lebanon." Meanwhile, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III held a phone call with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Thursday, addressing the recent precision strike against Hezbollah's central headquarters in Beirut's Dahieh. Austin emphasised that the United States was not involved in the operation. "I know that you're seeing reports about a significant strike today in Beirut. I spoke by phone earlier today to my counterpart in Israel Minister Gallant. The United States was not involved in Israel's operation. We had no advance warning. My call with Minister Gallant took place while Israel's operation was already underway," the Pentagon said in a press release quoting Austin. "As you know, this operation took place just a few hours ago, and they're still making assessments, so I don't have any further information or specifics for you at this time. You've heard me say a number of times, an all-out war should be avoided," it added. Notably, the IDF had conducted a precise strike on the Central Headquarters of the Hezbollah terrorist organisation, embedded under residential buildings in the heart of the Dahieh in Beirut on Thursday. Israel has continued striking Hezbollah in Lebanon to counter the 'threats', the Iran-backed group poses to Israel with repeated strikes in northern Israel. As the conflict heads towards escalation, all major countries have called for a ceasefire and hostage deal, while also stressing for a two-state solution as a means to achieve durable and sustainable peace in the region. (ANI)
India termed it a "travesty" that Pakistan which has "a global reputation for terrorism" has the "audacity to attack" the world's largest democracy and raise the issue of Jammu and Kashmir on the platform of the United Nations. The First Secretary, Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations, Bhavika Mangalanandan on Friday (local time) called out Pakistan's "hypocrisy" for raking up Kashmir and questioning the Jammu and Kashmir election in India's Right to Replyat the ongoing 79th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). In a strong rebuttal to allegations made by Pakisan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in his address at UNGA, the Indian diplomat highlighted that Pakistan had used "terrorism to disrupt elections in Jammu and Kashmir". "The truth is that Pakistan covets our territory and has continuously used terrorism to disrupt elections in Jammu and Kashmir, an inalienable and integral part of India. A reference has been made to some proposals of strategic restraint," she said. "This assembly regrettably witnessed a travesty this morning. A country run by the military, with a global reputation for terrorism, narcotics, trade, and transnational crime has had the audacity to attack the world's largest democracy. I speak about the reference to India in the speech of the Pakistani PM," Mangalanandan said. The Indian diplomat brought up the 2008 Mumbai attacks and the 2001 attack on the Indian Parliament. "Pakistan has long employed cross-border terrorism as a weapon against its neighbours," Mangalanandan stated. "It has attacked our parliament, our financial capital Mumbai, marketplaces, and pilgrimage routes. The list is long," she said "For such a country to speak about violence anywhere is hypocrisy at its worst. It is even more extraordinary for a country with a history of rigged elections to talk about political choices that too, in a democracy," said the Indian diplomat. Delivering India's Right of Reply at the UNGA, she said, "There can be no compact with terrorism. In fact, Pakistan should realise that cross-border terrorism against India will inevitably invite consequences." Highlighting the Bangladesh genocide of 1971 she stated, "It is ridiculous that a nation that committed genocide in 1971 and which persecuted its minorities relentlessly even now, dare speak about intolerances and phobias. The world can see for itself what Pakistan really is. We are talking about a nation that for long hosted Osama bin Laden." "A country whose fingerprints are on so many terrorist incidents across the world, whose policies attract the dregs of many societies to make it their home. Perhaps it should come as no surprise that its PM would so speak in this hallowed hall. Yet we must make clear how unacceptable his words are to all of us. We know that Pakistan will seek to counter the truth with more lies. Repetition will change nothing. Our stand is clear and needs no reiteration," said Mangalanandan. Earlier on Friday, Sharif in his address to the UNGA said that India should reverse the Abrogation of Article 370 and enter into a dialogue with Pakistan for "peaceful" resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir issue. "Let me state in no uncertain terms, Pakistan will respond most decisively to any Indian aggression, therefore, to secure durable peace, India must reverse the unilateral and illegal measures it has taken since 5th of August 2019 and enter into a dialogue for a peaceful resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute in accordance with the UN Security resolutions and the wishes of the Kashmiri people," he claimed. Shehbaz Sharif claimed that India was "engaged in massive expansion of its military capabilities," which are essentially deployed against Pakistan. "It (India) has engaged in massive expansion of its military capabilities, which are essentially deployed against Pakistan. Its war doctrines envisage a surprise attack and a limited war under the nuclear overhang. Thoughtlessly, India spurned Pakistan's proposals for a mutual strategic restraint to regime. Its leadership has often threatened to cross the line of control and take over Azad Kashmir," Shehbaz Sharif said. Making a reference to the abrogation of Article 370, Shehbaz Sharif alleged that India has initiated unilateral illegal steps since August 5, 2019. "Instead of moving towards peace, India has resiled from its commitments to implement the Security Council resolutions on Jammu and Kashmir. These resolutions mandate the people of Jammu and Kashmir to exercise their fundamental right to self-determination. Since 5th August 2019, India has initiated unilateral illegal steps to impose what its leaders honestly call a final solution for Jammu and Kashmir," Shehbaz Sharif claimed. India has already made it clear after the Pulwama attack in 2019 that it wants normal bilateral ties with Pakistan, adding that it is incumbent upon them to create a conducive environment free from terrorism and hostilities. Moreover, India has repeatedly raised its concern over Pakistan's support of cross-border terrorism and has asserted that terror and talks cannot go together. India has also provided evidence at various international forums of Pakistan's support for terrorist groups. (ANI)
The notification imposing Section 144 was issued a day before the PTI's public gathering in Rawalpindi.

According to a notification issued here under section 144 of CrPC, the district administration banned all types of gatherings, rallies, protests, and weapon displays. The restriction will remain in effect on September 28 and 29, as per ARY News.

Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure is a common legal provision used to restrict public assemblies for a limited period.

Meanwhile, section 144 of CrPC has also been imposed in Attock, Jhelum, and Chakwal districts.

The PTI called on supporters to gather at Liaquat Bagh.

Opposition Leader in National Assembly Omar Ayub posted on X. "I urge you all to come out in great numbers to Liaquat Bagh at 2pm," he said. "We will have a gathering, it is our legal and constitutional right."

Earlier, PTI moved the deputy commissioner's office to seek permission for the September 28 public rally in Rawalpindi and later withdrew it.

Notably, Lahore High Court's Rawalpindi bench headed by Justice Chaudhry Abdul Aziz, the PTI lawyer, said they are withdrawing the plea seeking permission to hold a rally on Saturday.

Justice Chaudhry asked, "You are withdrawing the plea after filing it?" and added, "Tomorrow is your rally in Rawalpindi, right?

In response to the judge's question, the PTI lawyer said that the party had moved the plea for holding a public rally in Rawalpindi three days back. However, it is being heard today.

The PTI lawyer further said that the deputy commissioner is also 'delaying' the issue. So, the PTI, on its leadership's instruction, has decided to withdraw its plea, according to a Geo News report. (ANI)
US Vice President Kamala Harris has reaffirmed her commitment to border security, emphasising the need for stronger measures to combat illegal immigration and the fentanyl crisis. Harris criticised former President Donald Trump for blocking a comprehensive border security bill that had bipartisan support in Congress. "Last December, I helped raise the rate of overtime pay for border agents," Harris stated. "I strongly supported the comprehensive border security bill, written last year by a bipartisan group of senators, including one of the most conservative members of the United States Congress." The bill, which Harris described as "the strongest security bill we have seen in decades," aimed to address several critical issues at the US southern border. It would have hired 1,500 more border agents and officers, installed 100 inspection machines to detect fentanyl, and expanded the number of immigration judges and asylum officers. Harris explained, "It would have allowed us to more quickly and effectively remove those who come here illegally." https://x.com/KamalaHarris/status/1839839774791569748 Despite being endorsed by the Border Patrol Union, the bill was ultimately derailed by Trump. "Donald Trump tanked it. He picked up the phone and called some friends in Congress and said stop the bill, because he prefers to run on a problem instead of fixing a problem," Harris charged. As a result of Trump's interference, Harris contended that the border remains less secure today. "The American people deserve a President who cares more about border security than playing political games and their personal, political future." Harris pledged that, if elected President, she would revive the bill and sign it into law. "Even though Donald Trump tried to sabotage the border security bill, it is my pledge to you, that as President of the United States, I will bring it back up and proudly sign it into law." This comes amidst renewed debate on border security, as Trump's administration previously secured a victory when the US Supreme Court allowed the use of $2.5 billion from the Department of Defence to construct parts of a border wall. Despite Congress refusing to provide the requested funds, the Supreme Court's 5-4 ruling allowed Trump to move forward with the controversial wall, a decision that has continued to fuel division on how best to secure the border. Many lawmakers opposed the move, warning that diverting funds from the Pentagon would harm national security priorities. (ANI)
The Ministry of National Defence (MND) stated that it detected 15 Chinese military aircraft and 7 naval vessels around Taiwan between 6 am (local time) on Friday and 6 am (local time) on Saturday. According to the MND, of the 15 People's Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft, 10 crossed the Taiwan Strait median line in the country's southwestern and southeastern air defence identification zone (ADIZ). In response, Taiwan sent aircraft and naval ships to monitor PLA activity. https://x.com/MoNDefense/status/1839832397765906477 "15 PLA aircraft and 7 PLAN vessels operating around Taiwan were detected up until 6 a.m. (UTC+8) today. 10 of the aircraft crossed the median line and entered Taiwan's southwestern and southeastern ADIZ. We have monitored the situation and responded accordingly," Taiwan MND said on X. On Friday, China sent 41 military aircraft and six naval vessels towards Taiwan. According to the MND, of the 41 People's Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft, 32 crossed the Taiwan Strait median line in the country's northern, central, southwestern, and eastern air defence identification zone (ADIZ). This latest Chinese military activity adds to a series of similar provocations by Beijing in recent months. China has increased its military activities near Taiwan, including regular air and naval incursions into Taiwan's ADIZ and military exercises near the island. So far this month, Taiwan has tracked 407 Chinese military aircraft and 206 ships. Since September 2020, China has increased its use of gray zone tactics by incrementally increasing the number of military aircraft and naval vessels operating around Taiwan. Gray zone tactics are defined as "an effort or series of efforts beyond steady-state deterrence and assurance that attempts to achieve one's security objectives without resort to direct and sizable use of force." Taiwan has been governed independently since 1949. However, China considers Taiwan part of its territory and insists on eventual reunification, by force if necessary. Earlier in July, Taiwan President Lai Ching-te accused the Chinese government of misinterpreting a United Nations resolution to justify its military activities against Taiwan and drawing an inappropriate linkage to its "One China" principle, the Central News Agency (CNA) reported. Beijing claims that the UN resolution confirmed its one-China principle, which implies that there is only one China in the world and Taiwan is part of China. (ANI)
Secretary General of BIMSTEC (Bangladesh-India-Myanmar-Sri Lanka-Thailand Economic Cooperation), Indra Mani Pandey said that External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar chaired an informal meeting of BIMSTEC members held in New York alongside the ongoing 79th Session of the United Nations General Assembly. The meeting held on Friday (local time), he said, was in preparation for the upcoming BIMSTEC Leaders' Summit in Thailand. "The date of the BIMSTEC meeting will be announced as soon as we have the informal understanding of the member states," said Pandey. "Today was the first meeting of BIMSTEC Foreign Ministers. It was an informal meeting on the sidelines of UNGA. It was hosted by India and chaired by EAM Dr S Jaishankar. We had Foreign Ministers and all the high-level members from all the BIMSTEC nations," the BIMSTEC Secretary General said. "The members in their statements, spoke about their vision for BIMSTEC, their priorities and the areas that they would like regional cooperation in BIMSTEC to focus on. This led to an exchange of views among the Foreign Ministers and other representatives on how we can move forward with the agenda of BIMSTEC," Pandey said. Elucidating the objectives of the the grouping, BIMSTEC stated that it brings together three strands of India's Foreign Policy, which are, the Neighborhood First Policy, the Look East Policy, and also the SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) Policy. "Cooperation through BIMSTEC, which encompasses 15 sectors is very important," he said. Bangladesh, said the BIMSTEC Secretary General, was represented by their Foreign Advisor who presented the country's vision for BIMSTEC, reiterating their continued support for the success of BIMSTEC. For the upcoming BIMSTEC Summit, Pandey stated that member states are still in consultations. "The member states are still consulting among themselves, because as you know, there is a need for all the leaders to find a common date where they are free to come together," he explained. While a date has not yet been agreed upon, he assured that the Chair, Thailand, is actively working to find a suitable date for the summit. Ealrier, External Affairs Minister Jaishankar in a social media post X said that he took stock of India's close cooperation in health, food security, trade, investment, economy and energy. He highlighted that the meeting focused on improving physical, maritime and digital connectivity across the region along with exploring opportunities for capacity building, skill development and improving people-to-people ties. Jaishankar noted that the development of BIMSTEC Centres of Excellence is a collective resolve and that the meeting reaffirmed India's commitment to wider engagement with BIMSTEC in line with Neighbourhood First, Vision SAGAR and Act East Policy. The External Affairs Minister said that BIMSTEC represents the intersection of its 'Neighbourhood First' outlook, the 'Act East Policy' and the 'SAGAR' vision. "Each of these endeavours is being purposed with a specific focus on the Bay of Bengal, where collaborative potential has long remained underrealized. Our challenge is to change that for the better, and to do so rapidly. The retreat is meant to exchange ideas openly, candidly and fruitfully," Jaishankar said. "We all benefited from the last such exercise in Bangkok. This one now has a particular importance as it serves to prepare strong outcomes for the Summit to be held later in the year. Our message should be clear - that we are all determined to infuse new energies, new resources and a new commitment into cooperation among the Bay of Bengal nations," the EAM said. (ANI)
Israel has confirmed the killing of top Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in the airstrikes carried out by the Israeli military in Beirut. In a statement, the Israel Defence Forces said, "Hassan Nasrallah will no longer be able to terrorize the world." https://x.com/IDF/status/1839937408587968917 The IDF said that alongside Nasrallah, the commander of Hezbollah's so-called Southern Front, Ali Karaki, was also killed, along with other commanders, Times of Israel reported. Nasrallah was targeted on Friday at Hezbollah's main headquarters in the southern suburbs of Beirut, a Hezbollah stronghold known as the Dahiyeh. The headquarters is underground, beneath residential buildings in the Dahiyeh, the IDF says. https://x.com/Israel/status/1839939956854132917 "The strike was carried out while the top brass of Hezbollah were at their headquarters and engaged in coordinating terror activities against the citizens of the State of Israel," the Israeli military said The IDF also said that dozens of anti-ship missiles stored by Hezbollah under buildings in the Lebanese capital of Beirut were also destroyed in Israeli airstrikes overnight. Hezbollah was known by the IDF to be in possession of the Chinese C-704 and C802 missiles, as well as the Iranian Ghader, which have ranges of up to around 200 kilometres, as reported by Times of Israel. Following the announcement of Nasrallah's killing, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi said that Israel will reach anyone who threatens the country and its citizens. "The is not the end of the tools in the toolbox. The message is simple, to anyone who threatens the citizens of the State of Israel, we will know how to get to them," he says. Israel on Friday carried out a precision strike against Hezbollah's central headquarters, located beneath residential buildings in Beirut's Dahieh. Notably, the strikes were carried out on the same day, when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, issued a stern warning to Iran and the "proxies of Tehran," there is "no place" in Iran, where the "long arms" of Israel cannot reach, while adding that it is true for the "entire Middle East." During his address at the 79th United Nations General Assembly, Netanyahu stated that the war with Hamas can end if the latter lays arms and releases the hostages, while asserting that Israel will continue its fight until it achieves "total victory." Israel has continued striking Hezbollah in Lebanon to counter the 'threats', the Iran-backed group poses to Israel with repeated strikes in northern Israel. As the conflict heads towards escalation, all major countries have called for a ceasefire and hostage deal, while also stressing for a two-state solution as a means to achieve durable and sustainable peace in the region. (ANI)
Human rights organisations have expressed their increasing concern over the deteriorating situation in Balochistan where cases of enforced disappearances have witness a steep rise. PAANK, the human rights wing of the Baloch National Movement in a report released on Friday highlighted this critical issue. Describing it as a long-standing human rights violation, the report claims that it has affected numerous families in Balochistan. The report contains thorough research and ground-level testimonies from victims of enforced disappearances in the province. PAANK has long documented this disturbing trend, calling for increased pressure on the Pakistani government to transparently investigate these incidents and provide justice to the victims and their families. The PAANK report claims that Balochistan is currently Pakistan's largest but least developed province, with its people demanding greater autonomy and control over their resources. These demands have often been met with brutal crackdowns from the Pakistani state, which views Baloch nationalist aspirations as a threat to national security. Since the early 2000s, reports of enforced disappearances in Balochistan have been on a surge. Baloch political activists, students, journalists, and human rights defenders have been targeted, often accused of being separatists or collaborating with armed insurgent groups. The families of the disappeared endure years of uncertainty, seeking justice through protests, hunger strikes, and petitions, often in vain, the PAANK report claimed. The report also highlights key cases of enforced disappearances in Balochistan, with many still missing today. According to the report, Asad Mengal, a student and activist, became one of the earliest known cases of enforced disappearance in Balochistan. Mengal was abducted along with his friend Ahmad Shah on February 6, 1976, by security forces. Involved in Baloch nationalist activities, he was accused by the state of collaborating with separatist groups. Despite multiple attempts by his family to trace his whereabouts, no confirmed information about his fate has emerged since his disappearance. The PAANK report claims that Asad Mengal's case is significant as it marks the beginning of a pattern that would continue for decades, with more Baloch activists and leaders vanishing without a trace. Mengal's family, like many others, has continued to demand justice, but his case remains unresolved to this day. Another key case recorded in the PAANK report involves Deen Muhammad Baloch, a medical doctor who was abducted on June 28, 2009, from his clinic in Ornach, Khuzdar district. He was known for his medical services and his involvement in Baloch nationalist politics as a member of the Baloch National Movement (BNM). According to eyewitnesses, Deen Muhammad was taken by security personnel, but the government has denied any involvement. Deen Muhammad Baloch is the father of prominent Baloch activist Sammi Deen Baloch, who has been the voice in the struggle for justice regarding enforced disappearances. She has led protests and walked for miles with other victims' families to demand answers. Despite their efforts, Deen Muhammad's fate remains unknown, exemplifying the targeting of political activists under the guise of maintaining state security. Data reveals that May witnessed the highest number of disappearances (90), while March saw the lowest (24). On average, 44.75 individuals have disappeared each month. The highest number of extrajudicial killings occurred in August (14), with January (11) also reporting a significant number. The months of March, April, and June reported the lowest numbers (2). On average, 5.25 extrajudicial killings occur each month. (ANI)
Union Minister of State for External Affairs, Pabitra Margherita, will embark on a nine-day official visit to Mexico, Grenada, Barbados, and Antigua and Barbuda from September 30 to October 8, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Saturday. During his four-nation visit, he will meet with foreign ministers and interact with key political, trade, and industry leaders, ITEC alumni members, and the Indian diaspora and visit bilateral project sites. Margherita will also represent India at the swearing-in ceremony of Claudia Sheinbaum as the President of Mexico on October 1. "MoS' visit to Grenada would mark the first ministerial-level visit from our side since May 2018 and the second ever such visit to the country," the statement added. Following this, in Barbados, he would be visiting places of bilateral interest. In the last leg of his visit, MoS will be in Antigua, where he would hold bilateral meetings. "The visit underscores the deepening of relationship between India and Latin America and the Caribbean. It is expected to bolster political, economic and cultural ties, and pave the way for greater collaboration with our partners in the Global South," the MEA added. Margherita assumed charge as MoS for the Ministry of External Affairs, and the Ministry of Textiles in June this year. Prior to this, he made official visits to Dominican Republic (15-17 August), Guatemala (17-19 August), El Salvador (19-20 August), Panama (20-22 August) and Trinidad and Tobago (23-24 August). During his five-nation tour to countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, Margherita attended Indian community receptions and interacted with the Indian diaspora. He also paid floral tributes at the statues of Mahatma Gandhi in Santo Domingo, Guatemala, the University of Panama and Port of Spain. "The visit of MOSPM to these five countries reinforced our long-standing relations with these countries; provided a positive momentum to our engagement; and, created positivity and goodwill that will help deepen and diversify our relationship with the Latin American and Caribbean region," the Ministry had then stated. (ANI)
VALLETTA, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- The World Open Water Swimming Association (WOWSA) has ratified a 142.3km swim by Maltese ultra athlete Neil Agius in 60 hours and 35 minutes, Agius announced on Saturday.

Agius told a press conference that this ratification confirms his new world record for the longest, unassisted, current-neutral ocean swim ever recorded.

The WOWSA is the governing body that oversees this ultra-endurance sport.

Agius swam around Malta and Gozo to raise awareness about the importance of keeping our seas clean.

He set off from Ghadira Bay, Mellieha, shortly after 9 a.m. last Saturday and touched land just before 10 p.m. on Monday night after his team became increasingly concerned about his safety amid worsening weather conditions with outbursts of rain, strong currents, winds, and an increasing sea swell.

A week after his outstanding feat, he explained how he was taking 90-second breaks every 30 minutes.

During that time, he had to eat, drink and rinse his mouth with mouthwash to reduce inflammation caused by the sea salt. He also had these little time windows to speak to his crew members who were following him on a boat.

He said he spent his time focusing on the positioning of his shoulders, counting the number of strokes every minute to keep the rhythm and conserve energy.

Asked about future plans, Agius said he was now concentrating on other big challenges, including opening a yoga hub with his partner to teach breathing exercises and help others reach their peak performance. 
Manila [Philippines], September 28 (ANI/WAM): The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has signed an agreement with the International Finance Facility for Education (IFFEd) that will enable at least USD 500 million in new concessional education funding for lower middle-income countries (LMICs) in Asia and the Pacific. Under the financing partnership, IFFEd--a sovereign-backed Swiss foundation established in 2023 to invest in education and skills in LMICs--will guarantee USD 125 million of ADB's sovereign loan exposure across all sectors, known as a synthetic portfolio, and provide an initial USD 50 million in grants. By blending IFFEd's guarantees to ADB with grants that will comprise 10 per cent of every loan, the first-of-its-kind arrangement facilitates a four-time leverage ratio of the guarantee, boosting the amount of capital ADB can lend while lowering borrowing costs for the bank's developing member countries (DMCs). LMICs face an education crisis. More than 50per cent of students in these countries are not able to read simple text by age 10 despite attending school, and graduates do not have the skills to find jobs, leaving employers unable to fill vacancies. "Education is the cornerstone of modern, prosperous, and inclusive societies, and we are pleased to announce this partnership with IFFEd," said ADB Vice-President for Sectors and Themes Fatima Yasmin. "By pooling catalytic and concessional financing, this initiative means our lower middle-income DMCs can scale up their investments in education and skills--vital to building knowledge-based economies--along with other sectors at the same time." "Investing in education and skills in LMICs--home to nearly half of the world's children and youth--is key to powering long-term economic growth and making progress on global health, climate, and equity goals," said IFFEd Founding Chief Executive Officer Karthik Krishnan. (ANI/WAM)
A large group of people in Pakistan's Swat district, city Mingora, held a rally to protest against terrorism and expressed their opposition to military operations. Further, they claimed that the terrorist activities in the region were "state-sponsored and artificial," and cautioned that if the government failed to address terrorism, the people of Swat would take "matters into their own hands to protect their homeland," Dawn reported. The rally on Friday was organised by the Swat Quami Jirga at Nishat Chowk and attended by delegates from political parties, transport associations, trader federations, private school associations, and local communities. Women from the legal profession and students also participated in this protest, which was held under the slogan "End Artificial Terrorism, Reject Military Operations, and Call for Lasting Peace in Swat." The protesters waved white flags and chanted slogans against terrorism, claiming that the state was behind the terrorist activities. The protestor stated, "We are fed up with these fabricated terrorism projects. We demand peace and development initiatives on Pashtun soil. Those who devise these plans must know that the Pakhtun nation can no longer be fooled by such tactics." The protesters also criticised the deputy commissioner of Swat for issuing a terror alert the previous day and claimed that the district administration, police, and security agencies were "complicit" in terrorist activities, as they had failed to identify any genuine threats to peace. Other speakers noted that similar "misguided" actions led to the fall of Dhaka in 1971. They called on the "state-sponsored Taliban forces" to stop their anti-Pakhtun actions to avert the disintegration of the country. The speakers further lamented the intelligence and security forces for their inability to ensure the safety of foreign diplomats during their visit to the Malam Jabba region on September 21, which ultimately led to a terrorist attack against them. They claimed that the negligence of security forces had severely harmed tourism and development efforts in the Swat region. Another speaker remarked, "Swat residents are known for their hospitality. Those foreign dignitaries were our guests, but unfortunately, some elements opposed to Swat's progress orchestrated the bomb blast on their convoy." The protestor also stated that students and local teachers would begin raising awareness among the public about the issue of "state-sponsored" terrorism in the region. The rally concluded with a unanimous resolution demanding the immediate withdrawal of security forces from the Pakistan-Austrian Institute of Tourism and Hotel Management. (ANI)
The United States has appreciated the initiatives taken by the Taiwan administration to enhance Taiwan's self-defence through various reforms and investments and encouraged Taipei to further bolster its self-defence, Taipei Times reported. The US "strongly encourages and applauds" the initiatives taken by President William Lai's administration to enhance Taiwan's self-defence through various reforms and investments, Ingrid Larson, the managing director of the American Institute in Taiwan's (AIT) Washington Office, said. Larson made these comments on Monday while introducing Vice Minister of National Defence Hsu Yen-pu as the keynote speaker at the annual US-Taiwan Defence Industry Conference held in Philadelphia, Taipei Times reported. In her address, Larson pointed out that over the past year, Beijing has consistently applied a comprehensive strategy, utilising various diplomatic, military, financial, intelligence, law enforcement, and economic tactics to pressure Taiwan. She cited the example of Edinburgh, Scotland, which cancelled its plans for a sister city relationship with Kaohsiung due to influence from China. "Such actions are not conducive to promoting people-to-people ties, or the peaceful resolution of cross-strait differences," she added. The US "strongly encourages and applauds the Lai administration's early efforts to continue to bolster Taiwan's self-defence through reforms and resource investments," highlighting the proposal to raise Taiwan's defence budget by nearly 6 per cent next year to approximately USD 20 billion. Larson said that the US also appreciates Taiwan's Minister of National Defence, Wellington Koo's backing for significant defence reforms, which include the creation of a new organisation within the defence ministry modelled after the US Defence Innovation Unit, reported Taipei Times. Discussing the Lai administration's Whole-of-Society Defence Resilience Committee--which aims to engage government officials, private sector representatives, and civil society groups in national defence--Larson stated: "We support his approach." While the US remains dedicated to empowering Taiwan to uphold adequate self-defence capabilities, she emphasised that peace and stability encompass more than just traditional defence measures and should also involve enhancing Taiwan's overall societal resilience to ensure it remains secure and interconnected globally. "This means strengthening the US-Taiwan unofficial relationship, raising global awareness of the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, expanding Taiwan's international space, and bolstering Taiwan's economic diplomacy," she added. A significant focus for the US government has been on enhancing Taiwan's societal resilience, covering areas such as critical infrastructure protection, humanitarian aid, disaster relief capabilities, cyber defence, food security, economic interdependence, energy resilience, and financial connectivity, Larson explained. She further stated that fostering stronger connections with the private sector can also play a role in maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, the Taipei Times reported. Addressing US business representatives, she mentioned: "When US businesses like you pursue opportunities with Taiwan, you are helping to realise a Taiwan that is more integrated and not isolated, more resilient and less vulnerable to coercion." The US has commercial interests in strengthening economic ties with Taiwan, its eighth-largest trading partner and with initiatives like the CHIPS and Science Act, Washington also invites leading semiconductor manufacturers from Taiwan to establish chip ecosystems in the US, she noted. Larson concluded that the Biden administration is working to alleviate the tax burdens on US firms in Taiwan as well as Taiwanese businesses in the US. (ANI)
The party's announcement came after JI chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman made the statement. During an emergency meeting at Mansoorah, attended by JI leadership from central and provincial cities online, JI Chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman slammed the government for taking "cosmetic measures" in the past 45 days, according to ARY News report.

He said that JI rejects the superficial steps and announced that the party will hold sit-ins on key highways on September 29. Rehman called for immediate relief in electricity bills for the entire country and urged the government to implement uniform tariffs on the basis of the actual cost of production.

Hafiz Naeemur Rehman demanded practical actions regarding Independent Power Producers (IPPs) agreements, instead of mere public statements, according to ARY News report.

Earlier, Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan Amir announced nationwide sit-ins starting from September 29 to demand a reduction in electricity prices.

While addressing a press conference in Lahore, the JI chief Hafiz Muhammad Naeem said that the ongoing 'Haq Do Awam Ko' movement, aimed at providing relief to the public, especially on the rising electricity bills.

Hafiz Muhammad Naeem said that the party had previously held a 14-day sit-in in Rawalpindi and a shutterdown strike across the nation, which he stressed was well organised in the history of Pakistan, ARY News reported.

Hafiz Naeemur Rehman announced the next phase of movement as the deadline regarding the Pakistani government's written agreement with JI, pledging to address their demands within 45 days, has now passed.

The sit-ins will be held on major highways in Pakistan. Furthermore, JI plans to express solidarity with the people of Palestine and Lebanon from October 1-7. Following this, the movement will transition into a resistance campaign. (ANI)
Hours after the Israeli military launched a series of air strikes on the Lebanese capital, Beirut, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken on Friday reiterated his concerns, saying that "diplomacy is the best path forward," Al Jazeera reported. "The choices that all parties make in the coming days will determine which path this region is on, with profound consequences for its people now and possibly for years to come," Blinken said, while speaking to reporters in New York on Friday afternoon. "The path to diplomacy may seem difficult to see at this moment, but it is there and in our judgement, it is necessary," the top US diplomat added, saying that the Middle East and the world faces "a precarious moment." Blinken's remarks came a few hours after the Israeli military launched a barrage of missiles in Beirut, accusing Hezbollah of having its "central headquarters" in its southern suburbs, Al Jazeera reported. "We will continue to work intensely with all parties to urge them to choose that course," Blinken said. Meanwhile, Israel has confirmed the killing of top Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in the airstrikes carried out by the Israeli military in Beirut. In a statement, the Israel Defence Forces said, "Hassan Nasrallah will no longer be able to terrorise the world." The IDF said that alongside Nasrallah, the commander of Hezbollah's so-called Southern Front, Ali Karaki, was also killed, along with other commanders, the Times of Israel reported. Nasrallah was targeted on Friday at Hezbollah's main headquarters in the southern suburbs of Beirut, a Hezbollah stronghold known as the Dahiyeh. The headquarters is underground, beneath residential buildings in the Dahiyeh, the IDF said. The IDF also said that dozens of anti-ship missiles stored by Hezbollah under buildings in the Lebanese capital of Beirut were also destroyed in Israeli airstrikes overnight. Hezbollah was known by the IDF to be in possession of the Chinese C-704 and C802 missiles, as well as the Iranian Ghader, which have ranges of up to around 200 kilometres, as reported by Times of Israel. Following the announcement of Nasrallah's killing, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi said that Israel will reach anyone who threatens the country and its citizens. "The is not the end of the tools in the toolbox. The message is simple: to anyone who threatens the citizens of the State of Israel, we will know how to get to them," he added. Israel on Friday carried out a precision strike against Hezbollah's central headquarters, located beneath residential buildings in Beirut's Dahieh. Notably, the strikes were carried out on the same day, when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, issued a stern warning to Iran and the "proxies of Tehran," there is "no place" in Iran, where the "long arms" of Israel cannot reach, while adding that it is true for the "entire Middle East." (ANI)
Expressing happiness on his visit, Garcetti said that he is excited to share this with my family.

"As a pilgrim, as a tourist--it's a beautiful place to come. I can feel the power of this place, I can see the beauty of this place. I am excited to share this with my family..." the US envoy told the media.

"I am trying to understand India's contribution to the world's civilisation..." he said.

Mahaprabhu Shri Jagannath, along with sister Devi Subhadra and elder brother Mahaprabhu Shri Balabhadra, are worshipped in Puri (the Purusottama Kshetra).

Though no changes have been made in the temple, the area within the 75-meter corridor of the boundary wall of the Jagannath temple has been developed.

Jagannath Temple is one of the four Dhammas that every Hindu is advised to visit.

The main temple of Shri Jagannath is an impressive and amazing structure constructed in Kalinga architecture.

There are so many festivals of Sri Jagannath during the year observed in Puri, which are Snana Yatra, Netrotsava, Ratha Yatra (car festival), Sayan Ekadasi, Chitalagi Amabasya, Srikrushna Janma, Dussehra, etc. The most important festivals are the world-famous Rath Yatra (Car Festival) and Bahuda Yatra.

A large crowd is gathered to witness Mahaprabhu Shri Jagannath durig this festival. (ANI)
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) lawyers held protest outside the Supreme Court against the proposed constitutional court, and Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa, Dawn reported. The PTI protest came despite the government's recent passage of the Peaceful Assembly and Public Order Bill 2024, which enables district magistrates to regulate and ban public gatherings in Islamabad. The PTI members, who were part of the protest included Salman Akram Raja, Shoaib Shaheen, Azam Swati, Latif Khosa, and Niazullah Niazi. They expressed their concerns over what they termed attempts by the government to undermine the Supreme Court and curb its powers, stressing that only the apex court could ensure human rights and implementation of the Constitution. While addressing the protest, Salman Akram Raja stated that a movement was about to begin to protect the judiciary and the country. He urged the people to come forward, warning that all the people would suffer due to the constitutional amendment, according to Dawn report. "A black court is being established under Qazi Faez Isa. Pakistan will lose foreign funding because there will be no trust in courts," Raja said. Azam Swati slammed Chief Justice Isa and accused him of damaging the judiciary's reputation. He said that Pakistan's former army chief Qamar Javed Bajwa, CJP Isa, Islamabad High Court Chief Justice Aamer Farooq, and Chief Election Commissioner Sikander Sultan Raja "have ruined our institutions." Swati said these individuals deserved to face Article 6, the constitutional provision for high treason. He said that PTI founder Imran Khan's statement is right that institutions had failed. He said, "You need to understand that your survival and salaries are linked to the survival of Pakistan." Advocate Shoaib Shaheen stated that the government was considering an unconstitutional amendment to limit the authority of the apex court to the level of a district court, Dawn reported. Advocate Latif Khosa said that lawyers stood in solidarity with the Supreme Court's Justice Mansoor Ali Shah, pledging not to let Chief Justice of Pakistan Isa "undermine the Supreme Court." He further said, "We have shed blood for the independence of the judiciary before, and we are ready to make sacrifices again" and invited lawyers of all political affiliations to join the fight to defend the Constitution. Lawyer Ali Bukhari said the Constitution would win and those conspiring against it would be defeated. He expressed confidence that lawyers will stop the constitutional amendment from passing in parliament. He asked how a 'Form 47' government, which he claimed lacked public mandate, could attempt to amend the Constitution. The protest took place despite the new legislation that enables district administrations to take strict action against unauthorised assemblies, Dawn reported. Earlier this month, rules were suspended to enable immediate consideration of the Peaceful Assembly and Public Order Bill 2024, which grants district magistrates the authority to regulate public gatherings in Islamabad. The bill proposes up to three years imprisonment for participants in unauthorised assemblies in Islamabad. (ANI)
During the ongoing 57th session of the United Nations Human Rights Commission, Sami Baloch, a representative of the Baloch Human Rights Council (BHRC), raised alarming concerns about the escalating cases of enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings in Balochistan. He urged for UN intervention to protect the lives of thousands of victims. Baloch stated, "We draw your attention to the troubling phenomenon of enforced disappearances in Balochistan. These disappearances, along with institutional killings and the discovery of mutilated bodies of Baloch human rights defenders and social-political activists, represent severe human rights violations perpetrated by the Pakistani state." He emphasised that security agencies appear to be systematically targeting the most prominent members of Baloch society. According to data collected by the BHRC, the region has witnessed an unprecedented surge in brutality due to enforced disappearances and a "kill-and-dump" policy. In 2022 alone, 367 individuals went missing, while 79 were extrajudicially killed. Baloch also highlighted the recent recovery of 38 unidentified bodies, believed to belong to missing persons, from a hospital in Lahore. From January to December 2023, a total of 416 individuals were reported missing, with 36 bodies found across Balochistan showing signs of torture and bullet wounds. In the first half of 2024, 206 more individuals were reported missing, with security forces extrajudicially killing 15 of them, whose bodies were subsequently disposed of in various locations. Baloch emphasised, "These enforced disappearances and killings violate established international laws. We urge the United Nations to take action to save the lives of countless missing persons." Pakistan has a troubling history of enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings, particularly targeting human rights defenders, minority activists critical of the government and military, and individuals linked to opposition groups. The unchecked power of the military, coupled with a complicit government, has fostered a climate of fear and repression in the region. (ANI)
Eight people lost their lives in two consecutive Russian drone attacks on a medical centre in the northeast Ukrainian city of Sumy, Al Jazeera reported on Saturday, citing the Ukrainian officials. According to Ukraine's Interior Minister, Ihor Klymenko, there was a second attack while patients and personnel were being evacuated after the first one on Saturday morning claimed one life. Ukraine President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy claimed on his Telegram channel that eleven people had been hurt when Russia used Shahed drones to attack the hospital. Sumy is located just across the border from the Kursk area of Russia, where Kyiv launched a surprise attack on August 6 with the stated goal of establishing a "buffer zone" within Russia, reported Al Jazeera. Meanwhile, the prosecutors said that the second attack took place about 8:25am (05:25 GMT) as rescuers and police were providing assistance and evacuating patients at that time at the scene. According to regional prosecutors, the hospital housing 86 patients and 38 staff members was the target of the first attack in Sumy on Saturday, which occurred at roughly 7:35 a.m. (04:35 GMT). The Ukrainian Air Force claimed to have shot down two of the four missiles and 69 of the 73 Russian drones that were launched overnight. About fifteen drones were shot down above the Ukrainian capital and its surroundings, according to Kyiv city authorities, according to Al Jazeera. The Russian Ministry of Defence announced on Saturday that during the course of the night, air defences shot down four Ukrainian drones over the Belgorod and one over the Kursk regions, both of which border Ukraine. Zelenskyy on Thursday visited the US to lobby support for Ukraine, meeting with US President Joe Biden and Democratic Party presidential candidate Kamala Harris to detail what he has described in recent weeks as his "victory plan." (ANI)
The Nepal government on Saturday decided to postpone all the ongoing exams and close all schools across the nation in wake of the ongoing rain-induced disaster in the nation. Issuing a notice, Nepal's Ministry of Education, Science and Technology has conveyed all the local levels to halt the classes until Tuesday in schools across Nepal. As per the ministry, the decision has been made by an emergency cabinet meeting held earlier in the afternoon. "Keeping in mind the safety of the students across the nation who have to traverse through disaster-hit zones, the Cabinet meeting has decided to close all lower secondary, secondary and higher secondary educational institutions for three days," Nepal's Education Minister Bidhya Bhattarai told ANI over the phone. In addition, the Ministry has given the authority regarding the resumption of classes in the schools to the local levels assessing the damage and viability of running the school. The officials during the emergency meeting on Saturday also decided to halt the ongoing exams until further notice. "The Education ministry will later decide about the schedule for the examinations," the minister added. Nepal's Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MoEST) has decided to halt the ongoing examinations, delegating the concerned authorities the responsibility to reschedule the examinations. The ministry also has decided to delegate responsibilities to the concerned local bodies in the context of schools, and universities in the context of higher education institutions. As many as 66 people have died in Nepal in the past 24 hours due to a rain-induced disaster after the activation of a climatic effect pounding the whole nation. (ANI)
LILONGWE, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- Receiving China-aided equipment, the Malawian government inaugurated the second phase of its satellite TV project on Friday.

A handover ceremony was held in the capital city of Lilongwe, where Malawian Secretary for Information and Digitalization Baldwin Chiyamwaka received the equipment on behalf of the government.

Following the ceremony, the Chinese company StarTimes will undertake the distribution and installation of the satellite TV equipment to 200 villages by the end of the year, said Pan Zebin, StarTimes' chief executive officer in Malawi.

According to Pan, the company will install 4,000 digital decoders, 400 solar projection satellite TV systems and 200 digital TVs for free in public areas and households of the 200 villages.

As part of the Access to Satellite TV for 10,000 African Villages program, the project in Malawi successfully completed its first phase in 2019.

During the first phase, StarTimes equipped 500 villages across Malawi with satellite TV sets, and trained a number of local technicians.

Zhang Chunfa, economic and commercial counsellor at the Chinese Embassy in Malawi, called the implementation of the project "a concrete reflection" of the friendship and cooperation between China and Malawi.

Chiyamwaka said the handover is a "clear reflection" of the Chinese government's commitment to supporting the development of Malawi.

The equipment represents far more than technological infrastructure, as "it is a powerful tool for improving access to information," Chiyamwaka said.

He said the installation of satellite TV will enable rural communities in Malawi to have greater access to vital information, including news, education, health and government services.

"This access will empower people in remote areas to make informed decisions, stay connected with national developments, and participate fully in our country's progress," said Chiyamwaka.

The project of Access to Satellite TV for 10,000 African Villages was conceived during the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, in 2015. 
The Shia Muslim community in Pakistan continues to be the victim of state brutalities and human rights abuses, Javed Beigh, a political activist from the Jammu & Kashmir told the United Nations during the 57th Session of Human Rights in Geneva. In his intervention Beigh stated, "Largely unknown to the outside world, the Shia Muslim minority tribes in Pakistan continue to face the wrath of religious extremist forces and the apathy of the Pakistani government towards the ever-growing incidences of massacres targeted against them. In the latest and ongoing sectarian violence, more than 50 Shia Muslims have lost their lives in Parachinar City, the capital of Kurram Agency in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa tribal province." He further stated that the Parachinar is a unique place in Pakistan where a small community of Pashtuns from the Turi and Bangash tribes follow Shia Islam. Due to the Shia majority of Parachinar, it has been under constant attacks from various religious extremist organizations. Beigh also referred to a land dispute stating, "A land dispute between two sects of Pashtun tribes in late July this year escalated into a full-fledged violent campaign against Shia Pashtuns in Parachinar, resulting in over four dozen deaths and injuries to over 200 people." Beigh in his statement claimed that the Pakistan government is attempting to downplay the critical situation within the area. He said, "The Pakistani government has been trying to downplay this anti-Shia violence by describing it as a fight between two tribes when in reality, it is a continuing and never-ending massacre of Shias in Pakistan with the convenience of state." His statement further mentioned, "The local police and administration in Parachinar are deliberately not stopping the violence against Shias and tacitly support extremists who have been on a killing spree against Shias in Parachinar tribal region. The world must take notice of the continuing persecution of Shias in Pakistan, who continue to be at the receiving end of brutal violence." (ANI)
The two officials held discussions over avenues for cross-training in niche technologies and advanced courses.

In a post on X, Indian Navy spokesperson stated, "Adm Dinesh K Tripathi, #CNS, met Gen Dimitrios Choupis, Chief of the Hellenic National Defence General Staff, at the Salamis Naval Base on #27Sep 24. Discussions focused on strengthening strategic and operational ties, enhancing bilateral military cooperation, and tackling evolving maritime challenges through a collaborative approach towards a stable & secure #Mediterranean & #IOR. Avenues for cross-training in niche technologies & advanced courses were also discussed."

During his visit to Greece, Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi also interacted with Vice Admiral Polychronis Koulouris. The two officials discussed enhancing operational interactions and interoperability.

"During this maiden visit to #Greece, the #CNS also interacted with VAdm Polychronis Koulouris CinC #HellenicFleet. Discussions focused on enhancing operational interactions & #interoperability. He was also briefed on the Hellenic Fleet's capabilities and evolving security challenges, reinforcing the shared commitment to #maritimesecurity," Indian Navy spokesperson posted on X.

India's warm and friendly relationship with Greece has been marked by consistent support to each other on issues of core national interest, like Kashmir and Cyprus, according to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). Greece supports India's quest for a permanent seat in an expanded United Nations Security Council (UNSC). (ANI)
Dubai [UAE], September 28 (ANI/WAM): Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister, and Minister of Defence, concluded his official visit to Uzbekistan, which marked a significant step forward in strengthening relations between the UAE and Uzbekistan. During the visit, he met with Shavkat Mirziyoyev, President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, and engaged in discussions with various senior officials and government leaders. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed expressed his gratitude for the warm welcome and generous hospitality extended to him during the visit, which reflected the strong and enduring friendship between the UAE and Uzbekistan. He emphasised both nations' commitment to not only deepening their ties but also creating new pathways of cooperation that would lead to shared prosperity, innovation, excellence and growth. He stressed that the strengthened partnership would create opportunities that extend beyond immediate mutual benefits, fostering long-term development, stability, and a brighter future for the people of both countries. Sheikh Hamdan noted that the leaders of both countries place great importance on advancing bilateral relations, which continue to evolve through sustained efforts to enhance strategic cooperation. He highlighted that these efforts are driving development across various sectors, paving the way for new avenues to enhance progress and prosperity for both nations. During the visit, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed held productive discussions with Uzbekistan's senior leadership, including Saida Mirziyoyeva, Assistant to the President of Uzbekistan; Abdulla Aripov, Prime Minister of the Republic of Uzbekistan; Lieutenant General Kurbanov Bakhodir Nizomovich, Minister of Defence; and a number of senior officials. Sheikh Hamdan also attended various joint events between the governments of the UAE and Uzbekistan, as well as the Government Knowledge Exchange Retreat aimed at sharing new ideas and experiences and discovering fresh approaches to enhancing government excellence. (ANI/WAM)
Dubai [UAE], September 28 (ANI/WAM): The Emirates Arabian Horse Society (EAHS) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with its German counterpart to enhance cooperation in the field of exchanging research on Arabian horses and their origins. This also includes adopting a common link between the records of the two societies regarding breeds and genealogical research and mutual benefit from studies, programmes and events on Arabian horses. The MoU was signed yesterday in Aachen, Germany, on the sidelines of the All Nations Cup organised by the German Arab Horse Society, in the presence of Mohammed Ahmed Al Harbi, Director-General of the EAHS, and Manfred Jedzini, President of the German Arab Horse Society. (ANI/WAM)
Dubai [UAE], September 28 (ANI/WAM): Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of State for Foreign Trade, has concluded a successful visit to New Zealand and Australia, where he led a high-level UAE business delegation to strengthen economic ties. The visit culminated in the conclusion of negotiations for a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between the UAE and New Zealand, which will open important new avenues for trade and investment between the two countries. While in New Zealand, Dr. Al Zeyoudi held a number of meetings with senior officials, including Hon. Todd McClay, Minister for Trade, and Hon. Nicola Willis, Minister of Finance. The discussions focused on the economic ambitions of each country and how greater collaboration can help achieve them. Dr. Al Zeyoudi and Minister McClay also participated in a question-and-answer session with the National Party in New Zealand's parliament in Wellington, highlighting both nations' commitment to deepening political and economic ties and exploring new private-sector opportunities in both countries. This was followed by a business roundtable organised to facilitate direct engagement between the UAE delegation and leading New Zealand businesses, particularly in the agri-tech, renewable energy, technology and logistics sectors. The UAE remains New Zealand's largest trading partner in the Middle East, with non-oil trade reaching US$768 million in 2023, a 16 percent increase over pre-COVID-19 levels in 2019. The first half of 2024 continued this positive trend, with trade volume reaching US$460.3 million, 11.5 percent more than the same period last year. The expanding bilateral trade relationship is expected to create new opportunities across a range of sectors. Dr. Al Zeyoudi stated: "The UAE and New Zealand share a strong commitment to building an innovative and resilient trade relationship. Our growing ties create new avenues for businesses to collaborate, particularly in sectors such as the green economy, supply chain management, food security and advanced technology. We are greatly encouraged by the positive response to our visit, not least the conclusion of terms on our proposed Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, which will elevate our relationship on all fronts."Hon. Todd McClay, New Zealand's Trade Minister, commented: "We welcome this new phase in our relationship with the UAE. The deepening trade ties between our nations provide a robust framework for fostering growth and prosperity for both countries."Dr Thani also visited Australia, where he held talks with Hon. Don Farrell, Australia's Minister for Trade and Tourism. The ministers discussed the timelines for signing and implementing the CEPA between their two nations, the negotiations for which concluded in earlier in September, and to begin the process of aligning their respective customs departments. Dr Thani also addressed a business roundtable in Melbourne, where private-sector representatives reviewed sectors of maximum opportunity, including food security, renewable energy, mining, logistics and tourism.Strengthening relations with the broader Oceania region will support regional supply chain resilience and promote sustainable development. The CEPAs with Australia and New Zealand will help the UAE achieve its target of AED4 trillion (US$1.1 trillion) in non-oil trade by 2031. Dr. Al Zeyoudi was accompanied by a UAE delegation that included Rashed Abdulkarim Al Blooshi, Undersecretary of the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development; Ahmed Khalifa Al Qubaisi, CEO of the Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce & Industry; as well as senior officers from Dubai Chambers, Sharjah Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Etihad Airways and DP World alongside other representatives from the UAE business entities and investors. (ANI/WAM)
US President Joe Biden on Friday spoke about Hezbollah and its leader Hassan Nasrallah and said they were responsible for killing Americans, Israelis, and Lebanese civilians over several decades. He also said that Nasrallah's death "is a measure of justice for his many victims." In a statement, Biden said, "Hassan Nasrallah and the terrorist group he led, Hezbollah, were responsible for killing hundreds of Americans over a four-decade reign of terror. His death from an Israeli airstrike is a measure of justice for his many victims, including thousands of Americans, Israelis, and Lebanese civilians." The statement further said, "The strike that killed Nasrallah took place in the broader context of the conflict that began with Hamas's massacre on October 7, 2023. Nasrallah, the next day, made the fateful decision to join hands with Hamas and open what he called a "northern front" against Israel." Biden reaffirmed the US commitment to supporting Israel's right to self-defence against threats from Hezbollah, Hamas, the Houthis, and other groups backed by Iran. "The United States fully supports Israel's right to defend itself against Hezbollah, Hamas, the Houthis, and any other Iranian-supported terrorist groups. Just yesterday, I directed my Secretary of Defense to further enhance the defence posture of US military forces in the Middle East region to deter aggression and reduce the risk of a broader regional war," Biden said. Biden also reiterated the administration's commitment to resolving the ongoing conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon through diplomatic efforts. He said, "Ultimately, our aim is to de-escalate the ongoing conflicts in both Gaza and Lebanon through diplomatic means. In Gaza, we have been pursuing a deal backed by the UN Security Council for a ceasefire and the release of hostages." He added, "In Lebanon, we have been negotiating a deal that would return people safely to their homes in Israel and southern Lebanon. It is time for these deals to close, for the threats to Israel to be removed, and for the broader Middle East region to gain greater stability." A day before, Israel Defence Forces (IDF) confirmed the killing of Hassan Nasrallah in the airstrikes carried out by the Israeli military in Beirut. In a statement, IDF said, "Hassan Nasrallah will no longer be able to terrorise the world." The IDF said that alongside Nasrallah, the commander of Hezbollah's so-called Southern Front, Ali Karaki, was also killed, along with other commanders, The Times of Israel reported. Nasrallah was targeted at Hezbollah's main headquarters in the southern suburbs of Beirut, a Hezbollah stronghold known as the Dahiyeh, on Friday. The headquarters is underground, beneath residential buildings in the Dahiyeh, according to the IDF. "The strike was carried out while the top brass of Hezbollah were at their headquarters and engaged in coordinating terror activities against the citizens of the State of Israel," the Israeli military said. (ANI)
Following the death of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in a precision strike by Israeli Defence Forces (IDF), Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a warning to Iran's Ayatollah regime and asserted that those who target Israel will face consequences and that no location in Iran or the Middle East is beyond Israel's reach. Netanyahu said, "If someone rises up to kill you, kill him first. Yesterday, the State of Israel eliminated the arch-murderer Hassan Nasrallah. We have settled accounts with someone who was responsible for the murders of countless Israelis and many nationals of other countries, including hundreds of Americans and dozens of French." He called Nasrallah as "main engine of Iran's axis of evil" and added, "Nasrallah was not just another terrorist, he was the terrorist. He was the axis of the axis, the main engine of Iran's axis of evil. He and his people were the architects of the plan to destroy Israel. He was not only operated by Iran, he also frequently operated Iran." He further said, "All those who oppose the axis of evil, all those who are fighting under the violent dictatorship of Iran and its proxies in Lebanon, Syria, Iran itself and other places, they are all filled with hope today. I say to the citizens of those countries: Israel stands with you. And to the ayatollahs' regime I say: Those who strike us, we strike them. There is no place in Iran or the Middle East that the long arm of Israel cannot reach. Today, you already know that this is correct." Netanyahu emphasised that the killing of Hassan Nasrallah was crucial in achieving the goal of returning Israeli hostages. "The elimination of Nasrallah is a necessary condition in achieving the objectives we have set: Returning the residents of the north safely to their homes, and changing the balance of power in the region for years." He added, "As long as Nasrallah was alive, he would have quickly rebuilt the capabilities we took from Hezbollah. His elimination advances the return of our residents to their homes in the north. It also advances the return of our hostages in the south." He also expressed his gratitude to the defence forces of the country and said, "I would like to thank the IDF, the Air Force, IDF Intelligence, the Mossad and the ISA for the great achievements, and not just yesterday." Netanyahu reaffirmed Israel's commitment to defending its citizens, ensuring the safe return of residents to their homes and securing the release of all hostages. "We are determined to continue striking our enemies, to return our residents to their homes, and to return all of our hostages. We do not forget them even for a moment," he said. Notably, a day before, IDF confirmed the killing of Hassan Nasrallah in the airstrikes carried out by the Israeli military in Beirut. In a statement, the IDF said, "Hassan Nasrallah will no longer be able to terrorise the world." Nasrallah was targeted at Hezbollah's main headquarters in the southern suburbs of Beirut, a Hezbollah stronghold known as the Dahiyeh, on Friday. The headquarters is underground, beneath residential buildings in the Dahiyeh, according to the IDF. (ANI)
Amendment 7, placed on the Nov. 5 ballots by the Missouri legislature, would alter the state constitution to effectively ban ranked-choice voting, although that's not what has sparked most discussion of the measure.

Instead, the proposed amendment has been in the spotlight for its use of "ballot candy"  the first bullet point in the ballot language would "Make the Constitution consistent with state law by only allowing citizens of the United States to vote."

Missouri's Constitution already reserves the right to vote for "citizens" and state law requires voters to prove their citizenship before casting a ballot. Supporters of the change have said the constitution should specify that "only" citizens can vote, while critics have accused the amendment's drafters of attempting to dupe voters by listing the attractive but largely meaningless change first, obscuring the more substantive changes the proposal contains.

Those changes would prohibit Missouri from ever adopting ranked-choice voting, which has been used in a small number of jurisdictions across the country and allows voters to rank the candidates on a ballot according to preference. If one candidate receives an outright majority, they win the election. If no candidate has an initial majority, the candidate with the least votes is removed and their votes redistributed based on how voters' had ranked them, repeating the process as necessary until a winner is clear.

The proposal includes a carve-out that would allow the city of St. Louis to continue using ranked-choice voting for some of its nonpartisan municipal elections.

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Amendment 7, ranked-choice voting
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO)  South Dakota voters have some homework to do before the November 5 election. There are seven ballot questions ranging from abortion to landowner rights.

On this years statewide ballot, there are four Constitutional Amendments, two initiated measures and one referred law. It is up to the Attorney General to try to explain each side as fairly as possible. You can find these explanations on your ballot on election day, which is a lot of reading. Or you can access and even print sample ballots on the Secretary of States website.

Attorney General Marty Jackley says he only gets 200 words to explain each issue, which can add to the challenge.

That explanation has to be fair, not pick sides, talk about the legal affect and assist educating the voters on what they are looking at, said Jackley.

DANR approves $24.4 million for SD environmental projects

On this years ballot, you will notice on Constitutional Amendment G there is a note that reads

Judicial Clarification of the amendment may be necessary. The Legislature cannot alter the provisions of a constitutional amendment. Jackley says his goal is to help the voter be as informed as possible.

I felt the voters needed to know that whatever they are voting on may require some additional work either by the legislature or by the courts, said Jackley.

Constitutional Amendment H and Initiated Measure 28 also have notes that further court or legislative action may be needed.

This is going to be a busy ballot with significant life-changing issues that the voters are going to have to take a lot effort and time making sure they are making an informed decision on, said Jackley.

You can find the Attorney Generals explanations about the Constitutional Amendments, the Initiated Measures and the Referred Law on the Secretary of States website along with printable sample ballots. Click here or here.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KELOLAND.com.
HONOLULU (KHON2)  A contentious bill aimed at relaxing fireworks regulations on Oahu has moved forward, advancing to the full city council.

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Bill 22 passed its second reading today after a delay in June that allowed for more public input on the issue.

If approved, the measure would permit the sale of novelty fireworks, excluding firecrackers, without the need for a permit.

However, aerial displays would still require professional handling.

Remaining Mountain West members recommit to conference

Honolulu City Council member Andria Tupola criticized the current fireworks ban, stating, The fireworks ban is not working. Waipahu lights up, and its a favorite place for everyone to watch. At this point, we would be delusional to think that continuing along this path will yield positive results.

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Tina Yamaki of the Retail Merchants of Hawaii supported the bill, arguing that allowing consumer fireworks sales would benefit both retailers and the community.

All other counties in Hawaii currently permit the sale of these types of fireworks.

Download the free KHON2 app for iOS or Android to stay informed on the latest news

Under the proposed bill, permits would still be required for the use of firecrackers during New Years, the Fourth of July, Chinese New Year, and other cultural events.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KHON2.
After some participants at the Fourth Lausanne Congress on World Evangelization took offense with a plenary speakers comments on the Gaza war on Monday, Lausanne issued an official apology two days later distancing itself from the statements. Now, Valdir Steuernagel, a senior figure in the movement spoke up on behalf of Palestinian participants, articulating their anguish of feeling abandoned by the global Church and calling on the Lausanne leadership to take notice  and action.

It was the fourth day of the Congress, and what was latent surfaced with pain and the force of institutional endorsement. Incredible, Steuernagel begins a letter he shared with Christian Daily International, which he had been circulating among leaders at the Congress. A problematic email, sent by the director of the L4 Congress, distanced itself from one of the most impactful presentations of the event.

Referring to Ruth Padilla DeBorsts speech, he says, Gods justice was affirmed and the violence of the war in Israel and its thousands of deaths, especially in Gaza was highlighted.

Steuernagel points to the word forgiveness that struck him when reading the apology letter, lamenting that the events organization had not paid due attention to the content of the presented text, and there were things that went unnoticed.

Of course, there were theological details at play, which the author of the presentation herself would acknowledge, Steuernagel says. But what about the war? The deaths? The lives? And the churches? What about the Christians who live and suffer this cruel reality? Are there no words? No gesture? Will they, once again, simply be abandoned?

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A speech, a response, an apology

As Christian Daily International reported earlier, the statements in Padilla DeBorsts presentation that triggered responses referred to colonialist theologies that justify and finance oppression under the guide of some dispensational eschatology.

Later in the Micah 6:8-inspired speech, she also called on the global Church not to ignore the suffering of those who face injustice. There's no room for indifference towards all who are suffering the scourge of war and violence. The world around the uprooted and beleaguered people of Gaza, the hostages held by both Israel and Hamas and their families, the threatened Palestinians in their own territories. All who around the world are mourning the loss of loved ones. Their pain is our pain, she said.

The two passages led to strong reactions by some participants who accused Padilla DeBorst of blaming violence in the Holy Land on dispensational eschatology, a theological view that holds to a literal interpretation of Old Testament prophecies that speak about the nation of Israel. Further objections pointed to her assertion of Israel holding hostages and the lack of mention of Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, among others.

The Lausanne leadership also became target of criticism as it had reviewed all speeches before the Congress but had not taken action.

Two days later, Congress Director David Bennett sent an email to all participants. He acknowledged the diversity of views represented at the Congress and among the speakers but distanced himself from the remarks and apologized for the offense that Padilla DeBorsts speech had caused.

We have become aware of significant pain and offense experienced at this Congress from those in dispensational theological contexts, those who are Jews, and those engaged in ministries to Jews and/or in Israel. Our Lausanne team, including me, failed to review the wording of the presentation carefully enough in advance, or to anticipate the hurts and misunderstandings it would cause. As your brother in Christ, and on behalf of our Lausanne leadership, I ask for your forgiveness, he said in the email.

Christians have a responsibility to speak up

When Christian Daily International approached Padilla DeBorst for comment, she first pointed to the time constraints of talking about the vast topic of injustice within the allocated 15 minutes. She also stated that her remarks were not in any way a blanket dismissal of dispensational theology and, even less, of sisters and brothers who subscribe to that stance.

For the pain my statement might have caused, I am sorry, she added, and clarified that what she referred to in her speech was the troubling theological rationale sustained by some people to perpetrate injustice against certain other people.

Regarding why she was specifically naming the war in Gaza, she commented that she believes that Christians have a particular responsibility to speak up.

Truly, the Hamas attack almost a year ago was abhorrent and absolutely reprehensible, and truly people who live in Israel, Jewish, Palestinian and others are being threatened as I write. Their pain is our pain, she said. At the same time, she highlighted the suffering of the Palestinians, tens of thousands of whom have been killed, including many children. And she pointed to the Israeli settler attacks on Palestinians in the West Bank that have been on the rise in recent months. Their pain is our pain  or it should be, she said.

The reason why she believed this issue was important to raise at the Congress is because far too many evangelicals around the world a-critically stand with Israel, and remain oblivious to the suffering Palestinians. This injustice must be named.

Seeking to be seen and heard by the global Church

While Lausannes apology sought to quiet down criticism from some corners, it stirred up greater controversy as participants expressed concerns about the leaderships selective judgment by singling out these two particular issues while ignoring others.

In my view this apology was totally against the ethos of Lausanne, said Tim Adams, General Secretary of the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students in comments sent to Christian Daily International at that time. He expressed his dismay about the lack of maturity of those who took offense, as global events should be spaces for robust debate. He was also concerned that the apology risked causing greater division.

Steuernagel, however, points to another lamentable effect the apology had: that Palestinians, including those participating in the Congress, were given the impression that they did not matter.

The day was marked by the tears of the brothers and sisters of the Palestinian churches. Attention! Steuernagel says. They are present, and despite the thousands of tears they have shed over these long months, once again they came and went hot. They arrived while surrounded by thousands of Christians from the most diverse places who, once again, rarely noticed the tears of a suffering, persecuted, and declining Church.

The feeling of abandonment cannot be deeper, more painful, or more incredible, he bemoaned. Incredible among others because it happened on the same day when the Congress highlighted the plight of the persecuted Church around the world.

The silence around the Palestinian church spoke loudly. A silence that said the global Church did not care. Did not need them, he says, referencing a phrase that had been presented as the most dangerous words for the global Church in the opening session of the Congress.

Speaking for those who came as participants to Incheon and had an opportunity to be in fellowship with brothers and sisters around the world, he says the Palestinian believers had already become a familiar with the sense of abandonment, but they did not know it hurt so much to live it alongside those who passed by.

Recognizing the existence of Palestinian Christians

Earlier this month, Christian Daily International reported about a meeting of more than one hundred evangelical Christians from Israel, the Palestinian territory of the West Bank, Lebanon and Jordan who came together for three days in Amman under the theme That They May Be One.

Hosted by the Alliance of Evangelical Councils in Jordan and the Holy Land, the extraordinary meeting was overshadowed by the ongoing war in Gaza, the mourning for fellow Christians killed in the conflict and the struggle with the reality that many in the global Church seem ignorant or indifferent to the suffering of their brothers and sisters in Christ in the region.

Palestinian journalist Daoud Kuttab, who reported about the rare gathering of Christians from the four countries, wrote that the war in Gaza and the international response over the past year has alienated and angered many Palestinian Christians, who feel their co-religionists around the globe are oblivious to the suffering the war has brought.

While Gaza is overwhelmingly Muslim, the small Christian community has been caught in the crossfire: a fact that some Christians in the Middle East feel is not understood or recognized by fellow believers in other parts of the world.

Churches and a Christian-run hospital have been hit by Israeli shells with hardly a word from Christian leaders, they lament, amid reports that at least 23 Christians were among those who died in Gaza.

Especially painful are news headlines of politicians who publicly flaunt their Christianity like last January when former U.S. Vice President Mike Pence approvingly signed his name on Israeli bombs destined for Palestinian and Lebanese communities.

What Christians in the Middle East bemoan most, however, is that fellow believers in many parts of the world seem to forget that they even exist, let alone that they understand their daily reality.

Kuttab wrote that during the gathering in Amman difficult stories were told about the war in Gaza and the dislocations caused by the Israeli occupation in the West Bank. He describes how participants shed tears as they looked at photos of Palestinian Christian families who died in Gaza and listened to stories of the difficult life in the West Bank. Then they prayed for a ceasefire in Gaza and for the conflict and suffering to come to an end.

It is this context that both Padilla DeBorst in her speech and now Steuernagel in his letter sought to highlight.

(An op-ed published on Christian Daily International last February captured some of the dilemmas of different perspectives on the conflict.)

Toward a day of embrace through repentance and listening

In his poetically written letter, Steuernagel points to what he believes to be the right way forward. Desiring to move from the Day of Abandonment to the Day of Embrace, he expresses his hope for what could ultimately lead to comfort and unity.

I saw it! I saw that there were also other tears. Tears that sprang from other tearful eyes and, born from the depths of the soul, wanted to express repentance and solidarity, he says.

It is a fact. There are many others who have tears to shed. There are many other souls who, in solidarity, have space to cry. Let us move our bodies in search of the painful tears of these brothers and sisters, in search of transforming the day of abandonment into the day of embrace.

He cautions that it is necessary to go slowly because before embracing, it is necessary to recognize the abandonment, and even the neglect, to which we subjected these churches and these brothers. It is necessary to do what this event has called us to: repentance.

Repentance is not something abstract but real, he says. It is necessary to listen to our brothers and sisters from Palestine so that we can internalize their cries. The cry to be recognized and not forgotten and ignored. The cry of not being victims of a theology that has no place for them as participants in the Israel of God.

The cry for participation in the reconstruction of both the church and their communities, as a sign of a God who does not abandon but is present and does so through His body. Then, and only then, can the day of abandonment be followed by the day of embrace. An embrace that, with true eschatological hues, can begin with the exchange of tears, Steuernagel says, and concludes his letter with a question.

Can we expect another email?



Update: The Friday evening plenary at the Congress featured a Palestinian Christian as panelist who spoke on reconciliation. An article on the session will follow.
Helene, the strongest hurricane on record to slam into Floridas Big Bend region, is now a post-tropical cyclone with winds of 35 mph, leaving at least 59 people dead in five states, leveling communities, knocking out power and stranding many in floodwaters following the historic storms landfall Thursday night as a monstrous Category 4 hurricane. Heres the latest:

 Deaths across 5 states: At least 59 storm-related deaths have been reported in South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, North Carolina and Virginia. At least 10 people are dead in North Carolina, a release from Gov. Roy Coopers office said Saturday evening. At least 20 are dead in South Carolina, including two firefighters in Saluda County, according to state officials. In Georgia, at least 17 people have died, two of them killed by a tornado in Alamo, according to a spokesperson for Gov. Brian Kemp. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Saturday morning raised the number of confirmed dead there to 11, including several people who drowned in Pinellas County. And in Craig County, Virginia, one person died in a storm-related tree fall and building collapse, Gov. Glenn Youngkin said Friday.

 The worst event in our offices history: The National Weather Service Greenville-Spartanburg, South Carolina, said Saturday it is devastated by the horrific flooding and widespread wind damage that was caused by Hurricane Helene, and it has no words to express the amount of lives lost due to the storm. The agency called it the worst event in our offices history, in a Facebook post Saturday evening.

 Hundreds of roads closed: More than 400 roads remain closed in western North Carolina, the state Department of Transportation said Saturday morning. All roads in Western NC should be considered closed, its post on X reads. Multiple sections of Interstates 40 and 26, main thoroughfares for traveling into and out of Asheville, remain closed Saturday either due to flooding or landslides, according to the state Department of Transportation. Since Thursday, Buncombe County has received over 5,500 911 calls and conducted more than 130 swiftwater rescues. Officials warned residents to stay away from the water because of downed power lines, sewage contamination and debris. An emergency shelter is currently serving 400 people at the WNC Agricultural Center near Asheville Regional Airport. The local airport said its operations are cancelled for the remainder of the day, and thanked residents for their patience, during the unprecedented natural disaster. A curfew remains in effect in Asheville from 7:30 p.m. Saturday to 7:30 a.m. Sunday and will be extended past Sunday, officials said.

 More than 3 million without power: The remnants of Helene continued to knock out power for several states across the eastern US on Saturday, with roughly 3.1 million customers left in the dark in areas like South Carolina, Georgia, North Carolina, Florida and Ohio, according to PowerOutage.us.

 Storm rescue missions underway: There are multiple fatalities in Buncombe County, North Carolina, and more than 60 people unaccounted for in the county after the storm brought by Hurricane Helene caused widespread flooding in what officials are calling biblical devastation across the area. In hard-hit Buncombe County, which includes the city of Asheville, more than 150 search and rescue operations are underway as emergency services continue to be overwhelmed, said Avril Pinder, the countys manager, at a Saturday news conference. Ryan Cole, Buncombe Countys assistant emergency services director said there are multiple fatalities, at this time but did not have a firm death toll number as of Saturday evening. More than 20 air rescues have been conducted in McDowell County since early Saturday morning, which successfully extracted patients from isolated areas that remain inaccessible by ground, the countys emergency management office said in a news release. McDowell County is directly east of Buncombe County, where Asheville is located. Nearly 4,000 National Guardsmen were conducting rescue efforts in 21 counties across Florida, the Defense Department said Friday. North Carolina, Georgia and Alabama have also activated guardsmen. The Biden administration has also mobilized more than 1,500 federal personnel to support communities affected by Helene, Vice President Kamala Harris said Friday.

 More rain predicted: Additional rainfall is expected this weekend across portions of the southern Appalachian region. Additional totals of up to 1 inch are expected for areas of western North Carolina, including Asheville, and eastern Tennessee, including Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg. Up to 2 inches is possible for portions of Virginia, Kentucky, Ohio, West Virginia and Pennsylvania through Monday. Although rainfall amounts will be light, areas that received excessive rainfall from Helene may see isolated aggression of excessive runoff, the National Weather Service office in Greenville-Spartanburg said Saturday morning.

 Water conservation urged: Residents in the Greeneville, Tennessee, area are being urged to conserve as much water as possible after flooding due to heavy rainfall along the Nolichucky River washed out all the Chuckey Utility Districts water lines crossing the river. Repairs to the water lines are expected to take place as soon as conditions are safe for everyone, the utility district said. The North Carolina State Emergency Operations Center is sending potable water to Asheville, as a boil water advisory remains in effect for customers who have water, the city said.

 FEMA chief sees Florida damage: Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Deanne Criswell is on the ground in Florida on Saturday, surveying damage and assessing the need for federal resources. FEMA says it has more than 800 deployed staff supporting states affected by the hurricane. Our distribution centers are fully stocked and ready to provide commodities and equipment to any impacted state as required, FEMA said in a release. Among those involved are the Department of Homeland Security, the Coast Guard, the Army Corps of Engineers, and the Salvation Army, the release said. The American Red Cross said at least 1,900 people remained at about 80 shelters after evacuation orders were lifted. Criswell is expected to travel to Georgia on Sunday and travel to North Carolina on Monday.

 Severe flooding in North Carolina: Helene is one of the worst storms in modern history for parts of North Carolina, Gov. Roy Cooper said. Western parts of the state were slammed by heavy rains and strong winds bordering on hurricane-strength levels, life-threatening flash flooding, numerous landslides and power outages. More than 200 people have been rescued from floodwaters in North Carolina, according to a Saturday update from the governor. Search and rescue operations remain underway as over 700,000 people across the state remain without power. More than 2 feet of rain fell in the states mountainous region from Wednesday morning to Friday morning, with Busick recording a total of 29.58 inches in just 48 hours. In the hard-hit city of Asheville, a citywide curfew was in effect until 7:30 a.m. Saturday, officials said. About 20 miles southwest of Asheville, overwhelming, torrential rainfall was pushing the Lake Lure Dam into imminent failure, according to the National Weather Service, but Rutherford County officials said early Saturday the dam is no longer at risk. Engineers controlled the flow rate, according to Rutherford County Emergency Management, but the town is still experiencing cell and internet service issues along with roadways blocked by fallen trees and power lines.

 Dam break no longer imminent: A flash flood warning for towns and cities immediately below the Nolichucky Dam on the Nolichucky River Saturday due to dam operators reporting excessive water flow over the dam was allowed to expire as water levels receded. The dam had been facing potential imminent breach but no longer is, the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency announced at a noon news conference. The agency worked with Tennessee Valley Authority to confirm that the Nolichucky is not in that state anymore and that we have no dam failures that are reported at the moment, TEMA Chief of Staff Alex Pellom said.

 Helene now a post-tropical storm: Helene became a post-tropical cyclone on Friday, but remnant showers continue to swirl across the Tennessee and Ohio Valleys. Multiple areas are approaching more than two feet of rain, with at least 14 different flash flood emergencies issued for approximately 1.1 million people at one point in the Southern Appalachians of Western North Carolina and adjacent parts of Tennessee, South Carolina and Virginia. In addition to the rainfall, winds continued to gust 30 to 50 mph over the Ohio and Tennessee Valley regions Friday evening and more than 35 million people were under wind alerts heading into Saturday.

 Dozens rescued from hospital roof in Tennessee: More than 50 people stranded on the roof of Unicoi County Hospital in Erwin, Tennessee, were rescued after rapidly rising waters from Helene made evacuation impossible Friday morning, Ballad Health said.

 Helene disrupts travel and delivery services: Helene has caused numerous disruptions to travel and delivery services. Several Amtrak trains arriving or departing Florida and Georgia have been canceled, the company said. Delivery services were also impacted, with UPS announcing it has suspended service to Florida, North Carolina and Georgia because of the storm. FedEx likewise suspended or limited its service in five states. Water inundated countless roadways across the region, making them impassable. In North Carolina, 290 roads were closed throughout the state, and Gov. Roy Cooper said the states transportation department is shutting down even more roadways as severe flooding, landslides and washed-out roads pose serious threats to public safety.

This handout photo from the Tennessee Valley Authority shows the Nolichucky Dam in Greene County, Tennessee. Officials say the dam may fail soon from remnants of Helene. - Tennessee Valley Authority

 Helene is now a post-tropical cyclone: Helene  the strongest hurricane on record to slam into Floridas Big Bend region  is now a post-tropical cyclone with winds of 35 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center. It means Helene no longer has an organized center of circulation and is losing its hurricane-like features. But this change doesnt alter much of Helenes overall threat going forward, as Helene will continue to unleash heavy, flooding rainfall and gusty winds. Keith Turi of FEMA warned residents of the dangers remaining from Helene even after it passes. There are a lot of dangers in those floodwaters, things you can see and sometimes things you cant see that are going under the surface, and so really you need to stay out of those floodwaters, Turi told CNN.

Dan Murphy hugs his colleague after bringing his canoe to rescue them from their flooded home as the streets are flooded near Peachtree Creek on Friday in Atlanta. - Megan Varner/Getty Images

Trapped at home: I really dont know what to do

Jennifer Replogle, a pregnant mother of two young children, is completely trapped at home in Tater Hill, North Carolina, elevation 4,200 feet, above Boone, where hurricanes are not the norm.

We werent prepared for this, she said via text early Saturday morning. The roads are gone, like completely gone.

Power has been out since early Friday, she said.

Replogle said she has no food and is running out of water.

The few narrow, windy roads from the mountain into Boone are impassable, she said.

Our basement flooded yesterday. If they dont get somebody to us soon, I really dont know what to do, Replogle said.

She is worried about the plumbing and water services business she and her husband own. They have seen a photo of it with the parking lot flooded and fear we have lost most of everything.

Their employees are also trapped at home or staying with friends, Replogle said.

Florida and Georgia communities devastated

Helene cut a massive path of destruction across Florida, Georgia and the Southeastern US, snapping trees and power lines, and mangling hundreds of homes. As millions were left without essentials like electricity and some with nowhere to return to after the ravaging storm, rescue crews set out to save people trapped in wreckage or underwater.

In Cedar Key, Florida, the devastation is so widespread, it is not safe enough to allow residents or volunteers back into the small community off the Florida coast, city officials said Friday. The town doesnt have any sewage water or power, so theres really not a whole lot to be able to sustain people being here, Cedar Key Mayor Sue Colson said.

Scores of historical buildings and new homes have been decimated, while roads were blocked by downed wires and extremely dangerous debris, the mayor said. Its just a multifaceted mess, Colson said.

Another small, tight-knit Florida community, Keaton Beach, is picking up the pieces of their lives left behind by the ravages of Helene.

You look at Keaton Beach  almost every home was destroyed, or the vast majority, and some totally obliterated. Its because they had such a massive surge that went in there, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Friday, adding the storm surge might have been as high as 20 feet.

The towns Beach Bums gas station was three days away from celebrating the five-year anniversary of its opening when it collapsed, said owner Jared Hunt, who spent the morning helping residents look for personal belongings, salvaging whats left.

One Keaton Beach resident stood with his wife in front of the wreckage of what used to be their home, wondering where they might go next.

Man, I just lost my house. I have nowhere else to go, Eric Church told CNN. My house is laying here in a pile. It was sitting right there. There are just pillars left in the ground. I got a wife and two dogs with me. What am I supposed to do?

Churchs wife, Erin Peelar, said the couple had just purchased the home and expected some water from the hurricane, not for the house to disappear.

The house has been here for 75 years and thats the whole reason we bought it six months ago, having faith it would be here for another 75, Peelar said.

Florida State Guardsmen on a search and recovery mission in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene on September 27, 2024 in Steinhatchee, Florida. - Sean Rayford/Getty Images

DeSantis said he believes Hurricane Helene inflicted more damage than Hurricane Idalia in 2023, which at the time was the strongest hurricane to make landfall in Floridas Big Bend region in more than 125 years.

Over in Georgia, multiple people were trapped after at least 115 structures in the southern city of Valdosta in Lowndes County were heavily damaged by Helene, Gov. Brian Kemp said Friday.

The damage to our community is substantial and appears much worse than Hurricane Idalia, the Lowndes County Emergency Management said on its Facebook page.

Complete pandemonium amid North Carolina floodwaters

Residents of Asheville, North Carolina, described complete pandemonium in their city after Helene brought several feet of floodwater and pushed large debris into streets overnight.

Samuel Hayes said he woke up with several calls from his employees telling him about fallen trees on their roofs, water pouring into their homes and mudslides.

Complete pandemonium around the city, Hayes told CNNs Isabel Rosales. Its going to take us a long time to clean this up.

Hayes and another Asheville native, Maxwell Kline, described the River Arts District neighborhood as being inundated with oil-contaminated floodwaters.

A lot of businesses are completely wrecked  Ive never seen anything like that since Ive lived here. Its absolutely a tragedy, Kline said.

Gas pumps were down and they lost power, internet and cell phone service for hours, they said. Cant get anything right now  no food you can buy, no gas, nothing, Kline said.

About 25 miles outside of Asheville, a lifelong resident of Hendersonville said she was traumatized by the onslaught of Helene. I never knew anything like this could happen here, Avery Dull, 20, told CNN.

Dull and her neighbors were extremely unprepared for the deluge, and she saw at least one person busting out of their window, she said. But her apartment is still intact because its on the second floor, Dull said.

Luckily we were on high ground, but those people lost everything, Dull said. Half of my neighborhood is underwater and dozens of families are trapped inside of their homes. Cars have been completely submerged and totaled, and power is out across the county.

Elsewhere in North Carolina, shattered glass, rocks and mud covered one couples car after a landslide triggered by Helene came crashing down onto Interstate 40 as they were driving through Black Mountain.

Kelly Keffer said her husband saw something coming from the corner of his eye and then they started to hear pounding on top of the car, so he stepped on the gas. Then, the whole side of the mountain started sliding, Alan Keffer said. Alan thought they would be able to speed past it, but it slid faster than he thought.

Within less than a minute, the rocks, the dirt, everything hit us. It was scary, he said. The back window was completely shattered, Kelly said.

In Erwin, Tennessee  just over 40 miles north of Asheville, North Carolina  flooding submerged houses, buildings and roadways.

Erwin resident Nathan Farnor said he evacuated the area on Friday afternoon, when his home was slightly above water level, then he fled to an area a few miles away on higher ground.

The power remains out, and it appears that most businesses, homes, and campgrounds near the river have suffered a total loss, Farnor said, Sadly, the situation does not appear to be improving.

CNNs Emma Tucker, Elise Hammond, Ashley R. Williams, Taylor Ward, Taylor Romine, Mary Gilbert, Brandon Miller, Alaa Elassar, Nicole Chavez, Josh Replogle, Isabel Rosales, Taylor Galgano, Caroll Alvarado, Sara Smart, Andy Rose, Nic F. Anderson and Paradise Afshar contributed to this report.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
East Coast port workers on verge of strike for first time in 47 years. What to know

With apologies to Louis Prima, we do have bananas today.

But we may not have them next week, as the International Longshoremen's Association gears up for what could be the East Coast's first major port strike in nearly half a century, ever since a 1977 strike that clotted up the United States' Atlantic ports for seven weeks.

If no contract is signed by the end of Monday, every major U.S. port from Maine to the Texas Gulf Coast may shut down as more than 45,000 union workers take up pickets  at ports that handle around half the goods that reach America by sea.

This would include the Port of Wilmington, the largest banana port in North America and the second biggest in the world, among East Coast ports that add up to two-thirds of the bananas entering the nation. Cars, seafood, electronics and holiday goods are among the other products that may be squeezed in a port strike.

Flashback: Wilmington is port of call for a world of fruit

Port operators blame the union for the standoff and have filed a complaint over what they allege is a bad-faith break in negotiations. The union calls this a "publicity stunt" and says what's at stake is both fair wages and an existential threat to jobs in the form of artificial intelligence and automation.

Here's what we know about the looming labor strike at the East Coast's largest ports.

When is the contract deadline and how likely is a strike?

The union and port operator group the United States Maritime Alliance must reach an agreement by midnight Monday to avoid a walkout.

Members of the International Longshoremens Association wait on March 26, 2024, to see whether they will be needed for work at the Port of Wilmington.

Otherwise, the ILA has said it's prepared to strike.

Both sides are publicly playing hardball, and it's not clear an agreement is near. The Maritime Alliance representing port operators filed a complaint on Thursday with the National Labor Relations Board, alleging that the union had illegally broken off negotiations.

The two sides have reportedly not met in person since June after the ILA said they discovered that a port gate in Mobile, Alabama, had violated the current ILA agreement by using automated technology to process trucks without union workers.

But the union publicly derided at the notion they were the ones negotiating in bad faith and called the port operators' labor complaint part of a "weak publicity campaign designed to fool the American public." Union president Harold Daggett said in September he fields "low-ball" offers from the port operators "several times each week."

He began warning of a potential strike as early as July.

"As we get closer to our contract deadline, you may hear more about the possibility of a strike," wrote Daggett's son, union vice president Dennis Daggett, in a July statement. "We want you to know that we are doing everything in our power to reach a fair agreement without disrupting the flow of goods you rely on. But in all honesty, we are prepared to stand up for what is right, even if it means taking drastic measures."

What are workers asking for in a new contract?

A Dole ship sits docked at the Port of Wilmington on Sept. 23, 2024.

In part, the usual thing: money.

Workers at East Coast ports have noted publicly that they are ill-paid compared with their counterparts on the West Coast, represented by the International Longshore and Warehouse Union. Under the latest West Coast contract, longshoremen top out at a reported base pay of nearly $55 an hour, compared with $39 an hour for East Coast employees, according to the contract set to expire Oct. 1.

Union president Daggett has signaled his union is seeking a $5 increase in hourly rate each year, over the six-year life of the contract.

Unlike the West Coast port workers' union, the ILA is also holding out against automated technologies already in use at West Coast ports. Safeguards against automation that threatens jobs are one of the main public sticking points in ILA negotiations with port operators.

"We will never allow automation to come into our union and try to put us out of work as long as Im alive," said union president Daggett in a July statement.

At the Port of Wilmington, workers for multiple unions serving the port told nonprofit news organization Spotlight Delaware that hours and jobs had been cut since port operator Enstructure took over the port in 2023.

How is Wilmington's port responding to a potential strike?

Officials from port operator Enstructure didn't devote much time to a potential strike in their public report to Delaware's Diamond State Port Corp. on Friday. Instead, they touted the port's success at bringing in expanded port shipments since taking over port operations in July 2023  and in handling the increased ship traffic after the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed in Baltimore this spring.

However, Enstructure has begun preparations for a potential work stoppage, according to spokespeople.

"Over the next few days, Port Wilmington is preparing for a possible work stoppage impacting major ports on the East and Gulf Coasts beginning on Tuesday, October 1," reads a statement from the company. "Port Wilmington will continue to operate business as usual until the potential work stoppage. If an ILA strike occurs, we will continue to provide support services for our customers until regular operations resume."

What products would be affected by an East Coast port strike?

A strike by the International Longshoremen's Association, the union that represents 85,000 dockworkers, could shut down key port facilities in Newark and Elizabeth.

The ILA has said its workers will continue to handle all military ship traffic, and that cruise ships would also not be affected by a strike. As storm clouds began to gather, retailers such as Costco have also been scrambling to expedite shipments.

But broad swaths of the economy would likely be drastically snarled up by a lasting East Coast port strike, according to industry observers  particularly among holiday goods that have yet to arrive on these shores.

A supply chain disruption would undoubtedly lead to price increases across the board and would impact consumers ability to find the toys they are looking for in the weeks and months ahead, Greg Ahearn, president and chief executive of the Toy Association, told USA TODAY on Friday.

Aside from holiday goods, experts said other items that may experience shortages and higher prices include:

Seafood, like cod fish from Iceland or Canada and shrimp from Thailand and Ecuador. Those arent as easy to transport by train because theyre refrigerated and perishable," UCLA professor and supply chain expert Chris Tang told USA TODAY on Friday.

Electronics, like cellphones and computers, now come from Southeast Asian nations like Vietnam, Indonesia and Thailand instead of China and are routed through East Coast ports, according to Tang.

Pharmaceuticals. Though air shipping is possible, drug shortages may result if negotiations cant be settled within a month or so, Tang said.

Cars and auto parts. The Port of Baltimore leads the nation in car shipments. European cars come through this port and may experience a shortage, experts said. Auto parts from Europe often pass through East Coast and Gulf Coast ports, too.

Machinery parts. East Coast ports surpass others in the U.S. in shipments of machinery, fabricated steel and precision instruments, according to S&P Global Market Intelligence.

Bananas. Three-quarters of the nations bananas enter through East Coast and Gulf Coast ports, according to Michigan State University's Jason Miller. There is (zero) chance of shifting all these imports through the West Coast, and the low dollar value per unit of weight for bananas means putting them on planes isnt economical, he wrote in a LinkedIn post. Moreover, you cant frontload a perishable product.

Matthew Korfhage is business and development reporter in the Delaware region covering all things related to land and money: openings and closings, construction, and the many corporations that call the First State home. Send tips and insults to mkorfhage@gannett.com.

(This story was updated to add a photo gallery)

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Wilmington port braces for first strike since 1977
Flags are at half-staff in Massachusetts today. Here's why

Gov. Maura Healey announced that state and national flags will fly at half-staff in Massachusetts on Saturday to honor Enrique Delgado-Garcia of Worcester.

Delgado-Garcia, a 25-year-old member of the 90th Recruit Training Troop for the state police, passed away on Sept. 13 after sustaining injuries during a boxing exercise at the Massachusetts State Police Academy in New Braintree the day before. In Delgado-Garcia's final hours at the hospital surrounded by family and friends, state police performed a bilingual ceremony to administer the oath of office and pin his trooper badge.

In honor of Garcia and his service to the state of Massachusetts, flags will be lowered to half-staff from sunrise to sunset on Sept. 28, the day of his funeral, where he will receive full state police honors.

Enrique Delgado-Garcia

Why are flags flown at half-staff?

Dramatic Sky Above US Flag at Half Mast

According to the official website of the U.S. General Services Administration, flags typically fly at half-staff when the country or specific state is in mourning. Observances include national tragedies, days of remembrance and deaths of government or military personnel.

The president, the state governor or the mayor of Washington, D.C., can order flags to fly at half-staff.

Investigation ongoing: AG puts Boston lawyer in charge of inquiry into death of recruit Enrique Delgado-Garcia

Half-staff vs. half-mast

While half-staff refers to lowered flags on land, half-mast refers to those at sea. Both refer to a flag being flown beneath the top of its staff as a sign of respect.

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Why are flags at half-staff in Massachusetts today? What to know
Vice President Harriss campaign is launching digital ads in Las Vegas to engage with Filipino Americans ahead of Filipino American History Month.

The campaign is placing digital ads in Las Vegas to engage with Filipino American voters as they gather to celebrate the richness of Filipino food and culture. Ads will also be placed on taxi tops, bus shelters, and billboards around the Pinoy Pride Festival on September 27.

These ads underscore our campaigns efforts to reach Filipino American voters where they are and speak with them about whats at stake in this election, Harris Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Spokesperson Andrew Peng told The Hill.

Asian Americans make up more than 10 percent of Nevadas population, and Filipino Americans are the largest demographic within that group. Close to 170,000 Filipino Americans are living in the state. In 2020, President Biden won the state by a little over 40,000 votes. During that election cycle, Asian Americans broke 65 percent Democratic.

Its the largest and earliest investment ever in outreach, Filipinos for Harris founder Melissa Ramoso, who is also a council member in California, told The Hill. The pathway to 270 will be won or lost on the margins and Filipino Americans in Nevada have been the margin of victory.

According to Ramoso, Filipino Democratic leaders have traditionally dedicated much of their time to driving out voters in the Silver State, which has been a swing state for over two decades.

To do this for the Filipino American community, especially in Nevada, where a lot of our relatives and a lot of people we know go to retire and where many of our people have moved is really speaking to us, she said.

The Harris-Walz campaign also expects Filipino Americans to have a decisive role in this election and has hired AAPI-specific staff in the state to help with outreach.

As Filipino Americans gather to celebrate their history and heritage, Team Harris-Walz is proud to join in honoring the resilience and joy of this incredible community, Peng told The Hill.

In July, the campaign conducted a media blitz in Nevada Asian American papers like the Las Vegas Chinese Daily News, Las Vegas Japan Times, and the Philippine Times of Southern Nevada.

This is Harriss fourth Asian-American-specific ad blitz. Last week, the campaign launched an ad highlighting her mother, an immigrant from India.

In another Asian-American-specific ad, the Harris campaign highlighted Rozita, a Filipina American living in Las Vegas, highlighting the active threat Donald Trump poses to the health of Asian American communities.

According to Ramoso, healthcare and elder care are among the most important issues for Filipino Americans, as many are involved in the healthcare industry.

The campaign also attacked Trump while rolling out this ad buy in Nevada, pointing to his decision to shut down their Asian American outreach center in the state.

There has been no bigger advocate for the AAPI community than President Trump, Trump communications director Steven Cheung wrote to The Hill. Anyone who says otherwise is disgustingly using the AAPI community to play political games for their own benefit.

The push to mobilize Filipino American voters in Nevada is part of a larger strategy to turn out Asian American voters, the quickest-growing demographic in the nation, with over 15 million eligible voters this cycle.

Asian Americans are showing overwhelming support for Harris, with a recent poll showing that Harris holds more than a 30-point advantage over Trump in the demographic.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
In this screen grab from a television pool camera, Vice President Kamala Harris confers with a US Border Patrol officer along the US-Mexico border in Arizona (Reuters / Pool)

Vice President Kamala Harris on Friday said the US government is duty-bound to set rules at our border and to enforce them as she called for reform of the American immigration system.

The immigration system should work in an orderly way, that it is humane and makes our country stronger, she said during a speech at Cochise College in Douglas, Arizona, after visiting the US border wall.

She also slammed her 2024 election opponent, former President Donald Trump, for commanding his Republican allies to vote against a bipartisan immigration and border reform package that experts said was stronger than any similar legislation considered by Congress in decades.

The vice president said the dedicated agents of the US Border Patrol and customs officers need more resources to do their jobs, which is why she supported the bipartisan legislation that wouldve provided funds to hire 1,500 more Border Patrol officers and purchase 100 machines to detect fentanyl at the border.

It would have allowed us to more quickly and effectively remove those who come here illegally, and it would have increased the number of immigration judges and asylum officers. It was the strongest border security bill we have seen in decades. It was endorsed by the Border Patrol union, and it should be in effect today, producing results in real time right now for our country, she said.

But Donald Trump tanked it. He picked up the phone and called some friends in Congress and said, stop the bill, because, you see, he prefers to run on a problem instead of fixing a problem, and the American people deserve a president who cares more about border security than playing political games and their personal political future.

The vice president said the dedicated agents of the US Border Patrol and customs officers need more resources to do their jobs (AP)

Harris pledged that she would sign that exact same bill into law if it is passed by Congress and sent to her desk as president.

The vice president, who was making her first visit to the US-Mexico border as a candidate for the presidency, also promised to reach across the aisle and embrace common sense approaches and new technologies to get the job done if elected, citing her experience battling transnational criminal gangs and cartels as the attorney general of California.

She vowed to change Americas asylum rules to bar anyone who crosses between ports of entry into the US from seeking asylum on a permanent basis.

Those who cross our borders unlawfully will be apprehended and removed and barred from reentering for five years. We will pursue more severe criminal charges against repeat violators, and if someone does not make an asylum request at a legal point of entry and instead crosses our border unlawfully, they will be barred from receiving asylum, while we understand that many people are desperate to migrate to the United States. Our system must be orderly and secure, and that is my goal, she said.

Earlier in the day, Harris arrived at a site along the US border wall in Douglas, where she was greeted by a pair of uniformed officers from the US Border Patrol.

The two officers and the vice president chatted as they walked along a path next to a section of the wall, which was constructed during the Obama administration and is not part of the wall built during Trumps presidency.

She also received a briefing from Customs and Border Protection officials on US efforts to prevent the introduction of fentanyl into the United States. Harris is later expected to announce support for further restricting how people can claim asylum if they enter the country unlawfully between ports of entry along the border with Mexico.

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris talks with John Modlin, the chief patrol agent for the Tucson Sector of the U.S. Border Patrol, right, and Blaine Bennett, the U.S. Border Patrol Douglas Station border patrol agent in charge, as she visits the U.S. border with Mexico in Douglas, Arizona, on Friday (AP)

Harris told the crowd in Douglas that shed make combatting the trafficking of the synthetic narcotic a top priority if she is sworn in as president next year.

The vice presidents visit to the border comes as she seeks to fight Trump on the key issue of his campaign. He rarely makes a public appearance without engaging in incendiary rhetoric on the subject, often crossing a line into outright racism.

Trump and his Republican allies have sought to attack Harris for the Biden administrations record on migration and have attempted to brand her as a failed border czar because of her work handling diplomacy with countries that, until recently, accounted for a significant portion of the immigrants claiming asylum along the US-Mexico border.

But Harris said she would put politics aside, to fix our immigration system and find solutions to problems which have persisted for far too long if elected, including by enacting legislation to give so-called Dreamers brought to the US illegally as children  as well as hardworking immigrants whove been in the US for years a path to citizenship.

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris talks with John Modlin, the chief patrol agent for the Tucson Sector of the U.S. Border Patrol, right, as she visits the U.S. border with Mexico in Douglas, Ariz., Friday, Sept. 27, 2024 (AP)

The vice president contrasted her approach with that of Trump, who she said did nothing to fix our broken immigration system during his time in office.

He did not solve the shortage of immigration judges. He did not solve the shortage of border agents. He did not create lawful pathways into our nation, he did nothing to address an outdated asylum system and did not work with other governments in our hemisphere to deal with what clearly is also a regional challenge, she said.

As overdoses went up during his presidency, he fought to slash funding for the fight against fentanyl. And what did he do instead ... he separated families. He ripped toddlers out of their mothers arms, put children in cages and tried to end protections for Dreamers. He made the challenges at the border worse, and he is still fanning the flames of fear and division.

That is not the work of a leader, she added.

Immigration and border security are top issues in Arizona, the only battleground state that borders Mexico and one that contended with a record influx of asylum seekers last year. Trump has an edge with voters on migration, and Harris has gone on offense to improve her standing on the issue and defuse a key line of political attack for Trump.

In nearly every campaign speech she gives, Harris recounts how a sweeping bipartisan package aiming to overhaul the federal immigration system collapsed in Congress earlier this year after Trump urged top Republicans to oppose it.

The American people deserve a president who cares more about border security than playing political games, Harris plans to say, according to an excerpt of her remarks previewed by her campaign. After the immigration legislation stalled, the Biden administration announced rules that bar migrants from being granted asylum when U.S. officials deem that the southern border is overwhelmed.

Since then, arrests for illegal border crossings have fallen. Harris will also use her trip to remind voters about her work as attorney general of California in confronting crime along the border.

During an August rally in Glendale, outside Phoenix, she talked about helping to prosecute drug- and people-smuggling gangs that operated transnationally and at the border.

With additional reporting by agencies
Danny Danon, Israel's permanent representative to the United Nations, told ABC News on Thursday that his nation is ready to intensify military action against Iran-aligned Hezbollah in Lebanon amid troubled cease-fire talks.

Israeli strikes have already killed more than 700 people across Lebanon since Monday, with airstrikes particularly concentrated in Hezbollah's southern and eastern heartlands.

"We mean business," Danon said when asked about Israel's intentions. "We will do whatever is necessary to allow the residents of the north to come back to their homes."

"We prefer a diplomatic solution, but we also have the capabilities to push Hezbollah from our borders. So, we hope there will be some kind of a diplomatic solution. If not, we will use our strength and might to make it happen."

PHOTO: Israel's ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, speaks to the media at U.N. headquarters in New York City on Sept. 25, 2024. (David Dee Delgado/Reuters)

MORE: Israel kills Hezbollah commander in Beirut strike, Netanyahu vows to continue 'with full force'

Danon spoke with ABC News on Thursday as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu landed in New York City to attend the U.N. General Assembly and before Israel carried out a major air strike on Hezbollah's headquarters in Beirut on Friday.

Earlier on Thursday, Netanyahu appeared to dismiss a joint U.S.-French proposal for a 21-day cease-fire, which President Joe Biden said Wednesday had won "significant" international backing.

Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz then explicitly declared on social media that there would be "no cease-fire."

Asked whether the contrasting U.S.-Israeli rhetoric represented fresh bilateral tensions, Danon replied: "No -- we will continue the ongoing dialogue with our colleagues in the U.S. We appreciate the cooperation and we have a good mechanism for discussing those issues."

"We appreciate the efforts of the U.S., France and other countries who are trying to find a diplomatic solution," he added.

PHOTO: Israeli Army tanks are transported, amid cross-border hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel, in northern Israel, Sept. 26, 2024. (Jim Urquhart/Reuters)

MORE: Israel-Gaza-Lebanon live updates: Hezbollah confirms top commander killed

"We prefer a diplomatic solution for the problem with Hezbollah, but we know that sometimes when you deal with a terrorist organization -- and we have the experience with Hamas in the last year -- it's very hard to achieve an agreement."

Signals at the Israel-Lebanon border indicate that Israel is preparing for a possible ground invasion. Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Herzl Halevi said Thursday that the military "has been waiting for years for this opportunity to attack Hezbollah."

Israel wants Hezbollah to withdraw beyond the Litani River -- some 18 miles north of Israel's border -- as stipulated by a 2006 U.N. Security Council resolution that sought to end the last major war between the two sides.

"If in the future we will engage with another diplomatic resolution, we will have to make sure that it can be enforced," Danon said. "We need to understand what will be the sanction with enforcing it."

"In 2006, the resolution passed the Security Council and look what happened -- today, you don't see even a single Lebanese soldier on the border with Israel. You see full control of Hezbollah."

PHOTO: The Israeli Iron Dome air defense system fires to intercept rockets that were launched from Lebanon, as seen from Haifa, northern Israel, on Sept. 27, 2024. (Maya Alleruzzo/AP)

"I think they know that we are serious, they know that we are determined," Danon continued of Hezbollah. The militant group's decision to attack Israel in support of Hamas in the Gaza Strip, Danon added, "is a mistake, and the people who will pay the price will be the people of Lebanon."

Lebanese officials urged a cease-fire following Israel's intensification of cross-border bombing over the past week. Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib told the UNGA the conflict could "transform into a black hole that will engulf international and regional peace and security."

Asked if Beirut could play a role in preventing a wider war, Danon replied: "Lebanon is a sovereign state and we expect the government to take the appropriate actions in order to control what's happening there."

"If they allow Hezbollah to take over, they will bear the consequences."

Lebanon will 'bear consequences' of Hezbollah 'mistake,' Israeli ambassador says originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
Residents downstream of two North Carolina dams were evacuated after reports of a catastrophic failure due to flooding from Hurricane Helene.

Officials in Cocke County, Tennessee said on Friday afternoon that the Waterville Dam, just over the state line in North Carolina, had failed and ordered everyone in downtown Newport to get out.

State officials and the National Weather Service (NWS) later said this was a false alarm, citing the energy company that operates the dam, but the evacuation orders remained in force.

Elsewhere, officials in Rutherford County, North Carolina told residents downstream of the Lake Lure Dam to flee to higher ground due to floodwater overflowing the top of the 124-ft-high barrier and pouring uncontrolled around the edges.

Water is cresting the dam and flowing around the side walls. Structural supports have been compromised, but the dam wall is currently holding, said the county emergency management department.

The Lake Lure Dam in calmer times, near Asheville in North Carolina. Residents were told to evacuate after the dam was compromised by heavy rain from Tropical Storm Helene on Friday (Town of Lake Lure)

Evacuations have occurred from the dam to Island Creek Road. Evacuation sirens are sounding downstream of the dam.

At least 130 people were dead across multiple states on Monday evening after Hurricane Helene crashed into Florida as a 140mph, Category 4 storm late Thursday, pounding the west coast with unsurvivable conditions.

While Helene was downgraded as it moved inland and the winds dropped, it continued to dump vast amounts of water across Georgia, the Carolinas and then up into Tennessee and Kentucky as it moved north heading into the weekend.

The result was chaos and confusion across a wide area, with both Rutherford County in North Carolina and Cocke County in Tennessee initially claiming that the dams had burst or were about to burst.

EMERGENCY UPDATE: THE WATERVILLE DAM HAS SUFFERED A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE. EVACUATION ALL OF DOWNTOWN NEWPORT IMMEDIATELY, Cocke County Mayor Rob Mathis wrote on Facebook.

But the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA) said: "We have been informed the dam has not failed, per Duke Energy. Evacuations are still occurring in the area."

UPDATE: We have been informed the dam has not failed, per Duke Energy.



Evacuations are still occurring in the area. Please follow local official guidance if you live in the region. https://t.co/8cDKIUcf2J  Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA) (@TennesseeEMA) September 27, 2024

Duke Energy announced that it had opened all floodgates at the Waterville Dam and that the structure was performing as expected. However, a spokesperson declined to say whether or not the dam was damaged.

A spokesperson for the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality likewise confirmed to The Independent that the Lake Lure Dam appeared to be of sound structure at around 3pm.

Due to the rainfall, the dam is said to be overtopping across its entire length of the dam. The structure was intact as of the last reports we have, said spokesperson Josh Kastrinsky. Theres been some erosion noted on the left abutment of the structure, and some water is flowing around that abutment.

A later update said the flow over the top of the dam had reduced from 2ft deep to 1ft or less, but that water was still flowing uncontrolled around both right and left abutments.

By Monday afternoon, all roads in downtown Newport had reopened, according to Mathis. He also said he had been in contact with the White House and was assured by Joe Biden that federal resources would be available to assist in the citys recovery efforts, WBIR reports.

Cocke County Sheriff C.J. Ball confirmed on Monday that two people had died due to storm-related incidents.

On Facebook, wedding and portrait photographer Helen Pace, who lives on the other side of Lake Lure from the dam, posted pictures of her badly damaged house and a road carved apart by floodwaters.

Flooding and a badly-damaged road near Bat Cave around Lake Lure, North Carolina on Friday following impacts from storm Helene (Helen Pace)

We are physically OK, she said. The water has started to recede and I think we dodged the predicted winds... We are not able to get out now, we have no power, no water, and cell service seems to be restricted. Sending my love to you all.

The Rutherford County evacuation orders named a total of 45 streets in two separate Facebook posts. Officials said that storm shelters had been opened at Lake Lure Town Hall and Rutherfordtown Presbyterian Church.

It wasnt immediately clear on Friday how many people are affected by the evacuations, but Newport has an estimated population of about 7,000 and Lake Lure has about 1,600.

The Lure Dam was built in 1927 on the Broad River, about one hours drive east of Asheville and two hours west of Charlotte.

Lake Lure itself is best known nationally as a filming site for the 1987 film Dirty Dancing, which used it to stand in for upstate New Yorks Catskill Mountains.

Kastrinsky said that the Lake Lure Dam is classified as high hazard due to the large number of people and roads downstream of it, but was last assessed to be in fair condition, the second highest of four available ratings.

The Waterville Dam is at the confluence of the Pigeon River and Big Creek, and is also known as the Walters Dam. Both dams are located in North Carolinas Great Smoky Mountains.

Editors Note: This story was updated at 18:46 Eastern Time on Friday 27 September, 2024. to reflect new statements from emergency officials about the Waterville Dam.
Voting booths at a vote center in Dona Ana County, New Mexico. (Danielle Prokop/Source NM)

Ive been a Republican since 1972 when I was South Dakota Teen Age Republican secretary. As an adult, I was elected four times to the South Dakota House of Representatives. I was the assistant majority Leader of the Republican Caucus. And, I support Amendment H  open primaries in South Dakota.

Amendment H is simple  instead of separate primary elections based on politics, there would be one single primary for all voters. All candidates on one ballot. All voters allowed to vote. The two candidates with the most votes would advance to the general election, where all voters will decide who gets elected.

Five key arguments in favor of Amendment H:

Everyone should get to vote

The most fundamental principle of democracy is one person, one vote. Every citizen is treated equally. Yet, in South Dakota, all citizens are not treated equally in the primary election. Independents are allowed to vote in the Democratic primary, but not the Republican primary. Republicans and Democrats dont vote if all candidates are from the other party. Tens of thousands of citizens are denied the right to vote in these elections. Amendment H guarantees that all voters get to vote. Its true democracy in action.

People, not political parties, should control our elections

Political parties do not appear in the U.S. Constitution. They are not part of our government or our democracy. Political parties are special interest groups  just like a labor union, a political action committee, or a professional association. Forcing voters to join a political party in order to vote in an election is more like Russia or China than a democracy. We are a right to work state  we dont have to join a union to work. We should be a right to vote state  we shouldnt have to join a political party to vote. Amendment H allows everyone to vote for any candidate in the primary election regardless of political affiliation. Political party status will not control if you can vote or for whom you can vote.

Tax dollars should not be used for partisan politics

When a political party endorses one person in an election or chooses delegates for its convention, that is political business. Just like a labor union, the chamber of commerce, or private corporations electing their leadership. Tax dollars should not be used to do political work. In South Dakota, the tax-funded primary election is being used by political parties to conduct private business. Amendment H guarantees that all voters will be able to participate equally in our taxpayer-funded primary. No special status for some voters because of their political registration. Political parties can still endorse candidates, campaign, and select convention delegates. But, theyll have to do it with their own money  not with tax dollars.

All voters should have a choice

In communist countries, voters often have only one candidate from which to choose. This no choice election happens in South Dakota, too. It is not uncommon for all candidates running for office to be of the same political party. When that happens, those candidates only appear on the primary ballot where only some citizens can vote. Frequently, the winner of the political primary is then automatically elected. Many of our elected officials are being chosen by some, not all, voters. Amendment H provides for the top two candidates to be on the November ballot, even if they are from the same political party. Your favorite candidate might get eliminated in the primary. But, you will still have a choice in November as to who will represent you.

Elected officials should be elected by a majority of voters

South Dakota law allows more than two candidates on the November ballot  Republicans, Democrats, third-party candidates, and independents. If three or more candidates are running for office, the person with the most votes  not a majority of voters  gets elected. An elected official can be opposed by a majority of voters and still get elected. Amendment H provides that only the top two candidates face off in the November election. So, a majority of voters will have to agree on who gets elected. All elected officials will have to receive more than half the final votes. Majority rule  a cornerstone of democracy.

Conclusion

Amendment H will change our election process in South Dakota for the better. Political parties will be influential, but not in control. All voters will have equal opportunities to be heard in the electoral process. Competition among candidates will be greater, and that will lead to elected officials representing all the voters equally. Only in a Democracy does the process  voting and participating  matter more than the outcome  who wins. For a democracy to work, everyone must be able to participate. Amendment H guarantees that.

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Helene knocked out power in western Cuba as it brushed past the island, affecting some 160,000 customers in the province of Artemisa and another 70,000 in the neighboring province of Pinar del Rio.

The hurricane also forced some 800 people in the region to evacuate flood-prone zones, according to Guerrillero, a local newspaper.

Residents use a piece of plastic as protection from heavy rains brought on by Hurricane Helene, in Batabano, Cuba, Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)

A resident uses a piece of plastic as protection from heavy rains brought on by Hurricane Helene, in Batabano, Cuba, Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)

A resident uses a piece of plastic sheet as protection from heavy rains brought on by Hurricane Helene, in Batabano, Cuba, Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)

People traverse a flooded street on a boat after the passage of Hurricane Helene in Guanimar, Artemisa province, Cuba, Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)

People lounge on a flooded porch after the passage of Hurricane Helene in Guanimar, Artemisa province, Cuba, Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)

A man spends time with his pig on his flooded porch after the passage of Hurricane Helene in Guanimar, Artemisa province, Cuba, Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)

A man removes water from a boat while talking to neighbors after the passage of Hurricane Helene in Guanimar, Artemisa province, Cuba, Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)

A man pushes his bicycle through a flooded street after Hurricane Helene passed through Guanimar, Artemisa province, Cuba, Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)

Neighbors chat on a flooded street after the passage of Hurricane Helene in Guanimar, Artemisa province, Cuba, Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)

People traverse a flooded street with a horse-drawn carriage after the passage of Hurricane Helene in Guanimar, Artemisa province, Cuba, Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)

A man lights charcoal to cook dinner in his flooded home after the passage of Hurricane Helene in Guanimar, Artemisa province, Cuba, Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)

A resident leads his pig through a street flooded in the passing of Hurricane Helene, in Batabano, Mayabeque province, Cuba, Thursday, Sept. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)

Jesus Hernandez guides his granddaughter Angelina via a container through a street flooded in the passing of Hurricane Helene, in Batabano, Mayabeque province, Cuba, Thursday, Sept. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)

A woman carries a child as she wades through a street flooded in the passing of Hurricane Helene, in Batabano, Mayabeque province, Cuba, Thursday, Sept. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)

A woman looks at her dogs sitting on a sofa, as she stands inside her home that was flooded in the passing of Hurricane Helene, in Batabano, Mayabeque province, Cuba, Thursday, Sept. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)

A woman piggybacks on the back of a man as he wades through a street flooded in the passing of Hurricane Helene, in Batabano, Mayabeque province, Cuba, Thursday, Sept. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)

Residents wade through a street flooded in the passing of Hurricane Helene, in Batabano, Mayabeque province, Cuba, Thursday, Sept. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)

A man in a kayak uses a makeshift paddle as he travels through a street flooded in the passing of Hurricane Helene, in Batabano, Mayabeque province, Cuba, Thursday, Sept. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)

A man floats in a container on a street flooded by the passing of Hurricane Helene, in Batabano, Mayabeque province, Cuba, Thursday, Sept. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)

Residents wade through a street flooded in the passing of Hurricane Helene, in Batabano, Mayabeque province, Cuba, Thursday, Sept. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)

Pictures posted on social media showed overflowing rivers that turned some streets into creeks as people traveled by boat with their personal belongings.

On the Isle of Youth, some 25 hectares (62 acres) of tobacco seedbeds of export quality were damaged, said Raul Fernandez, director of a local company, adding that an anticipated planting schedule for October could be delayed. In addition, some 3,000 customers, about 12% of the municipality, were without power.

The Cuban government was still assessing overall damage on Thursday.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WSAV-TV.
The Reason Why Bananas Might Be Really Hard to Find in Grocery Stores Soon (and Prices May Go Up)

This article may contain affiliate links that Yahoo and/or the publisher may receive a commission from if you buy a product or service through those links.

Your shopping routine may hit a snag in the next few weeks. According to a new report from Reuters, port workers responsible for importing and exporting various agricultural, pharmaceutical, auto, and other goods intend to go on strike after their six-year contract expires at midnight on September 30, 2024.

Heres what we know: Nearly 45,000 union workers plan to walk off the job across seaports on the East and Gulf Coasts of the U.S. Thats because employees of the International Longshoremens Association (ILA) union are demanding pay increases. If their requests arent met, vital trade processes will be stopped.

The ports in consideration process about half of all U.S. imports (!). This pause in handling would disrupt the availability of a range of goods, including coffee, bananas, life-saving medications, apparel, and more. The ILA hasnt hosted a strike of this magnitude since 1977.

With the potential strike looming, bananas and coffee will immediately experience shortages and higher prices. The U.S. imports three-quarters of its bananas from countries like Guatemala and Ecuador; with this blockage, itd be impossible for the fruit to enter the country. Plus, the nation brings in the worlds second-highest amount of coffee beans thanks to its big suppliers from Brazil, Colombia, Vietnam, and Guatemala. With this halt, youll likely experience some less-than-desirable changeups to your morning latte.

Maersk, an integrated logistics company that offers supply chain solutions for managing shipments and cargo, told Reuters that even a one-week shutdown of these ports would lead to six weeks of recovery for the economy.



In the event that negotiations between the parties are unsuccessful, shoppers might need to explore alternative options for obtaining popular grocery staples in the weeks ahead. If an agreement is not reached, shoppers can expect notable price changes for products like bananas and coffee on store shelves.

Further Reading

The One Cookware Brand That Gordon Ramsay Cant Stop Talking About

Do Water Filters Really Work  And Which Ones Are the Best?

Ball Just Dropped the Most Beautiful Mason Jars for Its 140th Anniversary ("So Iconic!")

Sign up for The Kitchn's Daily newsletter to receive our best recipes, posts, and shopping tips in your inbox.
The Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals and Licensing oversees restaurant inspections in Iowa. (Photo via Getty Images; DIAL logo courtesy of Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals and Licensing)

State and county food inspectors have cited Iowa restaurants and grocery stores for hundreds of food-safety violations in the past month, forcing some of them to temporarily shut down.

The inspectors reported finding rodent droppings, moldy lettuce, food stored in containers that once housed chemicals, foul-smelling spoiled food, and meats that appeared to have never been inspected by state or federal regulators.

The findings are reported by the Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals, which handles food-establishment inspections at the state level. Listed below are some of the more serious findings that stem from inspections at Iowa restaurants, stores, schools, hospitals and other businesses over the past four weeks.

The state inspections department reminds the public that their reports are a snapshot in time, and violations are often corrected on the spot before the inspector leaves the establishment. For a more complete list of all inspections, along with additional details on each of the inspections listed below, visit the Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals website.

Taqueria La Bendicion Food Truck, 900 Superior St., Webster City  During an Aug. 29 visit to this food truck, which was parked at a car wash next to a Dollar General store, a state inspector determined the food-safety violations were sufficient to shut down the operation. Person in charge voluntarily closed mobile unit and agreed not to reopen until reinspection can occur, the inspector reported.

The food truck was cited for the fact that there was no certified food protection manager on staff and the person in charge was not conducting operations effectively.

The inspector reported seeing flies on chicken that was left sitting out at room temperature next to a grill. The inspector also reported finding cooked rice that was measured at 51 degrees and large containers of chicken that were measured at 78 to 82 degrees  all of which had to be discarded.

No system in place for dating foods, the inspector reported. Raw chicken stored in handwashing sink No thermometer available to measure temperatures of cooked chicken and beef  Potatoes stored directly on the mobile (units) floor.

Capos Tacos, 704 N. 4th Ave., Winterset  During an Aug. 28 visit to this food truck, a state inspector determined the food-safety violations were sufficient to shut down the operation. Owner stated he will voluntarily close mobile food unit, the inspector reported. Owner has agreed to contact inspector before reopening mobile unit.

During the visit, the inspector found raw, cut chicken and cooked refried beans that were described as spoiled, and with a foul odor. An employee was observed handling cooked carne asada with their bare hands, and there were three pans of rice in cold-holding that were measured at 46 to 50 degrees rather than 41 degrees or colder.

Also, diced potatoes and shredded cheese were cold-holding at 50 to 54 degrees. The inspector also found cooked chicken in cold-holding at 67 degrees. All of the food had to be discarded.

In addition, there were refried beans, cooked carnitas, carne asada, cooked chicken, cooked rice, shredded cheese, shredded lettuce, and diced tomatoes that had no date markings to ensure freshness and safety. The inspector also reported that the handwashing sink was not operational and the truck did not have adequate refrigeration to keep cold foods cold.

El Dorado Mexican Restaurant, 1327 Sunset Drive, Norwalk  During a Sept. 26 visit, a state inspector noted that there was no currently certified food protection manager on staff as required. In addition, raw chicken was stored above whole-muscle beef inside a walk-in cooler, risking cross-contamination, and there were beans, carnitas and ground beef that had to be discarded as they had been cooked the previous day and hadnt yet cooled to 41 degrees or colder.

Also, several prepared foods, pans of sliced meats, cut produce, prepared salsas, and queso were stored without any date markings to ensure freshness and safety. The inspector also reported that the ice machine had what appeared to be mold-like debris in the ice chute, and the bartender was not using a sanitizing step after washing and rinsing bar glasses.

Spices of Nepal Restaurant, 4804 SW 9th St., Des Moines  During a Sept. 26 visit, a state inspector cited the establishment for failing to ensure the staff washed their hands properly after watching employees trying to clean their hands without soap while rinsing them in a three-well sink intended for sanitizing dishware.

In addition, the cook was using his or her bare hands to prepare bread for immediate service to customers, the ice machine had a buildup mold on the interior ice chute, and cooked noodles had to be discarded as they had been prepared the previous day and had yet to cool to 41 degrees or colder.

The inspector also reported that there was no dating structure in place for food items, suggesting the items were not date marked to ensure their freshness and safety.

Also, spices and other items had been left unlabeled; there were hanging sticky-traps for catching flies suspended above the ice machine; the countertop, pans, coolers and cutting boards had a heavy debris dirt buildup, and there was debris and a buildup of grease on the floor and in the corners of the cook line.

The inspector also reported that there were no reports of the restaurants past inspections posted. In August, the restaurant had been the subject of a complaint pertaining to adulterated food and improper food storage. The inspector had determined the complaint was verified.

Veterans of Foreign Wars VFW Post 9128, 2814 State St., Bettendorf  During a Sept. 26 visit, a Scott County inspector observed the establishment hadnt had a certified food protection manager on staff for six months. The inspector also found meat in a crock pot that had been left out from the previous day, with the meat measured at 78 degrees. The meat was discarded.

In addition, several temperature-controlled food items were not being held at 41 degrees or colder to ensure their safety. The items were either relocated to a different cooler or discarded, and a refrigeration company was contacted to repair one of the refrigerators.

The inspector also found taco meat prepared two days prior to the inspection that had no date markings to ensure freshness and safety. In addition, the interior of the ice machine had a buildup of grime, and the handwashing sink had a buildup of food debris. The establishment had last been inspected in November 2022.

La Favorita, 1700 E. Grand Ave., Des Moines  During a Sept. 25 visit, a state inspector concluded the person in charge was not fulfilling their duties as evidenced by the extent and significance of the violations observed.

An uncovered container of raw ground pork was stored directly above an uncovered container of cooked chorizo, and packages of raw, whole-muscle pork, along with a tray of what appeared to be liquid from raw meat, had been stored above an uncovered container of cooked carnitas inside a cooler, risking cross contamination.

The inspector reported there were multiple soups, sauces and raw meats throughout the walk-in cooler, walk-in freezer and the kitchen food preparation table that were stored in uncovered containers, risking environmental contamination.

The inspector also found chicharrones that were holding at 71 to 74 degrees, prepared lard that was measured at 78 degrees and a pan of cooked rice that was holding at 102 degrees. The rice and lard were discarded, while the other items were heated to at least 165 degrees.

The inspector also noted that the meat slicer and meat counters cutting board were visibly soiled with an accumulation of dried food debris, as was the can opener and plastic bowl used for scooping raw beans. In addition, the walk-in cooler was not equipped with a functional ambient air thermometer, and the restaurant had no thin-tipped thermometer to check food temperatures.

In the retail-sales area, there were salsas, pasta de harina, nuts, and various desserts that had been packaged for sale with no information as to ingredients, net quantities, allergens or the name of the food manufacturer.

Also, pre-packaged bags of single-service cups and plates for retail sale were stored under a ceiling vent that was heavily soiled with an accumulation of dust, resulting in multiple packages being visibly soiled.

The establishment also had no designated mop sink for the disposal of mop water, and portions of the floor were visibly soiled with an accumulation of debris. The inspector also reported that the establishments licenses for retail food service and sales had been expired for more than 60 days.

La Michoacana Meat Market, 1215-1221 Franklin St., Waterloo  During a Sept. 25 visit, a Black Hawk County inspector cited this establishment for 12 risk-factor violations, an unusually high number. The inspector reported that the food protection managers certification was expired and that the person in charge was not ensuring that foods were properly cooled or date marked, or that dishes were properly sanitized.

Also, employees were washing their hands in a food-preparation sink; water was seen leaking from the condenser unit inside a refrigerator onto meat; cooked chicken was holding at 70 degrees, and beans left out with no temperature control were measured at 104 degrees.

The inspector also reported there was no system in place for date marking any of the food to ensure freshness and safety; dishes were being washed in a tub of soapy bleach water solution, rather than cleaned and sanitized; and meat juices were being dumped into a sink designated for handwashing.

In addition, chemical containers of some kind were being used to store food product, there was an excess amount of flies in the kitchen area, and there was a buildup of debris on the floor.

Multiple flying insects were observed throughout the kitchen ... Decaying produce was stored in a box underneath the retail display of fresh produce, where small flying insects were accumulating.

 State inspector's report on El Palomino, a Des Moines restaurant

El Palomino, 3116 E. 14th St., Des Moines  During a Sept. 23 visit, a state inspector cited this restaurant for 22 risk-factor violations, an exceptionally high number. The inspector concluded the person in charge did not demonstrate knowledge of the risks inherent to their food service operation and was not a certified food protection manager.

The inspector reported that workers were unable to wash their hands with soap prior to processing raw meats and packaging ready-to-eat foods. Multiple heads of lettuce and other items in the retail-sale produce cooler were visibly adulterated with what appeared to be mold and had to be discarded. Bags of peppers used for guacamole were attached to sink faucets, with workers washing dirty dishes in those sinks.

Also, a large container of cooked beans that had been prepared several days before the inspection was measured at 44 degrees  rather than 41 degrees or colder  inside a walk-in cooler, and the beans had to be discarded.

The inspector also found cooked fish holding at 113 degrees and trays of mini burritos that were measured at 121 degrees. Both had to be reheated to 165 degrees.

The inspector also reported that various deli meats in the retail-sales cooler, as well as various sauces and cooked meats inside a walk-in cooler, were not marked with their preparation dates to ensure freshness and safety. The restaurant was also found to be dehydrating sausages and slices of meat to make jerky, but was doing so without the required approval for specialized processing methods.

The inspector also reported the business was not sanitizing food containers once they had been washed and rinsed, and that workers access to the kitchens handwashing sink was blocked by large containers of lard. In addition, salsas and various sauces were being stored in containers that previously held dish detergent, and multiple packages of whole-muscle beef were being thawed at room temperature on a shelf below the food-preparation table.

Multiple flying insects were observed throughout the kitchen, the inspector reported, adding that hanging sticky traps were suspended above the food preparation tables. These traps were filled with dead flying insects at the time of the inspection.

Multiple boxes of adulterated raw pork and containers of produce received from the previous week were stored in the firms mechanical room, the inspector reported. Decaying produce was stored in a box underneath the retail display of fresh produce, where small flying insects were accumulating.

Shelves throughout the walk-in cooler were visibly soiled with accumulated debris, and the interior floor of the walk-in freezer was heavily soiled with an accumulation of food debris.

The visit was in response to an illness complaint. The investigation of that complaint is ongoing, the inspector reported.

In October 2023, when El Palomino last underwent a routine inspection, the business was cited for 17 risk-factor violations.

Oryza Asian Cuisine, 5 Sturgis Corner Drive, Iowa City  During a Sept. 18 visit, a Johnson County inspector found that no one on duty was designated as being in charge, and the person in charge of the business was not a certified food protection manager and was deemed unable to ensure that employees were properly trained in food safety.

In addition, the inspector found that several containers of prepared foods and sauces lacked any date markings to ensue freshness and safety, and reported that vegetable strainers were marred by a buildup of debris on their surfaces. The visit was in response to an illness complaint that was deemed unverified.

QC Grand Stand Pizza, 320 W. Kimberly Road, Davenport  During a Sept. 12 visit, a Scott County inspector cited the restaurant for having no certified food protection manager on staff. The inspector also found that several food items in the cooler were not date marked to ensure freshness and safety, and other items were expired, including yogurt dip that had expired Aug. 24 and baby spinach that expired Aug. 31.

In addition, the inspector reported a plastic plate inside an ice chest had a black substance on it, the nozzles on the soda pop dispensers were marred by excess syrup, all of the kitchen equipment was marred by grease and grime, and the floors and walls throughout the facility had excess dirt and grime on them.

Bickford Cottage Senior Living and Assisted Living, 4040 E. 55th St., Davenport  During a Sept. 11 visit to this care facility, a Scott County inspector reported finding ham that was dated July 12, two months prior to the inspection; a tuna noodle dish that was dated Aug. 12; and pork and beans that were dated July 21. All of the items had to be discarded.

In addition, sauce that should have been refrigerated was left out at room temperature, and food products were left open and uncovered inside a storage room, creating a risk of environmental contamination. Also, an opened package of hot dogs wasnt marked with the date of opening to ensure safety, and the ice machine, knives on the knife rack, the ventilation hood, the cabinets, and a cooler were each marred by debris, dust and gunk.

On Sept. 25, the inspector returned for a previously announced visit to check on any corrective action that was taken. The inspector reported there was still food stored open and uncovered in the storage room and stated that outdated and spoiled food of some kind was found. In addition, the cooler, floors, ceiling, cabinets and knives were still contaminated with dust, debris and gunk.

Hy-Vee Foods, 2900 Devils Glen Road, Bettendorf  During a Sept. 11 visit, a Scott County inspector cited the store for the retail sale of several types of sausage and pork loin that bore no mark of inspection from either the U.S. Department of Agriculture or State of Iowa. In addition, several food products, including VandeRueben on Raisin and VandeRueben on Rye, were being sold in the store although they contained meat that had no USDA or State of Iowa mark of inspection.

Inside a meat department cooler, a small section of raw beef was stored above baked potatoes, risking cross contamination, and two of the round bins used to store eating utensils in the Market Grille restaurant area had a buildup of crumbs and food debris in the bottom.

Bountiful Bakery and Cafe, 303 Main St., Fairfield  During a Sept. 10 visit, a state inspector found that the employees on site and the person in charge could not answer basic questions regarding food establishment operations related to food safety and sanitation. In addition, the person in charge was not a certified food protection manager.

The inspector found quiche that was left out on a food-preparation table at 71 degrees and which had to be discarded. In addition, the food-prep tables and the inside of the reach-in coolers were marred by an accumulation of food residue. The machine used to form bagels was marred by pest droppings next to the conveyor belt and evidence of vermin was observed in the bakerys rear production area.

Containers of sugar and coconut sugar, as well as some of the baked goods, had been stored uncovered, and cases of single-serving food items were stored directly on the floor. The inspector also reported that the outside of the oven, as well as the refrigerators, cabinet interiors and ventilation-hood grates, had an accumulation of grease, dust and food debris.

The visit was prompted by a non-illness complaint, the nature of which was left undescribed in the inspectors report. The complaint was deemed to be verified. The establishment was last inspected by the state in October 2020.

Riverside Liquor, 826 E. River Drive, Davenport  During a Sept. 10 visit, a Scott County inspector noted that all of the shelves in the walk-in cooler had a mold-like substance on them and that water was pooling on the shelves underneath a set of fans.

Throughout the facility, water was leaking in several places behind the walk-in cooler (and) in front of the reach-in cooler, the inspector reported. Debris and dirt is on the floors throughout the facility.

Rudys Tacos, 2214 E. 11th St., Davenport  During a Sept. 10 visit, a Scott County inspector found four large pans of refried beans that measured 54 to 56 degrees, which was far outside the acceptable temperature ranges for hot and cold food. The beans were discarded. The inspector also reported finding large pans of pulled chicken and ground beef that measured 46 degrees  too warm for cold holding and too cool for hot holding. The meat was then parceled out into small pans and placed in the freezer to for rapid cooling to 41 degrees.

The inspector also noted that there were several food items that had no date markings to ensure freshness and safety, and there was expired salsa on hand that was dated Aug. 29 and Sept. 2 and which had to be discarded. In addition, two containers of tortilla chips were stored on the floor in the kitchen.

Flies were seen adulterating exposed and unprotected foods -- specifically raw fish on the counter  Onions and potatoes are stored directly on a soiled and greasy floor in the back room.

 Inspector's report on Doc's Tap in Clarksville

Docs Tap, 221 N. Main St., Clarksville  During a Sept. 6 visit, a state inspector concluded that based on her observations, the severe unsanitary conditions at Docs Tap posed an immediate and serious health risk. The owner of the establishment agreed to voluntarily close the business discontinue the preparation and sale of food items until he could correct the imminent hazards and have those corrections verified by an inspector.

During the visit, the inspector reported that rather than washing their hands, the employees were dipping their hands in a bleach-and-soap solution on a bucket and were also handling food items with their bare hands.

An infestation of flying insects  flies  was observed throughout the facility, including the kitchens food preparation areas, the inspector reported. Flies were seen adulterating exposed and unprotected foods  specifically raw fish on the counter  Onions and potatoes are stored directly on a soiled and greasy floor in the back room.

The inspector also found thawed fish that was left to sit out at room temperature and which had to be discarded, and found several prepared salads that had no date markings to ensure freshness and safety. The kitchens back door, which led directly outdoors, was left wide open, which may have contributed to the many flies the inspector reported seeing in the kitchen.

Kitchen equipment is soiled with food and grease, the inspector reported. Floors and walls in the kitchen, walk-in cooler and food-storage areas are heavily soiled with soil and grease.

The day after the on-site visit that resulted in the business being closed, management at Docs Tap texted the inspector photos of the cleaned-up kitchen and the business was allowed to reopen.

Bubble Cow, 111 S. Commercial, Eagle Grove  During a Sept. 5 visit, a state inspector determined the establishment had changed the scope of its business by adding a bakery. The back room, which had been vacant, is now the kitchen with several pieces of equipment added, the inspector reported, adding that the walls and ceilings remained unfinished, creating a risk of food contamination. Due to the nature of the walls and ceilings in this back room, food preparation has been suspended today.

The inspector also noted that the person in charge was not a certified food protection manager and did not adequately demonstrate knowledge of food safety principles. Employees, the inspector said, were not washing their hands properly and were handling ready-to-eat baked goods with their bare hands.

Food-contact surfaces were not being sanitized, the handwashing sink had no soap available, a used paint brush containing paint residue was laying on some blueberries in the food-prep sink and bakery goods for retail sale were not properly labeled. The inspector also noted the back door was left open during the inspection and a hanging fly trap was covered with dead flies.

On Sept. 19, the Bubble Cow bakery was allowed to reopen after sending the state photos of finished walls and ceilings in the new bakery. Facility has been cleared to reopen the bakery based on these photos, the inspector reported.
PROVIDENCE  Rhode Island will receive $11.4 million in federal funding over the next three years to help prevent and treat opioid addiction.

The states Congressional leaders announced Thursday that Rhode Island had received more than $11 million through the federal State Opioid Response grant, administered by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

The three-year grant will connect people to substance-use disorder services and work to reduce the number of prescription drug/opioid overdoses. In addition, some of the money will be dedicated to making prevention and treatment resources more accessible, and gathering data on addiction treatment and recovery.

Accidental overdose deaths in Rhode Island have been on decline after reaching record numbers in 2022 at 436 in 2022. Last year, the state reported 404 accidental overdose deaths related to opioids. So far this year, 164 overdose deaths have been reported.

Too many families have lost loved ones to overdoses and opioid addiction has shattered too many lives. This federal funding will strengthen the states coordinated response to combat addiction, reduce overdose rates, and put recovery within reach for more Rhode Islanders. It will better connect people in need to services across the continuum of prevention, harm reduction, treatment, and recovery, U.S. Sen. Jack Reed said in a statement.

Reed is a senior member of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor-Health and Human Services and helped ensure that $1.575 billion for State Opioid Response Grants in 2024, as well as $2 billion for the Substance Use Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery Services Block Grants, according to the announcement.

Qu's redesigned fentanyl test strip has clear instructions on how to check substances for the synthetic painkiller linked to many overdose deaths.

Health advisory after overdose spike in Woonsocket

News of the funding comes as the Rhode Island Department of Health this week issued a public health advisory about a spike in overdoses in Woonsocket.

In the past six months, the city's rate of non-fatal overdoses has been more than twice the statewide rate. There was a rate of 376 non-fatal opioid overdoses reported per 100,000 residents in Woonsocket, compared to the statewide rate of 185 per 100,000 residents, the Health Department said.

Fentanyl is driving the crisis

Since 2018, Rhode Island has received over $63.2 million in State Opioid Response grant funding to combat the opioid crisis through treatment, prevention and other recovery services.

In prior years, a portion of the money has been dedicated to improving data collection and tracking to better monitor the effectiveness of various initiatives. The state created a public dashboard that can be found at PreventOverdoseRI.org.

More: Addressing urgency: 20 RI nonprofits receive $1.3 million to help with opioid crisis

The opioid crisis has taken a heartbreaking toll on families from all walks of life in every corner of our state. We need to ensure treatment, prevention, and recovery services are reaching the Rhode Islanders who need them, U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse said.

Whitehouse is the author of the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act, the federal law guiding the nations response to the opioid epidemic. This federal funding will help ensure that support is available to anyone seeking out the long, noble road of recovery.

The crisis has been fueled by the ubiquity of fentanyl, a potent synthetic opioid that has been linked to many overdose fatalities in Rhode Island and nationwide. Last year, 79% of overdoses in the Ocean State involved fentanyl, according to RIDOH.

Deaths from accidental overdoses decreased by 7.3% in 2023 in Rhode Island for the first time in four years, according to the Governors Overdose Task Force. The states decrease in overdoses ranked more than twice the national average, with America experiencing a 3% decrease in accidental overdose deaths in that timeframe.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevent (CDC) credits Rhode Island for taking steps to streamlined distribution or naloxone, a nasal spray that reverses opioid overdoses and is commonly known as Narcan.

Based on an assessment of community need, Rhode Island increased the availability of naloxone kits and launched a new central online ordering system to better coordinate the distribution and tracking process. This multi-agency effort streamlined naloxone procurement and distribution across the state, the CDC said.

First-of-its-kind overdose prevention center in the works

The infusion of federal money will supplement work under way in Rhode Island to combat the crisis with the more than $300 million the state will recoup over time from settlements resulting from a lawsuit against manufacturers and distributors of prescription opioid painkillers. The state sued the companies in an effort to hold them liable for damages, including skyrocketing accidental overdose deaths and opioid prescriptions that exceeded the national average.

Project Weber/RENEW's overdose prevention center, at 45 Willard Ave. near Rhode Island Hospital, will provide a space for people to safely use illicit drugs under oversight, with the goal of easing them into treatment.

One of the initiatives to receive funding is what will be the nations first state-sanctioned overdose prevention center at 45 Willard Ave., near the Rhode Island Hospital campus in Providence. Project Weber/RENEW and VICTA are teaming up to create space for people to safely use illicit drugs under oversight with the goal of edging people toward treatment and with staff on-site to reverse a possible overdose.

VICTA will have medical providers, nurses and counselors onsite to provide access to services as soon as an individual is ready for treatment.

According to Project Weber/RENEW, the center is expected to open in December.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: RI addiction recovery services will get a $11M boost from the feds
Teenage girl dies after collapsing halfway through flight from Iraq to China

An Iraqi Airways flight from Baghdad to Guangzhou in China made an emergency landing at Kolkata airport in India due to a medical emergency involving a 16-year-old girl who suddenly fell ill.

Despite getting immediate medical attention after the plane landed, the Iraqi girl was declared dead on arrival at a local hospital.

The flight, carrying 100 passengers and 15 crew members, landed at the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose airport at around 10.18pm on Wednesday.

The teenager had reportedly taken ill on the aircraft about half an hour earlier.

According to an Airports Authority of India spokesperson, a medical team was rushed to see the passenger. The girl had no pulse or heartbeat when the plane landed in Kolkata, the agency said in a statement. The attending doctor referred her to the nearest hospital for further evaluation.

At about 1.18am, the passenger along with two of her immediate family members were offloaded and due formalities completed.

It was unclear who the family members were.

The girls body would be handed over to her family with assistance from the Iraqi embassy in Delhi.

The Independent has reached out to the Iraqi embassy for comment.

File. An Iraqi Airways plane (Getty)

Dr Pooja Adhikary, who was with the medical team that attended the teenager, reported a case of unnatural death at the Baguiati police station, according to The Indian Express.

The Baguiati police launched an investigation based on the doctors report, NDTV reported, and collected the girls body from the Charnock Hospital for a postmortem examination.

The flight took off for China with the remaining passengers at 1.49am on Thursday.

The Independent has contacted Iraqi Airways for comment.
Tim Walz is planning to hold a fundraiser in JD Vances backyard just days after the pair debate for the first time.

The Democratic vice presidential nominee will head to Vances current hometown of Cincinnati, Ohio, on October 5 after Democrats in the area raised at least $1m to get him there, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer.

Officials from the campaign reportedly told Vice Mayor Jan-Michele Kearney if they wanted Kamala Harris to visit, they would have needed to raise $1.5m.

For us, we wanted either Vice President Harris to come or Governor Walz to come. They said, OK...I think thats huge, she told the newspaper.

Hes the vice presidential candidate, hell be second in command. We really like him a lot.

Details of the event are currently under wraps but Kearney said Walzs appearance is likely to be a private one, not a public rally.

Its going to be exciting and its going to be wonderful, she added, saying there would be additional events for the public added in the near future.

Tim Walz will attend a fundraiser in JD Vances Ohio hometown (REUTERS)

We will definitely have a rally for the public as well, she said.

Were just excited. Its a great time and everybody should be involved. I think the fact hes coming to Cincinnati means how important we are to the election.

Ohio, which has 17 electoral votes, is no longer considered a swing state after turning red for Donald Trump in 2016 and staying red in 2020.

Trump is comfortably ahead in the polls in the Buckeye state this time round as well.

A poll by The New York Times has the Republican 10 points ahead of Harris in Ohio, with voters backing him 54 percent to 44 percent for the vice president.

Walz will be in JD Vances (pictured) backyard when he attends a fundraiser (AP)

Vance, who was raised in Middletown but now lives in Cincinnati, was sworn into office as senator for Ohio at the beginning of 2023.

Vance and Walz will go head to head next Tuesday in their first  and only planned  vice presidential debate. This week Vance revealed he doesnt need to prepare that much for the debate against the Minnesota governor.

We have well-developed views on public policy, so we dont have to prepare that much, Vance said during a press call on Wednesday, according to The New York Post.

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg is playing Vance during Walzs mock debates while Republican Minnesota Representative Tom Emmer is playing the part of Walz during Vances preparations. Emmer was picked so that he could emulate Walzs folksy demeanor, according to ABC News.

The debate is set to take place at 9pm ET and will be hosted by CBS News.
The U.S. Department of Justice announced criminal charges against three hackers working for Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), accusing the trio of a four-year-long hacking campaign that included this years hack of Donald Trump's presidential campaign.

On Friday, U.S. prosecutors published an indictment accusing Masoud Jalili, Seyyed Ali Aghamiri, and Yasar (Yaser) Balaghi of targeting the Trump campaign, former White House and senior government officials, and members of Congress, as part of a hack-and-leak operation.

According to the indictment, the operation was launched in part in retaliation for the killing of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani by the Trump administration in 2020, for which the Iranian government vowed revenge. U.S. officials have since charged at least one individual with the attempted assassination of John Bolton, a former National Security Advisor, as part of the wider Iranian effort to target former members of the Trump administration.

U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland said at a press conference Friday that the Iranian hacking campaign was in part aimed at influencing the upcoming 2024 presidential election.

"The defendant's own words make clear that they were attempting to undermine former President Trump's campaign in advance of the 2024 U.S. presidential election," said Garland. "We know that Iran is continuing its brazen efforts to stoke discord, erode confidence in the U.S. electoral process, and advance its malign activities to the IRGC, a designated foreign terrorist organization."

These authoritarian regimes which violate the human rights of their own citizens do not get a say in our country's democratic process," said Garland. "The American people and the American people alone will decide the outcome of our country's elections.

Masoud Jalili, Seyyed Ali Aghamiri, and Yasar (Yaser) Balaghi, the three Iranian hackers indicted for a hacking campaign that included the intrusion against the Donald Trump presidential campaign.

The indictment said the Iranian operation targeted former senior government officials with phishing lures that were used to compromise their online accounts and steal campaign material with the goal of leaking the files to the media.

In August, Politico, The New York Times, The Washington Post and others received documents allegedly stolen from the Donald Trump campaign. Politico reported that an individual going by the name "Robert" had reached out and shared documents that appeared to have been stolen from the Republican candidates camp.

Since the beginning, the story had the hallmarks of a hack-and-leak operation, akin to what the Russian government orchestrated in 2016, after hacking the Democratic National Committee and people connected to the Hillary Clinton campaign. Unlike 2016, however, the news organizations decided to not report on the content of the documents, let alone release them. Instead, the reporters focused on the fact that the files had been stolen and leaked.

Kevin Collier, a journalist at NBC News, who said he has seen some of the documents, said the files did not contain much worth writing about.

At least half a dozen outlets and independent reporters have received hacked Trump files from Robert, a front for Iranian intelligence. To date, no reporter who's seen them has found news in them, Collier wrote on X on Thursday.

Ten days after Politicos report, the FBI, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and U.S. cybersecurity agency CISA released a joint statement accusing the government of Iran of being behind the hack-and-leak operation.

The [Intelligence Community] is confident that the Iranians have through social engineering and other efforts sought access to individuals with direct access to the presidential campaigns of both political parties. Such activity, including thefts and disclosures, are intended to influence the U.S. election process, read the statement. It is important to note that this approach is not new. Iran and Russia have employed these tactics not only in the United States during this and prior federal election cycles but also in other countries around the world.

Microsoft and Google also accused Iranian government-backed hackers of being behind the targeting of people affiliated with both the Trump and Biden campaigns.

On Thursday, more than a month after the first report saying journalists had the documents, independent journalist Ken Klippenstein published a 271-page dossier on Republican vice presidential nominee J.D. Vance. Klippenstein wrote that since June, the news media has been sitting on it (and other documents), declining to publish in fear of finding itself at odds with the governments campaign against foreign malign influence.

I disagree. The dossier has been offered to me and Ive decided to publish it because its of keen public interest in an election season, wrote Klippenstein.
The entire nation will vote on the next president of the United States this fall, but the election will likely come down to seven key swing states: Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. With the outsized importance of these states, it's worth taking a closer look at the data we have in each of them  not just where the presidential race between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump stands today, but also each candidate's path to victory and what issues could tip the election. Second up: the Silver State, Nevada, which is part of an increasingly purple swath in the Southwest.

The history

With one exception  1976  Nevada voted for the winner in every presidential contest from 1912 until 2016, when it broke its winning streak by voting for Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton by just over 2 points. While it has only six electoral votes, those votes have proven decisive in the tight contests of the recent era. Nevada helped elect President Joe Biden in 2020, who carried the state by a nearly identical margin to Clinton's, and in 2022, the purple state helped determine control of the Senate in a close race that took days to call.

PHOTO: The results of the last six presidential elections in Nevada compared with the national popular vote. (Katie Marriner and Amina Brown for 538)

Presidential margins in the state have been narrow over the last two decades (with the exception of former President Barack Obama's relatively big wins in 2008 and 2012) and in many cases have closely approximated the national popular vote. Despite having consistently tight races, the state has been steadily blue in presidential races since 2008, while also trending right compared to the country as a whole. In 2008, Obama won Nevada by 12 percentage points, compared to his 7-point win nationally, putting the state 5 points to the left of the country. But in each election since then, Nevada has inched right. In 2020, Biden won nationally by 4 points, but only won the Silver State by 2, placing it to the right of the national popular vote for the first time since the 2004 presidential election.

The 2024 polls

Polls show an even closer race this year. Harris leads by about 1 point in 538's polling average of the state.* That's a little worse than her performance nationally, where she leads Trump by nearly 3 points, but it's an improvement over Biden, who was trailing Trump in the state.

PHOTO: 538's 2024 presidential polling average in Nevada showing Vice President Kamala Harris above former President Donald Trump by 1 point. (538 Photo Illustration)

The demographics

Nearly three-fourths of Nevada's population of 3.1 million lives in the Las Vegas metropolitan area in the state's southern tip, giving the city a dominant place in the electoral politics of the Silver State. Beyond that, the Reno metropolitan area on the state's western bend clocks in with nearly half a million people, while most of the rest of the state is an extremely rural desert.

A little over 28 percent of the state's total population is Hispanic or Latino, making it the largest minority group in the state. Indeed, the state is home to the first Latina senator, Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, and targeting Latinos in the Las Vegas area has been an important strategy for both parties. A report from the University of Southern California's Center for Inclusive Democracy found that while only about half of Latino voters across the country turned out in 2020 compared to about two-thirds of the general population, they still made up 15 percent of all voters in Nevada that year. And, as we see in polls across the country, Republicans seem to be making gains with these voters; in an average of polls conducted over the last month, Nevada Latino voters said they would vote for Harris over Trump by a 21-point margin (58 percent to 37 percent)**, a slight drop from the 26-point margin Biden had over Trump among the demographic in 2020, but about on par with national polling among Latino voters.

The state is also growing and diversifying rapidly. Its population increased 15 percent between 2010 and 2020, driven by growth among minority groups as the white population shrank, according to the Center for Inclusive Democracy report. That included around 40 percent growth in both Asian and Black populations in the state. Overall, one-third of Nevada voters in 2020 were nonwhite  a number that could increase this year if those demographic trends have continued.

The state also has a slightly lower percentage of adults with at least a bachelor's degree  29 percent  compared to 36 percent nationwide. The divide between voters with or without college degrees has been one of the most important political divides of the past few elections, and voters without college degrees have become another battleground demographic group of sorts. Since his first presidential run, Trump has dominated among white voters without college degrees, while college graduates have migrated solidly into the Democratic Party. And while Black and Latino voters still overwhelmingly cast their ballots for Democrats in recent elections, those without college degrees have been trending toward the Republican Party like their white counterparts have been.

All of that means that the state abounds with key demographic groups for each party, which helps explain why the elections there have been so close.

The issues

To a unique degree, Nevada's economy depends on the hospitality industry. It was among the states most impacted by the recession during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the pandemic's economic impacts were particularly lasting there.

Unsurprisingly, the top issue for Nevada voters going into the election is the economy, which 39 percent of likely voters named as the most important issue facing their state in an Emerson College/The Hill poll of swing states from September. But that's actually a bit less than the share of voters nationally (43 percent) who said the same in a similar poll from Emerson College in September. In fact, with the exception of Arizona, Nevada voters were the least likely of all swing-state voters to name the economy as their top issue. Instead, many appear to be focused on a related issue that has been particularly troubling in the state: housing.

Housing affordability was the second most important issue to Nevada voters, with 16 percent naming it as their top issue, the highest of any state in the Emerson swing-state surveys. Nevada's surge of new residents, concentrated in the Las Vegas area, has put pressure on a housing market struggling to keep up with demand. Many new residents are moving in from California, which has a much higher cost of living, making Nevada a bargain for them but helping push prices out of reach for existing residents. According to Zillow, the Home Value Index in Nevada has grown 34 percent since the start of the Biden presidency, slightly faster than the rate of increase nationwide. The median rental price in Nevada is $2,075, which is $25 less than the national median but represents a $75 increase since September 2023. And Harris may have an advantage on the issue: According to a September Bloomberg/Morning Consult survey, Nevadans trust Harris over Trump on the issue of housing by a 10-point margin (49 percent to 39 percent of registered voters).

On the other hand, Trump appears to have an advantage on the economy in the state (as he does nationally). Fifty-three percent of registered voters in Nevada trust him more than Harris on the issue, according to an August CNN/SSRS poll. According to an earlier Emerson College/The Hill poll of the state, 71 percent of likely voters also support Trump's proposal (that's also been adopted by Harris) to eliminate taxes on tips, perhaps because so many Nevadans work in industries where they receive tips in addition to wages. Both candidates announced their support for the policy at rallies in Las Vegas.

Beyond the economy, immigration is also a big issue for Nevadans, with 8 percent naming it as the most important issue facing their state in the Emerson College/The Hill September poll. A look at the demographic breakdown also shows that the issue is more complicated than topline numbers might indicate. Latinos care more about the economy (44 percent) and housing affordability (16 percent) than immigration (5 percent). White Nevadans were more likely to say immigration was their top issue (9 percent), but it still came in behind the economy (38 percent), housing affordability (15 percent) and threats to democracy (11 percent).

The downballot races

Nevada is also electing a U.S. senator this year. But while Cortez Masto's reelection was close in 2022, her fellow Democratic Sen. Jacky Rosen is polling well ahead of her Republican challenger this year, Afghanistan war veteran Sam Brown. State voters will also be deciding whether to adopt a new voting system that would allow top-five, all-party primaries and ranked-choice voting in general elections, similar to a system currently in place in Alaska.

PHOTO: 538's 2024 U.S. Senate polling average in Nevada showing Democratic Sen. Jacky Rosen with a 9.9 point lead over Republican Sam Brown. (538 Photo Illustration)

Another ballot measure will give Nevada voters the chance to decide whether to codify the right to abortion before fetal viability in the state constitution. (Abortion is currently protected in Nevada by state law.) While abortion is not the most important topic for voters in Nevada, the state is among the most liberal in the nation when it comes to wanting to ensure access. A full 80 percent of Nevada adults oppose criminalizing abortion before fetal viability, according to a survey from the University of Maryland Program for Public Consultation earlier this summer. And 64 percent would favor a federal law ensuring abortion access. Nevada is also the most supportive swing state when it comes to access to birth control: 90 percent of Nevada voters support the federal government continuing to require health insurance plans to cover long-term birth control, like IUDs. That's more than any other swing state polled and the U.S. as a whole.

Some activists have been hoping that ballot measures like this might help Democrats at the top of the ticket, either by encouraging turnout among sympathetic demographic groups or keeping the issue of abortion (on which Democrats have a big lead) in the news. But the evidence for abortion-related ballot measures juicing turnout is fairly mixed.

Footnotes

*All numbers in this article are as of Sept. 27 at 1:30 p.m. Eastern.

**Based on polls of likely and registered voters only (if a poll included results among both populations, we used likely voters). If a poll included both a head-to-head matchup between Harris and Trump and a version including third parties, we used the head-to-head version. Crosstabs among groups defined by pollsters as "Latino" and "Hispanic" are both included. Finally, if a polling organization (defined as a partnership between a pollster and sponsor, or a pollster alone if their work was not sponsored by an outside group) had more than one survey in the relevant time frame, only the most recent version was included. All polls conducted and released between Aug. 27 and Sept. 27 at 1:30 p.m. Eastern are included.

Why Nevada is so close in 2024 originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
By Muhammad Bukar

Following the failure of the Kano State Government to meet an agreement reached with medical doctors, the state chapter of the National Association of Government General and Medical Dental Practitioners has set October 1 2024 for an indefinite strike.

The secretary of the association in Kano, Dr. Anas Idris Hassan, made this known while addressing newsmen on the outcome of their meeting on Saturday.

Anas stated that despite reaching an agreement with the Kano State Government in June, their demands are yet to be met.

He emphasized that the government has not addressed the issue of the post-COVID-19 hazard allowances which has been paid by the Federal Government since 2021 but is yet to be paid by the Kano government.

Anas further disclosed that newly employed medical doctors, who were hired by the Kano State Government in September 2023, have not been paid their salaries.

The medical practitioners also expressed concern over the dilapidated state of Kano hospitals and the lack of necessary equipment.

They stressed the urgent need to address these ugly trends.

Anas highlighted the critical doctor-to-patient ratio in Kano, which he said is significantly lower than the World Health Organizations standard.

He noted that there are an estimated 20 million people in Kano, served by only 600 doctors, resulting in a ratio of one doctor to 33,000 patients.

The medical practitioners stressed that they have no option but to embark on the strike on October 1.
Hydrocarbons giant Exxon Mobil plans to invest 10 billion dollars in Nigerias offshore oil, a spokesman for Nigerias presidency said.

The investment was discussed by Nigerias Vice President Kashim Shettima and the CEO of Exxons Nigeria operations Shane Harris on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly in New York, presidential spokesperson Stanley Nkwocha said in a statement.

Exxon Mobil also plans to spend $2.5 billion annually to boost oil output by 50,000 barrels per day (bpd) over the next few years and maintain its Nigerian operations, despite agreeing to sell its onshore assets to Seplat Energy for $1.3 billion, Reuters reported.

Oil represents the bulk of Nigerias revenue at 1.41 million barrels per a day, compared with 1.2 million a year earlier.

But the country faces challenges to develop its untapped oil potential due to deteriorating security conditions and oil theft.

Theft cost the country 620 million barrels of crude, worth some $46 billion, between 2009 and 2020, DW said in a recent report, citing the Nigerian Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, an organization that promotes accountability in the management of the nations oil, gas, and mining revenue.
Egypts ambitious goals to have renewable energy accounting for over 42% of Egypts energy mix by 2040 were outlined during the BRICS Energy Ministers Conference held in Moscow this week.

In an address before the conference, Minister of Electricity and Renewable Energy, Mahmoud Esmat, said Egypt also targets to capture 5-8% of the global green hydrogen market by the same year.

The official emphasized Egypts commitment to transitioning towards sustainable energy, leveraging its rich solar and wind resources. He also announced the launch of the national hydrogen strategy, including the formation of the National Hydrogen Council and the introduction of new legislation to incentivize green hydrogen investments.

Esmat noted that Egypts strategy focuses on efficiently managing its natural resources while reducing carbon emissions and promoting green energy.

South Africas Minister of Electricity and Energy, Dr. Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, on his part urged BRICS Plus countries to collaborate on overcoming energy challenges. He stressed the importance of ensuring energy transitions safeguard energy sovereignty, support sustainable economic growth, and promote universal energy access, while addressing environmental concerns. Ramokgopa also highlighted the recent expansion of the BRICS bloc, calling it a clear indication of the groups growing influence in the global energy landscape.
I recall when, as a teenager, we lived in Springfield, Missouri, where I went to high school. Our neighbor told me that I was a spitting image of my dad.

Indeed, I admired my dad and wanted to be like him. He was a pastor/leader and strong preacher. As time went on, even though I am much like him in some characteristics, there are many ways in which we are different.

It is interesting how children take on the characteristics and qualities. That is Gods design.

As we ponder that, lets consider the truth that God desires for us to put on the qualities of His Son.

One of the qualities that Jesus demonstrated during His lifetime was humility.

Philippians 2:8b (English Standard Version) says that Jesus  humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

In fact, on the journey of Jesus to the cross, He showed great humility when He washed the disciples feet. Lets look at some of Jesuss qualities during that foot-washing event.

The first quality is love. Jesus operated from the foundation of love, which compelled him to wash his disciples feet.

John 13:1b (ESV) says,  having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.

Even though Jesus knew that his time had come to go to the cross, he loved his disciples consistently and unselfishly with humility.

Our love for others should also be consistent, and we should not give in to the pressures of circumstances when we forget to love others in unfavorable times.

The second quality is called caring.

John 13:5 (ESV) says, Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him.

Here, we see that Jesus truly cared for his disciples. I like to reflect on the sound of the water as Jesus applies it to their feet. No doubt the drying of the feet showed care.

Jesus shows humility because this typically was a servants work. He treated them all the same, but how good it must have felt to have Jesus wash their feet.

I am sure that Jesus demonstrated care in the manner that he washed and dried their feet. These are men whose feet would someday carry the good news of Jesus Christ.

Romans 10:15 says, And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!

A third quality is lovingly helping His disciples understand that He is the way to eternal life.

Peter said, You shall never wash my feet, to which Jesus replied, If I do not wash you, you have no share with me  John 13:8 (ESV).

Peter had a high view of Jesus as Gods Son and thought he would feel bad to have Him wash his feet. However, Jesus helped Peter see that this was not simply about washing feet but about connectedness with Him.

At that, Peter wanted full connectedness and said, Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head  John 13:9b (ESV).

Again, Jesus helped Peter to see that he was already connected but needed to be refreshed and cleansed by Jesus each day. This work was what Jesus was doing. Peter would have to allow Him to do it.

The same is true in our lives. Jesus wants to do a work in us, but we must let Him. As we allow Him to work in us, we will be blessed with His connectedness.
Trump arrives in the East Room to falsely claim victory. Photo: Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images

At 2:30 a.m. on November 4, 2020, Donald Trump claimed he had already won the presidential election over Joe Biden. He warned that the huge number of outstanding ballots still to be counted were tainted by fraud and said the U.S. Supreme Court needed to stop their tabulation. His bizarre argument that the election should be deemed finished when he was temporarily ahead did not surprise a lot of us who had been warning for months of a red mirage scenario whereby the votes first counted (mostly ballots cast in person on Election Day) would predictably tilt Republican, while the next big wave (mostly mail ballots that, in some cases, had to be opened and processed before they could be counted) of votes would tilt Democratic, in part because Trump had been demonizing voting by mail all year. But Trumps actions on Election Night set the stage for the battle to overturn the results that culminated in the Capitol riot of January 6.

In this years presidential contest, which at the moment looks dead even, we already know that Trump is laying the groundwork for again contesting any defeat. He has said again and again that the election has already been rigged by those who accused him of committing crimes and those who denied him a rematch with Biden. He has also repeated past lies about noncitizens being herded to the polls by Democrats to vote illegally and (even though his party is encouraging early voting) about voting by mail being inherently fraudulent.

So can we expect a repeat of Election Night 2020? If Trump gets an early lead that he knows is fragile, will he claim victory anyway and begin the process of encouraging his supporters to back whatever steps he takes to overturn a defeat?

Here, some things to think about in assessing the likelihood of another nightmare like the one Trump engineered four years ago.

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What produced the large disjunction between early and later returns in 2020 was a combination of historically high voting by mail (nearly doubling between 2016 and 2020 to a total of 46 percent in the latter year) and a big partisan split in mail-ballot use (58 percent of Biden voters used mail ballots as compared to 32 percent of Trump voters, Pew estimates). While voting by mail has steadily increased in recent years, it spiked in 2020, in part because of temporary arrangements many states and localities made in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The levels should be down this year (partially because of the lapse or revocation of COVID-19-related measures), and election officials are also more accustomed to dealing with voting by mail. The partisan split should decline, too, since Republicans (occasionally including Trump) have been more positive about voting by mail and because the split reflected different reactions to the risk of Election Day voting in person during the pandemic.

All the factors may reduce the likelihood of an early Trump lead in the battleground states that he can exploit to prematurely claim victory while also reducing the number of ballots that cannot be counted until days later.

.

While the situation in election offices will vary by state and even by county, its safe to say that the Trump-RNC election integrity initiatives are designed to slow down vote-counting in a variety of ways. Republicans are deploying an unprecedented number of poll-watchers (150,000, according to Axios) and others trained to challenge voter eligibility and compliance with election laws. This could interfere with the mechanics of Election Day voting and the pace of vote tabulation. Team Trump lawyers can also be expected to challenge certification of the results in jurisdictions with sizable Democratic majorities, thus slowing down the state certifications that will eventually determine the winners.

As the Dispatch notes in an overview of battleground-state election procedures, there are other issues that could slow down the count:

Two states will not start counting ballots received in the mail until polls have closed on November 5: Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. That could mean a repeat of the 2020 election, when major media outlets did not declare a winner of the presidential election until it was clear Biden had won Pennsylvania, four days after polls had closed 

The Republican-controlled states elections board voted last week to approve a rule requiring each voting precinct conduct a second counting of ballots by hand on Election Day and to resolve discrepancies with the machine count. Republican officials, including Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and Attorney General Chris Carr, said before and after the boards vote that they oppose the new rule, which could face legal challenges. But if the board has its way, it could take much longer than usual to get results, in-person or absentee, from Georgia 

Since the 2022 midterm elections, Nevada has sent a mail-in ballot to every registered voter who has not opted out, making it the only 2024 battleground state to have essentially universal vote-by-mail. Ballots postmarked on or before Election Day can be accepted as long as they are received no later than four days after Election Day.

The Trump campaign has been fighting in court in Nevada and elsewhere to prohibit the counting of mail ballots postmarked by but received after Election Day and, in fact, is pursuing a Mississippi lawsuit designed to put the question before the U.S. Supreme Court before Election Day. This litigation adds some uncertainty to the rules in Nevada and 16 non-battleground states that follow the same practice.

.

Another factor that could influence whether Trump claims a premature victory on Election Night is whether the media arbiters of who has won what contest could be a bit timid in quickly calling any state in the presidential race. The Associated Press and the major TV networks didnt call the 2020 election for Biden until November 7, four days after Election Day (the website Decision Desk HQ called it a day earlier). A New York Times report suggests that election-callers are very worried about their credibility this time around:

Almost every major news organization is putting contingency plans in place to push back against a gale-force storm of misinformation and ensure that audiences trust their coverage. Their efforts will probably stretch far beyond Nov. 5, as absentee ballots are counted and close races potentially face legal reviews.

An atmosphere of mistrust and uncertainty would certainly be a playground for Trump if he chooses to exploit it.

.

The biggest problem in predicting what the former president might do on Election Night if hes in danger of losing is that we dont know what his strategy might be to ultimately overturn an adverse result. If the big idea is to toss out a hundred legal challenges in hopes that the Supreme Court will smile on Trump, as it did in this years presidential-immunity case, then you can expect him to muddy the waters as much as possible and as early as possible. But if, on the other hand, he hopes to cast so big a shadow over the results that Congress cannot confirm a winner in January and the race goes to the U.S. House, then he might encourage his minions to disrupt the casting and counting of votes so that no one really knows who won. If thats the case, we may have more to worry about on Election Night than a false victory claim.
Yeah, I'm really surprised Van Hansis is coming back to soaps after so long. Definitely didn't expect to see this news this morning.

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It was a shock!

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I think I remember Lucas from that "teen summer" they tried to have in the mid 2000s where Lulu got an abortion (I think it was her?). Now it seems all those characters are coming back.



Is Maxie still around? Do they mention Dillon? Trying to remember who else was there. Ned's daughter too.

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Lulu did indeed abort Dillon's baby.



Maxie is still around and has been a constant presence since Kirsten Storms took over the role (although Storms has had periods of unavailability due to personal stuff, so the role has been recast a few times). Dillon hasn't been around for at least like 6 years. They tried to recast the character and the recast was serviceable, but never really took off. They did just mention him about a month ago, talking about the abortion because Lulu's medical situation is probably the 1B story. Ned's daughter, Brook Lynn, is also a regular on the show at the moment.

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Woah thanks for all the reminders! I remembered the actress was Adriana Leon but never would have remembered the Brook Lynn name. I need to dig into what's happening on GH these days.

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Whoa! Brook Lynn is on? Im not sure I ever saw her beyond when she was born. I freaking loved Lois, the L&B days she and Ned were great together, its too bad Rena and Wally crashed and burned. Rena is one of the most beautiful women ever.

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Van Hansis! He should have a bigger career.

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I honestly think Van is one of those people who is pretty content with what he's doing overall.

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I loved Van back in the day on ATWT. He'll be perfect as Lucas imo. I haven't watched GH in years, but between Jonathan Jackson and Van I might tune back in!

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Ohhhhh, don't tune in for JJ's latest return. It's been super botched. He's been back for a month and he's just now in PC, or will be on Monday.

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Oh nooooo! They did that the last time he came back to and it was literally (in his own words) the reason he didn't stick around. /sigh Get it together GH, damn.

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i never liked sam

why was lulu recast

i haven't watched this show in over a decade

that's all i got

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They're building up the Spencer family again for some reason (probably a rating's ploy), so bringing back both of Luke and Laura's children, who were off canvas, was a priority. They asked Julie Marie Berman, the most beloved Lulu by the fans more than likely, if she wanted to return but she turned them down. They skipped over Marcy Rylan, the most recent actress to play her, for some reason (apparently they did Marcy wrong in some way, but there aren't any firm details as to what the 'wrongness' ended up being), so they had to go and find someone else and they found Alexa.

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it's been so long idek who marcy is. last time i watched, julie was lulu. i'd love to see julie and jonathan together again

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i was so confused reading marcy until i googled and saw thats emmes name 

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after how theyve treated kelly (she filmed her last episode today), this disgusting mess with jason/anna, kate mansis kristina being unwatchable, carly suddenly becoming the spencer matriarch and the dumb way theyve written jjs comeback this show can die.

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I'm so sad about Kelly.

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I honestly would not be sad if the show got canceled. It hasn't been good since right after the pandemic for long periods of time. There are pockets of brilliance, basically anything where Molly tears into Kristina is glorious, but for the most part it has been very bad all year.



Carly's trajectory, however, somewhat makes sense. She is the eldest biological Spencer (Laura will always be the Spencer matriarch emeritus, sure, but she's not even using that name anymore), the Spencer who has been on the canvas the longest in terms of time on the show and Bobbie's daughter. They've noted how much Bobbie's death has impacted Carly, so it makes sense that the character would try and be that pillar of Spencer strength that her mother was.



What they need to do, though, is basically either have someone call Carly out on the fact that she'll always default to being selfish and putting Sonny's needs over everyone else and then have it actually change some of her actions or have her realize it her damn self. But they won't do that, because as much as I love Carly, and know what her flaws are, the show refuses to allow her to be held accountable for those flaws or actions in the service of primping her, Sonny and Jason as the "holy trinity of Port Charles."

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i love having it as a constant. i stop watching for years but know i can go back and watch at any time. ill be sad but its honestly so bad that it needs to be put out of its misery. new molly has been a blessing though. i never even liked kristina but mansi has me missing lexi.



last time i liked carly she was played by tamara braun son. her suddenly caring so much about her cousins is too hard to take serious 

as a jasam fan it doesnt even pain me to say that jason should be in jail serving consecutive life sentences and sonny should be dead by now.

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They shouldve pivoted to making a legacy family the centre show a long time ago (especially since they decimated the Quartermaines) instead of all this Sonny/Carly mess.

And Ive never understood the love for Sam.

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They should have, yes. But now they're in crisis repair mode and the Spencer family is the only family that they can really rebuild with noted characters on the canvas. They can kind of do it with the Webbers (the real legacy family), but there's only Steven (who they shouted out!) and Sarah and Tommy and Tommy Jr, although they could easily have any one of those characters also have some teens/college aged children.



I will say, though, that they've done a good job of stabilizing the Qs in terms of having people at the mansion who are connected to the family. They don't do a good job of spotlighting the Qs in story, sadly, but at least Qs aren't constantly dying or leaving the canvas like the 00s.

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I'll admit, I've been skipping Sam's scenes, but I'm not happy about her leaving. Hopefully, they somehow bring her back, like back when they fired Rebecca Herbst and the outrage was so much that they rehired her right away.



Also, whats the point of Gio now? cause like I thought he was going to be Trina's new love interest (should have been Spencer's recast) and now hes just around talking to people.

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Gio was likely going to end up being a surprise spawn of Drew, because one of his earliest scenes, at Brook and Chase's wedding, had him look over and see Jason and say something akin to "he looks familiar, but I don't know why." I took that to be that his mom had a picture of "Jason," but it would actually be of Drew since they were identical twins until Drew had to have reconstructive surgery and looked like, well, Billy Miller first, then Cameron second. But the point remains. Because it wouldn't make sense with the timeline for it to be Jason since 20-ish years ago, Jason was busy with Courtney, Liz or Sam depending on the time frame and definitely didn't have time for any dalliances, but the at that point unknown Drew with Jason's face certainly could have been somewhere in New York instead of San Diego for a bit of time and made a baby with Gio's mama.



Now? Now there are three theories:



1) Gio is the secret child of Brook and Dante, given up by Brook to Gio's mama and kept on the hush hush.

2) Gio is yet another Corinthi spawn of Sonny's.

3) Gio is Ned's child somehow.



I don't like either of those options. I don't mind Gio overall, though the show desperately needs to figure out who he is. I really, really don't want him to be a Corinthi, but I would marginally tolerate it if that happened AND he ended up being queer and Dex was revealed to be bi/pan and then he and Joss would be fighting over Dex because it would be two basically step-siblings (I don't doubt for a moment that Carly's alibi status will result in yet another Carly/Sonny marriage) in love with a guy, except one is a male and one is a female.

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Gio and Dex being queer and into each other would be so refreshing. But the writers are addicted to secret love child storylines, so I bet Gio is brooklynns and dantes son. With Lulu waking up soon, it will add more drama and it will be dragged for 2 years probably.

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Damn what did Anthony Geary do that was so bad to be catching strays like that? I'm so out of the loop

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Yesss miss girly, in her informant era!!!! When will your favs?! 

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sabreezy would never snitch!

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wait someone explain this in fewer words to me i got lost

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Lmaaooo thats funny bc I read it somewhere else and was confused, but OP broke it down for me.





So basically sounds like the church did not like that it was desecrated by the Sabrina Carpenter feather music video . I dont think the guy was in it, but he like allowed them to and they didnt like it so they demoted him And coincidentally or incidentally, Im not really sure he has like the pre-stir the past or whatever has ties to someone Eric Adam works with and thats how it all came crumbling down or some shit like that.

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"like the pre-stir the past or " it took me a few times to work this out and now i cant stop laughing. ty for the explanation though!!

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Not exactly a few words but this vicar called Gigantiello gave Sabrina's team permission to shoot her 'Feather' music video in their parish--this prompted an investigation after the disapproving Diocese of Brooklyn found this sacrilegious and demoted Gigantiello from vicar to pastor. The church's investigation was eventually linked to the feds own investigation linking the pastor to NYC Mayor Eric Adams and his chief of staff. It's unclear what the pastor's shady connection to the mayor is.

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if he was instrumental in the best video of st. sabrina's career then let the man.live. jesus approves.

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The layers to this !

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LMFAOOOOO. This priest just wanted to queen out with Sabrina Carpenter and ended up getting demoted and catching a federal case

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The lord works in mysterious ways, but so does the devil

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Comment of the year

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The way this comment can be applied to SO MANY posts

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its a thing of beauty

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I've already said I can't wait for the True Anon episode on the Adams indictment, but I really can't wait for Liz to talk about this.

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Edited at 2024-09-28 02:08 am (UTC) Please Please Please Don't Indict MEEEEE

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Lmao this just gets better and better

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lol

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We're all being eaten alive by a black hole, right

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Anti-corruption queen 

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the church is fully committed to cooperating with law enforcement in all investigations, including conduct at individual parishes or involving any priest.



Oh, is it now.

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Learn more about LiveJournal Ratings in Hello! Your entry got to top-25 of the most popular entries in LiveJournal!Learn more about LiveJournal Ratings in FAQ

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Rhyma Castillo is a trending reporter for the Express-News and a member of its Digital Go Team. She can be reached at rhyma.castillo@express-news.net.

A native of San Antonio and a Texas A&M University graduate, she is a journalist with nearly a decade of experience. She has reported on politics, immigration, climate change, gun violence, and workers rights. Additionally, she excels in lifestyle and entertainment writing, covering music, television, video games, technology, and relationships.

In her free time, she enjoys painting, drawing, cooking, hiking, climbing, gardening, playing video games, cuddling with her cats, and making music with her band.
Chuckys murderous days are over  at least for now. The series, based on the classic horror movie franchise, will not return for a fourth season on Syfy and USA Network https://t.co/jGPmXHf47g pic.twitter.com/PbQaK7dlvW  Deadline (@DEADLINE) September 27, 2024

So sad to announce that after three wonderful seasons the television series Chucky has finally been canceled.



First Id like to think our fans, who managed to keep the #RenewChucky hashtag trending for MONTHS! Without your loyalty and tenacity Chucky would never have  Jennifer Tilly (@JenniferTilly) September 27, 2024

Chucky will not return for a fourth season on Syfy and USA Network.Im heartbroken over the news that Chucky wont be coming back for a fourth season but am so grateful for the killer three years we did have, series creator Don Mancini said. Id like to thank UCP/Syfy/Peacock/Eat the Cat, our awesome cast and Toronto-based crew  the best in the business  and finally, to our amazing fans, a big bloody hug. Your incredible #RenewChucky campaign really warmed Chuckys cold heart. Chucky will return! He ALWAYS comes back.
Their movie looks really cute

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great film! definitely cried a few times

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I cry really easily, so I'm saving this movie for when I need a good, life-affirming weep. 

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Learn more about LiveJournal Ratings in Hello! Your entry got to top-25 of the most popular entries in LiveJournal!Learn more about LiveJournal Ratings in FAQ

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Looks like a beautiful friendship kudos to them 

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I am watching this right now, and my HEART.



She just told Will to help her by correcting people if they misgender her and watching him learn how to support her and actually DOING it is so good.



I work for a rainbow organisation that supports young people in schools. And I might point to this for parents who are supportive and looking for things they can do to help (though I am not all the way through) I love my job, but it's really hard some days, with this political climate (I live in NZ, but we have some nasty groups here that want to drag us back to the past). I just want to make life a little better for today's students than it was for me as a little bi kid in the fucking 90s in MONTANA.



Edited at 2024-09-28 08:01 am (UTC)

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I work for a rainbow organisation that supports young people in schools. Me too! I work mostly with kids aged 11-18, but I also work with youth-serving adults and parents and I love the idea of adding this as a resource. All the best to you in the work you do. I know how hard but important it is.

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Their doco was really lovely. I would totally watch a longer series of them travelling together.

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I heard their Las Culturistas episode was really good so if I get back to my morning walks (my sleep schedule is so fucked, ugh) I may have to give it a listen.



Cant wait to watch! People I cat sit for have Netflix so Ill prob watch at their place lol.

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I dont know why trans people are meant to be threatening to me as a cis male.

Though true, cis women are threatened for no reason. Not sure if they touch on that in the doc. Id normally  but Ill wait til I have access to Netflix.



The New York Times is kind of the centre of that  generally left-leaning, but also sometimes very anti-trans.

Among other things!

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I had an irrational hatred for Will (I just don't find him funny), but reading what he has said about transphobia and how he has supported the community has made me really respect him. I'm glad he's a really good guy. Glad to eat my hand and say I don't irrationally hate him anymore.



But I dont know why trans people are meant to be threatening to me as a cis male. I dont know why Harper is threatening to me. Its so strange to me, because Harper is finally... her. Shes finally who she was always meant to be. Whether or not you can ultimately wrap your head around that, why would you care if somebodys happy? Why is that threatening to you? If the trans community is a threat to you, I think it stems from not being confident or safe with yourself.



^ I really, really, really like that he said this. More people need to think like this.

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I feel the same way about Will. I just never found him funny. But other than his main gig I like him.

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same, this is really making me re-evaluate my anti will ferrell bias sjkhf



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Watched this doc yesterday and recommended it to everyone I could reach at the moment. It is very heartwarming and touching, as well as yes - I think there were quite educational moments, like the part about her former therapist, as well as the retired therapist who approached them both at the Grand Canyon. And I loved the fact that most of the people Harper mentioned responded to the email so quickly, I felt it when her sister said that she wasn't sure at first what to say exactly, but she knew that she needed to respond fast, that was important. This moment in particular was very touching, because it applies to many situations. Sometimes it's hard to put into words what you want to say to a person who has something going on, but just showing up for someone is important, in any kind of sense (war flashbacks from when my "friend" ghosted me after my mom passed away and texted half a year later to ask whether I can recommend a good company for whatever service she needed, some people are...bizarre).

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watched half of the doc yesterday and it's good!! gonna finish the rest in a bit. really love their friendship and how Will is actually trying to learn and be there for Harper. wish the people who should watch this would to educate themselves but you know they won't :|

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Slightly surprised they managed to get an interview with a publication from TERF Island, but iirc The Independent has a better track record on LGBTQ issues than most UK papers.

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Would love it if they appeared together on Seth's family trips pod. He references Harper's writing and SNL sketches on the Lonely Island podcast a lot so I think it'd be a great episode. I gotta make time to watch this tomorrow.

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Will and Harper were together on Seth's show this past Tuesday. It was very funny because they were all giving each other shit.

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Yep!! So now I need a longer interview format for shenanigans lol



Edited at 2024-09-28 06:25 pm (UTC)

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This looks like such a nice movie. I know its bare minimum but kudos to Will for not being a tool.

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Their friendship is so pure and lovely. Real friendship is wanting to do a little bit wherever you can to make the world a better place for your friend.

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This movie is life affirming

I have never liked Will, I didnt get his humor or something, and he annoyed me. But this movie is so beautiful, and hes a lovely person, and what he does in this movie is important. Hes really vulnerable and open in the movie as is Harper, who is also just heart wrenching when explaining how she felt before transitioning. I highly recommend. This movie will save lives. I good cried all the way through.

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Costs and access to the grid are the main hurdles U.S. oil drillers and producers face as they seek to electrify operations, the latest Dallas Fed Energy Survey showed this week.

More than half of the exploration and production firms operating in Texas, northern Louisiana, and southern New Mexico have either electrified or plan to fully or partially electrify their oilfield operations.

Service firms are less likely to electrify compared to small and large E&P companies, according to Dallas Fed's quarterly survey of executives.

While the majority of E&P firms look to electrify at least part of their oilfield operations, access to the grid, stability of the grid, and the high costs of going electric have emerged as the top challenges for U.S. operators.

Electrification reduces diesel consumption and emissions from oilfield operations, as well as noise and pollution from rigs and fracking equipment.

But the cost of going electric, the lead times for equipment, and uncertainties about future access to the grid and grid stability are the top challenges for the industry to fully embrace electrified oilfield operations.

Currently, 18% of executives said in the Dallas Fed Energy Survey that their firm's oilfield operations are already fully electrified. Another 6% of executives said they aim to completely electrify oilfield operations for their firm, and an additional 31% said they look to partially electrify operations. The remaining 45% said they do not plan to do so.

Related: U.S. Oil Drilling Sags: Baker Hughes

Small E&P firms, with crude oil production of fewer than 10,000 barrels per day, have electrified operations more than large firms and services companies, with 28% of small firms already fully electrified, compared with 9% percent of oil and gas support services firms and 6% of large E&P firms. Service firms are also slightly more likely than small and large companies to indicate they are not aiming to electrify their oilfield operations, the survey found.

Among the firms aiming to electrify or already electrified, 29% of executives of the companies focused on the Permian cited uncertainty about future access to the grid as the top challenge they see in electrification. Another 17% say that uncertainty about future grid stability is their top concern.

Firms embracing electrification with operations primarily outside the Permian cited costs as the top hurdle, 30% of executives, followed by 26% who see lead times for equipment as the top challenge.

"Too expensive" is the top challenge of 48% of executives of Texas, New Mexico, and Louisiana firms not aiming to electrify operations. It is followed by concerns about grid access and grid stability.

"Most of our rigs are capable of running off grid power, but the logistical (regulatory and permitting) hurdles that our customers have to go through to bring power to the rig is formidable and expensive," an executive at a service firm said in comments to the survey's questions.

Another executive at a service firm commented, "To add the additional costs to electrify equipment, the returns have to be there through higher prices or reduced costs. That is not the case in our segment."

A third executive at an oilfield service company noted that their firm's operations are far too mobile and fast-paced to install the necessary electrical infrastructure. Moreover, suppliers are currently not making electrical options for many of the types of machinery, the executive added.

Electrification can help companies slash emissions from producing facilities by as much as 86% by electrifying the rigs and platforms to run on renewable electricity or natural gas that would be flared otherwise, Rystad Energy said in a report last week.

Even a partial electrification will significantly cut emissions, according to the research and energy intelligence company.

"As the world confronts the pressing issue of climate change, the oil and gas industry is under increasing pressure to minimize its carbon footprint and align its practices with global sustainability objectives," said Palzor Shenga, vice president of upstream research with Rystad Energy.

"Where it's possible and economically viable, electrification has great potential to lower the industry's emissions while maintaining production output."

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com
This development strengthens Azerbaijan's position as a reliable energy partner and supports its ambition to double gas exports to the EU by 2027.

The new discovery could significantly increase Azerbaijan's gas exports to Europe and contribute to the EU's energy security.

Azerbaijan's state oil company, Socar, and a BP-led consortium have agreed to develop a new gas field in the Caspian Sea, with production expected to start in 2025.

Azerbaijan and a BP-led consortium reached an agreement on developing a new natural gas field in the Caspian Sea. The new reserve, found earlier this year, lies below the massive Azeri-Chirag-Gunashli (ACG) oil field and could significantly increase Bakus volume of gas available for export to Europe.

According to BP, the reserve is estimated to hold 4 trillion cubic feet of gas in place, or around 113 billion cubic meters (bcm). Gas in place refers to the total volume held in the reservoir, not all of which will be recoverable.

The agreement between Azerbaijans state oil company, Socar, and the consortium was formalized via an addendum to an existing production sharing agreement (PSA) that the consortium holds for the ACG oil field. That PSA was renewed in 2017 and runs until 2049.

BP said in a statement that the consortium drilled an appraisal well in early 2023 and in July confirmed the presence of deep-lying gas reservoirs. ACG consortium members are now working with Socar to formulate a development plan for the new gas reserve; production from the existing appraisal is expected to start in 2025. The statement added that under the terms of the addendum, Socar will buy all of the gas produced. Details on the volume of annual production from the new reserve have not been released.

We are once again proving that Azerbaijan is a reliable partner in global energy markets. This project will bolster Azerbaijans role as a key supplier of energy to Europe, contributing to the energy security of our partners, the statement quoted Socar President Rovshan Najaf as saying.

The new agreement is good news for Baku, which has been hedging of late on its promise to double gas exports to European Union states to 20 bcm a year by 2027. Speaking in July, Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev said that Baku was aiming to export 16 bcm a year to Europe by 2027. Last year, Azerbaijans exports to Europe through the three pipelines that make up the Southern Gas Corridor totaled 11.8 bcm, up from 10 bcm two years ago.

Uncertainty over Bakus ability to deliver on its 20 bcm by 2027 export target created a chicken-or-egg-type of scenario in which buyers are reluctant to commit to buy more gas from Azerbaijan, in turn making it difficult for operators of the three pipelines comprising the Southern Gas Corridor to attract investment needed to expand pipeline capacity to handle 20 bcm per year.

Separately BP and Socar signed an agreement to jointly prospect for hydrocarbons in two blocks in the Caspian Sea, dubbed Karabagh and ADUA.

By David OByrne via Eurasianet.org

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com
LINCOLN  A Lancaster County District Court judge will allow a lawsuit seeking to invalidate a pair of ballot initiatives that would legalize medical marijuana in Nebraska to move forward.

In a 14-page order Friday, Judge Susan Strong rejected Nebraskans for Medical Marijuanas motion to dismiss the lawsuit from former State Sen. John Kuehn until more evidence is heard.

Both measures  one would allow doctors to recommend cannabis to their patients, while the other would create a regulatory scheme for medical marijuana in Nebraska  remain on the ballot as the case proceeds.

Kuehn, an opponent of the effort to legalize cannabis for medical use, sued Secretary of State Bob Evnen to stop the pair of petitions from being certified for the ballot or from the votes being counted this November.

The former member of the Nebraska Board of Health said numerous irregularities were found on the petitions, including duplicate names, the names of unregistered voters, and incorrect birth dates and addresses, and asked the court to rule them legally insufficient.

The lawsuit came a day before Attorney General Mike Hilgers announced charges against a Grand Island man who allegedly forged signatures on petitions circulated by Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana.

Evnen, the states chief election officer, certified both petitions on Sept. 13, saying that even after removing the signatures that were forged, Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana had met the states signature-gathering requirements.

The secretary of state, in his answer to Kuehns lawsuit, denied the allegations that invalid signatures were counted and defended the work of his office as well as that of county election officials across the state.

But in a cross-claim, Evnen said the irregularities raised by Kuehn should be investigated and, if confirmed, that the court should declare the initiatives void and that the votes not be counted.

In her order, Strong said two of the four issues raised by Kuehn  that there were invalid signatures among the total, as well as duplicates that were not tossed out  would not be dismissed until further evidence was brought.

(T)he court declines to resolve this issue at the pleadings stage based only on the courts opinion of the relative importance of the statutory requirements allegedly violated, Strong wrote in the opinion.

The judged tossed two other complaints filed by Kuehn, however. Strong dismissed Kuehns complaint that Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana sponsor Sen. Anna Wishart of Lincoln failed to include a city, state or ZIP code on her sworn statement as a petition sponsor.

Strong also rejected Kuehns argument that the petitions violated Nebraskas single-subject rule for citizen-led initiatives, which prevented Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana from appearing on the ballot in 2020.

The order says a petition that would establish a regulatory structure for medical marijuana, including creating an executive branch entity, was in line with past initiatives that created similar agencies naturally and necessarily connected to the initiatives purpose.

In a separate order, Strong also overruled Nebraskans for Medical Marijuanas request to dismiss a cross-claim filed by Evnen, who said the court should consider the evidence and make a determination of whether or not the petitions should be deemed legally insufficient.

Certainly, the Secretary has an interest in the outcome of this litigation, Strong wrote. The relief requested is a declaration of whether there are sufficient signatures to place the petition initiatives on the ballot.

The judge, citing a concurrence penned by Chief Justice Mike Heavican on a legal challenge against another petition earlier in September, said there was no process for Evnen to rescind certification once it was given.

But she ordered both parties to submit further briefs on whether or not Evnen has standing to ask a court to invalidate the petitions after they had been certified.

Both sides must file their briefs within 10 days.

Strong said at a hearing Sept. 20 that it was her goal to have the matter resolved before Election Day.

Our best Omaha staff photos & videos of September 2024
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has admonished the national chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole, over his allegations that the Commission has not been fair to APC and is working with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to short-change it in the general elections. The Commission stated that the inability of APC leaders to manage their internal crisis and round up the primary elections of the party to nominate candidates in the two states laid the foundation of the partys problem which was sealed by the court judgements in both states. He cautioned that APC national chairman that INEC is not working with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), reminding him of the consequences of propaganda taken too far.

The Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Rotimi Oyekanmi, told Oshiomhole that the Commission is not a political party, saying that the fate of APC in Zamfara and Rivers states was as a result of judicial pronouncements.

It is not true that the Independent National Electoral Commission is working hand in gloves with any political party to do the wrong things. The issue of Zamfara and Rivers are well known.

In the case of Zamfara, the Commission had written to the APC leadership to notify it that, due to its inability to conduct its primaries in Zamfara State within the stipulated time as required by law, the party cannot field candidates for the governorship election.

Thereafter, two cases were instituted in court resulting in two rulings which were delivered the same day. The Commission then adopted one of the rulings.

In the case of Rivers, it was the Supreme Court that took a final decision on the fate of APC. Therefore, both cases were purely judicial and INEC, being a law abiding institution, will always obey court orders/judgment.

The Commission is not a political party and does not have a candidate for the forthcoming general elections. Our duty is to provide a level playing field for all registered political parties and ensure that elections are conducted in a free, fair and transparent manner, Oyekanmi declared.

Oshiomhole in a media interaction on Wednesday, in Abuja, accused INEC of being grossly unfair to APC, saying further that the Commission is working for PDP.

If there is anything, this INEC has been very, very unfair to APC. As we speak, there are two RECs (Resident Electoral Commissioners) that are virtually campaigning side by side with PDP.

INEC, without giving us any concrete explanation or giving concrete evidence went ahead to say that we cannot field candidates in Zamfara State, thereby seeking to award without any contest, nullify democracy in Zamfara State.

INEC is working more for PDP based on the evidence I can show. How can they explain that a court of competent jurisdiction gave orders in Zamfara to say these candidates are eligible to contest the election and another High Court in Abuja gave the verdict saying APC did not conclude its primaries but it did not give an order to INEC, Oshiomhole declared.

However, it is on record that the impasse between Oshiomhole and Governor Abdulazeez Yari of Zamfara State over emergent candidates from the factional primary elections generated in-cohesion that disorganized APC from accepting emergent candidates from the conflicting factions.
Chris Dyer eyes a battery energy storage system installed behind his home in Mason from atop a 10-foot cedar stake fence installed by the city of Mason. It wasnt enough to abate noise from the site. Marvin Pfeiffer/Staff Photographer An aerial view of a battery energy storage system adjacent to Chris and Catherine Dyer's home in Mason. The LCRA substation for Mason and another battery site can be seen in the background. The substation provides electricity that charges the batteries in both sites. Marvin Pfeiffer/Staff Photographer Chris Dyer next to one of two water features he built to help drown out noise from a battery energy storage system behind his property in Mason. He said the water features are nice but that they dont do much to alleviat the noise. Marvin Pfeiffer/Staff Photographer Chris Dyer looks at the 10-foot fence constructed in his backyard to block the view of a recently installed battery energy storage system. Marvin Pfeiffer/Staff Photographer An aerial view of a Regis Energy battery energy storage system in Mason. Marvin Pfeiffer/Staff Photographer A battery energy storage system installed adjacent to Chris and Catherine Dyers home in Mason by Regis Energy. Marvin Pfeiffer/Staff Photographer Battery storage units in a battery energy storage system in Mason. It was installed by Regis Energy of Houston. Marvin Pfeiffer/Staff Photographer An aerial view of a battery energy storage system recently installed adjacent to Chris and Catherine Dyer's home, behind the fence in the background, in Mason. Marvin Pfeiffer/Staff Photographer Chris Dyer helps vines reach a wire a foot above a 10-foot cedar stake fence built to help block his view of and sound from a recently installed battery energy storage system adjacent to his home in Mason. Marvin Pfeiffer/Staff Photographer

MASON  Christopher Dyer says his noisy neighbor moved in without warning.

No one knocked at the door of his home about 40 miles northwest of Fredericksburg to ask how hed feel about living next to a battery energy storage site. Instead, he got an earful of construction noise. That was soon replaced by the sound of air conditioners whirring to keep the batteries cool and the hum of electricity at the facility, which is about 60 feet from his property.

He installed waterfall fountains in his backyard to drown out the racket and the city of Mason built a 10-foot fence around the site. It wasnt enough, Dyer said. He and his wife, Catherine, dont even try entertaining on their patio anymore.

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I have absolutely no problem with storing energy, he said. We have to do what we can to create the energy. My issue is you dont put it next to a school, you dont put it next to a hospital. You dont put it next to somebodys house for the sake of convenience.

Such concerns are becoming common across Texas.

The state is in the midst of a boom in battery energy storage, which industry experts say is helping the often-strained Texas power grid keep up with rapidly increasing demand.

Developers want to build the sites where theyre most needed. That means areas like the Hill Country  where population growth has increased energy demand and added to congestion on transmission lines  are being targeted for more of the projects.

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The sites face few regulations, though, and some Hill Country residents are on edge. Theyre worried the battery systems will be noisy, increase the risk of fire and do environmental damage. Their message to developers is simple: Not in our backyard.

Energy companies caught in the crosshairs say most developers give residents notice, seek feedback on their plans and that their proposed sites dont go up near residences or schools. What happened near Dyers home in Mason is uncommon and unfortunate, they say.

We want to be really upfront with people and treat them like we were their neighbors, too, because were going to be when we build the project, said Carolyn OBrien of Black Mountain Energy, a Washington company planning a site behind an electrical substation in northwestern Kerr County.

The companies are used to criticism, though. They commonly face angry residents crowding into public meetings to voice their opposition.

In June, one such meeting in Kendall County drew 200 people. A Black Mountain Energy meeting in Kerr County in July had 10 residents sign up to speak in opposition. Speakers at both argued the sites dont support local jobs or otherwise benefit the county and that the often-dry climate of the Hill Country amplifies fire risks.

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I think youll find out from the people that speak that youre not real popular, Kerr County Commissioner Don Harris told company representatives.

OBrien, who works in permitting, says shes sympathetic to the concerns.

When you have a reaction, its going to be like this, she said. We get a lot of the same comments whether were in Missouri or Wisconsin or Texas.

Regis Energy Partners, the Houston company that operates the site in Mason, did not respond to requests for comment.

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Battery boom

The backlash has grown as the industry booms across Texas.

Just four years ago, the state had few sites like the ones popping up in Mason and elsewhere. Now, nearly 8,800 megawatts of battery storage is connected to the statewide grid operated by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas. More than 2,800 megawatts of that was added since last summer alone.

Batteries are still overshadowed by traditional and renewable sources. The grid has access to about 67,000 megawatts of gas-fired generation, 39,525 megawatts of wind, 25,961 megawatts of solar and 14,700 megawatts of coal-fired power.

But the battery boom is just getting started. Operators have applied to connect another 152,000 megawatts of storage capacity to the grid by 2030. Its coming as ERCOT is projecting record growth in demand for electricity by the end of the decade.

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Developers and grid experts say the surge in battery projects is driven by simple economics. The sites are less expensive and can be built more rapidly than traditional generating plants that might be added to keep up with the states increasing demand. Battery sites pair well with power generated by wind and solar, which are also growing. And while they often qualify for federal tax credits, grid experts say the industry would be rapidly expanding even without them in Texas independent energy market.

Another factor is that ERCOT increasingly relies on batteries to keep power flowing through its creaky grid, said Matthew Boms, director of the Texas Advanced Energy Business Alliance.

I think theres a story to be told on how batteries have been saving the grid, he said. I think most Texans just dont know how important batteries have been.

The stories of the past two summers provide an example.

Through summer and early fall 2023, ERCOT issued 11 requests for energy conservation as demand boomed. After the past years growth in batteries, it hasnt issued any conservation requests in 2024  even when the grid saw record demand of 85.9 gigawatts on Aug. 20. Nearly half of the capacity to meet that demand came from renewable sources  wind, solar and batteries. When solar power output dwindled after sunset, batteries helped carry the state through the early evening, which is often the grids rockiest period.

Solar and storage saved the Texas summer, said Stephanie Smith, chief operating officer at Eolian, a California company that has renewable generating and storage capacity in Texas. We didnt really have the scarcity events that we had just one year ago, and the heat index was almost as bad most of the summer.

What batteries do

At the storage sites, hundreds of battery units installed in rows of enclosures that resemble shipping containers are charged with power from the grid, usually when its plentiful and less expensive to buy. Theyre also often paired with wind and solar farms, where they help make renewable energy more reliable by making it available on demand.

Then, they discharge the juice back onto the grid when its scarce, on evenings after sundown when solar power drops off or during periods of unusually high demand.

Batteries also can send out power during an emergency  like when a gas- or coal-fired power plant unexpectedly shuts down and theres demand to be met  or absorb it when too much is buzzing across transmission lines and causing congestion. Thats important because when a transmission line gets overcrowded, it can cause cascading outages across the grid.

In the San Antonio or South Texas region, theyre providing grid stability in a really constrained part of the grid, where we especially need more battery storage, Boms said. Could that transmission be built? Yeah, probably. Its going to take several years to build it. In the meantime, batteries are playing a really important role.

Eolian is in the process of building a site in San Antonio with CPS Energy that will be among the worlds largest stand-alone battery sites  meaning it wont be tied directly to renewable resources. The new batteries are being placed to act as shock absorbers at ERCOTs riskiest transmission congestion point, which is near San Antonio. CPS Energy is building new transmission lines to remedy the problem but they wont be complete until at least mid 2027.

Plant outages or an imbalanced amount of power north and south of the San Antonio circuit can stress it out. It happened last September, when the congested line was blamed for bringing the statewide grid closer to rolling outages than it had been since the winter storms of early 2021.

Key Capture Energy, which is working on a site in Kendall County, was one of the battery providers that dispatched power during that emergency. In total, batteries cranked out 2.2 gigawatts of power into the grid, according to Erica Glenn, Key Captures manager of development for ERCOT projects.

At the time, this was a record for battery energy storage deployment, which has been surpassed several times this summer and fall, she said.

Battery developers scattering across the Hill Country are pinpointing other congestion points as well. They want the batteries in places theyre needed to support grid reliability. Those locations are also where they stand to make the most profit selling power back to the ERCOT market.

Thus, batteries provide local power, storage companies say, and help prevent far-reaching blackouts.

If we ever find ourselves in a grid emergency condition, Boms said, you want to be in a community close to a battery project.

Small-town fallout

But for some who live near battery sites, their impact on the grid doesnt outweigh worries about the effect on property values.

Dyer, for example, said hed been planning to sell his home in Mason before the storage site was built. Once construction began, buyers were scared away. He took his property off the market after 14 months without any offers, he said.

About 80 miles away in Kendall County, Michael Guthrie shares similar concerns as Key Capture considers a site near his home outside Comfort.

At night, its beautiful, quiet, Guthrie said. (The battery site) is going to sound like a hive of bees over there. A loud hive of bees.

The edge of Guthries property is about a half-mile from the proposed Key Capture site, quite a bit further than the setup at Dyers home in Mason. Still, Guthrie said the project would hurt his property value. He had planned on putting his 25 acres in a living trust for his children but stopped that process amid the battery developers interest.

My investment  that I thought was a good investment  its gone, said Guthrie, 68.

Key Capture notified residents of its plans and conducted a public meeting at the start of the year. The company said it would plant a line of trees to hide the batteries. Glenn, the Key Capture manager, said the nearest resident is more than 650 feet away from the planned site, which also will have a 7-foot fence to suppress the noise it creates.

From about a yard, the noise from battery systems can range from about 70 decibels  equivalent to the sound of a washing machine or car on the highway  to 92 decibels  the sound of a truck in traffic or a power mower. According to Noise Monitoring Services, a California noise abatement consultant, noise from a site comprised of hundreds of battery units can hit more than 70 decibels at a 100-foot distance.

Its not difficult to see why these facilities can be a nuisance when located near residences, the company says. With typical city noise ordinances requiring compliance with 45 decibel noise limits at night, mitigating these facilities can be a challenge.

Fire worries

Robert and Cindy Flores, whose home is about a a half mile from Key Captures project site in Kendall County, are among the Hill Country residents worried that battery storage facilities increase the risk of fire. Because of physical difficulties caused by Robert Flores battle with cancer, they say, theyd struggle to evacuate their home if one breaks out.

In some instances, battery facilities have caused fires that can be difficult to contain. In April 2019, an explosion of batteries in Arizona injured nine first responders. A third-party report on the incident found emergency responders and firefighters didnt have a response procedure in place. The incident prompted planning changes across the country.

Though they can be severe, the rate of battery storage failures has dropped 97% from 2018 to 2023, according to the nonprofit Electric Power Research Institute.

Battery fires or explosions can be caused by thermal runaway, a chain reaction that occurs when a cell overheats. It can happen because of a defect, contamination from humidity or dust, improper electric input and other factors. No Texas sites have reported such a fire, according to the institute, which logs battery failures and fires based on media reports.

State Rep. Ellen Troxclair, a Lakeway Republican, wrote to Key Capture in February voicing her opposition to its proposed site. She cited the areas limited water supply as a concern in the event of a fire spreading outside the site.

Glenn said the companys sites are monitored remotely around the clock, allowing them to be shut down if problems arise, and designed to contain fires, which she said are rare.

But they happen. In May, a fire at a San Diego, Calif., site burned for five days. On Sept. 5, a battery fire in Escondido, Calif., burned for 13 hours. Neither fire spread beyond the battery site. The Escondido Fire Department issued a mandatory evacuation order during the most recent incident, which affected other businesses in an industrial park.

In Texas, local elected officials and Hill Country residents say theyre also worried about chemicals from battery fires polluting the air, water and ground.

Battery systems are made using plastics, flammable liquids and metal. They burn hot and create toxic fumes. While harmful on close contact, site developers said, many of those chemicals burn up before reaching the atmosphere.

The city of Escondido this month published a report on its recent battery fire that found only normal products combustion of a structure fire were detected in the air and groundwater. The effects werent any more harmful than from a typical house fire, the results showed.

Eric Stoutenburg, Eolians director of energy storage, said ERCOT systems collect control data every four seconds from batteries connected to the grid that show in real time if there are problems. Plant operators and local fire departments also have alarms tied to the sites.

Theres a whole series of automatically cascading alarms that will actually shut down any system if problems arise, he said.

Seeking regulation

The residents who oppose the battery storage sites say there is probably little they can do to stop those already being planned from being built. But because the sites face few restrictions, they hope state lawmakers will step up to more closely regulate the industry.

Existing state law gives landowners wide latitude in what they can do with their property, largely leaving the industry to self-regulate in most areas.

Last year, Rep. Andrew Murr, a Republican from Junction, warned fellow lawmakers there was not a permit in the world that applied to Texas storage sites.

In the absence of state regulation, local governments have taken action to try to regulate the facilities.

The Kendall County Commissioners Court recently voted to amend the countys fire code to include more stringent guidelines for energy storage projects, a move County Judge Shane Stolarczyk called an insurance policy for residents. The county also hired an independent consultant to help guide them in establishing their own regulations.

In Kerr County, commissioners passed a resolution in August that called on legislators to create regulations. Their suggestions included requiring the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to conduct public hearings for each could-be battery facility, making fire safety and water runoff plans a requirement and mandating any storage site to be at least 1,000 feet from other property lines.
Real Madrid will have to pay Liverpool more than 130million in order to land Sadio Mane.

That is according to El Confidencial, who report that the Spanish club will need to cough up a huge junk of money if they are to sign the Senegal international from the Merseyside club ahead of the 2019-20 season.

Real are planning a huge overhaul in the European summer with Mane, Manchester United Paul Pogba and Chelsea star Eden Hazard all linked with a move to the Bernabeu.

Zinedine Zidanes reappointment last month followed after the clubs elimination from both the Spanish Copa del Rey and Uefa Champions League within the space of a week.

Real also sit 14 points behind La Liga leaders and fierce rivals Barcelona.

Mane, who has 21 goals in 42 games across all competitions this season, found the back of the net for Liverpool in their 3-1 loss to Real in last years UEFA Champions League final.

The 27-year-old has continued to impress for the Anfield club in the current campaign as they push for league and European honours.

Post Views: 67
Some youth in their numbers, yesterday, besieged major streets, especially in the Central Business District, Wuse Market, Jabi, Utako in Abuja celebrating President Muhammadu Buharis victory at the polls.

Brandishing sticks, brooms and cutlasses, the youth also blocked entry and exit points into the city.

They formed a human blockade at Masaka on the Abuja-Keffi expressway, impeding traffic flow. Same thing happened at City Gate on Airport Road and AYA-Zuba expressway at Dutsen Alhaji Junction.

City News observed that a large number of the celebrating youth, who were mostly minors, swarmed the lane leading into Abuja from Keffi, chanting sai baba as they forced motorists to do same.

The bonnets and windshields of some motorists vehicles that did not chant sai baba and did not make the NextLevel gesture by raising four fingers were smashed.

The chaos continued down to Mararaba market as they pulled down campaign billboards of opposition candidates and set them ablaze.

In some instances, they sat on some vehicles bonnets for minutes, dancing and chanting sai baba while they brandished brooms, the APC symbol.

They also handed motorists brooms as permit and those who refused to collect were harassed and delayed passage.

Commercial tricycle and motorcycle riders also joined in the wild celebration, as they drove recklessly, performing stunts on the Airport Road, Obafemi Awolowo Way along Jabi-Berger roundabout, Abuja-Keffi Road and several other locations in the FCT.

They rode to places where they had been banned by authorities from accessing as other residents moved about cautiously and in fear.

A motorist, John Yahaya, said Buharis supporters were free to celebrate but harassing other citizens who were going about their legitimate businesses was not acceptable.

He said their action was provocative but thanked God that nobody confronted them as any altercation could result to violence.

The FCT police command spokesman, DSP Anjuguri Manzah, could not comment on the chaos in the city as he did not pick calls or reply to a text message sent to his mobile phone number.
Any Federal Government worker not captured on the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) by Oct. 31 would not be paid his monthly salary.

President Muhammadu Buhari disclosed this during the presentation of the 2020 budget proposal to the joint session of the National Assembly in Abuja on Tuesday.

He said this was of the federal government efforts aimed at managing personnel costs in line with its fight against corruption.

According to him, all agencies of government must obtain permission and follow due process as they embark on any recruitment exercise.

We shall sustain our efforts in managing personnel costs.

Accordingly, I have directed the stoppage of the salary of any Federal Government staff that is not captured on the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) platform by the end of October 2019.

All agencies must obtain the necessary approvals before embarking on any fresh recruitment and any contraventions of these directives shall attract severe sanctions, he said.

He said total overhead cost for the year 2020 stood at over N400 billion, with additional provisions for the newly created ministries.

Overhead costs are projected at N426.6 billion in 2020. Additional provisions were made only for the newly created Ministries, he said.

I am confident that the benefits of these new Ministries as it relates to efficient and effective service delivery to our citizens significantly outweigh their budgeted costs.

That said, the respective Heads of Ministries Departments and Agencies (MDAs) must ensure strict adherence to government regulations regarding expenditure control measures.

The proliferation of Zonal, State and Liaison Offices by Federal Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), with attendant avoidable increase in public expenditure, will no longer be tolerated, the president said.

Buhari said the 2020 budget tagged; Budget of Sustainable Growth and Job Creation, has a proposed non-debt recurrent expenditure of N3.6 trillion, covering personnel and pension costs.

The non-debt recurrent expenditure includes N3.6 trillion for personnel and pension costs, an increase of N620.28 billion over 2019.

This increase reflects the new minimum wage as well as our proposals to improve remuneration and welfare of our Police and Armed Forces.

You will all agree that good governance, inclusive growth and collective prosperity can only be sustained in an environment of peace and security.

Our fiscal reforms shall introduce new performance management frameworks to regulate the cost to revenue ratios for Government Owned Enterprises, which shall come under significant scrutiny, he added.

Buhari maintained that his administration would reward exceptional revenue and cost management performance, while severe consequences will attend failures to achieve agreed revenue targets.
In the vibrant landscape of Ghanas industrial sector, the Chartered Institute of Marketing Ghana (CIMG) stands out as a key arbiter of excellence, honoring companies that exemplify outstanding marketing strategies and innovation. For 2023, B5 Plus Limited has been distinguished with the prestigious title of Marketing Oriented Product of the Year in the Manufacturing category. This accolade highlights B5 Pluss exceptional marketing acumen and strategic vision in the steel manufacturing industry.



Company Overview: Established in 2002 by the visionary Chairman Mr. Mukesh Thakwani, B5 Plus Limited has become a pivotal player in Ghanas steel manufacturing sector. Headquartered in Accra, the company specializes in producing high-quality steel products tailored to a wide range of industrial and construction applications. B5 Pluss journey from its early days to becoming one of Africas largest steel manufacturing facilities in Larkpleku Village, Prampramunder the governments 1D1F initiativedemonstrates its commitment to industrial advancement and local development. The facility boasts cutting-edge units including a Rolling Mill, Steel Melting Shop (SMS), PEB Manufacturing, Batching Plant, Oxygen Plant, Tube Mill Factory, Block Factory, Aluminium and Trailer Manufacturing units, Crane Girders, and Weighing Scales.



Innovative Marketing Approaches: B5 Plus Limited has excelled in leveraging innovative marketing strategies to enhance its market presence and customer engagement. By embracing advanced digital tools, data-driven insights, and targeted campaigns, B5 Plus has successfully positioned its products and services as industry benchmarks, setting new standards for marketing effectiveness in the manufacturing sector.



Commitment to Quality: Quality remains a cornerstone of B5 Pluss operations. Rigorous quality control measures throughout the production process ensure that the company delivers superior steel products that consistently meet and exceed client expectations, reinforcing its reputation as a leader in quality within the steel manufacturing industry.



Sustainability Initiatives: B5 Plus Limited is dedicated to sustainability through energy-efficient practices, waste reduction strategies, and eco-friendly packaging. These efforts reflect the company's commitment to environmental responsibility and sustainable development.







Community Impact: Beyond its business achievements, B5 Plus is deeply invested in supporting local communities through initiatives in education, healthcare, and infrastructure development. By engaging with stakeholders, B5 Plus fosters socioeconomic growth and community empowerment.



Conclusion: Receiving the CIMG Marketing Oriented Product of the Year 2023 award underscores B5 Plus Limiteds exceptional marketing prowess and strategic vision. This recognition celebrates the companys innovative approach, commitment to quality, and impactful community initiatives. It also reaffirms B5 Pluss influential role in shaping the future of steel manufacturing in Ghana and beyond.



B5 Plus Limited: Celebrated as CIMG Marketing Oriented Product of the Year 2023



Introduction: In the vibrant and ever-evolving industrial landscape of Ghana, the Chartered Institute of Marketing Ghana (CIMG) stands as a prestigious authority, recognizing companies that exemplify exceptional marketing innovation and strategic excellence. For 2023, B5 Plus Limited has been honored with the coveted title of Marketing Oriented Product of the Year in the Manufacturing category. This esteemed accolade not only highlights B5 Pluss outstanding marketing expertise but also underscores its strategic brilliance within the competitive realm of steel manufacturing.



Company Overview: Since its inception in 2002, founded by the visionary Chairman Mr. Mukesh Thakwani, B5 Plus Limited has grown into a cornerstone of Ghanas steel manufacturing sector. Headquartered in Accra, the company has established itself as a leading producer of high-quality steel products, catering to a diverse range of industrial and construction needs. B5 Pluss journey from its early beginnings to becoming one of Africas largest steel manufacturing powerhouses is marked by its state-of-the-art facility in Larkpleku Village, Prampraman impressive milestone under the governments 1D1F initiative.



The companys sprawling facility features cutting-edge production units, including a Rolling Mill, Steel Melting Shop (SMS), PEB Manufacturing, Batching Plant, Oxygen Plant, Tube Mill Factory, Block Factory, Aluminium and Trailer Manufacturing units, Crane Girders, and Weighing Scales. Each unit reflects B5 Pluss dedication to technological advancement and operational excellence.



Innovative Marketing Approaches: B5 Plus Limited has redefined marketing within the steel manufacturing sector through its creative and forward-thinking strategies. By embracing advanced digital tools, data-driven insights, and targeted marketing campaigns, B5 Plus has effectively enhanced its market presence and engaged customers in meaningful ways. The companys innovative marketing approach has set new benchmarks in the industry, establishing its products and services as paragons of quality and reliability.



Commitment to Quality: At the core of B5 Pluss operations is an unwavering commitment to quality. The company implements rigorous quality control measures at every stage of production, ensuring that each product meets, and often exceeds, client expectations. This steadfast dedication to excellence has reinforced B5 Pluss reputation as a leader in the steel manufacturing sector, solidifying its role as a trusted partner across various industries.



Sustainability Initiatives: B5 Plus Limited stands at the forefront of sustainability within the steel manufacturing industry. The companys dedication to environmental stewardship is evident through its implementation of energy-efficient practices, waste reduction strategies, and eco-friendly packaging solutions. These initiatives not only minimize the companys environmental footprint but also reflect a broader commitment to sustainable development and responsible corporate practices.



Community Impact: Beyond its remarkable commercial achievements, B5 Plus Limited is profoundly invested in enhancing local communities. The companys contributions extend to education, healthcare, and infrastructure development, fostering socioeconomic growth and empowering communities. Through active engagement with local stakeholders and impactful community initiatives, B5 Plus enriches the lives of residents and strengthens its connections with the communities it serves.



Conclusion: The CIMG Marketing Oriented Product of the Year 2023 award is a testament to B5 Plus Limiteds exceptional marketing acumen and strategic vision. This prestigious recognition celebrates the companys innovative approach, steadfast commitment to quality, and meaningful community engagement. It reaffirms B5 Pluss influential role in shaping the future of steel manufacturing in Ghana and beyond. As B5 Plus continues to set industry standards and drive positive change, its legacy as a leader in both manufacturing and marketing excellence remains firmly established.

Source: B5 Plus Limited









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Speciallady Awareness conducted a series of outreach programs across Senior High Schools in the Ashanti Region to empower young women and promote reproductive health rights.

The initiative, held from 24th to 27th September 2024, aimed to educate female students on the importance of menstrual hygiene and reproductive health.



The organization visited schools such as St. Louis Senior High School, JA Kuffour SHS, Kumasi Wesley Girls High School, Heman D/A Primary School, Heman Roman Catholic Primary & JHS, and Heman Methodist Model School.



Over 4,000 female students benefited from educational sessions and the donation of sanitary pads, helping them continue their education without interruption.



The outreach sought to dispel myths surrounding menstruation and provide students with the knowledge to manage their menstrual health.



It also addressed key reproductive health topics, including early symptoms of disorders and the importance of seeking medical attention.



Adolescence is a critical period for understanding ones body, yet many students are unfamiliar or uncomfortable discussing reproductive health.



Speciallady Awareness broke through these barriers by delivering comprehensive, age-appropriate information on reproductive health.



Topics covered included menstrual health, with a focus on disorders like endometriosis and uterine abnormalities, which are often overlooked in teenagers.



Students learned how irregular periods, excessive pain, or heavy bleeding could signal underlying health issues that require medical attention.



Early medical intervention and treatment can prevent more serious complications later in life.



The program also featured open discussions, encouraging students to ask questions and share concerns in a supportive environment.



The team provided evidence-based answers with clarity and sensitivity, ensuring every question was addressed.



A key message emphasized the importance of seeking medical attention for unusual symptoms such as chronic pelvic pain, extreme fatigue, or prolonged irregular periods.



Early diagnosis of conditions like PCOS, endometriosis, uterus didelphys, or fibroids can prevent long-term complications such as infertility or chronic pain.



Both students and staff provided positive feedback. Many students expressed gratitude for the opportunity to learn about topics that are often neglected or considered taboo.

Teachers were equally impressed by the depth of information and the judgment-free atmosphere created by the Speciallady Awareness team.



Speciallady Awareness plans to expand its outreach to other Regions of Ghana, ensuring more girls have access to the knowledge and resources needed to manage their reproductive health effectively.



The outreach was sponsored by OA Pay, Seanpong Tyres, Naaviq Company Ltd, Strike Ghana, and Sweet Aroma Print.



For more information or to support future initiatives, please contact: [email protected]

Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









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The Centre for Democratic Development has joined the many voices over the world in condemning the action taken by the Police Service over the arrest and detention of over forty citizens who had embarked on demonstrations against the impact of illegal mining in parts of Ghana.



CDD-Ghana argues that the arrest of the protesters was unlawful, adding that it is within their constitutional right to demonstrate especially on issues as relevant as the call to end illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey.



Excerpts of the press release read, In an official press release on Thursday, September 26, The Ghana Center for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana) strongly condemns the unlawful tactics employed by the Ghana Police in the recent arrest and detention of some 40 citizens exercising their constitutional right to protest over the weekend.



These individuals were demonstrating against critical national issues, including the rising incidence of state capture, widespread corruption, and the unchecked illegal smallscale mining (galamsey) that is devastating the countrys water bodies. Alarmingly, the police also arrested ordinary bystanders who were merely going about their daily activities.



CDD explains that taken by the Police service violates the detainees' fundamental human rights thereby undermining the rule of law in Ghanas constitutional democracy.



Such misconduct erodes public trust in our legal system and public institutions. In this regard, CDD-Ghana calls for the immediate observance of fair and due process for all detainees and strict adherence to the rule of law, CDD further highlighted.



CDD further reminds the government of Ghana and all relevant government functionaries that Ghana is a signatory to the 1966 International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), a covenant that upholds the right to peaceful assembly under Article 21 of the 1992 constitution.



This right is echoed in Article 21(1)(d) of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana, which states: All persons shall have the right to freedom of assembly, including freedom to take part in processions and demonstrations. The freedom to assemble is not just a fundamental right but is also indispensable for civic development, political awareness, and citizen participation in public affairs.

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Source: Kobina Darlington/peacefmonline.com









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Prof. Smart Sarpong, a Senior Researcher, has condemned the conduct of the Democracy Hub protesters.



The protesters days ago blocked the roads to 37 Military Hospital, set fire at the intersection, attacked road users and caused further damages, according to a Police statement.



As a result, over 50 persons have been arrested and are facing prosecution.



But the Police and the government are receiving public backlash with some activists calling for the release of those arrested.



Joining the panel on Peace FM's "Kokrokoo" show, Prof. Smart Sarpong found the protesters' attitude very uncouth and deviating from the very essence of demonstration.



According to him, the Democracy Hub protest was politically motivated.



"If you are demonstrating against galamsey, first of all, the site is not Accra. The site cannot be 37 Military Hospital. Even if you had gone to the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, there would have been a certain link but galamsey and 37 Military Hospital don't connect", he expressed his diappointment.



He emphasized that "demonstrations are not meant for destruction or to inconvenience someone", hence the Democracy Hub protest "is politics and will continue to be politics...The effect, itself, is not genuine. The effect is political".





Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/peacefmonline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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The Middlebelt Coordinator of the 2024 national campaign team of the New Patriotic Party for the general elections, Dr. Nana Ayew Afriye has expressed his deepest satisfaction at the selection of the Minister of Education, Dr. Yaw Adutwum, as the leader of Dr. Mahamudu Bawumias B24 campaign group.



According to the Middlebelt Coordinator of Dr. Bawumias national campaign, Dr. Adutwum possesses all the qualities and skills for the grassroots campaign.



Dr. Adutwum is a perfect fit for this role. He has every quality and skill needed for this important role and it will surely help the campaign, Dr. Ayew said.



He went on to indicate how this important development will go a long way to help the NPP achieve 85% target in the partys stronghold.



I strongly believe that with Dr. Adutwum as the head of B24, we will not get less than 85% of the votes in Ashanti as we have targeted because I know what he can do, he added.



The NPP has recently demonstrated through their grassroots campaign activities in the Ashanti Region that they are bent on achieving their 85% target.



The Regional Chairman has been sighted in the various constituencies in the partys stronghold canvassing electorates for votes for the NPP as the country goes to the polls on December 7, 2024.

Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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The Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party, Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, has expressed his profound gratitude to the Vice President of Ghana and presidential candidate of the ruling New Patriotic Party, His Excellency Dr. Mahamudu Bawumi choosing the Minister of Education and Member of Parliament for Bosomtwe Constituency, Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum to head his campaign group dubbed B24.



Speaking at the official launch of the group in Kumasi on the Friday, 27th September, 2024, the Ashanti Regional Chairman extolled the achievements and enormous contributions of the Education Minister at the grassroots level of the party.



According to Chairman Wontumi, Dr. Adutwum is a great asset to the party, particularly when it comes to supporting the activities of the grassroots.



Dr. Adutwum is a great asset to the party. He has always supported the activities of the party at the grassroots level, Chairman Wontumi said.



The NPP Ashanti Regional Chairman added; I therefore thank the next President of Ghana, His Excellency Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, for this wise decision to appoint Dr. Adutwum as the head of the B24 Campaign group. He really deserves it.



The country goes to the polls in three months time and the two leading parties, the New Patriotic Party and the National Democratic Congress, are leaving no stone unturned.



With the decision of the NPP flagbearer to prioritize the grassroots, the ruling party clearly demonstrates that they are not leaving any room for complacency.

Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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People cast their votes for the topics that they are interested in La Union del Pueblo Entero, or LUPE, focusing on for the next two years during the Cumbre de Miembros 2024 on Sept. 14 in San Juan, near McAllen. Veronica Gabriela Cardenas/For the Texas Tribune

SAN JUAN  Early on a recent Saturday morning, about 100 Rio Grande Valley residents packed into a meeting room that has for decades been home to South Texas most vocal activists.

The walls around them reminded them of their past. They were covered with murals of migrant farmworkers and the story of their labor movement in the U.S.

As the group finished their coffee and breakfast tacos, the last few stragglers checked in and collected a commemorative T-shirt.

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Finally, the business of the day would begin.

Franciso Martinez, 67, rose to address the crowd. He told them he was a U.S. citizen. But he did not know that for a large part of his life, as he lived in Mexico. For years, he said, he was robbed of his most basic right as an American: the vote.

He pleaded with the audience to vote. And if they cant vote, he said, fight for their community, regardless of their legal status.

We pay taxes and those taxes are not labeled as immigrants. They are accepted, Martinez said in Spanish The government has our money, we have the voice.

The people in the audience were members of La Union del Pueblo Entero, a community-based nonprofit founded by leaders of the farmworker movement, Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta.They were there to participate in a biennial convention known as the cumbre.

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The union, established in the Rio Grande Valley in 2003, works to improve the lives of low-income residents They often focus on the needs of people living in colonias, low-income neighborhoods in unincorporated areas that lack basic necessities like running water and sewage, many of which began as migrant farmworker settlements.

LUPE, as the union is known now, began holding the Cumbre de Colonias in 2015, to gauge the priorities of its members who lived in the colonias. The event gives many noncitizens a chance to participate in a democratic process. While they cant vote in November, they can help shape the future of their neighborhoods.

La Union del Pueblo Entero, or LUPE, offices in San Juan is shown in this Sept. 14 photo. San Juan is a small city near McAllen in the Rio Grande Valley. Veronica Gabriela Cardenas/For the Texas Tribune

Alejandra Ramirez, 40, left, and Norma Perez, 34, right, paint a mural at the LUPE office. Veronica Gabriela Cardenas/For the Texas Tribune

This year, LUPE opened up the event to all of their members, regardless of where they lived. To account for the change, they renamed the event this year: Cumbre de Miembros.

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There were changes in the process leading up to the convention, too. In addition to opening up the convention to all of their members, they also began the process earlier, holding focus groups, led by members, in the communities during the week leading up to the main event.

Previously, members in leadership roles exclusively decided what to focus on.

From the focus groups, the member delegates formed 10 resolutions that were presented and voted on during the convention.

This is the first time Ive seen an organization really focus on including all parts of their community, said Valerie Alsaldierna, 23, who served as a member delegate.

The decisions made at the meeting would inform LUPEs communication with elected officials, from speaking out during local city meetings and reaching out to state lawmakers.

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Rooted in farmworkers movement

The cumbre has become a staple of LUPEs organizing efforts since it was introduced around 2015, but its history in the Valley stretches back to 1979 when the United Farm Workers held their first convention in South Texas.

Rebecca Flores, the executive director of UFW at the time, heard about the conventions held by the United Farm Workers in California and wanted to replicate the idea here.

People say the Farmworkers Prayer, which was written by Cesar Chavez, at the Sept. 14 LUPE meeting. Veronica Gabriela Cardenas/For the Texas Tribune

The conventions that followed were not just an occasion to discuss the issues that mattered with politicians who sought their endorsement. They led to important changes that improved the lives of members. Early successes included the prohibition of the short-handled hoe that caused back pain among farmworkers, and the establishment of water and bathroom facilities in the fields.

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The United Farm Workers eventually became LUPE in 2003 and Juanita Valdez-Cox, who served as executive director from 2007 to 2023, reintroduced a smaller version of those conventions as cumbres.

Its a beautiful mixture of people that are willing to take on what is unfair and unjust, Valdez-Cox said. Its amazing what you can do when you say, Ya basta. Were not going to put up with this.

An issue that consistently has topped the list of priorities is immigration reform. With the ongoing contentious conversation surrounding border issues at the state and national level, though, achieving the broad reforms they hope for seems unlikely.

We keep at it, Valdez-Cox said. We win a little bit and we move it forward, but we dont give up.

Starting earlier

A month before the cumbre took place this year, Marcela Alejandre led a group discussion outside the home of Romana Mendez and her husband, Faustino Candelario Zarate, in Donna, about 6 miles northeast of the LUPE offices in San Juan.

A member delegate for LUPE, Alejandre was there to lead a focus group of their members on the topic of colonias. As Mendez and her children filled out the circle, Alejandre asked them a series of questions on what issues affected them and what concrete changes theyd like to see.

LUPE staff member Marcela Alejandre talks to a family during an Aug. 14 focus group meeting in Donna. LUPE staff held focus group meetings to discuss issues important to members to help determine the organizations priorities for the next two years. Michael Gonzalez/For the Texas Tribune

Mendez is a mother to three children with epilepsy. She cant afford medical treatment for them and has been unable to obtain financial assistance for them. But the familys limitations havent stopped them from trying to obtain improvements where they can.

A big issue for Mendez and her husband has been the lack of street lights in the neighborhood, which they believe allow crime to persist in the neighborhood.

Candelario Zarate said organizing enough of his neighbors to call attention to the issue was difficult, as very few wanted to follow through on taking action. But by participating in the focus group and through their involvement in LUPE, they hoped something could finally get the attention of their local elected officials.

We want them to listen to us, he said.

The vote

For four hours at the cumbre, 10 member delegates took turns presenting one of the resolutions. They ranged from better living conditions in the colonias, expansion of education programs for adults, government and police accountability, youth engagement, to addressing climate change. Then, it was time to vote.

Ballot boxes at the LUPE meeting, where people vote for the issues they want the organization to focus on for the next two years. Veronica Gabriela Cardenas/For the Texas Tribune

Voting tickets for La Union Del Pueblo Entero Cumbre 2024. Veronica Gabriela Cardenas/For the Texas Tribune

Row by row, the members lined up to slip their ballots  rectangular pieces of red paper with the faces of Chavez and Huerta  into large blue boxes that represented one of the resolutions. Each member could cast three ballots.

After a brief reprieve to tally the votes, the results were in: immigration reform, broader health care access and labor protections emerged as the top three issues.

While those three would be the groups priority for the next two years, they would continue to advocate for the remaining seven when resources allowed, assured LUPE Executive Director Tania Camacho Chavez.

After the vote, the members trickled out of the grand hall, each collecting a white sticker on their way out. In Spanish, the sticker read, I Voted in the Member Summit 2024.

This version of the I Voted sticker, which might be the only kind that many of them would ever be able to wear, symbolized their commitment to what they wanted to achieve for themselves with the help of LUPEs leadership.

Camacho Chavez reminded them of the importance of their participation in the work that lay before them, day in and day out.

Dont leave all the work to me, dont leave the work to the organizers, she said. You do have your own voice, you do have your own vote.
This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility:

Credit: Purdue University

Since the first sighting of the first-discovered and largest asteroid in our solar system was made in 1801 by Giuseppe Piazzi, astronomers and planetary scientists have pondered the make-up of this asteroid/dwarf planet. Its heavily battered and dimpled surface is covered in impact craters. Scientists have long argued that visible craters on the surface meant that Ceres could not be very icy.

Researchers at Purdue University and the NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab (JPL) now believe Ceres is a very icy object that possibly was once a muddy ocean world. This discovery that Ceres has a dirty ice crust is led by Ian Pamerleau, Ph.D. student, and Mike Sori, assistant professor in Purdue's Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences who published their findings in Nature Astronomy. The duo along with Jennifer Scully, research scientist with JPL, used computer simulations of how craters on Ceres deform over billions of years.

"We think that there's lots of water-ice near Ceres surface, and that it gets gradually less icy as you go deeper and deeper," Sori said. "People used to think that if Ceres was very icy, the craters would deform quickly over time, like glaciers flowing on Earth, or like gooey flowing honey. However, we've shown through our simulations that ice can be much stronger in conditions on Ceres than previously predicted if you mix in just a little bit of solid rock."

The team's discovery is contradictory to the previous belief that Ceres was relatively dry. The common assumption was that Ceres was less than 30% ice, but Sori's team now believes the surface is more like 90% ice.

"Our interpretation of all this is that Ceres used to be an 'ocean world' like Europa (one of Jupiter's moons), but with a dirty, muddy ocean,'" Sori said. "As that muddy ocean froze over time, it created an icy crust with a little bit of rocky material trapped in it."

Pamerleau explained how they used computer simulations to model how relaxation occurs for craters on Ceres over billions of years.

"Even solids will flow over long timescales, and ice flows more readily than rock. Craters have deep bowls which produce high stresses that then relax to a lower stress state, resulting in a shallower bowl via solid state flow," he said. "So the conclusion after NASA's Dawn mission was that due to the lack of relaxed, shallow craters, the crust could not be that icy. Our computer simulations account for a new way that ice can flow with only a little bit of non-ice impurities mixed in, which would allow for a very ice-rich crust to barely flow even over billions of years. Therefore, we could get an ice-rich Ceres that still matches the observed lack of crater relaxation. We tested different crustal structures in these simulations and found that a gradational crust with a high ice content near the surface that grades down to lower ice with depth was the best way to limit relaxation of Cerean craters."

Sori is a planetary scientist whose focus is planetary geophysics. His team addresses questions about the planetary interiors, the connections between planetary interiors and surfaces, and those questions might be resolved with spacecraft missions. His work spans many solid bodies in the solar system, from the Moon and Mars to icy objects in the outer solar system.

"Ceres is the largest object in the asteroid belt, and a dwarf planet. I think sometimes people think of small, lumpy things as asteroids (and most of them are!), but Ceres really looks more like a planet," Sori said. "It is a big sphere, diameter 950 kilometers or so, and has surface features like craters, volcanoes, and landslides."

On Sept. 27, 2007, NASA launched the Dawn mission. This mission was the first and only spacecraft to orbit two extraterrestrial destinationsthe protoplanet Vesta and Ceres. Although it was launched in 2007, Dawn didn't reach Ceres until 2015. It orbited the dwarf planet until 2018.

"We used multiple observations made with Dawn data as motivation for finding an ice-rich crust that resisted crater relaxation on Ceres. Different surface features (e.g., pits, domes and landslides, etc.) suggest the near subsurface of Ceres contains a lot of ice," Pamerleau said. "Spectrographic data also shows that there should be ice beneath the regolith on the dwarf planet and gravity data yields a density value very near that of ice, specifically impure ice. We also took a topographic profile of an actual complex crater on Ceres and used it to construct the geometry for some of our simulations."

Sori says that because Ceres is the largest asteroid there was suspicion that it could have been any icy object based on some estimates of its mass made from the Earth. those factors made it a great choice for a spacecraft visit.

"To me the exciting part of all this, if we're right, is that we have a frozen ocean world pretty close to Earth. Ceres may be a valuable point of comparison for the ocean-hosting icy moons of the outer solar system, like Jupiter's moon Europa and Saturn's moon Enceladus," Sori said. "Ceres, we think, is therefore the most accessible icy world in the universe. That makes it a great target for future spacecraft missions. Some of the bright features we see at Ceres' surface are the remnants of Ceres' muddy ocean, now mostly or entirely frozen, erupted onto the surface. So we have a place to collect samples from the ocean of an ancient ocean world that is not too difficult to send a spacecraft to."

More information: I. F. Pamerleau et al, An ancient and impure frozen ocean on Ceres implied by its ice-rich crust, Nature Astronomy (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41550-024-02350-4 Journal information: Nature Astronomy
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Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain

Owning a home in Southern California isn't just a dream for humans. Apparently, the bears want in on the market too.

Just ask residents and city officials in Sierra Madre, who in the last few years have seen their furry, four-legged neighbors amble out of the forest and barge into their cars, kitchens and living rooms as though the humans were just keeping the place warm for them.

"This is a new phenomenon," Sierra Madre City Attorney Aleks Giragosian said. "Something interesting happened in the past two years. And like Jurassic Park, the bears have learned how to open doors. I don't know how they learned it. I don't know how they're teaching each other, but they're opening car doors, too."

Bear sightings are nothing new for Sierra Madre and the other communities in the foothills of the Angeles National Forest, but in the last few years the bears have become bolder in their hunt for food.

In 2020, there were about 100 reports of bear sightings in Sierra Madre but no reports of break-ins into homes, authorities said. Last year, those numbers jumped to 380 sightings and 50 break-ins.

"It was in the last five years that they've really become a nuisance," homeowner Sara Alden told CBS2 about one ornery ursine that had recently broken into her family's home and tore up the place. "They're getting more brazen, they really are."

The behavior is a result of humans moving deeper into the wildlands where bears reside, said Erinn Wilson, the South Coast Region regional manager with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.

She told the Sierra Madre City Council in May that some bears are "no harm, no foul" bears that simply wander into neighborhoods and can be easily scared away, others are habituated and adjust to human routines such as which days trash cans are put out so they can find food, and others are depredation bears, which are unafraid and can kill livestock, damage property and pose a public safety threat.

Sierra Madre has a mix of no harm, no foul bears and habituated bears, Wilson said.

But there was one bear that had been a particularly bad neighbor of late.

Sometime recently, it found an empty house hidden among the narrow, tree-lined streets on Alta Vista Drive that enjoy scenic views overlooking the San Gabriel Valley and moved in. While a BMW sits in the driveway gathering dust and overgrown shrubs hide the felled trees littering the yard, the bear apparently made itself at home.

Neighbors began to complain about break-ins and a terrible smell emanating from the home. Since 2019, city officials have sent the homeowner multiple violation notices for the property including about the tenant bear, to no avail. Numerous attempts to reach the homeowner by The Times were unsuccessful.

"This morning we had to call the police as the bear broke down our fence" and broke into a neighboring home that had been red-tagged, a resident wrote to the city's code enforcement staff last month. "We have also observed the bear climbing in and out of the window of the shed on the property and believe it may be living in there."

The bear required a different type of hazing than the others.

With laws barring government officials from entering homes without a warrant, the city had little recourse beyond papering the home with violations. So last month, they got creative.

The city filed an application for an inspection and abatement warrant and got it signed by a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge. The application included neighbors' complaints and several photos of the property in their application, including an image of the bear leaning against a wood railing at the home.

On Aug. 15, staff with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife arrived at the home and found bear tracks, a broken window and scratch marks on the windowsill "consistent with black bear marks," wrote Lt. Jonathan Garcia with Fish and Wildlife. There were indications the bear had been living there, including feces, rotten food, wrappers and containers.

The smell from the outdoor shed and the home "were emitting odors associated with organic matter that are attracting varmints and black bears," Garcia wrote.

The home has since been boarded up, Giragosian, the city attorney, said. Sierra Madre will bill the homeowner for the work done on the property including tree trimming and cleanup.

Wildlife officials ask people to not feed wild animals and to remove ripe vegetables and fruits from the ground. Residents can also install motion sensitive lights around their properties and secure crawl spaces to avoid leaving an open invitation for wild animals.

One or fewer people are killed by black bears each year in the United States, with a population of over 900,000 black bears across the country, according to Fish and Wildlife.

But in response to the numerous bear encounters in the surrounding foothill communities, residents have since started their own bear watch groups to respond to the growing problem.

"The residents are kind of torn, because Sierra Madre has a lot of people who love wildlife and they want to protect the bears," Giragosian said. "There are also residents who are afraid for their lives."

The bear that was living on Alta Vista Drive has not been seen since.

2024 Los Angeles Times. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
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Pesquet is a national icon in France for his missions to the International Space Station (ISS).

Europe has embarked on the mission to put humans back on the moon with a new lunar simulator launched in Germany, French astronaut Thomas Pesquet told AFP.

Pesquet was at the German Aerospace Center (DLR) in Cologne on Wednesday to test out LUNA, a facility built to resemble the surface of the moon.

The 46-year-old astronaut, a national icon in France for his missions to the International Space Station (ISS), glowed at the prospect of participating in a lunar mission.

"It would be a dream and the high point of my career. The moon is 1,000 times farther away than the ISS," he said in an interview.

"Aboard the ISS, you feel like you're doing something out of the ordinary. But going to the moon takes the adventure to a whole other level."

The newly opened facility was designed to train astronauts and test equipment and material for use on missions to the moon.

International interest in exploring the moon has surged in recent years.

NASA has launched a program, Artemis, to put astronauts on the moon in 2026, more than five decades after US space explorers last visited on the final flight of the Apollo missions in 1972.

Earlier this year, China sent a probe that collected the first samples from the far side of the moon. The country aims to send a crewed mission to Earth's satellite by 2030, and wants to build a base on the lunar surface.

Japan and India are planning to send a probe to hunt for water near the south pole of the moon in 2025.

The LUNA moon simulation facility in Cologne, Germany.

The European Space Agency (ESA) hopes to team up with NASA on future moon missions, Pesquet said.

"It's a key moment for Europe, because we're truly jumping into lunar exploration. We're already partnering with NASA on supplying equipment and materials for Artemis," he said.

"But LUNA is really the first highly visible sign of the fact that we've embarked on plans to return to the moon. We're proving that by making long-term investments. This facility will be open to other space agencies, researchers and, we hope, to private firms."

'Different kettle of fish'

Pesquet described his first test of LUNA as surprising.

He and fellow ESA astronaut Matthias Maurer rehearsed walking on the lunar surface, wearing special suits that weighed 25 kilograms (55 pounds) and carrying scientific and communications equipment, he said.

"I was surprised by the piercing light seen on the moon, especially at the south pole. It's very hard to evaluate the topography," he said, describing how he sank into the thick layer of dust simulating that found on the lunar surface.

"The minute you leave the path, figuring out where to step is a whole different kettle of fish.... It's also incredibly slow. It's not like Earth, you're a lot less coordinated. It reminded me of my spacewalks at the International Space Station."

Europe's role providing the service module for NASA's Orion capsule, which will carry the Artemis crew members, has earned the ESA three spots for its astronauts on the program's first three missions around the moon.

But "NASA has told us, 'To land on the moon, you need to propose something to do on the lunar surface,'" said Pesquet.

"LUNA isn't a contractual part of the deal. But it allows us to show we're serious."

 2024 AFP
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Average spectrum of J1023 normalized to the emission of the continuum. The emission lines studied in this work are highlighted. Credit: Messa et al., 2024.

Using the Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTC), astronomers from Italy and Spain have carried out high-temporal-resolution optical spectroscopic observations of a transitional millisecond pulsar designated PSR J1023+0038. Results of the observational campaign, published September 19 on the pre-print server arXiv, yield essential information regarding the nature of this pulsar.

Pulsars are highly magnetized, rotating neutron stars emitting a beam of electromagnetic radiation. The most rapidly rotating pulsars, with rotation periods below 30 milliseconds, are known as millisecond pulsars (MSPs). Astronomers assume that they are formed in binary systems when the initially more massive component turns into a neutron star that is then spun up due to accretion of matter from the secondary star.

The so-called transitional millisecond pulsars (tMSPs) exhibit transitions back and forth between a rotation-powered radio pulsar state ('pulsar state') and a state characterized by X-ray pulsations and accretion disk features in the optical spectra ('disk state'). They are generally rare, as so far, only three tMSPs have been detected.

One of them is PSR J1023+0038 (or J1023 for short), first identified two decades ago. The pulsar has a spin period of 1.69 milliseconds, while its orbital period is approximately 4.75 hours. The companion star in the system is a late-type star of spectral type G5.

Previous observations of J1023 have found that it switches between an X-ray state and a radio pulsar phase powered by rotation. Now, a team of astronomers led by Marco Messa of the University of Milan in Italy, has employed GTC's Optical System for Imaging and low-Intermediate-Resolution Integrated Spectroscopy (OSIRIS) instrument to take a closer look at the nature of this pulsar and its behavior.

The observations found that J1023 shows, like other tMSPs, flux variability on short timescales (tens of seconds) in all bands. Moreover, the study found evidence for a significant variability in the emission line properties (equivalent width and full width half maximum) over a timescale of minutes. This finding marks the first time when variability in the spectral line properties of a tMSP has been observed over such short timescales.

According to the study, the episodes of variability observed in the continuum, equivalent width and full width half maximum, seem to be erratic and not correlated with each other. This makes the origin of such episodes unclear.

The observations also found that Balmer and helium series emission lines show in most cases a double-horned emission profile. This indicates the presence of an accretion disk, and therefore J1023 was most likely in its disk state at the time of the observational campaign.

In concluding remarks, the authors of the paper add that multi-wavelength simultaneous observations should be conducted in order to assess a possible correlation between the variability in the emission line properties and the mode-switching phenomenon in J1023.

More information: M. M. Messa et al, High-temporal-resolution optical spectroscopic observations of the transitional millisecond pulsar PSR J1023+0038, arXiv (2024). DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.2409.12893 Journal information: arXiv

 2024 Science X Network
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A helicopter sprays water over a bushfire on a hill in Quito on September 25, 2024.

A record wave of wildfires, fueled by severe drought linked to climate change and deforestation, is causing havoc across South America.

The blazes have killed at least 30 people, left cities shrouded in toxic smoke and caused millions of dollars in economic losses.

This fire season is "completely different" from the one that ravaged forests in Brazil, Peru and Bolivia in 2019, according to Brazilian environmentalist Erika Berenguer, a researcher at Oxford University.

At the time, rain helped douse the fires, which in Brazil were chiefly started by farmers taking advantage of lax legislation under then far-right president Jair Bolsonaro to clear land for crops and ranching.

This year, the continent is in the throes of a severe drought. The Amazon basin, usually one of the wettest places on Earth, is experiencing the worst fires in nearly two decades, according to the EU's Copernicus observatory.

Berenguer blamed climate change for making the Amazon "highly flammable."

How bad are the fires?

Between January 1 and September 26, more than 400,000 fires were recorded across South America, according to Brazil's National Institute for Space Research (INPE).

"In nine months we have already surpassed the number of outbreaks recorded in all of 2023," Berenguer noted.

In Brazil, the flames have consumed 40.2 million hectares (99 million acres) of vegetation this year, far above the average of 31 million hectares in each of the last 10 years, according to Copernicus.

A dozen firefighters have died on duty, according to local media.

A bull is seen in front of a house surrounded by fire from illegal burning in the Amazon rainforest near the city of Labrea in northern Brazil on September 4, 2024.

In Ecuador, the mayor of the capital Quito declared this week the Andean city was "under attack" from 27 fires which forced the evacuation of over 100 families before being brought under control.

Ecuador had declared an emergency in several provinces, as has Peru, where 21 people have been killed by fires since July. Most were small-scale farmers.

Several fires are also blazing in Argentina and in Colombia, at opposite ends of the continent.

What's causing the fires?

Experts and national authorities point to a combination of combustible factors, chiefly droughts aggravated by climate change and slash-and-burn agriculture.

"It's a clear example of climate change. If anyone thought it didn't exist, well look, here it is," said Ecuadoran Environment Minister Ines Manzano.

In Peru and Bolivia, some of the fires are believed to have been started by farmers burning land to make it more fertile for planting, a traditional practice in the Andean countries that is tolerated by the authorities.

In the Brazilian Amazon, fires lit by both subsistence farmers and the agribusiness industry to clear forest for cattle or crops were fanned by the worst drought in the country's recent history.

President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who has pledged to put a stop to illegal Amazon deforestation by 2030, considers most of the fires to be "criminal" in origin.

In some places, the fires are started by arsonists.

One person has been arrested in Quito and dozens in Argentina and Brazil on suspicion of maliciously starting fires.

Firefighters arrive at the scene of a fire in Concepcion, Boliva, on September 24, 2024.

How are people affected?

The fires have dramatically reduced air quality in several cities.

Sao Paulo, the largest city in Latin America, was ranked the most polluted city in the world in early September, according to Swiss company IQAir.

A large part of Brazil remains shrouded in acrid smoke that wafted as far south as Montevideo and Buenos Aires earlier this month, causing a phenomenon known as "black rain."

Inhabitants of many of Brazilian cities are experiencing respiratory problems and other symptoms such as stinging eyes.

In Bolivia, health authorities have recommended people wear face masks because of the poor air quality.

The region's economies are also feeling the burn. Losses in the Brazilian agricultural sector amounted to $2.7 billion between June and August, principally sugarcane harvests.

In Ecuador, nearly 45,000 farm animals have died after more than two months without rain.

What are governments doing?

Thousands of firefighters and soldiers have been deployed across the continent to tackle the blazes.

"Everyone wants to hire thousands of firefighters, buy aircraft, etc, etc. That's fine but it's too little, too late," Berenguer said.

"We need to prevent fires, because once they become big they are very difficult to fight," she said, advocating for tougher measures against deforestation and planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions.

 2024 AFP
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SpaceX has been flying regular missions every six months to allow the rotation of ISS crews.

A SpaceX rocket soared into the sky Saturday with two passengers on board, leaving two seats empty to return American astronauts who have been stranded for months on the International Space Station, NASA said.

The Falcon 9 rocket took off at 1:17 pm (1717 GMT) from Cape Canaveral, Florida. It used a new launch pad, the pad's first use for a crewed mission.

"Congrats to @NASA and @SpaceX on a successful launch," NASA chief Bill Nelson said in a post on X. "We live in an exciting period of exploration and innovation in the stars."

On board were NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Alexander Gorbunov.

When they return from the space station in February, they will bring back two space veteransButch Wilmore and Suni Williamswhose stay on the ISS was prolonged for months by problems with their Boeing-designed Starliner spacecraft.

The newly developed Starliner was making its first crewed flight when it delivered Wilmore and Williams to the ISS in June.

They were supposed to be there for only an eight-day stay, but after problems with the Starliner's propulsion system emerged during the flight there, NASA was forced to weigh a radical change in plans.

'A bit unique'

After weeks of intensive tests on the Starliner's reliability, the space agency finally decided to return it to Earth without its crew, and to bring the two stranded astronauts back home on the SpaceX mission Crew-9.

US astronaut Nick Hague (R) and Russian cosmonaut Alexander Gorbunov head to a Kennedy Space Center launch pad in Florida.

"We know that this launch is a bit unique in moving from the plan for crew members to two," NASA associate administrator Jim Free told reporters.

"I do want to thank SpaceX for their support and flexibility."

SpaceX, the private company founded by billionaire Elon Musk, has been flying regular missions every six months to allow the rotation of ISS crews.

But the launch of Crew-9 was delayed from mid-August to late September to give NASA experts more time to evaluate the reliability of the Starliner and decide how to proceed.

It was then delayed a few more days by the destructive passage of Hurricane Helene, a powerful storm that roared into the opposite coast of Florida on Thursday.

SpaceX's Dragon vessel is set to dock with the ISS on Sunday around 2130 GMT.

After allowing a handover of duties, the four members of Crew-8 will return to Earth on another SpaceX craft.

Flight commander Nick Hague of NASA gives a thumbs up to family members before heading to the launch pad at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

In total, Hague and Gorbunov will spend some five months on the ISS; Wilmore and Williams, eight months.

In all, Crew-9 will conduct some 200 scientific experiments.

 2024 AFP
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An aerial view shows damaged houses in Horseshoe Beach, Florida, on September 28, 2024 after the passage of Hurricane Helene.

Millions of Americans were still without power and many faced torrential flooding on Saturday, authorities said, as powerful storm Helene rumbled across eastern and midwestern US states, leaving at least 44 people dead.

At least 19 people died in South Carolina, 15 in Georgia, seven in Florida, two in North Carolina and one in Virginia, according to updated reports from local authorities tallied by AFP.

Repair crews were already at work after Helene slammed into Florida late Thursday as a Category 4 hurricane and surged north, gradually weakening but leaving a path of rare devastation.

"Conditions will continue to improve today following the catastrophic flooding over the past two days," said the National Weather Service.

But it warned of possible "long-duration power outages."

Though power has been restored in some areas, more than three million customers were still without electricity across 10 states as of midday Saturday, according to tracker poweroutage.us.

'Move to higher ground'

Helene originally slammed into Florida's northern Gulf shore with powerful winds of 140 miles (225 kilometers) per hour. Even as a weakened post-tropical cyclone, it has wreaked havoc.

Record levels of flooding threatened to breach dams, with one dam in Tennessee on the verge of failure, authorities said, urging residents to move to higher ground.

Massive flooding was reported in North Carolina in what the governor called 'one of the worst storms' in state's history.

Massive flooding was reported in Asheville, a city in western North Carolina. Governor Ray Cooper called it "one of the worst storms in modern history" to hit his state.

In Cedar Key, an island city of 700 people just off Florida's northwest coast, the full destructive force of the hurricane was on view.

Several pastel-colored wooden homes were destroyed, victims of record storm surges and ferocious winds.

"I've lived here my whole life, and it breaks my heart to see it. We've not really been able to catch a break," said Gabe Doty, a Cedar Key official, referring to two earlier hurricanes in the past year.

'Gut punch'

In South Carolina the dead included two firefighters and six residents of Spartanburg County, officials said.

Georgia Governor Brian Kemp's office confirmed 15 deaths in his state, including an emergency responder.

David Hester (L) and Bo Hester inspect the damage wrought by Hurricane Helene in Horseshoe Beach, Florida.

Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida said the damage from Helene exceeded that of hurricanes Idalia and Debby, which both hit the same region southeast of Tallahassee in the last 13 months.

"It's a real gut punch to those communities," DeSantis told Fox News.

In the Tennessee town of Erwin, a dramatic rescue operation unfolded, as more than 50 patients and staff trapped on a hospital roof by surging floodwaters had to be rescued by helicopters.

Up to 12 inches (30 centimeters) of rain was forecast in the Appalachian mountains, with isolated spots receiving 20 inches.

Remnants of the weakened storm were hovering at midday Saturday over the Kentucky-Indiana border, bringing up to 2 inches of rain.

'Overwhelming' damage

In a statement Saturday, President Joe Biden called Helene's devastation "overwhelming." He said he was sending additional response personnel as the storm tracks north.

President Joe Biden called Helene's devastation 'overwhelming'

Vice President Kamala Harris said the administration had already mobilized 1,500 personnel to support impacted communities.

September has been an unusually wet month around the world, with scientists linking some extreme weather events to human-caused global warming.

 2024 AFP
Two men accused of participating in a robbery spree across the citys North Side, including incidents at two shopping malls, were arrested Friday, San Antonio Police said. Austin Mendoza, 20, and Marcelo Ojeda, 19, both face charges of aggravated robbery and evading arrest in connection with an incident that happened around 5 p.m. Friday in the 3600 block of Wurzbach Road. Ajax9/Getty Images/iStockphoto

Two men accused of participating in a robbery spree across the citys North Side, including incidents at two shopping malls, were arrested Friday, San Antonio Police said.

A vehicle breakdown that resulted in a foot chase and assistance from a police helicopter led to the mens arrests.

Austin Mendoza, 20, and Marcelo Ojeda, 19, both face charges of aggravated robbery and evading arrest in connection with an incident that happened around 5 p.m. Friday at a convenience store in the 3600 block of Wurzbach Road.

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The two men are expected to face charges involving incidents that happened earlier Friday, police said.

According to a preliminary police report, the men entered the convenience store and Mendoza began grabbing items before walking out of the business without paying. A store employee who tried to get Mendoza to pay was threatened by Ojeda, who brandished a pistol.

As the two men tried to get away, their vehicle broke down at the store and they started to run away. Officers, while en route to the store, began chasing Mendoza and Ojeda on foot.

After a brief chase, Mendoza was caught and taken into custody without incident. Officers recovered a firearm at the scene. Ojeda was caught a short time later with the assistance of SAPDs helicopter, the report states. He was arrested without incident.

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READ MORE: Deputies arrest San Antonio man they say ran when questioned about killing of Stacey Dramiga

Around 3 p.m. Friday, police say Mendoza and Ojeda attempted to break into a vehicle in the Ingram Park Mall parking lot.

Mall security started following both men after they entered Ojedas vehicle. Mendoza pointed what appeared to be a handgun at the security officer and threatened to kill him. Mendoza and Ojeda then fled the scene.

SAPD robbery detectives are investigating an incident at Rolling Oaks Mall that police say involved Mendoza and Ojeda. The men entered a jewelry store at the mall around noon on Friday, shortly after it opened for business, police say.

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After about 45 minutes in the store, Mendoza grabbed multiple items of jewelry and fled the store with Ojeda, according to a report. A person confronted the men and was cut in the face during a struggle before Mendoza and Ojeda ran off.
What might happen if you spotted the vehicle cited in an Amber Alert and decided to pursue it?

That's the central idea behind the new film, "Amber Alert," screening at The Last Picture House in Davenport on Saturday and Monday.

The film  which stars "Heroes" and "Scream IV" actress Hayden Panettiere alongside "Abbott Elementary" star Tyler James Williams  features Davenport-raised actor Kurt Oberhaus as the villain. Oberhaus will be coming home to host a Q&A session about the film after the 7 p.m. screenings at The Last Picture House on Saturday and Monday.

Admittedly, he's a little nervous.

"I've never really done those at a theater, in front of the audience, so that's going to be a little nerve-racking," Oberhaus said during a phone call from Los Angeles earlier this week.

He is, however, excited to show the film to his family and friends. Oberhaus was in town just a week ago to celebrate with his younger brother, who welcomed a new baby to the family. This trip will be shorter.

On Friday night, Oberhaus attended a premiere for the film in Los Angeles. The suspense of the film has been as tight as the suspense of waiting to watch it. Most of all, Oberhaus says, he's his own harsh critic.

"I'm forcing myself not to rent it right now," he said. "I just want to see it on the big screen for the first watch, but (it's) also a little nerve-wracking to not quite know what my performance looks like."

In "Amber Alert," Oberhaus said, most of his on-screen time comes in the second and third act of the film. Playing the villain  his role is listed as "The Man" on IMDb  is nothing new to him.

In fact, he can credit his Davenport roots for that one, as he played the bad guy in a few features when he was a Quad-Cities high schooler.

"Maybe not as dark as this one," he joked. "It was definitely a little more of a challenge to get to those places and dig into the backstory a little bit."

Oberhaus got his start in film after his childhood best friend, Joseph Boyle, now a filmmaker too, gave him a copy of "Star Wars." The two made stop-motion films together, which led to a few live action experiments, which eventually led to his enrolling in film school at the University of Iowa.

"I wasn't quite sure if I wanted to be in front or behind the camera at that time," he said. "But I realized in front is what I enjoyed the most."

When he was a teenager, a mutual friend introduced Oberhaus to a few other film buffs around his age: Bettendorf's Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, who went on to create "A Quiet Place," "65," and the upcoming "Heretic."

Then, Oberhaus acted in a short film of theirs. Now, he'll be holding a Q&A at the theater Beck and Woods co-own.

It's the love and support for independent film that Oberhaus says makes the Quad-Cities such a ripe place for a cinephile, aspiring actor or young filmmaker. The small shoots in the Quad-Cities have a different feeling than a big budget flick in Hollywood.

"When you get into a place like Davenport, you really get a focus on the actual film, and the acting, and the storytelling aspect," he said. "Not a lot of stuff gets made there, so when stuff does, people are super excited and it's always a good time."

Oberhaus has already acted in productions like the Apple TV+ show "Truth Be Told" and Hulu's "Pam & Tommy," but he's hoping appearing alongside Panettiere and Williams will help create more opportunities coming up.

He said that, in the wake of the strikes last year, 2024 has been one of his slowest working years since moving to Los Angeles 10 years ago. But "Amber Alert" is a big opportunity.

"I feel like it's finally starting to pick up a little bit in this last month," Oberhaus said. "So (I'm) hoping it keeps going in that direction."

The Q&A screenings of "Amber Alert" at The Last Picture House will be held at 7 p.m. on Saturday and Monday. Tickets are $11 for adults and $9 for children, seniors and military veterans. The film is rated PG-13.
Thomas Sawyer, better known as the real Tom Sawyer, was a man of remarkable courage and character who made his mark as a local hero in 19th-century San Francisco. His life and deeds would go on to inspire one of the most beloved characters in American literature  Tom Sawyer, the protagonist of Mark Twain's classic novel "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer." While the fictional Tom Sawyer is a playful, mischievous boy, the real Thomas Sawyer was a man who exemplified bravery and selflessness, particularly through a heroic act that left an indelible impression on his community and, indirectly, on the world of literature.

Thomas Sawyer was born in the early 19th century and lived a life marked by adventure and service. By the time he reached adulthood, Sawyer had become a firefighter in San Francisco, a city that, during the 1850s, was rapidly growing due to the California Gold Rush. The city's waterfront was a bustling hub of activity, with ships arriving from all over the world. Among these vessels was The Independence, a ship that would be at the center of Sawyer's most famous act of heroism.

On a foggy night in 1853, The Independence was docked at the San Francisco waterfront when disaster struck. The ship caught fire, and the situation quickly escalated as the flames threatened to reach the ship's cargoexplosives. The potential for a catastrophic explosion posed a grave danger not only to the ship and its crew but also to the entire waterfront and nearby city. The fire could have resulted in a massive loss of life and widespread destruction.

As the fire raged, Thomas Sawyer, along with other members of the local fire brigade, rushed to the scene. Despite the perilous conditions, Sawyer didn't hesitate to act. Demonstrating extraordinary bravery, he boarded the burning vessel, knowing full well that it could explode at any moment. His mission was to rescue passengers who were trapped on board, many of whom were overcome by smoke and unable to escape on their own.

Sawyer's actions were nothing short of heroic. He worked tirelessly, helping people to safety and ensuring that as many lives as possible were spared from the flames. His courage under fire was a testament to his character, and he was widely praised for his bravery. This act of heroism earned him a reputation as a local hero in San Francisco.

It was this reputation that eventually brought Thomas Sawyer to the attention of Samuel Clemens, better known as Mark Twain. Twain and Sawyer met in the 1850s in San Francisco, where Twain was working as a journalist and writer. The two became friends, and Twain was reportedly struck by Sawyer's adventurous spirit and knack for getting into  and out of  trouble.

When Twain began writing "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer," he needed a name for his young protagonist. He wanted a name that conveyed a sense of mischief, adventure and resilience qualities that he had seen in his friend Thomas Sawyer. Thus, the real Tom Sawyer became the namesake of the fictional character who would go on to captivate readers around the world.

It's important to note, however, that while the real Thomas Sawyer influenced the name and some aspects of the character, Twain's Tom Sawyer is a composite of several people Twain knew, including himself as a boy. Twain drew on his own childhood experiences growing up in Hannibal, Missouri.
The European Union is planning to vote on whether to introduce tariffs as high as 45% on imported electric vehicles made in China on Oct. 4, Bloomberg News reported on Saturday, citing people familiar with the matter.

Member states have received a draft of the regulation for the proposed measures, the report said, adding that the new date could still change.

According to the report, the vote among the bloc's member states was slightly delayed amid last-minute negotiations with Beijing to try to find a resolution that would avoid the new levies.

The European Commission did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

The European Commission is on the verge of proposing final tariffs of up to 35.3% on EVs built in China, on top of the EU's standard 10% car import duty.

The proposed final duties will be subject to a vote by the EU's 27 members. They will be implemented by the end of October unless a qualified majority of 15 EU members representing 65% of the EU population votes against the levies.




Kathmandu, Nepal, September 28, 2024: The incessant rainfall has begun to decline from today evening.

The Department of Hydrology and Meteorology has forecasted that the intensity of rainfall would decrease gradually later in Saturday evening.

The floods and landslide followed by the torrential rainfall since yesterday caused havoc across the country including in Kathmandu valley.

Though, exact report has yet to come at least four dozen people lost their lives while same numbers of people are missing in the floods and landslide.
A former client of Otto and Elena von Bressensdorf once compared their Lyons Capital office in downtown Richmond to Versailles.

When potential clients met the von Bressensdorfs for the first time in their office, they entered a room adorned with pictures of the glamorous couple with Presidents Ronald Reagan and George Bush, alongside Victorian furnishings, gilded accents, silk panels and framed artworks  all purchased with their clients money, and without their knowledge or consent.

And when the duo were sentenced for fraud and money laundering, Elena von Bressensdorf wore black high heels with her prison jumpsuit.

The von Bressensdorfs ran Lyons Capital for 15 years, through which victims of their advance fee scheme lost approximately $10 million. They first set up shop in Los Angeles in the 1980s, before eventually relocating to Richmond in 1993.

It didnt take long before they charmed potential clients and members of high-society in Richmond with their opulent sensibility and royal nomenclature  German-born Otto made a point of hyping up the claim that he was a baron, and that he came from a family with a 200-year banking legacy.

Traditional Richmond welcomed them as another feather in the citys social and financial hat, reads an article in the Jan. 22, 1998, edition of the Richmond Times-Dispatch. Early on, they impressed with their collection of art and antiques and became supportive of the citys symphony, the ballet and the Virginia Museum.

Yet their business, unbeknownst to their friends and patrons, was a long con.

The von Bressensdorfs Lyons Capital would ask would-be entrepreneurs for advance fees as high as $30,000 to help find investors for their businesses. Then they would impose stalling tactics by employing a drawn-out process of preparing documents. Between the years of 1993 and 1996  years in which it operated in Richmond  the firm took in about $1 million per year from clients.

However, the duo had been running the same scheme in Los Angeles starting in 1984, and while it took 14 years for the law to finally catch up to them, former clients who never saw a return on their investment had reason to believe they had been grifted. Zammy Makower, an Illinois investor who lost $15,000 in business dealings with Otto von Bressensdorf, said Im glad someone has finally caught him. It has been an eternity.

On Jan. 20, 1998, after a long investigation that involved an undercover agent of the Virginia state attorney generals office posing as a potential client, Otto and Elena von Bressensdorf were indicted on more than 200 counts of wire fraud and money laundering. They were arrested on the morning of Jan. 21 at their home.

During their trial, prosecutors said that while the von Bressensdorfs promised their clients a success rate of funding their business ventures at 70%, the actual success rate was actually around zero. However, they would occasionally pay crooked brokers to invest their own clients money in Lyons Capital projects, which was the only reason the success rate was only slightly above zero.

The money they took from clients was spent on car and credit card payments, living expenses and buying their 10,000-square-foot riverfront mansion.

Other ways in which the von Bressensdorfs misrepresented themselves also came up at trial. An Interpol agent testified that he found no evidence that von Bressensdorf was in fact a real baron. Investigators also said that Elena Bisheff von Bressensdorf was a former cosmetologist who met Otto in California in 1980, and that they couldnt find any evidence the two were even married.

Even more bizarre, Otto claimed he fought Nazis as part of the Italian resistance in World War II, but an FBI agent said that in his investigation he found a German pension application that claimed he had served with the Hermann Goering Panzer and Grenadier Regiment in 1944 and 1945.

David Hubbard, assistant to the von Bressensdorfs, said at trial, Im ashamed now to say it, but I was pretty naive.

A jury found the von Bressensdorfs guilty of all counts, and the two were each sentenced to 11 years, three months in prison. Authorities seized their assets, which in addition to cash, included their home, their cars  a Rolls-Royce and a Jaguar  as well as hundreds of thousands of dollars in antiques, which were then auctioned off.

Even after their conviction, the von Bressensdorfs maintained their innocence. And right on up to the end, including during his statement at sentencing, Otto von Bressensdorf insisted, I am a baron.

About this series "From the Archives" is a series of stories exploring the history of Richmond and the region through the files of The Times-Dispatch. Have a topic you'd like us to check out? Email reporter Jeff Terich at jterich@timesdispatch.com and visit richmond.com to see more from our archives.
Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar said Jonathan Arriola was arrested in connection to the death of Desirae Rivera, 21, during a party in March. Raul Trey Lopez Jonathan Arriola, 20, faces murder and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon charges in connection with the death of Desirae Rivera, 21. He's accused of shooting and killing a woman during a "takeover party" at a vacant Knights of Columbus hall in March. Bexar County Sheriff's Office

A man accused of shooting and killing a woman during a"takeover party" in a vacant Knights of Columbus hall has been arrested.

Jonathan Arriola, 20, faces murder and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon charges in connection to the death of Desirae Rivera, 21, Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar said.

During a Thursday afternoon perp walk, Arriola didn't reply when reporters questioned him.

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At about 4 a.m. on March 9, Bexar County deputies received a call about a shooting at an illegal "takeover" party at the vacant hall on the Southwest Side, in the 8200 block of Old Pearsall Road.

Jonathan Arriola, 20, faces murder and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon charges in connection with the death of Desirae Rivera, 21. He's accused of shooting and killing a woman during a "takeover party" at a vacant Knights of Columbus hall in March. Raul Trey Lopez

During the party, Arriola and his friends left the party after getting kicked out for causing a disturbance.

As they drove away, Arriola allegedly used a pistol with a switch  a device that turns a semi-automatic weapon into a fully automatic weapon  to shoot.

At least 100 partygoers were inside the building as he shot down at the vacant building, which sat below the level of the road.

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"Unfortunately, they were just like sitting ducks as gunfire came raining in on them from up above" Salazar said.

Rivera was struck in the head by gunfire and died "almost instantly," the sheriff said.

Desirae Rivera, 21, died after being shot in the head by gunfire during a "takeover party" at a vacant Knights of Columbus hall in March Bexar County Sheriff's Office

A 29-year-old man was also shot during the incident but survived his injuries.

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Salazar said homicide investigators executed several dozen warrants throughout the last several months leading them to Arriola, who they found in Brownsville with help from the U.S. Marshals.

One piece of evidence obtained by the sheriff's office was a video taken of Rivera after she was fatally shot by Arriola, Salazar said.

"Somebody, callously enough, at the time of her death, was taking video as she lay dying, or immediately in the aftermath of her being dead and text it back-and-forth to each other," Salazar said.

The sheriff said he isn't ruling out the possibility of more arrests because there were several people in the car with Arriola at the time of the shooting. He urges the other passengers to come forward with information.
A jury has ruled in favor of three women who said they were sexually abused at a New Kent County childrens hospital. They were awarded $300 million.

The lawsuit in Richmond Civil Court named the Cumberland Hospital for Children and Adolescents, Universal Health Services and former medical director Dr. Daniel Davidow as defendants.

Hospital staff did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Friday evening.

The former patients said they were touched inappropriately during physical exams at the hospital, which treats young people for mental health issues, chronic illnesses and neurobehavioral disorders.

Kevin Biniazan, an attorney for the former patients, said the jury on Friday awarded $20 million in compensatory damages for violation of the Virginia Consumer Protection Act and $40 million in punitive damages for each plaintiff.

Forty-six patients have sued the hospital for a total of $930 million. In April, Davidow was acquitted of felony sex abuse charges against two other former patients after a criminal trial. He has denied wrongdoing.
The heart transplant program at Richmonds Veterans Administration hospital has been suspended for more than a year.

The move came shortly after employees of the Richmond VA Medical Center, formerly named after Hunter Holmes McGuire, expressed concerns to leadership around the safety of its longtime transplant program. The issues were raised in July 2023, according to hospital spokesperson David Hodge.

In August 2023, the program was put on hold, with the hospital saying it wanted to review its operating procedures. The pause was meant to be temporary, with the program expected to reopen in 45 days. But the pause was then extended.

The purpose of the pause is to enable the program to comprehensively evaluate its current practices, identify potential areas for improvement and implement identified changes to elevate patient care and operational efficiency, said Ronald Johnson, executive director of the hospital.

Between 2021 and 2023, the hospital reported two heart transplant-related deaths from 14 operations, according to publicly available data reported by the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients.

The hospital received requests for a comprehensive evaluation of its heart transplant program from at least two supervisory bodies, the Central Virginia VA Health Care System and the VAs Mid-Atlantic Health Care Network, Hodge said.

Hodge cautioned that health care is complex, and added that their patients are often more complex medically than non-vets.

The program had 18 patients on its transplant list as of December of last year. Patients waiting for hearts were told they could join waiting lists with other programs.

Im tired of walking around with this wire down my back

Among those patients is Bill Waddle, a veteran living in Giles County in western Virginia. Waddle drove trucks and tanks in the U.S. Army during the 1970s, followed by a stint in the U.S. Army reserves in the 1980s.

Waddle had end-stage heart failure in 2018. He has survived for six years with the help of a mechanical implant known as a left ventricular assist device. The LVAD pumps blood for him. Its powered by a battery pack and a wire that has to be worn at all times.

Waddle joined the heart transplant list in January 2023, after becoming fed up with wearing the device.

Im tired of walking around with this wire down my back, said Waddle.

Waddle remembers the hospital estimating he might have to wear the device as long as six months.

Hodge said the hospital has applied to restart operations with the Richmond-based United Network for Organ Sharing, or UNOS. They are awaiting the organizations response.

Since the pause, VA has worked to address the concerns from staff members regarding team cohesion, safety oversight, and staffing adequacy, Hodge said in response to questions about the programs suspension.

McClellan: I have concerns

Part of the solution appears to have been a significant staffing increase in the heart transplant team. Hodge said the hospital now has two full-time heart transplant surgeons, as well as two part-time surgeons with transplant privileges.

The suspension came shortly after the departure of longtime surgeon Dr. Luigi Lagazzi, who left the VA hospital in 2020 for a job in West Virginia. The program was also placed on hold during that transition.

The program hired his replacement, Dr. Dipesh Shah, that August. Shah is an assistant professor in the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine.

Shah is not board-certified by the American Board of Surgery because he trained surgically overseas. His background includes fellowships at the Mayo Clinic and the University of Pennsylvania Medical Center in Pittsburgh.

In a statement, U.S. Rep. Jennifer McClellan, D-4th, said shes monitoring the issue.

I have concerns over the disruption in cardiac transplant procedures at the Richmond VA Medical Center. Our veterans sacrifice everything in service to our nation and deserve access to comprehensive health care and medical procedures, said McClellan.

McClellan said she is also aware of an ongoing health inspection by the Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, and is awaiting the release of that report. A spokesperson for that office would not confirm or deny any review of the hospital.

The transplant program opened in 1980 at the Richmond Veterans Administration Medical Center, 1201 Broad Rock Blvd.

It is one of five cardiac transplant programs operating in Virginia. It was the first Veterans Affairs hospital to perform heart transplants nationwide.

More than 350 transplants have been performed at the center since its inception. According to partner organization Virginia Commonwealth University, which is also its competitor, the hospital boasts the latest and most sophisticated medical equipment for health care delivery.

What to know about early voting in Virginia Early voting in Virginia is from Sept. 20 to Nov. 2

The hospital was previously named for Hunter Holmes McGuire, a confederate surgeon who operated on Stonewall Jackson. Its name was changed in January 2023.

Close A second floor and new entrance was added to the existing mental health wing at McGuire VA. From left, U.S. Rep. Robert C. "Bobby" Scott, D-3rd, Dr. Cheryl Jones, and U.S. Rep. Dave Brat, R-7th. Dr. Cheryl Jones speaks at the McGuire Veterans Affairs Medical Center dedication. Ten-year McGuire VA volunteer Kacky Grubb holds open the door for guests attending a reception after the opening ceremony. The Pledge of Allegiance is performer before the McGuire Veterans Affairs Medical Center dedication. Dr. Cheryl Jones, chief of McGuire mental health services, left, with John Brandecker, McGuire VA director, and U.S. Rep. Robert C. "Bobby" Scott at the opening of the new mental health addition at McGuire. PHOTOS: McGuire's VA opens new Mental Health Recovery Center McGuire Veterans Affairs Medical Center on Monday, Aug. 24, 2015, opened a 19,353-square-foot addition to the the mental health wing of the hospital in Richmond. McGuire now serves more than 10,000 Veterans through its mental health service. The mental health wing now has about 50,000 square feet. A second floor and new entrance was added to the existing mental health wing at McGuire VA. From left, U.S. Rep. Robert C. "Bobby" Scott, D-3rd, Dr. Cheryl Jones, and U.S. Rep. Dave Brat, R-7th. Dr. Cheryl Jones speaks at the McGuire Veterans Affairs Medical Center dedication. Ten-year McGuire VA volunteer Kacky Grubb holds open the door for guests attending a reception after the opening ceremony. The Pledge of Allegiance is performer before the McGuire Veterans Affairs Medical Center dedication. Dr. Cheryl Jones, chief of McGuire mental health services, left, with John Brandecker, McGuire VA director, and U.S. Rep. Robert C. "Bobby" Scott at the opening of the new mental health addition at McGuire.
If Virginias presidential choice is really in play, neither former President Donald Trump nor Vice President Kamala Harris are putting big bucks on a spin of the wheel here.

The campaigns spending on advertising in Virginia, which includes a chunk of one of the priciest broadcast ad markets in the nation, is less than two-tenths of a percent of the more than $500 million the campaigns and their allies have spent on ads and to lock-in time in seven battleground states, a Richmond Times-Dispatch analysis found.

So far, pro-Harris and anti-Trump groups have spent or booked $630,680 on political ads in Virginia in the general election, while pro-Trump and anti-Harris groups have spent or booked $272,364, according to the Virginia Public Access Project.

In the 2020 general election for president, Trump, Democrat Joe Biden and their allies spent more than $11 million in Virginia.

In a 15-minute call to a Virginia tele-rally last Sunday, Trump told supporters We have a really good chance to win Virginia, reiterating what he said at his June rally in Chesapeake, a few miles north of the state line with North Carolina, which has emerged as a key battleground state. He also said during a March rally in Richmond that he expected to win Virginia and that (if) we win Virginia the race is over.

Democrats say theyre not taking anything for granted, but that an unprecedently large door-knocking campaign will deliver Virginias 13 Electoral College votes to Harris.

Virginia, based on what were seeing from the campaigns, is kind of a second-tier race, said Stephen Farnsworth, a political scientist at the University of Mary Washington.

Theyve got to triage, Farnsworth said. If theyre going to spend more in Virginia, it means spending less somewhere else.

In fact, Virginia spending on ads for the presidency is a fraction of what candidates and allies are spending in the hard-fought 2nd and 7th Congressional District races, or the lopsided spending in the contest in which Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., faces GOP challenger Hung Cao.

Seven swing states





Many analysts see the presidential contest coming down to seven swing states, which are seeing the bulk of the ad spending  Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Georgia, North Carolina, Arizona and Nevada.

For instance, in Pennsylvania, the pro-Harris and anti-Trump spending totals $75.9 million and the pro-Trump and anti-Harris spending totals $60.7 million, according to AdImpact, a firm that tracks political advertising.

In Michigan, the pro-Harris and anti-Trump spending totals $59.4 million and the pro-Trump and anti-Harris spending comes to $38 million.

In Georgia, the pro-Harris and anti-Trump spending comes to $39 million and the pro-Trump and anti-Harris spending totals $29.9 million.

In neighboring North Carolina, the pro-Harris and anti-Trump spending totals $30.1 million and the pro-Trump and anti-Harris spending comes to $20 million.

If either campaign thought Virginia was competitive, there would be much higher spending here, said Mark Rozell, dean of George Mason Universitys Schar School of Policy and Government. No one is discussing Virginia as the potential eighth swing state.

Democrats have carried Virginia in the last four presidential elections. A University of Mary Washington survey last week put the contest within the margin of error, but that poll was an outlier compared with other recent Virginia polls that gave Harris a lead of 7 to 10 percentage points.

For example, a Virginia poll out Thursday from Emerson College had Harris receiving 52% of the vote to 44% for Trump, with 4% undecided. The survey of 860 likely voters was conducted Sunday through Tuesday and had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.3 percentage points.

Virginia a feint?

Talks of a Virginia being competitive for president sounds like a feint to fake out the other side, political scientists say.

I think the talk about Virginia being in play is to force the Democrats to spend time and money in the state, said Robert E. Denton, retired director of Virginia Techs School of Communication, whose special research interest is political communications.

If for some reason, we start seeing Trump and (running mate JD) Vance making frequent stops in Virginia, then perhaps things may be getting interesting, he said.

For now, he said, watch the spending, outside special interest spending, certainly targeted for suburban women, and candidate frequency and where they travel in Virginia, he said.

Trump has not campaigned in Virginia since his June 28 rally in Chesapeake, other than stopping by a Vietnamese restaurant in Northern Virginia in late August with Cao, the GOP candidate for U.S. Senate. Harris appeared with President Joe Biden at a January rally in Manassas but has not held a campaign rally in Virginia since she became the partys nominee.

Olusoji Akomolafe, chair of the political science department at Norfolk State University, sees a broader trend, with Trumps ad spending lagging Harris in several states, not just Virginia.

It looks like the Trump campaign machine is increasingly convinced, especially since Harris replaced Biden on the ticket, that its chances of winning through the ballot box are diminishing, Akomolafe said.

This is probably why they are spending less money on the campaign while spending more time and effort on how to suppress the vote, delay certification, or disrupt the electoral process in any way they can, he added.

So far, Harris has spent just under $257,000 on ads and reserving time on Virginia media, data compiled by the Virginia Public Access Project shows. Other political action committees spend an additional $374,000 on ads or time to back her or oppose Trump.

I was surprised to see an ad for Harris last week, said Ed Lynch, a political scientist at Hollins University. It was during the day on one of the network TV affiliates here in Roanoke.

He said it raised two possibilities: one that Harris campaign is not as certain of Virginia as he thought, or two, that the ad was really aimed at North Carolina voters, who watch the Roanoke station.

Trumps campaign has spent $20,000. Other groups have spent $252,000  with more than half that sum, or nearly $161,000, from a group called Veterans on Duty which describes itself as a nonprofit organization of veterans outraged by the dangerous national security policies of the Biden Administration and the Democratic Party.

Trump is relying on volunteers, in an effort intended to stay under the radar, Lynch, at Hollins University, said.

By relying heavily on volunteers, the campaign is able to save money and keep its finger on the pulse of Virginia, he said.

Bidens campaign in 2020 had a much higher profile in Southwest Virginia, Lynch said.

Then again, Harris is running ads here, in the part of the Commonwealth where she is least popular. Is she uncertain, running up the score, or just field-testing ads in a safe environment? he added.

Congressional races

In Virginia, the big spending is in the tight races in the 7th District, based in Prince William, Stafford and Spotsylvania counties, and in the 2nd District, based in Virginia Beach. Democrats hope to flip the 2nd, and Republicans want to turn the 7th red.

In the 7th, an open seat, Democrat Eugene Vindman and his backers have spent nearly $4.1 million, compared with $1.9 million for Republican Derrick Anderson, according to the Virginia Public Access Project.

In the 2nd, a recent Christopher Newport University poll shows first-term Rep. Jen Kiggans with a lead just outside the margin of error over her much less well-known Democratic challenger Missy Cotter Smasal. Spending by Cotter Smasal and her allies totals nearly $3.7 million, compared with $1.7 million Kiggans and her backers have spent, according to VPAP.

In the U.S. Senate race, according to VPAP, Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., has spent $2.4 million, while spending on behalf of GOP challenger Hung Cao and against Kaine totals $6,000.

Photos from the Trump-Harris debate
Cancun airport project successful in reducing entry wait times from nearly 3 hours to 7 minutes

Cancun, Q.R.  The entry of tourists arriving to Mexico has been expedited by the use of modern technologies. The Secretary of Tourism of the Government of Mexico says these modern technologies in Cancun has made it possible to reduce wait times from nearly three hours to just seven minutes.

Tourism Secretary Miguel Torruco Marques said in response to a demand from the sector, they have proposed modifying Article 35 of the Migration Law to allow the use of technological tools in all major airports to speed up the entry of tourists.

He explained that the reform was published in the DOF on April 29, 2022 at which time, a pilot project was implemented at the Cancun Airport. That pilot project reduced the wait from 2 hours and 45 minutes per person, to just seven minutes during peak hours.

Torruco Marques said under instructions from President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, he was tasked with providing a solution to expedite entry into the country and avoid the recurring bottlenecks at the Mexico City International Airport (AICM) and Cancun, as well as those in Puerto Vallarta, Los Cabos, Guadalajara, Monterrey and Tijuana, which represent 90 percent of the in-bound arrivals.

Various agencies including the Ministries of the Interior, Foreign Affairs, the National Migration Institute (INM) as well as the President of the Hotel Association of Cancun, Puerto Morelos and Isla Mujeres, were asked to present the proposal to modify Article 35 of the Migration Law with the purpose of allowing the use of automated technological tools to expedite and facilitate entry.

This proposal was sent through the then president of the Tourism Commission of the Chamber of Deputies, Luis Alegre Salazar (RIP), which was approved unanimously by both Chambers and published in the Official Gazette of the Federation (DOF) on April 29, 2022, thus addressing a widespread demand from the sector for more than 25 years.

He indicated that from then, meetings were held with the INM to monitor progress, the Operation Manual was drawn up and the pilot plan was achieved at the Cancun airport where the wait was reduced.

He stated that starting in December 2022, the INM implemented Autonomous Migration Filters (FMA) at the International Airports of Mexico City and Cancun. Starting in May 2024, at the Los Cabos International Airport and at the Guadalajara International Airport starting in August 2024. They are also already operating at the Puerto Vallarta International Airport.

Torruco Marques stressed the importance of an initiative from Sectur that has given way to modernity in the countrys airports, leaving only Tijuana, operated by Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacifico (GAP), and Monterrey, managed by Grupo Aeroportuario Centro Norte (OMA), the latter being urged to implement these measures so that it is the same in all airports.

The Secretary of Tourism reported that, in 2023, the Cancun Airport received 10.4 million international tourists, being the main air destination in the country. From January to July 2024, 6.2 million international tourists arrived at the Cancun Airport, exceeding by 0.9% what was registered in the same period of 2023.

In turn, AICM received 4.2 million international tourists in 2023, reaching second place in the country.

In 2023, Los Cabos airport received 2.3 million international tourists occupying third. From January to July 2024, 1.4 million international tourists arrived. During 2023, 1.8 million international tourists arrived at the Puerto Vallarta airport, and from January to July 2024, it attracted 1.2 million.

In 2023, the Guadalajara airport received 1.3 million international tourists and 847,251 from January to July 2024.

The Secretary of Tourism emphasized that the modernization of technology to speed up the entry of international tourists to Mexico also translates into greater economic benefits and per capita spending, benefiting the local population and in compliance with the instruction of President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador to make tourism a tool for social reconciliation.
Texan jailed in Playa del Carmen pot bust

Playa del Carmen, Q.R.  A Texan was arrested and transferred to a Playa del Carmen jail cell in a Friday pot bust. He was one of two men arrested by Solidaridad Police in central Playa del Carmen after the pair were seen exchanging drugs.

The jailed men have been identified by local police as 22-year-old Angel N from Quintana Roo and 30-year-old Alejandro N from Texas.

The Municipal Police of Solidaridad reported arresting two subjects and seizing possible marijuana as part of the reinforcement of prevention and surveillance work in the Centro neighborhood.

The pair were seen by Solidaridad officers around first street exchanging what seemed to be drugs. Arresting Seguridad Ciudadana Solidaridad (SSC) officers reported finding 35 packages of likely marijuana during an inspection.

Elements implemented security patrols and when traveling on First Avenue they observed the now detained exchanging what seemed to be drugs. When carrying out a security inspection they found 35 packages of possible marijuana.

Those who identified themselves as Alejandro N 30 years old, originally from Texas and Angel N 22 years old, from this state, were placed at the disposal of the Specialized Prosecutors Office.
A man driving a 2023 Chevy Malibu northbound in the southbound lanes of Interstate 37 South near downtown early Saturday hit another vehicle head-on and died at the scene. mbbirdy/Getty Images

A man died after driving the wrong way on a downtown highway early Saturday, striking another vehicle head-on, San Antonio Police said.

The driver of a black 2023 Chevy Malibu was going northbound in the southbound lanes of Interstate 37 South when it struck a white 2011 Dodge Ram traveling southbound, according to a preliminary police report. The incident happened just before 2:30 a.m. near the Houston Street exit.

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The driver of the Chevy Malibu was pronounced dead at the scene, police said. The driver of the Dodge Ram was taken to the hospital with serious injuries, but was later reported to be in stable condition.
DARLINGTON, S.C.  Nearly 80 Darlington County School District students committed to paid internships during the districts fall intern signing day on Sept. 20.

The event, marking the beginning of another round of paid, real-world work experiences for students, was held inside Jean Byrd Taylor Auditorium at St. Johns Elementary School.

Thirty-two business partners from around Darlington County committed this semester to hiring and guiding the student interns in fields of work varying from health care to law and steel working to mortuary science. These 12-week paid internships are part of the districts Key to Career program, which is focused on preparing students for the workforce immediately upon graduation from high school.

In all, 77 student interns signed pledges with 32 business partners.

Dr. Shannon Flowers, the districts business engagement coordinator, oversees the Key to Career program.

We are excited that our internship program continues to grow both in opportunities and with business partnerships, she said. I am continually impressed by the quality of our student interns and the commitment of our faithful partners, Flowers said.

The student interns have already undergone soft skills training as well as official job interviews with business partners as part of the Key to Career program. They will now begin their three-month employments, which include job training, observations and assessments.

Since the Key to Career program began in 2019, interns have earned approximately $500,000 in wages through thousands of hours of work with businesses and industries.
SIOUX CITY -- A man who took video of a female friend while she was naked and unconscious and sent it to others was sentenced Friday to 10 years in prison.

A Woodbury County jury in August found Max Amyda, 35, guilty of third-degree sexual abuse.

In addition to the prison sentence, District Judge Steven Andreasen sentenced Amyda, who is listed in court documents as a transient with no city of residence, to a special lifetime sentence in which he will remain under court supervision as if on parole after he's released from prison. If he were to violate terms of the special sentence, he could be returned to prison. Amyda also will be required to register with the Iowa Sex Offender Registry.

The woman had told police she had invited Amyda, who was a friend, to her Sergeant Bluff home on May 5, 2023, to drink alcohol and watch movies. Later that evening, she became drunk and went into her bedroom to lie down and then passed out.

A week later, the woman told police, she became aware that Amyda was sending friends video of her naked from the waist down. In the video, the woman was shown with her eyes closed and Amyda could be seen touching her and then giving a thumbs up sign.

The woman said she tried to contact Amyda, but he blocked her from contacting his phone.
I love divorce. Im a child of divorce, as if divorce were a parent, as Leslie Jamison writes in her gorgeous memoir Splinters. Many of my heterosexual friends are divorced. If a couple so much as intimates their unhappiness, my first thought is: Get a divorce!

And yet, I find myself wincing at recent dialogue sparked by divorce books by women in midlife, like Sarah Mangusos Liars and Lyz Lenzs This American Ex-Wife. The narrators of these books are in what seem like irrefutably bad marriages and are happier after they leave. Fantastic! Its crucial to tell stories of how heterosexual marriage continues to fail women. Divorce in middle age, after spending the bulk of ones adulthood in partnership, might certainly feel like freedom. But for those of us unintentionally single throughout our 20s and 30s, partnership in ones 40s can feel just as freeing.

For most of my adult life, I was single. I spent far too much time analyzing situationships, poring over dating apps (even building one of my own), and attempting to find the elusive good guy, only to be ghosted and manipulated and rejected for over a decade. My debut novel is called Nothing Serious because thats precisely what every man I dated was looking for. The overarching theme of my 30s was: Dating men is terrible. Which was easily shorthanded to: Men are terrible.

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And yet, all my friends were marrying them. Oddly, I wanted to marry them too. When I was young, like many women, I shrank myself to fit into the mold of what I thought was a desirable girlfriend. But any man I was seriously interested in eventually rejected me. And so, throughout my 30s, I dished out disposable income to attend what felt like a wedding a month, gifting fancy dishes I couldnt afford to buy myself. Id offer obligatory likes on the engagement, then wedding, then honeymoon, then baby photos, feeling worse about myself with every scroll.

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In addition to wondering if Id ever be able to share my life with someone, as I grew older, I became increasingly tormented by the thought of ever being able to have a child. A single IVF cycle can range from $15,000 to $30,000, not including the cost of sperm. The average cost of day care in New York is almost $2,000 a month for infants. The average rent for a two-bedroom apartment in Brooklyn, where I live, is $3,627 a month. The costs add up quickly and are prohibitive for most single women.

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Even without a child, it is easier to afford life as a couple. A one-bedroom apartment in Brooklyn is, on average, almost $3,000 a month, while utilities and subscriptions are at least another $100. If Im out of full-time work for any period of time, Im paying $700 a month, minimum, for health insurance. Without a partner, theres no one to make big joint decisions with, like buying a car or a home, to share the weight of the risk or the responsibility of a down payment.

Theres also an emotional cost to being single in a culture that very clearly rewards partnership at a time when everyone else is settling down. Not only because youre constantly assaulted by the apparent happiness of others, but because people actually treat you differently. If, after 35, youre still single, especially as a woman, certain co-workers get a slight discomfort in their eyesearching for whats wrong with you. Around your midthirties, nights out turn into at-home dinner parties, packed mostly with couples, and as a single person, you become a jester of sorts, entertaining the crowd with your stories, if youre still invited at all.

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But as I waded through so many rejections and witnessed the farce that many considered relationship goals, it was clear, as I got older, that the cost was far and away worth it given the alternative: putting up with most men.

I agree with many of the writers of the so-called divorce memoirs that the ways our system favors married people through legislation and policy lay a dangerous trap for women. Nearly 70 percent of all divorces are initiated by women, substantiating the argument that men, by and large, benefit more from marriage. If I had my way, I would post this statistic in every womens bathroom, with giant warning signs: Approach men and marriage carefully!! Biology, especially, rushes women into partnership prematurely before we really know ourselves, a process that takes time, especially for women living in a society that still favors men.

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But I also know that sharing a life with a partner provides very real benefits, especially if you want children, and those benefits are clearest of all to the women whove been deprived of them for most of our adult lives. Many of my single female friends did not have children because it was not feasible to do it alone. I chose art over children; it wouldve been impossible to pursue writing, work my day job, and have a child without the benefit of shared custody.

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Related From Slate What No One Wants to Tell Women About Divorce Read More

Many of the recent divorce narratives claim that motherhood without a partner is far superior, as if splitting custody (as these women do), mostly after infancy, is motherhood without a partner. This is not to diminish the very important point that parenting separately is far superior for many women to parenting with a man, but that setup is very different from going it alone.

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The implication in many pro-divorce narratives is that being single is a superior state, and surely it is for these women at this point in their lives, and compared to being with the men they married. I cheer every time I hear that a woman who has been married for most of her adult life is getting a divorce. But I find myself longing to ask them the impossible: If you could travel back in time, would you forgo marriage and try to have children on your own? How?

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Im now happily partnered, and its hard to overstate the relief of finally sharing the burden of everyday living with another personwhether or not this situation is forever. To have someone to list as my emergency contact, to pick up groceries when I dont want to leave the house, to contemplate the question of children. Im grateful I entered partnership later, and I see the ways, at 42, I refuse to shrink into what otherwise might have felt natural for me at 30.

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Without a doubt, in the context of our society, where men structurally have more power, it is crucial to warn against the dangers of heterosexual marriage for women. But in the context of our vastly heteronormative culture, life is also challenging for those of us whove lived our entire adult lives unsupported by a marital cushion.

Being unmarried is incredible, I can attest! But the idea of freedom can take many forms, often morphing until it looks like whatever weve been deprived of. For divorced women, that may be the freedom not to conform to the demands of a relationship thats not serving them. For others, its the freedom from having to pay every single bill on our own, the freedom of emotional support, the freedom of being witnessed by another person. Its the bliss of hearing Thats great when were tired of affirming ourselves. Its the beautiful relief of letting someone else make the coffee when were too sleepy to wake.
The Surge took a visit to our records warehouse (set on the most flammable floor of the Turkish House) and was shocked to see that weve published nothingnothingabout Louisiana Rep. Clay Higgins in this here newsletter. Lets just say that there are some Republicans in Congress who know better, some who dont know much at all, and then, a few rungs further down, theres Clay Higgins. If we had to pick one member who really believes deep down that the 2020 election was stolen from Donald Trump, it would be him. Just watch this video, and then read his Wikipedia page, specifically the sections about his early years in law enforcement and the personal life section. Now that youre adequately backgrounded: Higgins did a big ol racist tweet this week. In response to news that a Haitian nonprofit group was seeking charges against Trump and J.D. Vance for their racist comments about Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, Higgins posted the following: Lol. These Haitians are wild. Eating pets, vudu, nastiest country in the western hemisphere, cults, slapstick gangsters but damned if they dont feel all sophisticated now, filing charges against our President and VP. All these thugs better get their mind right and their asses out of our country before January 20th. In the ensuing controversy, Higgins, according to House Speaker Mike Johnson, prayed on it, and ultimately decided to delete the tweet. But he told CNN that he stood by his words. Its all true, he said. I can put up another controversial post tomorrow if you want me to. I mean, we do have freedom of speech. Ill say what I want. Yes  thats clear!
What's new in science in Slovakia?

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Even though summer is usually the time when people take a vacation, Slovak scientists still experienced busy months.

This article is supported by the ESET Foundation, whose annual ESET Science Award recognises exceptional scientists.

This is especially true of the archeologists who reported various finds, which shed light on how people of the distant past lived in the territory of Slovakia. In addition, several scientists received recognition for their research.

In this overview, you will also find a selection of research conducted at universities and other institutions, including on bioplastics, how the town of Trencin is becoming more energy efficient, as well as science stories that have appeared on the Slovak Spectator website.

Celebrating exceptional scientists

The Eset Science Award is once again bringing attention to exceptional scientists. This year's winners in three categories will be announced on October 10, with two chosen by an international jury chaired by Nobel Prize winner Emmanuelle Charpentier. Continuing with the tone set by the Starmus science and art festival earlier this year, the theme of this edition is "The Future of Our Planet".

The award finalists' work and research reflect the challenges our home in the universe is facing.

In the Outstanding Scientist in Slovakia category, the jury will choose one of the following: Maria Bielikova, internationally recognised expert on artificial intelligence; Michal Mego, an oncologist whose research has made advances in cancer treatment; Milan Sykora, a chemist who worked in the Los Alamos National Laboratory; Martin Venhart, a nuclear physicist who worked in CERN; and Norbert Zilka, a neuroimmunologist.

In the Outstanding Scientist in Slovakia Under the Age of 35, the finalists are Matus Dohal, a biomedic; Frantisek Herman, a theoretical physicist studying superconductivity; and Michal Kvet, a computer scientist.

Finally, microbiologist Helena Bujdakova, mathematician Ivan Cimrak, artificial intelligence expert Igor Farkas, and material scientist Peter Peciar are finalists in the Outstanding Academic in Slovakia category.

Last year's ESET Science Award laureates, from left: mechanochemist Matej Balaz, autism researcher Daniela Ostatnikova, and polymer chemist Igor Lacik. (Source: ESET Science Award/Linda Kiskova Bohusova)

Uncovering ancient past

The last few months have presented a treasure trove of archaeological finds that shed light on the history of various cultures and peoples living in the territory of Slovakia.

In eastern Slovakia, a Slovak-Polish team of archaeologists made an extraordinary find in the village of Hatalov. During an excavation on a mound, the well-preserved skeletal remains of young male individual aged 16-18 were discovered. According to the experts, he belonged to a population of the Pit Grave Culture dating to 3300-2600 BC.

The name alludes to their burial tradition. The finds, including wooden elements used in the construction of the grave pit, the method of laying the dead in a supine position, as well as the presence of red dye, confirmed that he belonged to this particular nomadic culture. This is the first indisputable evidence of the presence of these people in the territory of Slovakia.

The Slovak-Polish archaeological team managed to make an extraordinary find in the village of Hatalov, eastern Slovakia, in the locality of Ridziny. (Source: SAV)

In a similar vein, recent finds in the Huciva Diera cave in the Belianske Tatry mountain range, northern Slovakia, has confirmed that it was used as a campsite by the Magdalenian culture dating back more than 14,000 years. This is the first time these people appeared in the territory of Slovakia.

A Slovak-Polish team uncovered a wide range of chipped stone tools, bones belonging to game and other small bone artifacts, among other things. Similar tools have so far been primarily found in the territory of today's England, the Netherlands and Switzerland.

The Huciva diera cave. (Source: Slovak Academy of Sciences)

It is a fact that Roman legions led by Emperor Marcus Aurelius made their way to the territory of Slovakia. Recently, archeologists found a Roman camp near the village of Zeliezovce on the Hron River in the Nitra Region. They have spent decades seeking it out.

The camp was dated to the latter half of the 2nd century CE, to the era of the Marcomannic Wars, when Romans wanted to subdue the Germanic tribes that repeatedly invaded the empire. As this is the only camp that has so far been detected near the river, archaeologists strongly believe that it may have been here that Marcus Aurelius penned a part of his Meditations. According to internal notes, the first part was supposed to have been written at this site.

It is fair to say that our town is still an undiscovered historical gem of southern Slovakia, said local historian Pavel Polka about Zeliezovce. (Source: Michal Cheben)

Recognition of the work of scientists

In June, the team of the toxicologist Helena Kandarova, head of SAV's Centre of Experimental Medicine, took part in the LIVe 2024 conference focusing on the use of innovative approaches to testing toxicity without using animal subjects. Among competition from the US, Europe and Australia, the team's project won a prestigious grant.

This will allow the team to study the toxicologic profile of drug candidates in the respiratory tract. As part of the grant, the team will have access to reconstituted lung tissue models worth $15,000.

Kandarova is a recognised scientist abroad; in 2022, for example, she won the prestigious EUROTOX Award Lecture for her fundamental contribution in the field of validation and implementation of alternative methods, which use innovative approaches without the need for animal testing.

In July, professor Silvia Pastorekova, director of the Biomedical Research Centre of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, became the first representative of the Slovak scientific community elected to EMBO, a major international organisation in the field of life sciences. Nearly one hundred Nobel Prize laureates are or have been members of EMBO.

According to EMBO director Fiona Watt, newly elected members "have made outstanding contributions to basic research in life sciences, and in many cases their work has paved the way for innovations that have improved lives and living conditions around the world."

She was part of the team that clarified one of the mechanisms that mediate the adaptation of tumour cells to lack of oxygen in the form of a protein.

"The protein is considered a biomarker of hypoxia and is often used not only in diagnostics, but also in research. Researchers around the globe use antibodies that we developed to detect the presence of CA9 protein indicating hypoxia," Pastorekova told The Slovak Spectator in 2022, after she became the ESET Science Award laureate in the Outstanding Scientist in Slovakia category.

In August, geologist Michal Sujan from Comenius University received the IUGS Early Career Scientist Medal during the opening ceremony of the 37th International Geological Congress in Busan, South Korea. He received the medal based on his research and application of cosmogenic nuclides in geochronology and sedimentological research. These nuclides are created when high-energy cosmic rays interact with the nucleus of an atom, which can happen on Earth or in its atmosphere. They allow insight into various geological and astronomical phenomena.

Overview of other research and development activities at universities:

Three species of spiders new for Slovakia; Slovak Academy of Sciences; lead scientist Pavol Purgat. The Burda and Slovensky Kras mountain ranges belong among the warmest areas in Slovakia. As such, they are a buffer zone that allows an influx of plant and animal species from the Mediterranean. It was here that a new species of spiders was discovered. Read more here.

The Burda and Slovensky Kras mountain ranges belong among the warmest areas in Slovakia. As such, they are a buffer zone that allows an influx of plant and animal species from the Mediterranean. It was here that a new species of spiders was discovered. Read more here. The biodiversity meadows project; Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra; lead scientist Alica Benova. The goal is to create permanent meadow communities for the university that will be used for student education, public awareness, but also for research or professional seminars. Read more here.

The goal is to create permanent meadow communities for the university that will be used for student education, public awareness, but also for research or professional seminars. Read more here. Advanced electronics with supercaps; Zilina University; lead scientists Michal Frivaldsky, Pavol Makys. The team is researching an advanced autonomous power system for space robotic arms. Now they are analysing the possibility of using supercapacitors, which could cover the demands for power supply during the manipulation of the robotic arm.

The team is researching an advanced autonomous power system for space robotic arms. Now they are analysing the possibility of using supercapacitors, which could cover the demands for power supply during the manipulation of the robotic arm. The impact of the changing climate on the spread of the widely expanding Ambrosia artemisiifolia species; Comenius University; lead scientist Michal Hrabovsky. An invasive species from the Americas, the plant was first found in Slovakia in 1949. Since then, it has spread to half of the country and is a cause of allergies. The study provides four predictions as to its future spread in the country. Read more here.

An invasive species from the Americas, the plant was first found in Slovakia in 1949. Since then, it has spread to half of the country and is a cause of allergies. The study provides four predictions as to its future spread in the country. Read more here. Radiocarbon in the atmosphere and in tree rings - anthropogenic effects and climate change; Comenius University; lead scientist Pavel Povinec. Two papers (you can read them here and here) assessing the air pollution caused by CO2 and carbonaceous aerosols were published. One evaluates the 55-year evolution of the concentration of radiocarbon in the atmosphere and biosphere as well as predicts its further development, especially in connection with climate change. The other presents the important discovery that the contribution from burning wood already exceeds the contribution of fossil aerosols, a fact that can impact the population's health.

Two papers (you can read them here and here) assessing the air pollution caused by CO2 and carbonaceous aerosols were published. One evaluates the 55-year evolution of the concentration of radiocarbon in the atmosphere and biosphere as well as predicts its further development, especially in connection with climate change. The other presents the important discovery that the contribution from burning wood already exceeds the contribution of fossil aerosols, a fact that can impact the population's health. SAV scientists contributing to new fat cell knowledge; Slovak Academy of Sciences; lead scientist Miroslav Balaz. In cooperation with Swiss and US teams, the SAV experts found several new subtypes of fat cells that use different mechanisms to generate heat and may thus help in the treatment of obesity and metabolic diseases. Read more here and here.

In cooperation with Swiss and US teams, the SAV experts found several new subtypes of fat cells that use different mechanisms to generate heat and may thus help in the treatment of obesity and metabolic diseases. Read more here and here. Pipeline politics: Balancing energy needs and environmental concerns in EU - Russia relations; Comenius University; lead scientist Ivana Gondasova. The aim of the study is to examine how the European Union solves energy and environmental protection issues, mainly in regards to the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline. Read more here.

The aim of the study is to examine how the European Union solves energy and environmental protection issues, mainly in regards to the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline. Read more here. A new method for detecting the causes of extreme phenomena; Slovak and Czech Academy of Sciences; lead scientists Martina Chvostekova and Milan Palus. The question of what causes extraordinary events, such as extreme weather conditions or financial market crashes has been puzzling scientists for quite some time. Now a joint team of Slovak and Czech scientists developed a new calculation method that helps clarify which of the potential causes actually causes extremes. Read more here.

The question of what causes extraordinary events, such as extreme weather conditions or financial market crashes has been puzzling scientists for quite some time. Now a joint team of Slovak and Czech scientists developed a new calculation method that helps clarify which of the potential causes actually causes extremes. Read more here. Both Enantiomers of 2-Hydroxyglutarate Modulate the Metabolism of Cultured Human Neuroblastoma Cells; Comenius University; lead scientist Radovan Murin. The goal is to study the effects of specific substances produced by certain brain tumors. These substances are associated with more aggressive tumors and a worse prognosis for patients. Read more here.

The goal is to study the effects of specific substances produced by certain brain tumors. These substances are associated with more aggressive tumors and a worse prognosis for patients. Read more here. Selectivity explanation of novel ALR2 inhibitors as potential drugs of diabetic complications; Comenius University; lead scientists Andrej Bohac and Lucia Kovacikova. The goal is to develop inhibitors of the enzyme responsible for diabetic complications, specifically to prepare highly effective derivatives so that the side effects of potential drugs are excluded. Read more here.

The goal is to develop inhibitors of the enzyme responsible for diabetic complications, specifically to prepare highly effective derivatives so that the side effects of potential drugs are excluded. Read more here. IMMERSE (Implementing Mobile Mental Health Recording Strategy for Europe); Comenius University; lead scientist Anton Heretik. The goal is to develop monitoring technology that can provide professionals with valuable insight into the daily lives of their patients and help the latter gain greater insight into their own mental health. Read more here.

The goal is to develop monitoring technology that can provide professionals with valuable insight into the daily lives of their patients and help the latter gain greater insight into their own mental health. Read more here. STEAM Connect project for co-creating transdisciplinary pedagogical innovations from STEM to STEAM; Comenius University; lead scientist Lilla Korenova. The work focuses qualitative research conducted with future primary education teachers, using the STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) concept. Read more here.

Other Slovak science stories on Spectator.sk:

PHYSICS: Nuclear physicist who went to Chernobyl and Fukushima and major atomic bomb testing sites has set up a world class lab in Bratislava.

PALAENTOLOGY: Slovak scientist Andrej Cernansky from Comenius University in Bratislava is continuing to shed more light on long-extinct animals. Last year he co-authored a study on a new species of gecko that survived the asteroid impact that wiped out the dinosaurs. Now he's back with another discovery.

WEATHER: One of the most well-known pieces of weather lore in Slovakia is about Medard, which goes like this: Medard's drop will be ongoing for 40 days. Is it still valid though? One hydrologist set out to investigate.

VIDEO GAMES: While its neighbouring countries have already had one or more big videogame hits, Slovakia cannot say the same. One such game could be Vivat Slovakia, an open-world game made by the small Bratislava-based developers inspired by real-life events.

HISTORY: History portrays them as the bitterest of enemies, but a discovery near a village in western Slovakia almost 60 years ago shows that there was not always violent antipathy between the Romans and Germanic tribes that lived on the edge of their empire.

CLIMATE: Slovakia's summer has been a record-breaker, and not in a good way, says climatologist.

EMIGRATION: Meet the historian who flies to the US to preserve Slovak heritage.

This article is supported by the ESET Foundation, whose annual ESET Science Award recognises exceptional scientists.
https://sputnikglobe.com/20240927/us-iraq-agree-on-two-phase-transition-plan-to-end-military-ops-in-iraq--senior-official-1120322340.html

US, Iraq Agree on Two-Phase Transition Plan to End Military Ops in Iraq  Senior Official

US, Iraq Agree on Two-Phase Transition Plan to End Military Ops in Iraq  Senior Official

Sputnik International

The United States and Iraq have agreed on a two-phase transition plan to end military operations as part of the CJTF-OIR to defeat the Daesh terrorist group, a senior Biden administration official said on Friday.

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"Today, we plan to announce that the United States and Iraq have decided on a two-phase transition plan for CJTF-OIR operations in Iraq," the official said during a press briefing.It was noted that the first phase of the plan will include a troop drawdown from certain parts within the country "as mutually determined," but that efforts to clamp down on Daesh militants would continue regardless of the transitional plan."This transition is not the end of the Global Coalition to defeat ISIS. The coalition will continue to support long-term efforts against ISIS [IS] in the region and around the globe," the official said. The transition period is set to begin this September and will conclude at the end of the same month in 2025.The United States is not yet in a position to speculate on how many US troops would remain in Iraq, as this will be determined during the two countries bilateral dialogue, officials added. The US hold a contingent of about 2,500 troops in Iraq.The CJTF-OIR was established in 2014 by the US Central Command as part of a combat mission against Daesh forces, however, many observers have noted the operation was more about extending the US' footprint while blocking the strangling the country's ties to regional neighbors. In fact, Hossein Askari, a professor emeritus at George Washington University who specializes in Middle Eastern political and economic affairs, told Sputnik that the US "will drag its feet" and make a full withdrawal impossible."Second, it uses its Iraqi presence to obstruct an unimpeded highway between Iran and Syria, which in turn is important to Israel. Third, and related to my previous reason, Americas politicians are subservient to Israeli interests and Israel is obsessed about Iran."The professor further indicated that American officials were also unlikely to part ways as Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) nations were increasingly concerned by the cooperation between Iran and Iraq amid their own lacking military strengths.Fifth, America has significant business interest in the GCC and business interests are afraid of a domino effect of a withdrawal from the Iraq, leading to leaving the Persian Gulf altogether and in turn further damaging Americas business interests, Askari said.In order to ensure the departure of American troops, Iraq would need to effectively "publicly humiliate the US about not leaving in the eyes of the world."*Daesh (also known as ISIS/ISIL/IS) is a terrorist organisation outlawed in Russia and many other states

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240818/us-transfers-another-batch-of-weapons-from-iraq-to-base-in-northeastern-syria---source-1119819216.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240302/us-apologizes-to-iraq-for-february-airstrikes-on-its-territory-1117085325.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20240928/australians-protest-against-labor-partys-misinformation-bill-1120327531.html

Australians Protest Against Labor Party's Misinformation Bill

Australians Protest Against Labor Party's Misinformation Bill

Sputnik International

A demonstration is taking place in Australias Sydney against the Misinformation and Disinformation Bill proposed by the Labor Party led by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.

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A demonstration is taking place in Sydney, Australia against the Misinformation and Disinformation Bill proposed by the Labor Party led by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. If approved, the bill would allow the government to fine digital platforms up to 5% of their annual turnover for not censoring so-called misinformation.During the demonstration, New South Wales Member of Parliament John Ruddick burned a copy of the Misinformation and Disinformation Bill.The first version of the bill was drafted last year and was widely criticized for giving the regulator too much power to interpret what constitutes misinformation.

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Superintendent Milton Fields of Judson ISD, which is facing a $25 million deficit and seeks the public's help in coming up with a plan to increase the efficiency of its facilities. Robin Jerstad

Judson Independent School District administrators spent a good part of a recent growth and planning meeting trying to dispel the unnerving rumor that they already had made a decision to close Coronado Village Elementary School.

That doesnt mean closing that school or other schools isnt on the table  because everything is on the table, they said.

It was an early public admission that Judson ISDs financial and enrollment problems might lead to the kind of outcome that was hotly controversial at four other school districts in Bexar County in the past two years.

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We have to look at every option out there to make the best decision for our district, Daniel Brooks, the districts assistant superintendent of operations, said at Mondays meeting.

District officials have been saying they need to increase the efficiency of facilities to cut costs in the face of a declining student population and a projected $25 million budget shortfall.

Theyre asking for the publics help coming up with that plan. But Mondays meeting, the second scheduled to gather input, drew dozens of community members who had more questions than ideas, citing concerns over possible campus closures and changes to programming.

The allegation about Coronado Village, one of the districts dual language schools, was amplified online by the schools own Parent Teacher Organizations Facebook page.

Many arrived under the impression that it was going to be shuttered to absorb the Judson CARE Academy, the districts alternative education program that serves some 120 students out of an office building near the former Converse Elementary School.

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Its one of several ideas that have been tossed around, Brooks acknowledged. Other ideas include closing Judson Early College Academy and redrawing neighborhood attendance boundaries to even out the number of students at each school.

The enrollment picture varies widely from one part of Judson ISD to the next. The reevaluation of facilities comes as the district builds two new schools funded by a $345 million bond package approved by voters in 2022 to address overcrowding at certain campuses and improve security all over the district.

Construction crews broke ground on a 192,000-square-foot middle school, located next to Wortham Oaks Elementary School, in July to serve an area where the nearest of Judson ISDs five existing middle schools can be a 45-minute drive away. It and a new elementary school are expected to welcome their first students in the fall of 2025.

Superintendent Milton Fields emphasized that the new campuses are necessary to accommodate residential development on the northern end of the district. While they wont fill up immediately, he expects the schools to be packed in 10 to 15 years, he said.

We want to be as efficient as possible, and we want this committee to give us recommendations on the best use of every campus and facility throughout our district so we can be precise on how we utilize our buildings, because we are in a deficit budget, Fields said.

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Stretched across northeast Bexar County, the district currently has 23,493 students, down by 1,046 since the 2021-2022 school year due partly to eligibility changes to its pre-K program.

Of its 29 campuses, 15 operate more than 20% below capacity. Eight are 40% or more under capacity, including Veterans Memorial High School, which is only 41% full with 1,592 students, and Kirby Middle School, which is 50% full with 601 students.

Coronado Village and Judson Early College Academy are 41% and 12% under capacity, respectively.

On Monday, community members examined enrollment data and attendance maps, brainstorming solutions to issues that included how to relieve the pressure on Escondido Elementary School, one of Judsons six over-capacity schools. Suggestions included combining campuses and redrawing attendance lines to shift enrollment trends.

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The district will continue to invite families, residents and other local stakeholders to monthly meetings to gather input before administrators come up with a final recommendation to show trustees early next year. Fields assured community members that they will have numerous opportunities to voice opinions on any potential changes before the board takes a vote.
Hassan Nasrallah is the Secretary-General of Hezbollah, a Lebanese Shia political and militant movement. He has led the group since 1992 after the assassination of his predecessor, Abbas al-Musawi. Nasrallah is a central figure in Lebanon and a key player in the Middle East conflict.

As the leader of Hezbollah, Nasrallah oversees both the political and military wings of the organization. His role involves making strategic decisions, guiding the group's ideology, and managing its extensive social, political, and military operations, both in Lebanon and across the region. He also serves as a spokesperson and symbol of resistance against Israeli and Western influence.
https://sputnikglobe.com/20240928/its-time-to-end-us-cynical-policy-of-international-disruption-1120322018.html

It's Time to End US' Cynical Policy of International Disruption

It's Time to End US' Cynical Policy of International Disruption

Sputnik International

Mainstream American political leaders regularly argue that the United States adheres to, defends and promotes a rules-based international order. Whats that? Its rarely defined.

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The best summary Ive been able to find was articulated by John Ikenberry of Princeton University, introduced by The Financial Times as an influential scholar whose former pupils populate the American government, in 2023. I think the rules-based order has a history that predates the US and even predates 1945 and the great order-building efforts after World War II," Ikenberry said.He continues: But if you were to try to identify what open rule-based order is, its a set of commitments by states to operate according to principles, rules and institutions that provide governance that is not simply dictated by who is most powerful. So its a set of environmental conditions for doing businesscontracts, multilateral institutionsand it comes in many layers. At the deepest level its really the system of sovereignty. Its the belief that the world has a kind of foundation built around self-determined states that respect each other. On top of that, you have these layers of treaties and institutions culminating really in the United Nations system, building rules and principles around aspirations for the inclusion of all peoples and societies. Everybody gets a seat at the table that has a membership based on statehood. And then on top of that, even more work-oriented rules and institutions that came out of World War II that are based on problem-solving, regulating interdependence: the IMF, the World Bank, the WHO.If this is the rules-based international order, the US is working overtime to undermine it.At the core of an arrangement in which self-determined statesrespect each other is formal diplomatic recognition. Countries open embassies and consulates on one anothers territory, exchange ambassadors and issue tourist and work visas so their citizens can visit one another. Most essentially, they acknowledge each others territorial integrity, right to exist and right to govern their populations as each sees fit.At present, the United States neither maintains nor seeks diplomatic relations with North Korea, Syria, Iran, or Afghanistan. As the more powerful potential partner, the bulk of the blame and responsibility for the lack of ties lies with the US. Beginning in the 1950s, for example, the US unilaterally imposed crippling economic sanctions against the DPRK for having the sin of not losing the Korean War. US sanctions against Iran date to the 1979 Islamic Revolution that overthrew the American-backed dictator, the Shah. After negotiating its withdrawal from Afghanistan with the Taliban, the US closed its massive embassy in Kabul, ending consular services. (The US also does not have formal diplomatic relations with isolationist Bhutan, but ties are friendly.)The US seems to view the establishment of diplomatic relations as a reward for good behavior. In fact, their purpose is to maintain means of communications to resolve conflicts and keep one another informed as needed. If the US wanted diplomatic relations with the aforementioned countries, it could have them.For everybody [to get] a seat at the table that has a membership based on statehood, the goal is a world in which every person on the planet has citizenship of an internationally-recognized nation-state. However, millions of people live in places that, as far as the UN and other international governing bodies are concerned, might as well as not exist, like Kashmir, Palestine, Taiwan and post-Soviet, frozen-conflict zones like Abkhazia, South Ossetia and the Transnistria. Along with stateless people, like the Roma in Europe, the Galjeel of Kenya and Burkino Fasans living in Cote dIvoire, the UN estimates that 4.4 million people on the planet dont have a legal home and live in diplomatic purgatory.The US geopolitical policy of regional disruptiondivide and conquer, or at least divide and keep weakhelps maintain this state of affairs. The US maintains favorable economic and political ties to smaller nation-states that feel threatened by their larger neighbors all over the world, especially outside Europe. Though the US does not recognize it as a sovereign entity and officially maintains that it belongs to China, it sends billions of dollars of year in cash and weapons to Taiwan to try to keep China off-balance. US military aid props up the government of Ukraine, which stripped many residents of the eastern, ethnic-Russian Donbass of citizenship, rendering them stateless until Russia annexed the region following the start of the war in 2022.It goes without saying that the US does not respect the sovereignty of other countries. It invaded Liberia in 1997, Afghanistan in 2001, Iraq in 2003, Haiti in 2004, Libya in 2011, Syria in 2014, Yemen in 2015the list goes on. None of these interventions were justified or legally approved by Congress.Further to the US bullying of other countries, it routinely weaponizes institutions that came out of World War II that are based on problem-solving, regulating interdependence: the IMF, the World Bank, the WHO. In 2014, for example, then President Barack Obama ejected Russia from the G8 group of the worlds biggest economiesnow its the G7to punish Russia for its annexation of Crimea, despite reports by international observers and Western pollsters that the Crimean plebiscite vote was free and fair. The IMF kicked out Russia from consultation meetings after the 2022 Russo-Ukrainian war began, but those talks are now set to resume. And Russia was banned from the 2024 Paris Olympics. These sanctions all stemmed from Russias invasion of Ukraine. If invading another country is just cause for trying to turn a country into a pariah, however, what could be more ridiculous than the effort being led by the USwhich has invaded 10 countries over the last 20 years, most of distant from its own borders.Mahatma Gandhi, asked what he thought of Western civilization, supposedly replied: I think it would be a good idea. A rules-based international order? It would be a good ideaif there were some way for the US to stop trying to kill it in its crib.(Ted Rall (Twitter: @tedrall), the political cartoonist, columnist and graphic novelist, co-hosts the left-vs-right DMZ America podcast with fellow cartoonist Scott Stantis. His latest book, brand-new right now, is the graphic novel 2024: Revisited.)

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240429/delusional-10-year-ukraine-funding-plan-may-be-straw-that-breaks-us-economic-empires-back-1118180424.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240817/us-lashes-out-abroad-represses-dissent-at-home-as-global-hegemony-slips-away-1119801122.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240828/the-lies-of-the-us-empire-will-be-its-undoing-1119944710.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20240928/lavrov-western-attempts-to-defeat-russia-mirror-1945-operation-unthinkable-1120335293.html

Lavrov: Western Attempts to Defeat Russia Mirror 1945 'Operation Unthinkable'

Lavrov: Western Attempts to Defeat Russia Mirror 1945 'Operation Unthinkable'

Sputnik International

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, speaking at the UN General Assembly, called the "suicidal attempts" to fight until victory against a nuclear power like Russia pointless.

2024-09-28T16:41+0000

2024-09-28T16:41+0000

2024-09-28T18:44+0000

sergey lavrov

russia

un general assembly

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lebanon

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Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has denounced Western schemes to destroy Russia in his speech to the United Nations."A strategic defeat has been declared as the goal for Russia, similar to what London and Washington planned in May 1945, when they developed 'Operation Unthinkable' aimed at destroying the USSR, even before the end of World War II," Lavrov told a meeting of the UN General Assembly."Back then, it was kept in strict secrecy, but today's Anglo-Saxon strategists do not hide their intentions, although they still hope to defeat Russia through the illegitimate neo-Nazi regime in Kiev," he added.At a meeting of the Russian National Security Council on September 25, President Vladimir Putin announced updates to the "Fundamentals of State Policy on Nuclear Deterrence."The president indicated that aggression against Russia by any non-nuclear state, with the support of a nuclear power, would be considered a joint attack.Moscow also reserves the right to use nuclear weapons in the event of aggression, including if an enemy creates a critical threat to its sovereignty using conventional weapons, the president added.Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov noted that the changes in Russia's nuclear doctrine are a signal to unfriendly countries.He stressed that rational heads of state already understood the seriousness of Putin's statements, especially in the face of the "unprecedented confrontation" provoked by the direct involvement of Western countries in the Ukrainian conflict.Peskov explained that Russia's nuclear potential and its deterrent role are well known to the world. He added that there is currently an "adjustment in nuclear deterrence" in light of the tensions developing along the country's borders.At the same time, Russia does not rule out dialogue with the West and has proposed the idea of an architecture of equal and indivisible security in Eurasia, Lavrov said.He underlined that Russia had already proposed a system of equal and indivisible security in Eurasia, open to all states and organizations on the continent, before the conflict in in Ukraine.Lavrov added that an international conference on this topic will be held in Minsk on October 31.United Nations ReformRevitalizing the UN cannot be achieved through summits detached from reality, but only through restoring trust based on equality among all states, Lavrov told the general assembly meeting. "Its not too late to breathe new life into the UN, but this can be done not through out-of-touch summits and declarations, but by restoring trust on the basis of the Charters principle of sovereign equality of all states," Lavrov said.He noted that the recent UN Summit of the Future showed there were attempts to blur the intergovernmental nature of the organization and to delay reforms to the process of staffing its Secretariat, with the West holding key positions."The Secretariat should promote unifying ideas, propose compromise solutions, rather than invent excuses to push narratives favorable to the West," Lavrov stressed.Earlier, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Vershinin told Sputnik that the process of adopting the Pact for the Future at the Summit of the Future in New York contradicted agreed-upon procedures, and no proper negotiations took place."We must negotiate honestly, with the participation of all UN members, not like the so-called 'Pact for the Future' was prepared  without a single plenary round of negotiations involving all countries," Lavrov said."Instead, the work was conducted under the control of Western manipulators. As a result, the pact, barely born, has already joined the ranks of beautifully worded English-language declarations," he added.The Ukrainian CrisisThe Russian foreign minister urged countries proposing peace initiatives on Ukraine to address the root causes of the conflictHe added that Russia appreciates the efforts of many partners who have sincerely promoted mediation initiatives on Ukraine."We value their constructive focus on results, unlike Zelensky's dead-end 'peace formula'," the minister noted.Political Assassination of Hezbollah LeaderLavrov called Israel's killing of of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in a bombing raid on Friday a political assassination, expressing concern over such methods.Earlier on Saturday, Hezbollah's press service confirmed that Nasrallah was killed in the Israeli airstrike on Beirut's southern suburbs.On Monday, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) General Staff named the ongoing offensive operation in Lebanon "Northern Arrows."Since last week, the Israeli Air Force has carried out massive strikes on Hezbollah targets across various regions of Lebanon. Several targeted airstrikes on Beirut were also reported, resulting in the elimination of senior Hezbollah commanders. To date, the IDF has reported strikes on thousands of Hezbollah targets. Observers note that Israel has not attacked Hezbollah with such intensity since the Second Lebanon War in 2006.Israel's Inhumane Attacks on LebanonLavrov condemned Israel's attack on Lebanon as inhumane, suggesting that Moscow believes Washington was at least aware of the preparation for the latest terrorist act."This crime must be investigated immediately, but even now, we cannot ignore the numerous media reports, including those in Europe and the US, which suggest some level of involvement or, at the very least, knowledge on Washington's part regarding the preparation of this terrorist act," Lavrov stressed.Russia understands that "the Americans always deny everything and will do everything possible to bury the emerging facts, just as they did in response to the irrefutable evidence of their involvement in the terrorist attacks on the Nord Stream pipelines," Lavrov added.On September 17 and 18, communication devices, including pagers and radios, detonated in various parts of Lebanon. Official reports indicate that 37 people were killed and over 3,000 injured.The cause of the simultaneous explosion of thousands of devices remains unknown, but Hezbollah and Lebanese authorities blamed Israel for the incident. Israeli authorities have yet to confirm or deny their involvement. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova called the incident in Lebanon a monstrous act of terrorism and an attempt to ignite a larger conflict.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240926/whats-behind-putins-move-to-change-russias-nuclear-doctrine-1120297331.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230331/un-security-council-how-its-rotating-presidency-works-and-who-wants-to-reform-it-1108987011.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240928/nasrallahs-death-devastating-blow-that-will-trigger-escalation-of-violence--lebanese-scholar-1120333561.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240920/why-does-the-us-seem-so-resistant-to-finding-out-how-the-pagers-were-rigged-1120214989.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20240928/lebanon-will-make-israel-regret-its-actions-irans-supreme-leader-warns-1120330116.html

Lebanon Will Make Israel Regret Its Actions, Iran's Supreme Leader Warns

Lebanon Will Make Israel Regret Its Actions, Iran's Supreme Leader Warns

Sputnik International

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei denounced Israel's "foolish" policy following recent attacks on Lebanon, which, according to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), resulted in the death of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.

2024-09-28T11:09+0000

2024-09-28T11:09+0000

2024-09-28T12:03+0000

ayatollah ali khamenei

world

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Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has lambasted Israel's recent attacks on Lebanon, asserting that Israel will ultimately regret its actions."The Zionist criminals should know that they are far too small to cause significant harm to the strong structure of Hezbollah in Lebanon. All the forces of resistance in the region stand alongside Hezbollah and support it. The fate of this region will be determined by the forces of resistance, with Hezbollah at the forefront," Khamenei said in a statement.Khamenei highlighted the failure of Israels strategy, noting that despite their attempts to target civilians, Hezbollah's resolve remains unshaken. He argued that Israel has not learned from its previous war crimes in Gaza and is now repeating the same "foolish policies" in Lebanon, with little understanding of the consequences.Khamenei concluded by reaffirming his belief that Lebanon, through the will and strength of its people and Hezbollah, will overcome this challenge and force the aggressors into retreat.On Friday, Israel carried out a massive airstrike on the main Hezbollah headquarters in the southern suburbs of Beirut. Six residential buildings were destroyed in the attack, according to Lebanese media.The Israeli Air Force launched a precision strike on the Hezbollah Central Headquarters, located under a residential building in a suburb of Beirut, the IDF said.Hezbollah's entire senior chain of command has been eliminated by Israeli forces, according to an infographic released by the IDF.On Saturday, the IDF announced that Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah had been eliminated in the Israeli airstrike on Beirut.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240927/how-the-us-always-wanted-to-destroy-hamas-hezbollah-1120323959.html

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Israeli Ground Operations in Lebanon May Have Already Begun - Reports

US broadcaster ABC News claimed citing US officials that small-scale Israeli ground operations in Lebanon might have already begun.

Small-scale operations or "border movements" in Lebanon with the aim of destroying Lebanese movement Hezbollah's positions right on the border have already begun or will begin soon, the channel said.

The officials told the channel that, apparently, Israel has not yet made a final decision on the ground operation, but is already prepared for it.

According to these officials, the scale of the operation, if it begins, will be limited. The key goal, according to them, will be the return of displaced residents of northern Israel to their homes. However, to achieve this goal, they argue, the elimination of Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah will not be enough.
https://sputnikglobe.com/20240928/nasrallahs-death-devastating-blow-that-will-trigger-escalation-of-violence--lebanese-scholar-1120333561.html

Nasrallahs Death Devastating Blow That Will Trigger Escalation of Violence  Lebanese Scholar

Nasrallahs Death Devastating Blow That Will Trigger Escalation of Violence  Lebanese Scholar

Sputnik International

Lebanese political and militia movement Hezbollah has confirmed that longtime leader Hassan Nasrallah was killed in an Israeli airstrike on Beirut on Friday. Sputnik asked a leading Lebanese scholar, political and international affairs observer what happens now.

2024-09-28T15:13+0000

2024-09-28T15:13+0000

2024-09-28T15:13+0000

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israel

iran

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Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallahs assassination marks a devastating blow to Hezbollah and the Iranian-led Axis of Resistance alliance, and will inevitably mark a major uptick in tensions and violence in the region, veteran Lebanese Middle East affairs observer Dr. Imad Salamey says.Nasrallahs death also comes against the background of the substantial damage done to Hezbollah in last weeks pager attacks, the professor said, noting that these attacks disrupted Hezbollahs command and control capabilities, creating significant challenges for the group to regroup and reestablish its operational structure.While Hezbollah remains a potent force, it will take some time for it to recover from these setbacks, both materially and strategically, the observer believes.The IDFs decision to code-name Fridays attack on Nasrallah New Order is also an obvious reference to Israels ultimate goal of reshaping the political and security dynamics in Lebanon and the broader region to a political and security arrangement more favorable to Tel Aviv, according to the academic.Salamay believes Sayyed Hashem Safieddine, the chief of Hezbollahs executive council, Nasrallahs number two and the late leader's maternal cousin, is the most likely candidate to succeed him, presuming he himself hasnt yet been targeted by Israel.While he lacks the same public charisma as Nasrallah, his close ties to both Nasrallah and Iran make him a natural successor. However, his ability to command the same level of trust and authority among Hezbollahs base and the broader Shiite community remains uncertain, according to the professor.The Israeli Air Force F-16 strike on Hezbollah's HQ in a densely populated area of Beirut on Friday reportedly involved the use of over 80 bombs, including US-made 2.3 ton bunker busters, which killed at least six people and injured nearly 100 others, and razed or heavily damaged at least six nearby apartment buildings.Hezbollah has vowed to continue its campaign against Israel. The Israeli military has warned that Friday's strike was "not the end of [its] toolbox" and that Tel Aviv has the means "to reach" "those who threaten the citizens of the state of Israel."The Russian Foreign Ministry "strongly condemned yet another political murder committed by Israel," and expressed concerns that the operation "will almost inevitably provoke a new surge in violence" in the region.Iranian officials have offered their condolences, saying Nasrallah's "honorable" path of resistance would continue. Yemen's Houthis and the Hamas movement have expressed similar sentiments.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240928/hezbollah-officially-confirms-death-of-movements-leader-nasrallah-1120330862.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240928/lebanon-will-make-israel-regret-its-actions-irans-supreme-leader-warns-1120330116.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20240928/nuclear-doctrine-update-reflects-response-to-russias-adversaries---kremlin-1120332837.html

Nuclear Doctrine Update Reflects Response to Russia's Adversaries - Kremlin

Nuclear Doctrine Update Reflects Response to Russia's Adversaries - Kremlin

Sputnik International

The adjustment of the nuclear policy is a mirror response to the position of Russia's opponents, presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

2024-09-28T13:37+0000

2024-09-28T13:37+0000

2024-09-28T13:37+0000

world

vladimir putin

dmitry peskov

belarus

russian security council

russia

doctrine

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The nuclear policy adjustment is a reciprocal response to the position of Russia's opponents, presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. On Wednesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed discussing the issue of updating the principles of state policy in the field of nuclear deterrence at a Russian Security Council meeting. Putin said Russia reserves the right to use nuclear weapons in the event of aggression, including if the enemy uses conventional weapons to create a critical threat to the country's sovereignty. He also said that Russia reserves the right to use nuclear weapons in the event of aggression against Belarus, as a member of the Union State.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240904/russias-move-to-update-its-nuclear-doctrine-provoked-by-natos-increasingly-brazen-aggression-1120014661.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20240928/obligations-to-probe-nord-stream-blasts-not-fulfilled-despite-russias-calls---moscow-1120327887.html

Obligations to Probe Nord Stream Blasts Not Fulfilled Despite Russia's Calls - Moscow

Obligations to Probe Nord Stream Blasts Not Fulfilled Despite Russia's Calls - Moscow

Sputnik International

Obligations to investigate the terrorist attacks on Nord Streams in accordance with international treaties are not being fulfilled, despite Russia's constant calls, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told Sputnik.

2024-09-28T05:47+0000

2024-09-28T05:47+0000

2024-09-28T06:22+0000

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germany

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"The bombing of the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines is a flagrant act of international terrorism which falls under a number of international treaties establishing obligations to prevent such acts, suppress them, investigate them, bring those responsible to justice and cooperate with other states to achieve these goals. Unfortunately, we see that these obligations are not being fulfilled, despite constant calls from Russia," Zakharova said.Switzerland, where the Nord Stream operator-company is registered, has made no attempt to investigate the incidents, the diplomat said, adding that Germany, which is a final destination of the pipelines, had not presented any positive results of its probe. Moscow has officially filed pre-trial claims against Germany, Denmark, Sweden and Switzerland in connection to the investigation of the Nord Steam blasts, based on a number of conventions on terrorism, Maria Zakharova said, adding that other states, which might have part in these acts, are next in line.If the issue with the pre-trial claims is not resolved, Moscow will appeal to the UN International Court of Justice in connection with the violation by the countries in question of their conventional obligations, the diplomat added."Russia is firmly determined to identify and strictly hold accountable all perpetrators, organizers and accomplices of the terrorist act," Zakharova added.The Nord Stream pipelines, built to deliver gas under the Baltic Sea from Russia to Germany, were hit by explosions on September 26, 2022. Denmark, Germany and Norway have left Russia out of their investigations into the attack, prompting Moscow to launch its own probe on charges of international terrorism.Russia has repeatedly requested data on the explosions from the European countries, but has never received it, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240926/russian-deputy-pm-calls-for-impartial-probe-into-nord-stream-blasts-involving-russia-1120300625.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20240928/russia-might-soon-join-analysis-of-discharged-water-in-japans-fukushima---envoy-1120329484.html

Russia Might Soon Join Analysis of Discharged Water in Japan's Fukushima - Envoy

Russia Might Soon Join Analysis of Discharged Water in Japan's Fukushima - Envoy

Sputnik International

The process of engaging Russian laboratories into analyzing samples of water discharged from the damaged Japanese Fukushima nuclear power plant is underway in Russia while research in domestic labs might begin in 2024-2025, Russian Permanent Representative to International Organizations in Vienna Mikhail Ulyanov told Sputnik.

2024-09-28T09:54+0000

2024-09-28T09:54+0000

2024-09-28T09:54+0000

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mikhail ulyanov

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Work is underway to engage our laboratories, perhaps several of them... It is necessary for the laboratories to have the appropriate competencies, and for these competencies to be recognized in this case by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). This is a purely technical aspect, but it requires a certain amount of time. As far as I remember, our labs may well be connected at the end of this year - beginning of the next year," Ulyanov said on the sidelines of the Russian Energy Week international forum when asked about the analysis of water discharged from the Fukushima nuclear power plant. Laboratories located in different Russian regions, including the Far East, are applying to join this process, the diplomat added. Over the 2023 financial year, the nuclear power plant's operator Tepco released a total of 31,200 cubic meters of treated water. In the financial year 2024, it plans to release 54,600 cubic meters of water. Japan started releasing part of the estimated 1.34 million tonnes of Fukushima nuclear power plant treated water into the ocean in August 2023 despite an outcry from neighboring countries and local fishermen. Treated water is cleared of radioactive substances aside from tritium, so the water is diluted to a lower concentration before being discharged. The entire water release process is expected to take at least 30 years. The Russian Energy Week is taking place in Moscow from September 26-28.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240419/japan-launches-5th-round-of-fukushima-treated-water-discharge---reports-1118010077.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20240928/russia-strikes-ukrainian-airfield-infrastructure-with-kinzhal-missile-and-attack-drones-1120329725.html

Russia Strikes Ukrainian Airfield Infrastructure With Kinzhal Missile and Attack Drones

Russia Strikes Ukrainian Airfield Infrastructure With Kinzhal Missile and Attack Drones

Sputnik International

Russian forces carried out a group strike on Friday using long-range precision weapons, including a Kinzhal missile and attack drones, targeting the airfield infrastructure of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, with all designated targets hit, the Russian Defense Ministry reported on Saturday.

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russia's special operation in ukraine

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ukrainian armed forces

russian defense ministry

russian armed forces

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"Yesterday, the Russian Armed Forces launched a combined strike with long-range precision weapons, employing a Kinzhal hypersonic aeroballistic missile and attack drones on airfield infrastructure of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. The strike's objectives were achieved, and all designated targets were hit," the ministry's statement said.Other DevelopmentsBattlegroup Tsentr:Battlegroup Sever:Battlegroup Yug:Battlegroup Zapad:Battlegroup Vostok:Battlegroup Dnepr:

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240927/russia-carries-out-hypersonic-strikes-on-ukraine-liberates-key-villages-in-donetsk-1120312319.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20240928/turkish-cypriot-leader-says-will-raise-issue-of-cyprus-militarization-with-guterres-1120326799.html

Turkish Cypriot Leader Says Will Raise Issue of Cyprus Militarization With Guterres

Turkish Cypriot Leader Says Will Raise Issue of Cyprus Militarization With Guterres

Sputnik International

Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar told Sputnik he will discuss the increasing use of Cyprus military bases by the US with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres.

2024-09-28T03:11+0000

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"What is happening now in the south is concerning me," Tatar stated, adding that Turkey is also concerned by the militarization of Cyprus. "Of course, I will talk to Guterres [about it]." Tatar said they always talk about demilitarization of the island, however, the complete opposite is now happening in the southern part of the island. The United States has deployed dozens of military personnel to Cyprus amid concerns about the need to potentially respond to escalating hostilities in the Middle East, CNN reported on Wednesday. "They say they sent evacuation people, but God knows exactly why they are there. All Cypriots are concerned," Tatar said. Tatar is scheduled to have a meeting with Guterres tomorrow. Tatar shared that he will also stress to Guterres that Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides should regard Northern Cyprus as counterpart to a deal with the matters related to natural resources, irregular migration, and electricity. After the Republic of Cyprus was established in 1960, the UK retained two Sovereign Base Areas in Akrotiri and Dhekelia, leaving them beyond the reach of the republic. Amid Israel's war on Gaza, Cyprus has been facing backlash over the use of military bases by UK and US forces to strike the Houthis. Cyprus has denied any involvement in the conflict and said that the UK is not formally required to inform it about the use of the military installations. Nicosia instead highlights its role in international efforts to create a sea route for humanitarian aid to Gaza. Cyprus has been de facto divided into Greek and Turkish territories since 1974. The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus was declared in 1983 with Ankara's backing. It is recognized only by Turkey.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240906/turkish-cypriot-leader-sees-growing-risks-from-use-of-cyprus-bases-by-uk-us-1120061803.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20240928/us-should-stop-denigrating-china-over-ukraine-crisis---chinese-foreign-minister-1120325251.html

US Should Stop Denigrating China Over Ukraine Crisis - Chinese Foreign Minister

US Should Stop Denigrating China Over Ukraine Crisis - Chinese Foreign Minister

Sputnik International

The United States should stop denigrating China over the Ukrainian conflict, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

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"China's position on the Ukrainian issue is open, we have always insisted on promoting peace and negotiations, and have also made our own efforts to advance a political settlement... The United States should stop denigrating China and shifting the blame, indiscriminately imposing sanctions, and stop using this to create confrontation and incite bloc confrontation," Wang said, as quoted by the Chinese Foreign Ministry. He said China resolutely opposes US pressure in trade and technology, adding that the United States cannot constantly treat China in a double-faced way, on the one hand, suppressing China, while on the other, conducting dialogue and cooperation with Beijing. Wang also said the United States must stop arming Taiwan and must speak against its independence.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240912/sowing-the-seeds-for-war-machines-next-conflict-us-navy-seals-reportedly-train-for-taiwan-conflict-1120120667.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20240928/western-interference-in-internal-affairs-of-belarus-continues---foreign-minister-1120327235.html

Western Interference in Internal Affairs of Belarus Continues - Foreign Minister

Western Interference in Internal Affairs of Belarus Continues - Foreign Minister

Sputnik International

The Western interference in the internal affairs of Belarus continues, Belarusian Foreign Affairs Minister Maxim Ryzhenkov told Sputnik.

2024-09-28T04:15+0000

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"It is not just recorded, it continues," Ryzhenkov said when asked whether Belarus has noticed Western interference ahead of its 2025 presidential election. He pointed out that the impermissibility of interference in the internal affairs of other countries is directly laid out in the fundamental documents of the United Nations. The situation is an example of how the United Nations embedded mechanisms do not work, Ryzhenkov said.Western interference in Belarus internal affairs ahead of the countrys 2025 presidential election is intended to create a cordon sanitaire against Russia, Maxim Ryzhenkov said.Belarus has already recorded Western interference in its internal affairs ahead of its 2025 presidential election, Ryzhenkov also said.Some Western analysts and politicians are already alleging that Belarus elections will go poorly, he also said.However, it is nonsense to claim that Belarusian citizens do not have access to media and cannot express their opinions, Ryzhenkov said.Belarus will use a wide range of tools for international observation of the presidential elections in the country, including through the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), Ryzhenkov said.The minister said Minsk expects the arrival, in particular, of observation missions from the CIS, SCO, and other organizations and centers addressing the issue, as well as central election commissions of countries from all over the world.Minsk does not need pre-trained Western election observers who will intentionally look for mistakes, Maxim Ryzhenkov.As a rule, he added, these are largely representatives of the ministries of foreign affairs, and some state organizations of these countries that send them.The presidential elections in Belarus will take place no later than July 20, 2025.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240222/west-doubles-military-presence-on-belarus-russia-borders-since-2020---belarus-minister-1116925064.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240717/belarus-committed-to-practical-cooperation-within-sco-framework-1119399173.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20240928/what-is-hezbollah-and-how-is-it-organized-1120336556.html

What is Hezbollah and How is It Organized?

What is Hezbollah and How is It Organized?

Sputnik International

Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Beirut on September 27. Hashem Safieddine, the head of Hezbollah's executive council, has been named as Nasrallahs most likely successor.

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The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) claims that it has decapitated Hezbollah's chain of command, including Chief of Staff Fuad Shurk, Radwan Force commanders Ibrahim Aqil, Jawad al-Tawil and Abu-Hassan Samir, Southern Front commander Ali Karaki and his subordinates Sami Taleb Abdullar (Netzer Unit), Mohammed Nasser (Aziz Unit) and Abu Ali Reda (Badr Unit).What is Hezbollah's Structure?Hezbollah, a Shiite Lebanese movement, has both military and political wings. The group has a significant presence in the Lebanese parliament and government.The organization is ruled by the secretary general, who oversees the seven-member Shura Council  the movement's central decision-making authority with five sub-councils responsible for Hezbollah's major activities.Military Wing of HezbollahReports say that Hezbollahs guerillas number between 40,000 and 100,000. The group's military wing includes missile, naval, logistics, intelligence and counterintelligence units, air defense, missile defense and special forces:Social InstitutionsSince the 1980s, Hezbollah has created a network of 15 charitable and social institutions. The main institutions are:Hezbollah is active in Lebanon and the wider Middle East. Some reports claim there is evidence of Hezbollah operations in Africa, the Americas and Asia.The Shiite movement emerged in 1975, during Lebanons civil war. It has fought against Israel over decades and provided support to the Palestinian resistance.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240928/how-hassan-nasrallah-transformed-hezbollah-into-a-political-and-military-powerhouse-1120331734.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20240928/zelenskys-pie-in-the-sky-hopes-for-long-range-missiles-slow-walked-by-washington---ex-dod-analyst-1120335054.html

Zelenskys Pie in the Sky Hopes for Long-Range Missiles Slow-Walked by Washington - Ex-DoD Analyst

Zelenskys Pie in the Sky Hopes for Long-Range Missiles Slow-Walked by Washington - Ex-DoD Analyst

Sputnik International

Volodymyr Zelensky left Washington on Thursday without approval to launch long-range strikes at targets deep inside Russia using NATO missiles, prompting media to suggest his "star power" has "faded" as Americans grow increasingly tired of or indifferent toward the conflict. A former DoD insider explains tells Sputnik what's really going on.

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2024-09-28T17:38+0000

2024-09-28T17:38+0000

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Ukraine's self-proclaimed president made last-ditch pre-election appeals to President Biden, Vice President Harris and lawmakers on Capitol Hill during his trip to Washington this week to sell his so-called "victory plan" - aimed at forcing Russia to sue for peace by greenlighting Ukraine's use of long-range NATO strike systems to attack Russia, and applying for membership in NATO "within months," rather than years.US and European legacy media proved surprisingly cool in their coverage of the visit by Zelensky, who until recently was treated with rock star status in Western capitals."Zelensky's Star Power Fades on Capitol Hill," the New York Times wrote of the trip, contrasting Zelensky's raucous reception in Washington two years ago to his "muted" visit this week, which saw just "a few dozen lawmakers huddl[ing] with him behind closed doors while the speaker of the House snubbed him.""Zelensky gives his 'victory plan' a hard sell in the US - did the pitch fall flat?" the BBC asked in its own post-trip analysis, pointing to the faux pas Zelensky made during the visit, from his attacks on possible future president Trump and his running mate in an interview with a liberal news magazine, to a trip to a Pennsylvania ammunition factory which Republicans decried as blatant election interference.President Biden sought to breath life into the visit by announcing $8 billion in additional military aid for Ukraine, including Joint Standoff Weapon glide bombs, drones, and Patriot air and missile defenses. But the main publicized goal of the trip: approval for strikes deep into Russia, was nowhere to be found in summaries of Zelensky's talks with US officials amid warnings from Moscow that such a step would put NATO and Russia in a state of war.Zelenskys hosts were polite and listened to him, but theres too much at stake at this point, Maloof suggested, stressing that granting Kiev's request would require direct US involvement in the conflict, something the DoD appears to be wary of providing.A big part of the problem for Zelensky is that the US is now so deep into the 2024 presidential campaign that everybody is distracted by it, according to Maloof, with the Biden-Harris White House likely seeking to avoid making any decisions that will have long-term impact, or prove unpopular among voters as support for additional Ukraine aid fades.Furthermore, a lot of the advice that Trump has been getting on Ukraine "comes primarily from neocons, and hes seen what neocons have done in terms of getting the US into the very serious positions theyre into now, such as the overthrow of the legitimate government in 2014 in Ukraine. Thats all the work of these neocons, Maloof said.Accordingly, no one, including Trump himself, "frankly knows" what approach he would take on Ukraine if he was elected, the observer said, warning that Russia might decide to continue the conflict indefinitely if pressed to make concessions it finds unacceptable.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240927/trump-to-zelensky-ukraine-conflict-has-to-end-1120317608.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240927/ukraines-nato-sponsors-fear-theyll-run-out-of-money-to-continue-anti-russia-proxy-war-into-2025-1120319547.html

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Under duress most of the way, Big Box Hanover delivered in the end by winning the $33,784 Open Handicap trotting feature at Plainridge Park on Friday afternoon, Sept. 27.

Kevin Switzer Jr. sent Big Box Hanover to the front and was heavily pressured by Queen Of All (Mitchell Cushing) and Sea Can (Nick Graffam) at the :27 flat quarter. Queen Of All cleared the front, leaving Sea Can parked in the breeze while Big Box Hanover sat cozy in the pocket as they made their way into turn two.

While the group trotted onto the second half, another wave of outsiders moved forward led by Sidd Finch (Drew Campbell), who stayed strong and took the lead at the top of the stretch. But Big Box Hanover, who was fresh off the trip, found room to trot and went by Sidd Finch while holding off a late-closing Marquis Lafayette (Bruce Ranger) to win by a half length in 1:53.3.

The win was the 49th lifetime for Big Box Hanover ($6), a seven-year-old Uncle Peter gelding owned and trained by Larry Stalbaum.

Stalbaum also won with Malibu Kid, who dropped out of the Open and into the secondary feature, a $22,973 upper level conditioned trot.

Brett Beckwith shot Malibu Kid off the gate from post eight and cleared the front as they passed the stands by overcoming Enhance Yourcalm N (Kevin Switzer Jr.) and Mocha Java (Jay Randall). Once in control and with a two-length advantage, Malibu Kid marched to the half in :57 and three-quarters in 1:26.1 without any serious challenge. Malibu Kid then turned for home and trotted confidently to the wire in front by 1-1/2-lengths and won in 1:55.2, taking a new seasonal mark.

Malibu Kid ($4.60), a six-year-old gelded son of Wishing Stone, is owned by Shark Racing Stable.

Malibo Kid was only one of Beckwith's wins as he finished the day with a driving grand slam.

John Di Stefano matched Stalbaum with two training wins on Friday.

Racing resumes at Plainridge Park on Monday, Sept. 30 at 2 p.m. and the card will feature the second leg of the Massachusetts Breeders Stake for three-year-olds.

(Standardbred Owners of Massachusetts)
With a sweeping three-wide move at the third quarter pole, last year's Battle of Belles upset winner Cheese Party claimed the Prospect Series title for three-year-old pacing fillies on familiar ground as Grand River Raceway hosted the $15,000 sophomore finals on Friday evening, Sept. 27

Cheese Party ($2.50) picked up her fifth straight win in a streak that included a pair of Prospect victories at Grand River and Kawartha Downs. The popular Betterthancheddar-Tea Party Princess filly kicked home off cover in :28.2 to win in 1:53.4 by three-quarters of a length over pacesetter Wheres My Phone and late-closer Distant Lover, with Austin Sorrie working out the winning trip for owner/trainer Kyle Bossence of Arthur, Ont.

In the final for filly trotters, favourite Shetrotsalot ($2.90) lived up to her name as she trotted to the top alongside the leading Sue Anne heading to the final turn and took off by three lengths in the stretch for the 1:57.1 triumph with Scott Young driving the Muscle Mass-Angostura miss for trainer Paul Walker and owner Keith Coulter of Mono, Ont. Sue Anne held on for second over Dontmesswithmama.

Despite a trailing tier start in the final for pacing colts and geldings, Onyx Bovino ($19) was put in play by J Harris to establish early position behind the three favourites as they each took turns on top before the 8-1 shot wore down late leader Larjon Levi in a 1:52.1 career-best effort. Lacey McCabe trains the homebred gelding by Bettors Delight out of Lady Terror for Glenview Livestock Ltd. of Ingersoll, Ont. Tricky McWicky finished third over even-money Lamborghini Lou.

Favourite Wheelzablazin ($2.80) capped off a successful stint in the Prospect Series with a 1:58.1 victory in the final for three-year-old male trotters. The Wheeling N Dealin-Blazing Shot gelding, who had three wins in the preliminary legs, was a front-end winner by a length with pocket-sitter Lockdown Romeo at the pylons and Livingitlarge closing from the back of the five-pack to claim third prize. The winning connections were driver Jason Ryan, trainer Paul Cameron and owner Arnolds Horse Shack of Mississauga, Ont.

The remaining Prospect preliminary events for the two-year-old divisions will wrap up over the next few days with the freshman finals completing the series on Oct. 11 at The Raceway at Western Fair District.

In other series action, a Pop-Up event concluded with Bettor Deal ($20.20) and Daryl Thiessen winning the $12,500 final in 1:54.4 and capping off a training triple on the 11-race card for Ashley Lendvoy. The Rod Boyd-trained Tribal Dancer ($3.20) took the $8,000 consolation in 1:54 with Todd Ratchford in the sulky. The series was for fillies and mares not averaging $650 per start in 2024 with a minimum of 10 starts.

Grand River Raceway will close out its 2024 harness racing meet on Monday, Sept. 30 at 6:30 p.m.

To view Friday's harness racing results, click the following link: Friday Results - Grand River Raceway.

(Standardbred Canada; Photo of Cheese Party winning on Sept. 27)
John Paul Mondrick of Durhamville, New York passed away on Friday, Sept. 27 after a long battle with cancer. He was 77.

John was born March 3, 1947, to Alex and Rose Horodnicki Mondrick, Lee Center, New York. He graduated from RFA in 1965.

He was drafted into the Army in 1966 and, in true Mondrick style, he was determined to make the most of it. After basic training, he was chosen for Officer Candidate School at Fort Benning Georgia and received his wings after completing Airborne training there. He was then sent to Fort Bragg, North Carolina to complete his special forces training. He proudly served his country as a Halo Paratrooper assigned to the 46th Special Forces Company in Thailand and completed numerous missions during the Vietnam war. On Nov. 24, 1968, while serving as one of 10 Americans embedded with a Cambodian and Vietnamese Unit during a combat mission, he was seriously wounded sustaining numerous injuries. He was awarded the Purple Heart, Bronze Star and the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry with Bronze Star and Cluster. Captain Mondrick returned to the United States and completed his service assigned to Company E, 7th Special Forces, Fort Bragg, North Carolina in 1972.

Back to civilian life, he funnelled his energy into working with horses. John raised several racehorses and was his own sulky driver. One of his best known horses being Johnny Halo. He raced at Vernon Downs and also had his horses raced by other drivers at the Downs. He was also part owner of horses raced at The Meadowlands. He worked with his friends supplying high quality hay to racetracks for many years.

On April 28, 1990, he was united in marriage to Lynne Hermann. John and Lynne are dedicated congregants of St. Pauls United Methodist Church in Oneida. John is survived by his wife and their three children, John (Meghan), Gettysburg, PA, Julie (Shawn) Ano, and David (Sarah), Oneida, NY; two grandchildren, John Paul III, and Lyra Ano. He is also survived by his siblings, Kenneth, Robert (Mary Claire), James (Tammy), Rose (L. James) Jones, Martin (Shirley); and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins. He was predeceased by his parents and his sister and brother-in-law, Dorothy and Steven VanHoeven.

Through his tough exterior he was a softie at heart and made hundreds of friends from childhood and his lifes journey. He was a member of several clubs and organizations where he donated both his time and financial support and cherished his club friends. These included Lee American Legion, Point Rock Fish and Game Club, Disabled American Veterans, Military Order of the Purple Heart, Stanwix Mens Club, Durhamville Veterans Club. He was also a skilled hunter and he shared that skill with his brothers, his sons, daughter and many friends.

Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024, from St. Pauls United Methodist Church, 551 Sayles Street, Oneida, with the Reverend Robert Wollaber, officiating. Interment, with full military honours, will be made in Glenwood Cemetery. Friends may call from 4-7 p.m., at the Campbell-Dean Funeral Home, Inc., 260 Main Street, Oneida on Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024. A Celebration of Life will also be held at the Stanwix Mens Club on Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024 from 11 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Please join Standardbred Canada in offering condolences to the family and friends of John Mondrick.
The United States unveiled charges Friday against three individuals as it accused Iran of election interference, saying malicious actors had hacked the campaign of former president Donald Trump.

The three defendants were said to have conspired with others to carry out "a years-long, wide ranging hacking operation on behalf of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)," said US Attorney General Merrick Garland.

The operation in recent times targeted individuals associated with US political campaigns.

"The defendants' own words make clear that they were attempting to undermine former president Trump's campaign in advance of the 2024 US presidential election," Garland said.

The cyber actors had "prepared for and engaged in a wide-ranging hacking campaign" that used spearphishing and social engineering techniques to compromise accounts of US government officials and individuals associated with political campaigns, according to court documents.

"The message of the US government is clear: The American people, not a foreign power, decide the outcome of our country's elections," Garland added.

He noted that "there are few actors in this world that pose as grave a threat to the national security of the United States as does Iran."

According to the indictment, the malicious cyber actors started work as early as in 2020, and around May 2024 began targeting and gaining unauthorized access to personal accounts of people associated with a US presidential campaign.

They then sought to leak stolen material to members of the media and those believed to be associated with a second presidential campaign.

While the indictment does not name the second campaign, Garland said Friday that was no information suggesting recipients from President Joe Biden's campaign responded.

This was before Biden dropped out of the White House race, with the United States going to the polls on November 5.

In a separate statement on Friday, the Treasury Department said it was imposing sanctions on seven individuals including Masoud Jalili -- who was among the three charged -- over efforts to interfere in US elections.

The Treasury "remains strongly committed to holding accountable those who see to undermine our institutions," said Acting Treasury Under Secretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, Bradley Smith.

Besides Jalili, the Treasury also took aim at six staff and executives of Iranian cybersecurity firm Emennet Pasargad, saying it tried to interfere in the 2020 presidential election.

"Between approximately August and November 2020, Emennet Pasargad led an online operation to intimidate and influence American voters, and to undermine voter confidence and sow discord," the Treasury said.
Authorities looking for a missing Wyoming man searched the North Platte River and local railroad tracks in an attempt to locate the man.

Rogers said that searchers would work until about 8 p.m. Monday and then gather again Tuesday morning to continue the search, working in a grid pattern.
Former Republican President Donald Trump finally has spoken publicly  and very briefly  about his endorsement of Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, the embattled Republican nominee for governor.

Trump was asked by conservative cable channel NewsNation in the lobby of his Trump Tower property Thursday whether he plans to rescind his endorsement of Robinson, someone he called Martin Luther King on steroids in March.

Trump leaned in to listen to the question, said I dont know the situation, and then walked away from the gathered media.

Trump has held two campaign rallies in North Carolina since CNN aired a story on Sept. 19 that said, among other things, Robinson called himself a Black Nazi, that he enjoyed watching transgender pornography, and said he supported a return of slavery  all in comments made on porn website Nude Africa between 2008 and 2012.

Robinson has not appeared at any recent rallies hosted by Trump or his running mate JD Vance.

But during an interview Wednesday on Salem Radio Network with Trump apologist Sebastian Gorka, Robinson said he is giving Trump space and doesnt want to draw fire to any other candidates" in North Carolina.

Weve spoken to him, had great conversations with him, but we have chosen to do that  because we want to make sure that he wins this state.

Before the CNN report, Robinson had appeared numerous times at Trump rallies in North Carolina and out of state, as well as the 2024 Republican National Convention where he was made a short speech.

Among Trumps previous praises of Robinson included calling him the Braveheart of our time, you have to cherish him. Its like a fine wine, and Ive been with him a lot. Ive gotten to know him and hes outstanding.

However, during the recent Trump rallies in Wilmington and Mint Hill, Trump mentioned several Republican candidates, but not Robinson.

Democratic response

The Democratic National Committee and the Harris-Walz national campaign jumped on Trumps response.

Harris-Walz 2024 spokesperson Ammar Moussa said its impossible to believe that, somehow, Donald Trump missed the news about his handpicked candidate for governor calling himself a Nazi."

DNC Rapid Response director Alex Floyd said Trump and vice president nominee JD Vance continue to further isolate themselves as hateful extremists who are so wildly out of touch they are willing to stand behind Mark Robinson even after his own staff have deserted him.

At least eight members of Robinsons governor campaign departed last weekend, while at least four members of his lieutenant governor staff have left this week.

Trump and Vance are making it clear to the American people that they have no interest in distancing themselves from Robinson and his toxic brand of MAGA extremism, Floyd said.

Voters will remember their silence on Robinsons disgraceful behavior at the ballot box this November.

The Harris-Walz campaign has released several campaign ads in North Carolina questioning Trumps continuing support of Robinson.

Trump has been to North Carolina twice since the news broke and is still standing by Robinson, even as the people who know Robinson best are abandoning him, Moussa said.

Its simple  Trump is committed to Robinson because he sees a loyal MAGA soldier intent on working alongside Trump to fan the flames of division and implement their toxic, extreme agenda. North Carolina and America will turn the page on the Trump-Robinson ticket this November.

Although Robinson has denied making the comments, four Southeast Republican governors  Georgias Brian Kemp, South Carolinas Henry McMaster, Tennessees Bill Lee and Virginias Glenn Youngkin  have withdrawn their endorsements of Robinson.

Lees decision is particularly noteworthy given he is chairman of the Republican Governors Association. The association said Monday it would not place new campaign ads on Robinsons behalf in North Carolina after the current slate ended Tuesday.

More new governor polls

There has been discussion among political analysts of a potential reverse coattail scenario in which Republican and unaffiliated voters dissatisfied with Robinson dont vote for Trump either, or not at all for president.

On Thursday, in the first governors race poll since the airing of the CNN report, the Marist College Poll conducted Sept. 19-24 had Democrat Attorney General Josh Stein with a 54% to 42% lead over Robinson among 1,507 registered voters.

The same Marist Poll has Democrat Vice President Kamala Harris leading Trump by a 49%-48% margin.

The Bloomberg/Morning Conduit Poll released Thursday of 889 registered voters has Harris ahead 50% to 47%.

Of the 13 N.C. governors race polls conducted in September and listed by 538.com, Steins lead ranges from 5 to 14 percentage points, the highest in polls conducted by SurveyUSA/Raleigh TV station WRAL and by Elon University.

Also this week, The N.C. chapter of AARP released its poll, conducted by Impact Research from Sept. 11-17, of 1,324 likely voters, with the majority over the age of 50.

The poll had Stein with a 52% to 42% lead, while Trump was ahead 50% to 47%. In terms of ticket splitting, 11% of Trump voters supported Stein.

Brandon Lenoir, a professor of political communication and campaigns at High Point University, said there are two potential impacts of the CNN bombshell report on other GOP candidates in North Carolina.

The first is the possible dampening effect it could have on voter turnout, Lenoir speculated. The people who support Mark Robinson may be less motivated to turn out to vote on Election Day. For races that are close, a small downturn in turnout could influence the outcome.

The second effect is the fact fellow partisans of Mark Robinson will be asked to react to the allegations against the top of their state ticket. This will take away from down ballot candidates ability to talk about their platform issues

Instead, they will be asked about their thoughts on the controversy.

John Dinan, a political science professor at Wake Forest University and a national expert on state legislatures, said the question at this point is not whether Robinson has a path to victory in his own race, because that is now off the table.

The only question is whether his campaign continues and continues to attract news coverage.

Any day that he is still in the race and is the subject of news stories is a gift to Democrats running for office in North Carolina and a headache for Republicans on the ballot.
This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility:

A view of a laptop shows the Twitter sign-in page with their logo, in Belgrade, Serbia, Monday, July 24, 2023. Credit: AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic, File

Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes on Friday added conditions for Elon Musk's X to have its service reestablished in the country, one day after the social media platform said it had complied with all the judge's demands, including naming a legal representative.

De Moraes said in a ruling that X may only be reinstated in Brazil after another company linked to the billionaire, satellite-based internet service provider Starlink, withdraws its appeals related to the case. X has been blocked in Brazil for nearly a month. De Moraes ordered the shutdown after sparring with Musk for months over free speech , far-right accounts and misinformation.

Earlier this month, de Moraes ordered Starlink's assets be used to cover X's fines that already exceeded $3 million. The Brazilian justice argued the two companies are part of the same economic groupa justification that has been questioned by some legal experts.

His new ruling also established a fine of 10 million Brazilian reais ($1.84 million). Experts examining X's IP addressesnumeric designations that identifies sites' location on the internetsaid the company temporarily routed users through the servers of Cloudflare, a content delivery network.

X said it changed its servers to service clients in Latin America, which inadvertently brought the social media network back online in Brazil.

One source familiar with the judge's decision told The Associated Press that both of de Moraes' conditions are new. The source spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to speak publicly.

De Moraes also accepted X's newly designated legal representative, but fined her in 300,000 reais ($55,000) for not complying with other decisions he made in August. The company's lack of a legal representative in the country was the trigger for his decision to suspend the social media channel on Aug. 30.

The company has clashed with de Moraes since earlier this year over free speech, accounts associated with the far-right and misinformation on the platform, and it claims to be a victim of censorship.

Musk and his supporters have called de Moraes an authoritarian and a censor for his rulings, but those have been repeatedly upheld by his peersincluding X's nationwide suspension. On Aug. 28, X said it was removing all remaining Brazil staff in the country "effective immediately," saying de Moraes had threatened its legal representative in the country with arrest.

The company has reversed course in recent days. On Thursday, X submitted documentation to de Moraes saying it had complied with all his decisions and requesting its reactivation in Brazil, according to sources familiar with the decision, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to speak publicly.

X was blocked in the highly online country of 213 million people, where it was one of X's biggest markets, with more than 20 million users. Brazil has more restrictive rules on speech than the US.

X said in a statement on Thursday it is "committed to protecting free speech within the boundaries of the law and we recognize and respect the sovereignty of the countries in which we operate."

"We believe that the people of Brazil having access to X is essential for a thriving democracy, and we will continue to defend freedom of expression and due process of law through legal processes," it said in a post on its Global Government Affairs account.

 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility:

A partially submerged vehicle sits in flood water from after Hurricane Helene passed the area, Friday, Sept 27, 2024, in Atlanta. Credit: AP Photo/Jason Allen

Electric vehicles can catch fire if they are inundated by saltwater, so owners who live in the path of a major storm like Hurricane Helene should take precautions and prepare for the possibility that they'll be unable to charge their cars during a power outage.

What can EV owners do?

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis urged EV owners this week to get their vehicles to higher ground before Hurricane Helene arrived. Although the problem is rare, there have been a number of instances in recent years of electric vehicles igniting after hurricanes.

Keeping electric vehicles out of standing water is the best way to avoid the possibility of a fire.

Tesla offers similar advice about avoiding letting its vehicles become submerged if at all possible, but if that does happen the carmaker suggests towing the vehicle at least 50 feet away from structures or anything combustible until it can be inspected by a mechanic.

The best way to get through a power outage is to follow the same kind of advice your dad may have given you about keeping your gas tank full to make sure you wouldn't be stranded. Keeping your electric vehicle charged offers the most flexibility.

Of course, electric vehicle owners won't be able to charge their cars during a power outage, so they may need to watch how much they drive. But EVs aren't any worse off than conventional vehicles because gas stations can't pump fuel in a power outage either.

How common are EV fires after flooding?

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has been researching this problem since it was first seen after Hurricane Sandy struck the Northeast in 2012. But no one seems to have detailed statistics on just how often this happens.

Two years ago, Hurricane Ian compromised the batteries of as may as 5,000 electric vehicles, and 36 of them caught fire.

Several more electric vehicles caught fire in Florida last year after Hurricane Idalia, although that storm was weaker than Ian. Researchers at NHTSA speculated that it may have also helped that more people were aware of the problem and moved their vehicles to higher ground before that storm.

But it happens often enough that Florida officials were worried about the possibility before Hurricane Helene arrived because they were expecting a potentially devastating storm surge up to 20 feet deep in the northwestern part of Florida.

These fires do seem to be linked specifically to saltwater because salt can conduct electricity. Similar problems haven't been reported after freshwater flooding in California that was driven by heavy rains early this year.

What causes EVs to catch fire?

Electric vehicles with lithium ion batteries can catch fire if the batteries short circuit and start to heat up. Tom Barth with the National Transportation Safety Board said that if the heat starts to spread between different cells in the battery back it can cause a chain reaction called thermal runaway.

"If the saltwater is able to bridge the gap between the positive and negative terminals of battery, then it can cause a short circuit," said Barth, who is chief of the special investigations branch of the NTSB's office of highway safety.

Carmakers do design their batteries to try to prevent this problem. There are often separations or insulation barriers between different cells in the battery pack, and manufacturers take steps to keep moisture out. But they do have to include ways for the batteries to vent heat.

"Where it begins to be a problem is if you have the batteries submerged in standing water. That's where it starts to overcome the moisture seals in the battery," Barth said.

Sometimes electric vehicles can catch fire long after the floodwaters have receded because even after the water evaporates salt that can conduct electricity may be left behind. So it's important to have them checked out if they are submerged.

"It's not like every vehicle that gets flooded is therefore going to ignite and catch fire," Barth said.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said it is working to improve battery safety as officials learn more about the problems. The agency has proposed updating some of the safety requirements for electric vehicle batteries to reduce the risks.

 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility:

Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

The UK government announced on Friday that it had acquired a key semiconductor factory after fears its imminent closure would hamper a crucial supply chain to Britain's armed forces.

The facility at Newton Aycliffe in northeast England is the only secure site in Britain with the capability to produce gallium arsenide chips, used in electronic devices.

The semiconductors are used in a number of military platforms, including to boost fighter jet capabilities.

"Semiconductors are at the forefront of the technology we rely upon today, and will be crucial in securing our military's capabilities for tomorrow," said Defense Secretary John Healey.

"This acquisition is a clear signal that our government will back British defense production," he added in a statement released by the Ministry of Defense (MoD).

The government has bought the factory from US company Coherent Inc and will be named Octric Semiconductors UK, the MoD said.

The ministry did not specify how much the government had paid but a source close to the matter told AFP it was around 20 million ($27 million).

The purchase will secure up to 100 jobs, according to the ministry.

The Telegraph newspaper reported in August that its future had been jeopardized by the end of a major contract with US tech giant Apple.

Italian aerospace company Leonardo was among Coherent's customers, but did not have any outstanding orders with it, the paper added.

More than a trillion semiconductors are manufactured each year, with the global semiconductor market forecast to reach a total market size of $1 trillion by 2030, according to the UK government.

Used in smartphones, cars and weapons, semiconductors are indispensable to modern economies and have become a major source of competition between the United States and China.

They are also crucial to future technologies, such as artificial intelligence and 6G wireless networks.

 2024 AFP
Denison Mines (TSE:DML  Get Free Report) (NYSE:DNN) has been given a C$3.25 price objective by analysts at CIBC in a note issued to investors on Thursday, BayStreet.CA reports. The brokerage presently has an outperform rating on the stock. CIBCs price target suggests a potential upside of 30.00% from the stocks current price.

DML has been the topic of a number of other research reports. Scotiabank set a C$3.75 target price on shares of Denison Mines and gave the company an outperform rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 2nd. National Bank Financial upgraded Denison Mines to a strong-buy rating in a report on Tuesday, September 3rd. National Bankshares set a C$3.50 price target on Denison Mines and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Wednesday, September 4th. BMO Capital Markets raised Denison Mines from a market perform rating to an outperform rating and set a C$3.00 price target for the company in a research report on Wednesday. Finally, Roth Capital upgraded Denison Mines to a strong-buy rating in a research note on Thursday, June 27th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating and three have issued a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of Buy and an average target price of C$3.38.

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Denison Mines Price Performance

Shares of DML stock opened at C$2.50 on Thursday. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of C$2.26 and a 200 day moving average price of C$2.64. Denison Mines has a 52-week low of C$1.91 and a 52-week high of C$3.37. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07, a quick ratio of 3.12 and a current ratio of 6.94. The firm has a market capitalization of C$2.23 billion, a P/E ratio of 41.67, a P/E/G ratio of 1.42 and a beta of 1.89.

Denison Mines (TSE:DML  Get Free Report) (NYSE:DNN) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, August 8th. The company reported C($0.02) earnings per share for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of C($0.02). The business had revenue of C$1.33 million during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of C$1.10 million. Denison Mines had a return on equity of 10.60% and a net margin of 1,412.07%. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Denison Mines will post -0.01 earnings per share for the current year.

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Denison Mines Corp. engages in the acquisition, exploration, and development of uranium bearing properties in Canada. Its flagship project is the Wheeler River uranium project covering an area of approximately 300,000 hectares located in the Athabasca Basin region in northern Saskatchewan. The company was formerly known as International Uranium Corporation and changed its name to Denison Mines Corp.

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Two days of attacks by Sudanese paramilitaries on the Darfur city of El-Fasher killed 48 people, a medical source told AFP on Friday, after world leaders appealed for an end to the country's suffering.

Artillery fire from the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) killed 30 people and wounded dozens on Friday alone, a medical source at El-Fasher Teaching Hospital told AFP, as the paramilitaries and regular army vie for control of the North Darfur state capital.

The shelling comes a day after an assault on a market brought "18 dead to the hospital" on Thursday, "some of them burned and others killed by shrapnel", the source said, requesting anonymity for their own protection in light of repeated attacks on health workers and hospitals.

The plight of Sudan, and El-Fasher in particular, has been under discussion this week at the UN General Assembly in New York after 17 months of devastating fighting between the RSF and the regular army.

"We must compel the warring parties to accept humanitarian pauses in El-Fasher, Khartoum and other highly vulnerable areas," the US ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, said on Wednesday.

The Teaching Hospital is one of the last still receiving patients in El-Fasher, where reports of a "full-scale assault" by RSF last weekend led UN chief Antonio Guterres to call for an urgent ceasefire.

The paramilitaries have besieged El-Fasher since May, and famine has already been declared in Zamzam refugee camp near the city of two million.

The war has killed tens of thousands of people. The World Health Organization has cited a toll of at least 20,000 but US envoy Tom Perriello has said some estimates reach 150,000.

US President Joe Biden, who raised particular concern over the assault on El-Fasher, on Tuesday urged all countries to cut off weapons supplies to the country's warring generals, armed forces chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Daglo.

"The world needs to stop arming the generals," Biden told the UN General Assembly.

Both sides have been repeatedly accused of war crimes.

The RSF, which has its origins in Darfur's notorious Arab tribal militias, the Janjaweed, has been specifically accused of crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansing.

Darfur, a region the size of France, is home to around a quarter of Sudan's population but more than half of its 10 million people are internally displaced.

Daglo released a video Thursday in which he rejected Burhan's participation in the UN General Assembly as Sudan's representative, saying the RSF had "formed a force to protect civilians" and was "open to all initiatives" aimed at peace.

Also on Thursday, air strikes and shelling rocked Khartoum as the army attacked paramilitary positions across the Sudanese capital, witnesses and a military source said.

What appeared to witnesses in the capital to be a "large-scale offensive" by the army -- its first in months -- continued Friday, with gunfire and artillery ringing through Khartoum and "a cloud of smoke" rising over army-controlled areas, a resident said.

By Friday evening, the army claimed "complete control" over one area of Khartoum North, which the RSF has held almost since the war began.

Witnesses in the Hajar al-Asal area in River Nile State, north of the capital, reported RSF forces "retreating" in the face of an army attack.

A hallmark of the war, which has mostly been fought in densely populated areas, has been mass human rights violations including systematic sexual violence, summary executions and the looting of humanitarian aid.

A UN Women report published Thursday showed that as of December, some 6.7 million people in Sudan were in need of services related to gender-based violence, but "this figure is estimated to be even higher today".

Sudan, which is facing what the UN called on Wednesday "the world's largest hunger crisis", is home to 5.8 million internally displaced women and girls, who UN Women said were acutely vulnerable.

As famine threatens displaced populations across the country, "women are eating least and last", the report warned.

UN human rights chief Volker Turk warned Thursday that, "if El-Fasher falls, there is a high risk of ethnically-targeted violations and abuses, including summary executions and sexual violence, by the RSF and allied militia."
China Youzan Limited (OTCMKTS:CHNVF  Get Free Report) saw a significant increase in short interest during the month of September. As of September 15th, there was short interest totalling 512,000 shares, an increase of 109.8% from the August 31st total of 244,000 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 0 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently  days.

China Youzan Price Performance

Shares of CHNVF remained flat at C$0.01 on Friday. The firm has a 50 day moving average of C$0.01 and a two-hundred day moving average of C$0.01. China Youzan has a 12 month low of C$0.01 and a 12 month high of C$0.02.

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China Youzan Limited, an investment holding company, provides online and offline e-commerce solutions in the People's Republic of China, Japan, and Canada. It operates through three segments: Third Party Payment Services, Merchant Services, and Other. The company offers third party payment and related consultancy services; and an e-commerce platform with various Software as a Service (Saas) products and services.

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Cybersecurity researchers have discovered a malicious Android app on the Google Play Store that enabled the threat actors behind it to steal approximately $70,000 in cryptocurrency from victims over a period of nearly five months.

The dodgy app, identified by Check Point, masqueraded as the legitimate WalletConnect open-source protocol to trick unsuspecting users into downloading it.

"Fake reviews and consistent branding helped the app achieve over 10,000 downloads by ranking high in search results," the cybersecurity company said in an analysis, adding it's the first time a cryptocurrency drainer has exclusively targeted mobile device users.

Over 150 users are estimated to have fallen victim to the scam, although it's believed that not all users who downloaded the app were impacted by the cryptocurrency drainer.

The campaign involved distributing a deceptive app that went by several names such as "Mestox Calculator," "WalletConnect - DeFi & NFTs," and "WalletConnect - Airdrop Wallet" (co.median.android.rxqnqb).

While the app is no longer available for download from the official app marketplace, data from app analytics platform Sensor Tower shows that it was popular in Nigeria, Portugal, and Ukraine, and linked to a developer named UNS LIS.

The developer has also been associated with another Android app called "Uniswap DeFI" (com.lis.uniswapconverter) that remained active on the Play Store for about a month between May and June 2023. It's currently not known if the app had any malicious functionality.

However, both apps can be downloaded from third-party app store sources, once again highlighting the risks posed by downloading APK files from other marketplaces.

Once installed, the fake WallConnect app is designed to redirect users to a bogus website based on their IP address and User-Agent string, and if so, redirect them a second time to another site that mimics Web3Inbox.

Users who don't meet the required criteria, including those who visit the URL from a desktop web browser, are taken to a legitimate website to evade detection, effectively allowing the threat actors to bypass the app review process in the Play Store.

Besides taking steps to prevent analysis and debugging, the core component of the malware is a cryptocurrency drainer known as MS Drainer, which prompts users to connect their wallet and sign several transactions to verify their wallet.

The information entered by the victim in each step is transmitted to a command-and-control server (cakeserver[.]online) that, in turn, sends back a response containing instructions to trigger malicious transactions on the device and transfer the funds to a wallet address belonging to the attackers.

"Similar to the theft of native cryptocurrency, the malicious app first tricks the user into signing a transaction in their wallet," Check Point researchers said.

"Through this transaction, the victim grants permission for the attacker's address 0xf721d710e7C27323CC0AeE847bA01147b0fb8dBF (the 'Address' field in the configuration) to transfer the maximum amount of the specified asset (if allowed by its smart contract)."

In the next step, the tokens from the victim's wallet are transferred to a different wallet (0xfac247a19Cc49dbA87130336d3fd8dc8b6b944e1) controlled by the attackers.

This also means that if the victim does not revoke the permission to withdraw tokens from their wallet, the attackers can keep withdrawing the digital assets as soon as they appear without requiring any further action.

Check Point said it also identified another malicious app exhibiting similar features "Walletconnect | Web3Inbox" (co.median.android.kaebpq) that was previously available on Google Play Store in February 2024. It attracted more than 5,000 downloads.

"This incident highlights the growing sophistication of cybercriminal tactics, particularly in the realm of decentralized finance, where users often rely on third-party tools and protocols to manage their digital assets," the company noted.

"The malicious app did not rely on traditional attack vectors like permissions or keylogging. Instead, it used smart contracts and deep links to silently drain assets once users were tricked into using the app."
Grand Island Senior High students learned about several local organizations during the volunteer fair in the schools gym on Wednesday, Sept. 25. Held during the upperclassman lunch hour, approximately 20% of the student body attended the event.

The event was organized by the Grand Island Public Schools GearUp (Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs) organization. According to Director Amber High, GearUp is a federal grant that was awarded to the district, geared toward supporting students that might not have the resources or support for secondary education.

So we really work toward eliminating barriers and providing some equitable opportunities for our students who might be in lower economic status, High said. Or have obstacles in the way where they might not pursue secondary education because they think they dont have the means for it.

According to GearUp College Advisor Mayra Ramallo, the idea for the volunteer fair came after noticing that students were not as involved with the community when they were helping fill out college and scholarship applications.

Since volunteer work looks good on applications, GearUp wanted to give students the chance to get more involved and showcase themselves.

Its something that were encouraging our students to pursue and be more aware of, High said. That this is something that would help them and that they should get involved so that theyre more marketable when it comes to scholarship and college acceptance.

The event has been held before. There were two fairs held during the last school year, one in the fall and one in the spring. Ramallo said that going forward, the volunteer fair will just be a fall event, since students will still be able to complete volunteer work before filling out applications.

Students are still fresh, theyre still out and about in their communities after summer, right, High said. Its just a way to really revive them in knowing and understanding what our needs in our community are.

There were representatives from 12 community organizations looking for volunteers; Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central NE, Willow Rising, YWCA Grand Island, Conservation Nebraska, Heartland CASA, Hope Harbor, EPIC Discovery Center, First Light Child Advocacy Center, Grand Island Area Habitat For Humanity, the Literacy Council of Grand Island, Project Hunger and Heartland United Way.

The first fair, by comparison, had eight or nine organizations.

We would like to thank our organizations for being here and taking the time to be a part of our GISH volunteer fair, Ramallo said. Because without them, this wouldnt be happening.

A booth for GIPS looking for student volunteers was also set up. There were also a few organizations that were unable to be present at the event, but who had flyers and sign-up sheets available for those interested, like the Central Nebraska Humane Society.

Its been awesome to see how many (organizations) have been reaching out because theyve heard about the volunteer fair, Ramallo said. They want to be a part of it, and they want to come.

Several of the organizations had been to the previous volunteer fairs and were happy to participate again.

Heartland United Way was one such organization, having representation since the first fair. Development Director Karly Behrendt said after the awesome experience with the past fairs, there was no question about returning.

Theres lots of kids who want to volunteer, and weve had awesome experiences with students from Grand Island Public Schools that volunteered at our events, Behrendt said. We know that theyre great volunteers, and so we want them to continue to volunteer and give back.

Big Brothers Big Sisters has also participated since the first fair. Match Support Coordinator Michelle Brisnehan said that the event was a great way for juniors and seniors to be introduced and sign up for their school-based volunteer program, which would match the upperclassmen with elementary students.

Its very beneficial for us because it gets us out there, gives us a chance to talk to those students, Brisnehan said. I would say we probably had, I dont know, 10 or 15 kids from Grand Island Senior High that signed up to be bigs in our program, and a lot of them heard about us the first time at the (previous) volunteer fair.

Brisnehan didnt want to guess how many of the students signed up for the big program at this years fair, since those numbers will eventually be whittled down.

However, Behrendt said that from this years fair, at least 50 students sign up to volunteer with Heartland United Way.

Ill tell you something, we had 50 slots on our (volunteer) sheets and we had to make more copies, Behrendt said. We had five sheets, each with 10 slots, and they are filled.

That amount of sign-ups shouldnt be too surprising, with 554 students attending the event.

While its impossible to know why every student attended, there were some who were genuinely looking forward to volunteering and helping out people. Ninth grader Niala Alvarez Urquia said that she likes helping out the community and wants to be involved in volunteer work all through high school.

Throughout my life, Ive been through things, so I feel like having someone there really helps people out, Urquia said. And I want to be, like, a support system for someone as best as I can, within my abilities, to help people out and be there for someone.

Urquia said that she was most interested in the Hope Harbor work, while her friend Olivia Allard was interested in Big Brothers Big Sisters.

According to High, this was the largest volunteer fair that they have organized so far and that each time it has significantly grown.

It feels awesome knowing that there are kids and students that want to get involved in volunteerism, that want to give back, whether thats through volunteering on a Saturday, or maybe its just times where theyre not in school and they want to be involved, Behrendt said. But it pulls at your heart, because you know that that used to be you as a kid that wanted to give back, and so putting yourself back in their shoes, and it just is great to see kids that want to be involved and want to give back.
CO(LUMBIA -- As part of the culmination of Workforce Development Month activities, Gov. Henry McMaster and S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce (DEW) Executive Director William Floyd presented BMW with the 2024 Workforce Champion Award at the Governors Mansion Tuesday, Sept. 24.

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This award honors an employer that has displayed extraordinary effort and innovation in developing and connecting educators and students with employment opportunities in South Carolina. BMW was selected as the honoree because of its commitment to providing hands-on experiences to middle and high schoolers in its state-of-the-art facility and its exceptional apprenticeship programs, which are the first of their kind in the state.

BMW named 2024 Workforce Champion Gov. Henry McMaster and S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce (DEW) Executive Director William Floyd presented BMW with the 2024 Workfor

South Carolina is at the forefront of business innovation and career opportunities, and our young people are more aware of that truth than ever before, said McMaster. BMW is educating and training South Carolinians from childhood to adulthood about the importance of manufacturing in our state. I am proud to present this award to BMW as they represent the best of our workforce, support our communities, and help create strong families.

BMW was celebrated at the ceremony for its summer camps featuring Robotics Days, its ongoing outreach efforts at schools and job fairs, and its groundbreaking Scholars and Rising Scholars Programs. The Scholars Program is a two-year apprenticeship for students with manufacturing-related degrees at Greenville Technical College, Spartanburg Community College, and Tri-County Technical College to attend class full-time while working part-time at BMW.

The Rising Scholars Program is a one-year apprenticeship for high school seniors to work part-time at BMW while attending high school and a Career and Technical Education Center. This program was one of the first of its kind in South Carolina, paving the way for other companies to follow in BMWs lead. After successfully completing the program, they are presented with a certificate from the U.S. Department of Labor and become eligible for the BMW Scholars Program.

Along with Gov. McMaster, it is my privilege as the Executive Director of the Department of Employment and Workforce to present the Workforce Champion Award to BMW, said DEW Executive Director William Floyd. BMW educates our young people about the importance of STEM-related careers in advanced manufacturing in a way that makes them easily understood and achievable.

The award was presented to Vice President of Human Resources Sherry McCraw, Department Manager of Talent Programs Paul Sinanian, and Manager of Government and Community Relations Max Metcalf, on behalf of BMW.

The most important investment for BMW is our people, and our future workforce is right here in South Carolina. We must provide students with opportunities to learn through experience so they will take an educational path that leads them to a successful career, said McCraw. The rapid pace of digitalization, artificial intelligence, and electrification is transforming the automotive industry. This means we must provide a learning environment that promotes creativity, fosters innovation, and teaches technical training skills.

With more than 11,000 jobs in its Spartanburg plant, BMW has assembled more than 6.5 million vehicles in South Carolina. To learn more about its achievements and apprenticeship programs, please visit bmwgroup-werke.com/spartanburg.

"BMW is the ideal recipient for our agencys second-ever Workforce Champion Award because they are an employer deeply invested in our students, concludes Floyd. We encourage all employers in South Carolina, regardless of size or industry, to follow their lead and help build relationships with students in their local areas. Whether it be a business adopting a local school, offering internships or apprenticeships, or simply participating in job fairs and career days at schools  young people are the future of our workforce and the best, long-term investment an employer can make.

The Workforce Champion Award recipient was nominated and selected by DEWs Regional Workforce Advisors, who connect employers and educators, students, and parents across the state. For any business interested in learning more about student outreach, please reach out to a Regional Workforce Advisor at rwa@dew.sc.gov.
The Pixel 9 Pro XL, with a 6.8-inch display, is the largest non-folding phone in Googles current lineup. It starts at $1,099. Dwight Silverman photo Milo the cat is looking sporty in this Zorro mask that I asked the ReImagine feature in the Google Pixel 9 Pro XLs camera to add to his face. Dwight Silverman photo This photo was originally taken using the Pixel 9 Pro XL with my wife in the shot. I then handed the phone to her, I stepped into position, and she snapped a second image. The cameras Add Me feature then stitched us together  throwing in some disembodied fingers on the chair back as well. Dwight Silverman photo

Apples iPhone 16 lineup is kind of a strange group of products. Yeah, its got new hardware components, but the one feature that may be the most important for the company is software-based and its MIA: Apple Intelligence, its approach to integrated AI in its flagship products.

But there is a high-end smartphone with artificial intelligence throughout that you can get right now: The excellent Pixel 9 Pro XL from Google.

That said, its approach is one of spraying often-unfinished AI everywhere. Theres a lot of potential here that software updates should eventually fix. So, if youre an Android user who wants to go all-in on AI, this is the phone you want.

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Design and internals

The Pixel 9 Pro XL is the largest of the three models in Googles 2024 flagship lineup: the Pixel 9 with a 6.3-inch display starting at $799, the same-size 9 Pro starting at $999, and the 9 Pro XL, sporting a 6.8-inch display and starting at $1,099. Other than the display and body size, the two Pro phones have the same specifications.

Although I love the 9 Pro XL look and top-notch build quality, Google wins an award for the most shameless ripoff of an iPhone design. Its shiny, flat edges and rounded corners look way too much like the current iPhones. Its not till you turn the Pixel phone over and behold its camera bar, which is centered and horizontal across the top quarter of the back, along with the monochrome Google G, do you realize youre not looking at an Apple product.

Inside is Googles newest Tensor G4 processor and a separate Titan M2 security co-processor (found in all three Pixel 9 models), 16 gigabytes of RAM and from 128 GB to 1-terabyte of storage. The phone is noticeably zippier than the Pixel 8 Pro, which I reviewed last year, with every app and chore I tackled launching and completing quickly.

Battery life is not as good as Id like. With light use, it died after a little over two days. With regular use  email, occasional video, lots of social media browsing, a little gaming  it required charging after 36 hours, which is about average for a phone of this size. The good news is that the Pixel 9 Pro XL can charge very quickly when connected to a fast charger up to 37 watts. After about 30 minutes, it was typically over 70 percent charged when starting from a fully depleted battery.

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The camera

Google, Apple and Samsung typically run at the front of the pack when it comes to camera capabilities, leapfrogging each other with each new release. At the moment, the Pixel 9 Pro XL is the leader (and I say that having not yet put my iPhone 16 Pro Max through all its paces) with remarkably natural colors from all three rear lenses, a more realistic low-light mode and more megapixels in the 5X telephoto camera. Ill save the discussion for what AI brings to the table for later, but for now lets say that the AI tricks make great photos even better.

Both the main, wide camera has 50 megapixels, while both the ultrawide/macro camera and the 5X-optical zoom telephoto have 48 MP. The front selfie camera has autofocus and 42 MP. Shutter lag was imperceptible, except in Night Sight mode, when low-light settings require both a steady hand and some patience. But the resulting shots have more realistic colors than on recent iPhones, which tend to overprocess these kinds of images.

Particularly impressive is the 5X zoom, which, combined with the 48-MP sensor (it combines four pixels to one larger one to pull in more light), results in less grainy shots.

The rear cameras can capture 8K video at up to 30 frames per second, and 4K at up to 60 fps.

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AI

Theres been plenty of concern about generative AI and its ability to distort what weve historically considered a reliable record of reality: photos. Google has been pushing this envelope since the introduction of its Magic Eraser feature, which made it easy to remove objects from a photo. These days, that feature is common in many digital editing products, including the Google Photos app for iOS, and a version of it is coming soon to iPhone as part of Apple Intelligence. Last year Google kicked it up a notch in the Pixel 8 line with the Magic Editor, which lets you move and add objects easily in a photo.

This year, along with a slew of other AI goodies, Google continues to make it easier to alter images. This time around, there are features that let you insert yourself into a photo (Add Me), change the background of or generate an object into a photo (ReImagine) and even create an image from scratch with a text prompt (Pixel Studio).

While theres AI everywhere on this phone, it still feels like a work in progress, and its a disjointed one at that. The best integration is in the camera, where features like Add Me and ReImagine are accessible with obvious buttons. But others use standalone apps, such as Pixel Studio, which feels unfinished  it wont yet generate realistic images of humans, just cartoonish characters. It does a decent job if fluffy monsters is your thing.

Some features work better than others. For example, I asked ReImagine to put a Zorro mask on my orange tabby cat Milos face. Not only did it do a great job, but it gave me multiple styles! Zorro himself never looked this good.

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Add Me solves the problem of selfie arm in photos of two or more people by letting you snap a photo, then hand the camera to someone else while you take up position in the shot. The camera then stitches you into place. However, it doesnt always work as expected. In a photo I took with my lovely wife, I do appear standing behind her but my disembodied fingers show up atop a chair back, and theres a faint glow around her elbow from the window behind us. Sure, I can use Magic Eraser to fix that, but I shouldnt have to.

Many of these issues should be fixable with software updates, but better integration likely wont come until the next version of Android. (And you get a full seven years of OS updates with the Pixel 9 family.)
(TBTCO) - Theo so lieu Tong cuc Thong ke, tong san pham trong nuoc (GDP) 9 thang nam 2024 tang 6,82% so voi cung ky nam 2023. Trong o, khu vuc nong, lam nghiep va thuy san tang 3,20%, ong gop 5,37% vao muc tang tong gia tri tang them cua toan nen kinh te; khu vuc cong nghiep va xay dung tang 8,19%, ong gop 46,22%; khu vuc dich vu tang 6,95%, ong gop 48,41%.
Inovest, a Bahrain-based sharia-compliant investment company, has announced its new board of directors, comprising leading experts in the field of finance and economics, under the Chairmanship of Mohammad Al Shalfan.

The company officially authorised the Acting CEO Talal Al Mulla to preside over the General Assembly meeting which was attended by representatives from the regulatory authorities, including the Central Bank of Bahrain, the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, and Bahrain Bourse.

At the Inovest's Ordinary General Assembly Meeting held recently, under the supervision of Bahrain Clear, Al Mulla read the legal authorization at the start of the session, and it was approved by the shareholders.

The new members elected to the Board of Directors for a three-year term until September 2027 are Abdullah Mohammed Abdul Jader, Hazem Abdullah Al Bakri, Yousef Abdullah Al Mulla, Ahmed Mohammed Al Bassam, Mohammed Abdul Wahab Al Mutawaq, Yaqoub Bandar, and Dr Abdul Aziz Al Dakheel.

Noora Shehab, Hussein Al Shehab, Nawaf Al Jishi and Qassim Abdul Rasool have been appointed as reserve members.

The finalisation of the new board of directors will be only after the nod from the Central Bank of Bahrain.

Welcoming the new members, Al Shalfan said the extensive expertise in finance and economics possessed by them will play a crucial role in driving the companys ongoing success.

Confidence in Inovests future was emphasised, underscoring the boards vital contribution to sustaining the Groups preeminent position in the investment sector, he stated.

"The newly appointed board of directors underscores Inovests steadfast commitment to sustained development and growth, bolstering its ability to navigate future challenges and execute its strategic vision in the face of evolving global dynamics and rising complexities within the real estate and investment sectors,"

noted Al Shalfan.

"The expertise and proficiency of the new Board members will play a pivotal role in driving the Groups strategic objectives and further solidifying its leadership position across the Gulf and regional markets," he added.

The new members acknowledged the invaluable support of various stakeholders, including the regulatory authorities, the Central Bank of Bahrain, and all partners and shareholders.

The new Board reaffirmed its commitment to collaborate closely with Executive Management to develop a new strategy that ensures the Groups ability to grow, gain the confidence of shareholders and partners, and maintain robust performance across its investment portfolio amidst the prevailing economic conditions and global geopolitical challenges.

Lauding the move, Al Mulla said: "We are fully committed to implementing the new Boards strategy and delivering the best possible outcomes to continue the companys achievements and lead it toward promising new horizons of success and fruitful results."

This momentum is expected to gain further traction as Inovest advances its strategic initiatives in direct investment, private equity, asset management, and real estate development, he stated.

This is in addition to achievements in various projects across the Bahraini, Saudi, and Kuwaiti markets include notable ventures such as Takhzeen, BIW Labour Accommodation, Bahrain Investment Wharf, Ajwan Resort, and Advanced Industries Company, he noted.

Al Mulla highlighted the confidence in the upcoming phase, which is expected to foster greater productivity, teamwork, and a strong commitment to achieving the companys goals by refining its strategies and plans, while enhancing asset management capabilities.

There has been a significant growth in investor confidence, as evidenced by key indicators such as the substantial rise in Inovests share price on the Bahrain Bourse in recent months, he added.-TradeArabia News Service
Leading International designer and manufacturer of commercial textiles, Camira, has launched the sectors first AI-powered image search tool in the UK to streamline the specification process for architects and design professionals.

In partnership with material search platform, Stylib, Camira has integrated the new technology into its existing website which launched earlier this year.

Powered by artificial intelligence, the dynamic search tool allows users to upload images of furniture, fabric, room settings or pantone colour references, to find relevant Camira fabrics for their projects.

Commenting on the AI search tool, head of digital at Camira, Sam Birkhead said: "Were incredibly excited to be able to offer our customers this new and intuitive tool which enables architects and designers to quickly find precise products that meet their specifications, reducing the time spent on research and increasing the accuracy of their selections."

"There are very few B2B companies in the world that operate image search - a technology that until today has been reserved for giants like Ikea, Wayfair and fashion retailers. These advancements lead to faster and more confident specification processes, allowing for more efficient project timelines and improved overall design quality," stated Birkhead.

"Ultimately, AI's integration is transforming the architectural landscape, paving the way for smarter, more sustainable, and innovative built environments," he added.

Noam Naveh, CEO at Stylib, said: "Its great to see industry leaders like Camira adopting advanced solutions that support the specifying communitys work. Beyond the immediate benefits of faster and more confident specification processes, AI in the architectural products industry has broader implications for sustainability, innovation, and collaboration."

"AI's ability to analyze vast datasets allows for the identification of eco-friendly materials and energy-efficient solutions, promoting sustainable design practices. Additionally, AI fosters innovation by providing architects with insights into emerging trends and new technologies, enabling them to push creative boundaries," he added.-TradeArabia News Service
Oravel Stays has launched its premium hotel brand Sunday in Dubai with the opening of Sunday Holiday International Hotel Dubai.

Spread over 44,000 sq ft, it is at Bur Dubai next to Burjuman Mall and Metro Station on the western side of Dubai creek. There are over 200 rooms in different categories and multiple food and beverages outlets in the hotel to cater to different requirements of the guests.

The hotel is situated in the proximity of many popular tourist hotspots such as Dubai Creek, Dubai Dolphinarium and Dubai Frame.

The initiative is a part of Oravels ongoing program to spread premium hotel footprint across the globe. It has identified popular tourist regions as Deira, Sheikh Zayed Road, Downtown, Palm Jumeirah, Dubai Marina, Jumeirah Beach Residences, Business Bay, and Al Barsha for the expansion of SUNDAY brand of hotels in Dubai.

The brand Sunday has been conceptualised to cater to the ever-evolving needs of the new-age travellers and provide them a perfect getaway for a reset. Sunday will cater to the growing demand for premium stays, combining sophisticated design, top-notch amenities and services. It breaks away from the mold of traditional hotels and offers a unique proposition of modern-day luxury coupled with mindfully curated experiences that enable guests to unwind at their own pace.

SUNDAY Hotels offer an immersive experience, designed to engage the local community, and showcase creativity. Each property has a dedicated team of highly trained hospitality professionals that ensure personalised services for every guest. From the moment of arrival, guests are treated to a seamless check-in process, with staff available around the clock to cater to their needs.

One of the hallmarks of the Sunday brand is its luxurious amenities, designed to offer the ultimate in comfort and convenience. Each hotel features spacious and elegantly furnished rooms equipped with modern amenities such as high-speed Wi-Fi, flat-screen TVs, premium bedding, and well-appointed bathrooms.

Many Sunday hotels also offer additional luxuries such as in-room dining, mini-bars, and premium toiletries. The concierge service is exemplary, providing travel arrangements, local recommendations, and any special requests, ensuring a memorable stay for all visitors, a statement said.

Oravel Stays, the parent company of OYO Hotels & Homes, is a leading global hospitality chain with a presence in over 35 countries.

Ankit Tandon, CEO, Southeast Asia, Oravel Stays said: Sunday Hotels have been performing exceptionally well since their launch in India, giving us the confidence to expand to global destinations. Dubai, with its strategic location as a global business hub and major stopover destination, is the ideal choice for our international debut. By catering to both leisure and business travelers seeking high-quality accommodations, we aim to bring the Sunday Hotels experience to a broader audience.

Sunday Hotels, a premium brand of hotels was originally launched in May 2023 in India by the joint venture between the Softbank and Oravel Stays. The first Sunday hotel was launched in the globally popular heritage destination Jaipur. Today India has three Sunday hotels with a plan to take this count to 25 by the end of March 2025.  TradeArabia News Service
Exterior of HiWay Cantina on Wednesday, April 10, 2024, in Houston. Karen Warren/Staff photographer

One of Houstons most respected hospitality groups announced it was abruptly closing a trio of concepts in East Downtown Saturday due to the massive I-45 expansion project.

The pizzeria Vinnys, cocktail bar Lightnins Good Times and new Tex-Mex spot HiWay Cantina will shutter permanently following tonights service, the group announced on social media Friday evening.

It is with heavy hearts that we announce this Saturday, September 28th, will be the final night of service, the hospitality groups partners Ryan Pera, Morgan Weber and Vincent Huynh said in an Instagram post.

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The Chronicle has reached out for additional details.

HOUSTON EATS: The Chronicles top 100 restaurants

While the I-45 project, which could take eight years to build, has been a talking point among Houstonians for years, Agricoles sudden closing in EaDo comes as a surprise at 1201 St. Emanuel. All three businesses are on the same block.

The restaurant group had closed Indianola and its neighboring cocktail bar Miss Carousel in 2023, saying the concepts were too upscale for the neighborhood.

Shortly afterward, Miss Carousel opened as Lightnins Good Times and HiWay Cantina opened in December.

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Chronicle restaurant critic Alison Cook gave HiWay Cantina a positive review and called it among her favorite Tex-Mex picks in town.

I hope Ill be eating them for a long time to come, Cook raved about HiWays cheese enchiladas.

MORE FROM BAO ONG: Top 15 Houston restaurants opening this fall, from West African hit ChopnBlok to Bludorns Perseid

Paul Lewis, executive chef of Vinny's Pizza puts a pizza in the wood burning oven on Tuesday, Aug. 8, 2023, in Houston. Raquel Natalicchio/Staff photographer

In the Instagram announcement, Agricole said it was trying to help its employees who will be without jobs following this weekend.

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We are incredibly proud of our talented and dedicated team, whose hard work and passion brought good times and great good to all of our guests, the post read. Our top priority now is to support our staff by connecting them with resources, opportunities and assistance during this time so that they may prosper.

Vinnys opened first in 2018 and later came Indianola and Miss Carousel that year.
Like water rolling downhill, momentum is building behind a proposed national wildlife refuge on the Santa Cruz River through Southern Arizona.

The most recent show of support came Wednesday, when the Tucson City Council voted unanimously to draft a resolution in favor of the idea.

Since April, Pima County, Santa Cruz County and the San Xavier District of the Tohono Oodham Nation have all endorsed the creation of a Santa Cruz River Urban National Wildlife Refuge stretching 90 miles from Mexico to Marana and centered around a future riverside park in Tucson.

The proposal is being pushed by a growing coalition of civic leaders, community groups and environmental nonprofits that see the establishment of a refuge as a way to draw national attention to the river corridor and efforts to restore it.

The Santa Cruz River Refuge coalition now boasts support from 50 organizations and individuals.

Everyone seems supportive of the idea, said Mike Quigley, Arizona state director for The Wilderness Society, one of the coalitions founding members. Its all coming up green.

River advocates first suggested the refuge in 2021. Over the past year or so, leaders from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Department of the Interior have visited the area to learn more about the proposal.

Establishing a national wildlife refuge does not require congressional approval, Quigley said. If the Fish and Wildlife Service decides such a designation is warranted, the Interior secretary can make it happen through administrative action.

That decision could come as soon as early next year, he said.

Arizona is currently home to nine national wildlife refuges, including two in Pima County: Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge near Sasabe and Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge west of Ajo.

This would be the first wildlife refuge in Santa Cruz County and the first urban refuge anywhere in Arizona  a designation the Fish and Wildlife Service reserves for protected lands located within 25 miles of population centers of at least 250,000 people.

Willing sellers

According to Luke Cole, director of the Santa Cruz River Program for the Tucson-based nonprofit Sonoran Institute, urban national wildlife refuge status provides the highest permanent federal protection for greenspace and wildlife, without forcing anyone off their land or restricting development or water use on neighboring properties.

This is not a land grab, Cole said.

Quigley added that property owners within a so-called acquisition boundary along the river would be free to sell their land to the government, place a conservation easement on it to protect it from development, or choose not to be a part of the refuge at all.

The result would be a refuge made up of a patchwork of properties gradually acquired from willing sellers like pearls on a necklace, he said.

Already, one of Santa Cruz Countys largest landowners has expressed interest in adding his holdings to the proposed river preserve.

Quigley said Rio Rico resident Andrew Jackson approached the coalition last year about land he owns and wants to see protected along almost 12 miles of the Santa Cruz. The property includes flowing water that feeds lush stretches of gallery forest and mesquite bosque.

Thats a natural riparian system right there. Thats what Id love to see on the Santa Cruz in Tucson, Quigley said. Im hoping its in my lifetime. The first step is (getting more) water in the river.

Jackson also owns large tracts of land in some of the canyons that feed into the river from the east side of Rio Rico. If that property was also set aside, it could protect vital wildlife corridors between the river and the sky island mountain ranges that bracket it, Quigley said. From a wildlife perspective, those side canyons are very intriguing.

Jackson made headlines last year when he floated plans for a roughly 3,550-acre, mixed-use development on a 9-mile stretch of Interstate 19 in Rio Rico.

He later withdrew his proposal when local residents objected to the community-altering project, but not before he offered to add an open-space easement through the entire development to preserve the Santa Cruz and the riparian area surrounding it.

Dry subject

Cole said the refuge designation could open up access to federal funding and grant money to pay for land acquisitions and continued restoration work along the river, including efforts to restore its flow by expanding releases from upgraded sewage treatment plants along its course.

The 184-mile river begins in Santa Cruz Countys San Rafael Valley and flows south into Mexico before hooking north and crossing back into the U.S. just east of Nogales. From there, it runs north past Rio Rico, Tumacacori, Tubac, Amado, Green Valley, Sahuarita, Tucson and Marana on its way to join the Gila River at the southern edge of Phoenix.

Though the Santa Cruz is dry for much of its length today, perennial flows in centuries past gave rise to Indigenous farming communities, Catholic missions and eventually the Old Pueblo itself.

By the middle of the 20th century, diversions, groundwater pumping and drought had drained the river dry in Tucson, but efforts are well underway to bring it back.

Wednesdays City Council vote came as river advocates marked 10 years of treated effluent releases into the Santa Cruz by Pima County and five years of releases upstream by the city of Tucson.

The Sonoran Institutes latest Living River report highlights how that clean and consistent supply has produced what it calls transformative environmental progress along the waterway, including the reintroduction of native fish species and the growth of new riparian habitat.

Thanks in large part to almost $2 billion in wastewater-treatment upgrades by communities along the river in recent decades, Cole said, roughly 40 miles of the Santa Cruz have water once again. He said those flows are providing more and more quantifiable wildlife habitat for everything from urban bobcats near downtown Tucson to the rare jaguar crossing between mountain ranges in southern Santa Cruz County.

A refuge designation would only accelerate that progress, Cole said.

And its not just the river that stands to be healed.

During a briefing before Wednesdays council vote, Rebecca Perez, urban to wild program manager for The Wilderness Society, said the proposed refuge provides an opportunity to recognize millennia of river stewardship by Indigenous people and to acknowledge decades of environmental justice issues suffered by low-income and minority communities living along its once-neglected banks in Tucson.

To ensure that the refuge is developed in a way truly reflective of the community, Perez said the coalition has brought together a diverse, grassroots membership that includes neighborhood associations, history and heritage organizations, environmental advocates, academics and outdoor groups.

A conceptual design for the refuge through Tucson envisions growing stretches of restored riverbed linked by future park and pedestrian-bridge projects to help maintain equitable access to the Santa Cruz.

But the effort will require both commitment and patience. Quigley said it could take years and decades of work to provide amenities such as a permanent visitor center and to return the river to its former, flowing, tree-lined glory through Tucson.

Declaring it a refuge is just the start, he said.
After more than six decades of staring off into space, Kitt Peak National Observatory still touts itself as a place with plenty to see.

The worlds largest collection of major optical telescopes is celebrating 60 years of public tours at the site on the Tohono Oodham Nation, 55 miles southwest of Tucson.

The observatory opened in 1958 and officially started welcoming visitors in 1964. Since then, more than 2 million people have toured the site.

Kitt Peak is overseen by the National Optical-Infrared Astronomy Research Laboratory, better known as NOIRLab, which is sponsored by the National Science Foundation and headquartered on the University of Arizona campus, just north of Flandreau Science Center and Planetarium.

NOIRLab observed the anniversary of Kitt Peak tourism Friday with a mountaintop media event and special tour packages at 1964 prices.

The steeply discounted tours, which normally cost between $18 and $71, sold out quickly.

Kitt Peak Visitor Center has always sought to bring our visitors closer to the skies  literally and figuratively, said visitor center operations manager Peter McMahon in a statement. Our telescope tours and observing programs offer the unique opportunity for members of the public to see and engage with the cutting-edge facilities that have put Kitt Peak on the map as a prominent center of astronomical discovery.

Fridays event also served as a grand reopening of sorts.

The peak was all but closed to the public for about three years  first by the COVID-19 pandemic, then by the almost-30,000-acre Contreras Fire in June of 2022 that destroyed three support buildings and damaged the highway leading up the mountain but spared the observatorys two dozen telescopes.

It took until Sept. 22, 2023, to fix the road and reopen the observatory to general visitation. Friday marked NOIRLabs first big media event at Kitt Peak since the closure.

Soon, visitors will have a new reason to venture up the mountain.

Early next year, the first phase of Kitt Peaks new Windows on the Universe Center for Astronomy Outreach is slated to open inside one of the observatorys most distinctive structures, the McMathPierce solar telescope.

That 10-story-tall acute angle slanting down into the mountaintop first opened in 1962 and was decommissioned in 2017. Now a $4.5 million grant from the National Science Foundation is reviving the telescopes 8,000-square-foot interior as an interpretive center that, with additional funding, will eventually feature interactive exhibits, educational programs, a planetarium and unique opportunities to view the solar disk during the day and other bright celestial objects at night.

Start at the top

Tourism has been a part of the observatory from the beginning.

Tucson resident John Glaspey started at Kitt Peak as an intern in 1966. By then, all of the basics of a really publicly accessible observatory were in place  a paved road, parking lots, he said. It was in full swing, and it was marvelously popular.

Glaspey moved to Tucson to attend graduate school at the U of A, after studying optical astronomy at what is now Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland.

He said he reported for the first day of his internship with the observatory in June of 1966, only to discover that his boss was at a meeting out of town and hadnt left any instructions for him at the office on the U of A campus. His boss assistant ended up inviting him to join her that night as she took some observations using the largest telescope on the mountain at that time.

So my first day here, I got in the car with her, and we went up to Kitt Peak, Glaspey recalled. That was kind of off to a good start.

It was an exciting time to be working at Kitt Peak and studying astronomy in Tucson. He said he took a class in spectroscopy from famed astronomer Aden Meinel, who, a decade earlier, had helped select Kitt Peak as a national observatory site after scouting the summit on horseback. Meinel went on to serve as Kitt Peaks first director, before moving to the U of A to run Steward Observatory and launch the universitys optical sciences program.

So I got to walk right into this place when it was only a few years old, and I got to know all the staff astronomers and do all sorts of things that I hadnt expected to do, the 80-year-old said of his early years with the observatory. I got to know how to operate all the telescopes, too, because my brain works that way. I like to understand how things operate, and as a result, Ive been able to improve things sometimes and fix things when theyre broken.

Glaspey earned his Ph.D. in 1971 with a dissertation on star clusters and stellar composition, then left Tucson to embark on a career in astronomy that took him to British Columbia, Quebec, Hawaii and Texas.

In 1998, he was offered a chance to return to Kitt Peak as the supervisor for scientific support on the mountain, and he jumped at it.

Coming back to Kitt Peak was great. To me, that was almost like a dream to finally come back here and be part of the staff, he said.

Though Glaspey has been retired since 2010, he is proud to see his old observatory still plugging right along. He said Kitt Peak has managed to stay at the forefront of astronomical science by bringing in new partners, incorporating cutting-edge technologies and repurposing aging equipment for new missions.

The old style stuff where there would be one astronomer at one telescope observing one thing at a time, thats long gone, Glaspey said. Now you can do a lot more science better with, admittedly, even some of the older telescopes.

And theres no reason why the observatory cant keep going for decades to come, he said, though it will require continued innovation and proper support.

If I were Elon Musk, maybe Id contribute a few billion dollars. You could literally replace all the telescopes up there if you had enough money, Glaspey said.

New discoveries

Astronomer Arvind Gupta is part of the latest generation of researchers at Kitt Peak.

He joined NOIRLab in Tucson as a postdoctoral researcher about a year ago so he could continue his research on exoplanets using an advanced spectrograph he helped build while he was a Ph.D. student at Penn State University.

The NEID spectrograph is mounted on the WIYN 3.5-meter telescope at Kitt Peak, where Gupta and the rest of his international team used it in 2021 to discover a new, Jupiter-like planet with an extremely eccentric orbit around a star about 1,000 light-years from Earth.

(Appropriately enough, the acronym NEID is based on the Oodham word meaning to see.)

In July, Gupta was the lead author of a paper about the discovery published in the journal Nature.

He and his team believe they caught the planet, named TIC 241249530 b, in the midst of the transition into a hot Jupiter, a term astronomers use for gas giants found orbiting very close to their host stars.

The planets current path is a cucumber-shaped oval that brings it 10 times closer to its star than Mercury is to our sun, then swings it out to about the same distance as Earth. But over the next 100 million years or so, Gupta and company expect it to migrate farther inward to a much tighter and hotter orbit close to its star.

Their ongoing research is shedding light on how hot Jupiters turn up in places where gas giants should not otherwise exist.

Meanwhile, other telescopes at Kitt Peak are being used nightly to map the universe in 3D, uncover the mysteries of dark energy, capture the first-ever direct images of black holes and track near-Earth asteroids that could come crashing down on our planet.

It seems that even after 66 years  even with the advent of telescopes in space  the observatory outside of Tucson remains as vital as ever.

Absolutely, Gupta said. Every single paper Ive ever published would not have been possible without the data were getting down from Kitt Peak.
PHOENIX  Calling what Secretary of State Adrian Fontes proposed utterly without precedent and comparing it to a nuclear weapon, a federal judge blocked him from refusing to include a countys vote in the statewide totals if local supervisors fail to certify the elections results.

In the ruling late Friday, U.S. District Court Judge Michael Liburdi acknowledged there was at least one attempt in the past by a board of supervisors to delay certification. That action threatened to hold up the formal canvass of all the votes throughout the state and to change the outcomes of some races.

But Liburdi said the solution Fontes incorporated in Arizonas Elections Procedures Manual  allowing him to skip over uncertified votes simply to finalize the state results  would unfairly and illegally disenfranchise the voters who had cast their ballots.

If the right to vote is the right of qualified voters within a state to cast their ballots and have them counted, then the canvass provision imposes the most severe burden: state-sanctioned disenfranchisement, the judge wrote.

Consider, Liburdi said, what would happen if supervisors balked in Maricopa County, the states most populous, where 2.4 million people vote.

Under the rules Fontes, an elected Democrat, enacted in the manual, he would be permitted to certify the state results without including those votes  meaning the results would be determined by votes only from the other 14 counties.

Whats worse, Liburdi said, is that none of this would be the fault of the disenfranchised voters.

A registered voter in Arizona may perfectly comply with all voting requirements and obligations but nonetheless have her vote excluded based on the mal- or nonfeasance of public officials, he wrote.

Nor was Liburdi convinced by assurances from Fontes that the provision was meant largely to spur county supervisors to comply with the law and likely would never be enforced.

A nuclear weapon does not become any less dangerous simply because a world leader avows never to unleash it, the judge wrote. He said the same is true of claims by Fontes never to follow through.

The canvass provision imposes a nuclear-level burden on voting rights, Liburdi said. It is a weapon in the secretarys arsenal that he has discretion to use should the circumstances present themselves  a weapon that does not become any less threatening simply because the secretary is self-professedly committed to not pulling the trigger.

Speech in polling places

Strictly speaking, Liburdis order does not void the provision of the manual. That would take a full-blown trial. But it does preclude Fontes from enforcing or relying on that provision this year.

The challengers in the lawsuit, two groups with ties to Republican interests, also convinced Liburdi to bar Fontes from enforcing another provision dealing with speech and actions permitted in and around voting locations.

That language would have prohibited any activity by a person with the intent or effect of threatening, harassing, intimidating, or coercing voters  inside or outside the 75-foot limit at a voting location.

Liburdi said theres no problem in general with barring intentional threats, intimidation or coercion. The issue, he said, turns on the fact the wording also covers actions that have the effect of doing so, regardless of the intent of the person.

He also noted that, as written, the manual governs actions beyond the 75-foot perimeter in which certain activities are forbidden by statute, such as campaigning or taking pictures.

Thus, speech that a listener finds too loud, too offensive or too insolent  potentially anywhere in Arizona  is prohibited, Liburdi wrote. But it has long been established that speech may not be prohibited because it concerns subjects offending our sensibilities.

And then theres the fact that the prohibition would be based solely on the reaction of the listener.

Plaintiffs do not have fair notice of what speech is prohibited, Liburdi wrote. The provision could be enforced by a poll worker who would have the ability to eject someone from a polling place, even before they cast their ballot, he said.

Moreover, the rule prohibits offensive or insulting speech without defining what categories of speech rise to the requisite level of offense or insult, he continued. Without any limitation, election officials and poll workers have nearly unfettered discretion in categorizing and regulating a voters speech.

That increases the likelihood the provision would be arbitrarily enforced, said Liburdi.

Cochise County case

In some ways, this part of the order is not a surprise.

Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Jennifer Ryan-Touhill issued her own order last month barring Fontes from enforcing what she said were restrictions on free speech covering everything from what people can wear to the polls to a prohibition on anything that has the effect of harassing a voter. She said the provisions in the Elections Procedures Manual are greater than necessary, vague, overbroad, and serves as a universal prohibition on conduct.

But it is the part of the ruling overriding Fontes authority to complete the statewide canvass without all the votes that could have more far-reaching implications.

The issue is not academic.

In 2022, Cochise County supervisors balked at doing the local canvass, with the two Republicans on the three-member board saying they had unanswered questions. It took a court order to get that canvass done, freeing up Democrat Katie Hobbs, then the secretary of state, to certify the results of the election.

Hobbs was elected governor in that election and Fontes was elected secretary of state. The results of neither of those races would have changed with or without the 47,284 Cochise votes.

But if the final canvass was without those votes, the outcomes of two races would have changed: Republican Tom Horne would have lost the race for state schools chief to Democratic incumbent Kathy Hoffman, and Democrat Kirsten Engel would have defeated Republican Juan Ciscomani for the Congressional District 6 seat.

Liburdi, in the new ruling, noted it never came to that with one of the Republican supervisors on the county board, Peggy Judd, under a court order, finally agreeing to vote with Democrat Ann English to certify the results  and make Horne and Ciscomani the winners of their races in Cochise.

Another remedy, said Liburdi, would be filing criminal charges against errant board members. That occurred against Judd and Republican Supervisor Tom Crosby, albeit after the election was certified. They are now awaiting trial on felony charges of election interference.

The judge said there are other options, as well, such as seeking a declaration from a judge as to the correct vote counts, or appointing an auditor or special master to certify vote totals if a county fails to do so.

Under any of these alternatives, the state would achieve finality in election results by the statutory deadline, and in a manner that ensures all voters are enfranchised, Liburdi wrote.

Fontes response

Fontes press aide Aaron Thacker said the office will do a deeper dive on the decision and determine what we will do next if we need to do anything at all.

The lawsuit was brought by American Encore, an Arizona-based group run by Sean Noble that bills itself as promoting free enterprise policies.

It also has funneled money into political campaigns in Arizona, including helping Republican Doug Ducey win his first gubernatorial race in 2014.
St. John "Sinjin" Barned-Smith joined The San Francisco Chronicle in 2022 and covers City Hall. He previously worked at The Houston Chronicle, where he covered law enforcement.

Barned-Smith started his career at the Philadelphia Daily News, served in the Peace Corps, in Paraguay, and worked at the Montgomery Gazette, in Maryland, before joining Hearst Newspapers in 2014. His coverage of floods, mass shootings and police misconduct and other topics has been honored with several state and national awards.

Barned-Smith lives in San Francisco, with his newshound, Scoop.
Lenzy Krehbiel-Burton Tulsa World Staff Writer Follow Lenzy Krehbiel-Burton Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today

Sakeenah Shabazz wanted honest feedback from the students at Monroe Demonstration School.

A senior policy adviser with the U.S. Department of Agricultures Food and Nutrition Services, Shabazz visited the north Tulsa middle school during lunch time Friday to take a peek in the kitchen and ask eighth-graders about the salads, hamburgers, pizza, chicken sandwiches and other items available in the cafeteria that day through her agencys National School Lunch Program.

At the USDA, we have a lot of guidance and statute that informs how we run the school meal program in partnership with school food authorities and other partners, but its not very often that we get to talk to young people who are at the receiving end of these meals, Shabazz said.

Whenever we have the opportunity to do that  theyre often pretty honest about what they like and its an opportunity for us to take that feedback back.

And the verdict?

Overall, it was pretty positive, she said. For the most part, they were pretty happy with the food.

The students at Monroe and all other TPS sites are able to eat breakfast and lunch for free this year thanks to the district being approved to utilize the National School Lunch and Breakfast programs Community Eligibility Provision.

The Community Eligibility Provision allows all students at a school, district or a group of schools to eat for free if enough pupils are eligible for income-based assistance programs, such as Medicaid, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations.

In September 2023, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced a rule change lowering the eligibility threshold for schools and districts to apply for community eligibility from 40% of students to 25% of students.

With that lower threshold, several area districts also opted in for the 2023-2024 school year, including Allen-Bowden, Bartlesville, Kellyville, Pawnee, Sand Springs, Tulsa Legacy Charter School, Wagoner, plus TPS secondary sites.

TPS elementary students have been able to eat breakfast and lunch at school for free since the 2016-17 school year thanks to a combination of the Community Eligibility Provision and a suite of COVID-19 waivers that provided free meals for all students through the end of the 2021-2022 school year.

With breakfast and lunch now available for free, TPS Superintendent Ebony Johnson said the school meal participation rate has increased by 14% among the districts secondary students, or about 20,000 more meals since school started in August.

Along with eliminating paperwork and school meal debt, Johnson said district officials suspect the universal free meals have also helped TPS address concerns about chronic absenteeism and attendance.

One of the things we believe that the CEP program has done for TPS is encourage more students and families to come to school, she said. When I look at our data, our chronic absenteeism numbers are down, our attendance is up and our enrollment is up. We believe that one of the contributing factors is that our families are getting kiddos ready for school  without worrying whether or not theyre going to be able to eat. Were grateful for that.

TPS is not the only area district with longer cafeteria lines since adopting the Community Eligibility Provision. Over the first 29 days of school, Bartlesville Public Schools has served 12,098 more breakfasts and 25,161 more lunches compared to the same time frame one year ago.

That higher participation rate is key for schools and districts to be able maintain the program, said Chris Bernard, the chief executive officer of Hunger Free Oklahoma. The nonpartisan, nonprofit organization partners with dozens of entities across the state to address food insecurity.

This program is as successful as the participation is, Bernard said. If not enough students are accessing the school meals, this model doesnt make financial sense for schools.

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The Vietnamese Ministry of Education and Training has sought cooperation with the U.S. Educational Testing Service (ETS) to realize Vietnams goal of gradually making English the second language in schools.

Nguyen Kim Son, Minister of Education and Training in Vietnam, shared about the countrys new initiative to improve the quality of English teachers and enhance students' foreign language skills in order to fulfill this goal during his working session with ETS CEO Amit Sevak in the U.S. on Tuesday.

The event took place during the recent visit of a high-ranking Vietnamese delegation led by Party General Secretary and State President To Lam, who attended the United Nations Summit of the Future and the 79th session of the UN General Assembly, and held working sessions in the U.S. from Saturday last week through Wednesday this week.

Son underlined the importance of improving English teachers' quality and requested ETS support to help the Ministry of Education and Training achieve this goal.

He proposed that the collaboration on this initiative could be added to the existing memorandum of understanding signed by the ministry and ETS in September 2022.

The education minister also expressed his gratitude to ETS for providing training sessions for approximately 3,500 Vietnamese education officials and teachers on assessment skills in November last year.

He elaborated that this training course will help improve the knowledge and competence of those involved in testing and assessment, especially as Vietnam plans to make adjustments to the national high school graduation exam in 2025.

The ETS leader extended his sympathy for the challenging time that Vietnam has experienced due to typhoon Yagi, which caused damages estimated at VND81.5 trillion (US$3.31 billion) across northern Vietnam and killed 299 with 34 missing after making landfall on the countrys northeastern coast on September 7.

Sevak praised Vietnams commitment and determination to gradually make English the second language in schools, which he said would accelerate the countrys international integration efforts.

He shared that ETS has collaborated with more than 20 governments globally and has extensive experience in English training and assessment, emphasizing ETS readiness to support Vietnam in achieving the goal.

ETS will send its experts to Vietnam to continue supporting the country in assessment practices and improving the quality of its English teachers, the CEO added.

At the meeting, Son invited Sevak to visit Vietnam to finalize and sign an updated memorandum of understanding in early 2025.

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Check out the latest news in Vietnam today:

Politics

-- Party General Secretary and State President of Vietnam To Lam, his spouse, and the high-ranking delegation of Vietnam left Havana on Friday afternoon (local time), concluding a successful three-day state visit to Cuba.

Society

-- The transport authority in Ho Chi Minh City will ban vehicles from entering five streets in District 1 from 9:00 am to 11:30 am on October 3 and 4 for a fire drill at the mPlaza Saigon building. The affected streets include parts of Hai Ba Trung, Cong Xa Paris, Le Van Huu, Le Duan, and Nguyen Van Chiem.

-- The water levels in the upper Mekong Delta in southern Vietnam are expected to rise rapidly over the next five days and could be 0.4-0.5 meters higher than the same period last year, the steering committee for climate change response, and natural disaster prevention and control in Dong Thap Province said on Friday.

-- The construction authority of Dong Nai Province, southern Vietnam confirmed on Friday that it had requested a temporary suspension on the construction of a riverside road project that passes through the Vo Ha Thanh century-old villa, located in the provincial city of Bien Hoa, in order to await a preservation plan.

-- Police in Thach Ha District, Ha Tinh Province, north-central Vietnam said on Friday that they had cracked down on a ring selling counterfeit smartphones, pressing charges against seven suspects and seizing more than 6,000 fake phones from popular brands like iPhone, Samsung, and OPPO.

-- Authorities on Friday recovered the body of a 34-year-old woman, one of the victims in a devastating flash flood and landslide incident that struck Lang Nu, a village in Lao Cai Province, on September 10, killed 58 residents and left nine others missing.

Business

-- Ca Mau Province, southern Vietnam plans to earmark over VND860 billion (US$34.9 million) for a land clearance project to upgrade its airport from 2024 to 2025. The Ca Mau airport will be able to accommodate larger aircraft like Airbus A320s and the equivalents after the upgrade, the provincial Department of Planning and Investment announced on Friday.

World News

-- Tropical Depression Helene brought life-threatening flooding on Friday to wide sections of the U.S. Southeast, where at least 33 people have been killed by a storm that swamped neighborhoods, triggered mudslides, threatened dams and left more than four million homes and businesses without power, Reuters reported.

-- Japan's incoming prime minister, Shigeru Ishiba, said he wanted to clean up his ruling party, revitalize the economy and see off security threats from powerful neighbors after triumphing in his fifth and what he called final leadership bid on Friday, according to Reuters.

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The administration of Ho Chi Minh City will spend VND245 billion (US$9.9 million) from the citys budget upgrading Tran Xuan Soan Street in District 7 in an attempt to tackle flooding along this high-traffic route.

The anti-flooding project was approved at a meeting held by the citys Peoples Council on Friday morning.

The project will be carried out from 2024 to 2025, with the District 7 project management board serving as the developer.

Tran Xuan Soan Street spans some 3.3 kilometers from an intersection with Huynh Tan Phat Street to the Rach Ong Bridge.

It is a high-traffic route linking District 7 with District 8 and District 4, according to the municipal administration.

This street is prone to frequent flooding during rains and high tides, which poses risks to traffic safety.

Local residents and the media have repeatedly voiced their concerns over the issue, highlighting a pressing need for upgrading the road and building a new drainage system.

The project aims to improve drainage and mitigate flooding, enhance environmental sanitation, beautify the urban landscape, and strengthen the infrastructure of the area.

The city will repair and upgrade the existing road surface while maintaining its current width, without the need for site clearance or compensation.

At the meeting, the citys Peoples Council approved an embankment project to prevent erosion along the riverbank adjacent to Tran Xuan Soan Street, with a total investment of approximately VND130 billion ($5.2 million).

Another project to renovate Dang Thuy Tram Street in Binh Thanh District from 2024 to 2027 was also given the green light at the event.

With a price tag of around VND93 billion ($3.7 million), the road renovation project is aimed at improving connectivity between Dang Thuy Tram Street and other major roads such as Nguyen Xi, Pham Van Dong, Luong Ngoc Quyen, and No Trang Long Streets.

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Police in Vietnams southern hub Ho Chi Minh City have helped an American man get back his cellphone two days after he had the item snatched by a local man in the citys District 4.

Law enforcement officers in the district on Friday announced the arrest of Dam Thanh Phuoc, 28, for investigation on charges of snatching.

The victim was 38-year-old Goins Kenneth Roger, a man with U.S. nationality, who received his Samsung S23 Ultra mobile phone on Tuesday, two days after the snatch.

The case occurred at 3:45 am on September 22, when Roger was standing at the lobby of Saigon Royal Apartment Building on Ben Van Don Street in the districts Ward 13, leaving his cell phone on a phone holder about one meter from him.

At that time, Phuoc rode his motorcycle on the sidewalk, approached the site and rapidly seized the phone.

Phuoc then sped up away, leaving Roger running after him in vain.

The foreigner later came to the police office of Ward 13 to report the case, which was later transferred to the district police for investigation.

Dam Thanh Phuoc, a 28-year-old man in District 4, Ho Chi Minh City, southern Vietnam, is seen in police custody after being arrested on charges of snatching on September 24, 2024. Photo: District 4 Police

A hunt for the snatcher was launched in which local police deployed many professional measures to find him.

On September 24, a police team raided a hotel in Binh Chanh District and arrested Phuoc, who was hiding in a room there.

Phuoc pleaded guilty of snatching and said he had sold the phone to a shop in District 1.

Police officers later recovered the item from the shop and returned it to the foreign man on the same day.

Getting back the phone from local police, Roger extended his thanks to all officers who had helped recover the item, which he bought for VND33 million (US$1,340) in October 2023.

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Students from a university in Ho Chi Minh City are turning lotus, banana, and banyan leaves into special bowls and dishes.

At the 2024 Green Growth Product & Service Exhibition held on Nguyen Hue Walking Street earlier this week, a group of students from the Industrial University of Ho Chi Minh City attracted visitors to their booth with creative dishes and bowls made from leaves.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Le Hung Anh, director of the Institute of Environmental Science, Technology and Management at the Industrial University of Ho Chi Minh City, said students first began working on the idea about five years ago.

In the past, they have produced similar products for export made from spathes.

To make dishes and bowls from leaves, the students first clean the leaves before pressing them together under high pressure and temperatures. This helps ensure the final produce will be water, mold, and bacteria resistant. The durability of each product is similar to that of single-use plastic bowls and dishes.

Bowls and dishes made from leaves are waterproof and can decompose quickly. Photo: Nhat Xuan / Tuoi Tre

Anh said the group is able to create products in a variety of shapes and sizes. They are also able to emboss brand logos on their goods.

The students primary goal is to replace the single-use plastic products used at large events, restaurants, tourist sites, and food festivals with those made from leaves.

The production of bowls and dishes from leaves is simple and easy. Small household businesses can make their own, allowing for a boost to the local economy and toward awareness for environmental protection, according to Hung Anh.

Resorts and homestays can use these products to promote themselves to international tourists as they can prove their distinction and environmental protection commitment.

Compared with ceramic dishes and bowls, those made from leaves are more environmentally-friendly as the production of ceramic dishes and bowls releases carbon dioxide and the products themselves are extremely hard to decompose.

Comparatively, those made from leaves can decompose completely within a short period of time and be turned into organic fertilizer.

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The standing board of the Party Committee in Dong Nai Province, southern Vietnam has decided to preserve a 100-year-old villa, situated in Buu Long Ward, Bien Hoa City, to promote its cultural, historical, and architectural values, the provincial Party Committee Office announced on Thursday afternoon.

The 100-year-old villa earlier faced a risk of demolition as it is located within the planned site for a riverside road project.

The provincial Party Committee made the decision after the public proposed retaining the villa.

The committee tasked the relevant agencies with preserving and promoting cultural, historical and architectural values of the villa and coming up with measures to execute the road project in line with the law.

The villa of Vo Ha Thanh, a former local governor, was built in 1922-24 with all building materials imported from France.

It includes two floors and features Western architecture, with its front facing the Dong Nai River.

The villa was used as a filming location for a great Vietnamese movie entitled Nguoi dep Tay Do (The Beauty of Tay Do) released in 1996.

In 2016, it was proposed by authorities for recognition as a historical site, but its owner declined the request.

Dong Nai authorities estimated compensation for the villa's owner at nearly VND5.4 billion (US$219,920).

Local authorities said the riverine road project will encroach on nine meters of the land on which the villa is located, or half of the land lots length.

After many members of the public voiced their backing of the preservation of the villa, several agencies in Dong Nai suggested that the local administration purchase the century-old residence to manage and preserve it properly.

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Media Diversity Australia held its second industry round table at Nines North Sydney offices on September 20, bringing together the CEOs, Managing Directors and other senior representatives from MDA member organisations including from Nine, ABC, SBS, Seven, AAP, The Guardian, ARE Media, Netflix, Junkee Media, Womens Agenda and Hachette Publishing.

The event, saw Australian industry professionals and executives once again gathered to reflect on the year that was and discuss the challenges and opportunities facing the sector.

Attendees included SBSs James Taylor, Nines outgoing CEO Mike Sneesby and Chief People Officer Vanessa Morley, Sevens Chief People and Culture Officer Lucinda Gemmell, ABCs Chief People Officer Deena Amorelli, AAPs Editor Andrew Drummond, the Guardians Deputy Editor Gabrielle Jackson, Womens Agenda Publisher Angela Priestley, Junkee Medias Editor in Chief Alice Griffin, ARE Medias General Counsel & DE&I lead Veronique Maury, Hachette Publishings CEO Louise Stark & Netflixs Clare Walker, Director Business & Legal Affairs.

The event included industry representatives from Federal and State Government as well senior representatives from Google, Meta, Free TV, the Walkley Foundation, the Kennedy Foundation, Public Interest Journalism Institute PIJI, the AFL, Diversity Arts Australia, the National Ethnic and Multicultural Broadcasters Council, WGEA Workplace Gender Equality Agency, Women in Media, Women on Boards, the Australian Human Rights Commission, Deloitte, Telum Media and more.

Representatives from across the media sector engaged in conversation over the issues that need to be tackled, and the action needed to meaningfully progress diversity, inclusion, and equity.

The first part of the event featured introductory remarks from Nines CEO Mike Sneesby, a keynote address by Assistant Minister for Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs Julian Hill who spoke about the real concerns that diversity is still not adequately reflected in Australian mainstream media.

The panel, moderated by Nines Sarah Abo featured AFL DEI Executive Tanya Hosch, Nines Chief People Officer Vanessa Morley and MDAs CEO Mariam Veiszadeh.

The second part of the event featured a closed round table discussion for MDA members and provided a platform for a discussion around inclusion practices, talent pipeline, cultural safety, retention, navigating lived experience and impartiality, and opportunities for further industry collaboration.

Mariam Veiszadeh, CEO of Media Diversity Australia said, MDA has been described as a necessary agitator, an external independent body that can help bring the key media players together to help accelerate change in an industry that has faced its share fair of challenges.

Our role at MDA is to ensure that when the media turns to us for diverse talent through our TalentHub offering, that we support those candidates not just to land a job but to have a thriving career, free from discrimination, ensuring that they feel culturally safe and that media companies are empowered with the tools to support their growth and upward career trajectory.
US District Judge R. Gary Klausner has found against Baby Reindeer being a true story as it purported, and paved the way for Fiona Harvey to proceed with a defamation case.

Harvey, who was never named in the hit Netflix series, identified herself as the shows Martha after internet sleuths added the clues together.

Judge Gary Klausner noted that the series opens with the line This is a true story, inviting the viewer to take what follows as fact. But he found that Marthas behavior on the show is significantly worse than what Harvey is accused of in real life.

There is a major difference between stalking and being convicted of stalking in a court of law, the judge wrote. Likewise, there are major differences between inappropriate touching and sexual assault, as well as between shoving and gouging anothers eyes. While plaintiffs purported actions are reprehensible, Defendants statements are of a worse degree and could produce a different effect in the mind of a viewer.

Creator and star Richard Gadd reportedly had reservations about including the line This is a true story, but that it was included at Netflix request.

It appears that a reasonable viewer could understand the statements about Martha to be about Plaintiff, the judge wrote. The Series states that Plaintiff is a convicted criminal who sexually and violently assaulted Gadd. These statements may rise to the level of extreme and outrageous conduct.

Klausner dismissed Harveys claims for negligence, violation of her publicity rights, and for punitive damages.

Harvey has filed two lawsuits, one in the UK and one in the USA, with the latter set to start in May 2025.

Source: Variety
TCN News

Following the violent unrest in Jainoor, a fact-finding team of social activists visited the Adilabad district and alleged that the incident was politically motivated. They are demanding the establishment of an independent commission to investigate the events and have called for the immediate removal of the Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) and the suspension of the Superintendent of Police (SP) along with other officers for their failure to maintain order during the crisis.

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On the afternoon of September 4, a mob of around 5,000 people from the Vaddara, Vanjara, and tribal communities of Jainoor and surrounding villages attacked and set fire to shops and establishments owned by the Muslim community. According to the fact-finding report, 11 houses, 95 shops and business establishments, 4 mosques, and 42 vehicles belonging to the Muslim community were burnt.

The violence erupted days after a Muslim auto-rickshaw driver was accused of raping and attempting to kill a tribal woman on August 31.

The fact-finding team, which visited the villages surrounding Jainoor on September 14 and 19, alleged that the violence was orchestrated by the BJP and its affiliates to target the Muslim community. The team comprised social activists including Sandhya (POW), Khalida Parveen, Sarah Mathews, SQ Masood, Prof. Padmaja Shaw, Adv. M Mandakini, Kaneez Fathima, and Ansar Sondhe.

The team stated that the communal tension between Adivasi and Muslim communities in the Asifabad district was a conspiracy orchestrated by the BJP to target Muslims. They also alleged that the police failed to take preventive measures against threats to Muslims made by BJP leaders. The fact-finding report further states that no serious attempts were made by the government despite 20 days of violence. The state government also failed to take any action against the culprits.

The group of social activists expressed support for the survivor, who has been relocated to a government hospital and is currently recovering. They noted that the accused had surrendered to the police and was arrested just two days before the outbreak of mob violence.

Therefore, the violence should not be seen as part of the rape case. There has been communal tension in Jainoor since May, and both cases should be investigated separately, the activists told the media on Thursday.

There were calls of Hello Adivasi, Chalo Jainoor a day before the violence. Even common people knew this; how did the police not know? the team questioned, claiming that the incident occurred due to a serious intelligence failure within the police department.

The activists expressed disappointment over the governments failure to issue a strong statement condemning the violence. The team released a 14-point demand, urging the government to conduct a thorough and impartial investigation into the incident, establish peace committees in sensitive villages and towns, and form a National Integration Council in Telangana.

They also demanded the restoration of internet services and the appointment of an independent inquiry commission to investigate the case. The fact-finding team called for immediate reconciliation among communities, an independent inquiry into the incident, and accountability for police officers accused of dereliction of duty.

They found that the Deputy Superintendent of Police handling the case was biased and highly suspicious. On August 14, a large number of people were mobilized and held a rally despite being denied permission by the police. When the rally reached Jainoor, protesters, largely BJP and BRS supporters, started pelting stones at Muslim shops and raised Jai Shri Ram slogans, threatening shopkeepers that their shops would be burnt if they remained open.

The case of the alleged attempted rape and murder of a tribal woman by a Muslim auto driver was reported on August 31, 2024. The woman is currently undergoing treatment in Hyderabad and is recovering slowly. An FIR was registered, and the case was condemned by political and Muslim community leaders.

Taking advantage of this incident, BJP and BRS leaders started a campaign against the Muslim community by instigating the Adivasi community. They initiated a social media campaign, Chalo Jainoor, against Muslims, provoking other communities and framing it as an issue of Love Jihad. It was found that many news reporters played a key role in spreading misinformation through WhatsApp groups, which exacerbated the situation.

Locals allege that this is revenge politics because Muslims did not vote for the BRS. The BRS leader provided names to the police, resulting in the arrest of many Muslims. The police continue to target Muslim youth.

It was observed that the BJP, along with right-wing organizations, is working with a Hindutva agenda. The team demanded the immediate adoption and implementation of guidelines to promote communal harmony and the implementation of the Prime Ministers 15-point program meant for minorities. Checkposts should be removed, and the internet should be restored, the report states.

The Fact-finding Committee has mailed the detailed report to the Chief Minister and are now seeking an appointment with the Chairperson of the Minority commission to ensure justice is done and no such incidents will not take place in the future.
Dee Ann Haney, a former Texas City commissioner, arrives at the Galveston County Courthouse on Thursday, Feb. 8, 2024, as her trial continues. Haney is charged with two counts of manslaughter in connection to the 2017 crash that killed Hong Le and Duoc Le. JENNIFER REYNOLDS/The Daily News/Jennifer Reynolds/The Galveston County Daily News

A former elected official from Texas City, who earlier this year was convicted of negligent homicide over a 2017 crash that killed two people on the Galveston Causeway, on Thursday night was arrested for DWI and could now have her probation revoked, according to the Galveston County District Attorney's Office.

Dee Ann Haney, 61, was arrested in Texas City late Thursday night after police received reports of a reckless driver, which resulted in Haney being arrested for driving while intoxicated.

Haney is a former Texas City city commissioner who in February was convicted of criminally negligent homicide in the deaths of Hong Phuc Le and Duoc Van Le. The father and son died when Haney's pickup truck hit them on the Galveston Causeway in the early hours of July 3, 2017. The men had gotten out of their truck to secure a loose load and were on the side of the causeway when they were hit.

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Haney is not alleged to have hurt anyone in the most recent traffic stop.

According to an affidavit, Haney was stopped around 11 p.m. Thursday while driving in the 1700 block of Bay Street in Texas City. Another driver had called police after noticing a pickup truck driving with its hazard lights on, according to the affidavit.

When stopped, Haney claimed that she had been driving away from a park after being attacked by three people, according the affidavit. The witness told officers that she saw Haney rolling on the ground and screaming outside her truck, before she got up and stumbled to her vehicle.

Haney also told officers she had taken medication at some point during the day, and drank a beer about three hours before she was pulled over. She failed a field sobriety test and was arrested, according to the affidavit.

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The Galveston County District Attorney's office on Friday afternoon announced prosecutors were seeking to revoke Haney's probation. Haney was being held in custody without bond until a hearing could be held on the motion to revoke, according to the DA's Office.

"The District Attorneys Office intends to prosecute the motions to revoke probation and the new DWI case to the fullest extent allowed by the evidence and the law," the DA's office said in a press release.

The effort to revoke Haney's probation comes seven months after her conviction over the 2017 crash.

Haney had been driving back to Texas City from Texas A&M University in Galveston, where she worked for the school's occupational health and safety department. She had been called to the Galveston campus just after midnight because of a water leak.

Haney was initially charged with DWI in connection to that crash, after telling police she had smoked marijuana hours earlier. Drug tests later concluded that Haney didn't have THC in her system at the time of the crash. She did, however, have a sleeping aid and muscle relaxants in her system, according to testimony from her trial.

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Haney would later tell a grand jury that she took her attention off the roadway in front of her because of a passing vehicle, and tried to swerve to avoid the men in the road. Police would later testify that the men were standing in the shoulder of the causeway.

Haney's trial lingered for six years before it proceeded in February. A jury convicted her, but decided to sentence her to 10 years community supervision. One of the conditions of Haney's sentence was that she "never become intoxicated" and abstain from the use of alcohol, according to court records. Prosecutors' motion to revoke Haney's probation also accuses her of failing to perform the 16 hours of monthly community service that was required under her sentence.
By Ly Ly Cao

Additional report by Bao Hoa

One year following the advancement of the Viet Nam-US relationship into a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, bilateral collaboration has flourished across essential domains, notably in economy and technology, yielding mutual advantages for both nations.

The historic elevation of Viet Nam-US relationship was announced by late Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and President Joe Biden on September 10, 2023, during the latter's official visit to Viet Nam.

After a year, the two countries economic relationship remains strong, forward-looking and positive, with numerous high-level reciprocal visits between delegations from the two countries.

The US continues to be Viet Nams largest export market, while Viet Nam has ascended to become the eighth largest trading partner of the US, and the foremost trading ally within the ASEAN region.

Notably, it stands as the sixth biggest importer of goods for the US.

Bilateral trade volume has been steadily increasing at an average rate of around 16 per cent per year.

In the first eight months of the year, two-way trade turnover surged to almost US$88 billion, marking a substantial 22 per cent increase from 2023, statistics from the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) showed.

Particularly, Viet Nams exports to the US reached $77.9 billion, up 24.5 per cent from the previous year, while imports from the US amounted to $9.8 billion, reflecting a 5.3 per cent uptick.

A significant milestone is the US's newfound status as the primary export market for Viet Nams agricultural and aquatic products, with a turnover of $8.58 billion in the first eight months of this year, constituting 21.4 per cent of the total.

Recently, Alexis Taylor, undersecretary of the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), led the largest agricultural trade delegation ever to Viet Nam, bringing representatives from 50 businesses and nine states departments of agriculture to mark the first anniversary of Viet Nam-US Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

In June, US Ambassador to Viet Nam Marc Knapper led a record 65-strong delegation of Vietnamese businesses to the SelectUSA Investment Summit in Washington, DC.

The first Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Economic Dialogue, which was a new forum to discuss economic and policy cooperation, was also held in June. The US Mission to Vietnam, through USAID, is supporting Viet Nams growing digital economy, through an MoU signed with the MoIT for a US$3.2 million new programme focused on digital trade.

USAID also launched a partnership with Agribank and VPBank to expand finance opportunities for small and growing enterprises in the agriculture sector.

In the past, it was common for government-level delegations, such as the USDA and the Viet Nam Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD), to meet for discussions, negotiations, and exchanges. Now, we witness delegations from state and local agricultural departments, business associations and most recently, a group of American female farmers, visiting and collaborating to share insights with Vietnamese farmers, Nguyen o Anh Tuan, director of the Department of International Cooperation under MARD, told Viet Nam News.

These examples epitomise the deepening bonds within the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between Viet Nam and the US in agriculture.

Tuan also said that Viet Nam had exported nine types of fruit to the US. Both parties were now actively pushing to further open the US market for Vietnamese dragon fruit, in return Viet Nam approved in August the import of California nectarines and peaches.

Soon, there will be a wider array of fruits available for trade between the US and Viet Nam. For instance, the US market has shown interest in seedless limes, jackfruit and guava from Viet Nam, Tuan added.

The US market, being vast and diverse with strong growth potential, would provide an excellent opportunity for distinctive tropical products that are native to Viet Nam and not commonly found in the US.

This would leave more room for Vietnamese enterprises. However, Tuan warned businesses wishing to expand to the US market to be extremely careful, given the competitive landscape and strict import requirements here.

There are numerous formidable competitors, such as from South America, as well as significant sources from Southeast Asian nations and domestic producers within the US, in addition to imports from the EU, Tuan said.

Meanwhile, many top US companies were eyeing investments in Viet Nams greener agriculture sector, he added.

Collaborating closely, these firms and institutions were exchanging expertise through joint scientific projects. Notably, a US-backed initiative was looking at efficient fertilizer use in Viet Nam.

Plans were also underway for a major project to enhance the Mekong Delta's resilience to climate change, showcasing strengthened Viet Nam-US cooperation.

A boost in investments

The US ranks as the 11th largest foreign investor among 108 countries investing in Viet Nam, showcasing a diverse investment portfolio, according to the US Embassy in Ha Noi.

By early 2024, the US boasts approximately 1,340 investment projects in Viet Nam, with a cumulative capital exceeding $11.8 billion.

Conversely, Viet Nam has initiated 230 investment projects in the US with a registered capital nearing $1.3 billion, positioning the US as the seventh out of 80 countries and territories receiving investments from Viet Nam.

In the first half of 2024, Viet Nam injected $18.7 million into the US economy.

Throughout 2023 and early 2024, several major US corporations such as Boeing, Nike, Exxon Mobil, Amazon, Marriott, Coca-Cola, Google, Facebook, and Netflix, have expanded their presence in Viet Nam and affirmed their commitment to further expanding operations and investments in the country.

Concurrently, numerous Vietnamese enterprises such as FPT and Vinfast are actively broadening their investment footprint in the US, fostering mutually advantageous outcomes.

Both parties maintain a regular exchange aimed at fortifying cooperation and deliberating on avenues to enhance collaboration in emerging sectors that align with their respective needs, notably the semiconductor industry.

The US Mission to Viet Nam on September 11 launched the new $4 million ITSI-CHIPS Workforce Accelerator Programme in Ha Noi and HCM City, to build capacity in the semiconductor industry.

According to the Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC), the workforce demand for information technology (IT) and other digital industries in Viet Nam is estimated at about 150,000 engineers per year.

The countrys actual labour force can only respond to about 40-50 per cent of this figure, while for the semiconductor industry, only around 20 per cent of its labour demand can be met.

Ambassador Knapper said that the programme laid a strong foundation for deeper collaboration across the full bread of the bilateral relationship, including in the critical field of semiconductors.

The US is proud to invest in Viet Nams future through workforce development programs that create lasting partnerships. Together, we are building institutional ties that will shape the semiconductor industry here for years to come, Knapper said.

This programme will develop curricula designed to help Vietnamese professionals with the skills and knowledge needed to excel in this rapidly evolving industry.

Our collaboration goes beyond just training and education. We are also working closely with Viet Nam on land foundations for the broader semiconductor ecosystem, as well as deepening Viet Nams connections to global supply chains, paving the way for sustainable economic growth and technological advancement.

Furthermore, Viet Nam continues its dialogue, pushing for the speedy recognition of its Market Economy Status (MES) by the US following the US Department of Commerce's decision not to acknowledge Viet Nams MES on August 2, 2024.

Both parties are also committed to bolstering the Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) mechanism, facilitating the exchange of business delegations, with the overarching goal of reinforcing and broadening the scope of their trade relations. VNS
SEOUL  The Khanh Hoa  Republic of Korea (RoK) investment promotion conference took place in Seoul on September 27, drawing over 150 Korean firms.

The event, co-organised by the Khanh Hoa People's Committee, the Vietnamese Embassy in the RoK, the Korea Federation of Small and Medium Enterprises (FOMEK), and the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA), showcased Khanh Hoa's potential and strength.

Leading the provincial delegation, Chairman of the Khanh Hoa People's Committee Nguyen Tan Tuan presented the province's compelling investment landscape, saying that the province boasts favourable natural conditions, including its expansive coastline and three major bays - Van Phong, Nha Trang, and Cam Ranh - which offer ample space for development.

With a well-developed transportation infrastructure encompassing road, sea, and air networks, Khanh Hoa has become one of the most dynamic economic hubs in Viet Nam's south central coast region, renowned for the tourist city of Nha Trang.

In recent years, Khanh Hoa has proactively shifted its economic model, focusing on sustainable tourism and green industry, Tuan said. "Our goal is to become a leading marine economic hub and a top smart urban area in Asia."

Hailing the RoK as one of the most important economic partners, particularly in investment and tourism, Tuan said that with a total direct investment of US$359.97 million, accounting for 9.18 per cent of the province's total foreign investment, Korean firms have made substantial contributions to Khanh Hoa's socio-economic growth.

According to him, the locality is developing key industries that align with strengths of Korean enterprises, including information technology, software production, artificial intelligence, and semiconductor.

In the food processing industry, Khanh Hoa holds great potential thanks to its abundant and quality raw materials. It is also calling for investments in maritime, logistics and renewable energy.

Notably, high-tech manufacturing and supporting industries for shipbuilding have been identified as key sectors crucial to local economic development strategy. The province plans to work closely with universities and colleges to train a skilled workforce that meets market demand.

Participants discussed investment incentives focusing on industrial parks and clusters in the province.  VNS
HA NOI  Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Vietnam Oil and Gas Group (Petrovietnam) Le Manh Hung has had a working session with leaders of Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP) - a global leader in renewable energy investments  within the framework of his recent visit to the US.

Founded in 2012, CIP is now the worlds largest dedicated fund manager within greenfield renewable energy investments and a global leader in offshore wind. It is managing 12 funds which focus on investments in offshore and onshore wind, solar PV, biomass and energy-from-waste, transmission and distribution, reserve capacity, storage, advanced bioenergy, and Power-to-X.

On March 7, 2024, Petrovietnam and CIP signed a Memorandum of Understanding, focusing on collaboration and knowledge and technology sharing in the field of green energy transition, and the assessment of cooperation opportunities for developing offshore wind projects in Viet Nam and related issues.

During the meeting, the two sides discussed the implementation of the document, particularly in the offshore wind sector. They evaluated the opportunities for developing offshore wind projects in Viet Nam, shared information on the global offshore wind supply chain, and assessed the supply chain in Viet Nam. Additionally, they exchanged views on the development and perfection of mechanisms and regulations related to this field.

Hung expressed his belief that with the strengths of each party, the upcoming collaboration between CIP and Petrovietnam will yield positive results in developing renewable energy, enhancing energy efficiency, and integrating advanced technologies, in line with the strategic development goals of both sides.  VNS
A NANG  Viet Nam and Thailand have been implementing action plans as part of the enhanced strategic partnership between the two countries, with a target of boosting bilateral trade turnover to US$25 billion.

Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Minh Hang stated at the opening ceremony of the Meet Thailand conference in the central city that the two countries have strengthened connections in the supply chain and business exchanges as well as development policy links between Viet Nams Green Growth and Thailands Bio-Circular-Green Economy.

The Meet Thailand conference in a Nang is a positive move after two successful Meet Thailand events in the northern Lao Cai Province and central Quang Tri province. It aims to exchange opportunities between the two countries, while promoting cooperation among ministries, industries, localities and businesses in Viet Nam and Thailand, Hang said.

The event will offer initiatives in clearing barriers to cooperation and development links between the two countries, she said.

Hang said a Nang is a key gateway to the Asia Pacific and the East-West Economic Corridors connecting Thailand, Myanmar, Laos and Viet Nam with good investment infrastructure.

Head of the Royal Thai Consulate General in HCM City Wiraka Moodhitaporn said the event would build links in support industries' supply chains between the two countries, local economies and small to medium-sized enterprises as well as strategic sustainable connections.

Thailand has remained as Viet Nam's largest trading partner in ASEAN, and ninth in the list of foreign investors in the country. Thai businesses have been building brands of quality, with responsible investors, community support and corporate social responsibility policies in every investment destination in Viet Nam, Wiraka Moodhitaporn said.

Thai businesses provide community support programmes and scholarships for localities in Viet Nam. Thailand, in cooperation with a Nang University, officially opened a Thai language course of study in 2006, she said.

She noted that universities in Thailand will welcome students from a Nang to their international educational programmes.

Wiraka Moodhitaporn also said that Thailand and Vietnamese localities could promote cooperation in sustainable tourism and hi-tech agriculture.

Vice chairman of Ca Mau province, Nguyen Minh Luan, shared that the Mekong Delta provinces in Viet Nam could build up a popular tourism service  'One Road with three destinations'  with the northeast region of Thailand.

He said Ca Mau and Thailand could join hands in eco-tours, especially considering the available waterway conditions and sea-based economic development.

Nguyen Thi Hoang, vice chairman of ong Nai Province, said Thai investors have spent US$1.3 billion on 42 projects, or 3.7 per cent of the province's total foreign direct investment (FDI) capital.

She said Amata Corporation Public Company was one of the first investors from Thailand in the province, starting in 1994.

According to Hoang, ong Nai has been developing a port system, while the Long Thanh International Airport project will soon begin construction.

Pham Van Trong, vice chairman of Tien Giang Province, proposed that Thai partners and Tien Giang businesses could cooperate in hi-tech agriculture and fruit exports, while sharing solutions for saline intrusion and erosion prevention.

Pornchai Saibuangam, general director of Thai Viet Corporation, a livestock farm business, said the company has invested in Viet Nam's Quang Nam Province.

He said the company could benefit from the competitive input cost of production and labour in Viet Nam.

We are aware of environmental protection and business responsibilities to the local community in production, Pornchai Saibuangam shared.

Paranyu Vitanakorn, accounting and finance director of Hi-tech Apparel company, said the firm has built 13 plants in Asia, including one in Quang Nam, for garment production.

He said the company has also expanded its production lines in Quang Nam due to good business conditions, especially the cost of labour.

[The] airport and sea port system is available as well as favourable logistics services for exports. We can find raw material for manufacture locally rather than importing it, Paranyu Vitanakorn said.

a Nang and Khon Kaen, Thailand signed a Memorandum of Understanding in tourism and investment in 2022.

Meanwhile national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines has launched a direct a Nang-Bangkok route.
HA NOI  The Trade Remedies Authority of Viet Nam (under the Ministry of Industry and Trade) has announced that South Africa has officially initiated an investigation into alleged tax avoidance and anti-dumping practices on car, bus, and truck tyres imported from Viet Nam, Thailand, and Cambodia.

The move is based on allegations that these products are avoiding anti-dumping taxes that South Africa has already imposed on similar goods from China.

The products under investigation include car, bus, and truck tyres classified under the following South African import codes: 4011.10.01, 4011.10.03, 4011.10.05, 4011.10.07, 4011.10.09, 4011.20.16, 4011.20.18, and 4011.20.26. The plaintiff in this case is the South African Tyre Manufacturers Conference, which initiated the investigation on 20 September 2024, alleging a dumping margin of up to 84 per cent for Viet Nam.

The anti-dumping investigation period is set from 1 November 2023 to 31 May 2024. Meanwhile, the anti-circumvention investigation covers four phases: from 1 March 2022 to 30 September 2022, from 1 October 2022 to 30 April 2023, from 1 April 2023 to 31 October 2023, and from 1 November 2023 to 31 May 2024.

Earlier, in May 2023, the International Trade Administration Commission of South Africa (ITAC) imposed anti-dumping duties on car, bus, and truck tyres originating from China, with a tax rate ranging from 7.18 per cent to 43.60 per cent.

According to the Trade Remedies Authority, relevant documents, including a public version of the investigation application, the notice of initiation, and the investigation questionnaire, will be sent by ITAC to relevant Vietnamese manufacturers and exporters within seven days of the initiation date, specifically on 27 September 2024.

Involved enterprises are required to submit their responses to the questionnaire by 15:00 on 28 October 2024 (South African time) via postal mail to: The Senior Manager, Trade Remedies II, Private Bag X753, Pretoria, 0001, South Africa. In the event of any arguments or comments related to the case, companies may also send their submissions to the aforementioned address.

ITAC will carry out subsequent steps, including issuing preliminary and final conclusions, conducting on-site verification, and holding hearings to verify the information. This will facilitate a decision regarding the alleged tax avoidance, damage to the domestic industry, and the causal relationship.

The Trade Remedies Authority recommends that associations and relevant producers and exporters thoroughly review the investigation application, the initiation notice, and the guidelines and regulations provided by South Africa. Moreover, full cooperation in responding to the questionnaire and providing information as requested by ITAC is crucial.

In addition, businesses should consider diversifying their export markets, as if South Africa imposes anti-dumping duties, other member countries of the Southern African Customs Union (including Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa, and Eswatini) might take similar actions. Regular communication with the Trade Remedies Authority will ensure timely support and the latest information.  VNS
HAI DUONG  Chinas Deli Group broke ground for its new stationery manufacturing plant at the ai An Expanded Industrial Park in Hai Duong Province on 28 September, with a total investment of US$270 million (VN6.49 trillion).

The factory, covering an area of 21.248 hectares, is set to operate for 50 years. Once completed, it is expected to produce over 104 million stationery and household items made from paper and plastic annually.

Additionally, the plant will manufacture more than 2.4 million electronic products, including personal computers, photocopiers, and shredders, as well as 22.5 million rubber products such as balls, sticks, and mats.

The anticipated revenue is estimated at around US$5 million per year.

Founded in 1981, Deli Group is headquartered in China and has research and innovation centres in Germany and the United States. Deli is currently a leading enterprise with a diverse and high-quality product portfolio, popular in 140 countries and regions, including the United States, Europe, South America, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia.

Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Ho uc Phoc praised the thorough preparation and close coordination between Hai Duong Province's departments and the investor. He emphasised that this is a significant foreign direct investment (FDI) project, funded by one of China's leading companies, and expressed confidence that it will contribute positively to the province's development in the coming period.

Deputy Prime Minister Ho uc Phoc also reiterated that the Vietnamese Government prioritises digital transformation and green transition as core strategies for restructuring the economy and promoting sustainable growth. He urged the investor to utilise modern technologies and green materials to create environmentally friendly products.

He assured that Viet Nam will continue to improve its legal framework, foster a fair and favourable business environment, listen to and promptly address difficulties to support investors and businesses in achieving sustainable development. He also requested Hai Duong Province to accompany and assist the investor during construction and operation, ensuring compliance with legal regulations.

Le Ngoc Chau, Chairman of Hai Duong Provincial Peoples Committee, stated that the province is fully prepared to welcome both domestic and foreign investors. The provincial authorities are committed to providing every favourable condition to ensure that projects are implemented on schedule and achieve high efficiency.

To date, Hai Duong has attracted 584 foreign investment projects from 27 countries and territories, with a total capital of over US$10.5 billion. The province also hosts 1,761 domestic investment projects, totalling nearly VN113 trillion, ranking fourth in the Red River Delta region and eleventh nationwide. According to the plan up to 2030, Hai Duong will have 32 industrial parks with a total area of 5,661 hectares.

At the groundbreaking ceremony, Chairman Le Ngoc Chau presented the investment certificate to Deli Group. On this occasion, Deli Group also donated VN2.5 billion, including VN2 billion in cash and 30,000 sets of school supplies, to the Viet Nam Fatherland Front in Hai Duong Province to support recovery efforts following the impact of Typhoon Yagi.  VNS
HAVANA  Party General Secretary and President To Lam and his spouse have extended their deepest gratitude to First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba Central Committee and President of Cuba Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez and his spouse in a message following his state visit to Cuba.

The message also extended thanks to Revolutionary Leader Gen. Raul Castro Ruz, as well as Cuban Party and State leaders and people for their profound friendship and warm hospitality during his three-day visit that concluded on September 27.

Lam described Cuba as a beautiful and heroic nation, noting that the warmth and hospitality of the Cuban people had left a deeply profound and close impression on him, his spouse, and the Vietnamese delegation.

He wrote that his first visit to Cuba in the new capacity is a continuation of the policy of prioritising Viet Nam-Cuba ties of Viet Nam's Party and State, as well as generations of Vietnamese leaders, especially late Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong.

He and the high-ranking Vietnamese Party and State delegation were extremely pleased with the substantive and meaningful outcomes of this visit, especially the discussions with Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez, the talks between high-ranking delegations of both parties and states, and his meetings with Revolutionary Leader Gen. Raul Castro, President of the National Assembly of People's Power Esteban Lazo Hernandez, and Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz.

The meetings with Cuban people and youth of both countries once again demonstrated the noble revolutionary ideal and the deep understanding and shared experiences between the two countries' people, fostering strong ties over more than 64 years of shared ups and downs in history, he wrote.

The top leader said he firmly believes that the strong consensus between Vietnamese and Cuban leaders during this visit will play a decisive role in strengthening political trust and strategic coordination, and promoting more effective and comprehensive cooperation across all key pillars and areas.

The consensus also demonstrates the resolute determination of the countries Party and State leaders to work and move forward together, bringing the bilateral traditional solidarity, special friendship, and comprehensive cooperation into a new phase of substantive and sustainable development, for the sake of their people and for peace, stability, cooperation, and development in the regions and the world.

He wished First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba (PCC) Central Committee and President of Cuba Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez and his spouse, Cuban revolutionary leader General Raul Castro Ruz, and leaders of the Cuban Party and State good health, happiness, and more important successes.

The leader expressed his hope that the traditional solidarity, special friendship, and comprehensive cooperation between Viet Nam and Cuba would continue to thrive.  VNA/VNS
HAVANA  Viet Nam and Cuba have issued a joint statement on strengthening the traditional solidarity, special friendship and comprehensive cooperation in the new period.

The joint statement was issued right after General Secretary of the Communist Party of Viet Nam (CPV) Central Committee and President of Viet Nam To Lam, his spouse and the high-ranking delegation of Viet Nam concluded a state visit to Cuba from September 25 to 27 at the invitation of First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba (PCC) Central Committee and President of Cuba Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez and his wife.

During the visit, the top Vietnamese leader held talks with Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez, and met with President of the National Assembly of People's Power of Cuba Esteban Lazo Hernandez and Politburo member and Prime Minister of Cuba Manuel Marrero Cruz.

General Secretary and President To Lam paid a courtesy visit to the Cuban revolutionary leader, General Raul Castro Ruz, reaffirming the special nature of the Viet Nam-Cuba friendship and the development of solidarity, cooperation, and mutual trust between the Parties, States, and people of both countries.

He laid wreaths at the monuments of Cuban national hero Jose Marti and President Ho Chi Minh, and visited the Mariel Special Development Zone. He also had friendly meetings with Cuban friends and younger generations.

Recognising Lam's valuable contributions to the bilateral relationship over the years, the President of Cuba awarded him the Order of Jose Marti, the highest honour in Cuba.

The two sides appreciated the outcomes of the state visit, stressing that this is the first visit of the General Secretary of the CPV Central Committee and President of Viet Nam to Cuba.

The visit marks an important milestone in the relationship between the two countries, ushering Viet Nam-Cuba relations into a new phase of substantive and sustainable development for the benefit of their people, for socialism, and for peace, cooperation, and development in each region and globally. It reflects the appreciation, deep affection and unwavering support of the Vietnamese Party, State, and people for Cuba's noble revolutionary cause.

The Vietnamese side reaffirmed its solidarity and steadfast support for Cuba's efforts to overcome its difficulties and challenges. It believed that under the leadership of the Communist Party of Cuba and the direction of the revolutionary leader, General Raul Castro Ruz, and First Secretary and President Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez, the Party, State, and people of Cuba will consistently pursue their goals, maintain national unity, and further strengthen their position and role in the region and the world.

The Cuban side congratulated Viet Nam on the tremendous achievements of historical significance attained after nearly 40 years of oi Moi (Renewal) process. It expressed strong support for Viet Nam and believed that under the sound leadership of the CPV, led by General Secretary and President To Lam, the Party, State, and people of Viet Nam will successfully implement the Resolution of the 13th National Party Congress and successfully organise the 14th congress in early 2026, realising the goal of making Viet Nam a developed, high-income socialist-oriented country by 2045.

The two leaders reaffirmed that the special friendship, cooperation, and traditional solidarity between Viet Nam and Cuba are a symbol of the era and a priceless asset of both Parties and the people of the two countries. They expressed their determination to continue inheriting and promoting the enduring legacies of President Ho Chi Minh and the historical leader of the Cuban revolution, Fidel Castro, who were pioneers in preserving and enhancing the fine, special and traditional friendship and cooperation between the two nations.

Expressing satisfaction with the growing Viet Nam-Cuba relations across all levels and sectors, they reaffirmed their determination to elevate the bilateral special relationship to a new height, aiming for more comprehensive, substantive, effective and sustainable growth.

Both sides agreed to step up the exchange of delegations, especially those at the high level, increase theory exchanges and sharing of experience in building socialism and Party building. They also concurred on the need to improve the effectiveness of cooperation mechanisms between the two Parties and their advisory bodies.

They agreed on the importance of promoting exchanges and cooperation between cities, provinces, and specialised agencies of each country.

In terms of legislative coordination, they vowed to strengthen legal and judicial cooperation, creating a legal framework to facilitate bilateral economic, trade, and investment activities, ensuring that commitments can be implemented feasibly and sustainably.

In addition to forging closer ties in national defence-security and external relations, they promised to deepen economic, trade, and investment ties by enhancing exchanges, removing obstacles, and fully leveraging the Viet Nam-Cuba Trade Agreement to boost trade turnover and diversify bilateral trade.

Ministries, agencies, and localities were tasked with expanding collaboration in potential and priority sectors such as agriculture, food processing, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, healthcare services, energy, telecommunications, tourism, construction, transportation, high technology, digital transformation, and others.

A commitment was also made to jointly study and propose new models for agricultural cooperation. This initiative aims to help Cuba increase its production capacity, develop its agricultural sector, and ensure food security.

Both sides commended the outcomes of recent people-to-people exchanges and agreed to further enhance collaboration between their socio-political organisations and localities. They underscored the importance of nurturing and educating younger generations to cherish, preserve, and further develop the exemplary, loyal, and special relationship between the two nations. They declared 2025 as the "Viet Nam-Cuba Friendship Year," and agreed to jointly organise practical activities to commemorate the 65th anniversary of the nations diplomatic relations (December 2, 1960  2025).

The two sides stressed their complete alignment on international issues of mutual concern. They agreed that international disputes must be resolved through peaceful means, based on respect for international law and the United Nations Charter. Relations between nations must be founded on the principles of respect for independence, sovereignty, equality, and the right to self-determination of peoples, in line with the basic principles of international law, including mutual respect for territorial integrity and non-interference in each other's internal affairs.

Both sides reaffirmed the inviolable right of all nations to develop equally, according to their own national conditions, without discrimination or external interference. They highlighted the necessity of responsible use of information technology, communications, the Internet of Things, particularly artificial intelligence, and social media to foster development, happiness, harmony, peace, and knowledge.

The two leaders expressed their satisfaction with the active mutual support and cooperation between the two nations at international organisations and multilateral forums of which they hold membership, particularly the United Nations.

Viet Nam always supports the just cause of the Cuban people, calling for the immediate and unconditional lifting of unilateral, unjust economic, trade, and financial sanctions imposed on Cuba, as well as the immediate removal of Cuba from the unilateral list of state sponsors of terrorism. Viet Nam supports efforts to improve Cuba-US relations and to expand cooperation between them on issues of mutual interest based on equality and respect for each countrys independence, sovereignty, and political system.

Both sides recognised the role of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), and the Forum for East Asia-Latin America Cooperation (FEALAC) in promoting friendship, peace, and cooperation, based on mutual respect, non-interference, tolerance, and peaceful coexistence, as stated in the declaration of Latin America and the Caribbean as a Zone of Peace.

Party General Secretary and State President To Lam thanked the Party, State and people of Cuba for the warm and thoughtful reception accorded to him and the high-level Vietnamese delegation. He extended an invitation to First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba Central Committee and President of Cuba Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez to make an official visit to Vietnam in 2025, and the latter graciously accepted the invitation. The visit will be arranged through diplomatic channels.  VNA/VNS
Houston rapper Jeffery Archangel, also known by his stage name, Skyler Jones, takes a walk around downtown after speaking to media Monday, Sep 24, 2024, in the office of his Houston attorney, Andino Reynal, regarding his arrest and subsequent imprisonment for about 4 years before being released in September of 2022. Kirk Sides/Staff photographer

Jeffery Archangel spent more than four years in jail for a murder he says he didn't commit, and now the Houston rapper wants to hold the city and two officers accountable for the years of his life he lost.

In a newly filed lawsuit against the city of Houston and two police officers, David Crowder and Alexander Vinogradov, attorneys for Archangel argue homicide detectives conducted a shoddy investigation and ignored evidence that showed Archangel might not have been responsible for the shooting death of 18-year-old Javier Flores, who died protecting his mother during a Subway sandwich shop robbery.

I thought I was never coming home, Archangel said of his time in jail. Its just bad, bro. Its just bad.

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MORE FROM HOUSTON CHRONICLE: Texas orders license plate reading camera company to stop operating immediately

Jeffery C. Archangel, 25, turns himself in to the Houston Police Depart accompanied by community activist Quanell X, Friday, May 5, 2017, in Houston. Archangel has been charged with capital murder in the Feb. 22 fatal shooting of an 18-year-old Subway restaurant. Marie D. De Jesus/Houston Chronicle

Once detectives settled on Archangel as the suspect, they ignored initial eyewitness accounts of the crimes gave descriptions of a suspect that was much younger than the 25-year-old Archangel, the lawsuit asserts. Investigators also included a years-old photo of Archangel in photo arrays they gave to witnesses and didnt investigate a video he gave them allegedly containing a confession of the crime from someone who wasnt him.

Court filings list a missing witness as the reason prosecutors decided to dismiss a murder and aggravated robbery charge against Archangel.

Representatives for the Houston Police Department referred questions about the lawsuit and murder investigation to the city. Officials with the city confirmed the officers named in the case had been served and that the torts and civil rights section of the city attorneys office would handle the case in court, but declined to comment beyond that.

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Officials with the Harris County District Attorneys Office, when asked for comment about the lawsuits claims, declined to comment except to say the criminal filings speak for themselves.

While speaking to media Monday, Sep 24, 2024, in the office of his Houston attorney, Andino Reynal, right, Houston rapper Jeffery Archangel, left, also known by his stage name, Skyler Jones, recalls being arrested and subsequently imprisoned about 4 years before being released in September of 2022. Kirk Sides/Staff photographer

Homicide investigation turns toward Archangel

Archangel said, growing up, hed always heard stories about people wrongfully jailed and accused of crimes they didnt commit. But even when it was people he knew and trusted telling him those tales, he could never fully believe it, he said.

He heard from his mom that the man his sister was dating was facing some legal trouble. Court filings allege detectives received an anonymous tip that his sister's boyfriend was the person responsible for the Subway killing, but investigators quickly turned their attention to Archangel after a visit to his residence.

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The 18-year-old Subway employee was shot to death in front of his mother during a robbery and another Subway was robbed later, records show. An anonymous tipster named his sister's boyfriend as a potential suspect in the Subway shooting and detectives found a gun at the residence Archangel shared with his sister, according to the lawsuit. Her boyfriend told investigators the gun belonged to Archangel and wasnt his.

Her boyfriend was later shot and killed in 2018, according to a Houston Police Department release at the time.

People pay their respect at a vigil held for the 18-year-pold Subway employee Javier Flores Thursday, Feb. 23, 2017, in Houston. Flores was killed when he tried to get between an armed robber and his mother, another employee. Yi-Chin Lee/Houston Chronicle

Lawyer says there were holes in investigation

F. Andino Reynal, Archangels civil attorney, said his client had no criminal history before he was charged for the murder and robbery and that he couldnt have committed the crimes because he was elsewhere at the time.

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A witness at the scene of the fatal shooting also described young men as those who committed the crime, one as young as 14 and the other around 18, the lawsuit asserts. But in an affidavit summarizing the witness statements, homicide detectives described someone between 18 to 25 as having committed the shooting. It's not clear why there was a discrepancy between the two documents.

Detectives then used a photo of Archangel from his drivers license, which he took shortly after getting his license in his teenage years  he was 25 in 2017  in photospreads they showed witnesses, the lawsuit asserts.

A witness to the nonfatal robbery  the case for which Archangel was first charged - told investigators at the time that he wouldnt be able to identify a suspect because he didnt see the persons face, the lawsuit asserts. But investigators asked him to try to pick the person closest in appearance before showing him a photo array.

Archangel said he even went so far as to convince a friend to talk with his sisters boyfriend while secretly recording the interaction, getting the man to talk about having committed the shooting. Archangel said he turned that video over to police, but never heard anything about it.

Max Vasquez, brother of 18-year-pold Subway employee Javier Flores, and his mother put flowers at the make-shift memorial at the vigil prepared for Flores Thursday, Feb. 23, 2017, in Houston. Flores tried to get between an armed robber and his mother, another employee, and was killed. Yi-Chin Lee/Houston Chronicle

Searching for a future

At the time of his arrest, Archangel says he was on the verge of career success. Hed worked for years to build a career in the music industry, performing as Skyler Jones, and was near signing a recording contract, he said.

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But the music industry moves quickly, Archangel said, and opportunities have been virtually nonexistent since his release from jail years later.

Archangels yearslong jail stint also put significant strain on his family, he said. His mother was prescribed antidepressants, he said. And his sister didnt visit him the first six months he was in jail.

While speaking to media Monday, Sep 24, 2024, in the office of his Houston attorney, Andino Reynal, Houston rapper Jeffery Archangel, also known by his stage name, Skyler Jones, folds his hands as he recalls being arrested and subsequently imprisoned about 4 years before being released in September of 2022. Kirk Sides/Staff photographer

The two siblings have only recently begun rebuilding their relationship, in part reeling from the death of their grandmother and their mother falling into ill health, he said.

Its some semblance of the family we were, Archangel said.

But job opportunities are still slim and far between, he said. And he is still trying to figure out a life after spending years in jail.

I was 25 when this started and 29, going on 30, when I got out, he said. But I still felt like I was 25, until I started talking with other 25-year-olds. Thats time they took away, that I didnt get to see. I feel robbed of opportunity.

Correction: The spelling of Jeffery Archangel's name has been corrected.
HA NOI  Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh hosted a reception in Ha Noi on September 27 for newly-appointed German Ambassador to Viet Nam Helga Margarete.

At the meeting, PM Chinh congratulated Margarete on receiving her new assignment in Viet Nam, believing that the Ambassador's experience would contribute positively to the relationship between the two countries.

The PM is pleased to see that after nearly five decades, the Viet Nam-Germany relations have continued to develop fruitfully, especially after the Viet Nam visits by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in November 2022 and German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier in January 2024, creating new momentum for the bilateral relations.

Currently, Germany is Viet Nam's largest trading partner in the European Union (EU) with trade turnover reaching over US$11 billion in 2023, and more than $8 billion in the first eight months of 2024. Educational cooperation between the two countries is developing positively with more than 7,500 Vietnamese students studying in Germany and the Viet-German University project operating effectively.

PM Chinh highly appreciated the German governments creating conditions for the Vietnamese community to live and work stably in Germany.

Towards the 50th founding anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries in 2025, the PM proposed the two sides coordinate to organise meaningful activities such as exchanging high-level delegations, organising Germany Days in Viet Nam and Viet Nam Days in Germany to further deepen the cooperative relationship.

He suggested both sides take advantage of the opportunities of the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), ask the German parliament to soon approve the EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA), urge the European Commission (EC) to soon remove IUU yellow card against Vietnamese seafood and strengthen cooperation and mutual support at international and regional forums.

On this occasion, PM Chinh thanked the German Government for providing Viet Nam with a large number of vaccines during the COVID-19 pandemic as well as Germany's sympathy and support through multilateral mechanisms to help Viet Nam overcome the consequences of recent Typhoon Yagi.

Margarete expressed her honour to take on the assignment in Viet Nam, affirming that Viet Nam is a key partner of Germany in the region and pledging to make every effort to promote the relations between the two countries.

On this occasion, the Ambassador offered her sympathy with the loss of life and property of the Vietnamese people after Typhoon Yagi and said Germany would continue to support Viet Nam through multilateral mechanisms.

Margarete highly appreciated the good development of the bilateral relations, and agreed to coordinate with Vietnamese agencies to carry out activities commemorating the 50th founding anniversary of diplomatic relations.

The diplomat spoke highly of Viet Nam's role at international and regional forums and said that in the coming time, she wishes to further promote cooperation between the two countries in all fields, especially education, training, skilled labour, and climate change adaptation.

Regarding international and regional issues, including the East Sea issue, the two sides heightened the basic principles of international law, and agreed to resolve disputes by peaceful means and ensure security, safety, freedom of navigation and aviation in the East Sea (internationally known as South China Sea), on the basis of international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) 1982.  VNS
HAVANA  General Secretary of the Communist Party of Viet Nam Central Committee and State President To Lam had a meeting with the leader of the Cuban revolution General Raul Castro Ruz in Havana on September 27 morning (local time) as part of his state visit to the Caribbean country.

The event was also attended by First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba Central Committee and President of Cuba Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez.

Briefing Raul Castro on the major contents of his earlier talks with Miguel Diaz-Canel as well as his meetings with President of the National Assembly of People's Power of Cuba Esteban Lazo Hernandez and Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz, Lam said the two sides evaluated that his visit was a success and achieved practical outcomes, helping to consolidate and tighten the political trust and close sentiments between the two Parties, States and peoples.

They also concurred on comprehensive cooperation orientations in all areas, with the relationship between the two Parties playing the role as the political foundation and shaping up strategic orientations for the bilateral ties, while defence, security and external relations are enhanced, and economic, trade and investment ties promoted, particularly in the domains of rice production and energy.

Lam laid stress on the support of Commander-in-Chief Fidel Castro for Viet Nam, which, he said, became a symbol of the era and has been a valuable legacy of the Viet NamCuba relations and thanked Raul Castro for his sentiments for Viet Nam and significant contributions to the bilateral relationship.

He took this occasion to thank the Cuban Party, State and people as well as Raul Castro for their special gestures over the passing of late Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, while affirming to continue intensifying the special relationship, comprehensive cooperation and solidarity with the Cuban people, helping them overcome this tough time.

Lam went on to introduce Viet Nams achievements after nearly 40 years of oi Moi (renewal), share Viet Nam's socialism building experiences and appreciate the efforts made by the Cuban Party, State and people in resolving difficulties and challenges and concretising the resolution adopted at the 8th National Congress of the Communist Party of Cuba.

Raul Castro, for his part, welcomed Lams visit and expressed his delight at the success of the trip. He recalled his memories and impressions of his visits to Viet Nam as well as generations of Vietnamese leaders, saying he has admired the heroic Vietnamese people who were resilient and unyielding in the past struggle for national independence and reunification.

He believed that with that spirit and sound direction, the Vietnamese Party, State and people will continue obtaining new achievements on the path of socialism building.

Speaking highly of Viet Nams renewal experiences, including the building of a strong and pure Party, he said Cuba could learn from Viet Nams lessons as the Caribbean nation is updating its socio-economic model.

He urged Miguel Diaz-Canel and other Cuban leaders to direct ministries and sectors to concretise the agreements reached between the two sides during Lams visit, bringing practical benefits to the two countries' people, for peace, stability and sustainable development in the two regions and the world.

On the occasion, Lam invited Raul Castro to revisit Viet Nam and the latter accepted the invitation with pleasure.  VNS
HA NOI  The freshly-ended trip to the US by Party General Secretary and State President To Lam and a high-ranking Vietnamese delegation to attend the United Nations Summit of the Future, the High-level General Debate of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA)s 79th session and working sessions was a success, achieving all set goals and tasks with nearly 50 bilateral and multilateral activities.

Talking with the press, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son highlighted the strategic importance of the trip which took place one year after Viet Nam and the US officially upgraded their relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, and ahead of the 30th founding anniversary of diplomatic ties next year.

This was Lam's first multilateral diplomatic trip, where he delivered keynote speeches at the UNGA, conveying a strong and clear message that affirmed Viet Nam's foreign policy direction set by the 13th National Party Congress. His speeches underscored Viet Nam's commitment to multilateralism, international law and the UN Charter, while sharing insights and collaborating with other nations to address global challenges.

Son stressed that Viet Nam continued to show its image of a peaceful, stable, friendly, dynamic, innovative, trustworthy, and responsible member of the international community, a country with strong socio-economic development and its desire to contribute to the common affairs for global peace, cooperation and development. These further cemented the countrys growing role, position, and reputation on the global stage, he said.

During the trip, Lam engaged in dozens of meetings with leaders of other nations and international organisations. Partners expressed their respect for Viet Nam's growing position, role and influence, agreeing to enhance comprehensive cooperation in traditional areas while expanding into new fields such as innovation, green technology, and digital technology.

Through 27 meetings with incumbent and former officials of the US Administration and Congress, business communities, friends, experts, scholars, students, and the Vietnamese community, as well as policy speeches at the Columbia University, the Vietnamese leader urged the US to uphold its commitments to Viet Nam's key priorities, including the market economy issue and breakthroughs in emerging areas like AI, semiconductors, quality human resource training, cybersecurity, and post-war recovery efforts.

A highlight of the trip was talks between US President Joe Biden and Party General Secretary and State President To Lam, which, Son said, reflected the US's genuine respect for Viet Nams political system, the leadership of the Communist Party of Viet Nam and its desire to further strengthen the bilateral Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

Numerous agreements and memoranda of understanding were also reached between partners and businesses, particularly in quality workforce training, hi-tech, and clean energy, according to the official.

Asked about priorities to translate the outcomes of the trip into action, Son stressed the need for Viet Nam's proactive, active, responsible, creative, and effective engagement in the UNs activities and multilateral forums.

To foster strategic and mutually beneficial cooperation with the US, he suggested continuing to enhance political trust through exchanges and visits via various channels and at all levels, especially at the high level.

Economic, trade, and investment collaboration, a core area and driving force of the bilateral ties, should also be a priority for businesses of both countries to thrive.

Sci-tech cooperation, a breakthrough area of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, should be lifted to a new height, with a focus on the fields of semiconductor, artificial intelligence, green transition, and quality workforce training.

Regarding national defence-security, he proposed effectively realising existing agreements, with the settlement of war aftermaths as a top priority, including dioxin decontamination, clearing landmines in hotspot areas, supporting those with disabilities while locating, recovering and identifying the remains of Vietnamese soldiers. Viet Nam will also continue to fully cooperate with the US in the search for its servicemen missing in action during the war.

Another proposal is to increase coordination and contribute more to peace, stability, and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific and Indian Ocean, upholding ASEAN's central role and ASEAN-US comprehensive strategic partnership, as well as the Mekong-US Partnership. Additionally, he suggested improving the effectiveness of joint work to tackle non-traditional security challenges such as climate change, cybersecurity, and water security.

The official concluded by underlining the importance of dialogues, sharing and mutual support to narrow differences.  VNS
NEW YORK  Ambassador ang Hoang Giang, Permanent Representative of Viet Nam to the United Nations (UN) on September 27 expressed his hope for closer coordination with the Representative Office of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in the issues of mutual concerns at the UN forums.

Meeting with Andreas Schaal, Director for OECD Global Relations and Cooperation, as well as the OECD Sherpa to the G7, the G20 and APEC, Giang affirmed that the OECD has played an important role in the enhancement of the implementation of the sustainable development goals (SDGs), global management as well as support for developing countries in the areas.

The ambassador highlighted that the organisation could have a significant part in bridging the substantial gap between developed and developing countries while appreciating the OECDs technical assistance to Viet Nam to deliver on its set target of becoming a high-income nation by 2045.

Schaal, for his part, extended his condolences over the passing of late General Secretary of the Communist Party of Viet Nam Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong as well as the losses and difficulties that the Vietnamese people have suffered from typhoon Yagi.

He said Viet Nam and the OECD have enjoyed close coordination in carrying out the SDGs as well as in many other areas, expressing his wish to set up information exchange mechanisms with developing countries, the Group of 77 (G77) and ASEAN.  VNS
HAVANA  A delegation of the Vietnamese National Assembly (NA) led by Vice Chairman Nguyen uc Hai paid a working visit to Cuba from September 21 to 27 to concretise the protocol on cooperation between the two parliaments.

Authorised by NA Chairman Tran Thanh Man, Hai co-chaired the first meeting of the Viet Nam-Cuba Inter-parliamentary Cooperation with President of the National Assembly of People's Power of Cuba Esteban Lazo Hernandez.

At the event, the two sides affirmed their resolve to support and enhance the solidarity, friendship and special traditional cooperation between the two nations as well as the important role of the parliamentary collaboration in consolidating and promoting the special fraternal solidarity.

They underscored the necessity to expand the inter-parliamentary relationship between the two NAs and agreed to foster close collaboration bilaterally as well as at regional and international forums, consolidate coordination capacity, enhance and regularly supervise activities to effectively carry out the cooperation documents signed between the two nations.

Earlier, the committees of the two NAs held meetings on several issues such as economy, finance, energy, health care, dialogue, defence and security. The parliamentarians of both sides shared their practical legislation experiences.

During his stay in Cuba, Hai and the delegation visited the Mariel Special Development Zone in Artemisa province to study the local socio-economic situation and discuss with the Cuban side about Viet Nams investment projects in the zone.

Additionally, the delegation also had working sessions with the Office of the Comptroller General during which the two sides discussed measures to enhance bilateral audit cooperation.

Hai and the delegation also laid a wreath at the monument dedicated to President Ho Chi Minh at the park named after the late leader in Havana.  VNS
GENEVA  The United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) on September 27 adopted the outcomes of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR)s fourth cycle for Viet Nam, as part of its 57th regular session.

This adoption marked the completion of the fourth cycle review regarding the protection and promotion of human rights in Viet Nam and paved the way for the next phase of implementing recommendations.

Led by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs o Hung Viet, the Vietnamese delegation presented the country's stance on the recommendations made in the fourth-cycle UPR. They also provided updates on Viet Nam's human rights situation and highlighted the country's efforts to ensure the safety, stability and swift recovery of livelihoods and production for people during and after typhoon Yagi.

The event drew around 90 representatives from various countries, international and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) with consultative status to the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), including Vietnamese NGOs.

Viet informed the UNHRC of Viet Nam's decision to accept 271 out of the 320 recommendations made by countries at the May 2024 dialogue session on its national report, achieving an acceptance rate of 84.7 per cent, the highest across the four UPR cycles.

Viet Nam reaffirmed its commitment to protecting and promoting human rights, as well as its respect for the UPR mechanism and the UNHRC. This stance was developed through a careful review of the recommendations, with the full involvement of relevant agencies, he said.

A comprehensive plan to follow these recommendations will be built and launched with the full involvement of all stakeholders, based on the spirit of dialogue and cooperation, Viet said.

In its update to the UNHRC on the protection and promotion of human rights, Viet highlighted Viet Nam's ongoing efforts to strengthen relevant legal frameworks by promulgating and amending several key laws related to human and civil rights. Significant progress has also been made in gender equality, empowering women, and protecting vulnerable groups, he noted.

The official also spotlighted Viet Nams 2024 amnesty policy, which will grant clemency to thousands of prisoners, helping them reintegrate into society and make positive contributions to the community.

Representatives of various countries, international organisations, and NGOs praised Viet Nams serious participation throughout the UPR process, particularly for accepting a high proportion of recommendations and developing a well-structured follow-up plan.

They also commended Viet Nams impressive achievements in protecting and promoting human rights, especially amid challenges such as the pandemic, climate change and natural disasters.

Viet Nams progress in multiple areas was acknowledged, including improving institutions and laws relating to human rights, socio-economic development, innovation, sustainable poverty reduction, and ensuring social welfare and the rights of vulnerable groups. Many countries encouraged Viet Nam to continue leveraging its experiences and best practices in carrying out the UPR recommendations.  VNA/VNS
NEW DELHI  The State Audit Office of Viet Nam (SAV) was elected as one of the two members of the Asian Organisation of Supreme Audit Institutions (ASOSAI) Audit Committee for the 2024-2027 term at the second plenary session of the 16th ASOSAI Assembly in New Delhi, India, on September 27.

The election of the SAV to the ASOSAI Audit Committee for the first time marks a stride in its capacity for global integration and professional expertise in international cooperation. It reflects Viet Nams ability to effectively adapt and apply advanced international knowledge and experience from ASOSAI and its member institutions to enhance its auditing capabilities.

It also underscores Viet Nams persistent commitment to being an active and responsible member of the international auditing community. This milestone follows Viet Nam's successful tenure as ASOSAI Chair for the 2018-2021 term and its role as a member of the ASOSAI Governing Board for three consecutive terms, from 2015 to 2024.

At meetings on the sidelines of the 16th ASOSAI Assembly, Deputy Auditor General Bui Quoc Dung expressed gratitude for the support provided by other Supreme Audit Institutions (SAIs) to the SAV during its tenure as ASOSAI Chair for the 2018-2021 term, as well as bilateral relations with Viet Nam.

Dung also expressed his strong desire to further deepen the relations between the SAV and other SAIs, aiming for more widespread, practical and effective cooperation in the future.

The 16th ASOSAI Assembly adopted the New Delhi Declaration, which serves as a roadmap to strengthen ASOSAI members' commitments to equality, transparency, and innovation. The declaration focuses on leveraging public digital infrastructure to provide equitable access to services, aligning with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The four-day event, inaugurated by Indian President Droupadi Murmu on September 24, drew the attendance of over 200 delegates from 42 SAIs across Asia.  VNS
PHNOM PENH  A delegation of the Communist Party of Viet Nam (CPV) Central Committee's Commission for Information and Education, led its Standing Vice Chairman Lai Xuan Mon, paid a working trip to Cambodia from September 26 to 30.

During the visit, Mon, who is a member of the CPV Central Committee, paid a courtesy call to Vice President of the Cambodian Peoples Party (CPP) and Chairman of the Standing Board of the CPP Central Committee Samdech Say Chhum, held talks with member of the CPP Central Committee and Chairman of the CPP Central Committee's Commission for Publicity and Education Tak Sun Y, and had a working session with Minister of Information Neth Pheaktra.

His visit continues affirming Viet Nams foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, multilateralisation and diversification of external relations and helps consolidate and deepen the relations with partner countries and traditional friends, including the friendship neighbourliness and comprehensive cooperation with Cambodia. Besides, it contributes to enhancing cooperation between the two countries via the Party channel, particularly between the two commissions which are in charge of the political and ideological work of the two Parties.

At the events, Mon expressed his belief that under the judicious reign of King Norodom Sihamoni, the sound leadership of the Senate and National Assembly as well as the effective management of the Government, with the CPP at the core, the Cambodian people will continue obtaining further achievements in the cause of national construction and development.

He affirmed that Viet Nam always backs the CPP and Cambodias national protection, construction and development, adding the country always treasures and give its top priority to enhancing and developing the ties with the neighbouring country and will do its utmost to join hands with Cambodia to preserve, nurture and develop the relations in a deeper and more practical and effective manner.

In the information and education work, the CPV Central Committee's Commission for Information and Education will direct the enhancement of the popularisation of the history of the bilateral relations, the achievements that Cambodia has obtained while fighting and refuting hostile views and distorted information about the relationship between the two countries, Mon stressed.

He spoke highly of the positive and close coordination of Cambodian agencies in supporting and creating favourable conditions to handle the legal residency of people of Vietnamese origin in the country and remove bottlenecks for Vietnamese firms to land their investments in the host nation.

Say Chhum congratulated Viet Nam on the great achievements that it has attained over the past time under the leadership of the CPV and conveyed his condolences over the human and asset losses that the Vietnamese people have suffered from Typhoon Yagi.

He affirmed that the Cambodian Government and Prime Minister Hun Manet are promoting the strong cooperation with Viet Nam for the development and prosperity of the two nations.

The official said that he supports cooperation activities between the two commissions and asked them to continue close collaboration to concretise the cooperation agreements between the two Parties, including educating people of both countries, particularly the youth, about the traditional solidarity and friendship between the two nations.

At the talks between the two commissions, the two sides concurred to enhance discussions and coordination to carry out high-level agreements, exchange professional expertise and raise public awareness of the Viet Nam-Cambodia friendship as well as the socio-economic development in each nation under the leadership of the CPV and the CPP.

In the framework of his visit, Mon also had a meeting with the staff of the Vietnamese Embassy in Cambodia during which he asked them to make efforts and contribute to promoting bilateral and multilateral external activities, helping to improve Viet Nams position and prestige in the international arena.

Visiting Metfone, a subsidiary company of the Viettel Military Industry and Telecoms Group in Cambodia, he expressed his delight at the firms robust development as well as its implementation of various digital transformation projects in Cambodia, helping to foster the traditional friendship and comprehensive cooperation between the two nations.  VNS
HA NOI  Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh hosted a reception in Ha Noi on September 28 for Commissioner General of the Korean National Police Agency (KNPA) Cho Ji-ho, who is in Viet Nam to attend the second Viet Nam-Republic of Korea (RoK) police cultural and sport exchange programme.

PM Chinh expressed his gratitude to the RoK for its assistance to help Viet Nam overcome the aftermath of recent Typhoon Yagi, as well as during the COVID-19 pandemic.

He praised the practical and effective cooperation between the Vietnamese Ministry of Public Security and the KNPA, especially their collaboration in information exchange, training, infrastructure, and international cooperation, which has contributed to deepening the comprehensive strategic partnership between Viet Nam and the RoK.

The PM suggested building on this momentum to foster political trust through the exchange of delegations and promote practical cooperation between the Vietnamese public security force and the RoK's police force. This would contribute to enhancing the Viet Nam-RoK relationship in a deeper and more comprehensive and effective manner with a focus on strengthening economic, trade, and investment ties, particularly in labour cooperation, capacity-building projects for the Vietnamese public security force, and mutual support at multilateral forums.

PM Chinh proposed the two sides protect the legitimate rights and interests of the Vietnamese community in the RoK as well as the Korean community in Viet Nam, especially Vietnamese-Korean multicultural families. He also requested the KNPA to advocate for the RoK government to waive visa requirements for Vietnamese citizens.

Cho, for his part, thanked and highly appreciated the PM's efforts to boost the bilateral ties, especially in national defence-security.

He noted that this was his first overseas trip in his current position based on the importance of the bilateral relationship and vowed to further advance the ties between the two nations.

The guest proposed that the Vietnamese side, under the direction of the PM, create a safe and favourable environment for Korean citizens and businesses in Viet Nam. In return, the RoK is committed to ensuring security and safety for Vietnamese tourists and citizens residing in the East Asian country.  VNS
MEXICO CITY  Member of the Communist Party of Viet Nam (CPV) Central Committee and Vice Chairman of its Commission for Information and Education Le Quoc Minh has called on countries to strengthen solidarity and join hands to effectively carry out initiatives as well as new cooperation proposals to promote regional integration and international linkages.

Minh, who is also Editor-in-Chief of Nhan Dan (People) Newspaper and Chairman of the Viet Nam Journalists Association, made the statement while leading a CPV delegation to attend the 27th international conference Political parties and a new society in Mexico City from September 25 to 29 at the invitation of the Mexican Labour Party (PT).

According to the official, in a world of uncertainties with various turning-point transformation and multidimensional international crisis, countries should step up discussions about the essence of the changes and their challenges as well as share experiences to better adapt to the new situation.

He said the annual conference has become an important forum to share experiences, spotlight challenges to parties and countries, and discuss measures to promote peace, cooperation, development and social advancement.

Highlighting Viet Nams socio-economic development, Minh said that the country, under the leadership of the CPV, has obtained major achievements over the past nearly four decades of oi Moi (renewal), with the average economic growth of 6.5 per cent, the GDP rising over 54 folds to US$430.5 billion during 1986-2023, and deep international integration.

He attributed the renewal processs achievements to the supplementation and development of Marxism-Leninism and Ho Chi Minh Thought in the specific situation of Viet Nam based on lessons learned from the success and failure of the real socialist model in the 20th century. He added that Viet Nam is also developing a theory of comprehensive human development, liberating people from all forms of oppression and injustice while placing the people at the centre and identifying the development of education and training as a top national policy.

The country aims to achieve progress and social equity in every step and policy of development as well as pay attention to environmental protection, he stressed.

Regarding the nations foreign policy, Minh stated that Viet Nam always chooses on justice and righteousness, supports the settlement of all international disputes and disagreements through peaceful diplomatic negotiations as well as respect for each others legitimate interests for peace, stability and development of the region and the world.

The CPV stands ready to exchange and share experiences and lessons from its renewal process with all parties and countries, the official noted.

At the event, foreign participants discussed Viet Nams path to socialism and the historic lessons from its struggle for national independence.

During his stay in Mexico, Minh had a meeting with PT General Secretary Alberto Anaya Gutierrez, who conveyed his condolences to the Vietnamese Party, State and people over the passing of late General Secretary of the CPV Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong and the losses caused by Typhoon Yagi.

Gutierrez expressed his admiration for the achievements that Viet Nam has attained over the past decades, adding that he has meticulously studied documents about President Ho Chi Minh and Viet Nams revolutionary path and its path to socialism.

Minh, for his part, said that the CPV is ramping up preparations for its 14th National Congress, identifying human resources as the foundation, science-technology and innovation as the breakthrough to bring the nation to a new era, an era of the nations rise.

He took this occasion to thank and appreciate the PT for its cooperation with and support for Viet Nam to publish books, photo newspapers and documents introducing Viet Nam's noble struggling history and achievements of the renewal process, saying this demonstrates the close relations between the two Parties.

Minh and the CPV delegation also had a working session with representatives from Mexicos ruling National Regeneration Movement (Morena party) and the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI).

Earlier, they had a working session with the Vietnamese Embassy in Mexico and laid a wreath at the monument to President Ho Chi Minh at the freedom park of ethnic groups in Mexico City.  VNS
The tower of the Morris Family Center for Law & Liberty building on the campus of Houston Christian University is shown on Friday, June 7, 2024 in Houston. Close to 1 in 5 incoming freshmen at Houston Christian University this fall will attend without having submitted a traditional application. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer Renderings show the Smith Engineering, Science and Nursing Building, expected to be completed in fall 2026. Photo courtesy of Kirksey Architecture

Houston Christian University will construct a new STEM facility on the growing campus, using a $20 million donation that amounts to the largest gift in the private institution's history, school officials said.

The donation from Sherry and Jim Smith, Sr. will fund part of the $60 million building, which will host new classrooms and labs for students in engineering, science and nursing. The university is chasing an enrollment goal of 10,000 students by 2030, and the student population has continued to rise from its 2021 starting point of roughly 3,800.

About 4,276 students enrolled in fall 2024  including 1,234 students at HCU's online campus, according to university data.

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To provide our students with critical learning experiences that will carry them into their future careers, it is important that our physical spaces match the high quality of our faculty and curricula, said Katie Evans, dean of the College of Science & Engineering. The new building will not only provide excellent lab spaces for experimentation, but also the additional space creates the opportunity for HCU to transform existing spaces into active learning classrooms that will support high impact teaching and learning practices.

Crews will build the Smith Engineering, Science and Nursing Building as a three-story, 71,000-square-foot structure on the east side of campus, next to the Morris House, school officials said.

The Smiths are counted among HCU's most well-known families, as Jim's father, Orrien Smith, was one of the university's founders. Jim Smith, a real estate developer, served on the school's board of trustees from 1990 to 1999 and is a current adviser to the board on university development projects. The family also funded a concert pipe organ for the Belin Chapel, which was installed in 2009.

Jim and Sherry have, for decades, worked tirelessly on behalf of the University, and have used their gifts, as well as their wisdom, to further the Christian mission of HCU," University President Robert Sloan said. "This gift will produce spectacular results in the important STEM-related areas of engineering, science, and nursing, not only for HCU, but also for Houston and well beyond. We will forever be indebted to this great family."

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HCU's Board of Trustees approved the $60 million funding for the building in May. The project team is Kirksey Architecture and Churchworx, a firm known for faith-based projects.
HA NOI  Viet Nams Military Engineering Unit Rotation 2 has successfully fulfilled its peacekeeping mission at the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) and was welcomed home with a ceremony at Ha Noi-based Noi Bai International Airport on September 28.

Major General Pham Manh Thang, Director of the Viet Nam Department of Peacekeeping Operations under the Ministry of National Defence, lauded the efforts made by the soldiers during their one-year term in Abyei, leaving lasting impressions on international friends and local people in particular about a friendly, responsible and noble Viet Nam.

They helped promote the image of Uncle Ho's soldiers as well as Vietnamese blue beret soldiers to the world and create close links between the local administrations, residents and the UNs peacekeeping force, thus creating favourable conditions for the next units to successfully carry out their missions, he affirmed.

Colonel Nguyen Viet Hung, head of the unit, said within one year in Abyei, the unit repaired a 59-kilometre road linking Sudan and South Sudan, opened new patrol routes with a total length of 337 kilometres, towered 86 vehicles of the UN stuck in mud, ensured the construction, maintenance and consolidation of a helicopter landing site.

The unit also carried out other special missions as requested by the UNISFA on the basis of the MoU signed between the Vietnamese Government and the UN to support humanitarian activities in areas with difficulties while engaging in humanitarian assistance to local people, he added.  VNS
HCM CITY  The Vietnam Medical Association and AstraZeneca in collaboration with VNews television, on Saturday launched an online seminar series named Gia Nhu 2024-2025 to enhance awareness of and inspire the community to prioritise health and adopt healthy lifestyles.

It will consist of live streaming sessions broadcast on the "GIA NHU - Hieu som, Hieu ung, Song khoe" fan page from 9:00 AM to 10:00 AM on the last Saturday of each month.

The episodes will be rebroadcast on VNews television at 7:45 PM the following Sunday.

Gia Nhu 2024-2025 will feature seminars and discussions led by invited guests and medical experts from Viet Nam for raising awareness about non-communicable and chronic diseases.

The inaugural live stream, coinciding with World Heart Day on September 29 with the theme "Action from the Heart," delves into "Controlling blood lipids to prevent myocardial infarction and strokes" and offers crucial insights on managing and preventing cardiovascular diseases, a leading health concern.

According to statistics from the Ministry of Health, the incidence of common non-communicable diseases has risen rapidly with a significant number of people now affected.

The healthcare sector faces challenges related to public awareness of chronic and life-threatening diseases, partly due to limited health literacy.

Encouraging a deeper understanding of health among the populace is pivotal as it fosters disease prevention, early detection and optimal treatment practices.

The initial "Gia Nhu" programme, aired in 2021 and 2022, garnered a wide audience with over 400,000 followers and engagements on social media platforms.

Atul Tandon, country president of AstraZeneca Vietnam, said: In addition to our goal of advancing science to bring about life-changing medicines, we also focus on raising awareness and providing patients with useful and practical medical knowledge so that they can better understand and care for their health and those around them.

By creating a healthy and knowledgeable community, we are contributing to building a sustainable healthcare system for all the people of Viet Nam."

This year's lineup promises innovative content and formats to enhance dissemination and interaction among followers to create a more engaged and informed audience.  VNS
A documentary about Vietnamese coffee aired on Bloomberg for the first time

The short documentary titled Trung Nguyen Legend's Vision for Vietnamese Coffee - The Robusta Awakening is produced by Bloomberg and broadcast in Asia Pacific, the United States, Europe, and India.

Trung Nguyen Legend has witnessed the success of The Tao of Coffee, produced by Warner Bros. Discovery and aired globally since November 2023, alongside the "The Tao of Coffee: From Beans to Beauty" article published on CNN.com in July 2024.Trung Nguyen Legends Vision for Vietnamese Coffee: The Robusta Awakening on Bloomberg continues to leave an impression on an international audience.

Miss Tieu Vy and runner-up Kim Duyen experienced the coffee culture of the Central Highlands at the Buon Ma Thuot coffee hub, a major supplier of Robusta coffee beans to the world.

World-famous for its in-depth content on economics, finance, and global consumer trends, with influence across more than 100 countries, Bloomberg provides an objective and realistic perspective on the journey of Trung Nguyen Legends efforts to enhance the value of Vietnamese Robusta coffee beans globally.

With a 3-minute duration, Trung Nguyen Legends Vision for Vietnamese Coffee - The Robusta Awakening has brought to international audiences vivid, fast-paced, and captivating footage of the Buon Ma Thuot coffee hub and the image of Vietnam as a coffee powerhouse. The film also highlights the great vision of founder and chairman of Trung Nguyen Legend Group Dang Le Nguyen Vu and Trung Nguyen Legends efforts to awaken Vietnamese Robusta coffee beans," regaining a worthy position for Vietnams coffee industry with a $20 billion vision.

Trung Nguyen Legend pioneers in awakening Vietnamese Robusta coffee beans

Beginning Trung Nguyen Legends Vision for Vietnamese Coffee - The Robusta Awakening, Bloomberg stated, So much of the world's Robusta beans are grown in Buon Ma Thuot, Dak Lak province, that Vietnam is now the world's second-largest producer of coffee. However, citing data on Robusta and Arabica coffee transactions, Bloomberg noted, The value and versatility of Robusta havent always been reflected in its trading price, which is usually lower than Arabica.

Miss Grand International Thuy Tien experienced coffee meditation civilisation at the launch of the Trung Nguyen E-Coffee 2024 versionThree coffee civilisation community.

As a result, the trading price of Robusta coffee also limits the recognition of Vietnamese coffee culture values and the position of Vietnamese coffee in the international market. This is a challenging problem that Bloomberg has suggested for Vietnams coffee industry.

The documentary features rich natural scenery, vast coffee farms, and the diverse coffee ecosystem of Trung Nguyen Legend in the Vietnamese Robusta coffee hub, from coffee processing factories to coffee enjoyment models, Coffee World, Coffee World Museum, and Coffee City. Bloomberg leads international audiences to explore the journey of "awakening" Vietnamese Robusta coffee beans of Vietnams No. 1 coffee brand.

Along with G7, in July 2024, Trung Nguyen E-Coffee, one of three shop models by Trung Nguyen Legend, "represents a culmination of the company's strategy to elevate Vietnamese coffee culture, according to CNN.

A $20 billion vision for Vietnams coffee industry

10 years ago, at the World Economic Forum, Dang Le Nguyen Vu, founder and chairman of Trung Nguyen Legend Group, initiated 7 initiatives for the global coffee industry and received enthusiastic responses from experts across many fields around the world. Chairman Dang Le Nguyen Vu shared, "Vietnam's coffee industry can fetch a profit of $20 billion per year if we know how to do better than now as well as formulate a national coffee industry development strategy."

Trung Nguyen Legend has pioneered in realising the initiatives Rethinking the concept of coffee and Diversification of coffee styles, habits, standards, and culture, gradually elevating Vietnams coffee industry to a higher level. Today, Vietnam is not only the worlds Robusta coffee producing powerhouse but also a centre of initiating unique coffee culture and philosophy.

In particular, Trung Nguyen Legend has contributed to changing the world's perception. Besides Arabica, there are Robusta coffee beans. There are not only the American and Italian coffee styles, but also the styles of Vietnam, Turkey, and Ethiopia. Along with coffee brands from Europe and America, it is vital to prioritise brands from other coffee-growing countries to create diversity in the global coffee culture. Coffee is not just a drink; it is also an experience and a lifestyle.

Miss USA runner-up Chhavi Verg experienced Trung Nguyen Legend Coffee World in the US, which serves phin- and espresso-based coffee drinks using 100-percent Vietnamese-grown Robusta and Arabica beans.

In Trung Nguyen Legends Vision for Vietnamese Coffee - The Robusta Awakening, the founders vision is illustrated by Bloomberg via the statistics from international coffee organisations. In 2024, the price of Robusta soared to a 45-year high, from $2.225 per ton to over $5,000 per ton and even $6,000 per ton.

In nearly the first six months of the year, Vietnam's coffee exports reached $3.2 billion, marking a 34.5 per cent increase compared to the same period last year. Vietnam's coffee export revenue is estimated to reach a new record of $6 billion in 2024, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Along with the soaring demand of Vietnamese Robusta coffee consumption globally, the unique selling point of Buon Ma Thuot Robusta coffee beans is blending harmoniously without losing their identity as the best Robusta beans in the world from Vietnam." As Vietnam and the future of coffee become increasingly entwined, your next cup is never too far from the beans of Buon Ma Thuot, Bloomberg comments.

Regarding the journey to realise the $20 billion vision for Vietnams coffee industry, Bloomberg emphasised the Robusta awakening efforts of Trung Nguyen Legend to turn Robusta coffee beans into coffee products, coffee experiences and coffee lifestyles that are loved and welcomed on a global scale.

G7 Instant Coffee  a brand representing Robusta awakening

Bloomberg noted Trung Nguyen Legends signature G7 Instant Coffee is the brand representing The Robusta Awakening,"bringing Vietnamese coffee beans to the world and "achieving a balance between coffee-producing and coffee-consuming countries.

G7 is named after Trung Nguyen Legends ambition to reach all G7 nations, the worlds largest coffee consumption markets. The charm, difference, and superior quality of G7 come from the world's most delicious Buon Ma Thuot Robusta coffee beans. This, coupled with modern processing technology, creates a leading Vietnamese coffee product brand. G7 not only meets the needs and tastes of global coffee consumption, but also creates a wave of Robusta coffee consumption in coffee powerhouses.

G7 Gold  The new generation of G7 coffee has officially appeared on Amazon, continuing to bring global coffee lovers new coffee experiences from Vietnam.

As of present, G7 has been present in 100 countries and territories, supplying 2.5 billion coffee packets per year. G7 is ranked one of five leading coffee brands in China, according to Discovery. As a new generation G7, G7 Gold features three flavours of Ottoman, Roman, and Thien coffee civilisations. Since its launch in late 2024, the brand is leading consumption trends, bringing new experiences for global coffee lovers.

The representative of Trung Nguyen Legend stated in the documentary, Chairman Vu's prophecy has come true. Coffee is the solution for a more harmonious and sustainable future. At the end of the documentary, Bloomberg once again stated the unique and special value of Robusta coffee beans from Vietnam and the $20 billion vision for the Vietnamese coffee industry initiated by Trung Nguyen Legend. "In Vietnam, coffee is more than a drink. It is also a future," Bloomberg stated.

The documentary Trung Nguyen Legends Vision for Vietnamese Coffee - The Robusta Awakening is being broadcast on Bloomberg TV and social networking sites like LinkedIn, YouTube, and Bloomberg websites in the markets of Asia Pacific, the US, the EU, and India until November 7, 2024. Please watch the film at: The Robusta Awakening.

The Tao of Coffee by Warner Bros. Discovery promotes Vietnamese coffee On November 30, the documentary The Tao of Coffee, produced by global media company Warner Bros. Discovery, aired on the Discovery Channel in Vietnam, South Korea, Japan, India, and other countries and territories in Asia.

"The Tao of Coffee" philosophy promoted by CNN "The Tao of Coffee", a philosophy initiated by coffee firm Trung Nguyen Legend, continues to be promoted globally by CNN.
Starting with very little expertise in exporting software and driven by a determination to put Vietnam on the global digital map, FPT has recently surpassed the milestone of $1 billion in IT service revenue from foreign markets for the first time in its 25 years.

Few people know that behind the current achievements of this company lies a long journey and an unwavering spirit of continuous learning to reach world-class standards. According to Chu Thi Thanh Ha, chairwoman of FPT Software, a subsidiary company specialising in IT outsourcing of FPT Group, "Top talents create a world-class company."

Driving motivation towards world-class standards

FPT Software first went global with the mindset of 'knowing nothing but moving forward' and the first few years saw the company endure many failures. To survive and thrive in foreign markets, it needed to change its mindset and enhance its capabilities to meet the stringent demands of global clients. The company immediately began training in processes and foreign languages, and preparing for international technology certifications.

Since then, FPT's leaders have consistently stoked a burning desire for learning, improved processes, updated international standards, and enhanced capabilities of every employee.

One of the key training programmes for enhancing capabilities and quality management processes at FPT Software is the CMM-4 campaign. CMM is a quality certification by the Software Engineering Institute, which was established and funded by the US Department of Defense. To achieve CMM Level 4 (out of 5 levels), a company must be capable of managing software projects using data to fully meet customer requirements and ensure the companys business objectives regarding product quality. In 2002, FPT Software became the first company in Southeast Asia to achieve CMM-4, making it onto the list of the top 100 companies globally in quality management, which granted it entry to the global software market.

In terms of project management, FPT Software continuously enhances its standards through collaboration with leading organisations worldwide, such as the Project Management Institute, to apply the most modern international standards.

Furthermore, the company has invested in research to keep up with the latest technology trends in fields such as AI, cloud computing, automotive, and more. FPT is a founding member of the Global AI Alliance alongside IBM, Meta, and 50 other major companies and organisations. Recently, the company partnered with Aitomatic and Tokyo Electron to launch SemiKong, the world's first open-source large language model specifically designed for the semiconductor industry.

Nurturing the desire to learn

One of the factors that has helped Indian IT giant Infosys become what it is today, with a market capitalisation exceeding $70 billion, is its culture of lifelong learning. In 2002, Infosys established the Global Education Centre in Mysore, India, spanning 150 hectares, with 400 instructors and over 200 classrooms. The centre can accommodate and train up to 14,000 individuals at a time across various technology fields.

Similar to Infosys, FPT Software is actively working to become a learning organisation to achieve and go beyond the goal of becoming, in the words of Chu Thi Thanh Ha, "a billion dollar, world-class company." FPT has built various learning programmes to meet the aspirations of diverse groups of learners, from freshers and junior employees to experts and middle managers.

To enhance the company's learning culture and gain insights from the practical experiences of Infosys, at the beginning of 2024, FPT Software recruited Prajith Nair, former director of Training at Infosys, to take on the role of AVP, head of Learning and Innovation.

"A company that seeks sustainable growth needs employees who are prepared to tackle customer challenges. To achieve this, each individual must take the initiative to learn and develop themselves. Only around 20 per cent of training should be reactive based on customer demand and 80 per cent of the time we should have people trained and qualified, ready to start working. This happens when we provide a clear role-based learning path to the workforce," said Nair.

FPT Software offers self-directed programmes for employees with a diverse range of content, from technical and domain skills, marketing to foreign languages, through various methods including in-house online and offline courses, as well as financial and time support to empower employees in their learning journey.

The company continues to invest heavily in providing the best learning resources for its workforce towards creating a great learning environment. Many high-quality learning programmes and continuous certification support campaigns have emerged, such as Upskilling (a deep skills development scheme for programmers), Global SE (English language training), 20K Certificates (professional certification training provided by Udacity), and PMI-555 (project management certification training), offering self-direct learning opportunities for over 33,000 employees of FPT Software. Depending on the job requirement, each employee must complete specific proactive learning programmes.

The learning culture at FPT Software goes beyond merely applying new processes and technologies, it also fosters a spirit of innovation. Employees are encouraged to share ideas and experiences.

Preparing an IT workforce for the future

Infosys currently has around 317,000 employees, which is nearly 10 times the number of FPT Software. The growth of Infosys is closely tied to its philosophy of focusing on developing human resources, regarding people as the companys most valuable asset.

Aiming for the scale of Infosys means FPT Software needs to prepare a substantial long-term human resources plan. The company has partnered with universities with notable IT programmes and funded scholarships for outstanding technology students. Recently, FPT announced a training investment package worth VND150 billion ($6 million), collaborating with 15 universities to promote Japanese-speaking IT workforce.

Today, India has become a global technology powerhouse, thanks to the vision of Narayana Murthy, the founder of Infosys.

"Vietnam is unique. No other country has shown the courage and ambition like it. We believe if we can achieve it, so can Vietnam," said Narayana Murthy during his visit here in May.

He also emphasised that it will be companies such as FPT that will help Vietnam tap into its potential, particularly in developing a high-quality workforce.

FPT partners with NVIDIA to shape the future of AI and Cloud on global scale IT firm FPT signed a comprehensive strategic partnership with an American technology corporation NVIDIA on April 23, aiming to offer a one-stop shop for AI and cloud products, GPU infrastructure, tech experts, and domain expertise for clients in Vietnam and FPTs overseas markets.

Domestic tech giants join AI proliferation While tech giants in Vietnam are at the forefront in the AI transformation with an ambition of making bigger gains, deployment risks are still to be faced.
In the aftermath of Typhoon Yagi, which recently devastated the northern region of Vietnam, Katharina Geppert, in her capacity as managing director of MSD Vietnam and as a board member of the Pharma Group under the European Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam, has been collaborating with her employees and industry peers to devise practical solutions to aid affected communities in their recovery efforts.

Katherina Geppert, managing director of MSD Vietnam

For example, MSD Vietnam is finalising documents in order to donate VND300 million (over $12,000) to the Hope Foundation to assist communities impacted by the typhoon.

Geppert, who took on her new role in July, shared her own experiences and love for the country, where she has lived and worked for nearly four years.

It has been an honour and privilege to collaborate with MSD Vietnams team of more than 300 people to make a significant impact on this nation, Geppert said.

MSD is one of the worlds leading biopharmaceutical companies, with a history spanning over 130 years. Among its four key sustainability goals, access to health and environmental sustainability are top priorities.

Many of MSDs innovative products available in Vietnam are life-saving, including antibiotics for treating multiresistant infections in intensive care units, immune-oncology treatments, and various preventive vaccines.

In 2017, MSD became the first company to introduce immunotherapy for cancer treatment in the country. To date, this therapy has been approved by the Ministry of Health for 27 indications across 13 different types of tumours, including lung, breast, and head and neck cancers, with many more indications pending approval.

MSD has also pioneered the introduction of polyvalent vaccines in Vietnam, including those for over 20 types of pneumococcal disease and nine types of human papillomavirus.

With over 15 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry, I understand the challenges faced by Vietnams healthcare system. We are deeply committed to accelerating patient access to MSDs innovative vaccines and treatments, particularly for those with rare diseases, Geppert explained.

These achievements are not just numbers  they represent countless stories of lives transformed and hope restored, she added.

In terms of environmental sustainability, MSDs 2023/2024 Impact Report covers the companys proactive approach to addressing climate change, particularly its commitment to achieving net-zero emissions by 2045.

For six consecutive years, MSD has been honoured with the Green Chemistry Challenge Awards, sponsored by the Environmental Protection Agency and the American Chemical Society. The company currently holds the top position in the industry and also ranks 38th on Barrons 2024 list of the Top 100 Most Sustainable US Companies.

Additionally, MSD has secured the top spot in Newsweeks list of Americas Most Responsible Companies, among many other prestigious accolades.

Geppert is advocating for all of MSD Vietnams sustainability initiatives, including reducing plastic waste, conserving energy, minimising waste from printing and event production, and organising waste collection in cities where the company holds its annual national meetings, such as Nha Trang, Phan Thiet, and soon, Dalat.

Beyond environmental initiatives, over the past two years, MSD Vietnam has held blood donation days, with participation from over 200 employees and their families.

This October, the company will partner with the American Chamber of Commerce in Ho Chi Minh City to host a blood donation day at MSDs office, fostering a culture of humanitarian blood donation and continuing to make a positive impact on society.

Reflecting on her deep affection for Vietnam, Geppert shared that she feels fortunate to work with exceptional teams, collaborating with the Ministry of Health, healthcare professionals, and vaccination officers to improve the health of Vietnamese citizens. She also endured the challenges of the recent COVID-19 pandemic alongside the citys residents and her colleagues.

MSD Vietnam proactive in combating COVID-19 Operating for over two decades in Vietnam, Merck Sharp and Dohme (MSD), known as Merck in the United States and Canada, continues striving to make a difference in the health of the nation and the lives of Vietnamese people.

MSD Vietnam maintaining care in pandemic times The disruption of routine care has been an indirect impact of the pandemic that must be immediately addressed. Jennifer Cox, general director of MSD Vietnam, talked to VIRs Bich Thuy about how MSD, known as Merck & Co., Inc. in the US and Canada, has played an active role in supporting the return to routine care amid the pandemic.

MSD Vietnam and Red Cross host first blood donation day MSD Vietnam has hosted a blood donation day for the first time in collaboration with the Red Cross, in District 1 of Ho Chi Minh City, with the participation of more than 100 employees and their family members.

MSD Vietnam inaugurates new office in Hanoi Biopharma company MSD Vietnam, known as Merck & Co. in the US and Canada, inaugurated its new office in Hanoi on July 7.

MSD placing further investment in Vietnam to make a difference MSD Vietnam this month inaugurated a new office in Hanoi and expanded a storage warehouse in Cat Lai Industrial Zone in Ho Chi Minh City. VIRs Hoang Anh talked to managing director Jennifer Cox on the forward-looking strategy of the company.

MSD Vietnam honoured with AmCham CSR award by US ambassador US Ambassador Marc E. Knapper presented MSD in Vietnam, a corporate social responsibility award from the American Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam, on December 6 for its continuous efforts in bringing a positive impact to society.
In her opening remarks at the SX Roadshow 2024 - Vietnam on September 23, Urawadee Sriphiromya, the Thai ambassador to Vietnam, said, Sustainability is about society, people, and the planet. These fundamental elements need to be addressed in a balanced and comprehensive way. The transformational thinking and actions of all of us are essential if we want to fulfill the promise of leaving no one behind.

H.E. Urawadee Sriphiromya, Thai ambassador to Vietnam, gives opening remarks at the SX Roadshow 2024 - Vietnam

This is the second year that the SX Roadshow has been organised in Vietnam, with various practical activities targeting youth, businesses, and leaders.

Highlights include the "Trash to Treasure 2024 - Vietnam", an art contest for university students, a field trip to Yen Phong 2C Industrial Park (Bac Ninh), a workshop on Extended Producer Responsibility for policymakers, consultants and business leaders, and a press briefing ahead of Sustainability Expo 2024 (SX2024).

SX is the largest sustainability exhibition in ASEAN, and is being held for the fifth consecutive year. SX2024 is set to take place from September 27 to October 6 at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center in Bangkok, Thailand. SX2024 will gather leading sustainability organisations from around the globe, featuring immersive multimedia exhibitions and dynamic talk sessions.

Over 600 speakers and sustainability experts, along with a network of more than 400 sustainable businesses, will share their insights and visions on achieving a better balance, because 'the world must keep moving forward'.

Members of the Vietnam Supply Chain network and the Thai ambassador at the SX2024 introduction event

Representing the SX2024 organisers, Tongjai Thanachanan, managing director of C asean, said, We always need sufficiency and ethics, and that is why our slogan is Sufficiency for Sustainability  Good Balance, Better World. We want to convey the message that sustainability is truely everyones responsibility. Everyone can make a difference to make the world a better place.

Accompanying the event, Srithai Superware Public Company Limiteds CEO advisor, Surasit Sirisompop, representing the Thailand Supply Chain Network, one of SXs organising and co-founding members, said, SX is the result of the collective efforts of many partner companies within the Thailand Supply Chain Network."

"The organisation consists of major Thai companies and corporations working together to create shared values and seek cooperation opportunities in various fields, including sustainability. These companies all have representatives or subsidiaries in Vietnam, and we will study the feasibility of applying the TSCN model in Vietnam, with the hope of establishing the Vietnam Supply Chain Network.

Speakers at SX 2024 - press Briefing, part of the SX Roadshow 2024 - Vietnam

Chief representative of C asean Vietnam, Nguyen Hai Son, introduced the organisation's contributions to promoting sustainable development. C asean Vietnam is the first branch of C asean outside of Thailand. Established in September 2022, C asean Vietnam is a social enterprise aimed at building a platform to connect ASEAN communities, with a focus on business and sustainability, leadership and talent development, and arts and culture.

For the second consecutive year, the successful organisation of the SX Roadshow, a series of events within the framework of SX2024, also aims to inspire and promote the ecosystem of sustainable investors, facilitating international cooperation in various fields.

Thailand increases spending on Vietnamese fruit and vegetables Thailand spent $97 million on Vietnamese fruit and vegetables in the first six months of the year, doubling the figure from the same period in 2023.

Vietnamese women organisation in Thailand hailed for contributions to community Vietnamese Ambassador to Thailand Pham Viet Hung on August 8 applauded the contributions of the community of Vietnamese women in Thailand to spreading Vietnamese cultural values at an event to announce the new executive board of the organisation of Vietnamese women in Thailand in the 2024-026 term in Nong Khai province.
AI Hay and Kompato AI have been selected for the AWS Global Generative AI Accelerator programme. The announcement was made on September 18 at the "AWS Cloud Day Vietnam: AI Edition held in Hanoi.

Startups shared their AI business journey at a media briefing in Hanoi as part of the AWS Cloud Day Vietnam

The Generative AI Accelerator Programme is the first of its kind launched by a cloud provider, and the selection process is highly competitive, with only 2 per cent of applicants chosen. The programme aims at promoting and supporting startups worldwide in developing and innovating GenAI applications.

Among them, Southeast Asia has three startups on the list, with two from Vietnam. Through the programme, startups can gain access to mentorship, training programmes, and credits, all of which are incredibly valuable to startups.

Building big dream with generative AI

AI Hay is a social network designed in a Q&A format, helping to transform knowledge access by combining search, social networking, and AI in a way that surpasses traditional search solutions. The product of AI Hay applies large language models customised for Vietnamese culture.

Nguyen Tho Chuong, Head of AI at AI Hay company

Talking to VIR, Nguyen Tho Chuong, head of AI at AI Hay, said, Regarding language expansion, our current focus is on Vietnamese. While we do have international ambitions, were not looking to enter highly competitive markets like English, where major players such as OpenAI and Google dominate. Instead, we plan to focus on languages with medium to low resources, particularly in Southeast Asia and neighbouring regions, where we can provide unique value and avoid direct competition with larger companies.

Since its launch, AI Hay has processed about 10 million questions a month, ranging from highly specific data requests, like flood information, to everyday social queries. AI Hay is currently serving the needs of Vietnamese users but aims to expand to the international market in the future.

Similarly, Kompato AI offers consumer lending institutions a full-stack AI platform for account receivable management that delivers robust compliance, scalability, and efficiency.

"The AWS Generative AI Accelerator will help Kompato AI efficiently scale our solution across Asia and America," said Nguyen An Nguyen, CEO of Kompato AI. "Kompato AI is heartened to be a part of the programme and the chance for us to showcase how generative AI can create new ways to innovate in our industry. We look forward to the journey together with our fellow builders and industry experts."

Sharing the AI business journey, founded in 2022, Eklipse.gg is an AI-powered platform designed to help streamers and content creators turn their best moments into viral short-form clips. Eklipse is now growing rapidly with over half a million users from 80 countries in the world, with half of them in the US and Europe.

Quan Bui, the co-founder and CTO of Eklipse.gg

Quan Bui, the co-founder and CTO of Eklipse.gg said, As for AI, with new models coming out frequently, we need to iterate quickly to find the best models for our use case, balancing performance and cost. AWS helps us accelerate development time and cut costs by about 40 per cent.

Priya Lakshmi, head of AWSs ASEAN startups business

According to Priya Lakshmi, head of AWSs ASEAN startups business, these are pioneering startups in the new wave of business transformation, pushing the boundaries of AI to create potential solutions for the market and help address major global challenges.

Lakshmi compared startups to the lifeblood of innovation. "Startups are leading a wave of transformation, pushing the boundaries of AI and bringing new creative solutions to the market," she assessed.

According to PitchBook Data researchers, GenAI startups in Asia-Pacific have raised more than $2.5 billion in 2024, surpassing the total amount of the previous three years combined. Pitchbooks data also notes there are currently 765 AI and machine learning (ML) companies in Vietnam that have raised over $47.3 million in investment as of 2024.

However, 35 per cent of generative AI companies globally have offices in countries other than their headquarters, indicating there are still many opportunities to support domestic businesses in expanding their international operations.

The key to success

According to startups, they are at a critical moment right now in Vietnam and globally with GenAI. In the past, many local teams might have started small, focusing on building something local before thinking globally. But with GenAI, things have changed. Its now accessible to everyone, its more democratised and the world is more connected than ever.

That means, even for a startup, theres no need to limit themselves to just one country, they can aim for global impact from the start. To put it in further context, there are 100 million people here in Vietnam, but there are over 8.2 billion in the world.

Chuong from AI Hay shared that building a culturally aware AI has definitely been a challenging journey for the startup, but there two critical components that have guided its success.

First is deep understanding of the culture. And the second component is having the resources to iterate. We have experimented with many approaches, and only a handful have made it to production. But thats part of the startup process;experimenting, learning, and iterating fast. We are proud that weve been able to overcome these challenges and deliver a platform that works, said Chuong.

From AI Hay's operational experience, Chuong believes that experienced entities that support startups are needed to accompany them. Through our journey, we have also learned that collaborating with experienced enablers is key to success. Our partnership with AWS has given us access to infrastructure, high-performance computing, GPUs, and Amazon Bedrock LLM inference framework, enabling us to train much larger models. For example, weve developed a reward model with eight billion parameters,a huge leap from the 100 million-parameter models we were previously able to build.

For Eklipse.gg, it has key strengths. First, the company has a strong core AI capability that sets it apart. This technology enables it to deliver high-quality, effective solutions. And second, they are leveraging the rich talent pool in Vietnam. The country has a growing number of skilled AI professionals and students, which allows it to rapidly innovate and implement new ideas. This local talent pool not only supports its technological development but also enables it to move quickly and adapt to new opportunities.

Advancements in AI technology have opened up many new opportunities, allowing startups to expand rapidly. While we currently have a strong presence in the US market, we are now exploring new ideas and potential applications of our technology in various sectors such as e-commerce and beyond. Our future targets include continuing to grow internationally and adapting our solutions to different markets and industries, Quan Bui noted.

Big-city startups make waves in funding rounds Vietnamese startups, particularly in the largest cities, are witnessing significant international investments, reflecting the countrys rising prominence and commitment to innovation.

Vietnamese startups bag $35.7 million in first quarter of 2024 Vietnam's tech ecosystem received total funding of $35.7 million in the first quarter of 2024, according to a report released by Tracxn Technologies on April 2.
Larry Lingle, 85, talks about his life and books and photographs he collects and sells Thursday, June 9, 2022, at his apartment in Houston. Jon Shapley, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer Larry Lingle, 85, talks about his life Thursday, June 9, 2022, at his apartment in Allen Parkway Village in Houston. So here I am, almost 11 years Ive lived here, and hell they want to uproot me, he said. Jon Shapley, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer Larry Lingle, 85, talks about his life Thursday, June 9, 2022, at his apartment in Allen Parkway Village in Houston. Behind Lingle is a photo of his late partner, Bill White, who died in 1995 from complications from AIDS. Jon Shapley, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer Larry Lingle, 85, talks about his life Thursday, June 9, 2022, at his apartment in Allen Parkway Village in Houston. Jon Shapley, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer Allen Parkway Village, with the downtown skyline at rear, photographed Thursday, June 9, 2022, in Houston. Jon Shapley, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer Larry Lingle, 85, talks about his life and books and photographs he collects and sells Thursday, June 9, 2022, at his apartment in Houston. Jon Shapley, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer

When news that Larry Lingle, 85, would soon have to move from the public housing hes called home for 11 years, it landed in his trash can. The letter was from a California company that specializes in helping secure the right-of-way for infrastructure projects, a process that can include relocation services. He figured it was junk mail.

But when his neighbor walked over with her identical letter, he saw that it spelled out that the Houston Housing Authority planned to convert the 500-unit public housing complex Allen Parkway Village into voucher-based housing  a process that would require residents to temporarily move for renovations. A wave of emotions, with roots in a previous conflict between tenants and the housing authority over the developments fate, washed over him.

The idea of moving to another location literally petrifies me, he said. I have no family. I have my neighbor  the same one who had brought over the letter  that Im dependent on. She takes me to the store, she picks up my mail. Without her, the fragile support network he has left after his partner and close friends have passed away would be dismantled, and despite assurances to the contrary, he didnt have faith in a smooth process.

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The propertys conversion  which will result in new floors, doors, windows, sidings, roofing, landscaping and more  is part of a trend unfolding across the country. Tenants of public housing projects are being asked to temporarily relocate while their homes undergo renovations and are transformed into voucher-based housing, giving the private sector a larger role in housing low-income Americans. Many see the option, which was created by a 2012 law, as a blessing that allows housing authorities to address a decades-long shortfall in funding for maintenance and upgrades at public housing complexes. At Allen Parkway Village, resident reactions to the proposal varied. People expressed fear, frustration and hope. Some were confused about their options.

David A. Northern, Sr., chief executive of the Houston Housing Authority, assured families they would all have the option to return, and that many could even stay during the renovations by moving into vacant units as theyre completed (only a quarter of the units will undergo renovations at a time).

If it looks good now, he said, just imagine how pleased our clients will be with the upgrades.

Allen Parkway Village reimagined, time and time again

Stretched along Buffalo Bayou Park just west of downtown, the leafy Allen Parkway Village sits on some of the choicest land in Houston. A mixed-use development where condos will sell for $500,000 to $11 million is under construction directly next door. Until a few years ago, Sen. Ted Cruz lived in condo overlooking the bayou just a 15-minute jog west.

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The public housing complex has always had an uneasy relationship with its surroundings. Originally reserved for white residents, it was built during World War II on land taken from the historically Black community of Freedmans Town, including a cemetery with more than 1,000 graves.

Shortly after, public housing integrated, and investment in Allen Parkway Village stopped, according the United States General Accounting Office. In 1978, HUD obligated $10 million to update the housing complex. The local housing authority and federal agency then spent the next years arguing over how the funds would be spent, culminating with HUD demanding the housing authority return the unused funds, the housing authority moving to sell the project to use the proceeds on public housing elsewhere and tenants suing the housing authority. In the 90s, most of the structures were demolished, and a collection of smaller buildings, made of red brick and lavender and teal siding, took their place. The newer, low-density design has half the units of the original development.

Now, after the creation of a federal program called Rental Assistance Demonstration, the housing authority is moving to update the project again, this time with the help of the private sector.

San Antonio-based Franklin Companies will be the developer for the project. While public housing relies on allocations from HUD to do improvements, Franklin Companies, as an outside company, can apply for tax credits for the renovation. Generally, Rental Assistance Demonstration also allows a private property manager to collect the federal subsidies from the vouchers families use to live at the property; those funds should, in part, fund ongoing repairs. It was unclear whether that would be the arrangement with Franklin Companies.

The housing authority has also approved selling 1,800 square feet of the public housing developments land to the developer of the multi-million-dollar condo units at The Allen next door. The housing authority said, in an email, the sale is because the neighboring property encroaches onto its own. Negotiations are still underway.

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Tenants consider their options

This time around, Allen Village Parkway will not lose any units, and the renovations come with the promise that everyone can return. Northern explained that there will be three options: Tenants can get housing choice vouchers (which can be used for any housing below a certain price point where the landlord agrees to the subsidy), they can move to another Houston Housing Authority site, or they can be relocated to vacant units on site that have already been renovated.

Northern said surveys showed that roughly 30 percent of people want to stay on site, which theyll be able to accommodate by doing the renovations in phases. Relocation for the first phase will begin in October, and the housing authority hopes to finish all renovations in 2024, meaning tenants will only be displaced for a few months, Northern said.

We dont want to affect peoples living conditions, he said. However, its important that we have the ability as an organization to put our clients in the best decent, safe and sanitary housing conditions. And we need some upgrades. Tenants will receive moving expenses.

Melissa Medina, 45, said she was nervous about the relocation until she went to a meeting that explained her options. The ability to stay onsite soothed her nerves. She has two children at Hamilton Middle School, and she didnt want them to have to change schools.

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Even with a voucher... I couldnt afford rent (elsewhere) in the neighborhood, she said, as construction unfolded on the other side of the block. She said she had no maintenance issues with her unit.

Penny Williams, 36, was also thinking of her two children as she considered her options. But for her, the housing choice voucher  which she hoped would allow her to move somewhere with more space for her family  was most appealing. Her only worry was the crazy housing market. Her mother had recently received a housing voucher, and she had been calling property managers on her behalf, only to be turned down time and time again.

It makes me a little nervous because Im about to do it.

In a letter to HUD, the National Housing Law Project, an advocacy group for low-income renters, raised concerns that Rental Assistance Demonstration properties would no longer be subject to public housing regulations and questioned why housing authorities were not using the program on their properties most in need of improvement. The National Housing Law Project also emphasized the need to educate tenants about what the conversion means for them.

Samantha Denley, 44, was one of the tenants feeling left in the dark about her options. She couldnt attend the informational meetings because she works evenings, and she said she had reached out to Overland, Pacific & Cutler, the Houston Housing Authority and the front office to no avail.

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My only option is to continue to call housing and see what info I get from there, she said resignedly. She also said she was happy with the condition of her unit.

rebecca.schuetz@chron.com;
WATERLOO  A sex offender who fled from a halfway house has been arrested for allegedly raping a 13-year-old girl while he was at large.

Waterloo police arrested Lance Christopher Craig Taylor, 28, of Waterloo, on Thursday for one count of second-degree sexual abuse. He was also charged with escape and a parole violation.

According to court records, Taylor, formerly of Fredericksburg, had been serving time at the Waterloo Residential Facility for a Chickasaw County sex offense when his GPS tracker lost power during a furlough to go shopping and visit a park Sept. 14.

Corrections staff found Taylor sitting in a parked car at Meyers Lake in Evansdale with a small child identified as his son in the back seat.

Taylor, who was prohibited from having contact with children, was taken back to the residential facility. He ran out without permission about 20 minutes later.

Then on Wednesday, Taylor allegedly attacked a 13-year-old girl at a Waterloo home where he had been staying. Court records indicate the girl told officials at the Child Protection Center that Taylor hit and choked her while forcing her to have sex. Authorities saw marks on her neck and found other evidence consistent with a sexual assault.

Taylor is on the state sex offender registry for having sexual contact with a 15-year-old girl in October 2019 and for allegedly grabbing a 16-year-old girls groin area on Oct. 20, 2019. Both crimes happened at his Fredericksburg home.

States are required to background check child care workers, but many are falling short States are required to background check child care workers, but many are falling short
Our volunteers have been busy registering voters, who are sometimes surprised that they need to update their registration. There are three reasons to update your voter registration. If youve changed your address, changed your name through marriage or divorce, or changed your political party affiliation, update your registration. Here are helpful websites.

Am I registered to vote in Iowa?

Enter your name and zip code in the online form. If registered, youll see your polling place, precinct, and other information.

Heres the link to register, https://tinyurl.com/3pyftvp5

Black Hawk County Election Page

The election website for Black Hawk County. Register to vote, locate your polling place, or get information about your elected officials. Sign up for Turbo vote and get reminders.

Who is running for office?

List of candidates

Vote Smart

Type in a politicians name, click on his/her profile, and then get information about his or her bio, votes, positions, and more.

Ballot ready

Click on an elected official to learn more.

Dont go to the polls before you do your homework. Check out the candidates. Attend our candidate forums. Ask questions. Are you ready to vote?

Cherie Dargan, president, League of Women Voters of Black Hawk-Bremer Counties
Once an Iowan, always an Iowan. I've always been glad I grew up in Waterloo -- West High '61 -- though I immediately fled Iowa for California, for an electrical engineering degree from Stanford. Then, back to Cedar Rapids for three years at Collins Radio, including 15 months as a Collins field engineer in Thailand and Vietnam, 1968-69, during the war. Yes, I'm 81. I still care about Iowa. My sister, Jane, and I return about once a year to advise the several philanthropies our father, Ike Leighty, established in Waterloo about 30 years ago. Dad was a good, loyal, Republican and campaign donor. He died in 2015, before Mr. Trump appeared on the presidential stage. I doubt that Dad would have supported candidate Trump. Please help save Iowa from becoming "just another red state" in November. Iowa is better than that. Please open your minds and hearts to carefully consider whether a President Trump would be good for Iowa and Iowans, for America and the world and for Earth; help others open theirs. Preventing a President Trump will require us to vote for imperfect candidates Harris and Walz; not voting won't; perhaps Iowa will prevent another Trump.
Jeffery C. Archangel, 25, turns himself in to the Houston Police Depart accompanied by community activist Quanell X, Friday, May 5, 2017, in Houston. Archangel has been charged with capital murder in the Feb. 22 fatal shooting of an 18-year-old Subway restaurant. Marie D. De Jesus/Houston Chronicle

A man was arrested Friday, accused of killing an 18-year-old Subway employee during a Feb. 22 robbery. On April 24, two armed men took over a chain restaurant in northwest Houston, robbing customers as well as the business before moving on to do it again at two other eateries within a few hours. That spree began less than an hour after an armed robbery at a Jack in the Box not far away was interrupted by police, leaving one teenaged suspect dead and two wounded.

Despite the alarming headlines recently, Houston police data show that restaurant robberies are less frequent than last year and have steadily decreased in the past two years.

In the first three months of 2017, HPD tallied 52 robberies of fast-food restaurants, down by a third compared to the same period last year, which itself represented a drop from the 121 reported in the first three months of 2015. However, each of the past three years tops the 41 counted in the first three months of 2014.

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Police and other experts say many vulnerable restaurants have adopted best practices that deter robbers, reduce their haul and help police catch the culprits.

Two veteran Houston police officers in the robbery division, Lt. Cathy Richards and Senior Police Officer Jeff Brieden, said the decrease may also owe to investigators getting time to track down past perpetrators.

Tactical units on the west and north sides of town have worked with robbery investigators, surveillance images and police data to find robbery rings and their leaders.

"They've taken their units to another level in identifying these crews," Richards said. "I think our guys are doing a really good job over time, taking it slow and gathering all the facts."

Single enterprise?

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The tactical units operate out of patrol stations but don't have to answer most calls for service, giving them the luxury of time to review suspects' interviews, do research and gather intelligence. They also can watch over susceptible locations at high-risk hours like 7 to 10 p.m., when Brieden said nearly half of restaurant robberies happen.

Richards said many robberies can be traced back to a single enterprise whose mastermind rarely or never participates in the actual holdups.

For example, police in recent years figured out that a surge in robberies of mobile-phone stores mainly owed to just two criminal organizations whose leaders recruited teens to do the work, she said. Arresting the organizers helped stem the tide of such robberies.

However, the decrease in Houston could mean that more robbers are striking in Harris and Montgomery counties outside of city limits. To combat that balloon effect in which crime is squeezed into other nearby areas just outside the city, Richards said HPD formed a task force last year to cooperate with the Harris County Sheriff's Office.

Robbers may also be deterred by measures that more restaurant owners have adopted in recent years. Most fast-food restaurants now use surveillance cameras; many keep a minimum amount of cash on hand or decline to accept bills larger than $20; some will immediately drop any large bills into a time-delayed safe visible to anyone casing the restaurant as a possible target.

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"I think the secret is if, in some way, you can communicate to these robbers before they pull their guns that there's very little money here, there's less risk of a robbery," said Chris McGoey, a California-based security consultant who has worked with chain stores.

Surveillance cameras should be prominent, even if it may undermine the image that restaurants want to convey, said McGoey, who runs the "Crime School" website and podcast.

He also suggested posting signs that explain the cash-handling rules, such as not accepting large bills. Still, it's hard to deter every robber from every restaurant.

"It's largely a cash-based business, it's open late hours if not 24 hours, and they're often located along major freeways for convenience' sake," he said. "What makes it convenient for the customer also makes it good for armed robbers."

In a review of news reports and Houston police data, one restaurant chain stands out as suffering far more robberies than any other: Subway. Of 37 robberies at fast-food restaurants in the Houston area in the last six months, 10 were Subway.

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"I hate to pick on Subway, but they've been one of the most-robbed franchises for four decades," McGoey said. "It's a small store, (and) they're usually in small shopping centers. You can park your car and see through the front."

The small shops usually just have one or two employees on duty, and robbers can exit quickly, McGoey said. It's easy to find a comfortable routine.

The sandwich shop's popularity owes at least in part to its market dominance. Last year the chain had 27,000 franchises in the United States, according to industry magazine QSR - more than McDonald's and Starbucks combined. Still, the chain was overrepresented even given its numbers.

Subway restaurants are owned by franchisees, but the franchisees' association directed questions to the corporate headquarters, where a spokesman declined to make any official available for an interview.

"The safety and security of our guests and the restaurant employees is very important to us," the spokesman said in an email. "Subway makes extensive safety and security training available for franchisees to use."

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'They all get caught'

In addition to training from parent companies, restaurant owners turn to local business groups and nearby police, said Melissa Stewart, president of the Greater Houston Restaurant Association.

Stewart said the most proactive owners get to know the officers who patrol their area and ask them to check that security cameras are deployed effectively.

Because of security measures like time-delayed safes, Stewart added, "Anybody who thinks this is going to be an easy path to cash needs to know that that is not correct."

The officers in HPD's robbery division said such tactics have made restaurant robberies less profitable, which might deter first-time perpetrators from making a habit.

"They're not making out with what they think they're going to make out with," said Brieden, who's spent nearly a decade in HPD's robbery division. "And eventually, they all get caught."

Surveillance video and images often draw tips from the community - sometimes even from the perpetrators' friends and families. Sometimes people call Crime Stoppers for the reward money. But other times it's worried relatives.

"You'd be amazed at how many moms call," Brieden said.

Overall, the officers and experts said that restaurant robberies remain uncommon, especially the takeover-style holdups that also target customers.
 Russian classics return to China after 70 years

https://t.me/MID_Russia/45859?single

On September 28, a presentation and press conference dedicated to the start of the tour of the Moscow Musical Theatre named after K.S. Stanislavsky and Vl.I. Nemirovich-Danchenko with the legendary ballet Swan Lake took place at the Beijing Comedy Theatre, in which diplomats from the Russian Embassy in China also took part.

In addition to the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Russia and China and the cross-cultural Years of the two countries to be held in 2024-2025, the tour is given special symbolism by the 70th anniversary of the first performance of Swan Lake abroad by the aforementioned Theatre, whose ballet troupe came to Beijing in 1954 at the personal invitation of Mao Zedong.

In his address to representatives of creative circles and Chinese media, the Director of the Theatre Andrei Borisov emphasized that the current tour fulfills an important mission to support and develop humanitarian cooperation between Russia and China.

 The tour of Russian artists will take place at the Poli theaters in Beijing (September 29), Shanghai (October 3) and Shenzhen (October 7-8).

WtR
On October 23, a highly significant hearing was set to take place in the Kyiv Court of Appeals, one that has been shrouded in secrecy. Alexandr Katsuba, who was convicted in 2017 for embezzling nearly half a billion UAH from Naftogaz, is challenging his conviction. It is unclear whether the hearing occurred, but efforts to keep it quiet are evident.

Back in 2017, Alexandr Katsuba fully admitted his guilt, struck a deal with the investigators, and avoided a prison sentence. Now, six years later, he is seeking to overturn his conviction in a case where he had already compensated for the losses. The amount he repaid was significantly reduced to 100 million UAH. Katsuba spent a few months in pre-trial detention, which was counted as one and a half years of his sentence under the Savchenko Law. While the minimum sentence for his charge is seven years, and the maximum is twelve, the plea deal resulted in a different outcome.

The crux of the issue lies in the amount of damages Katsuba repaid. Initial calculations for the Boykos rigs alone estimated losses at up to 300 million USD. Initially, Alexandr Katsuba was accused of embezzling up to a billion UAH, later reduced to 450 million, but ultimately, the figure was magically lowered to 100 million UAH. This reduction in the embezzled amount raises serious questions. The plea deal suggests the evidence against Katsuba was exceptionally strong, otherwise, the case would have likely collapsed.

Katsubas current attempt to overturn his conviction raises further intrigue. The reopening of the appeal period and the basis for this appeal are questionable. It is apparent that significant resources are being invested in this legal battle, as well as in rebranding Alexandr Katsubas public image. He has been actively appearing in the media as an expert and volunteer, with extensive PR efforts portraying him positively. This rebranding campaign includes numerous paid articles, suggesting a strategic effort to rehabilitate his image.

Alexandr Katsubas family has a history of political and business influence. Katsubas father, Volodymyr, held significant positions, including leadership in the Kharkiv District Council and two terms as a member of parliament from the Party of Regions. In 2019, the Katsuba family was a major sponsor of Shariys party. However, after the 2019 presidential elections, they retreated from the public eye, and Alexandr shifted his allegiance, appearing in the circles around President Zelensky.

Despite his past, Alexandr Katsuba is now portraying himself as a friend of the president, volunteer, businessman, and expert. The upcoming decision of the Kyiv Court of Appeals could potentially remove the thief label from Katsubas record, reestablishing him as a legitimate figure in Ukrainian politics and business, an outcome that explains the secrecy surrounding the court proceedings.

    
Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu signaled to the world from the United Nations on Friday that the multiple conflicts in the Middle East were far from resolved, and he vowed to continue battling the Lebanese Hezbollah and defeat Hamas in the Gaza Strip until total victory."

Shortly after the prime minister spoke, blasts rocked the Lebanese capital Beirut and the Israeli military said it had struck Hezbollah's headquarters. The exact target wasn't immediately clear, but it appeared to be significant enough to prompt Netanyahu to cut short his trip to New York by a day and make unusual travel on the Jewish Sabbath to get home.

Israel has every right to remove this threat and return our citizens to their home safely. And thats exactly what were doing, Netanyahu said, eliciting applause from supporters in the gallery of the General Assembly. Well continue degrading Hezbollah until all our objectives are met, he said.

When Netanyahu entered the hall and was introduced, boos and raised voices echoed, and many delegates walked out through various exits.

Netanyahu spoke as international mediation efforts were underway to try to rein in the escalating conflict in Lebanon, where Israel has been striking Hezbollah targets intensively for the past week, sending the death toll in Lebanon soaring into the hundreds and raising fears that the conflict could spiral into all-out war.

Late Wednesday, the United States, France and other allies jointly called for an immediate 21-day cease-fire to allow for negotiations. Israel said Thursday that discussions were ongoing and Hezbollah hasnt officially responded to the cease-fire proposal, but has said it won't stop firing until the Gaza war ends.

Hezbollah began striking Israel a day after Hamas' Oct. 7 attack in an act of solidarity with the Palestinians. The sides have exchanged relatively low-level fire since then on almost a daily basis, volleys that intensified sharply after a wave of exploding communication devices targeted Hezbollah operatives - an attack widely blamed on Israel. The fighting has displaced tens of thousands on both sides of the border.

Netanyahu defends Israels responses

Netanyahu has faced increasing pressure from within his own government and from Israelis displaced by the fighting to deal Hezbollah a heavy blow. Recent strikes have targeted the group's senior leadership.

Just imagine if terrorists turned El Paso and San Diego into ghost towns ... How long would the American government tolerate that? he said, shaking his fist in emphasis. Yet Israel has been tolerating this intolerable situation for almost a year. Well, Ive come here today to say: Enough is enough.

Netanyahu pointed a finger at Iran for being a destabilizing force in the region, noting its support for both Hamas and Hezbollah. He warned Tehran that if you strike us, we will strike you. As he spoke, the seats in the Iran delegation sat empty. Outside, protesters against Netanyahu and Israels policies demonstrated behind police barricades.

Armed with visual aids as he has been in the past, the prime minister defended his nations response to Hamas' attack on Israel that triggered the war that has devastated the Gaza Strip. He said Israel had destroyed much of Hamas' rocket arsenal, killed or captured half of its fighting force and dismantled many of its underground tunnels. He said Israel was focused on mopping up Hamas remaining fighting capabilities.

But the war in Gaza will soon stretch into its second year with still no end in sight. Multiple attempts at bringing about a cease-fire have stalled over Hamas' demand that Israel withdraw all troops and end the war, and over Israel's insistence on maintaining a presence in some areas. All the while, civilians have borne a staggering toll in the continuing violence; roughly 100 hostages remain captive in Gaza.

Israels campaign in Gaza has killed more than 41,500 Palestinians and wounded more than 96,000 others, according to the latest figures released Thursday by the Health Ministry. The ministry, part of Gazas Hamas government, doesnt differentiate between civilians and combatants, but more than half the dead have been women and children, including about 1,300 children under the age of 2.

Israel has maintained its military operations are justified and are necessary to defend itself.

This war can come to an end now. All that has to happen is for Hamas to surrender, lay down its arms and release all the hostages, Netanyahu said. But if they dont  if they dont  we will fight until we achieve total victory. Total victory. There is no substitute for it. 

His speech impacted the rest of the General Assembly

In an address steeped in talk of conflict, Netanyahu also made a lengthy appeal for Israeli relations with Saudi Arabia, echoing the content of his speech last year, when efforts toward that goal were underway. But the U.S.-backed normalization talks were derailed by Hamas' attacks, which refocused a spotlight on Israel's conflict with the Palestinians, casting doubt on Netanyahu's argument that ties with Saudi Arabia are not contingent on Palestinian statehood.

As Netanyahu took the stage Friday morning, there was enough ruckus in the audience that the presiding diplomat had to shout, Order, please.

The two speakers who preceded Netanyahu on Friday each made a point of calling out Israel for its actions. Mr. Netanyahu, stop this war now, Slovenian Prime Minister Robert Golob said as he closed his remarks, pounding the podium. And Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, speaking just before the Israeli leader, declared of Gaza: This is not just a conflict. This is systematic slaughter of innocent people of Palestine." He thumped the rostrum to audible applause.

It wasn't just Friday, either. On Thursday, the leader of the Palestinian Authority and a top Lebanese official both made their cases to fellow leaders  cases that included harsh words for Israel as well. Mahmoud Abbas' first words to the General Assembly were a sentence repeated three times in reference to Gaza: We will not leave. We will not leave. We will not leave. He accused Israel of destroying Gaza and making it unlivable. And Abdallah Bouhabib, Lebanon's foreign minister, decried Israel's systematic destruction of Lebanese border villages.

The crisis in Lebanon threatens the entire Middle East, Bouhabib said. We wish today to reiterate our call for a cease-fire on all fronts.

At the General Assembly late Friday evening, Iran exercised its right of reply at the end of the day's regular speeches and denounced Israel as the exclusive source of insecurity and instability in the region and beyond.

What you heard here today from the notorious Israeli prime minister was nothing but an unsuccessful attempt to distract attention from his genocide and brutal war crimes, said an Iranian diplomat whose name was not immediately available. He addressed the General Assembly in English.

See more of APs coverage of the U.N. General Assembly at https://apnews.com/hub/united-nations

Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
A tropical disturbance that is straddling the western Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico has a 50% chance of forming a tropical cyclone in the next seven days, according to the National Hurricane Center. National Hurricane Center

Just days after Hurricane Helene made a devastating landfall in northern Florida, Houston and the Texas Gulf Coast are once again tensely waiting to see what will develop in the western Caribbean Sea, the same tropical hotbed that spawned Helene.

National Hurricane Center forecasters were monitoring a broad swath of tropical waters that straddles the northwestern Caribbean Sea and the southern entrance into the Gulf of Mexico. There, an area of low atmospheric pressure was expected to form on the Caribbean side in the next couple of days, forecasters said.

Systems of low pressure in the tropics allow warm, moisture-rich air to rise high into the cooler layers of the atmosphere, where the water vapor condenses into clouds. As the clouds pile up into thunderstorm columns, the counterclockwise rotation of the air flow in a low pressure system starts to organize the storms into a tropical cyclone.

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What we know

Forecasters said they expect a low pressure system to form in the western Caribbean, where environmental conditions are forecast to be conducive for gradual development thereafter, and a tropical depression could form around the middle part of next week.

A tropical depression is the earliest, weakest kind of a tropical cyclone, with maximum sustained winds of up to 38 mph. If the winds grow stronger, the system is designated a tropical storm, which can pack sustained winds of 39 to 73 mph. The cyclone attains hurricane status once maximum sustained winds reach and exceed 74 mph.

The remnants of Helene, seen as a spiraling mass of clouds over the eastern United States in this weather satellite photo taken Saturday afternoon, continued to produce flooding rainfall. NOAA/National Weather Service

Forecasters are giving this potential low pressure system in the western Caribbean a 50% chance of becoming a tropical cyclone, likely called Kirk or Leslie, the next two assigned storm names for the 2024 hurricane season.

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This system is expected to move northwestward into the Gulf of Mexico during the latter portion of next week, and interests in the northwestern Caribbean Sea and along the U.S. Gulf Coast should monitor its progress, the hurricane center said in its forecast Saturday.

What we dont know

So much more information about this low pressure system remains unknown. For instance, forecasters still dont have a fix on the exact timing or location of storm development.

The hurricane center is confident that prevailing winds will push any development in the western Caribbean toward the Gulf of Mexico. But without more data on a potential low pressure system that has yet to form, any projection of a possible storm path through the Gulf of Mexico remains unreliable.

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The hurricane center will be watching for signs of an emerging tropical cyclone, such as deep, organized thunderstorm activity, and whether it is beginning to form rotating winds around a well-defined center. The cyclone would then become a more powerful tropical storm that can extract heat energy from the atmospheric moisture over warm ocean water.

Tropical storms and hurricanes thrive in regions with warm sea-surface temperatures, and water temperatures across the southern Gulf of Mexico and the western Caribbean are around 85 to 87 degrees, which is unusually warm and enough to sustain tropical storm development and intensification.
Home > 2024 > Whats at stake as Kashmir goes to the polls | Mohsin Raza Khan & (...)

The Indian government will have to take a considered view on doing more than statehood to Jammu and Kashmir.

Embarking on a mountain in Kashmir, while running a temperature, is a bad idea, especially when elections in Indias newest Union Territory are around the corner.

Kashmir has not had an elected government for five years during which time it was directly administered by the central government.

But now that elections will be held in three phases  September 18, 25 and October 1, with counting of votes on October 4  a different kind of fever has set in, signalling a degree of enthusiasm also felt during parliamentary polls this summer when the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir recorded 58.46 percent voter turnout.

Jammu and Kashmir goes to the polls against the backdrop of a recent Union Home Ministry amendment to the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act which grants the Delhi-appointed lieutenant governor authority over the bureaucracy, judiciary and the police.

This move, in effect, enhanced the lieutenant governors power over transfers and postings of all-India service officers, including those in the Indian Administrative Service and the police.

It also only heightens the real fear that the election may yet prove to be an illusion.

There is little doubt restoring statehood to Jammu and Kashmir should be top priority.

However, in the event the Delhi state government model of central control is imposed on Jammu and Kashmir, the larger purpose of the election will be defeated, which will give the people a justifiable reason to oppose Delhis policies.

Such an ominous development will present Pakistan an opportunity to fish in troubled waters.

During their electoral campaigns across Jammu and Kashmir, leaders of various political parties have made no secret of repeatedly raising the issue of statehood.

The Election Commissions decision to go ahead with the polls without being cowed by the adverse security situation in the Jammu region is encouraging.

After all, past elections, such as those in 1995 and 2001, were held in even more precarious circumstances with reasonably high levels of militant attacks, violation of ceasefire conditions along the Line of Control and the consequent actions by security forces.

Voter turnout

The most crucial driver, among a set of other factors, for announcing the September-October election schedule was the respectable voter turnout in the parliamentary elections.

Despite the gerrymandering of constituencies by the Indian government, aimed at reducing the number of seats in the Kashmir Valley and raising them in the Jammu region, the election this time is expected to generate considerable enthusiasm.

The people of Jammu and Kashmir have been yearning for representation and have shown they are eager for some level of self-determination.

The Delhi model of governance has shown that constant friction between the legislature and the centre-appointed lieutenant governor would defeat the purpose in Jammu and Kashmir.

Should this happen, the degree of frustration and unmet expectations will have to be borne by all at a time when the security forces are already stretched thin on the Chinese, Myanmar and Bangladesh borders, as well as in Manipur.

The Kashmiri awaam (populace) which in the past often braved violence and boycott calls by separatists and militants, has historically looked forward to various types of elections.

More importantly, as in the rest of India, electoral participation in the lower levels of polls has been greater since elected representatives are more intimately connected to the people.

Local elections, especially in Jammu and Kashmirs villages, have seen voter turnout as high as 80 percent. By this measure, the assembly polls will likely witness participation greater than what was during the parliamentary polls.

Going beyond the obvious

However, holding elections and restoring statehood is merely an initial step towards fulfilling the democratic aspirations of a society. Much ground needs to be covered beyond these.

The expression of the peoples will through the ballot ought not to be viewed as approval. The reasons people vote vary and they should be analysed accurately. For example, candidates opposing abrogation of Article 370, some from mainstream parties, won comfortable majorities in the parliamentary elections.

In what can be considered a protest vote, independent candidate Sheikh Rashid, popularly known as Engineer Rashid, was elected MP from a constituency where former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and the BJPs Sajjad Lone also contested.

Despite being an MP, Rashid was jailed along with hundreds of journalists, academics and activists who were arrested under flimsy charges in 2019. He is now out on interim bail from the special National Investigation Agency court for campaigning until October 2 in a move which is seen to be the central governments attempt at weakening the pro-India traditional political parties.

Government employees, dozens of journalists and academics have been sacked or arrested for writing newspaper articles published as far back as 2010 and 2016. Many newspaper publishers have been shut down. Such measures, along with the continued suspension of statehood, can only be viewed as contrary to the peoples will.

The way ahead should be to bridge the divide between what the people think and what may be considered normative.

Jammu and Kashmirs electorate has historically detested being controlled by New Delhi. It is worth recalling the calamitous legacy of rigged elections in the past, especially in 1987 which were seen as a catalyst for the insurgency that followed. The betrayal of the democratic process led many disillusioned young people to take up arms, altering the course of Kashmirs history.

Maybe it was to heal the deep wounds of conflict and death on Kashmirs collective psyche that prompted Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul, one of the five Supreme Court judges who upheld the abrogation of Article 370 in December 2023, to recommend setting up an impartial Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

This panel was to investigate and report on the human rights violations since the 1980s and recommend measures for reconciliation.

The exercise should be time-bound. There is already an entire generation of youth that has grown up with feelings of distrust and it is to them that we owe the greatest duty of reparation, the judge said.

We might sound like Cassandras on Kashmir but, contrary to Justice Kaul, the expediency of ticking the box seems to be the national governments priority. Even as the peoples will and trust have been dismissed, one hopes that this fever doesnt become chronic for all of us.

(Authors: Mohsin Raza Khan is a Professor at the Jindal School of International Affairs, O.P Jindal Global University, Sonipat, Haryana.; Shashank Ranjan is an Associate Professor at the Jindal School of International Affairs, O.P Jindal Global University, Sonipat, Haryana)

[Originally published under Creative Commons by 360info.org]
Home > 2024 > The Siddaramaiah phenomenon in Karnataka Politics | P. S. Jayaramu

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is very much in the news both at tbe state and national level due to his alleged involvement in the MUDA issue relating to allotment of alternative sites to his wife Parvathi. Following a representation by activist and lawyer T J Abraham to the Governor, the latter accorded permission within 24 hours to investigate the matter. Quite expectedly, Siddaramaiah contested the Governors decision in the High Court by appointing the high-profile Abhishek Manu Singhvi as his lawyer. After a prolonged hearing, the Judge upheld the Governors decision and recommended a detailed investigation of the issue to unravel the truth. The Special Court, which was dealing with the matter went a step further and asked the Mysore Lok Ayukta branch to investigate the matter and submit a report within three months. The MUDA isuue will continue to be in the news with Siddaramaiah determined to fight it out legally before a division bench of the High Court and at the Supreme Court if necessary. The Opposition BJP-JD(S) combine has upped the ante by strongly demanding Siddaramaiahs resignation as CM to allow a fair and free investigation. Prime Minister has been quick enough to attack the Congress Party in his election campaigns in the ongoing Haryana assembly elections.

At the time of writing, the Congress Party, has decided to stay solidly behind Siddaramaiah though it is well known that a couple of senior Congressmen are candidates for the CMs gaddi. It is possible that the Congress High Command may adopt a go slow strategy at least till the beginning of the winter session of the Parliament. Going by how the issue will unfold itself further by then, the Party High Command, specially Rahul Gandhi, may come up with a decision in the interests of the larger national image of the Party as well as to carry on its fight against the Modi Government,even if it means asking Siddaramaiah to resign as Chief Minister. How Siddaramaiah would respond to such a dictat, if it were to come about, is open to question. He may oblige or defy the High Command. The issue deserved o be followed closely.

The larger purpose of this write-up is to highlight the Siddaramaiah phenomenon in the larger context of Karnataka Politics. Though Siddaramaiah entered the Karnataka Assembly in 1983 on a Bharathiya Lok Dal ticket, he soon joined the Janata Party. Initially he was President of the Kannada Kavalu Samiti to supervise the implementation of Kannada as official language, a task which was assigned to him by the then CM R. K. Hegde. In 1985, Siddaramaiah joined R. K. Hegdes Government as a minister,during his second term. The split in the Janata Party led to Siddaramaiah joining Janata Dal (S) However, due to his differences with Deve Gowda and conscious of his backward class background and identity, Siddaramaiah created the Ahinda group, representing the minorities, backwards and the Dalits.Though he intially toyed with the idea of setting up a regional party, he subsequently gave up the idea and joined the Congress Party in 2006. From then on, there was no looking back for Siddaramaiah. He started consolidating his position in the Party lacked a mass OBC leader within its fold. In the 2013 Assembly elections he played a pivotal role in bringing the Congress to power. In keeping with his commitment to Socialism and Social Justice, Siddaramaiah introduced many welfare scheme, like the Anna Bhagya scheme for the benefit of the the BPL families.

As a champion of the OBCs, Siddaramaiah has many things in common with the late Devaraj Urs, who, as the Chief Minister, was the first to put an end to the dominance of the Lingayats and Vokkaligas in State Politics by implementing a slew of backward class policies with reservation for OBCs in education and employment. Furthermore, in keeping with his committment to social justice, during his first term as CM, Siddaramaiah appointed the Kantharajaiah Commission to prepare a Social and Educational Survey, popularly known as caste census, with the objective of enhancing opportunities for the backward classes to play their role in State Politics, apart from availing educational, social and economic benefits. The Commission reportedly pointed to the decline of Lingayat and Vokkaliga population and the rise of SCSTs, OBCs, including Muslims. Now in his second term as CM, contrary to the expectations that he would implement the Commission report, more so, in keeping with Rahul Gandhis advocacy of backward census and reservation, Siddaramaiah is going slow on the implementation of the report perhaps due to opposition from the majority communities within his ministry.

In the 2023 Assembly elections, Siddaramaiah played an instrumental role in the Partys announcement of the Five Guarantees, which in a way guaranteed the victory of the Party in the polls with a thumping majority of 136 seats. Having played an important role in Karnataka Politics from 1983 to the present, it is unfortunate that Siddaramaiah is facing an agni Pariksha of sorts during the sun-set years of his political career. As a leader who has enjoyed a clean image so far, may be, Siddaramaiah should have behaved like a Statesman and surrendered the land allotted to his wife by the MUDA, while announcing his decision about the one-man Commission to investigate the issue. That would have ethically and politically placed him on a stronger footing in facing the issue legally as well as the Opposition.

(Author: P. S. Jayaram is a former Dean, Faculty of Arts, Bangalore University and a former Senior Fellow, ICSSR, New Delhi)
Parth Parmar took over the reins as Director of PARE Innovations at a young age. Known as a visionary leader, Parmar is committed to advancing technological innovation and excellence. Under his leadership, the company has carved out a niche in providing innovative solutions that cater to evolving industry needs. With a strong focus on quality, customer satisfaction, and strategic growth, Parmar ensures that PARE Innovations stays ahead of market trends, driving impactful change across sectors. His expertise and forward-thinking approach have been instrumental in the companys success and its reputation for delivering cutting-edge products and services.

In conversation with Adgully, Parth Parmar, Director, PARE Innovations, speaks about balancing multiple roles, his mantra for maintaining a healthy work-life balance, staying relevant in competitive times, the ability to anticipate market trends and prioritize innovation, and more.

How do you effectively balance your various roles as Director of PARE Innovations and other responsibilities? What challenges do you face in managing them all?

Balancing multiple roles requires strong time management and delegation. As Director of PARE Innovations, I focus on setting strategic directions, while empowering my team to manage day-to-day operations. Challenges include maintaining oversight while allowing autonomy, but creating a collaborative and transparent environment helps overcome this.

Could you walk us through a typical day in your life? What are the top 5-7 activities that you prioritize daily?

My day typically starts with early morning exercise to clear my mind, followed by reviewing my priorities for the day. I focus on key tasks like strategic planning, team meetings, and monitoring ongoing projects. I also ensure Im constantly learning, whether by reading industry updates or exploring new innovations. Lastly, I dedicate time for personal reflection and family.

What initially inspired you to pursue a career in your field? How did you prepare for this role alongside your other pursuits?

Traveling abroad opened my eyes to the gap in quality building materials in regions like USA and Europe. This observation, coupled with my desire to contribute to Indias Make in India campaign, inspired me to start PARE Innovations. I prepared by gaining industry experience and knowledge, as well as aligning with the right mentors.

Did you have any mentors or role models who guided you along the way? How did they impact your professional journey?

Yes, mentors played a vital role in my journey, including my father, who is also the Managing Director of PARE Innovations. I am particularly inspired by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, whose teachings on mindfulness, compassion, and work-life balance have deeply influenced my approach to leadership and personal growth. His emphasis on inner peace and clarity has helped me stay grounded in times of stress, making it easier to navigate challenges. Following his guidance has taught me the value of empathy and resilience, which are crucial for personal and professional success.

How do you maintain a healthy work-life balance? What strategies or practices do you use to manage stress and prioritize your well-being?

I believe in setting clear boundaries and ensuring that I make time for hobbies like reading and exercising. These activities help me unwind and recharge. I also delegate effectively to prevent burnout and maintain a balanced perspective.

Could you share some of the key milestones or achievements in your career? How have these shaped your growth trajectory?

One key milestone was the successful launch of the first Soffit Panels manufacturing plant in India. Despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, this achievement demonstrated the importance of persistence and innovation, reinforcing my belief in the companys potential to lead in the building materials industry.

How do you stay informed and up-to-date in your industry? Are there any specific resources, tools, or strategies that you depend upon?

I rely on a mix of industry reports, attending global trade shows, and connecting with experts from across the globe. Reading about new technologies and innovations helps keep my ideas fresh and relevant.

What fuels your passion for the diverse roles you hold? How do you ensure continued growth and relevance in each field?

The ability to innovate and create products that have a tangible impact on infrastructure fuels my passion. Staying relevant comes from a constant pursuit of learning and pushing boundaries. I also ensure that I surround myself with a talented team that challenges and inspires me to grow further.

Also Read: Kenstar unveilsHouseful of Joy festive campaign
27 years ago, three of Mudras brightest young stars got together to start their own shop - two of them, Raju and Muthu started the office in Kochi and the third, the late Sajan Abraham, started the Chennai office. They named their agency Maitri - the sanskrit word for friend. Thats what they set out to do - be a friend and companion to their clients and their employees. What started as a tiny, bootstrapped three-man firm has now grown into arguably South Indias largest independent full-service agency, with offices in Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram and Bengaluru, with offices in Maldives and Seychelles as well.

So how did this small agency with headquarters in Kochi manage to get brands like Mathrubhumi, Muthoot Finance, Netflix, AVT, Krafton, Disney+Hotstar, Asianet, Wipro and Saffola on their roster?

Walk into any award-winning network agency in Mumbai, Delhi or Bengaluru and youre bound to spot a large number of Malayalees. Theres no doubt that the state has produced some of the brightest minds in the business. What Maitri did was provide a space where these bright minds could come together to create something great.

The magic mix was simple, but not easy - deeply rooted local insights brought alive with international-standard craftsmanship.

As more businesses began looking for localized creative solutions, they found Maitri to be the perfect partner. Years of experience in the South markets gave them a level of insight into the people that other agencies would find hard to match, which they translated into creative campaigns that matched national standards - all at a fraction of the cost that brands previously had to bear. People want to be spoken to in their own language, they want to be seen and heard in an authentic manner. Where bigger agencies viewed the southern states from an outside-in perspective, Maitris work was inside-out, honouring the people it spoke to.

The creative craftsmanship that sets them apart in the south Indian context comes from many of the staff having honed their skills at international agencies before bringing those skills home, along with their network of talented directors, artists and producers.

Maitris strength comes from its relationships - whether its clients, employees or vendors, all of them have long track records. Most of their clients have been with them for over 20 years, and they have the lowest employee churn rate in an industry that is notorious for quick jumps. In the words of Raju Menon, MD

The clients trust us because we are extremely invested in their business. Even if brand managers change, Maitri is always there. That stability has allowed us to keep our people happy as well. We believe that when everyone is happy, business will happen.

In 2025, were hoping to land a few more national accounts, attract even more bright minds to work with us and start entering our work at international award shows as well. Fingers crossed.

Francis Thomas, Group Creative Director

Maitri is somewhat of an anomaly in the advertising business - but thats perhaps the reason why its doing so well. In the last three years alone, Maitri has won Keralas only Grand Prix at the Abby awards, the IMA agency of the year award three times, Adgullys agency of the year 2024 and a huge winning streak at every other south award show.

Were looking forward to seeing where the agency goes next.






















Kenstar is making significant strides in its growth journey, after a record-breaking summer that bolstered its leadership in the cooler category. With the festive season approaching, the brand is now gearing up for a highly anticipated multimedia campaign that is titled as Houseful of Joy, featuring the iconic actress Ramya Krishnan. Known for her memorable roles in films such as Bahubali, Jailer, and Padayappa, Ramya brings her unmistakable charm to the campaign, which showcases Kenstars complete range of home appliances.

The central piece of the campaign is a vibrant video, portraying Ramya in her liveliest avatar, interacting with a young cousin. Set against the backdrop of a bustling festive household, the video opens with Ramya preparing an elaborate festive spread to welcome her family. Her cousin, amazed by the grandeur of the preparations, curiously asks about the assistance behind the scenes. With a playful smile, Ramya leads him to the kitchen, where Kenstars extensive range of appliances is hard at work.

The commercial throws a light on how Kenstar's wide-range of Small Home Appliances and newly launched Air Conditioners enhance the joy of festive celebrations by making food preparation seamless and ensuring a comfortable environment for all. Through light-hearted interactions, Ramya showcases the performance, reliability, and sleek design of these appliances, emphasizing their vital role in making family gatherings smoother and more enjoyable.

Sunil Jain, CEO of Kenstar, expressed his excitement, stating, "With a strong focus on the southern part of the country, we are thrilled to welcome Ramya Krishnan to the Kenstar family. We are already a leading brand in the Air Cooler category and growing in Small Home Appliances and Water Heaters. Ramyas powerful presence aligns perfectly with our brand's values of a strong performance by Kenstar Appliances, which come with superior technology and elegant design. As we move into the festive season, our wide range of appliances offers families the convenience and comfort to enjoy these special moments without hassle.



Ramya Krishnan shared her experience working with Kenstar, saying, Ive always believed that a home filled with joy is the heart of any festival, and Kenstars products truly help in creating that happiness. I can say that, as I have been using Kenstar Appliances myself now for many years now. Whether its the kitchen or the living room, Kenstar appliances bring a sense of ease and comfort that makes every celebration special. Im delighted to be part of a brand that resonates so well with families.



Neha Khullar, Marketing Head at Kenstar, added, "Festivals are a time for families to come together and create memories. We wanted the campaign to reflect our wide range of appliances, bring even more ease and delight into households, allowing families to focus on what truly matters  enjoying the festive moments. Ramya Krishnan perfectly embodies the spirit of celebration and perfection, which strongly aligns with the brands ethos.



As the festive season approaches, Kenstars Houseful of Joy campaign intends to be a source of inspiration for households across the country for elevation of their celebrations with the brands extensive range of appliances, making every moment a delightful and hassle-free experience.

About Kenstar

Also Read: BSI executes Mobility Marketing campaign for Kenstar Coolers in 8 states
With the travel landscape in India continuing to evolve, many travelers prioritise premium experiences. As per MakeMyTrips latest How Indians Travel Abroad report, there has been a 10% rise in searches for international business class flights between 2023 and 2024. Traditionally associated with long-haul destinations such as the USA and the UK, the trend is now expanding to shorter routes, that include destinations such as Hong Kong, Sri Lanka, Japan, and Saudi Arabia.

For serving this growing trend, MakeMyTrip is bringing together 10 leading international airlines Air Astana, Air India, Air India Express, Malaysia Airlines, Oman Air, Qantas, Singapore Airlines, Turkish Airlines, Virgin Atlantic and Vistaraoffering up to 20% discount on business class fares. To make it even more attractive, MakeMyTrip has collaborated with ICICI Bank, offering an additional 10,000 off for ICICI Bank cardholders. Travelers can take advantage of these fantastic offers from September 27 to October 2, during the dedicated Business Class Fest.

"The Indian traveller is rapidly evolving, seeking the best at every stage of their travel journey. With the launch of initiatives like the Business Class Fest, we aim to make premium experiences both accessible and rewarding, said, Saujanya Shrivastava, Chief Operating Officer - Flights, Holidays & Gulf at MakeMyTrip. We are delighted that the travel ecosystem is increasingly looking to us as the preferred platform for premium travellers. We have introduced several new features and initiatives to enhance the travel experience of our customers and will continue to bring more such offerings in the coming months as well."

This push to boost business class travel builds upon MakeMyTrips recent launch of a dedicated Business Class Funnel for international flights. Tailored specifically for business travelers, this feature provides an immersive, intuitive booking experience with high-quality visuals, refined filters, and a user-friendly interface, simplifying the business class booking process, making certain transparency and convenience.
QR678, one of the leading companies in India that is committed to bring a revolution in hair and skin science via trailblazing research and ingenious solutions, has announced the appointment of Sridhar Ranganathan to its Board of Advisors. Sridhar brings extensive expertise in biotechnology, healthcare, and aesthetics, which is expected to bolster QR678's strategic direction and market penetration at a significant level.

During his tenure as Managing Director (MD) at Allergan India and South Asia, Sridhar played a pivotal role in scaling up Botox over several years, significantly expanding its market presence and transforming it into a leading product in the aesthetics industry. His leadership and strategic vision were instrumental in elevating Botoxs prominence, contributing to Allergans strong foothold in the market.

Sridhar is a distinguished figure in the medtech industry, currently being part of the IIT Madras incubated enterprises including HELYXON. His role encompasses driving strategic initiatives and leveraging his extensive experience in sales, marketing, and transformational leadership. Additionally, Sridhar is a member of the Steering Committee of HRD at the Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and Technology, that provides strategic directions in biotechnology education and development. Sridhar is also a IICA certified Independent Director.

Speaking about this, Indrajit Dutta, Vice President (VP), QR678, said, We are thrilled to welcome Sridhar to the QR678 Board of Advisors. His exceptional background in medtech and pharmaceuticals, coupled with his strategic vision and leadership, will be invaluable as we continue to advance our innovative hair regrowth therapy. Sridhars deep understanding of market dynamics, combined with his ability to steer transformative initiatives, will undoubtedly propel QR678 to new heights in both domestic and international markets."

Adding further, Sridhar Ranganathan said, The way QR678 has progressed and its penetration in the hair growth segment is nothing short of phenomenal. What excites me about QR678 is not just its significant impact in India but its potential to revolutionize hair regrowth therapy globally. The rigorous research and academic intensity backing QR678, along with its established place in the market, make it an extraordinary journey to be part of. I look forward to collaborating with the team to support QR678s strategic goals and further its mission of revolutionizing hair regrowth therapy.

He also shared his thoughts for doctors and aesthetic practitioners: For practitioners, understanding QR678 in detail and how it can be integrated into their practice is crucial. Whether used as a monotherapy or in combination with other treatments, QR678 offers a robust solution for managing patients with androgenetic alopecia. I believe it can become an essential tool in every practitioners arsenal.

Sridhar holds an MBA in General Management from Manipal Academy of Higher Education and a Bachelors degree in Mathematics from Vivekananda College.
Solitario, Indias premier lab-grown diamond brand, has completed its highly anticipated Bling Better tour a campaign dedicated to promoting sustainable luxury. Timed perfectly with Indias vibrant festival season, the tour not only celebrated the brands one-year anniversary but also showcased its commitment to sustainability while reinforcing its growing global presence.

Led by Co-Founder and Brand Ambassador Vivek Oberoi, the tour made stops in major cities, including Pune, Bangalore, and Chennai, presenting a unique fusion of eco-conscious craftsmanship and high-end appeal. Oberois widespread influence, particularly in South India where his presence in various film projects has increased his brand value, played a pivotal role in amplifying Solitarios visibility and reach across key markets.

Solitario Lab-Grown Diamonds is one of the first jewellery brands from India to be featured on the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, humbly began with a single store in Pune. Today, the brand has the strongest footprint in Pune with three boutique store and several thriving partnerships.

Interestingly, the brand leveraged its Pune presence and popularity to steal the spotlight with an iconic moment. During the auspicious Ganesh Chaturthi, Oberoi and Co-Founder Ricky Vasandani offered a 66-carat diamond tilak to the revered Shreemant Dagadusheth Halwai Ganpati, symbolizing the brands dedication to both cultural and environmental values. The event resonated strongly with local consumers, further deepening Solitarios connection in the city.

The tour then made its way to Bangalore, where an exclusive gathering for High-Net-Worth Individuals (HNIs) was held in line with the brands vision of creating awareness on the new sgement. The gathering allowing guests to engage with the citys social elite while discussing the future of lab-grown diamonds in luxury markets. With the brand having recently opened its second store in Bangalore, this stop further cemented the city as a major growth area for Solitario.

Chennai, the tour's final stop, saw the brand hosting the innovative Diamonds and Denim Fashion Show at Phoenix Mall, capturing the attention of fashion-forward audiences. With Oberois star power in Southern cinema boosting the event's prominence, the tour solidified the brands footprint in a crucial regional market.

Speaking on the successful India tour, Ricky Vasandani, Co-Founder & CEO, Solitario: The Bling Better tour has been a testament to Solitarios vision of making sustainable luxury accessible to discerning customers. As we wrap up this tour, we are proud to have grown by nearly 100%, and are looking forward to continuing this trajectory, with expectations of surpassing Rs. 100 crores in the coming fiscal year.

In the last six months, the brand has broadened its presence by launching three domestic stores and three international locations, including a flagship store in Dubai. Furthermore, Solitario has established its European headquarters in Barcelona, with plans to open two additional stores in Malaysia.

Kabir Kate, Head of Marketing, Solitario, added, "The Bling Better campaign has been a tremendous success for us, providing Solitario with unparalleled visibility across phygital platfroms and markets. Our ethical diamond revolution tour became an effective means to reach out and touch bases with our growing audience in Pune, Bangalore and Chennai, reaching an audience of 50 million, with extensive engagements. Along with this, we clocked about 20 million digital impressions It created a strong identity for the brand as the go-to choice for those seeking sustainable luxury. The festival season offered the perfect backdrop for our tour, ensuring our message of ethical luxury reached new heights."

Solitario remains committed to redefining luxury, focusing on craftsmanship and sustainability as the cornerstones of its brand. With a growing global presence and a loyal consumer base, the future looks brighter than ever for the brand as it sets new benchmarks in ethical, eco-conscious jewellery.
SUGAR POP, a part of the SUGAR family of beauty brands and exetensively popular for its range of high-quality affordable makeup products, has announced a new campaign with ace Bollywood actress, Kriti Sanon. The Colour Sahi, Transfer Nahi campaign marks SUGAR POPs debut on television and launches its much-awaited Ultrastay Transferproof Lipstick in time for the festive season ahead.

Conceptualized in the post-Covid era by the founders of SUGAR Cosmetics, SUGAR POP was born out of Vineeta Singh and Kaushik Mukherjee's obsession with adapting SUGAR Cosmetics DNA of crafting high-performance makeup products to a more affordable price point. Since its launch in 2020, SUGAR POP has scaled aggressively across online and offline channels to soar past INR 100 Crores in sales within 3 years and continues its growth trajectory.

As seen in the TV and digital campaign (link above), the launch commercial features Kriti Sanon effortlessly showcasing the lipsticks transfer-proof nature with her signature charm. From shocking her mother to stressing her date to almost messing with her bestie's makeup - what exactly is Kriti up to in the ad and where does she get all her confidence and sass from? Watch the ad to discover what leads to these reactions and their surprise later, as Kriti confidently showcases the all-new transferproof, non-drying creamy matte SUGAR POP Ultrastay Transferproof Lipstick!

The campaign intends to drive large-scale awareness for the product that has been in the works for more than 18 months and is expected to set a new bar for high-quality makeup at an affordable price point. The TVC will be played in seven languages across India to echo diverse makeup enthusiasts spread across several platforms via teaser ads, digital ads, and influencer amplification.

Kriti Sanon, who has captivated audiences with her performances and fashion-forward looks, expressed her excitement about this new collaboration. "I'm thrilled to be part of the SUGAR POP family as we launch the #ColourSahiTransferNahi campaign that encourages young women to be unstoppable and explore their individuality with makeup that is affordable and long-lasting such as the SUGAR POP Ultrastay Transferproof Lipstick - a highly-pigmented transferproof formula that STAYS! It's the perfect blend of quality, and value, making it a must-have in any makeup collection for the festive season. SUGAR POPs mission to make high-quality pocket-friendly makeup accessible to young women resonates deeply with me and I am excited to be part of this inclusive journey for women from every part of the country.

Vineeta Singh, Co-founder & CEO of SUGAR Cosmetics announced SUGAR POP's biggest launch of the year by commenting, We are thrilled to associate with Kriti Sanon for SUGAR POPs first ever TV campaign #ColourSahiTransferSahi. Having seen SUGAR Cosmetics scale rapidly in the premium high-performance makeup segment, about 4 years ago, we identified a clear whitespace in branded good-quality affordable Colour cosmetic products in India - and thats how SUGAR POP, a trusted pocket-friendly brand was first conceptualized. Today, this small idea's sales have defied all expectations to double every year over the last 3 years, driven by great-value products, strong consumer demand, and deep distribution across tier 2 and 3 cities. For something of the magnitude of the SUGAR POP Ultrastay Transferproof Lipstick, I know that partnering with Kriti will drive strong adoption across a broader audience while driving our national footprint even deeper, online as well as offline."

Co-founder & COO of SUGAR Cosmetics, Kaushik Mukherjee further added, Kriti Sanons natural charm, authenticity, and confidence just made her an irreplaceable fit for the #ColourSahiTransferNahi campaign and we hope you have as much fun trying out the product and watching the ad as much as we had creating both.




Dear friends,

It was a week of stimulating conversations amongst Indias leading marketing honchos at the CMOs Charcha  Bengaluru Chapter 2024.

Also, festive marketing strategies of brands and e-commerce gathered momentum as Durga Puja-Dussehra-Diwali approaches fast.

However, amid all the marketing frenzy, Adgully also explored the market sentiments on the streets of Kolkata, which is still coming to terms with the horrific RG Kar Hospital incident.

Masters of Marketing

CMOS Charcha - Bengaluru 2024: At the forefront of reshaping the marketing landscape

The CMOs Charcha  Bengaluru Chapter 2024 will centre around the theme of "Revolutionising Marketing: The Fusion of Data, Creativity, and Technology. This summit will see leading marketing professionals in Bengaluru explore how the integration of data analytics, creative innovation, and advanced technology is reshaping the marketing landscape.

Festive report

Subdued sentiments over RG Kar incident hits Kolkata retailers ahead of Durga Puja

Durga Puja, West Bengals biggest festival, is beginning with Mahalaya on October 3. However, the year 2024 is turning out to be an exception, with the usually overcrowded markets witnessing thin attendance of shoppers. West Bengal, especially Kolkata, continues to grieve for the young doctor killed so ruthlessly and that has cast a shadow of gloom, dampening the pujo sentiments.

Creators, Commission Rates: Zahid Khan decodes Amazons festive gameplan

Adgully spoke with Zahid Khan, Director of Shopping Initiatives for India and Emerging Markets, Amazon, to know more about the Amazon Influencer Program, the launch of Creator University and Creator Connect, and what to expect from the Great Indian Festival this year.

Thriving on prayers

We dont believe in gimmick marketing: Arjun Ranga, MD, Cycle Pure Agarbathi

Elaborating on the significance of the brand name Cycle, as part of this exclusive AG Talk interaction with Adgully, Arjun Ranga, Managing Director of Mysore-headquartered Cycle Pure Agarbathi, said, In 1950, with the cycle, you could go anywhere, just like with prayer and just like with the agarbatti.

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Axis Finance, IDBI Bank, and IDBI Trusteeship Services have dropped their appeals against the Zee-Sony merger approval. This move follows the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) revoking its initial approval of the merger on August 10, 2023.

Indias double Oscar dhamaka

Laapataa Ladies is Indias entry to Oscars 2025; Kiran Rao reacts

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PR Conversation

Were very bullish on reputation management needs of corporates & start-ups: SGA PR

In an exclusive conversation with Adgully, Rahul Jain and Sudhir Shetty, Partners and Joint CEOs of SGA PR, delve into various aspects of their roles at Strategic Growth Advisors. They share insights into their leadership within the PR practice, discuss the evolving role of public relations in todays dynamic business environment, and explore the opportunities it presents for Strategic Growth Advisors.

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Shanta Saikia

Editor

Adgully

Also Read: This Week's Top Creative Campaigns: Engaging Stories and Innovative Ideas
Home > 2024 > BJPs fake breast-beating over crime against women | Faraz Ahmad

Going through the morning papers this Friday [Sept 27, 2024] a sharp contrast struck me. Actually, it has been bothering me for a while.

The first image was of a full-size centre page photo of the women family members of the police officials of Bharatpur model police station in Odishas capital Bhubaneshwar sitting protesting against the suspension of their relatives after the horrific treatment of an Army officers fiance, a lawyer herself and the daughter of a retired Army Brigadier on the night of September 24, wherein the poor complainant was brutally beaten and even molested by male police officer in collusion with policewomen on duty. As has become customary of the Police in BJP-ruled states a case was registered against the victim, she was produced in court on the charge of assaulting police personnel on duty and after hospitalisation granted bail.

Forcibly stripping a complainant, male or female even in a gender-neutral surrounding itself is a serious offence under the law and therefore is not just unpardonable but should ordinarily invite legal action. Throwing an Army officer in the lock-up is forbidden under the Army Act and to prevent him from coming to his fiancees aid compounds the crime of those police officials, men and women both. In a state upholding the rule of law, the entire batch of officials present in that police station during the commitment of custodial crime ought to have been arrested and sent to jail, not merely suspended. What would have been the BJP and its embedded media reaction were such a crime taken place in West Bengal?

This couple rushed to the police station, as the news story goes and as the concerned woman said in her press conference before the media outside the Bhubaneshwar AIIMS where she was sent to determine her injuries, that she and her Army officer fiance were chased and manhandled by a group of men, numbering 12 in three cars. It is not clear but it seems since they had gone to a pub after closing her restaurant, the young men must have been upset with a young woman accompanying a young man, about whom these fellows knew and cared to know little, being seen at a bar so late at night. Following the uproar over this, some of the men were caught and almost immediately bailed out. How come? The names of those men are still being kept a secret convincing one that they were no ordinary street-level criminals but some who enjoyed state protection and in this case even judicial indulgence.

It seems from all this that the men who harassed and assaulted the young couple that night must have been from the vigilante brigade and are now a law unto themselves, prowling around at night in a BJP government in the state led by a chief minister whose sole claim to fame is that years ago he sat on a dharna in defence of Dara Singh who burnt alive Graham Staines and his two little children in their station wagon. The reluctance, rather refusal, of the police to lodge a complaint of the harassed woman, and catch the culprits might be because of their knowledge who these men were and what political clout they enjoyed in the first BJP government in Odisha. The blase act of the family members of offending police officials to sit on a dharna after their grave offence is akin to how women in Manipur egged on men who stripped and publicly molested two Kuki women again in a BJP-ruled state. Bharatpur is touted as a model police station with a fancy building but no CCTV cameras to prevent recording what transpires at this police station. Does it not warrant asking whether the absence of CCTV cameras was a deliberate well thought out act to obliterate any evidence of the crime they commit inside a model police station.

Now compare this with a non-BJP state like Bengal. There is no doubt that rape and murder of a young doctor in the dead of night at the R.G. Kar Hospital in Kolkatta on August 9 was a heinous crime and the man who committed it deserves the most severe punishment even perhaps a death sentence for that crime. But the BJP led agitation of junior doctors throughout the country seemed as if this country has not seen a similar crime ever before? Within days the Supreme Court took suo moto cognizance of the offence and set up a high-powered committee to go into the crime.

Rubbishing aside the Bengal police investigations and even the post-mortem report, the Central Bureau of Investigations (CBI) described once more by a bench of The Supreme Court of India as a caged parrot, got into the act which has failed to show any further progress in the rape and murder case than what the Bengal Police determined and caught the accused within hours. Simultaneously another caged parrot the Enforcement Directorate (ED) investigating not the rape and murder of the doctor but everything else concerning the hospital mainly how the former head of the hospital Sandeep Ghosh ran the administration got into the act probing possible financial irregularities that might have been committed and anything and everything concerning the running of that hospital but the murder of the hapless victim. The Supreme Court committee is overseeing and monitoring all this. No defence of the former head of the hospital but how is this related to the rape and murder of the victim, neither the apex court nor anyone else is asking?

It becomes all the more contentious when we see the off-hand manner in which the crime committed in Odisha is dealt with. Even the Leader of the Opposition in the Odisha assembly made just one cursory statement and was done with it. No agitations, no street demonstrations, nothing. Were this young woman not accompanied by her fiance a serving Army officer and were she not the daughter of a retired Army brigadier, perhaps even this much notice and action may not have come about.
A 35-year-old mother will be laid to rest Sunday, just over a week after she was fatally shot inside a Birmingham bar where she had stopped to get something to eat.

Diontranet Tinae Brown was killed Sept. 19 inside 604 Bar and Lounge at 604 Ninth Street North, leaving behind a 14-year-old son and a host of grieving family and friends.

Those friends and family gathered Friday night at Railroad Park to honor Brown.

The vigil took place just about 100 yards away from another vigil for a different homicide victim  21-year-old Anitra Holloman who was killed in the Five Points South mass shooting one week ago today.

Its hit us pretty hard, said Browns first cousin, Anthony Gardner. With the funeral coming up, were just trying to prepare ourselves.

Brown was a frequent customer at 604 Bar and Lounge. She stopped by there that Thursday night to get some food.

North Precinct officers received a call of a person shot around 8:50 p.m. They arrived to find Brown unresponsive inside the bar.

Birmingham Fire and Rescue Service rushed Brown to UAB Hospital, where she was pronounced dead at 9:09 p.m.

We do not believe this was a random shooting, said Officer Truman Fitzgerald. It is unclear if the victim was the intended target.

We dont know if she was targeted or a bystander, Gardner said. Were still trying to figure all that out.

Birmingham police investigate a deadly shooting inside the 604 Bar and Lounge at 604 Ninth Street North.(Contributed)

Brown was a graduate of Wenonah High School. Many of her former classmates attended the vigil, bearing gold balloons.

She was a sweet and loving person, Gardner said. She brightened the room anyplace she went.

If somebody was down, she was the one who wanted to get you back in a good mood, he said. Its just sad that her life was cut short over foolishness.

Browns son is struggling with the loss.

Its tough. Hes still trying to deal with it, Gardner said. A lot of us are still trying to accept the fact that she is gone.

Brown is one of 16 people to die from violence in the city so far in September.

The family is hoping for answers and justice.

I do feel like Birmingham police are doing all they can with everything going on, Gardner said. The violence is pretty bad. Hopefully, it gets better.

Anyone with information in Browns slaying or any of the other homicides is asked to call Birmingham police at 205-254-1764 or Crime Stoppers at 205-254-7777.
Kamala Harris visited Georgia to champion abortion rights following ProPublicas publication of misleading stories related to the states abortion ban.

Understanding the most recent pro-abortion media blitz, launched during the height of the presidential campaign, highlights how the Left controls the narrative on many policy issues, particularly those that are emotionally charged.

To propagandize the public, left-wing reporters find tragic stories, create a one-sided framing of the relevant policy issues, using emotional appeals to gain sympathy. These stories are used as fodder by Democrat politicians who smear their opposition as uncompassionate.

Two Georgia Women Die After Taking Abortion Pills

ProPublica reported on two stories, both holding Georgias abortion law responsible for the death of two women.

The articles detail the stories of Amber Thurman and Candi Miller, inaccurately claiming Georgia makes the performance of a dilation and curettage (D&C), illegal except in narrow circumstances. This surgical procedure can be performed for abortion purposes, as a part of routine miscarriage care, or to address complications from an incomplete medication abortion. Georgia law only bans the procedure when performed with the purpose of killing an unborn child.

In the first case, Amber Thurman discovered she was pregnant with twins and traveled to North Carolina, but missed an appointment for a surgical abortion. Instead, Thurman took abortion pills to terminate her pregnancy.

She then developed complications when fetal tissue remained in her uterus. When excessive bleeding did not subside, Thurman went to the hospital for treatment. Doctors discovered she was septic, but did not perform a D&C to remove the tissue until twenty hours after Thurman's arrival. Thurman did not survive the procedure.

Candi Millers story is similar. Miller ordered abortion pills online and took them at home. Her cause of death remains unknown, but an autopsy found fetal tissue in her uterus, and a deadly combination of painkillers including fentanyl.

ProPublica Plays Public Prosecutor

ProPublica makes a case against the state of Georgia, alleging its abortion ban is responsible for Thurman and Miller's deaths. Reporter Kavitha Surana states that both cases are mounting evidence that exceptions to abortion bans do not... protect the life of the mother.

Suranas viewpoint is openly pro-choice, stating she reports on how abortion bans have made pregnancy more dangerous in America, including reporting about how Republican legislators refuse to listen to this reality.

In the second of the two stories, ProPublica rests its case, claiming its reporting makes clear that abortion bans cause women to lose their lives based on expert testimony. However, evidence in support of this claim is weak.

The experts Surana relies on to come to this conclusion are from anonymous sources within a state committee overseen by Georgias Department of Public Health. According to these sources, this committee immediately determined Millers death was caused by Georgia law. Their conclusion was reached despite the committee interviewing none of the doctors involved in the case.

This is significant because Millers cause of death remains unknown, and, in Thurmans case, the law banning abortion did not prevent medical providers from providing treatment, including a D&C. In fact, medical providers who treated Thurman did not respond to ProPublicas request for comment, and it remains unclear why doctors waited twenty hours before performing surgery.

This leads to a significant factual error contained in both articles, where it is stated that D&C are [felonies], with few exceptions. Simply put, this statement is false. Instead, a D&C is only illegal when it falls under the definition of abortion, defined in the statute as the act of using, prescribing, or administering any instrument, substance, device, or other means with the purpose to terminate a pregnancy with knowledge that termination will, with reasonable likelihood, cause the death of an unborn child.

Performing a D&C in either of the cases does not fall under this definition because the pregnancies were already terminated, therefore any subsequent medical procedure could not be done with the purpose of termination.

ProPublica could have interviewed or cited other sources who readily acknowledge this reality. The American Association of Pro Life OBGYNs (AAPLOG) wrote a long thread on X detailing, from a medical perspective, why there was no legal risk to immediate surgery.

The organization could also have turned to pro-choice sources, including the Abortion Defense Network. In their 2024 guide to medical professionals, the organization advises it is legal for providers to give medical care during or after a self-managed abortion in the state of Georgia provided there is no cardiac activity.

Implications of Progressive Propaganda

Sowing public distrust in the ability to access medical care serves no purpose, other than the advancement of her political agenda in a tight election season.

Ironically, as discussed by AAPLOG, media misinformation on this issue instills fear into women, who may mistakenly believe their state outlaws miscarriage care. Although the reasons Thurman and Miller were hesitant to seek care, hyperbolic media reports and irresponsible political rhetoric cultivate a culture where it is reasonable for women to mistakenly believe medical care is illegal. This underscores how easy access to abortion -- not safety -- is the pro-choice goal.

Ultimately, the issue of abortion in a post-Roe America is a story of significant interest to the public and should spark a genuine dialogue with complete reporting exploring the issue from pro-choice and pro-life viewpoints.

Instead, as with many cultural issues, left-wing allies run a familiar playbook with media and Democrat government agents seeking to solidify a singular message that misinforms the public and is, as a spokesman for Georgia governor Brian Kemp stated, hyperbolic fearmongering.

Image: ProPublica
Its election time again and that means it's time for the Democrats' regular pilgrimage to black communities to remind them of our sad state of affairs where racist evildoers -- Republicans of course -- actively work to keep black people down.

And the only hope for relief is by voting for Democrats -- who, by the way, have run the country for 12 of the last 16 years.

This race-baiting is disgusting but is what even more disgusting is that large portions of the black community buy into it.

Due to the sad state of this countrys K-12 public education system -- and the poorer one is, the worse it is -- most blacks dont seem to know it is the Democrat party that has a long, well-documented history of actively working against black men and women -- from the days of slavery right up to today. The Ku Klux Klan was formed as the military arm of the Democrat party.

One of the most insidious and destructive policies unleashed on all poor people, but primarily directed at the black family, was President Lyndon Johnsons War on Poverty. It was supposedly intended to not only to relieve the symptom of poverty, but to cure it and, above all, to prevent it.

This was a lie, and a knowing and evil plan that while wrapped in supposed good intentions was really designed to destroy the black family structure -- keeping them dependent on government forever. LBJ admitted as much with his brag that Ill have them n*ggers voting Democrats for 200 years.

It didnt border on evil, it was evil -- and remains so to this day.

For in this welfare plan was a simple, but diabolical design certain to damage poor families -- black, white, and everyone in between.

An honest fellow Democrat, Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan begged LBJ to not include this provision as he knew its evil intent. But LBJ refused to do that as this was the linchpin of his entire plan. His plan to have blacks -- and all poor people -- vote Democrat for 200 years wouldnt work without the destruction of poor families.

What was this linchpin? The inclusion of a provision that all these wonderful welfare benefits would be available to black mothers and children but only if no father -- or any man really -- was involved in their home lives and their childrens lives. And the more fatherless children they had, the more money they got. The much maligned welfare queen was a planned creation of the federal government.

But only if that one condition was met -- no father living there. They even regularly sent welfare agents out to check if a man might be living with the woman. This was one of the primary goals of home visits.

An extra toothbrush or a mans shaving kit in the bathroom could mean the end of significant money and benefits. And this pressure was put on poor women with few, if any, financial and career alternatives.

So, their families were destroyed by this orchestrated attack from their own government! In 1960 out-of-wedlock births were relatively rare. But they took off in the mid-1960s and have never looked back. Just as planned.

This was very damaging to all the poor but blacks bore the brunt of this planned and orchestrated assault on their families.

Think of all the pain, suffering, and grief this has caused millions of families. Families have suffered generational damage that continues to this day.

These families made it through the horrors of slavery. They prospered even during the worst of Jim Crow times -- also a primarily Democrat operation. Yet a supposed plan to help these folks achieved its ultimate true goal, the destruction of the poor family and their forever dependence on government -- read Democrat.

Combine this planned assault with the K-12 public schools these children are forced to attend -- and you have the perfect Democrat-producing voting machine. The schools ensure these children have few, if any financial and career opportunities.

It is not uncommon in some of these schools to not have a single student proficient in any subject. What economic future awaits these victims? What life awaits these victims? And yes, these individuals are truly victims of this sinful plan.

Even today, a poor young black woman will have far more luxuries and material wealth if she gets knocked up than otherwise -- but only if no father is around!

Think of all the graveyards filled with the victims of this governmental plan. Think of the generations of angst and pain suffered by millions. It didnt just happen. It was a plan that was set in motion by the federal government.

I will be the first to admit the Republican party is a very flawed vessel but at least they didnt implement a successful plan to destroy the poor black family structure, thereby forcing millions to become dependent on government.

Please think before you give Democrats your vote. You will only be rewarding the political party that has done what slavery and Jim Crow couldnt accomplish -- destroying the strong black family with the goal of forever enslaving blacks to the Democrat party.

Please help end this obscenity. Only you can do it.

John Conlin is an expert in organizational design and change. He is also founder and President of E.I.C. Enterprises. He has been published in American Greatness, The Federalist, The Daily Caller, American Thinker, the Houston Chronicle, the Denver Post, and Public Square Magazine among others.

Image: Image Editor
Sex, sexual ambiguity, race, incompetence, warmongering, and foreign interventions. While those are familiar issues in 2024, surprisinglyor perhaps nottheyre merely echoes of earlier timeslike the election of 1800!

The presidential campaign of 1800 was the sequel to the first truly contested American presidential election in 1796 and featured the same two primary players. John Adams won and Thomas Jefferson lost and became vice presidentthe only time in history thats happened.

Although friends, the men became vicious rivalsalthough never actually campaigning themselvesand the campaigns were as brutal as any seen in modern times.

Image by Vince Coyner.

With the French Revolution still ravaging our first ally, their ambassador openly advocated for the Francophile Jefferson, seeking to defeat Adams, who was thought to be considering war with France. At the same time, the FederalistsAdams partytried to paint Jefferson as potentially getting the US into a war with Britain.

Four years later, the campaigns became far more personal and far more vicious:

Jeffersons camp accused President Adams of having a hideous hermaphroditical character, which has neither the force and firmness of a man, nor the gentleness and sensibility of a woman. In return, Adams men called Vice President Jefferson a mean-spirited, low-lived fellow, the son of a half-breed Indian squaw, sired by a Virginia mulatto father. As the slurs piled on, Adams was labeled a fool, a hypocrite, a criminal, and a tyrant, while Jefferson was branded a weakling, an atheist, a libertine, and a coward.

Perhaps most consequentially as it relates to the election of 1800 versus that of 1796 was the 1798 passage of the Sedition Act, part of whats commonly referred to as the Alien and Sedition Acts. The Sedition Act essentially targeted Democratic-Republican editors (those on Jeffersons side), making it illegal to write, print, utter or publishany false, scandalous and malicious writingwith intent to defame thegovernment. To demonstrate how partisan this law was, the Federalists, who controlled Congress, wrote it to expire on March 3, 1801, so that it wouldnt be available for the Democratic-Republicans to use against their rivals if they prevailed in the election.

Ironically, the law, which was intended to help Adams and target Jeffersons supporters, didnt have the desired effect. Instead, Jefferson won.

Its interesting that John Adams, one of Americas primary Founding Fathers, sought to undermine the Constitution the first opportunity he got. Indeed, he understood that the Constitution itself was little more than a piece of paper, telling the Massachusetts Militia: Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other. While the law was highly controversial and was enforced only sparingly, it stands as a monument to the reality that all Americans must be vigilant in protecting the right to free speech. They cannot trust their politicians.

Which brings us to Democrats in the 21st century. Everywhere we go, we see limitations on free speech, from campus speech codes to hate speech legislation to schools coercing teachers to use correct pronouns. Government interventions are almost never productive.

Take hate speech, where the feelings of victims are elevated above the rights of speakers. Does it change the opinion of the speaker? The person towards whom (if any) the speech is directed? Not usually. If the premise is that the government can protect victims from hearing speech that offends, where does it stop? Must blacks be protected from discussions of IQ differences based on race? Must whites be protected from being characterized as racist? Facebook recognizes 56 different genders. Are Americans going to be forced to learn all 56 pronouns in order not to hurt anyones feelings?

As if all of that wasnt bad enough, COVID and the 2020 election opened a Pandoras Box of speech restrictions. The Democrats and their fellow travelers in the media, the intelligence community, and the Healthcare Industrial complex spent years seeking to ban speech with a different perspective from the official narrative. Doctors who wanted to talk about alternatives were suspended while videos opposing lockdowns were deleted, and those mentioning vaccine misinformation were banned.

Then, of course, there was the election. In all of American history, this was easily the single most treacherous use of the government to quash speech. Between the 51 liars from the Intelligence Industrial Complex claiming that the Hunter Biden laptop was Russian disinformation to the social media companies being coerced (it didnt take much) into banning stories about it, no other effort at censorship ever turned an American election as this one did.

This is where 1800 and 2024 may, and indeed should, converge. In 1800, Americans were so disgusted with the Sedition Act that they handed the Federalists a defeat from which they would never recover. They lost the presidency. They lost 22 of their 60 seats in the House and, as a result, lost their majority. In the Senate, they lost four of the seven contested seats and would lose their majority two years later when they lost six of nine contested seats. Other than a minor uptick when opposing the War of 1812, the party would remain on life support until it was finally dissolved in 1828.

Essentially, the Federalist Partys attempt to eliminate the First Amendment so galvanized the American people that it signed its own death warrant. The Democrats attempts to obliterate the First Amendment should generate the same result.

And if anyone had even a remote notion that somehow ending the First Amendment was not and is not the Democrats plan, they need only look back two years when Biden created the Disinformation Governance Board. Far more than the Federalists Sedition Act, that short-lived government entity was a tool to regulate virtually every aspect of American life by a leviathan government that knows no bounds.

The bottom line is that free speech is at the core of American culture and, indeed, Western civilization. From Copernicus and Galileo questioning an earth-centered universe to Matt Walsh asking What is a Woman?, along with virtually everything in between, speechand, thereforefree speech is at issue. Free speechquestioning one another and exchanging ideasis the bedrock of growth and liberty, both individually and as a society.

Any party that, contravening our First Amendment, seeks to crush free speech to accumulate or keep power should be destroyed by default, and in 2024, that is the Democrat Party. Democrat constituencies, whether gays or blacks or Jews or Muslims or crazy cat ladies, should be wary of feeling secure just because they are part of the majority. As New York Mayor Adams discovered this past Wednesday, it doesnt matter how strong your Democrat bona fides are; if you cross the leadership, you will be targeted. Now imagine what they can do to average Janes and Joes who stray from the plantation.

America is at a critical point in her history. Our choice in November will send a message for centuries to come, just as did the election of 1800. Do we value free speech or not? Soon, well know if the Americans of 2024 understand the importance of our most important right to the degree they did 224 years ago

Follow Vince on Twitter at ImperfectUSA.
This past week, American Thinker partnered with Rasmussen polling to look at the battleground states, plus a few blue states in which there seems to be a softening toward Trump as Kamalas campaign blunders along. What emerged from the ten states (AZ, GA, MI, MN, NC, NM, NV, PA, VA, and WI) was fascinating. In the swing states, Trump and Kamala are close, although Trump seems to be pulling ahead. In the blue states, Trump is closer than one would expect. Most amazingly, voters in all states, often by significant majorities, love Trump; they just dont know it.

On the kitchen table, bread-and-butter, money-in-the-bank, our-childrens-future issues, people accept the Republican view that Democrats have done a terrible job and that Trump can do a better job. Democrats prevail only on emotion issues generated by media hatred and vibes. See here, here, here and here.

To win, Trump cannot suddenly retrain voters to like him. Instead, he must tell them, Im not going to be your best friend. But Im going to be your best president. You know that things are deeply wrong in America, you know that Ive correctly diagnosed whats wrong, and you trust me to fix it. Vote for me to save yourselves.

Ive appended below a chart showing my analysis of the ten-state poll data. Heres a link to a bigger version of the chart.

Most obviously, the chart is a sea of red. In a sane world, anchored to reality, the 2024 election should be a Trump blow-out.

The left column lists the pertinent questions that were asked of those polled (a mix of Democrats, Republicans, and Others, reflecting each states turnout in 2024).

Block one asks voters whether theyre voting for Kamala or Trump. Blue-colored answers show Kamala winning, red answers show Trump winning, and white answers show a tie.

Block two is the issues that matter most to voters. The number one issue is the economy, and the most common number two issue is the border. Abortion is the next most common issue. (There were other issues in the poll, but these were almost invariably the top three.)

The economy is a red issue because Kamala is the incumbent. If voters are concerned about the economy, it means that they think the current situation is lousy, favoring the opponent (Trump). The same rationale applies to the border. Abortion, of course, is a blue issue because its the only thing Kamala can campaign on.

Block three reflects peoples responses when asked what they want the new president to address first. People across all but the bluest of blue states are concerned about immigration and the economywhich means they want a change from the status quo. Kamala is the status quo, so this favors Trump.

Block four asks voters how favorably they view the candidates and which candidate they think has a better character. This is where nine years of hammering Trump as an awful person is balanced against two frantic months of selling Kamalas joy.

These sales pitches have worked. Except for Arizona and Georgia, the media have convinced voters that Kamala is a better human being than Trump. Republicans lack time before November to convince voters that Kamala is not joyful and intelligent but is, instead, a dimwitted, hardcore communist.

Block five also reflects media-driven outcomes. It asks voters to say which candidate and party are more likely to be a threat to democracy and which party is more likely to govern tyrannically. Again, this is going to be hard to shift because these are emotional responses.

Block six asks people whether theyre better off now than they were four years ago, whether their children will be better off than they are, whether they feel safer now than four years ago (which encompasses both crime and threats to America as a whole), who is Americas biggest enemy (both foreign and domestic), and which candidate is best equipped to deal with China, Iran, and Russia.

Heres where the chart goes red. In every state, voters agree by huge margins that they are not better off, that they feel hopeless about their children, and that the world is less safe than it was four years ago. This is as profound an indictment as you will ever see of the current administration.

People agreed that the biggest threats, both foreign and domestic are either China or the Democrat party. Most worry about the Republican party, too, although a bit less, so thats a win.

The most interesting metric is that when it comes to threats from evil actors overseas, voters overwhelmingly feel that Trump is more capable of handling those potentially existential threats. Only in New Mexico are voters split on whether Trump or Kamala is the better candidate.

Block seven addresses immigration. In every state, voters hate the status quo. By huge margins, all states favor the candidate who wants to deport illegal aliens (Trump) versus the candidate who wants to grant them amnesty (Kamala). By the same margins, they think the Harris-Biden administration has done way too little to stop the flow of illegal aliens and, by that same margin, they think that Trump can fix the problem.

Block eight covers the economy. Except for Minnesota, where theres a tie, voters overwhelmingly trust Trump more to resolve their economic woes. When they look back on the last 3.75 years, theyre less likely to vote for Kamala.

Block nine, which covers energy policy, is somewhat anomalous. Across the board, voters care more about energy prices than carbon emissions, so I colored it red, because emissions are a Democrat concern. However, even in a few swing states, voters split on whether Trump or Kamala would be better on energy policy.

Block tentransgenderismshows that voters across all ten states agreed by blow-out margins that there are only two sexes and that minors should be left alone. Thats a clear red win across the board.

Voters are hurting, and they know it. They also understand that Biden-Harris policies cause this pain.

Democrats are emotionally invested in hating Trump and loving abortion. Some may be swayed by reminding them repeatedly that abortion is a states rights issue, but they wont get that. Moreover, Kamala has tried to address this reality by announcing her goal to end the filibuster. Voila! Abortion is now a federal election issue again. Few hardcore Democrats, unless theyre Jewish, are going to shift.

However, that red chart shows that Trump must make a play for moderate Democrats and Independents. Again, he will not convince them to vote for him, but he needs to remind them that (a) theyre suffering terribly from Harris-Biden policies and (b) that they know he can make their lives better. Thats a winning message that needs to be shouted from the treetops.
I recently read Kamala Harriss book The Truths We Hold: An American Journey and the accompanying workbook Reflective Exercise Book (Keypoints) for Kamala Harris's The Truths We Hold: Reflection Exercises for Proper Understanding and Knowledge Mastery.

The workbook is a complete and utter scam. Harris should put on her prosecutor hat and go after any proceeds from it unless her pronouns are, in fact, he/him/his. Beyond that, The Truths We Hold is a campaign book written for the 2020 election cycle. The public is familiar with many of the stories in it as Harris has repeated them, almost word for word, often. As a daughter of two immigrants, she grew up in a middle-class family in Oakland, California. They had nice lawns.

What I was expecting was a book with three to five binding truths that we, as Americans, all share. In fact, I would still like to read that book if its out there somewhere, by any author, by any title, if anyone is aware of one.

Its likely that the writing of Kamalas book got pretty tricky, pretty fast as no actual truths are identified as such in it. One possible reason for this is because, while as a lifelong member of the middle class, I can speak at length on values of the middle class, for example-delayed gratification -- this does not translate into an overarching value that all Americans share. I can speak about the truths that I hold, what I learned about equity for example, growing up in the midwestern United States, which boils down to this Dadism: Fair? Fare is what you need to get on the bus! Kamalas American Journey was different than mine possibly because of socioeconomic, or cultural differences. Which is as it should be. Diversity of experience and of thought are essential for growth and development.

Since reading Harriss book I have asked my family, friends, and people I meet what the response was when they complained, as a child that something wasnt fair. My favorite response was from a Jamaican woman who vividly remembered complaining when her siblings opened all her birthday gifts before she was able to. Her grandmother told her, Life isnt fair but we try to let what isnt fair teach us. Another Jamaican responded with, Cuz the Doctor say da Good Lord don luv on us all da same. Some people remembered that the situation was so egregious that their parents dealt with the situation on their behalf. Far and away the most common response was that life isnt fair and that the sooner one accepts that the better off one will be. Or, as I often told my own children, You get what you get, and you dont throw a fit.

Kamala describes her mothers instruction regarding perceived unfairness in her book and I recently received a similar answer when I asked the question online-that we strive for equity and when we see inequity, we fight to change the systems or policies that make it that way. My first thought was that perhaps this was owing to a generational difference but Kamala is just a few years younger than I am and furthermore I inculcated my understanding of fairness into my now adult children (next generation) because that is all I ever knew. Most likely, the difference in views is due to being exposed to different ideas, experiences and communities.

Harris writes that the promise made at the signing of the Declaration of Independence is that no government has the right to rob us of our life, or our liberty, or our humble pursuit of happiness. What she neglects to mention is that promises, whether made by individuals or by governments can be and often are broken.

The Declaration of Independence states, We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. This is no promise made by men that can be broken it is, in fact, the truth whether or not all of us hold it to be true or not. The reality is that these rights are inherent and unalienable meaning that they cannot be ceded by the individual to any other individual, collective, authority, or government. The government does not have the Ability to transfer them either forcibly or voluntarily. The Promise of the Declaration is that our Government will secure, guard and defend these rights and, upon failing to do so, that the people have the right, duty, and responsibility to form a new one.

Image: Penguin Books
The last group of American Thinker/Rasmussen Reports polls of likely voters is in, and the results, as always, are intriguing. Trump is polling ahead in Nevada, one of the critical swing states, but Harris has the lead in New Mexico and Minnesota, both of which have consistently voted Democrat in the past few elections.

As with past American Thinker/Rasmussen polls, the interesting part of the polling shows that, no matter how voters poll at the very top of the ticket, on those issues they view as most pressing, they agree with the Republican view of things and believe Trump is most capable of handling the issues that matter most.

In Nevada, Trump leads by one point, while Harris leads by three points in Minnesota and six points in New Mexico. Those last two were predictable polling outcomes.

Image by AI.

In all three states, the voters polled believe that the economy is the most pressing issue (MN=34%, NM=27%, and NV=40%). For Minnesota, the next most pressing issues are abortion (14%) and the border (13%). In New Mexico, likely voters ranked the border as the second most pressing issue (18%), with climate and abortion tied for third (10%). And in Nevada, the border is second (18%) and abortion third (13%).

When it comes to the issues that likely voters think are the most pressing for the incoming president to address, Minnesota is an outlier, saying that the most pressing issue is protecting democracy (29%), followed by immigration (28%), and high prices (26%). Meanwhile, New Mexicans say the most pressing issues are immigration (27%), high prices (26%), and protecting democracy (25%), while Nevadans rank the most pressing issues for a new president as high prices (31%), immigration (28%), and abortion (22%).

In all three states, the majority of voters view Harris more favorably than Trump, with the widest spread in New Mexico (58%-49%) and the narrowest in Nevada (52%-50%). Unexpectedly, the spread was only three points in Minnesota (51%-48%). Voters also gave Harris a better character than they gave Trump.

When it came to which party and candidate were threats to democracy, something about which both New Mexicans and Minnesotans care greatly, both states likely voters say that Harris and the Democrats are the lesser threat to democracy as well as less likely to become tyrants. However, in Nevada, poll respondents say that Harris and the Democrats are the greater threat to democracy, although they believe that both parties were equally likely (46%-46%) to become tyrants.

However, as with other states, on the question of kitchen table issues, voters in all three states are unhappy with the status quo. All believe they were better off four years ago, all think their children will not fare well, and all say that America is less safe than it was four years ago. In Minnesota, respondents said Democrats are Americas biggest enemy (21%), followed by China (20%), and Republicans (19%). In New Mexico, the ranking was the same, but the numbers were slightly different (20%, 19%, 18%). Nevada was the only outlier, with likely voters ranking the three biggest enemies as China (22%), Democrats (19%), and domestic extremists (18%).

When thinking about China, as well as Iran and Russia, both Minnesotans and Nevadans believe that Trump is most trustworthy when addressing those threats. In New Mexico, it was a tie (47%-47%).

On the economy, Nevadans and New Mexicans believe Trump can be trusted to address the economic woes that top the list of their concerns. Minnesotans were tied (48%-48%). In all three states, voters said that the Biden administrations economic policies made them less favorable toward Harris.

Likely voters in all three states believe that its more important to lower energy prices than to cut carbon emissions, which aligns with Republican values. However, Minnesotans and New Mexicans believe that Harris is more trustworthy on energy policies, which Nevadans believe Trump is.

Finally, on the issue of transgenderism, in all three states, likely voters believe by a large margin that there are only two genders. Likewise, by almost as wide a margin, all three sets of voters oppose using surgical or chemical interventions to change minors sexual characteristics.

For more information about these polls, check out Rasmussen Reports.
Kamala Harris has been telling voters what a tough prosecutor she was on criminals when she was in San Francisco and Sacramento as an elected official.

But the New York Post uncovered a different story involving a rotting corpse and a perpetrator who was part of a protected political interest group, whom she let off with the lightest of plea deals -- just six years in prison, with most of it credit for time served.

According to the Post:

A man who brutally killed a gay, Vietnam War veteran in 2002 and then lived with the body for a month was given a sweetheart plea deal by then-San Francisco District Attorney Kamala Harris  outraging the community at the time. Gary Lee Ober met his killer James McKinnon at a bar in San Francisco and took him to his apartment in Glen Park. After a scuffle, McKinnon stabbed Ober to death. As Obers corpse rotted in a bathtub, McKinnon covered it with baking soda to help cover the odor. When Stephanie Henry, Obers neighbor, came to call on him, a well-dressed McKinnon came to the door and told her that Ober was on a $7,000 Walt Disney cruise vacation hed won, SFGate reported at the time.

The details were bad, and Harris would have known they were bad.

The Post continued:

I am still in therapy, Henry told The Post this week, saying she remembered the day she looked out her own peep hole and noticed flies buzzing around her door. Eventually the fire department was called. [The firemen] broke the window and went in and he came out and [the firefighter] was white as snow, she recalled. The maggots were in droves. Millions of maggots, Henry recalled. If it wasnt for my mom being there to support me, I probably would have gone into the hospital for a week or so. In a jailhouse confession, McKinnon said he acted in self defense  a claim belied by the fact that Ober suffered from a back condition and had difficulty walking, according to the local Bay Area Reporter.

President Trump's former advisor and ambassador to Germany, Ric Grenell, who is gay, had the only decent response to that prosecutorial travesty, which was to show some kind of compassion for the victim of this monster, simply on objective grounds:

A man who brutally killed a gay, Vietnam War veteran in 2002 and then lived with the body for a month was given a sweetheart plea deal by then-San Francisco District Attorney @KamalaHarris.



As Obers corpse rotted in a bathtub, McKinnon covered it with baking soda to help cover  Richard Grenell (@RichardGrenell) September 28, 2024

But that wasn't Kamala Harris. South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem took major flak for lacking empathy for dogs a few months ago, but Kamala Harris's attitude towards a victim of a really grisly murder takes callousness to different level.

It's strange stuff, too, given that Tulsi Gabbard, back in 2019, exposed Harris's nasty record as a prosecutor keeping petty marijuana offenders in prison beyond their sentences, in order to use their labor to fight wildfires. She also cited unethical behavior regarding withheld testimony in a death penalty case, probably to look "tough on crime" there, too.

From the 2019 New York Times transcript:

Gabbard: The bottom line is, when you were in a position to make a difference and an impact in these people's lives, you did not and worse yet in the case of those who are on death row, innocent people, you actually blocked evidence from being revealed that would have freed them until you were forced to do so. There's no excuse for that and the people who suffered under your reign as prosecutor  you owe them an apology.

So she goes easy on the rotting corpse killer, and hard on the pot smoker who's already in the can?

It seemingly makes no sense -- she's draconian and unjust on some criminals, and lets others off easy when they should have had the book thrown at them.

The problem can be explained by one common denominator -- politics, a loyalty to politics and to her political masters well above any principle of law.

The extended detention of pot smokers in order to have their labor handy to fight wildfires would have obviously been a favor to the governor, who'd be on the spot if there wasn't enough labor to fight the fires and homes began going up in flames.

In the same way, the Post noted that the soft stance from Harris on the bathtub killer was based on special interest politics:

Elliot Beckelman, an assistant DA who worked on the case told The Post that gay panic had been a factor in the decision to go easy on him. His defense was of a sexual provocation, Beckelman recalled. Unfortunately that was prevalent 20 or 25 years ago, back then it was not an uncommon defense  I dont have any regrets on how this went down. Kamala Harris defended the plea deal at the time, saying, I support my lawyers and that every case is different, with a different set of facts and circumstances.

In other words, it, too, was political expediency. The guy was gay, so he got let off easy, given the ruling gay politics of the time.

Does this sound like maybe someone who'd politicize justice as president? All political enemies and politically inconvenient people get the book thrown at them, while every illegal, transgender, and Black Lives Matter person, as well as other favored groups, nevertheless convicted of a grisly crime, would get off easy? How's the lawfare going to go with Harris in the White House?

This clearly is an extremely unprincipled person who blows with the wind and what her political masters ask of her every time. The rotting corpse in the bathtub and the killer who got a slap on the wrist tells the true story about why she shouldn't be in the White House running this country.

Image: Gage Skidmore, via Wikimedia Commons // CC BY-SA 3.0 Deed
I detest bullies.

Government is the biggest bully, and those currently comprising it are no longer hiding it. Bullies are usually timid and lacking self-worth. It is terrifying when they are not. (See also: the Third Reich, the Soviet Union, Nurse Ratched.)

And there is no bigger bully than big government.

Big Education? The government funds it. Big Pharma? The government is in bed with it. Big business? The government taxes and regulates it. And is in bed with it, too, in this burgeoning fascist oligarchy birthed by allegedly democracy-loving Democrats (and more than a few establishment Republicans). Big Media? Nothing but pathetic pajama-boy cheerleaders for Team Democrat.

Big government takes the place of parents. Takes the place of spouses, especially husbands. Takes the place of hard work. And takes the place of God. Government doesnt like any of the aforementioned, because it cant countenance competition  that could prevent it from growing still larger. If parents take care of their children, spouses take care of each other, hard work will eventually pay off, and God can provide meaning, hope and sustenance  why is a gigantic government necessary? Answer: it isnt. And actually gets in the way of a life well-lived.

This is why Democrats and The Deep State hate Trump  and those who would vote for him. He  and they  pose a threat to their power over you.

As George Washington apocryphally said: Government is not reason; it is not eloquent; it is force. Like fire, it is a dangerous servant and a fearful master. Experience has taught us that it is much easier to prevent an enemy from posting themselves than it is to dislodge them after they have got possession, and when the freedom of speech is taken away then dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep to the slaughter.

The bigger the government, the smaller the parents/spouses/family/work ethic/God. Period. Perhaps in perpetuity. So go ahead and vote for Kamala, vote for Democrats, vote for Socialists and Marxists. Solidify your place on the governments farm, at the governments trough. Say hello to Napoleon, Squealer, and Mr. Jones.

Republicans unwillingness and/or inability to effectively defend the conservative ideas that this country was founded on, such as limited government (of, by, and for the people) never ceases to astound and sicken me. With truth -- and overwhelming historical evidence -- on their side, it should be remarkably easy to do.

But, as someone once said, Democrats are great at defending terrible ideas, and Republicans are terrible at defending great ideas. I often wish I could have the attention of the entire nation to do the job. Simple facts, historical examples, and logical reasoning presented in a seamless, rationally connected manner -- with a little illustrative humor thrown in -- should suffice to change a few minds. One would hope.

But, then again, maybe not.

Image: Pixabay / Pixabay License
In this ever-devolving world, I often spot apparent dichotomies. Some of these are, dare I say it, reminiscent of the Battle Between Good and Evil. Here are two such dichotomies. Decide for yourself.

1. Pope Francis recently addressed an inter-religious meeting of young people in Singapore. The preposterously Progressive Pontiff stated,

Every religion is a way to arrive at God. There are different languages to arrive at God, but God is God for all. And how is God God for all? We are all sons and daughters of God. But my god is more important than your god, is that true? There is only one God and each of us has a language to arrive at God. Sikh, Muslim, Hindu, Christian, they are different paths.

Sorry, Francis, but other religions have different prophets, saviors, and Gods. If, as you infer, one God is not more important than any other God, your claim that there is only one God is in obvious contradiction to that statement. Moreover, your claim that every religion is a way to arrive at God also contradicts that statement, and is absurd if one considers paganism, Satanism, Frisbeetarianism, Zoroastrianism, Scientology, and the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster as other religions. Oh, you dont? Intolerant, non-inclusive hatemonger! Anyway, as a Christian, I have long been under the impression that belief in Jesus Christ was key to knowing God and ascending to heaven. If the Pope himself no longer believes this, it is certainly problematic, at least to the Pope, if not to Christianity.

Here is what Bishop Joseph Strickland had to say about religious authenticity recently, writing in a post on X:

This is what the Catholic Church teaches regarding the unicity of Jesus Christ. The only way to God the Father is through His Son Jesus Christ. To deny this is to deny the Catholic faith. This is called heresy.

Bishop Strickland sounds like a better Catholic than Pope Francis.

2. International Planned Parenthood Federations Deliver Enable Toolkit shows teachers how to scale comprehensive sexuality education for children under age 10  going so far as to present the exploitation of women through prostitution, as a normal interpersonal relationship. According to Planned Parenthoods Toolkit, Commercial sex work is as normal as working in a hardware store or being an office manager. Maybe more so.

Really? Katie Brown, American Life Leagues national director, noted: Public schools are allowing the organization that killed almost 393,000 preborn children by abortion in 2023 unfettered access to thousands of elementary, middle, and high school students in their classrooms. She added, And it is spending taxpayer dollars to do so.

Which, perversely, might be why a judge recently rejected a request to suspend the sale of a city-owned property to the Virginia League of Planned Parenthood for just $10. Ten bucks. A decision that denied Dr. Sheila M. Furey, a Chesterfield County psychiatrist who treats children and adults with autism, brain injuries, and dyslexia, the opportunity to bid on the Richmond, Virginia property. Attorneys representing Furey say that Richmond city officials failed to issue or publish any invitation for bids or request for proposals of the property, in clear violation of city code. Instead, Richmond City Council members unanimously approved the sale of said property to Planned Parenthood, paving the way for the organization to build its third facility in the city for just $10.

Well, the psychiatrist treating autism had no chance. It is sadly likely that the property was either going to be sold to Muslims so they could convert it into a Mosque, or to Planned Parenthood, so they could convert it into a killing field for babies.

Crazy? Well, these things can happen when the current Pope doesnt really believe in the foundational precepts of the very religion of which he is the acknowledged leader.

Dichotomies?

Image: Free image, Pixabay license.
Home > 2024 > Double Faced Political Rulers | Humra Quraishi

26 September 2024

First things first. From the latest news reports the war havoc is furtheringgoing beyond the Palestinian State, well into Lebanon. No stopping the destruction and deaths that war brings along, leaving scars for generations to come. And nobody out there to cry halt! Why the so called super power America and its allies not intervening! Halt the devastation! They ought to host their Summits and Meets in and around the Gaza region or along the Lebanon borders so that they have a first-hand view of the genocideDeaths and destruction all around. And see for themselves how the hapless survivors are surviving  without food and water and shelter and medical aid. And also without immediate families as hundreds are orphaned and also displaced.

Im keen and curious to know how the political rulers of the day can sleep well and not sit all too perturbed seeing the human killings! I wouldnt call these men leaders as they are not leading us to anywhere close to survival! They are political rulers! They are all too blatantly political, hopping from one Summit to the next, in their best attires, with those synthetic frills to them all too intact. The in-between gaps fitted with hollow speeches!

They do not take the trouble of visiting any of the war torn countries to grasp the ground realities; how hundreds and thousands ruined because of the ongoing military might intruding into their lives. Shots and videos of the Palestinian children crying out, mothers weeping, fathers sitting numb with pain, teenagers unable to control their emotional outburst, dont seem to bother any of the political rulers of the day, as they sit in their comfort zones or call them ivory towers! Dont they realise their expansionist policies are expanding on the basis of ruthless military power!

As Im writing this column close to 2 October, Mahatma Gandhi Jayanti, so been wondering: What if Mahatma Gandhi was still in our midst. He would have definitely travelled to the Palestinian State and also to Lebanon and met the survivors. He would have spent weeks or months there, amidst the affectedCarrying hope and aid, and also trying to find a solution to end the human sufferings. Dont overlook the fact that whenever communal violence and rioting hit the various regions and locales in our country, Mahatma Gandhi would undertake padyatras and camp at the riot-hit place and see to it that some semblance of peace and sense prevails.

Now focusing on the latest shocking developments in our country. Whats all this talk of street vendors and eateries in Uttar Pradesh and also in Himachal Pradeshs capital city, Shimla, to display their names, photographs, license, identification proof, ID cards! Why?

Arent these tactics or term them build-ups for communal divides and stress to peak in the country! All these years we ate here and there, without bothering to even notice the eatery owners name or creed or caste but now with these government ploys there could be communal battles here too! Yes, even food sellers not sparedin this day and age when the basic survival gets difficult for them, here comes another of those hitting onslaughts!

All these moves bound to cause havoc on the streets and roads and lanes and by-lanes of this country! Leading to not just street fights but even civil strife! Yes, after all, civil strife gets ignited by political lobbies and then spreads out hitting the hapless man on the streets!

Was just reading news reports on this, with Urban Development Department minister Vikramaditya Singh in the Himachal government, quoted as saying that this decision was taken at a meeting with the Urban Development Department and Shimla Municipal Corporation, A lot of eatables like momos and noodles are being sold by food stalls so the Food and Civil Supplies Department will ensure that the food being sold is hygienic.

Hygienic food should be sold definitely yes! But how does caste and creed and community and name of the seller or vendor play a role to the hygiene aspect to food! Why this move why this name display!

This seems a wrong move and ought to be halted now and immediately. If you recall the entire last month Shimla witnessed communal tension because of the Sanjauli mosque controversy, till it was somewhat revolved by the local Muslim population of Shimla when they told the Hindutva brigades that they will themselves pull down the so-called unauthorized section to the mosque. Though that matter seemed somewhat resolved but the communal tension lingers on After all, communal poisoning doesnt get contained in one State or region. Its bound to spread out especially in an atmosphere ripe with communal elements. Ah, yes, not to overlook the communal policies and patterns and the go-aheads! Himachal Pradesh had never before seen Right-Wing brigades so very defiant and communal and fiercely vocal.

Getting to the on ongoing elections in J&K, the question doing the rounds is this: what was the need for the government of the day to invite diplomats from the foreign missions/ countries to witness the ongoing elections in the State! Is it one of those moves to show that alls going well in the State?

In this day and age, facts cannot be pushed under those dusty carpets; well, not for too long! The fact is Kashmiris are worried and apprehensive, more than fearful of speaking out. They are also aware that the Right-Wing political lot has unleashed political tactics in their midst and that accelerates their apprehensions.
Now that the millions of illegal migrants are in, and tens of thousands have gotten busy committing crimes against Americans as well as sopping up welfare programs, Kamala Harris has decided to visit the border in a new campaign stop in swing state Arizona to proclaim how "tough" she is on the matter. Five years ago, she called the crisis "fictional."

And pay no attention to the past three years, where she served as Joe Biden's border czar, where she visited the border once on a stopover on the way to Brentwood, California.

According to the New York Post:

Vice President Kamala Harris made her first visit to the US-Mexico border as the Democratic presidential nominee Friday to hastily announce measures meant to mitigate the ongoing border crisis fewer than 40 days before election day  despite having been the White House border czar for more than three-and-a-half years. The United States is a sovereign nation, and I believe we have a duty to set rules at our border and to enforce them, Harris, 59, said at a rally after touring a section of the border wall in Cochise County. And I take that responsibility very seriously. She announced that if elected the 47th president, she would improve on an executive order announced by President Biden in June that barred migrants from applying for asylum when they cross the border illegally.

She cut a fashionable figure in her what some say was a $76,000 necklace, and expensive linen safari jacket topper over an urban-hipster black top and pants to create an elongated line, and stylin' black high-heeled boots; her hair blow-dried and expensively coiffed. It created just the right study-in-desert-neutrals color contrast against the Trump-constructed border wall.

It was kind of like a Vogue fashion shoot or an Instagram vanity post.

As to her "tough" proposal, to limit asylum applications to the first 1,000 or so illegal border crossers within specific time frames, what kind of solution is that?

Already we have the Harris-Biden administration flying them in from Europe and Latin America under phony CBP One app applications which accepts 99% of all comers without vetting, and a Cuban-Haitian-Venezuelan-Nicaraguan "parole in place" program where the migrants, fresh from the slums of Port-au-Prince and Caracas and the rubble of Managua and Havana, being brought in. Both groups are then deposited into unwitting cities and towns in red states in what appears to be a bid to change the composition of the voting base. In other words, this is hardly going to affect the numbers.

But even the premise is bad here -- aren't asylum applications for people fleeing persecution on humanitarian grounds? Why should anyone with a valid case for asylum be turned back if their number comes up 1,001?

Unless, of course, there's a problem with the Border Patrol being forced to take absolutely any claim of asylum seriously no matter how ridiculous it is, all claims treated exactly alike. After that, they are then released to move about the country for a distant court date they may never show up for, although plenty do, now that Joe Biden has started putting "asylum officers" with open-borders activist pasts in place to adjudicate these cases instead of judges.

What she is doing here is admitting that maybe most of these asylum cases aren't so valid after all, since she's assigning numbers and quotas, as if they were no different from economic migrants, which most are. One thousand free illegal crossings per day, it seems -- and everyone else gets in as a "gotaway.'

Then there's her promise to hire more Border Patrol agents -- a sharp turn from her claims that Border Patrol agents use "whips" on Haitian illegal border crossers, as well as her chanting-fests among the wokester leftists about being against deportation.

Apparently, she thinks more Border Patrol agents mean more border enforcement, which is nonsense -- Border Patrol agents have been deputized into becoming diaper changers and WalMart greeters for millions of surging migrants, customer service first.

Maybe if she would let Border Patrol agents just enforce the law they were sworn to enforce, they wouldn't need new ones.

Meanwhile, as to all the tens of millions of illegal border crossers already in? It's their lucky day -- she's promising amnesty with a pathway to U.S. citizenship for those earlybird lawbreakers who were smart enough to ignore her laughable plea in Guatemala during her first year as border czar: "Do not come, do not come. You will be turned back" -- which, of course, they weren't.

In all, the trip was as fake and Potemkin as such things get - suddenly tough on the border after three years in power as border czar whose job was to reduce the border surge, which only got bigger once she got the task.

The Border Patrol union, for one, wasn't fooled:

OMG



The Border Patrol just DESTROYED Kamala Harris



 pic.twitter.com/VvngpMmJnE  American AF  (@iAnonPatriot) September 28, 2024

The Border Patrol Union (NBPC) has been lambasting Kamala for her border stunt Friday where she spent 20 minutes for a photo op trying to make everyone forget that over the past 3 1/2 years she let in 20 million illegals pic.twitter.com/wXRqeRnabo  Paul A. Szypula  (@Bubblebathgirl) September 28, 2024

They know who's been trying to turn them into WalMart greeters for the past three years.

All it is is an admission that President Trump's stance on protecting the border and U.S. sovereignty was right all along, the defense of the United States against foreign invaders and transnational cartel profiteering, which is driving these illegal crossing surges from nationals from more than 100 countries. She has no intention of putting out an effective border policy, with zero illegal crossings as the law requires, she's just going to put on a fashion-shoot outfit and some stylish dark glasses and hope that's all voters in cities inundated by illegals, crime and broken city finances will need.

Now that news has broke that the Harris-Biden administration's illegal border surge has deposited more than 425,000 criminals, including 13,000 killers and 15,000 rapists into our country, she apparently thinks she can find just enough dumb people to buy her border claims to vote for her. As migrant crime continues to choke the country, good luck with that Instagram act.

Image: Twitter video screen shot




In an attempt to embed every aspect of daily life with Samsung AI, Samsung Electronics just outlined a vision for the future integration of Samsung AI. YoungJip Kim, the head of AI at Samsung Electronics, recently discussed it after the launch of the Galaxy S24 FE and Galaxy Tab S10.

2025 is the year of deeper AI integration

Samsung is actively incorporating AI features into its devices, focusing on areas such as photography and user assistance. Samsung is adding AI tools across its devices, focusing on features like enhanced cameras and photo editing. Kim shared his personal favorite use of AI: improving the quality of photos he takes, especially of his wife. He joked that AI helps him stay in his wifes good graces by ensuring the best possible shots.

Kim highlighted how AI impacts everyday life in more meaningful ways. He recounted a story about a Samsung employee who bridged a language barrier between his South Korean and Polish families using the AI translation feature on the Galaxy S24.

Kim predicts that AI will personalize itself even more, adapting to users unique preferences. Today, most people only occasionally use AI-powered tools. However, he believes 2025 will mark the year AI becomes an integral part of daily life, influencing personal and professional tasks. Tools like language translation, summarization, and enhanced communication will soon become second nature. He hinted at AI assistants evolving into more intuitive systems that automatically adjust based on user behavior and needs.

The companys AI features, such as Portrait Studio, Live Translate, and Generative Edit, represent their ambitions of developing Samsung AI.

Samsungs AI-Infused future

With the recent launch of the Galaxy Tab S10 series, Samsung has attempted to show what that future might look like. The Galaxy Tab S10 Plus and Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra come equipped with AI capabilities designed to enhance user productivity and creativity.

Features like Note Assist streamline note-taking by summarizing lectures and transcribing conversations while Drawing Assist and the Sketch-to-Image capabilities encourage creative expression. The Galaxy AI key is integrated into the Book Cover Keyboard.

By 2025, Samsung aims for AI to integrate into daily life, so you can expect AI features to crop up in even more products.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to prosecute Google if reelected. The presidential nominee has alleged Google only shows bad stories about him.

Donald Trump threatens he will prosecute Google on Truth Social

As the US Presidential elections heats up, social media platforms and search engines are playing a crucial role in the campaigns for both the leading candidates.

Using his own social media platform, former US President Donald J. Trump has issued a threat to Google on Truth Social. Trump proclaimed that if reelected, he would prosecute Google.

It has been determined that Google has illegally used a system of only revealing and displaying bad stories about Donald J. Trump, some made up for this purpose while, at the same time, only revealing good stories about Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris,

This is an illegal activity, and hopefully the Justice Department will criminally prosecute them for this blatant interference in elections. If not, and subject to the laws of our country, I will request their prosecution, at the maximum levels, when I win the election, and become president of the United States.

Team Trump has used this tactic in the 2019 Presidential elections

Trump has been threatening multiple individuals, agencies, and entities. According to The Guardian, this month alone, Trump threatened to pursue criminal charges against lawyers, donors, political operatives, and a range of other people for alleged election interference and misinformation.

The former US President has been vocal on Truth Social about these threats. It appears that he strongly believes Google and others have engaged in election fraud against him.

It is interesting to note that Donald Trump has presented no evidence to back his claims. According to Reuters, Trumps election campaign used these very same tactics in 2019. Back then, Trump was vocal on Twitter, and in a series of Tweets, had made these exact claims against Google.

Google hasnt responded to the recent allegations from Trump. However, the search giant has previously dismissed these claims. It is not clear how Google would respond to Trumps latest threats. Needless to say, even without Trump, Google has a lot of legal battles to fight.
Union leaders have insisted the Labour Government must be forced to act to save Scotlands only oil refinery.

Sharon Graham, the general secretary of the Unite union branded the planned closure of the refinery at Grangemouth a horrific act of industrial vandalism as she insisted that the Government must make the necessary investments to safeguard its future.

Her comments came as Unite Scottish secretary Derek Thomson attacked Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and Scotlands First Minister John Swinney, saying they had contributed net zero in support of the Grangemouth workers.

Earlier this month, bosses at Petroineos confirmed the refinery will close in the second quarter of 2025, with the loss of 400 jobs.

Ahead of the change  which will see Grangemouth operate as an import-only terminal  the Scottish and UK governments promised a joint 100 million support package.

But Ms Graham, addressing more than 150 Unite delegates at the unions Scottish policy conference in Dundee, hit out at the UK Government, attacking both the Prime Minister and Ed Miliband, his Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero.

She insisted: Its time to put Ed Miliband and Keir on notice: Grangemouth must be saved.

The Government must make the necessary investments to safeguard its future. Labour must be forced to act.

The Unite general secretary added: Grangemouth is making net zero look far from a just transition, more a jobless transition.

Ms Graham continued: How can Scotlands only oil refinery be allowed to close? This is a horrific act of industrial vandalism, and once again the politicians have let us down.

She hit out at the missing politicians, including Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar and Scottish First Minister John Swinney in her attack.

Mr Thomson said both the Scottish and UK Governments had failed miserably to persuade Petroineos to extend the lifespan of the refinery,

Referring to the Prime Minister and the Scottish First Minister, he added: In the first real test they have contributed net zero in support of the Grangemouth workers.

Mr Thomson branded Petroineoss decision to close the refinery as premature and needless, adding: Make no mistake about this  the refinerys closure is an economic earthquake which will be felt for generations to come.

He also claimed politicians were making a choice to stand by and do nothing.

Unite union general secretary Sharon Graham branded the planned closure of the refinery at Grangemouth a horrific act of industrial vandalism (PA)

The unions Scottish secretary said: We need to ask the politicians, including John Swinney, Ed Miliband and Anas Sarwar, why wouldnt they take a transition stake to protect the jobs and wider supply chain at Grangemouth?'

He also warned the party that if Scottish Labour wont lift a finger to support our members at Grangemouth and other communities facing industrial closures, then Unite wont be lifting a finger to support Scottish Labour at the next elections.

Those Labour candidates who stand up for workers and back policies which protect jobs will get our backing in Scotland, of that those candidates can be assured, he added.

But we cant continue to remain silent while a Scottish Labour leadership is in hiding over its broken promises over Grangemouth.

Turning on the Scottish Government, he accused SNP ministers of sleepwalking through the halls of Holyrood while our members are being thrown on an industrial scrapheap.

Mr Thomson insisted Unite would be taking the fight to SNP ministers over public services, telling them: The hand-wringing inside Holyrood will not cut it anymore, moving into the Scottish Parliamentary elections in 2026.

We will be taking the fight to them on the cuts across our public services. They have taken the gloves off in terms of cutting services but it will be Unite who punches back to secure proper public services and to ensure staff are rewarded.

Our Scottish Secretary, Derek Thomson, makes the opening address to conference to begin #UniteSPC24 in preparation for the first motions and debates on the Scottish Economy & the Environment. pic.twitter.com/Hz42TbpNCu  Unite Scotland (@UniteScotland) September 28, 2024

A Scottish Labour spokesperson said: Labour will always stand up for working people.

The UK Labour Government and the Scottish Government have acted decisively to support the workforce at Grangemouth and have announced a 100m support package for Grangemouth.

These plans include investment in new energy projects, a new technology centre to support the use of low carbon technologies, career and skills support for the existing workforce and an employment hub to support emerging energy sectors.

The UK Government will also explore potential opportunities for Labours national wealth fund in clean technologies like hydrogen and clean aviation fuel.

In the short period of time since the UK Labour Government was elected, it has acted with urgency to help secure a strong, industrial future for Grangemouth.

Work is also under way to establish GB Energy here in Scotland, which will help to protect Scotlands industrial base, secure the well-paid jobs of the future, and deliver a just transition to net zero.

Labour will continue to work with workers and trade unions to deliver the jobs our country needs.

A spokesperson for the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero said: The Energy Secretary has been clear that Petroineoss recent confirmation of the closure of Grangemouth oil refinery is deeply disappointing and we stand with the Grangemouth workforce in these difficult times.

Our joint investment plan, including a 100 million package, will help the workforce find good alternative jobs and support the local community  as well as helping to secure a viable industrial future for the Grangemouth site.

The Government has a non-negotiable commitment to securing a proud future for the North Sea, and we are engaging with industry, workers, trade unions and civil society to provide certainty through a phased and responsible transition.

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: Ministers have made clear their disappointment that Petroineos has made the commercial decision to cease refining at the site. Despite sustained and concerted efforts by both governments, Petronineos have opted not to continue operations at the site for longer to allow a longer transition timeline for the workers.

Our focus now is on delivering immediate support for affected workers to secure new jobs and give access any necessary training and to secure a sustainable, just transition for the wider Grangemouth industrial cluster.

With the UK Government, we are exploring viable options for the future of the site via the Project Willow cross-site study and look forward to exploring routes to supporting the future phases of low carbon projects at Grangemouth via the national wealth fund.
A British woman returning to the UK from Lebanon said Israeli air strikes have killed five members of her family, including a young engineer 10 days before her wedding.

Sana Chamseddin clutched her son in her arms in Heathrow Airport on Saturday and spoke of her guilt at escaping besieged Lebanon and leaving behind loved ones in unsafe places.

Her uncle, his wife and his three daughters, all in their twenties, were killed when their home in the Lebanese city of Tyre was bombed by the Israel Defence Forces, she told the PA news agency.

Two of the daughters were doctors and one was an engineer who was supposed to get married in 10 days, said Mrs Chamseddin.

Mrs Chamseddin and her husband are British citizens, and returned to London with their sons, two-month-old Zien and one-year-old Jawad.

She broke down in tears as she told PA: On Monday morning we wake up as a big bomb (hit) just beside our house, and we saw on the news that they said another round (of attacks) will start in one hour, so we didnt take it seriously because we dont fight  we are normal civilians.

I was talking with my uncle over WhatsApp, he told me that its okay, its not going to bomb him, but we lost the connection when they bombed around us.

When we arrived after 10 hours on the road we found out that he didnt make it  me and my husband feel very guilty to come here (to England) and (leave) our family in unsafe places.

She added her uncle was the perfect person, he liked to live and to talk all the time.

Her husband, biochemical engineer Abbas Chamseddin, showed PA photographs of the family and said: Look at this smile, this is the future of Lebanon  theyre killing the future of Lebanon, look at the smile, this is what they kill.

Footage seen by PA shows fires blazing inside multiple flat blocks and Sanas uncle and his family lived in one of them, Mr Chamseddin said.

He told PA that as bombs fell they fled to Beirut Airport: This morning was the end of the world  people running in the street, they left their homes, running in the street, sleeping in the street, just because they want to be in a safe place, because they left their home in the night.

We are on our way to the airport (and) the taxi suddenly would go this way, suddenly go this way, and why? Because there were bombs everywhere and we see them with our eyes.

One of the photos showed dust on Ziens face which Mr Chamseddin said was from the bombs on the way to the airport.

Video taken from Beirut Airport by the father shows smoke rising above nearby buildings.

Another family who landed at Heathrow on Saturday, who did not want to be identified, said they have not slept or eaten in a week as they watched destruction like something out of a horror movie night after night.

They took the same flight as the Chamseddins and said they have nowhere to go once they leave the airport.

The mother, a 45-year-old who grew up in Chelsea, London, said: We ran away with nothing, we just left our belongings  we didnt sleep all night.

She said travelling to Beirut Airport was a scene from a film that youd see in the cinema, adding I couldnt believe it  red smoke on the right, on the left, red smoke, the smell of burning.

Yesterday we were in Beirut when they bombarded this area where they said they bombarded the head of Hezbollah, we were there  the sound was horrific.

A car sits in a crater in Beiruts southern suburbs on Saturday (Hussein Malla/AP/PA)

She said she counted 10 blasts and that her apartment was shaking, adding: I have a small apartment on the 13th floor, (it was) absolutely terrifying, earthquake, worse than an earthquake.

They didnt use drones, they used planes, there are civilians there, there are innocent kids, innocent women.

She landed at Heathrow with her daughters, aged 21 and 10, and her 12-year-old son. They all live in the Barbir Bridge area of Beirut.

Her father, 70, and mother, 60, were also with them and live in the Mathaf area of the city.

Her eldest daughter told PA: It was really actually very horrific, we were terrified, very scared, it was like something from a horror movie honestly.

I can still hear the sounds, we havent slept for a week, especially yesterday night, and yesterday evening, all throughout the night just constant bombings, all the way through the night  every few minutes they would bomb before sunrise, then they stopped a bit.

There are a lot of people that are very displaced, sleeping in the streets  weve seen it with our eyes as when we were leaving today to the airport, the roads when we were going to the airport, it was hell.

You dont know when anywhere is safe.

The young woman, who did not want to be identified, was due to finish a mathematics degree in December but said she will not be able to because of the attacks.

She said a 20-year-old student at her university was killed in an Israeli strike when he returned to his university dormitory in Dahiyeh to collect some clothes and added that many of her friends and family members have been displaced.

More than 720 people have been killed in Lebanon since the conflict escalated on Monday, according to Lebanons health ministry.

The United Nations says the number displaced by the conflict from southern Lebanon has more than doubled, with more than 211,000 people affected.

Hezbollah began firing rockets into northern Israel in support of Hamas after it stormed into Israel on October 7, sparking the Israel-Hamas war.

Top Israeli officials have threatened to repeat the destruction of Gaza in Lebanon if the Hezbollah fire continues, raising fears that Israels actions in Gaza since October 7 would be repeated in Lebanon.

The Israel Defence Forces have been approached for comment.
The King warned that the climate is changing dangerously as he took part in a ceremony to mark the Scottish Parliaments milestone 25th anniversary.

Charles, who was accompanied by his wife Camilla, addressed MSPs at Holyrood, saying that much has changed in our world since the Parliament was established a quarter of a century ago.

He spoke about the challenges we all share as inhabitants of a planet whose climate is changing dangerously, and whose biodiversity is being seriously depleted.

But the King, who was dressed in a kilt for the occasion, said he hoped this would be the beginning of the next chapter

His comments came in a speech where he spoke of the uniquely special place Scotland is for the royal family.

Praising Scotlands natural beauty and the countrys strength of character, he added: My late mother especially treasured the time spent at Balmoral, and it was there, in the most beloved of places, where she chose to spend her final days.

Charles told how Scotland was uniquely special to the royal family (Jeff J Mitchell/PA)

He described the formation of the Scottish Parliament in 1999 as being a landmark in the nations long, rich and complex story.

He said: This Parliament has grown in its experience, in its ability to touch, and to improve the lives of so many individuals and communities throughout this great land.

As they arrived at Holyrood on Saturday morning, the King and Queen were met by Holyroods Presiding Officer Alison Johnstone and Deputy Presiding Officers Liam McArthur and Annabelle Ewing.

The royal couple then greeted Holyroods party leaders  First Minister and head of the SNP John Swinney, Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay, Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar, Scottish Green co-leader Lorna Slater and Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton.

Queen Camilla meeting wellwishers after departing the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh (Andrew Milligan/PA)

Mr Swinney said the ceremony marked 25 years in which the Scottish Parliament has changed lives for the better.

The First Minister, who was wearing a kilt in Ancient Hunter tartan in honour of his late mother  whose maiden name was Hunter, told how since its formation this Parliament has been the voice of Scotland.

Mr Swinney, who has served continuously as an MSP since the first Holyrood elections in 1999, spoke of the unending possibilities of Scottish self government.

He said: For 25 years Scotland has grown in confidence as she raised up this new institution at her very heart.

The First Minister continued: This Parliament has been steadfast in its compassion for the most vulnerable in society, and full of aspiration for the advancement of all.

In the next quarter century it is my hope that Scotlands democratic institutions continue to evolve and break new ground.

I hope Scotland will continue to shine as a beacon of enlightenment across stormy seas, a refuge for reason in the world, a wellspring of modern thought and creativity.

Earlier, Ms Johnstone recalled the excitement and aspirations of the people of Scotland when the Parliament opened 25 years ago.

The King met the leaders of the main parties at Holyrood, shaking the hand of new Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay, who was elected into the role hours earlier (Jane Barlow/PA)

She told the King: Your presence here today, as we mark this significant milestone, demonstrates your continuing commitment.

We are grateful for the encouragement and counsel that we have received over these last 25 years from the late Queen and from you.

With the Scottish Parliament building  which is now 20 years old  being sited across from the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the royals familys residence in Edinburgh, the Presiding Officer added that she hoped they found their relatively newish neighbours agreeable.

At the end of the ceremony, the King and Queen spent time talking to some of the ordinary Scots who had been invited to the ceremony as local heroes by MSPs.

The couple then signed a visitor book in front of a picture of the late Queen Elizabeth II, who Charles was with at the opening ceremony for the Scottish Parliament in 1999.
Brighton was controlled by a Green minority administration until May 2023 but is now under Labour - Allan Baxter/Getty

Brighton is reversing a parking crackdown on motorists which has driven away visitors from the seaside resort.

The East Sussex citys Labour-run council is cutting car parking charges, which had shot up to as much as 33.50 a day under the previous Green Party administration.

The Greens had claimed that high prices would help create a car-free city which would be more appealing to visitors.

But Brighton and Hove City Council has now admitted that the charges were so high that they damaged the local tourist industry by scaring away day-trippers.

Cllr Trevor Muten, the cabinet member for transport, said the parking fees had increased to the extent they have become more of a deterrent than an incentive for some visitors.

He added: We have more than 200 different permit tariffs and the demand for parking has rippled from the city centre to outlying areas of the city. We need to change.

A review conducted by the council this month found that it faced a predicted shortfall of 1.16m in parking revenue by April 2025 because of the high charges.

Anti-car reputation

Cllr Alistair McNair, leader of the Conservative opposition group on the council, told The Telegraph: Parking revenue has been falling and the council has a reputation for being anti-car.

We hope resident permit holders also get a reduction in their fees and this city starts to be car-friendly, which also means family and disabled-friendly.

But he warned: This parking charge reduction, while welcome, is a gamble as revenue could fall further because the citys reputation has been tarnished for years.

Brighton is one of several British cities to have attempted to disincentivise driving in recent years by charging residents to park via permits, on top of council tax bills, and increasing charges for on-street parking.

But the councils Labour leadership, which took power in May last year, is moving away from the approach taken by a minority Green administration between July 2020 and May 2023.

Cllr Samar Bagaeen, an independent opposition councillor, hailed the councils about-turn.

The councils approach to parking has for a number of years been both flawed and counter-productive, damaging the night-time economy in the city, he said.

Prices rose exponentially in all car parks over the past 10 years making even parking for one hour very poor value for money.

Steady decline since 2021

Brighton and Hove City Council said that the use of council-owned car parks had steadily decreased since 2021 and average hourly fees were higher than in most other cities.

Last year, it was estimated that higher charges had reduced the councils parking revenue by as much as 1.2 million.

The council has now announced that rates will come down at its car parks in The Lanes, Regency Square, London Road, Trafalgar Street and Norton Road.

One-hour and evening tariffs will also be reduced in a bid to support the night-time economy and encourage people into under-used car parks.

Brighton and Hove has a bustling night-time economy and its vital we do whatever we can to increase footfall and support those local businesses to thrive, Cllr Muten said.

Other cities have seen higher car parking charges introduced to reduce the use of cars.

In the London borough of Southwark, the Labour council raised the cost of permits by as much as 368 per cent to force a reduction in vehicles.

Lambeths Labour council has vowed to make the borough diesel-free and in May last year bumped year-long permits for diesel engines up to 140, a 42 increase on the price in 2022.
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The Cabinet Minister is adapted by Nancy Carroll and directed by Paul Foster - Tristram Kenton

Nowadays Arthur Wing Pinero (1855-1934) is not a name that resonates with many outside the theatrical cognoscenti, and even then, with probably only scant recognition, such has his star waned since his late-Victorian heyday, when, as a close contemporary of master dramatists Shaw and Wilde, he was both popular and prolific.

An Islington-born, actor-turned-playwright most famous initially for his farces and then subsequently for his serious, Ibsen-esque social-problem plays, Pinero is vastly underrated and, as a result, seldom performed on British stages. This is a great pity, since The Cabinet Minister (1890), billed as his neglected comedy about politics, debts and reputations and last staged in London in 1991, is a viciously funny, uproarious and wholly engaging farce about social advancement, marriage and the British class system, as well as a damning indictment of the Westminster political milieu.

This delightfully pacy, elegant and stylish new adaptation by Nancy Carroll (who also stars as Lady Katherine Twombley) positively brims with vitality, full of salacious double entendres and unmistakable contemporary political allusions. With an enchanting set and period-costume design by Janet Bird, the four-act play, set between the Twombleys conservatory in London and a Scottish castle where the family have decamped to facilitate a marriage proposal for their daughter from a wealthy nobleman, is directed with a winning combination of levity, riotous exuberance and occasional moral seriousness by Paul Foster.

Amidst a formidably accomplished ensemble cast, Nicholas Rowe combines gravitas, uxoriousness and a cynical awareness of the tawdry, ineffectual nature of politics as Sir Julian Twombley, the consummate politician of the plays title whose parlous finances have caused his wife and son to run up massive debts and whose political reputation duly hangs in the balance.

Carroll enchants as Lady Katherine who, with impeccable comedic timing and a masterful delivery, seeks to extricate herself from the clutches of garrulous Cockney chancer, unscrupulous loan shark, amoral blackmailer and ruthless social climber Bernard Lacklustre, played with bravura charisma and ebullient charm by Laurence Ubong Williams. Phoebe Fildes, as his conniving sister Fanny, ably conveys beguiling colubrine duplicity, her liberal use of French phrases designed to connote the cultural sophistication and breeding that she evidently lacks yet sorely covets.

The Cabinet Minister is at the Menier Chocolate Factory until Nov 16 - Tristram Kenton

Sara Crowe, as inveterate matchmaker Dora, brings palpable mirth, George Blagden is convincing as dishevelled family friend Valentine White, recently returned from a decade exploring the Empire (clearly modelled on Sir Richard Burton) and in love with his childhood sweetheart, Sir Julians daughter Imogen (a coquettish Rosalind Ford) and vivacious Romaya Weaver, making her professional stage debut as Lady Effie, is one to watch for the future.

The plays dynamic denouement, centring on prior knowledge of a decision by the government about a concession for a canal, witnesses a spectacular Boethian reversal of fortune that is pure joy.

Ennobling the genre of farce and investing it with moral purpose while simultaneously exploiting many of its tropes and conventions, Pinero is here akin to a Victorian Michael Frayn, all frantic entrances and breathless exits, exquisite verbal jousting and lashings of sardonic, Wildean humour.

While his own lower middle-class, Portuguese Jewish heritage rendered him an outsider to the Establishment he nonetheless yearned to breach, Pinero mordantly skewers the foibles, insecurities and fragility of the British upper-classes, as well as illuminating the crippling social stigma of debt. With its motley crew of brazen interlopers, parvenus and arrivistes, The Cabinet Minister is a devastating admonition of the uniquely British obsession with class.

Moreover, at a time when the new Labour government is beset by allegations of financial impropriety, hypocrisy and venality, Pineros excoriation of the parliamentary pantomime and the essential futility of public service is wonderfully apposite.

On the strength of this outstanding production alone, perhaps the time is now right for a widespread revival of the plays of this most conscious, careful and entertaining of theatrical craftsmen.

Until November 16; tickets: menierchocolatefactory.com
Labour has opened the door to thieves, shoplifters and other common criminals being spared short jail sentences

A justice minister has opened the door to thieves, shoplifters and other common criminals being spared short jail sentences.

Sir Nic Dakin said short prison terms were more likely to result in making offenders better criminals rather than rehabilitating them and turning them into better citizens.

It is the strongest indication yet that Labours forthcoming sentencing review - due to be announced next month - could pave the way for scrapping many short jail terms. These would be replaced with community punishments geared towards rehabilitation, meaning some low-level criminals would avoid jail.

The review is expected to be headed by former Tory justice secretary David Gauke who argued that introducing a legal presumption against sentences of under a year and scrapping those under six months could reduce reoffending. His plans were shelved after he quit the Government when Boris Johnson became Tory leader.

Shabana Mahmood, the Justice Secretary, wants the review to provide creative solutions to tackle reoffending as well as the overcrowding crisis which has forced her to introduce an early release scheme freeing thousands of prisoners 40 per cent of the way through their sentences rather than halfway.

Asked about scrapping short sentences, Sir Nic said: All the evidence seems to suggest that short sentences tend to make better criminals rather than better citizens. Where we will come from is that it is better to have a system that makes people better citizens than better criminals.

However, speaking at a fringe event at Labours conference in Liverpool, he said community alternatives must be robust enough to satisfy the publics demands for justice. Anything that the sentencing review comes out with has to have the confidence of the general public, he said.

Real and positive change

Sir Nic also said that Lord James Timpson, the prisons minister in the Lords and a longstanding prison reform campaigner, was probably right when he said that only a third of [prisoners] should definitely be there.

If that is what James said, thats probably right. James is obviously leading on all of this stuff. James has a lot of personal experience and a wealth of knowledge in this area. He is speaking from understanding. If that is accurate, theres a massive challenge and a massive opportunity in that challenge.

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) is expected to fast-track the review to complete it within six months because internal forecasts indicate that prisons in England and Wales will run out of space again within nine months largely because of a glut of more rioters from the summer disorder being jailed in the coming months.

In his landmark speech setting out his prison reform plans in July 2019, Mr Gauke said his research showed moving away from sentences of under six months would deliver real and positive change, for the offenders to turn their lives around and for the safety of the public.

The MoJ research estimated there would be about 32,000, or 13 per cent, fewer proven reoffences a year if criminals jailed for six months were instead given a community order. Sentences of under one year account for around two-thirds of people jailed in any one year - and disproportionately involve women.

Time off for good behaviour

Mr Gauke proposed three options of a ban on sentences under six months; a presumption against jail terms of under six months; or a combination of a bar on sentences under six months and a presumption against those under one year. Sexual, violent and terrorist offences would be excluded.

Alex Chalk, justice secretary under Rishi Sunak, revived the proposals for a presumption against sentences under one year, replacing them with suspended prison terms in order to place a sword of Damocles over offenders. If they breached their licences, they would be recalled to jail to serve their full sentence.

However, despite the plan being initially backed by the then-prime minister, Number 10 moved away from the plans following a revolt by backbench MPs. It delayed the Bill so long that it was lost in the parliamentary wash-up when Mr Sunak called the election.

Ms Mahmood is understood to believe a presumption against short sentences or a move to suspended sentences is a probable outcome of a review but also wants it to consider wider options such as Texas-style schemes enabling prisoners to earn time off their sentences for good behaviour and attending workshops.

An MoJ spokesman said: The new Government inherited a justice system in crisis and has begun work to rescue and rebuild it so that prison creates better citizens, not better criminals. The Lord Chancellor has already confirmed plans to launch a review into sentencing and further details will be set out in due course.
William Braddock allegedly told another conservative activist not to support his rival because he had access to assassins

A Florida man who was running for congress has been charged with threatening to hire a Russian-Ukrainian hit squad to kill a political opponent.

William Robert Braddock III, 41, was arrested in the Philippines after he was discovered to have fled to the Asian country from the United States.

Prosecutors said he had threatened to kill an unnamed victim three years ago, in an indictment unsealed in a Florida federal court.

At the time, Mr Braddock was vying to become a Republican member of Congress for Floridas 13th congressional district.

According to the indictment, he allegedly threatened to call up my Russian-Ukrainian hit squad to make his main political opponent, another Republican, disappear.

Anna Paulina Luna, who was endorsed by former president Donald Trump, went on to win the primary and then congressional seat outright in 2022.

Anna Paulina Luna went on to win the Congressional election - Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images

Newspaper reports in Florida at the time described other alleged threats made by Mr Braddock towards Ms Luna.

Mr Braddock had allegedly told another conservative activist not to support Ms Luna because he had access to assassins.

I really dont want to have to end anybodys life for the good of the people of the United States of America, he said, according to a transcript of a phone call reported by Politico.

That will break my heart. But if it needs to be done, it needs to be done. Luna is a f---ing speed bump in the road. Shes a dead squirrel you run over every day when you leave the neighbourhood.

Mr Braddock said the audio recording of the call may even be altered and edited.

The one-time political hopeful was subsequently hit by a temporary restraining order by a Florida judge.

He then fled to Manilla in the Philippines, where he was tracked down by US law enforcers before being detained and deported back to the US to stand trial.

Braddock faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison if found guilty, according to the Justice Department.
Rabbi Charley Baginsky of Progressive Judaism says theres a huge amount of guilt within the Jewish community. Photograph: Gary Calton/The Observer

The young couple getting on the 310 bus at Golders Green were unquestionably Jewish. He wore a black hat over his peyot, or sidelocks, and a heavy black coat despite the warmth of the day. Her hair was covered, her clothes modest, her shoes plain. On the 45-minute journey to Stamford Hill, they conversed quietly in Yiddish.

Until a few weeks ago, the journey on public transport between two areas of north London with significant Jewish populations required a change of bus midway. Jewish passengers had reported antisemitic abuse while waiting for the connection.

The new 310 direct route between Golders Green and Stamford Hill would help Jewish Londoners to feel safe while travelling on public transport, said the citys mayor Sadiq Khan. Weve got to recognise the tremors of hate that are felt by Jewish people across the country, he told the BBC.

The bus is a fragment in a complicated mosaic of life for British Jews over the past year. Since Hamass murderous attack on Jews in Israel on 7 October triggered a massive onslaught of death and destruction in Gaza, British Jews have felt overwhelming shock and grief for the victims of that fateful day. Many have also felt growing unease at the ongoing war and humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza; some feel revulsion and shame. Almost all have felt more vulnerable as antisemitic abuse and attacks have rocketed.

Its been an extraordinarily cruel and painful year, and its still very raw, said Jonathan Wittenberg, the senior rabbi of Masorti Judaism, a traditional branch of the Jewish faith. The trauma of 7 October and what has followed is very present in the UK Jewish community.

Rabbi Charley Baginsky, who co-leads Progressive Judaism, said: In many ways, we still havent processed what happened on 7 October because everything has been in constant motion. Every day is shaped by those events.

Raymond Simonson, chief executive of JW3, a Jewish community and cultural centre in north London, said 7 October was a punch in the stomach. Everyone was shocked, scared and confused. And then we were plunged into a war that has gone on and on. The feeling is one of exhaustion.

In the days following the Hamas attack, the response of British Jews was overwhelmingly one of solidarity and shared trauma. The visceral connection that most have to the only Jewish state is powerful. Nine in 10 have visited Israel and eight in 10 have close friends or family living there.

But a new study has also found a growing distrust of the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and the actions of the Israeli government. The Institute for Jewish Policy Research (JPR) will soon publish the results of a survey of 4,600 British Jews, ranging from ultra-orthodox to secular, conducted earlier this summer. We found high levels of concern about Netanyahu and his motives, said Jonathan Boyd, the JPRs executive director.

About three-quarters of those we questioned think he is serving his own interests over and above those of the state of Israel as a whole. Theres also a sense that the Israeli government could have done more towards the release of the hostages, and to provide humanitarian aid [to Gaza]  not overwhelmingly so, but leaning in those directions. People are more forgiving of the Israeli army. Most Jews are likely to think that the army has operated within the bounds of international law than think they havent. Theres more criticism of the government than there is of the military.

While events of the past year have reinforced a sense of Jewish identity for many, the shockwaves from 7 October have often strained relations within families and communities. Many of us have got different thoughts in our heads which come to the fore at different times. The hostages, the grief and anguish in Israel, the fear for the future, the terrible suffering of ordinary Palestinians  its an internal war in ones mind, said Wittenberg.

Its also very strong in families. Some people feel they cant talk about this at home because of the way other members of their family have reacted. It doesnt follow entirely on generational lines, but some of it does. There are powerful arguments within the Jewish community: Why dont you have more solidarity with Israel when its people need it so badly? How can I, when I look at what Israels government is doing? These are explicit or implicit arguments and debates, and its extremely painful. But we have to listen to each other.

Baginsky said: To not recognise that level of internal turmoil  within individuals, families and congregations  is to do injustice to the Jewish community. But trying to give voice to the complexities is challenging. We dont have the language. Were not a society that deals well with nuance.

The past year has brought to the fore differences in the UK Jewish community  which has never been monolithic but comprises multiple communities from ultra-orthodox to secular, from far left to far right. Major institutions once thought to speak on behalf of British Jews  the Board of Deputies, the Chief Rabbi, the Jewish Chronicle  have come under fire from within the community.

Some disagreements have played out in public. Simonson said that for the first time in 30 years of working in and for the community: Ive had people say publicly I should be sacked or cancelled. When he suggested a show of solidarity with an immigrant law centre during the far-right riots over the summer, there were people in the Jewish community saying, these are the people that go to the [pro-Palestinian] marches  why are you there standing with them? Youre a traitor. He was called a Kapo, referring to Jewish prisoners in Nazi concentration camps who worked for the SS  the most disgusting thing a Jew can call another Jew.

He said: I think those that were already quite far on the left within the community and those that were quite far right have been pushed further into their positions. Theyve become more entrenched, and the gap between those two ends of the community feels more bitter and hostile than it was before. And sometimes, if youre in the middle, you can get caught up in that.

Lots of workplaces have Jewish WhatsApp networks that didnt exist before 7 October  safe spaces to share feelings Dave Rich, CST

The tensions were undeniable, said Simonson. The saying is that where there are two Jews there are three opinions. Now where there are two Jews there are five opinions. Yet theres a need to have more togetherness and more unity than ever before.

From outside the community, there has been a shocking surge in antisemitism. The Community Security Trust (CTS), a charity that monitors antisemitism and provides security for Jewish people in the UK, said incidents more than doubled in the first half of 2024, a spike attributed to the war in Gaza. The scale of it is completely new, and the way it has spread into parts of society  schools, workplaces  where we hadnt seen problems before, said Dave Rich of the CST. The worry is that this has created a new reality for Jewish people in the UK. This has been going on for a year now, and this is now normal.

Members of the community were almost withdrawing inwards, he said. People are having to think seriously about what it means to be Jewish in Britain today. Theres almost a psychological retrenchment in terms of who you can trust.

Antisemitism in the workplace had emerged as a new issue over the past year. Lots of workplaces and employment sectors now have Jewish WhatsApp networks that didnt exist before 7 October  safe spaces where people can discuss issues, share their feelings.

Before 7 October, many Jewish people blithely sailed along through life, never asking fundamental questions about what it means to be Jewish, he said. But someone said to me the other night that the golden age is over. Now were having to look over our shoulders all the time.

The JPR research also presents a bleak picture. It found that approximately one in three British Jews said they had personally experienced an incident of antisemitism since 7 October. When we asked people if they feel less safe as Jews living in the UK post-October 7, only about 25% said it hasnt really changed, said Boyd.

But of the remaining 75%, almost everyone said they felt less secure. The pattern is similar when looking at peoples confidence about being open about their Jewishness  most feel wary about doing so.

The survey picked up a sense of loss of hope and trust in the future, he added. Wider society felt more hostile and Jews sense of place in Britain has been shaken.

Without doubt, the anniversary will be a painful experience for British Jews. It will be a time of prayer, grief, solidarity  and reflection about whats been done to us, what we have been drawn into, the antisemitism and hatred released in the world, the longing for hope, said Wittenberg.

We are caught in a perpetual liminal space, said Baginsky. Theres a huge amount of guilt within the community for all sorts of reasons  guilt for not being there [in Israel], guilt for not doing whatever is the right thing in this situation, guilt for what is happening in Gaza. And there is no sense this is ending soon.
Ethnic minority students could miss out on a private education - Digital Version

Ethnic minority children risk being forced out of private schools under the Governments VAT plans, a best-selling black author has claimed.

Candice Brathwaite warned Sir Keir Starmer that he risks widening the gap through the tax raid, which is set to come into force on January 1 next year.

The author of I Am Not Your Baby Mother, who sends her daughter to private school, said many ethnic minority parents have three jobs apiece to make that education happen  just to make their generational landscape a bit more socially mobile.

Speaking on the BBCs Headliners podcast, she said the 20 per cent tax would likely mean switching her daughter to a state school  warning that many others could follow suit.

[The VAT] is now the thing that could possibly make us decide that we cant do this anymore, she said.

I would say to [Sir Keir]: Really have a think about actually how you could be widening the gap. I appreciate youre extremely privileged to go to private school at all but kids of colour? Give me a break. They hardly touch the start line, you know.

And for someone like me who is not pulling from that magical rainbow pot of gold it is the thin line Why take that from people who are already trying really hard?

Candice Brathwaite may no longer be able to afford private school for her children - Alamy Live News

Four in 10 private school pupils are from a minority ethnic background, according to the latest annual survey by the Independent Schools Council (ISC).

The figure has risen over the past 15 years, up from 23 per cent in 2009  reflecting the increasing diversity of the overall UK school population.

There are also wide regional disparities, with children from minority ethnic backgrounds making up more than 60 per cent of pupils at ISC schools in London last year.

Religious groups have warned the Governments VAT plans could unfairly impact pupils at private faith schools, whose needs cannot be as readily met in the state sector.

Raisel Freedman, assistant director at the Partnership for Jewish Schools (Pajes), said the policy could decimate many Jewish schools and force [Jewish] parents with more than a couple of children onto the poverty line.

Of the 140 Jewish schools across the UK, 60 per cent hold independent status, equating to around 22,000 students.

Rachel Reeves, the Chancellor, defended the VAT policy earlier this week. Speaking at the Labour Party Conference in Liverpool, she said it was the fair choice, the responsible choice, the Labour choice to support the 94 per cent of our children in our state schools.

A Government spokesman said: We want to ensure all children have the best chance in life to succeed. Ending tax breaks on private schools will help to raise the revenue needed to fund our education priorities for next year, such as recruiting 6,500 new teachers.
EU member states rejected UK hopes of a relationship reset with Europe, sources told The Telegraph - Benoit Tessier/Reuters

An EU deal with the UK allowing Channel migrants to be sent back to France is not on the table during Sir Keir Starmers visit to Brussels this week.

British hopes of the bloc-wide agreement were raised after France and Germany wrote to Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, requesting her to kick-start negotiations.

But diplomatic sources have warned that any future deal would only be acceptable if Britain were to take in more refugees from Europe and make it easier for migrants in France to be able to join any family members they have in the UK.

Sir Keir is due to meet with Ms Von der Leyen in Brussels on Wednesday.

After Pedro Serrano, the EU ambassador to the UK, told Times Radio it may be more profitable for EU countries to negotiate migration agreements with Britain as a bloc rather than rely on bilateral deals, sources said an EU-UK migration deal was not on the table.

Mr Serrano, who stopped short of calling for a formal deal, was not signifying a shift in the Commissions position, they said.

The Government wants to negotiate a post-Brexit security pact, migration deal and better trade ties with the EU. It has rejected a call from Brussels for new youth mobility arrangements.

But EU officials and diplomats from other member states poured cold water on UK hopes of an early result in Sir Keirs reset in relations with Europe, despite Brussels coming under pressure from its two most influential capitals.

Migrants such as those arriving at Dover last week will have to be returned under bilateral deals negotiated with individual EU countries - Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

Were Britain to agree to EU demands on youth mobility, which would make it easier for young people to study and live in the UK and EU, the move would not unlock a migration deal, which requires the unanimous support of all 27 member states.

One EU diplomat told The Telegraph: Whats in a deal with the UK for us? If all it means is that the UK sends people back to the EU, it only exacerbates the problem on our end.

Professor Anand Menon, the director of the UK in Changing Europe, said: Were not going to get to return people without taking some.

Dr Fabian Zuleeg, the CEO of the Brussels-based European Policy Centre, said there was an expectation that the UK gets involved constructively in the management of migration and refugee flows.

He said: If there is no real commitment from the UK, this will not only limit cooperation on this issue but across the board.

Brussels rejected British calls for a UK-EU migration deal, which would allow the return of Channel migrants to France, during the Brexit negotiations from 2017 to 2021.

It told the UK it would have to negotiate bilateral migrant return deals with individual EU countries such as France, Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands instead.

The Commission has rebuffed calls for such a deal ever since but is now under pressure from the EUs two most influential members following the recent letters from France and Germany on the issue.

Migrants off the shores of Calais in France - Steve Finn

A warehouse facility in Dover is full of small boats and outboard motors used by migrants, with Channel crossings at their highest since Labour came to power - Gareth Fuller/PA Wire

Frances new Right-wing government has vowed to curb migrant numbers and absolutely believes the lack of a migration deal with the UK after Brexit is a pull factor for illegal immigrants travelling to French soil from countries such as Italy and Greece.

A French source said Bruno Retailleau, the new interior minister, aimed to get Rome on board with the push for a UK-EU deal at a meeting of G7 interior ministers in Italy, which Britain will also attend.

A European diplomat admitted the sands are shifting on migration since the terrorist attack in the Western German city of Solingen earlier this year, which led to a crackdown on illegal immigration in Germany.

The Germans have really significantly moved on the issue, the Dutch, the Scandinavians, the Austrians, the Belgians, the French, the Italians were already on this course of we need to figure out new and innovative ways to deal with migration, the diplomat said.

Any deal with the UK would have to be sold domestically as preventing illegal migration, which will be a major subject of discussion among EU leaders at their October European Council summit.

I can see a scenario in which, post Starmer visit, the UK becomes somewhat part of the conversation. The question is how do you make it interesting for all 27 member states? the diplomat said.

The bottom line remains, whats in it for us?
An impression of the European Space Agencys double-satellite Proba-3 mission. Photograph: ESA-P. Carril

European scientists are preparing to launch a space mission that has been designed to create total eclipses of the sun on demand.

The robot spacecraft Proba-3 will be launched by the European Space Agency (ESA) in a few weeks in a mission which will involve flying a pair of satellites in close formation round the Earth. They will be linked by lasers and light sensors, with one probe blocking the view of the sun as seen from the other craft. The effect will be to create solar eclipses that will last for several hours.

Observing these eclipses will revolutionise the study of the sun and understanding of how it can cause disruptions to power lines, GPS satellites and other earthly technologies, says ESA. The agency believes the mission will also act as a pathfinder for other formation spaceflights that could transform studies of gravitational waves, exoplanets and black holes.

This is an extraordinarily promising technology, said solar physicist Francisco Diego of University College London. It is also highly technically challenging. Getting it right will not be easy, but it will be highly rewarding.

The mission, which has taken more than 10 years to plan, has involved developing a series of complex sensors that will keep the two satellites locked close together with an accuracy of less than a millimetre as they fly round the Earth 144 metres apart. In effect, the two probes will act as a single 144m-long observatory.

When the two satellites are in exactly the right orbit, one will release a disk that will exactly the cover the sun as seen from the second satellite and so create eclipses that will last for up to six hours a day, Proba-3s project manager, Damien Galano, told the Observer.

On Earth, total solar eclipses occur when the moon passes in front of the sun, blocking out its blinding glare and leaving its fiery atmosphere  the corona  open to study by astronomers.

Unfortunately, total solar eclipses happen on average every two years or so on Earth, and scientists often have to travel long distances and be at the mercy of the weather to study them  while observations can take place for only a few minutes, added Diego. That does not provide much time to make detailed observations. Similarly, devices  called coronagraphs  that mimic eclipses and which are fitted to telescopes cannot observe the suns inner corona in detail.

Scientists are particularly keen to study the suns inner corona because of its temperature. The suns surface is around 6,000C, while the temperature of its corona is about 1 million degrees. That is a paradox, said Andrei Zhukov, principal investigator for the corona experiment that will be flown on Proba-3. You would expect it to get colder as it went further from the sun, but that is not the case.

By allowing scientists to create solar eclipses that last for hours, Proba-3 should generate the data that will solve this mystery. We will be able to study the inner corona at length and in detail, and generate information that will explain why it is so hot while the suns surface below it is relatively cool. That should give us a handle on understanding how the sun influences space weather, added Diego.

This point was backed by Zhukov: The sun is the source of disturbances to space weather, which can affect GPS navigation, power transmission and other technology. We need to understand how it does that.

Improved understanding of the suns corona will also be crucial in future space missions. Occasionally an event known as a coronal mass ejection occurs, when the sun throws a huge plume of plasma into space. When this hits Earths upper atmosphere, it produces auroras and can occasionally disrupt power transmission.

Related: Video of suns surface shows solar rain, eruptions and coronal moss

In general, we are protected by the atmosphere and the Van Allen radiation belts that surround the Earth, said Diego. However, in deep space there is no such protection from this radiation, and if we want to send men and women to the moon and Mars, we want to be able to understand and predict how the suns corona is going to behave and so prevent our astronauts from being harmed.

Proba-3 should do more than revolutionise solar physics, however. As a pathfinder for the technology of flying probes in formation, it could form the core of a whole new approach to robot spaceflight  by using a few small satellites to mimic the operations of a single giant spacecraft, say astronomers.

The techniques developed to operate Proba-3 could be exploited for many other astronomical missions, including groups of satellites that could study black holes, exoplanets, gravity waves and many other phenomena, added Galano. This whole approach to spaceflight has a great deal of promise.
Jorg Dornau has sat as an MP of the Saxony parliament since 2019. Photograph: Dpa Picture Alliance/Alamy

Midway through Nikolais shift sorting onions alongside other political prisoners in a warehouse in western Belarus, a tall and bald foreigner entered the building.

He arrived in a car with German license plates. Then he came over and greeted us warmly, Nikolai*, recalled in an interview with the Observer.

The onion plantation, where Nikolai and dozens of other political detainees were working in February 2024, was owned by Jorg Dornau, a member of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party in Saxonys state parliament. Nikolai claims that the man he saw that day, touring the farm and speaking to workers, was Dornau himself.

Dornau, 54, a heavily built farmer with a bald pate, was revealed to be the owner of the onion farm located on Belarussian soil earlier this year when he was fined 20,862 for failing to declare his extra, non-parliamentary income with the Saxony parliament in which he has sat as an MP since 2019.

Despite the obvious moral questions around collaborating with a dictatorship, the matter might have moved little beyond the issue of the fine, except for the new allegations that have emerged claiming that he knowingly employed political prisoners there.

Reports that Dornau had struck a deal with a prison in Lida, a city in western Belarus, to employ prisoners jailed for political dissent were first reported last week by the independent Belarusian outlet Reform.news.

Dornau was approached by the Observer and asked for comment about the legal and ethical concerns surrounding the allegations, but did not respond.

Nikolai said there were around 30 prisoners working on the farm during his time there in February, many of whom, like him, had been jailed on political grounds. They sorted onions for roughly 4 a day on what he described as a strictly voluntary basis.

A few weeks earlier, Nikolai had been detained by the Belarusian security services for liking an old social media post from 2021 and was sentenced to 15 days in jail as part of the regimes brutal crackdown on all forms of dissent.

Belarus was first rocked by mass pro-democracy protests during Aleksandr Lukashenkos controversial re-election as president in August 2020 for a sixth term, which the opposition and the west condemned as fraudulent.

At that time, Belarusian authorities detained more than 35,000 people, many of whom were tortured in custody or left the country. Dornau is reported to have established Zybulka-Bel Ltd, the company that runs the farm, in October 2020 when nationwide pro-democracy protests were still sweeping the country.

Since then, the Lukashenko regime, backed by Vladimir Putin  whom Minsk in turn supports in the war in Ukraine  has intensified its repression of even the smallest acts of dissent, charging critics with extremism and terrorism for actions as minor as leaving critical comments on social media or following so-called extremist Telegram channels.

Human rights groups estimate that there are currently more than 1,400 political prisoners in Belarus, including Viasnas founder, Nobel peace prize laureate Ales Bialiatski.

On the farm, Nikolai described the work as difficult, with long days and the harsh February cold.

We had breakfast at 7am and worked until evening, with few breaks, he recalled. However, he stressed that he had no complaints about the labour, saying he preferred it to being in jail.

I went to work with a smile. It felt like complete freedom compared to being locked up.

And the onions tasted good, he added.

The Observer could not independently verify Nikolais account, but an independent prison watchdog group reported receiving accounts from prisoners working at Dornaus onion farm starting from early 2024.

Around 30 people were brought in at once to work  from both the detention centre and the pre-trial detention facility. About 20 hired workers were also working for wages, the watchdog told the Observer.

After his release from jail in Belarus, Nikolai, who had already been detained twice on political grounds and now faced the threat of a longer sentence, decided to flee the country.

AfD politicians have often been accused of acting as mouth pieces for the Kremlin, earning the party the lingering moniker Putin-friendly. Allegations have swirled for years that they have also benefited financially from their connections with Moscow.

Reports that an MP from the AfD may have financially benefited from employing political prisoners jailed for opposing Lukashenko will likely bring new scrutiny to the partys ties with authoritarian regimes.

Other AfD politicians, including those in the Saxony parliament, which sits in the eastern city of Dresden and where he is a member, were also asked for a response but none of them replied.

A spokesperson for the Saxony AfD parliamentary group in Dresden said: As a matter of principle, our group does not comment on anonymous allegations.

The only response from the party so far has been from a member of the wing  the most radical element of the AfD to which Dornau also belongs. Hans-Thomas Tillschneider called for people to show solidarity towards Dornau.

Tillschneider, known as a Putin ally who has defended Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine, said of the allegations: If the Belarussian penal system allows for the possibility that prisoners are put to work, like they are in Germany, and such undertakings take place in the fields belonging to my colleague Dornau, then there is nothing wrong with that. Yuck, what a smear campaign! he wrote on X.

Meanwhile, Dornau has continued to operate his company in Belarus. In addition to onions and other vegetables, the farm is reported to mainly produce melons, root plants, and tubers.

But the revelations may yet have legal repercussions for Dornau.

A lawyer linked to the Greens took to X to say that he had filed a criminal complaint against Dornau. If the evidence from the Belarussian newspaper is confirmed, this is clearly a case of exploitation of people in difficult circumstances, he wrote.

*Some names have been changed
Mr Ozdemir said Germany must act now against illegal immigrants to protect its democracy - Clemens Bilan/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

A German Green party leader said young migrant men had sexually harassed his daughter as he condemned the countrys migration policies for causing massive social upheaval.

Cem Ozdemir, Germanys agriculture minister and a key member of the Green party, said the country must act now to protect its democracy by making it clear to illegal immigrants that there is no place for them in Germany.

In an op-ed in the Frankfurter Allgemeine newspaper, the Left-wing politician said it was his duty to speak out after hearing what had happened to his daughter.

His teenage daughter had been repeatedly sexualised and unpleasantly ogled on the streets by young migrant men, said Mr Ozdemir, himself the son of Turkish immigrants.

Recent migration policies, which have seen millions of people come to Germany via irregular means, have made women less safe, he said. And he claimed the country was scared of debating the link between fundamentalist Islam and abuse of women because of fears it would empower the hard-Right.

Real problems

Im convinced that the AfD benefits the most when we choose not to talk about real problems out of a misplaced sense of respect, he stated.

Current policies amounted to a system of survival of the fittest and were leading to massive social upheaval, he added.

Imploring all mainstream parties to get behind plans to end illegal migration, Mr Ozdemir warned that time was running out to save liberal democracy from attacks from the hard-Right.

If we dont act now we will all bear responsibility for not having acted in the knowledge of the dangers to our country, he stated.

Mr Ozdemirs dramatic warning is the just latest example of a tectonic shift taking place in the German political landscape, where his Green party are renouncing their previous stance in favour of open borders.

Robert Habeck, the Vice-Chancellor of Germany (pictured left) is hoping to take on Olaf Scholz, the Chancellor (right) in next years federal election - Clemens Bilan/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

After facing electoral disaster in three state elections this month, the Greens are in turmoil, with the party riven over migration and economic policies and deeply unpopular among voters.

Last week, the entire party leadership resigned after they failed to win a single seat at the state election in Brandenburg.

This followed a similar wipeout at the election in Thuringia a few weeks earlier.

Meanwhile, the partys youth organisation declared that it was leaving to set up a new political movement, claiming that the national leadership had moved too far to the Right.

Mr Ozdemir is a key figure on the moderate wing of the party, which is now rallying around Robert Habeck, the Vice-Chancellor, as it hopes to restore its fortunes before next years federal election.

Run the state

Also last week, three state governments which include Green ministers demanded Chancellor Olaf Scholz take a tougher stance on illegal migration.

State executives in North Rhine Westphalia, Baden-Wurttemberg and Schleswig-Holstein, where the Greens either run the state or are a junior coalition partner, called for a change in policy in light of a terror attack by a Syrian man in August that killed three people.

They called for asylum claims to be dealt with outside Germany, deportations of criminals to Syria, and the removal of protection for people who had gone back to their homeland on holiday.

For years, the Greens dominated the youth vote, with the Fridays for Future climate movement helping them to become the most popular party in Germany for a period before the last election.

Since then though, young voters have swung to the Right, as their main concern has moved from climate change to mass migration, leading to the AfD scoring stunning successes at state elections.
Eliezer Masliah is accused of research misconduct

A US government scientist may have published faked images in papers on Alzheimers, a report has claimed.

Eliezer Masliah, who led the neuroscience division at the National Institute on Aging, a government health body, has been a key figure in Alzheimers and Parkinsons disease research for decades.

But an investigation by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has made findings of research misconduct against Dr Masliah for falsification and/or fabrication of figure panels which were used to show experimental results.

According to the academic journal Science, which conducted its own investigation into Dr Masliah, he may have also doctored pictures used in several research papers.

All four [papers] used apparently doctored images, according to the dossier, as did other Masliah papers cited in clinical trial reports as important to [Parkinsons disease treatment] prasinezumabs development, Science reported.

The falsification is claimed to include the duplication of the same image with different captions about different research in different journals.

According to the NIH, misconduct may have occurred in two studies co-authored by Dr Masliah.

Falsification and fabrication

In a statement, the NIH said: Following an investigation, the National Institutes of Health has made findings of research misconduct against Eliezer Masliah, M.D., due to falsification and/or fabrication involving re-use and relabel of figure panels representing different experimental results in two publications.

NIH will notify the two journals of its findings so that appropriate action can be taken.

NIH initiated its research misconduct review process in May 2023 after it received allegations from the HHS Office of Research Integrity (ORI) that same month. NIH began its investigation phase in December 2023, concluded its investigation of these allegations on Sept 15, 2024, and notified HHS ORI of its findings.

Sciences investigation, which was published days after the NIHs findings, alleged that scores of Dr Masliahs lab studies were riddled with apparently manipulated images.

The journal reportedly brought its findings to a neuroscientist and forensic analysts who later asserted that more than 100 of Dr Masliahs published studies, spanning more than two decades, contained a steady stream of suspect images.

Dr Masliah, a former professor at the University of California San Diego, was appointed to head the National Institute on Aging in 2016, when Congress significantly increased funding for Alzheimers research.

Dr Masliahs department had a budget of $2.6 billion, making him one of the most influential figures in neuroscience, with the power to set research priorities within the field.

His own research, amounting to around 800 papers, particularly on proteins such as alpha-synuclein linked to Alzheimers and Parkinsons, has been widely cited and drawn upon in clinical and drug development efforts.

Anomalous data

However, experts quoted by Science allege that much of the research they analysed contained a pattern of anomalous data which they say warrants further investigation.

A forensic review led by neuroscientist Matthew Schrag, image analyst Kevin Patrick, and others identified issues in 132 papers published between 1997 and 2023. The team found allegedly manipulated western blots  images used to detect proteins  and allegedly altered micrographs of brain tissue.

In some instances, images were apparently duplicated across different studies that had been published years apart, with conflicting experimental conditions.

The apparently manipulated images raise questions about the calibre and integrity of Dr Masliahs research, Mu Yang, a Columbia University neurobiologist who analysed parts of Dr Masliahs published work, told Science.

Dr Masliahs work has played an important role in advancing drug trials, including for prasinezumab.

His research also helped to secure approval from the US Food and Drug Administration to conduct clinical trials for the drug.

Side effects

However, results from a 2022 trial of prasinezumab revealed no significant benefit in treating Parkinsons.

The 300-page dossier on apparently manipulated images in parts of Dr Masliahs research stunned 11 neuroscientists who agreed to review it, according to Science.

Christian Haass, of the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, said: People will, of course, be shocked, as I was I was falling from a chair, basically.

While the researchers didnt personally verify every example of possible misconduct, Science reported that they agreed that most of the suspect work cannot reasonably be explained as careless errors or publishing anomalies.

Samuel Gandy, a neurologist at the Mount Sinai Alzheimers Disease Research Center, was visibly shaken during a video interview with Science when discussing the dossier, according to the journal.

Im floored, Dr Gandy said. Hundreds of images. There had to have been ongoing manipulation for years.

Dr Masliah and the institutions affiliated with his work, such as the NIH and the University of California San Diego, have not yet publicly challenged the findings in the dossier, according to Science.

Dr Masliah and the NIH were contacted for comment.
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Kamala Harris tours the border wall with border patrol agents in Douglas, Arizona, on Friday. Photograph: Kevin Lamarque/Reuters

Kamala Harris accused Donald Trump of playing political games on immigration  his signature issue  as the vice-president sought to turn one of her biggest vulnerabilities into a political strength during a visit to the US-Mexico border on Friday.

Speaking in the Arizona border town of Douglas, Harris declared the US both a sovereign nation and a country of immigrants, and said as president she would strengthen controls at the southern border, while working to fix our broken system of immigration.

I reject the false choice that suggests we must choose either between securing our border and creating a system that is orderly, safe and humane, Harris said. We can and we must do both.

She hammered Trump for derailing a sweeping bipartisan package that would have overhauled the federal immigration system, while providing additional resources to help hire more border patrol agents.

It should be in effect today, producing results, in real time right now, Harris said, speaking on a stage framed by American flags and large blue posters that read border security and stability. He prefers to run on a problem instead of fixing a problem.

After that bill collapsed, the Biden administration announced new rules to temporarily halt asylum processing at the US southern border. Since then, arrests for border crossings between ports of entry have plummeted. In July, arrests dipped below levels not seen since Trumps final months in office in 2020, though they ticked up slightly in August.

As president, Harris said, she would take further action to keep the border closed, including stiffening the punishments for those who cross between ports of entry. She emphasized her support for humane and orderly policies, reminding Arizonans of the measures Trump took to curb illegal immigration.

Related: Harris stretches lead over Trump in what could be significant increase

He separated families, he ripped toddlers out of their mothers arms, put children in cages and tried to end protection of Dreamers, she said in Douglas, a blue dot in the overwhelmingly red Cochise county.

Before her remarks, Harris walked a stretch of barrier constructed during the Obama administration. In the sweltering triple-degree heat, she received a briefing from Customs and Border Protection officials on efforts to stop the flow of fentanyl across the border.

She also stopped by the Raul H Castro port of entry in Douglas, across from Agua Prieta, Mexico, which is slated to be expanded and modernized with grants from the bipartisan infrastructure bill signed into law by Joe Biden.

Theyve got a tough job and they need, rightly, support to do their job, Harris said afterward.

Speaking to supporters at a manufacturing plant in Walker, Michigan, Trump boasted that Harris was getting killed on the border and blamed the Biden administrations border policies for fueling high levels of migration during the first three years of his presidency.

Its a crime what she did, he said. Theres no greater act of disloyalty than to extinguish the sovereignty of your own nation.

In her remarks, Harris said she understood the unique challenges and needs facing border communities like the one in Douglas, having served as the attorney general of neighboring California. She recalled touring trafficking tunnels used by smugglers and touted her work prosecuting international gangs and criminal organizations that smuggle guns, drugs and people across the border.

Republicans would rather discuss her more recent assignment, as vice-president during a period of record migration when she was officially tasked with addressing the root causes of people coming north from Central America. On Friday, Republicans misleadingly accused her of being an absentee border tsar whose policies led to the situation at the border.

Voters in Arizona consistently rank immigration  Trumps signature issue  as a top concern this election cycle, often second only to the economy. A sizable share of voters trust Trump more on immigration and border security, but Harriss campaign believes it has made progress softening Democrats deficit on an issue seen as one of their biggest electoral vulnerabilities.

The campaign has blanketed the airwaves with ads designed to blunt Trumps attacks over her immigration record. On Friday, it launched a new ad in Arizona and other battleground states highlighting her pledge to hire thousands more border agents and stop fentanyl trafficking and human smuggling. We need a leader with a real plan to fix the border, a voiceover says.

Less than six weeks before election day, polls show a tight race in Arizona, one of seven battleground states that will likely decide the election and the only one that touches the southern border.

A Bloomberg News/Morning Consult poll of swing states found Harris with a small lead in Arizona, while a New York Times/Siena College poll released on Monday found Trump opening a five-point lead over Harris, marking a significant improvement from August when he trailed the vice-president by the same margin.

Biden won Arizona by just more than 10,400 votes in 2020, becoming the first Democrat to win the south-west state since Bill Clinton in 1996.

Kris Mayes, the attorney general, who accompanied Harris throughout her visit on Friday, urged Arizonans not to sit the election out.

Races in Arizona can be close, take it from me, Mayes said. In 2022, the Democrat won her race by 280 votes.
Hassan Nasrallah speaking in Beirut in 2013. He had not been seen in public for many years. Photograph: Nabil Mounzer/EPA

The killing of Hassan Nasrallah, the veteran leader of Hezbollah, on Friday marks a turning point in the conflict in the Middle East. Both Nasrallah and the organisation he led were hardened by successive decades of conflict within Lebanon, against Israel and, latterly, in Syria. Both were powerful political and social forces with very significant regional and local influence.

Through more than three decades in charge of Hezbollah, Nasrallah built up a fervent personal following, steering the Shia Muslim movement through a number of transitions, balancing the demands of its military role with those of its expansive social welfare systems, building a political wing and negotiating the various crises that broke across the region. He earned adulation from supporters and bitter personal enmity from foes.

Nasrallah was born in about 1960, the son of a Shia vegetable seller in a poor, mixed neighbourhood of Beirut. Despite their growing numbers, Lebanons Shia people had long been marginalised politically and economically. Nasrallah was inspired by the new Islamist ideologies spreading across the Middle East and by a moderate Iranian-born cleric, Musa al-Sadr, who sought to mobilise Lebanons Shia to win greater representation and more resources. He joined Amal, a Shia militia formed shortly before the brutal civil war that broke out in Lebanon in 1975.

Four years later, the Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini seized power following the Iranian revolution. This seismic event sent a wave of energy coursing through Shia communities everywhere in the Middle East. Nasrallah had became close to Khomeini when studying in a seminary in Najaf, the Iraqi holy city, where the radical cleric had been exiled. In about 1981, like many other young recruits, Nasrallah left Amal to seek more radical alternatives.

When Israel sent an army into Lebanon in 1982 in response to cross-border attacks by Palestinian militants, a coalition of Islamist groups was formed with Iranian sponsorship and direction. Nasrallah was an enthusiastic early recruit. Under the name Islamic Jihad, this coalition went on to launch massive suicide bombings against the invaders and then against US and French peacekeepers, killing hundreds. Three years later, the coalition had been melded by Iran into an organisation called Hezbollah, the party of God. In 1985, Hezbollah published its main manifesto, lambasting the US, the USSR and calling for the destruction of Israel.

A qualified Islamic scholar, effective public speaker and competent organiser, Nasrallah gained leadership experience during the long battle against Israeli troops and their local auxiliaries in the south of Lebanon. In 1992, he was chosen as the movements new secretary-general after Israel assassinated his predecessor, Abbas al-Musawi. Months later, Iran used Hezbollah networks and operatives to execute a massive bombing of the Israeli embassy in Argentina, killing 29.

In 2000, Israels humiliating and chaotic withdrawal from Lebanons south brought Hezbollah and Nasrallah acclaim in the Middle East and broader Islamic world, despite historic sectarian animosity between majority Sunnis Muslims and the minority Shia. The victory came at personal cost to Nasrallah: a son was killed in a clash with Israeli troops.

The consequences of the killing of Nasrallah are hard to gauge. Pessimists will predict massive escalation

Six years later, Nasrallah led Hezbollah into a new confrontation with Israel, when he ordered an attack across the contested border that killed eight Israeli soldiers and captured two. This war was less conclusive, and Nasrallah turned his attention to a more political strategy, emphasising his movements Lebanese nationalist credentials and building a portfolio of businesses, many illicit. Any residual project of creating a Khomeini-style Islamic regime had long been shelved. Imposition of conservative codes in the swaths of Lebanon controlled by Hezbollah was, on the whole, lax.

Reconciling this new role with the demands of Iran, Hezbollahs principal sponsor, was a complex task and Nasrallah only reluctantly agreed in 2013 to send thousands of his fighters into Syria at Tehrans behest to bolster the regime of Bashar al-Assad. This helped tip the balance in the brutal civil war in the neighbouring country, but hurt Hezbollah at home. So too did Nasrallahs fierce resistance to political reform in Lebanon.

There is no evidence that Nasrallah knew what Hamas had planned for 7 October, but he reacted to the bloody raids on Israel with what must have seemed fine judgment. Hezbollah did not launch a major offensive but began firing some of its vast stocks of rockets and missiles into Israel in a bid to maintain its resistance credentials. Nasrallah probably believed the conflict would be short and he could avoid further escalation. On both counts, he was fatally wrong.

The consequences of the killing of Nasrallah are hard to gauge. Pessimists will predict massive escalation, as Iran seeks to reassert its power and avenge the death of a leader who was one of its most important overseas assets. Optimists may argue that it has effectively removed a key player from the conflict, deterring Tehran and opening a way to some kind of diminution of, if not an end to, hostilities.

Finding any replacement will be very difficult for Hezbollah and Iran. Even without the elimination of key lieutenants by Israel over recent months, there is no one in the movement who has anywhere near Nasrallahs regional stature, experience or influence. It is now clear that Israel is capable of gathering critical, timely intelligence from the very heart of Hezbollah, and of acting on it effectively. The life expectancy of any new secretary-general is likely to be extremely short.
Former Scottish first minister Humza Yousafs parents-in-law, centre, arrived in Scotland after fleeing Gaza at the end of last year

Humza Yousafs relatives were put on a priority list for Gaza evacuations after his office lobbied the Foreign Office to secure their release, official documents reveal.

Last October, the former first ministers parents-in-law were among hundreds of Britons trapped in Gaza when controls were imposed on the Rafah crossing in the wake of the Israel-Hamas war.

At the time, Mr Yousaf was vocal about the plight of his mother and father-in-law who were trying to obtain safe passage out of the war zone via Egypt.

Now he has been accused of breaking the ministerial code by attempting to use his office to get his family moved nearer the front of the queue for evacuation.

A tranche of documents, published under freedom of information laws, reveal the extent to which his private office lobbied senior Foreign Office officials, as well as ministers, over his relatives release.

The former first minister secured a personal phone call with the then foreign secretary on Nov 1 in which he was told that his parents-in-law had been added to the priority list of British nationals trying to flee Gaza, according to the documents.

Just two days after the call, Mr Yousafs mother-in-law and father-in-law were given safe passage out of Gaza via the Rafah crossing.

Elizabeth and Maged El-Nakla travelled to Gaza to visit family before the conflict erupted - PA

The cache of correspondence, seen by The Telegraph, reveals the extent to which members of Mr Yousafs private office assisted him in lobbying for his relatives release.

Their efforts resulted in Mr Yousaf securing an urgent call with Lord Ahmed, the then Middle East minister, on Oct 10 to discuss the ongoing situation in Israel/Gaza, specifically with regards to his parents-in-law, the documents show.

Four days later, on Oct 10, Mr Yousaf spoke to the consular director, one of the most senior Foreign Office officials in charge of co-ordinating the evacuation of British nationals from Gaza.

As well as emails, the correspondence includes WhatsApp messages sent between Mr Yousaf and his officials.

In one of these messages, an official advises Mr Yousaf that the most senior consular officer on duty has offered to support him in his efforts to secure the release of his relatives.

Stephen Kerr, a Conservative MSP and former member of Scotlands standards, procedures and public appointments Committee, said: Which of us, in Humza Yousafs desperate position, would not have mentioned family members trapped in Gaza at such a dangerous time to the Foreign Secretary, if we had the chance?

We shouldnt question his motives but as a public servant, we have every right to question his methods. The rules are very clear.

Government urged to launch review

Mr Kerr went on to say that the Nolan Principles, which those in public office are expected to abide by, state that nobody in public office should ever use their office to advantage their family or friends.

He said the Scottish Government should launch a review into an examination of any ministerial code violations that may have taken place as a result of these communications.

Mr Kerr said: And we must also put ourselves in the position of other families in Scotland worried about relatives trapped in Gaza, who were not able to have a word in the Foreign Secretarys ear and get their family moved nearer the front of the queue for evacuation.

Earlier this year, it emerged that Mr Yousaf faces a review into a series of donations the Scottish Government made to a Gaza aid agency while members of his family were trapped in the war zone.

It came after The Telegraph revealed that he overrode officials to give 250,000 to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA).

A Scottish Government spokesman said that the suggestion Mr Yousaf secured preferential treatment for his relatives is completely untrue.

They said: The former first minister consistently sought assurances that the UK Government was doing everything it could to ensure the safety of all British citizens in Gaza.

The former first minister made the Permanent Secretary aware of the situation with his family immediately that it arose. It was also widely and publicly known.

An FCDO spokesman said: No preferential treatment was given to the former first minister or his family. FCDO Ministers spoke with him at the time to update him on the conflict in the Middle East. As part of these wider conversations, they discussed his familys personal circumstances.

They added that consular support was provided to all British nationals seeking to leave Gaza at the time, and that priority was given to the vulnerable, including the elderly.
Philip Gordon has played a key role in forming Kamala Harriss views on foreign policy - Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images

If Kamala Harriss top foreign policy adviser had got his way, then Brexit would never have happened.

As the vice-presidents national security adviser, Philip Gordon has been instrumental in forming her views on the wars in Ukraine and Gaza and the USs strategic competition with China.

Friends describe the little-known 62-year-old official as a shrewd pragmatist and practised negotiator who does not seek the limelight but commands respect in diplomatic circles.

If Ms Harris wins this years election, Mr Gordon looks set to become one of the most powerful and scrutinised officials in the world. Well placed-sources believe he is being lined up as either the White Houses national security adviser or Ms Harriss secretary of state.

A creature of the Washington foreign policy establishment, Mr Gordon has followed a familiar career path, rotating between increasingly senior State Department jobs under Democratic presidents and tenured roles in influential think tanks during Republican administrations.

But it is his role in the vanguard of Barack Obamas war on Brexit that will most concern some in Westminster if he takes a senior role in the US government next year.

President Obama with David Cameron, Angela Merkel, Francois Hollande and Matteo Renzi, the leaders of Britain, Germany, France and Italy in 2016 - Pete Souza

Mr Gordon served as the assistant secretary for Europe in the State Department from 2009 to 2013, working as the main political liaison between Britain and the US.

The special relationship between the countries remained strong, and the Conservative government was keen to curry favour with Mr Obamas administration.

In January 2013, Mr Gordon attended a lavish dinner given by William Hague in honour of Hillary Clinton at the British ambassadors residence in Washington. Mr Hague, then foreign secretary, had arranged for the cast of Downton Abbey to record a message praising Mrs Clinton as she approached the end of her tenure at the State Department.

But as the Eurosceptic noise from the Tory back benches and Nigel Farages Ukip rose back in London, the US had serious concerns about the possibility of a Brexit referendum.

The idea of a vote that could end Britains role in Europe raised alarm in Washington. Mr Obamas aides were concerned that the UK might no longer serve as Americas eyes and ears in Brussels.

Mr Gordon was dispatched to London to speak to British ministers and officials and warn them against holding a referendum that the pro-EU administration of David Cameron might lose.

In Westminster, he found Conservative ministers and their advisers deep in preparation for Lord Camerons Bloomberg speech on Jan 23. After months of pressure and speculation, Lord Cameron would use the address to commit the Conservative party to a referendum on leaving the European Union after the next general election.

This is the moment when the Cameron team were putting together the referendum policy, and thinking about how they would run the campaign, recalled one adviser.

Taking a stand

Mr Gordon, who had previously avoided commenting on Brexit, decided to use the trip as an opportunity to take a stand against a referendum  both in public and in private meetings.

While opposition to Brexit was the official position of the US government, Mr Gordon was also personally against breaking up the union.

A committed Europhile who had studied in France and translated one of Nicolas Sarkozys books into English, Mr Gordon was seen as a multilingual, classic old-school Europe expert with an emotional gut support for the European project, according to those who knew him at the time.

Sir David Lidington, Britains then minister for Europe, who met with him on the same trip, recalled him arguing in favour of continued EU membership in private meetings.

He wanted to understand what was going on in our politics here, Sir David said. I have no doubt that he was in favour of Britain staying inside the EU.

Britain voted to leave the European Union at a referendum on June 23, 2016 - Paul Kingston / NNP

In Whitehall meetings, Mr Gordon made three arguments against Brexit.

The first was that it could harm transatlantic relations by forcing US officials to go directly to Brussels to lobby the EU on the issues of the day.

From the Democrats perspective, the UK was always viewed as useful to the US to the extent it toed the US line on issues, and to the extent it really pulled others in the EU closer to the US, one senior diplomat said.

Both the UK and US were part of the E3+3, a grouping of countries negotiating the Iran nuclear deal, but America had no seat at the table in Brussels for discussions on the stability of the Eurozone and emerging tension in Ukraine.

Second, Mr Gordon argued that a referendum was a terribly risky move that might have unintended consequences, including an independent Scotland. He warned it would be unwise to hold a vote without certainty that the Remain campaign would win it.

They said, Well, if youre going to have a referendum, are you sure youre going to win? said one official. Because it would be a big setback if you were to lose it.

Unified partner

Third, Mr Gordon suggested that holding a referendum that could force Britain out of the EU would embolden other Eurosceptic voices in Europe, taking the focus of the bloc away from foreign affairs.

In an unusually frank discussion with reporters on the trip, Mr Gordon said: The more the European Union is focused on its internal debates, the less it is able to be our unified partner abroad.

Referendums have often turned countries inwards, he added.

Ultimately, Mr Gordons attempt to warn against Brexit failed.

In his speech announcing the Brexit referendum, Lord Cameron nodded to Mr Gordons arguments, telling voters Brexit matters to the United States and other friends around the world who had argued very clearly that they want Britain to remain in the EU.

Three months later, Mr Gordon was moved off the Europe brief and given responsibility for American diplomacy in the Middle East, ending his conversations with Britain about Brexit.

He left the administration in 2015, months before Mr Obama himself warned the UK would be at the back of the queue for a trade deal if it voted to leave.

Mr Gordons personal campaign against Brexit continued. In a series of articles published before and after the referendum, he argued that the US would lose a major ally in Brussels if Britain left the EU.

Two days before the vote, in June 2016, he wrote in the Financial Times that Brexit would unleash the forces of disintegration in Europe, and almost certainly result in another Scottish independence referendum, which Scots would probably use to leave the UK.

The unravelling of Europe would not be automatic or immediate, but Brexit would have knock-on effects that would be hard to contain over time, he said.

A week after the surprise result, he wrote another article condemning the misleading promises of the Leave campaign and arguing for a second referendum, which he said might be the only legitimate option after a Brexit deal had been finalised.

Appearing on CNN he added: Once they start down that road and they realise that all of the other options are badthey might start to say, Well, can we rebuild something?

And pretty soon it starts to look like European Union membership.

For some Brexiteers, the prospect of American lobbying on the EU is an unwelcome reminder of Washingtons stance before the referendum.

British public opinion has not always reacted positively to attempts by the Obama administration to tell us how to run our own country, said Mark Francois, chairman of the European Research Group of Conservative MPs.

Hopefully lessons have been learned from that episode in Washington, including by anyone likely to take up key roles, if Kamala Harris were to win the US presidential election.
Kenneth Toll (middle in a checked shirt) with his wife, Wendy, and his family. Toll, 62, died in 2019 after bilateral knee replacement surgery at an Albury hospital. Photograph: Lisa Knight

Craig Rose recalls catching up in a pub with his best friend of 35 years, Kenneth Toll, when they saw two old men sitting and laughing together at another table. Toll gave Rose a nudge and said: Thatll be us one day.

Toll was wrong.

Toll, an active 62-year-old, died on 20 July 2019 after undergoing a low-risk elective bilateral knee surgery at Albury Wodonga private hospital in New South Wales. He was found on the floor of a hospital bathroom three days after surgery; he had collapsed after a shower and hit his head as he fell.

When Tolls son rushed to the hospital after finding out his dad had died, he arrived to see Toll still on the floor, lying in blood, family members told Guardian Australia.

The family want answers about how Toll, a type 2 diabetic with hypertension and an extensive list of other health issues, died from a surgical procedure considered routine for knee pain.

Toll wanted the operation as he hoped it would allow him to travel more frequently to visit Rose in Canberra and to explore Europe with his wife of 40 years, Wendy Toll.

Related: Lawsuit alleges medical device to replace patients jaw had inherent defects

This week, Tolls family and many loved ones attended all five days of a coronial inquest into his death at Albury local court. Im here because I loved him and I love his family, Rose said.

The coroner will examine whether Toll should have been assessed as fit for surgery, whether his risk for complications was adequately assessed and whether the surgical techniques used by his surgeon, Dr Elie Khoury  including using metal bars and guiding devices called rods and performing two surgeries at once  affected risk.

The coroner will also consider whether Toll was cared for appropriately in the three days after surgery.

A question that repeatedly arose was whether Toll should have been referred to and assessed by a cardiologist when he began to experience episodes of supraventricular tachycardia, or an elevated heart rate, after surgery.

Medical notes state Toll was also clammy, nauseous and vomiting and his oxygen and haemoglobin levels had dropped.

Associate Prof Mark Adams, a Sydney cardiologist and expert witness, told the coroner that Tolls first episode of supraventricular tachycardia would have been a concern given the length of time the episode lasted and the other symptoms he was experiencing.

I would think of referring to a cardiologist, Adams said in court on Thursday. When Toll experienced two further episodes, Adams said he would have hoped a fairly rapid referral to a cardiologist would have occurred, especially since prior to the surgery Toll had never experienced the condition before.

Another expert witness from Sydney, the orthopaedic surgeon Dr Myles Coolican, agreed. He said, in his opinion, Tolls post-operative care was not adequate.

He said Tolls tachycardia, combined with low haemoglobin and low oxygen, would have led him to start treatment with anticoagulants and to organise further tests in case of a pulmonary embolism (a blood clot that travels to the lungs). He said a review from a cardiologist or general physician should have been sought.

Tolls orthopaedic surgeon, Khoury, told the inquest while he could not recall making a referral to a cardiologist I think thats what I would have done.

He told the court he thought he would have made a referral to Albury cardiologist Dr Jan du Plooy on 18 July 2019 and it would have been my practice to do so.

Du Plooy told the court on Thursday that Toll was never referred to him and that Toll was never his patient.

Du Plooy recalled a nurse asking him to look at an electrocardiogram image he believed belonged to Toll. But he said the nurse was simply asking questions for her own education purposes and it was not a consult for medical advice.

He said he recalled the nurse making a comment Toll may be referred to him, but he said at no point was a referral made.

Du Plooy reviewed all of his clinics medical records and phone records to confirm no call or paperwork came during that time period that could have been a referral or request to review Toll.

The court heard there was no record, including notes or phone logs, recording Khoury having referred Toll to a cardiologist after the surgery.

At the end of his evidence, du Plooy addressed the Toll family directly, expressing his condolences. He told the court he was shocked when he heard Toll had died.

Under cross-examination it was put to Khoury he did not make any referral to a cardiologist. I reject that proposition, Khoury said.

The court heard from Khoury he did not routinely look at a patients medical records when conducting his ward rounds because he was reliably updated by nurses about a patients progress.

I see them, I talk to them. If theres any issue with their [the patients] oxygenation or other issues I am always notified by the nurses, he said.

Khoury said he also believed Tolls tachycardia was being well managed and that he was not trained to look at an echocardiogram.

Khoury said he believed Toll was being well-managed post-surgery by his anaesthetist, Dr Graham Libreri. Libreri told the court his key role was in the 24 hours post-surgery to manage the patients pain and any anaesthesia-related symptoms.

Related: NSW nurses and midwives strike: hospital wait times up and surgery delays expected

Libreri also said he gave Toll his heart medication intravenously due to the vomiting and thought his failure to absorb the oral medication may have caused the initial tachycardia, but he also suggested to Khoury that Toll be referred to a cardiologist.

Khoury was questioned for most of the day on Wednesday. Under cross-examination he confirmed as of November 2019 he had performed 94 bilateral knee replacements at Albury Wodonga private hospital.

The hospital is managed by Ramsay Health Care, Australias largest private hospital operator.

Under cross-examination Khoury confirmed  of those 94 patients  he had a death rate of 3%.

Khoury argued the 3% death rate information was out of context, given in the decade prior to Tolls death he had performed more than 1,600 knee arthroplasty procedures across different hospitals and therefore his overall death rate was within the acceptable range.

Khoury said he did not see the family in the hospital after Toll died and he did not realise they were there. But family members told the Guardian Australia Khoury saw them but did not approach.

Friday was supposed to be the final day of evidence at the inquest. But last-minute submissions from lawyers representing Ramsay Health Care Australias chief nurse, Dr Bernadette Eather, prompted the coroner to adjourn the court to hear her evidence at a later date.

The coroner said this was to give the parties time to consider Eathers submission in case it should give rise to further investigations.

About 600 people attended Tolls funeral in Albury in August 2019, requiring a television screen and seats in a car park to accommodate the large group of mourners. The Toll inquest also attracted many people and an overflow room was required to accommodate everyone.

Rose spoke on behalf of the family on Friday, addressing the coroner and the court as he read their statement.

He said the family had been deeply traumatised after seeing Toll dead on the floor at the hospital. Rose said so many people had seen his friends dead body lying there that Tolls wife, Wendy, had heard one of her neighbours boasting about having seen it in the days after.

He said Wendy was struggling to navigate life without her husband.

The family had trusted the hospital and staff, Rose said, and held the belief Dr Khoury would do everything in his power to perform the surgery and keep him safe after.

They never anticipated Toll would not survive what they believed to be a routine surgery, he said. The family wanted change to keep other patients safe and so no other family would have to endure their pain, he added.

Speaking to the Guardian about his friend who hed served alongside in the army, Rose said: A lot of people know a lot of people.

It doesnt mean everyone loves them. For him [Kenneth], everyone he came across had a connection with him and loved him.
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Beirut on Friday. Photograph: Anadolu/Getty Images

When Antony Blinken, the US secretary of state, told reporters in New York on Friday that the coming days will determine the future path of the Middle East, he could not have been more prescient, even if at the time he was hoping that Hezbollah and Israel could be persuaded to step back from the brink.

Now, with the Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah confirmed killed, the region, after 11 months, has finally stepped over the brink and into a place it has truly never been before.

All eyes will turn to the response by Tehran. It faces the fateful choice it has always sought to avoid and one its new reformist leadership in particular did not wish to make.

If it simply angrily condemns Israel for the destruction of the centrepiece of the axis of resistance that it has laboriously built up over so many years, or calls on others to take unspecified action, Irans credibility is in jeopardy.

But pragmatism may lead Iran to advise Hezbollah to absorb the losses and accept a ceasefire that does not also bring about a ceasefire in Gaza, Hezbollahs stated objective.

Related: UN hostility will not trouble Netanyahu, but now he has angered the US | Patrick Wintour

If on the other hand Iran instead launches a direct military reprisal against Israel, it has to be meaningful. It knows it will be going into battle against a military that has proved the deadly value of its vastly superior technological and intelligence capabilities. Israels intelligence has clearly penetrated deep inside Hezbollah and may have done the same in Tehran.

For the new president, Masoud Pezeshkian, elected on a ticket of lifting economic sanctions partly by building better relations with the west, Nasrallahs death could not come at a worse time.

His foreign minister, Sayeed Abbas Araghchi, had just spent a full week in New York on the sidelines of the UN general assembly, meeting European politicians such as Germanys foreign minister, Annalena Baerbock and the British foreign secretary, David Lammy, in an attempt to persuade them to reopen talks to restore the nuclear deal that was sealed in 2015  and Donald Trump tore up in 2018.

Rafael Grossi, the head of the UN nuclear inspectorate, had been impressed by what he heard from the meetings, saying: I think this is the moment when it is possible to do something about the nuclear issue. The advantage of Mr Araghchi is that he knows everything about this process so he allows it to move faster. Nasrallahs killing makes it that much harder for the reformists to persuade the Iranian military that an olive branch still makes any sense.

Pezeshkian had already been complaining that he had received little in return for listening to western-inspired pleas not to seek immediate revenge for the killing of Ismail Haniyeh, the Hamas leader assassinated by Israel in Tehran.

Pezeshkian said he had been promised that a Gaza ceasefire deal that would see the release of hostages and Palestinian political prisoners was only a week or two away. The deal never materialised because, in Irans eyes, the US refused to put the pressure required on Benjamin Netanyahu to accept the ceasefire terms.

Let down once, Pezeshkian is hardly inclined to believe US vows that it had no prior knowledge of the plan to kill Nasrallah  and, anyway, Netanyahu might have sanctioned his death from a hotel bedroom in New York, but it was US-supplied bombs that exploded in Beirut.

In what is likely to be a holding statement, Irans supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, called on Muslims on Saturday to stand by the people of Lebanon and the proud Hezbollah with whatever means they have and assist them in confronting the  wicked regime [of Israel].

For Washington, this is a diplomatic humiliation and a display of its inability, or refusal, to control its troublesome ally.

Netanyahu hopes to have played American diplomats for fools in New York. The US state department insists it had a clear understanding on the basis of conversations with Ron Dermer, Israels strategic affairs minister, and Netanyahu that Israel would accept a 21-day ceasefire, and yet as soon as the plan was announced, Netanyahu reneged on the deal.

In some ways, it is the culmination of nearly 12 months of an American strategy that now lies in ruins. Time after time since the 7 October attacks by Hamas, the US has asked Israel to adopt a different strategy over the delivery of food into Gaza, protection zones, a ground offensive in Rafah, the terms of a ceasefire and, above all, over avoiding conflict escalation.

Each time, Netanyahu acknowledged the US position, sidestepped a clear response and then ultimately ignored Washington. Each time, the US  vexed and frustrated  has expressed misgivings about Netanyahus strategy, but each time it has continued to pass the ammunition.

With a presidential election near and Netanyahu enjoying a surge in domestic popularity  as well as few Arab states shedding tears about Nasrallahs demise  the US appears to have few options available. Netanyahu insists he is winning and on course for total victory.

At the moment, unless Iran proves to be more decisive than it has been so far, it is Netanyahu the great survivor who is in the driving seat.
King Charles marked 25 years of the Scottish Parliament - Euan Cherry

The King hailed the uniquely special place Scotland holds in his familys hearts as he celebrated the enduring relationship between its parliament, its people and the crown.

The monarch was at Holyrood to mark the 25th anniversary of the Scottish Parliament.

As they arrived at Holyrood on Saturday morning, the King and Queen were met by Alison Johnstone, Holyroods Presiding Officer, and Liam McArthur and Annabelle Ewing, the Deputy Presiding Officers.

The royal couple then greeted Holyroods party leaders  John Swinney, First Minister and head of the SNP; Russell Findlay, Scottish Conservative leader; Anas Sarwar, Scottish Labour leader; Lorna Slater, Scottish Green co-leader, and Alex Cole-Hamilton, Scottish Liberal Democrat leader .

Mr Swinney said the ceremony marked 25 years in which the Scottish Parliament has changed lives for the better.

The First Minister, who was wearing a kilt in Ancient Hunter tartan in honour of his late mother  whose maiden name was Hunter, told how since its formation this Parliament has been the voice of Scotland.

Mr Swinney, who has served continuously as an MSP since the first Holyrood elections in 1999, spoke of the unending possibilities of Scottish self government.

He said: For 25 years Scotland has grown in confidence as she raised up this new institution at her very heart.

The First Minister continued: This Parliament has been steadfast in its compassion for the most vulnerable in society, and full of aspiration for the advancement of all.

In the next quarter century it is my hope that Scotlands democratic institutions continue to evolve and break new ground.

I hope Scotland will continue to shine as a beacon of enlightenment across stormy seas, a refuge for reason in the world, a wellspring of modern thought and creativity.

The Queen applauds as the King Charles addresses the Holyrood Chamber during a visit to the Scottish Parliament - Andrew Milligan/PA

Earlier, Ms Johnstone recalled the excitement and aspirations of the people of Scotland when the Parliament opened 25 years ago.

She told the King: Your presence here today, as we mark this significant milestone, demonstrates your continuing commitment.

We are grateful for the encouragement and counsel that we have received over these last 25 years from the late Queen and from you.

With the Scottish Parliament building  which is now 20 years old  being sited across from the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the royals familys residence in Edinburgh, the Presiding Officer added that she hoped they found their relatively newish neighbours agreeable.

At the end of the ceremony, the King and Queen spent time talking to some of the ordinary Scots who had been invited to the ceremony as local heroes by MSPs.

The couple then signed a visitor book in front of a picture of the late Queen Elizabeth II, who the KIng was with at the opening ceremony for the Scottish Parliament in 1999.

In an address to the chamber, watched by the Queen, he recalled witnessing his late mother, Elizabeth II, formally open the parliament in 1999, a moment he described as a new dawn and a turning point.

But as he looked ahead to the next quarter of a century and beyond, he warned there remains much more to be done for Scotland, for the United Kingdom and in addressing the dangers of climate change.

The King spoke fondly of his affection for the country, with its vast and varied landscape.

We are all, at the end of each day, united by our love of Scotland, he said.

Because of its natural beauty, of course, but also because of its strength of character, based as it is on the extraordinary diversity of its peoples, whose range of ideas, skills, energy, passions, and frequently deeply held beliefs, never cease to inspire me.

From the central belt, to the north Highlands, across the islands, in Ayrshire, in the Borders, the cities, towns, and villages, or the coastal communities, who, I wonder, could not fail to be moved by this complex Caledonian kaleidoscope?

He added: Speaking from a personal perspective, Scotland has always had a uniquely special place in the hearts of my family and myself. My beloved grandmother was proudly Scottish.

My late mother especially treasured the time spent at Balmoral, and it was there, in the most beloved of places, where she chose to spend her final days.

His words echoed those of the late Queen as she addressed the chamber on July 1, 1999 and lauded the grit, determination and humour of Scottish people, qualities that she said occupied a personal place in my own and my familys affections.

The King said that moment was a landmark in a long, rich and complex story which we have shared over many centuries.

Alexander Douglas Douglas-Hamilton, the 16th Duke of Hamilton, carries the Crown of Scotland as he arrives at Holyrood - JEFF J MITCHELL/GETTY

The opening of the parliament was a great yet daunting prospect, he added, with the hopes of a nation resting on the shoulders of each newly elected MP, 13 of whom remain today.

In the intervening years, he acknowledged, much has changed but Scottish values remain steadfast.

From that day until this, through its work over a quarter of a century, this place has not just thrived but, in doing so, has borne witness to the enduring relationship between the Parliament, the Crown and the people of Scotland, he said.

Let this moment therefore be the beginning of the next chapter.

The achievement of the past and the commitment shown in the present give us the soundest basis for confidence in the future.
Kyle Rittenhouse sits in court in Kenosha, Wisconsin, on 17 November 2021. Photograph: Reuters

A former spokesperson for Kyle Rittenhouse says he became disillusioned with his ex-client after learning that he had sent text messages pledging to fucking murder shoplifters outside a pharmacy before later shooting two people to death during racial justice protests in Wisconsin in 2020.

Dave Hancock made that remark about Rittenhouse  for whom he also worked as a security guard  on a Law & Crime documentary that premiered on Friday. The show explored the unsuccessful criminal prosecution of Rittenhouse, who killed Joseph Rosenbaum and Anthony Huber in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

As Hancock told it on The Trials of Kyle Rittenhouse, the 90-minute films main subject had a history of things he was doing prior to [the double slaying], specifically patrolling the street for months with guns and borrowing peoples security uniforms, doing whatever he could to try to get into some kind of a fight.

Hancock nonetheless said he initially believed Rittenhouses claims of self-defense when he first relayed his story about fatally shooting Rosenbaum and Huber. Yet that changed when he later became aware of text messages that surfaced as part of a civil lawsuit filed by the family of one of the men slain in Kenosha demanding wrongful death damages from Rittenhouse.

Rittenhouse sent the texts from the phone he had the night of the 25 August double slaying in Kenosha, according to what Hancock says in the new film. The texts were in response to seeing shoplifters at a CVS pharmacy on 10 August, a little more than two weeks before the deadly shooting in Kenosha.

The world is disgusting, read one of the texts, as shown in a preview of The Trials of Kyle Rittenhouse provided to the Guardian. Another said: It makes me [fucking] sick.

Others read: I wish they would come into my house.

I will fucking murder them.

Commenting on the texts while speaking to Law & Crimes chief investigative correspondent Brian Ross, Hancock said: This is where his heads at  you know what I mean?

He also said: My first impression was a scared kid, arrogant, oblivious to the world around him. When he was telling me about the story, I believed he was being sincere.

I believed things he told me that I now understand to be one of his many lies. And that hurts. That sucks.

About two weeks later, Rittenhouse  then 17  traveled 20 miles from his home in Antioch, Illinois, to Kenosha as protests erupted after a white police officer shot Jacob Blake, who is Black. Blakes shooting was about three months after a white Minneapolis police officer murdered George Floyd, who is Black, in plain view of a cellphone recording video.

While he roamed Kenoshas streets with other armed men who appointed themselves as security guards, Rittenhouse used a rifle to fatally shoot Rosenbaum, 36, and Huber, 26. He also wounded a third man and was charged with five felonies, including first-degree intentional homicide.

Rittenhouse maintained to the jury seated for his criminal trial that he carried out the shootings in self-defense and was justified in his actions. Jurors ultimately found Rittenhouse not guilty of all charges against him in November 2021, with far-right politicians and pundits hailing the verdict as an important legal victory and civil rights activists decrying the outcome.

The wrongful death lawsuit against Rittenhouse remains pending.

Hancock served as Rittenhouses spokesperson and security guard beyond the criminal acquittal.

Shortly after the verdict was read, Hancock spoke at length with news media reporters, saying: You are going to see some good things out of Kyle coming up, because he is very pragmatic about what has happened.

Hancock also was involved in efforts to publicize a book by Rittenhouse, characterizing the volume as a story of a young mans very unorthodox journey into adulthood, what it took to make it and the lessons he learned along the way.

Yet Hancock had moved on from those positions by the time The Trials of Kyle Rittenhouse debuted.

Rittenhouses book reportedly bombed on Amazons Kindle platform. More recently, the self-styled gun rights activist announced he would not be supporting Donald Trump in Novembers White House election before vitriol on social media successfully put pressure on him into endorsing the former president.

The Trials of Kyle Rittenhouse is scheduled for rebroadcast on Sunday at 8pm ET on Law & Crime, which airs on basic cable packages and streaming services such as YouTube TV and Peacock. It is also available on demand, a network spokesperson said.
Robert Jenrick at a Conservative party leadership campaign event in Westminster. The candidates will deliver their conference speeches on Wednesday. Photograph: Aaron Chown/PA

The first party conference after a defeat generally tends to be a cross between a wake, an inquest, and a beauty contest for those who believe they have the answers to what went wrong. The Conservatives gathering in Birmingham is set to be no different  but with a particular emphasis on the third.

So what is in store from Sunday for the embattled party faithful and remaining MPs, plus sections of the media and lobbying industry who decide its worth going along for a look?

Four become two

The central drama in Birmingham  for some, the only story in town  is the way it is being largely staged as an opportunity for Kemi Badenoch, Robert Jenrick, James Cleverly and Tom Tugendhat to bat their ideological eyelashes and show some policy leg to party members.

It will be MPs who decide early next month which two will make the final ballot of members, but a strong showing could boost someones chances, while a major gaffe could be fatal.

On the main stage, the candidates are split into pairs for cosy-sounding but potentially perilous meet our candidates Q&A sessions with members on Monday and Tuesday, while on Wednesday they will all deliver speeches. In the meantime, they will do the rounds of fringe events and media interviews. It is a punishing process, and one Tory chiefs say is very much intended to test them. Let the fun begin.

Related: Head of deckchairs on the Titanic: Tory leadership hopefuls head to low-key conference

What went wrong?

Outsiders might say there is remarkably little of this given the way the party plummeted from an 80-seat majority in 2019 to just 121 seats.

There are fringe events to examine everything from internal organisation to why the Tories have been more or less abandoned by young voters, but nothing that necessarily suggests a party acknowledging the scale of the task it faces.

In part, this is about timing. The interim chair, Richard Fuller, will announce details of a review of the partys processes, but any inquest will mainly have to wait for the new leader, who will not be announced before 2 November.

Why so long?

Speaking of the 2 November end to the leadership contest, expect at least some gripes about the timetable. This is so extended that Rishi Sunak, still officially in charge but only due to be in Birmingham on Sunday, and not even scheduled to make a speech, will have to lead the response to a potentially pivotal budget on 30 October.

The interim nature has brought other consequences, not least an expected dearth of corporate lobbyists, most of whom are staying at home rather than jostling for a coffee with a shadow minister who most likely wont be in the same job, or any job, come November.

This pervading ennui is likely to see many MPs stay away, not to mention lots of activists. The Labour conference in Liverpool last week was at times so packed that movement between venues slowed to a shuffle. Birmingham could feel quite different.

The ideological direction

If it is a political truism that great political careers are often forged out of terrible defeats, the same can the case for ideological shifts, albeit often only after a false start. From 1979 came New Labour; out of 1997 came David Camerons slightly softer Conservatism; 2019 brought Keir Starmer. So what comes now?

The four leadership contenders seem mainly convinced that what their party needs is a further push to the right in hot pursuit of voters tempted by Reform UK, with a particular focus on reducing migration and, in some cases, exit from the European convention on human rights.

Is this the correct way forward for the Tories, or a cul de sac? Will the eventual winner go down in history as a Blair or a Cameron, or a Michael Howard or Jeremy Corbyn? Time will tell  but for now, everyone will have an opinion.
Herbert Kickl told his supporters at a rally we will achieve something in this country thats never been seen before - David Rose/The Telegraph

The man who could become Austrias first hard-Right leader in its postwar history cuts an unassuming figure as he takes to a stage beneath St Stephens cathedral.

Wearing thick-rimmed spectacles and a navy gilet, Herbert Kickl spoke softly as he greeted an audience of several hundred Austrians, hemmed into Viennas Stephansplatz square by police to keep them separate from a Left-wing counter-protest.

On Sunday, together we will achieve something in this country thats never been seen before, the 55-year-old told the crowd, which had spent the past two hours cheering and dancing as a silver-haired band warmed them up with rock anthems. Freedom in first place and a Freedom chancellor.

The latest polls suggest Mr Kickls Freedom Party of Austria (FPO) will win Sundays election, potentially putting a hard-Right, anti-migrant movement in charge of the EU member state for the first time.

One of Europes oldest hard-Right parties, the FPO was founded in 1956 and initially led by Anton Reinthaller, a former Nazi minister and SS cavalry inspector.

Much like the Alternative fur Deutschland (AfD) party in Germany, the FPO has sought to clean up its image in recent years but still faces accusations of flirting with extremist or neo-Nazi concepts. While there were no fascist or skinhead types in clear sight at the rally in Stephansplatz, a TV crew was physically harassed by two FPO supporters in the middle of a live broadcast.

Many of the FPOs policies will pose a major headache for the EU as populism sweeps across the east, above all its calls for remigration of asylum seekers and its rejection of support for Ukraine. Though Austria is one of the EUs smaller states, with a population of nine million and an economy similar in size to Ireland, it wields a veto over key EU legislation.

FPO supporters at a rally ahead of the Austrian election - David Rose/The Telegraph

The concept of remigration is openly discussed by the FPO even though it has become controversial in neighbouring Germany, where it is closely associated with neo-Nazi extremism.

Last year the most prominent advocate of remigration, Austrian far-Right activist Martin Sellner, discussed the concept as a model for Germany at a secretive meeting near Berlin that was also attended by members of the AfD, prompting massive nationwide protests.

Herbert Kickl has said he does not know what is so bad about the word remigration - David Rose/The Telegraph

I dont know whats so bad about that word, Mr Kickl said of his own remigration plan, which envisages the deportation of asylum seekers, in particular criminals, as well as blocking family reunification for migrants already in Austria. Those who clapped their welcome in 2015 [the height of the Syrian refugee crisis] have gotten us into a mess that will take decades to clean up, he said.

Mr Kickl then turned his ire to Karl Nehammer, Austrias outgoing centre-Right chancellor, and the other main party leaders. He branded their climate change policies, support for Covid-era restrictions and sanctions on Russia as crazy...those responsible want to sneak away, but I will not let them get away with it.

Judith Kohlenberger at Vienna University said the topic of integration and migration has taken centre stage - David Rose/The Telegraph

The topic of integration and migration has really taken centre stage as the main political topic, and it has helped the FPO become stronger, said Judith Kohlenberger, a senior analyst at the Vienna University of Economics and Business.

What specifically can be attributed to Herbert Kickl is a very radical kind of rhetoric. When he was just a party functionary, and not leader, he already wrote all the speeches for [long-time FPO leader] Jorg Haider, she said.

He designed all the posters, all these strong, very xenophobic mottos that you read, this is all his doing, she added, alluding to past poster scandals such as the slogan Heimat-Liebe statt Marokkaner-Diebe (Patriots, not thieving Morrocans).

In addition to a surge in migration, Austria was wracked by severe flooding earlier this month, which killed five people, and its cost of living crisis grinds on despite the government announcing a 6 billion (5 billion) funding package in 2022.

One Austrian innkeeper famously resorted to raising the cost of wiener schnitzel, Viennas famous dish of pan-fried veal cutlets, from 24 to 149, claiming it would help him cover his electricity bills. The increased price would only be charged to employees of energy companies, he said at the time.

Opponents of the Right-wing Freedom Party of Austria gather in Vienna - David Rose/The Telegraph

Even if the FPO emerges as the winner on Sunday night, Mr Kickl faces an uphill struggle to secure the role of chancellor as he would still need to form a coalition.

Mr Nehammers Austrian Peoples Party (OVP), polling in second place, has ruled out serving in a coalition under Mr Kickl as chancellor, claiming he is too radical.

Much of the controversy surrounding Mr Kickl relates to his 2018 comment that Austrian authorities should concentrate asylum seekers in one place, which was interpreted as an allusion to Nazi concentration camps, though he denies this.

But relations between the two parties were already sour, with the FPO previously serving as the junior partner in two brief coalitions with the OVP. The first collapsed in 2002 amid FPO in-fighting and the second was torpedoed by the Ibiza affair, a complex corruption scandal involving then FPO leader Heinz-Christian Strache.

Mr Strache had been caught in a sting operation where he was filmed in Ibiza in 2017 meeting a woman, who posed as the niece of a top Russian businessman and potential buyer of an Austrian tabloid, to discuss swapping government contracts for positive coverage of the FPO.

Mr Strache was at that time vice-chancellor of Austria, but the scandal triggered his own resignation, a no-confidence vote in Sebastian Kurz, OVP chancellor, and the demise of their ill-tempered coalition.

It is not the only Russia-linked row to hit the FPO, which has also drawn fire for a poster depicting Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian president, kissing Ursula von der Leyen, EU Commission chief, with the caption stop the EU madness.

And in 2018, Karin Kneissl, who was nominated by the FPO as foreign minister, was filmed dancing a waltz with Vladimir Putin at her own wedding. She has since moved to St Petersburg to set up a think tank.

Back at the rally in Stephansplatz, beneath Viennas 12th-century Romanesque cathedral, some voters said the FPO was the only party with a concrete solution to mass migration.

Its a patriotic party that loves democracy, and hes a patriotic man who is doing the best for Austria, Leopold Eisenheld, 45, said of the FPO leader. The borders need to be closed and we need to see no more migration.
A patient undergoes laser eye surgery

The military is to accept cancer survivors for the first time in a bid to ease its recruitment crisis.

During a speech at the Labour Party conference earlier this week, John Healey, the Defence Secretary, said that he will scrap more than 100 regulations that prevent the brightest and the best from joining the Armed Forces.

It was understood that this would include allowing people with eczema and acne to serve, but Mr Healey did not elaborate on further initiatives.

The Government has now confirmed that it will also allow would-be servicemen and women who are cancer resolved to join.

People who have undergone laser eye surgery without the need for sign off from a service-approved ophthalmologist will also now be eligible to join, among other other adjustments in fitness-to-serve testing.

It is now also acceptable to have nasal polyps  painless growths inside the nose  provided that they are symptom-free, while those with successfully treated polyps no longer require any additional medical opinions.

The implications of stomas are also described for the first time, including how candidates who have had a successful reversal can be considered military fit.

After an evidence-based review, the lower acceptable cut-off for lung function testing is now based on the lower limit of normal rather than the predicted result.

John Healey, the Defence Secretary, said that he will scrap more than 100 regulations to boost recruitment - Henry Nicholls/AFP

Meanwhile, the rules on congenital, chromosomal and genetic conditions have been rewritten to reflect foreseeable advances in genomic medicine and to invite a more diverse workforce.

Other non-physical conditions, such as those with a single resolved episode of insomnia within the past two years no longer require specialist medical review.

Candidates with a single episode of non-complex PTSD lasting less than two years with a cause unlikely to be triggered by military employment  and who have not relapsed  will also be deemed fit.

It comes as a recruitment crisis is threatening to engulf the military, with all three services suffering from falling employment.

Under the Conservative government, more people left the Armed Forces than joined, with recruitment levels missed for 14 years in a row.

Historically, from application to starting training is approximately five months, but it is understood that the ambition is to see this reduced to 30 days.

The Telegraph understands the workings of achieving this ambition are currently being ironed out.

The Telegraph revealed earlier this year how Capita, the outsourcing giant that has the contract for Army recruitment, was drawing up plans to allow recruits with autism or a history of depression into the Armed Forces for the first time.

Because of a blanket ban, applicants who have autism or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) were rejected from joining the Army, which results in more than 500 candidates being turned away each year.

The rules on congenital, chromosomal and genetic conditions have been rewritten - Westend61/Getty Images Contributor

Speaking at the Labour Party conference on Monday, Mr Healey said: We are deeply proud of those who serve our country and we are determined to tackle the crisis in recruitment and retention caused by years of Conservative hollowing out.

Our Armed Forces rightly set the highest standards, and with Labour that will continue. At the same time, we will unblock the bottlenecks, the needless red tape and delays which are turning great talent away from our Forces.

The Defence Secretary said that in a changing world with evolving threats, the militarys recruitment needs to be right for the 21st century.

He said: Thats why we will remove unnecessary barriers and fast-track bright candidates into cyber defence to help face down [Vladimir] Putins online aggression.

Earlier this month, the UK National Cyber Security Centre exposed a secretive Russian military unit for a campaign of malicious offensive cyber operations around the world.

A new focus on cyber will involve the creation of a new military direct-entry cyber pathway to boost the UKs cyber resilience.

It will have different tailored selection and basic training requirements, and provide routes for lateral entry for cyber specialists who are already working in another career.

In addition to revising medical entry standards, The Telegraph understands that the Ministry of Defence has also been reviewing pre-joining fitness tests, reviewing aptitude assessments and withdrawing requirements for swimming proficiency where appropriate.
Pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong in October 2014. China launched a harsh crackdown on the so-called Umbrella protests of that year. Photograph: Alex Hofford/EPA

A decade ago today Hong Kongs Central district filled with protesters, angry at Chinese government plans to renege on a promise of a fully democratic vote. What became known as Occupy Central, or the Umbrella protests, paralysed the citys financial centre and galvanised a generation of young people.

Today Hong Kongs streets are quiet. Protest has been largely criminalised, and many of the leaders of the Umbrella movement have been exiled, jailed or otherwise silenced.

Looking back, Wendy* remembers the feeling of that first day of Occupy. She was 25 and believed in Hong Kongs Basic Law, and its promise to deliver universal suffrage to the people now that the territory had been returned from British to Chinese control. But instead, Chinas government announced that in elections people would only be able to choose from a few candidates handpicked by a mostly pro-Beijing committee.

It seemed that the government wanted to break their promise, Wendy tells the Guardian from Hong Kong. So I went out.

Protest action against Beijings plan had long been in the works. Three activists known as the Occupy Trio  academics Benny Tai and Chan Kin-man, and reverend Chu Yiu-ming  had for months been training a few thousand people in non-violent resistance to occupy Hong Kongs finance district as a last resort if demands werent met. But student protests earlier that week had escalated to the storming of a public square, and the Occupy start date was brought forward. Thousands more joined.

It was 28 September. Wendy thought it would be peaceful, but stayed clear of the frontlines just in case. Then at 5:58pm, police fired teargas into the peaceful crowd.

Related: The old days are no more: Hong Kong goes quiet as security laws tighten their grip

I smelled some strange scents and my eyes got uncomfortable, Wendy says. I looked up to the bridge over me, seeing a group of police holding shields and stepping forward to the protesters. The scene was frightening. I just kept asking in my mind Why do they treat us in that way?.

Emily Lau, a veteran pro-democracy advocate and then a sitting legislator, had gone to speak to police earlier that day about bringing in some equipment for the Occupy Trio. Instead, they arrested her. By the time she was released later that night the whole world had changed.

Lau and a colleague took a taxi from the police station to the top of a hill overlooking Central.

When we looked down, we were shocked because the roads were blocked and there were people just everywhere occupying Connaught Road, she says.

The first step in a bigger war

The police forces decision to use teargas on day one against a peaceful crowd had just brought more people to the streets. Soon a vast self-sufficient tent city took over the Admiralty district. Other camps formed in Mong Kok and Causeway Bay. Volunteer groups took care of provisions, sanitation, and tutoring of students, while calling for Beijing to reverse its plans and for Hong Kongs chief executive, CY Leung, to step down.

Tony*, then a regular office worker, joined the camp in his lunch breaks and evenings. He describes what he saw as astonishing.

It was a completely new Hong Kong, a beautiful Hong Kong that I had never seen before. We saw Hong Kong people were really passionate about democracy, about their future and having a say in how the city is run.

Thomas*, a Hong Kong writer now based in London, says a lot of people got engaged in the movement for the first time because of how government and authorities had responded to their concerns.

There wasnt any attempt [by Beijing] to just sort of say: I understand this isnt quite what you want, but this is the best we can get  It was literally: thank us and love us for it, arent we wonderful, he says.

But as Occupy stretched on, the publics tolerance waned and divisions deepened among protesters. The government remained unmoved, and police became more aggressive. Court injunctions ordered sections of the camps to clear, and Joshua Wong, a leader of the student protesters, ended his hunger strike. Numbers dwindled as the Trio urged people to leave, but the more radical student groups were determined to stay.

T[he trio] didnt think the whole thing should drag on for so long, says Lau. I supported ending it because it doesnt mean ending the whole thing. You just go home and prepare to fight another day.

Related: Exiled pro-democracy Hong Kong activists blocked from accessing pensions

It ended on 15 December after 79 days, without having achieved its stated aims and with deep fissures between pro-democracy factions, but still with a sense of hope.

There was a big banner that said We will be back, recalls Tony. People were hugging each other and saying farewells. There was a sense that the battle hadnt succeeded but it might be the first step in a bigger war.

In an editorial one year later, the South China Morning Post said the outcome of the Occupy protests proved that Beijing will not yield to confrontational tactics. Protest leaders from both the older and student cohorts, including Tai, Chan and Wong, were eventually convicted and jailed.

But, Lau says, the protests had woken up the young people. New political parties and activist groups emerged. In June 2019, millions took to the streets again in massive pro-democracy protests. Participants used tactics and strategies fine-tuned during Occupy.

But there was less of the hope and fight of 2014. Instead, the 2019 protests felt like a defiant last cry of an animal that was dying, says Thomas. Again Beijing did not yield, launching a crackdown that shocked even the most pessimistic observers.

The atmosphere and political reality today are totally different [to 2014], says Willy Lam, a senior non-resident fellow and China specialist at the Jamestown Foundation in Washington.

Wendy looks back at how she felt in 2014 and laughs a little.

I thought 2014 was shit at that time, but compared to 2019 it was just a piece of cake, she says. I was so naive, believing the government would be sensible, respect peoples voice, and abide by the promise in the Basic Law. But now I can say I was totally wrong.

Tony, now a lawyer based in the UK, says the Occupy protests left an important legacy, strengthening Hongkongers self-identity and their aspirations for democracy, human rights, and rule of law.

Now I see that as part of the diaspora  and I hope people in the free world dont forget Hong Kong. There is still something to be fought for.

*Names have been changed upon request of interviewees
A US Steel plant in Braddock, Pennsylvania, on 20 March 2024. Photograph: Jeff Swensen/Getty Images

The Monongahela River winds through the tight Mon Valley south of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, creating a main artery in the nations industrial heart, where the steel and coal industries have driven the regions economy and shaped political landscapes since the late 19th century.

In the weeks preceding the election, the region is once again playing an outsize role in determining the nations political future. A controversial Biden-Harris administration plan to kill Pittsburgh-based US Steels proposed sale to Japans Nippon Steel is viewed in part as an election-year strategy to shore up critical union support in a must-win swing state.

On the ground in and around the city, evidence suggests the move may just work  unions oppose the sale and the administrations position is at the very least maintaining recent Democratic gains in the tug-of-war for swing voters in the nations steel capital.

Anecdotal evidence and polling point to Harris gaining momentum here.

Ive learned not to be comfortable with any election because we didnt think Trump could win in 16  but I think people are going to vote more common sense this year, said Keli Vereb, a steelworker union rep and Lincoln borough council member.

I think people are going to vote more common sense this year Keli Vereb, steelworker union rep

Unusually in these fractious times, both presidential candidates oppose the deal, backing United Steelworkers International union members across the political spectrum who are determined to thwart a deal they see as a job killer that puts their pensions at risk.

Recent memories of supply chain issues have also hardened US resolve to protect vital industries such as steel.

Still, politics are omnipresent, and the deal undoubtedly will play a role in determining the next president. It comes eight years after blue-collar workers here defected from the Democratic party en masse when then candidate Hillary Clinton said during a debate that she would put coalminers out of business.

Some union leaders say the comment may have cost her Pennsylvania, which Donald Trump won by 0.7%. After four years of pro-labor policies from Joe Biden, the party has begun to win back some who left, and with Trump proposing to block the US Steel sale if he were elected, Democrats risk a 2016 repeat if it is allowed to proceed.

Trump would pounce on them if they let [the sale] go, said Allen George, a lifelong Democrat who worked in unions adjacent to the steel industry.

The companies are making a powerful argument that the deal is vital to US Steels survival. US Steel claims it will be forced to cut Pennsylvania jobs and move its headquarters out of Pittsburgh if Biden blocks Nippons $14.1bn bid, while it has promised to invest $2.4bn in its facilities if the sale goes through. The companys scorched earth public relations campaign on the factory floors has at least some rank and file supporting the sale, said Bernie Hall, Pennsylvania director for USI.

Some are scared and think: We should just take this and live to fight another day, and thats natural, Hall said.

Many more, however, oppose the sale. The unions contract is up in 23 months and they fear a Nippon-US Steel would cut jobs, or continue to send them to non-union states. They point to Nippons long history of dumping steel in the US, which has cratered prices and cost American jobs, and many fear the purchase is a ploy to continue the practice.

Theyll wonder why they lost an election Mike Gallagher, retired union member

US Steels record of closing factories and failing to keep promises has generated a deep mistrust and disdain for the company, workers told the Guardian on a recent Monday afternoon outside the Harvey Wilners pub in West Mifflin, just south of Pittsburgh. They rattled off a list of facilities that have closed over the decades.

Nippon can have at it, said Barry Fez, who has worked in manufacturing in the region for decades, but, he says, in a few years he expects they will go back on their word.

But that sentiment is colliding with Wall Street and Beltway support for the deal. The latter argue that the administrations protectionist plan would run counter to international trade norms because Japan is an ally and close economic partner.

The idea that trade decorum with Japan is more important than Pennsylvania union members security drew scoffs from some workers.

And then theyll wonder why they lost an election, said Mike Gallagher, a retired union member.

They lie all the time

Banking legend JP Morgan created US Steel in a mega-merger in 1901. It grew to be the largest US producer, employing more than 340,000 people at its second world war peak. Today, it is a shadow of its former self, has closed many of its Mon Valley facilities, and now employs about 4,000 people, although the company says it indirectly supports 11,000 jobs and generates $3.6bn in economic activity annually.

In the face of waning American steel power, the company has looked for a buyer, and many feel a US-Japan alliance makes sense in countering increasing Chinese domination of the industry.

But the union is opposed, and in Pennsylvania, 25% of the electorate is unionized, making it a formidable bloc intensely courted by both political parties.

If this deal doesnt go through, then theyre going to flip over the Monopoly board Don Furko, president of Local 1557, Clariton

Trump in January said he would stop the deal. Biden has said the same, including in a private meeting with steel workers in April, when the president insisted US steel will stay US-owned, according to Don Furko, president of Local 1557 in Clairton. He said he guarantees it.

The administrations decision on whether the deal should be blocked largely lies with the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, or CFIUS, which is made up of Bidens cabinet members and other appointees. It can veto mergers and acquisitions it finds present a national security risk.

CFIUS was expected to issue an opinion on 21 September, but the administration punted until after the election. Union members say they arent worried.

President Biden and Vice-President Harris have been pretty clear and they will follow through, Hall said.

Harris has got the message: US Steel should remain American-owned and American-operated, she told a rally in Pittsburgh earlier this month.

David Burritt, the CEO of US Steel, has warned of consequences if the deal is blocked. He says the company would largely pivot away from its blast furnace production in the region, and move its headquarters out of Pittsburgh.

We want elected leaders and other key decision makers to recognize the benefits of the deal as well as the unavoidable consequences if the deal fails, Burritt said last month.

That threat has further inflamed tensions. Furko said it reminds him of his young son flipping over the Monopoly board when he loses: Thats really whats going on here  if this deal doesnt go through, then theyre going to flip over the Monopoly board.

Asked about US Steels claims that it will revitalize the region if the sale goes through, workers told the Guardian that there are no guarantees that the investment will be in Mon Valley. People would be foolish to believe that, Vereb said.

They lie all the time, and I dont trust either one of them Jack, retiree who worked for US Steel

That was echoed outside the Wilners pub. Fez recalled the pubs heyday, when you couldnt get in there at 7am because it was so packed, and the floor was littered with quarter wrappers from the slot machines.

On a Monday afternoon around shift change time, a group of about a dozen retirees sat around the bar. They blamed US Steel for the regions slowdown, and while they say they do not expect Biden or Trump to save the city, they have even less confidence that US Steel and a Japanese company will turn it around.

They lie all the time, and I dont trust either one of them, said Jack, a retiree who worked for US Steel for more than 30 years, who declined to use his last name.

He gets credit for that

The political price that the Biden-Harris administration could pay for allowing the deal to go through can be seen in the 2016 elections wake.

Before 2016, the region was largely Democratic. But when Clinton made the comment about the clean energy industry putting coalminers and barons out of business, Things turned on a dime, Vereb said. Her borough of 900 was once about 80% Democrats. Its now about 75% Republican, she estimates.

About 75% of those working at US Steels Clairton Mill Works, several union leaders estimate, support Trump, and there is little Democrats can do to win back many of them.

Its Biden supporting the union workers, and he gets credit for that Bernie Hall, United Steelworkers International

The situation is also complicated by US Steels intense campaign to convince workers that the sale will save their jobs. The company sends regular emails, holds meetings, takes out ads in newspapers and makes their case to reporters.

They say: If you dont support us, then were gonna shut this place down, and if that happens you can thank your union leadership, said Rob Hutchison, president of Local 1219. When [rank and file] have that threat in their face eight to 12 hours per day, then it starts to become something they think about.

That also presents another political risk: if the Biden-Harris administration were to block the deal, and US Steel shuts down a plant, Democrats may again lose some voters.

However, so far, the controversial move seems to be paying dividends.

I dont know if the average Joe is thinking about CFIUS or is that in the weeds, but I think from a macro level, people see it, that its Biden supporting the union workers, and he gets credit for that, Hall said.
Adam Pearson: I have to unlock my iPhone with a PIN as it wont recognise my face. Photograph: Andy Kropa/Invision/AP

Cosmetic surgery is back in the news. After six facelifts, a brow lift, neck lift and a lip lift, the reality star Katie Price has new butterfly lips, created with tape and filler that make the lips bigger and curled upwards. Price may have had more aesthetic surgery than most, but shes not alone in going under the knife. Last year there were 35m such treatments around the world. Facial surgeries  eyelid lifts, rhinoplasties, lip fillers  rose by 20% in 2023. Whatever else is going on  pandemics, economic and political crises, wars, human rights abuses  we cling to the belief that if we fix our looks, we can improve our lives.

Its an understandable  if solipsistic  belief, given the attention paid to beautiful people; they are the ones who seem to get the jobs, the relationships, the Oscars. We are far more likely to trust, forgive and believe people who are good-looking. And if we can have a piece of that, why would we not, despite knowing some treatments end in tragedy. Last week Alice Webb, a 33-year-old mother of five, died from complications following a non-surgical Brazilian butt lift.

Our quick-fix culture prioritises appearance over everything else, including mental health. Social media and artificial intelligence exacerbate this trend. One in three women look at Instagram influencers and feel they ought to get some work done after comparing their faces unfavourably with those created by AI. The more algorithms define beauty, the more they lead people to those unattainable versions. Its a doom spiral.

Not all treatments are influenced by fashion or a fear of ageing. Some 100 million people in the world live with a facial scar, mark or disease that creates visible difference, the term used by advocacy groups. Disfigurement sounds more pejorative, but it is a surgical term and a protected characteristic under the Equality Act 2010.

Surprisingly, people with major facial injuries do not necessarily experience more psychological distress than those worried about having thin lips or acne scars. Low self-esteem linked to facial difference is entirely subjective, and mental illnesses such as body dysmorphia, are on the rise. Surgical solutions are often peddled as a short cut to cure. But there are no quick fixes, and no proof that cosmetic surgery makes us happier. On the contrary, the more treatments we have, the more we pursue; that new you is always just around the corner. For Price, its her buttocks:Ive lost weight. So thats the next thing to be filled. A nice, courageous [sic] plump, plum bum.

The fallacy that being more handsome or beautiful will make us happier is at the heart of A Different Man, now on US release. Directed by Aaron Schimberg, the film stars Sebastian Stan, Renate Reinsve and Adam Pearson. Pearson has neurofibromatosis type 1, a genetic condition that has covered his face in benign tumours, and he is a powerful advocate for people with visible difference. He has previously contributed to my Interface project, which explores the emotional history of the human face, from cosmetic surgery to face transplants. We meet at the Kings College Gordon Museum of Pathology in London, where, surrounded by wax teaching models of facial injury, we talk about A Different Man, and what it might reveal about our makeover culture.

Stan plays Edward, a man with neurofibromatosis, the same condition as Pearson. Edward lives an unfulfilling existence  he is plodding along, Pearson says; he is not unhappy but hes also not happy. He lives in a cramped New York apartment and appears awkward and shy, especially around his new neighbour Ingrid (Reinsve), a wannabe screenwriter who thinks she might write a play about Edward. But before that can happen, Edward gets involved in a medical trial that cures him. Edward becomes a conventionally handsome man (played by Stan without his prosthetic mask). After casting off his old life, and killing off Edward, Guy rises from the ashes. He reinvents himself as a real estate agent, using his looks to sell the dream of a new life.

Inside, however, nothing has changed; Guy remains awkward and insecure. When he meets Ingrid and discovers she has written a play about Edward, he auditions, with the help of a prosthetic mask. He is right for the role because, he tells Ingrid, one of his best friends has a facial difference. But its a role he never knew how to play, as he realises when Oswald appears, played by Pearson. In the film, as in real life, Pearson is charming and gregarious, fun to be around. He fizzes with energy and confidence, unlike Guy, who even in his beautified state moves stiltedly, like hes afraid to take up space. Oswald takes over the play, showing how things should be done, and Guy starts to unravel. As Pearson puts it: He sees these echoes of the past, or the past he could have had, but he couldnt bring himself to achieve. And there follows a real descent into madness for Edward.

The crisis at the heart of the film is that Stans character isnt comfortable in either of his social masks. He couldnt thrive as Edward, either because he anticipated that others would reject him or because he had already rejected himself. Nor could he flourish as Guy, since the change was merely surface deep. In the end, the disability in The Different Man is how society treats Edward, and how he treats himself.

This fits what psychologists of appearance know about the challenges of facial difference. It is easy to internalise the abuse received by others, and people with visible difference are routinely bullied and harassed, mocked and abused. Just last week it was reported that Oliver Bromley, who also has neurofibromatosis Type 1, was asked to leave a restaurant in south London because he was scaring customers.

Those with visible difference are not helped by our historically entrenched regard for beauty, and use of facial difference as a shorthand for evil. Think GoldenEye, Skyfall, Casino Royale and Joker; or Darth Vader; Freddie Krueger and Voldemort. There have been films specifically about visible difference  Freaks (1932), The Elephant Man (1980), Open Your Eyes (1997)  but little from the perspective of the individual concerned, and virtually nothing in the past 20 years. Why these films are made, and who is involved, matters. Is it because they have lived experience, Pearson wonders, or is there some kind of fascination about the whole thing; are they trying to make audiences more compassionate and empathetic, or are they going for shock value?

Pearson is open about the abuse he has experienced. When we met at Kings Cross, he had already spent the morning dealing with social media trolls. Today, with so much emphasis on cosmetic enhancement, people expect Pearson to be able to physically transform, as Edward does. That would be impossible, even if he wanted to: All these tumours are wrapped around blood vessels and nerves, and I dont think people realise that. People say, just get surgery, and Im like: Bruh, this is after surgery.

There is more than one way of being socially marginalised. AI, which promises so much in terms of medical diagnosis and treatment, does not serve people with visible difference well. Bane of my bloody life, says Pearson. Just reading my passport, you do it online and it says, this is a bad photo, and you say, no, this is a wonderful photo, but your software doesnt appreciate it. I have problems with the automated booths at airports; I have to unlock my iPhone with a pin number as it wont recognise my face.

Oliver Bromley, who has neurofibromatosis Type 1, was told to leave a London restaurant as he was scaring customers.

Pearson shouldnt have to be so resilient, but he is. Similarly, his character Oswald turns the presumptions of the viewer upside down by his seeming disregard for his condition. Oblivious to the fact that he might feel socially inadequate, Oswald goes into the world expecting to be accepted and liked. And that, psychologists of appearance say, is the only way to be  because if you are downcast or awkward, if you exhibit the timid gestures that Edward does, you invite awkwardness from others. It is true that confounding expectations makes people act differently; a lot of the time when people avoid the gaze of those who are visibly different, it is because they are uncertain how to act.

Whats uncomfortable about this approach is that it puts all the work on to the person with visible difference. It requires individuals like Oswald  and by extension Pearson  to be exemplars for the facially different community. Its a role that Pearson has taken on graciously, though not always one he has chosen. When you get the role model label thrust on you, and it does get thrust on you, sometimes people think youre speaking for everyone. And I can only speak for myself. I care about advocacy. Whereas other people might be, thats not my job to explain it to you. But then whose is it? Who is better equipped to do it than me? So, if me talking about it ad nauseam, until I get bored, and that means someone like me gets an easier ride, and it makes the world a better place, then rock and roll. Its not all about me, Pearson laughs. It should be, but its not.

Critics have applauded the films refusal to give viewers any easy answer to the question of facial difference. I am interested in how far we can move past it, to see a person in their entirety. When Pearson is in a film that doesnt mention visible difference, we will have evolved as a society. As I walk him to his taxi, Pearson is stared at repeatedly, and I am unsure whether its because of his fame, or the way he looks. He tells me that when he first met Stan, and Stan wanted to get into the role, he had said to him: I could talk to you for ages, until the cows come home, about having a disfigurement and youll never, ever get it. Though, equally, what you do understand is what its like to be known and lose privacy that way. Ive always said the two ways to lose your anonymity in society are either to have a disfigurement or become famous. So, Ive kind of shafted myself on both counts. The public still thinks they own you, or that you owe them something.

Dr Fay Bound Alberti is professor of modern history at Kings College London, where she is director of Interface and the Centre for Technology and the Body. Her new book Face Value: A Cultural History of Being Human will be published by Allen Lane in 2025
Kamala Harris toured the border in Arizona on Friday. Her Republican rival Donald Trump said the timing was bad with the new figures in criminal migrants being released - Reuters/Kevin Lamarque

Hundreds of thousands of illegal migrants with criminal convictions have been released into the US by immigration authorities, according to new figures.

They include some 13,099 people convicted of homicide, 14,301 of burglary, and 15,811 of sexual assault, who were detained as they crossed into the US before being set free while their cases are pending.

A further 62,631 had convictions of assault, 10,031 for robbery, and 56,553 for an unspecified dangerous drugs offence, according to data up to July 21 2024.

In all, 425,431 migrants with criminal convictions have been released, among whom the most common crime was traffic offences of which 77,074 had been convicted.

US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) made the admission in response to a request for information from Tony Gonzales, a Republican member of the House of Representatives homeland security committee.

The issue is a hugely controversial one following several alleged killings of Americans by migrants. The death of Laken Riley, a 22-year-old nursing student, caused outrage in February when an illegal immigrant from Venezuela was charged with her murder.

Harris on tour

The newly released figures came as Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential candidate, visited the US-Mexican border on Friday, where she pledged to tighten up rules for asylum seekers.

Republicans were quick to turn the new figures on Ms Harris, although the ICE data did not indicate when the migrants had entered the US or been released from detention.

In March, I requested data from the Biden-Harris administration on how many illegal immigrants with a criminal history have been released in our communities, Mr Gonzales wrote on X.

I just received an answer this week. Remember this as VP Harris tries to tout the administrations success during her dog and pony show at the border.

Donald Trump, the Republican presidential candidate, wrote on his Truth Social platform: 13,000 people convicted of murder have crossed into our country through Kamala Harris open border  non-detained, non-citizen, non-convicted criminals.

Ive been saying this from the beginning of the Harris-Biden administration, as soon as I learned they opened the borders.

Bad timing

Seemingly referring to the fact that the figures were released six months after Mr Gonzales request, Trump added: Bad timing for [Ms Harris] to show up to the border today, after not going for four years.

Why didnt she release these numbers earlier?

More than 10,000 migrants with criminal convictions remain in detention, ICE figures show.

Those with a criminal history who are released from detention may be assigned to a programme for closer monitoring, which may include location-tracking technology or regular check-ins with the authorities.

Patrick J Lechleitner, the acting head of ICE, said in a letter to the homeland security committee: ICE is bound by statutory requirements not to release certain noncitizens from ICE custody during the pendency of removal proceedings.

Most noncitizens who are convicted of homicide are typically not eligible for release from ICE custody under 236(c) of the Immigration and Nationality Act.

He added: From mid-May 2023 through the end of July 2024, DHS removed or returned more than 893,600 individuals.

ICE has been approached for comment.
Volodymyr Zelensky met Joe Biden at the White House on his visit to drum up support for Ukraines war effort - Adam Schultz/White House/Planet Pix via ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock

Volodymyr Zelensky has a plan to convince Joe Biden that permission to launch British Storm Shadow missiles at Russia can turn the tide of the war.

The US president could loosen restrictions on the long-range missile, but only if Ukraine presents a coherent strategy on how the weapon would be used, The Telegraph understands.

Mr Zelensky laid out details of his so-called Victory Plan to end the war in meetings with American leaders in Washington and New York this week.

Ukrainian defence sources said the strategy centres around being granted permission to use Western missiles to dismantle Russian logistical routes used to supply its forces in Ukraine.

Kyiv believes cutting supplies of weapons, ammunition, fuel and food from Russia will make Moscows positions along the front lines unsustainable.

Ukraine would then attempt to use 14 new brigades, armed and trained by Nato countries, to mount ground offensives in an attempt to regain the initiative on the battlefield.

The Storm Shadow missile, and its long range, is seen as crucial to Ukrainian efforts to seize the initiative in its war with Russia - AP Photo/Lewis Joly, File

If we can disrupt the logistical chain inside Russia, that will paralyse the Russian army on the front line, a Ukrainian source said.

It wont be able to move its vehicles, people cant be without food and they cant use ammunition on the front line we just dont have enough instruments to carry out this activity.

The next stage is to secure all that is needed for new Ukrainian brigades Its really important to get parity with Russia.

Ukrainian military officials have produced a detailed map of every military target inside Russia which is within the 190-mile range of the British-made Storm Shadow and American-supplied Atacms.

The targets include ammunition and fuel deports, airfields and command hubs used to wage war in Ukraine.

However, Mr Zelensky appeared to leave Washington earlier this week without having convinced Mr Biden that the strategy is sufficient to justify cross-border strikes into Russia with Western missiles.

The US president has resisted pressure to loosen restrictions on the weapons amid fears Vladimir Putin could retaliate against European and American military bases with lethal force.

But he did announce plans for a leaders-level meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group in Germany next month to coordinate military support from around 50 of Kyivs backers.

We will follow the content of the Plan for Victory points together with our partners, Mr Zelensky said in his daily address on Friday.

The Ukrainian leader added that long-range capabilities were being considered after his diplomatic dash around the US.

Mr Biden was said to be amenable to allowing Ukraine to use Storm Shadow missiles if they can be deployed as part of a wider strategy.

Despite the missiles being made and donated by Britain, the president holds a de facto veto over their use in Russia because they use a classified targeting system provided by the US.

Ukrainian servicemen on the front line. Mr Zelensky had frequently said he needs more Western support ot make progress - AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka

Sir Keir Starmer, Britains Prime Minister, has privately given his backing for cross-border strikes, while Emmanuel Macron, Frances president, has publicly endorsed the move.

A European official familiar with the discussions said: The general consensus and White House mindset is to be amenable to it, but its got to be part of a plan. Its one piece of kit, and thats quite high risk with no strategy.

The Americans want a coherent strategy, in which long fires could play a role. They want to make holistic decisions on support over the next three months or so.

The sources remarks suggest that Ukraine would have to secure sufficient pledges to equip the planned 14 new brigades that would be used in tandem with long-range strikes to turn the tide of the war.

Mr Zelensky has previously complained that dwindling Western military support means there is not enough to arm even four of those brigades.

But the Ukrainian president has been warned that his attempts to ratchet up the pressure on Mr Biden to loosen restrictions on Storm Shadow could backfire.

Mr Zelensky has repeatedly delivered statements about various requests to the West in an attempt to prompt the White House to change its policy.

Each time he does it, it p----s people off a little bit more, one official from a Nato country said.
Robert Jenrick is currently the front-runner in the Tory leadership race ahead of the party conference this weekend - CLARA MOLDEN FOR THE TELEGRAPH

The last time a Conservative leadership hopeful gave a speech to conference with the contest hanging in the balance, a youthful Robert Jenrick was in the crowd.

In the annals of the modern Tory Party, the no-notes speech from Lord Cameron  pre-ennobled as he was then  delivered in 2005 has entered the realm of myth.

It was seen as the moment Lord Cameron tilted the race in his favour, showing he could match New Labours political razzmatazz, overtaking his more favoured rival, Sir David Davis.

The rest is history: A victory for Lord Cameron, the return to government and an unbroken 14-year Tory run in office before it all came crashing down in electoral wipeout in July.

This weekend, Mr Jenrick is one of four candidates hoping to repeat the Cameron trick as the party conference in Birmingham becomes a four-day leadership beauty parade. It has led his mind to wander 19 years back to that speech.

I thought how great it is to see someone who was fresh, energetic, had a genuinely compelling and exciting vision for the party and the country, Mr Jenrick, 24 at the time, says now.

I also remember thinking why have we waited eight years for this moment? Why have we messed around for eight years waiting to choose the next prime minister of this country?

So my message to Conservative Party members going to Birmingham this weekend is dont mess around. Lets not waste eight years. Lets choose the next leader of our party, someone who could be, who will be the next prime minister of our country.

There are similarities in age  Lord Cameron was 39 when he became leader; Mr Jenrick is 42. But in one aspect, Mr Jenrick has the upper hand: He is the front-runner in this race.

Few would have predicted that a few months ago. The former immigration minister resigned from Rishi Sunaks Cabinet when his push for a tougher stance was rebuffed in December 2023 and has remained on the backbenches ever since.

I think when the election was called I was 66 to one, he says of the odds. Now they are one to two.

A doggedly pursued campaign when others took a breather after general election defeat and a policy platform to the Right of Mr Sunaks manifesto appears to have chimed with some fellow Tory MPs.

In the second round of MP voting, Mr Jenrick was top with 33, followed by Kemi Badenoch on 28, and James Cleverly and Tom Tugendhat tied on 21. After the conference, MPs will whittle the list down to two, then Tory members pick the winner in November.

Obviously, in one sense its very gratifying to be at this point, says Mr Jenrick, giving an interview for The Telegraph in his parliamentary office to tee-up Tory conference.

But theres also a long road to go. I appreciate that I need to continue to build the confidence of MPs from all traditions of the parliamentary party and support from the members in the country.

The challenges laid out for the candidates in the coming days  public interviews, membership Q&As, 20-minute set piece speeches on Wednesday  will be the most forensic examination of their positions to date.

It means the minutiae of policy will be put under the microscope. Among them is sure to be the European Convention of Human Rights (ECHR), which Winston Churchill helped create but whose impact on limiting action in tackling small boat crossings has irked some Tories.

Mr Jenrick is the only one of the four candidates explicitly proposing to pull the UK out of the ECHR. Others have not ruled it out but called for a wider overhaul of migration policy before that is considered.

Mrs Badenoch took a dig at the stance in a Spectator magazine interview this week, saying, starting with leaving just shows that we havent learned the lessons of Brexit  or even net zero  where we say were going to do this thing without working out the consequences.

Does she have a point? I fundamentally disagree, Mr Jenrick responds, biting back.

I have a plan. I have given it a great deal of thought. We will never secure our borders unless we leave the European Convention on Human Rights and repeal the Human Rights Act. Let me explain why.

For one, he says, the ECHR creates an arsenal of laws that makes deporting migrants who have crossed the English Channel without permission more difficult. His time in the Home Office butting up against the restraints created by the Convention explain his stance.

Then he turns on his rivals. First, Mr Jenrick challenges Tom Tugendhats argument that the UK can derogate from  meaning, in effect, disapply  parts of the Convention.

The Convention itself only allows you to derogate in the most limited of circumstances where there is a threat to the existence of the state itself, he says. And even then, it doesnt permit you to derogate from Articles One, Two and Three, the very articles which underpin almost all immigration cases. So that is not possible.

Mr Jenrick then turns to his closest rival: Then there are others, like Kemi, who argue that we should seek to reform our membership of the European Court. That is a fantasy. It would require unanimity. There is no process by which to seek change. Theres no consensus on what the change would be. At best, it would be a process of decades, and even then it would be as doomed to fail as David Camerons well-intentioned attempt to renegotiate our membership of the European Union.

The suggestion that Mrs Badenochs position on one of the thorniest elements of the small boats debate is fantasy which would take decades to deliver is sure to raise eyebrows.

But does he really have the plan to back-up the rhetoric? What about the Good Friday Agreement, which was pivotal in bringing about peace in Northern Ireland and contains no fewer than seven mentions of the ECHR, including over safeguarding all communities.

The Good Friday Agreement envisaged a Northern Irish Bill of Rights. That was never implemented, he counters. Tony Blair chose instead, unilaterally, to replace that provision with the Human Rights Act.

Mr Jenrick would replace that with a British Bill of Rights, including stronger freedom of speech protections, which he believes would get from the Northern Ireland parties  a confidence easier to declare than deliver upon.

There is also a response ready to another uncertainty: How the ECHR elements mentioned in the Brexit trade deal struck in 2019 by Boris Johnson would be addressed. Mr Jenrick says a clause written into the agreement allows for the UKs ECHR withdrawal, adding the impact would be minimal. Treaty experts will want to scrutinise that stance.

Mr Jenrick wants to bring back the Cameron-era net migration cap of 100,000 and restart the Rwanda deportation scheme. This ECHR position and wider borders approach fits into a wider strategy that has seen him champion winning back former Tories who switched to Nigel Farages Reform party at the last election.

Tory campaign chiefs resisted going further in aping Reforms policy platform earlier this year because they believed you could never out-Farage Farage. Is that not what Mr Jenrick is now proposing?

Im not in the business of Out-Faraging Farage, he counters. I want to put Nigel Farage out of business. I want to make Nigel Farage redundant.

The way I view Reform is as a symptom, not a cause. It exists in its current state because my party failed. We made promises on issues that millions of people in our country, small c conservatives like me, care passionately about, like controlled and reduced immigration, like securing our borders, and we didnt deliver on those promises.

So he can promise that under his leadership Mr Farage would not be allowed to become a Tory member? I dont want to do a deal with Reform or to bring Nigel Farage into the Conservative Party, because hes currently the leader of another political party, he responds, which is not quite a categorical yes. Expect him to be pressed on this further throughout the conference.

The contest will not just be fought on migration policy. Mr Jenrick uses his Telegraph interview to outline a new proposal to tackle poor quality but expensive university courses.

Many of our 160 universities and world-class institutions are the envy of the world, he explains. But too many provide poor quality degrees that saddle graduates and the taxpayer with debt, and fail to equip students with the skills this country desperately needs.

His proposed solution: to ban government student loans being given to the consistently worst-performing 10 per cent of universities that fail to deliver good outcomes for graduates.

The approach could well force a 10th of British universities into closure, since blocking the path to state-backed participation would make staying financially afloat exceptionally hard.

Mr Jenrick says he would take the money saved on student loans  half of which are never paid back  and spend it on the biggest expansion of apprenticeship and technical skills in a generation.

How would the lowest-performing universities be picked out? A Jenrick aide says Higher Education Statistics Agency data would be used to come up with the rankings, with the proposed formula put to consultation.

When asked, Team Jenrick declined to name a single university as an example of one that would be on the student loans blacklist  the bite of the policy.

Mr Jenrick, a Cambridge University graduate, rejects any suggestion of snobbery. Both of my parents left school at 16, he says. My dad became an apprentice. My mum went to a secretarial college. Both went on to have successful and fulfilling careers.

I would be very happy to see any of my three children leave school and go to do a good quality apprenticeship and would support them wholeheartedly if that was the right thing for them.

Before the conversation wraps up, there is a chance to peer into the future, where two blond-haired figures are still looming on the horizon.

Mr Jenrick has made headlines with his support for Donald Trump, a position not shared by most of the public according to polling.

So, if he had a vote in the US presidential election this November, would it be cast for Trump? Look, I am a conservative, he responds.

The Conservative Party has a long-standing relationship with the Republican Party and so its natural that we would support Republican candidates in elections in the US. But its clearly going to be a close election. I respect Kamala Harris. I wish both candidates well.

At a second attempt a simple yes is still eluded  a watering down of the position since August when he told GB News if he was American he would vote for Trump.

The Boris Johnson question

A willingness to tweak political positions is also on display on the subject of Boris Johnson. The former prime minister this weekend has returned to his favoured position  sitting on the sidelines of Tory Party conference making waves  via the serialisation of his memoirs.

Back in August, Mr Jenrick said he would be delighted if Mr Johnson wanted to serve in his shadow cabinet. So, if he was Tory leader, would Mr Jenrick allow him to seek a seat to return as a Tory MP?

It is the leader who ultimately decides on that, and only by becoming an MP can Mr Johnson ever once again seek the leadership  an idea sure to get tongues wagging in corners of the Birmingham International Convention Centre this weekend.

I have a very positive relationship with Boris, Mr Jenrick says, picking his words carefully. We remain in touch. Ive said repeatedly that the Conservative Party needs to get all of the best players onto the pitch.

So  asked a second time  would Mr Jenrick give the green light for Mr Johnson to seek a seat as an MP? Thats a decision for him, comes the reply. Another side-stepping.

Perhaps Mr Jenrick has learned more from the ballad of Lord Cameron  whose premiership was cut short by Boriss Brexit victory  than the merit of no-notes speeches.
The tool sits on social workers phones and writes almost instant summaries. Photograph: Valiantsin Suprunovich/Alamy

Hundreds of social workers in England have begun using an artificial intelligence system that records conversations, drafts letters to doctors and proposes actions that human workers might not have considered.

Councils in Swindon, Barnet and Kingston are among seven now using the AI tool that sits on social workers phones to record and analyse face-to-face meetings. The Magic Notes AI tool writes almost instant summaries and suggests follow-up actions, including drafting letters to GPs. Two dozen more councils have or are piloting it.

Related: Wes Streeting yet to meet pledge to hold cross-party talks on social care crisis

By cutting the time social workers spend taking notes and filling out reports, the tool has the potential to save up to 2bn a year, claims Beam, the company behind the system that has recruited staff from Meta and Microsoft.

But the technology is also likely to raise concerns about how busy social workers weigh up actions proposed by the AI system, and how they decide whether to ignore a proposed action.

The British Association of Social Workers welcomed AI systems that free up time for face-to-face work, but said they must never replace relationship-based social work practice and decision-making.

One pilot council said it needed greater reassurance that the AI tool was accurately summarising meetings before notes went on file about potentially life-changing choices.

According to an impact assessment by the London Borough of Camden, a person role-playing a client mentioned in passing that they struggled slightly to use their phone. The AI generated a case summary which added a potential action to look into technology training for them, but neither of the people in the role play had picked that up.

Seb Barker, the chief operating officer of Beam, which provides Magic Notes, said none of the feedback from pilots suggested social workers would simply do what the Magic Note tells them to; the summaries and follow-up actions have to be approved by a human. He said there was no evidence that social workers were switching off during meetings with clients and letting the AI draw up an action plan.

One in 10 adult social worker jobs in England are vacant and 2023 had the second highest vacancy rate for child and family social workers since 2017, pushing the government assessment of the risk to critical.

Swindon borough council has signed a six-month contract to use the technology and said it particularly helps social workers with dyslexia. Cllr Ray Ballman, the cabinet member for adult social care, said it had been a gamechanger for our colleagues.

Wiltshire councils equality impact assessment says: The tool will not make decisions or take full automated actions regarding the writing up of conversations: the practitioner must always have the final decision, applying appropriate quality checks and oversight.

The London borough of Barnet is giving the tool to 300 adult social care workers after staff found it allowed them to more fully engage with residents, saved time and no issues with bias were identified. The AI summaries were only a starting point to be edited by social workers and checked by managers before filing as formal records, a spokesperson said.

Seventy per cent of all UK government departments are piloting or planning to use AI systems, according to a recent assessment by the National Audit Office. But the spending watchdog said that ageing IT systems, skills gaps and problems with data quality could hold the public sector back from capitalising on the rapidly advancing technology. There is no central UK regulator of AI, but the Labour government plans to legislate to place requirements on those working to develop the most powerful artificial intelligence models.

The Magic Notes system gathers sensitive information including health conditions, personal finances, addresses, dates of birth, telephone numbers, sexual orientation, ethnic origin and religious beliefs. It deploys AI algorithms made by San Francisco companies Deepgram and OpenAI. Barker said the recordings were held on Beams servers in the UK and the data is not used to train Magic Notes or any other AI system.

A spokesperson for Croydon council said: We are evaluating the pilot and will be making a full assessment before proceeding. Any use of AI will be subject to the proper checks and governance.

Maris Stratulis, the national director of the British Association of Social Workers England, said: We call for the regulation of AI, a national framework of ethical principles for its use and transparency about when AI applications are being used and by what industries to ensure accountability to citizens and uphold human rights.
Jubilant Syrians said they hope the region will be more stable and better without this criminal - OMAR HAJ KADOUR

Syrians danced in the streets of the north-western city of Idlib on Saturday to celebrate the death of Hassan Nasrallah.

As news of Israels strike on the headquarters of Hezbollah in Beirut spread through the rebel-held city, people cheered and clapped while passing drivers honked their horns.

Guns were shot in the air as fireworks exploded in the sky in the north-western region that has been locked in conflict with president Bashar al-Assad since war broke out in 2011.

Here, Nasrallah is seen as a key ally of Assad, responsible for assisting his brutal crackdown on opponents and helping to turn the tide of the civil war in his favour.

While Hezbollahs core motivation is to defeat Israel, Nasrallah sent thousands of soldiers to fight alongside Assads forces.

It was the most beautiful day of my life, said Ahmed al-Ali, 30, who hated Nasrallah and his foot soldiers for killing many of his friends.

Yasmine Muhammad, 30, said she felt an overwhelming happiness that cannot be described when she heard of Nasrallahs death.

I consider this revenge for the thousands of Syrians who were killed by Hezbollah, the main support of Bashar al-Assad, she said. Hezbollah committed the most heinous massacres against Syrians, and it also participated in the starvation and displacement of thousands of Syrians.

Nasrallah was a criminal who caused pain to the Syrian people through killing, displacement, and bombing, and his standing with Bashar al-Assad, said Ahmad Taama, 27. He stole our dreams and ambitions. He killed many young Syrians in the prime of their lives.

Drivers honked their horns as their passengers waved Syrias flag in celebration - OMAR HAJ KADOUR/AFP via Getty Images

Unfortunately, we lost everything because of Nasrallah and Assad  our home, our work, our store. Literally, everything, because of these criminals, said Omar Ghazal, 24.

Now I hope that the region will be more stable and better without this criminal.

Such sentiments, though, are an exception in the broader Middle East, where the response has been outrage after weeks of aggressive Israeli strikes into Lebanon against Hezbollah and its leaders.

Protests broke out in the streets of Ramallah, a Palestinian city in the West Bank.

In Homs, one of the largest cities in Syria that remains under Assads control, Nasrallah supporters took to the streets to grieve over his death, raising Hezbollah flags and firing into the air.

News of Nasrallahs death came as a surprise to many, particularly given his status as the leader of a fearsome fighting force.

He was always by Bashar al-Assads side at all times; he had experienced fighters, said Ghaith Mahmoud, 45, from Homs. We do not know what happened, and how.

Celebrating the killing of Hassan Nasrallah is a big mistake and will have a big negative impact on Syrians in Syria, Lebanon and many countries in the world, said Adnan al-Rifai, 25.

The fate of Syrians in Lebanon will be really scary because of Nasrallah supporters  a little while ago, I saw a video from Lebanon of Nasrallah supporters attacking Syrians; the future will really not be good.

Others, like Ahmad al-Hassan, 30, criticised Israel for committing massacres in Palestine and many countries in the world.

Smoke rises following Israeli airstrikes targeting Hezbollahs headquarters in Beirut, Lebanon, on Friday - Xinhua / Alamy Live News

Syrias government also condemned the strike.

The Zionist entity (Israel) confirms through this despicable aggression, once again its barbarism and wanton disregard for all international standards and laws, the foreign ministry said in a statement.

Hezbollah commemorated its late leader as a great martyr; a heroic, daring, brave, wise, insightful and faithful leader who led the group from victory to victory.

The group also pledged to continue its jihad in confronting the enemy, in support of Gaza and Palestine, and in defence of Lebanon and its steadfast and honourable people.

Crimes and assassination by the occupation will only increase the determination and the insistence of the resistance in Palestine and Lebanon to go forward with all their might, bravery and pride on the footsteps of the martyrs  and pursue the path of resistance until victory and the dismissal of the occupation, Hamas said in a statement.
Phillip Schofield says that he learned about allegations of toxicity on This Morning following his departure from the daytime programme  and took aim at three people he was aware of.

Schofield departed ITV in May 2023 in the wake of his secret affair revelations, after leaving This Morning that same month.

After the furore over Schofields admission of an unwise, but not illegal relationship with a younger male colleague, former This Morning doctor Ranj Singh hit out at a toxic culture on the programme.

Phillip Schofield on an island off the coast of Madagascar, on Channel 5s Cast Away. (Channel 5 Broadcasting Limited/Burning Bright Productions)

Dr Ranj claimed he raised concerns about bullying and discrimination while working at ITV  and afterwards felt like he was managed out for whistleblowing.

Schofield said there was no toxicity on the programme at the time, and his allegations were about the same handful of people with a grudge against me or the show who seem to have the loudest voice.

On the second episode of Channel 5s Phillip Schofield: Cast Away, where the 62-year-old spends 10 days alone on a small island off the coast of Madagascar in his first return to a TV series since leaving ITV, he addressed the claims again, saying at first it was utter bollocks, before saying that there wasnt (toxicity) when I was there.

I found out after I left that there are a few people in there that might be a little bit toxic, he added.

I never saw it  when (youre) on the telly, you dont see stuff like that, youre protected from it, people dont tell you, so I had no clue.

Schofield also said that morning TV has a lot of amazing people, before taking aim at what he called three shits.

He called two of them cowards  one for not defending him over queuegate, and the second for not stepping up over another matter, which he did not clarify.

The final person, he said, was just brand-orientated.

Along with his then co-host Holly Willoughby, Schofield faced a backlash over claims the pair skipped the queue for the late Queen Elizabeth IIs lying in state. They were defended by the chief executive of ITV, Dame Carolyn McCall, who stressed the pair had been attending as members of the media to film a segment for This Morning.

Schofield was also upset that there was absolutely no loyalty shown to him during the furore over his affair, despite his 20-plus years on This Morning, and added: I know what I did was unwise, not sensible, but is it enough to absolutely destroy someone, literally destroy someone?

When he was dropped by his talent agency YMU on the same day he resigned from ITV after more than three decades with the company, he says he was suicidal.

Dr Ranj Singh made claims about a toxic culture on This Morning (Ian West/PA)

Schofield added: They sent me what looked like a cut and pasted text, (saying) this time well have to let you go.

The presenter says he knows people will claim he is having a mad rant, but he does not care any more as he has nothing to lose.

He added: Theyve taken pretty much everything  reputation, dignity, legacy, everything  anyway. Im not bleating, Im just getting it off my chest.

An external review, carried out by Jane Mulcahy KC on behalf of ITV found the channel made considerable efforts to find out the truth about an alleged affair between Schofield and a runner in 2019, but was not able to find evidence about the rumours.

Schofield reluctantly declined to take part in the probe because of the risk to his health, the report in December 2023 said.

Ms Mulcahy said that for the period she reviewed, she could not find evidence of a toxic culture, and urged ITV to help junior employees who think speaking out will have a detrimental impact on their careers.

ITV and YMU have been contacted for a response.

 The Samaritans can be contacted on 116123 or email jo@samaritans.org.

Phillip Schofield: Cast Away airs at 9pm on Monday on Channel 5, and will continue on Tuesday and Wednesday at the same time.
Brentford raced into the Premier League record books but still only had a point to show for it after a 1-1 draw with West Ham.

The Bees went ahead after only 37 seconds through Bryan Mbeumo to become the first team to score in the first minute of three consecutive matches.

But, just like in the previous two games, they were unable to hold on to their early lead and Tomas Soucek grabbed a second-half equaliser for the Hammers.

Thomas Franks side had scored within 23 seconds at both Manchester City and Tottenham, so West Ham could hardly say they had not been warned.

But the visitors could only hold out for 14 seconds longer before Brentford, from their own kick-off, found the net.

Kevin Schade collected the ball on the right of the Hammers penalty area and lifted it into the centre.

Jean-Clair Todibos weak headed clearance was pounced upon by Fabio Carvalho, who nodded it back towards Mbeumo.

The ball was slightly behind the striker but he still managed to produce a superb, controlled volley with his left foot into the top corner.

Hammers boss Julen Lopetegui had barely taken his seat, although in fairness he had spent a couple of days on crutches after injuring himself on the touchline during the midweek Carabao Cup capitulation at Liverpool.

A miserable week for the Spaniard almost got worse, moments after Michail Antonio rolled a shot narrowly wide of the Brentford goal.

The Bees quickly switched play to the other end and Mikkel Damsgaard curled in a deep cross from the right which found Mbeumo, but his diving header flew just over the crossbar.

Brentford defender Sepp van den Berg then sent another presentable opportunity too high as the first half drew to a close.

Mohammed Kudus had been West Hams most eye-catching attacker in the opening 45 minutes so it was a surprise to see him replaced, along with Emerson Palmieri, for Konstantinos Mavropanos and Carlos Soler.

But a change of formation brought a change of fortune when Soucek hauled the visitors level nine minutes into the second half.

The Czech midfielder burst into the penalty area, played a one-two with Jarrod Bowen and then swept the loose ball home after Brentford failed to clear.

The Bees had lost against both City and Spurs despite their lightning fast starts, so they were relieved to avoid an unwanted treble when a late effort from Hammers sub Crysencio Summerville was deflected wide.

West Ham, in desperate need of a pick-me-up after their recent travails, were also breathing a sigh of relief when Ethan Pinnock fell to the ground after clashing with Todibo and referee Simon Hooper waved away Brentfords penalty appeals,
"We're in the business of hope," says Wish Upon a Wedding's executive director, Lacey Wicksall

Tay Brauer Ricardo and Eunice Hernandez had been married eight years when he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2018. Lacey Wicksalls nonprofit granted the couples wish for a 10-year vow renewal in March 2022. He died five months later.

On any given day, Lacey Wicksall can be found fielding phone calls from couples across the nation who are deeply in love but are running out of time.

And thats exactly why Wicksall is talking to them.

As the executive director with the Chicago-based nonprofit Wish Upon a Wedding, the 43-year-old mother of two helps provide free weddings and vow renewals to couples who are facing a terminal illness or a life-altering health circumstance.

I just got off the phone with a couple a few hours ago and I still have tears in my eyes, says Wicksall of a recent phone call, vetting a couple who were in the process of applying for one of the nonprofits weddings. We were all in tears. Its hard.

For more on Wish Upon a Wedding and how they through a special ceremony for Georgia couple Skylar Bernstein and Sam Wombough, pick up this week's issue of PEOPLE or subscribe.

Todd Danforth Photography Beth Freeman and Candace Moore were married in Long Beach, Calif., February 2024, 16 years after they first met  and four years after Beth was diagnosed with metastatic colon cancer. She died from the disease two months after her wedding.

Since 2009, the organization has provided nearly 300 ceremonies by working with wedding industry professionals who donate everything from catered food and wedding attire to a venue, videographers and DJs.

Explains Wicksall: When you're going through a tragedy, you just need someone to walk into your darkness and do something nice for you. And that's what we're here to do  to just provide a respite in the middle of the storm.

Couples, who often learn about the organization from nurses or various support groups, apply through the groups website.

Before being selected for an interview by Wicksall and wish coordinator Megan Biehl, they verify the applicants health status through their physician or hospice worker, then go to work learning more about the couple and what they envision for their special day.

Trent Bailey Rich and Karen Mastropietro celebrated their vow renewal in July 2019 on their 25th anniversary. Karen died two years later after four years with ovarian cancer.

We ask a lot of questions in the interview about their story, explains Wicksall. 'Tell us how you met, how you discovered your diagnosis, why is it important for you to get married or renew your vows? And what do you love about each other?' So many couples are never asked that question. And we give them each the chance to speak and they normally cry the entire time  and so do we.

If selected, the nonprofit, which allocates $2,000 for each wish, along with the donated services, begins contacting wedding planners in the couples area, details their situation and asks if they might be interested in helping to organize the ceremony.

When they called me, I was like, I can't say no,  recalls Georgia-based wedding planner Lydia Leek, who organized a wedding in August for a young couple  Skylar Bernstein and Sam Wombough  after the 22-year-old bride-to-be was diagnosed with a rare, aggressive form of brain cancer.

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Ed and Aileen Photography Wicksall and her organization scrambled to grant Tommy Szmelter and Hillary Moores wish for a wedding in November 2021, five years after she was diagnosed with a rare form of adrenal cancer. She died three months later.

Because time was of the essence, Leek quickly went to work, spending hours with Bernstein and Wombough to get a feel for the vibe they were hoping to achieve with their nuptials.

Then Leek began reaching out to her list of vendors to see if they might also want to pitch in and donate their services.

I spoke to more than 12 of them, from florists and photographers to cake caterers, and everyone was so willing to help," she says. "I didnt have to ask anybody twice. They all just said yes.

Related: 22-Year-Old Has Dream Wedding While Dying of Cancer, Thanks to Nonprofit: It Was Everything (Exclusive)

The result was a nearly $60,000 wedding at the Conley Creek venue in Blairsville, Ga., with the Blue Ridge Mountains as a backdrop. It was everything I could have dreamed of, says Bernstein, calling it "perfect."

And it was all done for us.

Not surprisingly, the ceremonies often turn out to be more than just a wedding or a vow renewal  they are a celebration of life.

People often tell us how wonderful it is to get everyone they love together in the same room before they pass away, says Wicksall. A lot of times, our 'wishes' are very much like a living funeral. We did one two years ago where the groom went to sleep and died the night of his wish. Every single person he loved got to be there to say goodbye to him that night.

Seth and Beth Photography Shortly after Tess and Courtney Maki-Dawson met and started dating in 2014, Tess was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer. Wicksalls nonprofit helped organize their wedding in July 2019. Despite numerous setbacks, surgeries and further spreading of her cancer, Tess continues to live with the disease.

Over the years, Wicksall has also learned that the most well-planned ceremonies are often subject to change at the last moment depending on health concerns.

If we have a venue lined up with everything totally planned out and at the last minute the person takes a turn for the worse, we can pivot and do it in their backyard or in a hospital room, says Wicksall. Our teams fully understand that at the end of the day, it all comes down to what the wish recipient can handle on that day.

For couples who often feel like theyre living on borrowed time, what matters most is that, for a period of time, however short, Wicksall and her network of big-hearted wedding professionals across the nation are able to provide a joyous respite from endless doctors appointments and treatment regimens.

Moms get to put on a beautiful gown and either wear a wig or wear their normal hair, have their hair and makeup done, and feel beautiful for the first time in 18 months because chemotherapy has ravished them, Wicksall says. It gives people a day when they just don't have to think about the hell that they're currently living through ... Were in the business of hope because hope gives people something to look forward to and something to live for.

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Chicago, Americas third-biggest city, is on the verge of losing its only intercity bus terminal, jeopardizing access for many low-income, elderly and minority travelers with few other transportation options. Its part of a nationwide trend.

Greyhounds lease for its terminal in Chicago expires next month. Not only would that mean Greyhound could leave the city, but FlixBus, Barons, Burlington Trailways and other lines that also operate from the terminal could be forced to leave as well. A representative for Greyhound told CNN that there are no proposals for a lease extension. The city, which regulates curbside pickup and drop-off locations, told CNN that it is looking for alternative options for facilities. Both Greyhound and city leaders say they are committed to finding a solution.

Intercity bus service is critically important for so many people, said Chicago Alderman Carlos Ramirez-Rosa, who has worked to save the station.

If the terminal closes, Chicago will be the single largest city in the Northern Hemisphere without an intercity bus terminal, according to DePaul University professor Joseph Schwieterman and researchers at the schools Chaddick Institute of Metropolitan Development.

The terminal serves more than 500,000 passengers annually, the Chaddick Institute estimates. Although a broad range of people take intercity buses, 73% of Greyhound passengers in Chicago earn less than $50,000 annually and more than half are Black, according to the company. Roughly three-quarters are minority riders.

Allen James Henry, Jr. arrived in Chicago last week by bus from Sikeston, Missouri, a small town about 150 miles south of St. Louis. The Chicago terminal gave him a place to wait during a five-hour layover before another bus to Iowa. Then it was off to Denver. To him, the station isnt just a place to rest  its a matter of dignity.

Potentially being forced to wait on the street for a long layover, he said, is treating people who ride like they dont matter.

This bus station needs to be here, Henry Jr. said.

Unraveling a web of stations

Greyhound and other lines with service in Chicago are part of a web of routes that allow passengers to travel between several thousand stops with a single bus ticket.

The closure threatens to unravel the comprehensive system of connected bus routes, resulting in service cuts for routes that require transfers in Chicago, DePauls Chaddick Institute researchers say.

Curbside service also cant replace a dedicated terminal for buses going in and out of Chicago. Curbside carriers like Megabus usually only operate between major cities and typically do not offer routes with transfers.

Without an indoor terminal, travelers cant use the bathroom, stay out of Chicagos notoriously harsh winter weather or get something to eat while they wait. People transferring late at night or early in the morning, sometimes with long layovers, would have no place to safely wait.

Buses are also often the only way to get to smaller towns without train stations or airports.

The Greyhound terminal in Chicago in 2021. - Tim Boyle/Newsmakers/Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Max Kay rides the bus from Chicago to Davenport, Iowa, to visit his girlfriend. A plane to the closest airport to Davenport  across the Mississippi in Moline, Illinois  would cost two to four times as much as a bus ticket. And he would still have to get across the river to Davenport once he landed.

I guess Id have to take the bus (even if the bus station closes) but Id much rather have this, Kay said. Here you have a place to sit down, you have vending machines.

Transportation, environmental, reproductive health, disability and other advocates in Chicago have been sounding the alarm about the risks of the city losing its terminal.

Failing to come to a workable solution for the intercity bus terminal would directly harm thousands of people traveling to, from and through Chicago daily  and would be disproportionately placed on the most vulnerable people in our community, a group of advocates wrote in an open letter last week.

Terminals sold to investors

A closure in Chicago would accelerate the crisis in intercity bus service in the United States.

Intercity buses carry an estimated 60 million people annually  twice the number of people who take Amtrak every year  but companies have cut service and closed terminals in recent decades. Cities lost nearly one-third of intercity bus service between 1960 and 1980 and more than half of the remaining service between 1980 and 2006, according to Chaddick Institute research.

Houston, Philadelphia, Cincinnati, Tampa, Louisville, Charlottesville, Portland, Oregon, and other downtown bus depots have shuttered in recent years. Greyhound and other carriers have relocated their stops far away from city centers, which are often inaccessible by public transit, switched to curbside service or eliminated routes altogether.

In Philadelphia, a Greyhound terminal closure and switch to curbside service turned into a municipal disgrace,with people waiting hours sitting on their suitcases and the sidewalk, and intercity bus lines idling in the dedicated bus lane for Philadelphias local buses, clogging up the street, a columnist for the Philadelphia Inquirer described.

The threat of a closure has reached a stress point in Chicago because Greyhound, the largest intercity carrier in the United States, no longer owns its terminals in the city and dozens of others.

A Greyhound station near the US-Mexico border in 2020. Greyhound and other carriers serve travelers with few other options. - Mario Tama/Getty Images

Greyhound, owned by German company Flix Mobility (which also owns FlixBus), has sold its terminals to investors for lucrative redevelopment in recent years, including dozens to investment firm Alden Global Capital.

Alden is best known for buying up local newspapers like The Chicago Tribune, New York Daily News and The Baltimore Sun, cutting staff, and selling some of their downtown buildings. Last year, a subsidiary of Alden, Twenty Lake Holdings, purchased 33 Greyhound stations for $140 million.

Intercity bus services, including Greyhound, are vital to the Chicago community, and our top priority is to ensure uninterrupted service, the Flix spokesperson said. The Mayors office has been helping us to identify a suitable downtown location for pick-ups and drop-offs. We are encouraged by their efforts.

In a statement to CNN, Chicago chief operating officer John Roberson said the city has looked at different options for intercity bus services and passengers. It should be noted that Greyhound has an option to renew its lease at its current Harrison Street location under the same terms and conditions that it currently operates under, he said. (Greyhound told CNN that Alden has not responded to such a proposal. Twenty Lake Holdings did not respond to CNNs request for comment for this article.)

Calls for a public terminal

Some transit advocates and political leaders say intercity buses should be treated similarly to a public utility. They want states and the federal government to step in and play a larger role in supporting the bus network.

Local, state and the federal agencies have underinvested in intercity bus travel and relied on private companies to provide an essential public service for mostly low-income passengers, those advocates say. Some cities have been hostile to intercity buses and blocked efforts to relocate terminals.

The station crisis is partly attributable to the low priority given to intercity bus travel by our state government, DePauls Chaddick Institute researchers said in a May report.

In Chicago, advocates are calling for a publicly owned bus terminal connecting to local transit or Amtrak. Milwaukee and Boston, for example, have municipal intercity bus terminals located next to train stations.

One promising model is in Atlanta, where Greyhound opened a new 14,000 square-foot dedicated terminal this year with financial support from the state and federal governments. The station is used by other intercity bus operators and is near public transit.

Chicago Alderman Ramirez-Rosa said that the ultimate goal should be a public intercity bus terminal.

In European cities, he has visited intercity bus terminals that feel like first-world airports.

The US has a lot of catching up to do, Ramirez-Rosa said.

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Living with a disability comes with many different challenges that others don't have to face in their day to day life, and that applies to dogs with disabilities, too. It can't be easy for a dog to struggle (or be completely unable) to do something that other dogs can do, like run and play with each other or their humans, after suffering from a genetic mutation, injury, or illness that impedes their ability to walk. Fortunately, veterinary medicine and medical devices have come a long way, and wheelchairs for dogs are more accessible than ever to the four-legged patients who need to use them.

But I imagine it still must be pretty hard for them to see other dogs who don't need wheelchairs, especially if they are never around dogs who have the same disabilities that they do. That's why it's so special that the organization who shared the Instagram Reel below is doing what they're doing  this video is nothing but pure joy.

Last week, the organization called The Man That Rescues Dogs shared this video of their "wheelchair mafia" on Instagram, and it really is a sight to behold!

I don't know many dogs are in this video  It's gotta be well over a dozen  but they all have one thing in common: They all use wheelchairs. One moment, they're lounging on the ground on a patio, and the next, they're in their wheelchairs (with the help of some kind humans) and are off on their second walk of the day. Having that set of extra wheels means they can really move!

And with the help of those wheelchairs, these dogs can really do it all. They even take a break to swim in the lake together!

"Their wheelchairs arent a limitation  theyre wings. And today, like every day, they soar," the caption says.

Anyone else crying, or just me?

More About the Wheelchair Mafia

This organization was started by a Swedish chef named Michael Baines after he moved to Thailand in 2002 and began his mission to rescue stray dogs that were found in the country.

According to Nevsedoma, as of July 2024, Baines has over 1,000 dogs in his foundation's care, especially those who are in need of a little extra help like the ones in his wheelchair mafia.

The shelter, which spans 8,000 square miles, has everything he needs to make sure his pups are well cared for, including an on site clinic and hydrotherapy pools. There are also 30 people on staff from those tasked with construction to veterinarians so these dogs can have the very best.

I suspect that between the love and care that these formerly stray dogs are receiving and the chance they have to spend their lives playing with dogs who are just like them is making a huge difference. They are so special!
Elon Musk has gone from a tech entrepreneur largely avoidant of politics to what strategists call a megaphone for right-wing views as an online surrogate for former President Trump in the White House race.

The tech mogul began wading into the political landscape a few years ago, but the past few months have marked a significant increase in his partisan discourse, political experts said.

His embrace of Republican politics and Trump can now be seen nearly daily on his social media platform X, which was known as Twitter until he bought it in 2022.

Political strategists on both sides of the aisle contend Musks ramped up political activity  combined with his wealth and online visibility  could be an asset for Trump, whom he endorsed in July following the first assassination attempt on the former president.

He probably does more to highlight the problems at the border than the entire corporate media complex just because of the size of his soapbox, said one Republican strategist.

The strategist compared Musks shift into politics to Trumps, calling the Tesla and SpaceX CEO a quirky character that essentially pretty much everyone liked until he managed to buy Twitter and leaned in on some issues.

Donald Trump was immensely popular until he got involved in politics, and then half the country doesnt like him, the strategist said.

A Wall Street Journal analysis of Musks posts on X this year found he had about 230 times as many exchanges a month that contain political terms in 2024 compared with 2019, while a Washington Post analysis said nearly 20 percent of his posts this year have been political.

I would argue that anything that Musk says, you imagine, has been cosigned or even instigated by Donald Trump, political strategist Basil Smikle told The Hill.

Musks recent posts on X have ranged from reposting tweets criticizing Democrats  especially Vice President Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz  to direct comments about Trump and the benefits of his re-election.

Earlier this month, Musk claimed America will fall to tyranny unless Trump is elected, garnering 83 million views. In another post following the second assassination attempt on Trumps life, Musk wrote, The incitement to hatred and violence against President Trump by the media and leading Democrats needs to stop.

Musks posts and actions mark a sharp contrast from nearly 10 years ago, when he told Vanity Fair in 2015 that he gets involved in politics as little as possible, though his business ventures sometimes required him to get involved to some amount. In that same interview, Musk said he hoped Trump would not get the 2016 Republican presidential nomination, saying that wouldnt be good.

His amped-up political involvement has drawn scrutiny from the left, some of whom argue his sharing of misinformation or conspiracy theories could negatively impact Democrats prospects in November.

Its totally putting a finger on the scale of our information ecosystem, with already such a tough landscape, and I think also a landscape that disadvantages Democrats from traditional media all the way to social media, Democratic strategist Kaivan Shroff said.

Musk  the most followed user on X with nearly 199 million followers  drew criticism earlier this month when he reposted a since-deleted tweet about rumors of explosives found in a car near a Trump rally, writing Wow, on X. The post now has a community note clarifying New York officials denied the reports but still appears on Musks feed.

In another post after the second attempt on Trumps life, Musk came under fire for writing no one is even trying to assassinate Harris in what he called a joke. He later deleted the tweet amid backlash.

Elon Musk is blatantly allowing misinformation to flow through that platform, thats just not. Its not good for democracy, Democratic strategist Rodell Mollineau said.

Musk is in a complex position as both the owner of a social media platform and a public, now partisan figure, strategists suggested.

Since purchasing X in 2022, the tech mogul took a new approach to the platforms content policies, cutting back on several moderation features. The lack of moderation prompted various advertisers to flee the site and launch legal inquiries into company practices.

The platforms algorithm has since been accused of favoring Musks posts, drawing concerns from some strategists about his influence on voters.

The voter may experience a different type of influence on his [Musks] part, in the sense that they may see his tweets, but what theyre unsure of is how much his leadership of X is influencing the algorithm so that the voter is seeing something different than they would have seen had he not moved in, Smikle said.

This helps Trump, Smikle said, because it makes it feel to the viewer, to the consumer, that it is more organic than it probably is.

Another Trump ally agreed, stating Musk is extremely helpful by simply using his X account to push attacks on Democrats that tend to get millions of views on the platform.

Smikle went as far to say that he is getting a lot more antidemocratic content on his feed since Musks takeover.

I have seen a ton more anti Harris tweets by people of color and specifically African Americans, than I ever than I have seen any such, any such activity toward the Democrats or toward Biden, he said, adding later, Thats where Trump gets help and Kamala gets hurt.

Todd Belt, the director of the political management program at the Graduate School of Political Management at the George Washington University, argued Xs algorithm puts Musk front and center, but expressed doubt it could have any tangible effect on influencing voters.

I dont know that it has a tremendous amount of effect, because it gets lost in all the noise of the campaign, right? Belt told The Hill. It stimulates and activates the base, he continued, but I dont think its convincing people.

X nor the Trump campaign immediately responded to The Hills request for comment.

As Musk aligned with Trump, the former president returned to posting on the platform in July. Trumps account was reinstated in 2023 after pre-Musk management banned him in the wake of the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the Capitol. Musk restored Trumps account last year amid a slew of other content moderation changes, which drew praise from right-wing personalities and concerns from online misinformation groups.

The X owners political reach has also stretched to the financial side. Musk has backed Save America PAC, a political group that has spent tens of millions of dollars on get out the vote efforts the Trump campaign is relying on to turn out low-propensity voters in swing states.

Trump even suggested he would put Musk in his Cabinet before backtracking, saying the mogul would probably be too busy. The former president then said this month he would create a government efficiency commission and tap Musk to lead the effort if he is reelected in November.

Musk, who has long advocated for a smaller government, discussed the concept during a X Spaces conversation last month, suggesting such a panel could look at national debt and how Congress can reevaluate spending.

It remains unclear exactly what this commission would do, and some Democrats have questioned whether it would be a serious effort.

Brett Samuels contributed reporting.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Longtime bachelor George Clooney finally met his match in the stunning, accomplished human rights lawyer Amal Clooney. Still, it took Amal a little bit to accept that their romance was the real deal.

We never talked about marriage when we were dating, and I asked her out of the blue, George told CBS in November 2020. [It] took her a long time to say yes. I was on my knee for, like, 20 minutes. I finally said, Look, Im gonna throw my hip out. We told that story to her parents, and theyre like, Theres something wrong with his hip?'

The pair first met while in Lake Como, Italy, in 2013. Later that year, they had their first date in London. The two got married in a fantasy wedding at the Aman Canal Grande Hotel in Venice, Italy, in September 2014.

While the couple didnt initially plan to start a family, Us Weekly confirmed in February 2017 that they were expecting. The pair welcomed their twins, Alexander and Ella, in June 2017.

Scroll to see how George and Amals love has bloomed over the years:
Tracey Collins and Mayor Adams taking a selfie in front of a parade float at 2023 Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade, left; at right, the two seen walking together, Adams in suit and Collins, smiling, in colorful dress.

Mayor Adams longtime girlfriend Tracey Collins, a highly paid senior advisor in the city Department of Education, joined Hizzoner on $45,000 worth of ritzy trips  and allegedly hasnt shown up for work in nearly a year, according to complaints filed this week.

Collins, 61, a former DOE teacher, principal and administrator who was promoted after Adams took office, is referred to as Adams domestic partner in the 57-page federal indictment unsealed against the mayor this week.

The Fort Lee, NJ, resident went on Adams trips to India, Hungary, Turkey, Jordan, Oman and Ghana starting in 2016, among other luxury jaunts, according to prosecutors who accuse the mayor of accepting travel perks worth up to $123,000.

Mayor Eric Adams longtime girlfriend Tracey Collins accompanied him on at least $45,000 worth of lavish trips and is now the subject of several ethics complaints, The Post has learned. Benny Polatseck/Mayoral Photography Office

Mayor Eric Adams and longtime partner Tracey Collins at the 2022 Met Gala, accepted lavish trips from a Turkish promoter starting in 2016, according to a federal indictment. REUTERS

Several months after Adams took office and named David Banks schools chancellor, Banks promoted Collins to senior adviser to the deputy chancellor of school leadership, then Desmond Blackburn, who later quit. Collins received a 23% raise to $221,597 a year.

On Friday, a former DOE employee filed complaints about Collins and her no-show job with DOE ethics officer Samantha Biletsky, the Conflicts of Interest Board, the Special Commissioner of Investigation for city schools, and the city Department of Investigation, all questioning if she reported the luxury perks as required.

The employee also alleged Collins has rarely appeared in the office since November 2023, and her work calendar has remained empty.

Co-workers havent seen Collins in person since Thanksgiving, the ex-employee reported.

It is my understanding that DOE employees are only permitted to work from home two days a week, the ex-employee, who previously worked in the same building as Collins, wrote in an email to Biletsky.

Investigators should look into Collins allegedly accepting gifts in excess of 100K from a foreign government and not declaring said gifts on her Conflicts of Interest disclosure, the complaint states.

Collins time and attendance records also must be examined to verify that she put in for vacation while she took all of those illegal trips, according to the complaint.

Collins joined Adams on trips to India, Hungary, Turkey and Ghana, buying some tickets herself, the indictment says. GC Images

In January 2018, Adams and Collins traveled to Budapest through Istanbul, according to the federal indictment against the mayor.

Several months earlier, Collins bought two economy-class tickets from Turkish Airlines for approximately $560 each, but received a free upgrade to business class worth more than $14,000  the highest the airline offers  following a request by an Adams staffer, the document states.

The free and cut-rate travel was omitted from Adams 2018 Conflict of Interest Board disclosure form, the indictment states.

All city officials and high-level employees must disclose any potential conflicts of interest to the COIB under the NYC Charter.

In January 2019, Collins bought an economy ticket for herself for a trip with Adams to Turkey, Jordan and Oman.

Her ticket was upgraded to a seat worth at least $7,000, prosecutors charge, while a staffer requested Adams upgrade separately, since it was bought through a Turkish entrepreneur, one who later became a senior staffer in his administration.

NYC schools Chancellor David Banks promoted Collins to senior adviser to the deputy chancellor for school leadership in 2022. Erik Pendzich/Shutterstock

Collins, Mayor Adams longtime partner, is a DOE administrator who lives in Fort Lee, N.J. GC Images

An SCI spokesperson told The Post, We are currently reviewing and evaluating the allegations.

The city Conflicts of Interest Board is prohibited from commenting on the past conduct of a public servant until there is a final finding of a violation, said COIB executive director Carolyn Lisa Miller.
Fidesz political director Balazs Orban, left, in 2023, and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in 2024. Michel Euler/Leon Neal/Pool via AP Photo

An aide to Viktor Orban suggested Hungary wouldn't have resisted a Russian invasion.

He referred back to a 1956 uprising in Budapest, which the Soviet Union brutally repressed.

He said it was "irresponsible" to resist, citing the number of dead in the Ukraine war.

A top aide to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has drawn criticism for suggesting that his country would not have resisted a Russian invasion like Ukraine did, multiple reports said.

Balazs Orban, the prime minister's highly influential political director, made the remarks on the podcast of a conservative Hungarian news magazine.

Balazs Orban, who is also an MP, is not related to Viktor Orban.

"We probably would not have done what President Zelenskyy did two and a half years ago, because it is irresponsible, because one can see that he took his country into a war of defense," Balazs Orban said, the Hungarian outlet Telex reported.

"So many people have died, so much territory was lost," he continued, adding: "It is their sovereign decision, they could choose to do it, but if they had asked us, we would not have recommended it."

He said this was because Hungary had tried and failed to resist the Soviet Union in 1956.

That year, Hungary  then a satellite state to the bloc  demanded democratization and a move away from Soviet control. Its uprising was brutally repressed by Moscow's forces, which killed at least 2,700 people, with more than 180,000 people fleeing the country.

"One has to treat the very precious Hungarian lives with great care," he said, per Telex.

Balazs Orban's remarks have caused uproar among Hungarian opposition politicians, but he has continued to defend his position, saying that hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians have died "for nothing," Politico reported.

He later said in a post on X that reporting on his remarks was "fake news," adding that "we cannot equate 1956 with the current Russia-Ukraine war."

Hungary's position is "pro-peace," he said.

Fake news @POLITICOEurope 



Let me be clear: the heroes of 1956 are our national heroes, and their memory is sacred. Period. However, we cannot equate 1956 with the current Russia-Ukraine war. For the past two and a half years, since the outbreak of the war, we have faced https://t.co/IJglg1hFrp  Balazs Orban (@BalazsOrban_HU) September 26, 2024

Viktor Orban, the Hungarian leader, attempted to downplay his aide's comments in an interview on Friday, Politico reported.

He said the aide "confusingly phrased his words" but wouldn't hesitate to defend his country, per the outlet.

Viktor Orban is Russian President Vladimir Putin's closest ally in the European Union, a position that put him out of favor in the bloc.

He has opposed both sanctions on Russia and aid to Ukraine, and has accused the EU of prolonging the war by offering military assistance to Ukraine.

Orban's hard-right Fidesz government has admirers in the US.

Former President Donald Trump, who's complimented Viktor Orban in the past, has also advocated for negotiations with Putin.

Earlier this week, Trump pointed to Russian and Soviet military history to make his argument for doing a deal. "That's what they do, they fight," he told supporters at a rally. "And it's not pleasant."

Read the original article on Business Insider
SNP MSP Winnie Ewing opened the Scottish Parliament for business in 1999 [Getty Images]

The King and Queen are at Holyrood this weekend to attend a celebration marking 25 years since the Scottish Parliament was reconvened.

That is how their visit is described in the official news release. Reconvened was the word that MSP Winnie Ewing chose when opening the devolved parliament for business in 1999.

As a nationalist politician, Mrs Ewing may have enjoyed the sense of historical continuity with the 18th Century parliament of what had been an independent Scotland.

Her choice of words raised a few eyebrows at the time because the new parliament bares little resemblance to the old one. The continuity is mostly myth.

Firstly, Holyrood is a democratically elected house rather than an assembly of aristocrats and the landed gentry.

Secondly, it represents an experiment in power-sharing within the United Kingdom, rather than a departure from the political Union with England of 1707.

Queen Elizabeth attended the state opening of the parliament in July 1999 [Getty Images]

For Labour, the party that delivered devolution, one of the key objectives of having more decisions about Scotland made in Scotland was to quell nationalist demands for full independence.

Labours shadow Scottish secretary before the 1997 general election, George Robertson, predicted devolution would kill the SNP stone dead.

By contrast his Labour MP colleague Tam Dalyell, who opposed devolution, warned that it would become a motorway without exit to a separate state.

Either could yet be vindicated but so far both have been wide of the mark.

Ten years ago this month, Scottish voters rejected the offer of independence in a referendum.

Of course, that referendum only materialised because a few years earlier, the main party of independence - the SNP - won an outright majority of seats in the Scottish Parliament.

The voting system was specifically designed for that not to happen. An element of proportional representation was supposed to require minority parties to cooperate and share power.

Thats what happened in the first eight years when Labour and the Liberal Democrats ran coalition governments.

Far from killing the SNP, Holyrood has given the party a platform to propel itself from protest to power.

Over the last 17 years, the SNP has become the dominant force in Scottish politics, keeping constitutional politics to the fore.

That has frustrated their opponents, who would prefer to have seen far greater focus on delivery and reform of devolved public services like the NHS and schools.

The SNPs unsuccessful pursuit of independence has led to Holyrood accumulating new responsibilities.

It has become a more powerful parliament, with almost full control over income tax and the beginnings of a distinctive welfare system.

Smoking in public places was banned 2006 [Getty Images]

Not that it was without considerable clout. Just think of the life and death decisions made daily by Holyrood ministers during the Covid pandemic.

The parliament has passed 370 bills, including landmark legislation to ban smoking in enclosed public places, to introduce minimum unit pricing for alcohol, and to legalise same sex marriage.

A hallmark of devolution is that successive governments have expanded the provision of free or subsidised entitlements.

These include free personal care for the elderly, free prescriptions and free university tuition.

As budgets come under increasing pressure there is a sense that these provisions cannot be expanded much further and may need to become more targeted.

Holyrood has been good at spending money. It is less obviously accomplished at growing the economy to generate extra cash to pay for public services.

The bulk of its funding has always come from a block grant from the UK Treasury.

The Supreme Court was asked to rule on whether a referendum could take place without UK government approval [Reuters]

While some of its powers have expanded, the introduction of a UK internal market act following Brexit allowed the last Westminster government to block the introduction of a Scottish bottle deposit scheme.

UK ministers also used their reserved powers to stop gender recognition reforms in Scotland and were backed up by the courts.

In a separate dispute, their lawyers argued successfully in court that Holyrood could not hold another independence referendum without their approval.

As Scottish Secretary, Conservative MP Alister Jack was quite happy to be seen as a muscular unionist, checking the nationalism of the SNP.

These clashes poisoned relations between the Scottish and UK governments.

There appears to be an attempt at a reset following the general election which saw the SNP lose lots of seats and Labour return to power at Westminster.

Labour supporters celebrate their victory at this year's general election [Reuters]

These struggles probably say more about the parties in power at Scottish and UK levels at a given time than they do about the the Scottish Parliament itself.

That is not to deny there is scope to revise the way Holyrood operates to make it better equipped to hold the Scottish government of the day to account.

All parties that have been consistently represented at Holyrood have had a shot in government, except for the Conservatives.

It was Labours one time Welsh secretary, Ron Davies, who was fond of saying that devolution was a process, not an event.

There has been much evolution in the first 25 years and no doubt more to come.

There were points in the early years when the Scottish Parliaments continued existence seemed far from secure.

It got off to a shaky start with the sudden death of the founding first minister, Donald Dewar; the resignation of his successor, Henry McLeish, in a property sub-letting row; and the scandalous delays and cost increases to the Holyrood parliament building project.

The building of the parliament was beset by delays and cost increases [Getty Images]

It fell to Labour First Minister Jack McConnell to steady the ship. His SNP successors, Alex Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon, expanded the boundaries of devolved power.

The spectacular fallout between Salmond and Sturgeon gripped Holyrood journalists for many months.

It was probably not something Donald Dewar had anticipated.

In his opening address to the parliament in 1999, he described the institution as a new voice in the land.

Twenty-five years later, there is little of consequence in Scotland that does not get discussed there. It is where people come to petition and protest. A traipse to London is no longer a necessity.

Holyrood has firmly established itself at the centre of Scottish public life.

Few would doubt that it is here to stay - and that, perhaps, is a significant achievement in itself.
Here's what happens when a baker becomes a distiller.

Courtesy of High Wire Co. Distilling

Scott Blackwell baked pies for restaurants to pay his way through college at Furman University, distributed Ben & Jerrys ice cream in the Carolinas, paired pastries and specialty coffee as a corporate caterer, and developed an interest in organic farming and terroir after opening a cafe and roastery. Coffee beans were the gateway to agriculture, and that was just the beginning.

Blackwell pursued formal pastry training at the Culinary Institute of America in 1995 after years of entrepreneurship and launched Immaculate Baking Company in his garage in 1998, eventually meeting food marketer Ann Marshall, who would join the venture and become his wife. By 2012, the couple sold the successful baking business to General Mills and took the leap to distilling.

In their thorough research and development into the viability of a distillery, the many rules regulating bourbon  starting with the requirement that 51% or more of the ingredients be corn grown in the United States  piqued Blackwells curiosity about why the spirit is categorized as rye or wheat.

Courtesy of High Wire Co. Distilling

I've been in the food business my whole life, and when I started looking into mash bills, I'm like, what's the corn do? If it's 75-80% of the mash bill, why do they call wheat or rye a flavoring grain? he said to bourbon fans at a seminar at the 2024 Food & Wine Classic in Charleston. And I thought, well, maybe they're just not using very good corn, or corn that doesn't have a whole lot of flavor. That was where the wheels started turning.



Related: This Is the Difference Between Bourbon and Whiskey

So, the couple began experimenting with Hire Wire mash bill, starting with 100% Jimmy Red corn  a near-extinct heirloom varietal that they propagated with Clemson for nine years to revive  and the flavor was so complex, they still make the flagship bourbon without wheat or rye.

Blackwell describes the taste in baking terms: graham, spice, an earthy, honey sweetness as opposed to a sugar sweetness, a high viscosity, and a rich mouthfeel. We also get caramel corn-type flavors, things of that nature, almost more like dessert, custard flavors. Those are sort of the traditional characteristics, he said. So when we're putting together a batch, we will try to hit those notes.

The baker refined his recipe, adjusting yeast strains and fermentation temperatures, using a sweet mash rather than a sour mash. Jimmy Red Straight Bourbon Whiskey is aged for at least two years in American oak barrels with a char of 3.5. And while the popular spirit is now available far and wide, the couple has continued to work with Clemson to study the corns terroir  a reason to taste the product where its made.



High Wire Distilling Co. offers tours and tastings in Charleston, South Carolina, where they make all their spirits with heirloom grains from local family farms.

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Read the original article on Food & Wine.
Editor's Note: This page is a summary of news on Hurricane Helene for Saturday, Sept. 28. For the latest news, view our live updates file for Sunday, Sept. 29.

Dozens were killed. Hospital-goers scrambled to rooftops to be whisked away in helicopters. Mayors frantically told citizens to flee. And inmates were desperately removed from a jail directly in the path of floodwaters.

These were among countless harrowing moments as Helene brought a cascade of destruction across the Southeast. The record-breaking storm hit Florida as a hurricane with wind speeds of 140 mph that flattened buildings. It has since weakened to a post-tropical cyclone with 25 mph winds, as floodwaters besieged parts of North Carolina and Tennessee.

Hundreds of road closures cut off Western North Carolina amid what Buncombe County has billed as a catastrophic natural disaster, in a morning news release from the county. There was no cellular coverage Saturday morning in the county of over 250,000 people. In Asheville, one video posted by ABC 11 showed a house floating away and collapsing into raging floodwaters.

"This is looking to be Buncombe County's own Hurricane Katrina," County Manager Avril Pinder said during an afternoon news briefing, referring to the 2005 storm that led to widespread flooding, destruction and deaths in New Orleans.

Gov. Roy Cooper said 10 people had died in North Carolina due to the storm, in a news release on Saturday night. More than 200 others had been rescued by water and helicopter rescue crews who will continue operations through the night.

Stay safe: These 3 easy mistakes can be deadly after a hurricane

Across the border in Tennessee, officials urged some 100,000 residents to seek higher ground Saturday morning as the Nolichucky Dam in Greene County was on the brink of failure, a warning reiterated by the National Weather Service Saturday morning. Hours later, NWS ended its "flash flood emergency." In a Saturday afternoon update, the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency said the dam remained intact and there were no reports of dam failures. A flood warning was in effect to cover the effects of high water.

The flooding concerns come as President Joe Biden approved emergency disaster relief aid for Tennessee on Saturday.

Meanwhile, eye-popping rainfall totals were measured in the North Carolina mountains, including 29.6 inches at Busick and 24.2 inches at Mount Mitchell, the highest peak east of the Mississippi River and a landmark along the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Friends talk after having canoed the flooded South Fork New River for 32 minutes and landing at a washed out road on September 27, 2024 in Boone, North Carolina.

Helene made landfall at about 11:10 p.m. ET Thursday near Perry, Florida, becoming the first known Category 4 storm to hit Floridas Big Bend region since records began in 1851. The storm continued its push across western Kentucky on Saturday, and was expected to move slowly southeast, then east along the Kentucky-Tennessee border through the weekend, the National Hurricane Center said.

Its destroyed, Jordon Bowen of the Florida State Guard Special Missions Unit told The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Network, referencing the area where Helene made landfall. Not accessible, debris, lots of hazards, downed power lines, houses cut in half."

Dozens of deaths have been attributed to Helenes onslaught, according to authorities and media reports across the Southeast. A tally of the deaths approached 50 on Saturday morning, as officials have said they expected the death toll to continue rising as they go door-to-door in the aftermath of the storm.

Biden was briefed about the deaths, property damage and storm's impact on multiple states by a top official at the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the White House's homeland security adviser, the White House said.

More than 3 million customers remained without power on Saturday afternoon across five states, with authorities warning it could be several days before services were fully restored. The worst outages were in South Carolina with more than 1 million homes and businesses without power, and Georgia where 750,000 were without power. Nearly 620,000 were without power in North Carolina as of Saturday evening.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis authorized the Florida National Guard to send air assets to North Carolina in support of the hurricane response.

Friday: Stranded people at East Tennessee hospital rescued

Multiple deaths in Buncombe County as rescue crews recover bodies

Multiple people died in Buncombe County amid the damage and havoc caused by Helene, officials said in a Saturday afternoon news briefing.

"It is a catastrophic event, but now we are sad to report, it is a fatal event," said Winston Parrish, chaplain for Buncombe County Sheriff's Department. "Our emergency crews are not just conducting rescues at this time, but they are also recovering people who have perished in this tragedy."

Officials did not say how many people have died in Buncombe County due to the storm.

Officials said search and rescue operations in the Western North Carolina community would continue through the night. Some exhausted rescue workers have conducted operations with little to no sleep over the past 72 hours, officials said.

We have biblical devastation through the county. Weve had biblical flooding here, said Ryan Cole, the assistant director of Buncombe County Emergency Services.

He said the sheriff's department is working to try to prepare information on the number of deaths.

Asheville Police Chief Michael Lamb said his department had a list of about 60 people with relatives they had not been able to reach. His department planned "welfare checks" at homes to check those individuals.

The storm appeared to cause severe damage to Asheville's water system that will require "extensive repairs," said Ben Woody, Asheville's assistant city manager.

The county was working to open water distribution sites and planned to announce the sites when they get water and are open, said County Manager Avril Pinder. None had opened as of 4 p.m. Saturday.

We expect to have that up and running by tomorrow, Pinder said. We continue to be without water, for most, without power and without cell service.

Woody reminded people to boil water vigorously for at least one minute before using it as drinking water.

This is a generational weather event, he said. Although providing an accurate timeline is impossible, I want to be clear that service restoration will be an extended effort.

The city of Asheville also announced an overnight curfew  from 7:30 p.m. Saturday to 7:30 a.m. Sunday because most of the city remained without power on Saturday.

- Asheville Citizen Times

UNC Asheville cancels classes as downtown hotels fill up

Classes at the University of North Carolina at Asheville are canceled until Oct. 9, the university's student alert system announced on Saturday.

UNC Asheville spokesperson Michael Strysick told the Citizen Times that approximately a quarter of students living on campus left before the storm, leaving around 1,200 still on campus. He said school staff went door-to-door after the storm performing checks on students.

Strysick said UNC Asheville is coordinating with other UNC system schools and is looking into bringing mobile Wi-Fi to campus.

"We're doing the best we can under difficult circumstances," Strysick said.

In downtown Asheville, nearly all downtown hotels are booked, and any with remaining availability have no running water and arent accepting more guests.

Jeff Elstro, the general manager of the Flat Iron Hotel, said the hotel has no water, no internet and is not taking guests. Yesterday, locals who went to the hotel searching for accommodations were unable to be helped. Most people at the hotel today are trying to leave, he said.

Jordan Hicks, a valet at the Restoration, said all 60 of the hotels rooms were full.

Other hotels downtown, like the Haywood Park Hotel, have no vacancies or running water. The Downtown Inn and Suites was closed because it did not have water.

The Cambria Hotel Downtown Asheville, which posted on Facebook that it has a displacement rate for locals affected by Tropical Storm Helene, does not have rooms available.

- Asheville Citizen Times

Flooding isolates Western North Carolina; hundreds of roads closed

Officials in Asheville, North Carolina, have billed Helene as a catastrophic natural disaster, as Saturday dawned with all rivers still at major flood status," per an 8 a.m. news release from Buncombe County.

There was no cellular coverage as of Saturday morning in the county of over 250,000 people. Town officials in Buncombe County's Black Mountain reported that most internet, cell phone and landline access was down, and the local water system was non-operational, according to a social media post Saturday.

All roads in the western part of the state "should be considered closed," the North Carolina Department of Transportation said Saturday. Across the state, more than 400 roads were closed.

Flood waters from the French Broad River cover the River Arts District in Asheville, North Carolina on Saturday, September 28, 2024.

Neighboring Haywood County announced a curfew between 9 p.m. and 7 a.m. and urged residents to stay off the roads and conserve fuel.

Since Sept. 26, Buncombe County has received over 5,000 calls to 911. The county urged people not to call to report downed trees, power lines or outages.

The region has seen more than 130 water rescue missions.

I cannot stress enough how important it is to stay away from the water, said Buncombe County Fire Marshal Kevin Tipton. There are down power lines in the water, sewage in the water, and an incredible amount of debris. It is not safe.

Catastrophic impacts from #Helene in western NC and eastern TN with major roads impassable due to flooding, washouts, and trees. Photos from northern Avery County (NC) where local fire departments are completely isolated. @NWSGSP pic.twitter.com/x6enJqk6X4  Baker Perry (@BakerPerry1) September 28, 2024

The 911 center said it would not be providing updates on road conditions, power restoration or internet service.

Public safety officials urged people to be cautious on the roads. The Highway Patrol urged drivers to avoid the eastbound lanes on Interstate 40 near Asheville.

The North Carolina Highway Patrol said drivers should take I-40 to Interstate 240 to Interstate 26 if attempting to go south from Buncombe County. Interstate 26 reopened from Asheville to South Carolina.

Motorists were advised to avoid the area's highways and roads for non-emergency travel.

Most airlines at Ashevilles regional airport announced plans to cancel flights Saturday, officials announced on social media. The airport is open and flights can take off and land, but there are operational difficulties due to outages and staff are unable to get to work, officials said.

- Asheville Citizen Times

Damage predicted to cost billions

Helene's catastrophic winds and flooding caused somewhere between $95 and $110 billion in damage and economic loss, making it one of the costliest storms in history, according to an early estimate by AccuWeather.

The estimate includes damage to homes, businesses, roads, vehicles and the effects of power outages, along with lost wages, flight delays, damage to the supply chain and more, AccuWeather said in a release.

Other catastrophic storms include Hurricane Ian in 2022, which caused about $180 to $210 billion in damage; Hurricanes Harvey and Irma in 2017 with a combined total of about $270 billion; Hurricane Sandy in 2012 with $210 billion; and Hurricane Katrina in 2005 with damages of about $320 billion. AccuWeather's estimates have been adjusted for inflation.

Why did Helene cause so much rain?

A confluence of weather patterns over the eastern U.S. set up the historic flooding that forced people from their homes in the dead of night Friday along the Nolichucky River in Tennessee, as officials warned of dam failures and raging torrents ravaged communities.

In several forecast discussions earlier in the week, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration meteorologists described a band of moisture ahead of Helene. This is called a predecessor event and theyve been documented in the past to cause heavy rains ahead of the arrival of tropical storms and hurricanes.

Along the Blue Ridge Mountains in North Carolina on Wednesday and Thursday, almost 10 inches of rain fell in Asheville and 8 inches in Tryon, according to preliminary weather service data. Another 6 inches fell over the two days in Bristol-Johnson, Tennessee and more than 4 inches in Knoxville.

Then Helenes massive circulation moved into the mix with more rain, and then transitioned into a post-tropical cyclone. Recent studies have shown some hurricanes are soaking up more moisture from the warming Gulf of Mexico, further enhancing rainfall totals.

By Friday evening, record-breaking rainfall totals were reported in some Southeast locations, with more than a foot of rain across swaths of Georgia and South Carolina. Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia saw widespread amounts ranging from 4 to 7 inches.

Rain flowing into rivers in the mountainous areas quickly turned into cataclysmic flooding, setting a record high on the Pigeon River at Newport, Tennessee. In Asheville, record high levels were set on the French Broad River and the Swannanoa River near the Biltmore estate.

At least three of the flood level records broken Friday were set more than a century ago, when the lingering remnants of one tropical system in July 1916 were followed by another, producing heavy rain.

 Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA TODAY

Death toll continues to climb

Deaths from dangerous weather conditions unleashed by Helene have been reported across the storm's path, and authorities expect the death toll to continue to rise.

In Florida, at least 11 deaths have been attributed to the storm, Gov. Ron DeSantis said in an update on Saturday morning. In Pinellas County, which encompasses Clearwater and St. Petersburg, five people suffered storm-related deaths, said Cathie Perkins, director of emergency management, at a news conference Friday. DeSantis said Friday a person died in Dixie County, along the Big Bend coast, after a tree fell on a home. On Thursday night, a person was killed in a storm-related traffic fatality in Ybor City in Tampa, the governor said.

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp's office said at least 15 people were killed during the storm, including a first responder. "One of our finest lost his life trying to save others," Kemp said at a news conference.

The first responder was Vernon Leon Davis, assistant chief of the Blackshear Fire Department, Pierce County Coroner William Wilson told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Davis died when a tree fell on his city truck shortly before 1:30 a.m. Friday. Also killed in Georgia were a 27-year-old woman and her 1-month-old twin boys, who were in bed together when a tree crashed through their mobile home, McDuffie County Coroner Paul Johnson told the outlet.

At least 19 people had died during the storm across South Carolina, the Charleston-based Post and Courier newspaper reported, citing local officials. Of those, two people were killed by trees that had fallen on their homes, the Anderson County Sheriff's Office and coroner's office told local media outlets. Two firefighters in Saluda County were also killed, Gov. Henry McMaster said at a news conference. Two people died in Newberry County, Sheriff James Lee Foster said in an email. Four others died in Aiken County, Coroner Darryl Ables told USA TODAY by phone.

In North Carolina, a 4-year-old was killed and others were injured in a wreck on Thursday that occurred as Helene's outer bands were slamming the state. In Charlotte, North Carolina, a person died and another was hospitalized after a tree fell on a home just after 5 a.m. Friday, according to the Charlotte Fire Department.

Virginia also recorded its first storm death from a falling tree and building collapse in Craig County, Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced in a video on his Facebook page Friday.

Florida towns flattened under record-breaking winds

Helene hit Floridas Big Bend first, crashing in with sustained wind speeds of 140 mph. The small area along the states Gulf Coast near Tallahassee has seen many bracing storms over the years but none with the force of Helene.

Its total devastation, Scott Peters, the owner of a bar flattened by the storm in Florida, told USA TODAY. Ive got to start completely over.

Peters, the owner of Crabbie Dad's bar, is among those whose property the storm flattened at Steinhatchee, a small town just dozens of miles from where Helene made landfall.

The town took on a record-breaking 9.63 feet of storm surge, leaving what was dry land submerged in 40 to 50 inches of water, according to Bowen of the State Guard.

John Kujawski, another local, told USA TODAY the storm reopened wounds from Hurricane Idalia, which whacked the town in August 2023. Roofs that had been repaired were destroyed all over again, docks tossed ashore, and boats overturned and jammed into marina pilings.

The storm wrecked dozens of homes at Horseshoe Beach, another coastal town south of Steinhatchee. Some of the homes were shoved off their concrete footings, while others had their roofs flayed off by the wind.

Helene ripped away the staircases to Bill and Debbie Dotsons home so the couple is staying in a tent on the ground beneath it. The house, like many in the area, is built atop concrete footings in case of flood waters.

The Dotsons said they thought Helene caused more damage to the area than Idalia, which destroyed about 40 houses. The 2023 storm also destroyed one of their staircases and damaged another, a $15,000 repair job a local contractor had only recently finished.

Helene is the couples fourth hurricane since moving to the area in 2021

We had the discussion about hurricanes but you never imagine something like this. You just dont, said Debbie Dotson, 63. We sure are grateful that its standing.

Deluge of rain in Tennessee

Helenes winds died down as the storm bore into Tennessee and North Carolina, but it dumped enough water to nearly swallow a hospital, send rivers soaring to record highs and prompt local officials to urge citizens to flee for high ground ahead of potential dam failures.

Officials from Florida to as far north as Virginia urged people to make for higher ground.

The Nolichucky River near the North Carolina border came close to sweeping away Unicoi County Hospital in Erwin, Tennessee. Rising waters forced 54 hospital staffers and patients to head for the roof to be whisked away aboard helicopters and boats.

"The hospital has been engulfed by extremely dangerous and rapidly moving water," Ballad Health wrote in a cry for help on X earlier in the day and hours before conditions calmed down enough for rescue vehicles to move into the area.

The Pigeon River running through Newport blew past record levels to reach a height of 27 feet. The nearby French Broad River was also expected to almost reach record levels by Saturday morning.

Surging water levels in downtown Newport prompted officials to evacuate the jail, which sits at the bank of the Pigeon. Approximately 60 inmates were taken from the Cocke County Jail to the Jefferson County Jail, a representative for Jefferson County said.

Contributing: Trevor Hughes, Christopher Cann, Dinah Voyles Pulver, Eduardo Cuevas and Ken Alltucker, USA TODAY; Reuters; Knoxville News Sentinel; Asheville Citizen Times

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Helene live updates: Helene flooding isolates western NC
You may want to toss the food in your fridge after a power outage, according to experts. (Getty Creative) (Olga Pankova via Getty Images)

Hurricane Helene killed at least 50 people and left more than 4.8 million utility customers without power in the Southeastern U.S. on Friday.

Though it is not often considered the top safety risk of hurricanes, power outages can have major implications for ones health and pose an additional threat to those who are recovering from the natural disaster. Heres what to know, and how to keep yourself and your family safe.

Heat-related illness

Power outages mean no ability to run an air conditioning system in ones home, and widespread loss of power in a community means there are no public cooling centers to escape the heat.

This is particularly a problem during summer storms in hot, humid climates, such as Texas, which faced severe challenges when Hurricane Beryl hit in July 2024. The hurricane's impact led to significant outages and resulted in multiple heat-related deaths.

If you are dealing with heat issues during a power outage, its important to stay inside and out of the sun as much as possible, stay hydrated and not exert yourself. If safe water is available (its possible for power outages to disrupt water purification and other means of maintaining usable water) you can dampen your clothes to keep cool in the absence of air conditioning.

Also, keep an eye out for signs of heat-related illness, such as headaches, dizziness, excessive sweating, rapid heartbeat, nausea and confusion, which may require medical attention.

Food safety

Health standards state that food must not be in the zone of 40F to 140F for more than two hours to avoid harmful bacteria from growing. When your power goes out, however, so does the cooling mechanism in your refrigerator, which keeps food safe at below that 40F mark.

While your fridge will keep food cool for some time (the U.S. Department of Agriculture advises that a properly working fridge should keep food safe for approximately four hours after a power outage), the longer you go without power, the more likely it is that your food will spoil.

This is particularly a problem for people who are unaware of how long their power has been out. If you return home unaware that your food has spoiled due to a power outage in your now-working fridge, you may inadvertently put yourself at risk for foodborne illness. Experts previously told Yahoo Life that you are safest throwing away meat, poultry, fish, eggs and leftovers after you learn of a power outage for this reason.

One trick in order to tell how long your fridge may have been without power is to keep a cup of frozen water in your freezer with a coin on top of the ice, Jill Roberts, a food safety expert and associate professor at the University of South Florida, told Yahoo Life. If it melts, the coin drops to the bottom  so, whether or not it re-freezes, youll know a little more about the inner workings of your fridge.

Medical devices

Some people rely on medical devices that are powered by electricity, such as CPAP machines for sleep apnea, insulin pumps for diabetes or nebulizers for respiratory conditions. When the power goes out, so too, can your ability to use these machines.

If you have a device that is compatible, keeping a portable battery charged and on hand during these scenarios can buy you time while you wait for the power to return. You may also want to consider a backup generator in your home for emergency scenarios.

Its also important to keep information about your local hospitals and clinics nearby during a crisis, so you can reach out for assistance.

Medication

Many medications, such as insulin for managing diabetes, need to be kept at a cool temperature  which can be impossible when the power goes out. In this case, its important to have a plan in place for storing medications. This could include using coolers with ice packs, if you are able to freeze them in advance, in order to maintain the necessary temperature.

If you rely on medications that need to stay cool, its important to talk to your pharmacist or doctor about how long they can be safely stored without refrigeration and what steps to take if you lose power.

Its also worth noting that, in an emergency situation, you may be able to get medication you need from a hospital or urgent care center should yours no longer be viable due to temperatures.
The World Anti-Doping Agency is seeking a ban of World No. 1 Jannik Sinner for one to two years, contending the Italian tennis star is negligent in a doping case.

WADA confirmed Saturday that it has appealed the Sinner case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Sinner twice tested positive for a banned substance in March but was not suspended because he was not at fault, the International Tennis Integrity Agency announced on Aug. 20.

Samples the Italian submitted at the ATP Masters 1000 event in Indian Wells on March 10 and March 18 contained low levels of the prohibited substance clostebol, violating anti-doping rules, according to an independent tribunal appointed by Sport Resolutions.

Jannik Sinner celebrates after defeating Taylor Fritz in the men's singles final of the 2024 U.S. Open tennis tournament at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing, New York on Sept. 8, 2024.

However, it was found that clostebol, a steroid, entered Sinner's system via a third party. A support team member who had been using an over-the-counter spray that contained the substance to treat his own wound passed it on to Sinner through therapy performed without gloves.

WADA disagrees.

"It is WADA's view that the finding of 'no fault or negligence' was not correct under the applicable rules," the agency said in a news release. "WADA is seeking a period of ineligibility of between one and two years. WADA is not seeking a disqualification of any results, save that which has already been imposed by the tribunal of first instance.

"As this matter is now pending before CAS, WADA will make no further comment at this time."

Sinner, 23, has had a spectacular 2024, going 57-5 in his matches and winning six of his 16 career titles, including the U.S. Open, the Australian Open, and the ATP Masters 1000 events in Cincinnati and Miami.

Sinner reached the quarterfinals at the China Open on Saturday.

In August, some of his fellow players spoke out against the lack of a punishment for Sinner, however.

Australia's Nick Kyrgios blasted Sinner's explanation.

"Ridiculous - whether it was accidental or planned. You get tested twice with a banned (steroid) substance... you should be gone for 2 years. Your performance was enhanced. Massage cream.... Yeah nice," Kyrgios posted on X.

"Different rules for different players," Canadian Denis Shapovalov posted on X. "Can't imagine what every other player that got banned for contaminated substances is feeling right now."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: WADA seeks ban of No. 1 Jannik Sinner in doping case
Comedian and TV personality Bill Maher said Friday evening that he is confident former President Trump will lose to Vice President Harris in November.

Im not even worried about it, he said of the election, now less than six weeks away, during a panel discussion on Real Time with Bill Maher.

One of his guests, writer Fran Lebowitz, pressed him on the prediction, repeating, Youre not even worried about it?

No, not at all, Maher replied, adding, Hes definitely going to lose. You just feel it.

The comedian reminded his guests that he had already predicted weeks before that Trumps chances of getting back into the White House were slim. In a similar segment on his show earlier this month, Maher said the former president was going to lose.

At the time, he said he believes he has the credibility to make such a prediction because he had previously been labeled a Trump alarmist and was convinced the former president still had a chance even after the release of the Access Hollywood tape in which Trump bragged about groping and kissing women without their consent.

Trump has blasted Maher recently for consistently including him as a talking point on his show, calling the host sloppy and tired.

The ratings challenged Bill Maher, on his increasingly boring show on HBO, is really having a hard time coping with TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME, Trump wrote a week ago on his Truth Social platform. He is a befuddled mess, sloppy and tired, and every conversation, with B and C list guests, seems to start with, or revert back to, ME!

Harris currently has a 4.2 point lead over the former president  50 percent to 45.8 percent  according to The Hill/Decision Desk HQs polling index. But recent polling in battleground states, where the election is likely to be determined, shows the party nominees are virtually neck and neck.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Detectives are surveying the crime scenes [Reuters]

Eighteen people have been killed in a mass shooting in a remote South African town with a manhunt under way to find the perpetrators, police say.

Two homesteads on the same street in the town of Lusikisiki, in the Eastern Cape, were targeted, police said, with 12 women and one man killed in one location, and three women and one man at a second location.

The 18th victim died in hospital on Sunday, the South Africa Police Service said.

Police Minister Senzo Mchunu said the motive for the shootings was unknown.

In a statement on Sunday, police said that apart from the death of the 18th person, there were no other new developments. No arrests have been made so far.

Officials said the victims were relatives and neighbours in Nyathi village, Ngobozana in Lusikisiki.

South African media reported the victims had been gathered at the houses to prepare to attend a traditional mourning ceremony for a mother and daughter who were murdered a year ago.

They had been packing goods and presents, including furniture, for the event when the attack occurred on Friday night, according to the media reports.

"We heard gunshots and doors that were kicked," Nomnikelo Ndlovu, one of the residents who was able to hide during the attack, told state broadcaster SABC.

"We tried to hide and three people were shot. We are still traumatised."

In a statement on Saturday, the police minister said that there had been a total of 19 people sleeping in two homes in the same yard at one of the shooting locations.

Mchunu added that there had been six survivors at that homestead - four women, a man, and a two-month-old child. A police spokesperson said earlier that the child was uninjured, but had been taken to hospital as a precaution.

There were no survivors at the other homestead.

Mchunu said a team of detectives and forensic experts, including crime scene managers from Pretoria, had been deployed "to piece all [the] evidence together in a bid to apprehend these brutal criminals".

Regional cabinet member for community safety Xolile Nqatha told SABC that he hoped the critically injured man would make a "speedy" recovery, as "his recovery can help us shed more light" on the shooting.

He also suggested that the assailants may have been known to the victims.

South Africa has one of the highest murder rates in the world, according to the latest figures from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.

There were more than 27,000 murders in 2022 - amounting to 45 people per 100,000, out of a population of almost 60 million. By comparison, the US rate is six per 100,000.

Additional reporting by Aleks Phillips

[BBC]

More about crime in South Africa:
A message in a bottle sits on a beach at sunset. (Peter Cade / Getty Images)

Musicians have penned songs about it. Scientists have deployed them to study ocean currents. People lost at sea or aboard a sinking ship have used them as a last-ditch effort to call for help.

In July 2016, a trio of Bay Area friends vacationing on Navini Island in Fiji placed a message in a bottle and set it out to sea, wondering if a stranger would ever read their note.

After eight years they finally got an answer, all the way from Australia.

"It's like every childhood sort of fantasy fairy tale sort of thing. Send a message away and someone actually reads it," Sandra Lamari, who was among the group of hikers that found the bottle in Queensland, Australia, this month told KABC-TV in Los Angeles.

Read more:Message in a bottle found 54 years later in Arctic

A group of hikers was cleaning up the beach along Chunda Bay when they stumbled upon a glass bottle containing a piece of paper carefully rolled and secured with a red hair tie. The message written on paper weathered from years drifting at sea was from Savannah, Kate and Janice of Sunnyvale.

"Dear reader," the message begins. "We wrote this tonight because we heard so many stories about doing this. We're leaving Navini today at 5:00 Fijian time so please write back..." It included an address on York Town Drive in Sunnyvale.

A video of the discovery posted on Instagram shows members of the Townsville Hike and Explore group gasping in surprise when they realized the authors were thousands of miles away in California. It's unknown just how long the bottle had been drifting in the ocean or when it washed ashore. Chunda Bay is about 2,000 miles from Navini.

"We're asking for all of your help to track Kate, Janice and Savannah down. Can you please share this post far and wide? We'd love to connect with them to let them know we found it," the group wrote on Instagram.

Read more:Unprecedented numbers of gray whales are visiting San Francisco Bay, and nobody quite knows why

It wasn't long before news outlets in Australia and the United States began to share the story. Eventually, the Bay Area friends  Savannah Green, Janice Pierce and Kate Bonhan  discovered the post.

Green told Bay Area station KNTV that she remembered writing the message on her first trip to Fiji when she was 11 years old and including the address of her childhood home in Sunnyvale.

It kind of felt almost spiritual, like the way that it survived eight years and was still legible and my hair tie was still on the note, she told the outlet.

The hikers and the three friends are hoping to meet in person soon.

Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
The "jury is still out" on the new UK government, Northern Ireland's First Minister Michelle O'Neill has said.

The Sinn Fein vice-president was speaking at the party's annual ard fheis (conference) in Athlone.

It is Sinn Fein's first conference since O'Neill became first minister of the Northern Ireland Executive - the first Irish nationalist to hold the role.

Calling for a further devolution of powers to Stormont, she said the first actions of the new Labour government have been more "broken promises".

'Broken promises'

Northern Ireland's power-sharing institutions were restored in February after a two-year hiatus.

Addressing party members on Friday evening, O'Neill said the four parties in the devolved administration are "working together with a unity of purpose".

"And we are determined to deliver good public services, good governance, economic growth and strong communities that we all depend on," she added.

O'Neill said the change of government in July offers "an opportunity to improve Irish-British relations".

But she said "the jury is certainly still out" on how the government will meet its commitments under the Good Friday Agreement.

"Their initial actions demonstrate more of the same - failed austerity and broken promises," she added.

Criticising Labour's plans to cut winter fuel payments, she said that "financial limitations" placed on the Stormont executive "restrict our ability to be able to act".

"So further financial powers are required," the Sinn Fein deputy leader added.

"But it all points to one thing. That it's only through governing ourselves can we build a better future.

"All powers and all decisions should be taken here at home on this island."

'A united, inclusive Ireland'

In July, Sinn Fein became Northern Ireland's largest party at Westminster, although its MPs do not take their seats.

The Irish republican party is also the largest at Stormont and at local council level, and is the main opposition party in the Republic of Ireland.

It is aiming for a place in the Irish government for the first time following the next general election, which could be just months away.

But the party has slipped in recent opinion polls in the Irish Republic, and underperformed against expectations in June's local and European elections.

O'Neill said the party was "ready to fight the general election when its called".

She said the party's Westminster success "demonstrates that Sinn Fein can reaffirm our mission and that change can happen".

The Sinn Fein deputy leader said the party's "goal is a united, inclusive Ireland".

In her speech, O'Neill also called for the government's pledge to repeal the Troubles Legacy Act to be "delivered in full".

She also reaffirmed her party's commitment to the Casement Park GAA stadium project in west Belfast.

Sinn Fein president Mary Lou McDonald is due to give a keynote speech to close the ard fheis on Saturday.

You can watch Mary Lou McDonald's speech at the Sinn Fein Ard Fheis and follow live coverage on the BBC News NI website from 18:00 BST.
By SA Commercial Prop News

Ster-Kinekor, one of South Africas large cinema chains enters business rescue to safeguard the interests of the company, as customers stay away from movie theatres due to the Covid-19 pandemic.



There is still no respite for Mall Landlords as one of SAs large cinema chains, Ster-Kinekor which occupies big pockets of space in many shopping centres, went into business rescue.

Lockdown has brought out simmering tensions between mall landlords and their big retail tenants. Is it over now? Not by a long shot.

The bruising is not over for South Africa's landlords. In fact, analysts expect more severe pain is still on the way for the listed property sector as more retail tenants are buckling under pressure and some office leases would be up for renewal.

Ster-Kinekor, one of South Africas large cinema chains, announced in January the group would enter business rescue to safeguard the interests of the company, as customers stay away from movie theatres due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

It owns 60-65% of the market, having 55 movie complexes making up 400 screens and 64000 seats, with 154 of those screens being state-of-the-art 3D cinemas.

SA movie theatres and some gyms were paying only a fraction of the rent they owe months into the coronavirus crisis, delivering a blow to shopping centre owners hoping for a faster recovery.

Until February 2020, Ster-Kinekor was profitable and highly cash generative, with good prospects of future, ongoing profitability, the company said.

In a statement, Ster-Kinekor said its board of directors took the decision in an attempt to facilitate the rehabilitation of the company.



As a result of the Covid-19 pandemic and the lockdown instituted by government at the end of March 2020, all cinemas were required to shut down, and only permitted to reopen under strict conditions as from the end of August 2020.



Since then the company has been operating under various forms of restriction, including curfews and mandatory limits to the number of guests per auditorium. In addition, there has been an impact of the rescheduling of blockbuster film contents from the original date, the statement read.



It said the continued lack of content for the next four to five months meant that the business was heading for further operational and cash flow challenges.



The board is of the view that the safe harbour that business rescue provides, in terms of providing a legal moratorium, will assist the business to return to profitability, once operating restrictions have been lifted, when international film distributions start to flow again.



Ster-Kinekor acting CEO Motheo Matsau said: For our customers, it is important to note that our cinemas remain open for business. Movie goers can continue to book their movie tickets through our website, app or in-store. All cinemas have instituted strict Covid-19 protocols, which mean temperature checks and hand sanitising on arrival and inside the auditoria and mask wearing as appropriate. Every two seats are kept vacant for social distancing.



Stefan Smyth, a partner at EY SA, where he leads their Africa turnaround and restructuring strategy practice, was appointed as the business rescue practitioner.
By Tom Perry

BEIRUT -Lebanon's Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah has led Hezbollah through decades of conflict with Israel, overseeing its transformation into a military force with regional sway and becoming one of the most prominent Arab figures in generations - with Iranian backing.

The Axios news site and Israeli media reported he was targeted on Friday in an Israeli attack that rocked Beirut, the latest in an escalating series of blows over 10 days that have shaken the group he has led for 32 years.

Nasrallah was unreachable following Israel's strikes on Beirut's southern suburbs on Friday evening, a source close to the Lebanese armed group told Reuters.

Hours after the strikes, Hezbollah had not made a statement on his fate.

A source close to Hezbollah told Reuters Nasrallah was alive and Iran's Tasnim news agency also reported he was safe. A senior Iranian security official told Reuters Tehran was checking his status.

Among supporters, Nasrallah has been lauded for standing up to Israel and defying the United States. To enemies, he is head of a terrorist organisation and a proxy for Iran's Shi'ite Islamist theocracy in its tussle for influence in the Middle East.

His regional influence has been on display over nearly a year of conflict ignited by the Gaza war, as Hezbollah entered the fray by firing on Israel from southern Lebanon in support of its Palestinian ally Hamas, and Yemeni and Iraqi groups followed suit, operating under the umbrella of "The Axis of Resistance".

"We are facing a great battle," Nasrallah said in an Aug. 1 speech at the funeral of Hezbollah's top military commander, Fuad Shukr, who was killed in an Israeli strike on the Hezbollah-controlled southern suburbs of Beirut.

Yet when thousands of Hezbollah members were injured and dozens killed, when their communications devices exploded in an apparent Israeli attack last week, that battle began to turn against his group.

Responding to the attacks on Hezbollah's communications network in a Sept. 19 speech, Nasrallah vowed to punish Israel.

"This is a reckoning that will come, its nature, its size, how and where? This is certainly what we will keep to ourselves and in the narrowest circle even within ourselves," he said.

He has not given a broadcast address since then.

Israel has meanwhile dramatically escalated its attacks, killing several senior Hezbollah commanders in targeted strikes and unleashing a massive bombardment in Hezbollah-controlled areas of Lebanon, which has killed hundreds of people.

Recognised even by his enemies as a charismatic orator, Nasrallah's speeches are followed by friend and foe alike.

Wearing the black turban of a sayyed, or a descendent of the Prophet Mohammad, Nasrallah uses his addresses to rally Hezbollah's base but also to deliver carefully calibrated threats, often wagging his finger as he does so.

He became secretary general of Hezbollah in 1992 at just 35, the public face of a once shadowy group founded by Iran's Revolutionary Guards in 1982 to fight Israeli occupation forces.

Israel killed his predecessor, Sayyed Abbas al-Musawi, in a helicopter attack. Nasrallah led Hezbollah when its guerrillas finally drove Israeli forces from southern Lebanon in 2000, ending an 18-year occupation.

'DIVINE VICTORY'

Conflict with Israel has largely defined his leadership. He declared "Divine Victory" in 2006 after Hezbollah waged 34 days of war with Israel, winning the respect of many ordinary Arabs who had grown up watching Israel defeat their armies.

But he became an increasingly divisive figure in Lebanon and the wider Arab world as Hezbollah's area of operations widened to Syria and beyond, reflecting an intensifying conflict between Shi'ite Iran and U.S.-allied Sunni Arab monarchies in the Gulf.

While Nasrallah painted Hezbollah's engagement in Syria - where it fought in support of President Bashar al-Assad during the civil war - as a campaign against jihadists, critics accused the group of becoming part of a regional sectarian conflict.

At home, Nasrallah's critics said Hezbollah's regional adventurism imposed an unbearable price on Lebanon, leading once friendly Gulf Arabs to shun the country - a factor that contributed to its 2019 financial collapse.

In the years following the 2006 war, Nasrallah walked a tightrope over a new conflict with Israel, hoarding Iranian rockets to form a deterrent "balance of terror" in a carefully measured contest of threat and counter threat.

The Gaza war, ignited by the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel, prompted Hezbollah's worst conflict with Israel since 2006, costing the group hundreds of its fighters including top commanders.

After years of entanglements elsewhere, the conflict put renewed focus on Hezbollah's historic struggle with Israel.

"We are here paying the price for our front of support for Gaza, and for the Palestinian people, and our adoption of the Palestinian cause," Nasrallah said in the Aug. 1 speech.

Nasrallah grew up in Beirut's impoverished Karantina district. His family hail from Bazouriyeh, a village in the Lebanon's predominantly Shi'ite south which today forms Hezbollah's political heartland.

He is part of a generation of young Lebanese Shi'ites whose political outlook was shaped by Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Before leading the group, he used to spend nights with frontline guerrillas fighting Israel's occupying army. His teenage son, Hadi, died in battle in 1997, a loss that gives him legitimacy among his core Shi'ite constituency in Lebanon.

POWERFUL ENEMIES

He has a track record of threatening powerful enemies.

As regional tensions escalated after the eruption of the Gaza war, Nasrallah issued a thinly veiled warning to U.S. warships in the Mediterranean, telling them: "We have prepared for the fleets with which you threaten us."

In 2020, Nasrallah vowed that U.S. soldiers would leave the region in coffins after Iranian general Qassem Soleimani was killed in a U.S. drone strike in Iraq.

He expressed fierce opposition to Saudi Arabia over its armed intervention in Yemen, where, with U.S. and other allied support, Riyadh sought to roll back the Iran-aligned Houthis.

As regional tensions rose in 2019 following an attack on Saudi oil facilities, he said Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates should halt the Yemen war to protect themselves.

"Dont bet on a war against Iran because they will destroy you," he said in a message directed at Riyadh.

On Nasrallah's watch, Hezbollah has also clashed with adversaries at home in Lebanon.

In 2008, he accused the Lebanese government - backed at the time by the West and Saudi Arabia - of declaring war by moving to ban his group's internal communication network. Nasrallah vowed to "cut off the hand" that tried to dismantle it.

It prompted four days of civil war pitting Hezbollah against Sunni and Druze fighters, and the Shi'ite group to take over half the capital Beirut.

He strongly denied any Hezbollah involvement in the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri, after a U.N.-backed tribunal indicted four members of the group.

Nasrallah rejected the tribunal - which in 2020 eventually convicted three of them in absentia over the assassination - as a tool in the hands of Hezbollah's enemies.

(Editing by William Maclean, Andrew Heavens, Angus McDowall, Sharon Singleton and Rosalba O'Brien)
Born almost a decade before the first Miss Universe contest was held in 1952, 80-year-old Choi Soon-hwa could now make history as the pageants oldest ever participant.

Earlier this month, she was unveiled as a finalist in the annual Miss Universe Korea competition. On Monday, Choi will go head-to-head with 31 other contestants for the tiara  and a chance to represent South Korea at the Miss Universe final in Mexico this November.

I want to stun the world, like, How is an 80-year-old lady so healthy? How did she maintain that body? Whats your diet? she told CNN on the phone ahead of the pageant. When you get old, you gain weight So, I want to show that we can live healthily even when we get old.

For decades, the Miss Universe Organization enforced strict age restrictions limiting participation to women aged 18 to 28. But from 2024, amid growing calls to modernize, the upper age limit has been lifted. Last year, the organization also updated eligibility criteria to remove a longstanding ban on pregnant women or mothers, and women who were  or ever had been  married.

Choi surrounded by fellow Miss Universe Korea contestants at a pageant rehearsal on Friday. - Charlie Miller/CNN

National-level Miss Universe pageants, although not all directly administered by the Miss Universe Organization, were obliged to follow suit. This year, 58-year-old Lorraine Peters and 60-year-old Alejandra Marisa Rodriguez took part in Miss Universe Canada and Miss Universe Argentina, respectively, though neither advanced to Novembers final.

Now that the age restriction has been lifted, I said, I should give it a try, Choi said, adding: Whether I get through or not, I was determined to try and get this opportunity.

Set to be the oldest person ever to participate in a national Miss Universe pageant, Choi  should she take the title and advance to Mexico  would be more than twice the age of the next oldest finalist (40-year-old Beatrice Njoya of Malta is currently the oldest confirmed participant, and the mother of three children, although a handful of countries are yet to select their entrant).

Evolving world of pageantry

Organizers of Miss Universe Korea announced this years competition by claiming in promotional materials that age doesnt matter when it comes to dreaming. They also removed its swimsuit segment.

Mondays pageant will see Choi take part in a singing contest, with other finalists performing dances or walking in traditional Korean clothing known as hanbok. The winner of Miss Universe Korea will be decided through a scoring system that considers online voting and judges assessments, which Choi said valued both outer and inner beauty.

Looking beautiful on the outside is important, but I think you need to be at ease in your mind as well, and know how to respect others, she said, adding: Also, you need to be a positive thinker. So many people are negative these days.

Korean pageants have been criticized in recent years for promoting a singular idea of beauty  one that detractors say is reinforced by some participants use of cosmetic surgery, which is typically not restricted by organizers. But Choi is unfazed by the development.

Its hard to find people who havent done any touch-ups or plastic surgery, and I think its time we just embrace it, she said. A lot of people do their eyes or raise their nose Back in the day, it used to be something others spoke ill of, but its not like that now. Its not just Koreans  a lot of women around the world are undergoing plastic surgery.

Late career change

While Mondays contest marks Chois pageant debut, she has already made a name for herself in the Korean fashion world. After leaving retirement amid financial difficulties to work as a hospital carer in her 50s, Choi began modeling aged 72 to help pay off debts.

One of my patients told me to try modeling, recalled Choi, adding: I thought it was nonsense but at the same time, it awoke my old dream of becoming a model, wearing pretty clothes and doing photo shoots. So, I said, Yes, I used to dream of that before, I should try it.

Choi at a modeling academy class in Seoul, South Korea, in 2019. - Jung Yeon-je/AFP/Getty Images/File

Choi took weekly classes at a modeling academy, practicing her runway walks down the hospital hallways during shifts. She signed to her teachers agency in 2017 before making her Seoul Fashion Week debut, aged 74, the next year. She has since appeared in the Korean editions of magazines including Harpers Bazaar and Elle, as well shooting commercial campaigns for brands including the popular South Korean beer, Cass.

Becoming a model was like opening a door to a new path for me, so I planned in my mind. I said, I will be successful and work hard When my dream came true, I thanked God and kept working hard. Its so fun and I love it.

More opportunities

With a rapidly declining birth rate, South Korea is among the worlds fastest-aging countries. Earlier this year, the number of South Koreans aged 65 or above exceeded 10 million for the first time, representing almost 20% of the population. This figure is predicted to rise to 36.7%  higher than any other country  by 2044, according to government forecasts.

In turn, the opportunities for  and attitudes towards  older models are improving, according to Choi.

There are a lot of senior models these days, she said. But maybe (only a fraction of them) get to work and get paid. It is different for sure, compared to 10, 20 years ago though. Ten years ago, no one really looked for senior models. Elder models were just working as a hobby for fun, not as a paid job.

Choi believes her modeling experience will prove useful in the pageant world: Walking a runway is a collaboration of shoulders, knees and hips. All the Miss Universe contestants are really good at walking like models. Some are even better than actual models.

Choi photographed outside a show during Seoul Fashion Week's Fall-Winter 2024 edition earlier this year. - Jean Chung/Getty Images/File

The grandmother of three, who turns 81 next month, told CNN that she is excited by the prospect of representing her country overseas: I always dreamed of going on stage abroad, so my mindset is prepared. Japan is the only other country Ive been to, and I believe (pageant organizers) would teach the winner everything, so Im ready!

She has the support, too, of her children and grandchildren. They say theyre really proud of me like, My granny is amazing! My son said hes proud of me, and to enjoy it regardless of the outcome.

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Sarah McBride, center, with supporters in Wilmington during Delawares primary election day on Sept. 10.

WILMINGTON, Del.  Dave McBride recalls the moment he knew his daughter, Delaware state Sen. Sarah McBride, was destined for the political stage.

She was about 11 years old and had a pressing question for her father after he finished teaching Sunday school at their local church.

Whered you get that podium? Dave remembers his daughter asking, throwing him for a loop. Three weeks later, he was in for a surprise.

I come home one day from work, walk over to her bedroom door  she has an American flag draped over the window, she has the podium, shes created a cardboard presidential seal and shes reciting FDRs 1932 inaugural address. And I thought, Were in trouble, the retired lawyer said with a laugh.

Among Sarah McBrides key campaign priorities are affordable health care and protecting abortion access.

A decade later, on Christmas Day in 2011, McBride came out to her parents as a transgender woman. Her mother, Sally, said looking back, shes not proud of how she and Dave initially reacted.

We knew wed do whatever she needed us to do, but I thought her life was over, Sally said from an armchair in McBrides childhood home in Wilmington. I thought shed be discriminated against at every turn. I was frightened for her safety.

She and Dave also worried McBrides political aspirations would be limited. They didnt expect that over the next decade their daughter would make history over and over again. Now McBride, 34, is heavily favored to win Delawares only House seat in November. The victory would make her the countrys first openly transgender member of Congress.

If you had told us in 2011 that we would be here now, Sally said, through tears, its amazing. It has been the most incredible journey.

Sarah McBrides parents, Sally and Dave, at home in Wilmington, Del., on Sept. 10.

For her part, McBride, a Democrat, said becoming a historic first wouldnt be enough  she wants to ensure shes not the last.

For someone whos scared and feels alone, it could potentially be a lifesaving message to go to sleep in November seeing that someone like them is able to fully participate in our democracy, that they can be seen as full human beings, McBride said in the living room of her Wilmington condo after a few hours of knocking on constituents doors. They can be judged and evaluated as candidates for public office on their merits and their ideas, and that maybe, just maybe, the heart of this country is big enough to love them.

This changes everything

McBride is, in a word, a nerd: She has built Lego models of federal buildings, including the White House and the U.S. Capitol building. She spouts random history facts, noting that the ballroom of the Hotel du Pont in downtown Wilmington was the site of Joe Bidens election night celebration in 1972, when he won his first Senate race. Her staff also put a poster of the cartoon alter ego of Disneys Lizzie McGuire in her office, in part because she admitted the movies theme song has been stuck in my head perpetually for 20 years, because its an annoying f-----g song.

The energy McBride brings to politics sometimes feels similar to that of Leslie Knope from Parks and Recreation. When she arrived at the first of 15 polling locations at 7:15 a.m. on primary day, she stepped out of the car, coffee in hand, and yelled, Can you feel the democracy in the air?

Many of Sarah McBrides friends describe her as a classic nerd. She has built Lego models of federal buildings, including the White House and the U.S. Capitol, and said her staff makes fun of her for having the Lizzie McGuire song What Dreams Are Made Of stuck in her head perpetually.

Her fascination with political history dates back to her childhood, as McBride details in her 2018 memoir, Tomorrow Will Be Different: Love, Loss and the Fight for Trans Equality.

In 2002, at 11 years old, she met then-Sen. Biden, her political idol and a fellow Delawarean, at a local pizzeria. Biden ripped a page from his daily briefing book, signed it and wrote, Remember me when you are president, McBride recalls in her book  for which Biden wrote the foreword  calling it her most prized possession as a kid.

By the time she was 20, McBride had volunteered or worked on at least three political campaigns, including Beau Bidens 2006 campaign for Delaware attorney general and his 2010 re-election campaign.

Though she excelled in politics, McBride wrote that since she was a child, she felt like she was living someone elses life. She knew she was transgender from a young age, but her earliest exposure to trans people was through jokes about them on TV. She said she threw herself into politics in part to create a more loving and inclusive world where others could be themselves, even if she couldnt.

Something became abundantly clear to me as I read my history books: No one like me had ever made it very far. Or, at least, no one who had come out and lived their truth, she wrote.

But in 2011, at 21, the pain had become too much, she wrote. She came out to a close friend and then her family shortly after. Four months later, on her last day as American Universitys student body president  a highly coveted position at the hyperpolitical school  she came out on Facebook and in the student newspaper. The announcement went viral.

Sarah McBride, center, with Lisa Goodman, left, and Delaware state Sen. Russ Huxtable outside of a polling location in Sussex County on primary election day.

Lisa Goodman, the founding president of Equality Delaware, a statewide LGBTQ organization, worked at the same law firm as McBrides father. After McBride came out, Dave and Sally talked to Goodman in her office for three hours, Goodman remembered, and she said two things that stuck with them.

I said, This changes everything, Goodman recalled, regarding McBrides ability to help lobby for state legislation that would help trans people. I also said, Sarah is going to do more as Sarah than you ever imagined.

Both statements proved true. In the fall of 2012, McBride became the first out trans woman to work in the White House when she interned for the Obama administration. The following year, she was integral to helping pass a bill in Delaware that protected transgender people from discrimination.

In 2013, shortly after graduating college, McBride joined the Center for American Progress to work on LGBTQ policy. Then in 2016, she joined the Human Rights Campaign, the countrys largest LGBTQ advocacy organization, as its national press secretary. That same year, she became the first trans person to speak at a major political convention when she gave a speech at the Democratic National Convention.

However, in between doing work that she loved, McBrides life took a heartbreaking turn.

First principles

McBride married Andrew Cray in August 2014, four days before he died of oral cancer. Even now, McBride said she still holds close a number of lessons Cray and their relationship taught her. Cray, who was a trans attorney for the Center for American Progress, understood that change-making requires nuance and meeting people where they are, she said.

At the end of the day, we can say the right things, McBride said. But if we arent actually able to deliver real and tangible results for people, if we arent actually able to deliver change, then none of it matters. And I think he really, more than any person Ive ever met, was able to bridge all of those, not just complexities, but in many cases contradictions, and figure out how to move forward.

Andrew Cray messaged McBride on Facebook in 2012 and said he thought they would get along swimmingly.

McBride said Cray had a childlike goofiness, similar to one of her favorite TV characters, Ted Lasso.

They met at a White House Pride celebration in June 2012. They started dating, and their relationship was built on a unique shared experience: the by-product of years of each of us fighting to be ourselves, McBride wrote in her memoir.

When McBride and Cray moved in together in 2013, she felt more fulfilled and happier than Id ever imagined. But then Cray was diagnosed with oral cancer after seeing a doctor about a sore on his tongue. After surgery, radiation and chemotherapy, he was declared cancer-free in the spring of 2014 only for the cancer to return a few months later. As Cray, who was just 28, became increasingly ill, McBride was his caretaker. They married in August on the rooftop of their apartment building shortly before he died.

Bridging contradictions and showing up

McBrides closest friends in politics say she shares that same ability Cray had to bridge contradictions and to actually create change. The best example of that, they said, was her work to pass paid family leave in Delaware.

McBride was elected to the state Senate in November 2020, making her the countrys first openly trans state senator. In her first term, she successfully sponsored and helped pass the Healthy Delaware Families Act, a program that will allow covered employees to take up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave and up to six weeks of paid leave for medical needs or family caregiving. The governor signed the program into law in May 2022, and it takes effect Jan. 1, 2026.

Sarah McBride visited 15 polling locations across Delaware on primary election day, Sept. 10.

Jesse Chadderdon, who has known McBride since 2014 and is now the chief of staff for the Delaware state Senates majority caucus, said after her election, McBride had the political muscle and reputation to push paid leave through with little negotiation. However, she set up meetings with relevant stakeholders so that more people would be invested in the policys long-term success.

It was sort of a moment of political genius that was so centered on caring about the policy, and yes, about her legacy, but a legacy about getting paid leave right in Delaware, and not about being seen as this conquering hero who ran roughshod over people to do it, Chadderdon said.

Taylor Hawk, the director of legislative and political strategy at the Delaware State Education Association who has now become one of McBrides close friends, sat in on one of the meetings McBride had with small-business owners in Sussex County, the one county in the state that went to Trump in the 2020 presidential election.

I would say it was not a friendly room, Hawk said. They were very wary of paid leave and how it would impact their businesses and their employees  and her ability to both be incredibly technically competent when speaking to the policy, but also interweave in just the absolute fundamental and human importance of providing this benefit to people was really cool.

Taylor Hawk, center, said she was initially intimidated by McBride when she first met her, but now the two are close friends.

McBride said she held that meeting because you cant underestimate how important showing up is.

Not only do I think its the right thing to do, I also think its incredibly helpful in policy conversations to show up where people are and show them that respect, McBride said.

An absolute game changer

State Sen. Bryan Townsend, the Senate majority leader, said the state Senate will miss McBride, whom he described as exceptionally influential, and he will be interested to see what she can do in a dysfunctional Congress.

In between knocking on constituents doors the day before the September primary, McBride said that dysfunction is why shes running.

Some of Sarah McBrides colleagues described Congress as dysfunctional, but McBride said that dysfunction is exactly why shes running.

I think its exactly the type of people who know how to make government work, who know how to legislate, that we need to step up to run for federal office, she said.

She added, One of the biggest threats to our democracy is the longer-term crisis of hope that I think people are feeling around the belief that we dont have this individual or collective capacity to beat the scope and the scale of the challenges that we face anymore.

Among the key priorities for McBrides congressional run are expanding access to affordable health care, increasing the minimum wage and protecting reproductive rights. Shell face Republican John Whalen III, a retired police officer and former owner of a construction company, in November. Whalen filed to run in the Republican primary about a week before the July 9 deadline and beat opponent Donyale Hall, an Air Force veteran who was endorsed by the state GOP. His priorities include stopping illegal immigration, reducing the federal debt and opposing Bidens war on fossil fuels. Whalen declined to comment about his candidacy or McBrides.

Democrats have held the seat theyre running for since 2010.

Sarah McBride with campaign literature at the door of a Wilmington home on Sept. 9.

As for what could be next after Congress, a few of McBrides close friends said she commands the room in the way a president would when she walks in. At least one person said they wouldnt be surprised if she ran for the nations highest office.

When asked about the possibility, McBride laughed loudly and snorted  a characteristic shes known for and that Dave said she gets from her mother.

I think I wanted to be president when I was, like, 5 years old, she said. But, no, honestly, I like naps too much to want to be president. I also think weve taken the anyone could be president a little too literally over the last eight years. And theres one big reason that I would never get elected, and thats because I think theres probably only room for one Delawarean as president in my lifetime.
New York Citys embattled mayor pleaded not guilty Friday to federal corruption charges after prosecutors accused him of using his power and influence to garner free trips, luxury hotel stays and questionable campaign donations.

Mayor Eric Adams is charged with bribery, wire fraud, conspiracy and two counts of soliciting campaign contributions from foreign nationals.

I am not guilty, your honor, Adams said in a Lower Manhattan federal court Friday.

Magistrate Judge Katharine Parker allowed Adams to be released after the hearing  but with caveats. The mayor cannot have contact with anyone involved in the allegations in the indictment.

Aside from that, the mayor can still maintain routine business contacts and communicate with family members. The judge also allowed Adams to keep his passport.

Adams appearance in court as a defendant is a stark contrast from his work fighting crime as an NYPD captain  a job he often touted during his political career.

The mayor, a Democrat elected in 2021, has denied wrongdoing and said he doesnt plan to resign. I look forward to defending myself and defending the people of this city as Ive done throughout my entire professional career, Adams said Thursday.

What the mayor is accused of

Between 2016 and October 2023, Adams sought and accepted benefits such as free luxury travel and campaign donations from foreigners, including Turkish officials, according to a 57-page, 15,000-word indictment.

In exchange, he pressured the Fire Department of New York to approve the opening of a new Turkish consular building in the city without a fire inspection, the indictment states. In addition, his campaign used those illegal campaign donations to steal public funds through New York Citys matching funds, according to the indictment.

Prosecutors said the foreign nationals were able to sidestep federal law and conceal their campaign donations through these straw donors  US-based donors who falsely claimed they were contributing their own money.

In 2017, Adams allegedly accepted free business class tickets for three roundtrip international flights and a heavily discounted stay at a suite in the St. Regis Istanbul. The trip was worth over $41,000, and Adams did not disclose it, the indictment alleges.

The St. Regis Istanbul's Bentley suite. - From St. Regis Istanbul

Adams allegedly accepted over $123,000 worth of luxury travel benefits between 2016 and 2021, without disclosing any of it.

By 2018, the mayor allegedly not only accepted, but sought illegal campaign contributions to his 2021 mayoral campaign, as well as other things of value, from foreign nationals.

By January 2022, he had agreed to accept contributions of foreign money to his 2025 campaign, the indictment alleges.

This isnt even a real case, attorney says

Shortly after Fridays arraignment, some of his supporters outside the courthouse shouted, Mayor, I love you! Adams gave a thumbs up and did not speak.

But his attorney was outspoken about what he called a case without merit.

There are no emails, text messages, or any corroboration whatsoever that the mayor knew about anything having to do with these campaign donations, attorney Alex Spiro said.

This isnt even a real case, Spiro said. This is the airline upgrade corruption case.

Spiro said he would be filing a motion to dismiss the case and expected the charges to be dismissed because he said the case relies solely on one questionable staffer.

Adams aide subponed

Ingrid Lewis-Martin, a close aide to Adams who has worked with the mayor long before he was elected, received a subpoena on Friday after returning from a vacation in Japan, a source familiar with the case told CNN.

Investigators from the Manhattan District Attorneys Office met Lewis-Martin at the airport as she was entering US customs. They served her with a search warrant and seized her two cell phones, the source said.

At the same time, other investigators from the DAs office executed a search warrant at her home, looking for additional electronic devices.

As Lewis-Martin left the airport, she was approached by two investigators from the US Attorney for the Southern District of New York, who presented her with a separate grand jury subpoena, the source added.

It is unclear if the investigation is related to Adams case. A spokesperson for the DAs office declined to comment.

In her first public comments, Lewis-Martin said she and the mayor have done nothing wrong.

We are imperfect, but we are not thieves, Lewis-Martin said during a live broadcast of attorney Arthur Aidalas morning radio show. Aidala is representing her. She has not been accused of any wrongdoing.

Lewis-Martin also addressed her involvement in the investigation directly. I dont know anything. Ive done nothing. And I dont think that theres anything to know, she said.

CNN has reached out to Lewis-Martin for comment.

Governor mulls removing Adams from office

New York Gov. Kathy Hochuls team is telling allies and other stakeholders that she is now seriously considering the possibility of removing Adams from office  a power she has under state law.

A source briefed on the governors thinking told CNN that Hochul has increasingly come to view the Adams situation as untenable. But no decision has been announced.

Before Adams indictment was unsealed, Hochul reportedly hadnt considered removing the mayor. But after reviewing the indictment, the governor suggested in a statement late Thursday that she was leaving her options open.

I expect the Mayor to take the next few days to review the situation and find an appropriate path forward to ensure the people of New York City are being well-served by their leaders, Hochul said.

Lawyers in the governors office have started to look over the legal language of the removal authority, another source familiar with the situation told CNN.

Though many local lawmakers have called for Adams to resign, some high profile New York Democrats in Congress have been less vocal. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer both stopped short of calling for Adams to step down in their most recent remarks.

No one is above the law, including the Mayor of New York City, Schumer said in a written statement Thursday. The charges are serious, and the legal process should now play out speedily and fairly.

But Jeffries could come under pressure from New York House candidates concerned the Adams scandal might hurt their prospects for election.

Adams is entitled to the presumption of innocence, Jeffries said, and a jury of the Mayors peers will now evaluate the charges in the indictment and ultimately render a determination.

Hochul and Adams have had a good working relationship. Both of them have partnered on public safety issues  including crime on the citys subways, which are controlled by the state. The relationship is a significant improvement from years past, when former New York City mayors and governors have openly feuded over city policies and funding.

Sharpton will host a meeting about Adams

Longtime political activist the Rev. Al Sharpton had been expected to meet with the citys Black leaders this weekend to discuss the political fallout from Adams five-count federal indictment. The meeting is now expected to happen next week, Sharpton said.

Sharpton called on Hochul Saturday not to use her authority to remove Adams from office, citing the mayors right to due process and a clear lack of political precedent.

The governor should not be pressured into removing Eric Adams from being the mayor, Sharpton said during his regularly scheduled National Action Network rally in Harlem.

Sharpton is aware of the many complexities of the Adams situation and wants to examine all the possibilities, a source said. He is also concerned about the impact the ordeal will have on the city, the source said.

Community representatives and lawmakers are expected to attend the meeting but Jeffries will not, Andy Eichar, a spokesperson for Jeffries, told CNN.

Jeffries and Adams have a lot in common, including their humble backgrounds and bare-knuckle campaign styles. But while sources say the two New Yorkers have mutual respect for each other, the pair have never been close.

The congressman realizes that calling for the mayors resignation would imply a sense of guilt  and thats not something he would do or take lightly, according to a person familiar with Jeffries thinking.

What kind of punishment Adams could face

For now, the mayor cant go to work at city hall. Adams next court appearance before a district judge is scheduled for Wednesday.

If convicted on all charges, Adams could face up to 45 years in prison, according to the US Attorneys Office.

The most serious charge is wire fraud, which comes with a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. That charge stems from allegations that Adams stole from New York Citys matching funds program.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams sits in federal court beside his lawyer Alex Spiro during his arraignment in New York City on September 27, 2024. - Jane Rosenberg/Reuters

The program is designed to give New Yorkers a greater voice in elections, and matches donations from city residents with public funds. But it prohibits the use of straw donations, according to the indictment. The program requires candidates to certify compliance with campaign finance regulations.

The indictment alleges Adams not only received illegal campaign contributions, but he then allegedly used eight of those improper donations to apply for matching funds and obtained as much as $2,000 for each illegal contribution. His campaign then falsely certified compliance, the indictment states.

The indictment does not total the amount of matching public funds Adams allegedly received directly from the eight illegal straw donations. Adams 2021 mayoral campaign ultimately received more than $10 million in public funds from the citys matching funds program, according to the indictment.

Bribery is punishable by up to 10 years in prison. That charge relates to the alleged quid-pro-quo of receiving luxury travel benefits from a Turkish official in exchange for pushing the approval of the Turkish House  a center for Turkish diplomatic missions in New York City, the indictment states.

The two counts of soliciting campaign contributions from foreign nationals are each punishable by up to 5 years in prison. One of the charges is based on allegations in 2021 and the other is based on allegations in 2023.

Finally, there is a conspiracy charge, which is punishable by up to 5 years in prison. That charge alleges Adams and others known and unknown agreed to commit federal offenses, including wire fraud; soliciting, accepting and receiving a campaign contribution; and bribery.

This story has been updated with additional information.

CNNs Nicki Brown, John Miller, Shimon Prokupecz, Eric Levenson and Celina Tebor contributed to this report.

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Oxford, Ohio  Make no bones about it, Bill Pyles' front yard in Oxford, Ohio, has bones all about it.

But to Pyles and his family, the scariest thing isn't their elaborate Halloween display it's their mailbox, which every year curses him with hate mail.

According to Pyles, the messages from angry neighbors accuse him of everything from "worshipping the devil" to "glorifying death."

Which is why Pyles was thinking about scaling back the display when a note arrived earlier this month.

"I stopped dead in my tracks in the driveway looking at that letter," Pyles told CBS News.

The note was written by Tammy Weihe, who has breast cancer. To receive her daily radiation treatments, Weihe has to travel a country road in Oxford that takes her right past Pyles' house.

Given her situation, it would be understandable how Pyles' diorama of death could be unsettling. But the tone of her letter was more humerus than sternum.

"The bone family and what they are up to...(is) a highlight of my journey," Weihe wrote.

She went on to explain how her last day of cancer treatment was coming up, and how grateful she was for this daily diversion.

"Tears came to my eyes, really touched my heart," Pyles said.

He knew what he had to do. Pyles got to work adding to his display, so when Weihe made her final trip past his house, she saw a whole skeleton crew cheering her on.

"It was very touching to think that somebody would go to that effort for a stranger," Weihe said.

The two have since become friends.

"We talk all the time now," Pyles said.

Pyles said Weihe's letter and their new friendship has completely canceled out all the hate mail, inspiring him to not only keep his Halloween display, but to expand it. He now plans to keep the display up "year-round."

"Things are going to stay up and they're going to stay active," Pyles said.

And does he expect more angry letters?

"There will be."

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Vera Andryczyk is a card-carrying member of the Republican Party in Pennsylvania, but as a Ukrainian-American, shes putting her efforts into canvassing for Vice President Harris and reelecting the Democratic congresswoman from her district.

Foreign policy is usually a low priority in presidential elections, but Pennsylvanias unique connection to, and investment in, U.S. support for Ukraine make it a major focus  and flashpoint  of the November contest.

Andryczyk is part of the estimated 1 percent of Pennsylvanias population that is of Ukrainian heritage, a small but significant number of voters in a state that President Biden won in 2020 by fewer than 81,000 votes.

Ive encouraged at every fundraiser, every social meeting, I keep telling them, not only can you not vote for [former President] Trump, but you have to vote for the Democrat, the self-described young 82-year-old told The Hill in a phone call.

Because this is a very, very close election, and we cannot afford  Ukraine, the United States, the world  cannot afford another term.

The Keystone State is considered one of, if not the most, important swing states in the 2024 presidential election, carrying with it the prize of 19 Electoral College votes. And Harris and Trumps diverging positions on Ukraine are taking center stage.

In addition to the estimated 100,000 Ukrainian-Americans in Pennsylvania, Polish-Americans make up about 5 percent of the states population, and it has significant populations of Americans with heritage from Baltic states and other eastern-European nations that are often concerned about their homelands being on the frontline of Russian aggression.

These voters are not a monolith but are generally active in U.S. support for Ukraine in its defensive war against Russia and are fiercely protective of democracy  with family histories marred by the hardships and oppression of Nazi, communist and Soviet regimes.

Pennsylvania is also one of the main beneficiaries of U.S. aid to Ukraine, with eight congressional districts home to manufacturing companies producing military equipment either shipped to Kyiv or backfilling U.S. stocks, benefiting from the overall $121 billion spent in the U.S. since Russias full-scale invasion was launched in February 2022.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky singled out Scranton in his trip to the U.S. this week on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, visiting a munitions factory to thank workers for their contribution.

But his visit triggered political outrage and condemnation from Republicans who accused the wartime leader of election meddling, stumping for Democrats in the critical state by appearing alongside the Democratic governor and the Democratic congressman who represents the district.

Republicans supportive of Ukraine, however, sought to downplay the scandal. Pennsylvania Republican Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick  an outspoken GOP voice on support for Ukraine  said the controversy might have been a huge misunderstanding, following a meeting with Zelensky in Washington on Thursday.

But well get to the bottom of it, Fitzpatrick added.

But the episode highlighted the growing partisan divides over U.S. support for Ukraine. Trump is increasingly rallying Republicans to his view that the U.S. is spending too much money in its support for Ukraine, while his running mate, Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) has called for Kyiv to make land and security concessions to Moscow to end the war.

Zelensky and Ukraines strongest supporters, including many GOP lawmakers in Washington, reject these positions. The Ukrainian president has, more recently, publicly knocked Trump and Vance.

This has further fueled political tensions, with Trump criticizing Zelensky during a campaign rally in North Carolina as making nasty aspersions toward your favorite president, me. But Trump met with Zelensky in New York on Friday after publishing what appeared to be a complimentary text from the Ukrainian leader, saying I really want to hear your thoughts directly, and first hand.

The partisan political tension is worrying for Ukrainian-Americans active in rallying U.S. support for Kyiv, where the main focus is to maintain, and grow, bipartisan backing to ensure the continuity of American support.

I think that, undoubtedly, theres bipartisan support for Ukraine in Congress, both the Senate and the House, and that is a bipartisan majority that is greater than exists on most other issues that face Congress, said Euguen Luciw, president of the Philadelphia regional branch of the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America, which advocates local and federal governments.

The difficulty is how the executive treats that bipartisan relationship.

Amid the controversy between Republicans and the Ukrainian government, the Harris campaign is leaning into her support for Kyiv. In a statement on Thursday, she argued that she has been a champion in standing up to dictators and autocrats and that The Trump-Vance-Putin plan would sell out Ukraine. Her campaign also said Harris helped bring together allies to help Ukraine defend itself, which is a major part of President Bidens legacy.

Leaders of Pennsylvanias 800,000 strong Polish community put out a letter of support for Harris following the Sep. 10 presidential debate where she name-checked the communitys influence while criticizing Trumps antagonism toward Kyiv and deference toward Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Vice President Harris has a long, strong track record of protecting our democracy here at home and standing up for our brothers, sisters, parents and grandparents in Poland  the same people Vladimir Putin hopes to attack next if Ukraine were to fall, the letter read.

Harris on Thursday also held a solo meeting with Zelensky, separate from Bidens meeting with the Ukrainian leader, and bashed Trump, without calling him by name, for his thoughts on how the war should end.

There are some in my country who would instead force Ukraine to give up large parts of its sovereign territory, who would demand that Ukraine accept neutrality, and would require Ukraine to forgo security relationships with other nations, the vice president said.

These proposals are the same of those of Putin, and let us be clear, they are not proposals for peace. Instead, they are proposals for surrender, which is dangerous and unacceptable, she added.

But its not yet clear if Pennsylvanians voting on the issue of Ukraine will deliver victory for Harris, in particular.

Trump and Harris are largely neck-and-neck in the state, with Harris carrying a 1.3 percentage point lead over Trump, according to The Hill/Decision Desk HQ aggregation of polls.

The candidates were tied at 46 percent each in a Susquehanna Polling and Research survey released this week, and a UMass Lowell and YouGov poll released on Thursday found Harris was up 48 percent in Pennsylvania, while Trump trails closely with 46 percent support.

When asked for their most important issue when deciding who they vote for, only 2 percent of Pennsylvanians said international conflicts, in a recent Muhlenberg College survey.

This was the same percentage of support that foreign policy and climate change received. Still, it ranked ahead of violent crime, gun control and the Supreme Court and ranked just behind health care, which received 3 percent.

And in a Trump-versus-Harris matchup on foreign policy, 51 percent of Pennsylvanians said the Republican presidential nominee is most likely to pursue a foreign policy which benefits people like you, in a poll conducted by the Eurasia Group.

But with such tight margins, anything can shift.

Large portions of the Polish and Ukrainian populations in Pennsylvania are so-called Trump Democrats, who look at the entirety of his policies  but being so openly pro-Putin probably undercuts Trumps support, said former Pennsylvania Rep. Chris Carney (D), a senior adviser at Nossaman.

Its unclear if Polish and Ukrainian Pennsylvanians are more concerned about Russias invasion of Ukraine than they are about the economy or immigration. But I cannot imagine that Trumps recent vitriolic comments about Ukraine, Zelensky and NATO help his standing within those communities, he added.

For Andryczyk, the Jan. 6, 2021 assault on the Capitol by pro-Trump supporters triggered her resignation from Republican committee roles in her district. She was shocked at the attack on the democracy that was a beacon of hope when her parents fled Soviet-controlled Ukraine during World War II, then under Nazi occupation.

Trumps criticism of Ukraine has further cemented her vote for Democrats.

Im still a Republican, because I will vote for a person who embodies the principles of the Republican Party. But I will go across the line, and I will, and I have voted for Democrats.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Whipped Urban Dessert Lab

One of our dreams is entering a chocolate world of pure imagination a la Willy Wonka  nibbling on chocolate while floating down a chocolate lake. While we wont be touring Willy Wonkas Chocolate Factory on National Chocolate Day, we do have the golden ticket to making yours  and our  chocolate dreams come true.





Whether its chocolate bars, creamy hot chocolate, or sweet chocolate covered strawberries, we love every kind of chocolate. Heres everything you need to know to celebrate chocolate.

When is National Chocolate Day?

Mexico might be the birthplace of chocolate, but it was America that created a holiday to celebrate all things related to the roasted cocoa bean. National Chocolate Day is October 28. Trade organization National Confectioners Association created the food holiday to promote the chocolate industry.





Mark your calendar. Additional chocolate holidays include:

January 31: National Hot Chocolate Day

June 7: National Chocolate Ice Cream Day

July 7: World Chocolate Day

September 13: International Chocolate Day

December 28: National Chocolate Candy Day





How to Observe National Chocolate Day

There are many ways to celebrate National Chocolate Day. The most obvious way to celebrate is by eating chocolate. Chocolate is used to create many of the worlds most popular food and beverages, such as:

You could also use National Chocolate Day as motivation to visit a local chocolatier, play games like Candy Crush Saga and Candy Land, or try making your own chocolate.





Use this sweet day as an opportunity to try something new, whether thats nibbling on a piece of ruby chocolate, incorporating chocolate into savory dish like a rich mole sauce, or trying a new treat with chocolate like Brigadeiros (bri-ga-DAY-ro), Brazilian fudge candy.

The Chocolate Covered Co.

Steve Asbaty started The Chocolate Covered Co. in 2009 in Totowa, New Jersey. Soon, he was covering pretty much everything with chocolate.





Whatever you crave, chances are The Chocolate Covered Co. has it covered, smothered, or drizzled in rich Belgian chocolate. The team dunks everything from fresh fruits like strawberries and bananas to crunchy nuts and pretzels to classic sandwich cookies in milk, dark, and white chocolate.

The Chocolate Covered Co.

Guelaguetza Mole Sauce + Mexican Hot Chocolate Kit

Chocolate isnt just for dessert or for when sugar cravings strike. Founded by husband and wife Fernando Lopez and Maria Monterrubio in 1994, Oaxacan Mexican restaurant Guelaguetza has all your chocolate needs covered.





Guelaguetzas Mooe Sauce + Mexican Hot Chocolate Kit includes 1 jar of this award-winning Los Angeles restaurants signature mole negro made with Mulato Chile, Mexican Pasilla Chile, Black Chilhuacle Chile, plantains, garlic, onion, spices and seasonings like clove, thyme, cinnamon, cumin, oregano, and black pepper. plus nuts like peanuts, almonds and walnuts. This chocolate kit also includes Oaxacan chocolate and an artisan molinillo (traditional wooden whisk) to make authentic Mexican hot chocolate.

Guelaguetza

Knipschildt Chocolatier The Worlds Fanciest Chocolate Truffle: La Madeline au Truffe

If youre going to indulge for National Chocolate Day, why not go all out with the worlds most expensive chocolate? Denmark-born chocolatier Fritz Knipschildt has been using European craftsmanship to handmade his artisanal chocolate creations in Norwalk, Connecticut, since 1999.





Knipschildt Chocolatiers La Madeline au Truffe is a rare French Perigord truffle enrobed in ganache and rolled in cocoa powder. The ganache is made of 70% Valrhona dark chocolate, heavy cream, sugar, truffle oil, and vanilla. This special 4-in. chocolate truffle arrives on a bed of sugar pearls in a gold box.





This article originally appeared on Goldbelly.com and was syndicated by MediaFeed.org.



Knipschildt Chocolatier

More from MediaFeed:

10 Coconut Cakes You'll Go Co Co For
A private event space, small residential development or hay farm  each was proposed by the former owner of more than 100 acres off Twin Silio Road in Plumstead last year.

But instead of moving forward on those ideas, Twin Silo Farms LLC went with a fourth option: selling the land for what appears to be more than double what they paid for it four years ago. The buyer was Good Pointe LLC, its plans for the property remains to be seen.

The location is zoned rural residential, which requires a 2-acre lot minimum per home if the property were to be subdivided and developed as housing.

More on voter registration trends A Swift surge of voters? What this week's data says about new Pa. voter registration

Twin Silo Farms submitted sketch plans last year that proposed subdividing the roughly 99 acres in the northeast corner of Twin Silo Road and Point Pleasant Pike into lots for 11 single-family homes.

They also sought a conditional use approval to use the grounds, existing stone barn and pavilion as event space for 100 or more guests. The application sought to host up to 60 private events, such as weddings, each year, which is double the number the township ordinance allows.

But both applications were withdrawn before they came before the Plumstead supervisors for consideration, Township Manager Stacey Mulholland said.

A 12,791-square foot home, located on Twin Silo Road in Plumstead Township, sold for $12.9 million on August 9, 2024.

No plans for the property are pending before the township, Mulholland added.

Most recently, Plumstead supervisors voted in April to approve placing the property in an Agricultural Security District, a prerequisite for receiving government funding for land preservation.

Twin Silo LLC submitted an application last December to the Bucks County Planning Commission to consider the 97-acre tract  described as a hay farm  for preservation funding this year, but it wasnt selected, said John Ives, director of the Agricultural Land Preservation and Open Space programs.

Good Pointe LLC could apply again, but according to the 2023 application, the total percentage of farmland available for agricultural purposes is 45 acres, less than 50% the minimum requirement under the program.

Here is what else we've learned about the property, the sale, and the new owner:

This Bucks County map shows the four parcels of land along Twin Silo Road and Point Pleasant Pike that were purchased last month for a record-breaking $14.6 million by Good Pointe LLC.

What did Good Pointe LLC buy, and what makes the sale record-breaking?

Good Pointe LLC purchased 97 acres in the 5700 block of Twin Silo Road, which included a 12,791-square-foot home, stone barn, guest house, lake and pavilion for $12.9 million. It last sold in 2020 for $5.2 million.

But it wasnt the only piece of property Good Pointe LLC bought.

Also purchased was 1.6 acres with a 1,900 square foot ranch-style home in the 5100 block of Point Pleasant Pike, which intersects with Twin Silo Road, for $995,000.

The LLC also bought 5.3 acres for $775,000 on Twin Silo Road across the road from the 97-acre parcel, according to property records. This brought the total sale to $14.6 million.

The properties appear to have been acquired privately because they didn't appear in the database real estate professionals use to share information about properties on the market, said Alex Shnayder, a real estate attorney and Bucks County realtor.

The purchase price of the 97-acre property alone appears to be more than double the most recent highest sale for a piece of Bucks County residential real estate.

The previous record was set last year for a seven-bedroom home on 33 acres in Solebury known as Finale Farm. That home and property sold for $6.5 million.

What we know about Good Pointe LLC

The company registered as a domestic limited liability company in Delaware nine days before properties were purchased July 31, according to real estate records.

The three deeds were recorded with Bucks County on Aug. 9, though the countys online property records have not been updated as of Sept. 25. Twin Silo Farms LLC remains listed as owner online.

LLCs are used to purchase and hold real estate to provide privacy, easier property transfer, asset protection and tax benefits, according to Fisher Stone P.C.

The Delaware corporation records show that two limited liability companies are registered with the same address in the 5700 block of Twin Silo Road. Good Pointe LLC registered July 22, and Good Point Operations LLC registered on July 30.

Records for both LLCs do not list the names of officers or owners.

What about that 615 area code associated with Good Pointe LLC?

Real estate transaction records confirmed the Twin Silo Farms buyer had a 615-area code, which covers Nashville metropolitan areas and surrounding counties, possibly helping a fast-moving social media rumor circulate that celebrity Taylor Swift was the new owner.

Swift sources swiftly denied the rumors to the USA Today Network, which includes the Bucks County Courier Times and The Intell.

The cell phone number appearing on sale-related documents is registered to Russell C. Moore, of Nashville, according to whitepages.com and a Nexis search. A voicemail and text message left on the number were not returned.

The name and signature of Russell C. Moore also appears on a sewage system maintenance agreement for the 97-acre property filed with the Bucks County Records of Deeds office.

Moore is listed as the manager of Good Pointe LLC in the agreement.

His name and signature also appears as the grantee on documents for the 2017 purchase of 155 Franklin St. in the Tribeca neighborhood of New York City for 2N 155 Franklin Street LLC.

The signature on the 2017 documents appears to match Moore's on the Good Pointe LLC paperwork.

A 2019 easement agreement between the "2N 155 Franklin Street LLC" and "Euro Tribeca LLC" states that the beneficial owner of and managing member of 2N 155 Franklin Street LLC and Euro Tribeca LLC are the same.

Euro Tribeca LLC is a known LLC affiliated with Swift.

The document on the right contain the signature of Russell L. Moore, manager of Good Pointe LLC, which purchased 100 acres in Plumstead last night. The document on left contains the signature of Russell L. Moore as the grantee of an LLC known to be associated with Taylor Swift.

Reporter Jo Ciavaglia can be reached at jciavaglia@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: What is Good Pointe LLC, new owner of Twin Silos Plumstead mansion
The ramifications of the US dockworkers strike that began Tuesday could inject uncertainty into the 2024 presidential campaign, create a new sense of unease around the US economy, and be directly felt in key swing states from Georgia to Michigan.

Much of the unease hinges on how much  and how long  any effects will be felt now that port workers on the East and Gulf coasts have walked out.

"If it lasts for more than a few days or more than a week, you're going to get massive cascading effects," Flexport founder and CEO Ryan Petersen said in a recent Yahoo Finance appearance, noting that 15% of the world's container ships could be caught up in a stoppage.

"That's a huge reduction in capacity," he added.

But a prolonged shutdown in Georgia, North Carolina, and in other major ports in the East and Gulf coasts could increase Americans sense of economic unease after negotiations stalled over a complex series of wages and automation issues.

There are also significant question marks about how Kamala Harris and Donald Trump will approach the strike  with much of the campaign trail focus in recent days on other topics such as the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. The back-and-forth plays into complex politics around unions in the 2024 race amid a concerted effort by Donald Trump to gain labor support.

Read more: What the 2024 campaign means for your wallet: The Yahoo Finance guide to the presidential election

Economic problems could also quickly spread to other parts of the country that will also have a say in the November election, like Michigan, if shipments of autos and auto parts are held up.

But shipping experts said that President Joe Biden could be drawn directly into the standoff and be forced to step in to keep workers temporarily on the job.

"We strongly suspect that, this close to the election and despite denials ahead of time, President Biden would have little choice but to step in and invoke back-to-work legislation," Bradley Saunders of Capital Economics wrote in a recent note.

Such a move could trigger an 80-day "cooling off period" and largely  but not completely  shelve the issue until after Election Day.

The White House said such a move isn't on the table, but it is increasingly being drawn into the standoff.

Last Friday, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Acting Labor Secretary Julie Su, and Director of the National Economic Council Lael Brainard met with the port operator, the United States Maritime Alliance, to convey a message "that they need to be at the table and negotiating in good faith fairly and quickly."

That same message had been delivered to the union, a White House official added.

A truck picks up a shipping container at the Port of Savannah in Georgia. (Paul Hennessy/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images) (SOPA Images via Getty Images)

Will Biden step in?

Perhaps the key question at the moment  outside of what happens next between the International Longshoremen's Association and the United States Maritime Alliance  is what role the Biden-Harris administration will ultimately play.

The White House has taken a wait-and-see approach in recent weeks but has maintained that exercising executive power to delay the strike is not on the table;

"Weve never invoked Taft-Hartley to break a strike and are not considering doing so now," a White House official said on Friday, in a reference to a 1947 law that gave the US government more power to intervene in labor disputes.

Changing course is an option that would risk angering union leaders, but multiple experts say the White House could quickly have little choice.

President Joe Biden speaks in New York on September 25 on the sidelines of the 79th Session of the United Nations General Assembly. (ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images) (ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS via Getty Images)

"My base case would be we would get a couple of days in, and I find it difficult to believe that the Biden administration will not invoke the Taft-Hartley Act," added Michigan State University supply chain management professor Jason Miller in a recent Yahoo Finance interview.

But even if the workers are forced back onto a job without a deal, there is no guarantee that things will operate smoothly in that 80-day interim.

"We would expect some slowdowns over that period," Miller added.

Cascading economic effects

Ports from Massachusetts to Texas could be impacted by the strike, but the most in focus politically are those in Savannah, Ga., and Wilmington, N.C., that move significant cargo and sit in key swing states.

Smaller ports in Brunswick, Ga., as well as Morehead City, N.C., could also be impacted and are already drawing up contingency plans.

Tobin Marcus of Wolfe Research listed the strike as a possible "October surprise" in a recent note to clients, adding that it "could become a major problem for Harris if it drags out."

But so far, it has largely yet to break through on the campaign trail, even with candidates regularly traveling close to these ports.

Donald Trump traveled to Savannah last week; he commented on the city's port but didn't weigh in on the labor unrest.

"With a world-class port and a world-class workforce, this city will soon become one of the premier export hubs anywhere on earth," Trump said as part of his manufacturing pitch.

Republican presidential nominee, former U.S. President Donald Trump during a campaign stop in Savannah, Georgia on Sept. 24. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images) (Brandon Bell via Getty Images)

Likewise, the Harris campaign and national Democrats have said little about the strike so far.

But that could change quickly if disruptions are seen and as Democrats try to convince voters they will be good stewards of the economy. The Oct. 1 start of the strike also has auspicious timing, coming the same day as a vice presidential debate.

Another wild card is an ongoing battle for union votes between Harris and Trump, with the former president making a concerted pitch to union workers and leaders to cut into the traditional Democratic strength.

Harold Daggett, the head of the dockworkers union in the middle of the current talks, has also gotten notice for his aggressive tactics as well as his willingness to invoke politics directly.

"Where's the president of the United States? He not fighting for us," Daggett said in a recent video.

He added of his negotiations with the port operators: "I'll shut them down to prove that we can beat them."

This post has been updated.

Ben Werschkul is Washington correspondent for Yahoo Finance.

Click here for political news related to business and money policies that will shape tomorrow's stock prices

Read the latest financial and business news from Yahoo Finance
Private equity fund managers discuss raising capital from investors.

Private equity funds are investment vehicles that pool together capital from accredited investors to acquire ownership stakes in private companies or, sometimes, public companies that are taken private. These funds aim to generate high returns by improving the businesses they invest in and eventually selling them for a profit. Private equity funds are typically closed-end, meaning investors commit their capital for a fixed period, traditionally up to 10 years, during which the funds management invests the funds, manages portfolio companies and arranges an exit.

A financial advisor can work with you to determine if investing in a private equity fund could help you reach your financial goals.

What Are Private Equity Funds?

Private equity funds are investment vehicles managed by professionals that acquire ownership stakes in private companies. They may also purchase public companies with the intention of taking them private. These funds are primarily managed by private equity firms, which raise capital from institutional investors like pension funds, endowments and high-net-worth individuals.

The primary objective of a private equity fund is to find undervalued or underperforming companies, enhance their operations and eventually sell them for a profit. These funds often focus on companies that require operational improvements, additional capital, or strategic guidance to reach their full potential. As a result, private equity managers actively engage with their portfolio companies, often taking positions on the board of directors or influencing key business decisions.

Investors in private equity funds typically do not have a say in the specific investments made by the fund managers. Instead, they entrust their capital to these managers, who are responsible for making investment decisions. This structure allows the managers to pursue opportunities that align with the funds overall strategy, aiming to generate returns for their investors.

How Do Private Equity Funds Work?

Private equity funds work by raising capital commitments from investors and deploying that capital to acquire controlling or significant minority stakes in companies. Once a private equity fund identifies a target company, the fund purchases equity in that company, often leveraging the investment with debt to maximize returns. After acquiring the company, the private equity fund works to improve the businesss operations, enhance profitability and position it for future growth.

For example, a fund may purchase a family-owned manufacturing business that has struggled with improving its efficiency. The fund may hire new management, streamline operations and invest in modernizing the companys facilities. After five years of implementing these improvements, the private equity fund might sell the company to a larger corporation or take it public.

Throughout the process, the private equity firm charges management fees and also takes a percentage of the profits, known as carried interest, once the investment has been successfully sold. Investors in the fund typically see returns after the investment has been sold, meaning private equity investments often require a long-term commitment and patience.

How to Invest in a Private Equity Fund

An investor researching how to invest in a private equity fund.

If youre interested in investing in a private equity fund, here are five general steps to help you get started:

Meet accreditation requirements: For a private equity fund to accept your investment, you must typically be an accredited investor. This means meeting certain financial criteria, such as having a net worth excluding your primary residence of at least $1 million or earning an annual income of at least $200,000. Private equity investments are generally not available to most retail investors because of the high risks and illiquidity involved. You may have to document your financial status before the fund will permit investment.

Research private equity firms: Before investing, research the firms track record and strategy. Look for firms with a history of successful investments and strong management teams. Its also wise to review the sectors the firm focuses on.

Review the funds prospectus: Once youve identified a private equity firm, read the prospectus or offering memorandum for the specific fund youre interested in. This document outlines the funds strategy, target investments, fees and potential risks. Its important to thoroughly understand the terms before committing capital.

Commit capital: When you decide to invest, you will commit a certain amount of capital that the private equity firm will call upon as investment opportunities arise. Unlike public market investments, you do not invest all your capital upfront. Instead, the firm will call or request the actual cash from investors as it identifies companies to invest in.

Monitor the investment: Private equity investment requires patience as there is often a long holding period. During this time, the private equity firm will manage the portfolio companies, make improvements and eventually seek to sell or exit the investments. Investors receive updates on the performance of the fund, but returns are typically realized only after an exit, which could take several years.

Frequently Asked Questions About Private Equity Funds

What Are the Fees Associated With Private Equity Funds?

Private equity funds usually charge two types of fees: 1. The management fee is typically 1-2% of the committed capital, paid annually. 2. Carried interest is a percentage of the profits, usually around 20%, that the private equity firm takes once an investment is sold for a profit.

How Long Is the Investment Horizon for Private Equity Funds?

Private equity funds generally have a long investment horizon, often lasting seven to 10 years. Investors should be prepared for their capital to be unavailable during this period, as returns are typically realized at the end of the holding period when investments are sold or exited.

Are Private Equity Funds Risky?

Yes, private equity funds come with a higher level of risk compared to more traditional investments. The use of leverage, the illiquid nature of the investments and the reliance on the private equity firms ability to improve the companies all contribute to the risk. However, with higher risk comes the potential for higher returns.

Bottom Line

An investor reviewing his portfolio.

Private equity funds offer an opportunity for accredited investors to gain exposure to private companies with the potential for high returns. By investing in these funds, investors can benefit from the expertise of private equity managers who actively work to improve portfolio companies and generate profit. However, investing in private equity requires a long-term commitment and comes with significant risk.

Tips for Investments

A financial advisor can help you analyze investments and manage risks for your portfolio. Finding a financial advisor doesnt have to be hard. SmartAssets free tool matches you with up to three vetted financial advisors who serve your area, and you can have a free introductory call with your advisor matches to decide which one you feel is right for you. If youre ready to find an advisor who can help you achieve your financial goals, get started now.

If you sell an asset for more than what you paid, you may owe capital gains taxes. SmartAssets capital gains tax calculator can help you estimate how much you could pay in taxes.

Photo credit: iStock.com/sarawut khawngoen, iStock.com/PixelsEffect, iStock.com/Yaroslav Olieinikov

The post How Private Equity Funds Work appeared first on SmartReads by SmartAsset.
By SA Commercial Prop News - Inet Bridge

Killarney Mall experienced a major vacancy in 2015, when Edgars left. Dis-Chem recently replaced the retailer in the mall.



Compared with other assets in Octodec Investments' R12.3bn property portfolio, Killarney Mall has not performed as expected though its trading density has increased.

The mall, which has been a perennial underperformer, is Octodecs second-largest asset, worth R618.9m, making up 5% of the portfolio.

Octodec owns 324 properties including joint ventures. Its emphasis has been on growing its businesses in the Pretoria and Johannesburg central business districts.

In the groups annual results for the year to August, the majority of Octodecs assets performed well, contributing to 6.5% growth in distribution payouts. But Killarney again struggled, said MD Jeffrey Wapnick.

Compared with our other assets, Killarney has not performed as we wanted it to do so over the past few years. Nevertheless, there was an increase in trading density of 14% in the financial year to August.

We upgraded the air-conditioning system, security, ceilings, put in a generator and made other improvements at a total cost of R46m. This was during the 2016 financial year and the current 2017 year.

Killarney Mall experienced a major vacancy in 2015, when Edgars left. Dis-Chem recently replaced the retailer in the mall.

Nevertheless, vacancies have been increasing at Killarney and also at Elardus Park Shopping Centre.

Management has been considering the disposal for a while. I think they are just waiting for the right price and we could see a sale. It seems noncore because it looks like management prefers CBD retail exposure as opposed to non-CBD retail exposure, said Lawrence Koikoi, Stanlib listed property analyst.

Evan Robins, listed property manager of Old Mutual Investment Groups MacroSolutions boutique said Killarney Mall had been a weak asset for years and it made sense to let it go.

Theyve tried for a long time to make Killarney work, but it just has not. I think many people choose to shop at the Mall of Rosebank instead. Killarney does not have near the same quality of offering. It would make sense to sell it, but they would need to find a willing buyer who had a strategy to turn it around, said Robins.

While directors and associates including Wapnicks family own more than a third of Octodec, Old Mutual Investment Group and Stanlib Asset Management are significant shareholders. Koikoi said he was pleased with Octodecs results.

Octodec achieved 6.5% dividend per share growth although they have indicated that growth would have been around 11% had they excluded yield-dilutive developments.

Operationally the company remains robust with good collections, stable vacancies, controlled costs and it is guiding 6% dividend per share growth in the next financial year.
South Korean lawmakers have passed legislation banning the possession and watching of sexually explicit deepfake images and video, according to the Reuters news agency. The new law was passed Thursday by South Korea's National Assembly. It now lacks only a signature of approval by President Yoon Suk Yeol before it can be enacted.

Under the terms of the new bill, anyone who purchases, saves or watches such material could face up to three years in jail or be fined up to the equivalent of $22,600.

It is already illegal in South Korea to create sexually explicit deepfake material with the intention of distributing the content, with offenders facing a sentence of up to five years in prison or a fine of about $38,000 under the Sexual Violence Prevention and Victims Protection Act

Activists wearing eye masks, hold posters reading 'Repeated deepfake sex crimes, the state is an accomplice too' during a protest against deepfake porn in Seoul on August 30, 2024. / Credit: ANTHONY WALLACE/AFP via Getty Images

If the new legislation is signed into law, the maximum sentence for the crime of creating deepfake pornography would be increased to seven years, regardless of whether the creator intended to distribute the images, according to Reuters.

There's been public outrage in South Korea in recent years over the exchange of sexually explicit AI-manipulated images and deepfakes, and last month authorities launched an investigation into such content allegedly being shared via chat rooms on the Telegram messaging app.

An investigation by South Korean journalist Ko Narin for the country's Hankyoreh newspaper, published in August, found that the faces of several female graduates of Seoul National University had appeared on sexually explicit deepfake materials produced and distributed by men with whom they'd studied.

"I was shocked at how systematic and organized the process was," Ko told CBS News partner network BBC News earlier this month. "The most horrific thing I discovered was a group for underage pupils at one school [to share content] that had more than 2,000 members."

The distribution of such imagery among young people in South Korea appears to be widespread problem. A total of 387 people have been arrested this year alone for crimes related to deepfake sexual content, with 80% of them teenagers, South Korea's national Yonhap news agency reported this week, citing police data.

New Calif. laws cracking down on AI election deepfakes face legal challenges

The investigation into Telegram was announced not long after the tech company's CEO Pavel Durov was charged by French authorities with multiple crimes, including the allegation that his platform was used for the propagation of child sexual abuse material.

As CBS News reported, deepfake explicit images of pop icon Taylor Swift spread quickly on Elon Musk's social media platform X early this year, drawing millions of views and prompting X (formerly Twitter) to temporarily block searches for the entertainer in January.

In May, two U.S. senators co-authored bipartisan draft legislation aimed at cracking down on non-consensual intimate deepfake images online. The legislation proposes penalties including fines and up to two years in prison, with civil penalties that could range up to $150,000.

Why Hurricane Helene could be catastrophic

New York City Mayor Eric Adams arraigned

Dame Maggie Smith | 60 Minutes Archive
At least 63 people have died and millions have been left without power as Hurricane Helene roared through the south-eastern US.

In North Carolina, more than 400 roads remain closed with the mountain town of Asheville largely cut off. Supplies are being airlifted to residents, state governor Roy Cooper said.

Officials continued daring rescues with boats, helicopters and large vehicles to help those stranded in floodwaters - including about 50 workers and patients who crowded on the roof of a flooded Tennessee hospital.

It was the most powerful storm on record to hit Florida's Big Bend and moved north into Georgia and the Carolinas after making landfall overnight on Thursday.

Insurers and financial institutions say damage caused by the storm could run into the billions of dollars.

Roads and houses were submerged on Friday, with one family describing to BBC News how they had to swim out of their home to safety.

Although Helene has weakened significantly, forecasters warn that high winds, flooding and the threat of tornadoes could continue.

Helene, which had been a category four storm, came ashore on Thursday night and remained a hurricane for six hours after it made landfall, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

The National Hurricane Center (NHC) said a storm surge - heightened water levels mostly caused by high winds blowing water towards shore - reached more than 15ft (4.5m) above ground level across parts of the Florida coast.

The NHC said the surge should subside before the weekend but the threat from high winds and flooding would persist, including possible landslides.

Up to 20in (50cm) of rain is still possible in places.

The hurricane is the 14th most powerful to hit the US since records began. At approximately 420 miles (675 km) wide, it is behind only two other hurricanes - Ida in 2017 and Opal in 1996, both of which were 460 miles wide.

Because of its sheer size, the impact of strong winds and heavy rain have been widespread across Florida, Georgia, Tennessee and the Carolinas.

At least eight people have died in Florida since Friday, including at least five people in the coastal Pinellas County - which includes the city of St Petersburg - the county's sheriff, Bob Gualtieri said.

He added that the nearby coastline had "never, ever looked like this before", describing it as like a "war zone".

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said one person died after a road sign fell on their car and another when a tree fell on a home.

[Reuters]

After hitting Florida, the storm continued on a deadly path north into Georgia - leaving at least 15 dead - including a first responder, Governor Brian Kemp said.

A suspected tornado that spawned in Wheeler County, central Georgia, left two people dead when it picked up and overturned a mobile home, authorities said.

Kemp ordered 1,000 National Guard troops to help with rescue efforts across the state. The Georgia governor said on Friday that people were still trapped in buildings.

In South Carolina, at least 17 people were killed, according to CBS News, the BBC's US partner.

Neighbouring North Carolina saw at least seven fatalities in the storm, CBS News added.

Governor Roy Cooper said one had been killed in a vehicle collision and another when a tree fell on a home in Charlotte.

The state also saw two confirmed tornadoes, which damaged 11 buildings and injured 15 people, the National Weather Service said.

One person was also killed in Virginia, the state's governor, Glenn Youngkin, said at a news conference on Friday.

Across the south-east, more than three million homes and businesses were without power as of Saturday morning, according to tracking site poweroutage.us.

Ahead of the storm, 1,500 federal emergency personnel were deployed to the region, including 940 search and rescue specialists.

At the same time, around 8,000 members of the US Coast Guard were assisting with rescue operations.

In North Carolina alone, more than 100 rescues have taken place, Cooper said.

In Tennessee, 58 patients and staff were left stranded on the roof of a hospital in the city of Erwin on Friday. Swift-moving water from the Nolichucky river prevented boats from being able to conduct rescue operations, and high winds prevented helicopter rescue.

The group was later taken to safety after helicopters from the Tennessee National Guard and the Virginia State Police intervened.

In Pasco County, north of Tampa on Florida's Gulf coast, 65 people were rescued. Guests at a Ramada Inn in Manatee County were also rescued as floodwaters rushed into the hotel.

In Suwannee County to the north, authorities reported "extreme destruction", with trees falling onto homes.

[BBC]

Floating debris seen in Cedar Key, Florida [Getty Images]

Along the Gulf Coast of Florida, Briana Gagnier told the BBC that she and her family saw water creeping into their home on Holmes Beach and started moving their belongings onto tables and beds before hearing a loud bang.

"My family and I all looked at one another," she said. "Then water just started pouring in."

Ms Gagnier said she grabbed her pets, her wallet and some portable chargers and swam out of their home with her family. The water was up to their shoulders.

On Friday, President Joe Biden said: "As we mourn the lives of those who were taken by this storm, I urge folks to heed the direction of local officials and take every precaution to keep themselves and their families safe."

Officials have said the effects of the storm are "not over yet", and urged residents to remain vigilant.

Hurricanes need sea surface temperatures of more than 27C (80F) to fuel them.

With exceptionally warm waters of the Gulf at 30-32C, the sea surface is about two degrees Celsius above normal for the time of year.

Florida's 220-mile Big Bend coast is where Hurricane Idalia made landfall in 2023. The area was also battered by Hurricane Debby last month.

There could be as many as 25 named storms in 2024, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) warned earlier this year.

Between eight and 13 of those storms could develop into hurricanes and a handful already have including Helene.

More storms could be on the horizon, officials warned, as the official end of hurricane season is not until 30 November.

[BBC]

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Some users do exercises like squats while balancing on vibration plates. Others just focusing on staying upright.

Do you vibe?

Its a question thats been reverberating around TikTok as users flood the platform with videos of themselves balancing on shaking vibration plates, bodies quivering, often in an attempt to hawk the devices as the latest cure-all.

Their efforts have certainly made waves. Online searches for vibration plates  which look like a hybrid between a griddle and a trembling surfboard  have sharply increased since April, and products on TikTok Shop have racked up tens of thousands of sales.

People use them in different ways. Some focus on standing upright while the plate shakes them; others go further and engage in various exercises like squats or pushups.

The purported health benefits of whole-body vibration range from weight loss and increasing bone density to promoting lymphatic drainage, improving circulation and beyond.

But what does the evidence actually say?

Do vibration plates have health benefits?

Its not a silver bullet, but it has its certain merits, said Dr. Jorn Rittweger, head of the division of muscle and bone metabolism at the German Aerospace Center and a professor of space physiology at the University of Cologne in Germany.

He said the calorie-burning and cardiovascular benefits are similar to brisk walking for the same amount of time.

It also matters how much exercise youre already getting in. If people dont do anything in terms of exercise, Rittweger said, then the effects are moderate or even better. For the general public, if theyre exercising already, the effect is marginal or nonexistent.

For example, Rittweger said he uses the device in the childrens rehabilitation unit to help ward off muscle atrophy in kids who cant walk.

What about strengthening bones? Rittweger says the evidence is mixed. The effects are probably not tremendous, he said.

As for improved circulation and lymphatic drainage, Rittweger said theres evidence suggesting that the vibration actually does help with removal of fluids from your legs, although its unclear whether the fluid is being removed from the lymphatic system or the veins.

Two related diseases have also received a lot of attention on TikTok for potentially being helped by vibration: lymphedema, a form of swelling that results from more severe backup of lymphatic fluid, and lipedema, a form of swelling usually seen in women thats caused by fat deposits that are typically hard to burn off.

Theres no convincing evidence that vibration plates alleviate lymphedema or lipedema, Dr. Hakan Brorson, a professor of plastic surgery at Lund University Cancer Centre in Sweden and the former president of the International Society of Lymphology, wrote in an email.

So although the evidence is mixed, it may be helpful for people who cant exercise in other ways.

But it also matters how you use the device. Rittweger recommends seeking guidance from an expert, like a physical therapist, who can ensure that you are maximizing the benefits without hurting yourself.

Are vibration plates safe?

People who are exposed to whole-body vibration for extended periods of time, like bus drivers and heavy machinery operators, are known to experience lower back pain.

Peter W. Johnson, a professor emeritus in the School of Public Health at the University of Washington who studies ergonomics, said this probably isnt a concern for most users of vibration plates. I dont think that these vibrating plates would create much of a problem, because most of them are just used for bouts of six to 15 minutes, he said.

The other important thing is the frequencies that the plates operate with, Johnson said. A lot of people use the plates at higher frequencies, which dont affect the spine.

The devices often come with warnings for certain people.

An important one is any active clotting disorder. If you have a clot, you could displace the clot, Rittweger said. A displaced clot could travel to the brain and cause a stroke or to the heart and cause a heart attack.

He also said that vibration could dislodge kidney stones, which can be extremely painful.

Lifepro, a popular brand of vibration plate, says on its website that people with heart conditions, muscle or bone injuries, as well as medical implants such as pacemakers, shouldnt use the devices, nor should pregnant women or young children.

Lifepro did not respond to a request for comment.

Although vibration plates are safe for most people, ultimately, Johnson says, when we make changes, we tell people to listen to their body.

Deja Mason of Roanoke, Virginia, said she first heard about vibration plates on TikTok.

I had heard it helped with poor circulation, Mason, 29, said. Instead, she said that it made her feel worse.

I used it for maybe three minutes tops, and immediately got very dizzy and lightheaded, couldnt really stand up straight or focus on anything with my eyes, she said.

One thing people dont need to worry about is the itching sensation they may experience their first time on a vibration plate.

Rittweger said its a reflex that results from the skin vibrating and sliding against blood vessels, triggering the release of a chemical called histamine that expands the vessels and makes the skin itchy.

Its something that passes away with one, two or three sessions at the most, he said, adding that its not harmful.

Wait, haven't we seen these before?

As vibration plates experience a resurgence, some hear echoes of past fitness fads.

This feels rather retro to me, said Natalia Mehlman Petrzela, a professor of history at the New School in New York City and the author of Fit Nation: The Gains and Pains of Americas Exercise Obsession. It probably is connected to some of that resurrection of early-2000s culture.

In addition to intensifying workouts, theres something tempting about how easy it seems, she said. You dont even have to sprint on a treadmill to get a benefit of this. You can just stand there and itll do something.

Modern vibration plates are the latest iteration in a long history of vibrating exercise devices, from belts to couches. From the 1940s to the 1960s, what was being sold, almost entirely to women, was the notion of passive exercise, she said, something that didnt at all disrupt notions of appropriately ladylike movement.

It would be totally inappropriate for her to be lifting heavy weights or going for a run, God forbid, Petrzela said.

So why did they become popular at the turn of the millennium?

There was a lot of enthusiasm over what technology can accomplish, she said. Remember, thats the Y2K, dot-com era. And so, my hunch is that it was a little bit of, How can we make the gym high-tech?

But soon they faded away. Trends come and go, she said, pointing to other trends that displaced vibration plates, like group fitness and CrossFit.

For now, theyre fashionable. But just as vibrating plates shake users up and down in quick succession, trends too are always oscillating. Something thats up today can be down tomorrow, just as fast.
TOMS RIVER - A township man was charged Friday in a hit-and-run crash at Massachusetts Avenue and Mobile Lane that left a 25-year-old pedestrian in critical condition last weekend, said Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer.

Stacy Jordan, 60, was charged with knowingly leaving the scene of a motor vehicle accident resulting in serious bodily injury to another person in the Sept. 21 incident, according to a statement from Billhimer and acting Toms River Police Chief Peter Sundack.

Related: Toms River hit-and-run leaves man in critical condition, police seeking help

More Toms River news: Mayor picks new police chief after he fought with previous top cop

The victim, who has been identified as Lance Carter of Toms River, was struck by a motor vehicle going north on Massachusetts Avenue. The driver did not stop and an investigation determined that Jordan was behind the wheel at the time of the crash, the statement said.

Carter was taken to Community Medical Center where he remains in critical condition, according to the Prosecutors Office.

Jordan was arrested Friday and taken into custody without incident in Toms River by detectives from the Major Crime Unit-Vehicular Homicide Squad of the Prosecutors Office and Toms River Police officers. He was processed into the Ocean County Jail pending a future detention hearing.

The Crime Scene Investigations Unit of the Ocean County Sheriffs Office also participated in the investigation.

Contact Asbury Park Press reporter Erik Larsen at elarsen@gannettnj.com.

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Toms River NJ man charged in hit-and-run; victim, 25, remains critical
Former U.S. President Donald Trump and Kamala Harris attending a town hall campaign event at Macomb Community College, Michigan, September 27, 2024.

Former President Trump is chipping away at Vice President Harris lead in Michigan and Wisconsin, the latest polling shows.

Harris is up 49% in Wisconsin to Trumps 47%, according to a survey of 2,055 voters taken Sept. 21 to Sept. 26 and released Saturday by The New York Times and Siena College.

In the even more critical state of Michigan, Harris led Trump by just a point, with 48% support for her to his 47%.

Former President Donald Trump is closing in on Vice President Harris lead in Michigan and Wisconsin, polling shows. REUTERS

Both results, within the margin of error of 2.5%, reflect a statistical dead heat in the contest and is a small but notable reversal for Harris from August, when the same poll found her leading in both states by four points.

The Saturday poll also found Trump with a six point lead in Ohio, a state he is expected to carry in the 2024 contest.

Trumps strength is largely due to lingering voters concerns about the economy, with more than a quarter of voters telling pollsters it was their most important issue.

Voters in Michigan, Wisconsin and Ohio trust Trump to handle the issue better than Harris by a wide margin, with the former president garnering 54% support on the subject to Harris 42%.

Both candidates are their own biggest liabilities: 30% of voters called Harris honesty and personality their biggest concern.

A full 32% of voters said their biggest issue with Trump was his behavior.

Trump has a six point lead in Ohio, a state he is expected to carry in the 2024 contest, the poll showed. REUTERS

In another warning sign for Harris, 46% of those polled said they believed Trumps policies had helped them, compared to just 36% who said they had been hurt by them.

Only 37% of those same voters said Harris policies would help them compared to 43% who said they would be hurt by them.

The poll also found profound pessimism among swing state voters, with more than four in 10 saying they believed Americas problems were so bad under the current administration that the country was at risk of failing as a nation.

Harris is up 49% in Wisconsin to Trumps 47%, according to a survey of 2,055 voters taken Sept. 21 to Sept. 26 released by The New York Times and Siena College. nytimes.com

Trump and Harris were also neck and neck in the battleground state of North Carolina, with surveys from Fox News and CNN/SSRS released Friday each showing a statistical tie.

Trump won the Tar Heel state in 2016 and 2020, and losing there in 2024 would severely complicate his path to the White House.

Trump held a 50-49 lead against Harris among likely voters in the state according to Fox, which spoke to 991 voters from Sept. 20 to Sept. 24, while CNN surveyed 1,680 voters from Sept. 20 to Sept. 25 and found the two candidates each holding at 48% among likely voters.

Trump held a 50-49 lead against Harris among likely voters in the state according to Fox, which spoke to 991 voters from Sept. 20 to Sept. 24. Fox News Poll

Both polls were conducted after a series of damaging revelations against North Carolina Republican gubernatorial candidate Mark Robinson, which Republicans fear could drag down the national ticket.

The race here will be close, but Trump still holds the edge on the issues that matter most to North Carolina voters, pollster Daron Shaw told Fox News. So long as they think Trump is more likely to make the country more prosperous and safer, hes the odds-on favorite.

Last week CNN reported Robinson once referred to himself as a black Nazi, expressed support for slavery, and described his own history of peeping on women at a public shower when he was a teenager.

Vice President Harris faces persistent voter concerns about the economy. REUTERS

Many of the remarks were made in comment section of the porn forum Nude Africa. Robinson has denied the allegations.

Both surveys showed Robinson down by double digits against his opponent, Democrat Josh Stein.

Trump has warmly embraced Robinson during the campaign, regularly comparing him to Martin Luther King Jr. When asked this week if he would pull his endorsement, the former president said, I dont know the situation.
The Cathedral of Learning towers over the University of Pittsburgh in 2019.

Authorities are investigating the second incident in a month in which a Jewish student attending the University of Pittsburgh was attacked, possibly motivated by the victims religion.

The FBI, which is currently assisting University of Pittsburgh Police, said it has opened its own investigation.

According to university police, the student was walking off campus early Friday morning when a group of six to eight men assaulted the unidentified victim.

During the assault, the actors used anti-Semitic language. A bystander intervened and ended the assault, Pittsburgh University Police said in a news release in which it categorized the incident as a Hate Crime/Assault.

The students condition was not immediately clear.

Authorities released descriptions of at least three suspects they said were in their early 20s.

The FBI, which is assisting campus police, has opened a separate investigation into the assault to determine whether it constituted a federal hate crime.

The university said in a statement Friday that it "unequivocally condemns antisemitism."

"Any violence or antisemitic acts against our community will not be tolerated," it said. "Regardless of who it comes from, or who it is directed at, hate of any kind has no place in our community."

Fridays attack follows an Aug. 29 incident at Pitt in which two Jewish students were attacked by a man wielding a glass bottle.

The suspect in that attack, identified as Jarrett Buba, has been charged with two counts of simple assault, two counts of aggravated assault, two counts of recklessly endangering another person, two counts of harassment and one count of resisting arrest.
Anooshavan Avedian, 62, was sentenced to 10 years in prison for leading a house church. An appeal court dropped the charges and ordered his release. Advocacy group is pleased about the turn of events but calls for the victim to be "compensated for all he has endured". At least 21 Christians are still in an Iranian prison because of their faith.

Tehran (AsiaNews)  Iranian authorities have released a 62-year-old Armenian-Iranian pastor, Rev Anooshavan Avedian, from Tehran's Evin prison, just over a year after he was sentenced to 10 years in prison for leading a house church. He was acquitted on all charges.

According to Article18, a non-profit organisation dedicated to documenting religious repression in Iran, especially against Christians, the Christian clergyman left his cell this week, after the court accepted his appeal against the verdict of a lower court.

All the charges were dropped at the hearing last Tuesday at Branch 21 of the Appeal Court of Tehran, leading to his release.

Anooshavan spent just over a year in prison, starting his sentence on the same day that another Armenian-Iranian pastor, Rev Joseph Shahbazian, was released after purging a ten-year prison sentence.

His first day in Evin Iranian also coincided with the visit to New York by the late Iranian President, Ebrahim Raisi (who died earlier this year in a helicopter crash), while his last day in prison overlapped with Raisis successor Masoud Pezeshkians visit to the 79th UN General Assembly.

Article18 President Mansour Borji sees no link between the pastors release and the United Nations General Assembly.

For Anooshavan to have spent even one day in prison was unjust, especially now that he has been found to have committed no crime, Borji said. For this reason, We hope that he will be fully compensated for all that he has endured.

Last year, the UN Human Rights Committee called on Iran to immediately release those imprisoned for exercising their right to freedom of religion or belief, and ensure they are provided with adequate compensation.

In addition to Anooshavan, at least 21 other Christians are currently serving prison sentences related to their faith, about a dozen in Evin.

One of them is Hakop Gochumyan, who was sentenced to 10 years for alleged deviant proselytising. The Armenian national accompanied Anooshavan to the prison gates when the latter was released.

At the time of the Armenian-Iranian clergymans trial, two members of the same house church were also convicted. Unlike the pastor, Abbas Soori, 45, and Maryam Mohammadi, 46, both converts, were immediately released without serving their prison sentences.

For Anooshavan, Maryam and Abbas, everything began in August 2020, when they were arrested for the first time, but their case went nowhere for a long time.

At least 30 intelligence agents raided the house church in Narmak, northeast of the capital. About 18 people were present, praying and reading the scripture.

During the operation, copies of the Bible, personal effects, mobile phones, and other computer equipment were seized. Those detained were forced to provide passwords to their smartphones and social media accounts.

They spent time between the time of their arrest and sentencing in the notorious Evin prison, on the outskirts of Tehran, where they were subjected to interrogations, psychological torture and abuse.

In the recent past, Iranian authorities have arrested thousands of Christians from house churches with hundreds convicted on charges of acting against national security.

This belies statements by the Iranian government and Iranian diplomatic missions claiming that Christians continue to enjoy the religious freedom to carry out their activities, worship in their churches and devote themselves to their programmes in accordance with the laws of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
by Nirmala Carvalho

The platform was launched by the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India-Latin rite on the eve of World Day of Migrants and Refugees. Migrants can register to be welcomed and helped by host communities. Migrants bring wealth to local parishes, as was visible last Sunday in Mumbai during the Karam festival, celebrated by over 800 Catholic migrants at St Stephen's Church.

Mumbai (AsiaNews)  On the eve of World Day of Migrants and Refugees, which the Church celebrates this Sunday all over the world on the theme indicated by Pope Francis, "God walks with his people, the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India -Latin Rite (CCBI) inaugurated a new digital portal integrated with the CatholicConnect platform, aimed at helping migrants who move to other parts of the country or other regions of the world seeking work.

India has one of the largest diasporas, as well as over 450 million internal migrants, people who often face challenges like exploitation and access to basic services. Hence, the Catholic Church is stepping up efforts to assist not only migrants, but also refugees, internally displaced persons, unaccompanied minors, and victims of human trafficking.

The portal will serve as a vital resource, allowing migrants to register and access Church services regardless of their location.

Dioceses and parishes across India will support the initiative by helping migrants register, while trained volunteers from migrant communities will lend a helping hand to those in need.

During the ceremony inaugurating the initiative, Fr Jaison Vadassery, the National Secretary of the Commission for Labour of the Catholic Bishops Conference of India (CBCI), stressed that the service is open to everyone, regardless of caste, creed or religion. CCBI President Card Filipe Neri Ferrao, Archbishop of Goa, was present at the event.

The portal will enable the Church to accompany migrants in a more meaningful way, as we did during the COVID-19 pandemic, he explained.

The platform will help migrants enrol in government programmes and assist them during emergencies, for example, providing health care or education to their children.

Along with this type of assistance, the pastoral life of migrant communities is also a major focus, aimed at enhancing migrants traditions.

The Karam festival is a beautiful example of this. Held last Sunday at St Stephen's Church in Cumbala Hill, Mumbai, this vibrant celebration harmoniously intertwines spirituality, culture and community. This year it drew more than 800 members of the Hindi migrant tribal community, gathering for this annual harvest festival, which is deeply rooted in their tradition.

The day began with a solemn Eucharistic celebration in Hindi followed by activities in which each community had the opportunity to show its dances, songs and culture.

For Mgr Dominic Savio Fernandes, Auxiliary Bishop of Bombay, It was indeed a joy to watch their synchronised steps and unison singing, with smiles radiating inner joy, which spoke volumes of the inner harmony that exists among these simple but very loving, caring and charitable people.

Most of these migrants work as domestic workers. They are simple but deep in their spirituality with great faith and trust in Jesus Christ. They are truly people who express their faith through their unique culture, which is seen so much in the rhythm of their lives. It was truly a very enriching and humbling experience for me.

What is more, We at St. Stephens Church, Cumballa Hill, Mumbai can certainly affirm what the Holy Father says about encountering the Lord in the Migrants.

At a personal level, I feel spiritually uplifted to experience the witnessing of deep faith and Gospel values exhibited by the Hindi migrant community of our parish, from Chotanagpur and other regions, despite all the challenges that they face of being away from home.

Their whole-hearted participation in the Hindi Mass celebrated every Sunday through singing, dance and response to the prayers lend a great example to us. [. . .] Their strong faith helps them to bond as a community and hold on to their roots and rich tradition.
by Stefano Caprio

The Faculty of Philosophy at Moscows main university held a forum on current events in Russia where speakers expressed positions that were not obvious and unambiguous. Without openly criticising the countrys power structure, philosophers show that they do not want to give up on the true dimension of the Russian soul, that of openness to all variants of the spirit.

The Faculty of Philosophy at M. V. Lomonosov Moscow State University (MSU), the capitals main university, recently organised an international philosophical forum titled "Knowing the meaning of Russia" with the support of the Russian Presidential Fund for Cultural Initiatives.

The event was held at the Metropol Hotel, which is located between the Bolshoi Theatre and Red Square. Organisers said they wanted to go beyond traditional scientific dissertations to try, based on the tradition of Russian philosophy, to understand current events "in person.

Philosophers, historians and philologists looked at metaphysical questions through the practical problems of Russia's current politics.

This was not just a high propaganda" game, even if politicians opened the forum with statements in which they use philosophical notions to justify the most daring and aggressive choices of Putins militarist and imperial ideology.

Pyotr Tolstoy, deputy speaker of the Moscow Duma, proved to be the most effective speaker. A distant descendant of the great author of "War and Peace, he is one of the main supporters of the "philosophy of the Russian world" that must bring the world back to true traditional values.

In his opinion, "only by clarifying ourselves and within ourselves will we be able to explain to the whole world what Russian civilisation consists of.

The State must offer society a complete image of the future that awaits us, and philosophers must provide the most appropriate categories for this task.

MSU, despite being the most important state university, has tried in these years of upheaval to keep a certain balance, away from propaganda excesses, unlike other places like the Russian State University for the Humanities (RSUH) and the National Research University Higher School of Economics, which were the most open to cultural dialogue with the West until a couple of years ago, before becoming schools for ideologues of universal conflict.

In particular, MSUs Faculty of Philosophy has kept fairly intact as it sought to maintain the link with Russias various philosophical currents from the present and the past, avoiding involvement in projects and initiatives directly related to politics.

However, more recently, someone from higher up has tried to get it to take a position in a more explicit way, but this forum still expressed views that were not obvious and unambiguous, reflecting the pluralism typical of true Russian culture.

"Russian philosophy" as such, especially in its most intense phase in the 19th century, has never focused on unilateral positions. On the contrary, it has been characterised by exchange and reworking different positions within a shared European and world heritage.

Against the background of the classical juxtaposition between Slavophiles and Westernisers, Russian philosophers began their quest by reinterpreting some of the greatest German philosophers. Slavophiles saw the need to fully develop the idea of a "religious philosophy" proposed by Friedrich Schelling, while their rivals based themselves on the rationalist theories of Georg Wilhelm Hegel, with the inevitable historical course towards the "absolute spirit" to be achieved with social revolution.

This makes Russian culture readable from different perspectives and from opposite directions, unlike what the ideologues of present-day Russia would like to impose in their abstract proclamation of "traditional values".

Thus, for leading philologist Tatiana Kasatkina, speaking about to the multifaceted spirit of the great Slavophile writer Fyodor Dostoevsky, Russias current elites have not really understood the meaning of the Russian idea.

As the history of the Empire centred on St Petersburg shows, even at the time of Peter the Great, the aristocracy was separate from the people, developing a "colonial-style ideology", since the people was despised and deemed barbaric, without real spiritual content. Instead of serving society, they began to administer it from above, Kasatkina argues, with obvious analogies with the current situation in Russia.

Philosopher Mikhail Bogatov noted that Russians, while planning their future, often do not take into account the actual role of their country, its topos, in universal reality. What has often beleaguered Russia is precisely the attempt to impose a worldview that ends up excluding Russia itself, leaving it an "unfinished world, suspended between other powers and cultures.

Often this is justified as a "sacrifice" Russians make in favour of other peoples, effectively cancelling themselves, a statement that seems largely confirmed today.

Bogatov notes that this contradiction is evident in new compulsory school courses on the "Foundations of Russian Statehood," which, in his opinion, "seem to be written to convince foreigners of Russia's greatness rather than properly inform students.

Another eminent scholar of history, Sergey Perevezentsev, reaches the conclusion that Russian political science today seems to be increasingly dependent on Anglo-American politics, but taking on a "defensive and conservative" form, allowing itself to be dictated by the ongoing debate in the "enemy world".

The traditional values that Russia intends to defend are not "Russian values", but "counter-values" to the West, a way to distinguish itself by winking at certain political factions in the various countries of the world, especially Europe and America, who feel attracted to Russia's sovereigntist and traditionalist ideology, feeling deep dissatisfaction with the changes taking place in contemporary society.

Sociologist Sergey Baranov spoke about Russian civilisation as an original and sovereign variant of Eastern European civilisation, and current civilisation of axial time, trying to bring metaphysics back to the Russian mission.

In his opinion, "philosophy today has the possibility of building something different from its Western roots", starting from the opposition of values, passing "from the sphere of Western rationalism to the philosophy of super-rational practice", an obscure definition to provoke a "spiritual revolution of the person", and through it, arrive at a "social-economic and technological order of an axial type", a way to reassert the Russian superiority in values.

In informal conversations with the many journalists in attendance, some participants began to discuss why Slavophiles focused on the religious dimension, seeing it as a marker of Russia's distinction from the West.

With respect to the great visions of the 19th century, philosophers turned to the hierarchy of empires" that set Russia apart, a reference to the Holy Alliance, Russia proposed to Austria and Prussia, bringing together Orthodox, Catholics and Protestants, one that goes back to Europes religious roots but is reflected in the "special military operation".

The forum marked the 150th anniversary of the birth of one of Russias greatest philosophers, Nikolai Berdyaev, who, after the Bolshevik revolution and the world wars, described the situation of the world as that of a "New Middle Ages".

Other speakers sought inspiration in the philosopher of "Russian personalism" to understand Russia and the world today, juxtaposing him to another intellectual whose anniversary coincided with the meeting, namely the philosopher and historian of religion Aleksei Losev, the only "idealist thinker" allowed by Stalin in the days of official atheism.

Berdyaev stressed the importance of freedom and creativity as essential elements in the Russian idea, when it is necessary to think of a new world in which man must try to rediscover his relationship with the Creator.

Other speakers tried to reaffirm the innovative and original potential of Russian culture, while the dean of the MSU Department of Philosophy, Aleksey Kozyrev, concluded by stating that "the relationship between Russian philosophy and politics depends on the choice of each person, suggesting that thinking must not depend on obligations and impositions, and that philosophical evaluations of events cannot be reduced to primitive statements".

While not openly criticising the positions of the existing power structure, Russian philosophers show that they do not want to give up on the true dimension of the Russian soul, one of openness to all variants of the spirit, each speaking "in person" to the whole world.

RUSSIAN WORLD IS THE ASIANEWS NEWSLETTER DEDICATED TO RUSSIA. WOULD YOU LIKE TO RECEIVE IT EVERY SATURDAY? TO SUBSCRIBE, CLICK HERE.


External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar India has signed Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) -- an international agreement to protect marine biodiversity on the high seas, External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar informed. Jaishankar signed the BBNJ agreement at the UN Headquarters in New York.



Signed the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Agreement today at the UN HQ, he informed in a social media post on X.



India is proud to join the BBNJ Agreement, an important step towards ensuring that our oceans remain healthy and resilient, he added.



The agreement, an international legally binding treaty, comes under the Law of the Seas Treaty. It seeks to ensure that marine life is conserved by countries and is used sustainably on the high seas.



High seas are beyond nations' territorial waters and the exclusive economic zone that could extend up to 370 km from the shores.



The agreement, adopted internationally last year, bans destructive fishing and pollution.



It was agreed upon in March 2023, and is open for signature for two years, starting September 2023. It enters into force 120 days after the 60th ratification.



Currently, about 100 countries have signed it, and eight of them have ratified it.



As per the agreement, nations cannot claim sovereign rights over marine resources on the high seas, and also it ensures equitable sharing of benefits from those resources.



Indias participation in the treaty was approved by the Cabinet in July.



Jitendra Singh, the Minister of State for Earth Sciences, affirmed Indias commitment and proactiveness to the global cause of environmental conservation and sustainable development."



The treaty can help boost Indias strategic presence in areas beyond our Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), and will further strengthen the countrys marine conservation efforts.




28 September 2024 09:00 (UTC+04:00)

The appointed President of COP29, the Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Mukhtar Babayev, met with Ed Miliband, the Secretary of State for Energy Security and "net zero" emissions of Great Britain, Azernews reports.

During the meeting, the parties emphasized the importance of achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement on decarbonization.

The sides discussed strategies to accelerate the global energy transition, strengthen international cooperation, and ensure equal access to sustainable technologies to achieve climate goals.

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Delhi Chief Minister Atishi Delhi Chief Minister Atishi on Saturday remarked that the election conducted by BJP for the sixth member of the Delhi Municipal Corporation's (MCD) Standing Committee has been "illegal, unconstitutional and undemocratic." "The election process violated several regulations outlined under the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act of 1957 and the Delhi Municipal Corporation Procedure and Conduct of Business Regulations of 1958," said the Delhi CM in a press conference.



She further emphasised: "The Delhi MCD operates under laws passed by the Parliament, most notably the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act, 1957, and its supporting regulations. Regulation 51 of Delhi Municipal Corporation Procedure and Conduct of Business Regulations 1958 clearly states that the election for the Standing Committee must take place in a corporation meeting presided over by the Mayor. Further, Regulation 3 (2) specifies that the date, time, and venue for such meetings can only be decided by the Mayor, while Section 76 of the DMC Act reaffirms that the presiding officer for these meetings must be the Mayor or Deputy Mayor."



Atishi further claimed: "Contrary to these legal provisions, the Lieutenant Governor (LG) granted permission for the election, and an IAS officerlacking the authority to do soconvened the meeting."



"Instead of the elected Mayor presiding over the proceedings, the IAS officer assumed the role of presiding officer, rendering the election both unconstitutional and unlawful," she added.



"BJP disregards rules and regulations when they are not in power, without considering the Constitution," Atishi alleged. She pointed to similar incidents, including attempts to subvert election results through what they refer to as "Operation Lotus", a strategy the BJP allegedly used to purchase Opposition leaders and form governments from the backdoor.



Delhi CM accused BJP of using such tactics in Karnataka, Maharashtra, Manipur, and in the recent Delhi MCD election. "BJP refused to allow a fair mayoral election after AAP's victory in the MCD, then the Supreme Court intervened to ensure a fair and transparent election," she added.



She mentioned that AAP will move to the Supreme Court to challenge the legitimacy of BJP's recent actions and submit an application on Saturday for the "unconstitutional and illegal" MCD election.



Delhi CM has firmly stated: "This country is not governed by BJP's rowdiness but by law and order. If BJP has courage, they should face AAP in a fair election. We will not tolerate the murder of democracy. Dissolve the MCD and conduct a fair electionlet the people give their verdict."



Addressing Arvind Kejriwal's evacuation of the CM's residence after resignation Atishi remarked: "Arvind Kejriwal was an honest CM who continues to receive public support. Despite having no personal residence after resigning from office, he has been offered several homes to stay in by supporters across the national capital."




Drones Catch New Insights Into Oregon Coast Gray Whales: Headstands, Bubble Blasts

Published 9/26/24 at 6:45 a.m.

By Oregon Coast Beach Connection Staff

(Newport, Oregon) - In the coastal waters of this state, just offshore, there's been a new way to examine the lives of gray whales. Researchers from Oregon State Universitys Marine Mammal Institute have been capturing a varied existence using drone footage, and their findings reveal a captivating story of age, behavior, and adaptation.

As gray whales off the Oregon coast grow, their movements evolve. Clara Bird, a scientist at the Marine Mammal Institutes Geospatial Ecology of Marine Megafauna Laboratory, meticulously analyzed seven years of drone footage to decode the whales behavior. It turns out that gray whales have quite the repertoire: forward swimming, side-swimming, headstands, and even bubble blasts.

The younger whales - smaller in size  will tend to dart through the water with forward strokes. Theyre the aquatic sprinters, eager to forage efficiently.

As the years pass, she discovered, some things change. The older, larger whales adopt a different strategy. They gracefully execute headstands, plunging their mouths into the ocean floor.

Bird said findings seemed to suggest the headstanding behaviors need coordination and strength.

For example, we often see whales sculling much like synchronized swimmers do while they are headstanding, she said. It is likely this behavior is learned by the whales as they mature. We have footage of whale calves trying to copy this behavior and theyre not able to do it successfully.

OSU Associate Professor Leigh Torres leads the GEMM Lab at Hatfield Marine Science Center in Newport, and has studied whales along the Oregon coast extensively, as well as along the waves of Washington, Canada and California. She was co-author with Bird on two of the papers on this subject.





With the study, scientists have discovered that whales exhibit different foraging tactics based on their surroundings - specifically, the habitat and water depth they find themselves in.

For instance, when whales are near a reef, they are more likely to engage in headstanding. Bird and her colleagues found their primary prey of tiny mysid shrimp tend to congregate around kelp-covered reefs. So, by performing headstands, the whales position themselves better to catch these elusive shrimp.

Then there are those intriguing bubble blasts. When gray whales are underwater, they release a single, forceful exhale that creates a large circular pattern on the water's surface. Previously, it was believed that these bubble blasts helped whales aggregate or capture prey. However, the study reveals a different purpose: buoyancy regulation.

Larger, fatter whales were more likely to bubble blast, especially while performing headstands, said Torres. The bubble blasts also were associated with longer dives, supporting the hypothesis that the behavior helps whales feed for a longer period of time underwater.

Bird said all this is not unlike when humans dive underwater and let go of all the air.

If we release air from our lungs, then we can stay underwater more easily without fighting the buoyancy forces that push us back toward the surface, Bird said.

The Pacific Coast Feeding Group is a roughly 200-member subgroup of whales who spend considerable time here in summers as well as in those other areas  something Torres has been studying since 2015. They hang out near the shoreline instead of traveling north with the other 19,000 gray whales in the Eastern North Pacific population.

She's also found these whales face elevated exposure to human activities in some locations, including boat traffic, noise and pollution, while they feed in the shallow waters along the Pacific Northwest Coast.

Its been an amazing journey of discovery over the last 10 years learning about how cool these gray whales are, Torres said. They are underwater acrobats, doing tight turns, upside-down swimming and headstands. We have now connected these behaviors with the habitat, size and age of the whale, which allows us to understand much more about why they go where they go and do what they do. This will help us protect them in the long run.

Together, the two papers provide new insight into how whales size affects their behavior and the role social learning may play in whales adoption of these behaviors, she said.

Because these whales are feeding close to shore, where the water is shallow and we can capture their behavior on video, were able to really see what is happening, Bird said. To be able to study the whales, in our backyard, and fill in some answers to questions about their behavior, feels very special.

The paper on the gray whales foraging tactics was published in the journal Animal Behaviour. Co-authors of that paper include K.C. Bierlich, Marc Donnelly, Lisa Hildebrand and Alejandro Fernandez Ajo of the GEMM Lab in the Marine Mammal Institute; Enrico Pirotta of the University of St. Andrews and Leslie New of Ursinus College in Pennsylvania. The paper about the bubble blast behavior was published in Ecology and Evolution. Additional co-authors were Bierlich, Hildebrand, Fernandez Ajo, Pirotta and New.

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Netarts Nature Walk Time Travels Through Oregon Coast Geology

Published 9/24/24 at 6:25 a.m.

By Oregon Coast Beach Connection Staff

(Netarts, Oregon)  The smallest of details you find on the Oregon coast can have the most epic of stories. The tiny things here can be the big finds.

So it goes with the rocks of the north coast, even around the Netarts Bay near Oceanside. If you want to dive headlong into just such a time-traveling sojourn, Friends of Netarts Bay WEBS (Watershed, Estuary, Beach, and Sea) is hosting that kind of event on Sunday, September 29. Reading The Rocks Of Netarts Bay: a Time Traveling Adventure takes place in and around the bay area, starting at 10 a.m.

From lava flows to ancient fossils to modern environmental crises, this event takes you around the north coast  geologically.

You'll join up with expert and outdoor environmental geoscience instructor Margery Price on this temporal excursion, which will comprise of walking around various locales in and near Netarts Bay, from Cape Lookout to the little village of Cape Meares. There will also be a presentation.





Participants will explore the geological wonders of this striking natural area, uncovering the hidden history inside the rocks. You'll delve into the what's preserved in the layers of stone around the area, and hear some wondrous stories.

Be ready to travel between various spots in that stretch of Cape Lookout to Cape Meares, and maybe carpool there and back.

WEBS Director Chrissy Smith said there is much to gawk at in this section of the Oregon coast.

Working on the bay or walking on the beach, I often marvel at how they came to be, Smith said. Exploring the geologic story of this place through time brings together all the different puzzle pieces that led to the creation of Netarts Bay, our sand beaches, tidepools, and headlands. The rocks and formations can tell us so much about this place.

If you want a hint at what surprises this area can yield: it turns out there are remnants of a ghost forest some 80,000 years old here, and an Oregon Coast Beach Connection reader recently discovered a new set of ghost forest stumps not yet documented (dating back 300 years). See Ghost Forest Found at N. Oregon Coast's Happy Camp a Chilling Reminder

Price is in the middle of researching how pumice can be used as a filter for wastewater, and she's spent time with the US Geologic Survey in Yellowstone and as an undergraduate teaching assistant at a field school in Montana. One of her favorite activities is discovering cool and interesting rocks wherever she goes  something she promises to do with this walkabout event.

Registration is required for this event. For more information and to register on their website, follow the link to Reading The Rocks Of Netarts Bay.

Explore Nature is a series that offers a delightful array of outdoor activities - hikes, walks, paddles, and other adventures - guided by a collaborative effort among volunteer community groups and non-profits. These immersive nature experiences shine a spotlight on Tillamook Countys exceptional beauty while emphasizing ongoing efforts to safeguard its natural resources and sustain the local economy. Notably, this event is cross-listed through Explore Nature Tillamook Coast.

Friends of Netarts Bay WEBS (Watershed, Estuary, Beach, and Sea) is a non-profit organization dedicated to sustaining the Netarts Bay area through education and stewardship. www.netartsbaywebs.org.

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Secluded N. Oregon Coast Villa Overlooks Cannon Beach, Peaks

Published 9/24/24 at 7:25 a.m.

By Oregon Coast Beach Connection Staff

(Cannon Beach, Oregon)  Secluded, sprawling and singularly spectacular just barely describe one outstanding spot in the Cannon Beach area. Where Haystack Rock and a horizon full of surf are in plain view, the majestic peaks of the Oregon Coast Range are just behind you and the interior is chock full of lovely shades and features.

It's one heckuva villa.

So it may come as no surprise the place is called Ocean Villa, a massive vacation rental home near the Ecola State Park entrance that comes with six bedrooms and the ability to accommodate 12 humans (plus a pet or two, with a fee).

A small road between you and the beach, you're a hop, skip and a jump away from the access closest to Chapman Point. That is where  if you're extremely lucky  extremely low tide events grant brief access to Crescent Beach, Cannon Beach's most secret set of sands. Even so, you can hike the mile-and-a-half trail the rest of the year, which begins at a place not far from the Ocean Villa: along the access road to Ecola State Park.

If getting out isn't quite your thing yet, then there's that mega-deck looking out westward, featuring a view of all things gloriously Oregon coast, along with a barbecue to grill 'n chill with. From here, the sounds of the sea waft in along those coastal breezes, either hypnotizing you or lulling you to sleep at night.

Inside, this hilltop retreat features lots of natural light pouring in and setting aglow the hardwood floors, with major windows everywhere still affording you that incredible view but shielding you from when those breezes become more winds than waft.

The entry opens into a large, vaulted living area outfitted with fine furnishings and some very compelling coastal art pieces, plus a wood burning fireplace perfect for warming your tired toes at the end of a day of exploring, said Beachcomber Vacation Homes, which manages the place. A dedicated dining area offers the ideal setup for those more formal occasions, while the large kitchen with its endless counter-tops can easily field a crowd of cooks.

Indeed, the villa's interiors are spry and energetic, with color schemes that sooth and yet bounce with exuberance. Its reds and soft greens really pop in the midst of all those other background colors. The result is a stunning upscale home that specializes in hosting large groups  and the four and a half bathrooms are just part of that feature.

There's actually three decks: two larger ones and another smaller one just outside the master bedroom.





All this is a mere half mile from town, with Cannon Beach's copious fine dining and engaging shops a quick car trip away. Or spend the day jaunting south into beaches rich in funky finds like Hug Point, or maybe a hike to the top of 1600-foot Neahkahnie Mountain. Manzanita is just 15 or so minutes away or less, and Seaside's many attractions  both natural and manmade  are less than ten minutes.

The villa also features full wi-fi and satellite / cable TV. Contact Beachcomber Vacation Homes or swing by their office in Cannon Beach. 855-219-4758. 503-436-4500

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Now that Kamala Harris has been coronated the Democratic Socialist designee for nomination as their candidate for President of these United States, after that political party's contrived primary process "democratically" elected Joseph R. Biden: What are your feelings about this party's progressive posture within their self-styled exercise of "Saving Democracy for America," and how truly critical the outcome of this presidential election will be?

8.7% I am ecstatic that this "Democracy's" First partially Black, First partially Indian, First female Co-Parent, and this nation's primary necessity is to her elect our First woman president.26.09% I really do not care about all these "Firsts." I will continue to pray, and work for this Representative Republic to elect someone competent, and brilliantly patriotic to be our next president.65.22% I will never vote for any politician that "first" does not have the core values to understand how dire this Constitutional Republic's situation has become.
Under Border Czar Kamala Harris, the United States has over 650,000 illegal aliens with criminal convictions or criminal charges roaming freely in our country. Many already had criminal records when they were let through the Biden-Harris open borders. The data was released by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) at the request of Congressman Gonzalez of Texas.

The data shows that among these migrants were 435.719 who are convicted criminals who are not detained and 222,147 migrants who are undetained and have pending criminal charges. Overall, there are 662,566 non-citizens with criminal histories on ICE's dockets.

The data shows 13,099 migrants convicted of murder who are not detained, as well as 1,843 with murder charges. There are 277 migrants convicted of murder who are in jail as well as 51 charged with murder charges. There are 17,000 convicted or charged with rape or serious sex offense who are not detained.

ICE has the legal authority to detain and begin deportation proceedings of all of these criminals but under Biden-Harris policies are not doing it. In fact, they have thousands of empty ICE detention beds where they could lock them up pending deportation, but they don't.

https://www.breitbart.com/immigration/2024/09/27/data-dump-shows-425000-migrant-criminals-lose-in-biden-harris-usa/

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13902301/migrant-murder-convictions-living-united-states-ice-stats.html

https://redstate.com/sister-toldjah/2024/09/27/nowhere-to-run-for-kamala-harris-after-ice-releases-stunning-data-on-convicted-illegals-still-in-the-us-n2179863

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/biden-harris-let-staggering-650000-criminal-illegals-loose-us-ice

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/tens-thousands-illegal-immigrants-sexual-assault-homicide-convictions-roaming-us-streets

https://unherd.com/newsroom/kamala-harris-cant-repair-her-immigration-record/

Greg Gutfeld did a great job blasting the MSM media coverup of these horrible numbers:

https://stage.redstate.com/terichristoph/2024/09/27/in-the-real-world-shed-be-toast-gutfeld-slams-media-for-coverup-of-those-damning-ice-numbers-n2179873

Here are some examples of actual crimes being committed by illegal aliens:

https://www.beaufortcountynow.com/post/78910/illegal-alien-migrants-behaving-badly-migrants-and-crime-newly-updated.html

These should be the very first illegal aliens that President Trump uses to begin his promised mass deportations.
Gov. Maura Healey has seized control of Dallas-based Steward Health Care's St. Elizabeth's Medical Center in Brighton, Mass., through eminent domain to ensure the hospital remains open and transfers operations to Boston Medical Center.

Steward sought Chapter 11 protection May 6 and has since been working to offload its 31 hospitals.

In August, New York City-based Apollo Global Management, an alternative investment manager, rejected a $4.5 million proposal from Ms. Healey's administration to take over the hospital.

"While Apollo continues to put its greed ahead of the health and well-being of the people of Massachusetts, we are taking action to make sure St. Elizabeths remains open," Ms. Healey said in a Sept. 27 news release shared with Becker's. "By transferring operations to Boston Medical Center, we will protect access to care for tens of thousands of patients and save thousands of jobs."

U.S. Bankruptcy Court Judge Christopher Lopez approved the sale of St. Elizabeth's and Steward's Good Samaritan Hospital to Boston Medical Center for $140 million on Sept. 4.

Providence, R.I.-based Lifespan was also approved to purchase Steward's Taunton, Mass.-based Morton Hospital and Fall River, Mass.-based St. Anne's Hospital for $175 million. Lawrence (Mass.) General Hospital will purchase Holy Family Hospital in Methuen (Mass.) and Holy Family Hospital in Haverhill (Mass.) for $28 million.

The Steward hospital ownership transfers will occur Oct. 1, Ms. Healey's news release said.

Bill Reid, lawyer at Reid Collins & Tsai and representing Apollo in the matter, said in a Sept. 27 statement shared with Becker's that despite the company's attempts to hold "reasonable negotiations," Ms. Healey has "initiated an unconstitutional use of eminent domain at the expense of Apollo's third-party investors."

"Taking the property for a fraction of the assessed value is theft and everyone in Massachusetts  every business owner and homeowner  should be concerned about this threat. As a fiduciary, Apollo is left with no choice but to continue pursuing litigation aimed at challenging the governors unconstitutional use of eminent domain," the spokesperson said.

Steward closed two of its Massachusetts hospitals, Boston-based Carney Hospital and Ayer-based Nashoba Valley Medical Center, on Aug. 31. Ms. Healey has since implemented "working groups" to help stabilize healthcare in the areas affected by the closures.






Hundreds of clinical trials are researching how drugs like Ozempic and Mounjaro affect a plethora of conditions, Nature reported Sept. 25.

GLP-1 medications are currently approved for Type 2 diabetes, chronic weight management and/or cardiovascular disease.

Drug manufacturers and researchers are also testing whether these drugs could treat anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation, Alzheimer's disease, dementia, Parkinson's disease, arthritis, kidney disease, cancer, metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis, alcohol and drug addiction, polycystic ovary syndrome, infertility and sleep apnea.

A few late-stage trials have found promising results for some of these conditions.

In April, Eli Lilly announced plans to request FDA approval for Zepbound, a weight loss drug, as a treatment for sleep apnea. In June, Novo Nordisk said the FDA is reviewing its application for Ozempic, a Type 2 diabetes medication, to be indicated for kidney disease.

"We're in a phase where GLP-1-based drugs are being considered as potential cures for every condition under the sun," Randy Seeley, PhD, a professor at the University of Michigan who works with obesity drugmakers, told Nature.

One of the driving factors for all this research is how the naturally-produced GLP-1 hormone acts in the body.

After meals, cells in the intestine's lining produce GLP-1, which stimulates the pancreas to release insulin  a tie to diabetes. The insulin then regulates blood sugar, suppresses appetite and slows digestion, Nature reported. Weight loss helps patients with heart disease, sleep apnea and polycystic ovary syndrome.

In the hindbrain, neurons produce GLP-1 in select instances, such as after a large meal. There are multiple receptors for the hormone across the brain. These include ones involved in appetite control, mood regulation, reward, and movement, which can explain how the drugs might treat addiction.

The hindbrain also responds to infections by producing the hormone. After injuries and illnesses, inflammation occurs. GLP-1s seem to reduce inflammation. This could connect to their effects on kidney disease, heart disease, metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis, and Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases.

The picture is not yet complete on why these GLP-1 medications have the potential to treat so many conditions, though, since the drugs can activate regions deep in the brain that they cannot penetrate.

Learn more here.


India rebukes Pak's 'decisive response' threat at UNGA, calls out cross-border terrorism India firmly responded to Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's sabre-rattling at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), condemning his country for fostering cross-border terrorism. Bhavika Mangalanandan, First Secretary at the Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations, delivered a sharp rebuke during the Right of Reply session. She criticised Pakistan for its audacity in attacking India, calling it a "country run by the military with a global reputation for terrorism, narcotics trade, and transnational crimes."



"This assembly regrettably witnessed a travesty this morning," Mangalanandan said, referencing Sharif's speech. "A country run by the military with a global reputation for terrorism, narcotics trade and transnational crime has had the audacity to attack the world's largest democracy.," she said in her address.



She emphasised that Pakistan has long used cross-border terrorism as a weapon against India.



"It has attacked our Parliament, our financial capital, Mumbai, marketplaces and pilgrimage routes. The list is long. For such a country to speak about violence anywhere is hypocrisy," she added.



India also underscored Pakistan's continued attempts to disrupt the democratic process in Jammu and Kashmir, which is regarded as an integral part of the country and rejected any possibility of dialogue with Pakistan until terrorism emanating from its territory ends.



In her statement, Mangalanandan highlighted Pakistan's history of human rights violations and its support for terrorism, noting that it is a country that hosted Osama bin Laden and continues to be involved in global terror incidents.



"It is ridiculous that a nation that committed genocide in 1960-71, and which persecutes its minorities relentlessly even now, dare speak about intolerances and phobias. The world can see for itself what Pakistan really is," she remarked, further condemning Pakistan for hosting terrorists like Osama bin Laden.



India also noted that the world can see through Pakistan's attempts to spread falsehoods, and New Delhi's stand on the matter remains clear.



India's comments come after Sharif's General Assembly speech on Friday, where he claimed that India's military doctrines envisaged a surprise attack and a "limited war" under the nuclear overhang to capture territories in Kashmir. He warned of a "decisive response" from Pakistan despite the threat being fabricated.



Sharif's speech took on an ominous tone, recalling past invasions of India by Pakistan under various pretences, which led to two wars and a smaller conflict.



Sharif's speech also set conditions for dialogue with India, calling for the revocation of the changes made to Jammu and Kashmir's status in August 2019, when India abrogated Article 370, integrating the region more closely with the rest of the country.



However, India pointed out that Security Council Resolution 47, adopted in 1948, first requires Pakistan to withdraw all its troops and infiltrators from Jammu and Kashmir.



It was also emphasised that Pakistan has ignored the part of the resolution that prohibits funding or arming terrorists who continue to attack the region.



Despite Sharif's efforts, none of the world leaders who have spoken at the UNGA so far, including those from traditionally supportive nations like Turkey, mentioned the Kashmir issue, further isolating Pakistan.



In a bid to garner attention, Sharif tried to link the Kashmir issue to the Palestinian cause, comparing the struggles of the people of Jammu and Kashmir to those of Palestinians.



Despite these accusations, Sharif portrayed Pakistan as a victim of terrorism, listing various terrorist groups such as ISIL-K, al-Qaeda, and the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).



He referred to the presence of 90,000 Indian troops in Kashmir, accusing them of human rights violations and attempting to reduce the Muslim population to a minority.



India, however, maintains that the path to peace requires an end to terrorism from Pakistan. India reiterated its position, asserting that cross-border terrorism would invite consequences and Pakistan's attempts to rewrite the narrative through repeated lies would not change the truth.




Becker's has reported on multiple CEO moves at California-based hospitals and health systems in September, including resignations and new appointments.

1. Sam Itani was appointed CEO of Redding, Calif.-based Shasta Regional Medical Center. The 226-bed facility is part of Ontario, Calif.-based Prime Healthcare.

2. Tina Burch, MSN, RN, was named CEO of Doctors Hospital of Manteca (Calif.), part of Dallas-based Tenet Healthcare.

3. Carly Loper was appointed acting CEO of Brawley, Calif.-based Pioneers Memorial Healthcare District following the departure of Christopher Bjornberg. Ms. Loper joined the hospital in 2013 and became CFO in April 2020.

4. Steven Foster was named president and CEO of Sacramento, Calif.-based Mercy General Hospital, which is part of San Francisco-based Dignity Health.

5. Alistair Machoka was tapped as CEO of Corona (Calif.) Regional Medical Center. It is part of Temecula, Calif.-based Southwest Healthcare.

6. Hong Min was appointed CEO of Southwest Healthcare Temecula (Calif.) Valley Hospital. Southwest Healthcare includes five acute care hospitals.

7. Sunny Bhatia, MD, was named the first president of Ontario, Calif.-based Prime Healthcare. It includes 44 hospitals and more than 300 outpatient locations.
Health systems are relinquishing traditional leadership structures to reimagine a more effective healthcare delivery organization.

The rigid hierarchies instilled within many hospitals and health systems years ago ensured a tight grip on quality and management. But times have changed; the rapid evolution of digital technology and need for nimbleness are forcing hospitals to change.

"As an industry, healthcare must transition from hierarchical, top-down leadership to more agile, decentralized models that empower teams and promote innovation at all levels," said Wendy Horton, PharmD, CEO of UVA Health University Medical Center in Charlottesville, Va. "Excellent communication skills will be vital for navigating these changes, along with a strong emphasis on workforce well-being including strategies to address mental health, retention and burnout."

UVA Health has a Leadership Institute designed for emerging leaders to hone their skills in multiple areas, including interpreting complex healthcare data, AI and driving operational efficiency. Dr. Horton also elevates empathy and effective communication for healthcare leaders.

Paul Coyne, DNP, senior vice president and chief nursing executive for HSS | Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City, sees a similar shift in healthcare executive structure. He said frontline clinical leadership "must become more human centric and less administrative."

"People who seek a career in healthcare are not looking for their management to facilitate their projects or enter their timecards," Dr. Coyne said. "They are looking to be cared about, to be mentored and to be given an environment in which they can truly flourish, not only as professionals, but as human beings."

The proliferation of artificial intelligence and other technologies in healthcare is streamlining the purely administrative tasks, further emphasizing the human connection between leaders and their teams.

"Leadership teams must evolve beyond the traditional hierarchy of the past, to remove the barriers which have prevented true connection and transparency, while preserving order, to lead to even greater results," said Dr. Coyne.

Sharda Udassi, MD, associate chief quality officer at WVU Health System in Morgantown, W.Va., envisions a future where leadership teams are focusing more strongly on data-driven decision-making and fostering interdisciplinary collaboration. She sees a need for strongher IT and innovation skills as technology changes and healthcare delivery expectations evolve.

"Roles that emphasize adaptability, strategic foresight and patient-centered care will become more essential, while those focused on traditional hierarchical structures may become less relevant in fostering a more agile and inclusive culture," Dr. Udassi told Becker's.

Administrative leaders are also feeling the shift away from traditional organizational charts to flatter accountabilities. Maxine Carrington, chief people officer at New Hyde Park, N.Y.-based Northwell Health plans to deepen focus and adaptive leadership skills to thrive in the complex healthcare environment.

"Roles with expertise in data analytics, AI integration and patient-centered technology are becoming more prominent as we continue to leverage innovation to improve care delivery," said Ms. Carrington. "At the same time, like many organizations, traditional hierarchical structures will continue to diminish in importance, replaced by more collaborative, cross-functional teams that drive practical and equitable solutions for our team members, patients and communities."

Jenn Moore, vice president of payer relations and payment innovation at MaineHealth in Portland saw the shift away from top-down leadership begin when the pandemic hit, requiring rapid change and decision-making. Those same skills will become more essential in the next two years, she said.

"Leaders with the 'right stuff' to take their teams to the next level will be more agile, effective change management champions, and open to new approaches," Ms. Moore told Becker's. "Leaders wed to more hierarchical structures, traditional tactics and settings of care and fee-for-service methods will need to evolve to continue to be effective in the new landscape."

If leaders are moving away from hierarchical structures, what are they running toward? Breaking down silos, collaboration, interdisciplinary work and empowering more leaders to make decisions.

"Leadership within rigid, compartmentalized structures will become less important [in the next two years]," said Edward Kim, MD, vice physician-in-chief at Duarte, Calf.-based City of Hope and physician-in-chief at City of Hope Orange County. "Moving forward, the focus will shift away from hierarchies and toward collaborative, cross-functional team dynamics, creating a more integrated and effective approach to care and innovation."
The Biden administration on Sept. 26 unveiled a suite of new efforts to combat gun violence, including directives to ensure healthcare providers are reimbursed for firearm safety counseling.

During a ceremony at the White House, President Joe Biden signed an executive order meant to improve active shooter drills in schools and minimize the trauma associated with them. The order also establishes a task force to assess emerging threats posed by firearms without serial numbers, or ghost guns, and machine gun conversion devices.

President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris were joined by survivors of gun violence, local and state officials and advocates at the White House for the signing ceremony. Among them was Chethan Sathya, MD, a pediatric trauma surgeon and director of Northwell Health's Center for Gun Violence Prevention.

In addition to the executive order, federal leaders announced several other actions to mitigate gun violence. Three healthcare takeaways:
How to get away with murder: The 1922 killing of a Catholic pub owner that shocked Belfast... and may now be solved

Historian Edward Burkes latest book sheds new light on the brutal case, as he reveals the identity of the man believed to have killed an innocent family

Four men wearing police uniforms and armed with guns burst into 3 Kinnaird Terrace, a home in north Belfast that belonged to well-known Catholic publican, Owen McMahon

Gillian Halliday Tue 1 Oct 2024 at 13:56

When Rebel Heart, a controversial four-part drama depicting Irish history between the 1916 Rising to the Civil War and partition, was broadcast by the BBC in 2001, the late Lord David Trimble  then First Minister  wrote a blistering letter to the Beeb, decrying a scene that closely resembled a real-life murder case that took place in Belfast in 1922.
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I should have wore more velvet!: Llewelyn-Bowen wowed as restored east Belfast home is third House of the Year finalist
Coked-up paedophile threatened neighbour who exposed his return to home

Gillen was released from jail in March and locals noticed he was making late-night secret visits to the property despite him supposed to be living elsewhere

Gavin Gillen

Steven Moore Sat 28 Sep 2024 at 21:49

Coked-up paedophile Gavin Gillen has foolishly boasted hes planning to do the windows of the neighbour who snapped his secret house visits.
Minister for Justice Helen McEntee said the plans would help keep people safe (Brian Lawless/PA)

Internet companies will face massive fines for hosting content that glorifies terrorism, under new powers for the media regulator.

Coimisiun na Mean has been designated as the authority to impose the penalties which fall under EU regulations.

The Department of Justice said the powers will provide for speedy removal of terrorist content online after gardai issue removal orders.

The regulations apply to material shared online that directly or indirectly advocates for the commission of terrorism offences.

This includes the glorification of terrorist acts, soliciting others to contribute towards offences, or to directly participate or aid in the activities of terrorist groups.

An Coimisiun will have the power to impose administrative fines on hosting service providers  up to 4% of global turnover for infringements of the EU Terrorism Content Online Regulation.

Justice Minister Helen McEntee said: We have already implemented a number of the necessary measures including the designation of An Garda Siochana as the competent authority to issue removal orders to online service providers.

An Garda Siochana plays a vital role in this respect and aligns with their mission of Keeping People Safe.

Coimisiun na Mean will now play an equally important role in collecting fines from those providers who do not fully adhere to An Garda Siochanas orders.

We will see a State-wide response to tackling harmful and corrosive content online, content which can motivate people do real world-harm.
Sinn Fein would create a minister for reunification and abolish the means test for the carers allowance, Mary Lou McDonald has told her party conference.

Ms McDonald used her leaders address at Sinn Feins Ard Fheis conference to present an optimistic vision for the party and appeal to voters concerns in the areas of housing, childcare and migration.

With eyes on the upcoming general election, Ms McDonald appealed to the public to give Sinn Fein a chance to lead a government.

She warned that workers and families cannot afford another five years of Fine Gael or Fianna Fail in power.

A key announcement in the speech was a new pledge to abolish the carers allowance means test, with Ms McDonald saying too many carers receive no recognition from the State.

In 2023, the Parliamentary Budget Office estimated the cost of abolishing the means test at approximately 400 million euro per year.

Merchandise for sale during the Sinn Fein Ard Fheis (Niall Carson/PA)

Ms McDonald said: We choose to back people with disabilities to live full lives as equal citizens with access to work, education, services, and independent living.

She added that the partys budget, which included relaxing the means test but not abolishing it, provided the most substantial package of support for carers ever presented in a single budget.

Sinn Fein is also seeking to position itself as the party that will get childcare right for parents and providers.

In her speech in Athlone on Saturday evening, Ms McDonald told the audience that she was once that parent juggling work with two small children.

Sinn Feins housing spokesman Eoin O Broin (Niall Carson/PA)

She said Sinn Fein will deliver fair pay to early years educations and childcare professionals for their crucial role in society.

Meanwhile, she said the party  if elected  would cap childcare at 10 euro per day per child by September next year.

Its policy platform includes a plan to build capacity and extend parental leave to 52 weeks along with crucial steps towards public provision, she added.

Ms McDonald told the Ard Fheis, which the party said was attended by more than 1,000 people, that Sinn Fein would establish a minister for reunification at the Department of An Taoiseach.

She said a new Irish government should be clear-cut in committing to holding referendums on unity.

The crowd at the Technological University of the Shannon arena (Niall Carson/PA)

She said: We can unify Ireland. We need a mature, respectful conversation about constitutional change.

Be in no doubt  Unity referendums are coming. By end of this decade, people north and south must have their say.

She said the Irish and UK Government cannot continue to tread water and must instead plan and prepare for the polls.

Ms McDonald said a green paper on Irish unity should be prepared, a Citizens Assembly established.

With the Government delivering a Budget on Tuesday, Ms McDonald also pledged to cut USC for every worker, abolishing the charge on the first 45,000 euro of income  a move she said would mean average workers pay nothing.

Senior Sinn Fein figures during a media opportunity on Saturday (Niall Carson/PA)

The Sinn Fein leader also placed a significant emphasis on the housing crisis, saying the party will deliver the largest housing programme in the history of the state.

This includes 300,000 homes, 50,000 of which would be affordable homes at prices from 250,000 euro.

Sinn Fein also plans to deliver 75,000 social houses.

She said the party would cut rents and stop rip-off increases.

In healthcare, Ms McDonald said the overcrowding pressures at University Hospital Limerick shows a Government unable to fix whats broken.

She pledged to deliver a second Emergency Department for the midwest while introducing free GP care, additional medical cards and cutting healthcare costs more generally.

She said: We are the party to deliver universal healthcare within a decade, providing the right care, in the right place, at the right time.

On the subject of migration, Ms McDonald said Ireland is a welcoming country and repulsive racism must be faced down.

Ms McDonald reiterated party policy that accommodation centres for international-protection applicants must not be located in working-class communities struggling to survive.

She described Sinn Feins approach as based on community, fairness and common sense.

Having publicly acknowledged that the party performed well below its own expectations in the local and European elections earlier this year, Ms McDonald stressed that Sinn Fein is now more determined than ever to deliver on its ambitions, adding: We are not giving up.
Sinn Fein is election ready, Mary Lou McDonald has insisted as she said the party will run more candidates than ever before.

Ms McDonald said there is a real sense of positivity and optimism among the party membership as selection conventions continue in the Republic.

Speaking to reporters at the partys Ard Fheis conference in Athlone, the Sinn Fein leader said: Were election ready, we look forward to the campaign and were in it to win it.

Ms McDonald said the stakes are high for the national poll, adding: We feel confident and were ready for it because we believe passionately that there has to be a change of Government, that we can do so much better.

Sinn Feins President Mary Lou McDonald with First Minister of Northern Ireland Michelle ONeill (Niall Carson/PA)

She said the party would seek to elect a representative in every Irish constituency, adding that it was hoping to win two seats in some electoral areas.

However, she cautioned: Were not one bit presumptuous or arrogant about this.

Earlier this year, Ms McDonald announced that Sinn Fein had conducted an internal review after performing well below its own expectations in the local and European elections.

She revealed that senior figures in Sinn Fein were disappointed with her engagement with the partys base.

Ms McDonald was told that she needed to offer more clarity on its policies, including on immigration.

This week, ex-Fine Gael leader and former taoiseach Leo Varadkar said immigration into Ireland had risen too fast.

Asked if she believed this was accurate, Ms McDonald said: The population has grown  thats a matter of mathematical fact.

She said this occurred at a time of a pre-existing housing crisis and pressures on stretched services.

All of those Government failures were going to come home to roost  throw into the mix slow and bad management of the whole situation.

She added: For a past taoiseach or the current Taoiseach (Simon Harris) to pretend they are not responsible for the crisis they have created really takes the biscuit.

Ms McDonald added that Sinn Fein had set out a revised immigration policy over summer.

Immigration has to be manage with community, fairness and common sense at its heart. That hasnt been the case.

The attempts by the Government to distance themselves from their own failures is very obvious.

More recently, Sinn Fein celebrated successes in the UK general election when it became Northern Irelands largest party at Westminster level  in terms of both seats and vote share.

(PA Graphics)

Ms McDonald said the party made very substantial gains north of the border, adding that she was pleased that powersharing had been restored at Northern Irelands institutions.

The party conference is focusing on housing, the cost-of-living-crisis, childcare, healthcare and the upcoming Budget on Tuesday.

On the topic of Irish unification, Ms McDonald said it is was not a sustainable position for the UK Government to rule out referendum provisions contained in the Good Friday Agreement.

Ms McDonald said governments in Dublin and London cant continuously delay and dither.

The referendums will happen.

She added: The challenge for both governments is to prepare and have that inclusive, respective and mature dialogue that we have called for.

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Speaking during a session on unification, Sinn Fein deputy leader Michelle ONeill said the recent change of government in London offers an opportunity to improve Irish-British relations.

However, the First Minister for Northern Ireland reiterated: The jurys certainly still out in terms of how (the Labour Government) will live up to their commitments set out in the Good Friday Agreement, because their actions to date demonstrate more of the same austerity and broken promises.

Ms ONeill also introduced South Africas deputy president Paul Mashatile address to the conference.

Mr Mashatile said the African National Congress was indebted to Sinn Fein, adding: There are no ways to express our gratitude in the role you played in supporting us.

He said the ANC supported Sinn Fein in its fight for the unity of Ireland.

Dr Jilan Wahba Abdalmajid, the Palestinian ambassador to Ireland, also attended the conference in Athlone for a second year in a row.

To a standing ovation, she said: From the bottom of my heart, I thank all of you here today for the friendship, solidarity and support. Palestine will be free  justice for Palestine.
A view from an apartment at 100 Van Ness, one of the largest office-to-housing conversion projects in San Francisco. Gabrielle Lurie/The Chronicle

Developers hoping for a faster and easier path to converting empty office buildings to housing in Californias downtowns will have to wait for another legislative session after Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed legislation that would have fast-tracked such projects.

The measure, AB3068, would have expedited adaptive reuse projects by mandating by-right approval for projects converting offices to residential or mixed-use in city centers. That means that adaptive reuse projects would have been eligible for a streamlined, ministerial review process, regardless of the zoning of the site, bypassing the typical costly environmental review and hearings at planning commissions or city councils.

The bill, written by Assembly Member Matt Haney, D-San Francisco,would have required that at least half of the square footage of the project be dedicated to residential uses.

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While I strongly support efforts to address Californias housing crisis by promoting adaptive reuse projects, this bill raises several concerns, Newsom wrote in a veto message. The proposed compliance and enforcement mechanisms for labor standards, including the issuance of stop-work orders for any violations, represent a significant expansion beyond existing law, which limits this remedy to a narrow subset of violations, such as those posing immediate threats to health and safety."



Newsom said the bill also lacked clear procedures for contesting violations or addressing noncompliance that could lead to delays, and increased costs, potentially making projects financially unviable  ultimately undermining the bills goal of increasing housing production.

In a statement Haney said he would keep fighting to cut the ridiculous amount of bureaucratic hurdles and red tape that make office to housing conversions too expensive and too lengthy.

Most major cities across America have bounced back from COVID but Californias downtowns are still suffering, he said. Its very concerning that with the governors veto, California will continue for another year to do nothing  office buildings will sit empty, making our downtowns crime-ridden ghost towns.

At the inaugural meeting of the Legislatures Select Committee on Downtown Recovery in August, chaired by Haney, mayors from San Francisco, Sacramento, Long Beach and Riverside all spoke in favor of the legislation. It passed the Senate 27-11.

In previous statements, Haney touted the legislation as the rare initiative that has successfully united groups typically at odds: YIMBYs and historic preservationists. The bill was cosponsored by YIMBY Action and the California Preservation Foundation.

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The legislation comes as San Francisco, which has an office vacancy rate of over 30%, has aggressively pushed to reduce obstacles and add incentives to encourage property owners to convert empty downtown buildings. Zoning has been relaxed. Red tape has been eliminated. And, in March, voters approved Prop C., a Mayor London Breed-initiated ballot measure to eliminate transfer taxes on conversion projects.

Breed and Supervisor Matt Dorsey recently introduced legislation that would eliminate fees and affordable housing requirements for all conversions.

Despite the efforts, so far only two conversion projects have been introduced in San Francisco, totaling 165 units.
British nationals in Lebanon have been urged to leave the country immediately amid escalating violence between Israel and Lebanese Hezbollah.

In a statement on Friday evening, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said British nationals in Lebanon should leave now, adding: You should take the next available flight.

We are working to increase capacity and secure seats for British nationals to leave.

The FCDO said British nationals in the country should register their presence on the departments website in order to stay up to date with the latest information.

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It comes after Defence Secretary John Healey said on Friday airstrikes and rocket fire exchanged between Israel and Lebanese Hezbollah present a risk that this escalates into something that is much wider and much more serious.

He faced questions about a possible ground invasion after Israeli army chief Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi told troops on Wednesday that ongoing air strikes were to prepare the ground for your possible entry and to continue degrading Hezbollah.

Speaking to broadcasters, Mr Healey said his first concern remains the safety of British nationals in Lebanon.

He added: The travel advice remains the same  dont go to Lebanon. If you are in Lebanon, then get out and there are still commercial flights leaving so people can do that.

But I left Labour conference earlier this week to chair a Cobra committee in Government because we are making the preparations youd expect of Government ahead of any potential developments in the future.

Defence Secretary John Healey speaking during a press conference at the Aukus defence ministers meeting at the Old Royal Naval College in London this week (Kin Cheung/PA)

The PA news agency understands the UK Government has successfully asked airlines to increase capacity on routes out of Lebanon, with Foreign Office teams in Beirut to support British consulate services.

It is thought they are ready to facilitate evacuations by sea or air, which could be triggered if the security environment degrades further and British nationals are no longer able to leave the Middle East through other routes.

Around 5,000 British citizens are in Lebanon, and the United Nations said more than 90,000 Lebanese people have been displaced in recent days.

Asked about the rumoured ground invasion, Mr Healey replied: Were watching this really carefully. That will be a matter for the Israelis.

At the moment, its airstrikes. At the moment, there are missiles from the Lebanese Hezbollah directed at Israel. This conflict serves no one.
The King and Queen will be at Holyrood on Saturday for a ceremony to mark 25 years of devolution (Jane Barlow/PA)

The Scottish Parliament has placed itself at the very heart of the nation, First Minister John Swinney will say as he joins the King and Queen at a ceremony to mark 25 years of devolution at Holyrood.

Charles and Camilla will be at the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh for Saturdays anniversary event.

Mr Swinney, who earlier this year became the seventh first minister since the devolved Parliament convened in 1999, will respond to a speech by the King.

The First Minister is expected to say that in such a short space of time in the rich voyage of Scotland, the Scottish Parliament has placed itself at the very heart of the nation.

He will describe Holyrood as a vessel of enlightenment, invention and creativity, adding it is all made possible by the service of members of Parliament, working at the very heart of Scotland.

First Minister John Swinney will address Holyrood after the Kings speech (Jane Barlow/PA)

The King has made six visits to the Parliament since 1999  while his mother the late Queen made 10 visits during her lifetime.

Mr Swinney is one of a number of MSPs who have been at Holyrood since the start of devolution, representing first the North Tayside constituency and then Perthshire North.

Fellow SNP politician Christine Grahame, who was also part of the first intake of MSPs in 1999, said: The Scottish Parliament has transformed the lives of the people in Scotland for the better  we should all be proud of that.

She said devolution has allowed Scotland to chart a different, better course for our country, pointing to policy successes.

Ms Grahame said: Free tuition, free prescriptions, game-changing policies to tackle child poverty, the ban on smoking, the baby box, ScotRail back in public ownership  none of this would have been possible without the Scottish Parliament and the strength of our commitment to self-determination.
Thousands of people have been displaced after another round of Israeli air strikes on southern Beirut, with a senior Unicef official warning that Lebanon faces a humanitarian catastrophe (Bilal Hussein/AP)

Britons have been urged to leave Lebanon amid warnings the country faces a humanitarian catastrophe following the latest round of Israeli air strikes.

On Friday, the Foreign Office warned that British nationals should leave now as series of massive explosions levelled multiple apartment buildings in Beirut.

In a statement, the Foreign Office said it was working to increase capacity and secure seats for British nationals on flights out of the country.

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Fridays strikes have been reported to be an attempt to kill Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, and were followed by further strikes on southern Beirut overnight, prompting civilians to move north in an effort to find safety.

On Saturday, the Israeli government said it had killed Ms Nasrallah, with the Israeli Defence Forces posting on X, formerly Twitter, he would no longer be able to terrorise the world.

Ettie Higgins, Unicefs deputy representative in Lebanon, said thousands and thousands of people had fled southern Beirut, while hospitals were overwhelmed and water pumping stations had been destroyed.

She told the BBCs Today programme: Even the most basic essential services of healthcare and water are now being rapidly, rapidly depleted.

There was already a humanitarian crisis in Lebanon given that its been hosting over 1 million refugees from Syria for over a decade, so its rapidly escalating into a catastrophe.

She added that 50 children had already been killed, and said she expected that figure to rise as the air strikes continued.

Israeli air strikes targeted southern Beirut overnight (Hussein Malla/AP)

Israel has insisted the air strikes have targeted Hezbollah military installations or senior figures, with Fridays attack said to have targeted the main Hezbollah headquarters.

The latest round of strikes will have further dampened hopes of an international ceasefire in the region, coming shortly after Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu promised his countrys campaign against Hezbollah would continue during an address to the UN.

Western governments have expressed concern that the intensified conflict between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah could trigger a wider regional war, with figures including Sir Keir Starmer and US President Joe Biden calling for a ceasefire.

Fridays air strike that levelled a number of apartment buildings in Lebanon was said to have been an attempt to kill Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah (Hassan Ammar/AP)

In his own address to the UN on Thursday, the Prime Minister said: I call on Israel and Hezbollah. Stop the violence. Step back from the brink.

We need to see an immediate ceasefire to provide space for a diplomatic settlement and we are working with all partners to that end.

The PA news agency understands the UK Government has successfully asked airlines to increase capacity on routes out of Lebanon, with Foreign Office teams in Beirut to support British consulate services.

It is thought they are ready to facilitate evacuations by sea or air, which could be triggered if the security environment degrades further and British nationals are no longer able to leave the Middle East through other routes.

Around 5,000 British citizens are in Lebanon, and the United Nations said 118,000 Lebanese people have been displaced in recent days.
Israel carried out a series of air strikes on Beirut on Friday and Saturday, killing Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah (Hussein Malla/AP)

The UK Government has repeated its plea for calm in the Middle East following the death of Hezbollahs leader in an Israeli air strike.

The Lebanese militant group issued a statement on Saturday confirming the death of Hassan Nasrallah, Hezbollahs leader since 1992, saying he had joined his fellow martyrs.

Mr Nasrallahs death in the strike on Beirut late on Friday has added to concerns that the conflict between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah could escalate into a full-scale regional war.

Following news of his death, British officials reiterated the Foreign Secretarys message to the UN earlier this week in which he called for a ceasefire and a political solution to the conflict.

David Lammy told the UN Security Council on Wednesday: A full-blown war is not in the interests of the Israeli or Lebanese people.

On Friday, Mr Lammy said he had spoken to Lebanese prime minister Najib Mikati and agreed on the need for an immediate ceasefire to bring an end to the bloodshed.

He added: A diplomatic solution is the only way to restore security and stability for the Lebanese and Israeli people.

Foreign Secretary David Lammy called for a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah in an address to the UN Security Council on Wednesday (Leon Neal/PA)

But pleas for a ceasefire from Western leaders including US President Joe Biden have so far proved unsuccessful, with both Israel and Hezbollah vowing to fight on.

In its statement confirming Mr Nasrallahs death, Hezbollah vowed to continue the holy war against the enemy and in support of Palestine, while Israeli chief of staff Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi said the elimination of the militant leader was not the end of our toolbox, suggesting further action was planned.

Meanwhile, Irans supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, whose government is Hezbollahs main backer, issued his own message saying regional resistance forces should stand by and support Hezbollah.

Fridays strike on what the Israeli military said was Hezbollahs headquarters was followed by additional air strikes on southern Beirut, prompting civilians to move north in an effort to find safety.

Hezbollah confirmed its long-time leader and co-founder Hassan Nasrallah was killed in an Israeli air strike on Friday (Bilal Hussein/AP)

Ettie Higgins, Unicefs deputy representative in Lebanon, said thousands and thousands of people have fled southern Beirut while hospitals were overwhelmed and water pumping stations have been destroyed.

She told the BBCs Today programme: Even the most basic essential services of healthcare and water are now being rapidly, rapidly depleted.

There was already a humanitarian crisis in Lebanon given that its been hosting over one million refugees from Syria for over a decade, so its rapidly escalating into a catastrophe.

She added that 50 children had been killed and she expected that figure to rise as the air strikes continued.

The Foreign Office has warned British nationals to leave Lebanon immediately, with Mr Lammy saying the Government has worked to increase flights and secure seats.

Humanitarian organisations fear a catastrophe in Lebanon as the prospect of a full-scale regional war draws closer (Bilal Hussein/AP)

The PA news agency understands the UK Government has successfully asked airlines to increase capacity on routes out of Lebanon, with Foreign Office teams in Beirut to support British consulate services.

It is thought they are ready to facilitate evacuations by sea or air, which could be triggered if the security environment deteriorates further and British nationals are no longer able to leave the Middle East through other routes.

Around 5,000 British citizens are in Lebanon, and the United Nations said 118,000 Lebanese people have been displaced in recent days.
A man votes in the second round of voting for a third of the seats in the Czech Parliaments upper house (Dalibor Gluck/CTK via AP/PA)

The main Czech opposition group led by former populist prime minister Andrej Babis won an election on Saturday for a third of the seats in Parliaments upper house, the Senate.

The ruling coalition of Prime Minister Petr Fiala still retained a majority in the Senate.

With all the votes from the two-day ballot counted, Mr Babiss ANO, or YES in English, won eight of the 27 seats up for grabs in the 81-seat Senate in the two-round election.

It is the first time the centrist movement won that many seats in the chamber.

The results are a boost for Mr Babis ahead of next years parliamentary elections. ANO has been the most popular party and is favoured to win that vote.

The candidates linked to the coalition won 15 seats.

Parliaments lower house dominates the legislative process but the Senate plays an important role in passing constitutional amendments and approving Constitutional Court judges.

In a separate vote last week, ANO dominated Czech regional elections, winning 10 of the 13 regions contested.

The current Czech government firmly stands behind Ukraine after it was invaded by Russia.

The country has donated arms, including heavy weapons, to the Ukrainian armed forces and is behind a plan to acquire artillery shells Ukraine badly needs from countries outside the European Union.

Some 320,000 refugees from Ukraine currently live in the Czech Republic.
Former president Donald Trump has sought again to link Vice President Kamala Harris to illegal border crossings, saying she could never be forgiven for erasing our border.

A day after Ms Harris discussed immigration at the US-Mexico border, Mr Trump spoke to a crowd in Prairie du Chien, a Wisconsin town of 5,000 people just across the Mississippi River from Iowa.

He claimed the Democratic nominee was responsible for migrants who have come into the country illegally and have committed crimes.

He said: Kamala Harris can never be forgiven for her erasing our border and she must never be allowed to become president of the United States.

Shes letting in people who are going to walk into your house, break into your door.

Mr Trump is hoping frustration over illegal immigration will translate to votes in Wisconsin and other crucial swing states.

The Republican nominee has denounced people who cross the US-Mexico border as poisoning the blood of the country and vowed to stage the largest deportation operation in American history if elected.

I will liberate Wisconsin from the mass migrant invasion, he said. Were going to liberate the country.

Mr Trump also intensified his personal attacks against Ms Harris, calling her mentally impaired.

If a Republican did what she did, that Republican would be impeached and removed from office  Joe Biden became mentally impaired. Kamala was born that way, he said.

He also professed not to understand what Ms Harris meant when she said he was responsible for taking children from their parents.

Under his administration, Mr Trump separated children from their parents at the US-Mexico border in a policy that was condemned globally as inhumane and one that Mr Trump himself ended.

On the Wisconsin rally stage with Mr Trump were three mugshots of men in the US illegally accused of a crime, including Alejandro Jose Coronel Zarate, a case Mr Trump cited in his speech.

Wisconsin Republicans in recent days have held up the story of Coronel Zarates arrest in Prairie du Chien as more evidence that people in the country illegally are committing crimes across the US, not just in southern border states.

Prosecutors charged Coronel Zarate on September 18 with sexual assault, child abuse, strangulation and domestic abuse.

Police chief Kyle Teynor posted statements on Facebook saying that Coronel Zarate is not a US citizen and that he had two fake immigration documents, including a fake Social Security card.

Mr Teynor said that Coronel Zarates tattoos indicate he is affiliated with the Tren de Aragua gang, which started in Venezuelan prisons and is posing a growing threat in the US.

Supporters cheer as Donald Trump speaks at a campaign event in Prairie du Chien (Morry Gash/AP/PA)

Speaking to the crowd on Saturday, Mr Teynor stressed to the crowd that Coronel Zarate is the only Venezuelan gang member his agency has encountered, but the violence his two alleged victims suffered at his hands earlier this month was very real.

Court records show Coronel Zarate was previously charged in Madison, the state capital, in December with strangulation, false imprisonment, battery and disorderly conduct.

According to a criminal complaint in that case, Coronel Zarate was driving with a female friend in November and attacked her when she tried to get out of the car. The complaint does not say why.

The woman told investigators that they were just acquaintances and Coronel Zarate was homeless.

Police in Madison said that Coronel Zarate allegedly stole a car and fled before he could be questioned. He was arrested in Minneapolis a day after the alleged attack but was released from jail there.

Asked why, Hennepin County Sheriffs Office spokeswoman Megan Larson told a reporter to file a request for Coronel Zarates jail records.

The Associated Press filed such a request but government agencies typically take months to fulfil them.

Crawford County Sheriff Dale McCullick also addressed the crowd and said he was sure Mr Trump would solve the border problem.

Republicans including US senator Derrick Van Orden, who is from Prairie du Chien, have criticised authorities in both Minneapolis and Madison for letting Coronel Zarate go, saying they essentially allowed him to attack the woman in Prairie du Chien.

They have accused both jurisdictions of being sanctuaries for people in the country illegally.

Speaking on Saturday, Mr Van Orden said Trump was the only one who could restore order.

Youre going to see the one man who has enough strength and courage of conviction to stand up to anyone up to and including being shot in the head for us, he said.
Vice President Kamala Harris talks with John Modlin, the chief patrol agent for the Tucson Sector of the US Border Patrol, right, and Blaine Bennett, the U.S. Border Patrol Douglas Station border patrol agent in charge, as she visits the US border with Mexico in Douglas, Arizona (Carolyn Kaster/AP)

Vice President Kamala Harris has walked a scrubby stretch along the US-Mexico border in Arizona and called for further tightening of asylum restrictions as she sought to project a tougher stance on illegal migration.

Her push to further restrict asylum claims moves beyond President Joe Bidens policy on an issue where her rival, former president Donald Trump, has an edge with voters.

She balanced tough talk on policing the border with calls for a better way to welcome immigrants legally.

I reject the false choice that suggests we must choose either between securing our border and creating a system that is orderly, safe and humane, Ms Harris said. We can and we must do both.

Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at Cochise College Douglas Campus in Douglas, Arizona (Carolyn Kaster/AP)

In her first trip to the international boundary since becoming the Democratic presidential nominee, Ms Harris chatted with local Border Patrol leaders as they strode along a rust-coloured stretch of wall built during Barack Obamas presidency. Temperatures in Douglas, Arizona, neared 100C during a conversation that lasted about half an hour.

Later, she received a closed-door briefing at the Douglas port of entry on efforts to combat drug trafficking and improve the legal flow of goods and people across the border.

Border Patrol agents have a tough job and deserve support to do it, she said.

The vice presidents visit was designed as a rejoinder to Mr Trump and his fellow Republicans, who have pounded her relentlessly over the Biden administrations record on migration and fault her for spending little time visiting the border during her time in the White House.

Immigration and border security are top issues in Arizona, the only battleground state that borders Mexico and one that contended with a record influx of asylum seekers last year.

She used her remarks to challenge Mr Trumps own record on migration during his presidency, saying he did nothing to fix the legal immigration system or address an outdated asylum system. And she said he failed to solve a shortage of immigration judges and border agents.

Mr Harris recounted how a sweeping bipartisan package aiming to overhaul the federal immigration system collapsed in Congress earlier this year after Mr Trump urged top Republicans to oppose it.

Donald Trump tanked it, she said, so he could campaign on disorder at the border.

He prefers to run on a problem instead of fixing a problem. And the American people deserve a president who cares more about border security than playing political games and their personal political future.

After the immigration legislation stalled, the Biden administration announced rules that bar migrants from being granted asylum when US officials deem the southern border is overwhelmed. Since then, arrests for illegal border crossings have fallen.

Ms Harris plan to exceed Mr Bidens efforts at the border would include more serious criminal charges for people who repeatedly cross illegally and require asylum claims to be made at ports of entry.

She used her trip to remind voters about her work as attorney general of California in confronting crime along the border. She talked about helping to prosecute drug- and people-smuggling gangs that operated transnationally and at the border.

Vice President Kamala Harris speaks about immigration in Douglas, Arizona (Carolyn Kaster/AP)

Mr Trump did not wait for her to arrive there before pushing back. He pointed on Friday to purported data about criminals entering the US illegally in a bid to link Harris to violent crimes committed by migrants.

In a scathing diatribe, he said blood is on her hands.

These are hard, tough, vicious criminals that are free to roam in our country, Mr Trump said at a manufacturing plant in Michigan.

Earlier in the week, he told voters that when Kamala speaks about the border, her credibility is less than zero.

Douglas, where Mr Harris appeared, is an overwhelmingly Democratic border town in Republican-dominated Cochise County, where the Republicans on the board of supervisors are facing criminal charges for refusing to certify the 2022 election results.

Mr Trump was in the area last month, using a remote stretch of border wall and a pile of steel beams to draw a contrast between himself and Ms Harris on border security.

The town of 16,000 people has strong ties to its much larger neighbor, Agua Prieta, Mexico, and a busy port of entry thats slated for a long-sought upgrade. Many locals are as concerned with making legal border crossings more efficient as they are with combatting illegal ones.
An Israeli air raid in Beirut killed Hassan Nasrallah, Hezbollahs long-time leader, the Lebanese militant group confirmed on Saturday.

Mr Nasrallah is the most powerful target killed by Israel in weeks of intensified fighting and a significant escalation in the war in the Middle East, this time between Israel and Hezbollah.

The Israeli military said it carried out a precise air strike on Friday while Hezbollah leaders were meeting at their headquarters in Dahiyeh, south of Beirut.

The Lebanese health ministry said six people were killed and 91 injured in the strikes, which levelled six apartment buildings.

Ali Karki, the commander of Hezbollahs southern front, and other commanders were also killed, the Israeli military said.

A statement from Hezbollah said Mr Nasrallah  who led the group for more than three decades  has joined his fellow martyrs.

The group vowed to continue the holy war against the enemy and in support of Palestine.

Iran announced on Saturday that a prominent general in its paramilitary Revolutionary Guard sanctioned by the US died in the same air strike.

Abbas Nilforushan, 58, who the US identified as the deputy commander for operations in the Guard, was killed on Friday, Irans state-run IRNA news agency reported.

Palestinian militant group Hamas sent condolences to its ally Hezbollah and said assassinations will only increase the resistance in Lebanon and Palestine in determination and resolve.

Immediately after the confirmation from Hezbollah, people started firing in the air in Beirut and across Lebanon to mourn Mr Nasrallahs death.

Irans supreme leader announced five days of public mourning after Mr Nasrallahs death. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called Mr Nasrallah the flag-bearer of resistance in the region.

Smoke rises as a building collapses in Beiruts southern suburbs (Hussein Malla/AP)

Hundreds of protesters, meanwhile, took to the streets of Tehran, waving Hezbollah flags and chanting Death to Israel and Death to Netanyahu the murderer.

Thomas Juneau, a professor at the University of Ottawas Graduate School of Public and International Affairs, said Iran will be under significant pressure to respond to Mr Nasrallahs killing without escalating violence in the region.

Iran understands that its military options are limited, given the conventional military superiority of Israel and the US, Mr Juneau told The Associated Press.

Israels Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi said on Saturday that the elimination of Mr Nasrallah was not the end of our toolbox, indicating that more strikes were planned.

Defence minister Yoav Gallant called it the most important targeted strike since the founding of the State of Israel.

Israel has vowed to step up pressure on Hezbollah until it halts its attacks that have displaced tens of thousands of Israelis from communities near the Lebanese border.

Smoke rises from destroyed buildings in Beiruts southern suburbs on Saturday morning (Hussein Malla/AP)

The recent fighting has also displaced more than 200,000 Lebanese in the past week, according to the UN.

Air raid sirens sounded across central Israel on Saturday afternoon, including at the Tel Aviv international airport, shortly after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu returned from a trip to the US.

The Israeli military said it intercepted a missile launched from Yemen. It was not immediately known if the missile strike was aimed at Mr Netanyahus flight.

The Israeli military updated guidelines for Israeli citizens, cancelling gatherings of more than 1,000 people due to the threat.

Approximately 60,000 Israelis have been evacuated from their homes along the Lebanese border for almost a year.

This month, Israels government said halting Hezbollahs attacks in the countrys north to allow residents to return to their homes is an official goal.

Hezbollah started firing rockets on Israel in support of Gaza on October 8, a day after Hamas militants launched an unprecedented attack on Israel, killing some 1,200 people and abducting another 250.

Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addresses the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly on Friday (Richard Drew/AP)

Since then, the two sides have been engaged in escalating cross-border strikes.

Earlier this month, thousands of explosives hidden in pagers and walkie-talkies used by Hezbollah detonated, killing dozens of people and maiming thousands, including many civilians. Israel is widely believed to be behind the attack.

On Saturday morning, the Israeli military carried out more than 140 air strikes in southern Beirut and eastern Lebanons Bekaa Valley, including targeting a storage facility for anti-ship missiles in Beirut suburb of Dahiyeh.

Israel said the missiles were stored beneath civilian apartment buildings.

Hezbollah launched dozens of projectiles across northern and central Israel and deep into the Israel-occupied West Bank, damaging some buildings in the northern town of Safed.

In Beiruts southern suburbs, smoke rose and the streets were empty after the area was pummelled overnight by heavy Israeli air strikes.

A total of 1,030 people  including 156 women and 87 children  have been killed in Israeli strikes in Lebanon in less than two weeks, the countrys health minister said on Saturday.
The Israeli military has said they killed Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of the Hezbollah militant political group, in an air strike in Beirut on Friday.

The military said the strike was carried out while the Hezbollah leadership was meeting at their headquarters in Dahiyeh.

Ali Karki, the commander of Hezbollahs southern front, and additional commanders were also killed in the attack, the Israeli military said.

Mr Nasrallah has led Hezbollah for more than three decades but has been in hiding for years, rarely appearing in public. He regularly gave speeches but always by video from unknown locations.

Israels chief of staff Herzi Halevi said the elimination of Mr Nasrallah was not the end of our toolbox, indicating that more strikes were planned.

The Israeli military said it was mobilising additional reserve soldiers as tensions escalate with Lebanon, activating three battalions of reserve soldiers to serve across the country. The call comes after it sent two brigades to northern Israel earlier in the week to train for a possible ground invasion.

Nadav Shoshani, an army spokesman, said the air strike was based on years of tracking Mr Nasrallah along with real-time intelligence that made it viable. He said Mr Nasrallahs death had been confirmed through various types of intelligence but declined to elaborate.

Smoke rises as a building collapses in Beiruts southern suburbs (Hussein Malla/AP)

He said that Israel has inflicted heavy damage on Hezbollahs capabilities over the past week by targeting a combination of immediate threats and strategic weapons, such as larger, guided missiles. But he said much of Hezbollahs arsenal remains intact and that Israel would continue to target the group.

This isnt a threat that has gone away, he said.

Mr Shoshani said it is safe to assume that Hezbollah will retaliate and that Israel is on high readiness but he said Israel hopes the blow to Hezbollah will change the course of the war.

We hope this will change Hezbollahs actions, he said. We have been looking for solutions, looking for a change in reality that will bring our civilians home, referring to the approximately 60,000 Israelis who have been evacuated from their homes along the Lebanese border for almost a year.

Mr Shoshani declined to say what munitions were used in the strike or provide an estimate on civilian deaths in the strike, only saying that Israel takes measures to avoid civilians whenever possible and clears strikes ahead of time with intelligence and legal experts.

Smoke rises from destroyed buildings in Beiruts southern suburbs on Saturday morning (Hussein Malla/AP)

The Lebanese health ministry said six people were killed and 91 injured in the strikes on Friday, which levelled six apartment buildings.

Further strikes were carried out in Bekaa Valley in eastern Lebanon.

Hours before the strikes, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the United Nations, vowing that his countrys campaign against Hezbollah would continue  further dimming hopes for an internationally backed cease-fire.

Mr Netanyahu abruptly cut his United States visit short and returned to Israel.

Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addresses the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly on Friday (Richard Drew/AP)

Irans supreme leader has urged all Muslims to stand by Hezbollah but has not indicated how Tehran will respond to the reported killing of Mr Nasrallah.

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said it is the duty of all Muslims to stand by the people of Lebanon and Hezbollah against the occupier, evil and suppressor regime of Israel.

In a statement read on state TV, he said all regional resistance forces support and stand beside Hezbollah.

Irans influential parliamentary committee on national security met on Saturday and demanded a strong response against Israel, state TV reported.

More than 720 people have been killed in Lebanon since the conflict escalated on Monday, according to Lebanons health ministry.

The United Nations says the number displaced by the conflict from southern Lebanon has more than doubled, with more than 211,000 people affected.

Hezbollah began firing rockets into northern Israel in support of Hamas after it stormed into Israel on October 7, sparking the Israel-Hamas war.

Top Israeli officials have threatened to repeat the destruction of Gaza in Lebanon if the Hezbollah fire continues, raising fears that Israels actions in Gaza since October 7 would be repeated in Lebanon.

On Saturday, the Israeli military said it was mobilising additional reserve soldiers as tensions escalated.

Three further battalions of reserve soldiers were activated, following the sending of two brigades to northern Israel earlier in the week to train for a possible ground invasion.
Israel's military says Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah has been killed in an air strike on Beirut.

In a statement shared on the IDF's X account, it says: "Hassan Nasrallah will no longer be able to terrorize the world."

The statement follows a series of overnight strikes in Beirut which Israel said were targeting Nasrallah and other Hezbollah commanders.

Hezbollah has yet to comment.

More to follow
Glass from a broken car window is seen scattered across the parking lot at Christmas Tree Point on top of Twin Peaks San Francisco, Calif. Thursday, Dec. 15, 2022. Jessica Christian/The Chronicle

It wasnt long ago that broken glass from a shattered car window scattered on the street and sidewalk would be a fairly common sight for Bob Partrite as he walked to work on Pier 39.

But now, the chief operating officer of Simco Restaurants, which operates many of the eating establishments on the Pier, said he cant even recall the last time he saw the aftermath of a car break-in.

Were just not seeing it as much, he said of the smash-and-grabs that once plagued the area, which has long been a hotspot for the crime.

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Indeed, in the North Beach neighborhood, which by the citys definition includes Fishermans Wharf and Pier 39, the number of reported car break-ins declined by nearly 70% from January through August this year compared to the same time in 2023. Zooming in to just the Fishermans Wharf and Pier 39 area, the nearly 70% decline holds, according to a Chronicle analysis of police data.

Partrite was not surprised by the findings, saying that the break-ins are noticeably down, both to him and visitors.

Guests have said they've been extremely pleased with how safe and clean the neighborhood felt, he said. Its a pleasure to see.

The decline goes beyond San Franciscos northeast corner. Citywide, reported car break-ins are down 57%, according to police data. Areas that historically had the highest numbers of break-ins, like North Beach, Russian Hill, the Financial District and the Marina have all seen declines of more than 50%.

Though car break-ins, like all property crimes, are likely to be underreported, the downward trend is promising in a city that has struggled with break-ins nearly as long as there have been cars in the city.

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But there is one exception to the citywide decline: Noe Valley, which saw a 15% rise in thefts from cars this year. Noe Valleys car break-in numbers were low to begin with  the 137 break-ins reported in the residential neighborhood between January and August 2023 were among the fewest of all city neighborhoods. In 2024, that number rose to 158, putting the neighborhood right in the middle of the pack.

Noe Valleys reported break-ins this year werent highly concentrated in one spot. But the most common break-in areas were along the 24th street commercial corridor and near the Diamond Heights shopping center, which is included in the citys Noe Valley boundaries.

Evan Sernoffsky, a spokesperson for the police department, could not comment on any issues specific to Noe Valley, but he said the areas low numbers to begin with could be contributing to why its not seeing the same drop-offs as other places. Still, he said, the department will continue working to decrease break-ins there and everywhere else.

He pointed to a high-profile Palace of Fine Arts press conference about a year ago, when Police Chief Bill Scott announced a slew of new strategies to crack down on break-ins, as a turning point. Those strategies included an overtime unit to work in smash-and-grab hot spots, using bait cars and carrying out targeted stings on prolific offenders.

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And more recently, the department has also added new technology like drones into the mix, Sernoffsky said, which he called a huge boon for officers trying to catch the thieves. He added that key arrests of people police believe to be responsible for strings of break-ins have a profound impact on the theft numbers.

Its a combination of deterrence and aggressive enforcement, he said of the departments strategy to curb the car break-ins. Were not going to be resting on our laurels and saying mission accomplished because its not even close.

24th and Church in San Francisco Yuri Avila/The Chronicle

Thaddeus Johnson, a former police officer and assistant professor of criminal justice at Georgia State University, said that the data indicates that when the police are focused on an issue and are working with the public to solve it, it can work.

He said that strategies like using bait cars might make people who would otherwise commit the crime have second thoughts, and agreed that making higher quality arrests can make a dent in issues like car break-ins, as it is often a small number of people committing a high number of the crimes.

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But he noted that other factors could be at play as well. People could be getting smarter about not leaving things in their car, and businesses better about educating tourists (nearly every parking area near a San Francisco landmark has signs warning against break-ins). Its also possible that repeat victims have simply stopped reporting the crime.

He added that theres nationwide trends at play as well: larceny theft, a category that includes car break-ins, was down an average of 13% in cities in San Franciscos population group for the first three months of the year, according to FBI data.

I do believe that the police can take some credit, but I think this is also a community thing, where everybody is maybe protecting themselves better, he said.

Reach Danielle Echeverria: Danielle.Echeverria@sfchronicle.com; Twitter: @DanielleEchev
Destruction to the Faraway Inn Cottages and Motel in Cedar Key, Florida (Stephen Smith/AP)

Forty four people have been killed in five states after Hurricane Helene left a path of destruction across Florida and the south-eastern US.

Rescue attempts were underway to save people from floodwaters after the Category 4 hurricane made landfall late on Thursday in the sparsely populated Big Bend area of Florida with sustained winds of up to 140mph.

It weakened to a post-tropical cyclone on Friday with millions of people left without power, as well as hospitals in southern Georgia, according to Governor Brian Kemp.

At least 15 people have died in Georgia from causes related to Hurricane Helene, according to a spokesman for Mr Kemp.

Dustin Holmes, second from right, holds hands with his girlfriend, Hailey Morgan, while returning to their flooded home with her children Aria Skye Hall, 7, right, and Kyle Ross, 4, in Crystal River, Florida (Phelan M Ebenhack/AP)

All five who died in one Florida county were in neighbourhoods where residents were told to evacuate, said Bob Gualtieri, the sheriff in Pinellas County in the St Petersburg area.

Some who stayed ended up having to hide in their attics to escape the rising water.

We tried to launch boats, we tried to use high-water vehicles, and we just met with too many obstacles, Sheriff Gualtieri said, adding that the death toll could rise as crews go door-to-door in flooded areas.

In Tampa, some areas could be reached only by boat.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said the damage from Helene appeared to be greater than the combined damage of Hurricanes Idalia and Debby in August.

Its demoralising, he said. Its not easy to go through this. Its not going to be easy in the immediate future, but theres going to be a light at the end of the tunnel.

President Joe Biden said he was praying for survivors, and the head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency headed to the area. The agency deployed more than 1,500 workers and they helped with 400 rescues by late morning.

More deaths were reported in Georgia and the Carolinas, including two South Carolina firefighters who died when a tree struck their truck.

The death toll in South Carolina is 19 with many of the deaths from falling trees as the storm moved through early on Friday, authorities said.

Helene is the deadliest tropical storm in South Carolina since Hurricane Hugo killed 35 people when it came ashore just north of Charleston in 1989.

The wreckage extended hundreds of miles northward to northeast Tennessee, where a dangerous rescue situation by helicopter unfolded after 54 people were moved to the roof of the Unicoi County Hospital as water rapidly flooded the facility.

Everyone was rescued and no one was left at the hospital by late Friday afternoon, Ballad Health said.

An unidentified man paddles a canoe to rescue residents and their belongings at a flooded apartment complex in Atlanta (Ron Harris/AP)

In North Carolina, a lake featured in the movie Dirty Dancing overtopped a dam and surrounding neighbourhoods were evacuated, although there were no immediate concerns it would fail.

People also were evacuated from Newport, Tennessee, a city of about 7,000 people, amid concerns about a dam, although officials later said the structure had not failed.

A mudslide in the Appalachian Mountains washed out part of an interstate highway at the North Carolina-Tennessee state line.

Another slide hit homes in North Carolina and occupants had to wait more than four hours to be rescued, said Ryan Cole, the emergency services assistant director in Buncombe County. His 911 centre received more than 3,300 calls in eight hours on Friday.

One person died in Virginia when a tree fell on a building in Craig County.

Vice President Kamala Harris urged residents impacted by the hurricane to pay heed to local authorities.

The storm continues to be dangerous and deadly, and lives have been lost and the risk of flooding still remains high, she said at the start of a campaign speech in Douglas, Arizona.

In Georgia, Atlanta received 28.2cm of rain in 48 hours, breaking the record from 1886 according to the Office of the State Climatologist.

Fox weather reporter Bob Van Dillen interrupted his live report in Atlanta to rescue a woman from a vehicle stranded by rising floodwaters.

Nearly four million homes and businesses were without power in Florida, Georgia and South Carolina, according to poweroutage.us.

Financial services company Moodys Analytics put the property damage between 15 billion dollars (11.2 billion) and 26 billion dollars (19.4 billion) .

Helene also swamped parts of Mexicos Yucatan Peninsula, flooding streets and toppling trees as it brushed past the resort city of Cancun a day before hitting the US. It also knocked out power to more than 200,000 homes and businesses in western Cuba.

Tropical Storm John made its second landfall along Mexicos Pacific coast on Friday, while in its wake authorities in the resort city of Acapulco called for help from anyone with a boat to deal with the flooding.

John came ashore near Tizupan in Michoacan state with sustained winds of 45mph after making its initial landfall farther east on the coast on Monday as a Category 3 hurricane.
The Israeli military has struck Hezbollahs headquarters in Beirut in a series of massive explosions that targeted the leader of the militant group and levelled multiple high-rise apartment buildings.

The biggest blast to hit the Lebanese capital in the past year appeared likely to push the escalating conflict closer to full-fledged war, and at least six people were killed and 91 were wounded, Lebanons health ministry said.

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was the target of the strikes on the groups headquarters, according to two sources, including one US official.

Hassan Nasrallah (Hassan Ammar/AP)

The Israeli army declined to comment on who it was targeting. It was not immediately clear if Mr Nasrallah was at the site and Hezbollah did not comment on the report.

The toll is likely to rise significantly as teams are still combing through the rubble of six buildings.

After the strikes, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu abruptly cut short a visit to the US to return home. Hours earlier, he addressed the UN, vowing that Israels intensified campaign against Hezbollah over the past two weeks would continue, further dimming hopes for an internationally backed ceasefire.

News of the blasts came as Mr Netanyahu was briefing reporters after his UN address. A military aide whispered into his ear, and he quickly ended the briefing.

Israeli army spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said the strikes targeted the main Hezbollah headquarters, saying it was located underground beneath residential buildings.

The series of blasts at around nightfall reduced six apartment towers to rubble in Haret Hreik, a densely populated district of Beiruts Dahiyeh suburbs, according to Lebanons national news agency.

Rescuers at the site of an Israeli air strike in Beiruts southern suburbs (Hassan Ammar/AP)

A wall of billowing black and orange smoke rose into the sky as windows were rattled and houses shaken 18 miles north of Beirut.

Footage showed rescue workers clambering over large slabs of concrete, surrounded by high piles of twisted metal and wreckage. Several craters were visible, one with a car toppled into it. A stream of residents carrying their belongings were seen fleeing along a main road out of the district.

Israels air forces followed with a new set of strikes early on Saturday shortly after an Israeli military spokesman warned residents of several buildings to evacuate, saying they were being used by the militant Hezbollah group.

An attempt to assassinate Mr Nasrallah  successful or not  would be a major escalation. The Pentagon said the US had no advance warning of the strikes.

He has been in hiding for years, rarely appearing in public. He regularly gives speeches, but always by video from unknown locations.

The site hit on Friday evening had not been publicly known as Hezbollahs main headquarters, though it is located in the groups security quarters, a heavily guarded part of Haret Hreik where it has offices and runs several hospitals.

The funeral of Hezbollah drone commander Mohammed Hussein Surour took place this week (Bilal Hussein/AP)

Four hours after the strike, Hezbollah had still not issued any statement referring to it. Instead, it announced that it had launched a salvo of rockets at the Israeli city of Safed in defence of Lebanon and its people, and in response to the barbaric Israeli violation of cities, villages and civilians.

The Israeli military said a house and a car in Safed were hit, without providing details.

The Israeli army later warned residents to evacuate three buildings in other southern Beirut neighbourhoods, saying it was about to strike them because Hezbollah was using them to hide weapons.

Israel dramatically intensified its air strikes in Lebanon this week, saying it is determined to put an end to more than 11 months of Hezbollah fire into its territory. The escalated campaign has killed more than 720 people in Lebanon, including dozens of women and children, according to Health Ministry statistics.

A pre-dawn strike on Friday in the border town of Chebaa killed nine members of the same family, the state news agency said.

Israel Defence Forces said its air forces killed Hezbollah missile unit commander Muhammad Ali Ismail, who it said was responsible for directing numerous terror attacks against Israel, and his deputy Hussein Ahmad Ismail during an attack in southern Lebanon on Tuesday.

There was no immediate confirmation from Hezbollah.

The scope of Israels operation remains unclear, but officials have said a ground invasion to push the militant group away from the border is a possibility. Israel has moved thousands of troops towards the border in preparation.

Benjamin Netanyahu addressing the United Nations General Assembly on Friday (Richard Drew/AP)

At the UN, Mr Netanyahu vowed to continue degrading Hezbollah until Israel achieves its goals. His comments dampened hopes for a US-backed call for a 21-day truce between Israel and Hezbollah to allow time for a diplomatic solution. Hezbollah has not responded to the proposal.

Iranian-backed Hezbollah, the strongest armed force in Lebanon, began firing rockets into Israel almost immediately after Hamass October 7 attack last year, saying it was a show of support for the Palestinians.

Since then, it and the Israeli military have traded fire almost daily, forcing tens of thousands of people to flee their homes on both sides of the border.

An Israeli security official said he expects the campaign against Hezbollah would not last for as long as the current war in Gaza, because the militarys goals are much narrower.

In Gaza, Israel aims to dismantle Hamass military and political regime, but the goal in Lebanon is to push Hezbollah away from the border  not a high bar like Gaza in terms of operational objectives, said the official.

The Israeli military said it carried out dozens of strikes around the south on Friday, targeting Hezbollah rocket launchers and infrastructure. It said Hezbollah fired a volley of rockets towards the northern Israeli city of Tiberias.
Pope Francis has promised to offer all the help we can to victims of clergy sexual abuse after people in Belgium told him first-hand of the trauma that shattered their lives and left many in poverty and mental misery.

Franciss visit to Belgium has been dominated by the abuse scandal, with King Philippe and Prime Minister Alexander De Croo both condemning the Catholic Churchs dreadful legacy of priests raping and molesting children and its decades-long cover-up of the crimes.

Francis met for more than two hours on Friday with 17 survivors who are seeking compensation from the church for the trauma they suffered and to pay for the therapy many need. They said they gave Francis a month to study their demands.

Pope Francis reads a message during a breakfast with people who are experiencing homelessness (Andrew Medichini/AP)

There are so many victims. There are also so many victims who are still completely broke, survivor Koen Van Sumere told The Associated Press. I have also been lucky enough to get a diploma and build a life for myself. But there are so many people who are completely broke and who need help and who cannot afford it and who really need urgent help now.

Mr Van Sumere said he was encouraged by the positive meeting with the pope but was waiting to see what comes of it.

On Saturday, during a meeting with Belgian clergy and nuns at the Koekelberg Basilica, Francis acknowledged that abuse had created atrocious suffering and wounds and undermined the faith.

There is a need for a great deal of mercy to keep us from hardening our hearts before the suffering of victims so that we can help them feel our closeness and offer all the help we can, he said.

We must learn from them  to be a church at the service of all without belittling anyone. Indeed, one of the roots of violence stems from the abuse of power when we use the positions we have to crush or manipulate others.

Francis started the day by having breakfast  coffee and croissants  with a group of 10 homeless people and migrants who are looked after by the St Gilles parish of Brussels.

They sat around a table at the entrance to the parish church and told him their stories, and gave him bottles of beer that the parish makes called La Biche Saint Gilles. The proceeds of the beer sales help fund the parishs charity works.

Pope Francis is greeted by Mia De Schamphelaere (Omar Havana/AP)

Francis thanked them for the beer and breakfast and told them that the churchs true wealth was in caring for the weakest.

If we want to truly know and show the churchs beauty, we should give to one another like this, in our smallness, in our poverty, without pretexts and with much love.

The breakfast encounter was presided over by Marie-Francoise Boveroulle, an adjunct episcopal vicar for the diocese. The position is usually filled by a priest but Ms Boveroulles appointment has been highlighted as evidence of the roles that women can and should play in the church.
Randy and Kit Cassingham uprooted their life in the US to live full-time on a cruise shipThe couple experienced their first July marching season They say they prefer Belfast to the sunny Canary Islands

Randy and Kit Cassingham completely uprooted their life and sold their home in Colorado to live full time on a cruise ship.

The first of its kind, The Odyssey, operated by the company Villa Vie, is completely residential.

To own a cabin with a balcony, youll need to fork out over 220,000, alongside monthly fees. The couple plan to live on the ship indefinitely.

Along with 600 other passengers, they arrived in Belfast in May to embark on a three-year-long global trip.

However, disaster struck just before they were due to set sail, with mechanical faults forcing the passengers to stay stranded in Belfast.

4 months and some glimmers of false hope later, the ship hopes to leave Belfast for the Caribbean this week  provided the faults are fixed.

Randy and Kit Cassingham join Olivia Peden.
The Plumas County Sheriffs Office said law enforcement officials are searching for a man who escaped from jail. Plumas County Sheriff's Office

Law enforcement officials in Plumas County continued searching Saturday for a man who escaped from the Plumas County Jail in Quincy on Friday, according to the Plumas County Sheriffs

Caleb Duerr, 39, allegedly escaped during a scheduled recreation period for incarcerated people at the jail, sheriffs officials said in a statement. Duerr managed to breach the chain-link fence surrounding the recreational area, allowing him to flee the facility, the sheriffs office said.

Plumas County officials said they enlisted the help of multiple law enforcement agencies to aid in the search for Duerr. He was last seen near the intersection of County Road A23 and Highway 70 near Beckwourth (Plumas County), officials said, but his whereabouts Saturday remained unknown.

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20TH ANNUAL FODFEST

Three years after Daniel Pearl's death, Todd Mack threw a concert for his birthday. 20 years later, FODfest is still hosting jam sessions  nationwide
Housing affordability and availability challenges affect all 32 municipalities in Berkshire County, but the ways they manifest can vary.

For Black people living in Berkshire County, the housing crisis isnt new. Long before the pandemic-induced market changes sent housing prices climbing up the income scale, Black people in the county, and across the nation, faced barriers that kept homeownership and its wealth-generating benefits out of reach for many.

Two years ago, the Berkshire Branch of the NAACP released a report that detailed the history of redlining and other discriminatory housing practices in Pittsfields West Side neighborhood.

The term redlining arose in the 1930s when the federal government instituted homeownership programs to dam the massive wave of foreclosures that followed in the wake of the Great Depression. Among the aid offered by the programs were government-insured mortgages.

To determine which properties and homeowners would qualify, the government used color-coded maps ranking the loan worthiness of neighborhoods in more than 200 cities and towns across the United States.

Neighborhoods were marked from A through D and in a palette of colors. A neighborhoods were considered the least risky. Those deemed D areas were places where property values were most likely to go down. They were marked in red, a sign that they were unworthy of inclusion in homeownership and lending programs.

It was in these tracts of land, uncoincidentally, that most Black people lived.

The credit worthiness of a neighborhood was based to no small degree on the racial make-up of it, reads the NAACPs report.

Pittsfield's West Side was one of them.

While enforced for a short period of time, the legacy of those discriminatory policies is ongoing.

I recently sat down with Tony Jackson to talk about how the effects of redlining continue to play out across the West Side.

Jackson is the president of Westside Legends, a nonprofit organization dedicated to revitalizing the West Side, including the neighborhoods housing stock.

Here are Jacksons thoughts about growing up in the neighborhood and what Westside Legends is doing to open paths to homeownership and wealth generation for the community.

THE EAGLE: Can you share a little about yourself and your housing story?

JACKSON: I was affected at a young age with urban renewal. My grandparents lived in a house on Satinet Street. That was the house they lived in, but they couldnt afford to buy it because of redlining. They couldnt get a mortgage. The person who owned the house wouldnt sell it to them.

I grew up on the West Side, had great experiences there and moved away, raised my family and I always came back home and saw the neighborhood being minimized by houses and wanted to get involved.

THE EAGLE: Two years ago the Berkshire branch of the NAACP released a report detailing the history and legacy of redlining in the West Side. Has that report informed the work you do?

JACKSON: It was really interesting to find out about redlining and how the banks and different organizations would keep people of color from obtaining home ownership. And then when urban renewal came, they took those houses and moved us to what we call the West Side now. I didnt find out about my grandparents house until my mother told me what happened. I just thought it was a tragedy that we had experienced all that.

Redlining also brought up the fact that the value of the houses and the upkeep of the houses wasnt what it should be. The contractors werent coming in and doing the work that they were paid to do. And [the report highlighted] how people took advantage of the neighborhood and where were at now.

This redlining report was put out there so everybody could see the damages that were caused, but also to make it better and put things in place so that it wont happen again. I think the city of Pittsfield has done a great job with helping us become developers and changing the outlook so people of our own community can determine how our community is rebuilt. Greylock Federal Credit Union, Berkshire Bank, theres a lot of people that are willing and want to be part of that change and Im grateful for that because we couldnt do it without them.

THE EAGLE: When did Westside Legends as an organization begin to think about housing? How does the work you do on the housing front fit within your larger vision?

JACKSON: We went into a meeting to raise money for murals for the entrance to the West Side. There were three people there: Berkshire Taconic [President] Peter Taylor, Milltown Capital was there and Greylock. They were gracious enough to give us the grant for the mural.

Our backup plan was to talk about the 34 houses that were on the West Side that were set up to be condemned because of health violations. And we asked if there was something they could do.

John Bissell from Greylock basically said to me that there was a low amount of people of color that were coming to get mortgages and could we help them with a plan to make that better? So we came up with a mortgage plan. Beverly Bolden and myself and Marvin Purry, we put together a plan that eliminated a lot of the barriers to help people of color and people on the West Side get houses.

After we did that, we realized that most of them, with the amount of money they could afford, didnt get a quality house, and we decided to get into our buyback program. So we started buying houses and flipping them and putting people in the mortgage program into them. And from there, we decided that, "hey, wouldnt it be great to have brand new housing for them?" And now we are in the process of being able to deliver 16 townhouses called Legacy Townhomes on the corner of South John and Columbus. And Im happy to say that were well on our way with that and should have more information coming soon.

THE EAGLE: How do people apply and qualify to participate in those programs?

JACKSON: For the Greylock program, its a very unique program, weve basically eliminated credit scores, been able to give people down payment assistance and basically teach people how to save money and how to become homeowners.

So you would apply, go through some classes, there would be a first-time homeownership class and therell be a mentor from Westside Legends who would walk you through the process. Were also coming up with a stewardship program for after they close. Were still a resource.

Another thing were doing is were starting to build module units, [which] can be built within six months at an affordable price. And when I say affordable pricing, its for an AMI of 80 percent or under, and all the way up to 100 percent. We make it affordable housing so people can get into houses.

THE EAGLE: What is your vision for housing on the West Side?

JACKSON: My vision is to revitalize the neighborhood and put in new housing.

I grew up on Southern Avenue and the interesting thing was my mother and father became first-time homebuyers and that was the first time their generation became homeowners and it was through a program with Peter Lafayette and I believe it was Berkshire Housing. They had a special program for people on the West Side.

So my mother and father bought their first home and it was a duplex. I have six brothers and sisters. We took one side of the duplex and lived in that side, and my mother and father rented out the other two apartments to help pay our mortgage.

We learned, all my brothers and sisters learned from my mother and father how to become homeowners. You cant take it for granted because in other households that was the way of life. They either got a house handed down to them or they had money through their parents to help them purchase the house.

Im the second generation of homeowners and I also have a daughter thats become a homeowner. So the generational wealth is starting to be established for us and my family. And I think thats very important going forward for everybody on the West Side. Were trying to give everybody that same opportunity.
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NORTH ADAMS  Hours before celebrating the life of a missing North Berkshire veteran, this city learned another hero from the fight in the South Pacific has been identified and is coming home.

Army Air Corps Pfc. Bernard Joseph Calvi, a North Adams native, died as a prisoner of war in Japanese captivity on July 16, 1942, according to his obituary on the Department of Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency website. He died in the same POW camp as his best friend, Cpl. William P. Gilman Jr.

Calvis surviving relatives were notified of the discovery on Monday and Tuesday, according to city veterans agent Mitchell Keil. A friend of someone who works at City Hall told [Mayor Jennifer Macksey], who told me, 'Youre not going to believe this,'" Keil said.

Calvis remains are currently in Hawaii.

The news arrived just hours before Marine Pfc. Erwin S. King of Clarksburg, whose remains had been missing for nearly 80 years, was laid to rest in Southview Cemetery in a plot next to his late parents. It was the 82nd anniversary of his combat death on Guadalcanal during World War II.

Keil said Calvis descendants submitted DNA samples to the military 10 years ago in the effort to positively identify his remains.

The plan ... is to make sure we give Pfc. Calvi the same respect and turnout, if not bigger, than the heros welcome we gave Pfc. King, Keil said. Now we know the community is capable of that, and that the community cares.

Bernard Calvi was the son of Joseph and Lena Calvi of Quincy Street in North Adams. The couple were Italian immigrants; he was a shoemaker, she was a seamstress at The Boston Store.

Bernard Calvi had two brothers, now both deceased. Raymond, the oldest, was a quality manager at Sprague Electric Co. and coordinated that company's work for NASA; Julius, the second oldest, was an attorney who served mayor of North Adams from 1956-58.

Raymond's son, Bruce Calvi, said he learned of the discovery on Tuesday. He said his son Bernard J. Calvi, who is Springfield's Fire Commissioner and was named after the great uncle he never met, "started the whole ball rolling to get his remains identified" by having family members provide DNA samples.

Bruce Calvi never met his uncle. But he said his father, Raymond Calvi, woke up from a sound sleep on the day his brother died a world away and said his brother was dead.

The family was not formally informed of Bernard Calvi's death until May 6, 1945, nearly three years later.

David Levesque, the senior vice commander of American Legion North Adams Post 125, said the post stands ready to help Calvis family welcome him home, depending on the familys wishes.

To find out the day before they put Pfc. King to rest ... its remarkable, Levesque said.

He agreed with Keil: Lightning really does strike twice, both men said.

Kings return to North Adams, from his homecoming motorcade to his military funeral, was marked with small and large gestures of gratitude and respect and U.S. flags flying across the city. Students from Drury High School and McCann Technical School attended the graveside service, as did representatives of multiple area veteran organizations.

Online newspaper archives from the North Adams Transcript and an obituary from the POW/MIA Accounting Agency tell the story of how Bernard Calvi and Gilman graduated from Drury High School in 1936, where they were multisport athletes.

The men enlisted in the Army Air Corps together on Sept. 14, 1940, 15 months before the attack on Pearl Harbor drew the U.S. into World War II as a combatant. Both men were assigned to the 17th Pursuit Squadron, 24th Pursuit Group, and stationed near Manila in the Philippines.

On Dec. 8, the day after Pearl Harbor, Japan began attacking U.S. military installations in the Philippines from the air, destroying half of the U.S. aircraft on the ground at Nichols Field, where Bernard Calvi and Gilman were stationed, and at Clark Field. A ground offensive followed two days later along with an air assault on the Cavite Navy Yard.

Both men were hospitalized after the attack in Manila, but wired home to tell their families they were OK. They returned to active duty, the Transcript reported on April 3, 1942.

And on April 13, the newspaper further reported that a photo of Bernard Calvi, at the time nursing an apparent leg injury, had appeared in Life magazine, in a photo essay about Corregidor, the rocky island fortress at the mouth of Manila harbor.

The worst was still ahead: What began as a disaster for American forces in the Philippines was about to become a catastrophe.

On April 9, 1942, with casualties rising and supplies running low amid a siege by Imperial Japanese Army troops, 75,000 Allied soldiers  12,000 Americans and 63,000 Filipinos  were left no choice but unconditional surrender. Gilman and Bernard Calvi were among about 8,000 American and Filipino prisoners captured and marched to Cabanatuan Prison Camp, about 65 miles away. The remaining captives were marched to Camp O'Donnell, in what has become known as the Bataan Death March.

The remaining troops on Corregidor were forced to surrender about a month later.

According to the DPAA obituary, Bernard Calvi died of malaria and dysentery on July 16, 1942, and was buried in a communal grave in the camp cemetery along with other American prisoners of war.

Gilman also died of dysentery and malaria on Aug. 25, 1942, 40 days after his best friend's death, according to DPAA. He, too, was buried in a communal grave.

The agency says its efforts to find and positively identify Gilmans remains is active.

Conditions at the camp were poor, with food and water extremely limited, leading to widespread malnutrition and outbreaks of malaria and dysentery, read the DPAA accounts of both men's deaths. By the time the camp was liberated in early 1945, approximately 2,800 Americans had died."

Because of the communal graves, "identifying and recovering remains interred at Cabanatuan was difficult in the years after the war, the agency said.

Bruce Calvi said funeral arrangements will be made following a visit by Army personnel in October.

Bruce's son, Bernard J. Calvi is traveling in Italy, but Bruce was able to reach him and tell him that his efforts to bring his great uncle home were successful.

"He said, 'I did it.' ... I am proud of him."
GREAT BARRINGTON  Robert Windsor Norris  a beloved teacher, philanthropist, mentor and friend  is remembered by many as a catalyst for change in the Berkshires.

Norris was known for his warmth, care and embrace of the Berkshire community, which he fostered in multiple ways.

He died Sept. 12 following declining health at Berkshire Medical Center. His wife, Mary Ann, and sister-in-law, Jennifer Belton, were at his side. He was 86.

A Midwesterner by birth, Norris adopted the Berkshires when he began teaching at the Berkshire Waldorf School in Great Barrington in 1981. He taught there for 16 years, committing to teach two groups of students for eight years each.

Norris' reach went beyond the classroom and into many philanthropic areas that spanned the Berkshires. He served on the Berkshire Hills Regional School Committee, provided seed money to found Berkshire South Regional Community Center, Multicultural Bridge and the NOAH Center. He supported WAMC Public Radio, as well. He was also a committed Rotarian.

He served on Berkshire Souths founding board and later as its chair. He also served on the Berkshire Taconic Community Foundations board, which he chaired during the COVID-19 pandemic.

But for his former students, Norris was more than a teacher  he became family.

As a young child who struggled on his path to behaving, Bob was incredibly giving of his time and energy to help all of us, said Oskar Hallig, who was in Norris first cohort at the Rudolf Steiner School. When you have eight years with somebody, you really do become like a family.

Years later, Hallig and Mike Zippel asked Norris to officiate at their wedding at The Colonial Theatre.

On his blackboard, Norris drew detailed depictions in colored chalk designed to fire students' imagination. He also wrote each student an inspirational poem on their birthday, which he recited to the class. As a gift, he illustrated these poems in colored pencil.

I just remember him being always positive, always available and always ready to give whatever attention was needed, Hallig said.

That sentiment was echoed by those who knew him in other roles, including executive directors of organizations he helped build.

Gwendolyn VanSant, CEO and Founding Director of Multicultural Bridge, first heard about Bob Norris as a teacher from her husband, Samuel VanSant, who was in Norris' second cohort at the Steiner school. Norris would later go on to give seed money to help start Multicultural Bridge, a grassroots organization dedicated to advancing equity and justice.

You are going to be a catalyst, VanSant recalled him saying shortly after providing the money to help kickstart the organization.

Years later, as board chair at Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation, Norris nominated her to be on its board as part of his legacy because he could see the impact of Bridges work, VanSant said.

After rotating off the board at Berkshire Community South, Norris was an avid member of a mens fitness group, which met Tuesdays and Thursdays. Known as the Lift and Lunch Crunch Bunch, he found a core group of friends there with whom he played poker with a face that gave away every good hand.

Norris was born in Marshalltown, Iowa, on Jan. 31, 1938, the son of Mary Merrill and John Norris. He graduated from Grinnell College in 1960 with a bachelor of arts degree in economics. He earned a master of sciences degree in industrial management from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology then worked at the World Bank in Ghana and Mauritius. He then worked in his familys business, Lennox International, in Europe. He then decided to go to England to become a Steiner teacher.

Norris became enamored with Steiner philosophy after placing his own children in Steiner schools in Norway, Mary Ann Norris said.

He was so impressed with how much fun everyone was having, she said, adding of his decision to change careers, I think it was pretty gutsy because he came from a family of industrialists.

His first marriage ended in divorce.

While in England, he met Linda Eklund. The two married on Dec. 21, 1980, in Forest Row, Sussex, England. They came to Great Barrington the following year, where they lived for 26 years prior to her death March 10, 2007.

Mary Ann DeToro first consulted with Norris about a letter she intended to send to her 9-year-old nephew. They met at a family party on July 26, 2007, and married April 5, 2008.

An avid woodworker who built model trains as a hobby, Norris gave Mary Ann wooden boxes for her birthday.

Besides Mary Ann, he leaves a daughter, Christina (Brede); two sons, Stefan and Nicholas (Wibeka); 10 grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; a stepdaughter Ariana; a stepson Nicholas; two step-grandchildren; his sister-in-law Terry; and a step-sister Megan. His brother, John Norris Jr., predeceased him.
SANDISFIELD  Bibles and Pilgrim hymnals of varying hues and lineage peek from the backs of the pews of the 150-year-old New Boston Congregational Church.

These are vestiges of churches in Cheyenne, Wyo.; Winsted, Conn.; Florence and South Egremont.

In a time when churches are closing and buildings are on the market in the Berkshires and beyond, this congregation is not only active but growing.

On Sunday, New Boston Congregational Church will celebrate its 150th anniversary with a 10 a.m. service. Special guest will be prior pastor, the Rev. Michael Gantt. A cookout will follow at 11 a.m. at the 4 Sandisfield Road church.

Its current pastor, the Rev. Eric Kriebel, is credited with the churchs growing popularity.

When he began preaching in 2017, average attendance at monthly services was eight to 10. Today, twice-monthly services draw about 50 people.

As a bivocational pastor, he works fulltime with the U.S. Postal Service in Torrington, Conn. On Sundays, he commutes with his wife and 6-year-old son, who both help out.

Throughout its history, Sandisfield has had a total of six churches  three Baptist and three Congregational  but the Little Brown Church is the only one still operating as a house of worship.

The buildings holding the Sandisfield Historical Society and the Sandisfield Arts Center both housed congregations. Sandisfields most prominent church burned down. Another was moved stick by stick out of town, and a Baptist church that stopped operating in 1838 cant be located by Ronald Bernard, a local historian who serves on the towns historical commission.

While the New Boston congregation dates to 1874, the chestnut building dates to 1879.

WALKING INSIDE

Entering the church through a small narthex, the sanctuary has vaulted chestnut beams rising two stories and a small amount of colored glass.

The central chandelier is original although the four surrounding it were later gifts. A small Estey pump organ built in Brattleboro, Vt. dates to 1894. It's in working shape now that organist Christopher Park chased out the mice and refurbished it.

THE ARCHITECT

Neither the architect and nor the benefactor are known. After spending a year researching and writing a 400-page history of the church and its pastors, Bernard has a theory.

He believes Orlo Northway, then the wealthiest man in New Boston, financed the building of the church after the collapse of the Lee & New Haven Railroad, a failed scheme of which Northway was president.

The town lost 25 to 30 percent of its population between 1870 and 1880 because of this, Bernard said. Farmers went bankrupt. Everybody invested  his rich friends and poor farmers. And everybody lost everything."

Northway did it as a sort of penance, Bernard said.

This man was mortified, he was shocked, he was sad, he felt personal responsibility for what had happened, Bernard said. And it was his way of sort of giving back and making up something.

Northways carpenters Lewis and Ransom Gladdings built the church, Bernard said.

A KINDNESS

Karlene Blass first came to the church 18 years ago. After Kriebel started leading services, though, she began coming regularly. She used an example to illustrate why.

We were getting ready for a church supper, Blass said. Concerned about a family member, she asked Kriebel if she could call him at some point for counsel and prayer.

He said, Sometime is now, Blass said. He took me to a quiet place and I explained my concerns. We prayed together right then and there.  Hes just like that. He hears you when you talk to him. He remembers everything you tell him.

ABOUT KRIEBEL

Kriebel was born in Lansdale, Pa., and graduated from Abeka Academy in Pensacola, Fla., a Christian school that doubled as a home-school co-op.

His great-great-grandfather was a traveling minister for the Evangelical Congregational Church in Pennsylvania.

He remembers sitting in his great-grandmothers pew.

I can still picture the stained-glass windows in that church and it looks very similar to this church, he said.

A CALLING

His first jobs were working in a nursery and delivering newspapers.

He attended a Christian camp when he was 15. At about the same time, his church had a bus ministry that went to immigrant camps in Florida.

And I saw such poverty, and such need, he said. And wed go down and take them food, and wed bring the kids out and take them to church.

He realized then that he wanted to minister to people.

After high school, he attended Pensacola Christian College, where he obtained his bachelor of arts in pastoral ministries. At the age of 18, he began serving as an assistant pastor at a church for three years.

That was a great experience, he said. I was young. I was working with somebody who was a seasoned minister and learned a lot.

At 19 he was ordained.

He received his masters degree in Christian education from the New England Bible College in Southington, Conn.

HOW HE GOT TO SANDISFIELD

In 2017, Kriebel was serving as assistant pastor at a church in Connecticut.

He was vacationing in the Berkshires with his family and noticed a sign outside a church that said the Rev. Toby Quirk, a guest pastor, would be preaching.

Kriebel learned Quirk had written a book about rural ministry and emailed him about obtaining a copy. Quirk said he would give him a copy if he came to Easter Sunday services at the Little Brown Church.

Then, in May, Kriebel returned for another service. Quirk announced that he was leaving and that Kriebel should be the next pastor. That day Kriebel got the key to the church.

It was really a surreal experience, Kriebel said.

LOOKING AHEAD

While the church is growing, it also has some costly needs: painting, a new roof, work on the belfry, a cement floor for the basement and a new furnace.

The parish hall behind it will probably have to be demolished.

Kriebel hopes there will be a way to preserve the building.

I go into these churches now and they seat 800 people and theres 50 people and you go: This clearly doesnt fit," Kriebel said. "But we had 60 people and it felt full. This size building has really fit the need for those 150 years.
The Clarksburg Police Department disbands as its chief, Michael Williams, retires The Clarksburg Select Board has suspended the town's police department to coincide with the retirement of its chief, Michael Williams. The town will rely on coverage from state police.

With the retirement of Clarksburgs police chief, a Northern Berkshire town no longer has a police department.

The local force  which comprised Chief Michael Williams and one part-time officer  disbanded this month when the towns top cop stepped down at age 58 after serving for 39 years.

Clarksburg is a small community  the second-smallest by area in Berkshire County with a population of fewer than 1,700. Its not entirely surprising to see the local department with a budget of barely more than $100,000 fold with the departure of a longtime chief and limited ability to attract new candidates. Still, its sad to see a local public safety department evaporate  another example of the growing disproportionate difficulties for rural towns to provide local services.

Clarksburg officials apparently explored an agreement with neighboring North Adams to extend the citys police protection into the small town to the north. Those negotiations didnt pan out, however, as Clarksburg officials said their budget couldnt afford the $300,000 North Adams asked for  not too surprising, since that would nearly triple the towns shoestring local police budget. And for reasons beyond budgets, we can see why a shared services agreement between a very small, very rural town and a city might not be the most optimal arrangement.

However, the instinct toward teaming up with a neighboring community was a wise one  one that Clarksburg might be able to explore elsewhere in the region. Weve consistently used this space to encourage smaller Berkshire communities to seek smart consolidation opportunities that can sustain or even grow quality public services with more fiscal flexibility. We were heartened earlier this year to see three small towns in South County jointly explore a regional fire and EMS system, and we praised Becket and Otis a couple years ago when they opted to share a single police chief between the two neighboring towns.

That latter example is worth considering for Clarksburg: looking to neighboring towns, rather than a city, for an appropriate team-up that might restore a localized police presence in a more budget-friendly mode.

Clarksburg could reach out to their western neighbor, Williamstown, to see if the sort of agreement sought in North Adams might be easier found there. Clarksburg also could look to its eastern neighbor, Florida, and consider a joint chief/police department arrangement. As is the case for Clarksburg now that its local department has disbanded, Florida relies entirely on Massachusetts State Police for that element of public safety. The nearest State Police barracks in Cheshire, though, is quite a distance from both Florida and Clarksburg.

Clarksburg police might have handled only about 300 calls a year, but for the folks making those calls, its a benefit to have someone on the line with some proximity and familiarity. Small towns and the people that live there are more familiar with their communities unique contours and issues; a police response that actually originates from those communities when needed encourages good community policing. With some good will and creativity, this might pose an opportunity for Clarksburg and another town like Florida to model how smaller, rural towns facing practical and budgetary hurdles might not only sustain local services but restore and grow them through neighborly initiative.

We certainly sympathize with Clarksburg Town Administrator Carl McKinney, who pointed out to The Eagle that smaller towns are disproportionately burdened by 2020 police reform legislation that mandates minimum training levels even for part-time officers. That law was a necessary upgrade to quality and accountability of Massachusetts policing, but we agree with Mr. McKinney that there is reason for the state to help out with officer training costs for small towns with limited taxable land like Clarksburg. That would amount to a relatively small slice of commonwealth coffers but a huge difference-maker for rural communities trying to preserve a local voice on the other end of their constituents calls to police. The state could even incentivize shared service opportunities by tying training funding grants to regionalization efforts.

Short of that, towns without police departments could explore some sort of constabulary service that could provide local response to local calls that dont necessarily need an armed officer or trooper. Its worth thinking outside the box to cast a wide net for beneficial options. Some of those options might require special legislation, but by our lights it would be worth the effort for local leaders, lawmakers and state officials to put their heads together on what might best serve smaller towns who often feel their struggles are overlooked.

While wed like to see higher action at the state and federal level to relieve some of the disproportionate burdens on modern governance for rural communities, we know those bigger systemic solutions arent coming today or tomorrow. Ultimately, its up to smaller towns to seize what opportunities they can to sustain the quality local services their residents need and want. And we know that even in smaller-population towns, there are plenty of folks willing to put in that service if there is a sustainable system to support them. Look no further than outgoing Chief Michael Williams, who has dedicated more than two-thirds of his life to serving Clarksburgs Police Department.

We wish Chief Williams all the best in retirement.
A crane lowers the 120-foot-long hydrogen tank for the Calistoga Resiliency Center into place. The project will use hydrogen fuel cells and lithium ion batteries to provide backup power during wildfire-related outages. Energy Vault A crane lowers the 120-foot-long hydrogen tank for the Calistoga Resiliency Center into place. The project will use hydrogen fuel cells and lithium ion batteries to provide backup power during wildfire-related outages. Energy Vault

Power outages have plagued Northern California in recent years as the threat of catastrophic wildfires has mounted. Now a Wine Country town is testing a new technology to keep the lights on.

The project in Calistoga, expected to begin operating in November, will use hydrogen fuel cells and lithium ion battery capacity to store enough power to supply the city of 5,000 for 48 hours  or up to four days, if the hydrogen tank is refilled.

The Calistoga Resiliency Center, as the project is known, is meant to help the city weather utility-triggered power outages. Since 2018, Pacific Gas & Electric Co.  which is buying the power produced by the resiliency center  has shut off electricity preemptively to the town 10 times during extreme fire risk conditions, just in case the lines topple and spark in high winds.

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The world is watching this project, because no ones ever done this before, said Robert Piconi, the CEO of Energy Vault, the company that built and will operate the resiliency center. Other towns and other utilities are looking at this, asking, Can this microgrid concept be used to back up cities?

The facility, situated on less than an acre of land beside a dog park and a running path, consists of a hydrogen tank, six fuel cells and four lithium ion batteries. If a power outage occurs and the resiliency center is switched on, the batteries will provide near-instantaneous backup power, and then the hydrogen cells will kick in about 10 minutes later and provide more.

The 120-foot hydrogen tank for the Calistoga Resiliency Center rounds a corner. The project will use hydrogen fuel cells and lithium ion batteries to provide backup power during wildfire-related outages. Energy Vault

The project is a first in several ways. Its hydrogen fuel cells will be the largest in service in the world, Piconi said. The cells will run on so-called green hydrogen, a fuel produced by using renewable energy to split water molecules apart, emitting no greenhouse gasses. The resiliency center will also be a pioneer in combining the use of green hydrogen and lithium ion batteries, Piconi said.

State regulators approved PG&Es plan to spend up to $46.3 million on the project over a decade, costs it will recover through customer rates, said Paul Doherty, a spokesperson for the company. The sum PG&E is paying Energy Vault is confidential, he said.

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The project is PG&Es response to a 2021 order from the California Public Utilities Commission directing the company to develop backup power options to mitigate wildfire-related power shutoffs without using fossil fuel sources.

PG&E selected Calistoga as the project site because it has experienced more wildfire-prevention outages than most other cities. PG&E initially considered other areas such as communities in fire-torn Placer and Butte counties. But unlike those areas, Calistoga had no alternate energy supply beyond diesel generators, according to project documents.

The power outages have been disastrous for Calistoga businesses.

The lights go out and youve got customers in there and you go, Im sorry, you cant make coffee without power, said Clive Richardson, who has owned the Calistoga Roastery, a java spot on the citys main drag, for 33 years.

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On three occasions since 2019, Richardson said he has had to replace spoiled food in his walk-in refrigerator and two freezers, a $5,000 hit to his bottom line. Then theres the lost revenue from a day or days out of operation, not to mention customers who might steer clear of fire-prone Calistoga altogether. That loss you cant quantify because you dont know how many people stayed away, Richardson said.

The prospect of minimizing these losses has Richardson over the moon, he said.

Calistoga  where the destructive Tubbs Fire began in 2017 and from where residents have had to evacuate several times since  already has an existing backup power system in the form of diesel generators, which city officials currently cart in each fire season as a temporary solution. But the generators have proved unpopular because of air pollution and noise  residents report a loud hum thats audible for blocks around the site.

The resiliency center, by contrast, will produce virtually no air pollution.

This is simply a better way to back up, said Calistogas mayor, Donald Williams.

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The California Public Advocates Office initially raised concerns about the resiliency center, arguing in a January 2023 protest letter that PG&E had not proved the project was technically feasible and financially competitive. The California Public Utilities Commission sided with the utility when approving the resiliency center in April 2023, though it did order PG&E to submit yearly reports on the projects cost and technical performance.

The advocates office maintains that the resiliency center might not be the most cost-effective way to mitigate wildfire-related power outages, citing variability in the cost of hydrogen fuel, a spokesperson wrote in an email.

The site of the Calistoga Resiliency Center is seen under construction. Energy Vault

The project never faced any organized opposition from Calistoga residents, Williams said, but it did initially raise some eyebrows. You hear the word hydrogen, you think of bomb as the next word, the mayor said. It was an education for us, it was for me.

Hydrogen gas is highly flammable, and lithium-ion batteries can overheat and spark chemical fires that are difficult to put out with water alone. Piconi of Energy Vault, whose global headquarters are in Switzerland and U.S. headquarters are in California, said the resiliency center has been built to maximum safety standards, and has a containment zone to isolate the hydrogen tank in the event of a fire.

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When compared to bringing diesel generators in that are full of fuel, theres probably a lower risk of fire, Doherty said. PG&E is committed to operating at the safest standards.

The resiliency center is primarily meant to provide power during shutoffs, but those events are becoming less frequent as technology and forecasting improves, Doherty said. In 2019, PG&E triggered seven shutoffs affecting about 2 million customers. In 2023  a relatively mild year for wildfires  PG&E only triggered two outages affecting just over 5,000 customers, according to the utility.

So the resiliency center will likely lie dormant most days. But the center may also have uses outside fire-prevention outages, especially on days when the power grid strains to keep up with demand.

There may be events where its very hot and 100 degrees for 10 days in a row and that power spikes, everybodys using their air conditioning, Piconi said, so theres some level of market participation that we could use it for.

The projects construction has sparked curiosity in the small town.
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India has taken the lead in recognising NAFLD as a major Non-Communicable Disease: Union Health Secretary

The Union Health Ministry has released the revised Operational Guidelines and Training Module of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD). These documents are designed to improve patient care and outcomes related to NAFLD through informed, evidence-based practices.

Apurva Chandra, Union Health Secretary said India has taken the lead in recognising NAFLD as a major non-communicable disease (NCD). NAFLD is rapidly emerging as a major public health concern, closely linked with metabolic disorders such as obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Out of 10, one to three people can have NAFLD which highlights the impact of the disease.

Punya Salila Srivastava, Officer on Special Duty, Union Health Ministry said these guidelines need to reach the grassroot level workers so that the disease is detected early and the burden of NAFLD is reduced. Tthe release of training module is a significant addition to Indias efforts to build capacities amongst healthcare professionals to tackle the rising burden of NCDs in India."

The guidelines focus on health promotion and early detection which are important for ensuring that patients with NAFLD receive timely and appropriate care. It also advocates for a multidisciplinary approach, integrating the efforts of healthcare providers from various discipline to offer a holistic care to individual affected by NAFLD.
FICCI Roundtable: Roadmap for making cancer care affordable and accessible in India

Dr Mazel Ampareen Lyngdoh, Minister of Health & Family Welfare, Government of Meghalaya highlighted the grave incidence of cancer in the country, especially in the North-Eastern region.

Addressing the FICCI Roundtable for North-Eastern region, held under the aegis of Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India, on the Roadmap for Making Cancer Care Affordable and Accessible in India, Dr Lyngdoh said, Our vision is a cancer-free future generation, where everyone has access to accurate tests and affordable cancer treatment.

Dr Lyngdoh shared that the Chief Minister of Meghalaya has worked towards ensuring that fundamental interventions for cancer treatment are available to the citizens. Cancer surveillance is our top priority. By leveraging technological advancements, we can save countless lives. This roundtable will help us in formulating a policy that is achievable. Lets unite to forge partnerships amongst all stakeholders to battle against cancer, she emphasised.

Sampath Kumar, Principal Secretary, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Govt of Meghalaya emphasised on the need for a mission approach for tackling the cancer crisis. He highlighted that a lack of awareness and certain cultural practices contribute to the states cancer burden. To address this, he said, Government of Meghalaya launched the Cancer Mission, a screening-based programme focused on early detection and prevention and already screened individuals over 30 years of age in Khasi District. He also emphasised on the role of AYUSH techniques in preventing relapses and managing stress.

FICCI, recognising the critical nature of the cancer crisis in India, established a multi-stakeholder Task Force in 2022 to focus on developing strategic solutions to address the growing cancer burden. Raj Gore, Chair, FICCI Task Force on Cancer Care and CEO, Healthcare Global Enterprises Limited (HCG) said, The Northeast region of India faces unique healthcare challenges, particularly in cancer care. Despite being a relatively small region, it has some of the highest cancer incidence rates in the country. This is primarily due to high tobacco consumption, inadequate healthcare infrastructure, and delayed diagnosis. Tobacco usage is a major contributor to cancer, accounting for 57% of all cancers in men and 28% in women. To address this, there is a need for comprehensive prevention strategies, early detection initiatives, and improved access to treatment.

FICCI is organising Regional Roundtables on Cancer Care under the aegis of the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Govt of India, for further awareness as well as garnering further suggestions from stakeholders across the country. Four roundtables have been held in Gandhinagar, Bengaluru, Bhuvaneswar and Jaipur. The Roundtable in Shillong was organised in partnership with AstraZeneca, HCG Hospitals, Varian and Indian Medical Parliamentarians Forum (IMPF).
To attract establishment of 500 new GCCs in Karnataka

The Draft Global Capability Centre (GCC) Policy 2024-2029 has been launched by the Karnataka government.



Key highlights include the creation of Global Innovation Districts with three new tech parks in Bengaluru and Beyond Bengaluru, and the establishment of a Centre of Excellence for artificial intelligence (AI) to boost AI R&D and talent development.



The policy also introduces the Beyond Bengaluru Package, offering recruitment assistance and rental support, while creating 3.5 lakh jobs.

The government aims to attract establishment of 500 new GCCs achieving a total number of 1,000 GCCs in Karnataka by 2029; To support creation of 3.5 lakh new jobs in Karnataka by 2029; and to generate economic output of $50 billion in Karnataka through the GCCs being established by 2029.

The government is also announcing an Innovation Fund with an allocation of Rs 100 crore, to support joint research between GCCs and academia, and innovation challenges. The government will set up a dedicated unit within the Department of Electronics, IT, Bt, and S&T to offer dedicated support for GCCs establishing operations in Karnataka.

All necessary operational approvals for setting up GCCs will be processed within 45 days, ensuring a streamlined setup process that minimises delays and enhances investor confidence in Karnatakas business-friendly environment.

Global Capability Centres (GCCs) have significantly transformed the country's economic landscape. These centres have been instrumental in job creation, technology advancement, and skill enhancement; positioning India at the forefront of innovation and service delivery. As of March 2024, the GCCs in India generated annual revenues of $64.6 billion having grown at nearly double digits (~9.8%) between FY2019 and FY2024 .
Celnova will be the exclusive distributor of NaMuscla in Argentina and Colombia

Mumbai-based global pharma major Lupin has announced that its subsidiary Lupin Atlantis Holdings SA has entered into a distribution agreement with Celnova Pharma for Lupins orphan drug NaMuscla (mexiletine). Celnova will commercialise NaMuscla in Argentina and Colombia, for the symptomatic treatment of myotonia in adults with non-dystrophic myotonic (NDM) disorders. NaMuscla is the first and only licensed product in Europe for this indication.

NDM disorders are a group of rare, inherited neuromuscular disorders, characterised by the inability to relax muscles due to voluntary contraction resulting in myotonia or muscle stiffness. NaMuscla reduces myotonia symptoms in people with NDM, resulting in a significant improvement in quality of life and other functional and clinical outcomes for patients. NaMuscla, which has been designated orphan drug status in Europe and US, received EU marketing authorisation in December 2018.

As per the agreement, Celnova will be the exclusive distributor of NaMuscla in Argentina and Colombia, and drive the registration, importation, storage, and sales. Celnova will leverage its regional expertise in managing patient-centric initiatives, particularly in the area of rare diseases, to ensure patients have access to this treatment. Lupin will manufacture and supply the finished products to Celnova.

This is a significant step for Lupin as we introduce NaMuscla in two of our key Latin American markets. This is aligned to our commitment of meeting the needs of NDM patients by creating tailor-made solutions for each market, working with health authorities, healthcare providers, patient advocacy groups to help patients suffering from myotonia diseases, said Dr Fabrice Egros, President  Corporate Development and Growth Markets, Lupin.

"This collaboration addresses a significant unmet need for those living with non-dystrophic myotonic disorders, offering an innovative treatment option that can greatly improve quality of life, said Juan Marrone, CEO, Celnova.
A person was apprehended after allegedly breaking into a San Francisco ambulance, stealing equipment and breaking windows. San Francisco Fire Department

A paramedic was injured during an attempted theft of ambulance equipment Friday evening at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital.

According to the San Francisco Fire Department, a person leaving the emergency department tried to steal heavy equipment from the ambulance, shattering several windows in the process. A paramedic intervened and attempted to subdue the suspect, sustaining minor injuries from shattered glass. Fire Department and employees from the San Francisco Sheriffs Department apprehended the person before they hurt themselves.

Glass was everywhere, Justin Schorr, a public information officer with the Fire Department, told the Chronicle. We had EMTs sweeping it up because the hospital couldnt spare any staff.

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DUBAI (Reuters) - Le guide supreme iranien, l'ayatollah Ali Khamenei, a ete transfere dans un lieu securise a l'interieur du pays avec des mesures de securite renforcees, ont rapporte a Reuters deux responsables regionaux informes par Teheran.

Les sources ont declare que l'Iran etait en contact permanent avec le Hezbollah libanais et d'autres groupes allies regionaux pour determiner la prochaine etape apres qu'Israel a annonce avoir tue le chef du Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah, lors d'une frappe vendredi sur le sud de Beyrouth.

(Bureau de Dubai; version francaise Claude Chendjou)
Sinn Fein would create a minister for reunification and abolish the means test for the carers allowance, Mary Lou McDonald has told her party conference.

Ms McDonald used her leaders address at Sinn Feins ardfheis to present an optimistic vision for the party and appeal to voters concerns in the areas of housing, childcare and migration.

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With eyes on the upcoming general election, Ms McDonald appealed to the public to give Sinn Fein a chance to lead a government.

She warned that workers and families cannot afford another five years of Fine Gael or Fianna Fail in power.

A key announcement in the speech was a new pledge to abolish the carers allowance means test, with Ms McDonald saying too many carers receive no recognition from the State.

In 2023, the Parliamentary Budget Office estimated the cost of abolishing the means test at approximately 400 million per year.

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Merchandise for sale during the Sinn Fein ardfheis (Niall Carson/PA)

Ms McDonald said: We choose to back people with disabilities to live full lives as equal citizens with access to work, education, services, and independent living.

She added that the partys budget, which included relaxing the means test but not abolishing it, provided the most substantial package of support for carers ever presented in a single budget.

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Sinn Fein is also seeking to position itself as the party that will get childcare right for parents and providers.

In her speech in Athlone on Saturday evening, Ms McDonald told the audience that she was once that parent juggling work with two small children.

Sinn Feins housing spokesman Eoin O Broin (Niall Carson/PA)

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She said Sinn Fein will deliver fair pay to early years educations and childcare professionals for their crucial role in society.

Meanwhile, she said the party  if elected  would cap childcare at 10 per day per child by September next year.

Its policy platform includes a plan to build capacity and extend parental leave to 52 weeks along with crucial steps towards public provision, she added.

Ms McDonald told the ardfheis, which the party said was attended by more than 1,000 people, that Sinn Fein would establish a minister for reunification at the Department of the Taoiseach.

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She said a new Irish government should be clear-cut in committing to holding referendums on unity.

The crowd at the Technological University of the Shannon arena (Niall Carson/PA)

She said: We can unify Ireland. We need a mature, respectful conversation about constitutional change.

Be in no doubt  unity referendums are coming. By end of this decade, people north and south must have their say.

She said the Irish and UK governments cannot continue to tread water and must instead plan and prepare for the polls.

Ms McDonald said a green paper on Irish unity should be prepared and a Citizens Assembly established.

With the Government delivering a budget on Tuesday, Ms McDonald also pledged to cut the Universal Social Charge (USC) for every worker, abolishing the tax on the first 45,000 of income  a move she said would mean average workers pay nothing.

Senior Sinn Fein figures during a media opportunity on Saturday (Niall Carson/PA)

The Sinn Fein leader also placed a significant emphasis on the housing crisis, saying the party will deliver the largest housing programme in the history of the State.

This includes 300,000 homes, 50,000 of which would be affordable homes at prices from 250,000.

Sinn Fein also plans to deliver 75,000 social houses.

She said the party would cut rents and stop rip-off increases.

In healthcare, Ms McDonald said the overcrowding pressures at University Hospital Limerick shows a Government unable to fix whats broken.

She pledged to deliver a second emergency department for the midwest while introducing free GP care, additional medical cards and cutting healthcare costs more generally.

She said: We are the party to deliver universal healthcare within a decade, providing the right care, in the right place, at the right time.

On the subject of migration, Ms McDonald said Ireland is a welcoming country and repulsive racism must be faced down.

Ms McDonald reiterated party policy that accommodation centres for international-protection applicants must not be located in working-class communities struggling to survive.

She described Sinn Feins approach as based on community, fairness and common sense.

Having publicly acknowledged that the party performed well below its own expectations in the local and European elections earlier this year, Ms McDonald stressed that Sinn Fein is now more determined than ever to deliver on its ambitions, adding: We are not giving up.
Members of the public have called on the Government to implement the Occupied Territories Bill in response to the actions of Israel in Gaza.

Documents seen by Breakingnews.ie under the Freedom of Information Act show there were 57 messages on the issue to the Department of Foreign Affairs since January 2023.

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The Occupied Territories Bill seeks to ban trade with illegal settlements in territories deemed occupied under international law.

The Bill went through the Dail five years ago, but was dropped for the 2020 Programme for Government.

In correspondence to the Department for Foreign Affairs, people raised their concerns with the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Micheal Martin, over Israel.

In February 2023, one person said: "In May 2021, Ireland became the first EU country to recognise the 'de facto annexation' of Palestinian land. Despite this important step, Ireland is still trading with settlements that are illegal under international law.

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"Enacting the Occupied Territories Bill would make Ireland the first EU country to ban trade with illegal Israeli settlements in Palestine."

In January of this year, three months after Israel's war in Gaza began, concerns were expressed that the bill would not be implemented before the next general election.

One person who contacted the department said: "The Occupied Territories bills must be moved before the Dail goes into summer recess and before this government is dissolved before the next general election."

Another person took issue with Ireland's lack of action on what has been happening in Gaza, despite receiving praise for statements.

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Writing to the Minister, the person said: "I was delighted to hear your colleague and one of my representatives, Ivana Bacik, again call for the immediate passing of the Occupied Territories Bill.

"Your government has sat on this bill for far too long. As Francesca Albanese said in presenting her report last week for the UNHRC, Ireland talks a big game when it comes to opposing the genocide in Gaza but, in reality, has taken no action to actually oppose it."

The Government was also called on to do more to work towards a ceasefire. "I am asking you to do more to advocate for a ceasefire on the global stage and to ensure accountability for crimes against humanity. Ireland should lead by example and implement the Occupied Territories Bill and do all that we can for the EU to review its relationship and agreements with Israel."

There were also calls for the use of Shannon Airport by the US army to be stopped.

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One person, contacting the department earlier this month, said: "You will see this morning the devastating bombings on approximately 20 tents in Khan Younis (AlMawasi, a so- called safe zone) where Palestinian families were sleeping overnight.

"Paramedics on the scene are searching through 30 metre sand craters for body parts and survivors. Eyewitnesses say it has to be bunker buster bombs that were dropped.

"Please condemn these daily horrific attacks and without delay enact the Occupied Territories Bill and inspect the planes going through Shannon."
A Cruise car drives past the company headquarters in San Francisco in 2023. Amaya Edwards/The Chronicle

Gov. Gavin Newsom sided with robotaxi and autonomous vehicle companies Friday when he vetoed bills that would have subjected them to new safety rules.

One bill, AB3061 by Assembly Member Matt Haney, would have required AV companies to report more data on crashes and traffic violations to the state. Newsom also vetoed a bill, AB2286 by Assembly Member Cecilia Aguiar-Curry, that would have required human operators on autonomous trucks.

Companies are only required to report to the state collisions, mileage and disengagements  when an autonomous vehicle is manually taken over after a technical or safety issue  if they are using testing permits. The Haney bill that Newsom vetoed would have required companies with permits to deploy robotaxis in California to meet those same reporting requirements. It also would have required the Department of Motor Vehicles to publish the information online.

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In a veto message, Newsom said the DMV was already working on its own draft regulations related to autonomous vehicles. He also said the DMV would not be able to implement the new policy by the July deadline in the bill.

Haney, a San Francisco Democrat, said his bill was prompted by reports of crashes and other safety issues related to autonomous vehicles.

There is strong public interest in AV data transparency and safety, Haney told his fellow lawmakers during a committee hearing on the bill. This bill will ensure that we have that level of transparency and accountability thats needed.

The Autonomous Vehicle Industry Association opposed the measure because it would have required AV companies to report more data.

Any new reporting requirements come with costs, and this bill would add significant new compliance obligations on an industry thats already subject to a patchwork for federal and state reporting regimes, the groups government affairs director, Renee Gibson, told lawmakers at the hearing.

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Newsom has expressed support for increasing transparency around autonomous vehicles before, even as he has said he believes they represent the future of driving.

Last year, Newsom endorsed the DMVs decision to ban robotaxi company Cruise from operating in San Francisco after the company allegedly withheld video from a crash that seriously injured a pedestrian.

But he also has sided with autonomous vehicle companies in the past. He angered his allies in the labor movement last year when he vetoed an earlier version of the bill to require human operators in autonomous trucks. In his veto message at the time, he argued the DMV already has sufficient power to regulate the burgeoning autonomous vehicle industry. He echoed that argument in his veto of the newer bill Friday, noting that DMV has released draft rules for self-driving trucks that would restrict their use on certain roads and limit their ability to transport hazardous materials.

Newsom on Friday also signed a bill to dictate what happens when self-driving cars violate traffic rules in response to the dilemma San Francisco police have faced when trying to ticket driverless cars that break traffic laws. Initially, the bill would have allowed police to ticket the AV companies that operate the cars, but it was watered down in the face of industry opposition.

The amended version Newsom signed does not allow police to ticket AVs, but instead to issue a notice of autonomous vehicle noncompliance that the companies must report to the DMV. The DMV will determine whether to punish the companies over such notices. The Teamsters union opposed the amended bill, arguing it will penalize human drivers more for breaking the same traffic rules, like driving on the wrong side of the street.

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This creates unequal enforcement, where a human driver can be cited or even charged for traffic violations, but AV companies are only noticed through the DMV, the union wrote in a statement.
Sinn Fein is election ready, Mary Lou McDonald has insisted as she said the party will run more candidates than ever before.

Ms McDonald said there is a real sense of positivity and optimism among the party membership as selection conventions continue in the Republic.

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Speaking to reporters at the partys Ard Fheis conference in Athlone, the Sinn Fein leader said: Were election ready, we look forward to the campaign, and were in it to win it.

Ms McDonald said the stakes are high for the national poll, adding: We feel confident, and were ready for it because we believe passionately that there has to be a change of Government, that we can do so much better.

Sinn Feins President Mary Lou McDonald with First Minister of Northern Ireland Michelle ONeill. Photo: Niall Carson/PA.

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She said the party would seek to elect a representative in every Irish constituency, adding that it was hoping to win two seats in some electoral areas.

However, she cautioned: Were not one bit presumptuous or arrogant about this.

Earlier this year, Ms McDonald announced that Sinn Fein had conducted an internal review after performing well below its own expectations in the local and European elections.

She revealed that senior figures in Sinn Fein were disappointed with her engagement with the partys base.

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Ms McDonald was told that she needed to offer more clarity on its policies, including on immigration.

This week, ex-Fine Gael leader and former taoiseach Leo Varadkar said immigration into Ireland had risen too fast.

Asked if she believed this was accurate, Ms McDonald said: The population has grown  thats a matter of mathematical fact.

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She said this occurred at a time of a pre-existing housing crisis and pressures on stretched services.

All of those Government failures were going to come home to roost  throw into the mix slow and bad management of the whole situation.

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She added: For a past taoiseach or the current Taoiseach (Simon Harris) to pretend they are not responsible for the crisis they have created really takes the biscuit.

Ms McDonald added that Sinn Fein had set out a revised immigration policy over summer.

Immigration has to be manage with community, fairness and common sense at its heart. That hasnt been the case.

The attempts by the Government to distance themselves from their own failures is very obvious.

More recently, Sinn Fein celebrated successes in the UK general election when it became Northern Irelands largest party at Westminster level  in terms of both seats and vote share.

Photo: PA Graphics.

Ms McDonald said the party made very substantial gains north of the border, adding that she was pleased that powersharing had been restored at Northern Irelands institutions.

The party conference is focusing on housing, the cost-of-living-crisis, childcare, healthcare and the upcoming Budget on Tuesday.

On the topic of Irish unification, Ms McDonald said it was not a sustainable position for the UK government to rule out referendum provisions contained in the Good Friday Agreement.

Ms McDonald said governments in Dublin and London cant continuously delay and dither.

The referendums will happen.

She added: The challenge for both governments is to prepare and have that inclusive, respective and mature dialogue that we have called for.

Whether you're from Ballymurphy or the Shankill, my commitment is to ensure that you and your family have a strong voice in powerone that delivers real and positive change in peoples everyday lives.



It was an honour to speak at tonights Sinn Fein Ard Fheis in Athlone, where pic.twitter.com/b5TLuTnCzD  Michelle ONeill (@moneillsf) September 27, 2024

Speaking during a session on unification, Sinn Fein deputy leader Michelle ONeill said the recent change of government in London offers an opportunity to improve Irish-British relations.

However, the First Minister for Northern Ireland reiterated: The jurys certainly still out in terms of how (the Labour Government) will live up to their commitments set out in the Good Friday Agreement, because their actions to date demonstrate more of the same austerity and broken promises.

Ms ONeill also introduced South Africas deputy president Paul Mashatile address to the conference.

Mr Mashatile said the African National Congress was indebted to Sinn Fein, adding: There are no ways to express our gratitude in the role you played in supporting us.

He said the ANC supported Sinn Fein in its fight for the unity of Ireland.

Dr Jilan Wahba Abdalmajid, the Palestinian ambassador to Ireland, also attended the conference in Athlone for a second year in a row.

To a standing ovation, she said: From the bottom of my heart, I thank all of you here today for the friendship, solidarity and support. Palestine will be free  justice for Palestine.
During her career, actor Dame Maggie Smith shone in roles as varied as a maverick schoolteacher, a witch in the Harry Potter film series, and Downton Abbeys Dowager Countess of Grantham, a part which won her three Emmys.

The theatre, film and TV star, who has died aged 89, was one of the few performers to achieve the so-called triple crown of acting, winning two Oscars, four Emmys and one Tony.

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Here is a round-up of her most famous roles.

Maggie Smith won two Oscars during her career (Matt Crossick/PA)

 Professor Minerva McGonagall

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From 2001 to 2011, Smith played Hogwarts Professor Minerva McGonagall in the Harry Potter film series, who was the head of the house of Gryffindor. She was also the schools deputy headmistress under Professor Albus Dumbledore, played by Richard Harris and, after his death, by Michael Gambon. Sir Michael died a year ago to the day.

The role saw her reunite with Daniel Radcliffe having previously starred alongside him in 1999s David Copperfield.

Despite the quick-witted, kind and formidable professor of transfiguration becoming a prominent character in the series, Smith had regularly said she did not find her role in the films fully satisfying, but said they had allowed her to bond with her grandchildren.

 Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of Grantham

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From 2010 to 2015, Smith played the quick-witted matriarch Violet Crowley, Dowager Countess of Grantham, becoming central to the success of ITV series.

The role won her three Emmy awards and she continued to play the character in spin-off films Downton Abbey (2019) and Downton Abbey: A New Era (2022).

During Smith's time playing the character, Violet found her influence on Downton Abbey under threat, as social norms changed, from Isobel Crawley, with whom she regularly argued, and her daughter-in-law Cora, with both being more forward-thinking.

 Jean Brodie

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Smith won her first Oscar for best actress in 1969s The Prime Of Miss Jean Brodie.

The film saw her play the unrestrained teacher at an all-girls school in Edinburgh during the 1930s, who had a tendency to stray from the schools curriculum, to romanticise fascist leaders such as Benito Mussolini and Francisco Franco, and believed herself to be in the prime of life.

In the film, the teacher devotes her energy and attention to girls she sees as special or mouldable, eventually seeing her lead them into disastrous situations.

 Diana Barrie

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The actor won her second Oscar for best supporting actress in 1978s California Suite, where she played actor Diana Barrie.

In the film her character is a first-time nominee for the Academy Award for best actress in an independent British film, an honour that could revive her faltering career, but she knows she has no chance of winning.

Throughout the movie Diana is in denial about the nature of her marriage of convenience to Sidney Cochran, a gay antiques dealer who becomes increasingly open about his sexuality.

As she prepares for her moment in the spotlight, her mood fluctuates from hope to panic to despair.

 Mary Shepherd

In 2015, Smith played the role of Mary Shepherd in The Lady In The Van, a mostly true story about Shepherd, who was an elderly woman who lived in a dilapidated van on a driveway in north London for 15 years.

The film was based on a memoir by the playwright Alan Bennett, whose driveway Shepherd lived on from the 1970s to the 1980s.

At the end of the movie Bennett eventually finds out, after Shepherds death, that she had fled her home after she was involved in an accident when her van was hit by a motorcyclist.

Shepherd blamed herself for his death and lived the rest of her life in fear of arrest.
Former UK prime minister Boris Johnson considered launching an aquatic raid on a warehouse in the Netherlands to retrieve Covid vaccine doses amid a row with Europe, according to an extract from his memoir.

Mr Johnson convened a meeting of senior military officials in March 2021 to discuss the plans, which he admitted were nuts, according to an extract from his Unleashed book published in the Daily Mail.

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At the time, the AstraZeneca vaccine was at the heart of a cross-Channel row over exports, with the EU lagging behind the pace of the rollout in the UK.

The extract says the deputy chief of the defence staff (military strategy and operations), Lieutenant General Doug Chalmers, told the prime minister the plan was certainly feasible, using rigid inflatable boats to navigate Dutch canals.

Lieutenant General Doug Chalmers. Photo: Ben Birchall/PA.

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They would then rendezvous at the target; enter; secure the hostage goods, exfiltrate using an articulated lorry, and make their way to the Channel ports, Mr Johnson wrote.

But the senior officer said it would not be possible to do this undetected, with lockdowns meaning the authorities might observe the raid, meaning the UK would have to explain why we are effectively invading a long-standing Nato ally.

Writing in his book, Mr Johnson said he had commissioned some work on whether it might be technically feasible to launch an aquatic raid on a warehouse in Leiden, in the Netherlands, and to take that which was legally ours and which the UK desperately needed.

The former PM admitted: Of course, I knew he was right, and I secretly agreed with what they all thought but did not want to say aloud: that the whole thing was nuts.

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He described the Halix plant as holding millions of doses of the vaccine which AstraZeneca was trying, in vain to export to the UK. He believed the EU was treating the UK with malice and with spite due to the European rollout being slower than in the UK.

They wanted to stop us getting the five million doses, and yet they showed no real sign of wanting to use the AstraZeneca doses themselves, Mr Johnson wrote.

He said that around that time, out of the blue, the European Commission launched a kind of legal war against AstraZeneca, claiming that the company was failing to honour its contract with the EU.

However, he said the EUs complaints were nonsense as a result of Kate Bingham, the chairwoman of the UKs vaccine taskforce, signing a bomb-proof contract with AstraZeneca.

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In March 2021, Mr Johnson told a Downing Street press conference: Well continue to work with European partners to deliver the vaccine rollout.

All I can say is we in this country dont believe in blockades of any kind of vaccines or vaccine materials.

Its not something that this country would dream of engaging in and Im encouraged in some of the things Ive heard from the continent in the same sense.
US President Joe Biden has called the Israeli strike that killed Hezbollahs Hassan Nasrallah a measure of justice for his four-decade reign of terror.

The comments came after Lebanons Hezbollah group confirmed earlier on Saturday that Mr Nasrallah, one of the groups founders, was killed in an Israeli air strike in Beirut the previous day.

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Mr Biden noted that the operation to take out Mr Nasrallah took place in the broader context of the conflict that began with Hamas massacre of Israelis on October 7 2023.

Nasrallah, the next day, made the fateful decision to join hands with Hamas and open what he called a northern front against Israel, Mr Biden said in a statement.

He also noted that Hezbollah under Mr Nasrallahs watch has been responsible for the deaths of thousands of Americans.



Benjamin Netanyahu addresses the 79th session of the UN General Assembly on Friday (Pamela Smith/AP/PA)

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Hezbollah attacks against US interests include the truck bombing of the US embassy and multinational force barracks in Beirut in 1983, and the kidnapping of the Central Intelligence Agency chief of station in Beirut, who died while held captive.

The US said Hezbollah leaders armed and trained militias that carried out attacks on American forces during the war in Iraq.

The White House sees the death of Mr Nasrallah as a huge blow to the group. At the same time, the administration has sought to tread carefully as it has tried to contain Israels war with Hamas, which, like Hezbollah, is backed by Iran, from exploding into an all-out regional conflict.

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The White House and Pentagon were quick on Friday, shortly after the strike, to say publicly that Israel offered it no forewarning of the operation.

The confirmation of Mr Nasrallahs death comes during a week that began with Mr Bidens top national security aides working on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly to build support for a 21-day Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire that they hoped might also breathe new life into stalled efforts to secure a truce in Gaza.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered a defiant speech on Friday to the United Nations, vowing to keep up operations against Hezbollah until tens of thousands of Israeli citizens displaced by rocket attacks can return home. Shortly after, Israel carried out the strike killing Mr Nasrallah.

Mr Biden reiterated on Saturday that he wants to see ceasefires both in Gaza and between Israel and Hezbollah.

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It is time for these deals to close, for the threats to Israel to be removed, and for the broader Middle East region to gain greater stability, he said.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian accused the US of supporting the killing that took out Nasrallah and dozens of others.

The world community will not forget that the order of the terrorist strike was issued from New York and the Americans cannot absolve themselves from complicity with the Zionists, Mr Pezeshkian was quoted as saying in a statement read on Iranian state television.
An Israeli air raid in Beirut killed Hassan Nasrallah, Hezbollahs long-time leader, the Lebanese militant group confirmed on Saturday.

Mr Nasrallah is the most powerful target killed by Israel in weeks of intensified fighting and a significant escalation in the war in the Middle East, this time between Israel and Hezbollah.

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The Israeli military said it carried out a precise air strike on Friday while Hezbollah leaders were meeting at their headquarters in Dahiyeh, south of Beirut.

The Lebanese health ministry said six people were killed and 91 injured in the strikes, which levelled six apartment buildings.

Ali Karki, the commander of Hezbollahs southern front, and other commanders were also killed, the Israeli military said.





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A statement from Hezbollah said Mr Nasrallah  who led the group for more than three decades  has joined his fellow martyrs.

The group vowed to continue the holy war against the enemy and in support of Palestine.

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Iran announced on Saturday that a prominent general in its paramilitary Revolutionary Guard sanctioned by the US died in the same air strike.

Abbas Nilforushan, 58, who the US identified as the deputy commander for operations in the Guard, was killed on Friday, Irans state-run IRNA news agency reported.

Palestinian militant group Hamas sent condolences to its ally Hezbollah and said assassinations will only increase the resistance in Lebanon and Palestine in determination and resolve.

Immediately after the confirmation from Hezbollah, people started firing in the air in Beirut and across Lebanon to mourn Mr Nasrallahs death.

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Irans supreme leader announced five days of public mourning after Mr Nasrallahs death. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called Mr Nasrallah the flag-bearer of resistance in the region.



Smoke rises as a building collapses in Beiruts southern suburbs (Hussein Malla/AP)

Hundreds of protesters, meanwhile, took to the streets of Tehran, waving Hezbollah flags and chanting Death to Israel and Death to Netanyahu the murderer.

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Thomas Juneau, a professor at the University of Ottawas Graduate School of Public and International Affairs, said Iran will be under significant pressure to respond to Mr Nasrallahs killing without escalating violence in the region.

Iran understands that its military options are limited, given the conventional military superiority of Israel and the US, Mr Juneau told The Associated Press.

Israels Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi said on Saturday that the elimination of Mr Nasrallah was not the end of our toolbox, indicating that more strikes were planned.

Defence minister Yoav Gallant called it the most important targeted strike since the founding of the State of Israel.

Israel has vowed to step up pressure on Hezbollah until it halts its attacks that have displaced tens of thousands of Israelis from communities near the Lebanese border.



Smoke rises from destroyed buildings in Beiruts southern suburbs on Saturday morning (Hussein Malla/AP)

The recent fighting has also displaced more than 200,000 Lebanese in the past week, according to the UN.

Air raid sirens sounded across central Israel on Saturday afternoon, including at the Tel Aviv international airport, shortly after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu returned from a trip to the US.

The Israeli military said it intercepted a missile launched from Yemen. It was not immediately known if the missile strike was aimed at Mr Netanyahus flight.

The Israeli military updated guidelines for Israeli citizens, cancelling gatherings of more than 1,000 people due to the threat.

Approximately 60,000 Israelis have been evacuated from their homes along the Lebanese border for almost a year.

This month, Israels government said halting Hezbollahs attacks in the countrys north to allow residents to return to their homes is an official goal.

Hezbollah started firing rockets on Israel in support of Gaza on October 8, a day after Hamas militants launched an unprecedented attack on Israel, killing some 1,200 people and abducting another 250.



Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addresses the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly on Friday (Richard Drew/AP)

Since then, the two sides have been engaged in escalating cross-border strikes.

Earlier this month, thousands of explosives hidden in pagers and walkie-talkies used by Hezbollah detonated, killing dozens of people and maiming thousands, including many civilians. Israel is widely believed to be behind the attack.

On Saturday morning, the Israeli military carried out more than 140 air strikes in southern Beirut and eastern Lebanons Bekaa Valley, including targeting a storage facility for anti-ship missiles in Beirut suburb of Dahiyeh.

Israel said the missiles were stored beneath civilian apartment buildings.

Hezbollah launched dozens of projectiles across northern and central Israel and deep into the Israel-occupied West Bank, damaging some buildings in the northern town of Safed.

In Beiruts southern suburbs, smoke rose and the streets were empty after the area was pummelled overnight by heavy Israeli air strikes.

A total of 1,030 people  including 156 women and 87 children  have been killed in Israeli strikes in Lebanon in less than two weeks, the countrys health minister said on Saturday.
The Israeli military has said they killed Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of the Hezbollah militant political group, in an air strike in Beirut on Friday.

The military said the strike was carried out while the Hezbollah leadership was meeting at their headquarters in Dahiyeh.

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Ali Karki, the commander of Hezbollahs southern front, and additional commanders were also killed in the attack, the Israeli military said.

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Mr Nasrallah has led Hezbollah for more than three decades but has been in hiding for years, rarely appearing in public. He regularly gave speeches but always by video from unknown locations.

Israels chief of staff Herzi Halevi said the elimination of Mr Nasrallah was not the end of our toolbox, indicating that more strikes were planned.

The Israeli military said it was mobilising additional reserve soldiers as tensions escalate with Lebanon, activating three battalions of reserve soldiers to serve across the country. The call comes after it sent two brigades to northern Israel earlier in the week to train for a possible ground invasion.

Nadav Shoshani, an army spokesman, said the air strike was based on years of tracking Mr Nasrallah along with real-time intelligence that made it viable. He said Mr Nasrallahs death had been confirmed through various types of intelligence but declined to elaborate.

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Smoke rises as a building collapses in Beiruts southern suburbs (Hussein Malla/AP)

He said that Israel has inflicted heavy damage on Hezbollahs capabilities over the past week by targeting a combination of immediate threats and strategic weapons, such as larger, guided missiles. But he said much of Hezbollahs arsenal remains intact and that Israel would continue to target the group.

This isnt a threat that has gone away, he said.

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Mr Shoshani said it is safe to assume that Hezbollah will retaliate and that Israel is on high readiness but he said Israel hopes the blow to Hezbollah will change the course of the war.

We hope this will change Hezbollahs actions, he said. We have been looking for solutions, looking for a change in reality that will bring our civilians home, referring to the approximately 60,000 Israelis who have been evacuated from their homes along the Lebanese border for almost a year.

Mr Shoshani declined to say what munitions were used in the strike or provide an estimate on civilian deaths in the strike, only saying that Israel takes measures to avoid civilians whenever possible and clears strikes ahead of time with intelligence and legal experts.



Smoke rises from destroyed buildings in Beiruts southern suburbs on Saturday morning (Hussein Malla/AP)

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The Lebanese health ministry said six people were killed and 91 injured in the strikes on Friday, which levelled six apartment buildings.

Further strikes were carried out in Bekaa Valley in eastern Lebanon.

Hours before the strikes, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the United Nations, vowing that his countrys campaign against Hezbollah would continue  further dimming hopes for an internationally backed cease-fire.

Mr Netanyahu abruptly cut his United States visit short and returned to Israel.



Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addresses the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly on Friday (Richard Drew/AP)

Irans supreme leader has urged all Muslims to stand by Hezbollah but has not indicated how Tehran will respond to the reported killing of Mr Nasrallah.

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said it is the duty of all Muslims to stand by the people of Lebanon and Hezbollah against the occupier, evil and suppressor regime of Israel.

In a statement read on state TV, he said all regional resistance forces support and stand beside Hezbollah.

Irans influential parliamentary committee on national security met on Saturday and demanded a strong response against Israel, state TV reported.

More than 720 people have been killed in Lebanon since the conflict escalated on Monday, according to Lebanons health ministry.

The United Nations says the number displaced by the conflict from southern Lebanon has more than doubled, with more than 211,000 people affected.

Hezbollah began firing rockets into northern Israel in support of Hamas after it stormed into Israel on October 7, sparking the Israel-Hamas war.

Top Israeli officials have threatened to repeat the destruction of Gaza in Lebanon if the Hezbollah fire continues, raising fears that Israels actions in Gaza since October 7 would be repeated in Lebanon.

On Saturday, the Israeli military said it was mobilising additional reserve soldiers as tensions escalated.

Three further battalions of reserve soldiers were activated, following the sending of two brigades to northern Israel earlier in the week to train for a possible ground invasion.
Forty four people have been killed in five states after Hurricane Helene left a path of destruction across Florida and the south-eastern US.

Rescue attempts were underway to save people from floodwaters after the Category 4 hurricane made landfall late on Thursday in the sparsely populated Big Bend area of Florida with sustained winds of up to 140mph.

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It weakened to a post-tropical cyclone on Friday with millions of people left without power, as well as hospitals in southern Georgia, according to Governor Brian Kemp.

At least 15 people have died in Georgia from causes related to Hurricane Helene, according to a spokesman for Mr Kemp.



Dustin Holmes, second from right, holds hands with his girlfriend, Hailey Morgan, while returning to their flooded home with her children Aria Skye Hall, 7, right, and Kyle Ross, 4, in Crystal River, Florida (Phelan M Ebenhack/AP)

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All five who died in one Florida county were in neighbourhoods where residents were told to evacuate, said Bob Gualtieri, the sheriff in Pinellas County in the St Petersburg area.

Some who stayed ended up having to hide in their attics to escape the rising water.

We tried to launch boats, we tried to use high-water vehicles, and we just met with too many obstacles, Sheriff Gualtieri said, adding that the death toll could rise as crews go door-to-door in flooded areas.

In Tampa, some areas could be reached only by boat.

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Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said the damage from Helene appeared to be greater than the combined damage of Hurricanes Idalia and Debby in August.

Its demoralising, he said. Its not easy to go through this. Its not going to be easy in the immediate future, but theres going to be a light at the end of the tunnel.



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President Joe Biden said he was praying for survivors, and the head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency headed to the area. The agency deployed more than 1,500 workers and they helped with 400 rescues by late morning.

More deaths were reported in Georgia and the Carolinas, including two South Carolina firefighters who died when a tree struck their truck.

The death toll in South Carolina is 19 with many of the deaths from falling trees as the storm moved through early on Friday, authorities said.

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Helene is the deadliest tropical storm in South Carolina since Hurricane Hugo killed 35 people when it came ashore just north of Charleston in 1989.

The wreckage extended hundreds of miles northward to northeast Tennessee, where a dangerous rescue situation by helicopter unfolded after 54 people were moved to the roof of the Unicoi County Hospital as water rapidly flooded the facility.

Everyone was rescued and no one was left at the hospital by late Friday afternoon, Ballad Health said.



An unidentified man paddles a canoe to rescue residents and their belongings at a flooded apartment complex in Atlanta (Ron Harris/AP)

In North Carolina, a lake featured in the movie Dirty Dancing overtopped a dam and surrounding neighbourhoods were evacuated, although there were no immediate concerns it would fail.

People also were evacuated from Newport, Tennessee, a city of about 7,000 people, amid concerns about a dam, although officials later said the structure had not failed.

A mudslide in the Appalachian Mountains washed out part of an interstate highway at the North Carolina-Tennessee state line.

Another slide hit homes in North Carolina and occupants had to wait more than four hours to be rescued, said Ryan Cole, the emergency services assistant director in Buncombe County. His 911 centre received more than 3,300 calls in eight hours on Friday.

One person died in Virginia when a tree fell on a building in Craig County.

Vice President Kamala Harris urged residents impacted by the hurricane to pay heed to local authorities.

The storm continues to be dangerous and deadly, and lives have been lost and the risk of flooding still remains high, she said at the start of a campaign speech in Douglas, Arizona.

In Georgia, Atlanta received 28.2cm of rain in 48 hours, breaking the record from 1886 according to the Office of the State Climatologist.

Fox weather reporter Bob Van Dillen interrupted his live report in Atlanta to rescue a woman from a vehicle stranded by rising floodwaters.

Nearly four million homes and businesses were without power in Florida, Georgia and South Carolina, according to poweroutage.us.

Financial services company Moodys Analytics put the property damage between 15 billion dollars (11.2 billion) and 26 billion dollars (19.4 billion) .

Helene also swamped parts of Mexicos Yucatan Peninsula, flooding streets and toppling trees as it brushed past the resort city of Cancun a day before hitting the US. It also knocked out power to more than 200,000 homes and businesses in western Cuba.

Tropical Storm John made its second landfall along Mexicos Pacific coast on Friday, while in its wake authorities in the resort city of Acapulco called for help from anyone with a boat to deal with the flooding.

John came ashore near Tizupan in Michoacan state with sustained winds of 45mph after making its initial landfall farther east on the coast on Monday as a Category 3 hurricane.
The Israeli military said they were mobilising additional reserve soldiers as tensions escalate with Lebanon.

The military said on Saturday morning they were activating three battalions of reserve soldiers, after sending two battalions to northern Israel earlier in the week to train for a possible ground invasion.

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On Saturday morning, the Israeli military carried out several strikes on targets in southern Beirut, including Hezbollahs headquarters in a series of massive explosions that targeted the leader of the militant group and levelled multiple high-rise apartment buildings.

Further strikes were carried out in Bekaa Valley in eastern Lebanon.



Hassan Nasrallah (Hassan Ammar/AP)

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Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was the target of the strikes on the groups headquarters, according to two sources, including one US official.

The Israeli army declined to comment on who it was targeting. It was not immediately clear if Mr Nasrallah was at the site and Hezbollah did not comment on the report.

Hours before the strikes, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the United Nations, vowing that his countrys campaign against Hezbollah would continue  further dimming hopes for an internationally backed cease-fire.

Mr Netanyahu abruptly cut his United States visit short and returned to Israel. News of the blasts came as Mr Netanyahu was briefing reporters after his UN address. A military aide whispered into his ear, and he quickly ended the briefing.

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Benjamin Netanyahu addressing the United Nations General Assembly on Friday (Richard Drew/AP)

An attempt to assassinate Mr Nasrallah  successful or not  would be a major escalation. The Pentagon said the US had no advance warning of the strikes.

He has been in hiding for years, rarely appearing in public. He regularly gives speeches, but always by video from unknown locations.

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More than 720 people have been killed in Lebanon since the conflict escalated on Monday, according to Lebanons health ministry.

The United Nations says the number displaced by the conflict from southern Lebanon has more than doubled, with more than 211,000 people affected.

At least 20 primary health care centres have shut down in hardest hit areas of Lebanon, the UN Office for Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs said.

Hezbollah began firing rockets into northern Israel in support of Hamas after it stormed into Israel, sparking the Israel-Hamas war.

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Top Israeli officials have threatened to repeat the destruction of Gaza in Lebanon if the Hezbollah attacks continue, raising fears that Israels actions in Gaza since October 7 would be repeated in Lebanon.



Rescuers at the site of an Israeli air strike in Beiruts southern suburbs (Hassan Ammar/AP)

Israeli army spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said the strikes targeted the main Hezbollah headquarters, saying it was located underground beneath residential buildings.

The series of blasts at around nightfall reduced six apartment towers to rubble in Haret Hreik, a densely populated district of Beiruts Dahiyeh suburbs, according to Lebanons national news agency.

A wall of billowing black and orange smoke rose into the sky as windows were rattled and houses shaken 18 miles north of Beirut.

Footage showed rescue workers clambering over large slabs of concrete, surrounded by high piles of twisted metal and wreckage. Several craters were visible, one with a car toppled into it. A stream of residents carrying their belongings were seen fleeing along a main road out of the district.

Israel dramatically intensified its air strikes in Lebanon this week, saying it is determined to put an end to more than 11 months of Hezbollah fire into its territory. The escalated campaign has killed more than 720 people in Lebanon, including dozens of women and children, according to Health Ministry statistics.

A pre-dawn strike on Friday in the border town of Chebaa killed nine members of the same family, the state news agency said.

Israel Defence Forces said its air forces killed Hezbollah missile unit commander Muhammad Ali Ismail, who it said was responsible for directing numerous terror attacks against Israel, and his deputy Hussein Ahmad Ismail during an attack in southern Lebanon on Tuesday.

There was no immediate confirmation from Hezbollah.

The scope of Israels operation remains unclear, but officials have said a ground invasion to push the militant group away from the border is a possibility. Israel has moved thousands of troops towards the border in preparation.

At the UN, Mr Netanyahu vowed to continue degrading Hezbollah until Israel achieves its goals. His comments dampened hopes for a US-backed call for a 21-day truce between Israel and Hezbollah to allow time for a diplomatic solution. Hezbollah has not responded to the proposal.

Iranian-backed Hezbollah, the strongest armed force in Lebanon, began firing rockets into Israel almost immediately after Hamass October 7 attack last year, saying it was a show of support for the Palestinians.

Since then, it and the Israeli military have traded fire almost daily, forcing tens of thousands of people to flee their homes on both sides of the border.

An Israeli security official said he expects the campaign against Hezbollah would not last for as long as the current war in Gaza, because the militarys goals are much narrower.

In Gaza, Israel aims to dismantle Hamass military and political regime, but the goal in Lebanon is to push Hezbollah away from the border  not a high bar like Gaza in terms of operational objectives, said the official.
The Israeli military has struck Hezbollahs headquarters in Beirut in a series of massive explosions that targeted the leader of the militant group and levelled multiple high-rise apartment buildings.

The biggest blast to hit the Lebanese capital in the past year appeared likely to push the escalating conflict closer to full-fledged war, and at least six people were killed and 91 were wounded, Lebanons health ministry said.

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Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was the target of the strikes on the groups headquarters, according to two sources, including one US official.



Hassan Nasrallah (Hassan Ammar/AP)

The Israeli army declined to comment on who it was targeting. It was not immediately clear if Mr Nasrallah was at the site and Hezbollah did not comment on the report.

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The toll is likely to rise significantly as teams are still combing through the rubble of six buildings.

After the strikes, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu abruptly cut short a visit to the US to return home. Hours earlier, he addressed the UN, vowing that Israels intensified campaign against Hezbollah over the past two weeks would continue, further dimming hopes for an internationally backed ceasefire.

News of the blasts came as Mr Netanyahu was briefing reporters after his UN address. A military aide whispered into his ear, and he quickly ended the briefing.

Israeli army spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said the strikes targeted the main Hezbollah headquarters, saying it was located underground beneath residential buildings.

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The series of blasts at around nightfall reduced six apartment towers to rubble in Haret Hreik, a densely populated district of Beiruts Dahiyeh suburbs, according to Lebanons national news agency.



Rescuers at the site of an Israeli air strike in Beiruts southern suburbs (Hassan Ammar/AP)

A wall of billowing black and orange smoke rose into the sky as windows were rattled and houses shaken 18 miles north of Beirut.

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Footage showed rescue workers clambering over large slabs of concrete, surrounded by high piles of twisted metal and wreckage. Several craters were visible, one with a car toppled into it. A stream of residents carrying their belongings were seen fleeing along a main road out of the district.

Israels air forces followed with a new set of strikes early on Saturday shortly after an Israeli military spokesman warned residents of several buildings to evacuate, saying they were being used by the militant Hezbollah group.

An attempt to assassinate Mr Nasrallah  successful or not  would be a major escalation. The Pentagon said the US had no advance warning of the strikes.

He has been in hiding for years, rarely appearing in public. He regularly gives speeches, but always by video from unknown locations.

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The site hit on Friday evening had not been publicly known as Hezbollahs main headquarters, though it is located in the groups security quarters, a heavily guarded part of Haret Hreik where it has offices and runs several hospitals.



The funeral of Hezbollah drone commander Mohammed Hussein Surour took place this week (Bilal Hussein/AP)

Four hours after the strike, Hezbollah had still not issued any statement referring to it. Instead, it announced that it had launched a salvo of rockets at the Israeli city of Safed in defence of Lebanon and its people, and in response to the barbaric Israeli violation of cities, villages and civilians.

The Israeli military said a house and a car in Safed were hit, without providing details.

The Israeli army later warned residents to evacuate three buildings in other southern Beirut neighbourhoods, saying it was about to strike them because Hezbollah was using them to hide weapons.

Israel dramatically intensified its air strikes in Lebanon this week, saying it is determined to put an end to more than 11 months of Hezbollah fire into its territory. The escalated campaign has killed more than 720 people in Lebanon, including dozens of women and children, according to Health Ministry statistics.

A pre-dawn strike on Friday in the border town of Chebaa killed nine members of the same family, the state news agency said.

Israel Defence Forces said its air forces killed Hezbollah missile unit commander Muhammad Ali Ismail, who it said was responsible for directing numerous terror attacks against Israel, and his deputy Hussein Ahmad Ismail during an attack in southern Lebanon on Tuesday.

There was no immediate confirmation from Hezbollah.

The scope of Israels operation remains unclear, but officials have said a ground invasion to push the militant group away from the border is a possibility. Israel has moved thousands of troops towards the border in preparation.



Benjamin Netanyahu addressing the United Nations General Assembly on Friday (Richard Drew/AP)

At the UN, Mr Netanyahu vowed to continue degrading Hezbollah until Israel achieves its goals. His comments dampened hopes for a US-backed call for a 21-day truce between Israel and Hezbollah to allow time for a diplomatic solution. Hezbollah has not responded to the proposal.

Iranian-backed Hezbollah, the strongest armed force in Lebanon, began firing rockets into Israel almost immediately after Hamass October 7 attack last year, saying it was a show of support for the Palestinians.

Since then, it and the Israeli military have traded fire almost daily, forcing tens of thousands of people to flee their homes on both sides of the border.

An Israeli security official said he expects the campaign against Hezbollah would not last for as long as the current war in Gaza, because the militarys goals are much narrower.

In Gaza, Israel aims to dismantle Hamass military and political regime, but the goal in Lebanon is to push Hezbollah away from the border  not a high bar like Gaza in terms of operational objectives, said the official.

The Israeli military said it carried out dozens of strikes around the south on Friday, targeting Hezbollah rocket launchers and infrastructure. It said Hezbollah fired a volley of rockets towards the northern Israeli city of Tiberias.
The US Supreme Court on Friday rejected a bid by Robert F Kennedy Jr to restore his name to the ballot in New York state even though he suspended his campaign as an independent for president in August and endorsed Donald Trump.

The justices denied a request by Mr Kennedy's campaign and other allies ordering New York election officials to reinstate his name on the ballot after state courts disqualified him for claiming an invalid address as his residence in paperwork.

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When Mr Kennedy suspended his campaign, he pledged to withdraw in the most closely contested states but remain on the ballot elsewhere. Mr Kennedy has since urged his supporters everywhere to back Mr Trump and has withdrawn from the ballot in a number of Republican-leaning states.

His fight to stay on the ballot in Democratic-leaning New York emerged after a state judge ruled in favour of a challenge by individual voters who claimed Mr Kennedy deceptively provided a false New York residence on his petition to get on the ballot, when he actually lives in California, in violation of state law.

The judge agreed, calling it a "sham" address that he used "for the purpose of maintaining his voter registration and furthering his own political aspirations in this state".

Mr Kennedy's campaign challenged the residency disclosure requirement in federal court and sought an order to keep him on the ballot. Both a federal judge and the Manhattan-based 2nd US Circuit Court of Appeals rejected that request earlier in September.

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The campaign urged the Supreme Court to intervene because lower courts "did not find that anyone was misled by the address," yet the decision to remove him deprives his supporters of the right to vote for the candidate of their choice.

In an email, an attorney for a political action committee supporting Mr Kennedy and a voter who signed Mr Kennedy's nomination petition, who joined the campaign's federal lawsuit, said Mr Kennedy has only suspended his campaign.

He "hasn't terminated it," said Rick Jaffe in the email, adding that "our clients have a right to have him appear on the ballot and vote for him, regardless of the current suspended status of his campaign".

New York attorney general Letitia James asked the Supreme Court to reject Mr Kennedy's request in a filing, noting that tens of thousands of ballots have already been mailed to overseas and military voters.
Then-Attorney General Kamala Harris speaks to a fifth-grade class at East Oakland Pride Elementary school in Oakland in 2014. Michael Macor/The Chronicle

When she was San Francisco district attorney, Kamala Harris made letters warning parents could be prosecuted if their children missed too much school a centerpiece of her efforts to reduce truancy.

On Thursday, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law SB691, which walks back the use of such threatening letters in California. Bipartisan backers of the law, including its author, Sen. Anthony Portantino, say threatening parents with prosecution isnt an effective way to convince them to ensure their kids attend class.

When we actually provide pertinent information and dont try to criminalize parents, we actually get more kids in seats, Portantino, a Burbank Democrat, said during a hearing on the bill earlier this year.

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As San Francisco district attorney, Harris prosecuted some parents as part of her efforts to reduce truancy. Harris office sent letters to San Francisco families at the start of the school year warning that they would face consequences if their children were chronically absent. Though part of her strategy involved threatening parents with jail time, her office didnt actually send any to jail. Students who missed a big chunk of school in early grades are never able to catch up, she said, and those who drop out in high school are more likely to become homicide victims.

In 2009, Harris touted data showing a 23% drop in truancy among San Francisco elementary school students as evidence her approach was working.

At the time, she acknowledged her efforts were controversial, but she argued truancy was a serious enough problem to merit her aggressive approach.

If it takes me being the bad guy by highlighting the connection, by saying Ill prosecute parents for truancy, Ill do it, she said at the time.

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In 2019, Harris acknowledged that the state law she championed had unintended consequences and said she had regret that some DAs used the law to put parents in jail.
Two consecutive Russian attacks on a medical centre in the north-eastern Ukrainian city of Sumy have killed at least nine people.

The first strike killed one person and Russia attacked again while patients and staff were evacuating, Ukraines interior minister Ihor Klymenko said.

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Officials in Sumy said Shahed drones were used in the attack.

At least 21 other people were wounded, the head of the Sumy City Military administration, Oleksii Drozdenko, said.



Emergency services workers evacuate patients (Ukrainian Emergency Service via AP)

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Sumy lies about 20 miles from Russias Kursk region, where Ukrainian troops have been deployed since August 6 in a bid to divert the Kremlins military focus away from the front line in Ukraine.

In the north-eastern Kharkiv region, a Russian air strike on the village of Slatyne on Saturday killed three people and injured three more, Kharkiv regional governor Oleh Syniehubov said.

Mr Syniehubov also said one person was killed in a drone attack in the nearby village of Kozacha Lopan.

Ukraines air force said it shot down 69 of 73 Russian drones launched overnight as well as two of the four missiles. City authorities in Kyiv said around 15 drones had been shot down over the Ukrainian capital and its outskirts.

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In Kryvyi Rih, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskys home city, local officials said that a mans body was found under the rubble of an administrative building hit by a Russian missile on Friday, bringing the death toll from that attack to four.

In Russia, the Defence Ministry said that air defences overnight had shot down four Ukrainian drones over the Belgorod region and one over the Kursk region, both areas bordering Ukraine.

One person was killed in Ukrainian shelling of the Russian border city of Shebekino on Saturday, Belgorod regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said. Two other people were wounded.
Russias top diplomat has warned against trying to fight to victory with a nuclear power in a speech at the UN General Assembly on Saturday.

Sergei Lavrovs address was packed with condemnations of what Russia sees as Western machinations in Ukraine and elsewhere  including inside the UN itself.

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Three days after Russian President Vladimir Putin aired a shift in his countrys nuclear doctrine, foreign minister Mr Lavrov accused the West of using Ukraine  which Russia invaded in February 2022  as a tool to try to defeat Moscow strategically.

He said: Im not going to talk about the senselessness and the danger of the very idea of trying to fight to victory with a nuclear power, which is what Russia is.



Sergei Lavrov appears on a TV screen as he addresses the 79th session of the UN General Assembly (Pamela Smith/AP/PA)

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The spectre of nuclear threats and confrontation has hung over the war in Ukraine since its start.

Shortly before the invasion, Mr Putin reminded the world that his country was one of the most powerful nuclear states and he put its nuclear forces on high alert shortly after.

On Wednesday, Mr Putin said that if attacked by any country supported by a nuclear-armed nation, Russia will consider that a joint attack.

He did not specify whether that would bring a nuclear response but he stressed that Russia could use nuclear weapons in response to a conventional assault that posed a critical threat to our sovereignty.

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The US and the European Union called his statements irresponsible.

The new posture was seen as a message to the US and other Western countries as Ukraine seeks their go-ahead to strike Russia with longer-range weapons.

The Biden administration this week announced an additional 2.7 billion dollars (2.01 billion) in military aid for Ukraine, but it does not include the type of long-range arms that Ukrainian officials are seeking, nor a green light to use such weapons to strike deep into Russia.

More than two-and-a-half years into the fighting, Russia is making slow but continual gains in Ukraines east.

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Ukraine has repeatedly struck Russian territory with missiles and drones, and embarrassed Moscow with an audacious incursion by troops in a border region last month.
Sir Keir Starmer has responded to Elon Musk after the tech tycoon said people should not go to the UK.

The Tesla and SpaceX boss lashed out at the UK after it was reported he had not been invited to a major investment summit because of his social media posts during the summer riots.

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Mr Musk said: I dont think anyone should go to the UK when theyre releasing convicted paedophiles in order to imprison people for social media posts.

UK prime minister Sir Keir Starmer held a breakfast meeting with US investors while he was in New York (Leon Neal/PA)

Mr Starmer, who held a gathering for US business chiefs set to attend the summit while he was in New York, told reporters that Mr Musks views were in stark contrast to those of the executives he had met.

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He said the business chiefs described the breakfast event they had with him during his New York visit as the best of the meetings theyve had during the UN General Assembly which sees political leaders jet in from around the world.

Theres a really strong window of opportunity now with the UK, given the changes weve brought about, our number one mission on economic growth, and to talk them through the wealth fund, the industrial strategy, what were doing in terms of planning, grids, etc, Mr Starmer said.

So Im listening good and hard to what they have to say, because they will be attending the summit, and many of them are already investing in the UK.

On Tesla. Obviously, I encourage investment from anywhere, and so I dont want to be misunderstood on this. So good investment into the UK is what Im very, very keen to promote.

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It is understood SpaceX has been invited to send a representative to the summit in October.

Mr Musks absence from the summit follows his promotion of false claims in relation to the disorder in the summer.

After three children were killed in a stabbing attack in Southport and violence erupted across the UK, X owner Mr Musk posted on his platform suggesting that a civil war in the UK was inevitable and attacking the British prime minister.

His claim about the UK releasing prisoners came after 1,700 inmates were released early from their sentences in the first phase of the British governments plan to tackle overcrowding. Sex offenders are excluded from the policy.

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Mr Starmers push for overseas investment is part of his mission to kickstart economic growth.

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Despite the UK governments plan to nationalise the railways and the launch of publicly owned Great British Energy, Mr Starmer said: By and large, I think that business is best run by those in the private sector.

So the ideal model, as far as Im concerned, is the government of the day sets the strategic agenda, if you like, the five missions in my particular case. That is the right thing to do for a democratic, elected government.

We then partner with business, and were making a big ask of business, which is come alongside us and deliver our missions with us, in this case, economic growth, and the government is your partner in that.

And that means that we ensure that the conditions are good for investment and good for business. Hence, the work we do planning, what were doing on the grid. What were doing with the National Wealth Fund.

GB Energy is intended to be a catalyst, as well as an energy company, to ensure that we can take the bumps out of the road for those that want to get into our mission on net zero.

I think the railways do need to come into public ownership. I think anybody whos travelled on the train recently would give that a big thumbs up, as the British public do. I think GB energy needs to be a publicly owned entity as we harvest the opportunities.

But as a general proposition, I think businesses are best run by businesses.
A 47-year-old man has been charged with murder after an alleged domestic violence attack on a woman in the NSW Hunter Valley on Friday evening.

Emergency services were called to a Coulson Road property at Pokolbin, a wine district north-west of Newcastle, at about 6.10pm after a family member reported the woman was suffering serious injuries.

Police arrived soon after and tried to resuscitate the 46-year-old woman but she was pronounced dead at the scene.

It was a confronting scene, and we did put a lot of support and incident support around those two officers, and emergency services, that did attend, Acting Superintendent Steve Benson from the Hunter Valley Police District said on Saturday.
A senior CFMEU official charged with threatening to kill an owner of an Indigenous labour hire company will be prevented from entering construction sites after the Fair Work Commission rejected the unions plea that he keep his right of entry permit.

FWC deputy president Alan Colman found Joel Shackleton, 40, failed the fit and proper person test required for a permit that allows union officials to exercise industrial rights on projects.

CFMEU official Joel Shackleton has been charged with making threats to kill. Credit: Facebook

Thursdays decision came after this masthead in July published a video of Shackleton allegedly abusing another man on a taxpayer-funded project. Shackleton was later charged over the incident, with police alleging he threatened the owners of an Indigenous labour hire company.

A second man captured in the footage, CFMEU official Gerry McCrudden, had his right of entry permit renewed in May and still holds it despite the Federal Courts June finding he had behaved unlawfully.
A hydrogen power plant to initially be fuelled by dirtier diesel, a futuristic steel project at risk of insolvency before it goes green, an electric car charger manufacturer gone bust and Twiggy Forrest ditches his hydrogen production deadline and cuts hundreds of jobs.

This year has seen a steady string of setbacks to the Labor Partys 2022 election pitch, which spruiked a vision of green hydrogen exports and a flourishing clean manufacturing sector  all of which would be fuelled by the partys ambitious climate agenda.

Then opposition leader Anthony Albanese visits the Brisbane factory of Tritium in April 2022, during the election campaign. Credit: Alex Ellinghuasen.

Our ambition is nothing less than a revival of manufacturing built off the back of the availability of clean, cheap energy, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said in April 2022, before the election.

Experts say Australias green manufacturing dreams are far from dead, but campaigning on that same message in the next election, due by May 2025, will be far more problematic.
"We are committed to ensuring the lawful use of the sea that all nations enjoy under international law," said Rear Admiral Jim Kirk, commander of the Nimitz carrier strike group. (Photo: REUTERS/Mike Blake/File Photo)

In a show of military cooperation, the armed forces of five countries, including the United States, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, and the Philippines, conducted joint maritime exercises in the South China Sea over the weekend. These exercises took place in the Philippines' exclusive economic zone (EEZ), a portion of the highly contested waterway. The drills, which aimed to enhance interoperability between the nations, occurred just as China launched its own naval and air exercises in the disputed region.

The participating nations deployed a variety of military assets, including the United States' USS Howard, Japan's JS Sazanami, and New Zealand's HMNZS Aotearoa. The exercises highlighted the increasing military cooperation among the U.S. and its Asia-Pacific allies amid rising tensions over China's territorial claims in the South China Sea.

Australia's Department of Defence stated that the drills demonstrate "our collective commitment to strengthen regional and international cooperation in support of a peaceful, stable, and prosperous Indo-Pacific." This statement underscores the shared goal of maintaining freedom of navigation in a region through which half of the world's container ship traffic passes.

The backdrop to these joint exercises is the long-standing territorial disputes between China and several Southeast Asian nations. China claims sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea, despite conflicting claims from the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, and Vietnam. One of the focal points of this dispute is the Scarborough Shoal, which lies just 200 kilometers off the Philippines' coast but has been under Chinese control for over a decade.

Chinese air and naval forces conducted their own drills in the region on Saturday, further intensifying the standoff. The People's Liberation Army (PLA) announced "routine" patrols and reconnaissance exercises near the Scarborough Shoal, declaring its intention to safeguard China's "national sovereignty, security, and maritime rights." The PLA maintained that their actions were defensive and aimed at preserving peace in the region.

These drills followed a high-level meeting between Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in New York, where the two discussed ways to prevent an escalation in the South China Sea. However, tensions remain high, with both sides accusing each other of provocative actions.

In March, Blinken assured the Philippines that its defense partnership with the U.S. was "ironclad," following several incidents involving aggressive Chinese coast guard and militia vessels near Philippine waters. The Philippines, a longstanding U.S. ally, has repeatedly called on China to respect international maritime law, including the 2016 ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, which rejected China's broad territorial claims in the South China Sea. China, however, has ignored the ruling.

The exercises come at a time of heightened military activity in the region. Just days before the drills, naval vessels from Australia and New Zealand passed through the Taiwan Strait, a major international waterway that China claims as part of its own territorial waters. The U.S. and Taiwan, however, maintain that the strait is an international waterway and that China has no exclusive control over it.

China has consistently pressed its claims over the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait, leading to frequent confrontations with U.S. and allied forces. Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, speaking at the United Nations General Assembly, reiterated Australia's position that peace and stability in the South China Sea are crucial. She also welcomed the resumption of dialogue between the U.S. and China, highlighting the importance of reducing tensions.

In response to the joint exercises, China has reiterated its commitment to defending its claims in the region. The PLA stated, "The theater troops maintain a high degree of vigilance, resolutely defending national sovereignty." Chinese officials have accused the U.S. of "stirring up trouble" and undermining the efforts of regional countries to maintain peace.

The strategic importance of the South China Sea cannot be overstated. It is a vital commercial artery for global trade and a flashpoint for military conflict, with more than 20,000 warship days logged annually by nations operating in the region. A Beijing-based think tank, the South China Sea Strategic Situation Probing Initiative, reported that U.S. Navy ships spent approximately 1,600 days at sea in the area last year.

China's presence in the South China Sea has increasingly drawn the attention of its neighbors and the international community. While the joint exercises with the U.S. and its allies aim to demonstrate a united front against Chinese expansionism, the situation remains volatile. The Philippines, in particular, has been vocal about the risks of an "accidental" confrontation between military forces that could escalate into a broader conflict.
Real estate listing photos show 4100 Wake Robin Drive, a contemporary residence transformed from a private lodge. Located in Sonoma County's wine country, this historic Northern California home once occupied by writer Jack London is on the market for $4.95 million. Sea Timber Media/Compass Real estate listing photos show 4100 Wake Robin Drive, a contemporary residence transformed from a private lodge. Located in Sonoma County's wine country, this historic Northern California home once occupied by writer Jack London is on the market for $4.95 million. Sea Timber Media/Compass Real estate listing photos show 4100 Wake Robin Drive, a contemporary residence transformed from a private lodge. Located in Sonoma County's wine country, this historic Northern California home once occupied by writer Jack London is on the market for $4.95 million. Sea Timber Media/Compass Real estate listing photos show 4100 Wake Robin Drive, a contemporary residence transformed from a private lodge. Located in Sonoma County's wine country, this historic Northern California home once occupied by writer Jack London is on the market for $4.95 million. Sea Timber Media/Compass Real estate listing photos show 4100 Wake Robin Drive, a contemporary residence transformed from a private lodge. Located in Sonoma County's wine country, this historic Northern California home once occupied by writer Jack London is on the market for $4.95 million. Sea Timber Media/Compass Real estate listing photos show 4100 Wake Robin Drive, a contemporary residence transformed from a private lodge. Located in Sonoma County's wine country, this historic Northern California home once occupied by writer Jack London is on the market for $4.95 million. Sea Timber Media/Compass Real estate listing photos show 4100 Wake Robin Drive, a contemporary residence transformed from a private lodge. Located in Sonoma County's wine country, this historic Northern California home once occupied by writer Jack London is on the market for $4.95 million. Sea Timber Media/Compass Real estate listing photos show 4100 Wake Robin Drive, a contemporary residence transformed from a private lodge. Located in Sonoma County's wine country, this historic Northern California home once occupied by writer Jack London is on the market for $4.95 million. Sea Timber Media/Compass Real estate listing photos show 4100 Wake Robin Drive, a contemporary residence transformed from a private lodge. Located in Sonoma County's wine country, this historic Northern California home once occupied by writer Jack London is on the market for $4.95 million. Sea Timber Media/Compass Real estate listing photos show 4100 Wake Robin Drive, a contemporary residence transformed from a private lodge. Located in Sonoma County's wine country, this historic Northern California home once occupied by writer Jack London is on the market for $4.95 million. Sea Timber Media/Compass Real estate listing photos show 4100 Wake Robin Drive, a contemporary residence transformed from a private lodge. Located in Sonoma County's wine country, this historic Northern California home once occupied by writer Jack London is on the market for $4.95 million. Sea Timber Media/Compass Real estate listing photos show 4100 Wake Robin Drive, a contemporary residence transformed from a private lodge. Located in Sonoma County's wine country, this historic Northern California home once occupied by writer Jack London is on the market for $4.95 million. Sea Timber Media/Compass Real estate listing photos show 4100 Wake Robin Drive, a contemporary residence transformed from a private lodge. Located in Sonoma County's wine country, this historic Northern California home once occupied by writer Jack London is on the market for $4.95 million. Sea Timber Media/Compass Real estate listing photos show 4100 Wake Robin Drive, a contemporary residence transformed from a private lodge. Located in Sonoma County's wine country, this historic Northern California home once occupied by writer Jack London is on the market for $4.95 million. Sea Timber Media/Compass Real estate listing photos show 4100 Wake Robin Drive, a contemporary residence transformed from a private lodge. Located in Sonoma County's wine country, this historic Northern California home once occupied by writer Jack London is on the market for $4.95 million. Sea Timber Media/Compass Real estate listing photos show 4100 Wake Robin Drive, a contemporary residence transformed from a private lodge. Located in Sonoma County's wine country, this historic Northern California home once occupied by writer Jack London is on the market for $4.95 million. Sea Timber Media/Compass Real estate listing photos show 4100 Wake Robin Drive, a contemporary residence transformed from a private lodge. Located in Sonoma County's wine country, this historic Northern California home once occupied by writer Jack London is on the market for $4.95 million. Sea Timber Media/Compass Real estate listing photos show 4100 Wake Robin Drive, a contemporary residence transformed from a private lodge. Located in Sonoma County's wine country, this historic Northern California home once occupied by writer Jack London is on the market for $4.95 million. Sea Timber Media/Compass Real estate listing photos show 4100 Wake Robin Drive, a contemporary residence transformed from a private lodge. Located in Sonoma County's wine country, this historic Northern California home once occupied by writer Jack London is on the market for $4.95 million. Sea Timber Media/Compass Real estate listing photos show 4100 Wake Robin Drive, a contemporary residence transformed from a private lodge. Located in Sonoma County's wine country, this historic Northern California home once occupied by writer Jack London is on the market for $4.95 million. Sea Timber Media/Compass Real estate listing photos show 4100 Wake Robin Drive, a contemporary residence transformed from a private lodge. Located in Sonoma County's wine country, this historic Northern California home once occupied by writer Jack London is on the market for $4.95 million. Sea Timber Media/Compass Real estate listing photos show 4100 Wake Robin Drive, a contemporary residence transformed from a private lodge. Located in Sonoma County's wine country, this historic Northern California home once occupied by writer Jack London is on the market for $4.95 million. Sea Timber Media/Compass Real estate listing photos show 4100 Wake Robin Drive, a contemporary residence transformed from a private lodge. Located in Sonoma County's wine country, this historic Northern California home once occupied by writer Jack London is on the market for $4.95 million. Sea Timber Media/Compass Real estate listing photos show 4100 Wake Robin Drive, a contemporary residence transformed from a private lodge. Located in Sonoma County's wine country, this historic Northern California home once occupied by writer Jack London is on the market for $4.95 million. Sea Timber Media/Compass Real estate listing photos show 4100 Wake Robin Drive, a contemporary residence transformed from a private lodge. Located in Sonoma County's wine country, this historic Northern California home once occupied by writer Jack London is on the market for $4.95 million. Sea Timber Media/Compass Real estate listing photos show 4100 Wake Robin Drive, a contemporary residence transformed from a private lodge. Located in Sonoma County's wine country, this historic Northern California home once occupied by writer Jack London is on the market for $4.95 million. Sea Timber Media/Compass Real estate listing photos show 4100 Wake Robin Drive, a contemporary residence transformed from a private lodge. Located in Sonoma County's wine country, this historic Northern California home once occupied by writer Jack London is on the market for $4.95 million. Sea Timber Media/Compass Real estate listing photos show 4100 Wake Robin Drive, a contemporary residence transformed from a private lodge. Located in Sonoma County's wine country, this historic Northern California home once occupied by writer Jack London is on the market for $4.95 million. Sea Timber Media/Compass Real estate listing photos show 4100 Wake Robin Drive, a contemporary residence transformed from a private lodge. Located in Sonoma County's wine country, this historic Northern California home once occupied by writer Jack London is on the market for $4.95 million. Sea Timber Media/Compass Real estate listing photos show 4100 Wake Robin Drive, a contemporary residence transformed from a private lodge. Located in Sonoma County's wine country, this historic Northern California home once occupied by writer Jack London is on the market for $4.95 million. Sea Timber Media/Compass Real estate listing photos show 4100 Wake Robin Drive, a contemporary residence transformed from a private lodge. Located in Sonoma County's wine country, this historic Northern California home once occupied by writer Jack London is on the market for $4.95 million. Sea Timber Media/Compass Real estate listing photos show 4100 Wake Robin Drive, a contemporary residence transformed from a private lodge. Located in Sonoma County's wine country, this historic Northern California home once occupied by writer Jack London is on the market for $4.95 million. Sea Timber Media/Compass Real estate listing photos show 4100 Wake Robin Drive, a contemporary residence transformed from a private lodge. Located in Sonoma County's wine country, this historic Northern California home once occupied by writer Jack London is on the market for $4.95 million. Sea Timber Media/Compass Real estate listing photos show 4100 Wake Robin Drive, a contemporary residence transformed from a private lodge. Located in Sonoma County's wine country, this historic Northern California home once occupied by writer Jack London is on the market for $4.95 million. Sea Timber Media/Compass Jack London on the porch of Wake Robin Lodge. Courtesy, Sonoma County Library

A historic property in Sonoma County, once the home of literary great Jack London, is on the market for $4.95 million.

Located at 4100 Wake Robin Drive in Glen Ellen, the 3-acre estate is where London in the early 20th century penned his bestselling novels The Sea Wolf and White Fang, published in 1904 and 1906, respectively.

The residence, perched where Sonoma and Graham creeks converge, was originally the site of a Native American village and one of Californias first trout hatcheries, as detailed in A History of Wake Robin Lodge.

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Jack and Charmian London on their ranch in Glen Ellen. Apic / Getty Images/Getty Images

Ninetta and Roscoe Eames, publishers of Londons earlier works in the San Francisco-based Overland Monthly, owned Wake Robin Lodge, when the writer arrived at the resort in 1902. London courted their niece, Charmian Kittredge, who became his second wife and soulmate, according to biographer Russ Kingman.

They married in 1905 and lived at Wake Robin for six years before purchasing a series of farms neighboring the resort, which they called the Beauty Ranch. The site is known today as the Jack London State Historic Park.

Real estate listing photos show 4100 Wake Robin Drive, a contemporary residence transformed from a private lodge. Located in Sonoma County's wine country, this historic Northern California home once occupied by writer Jack London is on the market for $4.95 million. Sea Timber Media/Compass

When I first came here, tired of cities and people, I settled down on 130 acres of the most beautiful land to be found in California, London said of Glen Ellen.

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Since then, the property has been transformed into a contemporary 4,311-square-foot home, offering three bedrooms, three bathrooms, a pool and the original tree stump where London wrote.

Real estate listing photos show 4100 Wake Robin Drive, a contemporary residence transformed from a private lodge. Located in Sonoma County's wine country, this historic Northern California home once occupied by writer Jack London is on the market for $4.95 million. Sea Timber Media/Compass

The octagon-shaped living room, previously the lodges lobby, remains a distinctive feature, according to listing agent Matt Sevenau of Compass.

The home is a classic Sonoma Valley Wine Country home that was updated in 2014 to a contemporary standard and to a look and feel for todays modern lifestyle, Sevenau said.

The tree stump at 4100 Wake Robin Drive where Jack London wrote. Jack Pier/Compass

Despite the upgrades, it still retains much of its original rustic appeal.

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All I wanted was a quiet place in the country to write and loaf in and get out of nature that something which we all need, only the most of us dont know it, London said.

Real estate listing photos show 4100 Wake Robin Drive, a contemporary residence transformed from a private lodge. Located in Sonoma County's wine country, this historic Northern California home once occupied by writer Jack London is on the market for $4.95 million. Sea Timber Media/Compass

Current owners Malcolm Walter and Elizabeth Fisher, who bought the property for $4.5 million in 2020 invested approximately $300,000 in renovations, expressed mixed emotions about selling Wake Robin.

While we love living in Glen Ellen, our work has us frequently in Sonoma, they said in a statement. We have found a home in Sonoma with many of the same amenities, but not the rich history that 4100 Wake Robin offers. This is a bittersweet move.
The staircase inside the Hotel Julian in San Francisco isnt the same staircase featured in Alfred Hitchcocks film Vertigo, but the Nob Hill hotel played a prominent role in the movie. Jessica Christian/The Chronicle

The former Empire Hotel featured in Alfred Hitchcocks 1958 film Vertigo has been reborn with an all-new look, but one with a number of tributes to the classic San Francisco flick.

After a full renovation, the rechristened Hotel Julian will reopen on Oct. 1 with new guest rooms, a renovated lobby, meeting room and, in November, a new bar and restaurant at 940 Sutter St.

Its one of the citys few post-pandemic hotel investments after a tough four years for tourism. Developer Oxford Capital is hoping some movie magic and fresh upscale furnishings will attract tourists and business travelers to Nob Hill.

The restaurant will be named Carlottas, after the deceased character Carlotta Valdes from the film. Her face is also shown in a mosaic art piece in the lobby.

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A mosaic mural depicting the Carlotta Valdes character from Alfred Hitchcocks film Vertigo sits behind the front desk at the Hotel Julian in San Francisco. Jessica Christian/The Chronicle

The restaurant space connects directly to the lobby and opens up to outdoor seating. On the second floor overlooking the lobby is an event space converted from a guest room, which could host a DJ.

You check in, you feel the energy of the food and beverage space. Everything kind of mixes together, said Sarang Peruri, chief operating officer of Oxford Capital Group. What were trying to do is bring back the former glory of the hotel.

The result is a modern look with white walls and bedsheets alongside splashes of color. About half the rooms have San Franciscos signature bay windows. Passersby have already sought to visit the famous Room 401, from which Kim Novaks character looked out a window in the film, before the hotel reopened, and Peruri expects it to be a popular booking.

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The famed Room 401 thats featured in Alfred Hitchcocks film Vertigo is seen at the Hotel Julian in San Francisco. Jessica Christian/The Chronicle

The hotels website now advertises room rates ranging from $116.50 to $191.50 per night. Peruri said the goal is a $300 per night average rate.

The 107-room hotel is more than a century old and saw some of its most turbulent times in the past few years.

Oxford bought the property, along with three South of Market hotels on Seventh Street, in 2019 during a record year for tourism.

Some renovations were planned, but the pandemic ended up requiring full renovations. Oxford leased the Hotel Julian and three SoMa hotels to the city for temporary homeless housing for nearly three years.

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There was extensive damage, and Oxford settled with the city for millions of dollars. Virtually everything in the hotels was replaced. The SoMa hotels reopened with new names late last year.

Oxford Capital Group has renovated and is reopening the former Hotel Vertigo of Alfred Hitchcock fame as the Hotel Julian. Jessica Christian/The Chronicle

Weekend demand in SoMa has improved, said Peruri, which he attributed to nightlife and club events during the summer.

But San Franciscos tourism is lagging behind most of the other cities where Oxford owns properties, such as Chicago. Other Western markets like Portland and downtown Los Angeles  but not the west side  are also struggling, Peruri said.

San Francisco has been hit by a triple whammy of remote work, a slower convention calendar this year and the stubbornly slow return of international tourists, especially from China. Although visitors and spending is expected to rise this year, hotel occupancy is forecast to fall by 2.1 percentage points to 62.8% this year, according to San Francisco Travel.

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The markets weakness led to what Peruri called an amical restructuring between Oxford and its lender, Acore Capital, for Hotel Julian and the three SoMa hotels. In June, a deed-in-lieu of foreclosure was filed, transferring control to Acore. Peruri said Oxford remains the developer and manager of the hotels and has a financial stake in the properties beyond management fees, but wouldnt elaborate. Peruri said Acore declined to comment.

The bar inside the lobby of the Hotel Julian in San Francisco is a new addition to the refurbished hotel at the base of Nob Hill. Jessica Christian/The Chronicle

Our projections by design were pretty conservative, assuming a multiyear recovery for San Francisco, Peruri said. Its certainly not anywhere close to where we think San Francisco will ultimately be. And were big believers in San Francisco: not a lot of new (hotel) supply. The demand is going to come back.

Peruri said the citys cleanup of Seventh Street and the rest of downtown has brought more positive impressions for tourists.

Ive heard this consistently: People who have visited for the first time after a long time are blown away by how fun the city is, how clean it is, how safe it is. And you know thatll certainly spread via word of mouth. But I think the press cycle has to sort of continue to shift, he said.

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Friday, September 27, 2024 at 3:03AM

Photo: Samsung

After its global launch in July, the Samsung Galaxy Ring is finally coming to Canada. It will hit the Samsung Experience Stores in the country starting October 3. You can visit the nearest brick-and-mortar store for a hands-on experience with the new smart ring. You can also order the Galaxy Ring through samsung.com/ca and at participating authorized Canadian retailers.

The Samsung Galaxy Ring costs $549.99, and the sizing kit is sold separately for $14.99. It's one of the more expensive smart rings available, but the upside is it doesn't come with a subscription to use the wearable.

Source
September 27, 2024: In Ukraine the use of numerous different missiles in large quantities has led NATO military planners to reexamine the state of their own missile arsenal, as well as BMD (Ballistic Missile Defense) systems. What is going on in Ukraine is a demonstration of what World War 3 would be like if Russia tried to attack nations of the NATO alliance. That is unlikely because the population of NATO without the United States and Canada is still over 600 million people and larger military forces than Russia can deploy. Ukraine, a nation with a population of 40 million, stopped the invading Russian force. Russia has a population of 140 million but was unable to muster sufficient forces to defeat Ukraine and now Ukrainian troops have invaded Russia.

NATO military planners realize that the Ukrainians outfought the Russians and defeated the invasion. Military planners always examine the worst case situation, just to be on the safe side of things. NATO planners assume a competent Russian could do a lot of damage to unprepared NATO countries. NATO exists to protect all its members and, if NATO members cannot muster a sufficient defense, it means some NATO nations are going to suffer lots of casualties and damage as well as civilian casualties to people caught in the crossfire.

Whats worse, the situation in Ukraine could have happened even if Ukraine were a NATO member. Some NATO officials have pointed out that the NATO alliance does not mandate NATO member nations sending troops. They could just send weapons and other supplies. This is what NATO has done for Ukraine, in addition to the United States, the largest NATO member, placing restrictions on how Ukraine can use NATO supplied weapons. The U.S. government doesnt want Ukraine firing American or NATO long range weapons deep into Russia. The U.S. government fears that might trigger a nuclear war. This is nonsense because no one wants an actual nuclear war because it would mean the destruction of Russia, and possibly some NATO nations that supplied the long-range weapons. Two European NATO members, France and Britain, have built and deployed strategic nuclear weapons on effectively invulnerable ballistic missile submarines. For the Russians, that means the threat of nuclear retaliation does not have to come from the Americans. Angry European nuclear powers are scarier to the Russians than threats from the United States.

Faced with all these threats, NATO nations assume there wont be a nuclear war because it will be one of mutually assured destruction. Instead Russia might use its growing arsenal of missiles armed with non-nuclear warheads. NATO nations can obtain weapons, like Patriot missiles, to defend themselves from Russian missile attacks. Currently, obtaining Patriot missiles has been difficult because Ukraine has used hundreds of them to deal with incessant Russian missile attacks on Ukrainian military and civilian targets.

NATO nations fear future threats from Russia and seek to upgrade their air defenses, especially their supply of Patriot missiles. The American manufacturer of these missiles is increasing production and those increases will continue after the Ukraine war is over in order to replace depleted NATO country stockpiles.

There is also demand from Middle Eastern Patriot users to increase their Patriot stockpiles to deal with the growing Iranian threat. Persian Gulf Patriot users have their oil extraction and shipping operations near the coast and are vulnerable to an Iranian attack. Iran has to smuggle its oil out because of long-standing economic sanctions. The success of Patriot in Ukraine has attracted new customers seeking to buy Patriot batteries and missiles.

One reason Patriot is so popular with new users is that the manufacturer has increased the shelf life of missiles to over 22 years. That means missiles in storage can be kept useful for decades via periodic upgrades and replacement of expendable parts like batteries. Until the Ukraine War came along the U.S. Army, the initial and still primary owner of Patriot systems, was seeking designs for a Patriot replacement. The success of Patriot in Ukraine put the replacement program on hold. That means Patriot will remain the air defense missile of choice for at least another decade.
By Jonathan McCambridge, PA

The jury is out on whether the new UK government will live up to the commitments of the Good Friday Agreement, Michelle ONeill has said.

Sinn Feins vice president also told her partys Ard Fheis that it is ready to fight the general election in Ireland, pointing to its historic success in emerging as the largest party in the Northern Ireland Assembly.

The Ard Fheis is taking place in Athlone amid increased speculation that Irelands coalition Government could be poised to call a Dail election.

As it attempts to recover from a recent slide in the polls in Ireland, Sinn Fein will focus over the next two days on housing and supporting workers and families.

Delivering her keynote speech, Ms ONeill said things can ebb and flow in politics.

She said: In the lead-up to the (Northern Ireland) Assembly election, with many challenges and unpredictability, the political situation was very uncertain.

We refused to be defined by that. We rallied our support and communicated our vision. And a few weeks later we witnessed historic success at the polls.

This demonstrates that Sinn Fein can reaffirm our mission and that change can happen.

Sinn Fein is the catalyst for change across this island.

We are going into our Ard Fheis ready to fight the general election.

Ms ONeill pointed to her position as the first nationalist First Minister at Stormont.

She said: My election was a moment of equality and progress.

For the first time in the history of the north, an Irish nationalist, a republican, is First Minister.

What was unthinkable to my parents and grandparents generation is now a reality.

The Sinn Fein vice president said the Stormont powersharing Executive is committed to delivering an ambitious agenda for change.

She added: Over the past eight months I have been working across key sectors and with local communities from Pomeroy to the Shankill Road, from Newcastle to the Bogside, to ensure their voices are heard in the corridors of power and that the Executive responds to their needs.

The four Executive parties are working with a unity of purpose.

We are determined to deliver the public services, good governance, economic growth and strong communities that we all depend on.

Our work aims to improve lives, build prosperity and create hope and opportunity.

Ms ONeill said the change of government in London offered an opportunity in Irish-British relations.

She added: However, the jury is out on how this new British Government will live up to commitments set out in the Good Friday Agreement.

Their initial actions demonstrate more of the same: failed austerity and broken promises.

This is simply not good enough.

Cutting winter fuel payments for older people is wrong and the Executive is united against it.

We will continue fighting for investment in public services decimated by 14 years of British austerity.

She said financial limitations restricted the Executives ability to act, adding: Further financial powers are required.

Only through governing ourselves can we build a better future.

All powers and all decisions should be taken here on this island.

Ms ONeill repeated her insistence that Casement Park in Belfast would be rebuilt and said the Legacy Act must be repealed in full.

The Sinn Fein vice president also referenced a rise in racist incidents.

She said: Over the summer, there were racist attacks and intimidation on our streets. This is totally unacceptable.

As political leaders we will continue to face down division, sectarianism and racism and will not be deterred from building an inclusive future for all who live here.

Hope will always win over hate.
September 27, 2024: President Vladimir Putin ended 2021 by threatening war with NATO to prevent Ukraine from joining NATO and the European Union. Putin believes Ukraine is part of Russia and the Ukrainians disagree. Since 2014 Russia has been making a lot of headlines but not much sense. The economy is a mess, as in stagnant and shrinking. Russia has fewer friends or allies and the future looks dim. Sending troops into Ukraine (2014 and 2022), Syria (2015) and Libya (2016) has not helped solve any of the fundamental problems there but made for great propaganda. The latest military invasion in Ukraine backfired badly and in less than a year had destroyed most of the Russian army, wrecked the Russian economy and keeps getting worse with Ukrainian forces, backed by weapons and economic aid from NATO nations, pushing Russian troops out of Ukraine.

Many Russians are asking themselves; what went wrong? Russia entered the 21st century with a new elected government dominated by former secret police (KGB) officers who promised to restore economic and civil order. They did so but in the process turned Russia into a police state with less political and economic freedom. Many Russians opposed this and the government responded by appealing to nationalism. Russia has turned into what Germany had become in the 1930s. This included police state ways and the traditional threatening attitude towards neighbors. Rather than being run by corrupt communist bureaucrats, the country is now dominated by a collection of corrupt businessmen, gangsters and self-serving government officials that characterized the last czarist government of a century ago. The semi-free economy is more productive than the centrally controlled communist one but that just provides more money to steal. A rebellion against the new dictatorship has been derailed by astute propaganda depicting Russia as under siege by the West and NATO. Opinion polls show wide popular support for this paranoid fantasy but some Russians continue to struggle for better government and beneficial reforms. For now, most Russians want economic and personal security and are willing to tolerate a police state to get it. But the invasion of Ukraine and subsequent sanctions did more damage than the ruling politicians expected. That atmosphere, plus the anxiety generated by having troops fighting in Syria, Ukraine and Libya has scared away a lot of foreign investors and many Russian ones as well. Russia can downplay this in the state-controlled media but without all that foreign and Russian capital the economy cannot grow. Since 2014 most Russians can see daily that they are worse off than before.

There is another serious problem that few want to discuss, corruption. Even in wartime, and especially during the Ukraine war, corruption is a staggering problem. Officers and other government officials put their own financial gain above the need to equip the troops with what they needed to survive and win. The difficulty here is that the militarys corruption is rooted in political corruption at the highest levels with Putin and his cronies grabbing whatever they could for almost 20 years. This inevitably drifted downward until even supply sergeants routinely stole back and sold gear issued to new troops when they were outside their barracks just before leaving for the front. Russia is descending into a Third World state known as a resource kleptocracy but run by a for-real gangster confederacy. Only with nuclear and biological weapons from before it fell apart. All this enthusiasm for military reform was thought to have been taken care of in 2022, on the eve to the invasion of Ukraine. As before, it was discovered that previous reforms had not worked, generally from not being implemented at all.

Those who had followed the history of failed efforts to reform the Russian army since the 1990s were not surprised at what happened to Russian troops when they encountered their Ukrainian counterparts. Before the invasion, most Russians believed that the Ukrainian troops were no match for Russian soldiers. Russians also found it hard to believe that the Ukrainians, who were part of the Soviet Union until 1991, had managed in less than a decade after Russias first invasion in 2014 to implement many fundamental reforms. Some of these reforms were far more ambitious than any Russia ever attempted. After a few months of fighting in Ukraine it was painfully obvious that Russian troops were no match for their Ukrainian adversaries. Before that, Russians believed that their dismal reform efforts had magically worked as nearly half their combat units assembled on the Ukrainian border.

Reports from the Russian capital, which Ukrainian military leaders believed, indicated the decision had been made to invade despite obvious defects in the training, morale and equipment of Russian units. The reality of the differences between Russian and Ukrainian forces was soon made clear as the advance was stopped short of its goals and suffered heavy casualties in the process. Copies of the attack plan, which were only distributed to a few senior commanders leading the attack, showed that the Russians believed they could quickly reach and take the Ukrainian capital Kyiv and replace the government with a pro-Russian one and declare the war over. At that point the rest of Ukraine was supposed to surrender and get used to being Russian once more.

Meanwhile China, the only real threat to Russia, quietly makes progress in the east. There China has claims on much of the Russian Far East and is openly replacing Russia as the primary economic, military and political force in Central Asia.
September 28, 2024: Both China and Russia have long histories of corruption. These two countries sometimes managed to use the corruption to sustain economic growth rather than stifle it. Governments, usually monarchies, made rules that concentrated on taking as much wealth from any new entrepreneurs as possible. This process left unchecked would damage or destroy a prosperous economy. Corruption, in the form of paying royal officials to back off and let business continue, worked in Europe first and eventually, in the 20th and early 21st centuries, in China. There is still a culture of corruption in China but the senior government officials recognize it exists and openly struggle to suppress it. That is difficult to do in China, India and the Middle East, where corruption is seen as a tradition that is often respected and seen as useful to get things done.

The origins of the Russian nation go back to 862 when Prince Rurik established a government in the northeastern city of Novgorod and surrounding areas. That government expanded over the next 800 years. This was disrupted by the 1237-40 Mongol invasions. 350-400 years later, long after the Mongol disruption, Russian expansion east resumed and continued until the 1700s, when Russia expanded to the Pacific and achieved a size similar to what the Russian Federation is today. After 1991 Russia lost many of its central Asian territories and a dozen smaller areas. All these lost lands were occupied by non-Slav people who were not as productive or as loyal to the state as the Slavs.

Europe and the United States were more effective at reducing corruption. Russia was somewhere in the middle, with western-looking Russian rulers like Peter the Great deliberately trying to suppress corruption and adopt European business practices. Large-scale corruption ceased briefly when the Communists took over, resumed after World War Two, took off in the 1980s and by the 21st Century so dominated Russia that economic growth tailed off and millions of Russians emigrated to Europe where their earning and savings wouldnt be stolen by their very corrupt government. Russian leaders dont want to admit that their high levels of corruption are a major reason why Russia still cannot catch up economically with Europe and the United States.

Russia is also in the habit of squandering its economic gains by starting wars. This began with Peter the Great and continued throughout the 19th century. The war with Japan in 1904-05 ended with Russia defeated, the first time an eastern nation had defeated a western military power. That was followed by Russia blundering into World War I and surrendering to Germany a year before the allied victory over Germany eliminated the German occupation of Russian territory. That was followed by a Russian Civil War that raged from 1917 to 1922 and ended with a communist takeover of the Russian government. That led to Russian plans to attack Germany in the mid-1940s but the Germans attacked first and Russia suffered military and civilian losses that amounted to 18 percent of the population. Because of assistance from the western allies, mainly the United States, Russia prevailed and took advantage of the situation to gain control over most of Eastern Europe and many non-Slav central Asian territories.

This was a land-grab too far and Russia could not afford it. In 1991 this Russian empire went bankrupt and collapsed. The empire dissolved into 14 new nations, including the Slavic Russian Federation, Belarus and Ukraine. Not content with this, after 2000 Russia planned to reconquer most of these new nations, starting with Ukraine in 2022. That did not work out well and now they are stuck in a war they cannot win but do not want to just give up and leave. NATO nations responded to this invasion with economic sanctions and over a hundred billion dollars worth of military aid for Ukraine.

China was less reckless than Russia, but also failed at building a stable empire. Organized Chinese territories first appeared about 4,300 years ago. A united China emerged several times since then, but until the 1700, these empires were temporary and civil wars and rebellions kept pulling apart a united China into many kingdoms. It wasnt until the early 20th century that a stable, in terms of size, Chinese nation emerged. From then until 1949 there continued to be civil wars and uprisings that prevented these united territories from being ruled effectively.

While China was the most advanced civilization in the world for over two thousand years, the Europeans managed to become an economic and military superpower while China stumbled from one disaster to another.

Modern Europe began with the Renaissance that thrived from the 14th to the 17th centuries and was followed by the Industrial revolution that ran until the mid-19th century. These two events established the foundations of modern industrial societies. After that, Western nations, led by the United States and West Europe created an economic colossus that continues to generate more than half the global GDP as well as most of the scientific and technical advances.

China lost out on this and did not undergo the industrial revolution until the 1980s. China quickly became the second largest, after the United States, economy in the world. Now China is risking all that economic progress by making plans to conquer the island of Taiwan, which is an economically successful democracy off the Chinese coast. China hasnt made a move yet because Taiwanese allies like the United States, South Korea, Japan, Australia and Singapore threaten to oppose a Chinese attack on Taiwan. Worse yet, such a war would disrupt trade, which is what keeps the Chinese economy going and its population supplied with imported food, petroleum and technology. Noting the fate of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Chinese are no longer eager to actually try and take Taiwan by force.

Local media in Russia and China regularly report on corruption and complain of the continued inability of the government or people running businesses relying on corruption to operate profitably. It doesnt have to be that way, because lower levels of corruption in America and Europe are a major reason why those two regions account for so much of the global GDP. China and Russia dont want to admit that their high corruption levels are a major cause of their economic problems. Leaders in these two countries talk about dealing with corruption, but neither Russia nor China has been able to do much about the problem.
Legal Aid of East Tennessee will hold its annual Pro Bono Night in conjunction with presenting sponsor Chambliss Bahner & Stophel P.C. at the Chattanooga Whiskey Event Hall on Oct. 3. This annual event brings together attorneys, law firms, bar associations and partner agencies to celebrate excellence in volunteerism with the region-wide Pro Bono Project.The 2024 Pro Bono Night will honor the following individuals and organizations for their outstanding contributions: Chief Justice William M.Barker Equal Access to Justice Award: Michael N. St. Charles; Bruce C. Bailey Volunteer Attorney Award: Timothy B. Ballard; Bruce C. Bailey Volunteer Attorney Award: Randall D. Larramore; Pro Bono Law Firm of the Year Award: Husch Blackwell; and The Alexander Hamilton Award: The Enterprise Center - The Edney Innovation Center.Officials said, "Unique to 2024, this years Pro Bono Night will also recognize awardees of 'Attorneys for Justice,' a special honor bestowed by the Tennessee Supreme Court and the Tennessee Office of the Courts."The Pro Bono Project is a program of LAET and is a collaborative effort to provide essential civil legal assistance to individuals in need of support to secure family stability, financial stability, safety and overall well-being."Since 2010, dedicated pro bono attorneys have donated time on well over 10,000 cases. The impact on our neighbors and our community is life changing. Its transformative. There is a lasting change for the better, and what helps some of us helps all of us, said LAET Pro Bono Director Caitlin Torney.Ticketing information can be found at LAET.org/events-calendar
The YMCA, City of Chattanooga officials and community partners celebrated the grand opening of the new James A. Henry Community YMCA at 3500 Dodds Ave. (previously at 460 Dodson Ave.) The new completely renovated facility includes upgraded equipment, full commercial kitchen, office space and activity space. It also features a teaching kitchen for community nutrition education and workforce development.Today is an important step of our five-year plan, Vision 2028, as we complete a capital campaign project and open our doors to serving more children and families in our community in providing them with nutritional options, said Baron Herdelin-Doherty, president and CEO of the YMCA of Metropolitan Chattanooga.Our new facility will help us reach our goal of serving 50 percent more people by 2028.Each year, the Y prepares, packs and distributes 300,000 meals to children at 80 sites across the region to help reduce hunger. The J. A. Henrys programs such as the Summer Food and After School programs provide thousands of meals daily, and the Early Childhood Nutrition Program supplies fresh meals to the Ys three preschool sites in Chattanooga.One out of ten people in our region is facing food insecurity, and the Y is part of the solution in reducing hunger among children in our community, said Paula Irwin, executive director of the J. A. Henry Community Y. Our new facility and expanded operations will help us feed even more kids as we continue to grow.The new facility will also support J. A. Henrys services and programs that are on the go - the Mobile Market, which provides groceries in food deserts, and Mobile Fit, which brings meals and activities to schools, parks and housing sites.The YMCA continues to be a strong partner in fighting hunger across the City of Chattanooga and embodies the One Chattanooga vision to lift up everyone in our community, said Carol Hunter, administrator of the City of Chattanooga Department of Community Development. This is an exciting day for the Y and for the City of Chattanooga and our residents who receive Y meals at sites like our community centers, parks and housing.The J. A. Henry Y also operates Bingos Market, located in Patten Towers in downtown Chattanooga. Beyond meal prep, the Y provides education on healthy eating through Food Rx. The 8-week class focuses on changing and improving lives and health through plant-based nutrition education. The branch also hosts legacy youth leadership development programs like Youth Trust and Youth Leadership Chattanooga, both focused on diversity, inclusion, and college and career readiness.The facility now features a dedicated space staffed by Wellpoint Tennessee associates to assist community members with navigating healthcare resources, accessing social services and connecting them to the support they need. This initiative is the latest in a series of collaborations between Wellpoint and the J.A. Henry Y to support the Chattanooga community.At Wellpoint, we believe everyone deserves the opportunity to live healthy, fulfilling lives, but accessing care and support can be challenging, said Natalie Cooper, president of Wellpoint Tennessee. Barriers like complex systems, limited resources and confusion about where to turn often prevent people from getting the help they need. This new center inside the YMCA is a great way to break down those barriers, offering community members a place where they can connect with our team for personalized support. Our associates can guide them through their health benefits, connect them to social services and provide personalized assistance  all in a welcoming, culturally sensitive environment designed to meet the specific needs of the local community.Volunteers, donors and partners help support the effort at the J. A. Henry Y. The teaching kitchen will provide youth, families and seniors the opportunity to learn more about healthy cooking and nutrition. The teaching kitchen was funded through a grant with the State of Tennessee.For more information, visit www.ymcachattanooga.org/volunteer.
Amid the bloody conflicts between good and evil, sometimes mercy prevails. That was the case during World War II on December 20, 1943.





On that day, Army Air Force 2d Lt. Charles Charlie Brown, a 21-year-old West Virginia native, had completed a bombing run over Bremen, Germany, in his B-17 Flying Fortress, Ye Olde Pub. Flying with the 527th Bombardment Squadron of the 379th Bombardment Group, VIII Bomber Command, Charlie and his crew of nine targeted a Focke-Wulf 190 aircraft production facility.





Warned in the pre-flight briefing that they were likely to encounter a significant German fighter offense, their plane was assigned the Purple Heart Corner out on the edge of the bomber formation.It was named such because that position was particularly vulnerable to German fighter attack as they targeted bombers on the edges of formations, but after several bombers were forced to return due to mechanical failures, Brown moved his plane to the front of the formation.





Before reaching the target, Ye Olde Pub had already taken some hits from flak  one round shattering the Plexiglas nose of the aircraft and another knocking out the #2 engine and damaging the #4 engine. With the engine damage, Charlies plane was unable to keep pace with the formation and fell back.





Shortly after the bombing run, Charlies plane and crew were attacked by more than 10 fighters, primarily Messerschmitt Bf 109s and Focke-Wulf Fw 190s. The attack lasted for 10 minutes, an eternity under the circumstances over enemy territory. The sustained assault resulted in killed and wounded crew by flak and fighter rounds: Tail gunner Sgt. Hugh Ecky Eckenrode was killed; right waist gunner Sgt. Alex Russian Yelesanko was critically wounded; ball turret gunner Sgt. Samuel Blackie Blackfords feet were frozen due to shorted-out heating elements in his boots; Sgt. Richard Dick Pechout suffered a severe eye injury; and Brown had a right shoulder wound.





The wave of Luftwaffe fighters had also damaged the B-17s internal oxygen, electric, and hydraulic systems, and half its rudder and port elevator were destroyed. As Charlies plane limped along far behind the formation with only about 40% power, his severely damaged aircraft was spotted from the ground by a German Ace pilot  Oberleutnant Ludwig Franz Stigler. Stigler, who had 27 victories, took off in hot pursuit of Ye Olde Pub in his Me 109 G-6.





Before Stigler caught up with the bomber, Charlie had already narrowly averted crashing. The severed oxygen supply from the prior attack caused the pilots to black out until their plane had descended under 8,000 feet. As Charlie recovered consciousness, he pulled up and leveled off in time. The mighty Fortress, a tough old bird, kept on flying.





As Stigler reached the American bomber and surveyed the heavy damage, it was clear that finishing off the crew would be as easy as shooting a fish in a barrel.





When the enemy fighter approached their starboard side, copilot Spencer Luke said, My God, this is a nightmare. Charlie responded, Hes going to destroy us.





But Stigler, to the surprise of the B-17 pilots and crew, did not open fire. Instead, he waved at the crew and signaled to keep their course. He hoped the B-17 would divert to nearby Sweden, where they could bail or crash-land and get the medical attention Charlies crew desperately needed.





It was not clear to Brown what Stigler wanted him to do, but it was clear he was not going to shoot them down. Stigler pulled in close to the wounded B-17 in order to protect them from additional German fighter and anti-aircraft fire. He then escorted the bomber across the coast to open water, saluted the crew, and turned back to Germany. Stigler recalls thinking, Good luck, youre in Gods hands.





Against all odds, Brown was able to fly the 250-mile distance across the North Sea in order to land his plane at the 448th Bomb Groups RAF Seething base. In his postflight debrief, he noted that the German pilot had let him and his crew go but was advised not to publicize this to avoid any sentimental favor it might create toward the enemy pilots. As Brown recalled, Someone decided you cant be human and be flying in a German cockpit.





Why had this then-unknown German pilot not finished off Charlies crew, and why would he risk his own court-martial for showing the B-17 crew mercy?





At the time, Stigler recalled his commanding officers order: You follow the rules of war for you  not your enemy. You fight by rules to keep your humanity.





But Stigler acted on the advice he recalled from a better angel, his commanding officer during the North Africa campaign. Gustav Rodel told him then, If I ever see or hear of you shooting at a man in a parachute, I will shoot you myself. Stigler would later recall of Charlie Browns plane and crew, To me, it was just like they were in a parachute. I saw them, and I couldnt shoot them down.





After the war concluded, Brown returned to his home in West Virginia, finished college, and returned to Air Force service for two more decades. He would later become a Foreign Service Officer until his retirement when he and his wife Jackie moved to Florida. But he never forgot the German who spared his life.





In 1986, then-retired Lt. Col. Brown was a guest speaker at a Gathering of the Eagles pilot reunion event at the Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama. When asked about his most memorable career moment, he related the story of being spared by that German Me 109 fighter pilot.





It was then that Charlie made it his lifes mission to find that pilot. But after four years of searching, culminating with his review of West German air force records, he came up with little that might help identify that Luftwaffe pilot. As a last measure, Charlie wrote an open letter to a German newsletter for former Luftwaffe pilots.





Three months later, he received a response: Dear Charles, All these years I wondered what happened to the B-17, did she make it or not? The pilot confirmed, I was the one. In a phone call, Stigler, who had moved to Canada after the war, described all the details of that day to Charlie  the location and damage to the B-17, how he provided safe escort to the coast, and his salute before departing. My God, its you! Brown exclaimed, adding later in a letter to Stigler, To say THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU on behalf of my surviving crew members and their families appears totally inadequate.





Soon thereafter, the two old adversaries arranged to meet at Charlies home in Florida. Stigler greeted him with, I love you, Charlie. They became close friends for the remainder of their lives.





For his part, in 1993, Stigler received the Star of Peace awarded by the Combatants Federation of Europe.





After years of advocacy by Brown, in 2008, each of his crew members was awarded, personally or posthumously, Silver Stars. For his part, Charlie received the Air Force Cross just before his death that year. Charlie and Franz died just months apart. Brown was 87, and Stigler was 92.





Charlies waist gunner, Lloyd Jennings, was the last surviving crew member. He died in 2016.





Perhaps the best explanation for Stiglers mercy was a short inscription in a German fighter aircraft book he gave Charlie: In 1940, I lost my only brother as a night fighter. On the 20th of December, 4 days before Christmas, I had the chance to save a B-17 from her destruction, a plane so badly damaged it was a wonder that she was still flying. The pilot, Charlie Brown, is for me, as precious as my brother was. Thanks Charlie. Your Brother, Franz.





And I suspect that Stigler, like many Germans, was convicted that he and his country were on the wrong side of history and humanity.





The full story of their mission and subsequent friendship was the subject of the 2012 book A Higher Call by Adam Makos and Larry Alexander. The war left them in turmoil, Makos observed. When they found each other, they found peace.





Lt. Col. Charles Brown and Oberleutnant Franz Stigler, thank you for your example of honor and mercy among mortal enemies.





"Greater love has no one than this, to lay down ones life for his friends." (John 15:13)





Live your life worthy of their sacrifice.





Semper Vigilans Fortis Paratus et Fidelis

Pro Deo et Libertate -- 1776





Join us in daily prayer for our Patriots in uniform  Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines and Coast Guardsmen -- standing in harms way in defense of American Liberty, and for Veterans, First Responders, and their families.




William "Bill" R. Fronk died at his Signal Mountain residence Sunday, September 22, 2024.

He was born in Alliance, Oh., in 1935. He attended Mount Union College (University) graduating with a chemistry degree; he continued his work in chemistry at Northwestern University. He began employment with Dow Chemical Company, Midland, Mi. He returned to graduate school at the University of Michigan and earned a masters in political science. William married Nancy Greenhoe in 1962. They lived in Hong Kong and returned to Midland in 1973 until Bills retirement.

In 1999, they moved to Signal Mountain where Bill was active with the Tennessee River Gorge Trust and trails on Signal Mountain. He also worked on preserving Bear Lake (Michigan) through the Bear Lake Watershed Alliance.

He was predeceased by his beloved wife, his brother, and sister.

Surviving are his children, Betsy of Chattanooga and Andrew of San Antonio, two grandsons, and beloved nieces and nephews.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a memorial to Tennessee River Gorge Trust, Bear Lake Watershed Alliance, or the Signal Mt. Presbyterian Church organ fund.

Please share your thoughts and memories online at www.ChattanoogaNorthChapel.com

Announcement by Chattanooga Funeral Home, Crematory & Florist, North Chapel, 5401 Highway 153, Hixson, Tn. 37343.
The impact of Hurricane Helene in the United States is now extending to triathlon with IRONMAN Chattanooga now affected by weather conditions.

Several states have been ravaged by the storm, which has resulted in a state of emergency being declared in Florida, Georgia and North and South Carolina.

With Helene moving inland, Tennessee is also set to bear the brunt of conditions with Sundays full-distance race in Chattanooga now impacted.

Officials have already decided to cancel the swim, meaning the Pros (including Britains Joe Skipper) and Age Groupers will instead start their day with a time trial bike leg.

A statement on the IRONMAN Chattanooga Facebook page read: As we monitor the effects surrounding Hurricane Helene, weather conditions in the area are expected to change dramatically over the next 24 hours.

Based on the forecast for significant rainfall and increased flow rate in the Tennessee River, IRONMAN and local city officials have determined that in the interest of athlete and water safety assets, it is necessary to cancel the swim portion of Sundays IRONMAN Chattanooga triathlon. As a result, the race will commence with a bike time trial start.

IRONMAN has strict swim safety benchmarks in place that we anticipate will be surpassed, including the rate of water flow and water quality. The area is expected to receive three to five inches of rain which will increase the water levels significantly, generating additional flow with a rate three times higher than the limit deemed safe for swimming in the Tennessee River. Additionally, IRONMAN would not be able to deploy several of the water safety assets that are necessary to ensure a safe swim.

As athletes safety is our top priority, we appreciate your understanding based on these extenuating conditions.

IRONMAN Chattanooga Schedule

The updated schedule for Sunday in Chattanooga (all times local) is as follows:



6:30 a.m.  Transition Area Open

8 a.m.  Mens Pro Bike Time Trial Start

8:22 a.m.  Women Pro Bike Time Trial Start

8:42 a.m.  Age Group Bike Time Trial Start
Pinnacle is now the second largest bank in the Chattanooga MSA by deposits, having grown deposits by $258.9 million in the 12 months ended June 30, for a total of $2.2 billionthe firms first time over the $2 billion mark locally. Thats an annual growth rate of 13.36 percent to reach 14.58 percent of local market share, according to FDIC data. No other bank in the market added more deposit dollars than Pinnacle in the period.

In nearby Cleveland, Pinnacle is the No. 1 largest bank in the MSA by deposits despite having just one office in the area. The firm climbed into the top spot as of June 30, by adding $101.4 million in local deposits during the 12 months ended June 30, for a total of $490.8 million and 18.36 percent market share.

Our differentiated model of providing distinctive service and effective advice continues to attract clients in large numbers from other financial institutions, said Craig Holley, Pinnacles Southeast Tennessee chairman. Its a privilege to be trusted, and were thankful for the hard work of our associates who put clients first every day.

Despite a difficult operating environment for banks, Pinnacle has remained on a growth trajectory thanks to a favorable competitive landscape, said officials. The firms award-winning culture and nationally recognized service levels attract Chattanoogas most experienced and successful bankers along with their best clients, said officials. Some of Pinnacles chief competitors in the market experienced dramatic losses in both local deposits and market share, according to FDIC data as of June 30, 2024. That includes:

Statewide, Pinnacle is the second largest bank by deposits. The firm added $858.1 million during the 12 months ended June 30, bringing its total to $27.7 billion and 12.40 percent market share. In the Nashville MSA, Pinnacle is No. 1 with $19.7 billion in deposits, having grown by $215.2 million in the same period for an annual growth rate of 1.1 percent. In Knoxville, the firm is the No. 4 largest bank in, achieving 12.62 percent growth to a total of $2.9 billion and 11.39 percent of market share. And in Memphis, Pinnacle notched a 1.84 percent deposit loss for a total of $2.3 billion and a No. 3 ranking.

Across its footprint, Pinnacle grew deposits in 21 out of 27 MSAs measured by the FDIC, including 12 with double-digit growth and one with triple-digit growth. The firm grew share in 20 of those markets, taking a greater percentage of overall local deposit pools, at a time when competition for bank deposits has been incredibly fierce.

Pinnacle began serving Chattanooga in 2015 when it acquired CapitalMark Bank & Trust.
The bid to build the new multi-use pavilion in East Ridge was awarded to Pillar Construction, the low bidder, at Thursday nights council meeting. The city had budgeted $6 million for the building at the towns center which will be next to the city hall and the community center.

City Manager Scott Miller said that of the nine bids received, six were below $6 million ranging from $4.5 to $4.9 million. The bid from Pillar for $4,680,736 includes three things from the wish-list that were considered optional so as not to exceed the budgeted amount: a patio, sound attenuation in the meeting hall, and lighting in front of the building.

Mr. Miller asked for and received a contingency amount of seven to eight percent, or $400,000, in case there are any changes. Having that money pre-approved will allow construction to continue without stopping to get council approval if there is a change order. With the contingency, the council approved spending an amount not to exceed $5,080,36 for the building. The actual construction is expected to begin Nov. 1 and be complete in 368 days. This amount does not include the cost for furniture, fixtures and equipment that will be needed to rent the building out. Those items are expected to cost around another $400,000.

Mayor Brian Williams said that even with the additional $400,000 contingency, the cost is less than the bond being used to build it. Mr. Miller said he wants to earmark the excess amount to use in Camp Jordan Park.

Heidi Hefferlin, the lead architect for the pavilion, praised Mr. Miller and the city staff for making the process successful partially because they provided clear and complete information, made decisions quickly. The timing is good, she told the council, since it appears that there currently is a slight slow-down in the construction business.

Mayor Williams thanked the citys employees and volunteers for all the work that has been done to be able to build a new animal shelter. On Thursday morning, the grand opening and ribbon cutting was held for the new East Ridge Animal Shelter. The mayor invited people to go by and see the new facilityor better yet go by and adopt.

An update of the road widening project on Mack Smith Road is not exactly what had been hoped for. The utilities have to be put in place before road construction can be done, and work by Chattanooga Gas, EPB, AT&T and Comcast has to be done separately. Each utility expects that their work will take three weeks. That means that construction cannot begin before the beginning of December, and that is not the best time to begin building a road, he told the council and it might not be started until March 2025.

At the Thursday night meeting the council unanimously voted to accept three grants. One is the Judy Housley Safety Partners matching grant from the citys insurer, Public Entity Partners. The city must spend $1,750 and then the grant will provide $875 in reimbursement for the high-visibility jackets that will be bought for the East Ridge fire and rescue department.

The fire department will also benefit from these Tennessee American Water firefighter support grant for $1,000. It will assist with the purchase of a Roll N Rack hose loader for one of the fire engines.

And the city manager said that East Ridge received a $1,072 grant from the Department of Justice for buying bullet proof vests for the police department.


A video resurfaced recently with Kamala Harris in a parade joining in a mindless chant of down, down with deportation. A poll has just reported 54 percent of Americans favor mass deportation of illegal migrants (Scripps/Ipsos 9/18/24). So a 30 minute stroll by the border fence in Arizona was initiated by the Harris medicine show for her to spin a hoax about her border policies and to rail about Trump. They knew the leftist media would be all over that.

Harris cant deny her chant as video evidence is out there as she tosses about some of those values she didnt form in Canada. CNN chose to spin it with this headline, Harris tries to turn the tables on Trump by embracing the border as a key issue.

Harris and the media dont see the broken border as a national disaster threatening our safety and integrity as a nation that can controls its borders. To CNN its a gotcha moment in a one-up-manship game. To the machine running Harris campaign, its an attempt to neutralize charges of her indifference to what is a top issue with voters (NYTimes 9/26/24).

Now that shes strolled the border fence like a salad bar at the steakhouse, we can expect some of her signature word salads including I born in the middle class with a side of hoax dressing.

Ralph Miller

* * *

Since Mr. Miller is so concerned about a "national disaster threatening our safety and integrity," I am sure he launched a major protest against Trump's telling his minions in Congress to kill the border security bill drafted, in large part, by James Lankford, a prominent conservative senator from Oklahoma.

In addition, I suggest he not watch the Georgia-Alabama football game tonight. Candidate Harris plans to troll her opponent over his refusal to debate her a second time. According to CNN, "a small plane will fly over Tuscaloosa during the game with a banner declaring ' Trump's punting on 2nd Debate' ".

In addition, the Harris campaign will air a national ad stating: "Winners never back down from a challenge. Champions know it's any time, any place. But loser, they whine and waffle and take their ball home."

Michael V. Woodward

* * *

Michael V. Woodward well knows the proposed bill that Trump was against was loaded whop-sided in favor of deliberately aiding continual movement inward to the U. S. of Illegal aliens whose numbers include alleged criminals and terrorists. He also knows that Biden could have used executive power to stop this influx that as a result are causing death, injury to citizens, overburdened governmental agencies all the while that Biden, Harris and others of their hierarchy proclaimed the border was safe. How has that turned out?

Mr. Woodward, if you want to ride with this entourage of bureaucrats 'driving the U. S. over the cliff' know that most citizens do not.

Gerald Presley


This October, In-Town Gallery presents Cuttin Up by sculptor Denice Bizot.

Review for the exhibit:

Working primarily with metals, Ms. Bizot is an important member of the Chattanooga arts scene. Noted for her original use of found materials and her freewheeling sense of design, she creates abstract pieces of power and beauty. The sculptures in Cuttin Up are inspired by images of the cosmos captured by the Hubble and James Webb orbiting telescopes.

An opening reception will be held Friday from 5-8 p.m.

Ms. Bizot's show is a featured part of the new Chattanooga Art Crawl. This city-wide event invites the community to explore the local art scene. Each month participating galleries will host First Friday evening events presenting an exciting array of exhibitions, installations and creative work.

I think most people would view me as a sculptor, but Ive come to think of myself as an assemblage artist, said Ms. Bizot. That fact is, someone or something created the materials I use. Iron created eons ago and mined from the earth becomes sheet steel. My inks such as cobalt are made from minerals that are also mined. When you look at it that way, I think what I do is gather, assemble, and transmute materials and objects. Working with metal the way I do is a direct way to celebrate the Earth.

Ms. Bizot graduated with a BFA from Loyola University. Her work can be seen in public spaces around Chattanooga and corporate collections in Amsterdam, New York City, Houston, New Orleans, and Hattiesburg, Ms. Her sculptures are also in many private collections throughout the United States, including that of Catherine Zeta-Jones.




September 28, 2024: So far this year Israel has conducted several military operations aimed at maintaining its security and countering threats from neighboring areas. Notably, in March, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) launched Operation Northern Shield to neutralize Hezbollah tunnels along the northern border. This operation was deemed necessary to prevent potential infiltration and attacks. Additionally, in July, the IDF responded to increased rocket fire from Gaza by launching targeted strikes on militant positions, aiming to restore calm and deter further aggression. In September Israeli forces attacked southern Lebanon to destroy Hezbollah. Israeli had already used an exploding pager attacks against over 4,000 Hezbollah operatives, which left 40 dead and the rest wounded. The next day another attack detonated hundreds of Hezbollah walkie-talkies with similar results. These two attacks caused panic among Hezbollah members and its supporters in the Iranian IRGC. Hezbollah reacted by resorting to individual couriers to deliver messages. This slowed down Hezbollah operations considerably. Meanwhile, Israel took advantage of the situation to bomb Lebanese buildings inhabited by key Hezbollah and Hamas leaders, killing them both.

Diplomatically, Israel continued to strengthen its international alliances and pursue peace with neighboring countries. In February, Israel hosted the Abraham Accords Summit, bringing together leaders from the UAE, Bahrain, and Morocco to discuss furthering economic and security cooperation. In June, Israel signed a landmark trade agreement with India, which aims to boost bilateral trade and investment in technology, healthcare, and agriculture sectors. Furthermore, Israel also engaged in back-channel talks with Saudi Arabia, signaling a potential future normalization of relations.

Economically, Israel experienced substantial saw growth and increased innovation. Israeli continued to demonstrate why it is solidify its position as an international technology center. Several Israeli startup firms quickly reached over a billion dollars in sales. Israel also revealed substantial developments of novel renewable energy sources that further reduced Israeli dependence on investments in renewable energy infrastructure, aiming to reduce the country's reliance on petroleum. In August, Israel revealed expanded and upgraded port facilities in Haifa. This will make it easier to receive imports and handle more exports. Haifa has become the busiest port in Israel, handling over 29 million tons of cargo each year. Haifa has welcomed several new shipping operations to the port. This expanded the port facilities and overall port capability to handle more cargo.

Israeli politics managed all these activities. There were elections in August that produced a coalition government headed by Yair Lapid, who promised to focus on unity and addressing socio-economic disparities. Additionally, legislative reforms were introduced in September to address judicial independence and transparency, reflecting the government's commitment to strengthening democratic institutions.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has established a hotline to coordinate reports of missing persons in the areas affected by the recent severe flooding impacting parts of East Tennessee.

Those wishing to report missing individuals believed to be in the affected areas across East Tennessee may contact 1-800-TBI-FIND. Callers should be prepared to relay as much identifying information as possible, including names, phone numbers, vehicle identification, and last known whereabouts.

Recognizing the importance of accounting for individuals who may be missing, the TBI urges the public to refrain from calling to inquire about the status of personal properties in the affected areas.

The information gathered by the TBI will be immediately available to law enforcement authorities in the response area for further follow-up.




Im voting for Kathy Lennon for Tennessee House District 27 on Nov. 5. We need leaders who are connected to the real challenges our community faces, defending the rights of everyday people and who are committed to doing the hard work to bring about positive change. Kathy is that leader, and I believe shes exactly what District 27 needs.

I first met Kathy Lennon in 2015 when she was running the Chattanooga Workspace Building. At the time, I was working for an organization looking to lease a space, and it didnt take long to recognize Kathys deep passion for the community. She was always looking to create opportunities for local artists and small businesses, ensuring the space was more than just a buildingit was a hub for creativity and growth.

By early 2016, I began considering running for the school board, only to learn that Kathy had already decided to run. With a smile, she said, "You should run too. We could run against each other. Itd be fun!" But I decided to stand with her instead of running against her, becoming her treasurer. I saw in Kathy someone with an unwavering commitment to improving our schools and our community. She wasnt just talking about changeshe was leading it.

Fast forward to 2020, when I was privileged enough to be elected to office, one of the first pieces of advice Kathy gave me was simple but profound: Marco, rememberits always about the students, the students, the students. Thats who she is. Her focus is always on those who matter mostthe people she serves.

Kathys policies reflect that same commitment to people-first leadership. She understands the importance of strong public education as the foundation for our future. Kathy advocates for fully funding our schools, improving teacher pay, and ensuring that every studentregardless of their backgroundhas access to a high-quality education.

Kathy is deeply invested in expanding healthcare access for all Tennesseans. She supports efforts to expand Medicaid in our state and has been a vocal advocate for affordable healthcare, particularly for rural communities where access is limited. Shes not swayed by big pharmaceutical companies or insurance lobbyists; Kathy is focused on making sure every family has access to the care they need.

With regards to economic development, Kathy is all about sustainable growth. Through her experience with the Workspace and the Chattanooga Market as well as her family's own business, she recognizes that in order for our district to thrive, we need to invest in small businesses, support innovation, and ensure that job opportunities are accessible to everyone.

In todays polarized political climate, Kathy Lennon stands out because she doesnt play partisan games. Shes not led by special interests or personal vendettas. Kathy listens to the people in her district, and shes committed to putting their needs first. Whether shes advocating for better schools, healthcare, jobs, or economic development, her approach is always thoughtful, practical, and grounded in the realities of what will move our community forward.

I invite you to vote with me.

Marco Perez
Paul McCartney traveled to Nigeria to record 'Band on the Run.' While there, he discovered a musician who greatly impressed him.

In the early 1970s, Paul McCartney traveled to Nigeria to record music, which upset some local artists. One of these musicians was Fela Anikulapo Kuti, a musician and political activist. McCartney eventually formed a friendship with Kuti, but he started off as a fan. When he first heard Kutis music, he said he was moved to tears.

Paul McCartney said 1 artists music made him cry

In 1973, McCartney traveled to Lagos, Nigeria to record music for his band, Wings. They were working on the album Band on the Run.

I thought itd be good to get out of the country to record, so I asked EMI where they had studios round the world, he told Club Sandwich, per The Paul McCartney Project. There were some amazing countries where they had studios and I thought Lagos Africa rhythms yeah, cause Ive always liked African music.

Fela Kuti | Paul Natkin/Getty Images

He said one of the artists who really won him over was Kuti. McCartney found his music incredibly moving.

And they are brilliant, its incredible music down there. I think it will come to the fore, he told Rolling Stone in 1974. And I thought my visit would, if anything, help them, because it would draw attention to Lagos and people would say, Oh, by the way, whats the music down there like? and Id say it was unbelievable. It is unbelievable. When I heard Fela Ransome Kuti the first time, it made me cry, it was that good.

Paul McCartney said the artist did not appreciate his presence in Lagos

According to McCartney, Kuti was not initially happy about his presence in the city. Kuti believed Wings was there to appropriate African music.

I think old Fela, when he found us in Lagos, thought, Hello, why have they come to Lagos? And the only reason he could think of was that we must be stealing Black music, Black African music, the Lagos sound, wed come down there to pick it up, McCartney said. So I said, Do us a favor, we do OK as it is, were not pinching your music.

McCartney said that he eventually built a friendlier relationship with Kuti.

He wanted to record a Picasso-inspired track

According to McCartney, he wanted to record in Lagos and Paris just for the fun of it. His goal was to record a Picasso-inspired song.

We thought wed do this Picasso number, and we started off doing it straight, he said. Then we thought, Picasso was kind of far out in his pictures, hed done all these different kinds of things, fragmented, Cubism and the whole bit. I thought it would be nice to get a track a bit like that, put it through different moods, cut it up, edit it, mess around with it  like he used to do with his pictures.

Paul McCartney | Jack Kay/Daily Express/Hulton Archive/Getty Images

He said he based his idea for this off of footage of Picasso.

You see the old films of him painting, he paints it once and if he doesnt like it he paints it again, right on top of it, and by about 25 times hes got his picture, he said. So we tried to use this kind of idea, I dont know much about it to tell you the truth, but what we did know we tried to get in the song, sort of a Cubist thing.
The sale of Cherokee Nation motor vehicle tags benefits schools, roads and law enforcement within the reservation
Home News Mail-in voting may lead Amish to become deciding force in the 2024 election: GOP activist

A get-out-the-vote strategist is suggesting that Amish voters could influence the 2024 presidential election, saying they could literally save western civilization in November.

Scott Pressler, who leads the political action committee Early Vote Action, which aims to elect Republicans by mobilizing a nationwide grassroots effort for voter registration and increasing absentee and early voting, posted on X (formerly Twitter) Saturday, urging former President Donald Trump to reach out to Amish voters in Pennsylvania.

I spoke to an Amish man last night that really wants you to come to Lancaster, PA. He said more Amish people would be able to attend your rally if its on a Saturday, Pressler wrote. He also suggested to advertise in the local newspaper, so the Amish will be able to read about it, Pressler added, making his pitch to the Republican presidential nominee. By doing a rally in Lancaster  connecting with the Amish  you could very well win Pennsylvania.

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In the X post, Pressler included a picture of an Amish woman carrying a Trump/Vance campaign sign. He pointed out that Pennsylvania was decided by 80,000 votes in the 2020 presidential election and noted, There are 90,000 Amish in Pennsylvania.

If President Trump connects with the Amish, this group could literally save America, Pressler predicted. His analysis assumes the Amish did not vote in significant numbers in 2020, and if they had, their votes would have been overwhelmingly Republican, potentially giving Trump enough support to surpass President Joe Biden's margin of victory in the state.

Pressler elaborated on the potential significance of the Amish vote during an appearance at Turning Point USA's The Peoples Convention earlier this year, a clip of which he shared on X Saturday. In his remarks, Pressler explained how the Amish vote could also play a crucial role in another swing state: Wisconsin.

There are 20,000 Amish in Wisconsin and Joe Biden won Wisconsin by 20,000 votes, Pressler wrote. The Amish, if they are mobilized, could literally save western civilization.

Pressler also pointed to the religious practices of the Amish as an example of why Republicans should embrace early voting and absentee voting, despite their previous skepticism. The Amish, they get married on Tuesdays in November, he said. What happens on Tuesdays in November?

He went on to describe his conversations with Amish voters: When I go to the Amish and tell them that they can have a private, secret ballot sent to their homes, and they dont have to drive their buggy to a polling location and face that stigma from their community, they love the idea of mail-in ballots. Pressler asked, How epic would it be if a tool of the Democrats was used to get out the Amish vote and elect Donald J. Trump? referring to the Democrats' widespread use of mail-in voting.

Data compiled by the Young Center for Anabaptist and Pietist Studies at Elizabethtown College shows that Pennsylvania has an Amish population of 92,660 as of 2024. Meanwhile, Wisconsin has an Amish population of 26,365. Biden won the former state by 81,660 votes and prevailed in the latter by a margin of 20,682 votes.

Additional statistics from the Young Center, obtained by The Christian Post, show that Amish voter participation in presidential elections varies by region. In select Wisconsin counties, where the number of eligible Amish voters hovered around 3,000 in both the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections, less than 1% of eligible Amish voters were registered.

However, 100% of the registered Amish voters in those areas cast their ballots. Similarly, in the swing state of Michigan, around 2,500 Amish were eligible to vote in the two most recent presidential elections. About 6% of those eligible Amish voters were registered in both 2016 and 2020, though turnout data is not available.

In Pennsylvania, Amish voters in Lawrence and Mercer counties had much higher registration rates, with 65.09% registered in 2016 and 54.37% in 2020. However, only 16.07% of registered voters cast ballots in 2016, a number that jumped to 66.85% in 2020.

In Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, 13.7% of eligible Amish voters were registered to vote in 2016, and that number increased to 24.37% in 2020. The Amish voter turnout in the county was 49.42% in 2016 and 71.27% in 2020.

The Young Center also found that more than 90% of Amish voters in every location are registered as Republicans. The Republican registration rate ranged from approximately 90% in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, in 2016 to as high as 99.57% in Holmes County, Ohio, during the same year.

Polling for the 2024 presidential election in swing states with sizable Amish populations indicates a close race.

In Wisconsin, the RealClearPolitics average of polls taken since Sept. 4 shows Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee, beating Trump by 0.9 percentage points. Harris has a lead of 1.8 percentage points in Michigan, based on polls taken since Aug. 28. Based on polls taken since Sept. 11, Harris leads Trump by 0.9 percentage points in Pennsylvania.
Home News Evangelical grassroots group plans to raise $62M to mobilize the Christian vote in 2024

Editors' note: This is part 17 of The Christian Post's year-long articles series "Politics in the Pews: Evangelical Christian engagement in elections from the Moral Majority to today." In this series, we will look at issues pertaining to election integrity and new ways of getting out the vote. We'll also look at issues Evangelicals say matter most to them ahead of the presidential election and the political engagement of diverse groups, politically and ethnically. Read other articles in the series by clicking here.

One of the nation's leading Christian conservative grassroots advocacy organizations aims to raise over $60 million to mobilize the Christian vote ahead of the 2024 presidential election, with canvassers already reaching over 3 million potential voters in battleground states.

Leaders with the Faith and Freedom Coalition provided an update on their organization's efforts ahead of the 2024 presidential election during a recent press call with reporters, saying it hopes to raise more money than it has ever raised in an election cycle and engage more voters.

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Founded in 2009 by longtime Christian activist Ralph Reed to be a voice and mobilize the Evangelical vote, the organization defines its mission as "educating, equipping, and mobilizing people of faith and like-minded individuals to be effective citizens," with a specific focus on getting religious Americans to "vote and flex their political muscles."

Specifically, the advocacy organization says its goal is to raise $62 million, an increase from the $50 million spent in 2020. The group stresses that it is still working to secure the funding needed to meet this objective.

"We are seeing unprecedented enthusiasm and intensity among our volunteers and the voters of faith with whom they are interacting," Reed said in a statement published this week. "It is greater than we saw in 2016 or 2020. These voters are coming, and they are coming in historic numbers. That is more important than polls that replicate voter turnout numbers from past elections that may or may not apply in 2024."

Faith and Freedom Coalition plans to reach 1 million homes weekly in the battleground states and send out 25 million get-out-the-vote texts.

The organization told reporters that it conducted 3 million home visits leading up to the election, with a goal of visiting 10 million homes by Election Day. The expected 10 million home visits marks a rise from the 8.6 million conducted in 2022 and the nearly 6 million in 2020.

The home visits have the potential to reach 17 to 18 million people, as some households have multiple voters living in them. Characterizing the voter outreach as a "massive undertaking," the organization's leaders believe it will make a difference.

To accomplish the home visits and other get-out-the-vote efforts, the Faith and Freedom Coalition plans to hire 5,000 paid staffers and 5,000 volunteers to conduct such outreach in the battleground states.

Their efforts focus on 7.2 million voters in the battleground states, predicting that these individuals could impact the presidential election.

"This election is effectively tied in every battleground state, and this kind of voter education and turnout operation could be the difference," Reed said. "The premature reports of the inadequacy of the conservative ground game in 2024 are greatly exaggerated."

Much of the press call focused on the Faith and Freedom Coalition's outreach in its home state of Georgia, one of the hotly contested battleground states that will determine the outcome of the election.

Leaders noted that the organization currently has 141 paid staff and over 600 volunteers in the state. As of last week, Faith and Freedom Coalition had knocked on 282,256 doors in the state.

Remarking that "people of faith are united" ahead of the 2024 election, Faith and Freedom Coalition leaders discussed how the network of Georgia's Republican Gov. Brian Kemp is working on behalf of Trump despite the differences the two men have had since the 2020 presidential election.

Kemp won re-election by 7.5 percentage points in 2022, two years after Trump narrowly lost the state by 0.3 percentage points.

Faith and Freedom Coalition also distributes voter guides to churches, attempting to inform people of faith about the issues at stake in the election. As the organization's website outlined, Faith and Freedom Coalition's voter outreach efforts include "handing out 30 million pieces of literature across 125,000 churches, including many in the battleground states."

"Key to the 2024 effort is turning out 1 million recently registered Evangelical voters, as well as 7.8 million Evangelicals whom Faith & Freedom Coalition has identified as low-propensity voters," the website added.

Previous presidential election results have demonstrated that Republican victories depend on candidates receiving strong support from the Evangelical community and voters of faith as a whole.

In 2020, when Democrat Joe Biden beat Trump, exit polls show that white Evangelical voters, also known as born-again Christians, constituted 28% of the electorate, and 76% of them backed Trump. By contrast, exit polls show that when Trump beat Democrat Hillary Clinton in 2016, he secured 80% of the Evangelical vote. Despite giving Trump a higher vote share in 2016, Evangelicals comprised a smaller part of the electorate that year (26%).
Home News Christian university reports record enrollment, up 12% from last year

A Christian university welcomed its largest class in a decade this year, a development the school says is the result of a multi-year growth effort and its dedication to integrating faith and biblical principles into its students educational experiences.

Calvin University is a private Christian school in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The university, named after the Christian reformer John Calvin, began as a school of ministry training in 1876 and expanded from there.

In addition to offering over 100 majors and programs to its 3,600 students, the university aspires to provide graduates and undergraduates with an education that teaches them how to act as servants of Christ in this world.

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At Calvin, were very mission-focused, Lauren Jensen, vice president for Enrollment Strategy at the university, told The Christian Post in an interview. Were clear about who we are. I think young men and women are excited about that and glad to be part of a Christian community where faith is integrated into the learning that we do, both in the classroom and across co-curricular ways.

According to the vice president for enrollment strategy, Calvin University welcomed its largest class in a decade, with an incoming class that's 12% larger than last years and 20% more first-year students than the previous year."

This trend of growing enrollment numbers is due to various strategies that have been underway for years now, according to Jensen. The university employee explained that the school has been building up its recruitment team and developing new ways to connect with prospective students.

Two years ago, Calvin started offering a $2,000 visitation grant to students. Students who visit the university and then enroll will have a $2,000 scholarship applied to their financial aid.

And we are so excited about that because students can come interact with our faculty and beautiful spaces, and they get to meet our Christian community, Jensen said. They get to fall in love with the school and use that grant toward the cost of attendance.

Regarding academics, Jensen shared that the university is adding an aerospace concentration in the Fall of 2025 to its respected engineering program. The school has also expanded opportunities for students who are interested in music or community-building opportunities by launching its first marching band program this year.

So it's taking that strength that we have had in our academic programs and expanding that, Jensen said.

The vice president for enrollment strategies also noted that part of the appeal of Calvin University is that it lives up to its status as a Christian college, something Jensen believes appeals to students who want to pursue academic excellence while also growing in their faith. She added that some colleges and universities may advertise themselves as Christian institutions, but some do not incorporate faith into their learning programs and campus life.

Some prospective students and parents may be tempted to look at public universities due to tuition costs or because they think a secular education is more valuable than a faith-filled one. Jensen argued, however, that Christian universities like Calvin are worth the investment. She explained that faith-based schools are a place for students to still live out their faith while having their perspectives challenged.

Youre doing that within a Christian community where you can grow, and thats a beautiful thing that I think is worth pursuing and worth investing in, she said. Dont just look at the sticker price. Go through the process, apply and get the financial aid package. Do all of that because that community and faith formation and connection youll have with faculty at a Christian university is so valuable to who you become in your adult life.
Home News Evangelicals twice as likely to support Trump instead of Harris: poll

Voters who hold Evangelical Christian beliefs are nearly twice as likely to support Republican Donald Trump as Democrat Kamala Harris, according to a newly released poll by Lifeway Research.

The study found that 61% of likely Evangelical voters plan to vote for Trump, while 31% intend to support Harris. The remaining 8% either plan to vote for a third-party candidate or are undecided.

In contrast, among respondents who did not identify as Evangelical, 47% expressed support for Harris, compared to 38% for Trump.

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The poll also found that Christian voters who attend church at least once a month were more likely to support Trump, with 49% backing the former president and 41% supporting the current vice president.

The data was collected from an online survey of 1,200 Americans conducted between Aug. 14 and 30, with a margin of error of 3.3%. An Evangelical was defined in the study as a respondent who agreed with four key theological statements about the Bible, evangelism, and salvation through Christ.

Lifeway noted that these findings are similar to the 2020 election, when 61% of Evangelicals supported Trump compared to 29% for Democrat Joe Biden.

Evangelical beliefs are theological in nature, said Lifeway Research Executive Director Scott McConnell. Biblical views can influence what a person wants for society and what they think is the best way to get there, but choosing a presidential candidate is not something all people with Evangelical beliefs agree on."

Earlier this month, a separate Lifeway poll found that Protestant pastors were also twice as likely to support Trump over Harris, with 50% backing Trump and 24% supporting Harris, while 23% remained undecided.
Home News Evangelist hospitalized after sharing the Gospel with Muslims

NAIROBI, Kenya  Muslims in eastern Uganda beat an evangelist on Sept. 20, leaving him hospitalized with head injuries and a broken hand, sources said.

Robertson Eriot, 41, and fellow evangelist Kefa Mukisa were visiting homes outside of Busia town, seat of the district of the same name, and stopped at the home of an Islamic leader identified as Sheikh Kalimu on the Busia-Kampala road at about 4:30 p.m., Mukisa said.

After they requested permission to enter the homestead, the watchman opened the gate and let them in, and they began sharing the Gospel with him, Mukisa said.

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Sheikh Kalimu, who was inside the house heard our conversation. He was angered and came out furiously, Mukisa, 25, told Morning Star News. He ordered his boys and other Muslims who had come for Islamic fellowship to come out of the room and to discipline us.

Kalimu shouted, These are Christians who are out to convert our people to a wrong religion, according to Mukisa, adding that immediately a number of people came out of the house shouting the jihadist slogan, Allah Akbar [God is greater].

Since the gate was closed, we decided to jump over the fence, Mukisa said. I managed to jump over the fence and took off. Unfortunately, Eriot was caught up before he was able to escape over the fence.

Mukisa said he began shouting for help, and local council leaders and neighbors arrived.

We entered the homestead, and we found Eriot half-dead in a pool of blood, he said. We were able to rush him to the nearby clinic for treatment. Eriot suffered deep head injuries, a fractured left hand and bruises near the thigh of his right leg. He could have been hit with a blunt object and possibly a sharp object.

They reported the attack to authorities and were waiting for them to act, he said.

Eriots wife, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said he is still recuperating at a hospital in Busia.

This is a very difficult time for me in supporting the family, especially food and to get money for paying medical charges for my husband in the hospital, she said, weeping. I know it will take a long period for my husband to be in the hospital.

The couple have six children ranging in age from 7 to 19.

The attack was the latest of many instances of persecution of Christians in Uganda that Morning Star News has documented.

Ugandas constitution and other laws provide for religious freedom, including the right to propagate ones faith and convert from one faith to another. Muslims make up no more than 12% of Ugandas population, with high concentrations in eastern areas of the country.

This article was originally published by Morning Star News.
Home News Iranian-Armenian pastor acquitted, released from 10-year prison sentence

A 62-year-old Iranian-Armenian pastor was released this week after serving just over a year of a 10-year sentence, following a successful appeal.

Anooshavan Avedians appeal was accepted at Branch 21 of the Tehran Appeal Court, leading to his immediate release, according to Article18, a U.K.-based organization advocating for religious freedom in Iran.

Avedian had been incarcerated since the same day that another Iranian-Armenian pastor, Joseph Shahbazian, was released from a similar sentence.

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The pastor's release coincided with notable political events, including visits to New York by Iran's former president, Ebrahim Raisi, and his successor, Masoud Pezeshkian. However, Mansour Borji, director of Article18, cautioned against linking these events to Avedians release.

For Anooshavan to have spent even one day in prison was unjust, especially now that he has been found to have committed no crime, Borji said. We hope that he will be fully compensated for all that he has endured.

Avedian was arrested in August 2020 when about 30 intelligence agents raided a private gathering at his home in the Narmak area of northeastern Tehran.

During his trial at Branch 26 of the Revolutionary Court of Tehran, Avedian was sentenced to 10 years in prison on charges of establishing and leading an illegal group with the aim of disrupting the security of the country through educational and propaganda activities contrary to and disturbing to the holy religion of Islam, through the dissemination of false claims  as well as contact with foreign countries, or organizational guidance from abroad.

Judge Afshari, who presided over the trial, also convicted two members of Avedians house church, Abbas Soori and Maryam Mohammadi. While Soori and Mohammadi received non-custodial punishments, including fines and bans from social and political group memberships, Avedian was sentenced to 10 years of "deprivation of social rights."

During their time in Evin Prison, Avedian and his co-accused were subjected to psychological torture and disrespectful treatment during interrogation sessions, according to Article18. Their defense efforts were met with insults toward their character and faith.

The United Nations Human Rights Committee has repeatedly urged Iran to release those imprisoned for exercising their right to freedom of religion or belief and to provide adequate compensation.

At least 21 other Christians are currently serving sentences in Iran related to their faith, including at least 10 in Evin Prison, Article18 reported.

One of those still imprisoned is Hakop Gochumyan, an Armenian citizen serving a 10-year sentence for allegedly engaging in "deviant proselytizing." Gochumyan accompanied Avedian to the gate of Evin Prison upon his release.

Iran's government views the growth of Christianity as a threat to the Islamic regime.

According to Open Doors USAs World Watch List, Iran ranks as the ninth-worst country for Christian persecution, with converts from Islam facing the greatest risks.

The government sees the growth of the church in Iran as an attempt by Western countries to undermine Islam and the Islamic regime of Iran, the watchdog organization reported. "House groups made up of converts from Muslim backgrounds are often raided, and both their leaders and members have been arrested, prosecuted, and given long prison sentences for crimes against national security."
Typically, note-taking applications are intended to ensure maximum productivity and allow individuals to capture ideas to enable minimal brainstorming but excellent organization of all thoughts.

Napkin takes this one step forward by shifting its focus from productivity to mindfulness and self-reflection. It presents itself as a companion to journaling--more thoughtful regarding capturing and re-capturing ideas.

Napkin's Approach to Note-Taking with Mindfulness

In 2022, the app's co-founders, David Felsmann and Fabian Wittel, collaborated further on an app they had begun to develop in the innovation department at BMW. The first web-based prototype of Napkin was meant to order and outline thoughts about a given subject; however, when more users began using it as a space for mindfulness and reflection, the founders opted to adapt the app for that purpose.

Now, Napkin is designed as a service that is supposed to facilitate mindful pause among its users by providing an outlet to reflect on ideas significant to them. The shift in focus led the company to concentrate on health and fitness in the App Store rather than productiveness or utility as its core market.

Read Also: #TechTimesLifeHack: How to Use YouTube Like a Pro Using These Essential Keyboard Shortcuts

How Does Napkin Work?

With Napkin, users can develop ideas in various wayssnapping pictures of quotes they find in books or, alternatively, typing the thoughts directly into the application.

The software will classify these ideas according to auto-generated tags so that users are on top and revisit themes they have run through. Ideas curated for initial sessions are also included in the user library, contributing to a more personalized experience.

According to TechCrunch, a great feature of the application is that users can easily archive their reflected ideas, and subsequently, these would no longer appear with corresponding flags. The app supports many languages, including Spanish and German, but it is significantly better optimized for use in the English language.

Non-Obtrusive Experience Based on Coherence

Perhaps the most crucial feature differentiating Napkin from other apps is its sense of coherence model, which lets users build a holistic mental model of the world.

Instead of drowning users with notifications and nudges, the app lets self-reflection quietly occur in the background. As co-founder Felsmann pointed out, "We do not want to add more noise to users' lives. We want to be a quiet place for retention and reflection.".

Many users have Napkin as the first thing they open in the morning, with its calming alternative to social media. Therefore, this routine gives them ample time for reflection on valuable thoughts rather than catapulting into the noise of the digital world.

How Much is Napkin?

Napkin is now available in the App Store, and a working subscription will cost $6 a month or as little as $50 a year. The app also features a free seven-day test period. The company has not raised institutional funding yet, but it has raised about $150,000 from believers and backers through convertible loan agreements.

Napkin has around 4,000 paying subscribers. To continue scaling, the company said it would not consider funding or adding more features until its user base expands to 10,000 subscribers.

At that point, the company said it would release integrations with popular journaling apps and services  including Amazon Kindle  to make capturing ideas easier and journaling about them.

Journaling Companion, Not a Replacement

However, rather than replacing traditional journaling applications, Napkin sees itself as a complement. Napkin focuses on mindful reflection, and the experience it offers people who want to build into their journaling habits or add some self-reflection into their lives will be great.

Related Article: Top 5 Best AI Note Tools in 2024
Home News Jamal Bryants mother Cecelia Williams dies at 77: My north star

The Rev. Dr. Cecelia Williams Bryant, mother of controversial Baltimore megachurch pastor Jamal Bryant, has died at the age of 77. Known affectionately as Rev. C, she was celebrated for her extensive ministry and advocacy. Jamal Bryant mourned her passing, referring to her as "my north star" in a heartfelt tribute.

Cecelia Williams Bryant served as a senior Episcopal supervisor in the African Methodist Episcopal (A.M.E.) Church. Her ministry spanned over 40 years, during which she established centers for women across the U.S. and Africa and founded primary schools in Massachusetts, Texas and Liberia.

Among her notable contributions is an orphanage in Lesotho and an early childhood center in Seattle, named the Cecelia Williams Bryant Center.

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Jamal Bryant, who led Baltimores Empowerment Temple until 2018 before assuming leadership at New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Georgia, reflected on his mothers impact.

We were blessed to share life with this anointed and dedicated wife, mother, grandmother, and liberated global citizen. Of all her immense talents and gifts, Rev. C was a powerful and committed intercessor on behalf of the poor and vulnerable. I am not the person I am today without her prayers and her love, which have been my north star throughout my life, he said, as quoted by WMAR 2.

On Instagram, Jamal Bryant wrote, Our Queen has gone to sit around the throne. We were blessed to share the life of our wife, mother and grandmother with the world. We rejoice in knowing one of our Gods strongest Intercessors can lay down here shield and slip on her robe..let mount zion REJOICE!!

Her husband, Bishop John R. Bryant, led Baltimores Bethel A.M.E. Church alongside her from 1975 to 1988. Under their leadership, Bethel experienced significant growth. A press release from the church noted, Over those years, Bethel grew to over several thousand members and became an anchor in Baltimores faith community.

Cecelia Williams Bryants homegoing celebration is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 5, at Bethel A.M.E. Church.

Despite his profound loss, Jamal Bryant has continued to make headlines in both his professional and personal life.

Since taking over at New Birth Missionary Baptist Church, which former pastor Eddie Long once led, Bryant has been vocal about various societal and community issues.

In a controversial moment, he critiqued the candidacy of Georgia Republican Senate nominee Herschel Walker, describing him as the lowest caricature of a stereotypical, broken black man during a sermon.

In his takedown of Walker, Jamal Bryant argued that Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock, a longtime civil rights activist, was the better choice. Since Herschel Walker was 16 years old, white men been telling him what to do, telling him what school to go to, where to live  where to pay for abortions, where to buy a gun, and you think they not gon tell him how to vote? he said at the time.

Jamal Bryants ministry work has faced personal and professional challenges as well.

Notably, his ministry at Empowerment Temple, prior to New Birth, faced scrutiny after he admitted to an extramarital affair, and allegations surfaced about him fathering a child outside his marriage.
Home News Nearly half of Americans view Trump as 'threat' to First Amendment: poll

Almost half of Americans believe former President Donald Trump is a threat to the First Amendment, while a majority says he or Vice President Kamala Harris will be a protector of those rights.

The Freedom Forum released a report earlier this week titled Where America Stands based on a survey of Americans' opinions of the First Amendment.

According to the report, 49% of respondents said they believe Trump is either a strong threat or somewhat of a threat to the First Amendment, while 37% said Harris is either a strong threat or somewhat of a threat.

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Likewise, just 36% of respondents believed Trump would be a protector of the First Amendment if reelected, while only 42% said Harris would be a protector of those rights if elected president.

Data for the report was drawn from an online survey conducted July 29 to Aug. 4, with a sample space of 820 Americans aged 16 and older, with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.4 percentage points at a 95% confidence level.

The report also found that while 93% of Americans considered the First Amendment vital, support for that part of the United States Constitution was in decline compared to four years ago.

According to the report, 58% of respondents said they would support ratifying the First Amendment today, which is a drop from four years ago when 63% responded the same.

The Freedom Forum expressed concern over how 42% of respondents believed that the First Amendment should not protect hate speech, with millennials being more likely than baby boomers to believe that the First Amendment goes too far in the rights it guarantees (17% vs. 10%).

More than a third of Americans say that preventing hate speech is more important than preserving free speech. Four in ten say such speech should not be protected, noted the report with concern.

While not strictly a First Amendment issue, most Americans say they dont feel they can speak freely about controversial topics, for fear of job loss, a violent response, perceptions about them or tensions with friends and family.

In 2022, Trump garnered controversy when he posted to Truth Social that he wanted to suspend the rules of the Constitution to fight what he claimed was a stolen 2020 election.

"A Massive Fraud of this type and magnitude allows for the termination of all rules, regulations, and articles, even those found in the Constitution," wrote Trump at the time.

Last December, in an interview with Fox News opinion host Sean Hannity, Trump light-heartedly remarked that, if reelected president, he would be a dictator on day one in order to close the Southern border and expand oil drilling, but then added after that, Im not a dictator after he was explicitly asked if he would be a "dictator."

Last month, the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression released the results of a survey of 1,000 Americans, which found that 53% of respondents believed that the First Amendment goes too far in the rights it guarantees.
Home Opinion David French, Pope Francis and universalism

David French is a former attorney and graduate of Harvard Law School who identifies as "an Evangelical Christian who believes in the inerrancy of Scripture." French became an Opinion columnist for The New York Times in 2023.

French writes, "I grew up uncomfortably fundamentalist, uneasy at my church's teaching but unsure of the alternative. I was especially plagued by questions about God's love for all humanity. The idea that our path was the only path did not strike me as obvious. This was especially true when I saw great cruelty in my own community and great virtue in many of the people I'd been taught were apostate."

French also offered this perspective: "Fundamentalists believe they know exactly how God wants you to vote, how to raise your kids, and even which movies and television programs He wants you to watch."

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Like every believer, David French would greatly benefit from being actively involved in a congregation where God's grace is put into practice, rather than a religious setting where legalistic and judgmental people attempt to micromanage the lives of others. Beginning in 2004, David French and his family spent more than 15 years in the Presbyterian Church in America.

French penned an op-ed last week titled, "Pope Francis Is Turning Certainty on Its Head." I also addressed the pope's stunning comments in a CP op-ed titled, "Why Jesus Rejects the False Gospel Pope Francis Recently Proclaimed."

David French wrote, "I have a different perspective. Pope Francis wasn't watering down the Christian faith; he was expressing existential humility. He was unwilling to state, definitively, the mind of God and to pass judgment on the souls of others."

Do you see what French did there? First of all, he defended the pope's absurd claim that "all religions are a path to God." Secondly, he called the pope's misguided teaching a sign of humility. Thirdly, he equated humility with being unsure if we can trust what Jesus clearly and definitively said about Heaven and Hell. And fourthly, he implied that believers who affirm what Scripture says about Hell are actually "passing judgment on the souls of others."

In reality, there is nothing humble about presenting "a different Gospel," (Galatians 1:6) and nothing wrong with affirming Jesus' claim to be the only way to the Father (see John 14:6). Passing judgment occurs when you look down on someone, whereas proclaiming the truth about salvation with a compassionate heart is an act of love.

Interestingly, French is willing to endorse certain fundamentals of the Christian faith. For example, French noted that "Jews and Christians disagree about the divinity of Jesus." As a professing Christian, it would appear that French seems quite comfortable with the fundamental doctrine of Christ's divinity. French also references Christ's resurrection, implying that he believes it actually happened. You see, David French picks and chooses which fundamental doctrines make him feel comfortable, and which words from our Lord seem untenable and unrealistic to him.

French would be wise to reconsider the biblical meaning of the term "child of God." He wrote, "The idea that we are sons and daughters of God is basic Christian doctrine. He is the Creator, and we are His creation." But what does the Bible actually say about how someone becomes a child of God?

The Apostle Paul wrote, "You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus" (Galatians 3:26). And the Apostle John wrote, "Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God  children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God" (John 1:12-13).

Where did David French get the erroneous idea that people who are not born again spiritually through faith in Christ are nevertheless "children of God" in the biblical and eternal sense of the Word? He appears to have picked it up from a previous pope. French writes, "When I read John Paul II, I encountered a different idea  He argued something I'd never heard in my church  that Jesus saves even people who don't believe in him."

Sadly, it seems that Francis is not the first pope to flirt with Universalism. The seductive statement by John Paul II caught the attention of David French, who now unashamedly promotes this false doctrine on the pages of the New York Times.

It is one thing to be uncomfortable with judgmental people, legalism and racial prejudice. Every genuine follower of Christ should abhor such attitudes and behavior. But to take issue with Christ on the exclusive nature of what it means to be forgiven of your sins and eternally saved is another matter altogether.

The biblical teaching about Hell is in my view the second toughest doctrine in the Bible to wrap our mind around. So, what is the first? The fact that God sent His only Son to die for our sins by suffering torture on a cross for six hours, after already being viciously torn to shreds by flogging.

Jesus spoke much differently than Pope Francis's recent comments in Singapore, and much differently than Pope John Paul II who said that Jesus saves even people who don't believe in Him. If that was actually true, there would have been no reason for the Father to send His only Son to suffer the agony of death by crucifixion as payment for our sins. Jesus did not claim to be "one more way" of obtaining salvation; He claimed to be the only way. "No one comes to the Father except through me" (John 14:6).

The bottom line: "If righteousness could be gained through the Law, Christ died for nothing!" (Galatians 2:21). I am very thankful that "Christ died for all," (2 Cor. 5:15) and that "God wants everyone to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth" (1 Timothy 2:4).

Apart from the working of the Holy Spirit through Scripture, and especially the direct words of Jesus Christ in the four Gospels, we would be oblivious to the reality of eternal punishment in Hell and eternal bliss in Heaven.

Thankfully, God loved us enough to die for our sins on the cross, and to clearly reveal through His Word that believers go to Heaven, while unbelievers go to Hell.

The Apostle John summed up the clear teaching of Scripture: "Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him" (John 3:36).

(See Matthew 7:13,14; Matthew 13:41-43; 49-50; Matthew 25:31-46; Mark 9:43-49; John 3:36; John 5:25-29; Acts 4:12; 2 Peter 2:4-9; 2 Peter 3:9; Revelation 21:8 & Revelation 22:12-17.)
Home Opinion What is kinship care? It's more common than you think

More than 2.5 million children in the U.S. are currently in the care of relatives  or kinship care, as its called. This statistic represents tens of thousands of grandparents, siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins and other extended family members who have stepped up in a time of need.

Its not always easy, but kinship care is crucial. Research shows that this form of care has better outcomes for children and families when parents arent able to safely care for their children. And, this month  National Kinship Awareness Month  honors those caregiving for the children in their lives, and it also gives all of us a chance to uplift the caregivers in our communities.

Kinship care is much more common than one might think, despite often being under-supported within the child welfare system. One in 11 children lives in kinship care for at least some time during their childhood. Reunification with their parents, when safe and appropriate, is always the goal for kids who are removed from their parents care. But no matter the outcome, children belong in families, and kinship care helps maintain familiar bonds with families and culture and minimizes the disruption to a childs life.

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Two grandparents got the call that their toddler granddaughter needed to be placed with family  more precisely, with them. They didnt hesitate to say yes. And for over two years, their granddaughter lived with them before being successfully reunited with her mother. Shes still with her mom today.

Its hard to understate just how critical their kinship caregiving was in helping produce a happy, healthy family outcome. Letting this precious little girl stay with people she knew, in a community where she already had connections, helped make sure she could thrive in those years, not just survive them.

And research thoroughly backs this up. Studies show that placing children in foster care in a kinship setting is beneficial for children and families when kids cant safely stay with their biological parents. Children who are placed with kin experience less trauma than they may otherwise face if placed with non-relatives.

Research shows further that children who are placed with kin have an easier time adjusting to new situations and experience less behavioral problems. Kinship care also helps keep siblings together: A 2013 study in Illinois showed that sibling sets are much more likely to stay together when placed with kin, even for children with three or more siblings.

It is also often a profound and transformative experience for family members who step into the role of primary caregivers.

Kinship caregivers need a lot of help, too  and, thankfully, that help comes in many forms. Programs like Bethany Christian Services Say YES to Family help identify kin to care for children in need and prepare them to care for children. This program also provides support to kinship caregivers when the children are in their home.

But for those programs to really do their work effectively, they need vibrant, enthusiastic communities full of men and women willing to lend their time, talents and resources to the support of vulnerable children and their families.

A family thats transitioning to kinship care may experience a wide range of challenges and changes as they learn to support a child whos being placed with them. They need support from their friends, church, community and the child welfare system.

They might need help with transportation, childcare, bills or other logistics. They might need the name of a good local doctor, or an invitation to the park. They might just need someone to take the time to listen.

In other words, they need support from all of us. And from you.

So take the next step, even if its the first one youve taken. You probably already know a family whos stepped up to help support a child as a kinship caregiver  or maybe you know someone who will experience this soon. Lean in at church, in your neighborhood, at your school. Seek out child welfare organizations that can connect you with programs or people who can use your help.

Do a little, today and everyday. It might help change a child and a familys whole world.
Home Books Christian professor: US has exhausted majority that wants civility despite political differences

Timothy Muehlhoff, a communications professor at Biola University, believes there is an exhausted majority in the United States that seeks unity and civility in political disagreements.

Muehlhoff, along with noted Christian apologist Sean McDowell, co-authored the book End the Stalemate: Move Past Cancel Culture to Meaningful Conversations, which was released earlier this year.

In the book's introduction, Muehlhoff discussed how academics have identified an exhausted majority who are tired of canceling or shouting down each other. He wrote that this group wants to find productive ways to engage that dont ignore differences but rather seek to address them with charity.

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In an interview with The Christian Post on Wednesday, Muehlhoff said that while this exhausted majority is already awakened, they lack a platform.

I think the majority of us are sick of this communications spiral, but we just dont get the press, Muehlhoff said. Unity is not nearly as attractive to news outlets as division.

Muehlhoff, who oversees the podcast Winsome Conviction, highlighted a segment called people doing it right, which spotlights individuals and communities coming together to discuss political and religious differences.

We just dont hear the stories today of the really good things that are happening, he added.

Transmission and ritual

Muehlhoff and McDowell wrote End the Stalemate to encourage civil discourse and disagreement among Americans on contentious topics like religion and politics.

Muehlhoff, a communications professor, focused the chapters he wrote on the nature of communication and conflict resolution. In an interview with The Christian Post (CP), he explained that there are "two broad definitions of communication."

The first, known as "transmission," involves sharing facts, reasons, and arguments for one's beliefs. The second, called "ritual," centers on commonly held views and ideas, focusing on what unites people and builds a sense of community.

The ritual view isnt opposed to sharing facts and arguments but believes those points of connection have to happen first, Muehlhoff told CP. I think, as a country, were losing that, were losing the reminder of what brings us together even in our differences.

In both the book and his interview, Muehlhoff emphasized the importance of understanding how people with different worldviews come to hold their beliefs. He referenced the concept of "bricolage," a term from anthropology that explores how communities piece together their worldviews, which he believes is applicable to the modern American individual.

How did you arrive at your beliefs? Muehlhoff asked. Who were the influential people that have informed your thinking about this issue?

He suggested that people reflect on their personal "Mount Rushmore"  those individuals who have most influenced their views on politics, immigration, race, sexuality and finances. Its kind of cool to sit back and listen to a persons Mount Rushmore, he said.

Muehlhoff warned against the tendency to isolate oneself from opposing ideas by creating "thought bubbles," where people only interact with like-minded individuals and media that reinforce their beliefs.

I read the news programs that support what I believe in, I talk to friends who believe mostly what I believe. And so, I develop this bias, he told CP.

As soon as I hear information that runs counter to what I believe, my propensity is to discount it. I dont give it a fair shake. This happens even if I hear the information. Most of us, to be honest, were in these thought bubbles, and no counter information gets through.

Theory and practice

Ultimately, Muehlhoff hopes End the Stalemate will inspire readers to not only embrace the ideas of civility and listening but also to actively practice them in dialogue with others.

We need not just theory, but we need people to actually put the theory into practice, Muehlhoff said. These concepts are great, but youve got to practice the concepts.

Drawing from his martial arts training, Muehlhoff explained the importance of application. It is one thing to learn something, like how to block, but then we actually spar. You get in there and try this with a person who is using their technique.

Muehlhoff emphasized that the same applies to Christian concepts such as listening, neighbor-love, perspective-taking, empathy and bricolage.

"Youve actually got to practice it," he said.
Home News Homeschooling moms push back against 'latest attack' on school choice in Arizona: lawsuit

A mother of nine is among two homeschooling parents challenging the state of Arizona over a new rule that requires parents to justify their educational material purchases. One of the mothers argues that the rule has placed an impossible burden on her.

Velia Aguirre and Rosemary McAtee are two mothers who homeschool their children with help from Arizonas Empowerment Scholarship Account, a program that reimburses parents or provides them with a debit card to pay for educational costs.

Aguirre is a former special education teacher and a mother of three who relies on funding from ESA awards to educate her children. McAtee, another participant in the ESA program, educates seven of her nine children through the support she receives from the program.

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In July, Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes issued legal threats against State Superintendent Tom Horne and the Arizona Department of Education. Mayes said that the ESA program may be violating state law by reimbursing parents for supplementary materials without requiring parents to prove that the materials are necessary for the curriculum presented to students.

The department complied with the notice, and as a result, when Aguirre and McAtee sought reimbursement for materials they deemed necessary for their childrens education, such as books, pencils and erasers, the department rejected their requests.

With help from the conservative Goldwater Institute, the two mothers filed a lawsuit Monday against the state of Arizona and its Department of Education. The suit, filed in Maricopa County Superior Court, seeks to allow parents to purchase common-sense educational materials without having to jump through bureaucratic hoops.

The complaint argues that Arizona law permits using ESA funds to purchase educational materials, and it is actually the new requirement that violates state law and regulations. As the document noted, the State Board of Education has likewise approved rules for the program explicitly permitting the purchase of these materials without additional documentation.

This is just the latest attack that we've seen from opponents of school choice on parents' right to choose the best education that works for their individual child's needs, Joe Seyton, a senior communications manager for the Goldwater Institute, told The Christian Post in an interview.

Seyton explained that the Goldwater Institute has been a longtime proponent of school choice. He noted that ever since the introduction of Arizonas ESA program in 2012, school choice opponents have done everything in their power to try to dismantle it.

According to the Arizona Department of Education, more than 78,000 students are enrolled in the ESA program as of Sept. 23.

Its very successful, Seyton said about the ESA program. Parents like it because they want the best education for their kids.

In response to an inquiry from CP, a spokesperson for Arizonas attorney general said that Mayes has simply stated what is required by law and that the new standard requires parents to use the materials purchased with ESA funds for their childs education. The communications director for the attorney general also asserted that the state superintendent agreed with Mayes interpretation of the law.

With instances of voucher dollars being spent on things like ski passes, luxury car driving lessons, and grand pianos, its clear that providing documentation on spending is essential to prevent the misuse of taxpayer funds, the spokesperson stated. Attorney General Mayes believes Arizonans deserve full transparency and accountability in how their tax dollars are used and will continue to fight for accountability and oversight in the voucher program.

The two mothers at the center of the lawsuit, however, said the government has made teaching their children more challenging. Aguirre noted that her homeschooling curriculum is ever-changing because its based on her childrens individual needs.

The government is changing the rules and putting impossible burdens on me, the mother said in the Goldwater Institutes Tuesday press release. Its been really challenging and hard having to meet the expectations that the AG wants with a curriculum.

McAtee agreed, stating that the state attorney general doesnt have any interest in what an education looks like for a homeschooled child.

Arizona's Department of Education responded to CP's inquiry by directing the outlet to Tuesday's statement by the state superintendent. Horne wrote that the department concedes to the arguments made in the Goldwater Institute's lawsuit.

"When this issue first arose in July, my concern was that the Attorney General could force Empowerment Scholarship Account holders to return funds if they did not comply with her offices interpretation of the law. This lawsuit will settle the issue in court and my sincere hope is that the arguments made by Goldwater will prevail.
Home News Hurricane Helene leaves dozens dead, millions without power

Dozens of people have died as a result of damage caused by Hurricane Helene as the storm continues to advance through the continental United States.

Helene made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane near Perry, Florida, late Thursday night. While the storm has now been downgraded to a tropical depression, it continues to leave a wake of destruction in the form of major damage, power outages and lives lost.

At least seventeen people had died as a result of the storm in South Carolina as of Friday afternoon, The New York Times reports.

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Broken down by county, four deaths occurred in Aiken County, four people died in Greenville County and three lost their lives in Spartanburg County. Two deaths apiece occurred in Aiken County, Anderson County and Newberry County. All of the counties where people lost their lives due to damage from Helene are inland locations in the western part of the state that are a long distance from the coast.

In Florida, on the other hand, most of the deaths were limited to coastal counties. The New York Times reports that five people died in Pinellas County, located along the Gulf Coast while a sixth death occurred in nearby Tampa. The seventh person to die from Helene in Florida was based in Dixie County, another county located along the Gulf Coast.

Georgia is reporting 15 storm-related fatalities: two in inland Laurens County, two in inland Wheeler County, one in inland Colquitt County and one in coastal Liberty County. Nine additional people lost their lives, but the exact locations where they died were not clear as of Friday afternoon.

North Carolina, located several hundred miles north of where the storm made landfall, is reporting that two people lost their lives because of the storm, both of whom were located in the Charlotte area. One person died in Charlotte in the south-central part of the state, while the other was in nearby Catawba County.

The website PowerOutage.us, which keeps track of power outages in the U.S., reported more than four million homes without power throughout the southeastern U.S. as of Friday afternoon, nearly 24 hours after the storm made landfall.

South Carolina has the most power outages, which currently exceed 1 million. Georgia currently has over 900,000 people without power, while nearly 900,000 customers are without power in North Carolina.

Florida, the site of Helenes landfall, still has around 700,000 customers without power. Other states in the storms path with more than 100,000 people without power include Virginia and Kentucky, which have more than 200,000 power outages; Ohio, which has more than 150,000; and Tennessee, which has just over 100,000 customers without power.

President Joe Biden has approved emergency declarations in South Carolina, Alabama, North Carolina, Georgia and Florida, enabling the federal government to assist state and local authorities as they seek to facilitate recovery efforts before, during and after the storm.
Home News Jordan Peterson slams 'trans-butchery of minor children' as 'a crime against humanity'

Psychologist and podcaster Jordan Peterson suggests that doctors who perform "trans-butchery" on children with gender dysphoria are "butchering sadists" who should face life sentences for "crimes against humanity."

Peterson, a professor emeritus at the University of Toronto, discussed his concerns about gender transition procedures for minors in an appearance on "Piers Morgan Uncensored" last week.

"I think that every single medical professional and psychological professional who has  played a role in facilitating the trans-butchery of minor children should be put in prison for the rest of their lives for crimes against humanity," he said.

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"It is the worst medical and certainly psychological scandal that I've ever seen in my entire life and the only things that I've seen that rival it is the medical experiments that were conducted by the Nazis and the Japanese  running up to World War II," Peterson asserted. "It's absolutely 100% unforgivable."

Peterson's comments condemning the promotion of gender transition procedures for minors came in response to billionaire Elon Musk's assertion on the psychologist's podcast that "I lost my son" because he was "killed by the woke mind virus."

Musk noted that medical and psychological professionals informed him that his trans-identified son "might commit suicide" if he did not embrace the child's stated gender identity as a woman.

The psychologist condemned the aforementioned "lie" told to Musk.

"That has no grounding whatsoever in empirical fact; it's an absolute bloody lie," Peterson said. "It's pathological beyond belief."

Peterson elaborated on the implications of what he called the "trans epidemic" in the United States, saying that "At least 8,000 young women have been subjected to double mastectomies."

He identified the proposition that "those children are all now free to show their true identity" as "another complete bloody lie."

The psychologist delivered a message to left-leaning politicians in his native Canada, the U.S. and the United Kingdom: "If you people are behind this identity politics and you think that it's a good idea to free up young women in particular to find their true identities as men, there is something seriously sick about you. It's inexcusable; it's absolutely inexcusable."

"There is no evidence whatsoever for any of those gender transformation identity claims," he maintained. "It's experimental medicine conducted by butchering sadists at its absolute worst. What they do to people to transform them into  malfunctioning pseudo-members of the opposite sex is far beyond brutal."

"Sadists are overrepresented in the profession of surgery," he said, adding, "all you have to do is think for about 15 seconds before you can figure out why that might be."

He reiterated his belief that "sterilization and mutilation of children," which he described as "involuntary" because of their lack of ability to give consent for the procedures, constitutes a "crime against humanity in accordance with [United Nations] definitions."

"To call it reprehensible is to barely scrape the surface," he continued. "I don't think it will stop until there are the right length of prison sentences for the people who have been involved in it," he predicted.

Peterson mentioned the "Cass Report," commissioned by the U.K.'s National Health Service, which determined that there is "no good evidence on the long-term outcomes of interventions to manage gender-related distress."

He noted how the "Cass Report" led the NHS to rethink the performance of gender transition procedures on minors while lamenting that similar developments have not occurred in Canada or the U.S.

Concerns about the long-term impacts of gender transition procedures on minors have prompted 26 U.S. states to implement bans on the performance of some or all of them: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, West Virginia and Wyoming.

While Peterson did not give any specific examples of individuals harmed by undergoing the life-altering procedures, Chloe Cole has emerged as one of the most outspoken detransitioners, a term reserved for individuals who once experienced gender dysphoria but saw their discomfort with their biological sex subside as they got older.

In a lawsuit filed against the professionals who prescribed and encouraged her to seek such treatment, Cole attributed the suicidal thoughts she experienced as a minor to the double mastectomy she received, adding that the gender transition procedures she underwent left her with "deep physical and emotional wounds, severe regrets, and distrust of the medical system."
Home News Lausanne invites feedback to Seoul Statement, too early to say if substantive changes might be made

INCHEON, South Korea  As the Fourth Lausanne Congress on World Evangelization came to a close, the Lausanne leadership sent a note to the more than 5,000 participants inviting them to provide feedback to the SeoulStatement that had been published at the beginning of the event.

The comments will be evaluated by the Theology Working Group and senior leadership who will decide next steps in the coming weeks, according to a Lausanne spokesperson.

Initially, the release of the statement ahead of the event caught many participants by surprise as they expected the week-long deliberations to be captured and processed into a final document, as it had been the case with the previous three Lausanne Congresses. As they began to study the 20-page document with seven sections and 97 paragraphs over the following days, an increasing chorus of participants began to privately and publicly discuss sections they agreed or disagreed with.

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This ultimately led the Lausanne leadership to decide to offer a channel to capture responses more systematically and to consider possible adjustments to the Statement in the days and weeks to come.

A 'final' statement opens for change

On the opening day on Sept. 22, Congress Director David Bennett announced the release of the Seoul Statement, explaining that unlike its predecessors that were published following the event, the document was meant to inform and inspire participants deliberations throughout the gathering rather than summarize what was discussed.

He emphasized that the purpose of the Seoul Statement was not to be a new stand-alone response to the missional challenges that the global Church is facing today. Instead, it stands as part of the larger collection of key documents within the Lausanne Movement, building on the legacy of the Lausanne Covenant, the Manila Manifesto, and the Cape Town Commitment. It is designed not to replace, but to complement these foundational documents, providing fresh insights into contemporary theological and missional challenges.

At the time, Bennett left open whether or not there will be some form of summary of the conversations that take place throughout the week.

While translations were presented as drafts that were still in the process of being reviewed due to the complexity of theological terms, the English version was presented as final during a press conference on Monday. The following day, however, edits in two paragraphs related to homosexuality raised eyebrows, as Christian Daily International reported earlier.

Asked about the change during the press conference on Tuesday, Lausannes spokesperson said the edit was, in fact, meant to be made before the release of the Seoul Statement, calling it an oversight. He also added that the adjustment was not significant.

He pointed to broader conversations about issues that are of specific concern to the Korean Church, and that he would therefore anticipate that there might be more [changes] but the finality of it is never going to be dipped in amber and called done perhaps. He also repeated the earlier comment that it is not the Congress statement, it is not one of the foundational documents that we are pinning everything on.

And so, like in any editorial process, there may be changes, but those changes are not substantive or significant, at least from an editorial perspective, he said.

Still discerning the process forward

Then on Friday morning, Lausanne circulated an email by its Director of Communications and Content, Mike du Toit, inviting participants to share their feedback through a newly prepared online form.

In consultation with the executive leadership of the Lausanne Movement and the Lausanne Theology Working Group co-chairs, we wish to take the opportunity to clarify a few points related to the Seoul Statement, he wrote, again highlighting the purpose of the Seoul Statement as having been intended to be a gift to the global church [] with the purpose to ignite meaningful dialogue during our time together and beyond.

He expressed his gratitude for the broad engagement with the Seoul Statement, which focuses on certain theological topics identified by the Lausanne Theology Working Group as needing greater attention by the global Church, and reflects on them on the basis of the Gospel, the biblical story we live and tell. He added that these topics are not the only topics for focus going forward.

He then went on to acknowledge that there had been some confusion and misunderstandings among participants, saying, We recognize that in introducing the Seoul Statement, we should have been clearer in explaining its purpose and the way in which participants are invited to engage with it.

Providing a link to an online form, he invited participants to comment on the statement and share their perspectives either individually or on behalf of an organization or group.

As we journey through this Congress and beyond, we look forward to continued collaboration, with the shared goal that the church will declare and display Christ together, he concluded.

Asked by Christian Daily International what led to the change and how the feedback will be processed, du Toit said during the afternoon press conference that the Lausanne leadership appreciated the engagement with the statement and we've heard the people.

The intention had always been to invite discussion, which is what happened throughout the week. But people have also requested a more official feedback mechanism and so we've established that now and people have engaged with it, he said, adding that it will take some time to see how much feedback will come in and what kind of responses will be received.

We do have a team in place to process the feedback that we receive and then to take that forward to the Theology Working Group to determine the next steps together with the Lausanne senior leadership team, he said.

We will communicate the next steps in the days and weeks ahead. There's not an official plan to exactly announce what those look like, du Toit added, acknowledging in response to another reporters question that this feedback process had not initially been foreseen.

Asked whether substantive changes might be expected, he said it is too early to say what will happen in the end. There's room for the leaders that are concerned to discern the process forward.

Originally published at Christian Daily International
Home News Michael Oh closes out Lausanne 4 with call to 'collective responsibility' for the Great Commission

INCHEON, South Carolina  "The Great Commission is everyone's responsibility," Michael Oh told thousands of Christians at the end of the Fourth Lausanne Congress on World Evangelization on Saturday.

Speaking during the closing ceremony of Lausanne 4, Oh warned against dismissing the Great Commission as "not my business," and said that it must be seen as the Church's "collective responsibility" and "everyone's business."

"The Great Commission is everyone's responsibility. The aggregate result of Christians doing their own thing in their own place  even faithfully  has left us with the trajectory that, year after year, there are more people in the world who have never heard the Gospel than the year before," he said.

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In his final keynote address to the Congress on Saturday, Oh said that "anything short of a massive realignment of Christian presence and coordination and intentionality" would result in billions of people never hearing the Gospel.

He said he wanted to see more Christians entering different spheres of society to reach people with the Gospel.

"With 3.4 billion people who live among 7,400 unreached people groups in the world and will likely never hear the Good News of Jesus before they die; with 86 percent of all the world's Muslims, Buddhists and Hindus not knowing a single Christian ... this is not just the responsibility of missionaries and ministers, but of artists, engineers, students, professors, CFOs, CEOs and more," he said.

He continued, "May none of us find comfort in imagining ourselves standing before God one day and giving excuses for our lack of intentionality and collective responsibility by pleading ignorance and saying, sorry, I didn't know."

Collaborative action has been stressed throughout Lausanne 4. On the final day, participants were asked to sign a 'Collaborative Action Commitment' to inspire them to continue seeking ways to work together beyond the Congress in sharing the Gospel.

Oh said that no Christian could say they did not need each other. "What impact and greater effectiveness might there be if the ministry of all God's people were to [be] less like the Christian version of 'do random acts of kindness' and more like a coordinated and healthy Body of Jesus Christ?" he said.

Lausanne 4 brought together over 5,000 Christians from over 200 countries to South Korea for a week of collaborating and strategizing for world mission.

Discussions were supposed to be underpinned by the Seoul Statement, a 20-page document intended to complement and build upon previous Lausanne theological statements. However, publishing the Seoul Statement prior to the Congress proved controversial and created confusion and frustration among many participants who had expected to deliberate over it during the gathering in order to provide feedback before its release.

The strength of feeling led Lausanne leaders to open a feedback mechanism for Congress participants to share their reflections on the Seoul Statement's content.

Lausanne spokesperson Michael du Toit acknowledged the confusion in an email to participants inviting their responses to the Seoul Statement: "We recognize that in introducing the Seoul Statement, we should have been clearer in explaining its purpose and the way in which participants are invited to engage with it."

The feedback will be considered in the coming weeks by the Theology Working Group, who together with Lausanne senior leaders will determine any next steps to be taken.

The Seoul Statement was not the only controversy at the congress after some participants were upset by comments from guest speaker Ruth Padilla DeBorst criticizing Israel and dispensational eschatology.

The comments during her Monday night presentation on justice prompted an apology by congress director David Bennett.

Others were angered by the apology. Valdir Steuernagel, a Brazilian theologian and senior executive adviser to the Lausanne Movement, said it was "problematic" that Lausanne had "distanced itself from one of the most impactful presentations of the event."

Addressing the controversy on Friday, Chris Wright, who serves on Lausanne's board of directors, told reporters that the movement "doesn't claim to be the voice of the whole Christian community," and suggested that members must find a way to live with their differences that does not seek to "pin blame or come up with easy solutions."

"What was said on Monday night was bound to be hurtful for some, and the apology on her behalf hurtful for others. It's very hard to simply say that one side's right or the other side's wrong," he said.

Lausanne 4 was held over seven days at the Songdo Convensia in Incheon, just outside the Korean capital of Seoul. Sessions explored key topics relating to world mission, including leadership, intergenerational discipleship, urban mission, sexuality, faith in the workplace, justice, climate change and persecution.

The Congress coincided with the Lausanne Movement's 50th anniversary, marking half a century since the late evangelist Billy Graham, John Stott and other Evangelical leaders came together in Lausanne, Switzerland, in 1974 to found the mission-focused movement.

In his keynote address during the anniversary celebrations on Wednesday, Oh said it was imperative that the Church engage digitally with the world or else "lose the future."

Lausanne 4 was held around the theme of "Let the Church Declare and Display Christ Together." It was supported by hundreds of Korean churches and thousands of individual Korean Christians who signed up to pray for the event throughout the week, although a few local Christians protested outside the gathering, claiming that Lausanne was failing to speak out against homosexuality. A Lausanne spokesperson said that the movement had decided not to engage with the protesters.

Originally published on Christian Today U.K.
MBABANE  PUDEMO has refuted claims that Sifiso Mahlangu is a member of the movement.

This is despite that he has been leaving with the Peoples United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO) President, Mlungisi Makhanya, in his house for an indefinite period of time.

At a presser held at Caritas in Manzini yesterday, PUDeMo said Mahlangu, who is associated with the poisoning of Makhanya, is not affiliated with any of its branches across the country.

Wandile Dludlu, the Deputy President of PUDEMO, said Makhanya remains in a critical condition in a hospital in Johannesburg, South Africa and his survival can only be attributed to God. The press conference was held to give an update on the current health status of the organisations president.

Financial

In a video clip that circulated on social media on Thursday, Mahlangu made allegations that gave clues to the nature of contention between him and Makhanya. He alleged that the contention was sparked by personal circumstances and prompted by apparent lack of financial accountability in the political organisation. This publication enquired from PUDEMO executive members, who included Penuel Malinga, the Secretary General (SG), Siboniso Mkhabela, the Organising Secretary, Sakhile Awviva Nxumalo, the President of SWAYOCO, whether Mahlangu is a member of the movement established in the 1980s.

The Swaziland Youth Congress (SWAYOCO) is the youth wing of PUDEMO. The organisation was also called upon to shed light on how Mahlangu got close to Makhanya to the point of allegedly poisoning him. In response, Dludlu said they did not know people who had personal relationships or private business with the president. The only thing they know is that, he is not a member of PUDEMO. Adding to this statement, the PUDEMO SG Malinga said as far as the relationship between Makhanya and Mahlangu is concerned, they have no register to keep record of who Makhanya is associating with at a friendship level.

If we were talking about the president residing in a PUDEMO house, then we would have accounted for everyone residing in that house, but given that he is residing in a private house, we have no knowledge of who visits him and who his friends are, he said. Malinga further said that PUDEMO knew its members living in exile, and Mahlangu is not one of them. This was after this publication had enquired how Mahlangu got into South Africa or whether he was in that country as an advocate for political reforms.

Cold

In his video clip, Mahlangu claimed that he was a solidarity forces member and sometimes they would sleep in the cold, shivering the whole night yet people had the guts to take potshots at him through social media without fully understanding what they were going through as members of the Swaziland International Solidarity Forces. When asked whether the solidarity forces were an army wing of PUDEMO, Dludlu was quick to point out that the entity has no knowledge of the solidarity forces either.

He highlighted that the entity has been in existence for multiple decades yet the existence of solidarity forces was only known a few years back. What is of paramount importance right now is the health of the president who has been poisoned, he said. Dludlu shared that Makhanya is still in hospital in a critical condition, but doctors are doing all that they can to ease the pain and ensure that he survives. PUDEMO National Organising Secretary Mkhabela said Makhanya is a strong individual who has endured challenging situations even outside of politics.

He said he strongly believes that he will rise above the current situation and come back even stronger. Makhanya is a fighter, and the moment he opens his eyes and regains his strength, he will come back even stronger. We know him and we have served with him, he has been through a lot of challenging situations and he always conquers, he said. Mkhabela said Tinkhundla should not celebrate just because he is currently lying in a hospital bed.
Home News Most Catholics in US, Latin America support ordaining women to the priesthood: survey

A new report reveals that most Catholics in the United States and Latin America support ordaining women to the priesthood despite their faiths clear teaching on the matter.

The Pew Research Center released the results of a survey Thursday based on responses collected from 3,655 Catholics in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru from Jan. 22-April 27 and 2,051 Catholics in the U.S. collected from Feb. 13-25. The report documents a divergence between the beliefs of Catholics in these countries and the teachings of their faith.

When asked if they supported ordaining women to the priesthood, majorities of Catholics in nearly every country surveyed answered in the affirmative. Support for female priests among Catholics was strongest in Brazil (83%) followed by Argentina (71%), Chile (69%), Peru (65%), the U.S. (64%) and Colombia (56%). Only in Mexico did a majority of Catholics (51%) oppose ordaining women to the priesthood.

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The Catechism of the Catholic Church declares that Only a baptized man (vir) validly receives sacred ordination. According to Church teaching, The Lord Jesus chose men (viri) to form the college of the twelve apostles, and the apostles did the same when they chose collaborators to succeed them in their ministry. The college of bishops, with whom the priests are united in the priesthood, makes the college of the twelve an ever-present and ever-active reality until Christs return.

The Church recognizes herself to be bound by this choice made by the Lord himself, the Catechism explains. For this reason the ordination of women is not possible.

Mexican Catholics are also an outlier when it comes to support for allowing Catholics to receive communion even if they're living with a romantic partner they're not married to. Just 45% of Mexican Catholics thought the Church should allow cohabitating Catholics to receive communion in contrast to 52% of Colombian Catholics, 56% of Peruvian Catholics, 59% of Brazilian Catholics, 73% of Chilean Catholics, 75% of American Catholics and 77% of Catholics in Argentina.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that those obstinately persevering in manifest grave sin are not to be admitted to holy communion. A separate passage of the Catechism explains that Carnal union is morally legitimate only when a definitive community of life between a man and woman has been established. Church teaching stresses that Human love does not tolerate trial marriages, but rather demands a total and definitive gift of persons to one another.

The report showed wide support for allowing Catholics to use birth control in every country surveyed. Eighty-six percent of Catholics in Argentina expressed support for changing church teaching on the matter along with 83% of American Catholics, 80% of Chilean Catholics, 76% of Colombian Catholics, 75% of Peruvian Catholics, 69% of Mexican Catholics and 63% of Brazilian Catholics.

Paragraph 2370 of the Catechism states that every action which, whether in anticipation of the conjugal act, or in its accomplishment, or in the development of its natural consequences, proposes, whether as an end or as a means, to render procreation impossible is intrinsically evil.

When it comes to allowing priests to get married, support was highest among U.S. Catholics (69%), followed by Chilean Catholics (65%) and Argentine Catholics (64%). Around half of Catholics in Colombia (52%) and Brazil (50%) thought the Church should permit priests to get married, while significantly smaller shares of Catholics in Mexico (38%) and Peru (32%) said the same.

According to Paragraph 1579 of the Catechism, priests are normally chosen from among men of faith who live a celibate life and who intend to remain celibate for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. Called to consecrate themselves with undivided heart to the Lord and to the affairs of the Lord, they give themselves entirely to God and to men. Celibacy is a sign of this new life to the service of which the Churchs minister is consecrated; accepted with a joyous heart celibacy radiantly proclaims the Reign of God.

Only the issue of allowing same-sex couples to marry registered opposition from most Catholics in a majority of the countries surveyed. While most Catholics in Argentina (70%), Chile (64%) and the U.S. (54%) thought the Church should recognize the marriages of gay and lesbian couples, less than half of Catholics in Mexico (46%), Brazil (43%), Colombia (40%) and Peru (32%) had the same feeling.

Church teaching proclaims that homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered, adding, Under no circumstances can they be approved.
Lausanne Congress concludes with call to 'collective responsibility' for the Great Commission

"The Great Commission is everyone's responsibility," Dr Michael Oh told thousands of Christians at the end of the Fourth Lausanne Congress on World Evangelization in Incheon, South Korea, on Saturday.

Speaking during the closing ceremony of Lausanne 4, Dr Oh warned against dismissing the Great Commission as "not my business", and said that it must be seen as the Church's "collective responsibility" and "everyone's business".

"The Great Commission is everyone's responsibility. The aggregate result of Christians doing their own thing in their own place - even faithfully - has left us with the trajectory that, year after year, there are more people in the world who have never heard the Gospel than the year before," he said.

In his final keynote address of the congress on Saturday, Dr Oh said that "anything short of a massive realignment of Christian presence and coordination and intentionality" would result in billions of people never hearing the Gospel.

He said he wanted to see more Christians entering different spheres of society to reach people with the Gospel.

"With 3.4 billion people who live among 7,400 unreached people groups in the world and will likely never hear the Good News of Jesus before they die; with 86 per cent of all the world's Muslims, Buddhists and Hindus not knowing a single Christian ... this is not just the responsibility of missionaries and ministers, but of artists, engineers, students, professors, CFOs, CEOs and more," he said.

He continued, "May none of us find comfort in imagining ourselves standing before God one day and giving excuses for our lack of intentionality and collective responsibility by pleading ignorance and saying, sorry, I didn't know."

Collaborative action has been stressed throughout Lausanne 4. On the final day, participants were asked to sign a 'Collaborative Action Commitment' to inspire them to continue seeking ways to work together beyond the congress in sharing the Gospel.

Dr Oh said that no Christian could say they did not need each other. "What impact and greater effectiveness might there be if the ministry of all God's people were to [be] less like the Christian version of 'do random acts of kindness' and more like a coordinated and healthy body of Jesus Christ?" he said.

Also speaking on the final day of the congress was American pastor and bestselling author Rick Warren, who told younger participants below the age of 40, "You have the potential to finish the task and complete the Great Commission."

However, "to make it to the finish line," he said that they needed four things: "mentors, models, partners and friends."

Asking those over the age of 40 to stand up, he told younger participants, "These are the people you should be learning from. You can learn from anybody if you know the right questions. All leaders are learners. These people have already been in ministry for years so they can teach you things that you don't know."

He added, "Now, my prayer for both of these groups is that you will finish well."

Lausanne 4 brought together over 5,000 Christians from over 200 countries to South Korea for a week of collaborating and strategising for world mission.

Discussions were supposed to be underpinned by the Seoul Statement, a 20-page document intended to complement and build upon previous Lausanne theological statements. However, publishing the Seoul Statement prior to the congress proved controversial and created confusion and frustration among many participants who had expected to deliberate over it during the gathering in order to provide feedback before its release.

The strength of feeling led Lausanne leaders to open a feedback mechanism for congress participants to share their reflections on the Seoul Statement's content.

Lausanne spokesperson Michael du Toit acknowledged the confusion in an email to participants inviting their responses to the Seoul Statement: "We recognise that in introducing the Seoul Statement, we should have been clearer in explaining its purpose and the way in which participants are invited to engage with it."

The feedback will be considered in the coming weeks by the Theology Working Group, who together with Lausanne senior leaders will determine any next steps to be taken.

The Seoul Statement was not the only controversy at the congress after some participants were upset by comments from guest speaker Ruth Padilla DeBorst criticising Israel and dispensational eschatology.

The comments during her Monday night presentation on justice prompted an apology by congress director David Bennett.

Others were angered by the apology. Valdir Steuernagel, a Brazilian theologian and senior executive adviser to the Lausanne Movement, said it was "problematic" that Lausanne had "distanced itself from one of the most impactful presentations of the event."

Addressing the controversy on Friday, Chris Wright, who serves on Lausanne's board of directors, told reporters that the movement "doesn't claim to be the voice of the whole Christian community", and suggested that members must find a way to live with their differences that does not seek to "pin blame or come up with easy solutions".

"What was said on Monday night was bound to be hurtful for some, and the apology on her behalf hurtful for others. It's very hard to simply say that one side's right or the other side's wrong," he said.

Lausanne 4 was held over seven days at the Songdo Convensia in Incheon, just outside the Korean capital of Seoul. Sessions explored key topics relating to world mission, including leadership, intergenerational discipleship, urban mission, sexuality, faith in the workplace, justice, climate change, and persecution.

The congress coincided with the Lausanne Movement's 50th anniversary, marking half a century since Billy Graham, John Stott and other evangelical leaders came together in Lausanne, Switzerland, in 1974 to found the mission-focused movement.

In his keynote address during the anniversary celebrations on Wednesday, Dr Oh said it was imperative that the Church engage digitally with the world or else "lose the future".

Lausanne 4 was held around the theme of 'Let the Church Declare and Display Christ Together'. It was supported by hundreds of Korean churches and thousands of individual Korean Christians who signed up to pray for the event throughout the week, although a few local Christians protested outside the gathering, claiming that Lausanne was failing to speak out against homosexuality. A Lausanne spokesperson said that the movement had decided not to engage with the protesters.
Lausanne's Doug Birdsall talks leadership, challenges for world mission, and passing the baton to the next generation

The Lausanne Movement has just celebrated its 50th anniversary at the Lausanne 4 Congress in Incheon, South Korea. Christian Today spoke to Lausanne Honorary Co-Chair, Doug Birdsall, about some of the challenges for Christians today and what might be next for the movement.

What do you feel most grateful for when you look back over the last 50 years of Lausanne?

I just feel grateful that Lausanne has continued to prioritise rigorous study and thinking on the one hand, and strategic action on the other. It's a matter of using the brains and minds that God has given us, and seeking to understand how we can best steward those gifts and exercise the opportunities He brings our way.

I appreciate the fact that Lausanne is very strong on theology, as we see in the Lausanne Covenant. At the same time, Lausanne is very light on its feet and has never tried to become a big organisation, which makes it agile in responding to new opportunities.

I also appreciate that Lausanne is really generous in its spirit; whatever we have, we share. And the fact that Lausanne has helped the Church find a balance between proclamation of the Gospel and incarnation of the Gospel - balancing proclamation evangelism with a demonstration of compassion to the poor and the needy.

What do you think are some of the biggest challenges for the Church in the world today?

One of the biggest challenges is to do with human sexuality - what does it mean to be a man or a woman? The world has lost its bearings on this and we are being taught to affirm something that is so far out of God's plan. How do we articulate our convictions on this issue with clarity, persuasiveness and compassion? In so many places, it is quickly labelled as hate speech and people pay a price for it, so we have to figure out how to do that.

The second thing in terms of human identity relates to some of the questions being raised by artificial intelligence, like what it means to be an embodied person as opposed to some kind of a technology. Those are really huge challenges.

I was born in the 50s and it was just a few years after the end of World War II, which was the war to make the world safe for democracy, and now we see that being challenged. How did people like Mussolini and Hitler come to power? It was because they fed on things that were happening in society. There's so much unrest in the world today and how is it that we have so many bad people being elected in what were very stable parts of the world like Europe and North America?

What we as Christians have to prepare for is how we live under people who threaten our rights. There's a sense within parts of the American Christian Right that if we can just get enough power in the government then we can use it for society and get society to do what we want, but in the end society resists and it backfires. The question instead is: how can we live in such a way that the government acknowledges our right to function as a redemptive unit? Those are big challenges for us.

Lausanne is first and foremost a global mission movement. On the balance of things, are you more or less hopeful about the fulfilment of the Great Commission?

For many years I was an optimist and I've since moved from being an optimist to being a person of hope. On the surface they look quite similar but I've come to realise that optimism is largely a function of personality and more to do with being a cheerful person. I've been through some experiences in life that have made me less optimistic but more hopeful.

The Apostle Paul was the great missionary and theologian of the early church and it's interesting that he ends his greatest book, Romans, talking about hope: "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit" (Romans 15:13 NIV).

Isn't it interesting that Paul, as the leader of this tiny little sect, was somehow making Caesar nervous? And in the midst of that, Paul was saying: be hopeful. I think in the US it's probably going to get harder - as an American I can hardly believe we're thinking about potential instability and social unrest at an election, and the mistrust in the basic institutions is very concerning to me - but at the same time, we're going to be more hopeful.

The people of God have been able to survive in all kinds of socio-economic conditions so while I think it's going to get harder for the Church I'm hopeful that God will continue to raise up men and women who will have courage, vision and wisdom to lead us.

The next phase of Lausanne's work will build towards 2050. What is your hope for Lausanne looking forward to that time?

Personally, I think it's hard to project out that far because the world changes so much and so fast. When we left Lausanne 2 in 1989, nobody could have anticipated the collapse of Communism. In just a couple of years the world had changed dramatically and it was shocking and earth-shattering. Then when we left Lausanne 3 in Cape Town in 2010, no one could have anticipated the Arab Spring.

But a recent conversation comes to mind. This person didn't know much about evangelicalism but he did know about Billy Graham and he asked me if there was anyone alive today like him. I said, not that I know of, but it could very well be that there is someone somewhere in the world who is still in high school or college or out preaching somewhere tonight who is being shaped and prepared for igniting renewal.

The thing about revival is that it always comes as a surprise. No one ever says revival came on such and such a date because they planned it that way. Our part, as the people of God, is to be humble, hopeful and faithful to Scripture, because revival is as much about the character of who we are. Christlikeness and our giftings are important but these can't be fully activated unless we have a heart that's in tune with God and inflamed with a passion for God.

So authentic Christian living is really important, and for that we need faithful Christian teaching. I pray for more people like John Stott who were so brilliant and trusted by virtually everybody. And I hope that in a similar way Lausanne could be a mediator that has the trust of people and is known for its humility, its generosity, and the strength of its ideas and convictions.

But another thing to add is that fulfilling the Great Commission is not only about checking off groups we haven't reached yet. We also need to think about how we renew the places that have already heard the Gospel, because we can check off a whole bunch of places and then find that all of a sudden Europe and America have turned away from the Gospel. There's a saying among Reformed churches: 'the Church reformed, always reforming.' The Reformed Church must continually reform and in the same vein, my hope is that we would live out effective submission and authenticity of life.

You've been in many different leadership positions over the years. Sadly, it seems like we have had so many bad leaders lately, both within and outside the Church. What lessons have you learned about being a good Christian leader?

Good Christian leaders recognise that all that they do is for the glory of God and not for themselves. They realise that all that they have - their gifts and talents - are gifts of God to be stewarded for God's glory and to point people to Him. That's not false humility; it's a healthy sense of who God is that recognises we can do this only because of Him.

I have a wonderful mentor who's 84 and is still starting new things. When I was younger, he would tell me there's no limit to what we can do for the glory of God if we don't care who gets the credit. Now, that could sound like a cliche, but when you watch the person live that out like I've watched with him over the last 45 years, I can see how true it is.

Some Christian leaders always want to be front and centre, but the people who should be at the front are the young people, because they're the future.

During Lausanne 4, you and other senior leaders in the movement spoke about the importance of making way for the next generation. How do you feel as an older Christian who has reached that stage in life and ministry where you are starting to step back and pass on the baton to the next generation of leaders. Is it difficult?

Yes and no. I was talking to someone today about my age and they said 'you're not old'. But I am, I can't deny it. I'm now 71 and most people at this age are starting to move out of organisational leadership. That doesn't mean I want to just sit in a rocking chair and pine for the old days, but what it does mean is that I am thinking more about: how can I take my life experience and share it back? Because I was a kid once, too, and people took a chance on me and believed in me. So my desire now is to give away all of my wealth - and my wealth is really all of my experience from life. I don't know how many years I have left but I want to make them count.

Do you feel the preciousness of time?

Yes, I feel the preciousness of time - thankfully not the pressure of time! When you're young, you think so much about getting things done and counting how many projects you've finished. I don't have that kind of pressure on me anymore and that's given me the freedom to spend time meeting and talking to people without rushing on to the next thing. So I'm loving this stage of life. And that includes being a grandparent to my grandchildren who are aged three months to 13 years. It's wonderful to be able to do all the things that grandparents do and help my children raise their children.